Yummie Tummie

Vdog, Me and Mischelle - photo editing by Mischelle

I went to BlogHer and all I have to show is a Yummie Tummie! Sounds good, right? Yummie Tummies are shapewear and I was one of several brand ambassadors trying them out and showing them off at BlogHer. In the past I have only worn spanx for my legs and butt so I was interested in seeing how wearing tank top shapewear felt to me. I really liked the material, the top and bottom are soft and t-shirtesque, perfect for showing to the world. The middle is where the heavy duty holding comes into play. I wore two yummie tummies (one black and and white), one beneath a sweater and the other beneath a dress. They were visible and looked great but I think that I was off on my sizing a little bit. I measured but rather than a 1x next time I will get a large because as you can tell from the picture my tummy was swimming a bit in material.

Overall, I would certainly purchase a yummy tummy, they are comfortable and when my roommate Jennae saw mine she wanted one too! There are numerous styles available on the website and you can also follow on twitter to get updates on sales and discount codes.

I have to give a big thanks to Yummie Tummies and Clever Girls Collective for inviting me to be an ambassador.

Daniel X

I have spoken about my love of James Patterson in the past. I enjoy both his writing and his dedication to instilling the love of reading in young people is admirable. I was so happy to have the opportunity to read his latest book Daniel X - Watch the Skies because I had just finished reading the first book in the series "The Dangerous Days of Daniel X."

The books are about a boy, Daniel X who in actuality is both an alien and an alien fighter here on Earth. Perhaps you are not a Sci-Fi buff but I have to tell you that these books are page turners. Seriously. It took me a day to read each of these books. I could not put them down.

"Watch the Skies" is filled with action, adventure and even a love interest for Daniel. And of course he is fulfilling his obligation to rid the world of one of the deadliest aliens out there who is hatching an evil plot to take over the world. I don't want to give away too much but one of the things that really impressed me about this series is that not only can parents read it but you can share it with your child and discuss the plot and characters.

I think this series will really captivate adolescent boys and girls (and of course parents). I truly believe that James Patterson has scored a homerun with this one and I anxiously await the next book in the series. If you are fan of Sci-Fi or just a fan of engaging fiction, I say read it and share it with a young person. Read and discuss!

I was sent a copy of the Daniel X - Watch the Skies by Mom Central and given a giftcard as a thank you.

Faunasphere

I may have mentioned that I am a gamer mom. No? Well, I am. And perhaps the reason I don't mention it is because I have a slight addiction. When I find a new game I play it almost non-stop for the first week or so. There was one time back in '03 when I abandoned all work (I worked from home) to play a video game until the end. Did I mention I was at my then boyfriend's home at the time? And he would find me perched on the couch in the same space I occupied when he left for work on a daily basis. Ahem. Needless to say, when I play I have be careful. I have never again done a stint like the trouble of '03 but recently when playing Mafia Wars on Facebook I've been known to stay up until the wee hours of the morn. Anyway, when I was contacted by Big Fish about a new game for moms I was like "uh oh." I almost didn't open the email but I am a fan of Big Fish, when I was pregnant I played Virtual Villagers and had my husband hooked too. The first game I downloaded two years ago on my Mac was Azada, what can I say? I love gaming. 

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So the newest game is Faunasphere. In this virtual world you tend to a fauna and build a world. The fauna look like dogs, horses, turtles, various animals and are skilled. The trick with this game is that in order to truly be successful you have to interact with other players. I have found that the people in the community are extremely helpful and some have designated themselves as Mentors. They are clearly marked and give assistance. I am completely enamored with the game. Oh, and best of all? It is an online game so no downloads and better yet? It is FREE! That's right, a free game that builds a community. I LOVE IT!

You can be sure that I will be playing Faunasphere for a good while. I am pacing myself and having a great time. Did I mention that I just started playing last night?  It is a great game and if you enjoy community and need some time away, I say try it out! 

BlogHer, an Icon and Make-up

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair.

Last month I attended my first BlogHer conference and it was a whirlwind of activity. For once my social calender was filled and scheduled with things beyond twitter, writing blog posts and parenting. I actually had to schedule reminders to keep up! One of the events that I could not miss was the Estée Lauder event at the Macy's Water Tower in Chicago on Michigan Avenue. When I arrived at my hotel, I recieved a cute Estée Lauder gift bag filled with goodies for my participating in the review campaign of the Advanced Night Repair. My favorite gift was the block of white chocolate embossed with a photo of the Advanced Night Repair on the handle of the bag and the cosmetic case filled with Estée Lauder products and a Macy's gift card.

That evening I met up with Gigi of Estée Lauder, the other women that reviewed the Advanced Night Repair and my friend Jennifer. We took a comfortable bus ride to Macy's and were greeted by executives at the door. We were then given a presentation where were learned all about the woman behind the brand, Estée Lauder. She was truly a pioneer and the first woman business owner to have space in a department store and provide product samples. She managed to convince them to let her give samples by "inadvertently" dropping a bottle of perfume on the floor and with one sniff customers came flocking. She was both a mother and entreprenuer, a role model for sure. The Advanced Night Repair is not a new product, it is actually over 20 years old but the formulation has been changed twice and the most recent iteration is the current one available in stores now.

After the presentation the evening concluded with make-up applications or other quick treatments that are offered at every Macy's Estée Lauder counter. My make-up artist was great and was quite impressed by the fact that I would be blogging the event. She also really liked my make-up application and just enhanced it with a few bolder colors. If you are looking for a moment of pampering when you are out shopping at Macy's I suggest stopping by the Estée Lauder counter for a treat.

To read other reviews of the event click HERE.

Munchie Mug

I have been searching for a way to give my son snacks when we are on the go while keeping the mess to a minimum. Up until now I haven't been that successful. Shamefully the backseat of my car and my son's car seat are filled with remnants from his latest snacks. I find raisins and Cheerios in the strangest places when I clean up the car.

When I was recently asked if I'd be interested in reviewing the Munchie Mug I took a look at the photos and knew I wanted to try it out. The Munchie Mug is a spill resistant snack cup for toddlers, it is made in the US And is BPA and phthalate free. The Munchie Mug keeps my son's snacks all in one place. The top screws on tight enough so that my son can't remove it and he enjoys reaching in to get his favorite snacks. I of course am elated that I don't have to worry about a bunch of spillage. Occasionally he will drop one or two Cheerios but that is nothing compared to the major spills I've had to clean up in the past.

I also like that the Munchi Mug comes with two tops to use, one for when my son is eating snacks and the other to perserve the snacks when the Munchie Mug is not in use.

This review was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Munchie Mug, who supplied the product for review.

Boon Oval Animal Toy

I have been a long time fan of Boon products so when I was contacted to do a review by All Modern Baby, a dependable source of children’s furniture that carries top brands such as Bugaboo, Stokke, Maclaren and Boon I immediately said yes! I choose to review the Green Boon Oval Animal Toy. The color is perfectly coordinated with my son's nursery and I love that it serves dual purposes. It is booth a holder for stuffed animals and a soft fuzzy chair/toy for my son. I am showing the photo from the website so that you can appreciate the toy at full capacity. Although my son has a ton of toys, we haven't quite filled up the bag.

I love the fact that I can use it for storage, especially since my mother was storing the toys in his bed. Although I try to keep toys clean, they do collect dust and it is better that they are not in my son's sleeping environment. The oval is a great way to store toys, keep the dust down and my son enjoys playing on it too. If you are looking for a dual purpose storage solution for stuffed animals, I think the Boon Oval Animal Toy is the way to go.