Reviews

G.H. Cretors Popped Corn Review

May 22, 2013 By Stefani 21 Comments

I received product samples to facilitate this post. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the thoughts and opinions stated herein are 100% my own.

All of my kids enjoy snacking on popcorn so I usually keep it stocked in my pantry. After a while though, the traditional butter flavored popcorn can get a little boring.

We recently received a variety of the G.H. Cretors Popped Corn for review and boy was it a HIT with not only the kids, the hubby too!

The G.H. Cretors Popped Corn products are Gluten FREE and contain NO GMOs. You can currently find this popped corn in five different varieties including:

Just The Caramel Corn
Just The Cheese Corn
Chicago Mix
Kettle Corn
Caramel Nut Crunch

All five of the flavors are yummy, but the Caramel Nut Crunch was my FAVORITE. I happen to LOVE caramel corn and the added roasted nuts makes this bag perfect. I almost didn’t want to share this bag!

It all began in 1885 when Great Grandpa Cretors invented the popcorn machine and our family began perfecting the art of popping corn. His modern machine appeared at the Chicago Columbian Exposition in 1893, and for five generations we’ve been following in his corn-popping footsteps, taste-testing recipes around our kitchen table.

To find out more about G.H. Cretors Popped Corn, visit: www.ghcretors.com.

Filed Under: Reviews

Make Professional Videos On Your Cell Phone FREE With Magisto – #MagistoMoms

May 16, 2013 By Stefani 26 Comments

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Magisto. I received a promotional code for premium features to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

This last week I had to make a couple videos in my Photoshop class. I was pretty impressed with the app that my teacher had showed us that it had me interested in looking for other apps that I can use for FREE to make cute and silly videos with my kids and pets.

Yesterday I downloaded the Magisto app to my iPhone. This is a video editing app that makes is super easy to make a professional video that is complete with effects and transitions in just a click or two. The Magisto app is currently available for both the iPhone and Android devices. Once you create your video and it has been produced, you can choose to share in one click via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or email.

When you produce your email you will get an email with the link to your video. Once you are on that link not only can you share your video as I mentioned above, you can also choose the embed option so that you are given code to embed your video on your website if you like. Below is a fun video I created for fun with the app to see how it works:

The Magisto video editing app is really neat and easy to use. You can use videos on your phone that you have already taken, or you can use the app to take videos. To create a video you shoot or select a video, select a editing style and then a song. There is a free version with this app, but there is also a premium account that will give you more magic for your videos. Right now my readers can get 3 FREE downloads on the Magisto app by using the coupon code: MomsRule in the settings area of this app. This coupon code is valid through the end of May so hurry and take advantage of it.

For those that got a good video on Mother’s Day, there is still time to enter the Magisto Mother’s Day Challenge for a chance to a Samsung Galaxy Note Tablet. This contest ends on May 17, 2013 at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

To download the Magisto app for FREE, visit the following links:

iPhone app: http://bit.ly/RzXtcp
Android app: http://bit.ly/On2nGz

Filed Under: Entertainment, Reviews

Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust Review & Giveaway

May 13, 2013 By Stefani 43 Comments

“Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills and Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.”

I LOVE pizza and most of the time I prefer to make it myself. I usually make the pizza dough by scratch but sometimes I don’t have the time and have to rely on products like the Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust to save me a little time.

The Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain allows you to make a homemade pizza in just minutes. You simply open the package, roll out the dough, prebake the crust and then add your favorite toppings. Place in the oven and bake again for around 8-10 minutes and you have yourself a fresh home baked pizza. The toppings that you can add to the Pillsbury Artisan Crust is endless with so many different pizza ideas.

Since I am trying to create meals that are “more healthier”, I like that this crust contains 16 grams of whole grain per serving. If you need ideas for toppings, be sure to visit the Pillsbury website for Artisan Pizza Recipes including:

BBQ Chicken Pizza
Breakfast Pizza
Veggie and Sausage Skillet Pizza
Chicken Pesto Pizza
Grilled Sausage and Pepper Pizza
and more yummy recipes….

My pizzas normally will have pepperoni and cheese for the kids, but I have found that chicken, bacon, cheese and ranch work well together on top of a pizza too! What is really cool is you can make these Artisan style pizzas not only in your oven, but on your BBQ grill too!

Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust Prize Pack Giveaway

One of my LUCKY winners is going to receive a Prize Pack that includes:

A VIP coupon for one FREE Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain
15.5″ Farberware Pizza Pan
Food Chopper with Storage Containers
Silicon-grip Oven Mitt
Retail Value: $64

To enter my Pillsbury Prize Pack giveaway, use the Rafflecopter below to submit your entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck to those that enter!

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews

Shop Walmart The Pinterest Way With Spark Studio

May 8, 2013 By Stefani 31 Comments

The following post is sponsored by Walmart Labs, but all thoughts and opinions stated herein are 100% my own.

I am one of those that LOVE Pinterest. Every time I make a recipe and share it online, I make sure to create a pin on Pinterest on My Recipe Board to share with those looking for recipes online. That recipe pinning has turned into all kinds of pinning addictions from pretty hair styles to DIY projects and crafts I want to try. With the LOVE of Pinterest that many have shown, Walmart has developed a creative way to shop their website with Spark Studio.

When you are ready to shop with Spark Studio, you will be presented with this:

I think this is visually more appealing than the main page of the Walmart website. Since I enjoy shopping, a pretty shopping environment is always a plus. Since we LOVE Disney, I liked that they Disney brand was featured right in front. It can be fun shopping by colors, I was looking at all sorts of things that were RED. I also enjoy looking at the Explore column where you will find items based on the Top Pinned products.

With Spark Studio, you can browse and shop products by:

Inspirations – Items by Walmart shoppers on Pinterest
Fashion and Beauty – Discover must-haves from Walmart shoppers
For the home – Solutions and ideas from Walmart fans
Babies – Search the top picks from Pinterest moms
Pets – Find everything you will need for your pet
Playtime – A collection of items to entertain the whole family

I created a Spark Studio Board on Pinterest to pin things that I would like to buy one day. It would be fun to view other peoples wishlist’s on Spark Studio if any of you would like to make a board too!

Which way would you prefer to shop the Walmart website? The regular or Spark Studio way?

Filed Under: Disney, Misc Stuff, Reviews

Wet Ones To The Rescue

May 6, 2013 By Stefani 21 Comments

“I participated in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Wet Ones. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating”

Now that Spring is here and the weather is getting warmer, my kids have been spending more time outside. Before we know it Summer will be here and it will be time for more outdoor activities like swimming and trips to the park for picnics and definitely time to see the animals at the zoo!

This past month with the weather being warm, we have also been taking advantage of using the grill. I prefer grilling outside when we can instead of heating up the house with the oven. Grilling also is fun when you have friends and family over. When it comes time to eat lunch and dinner outside after BBQ’ing, my supply of Wet Ones has been really coming in handy with the kids. I LOVE the Wet Ones products because they are portable and handy when soap and water isn’t available and help to kill 99.9% of germs. These wipes also come in handy when mom or dad happens to have BBQ sauce on their face.

I have been using the Wet Ones products since I was a kid so its only natural for me to want my kids to use the products too! To this day you will find a container of Wet Ones at my grandparents house in case any of the grandchildren come over and need a quick cleanup. The Wet Ones brand has a variety of products including the Antibacterial Hand Wipes, Sensitive Skin Hand Wipes, Singles, Big Ones Hand Wipes and the Fresh ‘N Flush wipes. I always keep the singles in my purse, car at at home and they always seem to come in handy.

For more information on Wet Ones, special offers, promotions and tips, visit: www.wetones.com.

Filed Under: Family Stuff, Reviews

My Trip To The Walt Disney Family Museum – #MonstersUEvent

April 30, 2013 By Stefani 21 Comments

Disclosure – I received an invite to the #MonstersUEvent. All expenses were paid for and covered by Disney. This post is not a paid post and the opinions stated herein are 100% my own.

I have been to plenty of museums in my time, but not any museum has been as interesting as The Walt Disney Museum in the Presidio of San Francisco. Being the Disney fan I am, I was excited when I had the opportunity to take a press trip this month with 24 of my fellow bloggers to the museum to see just what was inside.

I have to admit that I have passed this beautiful building a few times while driving through the Presidio and was always curious as to what was inside. It was definitely something on my list of places to see in the bay area.

“My father has one of the most well-known names around the world, but as the Disney ‘brand’ has grown, the man has become lost”, said Diane Disney Miller.

Wanting her father’s legend to live on, Diane Disney Miller, the daughter of Walt Disney founded The Walt Disney Museum as a way to tell the story of the man behind the Disney name. A place to showcase some of Walt’s Academy Awards, personal photos, original drawings and so much more. When the Museum originally opened, no photos were allowed but since, the policy has changed and I was able to snap over 200 photos inside.

The Museum is located in a historic 40,000 square foot brick building that is currently owned and operated by the Walt Disney Family Foundation, a non-profit foundation. You can’t tell from the outside, but this beautiful building houses 10 interactive galleries that are amazing to see.

While walking through each of these galleries, I was honestly amazed with all that Walt Disney has accomplished. There was also things I learned that were pretty interesting. I bet you didn’t know that Walt Disney went to France at 16 years old to drive an ambulance in the war. Or maybe you did.

While taking the tour you will find exhibits that feature state-of-the-art technology, listening stations and more than 200 video screens to keep you entertained. I think some of the things at the museum that I found most interesting to see were the original drawings from Walt’s movies like Pinocchio.

Although I enjoyed the whole experience, I really liked the 14 foot model of Disneyland that you can find on the tour.

In addition to learning about the good times that Walt Disney experienced and the awards and nominations he received, you will also learn of the not so good times.

Don’t let me forget to mention that this Museum also features a glass-walled back exterior that frames an amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge!

I could go on forever talking about Walt Disney and the information I learned while on my trip. I am glad that I got to see it for myself and want to go back with my family so that my kids can learn about the man behind some of their favorite childhood movies

If you are a fan of the Disney brand and in the San Francisco area, I encourage you to check the Museum out for yourself. After the tour you will have truly a more appreciation of all this man’s hard work and accomplishments and maybe gain some motivation to try something you thought you could never do too.

I loved this picture I found at the end of my tour that I found so true.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is open from 10am to 6pm on Wednesday through Monday. Admission can be purchased at the door, or by visiting www.waltdisney.org. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors & students and $12 for children 6 to 17. Admission is FREE for those that are 6 and under.

If you are unable to visit the Museum, but want to see more of what is inside, feel free to check out my Walt Disney Family Museum Photo Album on Google+.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Reviews, Travel

DOLE Fruit Crisps Review & Giveaway

April 23, 2013 By Stefani 30 Comments

There are many times that I crave something sweet but don’t want to make a mess in the kitchen to make a big dessert. Most of the time I will try to grab a piece of fruit to fight the sweet tooth, but there days when a piece of fruit just isn’t going to cut it.

When it comes to fruit, Dole is a brand that has been a part of my family for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, I remember getting excited over the Dole stickers on the bananas my mom would bring home. I remember putting those stickers on my hand, on my cheek and even in my sticker book.

Now years later I am a mom myself and I am always stocking my pantry with Dole products. There is one product thought that my husband and I have been really enjoying, the Dole Fruit Crisps. These handy fruit snacks feature the delicious combination of all-natural fruit and a crunchy oat topping for a perfectly pleasing taste and texture experience with only 160 calories or less.

The Dole Fruit Crisp cups are currently available in three flavors, Apple Cinnamon, Apple Pear, and Peach. These can be enjoyed warm or cold, so if you are looking for a late-morning snack or maybe a little dessert after dinner, these come in perfect.

Out of these three flavors, I am going to have to say that the Peach is my FAVORITE. I have only tried it warm, but it does remind me of eating some warm peach cobbler. My husband says that the Apple Cinnamon flavor is his favorite. When I first received these for review I thought they would sit in the pantry for a while, but little did I know they would be gone FAST and I would be buying more.

Since these Dole Fruit Crisp cups taste great cold too, these are great to add in our kid’s lunches. Kids tend to get bored with just a regular apple or banana in their lunch, so surprise them with something cool. Pop one of these in their lunch bags and when it is lunch time, they can peel back the lid, sprinkle the topping and have an snack that is healthy and delicious.

The benefits of these Dole Fruit Crips include:

All Natural Fruit
Made with Whole Grain Oats
Rich in Vitamin C
Nutrition facts
Packed in convenient clear cups with easy-to-open, peel-off lids
Delicious room temperature, chilled from the fridge or heated briefly in the microwave

Find out more about the Dole products at www.Dole.com.

Dole Fruit Crisps Cozy Kit Giveaway

One LUCKY winner is going to receive a DOLE Fruit Crisps Cozy Kit that includes n infinity scarf, plush slipper-socks, an apple crisp candle, and of course DOLE Fruit Crisps. To enter my giveaway, use the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure – I received product samples to provide you with this review. This is not a paid post and the opinions stated herein are 100% my own.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews