Dale and Thomas Popcorn: Easter Chocolate Tower Review

I recently confessed my love for popcorn while I introduced Dale and Thomas Popcorn. All natural gourmet popcorn at it's finest! Well, I'm at it again with a review for one of their Easter gifts. I wanted to try more than just their gourmet popcorn so I was excited to receive their Easter Chocolate Tower.

Here's what was in the shipping box, and the goodies inside each little box! There is Chocolate Toffee in the top box, Milk Chocolate Popsters and Dark Chocolate Popsters in the middle box, and a foot-long bag each of Chocolate Chunk N'Caramel and Peanut Butter & White Chocolate DrizzleCorn in the bottom box.

I must tell you that I think the packaging is gorgeous and totally brilliant. It was so much fun opening each box to see what was inside!! Of course I knew what I was going to find, but a gift recipient would love such a surprise. If giving as a gift, you can also include any gift message you'd like and that will be included on the outside of the shipping box (you tear off the shipping label to reveal the message). Oh, the three boxes are darling too. I'm still trying to figure out how I want to reuse them.

Chocolate Toffee, inside a Milk Chocolate Popster, and Chocolate Chunk N'Caramel

The Chocolate Toffee totally hits the spot! I love toffee and I thought this had a great buttery flavor, with a good texture. It wasn't too hard like some toffee can be....you know, the ones that break your teeth! There were seven pieces of fresh, classic english toffee covered in milk chocolate and peanuts. Really a great combination with the popcorn!

The Popsters are a pretty unique creation by Dale and Thomas. They are mini popcorn balls! Combining their gourmet caramel popcorn and creamy milk chocolate, you get a little crunch but mostly a soft texture. This is great for people who prefer their chocolate more than popcorn, but still like the two together. Definitely a unique treat and it was nice to have both the dark and milk chocolates since I like both and reach for whatever one I'm in the mood for at the time. :)

The two bags of popcorn are probably my favorite flavors they offer. You can see from my last review that I really loved the Peanut Butter & White Chocolate DrizzleCorn, and that is still the case. I thinks it's SO delicious! I've never had the same flavor combination before. The Chocolate Chunk N'Caramel popcorn actually tasted very similar to the Milk Chocolate Popsters, just in a different form - drizzled chocolate instead of covered. Each piece was really flavorful since they were absolutely covered in caramel and chocolate as you can see in the photo above.

All Dale and Thomas popcorn is gluten-free, Kosher, and pretty natural for the most part too. Once again, high quality ingredients makes for some delicious goodies from this awesome gourmet popcorn company. This assortment of goodies in the Easter Chocolate Tower make for an amazing gift! If you'd like to send a special Easter gift to someone in your life, check out all the entire collection of Easter gifts from Dale and Thomas!

Price: Easter Chocolate Tower - $39.95

Buy It: Check out DaleAndThomasPopcorn.com to order today! 

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product(s) to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

Winners Announcement!

The winner of the i play, Inc. giveaway is...

Rafflecopter Entry #245, Brittney M.!

The winner of the Yummy Earth Sour Beans giveaway is...

Rafflecopter Entry #544, Lisa W.!

Congratulations! You have both been contacted by email!

Custom Blankets from MyUbby (Review & Special Offer)

The most treasured, memorable gifts are those that are unique and personalized in some way. At myubby, custom ubby blankets are created by YOU, ready to give to that someone special. Here's how myubby got started...

Our ubby story began in February 2001 with the birth of our first child – a baby boy named Joe. Soon after his arrival, we set out to create a one-of-a-kind baby blanket, using an old hand-me-down sewing machine we’ve long since replaced. Instead of just another lovie or woobie, our little Joe named the handmade blanket “ubby.” And it hasn’t left his side since.

When our daughter, Molly, was born in 2004, a new “ubby” soon followed, and our family welcomed the addition with open arms. An ubby, we had learned, is another word for friend.

Now we’re pleased to share these wonderful, warm and cuddly custom blankets with the special people in your lives. We hope you’ll enjoy your ubby experience. We know we have.

Building your custom ubby blanket doesn't get any easier. Just click on Build Your ubby and go through just five easy steps to design whatever your heart desires. Choose from 3 sizes, 50 fabrics, 12 satin edge color options or a serged finish, and add up to 54 characters of embroidery personalization for that extra special touch. With an original ubby purchase, you also have the option of getting a matching Itty Ubby for just $15. Those are the perfect size for a little lovey blanket that little ones like to hang on to. The largest blanket size is 50"x60" and is the perfect size throw for teens and adults.

At myubby, you will soon be able to build your own custom pillowcases too. Interested in ordering one now? Just email customercare@myubby.com and they'll take care of you!

I had the opportunity to go through the myubby site and create my own original ubby blanket. It was SO simple and quick, it was hard to believe that I had already ordered my blanket. I chose an original ubby, two-sided (Smoothy in Blush Jumbo Dot & Bubbles in White), with a white satin edge and personalization with my niece's name, Layla. When I sent in my order, I actually had selected a pink color for the personalization (I thought it was a bright enough pink that it would "pop" nicely), but customer service was excellent and contacted me to tell me that the pink wouldn't show up well on the pink dot material I had chosen. So, after giving me some great suggestions of alternate colors, I decided on the brown. I think it looks wonderful! With all my selections, my ubby blanket would have cost me $61. Here's what it looks like...

My jaw dropped when I opened my package and saw it in person! I am amazed at the huge size (35"x45"), gorgeous materials and boutique quality. It looks like it came from a high-end magazine catalog! And look at the personalization!! I'm totally in love with this blanket and can't wait to give it to my little baby niece (my sister-in-law is a blanket lover...she's going to flip when she sees this!). It's incredibly soft and I just want to cuddle with it! The size is very generous, and will be great to wrap up my niece on colder days, or lay on the ground for tummy time. I think the size is great for toddlers that like to carry around blankets too. If you have a baby shower or special event coming up, I'm positive that a myubby blanket would be envied by all. It's a gift that will be remembered and loved for years to come. I highly recommend checking out myubby to see for yourself.

Be sure to connect with myubby on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!!

Special Offer!

Use coupon code BLOG15 at checkout to get 15% off your order! (Expires 4/30/2012)

Price: Buy an Original ubby blanket for $27-$77 (depending on fabric/personalization choices)

Buy It: Check out MyUbby.com to build your own custom blanket today!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Nature's Path Organic Foods Review and Giveaway! Ends 4/8

Founded in 1985, Nature's Path is a family-owned, independent organic foods company that has a passion for healthy, delicious, organic breakfast foods and more. Always USDA Certified Organic, and full of flavor, Nature's Path products are quickly becoming a common sight in my cupboards! 

Nature's Path was very generous in sending all 4 varieties of their Love Crunch Granolas, and also 2 cereals to try.

  Love Crunch premium organic granolas are the newest edition to the Nature's Path line of products. Completely organic, they are free of GMO's, artificial ingredients, preservatives, and anything you wouldn't want to put in your body. The four flavors include the following with descriptions from their website:

Dark Chocolate & Red Berries - Chocolate covered strawberries and raspberries. Few things conjure up such a feeling of delicious romance. Made with real organic Italian chocolate, organic freeze dried berries and organic flax seeds. It’s the ultimate feel good way to put some love in your day.

Aloha Blend - It’s a tropical vacation in your bowl! Toasted coconut, juicy pineapple, white chocolate chunks and the crunch of wholesome organic granola. Imagine a crunchy pina colada for breakfast! Little umbrellas anyone?

Carrot Cake - This Sunday afternoon classic is now a granola flavour! Think spiced carrot cake and cream cheese frosting. We use real organic pecans, carrot, pineapple, raisins, cinnamon and top it off with tasty little organic yogurt chips for that deliciously “frosted flavour”.

Apple Crumble - It’s a warm hug of a dessert. It’s a delicious new granola flavour! It’s both. We combine our wholesome organic granola with tart organic green apple pieces, roasted organic pecans and cinnamon. Enjoy a little dessert for breakfast!

Lately I've gravitated towards breakfast foods like oatmeal and toast because trying new things can be exhausting. I'm in a rut, and to be completely honest, I've never been a fan of granola until now. I think I've always fallen victim to stale, flavorless, chewy, stick-in-your-teeth, unappetizing granola in the past but I thought I'd give these a try and go from there. Well, I'm so pleasantly surprised with Love Crunch granolas that I'm officially a granola person after this! I love eating it by the handful or on top of yogurt. It makes for a fabulous snack, even all by itself. The flavors are incredibly explosive and very satisfying. They are perfect for a sweet tooth but not overdone in that way either.

Each variety starts out with Organic Rolled Oats and builds from there to create these unique flavors.  I'm really digging each variety for their very different flavor profiles, so let's take a look. The Apple Crumble brings me back to my teenage years when my mom would make us Apple Crisp in the oven for dessert! It's so amazing how close it resembles an old favorite of mine! Apples, pecans and molasses give this one my absolute approval! The Carrot Cake doesn't taste too much like actual carrot cake to me. It's more of just a sweet granola with components you would find in a carrot cake like raisins, cinnamon, and pecans. Still, it's amazing and delicious (Hubby can't stay out of it!). The Dark Chocolate & Red Berries is so fragrant when you open the bag! With freeze-dried strawberries and raspberries and dark chocolate chunks among the granola, this is an intoxicating blend that is super yummy and more of a treat than a granola you could pass off as breakfast. Lastly, the Aloha Blend is very tropical, even in the aftertaste. I love it! It's so different than the other flavors. It has pineapple, coconut and white chocolate chunks too. It's a great balance and one that I was not expecting to love. I also like that in these granolas you can find ingredients like flax seeds and chia seeds too. You would never even know that such healthful ingredients were in these delicious granolas!

Another thing about these granolas is that for every bag you buy, Nature's Path will donate the equivalent in cash and organic food to the food bank, up to $1 million a year! Now that is pretty cool if you ask me. The $4.99 per bag isn't too bad for an organic granola already, and you can feel good knowing that your purchase is helping another in need.

Optimum Slim & Gorilla Munch

The Optimum Slim cereal I received from the Optimum product line may look similar to many of the unappetizing high fiber cereals out there, but it's actually very good. Nothing like cardboard and has a nice crunch to it actually. At 2 grams of fat, 9 grams of protein and 9 grams of dietary fiber per serving, this is a great way to start my day or grab a handful as a snack too. Actually, at snack time Buddy has been asking me for this cereal lately! It has a light vanilla scent and is loaded with whole grains, high fiber and just simple organic ingredients that you don't need to worry about.

Nature's Path also has a line of cereals and Crispy Rice bars for kids called EnviroKidz. The EnviroKidz Gorilla Munch is Buddy's new favorite cereal that's made for kids. It reminds me a lot of good ol' Captain Crunch from when I was a kid! Of course, the organic ingredients are much better than the overly processed, artificial ingredients in most kid's cereals. In fact, the entire list of ingredients is just Organic Corn Meal, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, and Sea Salt. That definitely makes this mama smile! This cereal also demonstrates the fact that organic doesn't have to mean flavorless and without texture. I thought it has great flavor, and lots of crunch, even long after being drenched in milk. I'm definitely looking into the other products in the EnviroKidz line for Buddy!

Price: Love Crunch Granolas - $4.99/bag, Optimum Slim Cereal - $4.29, Gorilla Munch Cereal - $3.99

Buy It: Find a retailer near you!

Win It!

One winner will receive a surprise package of Nature’s Path goodies!!

Smiley Cookies for Easter (Review)

Smiley Cookies is at it again with their festive, holiday-themed cookies. This time they've got their adorable Easter bunny cookies gifts for your family or co-workers to enjoy. It's never been easier to get fresh, moist cookies shipped right to your door for any occasion. Let's face it. Sending homemade cookies in the mail can be a disaster waiting to happen. You never know if they will be received in one piece or in any edible condition upon arrival. Ordering from Smiley Cookies will definitely ensure your cookies will arrive in one piece.

I received a dozen Easter Cookies. They have a bunny shape to them with the signature smiley face in white icing. The bunny cookies came in six colors which makes for a beautiful array of spring colors. Consistency is a great thing with any product, and I found that they tasted fresh, moist, and very much the same as I remembered them from my review in October.

When I reviewed Halloween Smiley Cookies, I mentioned in my review that the ingredients of their cookies were not disclosed anywhere (that I could find at least). Not on their site, on the cookies' packaging or by doing a google search. I even stumbled upon this article from 2009 that even says they can't share they're ingredients. Well, this time the Nutrition Facts WERE on the bottom of the cookie container and I'm not too excited. From my last review I did say that Smiley Cookies does insist their cookies are "pure". Obviously there is food coloring used in the icing but I wasn't expecting to see ingredients like vegetable shortening and high fructose corn syrup on the list (among others I'm not fond of). I wanted to trust that Smiley Cookies was really using the word "pure" seriously so I signed up to review them this time, but I now know I won't be eating anything in the future without being aware of the ingredients.

Also, in my last review I included the information from their site that stated each cookie has only 90 calories, 8 grams of sugar, and has no trans fats. Sure, the Nutrition Facts on this package doesn't show any trans fats, BUT, I'm showing 250 calories and 15 grams of sugar per cookie. Yowzers! I'm also not seeing that information I found back in October on their site anymore but it appears that those numbers in my last review are for their Mini Smiley Cookies. Yes, they are darn cute and it's so easy to just order these as a fun treat or send them to someone as a gift for any occasion. However, I'm sorry to say that Smiley Cookies are no longer a treat that I can say I'm "okay" with now that I know all the ingredients and nutrition information. You may feel differently and not care about the ingredients so much. This is just my honest opinion about this product. I'd much rather make my own with real ingredients.

Special Offer!

Use coupon code BLOG10 at checkout to get 10% off your order! (excludes gift cards)

Connect with Smiley Cookies on Facebook and Twitter!

Price: $14.99 a dozen

Buy It: Check out www.smileycookie.com to order today!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Go Green ♥ Give Charity Cloth Diaper Giveaway Event! Ends 3/31

Welcome to the Go Green ♥ Give Charity Cloth Diaper Giveaway Event sponsored by Booty Buns Cloth Diapers! Over 175 bloggers have teamed up to present this totally amazing cloth diaper giveaway hosted by Daily Mothering.

Here's your chance to win an entire stash of one size cloth diapers!

 

This amazing cloth diaper prize pack includes:

20 Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diapers (these true one-size cloth diapers fit 3-45 lbs!)

20 matching flannel/terry cloth wipes

40 microfiber inserts

20 cotton flannel liners

(picture does not show inserts or liners also included)

First, a little about Booty Buns...

In case you haven't heard about them, Booty Buns Cloth Diapers are incredible one-size cloth diapers that truly fit from birth to potty training! They feature a snap-down rise with 5 different snap settings (most one-size diapers only have 3!) and a waist with 10 regular snap settings plus 2 crossover snap settings. The diapers have hip snaps to prevent wing droop on smaller sizes. The incredible size range of this diaper fits from 3-45 lbs!

Booty Buns Cloth Diapers are pocket diapers and each diaper includes 2 snap-on microfiber inserts that can be stuffed into the diaper or laid on top with the included cotton flannel liner against your child's skin. The diapers have a waterproof PUL outer and a soft suedecloth inner with duel gussets on the inner lining to ensure everything stays IN the diaper! Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diapers come in an assortment of bright colors and each diaper includes a matching handmade flannel/terry wipe. You can find out more about the diapers at Booty Buns, or check out the detailed Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diaper Review at Daily Mothering!

Booty Buns is dedicated to encouraging others to "go green" and "give charity." Shannon, the owner of Booty Buns Cloth Diapers, leads by example. For every diaper that Booty Buns sells, she donates one Booty Buns Cloth Diaper to a child in need in a third-world country. Shannon hopes to donate a lifetime supply of cloth diapers {20 diapers} to every baby in need around the globe. You can join in this effort by purchasing your own set of Booty Buns Cloth Diapers and telling your friends about Booty Buns!

Make sure to stop by and follow Booty Buns via Facebook, Twitter and Blog for news and giveaways!
 

And now for the giveaway!!

ONE WINNER will receive this gigantic cloth diaper prize pack valued at $546!

And, the winner will get to select their choice of diaper colors!

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada.

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

Sign in using your Facebook account OR your name & email address.

Click "Do It" for instructions on how to complete each entry.

There is NO mandatory entry. Complete as many entries as you wish.
 

The more entries you submit though, the better odds you have of winning!

Vintage Rose Wraps Review & $100 Gift Certificate Giveaway! Ends 4/4

Vintage Rose Wraps is a mom-owned business run by two fabulous sisters, Katie and Ginny. Together they run a successful shop, selling their handmade headbands and belts that have a uniquely vintage, hip, and totally chic style that you will fall in love with! 

I try to be a fashionista, but it's hard when my clothes are quite plain jane and sometimes I think I just lack some good fashion sense. It's much easier for me to accessorize than find something cute to wear for some reason! So I'm thrilled to tell you all about the items I received! The lovely ladies at Vintage Rose Wraps were very generous to allow me to pick my review pieces! I chose 3 headbands and one of their adorable belts.

I must say, I had such a hard time narrowing down my choices and at one point had over 20 items in my shopping cart! My best advice would be to take a few of your favorite tops or clothing pieces from your wardrobe, and find the perfect headband or belt that coordinates with it. Doing this will help you narrow down your options immensely. You can even shop by band color, rose color, or band style too. 

After I looked through my closet, I decided to go with 3 pretty different headbands. I need to make some fresh, new looks and these will help me do it for sure. The Modern Millie pink rose headband will go with any top that is black, lime green, gray, white, pink, or many variations of those colors. I also LOVE anything with a pink/gray combo. Add the fact that it's a damask print and I'll totally there! I chose the Charlotte Classic with the blue rose since it really screamed "Spring!" to me and the yellow is a beautiful color that will tie in to all sorts of other colors. Lastly, I chose the Best Selling Black Teal because I tend to wear a lot of black, especially if go out to dinner in the evening. I wanted something that would bring a little color, but not overwhelm my head! I think it's perfect, and will be getting lots of wear.

Here is my beautiful sister who modeled the 3 headbands for me so I could get some good photos (seriously, taking photos of your own head is really hard!). You can just see the quality and beautiful construction of the headbands! They are very well made with amazing color combinations that you will definitely find one to go with every outfit. Not only that, but these headbands are FUN, and will put a smile on your face when you go from drab to fab! :)

Now on to the details. I like how the flower is somewhat flat and understated compared to other similar headbands I've seen before. The flower is sewn a little offset from the middle so you can wear the headband as shown but have equal lengths to tie in the back - very smart design! I love the way it looks in the back when it's tied. It looks so cute! You can also tuck in the ends and hide them if you wish. The headbands are also super light weight, comfortable, and don't constrict your head unless you tie the ends too tight of course. They stay put on your head pretty well, and probably aren't going to slip off too easily in the middle of your day (hasn't happened yet!).

Next up is the Cream Damask Eggplant Belt I received. I love, love, love this belt! I'm excited to wear it on the next date with my husband! It totally shows off my waist and gives just a plain black top a pop of design and style. It's destined to become my favorite new accessory, I'm totally sure. It really adds a whole new dimension to my current "look"!

It features 2 metal D rings to slip the end through. You can wear the end out or tuck it under the belt and wrap it around your back like I did in the photo here. I have also worn it around my hips at an angle with a tunic and loved how the short tail looked too. The belt is thicker than the headbands and is double-sided for sturdiness -- fabulous quality that is so professional, I must say.

The one and only part of the belt that I wish was a bit different is how the side that is not sewn down sort of flaps outward and doesn't completely lay flat against the body. A quick fix for me was just a tiny little safety pin to hold it down once I had adjusted the belt to where I wanted it. Although this isn't ideal, I was trying to figure out how it could be design differently and couldn't think of a way to keep it down and still hide the metal D rings. I still love this belt and would definitely recommend getting one (or more!) as a fun new accessory to your wardrobe!

Price: Headbands - $16, Belts - $26

Buy It: Check out VintageRoseWraps.com or find a retailer near you!

Win It!

One winner will receive a $100 Gift Certificate to Vintage Rose Wraps!!!!

Sneak Peek: $500+ Cloth Diaper Giveaway Starts Saturday!

Would you like to win a LIFETIME SUPPLY of cloth diapers?!

The Go Green ♥ Give Charity Cloth Diaper Giveaway Event sponsored by Booty Buns Cloth Diapers starts this Saturday, March 24th!

Over 175 blogs are coming together to present this fantastic fluffy giveaway hosted by Daily Mothering. Mark your calendar because you don't want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win an entire stash of one-size cloth diapers!

ONE WINNER will receive a gigantic cloth diaper prize pack valued at $546!

And, the winner will get to select their choice of diaper colors!

This amazing prize pack will include:

20 Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diapers
(these true one-size cloth diapers fit 3-45 lbs!)
20 matching flannel/terry cloth wipes
40 microfiber inserts
20 cotton flannel liners

(picture does not show inserts or liners also included)

This giveaway will be open to U.S. and Canada.

Come back March 24-31 for your chance to win it all!

YumEarth Naturals Sour Beans & YumEarth Organics Gummy Bears : What's In Your Easter Candy? Review & Giveaway - Ends 3/28

On my never-ending journey to find healthier, better alternatives, I recently started looking into the candy we eat. Now, we don't eat a lot of candy around here (well, I really shouldn't include myself in this statement...I have the worst sweet tooth!), and some might even consider me to be a strict mama. However, Buddy is only 3, and I had a mouth full of cavities throughout my childhood and I'm trying to do all I can to avoid that for my son so I deprive hide any candy with good reason. The sugar is not my main concern though. It's the horribly artificial ingredients you find in just about every candy these days, and they're especially temping around Easter and other holidays. Have you gone down the Easter isle yet this year? Just flip over a bag of candy....high fructose corn syrup, Red 40.....the list goes on. I DON'T want to eat those nasty ingredients and I certainly don't want to give them to my son either....so I was thrilled to find a candy company that cares and only uses the best ingredients (insert mega excitement here)!

YummyEarth is the #1 organic candy company in the US today, with distribution in over 40 countries as well. Founded in 2005 and run by two dads that wanted to stay away from yucky chemicals for their kids, they are a fabulous choice for those that love candy but hate the lack of alternative options. I'm one of those people! I just have to have the sweets as I've already mentioned. I figure if I'm going to eat it anyway, it might as well be made of better, healthier ingredients. YummyEarth uses organic and natural ingredients, no artificial colors or flavors, and are gluten, nut and dairy free. The flavors and colors come from real fruit extracts and planet friendly ingredients.

YummyEarth is probably best known for their organic lollipops (that's what I've known them for anyway! Buddy gets one when he lets me cut his hair!) but they also make awesome drops and gummies too. Their candies come in 22 amazing handcrafted flavors like Pomegranate Pucker, Blood Orange Cocktail, Strawberry Smash, Mango Tango, and Wet-face Watermelon. After receiving my review items and beginning to write my review, I just HAD to buy the Organic Pomegranate Pucker Drops to try and I'm absolutely hooked!! Seriously amazing flavor.

Yummy Earth generously sent my family a bag of their YumEarth Organics Gummy Bears, and their brand new YumEarth Naturals Sour Beans. Check out their recent press release from earlier this month, announcing their new line of natural candy, starting out with the YumEarth Sour Beans.

YumEarth Naturals Sour Beans have an awesome balance of sweet and totally sour and leave me wanting more and more! As a sour candy lover, I'm excited to have such a natural option that actually gives such a strong sour punch! You also won't find completely uniform sized jelly beans either - which is utterly refreshing and more "natural" feeling to me anyway. They are made from real fruit juice, real fruit extracts and natural ingredients to achieve these sour flavors. They contain no artificial dyes, no MSG and are dairy-free, gluten-free, fat-free, soy-free, peanut-free and tree-nut free too. Although the Sour Beans are not organic, it's so much better than the artificial ingredients in most candy and probably saves you a bit when it comes to cost anyway!

The YumEarth Naturals Sour Beans Family Bag includes 10 little snack packs. These portioned little packs are the perfect way to limit your kids (or your own) candy intake, and to keep what you're not eating nice and fresh. They are a fabulous way to reward good behavior or leave a little surprise in your kids' lunch boxes. Oh, did I mention each snack pack contains 100% of your Vitamin C intake AND all for less than 70 calories? Yep, totally quilt-free. You can't feel too guilty anyway when you see the all natural (really truly natural) ingredients! Seriously, with all this talk about "limiting" candy intake, I must admit that between me, Hubby and Buddy, we ate all 10 packs within just 2 days! Of course they are also available in 2.5oz and 4oz bags too if you don't care for portioned snack packs.

Although Buddy seems to really enjoy sour candy, he loved the YumEarth Organics Gummy Bears also. Just the perfect size for a little guy! They also remind him of his gummy vitamins he takes everyday, only this time he got to enjoy more than just two little bears. :) The texture is great and the strong fruity aroma is lovely. Overall they are pretty yummy and would satisfy any sweet tooth without the bad ingredients and artificial colors. In fact, these are actually made with several organic ingredients, including Organic fruit juice. YummyEarth Organic Gummy Bears come in a Easter Pack of 10 snack packs too!

With Easter coming up soon, it's the perfect opportunity to discover alternatives to what you might normally put in your kiddo's Easter basket. I highly encourage you to consider YummyEarth if you're going to offer candy to your kids at any time at all. Introducing our kids to better, healthier alternatives shape their preferences for life, so it's important to make every sweet treat count. I'm not perfect with this by any means, but the more and more I learn what's in conventional candies, the more and more I seek out options from companies like YummyEarth!

Price: Sour Beans Family Bag - $5.99, Gummy Bears 2.5oz bag - $2.50

Buy It: Find a retailer near you, buy online at YummyEarth.com, iherb.com (AND get $5 off your order at iherb.com with code VOX120!), or Vitacost.com (AND get a $10 off code for Vitacost when you sign up through this link! That's some cheap, natural Easter candy!)

Win It!

One winner will receive a Family Pack of YumEarth Naturals Sour Beans!

Winner Announcement!

The winner of the Copy-Kids giveaway is...

Rafflecopter Entry #159, Karen M.!

Congratulations! You have been contacted by email!

i play, Inc. Winterwear Review, Discount & Giveaway! Ends 3/25

i play, Inc. was founded on values that prioritize the protection of our children and the earth. Their products encourage healthy and safe development through playing as they continually research better ways to make safer baby products for your children. With lots of fun products to choose from, you'll enjoy shopping the i play and Green Sprouts lines without worrying about the materials and chemicals used.

I've reviewed a few items from i play and Green Sprouts in the past. This time I was sent the Waterproof Insulated Vest and Fleece Pants (both in size 4T) for my 3 year old.

The Waterproof Insulated Vest is Buddy's favorite clothing item right now! He says, "It's just like Cole's!" (a kid in his church class). So cute! The vest is made using waterproof nylon (not PVC, yay!), and hypoallergenic poly fill insulation. My favorite part of the vest is that it's reversible as you can see above. To me that means I have more wardrobe options all in one and Buddy can choose what he likes best. The zipper is double sided to accommodate for this, and there is also a little bit of extra nylon that covers the top of the zipper so there's no pinching or discomfort from it. I like the puffiness of the vest and how it feels very dense and yet it's not going to make your kid look like a big marshmallow! It's perfect for keeping your little one warm while playing outside, without being cumbersome like a big jacket can be. I think the sizing is great, and will probably work in the fall and into next winter since it's a great length and not at all tight when zipped up. I think this vest is a fabulous choice for cold weather.

The simple, elastic waist fleece pants are pretty basic, but very high quality. They aren't your average $5 quality you find at a department store at all. They are thick and warm and generously cut in the bottom and thighs for a variety of body shapes. The 4T pants we received are true to size in the waist, although they are a little long (a lot of 4T pants on Buddy are long though). That means they will be a great fit for an older, thin and tall child too. What I also noticed about the pants (and you may be able to see in the photo) is that the bottom of the pants are tapered enough that they won't drag on the ground despite the longer length.

The vest and pants are both available in the blue colors I received, or in pink for girls. The sizes for each are size Medium (12 months) to 4T.

~~~Exclusive Discounts~~

Through March 31, 2012 on iplaybabywear.com, use code IPFB12 for 20% off i play Winterwear or use code IPMR12 for 20% off i play Muslin (newborn-9 months) and Green Sprouts Nursing items.

Price: Waterproof Insulated Vest - $33, Fleece Pants - $17

Buy It: Shop online or find a store near you!

Win It!

One winner will receive a Waterproof Insulated Vest in your choice of size and color!

TrimBack.com Releases New Features

The following information was written by TrimBack.com

"TrimBack.com because time is money and they save you both."

These difficult economic times have paved the way for creative shopping to be done. There are a lot of people these days who are searching for ways to save money when they need to purchase online and off. This is the reason coupons and coupon codes available from websites such as TrimBack.com are quite popular. With coupon sites growing at a fast pace TrimBack.com releases a few new features that are a first to the coupon industry.

Local Group Deals - Trimback has teamed up with local deals sites like Groupon, LivingSocial and others to offer the best in local deals.

Exclusive Holiday Coupons - Holidays online coupons can easily be found with an all new holidays portal. Holiday coupons include Christmas, New Years, Easter, Valentines Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday just to name a few.

Deal of the Day - Along with the online deals section now on the home page a daily deal will be featured as "Deal of the Day". TrimBack has teamed up with merchants to offer exclusive deals. These deals will only be found on TrimBack.

Merchant Accounts - This feature is still in the works and will be available soon. Store owners will have the ability to add their local or online store to TrimBack.com. Features include add/delete coupons and online deals, add a map to their page with the store location, add and create printable coupons, add a logo and much more. Store owners will have complete control of their store page. This is a great feature which no other coupon site offers.

Coupon Community - A new "Coupon Community" has been added to TrimBack and this section of the site comes with many features. Some features include a points system, save deals with one easy click, and manage email subscriptions within the control panel. Users will love the manage email alerts section because it gives them full control of when and what they want to receive in their email accounts.

“We have worked hard to integrate new features and are very excited about the addition of Groupon to the site. This gives us the edge we need to offer the best in online and offline savings” says Samir Alley, TrimBack.com's founder. With around 90,000 coupons available, Samir says TrimBack will keep on looking for new ways to help shoppers save time and money while offering the best experience possible.

With over 100,000 visitors per month, 10,000 Facebook fans and all these new features, TrimBack is sure to make an impact in the coupon industry and is well on its way to be one of the largest coupon sites on the internet.

About [TrimBack.com] TrimBack.com a one stop solution for an array of Coupon Codes, Promo Codes, Discounts and Deals for online stores the include kohls.com, dell.com, macys.com and much more. TrimBack.com has over 90,000 coupons and deals that get refreshed ranked and sorted each and every day.

 

Disclosure: I received monetary compensation in return for posting this information. I only post relevant information that I feel may benefit my readers.

Winners Announcement!

The winner of the Zipit Bedding giveaway is...

Rafflecopter Entry #693, Lauren G.!

Congratulations! You have been contacted by email!

Sweetly Made (Just For You) Etsy Shop: Button Up Headband Review

 
Sweetly Made (Just For You) is cute etsy shop where you'll find handmade women's hats, PDF knitting patterns, headbands and personalized Christmas stockings. It looks like Christmas stockings are quite the specialty in this shop and space is limited for Christmas 2012 (so take a look and get your order in!).

Up for review I received a beautiful knitted Button Up Headband in the Rose Heather color.. It's about 4.5 inches across at it's widest, and gradually tapers down to a point on each end. There is a button and button hole to connect it and create a headband. I found it very easy to connect it while it was on since there is a lot of "give" in the headband itself - it's nice and stretchy even for those of you that have a big noggin (like me!). It's not restricting or uncomfortable in any way. There is also a handmade little knitted flower that is removable with a tiny safety pin if you don't care for it or just want it in a different spot on the headband. It comes in red, light pink, rose heather, off-white or orange. I'd LOVE to see this headband come with some larger, two-toned flowers too. That would be adorable! Here's what it looks like on me! :)

I've actually been looking for a solution to help keep my ears covered on windy days. They seem to ache and hurt within 5 minutes of being outside to play with Buddy, despite my hair covering them! This headband totally works for me in that respect. Another thing to note is that the yarn used for the headband does not irritate my skin or make it itchy at all. I'm totally stoked about it too! I've knitted many of my own scarves over the years and pretty much all of them give me skin issues and make me scratch forever. That's perhaps why I don't just wear a knitted hat either since the material touches my forehead. This headband can be worn over your forehead or actually right at or above your hairline too. I'm glad I can do either way since this yarn agrees with my sensitive skin!

 Overall I'm thrilled with this headband design, quality, and effectiveness in keeping my ears warm. Also, the price of just $10 (and some great colors) is unbeatable and absolutely worth it!

~Exclusive Coupon~ 
Use code SWEET10 for 10% off anything in her Etsy shop!
(excludes custom orders and expires March 31, 2012)

Price: Button Up Headband - $10

Buy It: Check out Sweetly Made (Just For You) to order yours today!

You can connect with Sweetly Made (Just For You) via Blog (lots of fun giveaways!), Etsy, Facebook and Twitter!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product(s) to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Vitacost: $10 off Code & Extra 10% off Arrowhead Mills products! $17.64 Worth of product for just $5.46 SHIPPED! (HURRY - Prices good through Wed 9am EST)

Check out Vitacost's Deal of the Week! It's an extra 10% off Arrowhead Mills products (no code required, prices already reflect discount)! With your $10 off code (no minimum required!), this is a fabulous time stock up on great organic products. Arrowhead Mills is one of my favorite brands when I shop at Whole Foods (although expensive without a deal like this)!

So, SIGN UP FOR YOUR $10 CODE HERE, and check out this scenario I set up for you (or course you can do whatever you want and choose products from other brands too!).....

Buy 2 Arrowhead Mills Puffed Rice Cereal -- 6 oz - $.99 Each (reg. $2.29 Each) 

Buy 1 Arrowhead Mills Organic Puffed Kamut Cereal -- 6 oz - $1.41 Each (reg. $2.29 Each)

Buy 1 Arrowhead Mills Organic Golden Flax Seeds -- 14 oz - $2.21 (reg. $3.59)

Buy 1 Arrowhead Mills Organic Green Lentils -- 16 oz - $2.33 (reg. $3.29)

Buy 1 Arrowhead Mills Organic Rye Flour -- 30 oz - $2.54 (reg. $3.89)

Add the 6 items above to your cart = $10.47 - $10 off code + $4.99 shipping = $5.46 SHIPPED (that's a $17.64 value based on regular prices!)

(((Don't forget, you can also add 2 FREE samples per order too!)))

I must say too, this organic peanut butter from Arrowhead Mills is AMAZING. As of right now it's out of stock though!

At Vitacost.com, you can buy discounted vitamins, organic and natural groceries, baby toys and accessories, natural household cleaners, toiletries, beauty and other health products. Vitacost sells top brand products at a wholesale discount cost so you're saving 33% - 75% on every product! Don't pay retail, shop at Vitacost!