W/W Christmas Recap.

Every Christmas all the kids come home and we all wake up Christmas morning at my Mom's house! We love our days together. Opening presents, watching movies, snacking and eating a lot (my Mom literally plans every meal), laughing, and enjoying each others company. I love my family. This Christmas was probably the best Christmas ever! We all made out and EC was amazing this year! So much fun! At 2 1/2 he is so innocent and PERFECT. My hubby always out does himself. He knows me well and puts a lot of thought into his pressies. I'm so in love with my life. ♥

Christmas morning.

Coming down the stairs...

His bike and train table were his favorite presents!

The stockings.

The boys.

Opening more pressies.
Where's EC?

Me and my Sissy.

In the midst of the Christmas chaos EVERY year I regret not taking enough pictures. EVERY year! So frustrating. I WILL remember next year!!!

*For more Wordless Wednesdays check out, 5 minutes for mom. And for Wordful Wednesdays visit Seven Clown Circus*

Disney on Ice-Worlds of Fantasy Review

Last week we had the opportunity to attend the opening show at the Honda Center of the Disney On Ice-World of Fantasy courtesy of MomCentral and Feld Entertainment. We are huge Disney fans! Living in Southern Cali we are even Disneyland Season pass holders so naturally the little guy is obsessed with anything Disney. Not to mention he loves the movies. I knew he was going to love this show, but I wasn't prepared for how much! When we arrived there was excitement throughout the rink with kids everywhere, very eager to see their favorite characters. When we were showed to our seats we were delighted to see we were 4 rows back!!! Thank You so much Mom Central. For the first half of the show we couldn't get the boy to sit down. He wanted to stand with his mouth open in awe!

Excited boy!

The show was jam packed with singing, dancing, special effects, and non-stop fun with four of your favorite Disney stories: Disney Cars, Little Mermaid, Lion King, Disney Fairies, and Tinker Bell. EC freaked out (along with every other little boy in the audience) when the Disney Cars characters raced onto the ice!

Mickey and Minnie

Mater from Cars

Little Mermaid-Ariel and Flounder

Lion King

Fairies

My only complaints are the show was a little long. It started at 7:30 and ended just after 9:00 PM. Which is late for my toddler. I would recommend the matinee show. The concessions were a little expensive. And I thought the fairy and tinker bell acts were a little long. Maybe it is because my little guy is all boy? The little girls were very into it. Hehe.

These pictures do not do this show justice. I highly recommend the Disney on Ice-World of Fantasy show! Take your family!! It was so much fun! The music, costumes, and special effects were amazing. The ice skating was superb! It was a great production! We had a fantastic evening and EC is still talking about it!

Tickets are still available for upcoming shows in Ontario, Anaheim, and Long Beach in the Southern California locations. Disney on Ice-World of Fantasy is also Nation wide. So check your cities.

You can buy your tickets from Ticketmaster. Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM (This is a great deal!)

*Mom Central and Feld Entertainment provided us with 4 complimentary tickets to review this show. This is my opinion. My disclosure policy is located at the bottom of this blog*

Leap Frog Tag Junior Review & Giveaway!!!

I'm constantly looking for educational toys that my toddler loves to play with. Something that he enjoys AND learns from... SCORE! My little guy loves to read. He always has. We read to him everyday, and I can tell he is a little sponge right now soaking up the knowledge. This excites me and makes me want to fill his head with as much as he will let me. Hehe. He's got his colors, shapes, and counting down. But I'm having trouble teaching my 2 1/2 year old his letters (I know. He is young. But I'd like to try.) I started searching for different reading and learning toys that are interactive and came across the TAG JUNIOR and we BOTH love it!

When I got the opportunity for my boy to review the Leap Frog Tag Junior I was eager and excited! Leap Frog is known for their educational toys, so I had high expectations and they did not let me down! What a neat, fun, and interactive book for my son! Leap Frog sent us the Tag Junior to review along with the book "Pooh Loves too..." and I was very impressed!

EC figured it out instantly. Its very easy to use for a 2 1/2 year old!!

Some features that I LOVED about the Leap Frog Tag Junior:

• The chunky Tag Jr. Pal fits perfectly in the hands of my toddler and is very easy for him to hold.
• I also love the fact that they are board books. My son is not very careful with his books. He is all boy. So I like how these books are not delicate or tear-able.
• Its totally interactive and we were able to go online and personalize it with "EC's" name. He got a big kick out of this.
• Tons of fun books to purchase with very affordable prices.
• Simple set up and Easy to use.
• The books are colorful and exciting. Filled with lots of music and catchy sounds.
• Fun. Fun. Fun!!! I can't brag enough about this product!
  

I already bought him some more books for Christmas and can't wait to purchase more. They have a great selection.

How it works:
Tag Jr. is a toddler-sized “book explorer” that is powered by the same technology that drives the Tag reader: a small, sophisticated infrared camera that “reads” words and pictures printed on the special dot-patterned pages of the sturdy, child-friendly board books in the Tag Junior collection.

Parents can download each book’s audio, then drag and drop content onto the device—just like managing digital camera or MP3 files. The Tag Junior handheld can hold the audio for up to five books at a time, and parents can choose to have the Tag Junior pal “greet” their child by name.

The giveaway:

Leapfrog is so generously giving one of my readers the chance to win the LeapFrog Tag Jr.

To qualify for this giveaway visit LeapFrog, then come back here and tell me what other product of theirs you would love to try! Leave a comment on this post telling me which one. With your first comment also make sure you leave your email address to contact the winner.

For additional entries:

• Follow my blog.
• Follow me on twitter.
• Follow LeapFrog on twitter.
• Become a fan of Leap Frog on facebook.
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave the link. (can do this once a day!)
• Subscribe to my blog via email.
• Post my button on your blog.
• (2) extra entries for blogging about this giveaway. Make sure to leave the link.

Make sure you leave separate comments for each telling me you did so. The contest ends Tuesday January 12Th. The winner will be chosen randomly. Good luck!

*This product was given to me to review and I did not receive any money compensation. The review is strictly MY opinion. For more details, my disclosure policy is located at the bottom of my blog. *

W/W I LOVE US.

♥

*For more Wordless Wednesdays check out, 5 minutes for mom. And for Wordful Wednesdays visit Seven Clown Circus*

W/W Our Christmas Tree!

We've had our Christmas tree for a couple weeks now and pressies are starting to make their way under the tree (except for the Santa ones of course!) I love it. I think its just perfect. We made a very festive night of decorating the tree, listening to Christmas music, and drinking hot cocoa. This is the first year EC was VERY into it! He was squealing with delight!

The boys proud of their find!

Our tree! Pictures never do it justice.

*For more Wordless Wednesdays check out, 5 minutes for mom. And for Wordful Wednesdays visit Seven Clown Circus*

PROJECT MONDAY-Sugar Cookies

As a Mom to a very creative toddler I'm always looking for new crafts to do with him. He loves craft time and I feel its so important. So I'm starting a meme called Project Monday. On Monday's I'm going to start sharing the craft of the week. I'll include the supply list, directions, and lots of cute pictures so you can do this craft with your little one!

Also, I set up the link option to play along. If you have craft projects to share please do! I'm always looking for new ideas. Grab the craft button, link up at the bottom, and get dirty with the kids. Its so much fun!

<center><a href="http://www.mommy-momo.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y169/morgankriwinski/DSC09767-1-5-1.jpg" /></a></center>

Sugar Cookies-
Sorry its been a little while. The holidays have been busy! So every year I always associate sugar cookies with Christmas. Its one of those cookies my Mom makes big batches of and has plenty to snack on around the house. When I had a kid of my own I wanted to make a tradition of making sugar cookies for most holidays. They make so many cute cookie cutters now and kids love to help and decorate them. We have made a couple batches so far around here and my little guy loves it! I just wanted to throw out the idea of baking with your kids is totally a craft!

Here is the recipe we use. My Mom quadruples this recipe and splits it up into fours. Then she freezes the dough. So convenient to pull out an already made dough and make fresh batches as you need them!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Beat butter and shortening on medium to high speed 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar, baking powder, and a dash of salt.
3. Beat till combined, scraping bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour.
4. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough for 3 hours or till easy to handle.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll half at a time to 1/8 inch thick.
6. Cut into desired shapes.
7. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until edges are firm and lightly brown.
8. Cool on rack.
9. Frost away! YUM!

EC frosting his cookies and eating a lot of frosting!

Winners to announce!!

Got some winners to announce!!!

EcoStore $25 gift card goes to-

coriwestphal who said:

I'm a subscriber.

November 29, 2009 8:59 PM

Winners of the Scholastic Holiday books "The Christmas Magic" and "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" are-

Number 23 -Mommy to a lil lady[bug]

Who said:

blog follwer

December 3, 2009 10:18 AM

and

Number 44- Tami

Who said:

I tweeted for today!!

http://twitter.com/TamiC

iluvmyfamilyof5@hotmail.com

December 8, 2009 12:20 PM

*All the winners have been contacted through email and have 3 days to respond or I will have to redraw. This product was given to me to review and I did not receive any money compensation. The review is strictly MY opinion. For more details, my disclosure policy is located at the bottom of my blog. *

The Ultimate Cloth Review!

Being a Mommy to a little guy I'm on a mission to make my house as "green" as possible. As I mentioned before I'm concerned about the harsh chemicals in household cleaners and I am currently in the process of trying to switch my cleaners to safer options. When I got the chance to review The Ultimate Cloth I was excited to see what this MicraFiber cloth was all about and eager to add it to my arsenal of cleaning supplies.

Nothing is worst than cleaning a mirror or glass door and then having to clean it again because of streaks! It drives me crazy. The Ultimate Cloth is a MicraFiber technology that cleans with JUST WATER! You simply wet the cloth, wring it out, and wipe the surface. No more glass cleaner. No more wasting paper towels.

Their guarantee: "With water only, a clean cloth will never streak, scratch or spot ANY surface. If you are getting streaks it's time to rinse or wash the cloth. Each cloth is guaranteed up to 5 years!"

I have to admit, when I first saw this I was a bit skeptical. I was sooo proven wrong! This cloth is AWESOME! When I first used it and saw that it worked I started wiping down every surface imaginable around the house. The gross thing is that the white cloth totally picked up dirt that other cleaners didn't. It was pretty dirty after. Pretty cool, you just throw the cloth in the washing machine and can use it over and over again! I love this! You can use The Ultimate Cloth on any surface and it really is streak free!!! I especially love how I can use this cloth to clean our flat screen TV and computer monitor. I'm a fan!

Mommy-Momo readers can purchase The Ultimate Cloth for just $2.99 (U.S residents only)

*This product was given to me to review and I did not receive any money compensation. This review is strictly MY opinion. For more details, my disclosure policy is located at the bottom of my blog.*

W/W Sea World! Just the boy and I.

Sea World is one of our favorite places to go. "Easy" is currently obsessed with sea animals and can name them all. He will study them forever.We love having season passes and go often. A few weeks ago on a whim I decided to take EC. Just him and I. We had a blast! I had so much fun with my little guy. He's such a fun kid and a joy. What a fun day!

Watching the polar bear. No kidding...for 45 minutes!

Petting the starfish.

Us at the Shamu show!

*For more Wordless Wednesdays check out, 5 minutes for mom. And for Wordful Wednesdays visit Seven Clown Circus*

Holiday Books from Scholastic! 2 Winners-2 Christmas books GIVEAWAY!

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday and now that my toddler is getting older its even more fun!!! He is such a fun age (2 1/2 yrs old). He gets it this year. We have been excited to start our own Christmas traditions with our little family. Easy LOVES books and loves for us to read to him, he always has. So this year one of my goals is to get a collection of Christmas books to read to him during this holiday season. So when I received these two new Christmas books by Scholastic I was excited!

The Christmas Magic:

Far, far North, when the nights are longest and the stars shine brightest, Santa begins to prepare for his big night of giving. He gathers his reindeer, feeds them parsnips and berries, and polishes his bells and his sled. Then lovingly, he chooses toys for every child in the world. For Santa loves them all, and he knows what each child at heart wants most. Then, with the thrum of magic that makes reindeers fly, he spreads the Christmas joy and warmth throughout the world--as he always has -- and always will until the end of time. From best-selling author Lauren Thomas, and Caldecott Honor Artist Jon J Muth

*EC enjoys this book and the pictures are very colorful and entertaining. Very cute and cheery story.*

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King:

On Christmas Eve, Godfather Drosselmeier has arrived with gifts of marvel and enchantment for his young godchildren. Goddaughter Marie falls in love a bewitching nutcracker doll and claims him as her own. Yet when the clock strikes midnight, something terribly amazing happens to Godfather’s handcrafted toys…they come alive. Marie is swept off her feet on an incredible journey with the Nutcracker in this astonishing classic story by E.T.A. Hoffman. Critically acclaimed artist Gail de Marcken’s stunning illustrations bring this spellbinding tale to life.

*EC is to young to understand or keep interested with this book. But its a great one to add to our collection for him to grow into!* Both of these books have colorful illustrations and are great books to read to your family!!!

THE GIVEAWAY:

The people from Scholastic are giving two (2) people the chance to win BOTH of these books!!! TWO WINNERS! Usually I run my giveaway contests for two weeks, but it being so close to Christmas already I will run this contest for one week, so the lucky winners receive their books in time for the holiday!

To be eligible for this giveaway all you have to do is tell me one of your favorite Christmas traditions you do with your family and include your email address with the first comment!

For additional entries:

• Follow my blog.
• Follow me on twitter.
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave the link. (can do this once a day!)
• Subscribe to my blog via email.
• Post my button on your blog.
• (2) extra entries for blogging about this giveaway. Make sure to leave the link.

Make sure you leave separate comments for each telling me you did so. The contest ends Thursday December 10Th. The winner will be chosen randomly. Good luck!

*This product was given to me to review and I did not receive any money compensation. The review is strictly MY opinion. For more details, my disclosure policy is located at the bottom of my blog. *

W/W Best Buddies!

EC and his best friend in their Christmas jammies!!!

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out, 5 minutes for mom. And for Wordful Wednesdays visit Seven Clown Circus

ReliOn Temple Touch Thermometer WINNER!!!

The winner of the is ReliOn Temple Touch Thermometer is:

Jennette who said: "I follow your blog!"

Congrats! Check out my review here! I honestly LOVE this product! Thanks again MomSelect.

*The winner has been contacted through email and will have 3 days to respond or I will have to redraw. This product was given to me to review and I did not receive any money compensation. The review is strictly MY opinion. For more details, my disclosure policy is located at the bottom of my blog. *

W/W Park Fun!

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out, 5 minutes for mom. And for Wordful Wednesdays visit Seven Clown Circus

K'Nex Sesame Street Neighboghood Collection Review

EC is such a true boy and LOVES building. I love seeing his mind work and watching his little imagination grow. When Team Mom sent us the Police Station from their K'Nex Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection to review I KNEW this toy was going to be a hit! Building blocks AND Elmo! Can't get any better in a toddler world!

K'Nex Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection consists of the Ice Cream Truck Building Set, Police Car Building Set, 1-2-3 Brownstone Building Set, and the Police Station Building Set (which is the set we received.) Children can build their own Sesame Street Neighborhood and then play with their favorite Sesame Street friends.

The recommended ages for K'Nex Sesame Street Collection is 2-5 years old. I love how the blocks are big and are very easy to put together! With my guy being on the younger side (2 1/2 years old) I did have to help him put his Police Station together. I also love how the Elmo and Police Officer Ernie are build-able. This made my little guy excited! This is a great toy that he will grow into that will inspire creativity. I know quite a few kids that would love this! What an AWESOME toy to give as a gift this holiday season!!!

You can purchase the K'Nex Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection at Target, Wal-Mart, and Toys "R" Us.

Want a chance to win $1,000 worth of K'Nex building Sets and be featured on the K'NEX.com web site? Enter their "Make a K'Nexion" Video Contest! All you have to do is make a video that showcases your child's K'Nex building skills and features your child building with select K'nex products. Official rules and guidelines are available on their website.

*This product was given to me to review and I did not receive any money compensation. This review is strictly MY opinion. For more details, my disclosure policy is located at the bottom of my blog.*

The Shandle (5) Winners!!!

The (5) winners have been randomly chosen for The Shandle. This is such a neat product and I love having it in my bathroom. Especially with a toddler boy. Check out my review here.

Here are the winners:

Kei'sblog said: I like the leap frog.

TJ and Amy said: I subscribed and I love the pink bunny goes shopping

Tami said: I subscribed to your blog via email.

andrea V said: I am subscribed to their newsletter and I like the teddy bear washing his hands.

Kim said: I get their news and I love the green swirls.

*All the winners have been contacted through email and have 3 days to respond or I will have to redraw. This product was given to me to review and I did not receive any money compensation. The review is strictly MY opinion. For more details, my disclosure policy is located at the bottom of my blog. *

W/W Stuart Little Musical

We had the pleasure to take "Easy" to a Stuart Little Musical courtesy of OC Family! (Thanks so much for the tickets!) We've actually taken the boy to a few plays in his young years and he really enjoys them. Going to plays is also kind of something Grandma and Grandpa do with him often. So I knew he was going to love this show. He did! It was great! He wanted to meet Stuart after so of course Daddy made that happen. What a good Dad! Easy got to give him "high fives" and "rocks!" Afterwards we went out for some diner fatty foods and shakes. It was a fun night!!!

Hubs, Easy, Grandma right before the show.

Enjoying his shake at the diner.

Hubs and I

*For more Wordless Wednesdays check out, 5 minutes for mom. And for Wordful Wednesdays visit Seven Clown Circus*