Planning our trip to Disney reminds me of Lil Roo’s last trip to a theme park – Seaworld.

It was simply amazing!

We were sent to visit the awesomeness by Izea and Seaworld and all I could say about that is a huge Thank You!  Our family had the best time, Lil Roo especially.  Even as I type this, the Shamu chant comes back to mind just as quickly as when I sat watching the show (twice!). And I’m sure it’ll be stuck in my head for a little while (then again each time I remember the trip!)  – but that’s ok, I love it! 

The Believe show is a must see, hands down. I think everyone has heard of Shamu, but until you see the show for yourself, you have no idea what you are missing. We didn’t feed the dolphins (which I now regret immensely) but we did get up close as they swam by and played – so cute!  We walked around and visited every water creature we could find as well as everything that wasn’t a water creature!

Highlights:

The Sky Tower: 400 feet up, we were able to see the entire park from a bird’s eye view as it rotated slowly & continuously in a circle.  It was a quiet and relaxing break from all the walking and activity of the park below.

Shamu’s Happy Harbor: Full-fledge fun for all the kiddos!  Lil Roo especially loved the pirate ship!

Shamu Stadium & The Believe Show: A-maz-ing. But I already told you that.

Water creatures galore!!  Wild Artic – especially the penguins!  Dolphins – he loved watching them play up close!  Shark Encounter, and so many others.

Yesterday afternoon, just before I left for the Yanni Voices concert, a rather large box arrived.  Hubs doesn’t pay much attention to my packages anymore, LOL, but this one got his attention, especially because it was so light.  We dug into it and the first thing he saw was a large basket & his reaction wasn’t as happy as mine, LOL!  I heart baskets and used to have quite the collection.  I decluttered and pared down and now only have a few, but in his mind he still saw the hundred baskets of “before” and thought “oh, no, a basket” Heehee.  All this before we even knew what the package was all about.

We quickly discovered a basket FULL of organizational products from 3M.  We are all familiar with the brand, no doubt (from Scotch tape to Post-Its to Scotch-Brite and lots of other innovative products), and have glanced at the different variety of hooks if we’ve happened upon that aisle while doing our shopping, but I for one did not have any idea just how many different type of hooks and such 3M actually made. 

A couple that jumped out at us right away was the Lightning McQueen kids hook (Lil Roo is a huge McQueen fan!) and the small organizer, which will be perfect for our scrub brushes, etc at the kitchen sink.  They’ve just been sitting behind the faucet, so this will get them off the surface and organized. Love it! 

I love the technology of the Command strips - strong sticky strips that hold the hooks & containers plus whatever you put on/in them and comes off clean without any surface damage when/if you decide to remove it. 

As I continue doing my spring cleaning, decluttering, and organizing, I will be making great use of these products, including:

Utensil Hooks (holds up to ½ lb)

Deco Medium Hooks (belts, etc, holds up to 3 lbs)

Spring Clip (important paperwork, treasured child’s drawing, etc)

Recharging Station (small plastic container ideal for any small electronic device or cell phone – I’m thinking it’ll be perfect by my desk for my cell or Mylo)

Disney Large Hooks (in addition to McQueen, there’s Hannah Montana, Camp Rock, and others; they each hold 5 lbs, perfect to get kids in on the organizing game! They’ll love using these!)

Medium Cord Clips (holds cords up to a diameter of 3/8”)

Cord Bundlers (holds up to 5 lbs of cords)

Antique Bronze Metal Hook & Brushed Nickel Finish Hook (each holds 5 lbs and look great!)

Bright Chrome Metal Hook, small (holds up to 1 lb)

Jumbo Hook (holds 7.5 lbs)

Sawtooth Picture Hanging Kit (holds pictures weighing up to 5 lbs)

Wire Backed Picture Hanger (holds up to 5 lbs; be sure to get the right set for the type of frames you are hanging)

Picture Hanging Strips (4 sets, each holds up to a 8”x10” frame; perfect for displaying pictures without puncturing the wall!)

Decorative Clips (clear and perfect for Christmas lights around windows or other decorating needs)

Micro Hooks (holds up to ½ lb – great for light keyrings, calendar, etc).

Their products are small, but can do big things in helping you get delcuttered and organized! For more ideas, visit their site to learn how you can simplify, organize, and decorate with these great products.

Save $1.00 on 3M Command Adhesive Picture Hanging products!

Good Morning!  I’m starting my day off with the new Banana Nut Cheerios – yum!  Cheerios has always been a family staple with us.  For as long as I can remember, I saw my dad start every day, almost without fail, with a bowl of Cheerios and the newspaper (and to this day, he still loves his Cheerios!).  In fact, he often added slices of bananas to his, so I suspect he is really going to love this newest selection from Cheerios!  When my son moved past pureed baby food and on to more solid foods, Cheerios was (and still is) our top snack choice. 

I haven’t always made the healthiest choices for myself though. I like lots of flavor and have quite the sweet tooth (shhh), so I was very excited to try out the new Banana Nut Cheerios.  It certainly doesn’t lack in the “full of flavor” department!  I’m now torn between the Multigrain Cheerios (which I also love) and the Banana Nut Cheerios (but since I usually stock up during “buy one get one free” sales, I’ll probably just get both!). 

Banana Nut Cheerios® combines the whole grain goodness of Cheerios® with the great taste of real banana - a breakfast your whole family will love! Even better, Banana Nut Cheerios® cereal is a good source of calcium and Vitamin D, and is made with whole grain. It may reduce the risk of heart disease as part of a heart healthy diet.* Visit Banana Nut Cheerios for discount coupons, great recipes and additional information.

 

*Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.

General Mills sent over a box of Banana Nut Cheerios, two cereal bowls, a fruit basket with banana tree, and a loaf pan for making banana nut bread.  I’ve pretty much polished off the cereal, lol, and will be making use of that loaf pan very soon (we love banana nut bread! Anyone have any great recipes?). 

I want you to do a taste test of the newest Cheerios flavor… and General Mills does too!  They have generously provided three gift packages as a giveaway! 

To enter, simply leave a comment.  J

For extra entries, share a banana nut bread recipe or link to one, Subscribe to the RSS feed, tweet this giveaway, and/or Stumble this post.  Comment separately for each action as each comment = one entry.

Contest open to US residents only (as the coupon is a U.S. coupon).

DEADLINE: Monday, April 6, 2009 @ 11:59 PM EST. 

Winners will be chosen at random and must respond within 72 hours of announcement or another winner will be chosen.

Be sure to check out the weekly Frugal Deals Roundup to find the best deals on Cheerios and all your grocery & household needs (sales + multiple coupons = creating a stockpile to maximize your savings!).

If you need a little help with menu planning, you should check out The Six O’Clock Scramble.  Every week they send a newsletter with a great article and five meals for the week, including a grocery list.

I had the opportunity to try it out and love it.  I haven’t been menu planning and we got to the point where we were getting takeout much too often, simply because it was “easy” and I had nothing in mind for dinner. 

The Scramble makes it easy to plan and prepare great meals – especially with the ability to customize your menus.  It allows you to select meals from their database of previous weeks, so if the current week’s selections aren’t all to your taste, or you want 7 meals instead of 5, you can make it work for you.  After creating your custom menu for the week, you can print all recipes and a grocery list.  Simply mark off items you already have on hand, head to the grocery store, and pick up everything you’ll need for the full week of meals.  If you want to plan & shop for two weeks of meals at a time, you can do that too!

One of the new meals I tried from The Scramble, tilapia in a curried tomato sauce, has become one of my favorite dishes (I’ve already made it twice – yum!).  I don’t do spicy, plus the toddler was eating it too, so I dialed down the curry and skipped the cayenne.  The Milanesa is another new-to-us meal that was even a hit with my very particular husband.

The Six O’Clock Scramble® is an online dinner planning service.

AS A SUBSCRIBER YOU’LL RECEIVE EACH WEEK:

 

A Weekly menu plan with five family-tested, healthy, delicious and quick DINNER RECIPES THAT TAKE 30 MINUTES OR LESS TO PREPARE

 

An ORGANIZED GROCERY LIST so you can grocery shop just once per week

 

A SEARCHABLE DATABASE where you can customize your weekly dinner plan

 

Your own personal RECIPE BOX where you can save your family’s favorites 30 minute meals

 

A newsletter with USEFUL TIPS for easier mealtimes, snacks and lunches

 

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION for each family dinner recipe to help you take charge of your health

There is a special promo going on right now, thanks to this review opportunity The Scramble offered through TwitterMoms (expires Tuesday, March 31, 2009):

Save $5 off a 6-month subscription ($24.50 after discount)

OR

Save $10 off a 1 year subscription ($44.50 after discount)

Use code TwitterMoms for the discount.

I plan to take advantage of it myself - $1 a week for customizable menu plans with grocery lists? Win! The time & effort it will save me is worth way more than $1 each week.

I’ve “heard” about digestive yogurts, and to be honest, they just didn’t have a “yum” sound to it, so I admit I was a little leery of giving it a taste test.  Not only did I have concerns about the taste of digestive yogurt, but I was never able to eat a lot of yogurt in one sitting. 

I cautiously gave the new Yoplait YoPlus Blueberry Acai Yogurt a taste test…

I have a new midnight snack.

A healthy midnight snack. {Next step is not eating at midnight, lol.}  Not only is it very tasty, but they come in 4 oz cups, which I love.  In addition to tasting yummy and coming in a perfect size cup, they have many other wonderful benefits:

Yo-Plus contains special probiotic cultures and fiber to help naturally regulate your digestive health.

Yo-Plus is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium.

Yo-Plus has the rich, creamy, taste of Yoplait.

Each cup has 110 calories (only 10 from fat), 1.5g of fat, and 4 grams of protein. Score!

Don’t just take my word for it, though – try it for yourself!

Yo-Plus Yogurt, $1.98 @ Walmart

$1.50/1 printable coupon (You can print 2!)

Only $0.48 after coupon!

I also have THREE pretty awesome Yoplait gift packs to give away.  Included in the Yoplait gift pack is a zippered insulated bag (which would be great as a grocery bag for your cold items), a water bottle, a nutrition journal, and a coupon for a FREE package of Yoplait YoPlus Blueberry Acai Yogurt. 

To enter, leave a comment telling me about your current health goals (can be long term or short term) and how Yoplait YoPlus Blueberry Acai Yogurt can help you reach those goals.

Get extra entries:

Subscribe to the RSS feed

Follow me on Twitter

Tweet or Stumble this giveaway

Open to U.S. residents only.

DEADLINE: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 @ 11:59 PM EST

Winners will be chosen at random and must respond within 72 hours of announcement or another winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!

{Thanks to Tara for the Walmart deal info}

As I mentioned earlier, I started the afternoon of the first day of spring by cleaning the dust and mess off my desk.  I’d like to say it took A WHILE, but truthfully? Only a couple of minutes. I removed most everything, cleaned and organized and put it back. 

My tools: a stackable letter tray system, a penholder, a medium binder clip, and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. 

The letter trays hold important papers, spiral notebooks (I have 3 main ones I use All. The. Time.), and blank printer paper.  The penholder obviously corrals a few pens, highlighters, and a pair of scissors.  The binder clip holds together loose papers so they aren’t all over the place. I’ve been known to get a little obsessed with binder clips, shhhh, but as for now I’m only using one.

And the Clorox Disinfecting Wipes? They made cleaning the desk effortless.  Seriously. And they have new, wide, decorative containers, so it isn’t such an eyesore if you want to leave it out.  Mine is on my desk for a quick wipe up at the end of the evening – something I was a stickler for back in my 9-5 days & a habit I want to resurrect. 

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes new Décor canisters:

 

* Come in eight unique color palettes to match any home décor

* Feature a sleek new shape and wider mouth

* Have a new effortless single sheet dispensing system

* Has the same disinfecting power of their namesake wipes

* Are fashionable enough to be left on the countertop

* Available at retailers nationwide

Don’t take my word for it though – try them for yourself.  I have TEN up for grabs! Enter to win by leaving a comment telling me how’d you use them (get creative!).

Get extra entries for subscribing to the feed, following me on Twitter, tweeting this giveaway, and participating in a conversation about talking to kids.  Just comment on this post for each action, letting me know and getting the extra entry registered.

DEADLINE: Friday, March 27, 2009 @ 11:59 PM EST.

Winners will be chosen at random and must respond within 72 hours of announcement or another winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!

There is a hint of Spring in the air, or at least a subtle tease that Spring is coming, but February can be one of the coldest months of the year – downright frigid in some places… and then there is the snow to deal with!  I’ve gathered a few options for you to keep your toddler’s footsies warm and dry when the weather (and ground) is cold and wet.

KAMIK

Have a little trendsetter on your hands? Kamik has adorable snowshoes for your little Miss Fashionista or Mr. Stylin’.  We tested out the light blue Kamik Frosty2 in the Utah snow with great success.  Most importantly, they kept his feet warm and dry while he romped about in the snow.  He was certainly my little trendsetter, even if Mommie was the only on-looker.  Need to know: Kamik boots are weather-proof, made to withstand temps of –25 F and – 32 C, and have Thermal Guard cold weather removable liners. 

The Frosty2 is available in 6 colors, full sizes 5-10, and has the following features:

Quilted Nylon Upper with Foam Backing

Removable 6mm Thermal Guard Liner

Moisture Wicking Lining

Front Zipper Closure & Gusset Tongue

Snow Collar with Bungee Lock

Waterproof & Flexible Synthetic Rubber Shell

IGLOO Outsole Maximizes Traction

 Height: 6.5 Inches

Weight Per Pair: 1.11 Lbs.

BUY IT: Kamik Frosty2 Snow Boot: $35 - $37

AIRWALK

The Airwalk Toddler Edge in black with red detailing from Payless Shoe Source is a sturdy, reliable weather boot for your active toddler – able to take whatever hard play your toddler has in mind.  Insulated with ThermaLite technology, these boots are able to withstand temps at lows of –4 F / -20 C.  My favorite quality is what you don’t see – the traction. Sometimes “cute” shoes sacrifice this very important safety standard, but you’ll find high quality traction on the Airwalk Toddler Edge.  IT features three Velcro straps and stands 4.5 inches high. These boots are ideal for rugged outdoor play in cold weather & snow.

SMARTFIT

Another great product from Payless Shoe Source is the Toddler SmartFit Waterproof Boot – the shoe my son wanted to sleep in & is truly upset when they have to come off!  From Payless: The classic rugged boot is seam-sealed and treated to bead water to keep his feet dry. The upper has a zipper closure for convenience and can be cleaned with a damp sponge. The laces are decorative. Manmade materials. All Smartfit shoes are built with Tried and True Technology: wiggle room for toes, easy on/easy off and durable design.

The Smartfit Waterproof Boot is ideal for most winter weather climes (and even great in non-winter months when rain abounds).  These are a new favorite in our house! 

BUY IT: SmartFit Waterproof Boot $23

POLLIWALKS

In the “just too cute for words” category: Polliwalks Puppy Furry Clog. LOVE IT!  They are adorable, the inside is very soft, and the soles create impressions of puppy paws in the snow or soft dirt.  My son sometimes likes to wear them as he would slippers – if they are that comfortable, it works for me.  His comfort & happiness = big win!

They are available in full sizes 5-10 and in 4 color combinations (we have the gray & navy). 

BUY IT: Polliwalks Puppy Furry Slip-On Shoes $29

Parker Piano, a music learning pal from Little First Act Discovery, is an adorable blue horse that wants to introduce your baby to the world of music. 

Parker Piano introduces baby to music learning through songs and interactive play. Teaches basic music concepts such as pitch, harmony, rhythm and more. Baby presses Parker’s arms to make authentic piano sounds, and squeezes Parker’s hands and feet for ABCs, 123s, and sing-along songs!

Parker is soft, so he is more like a stuffed animal than a traditional learning toy, perfect for snuggling. His four legs are a musical playground, with soft piano keys, buttons for songs, activities, ABCs, and more.  Parker is so adorable, brightly colored, and fun, that I’m sure he’ll be an instant favorite! We love our Parker Piano! 

PARKER PIANO:

Sing-a-long songs & clap-along melodies

ABCs, 123s, and musical activities

Interactive music play with rhythm and notes

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES:

Introduction to pitch, harmony, rhythm and more

Early language and counting skills

Cause and effect

MUSIC LEARNING MODE:

Baby presses Parker’s hands and feet for musical activities and messages.

SONGS MODE:

Baby presses Parker’s hands and feet for sing-along and songs and clap-along activities.

PARKER SINGS:

Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Are You Sleeping?
The Alphabet Song
Itsy Bitsy Spider

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Clap to the Beat
Sing a High Note
Let’s Count

Welcome Parker Piano {or Penny Piano for the girls} to your home or browse the selection of other fun, music learning toys from First Act Discovery.

Are you a trendsetter?  On the forefront of the buzz in the fashion industry? Always one of the first to know what’s hot? If you are, then you already know who Belisi is and how hot the new Belisi designer handbag collection is.

If you have somehow missed it, go look. It’s ok. I’ll wait.

Love it?

I do. I have the Annika and it is indeed even lovelier in person than in the picture. Stylish, beautiful, and elegantly functional. Spoil yourself, because you are worth it, and choose the Belisi you love. (Oh, and just between us? You can get 30% off right now. Yes, I know, your last excuse. Gone.)

I honestly love Belisi, so much so that I find myself lusting after something new each time I visit. I know, “Covet not” and all that stuff, but I’m without help here. My current obsession? The Logan laptop bag to match my Annika. (Yes, I realize I do not have a laptop, but once I get one, it is going to need a home, and I’m just trying to think ahead. It is lovely. Sigh.)

Need a gift for your love this Valentines? Belisi also offers: signature ties and cuff links | hawt scarves | jewelry (always well received for Valentines Day) | stylish clothing and shoes .

Also, Belisi always offers free shipping, free returns, and free gift wrap. Awesome customer service = sweet bliss.

We love Word World at our house!  Lil’ Roo isn’t recognizing all the letters yet, much less learning to spell, but he loves the characters and their adventures!  Seeing the letters reinforces what we are learning at home and it basically says “letters are fun”. 

We have the WordWorld Bucket Set Barn.  I love that the bucket allows storage for all the pieces.  The top of the bucket is one of the main pieces – the barn.  All letter A – Z are included (another thing I love about this set!).  Plus – the pieces are (mini?) Mega Bloks, so they can work with other Mega Bloks sets your child may have.  More features:  2 buildable WordFriends, preschoolers can build and rebuild the farm scene as they learn new words and role-play with their favorite wacky characters, 49 pieces in the set, and the set even comes with a WordWorld DVD!

WIN IT!!!

Go check out the WordWorld Bucket Set Barn set, then come back here and tell me your favorite feature!

For extra entries: blog about this giveaway, stumble this post, sub to my RSS feed and/or Twitter it (including @ShakeTheSalt in your tweet). Leave a separate comment for each action.

Open to US residents only.

DEADLINE: 11:59 PM EST, December 16, 2008.

My son is loving… LOVING… Thomas & Friends right now & I’m sure there is a very good chance your son, grandson, nephew is too.  (Don’t tell, but when we get back from our trip, Lil’ Roo will have a Thomas toddler bed all set up waiting for him!)  When I was asked to review this very cool game form Briarpatch, I got excited! 

Thomas has challenged James, Molly, and Percy to a great race! Learn numbers as you earn coal to shovel into your engine, powering it up the hill and across the finish!

 The game cards have pictures & asks a question about the picture… “How many people?”; “How many blue engines?”; etc.  Not only is it Thomas (which is awesome all by itself), but it is a great learning game (and kids will have such fun playing, they won’t even realize they are learning!).

Suggested for ages 3+ & for 2-4 players.

WIN IT!!

Win the Thomas & Friends Great Race Game!!

Go check out the Thomas & Friends Great Race Game then come back here and tell me who you have in mind for this game & their favorite Thomas & Friends character.

For extra entries: blog about this giveaway, stumble this post, sub to my RSS feed and/or Twitter it (including @ShakeTheSalt in your tweet). Leave a separate comment for each action.

Open to US residents only.

DEADLINE: 11:59 PM EST, December 16, 2008.

I fell in love with this adorable duo as soon as they arrived on my doorstep!  Hal & Holly Moose came all dressed up in holiday attire and even brought along their very own storybook: Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure! 

Hal & Holly are each a very tall 16 inches. Hal is sporting a red Argyle sweater, black pants, and dressy tie loafers.  Holly is looking adorably glam in her red holiday dress and red glitter BearyJane shoes. 

If you are still working on that Christmas list, check out all the great stuff at Build-A-Bear.  They even have a Value Gifts page full of gifts $25 and under.

WIN IT:

Win a Build-A-Bear $25 gift card!

Visit Build-A-Bear, then come back here and comment on your favorite!!

For extra entries: blog about this giveaway, stumble this post, sub to my RSS feed and/or Twitter it (including @ShakeTheSalt in your tweet). Leave a separate comment for each action.

Open to US & Canadian residents only.

DEADLINE: 11:59 PM EST, December 16, 2008.

These Kid Friendly Napkins just arrived via UPS not even 10 minutes ago, and as soon as I opened the package I fell in love with them!! We haven’t used them yet (hello, 10 minutes, lol) but plan to stash them for our trip next week.  The little bundle came with five fabric napkins in fun, trendy, kid-friendly patterns & a Happikins pouch (great place to store a dirty Happikins napkin til you get home).  The main idea is that these would be perfect for school kids to take in their lunch boxes. 

For every 1,000 Happikins tags they print, 27 pounds of wood & 16 gallons of water are saved. 

We are planning a trip for December, which includes a cross-country flight.  I have been wondering how I am going to keep Lil’ Roo occupied & content during the long flights and I have found a cute activity set that I’ll be sure to stash in his carry-on bag.

You already know I love NMC Toys (say it with me: Not. Made. In. China. Gotta love that!!) – they are not a stranger to Shake The Salt!  J  One of my Lil’ Roo’s favorite toys is from NMC Toys.  Ah, but you are wanting to know about this great item that is going to be stashed in his carry-on…

The Toddler Tote Activity Set (Ages 2-5) from NMC Toys features puzzles and peg activities.  All shapes are made from Lauri Crepe Rubber. Includes large and small geometric shape puzzles with a 9″ square carrying case. I’ll warn you that the box may not hold up to a toddler, but store the pieces in a Ziploc bag & it will fit perfectly in an automobile seat pocket or under the seat for easy access (you know those moments!). 

 “It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how”… so says the cute little patch on the back of Lil’ Roo’s (our 2 year old) red and white Dr. Seuss Coverall Seuss Suit from Bumkins. Featuring candy-cane like stripes plus Thing One and Thing Two, it is made of a comfy fabric – perfect for lounging or play.  It has two adorable back pockets and snaps up from the feet to the neck (perfect if you need to change a diaper or just need to get it off quickly).  The one-piece outfit is long-sleeves and pants, perfect for the cooler weather. 

Bumkins Grinchmas Gift and Contest!

With any Bumkins Dr. Seuss Purchase receive Free Grinch Superbib and automatically be entered to win a four pack of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” Ornaments! Just enter grinch08 at checkout to receive your complimentary bib.

We received the bib and an ornament also & just love them!  How can you help but love Dr. Seuss?  J