Dante Beatrix big eco-packs are just that.  The backpacks are constructed with nylon made from recycled plastic water bottles and trimmed with naturally biodegradable canvas.  On top of that, it’s adorable!  It’s the perfect backpack that is made to last long, spacious enough to hold books, toys, blankets and more, and it’s environmentally friendly.  For me, it can’t get better than that, and for my daughter, it’s another step in teaching her to be eco-conscious (each pack removes seven 16oz. plastic bottles from the environment).  While it’s sized for ages five to ten (14x15x5.5″), I see it being used beyond those years.  It’s a bag that can be cherished, loved, and cared for, for many years to come.

My daughter loves the heart design on the bag and I love the recycle design on the side pocket.  She can show her personality through her bag and at the same time send a “green“ message to her classmates at school.  It’s the perfect size (not too small or extremely huge) and it will be the ideal backpack to take on our trip to Chicago. 

Love. Recycle. Cherish.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Okay, today marks a day that I have to take my daughter to the dentist office to do a major procedure.  At least for me, it is major.  A couple weeks back, my daughter complained that her tooth hurt.  I looked in her mouth to see that one of her molars was looking a little dark, so I assumed it was a major decay.  Since our family’s dentist was not available because it was a Saturday, I frantically searched for a dentist that was open on that day.

I literally called my own dentist, googled, went onto local mommy boards, and even went on Yelp.  After seeing multiple high recommendations and extremely positive reviews from all the moms on Yelp for this one particular dentist, I made a call that morning.  The office was open, but they were quite booked.  I let them know that it was an emergency and she had to be seen that day.  Thankfully, they squeezed her in as an emergency.

My daughter and I went into this pediatric dentist office, not knowing what to expect, since it was the first time she complained about tooth pain.  After waiting for a little bit, she was taken into the room, and was examined by the dentist.  She ended up having to fill 5 cavities and needed 2 baby root canals on her molars.  What?!!!  I was blown away.  While my daughter enjoys sweets (I am definitely guilty of that) I make sure she has good oral hygiene.  I never expected for my daughter to have so many things going on with her teeth.

When I was a child, I lived at the dentist’s office.  So when I found out about her tooth, I felt really bad because she inherited my genes, or shall I say my teeth.  When the dentist went over what needed to be done, it almost became a huge blur.  She said that we would have to put her under, fill her cavities, and perform two baby root canals.

After hearing all this, I was scared for my daughter and also confused as to why my daughter had to go under (as in general anesthesia).  I called the dental office multiple times to speak with the dentist, got a second opinion, and also sent x-rays to other dentists to find out if this was necessary.  The common consensus was that the teeth needed to be taken care of and because of her age (shy of being 4 years old), general anesthesia was highly recommended.

So after 2 weeks to educate myself about the anatomy of the tooth, speaking with multiple dentists, and a lot of thinking and praying, the day has finally come.  Today, this early morning, my daughter will be going in for her first major procedure where she will be put asleep for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.  I am super nervous but like anything else, I am staying positive and strong for my baby.

My baby will NOT take the bottle for the life of her.  Since she nurses at the breast, it’s really not a major issue that she doesn’t take the bottle, but I also want to be able to sleep through the night.  It would be great for my husband to experience the bonding that a mother and baby gets during feeding times, and for that to happen, the baby needs to take the bottle.

We have a whole container filled with new bottles that are just sitting there because my baby absolutely hates them.  She automatically recognizes that they are artificial and wants nothing to do with them.  I will continue to nurse her until she is over a year old, but I would love for her to take a bottle, for occasional times, when I would like to run an errand sans baby. 

--the Very Hungry bottle--

With amazing baby products on the market, I knew there had to be a bottle that would mimic the breast.  And guess what?  I found it.  mimijumi’s –the Very Hungry bottle–  is the closest experience a baby will get to breastfeeding.  Of course, the first time, I put it up to my baby’s lips, she tilted her head backwards and stared at it for a moment.  After the initial introduction, I continued to slip it in her mouth, and she actually took it for about 30 seconds.  With my baby, that is a miracle! 

The bottle’s nipple mimics the breast in color and texture which helps because babies are also very visual.  It is made of the safest food grade silicone and the bottle is BPA free.  The bottle is finished off with a curvacious cap that keeps the dust off and keeps the leaks in, and a no-skid bottom made with the same silicone as the nipple.  The mimijumi is the second best thing to nursing at the breast!

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

When I think of Coco’s Bakery, the first thing that comes to mind is “family” then “pie.”  Of course, the establishment offers more than that, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s a family friendly restaurant that offers a diverse menu for the entire family, child and grandma included.

Wine & Appetizer Pairings

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Giveaway ends March 10th, 2010 at 11:59pm PST. Please make sure you leave a valid email address so that we can notify the winner. We will notify the winner, and the winner has 48 hours to respond. If the winner fails to respond within that time period, we will choose a new winner.

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Or shall I say I need to stop putting my hands into Nature’s Hand Granola because I am eating it like a bag of potato chips.  Obviously, way healthier than potato chips and definitely more filling.  Granola is such a great multi-purpose food item.  You can snack on it, eat it as a cereal, put it on some yogurt, add it to your soft serve, even make your own granola bars.  It’s one of those special food items that you can do a gazillion things with and you’ll never get tired of it.

I recently sampled some granola from Nature’s Hand and I have to say that it was wholesome, just the right amount of sweetness, and definitely filling, but my hands kept reaching in for more, more, and yes, more!  The great thing was that it was healthy and filling, so the combo left you satified in both the taste and hunger department.

Originally being from the midwest, I was definitely excited to see that Nature’s Hand was from the midwest, with a German heritage.  The taste and feeling you got eating Nature’s Hand granola was like eating sugar from the sugar cane. Pure, natural, and yummy.  While I thought all six flavors were delicious, my favorites were the Original Recipe and Cinnamon Apple. 

I enjoyed the Original because the taste and texture were very simple but harmonious.  A granola wedding of oats, wheat, almonds, and sunflower seeds, married by brown sugar and honey. Um…um…goodness.  The Cinnamon Apple tasted like granola apple pie, if that makes any sense.  It was the perfect combination of granola and cinnamon apple chips.  I loved the fact that the cinnamon did not overpower the taste, and it was the perfect hint of apple to the whole concoction.

Not only was it yummy, it was very nutritious and perfect for my family (and yes, kids included).  The fiber content came in at 4g (good for regularity) and the protein content was at 4g (keeps the body content).  Speaking from experience, eating Nature’s Hand granola made the mouth happy, the stomach full, and the bowel, let’s say “clearly” content.  With a good size bag coming in at only $4.99, it’s a win-win situation!!

(Disclosure: Samples were provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)