A Preschool Activity

 

Getting anything done around the house is nearly impossible with my 2 1/2 year old always on my coat tails. I am always trying to think of ways to keep him busy even for just a little while so I can get a few things done without my little shadow. 

The other day while cleaning out some craft supplies I found two bags of brightly colored rice and some equally as bright buttons of all sizes. I thought it would be great to have him sift and sort is way through the buttons and rice. I mixed the bags of rice together added the buttons and set him free. He sorted them by color, shape and size and even taste tested it a bit :)  The buttons were a bit tricky to find in the colored rice so it kept him busy for a while. Not only did it give me a moment to myself but I loved that he was learning through play, my favorite way to teach!!  

I am always looking for ways to keep the kiddos entertained around here. Do you have any tips or tricks to keep your little ones occupied? I would love to hear them.

Love Your Feet: Shoes for Crews Review and Giveaway

Love style? Love your feet! The perfect gift for the working Mom in your life from Shoes for Crews. Having to be on your feet all day while working can be so rough. Having good but also cute shoes is a must. I work in an environment where comfort is key but you still need to have them be stylish. I have worked in the restaurant industry as a teenager and knew about Shoes for Crews but did not know they made cute shoes! 

I have wider feet than most regular shoes so sometimes finding cute shoes can be difficult. Looking online seems to be a great answer for me and my shoe needs. Shoes for Crews has developed a line of dress shoes called the Black Label line. They have shoes with heels, wedges and even in brown! There were many to select from and I finally decided on the Shoes for Crews Mary Jane style. 

I have been needing some basic black dress shoe mary janes for my wardrobe and I thought these would be great for comfort since they can be ordered in a wide width. I read a few reviews that said the shoes run a little big and wider than most shoes but I thought to be on the safe side I would get my size and in the wide. Now that I have worn them a few times to work I should have ordered the half size down and not in the wide. Maybe my feet aren't as wide as I thought :)

They are super comfy to work in. Padded on the inside and the strap was comfy. Being a little big on me they did get a little squished on the toe area when I would go up and down from being on my knees to then standing. They are very soft and maybe I need something with a tougher toe. I do see these being great for days we do inventory or stocking so I can be on my feet constantly with comfort. I even mentioned to my husband I could walk all over a theme park and look cute in these. They hold up to many hours of walking while still looking cute! I wore them with dress pants one day and the other with stockings and a skirt, looked super cute! I even wear them with jeans on my days off.

I saw a few other styles I liked as well.

When you order a pair I would recommend a half size down, unless you plan to wear thick comfy socks with them.

You can learn more about Shoes for Crews on Facebook and Twitter

GIVEAWAY
To celebrate the LOVE of your feet we are hosting a giveaway for a pair of shoes from Shoes for Crews (winners choice)

Enter in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb 5, 2013 and ends on Feb 12, 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 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 sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Disney Diamond Edition Peter Pan on Blu-ray TODAY!

Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Disney’s Classic Adventure Peter Pan for the First Time on Disney Blu-ray™.  Available For Purchase TODAY February 5, 2013. New Digital Restoration and Unparalleled High Definition Picture and Sound!


I was thrilled when I heard Peter Pan was coming to Blu-ray! As a kid we loved this movie. I think I have seen it atleast 1000 times! But never with the crisp clarity of Blu-ray. My son loves Peter Pan too, we had it on DVD but its not the same as a Blu-ray. As kids we would watch this movie over and over. We would jump off the couch trying to think happy thoughts in hopes we would fly but knew without Tink's Pixie Dust it would more than likely not happen. I enjoy the ideal of Peter Pan that no one wants to grow up, its sweet since there is a little kid that feels that way in adults.

Peter Pan is available for purchase at major retail outlets including Walmart and Target.

Fun info below about if there really is a place located at the second star to the right and staight on till morning:

Since it first debuted in theaters in 1953, Walt Disney Studio’s animated classic Peter Pan has long captured the imaginations of children and adults around the world with its tale of an enchanted place where fairies, Lost Boys, mermaids and pirates live and adventures never cease. But what if somewhere beyond our world such a place actually exists? Peter Pan says it's "past the second star to the right and straight onto morning," but is Never Land real?

Before the advent of modern space science and technology, most Earth-dwellers assumed outer space was just a wasteland of stars. But astronomers are learning that the night sky isn’t just full of stars; it’s full of planets.

One team from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena recently made a new estimate of the numbers of planets in our galaxy and came up with a whopping 100 billion. The team made this exciting discovery using NASA's Kepler space telescope to look at class of red stars called “M dwarfs,” which are the most common stars found in the Milky Way. The study suggests, in fact, that for every star there is, on average, a corresponding planet. With an estimated 100 billions stars in the sky, that’s a whole lot of planets. Could Never Land lie around one of these stars?

Another study, led by researchers at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., used Kepler data to estimate the number of Earth-size planets orbiting other stars. They found that an estimated 17 percent of stars have Earth-size planets in orbits closer than Mercury is to the sun. When they looked at orbits at about the distance of Earth, the number of stars with Earth-size planets is at least 70 percent.

Of course, not all planets in the galaxy are habitable. Just as some planets in our solar system fly too close or too far from the sun to be inhabited, only the planets orbiting at the right distance from their stars are considered “temperate,” meaning they’re the right temperature for liquid water, an essential element for sustaining human life and, of course, keeping mermaids and sea-faring pirates afloat.

The Kepler space telescope continues to hunt for those "just right" planets -- Earth-size worlds that orbit in the habitable zones of stars like our sun.

But until our planet’s top space scientists find a way for us to travel safely in search of a real life Never Land, Disney invites us to rediscover their wondrous animated version of it on February 5^th, when Peter Pan soars onto Diamond Edition Blu-ray™ and DVD.

*I was provided a copy of this movie for my review.

A Valentine's Day Redo: A Romantic Evening at Home with La Romanella Pasta

When I think of Valentine's Day I can't help but feel a little sad then giggle about one of the first few Valentine's my husband and I had when we first were married. It was about 10 years ago I tried to create my version of an Italian restaurant for my husband. He was working as a chef at the time constantly cooking at home and work. I wanted to surprise him and have a big Italian dinner ready for him when he arrived home from work on Valentines. I decorated the dining room to make it look like my version of a romantic Italian restaurant. I used sheets to make a cute little enclosed area, had a hand written menu with what I was serving, picked out the perfect movie, had candles lit, it was perfect.

When he got home he was sick! He had the stomach flu from work. Throwing up, dizzy, so sick it was sad!! He came in saw all my stuff said it was beautiful, that he was sorry and then went to bed. I sat there alone eating my spaghetti, bread, appetizers and watched a movie by myself. Saddest Valentine's Day ever lol.

We have had many great Valentine's Days since then but I have not attempted to cook a romantic Italian dinner for him since that failed attempt. I thought this year would be perfect to make him a dinner like that again since he is now a stay at home Dad that cooks and cleans all day while I work.

We love spinach and artichokes in our house so I found a recipe that I knew would be perfect for making a Valentine's Day redo. I adapted the recipe to our tastes to make it even more special. I headed to Smart & Final to do my shopping since I knew that had La Romanella Pasta Sauce that I like. I picked up items for my Baked Ziti with Spinach, Artichokes, Olives and Pesto for the main dish and Salami-Ricotta Crostini as an appetizer. Since I was planning a big hearty dinner I decided to have dessert be simple and light. I bought a First Street Vanilla Pound Cake, banana pudding and bananas. One of my husbands favorite things to eat are bananas.

Baked Ziti with Spinach, Artichokes, Olives and Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 pound La Romanelle dry pasta (Ziti or Penne Rigate)
• One 26-ounce La Romanella  jar tomato pasta sauce
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 6 cups  loosely packed  spinach leaves
• One 6.5 oz  jar artichokes, drained
• 1/3 cup finely chopped black olives
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 3-quart baking dish and lightly grease with butter. Bring a large pot of  water to a boil then add pasta and cook according to the package directions. Before draining, save about a 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the side for use in the recipe. Then, drain pasta.

While the pasta cooks, heat the tomato sauce and set aside. In a small bowl, stir the basil pesto and cottage cheese together, and then set aside. Add drained pasta to a large bowl then add spinach, drained artichokes,  olives, hot tomato sauce and about the 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Then, toss.

Add about half of the pasta and spinach mixture to the baking dish. Then, spread the cottage cheese and pesto on top. Scatter about half of the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the pesto and cottage cheese mixture then add the rest of the pasta on top of that. Press everything down into the baking dish then scatter the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake in the oven on 350 degrees for  about 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling. Let the baked ziti cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

Salami-Ricotta Crostini

Ingredients:

1 Baguette cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 1/2 cups of La Romanella Ricotta Cheese 

15 slices of your favorite salami 

1/4 cup of Olive Oil to brush the bread with for cooking

Cooking Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees (if you are making the Baked Ziti the oven will be at the right temperature to bake them at the same time.) Brush the tops and bottoms of the sliced baguette and sprinkle the top side with salt and pepper. Place on a cookie sheet or baking pan for 15-20 minutes in the oven, turning the pan around in the oven half way through. 

Once cooled add the La Romanelle Ricotta Cheese on top of the Crostini slices, sprinkle top of the cheese with salt and pepper. Cut the slice of Salami in half and place both pieces on top of the cheese. Serve and enjoy! 

I added a few romantic touches with white candles, red place mats, a chocolate rose, box of Valentine's candy, sparkling cider in wine glasses, Valentine's Day decor and little pink marshmallow hearts. I pushed the dinner table into the corner of the dining room to give it a cozier feel. It is a simple set up that made a big difference in feeling like it was a romantic night in. 

My husband LOVED the dinner I made and the effort I put into to making the dining room romantic. He even said I should do that more often! He cooks way more than me and I am lucky for that. I will definitely be making more of an effort to create a romantic evening in our own home. We finished up dessert then snuggled up on the couch to watch the movie we rented. I am so happy I decided to redo the Valentine's Day from 10 years ago and have it turn out perfect!

You can find more recipes and information about Smart & Final by visiting them on their Facebook and Twitter pages. 

You can create your own Romantic Evening at Home with Romanella products from Smart & Final this Valentine's Day and also enter the 2013 La Romanella Sweepstakes. When you buy any 1 La Romanella product and enter your register reward online at SmartandFinal.com/LaRomanella2013 to be entered to win a Weekend in Las Vegas or a $50 Smart Cash card! Dates of Promo 2 / 5 - 3/6

Grand Prize Details:

WIN 1 OF 4 WEEKEND TRIPS TO LAS VEGAS!

Purchase any La Romanella item and enter your register receipt information for a chance to win one of four (4) Grand Prize weekend trips for two to an Italian-inspired resort in Las Vegas!

The package includes:

-Roundtrip economy air transportation for two from gateway city nearest the winner’s home to Las Vegas

-Two nights accommodation for two at an Italian inspired resort

-Meals and other entertainment activities

Additional Prizes:

Win one of (10) $50 SmartCash Cards® Like cash, only smarter!

One Grand Prize will be awarded each week between February 6 and March 5, 2013. In addition, three

SmartCash Cards will be awarded each of the first two weeks; and two SmartCash Cards awarded each

of the last two weeks between February 6 and March 5, 2013. No purchase necessary. See rules for details.

Sweepstakes valid February 6-March 5, 2013.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Smart & Final #CBias #ChooseSmart #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Madly Madagascar on DVD now for Valentine's Day

Your favorite Madagascar pals are back in an all-new adventure! Alex's favorite holiday, Valentine's Day, brings hilarious surprises and excitement for the entire gang. Melman plans a big surprise for Gloria, Marty tries to impress a new friend and everyone wants to get their hands on King Julien's love potion. You'll fall in LOVE with Madly Madagascar!

My son adored this movie!! He calls Madagascar " Move It Move It" I tell him the name but he tells me No Mom its Move it Move it and does a little dance. Too cute! I liked watching it with him. All the favorite characters are in the movie, he loves the Giraffe. This is a really cute movie to watch with your kids for Valentine's Day. You can find this movie to buy at Walmart.

Here are some super cute Madly Madagascar Valentines:

Deciding what to give your friends and family for Valentine’s Day can be a tough job. However, this handy guide will make this Valentine’s Day a breeze! Here, we’ll provide helpful suggestions of fun and unique gift ideas that kids and grownups alike will enjoy this V-Day!


PERSONALIZED LOVE COOKIES

Looking for a nice way to send your love to your friends and family this Valentine’s Day? Consider baking them special love-themed cookies to send to them at work, school, etc. Kids will appreciate a fun, extra treat to share with their friends at lunchtime, and mom and dad will love the heartfelt sugary snack made from scratch. Simply look up easy sugar cookie ideas, use a heartshaped cookie cutter, and then frost in white, red or pink with personalized messages. You can even use Pinterest for more awesome decorating ideas!


COUPONS FOR A FAMILY NIGHT IN

Homemade coupons are always a hit with moms and dads, and this Valentine’s Day we suggest creating a coupon for a night in with your family! These cute coupons are simple to make – all you need is some colorful construction paper and markers. Parents can help kids write out a personalized coupon promising to spend a fun night in with their families. You can even list suggested activities for the night in such as playing board games, watching movies or cooking a family meal.


EVERYTHING RED GIFT BAG

Make a unique gift bag for your family and friends this V-Day! All you need is a plain red bag, and then fun, red items to fill the bag with (e.g., lip gloss, candies, toys, jewelery, PJs, etc.). You can make each bag unique by finding something red for each member of your family or your friends – try to find things that are meaningful to them or fit their personality for an extra special touch!


* I was sent a free copy of this movie for my review.