Today was just “one of those” blah kind of days. I was coasting through it, when a non-assuming box arrived on my doorstep.  I brought it in, opened it, and this is what I saw:

The colors and fabric are stunning and instantly added a little bright spot in my otherwise blah day. Thank you, Febreze.  Against my better judgement, I unwrapped it.  I mean, I could have just sat that on a shelf as it was and enjoyed it.  This is what was inside:

Febreze Thai Dragon Fruit Air Freshener, which smells FAB-U-LOUS by the way, and an elephant wooden carving.  The Febreze team gets an A++ on marketing the new products - very thoughtful, themed, and most certainly way above what would even be expected.  You guys rock.  I think the elephant may find a home in the nursery… uh, once I get around to creating the nursery. I love it.

And the Thai Dragon Fruit? Besides just loving the name (and I do, I love the fun “edginess”!) it smells gooood.  The fragrance description on the can reads: inspired by the winding canals of Thailand that are lined with dragon fruits, mangoes, and papayas. 

Amon Maternity

Amon Maternity is having a 50% off sale through Friday, January 15, 2010 - use code SUPERSALE.  With prices at $23 and $25, you can get them for $11.50 and $12.50 each through Friday.  Plus, get free shipping when you buy 2 or more items.  This is a fabulous price for a great product!  Four products are available: brief, skivvies, band, and bodyshaper. 

Amon Maternity’s mission is to support expecting mothers in getting comfortable by creating a healthy and happy life. Amon symbolizes creation, fertility and life. We are an online maternity store dedicated to providing pregnancy belly support with revolutionary maternity support belts, pregnancy belly band and bodyshaper undergarments.

Amon Maternity is not just for pregnancy, they also have bodyshapers for the non-pregnant.  I had the opportunity to try out one of their bodyshapers and I can vouch for the comfortability.  It slims/smooths without restricting breathing - which is good because I like the whole breathing thing.  ;-)  The Forgive Bodyshaper is great for post-pregnancy while getting the pre-pregnancy belly back or for anytime you’d like the jeans to slip over the belly and fastener a little easier.  While I cannot speak to their pregnancy product lines, I trust they are right in line with the Forgive Bodyshaper in comfort and reliability, while providing pregnancy belly support. 

Amon Maternity provided the Forgive Bodyshaper for this review.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse:
Mickey’s Choo Choo Express

Available: Dec 1, 2009

Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Professor Von Drake, and Toodles are off on an adventure as Professor Von Drake plans to create snow that never melts.  Once he sets out and makes it, he’ll need something to carry it back to the clubhouse… something like the Choo Choo Express! 

While Professor Von Drake sets about making his snow, Mickey, Toodles and the gang have to find all the Choo Choo pieces, get the train put together, then head off to meet the Professor to pick up the “nicey-icey, easy-freezy” snow that never melts.

Snowy goodness abounds at clubhouse and Mickey has invited all his friends to a snow party.  Toodles restocks his Mouskatools, additional train cars are added, Mickey puts together a train schedule, and off they go to pick up all their friends for the party.

The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Choo Choo Express starts with the familiar Clubhouse show intro and includes fun new songs (like Choo Choo Express by They Might be Giants).  It isn’t Christmas-y, but all that snow makes it festive enough for Winter watching.  Likewise, it isn’t one that will have to be packed away until next Christmas once the New Year rolls around - it is a great show for any season.

Bonus Episode: Mickey’s Big Job.

The DVD has 3 fun ways to watch and play featuring interactive adventure mode.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Choo Choo Express DVD provided by WDSHE.
Image © WDSHE. All Rights Reserved.

MONSTERS, INC

Disney’s Monsters, Inc was re-released on November 10, 2009 as a special Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital Copy 4 Disk Set. 

Monstropolis, powered by their energy company Monsters Incorporated, is having an energy crisis.  Powered for generations by the screams of children (thanks to the visits by their “monsters in the closet”), it is unable to keep up with the increased energy demands as the children become harder to scare.

After closing time one day, Sulley goes back to the Scare Floor to finish up some paperwork for his buddy Mike.  He discovers adorable Boo and is immediately scared out of his wits.  The little toddler isn’t scared of him at all and makes him a fast friend - much to Sulley’s dismay.  The Monstropolis Child Detection Service is all over the place on the hunt for her and as Sulley and Mike try to find a way to get her back home, they stumble upon a foul plan by their co-worker and rival as he strives to become top monster at Monsters Inc.  Sulley, Mike, and little Boo have quite a time trying to avoid diseaster and find Boo’s door so she can get home. 

If you haven’t seen Monsters, Inc, I won’t spoil it all for you, but naturally it has a happy - and rather sweet - ending.  Here are some fun teasers for ya:

 Trailer

Roundtable Favorite Scene (Bonus)

On the Job (Film)

Featurette: Tokyo Monstropolois (Bonus)

Product provided by WDSHE. Photos copyright WDHSE. All rights reserved.

UP

 Released to Blu-Ray & DVD on November 10, 2009

The first portion of Disney’s UP is rather bittersweet.  Ellie and Carl are adorable and comical together - from playing as children to growing old as a happily married couple. The bittersweet? Dreams that never came true…  That is until Carl, faced with a move to Shady Acres Retirement Village, takes a big chance and begins quite an adventure!

Russell, an adorable yet chatty and overeager eight year old Wilderness Explorer, looking to earn his final badge, “Assisting The Elderly”, so he can become a Senior Wilderness Explorer, shows up on Carl’s doorstep.  Carl sends him away on an imaginary task.  The next time Russell shows up on Carl’s doorstep, he finds himself floating up… along with the rest of the house! 

During their adventure, the two unlikely companions meet a “Snipe” - a rare 13 foot flightless bird that Russell names Kevin then turns out to be female; Dug and the pack of dogs he is in that all talk, thanks to a special collar; and Carl’s lifelong hero, who isn’t exactly what Carl envisioned him to be.  They discover Kevin is in danger and it appears Carl and Russell are Kevin’s only hope. 

Carl spent his entire life thinking of the adventure he and Ellie didn’t have, until he finds a special message Ellie has left for him.  That message and his new friendship with Russell make him realize the great adventure his life really was and what it still can be.

Up is an inspiring story that reminds us to look for the silver lining and take advantage of the adventure of what appears to be an ordinary life.

As the mommy of a three year old boy, one of my favorite sniplets of the movie was when Carl suggested to Russell that they play a game to see who could be quiet the longest. Russell replies, “Cool! My mom loves that game!”  Ha!

 Product provided by WDSHE.  Images © Disney.  All Rights Reserved.

SANTA BUDDIES: THE LEGEND OF SANTA PAWS

On Blu-Ray & DVD November 24, 2009

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh….

OK, “one-horse open sleighs” aren’t exactly very commonplace here in Florida, but after watching Disney’s Santa Buddies: The Legend Of Santa Paws tonight, I’m really starting to feel festive.  Even if it is still hot as summer outside some days. 

I’m not as familiar with the Air Bud series of Disney movies, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this really was one cute tail tale.  Even though some of the main characters are the Buddies pups, you don’t have to be famailiar with their history to enjoy this film, though I would think if you are familiar with them, you may appreciate their individual characteristics a little more. 

Most boys and girls have heard tell of Santa Claus, otherwise known as Jolly Ole’ Saint Nicholas of the North Pole, but you may not be as familiar with his Christmas partner, Santa Paws.  The Christmas traditions of the North Pole will one day be passed on the Santa Paws’ son, Puppy Paws, but Puppy Paws has become a little bah-humbug about Christmas spirit and just wants to be an ordinary pup. He spies an entry on the Naughty List of what looks to him to be a fun-loving ordinary pup and stows away when mail is collected from all the towns with Santa letters.  Puppy Paws finds the “ordinary” pup, and the rest of the Buddies and does his best to fit in.  When caught by the Scroogy dog catcher, Mr. Pruge, Puppy Paws is locked up in the kennel next to Tiny, an adorable pup who still believes in Christmas miracles and that faith inspires Puppy Paws. 

Meanwhile, back at the North Pole, the Christmas magic is fading and they need Puppy Paws’ help ASAP.  Puppy Paws cannot do it alone and enlists the help of the Buddies.  Together, maybe, just maybe, they can save Christmas…. 

You’ll have to snag your own copy to find out - and to find out if Tiny gets that Christmas miracle!

Santa Buddies is a great family holiday film - get your jammies on and pop some popcorn and make it family movie night! 

Product provided by Disney Home Entertainment.

Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure

“A shimmering blue moon will rise before the frost, but can it light the way to find what has been lost?” 

Walt Disney Pictures’ newest creation, Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure, is an adorable and fun tale - you wouldn’t expect anything less from Disney of course.  Tinker Bell has been chosen, at the moment she thought she was once again about to get a reprimand no less, to have the honor of creating the sculpture that will hold the beautiful blue moon stone during the Autumn Revelry. Something special happens every eight years, with the moon stone at just the right angle at just the right time, that restores the Pixie Dust Tree - the source of the Pixies’ magic.  But as well meaning and good hearted as Tink is, she is always quite the accident prone fairy. 

When an accident occurs that could potentially mean no restoration of the Pixie Dust Tree, Tinker Bell is absolutely devastated.  Encouraged to take a break and join the others to watch a play, she learns the secret of a special mirror that just might set things right.  As she begins her journey, her friendship with her best friend Terence gets very rocky and she meets a new friend - a firefly named Blaze.  Tink learns a lot about true friendship during her adventurous journey. 

You’ll have to watch for yourself to see what happens at the Autumn Revelry and if the Pixie Dust Tree is restored (and if her friendship with Terence is restored).  ;) 

No matter how old I get, I can’t resist a good Disney animated tale.  Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure did not dissapoint. I do have a feeling Tink will find herself under a lot of Christmas trees this year.  Though this one will “officially” be Lil Roo’s movie, I think it unoffically may actually be Mommy’s, LOL! Tinker Bell may be girly-girl, but this DVD / Blu-Ray adventure isn’t neccesarily just for girls.  I can’t wait to enjoy it all over again through the eyes of my three year old. 

DVD / Blu-Ray Extras:

Magical Guide To Pixie Hollow: Tinker Bell & Terence are your guides as you explore the Autumn area of Pixie Hollow.

Pixie Hollow Comes To Walt Disney World: Discover how the filmmakers helped transform Epcot into Pixie Hollow.

Scenes You Never Saw: Pixie-powered goofs that never made the screen.

All New Music Video: “The Gift Of A Friend” performed by Disney Channel’s Demi Lovato.

Additional Information:

Feature runs approximately 80 minutes

Rated G {bonus material not rated}

Release Date: October 27, 2009

Savings, Codes, and Contests:

Inside each Tinker Bell And The lost Treasure Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack is a Disney Movie Rewards code worth 125 points.

The combo pack is a great deal if you would otherwise purchase both a DVD and Blu-Ray version - or if you have a Blu-Ray player and want a DVD backup disc without paying full price for a second disc.

Look for a coupon on the front of the package good for $8 off when you purchase both Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure & Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition on Blu-Ray or DVD. Coupon expires November 23, 2009.

Details are included in the case on the “Tink My Ride Sweepstakes” with prizes including a 2010 Honda Insight EX, Gibson Guitar signed by Disney Channel star Demi Lovato, Tinker Bell video games, magazine book collections, balloon playsets, and PixieHollow.com membership game card = 247 total winners.

Really want to get a deal on this Disney new release combo pack?

Target has Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure priced at $25 & Walmart may be even less. Disney has a $10 printable coupon to use on the combo pack, making your total price $15 or less!

Thanks to Tracie @ KC Penny Pinchin’ Mama for the heads up on this coupon.

 Product provided by Disney.

Waverly is a cute, eco-friendly, plush water droplet on a mission to help his friends with The Nature Conservancy’s Rescue The Reef program. 

Waverly, one of several IdBids you can choose from, comes with special instructions on how to donate a portion of the purchase price to support your pal’s habitat in The Nature Conservancy’s Rescue The Reef program.

I followed the directions, entered my code, and was able to choose the habitat of the clown fish, the Hawksbill turtle or the Dugong (sea cow).  I chose the clown fish and was able to name him (Nemo, of course!), add my child’s name, and print out a certificate.

You can get your own Waverly or other IdBid from NMCToys (Not Made in China!).  Lil Roo has several toys from NMCToys – the toys are always a high quality, a lot of fun, and I do love knowing they are NOT made in China.  Waverly was provided to us by NMCToys.

From the site:

Wander off with Waverly the Water Drop and he’ll show you how to make the world more wonderful - one “iddy biddy” step at a time! Made of 100% organic cotton and dyed with environmentally friendly natural, metal free vegetable colors. With the purchase of each individual Idbids, your child can go online with you to learn how they can protect the habitats of animal friends.

Ages: 3+
Made In: Egypt
Manufacturer: Idbids
Dimensions: 9″ high

Seventh Generation sent over a variety of their cleaning products for me to test out as part of an “under the kitchen sink makeover” promotion and after using their products I have to say I am pleased with the quality and eco-friendliness of their products. I especially love the reusable bag that was sent with the products, because I am now trying to use these as much as possible instead of plastic shopping bags.  I sometimes forget, but I’m getting better. 

 Seventh Generation has a broad selection of green cleaning products… Carpet Spot & Stain Remover¸ Kitchen Cleaner, Natural All Purpose Cleaner, Natural Glass & Surface Cleaner, Shower Cleaner, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Tub & Tile Cleaner as well as laundry and dishwashing products. 

 Some further information for you…

More than 50% of human poison exposure victims are children younger than six years (American Association of Poison Control Centers) and with 63 hazardous chemical products in the average American household (Consumer Product Safety Commission), it’s no wonder that kids are coming into contact with harmful chemicals on a daily basis at home. 

 

According to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Seventh Generation, 70% of parents with kids under six years old store their household cleaning products/solutions under the sink, but 47% cannot name one ingredient in the cleaners that they are using and storing within reach of their children! 

 

Seventh Generation created Health eHome in collaboration with WebMD and Healthy Child Healthy World to provide a personalized educational platform that helps uncover potential dangers and hazards identified as “hot spots in a virtual home. The tool also has an expert blog that provides trusted information on creating a cleaner, greener lifestyle and parents can test the safety of their home by doing a “Health eHome Check,” where they can get personalized results and an action plan for their home.

 Plus some Seventh Generation Survey Findings…

Cleaning Your Home or Harboring Hidden Dangers?

 

More than half of U.S. adults (58%) don’t always check the labels of cleaning products to determine if they contain ingredients that are harmful to their health.

 

Nearly three in five adults (58%) clean their home by wiping the surfaces with a cleaning solution/product at least once per week, nearly half (47%) can’t name at least one ingredient in those cleaning products.

 

The majority of people (75%) store their household cleaning products/solutions under the sink, followed by 37% that store their products in the bathroom and 33% in the laundry room.

 

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of adults believe that companies are required to disclose all of the chemical ingredients contained in their products, which isn’t true.

 

While more than half of adults believe that household cleaning products (e.g., window cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, kitchen cleaner) cause substantial damage to the environment (53%) and think that if used daily products that contain dyes or fragrances can be harmful to their health (59%), only 21 percent of parents opt for cleaning products with natural ingredients.

 

 

Keeping the family safe from harm?

 

Parents with children under the age of six years clean their home by wiping the surfaces with a cleaning solution/product several times per week (33%) and 27% clean once per day or more, yet 67% inaccurately believe that companies are required to disclose all of the chemical ingredients contained in their products.

 

One third (33%) of parents believe the kitchen is potentially the most harmful area to their children, while some did not believe any room in their home is harmful to children (16%).

 

Surprisingly, 70 percent of adults with kids under the age of six years that live in their household store their household cleaning products/solutions under the sink.

 

Eighteen percent (18%) of parents have not taken steps to safeguard their family from toxic ingredients in some household cleaners.

 

For those parents who choose to safeguard, opening windows to release toxic fumes is the most popular, with 50% deferring to that method.

 

While 78% of parents admit that their children know where the cleaning products are stored in the house, only 32% acknowledge they always check the labels to determine if they contain ingredients that are harmful to their families’ health.

  Seventh Generation Coupons

 Seventh Generation is offering one lucky Shake The Salt reader their own goodie bag of Seventh Generation Cleaning products!  Interested? Read on for ways to enter!

U.S. only

Deadline to enter: Monday, June 22, 2009 @ 11:59 PM EST

WAYS TO ENTER:

Visit the Seventh Generation online store then leave a comment here stating which of their products you would most like to try. (3 entries)

Join the Seventh Generation Nation (you’ll get monthly coupons & a great newsletter) then come back here and let us know.  (3 entries)

Visit the Seventh Generation blog & subscribe to the RSS feed. (3 entries)

Join the Seventh Generation forum then come back here and leave a comment with your forum username. (3 entries)

Tell us about your experience with any Seventh Generation product.  (5 entries per product)

Take the Shake The Salt button (left sidebar) & place it on your sidebar (3 entries)

Twitter this giveaway (ex: Win a 7^th Generation Goodie Bag via @shakethesalt http://bit.ly/Win7thGen) & include the link to your tweet in your comment (1 entry per tweet per day)

Stumble, Buzz Up, Share on Facebook, etc – Comment which site you shared this post with. (1 entry for each)

Write a blog post about this giveaway (5 entries)

Follow Shake The Salt on Twitter (1 entry)

Subscribe to Shake The Salt’s RSS feed using the Feedburner button or this link (you can get the feed through a reader or by email) (2 entries)

Follow Shake The Salt (“join this site”) using Google Friend Connect (see footer of blog) (2 entries)

Comment on any other non-giveaway posts on Shake The Salt, then comment here with the link or name of the post you left a comment on. (2 entries per other post commented on)

Your entries will ONLY be counted if left individually in comments. One comment = one entry.  If you are getting 2 entries for one thing, leave 2 comments about it (ex: Placed button on sidebar #1, place button on sidebar #2, etc). 

I was excited to get the package of birthday supplies courtesy of WordWorld.  Lil Roo loves the WordWorld: Flying Ant DVD (review) they also sent us and with his birthday coming up at the end of the month, I have a pretty good idea what the birthday party theme is going to be!

WordWorld teamed up with Celebrate Express to offer their new birthday party supplies – sold individually and in pre-packaged kits (the kits offer a savings over buying the items individually).  Their selection covers everything from invites, plates and napkins to favor boxes, activity placemats (which Lil Roo calls his “WordWorld Map”), and matching thank you cards.  There are also lots of extras, like a piñata, t-shirt, and wall-decorations; all featuring Word Friends.  There’s even a WordWorld Birthday DVD! 

The products are all bright and colorful, with the Word Friends in full party mode! I am very happy with the quality and detail.  I’m pretty excited to see Lil Roo’s reaction when he sees his birthday party décor (so far he’s only seen the placemat!). 

As I write this, Lil Roo is watching the WordWorld: Flying Ant DVD.  He has an assortment of letters (foam, magnetic, etc) in front of him so he can “build a word” and has his WordWorld map (part of the new birthday supplies line from WordWorld) at his side.  He won’t be three for another month and a half, so he isn’t technically putting words together with the letters, but he is getting the concept, in a very fun way, just by watching WordWorld. 

The WordWorld: Flying Ant DVD contains four episodes plus bonus features (running time approximately 60 minutes). 

Flying Ant: Ant wants to be part of the flying insect show, so he and his friends have word building fun getting him in the air.

Catch That C: Pig & Ant’s bag of C’s get away while they are making cookies & they are off chasing it down all over WordWorld!

Shuffleword: Ant & Pig get into an argument & both storm off… Pig with the consonants & Ant with the vowels.  They each try to build words, but soon realize they need each other.

Play Ball: Robot plays baseball for the first time when he is invited to join the game against the Bug Team.

Bonus Features: Four build-a-word songs, “It’s Time To Rhyme” music video, and “Flying Ant” behind the scenes side-by-side animatic.

 Bright Green is a line of ecologically friendly products, including cleaning, laundry, light bulbs and paper products, sold exclusively at Safeway stores. 

Bright Green was developed in partnership with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a leading third-party provider of certification, auditing and testing services and standards in environmental protection and social responsibility. SCS reviewed each Bright Green™ product for naturally derived and biodegradable ingredients, post-consumer recycled content and energy efficiency.

I had an opportunity to use Bright Green’s cleaning products and was very satisfied. The name may be new – Safeway introduced this line just this past November – but it worked just as well for me as any leading brand of cleaner, with the added benefit of being made from biodegradable and naturally derived ingredients. 

The only downside for me is that unfortunately there is not a Safeway location in my area. 

If you do have a Safeway in your area, be sure to sign up for Safeway’s mailing list to receive coupons via email.  You can also load P&G coupons onto your Club Card. 

Thanks to the One2One Network, I had the opportunity to see Yanni Voices live in concert this past week and I can sum it all up in one word: A-MAZ-ING!  It was fabulous from start to finish, each voice, each instrument, each song, every single performance – and performer.

It was beautiful and very well arranged.  If Yanni Voices is coming to your area and you are on the fence about going or thinking you’ll pass it up, give it a better look and take a chance. It greatly exceeded my expectations, even though I had already heard a lot of great things about the performance.

I had so much fun! I took pics with my camera phone, but since it is being hormonal and will not send pic messages, I cannot retrieve those. Thankfully, my sister took some with hers (the ones you see in this post).  I also attempted to live-tweet the concert, but just discovered it went through to Facebook, but not Twitter. Weird.

My thoughts during the show:

Going to see Yanni Voices tonight!!

April 13 at 11:42am

Getting ready for the Yanni concert.

April 13 at 3:38pm

On the road… Headed to Yanni Voices! Also? It is raining. Eeek.

April 13 at 5:37pm

At our seats. Waiting for the show to begin!!

April 13 at 7:27pm

Listening to Leslie Mills @ Yanni Voices. Beautiful voice.

April 13 at 8:05pm

Chloe singing ‘Change’. Hauntingly beautiful.

April 13 at 8:17pm

Even when I have no idea what they are saying, the music is still very moving.

April 13 at 8:23pm

BTW, I’m loving One2One Network for sending me to see Yanni Voices. So amazing. I’m having a blast <and a girls night out!>. Thx!! Mmmwah!

April 13 at 8:39pm

Intermission @ Yanni Voices.

April 13 at 8:53pm

Ok, white lights shining @ crowd is not my fave thing. Blinding.

April 13 at 9:25pm

Hmmm… 1st number after intermission was pretty sultry.

April 13 at 9:28pm

Chello solo was amazing!

April 13 at 9:29pm

Victor on the harp. Something so magical about a harp.

April 13 at 9:45pm

Sending pics via twitpic & fb is out b/c my phone is obviously hormonal. Just saying.

April 13 at 9:49pm

Introducing orchestra… & moved right into a very upbeat song. Anyone wanna dance with me?

April 13 at 9:53pm

Everyone is on their feet & pumped!!!

April 13 at 9:57pm

Encore? Is it the end already?

April 13 at 10:01pm

Annnnd…. It is still raining. Also? Tornado watch. Nice.

April 13 at 10:20pm

It rained before, during, and after the show and sometimes I wondered if I was hearing thunder or an instrument!  We arrived home safe and sound after an awesome girls night out listening to Yanni Voices!!! Thank you Arianne for setting everything up for our awesome night!

The Stainless Baby/Toddler Cereal Bowls from Parenting By Nature are just the cutest bowls I have ever seen.  Before reviewing this set of bowls, I didn’t give a a lot of thought to the bowls we used. I’ve bought several sets of the basic bright colored plastic bowls sold in baby departments, and although they do the job they are basic. 

The Stainless Cereal bowl set is anything but basic.  They are adorable with soft colors and a cute animal picture on each bowl.  They have an especially nice look thanks to the stainless steel inside the bowl (and if you didn’t know that stainless is safer for your baby & toddler than plastic, Google it). 

Parenting By Nature has many other feeding items (including an all-stainless table set so that if you are pulling out the nice dishes for a special evening, you can do the same for your little one!) and other great stuff for moms and little ones (including cloth diapers).  They even have a gift registry. 

Sign up for their newsletter to receive coupons by e-mail to save on their awesome products!

Betty Crocker sent over a basket of great kitchen tools, I think in anticipation of luring me into a healthier, happier relationship with my kitchen. I love the “stuff”, but the jury is still out on the whole relationship thing.

The Mixer gift basket was filled with a Betty Crocker mixing spoon (and I’m pretty sure it is no longer mine since Lil Roo basically saw it, claimed it, and took off with it. I guess a large red spoon is just cool, LOL!), spatula, silver measuring spoons and cups (which I really like), whisk, plastic liquid measuring cup (basically the same size as the basic glass 1 cup ones, except this measures up to 2 ½ cups which means I won’t have to drag out the huge measuring cup for anything over 1 cup) and a Betty Crocker Magazine (125+ “Easy, Inspiring Ideas” – mostly cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and bars).

I have to say the book / magazine intriques me the most.  Cakes scare the crap out of me, so don’t anticipate me trying any of those out. The other stuff sounds somewhat reasonable, as I much prefer the attempt at baking instead of meal prep. (C’mon, surely you’ve noticed how irregular my attempts at meal planning are? And even when I plan, I don’t always follow the plan.)  There’s a recipe for Sunshine cupcakes that looks really cute and seeing the striking Princess cake (an actual 3D standing up princess) makes me glad at the moment that I do not have a girl. I would really want to make that – and the results could be diseasterous. Just saying.  I’m flipping through the book as I type this and am now having an “oh. my. goodness.” moment as I have found Coffee-Chocolate Chip Bars that look absolutely fab. Maybe I’ll make that my experiement with all my new cool tools and tell you all about it. For humorous purposes I am sure, LOL!

Incidently, the Chirpy Chick Cupcakes I made with Lil Roo for Easter were a Better Crocker recipe and they actually turned out well – until the part about turning them into cute lil chicky looking things. It went downhill from there.

I suppose there is hope for even me, and whether you are where I am or just want to learn a few new tips-n-tricks to add to your already extensive knowledge and expertise in the kitchen (or anywhere in between), you might want to check out the newest thing Miss Betty Crocker has up her sleeve!

Betty Crocker: The Mixer

Six free weekly classes

Live Betty Crocker experts

Connect with others

Tips & Tricks

Classes are held three times a week. Chat live with the Betty Crocker Kitchens Experts: Tuesdays 7 p.m. ET, Wednesdays 9 p.m. ET, and Saturdays 4 p.m. ET

Week #1 – Week of April 6 - Kickin Chicken Recipes and tips for making juicy, mouthwatering chicken

Week #2 - Week of April  13 - Pastabilities Secrets of building flavor that will allow you to create your own signature sauces

Week #3 - Week of April  20 - Greens with Envy Recipes for go-to salads

Week #4 - Week of April  27 - Viva Tortilla Taking taco night to a whole new level

Week #5 - Week of May 4 - Wok it Out Stir-fry techniques and recipes for easy flavorful sauces

Week #6 - Week of May 11 - Small Bites-Big Flavors Dips and appetizers that are easy and flavorful and guiltless desserts

But don’t worry!  If you miss it, you can always go back to watch the class on demand and get in on the conversation.

Oh – and did I mention it is completely FREE?  Head on over to Betty Crocker – The Mixer to sign up and get in on all the action! 

Annnnnnd…..

Betty Crocker wants to give one Shake The Salt reader their own Mixer gift basket!  To enter, tell me what the one cooking gadget in the kitchen is that you can’t live without.

 

Get an extra entry just for signing up for The Mixer club. (Leave an extra comment to let me know.)

 

Deadline to enter: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 @ 11:59 PM.