Weiman Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Nancy V.  Congrats!

Last year I had an opportunity to review Weiman’s Perfect Planet line of green cleaning products for my floors and found them to be very effective! Weiman is a company that has been helping families clean their homes for over sixty years.  Here is a little recap of the company from the site:

Quality, convenience and innovation define each and every Weiman product. Weiman is the most recognized, trusted brand in premium surface care and the #1 choice of consumers who value preserving, protecting and beautifying their homes.

Win It! One of you will win a gift basket which will include assorted Weiman cleaning products. Simply head on over to the site and take a look around.  Come back here and leave me a comment with something you learned, not mentioned in my previous review.  Comments will close on April 14, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Add the Spring Cleaning button to your sidebar and obtain two extra entries (but please comment on this post so I can keep track of who is to receive two extra entries.  If you comment here that you’ve placed the button, it won’t count…this is for my sanity!).  Here is the code since it’s not working from the other post:

<a href=”http://rockinmama.net/search/label/Spring%20Cleaning%202009” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f214/MommyMandy/130width.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” /></a>

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Place my button on your site. If you have difficulty, please let me know.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

The Most Natural Clean! (Giveaway Added!)

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Valerie.  Congrats!

If I told you that I could use plain water and a microfiber cloth to get everything from my son’s high chair to our stainless steel refrigerator clean, you’d probably either laugh and think I’m crazy, or lift an eyebrow with intrigue. I hope you’re doing the latter!  I don’t like a lot of chemicals in my home and I prefer to clean as naturally as possible.  There are a ton of all-natural, chemical-free cleaners on the market and I’m not opposed to using them.  But given the option to clean with plain water, I’d choose that over products for daily clean-ups and spills.

I recently tried out E-Cloth, an innovative way to clean without the use of chemicals.  Here is a little more information from the site:

Each E-cloth has an extraordinary 480,000 strands per square centimetre, with each microfibre 1/100th the width of a human hair.  It is this, together with the wedge shape of each individual fibre, that gives the cloths their remarkable cleaning capability and their high absorbency.  As you draw an E-cloth across a surface, the fibres clean by breaking up, trapping and absorbing dirt AND grease into the material.  All this with just water.

I was a little wary of how well this was going to work, but I was surprised at how much dirt it picked up.  It cleaned off the dried food from my son’s highchair tray and removed the spots and dirt from my refrigerator. Take a look at the video I shot of E-Cloth in action:

I received a Kitchen Pack to review which includes a General Purpose and a Glass & Polishing cloth, and a Water Spray bottle.  The General Purpose cloth is good for cleaning up thick dirt, grease, and spills.  It’s definitely a kitchen mainstay.  Use it damp or wet (for tough messes) on all hard surfaces.  The Glass & Polishing Cloth is effective on any shiny surface including windows and stainless steel appliances.  This is a cloth for light cleaning and it left my stainless steel refrigerator shiny and smudge-free.  Just spray your surface with water and wipe away dirt and grime.

Each cloth works differently and I encourage you to check out their website to find the product that will work the best for your cleaning needs.  With 300 guaranteed washes, you’ll save money by reducing the amount of chemicals used in your home to clean.

Win It! One of you will win a Kitchen Pack, courtesty of E-Cloth.  Simply head on over to the site and take a look around.  Come back here and leave me a comment with an interesting fact about E-Cloth that wasn’t mentioned in my review.  Comments will close on April 14, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Add the Spring Cleaning button to your sidebar and obtain two extra entries (but please comment on this post so I can keep track of who is to receive two extra entries.  If you comment here that you’ve placed the button, it won’t count…this is for my sanity!).  Here is the code since it’s not working from the other post:

<a href=”http://rockinmama.net/search/label/Spring%20Cleaning%202009” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f214/MommyMandy/130width.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” /></a>

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Place my button on your site. If you have difficulty, please let me know.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

So You Think Your Baby Can Dance?

In a few weeks I’ll be reviewing the fabulous BOB Stroller Strides Fitness Stroller right here on Rockin’ Mama.  This is the much coveted jogging stroller all of you moms want to help you stay fit with your little one in tow!  It’s also the official jogging stroller of choice for Stroller Strides fitness program.  Now through April 15, you’ll have an opportunity to win a Bob stroller by submitting your best dancing baby video (via YouTube).  Here is the official contest information:

Can your baby cut a rug? Wouldn’t you if you had a new BOB stroller? BOB wants to see those wobbly moves in action! Submit a video of your tiny guy or gal getting jiggy. You could be featured on our website and possibly win a brand new BOB stroller!

BOB will post new entries once a week, then choose a winner at the end of the contest. Check the BOB neighborhood often for different contests. For more information and all of the legal details, check out the site.

Your Dishes Are Going to Sparkle!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winners are: Treasia, Michelle, Jesslyn, Theresa C, and Sara E.  Congrats!

Every spring I try to take inventory of what needs to be cleaned and organized.  But do you ever stop to think about the “daily clean?”  Dishes and laundry fall into that category for me.  We purchased a new dishwasher a few months ago and up until about a week ago, we hadn’t found a detergent and drying agent that we were satisfied with.  We were using a generic-brand, eco-friendly detergent that left this white residue.  The drying agent we were using left spots that drove my husband crazy.  And while it was labeled as “eco-friendly” it just didn’t get my dishes as clean as I would have liked.

I recently tried out two fabulous dishwashing products from Finish (formerly Electrasol) that you’re absolutely going to love.  When I load my dishwasher, I don’t want to have to “clean” them, before they get “cleaned” in the dishwasher.  I want to be able to rinse, load, and let the dishwasher and detergent do their job.  When I take my dishes out, I want them to look and smell clean (sparkling is good too!).  I don’t want white residues or spots…just clean dishes.  I’ve tried the gels and powders and tablets and I haven’t found anything that really works well consistently until I tried Finish Quantum capsules.  Here is a little more information from the site:

FINISH QUANTUM has a revolutionary multi-chamber technology with powerful enzymes to remove stuck-on food, POWERMAX bleach to attack tough stains, and JET-DRY gel for an amazing shine.

This little capsule is fabulous!  All three components are packaged into one, pre-measured capsule, which means there is no measuring or mess.  You simply pop it into the chamber and run the dishwasher like normal.  I have pots with white soapy residues that I have not been able to remove.  I used this several times over the last week and I am so impressed with how shiny those pots are.  My glasses don’t have spots on them, my coffee cups don’t have brown coffee/tea stains on them, and when I take my dishes out….they’re DRY thanks to Finish’s Jet-Dry Turbo Dry that I used with the Quantum capsules.  Here is a little more information about Jet-Dry Turbo Dry from the site:

A Clean Giveaway For You!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winners are Carol and Elisa P.  Congrats!

Kitchen clean?  Check   Bathroom clean?  Check  Bedrooms clean?  Check That only leaves a few things left to be cleaned and one of them is me!  After weeks of cleaning toilets, sinks, bathtubs, and grout (oh how I love cleaning grout) I decided that it was time for a little spring cleaning pampering for me (and you!).  After a day of cleaning, all I want to do is jump in a hot shower!

I recently tried out some of Dial’s latest products to keep you clean and germ-free.  I’ve been using Dial since I was a child (it’s what my mother always purchased).  She’d buy this ginormous gallon of antibacterial hand soap (the gold one of course) from Costco and we’d go through that container like it was water.  I faithfully continued this “tradition” when I moved out.  The nurse in me can’t get away from antibacterial soaps!

Dial has come a long way from the traditional gold soap you grew up with.  New products, new scents, and new formulations make for a fabulously affordable line of products you don’t want to overlook. Dial’s new line includes products that are effective at cleansing and moisturizing your skin.   I recently tried out Dial’s Apricot & Almond Bodywash, Cranberry & AntiOxidant Pearls Bodywash, Soothing White Tea Antibacterial Foaming Hand Wash, White Tea & Vitamin E Hand Soap (and the Eco-Smart Refill), and the Cranberry & AntiOxidant Bar Soap.  One of the first things I noticed about Dial’s new product line were the ingredients.  White tea, cranberries, and Vitamin E sound absolutely divine and spa-like!  This was such a surprise to me since I have always considered Dial to be a soap and antibacterial mainstay.  My favorite products by far are the Cranberry & AntiOxidant Pearls Bodywash, Soothing White Tea Antibacterial Foaming Hand Wash, and the Eco-Smart Refill. I love the scents…they’re light and invigorating and I feel so clean!  The bodywash contains spa minerals and exfoliating beads that leave my skin feeling soft. The hand wash is the gentlest I’ve tried.  It’s clear and looks like water and foams into a soft lather.  And…it kills icky germs!  Here is a little more information about the bodywash and the Foaming Hand Wash from the site:

Dial AntiOxidant Body Wash helps reinforce your skin’s defense system to reveal healthy, soft and younger looking skin.

The soothing fragrance and healthful antioxidant benefits of White Tea are now in a foaming hand wash made to destroy germs.

I think the most impressive product is the Eco-Smart Liquid Hand Soap Refill Pouch.  Can you see the huge difference in the 2 products above?  Up until about a month ago, we were still purchasing the gallon-sized Dial Soap refills.  We have soap dispensers in each of our three bathrooms and the kitchen which means we go through a ton of soap.  It makes sense to buy in bulk but I understand the sacrifices that come with production of a huge plastic bottle.  Dial‘s new Eco-Smart Refill Pouches use 67% less plastic which reduces the use of resources and lessens the impact on landfills.  It also stores easier than that big plastic bottle and refills your bottles at least 5 times!  Check out the website to learn more about Dial’s new products and scents and download a coupon for $1.00 off .

One last thought…Dial partnered with The Heart Truth to help YOU take more proactive steps towards a healthier lifestyle, including heart health and skin care.  The goal is to raise awareness about a disease that takes the lives of women in this country every year.

Win It! Two of you will win the following, courtesy of Dial:

• 2 bottles of Dial Complete
• 2 bottles of Liquid Dial
• 2 Liquid Dial Refill Pouches
• 2 Bottles of Dial AntiOxidant Body Wash

Simply head on over to the site and take a look around.  Come back here and leave me a comment with another product/scent you want to try (not mentioned in my review).  Comments will close on April 13, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Add the Spring Cleaning button to your sidebar and obtain two extra entries (but please comment on this post so I can keep track of who is to receive two extra entries.  If you comment here that you’ve placed the button, it won’t count…this is for my sanity!).  Here is the code since it’s not working from the other post:

<a href=”http://rockinmama.net/search/label/Spring%20Cleaning%202009” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f214/MommyMandy/130width.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” /></a>

Enter Amanda and Tanya’s giveaways

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Place my button on your site. If you have difficulty, please let me know.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

Do You Want To Vlog? You’ll Want To Read This!

I recently became one of NewBaby.com’s vloggers and I’m excited to be contributing video content and product reviews both the their site and my own!  You may have noticed the surge in videos on my site and that is because I’ve just discovered how much fun vlogging is.  I love showing you who I am, my personality…  I like the ability to show you a product in action…  Vlogging has already opened up new opportunities and I’ve just begun.

If you’re interested in becoming one of NewBaby.com’s vloggers, head on over to the site and sign up!  You’ll receive a brand new Vado Pocket Vido Cam if you’re selected.  How fabulous is that?

Zoocchini…Like the Vegetable…Only Cuter!

“Roarrrr”  That’s what my son said when we opened up Lars the Lion’s “can” and took him out.  We recently received this super soft and adorable plush animal from Zoocchini and it’s my son’s new favorite cuddle toy.  My son has some stuffed animals but not many because of his allergies.  Thankfully, the entire line is BPA and lead-free and the fur is more like plush (as opposed to “hair”) which makes it less likely to be allergenic. Each animal is packaged in a clear, plastic decorative Safari bucket.  The animals are clean and untouched when they arrive in little tots hands.  Here is a little more information about Zoocchini from the site:

Welcome to the wonderful world of ZOOCCHINI a place for the softest, most adorable friends on the planet…at least we think so! Our original ZOOCCHINI bucket friends are the ideal gift to give or get. We guarantee the quality and “cuteness” of all our friends!

My son loves his “roar.”  He snuggles with him on the couch, takes him in and out of his “house” (can), and talks to him.  The plush animals are well-made and I like that their faces are friendly (even on animals you don’t necessarily consider to be friendly).  Zoocchini‘s line of plush animals can be collected and the can can be used for storing other toys.  My son likes to put toys in it and then take them out (it’s  like a game for him).  Each plush animal retails for $29.95 and is available for purchase from select retailers.  Please visit the website to find a location near you.  Be sure to check out the Barnyard, Safari, and Ocean collections of plush animals and their new line of Crutch Critters (perfect for helping little ones deal with using a crutch because of an injury).

Profuse thanks to Zoocchini and Peekaboo Picks for this review opportunity!

What I Bought At Walmart for $500

Late last year I won a $500 Walmart gift card. (Thank you Walmart and Merlene).  Now, I’ve been shopping at Walmart for years and I know that they regularly have the lowest prices on most items that I buy.  But I think when you’ve been shopping at a store for so long you stop comparing prices and you hope that you’re getting the best deals.  Well, I have been waiting for the right time to use this gift card.  I’m not an impulse buyer and I didn’t want to use it on something frivalous (although I should have!).  There were lots of things I could have bought…toys for my son (but I’m about to be run out of my house by Elmo)…a new digital camera (in hopes of masking my lack of photograpy skills)…groceries (practical but boringly necessary).  But I finally decided to meet somewhere in the middle and buy someting I wanted and mostly things we needed as a family.  When I sat down and evaluated all I had purchased, I was quite impressed.

1.  Nintendo Wii (for Mii)

2.  Hair Clips (because my son broke mine)

3.  Easter Basket including 2 Children’s Easter books, plush Easter bunny,  12 plastic eggs, red Hot Wheels Easter Eggsclusive car, and Dove Truffle Eggs (who am I kidding…those are not for my son)

4.  Conditioner

5.  Nuby Flip N Slip Sippy Cup (BPA Free of course)

6.  2 sets of Organic Cotton Sheet sets for our new King bed

7. Toddler Bed

8.  Safety Gate for our son’s doorway

Ok…so I bought all that and STILL have about $24 left.  Can you believe it?  I wish I could find you all of the links to all of the products but unfortunately, online inventory differs from in-store inventory.  If you see something you’d like to know more about, just leave me a comment and I’ll help you out!

By the way, you may have noticed that cute new button on my right side bar.  Yes…I am now a proud member of More Than Elevenmoms.  This is “an exploratory community seeking to define the role of a larger community inspired by the elevenmoms group.” I’ll definitely update you on the lastest happenings!

Vlogging In HD with Vado!

So…you may have noticed the surge in videos and video reviews on my blog lately.  Well…I am now officially a vlogger (and the crowd goes wild).  Applause…Applause…Ok…so maybe I’m a little too excited about this.  But I have to say that now that I own a Vado HD Pocket Video Cam, I can bring you even better reviews.  You’ll be able to see ME and my son…and my camera-shy husband every now and again (although he prefers to be behind the camera).

I have been using the Vado HD Pocket Video Cam for about a month now and I LOVE it!  I honestly don’t know why I didn’t get one sooner.  As a mom, I want to be able to capture my son’s fun, special moments with ease. Pictures, although fantastic, are only two-dimensional at best.  Videos allow me to capture my son’s voice and gestures/mannerisms.  He is only going to be a baby for a short time and I want to remember his first smiles, steps, and words.  I want to remember the way he laughed, how he signed, and the way he called me “mama” and my husband “da ee.”  Vado recently introduced an HD version of their pocket video cam and I think the qualty of the picture and sound is superb.  My husband, who is in the audiovisual business was very impressed with the camera.  Here is a little more information from the site:

Capture life’s unforgettable moments in high-definition clarity and share them online with Creative’s Vado HD Pocket Video Cam. The thin, lightweight Vado HD is small enough to fit in a pocket, purse or the palm of your hand, and easily captures video in 720p high-definition quality with just the touch of a button. The Creative Vado HD is the only pocket video camera to feature high quality HDMI connectivity and an included HDMI cable that provides 1080i output to an HDTV.

The very first thing I noticed about the camera was that it is small and light in weight.  I had no idea a camera this small could record such quality footage.  With the battery, it weighs 100 grams (which is about 3 1/2 ounces).  I can just carry it in my purse or diaper bag so I have it readily accessible for any of my son’s special moments.  The next thing I noticed was that the videos are incredibly clear, sharp, and professional-looking. You can adjust the settings on the camera to record with an HD resolution of up to 1280 x 720.  The camera has a built-in wide-angle lens that allows you to capture wider scenes and more action and produces sharper, clearer images.   While you can shoot in dimmed lighting (it has a 2x digital zoom), I recommend you use the camera in an environment that provides sufficient light to get the highest quality videos.  Unfortunately, the camera doesn’t have a light for nighttime shooting (which is something the company is aware of and will address with future models).

The camera is so easy to use.  I find uploading and editing videos to be a subject left entirely to my husband. But because the camera has built-in Vado Central software, I literally plug it into my computer to upload the videos to YouTube.  And…I can edit my videos without asking my husband.  If I can do it, then you know it’s definitely mom and user-friendly.  I have a TON of videos stored on my husband’s computer and I love the ability to do this without having a ton of technical expertise.

Some of the other things I like include the abilty to charge the camera on my computer and the 2 hours of recording time the camera allows.  You can view the videos directly on the camera and my husband likes the fact that you can connect it to an HDTV (which he plans on getting very soon!).  So…you’re wondering about the quality of the videos?  It’s clear, crisp, and vibrant.  It’s as close to real life as you can get.

When I was in college, my parents purchased this huge camcorder so we could document our travels across Europe.  It was large and cumbersome and difficult to use.  If a pocket video camera was available at the time, it would have been so much easier to capture those moments without having to lug a heavy camera around.  So…whether you’re shooting scenery from the top of the Eiffel tower or your toddler’s silly giggles, check out the Vado HD Pocket Video Cam.  At $229.99 it’s worth every penny!

Video Reviews:

Hoover Platinum Cordless Hand Vac

Nature’s Source Bathroom Cleaner

Shaklee

Wii Fit

Kid’s Central Kitchen

Mineral Secrets

Woolite Power Shot

Boost Kid Essentials

Windex All In One

Steamboy

Powder Art

Baby Human

Mess-Free Art Projects With Powder Art (Plus a Giveaway!)

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winners are Cathie F, Estela S, Amy A, Judy Brittle, Suzie G, Cynthia S, R Hicks, Karen G, Gianna, and Gabriel J.  Congrats!

I love staying home with my son, but there are times when I struggle to come up with new and exciting things to do with him.  I was actually talking to my pediatrician about this very subject and he told me that I don’t have to take my son to new and exciting places every day.  He said that if we’re together and we’re doing something, even if it’s just at home, then he’s learning, developing, and engaging in social interaction.

One of the things I’ve just started introducing my son to is art.  We color and paint and play with Play Dough.  Most of the above projects involve messes and clean-up.  I don’t mind but there are times when I’d like to do a project that won’t require a stain remover at the end!  Recently, my son and I completed a Powder Art project. Check out the video demonstrating what we did!

While the recommended age for this activity is five (due to small parts) , I think my son enjoyed it with some help from mommy!  And there was no mess!  Here is a little more information about Powder Art:

Powder Art is a peel and paint art project that uses revolutionary dry paint.  Not only is Powder Art a fun activity for kids to explore their creativity, moms appreciate that it is mess-free!

The project is simple to do and younger kids will enjoy it with adult supervision and assistance.  The kits are available in six themes, and come with four design boards, eight Powder Art colors, a paintbrush, and a color palette tray.  In true paint-by-number fashion, each design is numbered according to color.  The kit comes with a color guide instruction sheet, but I think it would be fun for older children to choose their own colors to personalize the painting.  Here are some of the tips that I found to be useful along the way:

Be sure to have clean, dry hands when peeling

Clean off the design board and the paintbrush with each color change

Start with darker colors if your child doesn’t want to folow the paint-by-number guide

What’s great about the paint is that it’s made from recycled paper and therefore non-toxic.  You can purchase kits directly from the site and they retail for $8.99 each.

Win It! TEN of you will win a kit of your choice!  Simply head on over to the site and take a look at their designs.  Come back and leave me a comment with your favorite and an art project you like to do with your kids.  Comments will close on April 8, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Place my button on your site. If you have difficulty, please let me know.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

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