Friday Food For Thought

Children are great imitators,
so give them something great to imitate.

~Anonymous

Wonder Hanger {Review}

When we moved into our new house last August, we knew we were making some concessions in certain areas to gain big payoffs in others. We gained a fabulous treed lot with a shallow wood behind us in which the boys could play and explore 'til their hearts content. We gained the ability to plant a hearty fruit, vegetable, and herb garden that will have us eating fresh, hearty fair through the fall. We also gained a warm, cozy home with many of the fixtures, features, and color palettes that we prefer. In order to gain all of these wonderful things, we decided to make a concession in an area that is near and dear to the collective heart of this family of 6...closet space! As you can imagine, a family of our size accumulates a lot of stuff and storage of all kinds is key. Needless to say, I have tried all kinds of closet organizational tools in place to maximize the space we have available.



So, when given the opportunity to review The Wonder Hanger, I jumped at the chance. I had seen these organizational tools advertised in numerous infomercials and wanted to give them a try first hand. I must admit that they are much sturdier than I had expected. Made from a heavy weight plastic, these babies can hold up to 20-25lbs. without bowing or breaking! Some assembly is required to pop the hook portions of the hanger into the "rod" and it take a bit of elbow grease to get them in place. As far as I'm concerned, this is actually a positive because that means they are less likely to pop out on accident ;) In terms of performance, I found that they functioned exactly as depicted on tv...easy to use and definitely saved on space. The only critique I have is that in closets that are pre-designed with space saving shelving (you know, the kind with 2 shorter hanging areas on top of each other instead of one long space), the unit is too long when extended into the space saving position. However, overall this mama gives The Wonder Hanger a thumbs up (I currently have 3 of them in our stuffed to the max coat closet!).

Here is what the company has to say:
The Wonder Hanger is an affordable tool that's great for Spring Cleaning! This cascading clothes organizer increases closet space by enabling you to stack clothes vertically. Each Wonder Hanger holds 5 wood, metal, or plastic hangers. There are 8 hangers to a package - enough to hang 40 garments. The open-mouth design allows you to easily add or remove your jackets, skirts, pants, and shirts. Supporting up to 20 lbs., it can hold up to 5 heavy winter jackets.

You can use it to group complete outfits or similar items, organize by colors or seasons, and hang handbags or belts. It retails for $9.99 and can be purchased at major retail chains including Target, Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, and CVS and online at www.buywonderhanger.com.

*This is a Mama Buzz review. This product was provided by Wonder Hanger for our use and consideration. The opinions regarding the performance of this item are honest, based on my personal experience and belong solely to the author of this post. Images provided by The Wonder Hanger.

Paula Deen Stoneware Set {Giveaway}

This giveaway is now closed.

The other day I was in the storage area moving side rails from our kids' convertible cribs when I realized that I had no idea where my favorite serving set was! It's a beautiful stoneware set that includes a soup tureen/bean pot, small and large platters, and medium sized oven-to-table baker. Perfect for outdoor dinners and get togethers on the patio (which we now have!), I started scouring all of the boxes laying dormant in the storage area as a result of moving twice in 2 years. I am happy to report that I have uncovered all but the baker so far and am planning for our first outdoor feast as soon as the weather breaks!

When given the chance by CSNstores to offer another wonderful giveaway to my readers, the choice was clear...why not offer my fabulous peeps a chance to win a chic little stoneware set of their own? And so, without further ado, I give you the Paula Deen 4 Quart Bean Pot, 3 Piece Prep Bowl, and 9x9 Baker Stoneware Set!

Each piece in this beautiful stoneware set is uniquely glazed so that no two pieces are exactly alike. This set is designed for oven, microwave, refrigerator, and freezer use and goes from prep to table in style! All pieces are dishwasher safe and oven safe to 500 degrees...no fuss, no muss!

CSNstores is an online retailer based out of Boston. They are currently one of the top 3 online retailers of home and office goods with over 400 employees and 200 online stores. Not bad for a company that started in 2002 with just 2 employees and 1 online venue. Today, they sell everything from home goods, to children's furniture, to pet supplies, to office equipment, and much more!

Giveaway:

If you would like to win this fabulous stoneware set, leave a comment telling me how this set would make your life easier. Please include your email or have it visible in your profile (mandatory entry).

For extra entries, do any or all of the following and leave a comment for each letting me know. Make sure to leave your email address if not visible in your profile so I can let you know if you win:

1. Follow my blog with google friend connect (2 extra entries)
2. Follow me on Twitter and leave me your twitter id (2 extra entries)
3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave the link (you can do this once a day)
4. Become a Facebook Fan of Ellia C. Naturals (our all-natural bath & body shop) and leave your FB handle (2 extra entries)
4. Blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar
5. Grab my button and place it on your blog

Giveaway ends May 10, 2010. Open to U.S. and Canada. Winner selected by www.random.org. @ 10pm. Winner will have 72 hrs. to respond to email notification or alternate winner will be selected.

No compensation or test product was received in exchange for hosting this giveaway (just the opportunity to pass this great prize along to one of you!). Company information provided by CSNstores.

Masala Baby Sale!

Our friends at Masala Baby are having a fabulous spring sale during the month of May (that's next week for those of you keeping track!). Be sure to stop by and stock up on some adorable finds for your little fashionista!