Suburban Turmoil Reviews

The Lion King Two-Disc Diamond Edition: A Must-Have for Your Family Movie Library

2011-10-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Need I even tell you that this new 'Lion King' DVD release is a must-have? If your children didn't see The Lion King in 3D in theaters recently (and really, even if they did), you can still save face by presenting them with a copy of the movie, which is now available for a limited time in a combo pack that includes discs for both Blu-Ray and DVD players.

And let me assure you that this movie will be played OFTEN in your home! My children absolutely adore it, and have practically memorized every single word to Hakuna Matata. They say that phrase ALL THE TIME now. Many of my friends and relatives believe that The Lion King is Disney's best movie of all time, and it's hard to disagree with them! I'm so glad my kids are being introduced to the movie and all of its lovable characters now!

Just to give you a little more bang for your buck, Disney also has made the following free crafts and activities available to go along with the movie-watching experience:

To download coloring and activity pages, click on this graphic:

For fun Lion King-inspired crafts, click here:

And for Lion King recipe ideas, click the graphic below:

You can make an entire Lion King day of it!

And why not?!

The Lion King Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-Ray/DVD Combo is available now for $24.99 from Amazon.com.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this DVD in order to write about it. My opinions are my own.

African Cats: An Eductational AND Entertaining Family Movie

2011-10-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

My favorite movies for my kids are those that teach them something.

That's why I'm loving Disneynature's documentary-style movies that are instructive, emotional and entertaining for the whole family.

We missed African Cats at the theater, to my seven-year-old's dismay, so I was more than happy to present her with a review copy of the new DVD release, available now as a Blu-Ray+DVD combo for $24.99.

Called "a real-life Lion King" by Amazon reviews, it's a great companion movie to watch with Disney's recent re-release of The Lion King, which my children are obsessed with right now. (How many times can I hear the phrase 'Hakuna Matata' in one day??!!)

Here's a synopsis from the studio:

AFRICAN CATS takes viewers deep into the breathtaking African savanna to witness the heart-stopping rivalry between two lion prides and the epic journey of one brave cheetah family. Shot over the course of two and a half years using state-of-the-art camera equipment, AFRICAN CATS captures the awe-inspiring beauty of one of the wildest places on Earth as it tells the dramatic and often intimate stories of Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion clan.

My children loved this movie, and so did I. The cinematography is spectacular and the story is captivating.

Of course, the question every parent has about these types of film is whether there is gore and death. On those counts, this film is family-friendly, but since it is true to life in the wild, death is part of the movie. If you have young children who would be negatively impacted by this, keep that in mind. For those who are comfortable with the 'circle of life' analogy, this movie will be a hit.

To add to the experience, you can download printable activities by clicking on this link:

Enjoy!

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this movie. My opinions are my own.

Spooky Buddies: The Year's Most Hotly Anticipated Release (According to My Kids)

2011-09-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

If your kids are anything like mine, they are COMPLETELY BESIDE THEMSELVES over the release of Disney's "Spooky Buddies" today on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Seriously, mine have been talking about it for weeks, particularly my 4-year-old. Those Spooky Buddies commercials are doing their job, Disney! He's managed to find all of our movies from the "Buddies" franchise and watch them in anticipation of the big release. And he asks me for the new Spooky Buddies movie AT LEAST once a day.

Fortunately, it's out now at stores everywhere, and we're going to be watching it soon to start getting in the mood for Halloween. And Disney is helping us enjoy the movie even more with these three FREE downloads in honor of the movie's release:

A Spooky Buddies activity sheet...

A Spooky Buddies Family Night party guide...

And a recipe for bat-shaped doggy biscuits!

Want to download these sheets? Head here to get them!

Spooky Buddies is available now on Amazon for $16.99.

affresh: My Choice for Easy Stainless Steel Cleaning

2011-09-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

As the appliances in my (built in 1990) kitchen slowly begin to crap out, we're replacing them with stainless steel versions. So far, I now have a stainless steel refrigerator, range, convection/microwave, trash can, and as of next week, oven! (It's amazing how a certain amount of years pass and everything breaks down at about the same time, isn't it?)

With all this stainless steel, I leaped at the chance to review affresh Stainless steel cleaner. I do know, after all, that stainless steel requires special care, but I wasn't all that clear at what that 'special care' actually involved.

I've been using affresh a few times a week on my stainless steel for a couple of months now and it definitely does the job.

My stainless steel appliances and accessories look brand new, and cleaning with affresh literally couldn't be easier.

Thanks, Mom Central, for letting me try it out!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of affresh and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Enter to Win a Yosemite Family Adventure from Uncrustables!

2011-08-31T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Triad Retail Media for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

There's a special place in my heart for Smucker's Uncrustables sandwiches.

I have actually sat around with other moms wondering what about Uncrustables makes them so darn good- because heaven knows, my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches don't even approach the gloriousness of the Uncrustables-- even when I cut off the crusts. I suspect there's some sort of hidden ingredient that I simply can't approximate. All I know is that my kids LOVE them and will eat them any time, anywhere, any place.

For us, Uncrustables are a decadent treat that I keep hidden away in the freezer for special occasions-- i.e., Mommy overslept and has to make lunch in five minutes! Ahem.

The point of all this is that you already know how good Uncrustables are, and how much your kids love them.

What you may not know, however, is that liking Uncrustables can actually win you and your family a family adventure trip to Yosemite National Park! Neat, right? Go to the

Uncrustables website and learn how to enter to win!

If you like Uncrustables as much as we do, you'll also want to 'like' them on Facebook.

And keep up-to-date on special Uncrustables promotions and special offers by following them on Twitter.

Facebook
Twitter
Uncrustables

Affresh Stainless Steel Cleaner: In My Cabinet From Now On

2011-07-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

When I moved into my house nearly ten years ago, there was no stainless steel to be seen in the kitchen.

Since that time, though, it has slowly infiltrated my living space. First there was a brand new stainless steel refrigerator. Followed by a stainless steel microwave/convection oven. And then a stainless steel kitchen trash can. A few days, our ove broke and the stainless steel revolution will nearly be complete.

The dishwasher is our lone holdout.

Stainless steel is wonderful, and very easy to care for. But it calls for something a little more special than your basic kitchen cleaner. I received a bottle of Affresh stainless steel cleaner from Mom Central to test out on my own stainless steel appliances and the bottom line is this:
I'll keep a bottle of Affresh under the sink from now on.

For one thing, it easily cleaned off all the smudges, fingerprints, and bits of dried food (I have small children. Don't judge.) that had accumulated on my stainless steel appliances. I just sprayed Affresh, waited a few moments, and wiped it off. Boom! Cleanliness.

For another, it is the best-smelling kitchen cleaner I've ever come across. It has a fresh plum scent that makes me want to spray it on myself like perfume. But I won't, of course. Because that would be wrong. And weird.

Affresh costs about $6.99 per bottle and it's recommended that you use a stainless steel cleaner on your appliances about once a month. I'll likely be using mine far more than that because you know, small kids. Jam fingers.

Anyway, that's what I thought. AFFRESH FTW!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Affresh and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Why We Love Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products

2011-06-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine

We have a Walgreens just a few minutes from my home, and with four children in the house, we've gotten to know Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products very, very well.

One of the first things I learned as a wife and stepmom was that Walgreens medicines work just as well as the name-brand products that cost far more money, They're also Walgreens pharmacist-recommended, most have the same active ingredients as the other national brands, and they carry a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Equally important when it comes to kids, they taste just as good. As a result, our medicine cabinet is chock full of Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products and medicines. But I have to admit that there's one Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Product I love more than any other. It looks like this

It is known as the Walgreens Cool Mist Humidifier. And it is one of my favorite things that we own.

Once or twice a year, each of my small children ends up getting a respiratory illness, generally one right after the other. As every parent knows, when your child is coughing and rasping with every breath, it can be very distressing. There's often not much you can do about it, either, particularly at night when the coughing is at its worst. The act of getting out our humidifier and setting it up always makes me and my kids feel better. Not only do they seem to sleep better through the night, the soft whushing sound that the humidifier makes and its night light are very comforting to them. They love running their hands over the mist that comes out the top before they go to bed, and they always complain when they're better and I put the humidifier back in the closet!

I still remember when we were trying to decide whether to buy the humidifier. Buying the Walgreens brand was a no-brainer, since we were very familiar with the quality of Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products and it was at least five dollars less than the next-cheapest humidifier. Purchasing a humidifier is a bit of an investment when you're watching your budget, but I haven't regretted our decision for a second. We've had our Walgreens Cool Mist Humidifier for several years now and it still works great and never leaks.

Want to try out a few Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products for yourself? A number of bloggers are giving away a free Walgreens gift card right now! You can find them here.

Visit Walgreens.com to learn more about Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products.

Walgreens Way to Well Fund™
giveaways

Yahoo! Mail: One of the Few Things I Couldn't Live Without

2011-06-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Yahoo! Mail for sponsoring this post about staying connected. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Seriously, how did we ever survive without e-mail?

I'm asking myself this question right now as I sit down to write about something that has become such and integral part of my life, I would be seriously, seriously messed up without it.

I'm talking about my Yahoo! Mail account, which I opened back in 1996, and which has become a vital method of communication between me and friends, family, c0-workers, and potential employers.

I leaned heavily on my Yahoo! Mail account back when I was anchoring the morning news and my waking hours were between 2am and 7pm. That didn't leave much time for keeping up with my high school and college friends, but I remember working diligently on the morning newscast so that I'd have enough time to log in to my e-mail account at around 4am and read all about my friends' latest exploits.

Once I had my first baby and began staying home with her, I got my first professional writing gig with the help of my Yahoo! Mail account. I tentatively sent the editor of the Nashville Scene a link to my new personal blog. She e-mailed back an hour later and Suburban Turmoil, the column was born.

I keep in touch with various family members through my Yahoo! Mail account, like my grandmother, pictured above. I'm not much of a phone person and without Yahoo! Mail, I don't know what we'd all do. Both my parents e-mail me as often as they call when they need to find out information.

I'll freely admit that I'm completely, hopelessly addicted to Yahoo! Mail. I get somewhere between 200 and 400 e-mails a day and nearly every time I log on, a wonderful surprise is waiting, whether it's a message from an old friend or an offer of freelance work. I honestly think I'd go into a deep depression if my Yahoo! Mail account were taken away!

I know that most of you can identify with at least some of these tales. Yahoo! Mail is simply the bomb, right?

These are just a few ways that Yahoo! Mail has changed my life.

Now check out this video from Yahoo! Mail, which shows you one of the new features of Yahoo! Mail that I can't wait to use:

When Allergies Get Personal: Our Children's Claritin Story

2011-06-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls Collective on behalf of Children's Claritin®. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program.

My Punky, she has seasonal allergies. After a half dozen panicked visits to the pediatrician over the years ("She's coughing, but only at night!" "Her eyes won't stop watering!" "She wakes up with a runny nose and then it goes away!") and being assured each time that it was allergies, I've learned to recognize the symptoms and to realize that they come at the same time every year. Generally, we try to soldier through the allergies now as best we can. But this past spring was particularly rough.

Punky's eyes were especially watery. She had begun rubbing them frequently, and as a result, always had a dirt mark on each side of her nose by afternoon. Back to the doctor we went.

We were prescribed prescription eyedrops, and dutifully went to the pharmacist to pick them up. But when I saw the bill, I balked.

"$100 for EYEDROPS?!" I said. "Even with insurance?! Um, we won't be getting these."

"I wouldn't either," the pharmacist said. "That is really high."

"Well, we'll try this first," I said, giving the pharmacist a box of Children's Claritin that the pediatrician had also recommended. "And if it doesn't work, I'll go back and talk to the doctor."

We went home and each morning, I dutifully gave my daughter a dose of Children's Claritin. And guess what? Those dirt streaks on either side of her nose went away! She was noticeably better each day during allergy season. She didn't need the eyedrops after all! I SAVED $100! And Punky had much better spring days. As an added bonus, she even liked the grape flavor of the medicine!

As you can imagine I'm a huge Children's Claritin fan. It has changed our spring and made photos like these possible...

Outside and allergy symptom-free. Thanks, Claritin!

Want to learn more about kids and allergies? Check this out...

Clear to Enjoy Spring: The Allergy Guide for Moms and Kids

View more presentations from Children's Claritin

For more information visit www.slideshare.net/Childrens_Claritin. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

I Get My CoverGirl at Kroger. How About You?

2011-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Kroger and CoverGirl for sponsoring this review. While CoverGirl provided me with a $30 gift card to purchase CoverGirl products at Kroger stores, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own, represent my honest viewpoint, and not that of CoverGirl, Kroger, or Proctor & Gamble. I am making no claims about the products, just expressing my thoughtful opinion. Clever Girls Collective supports Blog With Integrity.

Two things I'm very familiar with: Kroger and CoverGirl makeup products.

I go to our neighborhood Kroger at least three times a week and often pick up CoverGirl products while I'm there. So when I got the opportunity to buy $30 worth of CoverGirl products from Kroger for a blog review, do you think I hesitated even for a moment?

Thirty dollars will get you quite a bit of CoverGirl makeup at Kroger, since Kroger generally has many CoverGirl products at an additional discount. Here's what I was able to get:

CoverGirl Liquiline Blast in Black Fire.

I had never tried this liner before- I generally use black eyeshadow with a brush as eyeliner, and follow up with CoverGirl liquid liner. However, I'm now a Liquiline convert. It goes on like a pencil but looks just like liquid liner. It's particularly good for lining your eyes' inner rims. And the other side of the pencil is a smudger. Perfect.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection pencil in Seduction.

This lip liner is a true nude color- something that I've had an impossible time finding. Love.

Cover Girl Outlast lipstain in Nude Kiss.

I'm a big fan of Cover Girl's Outlast Lipstain. It gives my lips natural looking color and makes it appear that I'm not wearing lipstick at all.

CoverGirl Wetslicks lip gloss in Shimmershell.

This is another product I can't live without. I generally line my lips with a neutral shade, then fill them in with this pale pink gloss, which gives my lips great definition and shine.

CoverGirl Clean Foundation in Natural Beige.

I don't wear foundation on my face, but I do mix a dollop with a little lotion and put it on my legs in the summer time. This gives my legs a "finished," smooth look and this CoverGirl foundation is the perfect, inexpensive makeup to use for the job!

So there you have it, ladies! That's quite a lot for $30 and a little bit of tax, don't you think?

Gnomeo & Juliet: My Kids Loved It!

2011-05-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

Gnomeo and Juliet is a brand new release now on Blu-Ray and DVD and if your kids are anything like mine, they've been clamoring to see it.

Fortunately, a copy arrived on my doorstep and I was able to deliver QUICKLY. We put it in the Blu-Ray player the day it arrived and my kids were thrilled. Me- well, it's not my absolute favorite kids movie of all time. However, there are movies that thankfully allow parents to get a few things done around the house while the kids are very entertained and this was one of those movies. THANK YOU, GNOMEO & JULIET. You made everyone happy.

Here's a quick synopsis of the film from the studio:

From a director of Shrek 2 comes your chance to step into the secret world of garden gnomes — Gnomeo & Juliet. Perfect for the whole family, this fresh and funny makeover of one of the world’s most timeless stories features music from Sir Elton John, and the voice talents of Emily Blunt, James McAvoy and Sir Michael Caine. Caught up in a feud between neighbors, Gnomeo and Juliet must overcome as many obstacles as their namesakes. But with flamboyant pink flamingos and epic lawnmower races, can this young couple find lasting happiness?

Bonus Features:

DVD & Movie Download:

• Elton Builds a Garden
• Frog Talk with Ashley Jensen
• “Crocodile Rock” Music Video, featuring Elton John and Nelly Furtado

Blu-ray:

• DVD Bonus plus:

• 2 Alternate Endings with Filmmaker Introductions
• Deleted & Alternate Scenes with Filmmaker Introductions, including:
-1 Alternate Opening
-1 Alternate Scene
- 6 Deleted Scenes
• The Fawn of Darkness, featuring Ozzy Osbourne

Gnomeo & Juliet is available on DVD now on Amazon.com for just $15.99!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this movie in order to review it.

Me and My Yahoo! Mail

2011-05-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Yahoo! Mail for sponsoring this post about staying connected. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

When I logged into my first Yahoo! Mail inbox (which I still use for overflow e-mail), I went back to the very beginning and spent much more time than I had planned to spend, just walking down memory lane.

I was at my first job at the time, anchoring the morning news in Columbia, South Carolina. My e-mails were mainly to family and high school and college friends. We kept each other up-to-date via e-mail and for me in particular, it was a social lifeline. Getting up at 2am and going to bed at 7pm each night didn't leave much room for real-life conversations. I remember working diligently on my newscasts each morning so that I would have a few minutes before the show at 6am to read over the e-mails my friends had written to me the night before. My responses were sent at 4:30am. 5 am. 5:45 am. Yeah, being a news anchor was fun, but I'm so glad that bizarre schedule is a merely a distant memory now!

A few years passed and my personal e-mails became less frequent. I had moved to Nashville, broken up with a longtime boyfriend, and met someone new-- These kinds of life changes were hard to explain to long distance friends. I did send out an e-mail to everyone when I got engaged, though. The flurry of responses I received still crack me up.

"You're doing what?"

"What happened to your ex-boyfriend?"

"Who's that? I thought you were dating _______!"

Next came a series of e-mails to and from various locations in Scotland, where I married. I planned my entire wedding by e-mail-- I tried calling a few places, but the Scottish accent proved to be a little too much for me over the phone, particularly when I was dealing with important wedding details. Better to put it in writing. Thanks to my inbox, I now have a detailed record of all my wedding plans. It's fun to look back at all that went into that event- And thanks to Yahoo! Mail, it went off without a hitch. In fact, my wedding was far more extraordinary than I ever had imagined it could be.

Once I married, I opened a joint Yahoo! Mail account with my husband and the personal e-mails on my single girl account petered out. I'm so thankful, though, that Yahoo! Mail moved to unlimited storage several years ago, because now my inbox functions as a sort of archive- a fascinating personal history comprising all the details of my life, both mundane and life-changing.

I never realized when I opened that free Yahoo! Mail account all those years ago just how much it would mean to me now.

Our Zhu Zhu Princess Playdate

2011-05-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

If you have kids, it's safe to say you probably also have at least one Zhu Zhu Pet... Am I right?

Here at Casa Ferrier, we have several Zhu Zhus, as well as a tricked-out habitat for them to run around in.

Personally, I'd much rather spend the money on the Zhu Zhu Pet than on the real thing. Anybody with me on that?

Anyway, Zhu Zhu Pets have been a big hit with my kids- It's one of the few toys we have that both my 4-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter can enjoy together, which makes me like it, too. And so when MomSelect gave me the opportunity to host a playdate and give A few of Punky's friends the opportunity to try out the new Zhu Zhu Pet Royal Wedding collection, I was all over it. Check out the new items:

Cute in the picture, but even cuter in person.

My little band of critics showed up on a Saturday afternoon in order to test out the castle, the dance floor, and the carriage, all of which took me less than 30 minutes to assemble.

Clearly, they loved it. Even better, I don't think there was one favorite part. Each part of the habitat got equal amounts of attention, from the dance floor, which allows you to hook on one or two Pets and watch them dance, to the main "castle" to the adorable carriage, constructed so that one Zhu Zhu Pet carries another across the floor.

So cute!

Even my son got in on the Zhu-Zhu Pet action!

While the Royal Wedding collection is obviously marketed for girls, it includes a prince Zhu Zhu Pet in the line as well as several royal costumes made for "boy" pets. My son's favorite was the dragon. He has claimed that costume as his own.

The girls played with the Zhu Zhu Pet Royal Wedding set far longer than I expected them to, so we are more than pleased with this latest addition to our Zhu Zhu collection. Both my children have been playing with it ever since! And the fun really went into overdrive when I hooked up this habitat to our original one. It's like a Zhu Zhu Pet mansion!

The Zhu Zhu Princess collection will be available at most major retailers. You can get more information about Zhu Zhu Pets and the new Zhu Zhu Princess line at the official website.

Thanks, MomSelect and Zhu Zhu Pets!

Disclosure: I received a Zhu Zhu Princess set, as well as enough Zhu Zhu Pets to give away to our guests.

HP Pavilion dm1 with AMD Vision: Review AND GIVEAWAY!

2011-04-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

And the winner is.... Natasha! Congratulations!

As many of you know, I've been a Mac girl for a few years now. I bought a Macbook about four years ago and am now on my third one. I thought I would be a diehard Macbook fan FOREVER.

Well, it's time for me to think again.

HP just sent me this HP Pavilion dm1 with AMD Vision, which is a fancy way of saying "uber-portable, lightweight laptop with full-size computer capabilities." I was shocked to find that:

1. I was up and running on the Internet within about five minutes of taking the HP Pavilion out of its box.
2. It is WAY more lightweight and portable than my Macbook pro and therefore better for traveling.
3. OMG IT IS FASTER THAN MY MACBOOK PRO OMG.
4. OMG IT COSTS LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT I PAID FOR MY MACBOOK PRO OMG.

Let's just say I'm not firmly committed to the Macbook cause any longer.

Add to that the fact that when I talked to my friends on the phone the next day during a CheeseburgHer Party conference call, they both expressed major HP envy when I told them about my new HP Pavilion. "Oh, HPs are the best," Lena sighed. "I had one and it lasted FOREVER." Yvonne also attested to the greatness that is HP. I felt all kinds of smug. What's good for the girlfriends IS GOOD FOR ME.

In short, HP Pavilion dm1 with AMD Vision? In the immortal words of ~~M.C. Hammer~~ Sir Mix-a-Lot:

I'm hooked and I can't stop starin.'

Of course, there are some technical, computery things about the HP Pavilion dm1 with AMD Vision that you might be interested in knowing as well. Allow me to share them with you:

VISION technology means AMD has packed a whole lot of power onto a tiny chip (as much as the computers that used to take up an entire rooms years ago), giving you the power of a supercomputer in a sleek and super portable notebook. It also means you get up to 9 hours of battery life from the dm1.
It has an 11” display, weighs just over 3 lbs and is about an inch thin.
dm1 has enough memory to hold your favorite photos, music and videos
CoolSense technology knows if the notebook is on your lap or the countertop and adjusts its temperature accordingly
It includes a built-in webcam for video chatting with loved ones
The dm1 is available at HP Home & Home Office now at a starting price of $449.99

Do you compute?

I highly recommend this computer for those of you (Moms or... NotMoms) who need something portable for around the house or for traveling and don't have a thousand dollars to drop on a laptop. I also think it's great for college students. In fact, my 17-year-old doesn't know it yet, but this is the computer she will be taking to college in the fall--- IF I can stand to part with it!

And now? Get excited! I'm giving away an HP Pavilion dm1 with AMD Vision to one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader! To enter to win it, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now (April 20th) and Wednesday, May 4th at 11:59pm, CMT, telling me why you want to win this HP Pavilion computer so badly. I will choose a winner at random on May 5th. Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won. U.S. residents only for this contest, please, and one comment per entrant!

Good luck!

Preview: Crest Pro-Health Invigorating Clean Multi-Protection Rinse

2011-04-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of mouthwash-- Breath mints don't really do the trick when it comes to making my mouth and breath feel really fresh, and I tend to over-brush my teeth in order to have a clean mouth, which isn't great for my gums.

So when Mom Central Consulting gave me the opportunity to test-drive Crest Pro-Health Invigorating Clean Multi-Protection Rinse, I was all over it!

What makes Crest different from other mouthwashes? Well, according to the Crest website, it actually has six benefits in one bottle:

Kills germs
Helps prevent gingivitis
Freshens breath
Reduces plaque
Keeps teeth cleaner longer (vs. brushing alone)
Invigorating sensation

I always keep a bottle of mouthwash in my bathroom cabinet-- but I tend to forget about it and not use it as frequently as I should. I'm keeping my bottle of Crest Pro-Health Invigorating Clean Multi-Protection Rinse out on top of the sink so that I'll remember to use it at least once a day.

I've been using it for a week now- Next week, I'll tell you my thoughts!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Crest and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Tangled is Out on Blu-Ray/DVD!

2011-04-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

Out now on Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack is Tangled!

What is Tangled, you ask?

IT IS ONLY THE BEST PRINCESS MOVIE DISNEY HAS EVER MADE.

Seriously, my daughter and I got to go to a screening of this movie and we both LOVED it. Absolutely LOVED it. Rapunzel is now our favorite Disney princess of all, and she features in all my daughter's imaginary games.

It's truly a movie both adults and kids can enjoy together, and even your boys will like it since Flynn, a Manly Man, is one of the main characters.

Here's a synopsis of the film from the studio:

Featuring unexpected heroes, magic, laughter and adventure, this animated feature is supported by an amazing cast of voice talents including Mandy Moore (“A Walk To Remember,” “The Princess Diaries”) as Rapunzel, Zachary Levi (TV’s “Chuck,” “Less Than Perfect”) as Flynn Rider, Brad Garrett (TV’s “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “’Til Death”) as Hook Hand Thug, Donna Murphy (“Spider-Man 2,” “The Fountain”) as Mother Gothel, and Ron Perlman (“Hellboy,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “The City of Lost Children”) as the Stabbington Brothers. From directors Byron Howard (“BOLT”) and Nathan Greno and the award-winning songwriter of “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” Alan Menken, TANGLED’s hair-raising adventure keeps viewers entertained throughout with its exciting storyline and memorable melodies.

Even if you've already seen Tangled, the Blu-Ray/DVD of the movie is a must-have, not only because the movie is so good you'll definitely want to watch it again, but also because the disc is packed with special features. Check them out:

BONUS FEATURES

Blu-ray:

Untangled: The Making of a Fairy Tale – Exactly how long is Rapunzel’s hair? How many lanterns were used? Where did Pascal’s name come from? Which Disney animated feature first utilized CG animation? These and more will be answered when Mandy Moore and Zach Levi take viewers on a kooky behind-the-scenes tour to learn how the filmmakers styled this film’s “Golden Tresses.”

Deleted Scenes – Co-directors Byron Howard and Nathan Greno introduce three scenes and illuminate why they were ultimately cut.

The Jaunty Moose
Chemistry Develops
Vigor The Visionary

Extended Songs – The complete versions of two great songs are shared in a unique feature that explains the co-directors decision to scale them down.

“When Will My Life Begin"
“Mother Knows Best”

Two Original Storybook Openings – Two alternate versions of the film’s opening sequence described by co-directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard.

50th Animated Feature Countdown – A video montage celebrating Tangled as the 50th film to join The Walt Disney Studios’ prestigious lineup of classic animated features.

9 Tangled Teasers – A collection of the most unique and quirky commercials made for the theatrical release of “Tangled.” Some are spoofs based off of infomercials and/or breaking news, some are teasers and others are simply just funny filmstrips.

DVD & Movie Download:

Two Original Storybook Openings - Versions 1 & 2

50th Animated Feature Countdown

Tangled is available on Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack from Amazon for $22.99.

I've Tried Something New!

2011-03-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you to P&G’s Have You Tried This Yet? program and Kroger for sponsoring my writing about trying new things and breaking out of my everyday routine. Click here to find great savings on high-performing P&G products at a Kroger store near you. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

It's hard to believe the menu of foods I prepared for my family eight or so years ago. I fried foods on a regular basis and made rich cream sauces and meals laden with butter, buttermilk, and sugar. I was new to cooking and I loved choosing rich-looking dishes from my shelves full of Southern cookbooks.

Over time, though, I've slowly but surely become more conscientious about what's going in my family's bodies. The butter has largely been replaced with olive oil. The sugar has been halved or spiked with all-natural sugar substitute. I've become a wizard at making vegetables palatable. We've discovered the joys of salad and homemade dressing. And from spring until fall, we make weekly pilgrimages to our local farmer's market.

I did all of these things so slowly that I didn't realize how much healthier our meals had gotten until I happened across a list of dishes I was making regularly eight years ago. The changes were spectacular, and my health-conscious habits are still very much a work in progress. We're still working on slowly but surely cutting out sweets for the kids and replacing them with healthier baked fruit and vegetable breads. We're reducing trips to fast food restaurants. We have plans to start a garden this spring, and grow our own herbs, fruits and vegetables.

We want to be realistic- My plan right now is to eventually be junk food-free in this house- and then let the kids eat what they want when we're out. That way, they won't feel deprived and they'll hopefully establish a habit of not stocking their own pantries with junk food.

I'm also determined not to sacrifice taste, which has led to much trial and error in finding healthy recipes. We've found some fabulous winners- and some definite losers! Fortunately, my husband is as committed to eating healthy as I am, and takes the odd "bad nights" in stride!

We still enjoy our traditional decadent meals-- but I've made them the exception rather than the rule. I went out on a limb, threw my old ideas about cooking out the window and tried something new and I'm hoping I have a healthier family to show for it!

Image via Brisbane Falling/Flickr

Dansko Mommy and Me Shoes Review and GIVEAWAY

2011-02-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

Since becoming a style blogger a year ago, I've learned that Dansko clogs have a true cult following of women who swear by them as literally the most comfortable shoes on the planet. I know women who will ONLY buy Dansko clogs- That's how much they love them.

So when Dansko contacted me to try out their new shoes out for myself (and my six-year-old daughter), I couldn't wait. Sure enough, our Dansko shoes have been fantastically stylish AND supremely comfortable. I have a pair of stylish Dansko slouch boots that I think I could actually run a marathon in- and my daughter has the cutest pair of bubblegum pink clogs that she's able to wear even in PE because they have rubber soles and they're just. That. Comfortable.

Over the last few weeks, Punky and I have been trying out Dansko's new Sanibel line of shoes that are part sneaker, part clog-- which we're crazy about. I'm wearing these Veda Canvas shoes, which slip on and are perfect with jeans when I'm running around with the kids and am going to be on my feet for a while... Really, a mom will get a LOT of use out of these shoes. There are so many situations that call for comfortable, sneaker-style shoes and these have way more comfort and support than any sneaker I've ever worn.

Punky has these pink floral Vesta slip-ons, which she wears just about every single day. They are perfect for school, and she loves that she can just put them on and go. So do I.

Dansko shoes are worth the money, y'all. I'm a true convert. And if you'd like to try them out for yourself and your daughter/granddaughter/favorite little girl, you're going to LOVE this giveaway.

I'm giving away two pairs of Dansko shoes- one for women, one for girls-- to one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader! To enter, check out Dansko.com, choose your favorite pair of shoes both for you and a little girl, and leave a comment on this post telling me your picks between now and Sunday, March fifth at 11:59pm, CST. The winner will receive both pairs of shoes! Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won. You can get an additional entry by becoming a fan of Dansko on Facebook and another additional entry by following Dansko on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post for each additional method of entry.
This contest is open to US residents only.

Good luck!!

Disclosure: I received two pairs of Dansko shoes in order to write this review. As always, my opinions are my own.

Umi Shoes Review and GIVEAWAY!!

2011-02-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

I could practically get a tattoo that reads Umi.

That's how much I love these children's shoes.

Both my kids have been in them since they started walking and they are consistently among their very, very favorite pairs of shoes. And now, Umi has canvas shoes that we're crazy about. Check these out:

Punky is wearing these Riff Umi canvas shoes right now and we're in love. The Riff comes in several different colors and patterns, but I love this polka dot version because it makes for a great, crazy contrast shoe to just about anything she's wearing.

And here we have the boys Keplar sneaker, which my son is currently sporting at preschool. He looks adorably retro in these shoes- and you wouldn't believe how many compliments we get when he's in them!

As an added bonus, she can wear them anywhere, from PE class to church! The PE factor has come to be a very important one when I'm buying shoes for my daughter. I don't want her to have to change shoes at school, so any shoe we buy has to have rubber soles. Umis work out perfectly- even most of their dressy girls shoes have rubber soles, so she wears Umis at school quite a bit.

Check out Umi's website to see all they have to offer. I'm betting you'll be hooked- just like I am! And while you're there, pick out a pair you'd like to win for your child. Leave a comment on this post between now and Saturday, March 5th at 11:59pm, CST telling me why you'd like to win a pair of awesome Umi shoes and you'll be entered to win a pair of Umi shoes! Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won. One comment per person, please. This contest is open to US residents only.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received two pairs of Umi shoes in order to write my review.

Managing Our Finances: This is How We Do It (Happily!)

2011-02-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you to TurboTax for sponsoring my writing about household finances.Learn more about how TurboTax can help you find every tax deduction you deserve. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

I'm not very good with money.

I mean, I guess I'm good with it compared to much of the nation-- I've always paid off my credit card each month and never spent beyond my means.

But when I was single, I never managed to save very much either. Not when I lived just a couple of minutes away from the best mall in Nashville.

Fortunately, my husband is good with money, and so he handles our finances. This works out very nicely- He writes the checks, pays the bills, makes the interminable phone calls to dispute the bills, allocates the funds, and keeps everything recorded.

I do the housework, the cooking, and the bulk of the grunt work involved in caring for two small children.

We both enjoy our roles- perhaps that's why we're still married!

I think that the best way we can teach our children about finances is through our example. The reason, after all, that I've never had credit card debt is because my parents never had credit card debt. I was raised to believe that credit card debt was as shameful as having a naked woman tattooed on your arm.

I plan to raise our children the same way, and my husband has taken it a step farther. We don't buy a car unless we have enough money to buy it outright. This has led to some interesting scenarios-- At one point, my husband drove a 15-year-old Tercel with no air conditioning back and forth to work for a year while we saved for an SUV that could fit our family of six. We also drive two older, reliable cars that we could afford to buy at the time, rather than newer models that would have come with payments. Yes, I sometimes see snazzy Volvo SUVs and tricked-out Ford Winstars pass me by and feel a pang of envy.

But I really do think I sleep better at night with a mortgage as our only debt.

And I hope my children can say the same thing when they're my age.

Secretariat Out On Blu-Ray and DVD!

2011-01-30T06:12:00.000-08:00

Secretariat is out now on Blu-Ray disc and DVD and it is a MUST-SEE.

I got to see it with my 6-year-old in the theater and we both loved it. In general, I'd say it's a family film for those of you with children 10 and up because the subject matter can be a bit dry for younger children, but if you have a little horse rider, the exciting race scenes in particular will be enough to keep him or her riveted.

Secretariat will especially be loved by the adults in your house- The storyline is compelling and Diane Lane and John Malkovich are stellar in their roles, as usual. This was one of my favorite movies of 2010.

Here are the Blu-Ray specifics:

FILM SYNOPSIS

Behind every legend, lies an impossible dream. Witness the spectacular journey of an incredible horse named Secretariat and the moving story of his unlikely owner, a housewife who risked everything to make him a champion. Out of the gate with never-before-seen bonus features, Secretariat is hours of pulse- pounding entertainment for the whole family!

DISC BONUS FEATURES:

BLU-RAY:The same as the DVD, plus...

• Choreographing The Races - This piece looks at how director Randall Wallace and the filmmakers used innovative tools and technology to accurately and excitingly recreate the Triple Crown races that make the viewer feel like they are standing on the backstretch themselves.
• A Director’s Inspiration: A Conversation With The Real Penny Chenery - Director Randall Wallace sits down with Secretariat owner Penny Chenery to review the movie and some of the key scenes. Penny reflects on what it was like to have been a woman in a male dominated sport and to have been part of horse racing’s most exciting moments in history.
• Audio Commentary By Director Randall Wallace - View the film with optional audio commentary from Director Randall Wallace.
• Deleted Scenes With Optional Audio Commentary By Director Randall Wallace - The same deleted scenes as the DVD, plus four more...

Alternate Opening
Introduction
“Are You A Golfer?”
No Time To Rest

• Secretariat Multi-Angle Simulation - Relive Secretariats triumphant 1973 Preakness race by viewing the race from a number of perspectives as well as listening to commentaries from fans, announcers and even the jockey who rode Secretariat to their record finish.

DVD:

• Heart Of A Champion - This feature takes a look at one of the most famous thoroughbred horses ever known. Secretariat was a horse with style as well as amazing speed and an unsurpassed racing record. We interview all the key players from the day as well as today’s filmmakers to learn more about the horse affectionately called “Red.”
• Deleted Scenes With Optional Audio Commentary By Director Randall Wallace:

Director Introduction
Memories
Seth Joins The Team
Too Soon T o Celebrate

• Music Video – AJ Michalka “It’s Who You Are”

Secretariat is available on Blu-Ray at Amazon.com for $22.99.

Disclosure: I received a screener of this movie in order to write this review.

Alice in Wonderland Out February 1st in Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack

2011-01-29T06:51:00.000-08:00

Coming out February 1st on Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack: Alice in Wonderland, 60th anniversary special edition!

We received a screener of this movie and even though the kids have seen it several times already, they were riveted by this remastered version. The picture and sound are crisper than ever and I really love seeing classic cartoon movies on Blu-Ray- It's a whole new viewing experience. We also enjoyed looking at some of the many special features on this DVD. It's really fun to see the deleted scenes and song from this film in particular. All in all, this one is definitely worth adding to your permanent collection.

Here are the disc specifics:

Film Synopsis:

Alice in Wonderland is a story about a young girl who grows bored listening to her older sister read aloud from a history book about William I of England.

While dozing off, she dreams about falling down a rabbit hole (“Wonderland”) that is populated by a peculiar series of misadventures. The always sensible Alice whirls through a world of contradictions, imagination and surprises where she encounters amazing creatures - including a pocket watch-toting White Rabbit, the imperious Queen of Hearts and her army of playing cards, a Cheshire Cat with a lingering smile in an unforgettable fantasy, and the off-kilter Madhatter – and tests her sensibility and courage.

In the end it’s all a dream, she is awakened by her sister’s voice, and as the two of them return home for teatime where she realizes that perhaps logic and reason exist for purpose. And in return, her sister realizes affectionately that Alice is still young, but will grow-up in time.

Blu-ray Disc Bonus Features:

Brand-New Blu-ray Features:

Through the Keyhole: A Companion's Guide to Wonderland - View the movie in this special mode and discover references to the original Lewis Carroll classic. Kathryn Beaumont introduces.
Disney View - Watch the movie in this expanded viewing experience with new Disney art in the wings of the screen.
Painting the Roses Red Game - Help paint the roses red in the Queen's garden. Careful, or someone could lose their head.
Walt Disney Color TV Introduction (1959) - A never-before-seen color TV intro by Walt.
Reference Footage: Alice and the Doorknob - Kathryn Beaumont, the voice of Alice, provides an introduction to this newly discovered reference footage of Alice talking to the doorknob.
Pencil Test: Alice Shrinks - Kathryn Beaumont introduces a newly discovered pencil test of Alice shrinking.

Plus, Classic Features:

"I'm Odd" Newly Discovered Cheshire Cat Song + Intro
Thru the Mirror Mickey Mouse Animated Short (Now in Hi-Def)
Art Gallery (with new design and new images)
Reflections on Alice
Operation Wonderland (Now in Hi-Def)
One Hour in Wonderland
An Alice Comedy: Alice's Wonderland
Original Theatrical Trailers (1951 & 1974)
Walt Disney TV Introduction (1954 & 1964)
The Fred Waring Show (Excerpt)
Deleted Materials

Deleted Scene-- Pig and Pepper
From Wonderland to Neverland: The Evolution of a Song - An entertaining look at how a song originally written for Alice in Wonderland, finally found its home in another Disney favorite, Peter Pan.
Deleted Storyboard Concept: Alice Daydreams in the Park - Deleted storyboard sequence set to music.
Original Song Demos: "Beware The Jabberwock"; "Everything Has A Useness"; "So They Say"; "Beautiful Soup"; "Dream Caravan"; "If You'll Believe In Me" Movie

Download Bonus Features (SD & HD):

Pencil Test: Alice Shrinks
Thru The Mirror Mickey Mouse Animated Short
Reflections on Alice

You can pre-order this Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack for just $19.99 right now on Amazon.com.

Disclosure: I received a screener of this movie in order to write my review.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Ticket Giveaway for This Weekend's Nashville Show!

2011-01-16T09:39:00.001-08:00

I have always loved the circus- and now as a parent, I LOVE taking my children to see it.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was always my favorite- but lately with all the circus competition out there, it has gotten even better.

That's why I'm extra-excited about the latest FUNundrum show, coming to Nashville this weekend.

Here's what you can expect:

Featuring 130 performers from six continents and almost 100,000 pounds of performing elephants, cowboys, pirates and mermaids, Barnum’s FUNundrum!SM is a super-sized spectacle so massive you just can’t miss it.

This monumental, once-in-a-lifetime event celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of the legendary P.T. Barnum, the greatest showman on Earth, and can only be experienced at The Greatest Show On Earth®, Barnum’s living legacy.

Ringmaster Jonathan Lee Iverson invites the audience to leap aboard the Ringling Bros.® train and go on a family FUNtastic adventure to meet exotic characters and witness thrilling performances that attempt to answer Barnum’s FUNundrum!SM, “What special wonders create The Greatest Show On Earth®?”

I can't wait to see it!

Another feature of this show that I love is that ticket holders can come an hour early for the all-access Pre-show, where they can meet circus performers and learn circus tricks. This will really get my kids excited about what they're going to see.

FUNundrum will be at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena this upcoming weekend. Showtimes are:

Friday, Jan. 21 – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 22 – 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 23 – 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.

Tickets are $14 to $25, VIP tickets are $40 to $65 and Circus Celebrity tickets are $100. All seats are reserved and available at www.Ringling.com, Ticketmaster or the Bridgestone Arena box office.

The Ferrier family will be there this weekend- and one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader can win four tickets to see the show, too! To enter to win, leave a comment on this post and tell me why you'd like to go see the circus between now and Wednesday, January 19th at 11:59pm, CST. Be sure and leave your e-mail address in your comment so that I can contact you if you've won.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received tickets to see the circus as thanks for hosting this giveaway.

Giveaway: Family Flick Night Prize Pack, Including 4 Tickets Good for Most Major Movie Theaters!

2011-01-03T10:46:00.001-08:00

Here's some truly cool information.

Right now, you can receive a free movie ticket when you purchase two specially marked packages of Big G cereals, including Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms® (16 oz.), Trix® (14.8 oz) and Reese´s Puffs® cereal (18 oz.).

After purchasing two participating cereals, all you have to do to get your ticket is visit generalmills.com/moviecash to enter the unique code found inside each box of cereal and print your free Movie Cash certificate (good for one admission of up to a $12 value at participating theatres).

To find a participating theater in your area, log onto http://emoviecash.com/dis_locator/.

I found that all the major theaters we frequent here in Nashville accept these tickets- and when we used our printed out tickets at Green Hills Cinema, we had no problems or hold-ups - The employee told us he had seen the printouts many times before.

Interested in entering to win a "Family Flick Night" gift pack, including two boxes of the participating Big G cereals and four Movie Cash certificates?

Leave a comment on this post between now and Monday, January 10th at 11:59pm, CST telling me how you like to make movie night special for your family. Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won.

Good luck!

Disclosure: This information and a Family Flick Night prize pack were sent to me from General Mills through MyBlogSpark. My opinions on the move cash certificates are my own.

Giveaway: Four Bridgestone Arena Monster Jam Tickets for Friday Night Here in Nashville!

2011-01-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

Coming January 7 and 8 to Nashville's Bridgestone Arena....

MONSTER JAM.

No, Frankenstein and Dracula won't be there.

I'm talking about monster trucks- trucks that are 12 feet tall, 12 feet wide, 10,000 pounds, and can fly up to 35 feet in the air.

I managed to secure tickets for my husband and three-year-old son for a "Guy's Night Out" and they are both totally psyched!

Hubs cut out a picture of one of the trucks in the newspaper over the weekend and Bruiser has put it up at his level on the refrigerator. He's talking about the upcoming show every day.

A little bit about the Nashville show:

Monster Jam® shows consist of three main fan-favorite elements – the pit party, racing and freestyle. The Nashville show will feature the return of Grave Digger®, the world’s best-known monster truck and three-time champion, which will be making its first appearance in Nashville since 2004. It will also feature the Monster Mutt®, which is known by its massive motorized tongue, the AAP Grinder, Predator, Blue Thunder and more. It will also feature the Quad Wars™, where two teams of four-wheel ATVs race on a motor cross track and duel it out to the finish line.

Prior to each show, fans who have purchased a ticket can attend the Party in the Pits event, which gives them a free opportunity to get their shoes dirty by stepping onto the arena dirt to get a view of the massive trucks up close and personal.

Tickets are on sale now and cost between $25.75 and $52, with half-price kids seats (excluding front-row and Gold Circle).

Best of all, I'm giving away a set of four tickets for the Friday night Nashville event on January 7th. It starts at 7:30.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post between now and Thursday, January 6th at noon, CST, telling me why you want to see Monster Jam! I'll choose a winner on Thursday afternoon. Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can quickly contact you if you've won.

Good luck!

Holiday Gift Guide: The Wonder Forge Games Review and Giveaway!

2010-12-20T08:53:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more last-minute holiday gift ideas. Games from The Wonder Forge are easy to find, include options for all ages, and most importantly, are very fun to play!

For example, my kids are loving What's in the Cat's Hat? This game has great packaging- and inside is Dr. Seuss's Cat's famous red and white hat, as well as 33 activity cards. You play by placing a household object inside the hat and using the cards to let your kids ask questions that will help them figure out what's inside. This is probably my kids' favorite game right now- They love this guessing game, and I love coming up with strange new objects to put inside the hat!

What's in the Cat's Hat is available for $29.98 right now on Amazon.com.

For older children, consider Konexi, a fun 3-D word game that's challenging in several ways. Players create words by building letters up, down or sideways. The longer the word, the higher the score- unless your word collapses. We are very word-oriented in our family as you can imagine, and we're LOVING this game!

The premium edition of Konexi is available on Amazon right now for $23.95.

Curious George fans will love this Matching Game from The Wonder Forge. It's your classic matching game featuring characters from the lovable Curious George series (which both my children adore) and it's at a nice price- just $5.99 right now on Amazon.com!

I'm always looking for stocking stuffers for the kids that aren't candy, and this I Can Do That! Card Game perfectly fits the bill. We're having a lot of fun with this game, which calls on players to do all sorts of physical activities, from crab walking to dancing, and includes some of our favorite children's characters. The I Can Do That! Card Game is $6.45 on Amazon.

Another stocking stuffer that's a guaranteed hit in this house is this Fox in Socks puzzle. My son absolutely loves doing puzzles of this size and difficulty level- and I love that it features one of my favorite children's books, which went a long way in teaching my daughter to read. The Fox in Socks Puzzle is available for $5.99 on Amazon.

And finally, for kids ages ten and up who are fans of the popular Discovery Channel series, Mythbusters, check out this Mythbusters Game, available for $18.84 from Amazon. Players who answer a trivia question correctly get to put Buster in his cannon and let him fly to see whose target he hits.

To pique your interest in The Wonder Forge's games, I'm giving away What's in the Cat's Hat? to one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader. To enter to win, leave a comment on this post telling me why you'd like to win this game between now and Friday, December 24th at 11:59pm, CST. Please include your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won. This giveaway is limited to residents in the continental US. Only one comment per entrant, please. The winner will be chosen at random.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received copies of these games in order to test them and write this review. My opinions are my own.

Despicable Me Giveaway!

2010-12-19T12:57:00.000-08:00

Despicable Me was perhaps the best children's movie of the year-- I know my family absolutely LOVED it... That's why I know that a LOT of you out there will love this giveaway. What better way to round out Christmas Break with the kids than with a great new DVD that the whole family can watch and enjoy together?

In honor of Despicable Me's release on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader will win a grand prize pack consisting of:

a DESPICABLE ME Single Disc DVD
a DESPICABLE ME Beannie hat (one size fits most)
DESPICABLE ME Stickers
DESPICABLE ME Activity Sheets

Four more of you will win prize packs featuring:

a DESPICABLE ME Beannie hat (one size fits most)
DESPICABLE ME Stickers
DESPICABLE ME Activity Sheets

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me why you'd like to win a Despicable Me prize pack between now and Wednesday, December 22nd at 11:59pm, CST. Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won. This giveaway is open only to US residents.

And before you go, check out this special Despicable Me video from the studio:

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a DVD copy of this movie so that I could knowledgeably write this post. My opinions are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: A Hickory Farms Gift Box for Every Budget

2010-12-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

It was certainly a day of joy around here when this Hickory Farms Perfect Picnic Gift Basket arrived here at the house!

I'm sad to say that its contents soon disappeared- but my son is still using the picnic basket as a toy box. Often, he puts his toy food in the basket and has a "picnic" somewhere in the house- which cracks me up- but I digress.

Hickory Farms gift baskets are an old tradition in this house. We generally buy them for a friend or family member for Christmas each year- but we almost never get to eat Hickory Farms foods for ourselves.

That's why I was excited to be a Hickory Farms Ambassador, and receive two different gift boxes for my family and I to try out ourselves.

True to form, the cheeses, sausages, and crackers were all delicious. I served them on cheese boards to our family over Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit!

Best of all, there's a Hickory Farms gift for every budget, from $16 to over $100. And if you order a gift box of $35 or more between now and December 20th, delivery in time for Christmas is free!

Enjoy!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a two signature gift boxes from Hickory Farms to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Holiday Gift Guide: A Few Last-Minute DVD Ideas for Kids

2010-12-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

Trying to come up with a few last stocking stuffers/presents for the kids? Here are some ideas...

Nothing satisfies both my children (ages 3 and 6) like a brand new SpongeBob DVD, and Spongebob's Legends of Bikini Bottom was no exception. Check out this synopsis:

Gather ‘round for a spine-tingling adventure (if you have a spine, that is) unlike any you’ve ever seen before! Hang on as SpongeBob, Patrick, and the rest of their Bikini Bottom friends dive into SpongeBob’s Legends of Bikini Bottom. You’ll squirm when Patrick and SpongeBob find themselves held prisoner by a backward gang, SpongeBob and pals look for a way out of the Bikini Bottom Triangle, and an evil hag curses the Krusty Krab! Then laugh when Patrick finds he has lots in common with a monster that invades town, join SpongeBob and Patrick on their search for a drain that once destroyed the city, and brace yourself for a volcanic eruption that brings an ancient warrior with dire predictions to Bikini Bottom! Six legends, one swell adventure: Legends of Bikini Bottom.

My children have watched this DVD several times now, which in kid language means: "We liked it A LOT." Legends of Bikini Bottom is on sale on Amazon right now for $13.99.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is out now on DVD and we all loved this movie! It follows the hilarious misadventures of a middle school nerd, and it will bring your junior high years rushing back- for better or worse! This really was one of those movies every one of us enjoyed watching (minus my 3-year-old, perhaps, but he enjoyed playing while we watched it!) and I definitely recommend it for your family- especially if you have older children who will be able to relate to the young protaganist. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is on sale right now on Amazon for $13.99.

Strawberry Shortcake is all the rage again with young girls and I was thrilled that my daughter loved both of her new movies: Berrywood Here We Come and The Glimmerberry Ball Movie. Both DVDs are super-cute and my 6-year-old has watched both movies multiple times.

Here's a synopsis of Berrywood Here We Come:

It’s lights, camera, action! Strawberry Shortcake and friends head off to Berrywood to visit Strawberry’s movie-star friend, Limelight. When they arrive, they’re shocked to see not everything is glitz and glamour. Strawberry must get her friends to come together and help Limelight realize that everyone can shine--because everyone is a star. Soon, Limelight’s movie is a berry big success. Next, it’s hooray for Berrywood! Strawberry and friends bring their Berrywood experience home and help re-open a local theater by pitching in and making a movie. But, trouble arises when Pie Man wants the theater for himself. After confronting Pie Man, Strawberry and the girls learn a valuable lesson--if there’s a problem, it’s best to talk about it. And, if they all work together as a team, they’re sure to make a berry good movie.

Berrywood, Here We Come is out now on Amazon for just $10.99.

And here's a synopsis of The Glimmerberry Ball Movie:

Celebrate winter with Strawberry Shortcake and friends at the Glimmerberry Ball. It’s a delightful, fun-filled time as the girls exchange presents, solve a hollow tree mystery, and set out to carve the most beautiful Glimmerberry lantern ever. Just like Strawberry says, "The whole community will come together and work together and help each other--friends helping friends--during the long months of winter. That’s the real meaning behind it!"

The Glimmerberry Ball Movie is available on Amazon for $8.99. This was probably Punky's favorite of the two.

Happy Shopping!

Disclosure: I received screeners of these DVDs in order to write my reviews.

Holiday Gift Guide: Jada Battle Machines

2010-12-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

Looking for an impressive last-minute gift for a favorite little boy in your life?

My son is loving his Jada Battle Machines, two remote-controlled cars that actually battle each other in an infrared game of Laser Tag!

Of course, my son is young so he just enjoys driving the cars around the house- but the Laser Tag capabilities sure do make it more fun for the rest of us to play with him, and he's thrilled that we're joining in and "racing" each other.

Basically, to play an opponent, you try and "tag" the other car three times- Do that and you win! The infrared sensors on the cars allow them to tag each other when controlled by the remotes. It's great fun and comes in a very impressive, large package. Your little one will FREAK OUT when he sees the box if he's anything like ours!

Battle Machines are available at Walmart, Target, and Toys R Us for around $64.99. For more information, check out the Jada Toys website or watch this Battle Machines video...

Disclosure: I received a Battle Machines set in order to write this review. My opinions are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: Tangled for Wii

2010-12-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

My daughter love, love, LOVED the movie Tangled-- and so did I! We agreed it was our favorite Disney Princess of all time.

So I was thrilled to give her a chance to review Tangled for Wii- a fantastic game she can play alone or better yet, with her father, myself or her brother, so that she can have her own Tangled adventures!

Tangled for Wii is fantastic because it's easy enough for my six-year-old to play, yet engaging enough for her father and I to enjoy it as well. Boys, too, are included in the fun- They're able to be the character of "Flynn" in the game. Truly, there's something for everyone!

I highly recommend this game for Wii families with kids who enjoyed the movie. It would make a fantastic Christmas present- and the price is nice as well ($36.54 on Amazon). Tangled is also available on Nintendo DS for $49.99.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this game in order to write this review. My opinions are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: Soma Intimates Personality PJs

2010-12-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

Still looking for that perfect gift for a girlfriend, sister or other female relative?

Here's a great idea that will suit every personality.

Soma Intimates has a new line out called Personality PJs, with pajamas suited for just about every woman you can think of. You can even take a personality quiz, either for yourself or on behalf of your potential giftee, and Soma Intimates will tell you which pajamas are best suited for you.

I took the quiz and ended up with these glam pearl pajamas, which I'm actually wearing right now!

They are totally luxe and comfortable yet stylish. Love.

Other personality options include "Fun," "Wild," "Classic," "Romantic," and "Chic." Go check them out for yourself! Truthfully, I would like almost all of the pajamas offered. I guess I have multiple personalities!

Personality PJs are available in supremely soft jersey and satin fabrics in an array of prints and colors in sizes XS-XL. They blend style with comfort, making these pajamas too good to just wear to bed- which is why I'm wearing them while I'm working.

And right now for a limited time, you can get 2 pairs for $59! One for yourself and one as a gift!

PERFECTION.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Soma Intimates and received a pair of Personality PJs to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Holiday Gift Guide: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

2010-12-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Zombies, as everyone knows, are the new vampires-- and that's probably why Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has been a runaway cult hit.

The book is essentially a mash-up of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and a horror story about zombies. Combine the two and hilarity ensues. It also makes for a great read.

I love that a hardcover edition of this book has been made- It has all the trappings of a fusty literary classic novel- except that there's a zombie on the cover. This is a perfect gift for your hipster friends, your Jane Austen-loving friends, and your teen daughters, who will totally appreciate the irony, not to mention the zombie aspect.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is available at major bookstores and on Amazon for just $14.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to write my review. My opinions are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: Fantasia & Fantasia 2000

2010-12-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I was a little worried when I agreed to review the new Blu-Ray/DVD combo release of Fantasia and Fantasia 2000.

We've all seen Fantasia as kids, right? And while I loved that movie growing up, it was definitely the driest and slowest of the Disney lot. With The Incredibles and Toy Story and Tangled out now, I worried my kids wouldn't be fans of Fantasia at. all.

And when I started it up for them, it looked for a moment like I was right. Fantasia, if you remember, begins with the shots of the symphony playing the music. Then it transitions to animated shapes and colors that fit the mood of the music, and then we start seeing actual cartoons set to classical music.

Slowly but surely, the kids became entranced. And it has since become one of the few films they've watched over and over again, either requesting specific segments or watching the entire movie at once.

This movie also has incredible value as a homeschooling/music appreciation tool. Based on the Fantasia concept, I now plan to start playing classical music for the kids and have them draw the way the music makes them feel.

Another cool aspect of this release is that it also includes Fantasia 2000, a sequel concept originally dreamed up by Walt Disney and later carried out by Disney animators. It includes seven completely new segments, and was designed to pick up where Fantasia left off.

A cool addition adults in particular will appreciate is the inclusion of Destino, a seven-minute film that was originally a collaboration between Disney and Salvador Dali and wasn't completed until 2003.

Plus, check out all these other extras...

Fantasia DVD Bonus Features:

• New Audio Commentary with Disney historian Brian Sibley
• Disney Family Museum (running time: approx. 5 minutes) – Walt’s daughter Diane Disney-Miller takes viewers on a tour of the new Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, California featuring a very large exhibit on Fantasia and most importantly, the Schultheis notebook with long lost Fantasia production notes found in more recent years in the walls of a convent.

Fantasia Blu-ray Bonus Features: Everything on the DVD plus:

• Disney View – This viewing mode maximizes the Blu-ray viewing experience with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. Original artwork created by a Disney artist, in a style that complements the beauty of the film.
• The Shultheis Notebook: A Disney Treasure (running time: approx. 14 minutes) –An in depth look at the recently discovered Schultheis Notebook. The detailed log was created by Herman Schultheis, an effects man on Fantasia, and intricately breaks down the film from a technical view. Many of the special effects used in Fantasia were a mystery to modern day animators until this notebook was recovered.
• Interactive Art Gallery and Screensavers – Viewers can explore the artwork of Fantasia as never before, in HD resolution with unique Blu-ray interactivity and programming.
• Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection o With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, animation historian
John Canemaker, and Scott McQueen, manager of film restoration.
Audio commentary with interviews and story note recreations by Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker.

Fantasia 2000 DVD Bonus Features:

• Musicana – Walt’s Inspiration for a Sequel (running time: approx. 10 minutes) – This documentary reveals rarely-seen art created for Musicana, a late 1970’s project intended as a Fantasia sequel with a focus on exploring other cultures via their greatest musical compositions. Viewers are offered a look at the origins of pieces that were started by Walt, such as “The Emperor and the Nightingale” which was then taken over by a very young John Lasseter. Ultimately, Musicana was stopped to begin production on “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” but the memories of this piece still live on with the animators who conceived it.

Fantasia 2000 Blu-ray Bonus Features: Everything on the DVD plus:

• Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino (running time: 82 minutes) – This feature length documentary explores the collaborative relationship between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali, revealing how and why the Destino short came to fruition under the lead of Roy E. Disney in 2003 so many years after its inception in 1946.
• Destino (running time: approx. 7 minutes) – The legacy of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali lives on in this highly anticipated short film.
• Disney’s Virtual Vault -- BD-Live Feature Original DVD Bonus Features from Legacy Collection
• Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection (total running time: 84 minutes) With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, and producer Don Ernst. Audio commentary with the directors and art directors for each segment.

All this is available for a limited time as a 4-disc set for $27.99 on Amazon.com.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this movie in order to write my review.

Holiday Gift Guide: The YBIKE Balance Bike Review and GIVEAWAY

2010-12-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

In the category of best-ever ideas, check out the YBIKE Balance Bike, which is a revolutionary new way to teach your toddler how to ride a big-kid bike-- without resorting to training wheels!

Bruiser has been testing out his new YBIKE and he loves it- He feels like he's got a big kid bike of his own, in his own 3-year-old size. Meanwhile, I'm assured of his safety because the bike is so low to the ground that Bruiser can keep his feet down on either side. However, little does he know he's also learning to balance naturally, without even realizing it!

Other safety features include a larger front wheel, which makes for big turns that need lots of space so that he's less likely to fall down. Double back wheels make it sturdier, and they're covered so that he won't get his feet caught up in it. And it's made so that he can ride on pavement, grass, or even sand. Cool!

According to the company: "Kids who tested the YBike for 20 to 30 minutes twice a week showed substantial improvements in both static and dynamic balance and bilateral coordination. Children as young as 1.5 years also showed observable improvements in physical self-confidence. "

I know Bruiser feels confident on his YBIKE when he's out on our street with the big kids. Now he feels like he's one of the group, as opposed to being the only one on a big wheel or tricycle.

I'm sold! You can get a YBike Balance Bike right now on Amazon for $69.45. And learn more about YBike Balance Bikes on the YBike website.

Want to enter to win an orange YBike Balance Bike for your child for Christmas? Just leave a comment on this post between now and December 13th at 11:59pm, CST with an answer to the question "What is YBike's School Program?" (You can find an answer to that question on YBike's website.) Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won! This giveaway is open to US residents only.

Good luck!

Holiday Gift Guide: Xbox 360 and Kinect Sensor

2010-12-06T07:21:00.000-08:00

Like so many of you out there, I have a family of gamers. From my 3-year-old son to my *cough*-year-old husband, every single one of us has fond family memories of playing video games together- and for us, it truly is a family affair.

We have a Nintendo Wii, an Xbox 360 AND a Playstation 2, and we use all of them for different reasons. We just got the Wii and have been enjoying the fact that we can use it to get active as a family, particularly in the winter time when it's tough to get outside and run around. We use our Playstation 2 for many of our kids games, which we can buy used cheaply. (We got a "refurbished" Playstation, too, so it's truly our bargain console!) And we have traditionally used Xbox 360 most noably for all of the LEGO games, which my kids LOVE playing with my husband and with each other.

Now, though, Xbox has introduced the new Kinect sensor so that we can also jump up and move around with our Xbox and frankly, I love it. As a mom, I love any game that encourages movement and the Kinect definitely fits the bill.

I know many of you are wondering what the Kinect is and how it works- Well basically, it does A LOT- more than you probably ever imagined was possible.

Your Kinect actually detects your body shape and all of your movements, and is able to put a realistic version of you right on the TV screen. With Kinect, you can kick a ball, learn to dance, get a workout, and even take care of a virtual exotic pet! There are so many ways to use it and there's truly something for the whole family.

But even beyond games, you can also use Kinect to control your Xbox 360 in entirely new ways. With an Xbox LIVE GOLD membership, you can watch television, movies, and sporting events and use your Xbox to download them. You can get a subscription to Zune and have unlimited, on-demand streaming of millions of songs that you can choose from using your voice or a wave of your hand. And you can redeem Microsoft points to customize your Avatar and add characters, props and levels to some of your favorite games.

One of my favorite aspects of the Xbox 360 is its Family Settings, which let mom and dad monitor which games the kids can play, what they can see, what they can browse, and even how long they're allowed to play. We've made liberal use of these features on our Xbox 360, but there are even more aspects of family play that we're still discovering, like the Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack feature. Take a look:

For $US 99.99, you get four Xbox LIVE Gold Memberships for the price of two. The Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack includes:

· Family Center, an easy to use destination for Family Settings and account management, which will be accessible to you on the Xbox dashboard. While Family Settings are available to all users, you must have an Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack Membership to access Family Center. · Simplified billing that applies all purchase charges to the primary account holder’s billing account and the ability to authorize purchases, helping to manage the family’s entertainment budget.
· The primary account member has the ability to purchase and dispense Microsoft Points allowances to secondary Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack members on the account.
· Activity monitoring reports viewable on Xbox.com to help encourage discussions about safer more balanced gaming and entertainment habits.
· Exclusive discounts on family-friendly games and other content on Xbox.com. Xbox 360 Family Settings are being taken to the next level this November. It's Microsoft's goal to provide parents and caregivers with tools and resources to manage their children's gaming and entertainment experiences, and these features are available to all Xbox LIVE members:
· Family Programming that removes all mature games, movies, and content from the dashboard, based on ESRB, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings and the TV Parental Guidelines system . Family Programming is password protected, and easy to turn on and off for each member. (Compatible with international ratings systems.)
· Title exceptions – the ability to allow your family members to play specific games above the console’s designated ESRB rating if you deem appropriate. (Compatible with international ratings systems.)
· Intelligent default settings for Child, Teen, and Adult profiles. Xbox will automatically assign default privacy and activity settings for each member that can later be individually customized.
· Family Settings are displayed prominently in the My Xbox channel. Current tools include the Family Timer, which allows you to control the amount of time - either daily or weekly - your children may use the console.

Visit www.GetGameSmart.com for a new video and simple guide on safer gaming with Xbox 360 and Kinect, or download step-by-step guides for how to set up Xbox 360 Family Settings on the console.

Got any questions about Xbox 360 or Xbox Kinect before you buy it? Leave a comment and I'll do my best to get you a quick answer!

Holiday Gift Guide: Three Great Books for Girls Who are Emerging Readers

2010-12-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

Looking for a few good books for your emerging reader? Here are three that should fit the bill for any child who loves Disney Princesses!

A Royal Christmas includes four Christmas-themed stories staring Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella and Tiana. Each princess celebrates Christmas in her own way, whether she's on the beach, in New Orleans, or on a snowy sleigh ride! My daughter is loving this book, and at six is able to read it on her own. A Royal Christmas is available on Amazon for $7.79.

Disney Princess Bedtime Stories is a large keepsake volume filled with eighteen princess stories to read to your daughter.It's a GREAT holiday gift option, and has more than 250 illustrations and gilded pages. How majestic! Disney Princess Bedtime Stories is available on Amazon for just $10.87.

Last but certainly not least, there's Rapunzel's Amazing Hair, a beautiful hardcover storybook that has fun, simple rhymes all about the amazing things Rapunzel does with her long hair. If your daughter loved Tangled as much as mine did, this will make an excellent present! My daughter is also able to read this one alone! Rapunzel's Amazing Hair is available on Amazon for $10.23.

Read, read, read!

Holiday Gift Guide: Lands' End Coats for Kids

2010-12-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

If you haven't experienced Lands' End clothing for your children, well girlfriend, you are missing out!

I've been lucky to have a working relationship with Lands' End for several years now and have tried out everything from Lands' End jewelry to school uniforms to their men's and women's clothing, and every single thing we've ever owned from Lands' End has been absolutely top-of-the-line. I shop there all the time, both for myself and the rest of my family, and the quality just can't be beat.

That said, I was elated to get the chance to review a winter coat for my daughter, Punky. I chose the 3-in-1 Squall Parka in pink (pictured in purple above), which retails at Lands' End for $99.50. And not surprisingly, both my daughter and I LOVE it.

It's such a smart buy because it combines an all-weather parka with a removable fleece, so she can wear both pieces together for ultimate warmth and dryness, wear the parka alone for wet, warmer weather days, or wear the fleece alone for a little added warmth. The coat really came in handy Saturday night when we went to an outdoor night time Christmas event. The wind was blowing hard and the rest of us were freezing, but Punky was snug as a bug in her coat and didn't mind the cold weather at all!

For frugal-minded moms like me, I love that the sleeves have velcro wrist bands that I can adjust around her wrists. I bought the coat two sizes up so that she'd be able to wear it for several years, and by adjusting the wristbands, it fits her even now just fine. I also love the hood because it means I don't have to search for a hat every time the weather's extra cold. The hood works great to keep her warm, particularly because I can zip up the jacket so that there's only a tiny opening for her nose and eyes to peek out of.

I also love that the front of the coat has both velcro and zipper closure. If it's extra cold or we're going to be outside for a while, I zip her up, but if she's only headed outside to go to school or it's not too cold outside, she can velcro close her coat all by herself.

If this particular coat is a bit too much for your budget, Lands' End has all sorts of other, similar coats to choose from at lower prices. Lands' End also has both little girls (toddler to 6x) and big girls sizes, so you have lots of sizing options to choose from.

Visit Lands' End's website to see the full selection of coats for the whole family!

Holiday Gift Guide: Hickory Farms Gift Box Giveaway!

2010-11-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, my husband and I went into a Hickory Farms store and got to sample some Hickory Farms cheeses, sausages, and spreads. I've been sending out Hickory Farms gift boxes and baskets to friends and family members ever since.

I love Hickory Farms not only because the food tastes good, but because there's a Hickory Farms gift to fit every budget- and really, you can't go wrong with a gift of food over the holidays. Pretty much everyone loves receiving sausages, cheeses, crackers and candies to snack on.

That's why I'm happy to be a Hickory Farms brand ambassador for Mom Central- I've been a loyal Hickory Farms customer for years. And actually, as I write this review, I'm snacking on Hickory Farms cheese! Hey, it's Atkins friendly!

In particular, check out this Party Planner Gift Box, one Hickory Farms package I received this holiday season. It is absolutely loaded with food, including four different kinds of cheeses, three different sausages, the most delicious crackers maybe ever, and two different yummy specialty mustards. All this is $40, which is a great price as far as I'm concerned. Better yet, for every Party Planner Gift Box sold, Hickory Farms will donate $5 to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign, a national nonprofit that is ending childhood hunger in America!

There are lots more gift boxes and baskets to choose from at Hickory Farms, ranging in price from $15 to $120. Check them out at the Hickory Farms website and know that I've ordered from this site countless times and the recipients of my Hickory Farms gifts have always been pleased.

And to add to the Hickory Farms excitement, I'm giving away a Party Planner box to one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader! To enter to win, leave a comment on this post between now and Wednesday, December 8th telling me why you'd like to win a Party Planner gift box from Hickory Farms. Be sure to leave your e-mail address in your comment so that I can contact you if you've won. US residents only, please.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Hickory Farms and received two signature gift boxes from Hickory Farms to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Holiday Gift Guide: More from the Schleich Bayala Collection

2010-11-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

I was at Toys R Us the other day and noticed a sizable Schleich display had been set up, featuring the whimsical Bayala fairy collection. If you have a child who's enchanted by Tinker Bell or fairies in general, I can't recommend this collection of figurines highly enough.

Schleich sent me several Bayala figures to review and you can read my thoughts on them here.

But today, let me show you three more Bayala figures that my daughter has been enjoying:

Marween is one of Punky's favorite fairies in Bayala. She's sort of the Pippi Longstocking of the group, as you can see! She loves telling funny stories, playing pranks, and eating blueberry pie, according to the website, which tells about each character in detail and really adds to the experience.

Florindel is completely devoted to her kitten, Ovi, and she has captured my daughter's imagination because 6-year-old Punky is clamoring for a dog or cat of her own and spends hours thinking about all the ways she'll take care of her pet.

The fairy Lindariel is the caretaker of the unicorn foal and she spends all her time caring for her pet. Punky LOVES unicorns and thinks they're real. Lindariel has Punky's dream job!

And here's my fantasy toy, which we don't own and is a little beyond my budget at $79.99- The Summergreen Elf House. This is a perfect place for your child to display her Bayala collection and expand on the fantasy. Maybe it'll go on sale some day....

What I love about the Bayala collection, as well as Schleich's other collections, is that the individual figurines are inexpensive enough to add in as stocking stuffers or for your children to save up their money and buy on their own. Punky has a good-sized collection of Schleich horses and she bought several of them with her own money. If your child has a real interest in Schleich, he or she can build up a great collection over time and if you've ever seen and held these figurines, you know they are built to last. They are heavy and detailed and they are the types of toys you keep around for grandkids and great grandkids.

To find a Schleich retailer nearest you or online, check out Schleich's store locator here.

Disclosure: Schleich provided me with these figures to facilitate my review. My opinions are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: The Mickey Mote!

2010-11-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

Problem: Your kids is clamoring for one of those interactive TV devices, but you don't have a hundred dollars to spend on a new toy.

Solution: The Mickey Mote!

Expanding on the latest DVDs for kids that let them interact with the movie by using the DVD remote, Disney has now created a special Mickey Mote that lets children get in on the interactive action without you having to hand over your own precious remote! Here's what the Mickey Mote looks like:
My three-year-old LOVES it.

Best of all, you can get a DVD with a Mickey Mote for a little over $20. Not bad, right?

We found programming the Mickey Mote to be quite easy, but you do want to make sure to follow the directions precisely- Otherwise, your Mickey Mote will not work.

Once it was all set up, my son used his Mickey Mote to interact with Handy Manny in the Big Construction Job DVD. There were plenty of opportunities for him to get involved with the story and answer questions with his Mickey Mote. He had a fabulous time watching it and I was pleased that he was getting to work on colors, shapes, and hand-eye coordination without even realizing it!

We next tried the Mickey Mote with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Numbers Roundup. Once again, Bruiser was enthralled by the opportunity to use his Mickey Mote while watching the show. And once again, I was happy to see him learning while being entertained, this time about numbers and counting.

Best of all, the Mickey Mote works with any Disney DVD that is Discovery Mode enhanced, including:

* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally
* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland
* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Choo Choo
* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie's Bow-Tique
* Handy Manny: Manny's Motorcycle Adventure
* Handy Manny: Manny's Big Race
* Little Einsteins: Fire Truck Blast Off
* My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Super Duper Super Sleuths
* My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Bedtime With Pooh

This is a great, inexpensive gift idea for your favorite preschooler!

Disclosure: I received a Mickey Mote and copies of two DVDs in order to write this review. My opinions are my own.

In Honor of Small Business Saturday: My Favorite Locally-Owned Nashville Bars and Restaurants

2010-11-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to American Express for sponsoring my writing today about small businesses. American Express is presenting Small Business Saturday, a way to honor the local merchants who are the backbone of the economy, this Saturday, November 27. They're offering statement credits to people who shop at small businesses, advertising for small-business owners, and donations to Girls Inc. for "Likes" of the Small Business Saturday page on Facebook. Join the celebration by clicking the "Like" button and then visiting the Facebook page to learn more about the program and read the terms and conditions that apply.

In honor of Small Business Saturday, I'm excited to tell you about the small businesses my husband and I frequent most regularly-- Nashville's independently-owned restaurants! Sure chain restaurants can be delicious, but they've got nothing on the unique spirit of the independently-owned restaurants here in town. Whether you're visiting Nashville or you live here, be sure and check these restaurants out if you haven't already- and you know of another great one, feel free to add it in the comments!

The Firefly Grille has got to be my favorite restaurant in town. From the white cheddar mac and cheese with truffle oil to the amazing and nicely-priced wine selection to the homemade coconut cake for dessert, everything on the menu is fantastic. The ambiance is also to die for, and the restaurant is suitable for casual dining or a romantic special dinner for two.

If you live here and haven't eaten at Copper Kettle, you are missing out! The goat cheese salad is a must-have, the Monte Cristo sandwich is by far the best I've ever eaten, and the Sunday brunch is out of this world.

Chances are, you've heard of Nashville's Loveless Cafe-- Expect a long wait if you go for breakfast, but the secret to this restaurant is to go for dinner. You'll almost always get a table right away. Fortunately, the Loveless's amazing breakfast and biscuits are served all day long- but the Loveless also makes the best fried chicken I've ever eaten. The fact is, I've tried a lot at this restaurant now and never had anything on the menu that wasn't scrumptious.

Holland House is a new favorite of ours- Not only is the food fantastic, but the drinks are elaborate and carefully made by very knowledgeable bartenders.

And speaking of knowledgeable bartenders, the Patterson House is hands-down the best bar in town. Patterned after a 20s speakeasy, it's a total insider place to go and the drinks are AMAZINGGGGJJJDKSSS!!!11!!.

Those are a few of my favorite places here in town. What are yours?

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Bob Evans' Farmhouse Feast is a HUGE Hit!

2010-11-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to tell you about this one, I can't stand it.

If you have a Bob Evans restaurant near you (we have one here in Nashville over by Opryland Hotel), this is definitely a fantastic idea to consider for the upcoming holiday season.

This year, Bob Evans is offering a Farmhouse Feast, which is a fully-cooked holiday meal to go. It feeds 6-8 people (and there will be PLENTY of leftovers) and it's $74.99-- I don't know about you, but I spend a lot more than that to make my own Thanksgiving dinner!

To order it, you can even call your local Bob Evans a day in advance or order online here a day in advance. Tell them what time you'll be there and they'll have it ready to go when you arrive- You can even pay for it in advance if you'd like and they'll bring it out to your car!

Take a look at all the Farmhouse Feast includes:

Your choice of either a slow-roasted whole boneless turkey breast (which I found to be quite large) or a sliced boneless ham
A pumpkin pie with whipped cream topping
A loaf of pumpkin bread
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Sweet corn with garlic herb butter
Bread and celery dressing
Green Beans with ham
1 dozen freshly baked rolls

And you can substitute other selections (like fresh fruit or mac and cheese) if you don't like one of these-- or add more a la carte food to your order.

We ordered this meal (plus an order of macaroni and cheese) when my parents came to visit over the weekend and I can't tell you what a HUGE hit it was. When my husband went to pick it up, it was all ready to go and one of the Bob Evans employees carefully explained what everything was and how to put it together- He also included an easy-to-understand instructions with the order.

When Hubs got home, it took me an hour and 15 minutes to produce an entire Thanksgiving feast, with almost no effort whatsoever. The turkey breast heats in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes and everything else heats either in the microwave, the oven or on the stove.

Best of all? THE FOOD WAS AMAZING. I mean, it was good- Everyone raved about it and no one could believe it came from a restaurant. My parents agreed that I could have put everything into my own dishes and pretended to have baked it myself and they would have had no idea.

Equally as important- Feeding 6-8 people is a conservative amount for this feast. You will have PLENTY of food, I guarantee- and somehow that's important when it comes to the holidays. Our refrigerator is now filled to the brim with leftovers.

I totally recommend the Farmhouse Feast and may very well opt to do this again next holiday season as a gift to myself! I love cooking for Thanksgiving, but I'm also expected to do a big meal for Christmas day and somehow, by the time that day rolls around, I'm all cooked out. Having a Bob Evans feast waiting in the fridge would make it a great holiday for everyone! Including me!

Disclosure: Bob Evans sent me gift cards to cover the cost of the Farmhouse Feast so that I could write this review. As always, my opinions are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: Toy Story 3 Puzzle Furniture

2010-11-19T17:33:00.000-08:00

Fact: My 3-year-old son loves Toy Story 3.
Fact: My 3-year-old son loves rocket ships.
Fact: My 3-year-old son loves coloring and art projects.

It was a given that I would agree to review this new set of Toy Story 3-themed Kids Only! Puzzle Furniture from JAKKS.

Not only do you get a child-sized table and chairs set out of this gift, but it also can be put together to make an awesome rocket ship.

My son was OVER THE MOON, y'all. He thinks it's the coolest thing EVER.

It's also much easier to get him to settle in for some "quiet time" with crayons and coloring books now that he knows he can take apart his rocket ship and work on his cool Toy Story table and chairs. Better yet, the table also has an erasable surface and the set comes with dry erase markers for coloring fun.

This Toy Story 3 Puzzle Furniture set is available in Toys R Us stores now! Head over to your nearest Toys R Us and check it out!

Disclosure: I received a set of Toy Story 3 Puzzle Furniture in order to write my review. My opinions are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: Movie Gifts for Every Member of Your Family

2010-11-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

Need a gift idea for dear old Dad? The Last of the Mohicans Director's Definitive Cut is out now on Blu-Ray disc and this is one modern-day classic nearly every dad would love to get his hands on (including my own husband- a dad to four!).

Surely you've seen this film- but perhaps it has been a while. Here's a synopsis from the studio:

An epic adventure and passionate romance unfold against the panorama of a frontier wilderness ravaged by war. Academy Award(R) winner Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor in 1989 for My Left Foot) stars as Hawkeye, rugged frontiersman and adopted son of the Mohicans, and Madeleine Stowe is Cora Munro, aristocratic daughter of a proud British Colonel. Their love, tested by fate, blazes amidst a brutal conflict between the British, the French and Native American allies that engulfs the majestic mountains and cathedral-like forests of Colonial America.

This new Blu-Ray release includes:

All New Widescreen Director’s Definitive CutCommentary by Director Michael Mann
The Making Of The Last of the Mohicans featuring new interviews with Daniel Day-Lewis
Theatrical Trailers

The Last of the Mohicans: Definitive Director's Cut is avaiable now on Amazon.com for just $14.99. Great price for a Blu-Ray disc!

Also out now on DVD: The 45th Anniversary Edition of The Sound of Music, out on 2-disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo!

I was thrilled to finally show my kids this film- one of my favorites from childhood- and it was more fun than ever to see it remastered for Blu-Ray. The technology has allowed the film to be enhanced to the point where it's crystal clear. The discs also contain some impressive extra features. Check them out:

Feature Film Remastered in 1080p Hi-Def with 7.1 DTS-HD Sound
Your Favorite Things: An Interactive Celebration — All-New Immersive Viewing Experience with Behind-the-Scenes Images, On-Screen Lyrics, Trivia Track and Location Quiz
Music Machine Sing-AlongAudio Commentaries with Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and Director Robert Wise

This is definitely one for your family library, and would make a great present for the movie buff in your family. The 45th Anniversary Edition of The Sound of Music Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack is available on Amazon right now for $19.99.

Finally, here's an interesting DVD collection that will appeal to many, from Cher fans to movie lovers. Cher: The Film Collection features six different films starring the inimitable Cher, from obscure and mostly-forgotten films to Oscar award winners.

The films include: Good Times (starring Sonny and Cher in their one and only film together), Chastity (written and produced by Sonny Bono), Silkwood, Moonstruck, Mermaids, and Tea with Mussolini.

Of course, this collection is notable for containing Silkwood, which was nominated for five Academy Awards and stars Meryl Streep and for Moonstruck, the film that earned Cher her Oscar, but Tea with Mussolini and Mermaids also are two of my favorite films from the past-- and Good Times and Chastity are fun films just for sheer kitsch value alone.

Priced at $37.49 on Amazon, it's a great price for a terrific collection of movies.

Disclosure: I received advance copies of these movies in order to review them. As always, my opinions are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: Tiny Prints Holiday Cards

2010-11-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

We used to be really good about sending out Christmas cards- but in the last few years, we've sort of let it slide, mostly because it's been really tough to get a photo of our entire family together. With two teenagers who refuse to have their pictures taken (and generally make crazy faces on the rare occasions that they agree to be photographed) and two little ones who often can't be coaxed into a smile, it's just not photo-taking material, you know?

This year, though, things were different. While on a trip to the beach over the summer, I somehow got the whole family dressed and over to a state park beach at sunset for a few great family photos. Even then, the whole thing was a fiasco- The girls were angry for being "forced" to take pictures and Bruiser had just woken from a nap and cried the whole time. Still, somehow, someway, we managed to get a photo of the six of us, along with some other fantastic shots of individual family members.

Christmas card photo SCORE!!!

I think I must have a guardian angel over at Tiny Prints, because a few weeks ago, they contacted me and asked if I wanted to them to make my Christmas cards this year for a review on this site...

Uh. YEAH!!!

And that, my friends, is why I now have in my hands the GREATEST CHRISTMAS CARDS WE'VE EVER HAD OR EVER WILL HAVE. I chose the card pictured above, from a HUGE selection of holiday cards of many sizes and shapes. Want to see the final product? Check it:

The top picture is the front of the card, the bottom is the back, and it folds so that it can be sat on a tabletop if desired and admired by all.

Is this holiday card not AMAZING?

One thing I realized from looking at Tiny Prints' selection of cards is that it doesn't matter if you don't have a great photo of your entire family together- Many of the cards have smaller photo spaces so that you can put an individual photo of each of your children in the card. I wish I had known this was possible before now- I probably would have done Christmas cards if I had.

Also? My card looks like it was created by a professional, but it took me less than 15 minutes to put it together on the site, all by myself. If at any time you have trouble or get confused, you can get live online help from a Tiny Prints associate. And they can also e-mail you a proof of your design before they put the order through. Awesome, right? It's like you have a professional helping you all the way through the process if you need one.

My cards arrived quickly and they're absolutely gorgeous. I'm planning on framing one, to be honest, and bringing it out every Christmas as one of our decorations.

Check out the Tiny Prints website for gorgeous holiday cards, as well as party invitations and stationery. I really can't say enough good things about them!

Disclosure: Tiny Prints allowed me to create and order my own Christmas cards free of charge so that I could write this review. As always, my opinions are my own.

Giveaway and Review: Carmex Healing Lotion and Healing Cream

2010-11-13T06:54:00.000-08:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Carmex. All opinions are 100% mine.

Carmex is expanding its healing properties to include our skin, with its new Healing Lotion, intended for daily use, and its Healing Cream, created for the driest, roughest parts of your body.

I received both products for review, and with the weather getting colder and drier, they couldn't have come at a better time. Here are my thoughts---

I used the Healing Lotion on my legs, which is commonly where I use lotion daily in the fall and winter. I found it to be light and non-greasy, with a scent that would work fine for both men and women. The difference between this Healing Lotion and any other lotion on the market is that now, a few hours later, my legs feel extra soft and smooth in a way that they do not when I use my normal lotion (currently Aveeno). Props to Carmex for that! Based on this fact alone, I would be likely to buy Carmex Healing Lotion in the future.

I used the Healing Cream on my heels (perhaps they should call it Heeling Cream? Heh. Sorry.). It is actually a lighter-weight cream than I was expecting, and this could be a good thing- Many of the intensive creams I've used for dry feet are so greasy that they've gotten all over my socks or my sheets- This cream was absorbed right into my skin instantly, and now, the dry skin has almost completely disappeared. Based on my use, I would say this is a particularly good intense cream for daytime use, when you want to protect your really dry skin without dealing with something really greasy and messy.

Both Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream retail for $5.99 apiece and are available exclusively at Walgreens, Walgreens.com, and Drugstore.com.

Want to try them out for yourself? Well, I'm giving away a set of Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream to one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader! To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post telling me why you'd like t try these lotions between now and Saturday, November 20th at 11:59pm, CST. Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won.

In the meantime, visit the Carmex website for more information on Carmex lotion and other products.

Good luck!

Cottonelle Moist Wipes

2010-11-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd be a fan of erm, Moist Wipes. I thought they were for old people... and people with, you know, issues.

And then I had toddlers.

As you probably well know, toddler wipes are a necessity for toddlers and young children because, well, they generally aren't very handy with the dry toilet paper. Moist toddler wipes saved my you-know what (not to mention my kids') on many, many occasions.

There was only one problem... We were always running out of toddler wipes because EVERYONE ELSE IN MY FAMILY WAS USING THEM.

Of course, no one would admit to it, but they always seemed to disappear within less than a week, and I happen to know my toddlers aren't using that many wipes!

That's why I was MORE THAN happy to review a box of Cottonelle Moist Wipes. Wipes for adults! We don't have to talk about them around here, but I can unequivocally say that they've been "enjoyed" many times since I put them in our bathroom.

Of course, Cottonelle knows that Moist Wipes are a sensitive subject (in more ways than one!). That's why Cottonelle created the Get Fresh with a Friend site, where you can get a $1.00 off Moist Wipes coupon and watch this cute Cottonelle Moist Wipes video from FunnyorDie.com.

Thank you, Cottonelle, for allowing me to

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of the Cottonelle brand and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Ralph Lauren Pants Remind Me of An Important Fashion Lesson

2010-11-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make.

I have gotten so wrapped up in the skinny jeans/skinny pants/jeggings/leggings trends that I kinda sorta forgot that skinny jeans don't always make you look that skinny.

The point was really driven home the other day when I was getting ready to go to a party and tried pairing skinny black pants with a loose-fitting cowl-necked top.

Only the outfit didn't look quite right.

In fact, it actually looked quite wrong.

I switched out the skinny pants with a beautifully classic pair of black Adelle pants recently sent to me for review from Lauren by Ralph Lauren. I put them on and, well, as you can see, the effect was fantastic.

Not to brag, but I was very pleased with how I looked that night.

More importantly, I was reminded in no uncertain terms that a good-fitting pair of black trousers can actually make you look skinnier than skinny pants.

And now, I'm getting excited that these trousers are on their way back to the fashion forefront. In fact, many stylistas already have abandoned skinny jeans and pants in favor of classic trousers like this pair.

Want the official deets on them? Here you go:

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Adelle Pants

From the company: "The Adelle pant channels sophisticated elegance in a classic silhouette with a hint of stretch and a sleek straight leg."

Medium low-rise belted waist.
Zip fly with elongated buttoned-tab closure and interior button closure.
Flat front, straight leg.
Angled hand pockets, welt pocket at back right. Back shaping darts for a smooth silhouette.
32 1/2" inseam.
63% polyester, 32% viscose, 5% elastane. Lining: 100% acetate. Machine washable.Imported.
Price: $99.50

What stands out to me are the words "machine washable." These pants look like a million bucks on and yet I don't have to take them to the dry cleaners.

Genius.

So thank you, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, for reminding me of an important fashion lesson... Classic is almost always the way to go if you really want to look sharp.

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Ralph Lauren and received a pair of Lauren by Ralph Lauren pants to help facilitate my review.

Holiday Gift Guide: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on Blu-Ray and DVD

2010-11-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

Out now on DVD and Blu-Ray and perfect for the holidays: Disney classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

I was particularly excited about this one because it was one of my husband's favorite movies as a kid-- Lucky for him, it withstood the test of time. Our 3 and 6-year-old kids loved this movie when we watched it on Family Movie Night and for us, it looked better than ever, having recently been remastered for Blu-Ray disc.

Need a reminder of what this movie's all about? Here's a synopsis from the studio:

Families everywhere can experience “fantasmagorical” adventures, legendary sing-alongs and magical moments like never before as MGM Home Entertainment releases an all-new remastered version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on Blu-ray. Enjoy the fun of this family classic for the first time on Blu-ray disc with upgraded 7.1 DTS-HD master audio and new interactive games. An original version of the film on DVD will accompany the all-new remastered Blu-ray.

Based on the children’s book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car by Ian Fleming, the film tells the story of an eccentric professor (played by Dick Van Dyke) who invents wacky machinery, but can't seem to make ends meet. When he invents a revolutionary car, a foreign government becomes interested in it, and resorts to skullduggery to get their hands on it. The all-time family classic evolves from there and viewers are taken on a magical ride with the professor and loveable motorcar.

As part of “the most fantasmagorical musical entertainment in the history of everything!” the remastered version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on Blu-ray will feature special interactive features for families everywhere to enjoy from the comfort of their own homes, including an all-new “Toot Sweet Symphony” melody maker and “Chitty Chitty’s Bang Bang Driving Game!” Other special features include “Remembering Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” with Dick Van Dyke, song demos from the Sherman Brothers and a featurette entitled "A Fantasmagorical Motorcar."

Special features on the discs include:

DISC ONE (Blu-ray):

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang remastered feature film

Newly upgraded 7.1 audio
All-new “Toot Sweet Symphony” melody maker – the Toot Sweet Toots Musical Maestro
All-new “Chitty's Bang Bang Driving Game”
Remembering Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with Dick Van Dyke
“A Fantasmagorical Motorcar” featurette
Sherman Brothers' Rare Demos of the film’s most popular songs
Vintage Featurettes including, “The Ditchling Tinkerer,” “Dick Van Dyke Press Interview,” and “The Potts Children's Featurette”
Photo Gallery
Vintage Advertising Gallery including English and French versions of the theatrical trailer and several television spots
Sing-a-long version of the film
Music Machine

DISC TWO (DVD):

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Sing-a-long version of the film

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is out now on Two-Disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo for $19.49 on Amazon!

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this DVD in order to review it. My opinions are my own.

Dunkin' Donuts: THE COFFEE

2010-11-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Sure, Dunkin' Donuts is your go-to place for Saturday morning sleepover donuts... and maybe you even know about their most excellent breakfast sandwiches... but did you know that Dunkin' Donuts now has simply incredible flavored coffee for the holidays?

The flavors are available now in your local grocery and are: Pumpkin Spice, Vanilla Nut and Mocha Mint. And as someone who has been drinking all three of these flavors each morning for the last week and a half, I can tell you they are absolutely scrumptious. The flavors come through loud and clear in your morning cup, and I fully intend to buy a few bags for our Christmas party in a few weeks.

These holiday flavors complement Dunkin' Donut's existing flavored coffees, which include Hazelnut, Cinnamon Spice and French Vanilla... but be sure and get the holiday flavors now- They'll only be around for a limited time!

A holiday tip for these coffees- If serving them, be sure and get plain cream and sugar to accompany them. Those flavored holiday creamers you might have on hand will definitely clash with the flavor of the coffee.

Another tip- These holiday coffees create a wonderful seasonal aroma in your home, so if you like to have a cup in the afternoon like I do, you'll have an added bonus of adding a festive scent to the air!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Smuckers and received necessary products to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

A Nintendo/ American Heart Association Party to Remember!

2010-11-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

Note: As a Nintendo Brand Ambassador I agreed to co-host a party sponsored by Nintendo and the American Heart Association. This post is about that party.

You may have heard about the American Heart Association's partnership with Nintendo of America... It's designed to "help create healthy lifestyles with physically active play."

Well now, the two groups are holding parties across the country to promote this idea- I was lucky enough to co-host one of them here in Nashville a few weeks ago, along with my lovely friends Brandi Wilson and Jamie Reeves. And since I live within ten minutes of both of them, have kids in the same school as Jamie and go to church (and Bible study) with Brandi, I was also lucky enough to know 90% of the guests in attendance!

We spent the first hour playing Wii Sports Resort and socializing. I was amazed by how many women at the party already owned a Wii, Wii Fit, and Sports Resort. At least half of them were experts on the system, and helped their less knowledgeable friends learn the ropes.

Next, it was time for a most excellent, heart-healthy lunch.

After we'd eaten, we heard from author, ad man, and motivational speaker Hank Wasiak. He talked to us about asset-based thinking vs. defecit-based thinking- in other words, learning to see your glass as half-full rather than half-empty.

I don't generally take notes when someone's speaking, but I found myself writing down several things Hank had to say, like...

Figure out what others are doing that you admire, tell them how you feel and then find out how they're doing it.
When you face a problem, ask yourself how to make it the best problem you've ever had.

Most surprising, though, was when Hank informed us that our children's generation (ten years old and under) is the first that will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents if they continue living the way they're living.

Whoa.

I've thought about that ever since.

Next, we heard from the American Heart Association, including two AHA volunteers who both had heart attacks and did not fit the profile for heart attack victims in any way, shape or form. They served as a sobering reminder that a heart attack could affect any one of us at any time, and that we need to make an effort to stay as healthy as possible.

We ended the afternoon with healthy smoothie desserts and swag bags for all the guests that included a copy of Hank's book, Change the Way You See Everything, and a copy of Wii Sports Resort. But I think the real gift was feeling motivated by the speakers to make positive, healthy choices in our own lives.

You may be wondering why the American Heart Association has partnered with Nintendo. Well, the AHA believes that the Wii system can be a gateway toward Americans getting more active- and I happen to believe it. Nintendo has pioneered the way toward changing the face of video gaming. Our kids are going to want to play video games no matter what- Now, thanks to Wii, they can choose games that actually have them up and moving, as opposed to sitting slack-jawed in front of a screen for hours on end. Nintendo's Wii system is such a hit that every school-aged kid I know either has one or wants one- and the families I know that have them play theirs ALL THE TIME.

Because I'm a Nintendo Brand Ambassador, I received a Wii and Wii Fit, and will continue to receive other Nintendo products from time to time. We are having a BLAST using ours With four kids between 3 and 20, I have no doubt we're going to have a fabulous winter playing with our Wii and Wii Fit.

Want more information on how to use your Wii and Wii Fit to get your family up and moving? Nintendo and the AHA have created a website just for you, called Active Play Now, with all kinds of information to help you get your family going. Check it out... and look for more posts from me throughout the year as my family and I get to know our Wii system better!

Disclosure: As a Nintendo Brand Ambassador, I received a Wii and Wii Fit and will continue to receive Nintendo products from time to time. At the party, my guests and I all received gift bags containing Wii Sports Resort, a Nintendo hoodie, and a book.

Holiday Gift Guide: Toy Story 3

2010-11-05T08:53:00.001-07:00

Out this week on Blu-Ray Disc and DVD is THE must-have family movie of the year: Toy Story 3.

If you haven't seen it in theaters, are you in for a treat!

If you have seen it in theaters, you know that this movie is a must-own, and a PERFECT Christmas present for kids of all ages.

My children saw the movie in theaters and have been obsessed with it ever since. My three-year-old was even Woody for Halloween! Suffice it to say they were beside themselves when we received a review copy of the movie in the mail.

Not familiar with the movie? Here's a brief synopsis from the studio:

Toy Story 3 marks Pixar veteran Lee Unkrich’s feature directorial debut and the return of Pixar’s favorite composer Randy Newman, with the addition of Academy Award®-winner Michael Arndt’s (Little Miss Sunshine) compelling original screenplay. Tom Hanks (Angels & Demons), Tim Allen (The Santa Clause), Joan Cusack (Confessions of a Shopaholic), John Ratzenberger (Up) and Don Rickles (Toy Story 2) reprise their roles as the voices of the iconic characters Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Hamm and Mr. Potato Head, respectively, and are joined by new characters voiced by Michael Keaton (Herbie Fully Loaded) as Barbie's romantic foil Ken, Timothy Dalton (Hot Fuzz) as the thespian hedgehog Mr. Pricklepants, and Ned Beatty (Rudy) as the cuddly Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear, among many others, as the toys face a new adventure as Andy prepares to go off to college.

Pixar fans will be thrilled with all of the behind-the-scenes features that come with the 4-disc Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital copy combo pack. Check them out:

TOY STORY 3 - Bonus Features:

DVD :

· Day & Night – The innovative and entertaining short from the imagination of Pixar artist and Director Teddy Newton.

· Toys! – A closer look at all of Toy Story 3’s beloved toys from updating the classic characters to the creation of the Sunnyside Daycare and Bonnie’s Room toys.

· Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: The Science of Adventure – Produced in conjunction with NASA, this hybrid animation documentary of Buzz’s visit to the International Space Station focuses on research in zero gravity and Buzz’s triumphant return to Earth.

· Paths to Pixar: Editorial – Pixar editors, past and future share anecdotes about their careers.

· The Gang’s All Here – A touching look at the returning voice talent for Toy Story 3 and an introduction to the voices of the new characters.

· A Toy’s Eye View: Creating A Whole New Land – A sneak peek at the new Toy Story-themed playland at Hong Kong Disneyland.

· Studio Stories – A series of amusing animated anecdotes about life at Pixar.

Ø “Where’s Gordon?” – An animator finds a hidden room at Pixar.

Ø “Cereal Bar” – The majestic and expansive Pixar cereal bar is explored.

Ø “Clean Start” – The Toy Story 3 animators shave their heads to mark the start of the film.

BLU-RAY COMBO PACK: Everything on the DVD plus…

· Toy Story Trivia Dash – This cool game challenges you to sprint to the finish with Woody, Buzz, Jessie and Rex as you quickly answer questions about all three Toy Story movies.

· Cine-Explore – Commentary by Director Lee Unkrich and Producer Darla K. Anderson.

· Beyond the Toybox: An Alternative Commentary Track Featuring Leads from Story, Tech, Art and Animation – Commentary by Story Supervisor Jason Katz, Supervising Technical Director Guido Quaroni, Production Designer Bob Pauley and Supervising Animators Bobby Podesta and Michael Venturini.

· Beginnings: Setting A Story In Motion – Screenwriter Michael Arndt analyzes successful opening scenes from Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles.

· Bonnie’s Playtime: A Story Roundtable – A roundtable discussion with Director Lee Unkrich and the story artists who brought the “Bonnie’s Playtime” scene to life.

· Roundin’ Up A Western Opening – The development of the movie’s exciting opening scene.

· Life Of A Shot – Toy Story 3 artists and technicians describe their contributions to a few of the shots in the film’s “Western Opening.”

· Goodbye Andy – An exploration of character design, acting and animation in the scene “Andy’s Goodbye.”

· Accidental Toymakers – By creating the Toy Story characters, the Pixar filmmakers found themselves in the unlikely role of toy designers. Meet the toy company that took a chance on manufacturing the now iconic toys and learn of their incredible success that began with a modest number of Woody and Buzz Lightyear toys 15 years ago.

· Making of Day & Night – The story behind the unique 2D/3D blended short.

Awesome, right? I told you this movie release is a BIG DEAL!

Toy Story 3 is available now on Amazon for $24.99.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this movie in order to write my review.

Halloween with Our Backyard Discovery Playset!

2010-11-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

Think the fun's over for your kids' playset when the weather gets cold?

Think again!

Our Backyard Discovery playset continues to be the gathering place for the kids in our neighborhood... and for Halloween, thanks to the kind people at Backyard Discovery, the kids were able to decorate the playhouse for the spookiest night of the year!

They put bats in the belfry...

Ghosts in the attic...

And skeletons in the closet!

The kids had a fantastic time decorating the playset and it turned out to be a really great idea for Halloween. If you have a playset in your backyard, make a trip to the dollar store for some inexpensive decorations and let your kids make a haunted house of their own!

As a result of all the decorating, the playset has been a major hangout over the last few weeks.

Right now, it is Grand Central for endless games of Cops n' Robbers. (The jail is in the play area underneath the house. PERFECT!

We've had our Backyard Discovery playset for several months now and it is holding up beautifully. The wood still looks fantastic and my daughter said her friends are all jealous because her swings are still so shiny.

That's high praise from the elementary school set!

Backyard Discovery has all kinds of playsets to choose from that will suit just about any backyard space. Check them out online. For some of you (like us), fall is the best season to play outside! The fun's just getting started!

Disclosure: I am a Backyard Discovery ambassador. Backyard Discovery provided us with a playset to write about and sends party fixings from time to time so that we can have festive playset occasions. As always, my opinions are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: TOMICA Car and Train Line Review and Giveaway!

2010-10-30T16:14:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen the commercials already, here is what your little boy (and maybe your little girl, too!) will be begging for this holiday season: a TOMICA car and train playset!

Toys R Us is carrying this line exclusively this Christmas season-- While it's new to the states, it's the number one die-cast car and train line in Japan, and my son is already freaking out every time he sees the commercial for the toys. Luckily, there's something in this line for every price point, whether the grandparents are pitching in and you're opting for this Super Big Set for $79.99 or you're starting a little smaller like we did, with a Repair Garage ($14.99) and Mini Shooter Set ($9.99).

From what I've seen of the line, I can't recommend it highly enough. The toy pieces are well-made and durable-- equally as important, they're easy for kids to put together on their own, LEGO-style. There are lots of interactive features and I love that kids can add on to their sets a little bit at a time for not too much money. I also love that it features both cars and trains, so you're not left deciding between one or the other with the available space you have in your home or apartment.

Want to give the toys a try yourself? I'm giving away a TOMICA Mini Tune Up Set to one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader! It comes with a Nissan SUV, Tomikids figure and other accessories! To enter to win, simply leave a comment on this post telling me why you'd like to win the Tune Up Set between now and Saturday, November 6th at midnight, CST. For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to your tweet.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received two small Tomica car sets in order to write my review.

Giveaway: Win Two French Toast School Uniforms for Your Son or Daughter!

2010-10-30T15:45:00.001-07:00

Since my daughter's school follows a Standard School Attire dress code, I'm always on the hunt for uniform clothing that's a)cute, b)durable, and c) affordable.

French Toast meets all three of my requirements!

If you haven't checked out the French Toast website before and your child wears a uniform or SSA to school, you really should give it a look. The clothing prices compare with Old Navy, and we've picked up several French Toast pieces in the last year or two-- All have washed well and held up.

And now one of you will have an opportunity to win two outfits for your child from French Toast (either two dresses or two tops and two bottoms)! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post between now and Saturday, November 6th at midnight, CST, and tell me why you'd like to win two French Toast outfits. Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won. You can earn another entry to this giveaway by Tweeting about it- Just leave a comment with the URL to your Tweet.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received two French Toast outfits in order to conduct this review and giveaway.

Holiday Gift Guide: Schleich Wild Animal Airplane and Figurines

2010-10-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

You knew Schleich made awesome figurines of animals, fairies, and knights in shining armor. But did you know the brand also has made a Wild Life airplane to carry precious cargo to safety on the African plains?

My son got a wonderful opportunity to "test drive" this Schleich airplane and it's one of his favorite toys. I love it because it gives him something to do with his Schleich wild animal collection, and adds to his imaginative play. He loves it because he can zoom it all over the house, and pretend to transport his animals to places unknown.

Like Schleich's detailed, durable figurines, this airplane is very well-made and built to endure play by the average kid. I love this airplane as a gift idea for Christmas because it's the kind of thing your child will end up keeping long after he's grown up and giving to his own children some day, along with his Schleich figurines. Schleich makes timeless toys that have the feel of keepsakes.

Some ideas for your child's wild animal menagerie? We like these:

Schleich makes male, female and baby animal figurines, so if your child collects the set, you will have a full safari collection- and a plane in which to carry them a few at a time!

To find a Schleich retailer nearest you or online, check out Schleich's store locator here.

Disclosure: I received a Wild Animal Airplane and two elephants from Schleich in order to conduct this review.

Three Ideas for Your Next Family Movie Night

2010-10-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

Need some ideas for your next family movie night? Here's what we've been watching lately.
Marmaduke is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray. We finally got a chance to watch it last weekend and really enjoyed it as a family. Owen Wilson and George Lopez are among the voices behind the characters, and that kind of talent really helps make the film work, even for adults. My six-year-old, of course, COMPLETELY ADORED the movie. And that's what really matters, right?

Here's a synopsis from the studio:

When Marmaduke (Wilson) moves to a new neighborhood with his family, the super-sized teenage dog soon discovers he just doesn’t fit in—literally! Marmaduke can’t help being a one-dog wrecking crew, causing fur-flying chaos wherever he roams. But, with the help of his friend, Carlos the Cat (Lopez), Marmaduke may just get out of the doghouse, fall in love, and surf off into the sunset.

My husband may or may not have gotten on the computer during our Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars family movie night, but I quite liked it, as you'd expect, and so did my daughter. This movie was a big hit with the tween set when it came out on TV, and bloggers will love the competition between high schoolers to get the most blog hits! It uh, hit a little too close to home!

This is maybe a good choice for a girls' family movie night. I'm glad my daughter's getting a tiny bit older and we can watch movies like this one, which we both enjoy.

Studio synopsis:

In a modern twist on the popular book series, Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars begins with aspiring writer Harriet The Spy Welsch determined to become class blogger. Competing against her supreme nemesis, Marion Hawthorne, Harriet will do whatever it takes to win the coveted title. But when it begins to look like Marion might take the lead, Harriet becomes desperate to figure out a way to get the most blog hits.

Finally, we got our hands on an advanced copy of Ramona and Beezus, which comes out on DVD November 9th. I couldn't wait to see this one- My daughter and I love the Ramona series and I was really disappointed to miss this film when it was in theaters.

Fortunately, the movie didn't disappoint- We all loved it! Punky loved Joey King, who does a great job in the role of Ramona, I loved Selena Gomez (so cute!) who plays Ramona's sister Beezus, and Hubs and I both appreciated the great acting from adults Ginnifer Goodwin, Bridget Moynahan and John Corbett. The storyline was touching, entertaining, and just plain fun. This is a definite family night must.

Studio synopsis:

Teen sensation Selena Gomez (Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place) teams up with newcomer Joey King in this delightful coming-of-age comedy based on the best-selling books by Beverly Cleary. Ramona (King) is a little girl with a very big imagination and a nose for mischief. Her playful antics keep everyone in her loving family on their toes, including her older sister Beezus (Gomez), who's just trying to survive her first year of high school. Through all the ups and downs of childhood, Ramona and Beezus learn that anything’s possible when you believe in yourself and rely on each other.

This should be enough to get you out of your family movie night rut, right?

Disclosure: I received screeners of each of these movies in order to conduct my review.

Holiday Gift Guide: Pocoyo Toys

2010-10-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

You may recognize this little guy by his face rather than his name: Pocoyo!

Yes, this is the three-year-old we all know and love from Nick Jr, PBS and Univision. And now there's a toy line to go with the popular Spanish series.

We received the Bump n Go Car ($24.99) pictured above and the Squeeze n' Play Pocoyo ($19.99). What I love about these toys right off the bat, frankly, is that they look cool. Cool to me, I mean. Pocoyo has a little bit of a retro 1960s look to him that makes the toys seem hipper than your average Diego dolls.

Bruiser loves the Bump n Go Car, which travels along until it hits something, then changes directions. He has a really great time playing with it. One feature you'll appreciate is that you can flip a switch so that the sound is on or off. Sometimes I'm just not down with the toy noise, you know?

The Squeeze n' Play Pocoyo ($19.99) is perfect for younger Pocoyo fans. It's basically a soft, plush Pocoyo that makes three different sounds when you squeeze his tummy. Very cute.

Other available toys from the Pocoyo line include:

6-Inch Mini-Plush Assortment - Preschoolers can take Pocoyo and his friends Elly, Pato and Loula where ever they go
Squeeze n’ Play Plush - Plush Pocoyo, Elly and Pato play popular music from the show when preschoolers squeeze their tummies
Bath Figures - 2.5-inch figures of Pocoyo and Elly have a special water squirting chamber while Pato floats along
Pocoyo Water Taxi - Scuba Pocoyo and friends can float in the tub or be pushed along the floor
Bump n’ Go - Pocoyo zooms around in his racing car while music plays! If the car hits an obstacle, it stops, moves back and makes a U-turn

Pocoyo toys are available at Toys R Us! They make a great gift idea for your little Pocoyo fans!

Disclosure: I received two Pocoyo toys in order to conduct this review.

Giveaway: Win a Dusty Brown Antique Key Necklace Like Mine!

2010-10-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

This is my brand new antique skeleton key necklace. Fellow Tennessean Dusty Brown made it for me (you can read the story here) and now she's letting me give one away to a lucky Suburban Turmoil/ She's Still Got It reader!

She will make it with any color beads you choose- and you can either keep it for yourself or use it as a gorgeous holiday present for a woman you dearly love.

To enter, just tell me why you want to win a Dusty Brown key necklace between now and Thursday, November 4th at midnight CST. Be sure and leave your e-mail address in your comment so that I can contact you if you've won.

You can get an additional entry by Tweeting this post. Just leave a comment with the link to your Tweet.

Good luck!

Our PASS Card Experience, Part Eight: If You Knew Then What You Know Now About Budgeting, What Would You Tell Yourself?

2010-10-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of American Express and the new PASS Card for teenagers. Our 17-year-old is using the card right now and I'm writing about our experiences. You can read Parts One, Two, and Three and Four and Five, six, and seven here.

It is the final week of my series on teaching my teen to budget with the help of an American Express PASS Card, and I think my whole family has gotten a lot out of the experience.

When my stepdaughter began using her card, she was lucky to be able to even find it, and to have kept enough on the card to pay for what she needed. Today, eight weeks later, I can look at her PASS Card budget online and see that she's doing a much better job of staying within her financial boundaries. Mysteriously, she's also completely cleaned out her room, she's applying for college scholarships, and she's managing to juggle school, a job, and a part in the school play with aplomb. Does this have anything to do with getting a PASS Card? Let's go with YES! Whatever's behind her recent motivation to succeed, it is just the kind of progress we want to see in her as she prepares to head to college next fall.

She'll learn a LOT of financial lessons once she's on her own (I know I did!), but I feel like we've given her a solid financial foundation through helping her establish her own checking account, savings account, and PASS Card for gas and groceries. Still, I can't help but laugh when I think of the things she'll encounter when she doesn't have us to bail her out. I think we all have cringeworthy financial experiences in our pasts... Here are a few things I wish I could have told myself back when I left for college, based on what I've learned in the years since...

Keep your checkbook balanced and your bills paid at all times! That way, you can maybe avoid a situation your sophomore year when you forget to pay your rent, see an extra few hundred dollars in your bank account, and go on a shopping spree before realizing you just blew your rent money on clothes. Daddy won't like this.

Pay off your credit card each month. You already know this, but you'll appreciate not having to worry about debt more and more as you see the number of people around you whose lives have been ruined by debt.

Always keep a twenty hidden somewhere in your wallet, as well as a few ones. You never know when you'll find yourself needing quick cash or tip money.

Don't buy a new car and don't lease one. It's a better idea to drive your old car until you've saved up enough cash to buy a newer used one outright.

You'll be glad you opted for the less expensive wedding and used most of your wedding budget to make a down payment on your house. Ten years later, you'll know for sure that having a great house to raise your family in was absolutely more important than a $10,000 dress and elaborate wedding.

The sooner you learn that designer shampoos, shoes, clothing and cars contribute nothing toward real, lasting happiness, the better!

If you can once you're married, work with your husband to carve out a small personal budget for yourself that's yours to spend on whatever you want. Sometimes a girl needs to do a little shopping, even if it's buying new makeup at Walgreen's, and it'll be more enjoyable if it's coming from "your" fund rather than the "family" fund.

Those are a few things I've learned over the years, and I'm sure I'll learn many more important financial lessons in the years to come. What about you? I'd love for you to finish this sentence in the comments:

"If I knew then what I know now..."

Two New Releases from DisneyNature: The Crimson Wing and Oceans!

2010-10-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

Our local zoo just got flamingos.

This shouldn't be that big of a deal- Still, the last time I took the kids, we made a special trip to see the newest zoo inhabitants.

We fell in love.

Flamingos are fascinating creatures. They are incredibly social. They interact. They squawk at one another. They fight. They flap their wings in unison. They run as a flock from one spot to another.

My kids were entranced.

"I need to find a book on flamingos," I told my husband when we got home. "I want to know more about why they act the way they do, and the kids would really find it interesting, too."

Guess what arrived on my front doorstep THE VERY NEXT DAY?

A review copy of The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos from DisneyNature!

Can you believe it?

Of course, this was our very next family movie night pick and we all loved it, from my 3-year-old up to my husband and me. Here's a synopsis from the studio:

"A heartwarming story of survival, The Crimson Wing explores the spectacular lives of a million crimson‐winged flamingos, offering a glimpse of their rare journey. Appropriate for families of all ages, this film showcases a dramatic, never‐ before‐filmed backdrop, as the regal birds wing to another world in an inspiring and colorful story of majesty."

DisneyNature films are just incredible. They manage to both entertain and educate and I love them as a family viewing option. In addition to a great film, the Blu-Ray disc I reviewed also has the following special features:

Living Planet – Fully interactive through BD‐Live, explore the Earth with up‐to‐date facts, migration information and videos by the filmmakers and leading wildlife experts
Filmmaker Annotations (CineExplore) – An in‐movie experience with pop‐up facts from the directors Leander Ward & Matthew Aberhard, and screenwriter Melanie Finn
The Crimson Wing Screensaver

The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos from DisneyNature is available now on Amazon as a 2-disc Blu-Ray/DVD combo for $27.99.

Also out now from DisneyNature: Oceans.

Yes, this is the breathtaking Disney film that was in theaters just a few months ago.

This one was a given for family night and once again, we were all thoroughly entertained. Need a quick synopsis? Here you go!

Directed by Jacques Perrin (two-time Academy Award® nominee for Best Documentary, Features for Winged Migration in 2003; Best Picture for Z in 1970) and Jacques Cluzaud (Winged Migration, Les Ailes de la Nature), the two filmmakers venture in, on and around our seas to discover photogenic oddities and endangered wonders. OCEANS dives deep into the very waters that sustain all of mankind—exploring the playful splendor and the harsh reality of the weird and wonderful creatures that live within. These two directors capture mesmerizing footage using the most technologically-advanced equipment that has allowed them to bring this to true high-definition powers.

I really loved that this particular documentary is both adult and kid-friendly... without leaving out the realities of ocean life. We were all able to enjoy the movie and we had lots to talk about afterward!

In addition to the film, the Blu-Ray disc contains these special features:

Living Menus- a fully interactive experience.
Filmmaker annotations
"Make A Wave"- Disney's Friends for Change Music Video featuring Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato
Disney & Nature: Preserving the world we share
Deeper in the Ocean- Select bonus videos

Oceans is available now on Amazon as a 2-disc Blu-Ray/DVD combo for $24.99.

Disclosure: I received advance review copies of The Crimson Wing and Oceans to facilitate my review.

Ralph Lauren Holds Special Auction to Benefit Pink Pony Fund and Breast Cancer Research

2010-10-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, this month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Nearly all of us knows someone who's fought breast cancer- In my own family, my grandmother got breast cancer in her seventies- fortunately, she was treated and hasn't had any signs of recurrence- She's now well into her eighties!

With so many women being impacted by breast cancer, it's more important than ever to raise research funds in hopes of finding a cure. That's where Ralph Lauren's Pink Pony Fund comes in.

Ralph Lauren's Pink Pony Fund initiative, which raises awareness and funds in support of the fight against cancer, is also celebrating its 10th anniversary.

With a focus on breast cancer, Pink Pony supports programs for early diagnosis, education, treatment and research and is dedicated to bringing patient navigation and quality cancer care to medically underserved communities.

Ten percent of proceeds from Pink Pony products benefits the Pink Pony Fund, and to mark the 10th Anniversary and support this important cause, Ralph Lauren has partnered with charitybuzz to auction over 200 unique items and experiences from now through October 21st. It's a fun auction to visit even if you're only windowshopping and wishing... Items up for bid include a tour of the Vogue offices, a seven night stay at the Ritz-Carlton Club in St. Thomas, and your child starring in a Ralph Lauren ad!

I'm proud to tell you about this initiative as a Ralph Lauren Mombassador. Over the coming months, I'll be showing you all sorts of aspects of the Ralph Lauren line- If you're not already a fan, I hope you'll allow me to introduce you to the brand that is hands down my favorite for my entire family.

In the meantime, to learn more about the Pink Pony fund, be sure and visit their website here and view Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Products here.

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Ralph Lauren and have received various Ralph Lauren products as part of my participation.

My Dream Family Vacation

2010-10-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Sponsored By

Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine and Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.

A little more than eight years ago, I flew to the United Kingdom with my husband-to-be, our parents, my two stepdaughters, and a few family friends for our wedding. We spent a few days touring London together, then we flew to Aberdeen, Scotland and rented a 15-seater "people mover" to drive everyone to the small village of Elgin, on Scotland's northwest coast.

We married outside a stone manor, beside a pristine river, and had our wedding photos taken amid the crumbling ruins of a 13th century cathedral. It was truly a fairytale experience, and one that everyone who was with us still talks about all the time.

We wanted to take a five-year reunion trip with our wedding party, but five years after our wedding I had a two-year-old, and another on the way. We've talked about taking a ten-year reunion trip, but the truth is that I want to go when our children are around the ages of ten and 12, and can really appreciate seeing where their mother and father got married.

It is my dream trip, and one I can't wait to take with my children. I want them to walk among the ruins of the cathedral. I want them to spend the night in the Mansion House Hotel. I want them to walk to the top of Lady Hill, where hundreds and hundreds of years ago, the town's inhabitants used to scope the surrounding countryside for marauders. I want them to taste black pudding. And I'd love to go on with them by train, as my husband and I did for our honeymoon, to Edinburgh, and York, England, and the Cotswalds.

It was the greatest trip I've ever taken, for one of the greatest moments of my life. And the only way to complete that experience, in my mind, is to take the trip again with the products of our union.

Don't forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Photo courtesy of flickrtickr2009/Flickr

Holiday Gift Guide: Discovery Toys

2010-10-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of Discovery Toys?

Here's an explanation from the company:

We were founded in 1978 to help families gain access to educational toys, normally reserved for schools. It soon became apparent that we were in the direct sales party plan business as more and more Moms, came to see our toys. We began to help Moms earn additional income, too, by providing an opportunity to work from home. Last year we re-launched the company with a revitalized brand platform: new identity, new websites, new packaging design, marketing materials, and, most importantly, a revitalized line of learning toys, books and games with our Heritage preserved. We just welcomed over 1,250 new Educational Consultants to our growing team in August, which we believe is a testament to our terrific line of educational products and the DT business opportunity, despite the current economic recession!

While I'm not a huge fan of direct sales parties, Discovery Toys is one I'd likely go to- I love educational children's toys and am far more likely to consider buying one for my kids than a Pampered Chef Onion Slicer!

So once I had checked out the site, I agreed to review two learning games from Discovery Toys for my 3-year-old son.

First up, Letter Fun Lotto, a game that's helping him learn his letters and letter sounds while playing a fun game that's on his level.

The beauty of this game is that there are a lot of different ways you can use it. With my three-year-old, we're enjoying simply looking at the cards and naming the letters and pictures on them. We also play matching games, in which he matches the cards to the pictures on the corresponding lotto board.

When he gets older, the game play gets more advanced- He can play bingo, create words from the games, and play a more advanced matching game.

Short Vowel Fun is a slightly more advanced card game that teaches small children about short vowels by having them match cards that either start with the same letter or the same sound. It's a little advanced for my 3-year-old right now, but it's perfect for preschool and kindergarten-aged kids, based on my daughter's learning level.

Discovery Toys has plenty of other toys, books and games to choose from. Check out the site here and you can order online or look into hosting a Discovery Toys party or starting your own Discovery Toys business.

Disclosure: I received two games from Discovery Toys to facilitate my review. My opinions are my own.

Our PASS Card Experience, Part Seven: Different Kids Need Different Financial Teaching Tactics. Agree or Disagree?

2010-10-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

It is week seven of our PASS Card experience, and I have to say that while my 17-year-old is doing a great job managing her PASS Card funds, her parents aren't doing so well!

The PASS Card allows you to automatically load funds onto it at a pre-set time, but since some of my stepdaughter's funds are contingent on jobs she does (or doesn't do!) around the house, I am supposed to manually load a specific amount on the card each week.

And um... I don't always remember to do it.

Bad stepmom! Bad!

I'm working on that right now and my stepdaughter is learning how to have her card declined with grace. I'm grateful that PASS Card funds can be loaded within less than a minute- More than once, she's called, I've quickly loaded money onto her card via the Internet, and she's made her purchase a couple of minutes later. Whew! Thank God for technology!

I have to say that your comments on these posts over the last several weeks have really stuck with me. So many of you have said that your parents never discussed finances or budgeting with you, and that it really put you at a disadvantage as an adult. More than anything, writing this series has taught me that it is absolutely crucial for us as parents to teach our children about budgeting their money and not getting into debt. If we don't do it, we're really not doing our jobs.

But I also think there are many ways to go about teaching this lesson, and they even vary among children in the same family.

My 17-year-old, for example, has an after-school job and is doing a brilliant job of budgeting the money that she earns. She puts half of every paycheck in the bank and has fun with the other half, whether she's using the money to eat out more often, go to movies with her friends, or buy clothes from Forever 21.

We talk to her about the importance of budgeting her money, but she seems to be doing a great job of figuring out the process on her own. This really became obvious when she totaled her car last spring (don't worry, she was fine- her car was old, so it didn't take much to "total" it!) and spent the summer saving to buy herself a new car. By the first week of school, she had saved enough to both buy a decent car and still have plenty of money left in the bank. I was so proud of her!

We're using the PASS card to teach her the value of necessities like gas and groceries. She is having to budget the funds we load on her card for these things and I'm really happy that she's learning about conserving gas and the cost of various foods through using her PASS Card-- This will really come in handy next year when she goes to college.

My older stepdaughter needs a slightly tighter rein when it comes to learning how to budget. She also has a job and, no doubt influenced by her younger sister's impressive savings account, has just begun saving money on her own. She has a credit card in her name on our account, and we've had a few small unexpected purchases appear on that card. She's living at home this year and going to college here in Nashville, but we are now debating whether to get her an Amex Credit Card with a preset limit or give her a PASS Card like her sister's when she goes away to school next year. I like the PASS Card idea a lot for her, because if she suddenly gets in a bind and needs a larger amount of money, I can instantly load the funds she needs onto her card- but otherwise, she would receive a specific amount of money weekly and it would be up to her to budget accordingly.

I'm just glad there are so many options now when it comes to teaching our kids how to budget their money, whether you opt for a PASS Card, a credit card with parental limits, a credit card with bank-authorized limits, or no cards at all.

Now I want to know how you're teaching your kids about finances. Are you finding, like I am, that your approach needs to be tailored to each of your children's strengths and weaknesses, or are you taking a one-size-fits-all approach?

We Love Our Company Kids Hooded Towel

2010-09-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

Punky has a hooded princess towel, and since she's been taking swim lessons she's worn it quite a bit. That means that her 3-year-old brother, Bruiser, has become very, very jealous of the hooded towel.

Enter Company Kids.

Fortuitously, they offered me a hooded towel for review, and sent a robot version for Bruiser to try out. What happened when the towel arrived? What do you think?

HE LOVED IT.

Bruiser thinks of his robot towel as an actual costume, and has taken to wearing it around the house all the time, which is no problem as far as I'm concerned because it's the cutest thing EVER!

In addition, the towel is thick, plush, well-made and durable. It's gone through the wash several times now and looks as good as ever.

Company Kids has all kinds of hooded towels for kids, from caterpillars to angels to monsters to aliens to bunny rabbits. You can check out the full collection here. Prices range from $19.99 to $29.50.

And I highly recommend them.

Disclosure: I received a hooded towel from Company Kids to facilitate this review. My opinions, as always, are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: Bayala from Schleich

2010-09-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Surely you're familiar with Schleich, the maker of animal and fantasy figures with bins that can be found in stores including Toys R Us, Target, and Michaels, among others.

We've been buying Schleich animals as stocking stuffers and small treats for the kids for years- My six-year-old daughter particularly loves the line of horses, while my son prefers the zoo animals. I love Schleich toys because they are so detailed and well-made- Each animal and figure will almost certainly be played with some day by my children's children. They're too nice to give up, even when the kids outgrow them! I also love them because they are great options for the kids' allowance money, or for small gifts on special occasions.

My six-year-old adores fairy tales, Harry Potter, and unicorns, and so it's not surprising that her latest obsession is with Schleich's Bayala fantasy world, which is populated by elves, fairies, unicorns and flying horses.

Check out Feya ($6.49), a fairy that Punky now takes with her just about everywhere...

If there's any Schleich creature that Punky likes more than Feya, it's Pegasus ($16.49), a horse with wings. My daughter is completely horse-crazy, so as you can imagine, Pegasus is like a horse that goes to eleven!

And finally, there's the piece de resistance, as far as my daughter is concerned... The UNICORN ($16.49).

Did you know that unicorns are real? I know because my six-year-old told me. She's been arguing about it with her classmates now for months! And this particular Schleich unicorn is only adding fuel to her already busy imagination.

Of course there are lots more fantasy figures in Schleich's Bayala collection- and I'll be telling you about more of them in the months to come.

In the meantime, to find a Schleich retailer nearest you or online, check out Schleich's store locator here.

Disclosure: Schleich provided me with these figures to facilitate my review. My opinions are my own.

Our PASS Card Experience, Part Six: The Most Important Financial Lesson My Parents Ever Taught Me. What's Yours?

2010-09-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Debt.

Plenty of my friends struggle with it, but I'll be honest: It's a foreign concept to me. And I have my parents and my husband to thank for that.

Growing up, it was ingrained into my very soul that you never, EVER, EVER, EVER rack up debt of any kind on your credit card. I knew that when I had a credit card of my own, as soon as I began making my way down that slippery slope of sending in a check for the minimum payment on my credit card bill (as opposed to the full amount that was due), very, very bad things would happen. That one small act would almost certainly eventually lead to me losing my job, my house, my friends, my family, my looks, and even my life, all because I had caught what to my mind was the equivalent of modern-day leprosy:

CREDIT CARD DEBT.

Uh, thanks, Mom and Dad.

Consequently, I have never not paid my bill in full each month. Ever. If I don't have the money to buy it, guess what? I DON'T BUY IT! Whee, life is so easy!

I now realize that I was incredibly lucky to marry a man who not only felt the exact same way about credit card debt, he took it a step further- We should do everything in our power, he told me, to make sure that the only thing we are paying off is our home. Period. End of story.

With that said, we don't buy anything unless we can afford to buy it outright. And sometimes, living this way has been hard. At one point, it meant that my husband drove a 15-year-old, junker Tercel with no air conditioning for an entire year until we could save enough money to buy ourselves a used SUV that could fit our entire family inside. And the man is one of the most popular news reporters in town, so you can imagine the looks he got from other drivers when they realized who the man inside that dirty hooptie was.

So yes-- I've had to swallow my pride a few times to live debt-free, and my husband has, too. But I can tell you now that it is so worth it! Talking to my friends who are literally slaves to their debt, IT IS SO WORTH IT! We sleep peacefully every night, knowing that even if the worst happened and my husband lost his job, we could make ends meet on very little money. We wouldn't be comfortable and we'd have to give up some things we love, but we could make our mortgage payment and we could pay our bills and we could put food on the table, and we would have no massive debts hanging over our heads to worry about.

The moral of this story? The most important financial lesson I hope to teach my own children is simply to LIVE. DEBT. FREE. Pay off your credit card month to month. And if you can't afford it? Don't buy it! Save up your money until you have what you need to buy what you want.

Now I'd love to know the most important financial lesson your parents taught you, or-- and this is when it gets really interesting-- Which lesson do you wish they had taught you about your finances? Did you have to learn anything the hard way? Discuss!

Holiday Gift Guide: Beauty and the Beast on Blu-Ray

2010-09-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

Coming out October fifth is one of my family's all-time favorite movies- the Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-Ray/DVD combo of Beauty and the Beast!

You have no idea how excited I was about this release. We've been watching the previews for this film on our other Blu-Ray discs and could see that the sound and picture quality had been upgraded to take our Beauty and the Beast experience to eleven.

Now that we've seen an advanced copy of the movie, we're not disappointed.

Are you one of two people in the world who've never seen this film? Here's a synopsis from the studio:

Set in and around a quaint French village during the late 18th century, Beauty and the Beast follows the fantastic adventures of Belle, a bright and beautiful young woman who finds escape from her ordinary life, and the advances of a boorish suitor, Gaston, by reading books.

Meanwhile, off in a castle in the distance, a cruel young prince is cast under the spell of an enchantress who turns him into a tormented beast, while transforming his servants into animated household objects.

In order to remove the curse, the Beast must discover a true love who will return his affection before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. When Belle’s inventor father stumbles upon the Beast’s castle and is taken prisoner, Belle comes to the rescue and agrees to take her father’s place. With the help of the castle’s enchanted staff, she sees beneath the Beast’s exterior and discovers the heart and soul of a human prince.

What really puts this DVD combo over the top is its special features, which include state-of-the-art picture restoration, pristine 7.1 Digital Surround Sound and hours of additional viewing experiences that include behind the scenes features, deleted scenes, enhanced music tracks, immersive games and more.

We especially loved the fact that this disc includes both the original theatrical release and a special extended version (because really, can you even get enough Beauty and the Beast?!) . You can also watch the songs in Disney sing-along mode, which my daughter really enjoys, and there are also several behind-the-scenes featurettes about the movie and the Broadway show, for true Beauty and the Beast aficionados.

You can pre-order your copy of Disney's Beauty in the Beast Three-Disc Diamond Edition on Blu-Ray and DVD now for just $24.99.

A Moon Dough Review

2010-09-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the stars align and things happen just the way you want them to.

My three-year-old, Bruiser, has been watching the new commercial for Moon Dough and begging for a Moon Dough playset of his own.

The next thing I know, Moon Dough sends me an e-mail, asking if I'd like to review one of its playsets!

Heck yeah!

Moon Dough, for those of you who don't know already is hypo-allergenic and wheat-free, soft and marshmallow-like, and it does not stick to or stain material. Because Moon Dough never dries out, kids can use it again and again.

I was more than ready to get my hands on some because Bruiser loves Play-Doh, and Play-Doh gets incredibly messy. Could Moon Dough be our answer? We were about to find out!

One thing I'm glad I did was take the time to read the instructions on how to properly use it in the molds. While Moon Dough is light and non-sticky, it does crumble and you really have to pack it into the molds to make it come out the way you want it to- so it does take some help from me and some monitoring to make sure the mess doesn't get too out of hand.

That said, Bruiser loves the feel of the Moon Dough, and he loves helping me make shapes for his barn. It is a great, tactile creative play experience for him and he has played with his Moon Dough barn over and over again.

The bottom line? Moon Dough is a lot of fun, but don't expect a no-mess experience (no matter what kind of "dough" or "doh" you're using) and read the instructions so that you know how it's supposed to work.

Check out more information about Moon Dough and Moon Dough products here.

Modern Family: The Complete First Season Out Now on DVD!

2010-09-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

The one series all my friends have been telling me to watch is Modern Family.

Everyone I know has been raving about this show, promising it's the funniest program on TV right now.

Now that Modern Family: The Complete First Season is out on DVD, I'm finally getting a chance to put my friends' claims to the test.... and they're absolutely right. It is hilarious, involving, and definitely "modern!" I'm having a lot of fun making my way through season one.

Here's a brief synopsis of the show, for those of you who are unfamiliar with its premise:

Come join the family for the hilarious and critically acclaimed breakout hit of the year! Featuring an all-star cast led by Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vargara, Julie Bowen, and Ty Burrell, Modern Family takes a refreshing and funny view of what it means to raise a family in this hectic day and age. Multi-cultural relationships, adoption, and same-sex marriage are just a few of the timely issues faced by the show’s three wildly-diverse broods. No matter the size or shape, family always comes first in this hilariously “modern” look at life, love, and laughter.

The DVD collection also includes extended and alternate scenes, deleted family interviews, the making of Modern Family, a gag reel and more!

Modern Family: The Complete First Season is available now on Amazon for $32.99.

Holiday Gift Guide: Glee: The Complete First Season

2010-09-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

I hate to admit that until recently, I had never seen a single episode of Glee.

It seems crazy, given my history with musical theater and my love of high school dramas... but I don't like to watch a series unless I've seen it from the very beginning.

So you can imagine, given all the interest in the Glee series, I was SO EXCITED to get my hands on a copy of Glee, Season One on DVD!!

For those of you who (live under a rock and) are unfamiliar with the series, here's a quick synopsis:

GLEE follows a group of eager and ambitious students as they strive to outshine their singing competition while navigating the cruel halls of McKinley High. Although New Directions lost at Regionals, they now have their sights set on making it to Nationals and defeating their arch rivals, Vocal Adrenaline.

I have to say, this series is my new guilty pleasure and if you're looking for a new series to lose yourself in and you enjoy musicals and pop culture, this is definitely one to consider.

The DVD set includes the director's cut of the pilot, sing-along karaoke, several Glee Music Juke Box features, full length audition pieces, and tons of other special featurettes that every Gleek will adore.

Glee: The Complete First Season is available on Amazon right now for $34.99.

Disclosure: I received a copy of Glee: The Complete First Season to facilitate my review.

Nashville City Saver Coupon Book Giveaway!

2010-09-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

Nashville-area readers, you don't want to miss this giveaway!

The Nashville City Saver coupon book is out (formerly the Citipass book) and it's chock-full of some of my absolute favorite Nashville-area restaurants and attractions.

Inside, you'll find coupons for restaurants including Whitfields, Ellendales, Copper Kettle, and Holland House (four of our all-time favorite restaurants in the city), as well as Yolos, Past Perfect, Famous Dave's, Qdoba Mexican Grill, and many, many more.

The fun stuff section has coupons for the Nashville Predators, Nashville Zoo, Regal Cinemas, Cheekwood, The Frist Center, and many more attractions.

You'll also find discounts to Sport Seasons, Electronic Express, Dick's, Ace Hardware, Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, and lots of other stores.

Local schools and non-profits are selling the book for $25 per copy- If you've ever bought one, you know it's MORE than worth it- My husband and I buy one every year and often use the book for date nights and family outings. It's really a fantastic deal.

You can also buy a copy at www.nashvillecitysaver.com.

AND! Just to pique your interest, I'm giving away a copy of this year's Nashville City Saver to one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post between now and Saturday, October 2nd, telling me which coupon in the book you're most excited about using. Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a copy of the City Saver for taking the time to host this giveaway.

Our PASS Card Experience, Part Five: Teen Currency

2010-09-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Teen currency has changed quite a bit from when I was growing up.

As a kid, I had a debit card that could only be used to withdraw money from an ATM, and I had cash. That was it.

I remember when my debit card became a check card once I entered college (do you remember those heady days? It minimized ATM visits and check-writing, and I was so excited about that!), and for the first several months, I suppose the technology was still being ironed out because about every tenth time I used it, it would be declined, even though I had plenty of money in the bank, and I would be so embarrassed! To this day, I still have a little worry in the back of my mind that my debit card will be declined, although it hasn't happened in years!

I didn't get a credit card until I graduated from college and got my first "real" job. Credit cards, I had always been taught, were essentially of the devil, and I used mine with great caution. To this day, I have paid my credit card bill in full every single month. I can't imagine the alternative, to be honest.

Nowadays, of course, teen currency is totally different.

Debit cards are accepted pretty much everywhere, and many parents consider them to be far safer than cash. Most teens have a bank account, yet most teens have never written a check from it. And with the popularity of online shopping at teen magnet stores like Forever 21, plenty of teens also have credit cards, with their parents' blessing. After all, you don't want to use your debit card to order online because of the potential for hackers to steal your number, and all of the funds from your bank account.

My 17-year-old operated only in cash for the first six or so months after she'd gotten a job. She learned the hard way that it was a mess- She was constantly misplacing her money and it was tough to keep track of how much she actually had.

After that, she opened a bank account and since that time, she has been depositing half of her check into her savings every two weeks. I'm proud of her for doing that on her own-- It allowed her to replace her car within a couple of months after she totaled the one we had bought for her (she wasn't hurt, don't worry!) and she still had money left over in savings.

She still has trouble keeping up with her cash (not to mention her phone!) and that's why I'm very glad we have not yet gotten her a credit card. I'm also very glad about the safeguards on her new PASS card, which come in handy for forgetful or disorganized teens.

If her card is lost or stolen, we are not responsible for fraudulent charges, AND American Express will replace the funds.
Since the card is prepaid, she can only spend what's loaded on the card. There are no overdraft charges and no impact on her credit.

These safeguards allow her a safety net as she learns to use her first card responsibly. I also prefer her to have her gas and allowance funds on a card because it hopefully makes her a little less of a target, since she's not carrying much cash around.

And now let's get this conversation rolling!

What currency does your teen use? Has it changed from when you were a teenager? Are these changes good or bad?

An Umi Shoes Giveaway!

2010-09-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

I always like to say... If they're good enough for Jennifer Garner's kids, they're good enough for mine!

Heh.

I'm talking about Umi Shoes, which both my children have been wearing since they could walk, and which are consistently some of my daughter's absolute favorite pair of shoes, both for comfort and style. (My son, frankly, could care less!)

Obviously from the picture above, plenty of celebrities have caught on to the power of Umi, and it's no surprise. Every shoe the company makes is tested for safety, durability, and meets strict standards for child-safe materials.

Once your child has a pair of Umi shoes, I can pretty much guarantee you'll be as addicted to them as we are. My daughter is particularly loving a pair of Umi Mary Janes she just received, which have rubber soles, allowing her to wear them in P.E. class without sacrificing her sense of style!

And fortunately for you, I'm giving away a pair of Umi shoes to one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader! You can choose between...

...the Orchid shoe in pink for girls (Punky has this pair),

the Adelaide in black patent for girls...

the Pilot in chocolate for boys...

or the Tiberius Lo in black for boys.

To enter, leave a comment both on this post and on Umi's Facebook page referencing this giveaway, between now and Saturday, September 25th. Be sure to leave your e-mail address in the comment here, so that I can contact you if you've won.

Good luck!

Disclosure: Umi sent me a pair of shoes for each of my kids to try out. My opinions are my own.

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Out September 21st on Blu-Ray and DVD!

2010-09-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

We try to have a family movie night once a week, so I'm always on the hunt for movies that the kids will love and the adults can stand! As any parent knows, that can be a tall order.

This past week, we all watched an advanced Blu-Ray copy of Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, which comes out September 21 on Blu-Ray and DVD. On its surface, this might not seem like a movie that anyone but little girls could love, but if you've seen the Tinker Bell franchise, you know that these movies are waaaaay better than the average straight-to-DVD girl films-- and this third installment was no exception.

Here's a synopsis from the studio:

Before she was ever introduced to Wendy and the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell met Lizzy, a girl with a steadfast belief in fairies. Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue begins in summertime in the beautiful English countryside. An enchanting encounter unfolds when Tinker Bell is discovered by Lizzy, and as their different worlds unite, Tink develops a special bond with the curious girl in need of a friend.

As her fellow fairies launch a daring rescue, Tinker Bell takes a huge risk, putting her own safety and the future of the fairies in jeopardy. This action-packed adventure takes the fairies of Pixie Hollow on a daring flight to London to save Tinker Bell and all of fairy kind.

Like the Tinker Bell films that came before it, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is full of absolutely beautiful, calming, intricate CGI animation. The soundtrack is wonderful and the story is compelling. The studio spared no expense with talent- the movie features the voices of Kristen Chenoweth, Raven Symone, and Lucy Liu, among others. I really enjoyed watching it and my 3-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter both loved it too. I totally recommend it for family viewing, or as a fantastic movie for your little girl to watch.

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue will be available on September 21st as a Blu-Ray/DVD combo on Amazon for $21.99.

Special DVD features include deleted scenes, a music video, a special preview of Disney's upcoming "Tangled" film about Rapunzel, and special games and activities.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this Blu-Ray disc to facilitate my review.

I'm Giving Away Four Tickets to Toy Story 3 on Ice in Nashville!

2010-09-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3 visits Nashville from Thursday, Sept. 30, to Sunday, Oct. 3, for seven performances at the Bridgestone Arena.

I'm guessing your children loved Toy Story 3 as much as mine did- I can't wait to take them to the ice show!

Here are some facts about the performance...

The show brings summer’s biggest hit to the ice and also includes memorable scenes fromToy Story and Toy Story 2 to create the ultimate Toy Story experience.
It features state-of-the-art projection design that allows audiences to virtually shrink down to toy size.
Innovative 3D technology uses the entire ice surface to create oversized effects and scenic elements that alter the audience’s perception of scale.
There will be a special Performance for Ft. Campbell Families on Saturday, October 2nd, at which 8,000 military family members will attend a private, free performance of Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3. Clarksville businessman Jack Turner coordinated the effort to raise money to provide this free show to soldiers’ families. Gold Star Kids, children who have lost a parent in service, will attend a meet-and-greet with characters after the show.

Want to enter to win 4 passes to see the show here in Nashville? These passes are good either for opening night (Thursday, September 30th) or Friday morning (October 1st). To enter, just leave a comment on this post between now and Wednesday, September 22nd and tell me why you want to win the tickets! Be sure to leave your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you've won.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received 4 complimentary tickets to Toy Story 3 on Ice in exchange for hosting this giveaway.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Out Now on Blu-Ray and DVD!

2010-09-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

Behold! My daughter's new favorite film!

If you didn't get a chance to see Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time on the big screen (or heck, even if you did), be sure to watch it on Blu-Ray- This magnificent family film is not to be missed!

My entire family watched this one together, and while there was one scene that was a little scary for the kids (a man burned to death beneath a poisoned cloak) and quite a bit of fighting, Disney did an admirable job of making the whole thing a bloodless, gore-less affair. I didn't feel like it was too much even for my children to handle-- We are definitely Indiana Jones/Harry Potter/ adventure movie fans, and this movie was right up our alley!

Here's a synopsis of the film from the studio:

In the spirit of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films transport you to the mystical lands of Persia for this wildly entertaining, epic action-adventure. It‘s a race against time when a rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhaal) reluctantly teams up with a rival princess (Gemma Arterton) to safeguard a magical dagger that gives its possessor the power to reverse time and rule the world. Filled with death-defying escapes and unexpected twists at every turn – Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a fun-filled adventure that will keep your pulse pounding long after the credits end.

Special features on the 3-disc combo disc I reviewed include a look behind the scenes on the set of the film, a deleted scene, and "CineExplore: The Sands of Time, " which lets you take control of the dagger and use it to unlock secrets behind your favorite scenes. Turn back time and uncover over 40 spellbinding segments – including “Walking Up Walls”, “Filming in Morocco”, and “Ostrich Jockey Tryouts”- with this exclusive interactive feature.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is available as a 3-disc combo pack for $26.99 right now on Amazon.com.

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this movie to facilitate my review. My opinions are my own.

September Means Playtime on Our Backyard Discovery Playset!

2010-09-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

August was a bad month around here.

It was the hottest summer anyone could remember in years. Consequently, we spent a lot of time indoors, and our new Backyard Discovery playset sat empty in our backyard, lonely and forlorn.

The kids would try to go outside from time to time and play on it, but with the oppressive heat, they never made it for more than a few minutes at a time.

And then September rolled around, and everything changed.

From out of nowhere, neighborhood children started showing up again in our backyard. The wall was climbed.

The slide was wiped clean by a few dozen passes from tiny backsides.

Countless imaginary games were created, with the playset as center stage. This month alone, it has been a pirate ship, a clubhouse, a store, and an orphanage.

Our swings have become the place to catch up on the latest 4 to 8-year-old neighborhood gossip.

And after holding out for a couple of months, my six-year-old finally scaled the climbing wall, all by herself. She's not one for climbing, particularly in her little lady dress-- but on this day, nothing could hold her back.

Honestly, I thought when we set up the playset in our backyard that it would get continuous play for a month or so, then, like so many of our friends' playsets, go largely unused.

That has not been the case at all.

Any time they go outside (which is any time the temperature is under 95 degrees and it's not raining!), the playset is the first, and often the last, stop.

In a world where too many kids spend most of their time indoors, watching TV, surfing the web, and playing video games, it's wonderful having such an extraordinary enticement for my children to spend their playtime outdoors. I feel so lucky, and based on our experience, I would tell anyone with kids that a playset is such a worthwhile investment.

Our Atlantis playset from Backyard Discovery costs far less than it looks, too! You can get it at Walmart for $599. If you've priced playsets, you know that's a great deal, particularly for a playset with so many features and a pretty wooden roof on the playhouse.

Backyard Discovery has plenty more beautiful playsets to choose from, whether you have lots of space and an expansive budget or... the opposite. Heh.

Stay tuned to this blog for more Backyard Discovery stories to come!

Disclosure: I am a Backyard Discovery Brand Ambassador and received a playset so that I could write about my family's experiences with it.

Our PASS Card Experience, Part Four: On the Subject of Allowance

2010-09-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about allowance.

There are so many different philosophies on allowances for teens, from how much to how often, to what for.

I read once that allowance should never be given for work done around the house, but instead for good behavior, because giving allowance for work implies that "family work" should be paid, when really our children will grow up doing all kinds of unpaid "family work" for the rest of their adult lives.

That made good sense to me.

However, it was too late to put that into action with my stepdaughters. Currently, my 19-year-old gets no allowance at all- Once she graduated from high school, finished her first year of college and got a job, we decided that it was time for her to earn her own spending and gas money.

My 17-year-old gets $20 of allowance per week IF she cleans her room and bathroom. Personally, I think that's too high for the jobs (I still have to vacuum, mop the floors and clean the toilet- Blech), but that's what Hubs decided and often, she doesn't do the work or get the allowance anyway. She's making quite a bit of money working at McDonalds, so the incentive for an extra sawbuck a week apparently isn't all that strong!

Since we are trying out the PASS Card for teens, we decided to load her allowance onto the card each week if she does her jobs. This move has been brilliant. Of course, our teen would rather we pay her cash, but loading the allowance on her card gives us some insight into her spending habits. That said, I now think loading your teens' allowance onto a PASS card or debit card is a brilliant idea! Not only does it teach your teen how to use a spending card responsibly, it also gives you some idea of how your teens are spending their money, and whether they're falling into any pitfalls (like too much Forever 21 or Starbucks, for example).

As for my six-year-old daughter, we haven't really instituted a weekly allowance, largely because I don't want her to do chores for money, for the reasons I've listed above. When she goes above and beyond, though, we'll often give her change or a dollar bill or two. She talks often of saving for a pony "for as long as it takes," but every six months or so, she feels a wave of compassion and decides to give all of her allowance to our Compassion, International child in India. "I don't really need the money anyway," she said matter-of-factly when donating her allowance the other day, "and Asifa does."

For a six-year-old, I'd say she's doing pretty well with her finances! If she can learn the value of giving to others early on, it will be one of the best lessons I could have taught her.

And that's our allowance story- What's yours? I feel like I have quite a bit to learn in this department!

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Grill Kit Giveaway!

2010-09-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

The popular assumption is that most grilling out takes place in the summer.

But here in Tennessee, a summer grill-out is a nightmare for the chef. It's already 95+ degrees out, the humidity's high and the mosquitoes are in abundance. Why on earth would anyone in her right mind stand out there in front of a hot grill?

Nope, FALL is the time for a cookout around here, and that's why I'm excited to host this awesome giveaway from Unilever and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray is the perfect complement to food on the grill, adding fresh butter flavor to your favorite summer dishes, along with 0 calories, 0g fat, and 0g trans fat per serving.

Try these quick and simple ideas to add great flavor to your favorite foods:

For a savory seafood appetizer, grill clams until they open and arrange in a serving bowl. Generously spray the clams with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Original Spray and sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs. Serve with crusty toasted bread slices topped with Spray.

For easy seasoned kabobs, just before grilling your favorite chicken, beef, seafood or veggie kabobs, spray with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Original Spray, then sprinkle with garlic powder and your favorite herbs.

For a delicious buttery flavor, spray I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Original Spray onto hot corn-on-the cob just off the grill and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Spice it up by splashing on a little red or green hot pepper sauce!

For a super-easy “Blackened” Steak or Chicken, spray I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Original Spray onto steak or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, then sprinkle with chili powder, dried herbs and black pepper and rub into the meat. Grill until the meat reaches desired doneness.

In order to put these ideas to the test, I'm offering one of you an I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! grilling gift pack, which includes:

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray
Premium Non-Stick Grilling Basket
Crate & Barrel Portable 4-piece Grill Tool Set with Carrying Case
8 Better For You BBQ Recipe cards (from the dishes you sampled at the event!)
Better For You BBQ Newsletter with recipes and tips

I received one of these gift packs myself and it is NICE, y'all. You will be very happy-- We just got a new grill ourselves, and our new gift pack was absolutely perfect for it!

If you'd like to enter, just leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite way to use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray. If you follow @ICBINotButter on Twitter, you can have another entry- Just leave another comment telling me you're following them on Twitter now. This contest will run between today and Saturday, September 11th. It's open to US residents only. And don't forget to leave your e-mail address in your comment so that I can contact you if you've won.

And for more great grilling information from I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! check out this website!

Good luck!

Our Webkinz Jr. Party!

2010-08-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

When I was given the opportunity to host a Webkinz Jr. party here at my home, I didn't hesitate to say yes.

Webkinz Jr. toys have to be one of my son and daughter's absolute favorite toys in the house- They have about five between them and are both clamoring for more.

Most of you are probably familiar with Webkinz- and if you have small children, you know how frustrating it can be to try and help them navigate the website.

That's where Webkinz Jr. comes to the rescue. Designed for children between the ages of 3 and 6, it's easy to navigate and requires no reading skills. The games and lessons are both educational and entertaining. And as a parent, you can even go in yourself and set the difficulty level of the games from easy to advanced. I love it, and I can't say enough good things about it.

Best of all for all of our mental health (heh), Punky could play Webkinz Jr. without needing any help from me from about the age of four on. There aren't many websites for small children that are simple enough for them to navigate themselves- This site has taught her valuable computer skills and she has been so proud to be able to figure it all out on her own.

But um. Back to the party.

As many of you know, Nashville experienced a 1,000-year flood back in May and many families in my community lost their homes and nearly everything in them. Since I'm in a unique position of knowing many of those families through church, school, and other activities, I decided to invite guests who'd lost everything in the flood. After all, I can't think of much that would be more traumatic to a child than to lose their treasured toys and loveys. How do you even explain that to a child? We couldn't replace everything they've lost, but at least they could go home with a new Webkinz pet!

As the eager hostess, Punky put out all of her Webkinz Jr. pets to greet guests when they arrived.

We also had snacks for our guests...

And a few craft projects set up in the playroom that Webkinz sent us to make our party complete.

And of course, we had brand new Webkinz Jr. plushes for our guests to choose from when they arrived! These are just a few of the newest Webkinz Jr. pets that are available.

When the guests began arriving, Punky immediately took them on a tour of the Webkinz Jr. world. To be honest, even though we had lots of other activities, all anyone wanted to do was play Webkinz Jr.!

However, we were able to entice a few of our guests away from the computer long enough to make paper bag puppets...

And friendship bracelets, while their new Webkinz Jr. pets looked on.

At the end of the party, the kids headed outside for a little backyard play...

But it wasn't long before they were back inside again, clamoring for more computer time!

Check out Webkinz Jr. for yourself here for more information. If you can't wait to buy a pet, you can purchase a pet code on the site and let your child play Webkinz Jr. on the computer. However, you'll find Webkinz Jr. pets at many major retailers, including Toys R Us (that's where we get ours). I can pretty much guarantee that your 3-6 year-old will LOVE the Webkinz Jr. experience.

After the party was over, Punky informed us that she is asking for every single Webkinz Jr. that she doesn't already have for her birthday- and that is all she wants!

And that was our Webkinz Jr. party! Does your child have a Webkinz Jr. pet? What do you think of the line?

Disclosure: Ganz sent us 10 Webkinz Jr. pets to give to our guests, as well as party favor bags and party supplies.

I chose not to identify the children at our party (besides my own) in these pictures because of the sensitive nature of their families' current situation.

Our PASS Card experience, Part Three: Reducing Your Teen's Temptation to Overspend

2010-08-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

My 19-year-old has a copy of our credit card in her name. This has always been a bit worrisome to me, since she has a ways to go when it comes to money.

We gave her the card when she went off to college because we knew that she'd have certain expenses (like her car breaking down or a need for a small microwave, for example) that would go beyond her meager school budget.

However, that card has brought with it a host of small problems.

There was the time when she used our card to fill up her gas tank three times in one week, even though she lives on campus.

Hmm.

There were the times when she used our card to buy iTunes without telling us.

There was the time over the summer when I was in New York City and received a call from my husband that I couldn't use my credit card anymore because our 19-year-old had lost hers.

Ummm. TRAVELING.

These are just a few reasons why I'm really enjoying having a PASS card for my 17-year-old. We preload it each week with a set amount of money and she can't go beyond that limit. Period. We can also check her account transactions online, and so can she.

She's had it for a few weeks now. I just checked her balance and it's at $0.00. Obviously, I'd prefer for her to always have at least a few dollars on the card, however this is her budgeting lesson and she's got to learn it on her own.

I'm just thankful (from past experience) that she can never go over her weekly $50 limit. That's huge, y'all. You can have the best teenager in the world and still end up with a large(ish) bill on your credit card that you weren't expecting if you give your child a copy of your card.

The PASS card protects our 17-year-old from spending too much- and it protects our own budget as well.

In fact, I'm reminded now of a good friend of mine who in college had a little too much to drink and ended up using her father's credit card to buy everyone in the (packed) bar a round. The bill was in the thousands!

A PASS card sure would have come in handy there...

This week, I want to know about your experiences in this department. Did you ever charge too much on your parents' card when you were a kid? Have your teens ever done this to you? With all these stories in mind, are you leery of giving your teen a copy of your credit card now?

Tell me about it!

Also, for tips on having The (Money) Talk with your kids, check out www.moneynighttalk.com. That's where financial expert Jean Chatzky will be hosting a National Money Night Talk on the evening of September 16th. She'll give you the tools you need to talk about finances with your kids-- She'll even give you the words to say in the event that you're feeling particularly lost! I think this is a fantastic idea. Some of you have told me over the past few weeks that your parents never had the money talk with you and your finances have suffered over the years as a result. Put September 16th on your calendar-- It's a great, specific way to make sure that Money Talk actually happens.

Lands' End School Uniforms: We Love Them!

2010-08-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

Punky's school requires standard school attire, which is a nice word for UNIFORM. I hate buying uniforms, but if she's got to wear them, she might as well look cute!

That's why I was psyched to review one of Lands' End's new school uniforms for this school year. We've ordered plenty of Lands' End uniform pieces in the past and I absolutely love them. They hold up really well through repeated washings and to my mind are the best affordable uniform options out there.

Punky is wearing one of Lands' End's brand-new knit jumpers. Yes! They're FINALLY making a knit jumper now! It is far more comfortable than the stiff twill versions on the market, yet Lands' End's version retains its shape and hasn't pilled in the wash. I'm so happy with this jumper that I'm buying another one in navy!

She's also wearing the short sleeved pintuck blouse, which is another big winner here. Even after washing and no ironing, it somehow managed to stay wrinkle-free, and that my friends is worth its weight in gold.

Other great features about Lands' End's school clothing and accessories line the retailer wants you to know:

· Durability: Importance of reinforced seams and adjustable waists for ultimate comfort and durability.
· Range of Sizes: A wider variety of sizes are now available for kids. Whether regular size, slim, tall, plus or husky, there are options for every kid.
· Personalization: Kids can now customize their backpacks, lunch boxes and more with monograms, embroidery, heat transfers and numbers.
· School Uniforms: School uniforms don’t have to be uncool or uncomfortable. Lands’ End offers gender-specific items including feminine tops and cardigans for boys and girls with a wide range of sizes.

Lands' End also offers lots of great discounts on its school uniform clothes. I've been getting e-mails left and right with great offers- Right now, for instance, you can get 30% off all school uniform pieces and free shipping with the code AUG30 and PIN 2074.

Sweet!

Dansko's Mommy and Me Giveaway!

2010-08-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Wanna know what my daughter and I have in common in these pictures?

We're both wearing Dansko shoes!

Yes, Dansko, a leader in comfort footwear since 1990, is re-launching their children’s clog collection with a range of specially engineered clogs perfectly designed for a child’s foot!

The adorable child-sized versions of the Dansko original are perfect for both school and play and carry the American Podiatric Medical Association seal of acceptance for promoting good foot health.

When Dansko offered to send a pair of shoes for my daughter and another pair for me, I was really excited to try them out. For a long time now, readers, friends, and family members have been swearing to me that Dansko makes the best-quality, most comfortable shoes around. I even know people who will ONLY wear Dansko shoes. Suffice it to say I was eager to put these shoes to the test myself.

For Punky, I ordered an adorable pair of bubble gum-pink clogs. For myself, I was crazy about a gorgeous brown leather pair of slouch boots. Let me just say right now that both of us literally could not be happier about our new Danskos.

Punky wears her clogs to school nearly every day and loves how comfortable they are- There wasn't even a breaking-in period with these shoes- She put them on and was good to go from day one.

And my boots? ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. I love them. I love how comfortable they are. I love the moderate heel, which will work with just about everything I own. I love the rich look of the leather. I will probably sleep in them when the weather gets cooler- That's how much I love them.

I'll be writing more about these boots (and others) this week over at my style blog on The Stir.

In the meantime, though, IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Dansko is letting me give one lucky Suburban Turmoil/ She's Still Got It reader a pair of Danksos for both you AND your daughter!! Or your grandaughter! Or your god daughter! Or your niece! Or the special little girl in your life!

To enter, just leave a comment telling me why you'd like to win these shoes between now and Friday, September 3rd. Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won.

Good luck!

Our PASS Card experience, Part Two: Our Teen Has a Lot to Learn!

2010-08-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of American Express and the new PASS Card for teenagers.

Week one with our new PASS Card was interesting, to say the least.

The PASS Card, for those of you who are just joining us, is a prepaid, reloadable card that American Express has debuted as a great way to teach teenagers how to manage their money- without spending beyond their limit or racking up overdraft fees. You can read part one of our PASS Card experience here.

When we presented my 17-year-old with the card, she seemed really excited about it. Since she has a job and is making her own spending money, we decided to put $30 on the card per week for a weekly gas fill-up and $20 for groceries and meals. I thought that since she's a senior and will (fingers crossed) be going off to college next year, she'd benefit from choosing some of her own food and budgeting meals on her own. That was something of a problem for our eldest during her first year of college.

I was thrilled by my stepdaughter's great attitude about her new card- She seemed pleased with the added independence that managing her own food and gas money gave her. She agreed to start a notebook to keep track of how much she'd put on the card each week, and we told her we'd add $50 to the card each Monday.

Three days later, I found the PASS card under a table in our den.

Ummmmm.

Now would be a good time to mention that one of the best things about the PASS card is that we are not responsible for fraudulent charges if it's lost or stolen- and American Express will replace any money that's been stolen from our PASS account. Our 17-year-old has some difficulty keeping up with things (I believe she's been through at least 10 cell phones so far-- YES, 10!-- and don't worry, she replaces them herself when she loses them/runs over them/ drops them in the toilet) and despite her excitement, the PASS card was no exception.

Anyway, I gave her the card again and told her to put it somewhere safe. A couple of days later over dinner, I asked her if she'd had a chance to use it yet.

"Yeah, I bought some coffee with it," she said. "But I didn't write down how much it cost and I lost the receipt. So I have no idea how much money is on the card now."

As I said, this week has been interesting.

I reminded my stepdaughter that the funds weren't for coffee or candy- they were for real, healthy groceries and meals. I suspect my gentle advice fell on deaf ears.

But one thing I um, "forgot" to tell her about this card is that I can track her charges, too! So I'll be checking up on her and finding out exactly what's going on, whether she wants me to know or not!

That's Week One! I'm hoping that by Week Seven, I'll be able to tell you all about a 17-year-old who writes down all her purchases and budgets for/buys what she needs, not what she wants.

Wish me luck!

In the meantime, do you have any good advice for me? I could definitely use it!

And for more information on the PASS Card, check out American Express's PASS Card page, which will give you all the information you need!