(Sponsored) How Disney Paint Made My Kids’ Room ‘Magically Magnificent’

I previously shared my journey of buying Disney Paint from Walmart and selecting the paint that would ultimately bring the Disney magic into this room. With the beautiful color selections and specialty finishes from Disney Paint, we have successfully transformed this room from ‘drab’ to ‘fab’. In fact, we were so inspired that we actually transformed my other daughter’s room as well.

Since the larger room is shared by both my son and daughter, we wanted to incorporate colors that would complement both of their favorite Disney characters. While he is all about Toy Story and Cars, she loves Princess Cinderella and Princess Tiana. The end results, as you can see in the images below, are the perfect blend of colors for both him and her.

As you can see, the Royal Blue in Magnificent Metallic picks up the blues in our myriad of Disney products:

The color, Pretty as a Princess in the Disney Ultra Durable Paint, was just perfect for my daughter’s Disney ‘gadgets and gizmos of plenty’ as well.

In order to celebrate the official unveiling of this new room, we invited a few of the kids’ friends over for a party. We even had a couple of fun projects, like creating a special poster with Disney stickers. The kids decided to make it into Walt Disney World.

Here they are making the poster.

Per my son’s request, the kids watched Wreck-It Ralph while the adults schmoozed downstairs. Something else about this new room that I would like to share is that it FINALLY got my son to stay in his own bed. We tried several strategies before (reward charts, Toy Story pillow, pajamas) but none of those worked. I feel that the Disney Paint by Glidden in Royal Blue in Magnificent Metallic really made the difference.

I want to express my sincerest gratitude to my incredible husband. His tireless efforts, even after a long day of work, help getting the kids fed, bathed, and into bed, paid off big time! He even picked-out the adorable curtains (pink as anything) and curtain rods, on his own. Yes, he hung them up as well.

I also want to thank Momtrends and Disney Paint for the opportunity to embark upon on very own Extreme Makeover: Disney Paint Edition. The ideas that you provided us led to our very own creation. We were encouraged by the ease and room design guides available at disneypaint.com. Furthermore, the Disney bedding added an additional dash of pixie dust, and Pixar power, to these rooms.

While we were only provided with one comforter as part of this project, we purchased 2 more!

Here is the other room that we made ‘magically magnificent’ because of this project.

Before the party was over, we all enjoyed some bbq hamburgers, chicken, and corn on the cob that my husband prepared on the grill. A couple of our friends came over and viewed the room as well. They were all impressed! One of my friends commented, “The new colors just pop. When the natural light comes in, it circulates the new colors around the rooms”.

Since it was a school night, the party had to come to a close. First, the raffle drawing for the $50 gift card to Walmart! A very happy 9 year old girl won! The ending to a truly magical day in our very own home.

Disclaimer: Compensation and products for review were provided by Glidden via
MomTrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are
not indicative of the opinions of Glidden.

(Review & Giveaway) French’s Brings New Flavor Infuser Marinades to Chicken, Steak, or Fish

I love trying new things, especially when it comes to the grill. Now that the weather is nice, our trusty grill has been brought back to life. While the kids love grilled hot dogs, my husband loves hamburgers, and I love salmon. This summer, we will be adding a new flavor to our meats with French’s Flavor Infuser Marinades. If you have never marinated any meat before, you might remember back when you were a kid. For me, it was the Italian Dressing that marinated the chicken before it when on the grill. This process took at least a day to prepare. I know this for a fact because I would have to avoid the Tupperware container every time I would go into the refrigerator to grab a snack.

Thankfully, marinating has caught up with our fast past world and French’s New Flavor Infuser Marinades are here to do just that. Welcome to the instantaneous barbeque. Less time to prepare, but just as much savory flavor to enjoy.

When I first looked at the French’s Flavor Infuser Marinades, I wasn’t sure what to do with them. I went to French’s page and found this step-by-step video. So easy! Just snap the cap, inject the infuser tip and squeeze. If you are short on time, you will love French’s New Flavor Infuser Marinades for because they are:
Super-Fast – It only takes 10 minutes for the flavor to permeate the protein, whether it be chicken, steak, or fish.
No mess alternative to traditional marinades – pouring, mixing, covering, and leaky bags. Just infuse it and forget it!
Injector driven-this is amazing because it allows a more flavorful experience by penetrating all layers of protein with the marinade
Introduces home cooks to a technique used by professional chefs and BBQ aficionados (who knew?)
The process of infusing the marinade deep into the protein allows it to be quickly delivered and evenly distributed to all layers of the protein. Being that I am not a professional chef (my husband will concur with that); I did not know that the injector technique existed. Now regular cooks can benefit from this technique as well.

You can also apply the French’s Flavor Infuser to the top of a piece of boneless skinless chicken breast or even chicken wings. In fact, my husband soaked these chicken wings in the Zesty Italian flavor before putting it on the grill. The taste, even when applied on top of the protein, was fantastic.

There are four varieties of French’s Flavor Infusers: Sweet & Tangy Teriyaki, fab with chicken and fish; Classic Steakhouse, ideal for strip steak or London Broil; Zesty Italian, also great with chicken, and Caribbean Jerk, also great with chicken. These products are just 2.99, not bad for such an infusion of flavor.

How much protein can one tube of French’s Flavor Infuser marinate? Approximate 3-4 pounds of protein, which is enough to feed a family of four. Since this product is injected to protein that is raw, the tube must be discarded after just one time. Any cleaning and re-use could result in cross-contamination and health issues. Do not reuse. Some other important facts about French’s New Flavor Infuser Marinades:
Kosher: Yes, all flavors
Organic: NO
Gluten Free: Zesty Italian and Caribbean Jerk are Gluten Free; Steakhouse and Teriyaki are NOT Gluten Free
Food Allergens: only Caribbean Jerk DOES NOT contain allergens. Zest Italian contains soy; Teriyaki and Steakhouse contain wheat and soybeans.
Now that your stomach is growling, how about winning some great tools for some grilling!

Thanks to my friends at French’s, I am giving away (5) grilling kits that will include a French’s oven mitt and 2 of the French’s New Flavor Infuser Marinades. It is so easy to enter, just follow go to this link http://bit.ly/11ReLUQ:

For some great recipe ideas go to http://www.frenchs.com and keep up with them and “like” them on Facebook.com/frenchs.

Disclaimer: The opinions in this post are my own. I did receive a set of grilling tools, oven mitt, and French’s New Flavor Infuser Marinade in order to post this review.

(Sponsored) The Wiggles Will Be At Citi Field For A Pre-Game Show #metsmoms

Growing-up, I was a Chicago Cubs fan. This was the natural path of a girl from the suburbs. In those days, we would drive with the windows open, listening to the pre-game show on AM radio. I can still hear the roar of the crowd, Harry Carry singing, and the crunch of peanut shells underneath my keds. To tell you the truth, I was pretty bored (sorry dad). However, I never had the chance to try out my batting skills in a batting cage nor play video game in cozy chairs at Wrigley Field. Maybe that would have helped? I know it would have because I saw how much fun my kids had at Citifield last week. Have you heard of FanFest? The FanFest is located on the Concourse Level in center field, and is fun for the whole family. Centered around Mr. Met’s Kiddie Field, a scale version of Citi Field, the FanFest features a batting cage, dunk tank, video game kiosks and more! Opens when Citi Field gates open until the middle of the 7th inning, you’ve got to visit. You can even find Mr. Met there most days!

If FanFest existed when I was a kid, I would have loved my time at Wrigley Field. The Mets may not have won the game against the Phillies, but we all had so much fun. A definite win in our book!

Also, for those of you who keep kosher, you can find kosher hotdogs and sausages at Citifield. Just look for the Kosher Grill, also on the Concourse Level. Since I am not eating meat these days, I had a nice bag of peanuts! You just have to have them at the ‘ball game’!

I am so excited to announce another family friendly event happening at Citifield. The Wiggles will be performing a pre-game show on Sunday, May 12th. Yes, The Wiggles. I can’t tell you how many hours we spent (yes, my family and I) listening to ‘toot toot chuggah chuggah big red car’ or ‘do the monkey’..yes even us adults liked the songs too and we knew all the words as well.

If you are looking for an outing this Mother’s Day that your entire family will enjoy, this is the ticket to buy!

Disclaimer: I was given two tickets to Citifield. The opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

(Review) From Picasso to High Tech to the Basics of Cinderella, This Years’ Time to Play Exhibit Showcases it All…

Contributed by Lauren Finkelstein from Save1Person.org
Primetime parenting sent this mommy blogger and world saver on another mind blowing and creative assignment, this time to scout out the best toys to entertain a child’s imagination and support healthy growth for the young ones. Who knew there would be such innovative and creative worlds out there for children to explore and grow, while having a blast?

The top toy companies where at the Time to Play Spring Showcase. This exhibit happens twice a year to highlight the hottest toys of the season. Toy companies were there from Leap Frog to Lego to Mattel to Nickelodeon to Hasbro, just to mention a few.

Drip Drops had a tablet like device where you could make your own art and then email it to your parents and teachers. What was intriguing about this toy is when you finished coloring one side of your three dimensional shape, you could touch it and then start coloring the other side of the object. I don’t remember these kinds of toys when I was a kid.

Then of course, the classic Cinderella outfit to the microphone so your kid could be the next rock star, to the Superman blow up to the tablet for kids. My personal favorite, since my son’s handwriting needs work is the tablet that teaches you how to write letters. These toys were magical, as well as productive for your child’s continued growth.

Perhaps, I would have done better in school, if these toys existed when I was a kid, and I would have been the next Picasso. Nevertheless, there’s time to be a kid, and it’s never been a better time, after exploring this new world of imagination presented by Time to Play.

Disclaimer: Lauren was sent to review these toys by primetimeparenting.com. The opinions expressed in this blog post are her own.

(Review) Making Water Available For Those Who Need It Most

Contributed by Lauren Finkelstein from save1person.org

Primetime Parenting sent this mommy blogger on another interesting and life changing assignment. This time it was to be enlightened about a global problem, something we take for granted in America but a real worldly tragedy: WATER.

The Associate Director of Development, of WaterAid, Hallie Tamez, spoke about the magnitude of this problem. In my limited world, I never thought about it before. Hallie spoke about how in third world countries, there’s no clean water and some women have to walk many miles to get water. And in this water, some people bathe, toilet and who needs to say more. And then some women have to walk many miles back to their villages to bring this filthy water to their families.
WaterAid works in 27 of the world’s poorest countries, transforming lives by improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene. This non- profit, hires local people to build the wells and maintain the drinking water, when WaterAid leaves that location.

We take for granted that water is everywhere to drink, but what about when it’s not accessible. When you make it accessible, people can get educated, work the fields, be with families, live healthier lives, things we just take for granted here in America.

Watch a brief video and learn more:

http://www.wateraidamerica.org/learn_zone/video/water_is_just_the_beginning.aspx.

Go to http://www.wateraidamerica.org/ and see how you can make a difference: Give, Water, Give Life.

WaterAid is on Facebook, keep up with them there too.

(Review) Pistachios: A Delicious and Healthy Alternative to Chips, Cookies, and Candy

I never thought so much about snacks before I became a mother. I actually learned on the job through some other very nice mom friends during an outing with some other mom friends 6 years ago. Before I left the house, I grabbed a bag of cookies and filled a sippy cup with grape juice. All was going well until my daughter, who was 2 at the time, said that she was hungry. I pulled out the bag of cookies. Then I saw what my other mom friends were feeding their children; sliced watermelon, cucumber, apple, and whole wheat crackers. My stomach fell to the ground. Thankfully, my other mom friends had extra Ziploc bags’ of these delicious snacks, as my daughter was like Velcro to their giving hands. From this point on, I always planned my snacks in advance, and made a couple extra for those who may not have had the chance that morning.

Now that my kids are older, the snacks have remained the same, on the healthy track. Something that is very important when packing snacks is possible food allergies of other kids at the park or in school. For example, snacks that contain peanuts, milk, sugar, and soy. It is always important to have alternative snacks in case another parent or child in the play area may have a food allergy. I know that there are snacks that can affect other children are peanuts. The other day while I was at a park, one mom had the very popular and delicious Bamba snack. Another mother asked if it was Bamba and made us all aware (in the nicest way possible) that her son had a peanut allergy. I immediately offered her a baby-wipe so that she could wipe off his hands (he had accidentally picked them up). It made me very aware of the snacks we take out in the public arena. This reminds me of the time I was flying on JetBlue from JFK to ORD. The flight attendant told us that they would not be serving any peanut based snacks as a family with peanut allergies was on board. I love that airline. In today’s world, we can speak to brands about these things, it is so amazing. So, what does one do if they love peanuts, especially pistachio nuts?

For those of you who can eat peanuts, I wanted to let you know about a brand, sincerelynuts.com, and the most amazing flavor, Pistachio Garlic; onion and garlic never tasted better. We are huge garlic lovers in our home, kids included. The Pistachio Garlic adds the perfect zest of flavor to California pistachios that result in sheer magic. What better way to enjoy the health benefits of garlic such as the management of blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and a fighter of bacteria. With great medicinal values like these, garlic is served with every meal at our home.

If garlic is not your taste, there are more exotic flavors to choose from including: Pistachios Jalapeno, Pistachios Chilli Lemon, and Pistachios Hickory. I can’t wait to try more of these flavors!

Treat yourself, and your friends, to the fresh and healthy taste of peanuts. You can find them online at http://www.sincerelynuts.com. You can have them delivered to your door, or as a gift for somebody else. Keep up with sincerelynuts and follow them on twitter @SincerelyNuts or “like” them on Facebook.

Disclaimer: I was sent a package of Pistachio Garlic from Sincerelynuts.com to formulate this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

(Review) #FYF Finding Yourself Friday: How I Found Myself Laughing and Relating To Author Tracy Beckerman

Last week, I rushed around in order to make it on time to the “Cool Mom Book and Blow Dry Bar Tour,” in order to celebrate Tracy Beckerman’s book, “Lost in Suburbia: A Momoir. How I Got Pregnant, Lost Myself, and Got My Cool Back in the NJ Suburbs.” The title had me, as anybody who goes through major life changes is cool in my book!

Speaking of cool, I wasn’t feeling much of that after a very busy day working on a major dinner event. As soon as my husband arrived home, I said goodbye to the kids and made my way to Manhattan. Thankfully, public transportation worked in my favor. As soon as I stepped out of the subway, I was within a few feet of Fix Beauty Bar. I have to admit, I was feeling quite disheveled, not even sure if I had any lipstick on anymore (don’t tell my mom, she never left the house without any). The minute I walked-in, I immediately felt relaxed. Let’s just say the Fix Beauty Bar did just that, I finally got a manicure! If you read Tracy’s book, you will find that she also felt like there was no time to do the things before her life got busy taking care of kids. That is not a bad thing at all, just a challenge to find the time. There is so much that Tracy shared, and in such a humorous way, I was laughing out loud through the entire book. Like, the time she was speaking to the police officer without knowing that a pair of her lingerie was clinging to her clothing. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve found my son’s socks attached to my skirt. I may leave the house without lipstick, but now I always check for spare laundry parts attached. Tracy’s book is great, I hope she will write more and more. In the meantime, I can keep up with her over at http://www.lostinsuburbia.com

Now, a little bit about Tracy!
Tracy Beckerman writes the humor column, LOST IN SUBURBIA, which is syndicated to over 400 newspapers in 25 states to more than 3.5 million readers. She is the author of the book, “Rebel without a Minivan,” has appeared on The Today Show on NBC, The CBS Early Show, Better TV, LX NY, The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television, and CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. She has won a Writer’s Guild of America Award and a New York EMMY® for her writing, is a past recipient of the Erma Bombeck Humor Writers Award, and was recently selected as America’s Top Blogger by The Balancing Act on Lifetime. Tracy is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.

Lost in Suburbia is a syndicated humor column and blog by Tracy Beckerman. It is for any mom who is trying to hold onto just a little bit of her former, cool, pre-mom self!

After my much needed manicure and cool seltzer, I had the chance to visit with some of the sponsors of Tracy’s book tour. They are so cool, I just had to include them in this post as well:

Theraderm is clinical-grade skin care that is simple enough to fit into your busy schedule and powerful enough to address the visible signs of aging. I can attest to this, as the sample packet I received had step-by-step instructions and a wash cloth included! Since I am a #primetimeparent, I am on the search for products like Theraderm, a brand that believes in skin care that allows the skin to restore itself while revealing the natural beauty every woman possesses. Amen. To learn more about Theraderm, go to http://www.therapon.com and follow them on Twitter, @Theraderm

Since being a primetimeparent is very tiring, I was so glad to learn about Living Fresh Collection. They specialize in healthy and environmental sleep products engineered to promote well-being and better rest. They have eucalyptus linens and bedding products, yum. This to create a cleaner, healthier and more luxurious sleep experience. I now make sure to get my 8 hours! I could totally relate to Tracy’s lack of sleep when her baby wasn’t sleeping through the night. Sleep is key! Learn more about Living Fresh Collection at http://livingfreshcollection.com and follow them on Twitter, @LivingFreshHome

If you could see my desk, you would want to help me get more organized. Well, Office Candy has cute & fun office supplies, desk accessories, decorative and designer office products that make getting organized fun. They’ve got it all: cute file folders, funny sticky notes and pink desk accessories for those that believe that just because it’s practical doesn’t mean it can’t be cute. To learn more about Office Candy, go to http://www.OfficeCandy.com and follow them on Twitter/Facebook & Pinterest @OfficeCandyGal

When there is time to get out and get dressed, there is Ann Taylor. When I got my first real job in corporate America a million years ago, I spent a lot of time in Ann Taylor. See what’s new this spring at http://www.anntaylor.com and follow them on Twitter, @AnnTaylor

Let’s not forget the nosh. Sweet Loren’s ready-to-bake brownies and cookies, as my kids exclaimed, ‘are delicious, like cookie dough but better’. They are also kosher (dairy), preservative-free, and 100 % natural. Your friends and family will devour these wholesome, fresh-out-of-the-oven treats! To learn more about Sweet Loren’s, go to http://sweetlorens.com and follow them on Twitter, @SweetLorens

A great party like this must be captured by somebody other than the hostess. That is why Jennifer Lee Photography was on site to do just that. They specialize in portraiture of newborns, babies, children, families, maternity and celebration. To learn more about Jennifer Lee Photography, go to http://www.jenniferleephotography.com and follow them on Twitter, @JLeePhotoNYC
This party would not have been possible without Holly Rosen Fink of Culture Mom Media. She is just wonderful and I am proud to call her a #coolmomfriend of mine. To learn more about Culture Mom Media, go to http://culturemommedia.com and follow them on Twitter, @CultureMomMedia

I also enjoyed meeting the team from WE + PR! See what other clients they represent over at http://www.workmanentertainment.com and follow them on Twitter, @workmanpr

Do yourself a favor, buy this book, and buy one for your mom friends too! It is available on Amazon here.

Disclaimer: I was invited to attend this event and I received a copy of the book for review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

(Sponsored) Creating the Disney Magic at Home with Disney Paint #DisneyPaintMom

In an earlier post, I wrote about my experience buying Disney Paint by Glidden at Walmart. Before, during, and after that shopping experience, I learned some very important things about painting a room. It’s not just about the colors, but also about the amount of gloss in that color. I kept hearing the word eggshell, but I wasn’t sure what it meant. Well, now I know and it is what determines the volume of gloss the paint will display. Since we wanted a semi-gloss appearance, eggshell was just perfect. Our assistant at Walmart plugged in the corresponding codes for the colors into the computer, the color came out of a dispenser and went right into the paint bucket of eggshell. She then put the bucket of pain in the “paint shaker” and voila! Our colors were alive!

Once the paint was home with us, the old room and its walls had to be prepared. Thankfully, my husband has done this a few times in his life, so he knew what to do. If you haven’t done this before (me!), I have included his surface preparation checklist:
Scrape off loose paint with a paint scrapper
Fill in cracks and holes by using spackle (found in the paint section of your local Walmart)
Put primer on any bare spots (or in our situation, crayon murals!) This way, the crayon will not show through the paint.
Before any painting is to begin, remove all light and outlet covers and cover switches and outlets with masking tape.
Also, push all furniture away from the walls and cover it with plastic sheets.
Remove shades and curtains.

Special note: wear a painters’ hat and clothes that you would want paint on. My husband’s kippah (little beanie worn by Jewish men) is now a “kippah of many colors”. Next time I am going to get him a different hat.

Once the surface preparation is completed, let the painting begin. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we decided to make a room for both a boy and a girl. This room, the largest bedroom, is also where our kids and their friends play. We decided to go with colors that would complement each other. For my son, a huge Pixar fan, we decided on the Disney Specialty Finish, Magnificent Metallic in Royal Blue.

On the wall in between my son and my daughter, there is a window. We decided to paint this wall in the Disney Ultra Durable Paint color, Pretty as a Princess. On the other side of the window, which will be my daughter’s side of the room, we used a generic pink color. I have to say, the Disney Ultra Durable Paint was a pleasure to paint with. There was barely any odor, it dried fast, and the clean-up process was simple, just soap and water.
Now that the paint has dried, we are now working on the other finishing touches. We will be revealing all of this in an upcoming post! It will be magically magnificent!

Disclaimer: Compensation and products for review were provided by Glidden via MomTrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Glidden

Finding Myself Friday: What it’s like to be ‘In Jennie’s Kitchen’

After eight days of creatively cooking up meals for Passover without matzah last month, I couldn’t wait to get away from my kitchen. My family, on the other hand, could live on matzah and cream cheese all year long. The day after Passover ended, I had the perfect excuse to get out of the kitchen and enhance my culinary quest. I was leaving my kitchen for an afternoon to spend some time at a very special gathering of New York area bloggers, in Jennifer Perillo’s kitchen. In the blogging world, these gatherings usually are accompanied by a product that we should be tweeting and pinning about. At this particular event, we were all gathered in honor of the success of one of our very own; fellow mom blogger Jennifer Perillo. Not only is she a gifted writer and chef, she is just as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside. I was so thrilled to celebrate her first cookbook, Homemade with Love: Simple Scratch Cooking from In Jennie’s Kitchen. We celebrated in style, and what better place to do that then ‘in Jennie’s kitchen’. I felt so privileged to be in her element and see first -hand where her passionate baking comes to fruition; her kitchen.

When I first walked into Jennie’s home, I immediately felt a sense of warmth. I was drawn in by the natural lighting (this is a big thing for me). Everything from the color schemes, pictures on the walls, and cozy sitting areas was a reflection of Jennifer’s world. It encompasses a feeling of love and appreciation of all that is around her.

The kitchen is where I found Jennie upon my arrival. It is not a huge kitchen, in fact, it is very modest. Most importantly, has everything she needs. What she creates in her kitchen supersedes anything I have ever seen before.
All of a sudden, the quick exit from my kitchen was forgotten. I actually wanted to join Jennie in her kitchen and start cooking! When you see the pure joy and ease that Jennie has when working with food, it makes spending time in the kitchen that much better. When you see the ease of making meals from scratch, you will be inspired to make them in your own home. Homemade with Love is a book that you will not only use to make delicious, healthy meals, but thoroughly love the stories that go along with it as well.

I can’t wait to make this! You can find the recipe online at injennieskitchen.com

Love this girl!!! Esti and Jennifer Perillo

All of the above the photos from the event were taken by Lisa McDonald. Thank you for sharing these beautiful images with us.

Mom and Families Day at Citi Field on Sunday, April 28th #MetsMom

Disclosure: I was given tickets to the game to help promote this event. The opinions expressed in this post are my own. I love a great deal, especially when I can share it with my local NY are families. Now that spring is in the air, why not enjoy outdoor activities for the entire family. When I saw this special offer to see the New York Mets, I just knew had to share it with you all.

It is Mom and Families Day at Citi Field on Sunday, April 28. This special offer – priced at $25 ($29 after April 19) – will provide an affordable experience for your entire family. You can order tickets by contacting Matt Gulotta at the number/email listed on the flier above, or simply click on this link.

Now, let’s play ball!! If you are on twitter, instagram, or even facebook, share your photos by using the hashtag #metsmoms If you keep kosher, like we do, there are plenty of kosherfood options at Citifield.