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We had discussed having a baby within the next couple of years, and had even chosen the names Sean and Jennifer. Without warning, with one phone call, the thought of becoming parents had become a reality. It’s difficult to express the feelings I had driving home that night. My mind was racing with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see Marianne, and I couldn’t believe that I was going to be a father. Proud as a peacock, with a smile and uncontrollable joy, I bought her a dozen roses, six pink and six yellow (the store didn’t have any blue!).

The weeks and months passed, and our lives centered on the little life growing inside of Marianne. I soon realized that our unborn child was not alone in its metamorphosis, for we went through a major one of our own. Marianne was digesting information from every book, article and program she could find. I was in awe of her thirst for knowledge. I began to feel somewhat alienated because the more time Marianne spent reading, the less time she spent with me.

Our lives had changed. Part of me felt left out, while the other part of me admired her fervent desire to do everything right for our baby. After all, I couldn’t possibly have the same feelings she was having…she had another heart beating beside her own. I realized that the girl I had married 10 years earlier was becoming a woman who would share her love as a mother. I must admit, that idea was a little threatening, especially when accompanied by her hormonal mood swings. Yet, at the same time, it was like watching a flower bloom before my eyes. Although Marianne was feeling fat and unattractive, I saw her in a totally different light. She was beautiful to me and I loved her in a new and deeper way. But I still felt like I was on the outside looking in, and my desire to figure out a way to become more involved grew.

In Marianne’s sixth month, I saw a news segment about prenatal enhancement and communicating with the baby before birth. I requested an information packet. When I received it, an article from Omni magazine caught my eye. It featured Dr. Rene Van de Carr, an obstetrician, who effectively taught couples how to communicate with their babies before birth using various techniques and exercises. Finally, it was my turn to study, which I did with a passion.
Marianne and I began using many of Dr. Van de Carr’s exercises, some of which included musical notes and responding to the baby every time it kicked.  Every morning and evening, we spent about 15 minutes talking to Jennifer (although we didn’t know the gender, both of us had dreamed about having a girl). We also patted Marianne’s belly every time the baby kicked. In the ninth month, I tapped once, and Jennifer kicked once…twice, and she kicked twice…She got up to three! I was communicating with our child, and we were bonding together as a family. At last, I felt like I was a real part of Marianne’s pregnancy.

After months of preparation and anticipation, Marianne went into labor. We were about to become parents. Her labor was a long one, nearly 24 hours before I witnessed the crowning of our baby’s head. Marianne mustered all of the strength she had left, and with her eyes tightly shut and her fists and teeth clenched, I watched the determination of a warrior as she prepared for the final push. Totally exhausted, with a muffled grunt, she pushed with all of her might and the baby’s head was completely out! With the gentle sound of violins playing softly in the background, Jennifer, our daughter and daddy’s little girl, was born. I took Marianne’s hand in mind and kissed her. When the doctor held Jennifer up, I started the videotape and said, “Hello, Jennifer, it’s nice to finally meet you.” It was like meeting a long lost friend. Her eyes and hands were open and she turned her head toward my voice. In my heart, I know she recognized it. After all, I had been talking to her every day for three months. I will take that moment with me into eternity.

My passion grew to the point that I wanted to share this experience with as many expectant couples as possible.  So, I contacted Dr. Van de Carr and produced a 2CD, 1 DVD educational series entitled “Prenatal Music for Life,” based on he and Dr. Lehrer’s book, “Prenatal Classroom.”  For more information visit the website www.prenatalmusic4life.com.

Expectant fathers now have the opportunity to enhance an established miracle…the birth of their child. I believe that all fathers should experience interaction and communication with their wives and babies before birth and be actively involved during the maternity and birth experience. Jennifer is now 16 years old and is still the apple of my eye.  She is a junior in high school with a 3.7 GPA. I truly believe her GPA, and more importantly our relationship, was enhanced by a special bond we began when Jennifer was still in the womb.

To coincide with the product review, Welch’s is giving away a coupon for one of our lucky readers to try their juice for free.

What you win:

Coupon good for either a 46oz, 64oz, or 96 oz bottle of their 100% Grape Juice or 100% Juice Bend worth up to $5.99.

Guidelines

1. Starts 5/13/11 3:00pm EST
2. Ends 5/20/11 at 11:59 EST

How to Enter:

1. Visit our review of Welch’s 100% Grape Juice and tell us below why you want to win.

For extra entries (leave comment on the post for each of these- 12 maximum):

1. Subscribe to our RSS feed

2. Visit the review and tell us one of the names of the mocktails.

3. Follow us on Twitter

4. Join our product review team community if you have a blog

5. Tweet about it (you can do this once per day- leave link to tweet in comment below): “Enter @HAHMom & @Welchs giveaway for free juice http://bit.ly/mPMrCj  ”

Visit our standard rules & guidelines for more info.

When Welch’s first contacted me, I thought they were going to ask me to review their grape jelly. (It’s actually the only brand of jelly I buy, even when something else is cheaper.) However, they were actually contacting me to review their grape juice.

I actually haven’t drank grape juice since I was pregnant a little over 2 years ago, so I figured I’d give it a shot. (On a sidenote, my kids were a bit rambunctious when it came to drinking the grape juice and  they snuck the container up to my son’s room where they proceeded to spill it on the beige carpet. Ack! Fortunately I was able to get it out with some salt, vinegar, and dawn dish detergent.) Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, telling you about the juice.

Grape juice is normally sweet, so since I expected that.  I already favor the Welch’s jelly, so it was a natural fit for me to drink it. My husband taught me a cool trick with the juice. He poured it into the icecube tray and placed toothpicks in each cube and put them in the freezer. Once they were frozen, we took them out and ate them ffor dessert. They were yummy and the small cube size was perfect for my toddlers. Plus, they are a healthier alternative to other desserts.

Welch’s sent me an info sheet with some fun facts and a recipe sheet. What caught my eye were the “Welch’s Mocktails.” I was thinking, wow, this might be great for my pregnant and breastfeeding moms so I am going to share them here:

Welcharita

1 1/2 tb fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 Welch’s 100% Grape Juice

1 ts fresh squeezed o.j.

Grapegina (okay, not too crazy about the name)

1/2 Welch’s G.J.

1/2 seltzer

Grapetea

1/2c brewed herbal peach tea (check with your dr about herbal teas)

1/4c Welch’s G.J.

1/4c seltzer

Grapeade

1/2 c seltzer

1 tb fresh squeezed lemon

1/4 Welch’s G.J.

Grapeopolitan

3/4c Welch’s G.J.

1tb fresh squeezed lime juice

1tb fresh squeezed o.j.

Grapria

3/4c Welch’s G.J.

2tsps fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4c fresh squeezed o.j.

sliced fresh fruit

All recipes by Diana Henderiks, R.D.

In addition to what they sent me, they wanted me to share with you the following:

Welch’s has prepared recipes and other tips for creating tasty meals and snacks with vibrantly colored fruit. Find these and more at the Welch’s Recipe Box or via www.welchs.com/products/recipe-box.

Also, Welch’s is helping spreading heart healthy awareness with its Welch’s Family Vine Tool, which enables families to trace their personal health histories and share the results among relatives. For more visit, www.welchsfamilyvinetool.com

And for everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the benefits of grapes, The Grape Science Center is a valuable resource to learn about the growing Concord grape research in areas like heart health, cognitive health, immune system health and more. For more information on the science behind the Concord grape’s health benefits, visit the Grape Science Center at www.grapescience.com. They also encourage you to follow Welch’s @Welchs and on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/welchsgrapes.

Overall, grapejuice is a staple product that is healthy for you to drink and I should seriously drink it more often. We will definitely be making those grapejuice pops. I do prefer the Welch’s grapejuice to the other brands I have tried.

Win it!

Visit our giveaway page to enter to win a coupon for a free juice.

Disclosure:

I was not monetarily compensated for this review. I did receive a coupon to try a sample of the juice in order to conduct the review, but this in no way affected my opinion of the product.

Okay, so you know that at Happy and Healthy Mom we like to focus on the woman behind the baby. Every so often baby products are pitched to me and I usually turn them down. However, when Baby Einstein approached me, I agreed. Why, you might ask? Well, when my daughter was very small we had a Baby Einstein DVD and when she got very agitated, I would pop it in and she would go to sleep. The DVD went missing, so I never had a chance to try it out on my son and I was curious to see if they DVD’s worked for toddlers too! Okay, yes, I am admitting it: I wanted to review the products to see if they still could help calm down my daughter (& maybe my son.) Relax time for kiddies= Relax time for mommy.

Okay, so here is what they sent me:　

Baby Einstein™ Discovery Kits: A New Way for Babies to Discover the World $19.99 SRP

Baby Lullaby Discovery Kit- Level 1

Take your baby on a soothing journey with classical lullabies by Bach, Brahms and Mozart.Baby Lullaby is the perfect way to spend special time with your baby.

 Enjoy relaxing ocean waves, sweet puppet shows, and tranquil images. From fun time to rest time,

Neptune’s Oceans Discovery Kit- Level 2

Dive in with your little explorer for a voyage of undersea discovery!

Journey Across Neptune’s Oceans to encounter amazing marine life in their natural habitats. Penguins, whales, dolphins, sea lions and crabs come to life in engaging musical portraits. Together, you and your baby will ride a tide of fun as you explore this wondrous new worl

World of Rhythm- Level 3

Your little one will want to keep a beat, snap his fingers and march his feet!World of Rhythm explores rhythm in music, rhythm in nature and rhythm as a form of expression. It’s a fun way to encourage children to express themselves through singing, dancing, clapping and playing!

Join new characters Pillie, the musical woodpecker, and Coco, the dancing cockatoo, and share the excitement of rhythm with your baby.

My thoughts

The Level 1 Kit came with a DVD, a CD, and a book. The level was geared towards younger kids (i.e. babies) than my own. This also was the most effective one in getting them sleepy for naptime. The calming and peaceful music, combined with the simple images and characters on the DVD, made this one perfect to put on to lull them to sleep.

The Level 2 kit came with a DVD, CD, and these fact cards. It was more in line with my son, who is turning two soon. My daughter paid attention for a little while because she thought it had something to do with Nemo, but got a little bored and left. The cards seemed a bit more advanced than the level of the DVD and my son chose to chew on them rather than review with me. My son watched the DVD and eventually fell asleep.

The Level 3 kit came with a DVD, a CD, and a book. This one seemed to be the most favorite for both of my kids. They enjoyed the music and danced, which they love to do. The DVD was also effective at calming them down after they initially got excited.

Having studied music growing up and even a bit in college, I am aware of how music stimulates the brain. The music on the DVD’s and CD’s can be wonderful to play for your kids and stimulate the mind at the same time. The images seemed a bit more simple, without as much of a storyline like other shows the kids watch. I think that’s why they can be so effective in lulling the kids to sleep.

I did not like that the packaging is set-up in a way that once you open it, you lose the organization of the the kit as the books and cards must now find a new and separate home away from the DVD, rather than being stored together.

Overall, I think the kits are adorable and a better alternative to plopping the kids in front of the random stuff that is on tv. The kits were more geared towards learning and brain stimulation and highly effective at calming my kids down for rest and relax time. The kits were a godsend to me in a time when things can be so crazy at home with two toddlers running about.

Please know that I focus on you moms and I would not have done this review, had I not thought it could help you in some way. These products seem to be something that can help give you some for yourself, by serving as great relax/ nap time accompaniments.

Disclosure:

I was not monetarily compensated for this post, but I did receive three of the kits as samples to review. This in no way affected my opinion of the products.

As the official mommyblogger co-host I got to try out a brand new Volkswagen Routan for a day.  I have to tell you that it is extremely mom, kid, & baby friendly.

The features I Liked:

• Double doors that were powered. You could gently push them and they close on their own. Or you could press the keychain button and it would close or open as needed. This came in real handy when trying to get the kids in and out of the car quickly. 
• Bucket Seats in the middle aisle, so my two toddlers were separated.
• Spacious- Lots of room for bags.
• The cup-holders in front that gripped my cups no matter the size.
• The built-in phone in the steering wheel, even though I didn’t use it.
• The idiot -proof numbered instructions that allow you to fold down all of the seats into the floor if you needed a large space to transport things.
• My kids love it! They didn’t even want to get out when I had to return it.
• Gas mileage was good for a mini-van.

What I didn’t love:

• The sliding doors took a very long time to open and close.
• For some reason the light in the trunk was popped out and they had to pop it back in. Hope that it isn’t that easy to come out.
• When I accelerated, it seemed like there wasn’t a smooth transition from one speed to the next.
• The price for my budget seemed like it might be too steep for me to cover, with it being approx $33K with taxes and fees. (Though they have a first time buyer program that might help).

Overall

I would say that it is a vehicle I would purchase for my family if it falls within the budget. It felt awesome to drive around and was a vast improvement on my current mode of transportation. I am definitely in the market for a new car and this is on my list of contenders. If you are in South Florida, you can stop by the International Mall, Dadeland Mall and Town Center at Boca every weekend in May to check out Volkswagen.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, though it in no way affected my opinions stated above.

So if you are in South Florida, I have some great news for you: I, Heather Lopez, am the official mommyblogger co-host of the Dancing with the Moms event to be held at the Simon Malls Town Center at Boca. Click here to see the event flyer I really hope you can make it out so I can meet you in person and if you have been to one of our events, then we can reconnect.

Update on 5/5/11: Some of the sponsors for the night include Volkswagon and StriVectin. For being the co-host Volkswagon hooked me up with a 24 hour test drive of one of their new vehicles and StriVectin sent me a full size bottle of their product, which is supposed to help with stretchmarks and wrinkles. (Reviews soon to follow). If you decide to come out tonight, stop by Volkswagon’s table to score a chance at a $250 Simon Mall giftcard. Not coming to Boca? Volkswagon is also sponsoring events at Dadeland and Miami International Malls.  

Here is the press release for the event:

CONTACT:

Fran Folic, Bitner Goodman, 954-730-7730, ext. 117

fran@bitnergoodman.com

Ellen Korelitz, Town Center at Boca Raton, 561-368-6001

ekorelitz@simon.com

For Immediate Release

TOWN CENTER AT BOCA RATON CELEBRATES MOMS AT

“NATIONAL MOM’S NITE OUT” ON MAY 5

FREE “Dancing with the Moms” Event to Feature Complimentary Giveaways, Raffles, Samples and Dance Lessons from Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Boca

Boca Raton, Fla. (April 19, 2011) – Town Center at Boca Raton, one of South Florida’s premier luxury shopping destinations, invites moms to strap on their dancing shoes for the Third Annual “National Mom’s Nite Out” on Thurs., May 5 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This year’s FREE celebration of motherhood taking place in the Nordstrom Court will be themed “Dancing with the Moms” and will feature a variety of complimentary giveaways, makeovers, samples and dance lessons from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Boca Raton.

Moms will join together for a well-deserved break to socialize and relax at this event featuring networking, style presentations, shopping incentives, pampering with mini-massages and other fun activities. In addition, ladies will receive complimentary samples of anti-aging skin care products from mall event sponsor StriVectin, the largest independent prestige skin care company. Town Center at Boca Raton retailers participating in “National Mom’s Nite Out” and who will provide additional samples, giveaways, raffle prizes and demonstrations include Origins, Regis Salon, The Art of Shaving, Millefiori, White House/Black Market, Skechers, TOUS, Salon Cielo, The Body Shop and Bag n Baggage. The Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Boca Raton will also provide a grand prize of $1,000 in complimentary dance lessons for one lucky mom. Additional sponsors include Volkswagen and Care Diagnostics for Women.

“Town Center at Boca Raton is proud to host National Mom’s Nite Out and provide well-deserved time off for those who guide, impact and inspire our lives so much,” said Ellen Korelitz, director of marketing and business development. “Our exciting ‘Dancing with the Moms’ program will feature dance segments highlighting Salsa, Sangria and Snacks; Line, Wine & Cheese and Sweets, Swing & Champagne. It’s our tasteful and moving way to thank and celebrate mothers for all that they do.”

Fifteen million moms are expected to take part in the Third Annual “National Mom’s Nite Out.” Moms across the United States will unite in celebrating motherhood with each other via local and national events as well as cyber celebrations. Organized by Maria Bailey, CEO of BSM Media, author and Mom Talk Radio host, National Mom’s Nite Out will unite social media groups, companies, local playgroups and local mom bloggers including Boca Raton’s Heather Lopez of happyandhealthymom.com and Sammi Richardson of Sammi’s Blog of Life in giving moms a well-deserved night off.

Bailey organized the first National Mom’s Nite Out as, for years, she watched moms take care of everyone else on Mother’s Day, but never themselves.

“We created National Mom’s Nite Out because so many of today’s mothers spend Mother’s Day focused on catering to the grandparents of their children or their own mothers,” said Maria Bailey, National Mom’s Nite Out organizer and mother of four. “We decided that moms deserve one night off from cooking, cleaning and responsibility and need time to celebrate motherhood with each other.”

Recognizing the importance of moms and how they control 85 to 90 percent of household spending on everyday items, Simon Property Group is hosting National Mom’s Nite Out at as many as 115 of its malls across the country. All activities are free and open to moms of all ages.

“As consumer confidence returns, families are starting to add the experience of a shared vacation back into their budgets,” said Will Seccombe, Chief Marketing Officer for VISIT FLORIDA. “Now, more than ever, it’s important for us to remind families about all there is to see and do in the Sunshine State. Partnering with Simon Property Group on the Mom’s Night Out program is a tremendous opportunity to encourage thousands of travel planning decision makers to ‘Share A Little Sunshine’ with their family and friends.”

‘Share a Little Sunshine’ is a statewide, grassroots tourism advocacy campaign that encourages all Floridians to send a personal e-mail to out-of-state friends and family inviting them to visit the Sunshine State. This social media driven campaign asks Florida residents and fans to do their part to make a positive impact on Florida’s economy, while having fun with friends and loved ones. By inviting friends and family for a vacation, Floridians can create jobs and positively impact Florida’s economy.

Town Center at Boca Raton, Palm Beach County’s premier luxury shopping destination, features 220 luxury and nationally recognized stores, including Coach, Tiffany & Co., Bvlgari, Cartier, Ulysse Nardin, Michael Kors, Williams-Sonoma, Intermix, Pottery Barn, Ann Taylor, Louis Vuitton, Origins, Juicy Couture, Godiva Chocolatier, abercrombie, anne fontaine and Brookstone, as well as leading anchor stores Bloomingdale’s, Macy*s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Sears. Town Center at Boca Raton, owned by Simon Property Group, is located at 6000 Glades Road in Boca Raton. It is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Mon. through Sat. and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sun. Restaurants enjoy later hours. Shoppers can follow the activities at Town Center at Boca Raton on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TownCtrAtBoca or Twitter at twitter.com/TownCtrAtBoca .

For more information about the Third Annual “National Mom’s Nite Out” event, please call Town Center at Boca Raton at (561) 368-6000.

# # #

About Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest real estate company in the U.S. The Company currently owns or has an interest in 392 retail real estate properties comprising 263 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. Simon Property Group is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG. For further information, visit the Simon Property Group website at www.simon.com.

About StriVectin®

StriVectin® is the largest independent prestige skin care company, focusing on clinical anti-aging skin care solutions. Backed by science and rigorous clinical validation, StriVectin is at the forefront of skin care technology and product innovation. Its unique dual-use repair cream StriVectin-SD® Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks and Wrinkles is a best-seller around the world, and is often credited with starting the clinical cosmeceutical skin care category. StriVectin products are sold through department stores and specialty retailers in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The company maintains corporate offices in New York, NY, and Raleigh, NC, and research facilities in Tucson, AZ.

About VISIT FLORIDA
As the state’s number one industry, tourism is responsible for welcoming more than 80 million visitors each year who spend more than $60 billion, generating 22 percent of the state’s sales tax revenue and employing nearly 1 million Floridians. For every $1 spent on tourism marketing, VISIT FLORIDA – the state’s official tourism marketing corporation – generates more than $147 in tourism spending and $9 in new sales tax collections, paid by visitors, not residents. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations, new product development and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA serves more than 9,500 tourism industry businesses, including 2,900 invested Partners, 6,600 web affiliates and major strategic alliance partnerships with AirTran Airways, American Express Travel Related Services, Disney Destinations, Dollar Rent A Car, The Hertz Corporation, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Universal Orlando. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, go to www.VISITFLORIDA.org or follow our corporate blog at www.sunshinematters.org.

This is Heather & I could really use your help. Can you vote for me daily to gain exposure for our site. Tx!

-Heather