Big G Cereal Celebrates 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' with Limited Edition Cereal Boxes

The Star Wars movies have a special meaning to just about everyone my age, I think because we remember seeing the originals in the movie theater when they first came out. And of course, back in those olden days movies meant something they just don't mean today in our world of media everything, everywhere all the time.

I personally have vivid memories of going to see the first Star Wars film. (Full disclosure: it is of being totally bored. In my defense, I was only five.) I also remember seeing the second and third films, in 1980 and 1983, when my older self had a greater appreciate for them.

And, I have a particularly happy memory of going with my mom to see The Phantom Menace, the fourth movie (really the first) on opening day when it was released in 1999. We didn't even go to see it in our local theater in suburban Virginia. Instead, I had us go see it on the giant screen at The Uptown Theater in Washington, DC.

There was a huge line to get in and I recall my mom chiding me "This is crazy! We can just go tomorrow!" And I remember saying back, "No, it's not the same, it has to be today! We'll always be able to say we saw it opening day!"

Sadly, I haven't been able to work this nugget of information into too many conversations over these years, but still, I believe I was on to something. The Star Wars movies are a thing, and it's great to be a part of the phenomenon.

Small children and other excuses meant I didn't see the Star Wars films that were released in 2002 and 2005 until recently when I watched them with my kids (ages 6, 10 and 12) in preparation for seeing the latest film, which we will go to see (symbolically, and memorably, of course) on Christmas Day.

Lots of people, us included, are celebrating the latest film's release with parties and treats and my friend's kids even celebrated Star Wars Day today at their school.

As for my kids, they got to enjoy Star Wars cereal, which was a huge, gigantic mega hit. But don't take my word for it, watch this amazing video by my daughter, Magpie that shows us unboxing the huge care package from General Mills Big G cereals. All of these cereals are special edition, and come with very cool droid viewers, so be sure to try them before it's  too late.

Now tell me, are you going to see The Force Awakens?

I rarely review products these days here at Random Handprints, so a special shout-out to the Public Relations people on this campaign who made it incredibly awesome to be a part of this, from the initial email addressed to "Jedi Anna" to the box filled with surprised that arrived at our doorstep. As Yoda would say, "Impressed am I. Well-done this is."

Great Giveaway from myCharge! Easy Entry!

Did you know that on average smartphone users check their phones 110 times per day and that 2.7 hours of that is just for fun?

Did you also know that without an available power source 77% of phone users will have a dead battery by 4 pm?

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For the month of February myCharge is offering the Limited Edition RazorPlus Bundle for $49.99 - in it you receive a RazorPlus with the imprint: We can charge right here right now. The RazorPlus is an ultra-thin rechargeable 3000 mAh battery crafted from anodized aluminum that delivers an extra 13 hours talk time for your smartphone.

You'll also receive a shirt and a 22 oz. reusable/dishwasher safe stadium cup that changes colors! The frosted cups turn green when filled with your favorite (possibly adult) beverage. Green is the new red after all!

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My Five Best Travel Tips for Families

Taking a trip with the kids? While I have no tips on making them be perfectly behaved on the airplane flight, or adventurous diners in new locales, I do have a few travel tips from our family trips:

1. Pack Downey Wrinkle Releaser. This stuff actually works, and is great to de-wrinkle clothes after they've been packed in your suitcase. You can get Downey Wrinkle Releaser in three sizes, including one that's small and perfect for travel. It also helps eliminate odors which is a feature that can come in handy on a trip, too.

2. Bring something fun for the kids to play with that's new to them. Even if your kids usually pass the time while traveling with screens and books, it's always fun to bring along something unexpected to capture their amusement for awhile. A friend told me about surprise balls, and they are the perfect addition to a trip. Surprise balls are filled with trinkets and candy, and kids have to peel away the layers of streamers to reveal the treats. My kids, ages 5 to 11, loved unwrapping their surprise balls. We got our from Reveries & Fancies on Etsy, and they were perfect ($8 - $18 depending on size, lots of fun designs available).

Another great pick for a travel to is the Tegu Pocket Pouch Prism ($25), which is a set of six magnetic blocks with a carrying case that is just the right size for on-the-go fun and is good for all ages.

3. Make sure your kids carry a bag. Depending on their age, this may be more for their own amusement, but as they get older you'l find that even a small bag shouldered by a kid is one less bag being shouldered by you. There are so many cute options for kids from backpacks to tiny duffel bags, to rolling suitcases. One innovative option is Trunki ($40) which is a ride on suitcase made just for kids.

4. Make sure you can find your stuff. Tie a ribbon on the suitcase handle, add a stripe of colorful Duck Tape to the side of the bag, but nothing is worse than arriving at your destination and having to hunt for your luggage. I love these whimsical luggage tags from Miamica ($5).

5. Look for discounts on museums and other attractions ahead of time. I had no idea there were so many deals if you buy tickets before you go, not to mention that a ticket in hand often means you can avoid entrance lines. CityPASS is a great deal, offering significant discounts when you purchase a book with entrance to multiple places within a single city. You can buy CityPASS online for various cities including Manhattan, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta and Philadelphia. The price and number of attractions varies in each city, but all offer big savings as well as the ability to bypass most lines.

I received a free sample of Downey Wrinkle Releaser and a Manhattan CityPASS. All other items our personal picks from years of traveling with my kids.

Enter to win on-the-go power from myCharge!

If you're like me, the only thing more annoying than someone leaving you a voicemail is not being able to listen to that voicemail because your phone isn't charged.

Now there's a solution -- myCharge! These portable extended battery accessories are designed to make sure your devices are always fully charged and ready to go.

This holiday season myCharge is spreading the cheer - and portable power - by offering to send one of their awesome portable charging devices to anyone who follows them on Twitter (@myChargePower), who retweets this tweet from their #myChargeCheer campaign. No strings attached!

It's that easy. Just visit the @myChargePower Twitter page and retweet this tweet:

Power & cheer come to those who RT! Let myCharge send YOU a portable charger to get you through the holidays / all the days! #myChargeCheer
— myCharge (@myChargePower) December 4, 2014

You can also win a myCharge portable battery right here! I'm giving away the RazorPlus, a rechargeable 3000 mAh battery that delivers an additional 13 hours of talk time for your smartphone. Crafted from anodized aluminum, the ultra-thin RazorPlus comes in four colors: red, pink, blue and silver.

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Thank you for spreading the #myChargeCheer this holiday season!

PS Buy a portable charger at MyCharge.com and use the code JOLLY for 25% off your purchase.

This post is sponsored by myCharge, but all opinions are my own.

Tons of Fun: Review of the Wubble Bubble Ball

Thanks to Georgette Gilmore for sharing this review of the Wubble Bubble Ball!

Chances are your kids have seen the Wubble Bubble Ball on TV. The commercial says it "looks like a bubble, plays like a ball" and is made of “top-secret super-thermo-stretch-tacular stuff that makes it squishy, squashy, super soft and lightweight and allows it to be inflated to a gigantic THREE FEET TALL." It also says it's tons of fun. After receiving one to review, I can say the hype is true.

Wubble Bubble Ball has won numerous toy awards, including an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, a National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, a Family Fun Magazine Toy Of The Year Award Winner, and was selected as a 2014 Top Toy for the Holiday Season by Target.

The minute our Wubble Bubble Ball arrived, my girls (ages 10 and 7) were bouncing up and down excited to inflate it and get to, well...bouncing.  After a quick trip to the store to buy the required 4 D batteries (not included) for the pump (included), we followed the simple directions and had a huge bubble-like ball in minutes.

The girls took their new toy outside and it didn't take long for the other kids in the neighborhood to come out to play. For the next hour, 7 kids had some good old fashioned fun making up various games to play using the Wubble Bubble Ball. That thing was bounced, thrown, and pounced on! The best part? It didn't break — at least not yet.

Wubble Balls are not indestructible and they come with a warning that many things can tear or pop it, things like branches, pets, or any sharp object it comes into contact with. However, the company says they do have a lifetime replacement guarantee, which will cost you $6.99 for processing and handling.

Wubble Ball is available at Target, Toys R Us and online at www.wubbleball.com for $19.99.  Stay connected with Wubble Ball on both Twitter and Facebook!

Georgette received a Wubble Bubble Ball in exchange for an honest review, which this is.

Who knew a description of a gallon of milk could be so hilarious?

I can't remember who told me to check out the Amazon commentary on Tuscan Whole Milk, but I'm sure glad I did. There are too many funny reviews to mention them all, but let's just say I am in awe of the humor people find can find in the humble, unassuming milk gallon.

My personal favorite is this one from J. Fitzsimmons:

Has anyone else tried pouring this stuff over dry cereal? A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Read all the reviews here.

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised by these funny milk reviews, since I already found the Amazon wit in full force in the reviews of Haribo Gummy Bears, Wooden Toilet Seats, and the AutoExec Wheelmate.

Do you have a favorite funny Amazon find?

Favorite Things Friday: Funny Reviews on Amazon

It truly amazes and delights me how many people are not only hilarious, but take the time to be hilarious and write incredibly funny product reviews on Amazon.


The first time I realized the funny faux review (or should that be faux-view?) was "a thing" was back when this review of Dora the Explorer - Dance to the Rescue was being shared around back in, can you believe it, 2005.


Then, in December I shared reviews of Haribo Sugarless Gummy Bears, followed in January by Wood Toilet Seats, both which are two of the most viewed posts ever on my blog.


Which tells me I'm not the only person who is a super-fan of the faux-view.
Today I share a favorite of my brother, the reviews of the AutoExec Wheelmate.


Not sure what this is exactly? It's nothing less than a spectacular invention that makes it possible to work while you drive with this convenient work tray that attaches to your steering wheel. Genius, right?


There are thousands of reviews discussing exactly how, uh, genius this product actually is, including a fantastic review by George Takei himself, which as you can imagine, is just perfect.

Gift Ideas (and More Gift Ideas) for Kids

One of the lucky perks of being a writer for parenting publications is I get to review toys, all year round and even more so in the holiday shopping frenzy that leads up to Christmas. I go to the annual Toy Fair in New York City and to smaller events throughout the year and find out both what's hot from the big players and what's cool from the smaller specialty companies.

So... if you're looking for gift ideas for kids this holiday season, here are my picks for the very best toys:

New Jersey Family Magazine Holiday Gift Guide - this gift guide has gifts in categories from WOW! Factor to Making a Difference. You'll find something for every kind of kid and occasion.

10 Best Gift for Kids this Holiday Season - I'm sharing my own favorite picks on BaristaKids.com for kids toys and gifts, most which have been personally tested (and approved) by my three kids.

I also have eight gift guides I wrote here, covering everything from the Best Wooden Toys to toys with the words a parent most likes to see: No Assembly Required.

And if you've already moved on to the gift wrapping portion of your holiday season, here are my tips for wrapping gifts without tape, and even without wrapping paper.

Note: The Happy Holidays blocks pictured top left are from Uncle Goose, these handcrafted wood blocks made in the USA are one of my favorites and come in lots of fabulous designs, including the Hebrew alphabet and the newly issued Stack and Scare.

 

Do you have a favorite kids toy? Share in the comments! And more importantly, if there are any to avoid let me know!

Celebrate Halloween with DR Legwear from Duane Reade!

Regular readers know Halloween is a favorite topic here on my blog, and so I was beyond happy when Duane Reade asked me to share about their Boo-tiful Legs Contest and to visit Duane Reade to find some tights from their DR Hosiery and DR Legwear collections to add some flair to my Halloween costume.

This year, I'll be dressing-up as a witch for my Halloween costume when I take my kids trick-or-treating. I had the hat and the black dress for my witch-ness, but hadn't figured out my footwear or tights.

There are a ton of patterns to choose from in the Duane Reade tight department, from polka dots to fishnets. I went with chevron, which I thought would be fun to wear not only for Halloween, but for the rest of the other "regular" days of the year, too.

While my daughter Kay and I were shopping at Duane Reade we also checked out all the other Halloween offerings, there's tons of stuff for everything you want need from costumes to home décor.



When we got back home, I tried the tights and let my kids choose from my collection of black shoes the ones they deemed the most "witchy."

Also I should note that the tights could not be more comfy and the price is fantastic - $7.99. I'm so glad I had the chance find out about the DR line, because I will definitely be back to get some more.

I think the witch costume turned out perfectly, not to mention perfectly witchy.

 

All that's left to get ready for Halloween is to get a few lessons in scary from this witch:

 

Now tell me, what are you dressing-up as for Halloween this year?

Learn more about Duane Reade's Boo-tiful Legs Contest! From October 13 to November 3 upload a photo of your Leg Candy (Duane Reade branded legwear) for a chance to win an awesome prize.

Join the #DRLegCandy Twitter party this Wednesday, October 16, from 9-10pm EST to talk about Halloween as well as for the chance to win super prizes.

Catch-up with Duane Reade for the latest deals and new products on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.

Halloween Treats from See's Candies

This summer, my family and I received a huge package of See's Candies to enjoy and review. Everything we tried was a big hit at our house.

My kids especially liked the Lollypops ($7.60 for a box of 12), which added a sweet note to more than one summer's evening.

For Halloween, you can get the Lollypops in this fantastic Halloween box:

And there are other great Halloween Treats from See's, like this Trick-or-Treat Box ($6.85 for 13 pieces)

I also love these adorable Chocolate Marshmallow Jack O'Lanterns ($18.20 for six, each one individually wrapped).

We tried similar chocolate marshmallow treats this summer, and found they were delicious chopped-up and baked into cookies. Just follow the recipe for your chocolate chip cookie of choice, and substitute the chopped chocolate marshmallows for half of the chocolate chips, and bake as directed.

These cookies turned out sooo good.

For more great treats from See's Candies, view their full collection of chocolates and candies online at Sees.com. You can also find them - and join their over 1 million fans - on Facebook.

I was not compensated for this post. My family and I did receive a lot of tasty treats to facilitate our review.

HP Photosmart All in One Printer from Staples - A Great Photo Printer and More

Remember how a few days ago I was all agog about my new Acer Chromebook? Well, that was just one of the two great products I received from Staples to review.

I also received an HP Photosmart All-in-One Printer.

 

I'll be honest, before I got the printer I told my husband of it's imminent arrival in hopes he would take my passive aggressive comment in the manner in which it was given: my way of telling him I would like him to set-up the printer for us.

"Oh," he said "Another photo printer that won't really work, we definitely need one of those." I laughed nervously, disagreed, and secretly figured he was probably right.

The printer arrived, and with just the slightest of cajoling he said he would give it "five minutes, but that's it." And would you believe, it only took five minutes to get it up and running? And it's wireless so there's no cables or connections to worry about either.

Perhaps even more impressively, I've been able to use the printer since the initial set-up without any problems, and to use it for a lot more then just printing photos.

I've also scanned photos that I've wanted to scan for not just months, but for years. One of the great features of this All in One Printer is that you can send a copy of the scanned photo to either your own computer or your own email -- the second option will ensure these photos I've wanted to scan for forever will also get sent to the people I've wanted to send them to for forever, too.

The front of the printer has a touch screen where you can make your selections, which is easy and intuitive to use. A sample of some of the screens are shown below, and you can see how easy it is to select first "photo, copy or scan." Then, for photos, you can choose the size and it prints right out. For scanning, you can choose if it is a photo or a document. And, you can also choose to send it directly to your computer or to an email address.

Another great feature is you can scan and print directly from a memory card, also shown below.

The quality of the printed photos printed is really amazing -- just as good as one you would get from a traditional photo-printing service -- and it's very easy to get the photos to print the size you expect them to be. It might be just me, but with other photo printers I was always seeming to print my photos in extra-giant size or teeny-tiny size.

So if you are a friend or relative to whom I've promised a photo any time in the past ten (or even twenty) years, expect it to come in the mail with an extra scanned copy via email any day now.

Summer camp photos, you're first!

 

The HP Photosmart 6520 Printer is $149.99 at Staples.com, and as of this writing, currently eligible for $30 instant savings, for a final cost of $119.99.

I received an HP Photosmart 6520 All-in-One Printer from Staples for purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Ten Reasons Why I Love the New Acer Chromebook from Staples

A few days ago I received an Acer Chromebook from Staples for review.

In short: It's Awesome.

Here are Ten Reasons Why I Love the New Acer Chromebook from Staples:

1. Sleek design. I have it on my kitchen counter, and it looks great and doesn't take-up much room.

2. Lightweight. I can easily move it from room to room with no problem - it weighs just about 3 pounds.

3. Goes from "power off" to "on" in just a few seconds.  If you're inpatient like me, it's great not to wait for-evah for the computer to boot-up.

4. Completely 100% hassle-free to set-up. Seriously. The whole process was so easy. I turned on the computer and within five minutes I was surfing the web and enjoying my awesome new computer.

5. Excellent computer for travel. For all the reasons above, the compact size and light weight makes the Chromebook ideal for business trips and vacations.

6. Great first computer for kids. I don't really like to share my work laptop with the family, and the Chromebook is a perfect "family computer." There's even an option to use the computer as a guest, which means your log-in names, passwords and search history aren't saved.

7. Google Docs is already installed. It may not seem like a big deal, but it was fantastic to find Google Docs fully installed and ready to use instantly.

8. Google Keep/Scratchpad. I'm obsessed with this feature, which makes it possible to indulge my to-do list mania digitally all day long.

9. Security. Chrome Browser is pre-installed, and not only is it incredibly simple to use but it has fantastic security features, too. And, the Chromebook has additional pre-installed security features and build-in virus protection as well.

10. The Price: $229. Yep, all this awesome is priced under $250.

So yeah, I like my new Acer Chromebook. A lot.

To learn more, or to order one for yourself, click here.

Disclosure: I received an Acer Chromebook from Staples to facilitate review. All opinions are my own.

Cottonelle Clean Routine

Before kids, I gave very little thought to my own bathroom habits and clean routine, let alone anyone else's clean routine.

 

Now that I have three kids, I not only feel like bathroom topics are the height of scintillating conversation, but I have the good fortune of spending a large portion of my day hanging out in the bathroom, mostly with my in-the-midst-of-potting training toddler son, with the hopes some magic will happen on the toilet. And of course, I am very interested in helping him to have a clean routine that works, because to be honest, I am counting the days  until my kids are all self-sufficient when it comes to going to the bathroom.

This is all why when I heard that Cottonelle had a new clean routine system at Target, I was completely interested in learning more. Cottonelle has flushable cleaning clothes, that come in an attractive and easy-to-use dispenser, which is just right for kids to be able to use by themselves.

We made a family trip to Target to check it out.

Because who doesn't like a family trip to Target?

Right now, at Target stores only, when you buy two 18-roll packs of Cottonelle you receive a free wet cloth dispenser - a totally great deal.

Target being Target, we bought the Cottonelle products we went there to get, and about 35 other things we may or may not have needed as well.

 Once we got home, I set-up the new Cottonelle dispenser in the bathroom and put away the toilet paper in our bathroom vanity.

I will admit to being happier than I probably should have been by seeing the nice stockpile of toilet paper that hopefully means at least a few weeks before I hear the children's cry of "mom, we're out of toilet paper!

As I mentioned my son is just starting to be a regular in the bathroom, and the Cottonelle Care Routine is a big help in getting him to be independent. He can easily use the dispenser on his own.

Now that my kids are using the bathroom mostly on their own, the next step is to get them to leave me alone when I'm in the bathroom -  a problem I know other moms can relate to, there's a reason that I Just Want to Pee Alone is the title of a humor anthology about motherhood!

Do you have tips for helping kids to use the bathroom by themselves, or for getting kids to let moms use the bathroom by themselves?

Find Cottonelle online at Cottonelle.com, @Cottonelle on Twitter, at /Cottonelle on Facebook, and via the hashtag #CottonelleRoutine. Learn more at Target about how you can receive a free Cottonelle dispenser with qualifying purchase.

For more photos from my shopping trip to Target and Cottonelle at home, check out my G+ Album.

Name Bubbles: Great Labels for Kids Stuff for Camp and School

 

I recently sent my oldest off to sleepaway camp, and in addition to finding just the right hiking boots, duffel bag and shower caddy, I wanted to find the best way to label it all.  A good friend pointed me in the direction of Name Bubbles, which are sticky labels that once applied stay stuck on clothes, shoes and toiletries through just about anything - they're laundry and dishwasher safe as well as bug repellent and sunblock proof. They're also freezer friendly, and will stick through -60 F.

Name Bubble has labels for all needs, including a Camp Labels Pack ($38.88) which has over 100 labels in a variety of sizes and styles. I received a pack of these labels, which were more than we needed to label every last item my daughter brought to camp - with a few leftover, too.

 

Name Bubbles not only make labels for camp, and also for school, as well as allergy alert labels

 





medical labels, and more. My daughter is back from her sleepaway camp adventure, and so is her stuff... and all the Name Bubbles labels are perfectly intact, too.



 

Thanks to Name Bubbles for providing a Camp Labels Pack for me to review.

 

 

Perfect for Sleepaway Camp: Kids Stationery and Journals from Minted

Thanks very much to Minted for providing me with this opportunity to review heir fantastic designs. If you don't already know Minted, they are a site specializing in indie designs for everything from personalized greeting cards to wedding invitations. Also: I want one of everything on the site.

In just a couple of weeks, my kids are heading off to camp. With the biggest event being that my oldest, Magpie, is heading off to her first summer at sleepaway camp.

I am so excited on her behalf, but as the mom of a kid heading off to her first summer at sleepaway camp, I had no idea I was in for so much planning, prepping and packing.

Also, as it's her first summer at sleepaway camp I want everything to go as well as possible, which means I'm making sure she has everything perfectly checked-off on the packing list sent by the camp, and of course I want to make sure to hear from her while she's away.

Which means she needs just the right stationery, not only to write me her dear ol mom but also her friends.

We picked out stationery that Magpie loved from Minted.com, which has an entire section of children's stationery, most which can be personalized with name and a photo.

Magpie choose this design:

 

but instead of adding a photo of her cute self, Magpie being Magpie, decided to personalize it with this photo of her holding not just one but five cicadas.

And of course, cicada stationery pairs perfectly with a cicada journal.

Because why choose a cute head shot for the cover of your journal.

when you can be a cicada whisperer.

 

 

Journal pictured here is $16 and can be customized with lined, graph, or blank interior pages. Cicada photo is of course entirely optional. To see all the journals for kids, click here.

 

Thanks again to Minted for giving me the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind items that perfectly reflect my daughter's unique style.

Seasoned parents of campers who have gone to sleepaway camp - please tell me, what do I need to know?