Greetings from Camp ~ Be Prepared with Label Daddy

"Hello Mudder, hello fodder, greetings from camp I-Don’t-Wanna…”
Mosquito bites and gooey marshmallows, hikes and ticks, leaky tents and creepy campfire tales.
Camp season is just around the corner and despite all the fun and personal development, memories and irreplaceable moments there are always the inevitable worries and irritations. Ironically children are far more adaptable than parents and the lion’s share of worries are those of parental units such as us! Label Daddy can’t relieve all the worries of camp parents. They can’t protect the well-being of your children but Label Daddy can protect their personal belongings!

My son, Gabriel is an avid little boy scout. His favourite Cubs' activity? Camp!! Winter camp with its chilly temperatures, snowshoeing and skiing or Spring and Summer camps’ filled with hiking and campfires my son is thrilled by his personal journey to experienced outdoors man! Sleeping bag, rubber boots, toiletries, dishes, and clothing, camping success is all about the gear! But when a group of boys hit the trails the last thing they think about is whose undies are whose. Label Daddy’s camp labels are the ideal solution to preventing the loss of the scattered items of untidy young campers.
Colourful and eye catching, these laminated sunscreen proof, wash proof and waterproof labels stay stuck and announce to my son without a doubt “these are my undies”! Okay I know typically having your name in your underwear is not cool but when you can choose from 40 different very cool icons including your favourite Disney characters, 17 colours, and even a variety of fonts your one up on campers with their John Hancock scribbled on tags with permanent marker. The Label Daddy Camp Pack includes six different sized labels, a total of 152, enough for all your child‘s camp gear with perhaps a few to spare:
4 luggage bag labels
60 extra small labels
40 small labels
16 medium labels
10 shoe labels
22 mini-shoe labels
In minutes with a quick peel and stick I had all Gabriel’s camp gear labeled and ready to go! His choice of icon? The dinosaur from Disney’s Toy Story as his career goal currently is to become a paleontologist. Because Cub camp is just for a weekend here and a weekend there the plethora of camp labels meant I had far more than I needed and I can use the extra labels for Gabriel’s other belongings including his school items in the fall.
I’d say this is a sign of good value!

$50 may seem like a lot to some but often you spend your hard earned money for your children’s belongings why not use some of that money to protect those valuables. If you do the math each label costs you 33 cents….not bad right?

Prepare your little campers before they head out into the wilderness. Pack their Kleenex and teddy, that extra blankie and secret stash of goodies but remember to seal their pack with hugs and kisses and label everything with Label Daddy!

MIO Motiva Petite Watch Review

Since May is National Fitness Month, I thought this would be a great opportunity to review an absolutely amazing fitness 'tool'. Although this watch has basic features such as the date, time, a back light and an alarm, it offers so much more than that! It is a personalized fitness monitor! You programme in your name, age, gender,weight, height, activity level, resting heart heart and weekly goals, (which is really easy to do even for a technically challenged individual like myself). However, if you are the type of person that finds it hard to learn to use a new gizmo The Mio Watch web site does offer a step-by-step instructional video at: http://www.youtube.com/MIOwatch.

So, with all of this information the watch will automatically set a personalized daily target calorie goal that you can keep or adjust as you wish ( as long as it does not go below what the World Health Organized Standard recommends for your daily calorie intake: which is 1200 calories for women and 1500 calories for men). One of the best features of this watch, in my opinion, is that the watch will automatically default back to these levels if you try to set it lower, thereby prohibiting or preventing one from using this watch to become unhealthy or anorexic.

Next, the watch helps you keep track of your calories in and calories out.

Calories In:You can programme in the calories you consume throughout the day. (If you do not know how many calories there are in what you are eating, the MIO watch comes with a guide to healthy living that includes a food and drink table at the back of the book to help you with this).

Calories out:. There are 5 different exercise timer modes to choose from in order for you to track you burned calories (to count up from zero, to count down from zero, to count down from zero and then count up, to use the walk/run dual interval timer, and to count down to zero and repeat. You can also choose to track only your exercise calories or all of your calories throughout the day.

The watch will automatically subtract calories in from calories out for you.

Or, you can set the watch with a standard 3500 net calories (which is apparently equivalent to one pound of weight) and track your calories out using the exercise timer and after approximately one week you will see that you burned 3500 calories and therefore have lost one pound. The Mio watch site actually has a 3,500 Calorie Club where you can talk with trainers and other members as well as track fitness goals and get nutritional information. http://www.miowatch.com/3500-calorie-club-learn-how-burn-3500-calories

By now you are probably wondering how the watch can possibly do this! Well it uses your heart rate and all of the information you programmed in it to determine how many calories you are burning. And that best part is that there is no chest strap! This is the first watch of this kind! All you have to do is strap the watch to your wrist, and gently press on the side buttons with your thumb and index fingers to get your heart rate. You need to check your heart rate every time you exercise level increases or decreases, or every three minutes or so to get accurate results for calories burned.

I personally enjoy tracking the calories in and out throughout the day, especially during exercise. I do however find it difficult to take my heart rate while I am running and have to wait until I break to take my heart rate. Like all new technology it truly is amazing but does have it's quarks (nothing is perfect).

The watch comes with a removable face that can be inserted into different wrist straps. You can get them in a variety of colors so that it goes with whatever you are wearing, whether you are at the gym or at the office. Mio watches also come in several other unisex types and styles!

One final thought that I want to share with you is that this particular watch ( The Mio Motiva Petite Pink) supports breast cancer research as 10% of the proceeds are donated to the Susan G Komen Foundation for the Cure.


So If you are trying to loose weight, gain weight or maintain it, this watch is a great fitness tool to have! Check out the Mio Website today to purchase this great fitness monitoring watch.

Review By NIKKI

Sing the Blues with Grandpa Elliot Sugar Sweet CD

I often find it daunting reviewing CDs. Music is such a personal taste and preferences can often make it difficult to be unbiased and open minded. I value diversity in music and feel lucky to have a very eclectic and varied taste in music. I am a fan of a variety of musical genres from world music to rock and roll, classical to alternative. I am a fan of the blues though I do not claim to have a great deal of knowledge and expertise in critiquing any music. My music reviews stem primarily from my personal preferences and the way the music speaks to me. I love the emotive nature of music!

When I slipped Grandpa Elliott “Sugar Sweet” into the CD player I was not sure what to anticipate. The Grandpa Elliot “Sugar Sweet” CD is a Playing for Change album created by the Playing for Change Foundation helping to bring music into the lives of disadvantaged youth. Labeled as Blues I suspected I would experience the authentic, raw sound of traditional blues and I was met with little surprise. It was truly raw and heartfelt. Discovered as a street performer in New Orleans’ French Quarter Grandpa Elliott Small has been performing since he was 6 years of age. Now at the age of 65 he is an internet sensation. His Stand By Me video performing with other artists has brought him fame and a Playing for change album brimming with cool, smooth, blues!

Though I did not feel the emotional charge Blues tends to inspire from the very beginning of the CD by the final tracks I began to feel it in my soul. The fourth track “Baby, what you want me to do”--a blues song I honestly had only heard prior as an Elvis recording but knew was originally a song from the great blues influence Jimmy Reed--was for me the pivotal moment of emotive momentum on this album. My other favourites Another Saturday Night, Fannie Mae--a live recording--and Please Come Home for Christmas. These four tracks are the reveal of this album’s genuine blues heart! I also recognize hints of spirituals, gospel, and surprisingly the Caribbean rhythmns of “Sugar is Sweet“.

Grandpa Elliot, clad in his trademark red t-shirt and blue overalls and breathing life into his harmonica, is a musical legend 60 years in the making. Blues from the streets of New Orleans!
Enjoy these 9 Tracks:
Ain’t Nothing You Can Do
This Little Light of Mine (Medley)
Sugar Is Sweet
Baby, What You Want Me To Do
We’re Gonna Make It
Share your Love With Me
Another Saturday Night
Fannie Mae (Live)
Please Come Home for Christmas

One Northern Mama reader will enjoy a copy of Grandpa Elliot Sugar Sweet.

To Enter:

• Tell me your favourite genre/type of music {Required}
• non-bloggers leave me your email please
  

Extra Entries:

• Follow Northern Mama {google}
• Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
• Subscribe via email
• Grab my button
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave a link to your post}

Open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May 15th 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Everyday Beauty ~ Everyday Minerals!

With skin like mine makeup seems a true essential to my feelings of self-confidence and well being. That being said, I have always hated heavy goopy liquids, and drying, talcy powders layering my face. I am a natural girl by heart--if only my skin would cooperate! Now I’ve discovered the beauty and health of mineral makeup and for the first time I actually feel good about applying makeup! I am exploring great mineral makeup companies including the wonderfully playful Everyday Minerals, an amazing company which offers high quality vegan, animal cruelty-free mineral products at an everyday price we can all afford!

Though I have yet to try Everyday Minerals’ concealer and foundation I know I will be ordering them in the near future. Love letters from customers rave about the exceptional coverage these bismuth free products provide even for rosacea sufferers. As an acne sufferer myself with scarring finding the perfect coverage without the caking and clogging effect is a necessity. I want to have fun with makeup! I don't want to worry about whether it will camouflage but rather take coverage for granted and then enjoy playing with colour!

I believe anyone with a skin condition knows how absolutely important it is to find products which promote skin health rather than douse it with chemicals. Everyday minerals has a long list of no’s:
No Petrochemicals - No Mineral Oil - No Silicones -
No Parabens - No Propylene Glycol - No Carmine -
No Retinol/AHAs - No Synthetic Lake Dyes - No Alcohol -
No Animal-by-products - No Animal Testing -
No Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS)
But it’s Yes to natural ingredients, Yes to health and environment, and Yes to value and style!

I received for review two fun and shimmery eye colours and two chic cheek colours I love! One of the things I adore about mineral makeup is the matte yet youthful glow it seems to bring my appearance. Spring has sprung!

The sparkle of Everyday Mineral eye colours is youthful but not childish. I was sent Hot Chocolate, a warm, light neutral with a pearly glow perfect for brightening and highlighting my eyes. I also treated to Smokey Pink which is almost a mauve pink and is dark enough to accentuate your eyes by applying it to the crease above the eyelid and the outer corner of the eyes. Finely ground and pearlized Everyday Minerals eye colours create sexy, flirty eyes without a cakey and heavy residue.

I have learned since experimenting with mineral makeup that I am not as limited to one cheek colour as I used to believe. I was always fearful of certain tints of cheek colour, too pink I’m too childish and too deep a tone creates too harsh an appearance, right? Well Everyday Minerals sent me two very distinct colours and I was skeptical at first glance. Bollywood, a very pink hued number and Sprung which was a far deeper colour I feared would make me look severe. Of course a review must be based on trial! My concern was unfounded because I was surprised to discover I was pleased with the different looks these colours helped me to achieve. Sprung instead of making me look severe and harsh was dramatic , sophisticated, and seductive while Bollywood produced a fresh and youthful look.

Everyday Minerals cheek colour comes in a great stack able, pancake container with a revolving cover to help contain the powder so it does not spray out each time you remove the lid. Their packaging is simple and clean just like the makeup they contain!

Everyday Minerals offers a plethora of colour choices and also sells skincare. A great perk is Everyday Minerals’ Try me Free option and their Fan Club provides customers with great deals and promotions!

Treat your skin everyday with Everyday Minerals! Northern Mama readers will have a chance to adorn her cheeks with graceful layers of coral shimmer and win a full sized Everyday Minerals blush in Truly Tiger one of their newest spring collection colours!

To Enter:

• Visit Everyday Minerals and tell me your favourite eye or cheek colour {Required}
• non-bloggers please leave your email

Extra Entries:

• Follow Northern Mama {Google}
• Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
• Subscribe via email
• Follow on Twitter @ Northernmama35 and Tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave a link to your post}

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May 14th, 2010 midnight EST. Read giveaway rules for details.

Barbara Coloroso knows "Kids Are Worth It!"

When my husband and I became parents my mom offered advice only when asked. She knew it is often intimidating and stressful to be fed unsolicited advice which can sometimes seem like criticism. As new parents you can feel green, and knowing what decisions to make can be daunting. Parenting is not an easy path to navigate and there is no map but there are tools to help you orient yourself. My mom--who I am sure often bit her tongue knowing sometimes I needed to find my own compass--did offer us a useful tool. One day my husband and I received a parcel. Enclosed, Barbara Coloroso’s book “Kids are worth it!” with the inscription “Dear Angela and Tom, I hope this book will be a practical and useful guide as you begin the challenging task of raising children. Love Mom”

I suspect I am not the only one who has been graciously offered a copy of this #1 Bestseller over the last decade as Barbara Coloroso says:

"My parenting has come full circle. My children are raising their own children. Regularly I meet or hear from parents who received a well-worn copy of the first edition of "kids are worth it!" from their parents, sunts, uncles, friends or in some cases grandparents. These young parents' concerns were our concerns a generation ago--slightly different wrapping but the same substance."

Thanks to my sister and myself, my mom knows as well as any parent how challenging raising children can be and though my mom would never say she was a good parent I strongly believe she was and is. As a teacher her theory was the same as Barbara Coloroso’s, Kids are worth it, worth the challenge and the headaches! April 1st, 2010 this international bestseller is being released with a new introduction, updated copy, and a new vibrant cover for a new generation of parents!

In her book Coloroso describes three family philosophies: the rigid entirely parent controlled Brick-Wall family, the weak, unstructured jellyfish family, and the firm and structured yet flexible and functional backbone family. My parents were for the most part examples of those with Barbara Coloroso’s backbone parenting philosophy {although they occassionally reverted to the brick-wall philosophy in my younger years}. Especially in later years my parents learned that structure also requires flexibility, negotiation, and a sharing of control through mutual respect.

I am not a self-help book fan. I don’t tend to look to books as solutions for my own personal everyday situations and experiences, but practical guides offering solid advice and the wisdom-- only extensive experience can nurture--are a godsend when struggling with parenting issues. Over the years Barbara has been there for me as I surveyed “Kids are Worth It!” not for answers so much as guidelines, rules of thumb to help me govern my own parenting path, and for examples and anecdotes from a woman with a wealth of experience and knowledge.

From toilet training and bedtime, chores and sibling rivalry, to drug abuse issues and suicide Barbara Coloroso has shared her philosophies for well over thirty years. Demonstrating how to raise self-assured, responsible, and loving children by allowing children to make their own decisions whenever possible, by teaching them to take ownership of their feelings, problems, and natural consequences to progress toward self-discipline. Coloroso has a background in sociology, special education, philosophy and theology but most importantly she is also a teacher and a mother of three grown children herself. She has been there herself and then revisited there thousands of times over as she counseled others through their parenting nightmares and dilemmas.

Admittedly, as time has passed our copy of "Kids are worth it!" was relegated to a dusty bookcase and as I revisit it now I am again stashing it in my bedside table for reference! I now find myself flipping around the book nodding my head at familiar anecdotes and filing away tips and snippets I will be retrieving daily as new parenting experiences abound. First published in 1994 and republished by Penguin in 1999, Penguin is now republishing this enduring book again in 2010 proving Coloroso's strategies and philosophies timeless! I do not recommend parenting books lightly. I do recommend stashing this one in your bedside table for quick reference!

Barbara Coloroso does not believe there are parenting experts, she knows how individual an experience it can be but if anyone comes even close to being an expert she does! Kids are worth it! Promotes a parenting style, a style which acts proactively to prevent problems and provides parents with the tools to develop a backbone--a living, supportive yet flexible structure which holds a family together!

“The backbone family provides the consistency, firmness, and fairness as well as the calm and peaceful structure needed for children to flesh out their own sense of true self. Rather than being subjected to power expressed as control and growing up to control others, children are empowered and grow up to pass what they have learned of the potential of the human spirit on to others.” (Coloroso 1999: 51)

Northern Mama readers will have the opportunity to experience the parenting wisdom and advice of Barbara Coloroso ! Penguin Canada is giving away three copies here at Northern Mama!

To Enter:

• Be a Northern Mama Follower or Facebook Fan

Extra Entries:

• Subscribe via email
• Grab my Button
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave me a link to your post}
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}

Open to Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May 8th, 2010 midnight EST. Read giveaway rules for details.

Sunlight Green Clean! ~ No Compromises!

With three children actively wading through knee high puddles, sliding into base, and running the playground circuit--mud be damned--I struggle to find a green laundry detergent that meets all my needs. I have used many eco-friendly, green detergents over the last several years. Some have stood up well but others have fizzled under the pressure of meeting the challenges of my children! To be perfectly frank, I am a scent person. I love a fresh inviting scent. That waft of lavenders, citrus, or floral is the brightness in one's day of household drudgery. Sunlight Green Clean has proven that green doesn’t have to mean scentless and dull! And it has also proven what I’ve known for sometime now, green is effective and efficient!

I am a cold water washer! Whenever I know I can get away with washing in cold it is all I do. I know washing in cold saves energy which is both cost effective and environmentally responsible but finding a green cleaner that works well in cold water can be problematic. When I lifted my free review bottle of Sunlight from its box I was intrigued. Not only is it unbelievably concentrated, requiring very little detergent per load, but the bottle states it works in cold water! I was ecstatic! Upon opening the lid my olfactory sense was met with the awakening and fresh scent of citrus and I knew then that I would be won over…so long as Sunlight Green Clean could pass the ultimate test: cleaning the soiled clothing of my ragtag crew!

Sunlight Green Clean’s rays of light shone through my testing. My family's clothes came out clean and smelling fresh. It is amazing that such a tiny small bottle can literally handle the same 32 loads as the larger leading brand bottle of green detergent that currently sits alongside it on my laundry room shelf. No compromises! But don’t take just my word for it. Sunlight Green Clean was voted Best New Product of 2010 by Canadian Living Canadian Consumer polls! Why? Because consumers do not have to compromise clean clothes for a clean environment. Sunlight Green Clean uses plant-based ingredients, is chlorine free, and biodegradable. Using it in cold water makes this detergent more energy-efficient and--with less packaging and a cleaner production process--Sunlight is working to create the best eco-friendly product it can and the most effective.

Concern for the environment is not a new concept for Sunlight. In 2006 Sunlight launched Sunlight Small and Mighty as the first national three times concentrated laundry detergent. In 2007 Sunlight began the Sunlight Eco-Action Kids Awards to support the environmental contributions of young people to their communities. Sunlight has made a commitment to environment which allows individual consumers to do the same.

I love the scent, I love the clean, I love my environment friendly wash! And so can you! Get a $2.00 coupon from Sunlight but even better Sunlight would like one Canadian Northern Mama reader to receive a year supply of Sunlight Green Clean! WOW!To Enter:

• Visit Sunlight Green Clean Kids and tell me one fact you learned about Sunlight's green campaign/products or tell me your nightmare laundry story. {Required}
• non-bloggers remember to leave me your email address.

Extra Entries:

• Be a Northern Mama Follower
• Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
• Subscribe via email
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Grab my Button
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave me a link to your post}

Giveaway open to Canadians only {sorry company policy}! Giveaway closes May 6th 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Nick Jr. Characters Go Green!

Earth Day is fast approaching and though more and more adults and older children alike may already have plans for green acts and may finally be comprehending the significance of not only this day but the environmental impact of every day of the year, we need to also understand the importance of teaching youth children as early as possible the way to live a earth-friendly, green lifestyle.

Nickelodeon strives to help the parents of preschoolers with this momentous endeavour by bringing favourite Nick Jr. characters together in a green themed, Earth Day inspired DVD complete with eco-friendly packaging and over two hours of environment oriented episodes. Released March 30th Go Green! includes the ever environmentally vigilant Dora and her cousin Diego, the lovable Wonder Pets, as well as Yo Gabba Gabba, Blue's Clues abd Ni Hao, Kia-lan. Action packed and diverse the episodes on this DVD cover environmental topics from saving endangered animals to trees and learning how to care for plants and animals to recycling and reusing unwanted things.

Episodes You'll find on Go Green!:

Dora the Explorer Bugga Bugga~ Dora and Boots discover Mama Bugga Bugga struggling to bring home a giant cookie to her 10 bugga bugga babies. Can Mama Bugga Bugga make it home passed bug eating flowers and lurking spiders in a maze of spider webs, with the help of Dora and Boots?

Though this would not be my first choice of Dora episode for Go Green! it does explore difficult survival and the intricacies of ecosystems to some extent.

Go, Diego, Go! Manatee's Mermaid Rescue!~ A storybook adventure, this Diego episode finds Manatee and Diego delving into a fairy tale Mermaid city rescuing mermaids and the city itself. An allegory for the true reality of endangered manatees and the destruction of environment. The clever play on the manatees' similarity to the imaginary mermaid was a hit with my youngest!

The Wonder Pets! Save the Tree/Save the Elephant~ The Wonder Pets get a call to save a lonely tree alone in a city lot and an elephant in Kenya stuck in the mud.

Yo Gabba Gabba! Green~The Gabba Gang go green learning to care for the plants and animals and clean up the world around them. Lessons in recycling, picking up trash and refraining from littering are taught through featured songs.

Blue's Clues: What Does Blue Want to Make out of Recycled Things?~ Blue has a great idea when he and Steve are cleaning. Steve begins throwing things away but Blue knows the value of reusing old things and soon viewers are playing Blue's Clues as they sort recycling, choose projects to make and visit Recycle Town.

Ni Hao, Kai-lan~The Place Where We All Live~ Kai-lan and her friends learn the world is a place where we all must live together. After littering they discover their thoughtlessness has caused a big problem for others. The ants, worms, and snails building a fruit stand in ant city are hindered by trash. Who will clean it all up? Your kids can help Kai-lan and her friends!

It is important for children to Understand their part in creating a healthy environment and this DVD is a great start! In honour of Earth Day Northern Mama is giving away a copy of this Go Green DVD!
To Enter:

• Be a Northern Mama Follower or Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

• Subscribe via email
• Grab my Button
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {Please leave me the link to your post}

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May 3, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Blast into Spring ~ Green Blaster!

Spring in my neck of the woods has sprung and then "un-sprung"! A week ago I was blogging at my deck table about the return of geese from their winter sojourn and yesterday I was staring out the window with chagrin at the flurry of snow I beheld. I'm not letting the tentative nature of early spring dampen my Spring spirit. The comforting renewal of spring cleaning is a nesting instinct many of us experience. The refreshing de-cluttering and the scrubbing, polishing, and shining of surfaces to a high sparkle can mark the commencing spring. Before the sprouting of green shoots from the flowerbeds, before the greening of the grass clean and green your home in preparation for spring with Green Blaster products!

As the name implies Green Blaster products are ecologically friendly, safe for your whole family and blast grime with surprising power. Without bleach, harsh chemicals, oxidizers, and toxic fumes Green Blaster harnesses the power of nature cleaning with non-toxic, all-natural enzymes! I am a strong believer in green cleaning products and though you can take the time to mix your own everyday ingredients, vinegar, baking soda and the like are not always the most effective nor the most pleasantly scented. I have tried various department store green brands. Some are effective, some less than aggressive on dirt, grease and grime. I find the lack of scent in some disappointing.

Green Blaster Minty Bathroom Cleaner was truly aggressive and--bonus--it smells delightfully minty without the nasal insult of strong chemical scents. I felt entirely satisfied! Spring cleaning this year has taken on a whole new dimension as we prepare our home for sale. Cleaning for house showings is an essential and my large 1 quart reusable spray bottle of Green Blaster Bathroom Cleaner is quickly dwindling because I am constantly reaching for it to clean every surface! This product is so versatile you can even use it on windows and mirrors, from glass to tile this green cleanser tackles it all. I was impressed from the first spray! I found Green Blaster left less streaks on mirrors and windows and it worked in my frustratingly difficult to clean shower better than most {of course I don’t think anything tackles our shower without combining it with a great deal of elbow grease}.

The second product Green Blaster sent me free to try was a quart of All Natural Stain & Spot Remover. I have tested using this on a mattress stain, small stains on two throw pillows and on my couch. Now I don’t tend to trust most spot cleaners/stain removers. I have often encountered one of two results. Either the stain remover just doesn’t work at all or it leaves a terrible “bleached” area where a stain once was. Green Blaster All Natural Stain & Spot Remover was actually more effective than I anticipated. It removed my pillow and couch stains with ease. As for the very stubborn mattress stain, All Natural Stain & Spot Remover managed to minimize it--though not completely remove it--better than the harsh chemical laden stain removers I had tried previously. I have a feeling with a few more applications the stain may dwindle even farther. As with other stain removers the company suggests you spot check first for colourfastness but I experienced no issues. It’s simple to use and can be used on virtually any surface from fabric to stone!

Green Blaster carries a multitude of cleaning products from $7.99. The quart sprayers are $9.99 and these large bottles really last!

Eager to give Green Blaster a go? One Northern Mama reader will receive their choice of $15 worth of Green Blaster products.
To Enter:

• Visit Green Blaster and tell me which product you would be interested in and why. {Required}
• non-bloggers leave your email address with your comment.

Extra Entries:

• Follow Northern Mama {Google}
• Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
• Subscribe via email
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {Please leave me a link to your post}
• Grab my Button

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 29, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

ReserveAge Organics Youthful Vitality Give Away and Review

" Anti-Aging's biggest breakthrough"

Do you want to turn back the clock and be younger again? Although this is not possible, as we are all destined to get older, scientists and doctors now believe that we can slow down this aging bus we are all on with Resveratrol. It is said to have anti-aging properties, a hot subject that has been in the media for some time now. You've seen it on such shows as Oprah, 60 min's, CNN, Fox news, and read about it in the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine, to name a few.

For those of you that do not know what Resveratrol is I will tell you: it is a polyphenol(antioxidant) that can be found in the skin, seeds, and stems of grapes. It is this part of Red Wine that improves cellular function and longevity. It is also what is believed to be the answer to the French Paradox (the fact that the French have low levels of heart disease despite the fact that their diets are high in fat).

While most of us know that antioxidants are important to our health many of us do not know why. Antioxidants are molecules that slow down or prevent oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation can cause free radicals that damage cells, the antioxidants prevent this from happening and can therefore help to prevent heart disease, visible signs of aging (like wrinkles), and a deteriorated immune system. They can also help increase energy levels, and can aid us in weight loss.

Reserveage Organics uses Resveratrol and Trans-Resveratrol ( the active, potent form of Resveratrol )in their products providing the benefits associated with antioxidants. However, Trans-Resveratrol is the only antioxidant that can trigger the SIRT1 'longevity gene.' This is the gene that defends us against age related problems and diseases.

There are a multitude of Resveratol products on the market and it makes it very confusing to decide which ones to buy. They range in not only price but quantity and quality as well. Not all Resveratrol products are the same and if you don't read the fine print you may find out that what you bought is not what you thought it was. With Reserveage you know what you are getting: A certified organic product grown in a southern France certified organic vineyard. (Organic foods contain up to 40% more antioxidants than non-organic). Reserveage also guarantees that all of their Resveratrol products provide the clinically recommended dosage of bioactive trans-Resveratrol. Reserveage is a green company committed to the environment, using vegetable based inks to print on recyclable material. They are also cruelty and animal- testing free, using vegetarian capsules.

So with this information in mind I recently tried out 2 of Reserveage products, Resveratrol 250mg, and Collagen Booster (with hyaluronic acid and resveratrol).

Resveratrol 250mg is designed at the optimal potency levels and gives it's users the most benefits and protection that any antioxidant can provide. Who could benefit from taking this? Well, quite frankly, anyone! Both men and women alike can reap the benefits ranging from improving cardiovascular health, reducing blood sugar levels, to supporting eye and brain function. And, as we all know, if your body if functioning at its optimized levels and we are healthy then we feel younger and live longer naturally.

Resveratrol 250..." helps to fortify your cellular structure and works to turn back the clock on your appearance." ...It is... "Your ultimate defense against premature aging, Resveratrol 250 helps you harness the health benefits of red wine without the adverse effects."

The collagen booster has both Resveratrol and Hyaluronic Acid. It is designed to help boost your collagen production as it unfortunately declines in our bodies as we age. It may help to reduce the visible signs of aging such as rough, wrinkled, sagging skin, by both moisturizing and increasing our skin's elasticity and firmness. I would imagine that women everywhere could benefit by using this product.

"To encourage collagen production, BioCell Collagen II, a triad of real collagen protein, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate, are included to reveal soft, smooth, silky skin."

Although I do not believe in a miracle, fountain of youth, pill. (Because if one existed everyone would want it and not many of us would be able to afford it, I'm sure!) I do believe that these products have multiple health benefits! I have only been taking these products for 2 weeks and I have already noticed an increase in my energy levels and feel that my skin is both moister and softer than usual. Above all I have faith that the Resveratol in the products is working behind the scenes in my body to promote a healthier me! Who knows, maybe I will live longer?
*(All quotes were taken from pamphlets distributed to me from Reserveage Organics)

Reserveage Organics wants to give one Northern Mama reader a chance to look and feel younger again by winning a package from them worth approximately $200.00. The giveaway package will include 4 bottles of supplements containing the well publicised Resveratrol. ( Resveratrol 100mg, Resveratrol 250mg, Resveratrol 500mg and Collagen Booster). In addition, you will receive a bottle of wine from their Vineyard!

To enter: visit Reserveage Organics web site and tell me something you learned about their products that I did not mention in my review. (REQUIRED)

Extra Entries:

• Grab my button
• Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
• Subscribe via email
• Follow via Google
• Follow on twitter @ Northernmama35 and tweet about this give away 1x daily.
• Blog about this give away with a link back here. (please leave the link to your post)

Give away open to Canadian and American Residents only. Give away closes April 27, 2010, 12pm EST. See Give away rules for details.

Review By Nikki (I received both of these products to review for free from Reserveage)

The Backyardigans Escape from the Tower~ Now Available!

The Backyardigans has been a favourite in our family! It was the Snow Fort episode with Mountie Tyrone that truly drew me in as a fan. What Canadian can resist a moose dressed as a Mountie, guarding a fort comprised of snow blocks, singing “I’m a Mountie and I’m marching threw the snow, I’m a Mountie to the Yukon I must go…”? No one loves Canadian stereotypes more than Canadians themselves and the Backyardigans creators are no exception to the rule.

Now those adorable singing critters have come to DVD in The Backyardigans Escape from the Tower. March 30th Paramount Home entertainment released this DVD filled with the imaginary backyard adventures of these five outrageously adorable kids. Like all kids The Backyardigans are expert practitioners in the use of imagination from Magical mirrors and prison towers to sock factories and intergalactic odysseys The Backyardigans stretch their imaginary muscles to the out limits.

My children loved the catchy tunes and the clever and creative adventures which featured Early 60’s Girl Group music, Bhangra, and Mariachi. The Backyardigans are the perfect introduction for youngsters to the unique sounds of various music genres and their choreographed movements are phenomenal! You can expect high quality animation, well orchestrated plot lines and music which will soon have everyone toe tapping and singing along!

Break Out!~ Move over Supremes Princesses Uniqua and Tasha plan an elaborate escape from their prison tower! Tower Guards Pablo and Tyrone desperately give chase but sister-power, the help of a magic mirror, and some phenomenal rocket slippers make the princesses unstoppable and if you can’t beat them you might as well join them, right?

For The Love of Socks~ Ever wonder where socks come from? They may not all be made overseas but you’d think they are all being made in India or Pakistan. The Backyardigans enjoy making socks at the world’s sock factory while expressing themselves with a little Bhangra--Punjabi folk music. Feeling a little Bollywood? Join the Backyardigans as they venture to save socks for all humanity!!

Los Galacticos~ A Galactic Mariachi band? Only Backyardigans could imagine this out of this world, Mexican inspired musical extravaganza. The Los Galacticos Mariachi band accidentally blasts off into outer space and encounter marauding gooey aliens. An unforgettable intergalactic mission to save the earth!

Honestly, I am not a huge children’s programming enthusiast. I watch typically only to appease my children but I can without word of a lie say I thoroughly enjoy The Backyardigans. My children and I can truly enjoy family viewing at it’s finest with Nickelodeon’s Backyardigan adventures. As a bonus this DVD also includes a music filled, choreographed Dance-along The Fresh Beat Band episode Rock the Luau!

I recommend wholeheartedly The Backyardigans Escape From the Tower on DVD now!

Word Girl: Earth Day Girl DVD

You will see a theme this month as I review and giveaway DVDs dedicated to the tenets of Earth Day! Modeled in the tradition of classic superhero cartoons Word Girl is a hero kids can relate to! Word Girl is a young girl with clever ideas to change the world for the better, fighting seemingly everyday villains. Why Word Girl? Because this PBS character not only saves the world from dastardly scoundrels but introduces vocabulary words, reinforcing their meanings in the context of comic-book-like animated adventures.

Word Girl: Earth Day Girl will remind parents of the superhero adventures of their youth complete with a soundtrack which will seem unbelievably familiar. Suggestive of an educational and much younger “Wonder Woman” Word Girl presents explanations of quite advanced vocabulary in a way children will be bound to remember with the help of course of the ever present sidekick Captain Huggy Face. This has been our first encounter with Word Girl. I have always been a firm believer in using high vocabulary when speaking to my children rather than “dumbing things down”. People are amazed my the vocabulary of my children which is the simple result of my husband and I using the very same method Word Girl employs--Use the word and then reinforce by defining the word or following the use of the word with other familiar words which have the same meaning. This may sound complex but is really simple!

Word Girl: Earth Day Girl features 8 exciting and goofy episodes in which Word Girl and monkey sidekick Captain Huggy Face encounter quirky villains. I found it ironic that the villains were as mundane as a young birthday girl, a sandwich making guy, a kid named Tobey, and the butcher. The spoof-like quality of these episodes promoted the odd chuckle from my husband and I. My children found this DVD intriguing and were attentive to the content and story line but I believe toddlers would not be drawn in and may become bored. I’d recommend this DVD to children ages 6-10. Word Girl’s superhero story lines appealed to my nine year old son and the slap stick antics kept my 5 and 7 year old daughters in their seats. I was just pleased by the educational quality! 16 new vocabulary words are presented on this DVD words like recycle, guarantee, coincidence, motivate, and even perplexed!

Earth Day Girl~ Buried in Bubble wrap and other excessive packaging Word Girl decides it is time to take action and plans the perfect Earth Day event. Unfortunately, the self involved and greedy Birthday Girl threatens to destroy the day and the earth in one fell swoop!

Mr. Big~ Mr. Big, the mysterious man, is preparing to carry out a mysterious plan--The Thing!! A little vague?? Word Girl fights the vague “Thing” which seems mysteriously to have everyone obsessed. Can Word Girl convince a brainwashed public that the vagueness of the Thing n=must be fought with specifics?

Lady Redundant Woman~ Fight redundancy with Word Girl and Captain Huggy Face! When an everyday copy store employee merges with a photocopier she becomes super villain Lady Redundant Woman. Will the multiple Lady Redundants take over the copy store from manager Dave? Not if Word Girl can help it!

Also enjoy You Can’t Crush City Hall, Two-Brain Highway, Jerky Jerk, Tobey or Consequences, and Coupon Madness! And don’t forget the cool special features: Interactive Games, Parent Information and even Colouring Pages.

In honour of Earth Day we have two copies of Word Girl: Earth Day Girl up for grabs! Word Girl “Fighting for truth, justice, and use of the right words”!
To Enter:

• Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google} or a Northern Mama Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

• Subscribe via email
• Grab my button
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {Please leave a link to your post}
  

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes May1st, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Review conducted as per my I Disclose Policy.

Lone Star Legend by Gwendolyn Zepeda ~ A Blogger's Cautionary Tale!

Blogging is a bizarre culture, an online world in which strangers are friends and confidants and one begins to feel aggrandized by perhaps fictitious or undeserved fame. It’s a precarious world of broadcasting secrets and personal anecdotes with a false sense of privacy and it became Gwendolyn Zepeda’s source of inspiration for her novel Lone Star Legend. Sandy S.-- Gwendolyn Zepeda’s young, self-involved protagonist--is a struggling Latino writer for an online magazine, living in her own apartment located in her mother’s converted garage! A job, an apartment, a gorgeous boyfriend who is less than perfect, and now a new vivacious and hard-nosed boss who will turn Sandy’s world upside down, what more could a girl ask for??

Sandy soon goes from writing at a small news blog, writing her own personal blog of gripes, and a little contract technical writing on the side to a corporate takeover which finds her writing for a popular trash-talking blog conglomerate, and even starring in a cable television show. But is fame all it is cracked up to be? And how much integrity is Sandy S. willing to forfeit? A chance meeting with the elderly hermit Tio Jaime soon has Sandy’s page views skyrocketing but she learns quickly to take Tio Jaime’s sage advice herself and trade fame for authenticity!

Zepeda writes chick lit with a voice so authentic it ties you emotionally to her characters. A light read yet full of life’s little lessons, Lone Star Legend presents as a folk tale for our times. Fresh and modern but peppered with the morays of Latino culture this is a particularly great leisure read for bloggers! Delightful to indulge in and the perfect scoop up paperback, Gwendolyn Zepeda’s Lone Star Legend is a contemporary tale of morality in a world of frivolity and fluff. It is the story of one woman’s self-discovery and hard-knock transition into adulthood.

Enjoyable, honest, and humorous Lone Star Legend will be a great addition to the bookshelves of at least five Northern Mama readers! Yes, Hachette Book Group is giving away 5 copies here!
To Enter:

• Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google} or a Northern Mama Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

• Subscribe via email
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Grab my Button
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave me the link to your post}

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 24, 2010 midnight EST. For further details read the Giveaway Rules.

If fashion is Your Passion Harumika!!

This may seem quirky but I remember a very similar toy from my childhood so when I came across Harumika not only did it resonate with me but I was excited to introduce it to my daughters Emma, 7 and Bronwynn, 5! Fashion is an artistic form of expression that is constantly evolving, changing, and repeating and not only do adults choose to define themselves with their own authentic styles but as the eras pass children are becoming more and more involved in their creative fashion trends and choices! This can be frustrating for some parents but for others who view this as creative and artistic expression it can be exciting and inspiring.

Harumika lets your child's passion for fashion take on a new creative twist. Requiring no sewing my daughters quickly developed a skilled hand at using a stylus tool to snugly tuck fabric ends into a slotted dress form mannequin. Using their Harumika Starter Kits, my daughters have developed their own amazing sense of colour and pattern combination, draping and layering techniques and even accessorizing. Harumika is recommended for ages 6 and up and though I am just now teaching my daughters basic hand sewing Harumika allows my little non-seamstresses the ability to design and create without hindrance. The Harumika starter kit includes a Harumika dress form and stylus design tool, signature fabrics, fashion accessories, a rhinestone sheet and fashion stickers to make fashion designing easy and fun.
My daughters started by using one piece of fabric to create a basic uniform dress but it wasn't long before they were layering various fabrics, adding lace scarves and belts and embellishing their designs with stickers! I was astounded by how long this kept them entertained and even my son and a friend of his became interested in trying their hands at a little design magic {sh...don't let it get out to the rest of the neighbourhood boys}!

Feast your eyes on a runway of pieces from my daughters' spring collection!

My children are now begging me to take them to Toys R Us or Zellers to purchase more Harumika collections and you can beg me to get a Harumika set out to my readers....Okay, okay you win! Harumika is offering a Harumika Starter Kit to a lucky fashion forward, Canadian Northern Mama reader!
To Enter:

• Visit Harumika and and tell me from either watching the video or reviewing the products what one of the sets/products available is.

{Required}

Non-bloggers remember to leave me your email!

Extra Entries:

• Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google}
• Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
• Subscribe via email
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Grab my Button
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave the link to your post}

Giveaway open to Canadian residents only!! {sorry folks} Giveaway closes April 22, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

Drop Guard Baby Bottles Review and Give Away

There are always so many decisions to make when you have a baby, from what car seat to buy to what clothes they will wear. One simple question turns into a web of smaller questions we need to ask ourselves to make that decision. What type of diaper should you use, cloth or disposable?and if it is disposable what brand do I choose? Do I breast feed or bottle feed? If you choose to bottle feed what type of bottle do you get, plastic or glass? There are many things we take into consideration when we make these important decisions. If your decision is to use a bottle for your infant or toddler then Drop Guard Baby Bottles are the next choice you should make.

Firstly, these bottles are made of glass (non-toxic, BPA Free, and recyclable), which we all know is better for the environment than plastic. Secondly, they are covered with a silicone sleeve that makes it a lot easier to hold and less likely to drop out of your hand or your toddlers. The best part about this silicone sleeve is that it protects the glass bottle from impact. You can smash this bottle on the floor all you want and the bottle will not shatter or leak fluid. When the bottle breaks the silicone sleeve contains all of the glass and liquid, thereby protecting your baby or toddler from cutting themselves on a broken bottle. Last, but not least, this bottle is dishwasher and microwave safe, and provides thermal insulation.

Drop Guard bottles come in 2 sizes (4 ounce and 8 ounce), and are available in 4 different colors (Blue, clear, pink, and yellow). Finally,Drop Guard bottles are not that hard on the pocket book for the piece of mind that they provide. The 4 ounce bottles are $11.49, while the 8 ounce bottles are only $12.99. A small price to pay for a top quality, innovative, shatterproof bottle for the one you love most in your life!

I will be sending my Drop Guard Baby Bottle to my new beautiful baby Niece.

Sandy, at Envirobottles, would like to give a Northern Mama reader 2 Drop Guard bottles (1-4 ounce and 1-8 ounce).

• To Enter: Visit Envirobottles Web Site and tell me what other product you would like to have. (Required)
  
  Extra Entries:
• Be a northern Mama Facebook Fan
• Subscribe Via E-mail
• Follow Via Goggle
• Grab my button
• Follow on Twitter @northernmama35 and tweet about this give away 1x daily.

Give away open to Canadian and American Residents only. Give away closes on April 21, 2010, midnight EST. Read Give Away Rules for details.

NIKKI

Be Gentle, I'm Sensitive~Crest and Oral-B Sensitivity Bundle

Alright, in the interest of full disclosure I am sensitive, probably over sensitive. And being sensitive and passive is--I can vouch for it--a terribly stressful combination in an individual. My sensitive nature causes me to analyse everything, gauging what people say, their reactions to me. I drive myself crazy mulling over, and analyzing the minutia of life, deliberating the "what ifs" . My sensitivities extend beyond the emotional however, sensitive skin, and sensitive teeth and gums, what’s a gal to do?

Crest and Oral B decided to give me a little help with my glaring sensitivities by sending me a bundle of products they knew I could use!

Ever been to the dentist and heart wrenchingly listened to him tell you things like, “you have very delicate gums which therefore recede from the teeth if brushed too hard.” or “your gums are bleeding when I floss them you must not floss enough” after he have unfeelingly wrenched a heavy thread of rough floss with gale force into the tight spaces between your teeth? “Be gentle with me!” you want to respond…if only you could speak with your mouth fully extended, stretched to unnatural limits!

Crest and Oral-B are listening! They’ve heard your incomprehensible, garbled plea and translated it into great products for sensitive gums and teeth. Crest and Oral-B have done their research. Their creators at Proctor and Gamble know that 60% of Canadians suffer from some degree of tooth sensitivity. Crest and Oral-B have surpassed the idea of toothpaste for sensitive teeth alone and have created a group of products for overall oral care for those with sensitivities featuring: Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield Toothpaste, Crest Pro-Health floss for sensitive Gums, the Oral-B Advantage toothbrush, and Oral-B Vitality Sensitive Rechargeable power toothbrush.

Crest and Oral-B treated me to this free bundle of care and threw in a few amazing extras like Olay Total Effects for Sensitive skin, and Tide Free liquid laundry detergent perfect for warding off all those skin sensitivities as well as a book for sensitive “Drama Queens” {who me?}, “Don’t Call Me a Drama Queen!” by Dr. Debra Mandel

Crest Pro-Health Sensitive shield Toothpaste contains something called stannous fluoride, the secret ingredient to protecting teeth from sensitivity and the use of this toothpaste builds increasing protection against the pain of sensitive teeth. It really works!! Now enjoy the extremes, hot tea, or cold ice cream as you should.

Just make sure you apply this toothpaste to the gentle Comfort clean bristles of the Oral-B Advantage manual toothbrush or even better the Oral-B Vitality Sensitive rechargeable power brush which includes a timer for the dentist recommended two-minute brushing and for even better plaque removable. I loved the soft bristles because my gums are very “delicate” as described by my dental hygienist. The soft bristles are a must for me and I actually do find a power brush the best way to cut back on plaque build up!

Finally, as we have all been told time and time again floss, floss, floss! But now you can floss while being gentle on your gums with the silky smooth strands of Crest Glide Pro-Health Floss for Sensitive Gums. My teeth fit quite tightly together yet the Crest glide floss slides comfortably between them!

Now a Northern Mama reader will be the lucky winner of a Crest bundle of their own including Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield Toothpaste, Crest Glide Pro-Health Floss and the Oral-B Vitality Sensitive toothbrush. As an added bonus I am throwing in a copy of “Don’t Call Me a Drama Queen!: A Guide for the Overly Sensitive and Their Significant Others Who Need to Learn How to Lighten Up and Go with the Flow” by Dr. Debra Mandel.
To Enter:

• Tell me about your sensitivities! {Required}
• non-bloggers please remember to leave your email

Extra Entries:

• Be a Northern Mama Follower
• Be a Northern Mama Facebook Fan
• Subscribe via email
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Grab my Button
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave a link to your post}
  

Giveaway open to Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 20th, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details. As stated in my I disclose policy I receive free products to test for my reviews!

Chicken Soup for the Soul - NASCAR!

This Chicken Soup book, Chicken Soup for the Soul-Nascar, is loaded with "101 Stories of Family, Fortitude and Fast Cars".

The 101 stories are sub-divided into 12 different themes which include Lessons Learned, Behind and Beyond, the Wheel, Behind the Billboards and The Secrets of Success.

There are stories from a variety of sources, many of which are embedded directly in the Nascar scene. There is a whole chapter dedicated to Dale Earnhardt, as well as personal stories by Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Labonte, Buddy Baker and Kerry Earnhardt just to name a few. Not only are car driver's represented, but also stories from sports journalists, as well as track employees to give you another perspective!

Myself, I am not a race car fan, let-alone a Nascar follower. Many names flew over my head, and did not have a great deal of meaning to me. That being said, I can see where those who are faithful to the Sunday circuit of races would really enjoy this book and who doesn't know the Earnhardt legacy?? Angela believes this will be the perfect Father's Day gift for her dad! He is a mechanic and has always been into cars. He isn't a religious Nascar fan but does follow the races and the cars he so loves!

Darrell Waltrip wrote the forward and also says: "We're a family sport. What I'm talking about is the garage area, the camaraderie and the respect that we all have for each other. Every driver is a role model and that is what makes our sport great." These values are shared on many levels with the submissions included in this collection.

If you have a Nascar faithful in you family, Chicken Soup for the Soul has kindly allowed Northern Mama to give away 3 copies!!!

To Enter:

• Be a Northern Mama Follower {Google} OR a Northern Mama Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

• Subscribe via email
• Grab my Button
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave the link to your post}

Giveaway open to Canadian and United States residents only. Giveaway closes April 17th, 2010, midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

TOM

Alvin and The Chipmunks are Back!! Alvin and the Chipettes in Cinderella,Cinderella Now on DVD

Do, Do, DoDoDoDo....we're the chipmunks...

yes, a sound reminiscent of the 1980s {well that marked their come back anyway}. A decade many of us try to forget but can't help but hearken back to and maybe even sing along to! The '80s a decade of unique rock/pop antics, big hair, and relatively substantial prosperity. Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Chipettes were the perfect refection of an era of outrageous fashion and rock and roll overload and now that children of the '80s are the parents of today imagine the surprising pleasure of sharing the "classics" with a new generation.

Alvin and the Chipettes in Cinderella, Cinderella brings a true classic to life in '80s cartoon classic fashion. Self-indulgent Chipette, Brittany, becomes fed up with responsibilities and fancies herself a modern day Cinderella. Her daydreams find Brittany the central character of a famous fairy tale complete with the fairy Godmunk and a handsome Prince Charming with a strong resemblance to you know who...that famous chipmunk, Alvin.

After the latest computer generated Chipmunk movies came out in theatres, our children discovered the chipmunks. A little glitzier, a little more real than cartoon I wondered how the old cartoons would compare in their eyes. With superfluous Alvin and Brittany and their personal counterparts, the musical numbers and the parodies of stories from tv, movies and fairy tales the classic '80s chipmunks actually entertained my modern gaggle of children ages 5-9.

I found it humourous that Alvie's Angels, a parody of '80s television's "Charlie's Angels", and The Brunch Club {sound somewhat familiar? If you said "The Breakfast Club" you could be showing your age!!} actually resonated with my children despite their lack of '80s pop culture knowledge. To them these stories are original and new! Funny how old is thought to be innovative, ignorance can be bliss in just such circumstances. My favourite the small Indiana Jones reference segment in Alvie's Angels and the "Eye-of-the-Tiger"-ish song "The Beast of the Jungle"...okay I am definitely showing my age and oh how I hate to admit my "child of the '80s" status.

Three episodes:

~Cinderella, Cinderella

~Alvie's Angels

~The Brunch Club

Running Time: 66 Minutes

Paramount Home Entertainment

If your children are newly discovering Alvin and his delightful band of Chipmunks and Chipettes or you, like me are a child of the 1980s harbouring a secret yearning for the good ole days {well the ole days anyhow} Alvin and the Chipettes Cinderella, Cinderella and other recent DVD releases of favourite Alvin and the Chipmunks episodes are a great addition to any collection!

Win one of two copies being given away here at Northern Mama!

To Enter:

• Be a Northern Mama Follower OR Facebook Fan {Required}

Extra Entries:

• Subscribe via Email
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Grab my Button
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave the link to your post}
• Tell me something you remember about the '80s or know about it if you're not "old like me" {just for fun I thought i'd throw this in}

Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents. Giveaway closes April 18th, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for details.

A New Veggie Tale ~ Veggietales Pistachio: The Little Boy That Wouldn't DVD

I wonder if the creators of VeggieTales realized how popular bright talking vegetables portraying healthy relationships and life lessons could possibly become! A truly healthy lesson in listening to your parents is brought to you by the vegetables kids would rather watch than eat!

VeggieTales Pistachio: The Little Boy that Wouldn't, in true VeggieTale form, combines delightfully bright, eye-popping animation with important life lessons for children and humourous puns, word play, and spoofs parents can snicker at. Pistachio--more than reminiscent of another infamous wooden boy--struggles with a bit of a behaviour issue. Created by toy maker, Gelato living in the town of Pistachio makes the dangerous error of proceeding through life un-heeding of his father's wisdom and sage advice. A "whale" of trouble ensues but can the truth and listening to a parent's reasoning save Pistachio and his eclectic family from the belly of the fish?

These colourful veggies are definitively easier to convince my children to stomach than most! My 9 year old son has enjoyed VeggieTales since toddlerhood and still tossed himself onto the couch as I popped the Pistachio DVD into the player. My daughters, 5 and 7, find the seemingly three dimensional animation attention grabbing and the silly antics a treat. There's something crazy about brightly coloured talking and singing vegetables and that's what makes VeggieTales so irresistible. My daughters delight in the musical interludes interspersing the story. My husband and I are grateful for the moral lessons and a movie which encourages them to verbalize the lessons they've learned without prompting. We are not religious parents but we are a values based family and we appreciate the values portrayed in Pistachio and the traditional storytelling style.

Pistachio includes an intermission featuring a goofy new VeggieTale song: "Where Have All the Staplers Gone?" My husband and I also got a chuckle out of the pre-show, "Extreme Re-Do", a spoof of a popular home makeover show.

Veggietales Pistachio: The Little Boy That Wouldn't is an adorable family tale cleverly told and a pleasure to watch together! Your family can cuddle up to a copy of Veggietales Pistachio too! Win a copy here at Northern Mama.

To Enter:

• Be a Northern Mama Follower or Northern Mama Facebook fan.

Extra Entries:

• Subscribe via email
• Grab my Button
• Follow on Twitter @Northernmama35 and tweet about this giveaway {1x daily}
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back here {please leave the link to your post}

Open to Canadian and US residents. Giveaway closes April 15th, 2010 midnight EST. Read Giveaway Rules for further details.