Busy Mom Reviews

We are famous late adopters of a lot things, after all, if what you have works, then why do you need a new one?

Slowly, over the years, I've learned that there can be improvement even in everyday items you may take for granted such as pillows. Growing up, I used the same feather pillows for years, it's just what you did, and I'm not even sure I would have recognized a worn out pillow.

As I got older, allergies dictated a pillow switch and I have to say I've bought mostly cheap cotton/polyester models. I'm a side sleeper, so if they didn't provide enough support, I'd just fold them and flip them until I got comfortable and eventually fall asleep. Why spend all that money when a cheap one works just as well?

A few back problems and a good bit of insomnia later, I started to wonder if maybe a quality pillow might be a good idea after all. I looked around, but never really did anything about it because I couldn't figure out the right one to get.

So, when the good folks at Ashley Sleep offered me a dual sided memory foam pillow, I jumped at the chance to try it out.

I don't know if the picture does it justice or not, but the first thing I noticed was how pretty the pillow is. I love the gray trim, and the covering is so soft I almost hated to cover it with a pillow case!

It is indeed 2 sided, and it's a great thickness (6"), not to thin or too deep for me. One side is firm, supportive memory foam (for side sleepers) and the other side is more cushioned and "squishy". I love it, but it took a little getting used to the first couple of nights when I'd flip it in the night and lie back down with an entirely different effect!

Now, I've discovered that a quality pillow really does makes a difference in how I sleep! Neck and back alignment is a big deal, so it turns out. I never realized quite how ratty my pillow had become until I saw that this one is firm enough to quickly spring back to it's original shape.

I've also noticed that I no longer have to rest my head on my arm (and wake up with a numb arm) to get support because the pillow is enough.

I am really glad to have this pillow and have noticed a difference in the quality of my sleep, I should have done something about this a long time ago!

Ashley Sleep prides themselves on making environmentally responsible, state-of-the-art, affordable products. Here's some more information about the Ashley Sleep Advantage:

Disclosure: Ashley Sleep gave me the pillow to check out. No additional payment or compensation was received. I liked the pillow and I thought you might, too.

School funding/tution/whatever doesn't begin to cover everything schools need, much less the things that would enrich kids' experiences there. Things that are viewed as "extras" are often cut or ignored.

Unfortunately, that often includes physical education.

Sports and activities have always been a big part of our lives. We've been fortunate that our kids have been able to play soccer, basketball, volleyball, rugby, bowling, baseball, track and more with great instruction and proper facilities. But, not all kids have that and they depend on hard work and the kindness of others to get the physical education equipment and facilities they need.

That's why I’m working with Clorox’s Power A Bright Future K-12 school grant program to get parents and their teens (13 and older) to vote and help schools win grants of up to $50,000 to help fund new or ongoing initiatives that provide kids with the opportunity to learn and grow.

Nominations are in and this year Clorox will award seven grants totaling $200,000 including:

• One Grand-prize $50,000 grant
• Three $25,000 Category winner grants (One winner will be selected by popular vote in each
category; Play, Create and Explore)
• Three $25,000 Judge’s pick grants (A panel of Clorox judges will select one winner based on
merit in each category)

Get out there and vote!

One of the great things about this program is that teenagers can vote, too! What a great way for your older kids to help their peers!

From November 12-December 19, 2012, anyone 13 and older can vote online and via text:

• Visit www.powerabrightfuture.com from a computer or mobile phone to do it, or visit the site to find your favorite school’s text to vote code. You can vote once online and once by text every day.

• Voting ends on December 19, 2012 and the winners will be announced later this year.

Y.O.L.O. You Only Learn Once!

To encourage teens to vote, Disney's Bella Thorne of "Shake it Up" is sharing her photos on Instagram (@bellathornelovesyou), and kids 13 can share photos showing how a grant would make a difference for their school and community at a special Power A Bright Future! Instagram Contest (Photos must be tagged #yolopabf to be eligible for consideration).

Be sure to check out Clorox on Facebook and Clorox on Twitter!

Disclosure: I am being compensated by The Clorox Company to talk about the Power A Bright Future school grant program.. All opinions are mine, and I am happy to be a part of something to help schools.

Imma give you $25:

Check it out!

Givit is a video and editing app. Rather than sharing an entire video, Givit lets users easily edit their videos down to "highlights" of the footage by simply tapping the screen. After you choose the frames to feature, you can choose from a variety of effects. You can even put your own music to it, or choose from the themed music right in the app.

Be sure to check out Givit on Tumblr, Givit on Twitter, and Givit on Facebook. Don't forget to Download Givit from iTunes, it's free!

I've played around with it, and it's quick and easy to use. You can create a highlight video of the video on your phone, or you can shoot a new one.

Givit is also hosting a Thanks Givit Contest in honor of the holidays for a chance to win an iPad mini. It runs from November 12 to December 7, 2012 All you have to do is submit videos that show off what you’re most thankful for. Official rules here.

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The Giveaway

Prize: One (1) winner will receive One (1) $50 Visa gift card

1. (Required): Visit Givit, come back and tell us (leave a comment below) your favorite feature of the app.

2. For an extra entry: Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter (I'm @busymom).

Be sure to leave a separate comment telling me you've done so.

3. One (1) winner will be picked randomly via Random.org from the comments.

4. Contest is open to all U.S. and Canada residents 18 years or older

5. Winner has 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise another winner will be drawn.

6. Hurry! Ends December 3, 2012 at 10 pm CST.

Disclosure: I received a $50 Visa gift card as well.

Even though the holidays are upon us, it's still important to maintain the school-year routine. In fact, it may even be harder now than it was at the beginning of the school year. People are tired, school isn't new anymore, and exams are coming up.

A few weeks ago, I wrote some school year survival tips that are important to us because we have 3 kids in different stages, and we're on the go a lot.

I really do believe in each of these, and I find that I struggle the most with keeping up with the laundry and dishes. It's tough, but these are really essential for us to keep the week running smoothly, and to keep us from getting overwhelmed with chores on the weekend.

Since I work out of the house full-time, sometimes the only time I have to do laundry and dishes is right when I get home. However, that's also dinner time.

It's nice to have discovered Tyson Any'tizers because a hearty snack for the kids can buy me a little time to get the house organized in the evenings before dinner.

With lots of varieties to choose from, Tyson Any'tizers help your school kids get a good, fulfilling snack even with exams coming up and the busy-ness of the holidays (hint: keep some around for unexpected visitors and study partners, they're quick to prepare).

Tyson has created the Tyson Any'tizers Snacks School Year Survival Guide where you can find all kinds of helpful hints from things such as managing time and developing good study habits to community fundraising efforts and ideas for snacks for the whole family.

What is the most important chore or task you have to do to keep the school week running smoothly? Share in the comments below!

Disclosure: This post is part of a compensated campaign with Tyson® Any’tizers® Snacks, but we really do enjoy snacks and my thoughts are my own.

If you've been around here before, it's pretty well established that we drink a lot of orange juice in our house. In fact, my youngest child is probably a significant percentage of orange juice.

With the holidays upon us, we enjoy orange juice for many things. It's always a part of our holiday breakfasts, and you can even find it in a recipe or two.

My daughter is home from college, and has really enjoyed baking since she was very young and took a cooking class. In that class, they learned to make pound cake with an orange glaze, and she still makes it for holidays.

While I make my pound cake from the grocery, either way, it's made more awesome with orange juice:

Orange Glaze

1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
1-2 tbsp. orange juice
(You can add some grated orange peel if you want to be fancy)

Mix until smooth and heat and drizzle over warm pound cake

Using really good orange juice makes a big difference in recipes and especially for drinking. That's why we enjoy Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice, it's worth it. One taste, and there's no doubt that it's made from fresh oranges.

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Did you know that Tropicana Pure Premium is 100% pure and natural orange juice made from fresh Florida oranges? Yep, it comes from oranges from hard working growers in Florida.

In fact, Tropicana is the single largest buyer of Florida fruit, purchasing approximately 11.6 billion oranges from Florida each year.

Other facts about Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice:

At about 50 cents per 8-ounce glass, Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice has no added sugar and provides:

- Two fruit servings*

- A day’s supply of vitamin C to help support a healthy immune system

- As much potassium as a medium banana, which plays an important role in heart health

- A natural source of the B-vitamin folate, which helps with cell development (especially important for pregnant women).

- A good source of thiamin, which is essential in energy metabolism, and plays an important role in nerve and muscle function

*USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend a majority of your fruit servings come from whole fruit.

Be sure to check out Tropicana on Facebook!

Disclosure: I am a Tropicana Pure Premium as a “TropiMomma” blogger. I was compensated for this post. All opinions remain 100% my own. And? We really like orange juice around here.

Need a Christmas gift idea for the young athlete in your life? Around here, Busy D. can't get enough of reading about sports, so this will make a great gift.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Kids is THE magazine for boys and girls who love sports. It presents sports the way kids want to read about them: with great action photos, easy-to-read stories about star athletes, helpful instructional tips from the pros, and humor, comics, and activities.

SI Kids is a great way to encourage kids to read, and it has won highest honors from the Association of Educational Publishers and the Parents' Choice Award.

Right now, there's even a special offer: Receive an entire year of SI Kids in print and on tablet for only $19.95!

Need more reasons to give the gift of SI Kids this season?

Reason #1: It’s the perfect stocking stuffer.

Reason #2: It promotes reading for children who are reluctant readers.

Reason #3: Each issue is full of exciting stories, photos and games that are a perfect distraction while traveling.

Reason #4: No gift wrapping – it’s delivered straight to your door.

Reason #5: It’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year through.

Don't forget to like SI Kids on Facebook!

Disclosure: I will receive a subscription to Si Kids and some promotional items.All the opinions are mine, and I think the subscription is a great gift idea.

As the wife of a teacher, I know how hard teachers and schools work to make the school environment safe, stimulating and up-to-date for our children. However, the needs nearly always exceed the funds available.

From books, art supplies and musical instruments to athletic equipments and playgrounds, things that used to be considered fundamental to school, are now often "extras" that teachers even pay for out of their own pockets. School communities raise funds and seek grants to give their kids the best and they come together to do it any way they can.

Through the generosity of grants, my kids' schools have been able to become a Weather Bug site to study the climate and they've even been able to work with scientists in the Arctic via the Internet.

As a mother of 2 teens (and a teen-to-be), I know how important school programs are to child’s experience. That’s why I’m working with Clorox’s Power A Bright Future K-12 school grant program to get parents and their teens (13 and older) to vote and help schools win grants of up to $50,000 to help fund new or ongoing initiatives that provide kids with the opportunity to learn and grow.

Nominations are in and this year Clorox will award seven grants totaling $200,000 including:

• One Grand-prize $50,000 grant
• Three $25,000 Category winner grants (One winner will be selected by popular vote in each
category; Play, Create and Explore)
• Three $25,000 Judge’s pick grants (A panel of Clorox judges will select one winner based on
merit in each category)

Get out there and vote!

One of the great things about this program is that teenagers can vote, too! What a great way for your older kids to help their peers!

From November 12-December 19, 2012, anyone 13 and older can vote online and via text:

• Visit www.powerabrightfuture.com from a computer or mobile phone to do it, or visit the site to find your favorite school’s text to vote code. You can vote once online and once by text every day.

• Voting ends on December 19, 2012 and the winners will be announced later this year.

Y.O.L.O. You Only Learn Once!

To encourage teens to vote, Disney's Bella Thorne of "Shake it Up" is sharing her photos on Instagram (@bellathornelovesyou), and kids 13 can share photos showing how a grant would make a difference for their school and community at a special Power A Bright Future! Instagram Contest (Photos must be tagged #yolopabf to be eligible for consideration).

Be sure to check out Clorox on Facebook and Clorox on Twitter!

Disclosure: I am being compensated by The Clorox Company to talk about the Power A Bright Future school grant program.. All opinions are mine, and I am happy to be a part of something to help schools.

Obviously, the school year is well underway, but it's this time of year that we have to make a real effort to maintain our routines and keep up the organizational momentum lie we had when the school year began.

These are some of our school year tips:

1. Commit to keeping the family calendar updated - We write things on a monthly calendar as they come up, and each Sunday I transcribe the upcoming week to a larger M-F format and the whole family meets briefly about it for any updates. I’ve also started maintaining it online so we can have it on our phones as well.

2. Keep up with the laundry and the dishes each night - After a long day at work, I can easily talk myself into dealing with those “tomorrow”, and then they somehow reach critical mass. I may not do laundry each night, but I try to gather dirty clothes each night and sort them to make sure there’s nothing we need to clean for the next day.

3. Have kids do homework in the same place at the same time when possible - Our evening routine gets in trouble when we change up the homework routine. Even if it’s a late night with sports practices, things always go better when we do things in the same order.

4. Prepare books, lunches and clothes the night before -It's tough, but no matter how late it is, I try very hard to make myself prepare lunches, get out clothes and supervise the kids packing backpacks before bed. It makes a big difference when it’s time to get out the door in the mornings.

5. Deal with clutter spots each day - Our kitchen counter is a clutter magnet, and I find I'm less stressed if I keep it weeded out and we can find what we need.

With a teen and a tween in the house and another off at college, we are pulled in lots of directions. As they get older, there are more activities to juggle along with school work and they can often make for later-than-I'd-like nights. So, after school snacks can be really important because it may be a while until dinner.

We've tried out some Tyson Any’tizers Snacks for a substantial snack before sports practices, and they've been a hit. They're quick to make and serve and they've tided the boys over until dinner. Popcorn Chicken is always a hit and we've recently tried Chicken Cordon Bleu mins:

To help out busy families like ours, Tyson has created the Tyson Any'tizers Snacks School Year Survival Guide where you can find all kinds of helpful hints from things such as managing time and developing good study habits to community fundraising efforts and ideas for snacks for the whole family.

Do you have any school-year tips that help keep your family going? Share in the comments below!

Disclosure: This post is part of a compensated campaign with Tyson® Any’tizers® Snacks, but we really do enjoy snacks and my thoughts are my own.

With November just around the corner, it's time to think about getting the holiday decorations out.

We used to have a TON of Christmas decorations around here because we did a tour of homes 17 years ago and the house had to be decorated to within an inch of it's life. Seriously, we started decorating in October.

After that, it was tough to get motivated to decorate for a a couple of years. We eventually recovered and naively resumed decorating, confident in the notion we had so much stuff, we'd never have to buy decorations again.

However, as you might have guessed, time marched on and they all wore out, and we're down to pretty much nothing usable. Each year, I think I should hit the after-Christmas sales and get new stuff, but I keep packing up the old stuff, telling myself I'll worry about it "next year".

So, it seems that "next year" is here, and we really need to get some new Christmas tree decorations. While, we do have some ornaments that have been in the family for years, others are simply worn out, and truth be told, I'm bored with a lot of it, so this year would be a good time to freshen up the collection a little bit.

That might be a nice surprise for my daughter who's away at her first year of college. She's usually the main Christmas decorator, since, if left to my own devices, I won't get anything up until a few days before Christmas. Maybe since it's time to get new decorations that will motivate me to get it done before she gets home?

We'll see!

Disclosure: This post was written on behalf of Tesco. The wallowing about needing new Christmas decorations is all mine.

Have you checked out AARP lately?

As a non-profit organization with more than 37 million members, AARP advocates a healthy lifestyle as part of its overall mission to support independence, choice and control in the lives of Americans 50 years old and older.

AARP is hosting the Healthy Living Sweepstakes to celebrate and promote healthy living.

Grand Prize: a trip for two to the Red Mountain Resort, a wellness retreat and spa in Utah.

The Grand Prize includes 3 nights' accommodations, air and ground transportation to and from, plus daily guided hikes, fitness and healthy life classes, cooking demos, wellness center events and spa treatments.

Daily Instant Win prizes: Your choice of either a $20 Visa gift card or a radio/pedometer in one.

How to enter: Simply visit the Healthy Living Sweepstakes page. You get an entry just for signing up, and then there's lots of chances for more entries by learning and answering some healthy living trivia questions.

The Healthy Living Sweepstakes is open to registrants in the U.S. who are 45 and older through Tuesday, September 25, 2012 All registrants are entered to win the grand prize and daily instant win prizes, and extra entries can be earned by answering Healthy Living Trivia questions.

There is no purchase necessary. Be sure to check out the official rules for details.

This is a sponsored post, I have been compensated for sharing this information. But, what are you waiting for? Go enter, there are some great prizes!