Reviews

Freckleface: The Musical {review}

by Alissa on February 22, 2012

Last weekend I was invited to attend Freckleface: The Musical at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (MMAC) in New York City, followed by the opportunity to meet Julianne Moore.

Um… WHAT?!?

Yes, you read that right. I couldn’t believe it myself!

Kid-friendly review: Freckleface The Musical

Freckleface: The Musical, based on the children’s picture book Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore, is such a faithful tribute to the book.

Rose Caiola, founder of the MMAC, conceived and produced the stage version of Moore’s beloved children’s series. The cast is amazing, transforming themselves into a tight-knit group of friends on the elementary school playground — not an easy task for a group of adults, but they absolutely made it happen.

I had the opportunity to bring the kids to the show, but figured I’d hit the city on my own and stay overnight so I could spend the day at Toy Fair, also in NYC, the next day.

Now that I’ve seen it? Oh my word! I’m already figuring out how to take my 4-year-old on the 90-minute train ride so we can experience it together!

This is the perfect introduction to live performance for even the youngest fans. The theater at MMAC is small and intimate enough that young kids won’t feel lost in the crowd. The set design is simple, which means nearly no down time between scenes. And that’s perfect for a preschool and older audience.

At just over one hour, Freckleface the Musical

The songs were vibrant and catchy – and there were a ton of them! The pace really held the interest of the kids in the audience that afternoon. Best of all, while it was absolutely a G-rated, family-friendly performance, there were parts that really did resonate with the adults in the audience as well. I’ll admit I even snagged the soundtrack on the way out — and remember, I didn’t have a kid along begging for one. It was just that good.

The messages, just like those in the book, are wonderful (and necessary) for the kids to hear. Be yourself. Be unique. And be OK with that.

“There are going to be things about yourself that you don’t like,” Moore says. “But when you grow up, it’s not that those things necessarily change. It’s that you don’t care about them so much.”

The Q&A with Julianne Moore and The Moms after the show was an unforgettable experience. Moore took questions from the audience (both adults and kids) and she couldn’t have been more welcoming. She fielded even the toughest of questions like “Where do freckles come from?” (that was a kid question) and “How do you do it all?” (that was from a mom).

The Synopsis

Freckleface Strawberry will do anything to get rid of her freckles – from scrubbing them with soap, to caking on makeup, and even wearing a ski mask to school! Will her schoolmates realize it’s her under the mask? Will Freckleface be brave enough to finally face her complexion in the mirror?

With the help of her loveable schoolmates including an amazingly talented ballerina, a cutie jock, a charming ditz, and a totally kooky teacher, Freckleface learns that everyone is different – and that’s what makes everyone special!

With fun music, awesome dancing… and a freckleface full of laughs, your whole family will love this brand new musical for all ages . . . freckles or not!

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Disclosure: I received tickets to the show to facilitate my review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tagged as: Activities, review

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The Secret World of Arrietty: Age-Appropriate Movie Review

by Alissa on February 17, 2012

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a pre-screening of The Secret World of Arrietty this weekend. The film hits theaters today, Feb. 17.

Kid-friendly movie review: The Secret World of Arrietty

The Secret World of Arrietty is based on the The Borrowers, a 1953 book series by Mary Norton. The premise is that there is a whole secret world of little people living under our floorboards. When a young boy comes to visit, he discovers this world and forms a friendship with a young borrower, endangering their world as they know it.

Visually, the animation is simply breathtaking. This film is by Studio Ghibli (the same studio who offered us Ponyo and Spirited Away). We’ve actually never seen any of their previous films (gasp! I know), but this makes me want to check out more info on the others to see if the kids would enjoy those as well.

The voices are wonderful, as well – Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Bridget Mendler and David Henrie. Poehler, especially, adds a laugh here and there throughout the film.

I couldn’t be more excited, though, that this is based on one of my favorite book series as a child, The Borrowers. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve read those, so I’m looking forward to revisiting them myself. The books may still be a little too advanced to read together with my son, but I’m officially on the hunt to find an adapted version for the younger crowd that we might be able to read together. I’ll keep you posted on what I find!

I also appreciated some of the bigger themes the movie offered: Sometimes taking a chance on an unlikely friendship is absolutely the right answer. There’s also an emphasis on the importance of family and the fact that there are some things (friendship, family) worth standing up for. These are wonderful messages for kids and we’ll definitely be returning to them again when we talk with our son after the movie.

Is The Secret World of Arrietty appropriate for kids?

We give The Secret World of Arrietty 5 out of 5 cartwheels.

The Secret World of Arrietty is perfectly family-friendly… and I don’t say that too often.

Even my daughter (who turns two this month) enjoyed it. This is the first movie we even attempted with her in theaters and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure how she’d do. I expected to be in and out of the theater with her, but for the most part, the entire film held her interest — and she’s a wiggly one!

*I can’t guarantee, of course, that all wiggly toddlers will be the same. It’s a safe bet that preschoolers and above will enjoy all 90 minutes of the film without getting antsy.

This is a movie I would definitely take my kids to see again in theaters. It’s not often that there’s a truly family-friendly film that all four of us can enjoy together. This is absolutely one of those and we’ll take advantage of it by seeing it in theaters again (this time with my husband along!)

The Synopsis

Residing quietly beneath the floorboards are little people who live undetected in a secret world to be discovered, where the smallest may stand tallest of all.  From the legendary Studio Ghibli (“Spirited Away,” “Ponyo”) comes “The Secret World of Arrietty,” an animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s acclaimed children’s book series “The Borrowers.”

Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger. The English language version of “The Secret World of Arrietty” was executive produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, and directed by Gary Rydstrom.

The Trailer

How about you? Do you plan to take the kids to see The Secret World of Arrietty in the theaters?

Tagged as: Movies, review

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Grandma’s Trunk Alphabet Game {review and giveaway}

by Alissa on February 15, 2012

the review

We recently had the opportunity to review Grandma’s Trunk, an educational alphabet game from Educational Insights.

This is another language-enrichment game that really helps build and enforce kids’ pre-reading skills. While the suggested age is K+, my 4-year-old had a great time playing it. He’s been working on letter recognition, so this is another game that’s at the perfect level for him.

We played this game with his grandparents (even his great-grandma got in on the fun). Both kids were able to participate, too. My daughter (almost 2) and I were a team.

First we played Letter Sequence Memory, where we each took turns putting the cards back in the trunk in alphabetical order.

Then we played the Grandma’s Riddles game, which was very fun! My son hasn’t had much experience with riddles yet, so it was neat to see the wheels turning as he tried to figure out the answer from listening to the clues. This type of game play also exercised his listening skills. He really had to pay attention to what clues were being given in order to figure out what item needed to be put in the trunk.

The double-sided cards are colorful and nicely illustrated. They’re durable and should hold up well to standard game play.

I like that the cards are stored right in the trunk, which actually becomes a part of the game. I always appreciate when the packaging makes sense. The box is also small (about 5×7, I’d say), so it’s easily taken on the road.

What I liked most, though, was the sheer variety of games your family can play with the included cards. There are five different games (plus variations!) all outlined in the included Parents’ Guide. This makes game play go so much further. We’ll be able to play some variety of this game over and over without getting bored at all. That’s a lot of value in one little box.

Included games:

1. What Comes Next? Take turns placing the letter cards in the trunk in alphabetical order.

2. Memory Time Take turns repeating the sequence of cards already in the trunk, then adding one of your own and challenging other players to remember them all, in order.

3. Grandma’s Riddles Deal the cards, then read a riddle and race to see who has the letter card that answers it!

4. Letter Sequence Memory Deal the cards and take turns putting them in the trunk in alphabetical order, repeating the items already in the trunk and challenging other players to remember them all, in alphabetical order.

5. Grandma’s Adventures Place the letter cards in the trunk and take turns pulling them out to create a cooperative story: “Once upon a time there was a grandma. She saw an iguana.”

Here’s what we liked most:

• Variety of games to play in one box.
• Easily recognizable words.
• Colorful illustrations.
• Easy to store.

The giveaway

WIN IT: One lucky reader will win Grandma’s Trunk Alphabet Game, thanks to Educational Insights!

The rules: Open to U.S. and Canada only. Giveaway runs through Feb. 27. Winner will be e-mailed and will have 48 hours to confirm. If winner does not confirm, a new winner will be chosen. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Disclosure: Educational Insights provided a copy of the game to facilitate my review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Win a 30-day Sports Club Pass {giveaway}

by Alissa on February 14, 2012

One of my goals this year is to reclaim my health and wellness. I was doing so well for quite a while and then… well, I lost a little momentum and I let life get in the way. But little by little I’ve started getting myself back to the treadmill.

Now that I’m beginning to get back into my routine, it’s the perfect time to start incorporating something new. A group fitness class, my dream of finally trying a Zumba class, maybe? I’m not sure… but whatever it is, I’m looking forward to trying something new and injecting some life and energy into my regular fitness routine.

Enter Town Sports.

With six Philadelphia locations (and many more in the Boston, New York and Washington, DC areas), it’ll be easy to find a workout space that suits my needs.

I’m especially looking forward to trying the XPressLine service: it’s a trainer-supervised program that gives members a full-body strength workout in fewer than 22 minutes. Best of all? It’s free! This is going to be a great addition to the cardio I already get from running. I’ve always had a tough time incorporating strength training into my regular routine, mainly because I’m never sure if I’m doing the exercises correctly. So I’m especially glad to see that it’s overseen by a trainer, who can let me know if I need to make some adjustments.

Add in the kids’ care/babysitting that’s available on-site? And they have everything a mom (or dad) needs to get back to the gym!

One tip that’s helped me get back into the groove is to be already dressed to workout in the mornings when I drop my son off at preschool. That way, my daughter and I have no excuses (well, one less excuse, anyway) to get out there and fit a workout in while my son’s in school. Same goes for working moms or dads – my husband often brings his workout gear with him to work, so he can stop at the gym before coming home. Once he walks in the door, it’s that much tougher for him to get motivated to get back out for a workout.

The giveaway

Now for the best part… one lucky reader will win a 30-day pass of their own!

The 30-day pass is valid at more than 150 network locations. Visit www.MySportsClubs.com to find the location nearest you. Be sure to check them out on Facebook for more special offers!

This giveaway is open to readers in the following areas: Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. Please make sure there’s a location near you before you enter. Thanks and good luck!

The rules: Open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway runs through Feb. 29. Winner will be chosen with Random.org and will be notified by e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!

[click to continue…]

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Linvilla Orchards: FORE! Mini Golf and Christmas Tree Maze {review}

by Alissa on February 13, 2012

We were invited to visit Linvilla Orchards last week to check out some of the new winter fun that they offer for families – namely Fore! the Planet mini golf and the Christmas Tree maze.

Linvilla is one of our favorite places to visit – its annual Pumpkinland has always been our spot to grab a fall family photo (and a pumpkin or two!) and we love to take the kids over to feed the animals and play on the playground during the warmer months. It’s close (in Media) and parking is both plentiful and free – the best kind!

The Fore! the Planet is actually a museum exhibit created by the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. It offers 18 holes with an emphasis on environmental education. Each hole explores a different environmental issue or trend, including recycling, tropical rainforest, butterfly life cycle and more.

The kids really had fun with the mini golf course. They’re still on the young side to play 18 holes from start to finish, but when they needed a break from concentrating on mastering their hole in one, they had fun just exploring the different exhibits.

Here’s my son searching for sloths in the rainforest.


And my daughter feeling larger than life among some buildings!

The mini golf was set up inside the Garden Center, which is perfect if you want somewhere warm to take the kids on those cold days — and allowed us to stop and smell the flowers while we were waiting for our turn at the tee.

After we tried our hand at mini golf, we headed out to the brand new Christmas Tree Maze. This year Linvilla collected all the unsold Christmas trees in the area (a total of over 1,400 trees!) and constructed a giant Christmas Tree Maze. Very fun! And you definitely get your money’s worth. There were enough twists, turns and dead-ends to keep you going for quite a while.

If you go:

When:
Fore! the Planet mini golf and Christmas Tree Maze – Open 9 to 5 Sun. through Thurs. and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat.

Where:
Linvilla Orchards, 137 West Knowlton Road, Media PA

Cost:
- FORE! the Planet Mini Golf: $6.95 per person (ages 11 & over) or $4.95 per person (10 & under)
- Christmas Tree Maze: $5 per person (or $4 with purchase of mini golf)

Specials:
- Save 50% on ALL vegetables through mid-March

Disclosure: We received a complimentary round of mini golf and admission to the Tree Maze to facilitate our review. As always, though, all opinions are completely mine.

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The Vow {movie review}

by Alissa on February 10, 2012

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a pre-screening of The Vow earlier this month. The film hits theaters today, Feb. 10.

Movie review: The Vow

The Vow is pretty much what you would expect from a romantic movie that hits theaters on Valentine’s Day weekend. And that’s why I loved every minute of it.

The trailer asks the question, “What if 5 years of your life disappeared?”

And for this couple, that’s exactly what happens. After a car accident, the wife (Rachel McAdams) is in a coma. When she wakes up, she remembers nothing of the past several years of her life, including the love of her lifetime, her newlywed husband (Channing Tatum).

Based on a true couple, McAdams and Tatum make you fall in love with them as a couple at the beginning of the movie — and spend the rest of the film trying to get back there.

McAdams and Tatum do a great job of showing moviegoers both perspectives. We can feel the frustration of a husband trying to get his wife (and his life) back again. But we can also feel the awkwardness of a woman living with someone she, quite literally, doesn’t know anymore.

Without a doubt, The Vow is the quintessential date movie. Or make it your next girls’ night out. Or see it on your own (with a box of tissues, if you’re a crier.) Just see it.

The Synopsis

A newlywed couple recovers from a car accident that puts the wife in a coma. Waking up with severe memory loss, her husband endeavors to win her heart again.

The Trailer

Tagged as: Movies, review

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Letter Box Activity Set {review & giveaway}

by Alissa on February 3, 2012

 

the review

We recently had the opportunity to review the Letter Box Activity Set from Learning Resources.

My son has been incredibly focused on his letters in the last several months, even starting to sound out words with our help. If anything with a written word passes under his nose, he’ll stop to ask us what it says. This kid is ready for some letter recognition reinforcements!

So this couldn’t have come at a better time for us. We were excited to try this new letter activity at home.

So first… how adorable is this box? I love that the packaging looks like a mailed letter. Just too cute.

Set-up was easy — and we made it part of the fun. My son helped tear the perforated cards apart and as we did, I asked him to name each photo. I’m happy to say that all the items are easily recognizable, which is great. For the most part, he was able to name everything on the cards…

Except for this one. “What’s that thing, Mommy?” (Um… thanks for ratting me out, kid. ;) )

Once we had all the cards out and ready, we chose a letter and dove right in! The letter “D” was his first choice, so we placed the D in the top slot and started looking for all the items that started with D. (His little sister helped with this task.) Then he wanted to practice writing his letters, too, so I grabbed a piece of printer paper and let him have at it.

The set is actually supposed to be used with a whiteboard/dry erase board… which we didn’t have on hand that afternoon, but paper worked just as well for us.

One thing I anticipate being a little confusing are the choices for “X” words. These are the only objects that don’t actually start with the letter. They include the letter “x” somewhere else in the word (like “box”, “fox”, etc.) For a very beginning reader, that’ll be a little confusing when all the other object cards start with the corresponding letter. But let’s face it… X can be a pretty confusing letter anyway.

The cards store nicely in the built-in pockets in the back, which I appreciate. The set is also extremely portable. This folds up quickly and compactly and would be an easy, enriching activity to bring with us on a long car ride or to grandma’s house.

The nylon is durable. It’ll be easy to wipe clean, if anything were to spill on it. The cards are colorful and sturdy. They seem like they’ll hold up well.

Be sure to follow Learning Resources on Facebook — they run weekly contests for great prizes! And check them out on Twitter and YouTube, as well.

Here’s what we liked most:

• Portability.
• Easily recognizable words.
• Colorful illustrations.
• Easy to store.

The giveaway

WIN IT: One lucky reader will win a Letter Box Activity Set, thanks to Learning Resources!

The rules: Open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway runs through Feb. 15. Winner will be chosen with Random.org and will be notified by e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Disclosure: I was not compensated for this review. I received a product to facilitate my review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Big Miracle: Age-Appropriate Movie Review

by Alissa on February 3, 2012

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a pre-screening of Big Miracle this weekend. The film hits theaters today, Feb. 3.

Kid-friendly movie review: Big Miracle

Big Miracle is an inspiring tale of three whales, trapped unexpectedly under the ice in the arctic sea, during their migration home. News of the whales travels quickly throughout the rest of the country and the world, capturing the hearts of everyone who hears their tale — even the most cynical of the bunch.

One thing I particularly enjoyed was that this was based on a true story. The movie included real news footage throughout (i.e. a 1980s Tom Brokaw reporting the news on the whales). You’ll definitely want to stay through the credits as well. As the credits rolled, there were additional clips of the real people portrayed by the actors in the movie. We were able to see what all of the “characters” looked like in real life, back in the 80s when this took place.

I also appreciated some of the bigger themes the movie offered: Everyone has in them the potential to do something extraordinary; the importance of working together (on a global scale, even); protecting the environment; recognizing and celebrating different cultures and keeping those traditions alive through generations. These are wonderful messages for kids and we’ll definitely be returning to them again when we talk with our son after the movie.

Is Big Miracle appropriate for kids?

We give Big Miracle 5 out of 5 cartwheels.

Big Miracle is heartwarming and inspiring without a doubt. There are very few intense scenes, if any. Very young children (preschoolers and younger) may become a little distracted in parts (there are some story-building scenes), but overall the movie does a great job of switching back and forth between people-centered scenes and the whales.

There were a few instances of very mild language use, but these were pretty rare, so most kids may not even pick up on them at all.

Of course, the biggest indicator of whether your child may be old enough to see this one in the theaters is the issue of impending death. No spoilers here, but the threat is real throughout the entire film that these whales may not make it on their journey home.

Do I plan to take our son (4.5 years) to Big Miracle when it hits theaters this Friday, Feb. 3? Yes, I do. He’s a real fan of animals and I believe would be able to sit through and enjoy the entire movie. I also am looking forward to using the film as a springboard for learning more about the history behind the movie. It’ll offer us a great opportunity to read and learn more about these three whales and the people who rallied together to help try to save them.

The Synopsis

Based on the inspiring incredible true story that united the world, the rescue adventure Big Miracle tells the amazing tale of a small town news reporter (John Krasinski) and a animal-loving volunteer (Drew Barrymore) who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.

Local newsman Adam Carlson (Krasinski) can’t wait to escape the northern tip of Alaska for a bigger market. But just when the story of his career breaks, the world comes chasing it, too. With an oil tycoon, heads of state and hungry journalists descending upon the frigid outpost, the one who worries Adam the most is Rachel Kramer (Barrymore). Not only is she an outspoken environmentalist, she’s also his ex-girlfriend.

With time running out, Rachel and Adam must rally an unlikely coalition of Inuit natives, oil companies and Russian and American military to set aside their differences and free the whales. As the world’s attention turns to the top of the globe, saving these endangered animals becomes a shared cause for nations entrenched against one another and leads to a momentary thaw in the Cold War.

The Trailer

How about you? Do you plan to take the kids to see Big Miracle in the theaters?

Tagged as: Movies, review

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MrChewy.com: Delivering Pet (and Owner) Happiness {review}

by Alissa on February 1, 2012

the review

We recently had the opportunity to review MrChewy.com.

When we adopted our dog Luke several years ago, we started him out on a well-known brand of dog food that’s commonly available at specialty pet stores. So while it’s not necessarily a ton of extra time or searching to find this brand of dog food, it does take a separate trip every time we need a new bag. This brand is not available at the grocery store or Target, so we can’t just incorporate that errand in with our other shopping.

When you add two kids to the mix, sometimes you’re just looking for any small way to cut down on separate stores (that’s not just me, is it?). MrChewy.com seems to be a very promising solution to that problem. They offer a ton of brands, including those normally found at specialty pet stores and their prices, for the most part, are comparable.

Here’s what I liked most:

• Pet food delivered to our door. No longer do I have to take two kids to a specialty store and then wrestle with a large (35 lb.+) bag of dog food to get it into our trunk, up the stairs, into the house and put away.

• Wide variety of brands. There were a large number of brands of dog food and treats to choose from. While we usually stick with the same brand of dog food, it’s going to be lots of fun to find healthy and different treats for Luke to try without searching them out in a specialty store.

• Reasonable prices. Certainly you’ll need to compare prices on your own preferred brand of dog food, but for us, we were able to find the same bag/brand of dog food for just about the same price we’d normally pay in the stores. The treats were slightly more variable, it seemed.

• Free shipping on orders of $49 or more. If you’re a dog owner and you’re buying dog food, you know you can hit that total pretty quickly. I’ll gladly throw in a couple bags of treats when I buy a new shipment of dog food to avoid the trip to the store!

• Prompt shipping: They aren’t kidding when they promise “prompt shipping” — I placed our order on a Tuesday afternoon and it arrived on Thursday already!

MrChewy.com offered such an easy, affordable alternative to pet food shopping, that we’ll definitely be ordering from them in the future. I’ll also be interested to compare their prices on flea & tick medication to see if they hold up to what we’ve paid in the past at stores.

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Disclosure: I received a promotional code to MrChewy.com to facilitate my review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tagged as: pets, review

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Ella’s Kitchen {review & giveaway}

by Alissa on January 18, 2012

Have you tried Ella’s Kitchen baby food yet?

I’ll let you in on a little secret… it’s not just for babies! Not at all.

In fact, my preschooler loves these “squeezie pouches” just as much as his younger sister does. Yes, that’s the very technical name for them. ;)

Here’s what I love about these fruit and veggie purees:

1. They’re organic, so I know my kids are getting the very best quality ingredients.

2. They’re portable – I can throw a couple of these in the bag and the kids can easily eat them on the go.

3. No added ingredients. Not even any water to dilute it. Pure fruit and veggies.

4. They’re delicious. Yes, my husband and I have both tried (and love) them ourselves.

5. Most importantly, my kids LOVE them. Not only are they getting their servings of fruits and veggies, but they’re not fighting me on it. In fact, they’re requesting them! That’s totally priceless, in my book.

Ella’s Kitchen products can be found in several stores, including Target, Diapers.com, Amazon and more. Check to find the nearest location right here!

*While supplies last, be sure to check them out on Facebook. There’s a coupon available (on the Welcome tab) just for their Facebook fans.

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WIN IT: One lucky reader will win a sample 10-pack just like the one we received, thanks to Ella’s Kitchen!

The rules: Open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway runs through Jan. 31. Winner will be chosen with Random.org and will be notified by e-mail. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!

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Disclosure: We received a sample pack of Ella’s Kitchen food to facilitate our review. I can tell you, though, that the Peaches & Banana flavor is my son’s very favorite, so we’ve bought them every shopping trip since! As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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