Reading Egg Review

My guy LOVES reading eggs! The site is really interactive and intuitive. I thought he was a shy too young, but at 3 1/2 and super verbal he is WAY into the SSSS and MMMM sounds on the site.

The eggs are tailored for a HUGE range of ages. I was shocked how it remembered his activity, monitored if he got questions right or wrong and worked specifically with his level. It is REALLY super.

Hubby even noticed HOW much my guy loved it. While we received a free trial for sharing and reviewing, we WILL be purchasing for my preschooler!

Try it out--the trial is for 14 days. Your kiddo will be reading or improving reading soon!

Tidy Tots Giveaway

What a mess Potty Training can be. We reviewed the Tidy Tots Potty Chair Liners HERE, and now we are thrilled to host a giveaway!


Enter Below!

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Wordless Wednesday

Yesterday was a crummy day, but I found this in my pocket and it kept me going :) 

Tuesday Tunes Day!

This is a treat just for you Mamas, here on MamaBreak! My son loves making videos, and he secretly recorded this one for MamaBreak, and I found it on my phone! Enjoy!




February Starlooks Box

Check out this amazing box from Starlooks Starbox this month! I am so in love! It is curated this month by Lauren Clark. 
What is in the box?
  • Starlooks Lip Gloss in Pink Oasis (LOVE it!!!)
  • Starlooks Lip Pencil in Tipsy (the red pencil)
  • Starlooks Infinity Liner in Princess Diaries (again pink-- but I am going to try it out as a liner and a shadow)
  • Starlooks HD Fluid Blush in Barbie (VERY pink-- check out our swatch below)
(Bonus item which does NOT come with the standard box-- ordered separately, and will be reviewed on its own): Starlooks Eyeshadow in Show Stopper Green (a gold color I am excited about)


The color of the blush is very pink, but I think will be a fun color-- especially for summer!

You can get your own Starlooks box for just $15 a month! 

Mmmm Monday!

Yum! I hope some of you were able to celebrate the Oscars with a fun party!  It was a small family thing at our home, but here is a great Oscar worthy recipe!

Jessica's Steak Oscar Recipe!  Check it out on AllRecipes.com

Happy Monday!

Disney on Ice St. Louis GIVEAWAY!




Enter TODAY to win tickets to Disney On Ice in St. Louis for the Sunday, March 24 at 5pm performance!
If you need to purchase tickets, get them here!
$11 Tickets* with discount code MOM12

*Additional fees may apply.  Valid on all performances.  Valid on $24, $18, $13 tickets only.  No double discounts. Valid on purchases through Ticketmaster online or by phone

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.

Roll out the red carpet

It is time to get dolled up and Red Carpet Ready because it is Oscar night! That's right, it is the Academy Awards this evening, and we are celebrating with Wholly Guacamole and Daily's Cocktails.

Yummy, yummy guacamole and even some salsa . . . in a fancy dish, or course!!! This is Hollywood, after all!



And don't forget the drinks!Mmmm . . . Pina Coladas when the temps are below zero!!! PERFECT!



For our movie viewing party, we watched Brave!!!!

Join Daily's Cocktails and Wholly Guacamole for their twitter party tonight!!! TONS of prizes!!!
They'll be tweeting from @DailysCocktails and @EatWholly with the hashtags #RedCarpetReady and #Oscars starting at 7 p.m. EST.


Want to win your own party pack? Your prize pack will include:
• Four Wholly Guacamole and three Wholly Salsa products in a variety of yummy flavors. It will be hard to pick a favorite!
• A $20 Walmart gift card to pick up an assortment of Daily’s Cocktails Pouches (plus whatever you need for your recipe). The recent addition of three new light flavors (Light Pink Lemonade, Light Mango Passion Fruit Daiquiri and Light Margarita) make a total of 13 tempting flavors to choose from!
• Promotional items from both Daily's and Wholly Guacamole


MamaBreak received promotional items to review here on the site. We did not receive any other sort of compensation. As always, our opinions and experiences are our own. 


Enter below. 



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Professional Skin Care System by Toilet Tree Review

Mamas-- it is TIME to get your skin ready for Summer! Start now, so when summer hits and you want to wear all of those amazing new sandals, your feet will be ready!

Honestly, my feet are a WRECK right now!! They need major help, so I was excited to try out the Professional SkinCare System from Toilet Tree.



There are many brushes, and they include 2 face exfoliators, 1 body exfoliator, and a pumice stone.



Since my feet needed MAJOR help, I went straight for the pumice stone.


I massaged my heels with the pumice stone for about 10 minutes each.


I can already see an improvement after just one use!



You can check out Toilet Tree, via all of their locations, EVEN in Canada!

Websitewww.ToiletTreeProducts.com
Facebookwww.facebook.com/pages/Upper-Nyack-NY/ToiletTree-Products/127607620607464
Twittertwitter.com/ToiletTreeProd
Amazon Storefront: http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A3QR44KON2MLZ3
Amazon Canada Storefront: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=A2EUQ1WTGCTBG2&me=A1QHX3A1BI7BV


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Moon Over Edisto Review



Although this book is outside of my normal reading element, I am always looking for a change and eager to try out new authors. This was my first experience reading a Beth Webb Hart novel, so I did not have any prior experiences with the author and her writing.

Overal, I felt the story line was good. I did not think it was amazing, but it was a compelling story. The basic story is about a Julia who is approached by the woman who broke up her parent's marriage years before, to ask her to return "home" to care for her half siblings. The book also explores other "perspectives" of the key characters in the family, and how they come together and learn how to except God's will and his forgiving grace.

This book had a Christian element, which I enjoyed as it fit well and seamlessly into the story. I never really felt like I connected with the story or the characters though. I felt it may have been better served if each person's story was told from a first-person perspective, and thereby allowing the reader to really understand the characters.

I also would have liked to see a deeper exploration over divorce. I felt it only scratched the surface of the effects and the causes of the divorce, and felt more deeply exploring this event would have really added to the story overall.

It was a fairly fast read, and I think would make a wonderful summer beach book!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Dry Me Giveaway



Our little guy 'B' is 5 years old. And like a lot of children, he is a very sound sleeper. I envy this for the most part! But the problem is that he wasn't waking up to go to the bathroom during the night. So we had a choice - change the sheets a lot, or have him wear GoodNites. We chose having him wear the GoodNites, and frankly, this is not something that has bothered him. But we knew that we should try to address the problem (not to mention that those GoodNites aren't cheap!) We were thrilled to have the opportunity to try out the Dry Me Nighttime Bedwetting Alarm along with the 7 Steps to Nighttime Dryness book. We had high hopes for the Bedwetting Alarm, having heard some really good reports about it. We started out by reading the book, which I highly recommend. Almost everything that the book told us to watch out for occurred, and we were confident about how to deal with everything. We knew that the process could take 12 weeks, and that we needed to have 14 consecutive dry nights. The book explains everything in the process step by step and comes with a great chart for keeping track of things. I am pleased to report that we are now at 17 dry nights in a row and Little B is thrilled with his progress! We began the first week in January. He was afraid of the possibility of the alarm going off at first, (I think he was afraid of being woken up by the sound) but he soon had no problem with it and learned to turn it off and reattach it during the nights when he had accidents. At first we would have only 2 or 3 dry nights in a row, but after about 4 weeks, there was a dramatic change. We jumped to 8 dry nights in a row, had one accident, then no more accidents for 17 nights and counting. Something else that I recommend is to not make too much of a big deal over the dry nights. It's our natural response to celebrate, but I think this makes the child feel badly when they actually do have an accident. So we didn't get overly excited about dry nights OR accidents. I think a great way for you to check out how this works is to watch the video below. We are huge believers in this product and we would recommend it to anyone having issues with nighttime potty problems. Due to the nature of the review, we are not posting personal photos, because Little B would be mortifed later in life! Do you have a child with a nighttime dryness problem? You can win your own Dry Me Nighttime Bedwetting Alarm and Book. The contest is open to entrants in the United States - just enter via the super easy Rafflecopter Entry Form Below. Contest is from February 23 - February 26. Winners will be notified via email and must respond within 24 hours.

Please be aware that MamaBreak is co-hosting this giveaway with several other blogs. We are not responsible for the shipping of the prize, but will assist if any issues should arise. 

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HOT Coupons: Dole Fruit Cups, Pampers, M&Ms and Dove Chocolate!

 

These are GREAT for school lunches!  AND a pretty good deal at Walmart or Target.  Regular prices are being reported as $1.98.  Use the coupons for great deals!

or try these...


Need baby Wipes?  Our favorite deals include using this coupon at a grocery store that doubles or even triples coupons!  We get Pampers Wipes for around $1.00 that way!

Have a baby in the house!?  Keep these Pampers Diaper Coupons on hand!  We like to try to get jumbo packs for under $8 a piece!






I saw some Valentine's M&Ms on clearance.  Use this $1.50 on TWO M&Ms Brand Chocolate Candies!  Or Print it now and save for Easter clearance!

Chocolate your thing!?  MINE TOO!  We know there will be some good deals on Dove Chocolate bars!  We plan to use this coupon for Easter basket stuffings! Yum

or
Want MORE deals!?  Checkout all the coupons at coupons.com!  There are so many great ones, we can't list them all!

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Giveaway

We love Mrs. Meyer's. We reviewed them back in August. Read the full review HERE.

We are so excited to host a giveaway for their Clean Day All Purpose Cleaner!!!





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thrifty Thursday

Each Thursday, we are going to bring you a new idea on how to be more thrifty. I am a sales shopper, a deal finder, and I hate paying full price. Each Thursday will be a little different. Sometimes, we will introduce you to a website, sometimes it will be a coupon match up . . . you just never know!

This week, I am thrilled to introduce you to Paperback Swap!!

Do you LOVE to read? Do your kids love to read? Then this is the site for you! You can post your read, but still in great condition books. Someone else will request them, and you ship them to the requestor via media mail.

Don't have any books you want to post? What is AWESOME about the site is you can purchase 1 credit for $3.95!!! So, you can get a book for $3.95.

I keep a wish list of the books I want, and the system alerts me when that book is listed. It even holds the book for you if you are next on the wish list.

Sign up is completely free, and it is completely addictive. Do you have an allergy and are concerned about bringing that allergen into your home. Simply post on your wish list request that the book needs to come from a "smoke free", "pet free", etc home.

http://www.paperbackswap.com


BeFit Mom Review

Are you looking for a fun, easy, fun way to get back into shape after having a baby. I have had three children, with my youngest being 2, and I feel like my body never really bounced back from my last pregnancy.


I was so excited to try Be-Fit Mom: Post Natal Core Conditioning! It is an exercise routine that was tailored to a mom's body, especially as she recovers from birth. It includes exercises you can do . . . even with 3 kids running around.





I LOVED that it came with a resistance band. So that my kids did not use it for their next superhero escapade, I keep it tucked in the DVD case (which makes it much more accessible when I need it).




I loved that the DVD starts with some very easy exercises and works it way up. Nothing really hard or fancy. It is simple and takes into account a woman's body after birth! This is not one of those exercise videos where you feel like you are going to die after the first 5 minutes and never put it in again! It also does not require and extravagant moves (I can barely touch my toes!).

Check out their website at: http://www.befitmom.com/
They have DVDs for post-partum exercise AND maternity exercise!
Get ready Mamas, to feel healthy and in shape again! I am not there yet, but I feel like I am finally on my way!




Disney on Ice: Rockin Ever After in St. Louis!

Get Ready St. Louis!  Disney on Ice is coming
March 21-24 at ScotTrade Center.

Find Disney On Ice on Facebook or Twitter!


Get ready to rock out with some of the most magical idols of all in a musical showcase that features the hottest tunes and talent from across the kingdom in Disney On Ice presents Rockin’ Ever After! Jam to a Scottish jig as a group of royal contenders from the latest Disney•Pixar film, Brave, competes to win the heart of headstrong, sharp-shooting Merida, making her ice debut!
 

Experience a show-stopping performance as Sebastian breaks out of his shell for one night only to make waves with Ariel.  A chorus of harmless hooligans from Tangled unleashes musical mayhem when they get a visit from the sassy and spirited Rapunzel and her charming ally Flynn.  And, get your feet moving as the Beast and his castle’s enchanted entourage take center stage in a spectacular show for Belle. It will be a rockin’ remix of royalty when Disney On Ice brings this superstar line-up in St. Louis ! 




*Additional fees may apply.  Valid on all performances.  Valid on $24, $18, $13 tickets only.  No double discounts. Valid on purchases through Ticketmaster online or by phone

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.

MegaBloks Barbie Build n Style Mansion

We had an amazing time with the Mega Bloks Barbie Build n Style goodies.  Checkout how fun it was to work on and problem solve through the pieces.
 The final product of many little hands!  This is the mansion!


 One poses with the pink treat!
While piecing together a party favor!

The toy was fun to put together BUT a LOT of work! The kids had a good time with treats, pieces and some good breaks.  This toy is for kids who are patient and love to problem solve!  The kiddos loved the details that MegaBloks thought through with hair and clothing for sure.


I received free products as part of a promotional program with MomSelect. And All opinions are my own

SunShadz Review

One of my favorite things about reviewing products is when I find a product that is a real need in my life. Sun Shadz is one of those products!

When I was 2 years old, I was in an accident and received burns on my scalp. They were fairly serious, and since that time I have to be extremely careful about going outside and in the sun. Any time I am in the sun, my scalp burns. The problem is, there are very few products that protect the scalp. I can apply lotion, but my hair is thin, and it ends up becoming extremely sticky and gooey in my hair. I can wear a hat if I do not plan on doing things like swimming and snorkeling . . . and I am left with a hat on EVERY time I go outside in the summer.


I have been using SunShadz, and really like it! It has a brush like applicator, that makes it super simple to apply.


The product is actually a natural color, that does not show up much, as the swatch on my hand below shows.



This is great, because as you can see from the before and after pictures, it does not leave a dusty residue on your scalp. You can barely tell that you have applied anything at all. I also love that you can get different colors (I tried out the clear), so that you can blend your hair roots in for longer space between hair dying! It really is a multi-purpose item!
Before

After

Because of the environment I live, I could not truly test it in bright sunlights, as the weather here is very cold and we do not spend long periods of time in the sun, but I look forward to testing it out more in the summer!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Wearever Review and Giveaway

Our bodies go through a TON of changes when we have children. My daughter is now 2 1/2 and I have just noticed that my hair is falling out like crazy. There is also weight gain and loss, often a change in skin, and last but not least, women often face at least a small amount of incontinence rom having children. This does not mean not being able to "hold it," but having the small, occasional leak-- whether it is from laughing, sneezing, or a million other reasons.


What I LOVE about Wearever is they are beautiful underwear that come in all sapes in sizes! I am a plus sized woman, and LOVED the pair that I tried.


I did find the cotton were a little less forgiven in stretch and size than the non-cotton underwear, so keep that in mind if you are between sizes.


There is an inner "pad" that is built into the underwear to help with any accidents. The amount of absorbency depends on underwear you order, and the website makes it super easy to choose the one you need!

MamaBreak received products to review here on the website. We did not receive any other type of compensation. As always, our experiences and opinions are our own. 

Want to win your own pair? Enter below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wordless Wednesday

With blizzards, treacherous driving conditions, and more . . . I needed a reminder of warmer weather.


Tortle Review

New Moms wondering how to keep baby's head nice and round?
My new guy tried out this new beanie and we loved the results.  See our review below.


Here is the new guy trying the Tortle in the Elephant print.  This was the first day of the trial.  He wasn't sure about it for a few days, but he did get use to it after three days.  We noticed that his sleeping spot rounded out even within the first week we used it.  We think this is a great product for new moms and the little ones.

We will host a giveaway THIS week for a lucky reader to win a Tortle!

The Tortle helps protect an infant's head and keep it round.  Checkout the Tortle site for additional benefits for baby!

I received free products as part of a promotional program with MomSelect. All opinions are my own

WebRoot Secure Anywhere Review

As many of you know, viruses are extremely easy to catch online. Especially when you have young ones in your household. We recently had the opportunity to review WebRoot Secure Anywhere. The product works not only with a traditional PC, but can protect MACs, mobile device, and personal files!

The system was easy to load and install, and has caught a few items already that it deemed as threats. We installed it to our family laptop, which is used constantly, and needed a lot of protection! When you purchase the system, it is for up to 5 devices!

You can also purchase a Business edition of the product at the WebRoot website.


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Auric Blends Giveaway

You saw our review of Auric Blends HERE.

Now, it is YOUR chance to win perfume oils from Auric Blends! One lucky winner will win 3 of their choice in fragrances!



Enter now!

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Tuesday Tunes Day

We were very saddened to hear of the passing of Mindy McCready this past weekend. We thought we would share one of our favorite songs of hers.




We are also thrilled to offer a FREE download from Golden Records!
Download Ed Asner telling the story "The Little Engine That Could" HERE.

Magic Whiteboard Review!

I am always looking for ways to be more organized . . . especially if it involves the cooperation of the entire household. I had been looking for a white board for my fridge for a while, but I needed something that was not very heavy and that was easy to use.


I was excited to find Magic Whiteboards! The sheet of "whiteboard" I received was the size of a standard piece of paper, and it was about as thin as one too. I hung it on my fridge with a regular magnet.


What I love is that they kids can write and erase from it too. We have been using it for scheduling (as seen below), for reminders, and for little notes. It is portable and super easy to use!

Check our Magic Whiteboard on their website: www.magicwhiteboardproducts.com
They have a ton of products that will meet all of your whiteboard needs.

For specials and sales announcements, follow them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MagicWhiteboardProducts.
And follow them on Twitter: @MagicBoardUS


Watch them in action!


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.