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February 28, 2011

Know Before You Go - Precision Voyager Luggage Scale {Review & Giveaway}

EatSmart Products

Picture this: You and your husband finally get up the guts to take the kids on a plane across the country to see family that you haven't seen in a while. You spend two days packing (because you know when you have kids to pack for, you have to take half of your house), you double check to make sure you have everything, then you load up and head to the airport. You didn't bring your stroller because the kids won't sit in it anyway, and you didn't feel like having to deal with checking that, so instead they are running around the airport while you try to check in. You're trying to wrangle your kids, while your husband is dealing with getting boarding passes and checking the bags. All of the sudden you hear "sir, this bag is over 50 pounds, that will be a $90 charge". WHAT!?!?!?!

Being slapped with an extra fee because your bag is too heavy is the last thing any traveler needs, especially parents who are already stressed out enough just trying to make the trip. The extra fees for overweight luggage aren't small, either. I haven't flown in a while (we haven't quite gotten up the nerve yet), and I had no idea what the luggage fees were like, so I was shocked to see this fee chart on Expedia.com. On airlines like Delta and US Airways, you have to pay $25 for your first bag, $35 for your second, and $125 for bags after that. Those bags must be under 50 pounds, or the fee goes up to $90, or even $175 if it is over 71 pounds. Wow! A couple large bags could end up costing more than your seat!

Now you can avoid any surprises, and ridiculous fees, at the airport with this great luggage scale from EatSmart Products! Never pay overweight luggage charges again with the Precision Voyager Digital Luggage Scale!

EatSmart Luggage Scale

The EatSmart Precision Voyager Luggage Scale is an ultraportable, lightweight travel accessory designed for anyone from the casual vacationer to the road warrior. After easily clipping onto the handle of your suitcase or bag, EatSmart's proprietary two handed SmartGrip design allows for easier lifting of even the heaviest bags. When your scale registers the weight, the scale will beep and your luggage weight will appear on the screen instantly. Its compact, durable design allows travelers to place it in their suitcase and bring on many trips. Never worry about paying unexpected baggage fees again!

Features

1. EatSmart's proprietary two handed SmartGrip designed Handles
2. Compact & Lightweight Design
3. Durable Strap & Easy Clip Buckle
4. 2 Measurement Modes: Pounds / Kilograms
5. Graduation: .1 oz / .1 gram
6. Max Weight: 110 pounds / 50 kilograms
7. 20 second Auto-Turnoff
8. Includes Lithium Battery

Like I said, we haven't yet gotten up the nerve to travel, so we packed up some towels in a suitcase to test the scale out. Here's my world traveling husband, ready to go...

EatSmart Luggage Scale

The scale is so easy to use! You just attach it around the handle of your suitcase, turn it on, and lift. That's all there is to it! It will beep when it has the proper measurement.

EatSmart Luggage Scale

We lifted it several times, and got within .1 of the same measurement each time. The scale is very lightweight, so it can be easily packed in your suitcase, since you know when you go on vacation, you always come back with more than you went with. Just make sure you leave about a pound available in your suitcase for the scale.

The Precision Voyager Digital Luggage Scale can be purchased on Amazon for $19.95. (This appears to be a sale price from $29.95, so that may change.) That is a small price to pay to avoid the big prices at the airport!

Like I said, we haven't gotten up the nerve to travel by air with the kids yet, but we are planning on it soon. I am so glad to have this scale so we can avoid as much stress as possible. I highly recommend this to anyone who travels!

~*~One of my readers is going to win a Precision Voyager Digital Luggage Scale from EatSmart!~*~

Mandatory entry: (This must be done in order for any optional entries to count) Tell me your best tip for making travel easier. (If you have any great tips for traveling with kids, I would love to hear those!)

Optional entries: After you make the mandatory first entry above, you can get one extra entry (unless stated otherwise) for each of the following (please leave a separate comment for each):

* Like EatSmart Products on Facebook (feel free to let them know The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! sent you)
* Follow @EatSmartScales on Twitter
* Follow my blog publicly with Google Friend Connect (sidebar)
* Subscribe to my blog by email and confirm your subscription (sidebar)
* Like The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! on Facebook (leave your first name and last initial)
* Share this post on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the bottom of this post
* Follow @thelifeofrylie on Twitter (leave your user name)
* Tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting this tweet and leaving me the link to your tweet (you can tweet daily for an extra entry each day):

RT @thelifeofrylie Never pay overweight luggage charges! Enter to #win a luggage scale from @EatSmartScales! http://bit.ly/em8AeN #giveaway

* Post my button on your sidebar or your blog roll for TWO extra entries (leave me two comments with a link to where I can find it)
* Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post for THREE extra entries (leave a link to your post in three separate comments)

Giveaway will end on March 15th at 9:00pm EST. The winner will be chosen by random.org. I will notify the winner by email within 24 hours, and you will have 48 hours to respond. If no response is received within that time frame, I will pick another winner. Please leave your email address or make sure it is in your profile so I will have a way to contact you. I will announce the winner once they have been confirmed. This giveaway is open to residents of the US only.

Disclosure: This is my honest opinion. I received the luggage scale at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. A big Thank You to EatSmart Products for providing the giveaway prize!

~*~Winner!!!~*~

Thank you to everyone who entered my Bag Holder Giveaway! The winner of the $25 Outback Steakhouse Gift Card is...



And the winning comment was...


Congratulations Stacie Frost!

For more chances to win cool stuff, check out my current giveaways in the sidebar.

~*~Winner!!!~*~

Thank you to everyone who entered my Big G Cereals and Hot Wheels Giveaway! The winner of the Hot Wheels Prize Pack is...



And the winning comment was...



Congratulations Mysharona!

For more chances to win cool stuff, check out my current giveaways in the sidebar.

February 27, 2011

Add A Burst Of Flavor With Cinnamon Burst Cheerios {Review & Giveaway}

Cinnamon Burst Cheerios

We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? We need breakfast to recharge our bodies and perform our best, especially children. Breakfast is especially important to my kids because it is usually the only meal of the day they eat all of. I want to make sure they have a healthy breakfast each morning.

Cheerios has been a staple in our house since Rylie could eat solid food. There are so many different Cheerios flavors, we can have a wholesome breakfast every day, and still have variety. All Cheerios cereals are made with whole grain, so I feel good about my kids eating them. Frosted Cheerios and Fruity Cheerios seem to be the favorites in this house.

Cheerios recently introduced their newest flavor - Cinnamon Burst. With delicious cinnamon baked into every bite, it is a delicious and healthy way to start your day!

Made with real cinnamon, new Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal will delight your taste buds! This newest edition to the Cheerios line-up allows you to provide your family with a delicious and nutritious breakfast that contains 20% of the Daily Value of fiber (or 5g per serving), has 9g of sugar, is low in fat, saturated fat free and naturally cholesterol free. Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal also provides at least 8g of whole grain per serving; at least 48g recommended daily. A true crowd pleaser, Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal is sure to kick-start any morning!

We received a Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal gift pack for review. This great gift pack included a box of Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal, a family 4-pack of cereal bowls, a travel cereal chiller and a cinnamon scented candle.

The new Cinnamon Burst Cheerios quickly became a favorite of everyone in the house! Brian usually has breakfast with the kids in the morning while I'm getting ready for work, so they all sat down to try these. The bowls we received in the gift pack are nice, deep bowls, which I love because I usually eat more than the "serving size" on the box.

Cinnamon Burst Cheerios

The kids quickly gobbled up their cereal and seemed to really enjoy it!

Cinnamon Burst Cheerios Cinnamon Burst Cheerios

Rylie and I went grocery shopping the other day and there was a display of the new Cinnamon Burst Cheerios in the middle of the aisle. She said "ooooh mommy, we have those!" Apparently they made enough of an impression on her that she even remembered what the box looked like. Everyone in this house gives these new Cheerios two thumbs up. We are definitely starting our mornings with a smile!

I have to also tell you about this great travel cereal chiller that came in our gift pack. I don't usually have time to eat in the morning, so I eat at work. As much as I enjoy eating cereal, I don't feel like bringing a bowl, a cup of milk and a spoon every day. But now I can bring my cereal much easier. This cereal chiller is awesome! It has a frozen ring that you set in the bottom bowl. You can also add fruit to that bowl. There is a cup that fits right down in the ring to keep your milk chilled, and then you add your cereal to the top bowl. The lid even has a spoon that attaches to it. Now I can enjoy a wholesome bowl of Cheerios myself every morning!

Travel Cereal Chiller Travel Cereal Chiller
Travel Cereal Chiller Travel Cereal Chiller

~*~One of my readers is going to win a Cinnamon Burst Cheerios Cereal Gift Pack!~*~

Cinnamon Burst Cheerios Cereal Gift Pack

Mandatory entry: (This must be done in order for any optional entries to count) Tell me what you do to start your day off with a smile.

Optional entries: After you make the mandatory first entry above, you can get one extra entry (unless stated otherwise) for each of the following (please leave a separate comment for each):

* Like Cheerios on Facebook
* Follow my blog publicly with Google Friend Connect (sidebar)
* Subscribe to my blog by email and confirm your subscription (sidebar)
* Like The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! on Facebook (leave your first name and last initial)
* Share this post on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the bottom of this post
* Follow @thelifeofrylie on Twitter (leave your user name)
* Tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting this tweet and leaving me the link to your tweet (you can tweet daily for an extra entry each day):

Enter to #win a Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal gift pack from @thelifeofrylie! http://bit.ly/ihL2GS #giveaway #myblogspark

* Post my button on your sidebar or your blog roll for TWO extra entries (leave me two comments with a link to where I can find it)
* Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post for THREE extra entries (leave a link to your post in three separate comments)

Giveaway will end on March 14th at 9:00pm EST. The winner will be chosen by random.org. I will notify the winner by email within 24 hours, and you will have 48 hours to respond. If no response is received within that time frame, I will pick another winner. Please leave your email address or make sure it is in your profile so I will have a way to contact you. I will announce the winner once they have been confirmed. This giveaway is open to residents of the US only.

Disclosure: This is my honest opinion. I received the Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal gift pack at no cost from Cheerios through MyBlogSpark. A big Thank You to Cheerios for providing the giveaway prize!

I Love My Online Friends {Blog Hop Linky}

Happy Monday! Today I have the pleasure of guest hosting the "I Love My Online Friends" blog hop with Tami Marie from The Things We Find Inside. I am so honored that she chose me to guest host with her this week! So grab the button, read the rules, link up and HAVE FUN!

The Things We Find Inside

RULES

1. Follow the host and the guest hosts on GFC. For this week, we are the number 1, 2, 3 and 4 spots on the linky. (We will follow back.) Leave a comment to let us know.

2. Follow as many people as you can and be sure to let them know that you are from the 'I love my Online Friends Monday Hop'.

3. You are not required to, but it will be great if you could grab the button and make a post about this hop. The more people that see this hop, the more blogs for us to visit and the more followers we gain.

4. Every week Tami Marie will pick one or two people to 'Guest Host' the hop with her. If you would like to be considered for the guest host position, all you need to do is grab our button, write a post about the hop and follow her on GFC. Leave a comment on her post to let me know if you are interested in guest hosting.

Have a great week, my friends!



I Need A Break!

A spa break, that is. I read a post on another blog the other day about how she was going away for a night to a spa to be pampered, and I have to admit I got a little jealous. I am in desperate need of a massage! I don't know if it is because of the countless hours spent in my "blogging chair" in front of the computer, or because I have two little monkeys climbing all over me all day, but my muscles are so sore. I could really use a facial too. My face is starting to resemble that of a teenage girl again, and I'm not talking about the smooth, wrinkle-free skin they have, either.

I miss my spa days. I miss having the time (and the money) to go spend a whole day at a spa getting pampered. It has been a few years since I have done that. The last time I went was before my wedding in 2007 when I treated my best friend and myself to a day at the spa. We got facials, massages, manicures and pedicures, and it was awesome!

Speaking of massages, I have to tell you all about the best massage I ever had. It was during our honeymoon to Costa Rica. We spent a few nights at a spa resort in the middle of the rain forest, and had a couple's massage while we were there. It was in a private, enclosed hut out in the rain forest. It was so relaxing to listen to all of the sounds of nature while we got our massages. Afterwards we were offered fruit and champagne in a private jacuzzi just outside our hut. Ahhhhh, paradise!

We're hoping to go back to Costa Rica one of these years. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity for Brian and I to reconnect and relax. But until then, I will settle for my bi-weekly pedicures and close my eyes and imagine myself back in that rain forest. A girl can dream, right?

Disclosure: This was a sponsored post, written by me, on behalf of Wahanda. I really do need a spa day, though!

Play. Sleep. Love. With Zoobies {Review & Giveaway}

Zoobies

Rylie loves plush animals! Her bed ends up looking like a zoo most nights. The cuddlier they are, the more she loves them. We were both quite excited when I was given the chance to review a Zoobie!

What is a Zoobie? The original Zoobie Blanket Pet is a plush toy, a comfy pillow and a cozy blanket, all in one! They were born out of the need to consolidate what one could bring on long road trips and family excursions. They are super soft and extremely cuddly!

Zoobie Blanket Pets come in a variety of animals. From elephants to turtles to lions, there are so many choices all throughout the animal kingdom.

Zoobies Blanket Pets

Choosing between so many cute pals was not easy for Rylie. She wanted them all! She finally decided that Ellema the Elephant was her favorite. Isn't she cute?

Zoobies

She just looks huggable, doesn't she? There are velcro hooks and loops on the underside of Zoobies, and when you open them up, they become a soft pillow.

Zoobies

But that's not all! If you unzip the zipper on the underside of the Zoobie, you will find a super soft, large blanket inside.

Zoobies Zoobies

So what did Rylie think about her Zoobie? She immediately became on of her favorite friends!

Zoobies

She quickly figured out how to turn Ellema into a pillow and asked if she could sleep with her every night.

Zoobies

Once she realized there was a soft blanket inside her Zoobie, though, she didn't care so much about the pillow anymore. She wanted to hop in bed and get covered up. As you can see, this blanket is large and perfect for snuggling up on cool nights.

Zoobies

Rylie wasn't in the mood for pictures at night, so we took these in the morning after she woke up. That was her best attempt at pretending to be asleep.

She has pretty much been attached to that blanket ever since! She constantly wants to be wrapped up in it, even on our 80 degree days. She walks around the house with it, and cuddles up on her little couch with it when she watches a movie.

Zoobies Zoobies

Rylie LOVES her Zoobie, and they definitely get our recommendation! Zoobie Blanket Pets are recommended for children ages 3 and up, but they have been safety tested for children of all ages.

The blanket pets are just one product line in the Zoobie family. They just recently came out with Storytime Pals, which I think are absolutely adorable! These are special Zoobies editions of your favorite children's book characters, such as Curious George, Hungry Caterpillar, Olivia and more!

Zoobies Storytime Pals

Also in the lineup are Blankie Babies and Slumber Pets. Blankie Babies are pint-size friends featuring a super-soft fleece blanket with satin Comfort Corner and teething ring, for little ones ages 0-2. Slumber Pets are oversized plush toys with a built in pillow and fleece sleeping bag.

Zoobies can be purchased at www.zoobies.com, or at major retailers near you.

~*~One of my readers is going to win a Zoobie Pet of your choice!~*~

Mandatory entry: (This must be done in order for any optional entries to count) Go check out all of the adorable Zoobie Blanket Pets and let me know which one is your favorite.

Optional entries: After you make the mandatory first entry above, you can get one extra entry (unless stated otherwise) for each of the following (please leave a separate comment for each):

* Like Zoobie Pets on Facebook
* Leave a comment on Zoobie Pets' Facebook wall letting them know that The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! sent you, and which Zoobie is your favorite
* Follow @zoobiepets on Twitter
* Follow my blog publicly with Google Friend Connect (sidebar)
* Subscribe to my blog by email and confirm your subscription (sidebar)
* Like The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! on Facebook (leave your first name and last initial)
* Share this post on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the bottom of this post
* Follow @thelifeofrylie on Twitter (leave your user name)
* Tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting this tweet and leaving me the link to your tweet (you can tweet daily for an extra entry each day):

Play. Sleep. Love. Enter to #win a super-soft cuddly Zoobie from @thelifeofrylie! http://bit.ly/hG0ICY @zoobiepets #giveaway

* Post my button on your sidebar or your blog roll for TWO extra entries (leave me two comments with a link to where I can find it)
* Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post for THREE extra entries (leave a link to your post in three separate comments)

Giveaway will end on March 13th at 9:00pm EST. The winner will be chosen by random.org. I will notify the winner by email within 24 hours, and you will have 48 hours to respond. If no response is received within that time frame, I will pick another winner. Please leave your email address or make sure it is in your profile so I will have a way to contact you. I will announce the winner once they have been confirmed. This giveaway is open to residents of the US only.

Disclosure: This is my honest opinion. I received a Zoobie at no cost for the purpose of this review. A big Thank You to Zoobies for providing the giveaway prize!

~*~Winner!!!~*~

Thank you to everyone who entered my SwaddleDesigns Giveaway! The winner of the super soft Stroller Blanket is...

Swaddle Designs Winner

And the winning comment was...

Swaddle Designs Winning Comment

Congratulations Andrea!

For more chances to win cool stuff, check out my current giveaways in the sidebar.

February 26, 2011

Relax & Surf Sunday - February 27th {Blog Hop Linky}

Relax & Surf Sunday

Welcome to Relax & Surf Sunday, with your hostesses The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! and Shibley Smiles! This is a great blog hop for everyone to make new friends! You can find some new blogs to check out, and also get your blog out there and gain some new followers.

Here are the rules...

Wait, there are no rules! That is the whole point behind "Relax & Surf". We just want you to relax, and surf around as much as you want to. You don't have to make a post. You don't have to post our button. You don't even have to follow us. Of course we hope you like our blogs and will want to follow us, and we WILL follow back! Just add your blog to our linky at the bottom of this post, and visit as many blogs as you would like to. If you decide to follow a new blog, make sure you leave them a comment so they will know you are following them.

Each week we will randomly select one blog from the previous week's entries to be our featured blog for that week. If that blog happens to be yours, you will get a cute little button to display on your blog, and you will also get the #3 spot for that week!



Our Featured Blogger this week is The Nutritionist Reviews!


I'm Amanda from the blog The Nutritionist Reviews. I have my bachelor's degree in dietetics and am applying to dietetic internships and hope to be matched to one starting later this year. After completing my internship, I will be able to take the RD exam and become a registered dietitian. I have been married to my wonderful husband Troy for one and a half years and we have 2 naughty mini dachshunds named Ava and Jaxen. My blog is a mixture of product reviews and giveaways, nutrition, healthy recipes, and more. Hope you enjoy!



Link up below and have fun! Thanks for stopping by!

This linky will be posted every Saturday night at 9PM EST. Please link to your blog's main page only.



Saturday Playdate - 3 Moms in 1


Welcome to another fun Saturday Playdate! Today we're playing with Julie from 3 Moms in 1. Julie's blog is all about finding balance between work, life, and her adorable little girl, Amelia. I know all too well how hard that is! There are always stories about her family and all the fun they have together, and of course a ton of cute pictures.

When you're done here, please check out Julie's blog and give her some comment love. Tell her you stopped by from the playdate!



Photobucket

Thanks LeeAnn, for having me over for this playdate!

To those whom I have not yet met, my name is Julie and I am NOT the mom of the year.

As women and especially as moms, we put pressure on ourselves to be everything to everyone. Day by day, I strive to be the “perfect” mommy - the one who reads the books, follows the rules, and ends up with a well-adjusted, independent, and joyful child. But at the same time, I want to be the “happy” mommy - the one who enjoys everything about raising a little one and finds time for lots of smiles. And the “working” mommy - the one who holds a job and gets paid, while caring for and loving her family.

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What I’ve learned so far? It is OK to let go. Sometimes one or two of these "mommies" have to take the back seat while the other one gets priority. One day I may strive for fun and happy while totally blowing off work. Another day I may turn to the (gasp!) DVD player to occupy my girl while I complete a work project. I think it’s the overall picture that matters. Not how I performed my roles on one given day (because there are many failures along the way!), but how my girl will remember my efforts and our interaction years from now.

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Blogging is my outlet. It is my method of stress relief. My way to collect memories and save some of the joys I’ve experienced as a mommy thus far. And it’s my lifeline for reaching out to people like me. To me, the best thing about blogging is being able to interact with so many other people around the country – and around the world. I read many other blogs and try my best to comment whenever I can, and I adore all my 3MomsIn1 readers and commenters. Blogging opened up a totally new world to me, and I’m enjoying every minute.

If you get a chance, stop by 3MomsIn1.com and say hello! I would love to meet you.

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Thanks for stopping by for our playdate! I hope you had fun! If you would like to come over for a playdate, let me know in a comment or an email.

 
© 2010 Laura Jane Designs
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