When I was growing up, my brother collected baseball cards.  My parents would go to the local warehouse where you could get stuff for the concession stand at ball games (in the days before places like Sam's Club) and buy him boxes of cards as his birthday present.  Although I loved that he shared the gum from the packs, I also had an interest in the cards themselves.

When I met my husband, he was an avid trading card collector.  Since I already found cards fascinating, I welcomed his hobby with open arms.  We used to set up at shows and sell whatever the latest fad in cards was but we focused mostly on rarer cards, tobacco cards and novelties.  As we watched the customizable card game craze take hold, he bought me packs for one of my favorite shows - Star Trek.  I never sat down and played with them but rather just wanted to collect them.

Since then, packs of cards have become mainstay in their own personal aisle at places like WalMart, Target, KMart and even GameStop.  Aside from the fact that games like Bakugan or Pokemon could be played offline with peers, many also touted an online option.

Since I have plenty to keep me busy, I don't much research or collect those cards any more.  And I figured my girls were still a bit young for such games so I hadn't followed the latest fads very much.  Then along came Team Mom with Bella Sara with their Royalty cards.  A customizable card game with a free online component.  For little girls.  Like mine.  They aren't into My Little Pony so maybe they won't dig this pony game much. But since it's a computer thing, I'm guessing the odds are in Bella Sara's favor.

So I set out to test the waters... In preparation of their play, I logged on and set up their accounts (free, in case you missed that before).  Once on, I received an email confirmation with a link to a parental control section containing options for allowing friends and limiting daily usage. The one thing I couldn't do that I wish I could have is change their user name.  Had they been a little older and set up the accounts on their own, I would have liked the option to edit them if they used their whole/real name and I didn't want them to. 

The basic premise is that you have a horse to take care of.  Feed it, comb it and explore. But there are additional games to play and things to see to send each child onto a completely different path.  Both my girls are playing and I've only seen them play the one of the same activities. 

Apparently, Bella Sara has been around for a bit since Royalty is their ninth release!  You can play online then purchase additional packs to gain access to other cool stuff.

If your child wants to further explore, additional card packs can be purchased at places like WalMart for a nominal fee.  Within each pack is a new code that opens up additional horses, cottage items, castle rooms and more.

So go ahead, splurge on a pony for your daughter for her next birthday.  Bella Sara ponies are less expensive to take care of and don't leave any unwanted packages in the yard.

My daughters would like to thanks Team Mom for the opportunity to review this fun game.

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As you know (since that's why a lot of you are here), I sometimes run giveaways on my blog.  Well, I love to win stuff too.  As I see giveaways running on the blogs I follow, I weigh whether I want to take the time to enter.  But like everyone else, I go through stages of "I want THAT" and enter every blog giveaway that I can find for a particular prize.

More often than not, I don't win.  That's okay.  But then I whine if I really wanted it.

Case in point... The BlogHer conference is next week and I kept seeing giveaways to win a Poken.  Huh?  Poken? Never heard of it?  Me either.  But after seeing it pop up on several of my favorite blogs, I decided it was worth checking out.  So I read up on it and was like "Heeeeyyy, I want one of THOSE for BlogHer."  Then I headed back to all those blogs and entered.  Every one that I could find.  I even googled looking for blogs that I didn't follow yet... just so I could win one.  Alas, I didn't win.

And what did I do?  I whined.  To friends and on Twitter.  Even on Jay Thornton's blog when he talked about just learning about Poken, also.  Jay Thornton is the new Creative Director for Collective Bias, one of the sponsors for BowlHer. They're all talking about exchanging information with other Poken users at BlogHer.  Nobody had commented yet on his post so I took the liberty of being the first one... in full "I want one" mode.

Then I got a message from Jay that PokenZoo didn't want me to go to BlogHer Pokenless.  They have offered to send a Geisha to me to use at BlogHer.  Giggle.  I won a contest that didn't even exist!  How cool is that?

What do I think of Poken?  I don't know because I don't have one yet.  You'll have to wait until after BlogHer for my Poken review because right now, all I know is that it will make the distribution and collection of virtual business cards so much easier.  And that they are cute.  And can be personalized for your business.  But not much more than that.  Sorry.

For now, thank you to Jay and PokenZoo for arming me with such cool (and cute) technology for BlogHer!  Looking forward to trying it out!

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For as long as I can remember, Hardee's has been serving up Mushroom and Swiss burgers. During my college days, they were one of those foods I would crave when I had been out drinking. (Shhhh. My parents don't know that I drank during college.)

At the time, it was the only restaurant that I knew that served such a burger. In the years since then, more and more restaurants have started serving it but I've never been as happy as the one I got at Hardee's.

But during a regular visit to McDonald's last week, I was shocked to see a dramatic change to the menu. Fancy burgers! At McDonald's! Third Pound Angus Burgers. At McDonald's! And among them, a mushroom and Swiss!  I about fainted.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a well-prepared Big Mac but I have never considered McDonald's to be a place for any kind of 'gourmet' burger.  I guess when they started the McCafe, I should have expected they would try to upscale more of their menu.

Now, I have to tell you that usually when I do a review, I like to use my own photos.  But really, I don't haul my camera everywhere.  If I did bring my camera to McDonald's that day, you would likely see pictures of the mom who let her kids run rampant and not follow the rules (yeah, she told them it was okay to break the rules)... but that's another story entirely.  My point is that I pulled these pictures off the McDonald's site. 

And I'll be honest - I don't know if that's what it really looked like. I don't recall sesame seeds on the top.  What I do recall is being anxious to try it out.  I also remember enjoying it so much that I didn't put it back down to examine it.  Aside from the mushroom and the Swiss, it tasted like the beef itself was seasoned with garlic salt or something.  It was very tasty and had a pretty short life span. McDonald's obviously learned their lesson from failed products like the McDLT. This new burger puts the rest of their stuff to shame.

Mushrooms not your thing?  That's okay, too. They also have a Bacon and cheese in the Angus Third Pounders, as well as a Deluxe but I haven't tried either of those.  Doubt I will since I enjoyed the Mushroom and Swiss so much! 

If you're curious, here's the scoop on each of the burgers:

Deluxe: Made with a third-pound* of 100 percent Angus beef topped with creamy mayonnaise, yellow mustard, a thick slice of ripe red tomato, green leaf lettuce, rings of red onions, sliced dill pickles and slices of  American cheese served on a toasted bakery-style sesame seed roll.

Bacon and Cheese: Made with a third-pound* of 100 percent Angus beef topped with zesty ketchup, yellow mustard, rings of red onions, sliced dill pickles, three full slices of bacon and slices of American cheese served on a toasted bakery-style sesame seed roll.

Mushroom and Swiss: Made with a third-pound* of 100 percent Angus beef topped with creamy mayonnaise, sautéed mushrooms and slices of Swiss cheese served on a toasted bakery-style sesame seed roll.

Note: *Weight before cooking at least 5.33 oz (151.1 gms)

If you haven't been to McDonald's lately, maybe you should. You can sit down and enjoy an Angus Third Pounder and a McCafe mocha. It's not the same McDonald that we grew with.

Very often, companies and PR firms send products to me to try out and review.  This is a case where I reviewed the product because it was new, I was surprised by it and I like it.  This review was prepared completely unbeknownst to McDonald's or any of their representatives.

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Congrats to Julie and TXsunlover. A coupon for a free bottle of All Small and Mighty coming your way!

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I know I haven't been posting very much but it's been a rather busy summer! Aside from the normal vacation and day-to-day 'how-can-I-keep-the-kids-happy' stuff, it's just been crazy.

Well, in a few weeks it is going to be even busier for me. At least for a few days. I'll be heading to Chicago to attend the BlogHer conference where I'll be able to learn everything from blog techniques (the geek stuff) to how to make my blogs better (the content stuff).

But while I'm there, I've been invited to participate in the "What Women Want: Tech & Quality Event" presented by Ford. That's right, folks, an insider view of Ford. They've invited several bloggers to tour their facility, check out the latest in innovations as well as be heard.

This is my first such event so I didn't really know what to expect until they sent me the welcome letter today. I giggled as I read the list of technological advances. Would you believe me if I said they have a feature that controls your teenager? Okay, it can't control your teenager, but it can certainly annoy your teenager. With their MyKey safety option, parents can not only set limits on how fast the vehicle can go but also how LOUD the audio can be. Nice... for us parents.  Wonder if they're coming up with a feature that puts the car on autopilot to return home by curfew.

Here's another one...I hate parking my van. No matter how carefully I concentrate, I never quite get it right and end up doing the forward, backward, forward, backward thing until it's close enough for me to sigh and throw in the towel. Among their latest advances is the Active Park Assist System. The car parallel parks itself. Seriously. They better not install those in driver's education cars because every driving student needs to experience the angst of parallel parking. Wondering if I'm pulling your leg? Here's a video demo of it!


It's not just about their Smart Technology though. They also will be demonstrating advancements in quality, safety and how green they are.

Before we show up, they want comments from our readers and that's where you come in. We'll be participating in a "What Women Want" roundtable discussion with Ford experts and they seriously want to know what you want. What features make up your dream car? What do you love/hate about vehicles (Ford or otherwise). No matter how small or silly you think the idea, it's worth throwing it on the table. Even if someone already mentioned it, feel free to say "Absolutely" "Me too!" or whatever. The more information we can provide, the better.

As an example, you know those stupid sun shades that bonk you in the head when you open them and require magician-like maneuvers to put away? I wish there was a car with sun shades built in. Build a shade into the dash way up by the window. When you park, you just pull it up and clip it to a notch at the top of the windshield. Silly, I know. But it gets so dang hot inside the car in the summer and I hate those sun shades. Why don't I just install an auto-start and crank it up before I get there? Well, I could since those things are very cool during these lousy Iowa winters. But it's not a very green idea, now is it?

If you don't mind, could you take a few minutes to think about it and leave a comment so I can share it at the roundtable? They've already said that when it's over, they'll put together a "What Women Want Vehicle Checklist" and share it with us to pass along to you.

It's an exciting opportunity and I'm looking forward to making the most of the event. I'm looking forward to what everyone has to share!

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When Miss M was just a baby, there were many nights when she battled going to sleep. Both mentally and physically exhausted, I would hand her to DH for relief.

More often than not, he would set her on his lap in front of the computer and start playing music. Not lullaby music. Not baby music. Just any music. And without fail, she would conk out on his shoulder in a snap.

I think that's where her love of music started. Now, at age 6, no matter what she is doing, she'll drop everything and run to either of our computers the minute she hears music playing.

The other day, it was no different. As part two of a campaign through BuzzParadise, I was watching "Evian Roller Babies".  As soon as it started, she was watching over my shoulder.
Miss M:  "Mom, what's that?"

Me: "It's something I'm watching for work, honey."

Miss M: "Cool!  Miss K, Did you see that baby?!  He was skating! That's silly."

And with that, I had both my daughters watching...

... and giggled.  Back and forth for the entire video they provided commentary on what the Roller Babies were doing.  It may have started with music to lull the girls to sleep when they were babies, but it has evolved into an appreciation of all things musical. I love it.

But honestly, the video isn't about music.  It is actually a media campaign for Evian. While I'm not typically a fan of You-Tube based ad campaigns, this one did make me giggle, too.  If you enjoyed the video, swing by their campaign website, Evian Live Young, for behind the scenes videos as well as links to Facebook pages for the babies.

Thanks to BuzzParadise for inviting me to participate in this media campaign. This is only my second BuzzParadise campaign and the first one that had non-product compensation. Just know that my opinions are still honest and sincere and I wouldn't be posting something that I didn't think fit the scheme of my blog. If you're interested in becoming a BuzzParadise VIP, drop me a comment with your email and I'll send you an invite!

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