As I write this post the upper half of my body is bobbing along to “Going to the Moon,” ditty number eight on Rise and Shine by Key Wilde and Mr Clarke. I kid you not, I’m rockin’ and rollin’ in my office chair. Good thing it has armrests to keep me somewhat contained, because if I weren’t bobbing to track eight, I’d be movin’ and groovin’ to track three, “Favorite Names.” Seriously–this song is awesome!

Though not all songs on Rise and Shine were made for serious rockin’ and rollin’, they are all made for children with enough funk for adults to enjoy. The songs range in style from bluegrass to 80’s punk rock and were perfected as the duo of Key Wilde and Mr Clarke performed together at numerous schools and kid-friendly events. When you listen to the songs you can tell these two “get” kids.

The CD comes wonderfully packaged in a board book complete with illustrations just as offbeat as the songs. It was my kind of humor and I thoroughly enjoyed browsing through it while listening to the music. (Does that mean my sense if humor is that of an elementary-aged kid?)
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Rise and Shine is one of the newest releases from Little Monster Records, an indie kid’s music label based in Woodstock, NY. Last February I reviewed another release from Little Monster Records (Robbert Bobbert & The Bubble Machine) so it was no surprise how much I enjoyed Rise and Shine by Key Wilde and Mr Clarke. Definitely add it to your current collection of children’s CDs. Now. –Emily

* Promotion! Little Monster Records is offering Daily Dish readers a really awesome deal on Rise and Shine. Our readers can buy the book/CD combo for $9.98 and receive a free video download! You must click here or click below to purchase a copy of Rise and Shine for yourself your kids at this special price:

Get it Now!

*** Giveaway!!! Little Monster Records is giving away two (2) copies of Rise and Shine! Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a comment for each one you do:

•   Listen to Rise and Shine in the widget above and leave a comment telling us your favorite track.
•   Become a fan of Little Monster Records on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•   Follow Little Monster Records on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: February 4, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Melanie M. and Wehaf U., the winners of the Rise and Shine giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

Article by: Kim ChristophersonYouCanMakeThis.com

Remember the days when you couldn’t wait to open that special valentine card filled with a paper note and conversation heart candy. I just KNEW that those conversation heart candies meant TRU LUV when given by the boy I had a crush on.:)

Years later, those special “valentines” are still ones I look forward to giving and receiving. A handmade card and artwork from our children are some of the best, aren’t they? A small handmade gift from a friend says, “I’m thinking of you”. Those kinds of things are memorable and treasured because you know that it was made with a lot of thought, time, and care. You know that while they were making that item, they thought about you, and could just imagine what it would be like to have you receive it!

Well, I have those same feelings, too, when I am making something special for a friend or family member. And because I love to do just about anything “DIY”, now is the perfect time to begin some simple projects to give this Valentine’s Day.

At www.YouCanMakeThis.com, we have a variety of downloadable projects that are quick, simple, and perfect to give to someone you care about. Here are a few ideas:

Make a Lotus Flower and attach it to a card for a friend. This flower can then be added to her favorite handbag or even used as a brooch.
Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve reviewed Enjoy Life Foods a couple times on the Daily Dish. Their semi-sweet chocolate chips taste just like the “real” thing while their granola is packed full of vitamins, whole grains and taste. That’s not easy to do considering Enjoy Life Foods’ products are free of eight of the most common allergens: wheat/gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish and shellfish. Yet their products are consistently delicious, which is why there are so dang popular!

The company sent me two of their newest products: Perk’s Crunchy Rice cereal and Perk’s Crunchy Flax cereal. The cereals are made with all natural ingredients and sweetened with fruit juice and honey—and look like a smoother version of one of my all-time favorites, Grape-Nuts. Knowing how healthy yet yummy Enjoy Life Foods’ samples have been in the past, and knowing how much I love breakfast cereal, I was anxious to give them a try.

I started with Perk’s Crunchy Rice cereal since it did sound a bit more appealing than Crunchy Flax. This cereal is 100% natural, low in fat and low in sodium and the ingredients list is impressive if you consider short impressive (and I do when it comes to cereal): rice flour, rice bran, raisin juice concentrate, honey and salt. The first bite was a bit crunchy but after a little soaking in some milk (reminiscent of those Grape-Nuts), they were perfect! They probably would’ve been sweet enough on their own but I couldn’t resist a touch of Splenda. The only think I didn’t like was the serving size, but that’s true of a lot of healthy cereals like bite-size shredded wheat, low-fat granola, etc. I finished off the box before anyone else in the family had a chance to grab a bowl, but who says I have to share all my product samples?

Then I tested Perk’s Crunchy Flax cereal, which was similar in size and texture but definitely different in taste. This cereal is a bit more impressive than the rice, boasting 50g of whole grain, 425mg of Omega-3s and 6g of fiber per serving. Perhaps that’s why the Crunchy Flax tasted a whole lot “healthier” to me. It needed an extra spoonful of Splenda, but then again, I’m as big a fan of Apple Jacks as I am of Grape-Nuts and love slathering jam on my toast. (Can you tell I have a bit of a breakfast sweet tooth?) I haven’t yet finished the box but I promise I will! I know what’s good for me, trust me.

Though Perk’s Crunchy Flax cereal wasn’t my favorite, Perk’s Crunchy Rice was a nice alternative to what’s usually in our pantry. A little bit (okay, I usually poured myself a serving and a half) did go a long way to keeping me full until lunch time and it felt good to fuel my body with something all-natural and packed with nutrients. Enjoy Life Foods never ceases to amaze me with the full-flavored products they offer their allergen-sensitive customers and their new cereals are no exception! –Emily

*** Giveaway! Enjoy Life Foods is giving away one set of their new cereals plus some fabulous coupons to two (2) Daily Dish readers! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a comment for each one you do:

•    Visit EnjoyLifeFoods.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite product.
•    Become a fan of Enjoy Life Foods on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you’re their newest fan.
•    Follow Enjoy Life Foods on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•    Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•    Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winners from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: February 2, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Kelly T., the winner of the Enjoy Life Foods giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

I’ve never really done the infant carrier thing other than a few outings using the ol’ “carry the infant car seat in the crook of your arm” thing or Lascal’s M1 carrier. I’m more familiar with diaper bags than I am with slings or backpack carriers but they still intrigue me, especially because they’re so dang popular.

BabyHawk sent me one of their Mei Tai infant carriers to review on the Daily Dish, but they sent me the infant size rather than the toddler so I wasn’t able to give it a thorough test run. But I still find it an intriguing carrier, especially since they offer you the option of creating a custom carrier that reflects your personality. BabyHawk lets you choose from over 300 fabrics and 15 strap colors for a truly unique combination. Do the “other” carrier companies offer that much customization? You can also choose from a wide selection of in-stock carriers if you’re design challenged like I am.

BabyHawk’s design is just as fantastic as their fabric selection. I may not be too familiar with this style of carrier but it seems BabyHawk has the Mei Tai style down pat:

The equation? Simple. One child, plus two arms, plus one million things to do, equals me needing a baby carrier that not only matched my style but is functional and comfortable as well. A mother’s time is perhaps more valuable than anyone else’s and at BabyHawk our goal is to make your parenting experience easier.

Our Mei Tai’s (Asian Baby Carriers) are adopted from a Chinese-inspired idea that makes holding your little one on your front, back or hip as safe, as it is comfortable. The weight distribution of our MT’s makes wearing you baby more cozy and delightful than you can imagine for longer than you can imagine! Our design is simple to let you strap on or take off your custom Mei Tai quick and easy. BabyHawk Mei Tai’s are comfortable, sure, but they are above all safe and reliable.

If it makes wearing your baby more “delightful than you can imagine” I’d say buy two! The BabyHawk infant carrier has received some rave reviews (you can read them here); I only wish I could add my two cents. I will say it looks super stylish and functional, and I like the carrier enough to suggest you check them out if you’re in the market for a Mei-Tai-style carrier. You can’t go wrong, especially if you want to go custom!

AND if you order on Thursday or Friday THIS WEEK (January 21st and 22nd), 50% of sales will be donated to Partners in Health—Haiti. I can think of no better excuse to buy a super cool infant carrier. Do it. Now. –Emily

*** Giveaway!!! Because I didn’t get to test the carrier BabyHawk sent me, I’m more than happy to give it away to one lucky Daily Dish reader! To enter, do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each item you do:

•   Visit BabyHawk.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite fabric/style.
•   Become a fan of BabyHawk on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•   Follow BabyHawk on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: January 28, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Promotion! BabyHawk is offering Daily Dish readers 10% off their order! Simply use code DAILYDISH when checking out. Offer expires February 4, 2010.

* Congratulations to Barbara T., the winner of the BabyHawk giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

Welcome to Spring on Boutique Cafe – our New Spring Savings Guide is now reserving spaces to promote your stores, boutiques and websites with exclusive promotions for our Boutique Cafe listeners and readers. The Spring guide will go live March 1st – June 1st and continues to be a huge hit with our savvy readers each year.

If your company is interested in joining our Spring Savings Guide simply email daria@boutiquecafe.com and we’ll send you all the information you need to make a splash with your Spring Sales.

Our new baby girl Lola Olivia has recieved so many lovely gifts since she was born! I am going to try to feature her wearing them as quickly as I can. This darling hat was made by Jennifer Cirka of Jaybird Designs. Jennifer and I have known each other in the boutique community for many years, and I was thrilled to have something special that this talented gal has made for my little girl. It’s definitely going to be a treasured heirloom for Lola. Thanks so much Jennifer!

Visit Jennifer’s website and blog here>
Get your own, custom made, SugarPlum Hat here>
Or make your own with Jennifer’s SugarPlum Hat Crochet pattern!

{MAKE IT} – A true queen of the DIY, Brassy Meg is sharing a fun free tutorial on her blog (Brassy Apple) on how to create this darling party banner. Customize it to suit your party decor, it’s awesome!

Pretty up your next party with Brassy Apple! >>

I wish I could say my son has sleeveless sniffles but he prefers to wipe his runny nose by dragging his sleeve across it rather than blowing into a tissue. He does the same when he’s done eating. By the end of the day his sleeves have peanut butter and snot track marks. What’s a mom to do? Well, if you’re Sharon Pevsner or J. Kelly Mayes, you invent Sniffle Buddies.

Sniffle Buddies are an environmentally friendly alternative to disposable tissues and a mom-friendly alternative to children’s sleeves. These organic cotton and bamboo wristbands, which are naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal, fit comfortably around a child’s wrist so they can wipe their runny nose quickly and easily. Sniffle Buddies can also be used to wipe those leftovers often found around your child’s mouth after eating. The fact that they come in multiple colors and are machine washable seals the deal!

The company sent us a couple Sniffle Buddies to test and I slapped one on George immediately. He didn’t seem to mind it while eating and even gave his nose a test wipe with it, but his favorite use was to wipe is mouth after lunch rather than his nose. He hasn’t asked to wear it since and is back to his ol’ sleeve-wiping habit. I wish he’d get into the Sniffle Buddies habit instead, but so far it’s a losing battle.

On a good note, when my mother-in-law saw the Sniffle Buddies she thought they were fabulous and wished she had one to wear while working in her garden. I immediately gave her our spare and she was tickled pink about it. Sniffle Buddies does come in an adult size, which would be perfect for those of us with runny noses that get in the way while we exercise or do anything active, including shoveling snow. I’d rather wipe my nose on Sniffle Buddies than my snow glove! –Emily

* Promotion! Sniffle Buddies is offering Daily Dish readers 10% off their order! Simply use code DAILYDISH when checking out. Offer expires February 2, 2010.

I’m not really one for dieting. A few years back (pre George and Livi) I tried my hand at modeling and had the time, energy and incentive to stay in shape. I watched what I ate, worked out and would do some sort of dieting before a photo shoot. (The photo shoot was then followed by a cheeseburger, fries and Diet Coke.) But since giving birth to my last two I’ve found less time and definitely less energy for sticking to my previous super healthy, exercise-filled lifestyle.

And I’m okay with that. Don’t get me wrong, I still watch what I eat and hit the gym when I can but when life hits full force, especially around the holidays, I tend to skip the gym for a little more sleep and indulge in all the artichoke dips and Christmas cookies I can. You only live once, right? You also should only have to diet once if dieting is one of you New Year’s resolutions. For some, dieting is a cinch: simply eat better and exercise more. But for many it’s not an easy thing, especially when it comes to food. You want healthy food that tastes good in portions perfect for a serious dieter. Does that exist? In fact, it does.

Freshology believes “weight loss is an important step in maintaining a healthy balance of body and spirit, not to mention fitting into that bikini this summer!” That’s my kind of philosophy—a mix of mind, body and bikini. The company offers clients pre-made meals that are quite possible the healthiest, most gourmet on the market. Freshology also believes the environment’s health is as important as its clients:

Whenever and wherever possible, we purchase our ingredients from local growers-minimizing the environmental costs of transportation-and from farms dedicated to practicing sustainable agriculture. Our meal packaging is re-used whenever possible, and is fully bio-degradable, for minimal environmental impact. At Freshology, we are constantly seeking new ways to reduce our carbon footprint, and value the health of our planet as passionately as we value the health of our customers.

I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard those “other” companies who offer pre-packaged meals for dieters say anything like that.

Though Freshology offer a variety of plans from family meals to specialized nutrition for before and after pregnancy, their newest GETSLIM program is the subject of this review since it is the only national program they offer so far. Trust me, I wish I could try their FRESHDINING since that would mean I lived within delivery distance (i.e. SoCal). {deep sigh}

Freshology sent me four days’ worth of meals from the GETSLIM program. Here are the details on this home-delivery service that provides you diet-friendly (and palate-friendly) meals:

• Hand-crafted, chef-developed meals prepared in Freshology kitchens that are nutritionally balanced
• 100% fresh meals delivered to your door twice a week via FedEx
• Non-frozen, non-shrink-wrapped, non-pre-packaged, non-dehydrated and non-processed food. Oh, and there are no preservatives. (Whew! That’s a lot of “nons.”)
• Lean protein, seasonal vegetables, fresh meats and whole fruit for optimal taste, natural texture and greater nutritional benefit.

What I haven’t told you yet is the price for these gourmet, scale-friendly meals: a whopping $42.95 a day. Yes, that’s $40 per day totaling about $1,200 a month. That’s about three times what my family of six spends on groceries a month. Of course I’m not fixing broccoli, mushroom & cheese frittata for breakfast, roasted vegetable salad with pork tenderloin for lunch, and poached salmon with citrus sauce for dinner. Those are just a few of the mouth-watering names given Freshology’s GETSLIM meals. But how do they taste?

Freshology’s GETSLIM meals taste, well, fresh for one. You can tell they use high-quality ingredients and test their recipes before sending them to the masses. I actually double checked the ingredient lists thinking there just had to be some sort of preservative or funky “how the heck do I pronounce that?” ingredient but there was nothing. Take the ingredients for their Lemon Bar (butter, lemon zest & juice, sugar, flour, eggs, baking powder) or Roasted Vegetable Scramble (50% whole & 50% white egg liquid, lactaid, olive oil, canola oil, zucchini, crimini mushroom, red onion, grilled eggplant, thyme, olive oil). It’s not called Freshology for nothing.

Overall the meals were hit and miss. I did have my favorites (Roasted Vegetable Frittata, Marbled Banana & Chocolate Muffin, Manhattan Clam Chowder and Open Faced Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich) and a few meals I wouldn’t re-order (according to my husband, the Salmon with Citrus Glaze was “quite possibly the worst salmon he’s ever tasted” and the pork was a bit chewy). You can see the meals for yourself in the slideshow below:..

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Freshology excels in offering a huge selection of meals—something for everyone—so I didn’t get bored. The variety was a nice change from my typical can of soup or PB&J sandwich. Plus Freshology is pretty faithful about sticking to a 1,400-calorie diet plan, which is great for serious dieters, but for me it just wasn’t quite enough. I’m actually on the low end of the BMI for my height and weight, so I only do the 1,400-calorie thing if I absolutely must (e.g., Caribbean cruise). While the breakfasts were usually filling enough to last me until an early lunch, the afternoon meal didn’t cut it for me so I supplemented with a few snacks in the afternoon. And of course I didn’t count those calories. (If you don’t count them, they don’t exist, right?)

The million-dollar question is whether Freshology’s GETSLIM meal plan is worth $40 a day. Yes and no. If you’re a Hollywood star, and plenty of them are Freshology clients (just check out their press page), then definitely yes. Those with $1,200 a month to spend on a diet plan should totally go for it. The food is fabulous and healthy, the portions are perfect, and not having to think about what you’re going to eat is totally worth it—if you can afford it. And for some, finding a healthier lifestyle that works—and not having to cook—is worth any investment. But if you’re like me, a mom of four who hits the local rec center since it’s cheaper than a “real” gym and is okay with non-gourmet foods three meals a day (as long as she can get one at a fancy restaurant once in a while), Freshology is a pie-in-the-sky diet dream, albeit a healthy pie.

P.S. The Freshology website offers a lot more information, including great little videos, about their meals if you want to learn more.

P.P.S. You can find Freshology on both Facebook and Twitter. –Emily

* Promotion! Freshology is offering Daily Dish readers 10% off their GETSLIM meal plan (14-, 21- or 28-day plans available) AND a free Freshology tote! Enter code BTQ2010 at checkout to receive your discount and “fresh” tote. Hurry and get healthy—this offer expires January 31, 2010.

Twitter has fast become a staple in the days of many momprenuers and members of our community! If you’re looking to expand the reach of your business through networking this form of social media is a simple and quick way to make it happen. We’re personally cultivated many amazing new connections and relationships through the benefits of using Twitter. It’s easy, fun and effective!

Follow @BoutiqueCafe on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/BoutiqueCafe

Now you can show your love of all things Twitter, with products handmade and readily available on Etsy. Can you believe all of the “Tweet” goodies that can be found??!!

Sellers Featured:
FunckyPopArt, ArtUnderGlass, Storeyshop, velynfields, ksickles, fliepsiebieps, CuteJewels, Craftsquatch, cbtscloset, post, plastique

During the past nine years we’ve lived in three houses but all in the same neighborhood. The first home had crappy cell phone reception, the second (only a few blocks east) had great reception. Our current home has the crappiest reception yet–and it’s only about one block away from the first one. In fact, our entire street has pathetic reception no matter your cell phone carrier. Trust me, we love T-Mobile but would change in a heartbeat if it meant more bars in more rooms. If we’d known this home had bad cell phone reception it just might have been a deal breaker. Totally serious.

So what’s a girl and her technologically advanced husband to do? Follow up on a recommendation from a friend to try out the zBoost from Wi-Ex. Another cell-phone-reception-challenged neighbor had used this gadget to give him a few more bars inside his home so we were anxious to test it. Wi-Ex was happy to send us their zBoost YX510, which “extends a zBoost Cell Zone for single or multiple users in homes or offices.” Basically it should give you more bars in more rooms. This unit claims to increases indoor signal coverage for up to 2500 square feet and is compatible with all U.S. carriers and mobile devices. Other benefits:

• Increases voice and data transmission for any U.S. phone or wireless data card
• Decreases dropped or missed calls
• Easy to set up
• Extends phone battery life (uses less power when signal is stronger)

Question of the day is did it work? Well, yes and no. First, the zBoost was fairly easy to install. Actually, it was cake for me since I simply handed it over to my husband with a “hear you go–go do your thing” and he had it working in no time. We have found it has helped with improve our signal coverage so we can make and receive cell phone calls better than we could before.

Previously we’d sit on the front porch if we wanted to actually hear someone on the other end or do the “can you hear me now?” thing, hang up and call them back using our home phone. Now we can hold a decent conversation but the signal is still a bit weak. We’re at about 2 or 3 bars, which is better than no bars but definitely not as good as 4 or 5. I tend to stand by a window or in my kitchen while chatting, and if my husband wants to hold some serious convo about the latest YouTube video on some nifty homemade gadget or the cool CGI in Avatar, he heads to the basement where the signal is the strongest.

So is the $300 price tag worth it for the fully decked-out zBoost YX510? If you rely on your cell phones as much as we do, yes. An average signal is better than no signal at all and the Wi-Ex zBoost is cheaper than moving yet again. But if you’re only a casual cell phone user (do any of those still exist?), then you might want to stick to your home phone or find a more affordable option like a couple tin cans and a really, really long string.

If you’re looking for a few more bars in other places, Wi-Ex does offer some cool options for the traveler (zBoost for your car) and international users, plus they also offer commercial solutions for businesses. You can check out all the zBoost options at Wi-Ex.com. –Emily

It’s January, 2010 and many men and women have already braved the barbells at the gym (hopefully more than once). With New Year’s comes New Year’s resolutions, one of the most common being exercise more and eat less. (In my case it’s exercise the same and drink more—water, not caffeine.) But as so many resolution makers know, it’s can be slow going turning the desire to get fit into a permanent lifestyle. After a couple weeks it’s easy to slip back into bed and back into old habits.

So how do you stay motivated to get fit when your favorite sitcom (or favorite Barcalounger) is calling your name? You grab a workout towel from Words to Sweat By and, well, break a sweat! Whimsical Walney, a good Twitter friend of mine, recently launched a wonderful line of motivational workout towels “with attitude.” Sayings include: “No jiggle in the wiggle;” “‘C’ is for crunches not cookies;” and “Strength. Compassion. Peace.”  Yes, Words to Sweat By might be just what the personal trainer ordered!

Whimsical Walney sent me the “Healthy. Strong. Happy.” workout towel to review on the Daily Dish. It arrived in a cute organza bag complete with “Cherish” charm attached. The charm lasted two seconds on the bag before it was permanently attached to my purse and then moved to my cell phone so I could see it all the time. I was motivated already and hadn’t even opened the towel! The 100% cotton towel was a good gym size at 16″x24″ and had a simple yet perfect applique on the front. I wanted to make sure the towel was washer and dryer friendly so I immediately threw it in the wash with some other towels to test its durability. It came out crisp and clean, no bleeding, no fraying.

We have a treadmill at home which I use when I don’t hit the gym so I hung the towel over one of the arm rails with the mantra facing me so I could glance at it while doing a 10% incline at 4.2 MPH. That incline really sucks when it’s your third time doing it in a 30-minute time frame. And believe me, I also used that towel to mop up plenty of sweat (Words to Sweat By is completely accurate). I’d have taken a picture to prove it but I think my husband used my favorite workout towel to blow his nose at some point; trust me, you wouldn’t want me to take a picture of the towel in its current state! The only thing I wish is for the towels to be a bit thicker and softer since I tend to sweat A LOT.

Along with her Words to Sweat By workout towels on Etsy, Whimsical Walney has a Words to Sweat By blog with health and fitness tips and tricks to keep you wiggling that jiggling away. Though it’s too late to stuff these great little motivational towels in stockings for the holidays, they do make a fun gift for friends and family who have set that New Year’s resolution to get and stay fit in 2010. Just remember, “Practice makes practice!”

*** Whimsical Walney is helping you pay it—or rather motivate it—forward by giving two (2) Words to Sweat By towels to each of two (2) winners! Those winners will get to keep one towel and pass along the second towel to a friend or family member. Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•    Leave a comment telling us your least favorite exercise.
•    Visit the Words to Sweat By Etsy shop and leave a comment telling us your favorite workout towel.
•    Become a fan of Whimsical Walney on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you’re her newest fan.
•    Follow Whimsical Walney on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re her newest follower.
•    Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•    Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winners from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: January 14, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Congratulations to Melissa and Cassie M., the winners of the Words to Sweat By giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

Because I have four kids and a car that only seats six people I am rarely invited to participate in the elementary school carpool. But last year I did start carpooling with another mom whose son was in the same preschool as George and it worked really well because I already had an extra booster seat I could easily throw in the car. This year, though, George’s friend started attending a pre-K class and we ended up switching schools, so we started a new carpool with two neighborhood girls (yes, he loves the boy-to-girl ratio already).

Though all of us moms were okay with the lack of a third booster seat since the school was merely a mile or two down the road (and yes, the kids were tightly buckled), I was super excited when Harmony Juvenile sent me their new LiteRider Booster Seat to review. I would now have three booster seats, the newest one being pink–a big hit with George’s little girlfriends. Before I tell you my thoughts on Harmony Juvenile’s LiteRider, here’s a little info about these booster seats:

• exceeds the most stringent safety impact testing in the world
• is exceptionally comfortable and easy-to-use
• fits children from 30 to 100 lbs.
• uses ultra-plush, durable fabrics made with comfort foam throughout seat
• offers a full-wrap premium seat pad is removable for machine washing
• utilizes a seat-saver design
• visually pronounced belt guides promote correct installment of the seat belt
• belt path design prevents child from sliding under the lap belt on impact

That’s pretty impressive for such a small seat! I immediately noticed its light weight and sleek design. Compared to our other back-free booster, the LiteRider seemed to fit better against the seat and definitely offered more padding and a comfier fit for little legs. The seat belt also had a more snug fit, and not just because I finally learned what that belt guide is for. Those little armrest looking things on the side make it a bit more difficult to secure the belt but also make for a safer fit. I’m happy to spend an extra thirty seconds buckling in my child if it means he’ll be kept safer in an accident. Oh, and did I mention the pink fabric looks super cute against gray interior? (Don’t mind the lack of smile on George’s friend’s face–she’s not one for early morning preschool!)

The LiteRider Booster Seat also comes in beige, and did I mention the LiteRider booster seat is only $13? All those features for such a great price!

Even though our new LiteRider (kind of makes you think of Knight Rider, doesn’t it?) is pink it will be our main booster of choice as we relegate our previous ones to second and third positions. I don’t think George will have an issue with a pink booster; ever since he wore his sister’s hand-me-down hot pink snow pants he’s been good with pink! –Emily

All The Rage!! Carla (the Scientific Seamstress) guests on YouCanMakeThis blog to share how to DIY the coolest Frayed Rosette Bib Necklace. We love it!

Tutorial here>>