We Won 4th Place Last Year, Make Us #1 This Year!
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 Every mom of little kids I know has a snack in her bag for her little ones. I know I usually carry several! When my son was little it was always cheerios or goldfish, as I frequently found them in the bottom of my diaper bag or on the floor of the car/in the car seat! I’ve had my share of snack cups and have some I like, some that just didn’t work, despite best intentions. Recently I had the chance to try out the Platex Twist ‘n Click Snacker and the Platex Twist ‘n Click bowl set to see if they could stand up to my kiddo.
The Platex Twist ‘n Click Snacker is a 9 ounce clear colored plastic cup with a contrasting colored solid plastic lid that clicks shut on the top. Remove the lid by sliding it off and flipping it and snapping it to the bottom of the cup and find a soft plastic star shaped opening that lets little hands reach in while keeping snacks inside and spill resistant. This snack cup is fairly sturdy: I threw it across the room twice (empty) to see how it held up. The lid stayed attached to the handle and the top of the snack cup did not open. My son tested it out and said that the soft opening was easy to use and did not hurt his hand. I love that the plastic cup is dishwasher safe and BPA free. It is recommended for ages 12 months plus.
 Platex Twist 'n Click Snacker The Platex Twist ‘n Click Bowl also holds 9 ounces and is made of the same BPA free plastic. The colored clear bowl has a solid colored lid that is leak proof and easily locked on. After lining up the small arrows on the rim of the lid and bowl, twist the lid shut and hear the click to know that the contents of the bowl are secure and the seal is tight. This container is dishwasher and microwave safe, and it stacks easily for storage. What I like about this bowl and lid is that it is the perfect size for storing leftovers. I can toss this in my bag for when we go out to eat in restaurants and bring the leftovers of my son’s meal home with us without wasting one of those Styrofoam take-out containers. This Twist ‘n Click bowl fits into our attempts at being more environmentally green by being less wasteful. To test this bowl to be sure it was leak proof, I partially filled one bowl with some water, sealed the lid and tossed it around the kitchen. It did not leak! It did take me a bit of time to figure out how to properly seal the lid, as there were no instructions on the package about lining up the arrows. I also have some difficulty with my hands’ strength, as I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, one fixed with surgery. After some practice, I was able to manipulate the lids on the bowls and get them to properly seal. I suggest trying out the lids before filling the bowls, just to be sure and prevent possible leaks if the lid isn’t sealed correctly.
 Platex Twist 'n Click Bowls Both the Twist ‘n Click bowl and snacker come in different colors. I sort of have a pet peeve with storage containers being sexed by color (pink for girls, blue for boys) but that certainly does not affect the effectiveness of the product! I guess the good thing about having colored storage containers makes it easy to tell in the refrigerator which containers are for the kids versus the adults. A cool feature of both the bowls and the snacker cup is that there is a space on the bottom of each to write a child’s name in marker. This is a great feature when you have several kids and the same colored container or for sending to day care or school.
I’ve used Platex sippy cups for several years and know that the company makes a good product. Adding these storage solutions to their line of products is helpful to parents! Both of these products are available from Babies R Us.
Giveaway!
Want a chance to try out both of these storage and snacking solutions for yourself and your child? Enter our giveaway here to win both the Twist ‘n Click Snacker and Bowl products from Platex. Leave a comment on this blog post and share your kids’ favorite snack if you’d like. For a second entry, tweet about this giveaway and comment leaving your twitter handle. An example tweet could be I entered to #win a set of Platex Twist ‘n Click bowls and snack cup from @MamasLtlHelper! http://ht.ly/77AzG #giveaway #kids
Important! One winner will be selected from all of the comments using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to an email from Mama’s Little Helper or the prize will be forfeited. This giveaway ends on Tuesday November 8. 2011 at 10:00 pm EST. Good luck and happy snacking!
Disclosure: I received one set of bowls and a snack cup for the purpose of this review and giveaway. The opinions expressed are mine. No financial compensation was received. Platex is providing and distributing the prize.
“BARNUM” PRESENTED BY RITZ THEATRE COMPANY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PSCA
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, children of all ages… step right up to for a first rate glance at the jugglers, clowns, trapeze artists and original ring leader of them all… Mr. P.T. Barnum! The Ritz Theatre, in partnership with Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, presents “Barnum,” between Thursday, October 20, 2011 through Saturday, November 19, 2011, at Ritz Theatre Company. Performances take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm, and Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm. Written by Mark Bramble, with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Michael Stewart, Ritz Theatre Company gives a fresh, exciting new look to this classic American Musical. Based on the life of showman P.T. Barnum, this spectacle takes you to a world like you’ve never seen before! Here lies a rare gem that offers everything from traditional musical theatre to the tantalizing stir of excitement that one can only find waiting underneath the big top! “Barnum” proudly features the aerial talents of PSCA performer and instructor Jackie Zalewski. Performances take place at Ritz Theatre Company, 915 White Horse Pike, Arts District, Haddon Township, NJ 08107. For ticket information, direction and additional details, please visit www.ritztheatreco.org.
At Ritz Theatre Company, 915 White Horse Pike, Arts District, Haddon Twp, NJ 08107
Thursday, October 20, 2011 – Saturday, November 19, 2011
Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm
Cost: $20.00 – $35.00
 Barnum About Philadelphia School of Circus Arts
PSCA is the region’s center of contemporary circus arts. PSCA presents professional and student productions during the year. Seasoned faculty lead a curriculum featuring aerials (static trapeze, corde lisse, aerial silks and lyra), juggling, unicycling, tightwire, tumbling, acrobatics, Chinese pole, and physical conditioning. In addition to ongoing classes, PSCA also offers introductory workshops, birthday parties, rental space, summer camp and special guest performances. For information, visit www.phillycircus.com.
You can also find more information about the Philadelphia Circus by checking them out on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube!
Website: www.phillycircus.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/phillycircus
Twitter: twitter.com/PhillyCircus
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/phillycircus
Enter to win tickets to see “Barnum!”
Want to win a family four pack of tickets for Sunday, October 23 at the 2:00 pm performance? Leave a comment on this post about your favorite thing about the circus to enter for a chance to win tickets. One winner will be chosen using Random.org and contacted via email and will have 24 hours to reply to the email with details required to receive tickets. Tickets will be held at the will-call window. Contest ends Wednesday, October 19th at 10:00 pm EST. Good Luck!!
Congrats to Carrie! Random.org selected your comment as the winner! Look out for an email!
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A chance to win your own prize pack of personalized labels for your child!
Mama Chrissy reviewed Loveable Labels earlier this week and shared how much she loved how they held up this summer for her daughter while at summer camp and for use with preschool school supplies. With back to school time in full swing, Loveable Labels has generously offered one Mama’s Little Helper reader their own set of back to school labels and Vital ID bracelet!
Need labels right now? Order using this great offer: $5 off Any purchase of $25 or more use coupon code BTS20110931 *Enter Upon Checkout* So while the coupon code is still valid, you can also enter to win your own label pack that includes the back to school pack and the Vital ID bracelet.
To Enter:
Go to the Lovable Labels website and leave us a comment telling us which one of their amazing product is your fav! Once you’ve entered by leaving a comment on this blog post, you can gain additional entries:
- Follow @mylovablelabels and @Mamasltlhelepr on Twitter and tweet “#WIN Back to School Pack” from @mylovablelabels @Mamasltlhelper http://mamaslittlehelper.org/?p=5842 #giveaway” and leave us the link to your tweet for extra daily entries. One tweet per day will count.
- Mention this giveaway on your blog and leave us the link for one extra entry.
This giveaway ends on Wednesday October 12, 2011 at 11:00 pm EST. One winner will be selected from all of the entries using Random.org. The winner chosen will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond. Once the winner is confirmed, they will be connected with a representative from Loveable Labels, who will help the winner with ordering their personalized prize! Prize delivery is the responsibility of Loveable Labels.
This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.
Lovable Labels has generously supplied us with a pack of “Back To School Pack” and “Vital ID” for one lucky winner! Thanks, Lovable Labels!
*******************Congrats to Amie! Look out for an email!
Back to School time means germ exposure!
It’s back to school time, which means kids will be exposed to lots of germs. A recent conversation I had with a few mothers and some former teachers centered around how to keep kids hands clean while at school and the lack of funding schools have to provide teachers with antibacterial gel or wipes and basic cleaner for the classroom desks. The one mom and former teacher explained how she actually had to purchase her own surface cleaner to clean her classroom desks once a day herself, since the maintenance staff was so limited and the school’s budget did not include cleaning supplies (or even tissues!) for the classes. Thankfully she was able to clean her classroom daily, but it made me wonder about just how clean schools, and kids, are especially with cold and flu season almost here.
Wet Ones® Antibacterial Wipes conducted a survey of parents and found that about 49% are concerned about their kids getting sick and 32% are concerned about their kids being exposed to germs. These results seem to be similar to my personal conversations with parents about this subject of keeping kids healthy and clean. Personally, I prefer that my child wash his hands with soap and water, but that isn’t always possible, especially while traveling or out on the playground. I keep a canister of Wet Ones®Antibacterial Wipes in my car, along with a packet of them in my purse, for those situations when we just can’t get to a sink to wash up. They are especially great for when my son has a snack in the car on a road trip or when we have an impromptu picnic at the playground. While we also have hand sanitizer gel on hand, I prefer to use wipes for my son because they are good at wiping off the grime he seems to attract. While they do contain alcohol, they don’t seem to sting the way some other antibacterial wipes I’ve had. which may be due to the aloe added to their formula. My son and I both also love how the citrus scent smells. I really can’t stand to wear fragrances, as I have terrible allergies, so I’m really picky about the scents of products we use. The two scents, Fresh and Citrus, that Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes are available in both smell great and do not bother me.
Wet Ones® Antibacterial Wipes has teamed up with science educator Bill Nye to teach families about ways to avoid germs in a fun and interactive way. Check out the Wet Ones Healthy Hands Zone to watch science experiments that you can recreate at home with your kids to learn more about germs. I also found a page on the Wet Ones website written by Dr. Sears and lists 99 tips for back to school success. I appreciate the advice written by Dr. Sears when my son was a baby and I found a number of great tips on this list, including some great tips about healthy breakfast ideas to start the day and other food tips for picky eaters.
Wet Ones® Wipes Giveaway!
Wet Ones® Antibacterial Wipes would like to give one reader of Mama’s Little Helper a prize package of Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes.
This prize pack includes:
One (1) Wet Ones® Hand Wipes Fresh Scent 40 count canister
One (1) Wet Ones® Hand Wipes Fresh Scent 24 count singles pack
One (1) Wet Ones® hand Wipes Fresh Scent 15 count travel pack
- To enter, please comment on this blog post with your back-to-school-tip. (Mandatory Entry!)
- For an additional entry, Tweet about this giveaway. You can use the following as an example or make up your own tweet, just be sure to leave your Twitter name in your comment. #Giveaway on Mama’s Little Helper with Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes for #back-to-school cleanliness! @mamasltlhelper http://ht.ly/6qgM7
This giveaway will end on Thursday September 15th at 11:00pm EST. This giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be contacted by email at the end of the contest and will have 24 hours to respond to the email with information regarding delivery of the prize. In the event that the winner does not respond in 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Only entries posted on this blog post will count as an official entry.
Energizer Personal Care is providing the prize(s) for this promotion at no cost to Mama’s Little Helper or this reviewer. This promotion is not being administered or sponsored in any way by Energizer Personal Care or its affiliates, but solely by Mama’s Little Helper. Any questions or comments regarding this promotion must be sent to Mama’s Little Helper and not to Energizer Personal Care. Mama’s Little Helper reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate this contest if the Promotion is removed by the web server or is otherwise compromised by illegal acts, electronic bots, etc. The winner will receive the prize package in the mail, fulfilled by GolinHarris on behalf EPC.
Disclosure: Mama Diane received a Wet Ones prize package for the purposes of this review. No monetary or other compensation was received and opinions expressed here are honest. I have a four year old boy who is frequently grimy and already used Wet Ones before being asked to do this review!
Mama tries to get some sleep help from Dream Water
Since becoming a mom, my sleep habits have changed dramatically. While I no longer feel sleep deprived from those first 8 months or so of when my son was an infant, I still do not sleep well. I’ve always been a night owl, but with a child who wakes up naturally around 6:00 am, and my work at home mom schedule of late night work, I often suffer from sleep issues. Sleep deprivation, insomnia, and restless sleep are common. The worst one to me is insomnia, those nights when I feel utterly exhausted but nothing gets my mind to shut up and let me sleep. There are lots of sleep solutions out there on the market, from medical to behavioral techniques. One I recently tried and found some success with is Dream Water.
According to Dream Water, sleep affects all areas of life, from how we perform at work, to how our face and body look, to how we fare when we travel. It also can make a typically happy mommy into a very crabby mommy when she is tired! Dream Water is a liquid-form sleep enhancer that helps with relaxing and falling asleep. So what is Dream Water??
Dream Water is:
- All natural, zero calories, no preservatives
- All-natural active ingredients, including melatonin, 5 HTP and GABA
- Two delicious flavors: Snoozeberry and Lullaby Lemon
- Easy to use 2.5 oz shot
- $2.99 per bottle
- Available for purchase at select retailers, including Walmart, Walgreens and Duane Reade, and at www.drinkdreamwater.com
 Photo of Dream Water courtesy of A Dream Products Company I tested out some Snoozeberry Dream Water to see if it would provide some sleep help for me. After reading all of the directions, ingredients, and reviews I decided that I would try drinking just half of a shot-sized bottle at around 11:30pm one night. It tasted like berries, not sure if it was really blueberry and pomegranate, but it definitely tasted like berry-flavor. It was surprisingly sweet and didn’t mix well with my freshly brushed teeth! (Note to self, brush teeth AFTER consuming Dream Water!) I usually read for a hour or so before I go to sleep, but within about 20 minutes I felt very groggy and relaxed. I ended up putting my book down and turning out the lights. It took me another 15 minutes or so before I nodded off and I did fall asleep a bit faster than usual. I did wake up once, but unlike most nights, I fell back to sleep immediately. I realized the mistake I made when at 6:00 am my darling three year old woke me up and I couldn’t wake up completely…I drank the Dream Water too late at night! I think I should have calcualted the time better and consumed the water by 10:00pm so that I would have a chance to get a full 8 hours of sleep. (I never get 8 hours of sleep!!) I did have a hard time waking up, but by 8 am I felt wide awake and rested. I do think that the Dream Water helped me stay asleep and relaxed through the night.
The biggest warning about Dream Water is to not drive (or operate heavy machinery) or engage in important tasks after consuming, until the effects wear off. Also, this is not a product one should use during pregnancy. It is recommended for people over the age of 18, so it is NOT a sleep aid for children. (Keep it out of reach of children!) On the bottle there is also a warning to consult your physician before using if you have any medical conditions. I did not experience any negative side effects from consuming half of a 2.5 oz bottle (a full serving is the whole 2.5 oz bottle.) However, everyone reacts differently from products, so use at your discretion.
Dream Water giveaway to provide you with some sleep help!
Dream Water would like to give Mama’s Little Helper readers a chance to try out Dream Water. Two readers will have a chance to win 30 shot-sized bottles of Dream Water. This is enough to share with your mom friends and all get a great night’s rest! To enter for your chance at some sleep help from Dream Water complete one or more of the following, leaving a separate comment for each entry!
- Leave a comment about your sleep struggles
- Leave a comment about what helps you get to sleep
- Like Dream Water on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did so
- Follow Dream Water on Twitter (@DreamWater) and leave a comment, including your Twitter handle
- Like Mama’s Little Helper on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did so (or if you already do!)
- Follow Mama’s Little Helper on Twitter (@MamasLtlHelper) and leave a comment, including your Twitter handle.
This giveaway will be open for entries until Friday June 3, 2011 at 11:00 pm EST. Two winners will be selected from the comments, chosen by Random.org. The winners will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner(s) will be selected. Prize and distribution is the responsibility of the Dream Water representative. Please read all directions and warnings before consuming this sleep aid and use at your own discretion….Mama’s Little Helper authors and publishers are not responsible if you have any negative reaction to this product.
Good Luck and Sweet Dreams!
Disclosure: Mama was provided with six bottles of Dream Water to sample for the purposes of this review. No monetary compensation was received. The opinions expressed here are honest and my own!
HEAVEN TALKS TO CHILDREN
Have you ever wondered if your child was really seeing and talking to spirits of your deceased mother, father, grandparent, angels or other holy beings, and if so, was this a common phenomenon?
Have you been unsure about how to distinguish the difference between a good spirit and a negative one and how to safely protect your child?
Have you questioned whether your child’s supernatural experiences are compatible with your faith system?
Have you wished that you could find a basic reference guide to easily explain to your younger or older child the mysterious and complex concepts of afterlife contacts, spiritual gifts, death, angels, Heaven, God, and our life’s purpose?
Have you been looking for practical advice on how to help your child to recover from his or her grief?
Congratulations! You have finally found that all-inclusive book on all those many topics in one book in
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Christine Duminiak is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, founder of an online grief support and prayer group, author, speaker and radio co-host. She has been a featured guest on NBC’s talk show “10!” in Philadelphia, NBC 10 TV News, CBS 3 TV News in Philadelphia, “The God Squad” Show, the Fox News Strategy Room’s “God Talk”, and on NBC 12 the “Arizona Midday Show” in Phoenix. Christine has been quoted and featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Bucks County Courier Times, The Arizona Republic, The East Valley Tribune–Scottsdale, and The Reporter in The Villages, FL. Christine has given talks to The Compassionate Friends, to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Rotary Clubs, to church groups, senior citizen groups, spirituality groups, bereavement groups, and frequently speaks at The Learning Annex in NYC.
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Christine has been kind enough to offer a copy of her book for one of Mama’s Little Helper readers. For your chance to win a copy of HEAVEN TALKS TO CHILDREN please leave a comment below this post and share a supernatural occurrence that you or your child may have experienced, or a comment about why you want to read this book. This giveaway will end on Tuesday, April 26th at 11:00 pm EST. The winner will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The prize delivery is the responsibility of the author.
Looking for other great giveaways? Mama is part of a fantastic group of women called Philly Social Media Moms. Check out this link for other great giveaways!
 
Have you ever stayed up all night scraping lead paint off the walls (and then realized you’ve actually made the problem worse)? Googled every toy in the house to make sure they didn’t contain high levels of cadmium or lead? Searched every product in the cabinet for the mere mention of a paraben? As a new mother, Paige Wolf has been committed to living an eco-friendly and healthy lifestyle. But with the flood of constantly changing information, it’s become an increasingly difficult task. In addition to the age-old daunting task of raising happy, healthy babies, mothers are constantly bombarded with new and contradictory research concerning environmental toxins, long-term product effects, and the far-reaching impact of every product we purchase and decision we make. Spit That Out! answers the questions posed by mothers on the verge of a “green mom nervous breakdown” and turns to experts to present facts, debunk myths, and help parents stay on a reasonable and responsible course without losing their minds. Whether they are cloth-diapering, holistic mamas or moms who still can’t give up their designer duds, all modern mothers can relate to the desperation of wanting to do the best for their children – and feeling hopelessly overwhelmed in the process. Spit That Out! feeds an audience of mothers hungry for commiseration, direction, and relief.
Paige Wolf, the author of Spit That Out: the Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt, has graciously offered one of Mama’s Little Helper’s readers to win a copy of her book. On her blog , Paige provides up to date info about being an environmentally friendly parent in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. She provides many green mom resources as well as her personal struggles to make the best green choices for raising her son. Her recent post about play tunnels got me thinking about the play tunnel/tent we own and what materials it contains. Her book also has a few tips from Mama herself, Chrissy Glen!
For your chance to win a copy of Spit That Out! please leave a comment below this post and share a “green” parenting tip or a question you have about being a greener parent. (I can’t guarantee an answer, but maybe another reader will know an answer to share too!) Or, if you can’t think of a tip or question, comment about why you want to win! This giveaway will end on March 17th at 11:00pm EST. One winner will be selected from the comments using Random.org and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email, otherwise a new winner will be selected. Prize delivery is the responsibility of the Paige Wolf. Good luck!
Mama Diane
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We Won 4th Place Last Year, Make Us #1 This Year!
Voted NJ #1 Consignment Sale!
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