Dreft Detergent: Gentle on Baby's Skin, Tough on Stains {$25 Visa Gift Card Giveaway}

 

There are some opinions on having and caring for a baby that have changed over the years. After all, there is wisdom in the parenting advice passed down from generation to generation... to an extent.

While it wasn't neglectful parenting by any means, moms from decades ago didn't know any better about placing their child face-down for sleeping, holding their infant in their lap in the car instead of securing them in a car seat, or reaching for bottles of formula instead of listening to "breast is best" research.

However, whether you're a first timer or the greatest, grandest mother of them all, there's one thing moms have agreed on for over 75 years and shows no signs of changing — Dreft makes your little one's fabrics feel as clean and soft as can be.

Specially formulated to be gentle on baby's skin and tough on stains, washing baby clothes in Dreft is as gentle as washing in water, making it unsurprising that Dreft is the baby laundry detergent most recommended by pediatricians everywhere.

In fact, Dreft is specially formulated for the unique needs of baby items, allowing parents to rely on Dreft to not only help prepare their little one's essentials before their arrival, but also to keep those items clean and safe once they're brought home from the hospital.

Complete with a scent that's truly beloved by parents (that's also gentle for baby), Dreft leaves little one's clothing as clean and as soft as can be, bringing cuddle time to a whole new level of warm and fuzzy with little princes and princesses everywhere.

Speaking of royalty, you'll want to head over to the Dreft Facebook page to take part in the fun "Royal Baby" events that are on now: the Royal Baby Name Bracket and Heir to the Highchair.

In the Royal Name Baby Bracket, fans can see how their favorite baby names for Prince William and Princess Kate's future little one compare with one another. Make your first round picks now and then check back as new rounds unlock to pick all the way to the finals as we get closer and closer to the royal baby's arrival!

In Heir to the Highchair, this cute photo-sharing app allows fans to upload their own baby's photo to create a picture of a child on a throne — your son or daughter can now receive their own royal treatment in such a fun and adorable way. Just take a look at my funny princesses!

No matter if you are pregnant with your first child, a grandmother of 12 or simply want a way to wash clothes that will leave them extremely soft and gentle on your skin, be sure to head over to Dreft.com to find out more about why this brand has been loved and trusted since 1933.

Don't miss the opportunity to participate in the fun Royal Baby games on Facebook while they're around as well. After all, it won't be too much longer before that royal bump turns into the much-anticipated royal prince or princess!

Thanks to the generosity of Dreft, one person will soon be able to have their own small royal treatment as well, because...

One lucky person will win a $25 Visa gift card from Dreft!

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A big thank you to Dreft for donating sample packs and a gift card to me for my participation in this blogging/trial program. These items were not intended as payment for any favorable opinions, as this post is entirely my honest opinion.

Red Baron Introduces Bold New Pizza Options {Review & Giveaway}

When it comes to pizza, there must be approximately 843 different ways to express your own personal preferences. Crust, sauce, cheese, spices, toppings galore... yet, we all still manage to have one particular favorite that we return to time and time again, don't we?

But after a while, the old standby might need a little... sprucing up, you know? The plain cheese needs an addition or the classic pepperoni that you've eaten since childhood just gets boring.

Fortunately, Red Baron Pizza has made it easy (and delicious) to spice up your palette by introducing three new bold pizza offerings for your entire family to enjoy.

The three new varieties from Red Baron include Classic Crust Hawaiian, Fire Baked Spicy Pepperoni and Deep Dish Singles Hawaiian and feature a zesty array of options for your taste buds:

• Spicy Pepperoni comes on a Fire Baked Crust – a crispy bottom and chewy middle – with chipotle sauce and jalapenos.

• Hawaiian Style, topped with the highest quality pineapple and Canadian bacon comes in both a Classic Crust style – the right amount of crispy and chewy – and Deep Dish Singles.

Along with a range of crust types, Red Baron pizzas make sure boring is never on the menu for family pizza night!

While we weren't able to try any of the new additions to the Red Baron lineup, my family and I were still glad to head to the store to check out the selection and pick up a tasty addition to our dinner table.

While the many options looked delectable, we ended up going with something simple that would be a guaranteed hit with all of us, Red Baron Singles 5 Cheese & Garlic French Bread.

These tasty singles feature crunchy French Bread that is topped with a creamy garlic spread, and a blend of Mozzarella, Provolone, White and Yellow Cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses. Yum!

Even better, they are beyond simple to prepare, as you have the option of putting them right in the microwave or using your toaster oven or convection oven. We opted for the latter and the "work" that was involved for me didn't include much more than opening the box.

After removing the two pizzas from their packaging and placing them on a cookie sheet, they baked for approximately 15 minutes and came out roasty, toasty and full of cheesy goodness.

These Red Baron pizzas were the perfect fit with our summer dinner menu and my kids gobbled them up without a single complaint (except for Big Sister E who somewhat complained that there weren't more for her to eat).

The next time you are looking for a meal option that will let you customize it perfectly to meet everyone's tastes, check out the full line of Red Baron Pizza varieties – and particularly their new bold pizza offerings for a fun boost to pizza night!

Find out more about all of the scrumptious options by visiting RedBaron.com and connecting with them on Facebook and Twitter. Plus, thanks to Red Baron's generosity, one person will be able to bring home some especially tasty items to their table as well, because...

One lucky person will win (3) coupons for free Red Baron products!

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A big thank you to Red Baron for providing coupons for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Cascade Platinum Cleans Dishes and the Dishwasher! {#MyPlatinum}

 

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

There are times that I wonder if my obsession with my dishwasher has gotten... unhealthy. Slightly out of hand. Completely and utterly over the top in how much I adore it.

I know that there are plenty of people that don't have dishwashers in their homes, but I have to admit, that concept is prehistoric to me. I remember years and years of washing dishes by hand when I was growing up, so that, combined with my lack of time in our everyday lives, is why my obsession has grown and flourished over the years.

What a great set of cutting boards! Can they go in the dishwasher? No? Nope, not buying them.

Therefore, considering that just about anything and everything that we own goes into our machine, I find that I have fairly high standards when it comes to the results that it provides. Who wants to load in a set of plates only to have them come out with dried food still on them? Glasses with streaks? Pre-rinsing or scrubbing afterward? No, thanks.

Which is why the very first time that I saw a television advertisement for Cascade Platinum, I knew that I would have to try it to see if it could be a part of my dishwasher love-fest.

Featuring an advanced triple action recipe that is specially designed to leave dishware virtually spot-free and help prevent the build-up of hard-water film on dishwasher walls, Cascade Platinum Pacs deliver the most powerful clean available from Cascade.

So let me get this straight. Not only do these magic pacs power away tough, 24 hour stuck-on food, eliminate the need to pre-wash dishes, and deliver exceptional dishware shine, but they will help keep my dishwasher sparkling clean, too? Bring it on, Cascade Platinum!

Having already been big fans of prior Cascade products we have tried (hint: it's totally not worth it trying out other brands or generics, they just don't compare), I was glad to see that Cascade Platinum has provided sparkling dishes, shining flatware and spot-free glasses every time we have tried it.

There hasn't been one instance where I've pulled open my dishwasher and found anything dried, crusty, crumbly or sticky at all — and I appreciate that the premium formula leaves my dishwasher itself looking shiny clean, too!

Along with being happy that my dishes are clean for use with my family and when we have guests, it's no secret that I need them ready to go for photographs as well. After all, I never know when I'll need great food pictures to post right here on my blog, share on Facebook, pin on Pinterest, etc — we pretty much all eat with our eyes these days!

With that in mind, Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine magazine, Gail Simmons, has partnered with Cascade to discuss why presentation is just as important as preparation.

• From prep to plating: It's more than just a great-tasting recipe, but also perfect presentation. Sparkling dishes, shining flatware and spot-free glasses truly let you put your best food forward with culinary creations that pop!

• Gail recommends impressing with a Platinum Presentation: "The easiest recipes pop with unexpected, gourmet presentations. Drizzle bright sauces on sparkling white plates or layer desserts in crystal-clean glassware. Keep your presentation sparkling with Cascade Platinum, which keeps dishes perfect for anytime entertaining and impromptu guests."

You can learn even more about Cascade's partnership with Gail Simmons by viewing videos available on the Cascade Facebook page and Cascade YouTube page.

What's more, Cascade wants you to show off how sparkly Cascade makes all of your pots, pans and plates for a chance to win great prizes in the "My Platinum" Instagram Contest! This four week Instagram contest kicked off at the beginning of June and has fans uploading photos related to the fun, weekly contest themes.

Each week has a 6-day entry period where Instagram users can enter the contest with their #MyPlatinum Photo (you must include both the #MyPlatinum hashtag and tag @MyCascade in your entry). Cascade will choose two weekly winners and one final grand prize winner after the entry period has ended.

And these aren't small prizes! Each of the two weekly winners will receive a brand new Whirlpool dishwasher, while the lucky grand prize winner will receive a Platinum kitchen makeover!

Although the first two weeks of this fun contest have already passed, you still have plenty of time to join in for the rest of June so head over to the contest page and get ready to snap your photos!

• Week 3: My Platinum Clink (Entry: 6/17-6/23)
  Show us how you serve up creative concoctions in sparkling glasses. Cheers!

• Week 4: My Platinum Table (Entry Period: 6/24-6/30)
  Show us your sparkling tablescape for your most special celebrations!

• Grand Prize Winner (Entry: 6/3-6/30)

Are you ready to flaunt your dishes with confidence? Then head over to the Cascade website to see how Cascade Platinum can help you do just that.

Be sure to keep an eye out for this new product in Fresh and Lemon Burst scents at mass merchandisers, grocery and retailers nationwide where it has an MSRP of $4.29 for a 14-count package, $6.69 for a 23-count package and $12.49 for a 43-count container.

Air Wick National Park Collection {Review}

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Air Wick. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

While my husband and I tend to agree on most aspects of our home (e.g. colors for the walls, style of furniture, particular art pieces, etc) one area that we don't see eye-to-eye is on the scent.

I, on the one hand, would have candles and air fresheners and scented laundry detergent and whatever else that could possibly leave anything and everything smelling fresh and sweet. He, on the other hand, declares every scent ever invented artificial, wrinkles his nose and won't have any of it.

Is there a compromise? There is now, thanks to the Air Wick National Park Collection.

Air Wick, already a leader in the home fragrances category, is a proud supporter of the National Park Foundation (the official charity of America's national parks) and is now helping to bring the scents of America's beautiful parks right into our homes.

Inspired by the rare essence of our National Parks, Air Wick fragrance experts have crafted a new line of fragrances available in scents such as the Grand Canyon, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

The Air Wick National Park Collection is available in scented oils, scented candles, reed diffusers, and a freshmatic spray, each one just as convenient and delightful as the next.

Pulling open the top to the American Samoa: Sweet Coconut & Island Scented Candle, right away I was reminded of coconuts, island palms, sunscreen and pretty much everything that's great about a vacation to the lush paradise of American Samoa National Park.

As with all Air Wick Scented Candles, this one manages to fill the room with fragrance and helps create a warm and inviting ambiance in my home.

Better yet, these candles last up to 25 hours, which means that the rich essential oils won't simply disappear and that I'll be able to enjoy the beautiful frosted glass container for quite some time to come.

At the same time, the scented oils of the National Park Collection give the ability to diffuse the air with just the right amount of scent quickly and easily.

Available in six different varieties (I was able to try out the first four below), I love the way that it is so easy to use the control dial to determine if you would like a little or a lot of aroma released into the air:

• Grand Canyon — be awestruck by the breathtaking majesty of the Grand Canyon then discover the subtle floral notes of delicate cactus blossoms carried on the warm summer breeze.

• American Samoa — explore the lush paradise of American Samoa National Park to finally reach the sweet refreshing notes of native coconut & island palms.

• Hawai'i — escape to a tropical island sunset in Hawai'i Kaloko - Honokohau National Historical Park and savor the unspoiled notes of exotic papaya and hibiscus flower. 

• Denali — seek renewal in the sun-drenched valleys of Denali National Park while breathing in the clean notes of pure cotton grass & fresh spring air.

• Gulf Islands — bask in the fragrant scents that take you to the Gulf Islands, rich in white sand beaches and seashores that evoke sun-drenched sweet notes of a tropical paradise.

• Virgin Islands — find yourself in the idyllic paradise of Virgin Islands National Park and uncover the delightful notes of tropical plumeria & sweet honeysuckle.

As much as I've tried to select a favorite, it's too difficult of a decision! I love the clean, fresh scent of Denali, the sweet, fullness of Hawai'i, the tastiness of the coconut in the American Samoa and the overall outdoor clean smell of Grand Canyon!

This innovative new National Park limited edition collection was crafted by fragrance experts who spend countless hours creating the perfect harmony of fragrance notes representative of the natural elements found in these national parks and pays homage to the brand's "The Craft of Fragrance" creative platform.

If you'd like to bring the outdoors into your home as well, the National Park Collection is available in Air Wick's full range of products that retail from $2.99 - $5.99 and are available at all major retailers. To find out more, visit AirWick.com and connect with them on Facebook and Pinterest.