Movie Review: Disney's Tangled

Walt Disney Pictures presents “Tangled,” one of the most hilarious, hair-raising tales ever told.  When the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) hides out in a mysterious tower, he’s taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair.  Flynn’s curious captor, who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief and the unlikely duo sets off on an action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse, an over-protective chameleon and a gruff gang of pub thugs. In theaters this holiday season in Disney Digital 3D™, “Tangled” is a story of adventure, heart, humor and hair—lots of hair.

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Review: Baby Ddrops & Kids Ddrops + Giveaway(closed)

As a breastfeeding mother in Canada Health Canada recommends that all healthy full term infants receive a daily supplement of 400IU of Vitamin D for up to one year. After that children would receive their daily dosage amount consuming 2 cups of cows milk or fortified soy beverage. Since we are a casein free household & our kids can't tolerate soy either - we needed a supplement for their vitamin D as well.

Over the past 4.5 years of motherhood I have tested out a few different methods for vitamins for my children. I was given the opportunity to try out both the KidsDdrops and BabyDdrops and I was interested  to see if these would stop the daily vitamin struggle I have with my kids.

Ddrops is a 100% Canadian owned company with a mission to spread a little sunshine one drop at a time. Committed to the highest quality and standards each product has received Natural Health Product Numbers (NPNs) from Health Canada.

Ddrops are tasteless, odorless with no artificial flavours or sugar. They are gluten free, casein free, peanut free & soya free.  It requires no preservatives and has a long shelf life without refrigeration.

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Product Review: Motherlove Nipple Cream

I have been nursing Baby E now for almost 20 months and after the initial 6 weeks learning phase we have been having no real troubles.

Those first 6 weeks were very painful though. Cracked nipples, bleeding nipples, engorgement that made it near impossible to latch and of course the whole casein intolerant thing we had to work out.  

Babe E is teething now - getting her molars and she has not really been herself. She has been a little rough with the nursing lately and when she seems to be in a lot of teething pain, she bites... chomps hard. Also, I nurse her to sleep at night and if I don't break the latch before she is right out - she will chomp down, hard.

Enter in  Motherlove Nipple Cream:

Review: Hands Free Pumping Bra From Simple Wishes

I am a busy mom of three children and breastfeeding is important to me. I have more kids then hands which can make even the simplest tasks a bit tricky, like pumping. I am trying to build up a supply for Baby E as well as a donation to the Human Milk Bank of North America and finding time to pump is hard.  

Enter the Hands Free Pumping Bra from Simple Wishes. 

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Product Review: Kinnikinnick Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Kinnikinnick Cinnamon Sugar Donuts: Gluten & Dairy Free

I have been wanting to try Kinnikinnick Cinnamon Sugar Donuts for about ever. I have made my own donuts before and they are really good - but also a lot of work. I wanted to know what a commercially available gluten and casein free donut tasted like. Today was the day:

If you don't know Kinnikinnick Foods - get yourself acquainted. They provide allergy friendly foods that are produced in a dedicated facility free from gluten and nuts. The company mission is:

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Product Review: Riega Foods Cheddar Cheese Sauce Mix

I was given the opportunity to try out and review the new cheese sauce mixes by Riega Foods - they sent me both the white and yellow cheddar flavors - both of which are gluten free. 

Riega Foods is committed to providing safe food options:

When a person has special dietary needs it is important to know what is in your food and where it is made.  That is why we fully disclose all ingredients and clearly list what other common allergens causing ingredients are used in the facilities where our foods are made.  With the Riega brand we even give you a quick reference stamp in the upper right hand corner of our packaging.  This stamp quickly lets you know if our foods are appropriate for you.  Riega Foods also understands that those with gluten intolerance need lower levels of gluten in their food than the FDA currently allows.  That is why we will not sell a single product labeled as gluten free that is not tested and confirmed to contain less than 20 ppm of gluten.

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Product Review: Little Grips

Little Grips: An Eating Utensil Designed Just For Toddlers

With Baby E we wanted to do things a bit differently when it came with starting solids. We had gone through parenting 2 other infants/toddlers through the transition from formula to purred food to feeding themselves and we knew there was an easier way for it to be done.  Baby E she was exclusively only breastfed until about 10 months old when she started to show desire to try solid foods. We skipped the whole baby food puree stage and when she showed signs of readiness to feed herself that is when we introduced her to food.

She was showing interest in using her own set of utensils when she hit around 14-15 months old and on the search for something safe for her I received an email from a new company called Little Grips asking if I would like to test out their new eating utensils designed just for toddlers. It could not have come at a better time and I was excited to have Baby E try them out. 

Little Grips

make toddler feeding-time easy and enjoyable for you and your child. Feeding is made easy with a larger no–choke safety handle that fits easily in the palm of your child’s hands and allows them to use their arms and wrists for better control. Other utensils require finer finger controls that are still undeveloped, creating a frustrating experience for your child.

Product Review: Bamboobies Nursing Pads

Bamboobies: Organic bamboo Nursing Pads

I don't remember where I first heard about Bamboobies but I am so glad I did.  I was given the opportunity to try out both the regular nursing pads and the overnight nursing pads and it couldn't have come at a better time since Baby E is slowly weaning and my supply has been having a hard time keeping up.

According to Bamboobies you deserve Bamboobies because:

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Product Review: Sensible Beginnings Cereal by Glutino

I had the opportunity to try out the new line of Glutino Sensible Beginnings cereal yesterday before it has even been launched. The line comes with three different varieties: Sensible Beginnings, Frosted Sensible Beginnings and Berry Sensible Beginnings.  This line is the first fortified gluten free cereal on the market and a great source of vitamins B12 and Vitamin C.

Glutino is one of the larger gluten free companies who make it their mission to :

provide a healthy lifestyle to all those with Celiac Disease and those who follow a gluten-free / wheat-free diet.

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Product Review: Not Nuts! Trail Mix by Enjoy Life

 
Enjoy Life sent me some samples of their new nut free trail mix called "not nuts! trail mix for everyone" in their 2 different varieties: Beach bash and Mountain Mambo.  I have not seen trail mix before that was marketed to the gluten free sector and especially not the nut free sector so I was very excited to try these out.

Enjoy Life Foods business is:

making smile-good foods that keep people’s insides happy too. That’s why all of [their] foods are specially made to be gluten-free and free of the 8 most common allergens, which account for 90% of all food allergies. [Their] mission is to make delicious products that just about everyone can EAT FREELY.

Product Review: Revolution Foods Mashups by EcoMom

I was sent some sample products from the Revolution Foods product line by EcoMom for my kids and I to test out and I was intrigued by what "mashups" were.  The flavors they sent (Berry, Tropical and Strawberry Banana) certainly sounded great and given they are organic and unsweetened, they had to be good. 

Revolution foods was founded on the belief that

all children deserve access to healthy, wholesome
foods, especially where they need it most - in their schools. Our organic lunchbox snacks make it easy to nourish your kids with yummy balanced nutrition. We like to think of it as Lunchbox Simplicity. Simple for parents to pack, simple for kids to eat and a simple way to maintain a healthy diet at school or at home. And when you purchase our products, 3% of sales gets donated to our School Lunch Program to help provide fresh meals to kids in under-served schools.

Product Review: Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies

Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies

When I was younger - even a few years ago - I was in love with a well known cookie called Oreo They were my favourite desert of all time, favourite snack and favourite treat. Then in 2007 I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and with that out went my favourite Oreo. 

There are many options out now for gluten free oreo-type cookies and when my grocery store stocked up on Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme cookies I had to pick a pack up.

They are made up of a combination of corn flour, corn starch, rice flour, potato flour, tapioca and soy flours. They are gluten free but do contain eggs and soy ingredients with a warning of may containing dairy, peanuts and tree nuts. 

Product Review: Jaxn's Twice-Baked Potato Stix

Jaxn's Twice-Baked Potato Stix

I received 2 bags of Jaxn's Twice-Baked Potato Stix to test out and review. I had not seen a gluten free product like this so I was very intrigued and interested to test them out.  I am a huge fan of chips, french fries and the salt and pepper flavors so I had high hopes for this product.

Jaxn's are described as being

• All Natural, Gluten Free Ingredients
• Lose the fries, not the flavor!
• A unique crunch & addictive burst of Flavor!
• Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper

Product Review: Momzelle Breastfeeding Apparel

Momzelle Breastfeeding Apparel & Nursing Wear

I was so excited when I was sent a product from the Momzelle collection to review for this site.  I was first introduced to Momzelle when I was at home with my husband watching one of our favourite shows called "Dragon's Den".  There the co-founder of Momzelle, Christine Poirier was showing off her amazing product. 

According to Momzelle:

We are here to help you be active and outgoing and, above all, to ease your life when you breastfeed in public. Momzelle nursing tops have universal openings (which means that they fit every breast size) that guarantee discretion and comfort while you breastfeed. All of our styles are long through the body and are form fitting. You will feel good in those silky soft cotton and spandex nursing tops.

Product Review: King Arthur Flour Pizza Crust Mix

Homemade Gluten Free Pizza from King Arthur Flour Pizza Crust Mix

The good people at King Arthur Flour sent me a sample of their Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix and I was really looking forward to testing it out.  Gluten Free and Pizza Crust are not always great in the same sentence. I have come across a few great crusts and also some that taste like cardboard for the mixes or frozen kinds. I have one good homemade crust using only cornstarch that I have, but sometimes I want something with a little less work, but that still feels like I made.  

King Arthur Flour

now offers the best gluten-free mixes you’ll ever taste. And our selection of ingredients, delicious recipes, and step-by-step recipe photos will take your gluten-free baking to new heights.

Product Review: Kinnikinnick Panko Style Bread Crumbs + Recipe

Kinnikinnick Panko Style Bread Crumbs (Gluten Free)

Kinnikinnick sent me a sample of their new Panko Style Bread Crumbs to try out. I have been trying to think of the perfect recipe to make with the panko crumbs that would give me a good idea on how great this product is and decided on making Eggplant Parmesan. I have not had this recipe in over 10 years and certainly not since going gluten free. I had not found a gluten free breadcrumb that I liked (and I hate making my own) so I really just avoided this recipe --- until now.

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Product Review: Readeo {plus coupon code}

Readeo: Connecting Page By Page

I was contacted by Readeo to do a review on their service and I was excited to check it out. Sounded like a great service and my kids right now are SO into books I was interested to see what they would think.

Readeo is a patent-pending product that combines the best children’s books with high-quality video chat to create a shared reading experience called BookChat^TM where people can see, hear, read and interact with grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and others—just as you would if you were in the same room. Readeo allows families to connect and interact in a meaningful way—even when they may be far apart.

Product Review: Bora Bora Organic Foods

Bora Bora Organic Foods sent us some samples of their most popular organic, all natural bars. 7 different flavors from 3 of their fundamental lines and I was excited to try each one out.

Bora Bora Organic Bars are all USDA certified organic, all natural, gluten free. Each is free from preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colors and flavors and are non-GMO. Many are also vegan, kosher with no refined sugar. 

Our promise of healthy living is immediately evident in the bars we make, but we also believe healthy food should be enjoyed on a healthy planet. So we're working on initiatives that support sustainable farming practices, as well as renewable energy resources that minimize waste.

Product Review: Kinnikinnick Personal Size Pizza Crust

I had never tried the Kinnikinnick Personal Size Pizza Crust before, in fact I hadn't even seen it in my store yet (it's there now though) so when Kinnikinnick sent me a box of it to try out I was quite excited. I had not had too much success finding a frozen or store bought pizza crust that will stand up to my picky texture standards so I was not really sure what to expect. 

Kinnikinnick Personal Size Pizza Crust is made of a combination of sweet rice flour and tapioca starch and is gluten free, dairy free (and casein free), soy free and manufactured in a facility free from peanuts/tree nuts, gluten and dairy.  

Product Review: Surf Sweets

Surf Sweets Natural and Organic Candy sent us some samples of their products to review and my kids could not have been happier when they arrived! We were sent 4 products to try - 1 pack (78g) of Sour Worms, 1 snack pack (25g) each of Gummy Bears, Jelly Beans and Sour Berry Bears.

Surf Sweets candy is made with organic fruit juice and sweeteners and is free of corn syrup and GMO's, it is gluten and casein free and made in a nut-free facility.

The Surf Sweets brand was inspired by fun, healthy lifestyles and food choices. Sunny days on the beach, riding a few waves, and enjoying the best candy on the planet – what could be better?

Since we love candy and eat it regularly, we thought it made sense to offer candy that not only tastes fantastic, but that is a better choice for you, your family and for the environment