Okay, maybe I’m the only nervous one.

In preparation, I bought her a few new outfits… mostly pieces that she can mix and match. I know she’s bound to get stains and rips in her clothes, and there’s nothing much I can do about that, but I want to keep her new outfits looking brand spankin’ new as long as possible.

This means I have to do my part and be careful about how I wash it all. I’ve been using Wisk for the past couple of weeks and am very happy with it. Wisk is bringing science to stain fighting with an upgraded formula featuring Stain Spectrum Technology!

As you know, there are hundreds of different types of stains but most fall into 3 major groups:

• Carbohydrates, such as milk chocolate
• Proteins, such as grass
• Oils, such as peanut butter

Wisk’s enzymes and cleaning agents target the full range of stains on a molecular level for a powerful clean. To see it in action, Maya and I did a fun lab experiment, studying how well Wisk gets rid of protein stains. The most common being those yucky grass stains that kids get on their clothes! With Wisk’s new powerful stain fighting formula, it doesn’t matter which of these stains you encounter. The new Wisk with Stain Spectrum Technology is the solution to tackle them all!

Maya was definitely impressed! I’m confident that Wisk will work just as well with her school clothes. If you can’t see the video above, here are some photos of our experiment:

You can perform this same experiment at home with your kids! Just cut out a swatch of fabric from an old t-shirt and tell them to dirty it up outside. They’ll love that part. A pipette makes it easy for a child to draw a design on the fabric with the detergent. Swish the swatch around in plastic container filled with warm water, and tad-ah! The safety goggles and lab coat are optional.

BUY IT!

Wisk is available now at major retailers nationwide, such as Walmart, Target and Kroger, for a suggested retail price of $5.99 for a 50 fl oz. bottle that cleans about 32 loads. Look for the red-hot bottle!

Visit Wisk.com to:

• Learn more about Wisk’s Stain Spectrum Technology and the different categories of stains
• Download a coupon
• Also, remember to visit Wisk at www.Facebook.com/Wisk and follow @Wisk on Twitter

This post is sponsored by Wisk. I received monetary compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

Maya is starting Kindergarten in two weeks, so I’m compiling a collection of potential school lunches and could use some inspiration… MissionMenus.com has lots of great recipes!

At BlogHer a couple of weeks ago, I stopped by the Mission Foods booth for a bit to pick up a snack and some quick and easy meal ideas. I had a pinwheel filled with cranberries and orange zest, and cream cheese to hold it all together. So good.

Why do I buy Mission Flour Tortillas? Easy! I reach for these because they:

• Are budget-friendly.
• Are a great pantry staple. They can be eaten anytime – for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, or desserts.
• Contain 0 grams Trans fat per serving and are cholesterol free.
• Are available in small (6″), medium (8″) and large (10”) sizes in major grocery stores nationwide.
• Provide a fun twist on a boring ol’ sandwich.
• But most importantly… my kids love them!

Sometimes the girls will even make their own snacks with these tortillas. Whether it be filling a tortilla with ham and cheese, peanut butter and banana, or just wrapping it around a big sausage… they’d agree that wraps like these are more fun than sandwiches! Quesadillas are also a popular (and effortless) choice for dinnertime. I can usually even sneak in some veggies with the cheese, and they’re none the wiser.

Visit Mission – Back To School for more examples of quick and easy, kid-friendly back-to-school meals using Mission Flour Tortillas.

Egg and cheese wrap photo above courtesy of Doug (dmosiondz) on Flickr.

As the first liquid laundry detergent to market in 1956, Wisk has been cleaning America’s laundry for the past 50 years. Clothing and stains may have evolved over the years, but some things never change. Just watch this vintage Wisk commercial. The ‘ring around the collar’ is a laundry stain we still deal with to this day!

I remember helping my grandma wash clothes when I was younger. She had a perfectly good washing machine, but insisted on using a washboard for the heavily soiled items. Even with a good detergent, it was hard work! Product technology just wasn’t what it’s like today.

Now, Wisk still comes in that bright red bottle, but the brand is bringing science to stain fighting with an upgraded formula featuring Stain Spectrum Technology. They haven’t upgraded their price, though. It’s still as affordable as always.

New Wisk with Stain Spectrum Technology is engineered to target the major stain groups. Its enzymes and cleaning agents target the full range of stains on a molecular level for a powerful clean.

There are hundreds of different stains but most stains fall into three major categories:

• Carbohydrates such as milk chocolate
• Proteins such as grass
• Oils such as peanut butter

The other groups of stains include:

• Bio such as blood
• Bleachable such as coffee
• Particulate such as dirt
• Synthetic such as ink

Which stains do you find the hardest to get rid of? With two messy little girls, I dread mealtimes the most – food stains everywhere and no time for laundry!

BUY IT!

Wisk is available now at major retailers nationwide (such as Walmart, Target and Kroger) for a suggested retail price of $5.99 for a 50 fl oz. bottles that cleans 32 loads. I’m looking forward to trying this new Wisk and sharing my thoughts with you.

Visit Wisk.com to learn more about Wisk’s Stain Spectrum Technology and the different categories of stains and download a money-saving coupon. You can also visit Wisk at Facebook.com/Wisk.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Wisk. I received monetary compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

Now I’m sharing my summer memories with my girls. Yesterday, we drove from Texas to Monterrey, Mexico. I had brought Maya once before, when she was only 10 months old. She doesn’t remember, of course, so it’s like she’s visiting for the first time.

It’s been 5 years since I last came, but it feels like it was just yesterday. Everyone is so warm and welcoming, and you’re always greeted with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Last night, family came in and out to say hi, and we ate and talked for hours, then played cards until the wee hours. Hardly anyone wears a watch here… the slow-paced lifestyle is such a breath of fresh air!

The food… oh so good. I’m trying to stay away from the tortillas and sweet breads, but I can’t keep from having a paleta or two! Paletas are ice pops made out of fresh fruit. For paletas de agua, or water ice pops, the fruit is blended with sugar. For paletas de leche, or milk ice pops, the fruit is blended with milk or cream. So many different paleta flavors to choose from! I can’t get enough of the coconut, watermelon, pineapple, pecan, guava… paleteros, vendors, push little carts down the street throughout the summer, so I don’t have to go far to find one.

Speaking of Popsicles, earlier this week I picked up a box of Popsicle Dora the Explorer Slow Melt ice pops. I had heard people rave about these Slow Melt ice pops, but wasn’t sure if it was just a gimmick, or if they really do melt slowly. I learned after reading the packaging and nutrition information, that the secret to the slow melting is a touch of gelatin! GENIUS! Hardly any drippiness. The pops come in fun shapes and 4 fruity flavors – Grape, Watermelon, Berry, and Orange. Lots of Vitamin C in each pop… 100% of the daily value in a two-pop serving, actually. The packaging comes in both English and Spanish, which is kind of cool. Orange! ¡La naranja! I’m going to keep these in the freezer for Maura, who can never seem to eat regular Popsicles without making a big mess! Plus, she happens to adore Dora.

Also, remember that Popsicle is giving kids the chance to win some awesome prizes this summer, with the Anything’s Possible With Popsicle Sweepstakes. Three lucky families will get to dig for dinosaurs in Wyoming, swim with dolphins in Florida, or explore the universe by attending Space Camp in Alabama! To enter the contest, save your Popsicle sticks! Then go to Popsicle.com/possibilities and submit the riddle answer printed on your stick. The contest ends on September 30, 2010, but you can enter every day!

Disclosure: I’m a Popsicle Brand Ambassador! I wrote this post as part of a compensated Mom Bloggers Club member program, but all opinions are mine alone. Paletas photo courtesy of Dilan Halbrook.

That’s the question I hear every time I give my daughters an ice pop. I explain to the girls that water, or juice, in the case of a Popsicle, is made up of a bunch of tiny particles. When it’s cold, these particles clump together and become a solid – ice! When it’s warm, the particles separate and get moving again, turning back into liquid. It’s important to think about this on a bigger scale. And that’s exactly what Popsicle is doing. Through a partnership with National Geographic Kids, they’re helping Slow the Melt… the melt of the polar ice caps! Kids can learn a lot from this campaign. Whether it’s remembering to shut off the lights every time they leave the room or turning off the water while brushing their teeth, there are very easy steps we can all take to help. In fact, National Geographic Kids created 10 simple things kids can do every day to help slow the melt of the polar ice caps!

Join us for the #SlowTheMelt Twitter Party to learn more! When? This Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 6-8pm EST There will be prizes, including coupons for free Popsicle and much more!

Follow the hosts, @Popsicle and @mombloggersclub, as well as the Popsicle Moms:

@3KidsandUs ~ @angievinez ~ @justicefergie ~ @JusticeJonesie ~ @JusticeNy ~ @modernmami
@MomReviews ~ @MomSpark ~ @RaisingMy4Sons ~ @RaisingOlives and me, @ohMariana!

#SlowTheMelt doesn’t end there. As part of the Popsicle and National Geographic Kids partnership to help Slow the Melt, this summer Popsicle will utilize Twitter to help raise funds for research and exploration efforts to help decrease the impact of global climate change by encouraging Twitter users to include the #SlowTheMelt hashtag in their tweets. From today, July 12th, through August 15th, 2010, for every tweet containing the hashtag #SlowTheMelt, Popsicle will donate $1 to the National Geographic Polar Fund, up to $25,000. The money raised will support research and exploration efforts of the polar ice caps and global warming issues. For more information on the National Geographic Polar Fund, visit http://bit.ly/polarfund

Can you make it to the party? Be sure to RSVP here!

Remember that Popsicle is giving kids the chance to win some awesome prizes in the Anything’s Possible With Popsicle Sweepstakes. Three lucky families will get to dig for dinosaurs in Wyoming, swim with dolphins in Florida, or explore the universe by attending Space Camp in Alabama! To enter the contest, save your Popsicle sticks! Then go to Popsicle.com/possibilities and submit the riddle answer printed on your stick. The ends on September 30, 2010, but you can enter every day! The daily prize is the National Geographic Kids “Big Book of Fun”.

Disclosure: I’m a Popsicle Brand Ambassador! I wrote this post as part of a compensated Mom Bloggers Club member program, but all opinions are mine alone.

We just got a box of the new Popsicle Jolly Rancher ice pops to sample, and they are so yummy! My daughters and their friends approved. And asked for seconds.

I can see why. The new, colorful Popsicle Jolly Rancher ice pops are bright and fruity. Each pop is made up of four flavors: Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Grape and Sour Apple. Lick only one part of the Popsicle and you can taste the individual flavor (Sour Apple is my favorite!), or take a big bite and they all combine beautifully. At 45 calories, I didn’t even feel guilty for having one myself! Each ice pop is made with 10% fruit juice, is fat free, and provides 10% of the daily value for vitamin C per serving. The 20-pack is big enough to last a while… or a perfect (and affordable) treat for a neighborhood full of sweaty kids!

Each Popsicle stick has a cute, kid-friendly riddle on it. For example, why didn’t the mouse want to be a tattle-tale? Because he didn’t want to be a rat! HAHAHA!! Maya loved it, and told the joke to us repeatedly. So many times, that it ended up morphing into ‘Why did the mouse cross the playground? To get to the other slide and see the rat.” Kids and their short term memory… LOL!

I like how the girls each eat their Popsicles in a very different way.

Maya takes bite after bite, gobbling it all up in mere seconds. She says it’s because she wants to read the joke on the stick, but I think she also thinks that maybe she’ll get lucky, and I’ll give her another one while we wait for her sister to finish hers.

Maura, on the other hand, takes her sweet time, licking the Popsicle slowly, savoring each juicy level of flavor. It drips down her chin, all over her clothes and her hands, but she doesn’t seem to mind, so I don’t either. She gets a kick out of how her lips and tongue turn a dark shade of blueish-purple!

This summer, Popsicle is giving kids the chance to win some awesome prizes in the Anything’s Possible With Popsicle Sweepstakes. Three lucky families will get to dig for dinosaurs in Wyoming, swim with dolphins in Florida, or explore the universe by attending Space Camp in Alabama!

To enter the contest, you’ll have to save your Popsicle sticks! Then go to Popsicle.com/possibilities and submit the riddle answer printed on your stick. The promotion ends on September 30th, 2010, but you can enter every day! The daily prize is the National Geographic Kids “Big Book of Fun”.

Please visit www.popsicle.com for more details, and follow @popsicle on Twitter for the latest news!

Disclosure: I’m a Popsicle Brand Ambassador! I wrote this post as part of a compensated Mom Bloggers Club member program, but all opinions are mine (and my daughters’) alone. A product sample was also provided for review purposes.

Having a frozen pizza (or two) in the freezer at all times is essential! We all have those nights when we don’t feel like cooking, and being able simply pop a pizza in the oven is so convenient!

Freschetta is the brand I usually reach for, because I find it to be the tastiest and much cheaper than calling in for delivery. The Freschetta Brick Oven pizzas are my favorite… generous toppings, a crispy crust…. yum! And they’ve just introduced new Freschetta FlatBread - made with all-natural cheeses and a sauce made from real, ripe tomatoes, there are 4 varieties to choose from – Zesty Italian, Roasted Garlic & Spinach, Pepperoni, and 5-Cheese.

I haven’t tried it yet, but I think I’d like this new pizza because it has a thin and crispy crust. That’s my favorite way of eating pizza. I’d probably choose the Roasted Garlic & Spinach for myself, Zesty Italian for the hubby, and the girls would devour the 5-Cheese for sure! There’s something for everyone!

Freschetta can be found in your grocer’s freezer section. Before heading to the store, go online and get a coupon for $1 off!

Have you ever tried the new Freschetta FlatBread? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I love sitting back, putting my feet up, and indulging in a good piece of chocolate and a glass of red wine after a long day. Maybe I’ll turn on the TV and watch a reality show to escape, or pull out Entertainment Weekly and read it from cover to cover. Other times, I’ll just enjoy the quiet. That’s “my mini moment” – what’s yours?

Dove Ice Cream Miniatures invites you to share your favorite mini moment of escape and one lucky winner could win one of 3 awesome mini-grand prizes: a mini-getaway to Napa Valley, spa services for a year, or a mini-home makeover. All you need to do is submit a photo and short essay at:

DoveIceCream.com/myminimoment by June 7, 2010 (that’s tomorrow!)

“Me-time” is important to the Dove consumers, so DOVE Ice Cream Miniatures conducted a survey of over 400 mothers and a surprising 70% of moms are taking time for themselves each day. Yay for us! The “My Mini Moment” contest celebrates these precious moments.

At only 70 calories each, DOVE Ice Cream Miniatures feature real ice cream wrapped in delicious Dove chocolate, making them the perfect treat. Try the new decadent Café Collection which features Java Chip and Cappuccino Flavors!

What are you doing this weekend? Let me guess… nothing? Just sitting on the couch with your better half, watching reruns of Seinfeld? Sounds like somebody needs a date night. Maybe dinner and a movie, perhaps?

Date Night, which opens in theaters today, Friday April 9th, stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey. You may know Steve from The 40-Year-Old Virgin and The Office, and Tina from SNL and 30 Rock. I saw these guys on Oprah the other day, and they are hilarious. They’re really great at improvising, which is what makes this movie so funny, I’m sure.

In this film, Steven and Tina play a bored married couple out on their weekly dinner date. An ordinarily uneventful night out turns into quite an adventure, including a break-in, a car chase, a shootout, and a showdown with a Mafia boss at a strip club. Sometimes you need a little excitement to reignite the spark, right?

The movie’s central theme seems to be that of teamwork, which is the core of a marriage. It’ll be interesting to see how this couple survives these misadventures. Will it make their relationship stronger?

Watch the Date Night trailer:

Will you be going to see Date Night Movie on opening weekend? I’ve heard they do some pretty funny things with a stripper pole… I think I may just have to find a sitter!

Well, hello there! How’d you like to win a tempting trip to Las Vegas for yourself and 3 of your friends with $1,500 in spending money? I’ve been to Vegas and it’s so much fun. I got married there, actually (little known fact). It’s even more fun with friends and a little extra cash in your pockets won’t hurt!

So how do I win, you ask? Check out the Temptation is Beautiful sweepstakes.

A tempting beauty basket will be awarded everyday until May 8th in this fab sweepstakes, so get your daily entries in! It includes products from Curél, Jergen’s, Bioré, Ban, and John Frieda. The Grand Prize – a weekend of temptation in Las Vegas – includes transportation and accommodations for you and 3 of your friends plus $1,500 in spending money! Very tempting, indeed.

Take a moment to enter the contest for yourself, take the Temptress Temperature Quiz and leave a comment here telling me what your Temptress Temperature is! If you share your score with your friends, this will get you bonus entries in to the sweepstakes.

Me? I’m just right. But I knew that already.

Please note that this contest is for US Residents only! Visit the Temptation is Beautiful sweepstakes page here: http://bit.ly/9vI3uQ for more information.