Chicken Soup for the Soul 20th Anniversary Edition + Giveaway

ABCD Diaries was given a copy of this book for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

Chicken Soup for the Soul 20th Anniversary Edition

All Your Favorite Original Stories Plus 20 Bonus Stories for the Next 20 Years

"Twenty years later, Chicken Soup for the Soul continues to open the heart and rekindle the spirit. Celebrate the twentieth anniversary with the classic book that inspired millions — reinvigorated with bonus stories of inspiration! You will find hope and inspiration in these 101 heartwarming stories about counting your blessings, thinking positive, and overcoming challenges."

What we thought:  This book includes all the great stories of Chicken Soup for the Soul and some great new additions.  The perfect collection for Chicken Soup for the Soul lovers!  These heartwarming, inspirational and often humorous stories all in one book:)  ABCD Diaries gives this book an A+!

Dinosaur A-Z Special on PBS + Giveaway...

ABCD Diaries was given samples for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

"The Jim Henson Company and Random House Children’s Books are celebrating Dinosaur Train’s "Dinosaurs A-Z" programming special on PBS KIDS on July 8 and July 9.

The "Dinosaurs A-Z" special is being aired as part of PBS KIDS’ summer learning initiative, which provides families with a variety of free and educational resources to encourage young learners to continue learning and exploring over summer vacation. Research shows that students experience significant learning loss when they do not participate in educational activities during the summer months, and that loss is even greater among children in low-income communities.   This exciting initiative kicked off on June 3, and features 10-weeks of programming and partnership activities designed to inspire kids 2-8 to continue learning and exploring over summer vacation!

The "Dinosaurs A-Z" programming special airing on July 8 and July 9 encourages kids to practice the alphabet while learning about the diversity of dinosaurs.

Airing on July 8 (Check your local TV listings for specific times)

Part One: Dinosaurs A to Z The Big Idea

Part Two: Spread the Word

Airing on July 9 (Check your local TV listings for specific times)

Part Three: Dinosaurs A to Z Classification

Part Four: Dinosaurs A to Z Picnic

These fun episodes begin aboard the Dinosaur Train where Tiny gets the idea to gather all the dinosaurs in the "Dinosaurs A to Z" song for a picnic at Troodon Town. The conductor agrees, and as the Train starts picking up dinosaurs, Tiny, Buddy, Shiny and Don, help keep track of how many of the different species have come on board. They learn about classification and organize the dinosaurs by their species, features, and size. When all 26 dinosaurs finally come on board, the Train has more extra cars than ever before and they need an additional engine to help pull it! Once they arrive at Troodon Town for the picnic, Tiny leads the 26 different "A to Z" dinosaurs in a fun, rousing, and historic singing of the "Dinosaurs A to Z" song!"

To celebrate, Random House Children’s Books is offering one lucky ABCD Diaries reader a copy of “Dinosaurs A to Z” by Andrea Posner-Sanchez and illustrated by Terry Izumi.  Meet 26 dinosaurs—one for each letter of the alphabet—in this Dinosaur Train™ alphabet book where Buddy, Mr. Conductor, and the other Dinosaur Train™ characters from the hit PBS KIDS animated series introduce dinosaurs from Apatosaurus to Zigongosaurus! Young paleontologists-in-training will love learning cool facts about 26 amazing dinosaurs. This awesome non-fiction book with a sturdy padded cover makes a great gift!   Ages 3-5; SRP $11.99; 30 pages.  Available wherever books are sold!

And that’s not all! 

You can enjoy the Dinosaurs A to Z theme song, with over 2 million views to date, here

And use the song sheet for some helpful dinosaur name pronunciation, available here

Here’s page one of the lyric sheet:

 Follow Dinosaur Train:

www.facebook.com/DinosaurTrain

Follow The Jim Henson Company:

www.facebook.com/hensonparents 

www.twitter.com/hensonparents

Follow Golden Books / Random House Children’s Books:

www.twitter.com/randomhousekids

www.facebook.com/randomhousekids

Follow PBS KIDS:

www.twitter.com/pbskids

www.facebook.com/pbskids

What we thought: The kiddos loved this book!  It was very fun and educational.  All our favorite Dinosaur Train characters were there to teach us about Dinosaurs A to Z:)  The colorful pages and interesting educational content really got the kiddos learning.   ABCD Diaries gives this book an A+!

Bulu Box For a Healthier You!

ABCD Diaries was given samples for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

"Bulu Box is the first health, nutrition and weight loss discovery box designed to help you feel your best. Each month, you’ll get a custom box filled with a new mix of 4 to 5 premium samples from top brands to try. Every sample is sufficient enough to decide if the product is right for you. Of course, shipping is always free and you can cancel anytime. Share your thoughts about each product in our sample surveys and you can earn 50+ Rewards Points (that's $5!) each month! Use your points to purchase your new favorites in full size at BuluBox.com! Here you’ll also get expert tips, tricks and a supportive community of Bulugans just like you! Join the discovery and find a healthier you!"

What we thought:  We received the Bulu Box samples pictured above.  My personal favorite were the FRS energy chews. They were yummy and worked really well:)  The Almased smoothie was a great breakfast supplement and worked well to curb my hunger.  I also really liked the lavender scent of the Crystal Essence deodorant towelettes.  I was impressed with the selection of samples in the Bulu Box and shipping was super fast and is always free.  I think the Rewards Points program is pretty cool, too, and a great way to earn big discounts on future boxes.  The Bulu Box online community is a really neat thing that most subscription box services don't offer and so helpful!  ABCD Diaries gives Bulu Box an A+!

Babar Adventure Pack 3 DVD Set

ABCD Diaries was given samples for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

"Discover the wonder of Babar, the Elephant King, in this adventure-packed 3-disc collection. Based on the beloved children’s books by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff, this set offers three times the fun as Babar and his jungle pals have adventures galore and non-stop fun, all while learning important lessons of cooperation, teamwork, honesty and patience! Included are the following DVDs:

• BABAR: THE MOVIE – It’s high comedy and non-stop fun with Babr and his jungle friends in this spectacular feature-length animated motion picture adventure. Also included is a bonus episode from the classic Babar series.
• BEST FRIENDS FOREVER – This DVD features four classic Babar episodes from the popular HBO series: “Between Friends”, “Friendly Agreement”, “An Elephant’s Best Friend”, and “City Ways”.
• SCHOOL DAYS – Episodes include “School Days’, “Peer Pressure”, Every Basket Has a Silver Lining” and “Kings of the Castle”
• 
  

What we thought:  The kiddos love Babar, so naturally, this DVD compilation was a huge hit at our house.  Babar teaches great lessons in a fun and entertaining way.  This DVD set is great for those summer afternoons when the triple digit heat gets to be too much:)  ABCD Diaries gives the Babar Adventure Pack an A+!

Nature's Own Bread and Buns, Perfect for Summer!

ABCD Diaries was given samples for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

Nature's Own Bread -- "With no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, no high fructose corn syrup, no trans fats or cholesterol, Nature's Own is Nature's Baker and the perfect picnic companion for summer celebrations. As America's #1 selling soft variety bread brand, Nature's Own has a wide selection of breads, buns and rolls. Visit NaturesOwnBread.com for a full list of products and recipe ideas." 

What we thought:  We served up Nature's Own bread and buns at our 4th of July BBQ and they were a huge hit!  I love giving my family and my guests healthier bread options.  The Whole Grain and Honey Wheat loaves really fit the bill!  The Butter Buns got rave reviews as well.  The breads were so soft and delicious!  We will definitely be serving up Nature's Own at every backyard cookout this summer:)  ABCD Diaries gives Nature's Own breads and buns an A+!

#NSNation Nutrisystem 5 Day Jumpstart Preview

ABCD Diaries was given samples for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

I am so excited to be working with Nutrisystem and getting the chance to review the 5 Day Jumpstart Kit!  

This kit contains 15 entrees, 5 desserts, a meal planner and a program guide. You also have access to the free expert weight loss counseling that Nutrisystem provides.  The 5 Day Jumpstart Kit is available at select Walmart stores for $44.98.

The 5 Day Jumpstart includes the following: 

5 Breakfasts – Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar, Cinnamon Bun Bar, Granola Cereal, Double Chocolate Muffin and a Honey Wheat Bagel.

5 Lunches – Fudge Graham Bar, Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar, and Red Beans & Rice.

5 Dinners – Chicken Alfredo, Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Rotini & Meatballs, Homestyle Beef with Potatoes and Thick Crust Pizza.

5 Desserts – Chocolatey Nougat Bar with Peanuts & Caramel, Peppermint Cookie Patty, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fudge Brownie and a Coconut Almond Bar.

I will be starting my Nutrisytem 5 Day Jumpstart program on Monday.  Look forward to an update midweek:)

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog

Summertime means Wyler's Light!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Jel Sert for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We are trying to drink healthier around our house.  This means drinking more water and less sugary substitutes.  Wyler's Light is a great way to make water more appealing to every member of our family.  We generally love drinking water, especially in summer, but sometimes we all need a little incentive to keep us away from the juices and other sugar-filled beverages.  Wyler's Light comes in a variety of flavors that allows each member of the clan to enjoy their favorite flavors.  These flavors include:

•Lemonade 
•Pink Lemonade 
•Raspberry Lemonade 
•Strawberry Lemonade 
•Strawberry 
•Cool Raspberry 
•Cherry 
•Cherry Limeade 
•Grape 
•Fruit Punch 
•Kiwi Strawberry 
•Sunsplash Orange 
•Iced Tea with Lemon 
•Iced Tea with Peach 
•Iced Tea with Raspberry 
•Half Iced Tea and Half Lemonade 
•New flavor: Cherry Berry!

Wyler's Light allows us to skip the flavorless water and enjoy a low–calorie, sugar–free drink mix that has options to suit everyone's tastes. Wyler's Light also encourages us to drink MORE water each day which is especially great during the hot summer months in south Texas!  Wyler's Light also offers singles-to-go which are great for park days, beach days and summer road trips. Just add a stick to your water bottle and voila!  Water, amplified:)

We like to enjoy the wonderful flavors of Wyler's Light year-round, but one of our favorite summertime treats is Wyler's Light Pops.  Just make a pitcher of your favorite flavor and freeze some in a popsicle mold.  Delicious, kid-friendly, more economical AND healthier than store bought popsicles that are loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients!   An ice tray works great to make Wyler's Light ice cubes so your drinks don't get watered down too which makes these beverages great for family barbecues, cookouts, fish fries, or crab boils!  

Check your local grocery store or mass merchandiser for a great taste of summer, Wyler's Light!

Don't forget to “Like” Wyler’s Light on Facebook!