kate | Mommies With Style

If He Got You A Vacuum, I Hope It Was This One

January 5, 2012 By kate Leave a Comment

Really. I know they mean well. But when someone you love gets you a vacuum as a gift, despite perhaps your need for a new one or your love of clean floors, it just doesn’t go over well. So if you were the recipient of a cleaning devices this holiday season, my apologies. There are, however, a few exceptions. Like if he got you one of these.

Neato Robotics Vacuum: It’s not science fiction anymore. There are robots among us and some of them like to vacuum. I fell in love with this product even before I opened the box. “Our goal is to free everyone from the drudgery of household cleaning. Why? Because we all have better things to do with our time.” Amen. With three boys and a dog, I could easily justify vacuuming my house every day, yet surprisingly, I don’t actually enjoy vacuuming this often. Neato does. I’ve used other robot vacuums in the past and Neato has them beat in a few areas:

(1) It’s simple to use. Simple to set up, simple to schedule, simple to empty.

(2) It’s quiet(ish). It is a vacuum, but earplugs are not required.

(3) It’s (almost) as good as I am. I’m not going to sell myself short here – I’m a pretty awesome vacuumer. Dust bunnies? No problem. Cheerios? I won’t break a sweat. But I have eyes that can actually see these things. Neato only has a sensor. But it’s a darn good one that surveys the room via laser and then navigates around your furniture to hit all the nooks and crannies.

(4) It’s effortless. Every morning at 9:15am, my bedroom floor gets vacuumed. I however, am likely enjoying a cup of coffee.

Dyson DC41 Animal: If you’re not familiar with the brand, Dyson is to vacuums what Tiffany’s is to diamonds. (Note: Guys – do not attempt to propose with a Dyson.) The DC41 Animal is one of the newest additions to the Dyson family and it is a beast. This Animal sucked things out of my carpet I didn’t even know existed. Looking at the canister is a little bit like a freak-show. You’re grossed out that all that was in your carpet and on your floors and yet you Can’t. Look. Away. Some of my favorite features of the DC41 Animal:

- Strongest suction at cleaner head: 235 constant Air Watts of suction if you want to get specific. One of my favorite games is to position the vacuum at the base of the couch and see what that powerful suction pulls out from underneath. So far, it’s been Legos, goldfish and dust bunnies. Keeping my fingers crossed it finds an iPad.

- Washable filters: Buying filters takes time, money and brain space to remember that you need them. With Dyson’s washable filters, I get a clean start (for free!) as often as I like.

- The Ball: The design of the Ball makes turning a breeze and keeps all the nuts and bolts confined to a small area, leaving the rest for dust-sucking capacity.

- 35 foot cord: I know this feature may not win over some, but at 35 feet, I can vacuum my whole living room, dining room and kitchen – without unplugging. Win!

- “No Touch” canister emptying: No touching the vacuumed-up gunk at least. One button releases the canister from the vacuum. Pressing the button again, opens the bottom to release the contents into the trash. House clean. Hands clean. Done.

Seeing a cleaning device under the tree would likely earn raised eyebrows instead of roaring applause. But if it was a Dyson or Neato? Well, you just might be in luck.

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Kate Bayless is a freelance writer and editor with bylines in Parents, American Baby, Parenting, Babble and Momtrends. She is slightly embarrassed to admit that her holiday wish list included this item, but still would have rolled her eyes had her husband purchased it for her. Visit her at www.katebayless.com

MWS was not paid for this review. Samples were provided.

Filed Under: For the Home, Housewares Tagged With: cleaning, Dyson, Neato, robotic vacuums, vacuums

Gifts to Keep The Family Warm

December 22, 2011 By kate 1 Comment

The holidays are a perfect time to bundle up and get cozy. Here are some great gift picks to keep the whole family warm this winter.

Sunbeam LoftTec Heated Throw – A good throw is great to snuggle down with. Even better? A heated throw. Available in two neutral colors – a dark brown walnut and creamy seashell – the LoftTec Heated Throw offers Sunbeam’s highest level of softness and comfort with a thick, lofty, polyester material and Sunbeam’s ThermoFine technology that “senses and adjusts to deliver consistent warmth.” In other words, a blanket that knows what you need and delivers. I love that the 50 x 60″ throw is big enough to share (when I have to) and has 3 heat settings on a 6 foot cord to provide the perfect amount of warmth. Plus, the 3-hour automatic shut-off ensures I don’t broil all night if I fall asleep in front of It’s A Wonderful Life. $50

Khombu Bell Tower Boots – My husband lives in sandals which surprisingly are pretty ineffective at keeping your feet warm in the winter. That’s why I love these fur-lined Khombu Bell Tower boots. They are similar to another well-known boot brand, but at a fraction of the cost. Available in black or brown, the durable PU exterior is waterproof and rugged though it also looks nice enough to pass as a mid-range shoe. The interior is insulated with soft, plush fur that gives the boots a cold rating down to 20°F and Khombu’s Therolite insole that is breathable, moisture-wicking, shock-absoring and anti-fungal. The end result? Toasty toes in a boot that can go from shoveling the driveway to dinner at the in-laws. $50-$70

Petunia Stroll - Instead of piling blankets onto your babe for your winter walks, encase your little angel in Stroll by Petunia, a luxurious bunting bag. Available in seven gorgeous chenille and printed polyester designs, Stroll is lined with uber-soft velour that will make you wish they offered adult sizes. Place the bunting bag into your stroller and weave through your stroller’s safety harness. Conveniently placed zippers make it easy to get your little one in and out while keeping them snugly and warm while bundled up. Plus, you can match your Stroll to one of Petunia’s chic diaper bags or accessories like the Adorn iPhone 4 case for a complete look. $149

Filed Under: Babies, Diaper Bags & Totes, Holiday 2011, Home Decor, Housewares, Strollers Tagged With: blanket, boots, bunting bag, electric blanket, Khombu, Petunia, Stroll, Sunbeam, throw, warm

Dear Santa – Please Send Kitchen Appliances (And A Giveaway!)

December 19, 2011 By kate

CONTEST CLOSED – Congrats to DeNai who won our Vitamix giveaway!

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What tools are to some guys, kitchen appliances are to me – and I imagine many of you can relate. There’s something about a shiny new appliance in the kitchen that just makes the food taste better – or at least make me want to cook more. Here are some great holiday gift picks for the kitchen – forward freely to the gift-buyers in your life. (Amazing giveaway below!)

Omega VRT350 Juicer: I wrote about this juicer a few weeks ago and have discovered there’s a reason it’s made by a company called Omega – it’s the last juicer you’ll ever need to own. From kale, spinach and dandelion greens to carrots, beets and celery, the Omega VRT350 has handled everything I’ve attempted to juice with ease. As a slow juicer, it carefully squeezes out the nutritious juice at 80 RPM (unlike traditional juicers that use speeds of 1,650 to 16,000 RPM to obliterate the food – and many of the nutrients). The vertical design makes it easy to store on the counter without sacrificing too much space, and the dual juicing screens (coarse and fine) let me customize the pulp level I want. Plus it’s fast, efficient, compact and quiet. $380 at Omega.

Breville Smart Oven: I love smart appliances and this is one do-all mini oven that is worth the counter space. The Smart Oven can toast and roast, bake and broil, reheat and keep warm to perfection every time. How is it so smart? Its Element IQ ideally adjusts the oven’s 1800 watts of power based on which of the 9 preset menu functions you choose. BROIL sends all the power to the top elements to perfectly melt cheese or brown meats. TOAST equally browns both the top and bottom of the bread while BAGEL crisps the top side of the bagel, only lightly toasting the bottom side. Making COOKIES? The Smart Oven has a preset for that. Need a fast dinner and want to throw in a PIZZA? Smart Oven has a preset and an included non-stick pizza pan. If the cookies or pizza are frozen, just press the FROZEN FOODS button and the oven will automatically adjust the time to allow for defrosting and cooking. Even better, the Smart Oven remembers your desired settings for each category. The Smart Oven is a sleek, stainless steel toaster oven that blends seamlessly in the kitchen and makes toasting, roasting, baking and broiling effortless. Now if only it was self-cleaning…. $249 at Breville

Vitamix Professional Series 500: This recent release from Vitamix combines the powerful variable speed control Vitamix has always been known for with new pre-programmed settings for the recipes customers use more. Plus, they’ve added a Pulse button to give you complete control over your blending. If you’ve never used a deluxe blender like this, you’ll need to adjust your mindset of what a blender can do. Smoothies and pureed soups are elementary here. With a Vitamix, you have the ability to handcraft your own nut butters, grind grains into flour, chop everything from carrots and coleslaw to coconuts and cheese, whip up frozen desserts in seconds and mix and kneads bread dough. Yes, bread from your blender. I love the versatility and power the Vitamix Professional Series 500 offers and the help they provide in getting you to truly experience all the features and abilities of the blender with their helpful instructional DVD and recipe book with over 300 delicious inspirations. Just this week, I’ve tried out their Pumpkin Pie Latte and amazing Brie and Bacon Dip as well homemade almond butter and a berry sorbet. Plus the kids helped me make our own super-fine, colored sugar sprinkles for decorating cookies. An investment for sure, but worth it if you use all its features. $599 at Williams-Sonoma.

** GIVEAWAY ** Vitamix is giving away one of their Professional Series 500 blenders to one lucky MWS reader! To enter, leave a comment below with what you’re looking forward to blending, chopping, pureeing or grinding up most. You can earn additional entries by doing any of the following (be sure to come back here and leave us a separate comment telling us you did!)

- follow MWS or Vitamix on Facebook

- following MWS, Vitamix or me on Twitter

- share a link to this post on Facebook

- tweet about the contest using the hashtag #MWSvitamix

Contests ends December 22, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST. No PO boxes and US residents only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and notified via email. Winner has 3 days to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Please not that the product will NOT arrive in time for the Christmas holiday.

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Note: MWS was not paid for this review. Some product samples were provided.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Holiday 2011, Housewares Tagged With: blender, breville, cooking, healthy eating, juicers, kitchen, Omega, toasters, vitamix

Fun Tech Gifts from Griffin Technology

December 18, 2011 By kate 1 Comment

Looking for some last minute gifts for the techies in your life? Check out these fun picks from Griffin Technology.

iPhone case for the textile lover – designed by Sandy Chilewich, this iPhone 4 case combines a durable impact-resistant polycarbonate inner shell with a modern woven vinyl textile. Turn heads while keeping your tele safe.

Media for the backseat – your car might not have a built-in DVD, but with the CinemaSeat 2, your iPad can easily and safely attach to any headrest and provide hours of backseat entertainment. If you’re willing to share your iPad that is.

Release your inner pilot – With Griffin’s HELO TC Touch-Controlled Helicopter, your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch becomes a control panel for this twin-rotor remote-controlled helicopter. I got a chance to check this one out in person and you’re in for some fun. Download the corresponding app on your iOS device and use either the virtual joystick or “tilt-to-steer” option to move the chopper around the room. There’s a short learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, the HELO TC is fairly easy to maneuver. Plus it has helpful features like Auto Land for the less than coordinated. Now the only question is whose turn is it to play!

Wireless control for all your media devices – The holidays always mean lots of tech gifts which can also mean lots of new wires all over your living room. Pick up Griffin’s Beacon and you can use your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Android device to control everything in your home entertainment system. No wires. No networking. No mountain of remotes.

Visit Griffin Technology for these and other fun gift ideas.

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Note: MWS was not paid for this review. Griffin provided a sample of the HELO TC for review.

Filed Under: Electronics, Entertainment, Holiday 2011 Tagged With: apps, Griffin, iPad, iphone, tech gifts, technology

Show Off Your Photos With Shutterfly

December 17, 2011 By kate Leave a Comment

I’m a big fan of Shutterfly’s photo products, and they have a ton of great gift ideas for everyone on your list.

FOR KIDS: Shutterfly’s CenterStage books are liquid gold in terms of “wow” factor and easy as pie on your part. Choose from one of Shutterfly’s 6 books featuring characters such as Dora, Diego and Sesame Street, upload a picture of your kid and a handful of facts and voila! – a personalized book staring your little munchkin. The books are $40, but are full color and include an average of 38 pages. But be warned – you’ll be rereading those 38 pages a lot. Kids love to see themselves in the story!

FOR GRANDPARENTS: Get your grandparents up to date with a reusable shopping bag that shows off the grandkids at the same time. Whether they’ll use it for groceries or the library, at farmer’s market or day trips to the beach, choose from 14 different photo layouts to create the perfect tote for their activities.

FOR DAD: I love the modern look and no-hassel approach to these desk plaques. No frame, no fuss – just a simple and easy way to display a favorite photo. You can choose from 3 different sizes and single or multi-photo layouts. You can even add backgrounds and print the photos in color, black & white or sepia tones. Perfect for dad’s desk at home or at work.

FOR YOU: Treat yourself to your favorite family photo turned into a beautiful canvas or acrylic print. Canvas immediately elevates an ordinary picture to fine art status while the acrylic prints provide a sleek, modern touch to your favorite photo. Get those prints out of a stuffy album and up on the wall! Both formats offer a variety of sizes, backgrounds, single and multi-picture layouts and the option of adding text.

Visit Shutterfly.com to check out all their holiday photo gifts.

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Note: MWS was not paid for this review. Shutterfly did provide some product samples.

Filed Under: Holiday 2011, Home Decor Tagged With: photo gifts, Shutterfly

Bare Walls Be Gone! With Art.com

December 15, 2011 By kate 1 Comment

Hi. I’m Kate. And I have bare walls.

There I’ve said it. It comes from my deep-seeded need to have a plan, a vision before putting anything up on the walls. And my inability to actually make a plan (I’m pretty sure I’m missing a design gene.)

But thanks to Art.com and their sister site AllPosters.com, my walls are getting a little less bare. Here are some Art.com highlights if you’re a bare-waller like me.

Big Names: If you love the heavy hitters of the art world, Art.com has you covered. From Monet and Picasso to Pollock and O’Keeffe, Art.com offers hundreds of famous prints on canvas or paper, framed or unframed in a variety of sizes to fit your wall.

Specialty Collections: From stunning National Geographic and Lonely Planet pics to classic images from the LIFE magazine collection and the Library of Congress, Art.com has broad collection of images and themes to meet your needs.

Up-and-comers: Always the one telling your friends about the newest products? Art.com has a wonderful selection of prints from emerging artist such as Pol Ledent and Ann Tuck as well as a separate section for independent artists.

Make Your Own Masterpiece: Turn your own photos into a piece of artwork with Art.com’s Photos to Art service. Upload your photo, choose your desired size and frame or canvas and suddenly that gorgeous sunset pic or family shot with everyone smiling has become a masterpiece.

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Note: MWS was not paid for this review. Art.com provide a service sample for this review.

Filed Under: Misc

Photo Gifts Worth Giving From Snapfish

December 14, 2011 By kate Leave a Comment

My family recently got our first ever professional photos done. And while I don’t know why it took us so long to do it, I’m thrilled that we finally did. The question now is: What to do with these awesome photos? The grandparents and great-grandparents are always fans of family photos, but I wanted to do something beyond just prints. Here are some great photo gift ideas.

Magnets: Cards are nice. I like getting holiday cards. I like giving holiday cards. But come January…I throw them away. I know, I know. There are some of you that hold onto them year after year to see the kids grow and reread the witty updates, but I think a good percentage of people throw your lovely family photo in the trash. But the magnet! The magnet easily attaches to the fridge of Grandma or Auntie or BFF. And all year long, they are reminded of your adorable, well-behaved children and that day your hair looked awesome. Visit Snapfish.com and check out their collection of 3×2″ or 4×6″ magnets. Starting at $4.99.

Puzzles: My grandparents are puzzle nuts. I’m sure they’ve done all the snowy forest, floral garden and cityscape puzzles they can handle in their lifetime, so what better gift than a puzzle of the grandkids? Maybe if I get my act together, I can even get a picture of them holding an adorable “We love you!” sign or something equally adorable. Visit Snapfish.com and check out their 8×10, 110 piece puzzles for just $13.99

Photos-to-Canvas: I love how printing your photos on canvas immediately ups the status of your prints from photos to art. Frames are great and very useful, but for those prints that you won’t have the desire to swap out in a few months, try getting them printed on Canvas or Visit Snapfish.com and check out their framed, collage and fine art canvas prints.

Jewelry: Those beautiful family pictures don’t have to be quarantined to the walls. Wear them! Constructed out of sterling silver, photo charm bracelets and necklace are the perfect way to show off your favorite family pics. I’m dropping hints to my husband for this one below. Visit Snapfish.com to see the entire line of photo jewelry.

Note: MWS was not paid for this review. Snapfish provide product samples for the review.

Filed Under: Holiday 2011, Home Decor, Misc Tagged With: holiday gift ideas, photo gifts, snapfish

Ride Your Way Into the Holidays (Winners Annouced)

December 13, 2011 By kate 25 Comments

Congratulations to our giveaway winners – Cari, Sonya and Tabitha!

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I love the look on my kids’ faces when they see something with wheels under the tree. Here are my picks for some great ride-on toys for every age – and 3 great giveaways in a super short contest below!

Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug – Perfect for tiny riders over the age of 1, the Prince Lionheart Wheely Bugs are just as fun to ride as they are adorable to look at. Available in 6 unisex designs, choose from a ladybug, bee, cow, mouse, tiger or pig to take for a whirl. The seat is padded, easy to clean and resistant to potential “accidents” from over-excitement. The multi-directional coaster wheels and handy handle will keep your tiny rider amused ride after ride. Safe for indoor or outdoor use. (Also available with a large seat for kids 3+.) $50 at Amazon.com

Kickboard USA Mini and Maxi scooter – These 3-wheeled scooters definitely make it on my top 10 list of must-haves. My kids were riding the Mini version before they were two years old and now at 5.5 and 4, they can zoom around corners, jump off of curbs and do a handful of other head-turning tricks. And we’ve had no major wipeouts or ER visits! The scooters are durable, stable, easy to ride, come in a ton of fun colors and are fairly compact. The Mini Kick is geared for kids 2-5 years old while the Maxi Kick is best for kids 6-11 (or up to 120 lbs.) The Mini comes with a T-bar handle while the Maxi also has the option of the pilot stick which allows for the best performance and handling.

Kickboard has also been adding to their collection of accessories for the scooters including bags, bells, lights and plush buddies. But don’t let the kids have all the fun! Kickboard USA also makes 2-wheel and 3-wheel scooters for the 11-111 crowd. I recently tried out this 2-wheeled number and had a blast zipping around the block with my kids. Now if only it had a cup holder to make my walk to Starbucks faster…. Starting at $85 at Kickboard USA and totally worth it. (Scroll down for a giveaway!)

KaZAM Balance Bike – When your tot is ready to trade up, consider skipping the training wheels and going to a balance bike first. With my first, we did training wheels and it took some time to ween him off them. With my second, I’m hoping to bypass the transition by using the KaZAM Balance bike. What sets KaZAM apart?

It took a few minutes for my son to get a hang of it, but I’m hoping this will help us bypass training wheels in a few months and go straight to a regular bike. The KaZAM seems durable and is easy to steer. I only wish the seat was a little wider. KaZAM comes in red, blue, orange, green and pink and also comes bundled with a helmet for a complete ready-to-ride package. $100 at KaZAM (Scroll down for a giveaway!)

Trek Jet 20 – When your rider is ready for a real bike, Trek makes superb, sturdy bikes that will easily last through multiple children. I’m not a particular fan of cartoon characters plastered over bikes, and I love that Trek bikes look and are made like grown-up bikes. The Jet 20 is geared for kids 6 and older depending on height and ability. It features 20″ wheels, the option of either coaster or hand breaks (one of my fav features) and cool extras like a kickstand, fenders, plates, pads. The bike has a lightweight aluminum frame that means I can hoist it up on our bike rack, and a construction that will last through everything from neighborhood rides to off-road adventures AND still be passed down to younger brothers. The Jet 20 comes in blue or green though girls may prefer the color selection of the similarly designed Mystic 20. Like all Trek bikes, the Jet 20 has a lifetime warranty. Available for $220 at Trek Bikes.

** GIVEAWAYS ** Three awesome giveaways in this short contest! Enter once for all three items (if you’re only interested in one of them – mention that in the comments so I don’t send you something you don’t want!) Enter by leaving a comment below. Here’s what’s up for grabs:

1) a Kickboard USA Mini or Maxi scooter(color options may depend on available stock)

2) a Kickboard USA white 2-wheeled Kick Scooter for teens or adults (up to 220 lbs)

3) a KaZAM Balance Bike in any color (except pink)

Earn additional entries by tweeting about the contest with the hashtag #MWSridegiveaway or posting about the contest on Facebook. Be sure to leave us an additional comment for each extra entry you do.

Contest is open to U.S. residents only. Sorry no PO boxes. Contest open until 11:59pm on Wednesday, December 14th!

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Note: MWS was not paid for this post. Some of the companies provided samples for review.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Holiday 2011, Kids, On The Go, Play Time, Toys Tagged With: balance bikes, bikes, holiday gifts, kazam, kickboard, ride-on toys, scooters, Trek, wheely bug

A Wii Under the Tree

December 12, 2011 By kate Leave a Comment

Don’t get pulled into the thinking that the only good gifts are brand new. There are lots of great gift ideas that have been around for a while and guess what – they are still awesome. Take the Wii for example. Originally released in 2006, the Wii is still the worldwide leader in gaming console sales with new games being released throughout the year. The nice thing about the Wii is it can appeal to the whole family. There are sports games, fitness programs, games for kids, teens and adults ranging from driving, cooking and surgery to music, dancing and of course destroying alien invaders.

And it keeps getting better. Current Wii consoles are shipping with the brand new Wii Plus remote with built-in MotionPlus technology (it used to be a separate, add-on accessory). This new hyper-sensitive remote controls your Wii games with the natural, fluid movement of your hand, without having to think about pressing a button. You get better control with less work. A win-win.

There are also a bunch of recently-released Wii games that will make a perfect pair with a Wii console.

Barbie: Jet, Set & Style: Budding style mavens will jump at the chance to perfect their hair, makeup, nail and fashion skills. Travel around the world with Barbie picking up style tips from Paris and London to Tokoyo and Moscow. Hone your glamor skills to win the ultimate prize – styling Barbie herself for an international fashion show! Rated E (THQ)

Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident: New to Wii for the first time is the exciting hidden object puzzle play of the Mystery Case File series. Scour the island, locate hidden objects and use clues to solve inventive puzzles throughout the game. My kids love the I Spy-style of this game, and while it was too hard for them to play alone, it was a great family game using our collective detective skills and eyesight. Rated E (Nintendo)

Family Game Night 4: Your kids may think that board games are soooo old school, but now you can introduce your kids to your favorites – with a twist! With Family Game Night 4, you’ll be off the couch and laughing as you choose between CONNECT 4 Basketball, YATZHEE! Bowling, SCRABBLE Flash, BOP-IT Boptagon, and SORRY! Sliders. My kids were hooked on YATZHEE! Bowling having just learned how to do both parts separately in the last few months. This was a great game to enjoy as a the whole family! Rated E (EA)

Monster High Ghoul Spirit: If your daughter loves the Monster High dolls, they’ll be of fan of Ghoul Spirit where they can work to become the coolest ghoul in school by making friends, building a reputation, doing all sorts of “creeptastic” activities and more. Select your hair, skin, and outfit to create your own creepy character and do you best to win the ultimate prize – winning the title of Scream Queen. Rated E (THQ)

Wii Play Motion: If you already have a Wii, this is a great introduction to the Wii Plus remote which comes bundled with the game that highlights all of the new remote’s hyper-sensitive capabilities. With 12 mini games to choose from like Jump Park, Skip Skimmer and Treasure Twirl, the games are easy enough for younger kids to play while still offering enough challenge for adults. Rated E 10+ (Nintendo)

Rayman Origins: From the creator of Rayman, Beyond Good & Evil and the Raving Rabbids, comes Rayman Origins. Choose from over 100 characters while you adventure through 12 beautifully drawn worlds and over 60 levels attempting to save their home, the Glade of Dreams, from trouble. Pick up important skills like swimming, diving, slapping and of course the “HairlyCopter” in an attempt save the Glade and defeat the enemy. A fun game for older kids and adults alike. Rated E 10+ (Ubisoft)

Skylanders – Spyro’s Adventure Starter Pack: This unique game comes with three creature action-figures called Skylanders and a “Portal of Power” that syncs with the console and “teleports” the creature into the game. Each Skylander has a different ability or power and remembers its place in the game – even if you use it on a different console. Use your Skylander’s special power to battle Kaos, an evil tyrant, and protect your homeland. A multiple player function allows you to join forces with a friend or battle head-to-head. Plus you can expand the game by purchasing separate Adventure Packs. And the Skylanders are perfect entertainment on their own. Rated E10+. (Activision)

Add on the new uDraw Tablet from THQ and you can try out these new games.

Pictionary – Ultimate Edition: You know the game, but not like this! Pictionary Ultimate takes drawing to a whole new level. Play regular Pictionary with over 3,000 drawing clues (junior and adult levels) or try out Pictionary Mania with crazy drawing modes like tool confusion, eraser only and rotation frustration where the screen rotates while you’re trying to draw! Plus when you’re done playing, the free draw mode is perfect to hone your skills. Rated E (THQ)

Spongebob Squigglepants: Join Spongebob, his friends and the president of the Spongebob fan club, Patchy the Pirate, in this dizzying adventure of more than 100 fast-paced mini-games and challenges. The games are easy enough for younger kids, but the time limits add an element of challenge for older kids too. You can also draw, paint and color tons of never-before-seen images of Spongebob from the Nickelodeon vaults. A must-have for Spongebob aficionados. Rated E. (THQ)

Disney Princess – Enchanting Storybooks: Budding artists can bring color and life to scenes from their favorite Disney princess movies staring Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Tiana. With over 100 coloring pages, activities, sticker pages and stories, your little princess will have fun recreating her favorite scenes from her favorites stories. Sadly this one was lost on my boys, but I admit I had fun reliving some of my own Disney memories. Rated E. (THQ)

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Note: MWS was not paid for this review. Samples were provided for the review.

Filed Under: Dads, Electronics, Entertainment, Games, Holiday 2011, Kids, Misc, Play Time Tagged With: electronic gifts, holiday gifts, video games, wii

Smart Snow Gear & Giveaways (Winners Announced)

December 8, 2011 By kate 16 Comments

Congrats to Tammy P. who won our giveaway of L-Bow Gloves. Visit www.onestepahead.com to pick some up for your kids! Thanks to all who entered!

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Living on the coast of California, snow is a novelty we drive to as opposed to part of our daily winter life like I know it is for some of you. Still, whether snow is a once-a-season event for you or a oh-my-gosh-not-another-snow-day regular occurence, I think parents are always looking for snow gear that can get more than one season of use out it.

Browsing through the latest One Step Ahead catalog, I came across two pieces of smart snow gear I had to share – the L-Bow Gloves and Cozy Cub Kids’ Adjustable Hem Snow Bibs.

L-Bow Gloves: This is just a brilliant idea. Kids’ gloves inevitable come untucked from the jacket allowing snow to get up the sleeve and down into the glove itself. No more! The the L-Bow Glove offers protection from fingertip to elbow with their unique extra long nylon cuffs.

The durable, reinforced palms will last through a number of seasons of snowball fights, and their Thinsulateâ„¢ material ensures warm fingers without excess bulk. The gloves are available in 6 color options and 2 sizes, and if you just don’t want to deal with getting all those fingers into the right slots, there are L-Bow Mittens too!

I don’t know if my kids noticed too much of a difference with these new gloves, but I sure did. I put them on once and only once! No stopping every 5 minutes to readjust, reattach or dump out snow. The gloves kept their hands warm, their clothes dry and could definitely pack a mean snowball. (See below for a giveaway!)

Cozy Cub Kids’ Adjustable Hem Snow Bibs: Another smart idea – adjustable hem convertible snow bib/pants. A mouthful to say, but worth for the years of use you can get out of these! Use them as is and when junior gets a growth spurt, snip the hem to release an extra two inches of leg length. Plus you can convert them to snow pants by zipping off the bib top.

The pants use a triple-layer technology to keep little legs warm and dry.

- A soft, pill-resistant, microfleece and taffeta lining

- A lightweight core of ThermoliteÂ® insulation

- A rugged, water-repellent, stain-resistant, nylon shell (so melted snowflakes bead up and roll off, instead of soaking through!)

Reinforced knees and inseam help these pants last through sled run bails and snow angel making, and the silky inner lining makes getting the pants on and off a breeze (a must-have for those “I need to go NOW!” moments). My favorite features are the microfleece lining on the rear (no more cold bottoms!) and the reflective piping (evening snow walk? No worries!).

* GIVEAWAY * One Step Ahead is giving away a pair of L-Bow Gloves to one lucky MWS reader! To enter, tell us your favorite thing to do in the snow with your kids. US residents only. PO Boxes okay. Entries must be received by December 12th at 11:59pm PST. One winner will be selected by random.org and notified via email.

Visit OneStepAhead.com for this snow gear and other innovative children’s products.

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Mommies With Style was not paid for this review. Product samples were provided.

Kate Bayless is a writer, editor and will be throwing – and dodging – snowballs this December. Her work has appeared in Parents, American Baby, Fit Pregnancy, iVillage and other publications. Visit her at www.katebayless.com or @katebayless.

Filed Under: Clothes, Giveaways, Kids Tagged With: cold weather gear, gloves, one step ahead, snow bibs, snow gear

A Fresh Take: Minted.com Holiday Cards

December 6, 2011 By kate Leave a Comment

I’ve made holiday cards through a number of companies over the past few years. Some them all blur together, offering fine, but not memorable products or services. Others stand out. One of those is Minted.com. (Special coupon code below!)

Minted is not your average stationary shop. They describe themselves as a “global community of independent graphic designers and an online store that prints and sells the best of their designs in the form of paper goods.” Started in 2007 by Mariam Naficy, Minted holds monthly design challenges allowing graphic designers from all over the world to showcase their best creations. The Minted community votes on the best cards and winners earn cash, a place in the collection and on-going commission. Currently Minted designers represent 43 different countries!

That would be great as is. But even better? The products are created to the highest standard. Rich inks, thick card stock and a design process that lets YOU be in control. If the card options weren’t endless enough, once you select a Minted card, you can tweak colors, fonts, placement and more. You can make sure that the design is as YOU as the family picture on the front.

Plus, once you’ve choose and tweaked the card to your heart’s desire, a designer double checks everything and sends you a digital proof before the final OK on your order. So you can make sure everything is just as it should be.

Minted.com has an incredible selection of holiday photo cards (606!) and unique features like Storybook Photo cards (available as in interior option on all holiday cards), Yearline cards, or Minibook cards when you just need more room for updates and photos!

Yearline card

Minibook

Minted.com also offers lots of other fun extras like:

Skinny Wrapâ„¢ Address Labels: An innovative return address label beloved by customers that wraps around the top left side of an envelope for a chic burst of color on front and back.
Card Backers: This visually stunning option adds a solid color or pattern to the back of the greeting card for a coordinated and luxurious look.
Slip-In Envelope Liners: These matte, custom-cut envelope liners add uniqueness to any envelope and require just a bit of adhesive to fit into place.
Rounded Corners: This elegant detail is the perfect finishing touch.

Just for MWS readers, Minted.com is offering 10% off on all orders (Use: MOMMIESWITHSTYLE) or check out Minted.com’s other coupon codes and deals here. For holiday cards, baby announcements, wedding invitations, graduation announcements and more, I promise you won’t be disappointed with Minted.com!

My family's Minted.com card

Note: Minted.com provided product samples for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Coupon Codes & Sales, Paper Products & More Tagged With: holiday cards, Minted.com, photo cards

Hot Holiday Toys: LeapFrog Peek-a-Shoe Talking Octopus (Winner Announced)

December 4, 2011 By kate 13 Comments

WINNER! Congrats to Rondah who won the LeapFrog Peek-A-Shoe Octopus! Thanks to all who entered!

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Here’s the bad news: We’ve come to the final holiday LeapFrog giveaway. But the good news is that one of YOU will win! You’ll want to get your hands on this latest releases from LeapFrog – all 8 of your hands if you have them! The LeapFrog Peek-A-Shoe Talking Octopus is a fun, interactive, hands-on activity toy geared for kids 9 months and older.

2011 Winner of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Toy Award!

Drop the ball into Octopus’ open arm or hat and then guess which of his 5 colored feet the ball is hiding under. Encouraging words help while the child searches for the ball and celebrates when they find it. A switch on the blue collar lets you turn it on/off and control the volume (the toy also auto-shuts off after a few minutes of inactivity.) Another switch lets you choose between counting and color mode. The third central button plays fun, educational songs and instrumental music. Designed to help your child develop and reinforce motor skills, the Peek-A-Shoe Talking Octopus also teaches colors, numbers, counting and sea animals.

My 16-month-old had a blast dropping and searching for the balls, and I love how it encouraged his hand-eye coordination and searching skills. I also love that it’s a toy that my two older sons (5 and 3) like to play with him. Fun for all!

** GIVEAWAY ** Win a Peek-A-Shoe Talking Octopus of your very own! To enter, just leave a comment below telling us your favorite part of the holidays. Entries must be received by December 9th 11:59pm, PST. One winner will be picked via random.org and notified via email. Sorry, no P.O. boxes. US residents only.

MWS was not paid for this review. LeapFrog provided a sample of the product for review.

Kate Bayless is a writer, editor and loves holiday music. Her work has appeared in Parents, American Baby, Fit Pregnancy, iVillage and other publications. Visit her at www.katebayless.com or @katebayless.

Filed Under: Coupons & Freebies, Giveaways, Kids, Toys Tagged With: Holiday Toys, LeapFrog

Drinking My Way To a Healthier Holiday (& Giveaways!)

November 28, 2011 By kate 38 Comments

Congratulations to our juicer winners: Diana, Cindy, Melissa, Suzy, Korie, Jim, Jen, Dianne, Carlos and Susan. The winners have already been notified via email. Enjoy!

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I had two cups of kale, a carrot, an apple and half a cucumber for breakfast this morning. And I drank every last drop.

I’ve been on a juicing kick lately. It started after watching the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead that chronicles the journey of Joe Cross as he attempts to improve his health through juicing. But I’ve found it’s been a great way to up my veggie intake (breakfast is a hard meal to have a salad), another way to use all the greens that have been coming in my CSA bin and a fabulously sneaky way to get my kids to consume all sorts of veggies they normally wouldn’t.

Juicing has come a long way in recent years. One of the current trends is slow juicing, a process of slowly squeezing the nutrient-rich juice out of fruits and veggies instead of quickly spinning the heck out of them which some claim breaks up the nutrient molecules.

I had the chance to check out three recently-released slow juicers plus have a great giveaway for those of you who want to get started.

The first juicer I tried was the Healthy Juicer Electric from Lexen Products. This juicer is a masticating style juicer with what looks like a long single drill bit. The juicer slowly presses, squeezes and crushes fruits and veggies to release their juices. Unlike a blender or a traditional juicer, since the juice extraction is slow, it doesn’t heat the juice and destroy any of the natural live enzymes.

The Lexen Healthy Juicer has an external pulp screen which means you can choose to leave it on (completely smooth juice, no pulp) or take it off if you like a little pulp in your juice. I also liked the beyond juice, the Lexen Healthy Jucier can be used to make pasta (3 pasta attachments included), wheatgrass (separate auger included), babyfood, soy milk, nut butters and frozen desserts (put in frozen fruit, get delicious sorbet!)

I was pretty impressed with the versatility of the product and how when you use the external pulp screen, the juice truly is completely smooth. Like most juicers, the Lexen has a fair number of parts, but the Lexen juicer was also very easy to clean. One drawback – since the Lexen Healthy Juicer is longer than it is taller, you’re going to have to sacrifice some counter space.

Next I tried two very similar juicers – the Hurom Slow Juicer and the new Omega 350 VERT. Both of these juicers have a compact vertical design. Even with all the pieces on, I can easily store it on my counter under my upper cabinets. Both juicers are slow masticating juicers which crush and press the fruits and veggies (instead of grinding, blending or chopping) to extract the most juice possible without damaging the nutrients.

Compared to the Lexen, I found both the Hurom and Omega VRT 350 to be faster, easier to add fruits and veggies one-handed without much tamping, and able to extract more juice. But the juice is not completely smooth like with the Lexen. The Hurom and Omega are also a little trickier to clean. Both come with a two-headed toothbrush/pick and yes, you need to use it.

The differences between the Hurom and Omega VRT 350? The Omega comes with 2 juicing screens (a fine and a course for more or less pulp) and is $10-$20 more expensive. The Hurom has a handle on the back which can be useful for tipping the machine to get the last bit of juice out. Overall, both are stellar machines and a great way to up to your veggie intake.

**GIVEAWAY** The kind folks over at Omega are hosting a 10 juicer giveaway of their new Omega VRT 350. A perfect way to counteract all those holiday cookies and cocktails or a great gift for someone in your life. To enter, leave us a comment below answering this: What is your biggest holiday temptation? Is it the eggnog or the appetizers? Candy canes or Starbuck’s yummy holiday coffee drinks? Leave us a comment below and hopefully you’ll be on your way to a healthy and happier holiday season!

One entry per person. US residents only. No PO boxes. Entries must be received by Dec. 2, 2011, 11:59 pm. Winners chosen by random.org and notified via email. If winners do not reply with their shipping details within 2 days of notification, a new winner will be chosen.

Filed Under: Cooking, Feeding & Mealtime, For the Home, Giveaways Tagged With: food, health eating, Hurom, juicers, Lexen, Omega, vegetables

Taking My Whirlpool Duet For a Whirl

November 26, 2011 By kate 2 Comments

Recently I told you about my experience with Lowe’s Appliance Selector Tool, but what I didn’t tell you much about was the appliance it led me too – the Whirlpool Duet Front-Loader Washer and Dryer with steam.

Is it legal to marry an appliance?

This washer/dryer set had more features than I knew what to do with when it arrived, but over the last month, I’ve come to appreciate the variety of options it offers. It doesn’t just wash and dry clothes. It steam-cleans my son’s stinky soccer uniform, soaks my husband’s white shirts, de-allergenates (?) my baby’s sheets and delicately hand-washes my “Hand wash only” wool sweater.

So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to my new favorite duo.

Meet The Washer.

Big. I have three young boys which means we go through a lot of grass-stained, food-spilled, dirt-caked clothes in a week. This washer has a 4.3 cu. ft. drum which means I can wash a week’s worth of all three of my boys’ clothes IN ONE LOAD. Unfortunately, I still have to fold them all.

Serious choice of cycles. Normal, Bulky, Allergen, Heavy Duty, Whites, Jeans, Quick, Delicate, Hand wash, Rinse/Drain/Spin – whatever you’re washing, there’s a cycle to meet your washing needs. This week I used Normal (my clothes), Bulky (our down comforter), Whites (husband’s dress shirts), Hand wash (wool sweaters) and Allergen (boys’ clothes after stomach flu was going around school).

Personalize your wash. Beyond the cycles, you can adjust the water temperature (5 choices), spin speed (5 choices) and degree of dirtiness (3 levels). Plus you can add on a presoak, OXI dispense, extra rinse, deep clean with steam or EcoBoost. My favorites are the presoak option (an option I thought was lost with a front-loader), EcoBoost and Steam Clean.

No rush. Want to start a load of laundry before you hit the hay or head out for the day? No worries about your damp laundry sitting for hours with Whirlpool’s FanFresh button which periodically tumbles the load and circulates air through the washer which keeps the clothes fresh and ready for the dryer when you are ready.

Energy-efficient. The washer is ENERGY STAR® qualified, but beyond that it meets Tier III requirements from the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, the highest level of water and energy savings.

Meet The Dryer.

Fast! This was the first thing I noticed about the dryer. My last dryer took twice as long as my washer to finish a load. This Whirlpool dries an entire load in about 30 minutes – and that’s on the Medium Heat/Less Dry setting. Impressive!

Personalize your drying. Six cycles to choose from (Delicate, Casual, Normal, Bulky, Jeans, Heavy Duty, Towels) plus two timed settings – Enhanced Touch-up and Quick Refresh which use steam to relax wrinkles and refresh clothes.

My favorite feature. I iron my husband’s dress shirts every other week, but frankly I don’t enjoy it. However I’m also fairly thrifty which means I’d rather iron than pay for dry-cleaning. Fortunately, the Whirpool dryer has a two features to make my life easier – a Wrinkle Shield add-on which periodically tumbles and steams the clothes to prevent wrinkling for up to 120 minutes after the load finishes and the Enhanced Touch-Up cycle which quickly tumbles and steams clothes to de-wrinkle them thereby making my ironing job a bit easier.

LED Drum Light. I have to admit I thought this was a silly feature at first. Until I had to find my yoga pants in the back of the dryer for a 6 AM class at my fitness club. Or my son’s soccer socks right before we have to run out the door. Since the 4.3 cu. ft. drum is so large, it’s nice to have a light to see what the heck is back there.

If you’re in the market for a new washer or dryer, give Whirlpool a visit or check out Lowe’s Appliance Selector Tool to help you find the perfect appliance for your lifestyle, space and budget.

Mommies With Style was not paid for this review. Lowes provided a product sample for this review. The reviews expressed here are my own.

Kate Bayless is a writer, editor and will be ironing tonight. Her work has appeared in Parents, American Baby, Fit Pregnancy, iVillage and other publications. Visit her at www.katebayless.com or @katebayless.

Filed Under: Eco-friendly, For the Home Tagged With: appliance, dryer, laundry, Lowe's, washer, Whirpool

Hot Holiday Toys: LeapFrog’s My Own Story Time Pad & #Giveaway

November 23, 2011 By kate 110 Comments

WINNER ANNOUNCED! Congrats to Ada Miller who won the LeapFrog My Own Story Time Pad! Thanks to all who entered!

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Giveaway #3 is here! This time it’s LeapFrog’s new My Own Story Time Pad – an easy-to-use tablet for little LeapFroggers. Perfect for kids 2+ years (though fun for younger kids too), the Story Time Pad is a lightweight tablet that includes stories, songs and activities that can be personalized for your child! Scout, Violet and the other LeapFrog friends educate and entertain as your child learns about letters, phonics, storytelling, music and more.

One of the coolest features of the My Own Story Tim Pad is the ability to personalize a number of the activities. Using LeapFrog’s Connect Application, you can have Scout or Violet say your child’s name, customize parts of stories and songs, and create pretend emails and messages from friends or family members. Toddlers will get a kick out of hearing Scout call them by name, mention their friends and talk about their favorite places.

My Own Story Time Pad comes pre-loaded with 1 story, 1 email, and 3 songs, but by connecting to the LeapFrog Connect Application you can download additional stories and songs (up to 5 stories, 10 songs and 3 emails at a time).

Some of my favorite feature:

- No tablet envy. I love that the tablet looks and feels similar to LeapFrog’s LeapPad tablet and other adult tablets but is geared for younger learners. No more arguing over who gets to use the tablet! With the My Own Story Time Pad, my 3 year old can have a tablet geared just for him.

- No wrong buttons. Whenever I give my kids my phone to play a game, I inevitably find stuff rearrange, reprogrammed or downright missing. One of the great things about the Story Time Pad is that there are no wrong buttons! Kids can press buttons is any order, at any time and the tablet will not delete content, harm the activities or self-destruct. Plus any button they push will likely make a sound, start a new activity or provide some kind of giggle-inducing feedback.

- Durable. LeapFrog makes stuff for kids. Kids that drop stuff. So they’ve made the My Story Time Pad out of durable plastic that can handle the bangs and bumps of life.

- Lightweight. The tablet weighs in at just over 1 lb. and is easy for a child to hold in the car or fit on his lap.

- Multiple volume settings. The Story Time Pad features two volume settings which is nice, but unfortunately no headphone jack which I wish it had.

Visit Leapfrog.com to learn more and purchase a My Own Story Time Pad – available in white or purple for $29.99 (Be sure to sign up for LeapFrog’s emails to hear about great holiday deals and sales too.)

** GIVEAWAY ** Win a My Story Time Pad of your very own! To enter, leave a comment below telling us what tech gadget is on your holiday wishlist. (And be sure to check out Whitney and the other Gift Guide Girls‘ post on innovative, adorable and drool-worthy tech gifts here!) You can earn additional entries by doing any of the following – be sure leave us separate comments to tell us you did! 1) Like LeapFrog or Mommies With Style on Facebook, 2) Follow LeapFrog or MWS on Twitter, 3) Follow me on Twitter, or 4) Tweet about the giveaway with the hashtag #MWSgiveaway. Entries must be received by Monday, December 5th 11:59pm, PST. One winner will be picked via random.org and notified via email. Sorry, no P.O. boxes. US residents only.

MWS was not paid for this review. LeapFrog provided a sample of the product for review.

Kate Bayless is a writer, editor and is hoping Santa brings her a tablet. She has been very good this year. Her work has appeared in Parents, American Baby, Fit Pregnancy, iVillage and other publications. Visit her at www.katebayless.com or @katebayless.

Filed Under: Coupons & Freebies, Electronics, Giveaways, Kids, Play Time Tagged With: electronic gifts, giveaway, holiday gifts, LeapFrog, My Own Story Time Pad, tablets

Hot Holiday Toys: LeapFrog Tag Solar System & #Giveaway! (Winner Announced)

November 17, 2011 By kate

GIVEAWAY WINNER – Congrats to Autumn who won our LeapFrog giveaway of the Solar System Adventure Pack. Thanks to all who entered!

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Back again with another hot new holiday toy (and a giveaway!) from LeapFrog. I’ve already written about my love of LeapFrog’s Tag Reading System here and here, and one of the great things about the system is that they keep expanding and adding new products like this – the Tag Solar System Adventure Pack.

Available as a bundle with a Tag pen ($53.98, but on sale for $49.99) or on its own ($13.99), the Solar System Adventure Pack extends your child’s learning to the stars! Literally! Much like the Tag World Map and United States Map, the dual-sided, interactive Solar System Map offers over 40 different out-of-the-world learning activities on the planets, sun, orbits, moon phases, seasons, asteroids and more! It contains the “basics” but also goes beyond to talk about things like the deposed Pluto and other dwarf planets plus a section called “How Do We Know” that tackles questions like life on other planets, and how we know how far away stars are.

In addition to the map itself, the Solar System Adventure Pack also comes with a “Passport to the Stars” sticker book that helps reinforce the learning and is just plain fun for sticker-loving kids. Plus, the stickers interact with the Tag pen!

Some of my favorite features:

- Size: While we own the World and USA Maps as well, the Solar System map folds down to the same size as a traditional Tag book which means it’s easier to bring along and to store with our other Tag books.

- Multiple levels: LeapFrog does such a good job at creating toys that offer multiple levels of play. The Solar System Map offer two levels of content so both my older boys can use it and be challenged.

- Information variety: The entire Tag series does a great job of packing in the information. From facts and data to games and activities, the Solar System map teaches and reinforces the learning through a variety of methods.

GIVEAWAY! LeapFrog is giving away a Solar System Adventure Pack that comes with their latest Tag Reader! To enter, leave a comment below telling us why this would be a hit with your kids. You can earn additional entries by doing any of the following – be sure leave us separate comments to tell us you did! 1) Like LeapFrog or Mommies With Style on Facebook, 2) Follow LeapFrog or MWS on Twitter, 3) Follow me on Twitter! Entries must be received by Saturday, November 26th 11:59pm, PST. One winner will be picked via random.org and notified via email. Sorry, no P.O. boxes. US residents only.