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Cheesy – In a Good Way

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on April 7, 2011

On a rainy day, long ago (it seems), we received a package delivered to our doorstep. We were very excited to see what was in this box. We all needed something to bring a smile to our faces. Inside this package was a bright orange Baby Loaf and in it was a cheese slicer, a heart-shaped sandwich cutter and a handful of coupons for free cheese.

You may be wondering, Why cheese? But, we were thinking, Yay! Cheese! And one of our favorites, to boot – Tillamook!

I know… it seems strange that we would get so excited about cheese, but we love cheese around here.

Look at that cheesy grin!

cheddar cheese

jack cheese

cream cheese. Oh wait, is cream cheese really cheese?

um…..

gouda

fetta

swiss

pepper jack

dubliner

parmesan

mozzerella

american

You get the picture.

What is your favorite kind of cheese? How do you like to eat it?

Ray likes any cheese that is a bit “sweaty”. I like it either really cold or melted, and Tillamook Sharp Cheddar has always been my absolute favorite (free or not). And the kids? Well, they just like cheese.

You know what I would be thrilled to be able to do someday? I’d really like to make it the Tillamook Cheese Factory on the Oregon coast. Maybe. Someday.

Why Tillamook?

Tillamook Cheese is a 101 year old farmer-owned dairy company in Oregon that makes a variety of cheeses including the flagship, award-winning Medium Cheddar – made from the same recipe for more than a century. Tillamook Medium Cheddar is naturally aged and made using only the highest-quality milk from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones so you can be confident it’s safe and healthy for your family.

Visit www.tillamook.com to find a variety of recipes for any time of day. There are some great chef-inspired recipes that use kid-friendly ingredients and deliciously grown-up versions of old favorites like the Grilled Cheese Trifecta or Mom’s Apple Pie Melt – in cute videos that are quick and easy to follow. The site also has several fun activities like Know Your Cheese and where you can find out your cheese IQ.

You can even like Tillamook on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to connect with other cheese fans, trade recipes and find coupons for Tillamook products.

Benefited post, as mentioned above.

{ 3 comments }

Soul Surfer :: The True Story of Bethany Hamilton

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on April 6, 2011

Last week, Ray and I had the privilege of attending a screening of the movie Soul Surfer with our four oldest kiddos. This true story of Bethany Hamilton sure left a lasting impression on all of us.

This movie was so well done and accurately portrays Bethany’s faith and belief that God had a plan for her life in the midst of tragedy. Not only does AnnaSophia Robb totally nail Bethany’s character, but Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, and Carrie Underwood play such wonderful supporting roles.

Here is Zach’s synopsis ::

Soul Surfer is a movie about a girl named Bethany who loves to surf. When Bethany’s dad was having knee surgery she went surfing with her best friend. She and her friend were lying on their boards talking when a shark bit her arm off!

Bethany’s friend’s dad rushed her to the hospital. She lost 60% of her blood and was in the hospital for a week. She knew that God had a plan for her. She trusted God.

It was hard to do anything without her arm, but she learned. She still surfs and competes in many pro competitions.

And, here is what the other kids thought ::

“This movie is awesome! I can’t wait to see it again!”
-Julia {Julz had more to say… Check it out at Goofy Grins and Girly Giggles!}

“It’s the best movie ever! There are some pretty intense scenes. I give it four stars.”
-Ethan

“Soul Surfer was amazing! Two thumbs up!”
-Josh

Win it!

I am so excited to be able to offer one lucky reader a great prize pack to win. The Soul Surfer Giveaway Prize Pack includes:

- Two (2) SOUL SURFER Backpacks (one in blue and one in purple)
- Two (2) SOUL SURFER Sports Bottles (one with built in straw and one without)
- One (1) Copy of SOUL SURFER The Book by Bethany Hamilton
- SOUL SURFER Lip Balm and Sunscreen
- SOUL SURFER Digi-Clean wipe

How to enter:

Leave me a comment, before 9pm on April 22nd, telling me about a person who has had an impact on your faith, or someone who is a true inspiration.

A winner will be chosen from the comments and notified by email.

I’d love to know what you think of the movie, if you see it! It’ll be in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 8th.

{ 26 comments }

Out and About with the Inglesina Avio

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on February 14, 2011

I have seen, used, and owned a lot of strollers, first during my career as a babysitter and now as a mom. Some are slim and light. Others are big and bulky. And then, there are strollers that are hard to push and navigate through tight spaces, while others you can stroll with only one hand.

So many designs and options!

Well, when I was asked to review the Inglesina Avio, I jumped at the opportunity. First, because I was excited to have a new stroller for Timothy, but also because I was curious about why the Avio was getting such great reviews elsewhere.

Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Everything I had heard about the Avio rang true. Here’s my take…

Pros:

The Avio is very light and compact. We just recently had to add a jump seat to the rear of our Yukon XL and are clean out of storage space in the back. The Avio fits nicely tucked just behind the front passenger seat. Sure, it takes up a seat, but it fits! And, when it’s not in use, it fits nicely in our coat closet.
The Avio is easy to maneuver. Most often do I just have one hand available. The turning radius of this stroller is amazing and it’s very easy to push along with only one hand.
The Avio has a wonderful one-hand fold feature. Many a time had I been stuck in a parking lot, all by myself – a screaming babe in one arm and a diaper bag hanging off my shoulder – with no way to fold up my stroller. No such problem with the Avio!

Cons:

Really, there is just one. The Price. At $499, the stroller is way out of my price range, BUT I would certainly recommend it if it’s in yours. You won’t be disappointed.

Avio strollers are available at Diapers.com. Order now and you’ll get a free fast table chair with your order by entering promo code AVIOFAST at checkout.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Inglesina and received an Avio stroller to facilitate this review.

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Hallmark Recordable Storybooks Encourage Quality Time

by Christine - From Dates to Diapers on September 29, 2010

It was just about 4 weeks ago when I told y’all that I didn’t have as much time as I would like to read to my kiddos. Do you remember? Well, a whole lot changed since then, including being told I needed to stay off my feet. Boy, did that little order from my OB create a fabulous opportunity to spend some quality time with my kiddos. What do we do? You guessed it – a whole lot of reading!

That is going to change a bit, of course, when Baby arrives. But, for now, Noah loves to sit with me while he thumbs through the Hallmark Recordable Storybooks, listening to my recorded voice. We laugh and talk about the story together. Sometimes, though, Noah sits by himself and listens to me “read” the stories to him. Most always with a great big grin on his face.

I know that Noah will truly treasure these books, as he gets a little piece of his Mama while she’s busy with his baby brother!

Hallmark is all about sharing their Recordable Storybooks with my friends – Two of YOU will win your very own copy of Thank You, God, For Everything just by leaving a comment here on this post before October 20th!

Also, just as I was able to do last month, I am able to donate another 10 books to a local charitable organization. This month I have chosen to donate the books to our local pregnancy center. (Thanks to Krista for the fab idea!) I know that these books would certainly bless several families welcoming a new baby.

But, what’s more is that one of YOU will win 10 Hallmark Recordable Storybooks to donate to one of YOUR local charities! Leave me a comment telling me about the charity of your choice and why it would be important to you to donate these books to them.

Three winners will be chosen – two to receive a book for their own family and one who will donate the books to a local charity of their choice. Each will be notified by email on or around October 20th.

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“This is the best pizza ever!”

September 13, 2010

Tweet Ben seems to think that the sourdough pizza we made tonight, inspired by my grandfather’s famous recipe, is the best pizza ever. Of course, everyone agrees, but I suppose Ben thinks it’s particularly good partly because he and Josh helped me make it. First, we toasted both sides of sourdough bread slices, covered in [...]

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Story Time with Hallmark Recordable Storybooks

August 27, 2010

Tweet As much as I try I just don’t have time to read to my little ones as often as I would like. That’s not to say, of course, that I never read to them… I certainly do. BUT, after the second (or even third) time reading the same book, I have to call it [...]

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POP!

July 27, 2010

Tweet We returned home late one evening, from a fun day out and about, to a package on our front doorstep. Not entirely an infrequent occurance, but certainly one that excited my younger two kiddos! Why? you ask. Well, the package on our doorstep contained a brand new Pop On Pals Amusement Park Playset, complete [...]

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“All The Ways I Love You” – Recordable Storybooks from Hallmark

July 22, 2010

Tweet Visit Hallmark to find more great titles. You can also submit your own personal stories on the “Share Your Story Tab” on Facebook. I have two All The Ways I Love You Recordable Storybooks to give away! Leave me a comment here, telling me why you think the special kiddos in your life would [...]

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Lovely Memories

July 10, 2010

Tweet I noticed as I sat on my patio this afternoon that my Hibiscus Bonsai had begun to bloom… Gorgeous white flowers with dark purple centers. Whenever I see Hibiscus flowers I am transported back to Hawaii. The colors, fragrances, sounds and tastes return to me in a flood of memories. So, as I sat [...]

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CREATE by Jason Wu {GE Digital Camera}

July 1, 2010

Tweet I love my Canon Rebel, but I find that it’s too big and bulky to carry with me to the park, the pool, and the soccer field, when I have six little ones in tow. So, I have this little camera that I pull out of my purse to snap pictures. I take it [...]

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Rub a Dub

April 4, 2009

Tweet Bath-time is always a very fun time around here. My little guys can play in the tub for hours…literally. I finally drain the tub only after their fingers and toes have turned to “gator skin” and they smell oh-so clean! Perhaps having fun toys with which to play is one of the reasons why [...]

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I’m hooked!

March 11, 2009

Tweet One good thing came from not feeling well today… I was able to finish reading the first book in the Twilight series. Never before have I been more gripped by a novel, holding my breath as I turn each page. Now, I’m off to find a copy of New Moon. I don’t care that [...]

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While Mommy’s away…

February 23, 2009

Tweet Dear Mom, Today at Mindy’s house we were very busy! As soon as you left we trapped Mindy in the hall closet. We did sword fights with her china and made Bailey wear a tiara. We messed with the mini-blinds and did a tunnel slide down the staircase. We even threw an egg and [...]

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Just announced!

February 7, 2009

Tweet Not more than 3 seconds ago, John Andrews, of Walmart fame, announced that Walmart will be sponsoring TWO BlissDom bloggers to SXSW next month! The catch? Spread the word about the ElevenMoms! Are you here with us at BlissDom? Check out the ElevenMoms and tweet one of the ElevenMoms’ blog urls, along with the [...]

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To the moon….

January 5, 2009

Tweet Just before Christmas, we received a pair of very comfy and cozy pajamas from Children’s Place. I saved these adorable jammies for Josh to open on Christmas Eve, considering he loves pjs. Let me tell you, he was so stoked with his new rocket pj set… He has seriously worn them almost every night [...]

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Happy Birthday Baby Einstein!

December 11, 2008

Tweet While I don’t agree that plopping the babies down in front of the TV is always the best thing to do, sometimes we moms need a break from our daily tasks, especially if we work at home. With Baby Einstein, I can relax and unwind with my babies, to the soothing sights and sounds [...]

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Too Hot Tot Bling (A Giveaway!)

November 9, 2008

Tweet Did you know that I have four nephews and one niece? This sweetie pie is my youngest nephew, Isaac. Isn’t he adorable? (You can see more pictures of him, and even some of his older brother, when you visit my sister’s brand new blog!) Just after Isaac was born, Stephanie of Too Hot Tot [...]

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A Special Treat

November 7, 2008

Tweet In honor of our love for chocolate, Mom Central teamed up with Ghirardelli to spread the word about their new LUXE MILK line, and chose me as a participating chocoholic blogger. I was stoked to hear that I would be receiving each of the 5 LUXE MILK flavors to taste test… I LOVE milk [...]

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It’s Play-time! (A Giveaway)

September 25, 2008

Tweet Kids with their toys… Keeping busy for hours! Below you will see one of each of my kiddos’ new favorites. All of them are available at your local retail outlets. I have to say that just after receiving the fabulous toys mentioned below my twins decided, all on their own, to clean out their [...]

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The Boulevard CS – Safe and snug with just a click!

September 15, 2008

Tweet It seems my baby is no longer a baby. As most of you know, Noah turned one last month. He is walking, eating “real” food, saying a few simple words, and faces forward in the car like his older brothers and sister. He hit the 20 pound mark long before his first birthday, and [...]

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A New Friend

September 11, 2008

Tweet Julia has a new friend. Her name is Piper, and she is from Australia. Julia loves to listen to tales from Sydney, and all about Piper’s adventures, from the book that came with her new friend. When I asked Julia what she thought of Piper she said, “Piper’s beautiful… I love her hair. Oh, [...]

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Find your way the easy way! (A Giveaway)

September 5, 2008

Tweet I am directionally challenged, to say the least. I have no idea, at any given time, which way is north and which way is south. For a long while I begged and pleaded with my husband to help me find a way to include the luxury of purchasing a GPS system into our budget, [...]

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