Tag: family gifts

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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.
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Gifts for Everyone: Solay Wellness Himalayan Salt Lamp

Have you recently gone shopping and maybe seen that quaint shop in the mall with the salt lamps. Salt Lamps. Yes I said salt lamps. Well at the shopping district close to my home a boutique shop of Himalayan Salt lamps is sold and I had yet to see what they were, what they are about, and just window shop the lamps. I began to Google these lamps. Why are they so special? What is the deal really?

Himalayan Salt lamps are positive, negatively charged ionic air cleansers. You know that wonderful feeling and smell after the rain? The rain generates those healthy negative ions that promote a sense of well-being. If you are a skeptic, read more here about How Salt Lamps work.

Our family was grateful enough to receive a salt lamp to review from Solay Wellness and I was stunned by the “cool” factor of these salt crystals, the sheer weight, and the feeling these lamps resonate in your home. The assembly is easy peasy with the salt rock and the opening at the bottom for the easy to remove electrical and bulb attachment, just plug in the bulb, the plug, turn on and enjoy.

The light is a warm orange-red color and is fabulous. We have the lamp in our room and the color is so soothing, albeit hypnotic in a sense, and I always have trouble sleeping. Not only because I have children, but I am a busy working woman so my mind and body have a hard time shutting down.

Seriously I have slept like a rock with this lamp, pardon the pun. Seriously. I was thinking it was all in my head until I turned the lamp off and when I did…I tossed and turned again. I am a firm believer in the metaphysical and alternative therapies and of course you know I am a proponent for organic and healthier living so this lamp was right up our health nut alley.

The lamps retail anywhere from $29.95 on up depending on the weight of the lamp, yes the salt rocks are based on their weight, and depending upon which salt you prefer. Himalayan, Persian, polished, shaped, lots of options when you want a great salt lamp. But Solay Wellness offers more than just the salt lamps, they offer an entire product line of healthy living for your home, kitchen, and pets, salts for living, art, health, go check them out. They have such a wonderful offering of products for everyone in the family.

Happy Holidays and enjoy Solay Wellness.
Thank you Solay Wellness for the wonderful lamp and the
sample beauty products they are enjoyed to the fullest in our home.
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Gifts for Everyone: Knit Rite Inc Smart Knit Kids

Stocking stuffers are always fun for kids and what better stocking stuffer than socks! However, these socks by Smart Knit Kids are no ordinary socks these socks are completely seamless.

Seamless socks you ask? How? How can you have seamless socks. Everyone has those socks with the annoying seam in the toy that rubs. In fact I wear my socks inside out because the seams rub and bother my toes. If I do this can you imagine how my kids feel or react? How about children who have sensory issues? Multiply that factor by a hundred or a thousand where the socks binding and rubbing on kids feet and legs will cause an uncomfortable feeling for kids (and adults) or even pain if the sensory issues are severe enough, not to mention the bunching in shoes, I know I hate that, you have to constantly pull on your socks to make them fit. A little background about Knit Rite and Smart Knit Kids:

Knit Rite Inc. was founded in 1923 and markets, designs, and manufactures quality textiles for medical and consumer purposes. Knit Rite Inc is continually researching, developing new product lines to promote healthy benefits for a higher quality of life.

Now I am a skeptic about everything. I am a complete realist so when I heard “seamless socks” I was all over it and my other side was saying “Pound sand…no way.” Until I received the Smart Knit Kids socks and pulled them out of the boxes and felt the material. Fantastic. The socks felt super soft and were not the standard rough knit cotton socks you buy in the store. The fabric is tightly woven, but stretches and conforms, and the fabric is breatheable where some fabrics are not which cause sweating and of course the funk. Yes, funky feet!

Imagine my surprise when I read more on the socks and put them to the test with Grant to fins that the socks are made with moisture wicking material and are anti-microbial. Grant has some serious barking dogs after playing all day on the playground, in the Arizona “heat,” and adding all that sand to his shoes, he is the type of kid who sweats, A LOT! So imagine the funk coming from his feet at the end of the day. Needless to say these socks help to curb all of that. I am not saying he is totally stink free, but I will tell you that the stank is kept to a minimum and he really enjoys the way the socks feel. He also likes that they feel like he is not wearing socks because they are so soft. As you can see, lots of color offerings and sizes from crew to ankle cut socks.

But the Knit Rite product line is not limited to just kids, moms and dads can get in on the products as well! Knit Rite has an entire line of products for everyone, plus they have a new line of compression stockings just for pregnant women. Compression stockings you ask? If you have had circulation issues or lower extremity pain, then you are all too familiar with compression stockings. I know I had to wear compression stockings during my pregnancy with my twins and they were a life saver! So you should check out these cute compression stockings, they are not the ugly ones your grandma wore. The site is called RUPreggers.com and is a wealth of information about compression stockings and they have a great product offering that is very stylish.

Enjoy each of these products and be sure to share with family and friends
with kids who have sensory issues or just want a really great pair of socks or stockings.
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Travel in Style High Sierra Sport Company

*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE!  

high sierra, luggage, karie herringNow for the third and final installment of our High Sierra Sport Company Trifecta!

I saw in the previous entries how LOTS and I do mean A LOT of you wonderful folks still love duffel bags. Honestly I was quite surprised. I even found that the hubs loves duffels for the ease of use when hurrying through airports or even for overnight trips where he drives. Duffels are those great bags you toss and run with no matter your location.

Plus a duffel is a great carry-on that if you are traveling for pleasure and you do not need to keep your clothes pressed this is fabulous for those quick trips. Just toss all your clothes in and go!

I present to you the AT-GO 22″ Sport Travel Duffel. The AT509 has these fabulous specifications:

FEATURES:

  • Side-load end compartment holds wet items, shoes or accessories
  • Molded feet protect bottom from abrasion
  • Strap on back panel allows bag to slip over the extended handle of a wheeled bag.
  • Large main compartment with U-shaped zippered opening for easy access.
  • Special built-in, high-density foam structure helps maintain the bag’s shape while minimizing weight.
  • SRP $150 ARV $69.99
  • [Source: HSSC, 2009]

The features The Five Fish enjoy? The amount of packing space in this bag. Truly this duffel packs a punch with all the space, the extra compartments and ease of use. I like to know that I have this bag when in a hurry to pack the hubs for a quick trip or for a quick myself with the kids. Imagine running through the airport, quick and easy with a duffel over your shoulder for sure. Again, what else can you expect from a company that sponsors and supplies the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team!

Now you can run through airports with this duffel or better, maybe you will be packpacking through Europe with this wonderful piece, so here are your entry details:

MANDATORY ENTRY: What is that one thing you forget to pack that drives you bat crazy! (This is fun folks…be sure to leave your email address or make your blogger profile public)

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  • Fan High Sierra on Facebook….you get to enter weekly with them to enter to win luggage! Yes, weekly!
  • Follow my blog or tell me you do
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway….and this one is all yours have fun with it! Just be sure to mention @KariewithaK and @HighSierraSport
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook
  • Enter any of my other giveaways
  • Grab my holiday button and add to your blog/site
Now go on!
Enter!
Your last chance at the High Sierra Trifecta here on The Five Fish
Don’t forget to DOWNLOAD your
Copy of the catalog HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!
CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 27TH 
@ MIDNIGHT ARIZONA TIME (PST)
Best of luck!
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Interactive Learning JumpStart Learn N’ Play

Can you see my kids theme yet? I know….more learning. But hey, learning is fun! Here is where learning is really fun and total play time for kids. All within moderation of course. I talked with the folks at JumpStart thanks to my fabulous friend Carissa Rogers (have you met her too? No…go check out her GoodN’Crazy Blog!) and they provided me with access to their online site. If you don’t know JumpStart…YOU SHOULD! Here is a little bit of background:

jumpstart.com, Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, learning games

JumpStart is about 3D interactive, adventure, learning games that stimulate the mind through critical thinking skills, math and reading, this allows your child to “get a real jumpstart in life (JumpStart, 2009).” 


Since 1991, Knowledge Adventure® has set the standard in kids’ software by creating the finest educational products for use in the home and the classroom. Today, Knowledge Adventure’s JumpStart® and MathBlaster® products invite kids to learn through endless gaming adventures in 3D virtual worlds. By blending learning and entertainment, Knowledge Adventure’s adventure-based learning inspires kids’ minds through immersed play. A subsidiary of Knowledge Holdings, Inc., the company is privately-held and based in Torrance, California. For more information, go to www.knowledgeadventure.com and www.jumpstart.com. (Jumpstart.com, 2009)

Now we were already a big JumpStart family as we bought Grant JumpStart software for the PC last year to help boost his kindergarten and first grade learning skills. The games are fabulous as they are created to be very age appropriate and allow your child to grow by leaps and bounds.

The online games are just as interactive and literally HOURS of fun. Grant asks each day to play his JumpStart game which is so good to hear from a mom’s perspective as I would rather he play his JumpStart game than the Wii. Nothing against the Wii, but his current Wii games do not push his brain, they basically allow him to veg out. When he first logged in he was required to create his own “Jumpee” where the character looks like him. From there he moves into the play area and he can choose the different areas to explore. Right now

Right now he is in the underwater adventure in Adventureland and loving it! Adventureland is aimed at kindergarten to second grade. He told me the other day, “Mom, Dad, I really like playing JumpStart. I love playing it over Lego StarWars.”

*GASP
   My Son?
Loves to learn over Lego Star Wars?
Mark the calendar!

So each day that he has good days at school he is able to spend 30 minutes playing the JumpStart games online. We can already see the difference in his learning with the advanced reading, his critical thinking and he is overall excited about learning and keeping his mind engaged. Pretty soon he will be able to move up to Futureland which is designed for third to fifth graders. Have no fear, younger kids can get in on the fun too with Storyland for the preschool kiddos.

But the games are not limited to just online and the PC software that we have purchased in the past. JumpStart also offers two Wii games, Escape from Adventure Island and Pet Rescue for an even greater learning experience for children. Overall the games offered with JumpStart are focused on 3-10 year olds which, in my opinion, is the prime learning age to really spark imagination and push the learning envelope. JumpStart isn’t only for kids, parents can join in on the adventure fun as well, plus JumpStart offers a parents forum.

JumpStart offers the one year membership for $79.99 for unlimited playtime for the full year and here is the best deal you will hear all year JumpStart offers a LIFETIME membership of $149.99. Did you see that…A LIFETIME which is a steal of a deal considering the annual membership is $79.99.

But you my wonderful readers and learners extraordinaire have the opportunity to win a 3-month subscription to test drive and love the LearnN’Play as much as we have. Here are the details to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY: Tell me how your kids would jump into adventure with learning.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  • Follow my blog and tell me you do
  • Follow me on Twitter, tell me you do, tweet this giveaway with @KariewithaK (daily tweet entry, ONLY after the mandatory entry has been met)
  • Follow JumpStart on Twitter
  • Fan JumpStart on Facebook
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook
  • Follow my blog on Networked blogs (to the right)
  • Enter one of my other giveaways (for each giveaway entry come back and leave me a comment, 3 giveaways, 3 comments)
 CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 30TH 
@ MIDNIGHT ARIZONA TIME.
Best of luck!
*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. 
Don’t forget to DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog
 HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!
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Gifts for Everyone: Child to Cherish

The holiday season is not always about gifts but the meaning of the season, the thought really does count, and of course the keepsakes to look back at wonderful memories and times.

*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency.



Child to Cherish will accomplish all of these by presenting an affordable gift that gives new meaning to the season, are semi-handmade, and of course are meaningful keepsakes that will last a lifetime!

Last year for Christmas the kids and I made a stepping stone for DH. He was beside himself. The kids had fun with it and now their tiny hands are imprinted for a lifetime in concrete. So we love that Child to Cherish offers the non-toxic plaster molds for hand-prints that also double as ornaments. We chose to review the Handprint Ornament Holly Box Red for both my little gnomes, provided on behalf of Child to Cherish PR department.

child to cherishWe enjoyed these because we will never see their hands this small ever again and the plaster is like a snapshot in time that can never be retrieved. DH and I can look back and relive many special memories, we can even gift these to family for them to enjoy of our precious little sweets.

The wonderful gift boxes will store your precious keepsakes for a lifetime and are great for gifting. Prices are $8.99 each which makes these a great and affordable gift. A stocking stuffer, sentiment for grandma or grandpa or even for mom or dad!

Here is some great info about Child to Cherish and the extent of their product offerings:

Designer Patrice Lowe’s Child to Cherish collection provides the finest offering of unique, yet functional children’s keepsakes and gifts.  Each item in the collection is developed to capture those precious moments in time to preserve the innocence of a child.  Visit www.childtocherish.com to see the complete collection including the company’s holiday gift collection.

The next generation of the company’s popular keepsake suitcase offerings, the new “Little Baker” collection is offered in a Grandma (with grandma mouse and bear designs and Child to Cherish signature wording “Ready or Not Grandma…Here I Come!) or Little Baker series.  The 11.25 x 8 x 3.5-inch tin suitcases feature whimsical animal designs with bears, mice and bunnies.  Inside the suitcase is everything any little baker needs-apron, wooden rolling pin and spoon, cookie cutters and 5 scrumptious cookie recipes (Sugar, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Gingerbread and Snickerdoodle cookies).  This new collection is certain to delight children age 2 to 8 and makes a wonderful keepsake box or even lunch box for the kindergarten year.

Available in either Little Baker Series with three designs (boy, girl, Christmas) or Grandma Little Baker Series with three designs (boy, girl, Christmas)

Recommended Retail: $40
Available at retail: November 2009 [Source: Abbot Communications & Child to Cherish 2009]

Hey I won’t leave you without sharing in on the wonders of the season! If you shop at Child to Cherish be sure to use your clout provided by The Five Fish. Use the code ffish10 to receive a 10% discount (savings) off your purchase with Child to Cherish. PLUS! Sign up with Bill Me Later for even more perks with purchase!

DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!
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Organize Your Christmas Gifts from Rubbermaid

People treat Christmas like this is the only time of year to get someone something completely mind blowing. I mean, is December the only time to get the ones you love totally mind blowing gifts and the rest of the year is a buzz kill? Not in my house. No one likes my lists….I am practical, realistic, affordable, year round too! I like gifts that I can use everyday, that are appreciative, functional.

This year I thought to myself….Karie…what do you need or want? Well I wanted a vacation…but what I really need is organization! I scoured my kitchen, my house, my garage. Disarray! With three kids, twins no less, a dog, and a husband that works full time, blessed be that my house is traffic worthy and that it truly is as perfect as it is all the time. However, I have hidden secrets. Such as my Tupperware. Yes, my dark secret is my Tupperware cabinet fails me. FAIL I tell you.

I sought for the perfect Tupperware answer and Rubbermaid answered my call, the folks at Rubbermaid were so gracious to send me some to review for the gift guide.

Rubbermaid you ask? Like those Roughneck Totes? Yes. Imagine, roughneck totes for your kitchen. Functional storage with the quality of Rubbermaid brand and functionality. But here is the best part in my opinion. Rubbermaid offers 17 different kitchen products (well…more, but specifically these are for the kitchen). What is even better is their new food storage line of products has these great lids.

Lids? You ask. Yes, lids. Do you not hate when your lids are everywhere. A cluster mess of hide and seek for the right lid. Well Rubbermaid has these fabulous and I truly mean fabulous, ingenious snap and click lids.

So I reviewed the 20-piece food storage mixed set and I tell you what….I was ecstatic. I emailed Rubbermaid the day I got them and was bubbling over with the ease of use with the lids. How everything nested together. And…then put away so nicely. I washed them immediately and I absolutely had to try them because that day happened to be farm day for my CSA pick-up and I had produce that needed to be stored properly. I got to chopping and put the Rubbermaid food storage containers to the test, especially the produce savers. Here is what fresh, organic farm tomatoes look like in the Rubbermaid Produce Savers food storage.

Look at those tomato juices nesting at the bottom. This is what you tomatoes will normally sit in and that may make them more mushy once they have been chopped and diced, leaving them undesirable and you end up tossing them, thus wasting money. Well I hate to throw away money. So the produce savers are fabulous for those produce items that happen to be juicy or may turn juicy over time. You see the little green tray at the bottom? Well that keeps your produce fresh and out of the juice with the slots and raised platform, not to mention the venting holes at the top to help release the gasses the build up as produce is stored. But here is what Rubbermaid suggests for your produce storage, which is that you “do not cut the produce before storing” [Rubbermaid, 2009], read more here.

But the produce savers are not the only products The Five Fish tested and the Lock-Its with the secure tab, the Premier, and the Easy Find lids. All with the click lids for easy storage and access.

Rubbermaid is not just store for your stuff and food, but they also have Closet and Laundry storage and organization, Garage organization, any space you can think of and the products to make life more functional and easy! Who can tell me they would turn down functional?

Do you have a chef at home, wife, mother, sister, brother, maybe a college student who could use these. All around Rubbermaid is a great gift idea for anyone who could use storage. You want some you say? Well here is your chance to win a 20pc Food Storage Mixed Set with The Five Fish:

MANDATORY ENTRY: Tell me your pet peeve with Tupperware or storage in general. (Be sure to leave your email address or make your blogger profile public so your email address is available.)

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  • Fan Rubbermaid on Facebook
  • Follow my blog, tell me you do
  • Follow me on Twitter and tweet this giveaway (once daily is allowed!)
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook
  • Grab my holiday button
  • Grab my regular button
  • Blog about this giveaway, with a link to me and Rubbermaid.
  • Enter one of my other giveaways
 Don’t forget to DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE
and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!
CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER  24TH @ 
MIDNIGHT ARIZONA TIME (PST)
Best of luck!
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Get Rolling Nanda Clocky

nandahome.com, thefivefish.com, Clocky

Are you the type of person who sets your alarm clock an hour fast so you can snooze? How about setting the clock on the other side of the room so you HAVE to get up to turn it off? Are mornings a real drag….to say the least? Your solution?

CLOCKY! From Nanda Home.

This little bad boy only allows for one snooze. ONE. ES TODO, no more, that’s it! If it snoozes more than once this little bad boy will jump up to three feet in the air and take off rolling. Which means you, sleepy head, must get up and chase after it and turn it off!

Sounds wonderful right? (INSERT SARCASM)

Only takes 7 days to create a habit, perfect for the person who over sleeps and desperately needs an alarm clock to get their blood pumping first thing in the morning. Great for teens, tweens, husbands who cannot get up or hey Mama, maybe you are not a morning person and need a good wake-up call. Clocky is your solution.

Plus this clock comes in some fabulous colors from chrome to raspberry. Bright, bold, beautiful colors to match your every decor. The price is even easy on the pocketbook with a $45 price tag for the Chrome Clocky and $39 for all the other colors of Clocky. What is even better? You can get your exclusive The Five Fish savings for Clocky if you enter the code ‘fivefish’ at checkout. Have a Happy Holiday!

nandahome.com, thefivefish.com, Clocky
Don’t forget to DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!
 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency.
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Create a Healthier Soda Stream USA

thefivefish.com, Karie Herring, soda SteamDo you have a family or family members that have everything and you are stumped. Truly you are at the gift giving conundrum pass of what to give as the perfect gift for someone or for everyone who has everything?

I could bet you they do not have their very own fountain soda system. Seriously.

Who does not just love that fresh mixed taste of a cool refreshing soft drink? Like the one from soda fountains from years of old. The bubbly beverage calling your thirst, quenching your every desire. Yes I am still talking about Soda, Pop, Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, 7-Up, whatever you may call it.

Karie Herring, Thefivefish.com, Soda Stream USA

My family is not big soda drinkers anymore, but we love to have a soda every now and again. But the cost effectiveness of buying a whole package makes better economic sense as opposed to the cost of just the single soda  (Yeah do the math). However, the environmental issues also weigh in with all the packaging and waste. Imagine no more useless bottles, cans, and or cases. Imagine fresh, straight from the fountain style soda right in your home. Or better yet, sparkling water. Ever heard of Perrier?

Soda Stream USA would be the best fit for the family who enjoys soft drinks on all levels. From sparkling water, to Red-Bull type drinks, cola and diet cola, and who could forget the family favorite of root beer (and root beer floats!).

Want to know how it works, just watch.
Soda Stream USA from Karie Herring on Vimeo.

Easy peasy right?! So you are wondering what other flavors are there? How hard is it really to make? No electricity? Bottles? Where is the catch?

Nutritional info straight from the website:

As you can see….the Soda Stream sodas have LESS sugar, sodium, caffeine, and calories than commercial sodas, well at least the two flavors listed that are comparable. Speaking of flavors.

FLAVORS:

Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, Soda Stream USA review

  • Cola
  • Cranberry Raspberry
  • Cream Soda
  • Fountain Mist
  • Ginger Ale
  • Lemon Lime
  • Orange
  • Pete’s Choice
  • Root Beer
  • Tonic

FLAVORS to come:

  • Cherry Cola
  • Peach Iced Tea
  • Lemon Iced Tea
  • Lemonade
  • Orange Mango
  • Grape
  • Zero Cola
  • Diet Peach Iced Tea
  • Diet Lemon Iced Tea
  • Diet Lemonade
  • Diet Energy Drink

As you can see by the video….not hard at all to make. Follow the easy peasy instructions and you have yourself some super fountain drinks. Oh the issue of electricity, yeah, none needed since the whole operation is based on the CO2 (carbon dioxide) canister where the CO2 is shot right into the soda bottle. Oh right, and the package comes with a One Litre bottle that is BPA free. The whole system is completely environmentally friendly. The CO2 you ask? Well you buy those from Soda Stream, send them back your old ones to recycle when you order your new ones. Much like printer cartridges.

Are you ready to add one to your kitchen appliances? You are? Or maybe for a loved one who LURVES a nice cool, bubbly fountain drink but hates to keep running to the store for more?

Here is what you are entering to win: Fountain Jet Soda Lover’s Start-Up Kit (approx. $100 retail value.) It includes the winner’s choice of black/silver, white or red/silver Fountain Jet, CO2 to make over 100 liters of soda, 2 reusable carbonating bottles, a sample pack of flavors, and 3 full-sized flavors of the winner’s choice

MANDATORY ENTRY: Check out Soda Stream and tell me the system you would want and your top three flavors, new coming or otherwise. (Be sure to leave your email or make your blogger profile public, no email, no entry, sorry.)

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  • Follow my blog or tell me you do
  • Follow me on Twitter or tell me you do
  • Follow SodaClub and tell me you do
  • Daily Tweet option “Better than soda in a can giveaway from @SodaClub @KariewithaK http://tiny.cc/cE2g0 “
  • Blog about this giveaway in 25-100 words (not that hard…..for 5 extra entries)
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook
  • Enter one of the other giveaways for an extra entry
Don’t forget to DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!
CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 23RD @ MIDNIGHT
Best of luck!
 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency.
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Cooking with Imagination Step2 Lifestyle Kitchen

Step2.com, thefivefish.com, Karie Herring

The Herring Hunting, Five Fish Holiday gift guide is now officially in FULL SWING and I wanted to get this puppy started off right. My kids and I had the awesome opportunity provided to us by Step2 to receive and review the Lifestyle Deluxe Kitchen. I have to tell you that the kids LOVE IT! The first day the kitchen was assembled they rallied around it, with all the great features, accessories, the fostering of some really great pretend play!

Grant told me immediately that we had to go to Costco to stock up on supplies, that his fridge was looking a little barren. We needed bread, Cheerios, some more fruit and vegetables, maybe some milk. DH and I were laughing hysterically and taking note to plan a trip to Costco for he and the twins. The gnomes love all the sounds, the buttons and controls, plus the utensils have been loads of fun for them.

Here is what the Step2 Lifestyle Deluxe Kitchen has to offer as far as amenities and features:

thefivefish.com, Karie Herring, Step2 kitchen, giveaway

  • Appliances make realistic electronic sounds
  •  Granite-look counter top
  • 38-piece accessory set included (accessories may vary)
  • Loads of storage space
  • Framed window with overhead light
  • Sink with modern faucet and pull-out sprayer
  • Adult assembly required
  • Made in USA of US and imported parts (phone, play food, light, faucet, electronic keypads and burner made in China)
  • Requires 8 – AA and 5 – AAA batteries (not included)

[Source: Step2 IPK]

Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, Step2 Kitchen giveaway

The Mrs. Fish take: the appliances are cute for a small scale, so yes, realistic for the gnome size scale. The counter top I took to be more Corian than granite looking, the accessories are very cool, and adding more is even MORE fun for the kids.  Truly TONS of storage which is nice for the kids to experiment and play. The light is cool, the kids love to turn that on as the room gets darker. Adult assembly FOR SURE is required, the whole system to put together is snap and lock with a few screws here and there, however, I would suggest a strapping individual to help with the initial put together and a drill for the screws. Also be sure you have all the screws, we were short a few but scrounged some together in the garage. The put together is time consuming so be sure to set aside at least an hour or more if working alone.

All-in-all a GREAT toy! The only issue we had was with the screws, no biggie, the stickers and accessories were loads of fun to put away before the kids played with it and to see what all was included. I feel comfortable with my kids playing with this toy from Step2 because 1. it is made in the USA and 2. no choking parts for my little guys and 3. my oldest is six and he loves to play with it too! He was whipping up hamburgers and fresh baked buns the other day! Loads of fun!

Are you ready to have loads of fun with the Step2 Lifestyle Deluxe Kitchen? Good because you have your very own chance to win one! Valued at $219.99 and just in time for Christmas, definitely a “Santa” worthy gift for hours of unadulterated pretend play. Here are the rules:

Mandatory Entry:
Visit Step2 and tell me what other products from their kitchen line you would love to have in addition to the one listed in this review and how that would help foster your child’s imagination and learning.

EXTRA Entries:

  • Follow my blog (at the side)
  • Follow my blog on Networked Blogs (again…at the side)
  • Fan the Fish on Facebook (again….at the side)
  • Technorati fave the Fish (….since we have the new URL)
  • Oh want to increase your odds….Kristin and Lizzy have giveaways going on too! Enter with them and get an extra entry!
  • Follow Me On Twitter
  • Tweet this Giveaway by saying this: “@KariewithaK and @theStep2Company fostering imagination #giveaway http://tiny.cc/biyxB” (only one tweet per day please)
  • Blog this giveaway with a minimum of 50-100 words, using my button (to the right) and linking back to this post. (Worth 4 Entries!)

Now play fair, if you FAIL to enter your EMAIL or I cannot find one attached to your blogger account…no entry. Also, you must tell me in each comment with proof (tweeted, etc) of your entry. I really hate to disqualify entrants, so again, please follow the simple rules. My dear friend Tammi @ My Organized Chaos brought up that this giveaway is US only, I say this because she is Canadian. *Sigh, I’m so sorry….

DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE to see what other great products will be featured with awesome money savings for the holidays and of course giveaways!
CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 30TH @ MIDNIGHT ARIZONA TIME (Pacific Standard)

Thank you Step2 for providing a great toy for giveaway!

 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency.
  • Appliances make realistic electronic sounds
  • Granite-look countertop
  • 38-piece accessory set included (accessories may vary)
  • Loads of storage space
  • Framed window with overhead light
  • Sink with modern faucet and pull-out sprayer
  • Adult assembly required
  • Made in USA of US and imported parts (phone, play food, light, faucet, electronic keypads and burner made in China)
  • Requires 8 – AA and 5 – AAA batteries (not included)
  • Appliances make realistic electronic sounds
  • Granite-look countertop
  • 38-piece accessory set included (accessories may vary)
  • Loads of storage space
  • Framed window with overhead light
  • Sink with modern faucet and pull-out sprayer
  • Adult assembly required
  • Made in USA of US and imported parts (phone, play food, light, faucet, electronic keypads and burner made in China)
  • Requires 8 – AA and 5 – AAA batteries (not included)
  • Appliances make realistic electronic sounds
  • Granite-look countertop
  • 38-piece accessory set included (accessories may vary)
  • Loads of storage space
  • Framed window with overhead light
  • Sink with modern faucet and pull-out sprayer
  • Adult assembly required
  • Made in USA of US and imported parts (phone, play food, light, faucet, electronic keypads and burner made in China)
  • Requires 8 – AA and 5 – AAA batteries (not included)