Unilever's "Making Life Better" site can help you save money

Call it smart marketing, but when I see the Unilever "U", I know I've found a brand I can trust. I clip the Unilever coupons every week, and with brands like Vaseline, Bertolli, Breyer's, Dove and more, that means I'm saving money on all kinds of products that I use every day.

All this makes it even easier to appreciate a company website like this: www.makinglifebetter.com

Unilever has developed a very cool company site that has tips on saving money at the grocery store, quick and healthy recipes, and expert advice on everything from stress-free taxes to boosting your child's self-esteem...things that really will help to make life a little better.

For me, this means Unilever really is a company that cares and it only strengthens my trust in the brand.

Visit www.makinglifebetter.com now and see for yourself.
Want to save money?
Need a quick recipe?
Do you know your vitality level?

Then come back and tell me what you thought of Unilever before, and what you think now. Special thanks to Mom Central for the opportunity to review this site!

Is there a company site that has strengthened your loyalty? If so, tell me what it is so I can be sure to check it out!
Janine

Sparks fly and fingers are licked at Medieval Times

On the surface, it's a fake castle, in a mall, with plastic hologram cups.

But once inside Medieval Times there are knights, swords that spark when they collide, royalty, talented horses, amazingly good food, and, oh yeah - those plastic hologram cups are filled with beer.

Brave young knights

Our friends have been telling us about this place for at least a year. They decided to take a few of us there as their treat...but really, it was our treat to go!

Medieval Times IS what you make of it

With kids we made it a real castle with real knights having real battles...but not really getting hurt. We cheered our knight shouting "Red and yellow, red and yellow" and waving our flags wildly as he rode by. This got easier with each beer refill. I actually started to lose my voice.

Cheering for our knight

There is a story to follow, and the show is performed in a sand pit 'stage' with lighting and sound effects to bring it to life. I noticed the kids didn't catch much of the story, but they did see that someone was captured and thus there were "good and bad guys" - basically that's all they needed to get into it.

Prisoner (Good Guy)

Medieval cheers and jeers

Each section is color-coded to a knight and the crowd cheers and boos as needed. There is a break in the middle where the list of birthdays is read...in our case, 4 pages...and if the cheering gets weak the court clerk calls you on it.

Knights provide entertainment in the form of incredible equestrian skills, jousting, and hand-to-hand combat. The swords they use spark as they scrape against one another and the jousting poles splinter before your eyes! Chivalry exists within this castle and t didn't hurt this review one bit that our kinight chose yours truly as a fair maiden and tossed me beautiful red...carnation. (The jury is still out whether he threw it to me or the girls but I'm banking on the fact that he was not trying to woo two 6-year olds.)

Equine Skillz

Fingers are for Food

Bring your own Wet-Ones because there are no utensils but the food is GOOD. Tomato soup is served in a bowl with a handle and a slice of garlic bread - easy enough. But then a half of a roasted chicken is put down before you and there's no delicate way to dig in.

No utensils but hologram beer cups!

It all adds to the experience and you can imagine how this would have been a welcome break from the daily grind of just surviving in those dark times. The meal is completed by a mini apple turnover and even the servers admit everyone calls it a McDonald's Apple Pie. This is what makes Medieval Times so much fun - they get that it's campy, a little cheesy, but still lots of fun.

Have you been to Medieval Times? I'd love to know your experience so leave me a comment and tell me what you thought of it!

Janine

Hidden Valley makes veggies fun!

Image by alicemariedesigns via Flickr

Want to get your kids to eat more veggies? Don’t hide them in the sauce; instead bring them out to play!

That’s what the Hidden Valley Veggie Adventure game is all about.
This free online game is part of the Love Your Veggies™ campaign that was inspired by a study, which found that children consumed 23 percent more vegetables when paired with a moderate amount of ranch dressing.

In Veggie Adventure you start by battling birds, bugs and skunks as you grow vegetables on the farm and the game ends with serving and sharing vegetables with friends.

Veggie Adventures provides players with great tips and vegetable facts that you can use outside of the game, and in the grocery store to help your kids learn more about veggies. At the end of each stage, players receive a printable certificate to commemorate their success.

The game was easy enough for the Twofer to play without getting frustrated, and challenging enough that I had fun too!

Be sure to check out www.loveyourveggies.com for more activities, recipes and tips.

And remember to test your Veggie Adventure skill at www.loveyourveggies.com/games .

Special thanks to Hidden Valley and Mom Central for the opportunity to review and share this great resource with my readers!

{crunch},
Janine

A cake for us, a cake for a soldier, and a pen pal too

There is a lesson to be learned eating cake, and it has nothing to do with nutrition...or lack thereof.

How would you feel living far away from family and friends, often risking your life, on your birthday? I bet something as simple as a surprise birthday cake would make you feel pretty damn happy...even for just a few minutes.

That's what Bake Me A Wish! had in mind when they started the Freedom Cake program. When you purchase a Freedom Cake from Bake Me A Wish for someone here, a second cake is sent to a soldier serving oversees for their birthday!

My family was given the opportunity to experience the Kids Freedom Cake: a cake was sent to our home and the Twofer then wrote a letter online that will be delivered to a soldier along with a birthday cake for them!

We decided to share the deeeeelishious cake from Bake Me A Wish! with some friends and explain the Freedom Cake to all the kids.


Let me just pause here to explain how yummy this cake was. When I say my mouth is watering just remembering the chocolate, the icing the....{slurp}. And my husband who is not an big sweets guy and basically never eats dessert...ate an entire piece. Here's what the kids thought of it:



I will be ordering Gourmet Birthday Cakes at BakeMeAWish .com! for every birthday and holiday from now on. If I'm going to eat cake - I want it to be good and this was lip-smackin, mouth-watering, tounge-cleeking, eyes-rolling, don't-you-dare-touch-my-piece cake!

The next step was to go online to BakeMeAWish.com and register to 'meet' our soldier. It will take a few weeks but we will be assigned a soldier who will receive the cake in our name, and with whom we can start a correspondence.

Many kids, including our group, have already had the opportunity to write letters to soldiers. Bake Me a Wish Freedom Cake is the opportunity to wish a soldier Happy Birthday when they really need it, and maintain contact to have a pen pal.

I can't wait until we get our soldier/pen pal and the girls are excited to find out how they enjoyed their cake!

Janine

Listerine Total Care Anticavity Flouride Mouthwash Review

I have recently become much better at taking care of my teeth. I used to just floss right before my annual dentist appointment (oh I know you did too) but the pain and bleeding gums were enough to motivate me to do more.

And then I cracked a tooth.
And then I had it repaired.
And then it cracked it again.
And then I finally had to pay out of pocket a LOT of money to get a veneer.

All this because I grind my teeth which wears down the enamel of my teeth so they are more prone to cracking.

I now wear a mouth guard at night (very sexy I might add) and most recently found Listerine Total Care Anticavity Flouride Mouthwash thanks to Mom Central and Johnson's!


As a reviewer I was sent a bottle to test and the first thing that caught my eye was the benefit in the fact sheet that said "Restoring enamel".

In fact, there are 6 benefits to LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash that give you a cleaner, healthier mouth:
• Helping to prevent cavities
• Restoring enamel
• Strengthening teeth
• Killing bad breath germs
• Freshening breath
• Fighting unsightly plaque above the gum line
This bottle of Listerine is a welcomed addition to my dental routine. Just swish the mouthwash around for one minute after your brush (twice a day for best results) and remember not to eat for 30 minutes afterward. Then go about your day or head to bed knowing your teeth are better protected. Thanks Mom Central and Johnson's! My dentist thanks you, I thank you, and my wallet thanks you!

Janine

Twins Clowning Around for the Ringling Brothers Circus

Ringling Brothers Circus here we come!

As you can see we are getting very excited for the Over the Top performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus Thursday night with the folks at Mom Central.

Don't forget the discount code!

I know I already blogged about the Special Code: MOM that gets you 4 tickets for just $44, but I think it's such a great deal I can't help posting it again!

Mom Central + Feld Entertainment = Fun!

As part of the Feld Family Activator Influencer events that Mom Central is hosting, we were sent our own clown noses and program book. I'm looking forward to meeting some of the Mom Central crew who have made it possible for me to review so many great products.

My two clowns give it a BIG Twofer Thumbs Up...especially the 'adimals' and the clown noses.


Have you bought your tickets yet?
Janine

Yummy Chocolate Mocha Review & Giveaway! **Winners Announced**

***UPDATE***
Congratulations to our winners!

Minnemom
Cheryl
Lorrie
_______________________________________________
My Blog Spark apparently knows me better than my own family because they recently sent me a beautiful spa basket filled with all kinds of chocolate goodies including Fiber One Chocolate Mocha Chewy Bars.

When I say I LOVE chocolate, I'm talking about the must-have-at-least-once-a-day-keep-a-stash-of-chocolate-chips-in-an-emergency kind of way. My experience with the Fiber One Chocolate Mocha Chewy Bar is that it satisfied not only my 3:00 pm chocolate craving, but it satisfied my hunger long enough for me to get home and make dinner without snacking!

Better yet, Fiber One products like these offer 35% of the recommended daily fiber and are a good source of calcium.

Why Fiber you ask?

Fiber can help you satisfy your appetite and manage your weight. Fiber can also help keep your digestive system on track!

Want to know if you are getting enough fiber? Check out the Fiber-O-Meter at: http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-fiber-meter

FREE COUPON!

Fiber One is now offering a $1.35 off downloadable coupon for one box of Fiber One Chewy Bars available at:
http://bricks.coupons.com/bstart.asp?o=55392&ci=1&c=GM&p=4AbZ6NPX

Now for the GIVEAWAY!

YOU can win one of 3 Spa Break Gift Baskets that include:

• Coupon for Free Box of Fiber One Chocolate Mocha Chewy Bars
• Cozy bath pillow
• Chocolate scented soap, lotion & bath salts
• And coffee scented candle

How to Enter (Ends Friday 3/20 11:59pm EDT)
1. Leave a comment and tell me why you need a Spa Break and which Fiber One product is your favorite

2. Subscribe to Twofer Thumbs Up either in a reader or (new) via email!

3. Blog about this contest and link back to this blog post.

4. Tweet about this contest using: "Win a Chocolate Spa Break gift basket here ---->http://tinyurl.com/bcbnvz"

***NOTE: Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry (so you can enter up to 4 times and leave 4 comments) as I will be using Random.org to choose the three winners! (Fine print: each winner can only win one basket even if multiple entries are drawn.)

Good luck and remember to download the coupon to save $1.35 on your next shopping trip!
Janine

Neosporin + Pain Relief Has Earned a Spot in My Medicine Cabinet!

(This is a cross-post with Twofer the Price of One)


This past weekend we had a taste of Spring. The twins were so happy to toss their heavy winter coats to the side, climb a tree, ride their bikes, and then come running inside because one had scraped her knee and the other had cut her finger.

This time, thanks to Mom Central and Johnson's, I was prepared! I had just received my samples of Neosporin + Pain Relief ointment and cream and was excited to try it out. I grew up with Neosporin so of course it is what I stock in my own house. But this Neosporin + Pain Relief is different because it helped stop the crying while it helped to prevent infection.

TIP: Double-check the tubes of antibiotic cream you have in your cabinet and I bet you'll find a few expired ones...just like I did. And don't forget to pick up the nifty Neo to Go that fits anywhere and sprays on in an instant. This little guy will stay hooked to my key chain this summer!

Janine

Dole Fruit Parfait Proved Perfect for Picnics

We recently had the opportunity to try Dole Fruit Parfaits and the twins gave it a very big, ask-me-every-day-if-they-can-have-more Twofer Thumbs Up!

These come in 4 different varieties including Peaches & Creme, Pineapple & Creme, Apples & Creme, and Mandarins & Creme. L's favorite was the peach parfait and M's fave was the apple. I love the convenience of tossing them in their lunchboxes or the picnic bag for a special treat!

Check out the "DOLE Fruit Parfait Sweet Retreat Contest" and you could win a 3-day, 2 night luxury spa retreat! But hurry - contest ends March 14th!

Here's what you need to do to enter:
Take a picture of your DOLE Parfait Moment at home, at work, at play, with your friends or on-the-go. Upload your photo and caption to www.DoleSweetRetreat.com and have six different ways to win.

The Grand Prize is a three day/ two night luxury Spa Retreat Getaway for two at the 27-acre Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, AZ., set amidst flowering cactus and framed against the majestic McDowell Mountains.

Also included in the prize is a $750 VISA gift card to cover your meals and other hotel amenities you feel like taking advantage of including, championship golf, water playground or tennis.

Five First Prize winners will receive a Homedics Personal Massage Lounger valued at $100 to have a relaxing moment anytime in their home.

Good luck!
Janine

Quick, Efficient and Green Laundry with Laundry Alternatives

This is just about the coolest thing I've seen in terms of laundry since the hand-cranked laundry spinner thing I used during my short stay with a friend and her host family in Costa Rica in 1994. (Not to mention their kitchen disposal...meaning the pig that lived just under the kitchen window and would eat all the scraps you tossed.)

This is the Wonderwash from Laundry Alternatives - the space saving, time saving, energy saving Green Clean solution for your laundry needs! As seen on The Rachael Ray Show, the Wonderwash uses a patented pressure system to thoroughly clean a five pound load in just minutes using less water and detergent than hand washing!

What can you wash with the Wonderwash? How about a week’s worth of dress shirts, 10 t-shirts, 30 pairs of socks, bibs, cloth diapers, burp clothes….the list goes on and on.

How does the Wonderwash work? When you put warm or hot water into the drum, fit the lid in place and seal the machine,the air inside the drum will absorb the heat of the water and expand (i.e., just like a hot air balloon). When the air expands it creates pressure inside the drum. The pressure forces the detergent (which is diluted into the water) into & through the fabric (which is porous) about 100 times faster than you could by hand or machine.

Definitely Twofer Thumbs Up for the Wonder Wash!

**Contest/Giveaway**
YOU can Win a Wonderwash PLUS a Mini Countertop Spin Dryer! This dryer quietly spins the water out of your clothes in just minutes.

To participate follow these easy steps by Friday, 3/13 at 8:00pm!

1. Blog on your site about what YOU would use the Wonderwash and Mini Countertop Spin Dryer to clean.

2. Post a photo or a video of your mess and be sure to link back to Laundry Alternatives at www.laundry-alternative.com.

3. Fill out this secure participation form to be entered to win!

4. Then join us on Twitter Friday, March 13th from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. (EST) to tweet with Green Cleaning experts and find out who won the grand prize!

Five attendees will also win The TrueGreen Laundry Washing Ball, which cleans your clothes without bleach or detergents in cold water. It does not contain harmful synthetic detergents, perfumes, dyes, or oils!

RSVP here: http://resourcefulmommy.blogspot.com/2009/03/show-me-your-mess-and-win.html

Contest is open to all U.S. residents and runs from Friday, March 6th to Friday, March 13th at 8:00p.m. EST. All winners will be contacted within one week of closing to verify participation and obtain shipping information.

Janine

Twofer Thumbs Up for a new home!

When I first started blogging I did what I usually do...jump in without reading the directions. I never read directions. I skim at best. But usually I like to just play with it until I figure it out, or break it.

I started Twofer the Price of One as a twin blog and then started I'm a Little Green as a place to catalog all the cool green products that I was reading about. I sill am a little green, but I have decided to rename this blog Twofer Thumbs Up which is the term I use when I find something I like or have reviewed at Twofer the Price of One.

So welcome to the first installment of Twofer Thumbs Up and right now I'd like to pass along THIS blog as something I like and you should too :).

Janine