Need For Speed Nitro for Wii Review & Giveaway

Racing games are loved in this house and this is our first one for the Nintendo Wii. The Need For Speed series of games has been a favorite of ours over the years on different consoles, and Need For Speed Nitro is another fun version of it. EA just released this game on November 3 for both the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS.

Some of our thoughts on the game:

• You can use all different types of controllers with this game - if you don't have a steering wheel you can still play.
• Skipable tutorial on the controls of the game that comes up on each new load of the game - handy for a reminder on how to control or if you are using a different controller than before
• You can customize cars - buy & sell cars, unlock items by performing well. This creative part of the Need for Speed series has always been a favorite part for Taylor (at all ages).
• Unlock new cities as you go - it's always fun to get new parts unlocked and expand the game
• The cars are based on real cars, but the paint jobs are out there!
• Graphics are not like the Need for Speed games for other consoles - on the Wii they are a bit more cartoon-like and less realistic, but still very cool
• Rated E 10+ for mild lyrics and mild violence - we haven't seen any violence really except the car crashing - no fighting that we've seen or anything.
• Up to 4 players - always great for sharing!
  

As I said, this series has always been a favorite for us and for friends and family when they visit. A perfect holiday gift for all the racers in your family!


The Giveaway: One lucky winner will receive Need for Speed Nitro for the Nintendo Wii.

Required Entry: Leave a comment telling me who the racer is in your family that would love Need For Speed Nitro for the Wii! Be sure to have your email address visible in your profile OR include it in your comment to be eligible to win!

Extra Entries: The following are all extra things you can do for more entries. Leave an additional comment for each thing you do to earn extra entries.

• Subscribe via email to my feed and let me know in your comment for an extra entry.
  
  
• Follow me on Twitter @RobynsWorld and send a tweet about the giveaway. You can do this once per day. Leave a direct link to your tweet (instructions here) in your comment for an extra entry for each tweet. Here is a tweet you can use (or make your own):
  
  Win @NeedForSpeed Nitro for the Nintendo Wii from @RobynsWorld http://snurl.com/nfsnitro Please RT
  
  
• Blog about this giveaway on your own blog (please don’t copy my entire post onto your blog though). Leave the direct link to your post in your comment for an extra entry.
  
  
• Fan Need for Speed on Facebook and/or follow @NeedForSpeed on twitter and leave a comment, including your name on Facebook or Twitter name (to confirm) telling me that you've done so
  

Rules: Only one of each entry method listed per person/family/household. No entering on behalf of others, using extra identities or others identities, no automated program entries, etc. If I catch you cheating you will be banned from this and all of my future giveaways! This giveaway is only open to those in the USA, ages 18+ only. All entries must be received by 11:59 pm Central Time on Monday, November 30, 2009. I will pick the winner and email them and they have 48 hours to claim the prize. If no response, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

*This is a compensated/sponsored post*

(in this case I received a copy of the game to review and 1 to give away)

Vaccinated!

Today they had a H1N1 vaccination clinic at the local high school for students. It took us 2 hours in line, but Taylor is now vaccinated against the H1N1 virus. Now if I could just find vaccinations for Hubby and I for H1N1 and all 3 of us still need the regular flu vaccine still. Things have been scarce in our area!

If you missed my earlier posts on the flu topic make sure you take time to read them. One is about making a plan ahead of time in case you or others in your house get sick - some really handy tips. The other is about the H1N1 flu and some facts about it in general. Stay healthy everyone!

Win a Mini Dell by Taking the Mom Sends the Msg Pledge!

I became a Mom Sends the Msg Ambassador a few weeks ago to help spread the word about keeping our minds on the wheel while driving in the car. No text message is as important as our own safety and that of our family in the car with us or others on the road.

We are almost up to 500 pledges "to keep your mind on the wheel" on Mom Sends the Msg - it would be so awesome to exceed that number and then some this weekend! Especially before the big Thanksgiving travel holiday approaches!

In order to help get us way past our goal there are three Mini Dell Computers being given away! You have until Monday November 16th at 12 pm EST to enter:

1. Sign the Pledge against distracted driving
   
   
2. Twitter about the pledge and/or the mini Dell contest USING the #sendthemsg tag (that is the way we will find you!) Here is a tweet you can use or make up your own tweet:
   
   Stop Distracted Driving and WIN A LAPTOP too http://snurl.com/mstmwin #SendTheMsg Please RT
   
   
3. Fan Mom Sends the Msg on Facebook


4. BONUS: Anyone who blogs about Mom Sends the Message, the Pledge and/or this contest gets entered TWICE. Just send a link to your post to contact@themotherhood.com by Monday at noon.

A comment below is welcome, but not required for entry for this giveaway.

We've Been Elfed!

I love this and did it last year too. This year they added singing elves! This is me, Hubby, and Taylor. Make sure you go and Elf Yourself and your family too!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI)

A couple of weeks ago I told you all about MRSA, this actually can fall under a bigger category of healthcare-associated (sometimes hospital-acquired) infection or HAI. This is a global issue that impacts both patients and healthcare workers.

Kimberly-Clark has set up a Not On My Watch program to help prevent people from getting sick with other things while they are being treated for something else. It is designed to help improve education to help stop HAI. You can find out more details and information on the HAIwatch.com website.

Taza Orangic Chocolate Review

CHOCOLATE! That got your attention, didn't it? If you are like me the power of chocolate is very strong. I don't want it all the time, but a good piece of chocolate can make me happier, and a great piece of chocolate can make me thrilled! Have I got the chocolate for you if you can relate, Taza Chocolate.

A few things intrigued me about Taza Chocolates. To start, it is 100% USDA certified organic. No artificial flavors, colorings or sweeteners. No pesticides or herbicides are utilized on the farm, and the fertilizer used contains no chemicals or animal byproducts. The other interesting thing was that they use authentic Mexican stone mills to grind the nibs for the chocolate.

Samples arrived, bliss quickly follows!

You can see this is not your ordinary chocolate bar. The variety I received a sample of was the cinnamon chocolate. Inside the round package are 2 discs of this treasure. I broke off a small piece and took a bite - OH MY! I quickly understood what a difference the Mexican stone mills made in the processing of the chocolate and how the texture was so much more interesting. It is almost as if they are extra little bursts of flavor in this delightful nibble! The cinnamon flavor is this brilliant underlying note - just a fantastic mix of flavors.

Now while the Taza Chocolates do cost more than say a Hershey bar, they are different creatures altogether. It's like comparing a small inexpensive car to a luxury car - they both have the same broad category, but the details make a world of difference. I found that this wasn't a gobble up type of chocolate either - it really is a nice nibbling chocolate. I have been carefully breaking off small bits of my 2 discs of happiness since they arrived a couple of weeks ago and I still have some left. This is the perfect chocolate to stash away in your own little hiding spot! For the holidays it would be an amazing stocking stuffer or small gift for someone special. When you order though, be sure to order some for yourself. Like I said, tuck it away, when you are stressed during the holidays go take a little nibble and relax. You will feel better instantly - I promise!

Taza Chocolate has a special event in Somerville, MA on Saturday, December 5 also - they are opening their doors to the public for chocolate tastings and tours of the factory between 10 AM and 6 PM. This is a free event and open to the public - if you are in that area I highly recommend you make time for this special day. I so wish I was up in the northeast! If you can't make it in person, stop by TazaChocolate.com for a virtual tour instead. Plus on Saturday, December 5 use the code: OHW2009 during checkout for a 10% off web orders all day!

*This is a compensated/sponsored post*
(in this case I received a disc of Taza Chocolate to sample)

Astro Boy: The Video Game Review & Giveaway

I've got another great video game to tell you about, this one is Astro Boy: The Video Game! If you and the kids have seen Astro Boy the movie, you will love Astro Boy: The Video Game too! It is available on the Wii, PS2, PSP, and Nintendo DS.

We've done reviews of a couple of cartoon character, action, type video games on the Wii recently. Astro Boy: The Video Game was the favorite in our house out of all of them.

Some of our notes on the game:

• Relatively easy to understand how to play the game
• Controls were easy to manage (you use nunchuck and remote on the Wii for it)
• Graphics are just like an animated cartoon
• Goal is to save the city by controlling Astro Boy and using his powers
• Rating of E 10+ for fantasy violence seems appropriate - there is a lot of fighting between Astro Boy and his enemies throughout the game. Not gory or anything like that.

Some key features from the publisher:

Become Astro Boy - Play as Astro Boy, the beloved character from the feature film and classic anime and interact with the much loved characters from the movie universe.

Experience Astro Boy's Iconic Weapons - Use Astro's entire arsenal of iconic weapons and abilities- Strength, Flight, Finger Lasers, Arm Cannon, Butt Machine Guns and Drill Attacks.

Unique 2 1/2-D Graphics and Gameplay - Experience classic platform action and exhilarating flight combat that pit players against waves of enemies.

Battle Fears om Foes - Battle hordes of robot enemies and colossal bosses including some never-before-seen enemies across Metro City and the mysterious Surface.

Two Player Co-Op Mode - Live the story side-by-side with a friend in a 2 player co-op mode for Wii and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.

Numerous Collectible Items - The game offers numerous unlockable and collectible elements that include exclusive artwork, different versions of Astro to unlock and more.

Again, this was a favorite in our house and we all think it would be a great game to give as a gift this holiday season to any Astro Boy fan!You can learn more about Astro Boy: The Video Game on AstroBoytheVideogame.com and you can become a fan of Astro Boy: The Video Game on Facebook.
The Giveaway: One lucky winner will receive Astro Boy: The Video Game for the Nintendo Wii.

Required Entry: Leave a comment telling me who the Astro Boy fan is that would love this game! Be sure to have your email address visible in your profile OR include it in your comment to be eligible to win!

Extra Entries: The following are all extra things you can do for more entries. Leave an additional comment for each thing you do to earn extra entries.

• Subscribe via email to my feed and let me know in your comment for an extra entry.
  
  
• Follow me on Twitter @RobynsWorld and send a tweet about the giveaway. You can do this once per day. Leave a direct link to your tweet (instructions here) in your comment for an extra entry for each tweet. Here is a tweet you can use (or make your own):
  
  Win Astro Boy: The Video Game for the Wii from @RobynsWorld http://snurl.com/astroboy Please RT
  
  
• Blog about this giveaway on your own blog (please don’t copy my entire post onto your blog though). Leave the direct link to your post in your comment for an extra entry.
  
  
• Fan Astro Boy: The Video Game on Facebook and leave a comment, including your name on Facebook (to confirm) telling me that you've done so
  

Rules: Only one of each entry method listed per person/family/household. No entering on behalf of others, using extra identities or others identities, no automated program entries, etc. If I catch you cheating you will be banned from this and all of my future giveaways! This giveaway is only open to those in the USA, ages 18+ only. All entries must be received by 11:59 pm Central Time on Thursday, November 26, 2009. I will pick the winner and email them and they have 48 hours to claim the prize. If no response, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

*This is a compensated/sponsored post*

(in this case I received a copy of the game to review and 1 to give away)

Passing Along Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, and just like other holidays there are a lot of traditions that go with it. Target and TwitterMoms want to know what 3 Thanksgiving traditions you are passing along to your own kids. You can join in for your chance to win 1 of 15 $50 Target gift cards even, get all the contest details on TwitterMoms.

The 3 Thanksgiving traditions I am passing on to Taylor:

Family & Friends are the most important part of any holiday. It doesn't matter about anything else really - it is that time spent with loved ones that is what we should all be most thankful for on this special day!

There is always room & food for more. While we have certain people we always invite, if we stumble across someone else and learn they have no plans we extend an invitation to them as well. We can always squeeze in another person and there is always enough food.

Sweet potatoes with marshmallows. This is Taylor's favorite Thanksgiving food and it is a requirement for him. I find it interesting that his very first baby food he ate was also sweet potatoes.

Veterans Day - THANK YOU!

Thank you to all of you who have served in the military for the United States. My dad, grandpa, grandma, uncle, and many others have served in the military and I truly appreciate their service. My thoughts also go out to all of the active military both in war areas and across the world who have dedicated themselves to our country. I appreciate that you all have helped make the USA a place where I can be free in so many ways!

I Didn't Win

Just an update - I didn't win the ConAgra Delicious Moments contest on Facebook. I do want to thank all of you again who took the time to vote for me though, I really appreciate it so much!

Congrats to Beeb Ashcroft who was the winner. Enjoy! Thanks also to ConAgra for the fun contest and chance to win. I did get a nice coupon book and $10 gift card from them for playing too!