Happy 4th! Celebrate all year with the NEW Red, White, and You Candies from Sweethearts {Review}

Happy Independence Day to everyone! I hope that your 4th will be filled with lots of fun, family, fireworks, and, of course, food! With all of the excitement it can sometimes be easy to forget the true reason behind our celebration this time of year, but Sweethearts has come up with a brand new way to help us celebrate America and remember the important people who have gotten us where we are today - the brave men and women who have fought, and are fighting now, for our country and freedoms. We all know and love the traditional Sweethearts, you know with all of the mushy gushy love sayings, that are a Valentine's Day staple. But, this year Necco has decided to something new with their Sweethearts for the 4th of July (and beyond!) - Red, White, and You Sweethearts. These are the classic Sweethearts in patriotic colors featuring sayings to honor our soldiers and America. Example sayings are "home safe", "I love you", "thank you", and many more. I think it's an awesome idea and that these will become a staple for all of our memorial celebrations, including Independence Day.

Here is some information from the Necco website about the new Sweethearts:

"The classic Sweethearts you know and love were already a part of the fabric of American culture, but now they’ve taken things to the next level. We’ve taken our Sweethearts and redesigned them to incorporate new All-American colors, phrases and packaging. Red White & You Sweethearts are a sweet and simple way to show your true colors – the individual candies come in red, white and blue (strawberry, blueberry and vanilla crème). They are also fat-free and gluten-free, so everyone can express their patriotism and feel great about it!"

These Sweethearts are awesome by themselves, but Sweethearts sent along some great ideas of how you can incorporate these candies into fun family crafts and treats. We decided to try out the flag cake, and it turned out so cute (kind of...lol...the Sweethearts were cute anyway!). Now, as you can see, it's no piece of art (EG wanted to "help"...a lot!) and the numbers of stars and stripes is off, but it's the thought that counts (right?), and it made for such an easy and festive treat. I'm sure you guys can think of some fabulous ways to use these candies, but here are a few more suggested by Sweethearts:

- Party Favors: Wrap up the boxes in festive scrapbook papers, and add pipe cleaners, stickers, and other embellishments to create fun party favors.

- Flag Cookies: Roll out cookie dough, cut into rectangles, add a popsicle stick on one end (to make a flag handle), bake, and then decorate with Sweethearts and red, white, and blue icing to make Flag Cookies.

Check out the new Red, White, and You Sweethearts at a store near you, and make some fun of your own while celebrating our awesome country!

Make Feeding Your Baby and Toddler a Breeze with the Baby Dipper Bowl and Spoon {Review and Giveaway} **CLOSED**

Congratulations to the winner, Heather!

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There are a lot of products on the market right now that claim to make feeding baby easier than ever. I've tried a few and have honestly never been that impressed. We have all sorts of bowls and spoons that we used with EG, and it seems we had the same feeding "issues" no matter what. The bowls would slide all over the table, EG would stick her hand in the bowl, there's always that last bit of rice cereal you just can't get to, etc., etc., etc. Now I'm certainly not saying that feeding a baby is the hardest thing in the world, but wouldn't it be nice to find a product that could make a daily task, like feeding, easier and more enjoyable for everyone? And, not only that, also be helpful down the road with feeding your toddler. Who wouldn't want such a product? Well if you're like me, and will take anything to make your life easier at all, then you should definitely check out the Baby Dipper bowl! As far as baby/toddler feeding supplies go, the Baby Dipper is definitely top ranked in my book. The basic design is a triangular shaped, contoured bowl that helps guide food onto the accompanying spoon (in other words it has a bit of a slope to it inside) and has a non-skid base to allow for one handed feeding. The matching spoon is designed to fit perfectly into all "corners" of the bowl and sit propped on the bowl without falling in when you set it down. The bowl itself also has transparent sides that allow adults and toddlers alike to be able to see the food in the bowl from all angles. I have to say that, after testing it out with EG, it lives up to all of its promises (and my high expectations!)! And if you're wondering about the creator of the Baby Dipper, I can assure you she has plenty of experience with baby/toddler feeding. Barbara is a mom to two sets of twins and has certainly had plenty of experience with trial and error of feeding products. Her frustrations with everything else out there led to the creation of the Baby Dipper. It is most definitely a mom created, mom tested, and mom approved product!

I have to say that I was quite impressed with the performance of this nifty little bowl and spoon. The first thing I noticed was that the bowl itself was of a really nice weight, unlike the flimsy bowls I am used to seeing for infants and toddlers that inevitably slide everywhere and tip easily. The sturdiness of it alone would probably do well to keep it from sliding all over the table while you try to feed your little one. But, the added non-skid base really helps it to stay put. We used it on our wooden kitchen table and it worked great. EG is pretty much feeding herself now, and more than once her plate has ended up on the floor, or almost on the floor, because she's trying to get a piece of food that just wont stick on her fork. The Baby Dipper immediately alleviated this problem by allowing her to easily access all of the food in the bowl, due to the contour and transparency, all without it sliding all over the table. I thought that was awesome! Also, the matching spoon really does fit perfect in the bowl and allows you to get to all of the food. It has a great curve to it as well that makes it easy to hold in your hand (or your toddler's) and helps direct food right where it needs to go. I no longer have an infant to test on (*tear*), but I have no doubt that this would be excellent. If EG can feed herself with no sliding around, etc. then I know this would be terrific for a mom needing a non-skid bowl for easy one handed feeding. The Baby Dipper would allow you to leave the bowl out of reach of your child (rather than right in his/her face while you're trying to get the food out where it's just so tempting!) while you scoop up some food quickly, easily, and steadily. And it also eliminates that final scrape of the bowl! Topping off all of the cool features, when you need to set the spoon down to wipe a face, take a drink, etc. you don't have to worry about the spoon falling into the peas (or carrots, sweet potatoes, or whatever the food of the day is...). The coating on the spoon keeps a pretty good grip on the side of the bowl to prevent slipping and sliding.

I have truly enjoyed using the Baby Dipper with EG and find that it is a great size for baby and toddler servings. I would love to see a divided bowl and a bigger bowl in the future to expand the uses even more! The Baby Dipper would make an awesome shower gift for an expecting mom because goodness knows you can always use an extra hand! The Baby Dipper makes one handed feeding a reality, and allows your toddler to more easily self-feed. Who could ask for more in a product than to do what it promises and do it well? The Baby Dipper does just that and I'd love for you to try it! The set retails for $9.99 and is worth every penny. See details below for how to purchase and also how enter to WIN one of your own to gift or keep for yourself.

TO BUY: You can purchase the Baby Dipper online from Amazon.com or check out the Baby Dipper website for a list of stores in your area.

TO WIN: Visit the Baby Dipper website and tell me something awesome about the Baby Dipper that was not discussed in my review. Feel free to check out Barbara's Twitter, blog, and Facebook page as well! See details below for further entry guidelines.

To enter this giveaway follow the rules and entry guidelines below (US ONLY):

1. REQUIRED: Visit Baby Dipper and/or their Twitter, Facebook, and blog and tell me something fabulous you learned!

To earn extra entries you may do one or more of the following and leave me additional comments here telling me which you have done:

2. Follow me AND Baby Dipper on Twitter and tweet (be sure to leave me the link and your Twitter name).
3. Blog about this contest and leave me the link.
4. Follow Mommy Works
5. Subscribe to Mommy Works via reader/e-mail

6. Grab my button, place it on your site, and leave me the link where I can find it.

7. Enter another one of the Mommy Works giveaways and tell me which one(s)

**Be sure to leave me your e-mail address, if there is not a visible one in your profile, so that I can contact you if you win. This contest will end at 11:59 PM CST on Tuesday, June 30. The winner will be randomly chosen via Random.org and notified on or around Wednesday, July 1.**

Quick, Healthy, TASTY Meals to Go: GoPicnic Review

When I stumbled upon GoPicnic I immediately thought they had a great idea. Everybody has had a need for an easy, quick meal that needs no heating or refrigeration. Luckily for us, that is exactly why GoPicnic is here! They offer pre-packaged, instant, balanced meals for everyone, including kids! GoPicnic uses all natural products, many of them organic, and includes meal choices that are appropriate for any special diet. This includes gluten-free, vegan, kosher, etc. They offer meals for everyone, but I was particularly interested in the MightyMunch Kids Meals, which are all guaranteed to have NO NUTS! From the GoPicnic website:

"MightyMunch meals are packed with fun, tasty, kid-tested foods that are nutritious AND delicious! Each meal is balanced to limit overall fat, saturated fat and sugar content, and contains protein, grains & fruit as well as a sweet treat and a fun surprise. Natural ingredients are at the core of MightyMunch meals – our food contains no trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, artificial flavors or artificial colors. MightyMunch meals also have no peanut or tree nut ingredients. Each food item is individually packaged and needs no refrigeration or heating – that means you can eat MightyMunch meals anytime, anywhere!"

They truly are DELICIOUS too! We were given three of the kids' meals to try: SafariMunch, GalaxyMunch, and ExploreMunch. All three of the meals had plenty of things my toddler would, and did, eat! She loved most all of the items in the meals as well. I appreciated that everything was individually wrapped so we didn't have to worry about eating everything all at one time. It took two or three days for EG to eat all that was provided in ONE meal. We divided it up for lunch AND snacks and there was plenty for her! For an older child, there would have been more than enough for a great lunch! I can't pick a favorite meal because they all had items EG loved. I especially liked the fact that the meals had "different" foods that EG had never tried before, but really enjoyed. Her favorites were the Mrs. Mays sunflower seed crunch (in the SafariMunch and ExploreMunch) and Sensible Portions apple cinnamon multigrain crisps (and the cheese of course, but that's an old fave!).

GoPicnic meals will definitely be a stocked item in my house as the weather starts getting nicer and we begin taking our meals on the go more (i.e. the park, hiking, etc.). They would also be great to keep on hand for those days you don't have time to pack a lunch, to take on the road for vacations, or even every day lunches (especially for those who require special diets). They are reasonably priced between four and six dollars for most of them. GoPicnic also has certain meals on sale each day, and the choices rotate often. Try them for yourself and let me know how you like them! With all of the choices they offer, there is sure to be one you'll love!

Making the Most of 2009

If you are anything like me, you have never been able to keep a New Year's Resolution in your entire life. Every year I make one, and every year I end up breaking it before the end of February. This year I made a resolution to not make any resolutions (okay, technically I guess that's still a resolution but that's beside the point...). Instead, I am simply going to go into 2009 with no expectations, no timelines, no lofty goals other than to make the most of the year. Nothing specific, no set weight loss goals, no "read x amount of books before (date)", no work out 30 minutes each day, nada. All I want from 2009 is to make the very most of the time I have. Being a working mommy, I don't have near enough of it, so making the most of the time I do have is super important. Over the last 15 months since I've had my daughter I've collected a plethora of ideas, tips, tricks, products, etc. that help me to save time. So, to kick off 2009 I am making a list of some of my best advice on making the most of your time and a I'll also share a few "must have" products. I hope that you would leave me some comments with your great ideas and products too. Here goes (in no particular order):

My best working mommy advice:

1. Always leave work at work. There will always be something to stress or worry about, but stressing and worrying don't change anything. Don't waste family time worrying about work. This is a hard one for me!

2. There is no such thing as having 'too many pictures'. Snap away when you're with your kids! I keep a small digital camera with me at all times, and my BlackBerry also has a little camera (more on the BlackBerry in a minute).

3. Find the right caretaker for your child during the day. Keep searching until you are 100% confident, no matter if you choose a home, daycare center, nanny, etc.

4. Eat dinner together as a family as often as possible. It's proven that families who eat together, stay together.

5. Cut down on TV time to actually play and be present with your children.

6. Loosen up on schedules. The only time I have with EG during the week is in the evenings and we don't have a strict bed time. I don't try to keep her awake by any means, but I don't rush her off to bed at a specific time either. Sleep experts somewhere are probably cringing at that thought, but it has worked for us!

7. Here's a new one for me...don't put on shoes and socks until you reach your destination. At about 14 months, my daughter's favorite new thing in the car was to tear her shoes and socks off and throw them (where I can't find them of course). By the time we had reached our destination I would have to go on a treasure hunt and then put them back on her all over again. Now, I just let her ride in the car in her bare feet and put the shoes and socks on when we get where we are going. This way I don't have to put them on twice.

8. Read together every day. It doesn't take that much time to read a children's book, and the time it does take is worth it. Not only are you spending priceless snuggle time together, but you are fostering a lifelong love of books and reading.

9. Enroll in an evening or weekend class together. We've tried out a couple of classes and our favorite is Music Together. EG loves music so this was a good choice for us. Also, it is near our house and is only 45 minutes once a week. These classes create built in time focused simply on spending time together. Search for a class or group in your city that is in an area you already enjoy. Some you might want to check out are mommy and baby/child yoga classes, play/fitness classes (Gymboree, Little Gym, etc.), and music classes. Bigger cities also have parent fitness classes that include baby, like Stroller Strides.

Some of my favorite "must carry all the time" products:

1. Moleskin notebooks (or any brand really...I just prefer this one for ease of use, style, and durability) - Probably the single most thoughtful gift I ever received from my husband was a mini moleskin notebook and a set of cute mechanical pencils given to me last Christmas as a gift for when I started back to work. They were given to me with the instructions to keep them in my diaper bag and write down any special thoughts or moments I had with EG. This way I could transfer them at some point to the computer or baby book or wherever, but I always had something with me that I could jot down important things.

2. The Snack Trap - This little contraption speaks for itself. Flexible "trap" top lets little fingsers easily get a few snacks out while the rest stay in, even if dropped. Less mess for on-the-go snacks. Couldn't live without it!

3. Mini video camera - This is a new "must have" that I received for Christmas and boy am I so glad I have it. I don't always have time to get together and carry around our main video camera all the time, and, let's be honest, it's just not practical. And, more often than not, we are somewhere other than home more often than we are at home during the week. These little gadgets easily fit in a diaper bag or pocket and let me capture anything I want to on the go! I love it! There are several options on the market; I have the Kodak zi6 (which you can get in a cool bundle at Walmart for a great price) and think it's fabulous! Other popular styles are the Flip cameras: Mino, Mino HD, and Ultra.

4. BlackBerry Curve - I LOVE this phone so much and I don't think I'll ever switch (except maybe to the Storm if it ever comes to T-mobile)! This is definitely a time saver because I have my calendar, e-mail, contacts, TwitterBerry, Facebook, etc. all right there in my pocket. And, in a pinch, it also has a built in camera and video camera (granted they are not that great, but definitely better than nothing). I love the whole BlackBerry line but the Curve is my favorite because of the full keyboard which makes for easy texting and Twitter-ing.

5. "From the mom of..." Notes - I love these because I don't have time to write detailed notes in the mornings. I'm always running out the door at the last minute, rushing to get EG to daycare and make it to work on time. I'm not a morning person. So, I couldn't live without my "From the mom of..." notes that already have the information you write on every note already there. It already says your child's name, your name, contact numbers (so the daycare doesn't have to look them up if there's a problem), and e-mail address and all you have to add is your note. It's not like it saves 10 minutes, but every second counts during my mornings. I also make my own template in Photoshop Elements and print several out to keep in the car, rather than buying expensive customized notes. If you'd like my template, let me know! I'd be glad to customize it and share it with you!

Hope these lists give you some tips for making the most of 2009! Best wishes everyone!