Family * Travel * Food

BarkBox Holiday 2012 Review #KloutPerks

I have been a member of Klout for more than a year and have received a lot of great Klout Perks along the way. The most recent Perk I got came from BarkBox. BarkBox is a service similar to the ones we are used to for humans where you get a box shipped each month with new products inside to try out. I thought it was so cool that there is a fun box made just for dogs. The service works like this:
1. Choose a dog size. They have products for dogs of all sizes.
2. Choose a plan. They offer monthly, 3-month or 6-month plans that include free shipping and you can cancel at anytime.
3. Get BarkBox. Boxes are shipped on the 15th of each month.


Inside my December 2012 BarkBox shipment was: Bocce's Bakery treats, Simply Fido organic plush toy, Fresh Dog Oatmeal Shampoo and a box of Puppy Cake mix. My initial thoughts when I looked through the contents was, "Wow, these are some high-end, quality goodies just for my dog child". I won't lie, I had no idea that there was such a thing as organic dog toys or that a dog shampoo could smell so good that it makes me want to use it! We gave Milo his BarkBox for Christmas and just like any "kid", he was drawn to the toy first. He is very protective if his new Simply Fido holiday moose toy that he naps on it! The quality of it is as good as toys made for children and it squeaks too. I am sure it will last him a long time.

He tasted the Bocce's Bakery "Holiday Feast" treats and loved them. The treats are made of all natural foods like chicken, pumpkin, cranberries and cinnamon. You can even smell how natural the ingredients are. Truly a gourmet treat for your pup. We will be making the Puppy Cake (wheat-free red velvet cake mix with frosting) in January for Milo's 10th birthday and will share with the neighbor's dogs. How fancy is that?  As soon as the weather clears up and we see at least 4 continuous days of sunshine, we will bathe Milo with the Fresh Dog Oatmeal Shampoo. I read online how people tried it on their own hair! The almond scent is amazing and I can't wait to test it out on Milo.

I really think that BarkBox is a great service not only for your own dog, but also is a great gift idea for any dog lover. It's perfect for the person or dog that has everything! You can find out more at BarkBox.com and I forgot to mention that they give 10% of proceeds to a local shelter. Thank you Klout and BarkBox for the awesome Perk!
Shelly, Mom Files
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I remember hating when people would tell me I looked so young

I can remember my teenage years so well. I was always the smallest of my peers weighing no more than 92 pounds in my senior year. It bothered me that no matter how much I would eat, I still looked scrawny. Even worse than being so small was the fact that adults often thought I was 12. That used to make me so angry to the point of tears. I remember when everyone thought my younger sister was older than me. Talk about devastation!

I was 20 when I was pregnant with my first daughter. I remember the stares I received from people and often heard them say "babies having babies". I was married and old enough to have a child, yet people still assumed I was 14. I hated looking so young. When would anyone take me seriously? For years after, folks would ask if my daughters were my younger sisters or if I was the babysitter. I was always the "young mom" at the girls' elementary and middle school. I felt so left out. Years later I come to find out that a lot of those moms were very close to my age and some were even younger!



Fast forward to the present... I am 39 years old and I thoroughly enjoy when nobody believes that I have three kids and the fact that two of them are teens! I have to tell other moms I know that are going through the same thing how much they will appreciate being "too youthful looking" when they get older. So now my 18 year old daughter is going through the same thing I did. Most people think she is 14 and gets mistaken as the younger sister to her little sister. I keep telling her that it is a good thing to look so young. She hates it. In due time she will learn.  
Shelly, Mom Files
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Purex Baby detergent (Review & Giveaway) and the Purex Oh Baby! Sweepstakes

Did you know that Purex makes a detergent that is made for baby clothes? I wish it was around when my last child was a baby. I remember buying brands made for baby clothes and freaking out over the insane cost!

Purex Baby detergent is hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested and formulated to be extra gentle on your little one’s sensitive skin. Purex Baby detergent leaves your baby’s clothes smelling fresh and clean, and won’t harm the flame resistance of sleepwear.
Although my kids are no longer babies, my oldest daughter has highly sensitive skin and Purex Baby has been perfect for her. She does not have any reactions to it and we all love the subtle scent it leaves behind. I know that I will be giving this product to new parents as a shower gift instead of the brands that cost triple the amount. You can find Purex Baby detergent at many retailers nationwide.

Right now you can enter the Purex Oh Baby! Sweepstakes filled with great prizes. Three grand prize winners will each receive $500 plus 250 additional winners get FREE Purex Baby detergent.

Giveaway: 3 lucky Momfiles readers will win a coupon good for one FREE bottle of Purex Baby detergent. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on December 28, 2012. Three winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I received products samples for review purposes and was supplied with FREE product coupons to give away. All thoughts/opinions are always my own.
Shelly, Mom Files
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PERDUE® OVEN READY Chicken Review #gotitfree

I have been cooking since I was at least 12. With so many years of practice under my belt, I have tried many techniques for cooking particular foods and once I find what works, I stick with it. I make a fabulous toasted chicken that comes out perfect every time. When I got the offer to try out the PERDUE® OVEN READY Chicken I was curious. The things that drew me in to want to try it was that it was from a well-known brand and their chickens are raised cage-free, without any hormones or steroids. I am very particular about what chicken I feed my family.
As a BzzAgent, I received a coupon to try out any variety of the Perdue Oven Ready products for free. I went with the whole seasoned roaster since I am not a big chicken breast fan. It was $10.99 and I thought it was a bit expensive. When I picked up the bag I realized that it was very heavy. I opened the outer packaging and inside was a heavy plastic cooking bag that contained the fully seasoned chicken inside. You have no idea how scared I was. I am not used to every using preseasoned chicken (or anything food for that matter) and the fact that it was packed in a bag that was made for cooking meant  that I couldn't sneak my own touches inside. All I had to do was cut a once inch slit over the breast area and put it in my preheated oven for the recommended cooking time. 
The roasted chicken aroma was nice but how was it going to taste? I pulled my chicken out of the oven and cut open the bag. Inside was a gorgeously browned bird full of natural juices. I reserved the drippings to make homemade gravy to go with my side dishes as well as on top of the chicken in the event it was dry. To my surprise and delight, the chicken was super moist and tasty. There was enough seasoning and quite honestly, it tasted like how I would season a whole chicken.
As always, the true test is to see what my family thinks. My husband commented several times and said, "now, that's some good chicken!" He said it tasted like I seasoned it my way and it was extra moist. He even got excited over the thought of the leftover breast sliced up for sandwiches. Usually whenever I cook a whole chicken, we end up wasting it and throwing that last of it away. Not this time!

My overall opinion of this product is that I am very impressed and happy with it. Although it is a lot more than I would pay for a whole chicken, it is worth it. I had to think about when you buy a whole bird, you have to trim it up, remove the giblets, wash it, dry it, season it and quite frankly handle the actual chicken. With Perdue Oven Ready Chicken, you don't have to go through all of that. It's as easy as 1. open 2. cook 3. serve! I think it is a perfect choice for when you are expecting house guests and it's even good enough for your holiday dinner! PERDUE® OVEN READY products are available in-- Whole Seasoned Roasters, Whole Seasoned Roaster Bone-In Breasts and Boneless Chicken Roasts. They retail for about $10.99-$11.99.

You can connect with Perdue on Facebook and Twitter for tips and product updates.
Shelly, Mom Files
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Wordless Wednesday | Lemon tree update


My dwarf Meyer lemon tree is still alive and look at the ginormous lemon on it! I brought it on before the first frost and it has been sitting in my office, by the window. It has lost all of its leaves except for three and I will be picking my fresh lemon this week. Just had to share!
Shelly, Mom Files
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My kid could have been a character on Drake & Josh

Do any of you remember the show Drake & Josh? My daughters always enjoyed that show (any maybe I did too) and they compare their sweet little brother William to the little sister, played by Miranda Cosgrove (Megan). You see, the sweet boy in the photo can melt your heart by just one smile.  He can wrap just about anyone around his little finger. He is smart, charismatic and sneaky. He is goood.
Around myself and his dad, William is the good little son... or at least that's how he portrays himself. When he gets around his sisters, he bosses them around and does all the typical, pestering things that little brothers do. As soon as one of the girls try to reprimand him, he runs up to me and tells me (sad face and all) how badly his sisters are treating him and how they need to be in trouble. You should see how pathetic he behaves when he does this. When I go and ask the girls what happened they say he did {insert offense here} and William innocently tries to defend himself. He will plead with me that he didn't do anything and then turn around and make faces at his sisters. He thinks he is so slick too! Funny thing is as I type this post, he is standing at the doorway of my office telling me "My girls are boddering me, they're being bad". I tell ya, boys are a whole different species!!

Shelly, Mom Files
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