JetPens Review

Let me just start out by saying...no this review is NOT a joke. But it is good for a laugh!

When I do a review for a company I usually know exactly what will be arriving in the mail. NOT THIS TIME. I signed up to review for JetPens. Thinking OK a new pen of some sort, some stationary maybe. But when this little bad boy arrived, I wasn't sure what to think, or what to do with him. So Big Brother and I just laughed and laughed and laughed!

He is the Iwako Zoo Novelty Eraser. And yes you can actually erase with this little thing. Now considering JetPens.com is an online retailer of hard to find, unique Japanese pens and stationery I guess this makes sense they would carry fun little novelty items. You can even buy the whole Iwako Zoo eraser set!

You can of course get pens, pencils, paper, office supplies and much more at JetPens.com too, I was just lucky enough to get a giraffe eraser instead :o)

Both Big Brother and Little Brother think he is just too funny and love to pack him around. I'm not sure I will be using him for any kind of writing correction, but he does bring a smile and laugh to our house!
Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

SAMM's Back 2 School Bloggie Boogie Giveaway - Chobani Champions - #b2sboogie

Welcome to the Back 2 School Bloggie Boogie Giveaway hosted by The WIC Project! 

Help get your back-to-school shopping taken care of by entering the grand prize giveaway, sponsored by Save and Make Moola! Find the best coupon codes, savings, and deals to your favorite online stores at Save and Make Moola (SAMM). From back-to-school clothing to school supplies, you can save big with SAMM.

  Enter the $300 Amazon Gift Card Grand Prize Giveaway!

MY GIVEAWAY

I am excited to help plan ahead for back to school! My giveaway, Two lucky winners will win an entire box (24 count) Chobani Champions Greek Yogurt for kids! Perfect for back to school snacks, breakfast or to throw in the lunchbox! See my review of Chobani Champions here!

Once you have entered my giveaway, hop on over to all the other blogs and their giveaway's for more back to school prizes! And don't forget to enter the grand prize giveaway, a $300 gift card to Amazon! 

Disclosure: The WiC Project and the Back 2 School Bloggie Boogie bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that fail to fulfill their prizes.
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Chobani Champions Greek Yogurt for Kids Review

My kids LOVE yogurt! I usually buy just plain greek yogurt, and well because you can't make me gag down plain yogurt I don't think it is fair to make my kids eat it plain either. I usually mix it with some kind of fresh fruit or a tiny spoonful of low sugar jelly to add a little bit of flavor. I especially love the greek yogurt because of how much protein it has. And as yogurt is usually the breakfast of choice it is a great way to start the day off right.

Already of fan of Chobani Greek Yogurt I was excited to see and have the opportunity to review their new greek yogurt made especially for kids, Chobani Champions!

About Chobani Champions

Chobani Champions are made specifically with kids in mind. They are made with only natural ingredients, pre-portioned into 3.5oz cups, contain 20% daily value in vitamin D and comes in 4 tasty kid-friendly flavors! I reviewed Orange Vanilla and Vanilla Chocolate Chunk and you can also get Honey-Nana and Verry Berry as well. They are also made with 2% milk as the fat is good for kid's growth and development.

Chobani Champions Facts
• Only Natural Ingredients
• No Synthetic growth hormones, preservatives, or artificial sweeteners
• Good source of protein
• Excellent source of Vitamin D
• Five live and active cultures, included three strains of probiotics
• Gluten-free and Kosher certified
• Free of nut, soy, wheat, and shellfish allergens

Chobani Champions Review
So I knew my boys would really like the Chobani Champions yogurt, however I didn't think it would be requested for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner! As far as they were concerned the yogurt was as good if not better than ice cream or some other equally tasty treat. Orange Vanilla was by far the favorite over Vanilla Chocolate Chunk which surprised me as well.

The yogurt is very thick, smooth and very very tasty. Just the right size for kids and in such kid appealing flavors. My favorite part is all the ingredients are natural and the list is short, not a bunch of weird unrecognizable items.

Big Brother helped me put away the yogurts when we got them and put a few in the freezer by accident. They froze up pretty hard and needed a little bit of de-thawing before you could eat them, but it made for a really delicious frozen treat. I honestly think you could use these yogurts instead of ice cream for your kids and they would never complain and be getting a much healthier treat.

I'm pretty sure Chobani and Chobani Champions will be a staple in our house from now on. An excellent healthy snack or breakfast you can feel good about! And not to shorten the summer months, but these would be perfect for back to school breakfast, to throw in the lunch box or even an after school snack.

Make sure to keep up with Chobani Champions on Facebook where you'll find recipes, updates and of course more giveaways! They also have their own fun blog and a link for COUPONS too!

WIN IT! So not only is Chobani Champions awesome but the people at Chobani are also just as cool and are offering TWO of my readers a chance to try Chobani Champions. Each winner will receive a box of Chobani Champions! And when I say box I mean a box of 24 yogurts! You can feed and have at least one happy healthy kid for nearly an entire month of breakfasts!

How do you enter? Watch for my upcoming Back 2 School Bloggie Boogie giveaway staring on July 17, 2012! You can enter to win not only Chobani Champions but hop to other blogs for other fantastic back to school prizes! ENTER HERE!

Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

CARTER'S Watch the Wear - Kids Clothing Giveaway

Welcome to the Carter's Watch the Wear giveaway brought to you by Blog it Forward Media.

Carter's Watch the Wear was started by Henry Wood Carter. Under the name H.W. Carter & Sons (1890), Carter’s Overalls were sold and were very popular. The company expanded to market boy’s overalls, as well as railroad overalls, painter pants, coats, jumpers and shirts, eventually putting everything under the simple trademark “Carter’s”. They quickly evolved into a company that you see now. They specialize in clothing for newborns, infants and toddlers. and Guess what? Their collection is entirely affordable for the family.

Well, Carter's Watch the Wear has paired up with the bloggers of Blog it Forward to offer one lucky winner a $200 gift card to their website! That's right, you can enter for a chance to win $200 worth of clothes for your little one. Just fill out the form below to enter. You can sign up for Carter's Watch the Wear e-mails! Do you want to be an affiliate? You can check out the details and sign up.

Just use the simple form below to enter! This giveaway is open to US and Canada. Must be 18+ to enter. Giveaway closes on July 31 at 11:59pm est. Only one person per household/IP address may enter. You only need to enter the giveaway on one of our blogs. Good luck!

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MadeOn Hard Lotion Bar & Lip Balm Review

I came across MadeOn Skin Care Products and the hard lotion bar from a friend. She was dying to try it and it sounded so interesting and something I would love to try as well. I was excited to have the chance to review the hard lotion bar and lip balm!

So what exactly is MadeOn and the hard lotion bar?
MadeOn Skin Care Products was created by Renee Harris, the owner out of desperation. She had extremely dry hands with splits from her daily activities and causing her the worst pain. Being her most important tools she used her creativity and love of making things in the kitchen to create the lotion bar. Within days her hands were healed and the lotion bar worked on her son's eczema as well! The product worked so well it has now turned into a family business.

Hard lotion is a lotion that is solid at room temperature. It is made from three simple ingredients...
• shea butter
• coconut oil
• beeswax
And that's it! You simply rub it in your hands to soften the bar and apply to your skin. Hard lotion is better because it uses beeswax to leave a gentle, protective coating on your skin.

Hard Lotion Review
I reviewed the Bee Silk lotion bar in the pocket size and put it to the test right away. I have extremely dry feet as I like to walk barefoot all summer and I have a dry rash around my ring on my hand that will not go away. It is always red and painful from the moisture under and around my ring from frequent hand washing. I can use regular lotion with a temporary relief, however when I use the lotion bar the redness and dry rash goes away almost immediately. And because of the beeswax it doesn't wash off the next time I wash my hands. I love it!

I also love the lotion bar for my hands and legs for the same reason. It creates the best soft coating and really really protects your skin and stays on. No slimy hands or legs from swimming or washing.

The bar is a little weird at first as it is not like a lotion at all. It goes on a little bit more firm and thick and you really need to massage the bar to get it warmed up to use. But let me tell you the results are worth it!

With only three safe ingredients the lotion bar is perfect for the entire family. Even babies! And it smells  really good too! I think it smells like a soft honey. Big Brother loves to use the lotion bar, and he can because this lotion doesn't make a mess and glop all over everything.

I also was sent the lip balm to review and again it is a little hard to get used to because it goes on a little more firm and needs to warm up just a bit first. But such a good feeling to know that you are only putting safe normal ingredients on your lips, no chemicals and extras. Just like the lotion bar the lip balm is great too.

MadeOn is more than just the lotion bar, they also have hair butter, rash cream, goat milk soap, Beesilk Jr. for delicate skin and a bug block bar! And if you are a DIYer they sell a kit to make your lotion and lip balm the way you want it. You can also purchase zinc oxide and make your own sunscreen! I have been really wanting to try this!

MadeOn products would make the perfect gift for a new mom or for any occasion! Check them out and share with your friends, you'll be glad you did!
Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

The Summer Fun Giveaway Hop: (Sponsor) BugBand

Thank you for stopping by The Summer Fun Giveaway Event, hosted by Mama to 4 Blessings and Mommyhood Chronicles! This event will take place from July 8th at 12:01am EST to July 18th at 11:59pm EST. For this event we will be celebrating summer! Which means each participating blogger will be offer summer related giveaways $15.00 and up! 

After entering my fantastic giveaway be sure to visit each blog from the linky below the Rafflecopter and enter for your chance to win some really great summer prizes!

My giveaway for this event is sponsored by BugBand! An all natural family safe bug repellent!

Keep your family chemical free and safe from the bugs this summer! NO DEET! Even their wristbands are safe for babies! Please see my review of BugBand here!

Prize pack includes the following ($26.69 retail value):

• 1 - family pack of wristbands

• 1 - 3 oz pump spray lotion

• 1 - 15 count tub of towelettes 

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: Please note that Kids, Clutter & Chaos and “The Summer Fun Giveaway Event” bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. We will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. We will make every effort to assist you obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor, please notify the blog you won a prize from within 4-6 weeks for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you.

Bug Band Review & Giveaway

Now that Summer has officially started it is time to have fun in the sun, camping, picnics, barbeque's and the dreaded.....bugs!

My family is camping every other weekend all Summer and we are outdoors a lot. And when we are camping there is really no escape from the bugs, especially the mosquito's. I am not a fan of spraying chemicals on me and my family yet I don't want us all to be itchy and miserable either.  I'm so thankful I found Bug Band!

About Bug Band
Bug Band is a natural insect repellent company made right here in the USA! The main active ingredient is Geraniol, which has been proven effective in repelling a wide variety of insects, including:

• mosquitoes
• house flies
• stable flies
• horn flies
• cockroaches
• fire ants
• fleas
• gnats
• dog ticks
• lone star ticks
• no see ums

Geraniol is a natural essential oil from geranium plants. People have been using the plants for centuries to naturally repel bugs. The everyday geranium plants we grow in our flowerpots contain the geranium oil in low levels. However special geranium plants bred and refined for commercial oil production are currently grown in Nepal and other Southeast Asian countries.

When the Geraniol is formulated with other minimum risk or food-grade ingredients, the resulting repellent product is not considered a regulated pesticide. Geraniol is a biodegradable ingredient that is safe not only for the environment but for your family. There is no known toxicity to animals or wildlife.

Bug Band Review
I've had the opportunity now to use and review the Bug Band products on multiple camping and outdoor occasions. I reviewed the wristbands, pump spray and towelettes. And I have to say I am a fan. Especially for the wristbands which both Big Brother and Little Brother can easily wear. And they smell good. Not at all chemically.

Our first camping trip was a very wet rainy trip with a lot of mosquito's. They would literally attack you when you went for a walk. I was able to put the wristband around Little Brother's bike helmet right by his face and it kept the mosquito's at bay and I didn't have to worry about any nasty chemicals. The wristbands last up to 120 hours and come with a little plastic pod to put your wristband back in when not in use. This will prolong the life. They also come in assorted fun colors and even glow in the dark!

Big Brother used his wristband as well watching the fireworks on the 4th of July. It was great because he was already in his jammies and didn't have to go to bed with a bunch of bug spray on. Just pop of the wristband and off to bed.

I do think if you are in a very populated mosquito area you will want to use more than just the wristbands though to cover all areas.

My husband used the spray on a hiking trip and we have used it on all our camping trips as well with great results. And no chemicals, no deet and a good compact size to pack around.

The towelettes are also great and easy to throw in a backpack, purse, diaper bag, etc. You can guarantee you won't have any leaks yet be ready when your out and about and the bugs start biting. Very easy application on the little ones too. The towelettes also come in a tub pack.

Photo Courtesy of BugBand

Photo Courtesy of BugBand

Bug Band also carries bead bags, diffusers, spreadable repellent and now a bed bug spray as well. Each wristband is $4.95 or you can get a family pack of four for $14.95. The 3oz spray lotion I reviewed is $4.95 but they also carry a larger 6oz bottle as well. And the towelettes are $4.95 for a 4-twin pack. However they do carry larger towelette options as well. You can purchase any of the Bug Band products HERE on their website or you can find them at other fine retail stores like Walmart, Target, REI, The Home Depot and many others.

Keep up to date with the many Bug Band products, safety tips and lots more on their Facebook page as well!

Bug Band gives you the lowdown on deet here on their web site. And they will tell you that deet is a very good solvent and will melt or cause damage to plastic, rubber and paint. And let me tell you it will! We had a can of a popular deet bug spray in our storage closet and hanging over the door in a pocket type storage rack. Well the can accidentally got pushed by another item in the storage bag and it was spraying. When I finally smelled it and found the problem the spray had eaten through the entire plastic pocket and dripped to the pocket below and had eaten part of a screwdriver handle and other plastic tool parts. And this is what people spray on themselves and their family! YUCK! No thank you!

WIN IT: Now because I don't want your family to be left to the bugs and because Bug Band is so generous, one lucky winner will have the chance to win a family pack of wristbands, a 3oz pump spray and a 15 count tub of towelettes in my upcoming Summer Fun Event! This event and giveaway will start very soon on July 8, 2012! So make sure to come back to enter and keep your family bug free this Summer!
Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

Freds Swim Academy Swimtrainer "Classic" Review

Summer finally came to Oregon today! We have been dealing with lots of rain and non swimming weather. Thus making it hard to do my review on this very cool Swimtrainer from Freds Swim Academy!

So today once the thermometer passed 80..woo hoo, and special thanks to our super cool next door neighbor for allowing us to "borrow" her pool for a little while, we were able to test out the Swimtrainer!

About the Swimtrainer
The Swimtrainer is a three stage learning system which gives your child a feeling of security while becoming familiar in water. It is designed to provide and ideal swimming position in the water and helps your child learn how to move his legs and arms correctly.

The different stages in sizes and colors are introduced according to the child's age and learning ability.

The Swimtrainer "Classic" offers children:

• Ideal swimming position in the water
• Fast and easy to put on with clip fastener
• Inflatable pads to prevent slipping through
• Adjustable safety belt to prevent tipping forwards

Sizes
SWIMTRAINER "Classic" Red
Approximately 13-40 lbs
Helps a little one get comfortable in the water
Helps teach correct leg movements

SWIMTRAINER "Classic" Orange
Approximately 33-65 lbs
Helps teach correct arm and leg movements

SWIMTRAINER "Classic" Yellow
Approximately 45-80 lbs
Helps transition a child to swimming without any floatation device

Swimtrainer Review

I chose the Swimtrainer "Classic" in red to review as both of my boys fall under the 40 pound category and are both new to swimming. The red Swimtrainer says approximately 13-40 pounds. Little Brother is about 24 pounds and Big Brother 34 pounds. I found it very tight and difficult to snap the waist belt on both of them. Understandably it should be very snug to keep them in the Swimtrainer safely.  I'm just not sure with the fit I was getting how it could go up to 40 pounds. Yet neither boy complained of it being tight once it was on and if you were to start your baby early in the Swimtrainer you would probably move to the Orange Swimtrainer before you hit the 40 pound mark.

I was happy to see a few key features of the Swimtrainer. For one it is made of PVC and is phthalate free. Also that the waist clips and neck strap clips are covered by a safety clip. No accidental pushing of the claps. Very smart!

After the initial sizing and fastening Little Brother loved the water and the Swimtrainer. At 16 months old he was splashing and kicking around and having a great time.

Big Brother on the other hand is my very cautious child. He doesn't like anything he isn't comfortable with and sure of. So although he didn't mind the Swimtrainer on at all, he wasn't a fan of being plopped into the water. I was able to get a few shots of him in the water, but no actual swimming around pictures. I know once he got used to it he would love it and have the best time. Perhaps staying up late for fireworks and no nap played a part in his meltdown.

Overall I think this is a fantastic product. The fun of a floatie yet a safer secure way and learning swimming position. And at only $24.90 this is an affordable fun summer solution. Hopefully the sun will stick around and we can get more use out of it!

You can purchase your Swimtrainer from ThanksMama.com a great online Mother/Baby store that carries just about anything from cloth diapers, to baby gear, to maternity and toys. ThanksMama also offers free shipping on orders over $60 and ships worldwide!

You can find ThanksMama on Facebook as well as Freds Swim Academy!

Happy Swimming! Happy Summer!

Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

For the Luck of Liberty Giveaway Hop - (Sponsor Spotlight): FunKinder

Welcome to the For The Luck of Liberty Giveaway Hop! Nearly 90 bloggers are participating in this event in order to celebrate Independence Day! This event is hosted by BloggerPR and will run from July 2-8, 2012. Each giveaway prize is valued over $25.00! 

Please read my review on FunKinder and enter to win a fantastic shirt for your kiddos! 

Then Hop on over to all the other blogs for more chances to win!

Happy 4th of July and Good Luck! 

About FunKinder
FunKinder is a traditional family business and was born out of the need for comfortable, fun, reflective clothing for kids. The FunKinder family loves to be outdoors and it was a struggle to get their small children to wear reflective vests while out riding their bikes near the street. The only reflective clothing they could find was on rain gear, and even in the Pacific Northwest rain gear isn't always needed. So they decided to start their own line of children's reflective clothing.

What does FunKinder mean? "Kinder" means kids in Germany where the family is from, so FunKinder was a natural choice.

FunKinder Review
Like the FunKinder family, our family lives to be outdoors and camping as well! So I was so intrigued and excited to review this fun line of clothing for kids. This is also such a unique fun idea that really stands out amongst all my other boys clothing.

I reviewed the Super Soft Longsleeve shirts from the Visi Fun line. There are 13 different designs to choose from, and 5 different shirt colors. As well as 6 different reflective design colors. You can customize these shirts in so many ways to fit each child's personality. Big Brother is obsessed with frogs, so the frog design was an easy choice to review for him. And Little Brother got to review the Bear.

For Big Brother's Frog shirt I chose the Navy shirt color and the yellow reflective color in size 4. And for Little Brother the Red shirt color and silver reflective color in size 2. The sizing is is true, even a tad on the generous size. Let me just tell you, these shirts are so fun! I was so impressed when we received them. The fabric is so soft, the colors so bright and have so much character! 

The frog shirt has a frog on the front and back shoulder areas and the bear has a bear holding a fish on the front and a paw print on the back. Both shirts also have the Visi Fun logo on the sleeve, also in reflective. Each different design will have reflective items on both the front, back and sleeve to guarantee your child can be seen in all directions. The reflective designs appear to be a basic image in daylight, however when in low light situations and hit with a direct light the design will appear a bright white color. 

We used our FunKinder shirts for the first time while we were camping and they were perfect! But don't think these shirts are only for play outdoors, they are so cute and nice they are perfect for any occasion. Think walking to school or waiting at the school bus, walking to a friends house, riding bikes, skateboarding, camping or any warm night outside! 

FunKinder also offers Visi Kid which is reflective designs that are also embroidered. And Name Teez which you can customize with your child's name.

Be sure to follow FunKinder of Facebook for new designs, safety information and share fun pictures of your children in their FunKinder shirts! You can also find them on Pinterest!

Now let the fireworks fly and keep your kids safe this summer! 

Enter below for a chance to win one of these fantastic Visi Fun Super Soft Longsleeve shirts in your choice of color and design!

Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

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