Lovely Blog Award

My first blog award! I was awarded this by the Frugal Racing Fan Mommy! Thank you so much for presenting me with my first blog award! I am soooooo excited.

Now that I've accepted and linked back to Frugal Racing Fan Mommy, I will nominate 15 more Blogs who I think deserve the award. The blogs that I have nominated below are wonderful blogs.

Here are the 15 blogs that I love. These blogs are awesome resources for me. You have probably seen posts with credits to them. I hope you can find deals and helpful advice by following them also!

Congratulations to the following blogs:

Deals and Steals
Energizer Bunny Mommy Reports
Helping Mommy’s Win
Southern Savers
Two of a kind, working on a full house
ABC and 123 Learning
City House and Country Mouse
Mariann Johansen-Ellis
Southern Bella’s Ways to Save
Packaged with Care
Susan Heim on Parenting
Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
Playground for Parents
Leslie Loves Veggies
Fabulous Fun Finds


This is how the One Lovely Blog Award works: a blogger receives the award, accepts it by posting it and linking back to the person who awarded it, and then passes it on by nominating 15 more bloggers!

LeapFrog Fridge Farm Magnetic Animal Set- Review

JDaniel was given a Fridge Magnet Farm Animal Set for his first birthday. He loved it and played with it endless while his dad and I finished dinner. He had trouble putting the pieces in at first, but he had a lot of fun trying. The song that plays when you make a match seemed to be his motivation for matching. He rarely pushed on the frog (The frog has been changed to a chicken in the newer models.) to hear the songs. As he has gotten older he plays the songs, because he knows we will dance in a circle around the kitchen to them. JDaniel has in the past few months started conducting science experiments with the front and back ends of the animals. He knew that they stuck to all the sides of the refrigerator. JDaniel has carried them around the kitchen and tried to stick them to cabinets, the dishwasher, the trash can, the kitchen door, and his high chair. The only place that they stick other than the refrigerator at our house is the metal trash can.

This toy is so versatile. It seems to provide entertainment over a long period of time. The Fridge Magnet Farm has held his attention for six months now and I can see him continuing to play with it for a long time. I should say he and his friends will play with it for a long time. It is a very popular toy to play with when I have playgroup at my house.

If you are looking for a fun toy for a one to three year old, I would think about getting the Fridge Magnet Farm Animal Set.

You can get it on Target.com for $14.99.

Mommyhood Tip- Taking Lessons from Books-Sammy's Mommy Has Cancer

I went to Amazon.com and looked for books that discuss cancer written for children. This book by Sherry Kohlenberg had the highest ratings. It was written for young children, but could easily be used to discuss cancer with children of any age. The book walks the reader through all the steps that are taken to put cancer into remission. It is amazing how many friends and friends of friends that I have that have struggled with cancer. This time last year a young women from my old church in Virginia died after battling cancer for several years. Whether you read this book to your kids or just answer your children’squestions about why there are so many pink things in the store this month, it is important to remember those who have fought and are fighting a valiant fight.

Mommyhood Tips- Submit a Tip to Expand My Knowledge

I have a bunch of Mommyhood Tips,but would love to expand my mommyhood knowledge. If you have a great tip I can post on Tuesdays for Mommyhood Tips, please e-mail me or place the tip below. If your tip is selected, I will post your name along with your tip.

Mommyhood Tip- Get a Mammogram

This week’s tip is simple please find a friend to remind you to get a mammogram. If have already had yours, that is awesome. I still need to schedule mine. I get them for my birthday in November. Someone once said to schedule them around the same memorable date each year. I haven’t forgotten a birthday yet so, that is my landmark date.

Question? What have you decided about the H1N1 shot for your kids?

I have an appointment for JDaniel to get the H1N1 shot in early November. He has already had his flu shot. With all the conflicting reports on television it is hard to know what if I should take him to get it. One expert on the Today show this morning thought it was a bad idea and then another expert came on and thought it was a good idea. If you have decided what you are going to do , could you leave me a comment and let me know what you have decided and why.

Pirate Booty Review

Pirate Booty has been all the rage in my playgroup. Several of the moms give their children the veggie product as snack. My husband and I were thrilled to try a variety of their products. We were given the Pirates Booty Veggie, Bermuda Onion, Sea Salt and Vinegar, BBQ, Crunchy Corn Sticks, and Aged White Cheddar. There were definite favorites. My husband inhaled the Age White Cheddar and didn’t seem to notice that it was flavored puff rice and corn. The Crunchy Corn Sticks were my favorite. They had a great crunch and strong corn flavor. Crunch is important to me in snacks. The only one that stood out with a puffed rice flavor was the Veggie product. The other puffed rice and corn products has a strong flavor and nice texture. The Bermuda Onion had a great tang. The Sea Salt and Vinegar and BBQ were strong in flavor, but not overwhelmingly strong. They didn’t have a pronounced puffed rice taste either.

Nutritionally Pirate Booty stands up as a great snack. It is baked. The products have no Trans fat and are gluten and cholesterol free. I love that cornmeal and rice at the top ingredients. I can’t always find ingredients I can identify and pronounce on snack foods. This would be a great lunch box treat or afternoon snack. The motto is get hooked. I think you will.

Frecklebox’s Personalized Book Review

I remember the personalized books from when I was little. They graphics were fair to middling and the stories were just okay. As I have gotten older, the books have gotten better. The quality of the graphics has changed drastically. I was thrilled to win a personalized book for JDaniel from Frecklebox. He loves to read books together and look at pictures by himself. He hasn’t actually looked at the book. (I am saving it for his birthday.) My husband and I have and we both thought the pictures were awesome. We enjoyed looking for JDaniel’s name in the animal’s camouflage. Sometimes it was easy and sometimes it was a challenge. As the book is read over and over again, I am sure the name will pop out of the pictures. The text takes us through a visit to the zoo. The animals challenge you to find your name in each picture and give you clues as to where to look. This is a fun book to read and look at. The story is not complicated and doesn’t have a lot of depth. It wasn’t written too. It was written to have fun and help engage JDaniel in books. (I think that is what it was designed for.) It does just that. He is going to love it. The quality of the binding is great too. JDaniel has broken the spine of several books. This one looks like it will last.

I do want to mention to speed that the company gets the book to you. It arrived soon after I ordered. I appreciated that it didn’t take weeks and weeks to come.

Here is how you can order one: You can go to http://www.frecklebox.com/. The soft cover is $19.95 and the hard cover is $34.95.


This in not JDaniel's book. It is an example of the book I have for him.

Mommyhood Moments- Hanging Your Toes off of the Driveway

JDaniel is at the age when he knows what he should do and what he shouldn’t. He isn’t allowed into the street without holding an adult’s hands. So, he goes to the end of the driveway and hangs his toes off the driveway and into the street. You probably have seen your children do similar things. He glances to the side, he looks quickly to the right and to the left, and there is a deadening silence. These are all telltale signs that something is up at my house. I know of have years of “time outs” coming to both JDaniel and I. His will be time to reflect on his actions and mine will be whether this is the right battle to choose.

A Hen's Nest Had Great Fire Safety Tips

October 4-10 is fire prevention week. I have a different theme planned for next week so, I was thrilled when I received the e-mail with this post of A Hen's Nest. I am so glad someone is focusing on this.

She has great tips and ideas beyond the ones I am posting here. If you would like to discuss fire safety with your kids, you should check out her site.

1.Use the "My Fire Inspection Checklist" (PDF, 252 KB) to inspect your home for risks.

2.Complete a Safety Information card to make sure that all kids know safety information about themselves in case of emergency.

3.Develop and practice a home fire escape plan (PDF, 633 KB) . More about home escape planning.

This came from a post from A Hen's Nest.

Fancy Lady Gourmet Review and Giveaway-Closed

Let me start by saying that this is the first review that I have done on an item that I will be giving away. I hope that I can do the amazing items that Fancy Lady Gourmet sent for my husband and I to taste justice.

I was so excited about the delivery of the tasty treats that I called my husband up at work and said, “The truffles have landed. Come home ready to do a tasting.” We both enjoy sweets. My husband definitely has the sweeter tooth. It was important to get his expert opinion.

We noticed as soon as we opened the box that we were not only going to get to taste White Chocolate Cherry CupCake Truffles. Along with the White Chocolate Cherry CupCake Truffles came pumpkin truffles, chocolate chip cookies, and a shortbread cookie. Each item was beautifully packaged for presentation and also to protect it while in was sent in the mail. Every item was intact and I was able to set them out to be displayed on a plate right from the package.

First we tried the chocolate chip cookies. I asked my husband to describe how it looked before he could taste it and he said, “It was strew with chocolate chips like rocks on the surface of Mars.” That was end of my asking him how the treats looked. I was afraid that I would get more interesting ideas from him. Back to the cookies they have slight crunch and great texture. The cookie leaves a wonderful buttery chocolate taste in your mouth. I prefer crunchy over soft with my cookies. My husband prefers a little softer texture, but mentioned that if I had served it with milk it would have made it perfect.

We then moved to the pumpkin truffle. The truffle is surrounded by a wonderful orange icing with black sprinkles. We guessed it might be a cream cheese icing. The cake inside the truffle tastes just like pumpkin bread. We both like pumpkin bread and the fall spices that go into it. The truffle was very moist and creamy. It would be great for an autumn tea party or at a Thanksgiving celebration.

Next we selected the cherry truffle. Just like the pumpkin truffle it is surrounded with icing. This time the icing was a pretty pink. The cake inside hid a surprise. We both loved biting into the truffle and finding a cherry in the center of it. The cherry flavor of the cake is not strong. If you like really strong flavors in cake the pumpkin is definitely the truffle for you. The subtle flavor was perfect for us. We thought the cherry truffle tasted a little more candy.

Finally we had the shortbread cookie. I love shortbread and have since I had my first Lorna Doone as a child. I was really looking forward to trying it. I have had some that looked as pretty as this one that were dry and crumbly. This cookie is rich and buttery. My husband described it as a cookie that has layers of flavor.

So, what did we like best. We enjoyed them all. My husband’s vote was for the cherry truffle. I loved the shortbread and the pumpkin as well. I would definitely order the shortbread for a special tea like a bride’s maid’s tea or shower. The White Chocolate Cherry CupCake Truffles are in my mind for special birthday gift or to send when a friend has had a baby girl or send a breast cancer survivor. The pumpkin as I mentioned above would be great for a harvest tea or at a Thanksgiving celebration. The adults in my family sit around and chat after dinner on Thanksgiving for hours. These would be great to bring out after Thanksgiving dinner has settled and you just want a little something. I don’t mean to leave out the chocolate cookie we would definitely order some. It was just not our top vote.

I have told you all about the quality. Now let me tell you about the price. It is twelve dollars for one dozen. That is less than you might pay at your favorite pastry shop.

Guess what you get a chance to win White Chocolate Cherry CupCake Truffles-1 Dozen ?

This giveaway begins October 4th and ends October 14th at 11:59 p.m.

What do you need to do to the awesome cherry truffles from Fancy Lady Gourmet?

-Tell me something else Fancy Lady Gourmet carries. (1 entry)

For extra entries do any or all of the following leaving a separate comment for each entry.

*Be the first person to tell me the other name for her shop and what she calls people who visit her shop. Entries after the first entry will not count.Completed(1 entry)

* Blog about this giveaway, and then come back and leave me the link to your blog entry. (1 entry)

*Write about this giveaway with a link back to it on Facebook. (1 entry)

*Leave a comment on any of my blog entries that are not a giveaway. Come back and tell me what entry you left your comment under. (1 entry)

*Enter another giveaway that I am hosting. (1 entry for each giveaway your enter)

*Follow my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you now follow or that you already do. (2 entries)

* Twitter about this giveaway with a link back, you must also be following me on Twitter. Copy and paste: awesomecherrytruffles@JDaniel4smom.(2 entries)

* Subscribe to my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you have subscribed or that you already do. (2 entries)

*Vote for me on Love This Site . (5 entries)

*Buy anything from Fancy Lady Gourmet and come back and leave a comment. (10 entries)

That is 10 ways to win. The winner will be chosen by using the random number generator at http://www.random.org/. )
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Clue 11: Counselor

Kraft Lunch Note Promise: Write a note and they will donate lunch

All you have to do is go Kraft Lunch Note Promise and promise to write a note to your child. They will in turn donate a lunchable to charity. This looks like a win/win. Your child will love the note and you will get to help another child in need.

Friday Favorites- Plastic Garden Tools

I found a plastic set of garden tools at Bi-Lo grocery store for $3. JDaniel loves to cart them out to the backyard when Daddy is doing yard work. It is the most wonderful thing to watch. He has to carry all the tools in his arms at the same time. (Apparently you can never tell what you will need to do the job.) Then he works with his dad side by side.

Eddie Bauer 2 in 1 Harness Buddy- Review

I recently won the Eddie Bauer 2 in 1 Harness Buddy for JDaniel. He has started wandering around the library. Okay to be totally honest he is running away from me at the library.I needed to get something that would allow me to hold onto Daniel and keep him with me. It would be great for airport, malls, museums, libraries and more.

JDaniel loves wearing the harness.It looks just like his favorite stuffed toy dog Eckel. He thinks of it as wearing Eckel on his back. We have even called it Eckel Junior. We have taking it to the library, stores, and when I needed him to stand by me and greet mom’s at my churches mom’s group. The only trouble seems to be that he thinks the strap is the dog’s tail and he wants to carry it for him instead of me. Over time I know he will probably get bored with it and figure out that I am just trying to keep him close by. Right now it is a great thing for a nineteen month old and his mother.

There are only three drawbacks. JDaniel can get very sweaty in the summer and the Harness Buddy will probably absorb the sweat. I am not sure how well it will clean. The box says that I can machine wash it and tumble it dry on low. I haven’t tried it yet. The second thing is the backpack function. The backpack area is very small. If you need to carry a small car, a pacifier, or another small item it will be great. The last thing is that at a certain point in time JDaniel will figure out how to open the buckles that are on the front of the Harness Buddy. Once he does that he will be off and running again.

The Cheesy Adventures of Capt. Mac A. Roni- Review

I recently came across the video The Cheesy Adventures of Capt. Mac A. Roni on the sale table at the Family bookstore. I had seen it listed as a giveaway on a number of giveaway blogs and decided that for five dollars we would check it out. JDaniel is fussy about his cartoons. He loves Curious George, but isn’t really into many on the shows we have tried on PBS. Captain Mac A. Roni held his attention and he didn’t fuss about it. That is high praise from a nineteen month old. He didn’t really get the story and the moral of the story. I am sure when he gets older he will.

If JDaniel didn’t get the story, did his parent? We both liked that one of the main characters shows forgiveness to the thief who steals the “Greatest Treasure” and that the treasure is not an object that you can possess, but something that you have inside you. The humor is funny enough for adults to enjoy as well as children. The story moves quickly from the theft of the “Greatest Treasure” to tracking it down and returning it home. Children don’t always have to have a long series of events to reach a resolution. This DVD seems to know when the story needs to move on and when a good joke needs telling.

There were only two things that I want to point out as minuses. If you watch the making on the movie section on the DVD is explains that they were trying to model this movie after an old style of cartoon design. I guess I just appreciate the new design better. My comment to my husband was this doesn’t look like it was done in the style and lines used in Curious George. My only other concern was that Capt. Mac A. Roni probably won’t be able to solve further crimes without the kids. Mikey, Eddie, and Princess Sandy really helped him and his side kick Cheese solve the crime perpetrated by Capt. Grime. The island of Liberty is very lucky to have Princess Sandy. She will help her parents rule the kingdom. They seemed to need more help than Capt. Mac A. Roni. I know it is good to have the children give help to the super hero and to their parents. I just wish they weren’t so clueless.