"So what have you been up to?"

"Working. I'm an (insert professional title here). How about you?"

"I used to be an accountant but I stay home with the kids now."

"How old are they?"

"Here, let me show you a picture."

While I did see one person carrying around a packet of printed pictures, most of us just whipped out our cell phones to display camera-phone snapshots of the family.  Too bad I didn't have this photo then!  It sure would have been easier to see.  And cooler.

It came in the mail yesterday from Unique Skins.  As a member of the Family Review Network, I agreed to review the Unique Skins site.  Honestly, I thought my husband would really get a kick out of designing a skin for one of our gaming systems.  When it came down to us trying to figure out what we wanted to order, we decided that custom skins for our previously plain black Razr phones was our best option. 

For the uninitiated, a skin is a non-permanent layer over the top of you gadget.  Think snake(skin). 

When you log onto the Unique Skins site, you choose what type of device you want to add some character to.  You can create a personalized skin for a ton of different models and versions of cell phone, gaming system, laptops, MP3 players or even Bluetooth headsets.

It's easy, too.  Once you select the device, you move to a drag and drop screen to customize the actual skin.  Upload your own graphics or choose from several stock patterns.  My phone contains a custom graphic on one side and a stock pattern on the opposite. 

Although my husband and I ran into a few glitches while trying to save our selections, it was trivial. I already shot an email off to Unique Skins so they can look into it.  Beyond that, it was a piece of cake and well worth it once I got my new skins in the mail.

We ordered our skins on 8/25/08 and had the finished product in hand on 8/30/08.  And we weren't charged a huge shipping fee.

Various stages of assembly...

Thanks again to Family Review Network for coordinating this review and to Unique Skins for providing the prizes for this giveaway!

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Thanks to Random.org, we have our winners in the Idina Menzel CD and Tote Bag Giveaway!

Congratulations to #4 Rebecca and #2 Nyssa.

I want to thank One2One Network for providing the prizes for this giveaway.

Stay tuned for upcoming giveaways for Country Bob's, Unique Skins and Briarpatch Games.

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When I first got married, I loved shopping for jewelry. I had a ring to match every outfit. I wore simple earrings (because my ears would typically start to bother me if I wore anything too large.)  I had a few bracelets but really love watches.  Necklaces? Well, I like them but still wear the necklace my parents gave me as a high school graduation gift.  Not that I didn't still buy them occasionally though.

Jewelry. Beautiful jewelry.

Then I had a baby.

One baby plus any jewelry equals OUCH.  If I wasn't accidentally bumping her with one of my rings or scratching her with my watch, she was tugging on an earring or necklace.  Ultimately, I put the jewelry in the safe and only pulled out the pieces that needed to be inspected regularly to maintain their warranty.

A few months back, a friend talked me into buying a pair of large hoop earrings. Let's see... the girls are old enough to know better than to pull on my ears. Okay, I'll give them a shot. You know what? They're cute and they made me feel pretty.  I realized that we were finally all at an age that I could start to wear jewelry again.

You know the best part of their jewelry?  The price.  Docia Lynn has some classy looking stuff and it's all very reasonably priced.   For example, the necklace/earring combo picture here is only $25.99.

If you're looking for some classy but affordable jewelry or a handbag, check out Docia Lynn.  That is, of course, if YOUR kids are old enough to let you wear jewelry again!

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Being a first-time mom is tough. I'm not a new mom, but I'm forever feeling like a rookie at the job. Miss M, my oldest, just entered Kindergarten but I still feel new to so many things. I guess with the first child, there will always be a learning curve.

As an example, a month or so ago a friend of ours told us he was reading chapter books to his 5 1/2 year old son. He's the same age as Miss M, but we've never ventured into unfamiliar chapter books. He lent us a few from the series they had been reading and I was amazed, surprised... delighted. We could now move into stories with pictures - and beyond pictures with sentences. This was giving me the opportunity to enjoy a story along with the kids.

Parent Reviewers was looking for people to read and review Sunny's Adventures by Leketha Marie Johnson.   I read over the description provided and thought "Hey, this sounds cute! I think Miss M would really relate to it."  When I checked it out on Amazon, it recommended the reading age as 9-12 (the author's email indicated ages 6-9) but I really thought it sounded good.  I figured - How would I know unless I gave it a try.  It took someone telling me about chapter books before we gave those a whirl.  I didn't want to forever be relying on others to tell me when my kids were ready for something. So I submitted my request, making very clear that the ages of my daughters (5 1/2 and just under 4) were less than the intended target.

We received our copy of the book and I crossed my fingers that the girls would like it.  The book consists of five short stories.  Five short mysteries.  Each mystery was long enough to create a picture and engage some dialogue but short enough that it could easily keep their attention.

Now, here's your advanced warning.  Spoiler alert.  Oh wait, it's a kids' story so I guess I really don't need that disclaimer.  Well at least I've covered my bases.  In the first story, Sunny's best friend loses her dog.  It's missing from the yard.  But the gate has been locked so nobody could come into the yard and take it.  They examine the back yard and there's a hole under the fence.  I stopped reading and said to the girls "What do you think would happen in our yard if there was a hole under the fence?"  We talked about it for a little bit and they realized that our dogs could get out of the yard.  Away.  Lost.  The story continues that Sunny and her best friend go outside the fence and see tracks leading away from the fence.  Once again, I stopped and asked "You know how when the grass is wet that you like to walk through the grass then walk onto the sidewalk and make footprints?"  They both nodded.  I said "That's what they found from the dog.  They're going to follow it just like we follow your footsteps."  Cool, they're keeping up with the story.  Finally, they followed the paw prints all the way to the neighbor's door where they talked to the neighbor and found the lost dog!  The chapter was wrapped up with a few recap questions about the clues we used to find the missing dog. Both girls were able to remind me what the clues where when I asked.

Both the girls were tired but when they heard that the second mystery was about a missing classroom pet, they were wide-eyed and listening.  They have been very interested in reading the stories and searching for clues.  

Sunny's Adventures is a fun book that young readers can enjoy on their own but also a great story for parents to read to their emerging readers and younger.  Each story includes only a few clues in order to solve the mystery which provides a great introduction into a genre of books that I would have never considered trying out until the girls got a little older.

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When I posted my opinion of Enchanted back in April, I had no idea who the actress was playing Nancy Tremaine.  But I've been learning!  Check it out...

I gave you a teaser a few weeks ago and here it is!  I'm very excited to announce that I'm participating in a giveaway for Idina Menzel sponsored by One2One Network.

I want to thank One2One Network for making this giveaway possible and providing a network discount!  Be sure to enter discount code TEAM IDINA to get 10% off (excluding her CD) at Idina Menzel's Merchant Store.

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It's been a heck of a few weeks. Miss M has been sick - running a temp off and on for over a week. Miss K woke us up in the middle of the night last night with a fever of her own. It reminded me of a awesome product that I reviewed on epinions several years ago and I thought it appropriate to share here.

When I was pregnant with Miss M, my first child, I thought to myself, "Baby on the way... What do I need to buy?" Layettes, onesies, bouncy seats, binkies, bottles, pumps... Brain. Turning. To. Mush. I had NO idea what these things were and no idea where to start. To establish my registry, I enlisted the help of a Jacque, a good friend and coworker (and seasoned mom). She accompanied me to Target and proceeded to point out the things I REALLY needed - justifying why I didn't want this versus that.

When we got to the section on thermometers, she explained that the 'ear' thermometers were tons better than both the oral (which couldn't be used on an infant) and rectal ones. Ear thermometers had been on the market for a few years and had become the norm for baby registry wish lists. But my friend said they weren't without flaws. Her biggest problem is that her child always fussed at having the probe put into his ear because you had to tug on the ear a bit to get it to read correctly. If he was sleeping, taking his temperature was a sure-fire way to wake him up.

I remember it so clearly, standing there examining the array of thermometers. She was about to tell me what she recommended when she spotted the Exergen Temporal Scanner. I could see the quandary in her eyes. She had never seen the temporal scanners so she couldn't give any advice on it. But from reading the package, thought it was probably the best option out there.

Let's jump ahead since I obviously wouldn't be doing a review on it if I didn't own it...

How it works: You hold it flat against the middle of the forehead, press the button and run it across a specified artery on the side of the forehead. BOOM. You have your reading. It scans kind of like a video camera - taking temperates at a rate of 1000 'frames' per second. I'm not going to babble about the science behind it, you can watch a video of it or check out the FAQ on their website.

I have to admit that the only problem I have with it is that you have to hold the probe flat against the forehead. My husband had it down pat from the first try, but I guess I just don't have as steady a hand as him. With practice, it got easier. Actually, Miss M who is currently 5.5 years old is able to take her temperature without any assistance. Would you allow THAT with any other thermometer?

Price: It's comparable to standard ear thermometers. When I purchased mine, it was around over $50. I've seen them as low as $30 these days.

Availability: I've spotted it at several major retailers including WalMart, Target, Sam's Club and Walgreens. And of course, Amazon.

Benefits:
It is extremely quick. As quick as it takes to get from the middle of the forehead to the side (which on a baby is pretty quick!)
It can be used on adults also. Oral thermometers seem to take forever. Plus, I usually JUST had something to drink when I realize I need to take my temp.
It doesn't require any kind of thermometer 'cover' or disinfecting. It doesn't come in contact with bodily fluids, so you can check one person after another without delays. There is a cap that comes with it to cover the sensor on the end, but that's really like the lens cap on a camera. Has nothing to do with sterility.
Auto shut off.

Mine was a baby shower gift from Jacque almost 6 years ago. It holds up well and we actually purchased a second one that we take with us when we travel.

Now, whenever I attend a baby shower, the Exergen Temporal Thermometer is my gift of choice. Even when it isn't on their registry. It's non-invasive so you can even get a temperature while your child is sleeping. It's so quick that it isn't a fight about how long someone has to hold still. And it's extremely accurate. I've often brought mine to the doctor's office to compare temperatures.

This thermometer is great for use on sick babies (of all ages)... and you don't have to worry about inserting it anywhere.

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I remember during my working days how people would walk into my office, drop something into my in box and run. Sometimes it was something I was expecting and could easily grab it, address it and move on. But then there were those people who would sneak in while I was on the phone or in the middle of something, drop something and run. When it came time to figure out what they did, I would be fishing through my box trying to find it. Dumping my inbox on my desk, mumbling to myself, "I know Jane put something in my basket, now where is it?"

These days, as a stay-at-home-mom, I don't have an official inbox. I have a very messy desk but the majority of my information is in Outlook. School stuff, sports stuff, blog stuff, medical appointments, personal. In the calendar, the multiple inboxes, the sent folder, the contact files, the archived folders. It's all over the place and when I'm looking for something, I do a search then fish through the emails hoping to track it down. Dumping my virtual inbox out, mumbling to myself, "I know Jane emailed me that file, now where is it?"

This evening, I was typing away on my computer while DH was reading his latest copy of PC World (yes, it was a free subscription) at the table behind me. He said "Hmm. Type this in. www dot xobni dot com. It's Inbox backwards."

I read the screen and concurred with his "Hmmm." We both gave it a once-over and he said "You can download it. It's free." So I did.

It established a new sidebar in my Outlook where it started to index my data. While indexing, it kept popping up messages with little bits of information like which friends respond quickest. When it was done with recent email, (it will do the rest when I'm not using the files), I typed in a name of one of my blog review contacts.

In seconds it displayed all the indexed emails for her, despite the fact that I don't have a contact for her in my Outlook Contacts folder.

- It told me what time of day she typically sends messages along with how long it takes her to respond when I send her something.

- There were shortcut keys to create emails or schedule appointments on the fly.

- Another section displayed all the email conversations we've had, chronologically - previewing in the panel when selected.

- Finally, all the attachments we've sent to each other - launching in its appropriate application if I clicked on them.

I have only skimmed the surface of this application, but I honestly think I'm going to love it. If it indexes RSS feeds also, I'll be relocating all my Google Reader feeds into Outlook!

I wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or not when DH admitted that he just wanted me to download it to guinea pig. He 'fessed up then headed to his computer to download it.

The best part is that it is free for both home and commercial use. If you live and die by your Outlook, this is a must see. You can check out the tutorial on YouTube.

Psst. Xobni. I linked to your pictures. Hope you don't mind. If so, please email me and I'll gladly pull them down.

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I love to read.  Really, I do.  When I was very young, I remember my mom taking me to the library in Muscatine, Iowa and letting me pick whatever I wanted.  Bobbsey Twins, I tell you.  And Beezus and Ramona.  And one of my all time favorites - Bridge to Terabithia. I eventually graduated to Nancy Drew and spent all my allowance on those beautiful yellow books.  After the official "Lights out" for the night, I would lay on the floor by a nightlight and read until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. 



As I got older, I read less and less.  Reading school textbooks, of any subject, made me sleepy... maybe my brain subconsciously thought that was what reading was supposed to do.  Occasionally, I would find a book that I just couldn't put down.  Actually, whenever I would start a book that's typically what happened.  But it's something I just don't do.  At least not very often.  Unless, of course, you count what I read to the kids.  Nah... I don't count that either.



Then came my blogs and I started reading an assortment of other blogs.  It doesn't make me sleepy.  Quite the opposite - it gives me great joy.  I could stay up for hours reading blog after blog and getting lost in time.

Along came MotherTalk and Mom Central  looking for reviewers for The Dangerous Days of Daniel X.  At first, I thought it would be a good mother-daughter read for my Spiderman, Batman, All-things-superhero 5.5 year old daughter.  (Yes, she is no longer 5 1/2 years old... she has now proclaimed herself to be 5.5.  She can thank her dad for that.)  Anyway, the book was described this way:

In my defense, now that I've read it, I don't know that my daughter could have grasped the true storyline.  She certainly wouldn't have captured the numerous references to current pop-culture.  Author Peterson made reference to Comedy Central, Tiger Woods, Bono and Sanjaya, Sideshow Bob, movies Lord of the Rings and 300 and the hit show 24 - just to name a few.  Having previously lived in Los Angeles, I giggled when the author referenced Whole Foods and real streets that I was familiar with.  It could have only been improved by Daniel chowing on an In N Out burger.



What is the book about?  It's about a 15 year old supernatural who is on the hunt to exterminate the worst aliens living on Earth.  His reference is The List hidden by his parents before their death to public enemy #1 when Daniel was only three years old.  This particular book is about his overzealous attempt to take on #6 on the list - a creature way more sinister and powerful than Daniel.  Want more?  Check out the trailer.       



What did I think?  Well, the fact that it was a quick read book really appealed to me.  Being able to read small amounts at a time was great for my schedule.  I have not read previous Patterson books so I wasn't influenced by prior works.  While there were a few parts or phrases that seemed a little choppy, the author managed to quickly smooth it back into place.  Sometimes with a simple comment like (paraphrased) "I hope I didn't give away the end of this story."



By the way, this isn't one of those "jump to the last page to see what happened" books.  The author ended the story then included two teasers for upcoming books in the same series.  I'm seriously asking myself "How long will it take for the next book to come out?"  The Daniel X website shows that book 2 is slated to release July 2009.  I'm kicking myself for reading the samplers!

Book Specifics:

Title - The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

Author - James Patterson

Publisher - Little, Brown & Co.

Genre - Fiction

Pages - 272

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Posts have been kind of scare lately, I know. It isn't for lack of stuff to review or giveaway; it's just that we were away on vacation. Nothing fancy, just a trip to see my mother-in-law. It was a rewarding trip though because we spent a lot of quality time outside with bubbles, swimming or going to the local water park. I didn't think it would be a big deal that I forgot my shampoo; I would find something.

We stopped by a Dollar Tree to pick up some toys for the kids when I spotted a recognizable-name discount shampoo version of a high-end shampoo. I grabbed it and gave it a shot figuring it would be just fine.

You see, all throughout college, I used Paul Mitchell products and swore by them. After I got married and we needed to watch our spending, I stopped using it. A few years ago, I happened across Suave Professionals with a banner "as well as Paul Mitchell..." so I gave it a shot. You know what, it worked great. So when I saw the discount shampoo (not Suave) at the Dollar Tree attempting the same feat, I bought it.

I don't know if it was the shampoo or just the fact that I had thrashed my hair with daily bouts of chlorine and sunshine, but it didn't work. I made due for the rest of vacation, but had resigned myself to the fact that my hair was just not going to look good on vacation.

When I arrived home, I had a package waiting for me - compliments of Mom Central. It was absolute fate because the box contained various products from Suave's "Professionals" line of products. I haven't been able to find the "compares to Paul Mitchell" variety, but I have previously tried others. Thanks to this package, I've widened my exposure and found a few other of the Professional lines that work well for me.

Since I was so frustrated with my current hair condition, I gladly tested out the "Controls Frizz and Defines Curls as well as Matrix" shampoo and conditioner. While sitting on the floor playing a game with Miss M, she asked "Mom, Can I feel your hair?" Honestly, that is the only time she has ever asked to touch my hair. I don't know if it looked that much better than normal or if it looked better than the sun and chlorine damaged mess. Doesn't matter, I was happy.

The Professionals line contains shampoo, conditioner and styling products that "protects" "restores shine" "Holds" and "Smoothes" compared to a variety of brand name products like Biolage, Sebastian, Matrix, Redken Fresh Curls and John Frieda. (All of those are registered trademarks, by the way.)

What I didn't realize is how much I had become accustomed to Suave products.  After receiving my package that also included a sample of Suave deodorant, I started noticing how much Suave I use. 

The deodorant I already was using - Suave.

The shampoo I use for the kids - Suave for Kids.

The shampoo I bought for DH - Suave for Men.

The body wash that I tried while on vacation and loved - Suave.

That's in addition to the Suave Professionals that I was already familiar with.  What I didn't know is that one of the lines of Professional has a leave-in conditioner.  Something that I have used as part of my daily hair care since those college days. What I've discovered is that I love Suave products! A great combination of quality and price.

My hair would like to thank Mom Central and Suave for letting me participate in this very timely review.

======================

Here are some Summer Hair Care Tips presented by Suave:

Price/Availability: $1.92 – 2.49 at drugstores, mass merchandisers, and supermarkets nationwide

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The Prize

48 comments

I'm not much of a cook. I take that back... I'm a lazy cook. When I set my mind to creating a great meal, it usually turns out great. Even fancy things like chicken Kiev or beef rouladin. I love to cook; I'm just not real creative. It's so much easier to be in a rut than to scour the cookbooks to find a new recipe. I admit it - I cook the same things over and over despite the fact that my shelves and drawers are overflowing with cookbooks and cooking magazines.

When I was informed by The Mommy Reviewers (a group at the Mom Bloggers Club) that Country Bob's was looking for bloggers to test and review their All Purpose Sauce, I figured it would be a great opportunity to get out of my rut. Hmmm...One bottle that can be used in so many recipes - as a sauce, a marinade, a dip or simply a flavorful ingredient in a dish. On poultry, steak, pork, seafood or in a side dish like baked beans. Yeah, that has lazy cook written all over it. I had to try it out. Thank you to Country Bob's for generously shipping off a few bottles for me to test.

As I said before, I'm not too adventurous in the kitchen so my maiden voyage with Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce was to use it on chicken. I was really in the mood for something on the grill, so I opted to use the sauce as a marinade. We grilled it the same way we would any other chicken so it wasn't anything fancy.

Well, I'm pleased to say that it turned out great! The All Purpose sauce has a nice flavor. Not like a BBQ sauce or even a steak sauce. It wasn't a dull flavor but it wasn't so pungent that it would only have a few uses. Not only did I like it, but so did DH. Bonus - The kids did, too! Yup. All of us loved the All Purpose Sauce on chicken.

This really doesn't help me become less of a lazy cook, but it does give me another option when I'm in a pinch. I am already planning on using it on salmon next - probably as a glaze.

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce can even be used in snack mixes or appetizers, in addition to its many uses in main dishes. The possibilities are endless for someone who is imaginative with their recipe box. For any of you that have already tried their products, please post your original recipes in the comment section. I would love to try out some of my reader-tested recipes!

If you're wondering whether Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce (or any of their other products) is available in your area, just check their locator. If all else fails, you can buy it online!

Thanks again to Country Bob's for sending me their All-Purpose Sauce to test out. It makes a great addition to my pantry.

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Sorry for the delay in posting the winner. I drew it over the weekend while on vacation. I had every intention of posting the winner while away but the monitor on my laptop went out and I couldn't! (Psst. Apple, Dell, Toshiba... If anyone wants to send me a new laptop to product test and review, I would be ever so happy to oblige! Anyone?) My laptop snafu would also explain why there has been such a shortage of posts on both SAHM Reviews and SAHM Ramblings for the past 10 days!

Anyway... Thank you again to BSM Media and Precious Moms, for making this Precious Moments Giveaway possible!
Using Random.org, the winner is:
#10 Mary512
Runner up: #18 Jonbonjovious

MORE GIVEAWAYS!
We finally had a chance to watch the Prima Princessa DVD while on vacation and I have to say that I'm very excited about the review and giveaway related to it! My girls loved it!

I'm also very excited to announce that I'm participating in a giveaway for Idina Menzel sponsored by One2One Network. Stay tuned for details!

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