Imagine Toys Discovery Space Center Review and Giveaway

There are so many toys on the market to select from sometimes it can be overwhelming on what brand to pick and what types of toys to buy. My son loves make believe play. He can play for hours with his "guys" ("guys" are the action figure toys he has). He makes them fight, jump, fly, talk and dance. I have been looking for a toy that he can have as the hub of where his action heroes could play. Little girls have doll houses and little boys do not have many cool options. When I found the Hape Discovery Space Center toy online at ImagineToys.com I was thrilled to have an answer to a cool toy for my son.

My son can be rough with his toys and a few plastic toys did not survive a week in our house. The Discovery Space Center is made of wood with non toxic paint and very durable. He has pushed it over when there was a "monster alien attack" he has thrown the little space ship that launches from the top when it was blasting off and it has all stayed intact.

I love to encourage his imagination with toys like this one. He can make up little stories as to what adventures are happening. The toy is very interactive with a pulley system elevator, 3 astronauts, an alien and four levels of space center activities. We are planning a trip to a Discovery Space Center Museum locally and this is a great way to introduce the topic to my son in a fun way. He is learning and playing at the same time.

Imagine Toys has many wonderful options when it comes to Pretend Play toys. I think kids need more toys like this to help with their creativity development and story telling skills. 

To celebrate the Spring and to encourage you to buy Pretend Play toys for your kids this summer when school is out we are hosting a giveaway for 1 lucky winner to win a Discovery Space Center for your own child or grandchild. 

GIVEAWAYa Rafflecopter giveaway





 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts April 16 2013 and ends on May 7, 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.

Sacramento Kennel Club Dog Show 2013

Sunday morning we attended the Sacramento Kennel Club Dog Show. I was so glad we were able to make it on the last day. My son had so much fun last year I knew this year he would be delighted to go. We were watching Good Day Sacramento on tv with a morning cup of coffee and saw the preview of the Dog Show. My son was so happy and asked to go so we jumped in the car and drove down to Sacramento.

I am happy we went! My son adores dogs, he always asks people at parks if he can pet their dog. He gets the biggest smile on his face. Since we moved and had to find a new home for our dog ( you can red the story about that here) my son has asked about our dog a lot, he still calls her his dog and when he sees a black lab he yells her name. It breaks my heart! I knew he would love to see all the dogs at the show.

He was so excited for all the different dog breeds. He asked what kind they were and what their names were. He got many dog kisses lol which for him was awesome! He got to shake some paws, give a few high fives and petted so many dogs he could not stop smiling.

Last year his favorite dog was a Great Dane named Patrick. This year we met the sweetest, mellow dog I have ever met, Anya. She is an Anatolian dog that originates from Turkey. Anya's owners were just as sweet as she is! They let my son pet her, shake her hand, look in her mouth at all her teeth, mess with her paws, touch her tail and the dog even laid down to get belly rubs! My son did not want to leave the dog. The owners live and breed the dogs on Rare Breed Ranch in Northern CA. It was nice to meet breeders that were from Cali.

Anya the Anatolian dog. She is so mellow!! 

Another Dog from the Rare Breed Ranch, Boris 

He did a few crying fits since after all he is 3 1/2, he wanted to get in the ring with the dogs. He put his little hands on the gate to watch as close as he could without getting in there and a volunteer came over and told him dont touch the fencing and gave me a look. He loves dogs he cant help it! :)

My son took this picture. He wanted to pet them then take a pic lol

He cried again when he could not pet EVERY dog he saw. The poor kid would have stayed all day petting dogs if I let him. We were there a few hours and when we left he asked me pretty please can we go back. I am glad he had so much fun. I am hoping by next year he will have his own dog to go home to.

Taking more pictures of the dogs in the ring that he could not pet

* We were guests of the Sacramento Dog Show and received tickets to enter. This is a non paid post.

Coupons to start your week!

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NeoCell Beauty Bursts Review and Giveaway

 

Looking for a little burst of  collagen, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C ? NeoCell's Beauty Bursts can give you just that! Beauty Bursts are yummy all natural chews that come in two flavors, Fresh Mint Chocolate and Super Fruit Punch,  to keep your hair, skin and nails healthy.

I am always looking for ways to keep my face and skin looking young and healthy. Beauty Bursts are sweet but not too sweet little treat with only 40 calories per serving (2 in a serving). I have been keeping a stash of these "beauties" in my desk drawer, they say to eat 2-4 daily.

A serving of two Beauty Bursts contains: 

• 2,000 mg of NeoCell's famous Super Collagen™ types 1 & 3 to strengthen skin, hair and nails
• 20 mg of hyaluronic acid to help skin stay hydrated and retain moisture
• 20 mg of vitamin C to help boost collagen in the skin

GIVEAWAY

Win a pack of Beauty Bursts by NeoCell

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts April 14 2013 and ends on May 5 , 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.

Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe

Photo: Martha Stewart Living

I love Cheesecake! We love to order it a restaurants and make them at home. I have been trying to somewhat watch the intake of sweet treats I eat  and discovered I can try different types of sweet treats that are not as heavy calories. I was browsing the Martha Stewart recipe section and found a great cheesecake recipe. It was for Ricotta Cheesecake! I had not considered cheesecake with other types of cheese. I was very intrigued at how this would taste so we headed to the store to buy the interesting.


Recipe from Martha Stewart Living Website:

Ingredients: 

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pan

• 3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese, pureed in a food processor until smooth
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange or 2 lemons
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter and sugar a 9-inch springform pan (3 inches deep). Whisk together ricotta, egg yolks, flour, 6 tablespoons sugar, the zest, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Whisk egg whites with a mixer on low speed until foamy. Raise speed to high, and gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently fold a third of the whites into ricotta mixture using a rubber spatula until just combined. Gently fold in remaining whites until just combined.
3. Pour batter into pan, and bake until center is firm and top is deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; release sides to remove from pan, and let cool completely. 

I made mine into two smaller pans since I do not have a springform pan.

I had the most beautiful picture of my finished Cheesecake but it was on my iPhone that I have just recently messed up and lost my pictures! I wanted to cry at losing the pictures of my son I had on my phone but I do have the memories so I will be ok!

The Ricotta Cheesecake is sooooooo delicious. Its light and moist. It is a unique flavor and my son loved it. He had a huge piece and told me he needed more. I felt the same way after my first piece. I highly recommend making this recipe its so good.