Healthy Ideas

The New Year, New You slogan is in full effect and as we near the end of January, I am sure there are folks out there struggling to stay focused -especially when it relates to keep a truly healthy diet.  For many mothers, trying to balance a household, working on losing weight and keeping the level of nutrition up for the children is challenging.  Luckily, Stop and Shop has some innovative tools to help you stay on track. 

Many times  people think that eating healthy meals means sacrificing taste and flavor when in reality it simply means making better food choices, substituting the not so good for the good. This is where Stop and Shop comes in! The Healthy Ideas program makes things easy for you.  Visit the website and check out some of the great recipes that are available and when you shop for the ingredients be on the lookout for the Healthy Ideas symbol.  Alternatively, if you have recipes that are tried and true but want to try healthier versions, simply use the Healthy Ideas products.  There are over  3000 Healthy Ideas products at Stop and Shop, you can learn more about the program (and have access to the recipes) on the Stop and Shop website in the Healthy Ideas section. 

Thank you Mom Central for bringing this wonderful program to my attention.

Bedtime Safari

One of the things that I have learned as a mother is that children like routines. They thrive on it. Recently I had the pleasure of adding Haydenburri Lane’s Rascal’s and Routines Carry Me Everywhere Suitcase to Mekhi’s bedtime ritual and it is simply amazing. This little case is filled with 5 finger puppets, a board book and a silky soft blanket that even I would love snuggling up with. Each puppet is responsible for one aspect of a bedtime routine and in the story Bedtime Safari we meet each character. Chomper the crocodile, Page the elephant, Rory the tiger, Bubbles the Hippo and PJ the bear. The bedtime pals have quickly become Mekhi’s favorite toys, he calls them his “puppies.” Here is a video to illustrate my point.





Mekhi will carry this beautiful suitcase around the house all day and night if I let him but since I want him to associate it with bedtime I only let him do this as the clock approached the sacred hour. He has definitely become used to it and when he isn’t ready for bed he cries at the mention of the “puppies” the tears quickly dry up when he sees his little friends. We read the board book and his pals accompany Mekhi on his bedtime adventures – brushing teeth, taking a bath,doing a pajama wiggle, a bedtime story and being tucked in. We usually read the bible and before we say our prayers Mekhi neatly puts his pals in the crib. In the morning Mekhi returns the puppets to the suitcase and says goodbye until the evening.

I truly cannot express how much I love the Carry Me Everywhere Suitcase. This product is so well made and just delightful. Everything included is the perfect size for a toddler. Although the recommended age for use is 3 and older, at 20 months Mekhi is having no problem understanding the bedtime routines and the role his friends play. If you have a challenge in any part of your bedtime routine or simply want to add some fun I highly recommend the Bedtime Safari Series.

The Carry Me Everywhere Suitcase is a limited edition in the Bedtime Safari collection. The regular series has a board book and an accompanying plush toy. At $17.98 I truly believe that adding at least one of the books and animals to your child’s collection is worth it. Right now you can get the Carry Me Everywhere Suitcase for $24.99, by using the code safarimoms. Act fast, this offer is only good until February 1, 2009. I know that you and your child will love these toys. Please let me know if you purchase something from the series, I am interested in hearing your feedback.

Winner!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2009-01-26 17:17:30 UTC

The Winner of the Leg Huggers is Valerie! Congratulations!

Leg Huggers - Giveaway!

There are times when I wish I had a girl child, primarily because I'd like a big dress up doll. I was blessed with a son and thus have an adoring baby boy which is fun but no dress-up is happening around here. That does not mean that I can't appreciate a good thing when I see it and Legg Huggers are a very good thing.



The Leg Huggers are made to be worn under dresses or over pants, can be used for crawlers, they are just the cutest. They are basically baby leg warmers. Made from Bamboo they are not only functional for baby but good for the environment. They are breathable, wick away moisture, and uv protective.

If I had a little girl, Leg Huggers would be my choice. And I have a pair to giveaway! All you havae to do is visit Leg huggers and tell me which style you would like if you had a choice. The pair I am giving away is the popsicle design, but let me know what you think of the others.

You can get extra entries by:
1. Tweeting the giveaway
2. subscribing to this blog

Be sure to visit Leg Huggers, you must do that for the first entry! This contest is open until Sunday, January 25th at 6:oopm. I will be selecting the winner by random.org. I will post the winner on the blog and contact by email - if I don't hear back within 72 hours, another winner will be selected. This contest is only open to residents of the U.S.

Good Luck!

Skin MD Winner!

Congratulations to Chris!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

22 

Timestamp: 2009-01-23 01:18:23 UTC

A New Year, A Fit and Fabulous Me!

I have decided that it is time to make some changes regarding my fitness and health. I have been on a mission to incorporate exercise into my life and get out of these "fat jeans." In order for me to keep up with my exercise I *have* to add fun to my workouts. If exercise is not fun there is less incentive for me to do it.

How lucky am I that GameStop is currently having the "Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body" campaign going on? Right now if you go to any GameStop store you can try out some of the great
games that match your interest and skill level before buying. This is great for me because my husband is picking up a Wii for me as we speak - at least that is my hope, supplies have been low lately. I am ready to go try out several exercise games that I have heard about like My Fitness Coach and Dance, Dance, Revolution. What? Dancing is exercise, didn't you know?

Anyhow, if you want to try out some great games stop by GameStop this month and check them out. And the bonus? All customers that spend $35.00 or more on designated products will recieve a free 12-month trial subscription to their choice of Cosmo, Marie Claire, Redbook, Good Housekeeping or Esquire. Sweet! I am going to Game Stop and getting my fitness on!

Skin MD Giveaway!

Happy New Year!
I am kicking things off right with a new review and a giveaway. Good things are coming in 2009 and this is just the beginning. Now, for the review.

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion and Sunscreen SPF 15

I was excited to try this lotion because it is different from other products on the market that are used to moisturize the skin. Skin MD is a shielding lotion that according to the website: "This product helps prevent loss of natural oils and moisture, doesn't allow irritating substances to penetrate the skin and absorbs the part of UV spectrum that contributes to premature skin aging and development of skin cancer."

When I tried out the product I was instantly impressed because it does not have that greasy feel I am accostomed to with other lotions. It is thin and light but once on it clearly moisturized my skin. Since this product has SPF 15, I use it on my hands. My hands are very dry during the winter months and it is said that the back of your hands age quickly. Think about it- how often do you use sunscreen on your hands?

I really like SkinMD for my hands. The bottle is small enough to fit in my purse and I use it everytime I wash my hands. This is critical during the winter months because if I don't moisturize my hands they are white from dryness. Another thing that I like about the product is that a little goes a long way. I am sure that I will be able to use this 4 ounce bottle for a couple of months.

Does Skin MD sound good to you? If so, enter to win a bottle and try it out for yourself. All you have to do is leave a comment here and you are entered!

For extra entries:
1.Subscribe to Cutie Booty Reviews!
2. Tweet about this contest

Please leave a comment for each method of entry!

That is it! This contest is open to U.S. addresses only. The deadline for entries is January 21 @ 8pm EST. If you are not on blogger, please be sure to leave your email address. The winner will be chosen by random.org. I will contact the winner by email and on the blog. If I do not have a response in 72 hours, I will choose a new winner.

Thank you to the Family Review Network for this review opportunity!