For my Seattle Peeps: Ice Age Continental Drift Free Pre Screening

Interested in seeing ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT for free and before it comes out? Log on to WWW.GOFOBO.COM/RSVP and enter this RSVP Code: 140B2T3T to download passes. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis so arrive at least an hour before showtime. ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT opens in theaters July 13th!

Summer Fun with Cascade Ice

I am such a fan of Cascade Ice. I mean, what's not to love?

Zero calorie, tasty carbonated beverage. It mixes the best of both worlds: juice and soda and did I mention ZERO CALORIES ?

Having said that, you can imagine how over the moon I was to be asked to try out some new flavors.

The first of which was the new Strawberry Melon flavor. Cascade Ice stayed true to form with this one in that it was the flavorful, sweet but not overly so, refreshing beverage I'd come to expect.

Next,I sampled the Margarita, Cosmopolitan and Coconut (for pina colada) mixers from the new line. Oh did I mention, Cascade Ice now has a line of mixers for those of us that like to indulge in an adult beverage every now and again. Cool, right ?

 I decided first to try them without alcohol and was pleasantly surprised that they could be just regular beverages if one were so inclined. And what I mean is that they were good enough to stand alone. With that said, I couldn't not mix them and frankly these are as good if not better than any other store bought mixer. And here's the thing I can make one or two little tiny cocktails and don't need to make a whole pitcher. Bonus!

 Ease of use was a huge plus in that it was essentially add the alcohol and stir. These things are super portable, yummy and just plain fun. And what's more they've got nifty little cocktail recipies listed right on their site.

 I can imagine taking these babies with me to every party I hit this summer. A resounding thumbs up.

Monte Carlo Movie Review

Recent high school graduate Grace Bennett (Selena Gomez) is Paris bound with her best friend Emma(Katie Cassidy) and stepsister Meg (Leighton Meester). Shortly after arriving, Grace realizes the tour she'd saved for wasn't all she hoped it would be. Frustrated and down the three girls take a break from the tour and accidentally happen upon an heiress (Gomez) who just happens to be Grace's doppelganger. Things quickly turn for the girls as Bennett assumes the heiress' lifestyle and the three head to Monte Carlo. While there they each have the fantasy trip they hoped they would have and manage to find out who they really are in the process.

Monte Carlo starts out slow and misses the mark in really developing some of it's character relationships. Early on we're told Grace and her stepsister don't get along. They're forced in to the trip together and the tension is palpable. Then, it's just gone. There is no real heart to heart or no turning point. They just magically start getting along. It would have been nice to see more explanation about that transition or truthfully that piece could have been left out all together. That said, the scenery is amazing, Gomez is positively adorable and when the heiress discovers her identity has been stolen the hijinks that ensue are amusing.

Monte Carlo is just ok. Parents, if you've got a die hard Selena Gomez fan like I do, I say check out the matinee. It probably won't be your favorite picture of the year but your tween will likely enjoy it.

Betty Crocker "loaded" Instant Mashed Potatoes Review and Giveaway

I love potatoes. Deeply. Baked,fried,mashed I don't think there is much you could do to a potato that I wouldn't like.

Enter Betty Crocker's new "loaded" Instant Mashed Potatoes. Instant? You might question. And I hear you there. But here's the thing: sure sometimes I feel all gourmet and like making my mashed potatoes from scratch but during the week when I'm pressed for dinner prep time after work instant is a godsend.

Each box comes complete with two packages which for many families might make two dinners but for my tribe of eaters made one. I've purchased other varieties of Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes before and these potatoes, if I'm being honest,weren't my favorite. That's not to say they weren't good. They just weren't as flavorful as I would expect "loaded" potatoes to be. They tasted more like regular mashed potates than "loaded".
What I did love about these is that they're incredibly easy to prepare. Seriously. Add milk,add water,stir a little and you're done. What could be easier than that?

Want to check them out for yourself? Simply leave a comment indicating your favorite way to prepare potatoes and you'll be entered to win a prize pack including 1 box of Betty Crocker Instant "loaded" Mashed potatoes, a mixing bowl, a magnetic hanging pot holder,silicone spoonula and measuring cup.




You may also tweet about and or post about this contest on Facebook for extra entries (1 each). Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.
Contest ends 4/21.

*Disclosure - I was provided with the product, prize pack, information and additional prize pack to give away from Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.*

Mars Needs Moms!

This past Saturday the kids and I had the opportunity to preview Disney's latest animated film Mars Needs Moms.

The movie, centers around 9 year old Milo (Seth Green) and his quest to save his mom (Joan Cusack) from martians who have kidnapped her in order to use her super mom skills for their own "nannybots". Along the way, Milo meets such colorful characters at Gribble (Dan Fogle) who endears himself with his sense of humor and casual "dude I got this" type attitude and rebel, spraypainting, hippy-esque martian Ki (Elizabeth Harnois), who although she has no nose is postively cute as a button.

Mars Needs Moms is really a pretty cute film replete with plenty of comedy and action that will keep you entertained. In fact, there might be some jokes that are more entertaining for the parents than the kids. The "animation" is phenomenal. The characters are so lifelike it's amazing.
It is important to note that this film is rated PG, and does have some material that could be scary for some very young viewers (aliens shooting, and allusion to death). That said,my family (which at the time was 7 year old twins and my 16 year old stepdaughter) and I got an absolute kick out of it and I feel pretty confident in saying yours will too.

Here check out a short preview for yourselves:


And because I want to share the love I offer to one lucky reader a Mars Needs Moms prize pack (1 Adult tshirt,1 youth tshirt and character tattoos)




















Simply leave a comment with your favorite Disney movie and you'll be entered to win. One winner will be chosen from all entries received by 3/18. The contest is open to US and canadian residents only.

And finally, you should also consider visiting the Mars Needs Moms Facebook page because there you can enter to win a Nissan Quest or a trip for 4 to Disneyland to see a movie premiere simply by liking the page. What could be more fabulous than that, right !?

Good luck!


Disclosure:I was invited to screen the movie for free to facilitate this review. Additionally, I attended a promotional party post screening.

EcoStore USA

My sincerest apologies to the folks at EcoStore as I was sent some products to review months ago and failed to post until now. I'll tell you as I told them I was hesitant to post anything at all as I really didn't care for these products as much as I thought I would.



But in the interest of full disclosure I'm posting now and you can take it for what it's worth.

First, I love what the company is doing. Their entire product line is EcoFriendly and free of harsh chemicals. I wanted to love these products and free myself of the toxic ones currently in my cabinet.

However, when it came right down to it their All Purpose cleaner, while incredibly pleasant to smell did not tackle the kind of stains my household generates. In terms of general after meal clean up /wiping down counters/stove and refrigerators it was ok. But when it came down to certain stains which unfortunately my 7 year olds tend to create plenty of I had to use another cleaner to fully tackle the stains (reddish juices, sauces, soups).

Additionally I tried the Automatic dishwasher powder and found that glasses were left with spots and remnants of the powder. And yes, I used the powder in several cycles just to be sure it wasn't a flukey , one timey kind of thing.

So ultimately, I have mixed feelings. These products wouldn't be the best bang for my buck if I were deciding what to purchase in store however the health benefits to my family tell me not to completely rule out other products in their line.


*Disclosure I received the All Purpose Cleaner and Dishwasher powder free of charge to facilitate this review.

Foster Farms - Great Bites Chicken Cheesburgers Review and Giveaway

Hey! Did you know this past September 18th was National Cheeseburger Day ? Yeah me neither.

But get this, Foster Farms the folks whom you know from the amazingly funny Foster Farms Chicken "No plumping" commercials did and introduced their latest in the Great Bites line, new mini flame-broiled chicken cheesburgers just in time for said "holiday".

Little bigger than a half dollar coin Great Bites really pack a punch in the flavor department. Great Bites come in two varieties: All-American BBQ burger with real smoky bacon and cheddar cheese, and, the Santa Fe burger with real creamy pepper jack cheese and chipotle sauce.

While they're both incredibly tasty , my family, preferred the BBQ burger (my daughter thought the Santa Fe burger was a little spicy). Thinking about it now is sending my belly into a frenzy of happiness. Great Bites would be perfect for afterschool (or anytime) snacks. The best part is that these burgers are very quickly and easily prepared in the microwave and frankly taste as good if not better than other varieties of microwave burgers. In fact, I'd go out on a limb and say these had more of the freshly prepared rather than the frozen to microwave vibe.

Want a chance to try new Foster Farms Chicken Cheesburger Great Bites ? Simply leave a comment telling me which version you'd like to try and you'll be entered to win. Six lucky winners will receive a coupon for a free 6 pack of Great bites from all entries received by October 8th.

*No compensation was received for this post. I received samples of Great Bites and Great Bites coupons to facilitate this review and giveaway.