Sacramento Zoo Review

I have been going to the Sacramento Zoo since I was a teenager going with my Mom, Dad and siblings. My husband and I have gone many times over the last 10 years and last year we went to the Sacramento Zoo for our son's 1st Birthday. He has grown so much since last year and we were excited to take him to the zoo. We invited a few of his cousins that had not been to the Sacramento Zoo.

We were excited to see the newest addition to the Giraffe exhibit since its my son's favorite animal. Also the new River Otter exhibit. Having the American River close by we have spotted a few river otters so we were delighted to see the new exhibit for them.

The Giraffe Exhibit is our favorite spot in the whole zoo. My son adores giraffes and loves to yell "giafe". His "best friend" is the stuffed giraffe we bought him on his birthday after we fed the giraffes at the zoo on his 1st birthday. He has giraffe pajamas, onsies, pants and will be a giraffe this year for Halloween. For me the giraffe area is the most interactive spot in the zoo. You can get very close to the animals on the viewing deck and for a small fee you can feed them branches. Even without feeding them you can get really close. We had one walk towards us and  look at us as we waved to her. It made me so happy to see my son smiling seeing his favorite animal. We saw the newest addition to the Giraffe exhibit a young Masai giraffe,  “Chifu”. Chifu means Chief in Swahili.

The new young giraffe Chifu

The other new exhibit we were excited to see was the River Otter enclosure.I loved the clear glass so we could see them clearly. We waited about 10 minutes but never spotted them. They might have been sleeping in a log or something. Its just another reason to return to the zoo next time to see them.

Another part of the Sacramento Zoo that I enjoy is the Children's play area. There is a slide, wooden cutouts for you to put your face in (I love those!) a web to play in and plenty of places for adults to sit and rest. We checked out the Reptile building and my son was freaked out he kept saying no no no so we left there quickly. He also liked the Chimpanzee area where he waved to and stared in awe at the animals.

The Sacramento Zoo is a wonderful place to take you family for an exciting day out. We have loved the Zoo for many years and plan to visit more often now that our son is able to really get into the excitement of seeing the animals. Another great reason to visit the Sacramento Zoo is the Halloween event Boo at the Zoo.

Boo at the Zoo - Two Nights!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
5 to 8 pm 



Two nights of ghoulish family fun, Sunday or Monday rain or shine. Kids can safely trick-or-treat around the lake at 17 different candy stations! Other activities include magic shows, costume dance party, ghoulish crafts, and lots of family fun! You can also ride the Spooky Train or Creepy Carousel for an additional fee.
Please note: Only the front half of the Zoo will be open during this event.  The spookiness is appropriate for children under 10 years of age.

General Tickets: $10
Sacramento Zoo Members: $8
Children 1 and under: Free

*I was not paid for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free tickets for me and my family to enter the Zoo for my review.

Crystal Roll-On Deodorant Review #CrystalRollon

Over the last few years I have tried to be more aware of product ingredients. With food and beverages its easier to find healthy products by reading labels and I have made more of an effort to eat more organic and natural foods. After finding more healthier food products that go in my body I have realized I should be more aware of products that go on my body too.


I have always assumed that Natural products would be out of my price range. I was very wrong about that! Walmart carries many natural products at reasonable prices.

In college I wrote a research paper on risk factors of breast cancer and deodorant chemicals was something that concerned me. Since it is Breast Cancer Awareness month I have been thinking again about switching back to a natural deodorant. I have used a few natural brands in the past that have not worked as well as I thought they would from the brand name.

In California it is still warm outside. We had a weekend in the 80s so sweating is still a big factor. I think that is why I have stayed with other non natural deodorants thinking they would work better. I was definitely wrong in my thinking. I recently tried Crystal Roll-On Deodorant that I purchased at Walmart. I love that it is a roll-on. It makes it easy to use and doesn't leave a mess. The deodorant is clear and fragrance free. It worked well to help control odor. I decided to use my new deodorant as I worked out to really put it to the test. I did sweat a bit more than normally do but I know its healthier to not have all the chemicals that other brands do. After all we are suppose to sweat a little, its a cleansing system for our skin.


Product Info Crystal Roll-On Deodorant :
No Aluminum Chlorohydrate All Natural Protection Hypoallergenic Fragrance & Paraben Free Natural Deodorant Protection Crystal Body Deodorant is made of Natural Minerals Salts which eliminate odor by leaving an invisible protective barrier against odor-causing bacteria. It is non-sticky, non-staining, leaves no white residue and can be used by both Men and Women. Safe for the Environment Endorsed by Cancer Treatment Centers




Disclosure: This review has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions expressed are my own and may vary from others.

Cafe Press Little Sister Shirt Review and Giveaway

When we brought Baby L home from the hospital wearing we had the boys in matching "Big Brother" and "Little Brother" t-shirts that made me so happy to see. Every time I look at the pictures it makes me smile. I knew that when we bring home their baby sister she needed a "Little Sister" shirt, so I was on the hunt. Cafe Press makes some really sweet one of a kind products and I knew I would find one there.

In the Baby Girl Baby Onesies and Baby Bodysuits section there are so many funny and adorable designs to choose from. When looking for a Little Sister shirt for us I knew it had to be long sleeves, she will be born in the winter time in Washington State, no short sleeve anything here. Also I wanted it to be fairly simple, with a little flair and PINK.

Here is where I found the I'm the Little Sister Long Sleeve Onesie in Pink. It is soft and thick, perfect for a new baby. I love the stars because in our house she will be the "Star" of the show for at least a little while. We can't wait to bring our new baby girl home in this sweet little Sister Onesie!

Here is a little info on the Onesie from their web site:

Long Sleeve Infant Bodysuit

• 6.1oz 100% combed ringspun cotton
• Long-sleeve design
• Triple-button bottom for easy on/off
• Interlock knit for extra durability
• Tagless for comfort
• Lap shoulder neck
• Super soft
• Available in many colors

Cafe Press does not stop at just cute onesies for babies, Clothing and T-shirts for toddlers, adults and children. They also provide Accessories, Drinkware, Wall Art, Stickers and Flair, and much more. Another thing they offer is you can Create a Personalized Gift using your own photos and phrases. Oh the fun you could have with that....

One of the great things about this company is you can find millions of funny t-shirt designs only at CafePress!


GIVEAWAY
 
Win one t-shirt of any design, size, shape and color from Cafe Press

To Enter This Giveaway: 

 What is your favorite Baby Bodysuit on the Cafe Press site?

 *Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on. 

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*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts October 20, 2011 and ends on October 30 , 2011 at midnight PST.  Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others.

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes Book Review

I love to read to my son. Its the one time he is mellow and likes to sit and listen. Its so sweet to see him point to the pictures and help turn the pages. The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Gary Rubinstein and Mark Pett is cute and simple book. It teaches about how we try to live up to the impossible "perfect". I like that when she does make a mistake she learns that things are fine. That she can just relax and enjoy life without the worry of perfection. This book is cute for boys and girls alike.

Book Summary:
Beatrice Bottomwell has NEVER (not once!) made a mistake…

Meet Beatrice Bottomwell: a nine-year-old girl who has never (not once!) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. In fact, Beatrice holds the record of perfection in her hometown, where she is known as The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes. Life for Beatrice is sailing along pretty smoothly until she does the unthinkable–she makes her first mistake. And in a very public way!



Interview info from authors of the book:
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
Mark and I met in 2000 at a Teach For America reunion. At the time he was writing a comic strip
called 'Mr. Lowe', about a teachers, and I had just had my first book 'Reluctant Disciplinarian', about
my first year of teaching, published. We became friends and soon found ourselves sending each other
drafts of our new projects for one another to evaluate. Ten years later, around the time that both of our
daughters had turned one, Mark and I talked about finally working together on a project.

We each came up with about five ideas and over Skype we agreed to work on one of Mark's ideas about
what life might be like for a girl who never made any mistakes. When I wrote the first draft, I thought
it reminded me a bit of a 'Twilight Zone' episode where a word exists with an unusual character with an
unusual ability, yet people are accepting of this reality.

Throughout the next four months, we went back and forth writing drafts until we had about fifteen.
Then we evaluated what were the best parts about each draft and assembled them together. Mark
drew rough sketches for the book, which we learned needed to be exactly 32 pages. This limitation was
a challenge since it meant that certain scenes we had wanted to have needed to be completely changed
or deleted so the ending wouldn't need to be rushed.

We sent the illustrated draft to several agents, and heard back from Kerry Sparks at the Levine
Greenberg agency that she wanted to represent us. Within two months, we had an offer from a great
publisher called Sourcebooks. The next year was a lot more work than we had anticipated. There were
a lot of issues that our editor pointed out to us about certain word choices and other things which we
needed to fix. It was tough, sometimes, trying to get all three of us to agree, but the final product, I
think, is that much better for the process.

When the final text was approved, Mark got to work on the huge task of producing 32 watercolor
paintings. As the co-writer, my job was to 'annoy' Mark (at his request) by asking him how it was going
every few days.

Finally, after over two years the book is a reality. I'm glad that Mark and I both already had internalized
the message of the book that you can't be paralyzed by the fear of making mistakes. Getting a children's
book published is hard and had we really thought about the likelihood that it would never go anywhere,
we may not have worked so hard on it.


The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes can be purchased at the publishers Source Books website or on Amazon.




* I was not paid or compensated for this post. I was sent a free copy of this book for my review by the publisher/PR company. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Happy Howl-a-ween from The Buddies! Spooky Buddies Movie Giveaway

My son adores dogs and Disney! We have watched a few of the Buddies movies and he loves them. He as always yells out dog and recently has been calling our dog by her name. It is not quite her name but hes working on that. I plan on getting this movie for him to watch on Halloween after we go trick or treating. But you get the chance to win a copy here! Details to enter the giveaway at bottom of the post.

Disney's loveable Buddies are back in the spine-tingling movie caper SPOOKY BUDDIES. Embarking on a journey to save the world from Warwick the Warlock and the Halloween Hound, this trick-or-treat adventure celebrates friendship, courage, and teamwork. Get into the spirit with these Halloween Cards and Safety Tips, cast interviews, a costume slideshow and film clips! You can download all the fun activities here.

 

Giveaway

Win a copy of Spooky Buddies on DVD

To Enter This Giveaway: 

If you have a dog or had one what would you dress it up as for Halloween?

 *Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on. 

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-Share this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day) This means you have the chance to get 2 extra entries a day.

-Add our button to your blog and leave a link of where it is located +2 (right hand side) 

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts October 18, 2011 and ends on October 26, 2011 at midnight PST.  Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. I am hosting this giveaway for a PR rep for this company. The sponsor is responsible for the prize. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others.