Busy Mom Reviews

It's no secret that whole grains are better for you than synthetic fiber, and the good folks Post Cereals let me know in a fun way, that their adult cereals like Shredded Wheat, Grape Nuts and Raisin Bran all have naturally occurring fiber.

These cereals contain whole grain wheat, wheat bran and whole grain wheat flour, while some other cereals contain artificial fiber and additives such as Maltodextrin and Polydextrose.

Check this out, I mean really...Which one would you rather have in your cereal?

I love Grape Nuts, I eat them several times a week, (I just thought you should know that) and I received a DVD from Post showing the making of Grape Nuts and Shredded Wheat.

I thought the making of the Grape Nuts was particularly interesting since no one really knows what a "grape nut" is:

* Made from whole wheat flour and malted barley flour
* Malted means the barley is sprouted
* When sprouted, the maltose comes out, which is a natural sweetener
* They are mixed together, yeast is added and then the dough is baked
* Large piece of dough is broken into smaller chunks (as you'd get from a grater) and then the little chunks of dough are baked again

Check out Post Whole-Grain Cereals, learn a few things, find some recipes and be sure to vote on the Post Grant for Good Health Finalists where Post will award $25,000 to one entrant with the best community health and wellness initiative. (Ends July 22, 2010).

I received a sample of Post Shredded Wheat as well as the containers of the different fibers and the DVD to facilitate this post. No other payment or compensation was received, I just thought it was kind of interesting.

Rice is one of those things that my family enjoys, but for some reason, I don't think of it as often as I should. OK, it may or may not be because I'm a little rice cooking-impaired, but whatever.

I like some different kinds of rice, but the kids are a little wary of anything much other than white rice. I'm not going to get on a high horse about white rice, but there are many nutritional benefits to whole grain rice, and it would be nice if my whole family enjoyed it more.

Uncle Ben's has introduced Whole Grain White Rice, that purports to have "all the goodness of whole grains with the taste and texture of white rice you love."

Nutritional Claims & Product Benefits

* Good Source of Fiber
* 45g Whole Grains per Serving*
* Low Fat
* No Saturated Fat
* 0g Trans Fat
* Cholesterol Free
* Made with Natural Ingredients
* No Preservatives
* No Artificial Colors
* Vegetarian
* No MSG
* Supports a Healthy Heart†

†As part of a diet low in saturated fat & cholesterol.

*The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend consuming 48g (or 3-oz. equivalents) of whole grains per day.

OK, sounds like the best of both worlds to me, so thanks to Mom Central, we gave it a go, and passed out some of the samples to friends who cook better than I do.

Busy Girl (age 15) made the rice one night after she found it in the pantry (unasked), and thought it looked good. She even said, "We have to get some more of this!" So, I think that's a pretty ringing endorsement right there. The rest of the family went right through it, not even wondering if something different was up.

I liked it a lot. I thought it tasted "fuller" than regular white rice, and it was easy to make. Our healthy-eating vegetarian friends even thought it was great, and I'm sure have used it in more creative ways than I will ever know exist, so that's a "win" as well.

Check out Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice for yourself, and be sure to try some recipes and Uncle Ben's Rice coupons too.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Uncle Ben’s and received samples (and some cute aprons) to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

One of the things I have enjoyed about my Frigidaire Dishwasher is the flexibility of the upper and lower racks. We tend to wash all kinds of things, not just proper place settings, and sometimes these things aren't really a standard size and it's hard to make them fit in dishwashers with lots of fixed space.

Both tiers have prongs that fold down to accommodate larger items, it can really make things easier by being able to put these things in the dishwasher rather than having to do them by hand because they won't fit! I don't know about you, but I have better things to do than to hand wash pots and pans.

Another great thing is that the entire upper rack is adjustable. With a quick motion, you can raise or lower the entire thing so that taller items can fit inside, thus further reducing the need to hand wash taller items.

The silverware basket also has a few options. It's removable, the containers are divided and smaller items can be protected by closing the tops to the basket. The basket tops can also double as a way to separate the silverware so it doesn't nest.

I'll take you on a tour! (I had to do this on my phone as the kids have absconded with all of our 20 million Flip cameras, sorry for the Blair Witch Project effect)

Call me lazy if you must (I prefer "efficient" or "energy conserving"), but I am all about getting as many of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher as I can, and my new Frigidaire dishwasher really helps make it possible for everything to fit in there.

I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Dishwasher to facilitate my review.

I'm very excited to be a part of P&G's Thank you, Mom project, thanks to Cooper and Emily of The Motherhood Creative

Each day this week, I get to give a shout out to a mom blogger, how great is that?

First up, is Mrs. Flinger.

Mrs.Flinger is among my first blog friends, you know, back when we rode dinosaurs and blogged on stone tablets.

Married to her high school sweetheart, she is the proud mother of two young children. She's funny, friendly and really smart. Not only can she write a blog, as a code genius by trade, she can design and build one, too.

Mrs. Flinger shares a passion for her family and her work with her readers in a way I wish I could emulate. I love that she can be snarky and entertaining, but never mean. I think she is one of the friendliest moms around.

This parenthood thing can be hard sometimes, and Mrs Flinger tells it like it is, the good, the bad and the ugly and I thank her for sharing it with us, and for keeping me around all these years!

Be sure to check out the P&G Thank You Mom Reunions contest:

Despite your mom not living in the same town, state or country, how has she defied distance and found a way to do something amazing for you? Share your story here and you could win a video camera and $1,000 toward travel expenses so you can say "thank you" in person.

From now until November 30, beginning on the first day of each month, you can enter your story into one of our monthly contests. If you don't win the first time, you can submit your story again.

Which mom bloggers would you like to thank? Don't be shy!

Be sure to check out TheMotherhood's Thank You Mom circle to meet all of the other mom bloggers involved.

DISCLOSURE: I have been engaged by TheMotherhood.com and P&G to participate in the Thank You, Mom Campaign and I am being paid for my time and I am delighted to recognize a few of my friends this way.

I'm very excited to be a part of P&G's Thank you, Mom project, thanks to Cooper and Emily of The Motherhood Creative

Each day this week, I get to give a shout out to a mom blogger, how great is that?

Yesterday, I thanked Mrs. Flinger, and today I get to tell you about my friend Tori, of BabyBloomr.

Tori is a local (to me) blogger who first came to my attention when she was writing for a mom site in the local newspaper.

She seemed like a great writer, outgoing and fun, and when she contacted me to meet one day before BlogHer, I accepted since she told me we were going to be friends. And, you know, one should really be able to pick one's friends out of a lineup, and all.

I am so glad I went that day, because the rest is history.

Tori delights in her two teenage daughters, and married to a musician, she is in the world of sometimes-single parenting. I've met her kids, and they are as delightful as she is.

Her blog, BabyBloomr, is home to some hilarious as well as some wonderfully warm and genuine stories as she balances a diverse group of readers.

Not only does she have a wicked sense of humor (and, I don't day that lightly), she is gifted at making everyone feel welcome, and is the consummate hostess whether at home or away. As a matter of fact, she recently threw a lovely dinner party for some of us, and revealed about halfway into the evening that it was her own birthday, and we were her gift.

Seriously, if you don't know her, you should. Go there right now.

So, thank you Tori! Thanks for hanging around with me, and listening to my deep ramblings about things (she may never want to attend Blissdom with me again), and for being a genuinely nice person.

Be sure to check out TheMotherhood's Thank You Mom circle to meet all of the other mom bloggers involved.

Which mom bloggers would you like to thank? Don't be shy!

Be sure to check out the P&G Thank You Mom Reunions contest: Share your story of an awesome mom who might be far away here and you could win a video camera and $1,000 toward travel expenses so you can say "thank you" in person.

DISCLOSURE: I have been engaged by TheMotherhood.com and P&G to participate in the Thank You, Mom Campaign and I am being paid for my time and I am delighted to recognize a few of my friends this way.

I'm very excited to be a part of P&G's Thank you, Mom project, thanks to Cooper and Emily of The Motherhood Creative

Each day this week, I get to give a shout out to a mom blogger, how great is that?

I've thanked Mrs. Flinger, Tori, of BabyBloomr, and today it's Headless Mom!

Several years ago, I noticed one of my most faithful commenters was someone by the name of "Headless Mom".

Now, that name kind of stands out, and I got to know her a bit, and I found out we had some things in common (we even have almost the same last name, and it's an unusual one), and that she's a lot of fun!

We finally got to meet at the 2008 BlogHer in San Francisco when she burst on the scene with her headless Barbie doll business cards, and the rest is history. We had a great time in Chicago last year, and we have a fabulous red carpet picture of us that I'd love to show you, but I can't figure out where it went right now, so you'll have to use your imagination.

I enjoy her adventures with her Headless Family (I'm pretty sure it's a forgetful type of "headless" rather than traumatic headlessness. At least I think it is...) Her boys are roughly Busy D.'s age, and I enjoy the fact that her daughter is a few years older than Busy Girl, she tells me what's in store for me in the future!

Even though she has a head in real life, Headless Mom is just one of those people I feel like I've known all my life even though we live all the way across the country from each other.

So, Headless Mom? Thank you for finding me, and stepping up to initiate our friendship. I need to learn from you and take initiative in more things in my life.

The rest of you? Go see Headless Mom right now, tell her I sent you. Thanks!

Be sure to check out TheMotherhood's Thank You Mom circle to meet all of the other mom bloggers involved.

Which mom bloggers would you like to thank? Don't be shy!

Be sure to check out the P&G Thank You Mom Reunions contest: Share your story of an awesome mom who might be far away here and you could win a video camera and $1,000 toward travel expenses so you can say "thank you" in person.

DISCLOSURE: I have been engaged by TheMotherhood.com and P&G to participate in the Thank You, Mom Campaign and I am being paid for my time and I am delighted to recognize a few of my friends this way.

I'm very excited to be a part of P&G's Thank you, Mom project, thanks to Cooper and Emily of The Motherhood Creative

Each day this week, I get to give a shout out to a mom blogger, how great is that?

I've thanked Mrs. Flinger, Tori, of BabyBloomr, and Headless Mom.

Today it's Amie of Mamma Loves!

I'd "known" Amie online for a few years, but we didn't actually meet until BlogHer 2008 in SanFrancisco, when I found out for sure she is just an all-around cool person.

I had just gotten my DSLR camera and was way confused about it, when I first noticed her on a trolley to somewhere using hers with ease. We chatted briefly about it, and I decided then that I'd do well to figure it out so I could say something intelligent.

She's since opened her own photography business, and I can now tell you my camera is shiny and that I need a fast IS telephoto lens. So, you can see one of us had some "stagnated" growth in that area.

She is the fiercely proud mother of 3 boys, the oldest of whom came to her in a bit of a non-standard sort of way, and she and her husband acted immediately and without hesitation when he came into their lives.

Amie is friendly and outgoing, and is a great host! I was in her town for my job a couple of years ago (Hey, I think I'm coming back this fall, btw), and she immediately volunteered to organize a night out with friends, and we had a fabulous time.

Not only is she a blogger, she is a political involvement consultant by trade, and I wish I had even a fraction of the passion she has about life and the world around her.

So, thank you Amie, for being a friend and for being an example to me to help me figure out the things I care about and have a passion for (excluding ending sentences in prepositions).

Be sure to check out TheMotherhood's Thank You Mom circle to meet all of the other mom bloggers involved.

Which mom bloggers would you like to thank? Don't be shy!

Be sure to check out the P&G Thank You Mom Reunions contest: Share your story of an awesome mom who might be far away here and you could win a video camera and $1,000 toward travel expenses so you can say "thank you" in person.

DISCLOSURE: I have been engaged by TheMotherhood.com and P&G to participate in the Thank You, Mom Campaign and I am being paid for my time and I am delighted to recognize a few of my friends this way.

I'm very excited to be a part of P&G's Thank you, Mom project, thanks to Cooper and Emily of The Motherhood Creative

Each day this week, I get to give a shout out to a mom blogger, how great is that?

I've thanked Mrs. Flinger, Tori, of BabyBloomr, Headless Mom, and Amie of Mamma Loves.

Today, I'm delighted to thank my good friend, Jenn of Mommy Needs Coffee.

We met online many years ago (2003, I believe), and right away we noticed we had a lot in common. We were both into blogging, and we enjoyed our little community of friends, and our kids are about the same age.

Over the years, we'd grow to have something else in common, we both lost our mothers to illness. While that's not a fun thing to have in common, it meant a lot to have someone who understood it.

Jenn is a writer, through and through and I often wonder how she puts up with my inane ramblings about nothing, but she does. She is passionate about what she does, no matter what it is. Even when I accuse her of leaping into something without looking, she leaps into it full force and expecting the best from it.

Even though she's been through some stressful times, she takes the time to check in with me when I ought to be the one checking on her.

We are roommates at BlogHer, and I love how she has never met a stranger. I tend to be on the shy side (shut up, am too) and I have met many wonderful people through her over the years.

So, I'm delighted to thank Jenn for being my friend all these years. Whoever it is that says blog friends aren't real friends is real wrong.

If you don't know Jenn, you should. Go on over to Mommy Needs Coffee right now and introduce yourself, tell her I sent you.

Be sure to check out TheMotherhood's Thank You Mom circle to meet all of the other mom bloggers involved.

Which mom bloggers would you like to thank? Don't be shy!

Be sure to check out the P&G Thank You Mom Reunions contest: Share your story of an awesome mom who might be far away here and you could win a video camera and $1,000 toward travel expenses so you can say "thank you" in person.

DISCLOSURE: I have been engaged by TheMotherhood.com and P&G to participate in the Thank You, Mom Campaign and I am being paid for my time and I am delighted to recognize a few of my friends this way.