Put On Your Crown Book Review

I have always loved Queen Latifah. I think she is an honest, funny woman who is comfortable with who she is and is not afraid to admit it. So when I saw she had a new book out, I was so excited to read it. This book, "Put on Your Crown - Life Changing Moments on the Path to Queendom" is modeled after Maria Shriver's Just Who Will You Be and the goal of the book is to help young women build a strong sense of self-esteem.

This book was divided into seven chapters of attributes and life changing moments such as success, beauty, money, love, fear, loss, strength, and joy. Then each chapter goes into depth about how to deal with each one and how to achieve those things.

My Opinion

This book was very well written and I really liked reading about Queen Latifah's life and how she became who she is today. She also gives great advice in each chapter of her book about how to be a strong person and stand up for who you are and what you believe in.

I think this book would be great for young teenagers trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do with their life, but also for any lost adults too!

Pros: Easy to read, broken up nicely by chapters and headings within the chapters, great advice, interesting lessons and stories from her life

Cons: None that I would say: I found it to be interesting and easy to read. May be better suited for a younger audience, but I am young at heart!

*Thank you to Hachette Book Group for giving me this book for review!  Disclosure - This book was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

The Mommy Files Book Review

I graciously received the book The Mommy Files: Secrets Every New Mom Should Know (that no one else will tell you!) by Jen Klein from FSB Media. I was excited to read this book because I am a new mother myself and I wanted to know all the secrets!

This book reveals secrets the author, Jen Klein, learned along the way about mastering the art of motherhood, from how to handle strangers who ask how much weight you've gained to getting your little ones on the big yellow bus - on time and in clean underwear! The book takes a new mother through all the steps she will make as she becomes a new mother.

My Opinion

As a new mother who is already six months into mommyhood, I found this book nailed a lot of truths and secrets to motherhood right on the head - lessons I had to learn the hard way! I wish I would have had this book to read before I gave birth so I could have been warned and let in on the mommy secrets ahead of time! I like the mix of comedy and seriousness the author uses to explain a lot of what all mothers experience no matter how many babies you have had! It made reading the book fun and I kept wondering what lesson I would learn next. It is nice to hear her words of encouragement on certain serious issues that hit home such as what to do when you are unable to breastfeed, what to say to those nosy people who are always in your business, tips for parenting, and how to start feeding solids!

This book would make a great baby shower gift because it is not only entertaining, but very practical!

Pros: easy to read, great advice and lessons, book helps you not feel like you are the only one going through certain issues, great resources included for extra advice and information, small and concise enough that it isn't overwhelming

Cons: none from my opinion - it was a great book

More Info: Check it out here from FSB Media

* Thank you to FSB Media for giving the book for review!

Disclosure - This book was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Friday Funny

 Laughing helps get through this long day called FRIDAY and by the time you know it, it is the weekend!

Here is my funny for the day...so many of these are soooooo true....

Tell me which ones are especially true for you!

Axioms (Truths) of Life

Even when opportunity knocks, you still have to get off your butt and open the door.

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent an A-hole from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

31. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Friday Follow

 

Welcome To The Review Stew on this Beautiful Friday!

Take a look around, enter my great Make Your Own Candy Kits Giveaway , check out my recent posts, and come follow along as I share great companies for children, mommies, and the family that are safe, healthy, and fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Koala Kuddles Swaddle Blankets Review

I graciously received two Koala Kuddles swaddle blankets from Koala Kuddles. These blankets are authentic Australian swaddle wraps and are extra large (39" x 39") to create so many ways to use it! You can swaddle your newborn for sound sleeping, shield yourself while nursing, create shade for your little one while going for a stroller ride, or use it as a security blanket for your baby! So many uses for one blanket! Plus, they are so cute! All the blankets feature iconic Australian animals such as kookaburra, platypus, turtle, crocodile, and kangaroo. They get softer with each wash and are piling resistant so it stays soft to the touch no matter how many times it is washed.

My Opinion

My first thought when seeing these blankets was how cute they were! I loved the cute little Australian animals on them! My second thought was how big they were! One of my biggest problems with most of the baby blankets I either bought when I was expecting a baby or received as baby shower gifts was my little boy outgrew them after about the first three months. This blanket will fit him still at 6+ months! I wish I would have had this blanket while I was breastfeeding because it would be perfect to cover everything I want covered - I could never find one big enough before! Plus, it is lightweight and will be perfect for covering him up during the summer.

One of my favorite parts, however, was the fact that they gave swaddling instructions on the box! I could never remember how to do it - I always just used a swaddling sleeper instead of an actual blanket because I never had one big enough. This will work better, I think, though because it is bigger and can wrap them in tightly and all snug so they feel secure. Plus, it breathes better than regular, denser cotton blankets!

These blankets would make a great baby shower gift because they can be used for any baby for a long time!

Pros: Big enough to be used much longer than regular blankets, breathes better than most blankets so baby doesn't overheat, cute designs for any gender, only gets softer with every wash, can be used for so many things

Cons: none from my opinion - it is a great blanket!

Buy It: You can buy the Koala Kuddles blankets for $32.95 for a 3 pack here

* Thank you to Koala Kuddles for their generous samples for review!
Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Clean, Green & Lean Book Review

I recently received the book Clean, Green, & Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat from FSB Media for review. I was very excited to read this book because as you can probably tell from my other reviews and posts I am very passionate about using and eating non toxic, safe, and organic products. I love to share with all my readers great companies and books that have made this their goal too.

Clean, Green, and Lean does just that! The author Dr. Walter Crinnion is one of America's foremost authorities on environmental medicine and is a naturopathic physician. For more information about him you can go to http://www.crinnionmedical.com/ to learn more about this great and knowledgeable author.

As for the book, there are three great sections to it - Part One:  Understanding and Overcoming Toxins, Part Two: The Clean, Green Solution, and Part Three: Living Clean, Green, and Lean. The chapters were easy to read, very informative, and there are even some great healthy recipes to follow if you want to change your life! I loved all the information and it gave me a lot to think about and change in my life. But it not only tells you to change your life, it tells you why and most importantly how! I definitely recommend this book to everyone because everyone needs help with their diets and lifestyle! Toxins are surrounding us everyday and you can only become more educated about them from this book!

Here is a sneak peak into the book:

An Apple a Day Won't Keep the Doctor Away -- Unless It's Organic

By Dr. Walter Crinnion,
Author of Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat

The EWG recently studied extensive USDA and FDA testing that measured pesticide residues in produce and then ranked the most commonly eaten fruits and vegetables in this country on a scale from most toxic to most consistently clean. I strongly encourage you to take the list of the "dirty dozen" to the grocery store with you. If your produce manager isn't stocking organic versions of all of the following, you may want to enlighten him or her.


The Dirty Dozen (highest in pesticides)
Apples
Bell peppers
Carrots
Celery
Cherries
Grapes (imported)
Kale
Lettuce
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Strawberries


What a conundrum. We know we're supposed to eat our fruit and vegetables because they have crucial nutrients that other foods don't, but here on the dirty dozen list, some of our favorites are covered with the most toxic agricultural chemicals out there. So do yourself and your family a favor and buy these twelve only if they're organically grown. And eat a good variety, because they all contain different antioxidants.
If you can't find organic and you're determined to eat the forbidden fruit (or vegetable), the nonorganic varieties can sometimes be made less toxic by peeling them (great for apples and potatoes, not so great for lettuce and strawberries). Their toxic content can be further reduced by soaking and scrubbing them in a tub of 10 percent vinegar (also not so great for lettuce and strawberries). And regardless of whether it's organic or nonorganic, wash it. Whatever it is that's keeping the bugs at bay at the supermarket is also surely settling on the surface of the produce.


Avoiding the nonorganic versions altogether is the best strategy, though. A study in Seattle showed that when the most toxic fruits and vegetables were removed from preschoolers' diets (along with almonds) and replaced with organic varieties, the kids' pesticide levels went way down. Their levels of key pesticides dropped to essentially zero and stayed undetectable until they started eating conventional foods again.
So now that you know what not to eat, what should you eat? You can start with the flip side of the dirty dozen: the clean dozen. Not all nonorganic versions of fruits and vegetables pack a toxic punch, and these twelve have virtually no pesticide levels. These are the nonorganic varieties you can buy without lying awake at night regretting that you've made your toxic burden worse.


The Clean Dozen (lowest in pesticides)
Asparagus
Avocados
Cabbage
Eggplant
Kiwis
Mangoes
Onions
Papayas
Pineapples
Sweet corn
Sweet peas
Watermelon


While it would obviously be best to buy organic varieties of all of our foods, when it comes to these twelve fruits and vegetables, you can feel safe buying the commercial varieties. So unless you have a big grocery budget that allows you to buy nothing but organic foods, use your organic allowance to buy organic apples instead of organic broccoli or bananas.

Detoxing Nonorganic Produce

If you can't find organic varieties, use these methods to reduce your toxic exposure:

- Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from commercial varieties of apples, pears, nectarines, and potatoes. You'll probably need a paring knife to peel peaches.
- For bell peppers, apples, and celery, use an acid wash:

1. Fill a large bowl or a plastic food storage container with water.
2. Add a cup of distilled vinegar.
3. Let the produce rest in the tub for ten to twenty-five minutes, and then use a vegetable scrub brush to scrub each piece for about sixty seconds.
4. For grapes and cherries, just let them soak for about sixty minutes

The above is an excerpt from the book Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion.

Reprinted by permission of the publisher, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., from Clean, Green & Lean, by Walter Crinnion. Copyright © 2010 by Walter Crinnion.


So as you can see, this book is so informative and helpful and I bet you just learned a ton from just that little excerpt! I know I did!

If you want more information, go check out the book here.

Wordless Wednesday

Since I did Wordful Wednesday over at the Hardest Job on Earth, I figured I would do Wordless Wednesday here!

Enjoy and Have a Great Wednesday!

 

Glee Gum Review and Giveaway

This Giveaway Is CLOSED

I am a big sugar eater! I love sweets off all kinds! But I am also very passionate about natural ingredients and foods without all the garbage (preservatives and artficial flavors, colors, and sweeters) that is found in so many products today.

So when I saw that Glee Gum has created gum and and make your own kits without all the bad stuff and all the good stuff, I was so excited to try it!

Glee Gum has done something no one else has - created the gum the old fashioned way - with chicle. Using chicle helps conserve the rainforest! In addition, Glee Gum is made in the USA, it is dairy, gluten, soy, and nut free and it is made with all natural ingredients. That is a great combination!

For parents who love to make things with their children, they also have Make Your Own Kits - Chewing Gum, Gummies, or Chocolate. I got the Make Your Own Gummies Kit and it was so fun to make! This kit makes gummy candy using the natural gelling ingredients found within seaweed and the story of how you grow and process seaweed is included in the kit. The kits include everything you need! Plus, it tasted great - which topped it all off for me!

Pros: It has all natural ingredients, no artificial ingredients, fun to make, good bonding with children, gluten, dairy, soy, and nut free for those who need that, helps conserve rainforest, and tastes great!

Cons: chewing gum flavor didn't last very long and gummy kit only makes about 15 gummies

Overall, I think the Pros overrule the Cons and this product is definitely worth trying! Many gums lose flavor quickly, but at least this one is all natural! It is a lot of fun to make the kits and I feel good eating them too!

Try this all natural gum or make your own kits today! It will be something fun to do with the kids on a rainy day plus you get a great treat that you can feel good about giving to your kids! Go to the Glee Gum Website today to check out all the flavors of gum and all the Make Your Own Kits. Also, become a friend of the Glee Guy on Facebook or follow them on their Twitter page

Do you want to make one of the Make Your Own Kits with your child(ren) for free? Well, Glee Gum is graciously offering one of my readers (1) Make Your Own Kit of your choice (Chocolate, Gummies, or Gum)! Enter this great giveaway today!

Enter here to get a chance to win:  

(1) Make Your Own Kit of your choice

Ok, here are the rules:

1) This giveaway will end May 5, 2010 at 12:00 P.M. (noon) central time.

2) Limited to US Residents only

3) Must include email address in comment/entry to qualify to win (so I can let you know you won)

How to Enter:

***Mandatory Entry (must do this one to qualify and before all others!)***

- Be a follower of The Review Stew on Google Friend Connect and tell me you are currently one or became one in a comment below

Extra Entries:

1) Subscribe to my feed by clicking on book on left hand side of blog - let me know you did in a comment

2) Go to Glee Gum's website and tell me one product you would like from there or which Make Your Own kit you will choose if you win

3) Become a friend of the Glee Guy on Facebook or follow them on Twitter and let me know in a comment.

4) Write about this giveaway in your blog with a link to this site/giveaway. Let me know you did this in a comment.

Winners will be chosen randomly by Random.org, contacted by email and Glee Gum will send your prize by mail.

* Thank you to Glee Gum for their generous samples for review and giveaway!
Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

YoYo Lip Gloss Review

I graciously received a sample of YOYO lipgloss minis from YOYO Lipgloss. I was interested in sharing this company with you for a couple of reasons 1) They are lip glosses that can't get lost! It is a retractable gloss that can clip on to anything and everything! 2) The lip gloss formula is non-sticky and paraben free and that is very important to me!

If you know me, you know I am basically addicted to chapstick and lip gloss. And you should know that I basically always lose them! It drives my husband absolutely crazy. I am always buying new ones to replace the lost ones. So when he saw I was getting these and that they clipped on, let's just say, he was VERY excited!

So the clip attracted me to YOYO lipglosses, but the smell and the actual lip gloss will keep me using it. When I put it on, the wonderful flavors of Kissable Kiwi, Big Bounce Bubblegum, Girly Green Apple, and Cha-Cha Chocolate smelled so good I almost just wanted to keep licking my lips, except for the fact that the lip gloss looked fabulous and was not sticky or runny. It just glided on and stayed on with a bright beautiful gloss! I am in lip gloss heaven!

So if you have trouble losing those precious lip products or you love that gorgeous shine that gloss gives, check out YOYO lipgloss! You will love them!

Post It Note Tuesday

Check out the Ebeanstalk website

Today I wanted to share a great site with you!

Ebeanstalk is a toy website dedicated to selecting the best toys by age. Have you ever felt like there are a million toys out there and wonder which ones is the right one for your child or for a gift? Well, Ebeanstalk will help organize them to make picking one easier.

Their site is really helpful if you are looking for kids toys for a specific age group. They break it up into boys and girls toys of each age group starting at 1 years and going all the way up to 12+ years. It also helps parents by showing which toys are relevant for a certain age group so you don't give your child a toy that is too old for them or too young! The best part I think of the site is that they have a Grow and Learn section that specifically has developmental and educational toys also broken down by age groups, starting with newborns!

So if you need help picking a toy for that special child, go check out Ebeanstalk's site today and find many toys by age group. It takes the chore out of buying toys for your children!

And the Winner is....

And the Winner of the Custom Greeting Cards Giveaway is.....

Jennifer Bryan!

Sixteen Cities Album Review

I have recently received this great new CD from Centricity Music called Sixteen Cities. It is a brand new album just debuting a couple weeks ago and it is also the group's debut album. It is a group made of young guys who's goal is to minister to people through their music. They started out singing in high school to classmates in their public school and now are quickly rising to greater things through this debut album!

They have been compared to great groups such as The Fray, Jars of Clay, The Afters and Death Cab for Cutie.You can check out their website here. 

I was very excited to receive this CD and even more after listening to it. I love to find great, new groups and songs to listen to and this album is one of the best I have heard in a long time! The songs all have a great message and are very uplifting no matter what mood I am in. The talent of these young guys is amazing and I hope and pray they will be able to continue to spread their message all over the world.

I highly recommend this group and album to all people of all ages. I can't stop listening to it and I think I have almost all the songs memorized already - and most importantly the words too - because they are very encouraging and remind me that God is always here for me!

Go check out Sixteen Cities' website, check out other Centricity music, or buy the album today! You won't regret it!

Eat & Beat Diabetes with Picture Perfect Weight Loss Book Review

I recently received the book Eat & Beat Diabetes with Picture Perfect Weight Loss by Dr. Howard M. Shapiro and Chef Franklin Becker to read and review. I was very interested in this book, because as health professional, I know that obesity is a huge and serious epidemic in our country today and how it is affecting younger and younger ages very quickly. This is also leading to higher cases of diabetes across the country. I knew this book would be a huge help to me and others on how to learn to beat diabetes by changing our eating habits.

What is it about?

Eat & Beat Diabetes with Picture Perfect Weight Loss creates a visual program to prevent and control diabetes. I think the biggest and best thing it does is it gives tips and healthy meals for kids at risk. It is a call to action for us parents because this is the first generation to have a shorter life span that the previous one! Scary, huh? It also has Dr. Shapiro's Beat Diabetes Pyramid in which he simplifies the food groups to fight diabetes and help you lose weight. Plus, get 50 recipes from the nation's premier chefs and a 7-day sample meal plan.

My Opinion

I think this book was very easy to read and very helpful on what foods to avoid, what is in foods, what is causing obesity and diabetes, and how to help. The pictures were very helpful, especially for a visual learner like myself. The recipes looked great and it made me so hungry just looking at them. Plus, even a bad cook like me could make most of the recipes they give you.

It was very easy to understand and I think even children who look at this book can learn what foods to avoid and what to replace them with. If you are fighting diabetes, just feel you are at risk or are wanting to help your child fight obesity, get this book today, read it, and follow through with what it says! It can help save your life or someone you love!

Go to FSB Media's website to find this book and many other great ones!

The Scandle Body Massage Candle Review

There is nothing more relaxing to me than a room with aromatherapy candles lit while I get a massage. As a busy mother, it definitely slows down my day and relieves all the stress in my muscles. So when I saw that these two things are being combined by the Scandle Candly company, I knew I wanted to try it!


I was so excited when they sent me the Scandle Essentials Travel Candle to try out. This candle helps you experience the ultimate spa massage with the aromatherapy effects of their Scandle Essentials with pure essential oils. The burn time of this little, easy to travel with, easy to use container is 15-30 hours! That is a lot of massage time for me - YEAH!


So how does it work, I bet you want to know?! Well, it doesn't burn you when put on your skin because it is specially formulated to burn at 2 degrees above body temperature to produce a soothing and healthy body oil. It is perfect for massages, cuticle treatment, pedicures/manicures, and as an everyday moisturizer.

So how did it work when actually used? I was a little nervous, I'll admit because I have had my fair share of candle burns. But when my husband poured it on me after blowing the candle out, it was just a warm oil and it felt so good. The aroma was amazing and relaxing too! It was an amazing experience - all from one candle!


I love to "kill two birds with one stone" so I love the fact that when you want to go out and have a romantic evening with your spouse, you don't have to bring a bunch of stuff with - massage oil, candles, essential oils, etc.. All you need is this Scandle! It is compact, lightweight, and works great! I love it and I can't wait to use it again!


Plus, they also included for me their Dead Sea Salt Soak and Scrub. You can use it with or without the Scandle or as a therapeutic bath/foot soak. It smelled so good and created quite a relaxing bath!

 I highly recommend the Scandle Candle! It was so fun to try and so relaxing! They are definitely right when they say, "A Candle Never Felt So Good!"


If you would love to try this for yourself (I don't know who wouldn't) check out their website to get your own Scandle Candles

Monday Madness

Welcome to Monday Madness at The Review Stew!

You are in just in time to check out my last day of the Custom Cards Giveaway, see my review on Cowgirl Chocolates - they were amazing!, or just tell me how you like My Stew!

Happy Monday!

Cowgirl Chocolates Review

Mmmm...me and chocolate are best friends! That is why I was so excited when Cowgirl Chocolates sent me some great chocolates to taste! I was in heaven! Plus, these aren't your everyday, ordinary chocolates and I am always up for trying new things!

So what is the difference with these chocolates? Well, Cowgirl Chocolates combine fine European chocolate with spice to create what they call the "Cowboy Kick". And oh did they have a kick! At first the you taste a creamy delicious chocolate truffle with a melt in your mouth middle and hard outside. Then as you start to swallow it, you start to feel a little spice go down your throat! That is the cayenne pepper starting to KICK in! It wasn't too strong that it ruins the chocolate flavor, but my husband's eyes did start to water a little bit :) However, it didn't slow him down from eating another one! :)

I personally liked it! I liked that they were different and they give a little different experience to eating chocolate! It may even make me think twice about shoveling chocolate (especially theirs) in your mouth piece after piece! You definitely have to slow down and savor the flavor!

If you are not a spice kind of gal (or guy) then Cowgirl Chocolates also makes great truffles for you too! They have what they call Mild Truffles without the cayenne pepper...and without the slight burn as it goes down! I loved the Double Dark Chocolate ones! That's the other great feature about Cowgirl Chocolates- the different flavors to choose from were all amazing! They have flavors such as rasberry dark chocolate, double dark chocolate, hazelnut milk, cappucino, raspberry dark, ivory orange, and even smooth, chewy caramels! The flavors were to die for!

If you would like to have a new experience eating chocolate or like a "little kick" in your food, then check out the Cowgirl Chocolates website and try it for yourself - you won't be disappointed! They even have some organic and all natural chocolate daisies for organic lovers! You will definitely find a piece that you will love from their collection because there is something for every chocolate lover and every type of taste bud. Come try a new adventure in chocolate tasting today!