Category Archives: Reviews

hartstrings kids clothes review

November 10, 2011 11:29 am \ 6 Comments \

Heartstrings Kids Review

Laura is a girly-girl. She loves getting dressed up. She loves fancy clothes. And she really likes picking out what to wear. So when I was offered the opportunity to choose an outfit from Hartstrings Kids to review on my blog, I knew that my little lady would want to have a say in it.

Hartstrings offers a selections of boutique clothing for babies, boys, and girls. I had such a hard time narrowing down my choices because there are so many outfits I loved. Ultimately, I picked my three favorites and then asked Laura which one she liked best. (She might be two and a half, but she definitely has strong opinions!) She loved the Long Sleeve Sweater Dress from this season’s Fair Isle Collection. I was kindly sent a pair of matching leggings to complete the look.

Heartstrings Kids Review

Shipping was speedy and the clothes were safely packaged in a plastic mailer. I ordered a size 2T for Laura. Typically she wears anywhere between a size 18 months – 24 months because she is a tiny little peanut, but I wanted her to get extra wear out of this pretty dress. I would say it is true to size. It is a little big on her, as I expected it to be, but not so big that it looks baggy. The knit is very soft and she was really comfortable. Actually, I had to bribe her with candy to take off the clothes and put her play clothes back on!

Heartstrings Kids Review

The clothes at Hartstrings are on the pricier side, but I think the prices are reasonable for special event or holiday clothes. Plus, as I browsed through the site, I noticed that quite a few choices were on sale. If the quality of the clothing I received is indicative of the rest of their offerings, I would (and probably will) order from Hartstrings in the future.

Heartstrings Kids Review

I think I’ve also seen Hartstrings specials on some of the daily deal sites, so you can always look for those too ;-) I know that we’ll get a lot of mileage out of this bright and cheery dress. In fact, Laura will have her first chance to wear it next week at her cousin’s birthday party!

Be sure to follow Hartstrings on Twitter and check them out on Facebook to be one of the first to learn about specials, deals, and new items.

Disclosure: I received free products from Hartstrings for review as part of my participation in a campaign by MomSelect.  I did not receive any financial compensation for this post.  This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Posted in: Reviews, Shopping & Deals \ Tagged: , , , , , , ,

hot wheels nitro speeders – WINNER!

September 12, 2011 8:46 am \ 1 Comment \

Thanks to everyone who entered my Hot Wheels giveaway! I wish I had one to give away to each of you, but there can only be one winner, picked via Random.org. And that person is…

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Congratulations, Leah! Please look for an e-mail from me!

Posted in: Reviews \ Tagged: ,

hot wheels nitro speeders giveaway

September 6, 2011 8:51 am \ 15 Comments \

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Do you have any idea how much Noah loves Hot Wheels? No, I don’t think you do because he probably loves Hot Wheels more than any other kid in the history of ever. He has cases full of them. We have bins full of Trick Tracks. And it’s not uncommon for him to just randomly blurt out “Hot Wheels! Beat that!”

So when I was presented with the opportunity to review one of their brand-new Nitro Speeders RC Cars, I jumped at the chance! Jake is into anything RC these days, so I knew this would be a great toy for both of them.

Laura was napping on me when they wanted to open up the package, so I left everything (aside from opening up the plastic) up to Jake (age 9). He sorted out the contents of the box, got a screwdriver and installed the 4 AA batteries (which were not included with the car). The RC car took about 20-30 minutes to initially charge and then it was ready to rock.

It’s really hard to describe how fast it flew down the hall. Take a look at this video we made to get an idea of how speedy this little car (and I mean little — less than 2.5″!) is:

Pros

  • Lightening fast and very amusing
  • Pocket sized remote doubles as charger and carrying case – from my point of view, this is the toy’s best feature! Otherwise, this car could get lost easily. Instead of several different things to keep track of when your child (or husband, ahem…) is done playing with the car, you just snap it in and put the controller on the shelf
  • Handles vertical loops and does awesome jumps
  • Works with Trick Tracks

Cons

  • High speed makes them challenging to control until you get the hang of it
  • Super tiny and easily drives under wine fridges, couches, hutches, etc.
  • Need a lot of hard surface floor space (tile, hard wood, vinyl) to really go wild

You do have to be careful about stray carpet fuzz or sewing thread (ahem) because these things easily tangle around the wheels and that will keep the RC car from prime operation. All in all it is a great toy and my boys have been having so much fun playing with it. I have a feeling this is going to be one of the hot gifts this Christmas, and I am thrilled that I have one to giveaway to one of my readers! Here’s how you do it:


 

Learn more about these cars at the Nitro Speeders website.  This toy retails for about $27.95 and is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Disclosure: I received a free Hot Wheels Nitro Speeders RC Car for review as part of my participation in a campaign by MomSelect.  I did not receive any financial compensation for this post.  This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Posted in: Reviews \ Tagged: , , , ,

wasa flatbread review & giveaway

August 8, 2011 2:00 pm \

wasa giveaway

*** This giveaway is now closed. ***

I was first introduced to Wasa crackers a few years ago when I initially went low-carb. I read dozens of message board posts about how wonderful they are and once I tried them — I was hooked. So when I was asked to review the new Wasa thin & crispy flatbreads, I was really excited.

The flatbreads come in three flavors: rosemary, sesame, and original. We had a small gathering for my mother-in-law’s birthday, so it was the perfect time to try them out. They were a hit with everyone — especially the rosemary flavor. Paired with a little dill havarti, they were scrumptious! But the great thing about Wasa crackers is that you can use them in so many different ways. They’re not just for cheese platters (although my husband was very proud of his artistic food presentation here):

wasa giveaway

One of Drew’s favorite ways to enjoy Wasa is with a fried egg on top. This is so yummy on the original flatbread, especially when you add a dab of salsa. As for the sesame, I like to top a sesame flatbread with hummus and a little roasted red pepper for a mid-morning snack. If you are short on ideas, check out Wasa’s Snackspiration promotion on their Facebook page. You can create your very own Wasa recipe with the new Create-A-Snack app for a chance to win a trip to Canyon Ranch Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona.

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If you would like to try out these amazing new Thin & Crispy Flatbreads from Wasa, here’s your chance! Wasa has generously offered to send a gift package to one of my readers. You can enter up to three times.

To Enter:

  1. (Mandatory) Like Wasa’s Facebook page and leave a comment on this entry telling me you did so.
  2. Leave me a comment and share your own Snackspiration creation. Which Thin & Crispy Flatbread would you like to try and how would you top it?
  3. Like my blog’s fan page on Facebook and leave a comment on this entry telling me you did so.

Simple as that! This giveaway will close Friday 8/12 at 8 a.m. Eastern Time. The winner will be chosen at random and announced around noontime on Friday. The winner must respond within 48 hours to claim the prize.

Disclosure: I received a gift pack of Thin & Crispy Flatbread crackers from Wasa in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed are my own and I received no further compensation from Wasa or their representatives.

Posted in: Food & Wine, Reviews \ Tagged: , ,

the eyes have it: l’oreal review

May 4, 2011 1:56 pm \ Leave a Comment \

l'oreal review

Lately I’ve been trying out quite a few new products. Some I recieve because I am members of programs, some because I sign up for a lot of freebies and coupons, and some because… well, I just like to try new things. So I thought that I’d designate Wednesday as the day I post reviews. I’m trying (trying!) to get some kind of blogging schedule going, but it’s hard because I’m used to writing in a very unstructured way.

At any rate, today I’m writing about makeup. I am a member of BzzAgent, which many of you have no doubt heard of (and you might be members yourselves). I was sent two full-sized L’oreal product samples to try: their new One Sweep™ Eye Shadow and Double Extend® Eye Illuminator Mascara. I’ve been using the products since the end of March. While I wasn’t so sure about the mascara at first, after using them I can say that love them both!

The One Sweep™ Eye Shadow

This eyeshadow allows you to apply three shades at one time, simplifying the process of having great-looking eyes. Normally I don’t bother with more than one color of shadow, even though I like the look. With One Sweep, it’s the best of both worlds. It took me a little bit to figure out the best way to use the applicator (I obviously didn’t want to apply the lightest shade to the bottom of my lid.) But once I got the hang of it, the application was super easy. The name of the product is a bit of a misnomer, as I needed at least two or three sweeps in order to get good coverage.

l'oreal review

 

Double Extend® Eye Illuminator Mascara

I have a love/hate relationship with mascara. I love the way good mascara accentuates my eyes, but I hate many of the mascaras I’ve tried. I was a little skeptical when I saw the tube of L’oreal Double Extend. One end is a traditional mascara brush, but the other side is  shaped like a ball, and the color is bronze. (This is the “illuminator” part of the mascara.) I’m 35 years old, so I feared this would be a little too much.

l'oreal review

Actually, the sparkle from the illuminator end is really subtle. It gives your lashes just a hint of sparkle — perfect for a night out. The traditional end of the mascara tube includes a brush that makes your lashes appear fuller. The makeup is a little on the thick side, so it helps if you have a lash comb to separate out your eyelashes. Overall, I think it is better than most of the other mascaras I’ve tried.

Both of these products are available at stores like CVS and Target, so you should have no problem finding them if you want to try them out for yourself!

Disclosure: I received these samples as part of my participation in the BzzAgent program. The opinions I’ve expressed in this review are my own and I receive no further compensation for posting them.

Posted in: Reviews, This & That \ Tagged: , ,

nice ‘n easy foam hair color review

February 22, 2011 7:54 am \ 1 Comment \

So last week I colored my hair. Nothing drastic — just to cover up the grays. It was another mess, believe me! I was able to snag one of the Facebook coupons for a free box of Clairol’s new Nice ‘n Easy Foam hair color. I thought it sounded like a great product, but… it wasn’t.

Thankfully the color itself came out well, but the process was not easy. The color stained everything from my temples to my neck to my shoulders. I also feel that it wasn’t wet enough to totally saturate my hair, nor was it very “foamy.” I expected a consistency reminiscent of mousse, but it was more sudsy. If you continually shook it, the color maintained that foamy consistency, but who wants to be shaking the bottle every five seconds? It also burned, which was slightly alarming. I’ve used other Nice ‘n Easy colors in the past and really liked them so this was a huge disappointment.

Were you able to get the coupon? I’m curious about others’ experiences.

Posted in: Reviews \ Tagged:

cookbook review: the indian slow cooker by anupy singla

January 25, 2011 7:32 pm \ 3 Comments \

While searching for Indian recipes last December, I stumbled upon a new book entitled The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla. Anupy is the author of the blog Indian as Apple Pie. I’d never read her blog before, but as I looked through it I became more and more interested in this book. As you know, I love Indian food. I craved it constantly when I was pregnant with Laura (who incidentally loves it as well), and I make quite a few Indian and Indian-inspired recipes in my kitchen.

But putting my slow cooker to use to make mouth-watering Indian dishes — and healthy ones at that — seemed almost too good to be true! No, there’s no need for diet pills when you’re cooking with fresh veggies, beans, and heart-healthy oils.

The first recipe I made was “Dhuli Moong Dal – Simplest of Simple Yellow Lentils” (p. 55). Being new to cooking lentils, they still weren’t simple enough for me at first! I followed the recipe and let it cook for several hours. When I checked on my dal, I saw that the lentils weren’t cooking down at all. They were still quite hard. After doing a little research, I attribute this to adding salt at the start of cooking. So I poured out my lentils into a large pot and cranked the heat on the stove. This quick-fix worked quite well and my dish was saved! The result was delicious. Per the author’s suggestion, I topped it with a bit of butter, which made the dish extra-delicious. Don’t you want a bowl of this?

Dhuli Moong Dal - Simplest of Simple Yellow Lentils

Sunday I decided to try making her recipe for “Aloo Gobi – Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes” (p. 91). I halved the recipe and it turned out perfect! In an ideal world with extra time, I would probably saute the potatoes first to give them a little more texture, but even without doing so it was delicious. And the whole point of the book is simplifying cooking: chop, drop, and go.

Aloo Gobi - Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

Laura gobbled up both these dishes. She absolutely loves rice and lentils, so that didn’t surprise me. But the aloo gobi was quite spicy and she still devoured a dish. I’m really looking forward tor trying out more of these recipes, especially the Split Chickpea Curry, Dry Spiced Dal, Goan Black-Eyed Peas, Spicy Punjabi Eggplant with Potatoes, Minced Lamb with Peas, and Lamb Biryani.

I wish that the book had the nutritional information for the dishes, but it’s not that hard to figure it out. The book was tough to find when I was originally looking for it. It was out of stock at my local Barnes & Noble and Amazon didn’t have it, either. Thank goodness for Oblong Books! I checked their inventory online and was able to drive over that night and buy it. I don’t purchase a lot of cookbooks, but this is one I’m happy to have in my library.

Posted in: Food & Wine, Reviews \ Tagged: , ,