Jolly Mom: Recipes | Crafts | Atlanta Mom Blogger | Brand Ambassador | Product Reviews

The other day I shared with you guys my first impression of the Frigidaire Dishwasher that I received as part of the Test Drive campaign. I am truly in love with it! I thought it would be fun to show it to you on video so that you can see a before and after of the dishes---plus see a little of how it works.




I wrote this post while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to review.

Ever wish you could compile all of your grandmother's sage advice and tips into one place so that you could remember them all? I know I do. It seems like our grandmother's ways are being lost and this makes me seriously sad. I am a traditional kind of gal. I like the idea of mending my family's clothing, making my kids' Halloween costumes, cooking from scratch, and just living a simpler, sweeter life. Like our grandmothers did. In today's world, we get others to do these things for us. Not only is this more expensive, but it's also pretty boring. Thanks to Erin Bried and her new book, How to Sew a Button And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew we can recapture the way our grandmothers lived and learn from them.

I received a review copy of How to Sew a Button And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew and it is such a lovely book. Even though I knew many of the tips covered in the book, it is really nice to have them all in one place as a resource. Plus, I did gleam some wonderful information such as how to fillet a fish, how to compost, and  how to make a hot tea toddy. This book would make a perfect gift for a college student or newly wed. I also think it would be a lot of fun for moms to go through the tips with their own daughters and actually do them one by one. Learn how to fold a fitted sheet. Bake a pie from scratch. Tie a necktie.

Learn How to Fold a Fitted Sheet:

About the Author {from the website}:
Erin Bried is a senior staff writer at SELF magazine. She lives with her better half in Brooklyn, New York, where she grows tomatoes on her fire escape, knits crooked scarves for loved ones and eats homemade pie for breakfast as often as possible.

Want It: Buy it at Amazon.com for $10.29.



The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.

As a thank you for all of your support, Flirty Aprons is giving all Jolly Mom readers a 30% OFF COUPON! Just enter 30Coupon at check out. This coupon will end Thursday March 4th at Midnight so hurry! To visit Flirty Aprons, click HERE.



The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.

Thank you to Lori from Moms by Heart for sharing her Big Fat Freebies List with us! For the full list, please make sure to visit Moms by Heart and tune in every Friday for a new list of FREEbies!

FREEBIES & SAMPLES
-Free Chocolate & Peanut Butter Zone Perfect bar HERE
-Free sample Pampers Dry Max diapers for Sams Club members HERE
-Free Winnie the Pooh song and story HERE
-Free Let's Grow Toddler Kit from Beechnut HERE
-Back again! Free sample Burt's Bees toothpaste HERE
-Free sample Tide with Febreze HERE
-Free subscription to CBS Watch magazine HERE
-Free sample Teeccino coffee HERE
-Free sample Smores Bars from South Beach Living HERE
-Free photo album for the troops HERE
-Free meal planner and coupons from Muellers HERE
-Free music download...for your dog??!! HERE
-Free seafood recipe booklet HERE
-Free photo book with free shipping HERE
-Free Yo Plus Yogurt when you sign up for the Betty Crocker newsletter HERE
-Free sample Axe shower gel HERE
-Free Nabisco cookies on March 1st HERE
-Free sample Olay Total Effects Body Wash HERE
-Free book: No Greater Love by L Ron Hubbard HERE
-Free Olay Regenerist starter kit for the first 1,000 HERE
-Free Sunmaid Fruit & Sunshine Recipe Booklet HERE
-Free iPod workouts from Women's Health HERE

FREEBIES AROUND TOWN
-Free photos from Sears with THIS coupon
-Free 8x10 at Walgreens Thursday with THIS coupon
-Free 10 day supply of Estee Lauder foundation from Saks HERE

If you're tired of traditional children's music {read: annoying}, you must check out Juice Box Heroes. Must. Juice Box Heroes are an entirely new concept in kid's music. Their debut album, No Sugar Added is a compilation of 12 song parodies that parents will instantly recognize as favorites and kids will love.


Basically, Juice Box Heroes front men,  brothers, and fathers themselves--Craig and Scott Coane set out to remake their favorite songs in order to entertain their kids and keep the music spirit alive. The CD includes remakes of songs like “Jessie’s Girl”, “Centerfold”, and “Sweet Home Alabama.” The songs are renamed and include new kid friendly lyrics. For example, songs like Bob McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and Madonna's "Material Girl" are now "Don't Worry, Take a Nappy" and "Cheerio World". 


This CD literally rocks. Mike, Lucas, and I LOVE it! We all dance and sing and just act like total goofballs every time No Sugar Added is in the CD player. It is the only kid's CD that I can honestly say that I enjoy. I mean--there are some that I can tolerate or kind of get into, but No Sugar Added just ROCKS. It is music made for both the kids and the parents.

To see what I mean, check out the Juice Box Heroes below in their first music video, "Mommy {123456789}" a remake of Tommy Tutones "Jenny. {8675309}:


Want It: No Sugar Added retails for $15 and can be purchased online.




The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.

Link up your giveaways!

Please make sure to link directly to the giveaway and list the name of the giveaway along with the expiration date. Don't forget to stop by Go Graham Go to link up over there as well!

Thanks to The Thrifty Mama, I found out about an awesome deal on kid's organic cotton pjs going on at Walmart. They are priced 2/$10 online, which is a great price for PJs--let alone organic cotton pjs. There are also reports that in some stores they are priced as low as $3 or $4 a piece, which would be even cheaper. I just bought Lucas 2 sets--so that's 4 pairs of pjs and spent $23 with tax and shipping! Click HERE to check them out online.

I want to thank everyone that entered the HP Create Change contest. I spent Tuesday afternoon reading all of your entries and finally decided on the finalists! Here they are:

Congratulations to: {click on each of the links to read the finalist's entry}
Adventures in All Things Food
in the fishbowl
Up in the Air
From Good To Great
Crayons in My Dryer


Vote for your favorite in the poll below!



Voting will officially end on February 28th at 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be announced on March 1st.

Rules: Finalists are allowed to use their blogs and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to gain votes. However, please keep it fair. Do not use any types of incentives to gain votes {i.e. giveaway entries, money, etc}.

Run. Do not walk over to your nearest Children's Place. I had the pleasure of going on a bit of a shopping spree courtesy of The Children's Place last week and I was blown away by the clearances and sales they were having. Blown away. Check out the racks and racks of clothes for $2.99!


Then, there were the sales. Hoodies for $10.


Flip flops and sunglasses: 2 for $5.


Cute graphic tees: 3 for $18.


Pretty tees: 2 for $12.


Polos for $7.


The Children's Place has also launched their new Spring Dressy line, which is gorgeous. Check out these dresses!


Or these cute looks for the little guys:


Even the babies can get dolled up this Spring!

By the way, if you couple the mega clearances and sales above with the 15% OFF COUPON floating around, that equals a STEAL.

Check out what I got for Lucas for under $150:


That all includes:

Sunglasses
Flip flops
Hat
3 Polos
6 Graphic Tees
5 Pairs of shorts
1 Pair of roll up pants
1 Swim Trunks
2 Pajamas



The Children's Place provided me with a gift card to shop the store and check out the Spring line. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.

Thanks to Music Moms I was recently introduced to Celtic Woman for the first time. I must live under a rock or something because this five member Irish female ensemble is literally sweeping the nation with their modern day twist on the Celtic Sound. They are all over the Billboard charts and have sold more that 3.8 million records in the US. Once I listened to their new CD titled Songs from the Heart I became an instant fan. Their music is beautiful. Beautiful.

The combination of the four vocalists--Lisa Kelly, Chloë Agnew, Lynn Hilary and Alex Sharpe--and Celtic Violinist, Máiréad Nesbitt is a match made in heaven. Their sound can only be described as celestial. Transcendent. What's especially unique about Celtic Woman is that they bring the traditional Celtic Sound into the present by mixing the old sound with modern day songs by Mariah Carey, Billy Joel, and Sting. For example, on the CD you'll find contemporary hits like Sting’s “Fields of Gold”, Mariah Carey’s “When You Believe” or my personal favorite--Phil Collin's "You'll Be in My Heart." Plus, there are still some hauntingly beautiful Irish classics as well. This CD is amazing.

If you are a fan, you should check out Celtic Woman LIVE on tour! They are on a nationwide 75+ city concert tour. My in-laws actually went to the show in Atlanta. They couldn't stop raving about it this past weekend!


To find out more about the concert tour or to purchase Songs from the Heart, make sure that you visit CelticWoman.com. There's even a Songs from the Heart Deluxe Experience Edition CD which includes an 18-month desktop calendar, heart charm keepsake and VIP access to a virtual Celtic Woman online community.



The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by Music Moms/Team Mom as part of a blog tour. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.

Mike, Lucas, and I are going out of town on a much needed vacation {YAY!} so I am looking for 8 guest bloggers for the week March 8th. I am pretty much open to all family friendly topics, but I am especially be interested in:

1. Crafts {for adults or kids}
2. Couponing 101 articles
3. Kids' Activities
4. Great recipes
5. Money saving ideas {living on a budget, etc}

I know this goes without saying, but all articles must be original and not duplicated anywhere on the internet. Articles should be well written, spell checked, and include original images or videos whenever relevant.

All guest bloggers will be able to promote their own blogs within their individual post and I will also permanently add their banner to my blog roll {if it's not already there}.

If you're a mom, you know about the unending quest for a truly leak proof sippy cup. You also have to worry about hazardous substances like BPA and phthalates. And, let's not forget---the expense. Yes, there are some great sippy cups out there now. Stainless steel, pretty designs, and so forth. They are EXPENSIVE though. Finding all three qualities--leak proof, BPA free, and affordable--in one sippy cup is pretty much unheard of. Until Tommee Tippee that is. Tommee Tippee has been around in Europe for ages and has just now arrived in the US. Their Explora line of feeding products is amazing. I tried several of the sippy cups and I honestly cannot stop raving about them.

These are the sippy cups that I received to review and love!

The Tommee Tippee Explora cups are unique in that they are progressively staged to help children transition through all their drinking phases and needs with specific grips to fit little fingers and unique spouts to meet the needs of every age and support natural oral development. What I love about them is that they are BPA free, leak proof, and affordable. Cups are priced at $4.99 for one and $7.99 for packs of two. Plus, the features on these cups are outstanding. For example, the valves on all of the cups--no matter the stage--are the same. This means that you can interchange them and it really makes the whole process of removing and replacing the valve to clean a no brainer. Also, the valves are a simple and easy to clean design. They pop on and off easily and quickly BUT THEY STAY IN PLACE.


Want It: Tommee Tippee Explora products are available exclusively at Babies R Us.



The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.

You guys--I am so sorry! I know that I am extremely late drawing some of these winners. Last week was a crazy week for me! Without further ado...I have announced winners for the following giveaways {click on the links to see who won}:

Heart Keychain: 3 Winners
Jovan Fragrance for Women & Men
Lavender Spa Gift Basket
Glissandra Restorative Serum
EA SPORTS Active Personal Trainer
Affordable Scarves: 2 Winners
eShakti Gift Certificate: 3 Winners
Mustela Pregnancy & Post Partum Skincare
Target Gift Card & Potty Training Books Prize Pack: 3 Winners 
Sippy Straw Cleaner 
Adventure of Meno Prize Pack
Phillips Norelco Kids' Clippers
Children's DVD Prize Pack Giveaway
 
Congratulations to all of the winners! As always, all of the winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to contact me to claim their prize.

Last week I told you guys about Shaun the Sheep by creator Nick Park--the same person who created the Oscar nominated short film, Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death. We had never seen Wallace & Gromit, but we fell in love with Shaun the Sheep and figured that we would also love Wallace & Gromit. We were right. Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection is honestly a must-see dvd. It will appeal to both the young and the old with its adorable characters, quirky humor, a bit of intrigue, love, and ultimately---friendship.

SYNOPSIS: Wallace and Gromit have opened a new bakery business – Top Bun – but a deadly murderer is targeting all the bakers in town. Wallace couldn’t care – he’s found true love in the shape of Piella Bakewell, former star of the Bake-O-Lite bread commercials. Can Gromit discover the identity of the Cereal Killer before Wallace becomes the next victim?

Other Episodes Included {on the Complete Collection}:
A Grand Day Out
The Wrong Trousers
A Close Shave

Special features on Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf & Death include:

* “How They Donut” – The Making of A Matter of Loaf and Death featurette
* Audio commentary with director Nick Park and editor David McCormick
* Wallace & Gromit Grand Adventure Video Game Demo
* Bonus episode Shaun the Sheep™ “Off the Baa!”

Want It: Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf & Death DVD and Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection on Blu-ray and 4-disc DVD set are available wherever DVDs are sold.

And, for those of you ready for the Spring--here are a couple of DVDs to get you in the spirit!

The First Easter Rabbit: Deluxe Edition is an animated family favorite from Rankin/Bass Productions that tells the tale of how the first ever Easter bunny might not exist without Santa Claus.

Academy Award winner Burl Ives narrates and Robert Morse, Stan Freberg and Paul Frees provide character voices in a fanciful, tuneful and color-splashed tale. Stuffy the Rabbit is a cuddly toy who magically comes to life and journeys to Easter Valley, an enchanted realm where it's always springtime, even though it's not far from Santa's house. From there, the Bunny hopes to bring the first-ever basket of Easter goodies to children. But a cold-hearted ice creature named Zero refuses to allow such happiness. If he has his way, he'll freeze out Easter celebrations forever!

Buy it at Amazon.com for $10.99.

Or, how about another family favorite--Bugs Bunny?! In Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies, the Easter Bunny is feeling under the weather so someone has to step in until he feels better.

Of course, all of the Looney Tunes--Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Pepe Le Pew, Foghorn Leghorn and Daffy--want to get in on the act LOL! In "Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies", newly animated sequences weave together classic Looney Tunes cartoons, including Academy Award winning episodes--"Birds Anonymous", "For Scent-imental Reasons" and "Knighty Knight Bugs" PLUS "His Hare-Raising Tale" showcasing the wascally wabbit and pals doing what they do best: being funny! Alas, only one character can be the Easter Bunny's replacement. Can you guess who? Have you ever heard a rabbit go "Quack?".

Last, but certainly not least is one of my childhood favorites--Scooby Dooby Doo in  a brand new movie--Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo.

SYNOPSIS: Scooby-Doo and the gang go on a trip to check on Daphne's sister, Melissa. She's been studying magic at the Whirlen Merlin Magic Academy. Apparently there's been trouble at the Academy. Sightings of a giant dragon have been scaring all the students away. The gang smells trouble and decides to investigate.

What I love about Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo is that this is the Scooby Doo that I remember, but better. The animation is outstanding and the characters look very similar to what they looked like early on. There's still the same mystery, intrigue, and humor that is the cornerstone of Scooby Doo. Two thumbs up from me!

Buy it at Amazon.com for $12.99.



The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.