We were sent the Pop on Pals Amusement Park set for review and I couldn’t get it out of the box fast enough for my son. He sat and played with this toy set for hours and then quickly moved it up to his bedroom so he wouldn’t have to share his cool new toy with his older sister. A fairly good indicator that he loves his new toy. He has so much fun making the pop on pal go down the roller the coaster, around and around the ferris wheel, and on the boat ride back and forth. He also has a blast making the pop on pal play the carnival games and enjoys the lights and sounds. The pop on pal comes with extra attachments for tons of mix and match fun and encourages imaginative play. I love that the toys are perfect for smaller hands to hold on to and that these sets are also affordable, the Pop on Pals Amusement Park that we have retails for $34.99. Pop on Pals toys would make a perfect birthday or Christmas gift for the younger children in your life.

  Check out the Pop on Pals website at http://www.poponpals.com/ for more information and to see the other toys they have available. 

 Disclosure: We were sent a product for review purposes by Team Mom and Pop on Pals. All opinions and experiences shared here are our own.

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2. Gift Hero to the Rescue! Win a Set of Clics!
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Synopsis:

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with
flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to
the neighbors, hidden deep beneath this home is a vast secret hideout.
Surrounded by an army of tireless, little yellow minions, we discover Gru
(Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon (Yes, the moon!) in Universal’s new 3-D CGI feature, Despicable Me.

Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad.

One of the world’s greatest super-villains has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.

See the movie trailer here:

 We had the chance to attend an advanced screening of Despicable Me and my entire family was instantly in love with this sweet and hilarious movie.  We found Despicable Me to be such a unique movie. The plot is just so different than what you’re used to seeing and it’s so much fun to watch the story unfold and there’s so many laughs along the way. More than once my daughter laughed so hard she cried and throughout the entire movie my three year old son was completely entranced. Despicable Me is a Summer movie must-see that you and your children will fall in love with.

Check out this super funny clip of the Despicable Me minions:

Check back next week for a Despicable Me/ IHOP prize package giveaway!

Disclosure: I was sent to an advanced movie screening of Despicable Me for review purposes. All opinions shared here are my own and based on my own experience.

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3. He’s Just Not That Into You Soundtrack Review & Giveaway

 Maddison has been searching for “new” and “undiscovered” insects in our yard since receiving the Backyard Safari items. I love kids! My son, almost four, loves to join her in her buggy finding adventures and also likes to steal her very cute Cargo Vest and claim it as his own. Aside from their bug explorations they’ve also used their cool new gear to play “spies” and peak around the corners of our home with their new Mega View Periscope.

  If your kids are like mine and enjoy exploring and finding insects and wildlife, you’ll find that Backyard Outfitters has a variety of cool tools and gear available that make it easy for kids to use on their many adventures. Each Backyard Safari Outfitters kit includes a detailed pop-up Field Guide that includes information for lots of different subjects such as the Solar System, Beetles, Butterflies, Fossils, and Field Communication.

My Likes: I love that the Backyard Safari Outfitters items encourage my children to play outside more and not only that but it also encourages a love of the outdoors and my daughter is becoming more interested in learning about the bugs she’s finding so it’s not just a toy, it’s really a learning tool. The Backyard Safari Outfitters tools and gear are sturdy (an important quality to me when it comes to buying toys for my children) and they’ve have held up to some pretty intense play time with my two kids and the periscope has been dropped plenty of times over the past week but it’s still in great condition. I think these are perfect outdoor toys and can’t wait to bring them with us the next time we go on a camping trip.

 My Dislikes: The prices may seem a little spendy if you were to see these in the store and you’ve never owned a Backyard Safari Outfitters item before.. BUT these are really nice items, sturdy, and they hold up to rough kids which is important when you’re buying outdoor items for your children and I really do believe you get what you pay for. The periscope is also a little heavy but my nine year old does just fine, for younger kids you may need to help them a little bit though.

If your kids are future outdoor enthusiasts you’ll be happy to know that Backyard Safari Outfitters items can be found at Toys R Us, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and Target. Visit www.summittoy.com for a complete list of all Backyard Safari essential field gear. You can follow Backyard Safari Outfitters on Twitter (http://twitter.com/BYSOutfitters) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BackyardSafari).

  Disclosure: I was sent items from Backyard Safari Outfitters by Team Mom for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are based on my own experiences.

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2. Kids Can Now Explore The Science Behind Beauty Products
3. Gift Hero to the Rescue! Win a Set of Clics!

Last week you helped me pick your favorite picture from our Ronzoni Smart Taste Challenge and here was the one that received most of your votes:

Ethan is EXTREMELY excited to see his pasta-eating picture on the Ronzoni Smart Taste bloggers challenge page and he is pretty darn cute if I do say so myself.

We’re competing against 50 other bloggers who also participated in the Ronzoni Smart Taste challenge. There are some great photos but the one with the most votes will win a $500 gift card and tons of Ronzoni pasta.

If we win I will be using the gift card to buy Ethan clothing and shoes for his second year of preschool… and probably using part of it to help pay for some of his speech therapy as well (each session is kinda spendy!) This is one prize we could definitely use and maybe I’m just partial but Ethan’s pretty darn cute eating his yummy Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta and I’m in love with this black and white photo of him.

YOU COULD WIN JUST FOR VOTING! Every day that you vote you’ll be entered to win one of twelve $25 gift cards from Ronzoni!

To vote you will have to register but it’s quick and easy and the info is only asked for one time (and it’s necessary in case you win one of the $25 gift cards!) After registration each day that you return to vote you’ll only have to sign in with your email to cast your vote so it really does get easier, I promise!

Here’s how to vote for Ethan:

1. Head on over to http://ronzonismarttaste.newworldpasta.com/blogger/
2. Click on the photo you wish to vote for (preferably Ethan’s cute photo) :p
3. Fill in your info if it’s your first time voting OR just your email if you’re already registered and “vote”!
4. You can vote EVERY day!
   

I greatly appreciate your votes and Ethan does too! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to vote for him. It really does mean a lot to us.

I wrote this review while participating in the Ronzoni Smart Taste Challenge through Mom Central. I received pasta for review purposes and I’ve a received a gift card as a thank you for taking the time to participate.

Related posts:

1. Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta vs. “The Other Brand”
2. My Silly Little Boy for the 5 Minutes for Mom “Silly Kids” Contest
3. Feeding Your Kids Healthier Food When You’re On The Go *WIN A GIFT BASKET*

 #1

#2

#3

#4

Related posts:

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 When Mom Central sent me the Ronzoni pasta one of the first things I did was compare what each brand of pasta had in it.

Barilla has 200 calories, 10% Iron, 35% Thiamin, %15 Riboflavin, %15 Niacin, and %30 Folate

vs.

Ronzoni Smart Taste which has 180 calories, %25 Vitamin D, %30 Calcium, 10% Iron, %35 Thiamin, %15 Riboflavin, %15 Niacin, and %35 Folate.. oh, and it also has 7 g of fiber!

 I have a major vitamin D deficiency and I’m unable to have too many dairy products so the extra Vitamin D and Calcium in this pasta is definitely helpful in making sure my body has what it needs to be healthy. It’s also extremely beneficial for my children who are growing way faster than I’d like. 

 Our thoughts? My kids couldn’t tell the difference but they loved it so that speaks volumes since my children are picky eaters. My husband and I on the other hand COULD tell the difference and while we like our normal pasta brand we both just preferred the Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta more. I also enjoyed the fact that my kids were getting extra Calcium, Vitamin D, and Fiber in their dinner.. and they didn’t even know it.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Ronzoni and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review and photo contest entry. In addition, I received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate

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1. Please Vote For Ethan in the Ronzoni Smart Taste Photo Contest

One thing I see a lot of every summer is juice boxes.  Everywhere I go - the beach, the park, the pool, soccer games, baseball games, you name it – I see juice boxes.  We have all been trained to believe juice boxes are a healthy alternative to soda and Kool-Aid for our kids.  Really, they’re not.  They’re chock full of sugar, food coloring, and most aren’t even predominantly juice!

When I was given the opportunity to  sample V8 V-Fusion single serving cans in Pomegranate Blueberry and Strawberry Banana, I was crazy excited!  Not only is V8 V-Fusion 100% juice, one 8 ounce can provides a full serving of fruit AND a full serving of vegetables!!!  That is 2 of the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables in one shot!  WOO HOO!

Now, I’m sure you’re thinking, “That sounds all well and good, but will my kids drink it?” In one word, YES!!!  I allowed each of my kids one can to try the evening UPS showed up on my doorstep.  Every day since then, I fielded incessant requests to have more!  I tried to hide them away and save them to have a picnic full with pictures to post here, but eventually my resolve failed and the V8 V-Fusion was gone before I could say, “Save one for me!”  Fortunately, they were each nice enough to allow me to taste theirs.

Another great thing about these single serving cans is just like their nutrient difficient juice box counterpart, they pack easily into a cooler or knapsack for a family outing.  They can go anywhere you go! What a perfect way to get your kids hydrated, give them something sweet, and still be sure you’re taking care of their nutritional needs.

To learn more about other V8 products and V-Fusion be sure to visit their website.

***WIN IT!***

Win your very own V8 V-Fusion Picnic basket set! Enter here!

To Enter: Tell us what V8 product is your favorite.. yep, it’s THAT simple! Visit the V8 website if you can’t remember the flavor. If you’ve never had V8 juices before tell us which flavor you’d like to try.

Earn Extra Entries (Leave a Separate Comment for each entry):

• Blog about this giveaway. Include a link back to this post and be sure to include your post URL in the comment entry you leave below.
• Subscribe to Keeper of the Cheerios by email, RSS feed, or through Google Friend Connect (all found in the right hand side bar.)
• Follow Keeper of the Cheerios on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Include @cheeriokeeper in your tweet.
• Place the Keeper of the Cheerios button on your blog.

*Open only to residents of the United States of America who are 18 or older. Giveaway begins May 24, 2010 and ends June 1, 2010 at 5 pm PST. Winner will be contacted through email.

*Product was provided for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are our own.

Related posts:

1. The Spy Next Door on Blu-Ray and DVD *Giveaway*
2. Feeding Your Kids Healthier Food When You’re On The Go *WIN A GIFT BASKET*
3. JumpStart Review & Giveaway

Synopsis:
Acclaimed martial-arts superstar Jackie Chan (The Forbidden Kingdom) is back
to kick up the action and bring in the laughs with The Spy Next Door, making
its way onto a 2-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack – which includes both Blu-ray and
DVD – and is also available as a separate DVD and for digital download.
From the director of Snow Dogs, the film features a star-studded cast
including Amber Valletta (Hitch), Billy Ray Cyrus (Disney’s “Hannah
Montana”) and George Lopez (Valentine’s Day), and grossed over $24 million
at the box office.

This KIDS FIRST!-endorsed action-comedy which also received the Dove
Foundation Seal of Approval, contains bonus features the whole family will
enjoy – including a blooper reel and two fun featurettes that bring
audiences up-close and personal with the cast.

In true Jackie Chan fashion, The Spy Next Door delivers incredible stunts,
fast action suspense and hearty family entertainment. When Bob Ho is called
to babysit his neighbor’s unruly children, they accidentally blow his cover
as a spy by downloading secret codes on his computer. Suddenly Bob has to
kick into super agent mode and take the kids on an action-packed adventure
that turns suburbia upside down. Bob fights off assassins and arch
villains, narrowly escapes traps and outsmarts double-agents while somehow
managing to keep the kids out of harm’s way.

Watch The Spy Next Door Movie Trailer:

 TIP: Visit http://thespynextdoordvd.com/  to enter the sweepstakes to win a $1,000 Getaway Prize pack that includes a $500 airfare gift card and $500 hotel gift card. While you’re there be sure to check out the free downloadable The Spy Next Door iphone game.

Thinking this might be a movie that you and your children might like to see? Win it here at Keeper of the Cheerios! One (1) winner will receive 1 copy of The Spy Next Door DVD/Blu-ray combo pack!

To Enter: Tell me which Jackie Chan movie is your favorite.

Earn Extra Entries (Leave a Separate Comment for each entry):

1. Blog about this giveaway. Include a link back to this post and be sure to include your post URL in the comment entry you leave below.
2. Subscribe to Keeper of the Cheerios by email, RSS feed, or through Google Friend Connect (all found in the right hand side bar.)
3. Follow Keeper of the Cheerios on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Include @cheeriokeeper in your tweet.
4. Place the Keeper of the Cheerios button on your blog.

*Open only to residents of the United States of America who are 18 or older. Giveaway begins May 19, 2010 and ends May 29, 2010 at 5 pm PST. Winner will be contacted through email.

*Movie screener was provided for review purposes by Big Honcho Media who is also providing a prize for one winner. Opinions shared in this post are my own and are honest based on my experience.

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Zatarain’s sent us everything we would need to host our Mardi Gras party; colorful eye masks, Mardi Gras necklaces, some purple, green, and gold coins (dubloons) to add to the goody bags for the kids, coupons, and tons of food including a box of Zatarain’s Red Beans and Rice, New Orleans Style Jambalaya Mix, Creole Mustard, Creole seasoning (which smells so good), and root beer extract to make our own homemade root beer.

My entire family LOVED the Zatarain’s New Orleans Style Jambalaya that I made with chicken. In case you don’t know it’s a spicy rice mix that you usually cook with a meat of your choosing.. we just prefer chicken as I knew it would be easier to get my children to eat it that way. It is few and far between to find something that we can all agree on but we all loved it and agreed that “it’s a keeper” as my nine year old daughter called it. I personally loved that it was easy to make and made a lot of servings out of just one small box. You could serve it as a side or you could serve it as the main course if you prefer. We had tons of leftovers and I used it to make up some chicken and rice burritos for my husband and I after the kids went to sleep that night. We just added sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, and wrapped it in a tortilla and it was super yummy.

Here’s a great recipe for chicken wings that Zatarain’s sent to me that I suggest you try for your own family Mardi Gras party or your next dinner with guests:

Sweet and Tangy Creole-Style Wings

• 3 pounds chicken wing pieces
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ZATARAIN’S® Creole Mustard
• 1 tablespoon garlic chile paste
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons ZATARAIN’S® Creole Seasoning

Preheat oven 450°F. Toss chicken wings with oil in a large bowl. Arrange in single layer on foil-lined large shallow baking pan.  Bake 30 minutes or until chicken wings are cooked through and the skin is crisp. While the chicken is baking mix remaining ingredients in a large skillet. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half and is the consistency of syrup, stirring frequently. Using tongs, transfer chicken wings to skillet; toss to coat well. Serve immediately.

Are you thinking about hosting your own family friendly Mardi Gras party (even though Fat Tuesday is over)? Consider making these Sweet & Tangy Creole-Style Chicken Wings, Zatarain’s Creole Mustard Dip served with chips or pretzels, Jambalaya, Red Beans & Rice, Root Beer Floats, and make a King Cake for dessert for your guests. Visit the Zatarains website to find lots of great recipes that are sure to please everyone on your guest list.

Here are some fun Mardi Gras facts for you:

• In 1582 Pope Gregory XII officially added Mardi Gras to the Catholic Church calendar.
• In 1699 on a French exploration to Louisiana, Pierra LaMoyne held an impromptu Mardi Gras party. It was the first recorded Mardi Gras celebration in the United States.
• The tradition of wearing masks dates back to the Roman carnivals. In 1827 New Orleans lifted a ban for public masking in the streets during Mardi Gras from dusk to dawn.
• Current state laws in New Orleans state that parade float riders must be masked at all times.
• The first Mardi Gras-themed parade was held in 1857.
• In 1872 the King of Mardi Gras introduced a trio of colors that became a tradition. Purple, gold, green, and gold to symbolize justice, faith, and power.
• The King Cake was brought to New Orleans by the Spanish and French in the 18th century. Typically baked inside is a tiny trinket and as a tradition the person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket is considered the king or queen of the party.
• In 1921 the carnival organization, known as a Krewe, the famous Krewe of Rex, began the custom of throwing strands of beads, coins, and toys to the parade crowds.

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If you’re tired of your plain-jane  apron and want a new apron that will make you look AMAZING and feel like hot-stuff in the kitchen then I highly suggest Flirty Aprons. Flirty Aprons would make a perfect gift for a bridal shower, a house-warming party, birthdays, or as a “just because” gift. Once you have a Flirty Apron I think it would be really hard to go back to the boring plane aprons we’ve all known. This is a must-have for any woman.

As if having a trendy new apron to wear around your kitchen isn’t enough, Flirty Aprons also sells Children’s Aprons as well so now you and your daughter can have matching aprons that are durable and trendy. Is dad feeling left out? Be sure to check out their awesome Men’s Aprons that are perfect for the grill master in your home!

WIN IT!

Mandatory First Entry: Visit Flirty Aprons then come back here and leave a comment telling us what apron you’d pick if you win.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (optional):

• Subscribe to Keeper of the Cheerios via email or RSS
• Blog about this giveaway, add us to your blogroll, or add our button to your sidebar
• Follow us on twitter @cheeriokeeper
• tweet about this giveaway on twitter and link back to this page or use this tweet:

“   WIN a Flirty Apron of your choice at Keeper of the Cheerios!  http://bit.ly/bZK2ib  ”

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each method of entry for your entries to count!

RULES: Contest ends February 19, 2010 at Midnight PST. Winners will be contacted via email. Open only to residents of the United States with a United States mailing address ages 18 and over. One entry Per Person per method of entry unless stated otherwise.

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1. Gift Hero to the Rescue! Win a Set of Clics!
2. It’s Almost Christmas Time! Win Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure DVD!
3. Build-A-Bear Valentine’s Day Monkey Review and gift card giveaway! ENDED