Johnson's Baby Shower

From Mom Central: Whether for a first-time or experienced Mom, throwing a baby shower means taking part in the celebration of a pregnancy, doting on an expectant friend or family member, and helping to ensure she has all the tools and tips needed for the arrival of a new baby. Johnson's understands the challenges of baby shower gift-giving and planning and came up with ideas utilizing their trusted, traditional, baby products.

Johnson's Baby essentials such as PINK Baby Lotion, Gold Baby Shampoo, Head-To-Toe Wash, and Desitin rank high on this list of frequently requested baby staples. All these products provide a first-time Mom with the essentials she needs from day one in addition to making an experienced Mom's hectic routine easier by serving several purposes. For example, did you know Johnson's Baby Powder doubles as a deodorant or a dry shampoo to remove oils and grease in a hurry? Moms could also consider saving space when traveling by using the same shampoo as their baby or by using baby oil as shaving cream.

Lastly, Johnson's recently expanded its Bedtime line with a new Bedtime Bubble Bath & Wash formulated with Naturalcalm essences, a unique blend of soothing aromas to help babies sleep better, the perfect touch to baby shower gift baskets.

"Turn bath time into fun time! JOHNSON'S® Baby Bubble Bath & Wash is an all-new formula combining big, bubblin' fun with a hypoallergenic, extra gentle baby wash. No need to save bubbles for special occasions; this dermatologist and pediatrician tested formula is gentle enough to use everyday." (Bonus: click this link to find a $1.00 off coupon)

My take: It's been a LONG time since I've had a baby, since my kiddos are 5 and 7 now. That doesn't stop me from using Johnson and Johnson's baby products though, both for them AND for me! So I was very happy to receive bottles of JOHNSON'S® Baby Lotion, JOHNSON'S® HEAD-TO-TOE® Baby Wash, JOHNSON'S® Baby BEDTIME® Bubble Bath & Wash, DESITIN® Maximum Strength Original Paste, Johnson’s Gold Shampoo, JOHNSON'S® Baby Oil - Baby Skin Care, and JOHNSON'S® Baby Powder (find coupons here for $1.00 off several of the products). I promptly handed off the LOTION, DESITIN, BABY OIL and BABY POWDER to a co-worker with a young baby. The BABY WASH, BUBBLE BATH, and SHAMPOO I kept for my kiddos as you don't have to be a baby to love these products - I've been using them on my "babies" since birth. We love the smell of the bubble bath and it still soothes and calms them for bedtime. The wash and shampoo get them incredibly clean without any residue on their sensitive skin. I even still use the BABY OIL as a temporary tattoo remover! Really, to our family, Johnson & Johnson products are just a staple not only for us, but for great gifts for expectant friends. If you've never tried them, what are you waiting for? Grab those coupons above and pick some up for yourself today!

Bonus: Look on this page (lower left corner) for a FREE downloadable Baby Bathtime Fun Guide from JOHNSON’S® and ZERO TO THREE® (one each for the four different stages in baby’s development: 6-12 months; 12-18 months; 18-24 months; 24-30 months).

*JOHNSON'S® is a registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc.

This review was sponsored by
Mom Central

(which means: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Johnson’s and received samples of Johnson’s Baby products to facilitate my review.” )

Brava, Valentine

Brava, Valentine
by Adriana Trigiani

List Price: $25.99
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (February 9, 2010)
Language: English

From the publisher: Following on the heels of the New York Times bestseller Very Valentine (hailed by People magazine as “Sex and the City meets Moonstruck”). Award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker Adriana Trigiani returns with Brava, Valentine, continuing the heartwarming and hilarious story of Valentine Roncalli, her family, her love life, and the Angelini Shoe Company.

Book Description (from the publisher): Adriana Trigiani's bestselling novels are beloved by millions of readers around the world. From the Big Stone Gap series to Lucia, Lucia, each is a sumptuous treat as Trigiani tells hilarious and romantic stories that we want to return to again and again.

Very Valentine, an instant New York Times bestseller, introduced the contemporary family saga of the Roncalli and Angelini families, artisans of handcrafted wedding shoes in Greenwich Village since 1903.

As Brava, Valentine begins, snow falls like glitter over Tuscany at the wedding of her grandmother, Teodora, and longtime love, Dominic. Valentine's dreams are dashed when Gram announces that Alfred, "the prince," Valentine's only brother and nemesis, has been named her partner at Angelini Shoes. Devastated, Valentine falls into the arms of Gianluca, a sexy Tuscan tanner who made his romantic intentions known on the Isle of Capri. Despite their passion for one another and Gianluca's heartfelt letters, a long-distance relationship seems impossible.

As Valentine turns away from romance and devotes herself to her work, mentor and pattern cutter June Lawton guides her through her power struggle with Alfred, while best friend and confidante Gabriel Biondi moves into 166 Perry Street, transforming her home and point of view. Savvy financier Bret Fitzpatrick, Valentine's first love and former fiancée who still carries a torch for her, encourages Valentine to exploit her full potential as a designer and a business woman with a plan that will bring her singular creations to the world.

A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Valentine from the winding streets of Greenwich Village to the sun-kissed cobblestones of Buenos Aires, where she finds a long-buried secret hidden deep within a family scandal. Once unearthed, the truth rocks the Roncallis and Valentine is determined to hold her family together. More so, she longs to create one of her own, but is torn between a past love that nurtured her, and a new one that promises to sustain her.

Brava, Valentine, Trigiani's best novel yet, delivers a hilarious and poignant mix of colorful worlds and unforgettable characters as only she can create them.

My take: In a word, BRAVA (to Ms. Trigiani)! I was new to this series (and to Ms. Trigiani's writing) so the publisher was kind enough to send me both Very Valentine and Brava, Valentine to read. And let me tell you, it's a good thing we were snow bound when I sat down to read them because I didn't get up (not quite literally, but you know what I mean) until I had devoured both books. My husband is Italian so maybe that's why I'm so fascinated by the culture, but besides reading the vivid descriptions of the parts of Italy visited by Valentine (including the Isle of Capri - a beautiful location my husband and I were lucky enough to visit a few years ago), I thoroughly enjoyed the whole story. I loved the very independent, very determined Valentine as the protagonist (really, who doesn't love a strong female lead who knows she doesn't need a man to make her life complete but a little love never hurt anyone :-). The characters were so well developed, the story line so detailed, I felt like I was living right in NY with Valentine. I felt like Gabriel was my best friend too and Gianluca was my true love. Now I'm breathlessly waiting for book 3 to see how Ms. Trigiani pulls off what I can only see as the impossible conclusion (truly, it's a cliffhanger in Brava, Valentine). This book is so good in fact, that the only thing I didn't like about it was the constant reference to it being set in 2010. Why? Because the first book in the series, Very Valentine, if my memory serves me, was set in 2008. And yet this book purports to pick up right where Very Valentine left off, with the wedding of Valentine's grandmother. Overlook that small issue and you've got the beginnings of a great trilogy to while away the winter with.

About the author: Adriana Trigiani is beloved by millions of readers around the world for her hilarious and heartwarming novels. She was raised in a small coal-mining town in southwest Virginia in a big Italian family. Trigiani chose her hometown for the setting and title of her debut novel, the critically acclaimed and bestselling Big Stone Gap, which was followed by the sequels Big Cherry Holler, Milk Glass Moon, and the fall 2006 release Home to Big Stone Gap. Lucia, Lucia, The Queen of the Big Time, and Rococo were all instant New York Times bestsellers. Adriana also teamed up with her family for Cooking with My Sisters, which was cowritten by her sister Mary, with contributions from their sisters and mother. The cookbook-memoir features recipes and stories dating back a hundred years from both sides of their Italian-American family. Trigiani's novels have been translated and sold in over 30 countries around the world.

This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the books for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary books (paperbacks of Very Valentine and Brava, Valentine).

K-Y Brand

From Mom Central: Juggling work, errands, household chores and taking care of our kids often leaves us feeling exhausted, and makes the thought of trying to fit in any relationship time seem impossible. After a long day, finding time for your spouse or partner – and making the most of those few moments – doesn't always come easily. It's important that all couples maintain healthy relationships, which can start with enhancing the short time they do have together by exploring fun, unique ways that celebrate their special connection.

This February, K-Y Brand is introducing its new Couples Place Web site, a resource for couples looking to strengthen their connection. The site will feature advice and commentary from the nation's leading relationship and sexual health experts. Site visitors can also enter in a contest to be selected as "America's Top Couple." The winning couple will receive a trip to New York City to participate in a professional photo shoot and be featured in a national magazine.

Additionally, in recent years K-Y Brand has launched intimacy enhancement products to further help couples make the most of their connection behind the bedroom door, like Yours + Mine couples lubricant and Intense arousal gel for her.

My take: Like many of you, I'm stretched thin with obligations. I have a full time job outside the home, I am the main "homemaker" at home (though my husband does his share of chores too), I have two kids and all of their homework and activities, etc., etc. We even have a dog too! No wonder my husband and our marriage sometime get the short end of the stick. That's why I love Valentine's Day - it's a visible reminder on the calendar to me that I need to make time for THE most important person in my life - my husband. After all, if we hadn't met, fallen and love and gotten married, I wouldn't even HAVE most of the rest of my life that keeps me so busy, happy and fulfilled. So this Valentine's Day, I encourage all of you to do the same - take some time to work on your relationship with your significant other, even if it's already "perfect" - and be sure to check out the new K-Y Brand products too. And don't forget to look up the new Couples Place Web site on Facebook for ideas on how to do just that (not to mention, don't forget to enter to win the "America's Top Couple" contest - a trip to NYC - how awesome would that be?!) - if you are on Facebook all day frequently like I am, it couldn't be easier to check them out.

This review was sponsored by
Mom Central

(which means: “I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of K-Y Brand and received samples of the Yours + Mine and Intense products. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to Global Giving to thank me for taking the time to participate.” )

*K-Y®Brand INTENSE™ and K-Y® Brand YOURS + MINE™ are registered trademarks of McNEIL-PPC, Inc.

Walmart Game Time (giveaway)

From Mom Central: Whether you love rooting for your favorite team, the commercials, the half-time show, or just hanging out with friends and family, the SuperBowl has something for everyone. This year Walmart helps ensure that we Moms can provide great game-time snacks for the ultimate SuperBowl XLIV celebration by coming up with a whole party for as low as $44!

With Walmart’s low prices, Moms can afford to host a big get-together without the stress of having to cut corners. Walmart’s game-time snacks for as low as $44 includes one package of Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs, one package of Johnsonville Bratwursts, two packages of Great Value Hot Dog Buns, two boxes of T.G.I Friday’s Frozen Appetizers, one Hormel Supreme Party Tray, a 12” Chocolate Chunk cookie and two boxes of Nabisco Wheat Thins or Triscuit Crackers.

And, in addition to offering savings on snacks and groceries, Walmart offers full home entertainment installation packages ranging from $99 to $200, guaranteeing your family’s new HDTV set up works perfectly in time for the big game. Head to Walmart's Game Time website for creative ways to get ready for the game, tips on planning your party on a budget and great recipes for all your guests.

My take: My husband and I used to host a Superbowl party each year but for some reason we stopped. I think some of it was because of the expense. But now with Walmart, we can't use that excuse anymore. Just look at all you can get for the party for just $44! How about you? Do you host a party for Superbowl? What do you serve? Do you go out and buy a new TV (superscreen size) for the big game? Are you like me and watch the game just for the commercials? Whatever the reason, I love Superbowl Sunday and with Walmart, I can enjoy the game with friends without spending a "super" amount of money.

The giveaway: One lucky winner (US address only please) will win a $50 Walmart gift card to create your own Ultimate Game Time Party Playbook!

To win: Visit Walmart's Game Time and come back here and leave me a comment telling me the name of one of their Game Time recipes! For a second entry (use a separate comment), leave a money-saving tip when feeding a crowd (such as a Superbowl party!) or just tell me one of your favorite Superbowl memories. Be sure to leave your email address with your comment if you are not a blogger or your email is not easily found on your blog. This giveaway is only open until 11:59 p.m., EST, Friday, February 5, 2010 since the Big Game is on Sunday!Good Luck!

Bonus entries: Get up to 6 extra entries for a total of 8 entries (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):
• Blog about this giveaway (don't forget to leave the link in your comment)
• Twitter, Stumble or Digg this giveaway
• Subscribe to my blog via RSS or Email (see top left sidebar)
• Add my blog to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar (leave your website address for verification)
• On Technorati - click on this link, then on Fan or Fav (or use the green link on the top left sidebar)
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This review was sponsored by
Mom Central

(which means: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Walmart. In addition, I received a Walmart gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate and one to offer as a giveaway.” )

Mom Central's Valentine's Day Gift Guide

From Mom Central: The flurry of red, white, and pink cupid and heart cut-out decorations abound in stores and classrooms signals the rapid approach of Valentine’s Day. If choosing a thoughtful gift to display your affection to your Valentine sends you into a panic, turn to Mom Central’s second annual Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for an array of gift suggestions for men, women, and kids. In addition to using it as a resource for gift ideas, you can enter to win giveaways each week for all of the featured products!

Three of the exciting giveaways include:

Frederick’s of Hollywood: Frederick’s of Hollywood creates beautiful and sophisticated lingerie to help women feel sexy and confident in their own skin. Re-ignite the romance in your life and treat yourself- and your significant other- with special lingerie this Valentine’s Day and beyond.

Perry Ellis Platinum Cologne: High-end fashion company Perry Ellis has launched their own line of men’s fragrances, and Perry Ellis Platinum Label stands as the crown jewel of this catalog. This intricate blend of bamboo, mandarin, rosemary, violet, lavender, and cedar wood can be only be described as completely addictive and endlessly seductive.

Chocri Customizable Chocolate bars: Take the quintessential Valentine’s Day gift of chocolate one step further with Chocri Chocolates, and move beyond your typical candy experience with customizable chocolate bars. Start with a base of milk, dark, or white chocolate and choose up to 5 toppings from more than 90 different mix-ins to create a truly unique confection to your Valentine.

My take: The Mom Central Valentine's Day Gift Guide and Giveaways runs from February 1 through 14. With all those prizes, I'm you're sure to find something you'd love for you or your valentine!

This review was sponsored by
Mom Central

(which means: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central. Mom Central entered my name in a random drawing to win a gift to thank me for taking the time to participate. Otherwise, I received no compensation for this post.”)

The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship

The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship
by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel
List Price: $24.99
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper (November 24, 2009)
Language: English

From the publisher: Loyalty, loss, and the ties that bind. These are the ingredients of The Recipe Club, a "novel cookbook" that combines an authentic story of friendship with more than 80 delicious recipes.

Lilly and Val are lifelong friends, united as much by their differences as by their similarities. Lilly, dramatic and confident, lives in the shadow of her beautiful, wayward mother and craves the attention of her distant, disapproving father. Val, shy and idealistic—and surprisingly ambitious— struggles with her desire to break free from her demanding housebound mother and a father whose dreams never seem to come true.

In childhood, "LillyPad" and "ValPal" form an exclusive two-person club, writing intimate letters in which they share hopes, fears, deepest secrets—and recipes, from Lilly's "Lovelorn Lasagna" to Valerie's "Forgiveness Tapenade." Readers can cook along as the friends travel through time facing the challenges of independence, the joys and heartbreaks of first love, and the emotional complexities of family relationships, identity, mortality, and goals deferred.

The Recipe Club sustains Lilly and Val's bond through the decades, regardless of what different paths they take or what misunderstandings threaten to break them apart . . . until the fateful day when an act of kindness becomes an unforgivable betrayal.

Now, years later, while trying to recapture the trust they've lost, Lilly and Val reunite once more—only to uncover a shocking secret. Will it destroy their friendship, or bring them ever closer?

My take: I am a true bibliophile - there are not many books I don't like. I also love recipes and have quite a collection of recipe books. I'm also forever sharing recipes with friends. So when I received a copy of a The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship I knew this was a book I'd enjoy. I just didn't know how much. This cleverly written book pairs the letters between friends Val and Lilly with recipes they share through the years. As their friendship grows and deepens and becomes more complex, so do the recipes. They even name the recipes to match the emotions they are dealing with. Most of the book consists of the correspondence between the friends (from their childhood) up to the present day, with a recipe printed beside the letter. The recipes appear just as if they were handwritten and include illustrations drawn by "the girls." Truly the book is printed to look exactly like you are looking at a stack of the real letters - very unique. The story of the girls' friendship will move you to tears and lead to the laughter and back again. If you have any life long friends, I'm sure you will find much of yourself and your friend within Lilly and Val. Truly, The Recipe Club is one of the best books I've read. A gripping and compelling story I highly recommend.

Bonus: Be sure to visit The Recipe Book online to ask "Val" and "Lilly" your questions, read the "Food & Friendship Blog," join their recipe club, and more!

About the authors: ANDREA ISRAEL (left) is a producer/writer for ABC’s Focus Earth. She was a producer/writer for Anderson Cooper 360, Dateline, and Good Morning America (which garnered her an Emmy Award). Her story, “In Donald’s Eyes,” was optioned for a film. She is the author of Taking Tea, a guide to the history and ceremony of the drink. Her writing has appeared in many publications.

NANCY GARFINKEL (right) is co-author of The Wine Lover’s Guide to the Wine Country: The Best of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino. A writer, design consultant, creative strategist, and editor for a wide range of magazine, corporate, and non-profit clients, she has won a host of graphic arts and editorial merit awards. She has written extensively about food and graphic arts.

This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the book for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary book.

Adventure of Meno (review and giveaway)

ADVENTURE OF MENO
by Tony and Angela DiTerlizzi
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 6, 2009
$9.99/Ages 1-5
Book One: BIG FUN! Book Two: WET FRIEND!

From the PR Firm: Campy humor, retro art and simple-yet-sweet adventures are the hallmarks of the first two books in the Adventure of Meno series by Tony Diterlizzi and his wife Angela. Published by Simon & Schuster and “Presented in Vibrant Meno-Color”, kids and kids at heart will love cuddling up together and giggling as they get to know space elf Meno (“I Am Meno, Elf of Space, Here to Visit Human Race!”) and his best friends Yamagoo and Wishi in the first two titles in the series: Big Fun! and Wet Friend!

To get just a taste of the series that Publisher’s Weekly calls “A preschool epic so polished that it looks untouched by human hands” and PixieStix.com describes as “the …clean layout, punchy full bleed art, and bouncy text add up to a high-style package that will be equally at home on a children’s bookshelf or a pop-culture lover’s coffee table” please visit http://www.planetmeno.com/.

This six-book series about Meno, a nostalgically modern space-elf and his out-of-this-world adventures, by award winning author/illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi and his wife Angela, will have kids and parents excited for each and every adventure. Each story is told with bright illustrations in nonsensical language, as if it were translated from Meno's Alien language into English. As childlike as they are sweet, these stories find humor in the simplest places, and are a delight to readers both young and old.

In book one, Big Fun!, tots and their lucky parents join Meno and his best friend Yamagoo, and find out what Meno thinks is the biggest fun of all!

In Meno’s second adventure, Wet Friend!, Meno and Yamagoo decide they want a “friend trio” and, thanks to their wish-granting friend Wishi, get some out-of-the-ordinary choices along the way.

My take: We received both book 1 and book 2, as well as the Meno blanket you see above. Before I talk about the books, let me just tell you how much I love that blanket - it is the softest blanket I have ever felt and add on that cute little Meno on there and I swear I wanted to start carrying it around (alas, my daughter beat me too it). My 5 year old daughter and I sat down to read the books together one night last week. At first, I found the word choice (some nonsensical words) and structure to be a bit jarring but then I realized it was meant to be that way ("Each story is told ...in nonsensical language, as if it were translated from Meno's Alien language into English"). It didn't seem to bother my daughter at all (a non-reader) so we plowed on and ended up really enjoying both books (what helped and was really cool was there was a dictionary of sorts in the back of both books with "translations" such as "moo-juice" being milk). The illustrations are bright and really pop off the page; to me they were drawn reminiscent of an old-fashioned style, not seen (at least by me) since the old cartoons like Yogi Bear and the Flintstones. And we both enjoyed the simple story lines about friendship (and I appreciated the David Hasselhoff joke though my daughter had no clue why I was laughing so hard). All in all, I think these books are most suited for children 1 to 5 or so when they start to read themselves.

About the authors: Award-winning author and illustrator, Tony DiTerlizzi, has been creating books with Simon & Schuster for over a decade. From his fanciful picture books like, Jimmy Zangwow’s Out-of-this-World Moon Pie Adventure, G is for One Gzonk! and The Spider & The Fly (2003 Caldecott Honor), to young chapter books like the New York Times best-seller, Kenny and The Dragon, Tony always imbues his stories with a rich imagination. His middle-grade series, The Spiderwick Chronicles (co-created with Holly Black), has sold millions of copies and has been adapted into a feature film. Tony grew up in South Florida, and lives in Amherst, Massachusetts with his wife, Angela, and their daughter. Visit Tony at www.diterlizzi.com.

Angela DiTerlizzi is an up-and-coming author within Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. In addition, to the Adventure of Meno series, Angela's picture book Say What? comes out from Beach Lane Books in Spring 2011. She lives with Tony and their daughter in Amherst, MA.

The giveaway: One lucky winner will win an amazing package of signed copies of both Big Fun! and Wet Friend! and a custom made Wishi blanket (see picture below of the winning package) (US ADDRESS ONLY PLEASE).

To win: Visit Planet Meno and come back here and leave me a comment telling me the name of Meno's home planet (hint, click on Meno's face in the bottom left corner). Be sure to leave your email address with your comment if you are not a blogger or your email is not easily found on your blog. This giveaway is open until 11:59 p.m., EST, Monday, February 8, 2010. Good Luck!

Bonus entries: Get up to 6 extra entries for a total of 7 entries (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):
• Blog about this giveaway (don't forget to leave the link in your comment)
• Twitter, Stumble or Digg this giveaway
• Subscribe to my blog via RSS or Email (see top left sidebar)
• Add my blog to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar (leave your website address for verification)
• On Technorati - click on this link, then on Fan or Fav (or use the green link on the top left sidebar)
• Follow me on Blogger (see top left sidebar)

This post was written for Media Masters Publicity who provided the items for review and giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary products.