I needed a delicious and inexpensive dessert to bring to a church function this weekend. I searched one of my favorite sites, KraftFoods.com, and found exactly what I was looking for…Chocolate Eclair Squares. With only 5 inexpensive ingredients, two of which I already had, these were easy to make and inexpensive.

It took me less than 10 minutes to mix the ingredients and layer them into the pan. Next they had to set-up in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before I melted and drizzled the chocolate on top. They looked delicious and I couldn’t wait to try them.

They were a big hit! They taste a lot like a chocolate eclair but MUCH easier to make. Next time I will add 1 more square of chocolate…because I like chocolate, but other than that you can’t go wrong bringing this dessert to your next even!

It has been a while since I have hosted a giveaway for UPrinting and I am glad to have them back at The Mom Maven. UPrinting is the place to go for all of your custom sticker and label printing needs. I am thinking of creating some Class of 2010 stickers for our graduating homeschool seniors to use on their graduation invitations or maybe some mailing labels for The Mom Maven hmmmmm so many choices.

Here is the awesome prize that 1 of you will win:
- 250 Stickers/Labels that you design
- Sizes: 2” x 3.5”, 2” x 4”, or 3” x 3”
- Paper: 70lb Label Matte
- Specifications: Full color front, blank back; 4 Business Day printing
- Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
- Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only

Mandatory 1st Entry: Visit UPrinting and check out all the cool products they offer. Then come back here and tell me what other UPrinting product you would like to have.

Bonus Entries-Leave a separate comment for each one

• Let me know what you will use the stickers for if you you win
• Follow @UPrinting on Twitter
• Tweet this- @MomMaven is giving away 250 custom stickers from @UPrinting enter here http://bit.ly/9WJYPC (you may tweet 1x a day)
• Become a fan of The Mom Maven on Facebook http://bit.ly/bq7iMs

Good Luck! The winner will be chosen at 10:00pm on Tuesday 2/9/10 by random.org.

I have yet to have the opportunity to stay at Walt Disney World’s Ft Wilderness Campground, though I would love to. Last month I was privileged to be a part of a tour of Ft Wilderness and after visiting the property for the first time I definitely want to stay there! There is so much to tell you about Ft Wilderness that I will be breaking it down into several blog posts.

Ft Wilderness is 740 acres of beautiful wilderness nestled in the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort near the Magic Kingdom. It was one of the original “resorts” when the park opened in 1971. Ft Wilderness’ accommodations include 799 campsites and 409 cabins. Due to the size of resort, it has its own internal transportation system to help guests get around. Resort amenities include a heated feature pool with a water slide, kiddie area and a hot tub, as well as horseback riding, tennis, archery, bike and watercraft rentals as well as playgrounds. Dining options include the Trails End Restaurant, Hoop-de-Doo Musical Revue, Mickey’s Backyard Barbecue or what ever you care to grill up at your campsite!

In the next several weeks I will be telling you about the campsites, cabins, Hoop-de-Doo Revue and a more in depth look at the amenities. If you have stayed at Ft Wilderness please leave me a comment and let me know about your experience. If you have a question about Ft Wilderness please leave it in the comments so I can answer it for you.

January is National Thyroid Awareness Month

The thyroid is a small gland located in the middle of the lower neck, which produces hormones that regulate many functions including temperature, weight gain, and weight loss. Many Americans experience various problems with the functioning of their thyroid. Some red flags to watch for are:

* sudden weight gain or increase in body fat
* inability to lose weight despite proper diet and exercise
* fatigue, insomnia or restless sleep, anxiety or panic attacks
* gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation
* chronic sinusitis or lingering infections

It is important that people experiencing these warning signs see their physician to learn more.
There are also many online resources for those seeking more information and support. One online resource is the Fibro 360 Community – Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Center. This online community not only offers a network of support, but also resources to those seeking more information about fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and related disorders including those concerning the thyroid.

If you’d like to learn more or would like to join the Fibro 360 Community, please visit Fibro 360 on Facebook . You can also follow Fibro 360 on Twitter .

Could you use a little pampering? One lucky reader of The Mom Maven will win a $25 gift card to Amazon.com to be used on whatever you need! Let us treat you!

To enter:

Please visit the Fibro 360 Community on Facebook and become a fan, then leave me a comment letting me know you did this.

Would you like a bonus entry? Let us know that you follow @Fibro360 on Twitter!

Contest ends January 31st at 11:59 p.m. EST.

A perfect tool for busy moms, Goby.com (pronounced GO-be) is a new one-of-the-kind search engine that helps you find fun new ways to spend your free time. It searches more than 300 different categories of “things to do” from zoos and aquariums to playgrounds and children’s museums.

screenshot

Goby is simple to use it poses three questions: What, Where and When. By just answering two of the three questions, you can instantly receive an easy-to-read results page that includes not only detailed information about attractions, activities, locations and events, but also an interactive map and photos from sites like Google and Flickr. I spent some time playing on Goby and I found lots of things to do in my town. I found bike trails, museums and family events that would be a lot of fun for my family.

Goby wants one lucky reader of The Mom Maven to be able to plan a fun family day for their family. Goby is giving away $50 to spend on your fun family day.

Mandatory 1st Entry Visit Goby, do some searches and find some new things to do in your area. Then come back to this post and leave a comment answering the questions, “What type of adventure are you looking for and what did you find?”

Bonus Entries may be completed after you complete the mandatory 1st entry-leave a separate comment for each entry.

• Subscribe to my blog (click on orange heart) current subscribers get 1 entry also just leave me a comment letting me know you subscribe.
• Follow @therealgoby on Twitter
• Tweet this – I hope to win $50 for a family fun day from @MomMaven and @therealgoby Enter here http://bit.ly/goby50  (you can tweet this 1x a day)
• Become a fan of The Mom Maven on Facebook

Please make sure there is an e-mail or Twitter name attached to your comments so that I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen by Random.org at 10:00pm ET on 2/1/10.

Dr Pepper is 125 years old this year. Now I’ll admit I am not a Pepper but my sons love Dr Pepper. Yesterday, in celebration of this milestone,  David Naughton of the “Be a Pepper” marketing campaign of the 70′s recreated his role flash mob style on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. I know a lot of my readers probably weren’t around to enjoy the 70′s commercial so I found it on YouTube for you.

Here is the 2010 version.

Happy Birthday Dr Pepper!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Raising a Father. All opinions are 100% mine.

Arjun Sen was a busy man in the business world. On September 12, 2001, he realized that he did not know his young daughter. Due to his busy-ness their relationship was reduced to phone calls and short visits. Instead of sticking with the status quo, Sen took action. He quit the corporate world and started a home based marketing consulting company so that his relationship with his daughter would be his primary focus. In his book Raising a Father, we get to read about Arjun Sen’s journey toward becoming a better father and a better man.

Raising a Father is comprised of short, heart-felt stories about Sen and his daughter, Raka. Sen now measures his success by the time he spends with his daughter and not how far he has climbed up the corporate ladder. This book should be required reading for all parents and parent-to-be. Though it is written from a father’s perspective, the truths in this book are equally important for mothers too.  This book  makes you rethink your priorities and your relationships and helps you get them back in line.

Check out this trailer for the book-

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this book would make a great gift for the special parents in your life. You can order the book online by clicking here.

Last month my friend Heather introduced me to a local company, Boulevard Organics, that makes organic sugar and dairy free hot chocolate. I’ll be up front here, I was not personally interested in organic, sugar free, dairy free or any of that-I just heard the words “hot chocolate” and I was interested. One of the company’s owners contacted me on Twitter and then stopped by my house to deliver my samples-how’s that for service!

The hot chocolate comes in 3 different varieties:

Instant which is a sweet dark chocolate that is organic, gluten free, soy free, and kosher. It comes in the yellow can and mixes with hot water.

Dairy Free which is a sweet dark chocolate that is dairy free, vegan, organic, gluten free, soy free, and kosher. It comes in the blue can and mixes with milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, coffee etc.

Dairy Free and Sugar Free which is a deep dark chocolate that is sugar free, dairy free, vegan, organic, gluten free, soy free, and kosher. It comes in the blue can and mixes with milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, coffee etc.
I brought all three hot chocolate mixes to our family Christmas and New Years celebrations and they were well received. Everyone had their favorites. The kids liked the instant best saying it was creamy and chocolatey. The adults enjoyed both the dairy free and the dairy free & sugar free; both were smooth, creamy and delicious. The latter being a bit more bitter because of the deep dark chocolate flavor.

It is nice to know that you can have hot chocolate even when you are on a restricted diet. Boulevards Hot Chocolate is only 20 calories per serving! We have had such crazy cold weather here in Florida this winter it is nice to be able to support a local company and stay warm at the same time.
You can order Boulevards Organic Sugar-Free Hot Chocolate, 10-Ounce Cans (Pack of 2) from Amazon or the company’s website. You can also connect with them via Twitter and Facebook. However you connect with them please let them know Mom Maven sent you!

As the mom of a homeschooled high school senior, we are at that point where we are staring to search out scholarships so that Aaron can continue his education at State College of Florida. Last semester he was dual enrolled and this semester he is an early enrollment student and he will finish 5 college classes before he graduates high school in May just 2 months after he turns 17. Once he graduates high school we need to start paying for his college education and this is where Edu in Review comes into play.

One of the many helpful sections on their website is the Scholarships section that has tons of scholarships listed by category so that you can check them out and see if your student may be eligible to apply. I also found a great article about my rich uncle which helps match students to available loans.

EduInReview.com also has helpful articles on planning for college, campus life, choosing the right school for you…and your student. There is even a section on Greek organizations, and even how to rush a fraternity or sorority.

If you have a high school junior or senior Edu in Review may be just what you have been looking for.

Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner have teamed up to help Save the Children, an organization dedicated to helping children living in poverty in the United States.

Frigidaire is committed to helping moms spend less time in the kitchen and laundry room, and more time with the ones they love. Their new Spin & Win game gives you the opportunity to win gift cards for spending quality time with your tykes – whether it’s curling up with some new books, starting a craft project or taking in a family flick.

They’re giving away a prize every day. Plus, you could also win a brand new Frigidaire Affinity washer and dryer, with time-saving features that give you more time for the important things in life.

Best of all, once you’ve registered to play, every time you spin, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children, as part of their $250,000 commitment to support Save the Children’s CHANGE (Creating Healthy, Active & Nurturing Grown Up Environments) program, dedicated to providing nutritious snacks and promoting healthier lifestyles for children living in poverty in the United States.

Earn a bonus entry when you follow the directions to Tweet or Email a Friend. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to make time for CHANGE. Go ahead – TAKE A SPIN!