Archive for the ‘review’ Category

Whole Wide World ~ iPad App Review ~ FREE!

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Monday, March 26th, 2012 at 11:45 am

My girls love this new iTunes app for iPhone and iPad, a Whole Wide World. We had a chance to review the app before its release and my girls are now squabbling over the iPad! When they play Whole Wide World, they get to “travel” around the globe to new destinations and have fun learning! Your kids will learn about culture, customs, history and more. Years ago we had an interactive globe (which is now sadly broken). My kids loved playing with that and learning about different countries – this Whole Wide World App is even better because it’s totally mobile!

They get a kick out of collecting virtual postcards (I enjoyed getting one from Australia ~ how dare they not take ME?) You can get this free app with four countries (Australia, Iceland, Egypt and China). If there are other countries your child would like to visit, parents can buy “tickets” to more destinations for 99 cents.

If you’ve never had an app that uses the Fingerprint play technology, parents will LOVE it! Here’s a link to a CNBC segment about how Fingerprint tested the apps!

Review: Babiator Sunglasses for Infants & Toddlers

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 at 2:30 pm

It’s never too early to start thinking about protecting the eyesight of your little ones! One of our MyDFWMommy contributors had the chance to try out some Babiator sunglasses on her twins and this is what she had to say:

I received two pairs of Babiators to review and we are in LOVE! First, let me say as a mom, I love that they are BPA free and they are safe and secure to wear and really protect their eyes, especially since they stay on so easily. Probably the best feature though is that they are BOTH UVA and UVB protected. A fun added benefit is my 19mo old twin boys seem to light up when they wear them, I think they feel like ‘big boys’, since Mommy and Daddy wear sunglasses almost year round in Texas!

I’ll admit, these are their first pair of sunglasses, but I’ve looked at and held others and I think we are spoiled by these. The others are hard framed and don’t seem as durable or more importantly when you have two boys that are rough on things, as flexible. These can bend some, so less money wasted since fewer pairs would have to be bought, also love that!

They come in a range of colors and a few styles and I think really a great gift for any stage, whether a birthday, Easter basket,or start them out tiny, and give as a baby shower gift! Whatever you do though, definitely rush out and get a pair for your children first! They can be found online here!

(Ended) LivingSocial Families: Review and $25 Giveaway

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 at 7:30 am

If you’re looking to spend some quality time with the family and don’t want to pay full price (who does that???), check out LivingSocial Families. You’ll find local deals perfect for parents and kids! LivingSocial Families provides great deals to DFW area residents and visitors offering kid-friendly activities at an amazing value. LivingSocial gave me the opportunity to experience one of their family-oriented deals. First of all, the ease of use on their site is great – super easy to find what you like, place your order, and retrieve your voucher. I really wanted some bonding time with my daughters, so we went on a mommy/daughter date. I purchased a voucher to the resale consignment store in town, Kid to Kid, for some shopping, then we used a voucher for a hair cut and tinsels at Rhiannon’s Closet in Carrollton. My daughter has been begging for feather extensions and I gave in with tinsels – she loves them and we saved so much money on a great date, thanks to LivingSocial. I absolutely love today’s LivingSocial Families deal and I think another mom/daughter date is in the works. What little girl wouldn’t love an ultimate makeover from Sweet & Sassy? And parents will love saving 51% on the experience, now only $19. Vouchers are good through 6/6/12.

We would love to have one of our MyDFWMommy readers experience a LivingSocial Families deal with a $25 giveaway! Just leave us a comment below, sign up emails from LivingSocial Families and let us know what kind of deals you’d like to see on LivingSocial Families. We’ll announce a winner next Thursday, December 8th.

This is a sponsored post.

(Ended) Corner Bakery: Holiday Sweets Review & Giveaway

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 2:20 pm

O.K., I must admit that I LOVE to bake and I’m not one for purchasing cakes and pies at restaurants and stores to serve at functions. When I need to bring a dessert to a party or gathering, I cringe at the thought of buying something as opposed to making it from scratch. I had the opportunity to try out some dessert catering trays from Corner Bakery and now everything has changed. Seriously. The only dessert I’d ever had from Corner Bakery was one lemon bar a long time ago. I was given their Signature Cinnamon Creme Cake (wrapped up all pretty in red cellophane with a candy cane), a tray of 15 red velvet Whoopee Pies, each in its own wrapper, plus a tray of 20 mini bundt cakes (3 flavors; chocolate, pumpkin spice & red velvet). First of all, the mini-bundt cakes were not only delicious and moist, but a perfect serving to bring to any get together – 20 individual cakes…perfect pre-made dessert for my daughter’s birthday classroom snack – all I need to do is bring the plates and napkins. My own children got a kick out of the baby bundts (and devoured the chocolate ones in 2 seconds). My personal favorite was the Cinnamon Creme Cake – I always saw them sitting there on the shelf when I go in for lunch, but it really never dawned on me to actually purchase one and bring it to Bunco.

Corner Bakery Cafe’s signature Cinnamon Crème Cake
A tray of Red Velvet Whoopee Pies
Baby Bundt Bites

MyDFWMommy is giving away the same Corner Bakery items I got to try out! You’ll get a tray of whoopee pies, baby bundt cakes and a Cinnamon Creme Cake. All you need to do is leave a comment below – if you’ve been to Corner Bakery before, let us know what your favorite dessert is. We’ll pick a winner this Monday, 12/5.

~~Remember to keep Corner Bakery in mind for your holiday party catering needs from desserts to salads and more. You’ll be a superstar if you walk in with a tray of mini-bundt cakes!!~~

$1 Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Coupon & Review!

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 at 3:00 pm

For me this is a CRAZY time of year, especially in the savings world and finding time for me to eat is proving to be a challenge. Let’s face it, I’ll go for junk in the pantry as it’s so much quicker AND really unhealthy!

I was approached to sample some the new line of Healthy Choice Top Chef Cafe Steamers and I thought why not? Let’s see if I can enjoy a healthy meal instead of a bag of chips under the time limitations I’m facing. And of course, I won’t leave you hanging without a coupon, right? Go here to get $1/1 Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers!

I tried the Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo… here is the nutrition info and it made me happy compared to my bag of chips!

Calories: 260
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 13 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 40 mg
Sodium: 510 mg
Potassium: 680 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 28 g
Dietary Fiber: 5 g
Sugar: 3 g
Protein: 22 g

The Cafe Steamers have these cool little steaming bowls so your veggies are crisp! Just dump the veggies into the bowl with sauce.

They have a ton of different selections including:

Barbeque Seasoned Steak with Red Potatoes
Chicken Fresca with Chardonnay
Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo
Chicken Margherita with Balsamic
Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan
Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables
Grilled Vegetables Mediterranean with Rice
Roasted Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

The best part of the meal is that it was quick, fresh and tasty. It didn’t feel or taste like frozen, boxed food. This is proving to be a convenient option and a ton healthier than my chosen bag of chips.

For more information, visit www.healthychoice.com or www.bravotv.com/showdown
DISCLOSURE: I was compensated by Healthy Choice and TheMotherhood for this post, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

UbiRock Vibration Speaker Review & 10% Discount Code

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at 4:30 pm

No one will ever accuse me of being a gear head. No, technology and I have never been the best of buddies. So, when something new and different comes along that gets my attention you can bet your bottom dollar that it’s something really unique. Enter the Ubirock vibration speaker. These little babies pack a whole bunch of sound into a very small package.

In fact, when I first took one out of the box to test it, I wondered if I didn’t get sent a new mouse instead. Then, my overly curious husband got a hold of one and, well, the house hasn’t really been quiet since. He has turned multiple surfaces – windows, tables, counter tops, laundry bins, accordion files and even his own head into sound generating surfaces. Well, maybe his head doesn’t count, as the sound generated from the Ubirock can only be heard by the person whose head it is pressed against. DISCLAIMER: My husband’s head is filled with knuckles, so in no way am I recommending that these speakers get pressed against anyone’s head. The fact that he did this and received any type of joy from doing so is only an indication that the tops of his hands drag behind him when he walks and he has a protruding brow ridge.

You read correctly about the various surfaces turning into a speaker though. It’s really amazing how these work. All you do is press the bottom up against a flat surface of some kind and presto! The sound comes out as though you are standing next to a speaker. The manufacturer recommends the surface be flat and hollow like an enclosed desk. My husband and I had success on just about any flat surface. In fact, while he was ‘rocking out’ while working on the kitchen table, one of my 6-year-old twins was stretched out beneath it because she thought the sound was better on the opposite side of the surface on which the Ubirock was placed.
These really have been a hit around my house and they’re the perfect holiday gift for the gear head or music lover in your family. Just make sure that nobody in your family gets their brains scrambled by pressing these to their head on Christmas morning. If you think eggnog gets you woozy…watch out.

I really, really enjoyed this speaker and I highly recommend the Ubirock. My husband has started to take the speaker with him on his business travels as the speaker on his laptop isn’t too hot! He’s in heaven!

You can get out the Ubirock website for more information and you can shop for an Ubirock Portable Vibration Speaker, UbiRock White Rock, Ideal for your iPhone, iPod, mp3, laptop“> Amazon and save 10%!

Review: VTech InnoTab

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at 3:05 pm

I recently had the opportunity to be mom of the year and introduce the Vtech Innotab Interactive Learning App Tablet to my three children. I thought they were going to explode when they saw it! The having been begin for an iPad for a year and it’s not happening for the six year olds anytime soon! This VTech InnoTab is the kid’s version of the popular tablets many of us have!

Here’s a bonus ~ it comes preloaded with games already on it plus many applications including an interactive, animated e-book, motion games, creative activities, MP3 music player, photo viewer, video player, alarm clock, calculator, calendar and an address book. You also have the option to download more titles, games and apps from their online store. VTech suggests this product for ages 4-9 and my 6 year olds and 10 year old are having a blast with it!

It’s a great product for kids at a great price point compared to a similar kids tablet. The only thing I would recommend is to make sure you have lots of batteries on hand and to make sure your kiddos replace the stylus pen after they use it. There is a slot for it, although it isn’t connected.

Features:

5″ color touch screen and tilt-sensor for educational gameplay
E-books, educational games, creative activities, learning apps, and more available on cartridge or as downloads from VTech Learning Lodge Navigator website
4 different media players: E-Book reader, MP3 music player, photo viewer and video player
64MB onboard memory and SD card slot for memory expansion
Learning toy connects to PC/Mac with included USB cable

Your kids will jump for joy if they see this under their tree this year! Trust me, my three girls LOVE it!

This a HOT items this year!! Amazon does not currently have any in stock at retail prie and Walmart has only the blue version in stock online. If your thinking of buying one and you see one, you might want to grab it!!

(Ended) Giveaway & Review: Mud Pie Holliberrie Square Baker

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at 10:20 am

I had the opportunity to try the Mud-Pie Holliberrie square baker ~ I LOVE to cook and presentation is a huge part of cooking! The Hollieberrie baker is a heavy duty, beautifully made baker dish that’s dishwasher safe and can be used in the microwave and oven. I made baked ziti for my family the day it arrived! There are many other pieces to accompany this square baker, including a cake stand, triple dip set, serving set and more!

The company has a wide range of tabletop and cookware accessories, and has something that fits each cook’s personality and style. All products can be viewed and purchased online.

We’d love to give one of our MyDFWMommy readers their very own Holliberrie baker! Just leave a comment below with your contact information and tell us what you’d make in your Mud-Pie baker! We’ll announce a winner on Tuesday, November 29th.

(Ended)Giveaway & Review: Sweet Tomatoes ~ Cobbler for the Holidays!

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at 8:00 am

I had the opportunity to try out my choice of cobbler from Sweet Tomatoes last weekend. I took my family in to our Sweet Tomatoes near our home, ate dinner (awesome French Onion soup!) and left with an orchard apple cobbler. For only $11.99, this large cobbler feeds 8-10. I must admit that it was so good, I ate 4 servings. Yikes. Yep, it was that good! Beginning December 1st, you can get a take-home cobbler in the following varieties: Caramel Apple, Cranberry Apple, Georgia Peach, Mixed Berry & Apple, Tart Cherry and Orchard Apple. Yum! Holiday take-home items can be ordered over the phone, in the restaurants or online.

You can receive coupons and special news year round by joining Club Veg, becoming a fan of Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes on Facebook and following them on Twitter.

We’d love to give 2 MyDFWMommy readers a chance to try their choice of cobbler for themselves (you must share, of course….or not!) Just leave a comment below and let us know your favorite cobbler flavor. Want en extra entry? Become a fan of Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes on Facebook and tell them MyDFWMommy sent you! We’ll announce the winners on Tuesday, November 29th.

Joe’s Crab Shack Review

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 at 3:15 pm

So sometimes it “pays” to be a contributor often on MyDFWMommy! Joe’s Crab Shack has a new kids’ menu and offered us $50 to go check it out. I extended to Stacy who brings us a lot of awesome deals for us to share with you!

Here’s another side note: Joe’s great Snow crab and grilled shrimp entrees and side dishes that have been recognized by the registered dieticians at HealthyDiningfinder.com as Kids LiveWell choices . Joe’s also features many healthy dining adult entrees so Mom can model healthy dining choice behavior, too!

Here’s a review from Stacy… great information to have in your back pocket!

I know I have mentioned before that I love to cook and spend time in the kitchen but on occasion I do need a break and enjoy going out to eat. I received a gift card to Joe’s Crab Shack and used it to take my mom and daughter to Joe’s Crab Shack in Lewisville on Friday night for dinner. If you have never been to Joe’s Crab Shack before then you are in for a treat! Even if you are not a seafood lover you will love their casual, fun, and kid friendly atmosphere.

Being a Friday night I thought that we would have a long wait for a table but we were pleasantly surprised to be seated right away. We choose to sit outside because the weather that evening was beautiful plus this location has an outdoor play area. Shortly after being seated our waitress came by to take our order. We knew what we wanted and were ready to order because we looked up the menu online before heading out. Of course I glanced over the menu again to make sure I didn’t want to change my mind. Everything looked delicious so it wasn’t an easy decision!

I ordered the Aruba Chicken Salad and requested it to be made w/blackened chicken. I can be a picky eater sometimes so I did ask for a few other modifications. They did not have a problem at all with my request and it was served exactly the way I had asked. I love it when restaurants are willing to accommodate their customers and get it right! My mom ordered the Tilapia. And my daughter ordered Fish w/Corn on the Cob from the Kids Menu. The portion size was just right. Joe’s has a new kids menu and it includes several seafood options: shrimp, crab, fish, and even a small version of their steam pot with healthier side options. If you do not like Seafood they also offer steak, burgers, and several chicken entrees. They have something for everyone. After we ordered our food my daughter headed straight for the play area. It was right within our eyesight which was important to make sure I could keep an eye on her. We did not have to wait long at all for our food to be delivered to our table. Everything tasted delicious. Our waitress was great, she came back frequently to check on us to make sure everything was ok.

We had a great experience at Joe’s Crab Shack. I think it is a great family restaurant. They have lots of menu options and their prices are affordable. The staff was energetic, fun, and friendly. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed the play area and spent most of her time there. We really enjoyed the ambience of the outdoor dining experience and plan to go back soon.

Joe’s has totally repackaged the way it presents food choices for children in its kids’ menu with an emphasis on balance between lean protein, vegetables, grains, fruits and low-fat dairy, as well as stressing the importance of youth fitness activities and the availability of gluten-free options. Kids LiveWell choices on the Joe’s Kid’s Menu include:

· Kid’s Snow crab – a cluster of Snow Crab, fresh (1/2 ear) corn on the cob, steamed rice and apple juice — 400 calories.

· Kid’s Simply Grilled Shrimp – Six grilled shrimp (request no seasoned salt) served over steamed rice, fresh (1/2 ear) corn on the cob and orange juice — 420 calories.

· Kid’s side dishes, including fresh (1/2 ear) corn on the cob, 30 calories; and applesauce, 90 calories.