International Delight Iced Coffee -Summer time? ANY Time!

Living in Florida, it's basically summer all year long. Some people love it, some people want it, but I can assure you, (as a native New Yorker and coffee-holic) sometimes it's just too hot!

I used to love waking up and sitting on my porch on an early October morning sipping my coffee, watching the cardinals fly from tree to tree. The cool crisp breeze...

Nope. Since 2004, I wake up, drink my coffee in my 73 degree house (thank God for AC!) and sweat. Until one day, where I decided it was an ingenious idea to brew some coffee, put it in the old spouted fridge container, and instead of the kids over-dosing with multi-colored punch, I could enjoy a nice cup of sweet, creamy, strong, iced coffee any time I wanted to.

Doesn't that look yummy??

 So my morning routine was basically the same, only instead of sweating through a hot cup o' joe, I was cooler and more refreshed. Until the kids messed with the spout and iced coffee got everywhere.


There had to be a better way.

Then I got an email from International Delight, sharing their Iced Coffee with me. Wait. Hold on. WHAT?! Where the heck have I been hiding that I never knew that there was delicious Iced Coffee waiting for me, in a resealable half gallon carton at the grocery store?! In multiple flavors, too- and since JANUARY. Seriously, I almost hit the ground.

Not only did I run to my nearest store to go snag some for myself, I told all of my girlfriends about it, too!

We meet once every week/week and a half for a breakfast day, so we had a International Delight Iced Coffee breakfast party with home-made waffles, fluffy scrambled eggs, and nice, cold glasses of creamy iced coffee!!


Here's what my friends had to say:

So, for hosting an International Delights Iced Coffee party on National Coffee Day (Sept. 29th), they sent me some great coupons, the cute signs in the photos above, the party mantra [Relax- Drink Iced Coffee] framed, and a party banner. I'm an Iced Coffee Brand Ambassador, too. I don't mind being a brand ambassador for this product, because it's something that everyone truly loved! The house favorite was Mocha, and Vanilla came in a close second. Their facebook page says a new flavor should be showing up in a refrigerator section near you, very, very soon- Caramel Macchiato. Holy Yum.

So I have to share some spec's with you- International Delights is available in three flavors right now: Original, Mocha, and Vanilla, but more flavors are sure to hit shelves soon. (And when that happens, you may hear a squeal of joy!)

Like what you see? Visit International Delight on Facebook so you can score hot coupons, and stay up to date on all of the latest and greatest news on their flavored creamers, or the deliciousness-known-as their Iced Coffee products.

I wrote this review while participating in an In Home Party campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of International Delight and received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

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Polly Pocket Playtime Pet Shop Review

With two girls who LOVE Polly Pocket in the 4BabyAndMom family, we are constantly hearing screeches of how they *NEED* want or HAVE to have whatever they see on TV, or whatever they see at the store. Babs is 6 and Mia is nine, so they're pretty opinionated, and know what they like.

We recently received the new Polly Pocket Playtime Pet Shop and a Polly Pocket Friends Finish First DVD to review. First- holy moly! We've never seen Polly Pocket on TV before, so the girls were ECSTATIC! They watched it over and over and over... well, you get the drift. I was finally able to get some stuff done around the house (*ahem*, I was not on pinterest-thank-you-very-much.. ok, maybe I was a little).
 

The play set was fabulous!  The Playtime Pet Shop allowed the girls to play with their Polly Pockets and animals- both of their favorites. It was even more fun when they decided to grab the suction shoes from the other play set we reviewed in August.

The Hangout House quickly became a favorite- but playing with both of them together, was even more fun. There's a cool "treat dispenser" that the miniature bones can fall out of, and Babs would just crack up every time it came out. The bad news is, like a lot of toys with teeny tiny parts, the bones went missing for a few days until they cleaned the room. Mia liked the fact that you could have the doggy sit in the window (to which I had to serenade them with "How Much is That Doggy In the Window") and the wheel that allows you to showcase the pet waiting for adoption.

The girls only complaint was that again, it didn't come with more than one Polly Pocket friend. Babs also has brown hair; she hasn't put it together that Polly is blonde- like Mia- and asks every.single.time why Polly doesn't have brown hair this time. They feel that if friends or sisters want to play with the larger play sets together, they should each be able to have a person to play with. Santa needs to get his act together, and hunt for Polly's friends so Babs has some people to play with, too.

I love the suction cups.. and the fact that they really work. I really thought that they would be kind of.... a good idea, but one that quickly fell apart or stopped working, but so far, so good. The girls love them, too, so I guess that's what's more important. I also love the fact that most of the items are a little larger, taller, or more tangible for the kids. That's good for me, and my vacuum, because it's less meltdowns because *something* of Polly's isn't floating in my vacuum canister.

If you have a little lady who loves Polly Pocket- add these two play sets to your 'must have' lists for the holidays- we have! If you can find the DVD, look into that as well. I haven't found it in stores, but Amazon has some old school ones.

The way our kids love them, I can see both of these play sets being named one of the super hot toys, come November.


I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Mattel Polly Pocket. I received a product samples and a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

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Playtex Baby- What to Expect Facebook Contest! Daily Prizes and more!

This week kicked off a fabulous new "What to Expect When You're Expecting" contest on the Playtex Baby Facebook page! Playtex is asking you to share What You Didn’t Expect during pregnancy or as a new parent along with any clever situations to those tricky situations – in 150 words or less. And include a fun photo to capture the moment!

The contest celebrates Playtex Baby’s partnership with the blockbuster film “What To Expect When You’re Expecting,” due in theaters May 18! The film will feature Playtex Baby products including the Playtex Nurser with Drop-Ins Liners and the Playtex Diaper Genie Disposal System. (I LOVED my Diaper Genie!!)

Daily prizes will be distributed throughout the two-week contest, and at the end of the month, seven finalists will be chosen for the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to LA for the big screen premiere of “What To Expect When You’re Expecting!” You get to vote for the winner at the Playtex Baby Facebook Page. I've already entered, and shared the page on our wall. Good luck to everyone!

I entered already, as there was a ton of stuff that I had no idea happened during pregnancy, delivery, and even nine years (and counting!) later. My husbands greatest (worst??!!) what-he-didn't-expect was very simple- an episiotomy. Never in the 12 years we've been together, have I ever seen my husband come close to fainting... except then.

What were some of the things that you didn't expect, while you were pregnant, having your bundle of joy, adopting your little sweetheart, or after you became a parent??? What's one thing you would share with a new mom that you wish someone shared with you?

With our baby #3 about to make his appearance, I'm still freaking out a little, because I don't even believe I'm pregnant yet- nevermind about to give birth!!! It all feels so surreal! I personally can't wait to see the movie this May, because I barely survived my first pregnancy without the What to Expect book. The movie is packed with superstars, and seems to cater to both expectant parents.. and contains some really funny parts that are soooo true, but most parents would NEVER admit.

Check out the preview here:


Buy What to Expect When You're Expecting for someone who's expecting now at Amazon, or anywhere you buy books.

PS... the pic in the top left is of me when I was about 7 months pregnant with Abbie. :)


“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Playtex Baby. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating”

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Aldi Makes Holiday Entertaining Affordable and Delicious!

This year, an Aldi supermarket joined our neighborhood. I'm really picky with my food, but I absolutely love some of their products. Their price on "essentials" (read: bread, milk, eggs) are AMAZING- much more affordable than any other grocery store or super store in the area.

I love reading their fliers to see what weekly specials they have on products. The only thing I'm not that excited about is the fact that they have some of their products ONLY for that week, and because my location is the only one within 30 miles, they usually sell out ridiculously quick. This holiday season, I've turned to Aldi for much of my entertaining purposes, and have found a ton of amazing products that I know to stock up on next year, (like their amaaaaaaazing stuffed clams!)

One thing I noticed was their very affordable section of wine. They have so many different flavors, from all over the world, and the prices were too good to be true. They literally had bottles starting at under $3! I never purchased wine from them until this month.

I received an opportunity from Mom Central and Aldi to share my holiday entertaining habits with you- including a review on wine, so I was super excited to finally give the Aldi wines a try. I just had one minor problem... this year, I'm pregnant. That being said, the doc said that I could have a glass of red wine for the holidays, so I wanted to make sure I chose wisely. 

I received a gift certificate as well as an extensive explanation of the types of wine and holiday assortments Aldi carries. I consider myself a wine lover, but I learned so much more about wine with the guide they sent me! I think it would be great for a pamphlet to be in store along with their selections, because finding the wines to perfectly compliment meals always seemed to be a case of trial-and-error, for me, anyway.

I learned that Sweet Red is perfect for desserts like chocolate and cheesecake. I learned that the Chaza Moscato from South Africa was really enjoyed in between the dinner and dessert, one night where we had chicken alfredo and a spiral ham. The husband told me that after we have this bean, that he's going to bring a bottle to the hospital for me. We had some family come over for a hearty roast and served the bottle of Chianti pictured above.

Every year for Christmas, I make stuffed mushrooms and the key ingredient is White Zinfandel. Their bottle was only $2.69!! The most expensive bottle of wine I purchased was only $5.99.  Now, I will admit a few of my friends were astonished that I would give $3-5 bottles of wine a chance.. and frankly, gasped in utter horror, laughing, and wishing me good luck. Several of those friends were given this wine while they were visiting, and they all had NO idea that it was the wine I bought from Aldi. They were pleasantly pleased, and even expressed intent to purchase it themselves. They could not believe that the wine they were tasting were award winning wines, were under $6 a bottle, and had such flavor. Once upon a time, we always had wine in our house, ready to entertain.

Since the economy crashed, and the hubster lost his job, we really haven't had a large selection of wine in our home. Now that our eyes have been opened, we realized we can afford to still entertain with Aldi, even with our lower budget.

Aldi doesn't only have great wines, but they also have a large selection of rich and flavorful German chocolate, nuts of every variety, and many different cheeses. I love brie and soft cheeses, but being pregnant this year, the soft cheeses were off limit. This year I purchased Savoritz Garlic and Chive Pita Crackers (SOOOO good!), and paired it with sliced block cheese, stuffed clams and lemon wedges, nuts, and overloaded on sweets. We had a candy dish of German chocolate balls, cookies, and cream puffs- all purchased from Aldi- well, everything except the cookies, but most of the ingredients were!

Their baking section is extremely affordable! If you love to bake during the holiday season and winter break- make a run there to stock back up. Their chocolate chips, white chips, and butterscotch chips were only $1.69 a bag. They were SO good, and they were larger than standard chips, they were more like chunks. The cookies I made with them were scrumptious!

All in all, we had an amazing holiday filled with great surprises from Aldi. The hubster had so much fun shopping with me for Christmas, that he invited a house full of company for New Year's Eve. My only complaint is that I won't be able to make the stuffed clams for the New Year. (Can you tell that's not a good thing for this preggo lady?!)

If you don't believe me about the prices at Aldi- click some of the links to the foods. It will bring you straight to the product at their site with the price! I don't know how they make money with some of their prices- but I'm grateful for them, and to Mom Central for allowing us to participate in this blog tour.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of ALDI and received a gift certificate to facilitate my review.” All opinions are mine.

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Kidfresh Micro Meals Make Dinner Easy! *Win up to 6 FREE Meals!*

With back to school in full force, the kids and I are constantly on the go. Finding room in our schedule for dinner can be pretty hard to do- especially on karate, Odyssey, boy scout, girl scout, and my college nights. Roll that all into a Tuesday or a Thursday, and I'm willing to bet someone is complaining they are hungry at 9pm bedtime.

I really do take pride in the fact that I feed my kids healthier food options as often as I can. Now, I'm not one of those overly healthy-nut-moms that never buy a cheeseburger on the go, or a TV dinner for Tuesday or Thursday nights every now and then. In fact, I've recently been introduced to KidFresh Meals, and have completely fallen in love!

Kid-friendly choices range from mac and cheese to pasta and meatballs and even quesadillas, Kidfresh meals have been developed by parents for their picky eaters, with the help of an award-winning chef and a pediatric nutritionist. These dishes - ready in 4 minutes - provide key nutrients for growing children, including up to 33% of a child's daily vegetable requirements through the addition of hidden vegetables. The meals come high in protein and vitamins, contain low sodium, and all for under 400 calories with great taste that kids love. With its line of 100% natural frozen meals for kids, Kidfresh offers a convenient way to feel good about mealtime without sacrificing taste or nutrition.

The best part is that these meals are located in the freezer section of my local Publix, so to get them I don't have to travel too far, or make a special trip. To find a store near you that carries Kidfresh meals, visit http://www.kidfresh.com/find-a-store/.

The kids loved it, it wasn't too strenuous on our wallet, and it was a heck of a lot healthier than our normal frozen entree, or canned concoctions. Even the hubster could handle dinner on those crazy, stressful nights. Score!

Kidfresh meals will definitely be a staple on our grocery list, at least for the rest of this semester. Be sure to follow Kidfresh on Twitter to stay up to date on new meals and special deals!

GIVEAWAY:
Thanks to our friends at Kidfresh, three winners will win two coupons for FREE KidFresh Meals!!

Here's How:
Leave a comment here telling me something you've learned after visiting the Kidfresh website.

Extra Entries:

• Tweet using #Kidfresh and link back to us, or copy this:

Busy life? Enter to win #Kidfresh meals and save your sanity! http://bit.ly/pX3Rm4 Ends 10/1 @4BabyAndMom Please R/T

• Follow our blog using GFC (Google Friend Connect) on the right sidebar.
• Follow us on Twitter @4BabyAndMom
• Follow us on Facebook
• Use the share tool on the bottom to share this post with your friends, or favorite social media outlet.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Kidfresh and received Kidfresh coupons and products to facilitate my review, coupons to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
This contest will end 10/1/2011. Three winners will be chosen at random, using Random.org. Each winner will receive 2 coupons for free product.

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New from Danimals: Rally For Recess!

RECESS: The moment children wait impatiently for all day, hoping little Tommy Trouble Maker won’t get into mischief . . . again, and ruin it for the rest of them. The only 15 minutes of the day that is theirs to go wild, scream like an indian chief, and run like Forrest Gump all around the playground just because they “ . . .felt like running!”

Any parent knows that children need this small outlet to burn off some of that energy. Twitchy kids can’t focus, especially when there is a bright shiny blue slide staring at them through their class window, beckoning them to come and play. I am currently going to school to be a teacher and have observed and volunteered in many classrooms. Throughout all of my observations, I have never failed to notice how much more attentive the class was after P.E. and recess. Once they got rid of that extra energy (in the hot Florida sun no less), they were more than happy to come back to the air conditioning, get a drink, and sit quietly and listen to their teachers. I also noticed that the teachers who did not allow recess typically had some crazy kids filling their afternoon hours.

So why is recess being picked on? Sadly, more and more schools are being forced to adopt “no recess” schedules because of strenuous curriculum standards *cough* FCAT and other similar standardized tests*cough*. I am not a fan of such policies, and am all about standing up for our children's needs at school. That is why I was so excited to receive an opportunity to share with you that involves recess, AND one of my kids favorite afternoon snacks—Danimals!

You know, the yogurt snacks that your kids (well, at least mine) beg you for every time you’re trying to pick out dairy products. Danimals are actually one of the few things I give in on; the kids are happy because they think they suckered me into a treat and I get them to eat something nutritious—it’s win/win. But now, there’s another reason to buy these great snacks. It’s called the “Rally for Recess”, and it is a new campaign to help keep recess in schools. We were given a gift card to try a Danimals product, and we (by we-- I mean my eight year old daughter) chose the smoothies. They were really good, and are apparently still “cool” for middle school-ers too, because my son slammed one and then began “monkeying” around with his sister. (I don’t think he has recess at middle school, hahaha)

Now, when you purchase a Danimals product, it comes with a code which you can enter at their contest site: http://rallyforrecess.com . Five schools will win a $20,000 playground make-over and an “Ultimate Recess Day!” When you visit the site, there is a place to register, enter your code, and also some fun stuff for the kids to do as well! Me and my goofballs had a bit of fun creating our own “playground” game levels and playing them. You can also create posters too. The contest is running through February 8, 2012, so go get some Danimals and try and help your kids school! For more information visit: RallyforRecess.com.

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Danimals and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

www.momcentral.com/mcc

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Mattel Fijit Friends are Super Fun! *Review*

Recently, we were given the opportunity to ask several of our girl friends over to have a super fun girly glamor get-together to introduce them to the brand new Fijit Friends from Mattel.

Your child will find a new friend in an interactive, electronic toy that can talk, dance, and laugh along with them. This new generation children's toy not only entertains but can actually engage and interact with our kids on a whole new level. Fijit Friends have colorful and soft skin that enable lifelike movements and they can perform fun dance moves, recognize spoken emotions and react appropriately, joining in on the fun or telling a joke when you are sad. Fijit Friends come in four different color variations, each with a unique personality.

So we invited our girlfriends to come over for cupcakes, nail painting, and dress up, and with the horrible weather, were rained out. We didn't let that discourage us, so we rescheduled it for a few weekends later, and before I knew it the house was full of a bunch of 5-9 year old girls.

We were sent two adorable Fijit Friends, Sage and Willa, some great party favors, headbands and a camera to record some fun moments of our par-tay! The kids loved both of the characters, and the fact that they interacted with each of them, telling jokes that made them roar with laughter, but the part they loved the most was that it danced, just like them to their favorite beats! The mommies thought that it was super cute when the kids told their new friends, "goodnight", and the little Fijit Friend leaned over, yawned and started snoring!

The kids played with the Fijit Friends for quite awhile, and many of the moms insisted that this toy will definitely become one of the MUST HAVE toys for the 2011 holiday season... I think they're right! This toy is geared for girls about 6-9, but I will tell you the few brothers that were dragged along with their sisters confiscated the green Fijit Friend (Sage) and were caught playing in the room with it after their laughter exploded from a joke Sage shared with them. The boys thought the lights on the Fijit Friends face and belly was super cool. Most of the kids liked the silicone skin, only one thought it felt weird, but all of the feedback we got was great.

The Fijit Friends retail for approximately $49.99 each. They come in four different colors- blue, green, pink, and purple, all with different names. Although they come with batteries, but I would advise you to buy extra ones because the factory batteries died very quickly. Even now that the party is over, my little lady plays with it almost every day- and often has to hide her from her brother!!

To learn more about Fijit Friends, please visit there website here. Be sure to interact with them, read their bios and play the game while you're there!

We cannot thank our friends at Mattel and Mom Central Consulting for allowing us to participate in this awesome campaign. "I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Mattel Fijit Friends and received coupons and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

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Who is Simon Miller? August 6 #FamilyMovieNight Review

If you asked me and the family what types of movies we generally like, it's "ACTION", "SPY MOVIES", and movies that make you think. We love James Bond, Cars 2, and the hubster and I love other movies or TV shows along the same genre.

When given the opportunity to screen the new P&G and Walmart Family Film, WHO IS SIMON MILLER? we were super excited. We knew after watching the first two family film night presentations, that every movie seems to keep getting better and better, so we were all eager to watch this new one. Here's the movie trailer:




It looks great, doesn't it?! The premiere of Who Is Simon Miller? is on Saturday, August 6 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT, so make sure you plan for it this weekend. The best part is that this movie isn't "scary" for younger kids, and yet it's good enough to even keep the teen boys interested. There's just enough of a balance between action and drama, so again, another home run from the production team at P&G and Walmart for a wholesome family movie.

Ok, so the con's of this movie review.... the mom in this flick becomes a supermom out of nowhere. One minute she's a cooking freak who only seems to think straight when she cooks or obsesses over her family eating healthy, and the next she's elbowing bad guys in a stair well to make a grand getaway. I mean, I'm not sure if I was put into a few of those situations if I would be able to respond the way she does, and have it perfectly fall into place. Also the son is somewhat of a computer geek/genius, and although they hint about it, tease him about it, and he cracks several things the average Joe isn't supposed to know how to crack, it was a little bit of a stretch. 

All in all, the story line was really good, the characters were well played, with a great twist, and it was great seeing another family unit working together no matter what came their way. From snipers, to disappearance, to flying all over the world, this movie has something for everyone.

So pop your popcorn, tell the kids to meet you on the couch, and  figure out WHO IS SIMON MILLER? !! Don't forget its premiere is this Saturday on NBC at 8pm EST. Like the idea of wholesome family flicks? LIKE Family Movie Night on Facebook so you never miss an update or upcoming movie night!



I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. 

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Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotics Review + Giveaway: Keep Your Soles Happy!

From Mom Central:
Busy moms know that life is always spent going, going, going. Standing on our feet all day can cause serious foot discomfort and really impact our day-to-day life. We constantly put pressure on our feet, whether it's from running around after our kids or standing for hours at work, which often leaves them tired and achy.

One way to reduce foot discomfort is through the affordable Dr. Scholl's® Custom Fit® Orthotic Inserts. Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotic Centers, located in retail stores near you, feature Footmapping® Technology to identify the areas where you apply the most pressure and your arch type. After more than 2,000 sensors calculate your unique measurements, the kiosk then recommends the Custom Fit Orthotic Insert that best fits your feet. It's really easy and only takes a few minutes to obtain your Custom Fit Orthotic Insert recommendation.

Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotic Inserts provide comfort and support for all day relief of tired achy feet. More than one million users have tried them and 95% of wearers are satisfied. The 3/4 length of Custom Fit Orthotics also fits well in most shoes and their $50 retail price makes them affordable, saving people up to a couple hundred dollars versus other custom orthotic inserts sold at retail stores.

Please visit www.footmapping.com to find a store near you and learn more.

 *                                    *                                    *

I've been to a podiatrist and received expensive inserts that hurt my feet and felt as if they were made of bricks.. they were made out of some sort of plastic, but they never felt comfortable. I've wasted money on tons of different insoles and inserts- you know, the ones you cut to fit your shoes, the gel kinds, the cardboard-looking-ones, and the ugly grandma wedge types- yeah, I've tried them all. None have been successful, and most of them have ended up in the trash. I moan and complain about buying new shoes because nothing ever seems to fit me right, and within weeks those shoes sit at the bottom of my closet, rarely to be worn again.

My husband and I actually saw our first Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotics kiosk at a CVS on Long Island when we went up for his brother's wedding in October this past year. Bri thought that I should try it out and see what it said, but after seeing the price ($49.99) I decided against it. I figured once again, I would spend money to try to make my feet a little happier, but in the long run my wallet would be sad while another pair of inserts gather dust, or get tossed to the curb. He argued that I should just give them a shot, but I did not... I should have.

I've recently been given the opportunity to try a pair of Custom Fit Orthotics from our new friends at Dr. Scholl's through Mom Central. I have horrible, flat feet. I barely have an arch, most of the stress is felt on my heels, and I'm pretty convinced that I inherited heel spurs, (thanks, mom!) There are some mornings where it's so painful to get out of bed and walk on my feet that I hobble around like and old woman "ooching" and "owing" all the way to the kitchen, or bathroom, or one of the children's rooms. They giggle at me, but I don't find it funny. Needless to say, as soon as I was offered a chance to review the Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotics, I jumped at the chance. I knew another chance like this probably wouldn't come around a third time.. (but part of me did it because I wanted to appease my husband too, just by giving it a shot,) and I'm really happy I gave them a shot this time around.

This review is kind of hard for me to write, because under the "new blogging laws" I'm not supposed to make any medical claims or false claims about a product, but honestly, this part here is my disclaimer: this is my opinion, and yours may differ. I am not claiming that these inserts can make you fly. Take my words as just that- my words. For what it's worth, I am not a doctor, just a mom with bad feet. 


THAT BEING SAID....

These inserts ROCKED!!!!!!!! I used to be a runner, back in the day, but recently could barely walk. I've been wearing my Custom Fit Orthotics for several weeks in my sneakers, and I have noticed a drastic difference in the level of discomfort I've experienced. I've started walking with some friends again, and started jogging a bit too. Even while playing with the kids, I don't find myself taking as many breaks, or rubbing my feet, ankles or legs as much. At night my feet are still sore, but not nearly to the degree they used to be. In the morning, I still hobble, but I hobble right over to my sneakers and wear them most of the day.

To figure out which type of insert was right for me, I went to my local Walmart, and despite feeling a little awkward standing on the machine, loved seeing exactly where the stress points are on my feet. (You can tell by the red parts in the picture.)

After measuring my feet, thoroughly mapping my size, arch, and pressure areas, the Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotic machine told me that the pair of orthotics that were right for me were CF440. According to the machine, it read that I have low arches and a high level of foot pressure. It said that these orthotics provided cushioning in the heel and the ball of the foot- which is the area of my most discomfort.


I know it's hard to believe that I've experienced a true "night and day"  difference, but I truly feel like I have experienced a small miracle. I cannot begin to verbalize, never mind articulate in writing how much better, almost healthier, I feel since using these. Not only my feet, but my entire body. They say that exercising creates endorphins, and endorphins make people happy.. as long as I have my Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotics in my sneakers, my feet are extremely happy.

Okay, back to the actual review -(instead of just gushing!); the actual orthotics are made of this really flexible, yet firm, yet squishy rubber. You can feel the extra cushion it offers right through the case! The rubber is not gel, so it doesn't squish to a different area of your foot or heel, it provides great comfort in just about any shoe. My only complaint is I haven't figured out a way to get these babies into flip-flops!! (I love flip-flops!) As far as the price-point goes, in my honest opinion- it's worth the fifty dollars, and then some. Those hard-as-rocks "custom" orthotics that I got from the podiatrist cost over $300 back in 2000. I feel like the CF440's were made for my feet. If you have any type of a foot/shoe discomfort you should definitely find one of those machines and see which insert would best fit you!

The facts speak for themselves- 95% of the million people who have tried them have been satisfied. What are you waiting for? Visit www.footmapping.com to find a store near you and learn more. Interested in picking up a pair? Click HERE for a $7.50 rebate!! 

Our new friends at Dr. Scholl's want to promote keeping your feet comfortable and ready to go, so they have offered one of our lucky readers their chance to score a pair of Custom Fit Orthotics for themselves!

Here's How:
Visit www.footmapping.com and tell me where your local kiosk is.

Extra Entry Opportunities:

• Visit a Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotic Inserts Kiosk and tell me which insert is right for your tired and achy feet. (5 entries!!)
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Tired, achy feet? WIN a pair of Dr Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotics! http://bit.ly/ip2179 Ends 6/19 @4BabyAndMom

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER!!

Please leave appropriate links, comments, and/or email in your comment. If we cannot find it, your entry will be invalid. This giveaway is open to residents of the US and will end at 11:59pm EST on June 19, 2011. I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Dr. Scholl’s and received a Custom Fit Orthotics from Dr. Scholl’s to facilitate my review. Special thanks to all parties involved, and to my readers for understanding again that what you have read are strictly my opinions. 

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Walmart + P&G "Field of Vision" Family Movie Night

Having children from 5 to 11, finding a family movie that suits all of our needs is always a daunting task. The girls like cartoon ones, while the boys think that's too babyish, (but secretly enjoy them); they prefer the action movies, and the girls usually don't like it. We usually settle on a "boys movie tonight, girls movie on Friday" type deal.

Not too long ago we had the privilege to review "Truth Be Told," a movie collaborated with families in mind from two very family friendly companies- Walmart and P&G. Well, this month they've made magic again and allowed us to preview their new movie, "Field of Vision".

Through mysterious footage captured on an old malfunctioning video camera, Sinclair High School's star quarterback, Tyler McFarland, learns that some of his teammates have been bullying Cory Walker, a troubled new transfer student.  Aware that sharing this information with the coach might get his friends kicked off the team and ultimately cost the school the state championship, Tyler must choose what's more important: winning or doing what's right. 

The premier of "FIELD OF VISION" is on Saturday,June 11 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT. To watch the trailer and see if this might be something you and your family could enjoy, click on the widget below.



Looks good, huh? Thanks to our friends at Mom Central, Walmart, and P&G, we were able to preview this movie earlier this week. The reviews are back, and we loved it. Abbie liked the horses and the magic camera (video camera), but the story line was a little over her head. She was still attentive through it, but I would definitely recommend this film for elementary school aged kids and up. Everyone else really seemed to like it! Alex recognized the bad behavior the bully was presenting, which opened us up to a whole conversation about bullying. Unfortunately, this is something we have been very familiar with recently. My husband and I thought the movie was a little predictable, but overall, the kids had fun putting together the puzzle pieces as the story unraveled, and we truly enjoyed spending time with the kids while watching "Field of Vision".

So set the DVR, or make sure you're home with some popcorn and drinks, and get ready for another family movie night. Learn more about this great film and the cooperative effort to put more wholesome family films on prime time by visiting the Family Film Night Facebook page.

Are you planning on watching? Who are you going to watch it with? Share your opinions on Family Movie Nights hosted by Walmart and P&G.

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.” As always, these opinions are strictly ours. We hope you enjoy the film as much as we did.

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