This weekend (5/18-5/20) only — 50% off a Sedu 1″ Flat Iron at Folica.com. Enter SECRETSEDU at checkout.

*Have you entered for your chance to win a Sedu flat iron yet? Be sure to enter our flat iron giveaway here!

the review

We recently had the opportunity to review Foodler.com, a food delivery website.

You’re hungry. (Or is that just me?) You know you want delivery/takeout, but can’t figure out exactly what you want. That’s where Foodler.com comes in. This website compiles all the information you need (menus, location, contact information) from area restaurants and offers them to you in one spot. So you don’t have to spend a ton of time tracking down that information. And you can get your food ordered and delivered more quickly, as a result.

As someone who is always very interested in what other people’s experiences have been, I was happy to see how many customer ratings you find on the site. Not only can you rate the restaurant, but each individual menu item.

Foodler offers a neat rewards program. You earn 3 Frequent Foodler points for every dollar you spend on Foodler, 4 points for every restaurant rating, and 2 points for every item you rate. Ratings must be submitted within one week of receiving your food. Points can be redeemed at any time for FoodlerBucks, gift cards or even cash.

The only downside so far is that—at least in the Philly area—they’re really focused mainly on the city itself. Which leaves a lot of us in the suburbs on our own when it comes to delivery and takeout. I was disappointed to see that only a small handful (we’re talking only one or two restaurants) were available in my area. And upon further investigation, neither actually delivered to our house. And I only live about 15 minutes outside of Philadelphia. So… yeah, there’s a huge dropoff when you leave the city limits. I’m hoping that as they continue to expand they’ll include the suburbs.

We did end up finding a restaurant that was relatively close to us. And we ended up placing our order and driving over for takeout, which is, in all honesty, something we do more often than actual delivery anyway. Placing the order was quick and easy. And 25 minutes later… we have food!

If you are in the city, though, this would be a great option for taking the night off from preparing dinner. Or perfect for placing an office lunch order—all those restaurant options, in one place, makes it easy to place an entire office’s lunch order right from one account.

It would also make for a fun and easy date night in the city. Order takeout and have a picnic in the park, before hitting the art museum or out for drinks. (Wait… did I just plan our next date night? Why, yes. Yes, I did.)

And I also plan to keep it tucked away as a perfect travel buddy. What an awesome way to get a little help exploring a new city.

Here’s what we like most:

• Easy-to-use website.
• Earn Foodler points – for $ you spend and for submitting ratings.
• Customer reviews for restaurants and individual menu items.
• Foodler is free to sign-up and free to use.

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

the review

We recently had the opportunity to review the Pocket Pouch Prism – Jungle from Tegu.

My kids have always been fans of the basic wooden block. Over the years, we’ve had a couple different sets and they’ve built everything from castles to towers to zoos for their animals.

But their towers were only as tall as their ability to balance those blocks. And at ages 2 and 4? Well, that ability is sometimes a little limited.

As soon as we broke out this set of blocks from Tegu, the kids were hooked.

Suddenly, with the addition of magnets, the kids are limited only by their imaginations. The blocks now stay together when they’re building their structures. And when their creations are complete, they can actually move them around and play with those as well.

Our Tegu duck

The pocket pack is the perfect portable size to stick in our diaper bag or my purse. It’s handy to be able to break it out and let them have a little creative fun while waiting at the doctor’s office or in the car.

And I love that it’s something keeping them quiet and engaged, while we’re waiting… without batteries.

We’ll be putting more Tegu magnetic wooden blocks on our wish list for upcoming birthdays. All the Tegu sets work together, so starting small and adding to your collection is easy to do.

Here’s what we liked most:

• Portability.
• Well-made.
• Safe use of embedded magnets.
• Open-ended play.
• Eco-friendly materials: responsibly-sourced hardwoods and non-toxic coatings

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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.

Kid-friendly movie review: The Avengers

- Written by my husband, Mike

Seamlessly blending a host of Marvel’s top superheroes into one movie, The Avengers is an action-packed summer blockbuster. Directed by Joss Whedon (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Serenity fame), The Avengers is a fun ride that does a great job of providing a compelling storyline, tons of action, and some humor to keep things moving at a rapid pace. Fans of superhero movies and action movies will not be disappointed.

The Avengers finds the Earth under threat from Thor’s brother and nemesis Loki – this time Loki is partnered with a mysterious and creepy alien race that is planning an assault on the entire universe with Earth as the starting point. Luckily Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson, reprising his role form previous Marvel films) and the folks at SHIELD are on hand to save the day by getting a small army of superheroes to fight together under the name The Avengers. The team doesn’t get along that great at first, but luckily Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr. – funny as ever), The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo in an awesome turn as both Bruce Banner and his mean, green alter-ego The Hulk), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Hawkeye (the always cool Jeremy Renner) are able to put their differences aside to team up and try to stop Loki and his evil plan from destroy our world.

The effects are top-notch and there are a number of extended battle sequences that find the superheroes moving all over the place. Comic fans will also love the sharp and humorous writing that permeates this film. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I look forward to seeing it again.

Is The Avengers appropriate for kids?

Take the PG-13 rating seriously. Sure this is a comic book movie but it is not appropriate for young children for two main reasons.

First, there is a significant amount of violence and fighting. While nothing is particularly gory there are some intense fight sequences and the movie essentially amounts to two-plus hours of fighting.

Second, as hinted at, the movie is long, clocking in at 2:24. Once you factor in previews and sitting through the credits (which you should do, BTW) it’s a long time for young kids to sit in one place.

The Synopsis

Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson, and written and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.

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How about you? Do you plan to see The Avengers in the theaters?

Kid-friendly movie review: Bully (2011)

- Written by my husband, Mike

At times heartbreaking and at times uplifting Bully is essential viewing as it brings the oft-ignored issue of bullying into the national spotlight. In recent years bullying has taken on a larger role in our society as high-profile incidents have captured national attention and anti-bullying projects (such as It Gets Better) have emerged. Yet it has remained difficult for parents and educators to discuss and deal with. Bully, a documentary directed by Lee Hirsch, gives an up-close look into the lives of bullied youths and does its part to start important dialogue about bullying.

The real strength of Bully is that it allows the kids – particularly those most affected by bullying – to tell the story themselves. In traditional documentary style, Hirsch lets the story unfold in front of us. As such, we see them talk candidly about their experiences, we see them during happy times and tough times, but also see them being physically and emotionally bullied. This is, at times, difficult to watch because the camera observes some pretty horrific treatment and is there simply as passive observer – the filmmakers are careful not to intervene and to let things play out (although they do report some physically dangerous bullying to one child’s parents so they can protect his safety). There are some very difficult scenes to watch both with kids bullying other kids but also in showcasing the inability of educators and parents to deal with bullying.

Parents will also likely find it difficult to hear stories of other parents dealing with the loss of their own children to suicides induced by bullying and other cruel treatment. However, the uplifting aspects come when we see the bullied kids and their parents take a stand and empower themselves and the audience with ways our society can try to end bullying. Some have indicated that the movie doesn’t provide all of the answers and doesn’t tell the full story of the complexities of bullying (for instance, the back story of those that bully is not told). However, Bully plays an essential role by starting the conversation and bringing the issue of bullying to everyone in a straightforward and heart-wrenching way. If you don’t think bullying is a problem now, you will after you see this movie.

Is Bully appropriate for kids?

There was much debate over the rating of this film. The MPAA originally suggested an “R” rating because of some colorful language. However, the producers removed a few of those instances and the rating was reduced to a PG-13. This is not a movie that I would want younger kids to see – while the message is important there are some very difficult scenes to watch.

Older kids, closer to age 13, should see this film, though as it will likely resonate with them at least in some way. Parents absolutely need to see this film, however, and then make the call on whether they think their child is ready to see some intense, real, and in-your-face bullying that ultimately has an uplifting message.

The Synopsis

Over 13 million American kids will be bullied this year, making it the most common form of violence experienced by young people in the nation. The new documentary film BULLY, directed by Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch, brings human scale to this startling statistic, offering an intimate, unflinching look at how bullying has touched five kids and their families.

BULLY is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, BULLY opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders. It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” clichés, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.

For more info, visit TheBullyProject.com

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

It’s tough to believe that school is winding down already. Summer will be here before we know it. For us, that means day trips to the beach with hours upon hours of digging in the sand and splashing in the waves. And, of course, swimming lessons!

To kick the season off right, SwimWays created the first annual National Learn to Swim Day this Saturday, May 19th. It’s the perfect opportunity to recognize and raise awareness about the importance of teaching children to swim.

According to the American Red Cross, drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages one to 14. That’s a scary statistic.

“Swimming is an invaluable, lifelong skill that children need to learn in their formative years,” says David Arias, president of SwimWays. “As with any new task, children learn in individual ways at their own pace, and swimming is no different. Parents must decide the best method for their child, whether it’s enrolling them in lessons at a nearby swim school or teaching them at home with a system like our Swim Steps program.”

So how will you get involved on National Learn to Swim Day? You could introduce children to the water at home, host a group swimming lesson, visit a community pool as a family, or enroll children in swim lessons at a local YMCA, Boys & Girls Club or local pool.

I’m excited to partner with SwimWays as a SwimWays Swim Steps Ambassador over the next few months. I’ll be sharing some important information as you and your little ones venture into the pool this summer.

For more information on National Learn to Swim Day and SwimWays, visit TeachMetoSwim.com.

Kindle books – Chasing Mona Lisa

Download a copy of Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey for FREE right now. This is a $14.99 value!

*Prices of Kindle books fluctuate quickly, so make sure you check the price to see that it’s still free before you download it yourself.

From the description:

It is August 1944 and Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country, stealing countless pieces of art. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all, the Mona Lisa, as a post-war bargaining chip to get him to South America. With nonstop action, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get readers’ adrenaline pumping as they join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh country chateau, the race is on–and the runners are playing for keeps.

(Thanks, Money Saving Mom!)

For more free and cheap Kindle books

Be sure to check the full list of Kindle books here. And remember that prices are always changing, so be sure to confirm price before purchasing.

Donors Choose – Make a Difference Monday

HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!

My good friend over at Surviving a Teacher’s Salary and I wanted to celebrate our teachers by donating to a Donors Choose project which will help both teachers & students! From now through midnight EST on Saturday night we want YOU to vote for your favorite Donors Choose project below! Make sure to get your teachers, parents, family & friends involved! The project with the highest votes will be awarded the $25 donation.

I truly hope you’re as motivated as I am to make these classroom dreams come true!

Directly below you will see links for each project that is in the contest. Below that you can vote for your favorite one!

Kindle books – Push

Download a copy of Push: 50 Secrets on How to Land a Job by Creating Social Media Buzz is FREE right now.

*Prices fluctuate quickly, so make sure you check the price to see that it’s still free before you download it yourself. I really hope they keep offering more of these bestselling Kindle books for so low!

From the description:

This book will help you push yourself towards your dream job by:
• Sharing 50 tips on how to leverage social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Prezi, SlideRocket) and networking techniques to land your dream job
• 10 core philosophies to guide you in your job hunting journey 
• Learn the secrets to how I was able to get recruiters from Google, HP, Verizon, Apple and other top private companies reach out to me about job opportunities!
• Best practices I’ve learned from hiring practices at Fortune 100 companies and numerous interviewing sessions and seminars at colleges

For more free and cheap Kindle books

Be sure to check the full list of Kindle books here. And remember that prices are always changing, so be sure to confirm price before purchasing.

Kindle books – The Bully Vaccine

Download a copy of The Bully Vaccine by Jennifer Hancock for FREE right now.

*Prices fluctuate quickly, so make sure you check the price to see that it’s still free before you download it yourself. I really hope they keep offering more of these bestselling Kindle books for so low!

From the description:
This book is designed to help parents vaccinate their kids against bullies and other obnoxious petty people. By preparing for them in advance you can effectively inoculate yourself against the worst of their behavior. The goal is to not be the sort of person a bully targets. It is much easier to prevent bullying than it is to stop it once it starts.

For more free and cheap Kindle books

Be sure to check the full list of Kindle books here. And remember that prices are always changing, so be sure to confirm price before purchasing.

Kindle books

There are a ton of Kindle books that are free to download right now. PLEASE NOTE: Prices fluctuate quickly, so make sure you check the price to see that it’s still free before you download it yourself.

Home and Garden Kindle books

• All About Mom: Insights, Thoughts and Life Lessons on Motherhood -

Nothing else in life compares to the one-of-a-kind bond mothers have with their children. Filled with more than 400 heartfelt reflections from such luminaries as Sylvia Plath, Booker T. Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, Jamaica Kincaid, Anne Tyler, and Amy Tan, All About Mom is a wise, witty, touching, and always honest look at what it really means to be mom. Whether reflecting on a mother’s strength, unconditional love and wisdom or examining her influence on her grown children’s lives, this book goes straight to the heart of this essential, enduring relationship.

Fiction Kindle books

• The Search Committee by Tim Owens

A mismatched team of seven hit the road in an Econoline church van on a mission to find a new pastor. They don’t agree on much other than the stops at Hardee’s for coffee and a biscuit. But they stick to the call, trying to slip undetected into worship services across the Southeast—all in hopes of stealing a preacher for their congregation. Each member is wrestling to balance their own busy life and personal struggles. And they’re trying to keep their issues to themselves. Forced to spend countless hours together, these very different personalities from different generations begin to bond. And their lives are profoundly changed as they love and support each other through the difficulties in each of their lives.

• The Rock Star’s Daughter by Caitlyn Duffy

• Spying in High Heels by Gemma Halliday

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling series! L.A. shoe designer, Maddie Springer, lives her life by three rules: Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. But when she stumbles upon the work of a brutal killer, her life takes an unexpected turn from Manolos to murder. And things only get worse when her boyfriend disappears – along with $20 million in embezzled funds – and her every move is suddenly under scrutiny by the LAPD’s sexiest cop. With the help of her post-menopausal bridezilla of a mother, a 300 pound psychic and one seriously oversexed best friend, Maddie finds herself stepping out of her stilettos and onto the trail of a murderer. But can she catch a killer before the killer catches up to her…

I really hope they keep offering more of these bestselling Kindle books for so low!

For more free and cheap Kindle books

Be sure to check the full list of Kindle books here. And remember that prices are always changing, so be sure to confirm price before purchasing.

Fisher-Price Trio King’s Castle is on sale for only $19.99 today! It’s a 213-piece set with a working drawbridge.

Reviews on Amazon are almost all 4- and 5-star (and it’s selling for $60 there!). My kids don’t have this particular set, but they do have a basic set of Trio blocks and really enjoy playing with them.

• The Fisher-Price TRIO King’s Castle allows your child to be the architect of his or her very own castle
• Easy-click bricks, sticks and panels make it easy to build a wide variety of different structures—ranging from castle parapets to catapults
• Double-sided snap-in picture panels let kids choose and change their adventures
• Break-away building panel for exciting battle action
• Fire the cannon to defend the castle
• Raise and lower the working drawbridge
• Roll the 2-in-1 battering ram into battle
• 213 piece set includes 6 play figures that snap on to the bricks and can ride the horse

This is an amazing deal on Happy Nappers – only $2.99 each with FREE shipping! My guess is that these may sell out pretty quickly, so I’d order early, if you’re interested.

Happy Nappers are soft pillows that are reversible – they transform into a stuffed animal. Choose from a ladybug, penguin, dragon, unicorn, monkey or dog.

(Thanks, Surviving a Teacher’s Salary!)

Kindle books

There are a ton of Kindle books that are free to download right now. PLEASE NOTE: Prices fluctuate quickly, so make sure you check the price to see that it’s still free before you download it yourself.

Home and Garden Kindle books

• Tomato Container Gardening: 7 Easy Steps to Healthy Harvests from Small Spaces by Mary Verdant

• Raising Chickens in Your Backyard by Anna Greenwood

The Organized Kitchen by Brette Sember

Money-Saving Tips – Kindle books

• Saving for Retirement (Without living like a pauper or winning the lottery) by Gail MarksJarvis

• How to Feed a Family of 4 or More for Less than $200 a Month by Melissa Burnell

• The American Frugal Housewife  - this was first published in 1832 – I’m interested to read through it just to see what things were like in the early 1800s!

• How to Get the Most from Your Trip to Disney World

Kids’ Kindle books

The Day No One Played Together: A Story About Compromise by Donalisa Helsley

I really hope they keep offering more of these bestselling Kindle books for so low!

For more free and cheap Kindle books

Be sure to check the full list of Kindle books here. And remember that prices are always changing, so be sure to confirm price before purchasing.

The Playhut Ultimate Safari Maze is on sale today for $29.99. It ranges between $50 and $60 on Amazon and gets great reviews.

Since my son builds a fort with couch cushions every day – every. single. day. – I can only imagine how many hours he’d spend crawling around this! Maybe we’d actually get the use of our couch back. Total bonus.

Features:

• This versatile play environment includes six structures that can be rearranged into multiple configurations
• Three safari-themed cubes and three tunnel ports will host hours of crawl-through play
• Patented Twist ‘N Fold technology for instant set-up and easy fold-down
• Lightweight and portable, it’s the perfect on-the-go play environment!
• Created with durable and soft polyester materials
• Piece-by-piece rearrangement and structure expansion
• Carefully designed and constructed to make playtime safe as well as fun
• Connect to other Playhut structures (sold separately) for even more expandable play
• Includes a carrying case

Specifications:

• Cube Dimensions: 28” L x 28” W x 28” H
• Tube Dimensions: 20” L x 19” W x 16” H