Friday Blog Hops

I'm wrapping up my week by staying home and getting a few things done. My goal is to clear through some clutter in my house today. It doesn't mean I have to spend my whole day on it, but I need to get something started. With the holiday gifts still needing places to "stay" and a messy guest room, I'll have plenty to keep me busy.

How about you? How are you spending your Friday?

Thursday Blog Hops

Where has this week gone? For that matter, where has the last two weeks gone? I'm still around, and I'm still playing catch up.

How has your week been? What was your favorite part so far?

Twitter Hop Thursday @ Simply Stacie

EcoSmart Review

We all care about our families. We want to keep them safe inside and out. One way of doing this is to use organic products in and out of our homes. There are many easy ways to clean the inside of your house organically. And buying and growing organic foods will help your families be healthier on the inside too.

EcoSMART is a company that specializes in Organic Insecticide. They carry products like Home Pest Control, Insect Repellent and Garden Fungicide. The best part is everything they make is organic and plant based. EcoSMART products are safe to use around pets and children. They have products that I feel comfortable using with my family.

EcoSMART carries these product bundles: Safe Home Value Bundle, Safe Plant & Garden Value Bundle, Safe Picnic Value Bundle, Safe Personal Care Value Bundle, safe Lawn and Outdoor Value Bundle, and Safe Patio Value Bundle. I've had the chance to try their Safe Patio Bundle which contains Ant & Roach Killer, Flying Insect Killer and Two bottles of Insect Repellent. And we received the Safe Plant & Garden Value Bundle to review; it has Weed and Grass Killer, Garden Fungicide, Garden Insect Killer and Insect Repellent. You won't have to worry about those pests or different types of spiders anymore.

We are not able to plant our garden yet, but you can be sure that my husband has been thinking about what he'd like to do this year. Matt pretty much does the fruits and vegetables. I have a few flower beds that I take care of. It's so important to me to keep the fruits and vegetables, especially, as organic as possible. Sometimes the bugs and other problems make that hard to do. But now with our EcoSMART garden products that will be easier.

I was definitely impressed by the Insect Repellent that we used over the summer last year. I am really particular about using insect repellent on my son. I waited until he was a bit older and only when necessary to use it, and I've never used DEET on him. Now I feel much safer using this product that I know is made from plant oils and will still keep my son safe from insect bites.

Look no farther for organic pestisides. You'll find that EcoSMART has something for all those needs. And you'll feel great that you're doing something good for your family.




Buy It: EcoSMART products are available from their website or search to find a store near you (Wal-Mart and Meijer carry them here).


 
*Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, but a product was provided to me for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.*

Pop Pals Review

Popsicles are part of any fun childhood. I love to keep the ice pops around all summer long for a quick and easy snack. And who says you can't enjoy ice cream and popsicles in the winter too!

My son is 4 years old and he always makes a mess with ice pops. He has a hard time squeezing them up as he's snacking on them, but we found a fun way to help him with that. From Keen Distribution comes Pop Pals. They are a flexible holder that slips onto the ice pop to keep your kids hands from getting cold and keeps your kids from getting messy too.



The Pop Pals are designed to look like a fun little character that your kids will love. And it's made from soft flexible FDS food grade material, as well as being PVC-free, phthalate-free, and BpA-free. They're easy for kids to use and they're also dishwasher-safe and freezer-safe.

Be sure to check out the other products that Keen carries, such as the Bumbo seat. And you can connect with them on Twitter too.


Buy It: You can order these through their website and Amazon as well.


 
*Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, but a product was provided to me for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.*

Toy Story 3 Action Links Review + {Giveaway- Ends 1/24} (CLOSED)

"Toy Story 3" was one of the biggest hit movies in 2010. I took my son to see it in the theater, and we watched it on DVD once too. Actually I'm still hoping to get it for us to have here. I'd like to see the whole thing again, since I didn't watch it all the second time around.

Like many other young kids, my son is "Toy Story" crazy right now. We recently switched him from a toddler bed to a twin-size bed, and he chose "Toy Story" bedding to replace his "Cars" stuff. He has tons of t-shirts and other clothing with "Toy Story" characters, and he loved the "Toy Story" themed birthday party that his 2^nd cousin had last fall.

Needless to say we were thrilled when we got the opportunity to host a party for MomSelect with the new Toy Story 3 Action Links Stunt Sets by Mattel. This is a fantastic toy set that is geared towards kids ages 5-8. My son is just a little younger than this, but he had no problems with it. He did need a little help to set things up, but once he learned what everything did it was no problem.



Toy Story 3 Action Links Stunt Sets come in several sets. The 5 sets we received were: Evil Dr. Porkchop Attacks, Jessie to the Rescue, Buzz Saves the Train, Sunnyside Breakout Deluxe Playset, and Junkyard Escape Stunt Set. And we also received extra Buddy Packs with more characters to share with our friends. My son and the other kids enjoyed setting up these sets, then setting them off to see what they would do. Each action sets off another reaction. And it's fun to mix and match the sets to see what other new ways you can use them. Each piece in the sets is interchangeable. And all the figures can be used in different ways to activate the chain reactions too.

I love that these sets can be used individually, or you can put them all together for a huge chain reaction event. Once we got the sets set up for the first time, my son had no problem doing them on his own after that. He can pull them all out and sit for an hour or so just playing with this. It's very imaginative, and along with the Toy Story 3 Buddy figures (some included & also sold separately) the possibilities are endless.

Zachariah enjoys the Toy Story 3 Action Links Stunt Sets, and he's begun to collect the Buddy figures. The all interchange with different parts of the sets, so it's fun to see the different ones we can get. As much fun as these toys have provided in our house, I will definitely recommend them to you. They also make great birthday and holiday gifts.

Buy It: Toy Story 3 Action Links are available in stores and online everywhere.



Win It: I have 5 Toy Story 3 Buddy Packs (one shown above; they are all different) to share with 3 lucky readers! (The first 2 winners will get 2 packs, and then the 3^rd will get the remaining pack.)

To Enter: Visit Mattel's website, and tell me which set you think your kids would like best. Be sure to include your e-mail address, so I can contact you when you win. (If I can't find an e-mail address in your profile or in your comment, I will draw a new number for the winner.)

Extra Entries: If you'd like to, you may earn extra entries for doing each of the following. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each. You must do the above (main) entry first, and then you can do these others.

*Post about the giveaway on your blog and leave the link here. (2 entries)
*Subscribe to this blog by RSS feed or feed reader.
*Subscribe to this blog by e-mail.
*Become a Google Friend Connect Follower (or you already are). (2 entries)
*Grab my button and post if on your blog. (2 entries)
*"Like" my fan page on Facebook. (2 entries)
*Be my friend on Facebook. (2 entries)
*Follow me with Networked Blogs (2 entries)
*Enter my other giveaways, then come back here and let me know which ones you entered. (Each good for an extra entry, so you could get as many extra entries as giveaways you entered.)
*Follow me on Twitter.
*Post about this giveaway on Twitter and leave the link here. You may do this once a day until the giveaway ends. I've made it easy, just Cut & Paste:

Enter to win Toy Story 3 Buddy Packs from @psmomreviews – http://tinyurl.com/2dhowbs #giveaway

 
This giveaway is open now through Sunday, January 23rd. I will post a winner on Monday, January 24th.

>Open to USA only!<


 
*Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, but a product was provided to me for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.*

Friday Blog Hops

A new year. The first Friday!

I'm having a lazy sort of morning. I really need to start getting things done. All my Christmas decor is boxed up and ready to be stored, but it's waiting in the kitchen to be transfered to the garage. Today I need to do that (instead of leaving it sit). I also have an office to clean and organize. And most importantly my son's room needs tackled. It was already filled with so many toys, and now with all the Christmas gifts it's positively bursting. We must weed through some things and find a better way to organize in there.

So I have things that need finished and things that need started. And now I should get to work. But I'll also take a few breaks to enjoy the Friday blog hops and finally get a few reviews/giveaways posted.

Happy Friday everyone!

A Fresh Start in a New Year!

Happy 2011 everyone! I hope that you and your families had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

I didn't mean to be away from my blog for almost 2 weeks. I knew I needed some time with my family, so that's what I did. I made more time for them. And not blogging was a big way to make more time. Plus we were traveling for Christmas to be with our families.

Last Tuesday I went with my parents, husband, and son to the Newport Aquarium a few hours south of here. We spent the day at the aquarium, had lunch, then spent the afternoon/evening at a nice hotel in the area. The pool was fun with the little guy, and we ordered pizza and watched a movie in our room. Then Wednesday on the way home we did a little shopping at Jungle Jim's and the outlet mall. It was a fun little trip with our family. It was all about getting Zachariah out and having fun with him. We accomplished that!

So, now we rang in the New Year with family and friends. We're home and unpacked, and I'm working on the laundry. The Christmas gifts are still strewn about the house. I must reorganized and sort my son's toys, because he had so many to begin with and now he's once again been spoiled beyond belief.

As for me, a few things are changing around here. So this is the start of a new year and new schedule for us around here. I want to get back to some basics of being a stay at home mom and housewife. I haven't made any new year's resolutions, but there are some things I need to work on. I suppose they are resolutions of sorts. It probably wouldn't hurt to write them down.

And now that I'm back and getting back into the daily grind, I will be back at reviews and giveaways here. I have some backed up from before the holidays, so be on the lookout for some great reviews and giveaways with wonderful companies. You will also see some more from me soon about a great giveaway/review event coming up with another blogger. Fun stuff!

So, what would you like to see from me here at PS Mom Reviews this year? I'd love to have your imput. And Happy New Year! May it be a blessed one for all of you.

Merry Christmas to You & Yours

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Yes, I totally put that photo in our Christmas cards this year. Ha! That's my little family, being goof balls as always. So why not just show us like we really are.

I am taking a break from blogging, tweeting, and other such for a few days. I want to relax and enjoy Christmas with my family. So I wanted to take the time to tell you all Merry Christmas!

I hope that you enjoy the holidays with your family, and you'll probably see me around next week.

Wednesday Blog Hop- I'm Co-hosting!

Happy Hump Day!!

...and rest assured, because its all down hill from here. In a good way!

;)

<a href="http://www.mommyonlyhastwohands.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll263/Lynhea/Humpdaybloghopbutton.jpg" border="0" alt="Its Hump Day!" /></a>

This is another midweek blog/twitter/facebook hop! But only link up just 1 of the three!  And its so incredibly simple but the rules have changed a little.

I have a guest host: PS Mom Reviews

Every week there will be a new guest host!

1. Follow your two hostesses with what they link up on the linky form, which could be twitter, blog or a facebook page.
2. retweet/facebook this hop. You can do this with my tweet button in the top left corner of this post or on the bar at the bottom of this page.

3. Follow who ever follows you! Of course you might have to initiate a follow by following people on the linky, but still its really easy and simple!

That is it!!

If you would like me to follow you, leave a comment and your URL to your blog, twitter or facebook page! 

It would be nice if you displayed the button in your post or blog sidebar. I just ask you only link up Family Friendly Blogs, Twitter or Facebook accounts only. I will make sure its family friendly!! Link up and have fun, after all the week is half way over....

P.S. I have a giveaway linky right under the blog hop linky. Link up your giveaways there. I will delete any linkies to giveaways if they are in the wrong linky form.

Silver Spring Network’s “SmartGrid” Luncheon

A few weeks ago I was invited to a Columbus area bloggers event. Mom Central was organized the event to bring Mom Bloggers together with Silver Spring Networks and AEP Ohio to teach us more about "SmartGrid" Technology. We had a lovely family style lunch at Alana's in Columbus. They specialize in locally sourced foods. Everything was so good, the atmosphere was great, the food was delicious, and I walked away stuffed!



I'm not located in Columbus, OH, but I'm not that far away. And this program is something that will soon be making its way across Ohio. It's starting in the Columbus area, because of their demographics and how well they compare to national demographics needed for this program.

"SmartGrid" Technology, you might be wondering what in the world I'm talking about. Well, I knew very little when I first heard about the event. I did a little research and learned so much more from Silver Spring Networks and AEP Ohio. In short SmartGrid is changing the way we use, pay for, and conserve electricity.

Right now when you use electricity in your home, you are not in direct control of what you're spending. Of course you can do little things like setting the air conditioner a little higher in the summer (or turning it off), making sure lights are off in rooms that aren't occupied, and unplugging electronics that aren't in use. Those things will all help save electricity, which is good for everyone and your pocketbook too.

Electricity prices change constantly, your usage changes from day to day, and you're not billed until the end of the month. So you have no idea from month to month what your bill will be (unless you're on a budget plan or something). There are very few other things that we do this with. You wouldn't walk into a grocery store and check out without knowing your total each week, then get a bill at the end of the month. It doesn't work like that. That said, why do we do this with electricity? When you buy groceries you know what you're spending each time. And that's what AEP Ohio and Silver Spring Networks are trying to change with electricity usage. They are ultimately leaving it in the users hands.



"SmartGrid" is putting an electronic electric meter in your house essentially. You can see the electricity that you are using. "SmartGrid" is a way to address needs in this country. Most of our power plants are old. Terry Flora from AEP Ohio told us that 60% of them will need to be replaced in the next 10 years. That is a huge number. It's going to be a big not only for the companies but also affect us as users. "SmartGrid" is a way for users (like you and me) to monitor our own electricity use each day, in fact you can view it down to 15 minute increments. This will help you to quickly figure out where/when you are using electricity in your house.

Using "SmartGrid" not only helps our world, but by being aware of when/how you are using electricity you can save your family money by changing some of your habits. AEP Ohio in their pilot program has different options for users. There are different ways that you can help conserve electricity and save a few dollars.

What we will really like about "SmartGrid" when it takes off and hits a bigger market is the ability to check your electricity usage in your home, through texts, e-mails, their website, and phones as well. Not only will you be aware in real time, but the power company is also aware. It will help them to better pinpoint power outages and fix them faster. And in the future you'll be able to see how much savings you can get from controlling energy usage in appliances and even electric cars. Things that need charged can be set to charge at "off-peak" hours (like in the middle of the night).

It was wonderful to learn so much about the new "SmartGrid" technology. It's something that I'm exciting about seeing in use. And they are saying this is a thing of the future. This is where utilities are headed. In AEP's *truck* we were able to see first hand the benefits of "SmartGrid". And we also learned some other ways that we can help to conserve electricity. CFL light bulbs are a great place to start. They use less electricity and put out just as much light as regular bulbs. And many home improvement stores will dispose of them, so you don't have to worry about that. In my own experience, though, they last so much longer that it won't be a concern very often about disposal.



I could go on and on. There were so many interesting things that we learned in just a few hours. If you are interested in more information, especially if you live in Ohio, be sure to check out the website www.gridsmartohio.com.



 

 
*Disclosure: I wrote this post after attending an informational luncheon on behalf of Silver Spring Networks and Mom Central Consulting and received a gift bag and gift card as a thank you for taking the time to participate.*

Monday Blog Hops

Only 5 more days to Christmas! I have all my shopping done, the presents are wrapped, and I just need to finish up making goodies to take places. But never fear I still have some fun things in the works for my blog over the Christmas vacation. So, make you sure you check out my giveaways going on now. I will be posting some great ones too. Enjoy!

 

Friday Blog Hops

Presents to wrap. Cookies to bake. Christmas is only a week away. How are you getting ready?

DidiPop Goes to Hawaii CD Review + {Giveaway} (CLOSED)

Inspired by a family trip to Hawaii, children's singer/songwriter Deborah Poppink, aka DidiPop, has released her newest album DidiPop Goes to Hawaii. With songs like "Wowie Gozowie (Goin' to Maui)" this new CD will definitely put you in a tropical mood. And your kids will love dancing along to the fun energetic beat.

Deborah Poppink shines as in children's music with her abilities as a songwriter, performer, and music teacher. She has traveled the world and performed all over. The new CD DidiPop Goes to Hawaii is a great addition to any child's music collection. The track list for DidiPop Goes to Hawaii is Wowie Gazowie, Coconut Candy, Kapalua Bay, Way Up High, Mango, The Hawaiian Alphabet Song, The Keiki Hula, Hop-a-loo, I Like Pigs, Sugar Can Train, Isabella Is, Cowabunga, Going Home. This is such a fun creative way to document a great Hawaiian vacation.



My son and I both enjoyed this CD. It's something that families can enjoy together. The lyrics and music is very catchy. We love to dance along to the songs. I enjoyed learning more about this person called "DidiPop" and I think you might too. Her website is full of information about her music, and the FAQ is definitely fun to learn more about who she is.




Buy It: The DidiPop Goes to Hawaii CD is available at www.didipop.com, iTunes.com and Amazon.

Win It: I have one copy of the DidiPop Goes to Hawaii CD to give to one lucky reader.

To Enter:
Tell me something that you like or found on her website. Be sure to include your e-mail address, so I can contact you when you win. (If I can't find an e-mail address in your profile or in your comment, I will draw a new number for the winner.)

Extra Entries: If you'd like to, you may earn extra entries for doing each of the following. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each. You must do the above (main) entry first, and then you can do these others.

*Post about the giveaway on your blog and leave the link here. (2 entries)
*Subscribe to this blog by RSS feed or feed reader.
*Subscribe to this blog by e-mail.
*Become a Google Friend Connect Follower (or you already are). (2 entries)
*Grab my button and post if on your blog. (2 entries)
*"Like" my fan page on Facebook. (2 entries)
*Be my friend on Facebook. (2 entries)
*Follow me with Networked Blogs (2 entries)
*Enter my other giveaways, then come back here and let me know which ones you entered. (Each good for an extra entry, so you could get as many extra entries as giveaways you entered.)
*Follow me on Twitter.
*Post about this giveaway on Twitter and leave the link here. You may do this once a day until the giveaway ends. I've made it easy, just Cut & Paste:

Enter to win kid's music CD "DidiPop Goes to Hawaii" from @psmomreviews – http://tinyurl.com/255hv7o #giveaway

 
This giveaway is open now through Sunday, December 26th. I will post a winner on Monday, December 27th.

>Open to USA & Canada only!<


 
*Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, but a product was provided to me for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.*