Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter - Review & Giveaway

{Congrats again to Lady Chi - lucky gal #39} Since my son has a peanut allergy, all things peanut are a severe rarity in our home. That's why I jump at the chance to eat peanut butter whenever possible. And getting to review tasty organic peanut butter is no exception!

I've had the opportunity to try a number of great products from Tropical Traditions and have been super impressed with the quality of their products and their customer service. Even the huge variety of natural organic products is impressive.

But with the Organic coconut peanut butter, I wasn't all that impressed. Let me explain. It was yumsvillle. Really, really yummy. I felt like I should have just dumped chocolate into the jar and drank it. It was a very tasty combination. But the problem I had with it was being able to actually spread it.

Since I make my own nut butters and buy only natural nut butters from the store, I know all about stirring, refrigerating, and all the other quirks of natural nut butters. This one was different.

If you've tried coconut oil, then you know it's an absolute solid in cool temperatures. Like rock solid. And it's liquid when it's warm. Since the only 2 ingredients in this nut butter are peanuts and coconut (awesome by the way!), it behaves a lot like coconut oil.

When I first got the peanut butter, I opened it up and dug right it. Since it had traveled in a hot vehicle, it was super runny. That's challenging enough, but I have to be extra careful not to drip or spill peanut products. Peanuts have very sticky oil that makes them hard to remove from an allergy contamination standpoint.

So I put the peanut butter in the refrigerator. It was rock solid. I had an idea to use that to my advantage and make chocolate covered coconut peanut butter balls (yum!!!) but haven't found the right tools to execute that yet.

Maybe my home just isn't the right temperature (we're stingy on the heat and A/C). I hope you have better luck spreading the peanut butter. If you do, then you'll enjoy every bite. It really is extremely tasty.

Want to try it for yourself? Tropical Traditions is offering one Suburban Jungle reader the chance to try their Organic Coconut Peanut Butter.

To Enter: Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Newsletter. Come back and leave me a comment that you signed up.

Extra Entries:

5 Extra Entries for blogging about this contest (leave 5 comments, and at least one link)

3 Extra Entries for tweeting about this contest. (include @suburbanjung in your tweet)

1 Extra Entry for telling me what you'd do with this yummy peanut butter

1 Extra Entry for following on google friend connect

1 Extra Entry for following @suburbanjung on twitter

1 Extra Entry for following on Feedburner

This giveaway will end on July 13, 2o10 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

All Free & Clear Detergent Giveaway

{This giveaway has ended: Congrats to Lady Chi #81} If you're a busy mom like me, then laundry is probably a big part of your life. When I clean anything in my home, I try to use the most natural products possible. I do that for our overall health but also because my son has allergies. Lots of allergies.

I have been using fragrance-free detergents for years. So when I was asked to be part of an all detergent review, I jumped on it.

I've used all detergent many times in the past, and I've always liked it. Since I'm only able to use HE detergent, I didn't personally use the detergent that I was sent but instead gave it to one of my sisters.

She's a big Tide fan, but was happy with all's results. In all honesty, she did miss the fragrance. But I can tell you, our family doesn't miss it at all. The first few months (years ago) my husband complained but he's over it now, and we are happily fragrance-free.

And you can be too! One Suburban Jungle reader will receive (2) coupons for all Free and Clear Detergent and (1) copy of the book How to Have your Second Child First. It's good practical advice for anyone that's just starting out as an uptight, overprotective first-time parent (been there!)

To Enter: Leave me a comment with a lesson you've learned from parenting or doing laundry. Laundry tips are always appreciated - lol.

Extra Entries:

5 Extra Entries for blogging about this contest

3 Extra Entries for tweeting (2 for daily tweets)

1 Extra Entry for following @suburbanjung on twitter

1 Extra Entry for being a google friend follower

1 Extra Entry for entering one of my other current contests

*This giveaway will end on July 13, 2010 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. No compensation was received for this review/giveaway. I did receive one bottle of All detergent and 1 copy of the book mentioned above.

Greed has no place in the garden!

Anyone who's had a garden knows that it's more to it than just growing food. There are lessons to be learned while gardening. Lessons about hard work, life and death, our connection to the Earth; to name a few.

This year, my garden had flourished. I was so proud of it. And then I wasn't.

I finally figured out how to plant leafy greens in appropriate rows. I had decided to apply a "three sisters" approach to my rotating veggies, and all was growing well...until I got greedy.

Actually, I got greedy before I even planted. I planted way too much for my small garden. I refused to "thin" my crop. And even worse, I decided in advance that I would kill any animals that got stuck in my net this year (instead of releasing them like I did last season.)

Greedy, greedy, greedy. And it all backfired. Because I refused to thin my lettuce and spinach, I barely got to enjoy any of it before it was all spindly and rotten. Because I refused to thin my peas, there were just too many and we couldn't pick them all before they got tough and old. So much was wasted.

And the worst happened with the nets. I net off all my berries to keep out birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. My worst battle is with the chipmunks. Last year, I rescued a scared chipmunk from the nets. This year, I decided in advance that I would kill them if they got stuck.

A lot of thought went into that decision. It wasn't just because the chipmunks jump at me whenever I approach the berry patch or the fact that they bite each one of the berries ($#%%!). It was also because they're animals, and so am I. There was a certain sense that I should treat animals like an animal. I don't know. It's a long drawn out conversation about nature, theology, and life in general. But in any event, I had premeditated the event.

And it happened. A chipmunk was stuck in the net, and I killed him. I'd like to say that I killed him quickly and moved on. But it wasn't exactly how it went down. He died quickly, but I never stopped thinking about it. I wondered if I'd do it again and when I would stop. What kind of animal was I turning into? I wondered if I was just being greedy...

I lost interest in our strawberry patch after the incident. Partly because I could still see/smell its decaying body. But after clearing its body, I still thought about it every time I entered the garden area (which is daily.) I started to think of my berries as blood berries, and I didn't want them anymore.

So I removed all the nets. To be honest, the chipmunks were getting in anyway. And I decided not to net the strawberries next year either. What will happen beyond next season, I can't say for sure. But I'm hoping to have learned from this gardening season and leave all my greedy notions behind.

Next year, I will thinly sow my seeds. I will thin out the plants as they grow. I won't over plant more than my family can actually eat. And I'll be satisfied with what I have. No more pleas to extend the garden and dreams of making my yard into a mini-farm that I'm unable to responsibly sustain.

Composting - an easy way to go green!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Uncle Jims Worm Farm. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you tried composting yet? I've been composting for years. Sometimes successfully, and sometimes not. But always dumping out my scraps (veggie and fruit scraps, dead plants, prunings, leaves, egg shells...) and eventually getting something that's brown and dirt-like.

It's amazing how much you can save from going in the trash when you compost. It's the ultimate in recycling. And it's an excellent addition to your garden or potted plants. It helps loosen up hard clay soils and adds micro nutrients that plants need to thrive.

It's also an educational experience. If you have an active compost pile, you'll see all sorts of life and death battles. Bugs battle it out hourly in my pit. But something has always bothered me about my compost pile... you can't had food scraps that have been cooked or that contain animal products (minus the egg shells).

I feel like so much gets wasted. I've toyed around with the idea of starting a red worm composting box. I spent a lot of time reading about it over the winter. I love the idea of worms eating all the scraps and making healthy compost to add to our garden. I don't really love the idea of having to look at the worms, touching them, or keeping them in the house though.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Have you successfully used composting worms in a northern climate? If I could have them outdoors, I'd have them in a heartbeat. I'd have to wear gloves (just saying,) but I'd love to have them eat up all of our scraps.

Maybe I could use them all summer and give them away to someone willing to bring them indoors in the winter. Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

The Money Magnet

My son has an unusual gift.... Money flocks to him. Whenever we go out, he finds at least one coin at each location. Two days ago, he found 56 cents between two stores. Yesterday he found 36 cents. He finds coins and dollar bills - Every single time we go somewhere.

And that's not all. People randomly give him money. Just 2 weeks ago, we were picking up supplies at Home Depot and a man stopped him and give him a dollar bill. He told him to go buy some ice cream.

A month ago, a man stopped my children at the grocery store and offered them both all the change in his pockets. He's a money magnet!

I wouldn't think it was that big of a deal if it's only happened once or twice, but this is the fifth time I can remember him being offered money. People even offered him money as a baby. They'd tell me to "go buy him something." People give him free things at garage sales and expos.

Maybe it's just that we hang out where a lot of generous people tend to circle or maybe it's because we look incredibly homeless (hopefully not!) but it only happens to him. My daughter did get a few coins from the generous grocery shopper but she's never been offered free money or items on her own.

It's a little weird, but then again I tend to attract free things too. Now if I can start attracting money too.... lol

Triscuit Home Farming program & $20 Visa Gift Card giveaway

Have you seen that Triscuits now include plantable seed cards? I had no clue until I received a few packages to review.

You can read all about it at the Triscuit Home Farming website. I think it's awesome! For one, the seeds included are easy to grow herbs; basil or dill. Basil can be found in the Original Triscuits and Dill can be found in the Reduced Fat Triscuits. If you can only pick one - pick basil (in my opinion.)

If you haven't grown herbs, you are seriously missing out.

They are easy to grow, thrive on neglect, and make every dish so much tastier! To help get the word out, I was sent a $20 Visa gift card to help pay for supplies to plant the seed cards within the Triscuit boxes. I currently have basil growing in my garden and used the seed cards to plant containers on my deck. Even if you don't have a "garden" space, herbs flourish in containers.

Since I had all the gardening supplies on hand, I'm passing the$20 Visa Giftcard onto one lucky Suburban Jungle reader. If I can spread the love of gardening - then I will!

To Enter: Leave me a comment telling me what you'd like to plant in your garden (container or in-ground)

Extra Entries:

5 Extra Entries for blogging about this contest

3 Extra Entries for tweeting this contest (2 for daily tweets)

2 Extra Entries for being a google friend connect follower

1 Extra Entry for being a feedburner subscriber

1 Extra Entry for following @suburbanjung on twitter

*This contest will end on July 13, 2010 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. I received 2 boxes of Triscuits and the $20 Visa giftcard for this review. The gift card is being given away in this contest. Sorry but the Triscuits have been eaten. lol

Win an Energie Opus Mattress worth $3000 +

Do you need a new mattress? Then head to Essentia and tell them about it for your chance to win an Eco Mattress worth over $3000! The contest is easy to enter and ends soon - July 10th - so put in your entry now!

Win free labels (perfect for camp or school) from ID Me Labels

If you're like me, then you've already started planning for school in September. One big part of preparing is writing my kid's names on everything. I hate doing it; for all sorts of reasons. I don't like permanently marking names in clothing because someone else could use it when they've grown out of it and I don't like that it's been marred.

It's also tiring. I start to get lazy toward the end and the names aren't always legible. That's why I'd be happy to win the I.D. Me Labels Giant Camp Combo pack Giveaway! I like that they are permanent enough to last the season but can come off when my kids no longer use the items.

I'd put them on my children's backpacks, lunch bags, individual lunch containers and water bottles, inside their gym shoes, inside their hats and mittens. I'd also put them on our swimming gear and outdoor toys since we often lose our things at the pool and park.

If my kids were attending camps, I'd also label their clothing, sleep stuff, and any of their equipment. If you want a chance to win a bunch of great labels, head to I.D. Me labels and enter. Hurry - the giveaway ends July 12, 2010.

Should you marry the pretty girl or the funny girl?

Children are so funny. I didn't expect to hear about "girls" until somewhere in the junior high years. But my kindergartener has already taken notice.

There were 2 girls he talked about constantly. He made necklaces for them, drew them pictures, and brought them candy. But they couldn't have been more different.

He said he "loved" Reese because she was "the most beautiful girl in the world". And she even has pierced ears, lol. But he also really liked Ana. But not for her looks. Now, I've seen them both and I can honestly tell you that they are both beautiful girls. Reese is beautiful in a very Jon Benet sort of way, but the day I met her she seemed bossy and fussy.

Ana is beautiful in a Mary Ann (Giligan's island) sort of way and is all fun. My son runs to get her after school almost every day, and they wildly play until it's time for dinner. She's fast. She's fun. And she's a little wild.

Obviously, there's no need to even think about whom my son will marry some day, but I can't help but think he'll most likely spend a lifetime chasing and thinking about the "Reeses" in the world when there are plenty of fantastic "Anas."

In case my blog is still alive when my children are adults - my message to them is marry someone that can truly be your friend. Someone you have fun with and want to be around. Do not marry for looks. It pretty much never works out.

Does he wear a watch?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Victorinox Swiss Army. All opinions are 100% mine.

Did you realize that many people no longer wear wristwatches? It's because they check the time on one of their many electronic devices. Whoa! I personally went almost two years without wearing a watch and it was insane.

In some ways, it was great not to be bound by time. But I was incredibly unreliable, and once my children got involved in scheduled activities, it became completely unacceptable. So I broke down and bought a watch, and I'm a blubbering idiot without it.

Having a way to tell the time is important, but so is the fashion behind wearing a watch, especially for men. I think men look better (more professional) with a watch.

My husband always wears a watch and he goes through them quickly. I like to choose watches for him like the Victorinox Swiss Army Chrono Classic Guilloche. It's classic, sleek, and manly.

This is the style of watch I always select for my husband. It looks professional and feels heavy on his wrist. I don't why he likes the heaviness, but it works for him. You can find all sorts of great time pieces at swissarmy.com. For some reason, I'm really drawn to the watches that look like you could wear them deep sea diving.

And don't forget to visit the Facebook IWAW sweepstakes page. You can become a fan and participate in the I Wear a Watch sweepstakes. Over 30 days, they're giving 30 lucky winners a Victorinox Swiss Army timepiece. I'd love to win a new one for my husband (maybe it would make up for my total lack of father's day gifts this year...)

Cats are not Scary....

Cats are innocent, loving, little softies, right? That's what I used to think. When our cat moved in, she was so loving. So soft. But not anymore. I'm sure she's still soft, but I wouldn't know. She's entered her teenage years and no longer allows petting.

She disappears for hours only to jump out from behind a corner and attack. And every once in a while I get an eerie feeling and turn around to this:
I'm sorry, but it's freaky to have someone staring at you. I took this picture after what seemed like an eternity of staring while I was doing the dishes this morning. I kept repeating: "cats are not scary, cats are not scary...." But she is scary. If she had opposable thumbs I think we'd be in trouble....

Are you a safety nut?

Are you a helicopter parent? Are you the type that checks all product recalls, refuses to use old baby equipment, and has poison control on speed-dial? If you are, you'll get a kick out of the fun videos on the Juicebox widget (big green box on the right). I used to be that parent. My children were breast fed until exactly 12 months. They never ate canned baby food. I wouldn't have dreamed of using an expired carseat.

Every bird, plane, bug, etc. was an instant learning experience. And every second of their lives was monitored, watched, hovered, smothered..... Then I spent a little more time with my sister. Her kids were riding 2 wheel bikes without helmets at 2 or 3 years old. And they were outside - alone. OMG - did she want them to die?

But they didn't die. In fact, her kids were pretty resilient. If they fell down, they just got up and went back to their dangerous games. My kids cried and needed to be soothed. When they tried something new, they tackled it and mastered it. What? My kids needed me to show them what to do and help them along the way.

At first, I decided she was just lazy (sorry V) but then I realized she was letting them grow up. And I started to loosen my chains. Now my kids run around outside - all by themselves. They run over to their friends houses. They make their own snacks, take their own showers, and try new things on their own - with no help from me.

Do they fail? Sure. But they also learn to be independent and it's awesome. Now I'm the mom that everyone thinks is lazy (lol) but my kids don't whine as much. They're more confident and capable.

When you're a new parent, it's natural to be a little uptight (and it's kind of funny in retrospect) but do yourself a favor and loosen up. Life is short. Life is funny. And life isn't that big a deal.

Evenflo has just released the Momentum 65 DLX Convertible Car Seat, with features that help make safety, installation and use as easy as possible for parents. Evenflo and JuiceBoxJungle sponsored me to write this post, and talk about what child safety means to me and my family.

Chunky Bling Review & Giveaway

{This contest has ended: Congrats to #82 Traci} Every mom can use some bling in her life. And that goes for me too! I'm a mom who likes jewelry and I'm always excited to try new styles and looks. I recently had the chance to review an interchangeable beaded watch from ChunkyBling.com.

It was super easy to order. You just choose from one of the interchangeable watch bands and then select your watch face. I chose the combination seen above.

My thoughts:

The ordering process was easy and fun. There are a lot of choices so it's easy to build a watch that will coordinate with your outfits. The watches are truly interchangeable. If you were really partial to a particular face, you could buy a few bands and swap them out at home. It's as easy as opening a necklace.

My watch arrived really quickly and was super cute. But I have to be honest that when they say "chunky" bling, they really mean CHUNKY bling. I like chunky jewelry, but it's sometimes tough to pull off with my small frame. Be aware of that when you order and be sure to order your correct wrist size. I ordered size small and it fit just right.

There are a ton of great bands and faces to choose from. They even have bracelets and necklaces. Want a chance to try one for yourself?

ChunkyBling.com is offering one Suburban Jungle reader the chance to win their own Chunky Bling watch - you select your own interchangeable watch band and interchangeable watch face.

To Enter: Head to Chunkybling.com and enter the Name that Bling contest. Then come back here and leave a comment telling me what name you chose.

Extra Entries:

Get 5 Extra Entries for blogging about this contest

Get 3 Extra Entries for tweeting this contest

Get 2 Extra Entries for leaving a comment with your favorite Chunky Bling jewelry

Get 1 Extra Entry for following @suburbanjung on twitter

Get 1 Extra Entry for being a google friend on this blog

This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only and will end on July 6, 2010 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. No compensation was received for this review. Chunky Bling did provide product for review purposes and is supplying all giveaway prizes.

Link & Win Mondays: Stop in to List and Win Tons of Giveaways!

Link up your giveaways in the Mr. Linky below. Be sure to check out all of the great giveaways for your chance to win!

My giveaways this week:

Suddenly Salad prize pack

Powermat

Organic Peanut Butter

Chunky Bling Watch

Uncle Ben's Brown Rice Review

It's no secret that I like to cook from scratch. And I mean scratch - scratch. There are no instant oatmeals or minute rice type products in my kitchen. Never!

I'm also a big fan of whole foods and whole grains. I make brown rice on a regular basis, so when I had the chance to review Uncle Ben's Fast & Natural Brown Rice, I thought about it for a long time.

I checked to be sure it was truly a whole grain product and was honestly interested to see how it would turn out. The box said, "ready in 10 minutes!" 10 minutes! For Brown rice!! Since my usual recipe takes about an hour, I was very interested in seeing how this worked out.

So I signed up and was sent a whole lotta rice, lol. It wasn't long before I started making it. I was sent the Fast & Natural Whole Grain Instant Brown Rice and the Boil in the bag brown rice.

According to the package, there are 3 ways to prepare the instant brown rice. Since I've never made rice in the microwave, I decided not to start now. I followed the regular stovetop directions. They were most like my usual rice prep and I thought the easiest to follow.

True to the packaging, our rice was ready in 10 minutes. Done! It was simple and quite frankly awesome. How did it taste? Good and a lot like white rice. When I make brown rice, it ends up a little chewier or nuttier. But the Uncle Ben's rice was good and easy. I'd be happy to use it again.

I was a little less enthusiastic about the boil in a bag rice. I just couldn't get used to the idea. I know people make food in plastic bags all the time, but I kept feeling like I was "cooking plastic." It may just be me, and maybe I'm irrational, but that's how I felt. The rice turned out fine. I just couldn't get over the process.

All-in-all, I liked Uncle Ben's brown rice. I was surprised at how well it turned out and how quickly. I'd be open to buying and using it again.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Uncle Ben’s and received samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Lessons from Creeps in Vans

Everyone knows you shouldn't walk close to a van with a sliding door, right? And everyone knows that strangers offering candy are not to be trusted. But nobody really thinks adults have to worry about this, right?

Wrong! I was recently involved in a creepy van situation - in my own driveway! It happened in the middle of the day.

I was standing in my driveway talking to someone. A red van pulls up in front of my house. A male and female are inside and they seem agitated. The woman yells to me, "COME HERE!" And here is how it all transpires:

Lady in van: COME HERE!

Me: What?

Lady in van: COME HERE!

Me: Why?

Lady in van: I need you to help me.

Me: With what?

Lady in van (visually agitated - Man in van looking crazy): I need directions

Me: Where are you trying to go?

Lady in van (Lady starts huffing and is obviously angry): Come here and I'll show you.

Me (still standing at the top of the driveway and facing lady dead on): Just tell me the address

Lady in van: blah, blah street

Me: I don't know where that is, sorry.

Lady in van: What do you mean you don't know where that is, you live in this city! Come here and take a look at it.

At that point, I turned to the side and resumed my conversation in the driveway. The man driving the van peeled out and raced down our street and off into the distance. What just happened?

The person I was talking to said, "I think you almost got kidnapped."

Huh?? I was suddenly really grateful for my natural disobedience. I never respond well to being "bossed." If she had said, "Hey, can you come here and help me with some directions?" I might have gingerly walked over and tried to help her. All the while being pulled into the van.

At that point, I would have beaten the hell out of them, but I'm just saying. The fact that she demanded I come over there sent me into instant defiance and I wouldn't have helped her even if she was on fire. You know what I mean.

I also realized that creeps can be anywhere. Not just in the "city." Not just in "bad" neighborhoods. They have cars. They have feet. They can be anywhere. It was scary.

Whish Body Products Review

Don't you just Whish you knew what was in the products you put on your body? Okay, that was a stupid pun, but it's true. I really wish I knew what was in all the products I put in and on my body.

When I was offered a chance to review the Whish body product line, this was the first thing that stuck out to me:

This is the stuff I like to see. All natural (good ingredients) and none of the bad. If you can't read the words on the picture above, head to their website and check out the ingredients yourself.

But just like all natural cleaners, I want to be sure that all natural body products are going to work and smell as nice as the conventional ones. I had the opportunity to try the Whish pomegranate sugar scrub, body wash, and hair inhibiting gel. Here are my thoughts on each of those products.

Pomegranate Sugar Scrub: This was my first time using a sugar scrub. Really! The smell was divine and I did feel much silkier after using it. I had a very hard time getting it to squeeze out of the tube though. It was super thick. Like really thick, yummy honey. I'm not sure if this is normal for sugar scrubs or not, but once it was finally out it was definitely worth using!

Pomegranate Body Wash: Again, yum-mo on the smell. I thought it lathered great and was a great body wash.

Pomegranate hair inhibiting gel: This was the product I was most excited about. Check out the details on their site and I'm sure you'll be excited too. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I'm in the middle of an 8 month laser hair removal review and am not able to try any hair inhibiting gels or products until that review is finished. Once I'm done, I'll definitely be giving this a try. And since it's in the same pomegranate family of products, I'm sure it will smell great. :)

Overall, I was very happy with these products. The ingredients looked great. They smelled awesome, and they left my skin silky smooth.

This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by Whish for this review.

The Peanut Table at School: Yay or Nay?

My son is allergic to peanuts. And in a lot of ways, it's been a good thing for our family.

We eat better because of his allergy. Imagine the candy, cookies, and other processed gunk that would be eliminated from your diet if you were trying to avoid nuts.

Also - picture for a moment, the ability to say "no, that might have peanuts" to any questionable item your child may want to eat.

It also made me dig into other nut butters and opened my eyes to all the trans-fat free natural nut butters (including my fave - almond butter!)

The major negatives have been mostly school related. The mere fact that I've been in the school nurses office more times than I've been in his classroom is a major annoyance.

I get calls from the school nurse with updates on expiration dates and requests for full boxes for all medications. There were a zillion release forms, required signatures, and the school policy that he couldn't receive any outside treats (regardless of whether they were peanut free or not.)

Oh yeah, and there was the big picture of my son with the word PEANUT scrawled across his body that hung on the outside of her medicine cabinet. Wow! (In case you're wondering we didn't have a single peanut episode at school.)

I'm not knocking their precautions, but holy overload Batman! I expect the school to provide a basic level of safety, but I also expect my son to be aware and in control of his own situation.

He's been preparing for life with a peanut allergy since he was a baby. We spent plenty of time at the cash register learning which candies were safe and which were not. We perused the bakery section and everywhere in between to point out and practice which foods were safe.

When he was 3 years old, he attended a church class that offered him peanut butter crackers for snack time. He refused and when the teacher tried to force him to eat the snack, my shy and very quiet son yelled and said NO.

I was so proud.

He's survived preschool, VBS, church nurseries, and now kindergarten. As I picked up his medications from the office today, I was handed a huge stack of papers to begin filling out for next year.

I'm torn about whether I should fill out the forms. For one, having the nurse manage my son's medications (all of which were completely unused all year long) is a pain. And second, there's the issue of "the peanut table."

At our school, all peanut allergic children are segregated to a specific "peanut table." I'm not a fan. I don't want him to be forced to sit alone for the next 6 years. He knows not to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and he also knows which candies/cookies most likely contain peanut products. I also doubt he will be trading lunches. He'll probably be one of the few children that brings most of his lunches to school.

And what if someone touches him with peanut hands, or he eats at a poorly washed table that previously touched peanut butter? There's no way to know for sure, but 6 years of experience have taught us that he may develop a few hives. If he eats it, he'll likely vomit, but he'd have to eat enough of it.

Honestly, he's probably come into contact with plenty of peanuts just by riding the bus and touching surfaces at school. And as he's gotten older, I've experimented with letting him eat things that contained trace amounts of peanuts, peanut flour, and peanut oil; not only to test his reaction but boost his immunity.

So this year, I'm toying with the idea of not involving the school. Or at least fighting the "peanut table." I'll still send him to school with medication. I plan on tucking a few benadryl into his back pack. Our state laws permit children with an anaphylactic condition to carry their own medication. And with asthma (which I elected not to involve the school with) and a peanut allergy, he most definitely qualifies.

I'm not sure what we'll do yet, but I've got to decide fairly quickly. I've got mountains of forms to fill out.....

Powermat Review and Father's Day Giveaway

{this contest has ended; congrats to #21 AnnetteD} My husband and I are about as opposite as two people can be, especially when it comes to technology. He's always up the newest trends, has the coolest new gadgets, and is constantly upgrading. As for me - well, I might as well be Amish. So when I had the chance to review the PowerMat, I checked with him first.

He instantly said YES! In case you haven't seen or used the PowerMat, take a look at the video below:

Awesome, huh? My husband thought so. He has all of these devices and it's so annoying to keep track of chargers, remembering to charge them, and of course the messiness of it all.

Here's what we thought of the Powermat:

It was super cool! It looked high tech, worked great, and was super convenient. In fact, I was jealous that my pay-as-you go phone had to be charged on it's own. I'd be so much more likely to actually charge my phone if I just had to "set it down." To be fair, the Powermat does come with a universal power cube that allows you to charge older phones such as mine, but my phone just happens to be a bit crustier than most.

For my husband's phones, it was awesome! You just set the phone down and pick it up later. It looks great and keeps everything looking organized and uncluttered (*sighs* - gotta love the unclutter!) The only downsides (read: husbandly complaints) were the fact that he still had to line up the iPod on the docking station (something that already annoyed him about the iPod) and the fact that his phones had to wear the powermat receiver cases. Not that they weren't sleek, black, and stylish. I think it was just a lack of personal control that bothered him, but it was something he could get used to.

All-in-all, we thought it was a great product and definitely very technologically up-to-date. In fact, I was surprised he didn't already own it! Well, now he does, and he uses it daily.

Want a chance to win one for the tech savvy person in your life?

One Suburban Jungle reader will win a Portable PowerMat (valued at $99)

To Enter: Leave me a comment on this post telling me why you'd like to win!

Want Extra Entries?:

Get 5 Extra Entries for blogging about this contest (provide a link and leave 5 comments)

Get 3 Extra Entries for tweeting about this contest

Get 2 Extra Entries for following Powermat on twitter

Get 1 Extra Entry for following @suburbanjung on twitter

Get 1 Extra Entry for following this blog on Google Friend Connect

*A special thank you to Powermat for providing the products for review and giveaway. The giveaway will end on Father's day June 20th, 2010 at 11:59 PM. This contest is open to US Residents only. The winner will be notified by email.

Link & Win Mondays: Stop in to List and Win Tons of Giveaways!

Link up your giveaways in the Mr. Linky below. Be sure to check out all of the great giveaways for your chance to win!

My giveaways this week:

Choose You Gift Basket

Baby Bunch Cupcakes

Suddenly Salad prize pack

Sex and the City 2 soundtrack

Powermat

Organic Peanut Butter

If you build it - it will be ugly

I recently brought up the topic of building a grape trellis. My husband instantly shot down the idea. "If you build it; it will be ugly," he said. Now of course, he was right but that didn't stop me.

My kids and I built this trellis out of stray sticks and garden twine. Both free items we have lying around. The twine originally cost me 63 cents but I use it everywhere, all the time. Yes, it's ugly. Yes it will eventually decompose and leave my grape vine untrellised. But for now it was free and is offering support for this growing grape vine.

All of my other grape vines wind around the trees in our forest. I will eventually train this one to do the same, but until then the ugly trellis reigns.

Sex and The City 2 Soundtrack - Review & Giveaway

{this giveaway has ended. Congrats to #46, ceimusic} What can I say about the Sex and the City 2 soundtrack, except "Fun, fun, fun." There are a ton of great songs on this album - music that makes you want to dance. Here's a quick look at what's on the album:

Tracklisting
1. Alicia Keys “Rapture”
2. Dido “Everything to Lose”
3. Cee Lo “Language of Love”
4. Erykah Badu “Window Seat”
5. Natacha Atlas “Kidda”
6. Michael McGregor “Euphrates Dream”
7. Liza Minnelli “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
8. Ricki-Lee "Can't Touch It"
9. Alicia Keys "Emire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down"
10. Jennifer Hudson and Leona Lewis "Love Is Your Color"
11. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon “I Am Woman”
12. Sex and the City Men’s Choir “If Ever I Would Leave You”
13. Sex and the City Men’s Choir “Sunrise, Sunset”
14. Sex and the City Men’s Choir “Till There Was You”
15. Shayna Steele, Jordan Ballard, Kamilah Marshall “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”
16. Liza Minnelli with Billy Stritch “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye”
17. Cyndi Lauper “True Colors”
18. Aaron Zigman “Divas and Dunes”

I can't wait to see the movie!

Want a chance to win a copy for yourself? One Suburban Jungle reader will win a copy of The Sex and the City Soundtrack.

To Enter: Leave a me a comment telling me your favorite SATC character.

This contest will end on June 16, 2010 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. No compensation was received for this review but I did receive a copy of the soundtrack for review purposes.

Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad Prize Pack Giveaway

{This contest has ended. Congratulations to #83 Ohstac} Summer means a lot of things in our family - but more than anything it means parties. We head to parties all summer long, and I'm always at a loss at what to bring. In our previous circle of friends, everyone brought pasta salad so I never made it. Otherwise, there would be 8 versions of pasta salad and nothing else.

But in our new circle of friends, everyone brings cut up fresh fruit. That's my go to item, so this summer it's time to try something new. MyBlogSpark recently sent me this Suddenly Salad Prize Pack to help make our summers easier and even more fun. They'd like to give on to you as well! Scroll down to the bottom for details.

I have to be honest when I say that using a Salad kit is so easy, but what's the fun if it's easy? I always add extra ingredients. Then I feel like I "did something." I love to add fresh veggies and olives. I especially love cherry tomatoes and they're always plentiful from our garden so putting together a pasta salad is all that much easier. If you visit www.SuddenlySalad.com you'll find all sorts of great combinations. Who knew?

Would you like to receive the Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad Prize Pack shown above? One lucky reader will win!

To Enter: Leave a comment sharing your favorite things to add to a pasta salad.

For Extra Entries:

5 Extra Entries for blogging about this contest (leave 5 comments)

3 Extra Entries for tweeting about this contest (1 extra for daily tweets)

2 Extra Entries for following on google connect (this blog)

2 Extra Entries for entering one of my other current contests (leave the name of it)

1 Extra Entry for following @suburbanjung on twitter

1 Extra Entry for following on feedburner

This contest will end on June 25, 2010 at 9:00 PM EST. The product, gift pack, information, and giveaway were all provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark. The winner will be selected by random.org and contacted by email.

One eskimO Review

One eskimO is a critically-acclaimed English band with the #1 song on the top adult rock stations. I was given the opportunity to review their new album which included their hit song, "Kandi".

My thoughts: I didn't really get it. The music was upbeat and fun, but it just didn't do it for me. Maybe it's one of those sounds that grows on you, and I'm willing to give it a few more listens, but it wasn't an instant hit with me. On the plus side, it was positive and clean so it was okay to listen to around children.

If you'd like a chance to see them live, here are a few of the upcoming tour dates and locations:

Jun 12 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall
Jun 13 Kansas City, MO Crossroads
Aug 14 Denver, CO Mile High Festival

No compensation was received for this review, but one 2 one did provide the CD for review purposes.

Our first Strawberry!

We picked our first strawberry this week! We cut it up and shared it. Since then, we've been pulling out berries every day. Wahoo! I love summer.

"Ten Minutes" a day

Sprint has just launched Gaming on the Now Network™, bringing you the first wireless 4G network from a national carrier. Sprint and JuiceBoxJungle have sponsored me to write about what "ten minutes" a day means to me.


The Juice Box Jungle and Sprint want to know what we moms do with our "ten minutes" of alone time each day. Or do you even take 10 minutes to yourself? If you don't, then you need to start! I spent the first 4 years of my parenting not taking any time for myself. And I'm not exaggerating.

I spent those first 4 years like a single mother. And my babies were young and needy. I gave them everything I had. And then I had nothing. Nothing, nothing. I wish I had known then what I know now. I would have taken the time for me. And I would have been happier. And in the long run, it would have been better for all of us.

Now, I make sure to take time for myself. And to be honest, I take more than 10 minutes. I take a couple 10 minute breaks each day. Sure, my "breaks" are almost never alone and almost always interrupted, but they're still times that I take time to do what I want to do.

I usually read a magazine, read my emails, search for recipes, or head to the garden.

As my children both gear up for school this fall, I'm going to use my "me" time to exercise regularly (and uninterruptedly). I am so excited!

I'll probably use the time to go shopping (solo!!!!) as well. This may be one of the big reasons my husband is pushing for me to get a job. But I can't wait to try on clothes by myself, to take the time to find the best deal, and to leisurely shop without anyone complaining.

True alone time..... I can hardly wait!

Cat Toilet Training - The Final Chapter

We began our cat toilet training program when our cat was 11 weeks old. She took to it swimmingly and we were so very hopeful. We cut out the first ring and she continued to use the toilet well. Then we cut out the second ring and she got mad.

She would still urinate in the toilet, but she started pooping in the house. OMG! She pooped in the house! At first I thought - okay, okay, we'll take it back to the first hole and start over. She started using the toilet again, but then she didn't.

It was as if she was saying " F -it! I'm not dealing with this anymore." She started holding it all day long. Then when she couldn't take it anymore, she'd pee in the toilet. And poop on the floor.

And she was doing it on purpose. It was her kitty way of saying "NO!" She would bring me to the places where she pooped, just to show me. She was miserable. She wasn't very loving toward us and we were undeniably upset with her.

This went on for 6 days. As we battled with her, I battled with my husband. He believed that we just needed to "have a stronger will than hers." She's a cat! There is no winning in a battle of wills against a cat. She was willing to tolerate our plans for only so long. She was clearly saying NO.

Eventually, he said if she didn't use the toilet on the 6th day, we'd go back to a litter box. That day she didn't use the bathroom at all. Then around 8 pm, she pooped on the floor. Cowabunga!

I said, "that's it!" and he said, "just one more chance." I had already grabbed the big litter box (with only 2 cups of litter in it) from the garage and put it on the floor. As I turned to go get some litter to add to it, Reya jumped into the box and peed. Then, just to show us she was serious, she forced herself to poop in the box. She sent her message, loud and clear!

So, we put litter into the box and put it back in the laundry room where it all began. And now, 10 days later, she hasn't had a single accident. She's no longer holding it either. She now goes to the box as she needs to. She doesn't have monster sized potty cakes (from the clumping) but ordinary, healthy happy cat muffins. And she's a zillion times happier. And truthfully, so am I.

I wanted a toilet trained cat. And maybe someday she'll be willing to try again. But when she says no, I'm going to listen...and spare myself some nasty clean ups!

Free Glidden Paint Testers

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Glidden. All opinions are 100% mine.

We're in the middle of a giant remodeling project, so paint is near and dear to my heart right now. I've been looking at all sorts of paint color samples - for our walls and some decorating projects.

Stores have come a long way since our last big project and carry all sorts of sample colors, but until recently I hadn't ever looked at paint samples online. I recently took part in the “Glidden Paint, Get Color, Give Color Giveaway” promotion, which started on June 1st.

It was so easy (and fun) to use. I just selected two paint colors from the palette - looked at them in bigger swatches and then added them to my cart. And then, I sent a friend a link to get 2 free paint colors.

I ordered paint testers to find the right color for my wall art project. My paint testers haven't arrived yet, but I'm excited to give them a try. Glidden paint testers are unique because they an included brush - right in the lid.

If you have a chance, head to http://bit.ly/bjLb2u and order your 2 free paint testers. I'm guessing they will go quickly. If you miss out on the free testers, you can always find them inexpensively at the Home Depot. I like the idea of using the testers to "check" that the color you want is really "the one," but they're also great for touch-up paints of colors you already own. It's so much easier (and better looking ) to store small little testers than big half-used cans of paint.

Are you confident in picking out paint colors? Most of my friends are not. They hire designers and decorators to "choose" for them. It doesn't have to be so tough. Glidden has made it easy by providing their Top 10 Color Palettes, assembled by color experts to express your personality. You can then select XL paint chips to bring home and check the colors in the lighting of your own home and be sure the colors are right for you.

They even make it easier by providing the Glidden.com Room Painter. It's an easy way to see the Top color choices and even put them on walls. It's a fun (and fast) way to see how paint can change a room. The program even pops up coordinating colors for you to consider.

You can follow all the fun with Glidden at @Glidden_Paint and by searching the hashtag #GetColor.

Can you fix broken plants with tape? - yes you can!

A snapped Blueberry plant repaired with electrical tape and twine

I take care of a lot of plants. And when I run out of plants, I take care of my neighbors'. Every once-in-a-while, I learn something that's worth sharing. This is one of those things.

I found out that you CAN save plants by using tape. This winter, someone stepped on the main stem of one of my blueberry bushes and snapped it in half. I noticed it as soon as the snow melted and was devastated. It takes 3 years for a blueberry bush to "be ready" and it was year three. And the main stem was snapped clean off.

So I did what anybody would do in an emergency like this. I hit the garage for whatever tape I could find. My husband had recently taught me that electrical tape sticks to nothing - but itself. And it sticks to itself well.

I grabbed the electrical tape from this tool bench and repaired the blueberry plant. Then I tied twine around the tape. You can see my repair shot in the above picture. So the tape stuck, but did it work! Yes! The plant made buds, and grew blueberries - all on the broken (aka dead) stem. Did it heal completely? I won't know for quite some time. I am going to leave the tape on until it comes off on it's own. I will wrap it for winter just in case, but will check to see if it grafted back together next spring. Here's hoping!

But wait! Just 2 weeks ago, some clumsy oaf (read: me) stepped on my cucumber plant and broke it completely apart. Frustrated but optimistic from the blueberry experience, I asked my children to run and get me some tape. They returned with packing tape.

This is a shot of my repair. It's been two weeks and the plant has neither shriveled nor died. I think the injury (which was a complete severing) has healed! I'll let you know if I get cucumbers from this plant or not. So far the plant has continued growing and there is one itty bitty cucumber growing.

Father's Day Gifts

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Bliss Living. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's that time of year again. You know what I'm talking about. Time to find gifts for Dad - for Father's day. Yuck! If you're like me, then you have a hard time buying gifts anyway, but it's so much harder to buy for men. Or is it just me?

For years we'd buy my dad socks, and so that tradition continued with my husband. But he thought it was boring. I have no clue what we're going to do this year. Maybe we'll get something like this:
This would look great in our new theater, don't you think? I bet my husband would like it. It's from Bliss Living and they want to encourage people to check out their site for a huge assortment of gifts for Dad. But even better (IMO, lol) they want to remind you that mom's need gifts too. They have tons of items to search through but jewelry for mom always goes over big with me (hint, hint.)

They have a bunch of really great charm pendants and necklaces. My sister recently sent me one just like this and it's my new fave.

If you're still hunting for Father's day gifts, you only have a few short weeks left. Father's day is June 20th this year. Best of luck on your gift hunting.

Growing Roses Organically

I grow everything organically. It started out that way partially because I was just too lazy to learn how to fertilize and mostly because I refuse to use pesticides and herbicides.

That being said, I've been growing rose bushes on our lot for 3 years. And they've never received anything but organic coffee grounds and organic tea. Where do these items come from? Free samples and friendly neighbors. :)I'm sure any "real" rose grower would be disgusted at my hybrid roses, but I'm so happy with how well they've grown and how many beautiful flowers they produce. But no one is happier than my son - since he instantly feeds them whenever coffee or tea arrive at our door. He's very pleased with his success.

Link & Win Mondays: Stop in to List and Win Tons of Giveaways!

Link up your giveaways in the Mr. Linky below. Be sure to check out all of the great giveaways for your chance to win!

My giveaways this week:

Duraflame Logs

PearlParadise Pearls

Espencial Natural Kids Products

Shabby Apple Dresses

Grill Daddy

Baby Bunch Cupcakes

"Choose You" Gift Giveaway

{This contest has ended. Congratulations to #112 Scottsgal}According to the American Cancer Society, about half of all cancer deaths could be prevented if people maintained a healthy weight through diet and regular exercise; avoided tobacco products; and got recommended cancer screening tests. Wow! Half! I wonder how much the cancer risk would shrink if our nation grew food more organically! Either way, this is an amazing statistic.

Unfortunately, we all know that moms don't always do the things mentioned above. And 1 in 3 of us will get cancer in our lifetime. To inspire women to put their health first, the American Cancer Society, Sprite Zero and Walgreens have teamed up to create the Choose You campaign.

Choose You encourages women to take care of their health. If you can't do it for you, remember that you have the most influence over the health of your family. By taking care of yourself, you take care of your family and set a healthy example for them. Do it for yourself - and you'll be doing it for everyone!

To help you get started on a newer - healthier you, the American Cancer Society is offering one Suburban Jungle reader a Choose You Healthy Lifestyle gift bag. Ideally, I'd have photos but my gift bag was dismantled and claimed (and used!) by my family before I could get organized enough to take pictures. Arrgh! How's that for taking care of "myself." In any event, I do have a list of the contents:

Contests of the Gift Package:

Full Size Neutrogena Face Sunscreen with helioplex

$10 Walgreens Gift Card

"Choose You" Blue T-shirt (trust me - it's cute)

Blue flower hair clip

"Choose You" Stainless steel, BPA-free water bottle

2 pens

Sprite Coupons

To enter this contest: Leave a comment on this post telling me what ONE healthy habit you want to adopt right now. Come back and leave a second comment if you actually take steps toward that habit - 2 entries right off the bat!

Extra Entries:

5 Extra Entries for blogging about this contest (leave 5 comments)

3 Extra Entries for tweeting about this contest (1 extra for daily tweets)

2 Extra Entries for following on google connect (this blog)

2 Extra Entries for entering one of my other current contests (leave the name of it)

1 Extra Entry for following @suburbanjung on twitter

1 Extra Entry for following on feedburner

· The American Cancer Society provided me with a complimentary Choose You Healthy lifestyle gift bag and is providing the product for giveaway as well. This giveaway will end on June 18, 2010 at 9:00 PM. This contest is only open to US Residents. The winner will be selected by random.org, posted here, and notified by email.

I'M BALD!!!

Finally! Someone else understands! What am I talking about? Ponytails - buns - updos. I like to pull my hair back for all sorts of reasons, but I always hate the way it looks from the front. I always feel like a boy when I have my hair pulled back.

We have great pictures from our Cruise where I was in tip top shape, wore a brand new dress, AND had my hair up. I hate those pictures. Because I look like a boy.

So this morning when I combed my daughter's hair into a ponytail, I couldn't help but roll on the ground laughing when she looked in the mirror and instantly declared, "I'M BALD!!!!"

She felt the same way I do. And it was hilarious.