3 Boys And A Dog » Reviews

GIVEAWAY: Betty Crocker Bake Life Sweeter

Momof3boys — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:08:19 +0000

How did I manage to get so behind? Zack’s birthday was in April, his party was in May, and I am just now getting this post written! I feel like I have not stopped since Christmas! Just when I think I am getting caught up, the UPS, FedEx, DHL, and Mail all arrive at the same time 3 days in a row.

Anyway, thanks to My Blog Spark, I was able to review Betty Crocker Cake Mix and Icing for Zack’s birthday party! They also sent me a Flip Cam (which is why I have been able to do all the video reviews) and gift card to help me make his party super special. Zack chose Cars by Disney and with the help of the Betty Crocker website, I was able to make it a super special party.

BettyCrocker.com has all your party-planning needs, including instructional videos, shopping lists, party activities and games, and even invitations that can be printed from your home computer!

Thanks to their party planning page, we were able to come up with tons of party ideas with just a couple clicks!

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We had a blast, we took videos that we will cherish for years, I took a million pictures, and the cake and cupcakes were FABULOUS!

One of my very lucky readers will win a Betty Crocker “Bake Life Sweeter” prize pack that includes coupons for cake mixes and frosting as well as all the baking tools you will need to create any cake you want!

To WIN: Visit the Betty Crocker website, look around, then come back and leave a comment saying which Betty Crocker cake you would like to try!

BONUS #1: Follow Betty Crocker on Twitter then retweet this contest. The easiest way is to simply click the green RT button at the top of this post.

BONUS #2: Like Betty Crocker on FaceBook

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Follow me on Twitter

#5. Fan Me on FaceBook

#6. Put my button on your blog.

#7. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

CONTEST ENDS: August 10th at midnight CST

OPEN TO: USA and CANADA

DISCLAIMER: The information, gift card, flip video camera and giveaway have all been provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark. Any opinions stated are strictly my own.

The Barilla Family Dinner Project

Momof3boys — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:56:52 +0000

I am always super busy, as are many families today. We have sports, work, hobbies, music, doctor visits, etc. It seems everyone is always going in different directions and it is HARD to eat dinner together.

Barilla, like many widely-recognized food brands, is trying to get families back to the dinner table. They have started the Share The Table program to help families make meal times more meaningful.

I LOVE the Share the Table site! It has many things you can do to help meal planning easier and more fun:

Sweepstakes – If you join the site, you could win Barilla Pasta Fridays pasta and pasta sauce
Contests – The Mealtime Moments Contest allows families that commit to making mealtimes great a chance to win prizes through the summer like a month’s worth of groceries!
Donations – For every person that becomes a fan of Meaningful Meals at Share The Table, Barilla will donate 1 dollar to Meals on Wheels.
Meal Planning – The dinner calendar makes it easy to meal plan and when you are ready you can print a shopping list directly from the site! They even have pre-made menu plans!
Recipes – With many meal options like Healthy, Kid Friendly, Make Ahead, and Vegetarian, you should have no problem finding something you like. Find a recipe you want to try and save it to your very own recipe box!

To help our family “Share The Table,” we were sent a wonderful package full of all the things we needed to create a meal for the family. We love pastas and are partial to tomato based ones. We make spaghetti, girl scout stew, Taco Bake, Crock Pot Pizza, and love trying new things. For this review, I tried the Three Layer Lasagna. Can you say, “YUM!”

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Barilla and received products necessary to facilitate my review..”

REVIEW: Tasty Bite Indian and Pan-Asian Food

Momof3boys — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:57:55 +0000

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All the meals in the Tasty Bite Line can be cooked in 90 seconds or less and each can be purchased for less than three dollars! Did I mention that they are healthy, vegetarian, and use all-natural ingredients?

For example, the rices are all-natural, preservative free, while the meal inspirations include some of the best meatless protein sources available, such as chickpeas, lentils and nuts, which help fulfill the USDA’s recommended 5-6 ounces of protein a day.

Overall, each Tasty Bite product is carefully ‘designed’ to ensure that the nutrition values help consumers make healthy choices –fat and sodium are kept at lowered levels and the ingredients are chosen to enhance the good nutrients.

Most of the products are also gluten-free! IN fact, you can buy a selection of 48 of their Gluten-Free products! In addition to being gluten-free their products also do not contain MSG or preservatives, and are a healthy choice because they contain a wide array of vegetables that are very nutritious.

Mom Says: The simmer sauces are to die for! Although we are not vegetarian, we do have sides to every meat dish. LOL! The brown rice was great and didn’t have to be cooked forEVER as my brown rice recipe does.

For More Information:

GIVEAWAY: Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook

Momof3boys — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:28:43 +0000

*QUICK NOTE: We are getting closer to the end of my In The Kitchen With Kelli Series and gearing up for my new Back 2 School Blog Hop Bash (yeah, I said HOP! Oh it is going to be great, but more on that later). I still have several items to tell y’all about for the series and also have some new items in that aren’t Kitchen related. So, just be prepared for more days like yesterday coming up! You know, days with up to 3 posts! Are you excited? Don’t forget, I have a ton of giveaways running.

With a clip-out calorie chart, six-week meal plans, free foods list, portion size chart, and “under 100 calorie” snack ideas (plus recipes) losing weight never tasted so good!

I have mentioned it a few times on here and on Twitter, my husband and I are trying to lose some weight. The older we get, the more the pounds stick! This cookbook shows us how we can enjoy our yummy, southern, comfort foods and still be healthy! In fact, there are 433 recipes to help us do just that!

Personally, I love cookbooks that are more than just recipes and this Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook fits the bill! Although, it would have been nicer if it would have been spiral bound. I like spiral-bound cookbooks because they fit better on my counter when I’m trying to cook from them.

Table of Contents:

8 – Comfort Food Diet Basics
13 – Balancing Your Diet
17 – Portion Size Chart
20 – Water, It’s Simply the Best
24 – Lighten Up Your Favorites
34 – Choose to Move
44 – Free Foods Chart
46 – Six-Week Meal Planner
70 – Snacks
84 – Breakfasts
118 – Lunches
158 – Dinners
240 – Side Dishes
266 – Desserts (oh my the 41 calorie marshmallow fudge looks DEVINE!)
292 – Meal Plan Worksheets
296 – Indexes

With the purchase of this cookbook (or if you win it) you also get:

Full-color photos and access to exclusive web material
Access to Online Dietician and healthy resources
Free subscription to Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Magazine!(a $23.94 value!)

Did you ever know that spending 17.95 would give you so much value!? This is why I love Taste of Home.

So, one lucky ready will win their very own Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook.

REQUIRED COMMENT: Visit the Taste of Home website, look around, then come back and tell me something you learned, liked, want to purchase, or want to try.

BONUS #1: Follow 3 Boys and a Dog on Twitter and Taste of Home on Twitter and RT this contest. The easiest way is to click the green RT button at the top of this page.

BONUS #2: Like Taste of Home on FaceBook

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Follow me on Twitter

#5. Fan Me on FaceBook

#6. Put my button on your blog.

#7. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

CONTEST ENDS: July 29th at Midnight CST

OPEN TO: USA and CANADA

GIVEAWAY: Rubbermaid Modular Canisters

Momof3boys — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Get your pantry organized with reasonably priced, Rubbermaid Modular Canisters! I did and it was fairly painless… except for the 20 bucks I spent because I needed more canisters than Rubbermaid sent me to review. Yeah, you know they are good when you use a review item and immediately order more of them!

Pantry Organization Steps:

Set aside about an hour of time and clear off some counter space. You are going to need it! Note: it only took me about 15 minutes.
Start pulling out food items and place them in one of four piles. Note: I didn’t pull out canned foods, just the types of things that would go into the Rubbermaid Modular Canisters.
- Pile One: Expired items… throw these away!
- Pile Two: Donate Items… you know your family is never going to eat that cranberry sauce before it expires. Give it to someone who needs a good meal.
- Pile Three: Baking goods or other dry goods you want to put into your Rubbermaid Modular Canisters.
- Pile Four: Other keep items.
With pile three and four, decide what will go in the Modular Canisters and set aside. With the remaining items, sort into like categories. For example: soup together, snacks together, crackers, etc,
Put things back into the pantry. *Think about how you use this space. Are your kids always wanting snacks? Maybe they need to go lower so the kids can reach them. In my case, they need to go higher so the kids CAN’T reach them.
Now, put items into the Modular Canisters. Don’t forget to label so you don’t mix up the sugar and flour!

For me, I was amazed at how much each item held!

21 Cup Container: great for cereal, flour, and dried pasta – I was able to put empty two full Ritz boxes (8 packs of crackers) into it. Freed up space, plus when the crackers are open I don’t have to worry about any bugs!

16 Cup Container: Great for sugar and cookies – I put 4 boxes of Stove Top Stuffing into it! Isn’t it amazing? That one small container held FOUR boxes (well, the packages from the boxes) of stuffing!

10 Cup Container: Great for rice, fried fruit, and granola – I have a pack of cookies dumped into it in the photo, but it will also hold a box of Nature Made Granola Bars and a box of Peanut Butter Granola Bars with a bit of room left over. They will stand right up in it.

5 Cup Container: Great for baking soda, baking powder, coffee, and crackers – I actually put candy bars into it and this is what cost me money. I purchased 3 more from Amazon so that I could stack them on top of each other. One currently holds my Hershey kisses that I use for baking, one has misc snacks in it (gum, candy bars, etc), and the last one is holding mismatched silverware.

For more info be sure to check out the blog post on Rubbermaid’s Adventures in Organizing: Modular Canisters Make Me Happy! (yeah, me too! LOL)

One lucky reader will win their own 8 piece Rubbermaid Modular Canisters set!

REQUIRED: Visit Rubbermaid, look around, then come back and tell me something you want from there.

BONUS (equals 3 entries!) Write a blog post or facebook post WITH PICTURES of your pantry telling why you need to win these canisters. Be sure to link to me the giveaway hostess as well as to Rubbermaid for supplying the products for the giveaway. Oh, I hope tons of people take advantage of this bonus! I want to see other peoples messy pantries so I can feel better about myself. LOL!

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Follow me on Twitter

#5. Fan Me on FaceBook

#6. Put my button on your blog.

#7. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

CONTEST ENDS: July 28th at midnight CST

OPEN TO: USA AND CANADA

PRODUCT REVIEW: No More Dropped Dishcloths Thanks to ToweLocs

Momof3boys — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:39:01 +0000

I have some super cute dish towels that Ricky’s Grandmother makes for me every year. They have a little button so they can hang on the oven and not fall off. I LOVE them and pretty much always have one hanging there. But, sometimes those are all dirty and I have to resort to a regular dish towel. It is so frustrating to constantly bend over and pick up the dish towels from the floor! Consequently, I was excited about doing the ToweLocs review!

Not only is this a very innovative and unique product, but the creator is a mom (just like me but with less kids ) who totally understands towel frustrations. Her own words:

My name is Cindy and I created a product called ToweLocs. I have 2 kids and because of them I have invented this product. I also love to be in the kitchen and this idea started there. Do you find yourself picking up your hand or kitchen towels off the counter or the floor? This is an every day hassle for most of us. ToweLocs is a decorative and stylish device that keeps your towels in place while adding a little pizzazz to your everyday towel.

With 30 different ToweLocs designs to choose from, there is something for everyone… I really like the Glass Jolly Red ToweLocs, but am a bit disappointed that there aren’t apples. One suggestion: Be sure to review the directions carefully before trying to use them. I had a time getting the back off until I read the directions. LOL! Y’all have already learned that I am really bad about reading instructions, haven’t you?

To Purchase ToweLocs: www.towelocs.com

To Keep Updated with Happenings: ToweLocs on FaceBook

To Keep Up in 140 Characters: ToweLocs on Twitter

At a price rang of approximately 13 to 20 dollars, there is something for everyone. These really make great gifts!

GIVEAWAY: Full Circle Sustainable Cleaning Tools

Momof3boys — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

No one likes to clean, but using all natural products makes it a bit more satisfying. Plus, these products look great in any kitchen!

sus·tain·a·ble – adj. – Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment (According to Dictionary.com)

I was sent several items to review and Full Circle will be providing a giveaway set for one lucky 3 Boys and a Dog reader! I don’t own a dishwasher, so I am loving these new products that make washing dishes feel like a bit less than an annoying chore.

Laid Back Dish Brush & Refills: This brush is shaped to get into all crevices and has a bowed back to keep the bristles off your counter. Made of bamboo and biodegradable Bonterra™ (a plant-based plastic) makes this safe for Mother Earth!

Flip Loofah Scrubber Sponges: It is scrubber on one said and sponge on the other! This thing takes up very little space, but expands to twice it’s size when wet. Plus, safe on non-stick! (Ever noticed that non-stick is actually NOT non-stick, BTW?) 100% biodegradable

In The Buff Organic Dish Towels: These are the softest dish towels I have ever felt… I almost hate wasting them on dirty dishes! Made of bamboo and organic cotton, these towels are naturally durable and sustainable!

One reader will win a Total Dish Cleaning Set of Full Circle Sustainable Cleaning Tools:

1 x Laid Back dish brush
2 x Laid Back brush refills
2 x Flip loofah scrubber sponges
2 x In the buff organic dish towels

Value: $25

P.S. These would make a great gift for a new bride or college-bound kid!

TO WIN:

REQUIRED: Visit the Full Circle website, then come back and tell me something you learned or another product that catches your eye.

BONUS #1: Like Full Circle on FaceBook

BONUS #2: Follow Full Circle Home on Twitter then tweet about this contest. The easiest way is to click the green ReTweet button at the top right of this post.

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Follow me on Twitter

#5. Fan Me on FaceBook

#6. Put my button on your blog.

#7. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

CONTEST ENDS: JULY 21st at Midnight CST

OPEN TO: This giveaway is only open to USA residents

GIVEAWAY: I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for…

Momof3boys — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

… ICE CREAM! BLUE BUNNY, that is!

Just in time for the 4th of July, Blue Bunny® & Wells’ sent me four different quarts of ice cream to review. It was a HUGE hit at our Independence Day party! Most people wanted one scoop of each so they could taste them all. I got a couple pictures, but to be honest I was too busy eating to get too many of them.

Click any of the below titles for nutrition info and descriptions of each premium ice cream flavor:

Super Chunky Cookie Dough: Tripp LOVES this one. He likes it so much that he doesn’t want to waste room in his belly by trying any of the others.

Peanut Butter Panic: Ricky said he can’t decide between this one or the cookie dough. When he first tried the Peanut Butter Panic his exact words were, “OH MAN! That is sinful! Wow!”

Banana Split: Zack has already had 3 bowls of this one! I would say it is his favorite. LOL!

Bunny Tracks: Bunny Tracks are by far my favorite. It has caramel, chocolate covered peanuts, and chocolate chunks in a very creamy vanilla ice cream. Oh YUM! When it is out, I will be looking at my local grocery store for some more. #imjustsayin

One lucky reader of 3 Boys and a Dog will win all four flavors mentioned above! Isn’t that a nice way to cool off this HOT summer? Due to the fact that this is ice cream and will be shipped overnight, this contest is only open to the UNITED STATES and you must provide a street address. I will choose a random entry via random.org.

To Win:

REQUIRED: Go to the Blue Bunny site, come back, and tell me which flavor of ice cream is your favorite or which one you would like to try.

Bonus #1 – Follow Blue Bunny on Twitter and tweet about this contest – the easiest way is to simply click the green ReTweet button at the top of this post.

Bonus #2 – Like Blue Bunny on FaceBook

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Follow me on Twitter

#5. Fan Me on FaceBook

#6. Put my button on your blog.

#7. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

CONTEST ENDS: JULY 19th at Midnight CST

*DISCLAIMER: Wells’ sent me the 4 flavors to facilitate my review. Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*

Menu Plan Monday: Giveaway Target Style

Momof3boys — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Did everyone have a good Independence Day? We did! We are at the cabin again this summer and we managed to get it during 4th of July weekend! We invited the family over and had a really good time with lots of good food. The campground owners did an hour long fireworks show! Really nice way to PARTY. Nice, clean, relaxing, family fun.

Anyway, since we are at the cabin this week, my menu is a bit different PLUS, I have a giveaway for you. Ok, it isn’t that much different, but it is VERY simple. Since we are on a vacation, all 3 meals are on the plan. We made our menu plan before we left the house and shopped from our pantry and fridge. Why it is that you will leave eggs in your fridge for a week if you are going to be home but if you aren’t you think those eggs need to be eaten ASAP? LOL!

Monday:

Breakfast – Cinnamon Rolls
Lunch – Leftovers from July 4th
Supper – More leftovers We had fried chicken, potato salad, baked beans, and green beans. Plus, the night before I made Crock pot pizza and we still have some of it left.

Tuesday:

Breakfast – Donuts
Lunch – Something at the beach. We are hoping to spend the day at Biloxi Beach, but we aren’t sure with the oil spill and all.
Supper – Tacos

Wednesday:

Breakfast – Pop Tarts (yeah, real healthy aren’t they LOL!)
Lunch – Sandwiches
Supper – Pizza

Thursday:

Breakfast – Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Lunch – Roman Noodles (maybe! depends on what is still in the fridge)
Supper – Frito Pie

Friday: Nothing on the menu or Friday because it is out last full day and we aren’t sure what will still be in the fridge.

Now, on to the giveaway!

One reader will win one of each item- a sauce, pasta, coffee and vinaigrette!

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Target recently launched a line of food and cookware products with Food Network chef, Giada De Laurentiis. Giada’s food line has been a great success amongst busy moms who want to throw together a quick, yet delicious meal! I don’t know about you, but I would LOVE the stainless steel mixing bowls. Oh, I LOVE them. In fact, I am hoping someone in my family reads my blog this one time and I find them under the tree this coming Christmas.

Anyway, we had spaghetti last week from the Giada sauce and pasta that I was sent to review. Although I typically make my own sauce, the reviews have really spoiled me. We all enjoyed the spaghetti. I didn’t add a thing to it, but next time I might add some more chopped onion and bell pepper.

So, you want to win? Here’s how:

REQUIRED: Go to the Target site, look around, and tell me which Giada item you are looking forward to trying.

BONUS #1: LIKE Target on Facebook

BONUS #2: Follow Target on Twitter then hit that green button at the top of my post to RT this post.

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Follow me on Twitter

#5. Fan Me on FaceBook

#6. Put my button on your blog.

#7. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

CONTEST ENDS: July 18th at Midnight CST

OPEN TO: USA only due to the nature of the giveaway.

Disclaimer: Target supplied the products for my review and the giveaway. Any opinions stated are strictly my own!

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REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: Mead Organizher Family Organizer and Meal Center

Momof3boys — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:16:45 +0000

I have said it a million times, but I really love my Mead Notebinder. Now, Mead has gone a step further and made their unique notebook, binder perfect for us busy moms! Although Mead was unable to do a giveaway at this time, I am so impressed with these two products that I bought a set to share with one of my readers. Keep reading to find the details and read my thoughts. Organizher undated weekly Family Organizer:

The best of Organizher’s systems combined into one central, portable planner for all of your organizational needs. Undated weekly calendar pages allow for All Me, All Them, and Chow planning. Additional sections contain: Menu planning/shopping list worksheets; important information trackers; zipper pouches for expenses, coupons and other documents; business card/shopping card holder sheet; and a repositionable bookmark. SRP: $14.99 Available at Target

Mead also has tons of downloadable forms to customize your Family Organizer to fit you and your family!

Mom Says: I think my favorite part, aside from the Notebinder itself, is the menu planning/shopping list worksheets! You put your menu on one side and the shopping list on the other, tear off the sheet and take it with you! Perfect!

Organizher Write N’ Wipe Meal Center:

A weekly meal planning dry erase grid plus an attached paper “shopping list” notepad makes this a complete meal center. Magnetic so it can conveniently hang on your fridge, this meal center helps organize lunch and dinner menus as well as any groceries that are needed. Dry erase pen with eraser attached. SRP: $7.99 Available at Target

Mom Says: I really like that this goes on my fridge. I find that if my menu is sitting in front of our faces, supper has a better chance of getting cooked. Ricky can even do it because he knows what to make. My only problem with this is that my kids think it is funny to wipe off part of the plan. LOL!

One reader will win one of each item! The requirements are easy:

REQUIRED: Leave a comment. Yeah, that is it. One comment!

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Follow me on Twitter

#5. Fan Me on FaceBook

#6. Put my button on your blog.

#7. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

CONTEST ENDS: MIDNIGHT CST on JULY 15th

ONLY OPEN TO USA RESIDENTS. I am sorry, but this one is coming out of my own pocket and the shipping is too high for me.

*DISCLAIMER – Mead provided both items to facilitate my review. Any opinions stated are my own. I am providing items for the giveaway, they are not affiliated with this giveaway.