Moms, you know how much time we spend on our feet each day.  As a stay-at-home mom, I have the option to sit down for a little while when I really feel exhausted, so working moms who don’t have that luxury – I feel for you!  I know that my feet take the brunt of the work, between running around chasing the kids at home, at the playground, at the grocery store (ahem), it gets exhausting!  Sometimes I would just love to take an hour for myself and go enjoy a long pedicure and foot massage.  Unfortunately, I don’t get to enjoy that as often as I’d like, however, I found a little treat for my toes that really goes a long way towards making me feel pampered – microwavable slippers from BunnySlippers.com.

Yup, you read that correctly.  BunnySlippers.com offers a line of adult slippers that include microwavable inserts that not only feel fabulous, but smell of calming lavender.  When we were contacted by BunnySlippers.com to do a review, I chose these cute, comfy, gender neutral lamb slippers to try out.  I was a little worried that the cream color would be ruined immediately, but I have to say, they are standing the test of time.  I am crazy about the heated inserts.  They really make my feet feel relaxed, and after spending quite a few days in Manhattan this month, I have been putting these slippers to the test.  (Try spending twelve hours on your feet in 3 1/2 inch heeled boots and then tell me how your feet feel!)  Honestly though, when I get home, often after midnight, I throw these puppies – ahem, lambies – into the microwave, slip them on, go about getting ready for bed, and by the time I actually get to lay down, my feet are thanking me.

BunnySlippers.com offers designs to cater to everyone from  1 month old to 100 years old.  I wanted to make a little collage to share with you, but even with all of the styles pictured below, you can’t begin to imagine the range of slippers that they sell.

From zombies, that I think my husband would get a kick out of, to baby lions for your mini me, and pink poodles for your little princess.  I know a certain Disney-aholic who would love those Jack Skellington slippers, and another fabulous lady who’d be glad to take the microwaveable leaopards into her home.  Know a dad who spends a lot of time on his feet?  Who works hard for his family?  Head over to BunnySlippers.com to treat him to a little R&R this Father’s Day.

Know someone else who’d like a little lamb (or 2) for comfort?  Enter our giveaway below to score a pair of these fabulous feet warmers!

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Disclosure: As with all features, product and/or compensation was received in order to present this post. All opinions expressed are honest and exclusively those of the author. For our full disclosure policy please go here.

Whenever Spring finally arrives in New England, I begin my hunt for fun, outdoor/indoor toys.  Here in the North East, just because it’s May, you can’t guarantee that you will get to play outside – it can literally be 45 degrees one day and 75 the next.  I like to find toys that we can play with in the house, and then easily bring outside, clean, & take back in.  This year, my little P, is LOVING all things construction, and CAT has a fabulous line of affordable, fun toys that we are obsessing over!

This awesome play set is the CAT Shipping Port-themed ‘Build & Play’ playset by Toy State. The set includes 1 free-wheeling Cat machine, working gantry and container cranes, and a freight ship. Construction site sound effects, music and fun vocal phrases also included.  It looks complicated to assemble, but it was actually quite easy, and the magnets in the cargo and cranes helps keep all the pieces together when we aren’t playing.  This has been a huge hit in our house, in the sandbox, and in 0ur water table.  They love to balance the port on the edge and drive the boat over to pick up the packages.  It’s been adorable to watch their imaginations at work as they send packages to their grandparents, and drive the boat to deliver them.

Toy State has so many fun CAT toys, it’s hard to pick a favorite.  I know my little man is hoping that he can add to his collection over the next few months.  Here are just a few of the item on his wish list…

Toystate Caterpillar Construction Massive Machine: Excavator

Toystate Caterpillar Construction Playset: Bridge Builder

I could probably fill a few more pages with all of the toys that he wants and as I am writing this he is looking over my shoulder saying his favorite words: “Can I have that?”.

Today, thanks to Toy State and Child’s Play PR, we are going to be giving one of our lucky readers a CAT Shipping Port-themed ‘Build & Play’ playset!  You can use our nifty Rafflecopter widget below to enter!  Good luck!

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Disclosure: As with all features, product and/or compensation was received in order to present this post. All opinions expressed are honest and exclusively those of the author. For our full disclosure policy please go here.

In my pre-child life, I loved to have candles all around my house.  I loved how they smell, I loved how they looked, and I liked that I could add a little design flare to my house with different holders and colors.

Enter children.  And there went my candles.  (Along with all of my other beautiful vases, and crystal, replaced with the standard mom decorations of stuffed lovies, pacifiers, and sippy cups.)  Don’t get me wrong, being a mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me, but I was overjoyed when I saw a friend of mine from high school posting on Facebook about her new Scentsy business.

I wasn’t familiar with Scentsy, but I knew that Diana had 3 kids of her own, so it must be a safe alternative.  Here’s what I found out…

With Scentsy warmers and wax you have a safe, easy and affordable way to “burn”your candles.  Scentsy’s wax was designed to melt at a very low temperature using a 25 watt light bulb inside our large warmers, which is hot enough to melt the wax, but not hot enough to burn anyone. (Mid sized systems use a 20 watt light bulb, plug-in systems use a 15 watt bulb).  Because there is no flame, you can use Scentsy products at home, work, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, banks, libraries, doctor offices, and anywhere else you can’t take a normal candle.  Plus, there are over 50 different styles of warmers and over 80 scents to choose from.  (My personal favorite is the blueberry cheescake, but at only $5 a bar, you can bet I’ll be trying all 80+! :))

Diana was kind enough to give my family this gorgeous Silvervine Warmer to try out, and I can’t tell you how many compliments I have received on it.  It gives off a perfect amount of scent without the soot, lead, and evaporated wax that you get with so many traditional candles.

Not only does this make me feel like my house is healthier, but Scentsy products do not bother my allergies at all.  And of course, because my little Bean – the ultimate trouble maker – wanted to “help” me write this review, she managed to climb on to our tv stand, then use that to climb onto the ledge between the kitchen and the living room and stick her hand right into the Scentsy wax.  She was shocked, but not hurt at all.  Trust me, with this little animal in my house, I need the safest products possible, and I am officially in love with Scentsy!

Scentsy also offers a whole new line of personal and laundry care products called Layers.  You can find all of your favorite Scentsy scents in hand creams, body lotions, shower gels, washer whiffs, dryer disks, and MORE!

So, who wants to try Scentsy for themselves??  Diana has offered to give one of our readers their choice of one of the following plug-ins, plus a bar to melt!

I personally LOVE the Taro plug-in and it is on my wish list for my living room, but I really like them all.  So, want to win??  Use the handy dandy Rafflecopter widget below!  This contest will end on May 18th, 2012, and a winner will be chosen and announced shortly after.  Good luck and happy entering!!

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Disclosure: As with all features, product and/or compensation was received in order to present this post. All opinions expressed are honest and exclusively those of the author. For our full disclosure policy please go here.

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a very fun Spring Soiree put on by Cascade Ice and hosted at Mane Blow Dry Bar in Seattle. This was a very fun event and surprisingly educational.

Although I showed up at Mane being very familiar with Cascade Ice, I learned two things – Cascade Ice can be used to make very fun mixed drinks in addition to just being enjoyed as is… and what a blow dry bar is.

Cascade Ice

For those of you who may not be familiar with Cascade Ice, it is a flavored sparkling water with ZERO calories that’s also free of sugar, gluten, sodium and carbohydrates. It’s so very tasty!

What I loved was seeing first hand how simple and fun it is to make these flavored sparkling waters into very fun, yummy cocktails and mocktails for any occasion. You can even find great recipes on their blog - my favorites are the yummy lemonade recipes!

Mane Blow Dry Bar

Now it’s likely that if you live near any major city other than Seattle, you probably know what a blow dry bar is and wonder where on earth my head has been buried. Before you judge me too harshly, let me remind you that Seattle is a very wet and windy place… not somewhere that one typically expects a beautiful hairstyle to last so we tend not to put a ton of effort into it (we are not famous for casual Friday for no reason people, it was out of sheer necessity).

Even the owners of Mane Blow Dry Bar will admit that it was a new idea to introduce to the Seattle area, and that I’m not alone in my… ahem… need for an education on this particular style of service salon (so there!!). Regardless of all that, I’m sold! It’s the most amazing idea!

More Details

For all those Pacific Northwesterners who happen to be reading this (hi Mom!), Cascade Ice is available for purchase all over the Northwest, including Albertson’s, GFC, Fred Meyer and WinCo as well as online. For those of you who live in other parts of the country be sure to check out Cascade Ice’s website for locations to purchase.

Want to like or follow them? Here’s there details:

• Cascade Ice Facebook Fan Page
• Cascade Ice on Twitter
• Cascade Ice Blog

Thank you’s and Credits: A huge thanks to Cascade Ice for inviting me to the Spring Soiree, also thanks to Mane Blow Dry Bar for hosting the event and the amazing hairstyles we all were able to leave with. Photos are all courtesy of www.clanegessel.com (yep, I took my own but hey…I’m not in any of them lol).

Disclosure: As with all features, product and/or compensation was received in order to present this post. All opinions expressed are honest and exclusively those of the author. For our full disclosure policy please go here.

If you are a parent, I am sure you have had the pleasure *ahem* of taking a little one’s temperature when they aren’t feeling well.  We all know that it can be near impossible to get an accurate reading on a child who is unhappy, unwell, and does not want their personal space invaded.  I have tried almost every method of temperature taking, but I have never found an easier method than using the Exergen Temporal Scanner.

It could not be easier to use this thermometer.  You simply hold down the button on the front, and gently drag the scanner over the patient’s forehead.  It takes only a few seconds and the results are shockingly accurate.  As a matter of fact, the last time that I visited my doctor, they had an Exergen thermometer in the office and they couldn’t say enough about how much they loved it.

Be sure to check out the great giveaway at the end of this post!!!

Exergen explains how the Temporal Scanner works:

As you gently stroke the thermometer across the forehead crossing over the temporal artery, the sensor in its probe performs two processes:  First, it scans like a video camera, capturing naturally emitted infrared heat from the arterial blood supply at about 1000 “frames” per second locking in the highest temperature it senses.  Second, at the same time, a patented system measures the ambient temperature of the site where the temperature is being taken.  The patented “arterial heat balance” (ABH) software then synthesizes the two separate readings to accurately determine and display body temperature.

If that sounds a little overwhelming, trust me when I say that it pretty much means that this extremeley smart piece of technology can get an accurate reading of your body temperature in just a few seconds with a gentle stroke across your forehead.  Even if your child moves while you are taking their temperature, you can gently place it back on their head and still get an accurate reading.  I have taken my kids’ temperatures while they are sleeping with no problem at all.  It is such a non-invasive method that they didn’t even stir.

I can honestly tell you that this thermometer makes my life so much easier.  My kids are not afraid of it, they don’t run when I say I want to take their temperature, and after I finish taking theirs, they usually ask to take mine.  It is kind of fun to play with

In addition to offering to give one of our fabulous readers their own Temporal Scanner, Exergen is also running a super fun promotion where they are giving away tons of Temporal Scanners and an amazing Grand Prize to one wonderful mom!  Their Queen for a Day Mother’s Day Giveaway is running from now until May 13th, when one lucky mama will win a $500 American Express Gift Card and the chance at a $25,000 shopping spree!!  You can enter everyday by visiting their contest page and taking your “virtual temperature”.  Each time you do, you will earn an entry into their grand prize drawing on Mother’s Day!

Once again, we will be using the wonderful Rafflecopter widget to collect your entries and choose a winner, so check out the details below.  Good luck and happy entering!

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Disclosure: As always it is safe to assume that the author likely received product from Exergen and/or compensation for presenting this information. All opinions are original, honest and solely those of the author. You can read our full disclosure policy here.

As the weather finally starts getting warmer here in New England, hopefully to stay, I have been going a little crazy trying to clean and organize.  I always think of this time as “Spring cleaning” time, but for me it’s more about organization – and unfortunately it’s getting worse before it gets better.  Ha!

Lucky for me, the kind people at Space Bag have made it a little bit easier for me! My kids are still very young, and because of that, they outgrow their clothes quickly.  By the end of a season, I am forced to pack up the majority of their clothes and stow them away for the potential baby #3, or perhaps a future niece or nephew.  I have closets full of plastic storage boxes filled with clothes, but it is really getting out of control.  I needed a way to store a lot of stuff, in a small space, and Space Bag has shown me how!

Before I write a review, I will think about it for days, writing it and rewriting it in my head before I attempt to get it on to the computer.  I had a really hard time thinking of how to write this post without sounding like an infomercial, but I have given up.  All I can say is that what I am writing is the truth – even if it sounds like I should be in a commercial. 

When I emptied my two kids drawers of their winter clothes, I had amassed about 2 dressers full of winter weight jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts, and coats.  Space Bag had sent me a High Capacity Storage Tote.  The tote itself is not huge, however, the amount of clothes that it holds is unbelievable.  I literally fit all of my kids’ winter clothes, and because I hadn’t reached the “do no fill past” line, I added a Boppy pillow for good measure.  The bag that is inside of the tote is HUGE, all I kept thinking was ‘yeah, right’, but I grabbed my vacuum, followed the directions, and sucked the air out.  Lo and behold, it shrunk down to fit inside of the tote.  I couldn’t believe it!  Since I first filled the tote, I have opened it twice more, added a few more things and vacuumed it back down.  The bag has not only maintained it’s air tight seal each time, but it shockingly accepted the extra pair of pants or shirt that I added here and there.

In the past I have used vacuum storage bags, but in just a few hours, many have lost their seal and become large ziploc bags, rather than air tight, compressed storage bags.  I am thrilled that this hasn’t happened with my tote.  I will absolutely be picking a few more of these up and rearranging my storage closets!  Have you tried Space Bags?  Do you have a favorite product?  Share below!

We’ve all been there, no matter how peaceful and calm things may look on the outside, being a mom sometimes (or often) includes a lot of stress. Recently I was introduced to Darlene Berkel, creator of the Ultimate Stress Relief Toolkit and owner of Natural Stress Relief Tips for Women. Darlene graciously agreed to answer my questions so that I could share some great “de-stressing” tips and solutions with all of you.

Be sure to check out the amazing giveaway at the end of this post. Darlene has offered her Stress Relief Toolkit for a few lucky A Frog In My Soup readers.

Interview

Shera: What is the number one thing you see moms do that contributes to them feeling stressed in life?

Darlene: Trying to do it all alone. The number two thing is aiming for perfection. Many moms are struggling and trudging towards their life goals all by themselves. We place such a high value on independence that we often forget something: success does not require either co-dependence or independence, but interdependence. Often, achieving success in any area of life is just a helping hand away.

You can’t do it alone; nobody can. No need to feel weak just because you * sometimes * need other people’s help to get through tough times. A kind word, some encouragement, serious butt kickin’, practical advice – we need a little of all this to keep us going.

This program will really open moms’ eyes to new ways of productively dealing with my stress. One important thing that mom’s will be reminded of is this: ‘It’s essential to practice acceptance. Perfection is not necessary and moms need to watch out for setting the bar too high, which often contributes to feeling stressed in life.

Shera: Stress is definitely not a stranger to me and I really know what it’s like to feel life is really too overwhelming. What is the one thing you would say to a mom like me to help me through those moments?

Darlene: I would tell you to take ten minutes to relax. That’s all it takes to get through those tough moments. When you feel life is really too overwhelming you are already in a stress danger zone. If you can find even a few minutes for peace and quiet, you can use them to relax and rejuvenate yourself to get through those moments. Even when you have children, a home, a job, a relationship, hobbies, classes to take, friends to pay attention to, a lawn to be mowed and dishes to wash, you still need to grab time for yourself to relax, unwind and refresh yourself. It’s amazing how just ten minutes of “me-time” to nourish your mind, body, and soul could turn a bad day into a much better one.

Shera: What inspired you to create a stress relief toolkit for women?

Darlene: A terrible loss (my fiancé succumbed to cancer in 2007) reminded me of just how precious life is. I was inspired to stay in the Caribbean, leave my stressful office job and build a balanced life that is focused on the things that are most important in life: spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical well being.

I am still a grieving survivor. But my pain has propelled me to work with women to help them manage stress effectively and live a more balanced, happier life.

I’ve created a website exclusively for women because we need to support each other in “virtual sisterhood.” I love creating products and programs to help women grow personally, emotionally, mentally, and financially. The Internet is an exciting place to be right now. Not only can we reach so many with very little effort and expense, but we can also support each other, no matter which corner of the globe we live in.

Shera: Most of us go looking for a product like yours when we are in the midst of a crisis and the stress is taking over, when would you recommend that a mom actually use your toolkit though?

Darlene: My grandmother always use to say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So it’s best that moms arm themselves with the knowledge and tools that can help them cope effectively with stress triggers before the stress starts to take over.

Rather than wait until a crisis arises and stress takes over, I would recommend that moms actually use the toolkit in advance. Regret is a sad and negative emotion. The good news is that there are things you can do to help prevent regret in the first place. If you should find yourself feeling regretful, there are also ways to overcome those feelings. You’ll find plenty of tips in the toolkit to help you live a regret-free life.

Giveaway

This week, several of you (5 to be exact – WOW) will have the opportunity to experience the Stress Relief Toolkit for yourselves (each kit is valued at $47). Be sure to use the lovely entry form below to gain lots of chances at your very own Stress Relief Toolkit! This is an 8 week program that gives you all the tools you need to naturally get and stay stress free. I’ll give you more details on how the program works over the weekend, in the meantime, start entering and tell all your friends!

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Disclosure: As with all features, product and/or compensation was received in order to present this post. All opinions expressed are honest and exclusively those of the author. For our full disclosure policy please go here.

Ever since becoming a mother to a little girl, I am always on the hunt for new, unique clothes for her to wear.  I always keep in mind the quality of the products that I buy.  I am a girl who likes to have a few high quality pieces rather than a ton of so-so quality pieces.  When I came across Grace & Elie, I knew that I had to contact them about a feature on A Frog in My Soup.

After my first visit to their site, I fell in love with their gorgeous clothes, shoes, and accessories.  My absolute favorite product was this Pink Scallop dress.  I professed my love for it to Grace, and she was kind enough to send it to my little bean for her Easter dress.  When I received the dress I was taken aback by the quality and the service.  Not only did it arrive quickly, but it was wrapped beautifully and fastened with a sticker sporting the gorgeous signature elephants.  The dress itself is made of a thick, sturdy cotton, that held it’s shape even as my little love ran around the yard and church playground searching for eggs and tumbling around with her brother.  I cannot tell you how many compliments I received on her outfit, and I loved that nobody else had anything even similar.

In addition to the beautiful dresses and headbands, Grace and Elie makes the cutest bow ties as part of their Little Gents Club line.  How adorable would your little man look in one of these??  I can’t wait for our next formal event, because you can bet P will be wearing one!

One of Grace and Elie’s most popular products is their adorable soft-soled leather shoes.  These Leather Loafers are the perfect first shoes for your global trendsetter. Grace describes these loafers as “fun, funky, and delightfully distinctive” and I couldn’t agree more!  They are crafted from soft, breathable leather, which helps keep your little one’s feet cool and comfy!  Another fabulous feature – they are washable!!  A must in my opinion!

Grace and Elie have generously offered to give one of our readers a pair of loafers from their Nile, Sahara, or Signature Grace & Elie collections!  Each pair is cuter than the next and I just adore the elephants with their trunks up – many believe that this is sign of good luck!  So, if you want to see your cutie pie sporting Grace and Elie’s fashion forward footwear, check out our Rafflecopter widget below to enter to win a pair!  This contest will end Monday, May 7th @ 11:59 pm.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  As always, all opinions expressed in this post are mine and are honest.  Grace and Elie provided me with product to review.  You can read this site’s full disclosure policy here.

Today’s giveaway is going to make one very luck lady super happy and super fashionable!  When eBags contacted us to collaborate on a review and giveaway, I may have squealed a little.  I LOVE bags!  I LOVE the feeling that I get when I have a new, beautiful accessory, and finding out about eBags has made getting a new bag super easy, affordable, and fun!

Ebags carries every brand and style you can imagine – from luggage to golf bags, and designer bags to diaper bags, they have EVERYTHING! In addition, they offer free returns and a price guarantee.  To date, they have already shipped 13,830,251 bags, so you know they are a trusted company, and if that’s not enough, they also sell watches and other accessories.

If you read my personal blog, you have probably already read this, but it’s too funny not to share again.  When I told my husband that I would be working with eBags, he told me that he bought his first messenger/carry on bag from them about 10 years ago.  I was not happy that he hadn’t shared this information earlier, but I found it quite humorous that my hubby, who avoids shopping like the plague, knew about this bag site, and I didn’t!

EBags has just released a new collection of Piazza leather bags for the new season, and they are beautiful.  The bag that is featured above, is the Lucca Satchel in Warm White, and let me tell you, she is even prettier in person.  The leather that Piazza uses when crafting their bags is so incredibly soft, and the smell of a new, high quality, leather bag makes me swoon.  (My name is Nancy & I’m addicted to bags.)

This particular bag is perfect for a busy mom on the go.  It has so many pockets,  can easily be wiped clean, and the lining is an adorable chocolate brown with polka dots.  It has a zip top closure which is a must have for me, and a smaller zippered pocket on the inside.  The long strap is removable, so you can wear this bag on your shoulder or use it as a handbag.  It also comes in an array of gorgeous colors – most of which were just launched on April 20th.

Since I am a mom I’m entitled to say that I think that one of these bags would be a fabulous Mother’s Day gift.  Although, I’d be more than happy with any of the bags on eBags.  (Just sayin’, honey!)

So, do you want to win one of these gorgeous bags??  Would you keep it or pass it on to your mom?? Ebags has generously offered to give one of our readers a gorgeous satchel to ramp up their spring and summer wardrobe.  Yippeee!!  You can enter below using our Rafflecopter widget.  Don’t forget to follow eBags on FB and Twitter for the hottest deals and promos!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: EBags provided me with product to review. The opinions expressed in this post are all mine and are honest. You can read this site’s full disclosure policy here.

It’s that time of year again… a time when my oldest son’s hayfever and other spring allergies come to life in full force, making my 6’2″, 16 year old man-child a rather pathetic mess. He’s not alone, and some of the younger boys struggle with it as well.

The times when his allergies act up hard and fast are the times that he reaches for children’s chewables or syrup. To be honest, even though he has to take a lot more of these products, they work a lot faster and he is so much more relieved. They quickly get his allergies under control so that he can begin taking regular allergy medicines to keep it that way.

When my youngest sis and I were out to lunch with all the kids a few weeks ago, I had just received a box of Children’s Claritin in the mail and had popped it into my purse to put away when we got home. Little did I know that would make that day go so much better.

When we walked into the restaurant, he didn’t look too bad, his allergies were bothering him a bit and his eyes were a little itchy and watery, but that’s all. Within 10 minutes, my sister and I both noticed that his eyes had gone nuts and were not bright red and looked so painful and awful so I grabbed the Children’s Claritin and before long he was back under control.

If you have kiddos with allergies of any kind, I definitely recommend that you try this out! Personally, I make sure that each year I have a fresh box of children’s allergy medicine on hand for anything that may come up unexpectedly. It goes into our family first aid kit that we take everywhere with us!

What is your experience with your children’s allergies? What do you do to get and keep them under control?

You can learn more about Claritin and follow their Facebook page here.

Disclosure: I was sent a package of Children’s Claritin in conjunction with my participation in a BzzCampaign. As always, all opinions expressed are honest and solely those of the author. Please feel free to read our disclosure policy here.