Because I Said So!!! Mom Knows Best!

Rowan is becoming quiet the challenge at
meal time. Everyday she is becoming more and
more of a little person and less of a Baby and
she wanted the world to know it. From Day one
I had a hard time with Baby food for unlike my
son who would eat anything, she is picky. I started
out feeding her Oatmeal and Rice Cereal that you
buy and has Applesauce or another fruit mixed in
and she was okay with that. Just okay, the first
bite or two she would make the face. You know the
face. The one when I baby looks at you and you know
she is thinking, "What did you just put in my mouth?"
face. After a couple of bites coaxed in though she will
eat the rest no problem. Now when it was time to
move on to other foods the problems started. I started
with Veggies like you are supposed to but I couldn't not find
one she liked. Not even Sweet Potato's and I thought every
baby in the free world loved those. Rowan, eh, not so much.
I skipped fruit for I was afraid she would like that and go
nuts for it and went to meats instead. I was worried. Andrew
ate anything but Johns Daughter Rachel will not eat anything
and here she is 12 and her entire diet consists of Ramon Noodles,
Cereal and Mac and Cheese. I did not want those issues with
Rowan so I held off on the fruits to I could get her to eat other
stuff first. I started with Chicken because again, that is a food
almost every child likes. No ick face this time. It sat in her mouth
and sat in her mouth and she glared at me and glared at me and
then at last she opened her mouth and let it simply fall out. No
dice on the chicken. Or Beef, or Turkey or Ham. Nada! I have a
fussy baby! Oh JOY!

Well through trial and error I found a few foods I could get her
to eat and I don't know how many I ended up tossing out. One
thing I did find is if I make her feel like she is part of the
feeding process and offer her a spoon she will eat more items I
offer her. The problem with that is she wants to have the bowl
right in front of her and while she is messing with her spoon I
can sneak in several bites but it ends up being such a mess for
when she is not chewing she is reaching and struggling to get the bowl.
Now of coarse, being so picky, she does love all fruits and
there I have no problems but even with the spoon I had problems
with Veggies and meats. When I got the chance to do a review
for Ella's Kitchens I pretty much was at my wits end and thought
why not, things can't get worse. They came in pouches and I thought
that was kinda neat. I didn't have to worry about the top
popping and the food being fresh for they were sealed with
a twist on plastic lid that when you turned it cracked open so you
know you are the first person to open it. With those Jars I had
such a hard time telling if they were popped or not for the
difference is so slight I could never tell. I was also taken back
by the fact that Rowan was impressed with the packaging. She
likes things that she can touch and handle and like I told you
she really wants to be apart of the whole meal thing and
"Help" but her help was so messy. With the Ella's she seemed
really interested in the fact I could squeeze it out into a bowl right
in front of her and then put the top on and instead of her holding
a spoon she insists on dipping into the bowl and getting all
over I gave her the package with the top on and she was
perfectly content holding that and trying to find her way in.
As she was obsessed with the pack I shoveled the whole
bowl in and not once did I have to stop and trick her to take
a bite or stop and clean up the mess from the bowl that she
once again dumped or play the Airplane game she pretty much
ignores. Now I thought, "hey, this is pretty great," but also knew
this wouldn't last forever. I might get a couple of meals out of
this Little trick but she would be bored soon enough and want
the spoon back. Well I went through every thing they sent and
she is still happy just holding on to the pouch. BUT what I
found out is I don't think the pouch is what is keeping
her hooked. Yeah, it is kinda fun and makes noise and she
can bend it all over and the top turns and clicks but she pauses
more and more and waits for her bite. She really likes it. I found
a food she likes enough to actually wait for a bite. I discovered
that by stopping mid way through her lunch to run and grab a
cup of Coffee. Normally Rowan could care less if I took a nap
during meal time for she isn't interested in the food at all, just
the playing in messy apple sauce and pears and if that is in
front of her I can read a book for a half hour and not feed her
a drop and she would never notice. With Ella's she did. I set
the bowl on the table and she was messing around with her little
bitty books she plays with while she eats. She seemed fine and
had already ate half the bowl so no biggie, I took my time to grab
coffee. I had not even got my Sugar in the cup with the "ehhhhs"
started. Slowly at first but by the time I got the cream in she was
full force pounding the high chair and the "eehhs" were now,
"EEHHHHHHHHHH, EHHHHHHHHHHHHH EHHHHHH!"
pound, pound!
"EHHHHHHHHH, EHHHHHHHHHH, EHHHHHHHHHHH."
I thought this meant she was done and bored and went to
grab her out of the high chair and that's when the real crying
began. She didn't want out, she wasn't bored, she wanted
another bite. Now that was a first! I was more then happy to
oblige for other then the Bread Sticks from the Pizza I dipped
in sauce for her she has never shown any interest in what she
was eating she just did it as an after thought to playing in
her high chair. Food she really likes? Wow, what a concept.
The next day I had to see if it really was true. I wanted to
know if she just asociated the food with the pouch she liked
to play with or she really liked the food itself. I put the food
into the bowl before I even brought her to the high chair. I sat
her down and made sure there was no little pouches for her to
play with, no extra spoon to keep her busy and no cracker or
other items she could feed herself when she was bored. The
only thing on her tray was her sippy cup and her bitty books.
I went to offer her a bite and fully expected her to fuss as
always until I brought something to the high chair to distract her
but she didn't, she opened up. Okay, that was luck for she is
just over 7 months and has no idea what is in the bowl and
if she does have a brand preference she wouldn't know it was that
brand to she tasted it. So I got lucky and she took a bite. Then
another and another and more and more to the bowl was just
about gone. She didn't even go for the bitty books to close to
the end when she was getting full. Now I was impressed for it
did mean she actually liked Ella's Kitchen baby foods on their
own and not just because eating them meant she had a cool pouch
to play with. I was also thank full to Ella's for that allowed me
that chance to get her to settle down enough and enjoy meal
time and she is even eating other foods better now too. Instead
of wearing her Yogurt she eats it. Same thing with breakfast cereal
and everything else I have tried to give her since that day. Now she
still liked to feed herself finger food but when it comes to food
that she needs a spoon for she is now fine with me doing all
the lifting and her doing all the chewing.
Now Rowan may love the food but what I love is what
is in it. You know those Veggies I had such a hard time getting
her to eat? Well not anymore. Ella's has veggies but in such neat
combos as Broccoli, Pears and Pea's or Carrots, Apples and Parsnips.
They are awesome at taking a veggie and mixing it with a fruit that
tastes like they were meant to be served together all the time. I am
confidant that Rowan will be eating those Veggies on their own soon
for now that she has learned to enjoy the taste the battle part is
out of the way for with most foods if you get a child to try it
they will like it. They are also the first Baby food company I
have ever seen that offers Strawberry's as a selection. That is
so cool for we love Strawberry's here! Ella's also has Smoothies.
Now that is even cooler! What I like about them is the pouch
is smaller and just the right size and I was a lazy Mom and let
Rowan try them right out of the pouch and she so loves that. She
thinks she is all big and able to feed herself and had the biggest
blast and though I know I was lazy and should have put it
in a bowl or cup even that site of watching her have so much
fun eating it straight from the pouch made me crack up. She was
having a total blast and smoothies are supposed to be a fun
treat anyway and I feel better giving her that then the Gogert
I was giving her. Ella's has truly made meal time fun and more
enjoyable for both Rowan and me and I feel better knowing I
am finally able to pump in some good foods!

Ella's has a full product line of their Organic delicious
yummyness. They offer 8 different variety's of stage one foods,
5 stage two and 4 stage three. They also have 4 different
types of smoothies, and 3 different types of finger snacks.
Another cool thing they offer is Baby Brekkie, a baby food that
is made with a mix of cereal and fruit. Perfect for for breakfast
and super healthy to boot. Ella's offers many great foods to feed
your little bundle. Rowan has loved every single one of their foods
she has tried. A couple have ended up on her face but hey, she
loves them and it isn't her dumping a bowl over so that face mess
is fine by me! All of their products are Organic and made from the
best and freshest ingredients and Ella's Kitchen has developed a
great way to insure a longer shelf life and unlike other Organic items
you can safely keep them for up to 12 months and as if that
wasn't awesome you can also freeze them. Even their web site
is fun and chocked full of recipes and and promotions and all
sorts of tips and advice. I can't wait to Rowan grows into some
of the other stages for as much as she loves the stage one and
the smoothies I know the rest will be a piece of cake! Thanks
Ella's for making my mealtime with Miss thing a lot less stressful!
Ella's would like you guys to be able to try some of their
foods yourself. I know your kids will love them as much as
mine did. One reader will win a box of mixed stage one foods
and a couple of smoothies. To enter just head over to their site
and take a look around then come back here and post what you
have learned in a comment. The contest will start today and run
to midnight on April 16th.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.


Ella's Kitchen Baby Foods!




Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.


1. Become a follower of my blog or Twitter
and post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.


2. Enter any of my other contest. I entry
per contest, separate post for each entry.


3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.


4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.


5. Tweet about this contest elsewhere. 5 entries
please post five times.


Don't forget to check out Ella's Kitchen on Face
Book for all sorts of exciting new things that are
going on!Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Mommy Tool Box and Port a Pong Contests!

YUM!
It does not matter what the item is in
a food review as long as it is good! Lucky
for us we have been blessed with some good
ones for Valentines Day and Desserts but what
about every day treats and snacks? I mean really,
any family with children, or without for that matter,
love the snack sized treats and cookies and crackers
and things the make your belly sing! I am talking about
the items you toss in your child's lunch, or yours or
your partners or pack for a trip to the park. When Andy
was little my choices we a lot more limited and I feel
like I say that with a lot of items but it is true. I know
unless you are over 35 and have had children prior to the
new millennium or have Grandchildren now, you just would
not see the difference but from 1993 to now so much has
changed.
Andrew was born to a world where Organic meant growing
it in your own back yard and when you were in the dead
of winter you just didn't have it! When he was around 5
our first Whole Foods Market opened and it was miles away
from most people and the only one around. Instead of sections
in the grocery store dedicated to Organic and Natural products
there were isles of Generic ( for those of you too young before
stores carried their own name brands they would offer a simple
white box version, you can still find them here and there) and
only of few of the finer stores had anything fresh. Even the
Bakery Departments were just starting to become big and though
I always remember a deli to buy fresh bread and cakes you had
to go to a Bakery and most were closed on Mondays. For
lunch snacks you had a choice of Hostess or Pepperidge Farms
and Dolly's, Entenmann's was just starting to get hot. The point is
snacks you could find.
Tasty Snacks?
Harder.
Organic Snacks?
Even Harder.
Tasty Organic Snacks?
Surely you must be joking?
It wasn't until Andrew was in Jr. High before I could find
Organic Foods at my local supermarket and that was pretty much
just a few products then. Trust me, if there was a snack I would have
known for let's not forget Michelle's lived on a diet and if there was
the chance something was the least bit healthy for you and you
can eat it I was the first kid on the block to be munching away.
I used to scour the diet section at the store and this is where
they kept any product that would be classified as other. Organic
items used to be an other. Now they have a couple of rows of their
own at my local store. Now, not every store has done this, but the
big ones all have a lot of space dedicated to Organic Foods and it
is pretty apparent Organic is here to stay. Now, instead of finding them
in the first place I am undated with the dilemma of what kind to
get. There are just so many choices. What makes my task at hand
a little more easy is most of those choices taste like sawdust and
get Vetoed with their first guest appearance at my home. I have pretty
much decided that anything cookie-ish is the premier food Organic places
have problems with and always taste they worst. That is until I got
a chance to do my next review.


When I went to their web site I thought at first I was at
a blog and I was right. A great one too with loads of information
and they even had a blurb about a new favorite of mine I had
just discovered myself, Bitty Books. It seems Late July is a family
run business and what that means is they put their personal pride
on the line and stay involved in the day to day upkeep of their
product and bring you not only a quality that is head over feet
above the rest but a taste that is as well. It shows at first taste
for I am a fan of Sandwich cookies, always have been. Even the
boys are nuts for them. Every time I grocery shop I have to make
sure to pick up a package for every member of the house or there
will be fighting. Yes, I realize I am not speaking of 3 children but
rather 2 adults and one near adult, but if each person does not get
their own bag it is survival of the fittest and the other two end up
sulking, angry and petty. Even with three bags it does not always
turn out right for I am considered the "Weak Link" and I am one
of those people that will grab 3 or 4 and eat them then not want
another for a week but when I want it I have to have it. They boys
consider any edible item left for more then 48 hours abandoned and
will grab it and claim it for their own. I don't know how many times I
have found myself stomping around the kitchen for someone ate my
this or that. We are going to have a big problem with Late July for
they are really, really tasty. Even Rowan is going to town on these
and other then Graham Crackers and a couple of Christmas Special
cookies she has not had too much in the snack department. I didn't
want her to get hooked on the cookies and crackers like we are until
she was older but as we were munching away she had her little hand
out and I could not help but share. This means Baby will need her
own stash too and I fear she will also be a target for like me. I just
don't see her eating a whole bag in a day. UGH, I wonder if Late
July can send over a Vending Machine that will always be full and I
will give everyone in the house a monthly allotment of credits for the
machine?

Late July stands for old fashion goodness and fresh products
without additives and pesticides and though a snack food can never
be considered a health food they are far ahead of the curve on some
of their neighbors. Is it because they use the best ingredients? Maybe
the all natural status? Maybe its the decades of dedication to their
products for I remember over 20 years ago when my Grandfather
first discovered the Cape Cod Potato chips they also make and
a new legend was born in our family. Before that he use to only
eat a chip that came in a metal tin, I can't remember the brand but
when they stopped making them he felt lost. Then one day he
came home with Cape Cod and told us all was well again. Is it
the fact Late July is associated with a good memory for me? Who
knows, I am leaning toward the fact when I took a bite out of their
Vanilla Bean Sandwich cookie I could taste the Vanilla. Not a shortening
type cream like an Oreo, or something waxy like a store brand, but
Vanilla. Pure, Real, Delicious Vanilla with crisp Chocolate Cookies
on either side. The Cheddar Cheese Sandwich Crackers, well what
do you know, CHEDDAR! I could place that taste anywhere! I spent
my summers by a cheese factory and will never forget the taste of
fresh cheese and this is it! Everything I had of theirs was the
same. Imagine a company that makes foods that is actually made
with the product they are supposed to taste like. I thought that
tradition was gone and lost but nope, it is alive in Late July!
They make Crackers that you will swear just came out of the oven
and Cookies you will have to Um, buy a box for everyone! They
also have the sandwich crackers that are perfect for school lunches
or snacks for the kids. I also feel so much better giving my kids
peanut butter with anything. It is natures perfect food in my mind and
I remember making my own sandwiches as a child and with Late
July you have that home-maid goodness in a easy to grab snack
pack so your kids can know some of the yummy treats you had
when you were young and you can feel good about letting them
have them. So if you are looking for a great snack, Organic and
even some good old fashioned Antioxidants, that taste fresh and have
a family tradition of Quality or just a good site to learn some neat
tricks, great ideas and even some fabulous advice, check out Late
July. I plan on making both a regular part of my life!

Late July is also offering to give one of my readers some
of their yummy goodness. One reader will win a gift pack with
a box of each cookie and some of the single serve snacks. To
enter just head over to their site and take a look around then come
back here and post what you have learned in a comment. The contest
will start tonight and end on April 9th.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.

Late July Organic Snacks


Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.

1. Become a follower of my blog or
post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.

2. Enter any of my other contest. I entry
per contest, separate post for each entry.

3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.

4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.

5. Tweet about this contest elsewhere. 5 entries
please post five times.

Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Mommy Tool Box and Port a Pong Contests!

We have eaten a lot of food that is good for you.
Everything from Gluten free, to dairy free and Vegan
to all Natural and Organic. Some were for review and
some were for the heck of it and some I was experimenting
with some recipes for a couple of friends and family
members. I go all out for the Holidays and also a couple
times a year I put together seasonal gift baskets of home maid
Candy's and baked goods for my Neighbors and friends and
family and I learned the hard way some of them were strict
vegan and a couple diabetics and could not eat pretty much
anything in the baskets. I found new homes for them but
felt like a heel for not asking in the first place and went
out of my way to learn some recipes they could eat and put
a basket together just for them. I have about 10 things I
make for them and they love them. Out of all the reviews
and store bought items and even the stuff I have learned
to make I have always wondered one thing.

How do people eat this stuff?

Never have I tasted something from one of those category's where
I went, "Oh, my Golly Gee Jumping Jahiminees, I can't wait to
go out and get this again!" Now the freeze dried fruit snacks
I have tried were good, I will give them that. I will keep them
in the house for I am a fruit fanatic and buy too much at one
time for you guys know how I hate the Grocery store, and most of
the fruit ends up going to waste. I just threw away a bunch of
Oranges today in fact. The dried fruit tastes pretty much the
same as the fresh and has the same nutritional value so yes,
I will most likely always have it in the house. But I don't stay
up at night and think about it. I have never once said, "Hey,
John, Andrew, you know what I really want right now? An Apple!"
They are just one of those things that are there or not. You
don't stress, you don't panic and you really don't crave. I have
never once in my life seen a person go out at 8 PM to run up to
the fruit stand and grab an Apple. I have yet to see a person
sit down an gorge on a whole bushel of them for they are so
good you just couldn't stop eating them. Birthday parties don't
end the evening with an Apple and a candle and you don't gaze
lovingly into your sweethearts eyes after a romantic dinner and
say " baby, want to share an apple with me?"
Now take that Apple and put it in a strudel or a pie and you
have a deal. Face it, people love sweets and can't get enough
of them. If it wasn't true Hostess would have stopped with
the Twinkies and not made tons of other snack cakes. Basken
Robbins would have only one flavor and Dairy Queen would
be out of business ( an Apple Stand maybe?) and Chocolate
Thunder from down under would have a whole other meaning.
We Want Cake!!
And Cookies!
And Pie!
And Candy!
And Chocolate!
We want it often and it better be good! Organic, Gluten free,
Dairy free, Egg free, Not so good! Thank you, I will take the
Apple.
I got the chance to do a review for Divvies. I always try these
places for you never know. One of these days lightening might
strike but I pretty much have given up on holding my breath. Now
I want to feed my kids and my self healthy. I do have that goal
in mind but you just can't tell your kids, hey, I know you wanted
some Jelly Beans in your Easter Basket but I thought some Tofu
Dingies would be better! You will get the glazed over stare and
Blink
Blink
"Say what Mom?"
Sometimes you have to let them have the real thing and hope some
day a person will have that magic touch and do a healthy goodie
the right way instead of cardboard with a cherry! When the Divvies
came they were in a big box and it was jammed packed full of all
sorta of treats. Cookies and Jelly Beans and Candy bars and Pop-
corn. When I say full I mean really, really full! As if that was
not enough it also came with a box with a dozen Cup Cakes you
could frost and decorate your self so they stayed super fresh.
Now if I didn't know how they were made I would have been Hyper-
ventilating just looking at them and all that Delicious chocolate
and baked goods, I am not the worlds biggest candy bar eater
but I love chocolate. I mean not like LIKE Love But LOVE LOVE
as the kids say! BUT, I knew and groaned for if it tastes like
a lot of other foods of this caliber it would end up going to
waste for even the boys won't touch it and they eat almost anything,
even those 20 cent fruit pies that taste like sawdust and wax fruit.
Egg free, Dairy free products, not even with a ten foot pole.
Andrew was the first one in the house and saw the box, he just
about started to jump up and down like he did when he was 5 and
you gave him a charm pop and then paused.
"Review?"
"Yeah"
"Of?"
"Sweets!"
"Yeah, catch?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Fat Free?"
"Nope."
Gluten free?"
"Nope."
"Taste Free?"
"Nope."
"Come on Mom, whats the," Just then he saw the folder on the table.
Before I caught on he already had it in his hands.
"No Eggs? You need eggs to make half of this stuff! Milk too!"
"Not this stuff Andy."
"I don't see you diggen in Mom. No thanks I will pass."
"Um, Andrew, we have a deal. You help me with the food reviews and
items that are for everyone and you get to keep some of the cool stuff
we review."
"I helped you with the last one like this and I can still taste it."
"You also helped with the steaks and got a really good filet I never
would have given you if we didn't have this deal."
"Come on, feed it to John, he doesn't know yet and just don't tell him."
"Look Andrew."
"Come on Mom, I really.................
Just then John walked in the Door and straight to the kitchen. I didn't
tell you but Divvies comes in a really pretty product box with the most
gorgeous bow and looks like it comes from some French Bakery and like
it would be super expensive. John walked in the kitchen and the box was
still sitting on the table. Bow and all. Filled with Goodies and that
man loves his sweets. Don't ever let him know you have anything chocolate
it you ever want to see it again.
"Is this for everyone?"
"yeah" Andrew blurted before I could speak.
"Cool." He grabbed a couple of the cookie packs and walked out.
I started to give Andrew the glare down for though he didn't lie I felt
like he had omitted the truth and he knows I hate it when he tries to
be sneaky. He was shuffling his feet, looking down. Rowan was sitting in
her high chair trying to reach the box. John came walking back into the
room before I could say something for Andrew and we both thought the
jig was up. In truth I thought he was on his way to the garbage to
toss the cookie out.
"Hey, you guys mind if I get a couple more of those before they are
gone?"
"You mean you like them?" Not me, that was Andrew.
"AH, I wouldn't say like. I like your Moms Cookies, these are gourmet
and even your mom can't compete with that."
"You mean they are that good?" I couldn't help it, I had to ask.
"UH, Yeah, why? Whats wrong with them? Were they like really day
old or something and you got a good deal on them? You better not
have paid a small fortune for them like that 25 dollar pie you
bought. Tell me I didn't just eat 100 bucks worth of cookies?"
As I was looking for a good answer Andrew was already making a mad
dash for the box. John was trying to get his hand into grab some
more cookies as Andrew was pulling out what he wanted and that
was half the box or more for the most part. I grabbed a cookie and
the packs hold two so I gave one to Rowan who the guys were totally
ignoring as they were too busy shoving their faces full. I knew by
now they had to be good for Andrew wasn't even talking, just eating and
that boy never shuts up. But I was still a little afraid to
try them. This was all the stuff I liked to eat best in the world and
I agreed with Andrew. I just do not know how you could make a cookie,
let alone a Cupcake without eggs. How could it be good? Rowan was
now lost in the same world as the boys happily munching away. I still
held the cookie in my hand. Well, I know it isn't terrible, just look
at the rest of my family. Did Andrew grunt? I could have sworn I heard
him grunt. They were really shoving it down and now the Jelly beans were
being opened. What are we, Willy Wonka here? They are getting a little
carried away.
"Mom, can we frost the cupcakes?"
I looked over and Andrew was rubbing the box like it was his new
best friend and John was shoving Jelly Beans in his mouth nodding.
"Fine." As Andrew started tearing into the packaging I took a nibble
of the cookie in my hand Rowan was straining to get.
Chew Chew Chew, Swallow.
Woah. "Let me grab the knife!"

Less then an hour later every single item in the box was gone and
we didn't even eat dinner. It was that good. Wait, it was sensational.
Not only do Divvies not taste like they are missing anything if you
were to compare them in a blind taste test with any other pre-packaged
item such as Entenmann's, Pepperidge Farm and others it would not even be
a contest. Divvies would blow them out of the water. I can't even compare
them to home maid for I have never have eaten a home maid item that was
this moist and Rich and scrumptious. TO be honest with you when I do
a review I seldom speak to the sponsor from the time we arrange delivery
to the time I post the link. I do not wish to be on friendly terms with
them no matter how much I might like them for I would not want it to
influence my review in anyway. I speak to them prior and 99.9 percent
of the sponsors I speak too are fantastic people and I would love to
keep talking to them for we all know how much I love to talk but I
need that distance for I do not want to confuse the fact that I like them
with the fact I like their product. I NEVER tell them how the review is
going until it is completed and the first time they read it is the
same time you do. I don't do affiliate programs for the same reason, my
reviews are an impartial opinion to help you decide what items to buy
without having to go through the same research process I go through. So
you get the best value for you dollar. If I were to join an affiliate
program I would profit every time you bought that item via my site and
that is throwing my impartial standing out the window so I just don't
do that either, other then Amazon for they sell everything and
not only do I shop there I offer the link for your convenience and
don't shove it down your throat. Any ways, the point is I have never
spoken to a sponsor from that conformation letter to I send them the
letter letting them know the review was posted. With Divvies and
that first night I had to rush to the computer and send them an email
for I was that flabbergasted at how spectacular they really were. Their
items are so rich and flavorful they reminded me of this Bakery right
in the heart of Greek Town where they sell fresh, handmaid confections
that are so fantastic people will drive hours to get them and
wait in an hour line at midnight on a Friday night to take
them home. Even before the Casino's hit Detroit this place was packed
from open to close and Divvies are as good as if not better then
them. Their Kettle Corn is the only thing I can give any sort of
comparison too for when Andrew was like 8 we took a road trip
through DC and then Atlantic City, New York and on the way home
through Pennsylvania we stopped at Hersey's theme park that had a
fresh Kettle Corn Kiosk complete with an old fashioned Copper Kettle
and I bought a bag on the way out for I had never had Kettle Corn
before. I was more then an hour away when I opened the bag to grab
some for Andrew had this huge sampler box of Hersey's Candy and it
was driving me nuts knowing he could eat a sweet treat and with my
perpetual diet I could not. I thought Popcorn would keep my mind
off of his darn chomping. I took one bite and turned the car
around and went back to buy more. Well people at Divvies and
readers of the Blog, turn the car around for I need more. Mouth
watering and delectable. They will leave you wondering what is
so special about eggs and milk to begin with! I wonder if I camp
out on their front lawn will they send me another box to get me
to leave. I can wear fuzzy Bunny Slippers, Hair Roller's, Long Johns
with the drop butt and bring my kids to chant, "More for Michelle,
More for Michelle," to I get one more box! Even more so, my son,
who never uses his own money for anything when he can just wait
for me to ask him to run to CVS and grab something an disappear the
change, asked me how much they cost and if he gives me the
money would I order something for him. He has never done that
in his entire life. He even manages to get the money for my own
Christmas present out of me. If  Mr. Money Hoarder is willing to
dig into his own pockets to buy Divvies you can not get a better
testimonial. That good!
Divvies knows you just can't always take one word for it, some
times it takes more. To honor that they are going to give one of
my readers a Smorg Gift Box filled with chocolate caramel popcorn;
caramel popcorn; Divvies Chocolate BingGo bar; peppermint &
chocolate BingGo bar; super stars gummy candies; blue rock candy;
and five two-packs of chocolate chip cookies. Let me know about
yours too for a lot of those we didn't get and I am dieing to try!
To enter just head over to the site and take a look around then
come back here and post something you have learned in a comment.
The contest will start tonight and run to midnight on March 27th.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.

Divvies


Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.

1. Become a follower of my blog or
post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.

2. Enter any of my other contest. I entry
per contest, separate post for each entry.

3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.

4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.

5. Tweet about this and post the link here.
5 entries, please post 5 times!

Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Costumes for Less and Happy Baby Food Contests.

Rowan has learned to eat! Well if that
is what you want to call it. I say it is
Rowan has learned to make a mess, John
says it is Rowan is oh, so cute and Andrew
says it is Oh, I am so glad I do not have to
clean that up! She is now demanding to eat
what we have though she is not ready for most
she has to try and see for herself. Right now
her all time favorite is bread sticks from the
Pizza place but they have to be dipped in
sauce like the big peoples. If you don't she
will scream at the top of her lungs to
you do. Little baby watches everything the
big people do and has got to do the same,
step by step! I will give John points for the cute
factor for the first time I gave her a bread stick
and put some sauce on it, I had only put a little
sauce on for her and gave it to her. John
and I sat there to catch her reaction and
it was obvious she loved it for she has it all
over her face and could not get enough. When
the sauce on it was all gone I tried to
grab it to dip it in some more for her and
that little baby fought me. Grunting and
pulling with both hands and the classic baby
"Ehhhhh, Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
I could not believe how determined she was to
hold onto it. John tried and she didn't even bother
fighting she just burst into tears.
She got the bread stick back!
She loves other foods too but she is also
so darn stubborn and her thing now is to
grab the spoon.It seems now she thinks she is
a big girl and gone are those days of Mommy
and Daddy doling out the bites, now it is all
her. Soft foods are just too much of a mess to
even humor her. We tried once and I spent the
rest of the afternoon scrubbing peaches
off of every surface in the kitchen, the
rugs, the dog and her and I. Now for soft
foods I give her a spoon but distract her with
some cereal's as I scoop in the main course. Solids
she could grab with her fingers but she is determined
to be a lady and use her silverware. This also leads
to chaos! She can't get whatever she is eating on
the spoon and I will be drained if she thinks I
am going to give her a fork at her age for yeah,
Mom, you are right, she will loose and eye. What ends
up happening it she tries and tries and bless her little
heart she tries but it still rolls off if it even
bothers to get on in the first place. Then the water
works and the temper tantrum begin. I have been pretty
much at my wits end before I got the chance to
review Tiny Tongs.
These are great! Tiny Tongs are pretty much just
what you would expect them to be, tiny and tongs.
Perfect for fat little fingers to grip and they
give her some measure of control with items that
she just couldn't get a grip on before. They are
durable, non-slip, non toxic and Dishwasher safe
and gives your toddler the illusion she or he is
all growd up and can run with the big dogs at the
dinner table. The ergonomic shape, grip and tension
are made especially for fumbley fingers that are
just learning their small motor control and secretly
I think they are great for practicing and allow your
child to fine tune theirs while eating some yummy snacks!
Kids grow up so fast now a days, cliche but true and
sad to say the world around them is slow to catch
up with their advancing needs. I think I was ahead
of the grade if I knew my colors and could count to
ten by the time I hit kindergarten. Now kids are already
ready and doing simple math. How can we expect to
educate our kids so fast in academics and not expect
them to want to be learning home skills at the same
rapid pace? We can't. Once you open those little pliable
minds they absorb everything and its even worse if
they have an older brother or sister. With the age
gap between Rowan and Andrew I am just thankful Rowan
isn't asking for the keys to the car and happy so
far it has just stopped at wanting to feed herself.
Tiny Tongs is a transition from Fingers to Fork and
though the Transition may be fast and the tongs maybe
gone in a month it is an important one to make for
it allows her to develop table skills and feel
confident as she does. She gets to feel "all big!"
Plus it is a hoot watching her make sure she grabs
little Gold Fishes with her Tongs and not let a single
one slip by without hitting the Tong first. Her
determination is amazing and I can breath easy
for there isn't a doubt in my mind that if she did
not have the tongs she would grab whomever leaves
their plate unattended for just one second too
long fork or worse! Tiny Tongs are a cute and useful
addition to any home and got a two tongs up from
Rowan who will want her own seat at the table and to
leave the high chair behind any day now!

Tiny Tongs

Perfect for Tiny Hands!
If you would like to purchase
Tiny Tongs and save some loot
just use the Code bmkb2010
and you will get a 20% discount
at checkout!

YUM food! Michelle Loves to eat and it shows on my
hips. I have been trying to lose the last 20 pounds of
Baby weight I put on with Rowan for 6 months now and
I am just not making any headway at all. I started out
with a Bang and lost 70 in less then a month then I
stalled out and can't lose another ounce. It is because
I love to eat and do it often, um, all day, and every
day. Just a munch munch munch away. One person
in this house who's food is pretty safe from my constant
snacking is Rowan. Have you seen baby food? YUCK!
I can't believe most kids will even allow you to put it
in their mouths. Now I will admit that a few things,
the desserts mostly, smell pretty good and I have tasted
a finger or two but the main courses, yikes, too nasty to
even think about. The combinations alone are enough
to make it hard for me to even feed her without a Chuck
the Yuck bag nearby. Now I am not a fanatic that has
to eat off a plate where no food touches the other and
don't have issues like that but it is just some of the choices
I see them toss into a jar of baby food. How are our kids
going to learn to eat healthy and well when we don't offer
them the foods we are going to eat in real life? I don't
understand how I am supposed to offer Rowan healthy foods
when she is a little older when I am shoving junk in her
little body now. Let's be real here, most food is an acquired
taste and if we acquire the taste for garbage first that is
what we are going to want to eat later. Andrew was
born before the Organic craze and there were not many options
out there but I still made sure to have plenty of fresh foods
and lots of options available to him at home. By 3 years
of age he was eating Calamari and every kind of vegetable
out there and would pick Grapes over Chips every time you
gave him the choice. Now he is 16 and yes, the last 5 years
since he started Jr High he has slipped into junk food but he
still often asks for food other kids would push off their
plates and whatever foods out there you are thinking no
way a child would eat, he has and loves it! With Rowan
I have noticed a lot of healthy items available right at
a retail store but have not noticed many that look
like something I would want to even eat let alone feed
to her.
Food, YUM
Baby Food, YUCK!

Then I got the chance to do a review for Happy Baby. Here
is an Organic Food I can get behind and when I say Organic
I mean FRESH Organic and not just a brand that slaps the
label on the Bottle and puts them on a shelf. Their baby
food is just like something you would make in your own
kitchen and instead of adding a ton of preservative to keep
it on the retail shelves longer they freeze it so when you heat
and eat you know your Baby is getting a food that comes
right from a kitchen to you. You do not get fresher then
that! Even their Baby Cereal is fresh and tasty for they
take natural grains and no genetically engineered ingredients
and the only thing they do add is DHA that is spectacular for
eye and brain development and recommended by doctors
everywhere. Even their snacks are ones you can feed your
little bundle without stressing that you are doing the right
thing. These are PERFECT for me because Rowan is at that
age and so determined to feed herself she fights me every
step of the way. I end up giving in an letting her have a
cracker or something only to watch her shove it in and
almost choke for she just isn't old enough. The Organic
Puffs from Happy Baby melt in her mouth so she doesn't
end up with too much food in her little mouth and I can
let her eat without trying to pry everything she stuffs
in right back out and breath a sigh of relief. They are made
with Whole Grains and come in 3 flavors to add a little
variety to a Baby's limited diet selections and again, the only
thing they add is extra vitamins and minerals. Even the
packaging is green! The part I like best is they not only
have Apple and Banana Puffs we know our kids will
like they also have Green Puffs that will sneak in some veggies
and she just thinks she is enjoying a treat!

Now when looking for a sweet treat I have now fell in love
with the Happy Melts. These are the only Freeze Dried Yogurt
snacks out there and offer all the yummy goodness of yogurt
in a finger sized snack they can pop in their mouth and go.
They are low in everything but flavor and also add what should
be Happy Baby's trademark of added probiotics to make
sure she not only enjoys what she eats she gets super
healthy perks too! Organics really did just get better. Now for
meal time Happy Baby has Happy Bites and instead of the
Yuck I have been, or now HAD been feeding her these are
complete yummy balanced meals in handheld sizes and have
some really great flavors and some hidden veggies so Mom
can smile when she enjoys it and know it is super good for
her! Now we all know kids love Mac and Cheese and Chicken
Bites but these also come in Salmon and Vegi Tots because
like I told you before what you feed your kids when they are
little will reflect in their eating habits later. Happy Tot also
has Salba, natures super grain and comes in handy pouches
that not only make eating on the run easy as pie, storage
at home just got a lot more simple too. Plus remember
the nasty combos I told you about, well you are not going to
find that here. With meals such as Green Beans, Pears and
Peas and Banana, Peach, Prunes and Coconut, no more
Chuck the Yuck bags at my elbow. I have a hard time not
grabbing a spoon and digging in myself!

Happy Baby also has a book to help Mom and Dad
with feeding Jr and making the right choices. It is all
inclusive and tells you tips and offers advice on when
to feed baby this and what time is best to introduce that
and perfect for not only first time Moms and Dads but
people unfamiliar with Organic foods. They also don't
stop at food and let you know all about wipes and diapers
and everything else that you would need to know. The book
is in such an easy to follow format even with my crazy
lifestyle and busy pace I can just flip it open, go right to
where I want to go and be on my way in a heartbeat. Um,
did I mention the book also have well over 100 bucks in
coupons right in the back. Now there is a way to not
only get started on the path to a great wholesome
Organic life but save some cash too! This is a must have
for parents and perfect for cluing you in on what is
the perfect time to feed baby foods you had questions
about! Happy Baby in general offers everything Moms
and Dads need for their little one and all of their products
are not only super fresh and yummy but packed with
Vitamins and Nutrients you just can't find elsewhere. I
am super pleased that I got a chance to do a review for
these guys for I had not heard of them before this and
might have missed a super chance to feed Rowan right
and now I get to chuck those Yuckiest foods I have
been feeding her right into the trash where they belong!
Happy Baby made one happy Mommy out of me!

Happy Baby wants to make a happy Mommy and
Daddy out of you guys too and have offered to give one
of my readers the same goodies I got to review. One
winner will get the book and all the spectacular coupons
plus free product coupons for their product line. You
guys will get to try a little of everything for once you do
I promise you that you will say Gerber who? next time
someone asks! To enter just head over to their web site
and take a look around. Check out the products and then
come back here and post what you have learned in a comment.
The contest will start tonight and run to midnight on
March 21st!
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.

Happy Baby


Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.

1. Become a follower of my blog or
post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.

2. Enter any of my other contest. I entry
per contest, separate post for each entry.

3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.

4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.

Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
Snow Stoppers and Lyons Creations contests!