Can you believe it’s already time for Valentine’s Day?  I just got done shopping for Christmas and now I have to shop for Valentine’s Day and the middle dude’s birthday.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, I received a very nice surprise from the folks over at H-E-B.  Each item that I received in the basket can be purchased at H-E-B while you are doing your normal grocery shopping.  I think you’ll be surprised to see what was in my basket.

Oh how I love multipurpose trips.  Not only do I save money on gas, I save time.  It’s a win-win situation all the way around.

I know many of you, just like me, are super busy and don’t have time for multiple trips to a variety of stores to get the things you need.  That’s why I really appreciate that H-E-B offers not only groceries, but household items, health and beauty products, etc.

The basket that I received was the “Shop-A-Holic” gift basket and it included a $25 Visa Gift Card, 6.8 oz heart shaped package of Elmer Chocolates, .5 fl oz bottle of Couture by Juicy Couture, a stuffed little Valentine’s Day puppy, a pink and black pashmina, red slapband watch with faux diamond rhinestones, flower and rhinestone ring and a heart shaped mirrored compact.

When my husband saw all that H-E-B had sent me, his response was, “Great! Now what am I supposed to get you?”  I assured him that while I LOVED everything in the basket, that I was positive I could think of something else I wanted.

A big thanks to the folks at H-E-B for showing me how easy it is to do your Valentine’s Day shopping at H-E-B.  The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I received media samples in order to facilitate this post.

A few months back, okay, a lot of months back, I had the opportunity to travel to Atlanta (my first time there) where What to Expect When You’re Expecting was being filmed.  While in Atlanta, I had the opportunity to sit down with Elizabeth Banks (who I think is absolutely beautiful and hilarious), take a look around the set and sit in while a part of the movie was being filmed.

It was such a fun time and I can’t wait for the May 18, 2012 release date!

While I was with Elizabeth Banks, I learned that she had recently had a child by way of a surrogate.  I found this especially interesting because I’m in the process of finding a couple to be a surrogate for.  It’s been something my husband and I have been thinking about for the last six to seven years and now that our family is complete, we want to help another couple have a family of their own.

I was drawn to this movie because when I was pregnant with my children, the What to Expect When You’re Expecting book was my daily go-to read when I had questions about what was going on in my body and the different things that I was feeling.  So, I assumed the movie would be like the books but I wondered how they would make that entertaining…

I was happy to see that it’s more comedic, rather than informational — which is a good thing.  Because let’s face it, who would go to the theaters to see it?  Not me, that’s for sure.

The movie features tons of crazy, talented folks including Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz and Dennis Quaid, just to name a few.  It follows the journey of five couples on the journey to parenthood and if the movie is anything like I think it’s going to be, you’ll be laughing the whole way through.

So don’t forget, mark your calendars for May 18, 2012!

A special thanks to Lionsgate for inviting me to be their guest in Atlanta.

With all the technology available, it’s no surprise that my three year old son knows how to navigate my phone better than I do.  I love that my children have the opportunity to use technology each and every day in ways that I didn’t when I was growing up.

We recently received the VTech InnoTab Learning Tablet for review and my children love having their own little tablet.  The InnoTab is designed for children ages 4 through 9 and like other tablets, it’s an all-in-one tablet that allows children to read, play, create and learn.

When we first received the InnoTab, I must admit that I was a little intimidated by it.  It looks similar to an iPad, just with a little more girth and protection from little hands and drops to the floor.  There are so many different activities to explore and discover, so it took me a little while to experience all the different aspects of the InnoTab.

Since I have multiple children, I like the capability of being able to personalize one profile for one my children.  When that particular child is playing, they simply touch their name and are taken to their personalized settings.  When someone else is playing, they can play as a guest.  Because I have three children, I would like to have the option of creating more than one personalized profile.

When you turn on the InnoTab, you end up on the home page.  On the home page, you will find all the different areas (icons) that you can explore on the InnoTab.  The InnoTab does feature a 5″ color touch screen, which makes it feel more “real” and not just a toy.  I did notice that sometimes the screen isn’t as sensitive as I think it should be, especially since it is designed for the little hands of children.  I’ve had better luck when using the stylus over using my fingers.

The VTech InnoTab comes with eight learning apps valued at $50.  It can act as an e-reader, calendar, calculator and much more, but it can also be a gaming device and a place for your child to explore their creative side by using the art studio and color & pop.  It comes preloaded with 12 applications but you can download other apps by connecting your InnoTab to the computer.

Like I mentioned earlier, the InnoTab is very similar to the iPad, which is very good for parents who want their iPads all to themselves.  But, since it is made for little children with clumsy hands, there are some differences.  The InnoTab is much thicker, a little heavier, and the little rubber bumpers help keep it safe from small falls.  But features like the home page, apps, touch screen and portrait and landscape viewing are what make my children feel like they are using something very similar to mommy’s.

The InnoTab also features a stand, headphone jack, ac adapter jack and a USB port.  Since you can also buy cartridges for the InnoTab, there is also a cartridge slot.  In addition to the on/off button and home page button, there is also a volume up button, volume down button and button that controls the brightness of the screen.

My one big complaint with the InnoTab is the batteries.  The tablet goes through batteries quicker than I would like and I’m incredibly disappointed that an adapter does not come with it.  You can purchase one separately, but when you really think about it, how often are your children playing that close to an outlet.  It does require 4AA batteries, so my suggestion is to purchase two sets of 4AA rechargeable batteries so that there is always a set available.

Overall, the VTech InnoTab has been a hit around here.  The children have pretty much come to terms with having to touch the screen a couple of times to get it to do what they want and I’ve come to terms with not having an adapter and having to purchase rechargeable batteries.  The children love having their own tablet and I like having mine — all to myself.

Buy:

You can purchase the VTech InnoTab for the suggested retail price of $79.99.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I received media samples in order to facilitate this post.

I’ve signed on for another year as an H-E-B Beauty Blogger and each month throughout 2012, I will bring to you a Beauty Pick of the Month.  Each month will be something different and I will give you my thoughts on the product or products and then I’ll also be offering a giveaway of the product reviewed.  For January, we are going to kick it off with Orchid facial care products that can only be found at your local H-E-B.

I’ve been using the Orchid Facial Care Products for about two weeks now.  Out of the four different products, the Anti-Aging Eye Roller is my favorite, followed by the Thermal Clay Mask.

I usually start my facial care routine by using the Orchid Thermal Clay Mask.  Of course, being the smeller that I am, I immediately went for the sniff test.  It passed with flying colors.  I can’t tell what the scent is, but it reminds me of something fruity.  Given the product name “Thermal Clay Mask”, I expected it to be a mask.  However, to me, it’s more of a face wash because it’s incredibly thin and nothing like a clay mask I’m used to.  Regardless of the misleading name, I still love it.  It heats up right after you start rubbing it on your face for a nice warming affect.  I haven’t had any skin problems while using this product and no unsightly breakouts either.

After I clean my face with the Thermal Clay Mask, I use the Firming Lift Face Serum.  Again, I love the scent.  It goes on smooth and dries quickly.  It doesn’t leave my skin feeling sticky or tacky and of course, leaves my skin smelling nice.

After I use the Firming Lift Face Serum, I use the Anti-Aging Eye Roller.  What I love most about this product is the little roller on the tip makes it super simple to apply and I don’t have to use my fingers.  The metal roller is cold to the touch and should help with under eye puffiness (I don’t have this problem, so I can’t confirm).  I’ve been using it faithfully on the wrinkles around my eyes and while I don’t see a noticeable difference yet, the area does feel more moisturized.

Thankfully I haven’t had to use the Acne Spot Treatment, but I did have to give it a little sniff.  It doesn’t have much of a smell, which is pretty impressive.  I’ve used some acne treatment in the past that smelled pretty potent.

Overall, I think Orchid Facial Care Products are an affordable choice over department store brands.  The packaging is bright and stylish and when I’m using it I feel like I’m doing something special for my skin.

Buy:

You can purchase Ochid Facial Care Products at your local H-E-B store. Make sure to use this coupon to save on your purchase.

Giveaway:

Two (2) winners will receive a Orchid Facial Care Set!

How to Enter:

Simply leave me a comment below letting me know which Orchid Facial Care Product you are most excited about trying!

Extra Entries Available:

After you have completed the first entry, you are eligible for additional entries. Make sure you leave a separate comment for EACH entry. Each counts as one extra entry unless noted otherwise.

• Subscribe to Simply Being Mommy by reader or email.
• Follow Simply Being Mommy on Google Friend Connect.
• “Like” Simply Being Mommy and H-E-B on Facebook.
• Follow Simply Being Mommy and H-E-B on Twitter AND Tweet about the giveaway. Leave the URL to the Tweet in your comment. You can tweet once a day, but remember to leave the URL to each tweet. You must have at least 50 followers for this extra entry. Tweet to @HEB and @SimplyBeingMom letting us know which Orchid product you’re most excited about trying.  You can tweet something along these lines ” #@HEB @SimplyBeingMom I’m most excited about trying the (insert Orchid product here) #hebbeauty http://bit.ly/zIKLJT “

This giveaway will end on January 23rd at 10:00 PM Central time. Winner will be chosen via a random number generator. Giveaway is open to US entries. The winner must contact me in 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck to everyone!

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I received media samples in order to facilitate this post.

Growing up, I was such a fan of Disney.

Who am I kidding, I still am!

During summer break, my BFF and I would spend all day in our pajamas sitting around watching various Disney movies.

What? Not all teenagers did that?

One of the movies that we watched most often was Beauty and the Beast.

During my last trip to New York, I was treated to an early screening of Beauty and the Beast 3D.  When I heard that Beauty and the Beast was coming out in 3D, part of me was super excited and then part of me was a little nervous.  As we all know, it can go really bad or it can go really good.  I think Beauty and the Beast 3D was really good!

There were no silly 3D gimmicks, just a fresh take on an old Disney classic using today’s technology.  I’m not sure if it was just me or not, but it looked like Belle got a little lip injection or something because I don’t remember her lips being as plump.  Either way, plump lips or not, she still looked beautiful as ever.

If you’re wondering if you should take the family to see Beauty and the Beast 3D, I definitely say yes.

Beauty and the Beast returns to theaters for the first time in 3D on January 13, 2012!

A special thanks to the Disney/DreamWorks team for inviting me to be their guest in New York.

When you don’t have children, you can’t possibly understand the destruction these little people can cause.  From magic marker on brand new carpet to pesky stickers on a brand new table, they can completely destroy things in a matter of minutes.

We recently received a brand new table for the children but the only problem was there were pesky stickers all over the pretty pecan colored wood.  You see, I was contacted by the folks over at Goo Gone and asked if I wanted to take part in their Goo Gone Passion Project.  The catch was that whatever item they sent me would need the cleaning power of Goo Gone.  I had no idea what I would be receiving, but was pleasantly surprised with a children’s table complete with four chairs.

Check out the short little video I did showing how easy it is to use the Goo Gone Gel.  With just a little bit of pressure and the right tools, I was able to get all the adhesive from the stickers off the table in just a few short minutes.

If you happen to have a table that has been destroyed by stickers or walls covered in crayon, give Goo Gone a try.  We’ve tried it on various small projects throughout the house and this stuff works wonders for all the sticky messes that kids leave all around the house.

I can definitely see us keeping this in our supply closet.  We’ve used it on crayon marks, stickers, dried glue and pen marks.  It did a bang up job at getting everything except the deep pen marks clean.  It got what was near the surface, but the ink that was deeper in the wood is still there.  I can’t expect miracles and I’m completely happy with the results so far.

Buy:

You can purchase Goo Gone Spray Gel (12 0z) for the suggested retail price of $6.79.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I received media samples in order to facilitate this post.

It looks like 2012 is going to be a great year for Disney!  I’m so excited about the upcoming films that I’ve devoted a whole post to show you what you can expect in 2012.

You ready?  Good.  Here are all ten films in order of their release.

 January 13: Beauty and the Beast 3D, also in Disney Digital 3D

February 17: The Secret World of Arrietty (Find out what I think)

March 9: John Carter, also in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D

April 20 (Earth Day): Chimpanzee (Disneynature)

May 4: Marvel’s The Avengers, also in 3D and IMAX 3D (Marvel Studios)

June 22: Brave, also in Disney Digital 3D (Disney/Pixar)

August 15: The Odd Life of Timothy Green

September 14: Finding Nemo 3D (Disney/Pixar)

October 5: Frankenweenie, also in Disney Digital 3D

November 12: Wreck-It Ralph, also in Disney Digital 3D (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

So, what do you think?  Which one are you most excited for?  I think I’m most excited about Marvel’s The Avengers and as cheesy as it may sounds, Chimpanzee!

When it comes to baby dolls, my daughter is very particular on the kind she plays with. Since she has so many of them, all new dolls that come into the house must offer something different than those she currently has.  The Little Mommy My Very Real Baby Doll does just that with the lifelike movement and sounds, how she reacts to the juice pop and how you can “magically” wipe away her boo-boo.

This baby doll is the closest my daughter has to the real thing.  When she’s hungry, she lets you know.  When you feed her the juice pop, her mouth turns green.  When she’s sleepy, she lets you know and then tells you she loves you before she starts snoring.  She usually asks for her teddy bear too.  She also asks for hugs and kisses. When she has a boo-boo, her knee lights up red and when you apply the purple bandage, she gets all better and starts laughing that you’re tickling her.

She comes with accessories (teddy bear, juice pop, spoon, bowl, bandage and rag) and has quite a few sayings and interactions so that your child doesn’t get bored quickly.  She does come fully clothed with hair accessories.  Although she doesn’t come with a volume button, you can turn her on and off.

I really think this doll offers a little girl a different experience than some of the other dolls on the market.  However, the price point is much higher.

My daughter really likes this doll and I think most little girls would love to have the Little Mommy My Very Real Baby Doll.

Buy:

You can purchase the Little Mommy My Very Real Baby Doll for the suggested retail price of $69.99!

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I received media samples in order to facilitate this post.

As you already know I was invited to attend the World Premiere of War Horse in New York a couple of weeks ago. This was a glamourous event, from start to finish.

War Horse is directed by Steven Spielberg and opens on Christmas Day. While I normally only review family-friendly films, this is one that I do not consider suitable for the whole family. It’s a war movie, rated PG-13 and really not suitable for young children.  I’m going to preface this review with this: I am not a fan of war films. I get that it’s part of history and even the present, but the whole death thing really gets to me so I prefer to not to watch.

Now that that is out of the way, here are five reasons you SHOULD see War Horse.

• It’s directed by Steven Spielberg. Only Spielberg could pull off a war film as incredibly beautiful as War Horse.
• It’s a charming story of loyalty and hope between a boy and his horse.
• Wonderfully talented Emily Watson plays the lead role of Rose Narracott.
• It’s an honest and open depiction of World War I in a way I’ve never seen before.
• The film features a few newcomers who give expansive and emotional performances.

Just a word of caution, bring plenty of hankies! I cried most of the film and at times even had to quit watching. The movie looked and felt so real that I could almost be there, in the time period and quite honestly, it was a little too much for me to handle.  But, I’m the emotional kind.  There were several other moms that didn’t shed a tear.

Check out this exclusive trailer from War Horse that can only be found on the blogs of the 20 moms who attended the premiere!

A special thanks to the Disney/DreamWorks team for inviting me to be their guest in New York.

My daughter loves all things Disney and all things Princess. When we received the Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle for review, I seriously thought the girl was going to pass out from excitement.  The box was huge and she knew that what was inside was going to be incredible.  She’s been playing with the Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle for a few weeks now and it’s been one of her favorites.  With three stories and five rooms, it can provide hours of fairytale entertainment and encourage pretend play.

The Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle does require a bit of time to assemble. As you can see from the above picture, it comes in quite a few pieces. It took us about an hour to assemble and to put all the pieces into the themed rooms.  But seeing my daughters face when it was all complete was totally worth it.

Each princess has their own room or area within the castle. Princess Tiana likes to spend her time in the kitchen, while Princess Belle spends the majority of her time in the dining room. Princess Jasmine can usually be found riding the magic carpet elevator and Princess Ariel spends her time in the under the sea bathroom. As I’m sure you could guess, Snow White can often be found in the vanity room, Sleeping Beauty in her bedroom and Cinderella on the staircase.

Overall, my daughter loves her new Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle. We have had to superglue some of the accessory pieces so that they stay together and the Cinderella’s staircase sometimes needs a little extra attention to stay on the castle.  Here are her thoughts on her new Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I received media samples in order to facilitate this post.