<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Alli &#039;n Sons &#187; Product Reviews</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/category/product-reviews/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com</link>
	<description>Motherhood, baking and boys with a side of chocolate</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:00:46 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Cool Clutch Insulated Scout Tote by Bungalow Product Review</title>
		<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/10/12/cool-clutch-insulated-scout-tote-by-bungalow-product-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/10/12/cool-clutch-insulated-scout-tote-by-bungalow-product-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison @ Alli 'n Son</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cool clutch insulated tote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insulated bag product review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insulated tote review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scout by bungalow product review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alli-n-son.com/?p=8410</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A couple of weekends ago our fridge was overflowing with all sorts of tasty food. Now, that isn&#8217;t unusual, unless it&#8217;s the day before grocery shopping, and then the fridge is virtually empty. Except for those containers that have been in the back of the fridge for so long that they no longer resemble the food inside [...]<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/10/12/cool-clutch-insulated-scout-tote-by-bungalow-product-review/">Cool Clutch Insulated Scout Tote by Bungalow Product Review</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_64238493" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/10/12/cool-clutch-insulated-scout-tote-by-bungalow-product-review/" data-text="Cool Clutch Insulated Scout Tote by Bungalow Product Review" data-desc="A couple of weekends ago our fridge was overflowing with all sorts of tasty food. Now, that isn't unusual, unless it's the day before grocery shopping, and then the fridge is virtually empty. Except for those containers that have been in the back of the fridge for so long that they no longer resemble the food inside of them.

Anyway, our fridge was stuffed full of dolce de leche shortbread and chocolate bars, pumpkin cupcakes and pumpkin cream cheese frosting, smoked pork, bacon chocolate c" data-image="http://www.bungalowco.com/images/VARIANT/medium/47321.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_64238493&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F10%2F12%2Fcool-clutch-insulated-scout-tote-by-bungalow-product-review%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fbsend=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=1&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fbsendlang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script><p>A couple of weekends ago our fridge was overflowing with all sorts of tasty food. Now, that isn&#8217;t unusual, unless it&#8217;s the day before grocery shopping, and then the fridge is virtually empty. Except for those containers that have been in the back of the fridge for so long that they no longer resemble the food inside of them.</p>
<p>Anyway, our fridge was stuffed full of dolce de leche shortbread and chocolate bars, <a title="pumpkin muffins" href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2010/10/03/pumpkin-pie-chocolate-chip-muffins/">pumpki</a><a title="n cupcakes" href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2010/10/03/pumpkin-pie-chocolate-chip-muffins/">n cupcakes</a> and pumpkin cream cheese frosting, smoked pork, <a title="bacon chocolate chip cookies" href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/26/candied-bacon-chocolate-chip-cookies-secret-recipe-club/">bacon chocolate chip cookies</a> and <a title="apple cinnamon rolls" href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/10/06/sweet-tooth-friday-apple-pie-cinnamon-rolls/">apple cinnamon rolls</a>. All of this food needed to be transported safely, and cooly, down to our inlaws house. We were having a last of the summer cookout with friends, as a way of introducing the little man to everyone.</p>
<p>Did I mention that our inlaws live over 3 hours away? And that&#8217;s if we don&#8217;t have to stop for dinner along the way. Which we did. We needed a way keep the food cool for over four hours in the car. A lot of food.</p>
<p>Enter the <a href="http://www.bungalowco.com/p-337-cool-clutch.aspx?vid=3434&amp;" target="_blank">Cool Clutch Insulated Scout Tote by Bungalow</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bungalowco.com/p-337-cool-clutch.aspx?vid=3434&amp;"><img class="alignnone" title="Cool Clutch Insulated Tote by Bungalow" src="http://www.bungalowco.com/images/VARIANT/medium/47321.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="450" /></a></p>
<p>Days before we had to leave, this beauty showed up on my doorstep. Pretty isn&#8217;t it? I just love strips.</p>
<p>It arrived at just the perfect time, because we don&#8217;t own a cooler. Well, that&#8217;s not true, we do own one. But it&#8217;s tiny and just won&#8217;t accommodate all of the food we needed to transport. But this bag, did the job pretty well. We weren&#8217;t able to fit all of the food into it, but that&#8217;s because we were bringing a lot. A LOT. Like a ridiculous amount.</p>
<p>The bag is stylish, very well insulated, and durable. I was impressed by how thick and sturdy it is, especially compared to some of the other insulated bags that I own. Plus, when I carry this baby to the grocery store, I feel like I&#8217;m shopping in style.</p>
<p>Have I mentioned that I like stripes? And bright colors? Because I do.</p>
<p>This bag has found a permanent home with all of our reusable shopping bags. But it&#8217;s not just another bag. It&#8217;s my go-to bag, the first one I grab when I&#8217;m loading up groceries, the first one I look for when I need to transport food, and the one I take when I want something stylish. It&#8217;s even available in 12 different patterns, so if stripes aren&#8217;t your thing {gasp!} you are sure to find something that works for you.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bungalowco.com/p-337-cool-clutch.aspx?vid=3434&amp;" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8415" title="Cool Clutch Colors" src="http://www.alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-shot-2011-10-11-at-3.01.10-PM.png" alt="" width="360" height="252" /></a></p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.bungalowco.com/p-337-cool-clutch.aspx?vid=3434&amp;" target="_blank">Cool Clutch Insulated Tote</a> is insulated, water resistant, and has shoulder length handles for easy carrying and a velcro top. It&#8217;s perfect for  every day use, from grocery shopping to picnics to transporting ridiculous amounts of food for four hours.</p>
<h6>Disclaimer: I received the Cool Clutch Insulated Tote to facilitate this review. All opinions are mine and mine alone.</h6>
<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/10/12/cool-clutch-insulated-scout-tote-by-bungalow-product-review/">Cool Clutch Insulated Scout Tote by Bungalow Product Review</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
<div style="margin:5px 0px 5px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_1499058103" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/10/12/cool-clutch-insulated-scout-tote-by-bungalow-product-review/" data-text="Cool Clutch Insulated Scout Tote by Bungalow Product Review" data-desc="A couple of weekends ago our fridge was overflowing with all sorts of tasty food. Now, that isn't unusual, unless it's the day before grocery shopping, and then the fridge is virtually empty. Except for those containers that have been in the back of the fridge for so long that they no longer resemble the food inside of them.

Anyway, our fridge was stuffed full of dolce de leche shortbread and chocolate bars, pumpkin cupcakes and pumpkin cream cheese frosting, smoked pork, bacon chocolate c" data-image="http://www.bungalowco.com/images/VARIANT/medium/47321.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_1499058103&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F10%2F12%2Fcool-clutch-insulated-scout-tote-by-bungalow-product-review%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fblike=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=0&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fblikelang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&fblikeverb=like&fblikefont=arial&fblikeref=linksalpha&gplusctr=1&twitterctr=1&linkedinctr=1&gbuzzctr=1&redditctr=1&pinterestctr=1&diggctr=1&stumbleuponctr=1&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/10/12/cool-clutch-insulated-scout-tote-by-bungalow-product-review/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>My Baby Clothes Review and Giveaway</title>
		<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/21/my-baby-clothes-review-and-giveaway/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/21/my-baby-clothes-review-and-giveaway/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Sep 2011 02:56:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison @ Alli 'n Son</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Giveaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[my baby clothes boutique giveaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[my baby clothes boutique review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alli-n-son.com/?p=8223</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to comment #6, Jenna Sandman who said &#8220;I love the Born to Love Custom Argyle Visor Beanie!&#8221; I love babies. For so many reasons, but one of those reasons is their teeny tiny clothes. The impossibly small outfits, hats and socks that you can&#8217;t image a human actually fitting in. [...]<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/21/my-baby-clothes-review-and-giveaway/">My Baby Clothes Review and Giveaway</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_1493042405" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/21/my-baby-clothes-review-and-giveaway/" data-text="My Baby Clothes Review and Giveaway" data-desc="The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to comment #6, Jenna Sandman who said "I love the Born to Love Custom Argyle Visor Beanie!"

I love babies. For so many reasons, but one of those reasons is their teeny tiny clothes. The impossibly small outfits, hats and socks that you can't image a human actually fitting in. But they do, for a fleeting moment, because man, babies grow fast.

When the little man was born we really didn't need a lot of extra stuff. A few clothes here and there, most of w" data-image="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/templates/Original1_B2B/images/logo.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_1493042405&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F09%2F21%2Fmy-baby-clothes-review-and-giveaway%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fbsend=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=1&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fbsendlang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script><p><strong>The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to comment #6, Jenna Sandman who said &#8220;I love the Born to Love Custom Argyle Visor Beanie!&#8221;</strong></p>
<p>I love babies. For so many reasons, but one of those reasons is their teeny tiny clothes. The impossibly small outfits, hats and socks that you can&#8217;t image a human actually fitting in. But they do, for a fleeting moment, because man, babies grow fast.</p>
<p>When the little man was born we really didn&#8217;t need a lot of extra stuff. A few clothes here and there, most of which were gifts from family and friends. Pretty much everything that we had from the kiddo still worked for the little man. Having two boys does have it&#8217;s positive sides. You know, in addition to the rough housing, tackling and daredevil stunts I foresee in my future.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/"><img class="alignnone" title="My Baby Clothes" src="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/templates/Original1_B2B/images/logo.jpg" alt="My Baby Clothes" width="311" height="115" /></a></p>
<p>I have to admit that was itching to buy something new and cute for the little man. Something just for him, since so much of his stuff is already hand-me-downs. That&#8217;s when I was introduced to <a href="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/" target="_blank">My Baby Clothes Boutique</a>. They must have been ease dropping on my thoughts, because right when I was searching the internet for the cutest baby hat in the world, an email from them popped into my inbox.</p>
<p>And then, I found the perfect, most adorable hat in the entire world.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/best-chums-crochet-frog-p-2700.html"><img class="alignnone" title="Best of Chums Crochet Frog Hat" src="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/images/IS-6024_270x270.jpg" alt="Best of Chums Crochet Frog Hat" width="270" height="270" /></a></p>
<p>How cute is that? With visions of baby portraits dancing in my head, I ordered it and waited, not-so-patiently for it to arrive.</p>
<p>Thank goodness it only took a few shorts days to land on my door step.</p>
<p>Oh man, the cuteness of this hat, it&#8217;s almost too much.</p>
<p><a title="New hat. It's a tad big, don't you think? by Alli 'n Son, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/allinson/6170448442/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6170448442_096793660c_z.jpg" alt="New hat. It's a tad big, don't you think?" width="612" height="612" /></a></p>
<p>It&#8217;s just a tad too big for the little man right now, but with how quickly this kid is growing, it&#8217;s bound to fit him before too long. Don&#8217;t worry though, it won&#8217;t be sitting on a shelf waiting because right now it fits the kiddo perfectly.</p>
<p>The My <a href="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/" target="_blank">Baby Clothes</a> team prides themselves on finding the cutest, most comfortable, quality clothes and accessories for newborns, infants and toddlers. Their unique and trendy boutique style clothes are all available at affordable prices. Perfect for moms on a budget, who still want great clothes for their kids. Like <a href="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/tutus-pettiskirts-c-83.html" target="_blank">tutus</a>, <a href="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/baby-headbands-c-1_9.html" target="_blank">baby headbands</a> and <a href="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/baby-hats-c-1_64.html" target="_blank">baby hats</a>.</p>
<p>Have I mentioned how cute this stuff is?</p>
<h1>My Baby Clothes Giveaway</h1>
<p>I&#8217;m happy to announce that I have one $25 gift certificate to My Baby Clothes to giveaway! I love spreading around cuteness.</p>
<p>How do you win the cuteness?</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Mandatory: Stop by <a href="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/" target="_blank">My Baby Clothes Boutique</a> and let me know what you would order.</strong></li>
<li>Subscribe to my blog via <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AllinSon" target="_blank">RSS</a>, email or Google Connect (worth one extra entry)</li>
<li>Follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/Alli_n_Son" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and tweet about the giveaway, up to three times per day. Be sure to include @Alli_n_Son in the tweet. (worth one extra entry)</li>
<li>Follow <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/mybabyclothes" target="_blank">My Baby Clothes on Facebook</a> (worth one extra entry)</li>
<li>Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mybabyclothes" target="_blank">My Baby Clothes on Twitter</a> followers for us (worth two extra entries, please leave two separate comments)</li>
<li>Subscribe to <a href="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/" target="_blank">My Baby Clothes Boutique</a> Newsletter, enter your email address on the left side of the page, toward the bottom (worth one extra entry)</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Giveaway ends Friday September 30th, 2011 at midnight CST.</strong> Open to residents in the United States. Winner will be selected by <a href="http://www.random.org" target="_blank">Random.org</a> and notified by email. Winner has 3 days to respond and accept or a new winner will be picked.</p>
<h6><em>Disclaimer: I received the froggy hat in exchange for a product review and giveaway from My Baby Clothes Boutique. All opinions are mine and mine alone.</em></h6>
<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/21/my-baby-clothes-review-and-giveaway/">My Baby Clothes Review and Giveaway</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
<div style="margin:5px 0px 5px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_810743676" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/21/my-baby-clothes-review-and-giveaway/" data-text="My Baby Clothes Review and Giveaway" data-desc="The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to comment #6, Jenna Sandman who said "I love the Born to Love Custom Argyle Visor Beanie!"

I love babies. For so many reasons, but one of those reasons is their teeny tiny clothes. The impossibly small outfits, hats and socks that you can't image a human actually fitting in. But they do, for a fleeting moment, because man, babies grow fast.

When the little man was born we really didn't need a lot of extra stuff. A few clothes here and there, most of w" data-image="http://www.mybabyclothes.com/templates/Original1_B2B/images/logo.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_810743676&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F09%2F21%2Fmy-baby-clothes-review-and-giveaway%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fblike=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=0&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fblikelang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&fblikeverb=like&fblikefont=arial&fblikeref=linksalpha&gplusctr=1&twitterctr=1&linkedinctr=1&gbuzzctr=1&redditctr=1&pinterestctr=1&diggctr=1&stumbleuponctr=1&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/21/my-baby-clothes-review-and-giveaway/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>96</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Moon Dough Product Review</title>
		<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/15/moon-dough-product-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/15/moon-dough-product-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:09:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison @ Alli 'n Son</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moon dough new formula]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moon dough product review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alli-n-son.com/?p=8125</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last January my mother-in-law purchased something called Moon Dough. She heard from a teacher friend that it was awesome. It didn&#8217;t get stuck in the carpet. It was super easy to clean up. It was supposed to be the best thing since Playdough. It was supposed to replace Playdough. Except, that it was terrible. It [...]<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/15/moon-dough-product-review/">Moon Dough Product Review</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_995047799" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/15/moon-dough-product-review/" data-text="Moon Dough Product Review" data-desc="Last January my mother-in-law purchased something called Moon Dough. She heard from a teacher friend that it was awesome. It didn't get stuck in the carpet. It was super easy to clean up. It was supposed to be the best thing since Playdough. It was supposed to replace Playdough.

Except, that it was terrible. It crumbled. It was difficult to mold. In short, it just didn't live up to the promises. Ever since then I kind of wrote it off.

That is, until I heard that it had been revamped. It go" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_995047799&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F09%2F15%2Fmoon-dough-product-review%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fbsend=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=1&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fbsendlang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script><p>Last January my mother-in-law purchased something called <a href="http://www.moondough.com" target="_blank">Moon Dough</a>. She heard from a teacher friend that it was awesome. It didn&#8217;t get stuck in the carpet. It was super easy to clean up. It was supposed to be the best thing since Playdough. It was supposed to <strong>replace</strong> Playdough.</p>
<p>Except, that it was terrible. It crumbled. It was difficult to mold. In short, it just didn&#8217;t live up to the promises. Ever since then I kind of wrote it off.</p>
<p>That is, until I heard that it had been revamped. It got a doughlift, if you will {bad joke, sorry}. I was itching to try it. I was curious to see if the new formula was indeed less crumbly and didn&#8217;t dry out.</p>
<p>I was skeptical that it was actually new and improved. It seems so often that new and improved doesn&#8217;t actually mean new and improved.</p>
<p>But you know what, it <strong>IS</strong> new and improved. But don&#8217;t take my word for it. Take it from the newest <a href="http://www.moondough.com" target="_blank">Moon Dough</a> expert {please ignore the messy living room}.</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9lTRHGzeDTo" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe></p>
<p>Moon Dough, for ages 3 and up, now has a new consistency for better molding, it&#8217;s less crumbly, odor-free, and it never dries out {yay!} It&#8217;s also available in some pretty awesome new play sets like the Moon Dough Push N’ Pop Ocean Pals {the set we got to try out}, Moon Dough Push N’ Pop Breakfast, and Moon Dough Snack Shop.</p>
<p>Moon Dough can be found online at <a href="http://www.moondough.com/" target="_blank">http://www.moondough.com/</a> and purchased at the following stores:  Toys “R” Us, Target, Walmart, Kmart, Amazon.com, A.C. Moore, Michaels and eToys.</p>
<h6><em>Disclaimer: I received a sample of Moon Dough as a Team Mom member. All opinions are mine, and mine alone. </em></h6>
<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/15/moon-dough-product-review/">Moon Dough Product Review</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
<div style="margin:5px 0px 5px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_1412314294" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/15/moon-dough-product-review/" data-text="Moon Dough Product Review" data-desc="Last January my mother-in-law purchased something called Moon Dough. She heard from a teacher friend that it was awesome. It didn't get stuck in the carpet. It was super easy to clean up. It was supposed to be the best thing since Playdough. It was supposed to replace Playdough.

Except, that it was terrible. It crumbled. It was difficult to mold. In short, it just didn't live up to the promises. Ever since then I kind of wrote it off.

That is, until I heard that it had been revamped. It go" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_1412314294&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F09%2F15%2Fmoon-dough-product-review%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fblike=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=0&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fblikelang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&fblikeverb=like&fblikefont=arial&fblikeref=linksalpha&gplusctr=1&twitterctr=1&linkedinctr=1&gbuzzctr=1&redditctr=1&pinterestctr=1&diggctr=1&stumbleuponctr=1&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/09/15/moon-dough-product-review/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>dENiZEN from Levi&#8217;s Product Review</title>
		<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/08/29/denizen-from-levis-product-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/08/29/denizen-from-levis-product-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:30:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison @ Alli 'n Son</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[denizen facebook page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[denizen from levi's product review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Team Mom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alli-n-son.com/?p=7971</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Its not often that I&#8217;m jealous of a product the kiddo gets to review. But this one, I was oh so jealous. You see, the opportunity came up when I was nine months pregnant. A pair of jeans by dENiZEN, a new brand from Levi&#8217;s, sold exclusively at Target and Target.com. I hadn&#8217;t been shopping in months, [...]<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/08/29/denizen-from-levis-product-review/">dENiZEN from Levi&#8217;s Product Review</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_2135476730" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/08/29/denizen-from-levis-product-review/" data-text="dENiZEN from Levi's Product Review" data-desc="Its not often that I'm jealous of a product the kiddo gets to review. But this one, I was oh so jealous. You see, the opportunity came up when I was nine months pregnant. A pair of jeans by dENiZEN, a new brand from Levi's, sold exclusively at Target and Target.com. I hadn't been shopping in months, wait, make that over a year. I so badly wanted to go shopping. I needed to own a new pair of jeans. But, I had no idea what size I would be after the baby was born. So I just couldn't review the pr" data-image="http://www.alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/266354_208611072517907_198224673556547_560386_1466292_o.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_2135476730&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F08%2F29%2Fdenizen-from-levis-product-review%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fbsend=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=1&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fbsendlang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script><p>Its not often that I&#8217;m jealous of a product the kiddo gets to review. But this one, I was oh so jealous. You see, the opportunity came up when I was nine months pregnant. A pair of jeans by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DenizenAmerica" target="_blank">dENiZEN</a>, a new brand from Levi&#8217;s, sold exclusively at Target and Target.com. I hadn&#8217;t been shopping in months, wait, make that over a year. I so badly wanted to go shopping. I needed to own a new pair of jeans. But, I had no idea what size I would be after the baby was born. So I just couldn&#8217;t review the product for myself. Sigh.</p>
<p>Instead I opted to let the kiddo get the new jeans. I guess it&#8217;s only fair, he grows out of clothes faster than…I don&#8217;t really know. Something that grows super fast. A weed? Yes, a weed. With different fits and different colors/washes, I was able to pick out the perfect pair for him.</p>
<p>And secretly, I picked out the perfect pair for me too. Because after this baby weight comes off, I am doing some serious shopping. Mostly at Target, because I big puffy heart Target.</p>
<p>Anyway, back to the jeans.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DenizenAmerica" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7974" title="266354_208611072517907_198224673556547_560386_1466292_o" src="http://www.alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/266354_208611072517907_198224673556547_560386_1466292_o.jpg" alt="" width="640" /></a></p>
<p>These jeans are super cute. And not in a baby kind of way. In a big boy, handsome and stylish way. Timeless and fashionable, we choose the straight fit with a straight leg. The material is thick and seems very durable, like it will hold up to slides into homebase, scrapped knees, and grass stains from the million and one times that he falls in the grass. You know, just for fun.</p>
<p>As an added bonus in the boys sizes, at least the size 4 that we received, there is an adjustable waist. I love children&#8217;s pants with an adjustable waist. The kiddo is on the skinny side, so more times that not pants end up just a little too saggy. I do not like saggy jeans. End of story.</p>
<p>So, as you can guess, I&#8217;m itching to run out and buy a pair of these for myself. Soon, soon I will be able to. Until then, I&#8217;ll just have to be happy for the kiddo, and his awesome pair of new jeans. Happy, and just a little bit jealous.</p>
<p>You can learn more about dENiZEN jeans from Levi&#8217;s on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DenizenAmerica" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, including photos of the different fits and colors. Perhaps best of all, right now if you &#8220;like&#8221; their page you can get a rebate, gift card or even free jeans.</p>
<h6><em>Disclosure: I received a pair of dENiZEN jeans as a member of Team Mom. All opinions are mine and mine alone.</em></h6>
<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/08/29/denizen-from-levis-product-review/">dENiZEN from Levi&#8217;s Product Review</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
<div style="margin:5px 0px 5px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_282415229" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/08/29/denizen-from-levis-product-review/" data-text="dENiZEN from Levi's Product Review" data-desc="Its not often that I'm jealous of a product the kiddo gets to review. But this one, I was oh so jealous. You see, the opportunity came up when I was nine months pregnant. A pair of jeans by dENiZEN, a new brand from Levi's, sold exclusively at Target and Target.com. I hadn't been shopping in months, wait, make that over a year. I so badly wanted to go shopping. I needed to own a new pair of jeans. But, I had no idea what size I would be after the baby was born. So I just couldn't review the pr" data-image="http://www.alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/266354_208611072517907_198224673556547_560386_1466292_o.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_282415229&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F08%2F29%2Fdenizen-from-levis-product-review%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fblike=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=0&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fblikelang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&fblikeverb=like&fblikefont=arial&fblikeref=linksalpha&gplusctr=1&twitterctr=1&linkedinctr=1&gbuzzctr=1&redditctr=1&pinterestctr=1&diggctr=1&stumbleuponctr=1&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/08/29/denizen-from-levis-product-review/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Nursery Rhyming with Mother Goose</title>
		<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/07/04/nursery-rhyming-mother-goose/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/07/04/nursery-rhyming-mother-goose/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:51:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison @ Alli 'n Son</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sponsored Post]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mother Goose Club DVD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nursery Rhyme Singing Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Team Mom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alli-n-son.com/?p=7275</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m a terrible mother. No, not for the reasons you may be thinking. It&#8217;s because I don&#8217;t sing nursery rhymes to my son. Okay, okay it&#8217;s not that serious. Wheels on the Bus was the only song that could calm him down as a baby. Something about the rhythm of that song would soothe him [...]<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/07/04/nursery-rhyming-mother-goose/">Nursery Rhyming with Mother Goose</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_106845836" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/07/04/nursery-rhyming-mother-goose/" data-text="Nursery Rhyming with Mother Goose" data-desc="I'm a terrible mother. No, not for the reasons you may be thinking. It's because I don't sing nursery rhymes to my son.

Okay, okay it's not that serious. Wheels on the Bus was the only song that could calm him down as a baby. Something about the rhythm of that song would soothe him when nothing else could. But somewhere along the way, I kind of stopped singing it. Bad mom.

We do have a few CDs in the car full of children's music and they make an appearance every once in a while. Like for a wee" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_106845836&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F07%2F04%2Fnursery-rhyming-mother-goose%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fbsend=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=1&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fbsendlang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script><p>I&#8217;m a terrible mother. No, not for the reasons you may be thinking. It&#8217;s because I don&#8217;t sing nursery rhymes to my son.</p>
<p>Okay, okay it&#8217;s not that serious. Wheels on the Bus was the only song that could calm him down as a baby. Something about the rhythm of that song would soothe him when nothing else could. But somewhere along the way, I kind of stopped singing it. Bad mom.</p>
<p>We do have a few CDs in the car full of children&#8217;s music and they make an appearance every once in a while. Like for a week, until I get tired of the same old music and then conveniently turn off the CD as soon as I get in the car, before it even has a chance to start playing. Bad mom.</p>
<p>The real problem is that I don&#8217;t remember the words to most of the songs. Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, This Little Piggy, those I know. But you can only sing them so many times before your mind goes numb and you fall asleep. Sitting up. While singing the song. Bad, bad mom.</p>
<p>I never really let it bother me though. I just kind of assumed that the kiddo didn&#8217;t really care that he was missing out on all of the nursery rhymes of childhood. It turns out that I was wrong.</p>
<p>A couple of weeks ago I poped in <a href="http://mothergooseclub.com/store.php" target="_blank">Mother Goose Club Sing Nursery Rhymes Volume 1</a> as we were driving through town. To my utter surprise, I started singing along. I <strong>did</strong> know the words to the classic nursery rhymes, I just didn&#8217;t know it. But, even more to my surprise, the kiddo&#8217;s face just lit up as I belted out the words. Mostly in tune. I think.</p>
<p>Then he started asking for me to play the same songs over and over again. The ones that I knew the words to. Then he started asking me questions about the songs, the number one sign that he&#8217;s interested in what he&#8217;s hearing. Really interested. And ever since then, this CD has been playing in my car. We haven&#8217;t even made it to Volume Two yet.</p>
<p>One other item that I received as part of Team Mom was a DVD of Nursery Rhymes Singing Time with Mother Goose Club. 40 minutes full of nursery rhymes come to life. Some have kids acting out the rhymes, some are completely animated. All of the videos are short, catchy and easy to remember. It&#8217;s a great way to keep your kids entertained for just a few minutes or the entire 40 minutes.</p>
<p>I learned something new by receiving this package from <a title="Mother Goose Club" href="http://mothergooseclub.com" target="_blank">Mother Goose Club</a>. Something that made me realize the importance of nursery rhymes. Early childhood research has shown that being familiar with nursery rhymes can help young children learn to read. Don&#8217;t get me wrong, I&#8217;m not trying to teach my 3 year old to read. He&#8217;s only 3. But by learning the words to the songs, singing and clapping with the rhymes, kids begin to develop a feel for the sounds and structures of language, which is the first step towards successful reading.</p>
<p>So I&#8217;m hooked. My son is hooked, and now I don&#8217;t feel like such a bad mom. Plus, when baby boy number two joins our little family in just a few short weeks, he won&#8217;t have to suffer through years of little to no nursery rhymes. He&#8217;ll grow up with them right from the start.</p>
<p>You can purchase the Nursery Rhyme Singing Time with Mother Goose Club DVD at <a href="http://mothergooseclub.com/" target="_blank">mothergooseclub.com</a>, find them on <a href="http://facebook.com/mothergooseclub" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/mothergooseclub" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and even <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/MotherGooseClub" target="_blank">YouTube</a>.</p>
<h6><em>As a Team Mom member I received a gift pack from Mother Goose Club to facilitate my review. All opinions are mine and mine along. </em></h6>
<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/07/04/nursery-rhyming-mother-goose/">Nursery Rhyming with Mother Goose</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
<div style="margin:5px 0px 5px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_267594322" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/07/04/nursery-rhyming-mother-goose/" data-text="Nursery Rhyming with Mother Goose" data-desc="I'm a terrible mother. No, not for the reasons you may be thinking. It's because I don't sing nursery rhymes to my son.

Okay, okay it's not that serious. Wheels on the Bus was the only song that could calm him down as a baby. Something about the rhythm of that song would soothe him when nothing else could. But somewhere along the way, I kind of stopped singing it. Bad mom.

We do have a few CDs in the car full of children's music and they make an appearance every once in a while. Like for a wee" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_267594322&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F07%2F04%2Fnursery-rhyming-mother-goose%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fblike=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=0&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fblikelang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&fblikeverb=like&fblikefont=arial&fblikeref=linksalpha&gplusctr=1&twitterctr=1&linkedinctr=1&gbuzzctr=1&redditctr=1&pinterestctr=1&diggctr=1&stumbleuponctr=1&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/07/04/nursery-rhyming-mother-goose/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Here, Home, Hope Book Review</title>
		<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/10/home-hope-book-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/10/home-hope-book-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jun 2011 03:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison @ Alli 'n Son</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Book Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[here home home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[one2one network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[product review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alli-n-son.com/?p=6995</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I like my books the way that I like my movies. Quirky. Odd. And when it comes to romantic or coming-of-age themes, somewhat realistic. I don&#8217;t like stories that are too easily wrapped up at the end. I don&#8217;t like stories where everything works out perfectly, and everyone lives happily every after. I don&#8217;t like [...]<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/10/home-hope-book-review/">Here, Home, Hope Book Review</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_51102062" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/10/home-hope-book-review/" data-text="Here, Home, Hope Book Review" data-desc="I like my books the way that I like my movies. Quirky. Odd. And when it comes to romantic or coming-of-age themes, somewhat realistic.

I don't like stories that are too easily wrapped up at the end. I don't like stories where everything works out perfectly, and everyone lives happily every after. I don't like stories where everything just comes together, easily, and no one has to work at it.

Because life isn't like that. Life is hard, it takes works, and even then everything doesn't come out" data-image="http://alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/HereHomeHope-FinalCover.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_51102062&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F06%2F10%2Fhome-hope-book-review%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fbsend=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=1&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fbsendlang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script><p>I like my books the way that I like my movies. Quirky. Odd. And when it comes to romantic or coming-of-age themes, somewhat realistic.</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t like stories that are too easily wrapped up at the end. I don&#8217;t like stories where everything works out perfectly, and everyone lives happily every after. I don&#8217;t like stories where everything just comes together, easily, and no one has to work at it.</p>
<p>Because life isn&#8217;t like that. Life is hard, it takes works, and even then everything doesn&#8217;t come out perfectly. It&#8217;s life afterall.</p>
<p>A few weeks ago I received a copy of <a href="http://www.kairarouda.com/books/here-home-hope/buy-the-book/" target="_blank">Here, Home, Hope</a> as part of the <a title="One2One Network" href="http://www.one2onenetwork.com/" target="_blank">One2One Network</a>. I was curious about the book, a coming-of-age type story of a stay at home mom who finds that her children are grown and she suddenly is left wondering what life holds for her now. I was intrigued because honestly, this is something that runs through my mind on a regular basis. And I&#8217;m not even close to reaching the stage in life where my kids are grown and in school. Heck, I&#8217;m not even done having kids yet. But still I wonder, what will I do when my main priority isn&#8217;t caring for my kids 24 hours a day? So I volunteered to read and review the book.</p>
<p>So, here comes my honest opinion: I was a little disappointed with the story. That&#8217;s not to say it was a terrible story, but it falls into the everything-works-out-perfectly category, which as I mentioned before, isn&#8217;t on the top of my list of things to read or watch.</p>
<p>The story was an easy read, perfect for summer when you just want to relax with book. It has a number of good messages as many, if not all, of the characters are struggling through life changing events, such as depression, eating disorders, divorces, death and job loss. In the end, the message is positive: no matter what life throws at you, you can and will survive. You will get through the other side a stronger, happier person.</p>
<p>So, if you are looking for an easy read, something to pass the lazy, hot afternoons of summer, and something that leaves you with an uplifting message at the end, this book is just for you. But, if you prefer something with a little more quirk, something that is a little more honest and true to real life, you may want to pass this one by.</p>
<p><a href="http://alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/HereHomeHope-FinalCover.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6997" title="HereHomeHope-FinalCover" src="http://alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/HereHomeHope-FinalCover.jpg" alt="" width="301" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>You can learn more about the author, Kaira Rouda on her <a href="http://www.kairarouda.com/" target="_blank">official web site</a>, including her upcoming <a href="http://www.kairarouda.com/events" target="_blank">book signings</a>. You can also find her on <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/kairarouda" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaira-Rouda-Books/125389587505763" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</p>
<h6><em>Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book to facilitate my review. All opinions are mine, and mine along. </em></h6>
<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/10/home-hope-book-review/">Here, Home, Hope Book Review</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
<div style="margin:5px 0px 5px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_217791814" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/10/home-hope-book-review/" data-text="Here, Home, Hope Book Review" data-desc="I like my books the way that I like my movies. Quirky. Odd. And when it comes to romantic or coming-of-age themes, somewhat realistic.

I don't like stories that are too easily wrapped up at the end. I don't like stories where everything works out perfectly, and everyone lives happily every after. I don't like stories where everything just comes together, easily, and no one has to work at it.

Because life isn't like that. Life is hard, it takes works, and even then everything doesn't come out" data-image="http://alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/HereHomeHope-FinalCover.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_217791814&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F06%2F10%2Fhome-hope-book-review%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fblike=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=0&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fblikelang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&fblikeverb=like&fblikefont=arial&fblikeref=linksalpha&gplusctr=1&twitterctr=1&linkedinctr=1&gbuzzctr=1&redditctr=1&pinterestctr=1&diggctr=1&stumbleuponctr=1&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/10/home-hope-book-review/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Easy Canvas Prints Review and Giveaway</title>
		<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/07/easy-canvas-prints-review-giveaway/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/07/easy-canvas-prints-review-giveaway/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:00:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison @ Alli 'n Son</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Giveaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canvas print giveaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[easy canvas prints]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photo giveaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alli-n-son.com/?p=6946</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This giveaway is now closed. Congraulations to comment #25, Amy for winning. As you may have noticed, I like to take photos. My computer is overflowing with them. A lot of nature and flower photos, which seems to have caught my attention lately. There are like a million photos of the kiddo, and I&#8217;m sure [...]<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/07/easy-canvas-prints-review-giveaway/">Easy Canvas Prints Review and Giveaway</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_993763872" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/07/easy-canvas-prints-review-giveaway/" data-text="Easy Canvas Prints Review and Giveaway" data-desc="This giveaway is now closed. Congraulations to comment #25, Amy for winning. 

As you may have noticed, I like to take photos. My computer is overflowing with them. A lot of nature and flower photos, which seems to have caught my attention lately. There are like a million photos of the kiddo, and I'm sure a million more once baby boy number two greets us. Plus vacation photos, food photos and just totally random photos.

I have more than I know what to do with, and honestly the majority of them " data-image="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2211/5806532237_508ec5f982_z.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_993763872&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F06%2F07%2Feasy-canvas-prints-review-giveaway%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fbsend=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=1&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fbsendlang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script><p><strong>This giveaway is now closed. Congraulations to comment #25, Amy for winning. </strong></p>
<p>As you may have noticed, I like to take photos. My computer is overflowing with them. A lot of nature and flower photos, which seems to have caught my attention lately. There are like a million photos of the kiddo, and I&#8217;m sure a million more once baby boy number two greets us. Plus vacation photos, food photos and just totally random photos.</p>
<p>I have more than I know what to do with, and honestly the majority of them get lost on my computer.</p>
<p>So, when I was approached by <a title="Easy Canvas Prints" href="http://www.easycanvasprints.com/" target="_blank">Easy Canvas Prints</a> with the opportunity to order one of their canvas prints, it took me forever <em>{seriously, forever}</em> to decide which photo I would use. For weeks I pondered over the decision, until the right photo jumped up and smacked me in the face.</p>
<p><a title="Seattle in January, 2011 by Alli 'n Son, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/allinson/5806532237/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2211/5806532237_508ec5f982_z.jpg" alt="Seattle in January, 2011" width="610" /></a></p>
<p>This baby, taken in January in Seattle was the perfect photo. And when I received my canvas print last week I was overjoyed by it.</p>
<p>I honestly didn&#8217;t know what to expect, I have never ordered a canvas print before. The ordering process was super easy. You begin by picking a canvas size and then uploading your photo. Once you have completed these steps, you can choose the border style you want <em>{there are 3 to pick from}</em> and even pick an optional image effect <em>{black and white or sepia, retouching and more}</em>. That&#8217;s it, you&#8217;re done!</p>
<p>When my canvas arrived at my door last week, I ripped open the box and couldn&#8217;t believe what I saw. The quality of the print was exceptional. The canvas itself seems thick and durable. It actually looks like it could be hanging in a museum. I&#8217;m so impressed with it, that I actually have nothing negative to say. Even their <a title="Easy Canvas Prints Pricing Options" href="http://www.easycanvasprints.com/pricing-options/" target="_blank">pricing</a>, for canvases sized 8&#215;8 all the way up to 30&#215;40, is very reasonable. Especially considering that the quality is top notch.</p>
<h1>The Giveaway</h1>
<p>Easy Canvas Prints was gracious enough to offer one of you guys the chance to win a 8&#215;10 canvas print. How awesome is that?</p>
<p><strong>To enter, leave me a comment telling me what photo you would have printed.</strong></p>
<h2><strong>For Additional Entries</strong></h2>
<ol>
<li><strong>Become a fan</strong> of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/easycanvasprints" target="_blank">Easy Canvas Prints</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Subscribe to my blog via </strong><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AllinSon" target="_blank">RSS</a>, email or Google Connect.</li>
<li><strong>Follow me on Twitter</strong> and tweet about the giveaway {up to three times per day}. I just entered to #win an EASY CANVAS PRINTS GIVEAWAY from @Alli_n_Son. http://wp.me/p1c2x1-1O2</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Giveaway ends June 14th, 2011 at midnight CST.</strong> Open to residents in the Continental United States. Winner will be selected by<a href="http://www.random.org" target="_blank">Random.org</a> and notified by email. Winner has 3 days to respond and accept or a new winner will be picked.</p>
<h6><em>Disclosure: I received a free canvas print in return for writing this post. All opinions are mine and mine alone. </em></h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/07/easy-canvas-prints-review-giveaway/">Easy Canvas Prints Review and Giveaway</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
<div style="margin:5px 0px 5px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_1022626896" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/07/easy-canvas-prints-review-giveaway/" data-text="Easy Canvas Prints Review and Giveaway" data-desc="This giveaway is now closed. Congraulations to comment #25, Amy for winning. 

As you may have noticed, I like to take photos. My computer is overflowing with them. A lot of nature and flower photos, which seems to have caught my attention lately. There are like a million photos of the kiddo, and I'm sure a million more once baby boy number two greets us. Plus vacation photos, food photos and just totally random photos.

I have more than I know what to do with, and honestly the majority of them " data-image="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2211/5806532237_508ec5f982_z.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_1022626896&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F06%2F07%2Feasy-canvas-prints-review-giveaway%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fblike=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=0&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fblikelang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&fblikeverb=like&fblikefont=arial&fblikeref=linksalpha&gplusctr=1&twitterctr=1&linkedinctr=1&gbuzzctr=1&redditctr=1&pinterestctr=1&diggctr=1&stumbleuponctr=1&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/07/easy-canvas-prints-review-giveaway/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>34</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Splish Splash and More with Caillou</title>
		<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/04/11/splish-splash-caillou/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/04/11/splish-splash-caillou/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison @ Alli 'n Son</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caillou bath time vehicle review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caillou classic doll review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[product review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alli-n-son.com/?p=6364</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You know what words I hear about 100 million times a day? &#8220;Mom, come play with me.&#8221; Even if we just finished playing something. Even if I just got up to get a glass of water {and check my email, ahem}. Even if we were just taking a quick potty break. This is the kiddos [...]<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/04/11/splish-splash-caillou/">Splish Splash and More with Caillou</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_335970812" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/04/11/splish-splash-caillou/" data-text="Splish Splash and More with Caillou" data-desc="You know what words I hear about 100 million times a day?

"Mom, come play with me."

Even if we just finished playing something. Even if I just got up to get a glass of water {and check my email, ahem}. Even if we were just taking a quick potty break. This is the kiddos go-to request.

He used to be so good about playing by himself. But no more. Now he needs me or Hubs to join in for every second. Which is great. Sometimes boring. Often times astounding. Tossing "ice cream" across the room, to " data-image="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5608379434_6a35cc6889_z.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_335970812&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F04%2F11%2Fsplish-splash-caillou%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fbsend=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=1&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fbsendlang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script><p>You know what words I hear about 100 million times a day?</p>
<p>&#8220;Mom, come play with me.&#8221;</p>
<p>Even if we just finished playing something. Even if I just got up to get a glass of water {and check my email, ahem}. Even if we were just taking a quick potty break. This is the kiddos go-to request.</p>
<p>He used to be so good about playing by himself. But no more. Now he needs me or Hubs to join in for every second. Which is great. Sometimes boring. Often times astounding. Tossing &#8220;ice cream&#8221; across the room, to land in our mouths? Where does he come up with these things?</p>
<p>Needless to say, toys are a necessity when it comes to play time. Otherwise I&#8217;m the toy. And being 6 months pregnant, I don&#8217;t really care to have a 3 year old climbing on and sliding down my body. Although some days when I can&#8217;t seem to drag my butt off the couch, it&#8217;s the only form of play I can manage.</p>
<p>Last week, as part of Team Mom we received a fun little package in the mail. The package which sat on the couch for the afternoon and became the kiddo&#8217;s potty. Yes he was pretending. Thank. God.</p>
<p>Inside that package was something a little more fun. Caillou, the character from the animated show, brought to life. A 14.5 inch doll and a bath time toy complete with Caillou, a dinosaur and a propeller to help them &#8220;sail across the sea&#8221;.</p>
<p>I have to admit, before we received these toys, we had never watched the show. It airs on PBS during a time that we are never home. Thank goodness for Netflix, because as soon as the toys were open we had to turn on the show. Actually, I&#8217;m glad that we did.</p>
<p>The creators of this show nailed it. The main character, Caillou, is as close to a real life preschooler as you can get. His voice. His mannerism. His endless questions. It&#8217;s perfect.</p>
<p>Although, I do have to admit that having another preschool voice filling the house can at times be a little too much.</p>
<p>By the time the first episode was over, the kiddo was hooked. On the show. On the doll. On the boat.</p>
<p><a title="Fully clothed Caillou by Alli 'n Son, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/allinson/5608379434/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5608379434_6a35cc6889_z.jpg" alt="Fully clothed Caillou" width="610" height="610" /></a></p>
<p>Have you seen boys play with dolls before? This adorable toy, dressed in the classic Caillou outfit is soft and cuddly. He&#8217;s probably meant to be carried around, snuggled and otherwise loved. But no, not with my boy. Instead, Caillou was stripped naked, except for his hat, and thrown from one end of the house to the other. He was tossed high in the kitchen only to come crashing down on his head. He was sent sailing through the living room, thankfully to land on softer ground. But you know what, the kiddo was having fun, and I like to think that Caillou was too. So really, they both won. I think.</p>
<p>Now, the bath toy is awesome, simply because it can be used in and out of the bath. All of the toys inside the ship, Caillou, the dinosaur and flag, can be removed, so it&#8217;s really like 4 toys in one. Plus, Caillou and the dinosaur can be split into 2-3 pieces each. Which of course means we spent the afternoon creating new creatures. Caillou head with dinosaur body became Cailosaur. Dinosaur head with Caillou body was named Dinolou. Many little boy giggle were created as well.</p>
<p><a title="Caillou bath toy. by Alli 'n Son, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/allinson/5607779159/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5264/5607779159_df1d413dae_z.jpg" alt="Caillou bath toy." width="610" height="610" /></a></p>
<p>Actually taking a bath with the toy was a blast too. Assemble the toy and it sails leisurely across the tub, with the &#8220;motorized&#8221; propeller. Of course, the kiddo isn&#8217;t content with just using a toy as designed. Oh no, he had to take the propeller off, wind it up, and set it on it&#8217;s was, not boat attached. He got a kick out of it spinning around in the water. Don&#8217;t ask me why, kids are weird.</p>
<p>All in all, these toys are a great addition to the kiddo&#8217;s collection. Even the doll, which I was unsure of at first. Honestly, it&#8217;s the only doll he owns. To my delight it was welcomed with loving, although slightly violent arms. The toys help to inspire imagination and help bring to life a show that the kiddo enjoys, and one that I actually feel pretty good about him watching.</p>
<h6><em>Disclosure: I received these toys as a Team Mom member, but was not compensated in any other way. My opinions are mine and mine alone. </em></h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/04/11/splish-splash-caillou/">Splish Splash and More with Caillou</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
<div style="margin:5px 0px 5px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_1910522651" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/04/11/splish-splash-caillou/" data-text="Splish Splash and More with Caillou" data-desc="You know what words I hear about 100 million times a day?

"Mom, come play with me."

Even if we just finished playing something. Even if I just got up to get a glass of water {and check my email, ahem}. Even if we were just taking a quick potty break. This is the kiddos go-to request.

He used to be so good about playing by himself. But no more. Now he needs me or Hubs to join in for every second. Which is great. Sometimes boring. Often times astounding. Tossing "ice cream" across the room, to " data-image="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5608379434_6a35cc6889_z.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_1910522651&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F04%2F11%2Fsplish-splash-caillou%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fblike=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=0&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fblikelang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&fblikeverb=like&fblikefont=arial&fblikeref=linksalpha&gplusctr=1&twitterctr=1&linkedinctr=1&gbuzzctr=1&redditctr=1&pinterestctr=1&diggctr=1&stumbleuponctr=1&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/04/11/splish-splash-caillou/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Raisels. What in the World?</title>
		<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/02/28/raisels-world/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/02/28/raisels-world/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:00:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison @ Alli 'n Son</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kids snacks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raisels product review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alli-n-son.com/?p=5841</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My son loves fruit snacks, as any almost-3-year-old boy would. Actually, I kind of like them too. Kind of. I mean, they taste good. For the three seconds it takes to eat them. But then you are left feeling kind of icky and wanting more. They satisfy your sweet tooth for a second, and yet [...]<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/02/28/raisels-world/">Raisels. What in the World?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_1265927040" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/02/28/raisels-world/" data-text="Raisels. What in the World?" data-desc="My son loves fruit snacks, as any almost-3-year-old boy would. Actually, I kind of like them too. Kind of. I mean, they taste good. For the three seconds it takes to eat them. But then you are left feeling kind of icky and wanting more. They satisfy your sweet tooth for a second, and yet you're only filling your body with sugary stuff. No healthy stuff to be seen.

Which is why fruit snacks are a rare treat in our house. You may find one or two bags buried in the bottom of my purse, for avoiding" data-image="http://alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Raisels-Group-Shot-1024x768.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_1265927040&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F02%2F28%2Fraisels-world%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fbsend=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=1&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fbsendlang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script><p>My son loves fruit snacks, as any almost-3-year-old boy would. Actually, I kind of like them too. Kind of. I mean, they taste good. For the three seconds it takes to eat them. But then you are left feeling kind of icky and wanting more. They satisfy your sweet tooth for a second, and yet you&#8217;re only filling your body with sugary stuff. No healthy stuff to be seen.</p>
<p>Which is why fruit snacks are a rare treat in our house. You may find one or two bags buried in the bottom of my purse, for avoiding those emergency-grocery-shopping-over-hungry-toddler-meltdowns. Or perhaps to stave off the must-wake-toddler-up-from-his-nap-and-jump-in-the car-tears. And the occasional grandma-is-in-town-our-son-will-be-filled-with-fruit-snacks. Some things you just don&#8217;t have control over. But on a day-to-day basis, we don&#8217;t indulge in these sugary shapes that are really just candy in disguise.</p>
<p>Over the last few weeks I&#8217;ve had the pleasure of testing out a new snack, with the fun name <a href="http://www.raisels.com" target="_blank">Raisels</a>. The first time I offered it to my son I described it like this:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">&#8220;Do you want to try a new snack that tastes like candy?&#8221;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">To which he responded by running to the kitchen while yelling &#8220;YEEEEEEEEES!!!&#8221;</p>
<p>Which is awesome. Because hidden in this tastes-like-candy snack are raisins. Sweet, plump, golden raisins. 100% real fruit raisins. Raisins lightly dusted with sugar and infused with sour flavors such as Sour Apple, Sour Orange, Sour Lemon and Sour Peach {my personal favorite} to make your mouth pucker as you gulp these babies down.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Raisels-Group-Shot.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-5892" title="Raisels Group Shot" src="http://alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Raisels-Group-Shot-1024x768.jpg" alt="Raisels Group Shot" width="600" /></a></p>
<p>Seriously, I&#8217;m addicted to these things. I&#8217;m pretty sure that I&#8217;ve eaten more boxes than the kiddo has. True. Story.</p>
<p>So, here&#8217;s why I love them, in case you were wondering. They satisfy my sweet tooth, and I have a strong, no-nonsense sweet tooth. They satisfy my son&#8217;s sweet tooth and mid-morning snack craving. But, perhaps best of all, I&#8217;m not filling my child or myself with high-fructose corn syrup or other non-nutritious ingredients. I&#8217;m filling our bodies with fruit rich in antioxidants. Fruit that is fat-free and cholesterol-free. Fruit that contains no high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners {yea!}. Fruit that is individually portioned out and small enough to throw a box or two in a purse or diaper bag, for those on-the-go sweet attacks.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.raisels.com/index/"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-5893" title="Raisels Cartons-Illustrations" src="http://alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Cartons-Illustrations-1024x493.jpg" alt="Raisels Cartons-Illustrations" width="600" /></a></p>
<p>It is perhaps the perfect fruit snack. Well, almost. Raisels are higher in sugar than some snacks. While most of that sugar is naturally occurring, there is still some added to give it that candy-like flavor. But if I had to pick between Raisels and Skittles, soda or other candy to satisfy my son&#8217;s sweet tooth, Rasiels will win, hands down.</p>
<p>These babies aren&#8217;t only for snacking. They can be part of a fun lunch too. Make ants on the log, but replace traditional raisins for Rasiels. Update a peanut butter and jelly sandwich by swapping the jelly for Raisels. Or for a protein-packed snack on the go, combine your kids favorite nuts {only for the older kids, or it&#8217;s a choking hazard}, pretzels, and a box or two of Raisels. Come to think of it, I may go make a batch of this homemade trial mix right now. Yum!</p>
<p>You can find Raisels at your <a href="http://www.raisels.com/where-to-buy/" target="_blank">local store</a>, on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Raisels" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/Raisels" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</p>
<h6><em><strong>Disclosure: </strong>I was provided samples of the four flavors of Raisels as a member of Team Mom, but I was in no way sponsored to write this post. All opinions are mine and mine alone. </em></h6>
<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/02/28/raisels-world/">Raisels. What in the World?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
<div style="margin:5px 0px 5px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_400209305" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/02/28/raisels-world/" data-text="Raisels. What in the World?" data-desc="My son loves fruit snacks, as any almost-3-year-old boy would. Actually, I kind of like them too. Kind of. I mean, they taste good. For the three seconds it takes to eat them. But then you are left feeling kind of icky and wanting more. They satisfy your sweet tooth for a second, and yet you're only filling your body with sugary stuff. No healthy stuff to be seen.

Which is why fruit snacks are a rare treat in our house. You may find one or two bags buried in the bottom of my purse, for avoiding" data-image="http://alli-n-son.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Raisels-Group-Shot-1024x768.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_400209305&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F02%2F28%2Fraisels-world%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fblike=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=0&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fblikelang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&fblikeverb=like&fblikefont=arial&fblikeref=linksalpha&gplusctr=1&twitterctr=1&linkedinctr=1&gbuzzctr=1&redditctr=1&pinterestctr=1&diggctr=1&stumbleuponctr=1&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/02/28/raisels-world/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Coconut Flour Review and Giveaway</title>
		<link>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/01/03/coconut-flour-review-giveaway/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/01/03/coconut-flour-review-giveaway/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Allison @ Alli 'n Son</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Giveaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coconut flour giveaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic coconut flour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[product review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tropical traditions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tropical traditions giveaway]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://alli-n-son.com/?p=5315</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don&#8217;t know if you know this about me, but I like to bake. And cook, but mostly I love to bake. It&#8217;s soothing and comforting to fill the house with amazing smells. It&#8217;s actually relaxing to mix and knead, taste and adjust. I&#8217;m pretty sure that in another life time, I owned a specialty [...]<p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/01/03/coconut-flour-review-giveaway/">Coconut Flour Review and Giveaway</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_169827039" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/01/03/coconut-flour-review-giveaway/" data-text="Coconut Flour Review and Giveaway" data-desc="I don't know if you know this about me, but I like to bake. And cook, but mostly I love to bake. It's soothing and comforting to fill the house with amazing smells. It's actually relaxing to mix and knead, taste and adjust.

I'm pretty sure that in another life time, I owned a specialty bake shop. With loads of yummy things like cupcakes, truffles, cookies, brownies, freshly baked breads, and, and, and…

Great, now my stomach is growling.

One of the best things about baking is trying a new in" data-image="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5318107403_1e9f8e3927_z.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_169827039&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F01%2F03%2Fcoconut-flour-review-giveaway%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fbsend=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=1&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fbsendlang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script><p>I don&#8217;t know if you know this about me, but I like to bake. And cook, but mostly I love to bake. It&#8217;s soothing and comforting to fill the house with amazing smells. It&#8217;s actually relaxing to mix and knead, taste and adjust.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m pretty sure that in another life time, I owned a specialty bake shop. With loads of yummy things like cupcakes, truffles, cookies, brownies, freshly baked breads, and, and, and…</p>
<p>Great, now my stomach is growling.</p>
<p>One of the best things about baking is trying a new ingredient. Whether that means incorporating it in a tried and true recipe or venturing out to try a brand new recipe. There&#8217;s something invigorating about it. Unless of course the recipe turns out to be a total flop. Then I&#8217;m bitter. And hungry. And bitter because I&#8217;m hungry.</p>
<p>Thankfully, this time around, the new ingredient was anything but a flop. It came from <a href="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com" target="_blank">Tropical Traditions</a>, a company that I&#8217;ve worked with and tested many products before. This time I got my grubby little hands on their <a href="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_coconut_flour.htm" target="_blank">coconut flour</a>.</p>
<p>Of course the first recipe I tried was brownies. I mean, if you are going to make something new, it better include loads and loads of chocolate. Am I right? Of course there are like a million recipes to try out, including many gluten-free options, on the <a href="http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/gluten_free_coconut_flour_recipes.htm" target="_blank">Free Coconut Recipes</a> web site.</p>
<p><a title="Coconut Flour Brownies by Alli 'n Son, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/allinson/5318107403/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5318107403_1e9f8e3927_z.jpg" alt="Coconut Flour Brownies" width="600" /></a></p>
<p>Let me just get this out of the way. They. Were. Divine. So rich and chocolaty, just the way a brownie should be.</p>
<p>So, the big question is, did I notice a difference because they were made with coconut flour rather than normal white flour? Yes and no. They did have a slightly grainier texture, but it didn&#8217;t stop me from eating them, that&#8217;s for sure. They also felt heavier. Not as in they physically weighed more. More like I felt heavier, or fuller, after eating them. Otherwise they were pretty much the same. I didn&#8217;t notice a strong coconut flavor, which I had expected.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve used coconut flour to substitute part of the flour in other recipes that I love. Especially my chocolate chip muffins. A family favorite that was passed down from my mom. One of these days I&#8217;ll even share this recipe with you. <em>I promise.</em></p>
<p>Why use coconut flour rather than white or whole wheat flour? Well, because it has health benefits that you just can&#8217;t find in flour. Like it&#8217;s full of fiber, something that just about everyone needs to have more of. <em>Ahem.</em> It&#8217;s also a great source of protein, which helps keep you fuller, longer. So when you enjoy something as indulgent as a coconut flour brownie, you can feel a little less guilty, because it&#8217;s full of yummy healthy things that other brownies are lacking.</p>
<p>Plus, coconut flour is gluten-free. Perfect for those with a gluten allergy or sensitivity or anyone looking to reduce the amount of gluten they cram into their bodies.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/images/organic_coconut_flour%20sm.jpg"><img class="aligncenter" title="Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Flour" src="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/images/organic_coconut_flour%20sm.jpg" alt="" width="326" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Of course now that I&#8217;ve told you all about this tasty product, I bet you are dying to try it. Good news! I&#8217;m giving away a 2.2 lb bag of organic coconut flour to one lucky reader.</p>
<h2>Easy to Follow Rules to Enter</h2>
<ol>
<li>Visit <a href="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com" target="_blank">Tropical Traditions</a> and let me know what other product you would like to try. This is mandatory and must be done first.</li>
<li>Follow my blog via <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AllinSon" target="_blank">RSS</a> or Google Friend connect.</li>
<li>Follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/Alli_n_Son" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and tweet about the giveaway.</li>
<li>Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/troptraditions" target="_blank">Tropical Traditions on Twitter</a>.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>This giveaway ends Friday January 14, 2011 at 11:59 pm CST.</strong> The winner will be picked  by <a href="http://www.random.org/" target="_blank">Random.org</a>.</p>
<h6><em><strong>The Fine Print: </strong>The giveaway is open to readers within the     US and Canada. Winner  must contact me within 3 days after receiving  my email  with  their  mailing address to confirm that they want to  receive the  prize. I received a sample of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Flour, but all opinions are my own. Read my full <a title="disclosure policy" href="../disclosure-policy/">disclosure policy</a>.</em></h6>
<h6><em><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> Tropical Traditions provided me with a free   sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to   review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a   positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free   product.</em></h6>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 18px;">Did you know that you can save my recipes in your very own recipe box, courtesy of <a href="http://get.ziplist.com/" target="_blank">ZipList</a>? Just click on the link above, under "recipes" to get started. <strong>Want to learn more? Hop on over to read about this <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2012/01/04/new-recipe-box-feature-at-alli-n-son/" target="_blank">awesome new feature</a>.</strong></span>

<br>
<br>
<h6><em>This post is proudly linked up to Mondays: </em><a href="http://asouthernfairytale.com/" target="_blank"><em>Mouthwatering Mondays</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/" target="_blank"><em>Made By You Monday</em></a><em>, </em><em><a href="http://addapinch.com/" target="_blank">Mingle Monday</a>, <a href="http://www.thegirlcreative.com/" target="_blank">The Girl Creative</a></em><em> Tuesdays: </em><a href="http://allthesmallstuff-cole.blogspot.com/"><em>Tuesdays and the Table,</em></a><em> </em><a href="http://www.blessedwithgrace.net/" target="_blank"><em>Tempt My Tummy Tuesday</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://beautyandbedlam.com/"><em>Tasty Tuesday</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://itsablogparty.com/"><em>It's a Blog Party</em></a><em>, </em><em><a href="http://www.tipjunkie.com/">Tip Junkie</a>, <a href="http://todayscreativeblog.net/" target="_blank">Get Your Craft On</a></em><em> Wednesdays: </em><a href="http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/"><em>Show and Tell</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://wearethatfamily.com/"><em>Works for Me Wednesday</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://thischickcooks.blogspot.com/"><em>This Chick Cooks</em></a><em> Thursdays: </em><a href="http://www.everydaytastes.com/"><em>It's a Keeper Thursdays</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://www.somewhatsimple.com/"><em>Strut Your Stuff</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/"><em>Full Plate Thursdays</em></a><em>, </em><em><a href="http://www.thefrugalgirls.com/">Chic &amp; Crafty Party</a>, <a href="http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/" target="_blank">Transformation Thursday</a> </em><em>Fridays: </em><a href="http://tidymom.net/"><em>I'm Loving It</em></a><em>,</em><a href="http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/"><em> </em><em>Foodie Friday</em></a><em>, </em><em><a href="http://www.simplydesigning.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Simply Designing</a>, <a href="http://romantichome.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Show and Tell Friday</a></em><em> Saturdays: </em><em><a href="http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/">Sweets for a Saturday</a>, <a href="http://www.positivelysplendid.com/" target="_blank">Positively Splendid</a>, <a href="http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Saturday Nite Special</a></em><em> Sundays: </em><em><a href="http://niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/">Nifty Thrifty Sunday</a>, <a href="http://www.iheartnaptime.net/" target="_blank">Sundae Scoop Party</a></em></h6><p><a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/01/03/coconut-flour-review-giveaway/">Coconut Flour Review and Giveaway</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.alli-n-son.com">Alli &#039;n Son</a></p>
<div style="margin:5px 0px 5px 0px" id="linksalpha_tag_611485797" class="linksalpha-email-button" data-url="http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/01/03/coconut-flour-review-giveaway/" data-text="Coconut Flour Review and Giveaway" data-desc="I don't know if you know this about me, but I like to bake. And cook, but mostly I love to bake. It's soothing and comforting to fill the house with amazing smells. It's actually relaxing to mix and knead, taste and adjust.

I'm pretty sure that in another life time, I owned a specialty bake shop. With loads of yummy things like cupcakes, truffles, cookies, brownies, freshly baked breads, and, and, and…

Great, now my stomach is growling.

One of the best things about baking is trying a new in" data-image="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5318107403_1e9f8e3927_z.jpg" data-site="Alli &#039;n Sons"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social/loader?script_type=buttons_counters&tag_id=linksalpha_tag_611485797&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alli-n-son.com%2F2011%2F01%2F03%2Fcoconut-flour-review-giveaway%2F&gplus=1&twitter=1&fblike=1&linkedin=0&gbuzz=0&tumblr=0&reddit=0&pinterest=1&digg=0&stumbleupon=0&gpluslang=en-US&twitterlang=en&fblikelang=en_US&gbuzzlang=en&fblikeverb=like&fblikefont=arial&fblikeref=linksalpha&gplusctr=1&twitterctr=1&linkedinctr=1&gbuzzctr=1&redditctr=1&pinterestctr=1&diggctr=1&stumbleuponctr=1&twittermention=Alli_n_Son&twitterrelated1=&twitterrelated2=&halign=left"></script>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/01/03/coconut-flour-review-giveaway/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>63</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
<!-- WP Super Cache is installed but broken. The path to wp-cache-phase1.php in wp-content/advanced-cache.php must be fixed! -->
