I received some fabulous samples of Christmas cards and invitations in the mail the other day from Pear Tree.  Here is a little bit about Pear Tree and their products.  First they are printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper using 100 lb matte card stock.  Being a paper crafter myself I can tell you that is some pretty high quality paper.  I think most of the card stock I use is 80 lb.  Plus the quality of these cards is wonderful.  They have a wide variety of cards, Christmas Party Invitations, birth announcements etc.  I love that you can personalize the cards and invites, with family photos or photos of the kids.

Their prices are outstanding.  Most of the cards are less than $1.25, some are listed at $0.84.  How can you beat that.  For the convenience of online shopping during the holidays.  Couple of clicks, some personalization and BAM! you have some fabulous, high quality cards to send family and friends.  Pear Tree has a wide variety of designs and styles.  From post cards to cards used with envelopes, whatever fits your style for the special occasion you need it for.  Here are a couple pictures of the sample cards I received:Aren’t they just divine?  If I wasn’t a paper crafter I would so totally buy some Christmas cards this holiday season from Pear Tree!!

We don’t have much furniture in the house since we have a bunch of lil ones running around so we had to take out review to the truck.  It needed a bit of cleaning on the dashboard so it was a win-win situation.  LOL!

I didn’t actually cut the towel but as I mentioned it is a rather large towel, I would assume if you were using it for your home where you may not do a lot of dusting, you could cut the towel in half or something.  Overall I was very pleased with these dusters.

I recruited Tony to star in the video and to demonstrate how the wiping cloths worked.  We used the towels on our tile kitchen table as well as some glass windows on my daughters french doors leading to her bedroom.  (mt dog Abby makes an appearance in the video, LOL!).  Our tile table is a bit tough to clean, as you will see in the video it has some rough edges along the edge of the table.  Most of our soft household paper towels just rip right through it an leave paper towel chunks in between the cracks.  As Tony states in the video he used a bit of manly force to see how well the cloths would do on the rough edges.  The purpose of that was to explain how well the paper towels would hold up, how durable they are.  He used 2 towels and the bottom one was a little ragged but it certainly didn’t rip to shreds like some paper towels we have used.  They did a really good job cleaning our table, soaking up not only the cleaning spray we used but all the food residue from our dinner.  We use a variety of household paper towels and even some of the better brands just push the food and liquid around instead of absorbing it.

We then moved to the glass windows.  Tony did a fabulous job removing the itty bitty finger prints all over the windows.  I should say, the wiping cloths did a fabulous job removing the finger prints without leaving any streaks.

Overall I think these are good quality cleaning products.

*I must say, didn’t Tony look handsome in that shirt!*

I was sent some Ideal No Calorie Sweetener to try out.  I drink a cup or two of coffee a day with sugar and we also cook and bake a lot which means we use a lot of sugar.  I haven’t been as concerned with my sugar intake since I have been pregnant but just prior, when I was losing all the weight, I was cutting out a lot of sugar.  After this baby, I will be back on the healthy eating kick and will be happy to have found a great substitute for sugar. 

Today in America sugar consumption is the highest it’s ever been which leads to health problems such as obesity and tooth decay.  Ideal contains Xylitol which is found in fruits and vegetables.  It tastes like sugar and is a great alternative.

So, I thought I would put it to the test and I made some sugar cookies this afternoon.  Now here was the only problem I ran in to with the recipe.  It says it was supposed to make 48 cookies and I was only able to get 18.  With 48 cookies the calories were only supposed to be 33 but since I o nly made 1/3 then each cookie came out to be around 76 calories.  The problem is we need to find a low calorie butter.  I know they have some like “I can’t believe it’s not butter” and I have baked with it before but it’s just not the same. 

So anyways here is the recipe:

1 cup Ideal No Calorie Sweetener
1/2 cup butter softened
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

In a mixing bowl cream together butter and Ideal No Calorie Sweetener; beat in egg and vanilla

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt and add to butter mixture.  Blend well until ball is formed. 

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hrs or until firm. 

Shape dough in to small balls about 3/4 inches in diameter.

Set cookies on lightly greased baking sheet; press cookie until 1/4 inch thick

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown

Nutrition information (if you can get 48 cookies):  33 calories; 1g Protein; 2g total Fat; 3g Carb; 0g Fiber; 7 mg Calcium; 0g Iron; 38mg Sodium; 9mg Cholesterol 

I have already tried a cookie and I must say they are delicious.  Tony also used the sweetener in the corn muffins he made for dinner, those were also tasty. 

I am really excited that I was able to try Ideal No Calorie Sweetener out, I will say, it tastes just like sugar without the calories. 

Now for the greatest part, THE GIVEAWAY!  Ideal would like to offer 3 of my readers a chance to win Ideal No Calorie Sweetener.  Each winner will receive a 10.6 ounce baking bag of Ideal and a 50 count box of Ideal packets, PLUS coupons!  YIPPEE!!!!

All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment telling me why it is important you incorporate No Calorie Sweeteners in yours and/or your family’s diet.   

This giveaway will end July 27 at midnight EST.

Thanks again Mom Fuse and Ideal No Calorie Sweetener!

Lili Couture has a wide variety of baby wipe containers.  They are stylish and fun, from boys to girls and even gender neutral.  Any style to fit your desire.  They have a large list of stores across the US and if you can’t find a store in your area you can also purchase them online. 

Their wipes containers are very well made and very stylish.  I think these would be a great addition for your diaper bag or for a gift.

Thanks again Mom Fuse and Lili Couture for this great opportunity.

So both my lil ones were sick for about a week or so.  They both had fevers on and off the whole time.  The Temporal Scanner came in handy.  Both of my kids have no patience.  I have tried the thermometer that goes under the arm and it just takes too long.  They never sit still long enough.  I don’t feel the reading is accurate.  The Temporal Scanner on the other hand is very easy to use and a very quick and accurate reading. One push (and hold) of the button as you gently swipe the Temporal Scanner across the forehead and you will get a reading in seconds.

You can pick up a Temporal Scanner at some of your more frequent shopping centers, Babies R’ Us, Walmart and Walgreens just to name a few.

Now for the giveaway, one of my readers will win a Temporal Scanner.  I will make this easy to enter….al you have to do is leave me a comment telling me how many kids you have and their ages, if you are entering to win it for someone else, just tell me who.    That’s it.

This giveaway will end June 23 at midnight EST. 

Thanks again Mom Fuse and Temporal Scanner for this great opportunity.

Norman was a great addition to our road trip.  His fart sounds are so real.  Tony and lil Tony laugh at each other when they fart so I knew this toy would be awesome to review.  When lil Tony first heard it, he just couldn’t stop laughing.  Not only is this a great idea for a stuffed animal but the Elephant is so soft and cuddly.  All you do is push his tail and with each push he will let out a different sound, a total of 8 sounds.  Thankfully there is no smell because some of those sounds could really be deadly, they are silent but they’d surely be deadly. LOL! 

Other than being a great toy for your child, co-worker, friend or family member, a portion of Norman’s sales gets donated to charity.  Smile train, Half the Sky and Ronald McDonald House Charities..click on each to read more about them.

Now here’s the best part, one of my readers will win their very own Norman PhartEphant to take home and call their own.

**There is only one requirement to enter, check out Norman’s site and under the “retail locations” tab help the out by naming your favorite Mom and Pop toy store.  There is a submission form on their site and then come back here and tell me you’ve done it and the name of the toy store.**

This giveaway will end June 23rd at midnight EST.

Thanks again Mom Fuse and Norman PhartEphant for this great opportunity.

I was given the opportunity to review a Kettlebell from KettleWorX.  It is a 6 week training program, I have been using it for 2 weeks.  Now I will say about 1 1/2 weeks ago I came down with a really bad cold/flu so it was a little difficult to give it my all but I did work out as much as I could over the 2 weeks.

I really liked that it gave you the option to purchase different packages to accommodate your financial situation.  For example they have a starter package for $59.95 where you would not need the Kettlebell but it would give you a 6 week training within 4 DVD’s.  Or for the more advanced workouts, they have packages with more DVD’s and it would also include the Kettlebell.

The package I received to review was the KettleWorX Ultra 5.  It came with a 5lb Kettlebell, which was recommended for women, and 9 DVD’s.

I like that each workout incorporated the Kettlebell in with each movement.  Each movement worked a number of different muscle groups in order to get a total body workout.  After each workout I felt that my muscles had been stretched and trained properly.  When I was going to the gym I always think I over did it and my muscles would be extremely sore in the morning.  I contributed that to not stretching and working out properly.

The start of each work out included a low intensity warm up, to get all your muscles ready for the workout.  The fitness package I received came with several 10-minute workout videos.  Those worked really well on the days I felt the worst with my cold or had to tend to my sick children.  I felt they were a little more intense to get a great workout in such a short amount of time.  I was able to workout even though I didn’t have much time and continue to strengthen my muscles.

With the package it came with 9 DVD’s to focus on every part of my body.  From abs to arms and shoulders to butt and thighs.  That was also my problem going to the gym, I mostly did cardio machines that really only burned a lot of calories.  It didn’t tone my body as I lost the weight.

You can also just purchase the Kettlebell by itself.  For as low as $19.95 for the 5lb Kettlebell.

The 5lb KettleBell

10lb Kettlebell

20lb Kettlebell
I have only been doing the workout program for 2 weeks and look forward to giving it my all in the next 4 weeks.  I expect to see wonderful results.  For me however, I do have a good deal of weight to lose so I am sure I will need to workout for more than 6 weeks to reach my goal but I feel these videos are going to be a great help in achieving my goal.  They will tone my body as I drop the fat.  Lose the fat not the muscle.

I was given the opportunity to review an adorable Teddy Bear nightlight from night-lights.com.

Each nightlight features an easy on-off switch, UL listed components and it is gift boxed.

I  like that the plug swivels to accommodate horizontal and vertical outlets.  The Teddy Bear glass plate is also repositionable, swivels side to side.  I also like that the light doesn’t shine too bright to light up the whole room, just enough to give a little light.   These nightlights are very durable and well made with long lasting bulbs.  I love how beautiful the Teddy Bear illuminates at night, in the dark.  My children absolutely love the nightlight, I think it is a great addition to their room.

They have a wonderful selection of nightlights.  Some of the categories are seasonal, kids and baby, nature and garden and travel and leisure.  They are very affordable and great quality.  They would be a wonderful addition to your home or perfect to give as a gift.

Their handmade soy candles are made in Austin Texas and made with 100% natural soybean wax and cotton wicks.    They come in an array of styles and scents which include votives, tealights, travel tins and their signature glasses.

The scent I chose was the was the Vanilla Soy Candle.  Immediately opening the package I could smell the sweet scent of vanilla.  I have a really had time sometimes finding candles that have a powerful scent to fill my house.  I have my candle in the kitchen and half the time I don’t even have it lit and you can smell it through half my house.  Their glass jars are very thick and the candle is well made.

Soy candles have become the healthy alternative to paraffin candles.  Most candles are paraffin wax candles due to the cost effectiveness to using petroleum products however, burning paraffin wax contributes to indoor contamination.  Soy burns much cleaner and and purer and is all natural, non-toxic and non-hazardous.

What’s also great about Soy Delites is they are a husband and wife team based out of their home.  Each candle is hand poured to ensure the highest quality.

To see all the great products that Soy Delites has to offer, check them out here!

Thanks again Mom Fuse and Soy Delites for this great opportunity!