Shushybye Review and Giveaway...

CONGRATS TO RAVEN IN A BLUE ROOM!

 We recently had the chance to review a selection of Shushybye products including the following:

About Shushybye:
"SHUSHYBYE is the land way above the clouds – and the land where the resident Shushies live and make dreams for children. Led by Snoozles, Dozie and Zeez, the Shushies place their completed dreams in Dream Boxes that are sent to children via the Shushybye Train driven by Conductor McCloud as they fall asleep. Nothing brings the Shushies more joy than to make the most wondrous dreams for little ones.
Snoozles is the leader of the trio – always caring and eager to help. When not making dreams, Dozie loves to bake all kinds of special pies. She also comes up with the most wondrous ideas that are very helpful to her Shushy friends. Zeez is quite lovable, fun-loving and always delighted to try new things.

Children need to be in bed on time in order to get their SHUSHYBYE dreams (i.e. when Mommy and Daddy tell them to). Before they go to sleep, children can tell the Shushies what they would like to dream for the night by sending Shushies their Dream Wishes. Children tell their Dream Wish to a star, and the star will race to SHUSHYBE and give the Dream Wish to the Shushies."

What we thought:  Our kids really enjoyed the Shushybye books and CDs.  Introducing little ones to the land of Shushybye and the Shushies is a great way to get them excited about going to bed.  Our kids actually look forward to bedtime when we use the Shushybye items.  The CD is great for winding down and kind of giving the kiddos the heads up that bed time is coming soon.  The books have fun characters and colorful illustrations that get the kids excited about sending their Dream Wishes to the land of Shushybye.  The books tell stories of children that the kids can relate to, for example, not wanting to go to bed.  The books explain the importance of getting sleep in a way that gets even the youngest kiddos involved and excited.  If you have issues at bed time, these products are definitely worth a shot...they really are a lot of fun!  ABCD Diaries gives Shushybye products an A+!
Buy It: Find these fun sleep solutions at Shushybye.

Win It: Shushybye has generously offered one ABCD Diaries reader a Shushybye Prize Package! To enter, follow our blog via GFC and comment below.

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Giveaway ends Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 11:59cst. Winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. They will have 48 hours to reply. Open to US 18+


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

Cupcake Cuties Review...

We recently had the chance to review a cupcake decorating kit from Cupcake Cuties.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcake Decorating Kits
"I scream you scream we ALL scream for Cupcake Cuties!! What a perfect twist to Cake and Ice Cream. Pair these up with the Birthday Cakes, or the Cheeseburgers or any others for that matter Perfection!!

Complete Ice Cream Cone Cupcake Kit Contains:
(24) Ice Cream Cone Cupcake Sleeves
Multi-Colored Sprinkles Shaker for Decorating
Frosting Pastry Bag
Easy to follow How-To decorating instructions and illustrations"

What we thought:  Our faux ice cream cupcakes were a huge hit!  The kit from Cupcake Cuties couldn't have been easier to use.  With simple step-by-step instructions, beautiful themed cupcakes can be yours in minutes!  Cupcake Cuties provides everything you need except the cupcake and frosting to make a really cute cupcake.  They have themes for holidays and celebrations and lots more.  If you love making adorable cupcakes or are planning a celebration soon, you should definitely check them out.  I know what I'll be taking to A's class parties from now on...the coolest cupcakes ever!  ABCD Diaries gives Cupcake Cuties an A+!

Buy It: Find decorating kits for every occasion at Cupcake Cuties.


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

Spooky Buddies DVD/BluRay Giveaway...

Click to get in on the fun with Spooky Buddies! See below for your chance to win:)

Win It: One ABCD Diaries reader will win a copy DVD/BluRay combo of Spooky Buddies! To enter, follow our blog via GFC!


Extra Entries:
1.Like ABCD Diaries via Facebook +1 entry
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4.Tweet about this giveaway(leave link)+1 entry per day(1 tweet/day)
5.Enter any other current giveaways on ABCD Diaries and leave a comment saying so. +1 for each entered

Giveaway ends Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 11:59cst. Winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. They will have 48 hours to reply. Open to US 18+

Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was in no way compensated for this post. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone

Play-Doh Play-Dates Website Review...

We were recently asked to do a review of the Play-Doh Play-Dates website by Hasbro.  I never even knew such a website existed, but I'm sure glad we found it!  This website is full of fun activities to do with your entire Play-Doh loving family including Play-Doh inspired creations, super-easy printable crafts and fun snacks that even the kiddos can help prepare!  There are several themed activities for the different seasons of the year and for the newest kits Play-Doh puts out.  One of the hottest new Play-Doh kits is the Play-Doh Pizza Shop, so the unit we focused on was all about pizza related activities.  We did a Play-Doh activity, a craft and a snack and we had a blast!

First up was the Play-Doh personalized pizza creation.  We loved the step-by-step instructions that were accompanied by color pictures.  This was really helpful for both the kids and Mom and Dad.

Step 1
Roll out one large light brown circle, one medium red circle, one thin white tube, one thin green tube, four dark brown balls and four thin black tubes.

Step 2
Flatten the large light brown circle into a “pizza crust” and spread the red circle over the “crust” to form the “sauce”. Roll the black tubes into “olives”, squish the brown balls into “meatballs” and pinch the white and green tubes into “onion” and “green pepper” pieces
 

Step 3
Toss toppings on your PLAY-DOH pizza with pride.
 
After we each made a pizza to suit our tastes, we printed out the pizza box craft for each person.  This was also super easy given the step-by-step instructions and with minimal help our 2 and 5 year olds were able to create these cute pizza boxes for their Play-Doh creations. 

We made a few extra boxes to use with the snack project.  Again, step-by-step instructions and color pictures were very useful to create the English muffin pizzas to match our Play-Doh pizzas.  We added a few bonus ingredients and once we were done, we loaded the pizzas into the boxes and then played pizza delivery. B and I called in our orders and our pizzas were hand delivered by two of the cutest pizza delivery kiddos ever!  The pizzas were delicious, by the way:)

We really enjoyed our experience with the Play-Doh Play-Dates website and will definitely be visiting again and again for new fun activities that I know our whole family will enjoy.  These age-appropriate activities are great for boosting your child's creativity with hands-on experiences.  You should definitely check out Play-Doh Play-Dates!  ABCD Diaries gives Play-Doh Play-Dates an A+!

Disclosure: This post is part of a SocialMoms product evaluation, for which I’ve been selected. I’ve been compensated for my time with 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of SocialMoms or Play-Doh.

dENiZEN Jeans Review...

About dENiZEN:
"From kids to adults, jeans are a must-have in everyone’s wardrobe. Levi’s is introducing a new brand of great looking, great fitting jeans for the whole family – dENiZEN.

Exclusively available at Target, dENiZEN jeans are well-crafted with a fit for everybody."

What we thought:  These jeans are great!  They allow me to be stylish and fashionable and super comfy at the same time.  I don't have to worry about any skin showing, front or back (or underwear for that matter) thanks to the mid-rise cut.  Even with the higher rise, these don't fit or feel like your typical "Mom jeans."  The stretchy, forgiving fabric is very flattering and still maintains the cool denim look.  I loved the dark wash...it looked great dressed up or down.  These are definitely my most comfy blue jeans and one of the most popular items in my wardrobe since I received them.  And, icing on the cake, I get compliments each time I have them on!  dENiZEN jeans rock!!  ABCD Diaries gives dENiZEN jeans an A+!

Buy It: Find these flattering jeans for the whole family at Target. Follow dENiZEN via Facebook for updates and moneysaving coupons!

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

Finlandia Cheese Review...

About Finlandia:

"Finlandia Imported Lacey Swiss is a reduced fat, low sodium cheese, aged 60 days, resulting in more flavor than other reduced fat cheeses. A mild, yet flavorful cheese makes Lacey Swiss the ideal guilt-free snack and the perfect addition to salads, wraps and recipes. In addition to great taste, Lacey Swiss offers a host of health benefits as an all natural, lactose-free cheese with no-hormones. It contains 25% less fat than regular Swiss and can be found sliced at your local service deli counter. Finlandia is also introducing Snack Rights and Snack Lights. These high-quality, healthy cheese snacks are individually wrapped and less than 100 calories each!"

What we thought: We love Finlandia cheeses!  One of our favorites is the Gouda, but for this review we tried the Lacey Swiss.  YUMMO!  We used our Swiss on grilled burgers covered with sauteed mushrooms and onions and topped with avocado slices...mmmmm...heavenly!  This cheese melted to perfection and really added a delicious cheesy layer to our burgers.  The kiddos loved it so much they asked for extra slices on the side:)  Finlandia really has an exceptional line of gourmet cheeses that really make any ordinary meal something to look forward to!  ABCD Diaries gives Finlandia cheeses an A+!

Buy It: If you would like to try out Finlandia cheese for yourself, it is available at retailers nationwide. Visit their website for a full list of retailers in your area.

Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given a free product coupon for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

Van's Natural Foods Review...

About Van's:
"You may not know it, but Van’s has been cooking up tasty, good-for-you waffles for almost a half century. It all started back in the 1970s when the Van Dam family opened a swinging waffle joint in Southern California. By the late 1980s, our groovy little beachside favorite had outgrown itself, and the Van Dam family decided it was time to bring their creations to a whole new group of customers—right in their local grocery stores.


Since then, Van’s has evolved from a single waffle restaurant to one of the country’s most beloved frozen waffle and breakfast companies—but our philosophy hasn’t changed a bit. We’re a company that cares about what its customers eat. We value artisanal quality, cooking our products in small, minimally processed batches with always-fresh ingredients."

What we thought:  We tried the delicious Waffle Sticks and Muffin Crowns.  These were super easy to prepare...either toasted or thawed and eaten as is.  They make a really great, healthy morning treat or afternoon snack.  We even put them in A's lunch box and she said they tasted great and all her friends thought it was pretty cool that she had waffles and muffins as a lunchtime treat:)  I love knowing I am giving my family something they enjoy and love to eat!  ABCD Diaries gives Van's natural foods an A+!

Buy It:  We found our Van's products at Sprouts.  You Can find your nearest retailer with the store locator.


Disclosure: 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.