I grew up in Massachusetts and that means, I grew up on Friendly’s. Friendly’s was the restaurant my parents took us to to teach us our “restaurant” manners. Friendly’s has always been family friendly and affordable. I was so excited when, a few years ago Friendly’s opened just a few miles away from our house! I could share my love for Friendly’s with my kids.

Apple Walnut Chicken Salad

A few months ago Friendly’s introduced the $9.99 Create Your Own Friendly’s Meal. It is a great deal as it includes your drink, entree, side and a 2 scoop Happy Ending Sundae for less than $10.

Friendly’s has recently introduced new items (for a limited time only) to the menu including the Cheeseburger Club, Buffalo Bleu Burger and Apple Walnut Chicken Salad.

Buffalo Bleu Burger

If you need to find a Friendly’s near you go to the Friendly’s website and use the “Find a Friendly’s” box.

I love parenting books that write about real life situations not just clinical or behavioral studies. I also love parenting books that are written by parents who truly love being parents and write from a “been there-done that, you will survive too” point of view. When I was asked to review “The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Parenting” I knew it would be a fun review.

In case you aren’t familiar with the Worst-Case Scenario books, they have been around for 10 years. The original book has spawned multiple sequels including: parenting, politics, life, work and more. The books are fun, fact-filled looks at how to handle the worst-case scenario of any situation.

Parenting is divided into three chapters and an appendix. Chapter One: Ages Zero to Three, includes entries such as How to Deal with a Screaming Baby on an Airplane, How to Get your Baby to Sleep and How to Survive Baby Gear Overload. My favorite in this chapter is How to Give your Baby a Bath without a Bathtub. This article lists several containers you could use as a makeshift bathtub; my favorite part is the list of what not to use.

Do Not Use:

• Drive-through car wash (with open car windows)
• Toilet bowl
• Front-loading washing machines
• Outdoor power sprayer
• Dishwasher
• Hot tub

Chapter Two:Three to Twelve includes; How to Remove Chewing Gum from Hair, How to Discipline an Imaginary Friend and How to Rid a Bedroom of Monsters. My favorite in this chapter is How to Remove a Wad of Paper from your Child’s Nose. I found this one interesting for two reasons; first when I taught pre-school I had one little girl who was always putting things up her nose, and second because recently my sister and brother-in-law needed a chapter called ‘How to Remove a Shark’s Tooth from your Son’s Ear’…long story as you can imagine.

Chapter Three: The Teenage Years covers things like: How to Survive Teenage Angst, How to Avoid a Prom Corsage Wound and How to Survive Empty-Nest Syndrome. My favorite though is How to Determine if your Child is Driving your Car-which includes placing an analog watch under the car tire! In the Appendix, they cover Essential Parenting Cliches, the “Birds and the Bees Speech”, an IM/Text lingo decoder and a teen slang glossary.

This is the parenting book for all parents in all stages of parenting. It is funny and helpful at the same time. If you would like to purchase The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Parenting you can do so at their website.

You can win The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Parenting right here from The Mom Maven!

Mandatory 1st Entry: Leave a comment telling me the worst-case parenting scenario you have survived.

Bonus entries:

• Follow both @MomMaven and @WorstCaseBooks on Twitter and leave me a comment with your Twitter name
• Tweet This “Win The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook Parenting from @MomMaven & @worstcasebooks http://bit.ly/HmXxR” and leave a comment with the tweet’s URL
• Become a fan of Worst-case scenarios on Facebook and leave me a comment letting me know you did it.

This giveaway is for US residents only. The drawing will be held August 7, 2009 at 7:00pm. Good Luck!

Startriteshoes.com is an international children’s shoe company from Norwich, U.K. that a 200+ year history in the shoe making business. Today you can find Start-rite shoes at over 400 retailers across the UK and Ireland, in 38 countries around the world and at their website startriteshoes.com. The website is very user friendly and offers a lot of great information on buying the proper shoe for your child’s foot. They even have Click’nFit, a way to measure your child’s foot at home to assure proper fit. The process involves printing a grid, taking digital photos of your child’s feet and uploading the photos to the website…amazing.

This very informative website features several articles on foot health, the shape of a shoe, proper shoe fit and caring for your child’s feet. It also has information for parents of newborns, pre-crawlers, crawlers and beyond.
Start-rite shoes has recently opened a social parenting community on their website which is filled with parenting advice on topics ranging from hobbies and activities to how to choose the right athletic shoe to health and nutrition. There is something for every parent at the Start-rite shoe’s online parenting community, please go check it out and join in the community. In the activity area of the community there are fun craft ideas and downloadable activities for you to do with your children.

As you start your back to school shopping, make sure you stop by Start-rite shoes to do some shopping and the Start-rite shoes community to meet some other great parents.

This post is sponsored by Start-rite shoes.

“Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times, Tough People” reminds us that tough times won’t last, but tough people will. These 101 stories about overcoming life’s obstacles are encouraging and inspiring. The stories are broken down in sections including Simple Pleasures, Silver Linings, Accepting the New Me, and Tough People. A few of my favorite stories are “Board Game Revival”, “Hair is Overrated” and “Marks on the Heart”.

I am so excited to have this uplifting giveaway to share with TheMomMaven readers! I am making this giveaway simple without many hoops to jump through since life is tough enough right now.
Mandatory 1st entry leave a comment telling me someone who inspires you and why they have inspired you.
Bonus Entries:

• Subscribe to this blog (click on the orange heart in the sidebar) and leave me a comment letting me know you subscribed, current subscribers-let me know you already subscribe.
• Follow me in Google Friend Connect-in the sidebar and leave me a comment letting me know you followed. Current followers-let me know you follow.

This giveaway ends at 9:30pm EDT 8/5/09. US Entries only.

There is a new place for your children to go and learn about sharing, friendship, unity, cooperation, working and playing together. Pahappahooey Island is a beautiful, lush, faraway tropical island where Ali, Millard, Captain Hobbs, Hacksaw and their friends live, work, play and learn. This new award-winning series features Joyce Meyer as Ruby, the Lioness.

from the press release:

What About Me!? follows a group of furry friends as they navigate a mysterious, faraway land in search of treasure. Along the way, they encounter secret worlds and new friends to be rescued. With the help of Meyer’s Miss Ruby, the lovable characters learn valuable lessons about working together…all while singing their way into the hearts and minds of children.

The story is engaging, the setting is beautiful, the puppetry is masterful and the message is clear. This 67minute DVD includes two full length episodes “What About Me?” and “Hide It In Your Heart”. This video is not rated but would be appropriate for toddlers through age 8 or 9. Pahappahooey Island: What About Me? won’t be in stores until August 25th but you can win your very own copy here at The Mom Maven!

Mandatory 1st EntryVisit Joyce Meyer’s website and check out the FREE downloadable Pahappahooey Island Activity Book. Then come back here and leave me a comment telling me about one of the activities available in the book.
Bonus Entries

• Subscribe to my site via e-mail or reader (just click on the orange heart in the sidebar). Leave me a comment letting me know you did this. If you already subscribe let me know that too.
• Tweet this: “I just entered to win the fun, educational DVD Pahappahooey Island from @MomMaven http://bit.ly/XgrB2 #giveaway” and leave the tweet URL in the comments-you can do this once a day.
• Share this giveaway on any other social media site-Facebook, Digg, Mixx, Propeller, Technorati etc. Just leave the URL from your posting in the comments. You can do this 1x for each website.

This giveaway is open to US/Canada residents only and will end on August 5, 2009 9:00pm EDT. Good`luck.

This week Walt Disney World released their fall packages with FREE dining plan. The package is different from what they have offered in the past so please read carefully and make sure this is the best deal for your family. That being said, the free dining packages usually sell out quickly so book accordingly.

You can get FREE dining when you book a full price Walt Disney World vacation package for check-ins most nights 9/29/09-12/17/09 (Thanksgiving weekend may be blacked out). To qualify for FREE dining, you must purchase a vacation package that includes at least 3 consecutive hotel nights at an official Walt Disney World resort, plus at least a one-day theme park ticket. You must book this offer by 9/26/09. The number of packages available is limited.

The small print:

Disney Value resort guests:

• Get the Magic Your Way Plus Quick Service Dining package for the price of a regular Magic Your Way package. This offer saves $29.99 per night per adult or $8.99 per child ages 3-9 per night (this is the cost of adding the Quick Service Dining Plan to a basic vacation package).
• You can upgrade to the regular Dining Plan for just $10 per adult per night and $2 per child per night
• You can upgrade to the Deluxe Dining Plan for $42 per adult per night and $12 per child per night

Disney Moderate or Deluxe resort guests:

• Get the Magic Your Way Plus Dining package for the price of a regular Magic Your Way package.  This offer saves $39.99 per adult per day and $10.99 per child ages 3-9 per night (this is the cost of adding the regular Dining Plan to a basic vacation package).
• You can upgrade to the Deluxe Dining Plan for $32 per adult per night and $10 per child per night.

Mom Maven reminds you.. to book your Advance Dining Reservations as soon as possible. Table service restaurant reservations  fill up fast and you want to get all the great food available on the FREE dining plan. If you have any questions about recommended restaurants or resorts, making your reservations or the Magic Your Way Dining Plans please feel free to leave me a comment or email Cindy@themommaven.com.

To learn more about the different Magic Your Way Dining plans check out this great explanation at AllEarsNet.com

I haven’t bought baby formula in about 13 years. My oldest was strictly a bottle fed baby and my youngest was breastfed for 6 months and then switched to breast milk in a sippy cup for a few months before switching to formula in a sippy cup until he was ready for whole milk. I do remember that the cost of baby formula was one of the factors that played into our decision to breast feed our second child, but I forgot how expensive formula was.

Fortunately today there are more choices in baby formula, for those who choose to use it. One of those choices is Parent’s Choice.

According to Consumer Reports:

“We found that the store brand of formula at a local Wal-Mart (Parent’s Choice) cost 50 percent less per ounce than a leading national brand (Enfamil). According to the FDA, all formula marketed in the United States must meet the same nutrient specifications, which are set at levels to fulfill the needs of infants.”

“This is a powerful endorsement for store-brand baby formula coming from an unbiased advocate that wants to help parents make wise purchasing decisions,” said PBM Products CEO Paul B. Manning. “We encourage parents to purchase this important guide and consider two options that make nutritional and fiscal sense: breastfeeding and/or store-brand baby formula.”

To see how much money you can save by using Parent’s Choice instead of other national brands you can use their baby formula savings calculator. I tried out the calculator based on what we used for our oldest son and WOW! I would save $59.99 per month or $13.79 per can of powdered formula. That is a savings of over $1075 in a year.

What to feed your baby is a very personal decision and should never be made lightly. Breast milk is best for your child’s health, but it is not always a plausible choice.

Back-to-school time is right around the corner, our house is scheduled to start Aug. 17th and our local public schools start on Aug. 24th. With that in mind I am gearing up for Back2School Bash 2009 here at TheMomMaven.com.

The bash will be held August 3-15th and will be filled with tips to make back-to-school fun and organized. I have also lined up product reviws and giveaways from 7 companies so far, and I hope to get a few more. I’ll have giveaways for school supplies, food, clothes and even some concert tickets!

If there is a back-to-school topic you would like me to cover during the bash please leave me a comment on this post. I am here to help you be the best mom you can be.

This year, JELL-O is celebrating the 20th anniversary of JELL-O® JIGGLERS®, the beloved wiggly, jiggly gelatin shape snack recipe that brings fun and creativity to snack time.

Created by Kraft Foods, the JELL-O JIGGLERS recipe remains a snack time favorite today. The colorful, bite-sized cutouts are easy to make using a pan of any flavor of JELL-O gelatin and seasonal cutters or molds (or everyday household items like cookie cutters or cupcake tins).

To celebrate this special anniversary, there is a special exhibit showcasing JIGGLERS at the JELL-O Museum in LeRoy, New York.The JIGGLERS exhibit reminds visitors of the simple joy and fun JELL-O brings to families. It displays everything from the first JIGGLERS’ cutouts to vintage television spots from the famous Bill Cosby JELL-O JIGGLERS’ commercials. “For the past 20 years, JELL-O JIGGLERS have been one of the most fun ways to snack,” said Lynne Belluscio, Director, JELL-O Museum. “We are so happy to share in the fun by hosting this special exhibit and hope that it reminds people of all the happiness that JELL-O continues to bring to families.”

With over 25 flavors of JELL-O gelatin, Kraft Foods has developed lots of new JELL-O snacking ideas like “Jellin’-Melon” Snacks, a fun-to-make snack using JELL-O and a hollowed out melon. With so many options, the possibilities for creative snacking with the family are endless. To join in the celebration, follow the creative snack time recipes for JIGGLERS and “Jellin’-Melon” Snacks.

For more creative recipe ideas or a coupon for your next JELL-O purchase, visit www.JELLO.com.

Back to school is just around the corner. For students heading away to college, this is a time filled with both fear and excitement. For many students this is the first extended time away from home. It may even be the first time they have to share a room, I know it was for me! Moving in with a stranger can be terrifying but Sears has created CampusReady to help with the transition.

When I went away to college I moved in with two girls I had never met before. We had a good size triple room but I did not fit in at all with the other 2 girls. I had an 8am class, they came in most mornings at 3am after partying all night and slept until noon. I thrived at campus activities, mixers and club meetings…they partied. It was not a match made in heaven. Sears has created CampusReady on Facebook a set of apps aimed at getting to know your roomate, decorating your dorm room and going back to school in style.

There are 3 parts to Campus Ready: RoomMate Matchup, Dorm Room Designer and Gift Getter. RoomMate Matchup is a great tool to see how compatible you and your roommate will be. It is a quiz that explores your likes and dislikes. This is a great way to start communicating with the stranger you will be rooming with. Once you get to know each other Dorm Room Designer helps you design your room before you step on campus. Last, but most importantly Gift Getter is a gift registry for decking out your dorm room and going back to school in style. Just will out your wishlist and share it with your friends and relatives and (hopefully) the gifts will start rolling in.