They Served Breakfast For Lunch
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 4:28 PM
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My girls were so excited about the lunch menu today.  They've been telling me for a few days that "It's breakfast for lunch, Mom!"  Seriously.  Today's school lunch menu was French toast, syrup, turkey sausage, juice and a banana.  Previewing the September lunch menu, I see a similar 'breakfast for lunch' day with pancakes, syrup, turkey sausage, juice, strawberries and bananas.  When the girls got home from school, I asked them how lunch was and it was a resounding "Delicious!"

As silly as it sounds, it's actually more nutritious than some of the stuff I pack in their lunches.  I'm cautious about what I pack, trying to provide a mix of healthy with the occasional brownie.  Which makes me second guess something that happened a few weeks ago...

I received a package of Honey Kix cereal from MyBlogSpark.  We decided to enjoy Honey Kix for breakfast one day and Miss K said she really liked it.  In the meantime, she was quite inquisitive about the other items that came along with it.  The kit (shown below) contained a travel bowl with built in spoon and a freeze-ahead module for keeping the milk cold.  She asked what it was for and I explained that it's for taking cereal with you when you go somewhere.  Well, Miss M and Miss K decided that they did, indeed, want to take along some cereal.  For lunch.  In their lunchbox.  Instead of a sandwich.  I hemmed and hawed and said it's more for when you're traveling.

But they were persistent.  And it got me thinking.  Milk is good for them and cereal, like Honey Kix, is whole grain.  If I pack some grapes or a banana with it - or maybe a piece of ham for protein - then what do I have to lose?  If they are excited about it and willing to eat it, that's the important part.

The Prize: Honey Kix Prize Pack (includes a coupon for a free box of cereal, a honey jar, a set of colorful cereal bowls, a container to take your cereal and milk on-the-go, and a great container to keep cereal fresh at home.)
Participants -
...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile. Winner has 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the second random selection.
Sometime on September 8, 2009, a winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comments left.
How to enter:
For the first entry -
(1) Visit the General Mills website.
(2) Come back here and tell me which General Mills cereal your family likes best AND whether you would send cereal with your child to school.
If you want to increase your chances of winning, here are some options to earn additional entries -
-- One Entry:  If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)
-- One Entry:  Publish a blog post regarding this contest and link back to it.
-- One Entry:  Digg or share on Facebook. (Be sure to leave your ID for that service.)
-- One Entry (Daily):  Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this contest with @SahmReviews referenced. Comment with your Twitter ID or leave a link.
-- One Entry: Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email.
-- One Entry:  Follow me using Google's Friend Connect feature.
-- One Entry (Daily): Read any of my non-giveaway reviews and leave an appropriate comment on that post. Come back here and leave a comment stating which product/post you left a comment on.

Thank you to MyBlogSpark for providing the items for this review and the prize for the giveaway!

Melted Ice Cream for Breakfast
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 7:11 PM
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My brothers were avid wrestlers when we were growing up. I don't mean the WWE style, I'm talking about wrestling like you see in school or at the Olympics.  They participated in Saturday tournaments, sports camps and all.  I remember many occasions where one would be in a hurry to get to morning practice before school and that meant a shotgun breakfast.  Carnation Instant Breakfast was a staple in our pantry and even as an adult, I keep a few packets on hand.

On SAHM Reviews, I've discussed my fondness for Special K products so I wasn't surprised when one of my PR reps asked if I would be interested in trying out the new Special K Protein Shakes.  Chocolate, shelf-stable, ready to drink.  With the chaos of two kids while trying to make it to the gym in time for class, a quick and flavorful drink sounded like a good fit.  Special K brand... yeah, that sealed the deal. 

I received two complimentary bottles in the mail and promptly popped them into the fridge.  They don't require refrigeration until after they've been opened, but if I want a warm chocolate drink for breakfast, I'll make hot chocolate.

Those drinks couldn't have been in the fridge for more than a half hour when a giggling Miss K attempted to lay claim to them.  When she asked her dad about them, he pointed to me and said "Those are your mom's. You'll have to talk to her."  She batted her eyes and reminded me that we share things in this family.  Dangit, she's right.

A few days later, before heading to work out, I opened one and gave it a taste.  I told Miss K that she would not like it but she saw right through that ploy.  She tasted it, replied "Yummm" and wanted more.  I'm glad that I decided to chill it first because it was cool and refreshing, smooth and creamy.  It reminded me of melted chocolate ice cream.    I should have been sipping and enjoying it but guzzled it down. The only difficult thing is that it's supposed to be a grab and go weight management drink.  I wasn't hungry after drinking it, so that's good, but it certainly tasted like another.  Lacking willpower, I might talk myself into more than one, defeating the weight management perspective. Like anything, moderation is key.

While I'm still a fan of a traditional breakfast of cereal, granola bars, eggs, toast or oatmeal, Special K drinks are a nice change of pace.  I could have used a few for my recent trip because since they don't require refrigeration, they can easily be packed with other snacks without the concern of spoilage! They will be nice to have on hand for times when the bus is late or I'm in a hurry to get somewhere. It's also great that the kids like them because there are times when they're running late also!

I apologize for the horrible picture, but both my sample bottles were long gone before I even downloaded the photographs from my camera. And since I've been traveling and whatnot, I haven't picked up any more at the store yet to get a better picture!

If you think you would enjoy the new Special K Protein drinks, print out one of these coupons to save a little when you head to the store. Special K Protein Shake Coupon #1 or Special K Protein Shake Coupon #2. Just a heads-up that since they are new and such a hit, they're in limited supply at stores and currently 'out of stock' even on Amazon. If you can't find them, be sure to ask someone from the store about it.

You can choose from Milk Chocolate, Strawberry or French Vanilla. I only sampled the Milk Chocolate so can't testify to whether the other varieties as good. Personally, I would love to see a Hazelnut flavor! If you try them, be sure to drop me a comment and let me know what you think of them.

Thank you to Kellogg Company and my PR representative for supplying the products for us to test out.

No Hamster Droppings to Clean Up
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 10:42 AM
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I've been back from BlogHer for over a week and I am still trying to sift through all the business cards, literature, new blogs in my RSS and of course, the awesome swag. It was truly an amazing trip and I'm glad that I let DH talk me into going.

But before I left, MomSelect (BSM Media) asked if I would be interested in participating in a Pre-BlogHer promotion. While the cat is away, the hamster will play. They sent my daughters a full-on hamster habitat equipped with kitchen, habitrail, wheel, sleeping dome, tunnels and even a garage with a car. The hamster squeaked and made cute sounds and noises while it scampered through its new home. But with this hamster, I won't be spending time cleaning up because battery operated hamsters don't leave messes.  The hamster habitat that MomSelect sent was part of the Zhu Zhu Pets collection - so new that it is only available in select Target and WalMart stores.

What I love about this pet is that it's good for a giggle.  He zips around the habitat including running on the wheel.  I laughed as he headed to the garage and hopped into the car.  The garage doors went flying open and he proceeded to drive out onto the carpet.  Although he was cute in his car, he would have been much more efficient if he was on a solid surface like tile, concrete or even a table as opposed to carpet. 


Which leads me to one of the things that I didn't like about the Zhu Zhu pet setup... Assembly itself is very easy if you're focused and don't have two extra sets of miniature hands trying to help.  But it's large when you start incorporating so many modules onto it.  Granted, the system is workable with only a few of the sections or can be assembled in different ways to accommodate different play areas.  Honestly, unless you have a dedicated area for the kids to play in, this is not an easy "assemble, use, disassemble, store" toy.  If your child has outgrown the train table, pack up the train set and put Zhu Zhu pets on it instead.  That gives you an idea of the size of the unit when multiple modules are attached. 

But don't get me wrong, that isn't a bad thing it is just an inconvenience if your child typically plays in their bedroom or in the family room.  We're in the process of putting together a play room in the basement and when we do, the Zhu Zhu pet habitat will find the perfect home.

As I mentioned before, he does make noises.  Each different module is equipped with sensors that initiate an appropriate sound or noise from the hamster.  There are currently four different hamsters on the market and I think each has its own personality.  But since I only have one, the only thing I'm certain of is that the other three LOOK entirely different.  They also run on different frequencies so you would be able to run different ones within the same habitat.

My girls played with the hamster until his batteries died. After a few days of them playing with it - front and center of the television, I packed the habitrail up and plan to reassemble it when the play room is done!  If your child wants a pet but you're not ready for the typical mess, consider this a nice alternative.

The 80s in Musical Form
POSTED BY Nicole Brady on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 11:46 AM
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When we lived in Los Angeles, we had a lot of opportunities to attend sporting events, plays, musicals and concerts.  Did we?  Not as much as we should have... we were just too busy.  I remember when Mamma Mia came out; DH and I both commented on how great the music sounded and that we thought we would really enjoy it.  I even had a friend/coworker brag about going and what a great show it was.  Did I ever make it?  No. We were just too busy.

Now that we're back in Iowa, we don't have as grand of choices.  So when One2One Network was looking for people to participate in a blog tour for the CD of Rock of Ages; Original Broadway Cast Recording, I exclaimed "I love music. Pick me, please?!"  Rock of Ages is a Broadway musical set in 1987 chronicling a love story between a small-town girl and a big-city dreamer who fell in love with each other as well as some of the greatest metal hits of the 1980's.  To my knowledge, the actual Broadway musical of Rock of Ages has never made it to this area so experiencing the CD was a nice treat.

As a child who grew up in the 70's and 80's, Rock of Ages totally struck a chord. (Get it? A chord? Ha!)  It hit home because many of the songs were ones that I heard regularly and sang along with.  "Can't Fight This Feeling" "Oh Sherrie" "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and even "Cum On Feel the Noize".  When I popped the CD into my car stereo, I expected a re-creation of the songs that I knew so well.  What I got was something entirely different.  Not an attempt to duplicate what was successful - which can  often backfire for people who are purists to the original song.  Instead, they took the music and put a new spin on what was once so familiar. 
Rock of Ages; Original Broadway Cast Recording is just that.  A cast recording.  It sounds like it was recorded inside the theater during a full-on production.  It's sincere and listening to it gives you the sense that you're actually there.  If I HAD viewed this musical in person, I am certain that I could listen to this CD and visualize the entire performance again - over and over. 

Not only is this CD great for people who are Broadway music fans, but it's also great for those of us who grew up with this generation of music.  Oh, if you're an American Idol fan, you can find the musical talents of Constantine Maroulis here too!