New Sustainable Post-it Note Color Collections
April 25, 2012 by Kailani
Filed under product reviews, stationary
Earth Day may have come and gone but that doesn’t mean that you have to stop taking care of the environment. My girls have learned all about the three R’s at school – reuse, reduce, recycle – and they’ve been doing their part to make a difference. There are also lots of companies who have taken great strides to reduce their carbon footprint including the Post-it Brand.
The Post-it Brand has launched three new sustainable Post-it Note Color Collections made from eco-friendly materials, to help green your organization routine.
Sunwashed Pier – Cool and effortless hues
Tropic Breeze – Carefree and calm colors
Farmers Market – Lively and fresh bursts of color
Each of these color collections are made from 100% recycled paper (30% postconsumer content) with the Sunwashed Pier having a unique plant-based adhesive. This means that not only do these new Post-it Brand colors look great but they’re also great for the environment. Each 3″ x 3″ Post-It pad comes with 100 sheets each as well as their famous sticky band.
We really like these new colors! They make it so much easier to color-coordinate our schedules with each member of the family picking their favorite hue. Then when we have to leave a note up for someone or label an event on the calendar we just use their assigned color. Makes communicating and organizing so much easier.
So the next time you’re at your favorite office supply store, stock up on these new Post-it Brand Recycled Notes. You’ll be helping the environment and getting organized all at the same time!
Connect with Post-It Brand
This post was written for 3M who provided the complimentary product in exchange for my honest review.
Bubble Guppies on DVD on May 1st
April 23, 2012 by Kailani
Filed under entertainment, kids, product reviews
With Kaila still at home with me during the day, we’re always looking for shows that emphasize school readiness and we’ve found it in Bubble Guppies. Bubble Guppies are a group of mermaid-like preschool characters who cover a wide range of everyday experiences that most kids can relate to.
In the newly released Bubble Guppies (available May 1st) DVD, the audience is introduced to the gang in 3 various episodes:
Bubble Puppy’s Fin-Tastic Fairy Tale! (Double length episode) – The segment begins with Mr. Grouper explaining to the class what fairy tales are. The Guppies are then seen in a Jack and Jill setting with Bubble Puppy getting turned into a frog by the mean witch (Wanda Sykes). They enlist the help of some famous fairy tale friends (Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Jack and the Beanstalk) to undo the wicked spell before the Witch can execute her evil plan to turn the world’s inhabitants into frogs.
This episode was a great way to teach my girls teamwork and helping out others. Even the Big Bad Wolf offered words of encouragement to Jack and Jill. They also taught critical thinking by showing bowls of porridge and having the kids decide which one was hot, cold, and just right. And finally, they promoted counting as the kids had to count out 1 dozen golden eggs.
Bubble Puppy – This is the episode where Bubble Puppy joins the group. Gil wants to adopt a puppy after seeing one he really likes at the adoption center, but the Bubble Guppies have to learn how to take care of a pet before he can bring it home.
The Guppies talk about the different kind of pets they’d like along with the sounds that each one makes. They also share some interesting facts about each animal as well as the sounds needed to pronounce each animal’s name (ie. CH for Chihuahua). Mr. Grouper then teaches the Guppies the basics of how to take care of a dog.
Bubble Bites – Ms. Pinkytoe, a friendly crab, gives Gil a few Bubble Bites to feed to Bubble Puppy. Bubble Puppy wants more food so the guppies head to the supermarket. They discover there is one box of Bubble Bites left and both Gil and Ms. Pinkytoe want it. They must compete in a Bubble Bites biathlon. Will Gil get more Bubble Bites to feed Bubble Puppy?
This episode’s theme is visiting the supermarket and everything the store has to offer. They also talk about paying for items and make a correlation between the amount of money you have to what you can buy. They do this by explaining the theory of subtraction. They also show Gil and Molly stacking oranges in their own way. Molly stacks hers in the usual pyramid style while Gil stacks his in one tall column. Which one do you think will fall over? However, the best part is when Gil wins a box of Bubble Bites and shares it with Mrs. Pinkletoe. Great lessons!
Each of these episodes follows the same basic layout which usually starts out with Molly introducing herself and getting ready to share the day’s topic only to have Gil stop her by performing some silly act related to the subject. On their way to school, something will happen to some of the Guppies while the rest of them go to school and tell their teacher, Mr. Grouper, about it. He then encourages them to think and discuss possible solutions. This is usually followed by a themed song.
The half-hour series features a variety show format with a strong narrative that relates to the theme of the episode. Bubble Guppies is set to a soundtrack of catchy, educational pop songs and a curriculum that infuses the core elements of kindergarten readiness including: math, literacy, the arts, science and socio-emotional development.
courtesy of Nickelodeon
Kiana and Kaila have really been enjoying the Bubble Guppies series. Their favorite part is always the part when the character asks the audience a question and the kids have to say the answer. They also enjoy the upbeat songs which can usually get them on their feet and dancing around the room. Even I enjoy those catchy tunes.
Bonus Features:
- “Create Your Own Bubble Guppy” DVD Game
- 2 Karaoke Music Videos – Fairytale Pop Song & I’m So Mean (Wanda Sykes)
- Juke Box Song Selection
Bubble Guppies can be viewed on Nickelodeon. Check your television guide for show times in your area.
Purchase your copy of Bubble Guppies
This post was written for Nickelodeon who provided the complimentary copy in exchange for our honest review.
Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Test Drive Phase 2 #CrestSponsored
April 23, 2012 by Kailani
Filed under health, product reviews
A few weeks ago, I began my Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Plaque Test Drive Campaign courtesy of Crest and Mom Central. I was provided with the Crest Pro-Health Clinical Plaque Control Toothpaste, Crest Pro-Health Clinical Rinse, Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Pro-Flex Toothbrush, and Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Clinical Protection Floss to see if I could recreate that just-from-the-dentist clean feeling as well as improve my overall oral hygiene.
The Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Plaque Control is the newest addition to the Pro-Health family and provides clinical protection for a clean and healthy mouth. The new Clinical Plaque Control line of products includes toothpaste, rinse, floss and manual toothbrush. That when used together, protect against all these areas dentist check most: plaque, cavities, gingivitis, sensitivity, tartar, stains, and fresh breath.
courtesy of Crest & Oral-B
During the campaign, I just replaced the products that I currently use with the Crest and Oral-B ones and used them on a daily basis. I even brought the Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Clinical Protection Floss and Crest Pro-Health Clinical Rinse with me to work so I could maintain healthy oral care between flights. After all, fresh breath is a must for a flight attendant.
What I found was a very different clean feeling. Now, you’re probably thinking “What’s the difference between clean and clean?”. Well, my teeth felt extra clean . . . like I just walked out of the dentist office. You know that smooth feeling you get when you run your tongue over your teeth? C’mon, I know you all do it, too! I’m not sure what exactly makes the difference but I do know that these products were designed to work together.
In fact, I just had a dentist appointment last week and the hygienist commented on how clean my teeth were. My cleaning usually takes about 60 minutes but this time I was out of there in less then 45. Not bad for only 3 weeks of using the Crest and Oral-B products. Can you imagine what a great check-up I’ll get when I’ve been using it for 6 months?
Who knows? Maybe now I won’t dread going to the dentist office anymore. Nah . . . who am I kidding?
“I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Crest and Oral-B and received product samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a promotional gift to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (3D) Preview
April 21, 2012 by Kailani
Filed under entertainment, featured, kids, product reviews
In The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Hugh Grant stars in his first animated role as the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain – a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to win the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. It’s a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along the way they battle a diabolical queen (Imelda Staunton) and team up with a haplessly smitten young scientist (David Tennant), but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure!
courtesy of Sony Pictures
We had the opportunity to preview the movie at the Ward Theaters and we really enjoyed it! My girls and I are not really into pirates but this group was hilarious! Each one had their own unique characteristic and I enjoyed seeing them as a group of friends rather than savages. And unlike most pirates, these place family ties and doing the right thing over riches and fame. They’re always there for each other and show support, friendship, and loyalty throughout the movie. Plus, there were some pretty laugh-out-loud moments that took me by surprise.
It takes place on the high seas where Pirate Captain decides that he wants to run for Pirate of the Year. With his loyal crew (and mascot Polly the Parrot) behind him he sails to Blood Island to submit his application. Here he encounters the rest of the pirate candidates . . . all who seem to have a much better chance of winning. They’re meaner, flashier, and most of all . . . have much more booty to their names.
So Pirate Captain goes on a mission to raid vessels on the high seas in search of fortune. Unfortunately, every single ship he encounters is a bust . . . until he meets with up with a strange vessel carrying exotic dead animals. The only human on this ship is a scientist named Charles Darwin who is about to be forced to walk the plank. That is, until Charles notices Pirate Captain’s parrot and announces that Polly is really a supposedly extinct DoDo Bird.
They decide to take Polly to London and present her to the Royal Society with both Charles and Pirate Captain having their own selfish motives behind the mission. Charles want to impress Queen Victoria who he’s in love with and Pirate Captain thinks this will get him the fame and fortune he needs to win the Pirate of the Year Award.
Queen Victoria, on the other hand, has a reputation for hating pirates with a passion. So when she learns of Pirate Captain’s true identity she’s quick to order a beheading. However, she suddenly has a change of heart and decides to offer him riches in return for him handing Polly over to the Queen’s zoo. He takes the offer . . . alienating his crew who all have a fondness for Polly.
When Pirate Captain finally realizes his mistake, he goes on a mission to rescue Polly only to find that Queen Victoria has some secret sinister plans of her own.
Will he rescue Polly in time? Will he eventually win Pirate of the Year? Will his crew forgive him? The Pirates! Band of Misfits (3D) opens in theaters on May 27, 2012. Take the whole family for some swashbuckling fun! Argh!
Connect with The Pirates! Band of Misfits
This post was written for Sony Pictures who provided the complimentary advance tickets in exchange for my honest review.
