Beaches WonderFALL

I’m excited to write about Beaches WonderFALL celebration because I would love the chance to get to go to a Beaches Resort. I know several people who have gone to one and they all have had a wonderful time.

There are so many great WonderFALL promotions that you can read about here.

Beaches is an all-inclusive resort, meaning you pay one price and that covers pretty much everything you will need on your vacation. It makes it so easy to plan and so easy to budget for what you are going to want to do.

Beaches is great for couples on their honeymoon or romantic vacation, but it also great for families. All your meals are included, but you can also get “anytime snacks” for the kids. There are lots of land and water activities that the whole family can participate in, and they even have nannies to watch the kids while mom and dad enjoy some private time. And when it is time for the kids to play, there are a ton of Sesame Street Activities, an XBox 360 garage stocked with tons of video games, Crayola Art Camps and supervised day camp for babies up to teens.

And if you travel during September and October, during the WonderFALL celebration, you can get special pricing and activities. You can get savings up to 45% plus get 2 nights free if you stay 7 nights or more. There are special events planned, including a Grandparents celebration that sounds wonderful.

If you are looking for a family vacation to take this fall, definitely consider one of the four Beaches resorts. You won’t have to worry about anything and there are plenty of activities that your whole family will enjoy together.

MommyDocs Summer Tips

Check out this great site, MommyDocs, run by two Moms who happen to be doctors who provided these tips on how to stay safe this summer.

• Have a Sun Protection Strategy: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15.  Look for products that provide “broad spectrum” coverage to protect against both UVA and UVB rays.  Use this sunscreen routine with your child–daily application 30 minutes before going outside and reapplication every 2 hours (or sooner if swimming, toweling off, or sweating).  Creating a routine will establish good habits for the future.  In addition, don’t forget a wide brim hat, sunglasses with 99-100% UVA/UVB protection, and sun protective clothing.
• Keep Pests off Your Little One: In the summer, many insects can bite or sting your child.  For pesky mosquitoes and ticks, consider a DEET containing insect repellant.  Apply sparingly to exposed skin (avoid backs of hands and around the eyes and mouth) and/or to clothing once a day. As the percentage of DEET goes up, the duration of action increases. To prevent unnecessary exposure, always use the lowest percentage that will last for the planned length of time spent outdoors. Never go above 30% or use on children under 2 months old.
• Keep the Pool Cool and Clean: Small yard pools provide a great way for kids to have fun and cool down when the temperature rises, but they can also harbor germs, such as bacteria.  To keep the pool free from unwanted “swimmers,” after each use disinfect it with bleach by cleaning with a solution of  ¾ cup regular bleach to one gallon of water, then rinse well and dry thoroughly.  Safety must: Always supervise children regardless of age when they are around any water; whether it’s a bucket, a small backyard plastic pool, or the local community pool.
• High Heat Means Hydrate: Excessive heat exposure may cause your child to experience a heat-related illness such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke. How to prevent this: take breaks in the shade, avoid playing outside during peak sun exposure hours, and drink, drink, drink!  Make sure your child is taking in plenty of fluids before he become thirsty.
• Rid Rashes and Relieve Itchies: Running through the yard in bare feet, taking a nature walk on a trail, and picnicing in the park are some of the joys of warmer weather.  But all of this outdoor activity can expose your child to a host of plants including those which cause poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac.  If an allergic reaction occurs, ask the pediatrician about an oral antihistamine and/or a topical skin care product such as a steroid cream or calamine.  If the rash is extensive, looks infected, or is not getting better, call your doctor right away.

My Fruit Rollups

Because I was busy losing my mind, I am late reviewing this product which is a shame, because it is probably my favorite thing I’ve ever reviewed. (Sorry about the delay, Parent Bloggers Network!)

My Fruit Rollups is a site where you can make your own boxes of personalized Fruit Rollups. All you need to do is go to the site, design your fruit rollup, and then a box comes to you in the mail.

The design process is super easy. I went with a picture of a baseball. I was able to select the color of the baseball, and I chose a blueish color. Then I could type in text. I picked “GO CUBS!” The whole design process only took a few minutes and I received the product in the mail very quickly. The kids absolutely loved their personalized Fruit Rollups.

I think this would be such a neat idea for birthday parties or any special event. What a unique thing to bring home in the goody bags! Or what about putting a special message to your kids to have each day in their lunch box? There are so many things you can do with these to really brighten up the day of a special kid.

At about a dollar a piece, they are slightly expensive, but totally worth is for a month of personalized messages or a special thing for your kid’s party.

AND! If you go to the website, pick out what design you would make, and then leave me a comment on this post telling me what you would put on your personalized Fruit Rollups, you will be entered to win a free box of your own design!

Ragu’s Fresh and Simple Pouches

I didn’t think there was anything that could make me like spaghetti, but these Fresh and Simple Pouches from Ragu have changed my mind.

I am not a fan of tomato sauce. I don’t like the way it tastes, and I hate the big mess it makes when I make it for the kids. The sauce always bubbles over and splatters all over the stove. And if you leave the pan out overnight, the spaghetti sauce hardens up and is really difficult to get off the pan.

These Ragu Fresh and Simple Pouches are great. They are basically just a pouch of spaghetti sauce (actually tasty spaghetti sauce, even for someone who doesn’t like it) that you just pop in the microwave.

No mess, no cleanup. Just pop in and then pour over your noodles or meatballs or whatever else you are making. I love it. Makes spaghetti such a quick and simple meal to make.

Also, Ragu has put together a free, downloadable recipe booklet that has a bunch of great time saving tips and meal planning suggestions for healthy meals for your family. The booklet includes recipes and tips from the Food Network’s Robin Miller, celebrity fitness trainer Kathy Kaehler, Mom Central’s Stacy DeBroff. You can download the booklet from www.FeedOurkidsWell.com.

I saw these pouches today at the grocery store and I picked up a few more. I’m not sure they will make me like spaghetti more, but they will certainly make me like COOKING spaghetti more!

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

I’m in love with these Clorox Disinfecting Wipes sent to me by Mom Central and Clorox. I love the convenience of a these wipes for cleaning up after spills or before a meal. All you have to do is wipe the area and let it sit for 30 second if you want to sanitize something. If you leave it for four minutes, you can disinfect an area. I use these wipes all the time when I’m cooking and want to make sure that any juices from the food come off our counter tops.

They just came out with a lavender scented wipe, which we tried and really liked. It gave the kitchen a really nice, clean scent without being overpowering.

If you visit the website, you can enter a contest to win prizes like a luxury family getaway and a year of Netflix.

AccuClean Air Filtration System

I have asthma and I have pretty much constant sinus problems. I am really affected by allergens in the air, even a lot of scented products. I am always on the look out for products that can help reduce some of the allergens in the air.

Mom Central sent me information about a new product called AccuClean Air Filtration System. It is a whole house air filtration system that cleans the air throughout your whole home. It can remove 99% of the influenza A (the common cold) virus from the air in your home. It is 8 times more effective than the best HEPA filter out there.

Basically this system is going to clean all the air throughout your whole house. It will get rid of allergens and tiny particles that can trigger asthma and allergy attacks, as well as some airborne illnesses.

This is definitely the kind of system I would like to have in my home to help cut down on things that will flare up my asthma and allergies.

The Tao of Fertility

The Parent Blogger’s Network sent me the book “The Tao of Fertility” to review. I was very interested in this tour, because I have infertility issues. I also have an interest in “alternate” forms of medicine and I thought this would be a good combination of the two.

The author, Daoshing Ni, is very knowledgeable about fertility and infertility. The book examines a “healing Chinese Medicine Program” designed to help prepare your body to become pregnant as well as dealing with some of the issues related to infertility.

Ni doesn’t discount Western medicine. He discusses the pros and cons of things like IVF and he explains how you can utilize Chinese medicine to improve your odds. In fact, when I took the fertility readiness quiz included in the book, my score indicated that I should “Seek the help of a reproductive medicine specialist right away.” (That was kind of a bummer. I was hoping my score would say, “Stay away from sperm! You are a ripe fertile woman!!!)

The book includes a 28 day fertility program that is designed to help optimize your chances of conceiving. There are recipes and food programs, self-help acupressure, and imagery exercises. Although this advice slightly borders on “just relax and you’ll get pregnant,” the book works at explaining why Ni recommends these things. I really thought that I wouldn’t like this book because I didn’t feel like a diet change or some imagery exercises would be able to unblock my fallopian tubes or locate my missing ovary. But I got the impression from reading the book that Ni isn’t trying to say that. He admits that some fertility challenges require surgery. That IVF might be necessary. But he also offers some things you can do to help yourself out. And creating a healthy body and mind never can hurt. The better shape your body and mind are in when you are trying to conceive the better, and so for that reason I found the book quite well done.

It is not for everyone, but if you are attempting to have a child and you are open to other forms of medicine, I would recommend The Tao of Fertility. After all, what’s the harm in trying? It might just be what works for you.

Frosted Flakes Gold

“Did they send you these to review?” asked Callie. “Because these are the best darn thing I’ve eaten in awhile.”

Frosted Flakes Gold is a new Olympics themed cereal that really is that good. Instead of the sugar coating that is on regular Frosted Flakes, Gold has a honey coating that adds a crispy sweetness that is really tasty.  I’m not sure that they give you energy as reported, but I don’t eat breakfast often enough and so when I do, I do feel a kick of energy. I like that the box talks a lot about fitness and things kids can do to be more active. It is a nice change from advertising the newest toy or movie.

I found myself grabbing handfuls of the cereal to snack on during the day. It would be a great cereal to pack in a ziplock bag and take with you in the car. It’s crunchy, not sticky and tastes great with or without milk.

Yummy.

Rice Krispies Childhood is Calling

Rice Krispies has a new website out called Childhood is Calling.  They also have a new type of Rice Krispies..one that has Strawberries in it. I haven’t had the chance to try it yet, but I like cereals with strawberries in it, so I’m optimistic that I’ll like it.

The Childhood is Calling site has games you can play with your little ones as well as recipes for things you can make with Rice Krispies. It is a good companion site to the cereal and while you certainly don’t need Rice Krispies to help you play with your kids, it is nice to have some recipes and games provided for free and in one easy place. You can also find nutritional information and get special offers. There is a coupon for one dollar off that you can print off and use to purchase a box of the new cereal with strawberries.

If I get a chance to the try the cereal, I’ll update the review, but for now, check out the site on a rainy day for some fun things to do.

Cranenergy from Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray and Mom Central sent me two bottles of Cranenergy to try. Cranenergy is a type of energy drink made of cranberry juice with added green tea extracts and B vitamins.

It is a pick me up drink that has fewer calories than most typical energy drinks and sodas. I really liked it. It tasted a lot sweeter than normal cranberry juice and didn’t have the strange taste that most energy drinks have. It also gives you an energy boost that doesn’t make you have a major crash later on. I’m a big fan of B vitamins and the way they help my body, so I liked that this drink contained them.

Definitely something I will buy again.