Uncle Sam's Cereal Review

I have known the Uncle Sam brand for years but haven't really tried any of their products until recently. I received two packages of Uncle Sam's Cereal for review through Extraordinary Mothers and I'm very pleased with my new tasting adventure.

I don't usually stock up on food, but cereal is an exception since my husband can hardly start his day without having a bowl of cereal in the morning. We have at least 10 boxes stored in the pantry. We love experimenting with new flavors and new varieties as much as we do eating healthy foods. That's why I'm really excited to be introduced to Uncle Sam's Cereal-Original, which features a unique blend of all-natural toasted whole grain wheat flakes and flaxseed.

The cereal not only provides an excellent source of dietary fiber and Omega-3 Fatty Acids, but is also low in sugar and in sodium. Wow, it meets perfectly my criteria for a healthy and nutritious breakfast option. Honestly, it took some time for us to get used to the feel of flaxseed in the cereal. I'm impressed with the crunchiness of the cereal and its right degree of sweetness. I do like it better with added dried fruit bits and nuts. My husband prefers to have it with honey (Remember that he has a sweet tooth, haha). Uncle Sam's Cereal also comes in Mixed Berries flavor. I'd like to try it next time I shop for cereal.

High fiber food is highly recommended for everyone because it may help reduce the risk of diabetes, aid in weight loss and lowering cholesterol, and promote regularity. It's not always easy to find food choices that are both nutritious and delicious. I therefore strongly encourage you to consider Uncle Sam's Cereal as a healthy addition to your breakfast menu.

Thanks so much to Extraordinary Mothers and U.S. Mills for this great review opportunity.

Baby Dipper Review and Giveaway

~~The giveaway is now CLOSED~~

Necessity is the mother of invention. That's exactly how Baby Dipper Bowl was created. Faced with the daunting task of feeding four babies (who are beautiful, BTW), Barbara Schantz came up with her unique solution to the messy business of baby feeding! I've read numerous positive reviews of the Baby Dipper Bowl and Spoon Set, so I'm really excited to have received a set to review and keep.

Thanks to its no-slip bottom surface and its patent-pending design, Baby Dipper Bowl makes one-hand feeding possible. This is such a neat feature that I can now free up one hand to deal with food spills and dropped toys more promptly, which means less mess and easier cleanup. Which mom wouldn't want such a great time saver?

The bowl and spoon set is not only useful, but also visually appealing. I love the ocean blue color and the transparent body. I've noticed that my son shows greater interest in food if he likes the container better. The Baby Dipper Bowl is certainly his new favorite.

My son is in a stage where he's eager to spoon-feed himself but hasn't quite mastered the art yet. The bowl and spoon set is a great helper in that regard as well. The spoon is lightweight and easy to grip by the little hand. The vertical sides help push food onto the spoon. The smile of accomplishment on my son's little face is so precious! Thank you, Barbara, for the great invention!

Such an awesome product is not expensive at all. Each set only retails at $9.99 and you can get it either at Amazon.com or at select stores. Don't forget to check out Barbara's blog for some interesting stories.

The Giveaway

Barbara has teamed up with Extraordinary Mothers to give away a Baby Dipper Bowl and Spoon Set to one of my lucky readers!

Required Entry: Visit the Baby Dipper website, and leave a comment telling me something you learned from the FAQs section. (Please leave a valid email address in your comment or make sure one is visible in your blogger profile).


Extra Entries (optional): please make sure you do the required entry first! Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry, i.e. 1 comment=1 entry.

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• Follow Baby Dipper & Me on Twitter AND tweet the following message (1 extra entry per day) Yes! You may tweet once daily to increase your chances:

RT @luckytoddler @babydipper giveaway! Win a bowl-spoon set that makes baby feeding easier! http://tinyurl.com/bdipper #giveaway
Please leave your Twitter id or the link to your tweet in your comment.

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• Blog about this giveaway and link back to Baby Dipper and Me, and leave the link in your comment (1 extra entry for mentioning this giveaway on your blog; 3 extra entries for a separate blog post).
• Enter any current giveaway at Kiddies Corner Deals and tell me which one (1 extra entry max. You're enouraged to enter as many of Nichol's giveaways as possible, but you'll only get one extra entry here.)

Giveaway ends at 11:59 Central Time on 8/18/09
Open to US Residents Only.
Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 72 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.
Thanks for entering and good luck!

Let's Play Review #2: Debi Derryberry's Baby Banana

Debi Derryberry, the multi-talented children's entertainer and voice-over artist, has released her new music CD "Debi Derryberry's Baby Banana" in early May. She is well known for her award-winining kid's music CDs "Very Derryberry" and "What A Way To Play". She is also the author of the children's book "Baby Banana and the Licorice Tree". Even if you have never heard Debi sing, you are probably familiar with her sweet and angelic voice, which is best known as "the voice of Jimmy Neutron" and has appeared in popular movies like "Ice Age 2" and "The Wild".

I'm very happy to have received a copy of the "Debi Derryberry's Baby Banana" CD for review. The tropically-themed CD is named after Debi's cute preschool character, Baby Banana and the songs are centered around the loving family of Baby Banana, Momma Duck and Daddy Gorrila. My general impressions is that the CD provides a great mix of everything-new and old songs, fast and slow rhythms, hip and traditional music genres, and songs and stories.

The CD includes 5 new tracks-I Wish You Could Fly With Me, Happiest Day, Oodle the Orangutan, Tropical Fruit, I'm A Chameleon, and 4 popular Debi's songs from previous recordings-Baby Banana, Scoops of Ice Cream, Freckle Face Freddie, and Slumberland. While most of the songs are great to dance to, Slumberland is a great lullaby that helps put kids to sleep. With an interesting blend of calypso, reggae, jazz and folk rock genres, the songs has brought to life Baby Banana's fantasy world of exotic animal friends and tantalizing tastes, sights and smells. The CD also includes a bonus track of Debi reading her storybook "Baby Banana and the Licorice Tree.

The "Debi Derryberry's Baby Banana" CD is intended for children aged 2-6 years old, but I think it's entertaining for younger babies and adults too. My son loves listening to the happy songs and flipping through the colorful lyrics book, although he has yet to understand their meanings. His favorite song appears to be the title song Baby Banana because every time I replayed that song, he ran closer to the CD-player and started to dance. Listening to the CD also helps me relax and cheer up. My favorites are Oodle the Orangutan and I Wish You Could Fly With Me. Overall, it's a great music CD to add to your collection. Your kids will love it!

If you're interested in learning more about Debi, you may visit her website http://www.debiderryberry.com/, join her Fan Club, and watch videos showing her perform live in front of kids.

Many thanks to Extraordinary Mothers and Nina Stern Public Relations for this great review opportunity!

Let's Play Review #1: KINeSYS Sunscreen

It's extremely important to protect our kids from sun exposure during the summer. Applying sunscreen, wearing protective clothing, and playing in the shade are all great strategies to help reduce the risk of sunburn for children playing outdoors. Yet it is not always easy to find a kid sunscreen that's both safe and effective. I'm so glad to be introduced to KINeSYS sunscreen , which includes a dedicated product line for kids and is good to use for the entire family.


KINeSYS sunscreens are unique in many aspects. They are the only sunscreens that are 100% carbon neutral (manufactured with clean and sustainable electricity generated by wind power), 100% cruelty free (not tested on animals and certified vegan), and 100% recyclable (packaged in BPA-free, fully recyclable bottles). While providing broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection, they are FREE from oil, alcohol, PABA and preservative. They are water and sweat-resistant. They are also hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. With all these great features, KINeSYS products can be trusted to work for sensitive skin users.

KINeSYS has generously offered me the opportunity to sample their KIDS SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray and Girl SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray. The bright colored bottles immediately attracted my son's attention. The fun-shaped bottles are also very easy for the little hands to grip. It's in fact the first time I've ever tried any spray sunscreen. Every time I started to apply the conventional cream suncreen, my son tried very hard to push the tube away. Apparently, he doesn't like the greasiness. By contrast, he giggled when I sprayed KINeSYS KIDS on his arms and legs. He enjoyed this novel experience. The application was fast, easy, and effortless. I'm happy to learn that the non-aerosol sprayer used by KINeSYS is eco-friendly! I like that the kids sunscreen is fragrance-free, non-irritating, fast-drying, and leaves no residue on skin.

The GIRL spray is the latest addition to the kids product line. Packaged in a girly pink bottle, it's gently scented with vanilla green tea (What a sweet choice!). Like the other KINeSYS sunscreens, it has all the great features I have summarized earlier. But it's designed with the active female in mind :)

KINeSYS sunscreens are award-winning too. The KIDS spray I reviewed above recently won the iParenting Greatest Products of 2008 Award, the PTPA Green Award 2009, PTPA Award 2008, and the Mom's Best Award.

If you're looking for the best sunscreen for kids, don't miss out KINeSYS. You may start with a small bottle at $6.99 or go straight to the value bottle that provides over 700 sprays at only $18.99.

Many thanks to Extraordinary Mothers and KINeSYS for this great review opportunity!

Wanna win these awesome sunscreens? Enter the giveaway here!

A Different Kind of Chocolate-A Guiltless Treat

I can never resist the temptation of chocolate, so I jumped on the opportunity to test out the TerraPass Climate Change Chocolate, the first of its kind in the chocolate kingdom. For the first time in my life, I can feel good about eating chocolate not only because it pleases my taste buds but also because I'm treating our planet while treating myself! How can that be? My initial reaction to the name was: what's the connection between chocolate and climate change? It's beyond my wildest imagination. I got the answer from the packaging: For every chocolate bar purchased TerraPass will purchase 133 lbs of verified carbon offsets (which is the average American's daily carbon impact on the planet). No wonder it's noted as "chocolate with a daily dose of carbon offsets." What a novel way to help save our planet!

I received two flavors of chocolate bars to sample: milk chocolate and dark chocolate. They are both of premium quality...simply delicious!!! Hubby and I were practically fighting for the last square off each bar. They were GONE within a few minutes! Hubby kept asking where we could buy more of these. I love the creamy silky texture. I also love that it's not very sweet. Am I being weired? I love sweets that are not sweet:)

In additon, the Climate Change Chocolate has very interesting wrappers! They are made of recycled paper and decorated with 15 colorfully illustrated tips for reducing your carbon footprint. Here's my favorite: Hanging your washing outside on a fine day instead of using the clothes dryer saves electricty and money too! This is so true. I often wish there were more space/facilities that allow us to air dry our laundry.

If you love chocolate, you certainly don't want to miss out this one-of-a-kind TerraPass Climate Change Chocolate. "Reducing your carbon footprint just got a whole lot tastier!" Isn't this wonderful?

Many thanks to Extraordinary Mothers and TerraPass for this yummy review opportunity!