Product reviews for trendy Moms & Dads, their children & pregnant moms
Use coupon code THXMOM to receive 50% off your order of Photo on Canvas Art on CafePress.com.
Expires April 13th.
No interested in the photos on canvas art but looking to shop CafePress? They are also offering 20% off your purchase of anything on the site over $50 with coupon code BUNNY.
Last weekend we were over at my sister-in-law’s house when something glowing in her kitchen caught my eye. She had what looked like a bowl with glowing rocks sitting on an end table next to her kitchen table. I asked what it was.
She told me it was a Himalayan Salt Lamp and handed me one of the rocks. It was a big chunk of salt with a pinkish hue and it was warm. I was immediately addicted to holding it and playing with it.
She got it at a local New Age store but told me I could get one on Amazon. It’s a wire basket with a light bulb in the middle – the light bulb heats the salt up and in turn casts a wonderful pink-orangeish hue all around the room. It was totally calming to look at and it’s just one of those pieces in a house like a burning candle that makes you just feel more relaxed to look at it. Plus the heated rocks are awesome on your forehead or in your hands on a cold evening.
I immediately went home and ordered one. It came two days later (I love Amazon Prime) and my entire family has been obsessed with it ever since. Besides the fact that it’s completely soothing, this is what is written about the lamp’s tech specs on Amazon:
Works as an air purifier by emitting negative ions into the air and light therapy to reduce stress and increase energy
It’s only been a few days but I do really enjoy this and it’s been a definite conversation starter. Here’s the Himalayan Salt Lamp I have that I got on Amazon – it was $39.99 with free shipping.
Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to deal with cleaning your shower on a regular basis? I’m always amazed at how quickly mildew can build up on the grout between the tiles in my shower.
Scrubbing Bubbles has an Automatic Shower Cleaner that I’m currently checking out. They had me at Automatic! After you leave the shower, it automatically sprays in a circle all around your shower, cleaning after you have left! You gotta love it.
Some fun stats from the Dirty Work Index:
Giveaway: I have one Soap Scum Remover and the Automatic Shower Cleaner to giveaway to one lucky Mommies with Style reader. To enter, comment below! One winner will be selected after March 12, 2011.
For additional entries, you can tweet about this giveaway. Be sure to mention @scrubbingbubble and @mommieswstyle in your tweet.
Do you Roomba? No, this isn’t a dance move or the latest workout craze. I’m talking about the Roomba from iRobots – the Vacuum Cleaning Robot. That’s right ladies, a vacuuming robot.
I have three boys and a very hairy black Lab so I could easily justify vacuuming my house every other day. Unfortunately I lack both the time and the passion to vacuum this often. So I jumped at the chance to try out Roomba.
Roomba has a number of different models, but here are a few features they all have:
• Round shape helps it navigate into and out of tight spaces
• Side-brush design and placement allows it to clean right up to wall edges and all the way into corners
• Squeegee-like design to the vacuum that maintains close contact with the floor to pull up very fine dust and debris
• Makes multiple passes to ensure that your entire floor is thoroughly clean
• Dirt Dect function senses the dirtier areas and stays in those areas for longer.
• Anti-tangle technology allows Roomba to extract itself from tassels and cord tangles
• Light-touch intelligent sensing system can detect when Roomba is approaching a wall or obstacle and automatically slows the robot for a gentler touch and quieter operation
• iAdapt Responsive Cleaning Technology, an advanced system of software and sensors that actively responds to the environment to make smart cleaning decisions in the real world.
iRobots sent over the Roomba 532 Pet Series for me to try. After charging it for 24 hours, my boys hopped up onto the living room couch to watch as I pressed the “Clean” button and Roomba went to work. In hindsight sitting a watching a robot vacuum floors was counterproductive for two reasons – first, instead of actually getting something else done and having the robot save me time, we spent that time watching. the. robot. But it is a vacuuming robot which is pretty cool in and of itself, so really we had to watch it at least the first time. Second – when you watch it, you notice when it maneuvers right past a dust bunny of lint flake. I spent much of that first use thinking, “A little to your 
left, a little more, oh no! You missed it! Okay, there’s another just right next to….arg, you just passed it!”
My main living area is more of a “great room” set-up with an open entry way, living room, dining room and kitchen. We watched for about 25 minutes as Roomba made its way around corners, piano legs and ottomans. We saw it transition from our mostly hardwood floors on and off rugs. We noticed how it used a variety of cleaning patterns to cover the floor. And one of the coolest things? How it makes its way back to the dock to recharge when it’s all finished.
But….the end result was just so-so. My floors weren’t spotless and of course I had foolishly wasted 25 minutes watching it do a job that I could do better and faster. I was disappointed, but my husband convinced me to try it again in our bedroom. This time I plugged it in, turned it on and closed the door. Twenty minutes later I had a completely clean bedroom floor, even – hallelujah – all that dust and fur under the bed! Roomba was quietly docked back in her charger and I had folded a load of laundry, made breakfast and enjoyed a latte. Over the next week, I would turn Roomba on every other morning on my way out of the bedroom in the morning and also put it to work on the hallway, the nursery and the kids’ room.
And now I think I’m in love.
Granted, it didn’t work great in my great room. But it worked fabulously in the other rooms. I think my open living room/entry way/dining room had too many things to maneuver around and too few clearly define boundaries for Roomba to live up to its highest effectiveness. It performed much better in clearly defined spaces. The Roomba does try to help you with this by providing two Virtual Walls which allow you to create a virtual barrier to keep Roomba from going through doorways, but they wouldn’t work for my great room set-up.
Still, it is pretty amazing. Roomba’s aren’t cheap ($200 for a refurbished one up to $600 for the latest model) but they will definitely save you time and hassle.
What do you think? Would you Roomba?
Mother’s Day is coming up. Husbands always get a bad rap for getting their wives useful but utterly unromantic household and kitchen appliances for Mother’s Day, but the Roomba might just be one appliance you’d be happy to open. Start dropping hints now.
While I love me a cup of yummy coffee from Starbucks, it’s not really practical or affordable to go to Starbucks every day.
Having a coffee-maker is great but having something like the Tassimo Brewbot, which makes cappuccinos, lattes, espressos, flavored coffees, hot chocolates is just awesome.
This little machine can apparently whip you up a latte like your best barista can. Using T-Discs the same way a Keurig uses a K-cup, you can select and make a wide variety of flavors.
Giveaway: One lucky Mommies with Style reader will win a Tassimo T20 single cup coffee maker by Bosch. Enter to win by commenting below. What would you make first with your Tassimo? A Latte? Hot chocolate? Tea?
This contest ends December 29th. One winner will be selected and have 48 hours to respond after that. (If winner doesn’t respond within 48 hours, another will be selected.)
Extra entries – one for each:
1) Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
2) Tweet about this giveaway – be sure to follow and @mommieswstyle so I know you did it!
You like lattes. He likes coffee. He wants an Americano. You just want a cup of joe. De’Longhi to the rescue! With their dual coffee-espresso maker (BCO264B), you both can have your morning beverage – and drink it too!. The De’Longhi BCO264B is a three-in-one machine that includes a drip coffee maker, a pump espresso maker and a frothing wand to make lattes and cappuccinos.
Let’s start with the coffee maker. The permanent, gold tone filter eliminates the need to have paper filters on hand, and Delonghi’s patented brewing system creates a rich, flavorful coffee. The 10-cup capacity ensures you won’t run out of joe to help you make it through the morning or will have enough to go around when company is over. A convenient “AccuFlavor Selector” knob on top lets you select the strength of your brew, and you can also select how long the pot stays warm. Plus with the 24-hour, programmable timer, you can always wake up to a hot cup of coffee without your pre-coffee-self having to think before your caffeine. Love this. Waking up to the smell of coffee is like aromatherapy for my mornings.
Onto espresso… the De’Longhi BCO264B has a patented filter holder that lets you use either your own ground coffee or pre-package pods like those from Starbucks, Senseo, illy and others. Turn the knob to preheat for a few minutes and then let 15 bars of pump pressure create dark, rich espresso. If you’ve never owned an espresso machine before, it may take a few tries to pull your perfect shot of espresso. Check YouTube for tips on tamping, grinding and timing.
Finally, the frothing. I’ve had fun experimenting with lattes, cappuccinos and more with the frothing wand. I’m not thrilled about the placement of the frother. I’d prefer it on the outer edge of the machine so it’s easier to access, but it works, creating piles of frothy foam. My kids new favorite thing is to ask for a “bubbly hot chocolate.”
At just under 15″ tall, the De’Longhi BCO264B fits easily under most upper cabinets, and the black and silver color palette looks striking on any countertop. Is it a gift for him? For you? No need to decide. Just unwrap together and enjoy your fresh cup of coffee or cappuccino or latte or espresso…..
Purchase at De’Longhi for $199
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Disclaimer: De’Longhi sent a sample of this product for review. The opinions expressed are my own.
When it comes to stockings, the kids are easy. There are plenty of small toys and candy that fit right into a child’s stocking. But what about Mom and Dad?
I have a great suggestion for Moms: Tide to Go Pens. I feel like this is something beyond the usual scope for a stocking. But really it shouldn’t be, especially for a Mom.
Here’s why this is awesome in her stocking: it’s useful, it’s compact (enough to not only fit in the stocking but to fit in the smallest of handbags) and it’s great on-the-go! This little stain fighter helps eliminate the toughest of stains when you’re out and about – coffee, chocolate, juice, you name it.
Any Mom knows that there are about a million different ways spills can happy with kids and truly this is the kind of thing any Mom would appreciate having amidst her daily chaos.
Disclaimer: Tide to Go is a sponsor of the Gift Guide Girls, a website I am a partner in.
Looking for a gift idea for your favorite baker this holiday season (or to put on your own wishlist?)
The Bosch Universal Plus is not for lightweight bakers. In fact, it’s not even called a mixer. It’s called a Kitchen Machine. This 
baby has an 800 watt motor and a 6.5 quart mixing bowl – big enough and strong enough to mix up to 15 lbs of bread dough at once. But don’t be intimidated. The Bosch Universal Plus is easy to use with 4 speeds plus a pulse function. The interior is easy to clean and a sturdy lid keeps the ingredients where you want them. A faster high speed and a slower low speed than its previous model gives you the utmost control, and the unique three-pronged dough hook folds and stretches the dough for ideal gluten development. The result? Better bread, faster and easier.
It comes with the three-pronged dough hook, a scraper and a double beater that whips cream lightening fast.
Plus Bosch offers a number of optional accessories like a blender, shredder, juicer, meat grinder and more to truly turn the Universal Plus into a do-it-all kitchen machine.
My favorite features of the Universal Plus are its capacity, ease of use and cleaning, and how well it incorporates ingredients. I have to do limited (if any) scraping of the sides. And the large capacity has made my holiday baking a snap.
Six dozen cookies for the holiday bake sale? No problem. Bring five loaves of bread to Christmas dinner? I won’t break a sweat.
Visit Bosch’s website to learn more and add the Universal Plus to your holiday wishlist.
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Note: Bosch sent a sample of the Universal Plus to facilitate this review.
My youngest child has been out of diapers for over a year now so buying diapers and shopping somewhere like Diapers.com has not been on my radar. Until recently, when I received a note about participating in a campaign for Diapers.com to purchase and use the site for more than diapers.
More than diapers at Diapers.com? I was curious to see how the site had grown since my last child potty trained and was pleasantly surprised at how much their offering had expanded since the last time I ordered.
I placed a big order for several products, none of which was diapers! I got toys for my kids for Christmas, clothes and skin care products for my kids. In searching for various products, I was able to find everything I was looking for. Check out the array of Legos they offer! (My kids are so into Legos right now, I was impressed with their selection.)
I also ordered this adorable Tea Collection Lion Double Decker Tee. Then I was out of hand soap so I hopped over to body care and ordered several bottles of Burts Beeds Hand Soap. Bottom line being that their offering has moved beyond diapers and their prices are competitive. (Free shipping over $49!)
Just to give you an example the vast assortment of products you can buy for your family’s needs, check out this random assortment of products you can buy on Diapers.com:
Bravado Designs Nursing Tank - $49
Fisher Price IxL Learning System - $89.99
Basq Cucumber Tea Eye Gel - $24
3-pack of EPT Pregnancy Stick Tests - $13.99
Lego City Seaplane - $9.49
Shipping is free when your order is over $49 and no joke, my order came in a day and a half. They promise 1-2 day shipping and I placed my order late one night. It came not the next day but early the following morning; roughly 36 hours.
Giveaway: One lucky reader from Mommies with Style will win a $200 gift certificate to Diapers.com! Comment below to enter.
This giveaway ends after Sunday, December 12th – one winner will be selected at random after that time.
Disclosure: I was given compensated and given a credit to spend at Diapers.com to facilitate this post.
I’m a mom, a wife, a writer. I like lattes, a glass of wine and can spend hours browsing the aisles of Target, Pottery Barn and Sephora. I also grind my own wheat.
If you had asked me a few years ago if I would ever grind my own wheat, I would have thought you were crazy. But I do now and here’s why you might want to too.
To do this, you need a grain mill and one of the best on the market is the Nutrimill by L’Equip. This grain mill is simple to use, relatively quiet, neat and fast. In 3-4 minutes, the Nutrimill turns this:
into this:
The 20 cup bowl capacity makes it easy to grind as much (or as little as you need), and the speed and texture controls ensures you can grind your grain as fine or coarse as you like. The unit is very compact (under a foot tall) and doesn’t spew flour all over your counter.
If you frequently bake with whole wheat or other non-white flours, consider adding the Nutrimill to your holiday wish list ($239). Your baked goods will taste better and be even healthier.
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Disclosure: I received a Nutrimill grain mill to test for this review.
I’ve already written about my love affair with my Blendtec blender here – these things are amazing! Just in the last few days I’ve used mine to make smoothies, soup, hummus, margaritas, pancakes, zucchini bread and grind coffee. All their blenders are on sale right now for the holidays, but you can save an additional $50 on a Factory Reconditioned Total Blender by using the code “HOLIDAY” now through 12/22.
What does “Factory Reconditioned” mean? It means that the blender may have been used in a demonstration at a store or have come back as a return. Blendtec technicians then go through the entire machine to ensure its quality and repackage it complete with a full three year warranty on the motor and pitcher. They are currently available in Black, White, and Red.
Visit Blendtec to check out their entire product line on sale or use the code “HOLIDAY” to save $50 on a reconditioned one.
It’s pretty much a madhouse around these parts between 3:30-5:30 pm on any given weekday. Big Brother gets off the bus and has homework to deal with, little brother’s cranky and running around and wanting attention while I help with homework. Snacks are in demand, kids are thirsty, the cat’s wailing in the background for me to give him some treats.
And there’s dinner. Which I should be making but am usually not, only to look at the clock at 5:30 and wonder what the heck we’re going to eat.
So when I got the pitch to review some Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbooks, I thought to myself, this could work. Easy make-ahead recipes, what’s not to love?
I received the Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook, which is full of over 600 crock pot recipes. Now I have to say, I fail to really see how this cookbook is for Christmas as there are tons of great year-round recipes.
So I flipped through and decided to make an Italian Chicken Chili. I had some prep to do for the chili, which involved about 30 minutes of my time around 11 am.
So while it was a weekend, I loved not having to rush around in the afternoon and figure out dinner. And the chili was a hit! It was easy and good. I’m definitely planning on trying more recipes from the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook line, simply for the fact that it makes meal planning so much easier.
I also received the Fix-It and Forget-It Kids Cookbook, which is currently $13.59 on Amazon. I’m planning on checking out the kids Mac & Cheese in here next.
And check out the Fix-It and Forget-It website too – they have featured recipes (am thinking I may have to try that Mulled Apple Cider soon!) and info on upcoming book releases.
I recently attended the OXO TOT Cooking for Baby and Me Hands-On Lunch and Demo with Chef James Briscione and writer Brooke Parkhurst. This husband and wife team (who are also parents to a 1 year old daughter) are releasing a new cookbook soon called Just Married and Cooking, also have a website called… justmarriedandcooking.com.
The purpose of the event was to teach us that we could make food for our children and ourselves using OXO’s TOT line – without using fancy kitchen prep equipment (meaning no blenders, etc). They also showed us how to make meals for the whole family by building on ingredients – put a few ingredients together for your children, then add more spices and ingredients to make dinner for your spouse and yourself. And as someone who usually makes one or two dishes for my children and then another for my spouse and I — I thought it was brilliant.
[Read more...]
If you opened your fridge right now, what would you see? Even more important, what would you smell? Last Saturday, when I received my new Oransi Ionic Air Purifier, my fridge was packed with leftovers from the week, two bags of produce from that morning’s Farmer’s Market, thawing fish for that night’s dinner and a veggie bin that was begging to be cleaned out. The next morning after inserting the Oransi Ionic Air Purifier, my fridge smelled like….well, nothing. No fish smell. No aroma from the leftovers. No past-its-prime spinach stink. Just clean. The 4″ Ionic Air Purifier had rid my fridge of all of it.
The Oransi Ionic Air Purifier relies on a patented technology that uses negative ions to freshen your fridge instead of ozone which is used in most ionizers. The product claims it kills bacteria, reduces food spoilage, and prevents 
mildew as it sterilizes the fridge every two hours and neutralizes odors. The purifier is small, silent, efficient and runs on 2 AA batteries for 90 days. Plus, it’s goof-proof. Here’s how to use it: (1) Insert 2 AA batteries. (2) Place in fridge. (3) Press ON button. (4) Sniff freely.
The box says it can be used in closets and shoe cabinets. I wonder if I can sneak it into my husband’s soccer bag…
GIVEAWAY: One lucky MWS reader can win an Oransi Ionic Air Purifier. To enter, just answer the question: “What fridge – or other odor – needs to be neutralized in your house?” One entry per person. Open to U.S. residents only (no PO boxes). Entries must be received by 11:59pm Friday, October 15th. Good luck!
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Disclaimer: A product sample was provided for this review.
While my husband does have a MacGyver streak in him and can do wonders with a roll of duct tape, he always reminds me how the right tool for the job can make all the difference. And the same is true in the kitchen. Almost every meal relies on some amount of chopping, peeling, mincing, cutting, dicing or slicing. Fun? Not exactly. But the right tool can make the process faster, easier and safer.
First I had the chance to try out the Food Chopper by The Pampered Chef. This manual chopper makes easy work out of cutting up everything from garlic and onions (tear-free!) to pecans and chocolate. Seen that tempting mirepoix soup starter at Trader Joes? Seems like it would save so much time chopping up onions, carrots and celery for your Sunday soup, right? But with a few bangs of the hand, you can easily mince up a perfect mirepoix for half the price. Need a handful of nuts to top off a strudel or to throw into some banana bread? Why waste the time of getting out the food processor for such a small amount? The Food Chopper easily and quickly cuts, chops and dices. I also love that it’s a safe and easy way for the kids to help with food prep, and, when it’s too early for a glass of wine, provides a productive way to get out some aggression while prepping dinner at the same time. (Available at The Pampered Chef for $31)
But sometimes, a perfect slice is what you need. I also tried out the Twin Signature 3-Piece Starter Cutlery Set by J.A. Henckels which includes an 8″ Chef’s Knife, 6″ Utility Knife, and a 4″ Pairing Knife. The first thing you’ll notice – of course with any new knife – is how incredibly easy they cut. It made me immediately get out the rest of my knives and sharpen them. Really, when you have to struggle to peel a kiwi, it’s time to sharpen. A sharp blade is more than just about slicing a tomato without squishing it or cleaning chopping an onion. It’s about safety. Jobs like cutting a carrot in half – which may have given me pause with my old knives – were effortless (and much safer) with the 8″ Chef’s Knife. And the 4″ Pairing Knife peeled my kiwi with ease.
(Need to sharpen your own knives? Check out this how-to on the J.A. Henckels site.)
The second thing I noticed was how lightweight the knives were. With a household of three growing boys and a constantly ravenous husband, I do a fair amount of cooking and having knives that didn’t tire my hand out were a real plus. Plus the ergonomic handles made the knives easy to hold.
If you’ve had the same knife set you got for your wedding eons ago, consider upgrading to the Twin Signature 3-Piece Starter Cutlery Set, regularly $145; on sale now for $79.99.
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Samples were provided for this review.
Last night I had the fabulous opportunity to meet Chef Marcela Valledolid, taste her wonderful cuisine and learn from her how to make several delicious margaritas all featuring Sauza Tequila. I attended a Ladies Night In event sponsored by Sauza Tequila. The recipes were really great for simple yet impressive entertaining year round. One of my favorite things I walked away with was that margaritas are not just for the summer anymore. I love making fresh margaritas in the summer when I entertain, but Chef Marcela showed us this amazing recipe for a Warm Winter Margarita. Yum!
It was so delicious and just made you feel all warm and toasty inside. I will definitely be making that a lot this winter. It was made with apple juice, dried fruit, sugar, cinnamon sticks and Sauza Silver Tequila. It is a must try when the weather gets cooler. We also tasted some terrific margaritas for the warmer weather. I really enjoyed the Citrus Cooler, made with White Wine, Limeade, Lemon-Lime Soda and Sauza Silver Tequila (recipe to follow). The delicious fresh Mexican food we sampled also showcased the fabulous flavor of Sauza Tequila. We enjoyed Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos, Tequila Lime Shrimp, Apricot Tequila Drumsticks. Just some really great and simple entertaining food. The simple recipes allow you to serve fabulous fresh and tasty food and drinks and have more time to spend with your guests.
Sauza Tequila and Chef Marcela have teamed up to equip women easy and delicious recipes for entertaining. Sauza Tequila is very affordably priced at around $15 a bottle. It is available in 3 varieties: Gold, Silver, and Commemorativo. The taste is fresh and crisp agave. It is made from agave cooked and pressed wit in 48 hours of being harvested. You can find more of Chef Marcela’s yummy recipes in her cookbook titled Fresh Mexico: 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor.¯ She also hosts her own Food Network show, Mexican Made Easy where she showcases authentic and accessible recipes. Just like me she has a young son (5) mine is 6 who serves as her sous chef.
This morning my son flipped through her cookbook to pick out all the recipes we have to make. He also told me that Chef Marcela “is soo beautiful!”¯ We can’t wait to try out the dishes from the cookbook.
You can find more information and recipes on Sauza Margaritas Facebook Page.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Meal type: cocktail
