You Can Reconnect with Former Friends and Lost Loves with MyLife.com

I was asked to review a new website called MyLife and I leaped at the chance, mostly because it provided me with an opportunity to unleash my inner spy.

This is one of those sites that lets you look up old friends, lovers, co-workers, birth parents- whomever. As a member ($3 per month if you sign up for a year or $6 per month if you sign up for 3 months), you have access to other people's profiles, which allow you to see who's related to that person, how old the person is, which social networking sites the person uses, and which cities the person both currently lives in and has lived in in the past.

In addition, members can request and receive one person's contact information per month. Additional requests are $3.95, and you can also do background checks on people for fees that start at $14.95.

I'll be honest, I was most interested in this service simply to see what was out there on me. A surprising amount of information was available in the simplest search, including some of my relatives' information.

I was relieved to learn that my contact information is incorrect. I'm not surprised, because I've been very careful with where and when I give that information out.

I searched in particular for one of my best friends from college, with whom I lost contact. She turned up immediately! The reason I hadn't been able to find her is that she didn't change her maiden name when she married- I had been looking for her under her married name all this time! I can't wait to get in touch with her.

In my opinion, MyLife is a good, inexpensive way to find out the basic details on people with whom you're trying to get in touch. It will definitely give you more information than a Google search, and is best for the casual searcher, who might want a person's contact information every now and then.

Britax Releases Blink Stroller

We all know Britax carseats are top-of-the-line- But what you might not know is that the company is now making great strollers, too.

I got to review the Blink, which combines the comfort of a deluxe stroller with the portability of an umbrella stroller. I liked it right out of the box. The polka dot pattern is really stylish, the seat is roomy and incredibly comfortable (the kids fought over who got to sit in it!), the basket underneath is a little bit behind the seat and therefore really easy to get to (that's actually a big deal, as you parents know!), it has pockets for your other stuff, and the visor is big enough to actually cover your child and includes a clear window so that you can see what the kid is up to. And the seat reclines so that your child can sleep while riding in it.

We took this stroller with us on our Chattanooga trip and it held up beautifully after lots of walking.

Additionally, it folds up to a nice, compact size, it's fairly lightweight, and it even has a strap on it so that you can carry it on your shoulder, which is pretty awesome.

The only cons we found were that we continually had difficulty opening and closing it- We've used it several times and are still trying to get the hang of that process. And once, Hubs pinched his finger pretty bad trying to close it, so you'll want to watch out for that.

It is also not as maneuverable as some other strollers I've tried and I think the wheels could be of better quality. That's not to say the maneuverability is bad (it's actually fine) or the wheels are cheap (they do the job) - just in comparison to other similarly priced strollers, this one comes in second place in these areas instead of first- light years better than Graco, not quite as awesome as my Delta Simmons Onyx.

Overall, though, I would recommend this stroller. Child comfort and portability are the two most important factors in stroller purchases for me, and this one definitely ranks high in both.

The Blink Stroller by Britax is available at major retailers everywhere.

In addition, Britax is giving away its new Chaperone carseat and stroller combo on its Facebook page. You can enter to win here.

Also, be sure and check out the Britax special promotions page, where you can learn how to get $100 off a Chaperone carrier and stroller if you buy before the end of the year.

Grey's Anatomy Season Five & Private Practice Season Two Out Now!

This is one of those moments when I really love doing reviews. Grey's Anatomy is one of my two favorite shows on television right now (the other one is Mad Men, of course) and Season Five arrived for review at the very moment that I thought I'd just die if I didn't find out what happened next.

I am flying through it as we speak and if you haven't seen Season Five yet, it doesn't disappoint. The plot lines continue to be involving and hilarious and disturbing and thought-provoking, all at once. But I have to admit that my favorite part of Season Five is the addition of actor Kevin McKidd, whom I absolutely LOVED in the Rome TV series. He is a fabulous actor and his Grey's Anatomy character isn't that far off from the character of Lucius Vorenus, which he played in Rome.

My favorite part of the Grey's Anatomy DVDs is that several episodes are extended just for the collection, which is really cool. Season Five also contains an entire extra DVD of bonus material, including outtakes and unaired scenes.

It's out now on DVD.

Fans of Grey's Anatomy will be happy to know that Season Two of Private Practice also is out now on DVD. This is a spinoff series featuring Dr. Addison Montgomery from the Grey's series, as she tries to make it on her own in LA.

While I don't think this series is nearly as good as Grey's, it is definitely enjoyable and has a rather large following of viewers. The cast is admittedly stellar and does a great job with what they are given. And this is one of those shows that continues to improve as it ages, which is always nice.

Season Two includes extended episodes, bloopers, deleted scenes, and two featurettes on the series. It's also out now on DVD.

Barbie and the Three Musketeers

"I loved this Barbie movie because it's about Musketeers and I want to be a secret agent or a Musketeer, too! A Musketeer is something that fights with a sword."

"This movie is about Three Musketeers saving the prince. They rescue the prince, but nobody believes they can do it. But they do, they rescue the prince with their powers! And their stuff! They have a sword, ribbons and fans!"

"This is my favorite Barbie movie because every fighting movie teaches me new fighting moves. Come in the den if you want to see them."

So says five-year-old Punky Ferrier, who is completely OBSESSED with the newest Barbie movie: Barbie and the Three Musketeers. And with good reason- This Barbie movie is the first to feature Barbie as a sword-wielding, take-action kind of girl.

I think my daughter, who loves both princesses and LEGO video games with fighting (fighting among LEGOs, if you can imagine!), has found her match.

Barbie manages to preserve her femininity in this movie and still fend off bad guys with her sword. Her friends use their own specialties (ribbons and fans, as Punky told you- a bit hard to believe, but um, GIRL POWER!) and together, they all save the prince! Even thought no one thought they could do it!

Punky has watched this movie a gazillion times since it arrived last week and she has indeed learned many a fighting move- she has even taken to carrying a plastic sword around the house to practice. And lest you worry about "violence," Barbie's sword antics are comfortably in the realm of classic fencing, and fending off bad guys seems to involve a few deft swoops in the air on her part, at which point they topple like flies, stunned by her sword-waving prowess.

I've said here before that I actually love the Barbie movies and generally end up watching them with my daughter. They play out like fairytales, rely heavily on classical music (which my daughter is consequently very interested in listening to again later), and they are enjoyable and sweet to watch. Barbie and the Three Musketeers is no exception. It's out today on DVD and I'm fairly certain your daughter will HAVE to have it.

Loving Our Pedipeds

One of the most stressful things about back-to-school time involves buying shoes.

I mean, are you with me? Clothes can be bought pretty inexpensively and can run a little big- our kids will grow into them! But a good pair of shoes is an investment requiring more money, and they have to fit just right or our child will either be uncomfortable or walk like a fool- both of which have happened to my kids!

I have become a big believer in splurging on really good shoes for my kids because think about it- they can make a difference in everything your child does, from learning to walk to running in P.E. to getting through a long day without blisters. To this end, I absolutely loveloveLOVE Pediped shoes- and here's why.

My kids' Pedipeds last and last and last. One thing that sets them apart from the competition is that Pedipeds come with sole inserts, so that when your child's Pedipeds start getting a little tight, you can take out the inserts and your child can wear his or her Pedipeds a little bit longer.

You've probably heard about Pedipeds for babies and early walkers- Moms rave about them because they really are "the next best thing to bare feet." But you may not know that Pediped has a line for older children that's every bit as good for their feet.

Specifically, the FLEX Pedipeds, made for big kids like my 2 and 5-year-olds, are technologically developed to maximize the shoes' flexibility and absorb shock in the heel. I have no idea how this technology works- what I do know is that my 2-year-old goes for his Pedipeds every time he gets to choose his shoes, and to me, that says it all about comfort.

Beyond all that, Pedipeds are adorable and their prices are right in line with other quality children's shoes. Check them out on the Pediped website and buy with confidence. Pedipeds absolutely have my recommendation.

Britax Marathon CS and Britax Roundabout 50

I'm a huge fan of Britax carseats. I've used several different carseat brands and my Britax seats have by far been the best- and the most comfortable for my kids. Here are a couple of different Britax seats that we own and love.


First, there's the Britax Roundabout. We have the Britax Roundabout 50, which features a higher weight capacity. The coolest thing about the Roundabout is that it actually helped save a little boy's life when the car he was riding in was struck by a train. Seriously! The news story is right here.

My parents often visit and keep the kids, so they are using the Britax Roundabout 50 right now and they really like it. And so do I. It's a nice feeling knowing that my children are riding in a top-of-the-line carseat when they're away from me.

For technical information on Roundabouts, check out the official Britax page. As far as I'm concerned, the Roundabout was easy to install, has easily adjustable straps that don't get twisted up (a huge problem with my non-Britax carseats), is easy to clean and is supremely comfortable for the kids.

It's hard to choose a favorite from the Britax line, but my daughter is loving the Britax Marathon CS, and begs to sit in it whenever we're out. (We transport my daughter's friends around so often that I keep three different carseats strapped into the backseat of my SUV, so yes, she has a choice!)

The Marathon is awesomely versatile, as it works for children from 5-65 pounds. It's the roomiest of our carseats, which is why my daughter likes it, and it has the Britax features I love, like easily adjustable straps that are easy to keep untwisted. Another feature I appreciate are the built-in lock-offs, which lock in the car seatbelt to keep the seat from moving more than an inch after it has been installed. That has been a huge problem with other brand carseats we've had.

You can read all the technical specifics of the Marathon here.

I should add that many of my daughter's friends have moved to $20 booster seats now that they're older- I've kept my daughter in the Britax seats simply because she's on the small side, the booster seats didn't seem to fit her that well, and I believe that the Britax seats with their five-point harnesses are so much safer. My pediatrician was very happy to hear this news when I told her, and recommended that I keep both kids in the Britax seats for as long as they'll fit in them and will agree to sit in them. So I will pass that along to all of you as well.

The Real Betty Crocker(s)

I spent a couple of days last week at the General Mills headquarters in Minneapolis, where I met another blogger by the name of Latricia.

Latricia impressed me even before I met her because of her tweets on the taxi ride from the airport to our hotel. It was her first-ever taxi ride, so of course, things went horribly wrong.

Her tweets grew more and more frantic as her cab driver pulled over to the side of the freeway, lost and unable to find the hotel even on GPS. He made calls. He drove around. He pulled over again. Latricia started crying. And she kept tweeting. At one point, she even tweeted her cab number.

Reading her tweets from my hotel room, I knew from the cab number announcement that it was about as bad as it gets. When you resort to that kind of thing, it's basically so that they can track down your murderer after your body turns up three weeks later, stuffed in a suitcase somewhere in Mexico.

Her tweets abruptly stopped after she announced that her driver had pulled into an abandoned parking lot and asked her if it was the Marriott. Even as I enjoyed my complimentary Chardonnay, cheese and crackers in my hotel room, I worried about Latricia and feared the worst. I couldn't believe I had basically witnessed a murder on Twitter.

So you can imagine how relieved I was to find her alive and mostly well in the lobby a few hours later.

"I totally got your cab number reference," I told her. "If you hadn't been down here, I would have called the police."

"That's good," she said. "Because someone needed to be able to track down my killer."

Latricia, it turned out, had quite an imagination, fueled as it was by one too many episodes of CSI, Dateline, and Law and Order. If you're a regular reader here, you can probably imagine, then, the way our conversations went on the trip.

"You have to wonder if everyone is who they claim to be," she mused as we eyed the other mommybloggers warily.

""Oh, I'm pretty sure there's a homicidal maniac among us," I agreed. "And I'm also pretty sure it's the one of us who chose to wear a Little Bo Beep costume on the dinner cruise." The light of recognition dawned in Latricia's eyes as we turned our gazes on the Little Bo Peep-clad mom blogger in question.

Later in the trip, a discussion on canned vegetables provided us with an explanation for where most of the mom bloggers disappeared to at the end of the day without so much as a goodbye. Ostensibly, they had been escorted to the gift shop. But they never returned. I'm not even kidding.

"I think they've been taken to the canning factory!" I whispered anxiously.

"They did say they only picked food at the peak of freshness and maturity!" Latricia agreed frantically. "That's.... us!"

"Suddenly, it all makes sense!" I said. "We have got to find a way out of here, or... or..." I closed my eyes and turned pale. "Mincemeat!"

As we waited, we felt the eyes of Betty Crocker upon us. All of them. Yes, we were seated in a room featuring the original portraits of various incarnations of Betty Crocker.

The Bettys

"They'll take us to a room, one by one," I whimpered. "And all of the Bettys will be there. With butcher knives." Suddenly, it dawned on me why they were so bent on us posing as the next Betty Crocker.

"The Bettys will crowd around me with their knives," I said, my eyes glazed over with terror, "and then the movie will end with a pan of all of the Betty Crocker portraits... and the last one is... me."

Latricia gasped, horror-struck. I knew she could totally picture it.

I'm not sure this is the post that General Mills intended when I was invited to tour its headquarters. And yet, I bet you've thought about Betty Crocker more just now than you ever have in your life, right?

You're welcome, General Mills.

How My Frigidaire Looks in My Kitchen

I've been writing a lot about my new Frigidaire refrigerator, which I'm (permanently) test driving on behalf of Frigidaire and Mom Central. One thing I haven't talked about is what a versatile appliance it is when it comes to your kitchen's design.

When we moved into our house, some of our appliances were white and some were black. We have since replaced a white dishwasher with a black one and a white microwave with a black one, to match the black oven below it. Our range is stainless steel.

One of the things I love about the stainless steel Frigidaire refrigerator is that it can work in almost any kitchen, blending seamlessly with other colors. The stainless steel Frigidaire in my kitchen is accented with black, so it blends right in with my black/stainless steel appliances. I tried to take a picture for you, but alas, my kitchen is small and at an angle, so that I couldn't get a shot of my appliances and my refrigerator in the same shot.

But I've provided pictorial examples of other kitchens so that you can see the Frigidaire in a variety of situations.

Is this red kitchen not absolutely scrumptious?

Now that I have a stainless steel appliance, I think I'll be going in that direction with future appliance replacements. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it is WAY easier to clean off than my non-stainless steel appliances.

This post was written in conjunction with Frigidaire and Mom Central. I was sent a Frigidaire refrigerator to try out on my family. All of the opinions expressed in these Frigidaire posts are mine and mine alone.

My Trip to General Mills Headquarters

Hey, that's me in the Betty Crocker test kitchen!

Along with a bunch of other mom bloggers, that is.

All of us got to spend the day at General Mills Headquarters, learning about what General Mills is up to and how the company hopes to appeal to moms. Here's a quick rundown of the parts I think you would all appreciate.

First off, THE FOOD.

We all split up into six groups and tried six different Betty Crocker recipes in the test kitchen. This was my favorite part of the trip. The test kitchen is enormous and wall-to-wall windows that show off the beautiful landscaping surrounding the gargantuan General Mills enclave, which is basically like a small city and includes shops, restaurants, and on-site daycare.

Basically, I discovered my dream job there, which would involve me developing new recipes for BettyCrocker.com in the test kitchen. In real life, I'd probably gain 100 lbs in the process, but in my fantasy, I would actually LOSE a pound for every five-star recipe I'm able to dream up.

I digress.

Once we'd made our recipes, we got to taste test all six and give our opinions on them. I'm sharing with you the three out of those six that I will make again.

This Fattoush Pasta Salad was a prize winning recipe and it was AMAZING. I will definitely make it again- probably to go alongside a pork tenderloin or roast chicken.

These Oven-Fried Chicken Tenders were simple, delicious, kid-friendly, and can be dipped in your family's favorite sauce. Progresso Panko crumbs were used for the coating, and I was very excited to know that Progresso's now making Panko crumbs- I had been having to go to a specialty grocery to get them. If you haven't tried them, do. You'll LOVE how crispy they are.

And finally, these Easy Fish Tacos, which my group made, were fortunately my favorite recipe of all! This recipe is INSANELY EASY, takes about five minutes of preparation, and tastes absolutely fantastic. And while it calls for frozen fish fillets, which taste great in the tacos, you could easily substitute baked or blackened fish and your kids would be none the wiser- the slaw has a great flavor which easily masks the fish. DEFINITELY try this one at home- You'll be amazed at how easy and tasty these tacos are. I have a feeling this recipe is going to become a big staple of mine.

On this trip, I was introduced to BettyCrocker.com, which I'll be returning to now for recipes. There are tons of recipes on the site, and user ratings are allowed, which I love.

The other nice surprise during the trip was tasting Green Giant's new varieties of frozen vegetables.

I'll confess that I already knew Green Giant's frozen vegetables and sauces were AMAZING and worth the money. I've been using them for ages. But they have some new flavors that were a delicious surprise.

The new Immunity Blend was a huge favorite with the mom bloggers. It featured cauliflower, carrots, and dried cranberries, and believe it or not, it was just awesome. Definitely check this one out at the grocery when you see it.

I also tried a new corn, peas and basil blend and I have to say, it was the first time I've ever eaten peas and enjoyed them! It was a pleasant surprise!

Green Giant's frozen vegetables (and canned, for that matter) are a great option to keep on hand. They are flash frozen within eight hours of being picked. Also, I learned that Green Giant has reduced its pesticides by 90% since 1980, which I found impressive.

These are the things that stuck with me about this trip- I hope you can use some of this information for yourself and your family as well!

All pictures in this post courtesy of General Mills.