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Are you a Dipper? My family and I are huge dippers! Actually, my husband and kids are bigger dippers than I am but I occasionally like to get a dip in here and there. Chances are, if you come to my house, you are going to find at least two or three different kinds of dips here. We love all different kinds ….salsa, cheese dip, fruit dip, chip dip and of course veggie dip!

Speaking of Veggie Dip, I make  most of our dips at home but I found a new kind of veggie dip that is fairly new in the market. It is called Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to try it out. Since this new product comes in five delicious flavors, I had the hard task of deciding on which one to try first. My choices were:

I did have to think about it for a few minutes but in the end, I went with the  Otria® Garden Herb Ranch Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip.

A new spin on a classic flavor with an array of herbs including rosemary, thyme, basil and marjoram.

Game Day is a huge event in our home. We usually have friends over to watch games all day. Of course, there is food involved! A get-together wouldn’t be complete without food. Most of the time, it is finger foods with dips. So I prepared some fresh broccoli, cauliflower, celery, bell pepper, baby carrots, and cherry tomatoes on a tray served with Marzetti Otria® Garden Herb Ranch Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip . We are big veggie eaters, so I knew that all those veggies wouldn’t go to waste….especially with the crowd on game day!

I asked all of our guests if they have had the chance to try any of the Otria Greek Yogurt Dips before and none of them had. That’s the good thing about going to friend’s home for a get-together….you learn of new products and get to sample them before buying. I am sure all of my guests will be trying more of the dips because the dip was a SCORE at my house on game day! I guess I should have purchased two containers of the dip because there was nothing left after they got done with it. My daughter keeps asking for more of the “goody dip”

I personally loved the rich flavor and creamy texture. I will definitely be buying more of “goody dip” soon especially for my daughter and I want to try the Otria® Spinach Artichoke Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip.

Oh, and these dips are not just for dipping…you can use them in many recipes. In fact, if you go to the Marzetti website, they have three pages of recipes that calls for the useage of these dips located HERE.  I would like to try the Chilled Pasta Primavera Salad. I also think the Cucumber Salmon Dill Appetizer sounds yummy and I know my husband would love it!

I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip review. They provided me with product to test and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

If you have seen any of my Wordless Wednesday posts, you know my daughter loves to draw. I am always looking for new items that will keep her busy in some form of art. I recently came across the Glow Crazy Distance Doodler and knew we had to try it!

When I was growing up, my family and I would go camping. When night came, my dad would build campfires. I would take a stick, place it in the fire and get the end glowing red. I would then draw my name, circles, zig zags, etc. The Glow Crazy is similar to that only no fire involved!

The Glow Crazy allows your children to  draw all over the walls without any mess because you draw and write with light!  You need a completely dark room to get the full effect of The Glow Crazy. My daughter loves it!

What kid doesn’t love glow in the dark toys and coloring? Now add that to being able to color on the walls without mom freaking out and you’ve got Glow Crazy.

Glow crazy uses a light wand that beams light from up to ten feet away to make its mark on the reusable canvas decal provided. No mess as the canvas decals stick on the walls, ceiling and windows but don’t do damage. They stay stuck for the most part and peel off with no trouble.…

Kids & Moms love:

  • You can draw free hand or use stencils.
  • A new creative way of showing off artistic abilities.
  • Beats the heck out of shadow puppets!

What’s In the Box?

  • Dual Action Magic Light Wand
  • 2 Large Reusable Wall Canvas Clings
  • 4 Stencils
  • Tip booklet

Buy It:

You can purchase the Glow Crazy  directly from the Glow Crazy Website

or from Amazon!

Win It:

One Mom Caboodle reader is going to receive their very own Glow Crazy Distance Doodler.

Follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form to enter to win!

Read the rest of this entry »


Corel Store page

I love taking pictures!  I’m certainly no professional but I have captured some pretty amazing shots. OK, maybe it’s the camera but I like to think it’s me!

I was recently given the opportunity to try out this amazing software by Corel; Photo & Video X4 Ultimate Bundle. I have only had it a few days, so I have to be honest and say that I haven’t had much time to do a lot with it. I have done a little editing on some photos I took this past summer .

Here are a few of them:

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

I love the results so far and I am eager to see what all I can do with this software. It will take some time to learn how to navigate it really well but I am excited to see what I can create. I haven’t even attempted the Video Software yet. This is definitely an item that will require a follow up review.

A Little about the Software:

The ultimate photo- and video-editing software

With our best photo- and video-editing software—and two valuable bonus packs—the Corel® Photo & Video X4 Ultimate Bundle is everything you need, for everything you shoot! From easy tools to retouch photos fast, to advanced photo-editing features that put pro-level tools in your hands, Corel PaintShop Pro X4 Ultimate makes your pictures perfect. And with Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 Ultimate, you get an end-to-end video-editing collection that will have you wowing any audience with your own blockbusters complete with titles, amazing effects and more!

  • Create professional-looking photos with sophisticated effects, layer editing, and more than 75 new and enhanced photo-editing features
  • Get big-screen impact with end-to-end video-editing software featuring spectacular titles and effects, high-speed HD editing and much more
  • Easily share your photos and videos directly to Facebook®, Flickr®, YouTube™ and Vimeo®

PaintShop Pro X4 Ultimate

Advanced photo editing

  • New! HDR module
  • New! Selective Focus
  • New! Photo Blend
  • Enhanced! Redesigned workspace

VideoStudio Pro X4 Ultimate

Powerful video editing

  • New! Stop motion animation
  • New! Time-lapse effect
  • New! Export in 3D
  • Enhanced! Flexible workspace

Two Ultimate Bonus Packs!

PaintShop Pro X4 Ultimate Bonus Pack

  • Nik® Color Efex Pro™ 3.0 photo effects and filters
  • Royalty-free images from Fotolia
  • Free Picture Tubes

VideoStudio Pro X4 Ultimate Bonus Pack

  • proDAD Mercalli SE extreme video stabilization
  • Boris Graffiti 5.3 broadcast-quality titles and effects
  • 3D glasses*
  • Free tutorial videos

To read more about the software and it’s features, go HERE


Buy It:


Save $80 on Corel Photo & Video Bundle X4 Ultimate. Only $69.99. Two great products for one incredible price. Offer Ends November 30.

Black Friday Week Deals are Live. Incredibe discounts until the end of November!

Win It:

One Mom Caboodle Reader is going to win the Corel Photo & Video X4 Ultimate Bundle.

Just follow the directions in the Rafflecopter form to be entered to win!

Read the rest of this entry »

The past few years, I have not been much of a jewelry person. I wear my wedding ring set and that’s about it. Sometimes I might wear earrings but only when going out somewhere nice. Here lately though, I have been noticing jewelry more than usual….So I was very excited when I was given the opportunity to review a Locket from Pictures On Gold.

Then came the hard part, I had to choose what picture I wanted inside the locket. I have four children….My oldest son is 26 years old and married with children, My second son is 20 years old and away at college. Then there’s my two youngest, ages 12 & 9….So having a recent picture of all four of children together is something I do not have. So I decided to pick one of my children to put in the locket and if I liked the results, I would purchase three more lockets, one for each child.

The most recent professional portrait I have of one of them is of my son, Kaleb. So I picked one of his senior portraits to put in the locket. Then it came time for me to pick something to have engraved on it. I knew on the inside I would have his name but I couldn’t really think of what to put on the outside….then it hit me! When Kaleb was little, he and I used to watch Dumbo a lot and I used to sing the song “Baby Mine” to him all the time. “Baby Mine” was perfect! Now, Kaleb may not like it but they are always my babies no matter how old!

Here is the picture I picked for the locket:

Here is the finished locket:

I love it….. It turned out perfect!!


About PicturesOnGold.com:

PicturesOnGold.com creates the finest Photo Pendants and CharmsGold LocketsSilver Lockets and other Personalized Photo Jewelry in the industry. We create lasting photo lockets and photo jewelry keepsakes using only the finest 14k gold, white gold and Sterling Silver. You send us your photos and using our patented technology we laser engrave your pictures in color right on our gold lockets, silver lockets, locket charms and most of our custom jewelry. The results are gorgeous gold lockets or silver photo lockets that open to reveal your photos and can be worn as a beautiful photo or picture locket.

What you can expect from our picture lockets, gold lockets, silver lockets, photo lockets and all photo jewelry?

  • Guaranteed highest quality Custom Engraved Photo Jewelry and Picture Lockets in the industry.
  • United States Trademarked Product,
  • #2,224,273 registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for our Lockets and Picture Locket Jewelry.
  • We offer a 1 Year Guarantee with all of our lockets, including our 14k gold Photo Engraved Lockets, Photo Pendants and Locket Charms which are all SCRATCH & WATER RESISTANT
  • Our Photo Pendants, Gold Lockets, Silver Lockets and personalized Locket Charms are heavy and durable, not like thin imitations.
  • All Pendants, Picture Lockets, Photo Locket Jewelry and Locket Charms come complete with gift box for easy gift giving.
  • All products including our Gold LocketsSilver Lockets, Locket Charms and Pendants are Solid Gold and Pure Sterling Silver.

Buy It:

You can purchase your own photo locket from PicturesOnGold.com

Win It:

One Mom Caboodle reader will win and create the same photo locket of their own.

Follow the directions in the Rafflecopter form to be entered to win!

Read the rest of this entry »

If your children love books, there is a series of books called Howard B. Wigglebottom that I recommend checking into. These books are created by the We Do Listen foundation with the intention of enabling children to feel good about themselves, enjoy inner peace, and communicate in a more effective way.

Howard B. Wigglebottom is an adorable little rabbit that deals with difficult situations and learns valuable life lessons such as telling the truth, how to fit in, and how to deal with bullies. Each book is geared at a specific topic that many children face in everyday life.

The We Do Listen Foundation is a group of writers, artists, designers, educators, therapists, parents, and teachers who share a vision of a kinder world with more harmony and peace and a better life for everyone to enjoy.

Children can enjoy all the animated books for free at the We Do Listen foundation website. They can also enjoy songs, games, and coloring pages at the website as well.

We were sent an autographed copy of Howard B. Wigglebottom and the monkey on his back;  A tale about telling the truth. In this book, Howard B. Wigglebottom, is beginning to feel terrible about all the lies that he has told and it is beginning to feel like a monkey is growing bigger and bigger on his back. He feels so bad and has so much weight on his back that he decides to tell his father the truth. Once he tells his father the truth, the monkey begins to shrink. Howard comes clean with all his lies until finally the monkey is completely gone and it feels good to have all that weight off of him. Howard learns that he never wants to have the weight of that monkey on his back again and it is always best to tell the truth.

I loved this book and my daughter and I have enjoyed looking at all the other animated books on the We Do Listen Website.

Buy It

You can purchase Howard B. Wigglebottom hardcover books directly from the We Do Listen website for $7.50 HERE

or

You can purchase them from Amazon

Win It

One Mom Caboodle reader will win one autographed Howard B.Wigglebottom of their choice. Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Holiday Season is here and for me that means lots of shopping, decorating, family and friends, holiday parties,  etc.  Every year around the holidays, I always get into a cooking mood…but who has time to bake? I know I don’t!  This year I found the perfect solution:  Country Cupboard Cookies! A cookie company that provides Old-Fashioned home baked cookies that are made from scratch using all natural ingredients.

A few days ago, my family and I received our first box of Country Cupboard Cookies. We were sent the Signature Holiday Cookies, an assortment  of 24 yummy home-style cookies packaged in the  signature chocolate brown and cream gift box dressed up with gorgeous holiday ribbon! I loved how it was nicely packaged for shipping!

Of course all of us just couldn’t wait to tear into the box and see what yummy goodness was inside!

Located right on top was two gingerbread man cookies! Alex and Kelsey both grabbed one and torn open the packages. The smell coming from the gingerbread man cookies was so deliciously scrumptious that it made me want to drag out the Christmas tree and start decorating! It definitely put me in the Christmas mood! I tried the chocolate chip cookie and it was yummy!! I can’t wait to try the Double Chocolate Fudge, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and the Old-Fashioned Vanilla cookies!  Of course, not all at once! That’s another great thing about Country Cupboard Cookies…they are packaged two to a package and they can be frozen and then thawed to enjoy at room temperature or microwaved briefly, 15 to 20 seconds.

A little about Country Cupboard Cookies:

Judy & Dan Wittig started a cookie bakery together in 1988 based on both old family recipes and new ones designed with old fashioned country flavors in mind. Our daughters joined the business as they grew up and now help out part time. Every batch of cookies and brownies is made from scratch, using unbleached flour, premium Callebaut chocolate, creamery butter, rolled oats, fresh eggs and pure bourbon vanilla. The cookies and brownies are mixed in small batches daily and hand scooped to ensure a wonderful homemade taste and texture. A perfect gift for your friends, family and business associates, a perfect indulgence for yourself!

Packaging for our cookie and brownie gifts is carefully chosen to ensure that your gift will arrive in perfect condition and also deliver a beautiful presentation. From country charming to country elegance, our gifts will send your message with delicious good taste.



Buy it:

You can buy Country Cupboard Cookies on their website HERE

Win it:

One reader of Mom Caboodle is going to win the Signature Holiday Cookies Assortment from Country Cupboard Cookies !!

(ARV: $44.00)

Follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form to be entered to win.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you are a Mom, Dad, or Grandparent then I am sure you have heard of HexBug! I had heard of them before and I have even seen them in the stores but I honestly never thought about getting them for my children before.  It seems that most kids I know of are afraid of bugs and living in Florida, we have to spray our house monthly to keep real bugs out! Why would I ever want to bring in a robotic bug and how much fun could that be?? Well, let me tell you that I recently found out what a blast these little robotic creatures can be!!

I was recently asked to host a Hexbug Nano Halloween Party and I have to say that I am a little late with reporting on our party because we have all been sick with a bug (no pun intended!) The party was not late just my review!

Here is a list of what we received in the party kit:

  • 12 Limited Edition HEXBUG Nano Halloween Zombie Bugs

Each limited edition HEXBUG Nano Halloween Zombie will rise to the occasion from its coffin-shaped packaging and a glow in the dark exoskeleton, to make sure kids are happily trick-or-shrieking!
Available end of September at RadioShack stores nationwide.

  • 15 Glows in the Dark HEXBUG Nano Galileo Collection Bugs

With the Glows in the Dark HEXBUG Nano Galielo Collection fun can come to life during the day or night.Available at major retailers nationwide or at www.hexbug.com

  • 2 Glows in the Dark HEXBUG Nano Habitat Sets

This set allows you to create a variety of customizable playgrounds and includes 10 easy to connect pieces!

2 extremely rare glows in the dark HEXBUG Nano mutations
4 easy connect glows in the dark curved pieces
3 easy connect glows in the dark straight pieces
3 easy connect glows in the dark hexagon pieces

  • Glows in the Dark HEXBUG Nano Elevation Habitat Set

This set features a multi-level spiral ramp that rises two levels up, 52 easy connect pieces and 2 rare HEXBUG Nanos

  • Additional Batteries (16 two-packs)


After receiving the Hexbug Halloween Party Kit, I scheduled the party for late Saturday afternoon on the 29th of Oct.  I let my son invite the neighborhood gang over which ended up being nine boys including my son (ranging in age 10 to 13 years)… What was I thinking!?! I’m sure the boys thought I had lost it for inviting them all in because usually when they are all together, they must play outside!

After the boys arrived, I let them go at it in the living room. They set up the three habitats while I finished preparing the snacks. I gave each boy a Limited Edition HEXBUG Nano Halloween Zombie Bug of their own to play with while at the party…which comes in it’s own cute little coffin!

All the boys had a blast and they played for over two hours with the HEXBUG and Habitat Sets! With all that hard play, they sure worked up an appetite in which I was prepared! I served them Zombie Punch out of a real pumpkin…they all loved their punch being dipping out of a real pumpkin! I also served them fruit with green fruit dip and gummy worms mixed in….sprinkled with Oreo Cookie Crumbs on top to give a dirt effect. They also had Little Mummy Dogs made from little smokies and crescent rolls.

Once the party came to an end, I let each boy pick out a Glow in the Dark HEXBUG Nano Galileo Collection Bug to take home along with their Limited Edition HEXBUG Nano Halloween Zombie Bug.

They all had a blast and have been asking when I am going to do another “cool” party, LOL!

But I am not done just yet! I have a few HEXGUG Nano Bugs left and I am going to give one person a chance to win two HEXBUG Nano Bugs of their own!! One of the Limited Edition HEXBUG Nano Halloween Zombie Bugs and one of the Glows in the Dark HEXBUG Nano Galileo Collection Bugs!!

To enter just use the Rafflecopter form below!

Read the rest of this entry »

Bob Lends a Helping Hand DVDLarry Learns to Listen DVD

Larry Learns to Listen Quick Overview:

When Larry’s new Space Squadron game finally arrives, he’s so anxious to play that he forgets to read the directions.  When his friends do their best to tell him, Larry refuses to listen!  What happens?  His games goes ‘KERPOW!’  That’s when Larry learns a valuable lesson in listening as his friends come to the rescue.  Kids will discover, right along with Larry, that God gave friends and family to help us though each day– so when we listen we don’t miss what others have to say!

Also includes two classic shows:
“Pistachio – The Little Boy Who Woodn’t” and “Josh and the Big Wall”

Bob lends a Helpin Hand quick Overview:

When Joe’s mom breaks her big left toe, Bob the Tomato decides to help.  Larry and Joe offer their ‘superhero’ help, too, but that’s not exactly what Bob has in mind.  Kids will discover right along with Larry and Joe that everyone can be a superhero if you lend a helping hand!

Includes two classic shows:
“Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry’s Big River Rescue” and “Lyle the Kindly Viking”

My son loved Veggie Tales when he was little and now my daughter loves them just as much!  These are stories that any parent can feel good about letting their children watch and also know they are learning valuable moral and christian lessons.

Buy It:

You can purchase the Veggie Tales “Bob Lends a Helping Hand” and “Larry Learns to Listen” DVD’s online in the Veggie Tales Store.

Win It:

If you and your children love Veggie Tales, enter to win your very own set of DVD’s here on Mom Caboodle! This giveaway will include two DVD’s (Bob Lends a Helping Hand and Larry Learns to Listen) for one winner!


Mandatory Entry:

Go to the Veggie Tales Website and tell me something you like or tell me who’s your favorite character  (Mine is Larry Boy!)

Extra Entries:

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6. Fan/Like Veggie Tales on Facebook (1 entry)

7. Grab my button and leave the URL where I can find it (3 entries)

8. Blog about this giveaway and leave the URL where I can find it (5 entries)

9.  Share this giveaway on Facebook once daily (1 entry for each time shared)

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11. You may tweet about this giveaway up to 3x a day (1 entry for each tweet)

Please space out your tweets at least one hour apart! Feel free to use the tweet below or click on the Retweet button located at the top of this post.

#Giveaway  #Win Two Veggie Tales DVDs @momcaboodle

@VeggieTales http://tinyurl.com/3fm39hq Ends 11/16


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Giveaway is open to the US and Canada only. Giveaway will end on November16th, 2011 at 11:59 P.M. EST. One winner will be chosen using Random.org. Winner will be sent an e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond. If I do not hear back from the winner within 48 hours, I will choose another winner.

The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but it was not influenced in any manner by monetary means. I did receive this DVD set  in exchange for this review.

If your kids are anything like mine, they have way too many toys and they don’t play with half of them! I am guilty of always buying toys for my kids…not sure if I am really buying the toys for them or for me!! Even though my kid’s room are stuffed with toys, one thing I can’t stand is for toys to be scattered everywhere throughout the house. Since my oldest is twenty-six years old and my youngest is nine years old, I have had many years to master the skill of organization.

Social Moms and Hot Wheels have teamed up and are wanting to know your 10 tips for decluttering and Organizing toys in a playroom or kid’s bedroom.

10 Tips to De-Cluttering & Organizing Toys

1. Storage Bins: I have learned that when you have a son with tons of Hot Wheels or a daughter with lots of tiny animals, storage bins are the way to go! We use the plastic storage bins….some are singular and some are the three tier drawer kind. Either way, these bins are perfect for storing those little toys.

2. Rotate Toys: I have learned over the years that children only play with certain things and don’t pay attention to all the other toys they have. I have a system of rotating toys. I take a bin of toys out of their room and store it.  About every six weeks, I get the bin out and change out the toys. This keeps them interested in more of their toys and keeps some of them out of the way.

3. Donate:  I teach my children to donate their unwanted toys to other children. We go through their toys twice a year and clear out the ones they no longer want.

4. Keep toys together: Organize toys into groups keeping all the cars together, all the action figures together, all the farm animals together, etc.

5. Shelves:  We have shelves that go all they way around the rooms. We keep books, keepsakes, etc. stored up high and off the floors.

6. One thing out at a time: We teach our children to only get one type of toy out at a time and to put it back when they want to play with something else.

7. Under the bed storage:  Having lots of toys requires having lots of space and when space becomes an issue the only place to go is under the bed. We have the long floor type storage bins that have wheels. They are perfect for storing toys, clothes, or shoes.

8.  Over the Door Storage: This is perfect for art supplies, keeping all crayons, pens, pencils, paper in one place and easy to access.

9.  Cabinet Storage: Most kids nowadays have TVs in their rooms. We have the cabinets with storage underneath for all their games and movies.

10. Stuffed animlas: I think every little girl have too many stuffed animals. What do you do with all those stuffed animals?  Buy a stuffed animal hammock! Okay, that may be so 70′s but it works!

So those are my 10 tips for keeping toys de-cluttered and organized. What do you do in your kid’s room to make organization a breeze?

Disclaimer: “I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hot Wheels® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

About Hot Wheels®
Since 1968, Hot Wheels® has been passionate about creating thrilling vehicle experiences through innovative product and content. With a fan base of more than 41 million people, Hot Wheels® is the No. 1 vehicle property in the United States producing the coolest cars imaginable. The Hot Wheels® brand began as a line of 16 1:64-scale die-cast vehicles; today, it has evolved into a true, global lifestyle brand for boys of all ages with segments that range from aftermarket parts to licensed apparel to branded digital content from Team Hot Wheels™, a real-life race crew of professional drivers performing over-the-top stunts.

More on Hot Wheels® Wall Tracks™ sets: http://www.hotwheels.com/walltracks

More info on Hot Wheels®: http://www.hotwheels.com

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