Funky Monkey Snacks Review and Giveaway

I whole-heartedly believe that one of my main responsibilities as a mother is to make sure my children eat healthy. I believe that if I start them off at a young age introducing them to nutrious foods, then they will have the tools to make the right choices later in life.

Finding healthy snacks is becoming easier and more fun every day with companies becoming more creative with the products they are offering. Funky Monkey Snacks is one of these companies who has "combined the great taste and nutrition of fresh fruit with the crunch and convenience of your favorite snacks...Each ounce of Funky Monkey Snacks contains 3 servings of real fruit and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or perservatives."

We had the chance to sample their 3 new flavors: Applemon, Pink Pineapple, and Mango OJ.

Kora loved these snacks, she gobbled up the Pink Pineapple in no time. I have to be honest here, I'm not sure if she loved this flavor best because of the taste or because the word "pink" was in the name! She did enjoy the Applemon as well, so I have to say that she liked the snacks.

Logan (our resident picky eater), liked the Applemon. It took him awhile to get used to the texture, but that's nothing new for him, once he did he liked it too.

Just a note here: Kora posed like this with no prompting or examples, maybe I've been watching a bit too much Price is Right lately!

Logan was trying to imitate Kora to the best of his almost 3-year-old ability.

Win It!
Funky Monkey is offering an entire case (12 pouches) of Funky Monkey Snacks to one reader of 2 Toddlers and Me.

To enter: Leave a comment below and let me know you want to be entered.

Extra entries in seperate comments:

- Follow my blog publicly or tell me that you do
- Follow me on Twitter and tweet this giveaway
- Subscribe to 2 Toddlers and Me by Email or RSS or tell me that you already do
- Grab my button for your blog or tell me that you already have it (3 extra entries)
- Blog about this giveaway and link it back to this post (5 extra entries)

Rules:
Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only. Must be 18 years of age or older. Giveaway ends Saturday, December 19th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. Must have a valid email in blog profile or leave email in comments. I will notify the winner in a post and by email. If the winner doesn't respond in 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Winner will receive their prize directly from the company.

Thank you to Funky Monkey for providing my family with Funky Monkey Snacks for the review. No other compensation was received for this review. The opinions are mine, yours may be different.

Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving

Did you know in 2008 impaired driving killed one person every 40 seconds?

That one person could be your daughter or your son. Your granddaughter or grandson.

One of the most heart wrenching car accident stories I have ever heard, belongs to that of Abby Rike who was on this season's Biggest Loser. In October 2006 Abby lost her husband, her 5-1/2-year-old daughter and her 2-1/2-week-old son in a fatal car collision.

Although the crash was not caused by a drunk driver, but instead by high speed, the story affected me greatly. I couldn't imagine how this woman who had lost her entire family at the hands of one irresponsible young man, could still be walking around let alone be an inspiration.

Since hearing Abby's story, I have made it a goal to, whenever possible, spread the word about safe driving.

Today, I'm sharing info from Global Influence and the Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving Campaign. Please take 2 minutes out of your busy day today to read and consider the following.

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It's holiday party season - time to celebrate all of the exciting winter holidays with our friends and loved ones. Our mailboxes are flooded with invitations to parties and dinners and other holiday get-togethers. With these parties come food, fellowship, gifts, and in many cases, festive alcoholic drinks.

In 2008, nearly 12,000 people in the U.S. were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes - and during the periods around Christmas and New Year's, this number was particularly high, with 316 people killed in alchol-impaired driving crashes.

You can't help but wonder if lives could have been saved if people thought twice before getting behind the wheel. With the holidays approaching, it's important that drivers be reminded about the dangers of buzzed driving. Who knows...it could save a life.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Ad Council are asking everyone to drive smart this holiday season and to pledge not to drive buzzed.

Please visit Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving on Facebook to get the latest updates and news. You can also visit the Buzzed Driving website where readers can sign a pledge to not drive buzzed, play an interactive game which demonstrates the difference between buzzed and drunk, and hear personal stories from people who have driven buzzed.

Follow @buzzeddriving on Twitter and join the live Twitter chat on Tuesday, December 15th from 2 -3pm EST where you can ask NHTSA experts questions about buzzed driving prevention.

While at holiday events, it's easy to lose track of a drink here or there - but this can be fatal. This holiday season, keep you, your family, and others safe by saving the number of your local taxi company in your cell phone.

Don't be ashamed to use it. Remember, this simple act could save a life.

Have a safe and happy holiday and remember that Buzzed Driving IS Drunk Driving.

2 Giveaway Winners and Toddler Talk

There were 10 entries in the BJ's Wholesale Club $25 Gift Card Giveaway and Random.org chose entry #9, which is ffoodfun at A Savvy Coupon Mommy. Congrats!

There were 30 entries in the 3 Pairs of Seamless Socks Giveaway. Random.org selected entry #2 which is Susan at Susan Fobes' Family Formula. Congrats to you too!

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Now for some cute Toddler Talk:

The other day Kora was looking at our wedding picture and this is what she had to say about it:

"Mommy, remember when you were a princess and Daddy was a king and danced with you? And he loved you so much. And I wish I was in the picture too. You were so beautiful when you were a princess."

More Toddler Talk:

Just today Logan informed Kora:

"I'm Jack and your Jill. Let's go, Jill!"

We're not done yet, more Toddler Talk:

The other day I was taking the kids to the gym and dropping them off in the gym daycare. It was snowing very, very lightly but the kids were so excited about it...like jumping up and down, shouting about it.

By the time we left the gym to go back home, the snow had stopped. They were crushed. Kora was whining that she wished it would snow again.

And then all of sudden it started snowing. She was ecstatic.

"Mommy, it's snowing! Now Santa can come! Now he will be able to fly his sleigh and land his reindeer in the snow! It snowed because I wished for it! It's magic!!"

Then to infuse our morning with even more holiday spirit, on the way home we passed Santa Claus holding a sign advertising a plumbing business.

"Mommy!" (This was shouted at an ear-piercingly cute decibel)

"It's Santa! It snowed and he came! He came because I wished for snow!" All this said as she waved energetically to Santa while we turned the corner and headed for home.

Favorite Post Friday

It's been awhile since I last posted Favorite Post Friday. If you're new to my blog - Welcome! Here's the details on the meme that I promise to be more consistent with.

The purpose of Favorite Post Friday is to recognize remarkable blog writing and to showcase posts that have touched me in some way or made me laugh out loud.

This week's selection is from Teresa and Too Many Heartbeats. A portion of the post is not her own, but originally comes from Invisible Awareness Week and was posted in July. This makes it an unusual selection for Favorite Post Friday, but it is such a powerful post I wanted to share it with you.

Have you ever flashed a dirty look or made a snide remark to someone who has parked in a handicapped space but looks normal? Then you must read this week's Favorite Post: Can Those With and Invisible Illness Park in a Blue Spot Without Others Seeing Red?

If you're reading this and it's no longer Friday, never fear. You can always participate. I love to find new blogs and read well-written posts, so go ahead and share them no matter the day. And if you think you've written a wonderful post, you are more than welcome to select yourself and your post for Favorite Post Friday.

I look forward to visiting your blogs and reading your Favorite Posts.

Holiday Reflections

The Christmas season always finds me reminiscing of holidays and birthdays past. Since both Kora and Logan's birthdays sandwich Christmas we do a lot of celebrating around here. I was looking at some Christmas and birthday photos yesterday and remembering how difficult it was when they were little. Life has gotten so much easier with them, they don't need my full attention any more and they often play together for ages on end.

Although this makes me incredibly happy to not be their sole source of entertainment, I do miss the little babies they once were. I sometimes even miss making all their decisions for them. They now have opinions about what clothes they will wear, what food they will eat, and what books they want to read.

I enjoy getting to know them more and more every day, but sometimes I miss doing the little things like shopping for crib bedding. I remember how much time and though I put into picking out Kora's nursery. It really turned out beautifully and now it has become a typically toddler room filled with pink princesses and Dora. But it is what she loves, and it makes her who she is and that makes me happy.

I love the holidays and all the reflections and memories they provide. I love my babies, whether they are actually babies or rambuctious toddlers. I love the excitement in their eyes at this time of year. It all really makes me enjoy the holidays so much more.

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Changing subjects a bit. I have an exciting product review coming up in the next week or so! Stay tuned for details. In the meantime, if you want to take any guesses as to what it might be you can visit:
http://www.csn.com/
http://www.csnbaby.com/

Merry SITSmas!

It's SITsmas over at SITS, or The Secret is in the Sauce, an amazing site dedicated to connecting women bloggers through comments. It's a wonderful place to discover new blogs and find new readers.

Today is their annual Christmas photo blog hop. So before I get settled in with my Christmas cookies and Google Reader I want to say from my family to yours: we hope your holidays are filled with happiness, joy, and unforgettable smiles!

A Virtual Drive for Child Passenger Safety

There are so many rules, regulations, suggestions, and opinions about child passenger safety that locating the right answer can be very confusing. I always want to do what's best for Kora and Logan when it comes to travel. My kids are happiest on the go, especially during the holidays.

Whenever a question involving kids and cars arises, I head to the internet for the answers. Finding a reliable site is a must. One of the first sites I visit is the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. Together with Global Influence, NHTSA is hosting a countrywide blog tour to get the word out about child passenger safety.

With the holiday season moving into full swing, families across the country are in the car and on the go. Whether you're driving across the country to visit family or across town to holiday shop, it is important that your child passengers are riding safely and that child safety seats are used correctly.

AAA estimated that 30 million people travelled this Thanksgiving holiday alone and for many this is just the beginning of the holiday hustle and bustle. Now is the time to utilize the Child Car Safety Tools provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council to learn more about proper car seat use and installation. You will find informative resources that include instructional videos.

Have child passenger safety questions that you need answered before you travel over the river and through the woods to Grandma? NHTSA is always available to answer your questions online through Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks to Global Influence for providing me with this important information and links to share with my readers. No compensation was received for this post.

Design Your Inspiration by Successories Review

Is your Christmas shopping finished yet? Are you still looking for something for that one person in your life who has everything? Design Your Inspiration by Successories may be the perfect fit.

Design Your Inspiration is a new concept by Successories that gives the customer complete control of the finished product. The website provides an incredible selection of beautiful stock photos, quotes, matte styles, and frames to choose from.

What makes Design Your Inspiration different is the artwork can be personalized with your favorite quote or note of endearment. The finished product can say anything you want! No more being limited by pre-determined quotes or sayings.

Does that hard to shop for person in your life have a favorite quote, poem, or song? Visit http://www.dyi.successories.com/, select a photo, type in the line or lyric, and in just a few minutes you have created an outstanding and personalized gift that will be proudly displayed and forever cherished.

I was contacted to review the Design Your Inspiration line and couldn't be happier with the finished product. It is absolutely beautiful. I chose the Rainbow of Paradise photo and then I scoured their site as well as the internet for the perfect quote. I found this one at an online quote site: "The work will wait while you show a child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work."

Here's a photo of the finished product.

It's truly beautiful and I have received many compliments about it. I only wish I could offer a crisper photo. I never realized how difficult it is to take a picture of a picture until today!

Besides offering a fantastic product the Design Your Inspiration line also offers a money-back guarantee. On the website, Chief Inspiration Officer, Warren Stuhl says, "We've re-invented the gift. Everyone in your personal and/or professional life (or yourself) will be blown away, or your money back."

Framed wall size art is $119.00 and framed desk size art is just $45.00. All gifts will ship within three days of ordering and next day delivery is available anywhere in the U.S. Plenty of time for Christmas!

Thank you to Design Your Inspiration for providing me with personalized artwork for review. No other compensation was received. The opinions expressed here are my own, you may have a different experience.