Singing With the Stars

If you're a fan of Mark Ballas and Derek Hough from "Dancing With the Stars," you'll be pleasantly surprised to find they can sing as well as they can dance. Their group, The Ballas Hough Band, has released a new CD titled BHB.

BHB showcases their talent with sounds ranging from funky ("Do You Love Me") to smooth ("Longing For") and everything in between. And with clean lyrics, you don't have to worry about playing the songs in front of your kids (in fact, they'll probably be singing right along with you).



Thanks to the One2One Network, I was able to review BHB. The wide variety of sound is what appeals to me most. "Birthday" reminds me very much of Prince (whom I love), while "Fall" has an All American Rejects sound. My favorite, "Do You Love Me" will remind you of Maroon 5. In fact, it's hard to put their music into any one category. Pop? Check. Rock? Check. Jazz? Check. BHB really covers it all.

Reality t.v. fans should know that their catchy tune "Do It For You" was co-written by American Idol judge Kara Dioguardi. So you're getting a little bit of American Idol with your Dancing With the Stars when you listen to this CD.

Click here to check out the official Ballas Hough Band website, and here to purchase the BHB CD.

E-Mealz Winner

Congratulations to ky2here whose name was selected at random via Random.org as the winner of a six-month subscription to E-Mealz.com!

Thanks to everyone who entered and to E-Mealz.com for sponsoring this fabulous giveaway. Stay tuned for more great contests and reviews coming soon!

The Birth of a Star

Imagine a little boy, growing up with a love of music, and thriving within a loving, supportive family.

Then imagine that little boy thrust into the midst of the largest, most horrific genocide in modern history that would claim more than 800,000 victims in Rwanda. Including that young boy's parents and family members.

That is the story of Corneille, named one of the "hottest new stars" for 2009 by the New York Daily News. Having sold out arenas in other parts of the world, Corneille is making his debut in America with his new CD, The Birth of Cornelius.



"When I think of America," Corneille said, "the first thing that comes to my mind is the sense that I might feel understood for the first time. It might sound a little odd, but I look at America, and I see so much of who I am."

And you are going to love just who he is! Corneille cites Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and original Motown music as his influences. Motown is what definitely comes to mind when I listen to his CD, and the timing is perfect as it is the 50th anniversary of Motown Records.

So just how does one overcome the adversity that Corneille has had to face and go on to make such incredible music? "Music has been the place where I could go to hide and forget about the world," he said. "I couldn't make sense of a majority of the things that happened to me, so I used music as a shield."

Amazing.



I love playing his CD at night, when I need to unwind and relax. His songs are so soothing and are a wonderful escape from everday stress.

My favorite tracks are "Back to Life" (has a very "groovy" feel to it), "Man of the World" (seductive sound), "Too Much of Everything" (my favorite of all and a good one to dance to with your sweetheart), and "Heaven" (so romantic).

But the most powerful track on the CD, in my opinion, is "I'll Never Call You Home Again." You can tell that this song came from the depths of Corneille's heart and is the result of all the pain he endured in Rwanda.

With lyrics like...

"Last time I saw you, you were stripping me of anyone and anything that was mine. That's how I remember you. That's how I remember you. So please forgive me if I never call you home again."

...you can't help but be moved to your core.

To learn more about Corneille and his CD, The Birth of Cornelius, and/or to purchase the CD, click here.

Thanks to Music Moms and Corneille, TWO lucky readers will each win one copy of The Birth of Cornelius.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know why you'd love to win. Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified.

By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here.

Only one entry per person allowed, but you can receive bonus entries by doing one or all of the following (one bonus entry for each step...if you've already done one of the steps in the past, please still leave a separate comment so that I can count it toward this giveaway):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post and to Corneille. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:



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~Subscribe to So a Blonde Walks Into a Review's newsletter (found in the sidebar under "subscribe"). Then leave a separate comment here letting me know you've subscribed.

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Tuesday, April 7, 2009. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Win a Sleep Number Bed

Listerine Total Care - 6 Benefits in One

I am a stickler when it comes to dental hygiene. I brush and floss regularly and make sure I get in my dental check-ups every six months. But even with all of that, I often overlook one important part of oral health care: mouthwash.

To help me break into the habits of total oral health, and to make me a complete mouthwash convert, Mom Central teamed with Listerine and sent me a bottle of LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE, Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash, to review:



I have to be honest. They had me at purple. It's my favorite color so I was drawn to the bottle right away (and the flavor is mint, which I also love).

But the benefits are what really caught my eye. Consider that LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE, Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash, is the only fluoride mouthwash that contains six benefits in one:

• Helping to prevent cavities
• Restoring enamel
• Strengthening teeth
• Killing bad breath germs
• Freshening breath
• Fighting unsightly plaque above the gum line

I sheepishly admit that I once had an addiction to Jolly Rancher candies. But when I noticed that the enamel on my teeth seemed more rough after eating them...even after brushing my teeth...I put an end to my addiction once and for all. However, those rough areas remained (they weren't cavities fortunately).

I can honestly say that with just a few uses of LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE, Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash, that the enamel on my teeth feels so smooth once again.

Mom Central and Listerine accomplished their goal. I am now a definite convert!

LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE is intended for adults and children ages 12 and older and can be purchased at all food, drug and mass merchandise outlets. Click here to learn more and to save $2 on LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE, Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash. And check out their commercial right here:

Make Life E-zier with E-Mealz: Review and Giveaway

If there is one thing I hate more than cooking (and I REALLY hate to cook), it's weekly meal planning. Especially since I am watching my weight and only choose healthy, low-fat recipes to make.

Between homeschooling, driving my kids to their activities, and all of the other jobs I have as a mom, it's so hard to find the time to sit down with recipe books and plan out a week's worth of meals.

Let me tell you....there are some reviews that I get really, really excited about. This. Is. One. Of. Them.

I had the opportunity to try out the wonderful service E-Mealz.com for three months. E-Mealz is an amazing "meal planning resource for busy moms and frugal cooks."

There are just so many wonderful features to this program, I encourage you to read this entire post in-depth so you can hear how fabulous they are! You will be amazed!



With E-Mealz, not only will you be saving time by not having to plan your meals out, but the meals are SO easy to make that you will also save time in the kitchen. Most importantly? The menus are designed to be easy on your wallet so while we're all feeling the pinch of the economic crisis, E-Mealz will help you to greatly reduce your grocery bills. Doesn't get much better than that!

Another thing I love about the service is the variety. I used to make the same, boring meals over and over again for lack of ideas. With E-Mealz, you will get a new set of meals each week and your family will never get tired of the same, recycled recipes that you used to prepare.

There are dozens of plans to choose from. I used the points system plan, which gave me points information for everything I served. If you've done Weight Watchers, you know it can be tough to figure out how many points are in a homemade recipe. Once again, another time saver! I just look at the menu for the day, program my points into my tracker and I'm done!



And the meals are not only easy to prepare and low-cost, but they are absolutely delicious. You'd be surprised how many tasty meals you can prepare that are low-points.

You can customize your plan to fit your family's needs. Choose your plan by store, by how many people you will be feeding, by specialities such as low-carb, vegetarian, low fat, and more.

Now, let me explain briefly how the plans work once you subscribe. Each week, you'll be given a menu to print out that lists all of the meals for the week. Then, you'll have a second sheet that lists the items you need to purchase for each meal.



What I love about the set-up is that the grocery list items are numbered by meal. So, for example, let's say your family plans to eat out one night during the week and you don't need meal #5 on your list. You simply run down your grocery list and cross off all of the items that have a #5 listed next to them.

Items are also listed by aisle, so you don't have to pour over your list trying to find a frozen food item that's mixed in with a dry goods item. It's so easy! Click here to see a sample for any of the available plans.

Okay, here's the part that I know you're going to love the most. Are you ready to hear how much it will cost you to get all of the above services? To make your life easier and save you money at the store? $1.25 per week!!! Can you believe that? (Told you I was excited about this review, lol)



There's something far more important than anything I've mentioned here that you get when you use E-Mealz: More time with your family. Dinners together at the table (so important!). And less stress so you can enjoy that time even more. You can't put a price on that!



The two founders, Jenny Cochran and Jane DeLaney, are moms like us and they completely get it when it comes to understanding how busy we are and how budget-conscious we have to be. Here is what Jenny told me about what goes on behind-the-scenes at E-Mealz:

"Our meal planners spend HOURS (usually about two full days) writing, editing and shopping each week's plan to ensure that so much time and money is saved by the the use of the plan, the negligible cost of $1.25 per week becomes savings of $25-$50 per week! E-Mealz is actually the revolutionary way to never worry with dinner menu planning or busted grocery budgets again!

You simply MUST click here to learn more about E-Mealz, read customer reviews, find detailed information on plans, etc.

Thanks to the generosity of E-Mealz, one lucky reader of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review will win a complimentary, six-month subscription to the plan of their choice!!!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know why you'd love to win. Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified. By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry for each step...if you've already done one of the steps in the past, please still leave a separate comment so that I can count it toward this giveaway):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post and to E-Mealz. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:



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~Subscribe to So a Blonde Walks Into a Review's newsletter (found in the sidebar under "subscribe"). Then leave a separate comment here letting me know you've subscribed.

Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Wednesday, March 25, 2009. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Save up to $1,000 on a Sleep Number Bed

Select Comfort is currently offering a promotion of up to $1000 on Sleep Number i9 bed sets, their premier memory foam bed.

The promo code is i9SALE (Ends 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 22nd) The discount is also valid in-store. Click here to find a store near you, and ask the Sleep Professional to enter Code “i9sale” at check out.

Teaching Financial Responsibility

There has never been a better time to teach our children financial responsibility than now. The current economic crisis highlights the need for all of us to be budget savvy, and our kids learn by our example. I want my children to know how to be wise with their money and to have the know-how to handle such a crisis should there be one when they are adults.

Consider these financial literacy statistics:

• National Council on Economic Education – 2007 survey found that only seven states require high school students to take a personal finance course.
  
• Jump$tart Coalition – 2008 biennial survey found that high school seniors correctly answered only 48.3 percent of questions about personal finance, which was lower than the previous year’s average of 52.4 percent.
• A study by the Center for Responsible Lending indicates that students account for about six percent of all overdrafts. This percentage results to an annual overdraft bill of $963 million for people ages 18 - 24.Networks Financial Institute at Indiana State University – 2007 study of K-12 teachers found that the majority of teachers - 8 in 10 - think it’s important to teach financial literacy in U.S. classrooms, but only about half of K-12 teachers say they teach some form of financial literacy to their students.
  
• According to teachers, financial literacy skills are lacking among young people in the U.S. and many say that their students need to be exposed to the basic financial skills to function in society
  
• Parents want their kids to be financially independent but don’t necessarily have the skills to teach them

Now, there is a perfect tool parents can use to help teach their teens about financial responsibility. Current by Discover Card is an innovative debit card designed especially for kids ages 13 to 18.

Current by Discover Card puts moms in control by letting you set (daily, weekly, monthly) spending limits, block certain merchant categories (like ATMs and liquor stores) and track your teen's spending online or through email and text message alerts. Plus, because it's a debit card product, the card stops working when the limit is reached without incurring any additional fees, which protects your teens from overspending.

Current by Discover is a "teen card with grownup benefits." Current features include:

• Helpful Account Management Features: Parents can set spending limits, restrict merchant categories and track their teen’s spending through online statements, e-mail and text message alerts. They also enjoy the convenience of free, flexible loading options. Teens also can load their paychecks onto the card through direct deposit.
  
  
• Advanced Security Features: Current is protected by Discover’s $0 fraud liability, which means cardmembers are never responsible for unauthorized charges – online, offline, anytime, anywhere. Current cards that are lost or stolen will be temporarily suspended or deactivated, and cardmembers will be eligible for an emergency replacement.
  
  
• Financial Education Resources: Teens can learn how to spend smarter by logging onto the Account Center at CurrentbyDiscover.com. There they can view helpful articles on topics such as basic financial concepts, protecting yourself from identify theft, starting a savings program, and making your money go further.
  
  In addition, Current by Discover Card also is sponsoring a financial literacy program across high schools nationwide through its Money Smarts Program, designed to help educate high school juniors and seniors on basic money management skills. The Money Smarts Program covers the basic concepts of financial literacy and correlates with national academic standards set fourth by the National Endowment for Financial Education.
  
  
• Meaningful Rewards: Teens are eligible for members-only in-store coupons and online discounts when they use their card at select restaurants, movie theaters and teen-friendly merchants. What’s more, parents earn Discover Cashback Bonus or Miles when they load their teen’s Current Card using their Discover Card.
  
  
• Low Pricing: Cardmembers pay a $5 monthly charge for each card, or save $10 by paying an annual fee of $50. Fees include four free ATM withdrawals per card per month.

The card designs are very appealing, too. This one is my favorite:



Want to use this innovative tool to teach your teens about financial responsibility? Just click here for more details and to sign your teen up for the Current by Discover Card.

Dora the Explorer Live! Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to janetfaye who has won a family four pack of tickets in the Dora the Explorer Live! Giveaway.

Thanks to all who entered! Stay tuned for more fun giveaways coming soon.

Get a Sneak Peek of Norton Online Family for Free!

As a mom of a curious teenage boy, one of my greatest concerns is online safety. The dangers and temptations that can be found online are enough to give me gray hair before I turn 40.

Now, there is a product that helps us parents keep an eye on our children's online activities, even when we can't be there in person. Norton Online Family is a new, breakthrough service that gives parents the tools to protect their kids online and connect with their online lives.

Key Norton Online Family features include:

Simple, One-Time Set Up: Create an account online and customize each family member's profile based on age and maturity level.

Easy to Use and Access: Check a child's activity or modify a child's profile, preferences, or time allotment anytime and anywhere using any Internet-connected device.

Clear Reporting: All activities are reported in chronological order and only show the Web sites a child intended to visit - eliminating all the extra URLs, like ads, from Web sites.

Helpful Search Insight: Easily view what words and phrases a child uses to search and where those searches lead online.

Convenient Web Site Control: Control the Web content that flows into the home by prohibiting more than 40 topic categories.

Secured Personal Information: Track, report and prevent personal information that a child may purposely or accidentally try to send via e-mail, IM or social networking site.

Access to Social Network Information: Monitor activity on social networks like Facebook and MySpace with the ability to see how kids represent themselves, when they login and how often.

Real-time Messaging: Built-in messaging allows parents to have real-time discussions with children about activities and better understand their intentions when visiting a Web site.

True Transparency: Children are able to view the "house rules" they established with parents at any time and are notified when Norton Online Family is active, so there is no "stealth" mode.

Custom Alerts: Parents can customize e-mail alerts to address urgent events so they know immediately when a child has reached a time limit or visited a blocked site, etc.

Useful Time Management: An easy-to-use time management feature that - if parents find it necessary - gives each child a "curfew" that will limit computer usage.

The last feature is one of my favorites. I have the option of having my son logged out if he passes his allotted time. No hassles, no arguing. Two hours means two hours. I believe in teaching about accountability and consequences and this tool is a perfect way of helping with that.

I also like the search feature. Not that I think my son would do this, but if I see "hot nude supermodels" pop up, I'll know we have a problem!

Norton Online Family does not officially launch until the spring, but thanks to Norton and Mom Central, I have a special link that you can use to take a sneak peek right now for free....no strings attached. Just click here to get started. Enjoy!

Bella Sara Brings Fantasy to Life

My little girl has always been a big fan of Bella Sara, where magical horses roam the land in "North of North." She loves playing with the trading cards, on the online site, and with her Bella Sara DS Game.

Now, Bella Sara has created even more fun with two new lines of products: Bella Sara Miniatures Series 1 and Bella Sara Treasures.

Thanks to Team Mom, Natalie was able to review both. This is the first time she's ever said to me, "Mom, make sure you tell everyone that I LOVE this!"



Her favorite is the Miniatures Series, which come with a little horse from the world of Bella Sara. "I can actually be one of the horses!" she said.

The miniature horses come inside of the usual trading card pack and are adorably small and velvety. There are 20 different horses to collect and each comes with bonus codes to use online.

Suggested price is $1.99 per pack and the age range is 5+ years.



The Treasures series is the eighth in the Bella Sara collection. It brings even more fun to the world of Bella Sara with more printable activities, bonus codes, coloring pages, wallpapers, a poster and jigsaw puzzles. (Click here to check it all out). The series features rare jewels, amazing natural wonders, historical artifacts and fantastic magical items to explore and cherish.

The card packs in the Treasure series comes with fun tattoos, stickers and more, in addition to the trading cards and codes that are usually found in the Bella Sara line. The cards retail for about $2.99 and the age range is 5+ years.

To help celebrate the new Treasures line, now through April 30th, you can visit www.bellasara.com for a chance to win an exciting Treasure Hunt Party. Hurry over and enter! Good luck!

Zenses Rainforest Winner

Congratulations to Janna from Feed Your Pig. Her name was selected at random through Random.org as the winner of the Zenses Rainforest for Nintendo DS giveaway.

Thanks to everyone who entered and to Game Factory Games and r-west for sponsoring this fabulous giveaway.

Stay tuned for more fun giveaways coming soon!

Smelly Dog

Okay, so in my case it's "smelly dog" but to be fair to my sweet Sophie, she herself smells wonderful.

It's those occasional accidents on the carpet that are the culprit. Sophie is indoor paper trained but isn't always perfect with her aim. Thankfully, she is trained to keep it all confined to one small area upstairs and one small area downstairs, but I need to steam clean regularly to keep those areas clean when she misses.

Thanks to Mom Central, I was fortunate enough to be able to review Carpet Fresh's new Super Pet Carpet & Room Odor Eliminator.

My sample actually arrived the day I was steam cleaning. As soon as the carpets were dry, I sprayed the "Super Pet" Quick-Dry foam onto the carpets and....oh. my. gosh! What a world of difference!

The scent is so light and refreshing and the best part? All I had to do was spray it on the carpet and walk away. No vacuuming, no scrubbing, no hassle. And they mean it when they say "quick dry." I'd say my carpets were dry within a minute of applying the foam. I'm actually now using it on carpets throughout my house just to freshen up the rooms because the scent is go good.

Here are some of the key features of Carpet Fresh Super Pet Carpet & Room Odor Eliminator:

• Specially formulated odor-eliminators go deep into carpet fibers.
• Light, quick-drying foam will not leave a residue.
• Safe for use around children and pets.

Click here to check out this and other fabulous Carpet Fresh products and be sure to get your coupon here for $1.50 off your next purchase of Carpet Fresh Carpet & Room Odor Eliminator. Enjoy!