Mom Central Archives - Wisconsin Mommy

Use the FINDS Shopping App to Score Some Great Finds!

April 12, 2013 By Maureen Fitzgerald Leave a Comment

finds shopping app With so many shopping apps out there, it can be hard to decide which one is a good fit for you. Mom Central offered me the chance to try out the Finds app for my iPhone as part of a campaign with Finds and I thought “why not?”.

I love shopping. Well, I actually don’t, at least not the part where you wander around aimlessly trying to find the “perfect” gift or item to purchase. I like the kind of shopping where you shop from the comfort of your couch or at least find ideas from the comfort of your couch and then go out and buy them. That’s why the Finds app (available for free on iTunes) is perfect for someone like me.

When I need to find some inspiration, I can easily see what other Finds users have posted. With the “Discover” tab, I can browse through the most recent postings or I can search for something specific. I can also search out specific users and see what they are posting.

shopping iphone app

The “Wishlist” option allows me to bookmark things I find that I want to purchase myself. I can also see friends’ wishlists as well (This is great if I am wanting to buy something for them but am fresh out of ideas.)

iphone shopping app

I am even enjoying my own aimless shopping trips more now thanks to Finds. When I make a fabulous find, I can share it out on Finds and help others who might be looking for something similar or just provide a little inspiration! I’ve been looking for a stylish bag that can hold my laptop and camera gear when I am travelling. I was pretty excited when I found a Kelly Moore bag that fit the bill and just as excited to share it with the Finds community.

kelly moore bag

I’d love it if you’d follow me on Finds (I’m Wisconsin Mommy from Milwaukee if you want to search me out). And, for a little added treat, Finds is giving away a $100 Visa Debit Card to one of its users each week. To enter, just sign up, get a few (3) followers, and make sure you’ve posted something that week.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Finds and I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Filed Under: reviews, Technology Tagged With: apps, iPhone, Mom Central, shopping

Dove New Body Wash Review – The Truth Revealed #DoveTruth

March 6, 2013 By Maureen Fitzgerald 1 Comment

I have always been a scent person. I like to have things around me smell nice and often choose the things I buy based on how they smell – laundry detergent, soaps, candles…you name it. I had been buying my body wash from a store that specialized in body (and things like that) solely because I really liked the smell of their products.

I guess this was okay when I was younger, but lately it had started to become an issue. Now that I no longer a teenager, I have to be really conscious of how products affect the moisture level of my skin. In the cold Wisconsin winters, this becomes an even bigger issue. I was starting to notice that my skin was feeling tight and dry and often kind of itchy – no fun at all!!

When I began as a Dove Ambassador, I was excited to try their new body wash since I had recently fallen in love with their shampoo and conditioner and noticed a huge difference in my hair once I started using it. The body wash did not disappoint! Right away (as in after only one use), I noticed that my skin felt better. That annoying itch was gone. After I had been using it for a little over a week, I noticed that I could actually see a difference in my skin. (Here’s where I wish I had taken a “before” picture!! But I’m not going to stop using it just for the sake of proof!) My shins especially showed the greatest improvement. I even ditched my shave cream and started using the Dove Body Wash – no more post shaving stinging and itching.

The best thing that I discovered was that I loved the smell of the Dove Body Wash. It comes in a variety of fun “flavors” but even the traditional scent is just so fresh and clean that I fell in love with it. I also got to try out the unscented sensitive skin variety which was a perfect fit with my 8 year old son.

I guess the biggest testament to whether I like a product or not is whether I will go out and buy more once my free samples have run out. I can say that I have already stocked up on more Dove Body Wash as I don’t want to get caught for even one day with an empty bottle! Plus there are so many fun scents and varieties to try.

To learn more, be sure to visit Dove’s Facebook page!

I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Dove and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Filed Under: reviews Tagged With: dove, dry skin, Mom Central, shower, skin care, winter

Blick Art Room Aid Makes Helping Your Favorite Art Teacher Easy!

February 14, 2013 By Maureen Fitzgerald 1 Comment

As many of you know, I used to be a classroom teacher. I loved my job. I loved spending my day with kids which, let’s be honest, can often be a lot more pleasant than spending it with grown-ups. I loved watching them understand something for the first time. I loved when they asked me questions that made me look at something a new way. I often learned as much from them as they did from me.

What I did not love was often being without all of the tools to teach the lessons I wanted in ways that would match their specific learning styles, or grab their interest, or make a lasting impression. I did the best I could with what I had and I didn’t grumble (well, not too much anyways). But I always had a voice in the back of my mind that asked how much more might they achieve if having the tools I needed wasn’t an issue.

No group of teachers fight this battle more than Art teachers. Art, by its nature, is a subject that is very supply-intensive. Imagine taking an art class with no supplies at all – you would have to spend all of your time looking at art in books or on slides and never have the chance to try your own hand at creating something magical. (Wait, I think I took that class once. It was called “Art Appreciation” and I HATED it!!)

Blick Art Materials, a company that provides art supplies to schools, understands that a good art lesson requires hands on supplies for kids to use. They have come up with a great way for teachers to let folks know what they need. Blick Art Materials has created Art Room Aid which is a place for art teachers to create a wish list for specific projects. The process is amazingly simple! Teachers register for an account, describe the project they would like to fund, and choose which supplies they need. Once the list is published, anyone can go to the list and help the teacher acquire the needed supplies either by donating a monetary credit to Blick or by purchasing the item(s) and gifting them to the teacher. You can see some examples of projects looking for funding here.

Just in case you need to be sold on the importance of art education, here is an infographic created from the results of a survey of 500 artists.

This post was written in partnership with Blick Art Materials and The Motherhood. All opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: reviews Tagged With: babies, Mom Central, photography, tips and tricks

Barilla Whole Grain Taste and Share Challenge – Review (and Giveaway) CLOSED

November 30, 2011 By Maureen Fitzgerald 26 Comments

Barilla has made it an even easier for you to take the Whole Grain Taste & Share Challenge! For a limited time, visit: http://on.fb.me/TryWholeGrain, enter box code 1129 and select two of your Facebook friends to share Whole Grain with. You’ll be instantly eligible to print a $1/2 coupon and your friends will each receive a $1/1 coupon good for any variety of Barilla Whole Grain pasta.

I know that I am supposed to eat healthier, and that I am supposed to serve whole grains to my family. My problem is that usually the white stuff just tastes better. You know what I mean, right? Especially when it comes to pasta. All of the whole grain versions resembled something like cardboard. And the family refuses to eat it.

Recently, I had the chance to try Barilla’s Whole Grain Pasta (along with a bunch of other Barilla goodies.) FINALLY!! Whole grain pasta that doesn’t taste like cardboard. LJ even finished his plate. I confess, I never told him it was whole grain…and he didn’t ask so I think that’s a victory! Made with 51 percent whole grain, all natural Barilla Whole Grain Pasta has three times the fiber of regular pasta and provides a great way to make any pasta meal more nutritious. In addition, by pairing Barilla Whole Grain pasta with seasonal vegetables, herbs and cheeses you can serve your family versatile, tasty and healthful meals.

Also, as part of the Challenge, anyone can submit a code from a purchased Barilla Whole Grain box at www.facebook.com/barillaus to receive a $1 off coupon for friends and a coupon for themselves. For Whole Grain pasta recipes the whole family will enjoy, visit Barilla’s Dinner Kit.

But I really think you should try it out for yourself! The folks at Barilla teamed up with Mom Central to give away three Barilla Taste and Share kits (just like I got – pictured above) to three Wisconsin Mommy readers. Each kit has six boxes of Barilla Whole Grain pasta, Academia Barilla olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pesto, Sicilian cherry tomatoes, sea salt with black olives, and a Barilla apron.

Here’s how to enter:

Manditory

1) Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite pasta dish.

Optional extra entries. Leave a comment for each one telling me you did it.

2) Follow Wisconsin Mommy on Twitter.

3) “Like” Wisconsin Mommy on Facebook.

4) For three extra entries, leave a comment on any other Wisconsin Mommy non-giveaway post. (Leave 3 comments to gain all extra entries.)

Legal stuff: This giveaway will end at 11:59 pm CST on Sunday 12/4. The winners will be chosen using random.org and notified via email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond or forfeit their prize which will be awarded to someone else. No purchase necessary, chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries. Open to US residents ages 18 and up, void where prohibited by law. The prize will be supplied by Barilla/Mom Central.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Barilla and received a Taste & Share Challenge Kit to facilitate my review, kits to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.