It’s no secret to my family that I love kitchenware. I love bowls, whisks, strainers, cake pans, dishes…everything! The Giada de Laurentiis line for Target is no exception. With everything from understated baking dishes to punchy tools in sophisticated cinnamon hues, these products make me feel a little more fancy when I’m making even the simplest meals for my family!

And food. I don’t think I’ve ever hid the fact that I love fancy condiments. The Giada de Laurentiis for Target grocery line includes pesto, tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and plenty of other goodies that make great food taste even better!

I partnered with Mom Central to try out an incredible selection of both kitchenware and groceries from the Giada de Laurentiis for Target collection. Here’s what I received:

• Giada De Laurentiis for Target 2-Quart Ceramic Oval Baker
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target 9” Ceramic Pie Pan
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target Silicone Spoonula with Stainless Steel Handle
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target 3-Piece Plastic Bowl Set with Pour
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target Stainless Steel Balloon Whisk
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target Black Olive Tapenade
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target Giada Blend Coffee
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target Marinated Roasted Red Peppers
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target Marinated Mushrooms
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target Genovese Basil Pesto
• Giada De Laurentiis for Target Eggplant & Pepper Pesto

You don’t even have to say it. I know I’m incredibly lucky to receive all those amazing items, especially right in time for holiday entertaining!

I wanted to start out by doing a test run of some of the ingredients and bakeware. Since the oval baker looked absolutely gorgeous in the box, I had to use it right away! I found this recipe for Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. It was perfect. I used the 2-quart baking dish and I added the Marinated Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes! The only change I made was using mini penne pasta instead of full-size noodles, and I only used mushrooms in half of it. This is how it turned out: 

It was fantastic! I’ll definitely be making this baked pasta dish again, but next time I’ll add more sun-dried tomatoes.

The Giada De Laurentiis for Target Genovese Basil Pesto was my second-favorite grocery product (after the sun-dried tomatoes). I made a simple, thin pizza crust, spread it with pesto and topped it with an Italian 5-cheese blend of shredded cheese. 10 minutes in the oven and I had a gourmet flatbread pizza!

Using my Giada de Laurentiis for Target grocery products for holiday celebrating: 

I’m not a big fan of peppers or black olives, but we’ll be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas day with my in-laws, who are crazy about roasted peppers and olive tapenade!

Since we never show up empty-handed, I have a few products that I’m happy to share with others who will enjoy them!  I’m planning on slicing up a loaf of French bread to serve with the Giada De Laurentiis for Target Black Olive Tapenade. Another way I’ll make a quick appetizer is to soften an 8-ounce block of cream cheese, and I’ll spoon the Eggplant and Pepper Pesto over the top. That will be served on a platter with crackers. It’s quick and the cream cheese is a terrific way to tone down the strong flavors of the pesto.

I also want to add that nothing is more enjoyable than sharing my own kitchen creations with others who truly enjoy them. Both my mother and father-in-law are huge after-dinner coffee drinkers, and they love sweet treats as much as I do! I’m looking forward to sharing this delicious recipe for Spiced Coffee with Cinnamon Whipped Cream with them.

Spiced Coffee with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis 

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup brewed Giada De Laurentiis for Target Giada Blend Coffee 
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar

• In a small sauce pan combine the granulated sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and reduce heat to low.
• Add allspice, cinnamon and ginger. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.
• Take the pan off the heat and set aside.
• In a heat proof pitcher or measuring cup add the boiling water to the coffee /espresso. Divide it among four 6 to 8 oz cups.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the spiced syrup to each cup and stir to combine.
• Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners’ sugar and continue to beat until stiff.
• Top each with a dollop of whipped cream – dust with cinnamon and add cinnamon stick.

Yield: 4 servings/ 4 (6-8 oz) cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes

Out of all the products I received, I only have two suggestions for improvements: 

First, I think the plastic mixing bowls are flimsy. I like heavy bowls, and I try to avoid using plastic kitchenware for anything except dry storage. I prefer ceramic, glass or metal bowls like this 3-piece set of Giada de Laurentiis for Target stainless steel mixing bowls.

The only other suggestion I have is for the measuring cups. The stainless steel set is definitely heavy and high-quality, but I wish it included a 3/4 cup and 2/3 cup measuring cups. Sets including those measurements are hard to find, but they make the life of a baker so much easier!

All in all, the Giada de Laurentiis for Target line is full of stylish cookware and delicious food! I’ll be using the kitchenware I received for plenty of everyday and special occasion cooking, and I know all those grocery items will be gone by the end of our holiday celebrating!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Giada De Laurentiis for Target and received product samples to facilitate my review.

Giada de Laurentiis for Target: Making Kitchen Tasks More Stylish {+ Spiced Coffee with Cinnamon Whipped Cream Recipe} is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

With the advent of compact-flourescent light bulbs and the popularity of 3-way bulbs, 100-watt light bulbs are becoming increasingly hard to find. If you have the brand new Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven, that’s not a problem. It actually cooks the food with a safely-contained heating element, eliminating the need for an inefficient light bulb!

We received the Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven to try out. Haiden had never really indicated a real interest in cooking or baking, so I wasn’t sure how excited he’d be about using it. I knew my niece and nephew (6 and 7 years old) would go crazy over it, though, so we brought it over to my sister’s house to share the experience with them.

The Ultimate Easy-Bake Oven comes with three mixes, Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, Red Velvet Cake Mix and Pink Frosting Mix. The kids decided to make the cookies.

As shown above, the oven comes with one baking pan that measures less 3 inches wide by less than 5 inches long. Believe it or not, that pan is supposed to hold about a dozen cookies. Since the mix calls for less than a teaspoonful of water, the kids made about 8 tiny cookies. The cookies did spread out a bit while baking, so we learned that we indeed should have made the full dozen individual cookies!

I didn’t matter that the cookies were thin and connected, Haiden and his two cousins were ridiculously proud of the results!

Three things I love about the Ultimate Easy-Bake Oven:

• True to it’s name, the oven is EASY to use. Just plug it in, turn it on and let it pre-heat. By the time the kids are done mixing up the treats and arranging them in the pans, the oven is ready to go.
• The mixes are tasty. Really, I thought that the kids liked the cookies because they made them with their own little hands, but they were kind enough to spare one tiny cookie for me. I was surprised at how good it was! Plus the itty-bitty portions aren’t going to spoil appetites or make anyone sick.
• It’s safe. The cooking chamber is enclosed and the pans need to be pushed or lifted through little doors in order to get them into the baking area. The oven includes a special tool to push them in and lift them out, keeping tiny fingers away from the hottest part of the oven.

• Adults really need to be hands-on when using this toy. I totally get that adult supervision is required and guidance is to be expected when using the oven. After all, it’s a toy that actually heats up and bakes treats! At the same time, I like toys where kids can really “own” the whole process. No matter the age, even after having an adult help with the instructions, I don’t think any kid under 10 or 12 could do this without adult intervention. Using the pan-pusher tool is really tricky, and kids can’t get the pans out of the oven by themselves. Plus, there are little details that must be followed, like the cupcake pan needs to be set ON the baking try before putting it in the oven.
• Additional Easy-Bake mixes are expensive. Prices for the mixes range from $5 to $7.25 on Amazon. They’re all $6.88 on Walmart.com. In my opinion, that’s pretty spendy!
• There’s no window or timer: An external timer needs to be set to keep treats in the oven for the directed time. In the same vein, you can’t watch the treats cooking or monitor their progress. Not only would that be fun from a science perspective, it would also be nice since taking the pans out isn’t fun, and I’d prefer to only do it once per tray!

Overall, the Ultimate Easy-Bake Oven is super-fun to use, and all three of the kids had a great time making their treats. Since it’s intended for kids ages 8 and up, we all agreed to leave the oven at my sister’s house. Haiden and Piper are only 3 and 2 years old, so it just made sense to leave it in the hands of kids who are a bit older. Plus, they’re happy to bake with my kiddos whenever we visit!

Buy it: The Ultimate Easy-Bake Oven has a suggested price of $49.99. It’s available at retailers nationwide, on Walmart.com for $39.88, and on Amazon.com for $42.48.

Enter to Win an Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven {$49.99 ARV}

1 Winner will receive an Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven 

There are some great ways to earn extra entries into this giveaway! All mandatory and extra entries must be submitted within the Rafflecopter Giveaway box below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you’re reading this article in an email newsletter, feed reader or a mobile device, you may not see the above Rafflecopter box. Please visit babygoodbuys.com and enter the giveaway there. 

Comments are open on this post, but all entries must be done in the giveaway box above.

Hasbro provided the Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven to review and an additional one as a giveaway prize. All opinions are my own.

As always, if you have any trouble entering this giveaway, or if you have any questions, please contact me! 

Giveaway! The Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven, Keeping Kids Safely Baking in the 21st Century! is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

I think it’s because I’m not orderly by nature that it took me a long time to realize that keeping my home in order must involve containers. Those of you who are organizationally gifted might not understand, but I only started seeing solutions to the clutter when it dawned on me that baskets, boxes and bins were really the solution. I’m happy that I’ve finally realized this, but I wish I had learned it earlier than just a few months ago!

Once I had the basic understanding of clutter control, I was still a bit paralyzed by all the choices in the types of containers out there. Plastic totes, wicker baskets, cardboard boxes; which style would work best for me? It’s safe to say that I stopped organizing almost as quickly as I’d started because I just couldn’t make a decision on containers!

Have you ever become immobileized by choices? It’s a frustrating state to be in, especially when it’s something that can easily be changed with no ill effects! I was lucky, because my paralysis was solved when Rubbermaid sent me a great set of their new Rubbermaid Bento Boxes and Toppers.

Rubbermaid’s Bento line intends to help you divide and conquer clutter. It not only gave me right-sized containers to start putting my stuff away, it also built organization into those boxes to make the decluttering and organizing happen all in one easy step!

There are two things I absolutely love about the Rubbermaid Bento Line:

1. They look GREAT! When considering the various solutions available, I knew I didn’t want to use plastic bins and totes in my living areas. The Bento line come in three beautiful fabric designs. The ones I received are a beautiful “paprika” shade of red, which actually matches some of the accents in my living room! They also come in a gorgeous and neutral Loose Linen cover and a fun Chadwick pattern.

2. They’re infinitely versatile: I used my Bento set to organize the area in front of my dresser that tends to be my dumping ground for clothes and clutter from other household areas. I’ve found that I can use the small tray to hold small trinkets, the large square box holds clothes that need to be folded and put away, and the various other sections are designated so items are actually seen and put away.

At the same time, the Rubbermaid Blog has several examples of other ways to use Rubbermaid Bento boxes. My favorite? The one where someone is storing electronic items in the extra-large Bento:

See how the user fed cords through the handles? He can keep portable products charging without getting other devices tangled up or caught under the cords.

I also really like this image of how to store bathroom items: I think that picture demonstrates how to overcome the challenge of a small bathroom, especially when sharing it with another person.  I also love that the box comes with a lid, so anything personal can be hidden away!

My organizationally challenged mind has a hard time processing that the same storage box can do such different things!

I started photographing all the different ways Rubbermaid Bento products work, but I realized that a video would do way more justice to the versatility and functionality of the Rubbermaid Bento brand:

Enter to Win a Rubbermaid Bento Set {$114 ARV}

1 Winner will receive a prize pack valued at $114 with the the following products {demonstrated in the above video}: 

• 1 extra-large Bento Box
• 1 extra-large Rubbermaid Bento Topper
• 1 large Rubbermaid Bento Box
• 1 large Rubbermaid Bento Topper
• 1 medium Rubbermaid Bento Box
• 1 medium Rubbermaid Bento Topper
• 1 small Rubbermaid Bento Box

There are some great ways to earn extra entries into this giveaway! All mandatory and extra entries must be submitted within the Rafflecopter Giveaway box below. 

Comments are open on this post, but all entries must be done in the giveaway box above. No comments will be counted towards giveaway entries.

Rubbermaid provided the Bento sets to review and an additional one as a giveaway prize. All opinions are my own.

As always, if you have any trouble entering this giveaway, or if you have any questions, please contact me! 

Giveaway! Rubbermaid Bento Boxes: A Seriously Smart Organizing Solution! {$114 Value} is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

Regular pasta is delicious, but the empty calories are something I’d like to avoid. Plus, I’d rather give my own kiddos something with a bit more nutritional value. When I heard that Barilla had come up with a new whole grain pasta made with 51% whole wheat, I really wanted to try it to see how it stacked up against my memories of the whole wheat pasta from several years ago.

Barilla makes delicious pasta and Barilla Whole Grain is no exception! When you want to pair the many health benefits of fiber with the great taste of pasta, you can feel confident about trying Whole Grain precisely because it’s made by Barilla. Generations have trusted our experience making pasta and our commitment to perfecting the taste. Our family recipes, superior ingredients and passion for excellent food are all combined in Whole Grain.

Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

I received a Barilla Whole Grain Taste & Share Challenge Kit containing the following:

• Barilla Whole Grain Linguine
• Barilla Thin Spaghetti
• Barilla Whole Grain Spaghetti
• Barilla Whole Grain Medium Shells
• Barilla Whole Grain Rotini
• Barilla Whole Grain Penne
• A Barilla apron
• Academia Barilla 100% Italian Olive Oil
• Academia Barilla Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, aged 3 years
• Academia Barilla Pesto Alla Genovese
• Academia Barilla Canned Cherry Tomatoes
• Academia Barilla Sicilian Sea Salt with Black Olives

All of those Academia Barilla items are not your ordinary grocery-store items. These are premium products that are imported from Italy, so I wanted to make something special with them.

I used Barilla’s Dinner Kit on the TryBarillaWholeGrain.com site to choose a few recipes that included the ingredients I wanted to use. Then, I cooked up a small batch of pasta for Haiden and Piper to eat, while I set the rest of the box aside to make for my husband and I a bit later that night.

Haiden and Piper are kind of fickle when it comes to pasta. They’ll love a pasta dish one night only to turn up their noses at it the next night. I was happy that our taste-testing night of Barilla Whole Grain Rotini with a side of vegetables and a sprinkle of fresh Romano cheese was a hit! Both kiddos ate their portions, and they were both happy throughout dinner. Since they’re two and three years old, I’m confident that that translates to “two thumbs up” in their language!

After we got the little ones to bed, I combined parts of two recipes I found in the Dinner Kit to make  a whole grain pasta dish for my husband and me. I cooked up the rest of the pasta and added key ingredients from both Rotini with Cherry Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil and Rotini with Cherry Tomatoes, Vitalia Onions, Basil Pesto and Tuscan Pecorino.

I ended up with a dish that was incredibly good! I combined the Barilla Whole Grain Rotini with the Academia Barilla cherry tomatoes, pesto and a little bit of the olive oil. Then, I topped it with fresh mozzarella and a few tablespoons of fresh Pecorino Romano cheese. This was outstanding served with a few pieces of crusty bread!

All the flavors really made for a great meal, and the whole grain pasta definitely was a huge improvement over the “old school” wheat pasta that I’d tried in the past. My husband did comment that the texture “still feels healthy” but neither of us thought that was a bad thing.

Looking back, it’s making me laugh that his comment was actually a small criticism! Healthy isn’t a bad thing  At the same time, the Barilla Whole Grain pasta was absolutely a huge improvement in this department compared to other whole grain pasta brands I’ve experienced!

Overall, the thing I like best about the Barilla’s new whole grain pasta is the flavor. This really does taste just like regular pasta. The flavor is mild and definitely doesn’t taste grainy!

I’ll definitely be cooking Barilla’s Whole Grain pasta for my family in the future. I’m sure our little ones will insist on plain dishes with just a little sauce or cheese, but I found a few other recipes on Barilla’s main website that I’d like to try. Both the Barilla Whole Grain Spaghetti with Fresh Vegetables and the Barilla Whole Grain Medium Shells with Roasted Cauliflower and Cherry Tomatoes look delicious! Plus, they might expand Haiden and Piper’s palettes, which is something we definitely need to work on!

Right now, the Barilla wants to give you and your friends a Barilla printable coupon. When you head over to the Barilla Taste and Share Challenge website you can share your love of Barilla Whole Grain Pasta with two friends on Facebook. Your friend will get a Barilla printable coupon to save $1 on their next box of Barilla Whole Grain pasta and you’ll get a $1 off 2 boxes printable coupon.

ENTER TO WIN A BARILLA WHOLE GRAIN TASTE & SHARE PRIZE PACK! {$100 ARV}

3 WINNERS will receive a prize pack valued at $100 with the following products {pictured above}: 

• 6 boxes of Barilla Whole Grain Pasta
• A Barilla chef apron
• Academia Barilla 100% Italian Olive Oil
• Academia Barilla Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, aged 3 years
• Academia Barilla Pesto Alla Genovese
• Academia Barilla Canned Cherry Tomatoes
• Academia Barilla Sicilian Sea Salt with Black Olives

This is an amazing prize! The olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pesto and sea salt are all definitely gift-worthy, so you could even check a holiday gift off your shopping list if you won!

There are some great ways to earn extra entries into this giveaway! All mandatory and extra entries must be submitted within the Rafflecopter Giveaway box below. 

Comments are open on this post, but all entries must be done in the giveaway box above. No comments will be counted towards giveaway entries.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Barilla and received a Taste & Share Challenge Kit to facilitate my review, kits to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. 

As always, if you have any trouble entering this giveaway, or if you have any questions, please contact me! 

Giveaway! Barilla Whole Grain Taste & Share Challenge Prize Pack, $300 Value {3 Winners!} is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

2011 marks Whirlpool Corporation’s 100th anniversary. In our age of innovation, it’s hard to believe that it’s taken 100 years to get from a hand-crank washer to a fully-operational washer/dryer set with LCD screens and hundreds of user functions!

I have to say, The features of the Whirlpool Duet Premium washer and dryer are far beyond anything I’ve ever dreamed of in a washing machine. Here are details about a few of my favorite features of the Whirlpool Duet Premium washer and dryer set:

The Whirlpool Precision Dispense Ultra: 

Every front-load washing machine has the little drawer where you pour in your detergent, plus the optional fabric softener and bleach for each load. This is the inside of that little drawer on my washer:

The Whirlpool Duet Premium washer has the Precision Dispense Ultra system. That little blue cartridge is a HE detergent reservoir that holds enough laundry detergent to last up to 36 loads! I never thought that adding soap to a load of laundry was a big deal, until I didn’t have to do it anymore! Now, I can pop my clothes in the washer, select the cycle and hit Start for most loads. It’s a pretty amazing time-saver.

The Precision Dispense Ultra System…

…cleans better and uses less detergent, saving nearly 10% in HE detergent costs. By adding detergent throughout the length of the fill time, Precision Dispense Ultra delivers better results than adding detergent manually. The system also releases bleach and fabric softener at the right time during the cycle for optimal fabric care.The removable reservoir can hold enough detergent for up to 36 loads of laundry in a single filling.

Another perk of the Precision Dispense system can only be appreciated by other laundry-control-freaks like myself. I literally used to cringe when I found out my husband had done laundry. Perhaps I had bad memories of the time a few years ago that he told me, “this load is really dirty” as he doubled the amount of detergent that should have gone into the washer. The Precision Dispense feature eases my fears that our clothes will be swimming in a half-detergent, half-water concoction!

Handwash Cycle for my most precious garments: 

I know I just said it, but I’m very uptight about my laundry. I’m paranoid that something’s going to get ruined in the washing machine, and I have way too many delicate shirts and sweaters that I’d never want to put through a standard wash cycle.

The Handwash cycle on the Whirlpool Duet washer uses extra low, intermittent agitation to mimic washing in the sink for delicate care of hand wash only garments. And what clothes-loving mom wouldn’t feel absolutely spoiled by a feature called Cradle Clean Technology? Cradle Clean actually simulates washing garments by hand by “rocking” the inside wash drum instead of spinning it.

Allergen Removal cycle:

I have year-round allergies that cause frequent discomfort. My son had pediatric asthma and still periodically wheezes when conditions are “just right.” While both of our conditions are generally under control, the Allergen Removal cycle reassures me that I’ve done everything I can to launder the heck out of our bedding to eliminate 95% of dust mites and pet dander! 

Even better, a push of a button is all it takes to see exactly how this washing machine is going to treat the clothes going into it.

Stain Assist:

Did you even know that there’s a washing machine out there that includes directions on how to treat almost any type of stain? Once I get into the Stain Assist menu, I can choose the source of the stain. Believe me, everything from Children to Food to Mystery (really!) is included.

After the source is selected (I picked Children): the washing machine wants to know even more details about the type of stain. For this category, it wants to know if it’s Baby Poop, Baby Formula, Spit Up, or other options.

From there, the Whirlpool Duet gives comprehensive instructions on how treat the stain for best results, right down to how to dry the garment!

EcoBoost Efficiency for the Washer and Dryer: 

I’m not a hardcore environmentalist, but I definitely do what I can to conserve energy and reduce waste. The Ecoboost options on both the Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer allow me to do just that while getting laundry done for my family. 

With the touch of a button, the EcoBoost setting on the washing machine  lowers water temperature and increases the tumbling action to use less energy while still delivering great cleaning and gentle performance. The same setting on the dryer saves energy by using a portion of the dryer’s dual heating element and extending cycle time.

Maybe you didn’t believe me before, but I’m going to say it again: The Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer are an AMAZING set of appliances! I’ve loved them from the moment they were delivered, but I don’t think I truly realized exactly how spoiled I am by all of their offerings until I saw a brief history of the Whirlpool company’s washing machine’s over the past 100 years.

Seeing the evolution of the washing machine from a washtub all the way to a computerized, space-age-looking silver set of machines really makes me appreciate my incredible Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer.

I want to extend a true and heartfelt THANK YOU to Whirlpool and Mom Central, who collaborated to name me one of 50 Whirlpool Moms. This has absolutely been the best blogging opportunity I’ve ever had, and I’m honored to be a part of it!

 I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review.

My Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer Set has Spoiled Me! #WhirlpoolMoms is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

The Brother labeler is super-versatile in the different styles of labels it can produce. I can print out standard block-letter labels, but I can also make a wide variety of decorative labels to add personality and style to my organization. Here’s just a sample of the types of labels I can print: 

As you may have guessed from the title, Our home organization is challenged because of ADHD. My husband has had ADHD since his tween years, and home organization is a constant struggle for him.

Surprisingly, I also have ADHD. I was only diagnosed with ADHD after a 3-hour screening in June 2011, so I’m still learning how my mind works and the best ways to work with my mind. Suffice it to say that, while the ADHD diagnosis was shocking (5 months later, I’m still a little surprised!), the evaulation of my behaviors, my habits and my personality characteristics that the screening prompted made me practically see all the puzzle pieces of my life fall into place.

To avoid an ironic instance of getting sidetracked, I’ll save the story of my diagnosis and my own personal characteristics that embody the affliction for a different blog post. Right now, I want to share how this stay-at-home mom with ADHD organized her pantry.

First, let me show you the incredible disorder that my pantry was in: We remodeled our kitchen just over 3 years ago, and we were lucky to have four pull-out shelves installed in a big cabinet for food storage. Those pull-out shelves make getting to the food in the back of the pantry easy, but it also makes it easy to forget about stacking since the food can be spread out across each shelf.

The only other issue I have with the rolling shelves is they can’t be easily adjusted up or down. My baking shelf on the bottom was in total disarray because I couldn’t stack my old canisters up to save space. Combine that with a mishmash of packaging, zip-top bags and various brands of storage containers and I had a mess I just couldn’t live with any longer.

I knew that I wanted to start storing almost everything in square/rectangle containers so they’d fit together better. I also knew that people with ADHD need to have everything labeled to make sure items get returned to their proper place after use. Believe me, if I don’t know where to put an item, it just won’t get put away. Labels keep that from happening.

I decided to use a combination of containers I already had (Tupperware Modular Mates and Rubbermaid Premier containers similar to these) and I invested in several boxes of these Rubbermaid containers: 

With those containers and my labeler in hand, I pulled everything out of the pantry and sorted it into categories (one for each shelf):

• Baking
• Cooking and Condiments
• Snacks, munchies and treats
• Beverages and miscellaneous

The broad categories meant that there was a place for everything, and I wasn’t left with random items that didn’t have a home.

I proceeded to put every product into a storage container and label it. If the item hadn’t been opened, the entire package was dropped into a container. Every piece was then labeled. Since cooking and baking items were going to the bottom of the pantry, those labels were stuck to the tops of the containers. Everything had a label attached to the side.

After a few hours of strategizing and shopping, then several more hours of organizing, my pantry actually looked like this:

I have to admit, when I was almost done returning all the containerized and labeled items to the pantry, I actually looked around for more food, convinced that I had forgotten a pile of snacks or pasta in another corner of the kitchen! The amount of room remaining in the cabinet was pretty astounding!

Since that project was finished with room to spare and a few containers left over, I’m pretty sure the next thing I’m going to do is transfer the contents of my spice/miscellaneous cabinet into the pantry, too! There’s room in there, and this cabinet could also use some order:

So organizing the spice cabinet using my Brother P-Touch 1290 labeler is next on my list!

On top of making my pantry a happy place to store food, I’ve actually utilized the decorative label designs to create unique gift tags on kraft paper bags, preparing me for most birthdays in my family through the end of the year!

While I am truly in love with my Brother label maker, I can’t say it’s perfect. There are a definitely a few areas where this particular product could be improved:

• It takes 6 AA batteries. An AC adapter for the label maker is an optional purchase for a whopping $17.86, which is half the cost of the P-Touch itself!
• Using the label maker isn’t intuitive. The directions for the labeler are crazy-long, considering the compact size and the fact that it’s a label-maker, not an iMac! I admit that I messed up several labels and wasted a lot of label tape getting the formats and designs figured out. No wonder, with 2 function buttons, a Mode button, several style buttons and plenty of other options embedded into each one! However, once I figured it out, I made sure to stick with what I was doing to create a uniform label for the entire project I was working on.
• The standard settings waste a lot of label tape. If the margins aren’t set to Narrow or Chain, there are literally inches of tape fed out before and after each label. On the flip side, if the margins are set to the smaller settings, the slicer will take off the end of the label you just printed, so you need to manually feed a bit of tape out before slicing it off.

All in all, I have to say that the negatives are pretty manageable. I’ve used the starter roll of tape and I’m still on the first set of 6 batteries, so it doesn’t drain battery power super-fast. And now that I know how the margins work, I’ve become extra careful to conserve the tape and use the best settings. The detailed instructions leave me feeling like I have a lot left to learn, but it’s fun to own a label maker that’s capable of so many different functions!

Considering everything the Brother P-Touch Labeler has to offer, I truly think it’s a great tool to own, especially for less than $30! I’m working on creating labels for the more-obvious areas in my home that I’m struggling to maintain, and this label-maker is going to be in use for a long, long time!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and received product and a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

How to Organize a Kitchen in an ADHD Home? Label Everything! is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

I’ve also been the proud reviewer of both a Britax Advocate CS convertible car seat (LOVE it!) and a Britax B-Nimble stroller. To say I’m a Britax fan feels like an understatement. I have to say, I’m pretty sure I’m one of Britax’s biggest fans!

Due to growing little ones, my husband and I had to do some car seat rearranging to keep both Haiden and Piper safe and comfortable in both of our cars. After thinking about how the seats fit in our cars and plenty of research on weight limits and which car seat was best suited for both Haiden and Piper, I concluded that one of the car seats Haiden was in would have to be turned around so Piper could sit in it. I also learned that Haiden was ready to move into a high-back booster, but I didn’t think I was quite prepared to do that!

Once I started researching the safety considerations and brand options for boosters, I realized that I could go for the move as long as Haiden could remain in a seat that had a 5-point harness. Being the Britax fan that I am, I was so happy to learn that the Britax Frontier 85 SICT booster seat was everything I could ever hope for in a booster seat I was trusting to protect my child:

• Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether® features a staged-release tether webbing to slow the forward movement, reducing the crash forces reaching the child, and a two-point attachment to minimize forward rotation while anchoring the top of the child seat
• Tangle Free, Five-Point Harness with 10 harness height positions (up to 20″) and three buckle positions for a snug and secure fit as your child grows
• Harness Ultra Guard System (HUGS™) provides resistance to forward movement in the event of a crash
• Energy-Absorbing Foam Liner (EPS) absorbs and distributes crash forces
• Energy-Absorbing Base deforms in the event of a crash to absorb impact forces
• High Density Comfort Foam provides an extra layer of padding to gently cushion your child
• Quick-Adjust, No-Rethread Harness repositions the harness shoulder height without disassembling the harness straps
• Premium Lower LATCH Connectors for a quick and simple installation featuring a push button for easy release
• Color-Coded Vehicle Belt Guides indicate the path and positioning of the vehicle lap and shoulder seat belt
• Certified for Aircraft Travel in harness mode

While many other highback booster seats are an elevated seat that utilize the car’s shoulder and lap belts to keep the child secure in the car seat, the Britax Frontier Booster uses the LATCH system to attach the booster to the car. The child is then buckled in with a 5-point harness instead of the car seat belt, ensuring a snug fit that’s just the right size for a little body.

This particular model of Britax Fronteir also utilizes SICT, which is Side Imact Cushion Technology:

Side impact crashes pose a serious threat to child safety and therefore make side impact protection a necessity for child seats. To learn more about what happens during a side impact crash and how injuries occur, visit the About Side Impact Crashes page.

During a side impact crash, the energy-management cushions divert crash forces away from your child, therefore minimizing the risk of injury.

Side Impact Cushion Technology is comprised of patented energy-management cushions on either side of the child seat. During a side impact crash, the energy-management cushions compress to absorb the incoming crash forces safely expelling the air through strategically placed vents.

In addition, Side Impact Cushion Technology is the first and only technology to offer protection by:

• Absorbing side impact crash forces before they reach your child, resulting in fewer head injuries.
  This is important because head injury is the leading cause of death for children in vehicle crashes, and the amount of crash forces reaching the child’s head determines the severity of a head injury.
• Providing an energy-absorbing surface area along the full length of the seat, protecting your child’s head, neck, and torso.
  This is important because incoming crash forces are not limited to the head area.
• Offering a soft, protective surface for the adjacent passenger in a side impact crash.
  This is important because adjacent passengers are vulnerable to injury from contact with child seats in a side impact crash.

All those safety features made me realize that there was absolutely no other booster seat that I was willing to put my little 3-year-old boy in. I had some Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks and I was going to put them towards the purchase of this booster, but I was thrilled, and I mean THRILLED when Britax sent me the exact same booster seat I was researching because they wanted Haiden and I to try it out!

Another great feature that I didn’t even know about until the seat was unpacked was that the seat converts to a “regular” booster. That means it will fit Haiden until he’s 85 pounds. I can’t even imagine what life will be like that far into the future, but it’s pretty amazing to know that the same product will be in use, protecting Haiden by that time!

The only surprising aspect of the booster seat that didn’t thrill me after it was installed was the size of it. It’s heavy, which is totally fine with me. To me, heavy=sturdy and sturdy=safe. The dimensions, however, are something that should be taken into account when deciding if the seat is right for your family. This seat is wide. At 27 inches across, it’s actually several inches wider than the Britax Marathon, Advocate and Boulevard. This wasn’t something that I’d noted before installing it, and I had assumed that all boosters were narrower than their convertible car seat counterparts.

I had been counting on having a little more room in the middle seat between Haiden and Piper to take on an additional passenger every once in a while, but that wasn’t going to happen with the Britax Frontier SICT 85.

Like all the other Britax car seats we’re using, the Britax Frontier 85 SICT installs perfectly and easily into my 2009 Ford Escape and James’ 2010 Ford Focus. Once we knew that the booster’s size would impede me from having enough room in the middle seat for another person, we opted to keep the new booster seat in James’ car.

It’s no surprise that I love this car seat in person as much as I loved it on paper. Haiden is very comfortable in it, and he’s loving the fact that he has cupholders of his very own!

Like all Britax car seats, the price point is relatively high. At an MSRP of $340, it’s more of an investment compared to other popular baby brands. On the other hand, I truly believe you’re paying for Britax’s research and technology that makes this booster seat one of the safest brands on the market. in fact, the NIHS just released a new Booster Evaluations report on October 13, 2011. This report names both the Britax Frontier 85 and the Britax Frontier 85 SICT booster seats Best Bests,  meaning they “correctly position a vehicle safety belt on a typical 4 to 8 year-old in almost any car, minivan, or SUV”.

If that doesn’t convince you, this excerpt from a customer review on Amazon might sway you:

…We were in a freeway rollover accident yesterday in our Honda Pilot that completely totalled the car. My precious 4 year old daughter was all strapped in tight in this carseat and walked away without even a scratch. As soon as I finish up this review, I am buying another one. Seriously, when you are in an accident like that, won’t you be glad you put your munchkin in the safest seat possible…

In my research, the best price for the Britax Frontier 85 SICT is on Amazon. It’s currently $255, which is 25% off the list price. It can also be found on Target.com.

I received this booster seat from Britax to faciliate this product review. I’m very particular about the products I review, and I fully stand behind this one and the Britax brand. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Britax Frontier 85 SICT Booster Seat Review: An IIHS Best Bet! is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

Have you ever washed a disposable diaper in a washing machine? Have you seen the mess that disposable training pants create when accidentally washed with a load of clothes? If you haven’t, trust me, you’re lucky.

A few weeks ago, I bundled up a bunch of Haiden and Piper’s clothes, then put them in my Whirlpool Duet Premium front-loading washing machine. I didn’t realize that a Pull-Up must have been stuck in a pair of pajama pants.

After washing them in cold water, I opened the door to the machine to transfer them to the dryer. You know how black clothes look when you accidentally wash a load with some Kleenex in a pocket? It looked like that, but 50 times worse:

While my Whirlpool Duet Premium washing machine has all sorts of cool features to tell me how to treat different type of stains and how to wash different types of fabric, there’s no button on there for getting the inside of a Pull-Up out of clothes!

I panicked when I saw that mess in my “clean” clothes! I tried to pick up a few garments, but that small motion made the little gel bits start flying and sticking to my clothes and everything else in the laundry room.

I’ve seen a wet-then-dried diaper, and I knew that I shouldn’t put the clothes in the dryer without getting the diaper gel out of them. Google searches suggested using salt or vinegar/baking soda solutions in the washing machine, but I was worried that excessive amounts of any of those might cause more trouble for the washer down the road. Thankfully, the my first attempt at washing the Pull-Up off the clothes with standard laundry products was successful.

Here’s my recommendation on how to clean the mess when you wash a disposable diaper (or a pair of training pants) in a load of laundry: 

1. Bring the entire load of wet clothes outside or to a big open space inside your house.
2. Lay down a tarp and shake off as much of the diaper as you can. This makes a huge mess, so don’t just do it in front of your washing machine! Dump the tarp into the garbage.
3. Wipe down the inside of the washing machine with damp cloths to pick up as many diaper particles as you can.
4. Put the clothes back in the washer. Add detergent and a full scoop of OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover powder to the load. Run the clothes through a full cycle with an extra rinse.
5. Your clothes should be clean, and they can be dried as usual.

I was super-relieved that the washing machine and OxiClean did the job and cleaned up all those diaper particles from the clothes, but I couldn’t help but worry that those diaper pieces would clog up some part of the washer down the road.

Luckily, my fabulous Whirlpool Duet Premium washer actually has a Clean Washer cycle to keep the machine running in tip-top condition! I popped an Affresh tablet into the drum of the washer and ran an empty load on hot water. When the cycle was complete, I used an Affresh Grit Grabber pre-moistened cloth to wipe down the entire rubber door seal.

The Affresh tablet and Grit Grabber work together to dissolve residue and wash it away, leaving the washer clean and smelling fresh. Under normal circumstances, the Clean Washer cycle should be run once per month to keep the washer in excellent working condition. This was a special circumstance, so my washer got a bonus cleaning in between regularly scheduled cycles.

While my Whirlpool Duet Premium washer can’t tell me what to do in this particular diaper-burst-open laundry emergency, it does offer up a crazy amount of helpful features to make sure my laundry will get clean! One of the best features of this washing machine is the Stain Assist function:

The Stain Assist screens allow you to identify common stains from baby poop to cough syrup to glue, and the machine will tell you what to do before, during and after washing the stained garments to make sure you’re doing everything you can to get the stain out and keep your clothes as clean as possible!

If you haven’t seen my previous posts about my Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer reviews, here are the models I have:

I’ve now had my Whirlpool Duet Premium washer and dryer for about three months. Overall, I’ve been supremely happy with both machines. Like, I’d hug and kiss them and whisper “I love you” in their little appliance ears if I thought they’d understand me. I’ve actually caught myself thanking the dryer when it dried a two special blankies in just minutes right before bedtime!

I’m still exploring all the features and benefits both the washer and dryer have to offer, and I find myself being more and more impressed with the pair almost every day!

How to Clean the Mess When You Wash a Disposable Diaper (& Other Reasons My Whirlpool Duet Washer Rocks) is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

Here’s the recipe for Vanilla Pumpkin Smoothies: 

Ever since having Haiden 3 years ago, my digestive system hasn’t been predictable, and mostly feels just a bit “off.” My stomach tends to start making gurgling sounds about an hour after I eat almost anything, and I can’t pinpoint what’s causing it. Further, I’m a bit embarrassed to share that I’ve had mild bowel issues since my first pregnancy. It doesn’t matter how many vegetables I eat or how many different fiber supplements I take, I just can’t get regular.

I can handle the little bit of discomfort my symptoms cause, but I couldn’t help thinking that it would just be nice to alleviate or eliminate these mild issues, especially if the solution was easy for my life as a busy mom!

I’d been thinking about looking into probiotics to see if they offered any sort of relief, so I was pretty happy when I received the opportunity to work with Dannon to try out their new Activia Selects yogurt containing probiotics.

There are four different types of Activia Selects Yogurt: Activia Selects Greek, Activia Selects French, Activia Selects French with Fruit on the Bottom and Activia Selects Parfait.

Activia has the probiotic culture called Bifidus Regularis. When Activia is consumed daily for two weeks as part of a normal diet it can help to naturally regulate the digestive system. Since I’m not looking for any sort of medical intervention, the thought of eating yogurt every day as a natural way to make my digestive system behave sounds like the right plan for me!

I picked up a few containers of the Activia Selects Greek vanilla yogurt to try. I normally love Greek yogurt, but this type was just a bit thinner than the brand I’m used to. It was still delicious, and it made for a great, quick breakfast while trying to get my day started before my kids woke up. While it’s good on it’s own, I like drinking smoothies to take in extra fruits and veggies, so I wanted to see how it worked in a new recipe.

While I didn’t buy enough yogurt to do the entire 2-week probiotic regimen, I have to say that, if I could have that pumpkin smoothie every.single.day. I’d be all for eating yogurt for every meal

In all seriousness, eating a few servings of Dannon Activia Selects didn’t make any notable difference in my digestive health, but it certainly didn’t hurt it! I’d definitely be open to going for the Dannon Activia 2-week plan to try to make some positive changes within my digestive system!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Dannon ActiviaSelects Yogurt Series and received a coupon to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Image Credit

The Perfect Vanilla Pumpkin Smoothie: A Quick & Nutritious Recipe is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

I’ve had this website long enough to be exposed to a lot of different types of strollers: I’ve seen trendy strollers. I’ve seen cute strollers. I’ve seen expensive strollers. I’ve seen fancy strollers. I’ve seen functional strollers. But I’ve never been inclined to describe a stroller as simple, clean and pretty. Until now.

Let me introduce the Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition: This stroller is the perfect mix of functionality and aesthetics, starting with the assembly itself. The stroller went from this:

To this fully assembled and folded stroller:  

…In just 15 minutes! The assembly was as easy as unfolding the stroller, attaching the wheels, popping the canopy on and hooking on the carrying strap:

Haiden was so excited about the new stroller that he helped at every step!

What are the best features of the Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition?

Lightweight and Compact :: This stroller only weighs 13 pounds. And it folds into an ultra-thin bundle that’s only 15 inches at its tallest point. To make it even easier to manage, there’s a carrying strap so I can sling it over my shoulder or carry it by the side handle when it’s not in use.

**Don’t be fooled into thinking that the lightweight Bumbleride Flite isn’t intended for bigger kids. It is! This 13 pound stroller will hold your little one from newborn-size all the way up to 50 pounds!

Natural Fabric :: The Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition’s seat is made from a fabric that’s 50% bamboo. That means my little ones’ body temperatures are better regulated (no sweaty backs!) while the fabric naturally wicks away moisture. Plus, the exterior fabric is made from 50% recycled material. I love that Bumbleride is moving towards sustainable and recycled materials!

Infant Carseat Adapter :: I always thought that the trade-off for wrestling with a heavy stroller was the benefit of being able to safely snap an infant car seat into it. Not anymore! This 13 pound stroller comes with an an adapter bar that pops into the stroller frame. Once it’s in place, multiple brands of infant seats will fit into this stroller, making it even more portable and fuctional!

SPF 45 Sun Canopy :: Although we live in Minnesota, my fair-skinned toddlers need sunscreen almost all the time. Every Bumbleride Flite stroller has a canopy that actually offers a sun protection factor of 45! I love that the stroller gives me extra assurance that my kiddos heads are shielded from the sun’s harmful rays.

Appearance ::  This is a pretty general area, but I don’t think I’ve seen a stroller as sophisticated as the Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition. I received the stroller in the Walnut brown fabric, and it’s difficult to describe exactly how simple and classic it looks. I don’t even think the photos do it justice!

The solid shade of brown is truly tasteful, and there aren’t any distracting patterns or pictures to draw away from the look. My own personal style isn’t flashy, and I’ve really never wanted any of our baby products to draw attention to me, either. This stroller’s look is modest and understated, which suits me perfectly!

While I think this is a fantastic stroller, there’s one feature I’d like to see improved in the Bumbleride Flite stroller:

Storage Basket :: The basket under this stroller is small. I have a big purse, and it doesn’t fit in there. I get, however, that this is technically an umbrella stroller, and it would take a miracle of design to create more storage space underneath the seat! It helps that there’s a nice zipper pocket on the back of the canopy. This is enough to hold my keys, phone and money when we go for walks, and it leaves the space underneath open for sweaters, water bottles and just a few other odds and ends.

Overall, I have to say that I absolutely love the new Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition, and Haiden sure likes it, too! Check out this video to learn more, and visit Bumbleride to view all of the features and optional accessories.

Buy It: The Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition is available in stores and online for an MSRP of $275. It can be purchased directly from Bumbleride’s online store for $269.99 + shipping. I also found it for $275 with free shipping at Albeebaby.

Want to see it in person? Use Bumbleride’s Dealer Locator to find a store near you that carries Bumbleride strollers.

ENTER TO WIN a Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition Stroller!
1 winner will receive a Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition Stroller in their color choice of Ocean Blue or Walnut Brown.

There are some great ways to earn extra entries into this giveaway! All mandatory and extra entries must be submitted within the Giveaway box below. 

If you’re reading this article in an email newsletter, feed reader or a mobile device, you may not see the entry box below. Please visit the Stroller Giveaway page and enter the giveaway there. 

This Bumbleride Stroller giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada ages 18+. The giveaway ends at 12:01 AM, EST on 11/1/2011.  

Disclosure: Bumbleride provided the stroller to review and will ship the winner’s stroller directly to the winner. All thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% honest and 100% my own.

As always, if you have any trouble entering this giveaway, or if you have any questions, please contact me! 

Bumbleride Flite Natural Edition Stroller Review and GIVEAWAY {$275 Value}! is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

Here’s something a little embarassing: I didn’t start doing all my own laundry until I moved out from my parent’s home when I was almost 21. Even then, my mom was still happy to do my laundry when I brought it over to her house.

When I finally started washing my own clothes, I didn’t understand why people made such a big deal over stains. A little stain spray before washing kept my clothes looking good. No wonder; I was a girlie college student who didn’t even really know how to make a big mess! Little did I know that I had yet to deal with one of the hundreds of real stains that come with being a mom. 

When my good friend Leah had her baby girl a few years before I had mine, I remember my sister asking how Leah kept her baby’s clothes so clean and bright. Leah exclaimed “OXICLEAN!” and she was adamant that an OxiClean soak was the only way to get formula and other baby stains out of clothing, bibs, burp cloths and everything else.

While pregnant with my first baby, I still remembered Leah’s glowing recommendation for OxiClean. Being a frugal mom-to-be, I started picking up secondhand clothes at garage sales for my unborn baby. I also made sure I had a tub of OxiClean ready to treat them. Every time I came home with a “new to me” baby garment, it got an overnight soak in an OxiClean/hot water solution before being washed in a regular load of laundry. Clothes came ot of the washing machine bright, stain-free and ready to be worn!

I even wrote about my allegience to OxiClean and how to get formula stains out of baby clothes just after I started publishing this site. At that time, there were generic versions of OxiClean that were very affordable and equal in performance. That’s no longer true.

OxiClean’s just instroduced their newly reformulated Versatile Stain Remover. It has 40% more oxygen power per scoop than the “old” version, plus it’s safe to use on both whites and colors!

There are two great ways to use OxiClean to keep your clothes as clean, bright and stain-free as possible:

• Add a scoop of OxiClean to every load of laundry. When used with laundry soap, the oxygen power enhances detergent’s cleaning ability. Plus it contains special ingredients to help wash surface stains away.
• Pre-soak stained garments in a bucket of hot water with OxiClean to get even the most difficult stains out of clothing.

Here’s my quick guide on how to get stains out of toddler clothing:

This little pair of purple sweatpants had a mystery stain where Piper must have sat in something: 

That’s the same pair of pants in each photo. I just provided a close-up on the right to make the stain more obvious! Stain Experts (moms!) would probably be able to tell that they went through the washer and dryer once before I noticed they were stained.

Here’s how I got those stains out:

• Fill a bucket with one gallon of hot tap water
• Add a scoop of OxiClean (the scoop is conveniently included in the package)
• Stir to dissolve the Oxiclean in the water.
• Add the garments that need to be pre-treated.
• Soak the clothing anywhere between 1 hour to 24 hours. (I prefer at least overnight to really give the OxiClean a chance to work).
• Pour the entire contents of the bucket in your washing machine along with any other clothes that need to be washed.
• Wash as usual and see your stains disappear!

I know it’s not 100% obvious, but the stains were all gone, just like I knew they would be!

If you’re struggling with stains that won’t come out of your baby’s clothing, I strongly encourage you to give OxiClean a try. It’s definitely a product that deserves a place in your laundry room!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of OxiClean. I received OxiClean items to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

OxiClean: The BEST Stain Remover for Baby and Toddler Clothing is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

I love the idea of maximizing efficiency. When I worked in the corporate world, I was somewhat of an efficiency expert. I could look at processes and quickly identify where time was wasted and how efforts could be better spent.

Being a stay-at-home mom has put my old, efficient self to shame. Sorting laundry as it hits the hamper? Nope. I’m lucky if it even gets in the hamper. Spot-treating little toddler clothes before they go in the wash? I’m happy when those clothes get washed, dried and put away. Moving wet clothes from the washer to the dryer and immediately another load of clothes in the washing machine? I only wish I did that more often.

If I did that last one and did back-to-back loads of laundry every day, I certainly wouldn’t have been presented with this mountain of dirty laundry earlier this week: 

I feel compelled to point out that I’m not a total laundry-slacker. Two messy toddlers, a husband who wears a work uniform and “day clothes” daily, plus my freakish need to launder all of my own clothes a specific way lead to a very time-consuming laundry workload!

Regardless, my pile of laundry looked daunting, but my beautiful new Whirlpool Duet Premium washer and dryer made it far easier than I ever thought possible!

With a high-efficiency front-load washing machine like my Whirlpool Duet Premium, the drum can be full, but not stuffed. What does that mean for my pile of laundry? I could fit this much in the new machine: 

Meaning I was left with this much laundry to do:

What’s left wasn’t even enough to fill the machine for a second load. That’s right; that original huge pile of dirty clothes didn’t even constitute two full loads laundry in my washing machine!

Saving my own time isn’t the only benefit to owning this sweet set of machines. Here are a few more huge perks that come with the Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer:

Water Conservation ::  The front-load model doesn’t fill up the drum like a traditional top-loading washing machine would. The washer automatically senses the size of each load to use just the right amount of water while delivering amazing cleaning power. A load of laundry can be done in as little as 11.5 gallons of water! According to Whirlpool, this can save a single household up to 12,857 gallons of water every year. Amazing, right?

Energy Conservation ::  There’s this great Ecoboost option on the washer that saves energy by decreasing the water temperature and increasing the in-washer tumbling. The tumbling offsets the reduced temperature to deliver the same results with less energy. There’s also an Ecoboost option on the dryer to save even more power.

Time Savings  ::  The wash cycle can be long, but “regular” loads spin for a long time at a super-high speed. The spinning hits up to 12,000 RPM, which wrings so much water out of the clothes that drying time is drastically reduced!

Call me an energy-conserving crazy laundry mom, but I used to get upset when I’d open my still-running dryer only to find my dry clothes baking in an extra hot cavity. It seemed wasteful and hard on the clothes! My new Whirlpool Duet Premium Dryer doesn’t play with my emotions like my old dryer did. The Whirlpool has moisture-sensing technology that shuts the dryer off when it detects the clothes are dry.

Can you tell I’m in love with my new washing machine and dryer? To refresh your memory, the models are available at Sears:
Whirlpool Duet Premium Washer, Model # WFW97HEXL
Whirlpool Duet Premium Electric Dryer (model # WED97HEXL )or Gas Dryer

With my new Whirlpool Duet Premium washing machine and dryer set, I can’t help but be efficient in my laundry. Even when the clothes pile up and I play laundry hooky for a weekend, my clothes are clean in the time it takes to wash and dry two or three loads of laundry!

I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review.

The Whirlpool Duet Challenge: Will it Help This Mom Save Time, Energy AND Money? #WhirlpoolMoms is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

I received the Whirlpool Duet Premium 4.3 cu. feet Capacity Front Load Washer, model # WFW97HEXL, and a Whirlpool Duet Premium Electric Dryer Front Load 7.4 Cu. feet capacity, model # WED97HEXL to review, and I’m beyond excited about both of them!

When the washer and dryer were installed, I quickly skimmed both manuals to get a feel for how the appliances worked, then I got to work learning about  all the special features that make the Whirlpool Duet Premium washing machine the best washer I’ve ever used!

A few nights ago, our friend Justin was visiting and we decided to show him the new washer and dryer. My husband decided to film his reaction along with an impromptu (and clearly unscripted!) product demonstration for all of you:

As you probably saw, there are plenty of amazing features that make this appliance a true workhorse that’s also fun to operate! I don’t have room to list every single thing that the washing machine does, but I’ve made a list of my five favorite features of the Whirlpool Duet Premium Washer:

1. Precision Dispense: as demonstrated in the video, the washing machine has an optional special cartridge that can be filled with laundry detergent. When the cartidge is inserted into the detergent chamber, the machine will automatically dispense the laundry detergent for up to 32 loads! That means I have the option to throw a bunch of clothes in the washing machine, turn it on and hit Start. It’s a great time-saver and it keeps my husband from using way too much detergent!
2. Custom Cycle Creation:  My husband works very hard as a delivery driver. He has a uniform that gets dirty in almost exactly the same places with the same stains all the time. I created a custom cycle for my husband’s work shirts so they can have a heavy-duty wash in hot water for an extended time. that means I don’t spend extra time, water and energy washing his clothes more than once!
3. Fan Fresh: You know that sour, musty smell that clothes can develop after sitting in the washer overnight? I don’t have to worry about that thanks to the Fan Fresh feature. When this button is pushed, the washing machine will periodically tumble the load and run an interior fan to circulate air throughout the load. Since I’ve figured out how this option works, my goal is to never have icky-smelling laundry ever again!
4. Drum Light: This is such a simple addition, but it feels like a luxury all the same! There’s a drum light that turns on when the door is  opened. The light remains on when the cycle starts. I have to admit, I spent a lot of time watching clothes be washed when I started the first few loads of laundry in the new machine. Now, I usually turn the light off right after I start the load to save a bit of power, but you wouldn’t believe the amount of entertainment this feature provides little ones!
5. Super Extra-Large Capacity: The 4.3 cubic-foot capacity means there’s plenty of room to wash a big comforter, or several blankets, or lots of towels (see the video to find out exactly how many bath towels fit in there!).  Larger capacity means fewer total loads of laundry done, and more time for other things!

I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review.

Whirlpool Duet Premium Washer & Dryer: 5 Favorite Features of the Washing Machine, WFD97HEXL WED97HEXL Review is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

Thank you to LUNA Protein for providing me a LUNA Protein sample pack to review. The opinions I’ve expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint.

Every mom is a busy mom, right? Employed or not, we all have babies to feed, kiddos to get dressed, meals to prepare, mouths to feed, homes to maintain and husbands to care for. Plus, we have to take care of ourselves, too!

As a stay-at-home-mom, I find that my most challenging times are generally just getting out the door when there’s someplace we need to be. no matter how prepared I am the night before, I always, always, always find myself running around looking for a missing shoe, or a misplaced piece of paper, or my car keys (yes, I’m a walking stereotype!).

If our appointments are in the morning, I always get car-friendly food ready for Haiden and Piper. They’ll have a sippy cup of milk and a breakfast bar, fruit or dry cereal while strapped into their car seats heading to our scheduled destination.

Me? I’m not so lucky. I can tell you that there are many mornings where I’m staring longingly into the rearview mirror really wanting Haiden to pass up a handful of raisins or a few Cheerios!

A great breakfast option that I need to remember more often is a protein bar. I like several brands and varieties, but I just tried a few of the new Luna Protein bars and they’re pretty great! I received a pack containing the varieties of Luna protein bars:

• Mint Chocolate Chip
• Cookie Dough
• Chocolate Peanut Butter
• Chocolate Cherry Almond
• Chocolate

One thing I love about these bars is that there are a few unique flavors that I haven’t found in other protein bars. Chocolate Chip Cookie dough is one of my all-time favorite ice cream flavors, and it’s definitely a bonus to have those same flavors in a snack that’s much better for my overall health!

Speaking of health, these protein bars pack quite an energy punch, and they definitely give me a good boost when I eat them in the morning! With 190 calories or less, 12 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, you can see how these bars would help out a busy mom in the morning!

ENTER TO WIN a Luna Protein Bar Prize Pack!

• 5 winners will receive a prize pack with Luna Protein bar samples plus an extra treat from Luna!

Please click here to learn more about LUNA Protein. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #cleverLUNA

Luna Protein Bar Prize Pack Giveaway {5 Winners!} is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

Ironically, even though I’m terrible at keeping it together, I’m a glutton for organizational products. Maybe it’s because I’ve tried so many and they haven’t worked for me. Maybe it’s because I’m chasing the dream of having a Martha Stewart-like home where absolutely everything has a proper place and space. In reality, I need simple solutions that I can maintain for the long term.

That’s not to say that I don’t have real-life obstacles that have made organizing a personal struggle. I do. I’ll even open up about them as I continue to write about my quest for an orderly home. Right now, I think it’s sufficient to say that I convinced Mom Central and Brother to help me out with a kitchen organization project. That’s right: I’m going to organize my kitchen and you’ll get to see how I do it!

I want to believe that the Brother P-Touch labeler is going to be a key to my organizing success. Brother believes it will be, and they want to prove that their labels are durable and lasting. To do that, they challenged me to put their labels to the test. Before I even received my labeler, they sent me this Brother P-Touch Extreme Test Kit:

The kit contained:

• A plexiglass block with a Brother-brand label already attached
• A stiff scrub brush
• A scrubber and sponge
• Nail polish remover
• Clorox 2 color-safe bleach laundry product

Brother invited me to use all the materials in the kit to try to get the affixed label off of the plexiglass. Here’s the “After” photos after I used each item to scrub, clean and abuse the label:

After Scrub-Brushing the Brother Label

After Using the Sponge/Scrubber

After using Clorox 2 Bleach on the Label

After Using Nail Polish Remover on the Label

What’s even more remarkable is that I used each of those items one right after the other. That means that I used four different abrasive or corrosive products on a single label and it still remained stuck on the block!

After using up all the provided items, I decided to run the label under running water to see if it would penetrate and “unstick” the label:

Even that didn’t manage to loosen the label! You can see from these final front and back photos that the Brother P-Touch label remained strongly affixed to the block after abusing it with products that I would never plan on putting into contact with those labels!

I have to admit, I didn’t think that the label would stand up to all of those products done pretty much at the same time! I’ve always heard that a labeler is essential for a truly organized home. I’m excited to be using such a durable product as I move forward with my kitchen organization!

Stay tuned as I show you the more practical side of Brother Labels as I put my new Brother P-Touch Labeler into organizing action!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and received a product and gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

The Brother P-Touch: How Durable Are Those Labels? is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!

At the same time, Haiden and Piper are starting color, draw or paint almost every day. Plus, I have some amazing little nephews and nieces who create artwork for our family all the time .Of course, I want to show off their artistry, but I hate the thought of using tape on our freshly-painted walls. Our fridge is a rotating display of toddler artwork, and I’ve definitely needed a solution to expand my “gallery.”

I recently had the opportunity to try out the new Scotch Restickable mounting products. These products are genius for hanging pictures, photos papers and other items on walls without damaging them!

I seriously don’t know how 3M and Scotch come up with their innovative “sticky” products that don’t do any sort of damage (Post-Its, anyone?), but I’m excited that they’ve expanded their line to include products that hold up heavier objects. The Restickables are actually pretty amazing. You can stick them on a surface, remove them, and stick them up again. If they lose their stickiness, you can wash them off and use them again!

The Restickable products come in two varieties: clear strips and colored shapes. Of course, Haiden and Piper prefer the shapes. My kids have four sweet cousins who constantly create pictures and other art projects for them. Haiden and Piper were thrilled when they saw the artwork displayed on their bedroom door with a variety of colored shapes! They kept pointing out the pictures and the little things that were being used to hold them up.

The Restickables are also very child-friendly. I love that Haiden can post his own artwork on the wall. If he doesn’t get it just right the first time, he can take the Restickables off and try again!
Note: Scotch Restickables are a choking hazard, so be sure to keep them out of reach of children under 3.

The clear strips are pretty fantastic for securing objects and keeping the evidence out of sight. I have two toddlers, so things get bumped and banged all the time. I don’t want to put away every single breakable item in our home, and these little strips are great for keeping items from sliding off of end tables. I tried a strip underneath a decorative glass bowl and it definitely kept it from creeping toward the edge of the table little feet ran through the room!

I made a quick video to demonstrate how I used 4 Scotch Restickable Shapes to hang up a decorated card on a painted door. Click the “Play” triangle above and you can even see how you can unpeel the shape and use it again!

Back to School time is here, which means that kids will be bringing home new art projects all the time! If you’re looking for a photo-safe, multitasking product that can hang artwork, mementos, and many other items on nearly any surface, try out the new Scotch Restickables products!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Scotch and received Scotch Restickable products to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Back-to-School: Display Kids’ Artwork Anywhere with Scotch Restickable Products is a post from: Baby GoodBuys. Visit us and find more baby deals and diaper deals!