Holiday Gift Guide for Children

Looking for a Gift for a Child? We think these will be perfect!



RingStix
Review
To Order: http://www.ringstix.com/









Uncle Milton Wall Decor
Review
To Order: http://unclemilton.com/






DreamWorks Holiday Collection
Review
To Order: HERE.









LeapPad Ultra
Review
To Order: http://www.leapfrog.com/









Build-A-Bear Workshop
Review
To Order:http://www.buildabear.com/









Clean Water Fun
Review
To Order: http://www.cleanwaterfun.com/Garden_Hose_Filter.html


My Little Pony Earbuds
Review
To Order HERE









Hello Kitty Headphones
Review
To Order HERE









Headbands for Hope
Review
To Order:  http://www.headbandsofhope.org/







 I See Me Personalized Books
Review
To Order: http://www.iseeme.com/








FunBites
Review
To Order: http://www.funbites.com/

Babies and Toddlers Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for a gift for a baby or toddler? Here are some AMAZING choices:


Citrus Lane (Deluxe Shower Box seen above).
  •  To Order, Click HERE.
  • The Full Review can be found HERE.

9/30: Sunday Site Day!!!

Hello Mamas!

Today is the last of our series of Deal of the Day sites! On our On-Going Bargains page, there will be a link to ALL of the Deal of the Day sites we have listed over the past few weeks!

Today, we are bringing you voucher-based sites. The largest of these, by far, is Groupon. There are several others which have just as amazing (and often better) deals than Groupon! If you have not signed up, I recommend it. I have purchased vouchers on all of these sites, and I do not live in the "area" of most of them (in fact, we have specific site JUST for our local area). Many times, they feature "national" deals. For my location I choose the one closest to me (in my case, it is often Minneapolis). You can also look for deals at locations you are traveling to. For instance, I am traveling to Orlando in November, so I am looking for vouchers for that area.

In general, before you shop online, check if there is a voucher

  • Groupon: This is the site that sort of started it all for me. Two years ago I purchased a $50 Gap voucher for only $25. This was at the beginning of school, and I LOVE Gap t-shirts, so it was perfect timing! One of the nice things about Groupon is that it is based on your home address, rather than choosing a large metropolitan area. So this morning, most of my Groupons were based on Winnepeg, as it is closer than Minneapolis.
    Deal we love right now: $15 for a $30 voucher at Personal Creations-- they have the cutest Halloween buckets!
    GO TO: www.groupon.com to sign up!
  • Living Social: If you heard people online talking about getting an amazing deal on an Amazon voucher, this was the place that had it (and let's hope will have it again before Christmas!). They have a variety of national deals each week, and most of them are unique to their site. They also have a system where you can purchase a voucher. If you get three people to purchase the SAME voucher, yours is free!
    Deal we love right how: $15 for $30 at Power Capes!
    GO TO: www.livingsocial.com to sign up!
     
  • Plum District:  This is one of my personal favorites. They have had several subscription boxes on their site (and you all know I am a sucker for subscription boxes!). Plum District really focuses on moms, so it may be why it is my favorite. I just choose "Everywhere" as my location so I can see the online deals.
    Deal we love right now: LOVE Pavillon Ledoyen Paris deal! It is just for mom, and offers cookies, truffles, and other French snacks for a fraction of the cost!
    GO TO: www.plumdistrict.com to sign up!
  • Eversave: I have purchased more online based vouchers from this site than any other. First, with your initial sign up you get $5 off your first order, which makes many of the offers SUPER cheap! I have also loved some of the brand they have carried such as Biatta, Overland, Kitsel Kids, and Pure Living. Be careful with Eversave because often the prices are AMAZING, but you DO have to pay a flat rate shipping in addition to many of the prices.
    Deal we love right now: $15 for an Infinity Scarf (plus $2.95 shipping)
    GO TO: www.eversave.com to sign up!
  • Deal Find: I have never personally used this site, but I know many people that have and they love it. Some of them claim it has better deals than all of the other sites combined! Most of the people, also LOVE jewelry, and if you do as well-- this is the site for you!
    Deal we love right now: $29 for a professional make-up brush set.
    GO TO: www.dealfind.com to sign up!
  • Save Coin! Save Coin is mostly exclusive to Fargo-Moorhead (ND/MN) and Grand Forks- East Grand Forks (ND/MN). BUT, they often have national deals as well. For example, right now they have a $30 for $130 worth of styling products at Nu Me (Yes, $130!!!!). Amazing, right? Last year, I bought a family season pass to the zoo. We were able to use it at TONS of zoos across the country! This is NOT a site to ignore. They are little, but they are HUGE in terms of what they can save you! What I love most is I can get coupons for local and area events for me. I have purchased vouchers for the Fargo Theater, Grizzly's, Taste of India (just to name a few). This is the site I shop most often, and I love it! Did I mention they provide TONS of local coupons you can print for free?
    Deal we love right now: Not in my area? The $30 for $130 in styling products. IN my area? $10 for $20 worth of food and Drink at Mic's (Best burger in Fargo-Moorhead area!)
    GO TO: www.savecoin.com  to sign up!

Top 5 Places.....Peoria, Illinois!

Driving through Central Illinois on your way somewhere? Have a family member nearby!?  Checkout these top 5 in Peoria!

#1 The River Front! 

There is a lot going on at the Peoria River Front. I had my wedding reception at the lovely Gateway Building.  You can go on a cruise or hit up one of the events.  Checkout the link above to their calendar!


#2  The Peoria Zoo is a really cool place to hang out, too! We love the Africa exhibit!  Its a super place for kiddos, too.






#3Tanner's Orchard outside of Peoria, but a good place for Fall fun!

They have animals, a store, apple picking, and seasonal activities!

#4 An AMAZING place to eat in Peoria is Jim's Steakhouse.  This has been a family favorite for many, many years.  You pick your steak AND cook your own. The chefs help and assist and you get to participate in the culinary experience!

#5 Hit up a Peoria Chiefs baseball game!  They have an awesome new stadium and its a great time out with family or friends!  They also just announced that they will be hosting the St Louis Cardinals affiliation contract!  Go Cards!


Mia Mariu Giveaway

You read our amazing review HERE, and know we LOVE Mia Mariu. This giveaway is valued at $65 of Mia Mariu! One lucky winner will win the products that I tried:

  • One Mineral Loose Powder Foundation
  • One Mineral Cream Concealer
  • One No. 30 Mía Kabuki Brush
What an incredible prize, and the winner will get their choice of color!

We are thrilled to share Mia Mariu with our readers, because we know you will love it as much as we do! 
Enter NOW!



Giveaway is over.

Ally Zabba Giveaway!

Remember my CUTE Dino Travel Zabba?  Well, now you can win a travel Zabba of your choice!

Here is a pic of my cutie pie Dino Ally Zabba!



Good luck to you!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mediterranean Snacks- Yum!

At MamaBreak, we LOVE to snack. But like most moms (and families), we like to serve the healthiest snacks possible . . . that our kids will actually eat. A new company we tried recently was Mediterranean Snacks. Mediterranean snacks provide all-natural foods that encompass products like chips, popcorn, and crackers.

 The first item we tasted was the Organic Popcorn with Sea Salt and Olive Oil. 


 The taste was really great, and we loved how light and fluffy the popcorn was. The entire family (including all three kids) loved it!

We also tried Baked Hummuz Crispz in Roasted Red Pepper. As fans of hummus, we had really high expectations, and we were not disappointed. 



In fact, the kids liked them so much, I did not even have the chance to put anything on the Cripz. They tasted amazing all by themselves!


The last item we tried was the Baked Lentil Chips in Parmesan Garlic. 
This time, we did try them with hummus, and the taste was amazing. The flavors combined so well, and it was an amazing treat for the entire family. 
If you are looking for a healthy snack for the entire family, Mediterranean Snacks provides great products, especially when you or your children are looking for something salty without all of the fat and unhealthy ingredients. 

You can find Mediterranean Snacks at: http://www.mediterraneansnackfoods.com/
And on Twitter: https://twitter.com/medsnax

MamaBreak received snacks to review here on MamaBreak. MamaBreak did not receive any other kind of compensation. As always our experiences and our opinions are our own. 

9/28: Freebie Friday!

We love Freebie Friday! Here are the freebies we are loving right now!


  • Free One Year to Popular Science! http://cdn.mercurymagazines.com/169-16990/index.html
  • We JUST Posted about 1 month free to ABC Mouse: http://www.mamabreak.com/2012/09/abc-mouse-offer.html
  • Free Jergens Moisturizer Sample https://www.totalbeauty.com/accounts/register
  • Tomorrow is a great day to visit a National Park, because many are offering entrance for FREE! Check to see if your nearest park is offering this promotion: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparksbystate.htm

ABC Mouse Offer



ABC Mouse offers a full online curriculum for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten in the subjects of reading, math, science, social studies, art, and music. Children can start anywhere and move through the curriculum at their own pace! ABC Mouse has won numerous awards, including the Parent's Choice, Teacher's Choice, and Mom's Choice GOLD awards! Get your first month FREE!  CLICK HERE



MamaBreak received 1 year free of ABC Mouse to review and share with MamaBreak readers. We did not receive any other type of compensation. 

Terrific Tuesday

Terrific Tuesday!

Sharing deals, freebies and fun finds!

John Frieda Freebie on Facebook!

Do you HouseParty?  If not, check it out! I have hosted a few kid house parties and really enjoyed it!  I especially like this one!  Mrs. Prindable's Gourmet Gifts!  Fill out a quick survey and if you are selected you get some delicious freebies from Mrs. Prindable!

Cute calendars to get ready for the new year! Check it out!

TheraPearl Review


As many of you know, I have a fairly stressful job and life outside of blogging. With 3 kids, a full time job, and working many other "side" jobs, things become overwhelming very fast! That is why I love this TheraPearl Mask!


 The TheraPearl Eye-ssential Mask can be used either hot or cold. For cold, you leave it in the freezer for at least 2 hours and apply it to your eyes for 20 minutes.

The beads in the mask cool, so they conform nicely to your face without causing added stress to your eye area. It is a very soothing and relaxing way to treat yourself!
You can secure it on to your head with the elastic band on the back of the mask.

You can also heat the mask in the microwave for a nice, relaxing experience! 

The TheraPearl Eye-ssential Mask is the perfect way to relax after a long day!

To see more of their fabulous products, you can visit them at: http://www.therapearl.com
They can also be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TheraPearl
Or follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheraPearl

And a special "break". If you "like" their Facebook page, you will get a special coupon to use on your first purchase!

MamaBreak received as mask to review here on MamaBreak. MamaBreak did not receive any other kind of compensation. As always our experiences and our opinions are our own.

9/24: MMMMM . . . Monday!

This week we have been thinking about apples! They are the perfect Fall treat, and we love to eat them plain or in a variety of dishes. Apples have endless ways of being prepared, but we love to include them in our desserts the most! Our recipe is not actually our own, but Martha Stewart's, with some modifications because I am one busy mama!

Baked Apple Oatmeal (see Martha Stewart's original Recipe HERE)
By: Martha Stewart (online) and modified by MamaBreak



  • Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup oatmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 medium apples, skin peeled in a spiral

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
  2. Stir together butter, brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  3. Scoop out the core of each apple with a melon baller, being careful not to go through the bottom (I actually do this with a Grapefruit spoon-- improvise if you do not have a melon baller!)
  4. Discard cores. 
  5. Fill each apple with oat mixture, dividing evenly. 
  6. Transfer apples to a 9-inch square baking dish. Add 1 cup water to the dish to cover bottoms of apples by about 1/2 inch. 
  7. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake until apples are soft but not mushy, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm.
The result is Martha Stewart DELICIOUS!




Sunday Site Day: 9/23

This week, we are bringing you all the best MOM/ Women sites for Daily Deal Sites. These are MamaBreak's Top 5!

A Side of Peaches: This is a site that stems from Peachy Deals (which is a craft daily deal site). A Side of Peaches features mostly jewelry, and I LOVE it! They usually feature a new item at about 10 a.m. or 11 a.m., but it can change at any time. Prices are always LOW, and shipping is always very cheap! I have purchased several pieces over the past year and have never had any problems!
What I like most: The variety of pieces they offer! The low prices! The uniqueness of each and every pieces!
GO TO: http://www.asideofpeaches.com     Deals usually appear at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. each day. If you go today, I LOVE the necklace they have on! I am still debating getting it, but it is only $5.99!

My Habit: My Habit is a website that is linked with Amazon. They have some AMAZING deals on very high end designers. Their items update at different times in the day, but they always list what the upcoming deals are, so you can be prepared (they aso give a time). They have had Chloe, 7 for mankind, and many more designers. I shop mostly for myself at this site, but they also have men's, kid's, baby's and home decor! Shipping is always FREE in the US, and everything arrives SUPER fast! Did I mention they ALWAYS have shoes!!!
What I like most: High end fashion for much less!
GO TO: http://www.myhabit.com          Deals are posted at different times during the day. Sign up to find the next day's sales and times.

She Steals: The newest of the Steals sites, She Steals focuses on items for women. At times, they are family oriented, but they are mostly open to all women. They offer good prices on popular products and have featured many different kinds of items from jewelry to makeup, water bottles to shoes. A really nice mixture. As always with the steals sites, everything comes up at 10 a.m. CST and does not last long at all!
What I like most: As I have said, the steals network represents some of the best customer service and fastest shipping around!
GO TO: http://www.shesteals.com     Deals are posted at 10 a.m. CST.


Rue La La: Looking for a discount on that Luis Vuitton bag you are drooling over for the Fall? Rue La La is your place! They have all of the big names: Gucci, Prada, LV . . . and the prices are AMAZING! This is not for someone who wants to spend $20 on a handbag, although they do feature less "high end" products as well. They have items for kids, women, and men, and will quickly become your obsession if you love fashion! Did I mention you pay $9.95 flat shipping for the MONTH!!!???!!! So, you can purchase one item, pay the flat shipping, and come back day after day and get free shipping! Shipping is always fast!
What I like most: A good place to find that $5,000 bag for MUCH less, and a good place to find a great pair of earrings!
GO TO: http://www.ruelala.com/        All deals appear at 10 a.m. CST, and you can see what will be the next day in their "Coming Soon" section.

Gilt: Gilt is our last shopping site, and it is similar to Rue La La. I find they have a little more youthful brands than Rue La La, but many of the same high end designers. They do have areas for men, babies, and home, but I personally love the Women's and Food and Wine sections. On Sundays they have a Sunday Steals section, where things are greatly reduced, and that is my favorite time to shop!
What I like most: I love the Food and Win section, as well as the Sunday Steals!
GO TO: http://www.gilt.com/    Most deals start at 8 p.m. CST (you know where I am at 8!), and some start at 11 a.m. CST.     


Next week will be our last edition of Daily Deal sites, and we will look at sites that offer discounted vouchers.


Mia Mariu Review

MamaBreak is thrilled to review Mia Mariu.
We were able to review three items from Mia Mariu:

This is my before picture:


The Mineral Kabuki Brush is amazing! It is thick, had no loose strands and applied my makeup perfectly!


The concealer went on very smoothly. It was easy to apply and covered dark areas and blemishes amazingly well!

You can see here that the darker circles under my eyes are faded. 



Once the concealer was on, I applied the loose foundation with the Kabuki Brush.
You can see that the make up left a nice shimmer on my face and made my skin look healthier and more youthful.
I loved the Mia Mariu products. The colors matched my light skin tone well, and made my skin look younger!
 What item do you like the best??

You can visit Mia Mariu online at: http://www.miamariu.com/
You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

MamaBreak received Mia Mariu products to review here on MamaBreak. MamaBreak did not receive any other kind of compensation. As always our experiences and our opinions are our own. 

Dezign with a Z Review

Our son is obsessed with trains, and we were thrilled to find a train decal at Dezign with a Z. We love that they offer decals that are gender neutral. We also love that the train features the alphabet as the bedroom is shared with my 2 year old daughter and 5 year old boy, so it was perfect for their room!



When you order your decal, you are able to choose from several colors, so it is certain to match the room's decor that you are using it in!

We chose red, and the decal is actually a set of many decals. It is a really long and large decal, and takes up a significant amount of space. What I loved is that the train cars could be easily divided. We cut each section to make application far easier.




We did go longer than one wall, and we simply started a new train on the next wall, so that they joined at the corner.

I also liked that the included some smaller butterflies. This allowed us to test the decal on our wall to understand what we needed to do before we applied the much larger decal.

For the train, we definitely felt it was a two person job. We needed one person on the ground with each decal, handing each to the person standing on the step stool. Also note that we hung them close to the ceiling, so that definitely influenced the number of people needed.

We were really happy with the quality of the decals, and our children love the dezign! My son feels the room is a little more "his".

To see more amazing decals you can visit Dezign with a Z at: http://www.dezignwithaz.com/
You can also find the on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/DezignWithaZ.wall.decals
And on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/dezignwithaz
And on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dezignwithaz/

MamaBreak received a decal in order review it here on MamaBreak. We did not receive any other type of compensation for the review. As always our experiences and opinions are our own. 

Top 5 Places . . . Minneapolis!

Minneapolis is one of our favorite places to go as a family! There is so much to do, but often visitors do not know about these many, many places. The things you hear about in Minneapolis are the Mall of America . . . and the Mall of America. There is so much to see and do, and I cannot wait to share!

1. Mall of America: Let's get it out of the way and say you MUST go to the Mall of America-- and NOT for shopping. There are three attractions we LOVE about Mall of America:
Sea Life: In the lower level of the Mall of America is an Aquarium. There are petting places, a moving walkway that moves you through the aquarium, and plenty of places to stop and play! It is a must see at the Mall!
Lego Store: Have a Lego fan? You NEED to go to the Lego store! This is right off of the amusement park, so it does not require going into the mall itself. It is super FUN and has many places to build and play with Legos! 
Nickelodeon Universe: Formerly Camp Snoopy, Nickelodeon Universe features great rides for all ages!  We do not always ride the rides, but we always CHECK THE SCHEDULE. You can often have a meet and greet with some of your favorite Nick characters! The last time we were there we got to meet the BackYardigans!






Picture taken from: http://www.valleyfair.com/

2. Valley Fair: Wondering what ever became of Camp Snoopy? Well, if rides of all sizes is TRULY
what you are looking for, then you need to drive down the rode to Shakopee, MN! This amusement park has been a part of MN since 1976, and most people from the area will tell you it is a part of their lives (I know it is a part of mine!). My first visit was when I was just 3! There are rides for the smallest to the largest kids, and people of all thrill seeking adventures! This is an all day event, and is an amazing Amusement Park! It is a MUST SEE if you are in Minneapolis. 









3. Renaissance Festival:  This amazing festivals runs during the weekends from August 18th- September 30th. It has food, games, and even rides (operated by hand, of course). There are a lot of shows and entertainment throughout the festival, and dressing up is an option (not required). Make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen and comfy shoes! Tons of funs for adults AND kids, there is something for everyone!










Image taken from: kbrobaseball.blogspot.com

4. Twins Game!  If you are in town during baseball season, then you need to see a Twins game! Live baseball is a family event! Don't forget to partake in baseball food while you are there! If you are in Minneapolis during the football season, then skip over to Wisconsin to catch a Packers game! Just joking Vikings fans! 












5. The Zoo: Want to see an argument similar to Vikings vs. Packers? Then ask anyone that lives near Minneapolis which zoo is the one you need to see! From the link and pictures, Minnesotans can clearly see which one I enjoy, but there are pros and cons to each. Como Zoo is free, smaller, and also has a carousel and other smaller rides. It is part of a park as well. We go to the Minnesota Zoo because it has more animals. Make sure you visit for the shark feedings, Scuba demonstration, Penguin feeding (my personal favorite), and ride the Monorail! There is a "family farm" open from Spring until Fall, and there is also a splash park in the summer (so bring suits for the kids!). 

So that is the list. The 5 things to do in Minneapolis. This is, of course, a list for Mamas-- and I obviously made it with kids in mind (because I am a mama!). Other places to consider:

9/21: Freebie Friday!!!

We love Freebie Fridays because . . . well, we LOVE freebies!
FREE Cards + FREE Shipping at Cardstore.com! Use code: CCL2673, Valid 9/17 thru 9/23, Shop Now!

And it is not a Freebie, but Mattel is having a Black Friday sale (that is what they are calling) with TONS of toys under $5! I love picking these up for the local toy drive! Shipping is FREE! Coupon Code: IW4009266 May work for 10% off (it did for me!).

http://shop.mattel.com/family/index.jsp?view=full&categoryId=3812304&s=A-StorePrice-MAT

30 some Weeks Giveaway

You read about why we quit using traditional deodorants HERE
You saw our review HERE.

Now, is your chance to win your own 30 Some Weeks Deodorant! We will be choosing not 1, but 5 lucky winners for the giveaway. The winners will have the choice between the roll-on or lotion deodorant!

Enter now!
5 WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is over.

Bag Blaze! Check it out!

Call yourself a purse girl?  I just LOVE purses and things to carry my "Mama" stuff in!

If you love bags, purses and totes THIS site is for you!

Bag Blaze is a daily site with SUPER cute purses.  I have a great tote in RED.  Vibrant colors, cute designs and a great deal!  This purse-lover couldn't ask for much more!

Photos are coming, but I just wanted to get this out to share with you.  Bag Blaze has great hand-picked bags and UNBELIEVABLE prices!

They have hobos, clutches, totes and satchels. A one-stop shop for anyone who loves a good deal on a bag!

MamaBreak received a purse to review here on MamaBreak. MamaBreak did not receive any other kind of compensation. As always our experiences and our opinions are our own. 

9/20: Thrifty Thursday!

On Thursdays, our goal is to save YOU money! Here are some great deals that we found!


  • If you are a new customer to Paper Coterie, you can CLICK HERE. Enter Welcome2012 as a coupon code, and you will save $40 off of your first order!!
  • Our friends over at Thred Up are having a Pinterest contest that is SUPER easy, and a lot of fun! They are giving away (2) $50 Giftcards to Thred Up! CLCIK HERE for the details!

  • Selling out FAST! Ergo Baby Carrier for $77 on Amazon!! Click on the right side if it does not come up as the listed price (there are options on the right side) 



  • A cool deal if you have a coupon!  Check your Dollar Tree for some Maybeline Mineral Makeup!  Use coupon $1/1 Maybeline New York Foundation or FITME Foundation or Powder expires 11/9/12 (RP 9/9/12)
  • Thanks to Money Saving Mom for this deal on cute shirts from OneJackson.com   $10 off your first order!
  • SAVE THE DATE! Free Coffee at Krispy Kreme on September 29th!  Its apart of their National Coffee Day Giveaway!