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Little Teaser Of Upcoming Reviews & Give-Aways!!!

I have some great reviews and give-aways coming up thanks to the great companies that so generously have supported “Mommy Ramblings.”  I thought I would give you a sneak peak at some of the ones coming soon.

John Boos Cutting Boards

John Boos – 24 x 18 Maple R-Board 1-12 Inch Thick – R02 BoosBlock professional cutting boards are FDA-approved and are used in some of the finest restaurants in the country. BoosBlock Professional Cutting Boards are used by professional chefs throughout the United States and have been awarded the Gold Medal Award by Chefs of America. • Hard Rock Maple Edge Grain Construction • Penetrating Oil Finish • 1-1/2″ Thick – Reversible • Hand Grips • Dimensions: 18″ x 24″ x 1-1/2″ (W x L x H)  (Due to the weight of this item the give-away will only be available for local pickups or deliveries since it is not being sent from the factory)

This board is huge and heavy so the give-away will be limited to local pick ups and deliveries, if you live in NY state (Sullivan, Orange, Delaware, Broome Counties), PA (Scranton, Honesdale, Carbondale, Waymart) or in parts of NJ(check with me), Dunedin Florida  (as we are traveling there in a few weeks), or Atlanta, GA (traveling there too), you can enter.

 

Euro Style has provided us with a Radinka table to review and one to give-away.  This is a large heavy item so the give-away is limited to the areas above.

So keep watching these will be happing very soon.  Good luck everyone!!!

 


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Tea Collection Boys Clothing Line Review!!!

The Tea Collection recently sent me out some pieces from their boys clothing line.   I was beyond thrilled to be selected to review these pieces.  Luke modeled the size 3 (a bit big on my peanut) Escarabat graphic tee which is available in sizes sm (6-12mo) to 7 yrs.  The tee has a retail price of $19.00.  It is a super comfy, 100% cotton, in a gravel color.

Then we paired that with the El Born Tile Print Shirt available in sizes sm(6-12m) to 11/12 years.   Barcelona’s tiny El Born district is characterized by narrow waterfront streets.  It’s medieval, artsy and hip all at once.  This shirt will definitely be coming along on our vacation.  The shirt is 100% cotton and super comfy.  The retail price on this shirt is $35.00.


Ethan is wearing a size 5 (also a tad large but perfect for this Fall) Boardwalk Hooded Sweater available in sizes Sm (6-12mo) to 11/12 yrs.  It’s Picasso in casual beach mode with color blocking and stripes.  The perfect pullover for breezy afternoons and cool nights.  This sweater is 100% Pima Cotton and super cozy and soft.  This sweater retails for $59.00.

You can view the entire Tea clothing line for girls and boys.  You will be sure to find some cute, comfy, stylish clothing for the little ones in your life.


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Classic Lunch & Go™ Heated Lunch Tote Review & Coupon Code For My Blog Readers.

I was very excited to be chosen to review the Classic Lunch & Go Heated Lunch Tote (www.warmandtote.com).  This versatile tote can be used hot or cold.  I like the fact that it allows me to keep food warm while we are traveling.  I am able to keep a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches warm for the kids even if they want to eat them 3 hours after we hit the road.  With 2 toddlers this is really great, plus if you are on the road for a trip you can keep food warm from a lunch stop and they can eat it later.  It is also great for keeping food cold so no matter the menu, you can keep lunch fresh.  Another thing I love is the adjustable strap it easily can be slung over my shoulder and feels secure, leaving my hands free for the multitude of other things I need to carry.  The 10″ by 8″ roomy soft sided bag allows me to pack a variety of foods very easily.  Keep a hot hero hot and a cold sub cold.

This tote is great to pack a childs lunch in school.  They can have a hot healthy lunch from home that will be nice and warm hours later.  This allows us to make healthy food that our kids will eat.  The tote comes with 1 reusable turbo heat pack that lasts for 5 hours hot and 8-10 hours cold.  The heat pack is heated in the microwave or cooled in the freezer.

 

Take a look at their website-www.warmandtote.com- to see the variety of great products they carry like:

The Pre-School Bundle

The Husky Lunch & Go

 

Warm & Tote is providing a coupon code for any order my blog readers place-Use 20% Coupon Code “MommyRamblings”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Rhmwm6pNs]


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Road Trips, Reviews, and Give-Aways!!!

Our Scentsationals give-away ended and Donna Woody is our winner.  Congratulations Donna, I know you will love this warmer and wax set.

So, we are planning our vacation.  We are driving down first to Georgia and then to Florida and staying for a week in beautiful Dunedin.  I have been planning and list making for this trip down with 2 toddlers.  We have a nice van so the kids are comfy, and they are kept pretty entertained with the DVD player.  I plan to bring their magna doodle pros because they really love them.   So, I was thrilled when I got a package in the mail to review of Jack Hartmann’s “Get On Board the Transition Train,” transition songs that teach.  I have listened to this cd at home and  cannot wait to play it on our big road trip.  The kids love it!!!

I cannot believe the amount of great and educational songs that are on this CD.  There are 28 songs on this CD!!!  This is great for long trips in the car to sing-a-long to and learn from.  This would also be great for anyone that runs a home daycare, nursery school or for home-schooling parents.  The quality is top notch and you should take a look at the website.  http://www.jackhartmann.com. Jack Hartmann’s Hop 2 It Music is a great site and resource.

These educational songs for children focus on the following curriculum skills:
Starting & Ending the Day – Lining Up Quietly – Good Listening – Cleanup Fun – Circle Time Learning – Positive Behavior – Playground Rules – Zero the Hero – Washing Hands – Phonemic Awareness – Bathroom Do’s & Don’ts – Calming Down – Gross Motor Fun – 100 Days of School – Positive Lunchtime Behavior – Exercising & Fitness – 60 Beat per minute Brain Building – Crossing the Mid-line.

Get On Board the Transition TrainTM
Transition Songs that Teach

Jack Hartmann’s new CD

You can see the 28 songs and listen to them on the website–http://www.jackhartmann.com/cdproducts/transitiontrain.php

 

To enter the give-away, leave me a comment on my Facebook Mommy Ramblings page of why(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Ramblings/142284565832382?ref=ts) you would want this CD.

For additional entries:

Share the give-away on your Facebook status and leave me the link to your page on my Mommy Ramblings Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Ramblings/142284565832382?ref=ts)

Share on Twitter and leave me the link on  my Mommy Ramblings Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Ramblings/142284565832382?ref=ts)

Some of my readers have given up Facebook for lent so you can leave your comments on this post and it will count.

Give-away ends 12am EST April 2, 2011

Good luck everyone!!!


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I See Me! Inc. Personalized Children’s Books Review & Give-Away!!!

I was so excited when I learned I would be doing a review and give-away for I See Me! Personalized Books.  The first thing I needed to do, was to input my information that I wanted to be put in the book.  Their website and form allowed for this to be a quick and easy process.  The book that I was chosen to review was the Who Loves Me? book.  I personalized it for my son Luke.  When I took it out of the colorful gift box and started to read it, he just beamed everytime he heard his name and the names of his siblings.  This is such a beautifully illustrated book with bright colors that captivate both child and adult.  It is sweet and touching and the perfect length for a before bedtime read.

The company has so graciously allowed me to give-away a copy of this book ($24.95 value), that the winner will personalize for the child they intend to give it to.  If you would like to be entered in the random drawing for this book, please comment on the Mommy Ramblings  Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Ramblings/142284565832382?ref=ts) on who you would personalize this book for, if you win.   Please visit the I See Me! website at http://www.iseeme.com/.  Give-away will end at 12am Saturday March 19th, EST.  If you share the give-away on your Facebook page you can gain another entry in the contest, just post the link to your page showing that you shared.  They have so many great titles and I can vouch for the superior quality of these books.   Along with the books they offer personalized floor puzzles and gift sets.


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Sage Smart Culinary Surfaces Review & Give-Away!!!

Sage Smart Culinary Surfaces sent me a nice assortment of products for me to review and some for me to give-away to a few lucky blog readers.  The products I am reviewing are, the 12″ by 18″ Non-Skid Chop Board, and the 6″ by 10.5″ Bar Board.  Sage is the professional choice in durable food prep surfaces.  Sage culinary surfaces are the essential work platform of professional kitchens.  Extremely durable & dishwasher safe, Sage surfaces offer the character and performance of wood.  They come with a lifetime guarantee so you know you can count on the quality.   Sage Woodfiber Laminate is enviornmentally friendly, made from FSC Certified wood pulp.

These boards are American made, knife friendly, dishwasher safe and heat resistant.   The Chop Board is a great size for so many prep tasks.  I love the four non-skid feet on the bottom which keeps the board very secure.  The fact that I can just pop them in the dishwasher and sanitize them really appeals to the germophobe in me, especially after using it for poultry.  The bar boards are so convienant to grab for small tasks.  The little leaf cut out handles are handy for holding or hanging.

I really like that the surface will not dull my knives and yet is dense enough to not allow deep slice marks that can harbor bacteria.  I am very impressed that Sage Culinary Surfaces will last at least twice as long as wood, bamboo, cork, or plastic boards.  Please take a look at their website to read more about this great company and all their products at http://www.sagesurface.com.

Now for the giveaway, we are going to give away 1 Non-Skid 12″ by 18″ Chop Board and 2 of the 6″ by 10.5″ Bar Boards.  So we will have three winners.  Same rules apply as our other give-aways, you must subscribe to the blog at www.carly67.wordpress.com, and like the Facebook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Ramblings/142284565832382.  Then get your friends to go on the Facebook Fan Page and say you sent them.  The person with the most referrals will win the Chop Board, the second in referrals will win a Bar Board as well as the third.  Good luck everyone, you will love these boards.  I do!!!  I will end the contest on Monday at 12am EST.

 

The clear rubber feet on the bottom of the chop board keep the board from slipping.


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The Unexpected Green Pan Review!!!

When I came down this morning, my wonderful husband had already cooked the little ones their favorite breakfast of cheese eggs, buttered toast and bacon.  While I was getting my coffee, he told me he used the new Green Pan to cook the eggs.  He said this looking for my approval, wondering if it was okay he cooked in it.  When I told him I had only done the pre-review, he told me he did take pictures of the process.  I asked him for his impressions of the pan and he raved about how well made the pan is and it is very easy to see and feel it is a commercial grade fry pan.  He said it heated very evenly and the eggs cooked so fast.   When he added the cheddar cheese it melted fast and was not sticking to the pan.

The greatest testimonial on the non-stick surface of this pan, is that as I sat down to post this review, I asked my husband if he had cleaned the pan yet.  When he told me he had not, I ran into the kitchen to look at the pan.  There was next to nothing in it and a quick wipe of a towel had it looking brand new.

We are very impressed with these pans and highly recommend them if you are looking for a safe non-stick pan.  Please check their website as they have a wide range of products.  www.green-pan.com  Thank you again Green Pan for making a product I feel confident using around  my family and pets.


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Great Bay Pottery Review!!!

Great Bay Pottery sent me two beautiful pieces of their hand-made pottery to review yesterday.  They sent me a batter bowl and a pitcher.  These pieces are  hand-made and individually glazed before the final kiln firing.  The best thing is this pottery is lead-free and made in the USA!  The pieces are dishwasher, oven and microwave safe.

These are the beautifully crafted pieces they sent me.

You can see they are proudly made in the USA.

The batter bowl is a medium size that I think will be great for when I am melting chocolate in the microwave.  It is also a great choice for sauces and small batches of pancakes or waffles.

The nicely crafted handle makes picking the bowl up very easy and feels secure.

The spout makes pouring an easy and tidy task.  The colors are very county, and the heart leaf pattern is simple and beautiful.

The inside of the bowl has gentle circular ridges.

My overall impression of this batter bowl, is that it will be a piece I reach for often in my kitchen.  From scrambling up a few eggs, to making a chocolate sauce it is very handy, not to mention beautiful.  I am sure you will be seeing this piece in many of my baking and cooking posts in the future.

The second piece is a nicely sized pitcher, just right to hold fresh squeezed orange juice at breakfast or milk for a late night snack with the family of milk and cookies.  It feels very nice in your hands and is a nice weight.

The handle is very comfortable for pouring and gives you a nice secure grip.

The inside of the pitcher is a nice hunter green like the batter bowl with the same soft circular ridges down to the bottom.  This is a piece I will reach for a lot in my kitchen.  I love the colors and design of the tall grass with a dragon fly soaring over the tall blades.  The nice blue, green and grayish speckled colors are very cozy in a country kitchen.

I am very impressed with the pieces I was sent and I will be looking to add some  of this finely crafted and functional pottery to my kitchen.  They have other colors and patterns like Amber Celedon, shown below.  Check out their website to see the wide variety of pottery they carry at www.GreatBayPottery.com.

Great Bay Pottery History:

Since 1992, the dynamic group of talented clay pottery artists that have given Great Bay Pottery its name and continued success; have been creating beautiful, functional handmade pottery; unparalleled in its quality, design, and reputation.

Located in scenic North Hampton, N.H.; Great Bay Pottery boasts a fully-stocked retail showroom full of traditional pottery art. Just steps away in our fully-operational studio, you are invited to watch as our talented artisans hand throw, decorate, glaze and fire the very pottery pieces you seek to buy.

With tradition, creativity, and skill as our guides; we are confident that you’ll find that perfect one-of-a-kind custom corporate or personalized occasion gift (wedding, anniversary, birthday, christening, graduation, etc), timeless collectible, or art display piece of top performance functional pottery stoneware.


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Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract Review & Give-away!!!

I was so excited when asked to review this Nielsen-Massey Vanilla.  Excited, because this is a product I use and love.  I remember our first bottle had to be purchased through Chefs Catalog but now it is available at Wegmans.  We use this in so many of our recipes and love the flavor.  We use it in our ice cream that we make, all of our baking and we especially love the flavor it adds to our belgian waffles.  If you have never tried it, then you are in for a treat.  Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. has an exclusive cold process method that extracts the essence from selected vanilla pods, the finest available, producing rich and delicious flavor that is unsurpassed.  Nielsen-Massey Vanillas is proud to announce that its Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste was a 2010 Silver finalist for the NASFT Sofi Awards in the “Baked goods, baking ingredient or cereal” category.  Take a look at their website for more information at www.NielsenMassey.com.

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla

The world’s finest and most consistent vanilla comes from Madagascar. Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla from Nielsen-Massey has a creamy, sweet, velvety flavor that is perfectly suited for a range of products from baked goods to ice creams, salad dressings to barbeque sauces. Madagascar Bourbon vanilla does not have anything to do with the American whiskey of the same name, but is rather named for the Bourbon Islands off the coast of Africa. Madagascar supplies more than 60% of the world’s vanilla.


Give-away rules:

The Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc.  is being gracious enough to let one of my readers try this vanilla by sending out a  2 ounce bottle of this great vanilla to the winner.  To be eligible for the give-away you MUST subscribe to my blog, LIKE my blog Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Ramblings/142284565832382, and send as many friends over to my Facebook Fan Page to post a comment that “you” sent them.  The person with the most referrals by this Thursday night 12am will be the lucky winner.  Good luck everyone and thank you Nielsen-Massey!!!


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Gourmac “Anytime” Acrylic Cookie Stamps Review!!!

Monique, from the Gourmac Company was so kind to send me a set of their acrylic anytime cookie stamps to review.  The set comes nicely boxed with 6 acrylic cookie stamps.   The set includes a bunny,  pineapple,  cookie creature, heart link, leaf, and a chrysanthemum.  The stamps are made in the USA and are modeled after the old-fashioned glass cookie stamps of yesteryear.  The benefit of them being acrylic is that they will not break or chip like glass and are great to use with kids.  Another thing I love, is they are dishwasher safe.  The interior of the box has two shortbread recipes.  There are more on their website at http://www.gourmac.com/cookstamrec.html.  I chose to use the Scotch Shortbread Cookies recipe which is a very simple but buttery shortbread.  It contains very few ingredients and the only change I made was to add some vanilla extract.  This is the recipe:

Scotch Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter

2 cups sifted flour

1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (this I added on my own)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt.  Blend these dry ingredients into the butter until it becomes a stiff dough. Shape dough into 1″ balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Dip the stamp of your choice in colored crystal sugar, flour, or powdered sugar and then press the stamp into the dough ball.  Repeat for each ball.  Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

I use parchment paper to line my cookie sheets but you can just use an ungreased cookie sheet as well.

I used powdered sugar to use for dippping the mold in before stamping.

 

Stamp the cookie balls one by one with the design of your choice.

Bake 25-30 minutes

I made these cookies very quickly but they still turned out well.  If I had taken a bit more time they would have been better but this should show you anyone can use these stamps and get a nice result.  I would recommend these cookie stamps and in fact the company has been so generous to give a set away to one of my blog readers.  I will be posting the rules of that contest very soon so make sure you are subscribed to my blog and like the Facebook fan page.  You should also check out Gourmac’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gourmac/147370535276337.


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