Monday, June 30, 2014

Explore The Cosmos & Enter to Win a Trip to Space Camp {NEW Sweepstakes from Florsheim Kids}


www.florsheim.com/shop/spaceCamp.html?utm_source=FLKidsBlogs&utm_medium=Referral&utm_content=ReynoldsMom&utm_campaign=FW14_SpaceCamp
Prepare for lift off!! Florsheim Kids has announced a new sweepstakes! They're giving away a trip to Space Camp which includes airfare and accommodation for 4 people. Second place prizes include flight suits and a $60 Florsheim Kids gift card. 

To enter, just complete a super fun space quiz while “exploring the cosmos.” This sweepstakes ends on July 20th.  

 

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Distinctions Between Counseling Degrees

Disclosure: This guest post is brought to you by Wake Forest University.

Whether you're currently working in your field or you've just completed your undergraduate degree, you may decide to continue your education and become a fully licensed and qualified professional counselor. In the field of psychiatry and psychology, there are four main designations for graduate degrees. In addition to these four degree programs, there are also sub-specialties like marriage counselor, social worker and psychiatric nurse. All professional counselors must meet national educational, licensing and certification requirements. There are additional state requirements.

Psychologist with Psy.D.

This is a professional degree conferred upon individuals who plan to enter into the field as professional counselors. The coursework and internships are geared more toward clinical work and less on the research side of the spectrum. Students will typically have a combined total of up to 4,500 hours of pre-intern and intern clinical experience before finishing their degree and taking the required licensing exams. The experience will include all clinical settings.

Psychologist with Ph.D.

This degree focuses more on clinical research and statistics than working in a clinical setting. The length of time for this doctoral program is usually five to seven years. The student either chooses private practice or a career in academia upon completion of the coursework and other requirements.

Psychiatrist M.D.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor with a specialization in psychiatric science. The student will attend medical school with an emphasis on diagnosis, treatment and theory regarding psychiatric disorders. A term in clinical rotation at a psychiatric center is part of the final requirements before moving on to a residency and then full licensing.

Counselor M.A. or M.S.


This is a master's degree in clinical psychology that requires completion of a two-year master's degree program at an accredited graduate school and a thesis pertaining to a related theory in the field of counseling.

Wake's degree in counseling is an example of a master's program that takes a focused approach to learning while concentrating on developing critical thinking skills. Students who wish to make a career of helping others learn compassion. Once you decide on your career concentration, choosing a degree program that compliments your decision and helps you to hone your abilities within that career path is easier. When looking for a university at which to continue your education, shop around, look at the course offerings and choose the one that best embodies your philosophy and goals.
 

Fitbit Activity Monitors Offer Flexibility

Disclosure: This guest post is brought to you by HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com.

People want to become healthier, and many think that just means slimmer. However, when you are looking at the need to become healthy, you need to look at your overall wellbeing. With the Fitbit, you can track your exercise, your sleeping habits, and your goals. There are three types of Fitbit trackers, and then you can purchase a Fitbit scale as an accessory. These monitors offer information your physician may require to help you lose weight or become healthier.

Most pedometers on the market will only track the steps you take, but the Fitbit is among the few that work differently. With the Fitbit, you can monitor your heart rate and quality of sleep in addition to an accurate count of the steps you take. The style of Fitbit you should purchase depends on what you want to track.

The smallest Fitbit is the Fitbit Zip and it can clip to your bra or belt loop, and be invisible. It comes in a variety of colors. Another clip-on Fitbit is the Fitbit One. It is longer and narrower than the Fitbit Zip is and it also tracks your sleep quality. It also comes in a variety of colors and has an alarm to help you wake in the morning. The final Fitbit tracker available is the Fibit Flex. It is worn on the wrist day and night and tracks your entire activity level every hour of the day. It does not offer an alarm clock, but you do have the ability to see how you are doing with your goals.

All of the Fitbits will synchronize to your computer, where you can then keep your record with other fitness apps, such as MyFitnessPal and Runkeeper. If you are interested in also tracking your body fat, weight, and body mass index, the Fitbit scale is an accessory to consider. It measures weight up to 350-pounds, making it versatile and available for most people. You can find Fitbit activity monitors here that offer you the ability to track every aspect of your health, so you can take measures to ensure your health and wellness are at optimum levels.
 

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Modern Kids Design Gift Card + iPad Mini Giveaway {Ends 7/26}

mkd-ipad-mini-button-blue 
Welcome to the Modern Kids Design Gift Card + iPad Mini Giveaway Event, hosted by Happy Mothering and the Green Moms Network!

Can you believe summer is already here? What positive changes are you going to make while the kids are out of school? How about swapping more products in your home for healthier, more natural alternatives? Today, I’m excited to introduce you to Modern Kids Design – a company that offers beautifully designed natural and earth-friendly products you’ll enjoy. They offer a wide range of eco products, including clothing, spa, bedding, decor, dining, gear, furniture, crafts, toys and paper! There is something for every family who is passionate about natural living! If you are the lucky winner of the $75 gift certificate (good towards anything on the Modern Kids Design website), here are a few of the products you could choose! 

PWS-LONDON-2T

GB-PUDA-2

PKTYBBFT-2T

SET101-2T 
You could also put it toward your choice of new clothing, spa, dining, gear, crafts and more for your little one. The selection at Modern Kids Design is so great that you’ll probably have a hard time narrowing down your choices! Right now they are also hosting a special Half-Year Sales Event to kick off the summer, so you may want to see what’s on sale now. Some items will be up to 50% off. The sale will run for a limited time from Thursday, June 26 through Tuesday, July 1, 2014.

Shop for a Cause
You can also Shop for a Cause with Modern Kids Design. When you shop through their website, you can select the green cause you’d like to support, and 5% of your purchase will go to the nonprofit you chose. Some of the current organizations they support include The Edible Schoolyard Project, Bicycles for Humanity, California Academy of Sciences, Ecotrust, Global Explorers, National Farm to School Network and many more. So go check out the Modern Kids Design website today! You can receive free shipping for orders over $75 (or $7.99 flat rate shipping on everything else)!


Win It!
To get you excited to check out their website and support Shop for a Cause, Modern Kids Design is giving away a 16GB WiFi iPad Mini ($299 value) along with a $75 gift certificate for their website to one of our readers!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Thomas & Friends Journey to Rewards™ :: Sign Up + Start Earning TODAY with 700 FREE points!


This post is sponsored by Thomas & Friends Journey to Rewards™. All opinions are 100% my own.

Do you have a major Thomas & Friends fan in your home? I definitely do. 

At 5 1/2, Buddy still can't get enough of Thomas and all his engine friends. Over the past year we've "graduated" from the wooden sets and trains to the motorized engines and plastic tracks. He's still enthralled with his DVDs, books, and even the instructions guides that come with each train! This boy is too stinkin' cute about his trains and definitely knows a lot more than mom on the issue. Who knew there is such a thing as standard and narrow-gauge engines??

Since it seems we're always buying a new train or accessory to expand his collection, it's super exciting to learn there is a rewards program, Thomas & Friends Journey to Rewards™!!!! YES, that's right, now you can get rewarded for buying all the Thomas & Friends gear you're buying anyway!

Thomas & Friends Journey to Rewards™
Start earning points when you purchase Thomas & Friends products at Walmart. Points are redeemable for $5, $10 or $25 Walmart e-gift card rewards.

http://thomasandfriendsrewards.com/?cid=sbo.603.9054.2075
Sign up + get FREE points TODAY
Sign up for Thomas & Friends Journey to Rewards™ and enter promo code THEREYNOLDSMOM to automatically earn 700 points - that's half way to your first reward already!

How To Earn Rewards
Earning rewards is super easy. Simply shop at Walmart and buy ANY Thomas & Friends merchandise. Then, once logged onto your Thomas & Friends Journey to Rewards™ account, use your phone or computer to scan or upload a snap shot of your receipt. The points earned from your purchase will be added to your account and that's it! Just buy, scan/upload and earn!

You will see featured products within the rewards site with their relative point values, but ALL Thomas & Friends products from Walmart qualify for points. From trains, tracks and sets to movies, apparel and more, it all earns you points towards your next reward!

Your child's love for Thomas & Friends probably shows as much as my son's. Now every time you shop for your little engineer's favorite Thomas and Friends products from Walmart, you get to reward yourself for being a Thomas Mom too! Sign up now with code THEREYNOLDSMOM and get your first 700 points!
 

Friday, June 20, 2014

Celebrate Your Grad With a Gift From @BestBuy! #GreatestGrad

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

With graduation season comes new opportunities and the next chapter of life for many young people. Whether it's middle school, high school, or college graduation, Grads are staying connected with a variety of devices available at Best Buy.
For the networking Grad, technology keeps them connected while on the go. There are so many devices out there now that can often make life easier, so these tech-savvy Grads are always seeking out the latest and greatest in tech gear and gadgets.

Gifts for Networking Grads
My favorite Best Buy gift recommendation for on-the-go networking Grads would be the iPhone 5s. I have the iPhone 5c and it has made networking for business and with family and friends so simple, quick, and easy. I'm never without driving directions, a calendar, my email, or a camera. I'm not super tech savvy and yet I have found that Apple develops really intuitive technology into their devices - perfect for any networker!
iPhone 5s Product Features:
  • 4-inch Retina display
  • A7 chip with M7 motion coprocessor
  • Touch ID fingerprint sensor
  • New 8MP iSight camera with True Tone flash
  • 1080p HD video recording
  • FaceTime HD camera
  • Ultrafast LTE wireless
  • Over 900,000 apps on the App Store
  • iOS 7 — The world's most advanced mobile OS
  • iCloud — Your content on all your devices 
Also included with the iphone 5s are Apple EarPods with remote and mic, an EarPods storage and travel case, a USB power adapter and a lightning to USB cable.
More hot gift ideas for your networking grad:
  • Lenovo Yoga 2 13" Touch-Screen Laptop
  • SONOS Play:1 Wireless Speaker for Streaming Music
  • SanDisk Connect 32GB USB 2.0 Wireless Flash Drive
  • Google Chromecast
  • iTunes Gift Card $50
  • Jawbone MINI Jambox Wireless Speaker
  • mophie space pack External Battery Case
  • Surface 2 64GB AT&T 4G LTE
  • Surface Keyboard Cover
  • Samsung S-View Flip Cover for Note 3
  • Seagate Backup Plus Slim 1TB External USB Portable Hard Drive
  • Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Dual-Band Wireless-AC Router
  • Speck CandyShell Cell Phone Case

Gifts Under $50
Another gift idea for your Grad is a Roku Streaming HDMI Stick! It's under $50 and gives you over 1,000 channels of streaming content. The Roku Streaming HDMI Stick is compatible with most TVs with an HDMI input and supports 1080p signals for crystal clarity. The 1-stop search helps you easily locate your favorite media. We love our Roku!

Best Buy also has plenty of gift options under $50 in the Best Buy Gift Center:
  • Roku Streaming HDMI Stick
  • Nose & Ear Trimmer
  • Oster Blender
  • Mr. Cofee 12-Cup Coffeemaker
  • My Blend Blender
  • Shark Lightweight Iron
  • BISSELL Cordless 2-in-1 Handheld/Stick Vacuum
  • SOL REPUBLIC JAX Earbud Headphones
  • Case-Mate Glam Case for iPhone
  • Insignia Case for Samsung Galaxy S5
  • Otterbox Symmetry Case for iPhone 5/5s & Samsung Galaxy S5
  • Samsung S-View Flip Cover for Galaxy S5
  • Speck Case for HTC One (M8)
  • Modal case for iPhone 5/5s
  • Modal Bluetooth Speaker
  • Thule Gauntlet Laptop Sleeve
  • Incase City Laptop Sleeve
  • Incase Neoprene Laptop Sleeve
Tweet & WIN!
Do you love twitter parties? Best Buy is hosting a Grad Twitter Party on Tuesday, June 24 (6/24) at 7PM CST. Feel free to join for a chance to receive Best Buy gift cards and other great prizes. Tweet #GreatestGrad with your favorite Grad's Gift ideas from Best Buy.

What gift would you like to give your networking Grad?

 

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Fun in the sun with Snapper Rock UV50+ Children's Swimwear

Summer is here, along with shorts, tank tops and lots of SUN! With problem skin of my own already, I do not take the issue of sun protection lightly. If I'm outdoors going fishing or picking fruit at my dad's ranch for the afternoon, you'll probably see me in jeans, a long-sleeve plaid button down, and a large sun hat. The same goes for Buddy and his fair skin when he's out playing. If he's going to be out for hours in direct sunlight, he's covered pretty well. 
 I received complimentary product for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own.

Covering up in the heat can be miserable, but having the right sun protection gear can make it no big deal. For Buddy, this summer we've partnered with Snapper Rock swimwear, where sun protection meets fashion, functionality and fun. As the leading the UV50+ children's swimwear brand on the market, I knew we'd be in good hands this summer.

We graciously received the Red Sharks Boardies and the Solid Aqua UV50 Swim Shirt from Snapper Rock for Buddy. He's tall and slender at 5 1/2 years old, and the size 6 for each piece has worked out nicely, with growing room to spare.

The boardies feature a mesh lining for size 2-8, an elastic waist with a real drawstring, and a velcro pocket. Made of 100% polyester, they dry pretty quickly and offer plenty of breathability. The length is nice and long for good coverage.

Like all Snapper Rock swim shirts, this one will block 98% of all harmful UVA and UVB rays. It's made of 80% Nylon and 20% Elastane, and feels like a typical women's bathing suit material. It's a little stretchy, features flat lock stitching to prevent irritation to the skin, and offers lots of skin coverage. 

You'll notice the swim shirt sleeves go to Buddy's elbows and the neck is higher than a regular crew neck t-shirt, providing extra coverage on the back of the neck also. This swimwear appears to be quite comfortable and flexible for any outdoor activities that require sun protection. 

I opted for a short sleeve swim shirt since Buddy is typically a hot body. I will use a natural sunscreen on his arms and legs if we're going to be outside for hours at a time, but it's pretty rare. He usually wears a hat too. At home in the backyard with the hose or playing in his "work site" I don't have to worry as much since we have lots of shade, especially in the late afternoon. Buddy is great about staying in the shade most of the time, but his Snapper Rock swimwear gives me extra piece of mind.


As far as quality goes, you get what you pay for. Snapper Rock offers high end, high quality swimwear that is made to last. Since Buddy just seems to be growing up and not out, his boardies and swim shirt will easily fit him next summer too.

Snapper Rock boardies and swim shirts are fun to shop for. They offer coordinating colors and prints so you can mix and match to create the look you want. They also make long sleeve swim shirts, hats, swim bags, sunsuits for babies and beach wear for girls.

Let me be clear. I'm not opposed to being out in the sun, and in fact it's quite the opposite. It's important to soak up a little sun every single day! Actually, Vitamin D deficiency runs in my family so I do try to get a bit of sun everyday. What I am concerned about is sun damage from careless sun exposure and what that can turn into in the future. Yes, I take sun protection very seriously. Some might call it overkill, but I call it moderation. Feel free to get back to me if you ever need to have dozens of moles biopsied, and then biopsied again due to scary abnormalities. That's me. Fair skin runs in my family, as does skin cancer. In fact, my maternal grandfather has had multiple procedures on his face in recent years, and my dad recently had melanoma removed from his neck. That's likely my future, so I'm taking precautions now to lessen my family's risk.

So, my friends, cover up! The results of sun bathing aren't attractive, and pale skin is in. Don't put your kiddos at risk this summer, cuz' they'll be fine with a bit of pink. Damage accumulates little by little. Enjoy the sun, but do so responsibly. Protect their skin during long periods of exposure to the sun with Snapper Rock swimwear.

Boys Board Shorts - $40, Boys Swim Shirts - $38 and up. Shop now at SnapperRock.com.
 

Friday, June 13, 2014

Beutler Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing :: The Home Service Plan and our A/C & Plumbing Inspections

Disclosure: This is a sponsored article written by me on behalf of Beutler Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Heating. All opinions are 100% my own.

Are you running your air conditioner yet? We certainly are with this California heat wave that just arrived! I'm grateful that our A/C inspection as part of the Home Service Plan from Beutler Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing came just in time to confirm that our system is working properly. I cannot imagine having a problem with our A/C during this heat!


Beutler Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing has been a trusted service provider in the Sacramento region for over 60 years. Their highly-trained service technicians strive for excellence in all areas of the services they offer. 


You may have read about our furnace inspection last November. With summer just about here it was recently time to use the remainder of our Home Service Plan services and schedule our A/C and plumbing inspections. As a reminder, for just $169 a year the Beutler Home Service Plan includes the following:

      • Two full-service maintenance tune-ups/inspections during the year (A/C and furnace)
      • Detailed inspection and professional-grade cleaning of outdoor coil
      • Discounted diagnostic fee on all emergency service calls
      • No after-hours, overtime, weekend or holiday service charges
      • 20% discount on all HVAC system repairs
      • One-year guarantee on all repairs performed
      • Priority scheduling – guaranteed 24-hour response time
      • Transferable, should you sell your home
      • 10% discount on all plumbing repairs
      • One annual Whole House Plumbing Inspection

What a deal, huh? Don't forget to take advantage of the exclusive discount Beutler is offering on the Home Service Plan! My readers can score the HSP for just $125 instead of $169 when you follow the directions in this post to set up an appointment with the promo code. Please note this offers expires on 12/1/2014.


A/C Maintenance Tune-up/Inspection

Our A/C inspection was similar to our furnace inspection so we sort of knew what to expect. We were asked questions about how we felt our system performed, our indoor air quality and other questions about our usage. Since the summer heat can get pretty awful here, reliability is our main concern right now.

Our service technician, Hector, then went up in attic to inspect our A/C unit, including air ducts, indoor coil and all those fun parts I probably couldn't tell you about if I tried. I'm glad Hubby has a good grasp on these things so I let him take over!

Up in the attic Hector vacuumed the coil to remove all the dust he could, inspected everything and took readings of our system. He also took us photos up there to show us our unit. A nice touch was that Hector wrote our address on the coil we knew for a fact that the photos were an honest look at our own unit. We really appreciated that.

Hector took more detailed photos of what he did in the attic, and of what parts that needed servicing. Among many other small recommendations, it was suggested that we shorten a section of the air ducts to improve air flow into our two bedrooms instead of the squiggly mess it is right now. We expected this of course since we received the same recommendation after our furnace inspection.

After this he went in backyard and inspected our outdoor A/C unit. Hector professionally cleaned it and checked the refrigerant levels.


Whole House Plumbing Inspection

A plumbing inspection from Beutler isn't just a look at your pipes under the sink and a look at your water heater. Your toilets, water dispenser from your refrigerator, water pressure and more are all discussed. 

Our knowledgeable service technician, Alex, took a great amount of time and care to go through every plumbing related item in our home. He was very friendly and Hubby really enjoyed talking to him since he used to sell plumbing when we were first married. There were several notable issues that Alex helped us with.

First, our kitchen faucet has been leaking on occasion lately. Our technician pointed our that the manufacturer of our faucet holds a lifetime warranty, which means we should be able to call them to get the parts we need to solve it.

While in the kitchen we were asked how old the water filter was in our refrigerator. Well, it was over a year and a half old (we'd never changed it), but the light was still green so we assumed we just hadn't used it enough. WRONG. After our inspection we immediately went out and bought a new water filter and noticed a huge improvement in the taste of our water. I don't even want to think about all the nastiness we've been drinking!

Another issue Alex helped us with was our newly installed toilet in the guest bathroom. For some reason it had not been flushing fully every time and we were about to call the manufacturer. But Alex made a quick adjustment and was able to quickly solve the issue and get our toilet flushing normally. Phew!

We mentioned that the water pressure was low in the backyard. Once he drained our water heater, Alex let us know that our expansion tank failed and needs to be replaced. We feel he was very honest and provided the benefits and disadvantages of this and other service recommendations.

Also in the backyard Alex tightened valves on the side yard hose bibb and water main that we mentioned leak occasionally, and he even showed us the simple fix we can do ourselves in the future if needed.

 

Our Final Thoughts on Beutler

Our recent appointments with Beutler have exceeded my expectations once again. Hubby and I have been impressed with each of our service technicians, who have been genuinely interested in providing accurate, helpful information on the status of our furnace, A/C and plumbing systems. Repair suggestions have not felt like a hard sell, but instead have made us aware of our units' conditions, and urgency of repairs if we desire to extend their use.  

As you can see, the Home Service Plan is worth the low cost of $169 each year. Not only do you get three maintenance tune-ups/inspections (A/C, furnace and plumbing) for this price, but you also get plenty of extras including discounts too. Having the assurance that our systems are currently operational has really been priceless as we continue to invest and focus on other areas of our home. 

If you're in the Sacramento area, be sure to consider Beutler for all your air conditioning, heating and plumbing needs. You can expect professional expertise with every service provided.
 

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Revolution Foods :: NEW Build-Your-Own Meal Kits

I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central for Revolution Foods. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Revolution Foods, the company founded by two moms that ignited a healthy food movement in schools nationwide, now offers Revolution Foods Meal Kits. These Meal Kits are a convenient way for kids to eat meals made with natural, high quality ingredients and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. 

We had the opportunity to try the three varieties of Meal Kits with Buddy: Ham and Cheddar, Turkey and Cheddar, and Cheese Pizza. There is a Peanut Butter and Jelly Meal Kit also, but we didn't see it at our Safeway. Yes, these are the healthified version of the classic Lunchables at the grocery store, but without all the junk ingredients that my family avoids.

Each Meal Kit contains at least 7 grams of whole grains and one serving of fruit. The box flips open to hold all the contents, and your kiddo can start building their cracker sandwiches or pizza inside of it. 

The first time I gave Buddy a Meal Kit to eat was at home for lunch. Of course he had no complaints about how fun it was to build his own little sandwiches! Most of his crackers were sadly crunched up and the cheese pieces are a bit small, but overall I think they're great as a quick, on-the-go option for kids.

Not having many full crackers, Buddy decided to load up his little sandwiches! Buddy enjoyed the turkey and ham kits quite equally. I think he preferred making the little sandwiches as opposed to the pizza. The pizza kit was also more messy for Buddy, who managed to get pizza sauce all over the bottom of my pantry door. I still haven't figured that one out.

To be honest, these Meal Kits aren't filling for Buddy. I highly recommend adding a banana, yogurt or something else if you send your child somewhere with one of these kits as a full meal. Buddy was telling me he was hungry right after he was done eating his first Meal Kit, so since then I've planned ahead and offered him something extra to eat with it. For him, Meal Kits are really more of an afternoon snack. But as a busy mom, having a packaged Meal Kit ready as the majority of his lunch is really convenient and we'll certainly buy them again, especially with day trips and picnics coming up.

Overall I think these Meal Kits are a huge improvement to the typical prepackaged options at the store. Nothing beats a home cooked meal with real fruit, freshly cooked meat, sliced cheese and minimal-ingredient crackers. However, Revolution Foods Meal Kits are convenient, great tasting, ready-to-eat options that I'm okay serving my son on occasion.
 
Revolution Foods Meal Kits are available at Safeway stores nationwide. We found ours at our local Safeway for $3.49 each. Be sure to 'like' Revolutions Foods on Facebook, and also go here to print out a $1 off coupon to try a Meal Kit for yourself.
 

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Ian's Natural Foods :: Allergy-Friendly Options Down the Frozen Aisle {Giveaway - Ends 6/15}

I received complimentary product for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own.

Ian’s Natural Foods specializes in tasty, allergy-friendly convenience foods for the whole family. From chicken nuggets to fish sticks, they make plenty of easy frozen options for anyone who needs to avoid certain ingredients like wheat, gluten, milk, casein, eggs, nuts and/or soy. They have several gluten-free options, which I was delighted to share and review with my family.


Ian's doesn't just focus on allergy-friendly ingredients, but natural ingredients as well. Their products are minimally processed and do not contain preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, trans fats, refined sugars, hormones or antibiotics. Although not all of their products are GMO-free, I'm happy to see they are moving towards non-GMO certification where they can.

The first two products we tried were the Fish Sticks and Southwest Chicken Tenders. I've really missed eating wheat breaded foods since going gluten-free two years ago.

The Fish Sticks are gluten-free and contain no milk or casein, eggs, nuts or soy. I love that these are made using wild Pollack filets, so you won't find minced fish here! This also contributed to the fantastic texture on the inside, with crunchy outer Panko breading. I couldn't get Buddy to even try these (or any fish for that matter), but that was fine. More for me!

Southwest Chicken Tenders are one of Ian's recent new products, featuring whole grain brown rice breading and tender cuts of whole chicken breasts. These are also free of milk casein, eggs, nuts and soy.

These are slightly spicy with a southwest flare, making them best for adults if you kiddo is sensitive (Buddy thought they were too spicy). I absolutely LOVED the flavor, the tender chicken, and the crispy outer. I think they are perfect! We enjoyed them plain and also dipped in ketchup, but they would be a great on top a salad or even on a sandwich or taco.

We also tried the Sweet Potato Fries. These contain no gluten, milk or casein, eggs or nuts. I recently got on a sweet potato kick so receiving these was perfect timing! These are made from fresh-cut sweet potatoes, then dipped in a batter so they have a nice crispy outside to them. The insides are on the softer, just the way I enjoy them.

Everything we tried from Ian's tasted real and delicious, unlike many convenience foods out there. Having a restricted diet due to lifestyle choices or allergies, and also choosing to eat more natural choices does not mean you have to avoid your good ole' favorite convenience foods. Ian's has plenty of options to suit your family's needs. Check the store locator to find Ian's Natural Foods near you.
 
Win It!
One winner will receive Southwest Chicken Tenders, Fish Sticks and Sweet Potato Fries!

Monday, June 2, 2014

Get a "First Look" at Umi's Autumn/Winter 2014 Collection {Plus a NEW Sweepstakes!}

Umi Children's Shoes just launched a new sweepstakes to give customers a "first look" at their new Autumn/Winter 2014 collection! 

Check out video footage of their photoshoot for the upcoming collection, then enter for a chance to win 1 of 5 $100 gift cards. I won't spoil all the fun details of the new collection, but I have to say I see lots of shine and pizazz!!

HURRY! This sweepstakes runs through June 8th. ENTER HERE!