Clorox: I don't want to miss this! (Review)

Since my daughter started preschool I have quickly learned that she doesn't want to miss out on anything at school.  Just this morning when I went to clear the snow off the truck and start it to warm it up and all it did was groan at me (dead battery) and I told her she wouldn't be able to go to school today the tears started.  She didn't want to miss out.  Last week when her brother was so sick she kept telling me mommy I'm not sick, Mommy I can't miss school.  She doesn't want to miss out.  Killing germs on our household items and keeping common used areas clean is a great way to keep her from missing out.  Clorox has started a campaign about preventing the flu with the "I don't wanna miss this."  Here is a description of the program/contest below:

Balancing schoolwork with sports practice, play rehearsal, and club meetings complicates any teen's life enough without the added burden of getting sick. The dual risk of the seasonal flu as well as the 2009 H1N1 virus, makes this year's flu season especially complicated. To help spread the word about flu prevention, former American Idol finalist Danny Gokey has paired up with The Clorox Company to launch I Don't Want to Miss…, a national campaign designed to get teens and their teachers involved in flu prevention.
Now in its second year, the program features a contest that invites school musical groups, like glee clubs, show choirs, etc.  to develop a video performance of a song written by Berklee College of Music student Will Wells on what they don't want to miss out on if they were home sick and why prevention is important. The winning school will win a music class led by former American Idol finalist Danny Gokey!
For each entry submitted, Company will donate $100 (up to $10,000) to the Sophia's Heart Foundation, a charity founded by Gokey in honor of his late wife, Sophia, and dedicated to helping children achieve academic success via musical training and restoringmusical dreams in children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that children and teens over 6 months and up to age 18 get flu vaccinations. In addition to vaccination, the most important step in flu prevention, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and washing hands often play an important role in prevention.
 Visit the Clorox page on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/Clorox) after January 28 to learn more about this creative and informational challenge or go to the site here for all the rules and entry guidelines.. For the first 100 groups to submit, the teacher will receive a wellness care package from The Clorox Company.
"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox and received a $20 thank-you gift certificate."

General Mills Is Cutting Back! (REVIEW)

My kids love cereal.  They not only enjoy it for breakfast but also as a dry snack in the car or on the go.  We really try to follow some simple rules when choosing which cereals the kids can eat.  It has to be low in sugar and contain some fiber.  Well, General Mills is now making our lives a little bit easier.  This week General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.
Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children´s diets. 
Other cereal benefits:

Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.

Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.

More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.

Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.
For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.
If you would like to give a General Mills ceral a try right now you can visit here and you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals.
*Through MyBlogSpark, General Mills provided me with this information and coupons to try the improved cereals.  

Memoir of Me Winner!! & a gift-giving frenzy!

I used random.org to select the winner.

#3 was Carrie!!!  I am emailing you now.

Thank you to everyone who entered and thank you to Memoir of Me for hosting this great giveaway!

Memoir of Me is also participating in a gift-giving frenzy of 99 books in 33 days.

Here is an explaination taken directly from the Memoir of Me blog:

This January 2010, I am launching a Memoir of Me gift-giving frenzy called 99 books in 33 days.  Sharing stories is what Memoir of Me does best.  Personal stories.  Your stories.  The greatest gifts I have to offer are my Memoir of Me keepsake books.  To celebrate, we are giving away 99 books in 33 days.

I ask all of you to share your personal stories. Your stories can be touching, tragic, funny, or sweet about your child or a special child you know.  I’ll take these stories and turn them into Memoir of Me books for the children that are nominated.  The goal is to give three books each day for 33 days.

The inspiration behind 99 books in 33 days is Cami Walker who wrote the book “29 Gifts in 29 Days.”  She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and spent late 2006 and early 2007 in the hospital.  She’d been down and out when a friend suggested that she give 29 gifts in 29 days to help her feel better.  Cami’s gifts ranged from sharing thoughtful insights with friends to giving a bigger-than-usual tip to a server.  In giving her first gifts, Cami’s health and mood took an upward swing.  The energy of her gifts reignited her spirit.  By the end of her 29 gifts, her life had significantly changed for the better.  Cami’s story shows that the impact in the power of giving.  

To nominate a child all you have to do is send the name of the child and story tomichelle.lebow@memoirofme.com, Twitter @memoirofme, Facebook Michelle Nelson LeBow or Youtube @MemoirOfMe77.  Please include an address in which to ship the book or gift certificate.  Some of the stories may even end up right here on the Memoir of Me blog, Facebook, Twitter or Youtube.  

What a great idea, right?  If you know a child who deserves such a gift consider nominating them today!

And let's not forget, congrats to Carrie!

GIVEAWAY! Memoir of Me

Would your child be excited to read a story where they are the star?  Would they get a kick out of seeing their name in print?  There are many different personalized books out there to choose from but now you can choose one that is a little more unique.  

Memior of Me is a company that creates personalized children's books that will include your child's name, a character resembling them and a letter you submit written to your child that will appear at the end of the story. 

The illustrations that appear in the book are very colorful and entertaining to the reader.  

The story follows a little girl (or boy) who gets into some bubble gum and trouble while his/her mother is trying to get a letter written.  It follows the character as she goes from the house, to the yard and eventually covers the neighbor's cat with gum all before helping her mom (you) put the finishing touches on her letter.  The letter you submit on the website is the letter that the character puts the finishing touches on which appears at the end of the story.  

Anyone can create a personalized book for a child.  This is not limited to the parent/child relationship only, if you are a grandparent, aunt/uncle, godparent or friend of a child you too can create a book.

Now, I do want to take a second and be clear about what you get because I was confused when writing my letter.  The website states that your letter will be "weaved"  into the story so I wrote a letter describing silly things my daughter has done because I thought I was suppose to be giving them material for a personalized story.  That is not the case.  The story is a very cute story about a little girl (boy) who gets into some bubble gum, kinda like the No David series, but it does not include events from your letter: only your child's name, a character resembling them and your personalized letter at the end.  

Now do you want one of your own?  Looking for a great Valentine's Day gift for a child?  The great people at Memoir of Me would like to give away ONE personalized book to a lucky reader of Midwest Mommy!  All you have to do is leave me a comment below.  Any comment, if you can't think of what to comment about tell me who you would give the story to.  This giveaway will run for about a week and I will select a random winner after.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email or I will choose another winner.
Ready, set, GO!
*I was given my own Memoir of Me free of charge in order to do this review.