Like Delorme, I dove in without instructions and found my way around.  You have to use instinct and survival skills sometimes (or admit you’re a typical man and have no idea what you are doing and don’t like to ask for directions or having someone tell you to read the manual, so that’s not an option).  Some things I really love, like flipping through different views by scrolling with the mouse.  This makes it so you don’t have to keep going back to a dropdown and selecting, and I always appreciate it when you can expect to find some kind of right click menu or feature without digging around for it in menus.

Setting the route is much like Google Maps or any other online mapping service.  It seems the intention of Streets & Trips 2011 is to bring the online experience with you on the road when you don’t have internet access.  You can also search for nearby services and points of interest, restaurants, lodging, etc.  From the standpoint of how many things have become common to find through free online services like Foursquare, I was a little disappointed to see very little locally showing up so noticed I wasn’t online in a few minutes.  No gas stations, restaurants, parks, libraries, car repair, etc.  I live in a small town so don’t expect a lot of stuff to be here, as you will see it when you drive by and hopefully have a reason to be here to begin with.  But it would be nice to know if I were lost that I could see that a gas station was not too far away.  There are three of four gas stations within 5 miles from me but there’s a lot of roads that go on for 20 miles to get to larger towns.  If someone were on one of those roads and had an emergency, they would only find a campground and a library.  Not real helpful.  Seems like Delorme used to have so many different places, I had to turn them off.  When I zoom in on Streets & Trips, looks like there’s a park where I know there’s a major fuel & food exit on the highway and it’s not there.  These things should show up by default, on the map. 

What I liked the most was the night view.  I’ve driven around a lot of night both by car and truck with my laptop and Delorme Atlas running. I had to make a special theme for my computer and turn the brightness way down so it was distracting.  This looks really good and is darker than I could get it to be and yet since it is an intentional design, the map lights up well in a “night vision green” color.

One thing that will be useful for many who are hauling trailers or moving is the terrain view.  You might want to plan on extra fuel, making sure your brakes are checked before going over the mountains, be ready for snow, and bring extras in case of an emergency.

Planning multiple stops is as easy as it is with Google Maps, of course.

The night view, and how incredibly fast and easy this is to use is well worth the $40.  Like Delorme, you can add a locator to make this a real time GPS.

On the Streets & Trips website, there are videos and a demo if you would like to try it out.  I myself would like to see what Microsoft Map Point is like as I like to feel like I have a complete resource at my fingertips and can plan and research as much as possible before jumping into a trip.  I felt Delorme software delivered that more.

It is really amazing that I haven’t had to get out a real map in more than 5 years thanks to software like Delorme Street Atlas USA and Microsoft Streets & Trips.  $40 is a great deal for this, and being able to download it if you need it tonight for tomorrow’s sudden emergency trip is a convenience that is noteworthy.

I believe they have still have some competition with Delorme especially with the current going prices, but this will appeal to the crowd that likes to use Google Maps and it should run much smoother and faster than Delorme on older laptops.  I hope they continue on this “bring the online world with you” mission and team up with Foursquare to bring a more complete offline experience (maybe with the option to do a post trip check in of all the places you visited?) Foursquare a really useful service to have with you and has recently updated to show me there’s more places even in my hometown than I even knew about.

UPDATE (1/18/2012): I would like to thank Laptop GPS World, who has a forum you can visit for many tips & tricks on using Microsoft Streets & Trips.  I love the idea of a constantly updated POI Megafile (as mentioned in the comments below).

I am one of those people who uses the same bedding forever. the last duvet set I had I am sure I used for at least 5 years. I recently had the chance to review some wonderful quality queen size bedding from a company called Beyond Bedding. They had me choose what I wanted and I went with the Black, Chocolate, and Camel Jacaranda Microsuede 6pc set . This set included 2 shams, 2 throw pillows, a duvet cover and a bed skirt. Here is what it looks like on the site, which is a much prettier room than mine! The colors are also truer than my photos since I had no light aside from my flash.

Isn’t it pretty? I thought so too but when i got it in the mail i was blown away. Honestly I have never slept with such SOFT bedding in my life it feels like a really swanky fancy hotel bedding. SO SOFT. i love the neutral colors too they are so calm and comforting. The duvet cover has about 7 buttons on it to secure your duvet inside it. I have washed this set a few times since testing it out because I wanted to make sure it would hold up in the dryer and it was perfect each time.

The pillows are a great accent, I have never had the extra pillows to fancy up the place but I love them!

And the skirt is suede too and looks fantastic to finish the look!

What I love the most about this bed is that it looks like bedding that costs a fortune but its VERY affordable at just $129 for the entire set. I am just blown away at how changing my bedding can create such a different mood in my room. My husband also loves the new bedding. The only thing I wish is that the set included a matching fitted cotton sheet but I am very pleased with both the quality and design of my new bedding!

I am planning on having an event in March where I will be remodeling both my 8 year old daughter and 3 year old son’s rooms and since I already have my favorites picked out on the Beyond Bedding website, that is the place I will be featuring. They have many selections for Baby Bedding, toddler bedding sets, and you can even Design your own childrens bedding! I think I will probably design my own for them because it sounds like fun!! That and its really hard to get my daughter to actually decide on one design she likes the most in the girls bedding section!

Buy It: You can buy the Jacaranda Microsuede 6pc set and more on the Beyond Bedding website!

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Sample provided to facilitate this review but opinions are my own.

What are your favorite android apps to get you ready for the holidays? What are the apps you have to have for travel, for your kids or shopping?  Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Price Check by Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200371180
• Shopkick: http://www.shopkick.com/app
• Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/apps/
• Lemon: http://lemon.com/download/android/
• Gas Buddy: http://gasbuddy.com/GasBuddyMobileApps.aspx
• Snowflake Live Wallpaper: http://www.appbrain.com/app/snowflakes-live-wallpaper-free/chris.cooper.snowflakes
• Holiday Countdown Widget: http://www.appbrain.com/app/holiday-countdown-widget/com.robotmotives.christmascountdown

Do you have some good Android apps for the Holidays that I don’t know about yet? Let me know!

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Disclosure: As a Verizon Wireless Midwest Mom I am being compensated for this series of posts with Motorola products and Verizon service. The opinions are always my own.

I have been in love with KitchenAid for years. I wanted a stand mixer for so long and then about a year ago, I WON a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer from a blog contest. Then in the spring I worked on a campaign that involved smoothies and I was sent a KitchenAid 3 Speed Blender to make the smoothies. Time went on and right before Thanksgiving this year I finally got to start working directly with KitchenAid and because its one of the 4 Major companies I dreamed of working with I was thrilled beyond belief. My dreams came true and this great company wanted me to help my readers learn about the appliances that can make everyday cooking easier. Not just commercially at my school but at home, like normal moms do. I am going to introduce you to the two newest, hard working members of my family. From KitchenAid, I present the 13 Cup Food Processor, and the newest residential stand mixer, the 7 Qt. Bowl Lift. These arrived for me right before Thanksgiving and I have been using them at least twice a week and now I am ready to tell you about them.

First, the food processor. I have never owned one as a grown adult and as a culinary student that is seriously close to graduating and testing to be a chef, I have good knives and good knife skills so the idea of using something to chop is funny to me. Or it WAS funny until I needed 5 lbs. of potatoes sliced for crock pot scalloped potatoes. It was when I was able to peel those in 2 minutes that I first fell in love.

I used the processor again to crush the pretzels a little for my Strawberry Pretzel Parfait recipe and the strong motor made quick work.

What I love about this processor is that it comes with all the blades you need AND you adjust the thickness without ever having to reach in and mess with the blades. The instructions were super clear. Its so fast too I mean I shredded an entire head of lettuce in minutes. It takes so much prep time away for me that making home meals is faster for my family. I am ok using my knives at school when I am supposed to be making something amazing and gourmet but at home I need to keep it simple.

[tabs slidertype="top tabs" fx="slide"] [tabcontainer] [tabtext]Features[/tabtext] [tabtext]Includes[/tabtext] [/tabcontainer] [tabcontent] [tab]The revolutionary KitchenAid® ExactSlice™ system » First ever externally adjustable slicing easily adjusts from thick to thin Precisely slices all kinds of food – from thin cucumbers to hearty tomatoes Uniquely designed blades and multiple speeds precisely cut even delicate foods The only 3-in-1 Ultra Wide Mouth™ Feed Tube effortlessly slices foods horizontally and handles all sizes of food – small to large Precise slicing for all kinds of food – soft to hard, small to large – and it does it all using less energy* *versus previous model

A cut above » Three blades and two discs provide the versatility you need to slice, shred, knead, chop and puree almost any food – make all your favorites in no time Work uninterrupted with two bowls – 13-Cup Work Bowl and 4-Cup Mini-Bowl – Shred from fine to medium -The storage case organizes and protects blades, discs and accessories [/tab] [tab] 13-Cup (3.0 L)

BPA Free Work Bowl 4-Cup (0.9 L)

BPA Free Mini Bowl,

3-in-1 Ultra Wide Mouth™ Feed Tube

Stainless Steel Multipurpose Blade

Stainless Steel Mini-Multipurpose Blade

Dough Blade
Externally-Adjustable Slicing Disc
Reversible Shredding Disc
Storage Case
Quick Start Guide [/tab] [/tabcontent] [/tabs]

Then there is my newest mixer. I named him Maximilian, Max for short.

He is quite a bit bigger than my Artisan mixer, Rosie…

Features on this mixer that make me love it so much is the bowl lift, I learned the art of bread and pastry making at college in a bowl lift…

It’s also packing a lot of power. This machine I first saw when I was invited to Benton Harbor this past August to stay at the Real Whirled House with 7 other Whirlpool Moms. I got photos of the machine right away before anyone else even arrived. it was love at first site. When they said all the attachments for the Artisan will work in the new mixer I was sold!

[tabs slidertype="top tabs" fx="slide"] [tabcontainer] [tabtext]Features[/tabtext] [tabtext]Includes[/tabtext] [/tabcontainer] [tabcontent] [tab]KitchenAid’s Best Performing Stand Mixer • Our Most Powerful, Quietest Available – 1.3HP high efficiency DC motor is designed to run longer and delivers optimum torque with less heat build-up. Easily handles recipes requiring longer mixing, kneading and whipping times. The all-metal, precise gear design produces a smooth, quiet sound. • Our Longest Lasting – Designed for long life of high performance; backed by 2 year hassle-free replacement warranty. • Our Most Efficient – Advanced feedback control communicates in micro seconds to the motor to ensure optimal power is delivered to the bowl. Largest Capacity Residential Bowl-Lift Available 7-Quart (6.6 L) • Handles 8 ½ lbs of mashed potatoes, 8 ½ loaves of bread, 14 dozen cookies[/tab] [tab]Dishwasher Safe Accessories: Maximize bowl coverage with the stainless steel 11-wire Elliptical Whip, coated metal Flat Beater and Power Knead™ Dough Hook. Handles small and large jobs equally well.

Available Colors:

Candy Apple Red

Medallion Silver

Black Storm
White[/tab] [/tabcontent] [/tabs]

The first thing I did make with the new mixer was a monster batch of pumpkin spiced whipped cream, to go on top of my pumpkin cheesecake! The newer whip is wider than that in the artisan and wipes the sides of the bowl a bit better and more wires means more air gets incorporated into my whipped creams! I have been using this mixer to make a ton of desserts and it is amazing for someone like me who aspires to be a Pastry Chef. I can take this mixer into a commercial setting and be happy as well as using at home it’s that versatile! One thing I need to attack is making bread in the new machine because it was hard to do in the Artisan, the strength when kneading wasn’t enough and my mixer would dance. Now that I have a solid unit I can’t wait to try it. I have to have appliances and equipment that works and I am picky because my life is in commercial food service. I fully endorse both of these appliances, I’ve used them for nearly a month with no problems at all and I LOVE them. I have made tons of cupcakes and butter cream frosting this holiday season andI am so happy I have this large capacity to cover my needs to bake on a production scale for lots of people!

Buy It: You can buy the KitchenAid 13 Cup Food Processor at Amazon for $199.99 and the mixer at Williams-Sonoma for $549.99

For those of you that may be new to guitar instrumental music, which is hard for me to fathom; Chris Brooks’ music may be the type of music you have heard in video games, movie soundtracks, 80s TV shows and cartoons, and workout videos.  I try not to use the term “Beer Commercial Music” because some guitar instrumental can be such.  But this is a more intelligent, and uplifting type of music.  It’s the kind of music that makes you take an extra lap or four around the track, or keeps you going on a late night project after you have lost all steam and motivation.  To me personally, it is deeper than that.  There is a certain touch you have to have with guitar, and being able to play like you mean it.  I could say he “plays with feel,” but that could make you think you are in for a snooze fest.  This isn’t something you will want to play sitting by a fire in your snuggie sipping on hot cocoa, but it’s not going to leave you feeling like a nervous wreck either.  You might even have the whole house picked up and vacuumed before you realize it.  I’m about to start a more intense exercise routine and you bet I’ll be there twice as fast with this music going. 

This is the kind of stuff Bill & Ted were supposed to make.  Some of the greatest music ever that will create peace on earth through rock and roll and sweet guitar licks.  This is the kind of stuff that makes other guitarists stop and listen no matter how good they are. 

I want to play like this when I grow up! -Greg

A lot of people have listened through a lot of guitar instrumental albums over the years, and will know what I am talking about, but the review part of this may seem like “alien speak” to some, so don’t try to understand it until you get through all the “who’s that?” lol. 

Here are my thoughts on the music:

There are so many influences that come out of this.  I think Chris kind of just became every artist I have ever liked to accomplish what is on this album, it’s pretty amazing.  There’s a little bit of Steve Morse, Steve Vai, Richie Kotzen, Greg Howe, Jason Becker, Guthrie Govan, Paul Gilbert, Shawn Lane, Bret Garsed (guest solos on “”In and out of Dreams”), and Rick Graham (who also guest solos on “Feeding the Myth,” and what do you know it but those of you who missed out of the Mike Varney Project get another chance to experience this unearthly fusion ride one more time thanks to Chris and Rick’s love for fusion guitar music).  “Hammer’s Heart” could very well be the track that puts you in the mood for holding someone tight (all guys lose me at this point lol).  It is the kind of song I would have played at my wedding and danced close to my bride, occasionally air guitaring some parts behind her back.  You can tell there’s some emotions going on.  That’s what I love about guitar, is you can really put your feelings into it sometimes and make something beautiful.  “Hammer’s Heart” is that 80s power ballad solo you wish would go on and on and you finally get your wish!    I loved a little known project by a bass guitarist named Randy Coven called CPR (initals of all the band members).  It has these really fun quirky lines and harmonies that almost seemed like notes for a vocalist, but since there wasn’t a vocalist things could be extremely exaggerated (although Bobby McFerrin could have pulled it off I think).  “Transfiguration” seems to have that vibe that I loved in CPR, and also a touch of that Mike Varney Project type fusion that is like elevator music on crack (or Frank Gambale! lol –love him too just sayin’) …I cannot, absolutely cannot fail to mention “Open Doors!”  A tribute to Joey Tafolla’s   “Violation” from the album “Infra Blue” that was pretty much one of my favorite songs from all of the Shrapnel albums during the guitar instrumental explosion of the late 80s/early 90s.  In my short lived career as a truck driver I made a playlist of songs that kept me inspired, uplifted, and made driving enjoyable and the ones that made the cut and I could live with every night over and over for a few years had to be special and Joey’s tune was one of those great songs.  It was not designed to show guitarists how much better Joey was, but as a way to say “while you are all trying to play that scale faster than the other guy, some of us are making music again” and that’s what it’s all about.  There is a lot of “Morse” moments because of the band working together so well with Chris, but moreover he kept his mind on making music and knew when to shred and when to harmonize, build, changeup, let loose, and come back down.  It’s hard to lose interest in this album for me.  It’s like my playlist.  I’ve always been happy with a few tracks to add to my playlist.  I even started buying two or three tracks from albums.  It’s been the norm.  But this…this album is a must have.  The samples just can’t do it justice.  You have to take the ride! …and HOLY LEGATO!!!!!!!! 

Smooth stuff Chris!!! 

On a personal note:

A lot of you know, or will know I also have a soft spot for people that have to struggle and Chris has been through more than a few struggles not only with just getting this album out to begin with (without a major label which is a good thing in the long run but I remember when Chris was looking for support with the costs and I thought “this is insane, it’s Chris Brooks!  What happened to music?”), but it seems like there have been more hospital visits and health concerns popping up than appearances and signings and that just really makes me want to try and do as much as possible to let him know not only is this album a success, but he’s a success as a human being. I don’t think I have seen an artist who is more human, shares his thoughts and responds to fans.  I almost feel at some point there was no longer a fan/celeb response and that he’s become a friend that I just haven’t been able to visit.  I really do hope you all get a chance to get to know him and that you give this music a chance.  Let all of your husbands, friends, and family know about Chris.  Visit his web page and find his music on iTunes or Amazon (personally I like Amazon and it’s a little cheaper but the convenience of ITunes may be your thing).  There’s also a good track preview and linkage to CD Baby on his page.

Chris Brooks’ Official Web Page

Chris has offered to give help us give away two digital downloads and one signed copy of his new album, “The Axis Of All Things.” 

To enter, leave a comment. 

If you are already a fan, or have had some things suddenly slow you down in your own career, leave an uplifting comment for Chris personally and I will be sure he sees them.

You can enter multiple times by liking our Facebook page and following us on Twitter. 

*Highlighting used for visual effect, you are not in a Google search archive!

cute boots!

He was so cute he has paparazzi after him. Ok it was just his dad..but we were fighting to get photos of the cutie pie

I love this set, it really is adorable and lives up to the colorful reputation. The fit is great too as always with this company. If I had to pick something to note I would say the jacket in this line is thinner than the frog line but that could be a design improvement and I know some of the bloggers who reviewed before thought the coat was heavy for little kids to carry. But I am happy with the set the design is colorful and I think the theme is just adorable!

Buy It: From December 5-11 you can get a FREE DRAGON KNIGHT umbrella with the purchase of the $20 or more by using the code DRAGON7. Just make sure you add the umbrella to your cart get a look at the Dragon Knight line by Kidorable by visiting the web site!

First let me show you the insides of the jackets, three of them had similar linings, one was very different but all of these jackets had down filling

#1. GAP

Outer: Polyester

Inner: Polyester

Filling: Down

Inner pocket for music: Adorable, its got cute pink headphones drawn in a  cartoon like fashion.

Hood: Removable (snaps), removable fur trim

Warmth factor – Very warm! The length is my daughter’s favorite

Safety feaatures : none, no reflective patches

Care instructions: Hard to find because the tag and inner are both black so its hard to see.

#2 Land’s End

Outer: Nylon

Inner: Nylon

filling: down

inner pockets: 2

Hood: Removable by zipper, removable fur trim

Room to Grow: Features a 1.5 inch arm length increase for when the coat starts to get short in the arms making this coat last more than one season

Safety features: Reflective rectangle patch and reflective zipper pulls on side pockets

Added bonus: built in hand warmers with thumb hole to add a little warmth in case she forgets her mittens.

Care insrtructions; easy to find and understand

#3. LL. Bean

Outer: Nylon

Inner: Nylon

Filling: Down

inner pockets: 1

Hood: Removeavle (zipper_ with removable fur trim. Also features extra elasticized windbreaker panel near the crown to ad more warmth right at the face, exposing less skin.

Safety features: reflective rectangle patch

Fit: This coat fit the best in the wrists

Care insrtructions; easy to find and understand

#4. J. Crew

Outer: Polyester

Inner: 100% cotton

Filling: Down

Inner pockets : 0

Hood – not removable, no fur trrim

Safety features: None

Closures: Snaps and toggle buttons

Care insrtructions; easy to find and understand

All four coats were warm but one coat stood out for me and that was the Land’s End coat, due to the extra arm length for growing, the even filling with no lumps of feathers anywhere, the rugged quality, the fit and the ease of the zippers. LL Bean nearly won this contest but in the end I chose the best all around package in one and I felt it with Land’s End. There was also a clear loser in the group and that was the J Crew coat for a few reasons. Even though it had down filling, the outer is poly and inner is cotton and together that let cold air through and my daughter felt it. Also this coat only closes with 4 snaps and toggle buttons, no zipper, and its impossible to work the toggles with my daughter’s mittens. She is 8.5 and capable of dressing herself so having to need me to fasten that coat was a turn off. That was my least favorite coat but my daughter likes them all and had fun trying them!

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The Quality Coat Review was a blind review.  In order to give my unbiased opinions, I am unaware of the company that sponsored the effort.  While the opinions are my own, I am being compensated for my time.

I have been a Disney lover since I was a kid myself and now my children love to watch the Disney Channel too. We actually went a few years without any kind of cable so they had to rely on DVD’s but now that we have satellite they can enjoy Disney any time! I was recently invited to check out a show with my 3 year old called Jake and the Never Land Pirates on the Disney Junior. Loosely based on Peter Pan, this cartoon has lots of classic pirate stuff but its friendly, Jake is always trying to be friends with Captain Hook and to help everyone. To me its like a TV-Y rated version of all pirate shows. It makes pirates not scary and at the same time teaches some lessons along the way.

Disney describes the show as:

A music-filled interactive treasure hunt, Jake and the Never Land Pirates introduces a crew of kid pirates – leader Jake and pals Izzy and Cubby – and follows their Never Land adventures as they work to outwit two infamous characters, the one and only Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, from Disney’s classic “Peter Pan.” Along the way, they model teamwork, problem-solving and physical activity, earning gold doubloons as they conquer a variety of tasks.

[learn_more caption="Click Here to Learn More about Jake and the Neverland Pirates"] Since its launch this past February, Disney Junior continues to grow and break all previous records for Disney Channel’s preschool programming! Anchored by hit series, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, cable’s #1 series for Boys 2-5 since its launch and on track to be Disney Channel’s #1 preschool series ever, Disney Junior continues to soar. The show currently is among one of the most co-viewed preschool series, with 45% of moms watching with their preschooler.

A music-filled interactive treasure hunt, Jake and the Never Land Pirates introduces a crew of kid pirates – leader Jake and pals Izzy and Cubby – and follows their Never Land adventures as they work to outwit two infamous characters, the one and only Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, from Disney’s classic “Peter Pan.” Along the way, they model teamwork, problem-solving and physical activity, earning gold doubloons as they conquer a variety of tasks. The series features original “pirate rock” music performed by Sharky and Bones of The Never Land Pirate Band.

Coming up next for Jake and the Never Land Pirates is a December holiday episode, to be followed in January by the debut of the first-ever 45-minute series special and season two of the series. In the holiday episode of Jake and the Never Land Pirates, titled It’s A Winter Never Land! / Hook On Ice, Jake, Izzy and Cubby awake to find that Peter Pan has left the crew some presents and a tree to celebrate Winter Treasure Day, and Captain Hook invites Jake and the crew on a winter treasure hunt. The episode premieres FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 (8:30-9:00 a.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.

Moms have spoken and Disney Junior is listening… We talk to thousands of parents of 2-7 year olds every year. We’ve heard from moms that they want more Disney programming for their younger children made available throughout the day, especially during those later afternoon/early evening hours when they need it most while making dinner and unwinding from the day. The result – a brand new standalone 24-hour Disney Junior channel will launch in early 2012. (The current Disney Junior programming block, which launched in February 2011 on Disney Channel, airs weekdays from 4:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., ET/PT and weekends from 4:00–9:00 a.m., ET/PT.)

Disney Junior reflects the emotional connection generations of consumers have to Disney, exemplified by programming that blends Disney’s unparalleled ability to make you feel something in your heart through its timeless storytelling and beloved characters, both classic and contemporary. The multiplatform brand also includes specific learning components, such as early math and language skills, as well as healthy eating and lifestyles, with an emphasis on social and emotional development. For more information on Disney Junior and Jake and the Never Land Pirates, visit www.DisneyJunior.com. [/learn_more]

Today, December 2nd, the holiday episode aired. This particular episode was a hit with my kid and to be honest I thought he would be so bored but he wanted to watch it over and over! He understood the story which is remarkable and i loved it because in the end, even when Captain Hook was not so nice, he still got a Christmas present because somebody cared about him!

Ever since Disney sent us a gift pack with Jake DVD’s and a cd and other items my son has asked me to watch Jake and the Never Land Pirates in the morning and I feel good about letting him watch the show. I am surprised at how much we both love the show! Disney plans to launch a standalone Disney Junior network in 2012 and I know both my younger kids are loving it.

Please check out the Jake and the Never Land Pirates series on Disney Junior (Daily 8:30-9 a.m. EST/PST!!

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This blog received promotional items in addition to preview dvd’s to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

I have horrible, disgusting metal and lime filled water from a well that I truly believe needs to be replaced. I am not the homeowner I rent so I its not something I am able to fix. In the meantime its crucial that we have clean water to drink so we drink filtered or spring water. The problem is that because we are busy, bottled water is most convenient. Well between 2 adults, a teen and a tween we are filling the landfill since we don’t get recycle services here. I am not cool with that so when Mom Central contacted me about trying the new Filtrete Water Station I was excited. Why? IT COMES WITH REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES!

Basically, the round top houses the water filter and you can fill it right at the tap. the bottles fit into the bottom of that with water tight seals and amazingly enough, there is no spilling when you pull the water bottle off, the hole seals until you put another bottle in. There is also a lid on top that covers the top so that if you fill the top it keeps stuff out of the water and you can just fill the bottles without taking it to the faucet. The bottles all come with an attached cap that is colored for ease of identification, a huge plus because we lose caps constantly.

To be honest I didn’t think this things would get used much. We have tried every single filter under the sun including an electric ion light cleaning one and for one reason or another everything just gets chucked. I have filled this gadget 23 times since I got it, I use it THAT much. My husband drinks a lot of water and sometimes we fill the bottles 3 times a day. We get so dehydrated in the winter so its not surprising. This is one product I am glad we got to try because imagining the amount of plastic bottles we would be going through is crazy. A minimum of 60 bottles a month easy. Not any more!

Buy It: The Filtrete Water Station retails for $38 and the filter refills are $11, both available at Amazon. The colored cap bottles can also be purchased for $20 for a 2 pack.

Disclosure : I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Filtrete and received a product sample to facilitate my review. Opinions are my own.

Isn’t she just the cutest? This is my beautiful daughter Alyssa. I happened to be working with The Children’s Place when the very same night she came up to me and told me she needed a new hat because the ear from her current hat had fallen off. She loved that hat, perhaps a little too much. At any rate, I received a $25 gift card from TCP to go shopping and what better timing, it was time to get my girl a hat. The problem is I didn’t stop there!

I started with the hat, mittens and scarf – which you can get all three on sale for under $25 right now!

(hat – $6.96, scarf – $9.06, mittens – $6.26)

And then I caught site of the Fair Isle fleece hoodie and had to have it for her. It comes in pink too as well as the hat.scarf and mittens, but for my girl she is best in blues and purples. I decided to get the hoodie and the matching purple fleece pants and then just had to add a shirt. As an homage to her guitar playing dad, I chose the short with a butterly pattern with the guitar in the middle. It matches all the colors but it rocks because of the guitar.

(hoodie – $10, pants – $10, shirt – $7)

All together all six pieces can be bought for just under $60 which isn’t bad since the hoodie, pants and shirt can be worn with other pieces to make more outfits.

As you can see it made for  an adorable and warm outfit for my girl!! I also bought a hat and mittens for my 3 year old. He is scared of the hat (its a shark). He refuses to wear it, I think I might have to replace it with a mohawk hat, on sale for less than $5!!