Equip Your Traveling Baby with Walmart

We're ready to hit the road!

Marcus can't sit still!

Well, not quite yet, but we're getting close.  I'm about to take my first road trip with my 10-month old son since he's started to crawl, cruise, and generally complain about being in the car.  We've flown when he was tiny, but since he's starting getting vocal about how much he hates sitting still, I've begun to really assess how we'll handle the drive from Nebraska to New Orleans for the upcoming Mom 2.0 Summit conference.  I'll have my Mom with me as co-driver, and I may spend some time in the backseat with my little man.  Overall, however, I realize that I just need to be prepared with the right baby gear.


Here is my game plan, and all items can be purchased at Walmart!

I always worry when I can't see my son in his rear-facing carseat.  Call it OCD, but I want to be able to glance back and know that he's not uncomfortable or choking on something that he's stashed in his mouth without me knowing.  Instead of pulling over for frequent "checks", this Sunshine Kids Easy View Back Seat Mirror allows me to glance in my rear view to know he's OK.  I can just imagine how much time I'll save with this product!




Then there is the matter of entertainment.  Not any rattle or toy will do, so I've stocked up on an assortment of items that can be safely tethered to the car seat for safe-keeping.  (Because who wants to stop to pick up toys every 5 miles?) We purchased this cute Kids Preferred Puppy toy because it easily clips onto the car seat with no additional hardware.


Now that my son is drinking from a cup, the right cup can make any trip more tolerable.  I was sure to stock up on our FAVORITE sippy cup, which happens to be sold at Walmart!  The Boon cup was something we covered in a previous Boon Feeding Products review, but I've used it with more than one kid, and I love that it's so easy for little hands to grasp.  (Just be sure you have a great sippy cup cleaning brush, and this thing will last forever!)

He's still going.....

I have so much packing to do before our trip on April 12th.  Do any of you veteran road Mommies have tips for me?  Be sure to check out your local Walmart before you head on your next trip.  It's a lifesaver for the mom and baby on the go!

*Compensation and product has been provided by Walmart for my time and effort to participate. Opinions are 100% my own.

Organically Grown Onesie Giveaway

When my last little peanut was born, I just loved wrapping him up in the cuddly, soft blankets made by Organically Grown.  They also made the most adorable gowns for newborns.  He practically lived in them for the first month or so!

These baby clothes aren't just cute and practical, however, they are made of 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton.  This makes them super-soft and breathable.  Baby feels so comfortable in them!


Wanna Win?  We are giving one lucky reader the chance to have their very own boy or girl onesie on a decorative padded hanger by Organically Grown.  (The hangers are seriously sweet enough to keep!)  To be entered to win, just comment on this post with whether you like the boy or girl onesies, and why you would choose organic!  We'll give you until April 10th at 11:59 pm CST to get your entries in. You can enter one time total per day (for each entry after the first entry, simply comment with "Today's entry!".) Giveaway is open to U.S. 18+ only, and be sure to give us a way to contact you if you win! (Don't forget to enter our other free baby giveaways while you're here!)


Learn more about these cuddly duds at the Organically Grown website.  Or check out our Organically Grown review for more info!

Walmart DIY Project: Clear the Entertainment Clutter

The Walmart Moms were assigned to a spring cleaning task this month.  I chose to tackle our entertainment center clutter.  It was bad.  Too many gaming systems, dusty wires, and stacks of DVD's were making my living space embarrassing for guests to see.  Here is what we were dealing with before the makeover.

As you can see, we had a tiny antique table not at all suitable to hold our 37 inch TV.  It was wobbly, and I was afraid that it would come down on top of my kids.  In addition, there were mismatched baskets on top and underneath of an old piano bench as the storage for our movies and games.  Since there was no room for our speaker bar, it got stashed on the floor.  (Not exactly giving us the full experience of surround sound from down there.)  There was NO way to hide anything when guests came.  It was a dusty mess.

Here is our entertainment center AFTER the makeover.  We purchased a simple TV stand from Walmart.com that had doors to hide our entertainment clutter.  It had a nice clean wood look and was fairly easy for my husband to assemble.  It feels sturdy enough to hold my TV without fear of the thing toppling over, and it had nice shelves, as well as venting holes to keep my equipment from overheating.  Someone coming into the home with the doors shut would have no idea of all the stuff we kept crammed in here.

Since the unit came with two nice sliding drawers, we could house our remotes and cords in the top section.  This was especially nice because my kids are now learning to put back the remotes when they are done using them.  (I was having to replace them all too often before.)

We also took our reduction of clutter one step further by removing our collection of 100+ DVD's from their cases and putting them in sleeves that I store in a storage media box.  We have much more room, and I keep the original cases away from the kids in a closet.  It keeps them looking nice for if we give away or trade them in the future.

This makeover was the perfect example of doing something right even with little to no design skill.  It was about having the right tools for the job.  Our total purchases:

• One TV Stand from Walmart.com (selection will vary)
• One media storage box from Walmart.com (You can also choose baskets to show off your style!)

Our overall cost for this project was a little over $100.  You can obviously choose from some much more expensive TV centers, but expect to may no more than $6-9 for the storage box.

Our kids are thrilled, and I have much more patience with my living area now!  What kind of spring cleaning projects have you done this year?

*Compensation and product has been provided by Walmart for my time and effort to participate. Opinions are 100% my own.

Thanks for your Votes (Last Day)

We really appreciate those of you who have taken time to vote for us in the Circle of Moms Top 25 Contest.  We have stiff competition, and today is the last day to click on the "thumbs up" sign for our entry (voting is once per day).

 

Thanks again for all of your support!!!

We've Got a Sprout Baby!

I was no stranger to the Sprout line of organic baby foods.  We had tried it for the first time when I ordered a box online during a sale.  We received several pouches of the White Bean and Squash and my son was a bit young for it at the time, but we held it for when he was old enough to really dig solids.  After his first encounter, he was hooked!  I was impressed with the fresh ingredients and the wonderful, but light, flavor of cinnamon that this particular meal had.  When my local Walmart started carrying it, I was really excited!

We were lucky enough to get asked by Sprout (as part of the Walmart Moms program) to try some flavors from their line, including the new meals for older babies.  I admit that I have been feeding my now 10-month old son some pretty chunky stuff.  He isn't a huge fan of the purees, as he likes to pick  the food up with his fingers.

We started him out with some of the Beginner foods (like the Roasted Bananas and Roasted Pears.)  They were delish, but since he isn't a huge fan of being fed, I mixed it with some cereal and made it a bit more chunky.  It's perfect for small babies, however.

Here he is eating his FAVORITE food from the Sprout Advanced line:  Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese:

As you can see, the food is pretty chunky.  The actual mac is cut up into small pieces, so my son can chew it up pretty well -- even without teeth!  The portion sizes are very generous, as well.

After I gave him a bite from the spoon, he went wild!  He insisted that I put it on his tray for self-feeding.  It was a delight for him to eat.  (Note: My husband pointed out that he's not smiling in this pictures.  He's just in a zone.  Eating for him is all business.)

These foods are so fresh, so yummy, that I wish I had Chef Tyler Florence making adult versions of these meals.  Who can resist the names of the meals?  Roasted Turkey with Herbed Vegetables, Minestrone with Beans and Greens, and Beef and Vegetable Lasagna!

Simple, quality ingredients, lovely flavors, and responsible packaging make these awesome to have on hand.  They are much easier to stash in a diaper bag (no clumsy glass bottles and they reseal for later!)

You can find out about the entire line at the official Sprout website or find them instore at your local Walmart.  I'm so pleased to have so many varieties to feed my son.  What dish do you think your baby would like most?


*Compensation and product has been provided by Walmart for my time and effort to participate. Opinions are 100% my own.

Win a BeanStalk Express Snack Time Survival Kit!

We haven't tried this one personally, but we thought it would be fun to tell you about!  As a mom who is constantly hearing my kid ask for snacks, and who always finds them digging through the fridge without permission, I thought this was a neat idea.  The BeanStalk Express Snack Time Survival Kit can help kids to get a handle on their snack needs, but with the guidance of Mom and Dad!  (It also teaches patience.  What's better than that?)

Here is what is included in this neat product, as told by BeanStalk Express:

"Wooden Clock Board - Features one working clock, 3 control clocks with movable arms, and 3 corresponding hooks to hold snack cards in place.

33 Snack Cards - On the front are pictures of delicious snacks to choose from. On the back is important tips and information to learn from."

How does it work?   Each morning, Mom or Dad selects between 4-6 snack cards that are available to make that day from the deck.  From these cards, kids can choose their 3 snacks for that day.  Mom sets the control clocks to the desired snack times and hangs the snack cards on the corresponding hooks.  And now it's up to the kids! By Keeping an eye on the clocks, the kids alert Mom to when it's SNACK TIME!  Mom takes the snack card off the hook and serves up the snack.
 

Cool huh?  I think I might check one out for myself!  Learn more about this product at BeanStalk Express.

Wanna Win?  We are giving one lucky reader 1 (one) BeanStalk Express Snack Time Survival Kit with a retail value of $49.95.  To be entered to win, just comment on this post with a healthy snack that you like to serve your kids (or family.)  We'll give you until April 7th at 11:59 pm CST to get your entries in. You can enter one time total per day (for each entry after the first entry, simply comment with "Today's entry!".) Giveaway is open to U.S. 18+ only, and be sure to give us a way to contact you if you win! (Don't forget to enter our other blog giveaways while you're here!)

Review of Zhu Zhu Puppies

My boys still love their Kung Zhu toys (they are continually cluttering up my dining room floor.)  They have a new, sweeter, Zhu option, however, that I wasn't sure if they would like -- Zhu Zhu Puppies.

These little dogs are everything that fans of other "pet" toys will enjoy.  They are cute, come with accessories and outfits, and play in the park and do fashion shows.  I wasn't sure that my sons would care about this, since they are -- well -- not into the fashion thing.  They do love animals, however, so I let them play to see what they thought.

First of all, the outfits are a bit difficult for smaller kids to put on the puppies.  They fit snugly, so they aren't going anywhere once on, but I had to assist many times with the little hats and whatnot.  The play park that we received was called "The Bark De Triumphe" but the boys did what I guessed they would do with it -- they used it as a battle arena for their dogs.  The puppies worked well in the play park, and the boys were able to personalize it with parts from their Kung Zhu sets.  We had a sort of "pretty in the park" meets samurai sword theme going on.

If you don't have little boys around to completely warp the experience, you'll find them doing the things that the puppies were intended for:  My niece loved brushing the puppies, talking to them, having them stroll through the parkway, and taking the outfit on and off.  I only wish that these dogs have more than one outfit per figure -- although you can buy numerous outfits for mix and match adventures.

Overall, these are a cute addition to the Zhu fam!

You can find out more about this line of Zhu toys at the Zhu Zhu Puppies website!

** Sample was received from MomSelect for this review. 

Free Yogurt to the First 20 Readers! (All Gone!)

**** UPDATE **** We have ran out of Yogurt samples! You can still get a 50cent off coupon, however!***** 





We have teamed up with Yoplait Kids to give our readers something sweet.  The first 20 to sign up via the link below will get a coupon for a free 4 pack of Yoplait Kids yogurt!


But hurry.. Once they are gone, they're gone!



*Yoplait provided you me with this opportunity, information and product samples/coupons through MyBlogSpark

Review of Banquet Fruit Pies

Love pies.  Hate baking.

If this is your mantra, you might be surprised to find that the line of Banquet individual fruit pies taste an awful lot like homemade.  I tried a few this week, and while I won't be eating an entire one on my own (they are 300+ calories per pie), I really did enjoy eating them.  One half pie with a little Redi-Whip was just what I needed to treat myself after a very stressful day.

My husband likes the Cherry Berry, full of little blueberries and cherry filling.  I am partial to the peach!  You might enjoy the apple.  All flavors start out frozen, and after about 3-4 minutes in the microwave, come out steaming hot and with a golden brown crust -- just like you baked them (but without the wait or the energy use from a running oven.)  At less than a buck a pie in most market, these little one-serving desserts are nice to have on hand.  They are perfect for when not everyone can agree on a pie!

When you buy a Banquet Fruit Pie from your grocer, look for the Child Hunger Ends Here logo on the package.  You can go online to enter a code that will help end child hunger by providing a meal to a child in need!  Read more about this campaign at our Child Hunger Ends Here Blogger Correspondent page, or check out Banquet's website!

*ConAgra Foods provided the Banquet Fruit Pie coupons for this review.

Today is National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day! (Giveaway)

Nope. We're not kidding.  It really IS National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day, and our favorite brand of chocolate-covered raisins is teaming up with us to help you celebrate!

Here are some fun facts about chocolate-covered raisins, and Raisinets, specifically!

• All NESTLÉ RAISINETS are produced in Burlington, Wisconsin. They are made with select California raisins and a unique blend of NESTLÉ Chocolate.

• RAISINETS were first introduced in 1927 by the Blumenthal Chocolate Company. Back then, it took two-and-a-half hours to produce one batch of RAISINETS! Now it takes between 45 and 60 minutes.

• Today, NESTLÉ produces more than 1 million RAISINETS per hour! Slightly less than 30 million individual RAISINETS each day!

• In 2010 NESTLÉ produced nearly 20 million pounds of Milk and Dark Chocolate RAISINETS, which is equal to approximately 8 billion individual RAISINETS. If you lined them up end-to-end, they’d stretch all the way around the earth about three-and-a-half times!

• Last year NESTLÉ used almost seven million pounds of raisins and more than 10 million pounds of NESTLÉ Chocolate to produce both Milk and Dark Chocolate RAISINETS.

• RAISINETS are the first chocolate covered raisin candy to have a cartoon series featured on its own YouTube channel! – www.youtube.com/raisinets

• RAISINETS are a natural source of fruit antioxidants and have 30% less fat than the leading chocolate brands!

You can learn even more great facts about this yummy snack at the Raisinets website!

Wanna Win?  We are giving 5 lucky winners a super Raisinets prize pack!  Each prize includes:

(2) concession-stand boxes of milk chocolate Raisinets 
(2) concession-stand boxes of dark chocolate Raisinets

To be entered to win, just tell us which of the two Raisinets you like best (milk or dark) in the comments below. We'll give you until April 1st at 11:59 pm CST to get your entries in. You can enter one time total per day (for each entry after the first entry, simply comment with "Today's entry!".) Giveaway is open to U.S. 18+ only, and be sure to give us a way to contact you if you win! (Don't forget to enter our other giveaways while you're here!)

Updated Walmart Coupon Policy 2.0

Remember how we just told you about the changes to Walmart's coupon policy? Yeah... well, times they are a-changin' and there's been another update you should be made aware of:

We have provided additional clarification on our coupon policy which is located at http://walmartstores.com/7655.aspx <http://walmartstores.com/7655.aspx> . Our coupon policy clarifies our coupon acceptance guidelines and should be referred to for details. Please note the latest update has provided additional clarification on coupons that Walmart will redeem.

For those of you who missed the first announcement here at Lille Punkin', we've updated the post to reflect the changes.  Thanks!

*I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for my time on this post to notify you of their survey. Participation in this program is voluntary. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Windows 7 Knows the Power of Saving

When I received my electric bill last month, I was floored!  I had no idea that running 2 PC’s and my home entertainment system could come at such a high price.  Luckily, I had the foresight to use a bunch of energy-saving power strips, complete with Master functionality.  My new upgrade to a faster PC (with an exciting 6 cores and 1 TB of memory) made it even better.  Here is how Windows 7 took my energy savings to the next level:

1.       Customizeable “wake up” settings

You know the drill.  Your computer goes to “sleep” after a period of inactivity, saving you energy when not in use.  Did you know that with the right power strip, you can really amp up the green factor?  I have my PC set so that the main computer tower is plugged into the “Master” switch on my power strip.  When the PC goes into hibernation, the monitor, speakers, and other peripherals power down.  (I even have a desk lamp with CFL bulb that shuts off, as well.) 

Windows 7 has made it easy to “wake up” your PC so that you can resume activity.  It even lets you choose what will get your PC running again.  To assign a device the power to wake up your computer, simply:

1. Click on the Start Menu button
2. Click on Devices and Printers
3. Find the device you want to assign (in this case, we are using the USB mouse)
4. Right-click “Properties”
5. Click the “Hardware” Tab
6. Click “Properties” at the bottom
7. Make sure you are on the “General” tab.  Then click “Change Settings”
8. Choose the “Power Management” tab
9. Select “Allow this device to wake the computer”

You’re done!  You can do the same thing with your keyboard, as well.

Customizeable "Power" Plans

Whether you're using a laptop or a desktop, it's easy to set the options on your Windows 7 operating system to conserve energy just the way you choose.  You can even save various setting profiles or "plans" for different times of day, or for different users.  To customize your plan:

1. Access the "Control Panel"
2. Choose "Hardware and Sound"
3. Click "Power Options"
4. Select "Create a Plan" from the left-hand side.  You can also change an existing plan OR simply select "Balanced" (which gives you the perfect mix of energy-saving and performance) or "Power Saver" (the most aggressive saving mode.)

Energy "Reporting"

Finally, if you're really comfortable with accessing your computer's DOS, you can run this simple report to see where you can potentially save some energy:

1. Find your MS-DOS Window by going to Start/All Programs/Accessories/Command Prompt (do not actually click on "Command Prompt") and right-click on Command Prompt to select "Run as Administrator". 
Click "yes" to allow access, if prompted.
2.  Once you have your little black box open, type in "PowerCFG/ENERGY"

3.  Once the report has finished, it will look like this:

4.  To access the report, go to the path specified (in my case, it was C:/Windows/System32).  You should see the Energy Report as a file in this folder.  Drag it to your Desktop to be able to open it.

5.  You should now see the full report for your computer.

Do you see anything that you can do to improve your energy-efficiency?  I sure do!

Windows 7 makes it pretty easy to tweak your settings for optimal performance.  What have you found you like best about it?

*I wrote this post as an entry in the #WindowsMoms Mom 2.0 Summit giveaway.  I'm going to the event whether I win, or not, however.  See you there!

Delta Enterprise "Safety Peg" Drop-Side Crib Recall to Repair

Please, please, please check your cribs to make sure your safety pegs aren't missing.  Details at the CPSC website.

Own Arthur & The Invisibles 2 &3: The New Minimoy Adventures Today! (Giveaway)

It's officially been released, and we can't be more excited!  My kids adored the original Arthur and the Invisibles, so the news that the 2nd and 3rd installment of the movie series on Blu-ray and DVD are coming out together just made their day!  With the same charm of kid-actor Freddie Highmore, as well as the voice talents of Selena Gomez and will.i.am, this looks like a fun romp in the realm of fantasy films for the whole family.

Directed by Luc Besson, volumes two and three of the story follow the third and fourth books in the children’s series. First, in “Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard,” our hero must save Princess Selenia (Selena Gomez) from the wicked Maltazard (Lou Reed). Along the way, he enlists the help of Replay (Stacy Ferguson) and Snow (will.i.am). The next installment, “Arthur 3: The War of Two Worlds,” contains the thrilling conclusion of the battle between Arthur and Evil M, who has grown to be 7 feet tall!

Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on: Twitter @FoxHomeEnt

You can get the 2-movie set from you local retailer now, but we also have an awesome opportunity to win!

Wanna Win?  We have 3 copies of Arthur and the Invisibles 2 & 3: the New Minmoy Adventures on DVD to give to lucky readers! To be entered to win, please answer the following quiz:

 In the double feature, who is Arthur trying to save?

·         Princess Selenia

·         Princess Buttercup

·         Princess Hermione

 We'll give you until March 30th at 11:59 pm CST to get your entries in. You can enter one time total for this giveaway. Giveaway is open to U.S. 18+ only, and be sure to give us a way to contact you if you win! (Don't forget to enter our other giveaways while you're here!)


*Think our giveaways rock? Vote for us in the Top 25 Reviewer's Contest (It only takes a sec.)

Would You Please Consider Voting Lille Punkin' to the Top 25?

We rarely take part in promotions that require voting.  (We understand that our visitors are loyal, but probably not as overwhelming in numbers as some blog audiences.)  This time, however, we were nominated for something that we thought we would try to participate in:

If you enjoy the giveaways, honest reviews, and recall information we provide on Lille Punkin', won't you help us out?  You can click on the badge above and take two seconds to "vote" by clicking on the thumbs up icon.  Your support is appreciated!

Thank you!!