Reviews

Birthday Parties At Monkey Joe’s!

by Lee on May 20, 2012

Monkey Joes 1 1024x1024 Birthday Parties At Monkey Joes!

Planning your child’s birthday party is a daunting task. You have to figure out who to invite, whether or not you should have a theme, do you feed the kids or just have cake and ice cream and the list goes on. One choice that shouldn’t be difficult is the venue to host the party. Monkey Joe’s goes above and beyond to make sure your child’s party is perfect in every way.

Monkey Joe’s is a bounce house establishment with arcade games and fun everywhere you turn. The bounce houses rise all the way to the ceiling and include more than just a place to jump. Many of them have long slides and obstacle courses that keep the kids going going going. There is no doubt that they’ll be worn out and ready for a nap when you leave.

Children 2 and up pay to jump and must wear socks. Children 2 and under are allowed to jump in specified areas (smaller houses) and parents do need to accompany them. The arcade games are not included in your entry fee but I recommend bringing a few extra dollars for tokens because your children will beg you to allow them to play. They can win tickets to redeem for small prizes once they are finished.

Birthday parties at Monkey Joe’s are well organized and stress free for mom. When you call to book you’ll be asked a series of questions about the amount of children included and the extras you want to include with your package. At our location for the base price we received:

  • 1½ hours in the supervised play area and your private party suite is available for 2 full hours
  • Invitations for your guests
  • We do all the set-up and clean up!
  • Gift for the birthday child
  • Drink for each child
  • Dedicated Party Pro
  • Paper plates, cups, tablecloth, utensils
  • Pizza & Ice Cream are included in your package. Balloons and Goodie Bags are optional add-ons.

This may be different at your location so please check the Monkey Joe’s website for details. There are also a few different options to choose from to suit your families needs. The decorations included in your party are basic. You are welcome to bring in your own decorations if you had your heart set on a theme. The only thing you can not bring is food. You are required to bring a birthday cake. They are not provided.

Monkey Joes 2 1024x839 Birthday Parties At Monkey Joes!

We were treated to all the fixin’s since this party was for a review. The balloons would be worth the money in my opinion especially since it means you wouldn’t have to fight with them in your car. I firmly believe fighting with balloons in your car is the worst part of party planning.

The Goodie bags were filled with the type of prizes your child receives after playing games  in an arcade. Inside the bags were prizes such as paddle ball, plastic toy teeth, Chinese finger traps, plastic kazoos and the like. It was nice not to have to pick all of that stuff out myself and at under $3 each I can’t complain. The children were thrilled they were getting a Goodie bag so that makes me happy. In my opinion you should do all the extras so you don’t have to mess with doing it yourself.

Our party host was a life saver and did all the heavy lifting. Setting up the party, pouring drinks, serving pizza, cutting the cake, cleaning up spills, wrangling children and of course cleaning up were all part of her job description. She made sure the adults had beverages (at an extra cost) and that everyone was comfortable. Again, she was included in the package but I was sure to give her an extra tip at the end of the party.

The only thing they could change to make me more comfortable was adding an extra hour to the private party room. We did not have time to open presents. If you wanted to open gifts you would have had to pull the kids off the bounce house floor and then they wouldn’t have had much time to play. 2 hours goes by really fast when you have to eat pizza and birthday cake.

The kids had ample time to bounce themselves sick and after the party ends they are invited to stay and play as long as they’d like. At the end of the day I can honestly say I felt like I got my money’s worth. Everyone was happy, the adults and the kids.

Don’t hesitate to book your Birthday party at Monkey Joe’s by visiting http://www.monkeyjoes.com and look for them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/monkeyjoes.

*I received media sample. All opinions are my own.

*Unfortunately my computer was stolen in the home invasion and all my Monkey Joe’s pictures were lost. I had just 2 that I had posted on Facebook. The rest of these pictures are stock images.

 

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photo2 e1337282342695 225x300 Stonyfield YoKids Greek Yogurt Review And GiveawayYoung children can be very picky and none of my children have been exempt. I know if I have yogurt on hand my two boys will always have a healthy snack. When Stonyfield asked us to try their new YoKids Greek Yogurt it was a no brainer.

I have always been a fan of Stonyfield’s YoBaby Yogurt. Karolyn and Kyle both were big fans of the YoBaby with the Blueberry variety  being their favorite. As Karolyn got older she decided yogurt was gross but my boys still love it and eat it many days a week.

We are graduated out of the YoBaby now that Wyatt is 2.  We have moved onto the YoKids with the strawberry/vanilla and blueberry combo being our favorite combo pack. My kids love the rich taste and wonderful texture.  I love that it has 25% less sugar than the leading kid’s yogurt. Yo Kids is also  USDA organic so I know I am giving my children something nutritious without any of those nasty chemicals lurking in the background.

The YoKids Greek was totally new for us so we were excited to try it.  If your child eats yogurt as much as mine do, you will know it is a totally new product. YoKids Greek is the very first organic Greek photo3 e1337282506271 225x300 Stonyfield YoKids Greek Yogurt Review And Giveawayyogurt made especially for children. Each container contains 100 calories and just 1 gram of fat. It contains 6g of Protein and 20% of your child’s daily needs of both Vitamin D and Calcium.  This makes YoKids Greek a wonderful snack choice for your child. It also contains their exclusive blend of 6 live cultures: S. Thermophilus, L.Bulgaricus, L.Acidophilus Bifidus, L.Casei And L.Rhamnosus.  These cultures aide in digestive health as well as overall health and well being.

I did have a bit of a problem finding YoKids Greek Yogurt as it was not sold in the grocery store at which I shop. I did eventually find out that it is currently sold in Target stores. It comes as a 4-pack of either Raspberry or Strawberry flavored yogurt. Wyatt absolutely loved it. The rich texture and tanginess you would expect from Greek Yogurt were definitely present. I actually liked it too because it wasn’t too sweet like most of the other brands marketed towards children.

Right now Stonyfield is offering you an opportunity to try out YoKids Greek Yogurt by winning some great coupons.

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sig1 Erika Stonyfield YoKids Greek Yogurt Review And Giveaway

*I received media sample. All opinions are my own.

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Have You Heard About Clean Cubes?

by Lee on May 17, 2012

Check out the press release below about an innovative new product! Clean Cubes remind me of a simple paper grocery bag however they are reusable. There are tons of ways to use them and each one means helping the eco system. Be sure to like them on Facebook as well!

Clean Cubes 2 768x1024 Have You Heard About Clean Cubes?

Brand-New Clean Cubes™ Receive Prestigious International Housewares Association Innovation Award

Young NYC couple invent patent-pending, eco-friendly and versatile trash product

NEW YORK CITY— After being on the market for only a few weeks, Clean Cubes™ took the home and housewares industry by storm when it recently received a prestigious 2012 International Housewares Association Innovation Award at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago.

Clean Cubes, a new patent-pending biodegradable, disposable and recyclable trash bin product available on Amazon, was invented by Javier Colayco, a New York City-based Harvard graduate and web entrepreneur, and his wife, Thuy Minh. The young couple bootstrapped the entire venture themselves.

A panel of International Housewares Association expert judges, including seasoned designers, major retailers and industry experts, selected the eco-friendly Clean Cubes to represent the most innovative new product in home organization and storage. Eleven other products were selected in various categories. More than 400 products were entered in the inaugural awards.

Colayco, 34, thought of the Clean Cubes concept when devising a solution to the constant trash pileup in his small New York apartment. He and Minh, 30, were constantly frustrated with an overflow of trash whenever they had guests.

“Clean Cubes are attractive, easy to use, affordable and convenient,” Colayco said. “We have many positive five-star ratings on Amazon, and customers are enthusiastic and seem to always come back for more. We hope to expand into the retail market very soon.”

Just a few uses for Clean Cubes:

Daily household (kitchen, bar, basement, garage)
Patio/deck
Pool
Parties
Weddings/receptions
Picnics
Camping
Boating

Learn more about the many uses for Clean Cubes on its new Facebook page.

New Siggy Lee Have You Heard About Clean Cubes?

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SmartBones Review and Giveaway!

by Jackie on May 15, 2012

Screen Shot 2012 05 15 at 9.00.17 AM e1337086898463 SmartBones Review and Giveaway!By now everyone knows how much my Buddy means to me. Lately, I’ve been getting even more obsessed with my dog (if that’s even possible). Last week we were playing and I noticed that he was starting to turn grey around his nose. This sent me into a panic attack! Buddy is 5 years old, but my son is 18 and leaving home soon. I can’t lose Buddy; he’s the only thing that is going to keep me going once Jake leaves. So now I’m being extra careful about what I give him to eat. SmartBones is a healthy vegan alternative to the old rawhide.

Buddy’s nutrition is no less important than mine. He has to eat well if he’s going to stay fit and have a long life. Did you know that rawhides are thought by some people to be dangerous for your dog? Rawhide does not break down, so there is a high risk of choking and they are extremely hard for a dog to digest, which could cause stomach and intestine problems. SmartBones have no rawhide; they are made by combining multiple vegetables and processing them with chicken jerky, so they are all natural and 99% digestible. SmartBones have a delicious center strip that is also made of only the best healthy ingredients like real chicken, corn and peanut butter.

I gave Buddy a SmartBone in chicken flavor. Buddy is a bit of a Diva, go figure. He won’t eat anything I throw at him. He loved his SmartBone. He took it outside to chomp on in the front yard where all the neighbor dogs could see him, like I said Diva. It lasted about 10 minutes, which is about as long as anything Buddy really likes lasts. He seemed pretty happy and I felt better giving him something other than rawhide. After all, he’s the best dog ever, how could I take any chances with his health?

SmartBones can be found at your local pet supply stores. Don’t take any chances with your dog’s health. To learn more go to www.smartbones.com

Right now 2 lucky readers can win a bag of SmartBones for their best four legged friends.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This contest is open to US Residents ages 18+ Only. Contest will run until June 5th at Midnight EST. Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize.

sig1 Jackie SmartBones Review and Giveaway!
*I received media sample. All opinions are my own.

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I’m A Skype Brand Ambassador So Let’s Communicate!

May 14, 2012

Skype, which is a software application that allows users to make phone calls over the internet in both audio and visual capacity, chose a handful of bloggers to help spread the word about their service. I was lucky enough to be among the chosen. I love using Skype to chat with my other Mom blogging [...]

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Mothers Day 2012 Gifts! Red Carpet Manicure Review And Giveaway!

May 11, 2012

Like a lot of women I have never had nice nails. I used to pay a lot of money for “fake” nails, but after a couple fills they didn’t look real and they hurt like hell if they jammed or broke. This was too high maintenance for me, so I gave up. Then along came [...]

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Consider Some Non-Traditional Gifts This Mother’s Day!

May 10, 2012

No matter what the occasion, everyone wants to get a special gift that their mom will both appreciate and cherish. Moms appreciate the time and thought that goes into selecting a gift. There are many different kinds of special gifts that can be given to moms. Many of the special gifts moms enjoy receiving are [...]

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Mother’s Day 2012 Gifts! Kipling Handbags!

May 10, 2012

Spoil mom rotten this Mother’s Day with a fun handbag from Kipling. I love this brand because it is really high quality. It makes me laugh because I have no idea why they have a monkey as their logo, but it’s incredibly cute. Also, when you purchase a bag you get a little Kipling monkey [...]

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Mother’s Day 2012 Gifts! Tervis 24oz. Insulated Water Bottle Review!

May 9, 2012

Sometimes I get a review product that surprises me, something I absolutely love and can’t live without. I was happy to hear from Tervis when they contacted us regarding their new line of products.  Their water bottle ended up being one of the best products I’ve ever reviewed. My sister, Lee, told me that Tervis [...]

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Step 2 Tropical Island Resort Water Table Review!

May 7, 2012

This summer break out the fun with the Step 2 Tropical Island Resort Water Table! Not only does this awesome water table hold 7 gallons of cool water, but it also has 14 play accessories. As you can see from the pictures my kids had a blast with the diving board. All they had to [...]

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