Kids Dishware & Placemats by Brinware

21 Mar

Who here has been on the search for the perfect kids plates and placemats? Me too! Who here hasn’t? Well, it doesn’t matter because you are about to see some that are a MUST HAVE! I’m not trying to sell you here … I’m just completely and utterly excited to finally have kids plates and placemats that make sense. Welcome, Brinware. (Read on … there’s a MAJOR GIVEAWAY and DISCOUNT to all my readers!)

As a Mom, I want to know what they look like, how safe they are, how easy are they to clean, how easy are they to throw in a bag on the go, what will they do for me and most of all how long will this stuff last me? Bottom line. So, let’s find out if we can get all those questions answered …

Here’s what they look like (you can also CLICK HERE to go directly to the website to see all the designs) they are all really cute!

One of the many designs. Glass covered with silicone.

The animal alphabet printed silicone placemats

The best looking plates out there!

SAFETY: How safe are they? Well, considering Dylan tested these products for the owner by THROWING them on the ground what seemed like 10 too many times … I realized these plates just DO NOT break! Here’s what Brinware says: “Brinware plates are made of the finest materials we could find.  They feature durable, strong tempered glass and come with a removable silicone sleeve for added protection and slip resistance.  They are safe, durable and fun.” Believe me, we tested and they are safe. And another HUGE safety factor with all the toxic yucky plastic materials we all buy in the Target $1 section all the time, this is the best stuff on earth to let our children eat from: “By nature, glass is free of BPA, so you don’t have to worry about keeping track of numbers of different plastics to figure out whether they are safe or not. Silicon is (which occurs naturally in sand and rock), carbon, oxygen and hydrogen and therefore is not petroleum based. It is non-toxic, hypoallergenic and will not retain odors. Importantly it does not contain toxic chemicals like bishpenol-A, lead, PVC or phthalates.” Sound safe enough? IT DOES TO ME! :)

Tested, Tried and Thrown a Million Times!

CLEANING: I swear, it’s a joke. Please tell me there are others out there like me? Do you sometimes base the food you will make for dinner solely on how much clean up you will have after from time to time? Yeah … I hate to clean it is NO secret! So, how easy are these to clean?

Slap it all in the dishwasher!

Easy to rinse in sink!

For cleaning on the go: You can just take a napkin or wet wipe to the mat and wipe off any leftovers …. it won’t smell or anything. Roll it back up and stick it in your purse to take home. Easy as that! I’ve done it a lot!

ON THE GO: How easy are they to take on the go? Well as far as the plates, I typically don’t travel with plates LOL! But the placemats are the best yet! NO BULK WHATSOEVER. See for yourself:

That's how small they become upon rolling it up.

See the purple mat rolled up? Hard to find, huh?

WHAT DOES BRINWARE DO FOR ME: My kids love their Brinware plates and placemats so much! They each have their own colors and they like to trade off (my son can totally rock the pink!). Their friends like to use them too!  The kids recite the alphabet  and point to each letter on their mats. They tell me which animals are displayed in each square of the alphabet too! As far as the plates, we make a game out of it, like “do you see the fishies yet? If not, eat another broccoli and then we can see them!” I’m telling you, they are THE BEST! You will LOVE!

Because all kids eat off them!

Dylan's Cousin Paige and friend Bella recite the Alphabet!

Dylan and his friend Tommy eat happily off their Brinware!

And what does it do for me personally? Oh … just one of my favorite parts!

I cut food right on mat!

I easily dump all trash right off!

This is how it works:

The placemats actually stick to ANY surface. Your child won’t be able to slip it around all over the place or you won’t have to peel off some crazy sticker where the mat is made of gross plastic or you won’t have some other bulky rollup mat that doesn’t really stick! Just look:

See my reflection? It's the high gloss silicone on the back that makes it stick!

As for the plates, the silicone sleeve easily comes on and off. It’s not crazy tight so that it takes all your might to peel on and off. I swear! It’s designed to perfection.

Plate comes off sleeve easily for cleaning.

Also, you can heat your food right on these plates and/or placemats! The silicone does not get hot! And it’s always safe to heat food up on glass (think glass baby bottles)! No need to do what I have been doing for years now … heat my kids food on an adult glass plate and then transfer it to a plastic kids plate only leaving double the mess and time! These plates and mats make it so much easier! I promise you.

HOW LONG WILL IT LAST ME: Forever! Duh! ;) Well, that part is obviously unknown since it hasn’t been around for 80 years. But, I can tell you that I have washed and washed and dishwasher washed the you know what out of this stuff along with dropping the glass plates a few times and it’s all still here and the colors have NEVER faded!

THE GOOD PART … 

T W O   G I V E A W A Y S !

Here’s how you can win 2, yes 2, Plates or Placemats! Follow these easy steps to become a lucky participant:

1. Go HERE and “Like” Brinware’s Facebook Page

2. Go HERE and enter your email address to FOLLOW MY BLOG (it’s on the right hand side if you scroll just a tad) *If you are already subscribed to The Valley Mom, then forget this step.

3. Go on either your Facebook Page and/or your Twitter account and copy and paste this link to post as a status update: http://wp.me/pYCRT-7I

4. Email me at thevalleymom@gmail.com and let me know you have completed all 3 steps!

~ I will randomly draw the participants names out of a hat with Brinware Owner, Alana Fields, on Friday, March 23, 2012. You will get an email to confirm that you won! And don’t be one of those silly people to think you never win anything! You have a HUGE chance of winning!

 WIN 2 PLATES OR 2 PLACEMATS

2 Placemats!

2 Plates!

M A J O R   D I S C O U N T   F O R   A L L   V A L L E Y M O M   R E A D E R S !

You heard me right! Just CLICK HERE to shop for Brinware at their online store and at checkout enter the code VMOM30 and receive a whopping 30% off your purchase! That’s huge! Especially since Brinware is EXTREMELY REASONABLY PRICED!

*this offer is good until at least May 1st 2012 or until Brinware keeps code active and while supplies last

I’m sure you have noticed by now that my son Dylan is part of the campaign and brochures of Brinware. Well, that’s because the Owner, Creator and Master Mind of Brinware is his wonderful, super creative and uber talented Auntie, Alana Fields. She has spent years developing these products for everyday families to enjoy and get use out of dish ware that is just not found in today’s marketplace. My hat goes off to Alana to making her dream a successful reality!

Ps, if you ever come to my house … you will for sure see me eating off these plates too! LOL!

Please let me know how much you love Brinware

.

Enjoy!

xo

TVM

GIVEAWAY CONTEST … THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!

AND THE WINNERS ARE ...

CONGRATULATIONS! AND THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Alicia G. and Jessica M. enjoy your new Brinware products! And if you were not chosen, don’t forget to buy your products online at www.brinware.com and use the discount code: VMOM30 to receive 30% off your entire order!

xo TVM

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BEST CAKE POPS EVER!

19 Mar

To say I have had any better cake pop would be a lie! An absolute mouth-watering, eyeball popping, lip smacking and deliciously dangerous lie! These little perfect treats are so beyond scrumptious and always decorated impeccably, that I can’t keep them all to myself. I have to share …

She’s a mother of 4, she’s local and reasonably priced! Did I mention she’s a Mom of 4 and can find the time to make theses? I know, I know … I did. But I’m just amazed at the mere fact that a sweet Mommy of 4 kids could find the time and most important, the patience, to make and decorate all of the treats that she makes daily! Just see some of her INCREDIBLE CREATIONS (more than cake pops) by clicking here.

If you could only taste through your computer screen or phone right now then you would understand why my mouth is watering like crazy right now and why my friends and I are hooked! I’ve heard her cupcakes are equally as delicious … but I can’t tell you that I’ve tried ‘em yet.

If you are having a birthday party (child or adult), a baby shower, bridal shower, bachelorette party, wedding, holiday partyor want to celebrate anything at all, this is the easiest, most creative, kid friendly, adult friendly, amazing take home gift or even a dessert to serve.

Believe you me, you will be thanking me later!

I wish I could post all of her incredible designs … but I can only insert a couple more before I start to lose you! ;)

Can I make this deal sweeter for you?

YES I CAN!!!!

If this is your first time ordering from V-Lo, mentioning The Valley Mom will grant you 20% off your entire order! Yep, that’s right. But first, you must go to her Facebook Page HERE and “Like” her page. Then go to my Blog Home Page HERE and enter your email address in the “Follow My Blog” box on the right. That will access you to the 20% off your order! That’s a steal! *This offer is only good until June 1, 2012. So make sure you order before that date!

 To contact Veronica at V-Lo’s, call her at 818.836.4025 or you may email her at vlocakepops@gmail.com.

Remember, Veronica at V-Lo’s Cake pops & Cupcakes can become incredibly busy …so try to give her as much notice as possible. ;)

Enjoy!

xo

TVM

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Jewelry by Sun Kissed Joy … the perfect gifts

31 Oct

When my sweet baby girl, Madison, was born I knew I wanted to be one of those Mom’s to have something on me, something worn with pride of my two beautiful children. I have the necklace and I even have the barf  in my hair sometimes to prove it, LOL, but I wanted something more chic, more fun and certainly more desirable.

Rachel Joy came to me and showed me her new designs and passion for jewelry. I absolutely loved her collection. It’s functional, feminine and not too showy or “blingy”. I truly was amazed at her simple yet FABULOUS website too!  So, of course, I bought myself some bracelets along with some gifts for my Mother (proud Nana) and my sister-in-law as another proud Mommy!You can see my bracelets in the picture above (Dylan and Madison) and I just LOVE them!

Please visit her sensational website by CLICKING HERE or going to www.sunkissedjoy.com to see all of her amazing designs.

Please remember … Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Baby Showers, “Push Presents” or just to say I love you are great occasions to get these gifts for someone you love.  They are reasonably priced and they have such valuable meaning.

xo

TVM

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Acupuncture … AMAZING!

21 Oct acupuncture patient

Marin Kokin, L.Ac.

To say that my pregnancy was rough this time around would be a serious understatement. I’m not looking for sympathy and certainly not being a victim, but if there is anyone else out there that might be going through the same thing, I hope that this can find you some relief.

Let’s just say this … when I am pregnant I get LARGE. My stomach gets so BIG for my little 5′ 1″ body that it goes through some severe shock. In this state of body shock I go through more pain than I can handle. Please see picture for some understanding.

Why my back and ligaments hurt ...

During this blessed time which is supposed to be beautiful and full of smiles, while I am incredibly grateful I am pregnant and can conceive a child, I am usually in a state of such serious discomfort, that it’s hard to be all smiles.  Luckily, this time around I found acupuncture … or should I say acupuncture found me?

Marin Kokin, L. Ac., who just happens to be my neighbor, is a Mother of 4 and can completely relate to having the discomfort of having a huge belly during pregnancy … she has twins! She took one look at me and said you NEED to get into my office and get some relief, we will take care of you. Well, let me just tell you, that was also a SERIOUS UNDERSTATEMENT! They took such good care of me during my pregnancy and even now, post natal. I do not just write this as a thank you, or because she is my neighbor and my new-found friend … I write this because ANYONE AND EVERYONE needs to try acupuncture and you have to try it with Marin and her most incredible office and staff.

I have been treated with such kindness, love and warmth from Marin and her entire staff. They are extremely accommodating, have efficient front desk help, painless billing (THEY TAKE INSURANCE!!!)  and so many different varieties of help through the practice of acupuncture and massage. The office is conveniently located in Sherman Oaks and it is so nice there that you feel like you are entering a spa when you walk in. Once you step foot into a room, all pain, worries, stress and anxiety are lifted … the energy is so calming, the music in the background is just right and ALL of the treatments are truly incredible and they really do work!

This is me during acupuncture

I WAS HESITANT TO TRY ACUPUNCTURE BUT I DID IT:

I had never tried acupuncture before and when I “signed up” to do so, I will admit, I was nervous. But not one time can I ever say that it hurt. It only healed. I couldn’t have gone through my pregnancy without Marin and her staff.

I have to also quickly say that I know it’s not just me who thinks acupuncture helps. My husband had shoulder surgery during the time I was pregnant. He plays baseball, a pitcher, and has had severe pain in his shoulder for years. After the surgery he went to physical therapy 3 times a week, every week, stretched at home every morning and evening, iced, etc and all like clockwork. After all the treatments he was told to do, he just wasn’t getting the full recovery or relief to play ball again. I had mentioned it to Marin and she said she would take care of that! Reluctantly, my husband went in and had an acupuncture treatment with her. He was AMAZED! He really felt “cured” after regularly going for treatments. I knew it was real at managing recovery and pain after he went because most Men are typically more hesitant to try these alternative ways of therapy … so if he said it worked and started playing ball again, than I knew I certainly wasn’t making it up !

You all know I ONLY write about people/products/services I love … and this is one that I am over the moon about! I recommend trying acupuncture to anyone and everyone who has anything from allergies to serious pain or illness. And more importantly I recommend going to Marin Kokin, L.Ac.

You may visit her website by CLICKING HERE or visiting www.marinkokinlac.com. Or you may call her office directly at (818) 528-1050.

Make sure to tell them The Valley Mom sent you!

Here is some more about Marin that I want everyone to read in case you may need her for all the other things she specializes in that you may be relating to other than pregnancy:

“Ms. Kokin’s practice is unique and distinctive.  She specializes in infertility and pregnancy as well as orthopedics and pain management.  This includes musculoskeletal and gynecological/obstetric pain, pre and post operative rehabilitation, and injury rehabilitation.  She also treats many internal medicine conditions such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, gynecological conditions, and the side effects from chemotherapy and radiation therapy.  Treatments include acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, acupressure, myofacial release, Chinese herbal prescriptions, massage therapy, nutrition counseling, stretching exercises, and cold/heat therapy.”

I hope you all get the pleasure of meeting Marin, getting acupuncture and/or massage at her office.

xo

TVM

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I’m back … again!

21 Jun

Hello my ever so loyal readers!

Well, I’m back … and not with only one child anymore! I am officially a Mom of 2 now. We had our baby girl on May 16th and I’m in love all over again! I have to admit though, pregnancy for me is so much harder than being Mom! Phew, my pregnancy is finally over. Maybe if I didn’t get as big as a whale during pregnancies, it wouldn’t be as hard? But .. looks like I have no control over that. Luckily, I’m done. And my reward is just so sweet. :) I’m sure many of you can relate.

My Babies

So, what will you find over these next few weeks? Oh … just a whole heck of a lot! Lots coming on health, beauty, fitness, and even a new section I am very excited about!!! Be sure to check back daily as I have a whole new slew of write ups that are AMAZING!!!

Hope everyone has been doing well and I can’t wait to write up a storm once more.

xo

TVM

 

Deals are Everywhere!

7 Apr

The latest craze in the lamest economy:

Websites that feature deals!

How can you not LOVE a deal? Whether you only find one deal a month you would actually buy or you find one every week … a deal is a deal and we all LOVE our deals here!

I’ve compiled a list of my favorite websites I find deals, coupons, discounts, vouchers, etc …  and everyone should join. You get one email per day at most from these sites and they are always featuring some sort of deal!

Just sign up … it’s worth the one email a day!

Here are my faves in no particular order:

Groupon.com

LivingSocial.com

FamilyFinds.com

DealPop.com

DealFind.com

GoCityDeals.com

Voomerang.com

Restaurant.com

 

 

Click on the links above to get started. I get my emails from each of these sites once per day and I either love the deal and buy or I just hit delete. That is it! I didn’t get any spam or other junk from them and I’ve been signed up for a long time!

A couple examples:

Today on FamilyFinds.com – Save $50 on 2 My Gym Classes and a Lifetime Membership! Buy it for $40! Wow … great deal! And we LOVE My Gym!

Today on GoCityDeals.com – It’s your last chance to purchase Break Camp at Camp Calabasas. Buy up to 3 days per child for only $19! That is a steal!

Remember there are hundreds of other deal sites out there, these are just the few that I personally love and find things that I can relate to and buy. Again, this is a huge business craze and there will be a hundred new sites like them tomorrow! ;) But, hey, keep ‘em comin’! We all want to put money in our piggy banks!

Enjoy your savings everyone!

xo

TVM

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A Photographer Deserving of a Write Up …

28 Mar

What makes this photographer  so deserving  you ask? Well, I’m about to tell you just that … and it’s worth the read.

First and foremost, as a Mother, you typically gravitate towards other Mommy-type women … it just happens, don’t lie. Christine is a Mommy to her delicious son, Austin. She just has one of those sweet and kind personalities that is infectious and you want to be around. Maybe because she’s from Portland, OR?  LOL.  She’s just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside and it’s truly a pleasure to have her find all the beauty in you and the pictures she captures.

Whether it’s been a while since you’ve taken a family photo, or you have been awful about taking pictures of your children lately, maybe you have a brand new baby that you must get photos of or you are like me and wanted pregnancy photos … I’m telling you, this is the photographer you want! Her portraits are truly personal and capture each intimate moment that you didn’t even know happened! The connection you make is instantaneous and she makes you feel like you could literally bare all with no judgment, only beauty in her mind. This is a trait that is hard to find. But I found it in Christine …

I have had the privilege of hiring other photographers in the past with names people would know in the wedding circuit, baby circuit and even some that were just great at what they do … but to my surprise and with no expectation, Christine took all those other photographers and surpassed them by a mile. I’m blessed to have found her and you would be crazy not to use her for any of your photo opportunity needs!

The pictures that she captures are worth every penny and most of all … every memory. Trust me!

Keep Reading for an exciting deal and my personal pictures …

And a little known fact about this phenom photog: she’s not just a mom who decided to pick up a camera because she was bored one day either …  she actually went to school and studied the art. Come on … it’s a major bonus! Christine also worked behind the camera man for some years learning the tricks and trades. Graduating school at USC where she studied fine arts & marketing, continuing her education at Art Center and UCLA, she calls herself  “a forever a student of life.”  Love it.

And guess what? If you are reading this, you are getting a deal!

All of The Valley Mom readers get the following:

Book by April 30th and you get 25% off any package!!!

(This exclusive TVM discount can also be applied to gift certificates)

And because I think her work is so unbelievable I am about to bare all once again and post pictures of me and my family … pregnancy style. Hope you enjoy, chubby face and all! :)

 

How to get in contact with Christine:

Please log on to her website by CLICKING HERE.

You may also visit her blog by CLICKING HERE.

Direct 310.388.7184

Email: christine@christineeberly.com

A personal note:

If you have ever thought about taking pregnancy photos or any kind of photos and have been too afraid or don’t know what to expect, please feel free to comment or email me and ask anything. I am happy to go into detail of my experience. ;)

xo

TVM

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Westfield Topanga brought back Stroller Fit!

28 Mar

UPDATED POST:

(April 4, 2011)

Since my latest post …

Westfield Topanga had a meeting with Melissa, the instructor of Stroller Fit, and after much consideration they decided to re-sign their lease with Stroller Fit! We are back!!!

Thanks to all of the incredible support we got from each Mom involved in this amazing program … we stood together and fought for what we wanted. We all posted our feelings on their Facebook page, wrote reviews on multiple sites and even had CBS2/Kcal9 interested in our story! I think they realized they didn’t want to mess with these Mommies!

Stroller Fit Mommies Unite!

I am extremely pleased and thankful to say that we are back working out again with Melissa at the Westfield Topanga Mall – Mondays through Saturdays at 9:00a – 10:00a.

Thanks Mommies, Families and Friends for helping us get heard!

 

 

Thank you CBS2/KCAL9 for coming to represent!

 

 

 

TVM Getting the "good news" from Melissa!

 

~ ———— ~

ORIGINAL POST:

(March 28, 2011)

Our Beloved Stroller Fit

We want to bring it back to Westfield Topanga – They took it away!

First and foremost I need to make clear that I am not a fan of any negativity on my site, I really only like to post about all things positive! But when I think about this subject it’s only because when someone takes away something so positive and incredible we all have to stand together to bring it back! I wanted to make sure that I got the chance to voice my incredibly strong opinion on this outrageous decision of Westfield Topanga to stop allowing Stroller Fit at their mall. After having my son, Stroller Fit changed a huge part of my life. I was excited to get up, get out, meet friends and get in shape all while at the perfect location where I could go eat, shop and get all my errands done – rain or shine! This being said, there are absolutely NO DISTURBANCES made on their premises whatsoever.  Mommies are only there to workout during the hours in which the stores are still unopened. The only people you will see at this hour are people walking to get a workout around the mall or people coming in to get a Starbucks or go to Target.  So, exactly where should there be a complaint made here? Nobody is running in the mall, nobody is playing loud or unpleasant music, nobody is falling down and hurting themselves, there is no one blocking windows or walkways … it’s just women with strollers trying to enjoy themselves. After stores open you can most likely see about 8 to 12 Moms walking around in athletic gear and strollers  – but only shopping! We must all spend more money at their stores after our classes than we do on the workout class alone! This is truly an outrage and you will be sure to lose a few “regulars”. Bad decision Westfield … extremely bad! Just shows how financially intelligent you are to let go of potential and/or regular customers! Hmmm, tell Moms they can’t window shop for an hour of workout, then use the facility to play, eat, shop and spend money on a daily basis is just absurd. And in this extremely depressing economy and in the world of online shopping I would seriously think twice about shooing away any business. Good Luck Westfield. You will obviously need it.

I only had a few more months to go until I could start trying to lose baby #2 weight at Stroller Fit, and now Westfield has ruined that for me along with many other dear women.

Please CLICK HERE to be re-directed to the Facebook page that has been created by the outraged Moms!We all have a voice and opinion about this and it’s truly shocking. Westfield Topanga’s Facebook Fan Page has continuously taken down all of our heartfelt feelings about this matter but it just shows what cowards they are!

If you want more information about Stroller Fit and the amazing instructor Melissa CLICK HERE to read my post about what it did for me!

And Westfield Topanga, please feel free to write me at TheValleyMom@gmail.com with any response you may have  … I would love to hear some sort of retort!

xo

TVM

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What a deal!

25 Feb

$30 for 4 Prenatal or Baby Yoga Classes at A Mother’s Haven ($72 Value)


Yoga and getting in shape is a gift you give yourself, especially when you’re carrying around a tiny human all the time. Whether your baby is still in your belly or out in the world (or already crawling around!), this deal will treat you to the stretching and strengthening you need right now. Choose the class that fits your needs and you can try 4 hour-long sessions. Prenatal Yoga/Fitness is for pregnant women in all trimesters. This wonderful class provides a relaxing time for you to prepare your body for birth while keeping your body in shape throughout your pregnancy. Mommy & Baby Yoga/Fitness is perfect when you’re ready to get back in shape after birth and you don’t want to have to find a babysitter to do so! The two of you will have fun smiling and moving together while you get an intense yoga & pilates workout, including kiss-your-baby push-ups and tickle-time crunches. Best of all, you’ll meet other expectant & new moms and have the chance to connect in a warm and welcoming environment.

CLICK HERE

to purchase now. It’s an unbelievable deal and well worth it Mommies!!!

I just bought my voucher.

This is a goodie … A Mother’s Haven is truly one of my favorites!

xo

TVM

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I haven’t forgotten about you!

20 Feb

I wanted to let all my amazing readers know that I have not forgotten about you! I have so many new posts coming … so please stay tuned!

And just in case you didn’t know … The Valley Mom is pregnant again! Yay! I’m having a girl this time and I’m HUGE! So, be patient … I have been an awful pregnant writer. Luckily I have had many a sleepless night lately so I have been able to get myself writing again!

Here we gooo …..

xo

TVM

 

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