I knew the Toy Fair would be big, but never guessed just how big it would be. It was located on 3 floors of the Javits Center. I walked through about 80% of the exhibits. My choice of walking shoes was a good one. My decision to carry my laptop and a bag of books/work papers for the train rides was a bad one as I was dragging — literally — as the day came to a close. Plus, Amtrak has no wifi. Doh!

I saw as many vendors as I could. I left with 3 bags full of brochures and samples. Some products I passed by without a backward glance. Some products I stopped because I wanted to know more.

I spent quite some time chatting to a mom who created a line of dolls for girls who love sports. I chatted to Jodi Norgaard, the founder of Go! Go! Sports Girls dolls, about girls, sports, blogging, and social media. She very kindly gave me Suzi the Swimming Go! Go! Sports Girl. Once I arrived home from #ToyFair, my tween daughter took possession of the doll — she is a swimmer. The Go! Go! Sports Girls swimmer doll has a cute pair of flip Flops and adorable goggles. Best of all, Suzi the Swimmer is wearing a one-piece swim suit!

Go! Go! Sports Girls are a line of dolls for girls who love sports. The dolls are girl-shaped — no Bratz or Barbie silhouettes on these dolls. The dolls remind me of a girl doll I had that looked like me. I never see dolls for tween girls that look anything like tween girls, do you?

Go! Go! Sports Girls are available for golf, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, and many other sports. My girls love volleyball and swimming, so I knew Go! Go! Sports Girls would have two new fans! The dolls are available from the following online retailers: amazon, Sears, Target, Kohl’s, and Sports Unlimited. The dolls are appropriate for ages 3-12. I can tell you that teen girls also love these dolls, too!

Giveaway for Musings from Me readers! I am giving away one Go! Go! Sports Girl of your choice. Once I choose a winner, I will ask the winner to pick a doll. One comment = One entry. Enter now!

• For one entry, go to the Go! Go! Sports Girls website and tell me something interesting you learned.
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I was given a Go! Go! Sports Girls doll as part of my review. The views expressed in the article are my own. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends June 9, 2010, at 11:59 p.m.

In my early married days my husband was the cook while I was the chief bottle washer. When his work, coaching, and graduate school schedule got too hectic once we had children I took on the cooking responsibilities. I was a WAHM managing editorial projects while caring for 2 little children. I made meals that were kid friendly. As you can imagine we ate, fruit, vegetables, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, cereal, waffles, ready-made dinners from Costco, and other easy-to-prepare foods.

My cooking skills improved greatly once I stopped working from home. Overnight I had time to cook. Now, I still wasn’t a very good or enthusiastic cook,  but I had the time to stop buying all the processed foods and start cooking from recipes. Our diet improved considerably.

Since I have cooking issues I try: (1) stick with recipes that I can cook and the family will eat (the eating part is not a given when I am cooking!) and (2) used tried and true ingredients. Uncle Ben’s is a brand we love. My kids love Chinese and Mexican food dishes that feature rice.

Now my husband is still picky when it comes to anything whole grain. My son, could care less. When I found that Uncle Ben’s had created a new Whole Grain White Rice that looks and tastes like white rice, I knew that it would be a winner with my family.

Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain White Rice has the look, taste and texture of white rice, but is packed with whole grains (almost a full day’s worth in one serving). Uncle Ben’s new Whole Grain White Rice provides a healthy alternative to plain sides like pasta or potatoes. The rice comes in a variety of flavors from traditional Long Grain to Chicken, Broccoli Cheddar, Taco Style and Sweet Tomato, so you can mix-up meals and still know that you’re getting whole grains on the table. Plus, with a quick 10-minute prep time, Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain White Rice provides a great solution for the nights when jam-packed schedules leave you scrambling for a quick, healthy option.

Uncle Ben’s has partnered with Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals. As moms we struggle to find a balance between what kids want to eat and what we want them to eat. I struggle to get kids to eat enough fruits, veggies and whole grains. Lapine’s tips and recipes can help sneak nutrition-rich foods into children’s favorite dishes.

Want to try a box of Uncle Ben’s Whole grain White Rice? Here’s a coupon.

Want to find where Uncle Ben’s rice is sold? Here’s a link.

Do you live close to me? Do your kids attend the same schools as mine? Are we members of the same pool, sports teams, etc.? This giveaway is for you!

I have a box of Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain White Rice and an Uncle Ben’s apron for FOUR lucky readers who live close to me. I’ll leave the prizes on my front porch or deliver them to the pool or end-of-year events.

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment at the end of this post.

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.

For years I wore bras that fit…I even had a proper sports bra. For years I wore maternity or nursing bras…let’s not get too specific about the actual span of years I wore these bras, shall we?! For a few years I wore bras so threadbare and saggy that the bras did not deserve the description “supportive.”

A light bulb went off. Lightning flashed. I came to the realization that a saggy bra = a poor attitude. So, it was off to get fitted for a new bra. It had been so long since my last fitting that (1) I could remember my exact bra size and (2) the label on my saggy bras was so worn out and faded that I could not read my size.

After a proper fitting, I walked out with a bra that fit. No slipping strap or lack of support for me!

Need a Bra Makeover? You can apply for a Bra Makeover from Playtex! Seven out of 10 women are wearing the wrong size bra, which can result in an ill fit for the rest of their outfit, back and shoulder pain, as well as bruising and digging.

Playtex recently launched www.PlaytexBraMakeover.com, a site where women can go to apply for a bra makeover or nominate a friend. If chosen, the winner will be flown to New York to receive a Bra Makeover with style expert Alison Deyette. Deyette is a fashion and trend lifestyle expert who has been featured on Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker and TLC’s Ten Years Younger, as well as in print publications including Good Housekeeping, The Washington Post, and O Magazine. You can apply for your chance to win a Playtex Bra Makeover through Friday, May 21st, 2010.

The 10 winners selected for a Bra Makeover will also star in their very own webisode wherein a makeover candidate will receive a fitting with Deyette and walk away with the perfect Playtex products. A new webisode will premier on www.PlaytexBraMakeover.com every two weeks.

By posting this information, I am entered into a contest to win a free bra from Playtex. I did not receive any compensation for this post and thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

The cavity was filled. Thankfully it was in a baby tooth. So far it is the only cavity we have. In the aftermath of “Toothgate,” I gutted our pantry of sugary snacks, fruit snacks, fruit rollups, and chocolate bars. I put both sets of grandparents on notice that we were attempting to cut out candy. Well, our efforts paid off as none of the children have had a cavity since — quick, where’s some wood? Will drywall do? Touching drywall now!

But, as we all know kids love candy. One of my children is a candy lover. While I could keep the candy to a minimum in the pantry, I wasn’t about to ban Halloween candy, Easter candy, Peeps, candy canes, and chocolate bunnies. That would be cruel and unusual punishment, wouldn’t it?

So I did the next best thing. I sought out candy alternatives. I ditched the fruit snacks and fruit rollups in favor of sugar free gum. Still chewy, but not as likely to stick to teeth as a fruit rollup. But, what else could I find?

Our candy issues are now on hold as my tween is now in braces. The kid who devoured her Halloween candy? Well, that kid is petrified of breaking her braces. You can imagine how thrilled she was when I told her of a candy I had found. A candy that she can lick. A candy that will not break her braces…she licks, but does not bite in to the Ring Pop. Sugar Free Ring Pops!!! My tween’s verdict…Sugar Free Ring Pops taste like regular Ring Pops!

The tween was eager to taste them. I asked her what she thought. She said the Sugar Free Ring Pops taster like the real ones! Wow! I never expected to hear that. She flavors are good too. I’m not sure what the flavors are as she devoured the pack. Just checked the site…Sugar Free Ring Pops come in Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, and Strawberry. The nutritional deets — only 30 calories per Sugar Free Ring Pop, made with Splenda, and 0 sugar carbs.

Follow Sugar Free Ring Pops on Facebook.

Check out the Sugar Free Ring Pops site.

I was given a pack of Sugar Free Ring Pops for my review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Pringles are still a staple in our pantry. I am delighted to let you know that Pringles is tackling the important issue of childhood hunger. As a mom, I need to have a well-stocked pantry…I take it for granted. It is inconceivable that families in this country cannot afford to feed their families, but it is a reality.

Pringles has rolled out “U Taste. We Donate.”  Initiated by Pringles Multigrain and supported by celebrity chef, Tyler Florence, the campaign seeks to aid Share Our Strength with its mission to end childhood hunger in America.  For the 17 million children facing hunger in America, every dollar counts.

Here’s how it works.  Enter the UPC code from any Pringles Multigrain product at PringlesMultigrain.com, and Pringles will donate $1 to Share Our Strength through June 30, 2010.  You can choose from any of the three New Pringles Multigrain flavors including, Truly Original, Cheesy Cheddar, and Creamy Ranch.

To support the “U Taste. We Donate” campaign, Tyler Florence created three unique and incredible recipes to go along with each flavor of Pringles Multigrain – a perfect snacking inspiration. I can’t wait to enter the codes from the Pringles Multigrain snacks I received for my review. BTW, the Pringles Multigrains were delish. My 7-year-old has a fairly sophisticated palate for a little kid — he loved the Cheesy Cheddar flavor. My tween who does not care for unusual flavors loved the Cheesy Cheddar flavor. I found myself crunching in to the Creamy Ranch…like in my college days.

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

I say this in all earnestness. It was a stroke of good fortune that the box of goodies I am about to tell you about arrived during the school day. The kids would have devoured the goodies. Alas, they didn’t have a chance as I devoured them first. I am nothing if not cautious. I covered my tracks by wiping the Bugle Hot Buffalo crumbs from my mouth, stashing the Cocoa Puffs Treat Triple Chocolate bars, and hiding the Nature Valley Oats ‘n Dark Chocolate Crunchy Granola Bar. Mmmmmm…

All three items have the Musings from Me seal of approval. The Bugles were very hot. I ate them so that I wouldn’t traumatize my children. Right? That’s my story and I am sticking to it. The Cocoa Puffs bar got me through a loooonnnnggg night of working. I don’t recall when I ate the Nature Valley Oats ‘n Dark granola bars…perhaps I am too good at covering my tracks?

The good news is that I can purchase any of these products at my local convenience stores. So to recap…so that you don’t miss out on all the yummy and spicy goodness:

• Cocoa Puffs Treats Triple Chocolate: An indulgent cereal bar that combines the great taste of Cocoa Puffs cereal and chocolate into one decadent treat, Cocoa Puffs Treats Triple Chocolate is perfect for satisfying any sweet tooth.
• Bugles Hot Buffalo: Need something salty with a bit of a kick? Look no further than Bugles Hot Buffalo Crisp Corn Snacks, which blends the taste of hot buffalo sauce with crispy corn Bugles.
• Nature Valley Oats `N Dark Chocolate Crunchy Granola Bars: If you want the best of both worlds, give Nature Valley Oats `N Dark Chocolate Crunchy Granola Bars a try. These bars mix dark chocolate pieces, oats and crisp rice nuggets for a classic crunch and burst of whole grain goodness, making them a perfect natural snack that’s high in fiber and protein, but low in saturated fat.

Now you don’t think that I am going to keep all of this for myself, do you? I have a Sweet and Salty Convenience Food Prize Pack for one lucky reader! The “Sweet and Salty” prize pack  includes a Nature Valley coffee travel mug and a Bugles t-shirt, as well as two samples of each snack, one for you and one for your someone special (or you can keep all 6 snacks for yourself…I’ll never tell!). One comment – one entry. Enter now!

• Which one of the three products do you think the man in your life would like best? Leave a comment.
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I received a Sweet and Salty Convenience Store Prize Pack to review and devour from General Mills through MyBlogSpark. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends May 26, 2010, at 11:59 p.m.

I had the pleasure of participating in a roundtable discussion with Shoppers Food Warehouse nutritionist, Jennifer Shea. Shoppers Food Warehouse rolled out its nutrition IQ program last week.

• nutrition IQ program is designed to “help consumers make better-informed, better-for-you food choices right at the grocery store shelf.”
• nutrition IQ was developed with the Joslin Clinic, which is part of an academic medical center affiliated with Harvard Medical School.
• nutrition IQ is available in the 62 Shoppers Food Warehouses in the greater D.C. and Baltimore area.

The nutrition IQ program comes as research shows that consumers are having difficulty making sense of nutrition guidelines. Consumers want to find an easier way to make informed decisions about what they feed their families. The nutrition IQ program uses easy-to-see, color-coded shelf tags, hung near the items price tag to help consumers quickly identify healthier food choices for their families.

The tags — details about the program can be found at nutritioniq.shoppersfood.com — help consumers find an easy way to eat smarter. The color-coded tags on each shelf represent the following nutrients in products:

• Excellent Source of FIBER (orange tag)
• Good Source of FIBER (orange tag)
• Excellent source of CALCIUM (blue tag)
• Good source of CALCIUM (blue tag)
• Low SODIUM (green tag)
• Healthier Level SODIUM (green tag)
• Excellent source of PROTEIN (yellow tag)
• Good source of PROTEIN (yellow tag)
• Whole GRAINS (orange-red tag)
• Low Calorie (purple)
• Low SATURATED FAT (red tag)

I toured the Shoppers Food Warehouse in Potomac Yards, Virginia, with the Shoppers nutritionist, Jennifer Shea. After checking out the cereal, yogurt, and pasta aisles, I got the hang of examining the labels. I compared the brand name product to the generic in the cereal aisle to see why one of the products had the label and one did not.

The next time I shop at Shoppers I will look at products with a more critical eye now that I know more about nutrition and the nutrition IQ program.

DC — MD — VA Readers of Musings from Me! I have a fabulous giveaway for my cost-conscious LOCAL readers. What is it? What is this fabulous item? A Shoppers Food Warehouse $25 gift card! One comment = one entry. There is one winner. Enter now!

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I was given a bag of food and a Shoppers Food Warehouse gift card (I am giving away the gift card as I live a little too far from a Shoppers Food Warehouse) as part of my participation in the nutrition IQ tour. The views expressed in this article are my own. The giveaway will end May 25 at 11:59 p.m. The giveaway is open to those near a Shoppers Food Warehouse in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

Whaaaaatttt??? Heresy! We love Costco! I have been a member of a warehouse club since 1989…BEFORE we got married! Do you remember when Costco was Price Costco and before that Price Club? Yep…we were members then. Actually, we were members of Pace Membership Warehouse which became Sam’s Club.

In all seriousness though, we hated shopping at the Gaithersburg, MD, Costco. I agree with every point in your article. The crowds. The jockeying for position in line. The glazed over eyes of the workers. The parking lot…my gosh the parking lot was a nightmare to find a space in!

Once we moved out of Montgomery County we discovered the oasis of tranquility that is the Frederick, MD, Costco. Few huge lines. Not crowded even on a Saturday. Enthusiastic workers who go the extra mile. Kindly sample ladies. And the parking is NEVER full.

Fed up with your crowded, madhouse Costco? Are you in driving distance of a Costco in a less crowded area? Check it out. It might be worth it, so that you can stock up in a less frantic fashion.

For a Costco near you, go here.

I was not compensated for this post!

Here’s what I found out on my tour of the Peapod warehouse. I wrote this part of the post on my phone…#VerizonPalmPrePlus…such a fabulous and time-saving use of technology.

The Facts

• 60 percent of customers shop from their previous Peapod shopping lists
• Purchased items are packed with like items. Produce packed with produce. Deli with deli. No squishing of items. Perishable items are packed in styrofoam coolers with dry ice packs. The coolers and boxes can be left out when your next delivery is scheduled.
• The Peapod by Giant delivery fee is $8.95.
• There is a $1 savings if use direct deposit.
• Over 10,000  items in the Peapod facility. 1,500 items on sale each week. I walked among the stacks, aisles, and chill rooms packed with products on the tour.
• Loyal customers can become VIPea. VIPea have access to specials.
• Delivery…shop whenever you want at peapod.com plus have your item delivered when you want (customers may have to choose a delivery time from a list of already scheduled deliveries).
• My delivery area is not covered. I added my e-mail address to Peapod, so that I will be notified when my zip code is added to the delivery area.
• You can place an order when you want to — don’t have to have a regular delivery date. I don’t do a weekly grocery shop, so this flexibility would work for me.
• There is a fuel surcharge of 38 cents in effect based on price of fuel for each order.
• What is the busiest time on Peapod one blogger on our tour asked? 8-10 p.m.
• Are you social media savvy or want to be? Check out Facebook special offers. Website url: www.Peapod.com. Twitter: Twitter.com/peapoddelivers.

Dietary and Special Needs

• Peapod customers can customize their online lists by dietary needs with the Nutrifilter. Dietary needs include: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, peanut free, and USDA low sodium to name a few.

Savings and Coupons

• Customers can use Giant Bonus cards.
• Customers can search for specials for bigger savings. View specials by dept. This week blueberries and blackberries are on sale 2 for $5.
• Peapod by Giant wants to empower the grocery shopper by showing what is on sale. Most people want to shop smarter and cheaper. Red flag shows what is on sale.
• Peapod customers can use coupons.com. Go to Specials tab–Printable Coupons for a link to Coupons.com.
• Coupons can be clipped at home and given to driver for discounts. Coupons will be credited to customer’s account. Note: Coupons cannot doubled like at Giant store.

Recipes or What’s for Dinner?

• Need an idea for what to make and what to buy for dinner. See recipes. I did notice that the ingredients listed in the recipes don’t link back to the Peapod shopping list.
• We were treated to a great discourse on produce courtesy of Giant’s produce guy: Tony. Tony blogs about all things product. I left with a bag of the most perfect fruit ever. The strawberries were huge.
• If you find an item not listed on Peapod.com, you can request the item via the website or on Facebook.

My takeaway from the blogger tour of Peapod was this: Peapod by Giant eliminates the impulse buys…the must-have because it is on the shelf purchases…the food items spotted by your kids while you shop.

Iphone User? Peapod will alphatest a grocery shopping app. The Beta test will be in June. The iphone app should be ready for customers in August.

Code for My Readers: I have a coupon code to share with you. For first-time Peapod customers, use the code BLOG2010 to save $15 off first order (limit 1 per household). This offer expires June 30, 2010.

I let the tween and teen have some say on their clothes, but the bucks stops with me. My tween and teen can choose their own clothes each day for school and weekend wear. Both know that they have to abide by school dress code rules. Note: School dress code rules are inconsistently enforced…depends on the day and the teacher. Even on their “days off” I monitor how short the skirt or shorts can go. I know, I know, but I don’t want the girls going out in something inappropriate.

When the girls were little, I knew that clothing arguments would be a factor in the future. I enjoyed the days of Osh Kosh, Gap, and Old Navy. Gone are the days when the only choice was color and size. My then little girls had strong opinions on color — pink, purple, or no deal! Now I have to wade through the racks at Justice, Hollister, Areopostale, American Eagle, and abercrombie to find the mom chair.

Although, I do recall a dance performance where my eyes almost bugged out.

Have you seen this CNN clip of the young girls dancing to All the Single Ladies? No? Well, watch it now.

What do you think??

So, were you like me shocked to the core? What was the dance teacher thinking when she chose this dance and those outfits for little girls? Where were the moms? Why did the moms not say “No” to the risque outfits? I know that when my little girls took dance classes, there were times when the costumes were the 9/10/11 year olds seemed a little revealing to me. I recall one year the older girls wore cropped tops and bicycle shorts. These outfits are nothing compared to the bikinis on the girls in the video.

The song? Why pair up such young girls with this song? My little girls danced to the following age-appropriate tunes:

• Be My Little Bumble Bee — white leotard with black appliques.
• Peter Gunn Theme — black leotard with pink appliques — lots of twirling.
• Batman Theme — black leotards with pink bat wings — strobe lights and twirling.

What do you think of clothing for little girls? Leave a comment.

Jessica Gottlieb has an insightful and carefully worded post on this subject.