Monday, May 18, 2009

NEW SITE!

Babes and Kids has MOVED!
Please change your bookmarks to: http://www.babesandkidsreview.com
Thanks :)

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Friday, May 15, 2009

Health Master

As moms, aren't we always looking for products that make our lives easier? I know I definitely am. So when I heard about the Health Master and how it could make my life easier by combining 20 different kitchen appliances, you'd better believe I was interested. The Living Well Health Master was introduced by Montel Williams with a focus to help others include a healthy diet in their everyday lives.

Pros: We've been through quite a few kitchen appliances in our house in the last few years. Choppers, blenders and mixers; we've had at least 2 of each of these. The Health Master packs a serious punch, and is incredibly powerful.  As taken from a Health Master press release:

"The HealthMaster’s design enables effortless food preparation without compromising efficiencies. The machine can perform numerous processing functions while working with one large batch. It features a 1100-watt, dual horsepower motor with a 100-year warranty and commercial-grade culinary angled stainless steel blades that emulsify at over 3000 RPM. Such blending reduces graininess and results in mixtures that don't chunk or separate for extended periods of time. The centrifugal friction allows soup to naturally cook, while simultaneously presenting the option to make a frozen sorbet—all with the same machine."

Isn't it amazing that you can cook soup in this? I'm sold right there!

The first recipe that I tried was a banana strawberry smoothie. I put everything into the health master and turned it on. It was completely pureed in less than 10 seconds. Best of all, there were no chunks, it was so smooth. My boys devoured these smoothies. I felt good knowing they were getting fruits and dairy without the added sugar.
Other pros?  Watch the video below:



Cons:  None!  Where was this appliance when I needed it!?

The Bottom Line:  A professional grade emulsifier that does everything!

Price:  $199

Where to Buy: Health Master Website

Rating:  Excellent!

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Strong as Steel

Summer is fast approaching, and that means swimsuits and less bulky clothing. I love getting to the gym and getting a good workout, but when I'm trying to balance family life and work, it doesn't always happen. GE has introduced a new workout video, Strong as Steel. It uses appliances you have in your kitchen to help you get fit! To learn more watch the video below, and to purchase, visit here.

Strong As Steel from Strong As Steel on Vimeo.


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Thursday, May 14, 2009

Gymboree Discount

Gymboree currently has a 30% off coupon circulating. You can use it in store with this printable coupon.
Or, if you don't have a Gymboree near you, you can use the code CFFRIEND or CFCIRCLE to get the discount online. If you order online, shipping is $6.50. On top of all of that, gymbucks are going, so for every $50 you spend, you get a coupon for $25 off your next $50 purchase in a given time range.  


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Wednesday, May 13, 2009


Web md's definition of sleep deprivation:
"A sufficient lack of restorative sleep over a cumulative period so as to cause physical or psychiatric symptoms and affect routine performances of tasks."

As a mom, this definition is all too familiar, right? It seems like as moms, we make a lot of sacrifices, one of them being sleep. I don't know how many times I've woken up with Chandler trying to climb into bed with DH and me, or feel someone breathing on me and wake up to find Chan staring me right in the face. Many times I've wondered how I could get him to stay in bed. Now there's something that will do just that: My Tot Clock. 
As taken from the My Tot Clock Website:
"My Tot Clock is an all-in-one sleep aid, alarm clock, nightlight, and timer for children ages 2+"

Pros: My Tot Clock is another great mom inspired company. Pamela Gonzalez was a sleep deprived mom who needed to teach her son to stay in bed and establish a routine. Thus, My Tot Clock was born.
I love how many functions this clock performs. Across the top of the clock, there are five different colored buttons. Each one correlates to a different activity.
Green = Encouragement
Red = Discipline
Light Blue = Naptime
Yellow = Awake Time
Dark Blue =Sleep Time

The face of the clock lights up each of these colors too, which makes it easy for a child to know what to expect. One function of this clock we've actually used a lot is the discipline. Since Chandler is 3 years old, when he gets in trouble, he goes to the naughty spot for 3 minutes. A lot of times it was hard for me to gauge how long he was in his naughty spot and it was a pain to always run to the oven to turn on the timer. Now I just make sure that My Tot Clock is close, we are able to set it to 3 minutes, and push the button. Chandler knows while the clock is red he is to stay in time out. Once his time is up, the clock isn't red anymore and a buzzer signals to let him know it is over. He is no longer trying to weasel his way out of time out, and I'm amazed at how effective this is.
Another button we really like is the sleep time. You can preset the sleep time button to the time your child normally goes to bed, and the bedtime routine will automatically start at that time. You can choose to have music, a story, and even white noise. Chandler loves to sit on his bed and listen to the story; it actually makes him excited to go to bed.

If you miss bedtime, or want to put your child to bed earlier, you can manually start the bedtime routine, which is nice. Once the bedtime routine is over, my tot clock makes a great night light and shines blue to know your child is to go to sleep. When we first started using this, I thought the blue light was way too bright. I then realized there was a dimmer on the back. How nice that someone has already thought of that.
You can also set an "alarm" so your child knows when it's ok and time to get out of bed. The clock will turn yellow and fun wake music starts to play.
My Tot Clock is very easy to use and has different cartridges you can buy and change out for the bedtime stories. The faceplate is also interchangable, and with 10 different choices, there's bound to be something for everyone!

Cons: I feel like the story that plays at bedtime is a bit fuzzy/static when you listen to it on the clock. Chandler doesn't seem to mind it, but I notice it. There were a couple different functions that I was also confused about when we first got My Tot Clock. For example, a few days after I got the clock, the face turned red and I couldn't figure out why it was doing this. Thanks to the FAQ on the My Tot Clock website, I was able to get my question answered. This particular page on their website is very helpful as it lists all FAQ's as well as tips and an online version of the user's guide. If you are planning on buying the Tot Clock, I would definitely bookmark this page.

The Bottom Line: A must have for parents with young children. Creates structure for different activities in an easy to understand way for you and your child. 

Price: $49.95

Where to buy: My Tot Clock

Rating: Great

My Tot Clock has generously agreed to give one of these clocks away!

To Enter:
Visit My Tot Clock and tell me about a feature I didn't mention in this post - 1 entry

Additional Entries:
Blog about this giveaway with links back to Babes and Kids and My Tot Clock - 2 entries
Follow this blog - 1 entry
Enter another giveaway on Babes and Kids (All giveaways are listed on the top right sidebar, just click on one to enter.) - 1 entry
Grab my Blinkie or Button - 1 entry

Please leave each entry as a separate comment!

Contest is open to US residents only and will end May 27th, 11:59 MST. Winner has 48 hours to contact me!

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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Courtesy of DH......



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With summer right around the corner, one can’t help but fantasize about a tropical getaway. In celebration of the season, Lands’ End has just launched “The Island” at www.landsend.com/getaway, where one can enjoy a virtual island getaway. Amidst the backdrop of a private island paradise, you and your community can shop for Lands’ End swimsuit styles, enter an exciting sweepstakes and share the experience with friends through popular social media channels.
To celebrate the launch of The Island, Lands’ End is providing a promo code for free shipping starting Monday, May 4, and ending Monday, May 25. Simply enter the promo code and pin number below at http://www.landsend.com/ checkout and you will get receive free shipping off your entire order.

Promo Code = ISLAND

PIN = 5262



If you've ever shopped Land's End you know they have great quality!

They have some incredibly cute swimwear, plus some great sales.
Links to Sales:
Womens
Boys
Girls
I also thought that this diaper tote was cute, and it's only $12.99.

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