Saturday, December 18, 2010

2010 Buying Guide – simplehuman

My love of simplehuman products is deep and vast.  It just doesn’t feel like a year end review without covering some items of genius for the home from the one company that seems to solve all my domestic problems.  Everyone knows I’m relatively un-domestic.  I don’t want to have to DEAL with household furnishings.  I want stuff that is simple, easy and solves my problems.  The other thing most people don’t realize is that most of the stuff I’m talking about, like the Tension Shower Caddy I reviewed last year and the Steel Frame Dishrack I reviewed last Summer, are things you use all. The. Time.  You shower, you eat, you live your daily life in your home.  It makes sense to get the good stuff that lasts and looks good.

napkinholder For this round, I’m really excited about three products I’d like to introduce you to.  Let’s kick it off with the Quick Grip Napkin Holder which holds approximately 75 quadrifold napkins while allowing you to pull out just one napkin at a time.  The weighted tension arm simultaneously works as a paperweight while keeping the stack neat.  The sleek stainless steel style makes it totally all about the napkins.   This is great for outdoor events or heck even when I have my kitchen window open.  Your typical “vertical letter holder style” napkin holder is ridiculous compared to this.  I had inexpensive, bumpy textured, lower weight napkins stacked in the Quick Grip and was able to easily remove the top one without disturbing the stack.  This holder is also ideal for toddlers, as in my family, who can just grab for the top napkin.  The Quick Grip Napkin Holder is $19.99, has a 5 year warranty and also comes in a bamboo version.

My love affair with simplehuman began years ago with The Wall Mount Grocery Bag Holder which was perfect in my previous kitchen.  Where I live now,bagholder however, the wall mount is not an ideal setup.  Thus, when I noticed that simplehuman offers The Upright Bag Holder, I knew I had found my new solution.  It has a slim design that I describe as being about “two cereal boxes wide and a little bit longer”.  It fits easily in my kitchen cabinet (where I keep it) but it also looks totally great on a countertop like a stainless steel kitchen accessory anyone would have.  The base is sturdy and non-skid with rubber pads that also protect surfaces.  You put your plastic shopping bags in the top and pull them out through the wide front opening.  The official capacity is listed as 50 bags, but I’ve been known to jam more than that in.  The Upright Bag Holder is $16.99 and has a 10 year warranty.

It’s interesting to note that I am totally gung-ho about a product that stores “plastic shopping bags” and maybe you would be thinking that’s not so great for the environment.  Let me state that I am a huge proponent of reusable shopping bags and I own a bunch of them.  I use them constantly.  However, in my household, there is a real need for plastic bags and I think that reusing plastic shopping bags is a good way to minimize consumption.  We have diapers, a dog and….Well, without oversharing, you know that there are times you need a plastic bag!  Which brings me to the final product I’d like to share with you: The Profile Open Can.  I have space challenges in two bathrooms, and this product fits right where I need to put trash profile open can cans.  I prefer open top trash cans in my bathrooms, it’s so much easier to toss and go.  But, even more importantly, if you have awkward spaces, getting a foot maneuvered to open a step can is just silly.  Of course, I want to have a liner in my swell Profile Open Can, and what do I use?  Plastic shopping bags!  The can is stainless steel and has a 2.6 gallon capacity which is exactly right for your typical plastic grocery bag.  There is a removable inner bucket that has handles designed to hold a grocery bag in place.  Then, as if that weren’t perfect enough, there is a removable top frame that covers the inner bucket and hides any of the plastic bag, giving a totally clean look.  I really would love it if simplehuman offered this can in more colors and/or materials.  I think this is the only can any bathroom needs.  The Profile Open Can is $29.99 and comes with a 5 year warranty.

One question I always ask myself when I consider a purchase is: does this solve more than one problem for me?  If the answer is, “yes”, that is a big justification for me to open my wallet.  simplehuman products always solve more than one problem.  They even solve problems you didn’t even know you had until you start using them—their product line is that well conceived.  You can order their products directly from simplehuman.com as well as at many retailers, visit the website to find a store near you.

Disclosure: simplehuman provided me with these three products for the purpose of this review.

Friday, December 17, 2010

2010 Buying Guide – VTech Cordless Phone System

DS6321-3_rep The VTech DS6321-3 is an expandable, three handset, cordless phone system with a digital answering machine.  The feature that takes this cordless phone to the next level is that it has Cellular Connection through BLUETOOTH technology.  This means you can synch your cell to your VTech system and never miss a call.  That has become kind of a big deal to me lately.  I get a call on my cell and it’s sitting in my purse in the other room or charging somewhere—where I can’t hear it.  The beauty of this system is that your cell will ring through your cordless phone and you can use the closest handset to answer.  Another interesting feature is that with the move away from landlines, you can still have this system in your house and use it only for your cell phone.  Like a whole house BLUETOOTH set up.  This comes with 3 handsets (each with its own charging base) but is expandable up to 12. 

The DS6321-3  is the first cordless phone system capable of downloading cellular phonebook directory entries using the BLUETOOTH technology, making it really easy to just pick up the phone and use your cell line.  Up to four BLUETOOTH devices (cell phones, smartphones, headsets) can be registered on the DS6321-3, and two cellular phones can be connected to the DS6321-3 at one time.  Operating as a virtual two-line system, the DS6321-3 also allows users to be on a landline call on one handset, while another handset can be used simultaneously for a cellular call.  You can set the ringtones on the handsets so you know if it’s a cell call or a landline call coming in.  For hands-free landline conversations, users can make and receive traditional landline calls on the DS6321-3 while using a BLUETOOTH headset, or take advantage of the handset speakerphones.  I don’t have a BLUETOOTH headset since I have it wired into my car, so I use the handset speakerphone, mainly when I’m waiting on hold. 

This brings me to my nit-picky wish list for this system: I wish it had a regular headset jack so that I could have a hands-free conversation (as I mentioned, I don’t have a BLUETOOTH headset), I wish it had a belt clip which is something I actually used on my last cordless system and as a busy mom, I can frequently multi-task with a phone clipped on and a headset.  These would seem to be really basic things that I would personally appreciate having.  Another negative I’ve noticed is that the “delete” function on the answering system is very unforgiving.  When you are done listening to a message, you literally run the risk of deleting the next message if you hit the delete button.  There is no “margin” between messages.  I’ve found it’s safer to run through the messages once and THEN go back and delete.  In all my answering machines, over the years, I’ve never had this “phobia of deleting the next message.”  So, I’ve got that workaround.  Overall, I’ve been happy with this system and will continue to use it.  It is comfortable to hold, the battery life has been mostly sufficient, however, we do tend to keep them on the chargers when not in use.  Coincidentally, both my mother and my sister who live in different parts of the country bought this exact same system independent of knowing that I had it too.  They are both happy with it.  MSRP is $99.95, but I have seen it at major retailers and wholesale clubs for less.

Disclosure: I was provided with one VTech DS6321-3 for review purposes.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

2010 Buying Guide – Razor Scooters

RazorLogo The dot-com era image that totally nails it in my Gen-X brain, to this day, is the hipster riding a Razor Scooter through the office.RazorScooter   The funny thing is that although most of those dot-coms crashed and burned, The Razor Scooter has continued on a smooth glide into its 10th anniversary.  My family and I were super lucky to be invited to a Razor Playdate recently where we got to try out a number of Razor products.  In fact, Razor now has 50 ride-on products with something for everyone.  I always believe in starting with the original concept, thus the Limited Edition 10th Anniversary Model is the Razor Scooter to me.  The aluminum frame and urethane wheels give such a smooth glide and the adjustable height handlebars and 200 lb weight capacity make it an accessible ride.  The scooter is only 6 lbs and is easy to fold and carry.  Recommended for ages 5+ with a MSRP of $99.99, although I have seen it at major retailers with a lower price tag.

For the littlest ones, like Lulu, I recommend a “training scooter”.  The Razor Lil’ Kick scooter has three wheels which allowLilKicks for the preschool crowd to work on their confidence and coordination without having to simultaneously focus on balance.  The Lil’ Kick also has a wider deck that lets the rider have both feet squarely on board.  Extra-large wheels and a handle-bar pad are nice added touches for a child’s first Razor Scooter.  Recommended for ages 3+ with a MSRP of $39.99.

razorRipRider Now onto the RipRider 360, which is just so awesome.  I wish I had this when I was a kid.  It’s the 2010 version of a 1970’s Big Wheel!  The rear dual-inclined caster wheels allow for total free-wheeling.  You can ride along and then drift and spin out effortlessly.  At the Razor Playdate, I watched a 12 year old boy having a blast on it and he gave me two thumbs up when I asked him if he would recommend it to his friends.  The RipRider 360 has won a bunch of awards over the past couple of years.  Being a mom who sees a lot of toys and is seeing toys from her own childhood come back, I was really wowed by the RipRider 360.  Finally, something that caused this perhaps slightly jaded mom to say, “HEY!  What’s that?!”  Recommended for ages 5+ with a MSRP of $129.99.  Many of my readers know how important the topic of child safety is to me.  At the Razor Playdate we were invited to bring our own helmets and safety gear if we had it and they also supplied it to anyone who wanted to try any of the products and didn’t have their own.  I strongly urge anyone who gets any of these amazing Razor products for the children in their lives also make sure they have the necessary safety equipment to go along with it.  Razor shares tips and info on their commitment to safety on their site.

Disclosure: My family and I were invited by Razor to attend their Playdate Event where we were given the Limited Edition 10th Anniversary Scooter.  Razor gave me the Lil’ Kick Scooter and RipRider 360 for the purpose of this review.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

“Community” on NBC

CommunityLogo Ultimately, in this town, it’s who you know, not what, if you want to get your minivan onto a studio lot, primo parking and set access.  Hollywood connections, are the nature of my game.  That said, myself and several other awesome mom bloggers visited the set of the NBC sit-com, Community, a few days ago.  The basic premise of the show is that it’s a group of misfits who all attend Greendale Community College together.  We had a fabulous time hanging out on the set, watching some of the taping and meeting members of the cast.  While we kicked back on one of the sets they weren’t currently shooting on, Joel McHale, Ken Jeong, Alison Brie and John Oliver stopped by for a fun and fairly silly Q & A with us.  Because, hey, it’s a COMEDY, and these folks can’t just stop and be totally serious, right?  I had secretly hoped that Chevy Chase would be on set that day, because, he is such a legend.  My father was a huge fan.  Alas, he wasn’t taping that day.  We next headed over to an executive dining room on The Paramount Lot for lunch with Yvette Nicole Brown, who was just awesome.  She is so fun and upbeat and talked with us about a whole range of topics.

The big reason for our attendance was to learn about the “Very Special” Community airing tonight at 8/7c on NBC.  In the quick video I’ve added in here, you can watch some of the cast talking behind the scenes info about the episode.  It’s stop-action claymation like the classic Christmas shows from our childhood.  NUP_142682_0001 ABED'S UNCONTROLLABLE CHRISTMAS: THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS IS LOST AND ABED’S INTENSE FIXATION ON CHRISTMAS CONCERNS THE GROUP —When Abed (Danny Pudi) wakes up in stop-motion animation, he takes it as a sign that he and the group must re-discover the meaning of Christmas. Meanwhile, Jeff (Joel McHale) and Britta (Gillian Jacobs) become growingly concerned about Abed's mental health and enlist the help of Professor Duncan (John Oliver). The group undergoes hypnosis to explore Abed's winter wonderland and soon unravel the truth behind Abed’s madness. Chevy Chase, Yvette Nicole Brown, Donald Glover, and Ken Jeong also star.  Review:  I was lucky to get a special early viewing of the episode and it is so awesome!  The stop-action animation is executed really well.  All the characters come together, although transformed into clay, to help Abed.  Everything is so true to the “regular” show.  The story line is really clever and fun.  It would be interesting to see if this becomes a cult holiday classic.  There will be a Community “Live Viewing Party” on Twitter hashtag #nbcCommunity tonight at 8pm EST/7 CST/5 pm PST and there will be cast members participating and giving out prizes.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Cookie Exchange Week

CookieExchangeApparently December 6-12, 2010 has been designated Cookie Exchange Week.  Why?  I don’t know, or really care, but I find it amusing.  You see, exactly one year ago I was invited to my first cookie exchange and was so overwhelmed at the idea of it all that I was compelled to blog about it for the now closed Los Angeles Moms Blog.  Since I now find there is a whole week devoted to it, it certainly seems appropriate that we revisit my old post.  This year I even feel more amused by the cookie exchange subculture upon finding blog posts here and here that explain with painstaking detail how you might go about having a cooking exchange, like starting two weeks ahead and assuring you don’t get duplicate recipes.  Oh my.  Hold me.

Cookie Exchange Angst

(Originally posted December 11, 2009 here)

I have come to accept the fact that I am an imposter among my peers.  Everyone I know has their domestic lives firmly in order, meanwhile the only cleaning supplies I own are a bottle of windex and baby wipes.  I recently received an e-mail that sent me so far over the edge that I’ve begun to question who I really am and where I came from.  The e-mail subject: You are invited to a Cookie Exchange.  I’d never heard of such a thing.  Me, who has lived in several foreign countries, considers herself fairly hip to American Culture and was on Jeopardy!  Somehow the cookie exchange never made it into my consciousness.  The e-mail said simply: You are invited to a cookie exchange, bring three dozen cookies.  Must be homemade.  Great, I thought, I don’t even know what this is and I can’t buy my way out of it either.  Of course, I proceeded to Google “cookie exchange” and became even more confused.  Seems like there are all kinds of variations.  Bring cookies beautifully wrapped, bring the recipe, bring several copies of the recipe, bring an elegant tin to exchange with another participant.  Interestingly, no where does it really explain what your end result is?  Do you eat cookies at the exchange?  Or do you just exchange them?  If you bring three dozen, do you leave with three dozen?  Here’s where I’m really confused: What do I then do with the three dozen cookies?  Yes, I know, I could eat them.  I could give them away.  I could throw them away.  I want to know what people do with their cookie exchange cookies.  Do all my domestic goddess friends live in idyllic neighborhoods where carolers come by and you happen to have hot cocoa and your cookie exchange cookies all arranged on a Christmas Tree shaped plate?  The carolers finish belting out “Silver Bells”, yank off their mittens and then huddle in your elegantly appointed foyer sipping and munching?

I have so many questions.  The questions beget more questions and then I find myself calling friends who I think are “in the know”.  Each friend I have called does in fact know of cookie exchanges.  Yet, each one has given me different scenarios.  None can really answer my questions, such as: How large a container do I bring?  What if everyone else has large or odd shaped cookies and they don’t fit in my container?  I have cookie exchange anxiety.  The words “Cookie Exchange” peer back at me from my calendar.  It is scheduled for next week.  I don’t cook.  I don’t bake.  I don’t have flour in my house.  Clearly, it doesn’t appear likely that I will be participating in the exchange.  The obstacles in my way are too great.  Yet, I’m oddly intrigued.  I even feel left out in advance.  Secretly, I want to just go and see what it is and not have to participate.  Or, maybe a friend will be like, “Hey, Liz, you wanna take a dozen cookies?  I can’t possibly take three dozen home especially with Artie on Atkins and all.”  Maybe I can be an “alternate” at the cookie exchange?  Taking the unwanted dozens and half dozens from my friends and acquaintances.  How can I pitch that to the host?  Is that even appropriate?  I mean, I could offer to be an alternate cookie-taker and sign a release that I’m fully aware I may not get any cookies.  Right?  Is that being fun and creative or just being annoying and freaky?

Not ready to give up I had an idea.  What really is the definition of “homemade”?  Made in the home?  What is the definition of “made”?  I starting thinking about Sandra Lee and her “semi-homemade” franchise.  If half of the ingredients are homemade that should be sufficient, I’m thinking.  If I bake them in the oven, even if most of the preparation is not homemade, that ought to qualify, I’m sure.  I looked at some of Sandra’s recipes.  They look like a lot of work.  Pretty much as much work as totally homemade.  Making cookies is not easily shortcut-able like, say, doctoring up a store bought roast chicken with a jar of ponzu sauce and some crushed wontons.  Dang.

If I really, really want in and have no shame.  I could show up and claim mommy brain.  “Liz, where are your cookies?” Me: “Cookies?  Oh, my gosh!  I thought we were playing bunco!  I swear, my brain went out with the placenta!  But, wow, don’t those pecan sandies look divine!”  What could they do?  Send me away without cookies?  I think I’ve found my in.  Heh.

Update 12/12/10: Today a woman named Julia Usher started following me on Twitter.  Why, remains a mystery.  However, I looked at her profile and was fascinated to find she is the author of a book called “Cookie Swap” and that there is a website, CookieSwapping.com that currently states on its homepage that cookie swaps are NOT just for Christmas anymore!  I am becoming obsessed by this sub-culture.  I want to meet Julia Usher and take her to lunch.

This is an original post for the Los Angeles Moms Blog.

When Elizabeth Peterson isn't in training sessions for the Pillsbury Bake Off, she can be found over at her personal blog, Traded My BMW for a Minivan.

Comments (these are the original comments from the LA Moms Blog post)

Nicole Pelton said...

I love this post, such creative ideas. I'd have you over just for the entertainment. I always though it would be fun to have a cookies exchange, but I love to bake. My cookie donations for bake sales are often the ones given away free since they are small or pitiful looking :) I remember reading some articles or blog posts or something on cookie exchanges, and people had all these rules...they had to be big and fancy - forget tollhouse choc chip, wrapped up, people served all this gourmet food for snacking. Believe me, my cookie exchange would never be like that.

Reply December 11, 2009 at 10:40 AM

April said...

This is only my 2nd year participating in a cookie exchange. Last year, I used the dough from one of my girls' fundraiser. This year, in a scheduling screw-up, I had to call in re-inforcements: my dad made the cookies for me :)

Reply December 11, 2009 at 11:33 AM

Eunice said...

you should just bake the cookies you made yesterday, those are totally homemade. I think she just meant don't bring chips ahoy.

Reply December 11, 2009 at 12:54 PM

elizabeth said...

so funny -- I've missed your clever posts. As for cookie exchanges, I think that's a fancy person's problem and you should just relax. It'd be great to go to Costco or something and buy a tray of cookies and bring those. Why not?

Reply December 11, 2009 at 03:20 PM

Diane said...

I loved your post.

Reply December 11, 2009 at 05:22 PM

Elizabeth said...

Aack! I've been plotting to serve 3 dozen cookies on a Christmas-tree shaped plate for a caroling party. Now I have to think up something original. . .

Liz, an aging late-to-the-pary suburbanite.

Reply December 11, 2009 at 08:28 PM

Sarah Auerswald said...

This is a crack-up! I have actually heard of cookie exchanges, but never participated in one -- and now, if I were asked to, I'd freak out because who knew there were so many variations? Plus I am really not the right kind of person for it -- I would only want to take the kind of cookies I like and leave the rest... Bad! I know.

Reply December 11, 2009 at 09:44 PM

Teresa DeGagne said...

Great post! Good luck with that. I seriously have a terrific cookie recipe involving 4 ingredients. One of them is cake mix. Cake mix for cookies...who knew?

Reply December 12, 2009 at 07:46 AM

Erin S. said...

Fun post! My girlfriend does a cookie exchange every year that needs an auxillary title: "Wine & Cheese/Box-Up-Other-Moms'-Cookies-to-Take-Home-to-Your-Kids Night"!!

Reply December 18, 2009 at 08:47 AM

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Sauza, Chef Marcela & Ladies Night in LA

MarcelaLadies What an absolutely fun and yummy night we had last night!  I am going to admit I had no idea of how creative and high end you can get with tequila when knowing what to do with it!  Chef Marcela totally showed us how it’s done.  She prepared four cocktails, four dishes and one dessert!    Chef Marcela has kindly shared her recipes with us…The brussels sprouts were to die for!  We all had such a blast and Chef Marcela was so lovely to speak with.  I’d like to thank Sauza Tequila for sponsoring our party.  With the holiday season upon us, it is super important to realize that drinking and driving do not mix!  Sauza provided car service for all our blogger attendees, YDriveLA.com generously provided their service and The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club hosted two of our guests who traveled from out of town.  Additionally, I’d like to thank everyone who participated on Twitter and Facebook last night asking questions and joining in the fun.  Big thank you to Daytrippingmom for letting me use her iPad…Made it so much easier to tweet while simultaneously holding a cocktail. 

 

In case you missed the live stream, here is a video that my amazing co-host Deb Lavdas put together to show you all a some of our Ladies Night in LA:

 

Three of the cocktail and the shrimp recipes are included in the scattered images above.  The extremely popular lamb and brussels sprouts recipes are below.  You can find the other recipes Marcela prepared last night, including the Warm Winter Margarita, on the Sauza Tequila Facebook page.  Thanks for celebrating with us.  I hope you have a holiday season filled with fun, warmth and while you are at it, try adding some Sauza in to the festivities!

Rack of Lamb with Ancho Crust

Serves 4

1 ancho chile, stemmed and seeded

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

3 large shallots, minced

2 teaspoons thyme chopped

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs made from French bread

Salt and pepper To Taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 well trimmed racks of lamb (each about 1 1/4 pounds)

3 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Jalapeño jelly (optional)

Tear the chile into small pieces and place in a spice grinder. Grind the chile to a powder.

Melt butter in large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots and thyme and saute for 3 minutes, or until the shallots are soft. Add the chile powder and stir. Add the bread crumbs and cook for 5 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden brown. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the crumb topping cool.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat olive oil in large heavy skillet over high heat. Season the lamb racks all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add the lamb racks to the skillet, rounded side down. Sear for 6 minutes, or until brown. Transfer the racks to a large rimmed baking sheet, seared side up. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mustard over each rack. Press the crumb topping into the mustard.

Roast for 20 minutes for a medium rare, or until desired doneness. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing in to chops. Serve with jalapeño jelly is desired.

Brussels Sprouts in Morilla Cream

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pounds brussels sprouts. halved

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds

3 scallions (white and pale green parts only)

1 morilla chile, stemmed, seeded, and very thinly sliced

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Salt and pepper To Taste

Method of Preparation:

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the brussels sprouts and stir for 1 minute to coat them with butter. Add the broth, cover, and simmer for 7 minutes, or until the brussels sprouts are tender. Uncover and continue to simmer for 4 minutes, or until all of the broth evaporates. Transfer brussels sprouts to medium bowl.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in same pan. Add the sunflower seeds, scallions, and chile and saute for 2 minutes, or until the nuts are toasted and chile is tender. Stir in the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, return the brussels sprouts to pan, and toss to coat them with the cream. Season the brussels sprouts to taste with salt and pepper.

Monday, December 6, 2010

There’s a Sauza Holiday Party in My House Tonight

Sauza

And you are invited!  This evening, Monday December 6, Chef Marcela Valladolid whom some of you may know from her Food Network Show, “Mexican Made Easy” is coming to my house to share some of her favorite holiday recipes using  Sauza® Tequila.  I’ve been a fan of Marcela’s since I saw her compete on Martha Stewart’s Apprentice a few years ago and am really looking forward to meeting her tonight.  I’m fairly convinced I may have been Mexican in a former life because it is my favorite cuisine.  Chef Marcela will get the Sauza® Tequila out for a Ladies Night in with some of my really great food and mom blogger friends from all over So. California.  Here is the best part though…YOU are invited too!  You can join in the fiesta because we are streaming this live on Sauza's Facebook page from 7:15 PST - 8:30 PST.

Marcela is going to demonstrate and share her recipes including a shrimp dish I got some pre-party intelligence on—you won’t want to miss.  She is also going to make some tasty cocktails, because, it’s not a party at my house without some tasty beverages.  I love a margarita and am intrigued that Marcela will be showing us how to make her favorite Warm Winter Margarita.  Oh, and it gets even better!  I’ve got some of my favorite bloggers co-hosting with me: Sugar Jones, Deb Lavdas and Ana Flores.  In addition to talking to us live on the Sauza Facebook page, you can send your questions about tequila, Mexican Cuisine, general cooking questions…ask away to #LadiesNightInLA on Twitter and Marcela will answer them live.  Make sure you are following all of us on Twitter: @MintCool @laflowers @sugarjones and @deblavdas to get in on the party fun.  If you can't catch the webcast but want to join the discussion, visit tweetchat.com enter #LadiesNightInLA and you are good to go!  It’s going to be a blast, so make sure you grab your bottle of Sauza and get ready to follow along.  I’ll see you tonight!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Bigfoot the Monster—he’s in a mood

BigFoot The legend of Bigfoot has always been fascinating to me.  I still wonder if we will ever prove the existence of Bigfoot (or Sasquatch or Yeti or Abominable Snowman or…).  But, at least for now, Fisher-Price has Bigfoot in existence and he is sure one of the hottest toys this holiday season.  This remote control toy is recommended for ages 3-8, which is just about perfect for my kids.  One of the best things about the wireless remote control is that the buttons have images on them, enabling pre-readers to maneuver Bigfoot and “see” what they are commanding him to do.

Bigfoot is also a moody blue-eyed dude—which I think is really clever for a toy.  There is a Bigfoot Facebook App that let’s you share your mood with all your friends.  I just did it and I was feeling impatient, that’s the Bigfoot Mood I shared with my FB friends…I’m betting most of my friends are nodding in agreement.  It’s a fun app and I recommend checking it out and while you’re there, entering the sweepstakes to win your own BIGFOOT the Monster.  Because winning an awesome toy during the holidays puts ANYONE in a good mood!

I have been compensated for my participation in this campaign.