winners!

it's that time again...

the winner of the land o' lakes eggs giveaway is...

 ...kristin devine mueller!  expecting mamas need to eat healthy so hopefully this will help keep you and baby healthy!

the winner of the general mills curvy straws giveaway is...

...mamastace!  strawberry milk with a curvy straw couldn't be a more fun combination!

congratulations ladies!

for everyone else, don't miss the other giveaways i have going on now!

don't sweat the small stuff for moms (w/giveaway)

there are two things i appreciate about parenting books:  short chapters and practical advice.  this book easily meets both my expectations.

nearly every chapter i read has some pearl of wisdom that gives me a better perspective for my days.  even if her advice is something i'm already doing anyway, it is nice to have the affirmation that others agree with my choices and decisions and even support them.

if you are interested in learning more about being a "don't sweat mom," you are invited to a twitter party with kristine carlson and other don’t sweat moms.

click here to rsvp

• what: #dontsweatmoms twitter party
• when: wednesday, may 2 from 7pm et/4pm pt
• where: tweet grid or tweet chat
• hashtag:  #DontSweatMoms
• follow: @DontSweatMoms (host) and @KristineCarlson
• prizes:  five winners receive mother’s day don’t sweat the small stuff gift bags.

you can also be involved with the "don't sweat mom" community on twitter or facebook.

if you are interested in having a copy of the book for yourself, or someone else you love, i have a copy to give away. just leave a comment below telling me your favorite advice for moms. i will choose a winner using random.org on may 8, 2012. (usa residents only; must be 18 to enter.)

edited to add:  since no one has entered, i am extending the deadline to may 20...

i received a free copy of the book, as well as a copy to give away, as part of my involvement in the "don't sweat moms" campaign.  regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.  you can read more of my thoughts about the book at my regular blog, tales from the crib.

burger king's new menu allows more of us to have it your way® (w/giveaway)

bill certainly doesn't need much of an excuse to think about taking the family to burger king.  unfortunately, while bill loves to have it your way®, i don't often feel like i can have it my way when we are there.

but i have a feeling that is all about to change.

in consistency with their commitment to providing customers with products that are "best in class" and true to a heritage of great taste, burger king is expanding their menu to provide more choice and, presumably, something for everyone.  after two months of testing, burger king's menu now includes garden fresh salads, snack wraps, real fruit smoothies, frappés and crispy chicken strips.

the new salads are made fresh daily with premium ingredients that can be topped with your choice of tendercrisp® or juicy tendergrill® chicken. you can choose from the:

• chicken blt garden fresh salad ~ made with a three cheese blend, thick cut bacon, tomatoes and red onion, served with ken’s® avocado ranch dressing

• chicken, apple and cranberry garden fresh salad ~ made with crisp apples, dried cranberries, bleu cheese and ken’s® apple cider vinaigrette

• chicken caesar garden fresh salad ~ made with 100% romaine lettuce, tomatoes, shaved parmesan cheese, and home-style croutons

the new snack wraps are a flavorful treat that are less than 400 calories each. snack wrap options include:

• honey mustard crispy chicken snack wrap ~ a flour tortilla filled with crispy, marinated white meat chicken, a three-cheese blend, and a combination of spring mix, romaine and iceberg lettuce, all topped with ken’s® honey mustard dressing

• ranch crispy chicken snack wrap ~ a flour tortilla filled with crispy, marinated white meat chicken, a three-cheese blend,  and a combination of spring mix, romaine and iceberg lettuce, all topped with ken’s® ranch dressing

the new crispy chicken strips are made with white meat tenderloin chicken, marinated and lightly battered in seasoned home-style breading. They are perfect for dipping in one of eight bk® classic or bold new sauces and are available in 3 or 5 piece servings.

the new real fruit smoothies a are offered in 12, 16, and 20oz. servings, and are made fresh to order with real fruit, low-fat yogurt and juices blended together. each smoothie provides a full serving of fruit and is offered in the following varieties:

• tropical mango

• strawberry banana

the new rich and smooth frappés  are made to order and are offered in 12, 16, and 20oz. servings.  you can find them in the following varieties:

• mocha frappé ~ the perfect combination of sweet flavor, a hint of coffee and ice all topped with whipped topping and a swirl of fudge

• caramel frappé ~ the perfect combination of sweet flavor, a hint of coffee and ice all topped with whipped topping and a swirl of caramel

i don't know about you, but i think the caramel frappé might be calling my name right this minute!  if you want to give one of these new items a try (or even treat yourself to a tasty classic), i have a $25 gift card to give away to one of you readers.  just leave me a comment below telling me how you would spend the $25.  i will choose a winner using random.org on may 8, 2012. (usa residents only; must be 18 to enter.)


i received information, a $25 gift card, and one to give away, in exchange for writing this review from burger king through myblogspark.  regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

familyfun "get active" badge

we still have a month and a half left until school is done, but the kids are already starting to make plans for what they want to do this summer.  usually this means i'm starting to worry about how to fill up our days, but with the busy schedules we have right now, i have to admit i'm looking forward to slowing down a little bit.

my concern for the summer is how we can be sure not to slow down so much that the kids aren't getting any exercise.  when that happens, the result is usually crazily hyper kids right at the time that i need to start cooking supper.

thankfully, family fun magazine has some really great ideas for encouraging kids to be active this summer.  the magazine has been celebrating its 20th anniversary by offering "badges of fun," giving families the opportunity to earn a badge each month.  the final badge is offered in the may issue:  the "get active" badge. 

we haven't had a chance to try any of these out for ourselves since we've been cursed with a string of rainy days, but i'm pretty certain each one of these is going to be a big hit with all four of my kids.

1) take a hike:  take an egg carton and paint the bottoms of the compartments each a different color.  on the hike, challenge your kids to fill each compartment with a "souvenir" from nature that matches each color.

2) hop on your bike:  for a "bike rodeo," draw a spot on the driveway or sidewalk where each kid must stop and pick up a hula hoop.  toss the hula hoop over a stool before heading back to the "finish line."  whoever makes it back with the fastest time, wins.

3) play in your yard:  set up two buckets about 20 feet apart.  divide into two teams.  each team wants to score by tossing a bean bag into the other team's bucket.  kids can only move when they are not holding a bean bag.  defenders try to knock down or intercept passes.

if you complete any of these suggestions, your family can go online to earn the badge and enter to win great prizes from huffy (the grand prize is four huffy bicycles; 20 readers will win one huffy bike).

i know we are looking forward to the sunny days that have been promised for this week so that we can "get active" and have some fun...


i received a free copy of familyfun magazine and an activity pack to help get us started on these fun activities.  regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

wahl's massager a great gift for moms! (review w/giveaway link)

recently i had a conversation with some girlfriends about how much we love to get massages from our husbands if only it didn't always necessarily lead to...well, you know.

that's why i was so happy to volunteer to review one of a new line of massagers from wahl.  i received my "deep-tissue percussion therapeutic massager" on a day when i was lying on the hardwood floor doing a puzzle with the girls and wondering when i had gotten to be so old.  i had aching places all over my body while i tried to continue in my goal of spending quality time with the girls.

i have never been so happy to get a package in the mail!  the deep tissue massager's goal is to relieve pain and fatigue.  it has variable speeds that allows you to adjust the massage intensity from light to intense.  i have to say that i haven't really tried the massager at more than the "lightest" intensity because that seemed about as much as my body could handle.

the massager has four different attachments to customize your massage:  a four-finger flex attachment that is meant to mimic a human hand; a deep muscle attachment (i like this one the best); an accupoint attachment that can really pinpoint a knot or a specific achy spot; and a raised bump attachment.  to provide maximum power, the massager plugs into the wall.  i have found the cord is fairly long so i can still sit on the couch and relax while stretching the plug to our nearest outlet.

it is also very easy to use.  in fact, it is so easy that i have to keep retrieving it from my kids, who are enjoying it just as much as i am. to change attachments, you simply turn the first attachment counter-clockwise and then replace it with another attachment of your choosing by turning it clockwise. i also really like that the speed intensity changes with a variable wheel.  instead of choosing "low," "medium" or "high," you can simply rotate the wheel to any level that works for you. 

if you think you would benefit from a different type of massage, wahl also makes a deluxe heat therapy massager, a deluxe therapy massager and a flex therapy massager.

this is how happy i look when i'm using it:

now for the good news:   those who like wahl home on facebook can nominate a mom to win a mom relief package from wahl.  if you know someone who is deserving, a friend, neighbor, your own mother, grandmother, aunt or sister, or actually want to nominate yourself, you can simply post a comment explaining why the mom on your list deserves relief.

entries will be judged on their uniqueness and sincerity.  winners will be selected once the contest wraps up on may 13. stories must be submitted before then in order to be considered.

this is a mamabuzz review.  i received a free massager for the purpose of this review from wahl.  regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

chicago children's theatre presents three stories by eric carle (w/giveaway)

we love to go the theatre (of course, pronounced with a british accent)!

we are very excited that chicago children's theatre has a new production available for the month of may.  the internationally acclaimed mermaid theatre of nova scotia is now presenting:

a brown bear, a moon, and a caterpillar: 

treasured stories by eric carle   

i can't imagine anything better than the "theatre" and one of our favorite authors in one super fabulous package!  we love brown bear, brown bear, what do you see, and, of course, a very hungry caterpillar, but we are not familiar with the third story, papa get the moon for me.  i think this will be a great introduction to that story.

if, like me, you are wondering how some of these stories could possibly be brought to the stage, you should check out this video: 

as you can see, the production is an intriguing mix of amazing puppetry, delightful music and stunning visual effects.

performances are may 2-27, 2012 on the victory gardens biograph theater mainstage, 2433 n. lincoln avenue, chicago.  performances are tuesday through thursday at 10:15 am; friday at 10 am and noon; saturday at 10 am, noon and 3 pm; and sunday at 1 pm and 3 pm.  exceptions:  press opening is friday, may 4 at 7 pm.  (thus, no noon performance on may 4, and the morning matinee starts at 10:15 am.)

tickets, $15 - $41, are on sale now.  gor tickets and information, go to chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call the victory gardens box office, 773.871.3000.  for discounted rates for pre-schools, schools, day care facilities and play groups of eight or more, contact grouptix at 773.327.3778 or visit grouptix.net.

if you are available saturday, may 12, at 10 am, noon or 3 pm, and you have someone you would like to take to the show, leave a comment below telling me your favorite eric carle story.  i will choose a winner using random.org on friday, may 4.  make sure you can attend one of those performances because there are no exchanges.

land o' lakes

my kids love eggs.

 we have eggs with our sunday night pancake suppers. we have hard-boiled eggs in our salads. we have eggs in frittatas, skillet suppers and quiches.

we like eggs.

that is why i am so excited about the land o lakes farm-fresh, all natural eggs. the hens’ vegetarian diet consists primarily of whole ground corn and soybean meal, with no added hormones, antibiotics, animal fats or animal by-product.  eggs are gathered at the peak of the hens’ egg-laying cycles, which can make the eggs more delicious and nutritious.  doesn't that sound like a great product to feed your kids?

this year i'm hoping my kids will want to make me some delicious, eggy, breakfast in bed.  do you think it will be too obvious if i casually send them to the land o lakes website to take a look at some of these recipes?

• bacon topped deviled eggs - you had me at "bacon"...
• breakfast biscuit bakes - i'm pretty sure i'd have to share these with the whole family...
• mini mexi bites - these might be too spicy for me, but bill and lilianna would love them!

if thinking about these recipes has you in an eggy frame of mind, you will definitely want to try the land o lakes farm fresh, all natural eggs.  and to help you try out these recipes, i am giving away a prize package with a small skillet, just right for omelets; a plastic tray perfect for serving deviled eggs, a mini muffin tin for the breakfast biscuit bakes and a vip coupon for one package of land o lakes eggs.

just leave a comment below telling me your favorite way to eat eggs.  i will choose a winner on may 1, 2012 using random.org (usa residents only; must be 18 to enter).

i received the coupons, information, a gift pack and a gift pack to giveaway from land o lakes through myblogspark. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.