Gifts for Kids: Belles Bowtique

bellesbotique.com, tutus, bowsBlessed be are little girls. Any mother who says “I am happy with all boys” have not experienced the joy, rapture, love, and excitement that is all girl. I used to be an all boy fan, only because hey….no temper tantrums, fits, boyfriends, bows, dress-up, make-up. Do you know how boring life would be without all the aforementioned?

My Little Bitty is just awesome, not only because she is my daughter but she is a truly magical creature and very much a girlie girl. She loves everything pink (I promise! She wears my pink peep toe Dior pumps), bows, hats, and of course, her new tutu.

What is a little girl’s wardrobe without a tutu?!

 

karie herring, thefivefish.com

For Christmas why not give your little girl, daughter, grand-daughter or niece the gift of her very own tutu. I was so pleased when we were granted the special opportunity to receive our very own handmade tutu from Belles Bowtique. A stunning, hand crafted “hot pink” (fuschia) and pale pink tutu for my little girl to prance around, spin, dance, and to feel just like a princess. Sara even received a baby soft crocheted beanie with a “Daddy’s Little Girl” bow.

She loves her hat….if only she could wear it long enough for me to take a picture. I was lucky enough to catch her with the tutu and take a golden photo of her posing. Every princess needs a tutu and what fun she and I had playing around with her tutu. Her beanie comes in handy too because the weather has been chilly lately in Arizona and with what little baby fine hair she has the hat keeps her sweet little head warm.

But Belle’s Bowtique has goodies like tutus, beanies, girl’s clothing, personalized tooth fairy pillows, jewelry for girls and moms! So for a one stop shop for your little princess (and even the queen) spend some love at Belle’s Bowtique.

Introducing Bare Skin

How many of you are familiar with Leslie Blodgett? Okay better yet how many are familiar with the now house hold name, mineral make-up of Bare Escentuals? That is more like it as I see your virtual head nods.

Well since Leslie has become synonymous as a household name in beauty she is at her finest again with the creation of a limited edition fragrance available only at Sephora. The Leslie Blodgett Perfume diaries was inspired by Leslie’s own pivotal life experiences that she has chronicled in a journal since she was a young girl.

Her first fragrance in the line is Bare Skin, which was released in October. I received a sample of the fragrance to review and I tell you the scent is intoxicating. I am a HUGE fanatic about perfume and have very distinct tastes; Ralph Lauren – Lauren, Glamorous, Carolina Herrerra, Michael Kors – Black, Chanel No. 5, I like gentle scents that emit feeling, that fit my personality, that create a mood and Bare Skin is a personality fragrance that suits my relaxing spirit, is feminine without too much musk or sandalwood.

The scent has hits of tropical notes that are complimented by the sandalwood (if I am smelling correctly), a hint of vanilla, a fragrance that takes me to a place where I feel warm, sensuous, and very feminine.

Leslie confirms my personal opinion by stating that “When I have an experience, I like to have a scent behind it. Bare Skin, which is what Mexico reminds me of, is the way you feel when the sun is beating down on you during the day, but then you go out at night and you’re still sizzling from the warmth of the day which mingles with the night air and the music.”  (Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries, 2009)

The perfumer who worked with Leslie and concocted Bare Skin says “Glowing, sun-kissed skin has the power to turn heads. I wanted to recreate that attractive force with notes that draw you in: creamy sensuality, caressing florals and uninhibited musk” (Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries, 2009).

Now where can you get a hold of Bare Skin? Exclusively at Sephora and Sephora.com, Bare Skin is available in a variety of fragrance offerings with the Eau de parfum (perfume), perfume compact, and body cream.
The parfum retails for $30-$55 per bottle, the perfume compact retails for $35 and the body cream retails for $30. You can buy the entire collection for $100 and bask in the warm scent of Bare Skin.

Are you a huge fan of Leslie’s too? Be sure to Fan her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and keep an eye out for more of Leslie’s beautiful creations.

Spice Up Date Night Eden Fantasy’s Flower Balm

Who says Christmas is just for kids and kids “toys?” Eden Fantasy’s is a great way to share with the one you love by warming up those cold winter nights, afternoons, and everything in between.

Eden Fantasy’s is chock full of wonderful gifts such as vibrators, sex toys, love games, adult toys and even lingerie to get in the “ho, ho, ho” mood of the season. But the giving doesn’t have to end there. Enhance these gifts with wonderful stocking stuffers such as the Flower Balm.

I enjoyed the Flower Balm from Eden Fantasy’s for review because it is mostly vegan, is silky smooth to apply all over as a massage balm and smells heavenly. For the ultimate in pleasure and sensation be sure, or have your partner be sure, to apply to your “flower” for a truly decadent gift of pleasure.

A truly unique and arousing experience upon using the flower balm and this stocking stuffer idea is sure to have you wishing you were a naughty girl all year. The Flower Balm generates a warm, tingling sensation that heightens your arousal and stimulates your “flower” area by increasing blood flow.
The scent is very subtle, refreshing, relaxing and can be enjoyed as just a light body balm with the smell of mandarin and mint.

A perfect stocking stuffer where the packaging is no larger than the size of a jewelry gift box and is tastefully decorated so as not to offend the “virgin” eyes. Stockings may not all you will be stuffing with love this year so be sure to add Eden Fantasy’s to your list of loving gifts for her and for him to share with her.

Want to enjoy Eden Fantasy’s for yourself with your loved one? Here is how you can enter to win a $25 Eden Fantasy’s Gift Card to shop for your love and desire this holiday season:


Mandatory Entry:
Visit Eden Fantasy’s and come tell me what gift you would like to see erect under your tree. (Please leave me your email address too so I may contact you for your winnings. If you have a blogger account, please make your profile public for access to your email address.)

Extra Entries:

  • Follow @EdenFantasys on Twitter for new product updates, great articles, featurettes.
  • Follow my blog
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook
  • Blog this giveaway with a link to The Five Fish
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway (daily RT’s allowed) Baby its cold outside but I’m keeping hot with this giveaway from @EdenFantasys and @KariewithaK http://tiny.cc/7ciUB
CONTEST ENDS DECEMBER 13TH
@ 11:59PM ARIZONA TIME
Best of luck!

Cookup Rice Easily Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker

If anyone is the chef of the kingdom in your home this appliance is a winner. I am not a huge fan of “rice” unless of course as a small side with Sashimi. Yes…mmmm….the savory, slippery, luscious taste of sashimi, true raw fish. Not a California Roll, TRUE sushi. I think I was Japanese in another life. Moving on, the Cuisinart however is more than your standard rice cooker. As the name clearly suggests the Cuisinart is a “multi-cooker” which means you can make much more than rice in this fabulous appliance.

While I too am not a fan of crock-pot or slow cooker meals I do have my lazy moments that would make Martha Stewart shudder, for that, I am so sorry Martha. But I do not like to dirty a million pans, my pans are vey nice and I would much rather use them as art than to cook in. So the Cuisinart helps me to cut down on dishes by offering a cook function similar to that of a stove top fry pan.

I was making chili the other night and knew I had to use the Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology. I read a chili recipe in the recipe book that was included with the multi-cooker and the recipe was very similar to mine. A few variations but much similar to mine. So I followed the cooking instructions for the multi-cooker as to not damage the appliance nor ruin my creation.

The function that allows for cooking similar to the cooktop is Quick Cook option and I was able to brown my turkey meat and then I removed the meat and was able to saute my onions with my spices for a truly decadent taste. From there the cooker automatically shuts off based on the Quick Cook option, and I set the option for the slow cook meal of a few hours (you can adjust the time based on volume, etc) and I added my meat and wet ingredients to the cooker, shut the lid and VOILA. The cooker actually did cook my food perfectly, not too hot, not burned and not that burning ring you often see on your ceramic slow cooker, suggesting that maybe the meal got a bit too hot.

In addition to meals like chili, you can make oatmeal, risotto, different variations of rice such as sushi rice, brown rice, you can steam vegetables for wraps, dinners, and even reheat meals that were not prepared in a slow cooker. I even used my Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker to make a fabulous Rigatoni pasta dish. (The Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology also has a 3-year limited warranty.)

In all honesty I was completely skeptical. I wondered about the accuracy of the cook, the ability to handle the amount of food I so desired to cook, the cleaning, the ease of use, the electronics, and the name is “rice cooker” I was skeptical that all this appliance could do WAS. COOK. RICE. I was very pleased to find that is does not just do rice alone. So if you are shopping for someone who wants a rice cooker or a crock pot type gift, this appliance is a good all around gift to cover all of those bases.

Gaga for Mama Babywear

Gifts can be so universal and interchangeable, who says “rules” have to be set for gifts, the way they are given and the way they are received. I personally enjoy gifts that can be given to multiple people which is why I want to share with you Gaga for Mama Babywear for babes and their mothers.

“Thank you, Mom.”

Have you ever wished that your baby could tell you just how much he or she appreciates everything that you do? Your wish has just come true with Gaga for Mama babywear!

“Thank you” is such a simple, yet powerful phrase. And, I bet you would agree with me when I say that as mothers we sure don’t hear it as often as we would like. Well, now you can! Gaga for Mama baby-wear features high quality bodysuits, printed with inspiring sayings, that will make you feel appreciated and loved every day. They also offer coordinating pants, bibs, and sun hats to make a complete outfit for your baby.

The Gaga for Mama baby-wear line is sold at http://www.DoubleUpBooks.com. Double Up Books is the only bookstore that specializes in books for and about twins, triplets, and multiples for parents and children. Double Up Books will be giving away 2 Gaga for Mama bodysuits to 1 lucky winner. [DoubleUpBooks.com, 2009] *The Five Fish did not receive any products in conjunction with this giveaway.

MANDATORY ENTRY:
Visit the babywear store within Double Up Books by going to http://bit.ly/3aXL7 and tell me which 2 bodysuits you would like if you were the winner (please include size and color info).

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  • Follow Double Up Books on Twitter and tell me you do
  • Sign up for the mailing list for awesome money saving deals, new arrivals and MORE!
  • Follow my blog, or tell me you do
  • Follow me on Twitter, or tell me you already do
  • Tweet this giveaway (daily RT’s available)-  I’m going Gaga for Mama with @DoubleUpBooks & @KariewithaK http://tiny.cc/RFnJz
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook, (widget to the right)
CONTEST ENDS  DECEMBER 10TH 
@ 11:59 ARIZONA TIME
Best of luck!
*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE!

Did We Need to Go There

My blog has never been one for controversy. I leave controversy to many face-to-face communications. Body language can be read and understood, as can eye movement, facial expressions, tone. Tone is often hard to communicate in writing. One must be a skilled author to have the finesse to emit tone in the conversation. So controversy as I said is left to the true verbal arena so as not to encounter miscommunications or to misunderstand.

So my tone is about to go to a beaten path NEVER taken before. EVER. I will probably lose blog followers and I am deeply sorry. I will not yield nor apologize for my personal life, my personal decisions, something that completely affects me, with the exception of my husband as he was a very intricate part of my life in this decision.

Once upon a Thanksgiving in 2009 a young woman who spent two days prepping, cleaning, cooking and baking, not to mention caring for her three children. Might I add, two of which are twins in case you are just tuning into the Fish Film @ 11, and I work a full-time job, a real. full time job. Not just the job of mom, you see that is my first job, my real job is my third job, my second job is wife, and my fourth job is business owner. So you see I truly have FOUR FULL time jobs….ah hell five if you add all the housework. So back to it, I was cleaning up after a much enjoyed pie hole stuffing event. Family was gathered on my couch, every seat taken,  reading Black Friday ads, friends were conversing, laughs shared abound. As the crowd began to simmer and disperse I thought I need to call my dear friend who so lovingly called to share in her thanks and love on this day. But in addition to the love to be shared was the hate that this ugly world can bring. Not hate by my friend, the hate of strangers, the hate of those who put up a loving facade to avoid confrontation, the hate spewed behind anonymity to win out in some delusional war of words.

Please be advised that the images you are about to see are repulsive, obscene, disgusting, and horrid. All directed AT ME. I debated on posting these images and by rehashing information I so prayed to disappear, but the glutton in me took pictures of the proof of hate generated by people.

For privacy reasons the images were removed and can only be viewed by invitation only.

As I said. I apologize for any and ALL of you to read this ugliness. I was so physically ill on Thursday I could barely sleep. I was shaking, I was borderline inconsolable. My husband, bless his heart, reassured me to ignore this. It would go away. It did not. The pain did not go away. These people have NOT. GONE. AWAY! The Twitter account STILL EXISTS!!! I thought the account had been deleted, however, I was wrong and hatred breeds and multiplies and yet another account can be created in anonymity so as to further the cause of hatred.

Now here is my beef. I have no problem with someone gossiping at or about me. Whatever, sticks and stones okay. But a FULL ON CHARACTER ASSASSINATION will make this Lionesses blood boil! My sweet little guppy fish exterior will molt into the full on lion bitch I am! What else….NO ONE. I do stress NO ONE has any of this information in the blogging community…oh wait. With the single exception of my sister.

YES. You know her. Brittany Greer. Brittany Hudson Greer over @ The Greer 5.

My flesh and blood. I had attempted to try to keep this between the family. A family feud that she clearly took too far in divulging my personal information to sheer strangers for their personal use to attack me. To belittle, to judge, to bring me shame, to destroy my character, to inflict pain, I can go on and on. Clearly a reprimandable offense correct? One might think considering that a third party went so far as to assassinate my good character, to attempt to destroy my friendships, my networkings, or maybe because the cretin who created this account thought it may be funny to bring pain to someone such as me. If you believe in this…..keep on being a subscriber to your community that is “generously” run and operated by Mom Dot. Because my information seems to have been so “generously” shared and detailed…although I will state that the details in these tweets are clearly misinformed, out of time line, and clearly NONE OF ANYONE’S FUCKING BUSINESS. I also encourage you to continue to be a member of a community that does love to breed controversy as my personal life so clearly became a hot topic in a forum for enjoyment. Or hell maybe just in an email but regardless, the two involved ARE members, very active members of that community. Which further suggests that the negative behavior of public humiliation, belittling and degradation is A FUCKING OKAY with these people. I would love to publicly humiliate…man…I would be such a big girl to do that.

To post pictures of random strangers and discuss their situations may they be unfortunate with other random strangers and call it “fun” or “comedic” hell albeit fucking hysterical right…just a joke.

FUCK YOU and you know who you are. Are those tweets a fucking joke to any of you? If so….I dare you to leave me your FULL NAME to leave up for public humiliation. I also dare…..no….I challenge the lowly individual who so PROUDLY created this account with the original intentions of bashing MY friend Kristin, whether you like her or not, who then decided to turn the object of their desire to me…I CHALLENGE you to come to my blog and apologize to me. Furthermore I CHALLENGE the cretin and or CRETINS who acted in such a distasteful, vulgar, unbecoming, and plebian manner to PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE to myself and Kristin on Twitter and on a blog post that shall stay posted for AN ENTIRE WEEK. To allow those who read it to show their disdain to you. To show you how much of an uncouthful coward you were and are for hiding behind anonymity, your keyboard, and indecency. I also challenge Miss “I am the Community and this is my blog” so shoot me an email…we’ll discuss the details like adults.

Gifts for Kids: Mattel Toys of the Season

Earlier this year Big G and I hosted a rocking party courtesy of House Party where we got a sneak peek into the hottest cartoon show on Cartoon Network this year! Created by Mattel and their HotWheels division a great cartoon and line of toys called Battle Force 5 was a big winner in my home and the toys were an even hotter commodity. Big G nearly lost his silly mind with the 1:24 scale toys of his favorite Battle Force 5 characters like Sark and Saber, do I know the drivers…I am a mom…a true girl. My boy could tell you. I just act like I know for him. I know one is green and one is red and he is enamored with Battle Force 5.

Mattel really topped themselves with these toys this year and the Battle Force 5 line of Hot Wheels cartoons and toys. Big G was able to play with the Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 Battle Pack  and the Battle Force 5 1:64 scale assortment from Mattel. The boy and his friend that he invited over to share in the battle, well they played for HOURS!

They boys can launch their cars at one another in a racing battle. Each picking a side and then they would swap from one being the bad guy and the other being the good guy. Needless to say this simple and great toy kept them well entertained. Plus Hot Wheels…BEAT THAT! What boy doesn’t love to play with Hot Wheels. The cars are a 1:64 scaling so not too big but too small for the smaller boys with the small parts that could be a choking hazard. But Grant really enjoys playing with the Battle Force 5 Battle Pack and

Now girls are not left out either in their top toys section. I have found Sara to be quite a connundrum for toy shopping as she is quite the toy boy like her mommy and quite the girly girl…like her mommy. I was able to satisfy both her personality sides by reviewing The Princess and The Frog Magic Kiss. She enjoys frogs and she enjoys stuffed animals and when I saw these with Mattel I knew I had to ask for these to review and she loves them. They kiss with magnetic lips and make a smooching sound which makes her squee in delight. Plus she and her twin can fight for hours over these two on who will get the princess. Plus the movie is a huge hit with the kids. A new Disney favorite like all of Disney’s other animated classics. I have to say though that The Princess and The Frog Magic Kiss is a great toy for toddlers without the small and loose parts which can result in a choking hazard or worse.

Thank you Mattel for continuing to bring quality, fun toys into children’s lives.

I was not compensated for this review, I received these products on behalf of Mattel and their subsidiaries and provided my honest opinion of these toys based on how my children interacted with each toy.

Your Newest Mormon

Yes, that hot vixen….
Should be Mormon!
And for those who are Mormon, I would convert to LDS to be proper.
Here are my reasons to be Mormon:
  • All my friends are LDS (at least a good portion)
  • LDS have THE BEST support and networking
  • They never cuss (this would be good redemption for my sailor mouth)
  • I have enough kids to work my way into the lower echelon
  • I drive a B M W (Big Mormon Wagon) aka The Minivan
  • I buy in bulk already
  • I believe Jesus was a carpenter (LOL!)
  • I do not celebrate Easter the way Catholics and some Christians celebrate…just the bunny (ha ha!!)
  • I live in Mesa, AZ aka the Little Provo of Arizona
  • I have lived in more Mormon towns than not (Mesa, Chandler, Show Low, Snowflake, St Johns WREAK of LDS  lol!!)
  • I have a standing order from a LDS friend for 50% tithing and 50% Sundays, that’s a killer deal!
  • I am within walking distance to a local church, seriously, like I can see the steeple from my kitchen window!
  • They won’t have to baptize me again when I am dead
  • I like this line of clothes and am holding a Shade Clothing giveaway (My friend Carissa told me I don’t get any more Mormon than that!)
  • Finally….I have the MOTHER of all reasons to convert to LDS
I HAVE THE MOTHER OF ALL PANTRIES!!!
YES!!
My walk in. Fully stocked. Loaded to the Hilt
PANTRY!
Those shelves are 24″ or more deep…with FOOD!
Now I should show you my Mormon garage with water, another fridge, and all my extra canned/dry goods!

Gifts for Her or Him: Cookware.com CSN Stores

cookware.com, csnstores.com, Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, ebelskiver

Christmas should be fun and practical. I for one am not a fan of bad gifts or gifts that can only be used for not so everyday activities or moments in life. I mean if you get me a knit sweater with the ugly Christmas trees I can only wear it during the holidays. Um, negative. Not a good gift.

A good gift should be used for greatness, for everyday maybe, or for a specialty that everyone loves. Well my family loves pancakes. And my husband used to live in California and visit Solvang when they lived on the base in Vandenberg. You have never heard of Solvang? COME ON PEOPLE. Solvang is the Dutch US, if you could ever visit any one place, Solvang is a MUST!

While visiting there he had the taste of Ebelskivers, phonetically ay-bell-skee-vurs. They are round pancakes that are about the size of a silver dollar and are to DIE FOR! Seriously these little puppies can be stuffed with all sorts of goodies like jelly, preserves, cheese, meats, whatever you want to put in them.

CSN Stores, cookware.com

Cookware.com, a CSN Store, allowed me to review their Nordicware International Specialties Danish ebelskiver pan and I was and AM in cookware heaven. The pan has a Teflon, non-stick coating, riveted handled, and retails for $27.99.  I too love ebelskivers and have been requesting an ebelskiver pan for YEARS. Yes, YEARS people and the wonderful staff at Cookware.com, a CSN Store fulfilled my unanswered family gift request for an ebelskiver pan. The day I got it…I planned Brinner. (Breakfast + Dinner = Brinner!)

The use of the pan is simple, like any other pan but the divots in the pan allow for the batter to be poured in about half-way up to allow for rising and you add your fillings before the ebelskiver cooks too much and you have to turn. The batter I used was your standard pancake batter with Bisquick or whatever brand you prefer. I made a sweet cream cheese filling using Neufschatel cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, a few drops of maple syrup and my kids gobbled the perfect, hand sized treats like they were going out of style. I also sprinkled a little powdered sugar on them to really pretty them up.

Needless to say I am happy with my ebelskiver pan and with Cookware.com and CSN. In fact, CSN has over 200+ stores online from Cookware.com to bed linens, to home improvement, baby, you name it, they have a store! In fact you can buy your new dining room furniture from the furniture superstore Dining Rooms Direct. How is that for one stop shopping! They ship anywhere in the US and Canada, have a great return policy and on selected items they have guaranteed delivery by December 24th just in time for your gift to be wrapped from “Santa.”

Check out CSN Stores and find that perfect gift and they have an offering of 100 gifts under $100!

Happy Holidays and big thanks to Cookware.com and CSN Stores.

Richard Scarry BusyTown Mysteries

I recently had the opportunity from One2OneNetwork to review the Richard Scarry series of BusyTown Mysteries on CBS Saturday Mornings (schedule and local air times in your area HERE). To be quite honest I had never heard of Richard Scarry, let alone BusyTown Mysteries but if CBS felt the series of childhood books worthy to air for children then I knew I had to take a gander.

Plus what can I say, Michelle @ One2One rocks and she wondered why I wasn’t in on the campaign…and I cannot let them down right? I mean they have the coolest reviews that in my opinion are family fun and friendly. (Love you guys!) Okay enough of my schmoozing.

I literally just received the disc and Big G and I popped the DVD in to watch the thirty minute program, comprised of two 11-minute stories per episode. I thought it was great! Very reminisce or Sesame Street, late 70s early 80s TV programming. You know the programming I am speaking of, the ones we all grew up on that were just great shows! Nothing mind numbing and at times painful like SpongeBob. While I like SpongeBob and Patrick one liners, definitely not a cartoon for children.

We watched BusyTown Mysteries all the way to the end and Grant wanted to watch again. And again. And again. Until I finally told him that the show is on Saturday’s so we set up the DVR to record just for him. Could you tell he liked the show? I know I did and he was head over heels. He even knew “GoldBug” one of the beloved Richard Scarry characters. I began to wonder how he was so familiar and fond of “GoldBug” and then while cleaning for the day shortly after they watched the movie I found this:

 
If you look quite closely you will see this is an ORIGINAL Richard Scarry book! The beloved characters of GoldBug, Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm in the books and the series are lead by these cute and lovable characters. The book, copyright of 1974, is my husband’s book from when he was a child. So imagine my surprise when The Chad saw the show and was like “OH HEY! GoldBug!” Just like Big G, my dear husband also shares a love and special place for Richard Scarry characters and stories in his life. In fact, Richard Scarry’s books have sold over 150 million copies and have been translated into 30 languages over the last 40 years (One2OneNetwork.com, 2009), so you can imagine how many different generations have grown up on these wonderful books.
The Scarry book that is losing her binding and a treasure in our home is Cars and Trucks and Things That Go and my boys LOVE this book, so I was enamored at the fact that the series would be a big winner in my house, especially if The Chad will watch with Big G, great bonding time for them.
If you kids are more interactive Busytown also entertains and educates fans at home with the fun, interactive website BusytownMysteries.com where kids can explore different neighborhoods in Busytown, interact with the Busytown characters and play 14 games and activities designed for preschoolers, including interactive games, a Fan Club and “My First Email,” which lets little ones email their progress to pre-approved friends and family addresses (One2OneNetwork.com, 2009)
Thank you One2OneNetwork and CBS programming for providing me with a copy of the series to view with my family, I am so glad they were already fans and now I am as well!
one2onenetwork.com