Painting With the PaintStick EZ-Twist Review

Painting Made Easy
When we bought our house 18 months ago, there were some terrible colors in some of the rooms. Our living room was the first room that we painted and it took so long to do, but was worth it in the end. Our third bedroom was painted a bright yellow. And I mean bright.

Get the point? This room was Rowan’s for a while when he was still in a crib, but now that the boys share a room it is our office. After living with that terrible color, we decided to paint it so we can personalize the office a bit more. We went with a light gray on three of the walls, and a cabin red for an accent wall. To help us on our way, we had the PaintStick EZ-Twist from HomeRight.

Pros: The only “paint stick” we’ve used in the past have been rollers. While they do the job, it generally takes a long time. Here’s what the PaintStick EZ-Twist looked like right out of the box:

It was easy to assemble, and I actually did it while hubby was taping the walls. I generally have a hard time with instructions and get frustrated easily, but this was fairly easy to do.

Then it was time to put the special cap on top of the paint and get the paint into the stick. Once you put the cap on your gallon of paint, you simply attach the corresponding piece on the paint stick and draw the paint into the tube. It was easy and there was no mess. Marshall proceeded to do the gray walls with the paint stick. You simply turn the base of the stick and paint comes out. It is so easy to use. While he did the gray, I worked on the 1 accent wall. He did 2 gray walls that were vaulted in the time that I did the one red wall with a normal roller. Here are our after pictures. I think it turned out great, and now it’s time to decorate!  (The colors look a little different in the second picture because there is a lot of natural light streaming in.  The gray in the first picture represents the color a bit better.)

Cons: The cap that goes on top of the paint doesn’t always fit on all gallon sized paint buckets. We had to work a bit to get it to fit onto ours. It would also be nice if it came with a separate top that fits on quart sized cans as well.
When twisting the stick up, you have to be careful that you don’t twist too much, or you might make a mess with the paint. We had this figured out pretty quickly though and it is still a lot cleaner than using traditional rollers.
Because there are a few pieces to this, it took a while to clean out as well. You don’t have that extra cleanup with other rollers.

Price: $39.99

Where to Buy: Home Right

The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or PR representative. These views and opinions are my own and I was not compensated by this review.

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Yummy Eats From Noodles & Company

Noodles
When dinner time rolls around, there is a food that the entire family will eat, and that is noodles. They are such a versatile food and can be prepared so many different ways. Before last week, we had never been to Noodles & Company. I’m not sure why, we’ve lived just 10 minutes away from one for the last two years. What better time than now, right? As soon as we walked in the door and looked at the menu, I knew there would be something for everyone.

Eating at Noodles & Company
I decided to order their newest dish, the Asparagus and Lemon Linguine. I love asparagus so I was really excited to try this dish. It did not disappoint.  It had plenty of yummy veggies, fresh lemon, and feta cheese. I also had the parmesan crusted chicken in it. Doesn’t it just look fabulous?

Hubby went with the Bankok Curry which is from the Asian part of the menu. It also had tons of fresh vegetables and a sweet coconut twist to it. Hubby and I were sneaking bites from each other’s plates since they were both so delicious.

The boys shared a bowl of traditional spaghetti and meatballs. They loved it of course!
I love all of the fresh vegetables and the twist they put on noodles. Speaking of vegetables, Noodles & Company is a great way to help you and your family eat more of them. The dishes that hubby and I had had tons of veggies, however they are a bit tricky  when it comes to our kids. They are picky, but we’ve tried a lot of different things and have found ways for them to eat veggies. The boys both love green beans. I find this comical as this was something I craved during both pregnancies. I ate cans after cans of green beans. They also love eating corn on the cob and think it is a fun way to eat it. Making things fun makes it easier. My 4 year old won’t touch broccoli, but if I put it in chicken broccoli casserole, he’ll eat it right up. And my 2 year old loves broccoli with cheese. There are lots of great ways to get your kids to eat their veggies, you just have to be creative.

We will definitely be headed back to Noodles & Company soon. The staff was extremely nice, food was great and well priced, and it’s just plain yummy.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Noodles & Company and received five Noodles & Company bowl cards to facilitate my review. Mom Central also sent me a thank-you gift certificate.

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Food Should Taste Good – Review & Giveaway (closed)

Food Should Taste Good
Food should taste good, right? I know I’m a food lover, maybe that’s why I have to workout a lot to keep it off. And to be honest, a lot of the food that I think tastes good, doesn’t make me feel so good afterward because it lacks quality ingredients that my body really want. So it’s awesome to be able to find a food that does taste good without the compromise. Let me introduce you to Food Should Taste Good. I love the name, it’s creative and true at the same time. And if you haven’t already guessed from the picture, it’s every kind of tortilla chip you could ever want or imagine.

About the Company
From the founder of Food Should Taste Good:

I love food and have been working in grocery stores and restaurants since starting my first job in high school. The most important lesson I learned along the way is that food tastes best when it is made with quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation. This simple idea inspired me to take wholesome, all natural ingredients and capture their great flavor by cooking them INSIDE a chip to create a new kind of snack. It just felt right to call my company, Food Should Taste Good, Inc. Its a lot of work to live up to the name, but I wouldnt want it any
other way.

Pete Lescoe
Founder, Food Should Taste Good, Inc.

Pros: So now that you know a bit about the company, what they sell, and how it got started, it’s crunch time. We received samples of each of the tortilla chips. The flavors that they come in include: Blue Corn, Cheddar, Multigrain, Olive, Jalapeno, Chocolate, The Works, Sweet Potato, Lime, and Yellow Corn.
These chips are all natural, kosher, gluten and lactose free, have no preservatives, are cholesterol free, and are a good source of fiber. I could go on and on, but if you visit their website, you can see even more reasons why these chips are a healthy choice.


I’m going to openly admit that sometimes I get scared off by foods that are that good for me. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes I wonder if I am going to be sacrificing taste to eat healthy. After opening the first bag, I was immediately proven wrong. My hubby, boys and I polished off a bag of Yellow Corn in one sitting. The flavor, texture, and crunch are all fabulous. After trying all of them, my favorite have been Sweet Potato, Lime, and Jalapeno. They are all good, but those were my preferences. Hubby actually asks that I buy these instead of our other tortilla chips now, so it’s good that one of our local grocers carries them!

Cons: I do wish that these were made in a bit bigger bag. Each bag is only 6 ounces and as a family of four, after one serving they are almost gone. I did notice that the yellow corn is available in a bigger bag, but not the other flavors. I would definitely pay more for a bigger bag, so I’d love for this to be an option on more of the flavors.

Price: $3.29 for 6 ounce bag

Where to Buy: Food Should Taste Good or a retailer near you

Win It
Two Babes and Kids Readers will receive a pack of 5 bags of chips

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

Additional Entries

  • Tweet about this giveaway. (daily entry) – 2 entries
  • Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
  • Follow me – 2 entries
  • Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
  • Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on June 18th. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or PR representative. These views and opinions are my own and I was not compensated by this review.

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Online Experiences?

So I’ve been thinking about a LOT of things lately.  One being this whole online world.  It’s great to connect with others, network, and build friendships.  I know some pretty amazing people online and have even gotten to meet a few of them.

Although there is a lot of positive that you can find online, there also comes the negative.  This really bothers me because a lot of people wouldn’t do or say some of the things that they would to a person’s face, but it’s ok to do it online.  Someone may know nothing about you, but make assumptions and tear you down.  This is the part that I really don’t get and I’ve seen it in a few different situations.  I don’t feel entitled to form an opinion of someone unless I feel like I know them myself.  This can be through meeting them, getting to know them through forums, or other social networking outlets.  So why do SO many people form opinions and attack those they don’t even really know? I actually had a comment that I had to trash last week because it said horrible things about me and my family.  I don’t even know this person and it affected my entire day. I definitely have strong opinions about certain things, but you will never find me putting others down, or finding fault when I don’t even really know them.  Not cool.  I’m really curious to know what kind of experiences you have had online?

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Soft Scrub Total Kitchen Cleaner Review

Soft Scrub Total Kitchen Cleaner
A few months back, I reviewed the Soft Scrub bathroom cleaner. Soft Scrub is something I have used on my bathrooms for as long as I can remember, however it was the original soft scrub and not a spray. I’m pretty happy that Soft Scrub has come out with a bathroom and kitchen cleaner that is a spray because it’s a brand that I trust and actually makes my life a little easier.

Pros: The Soft Scrub Total Kitchen Cleaner is great when it comes to degreasing and breaking down hard food. It has a nice lemon scent, which makes me feel like my kitchen is that much cleaner. I actually prefer it over my kitchen cleaner that I was using previously. Besides the cleaner being great, the design of the bottle is really helpful when it comes to cleaning. On the nozzle, you can actually open and close a flap that gives you either a mist when it is open, or a foam when it is closed. There are also grippers on the bottle and you can spray it upside down. To see these pros in action, watch the video below.

Cons: When thinking about the cons of this product, I think about another cleaner I’ve used that uses natural ingredients and is earth friendly. The ingredients in this product are not natural and can cause irritation to sensitive skin. Here is a full list of ingredients from Soft Scrub’s website for inquiring minds:
Water (Diluent, used for dissolving other ingredients), Monoethanolamine (Solvent for loosening soils), Lauramine Oxide (Surfactant, for dissolving oily soils), Ethanol (Solvent, to loosen soils), Citric Acid (pH adjuster), Sodium Hydroxide (pH adjuster), Sodium Silicate (pH adjuster), Fragrance

I haven’t had any issues using this because I don’t have sensitive skin, and it does work more effectively than my natural cleaner. Give and take I guess.

Price: My local retailer has it for about $3.50

Where to Buy: A retailer near you.

The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or PR representative. These views and opinions are my own and I was not compensated by this review.

Softscrubclub_captain_logo

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Baby Bunch Cupcake Onesies Giveaway (closed)

Cupcake Onesies
Love, love Baby Bunch. You may have seen the Baby Bouquet or Nests in previous posts that I’ve written, but they have much more to offer. How about something that sounds AND looks scrumptious? Look no further than these adorable Cupcake Onesies.

Like other Baby Bunch products, these are definitely great quality. There are all sorts of adorable designs and colors to choose from as well. I received the box of 4 organic onesie cupcakes. I think it’s cool that they offer organic products for those moms who want them. You can get them in a 2, 4, or 6 pack and in pink, blue, yellow, or the organic tan color. If you go over to Baby Bunch and read their descriptions, they are really cute. Here is part of the description about the organic onesies from Baby Bunch’s website:

Organic Cupcake Onesies are a recipe for a great baby shower gift, with absolutely no baking required! Organic baby gifts are perfect for the earth-friendly neighbor or ecologically responsible friend. Each dotted Kraft paper bakery box opens to reveal four unbleached, undyed cotton onesies made of super-soft 100% organic cotton, generously sized for infants 0-6 months or up to 16 lbs. Each onesie is “topped” with a decorative element such as a fruit or flower; remove decoration before dressing baby and save or use again, along with the reusable magnetic clasp bakery box. Go green – recycle!

And if you didn’t know, Baby Bunch ships direct and will include a free gift message if you’d like.

Win It
One Babes and Kids reader will win a Baby Bunch Box of 4 Organic Cupcake Onesies

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

  • Visit Baby Bunch and tell me another product you like.

Additional Entries

  • Tweet about this giveaway. (daily entry) – 2 entries
  • Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
  • Follow me – 2 entries
  • Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
  • Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on June 17th. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or PR representative. These views and opinions are my own and I was not compensated by this review.

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Chili’s Freshly Prepared Menu Items

Cooking
Cooking. Cleaning. Does it ever end? Sometimes I feel like it doesn’t and it gets old. I do like to cook and prepare food for my family, it’s just that sometimes I feel like I really need a break. I still like my family to be able to eat lots of fresh foods though, and with Chili’s freshly prepared menu items, we can do just that.

Get It To Go
Most of the time when we go out to eat, one of the boys has a meltdown. Lately it’s been Rowan, and I think it’s just his age. He’s good for about 10 minutes, and then he’s done. So a few days ago, we opted to use the Chili’s online ordering system and got it to go. I must say I love being able to order online. I don’t feel like I was pressured to hurry like I am on the phone, and I can double check my order before I check out.

When we went to pick up our order, hubby only had to wait a few minutes before we were on our way home. Hubby and I shared the Quesadilla Explosion salad and it was plenty for both of us.

We find ourselves sharing a meal more and more when we go out because there is usually so much food to eat, and then we don’t have to box it up. Plus, we have a lot of the same tastes, so it’s not hard to agree on something. The salad was delicious, and I still got some of the carbs that I love with the quesadilla while getting the fresh vegetables and grilled chicken in the salad.
The boys shared chicken crispers and each had a corn on the cob.
There are plenty of great fresh menu items, so head out to Chili’s and check it out for yourself!

Shout Out To Eat Out
Tired of cooking too? Then go enter Chili’s contest “Shout Out To Eat Out.” Upload a short 10 to 30 second video, and you could have a chance to win a $50 Chili’s gift card! Winners are chosen daily through August 30th!

The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or PR representative. I received a Chili’s gift card to facilitate this post. These views and opinions are 100% mine.

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Wordless Wednesday – NBA Finals, Our Pick

Who are you rooting for?

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Win a Free Stay at Hampton Inn, Chain of Friends Sweepstakes

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

Summer Vacations
Summer is upon us. That means warmer weather, kids out of school, and vacations. We have a vacation coming up in August that I am looking forward to. We are having a family reunion with my parents and siblings at a nice home that we rented on the west coast. It will be super fun, but it’s over a 12 hour drive for us, so I’m sure we will be staying in a hotel coming and going. (A 12 hour car ride with 2 little boys seems near impossible.) A free hotel stay would be awesome, so I’m definitely going to be entering Hampton Inn’s Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes

Hampton_logo

Chain of Friends Sweepstakes
I’m no stranger to Hampton Inn. I’ve stayed there a dozen times or more over the years and have always been impressed. If you haven’t stayed at one, try it out next time you are on vacation. Right now, you can enter to win an entire hotel for a weekend for your chain of friends. That’s 100 rooms for 2 nights! It’s easy to enter. All you have to do is visit  Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes, enter your information and cross your fingers. Don’t worry, you can also enter to win a 1 night stay that they will be giving away daily as well.
So enter, and get your friends to enter, because it’s always fun to travel and spend the weekend with your friends. I know if I won, I would be inviting all of my friends and family and maybe head off to Vegas for the weekend.

Click Here

Visit my sponsor: Win a free Weekened Stay

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Sky High Scoops Game – Review & Giveaway (closed)

Learning Games
Right around the time that Chandler turned 4, he started getting really into games. He had a matching game that he loved to play over and over so I started investing in some other classic games. I think he would play them half the day if he could. While it’s fun to play games with him, I love it when they are educational and we can have fun and learn at the same time. Learning Resources has a bunch of great games and puzzles for kids to help them learn, all while having fun. Sky High Scoops is one of those games.
Sky High Scoops is an electronic stacking game that includes an ice cream dish and ice cream scoops.

Pros: Sky High Scoops comes with a talking ice cream dish, and 16 ice cream scoops in assorted colors. There are 2 of each color. There is also a volume control and switch that you turn on the dish. If you turn it on, the game starts. I like that you can control the volume. There are so many toys that the boys have that are really loud and you can’t control the volume.
To play, you divide the scoops evenly between players, and then press the scoop button on the ice cream dish. The dish will then tell you to add a certain color or number of scoops. It might even ask you add scoops as fast as you can for a few seconds. If the stack of scoops falls, you have to keep those scoops. Whoever runs out of scoops first, wins!
The entire game is made of plastic, which makes it pretty sturdy for the Pre-K age group. I really like that this teaches colors, counting, motor skills, and social interaction. 2-5 players can play this game, it is appropriate for ages Pre-K+, and requires 3AAA batteries. To see more how the game works, watch the video below.

Cons: There are quite a few pieces to store with this game, so it’s important to cleanup right after the game is over. The ice cream dish also has a spoon on it that got broken off fairly easily. We were playing the game, and the dish fell on the floor, causing the spoon to break off. Luckily the sound still works great on the dish, so it’s pretty sturdy that way.
Overall, this is a fun game that I would recommend and that I haven’t seen in stores, although you can buy it in specialty stores if you look. You can also buy it online.

Price: $24.99

Where to Buy: Learning Resources

Win It
One Babes and Kids reader will win Sky High Scoops

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

Additional Entries

  • Tweet about this giveaway. – 2 entries
  • Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
  • Follow me – 2 entries
  • Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
  • Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on June 15th. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or PR representative. These views and opinions are my own and I was not compensated by this review.

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