Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Reading Kingdom Review!



Reading Kingdom is an online based learning site created by Dr. Marion Blank for children that are just learning how to read.
It is a program that customizes itself to your child and it adapts to their particular strengths and weaknesses. I will be honest, a lot of our experience with the program was a real struggle. The first part of the program is an assessment/skills survey, which was the biggest challenge. It is so repetitive and redundant, I don't see any ones child really getting through it. It will put the letters on the screen, and you have to type them. This goes on for 6 weeks. There is no engagement with the child, the videos leading up to the assessment are engaging, but if my child does not have the patience to sit through it, I don't see any-ones child not getting frustrated with it. Reading Kingdom is a web-based program to teach reading to children ages 4 to 10. It promises improvement in your child’s reading abilities by focusing on the five main keys to reading (sequencing, motor skills, letter sounds, meaning, grammar and comprehension). While reading the FAQs they were quick to point out that phonics alone will never teach a child to read and that theirs is not a phonics program (an FYI for those who are more of the phonics bent to teaching a child to read.)
Giana is extremely intelligent, and already knew how to read, so I assumed we would improving upon that. Ehhh wrong answer.. Maybe if your child did not associate games with computers (as mine does) they might like it. And maybe if they didn't know how to type and read, it might not be as boring for them as it is for her. But I was forcing her to get on it and play for the review. It didn't feel right. This is the same child who begs to play on the computer and has played on it since she was 2. She has been installing programs and googling things since she could recognize letters (a LONG time ago) Well, lets pause and let you catch up to me, and where we are at with her....

(They did score some points for the Mascot though. We <3 owls!)




First off, let me back up *beep* *beep* we do not even own a gaming system, and I will only let her play educational games. Oops, we do own a V-Tech motion .. but I do not really count that, and she never plays it anyway. She begs to play on the computer, daily, she plays all kinds of sites. She always has. She seriously was popping kids games discs in our computer at a VERY early age, say... three years old? And installing them! By herself. She has googled her toys even before she knew how to read, by typing the tags letters off the bottom of stuffed animals/dolls - like their names, such as "Wizard of Oz" (actually her birthday party theme Saturday and her favorite movie) into the search bar. Bratz, things like that. Matching up the keys to the letters printed on the toy. She will find games, articles, and images plus she can probably navigate a computer better that her grandmother. (My mother.) She corrects my typos over the shoulder as I write these reviews! She learned her letters and sounds since she was 2. She started reading well at age four. She is now 6 (Saturday, actually is her birthday) and reads chapter books.

But being that she loves games and begs to play the computer (I try to limit it somewhat) I figured she probably was up for a challenge and could stand a different platform. Keep her fresh and sharp while school is out for the summer. I actually wrote to Reading Kingdom and told them, look, she knows how to type... she is a little advanced, and I am begging her to log in everyday. She was literally in tears not wanting to do it. This is a first! I have never witnessed her crying (In this review this lady's child cried too.) because I am making her play on the computer, usually because I won't let her! So I told them so. I have never heard of a game making children cry from frustration. Their response? They emailed me a questionnaire type list. It had 7 or 8 sentences that I was to not show to her, only to read aloud and have her write the first 5. I was to check them for grammar, spelling and punctuation, and if she had less than 5 mistakes total for all five, I could ask the final three, which were significantly harder. Well, needless to say- she passed it with flying colors. It was not perfect ... but she missed less than five. That's pretty darn impressive, and seeing as I have seen her correct 8 year old's reading aloud on simple word such as naive. She tickles me. So they write me back and say they moved her up a level manually to skip all that practice , but still the game is quite simply not for us. It is basically still the same thing. Just repetitive typing over and over and spelling words. Simple words.


I just think it was probably not a good idea for us to review it, with her being so smart, I couldn't fairly say if it was helping her or not. In fact, this lady's review states that she had a similar problem of it not letting her advance and having to be moved manually as well here. Like she says, "The program seems more about typing" If it isn't- who could get past the typing part to find out? Why is it so dead set on a child being able to hit the keys in a timely manner, that's not what reading is about, that is what typing is about. Maybe it should be called Typing Kingdom. Not that that is not a valuable skill, it is!!! But I hardly see what a child typing three letters in a timely fashion by the program sessions has anything to do with reading. Three letter words are SAM book words, which we are so far past, and most kids are. That's for a very beginning readers like, five year olds. And why were we tested and "advanced" but the work not get any harder? I am a little baffled by the whole thing, I am not going to lie.

I would say try this out, if your child is a VERY early reader, and let it grow with them, not start a middle level reader on it. Also if you want your child to learn how to type, and they have little experience on the computer. I am really not trying to bash Reading Kingdom, I was kind of dreading this review. I hate it when we come across something I either didn't like, the kids didn't like, came from a rude company (*ahem* Shutterfly, .. just saying!) or just from something that is not a fit for us, like this. Its not that I do not think the program is exceptional. But as a blogger, I am supposed to honest, my readers expect me to be, and there are guidelines that are enforced upon us. We are always supposed to disclose payment for a sponsored post, and non-payment as well as be entirely honest. SO we are not supposed to fib. Omission is fibbing. I do not want to scare other prospective companies off from working with me, yet I have to be honest. Its a very fine line to walk. I try to do it constructively, so I hope in this case it is not misconstrued. My honest opinion.. there it is. But it is kind-of expensive, so you should know if you are going to pop that kind of money .. It is 19.99 per month OR 199.99 a year -what its all about!

Here's a snapshot of Reading & writing level two. They actually do get into some spelling. WHO knows? If I could convince her to keep playing, she might actually learn something from it. But I feel like this would involve me contacting them (Again) and that's too much hassle. My constructive criticism is the parent should be able to move the child with a master password. My daughter got "manually moved" over a weekend and it took 3 days. Even at reading and writing level 2. This spelling and pattern recognition is far too babyish for Giana. They would have to set her age level at 8 to even be on par with her.
Other bloggers do multi-part reviews and check ins on this. But I just can't force my child to play something she doesn't want to play- nor do I have any desire to. Computer games should make learning fun, she is frustrated because it is just too simple for her. I would really recommend that they change its design so parents can advance children without having to email, respond, fax a questionnaire back, wait to technical response to manually move them. That is way too much hassle that is simply unnecessary.

MY grade for this program?
C-

The good news is: You can sign up for a 30 day free trial, to see if its right for you.



I received this product free of charge for review purposes. I promise to be honest and fair in my reviews, and I received no other compensation in exchange for my review.

I See Me personalized book giveaway! ***CLOSED!!!***

***CLOSED!!!!***


I See Me makes children's books for all occasions and relative: twins, big brother, big sister... birthday, adoption, Christmas - ect...
These books have been purchased for big name celebrities for their children as well.
Courtney Cox-Arquette, Jessica Alba, and Brooke Shields. Impressive!
I'm moving on up in the world! :) You can too! After reading this review, just comment on it that you liked the sponsors Facebook and wrote on their wall that Locomotion of Expressions sent you + follow this blog via Google Friend Connect and you are entered to win. You can even share this giveaway with your friends on twitter and/or Facebook and earn extra comments which = extra entries! Even better? You can win whichever book you want, personalized to the way you choose! Just like mine!
No ... seriously!
What makes this personalized site stand out from so many others (and there are quite a few..) is they have Virtual Tours of the books. You can flip the pages and see in detail what each page reads, looks like, and how its personalized. The book is extremely high quality, thick glossy pages. And the cover too. Not only that, but the illustrations are incredible. I am not fronting you guys about this book, its really awesome. In fact, I am hoping to notice a coupon code on their facebook wall soon to get Giana the big sister book, or maybe Mason a pirate book. Maybe another review later? I have been so busy with reviews and have so much great stuff lined up for you guys!

(To see any of the images of the book's pages below bigger, right click them with your mouse and open in a new tab/window. You can also hold down your CTRL key and scroll your mouse upward to zoom.)

Like all I See Me! Inc. books, Who Loves Me? is personalized with the child’s first and last name and includes a dedication to the child from the sender. Who Loves Me? retails for $19.95 and is available online at www.ISeeMe.com. This unique gift usually arrives within two weeks of ordering. Their book prices range from $24.95 up to $36.95. Also on some if you add a middle name, another child or the extras, like the Keepsake Box, it can be extra. Iseeme.com offers coupon codes all the time on their social networks, whose links I have included in this post.

When I picked the book I was encouraged to choose Who Loves Me (fill in the name on "me") but I chose instead to choose My Very Own Fairytale .. which is a better fit for us. My Very Own Fairy Tale has pictures on every page, of fairies of course! It takes the letters of your childs name, and spells them out single page at a time, and has a fairy opposite the page adding a story whose Fairy Type starts with a matching letter.
Let me just show you in pictures.. Although the book has 40 pages and includes a full story line plot and details about the fairies indexed.. Bear in mind- Devonny Noelle is an extremely LONG name , so I only included pictures of her first name, Devonny- and left out the images of Noelle to keep this post shorter. The final page I also included in pictures here, which is the plot of the book. The Fairies want to name the Fairy Princess ... its simply adorable. I honestly couldn't decide between it and the big sister book, but most of the reviews I get are for Giana, so I figured what's fair is fair.

You can tell how glossy the pages are by the flash of the camera. I started to turn the flash off. But decided it would prove my point.


I actually had the inside cover inscribed for her 2nd birthday. She is just too little right now to appreciate it, and would probably only tear it up. I am the queen of buying presents early. Almost half of my christmas is in the closet already!












She is going to love it!


When you get the book, you have to fill out info for it...

Child's First Name(Required*):
Child's Middle Name Optional (+$4.95) :
Child's Last Name:
Child's Gender:
Child's birth month:
Child's day of birth:
Child's year of birth:
Keepsake Gift Box & Bow:
The keepsake gift box and bow is adorable. I didn't receive it, but would have appreciated it. I think its great that they offer it though.
If I did another review, I would get the pirate book for my nephew Mason, he and his mother (my sister Amber love some pirates!)


Press Release:
"Written in melodious rhyme, with colorful, whimsical illustrations, Who Loves Me? builds self-esteem while engaging children through age 5 into the storyline. The book names family members or friends who love the child, and encourages the child to reach to the sky when asked “how much” each one of them loves him or her. Author Jennifer Dewing reassures the child they are loved “so much” by each, with unique and touching rhymes describing the depth of each individual’s love. For example, for a child named Emily the book begins, “Who loves Emily? Mommy loves Emily! How much? So much! More than the mountains, more than the streams, more than a little girl’s happiest dreams.”

Not to be outdone by other personalized children's sites, they offer far more than just their extraordinary books, they also have personalized floor puzzles, and personalized animal shirts!

How to win?


All you have to do to be entered is say something nice, the likes and follows are extra entries, and are entirely optional. Read complete Rules here.
EXTRA ENTRIES
As stated above: Comment below that you "liked" I See Me's Facebookpage (leave your facebook name!) and wrote on their wall that Locomotion of Expressions sent you + follow this blog via Google Friend Connect (be sure to leave an email to contact you if you win, unless your email is public on your public blogger profile!) and you are entered to win. You can even share this giveaway with your friends on twitter and/or Facebook and earn extra comments which + extra entries! Even better? You can win whichever book you want, personalized to the way you choose! Just like mine! Besides the extra entry method of sharing (2 shares a day max per site) You can also tell me (for another extra entry) which book you like best..
For another extra entry you can do any one of these four below, or all four for four extra entries:

Follow my twitter @1caseycolette. Leave your twitter @ name.
Grab my button for your blog. Tell me the location.
Blog about this giveaway with a short sentence or two and a link.
Like my Facebook + write on my wall.

For 2 extra entries you can take the virtual tour of this book. Tell me in a comment below words from an entire page on any page of that book. You may do this for two different.
Finally - *phew*
You can enter these giveaways and earn an extra entry for each one!
NeatNik baby saucer giveaway! 7/14 & Baby Diner 7/15

This giveaway will end 7/16 at noon eastern!

*Disclaimer* This book was provided to me free for review purposes from I see Me. All opinions contained within this post are 100% mine. Again, I was not compensated for this post! Thanks!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Plumbing woes....

Plumbing Woes?
Anyone who reads my blog can tell I am a girly girl. From the word pink.
And a stay at home mom, who is married to a navy man. That combined with
plumbing troubles... naturally, only when he is deployed- spells
disaster. Of course, 'tis the rule of the military wife..Everything works..
until he walks out the door!

You wanna know something disgusting? My little girl's
bathroom was upstairs. Not anymore. This is why. She is scared of the noise
the toilet makes. She would literally flush it and run out. When I was pregnant, I
didn't go upstairs much.. so I would only go up every couple of days.. never used
that bathroom. One day when I went up.. I started to smell something
funny.. You guessed it. She had been using it for at least a month (looked like..)
without flushing it.
Disgusting!
It would not flush. I had to call a plumber to fix it!
So freaking gross! I felt so sorry for the guy!

Thank goodness he got it fixed! Honestly, I might've been able to do it myself..
but who would attempt to? Some things are just out of my hands sometimes. You just
do not know (nor want to know!) how bad that smell was. Of course, I gave her a
good talking to about flushing it every time. She had so much toilet paper on it,
it was like she was trying to stop it up.

Even worse, after that, she did it two more times!!!

Granted this was about 6 months ago. So she was barely 5.
Just a story to tell her when she gets older. Hopefully she will marry a plumber!!!

*Disclaimer*
I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog
and
was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Lil Diner Review & Giveaway ***CLOSED!!!***

***CLOSED!!!***






What is this contraption? Its a nifty little invention that makes mealtimes easier. Yesterday, I showed you the Neatnik, which makes restaurant eating easier. Today I bring you Baby Diner, which makes home eating easier. Although each invention could work for the other.. IE: Baby Diner could work at restaurants, and Neatnik, could work at home. Vice versa. They both have in common that they are feeding solutions, and they both have in common that they are completely functional and simple to use.
What Baby Diner is is two cleverly placed suction cups that attach to the table/tray and another lone cup on the top to hang on to the plate that would typically be knocked off. I am sure though, with the right child, or an older child than mine, perhaps angrier, or more headstrong/persistent. I think it could probably still come off. Mine wasn't able to! I like it. The only thing I noticed is I would say if you win, or buy one, hand wash it. It is made of plastic that can get those greasy stains on it, that are really hard to get off ( *ahem*  ... magic eraser.. just saying..) The reason I know this is I washed mine on the top shelf (top shelf washing ONLY by the way) and it came out kinda orange from our spaghetti.
Oooopps! I never claimed to be perfect. By my trustee Mr Clean friend helped me out and now it is as good as new. The price for this is very affordable and it is light, would travel easy. Very simple to get together, instructions, didn't really even need em.
Overall score here is an A

Founded
2008
About
Baby Diner sticks to any smooth table top and secures plastic, glass, ceramic, china and stoneware dishes!
Company Overview
Baby Diner is a product from the company Lil' Diner LLC. They produce products that secure dinnerware to all types of tables to prevent accidental spilling or throwing of dishes onto the floor. Lil' Diner has helped parents of young children, special need groups and outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy a secure dining experience no matter where your at!
Mission
To prevent spills one child at a time.
Products
Baby Diner, The Plate Saver and other innovative dining products are all available at www.lildiner.com







                                           "Why hello! Good morning to you too!"
                                          "My Momma did make me some eggs for breakfast...
                                                        nummy nom bites.......
                                            "Oh look momma gave me a bowl  ...  to throw!"
                                                         "Won't budge ... *grunts* "
                                                               "...........can't pull!"
                                                             "Too stuck!"
                                              "Very funny, mom!"     (( As you can see .....
                                                                           ...........  it works!  ))

                                                  ... she gave up!


                                          Mandatory Entry All you have to do to be entered is say something nice, the likes and follows are extra entries, and are entirely optional. Read complete Rules here.


More extra entries .....  (the usual)
Each task + 1 extra entry unless it states more. How ever many extra entries you have they must all have a single separate comment. If you do 2 tasks, plus the mandatory, plus follow Baby Diner (for two) then you would have 5 separate comments for 5 separate entries!


Like my Facebook, Below ...  OR via the widget on the right sidebar! (Leave your Facebook display name in comment  



If your really feeling froggy, you can blog about this and/or the neatnik (or combine them but if you combine, include both links in your post) and share the url of the blog post you write about this giveaway!
This will earn you +15 extra entries (1x max!)


Follow @babydiner   http://twitter.com/#!/babydiner (2 extra entries, leave your @name)


 "like" them too           http://www.facebook.com/babydiner (3 extra entries leave you display name)
a bonus extra entry if you write on their wall that Locomotion of Expressions sent you,
and even another if you are able to tag me in the post. If you are not able to tag, sorry, just one extra entry

Enter any of my other giveaways. (no limit, one extra entry, (per giveaway entered) please tell me which ones you entered

Share this via Facebook and Twitter 2x a day each Social network. Please tag me in posts using the @ sign twitters tag would be @1caseycolette and hashtag #win and/or #giveaway. Share the url and write whatever words you can! worth 1 entry per share

Submit to any linky for 3 extra entries!

Get 2 extra entries here for entering the NeatNik, and two extra on it too for entering here. http://1caseycolette.blogspot.com/2011/06/neatnik-baby-saucer-is-lifesaver.html

Giveaway ends on 7/15 noon eastern!
Winner will have 48 hours from the time the winning email is sent to respond with a shipping address. If this doesn't happen another winner will be chosen. Be sure to check your spam messages!




*Disclaimer* This product was sent to me free for review purposes by Lil Diner, No monetary compensation was exchanged and all opinions contained within this post are accurate, from me, and 100% mine.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Neatnik Baby Saucer is a lifesaver! Giveaway! ***CLOSED!!!***

The Neatnik Saucer
***CLOSED!!!***

                    What is it!?#@!?


A high chair cover that will make your life so much more simpler! Created by: Cookie Centracco, Co-Pres, Coulson's Crib, LLC          

Creators of NEATNIK SAUCER®  High Chair Cover and Baby Placemat All-in-One
A "Mealtime Essential" - Baby & Kids Magazine, February 2011



                    Our Pictures!








                             The floor test! 


What would've went in the floor......







                     The review

Isn't it so embarrassing when you go out with your infant (who is also learning to self feed..) and they make a god awful mess in the floor. Close your eyes.. now picture me all bent over under the table cleaning (or attempting to..) clean it all up. I have been a server. I have been THAT server/waitress. You been at work 9 or 10 hours.. you just swept up your section, your ready to go.. its say.. 8pm? and here comes someone like me (pre-me now..) two young kids in tow. *Groan!* *sigh!* Even worse, they usually do not tip very good either. Now, Devonny - she may be messy but at least I attempt to clean it up, and we tip more because of the under-table mess.  Ha ha!
But I was amazed with this Neatnik saucer, she was only able to fling a few french fries. Three to be exact .. behind her. How she managed that, I don't know. But when she is done eating she takes her arm and swishes it side to side across the tray (table .. whatever) slinging whatever was on tray into the floor as if to say.. OK! I'm all finished now! She got so frustrated at Burger King the other night when she couldn't do it, it was so amusing.
Ten reasons I like this thing, and 6 I don't.
Lets start with why I do.



           The Pros

#1 - Cute! Comes in many different styles and colors..
#2 - Works .. like a freekin charm!
#3 - Minimizes a humongous mess and an extra point on this note because it catches the food she drops in her lap that falls in the floor too.
#4 - Has a little "lip" around the edges to catch food from sliding off. NEAT!
#5 - Clean surface for them to eat off of.
#6 - Saves embarrassment from a huge mess in the floor.
#7 - Has a toy ring Velcro to hang things on to entertain baby that baby cant throw in the floor - but they might get food on them. Eh....
#8 - Keeps baby off germy high chairs completely. You know they never wipe those things down good, and if your baby is anything like Devonny, they num num all over that nasty thing.
# 9 -  Has suction cups that suck to the table to keep it from sliding around.
#10 - Folds up small & has a matching carry bag with a loop handle to carry it and baby easier!



           The Cons
#1 - You have to clean it up before you can put it back in its bag, to leave with it. Its so big, you don't want to walk out with it wide open and food smeared all over it. Its not as if restaurants have a hose at the front door to spray your Neatnik off with I recommend having baby wipes to wipe it off with.

#2 - Also its quite hard to fold back up. I am impatient and get extremely frustrated when I cannot do something. I still haven't figured out how to fold this up. Thank god the hubby has (Yes, I have practiced and it comes with instructions.. that are kinda hard to understand (for me, anyway) ... Guess I should have watched the use & fold demo video. I never read directions. If I were a man, I'd be the one who doesn't stop & ask when lost.

#3 - If you forget to really clean it when you get home and leave it in the car, it could get really REALLY gross and/or make your car stink.

#4 - Doesn't fit all high chairs, the first restaurant I took it to was Taco Bell who had really old metal highchairs, that sat a good ways under the table and the Neatnik's saucer rim wasnt level with the table enough  - and wouldn't work because the food would have just slid in her lap, plus it looked really stupid.I scolded myself for forgetting to take a picture of that.. oops. When we got to Burger King I noticed the high chair wasn't level with the table either, and thought it would be a problem, but it wasn't because of how much room the leg area seat has to go downwards.

#5 - The final issue was threading her legs through the holes. The holes aren't big (which is good, because the food would end up in the floor). She isn't the most cooperative, so it took one person holding her while the other pulled her legs through to get her in it.

#6 - They sell for 32.95. Far more than I would be willing to pay for one.

Overall though, I still give it an A , even with the cons. The pro's outweigh them by far if you ask me.





PS. Did I mention they ALSO SELL BIBS AND NAPSACKS?




                   The Giveaway!~
One winner will receive a Neatnik saucer of their own in the colors I got! The Chicago http://store.neatniksaucer.com/The_Chicago_Neatnik_Saucer_p/ns-ch.htm(gender neutral - black& white checked!)




All you have to do to be entered is say something nice, the likes and follows are extra entries, and are entirely optional. Read complete Rules here.
Do any (or all) of the tasks, each one counts as an extra entry! Simply do each task, and comment that you did. Each comment counts as one entry. Winner will be chosen via random.org and have 48 hours from the time of the winning email sent to confirm and respond with shipping address or a new winner will be chosen. Please be sure that your email address is left in your first entry, OR that it is public on your public blogger profile. (If you need help with that please feel free to ask, and I'll try to walk you through making it public.


Tasks- each task counts as 1 comment =1 entry unless it states its worth more, in which case you will need to place said number of comments to gain credit for them. 


Neatnik on Facebook "Like" them, and tell me you did (and your Facebook display name). Place 5 separate comments for 5 separate entries for this task, all saying that you did (number them 1-5 please)


Follow @neatniksaucer on Twitter - leave your twitter name in the comment. Place 3 separate comments for this extra entry!



Enter any of my other giveaways! Tell me which ones. Find them on my right sidebar! Theres a ton!                  ------------------------------------------------------------------>


Bonus gain 2 extra entries for entering the Baby Diner giveaway (place them here after you entered)  plus two extra entries on Baby Diner for entering here (Place them there!)!  http://1caseycolette.blogspot.com/2011/06/lil-diner-review-giveaway.html

Comment on any of my other non-giveaway posts.

Share this giveaway whenever - wherever - be sure to leave a link to the share. Max share is 5x a day.

Click here &  tell me which saucer you like best.

Comment on Neatnik's facebook page that Locomotion of Expressions sent you.

If Facebook lets you tag my Facebook page," Locomotion of Expressions " then you can get another extra entry by typing  " Tagged you. " You can tag by typing the @ sign then without typing space bar, start spelling " Locom ".. it should pop up before you finish spelling the blogs name. If it doesn't its either because you have commented too many times on business pages, OR you are not a "fan" of my blogs page.




Like my Facebook, Below ...  OR via the widget on the right sidebar! (Leave your Facebook display name in comment  



Follow my Twitter via the widget on the right sidebar! (Leave your @twitter name in the comment!)
This giveaway will end on 7/14/2011 noon eastern.
~Good luck~





*Disclaimer*
This product was provided to me free for review purposes and no monetary pay was exchanged. All opinions contained within this post are 100% mine and not influenced by the manufacturer.

 Neatnik Saucer comes with a matching, stylish 12" by 12" carrying case.  The case includes a pocket for baby wipes and a wristlet for easy attachment to strollers, diaper bags, purses or, of course, wrists. You can clean your Neatnik Saucer with baby-safe disinfectant wipes or a sponge and warm soapy water.  Please do not use abrasives. Do not place in your washing or drying machine.  The Velcro on the seat can be wiped in the same manner or submerged in warm soapy water, rinsed and left in the open position to dry.

Parents – Please Be Aware:

Neatnik Saucer® is not a toyswing or sling. Always use it with a highchair and donot suspend child without the support of a highchair. Secure child with the safety straps that are provided on the highchair.  Never leave child unattended. Adult supervision required



The End!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Arctic Zero Ice Cream Review





First off .. let's just say it and get it out of the way! I am an ice cream freak! In fact- I have been eating it for a month straight. All kinds, all types. I don't know why. Its a crave that I cannot ignore. A crave that unfortunately keeps me bikini not ready. But most fat free ice creams taste like water. :) And they have a lot of artificial sugars or fat. This ice cream, Arctic Zero takes the candles and the cake. Or you get what I am saying. The monk fruit and organic cane sugar that sweeten this are what sold me on it. A pint of my favorite Ice Cream, Blue Bell Cookies & Creme...

A one pint container of Blue Bell Cookies n Cream ice cream contains 680 calories. One serving is 1/2 cup and there are 4 servings per container.

Yep! And I usually eat the whole thing ... I am not going to lie. I can't stop myself. Its delicious. :)
So I know if I polish off this ice cream, I am in the clear. No worries. No guilt! Ask anyone who knows me, I have immense food guilt. 
What surprised me most. The unique flavors. I love pumpkin anything and was tickled to death to get pumpkin ice cream, which you can usually only find anything pumpkin in Oct - Nov. I don't really get that anyway. I hate seasonal things. Who says strawberries and watermelons are only for summer, and gingerbread and pumpkin for Thanksgiving and Christmas? That's crazy! Most of the stuff is artificially flavored anyway! LOL! But I love me some pumpkin coffee. SO I thought, let me add a scoop of this pumpkin Arctic Zero to my regular Pumpkin Coffee! (Torani is my best friend) So there are pictures of that interesting addition to my daily routine below.
Yes, I am aware, what is the point in adding something thats supposed to help you not over do calories on sweets... to straight sugar and whipped creme.. Hmm.. I don't know. I'll have to get back to you on that, but it sure was tasty!
But more than me being surprised about the Pumpkin Spice was me being surprised about a Maple Vanilla flavor. It was so good, I might be putting it on pancakes! LOL  And that I actually liked it, because when I seriuously did not think I would! I actually liked all of them, the chocolate mint was good and the coffee was also good. The chocolaty peanut butter, divine! Cookies & Creme (.. amazing!) was Giana's favorite and Noah's was strawberry, really no surprises there! 
BUT - As much as I like this ice cream. I have to call them out on something. They claim on the site its a "protein shake" ice cream. Or similar to.
I have to call them out and say 4g of protein hardly qualifies it for that category. A 8oz glass of milk has double that. If your looking for protein, one cup of cooked lentils has 18g. If you are looking for a low fat alternative to traditional ice cream, then look no further. 

Protein Nutrition & another list of High Protein foods.
While it is very low in sodium, carbs, and other things, it has little nutritional value, and to be perfectly frank, there are tons of foods with more protein. SO I don't want that coming back on me, that I said that. That's a claim that they make. Not I. Lets get a breakdown of ingredients.


 I am not going to lie and say it tastes just like my Bluebell, for it doesn't. It was quite good though. I liked the pumpkin spice, and cookies & creme the best!
What I wasn't impressed with was simply the lids. They were more like paper, and were not completely functional for re-use for more than one serving. When you peel them off they aren't sturdy. Not that they rip, but they are thin and bend and tend to stick to the ice cream. I also noticed this ice cream got significantly harder than other brands. I had to let it melt a little before I could dig in. What's great about it is: with it being so low calorie, I don't get the food guilt that I normally get  after I workout that day, then polish off a bowl of ice cream. (I always justify ice cream by saying women (especially child bearing and even more so with each child it increases exponentially) are at risk for osteoporosis - and I am totally serious here. So forget about the fat, honey, you need that calcium! LOL! Eat all the ice cream you want girl! LOL!


The bare facts:
Arctic Zero retails in stores for between $3.49-$4.99 a pint.
Over the last 20 years, the calorie count of most foods has nearly doubled, mostly due to larger portion sizes! This helps curb that for sure! For all you Amazon heads (like I) Arctic Zero is available on amazon direct from them! How awesome is that? Click here to see on AMAZON +pricing. I take surveys .. well not too much now, because I am always so involved with Locomotion of Expressions. (Did anyone ever tell you its hard to keep a blog running?) It is!  :)  I will only take paying legit surveys and have taken them for 7 years straight , so if ya need any referrals *wink*wink!*  A lot of the sites pay cash but most pay with Amazon. Well.. the good ones do. I accumulate about 90$ every 3 months just answering questions on the computer- to spend on Amazon. I am forever adding things to my Wish List and Shopping Lists so I'll remember to get them when I have more "survey money". This is something I can now get. 


If you are a Facebook addict or Twitter fiend you'll be glad to know I have links for you, of course!




You can friend Arctic Zero on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @myarcticzero!


Arctic Zero Frozen Dessert Flavors:Chocolate




Vanilla Maple




Chocolate Peanut Butter




Strawberry



Mint Chocolate Cookie



Cookies & Cream




Coffee





Seasonal Flavors:




Pumpkin Spice





Do yourself a favor and find a find a store near you. Arctic Zero is sold at many Ralph's stores. I do not have one.. but there's always amazon! (With it's amazing free shipping!)


Everyone remembers the old children's' rhyme about how we all scream for ice cream. But in today's more health conscious environment, ice cream has become the guiltiest of pleasures. Ice cream may make you scream all right, but in an entirely different way than we used to. Fortunately, Arctic Zero® has changed the equation. Now you can have an ice cream-like treat that has less than 150 Calories per pint. It's like a delicious-tasting frozen protein shake you can spoon.


What is your favorite flavor Arctic Zero? (tell me in comments below!)

Benefits Of Arctic Zero®
We've all heard of "super foods," but who's ever heard of a "super dessert"? Arctic Zero®is the world's first one. It feeds the muscle and starves the fat. Your body wants nutrition; your muscles crave protein. Arctic Zero® satisfies this need by delivering the highest quality whey protein concentrate that you can put in your body. But we'll get to that in a minute. 

Things worth noting:
• Arctic Zero® is very low calorie--with only 150 calories per pint,--It was developed for you to enjoy guilt free
• Arctic Zero® is all natural, low carb, fat free, gluten free, lactose intolerant-friendly, a great source of fiber (8 grams of fiber per pint), and high in whey protein concentrate
• As hard as it may be to believe, even with the benefits listed above, it tastes great!
Now let's start with the protein. 
We don't use the standard whey protein that you can simply buy in the stores. We use a high quality whey protein concentrate. It's more quickly assimilated by your muscles and Arctic Zero® contains the essential amino acids your body needs. 

Whey protein concentrate found in Arctic Zero®:
• Naturally helps stimulate appetite suppression in our bodies and contributes to a sense of fullness
• Helps in weight loss, specifically fat loss--Recent studies suggest that the essential amino acid leucine that is abundant in whey protein concentrate improves body composition
• High quality whey protein concentrate is rich in leucine to help preserve lean muscle tissue while promoting fat loss
• The whey protein concentrate found in Arctic Zero® contains more leucine than milk protein, egg protein, and soy protein
• The whey protein we use Is a naturally complete protein that promotes lean muscle mass and is a rich source of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), containing the highest known levels of any natural food source
• Whey protein concentrate found in Arctic Zero® is an easy to digest protein, and can quickly provide nourishment to muscles
• Our whey protein helps to maintain a healthy immune system by increasing levels of glutathione in the body--glutathione is an anti-oxidant required for a healthy immune system
• It stabilizes blood glucose levels by slowing the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream--this in turn reduces hunger by lowering insulin levels and making it easier for the body to burn fat.
Recent Studies On Whey Protein:
Whey Protein may help prevent cancer. Whey protein has been shown through animal and in vitro studies to inhibit the growth of several types of cancer tumors. Dr. Thomas Badger, head of the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, found that feeding rats whey protein resulted in their developing 50% fewer tumors than rats fed casein. The rats fed whey protein also developed fewer tumors than rats fed soy protein and the tumors took longer to develop. Whey protein also has the ability to help prevent bone loss.
A recent study conducted at Boston University showed that elderly individuals who consumed low levels of protein had a significant loss of bone density four years after the start of the study, especially in the hip and spine areas. A nutritious diet including whey protein may help keep bones and muscles healthy and strong. It's also often the preferred choice for high protein products recommended by physicians following surgery or burn therapy. Whey protein also contains components with protective anti-microbial properties, such as lactoferrin.

Whey protein may also help T-cell activity, decrease the wasting tissues during illness, increase well-being, and speed overall recovery.

To view a list of specific references, see the following:
www.wheyoflife.org/benefits.cfm
www.wheyoflife.org/references/references_wpi.pdf
Fiber and natural sweeteners found in Arctic Zero®:Arctic Zero® is also a great source of fiber. We added 8 grams of fiber to each pint of Arctic Zero in the form of chicory root because studies have shown that consuming 8 or more grams of chicory root increases calcium absorption in the human body.
Arctic Zero® is sweetened with a proprietary blend of organic cane sugar and monk fruit concentrate. Why did we choose these two sweeteners? We looked at a variety of natural sweeteners, some from the jungles of South America, Africa, Antarctica, the moon, you name it; some from fermented fruits and vegetables, the list goes on.

We didn't want to use any sweeteners that would add weird flavors to our products, or weird after-tastes. Nor did we want any of the sweeteners that produced uncomfortable bloating and digestive upset, some even create the need to camp-out in front of a bathroom.

We wanted an all natural sweetener that had all the benefits of low calorie and low glycemic, without any weird flavors or side effects.

The monk fruit concentrate found in Arctic Zero®comes from the sweetest melon in the world and has been used in Asia for over 1,000 years. Monk fruit concentrate is 150 times sweeter than sugar and one gram of it replaces 40 teaspoons of sugar! See why we love it?
The combining of organic cane sugar with monk fruit concentrate not only allowed us to increase the sweetness of Arctic Zero® but also allowed us to drop both the grams of sugar and carbohydrate count by more than 30%!

My Arctic Zero Pumpkin Coffee!

The ingredients : Whipped Creme, Keurig Brewed Coffee, Torani Pumpkin Spice syrup and Arctic Zero Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream.

Mix well!
Enjoy!

*Disclaimer* Arctic Zero has not paid me to endorse this product. Samples were provided to me for review purposes only. The opinions contained within this post are 100% mine!