I admit it, I don't do much as far as my hair and make up go. I rarely wear full-blown make up any more and I'm a wash, dry, brush once, and go type of girl when it comes to my hair. When Camille Albane Paris salon reached out to me and asked me if I wanted a complimentary mommy makeover to help spread the word about their new Maple Grove, MN store, I jumped on the opportunity! Why not? Camille Albane Paris is a bold, dynamic, feminine salon brand known for its elite industry expertise, superior service, innovative products and top talent. It has nearly 300 salons in 11 countries. Last month it opened its second U.S. location in Maple Grove, Minnesota (it's first US location is in Boston, MA). I'm so excited to be one of the bloggers chosen to get a mommy makeover at the second ever U.S. location! This is my "before" selfie. Yup. Me on a typical day except I'm wearing a bit of makeup. I didn't want to look horrible when I walked into a high-end salon. High end (but not … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2014
Catapult Painting
This post is sponsored by Tum-E Yummies® fruit flavored drinks however all opinions are my own. A few weeks ago the girls and I were supposed to run in the Color Vibe™ race sponsored by Tum-E Yummies®. However, last minute I discovered that there was a miscommunication with my scheduler at work and I did not get the day off. I was so bummed (as were the girls). Tum-E Yummies® asked me if I had another way to "color my world" besides the race. Of course! We LOVE colorful arts and crafts around here and catapult painting is a definite way to color things up a bit. To paint with a catapult, you'll first need to make a catapult. Directions to make a simple one like in the photo above can be found under our popsicle stick catapult post. Next you'll need some paint and cotton balls. Hint: water color paints are easy to clean up and this craft can get messy colorful! We diluted out some thicker water color paints thus you see stir sticks in our containers. Get your … [Read more...]
10 Fall Treats, Activities, and Crafts for Kids
Toys In The Dryer turned 3 at the beginning of the month. This got me thinking that there a ton of posts that have been forgotten as new posts have taken their place over the years. It's time to bring back some of my favorite fall treats, activities, and crafts for kids that we have posted over the last 3 years. Fall Leaf Fairies - Make cute fairy pictures from fallen leaves and twigs. These hung in our kitchen for weeks! Candy Corn Pudding Treats - There's nothing special about the flavor per se, it's more so the idea that it looks like candy corn. Acorn Races - Since Lindsi introduced this fun, easy activity to my family three years ago, we've been doing it every fall! Each year gets a little more crazy! Leaf Drawing - I did this all the time as a kid. Now my kids do it! Crock Pot Applesauce - Perfect for all those apples you've picked at the apple orchard! Leaf Animals - Similar to the leaf fairies, my girls had a ton of fun making … [Read more...]
Boxtrolls Movie #Giveaway!
If you've been reading Toys In The Dryer since last year, you know that I was all excited about the movie Paranorman. This year, the makers of Paranorman have come out with a new movie called The Boxtrolls. If the animation is anything like Paranorman, it's going to be AWESOME! The Boxtrolls is another stop-motion animation from LAIKA and Focus Features. Yes, more than 20,000 props were hand made and hand manipulated to make this film. It took animators an average of 1 week to make 3.7 seconds of film which is about 90 frames (or photos). Crazy huh? Wondering what The Boxtrolls is about? Here's the official synopsis: A family event movie from the creators of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town’s … [Read more...]
AT&T’s #GoPhone Review
This post is sponsored. All products mentioned and reviewed on this page are compliments of AT&T. All opinions of the products are my own. Last month I had the opportunity to review an AT&T GoPhone. While I've been a loyal customer of the competition for as long as I can remember, I thought it would be interesting to try something new and see how they compare. Thus, despite some hesitation, I decided to give the GoPhone a chance. In a previous post I mentioned some of the benefits of using a GoPhone vs a regular mobile phone. These include no contracts, cheap plans, and other things. I went ahead and compared AT&T's GoPhone to my current service provider's pre-paid plans. While both offer similar benefits and plans, AT&T's most expensive GoPhone plan is $5 cheaper than my service provider's most expensive plan. Hey, $5 is $5 and that can add up over time! The phone I was given to try was the basic AT&T Z998 Android Smartphone. I'm not a super techy … [Read more...]
Brush up on Family Safety During National Preparedness Month
Preparing your family for natural disasters is the only way to increase their chance of survival and lessen their chance of injury when disaster strikes. No corner of the world is too remote to be touched by nature's fury, be it earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, typhoons, blizzards, tornadoes or floods. And so the U.S. government has declared September “National Preparedness Month”, urging families and communities across the country to take the opportunity to learn how to survive in worst case scenarios. We in the Twin Cities area know all too well how suddenly and severely natural disasters can strike. We're no strangers to dangerous tornadoes and floods, and have had our fair share of debilitating snowfalls. (Photo credit: Justin Hobson) Children are particularly at risk of injury or death in natural disasters. Without a firm family plan in place, they can wander straight into the path of danger, often by returning to damaged yet familiar buildings like home or school. … [Read more...]
