Are you going to cheer for the Giants or the Patriots?  You know, to be honest, I haven’t followed either of those teams closely because I am a Bears fan.  But, I do love me some good football and one that involves lots of food and crazy hardcore fans.

For today, GO GIANTS!!!!  Always been a fan of the underdog.

With the Superbowl in full throttle today, it’s the competition of the pizzerias, the car makers, the breweries and anyone who can make the best eye-catching commercial worthy of a CLIO award.

For me, today is a day that I get to dip some tortilla chips into a delicious bowl of spicy chili.  Of course, that’s one of the many things that will be on the menu.

With Superbowl parties planned all across the country and the accumulated trash it will bring in a matter of hours, the celebration of America’s favorite pastime is nothing close to being green.

So how can we gather our efforts to making it a greener Superbowl?  Recently, I was sent a Superbowl package from Glad and it was all about being green and clean!

From top right to left: Compostable Bags, Tall Kitchen Bags, Recycled Tall Kitchen Bags & Compostable Entertaining Kit for 8 (Plates, Bowls and Tumblers by WASARA, utensils made from organically-grown bamboo, & recycled-paper napkins).

Glad has a line of products that makes being green a lot easier.  And I know, when things are easier, I actually do them.  The green line of products let’s us recycle, compost or even reuse some of our waste products.

Compostable Bags: certified compostable, less mess and neutralizes odors.

Banana and mandarin orange peels in the compostable bag.

Tall Kitchen Drawstring Bags: 3-ply strength stronger bag, less plastic and easy close.

Costco tall kitchen bag w/hole.

Glad Tall Kitchen Bags without any holes

……………..

Recycled Plastic Bags: Made from 65% recycled plastic, strong & durable and comes in twist & tie closure (my pic is not wanting to post for some reason, so click on the product name to see picture).

So let’s all try to be a little greener today with either composting, recycling or reducing waste by other eco-friendly methods.  I’m actually very pleased with the Glad products sent to me and having different options always makes being green that much easier.

For your chance at winning the Superbowl Prize Pack (pictured above), please tell me how you plan to be green this year.  Please comment below.

For additional entries (each entry must be a separate comment):

• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet about the Giveaway
• Subscribe to Mommas in The House

Giveaway ends February 10, 2012 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.

(Disclosure: The products 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.)

We’re moving towards 2012 and it’s all about you, You and YOU!  In conjunction with “The Mommy Diet“, how about giving your nails and toes the VIP treatment.  We all know that nice looking toes and nails are essential to any little outfit, whether you are dressed up or down (it’s the icing on the cake).

Recently, Julep Maven (a monthly membership program by Julep) sent me an introductory “Classic With a Twist” Maven Box.  Although, I’m not a fan of the monthly membership programs out there, with the New Years approaching, I was open to trying out new things.

In general, I usually stay away from nail polishes because of all the toxic chemicals they contain (plus, I hate the smell).  However, once I found out that these were free of carcinogens (formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, toluene and DBP), I had to try them out.

First, the intro box was well packaged in a red box (it’s kind of like that feeling when you get the blue Tiffany box).  Not knowing what was in it, brought an element of excitement and surprise (all my inner girlies came out to play).

My box contained two nail polishes, Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub and some samples.  The glycolic hand scrub was divine and after giving my hand that much needed facial, it felt like a baby’s bottom.

The two nail polish colors I received were Whitney and Nicole.  The colors were not my cup of tea (more-so my mom’s, I personally like Kim and Juliette) but they glided on nicely.  Now if Julep can work on getting rid of that smell that all nail polishes seem to have, it would be the perfect polish.

The cost of membership is $19.99 a month and you get over $40 worth of products in each box.  The best part of this program is that it’s customizable to your needs.

Every month, you’ll have products curated for your own Sneak Peek Box.  If you don’t like what you see, you can request another “shelf pull” (I like this option because unlike some programs, you’re not forced to have something you don’t like, in my case, it would have been the nail colors).

You also have the option to share your Sneak Peek Box with another girlfriend.  So let’s say your friend’s birthday is coming up, you can sign into your account and send it as a gift (totally worth it!).

On top of all those benefits, you can skip a month for free and be rewarded with a $15 gift certificate for referring your friends.

So if you want that VIP treatment every month or simply use it to give a VIP treatment to someone else, the membership is definitely worth it.

Now to the best part, one of my lucky readers will win a Julep Maven intro box of their own by entering below.  If you can’t wait for the giveaway to end or want to try it out asap, enter the code “MOMMASINTHEHOUSE” to receive your first Sneak Peek Box for just $5 (valued over $40).

For your chance at winning , please tell me what you like best about the Julep Maven program.  Please comment below.

For additional entries (each entry must be a separate comment):

• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet about the Giveaway
• Subscribe to Mommas in The House

Giveaway ends January 8, 2012 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.

(Disclosure: An intro box 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.)

Pampers recently improved their Cruisers with the new 3-Way Fit.  Because the three-way fit adapts to the babies waists, legs and bottoms, your baby will be able to play at optimum level, leak-free.  They also added a longer absorbent area and new soft quilted backsheet for maximum comfort.  Let me tell you, when I put the diaper on my daughter, I could instantly see how the leg area fit better.

On top of all the great new additions, now you can even see Oscar the Grouch on the new diapers.  These Cruisers were definitely improved so that the baby can enjoy his or her play experience.  With that in mind, Pampers Cruisers is hosting “”30 Days of Play and Giveaways.”"

If you go to Pamper’s Facebook page and click on the “Pampers Cruisers Sweeps” from the left, you can enter to win everything from an Imagination Station to the Grand Prize which is a year’s supply of Pampers Cruisers and a four-day/three-night trip to Beaches Resorts located in Turks & Caicos or Jamaica (now that’s a Grand Prize!).

And if you couldn’t top that, one of my readers will win an exclusive Pampers Cruisers “Play-A-Palooza” Pack which includes the newly improved Pampers Cruisers with 3-Way Fit diapers, a 64-Count Tub of Pampers Wipes and Hasbro’s new Let’s Rock! Elmo.  I’m so excited for one of my lucky readers because it retails for approximately $100.

UPDATE: Congratulations #52 Laurie Brown for winning the Giveaway

For your chance at winning this prize pack, tell me if you could create the perfect diaper what would that be (design, feel, additional purposes).  Get super creative!  Please comment below.

For additional entries (each entry must be a separate comment):

• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet about the Giveaway
• Subscribe to Mommas in The House

Giveaway ends October 30, 2011 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.

(Disclosure: A pack of Pampers Cruisers 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.)

Have you had the chance to watch an episode of “Pregnant in Heels“? A show following mommy extraordinaire and maternity concierge, Rosie Pope.

If you thought you were hormonal or crazy during your pregnancy, take it up a notch by entering the lives of the Madison Avenue mommies. While everything is taken to it’s extreme (I mean this is TV), when Rosie gets down to the core, it comes down to being loving parents and who isn’t anxious about having a child? It’s part scary and part amazing.

Rosie has teamed up with Pampers to introduce their new line of Limited Edition Prints for Cruisers and Swaddlers. They are now bringing style and fashion to your child’s bums. Everything from floral, polka dot, to argyle prints to satisy the tastes of all mommies and all babies. The Limited Edition Prints will be available beginning Memorial Day weekend. Read below for your chance at winning a box of these new prints.

I had the pleasusre of interviewing Rosie Pope about summer fashion and everything that has to do with her show and being a mom for the second time (yes, you heard that right). On the show, she talked about her struggles to conceive another child, but earlier this month, she delivered her miracle, baby Wellington.  Listen to my interview below (Excuse my stumbling with the words, I was actually nursing while I was interviewing, in typical mommy fashion).

Now for your chance at winning these stylish prints, tell me one thing that was a fashion splurge during your pregnancy. Please comment below.

For additional entries (each entry must be a separate comment):

• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet about the Giveaway
• Subscribe to Mommas in The House

Giveaway ends May 29th, 2011 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.

SIDS Awareness Month is 6 months away, but as we know SIDS can happen at anytime, anywhere and to anyone.  Because of that, as parents and caregivers, we should educate ourselves how to best prevent it.

The CJ Foundation for SIDS has been at the forefront of educating the public about SIDS.  Parents and caregivers to infants can now get the newest and most updated information about SIDS through their newsletter.

In order to continue their efforts in educating the public, they have partnered with aden + anais once again, to give away a swaddling blanket or sleeping bag, to one of my readers.  Please sign up for the newsletter to get an entry into the giveaway.

For additional entries (each entry must be a separate comment):

• Comment on 1 thing you learned about SIDS.
• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet about the Giveaway
• Subscribe to Mommas in The House

Giveaway ends April 28th, 2011 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.

If you are having trouble putting your little one to sleep, the Miracle Blanket is a must.  Over a year ago, we started using it for our baby, and it was truely a miracle.  Our baby was always content and never cried when she was in her blanket, unless she did number 1 or 2 and was hungry.  This is definitely a life saver for any parent!

From now until Monday November 8th (Midnight CST), you will get your chance at winning a Miracle Blanket.  First, you should follow Miracle Blanket on Twitter and Like them on Facebook.  On Tuesday morning, the winners will be posted on both Facebook and Twitter.

To enter, please comment below with a nickname you would have for your sleeping baby (example: my baby is a Karate Kid or my baby is like Swan Lake).  Giveaway is open to residents of  U.S. and Canada.  Good Luck!

The name says it all.  It’s a Green Container. 

Greentainer is the plastic alternative to storing your food and your children’s snacks.  The brainchild of two mothers with a mission to give a healthier and environmentally friendlier option to their customers, it does nothing short of that.

Made with a high quality food grade stainless steel, it’s easier to clean and sleeker in design.

As a mother, I love that it’s just simply functional.  I can use it to store fruits for my children and or use it as a bento container for my lunch (rice on the bottom and side dishes on top).  When it’s time to clean it, it’s simple and time saving (with plastic, that’s hardly the case, especially if you are trying to remove the tomato sauce stain from your child’s spaghetti).

Greentainer is the perfect combination of functionality and design sensibility. But what’s more important, it’s green and healthier!

Want a chance at winning your own Greentainer of your choice?  Please read below for your chance.  Also, Greentainer has offered my readers free shipping with code “MOMMASINTHEHOUSE10“.

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

GREENTAINER GIVEAWAY

If you would like to have a chance at winning a Greentainer of your choice, you must (mandatory) visit Greentainer and leave a comment here telling me what product you would like and why.

For Extra entries (please make every entry separate even if you comment on multiple posts):

Giveaway ends November 7th, 2010 at 11:59 pm 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. Open to US residents only

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

• Subscribe to Mommas in the House
• Follow @Mommasinthehous on Twitter.
• Tweet about the giveaway and link back (unlimited entries)
• Comment on other posts
• Refer a friend to Mommas in the House and comment

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.

Thanks and Good Luck to all my readers!

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) has become a major topic, as it is the leading cause of death for infants between 1 and 12 months (over 2,000 babies in the U.S., each year).  It’s a sad reality that becomes the nightmare of any parent who has to mourn the loss of their child from SIDS.  More and more research is being done in this area and now one of the leading risk factor is overheating.  As parents and caregivers, we are inclined to crank up the heat, place thick/plush blankets, to keep our babies warm.  However, now research is saying that infants who are overdressed and or covered in heavy blankets are at a higher risk for SIDS.

aden + anais, the creator of the original muslin swaddling blanket, is sponsoring the CJ Foundation for SIDS, as they continue to educate parents the importance of not over bundling and over-heating their infants.  Recently, the CJ Foundation launched its Sleep in Safety, Grow in Style (SSGS) campaign to educate parents in creating safe sleeping environments for their babies.  Some of the ways that we can do this is:

• Consider the use of fans to increases ventilation
• Room temperature should be comfortable for a lightly-clothed adult, approximately 61-67 degree Fahrenheit
• Cribs should be totally free of all loose blankets, stuffed animals and crib bumpers
• Lay baby to sleep in an improved crib, on a firm mattress; do not let the baby sleep on soft things, like a couch, pillow, sheepskin, foam pad or waterbed
• No smoking when pregnant or near baby
• If possible, breastfeed baby
• Offer a pacifier at bedtime
• Co-sleeping should be in the same room but not the same bed or other sleep surface as parents

I would suggest going to their site, and really taking the time to educate yourself because it can be the difference between life and death.  Our children are the most precious beings that really rely on us to take care of them.  Spread the word to your friends and family, so that we can educate everyone, and not become that statistic.

aden + anais Cozy Sleeping Bag Giveaway

As aden + anais sponsors the CJ Foundation for SIDS to continue their efforts in educating the public, they are giving away the Cozy sleeping bag which consists of four layers of aden + anais’ signature, breathable, muslin cotton in modern, fun prints to one of my readers.  In order to enter, please go to the CJ Foundation site, come back and comment one thing that you learned about SIDS.  For extra entries:

• Go to aden + anais site and tell me another product you would love to have
• Subscribe to my blog  from the sidebar on the right
• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet about the giveaway and link back
• Comment on another post
• Refer a friend to my site and have them comment.

Giveaway ends February 12th, 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.

Thanks and Good Luck to all my readers!

One of my readers will win a travel sized and clinically tested A Little Something for Baby.

Main Entry into the Giveaway, you must answer the questions below:

Gather some of the most common personal care products you use regularly on yourself or on your baby. Personal care products include shampoo, lotions, soaps, diaper cream, stretch mark oil, etc.

Go to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ Skin Deep database (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) and enter a product name in the search field. Add up the Skin Deep toxicity rating for all the personal care products that you use on a daily basis to find out what your score is. When you have your score, post your answer to three quick questions (below) in the comments area.

Your post in the comments section with your three answers is one entry into the contest. Don’t worry – there are no right or wrong answers, but we think you’ll be surprised at how high the toxin score is, even for those products you are using that are labeled “natural” or even “organic”.

What was your Skin Deep toxicity rating score?

How did you feel about your score and/or ingredients?

Were you surprised at how high the toxin score is for any products labeled “natural” or “organic” ?

Most women are truly shocked at the toxin scores of the pregnancy or baby products they thought were safe. All Earth Mama Angel Baby products are rated a 0 (lowest possible rating). Also, all Earth Mama Angel Baby products are toxin-free and contain no artificial ingredients. Just pure, natural products for pure, natural mamas and babies! As Gold Members, and one of the earliest compact signers, Earth Mama Angel Baby® is fully compliant with all levels of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. We are one of only 6% of compact signers who can make that claim. At Earth Mama Angel Baby, we are just as serious about taking care of the Earth and her resources as we are about taking care of mamas and babies. That even extends to our packaging and office practices – learn more by reading our sustainability statement.

For helpful advice and safe, natural products that work, women can trust Earth Mama Angel Baby. After all, if Mama wouldn’t use it for her own family, then she doesn’t sell it. Mama’s Promise™.

For additional entries:Please leave a comment for each additional entry you complete. (current followers and subscribers count as well)

• Follow my blog.
• Subscribe to my blog.
• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway (with a link to this page) on Twitter. Please leave a link to your tweet.(2 entries)
• Blog about the giveaway and link back (2 entries)
• Add me as a favorite on Technorati

The giveaway will end on Sunday July 26th at 11:59pm(PST).Rules: In order to win, you must provide a valid email. If there is no email address provided, to contact the winner, another person will be chosen. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notification with their complete mailing address. If this information is not received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open for US mailing addresses only.

My Own Score: 3

What was your Skin Deep toxicity rating score? 3

How did you feel about your score and/or ingredients? Well, I only use three products on a daily basis because of my pregnancy. One of them happening to be Earth Mama Angel Body Lotion which has a 0, Novena face wash which came up as N/A, and then the shocker, my Avalon Organic that came up as a 3.

Were you surprised at how high the toxin score is for any products labeled “natural” or “organic” ? OMG, yes! My jaw dropped open. The Shampoo that I have been using all throughout my pregnancy, which was recommended by the people at Whole Foods, is cancer causing. I would have never bought it, or have used it, if I knew this fact. I like to think I am a purist when it comes to products and this was quite disturbing. This is shocking and I am pretty upset about it because I have been avoiding so many things during this pregnancy because of its negative impact on the fetus, and now come to find out, my shampoo was cancer causing. Yuck!