~#Review~ A Kids Pirate Costume from buycostumes.com

Although Halloween is months away-its never too early to start thinking about what your kids are going to dress up as.I was excited to work with Buy Costumes to review a costume from their site. My son and I looked through the great selection of Pirate  and Superhero Costumes. 

In the end he picked out a Pirate one because we go to two pirate fests over the summer-so we'd get plenty of use out of it!

The costume is polyester so it's comfortable and he can move easily in it. My son was so excited when this came! He could barely wait for me to get it all out of the packaging and get it on him. 

This six-piece costume set features maroon bandanna with attached black dreadlocks, braids and beads, a white pirate shirt with attached open blue vest, a white waist sash with brown and tan stripes, 2 different belts, as well as a pair of brown pants. Now he's ready to claim the Black Pearl as his own again.

It's a great fit as you can see,  he will be able to wear it for quite a while. The costume is soft to the touch. And had many different pieces to change to change up the look a bit. So what ever your little one want to be this Halloween buycostumes has you covered.

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.

Mustachifier! The Unique Baby gift for every hipster parent! ~~REVIEW~~

I Mustache you a question...

 do you know what the HOT HOT HOT


  fad  is rightnow??? 

 THE STACHE!!  

It started in  Australia in 2003 as a  movement to

changing the face of men's health...and nearly

over night, the hipster mustache

movement took the fashion world by storm.

 Mustaches are in. And that’s true not just

for hipsters…but for babies too!

 That’s thanks in large part to Mustachifier! 

Mustachifier is made by FCTRY, a small, happy, family-owned product design company in Brooklyn. They carry a vast line of mustache pacifiers. How cool would it be to have/know the hippest baby on the block?!?!?!

They are made from flexible teething material, have a natural shape and are BPA free.It met or exceeded all of the United States safety standards for pacifiers! 

 You can order on-line or Find a store near you.

They are hosting a Facebook Sweepstakes starting the week of July 8th, so be sure to  check that out!!

Crayola Experience WERE COMING!!!

A while back I posted about the Crayola Experience , I've just received a notice that our family was picked to come visit!!
 Now I need all my PA or traveling blog pals to help give me some FRUGAL spots we can visit also. We are driving from the Western New York area--if you know of any hidden gems along the way that will not brake the bank PLEASE SHARE!!!!

#SummerFun 7 activities for some summer fun

Its Summer time---time for laying out in the sun, visits to the pool, and  having sleepovers and staying up late!!

Now a week into summer vacation and the kids are BORED  WHAT !?!?!

Here are 7 silly activities to do

1. SaltScape in a jar 
2. Homemade Body paint
3. Build Crazy Can Stilts
4. Have a Circus Parade -use body paint to give everyone a clown face
5. go on a bug hunt
6. have a tea party
7. paint a sunset silhouette
   
    
















What kid-perfect actives  do you have planned??

#WordlessWednesday 6/26

Suddenly Salad -- take your 4th of July celebration from ordinary to extraordinary

“Disclosure: The information has been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”

By using quick and easy stir-ins, Suddenly Salad can be whatever you make it: a simple side dish, star of the backyard BBQ, or a crowd-pleasing main course. With seven delicious flavors, there’s a Suddenly Salad mix for everyone and for any occasion. Simply follow the instructions on the box, or visit SuddenlySalad.com for delicious recipes.

INGREDIENTS

1

box Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad classic pasta salad mix

Water and vegetable oil called for salad mix box

1

cup diced red bell pepper

1

cup blueberries

1/3

cup crumbled feta cheese

Cooking with Coconut Oil

~

I was given the opportunity to try out cooking with Coconut Oil through Tomoson and Tropical Traditions. First I want to complement the company on how well they shipped the product.

nice box so there is no breakage

The story behind the company can be seen here

 There are many healthy benefits from cooking with it. Coconut oil is very different from most other cooking oils and contains a unique composition of fatty acids,Since the FDA does not want me to discuss the health benefits ( cause I'm NOT a dietitian ) of coconut oil - here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

. 

There are a great selection of  recipes on the web site but I wanted to try out one of my own.

 Here is my Potato Soup recipe.
Ingredients: 
10medium potatoes
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 chopped onion
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup bacon bits
green onions or chives
**this made about 4 large bowls of soup. **


Peel and  cut  potatoes into small chunks, Boil until fork tender.  While those are boiling, slice 1/4 cup onion and measure your spices and bacon bits (1 teaspoon of salt and seasoned salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper)  Add milk, flour, seasonings and coconut oil to the dutch pot. Stir well !!  Stir in potatoes ( I like to leave out about a 1/2 cup  to add at the end) and onion. You can use a hand mixer to really smooth out the potatoes, or use a pastry cutter to roughly soften potatoes. After add the 1/2 cup of cut potatoes and top with bacon bits and green onions or chives.

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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.

All about me A to Z #Pamela Rote the lady behind #ReviewsSheROTE

I came across this A to Z post on the blog Chasing Joy.  I've done other ABC about me post and I think they are a fabulous way of   learning more other bloggers.  I hope you enjoy learning a little more about me. 

A. Attached or Single? Attached

B. Best Friend? it's a tie between my Mom and my Aunt who's more like a Sister to me seeing we are only 4 yrs apart and live about ten blocks from each other.

C. Cake or pie? PIE PIE PIE!!!!

D. Day of choice? I say one when the kids aren't fighting non-stop 

E. Essential Item? Air

F. Favorite color? Black and white is my go to wear, but I've always been a fan of HOT PINK and DEEP PURPLE have you seen my blog?? =)

G. Gummy bears or worms? Definitely bears, eaten  head first .

H. Home town? Western New York

I. Favorite Indulgence? JellyBelly's

J. January or July? July! Love taking trips to the Beach!!!

K. Kids? They are OK...I got a pair for myself =)

L. Life isn’t complete without? Jesus

M. Marriage date? Sep 4th

N. Number of brothers/sisters? 1  Brother

O. Oranges or Apples? Oranges  Mandarin 

P. Phobias?  Hights =O

Q. Quotes? LOVE this one : “Life is not measured by the breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.”

- Hilary Cooper

R. Reasons to smile? A unprompted hug from my kids 

S. Season of choice? Fall still warm out and love the changing colors of the leaves--oh yeah it's my BIRTHDAY =)

T. Tag 5 People. TAG you r next if you wish =) 

U. Unknown fact about me? I'm ambidextrous and my favorite word is Onomatopoeia-- it a good one LOOK it up=)

V. Vegetable? I eat them =D

W. Worst habit? Drinking POP

X. X-ray or Ultrasound? Had both

Y. Your favorite food? Chicken, chicken and more chicken and white pizza!!! NOW I'm hungry!!!!!

Z. Zodiac sign?  Scorpio

Hope you take the challenge =^D 

#WordlessWednesday 6/19

The night sky looked as if the tree tops were on fire...

The United States’ #1 Blogger Community is coming to Canada!

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As a member of the Henkel Insiders, you allow brands to extend their influence in the social media space. That means you learn about new products or promotions first so you can share them with your community.Don’t miss out on this opportunity to work closely with your favorite Henkel brands and partners including Purex, Dial, Soft Scrub, Renuzit, 20 Mule Team Borax, Dry Idea & many more! I work with the US PurexInsiders and let me tell you is a great community to part of.  SIGN UP HERE

Insiders Benefits

Why become a Henkel Insider? So glad you asked! The benefits are endless. Here are just a few:

Try New Products

When a brand develops a new product or makes changes to an existing one, you have an opportunity to test it before it hits the market.

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Instantly gain access to exclusive promotions offered only to Henkel Insiders. This means you are the first to know about special promotions, coupons and much more!

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As a part of our community, you will be the voice for your followers when it comes to making brands’ products for consumers.

Connect with Other Bloggers

Becoming a member means interacting with the industry’s top bloggers within an exclusive community.

#HappyFathersDay 2013!!

The Three most loving, hard working, God fearing Father's in my life. 

Hope all you you have a great day with the special men in your life!!

Getting a SPRING into our step! Mom Meet-Up #ClaritinMom SPRINGTIME,

This week for our play group meeting at my house it was a girls night only and the topic of discussion was how to get a SPRING into our step! I am lucky to be a part of the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew and the newest Mom-Meet topic set the mood for the night.

Besides talking about allergy season-and this year  allergy's seems to be effects many more kids in  our group then ever-Thank goodness for Claritin My kids loves Claritin because it is the one allergy medicine they can take that won't make him sleepy. The chewable tablets are their  favorite. Even though they are old  enough to swallow pills, they like the ease of use of the chewable tablets.  We had a talk about life in general and how we can have a balanced life that includes exercise, eating healthy and being the best we can be.

We discussed the 2013 Preparedness Checklist & Tips – LOVE IT! I made up copies for everyone and laminated it.  We are all so busy all the time it means we don’t have to remember anything simply check off the list. With the laminated list just wipe it off and start over for 2014!!!

I had each mom share wonderful home-spa recipes. There were so many great ones like a Papaya  Skin Refresher,Banana Honey Oat Face scrub, Lemondrop Martini Manicure and a Sugar Foot Scrub.

We tried out the Milk Foot Soak as we sipped on  a Fresh Fruit Smoothie and enjoyed some Greek yogurt and granola!!

After all the Moms felt so revitalized!!
Thanks Moms Meet-Up!!! 

Disclosure:  As a member of the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew, I receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit.  No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.

Deflect-o Desk Organizers ~REVIEW~

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I try to keep office supplies organized...but cute baskets and cups  don't  work out that good. Time to invest in something better! I was pleased to be contacted by Shoplet.com to try out these office supplies. 

The Deflect-o system to the rescue!!!

Includes clips to link cubes together! Love this because other wise the cubes just fall over! I like the sturdy plastic construction. 

See your supplies at a glance;Transparent organizers hold small supplies and keep your office area clutter-free. The Drawer Cube is good for rubber bands, paper clips, tacks, etc. I like the Cube with X Dividers for the different pens, highlighters etc.
This modular system is great to mix and match stack sizes! It's available in clear and black. They start at about $7 check them out at shoplet.com 

You have a CHIRP on your shoulder! #WordlessWednesday

Sitting out in the yard when this little guy came out of the bird house and flew right on my Papa's shoulder!

Why I want to take the family to The Crayola Experience

The Crayola Experience is the only place in the world where the magic of Crayola comes to life. With four yep you read right FOUR floors of new, interactive, one-of-a-kind attractions, there is so much to explore this summer! Your family can enter a world of discovery where color, chemistry, and technology magically combine to create a colorful adventure! There will be many new attractions, including the following:

• Crayon Factory - Learn how iconic Crayola crayons are made in a live theater show featuring our resident Crayonologist and his animated crayon character friends!
• Wrap It Up! - Customize an authentic Crayola crayon label and wrap it around the color of your choice to create your very own crayon.
• Marker Mania - Make custom multi-color markers from scratch.
• Color Playground - Burn off excess energy in this Crayola-inspired indoor playground!
• Art Alive! - Make your art come to life on huge projected surfaces

This is one of those gems I've seen a TV family visit a few years ago and I thought it's so close to me (less then 5 hours) WHY haven't we ever visited!?! Because we were just waiting for the new improved version!!!!! Crayola Experience was completely re-imagined for 2013. Now, bigger and bolder than ever before, the all new Crayola Experience features 18 new attractions that allow kids to explore art and technology, express their creativity, and experience color in a whole new way. Well who would want their kids to have some creative fun over the summer!?!?! After checking out the website and seeing all the new attractions, honestly the little artist in me was JUMPING around saying "CAN WE GO?? CAN WE GO??PLLLLEEEEEEEEEESSSSSEEEEEE!"

Disclosure of Material Connection: The Crayola Experience information has been provided by Crayola. For posting this post I was entered into a  sweepstakes  to win tickets to the Crayola Experience for my family. No other compensation was given. 

#SUMMERTIME CRAFTS

We are a very crafty house...but sometimes finding ideas to get the juices flowing is a little tricky. That's why I love favecrafts.com. Here are a few of the Summertime crafts from their site that I hope to do with my kids this summer. Maybe one will get your creative juices flowing too. ARE YOU CRAFTY...DO YOU HAVE A GO TO SITE PLEASE SHARE!

=^D

Instructions:

1. Paint  a foam wreath complementary color to the paper you've picked let dry.
    
2. Cut ten 5" squares from double-sided paper. If using single-sided papers, paste two sheets together back to back before cutting squares; let dry.
    
3. To create pinwheels- Use pencil to mark 2-1/2" lines from corners of paper squares toward centers. Use craft knife and metal-edged ruler, or other cutting tool, to cut paper squares along these lines; do not cut all the way to center. Bring left corner of each side down to center and secure with glue gun.
    
4. Punch ten 1/2" circles from solid  colored paper and glue to centers of pinwheels. If you want to give them a little glitz and sparkle you can use paper brads. Glue pinwheels side by side to wreath.
    
5. Glue ribbon ends together to create hanging loop; glue ends to top center back of wreath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry tote according to manufacturer’s instructions. DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENER. Iron flat as needed.
    
2. Cover cardboard with wax paper and insert into tote. Tape sides and top as needed to insure fabric is taut.
    
3. On paper plate mix a separate puddle of each paint color with Textile Medium following package instructions.
    
4. Using the photo as a guide place a medium circle stencil on the tote and secure in place with tape.
    
5. Dip the stencil brush into the desired color of paint, tap excess off on plate. Start painting in the center of the circle and work the color towards the edges to prevent the paint from seeping under the edge. Let dry and paint two more circles in different colors as shown. Wipe the excess paint out of the brush but do not get it wet. If the bristles are wet it will thin the paint and cause it to seep on the fabric.
    
6. Switch to a  small circle and continue painting as desired. Let dry.
    
7. Use the fish stencil to add  in the the centers of the larger circles using the desired color from the palette.
    
8. Remove tape and cardboard. Press the painted area, on the reverse side to set the paint.
    
9. Paint will take one week to cure. You may use the tote once the paint is dry to the touch but do not wash it for at least one week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instructions:

ROOF

WINDOW

1. Transfer roof pattern to cardboard and cut out roof. Spray-paint both sides of roof and bottle cap black. Let dry. Spray paint bottle brown. Let dry. Working with 1 paint color at a time, dip dampened sponge into burnt umber and black and sponge-paint the bottle. Let dry. With craft knife, cut 1 (1-3/4” diameter) circle about 3” up from bottom of bottle for door. Punch 1 hole about ¼” below door.
    
2. Measure approximately 1-1/4” to left and right of door and transfer window pattern onto bottle. Paint design beige. Paint outline details in black paint using liner brush on each window. Paint beige wavy line around door. Let dry. Push dowel halfway into hole below door and glue to secure. Let dry.
    
3. Center and drill 1 (1/8” diameter) hole in bottle cap. Fold cord in half to form loop. Working from outside of bottle cap, thread cord ends through hole in cap. Knot cord ends. Pull knot up to cap and glue knot to cap. Let dry. Screw cap onto bottle.
    
4. Curve roof into cone shape, overlapping straight edges and glue. Hold edges in place with clothespins until glue is dry. Snip off tip of roof to leave hole for hanger. To help weatherproof the roof, brush with coat of OK to Wash-It glue on each side of roof. Let dry. Glue pine bark pieces to cover outside of roof (with Tacky glue). Let dry.
    
5. For sign, cut 1 (2-1/2”) length and 1 (1-3/4”) length from craft stick. With shorter piece centered along longer piece, glue craft stick lengths side by side. Drill 1 (1/6” diameter) hole in each end of longer piece of sign at top edge.
    
6. Write “Welcome Home” on sign with marker. Cut 1 (5”) length of wire. Wrap center of wire around bamboo skewer to coil. Remove skewer. Insert 1 end of wire through each hole at top of sign, working from back to front. Bend up ends. Cut 1 (1-1/2”) length of wire. Bend wire in half to form hanger. Slip bent wire hanger onto coiled wire on sign. Working from outside, poke hanger wire ends through bottle about 1-3/4” above door. Bend wire ends to inside of bottle to secure hanger. Thread braided cord hanger through hole in roof, working from inside roof.