This Full House Reviews

I Can't Believe It's Butter!: Late Summer Grilling Gift Pack

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: Looking forward to sharing this with two (2) of you, real soon!!!

Shrimp Scampi Skewers - get the recipe, here!

I had the pleasure of visiting with the nice folks representing Unilever (as it turns out, makers of a surprisingly large number of items found in my bathroom and kitchen at the moment) while attending and/or rescuing injured bloggers at the BlogHer 2010 Conference in New York City.

I got to sample some of their delicious dishes (my favorite being, the Shrimp Scampi Skewers, pictured above, courtesy of the I Can't Believe It's Butter brand) chatted with professional chefs, like Unilever Test Kitchen Chef Normajean and learned ridiculously simple ways to spice up my grill, here at home, too.

Now, it's YOUR turn!

Here are a few quick and simple ideas to add great flavor to a few grilling favorites:

Thanks for Giving: You Did REAL GOOD, Outback Steakhouse!

Outback Steakhouse Presents $1 Million Donation In Support Of The U.S. Troops Through Operation Homefront

Waaaay back in March (seriously, with the kids home for the summer, it seems like a lifetime ago) I blogged about how Outback Steakhouse is supporting our troops.

Why?  Well, like I said:

To me, "support our troops" is more than just a sound bite on a t-shirt or bumper sticker (my minivan sports a magnet, actually) personally, I understand the sacrifice, dedication and difficult decisions members of our military make, every day, and honor that commitment, by showing my support in little ways -- like, blogging about stuff like this.

My twin brother is full-time Army (GO UNCLE BUD!) so, I personally want to take this moment to thank the brands (like, the generous folks at Outback Steakhouse) who continue to allow consumers (like me) help give back to their communities and support really, really great causes, like Operation Homefront!

You did REAL GOOD, Outback...HOOAH!

© 2010 This Full House Gone Shopping - All Rights Reserved.

Small Gray-ish Print:  No payment, product, or any other consideration was given, other than a chance to share something REAL nice with other families (like mine) was received for this blog post, because nice matters and indifference sucks wet poodle.

77kids + 77 Mombloggers = A Whole Lot of Good Stuff Happening on Do Good Day!

I am very, very proud to partner with TheMotherhood.com and participating in 77kids Do Good Day on July 14th (that's next week, btw!) by doing good in our local communities in all sorts of pay-it-forward kinds of ways.

Me and 76 other bloggers, from 11 cities across the U.S., I mean.

Why?

Well, here in Jersey, I'm in REAL good company:

Bay -  http://www.queenmotherblog.com
Julie - http://www.bouffamily.blogspot.com
Monica - http://www.paperbridges.net
Shannon - http://www.momimprovement.com

Okay, GREAT, but why 77kids and what's all this Do Good stuff about, really?

pingg and Operation Gratitude: A Way to Show Our Appreciation to U.S. Service Members!

Operation Gratitude (www.OperationGratitude.com) annually sends 100,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in hostile regions such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and on Naval ships at sea. 

pingg and Operation Gratitude have joined forces and they need OUR help to build the Gratitude Card collection!

Why?

Because, nice matters and the very brave members of the U.S. Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force and Army...like, my twin brother SFCKat...have committed themselves to protecting us, regardless!

Expressions of gratitude can be very easily shared in the following ways:

Complete this sentence in 10 words or less: “I’m grateful to the troops (for/because)….”

OR

In your own 10 words (or less) describe what gratitude to those who serve means to you...

Here's mine:

"I'm grateful to the troops because...if you mess with me, you'll deal with my brother!"

You get the idea, right?

You can submit your expressions in email to opgratitude@pingg.com -- submissions must be received by June 18th to be considered for the Gratitude Card collection.

They will then select 8 expressions as taglines for the Gratitude Card collection to be featured on pingg.com.

Go ahead and check them out (when you have time, of course!) and consider donating at www.OperationGratitude.com

In the meantime, Happy 4th of July...everyday...GO ARMY!

HOOAH!

© 2010 This Full House/This Full House Gone Shopping

DISCLOSURE:  NO PAYMENT WAS RECEIVED, OR CONSIDERATION GIVEN, OTHER THAN A CHANCE TO SHARE SOMETHING NICE WITH OTHER FAMILIES (LIKE MINE) WAS RECEIVED FOR THIS BLOG POST

Choose You Campaign Less Cancer, More Birthdays Healthy Lifestyle Giftbag

[CONGRATULATIONS:  JULIE L (COMMENT #52) PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!!!]

According to the The American Cancer Society, when asked to pick one day to focus on themselves and their health each year, the majority of women (65 percent) chose their birthday.

Today (May 28th) is MY birthday and, in celebration of the 17th Anniversary of my 29th birthday (ahem) I am proud to partner with the Choose You movement (doing something special on my mom-type-blog, too) to shine the spotlight on a sobering statistic: one in three women will get cancer in her lifetime.

Considering my twin brother has been battling cancer for a few years, now (AND WINNING!) I am committed to finding and sharing ways in which women (especially, moms like me) can lead a healthier lifestyle.

Why?

Because, it's My birthday, being nice matters and cancer sucks wet poodle!

Books Make a Difference: Help BlogHer and BookRenter bring books to kids in need!

BlogHer.com and BookRenter.com, a company that rents textbooks to college students, have launched a book donation drive.

All you have to do is visit and leave a comment, sharing the book that's had the greatest impact on your life.

Bookrenter will be donating 1 book for every comment left on the post up to May 28th (my birthday!) or, up to 1,000 books to kids in need.

Why?

Books are shockingly scarce for kids in need:

• In low-income neighborhoods there is an average of only one book for every 300 children, compared to 13 books for every child in middle-income neighborhoods.

• 80% of preschool and after-school programs serving low-income populations have no age-appropriate books for their children.70% of 4th graders from low-income families in the US score ‘below proficiency’ in reading.

• 85% of juvenile offenders have reading problems.

• Among adults at the lowest level of literacy proficiency, 43% live in poverty.

• Among adults with strong literacy skills, only 4% live in poverty.

Here's the link to the book donation drive:

http://www.blogher.com/books-make-difference-share-which-book-changed-your-life-donate-book-child-need

Remember, all you have to do is click and leave a comment for a donation to be made -- I just donated a book with this blog post -- thanks for reading!!!

 

© 2010 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

DISCLOSURE:  NO PAYMENT WAS RECEIVED FOR THIS BLOG POST -- BECAUSE NICE MATTERS AND POVERTY SUCKS!!!

Kleenex Towels Hand Drying Song: Dry Hands Are Happy Hands - Now With Less ICK!

Did you know that freshly cleaned, wet hands transfer pathogens more readily than dry hands or hands not washed at all.

[cringe]

Me, either.

I am very excited to partner with my friends at TheMotherhood.com and in the Kleenex Hand Towels campaign and share some important facts about hand drying -- like, how I've spent the last 16 years reminding my kids (constantly) to wash their hands and never once worried about their hand drying habits, or lack thereof.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (you know, the CDC, they specialize in ICK!) recommends hand drying with a single-use towel to help reduce the spread of germs, but consumers have not had a practical alternative to traditional cloth hand towels in their home bathrooms – until now.

Oh, and there's this cute little song you can sing along with your kids while hollering at reminding them to, you know, dry their hands.

Why?

Because, I am ALL about ridding my house of pathogens (the killer dust bunnies are getting real jealous) and my family and I get to work on this project, together!

No, I am NOT going to sing (you're welcome!) but, my oldest daughter is working on this really cool idea and, well, did I mention she's 16 and digitally/graphically gifted?

[the sound of crickets chirping]

Oh, and there's a lovely prize to help kick-off the promotion.

Oprah's No Phone Zone PledgePull Over, Rover!

It's no secret, I love sharing information on multi-functional gadgets that perhaps help make life for families (like mine) a little easier.

Here, in Jersey, it's illegal to drive while talking on your cell phone. 

Still, if I had a dollar for each time I saw someone driving, while holding a cell phone to their ear, well, I'd FINALLY be able to take my kids to Disney...maybe.

I get it.  Maybe you're on hold with the doctor's office, your kid missed the bus, or you've won the HGTV Green Home (DANGIT!) like, my pledge with Mom Sends the Msg says:

"Put...the...cell...phone...down...or, just pull over!"

Today is National No Phone Zone Day and I am very proud to partner with the Oprah Winfrey Show in helping to spread the word about the No Phone Zone campaign:

NWF Mom Update: The Local Impact of Climate Change - Now, With More Itch and A Prettiful Field Bag Too!

You know Emily McKhann, right?  Well, you should, because she and Cooper Monroe founded TheMotherhood.com and, yes, they ARE very, very smart. 

How do I know?

Well, personally, I've been working very closely with The Motherhood Creative for a long time, now (in Gemini years, anyway) and, quite frankly, I feel way smarter, already.

[sound of crickets chirping]

Aaaaanyway, Emily attended a lunch for DC bloggers (Amie Adams, Gayle Weiswasser, Diane MacEaachern), hosted by Jaime Matyas and her great team at the National Wildlife Federation to help them learn a little more about a few NWF programs.   

You can find the rest of the post on my personal blog: (http://bit.ly/bRQOV7)

WARNING:  It's most likely gonna make you itch!

I wanted to cross-post it here on my shopping blog and let you know that you can donate to the National Wildlife Federation today and get a FREE gift, too!

Wanna see?

Celebrate Earth Day with Green Crafts & More from Disney FamilyFun

 

As a Founding Mother of the National Wildlife Federation's new Be Out There campaign, I've accepted the challenge of finding and sharing ways to help promote outdoor activities families (like mine) can do, together.

Gardening is one of my favorite ways to get my kids outside:  they really do enjoy helping me and my husband, Garth [not his real name] grow our own fruits and vegetables, in the summertime.

Earth Day is just around the corner (April 22, 2010) FamilyFun Magazine also has some terrific tips on creative ways to help celebrate, this month:

10 Ways to Make Gardening More Fun: By maximizing the magic and minimizing the chores, our readers bring out the green thumb in their kids.

Tips for Creating Your First Garden (with your kids!): Giving your child his or her own miniature flower garden provides the right balance of big dreams and little tasks. A small garden of annual flowers is easy to take care of, and she will learn many skills as she nurtures seedlings and cuts bouquets for the kitchen table.

Also featured are gardening ideas that bring both city and country kids outside to learn about the earth, and have some fun!

Tips from Crystal Light and The Nature Conservancy for World Water Day 2010

Did you know that March 22nd is World Water Day?  I know what you're thinking -- what's next, National Pond Slime Week -- but, raising 4 children, our house uses a lot of water and, truth be told, we're probably wasting a lot more, than the average family, too.

Here are some quick (and easy) tips to help families (like mine) save water:

• Reduce your shower time by two minutes – save up to 150,000 gallons of water per month

• Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth – save 25 gallons of water per month

• Defrost food in the fridge instead of under running water – reduce water inefficiency and increase food safety

• Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when they’re full – save up to 1,000 gallons of water per month

Seriously, it's that simple.

One of my favorite brands is helping, too -- Crystal Light will give to The Nature Conservancy 100 percent of net profits from Crystal Light powdered drink mix products sold that day – no less than $350,000 and up to $750,000.

The funds will support the river and lake projects across the U.S., including:  the Colorado River, Great Lakes Basin, Meramec River (part of the Mississippi river), Potomac River and Southern Rivers.

But, wait, there's more -- wanna see Sheryl Crow?

Outback is Supporting our Troops and We Can, Too!

My twin brother (a.k.a. Uncle Bud) is full-time Army and a big part of his job, lately, is to help ready his troops for deployment.  

To me, "support our troops" is more than just a sound bite on a t-shirt or bumper sticker (my minivan sports a magnet, actually) personally, I understand the sacrifice, dedication and difficult decisions members of our military make, every day, and honor that commitment, by showing my support in little ways -- like, blogging about stuff like this.

From March 3rd to March 31st, Outback is offering a special, "Red, White and Bloomin" menu in its restaurants and donating proceeds to support the troops.

Customers can also donate directly to Operation Homefront by texting "HERO" to 50555.

Additionally, Time McGraw is helping to spread the news. A portion of the proceeds from a commemorative Tim McGraw T-shirt sold during his "Southern Voices" tour will be donated to support the cause.

It may NOT sound much to some folks (personally, I don't know of anyone who would say so) but, it's nice to know that even the smallest effort can truly make someone's day!

HOOAH!

© 2010 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

DISCLOSURE:  NO PAYMENT WAS RECEIVED, OR CONSIDERATION GIVEN, OTHER THAN A CHANCE TO SHARE SOMETHING NICE WITH OTHER FAMILIES (LIKE MINE) WAS RECEIVED FOR THIS BLOG POST

IHOP National Pancake Day: February 23, 2010 - Free Pancakes With Donation to Children's Miracle Network

Mmmmm, pancakes...it's what's for dinner, at our house (a lot!) especially, when supporting of a really great cause!

Join IHOP to celebrate National Pancake Day, TODAY -- Tuesday, February 23, 2010. from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., IHOP will give you one free short stack (three) buttermilk pancakes.

GREAT -- but, what's the catch?

All IHOP asks is that you consider making a donation to support local children's hospitals through Children's Miracle Network, or other local charities.

Now, feel free to go and share some pancake love!

© 2010 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

DISCLOSURE:  NO PAYMENT WAS RECEIVED, OR CONSIDERATIONS, OTHER THAN A CHANCE TO SHARE SOMETHING NICE WITH OTHER FAMILIES (LIKE MINE) WAS RECEIVED FOR THIS BLOG POST, COURTESY OF IHOP.COM

Book It Program: A Reading By John Lithgow - Grab Your PJ's and Help Feed Haiti

[CONGRATULATIONS, DEBBIE B -- COMMENT #37 -- PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!!!]

The BOOK IT! Program, a reading incentive program sponsored by Pizza Hut, is hosting its third America’s Biggest Bedtime Story on Feb. 18th with a live webcast with one of my favorite actors and Golden Globe winning author, John Lithgow, reading one of his favorites, Carnival of the Animals (associated link) and this year, Pizza Hut is looking to donate 50,000 meals to Haiti Relief.

Want to know how you can help, a copy of the book, or how about some pizza?

Gifts That Give Back: Snapfish Free Photo Calendar & Make-A-Wish Custom Photo Book Giveaway

[FINISHED:  WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO SHARE THIS WITH KIMMIE (COMMENT #15) PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!!!]

Snapfish.com is a great place to store, print and share photos online -- I had the pleasure of partnering with them for Breast Cancer Awareness Month --  and I am very excited to be able to share more great stuff Snapfish is doing, this holiday season...and beyond!

Receive a FREE photo calendar: 

On Wednesday, December 9th, through December 13th, anyone can log onto www.snapfish.com/rachaelray and receive a FREE photo calendar and photo flip book with the purchase of any photo calendar with code RACHAELRAY.

Snapfish is also helping make wishes come true this holiday season through a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. 

In support of the charity, Snapfish is offering:

• Customizable WISH! photo books to wish kids and their families to help them commemorate their wish experiences 

• The ability for wish families to host their own Group Room online at Snapfish where they can share moments with friends and family, as well as create personalized projects with their photos 

• WISH! custom cover photo books available for purchase by consumers at Snapfish’s Make-A-Wish Store, where 30 percent of all proceeds from the sales of the books will go directly to the Make-A-Wish Foundation through Dec. 31, 2010

Yep, you read that right (because, I double-checked it) they are donating through Christmas, next year!!!

Want one?