Champuru Reviews

And the winner is…

Today’s the big day! We drew the name of the lucky winner of the $50 Safeway gift card. Check out the video to see if you won!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter the contest.

Safeway has been my primary grocery store for years now. First, because of its proximity to my home — but when we moved a few miles away in 2005 I continued to make the drive to shop at Safeway. Even though there are other supermarkets closer to my home, the service and quality at Safeway had made me loyal customer.

When I was offered the opportunity to help promote Safeway’s new Just For U program on my blog, I jumped at the chance. This brand new program is for Hawaii residents only and it takes shopping to the next level — like Shopping 2.0. Smart online businesses such as Amazon.com are already doing something similar: they take your recent purchases and viewing history and use that data to provide recommendations on products they think you might like. Safeway, although typically a “brick and mortar” shopping experience, is combining the power of the web and your shopping preferences gathered from your Safeway Club Card purchases to bring you personalized deals on items you actually want to buy.

One of the biggest reasons for not clipping coupons (aside from it being a major pain in the okole) is that I rarely find coupons for products that I want to purchase. With Safeway’s Just for U program, I don’t ever have to print or clip a coupon — and the deals I receive are based on my purchasing history, so it’s always something that I am interested in buying.

Here’s how it works:

Click this link to go to Safeway.com’s Just for U program page (http://www.safeway.com/Hawaii) and register. If you have your Safeway Club Card, you can enter your card number or use phone number affiliated with your account.
Check out your personalized deals. Based on your purchasing history, Safeway will provide offers on some of your favorite products. On certain items, you will also see a cost comparison to other retailers such as Wal-mart.
Click the Add buttons on the items you’re interested in. They will be automatically loaded onto your card — no clipping/printing of coupons. Another great thing is that many of the coupons can be used an unlimited number of times prior to the expiration date. You can’t do that with traditional paper coupons!
Print or e-mail a shopping list of the deals you selected to take with you to the store. I like using the e-mail option because I can access the message from my cell phone while I’m at the store. Save trees!

Safeway Just For U

In addition to your Personalized Deals, you can access Safeway’s Coupon Center for even more savings. I had 10+ pages of coupons to choose from. And like the Personalized Deals, you can pre-load them on to your Safeway Club Card for use the next time you shop.

As if this wasn’t enough reason to sign up, Safeway is also offering customers a free dozen eggs just for registering. (Be sure to access your Personalized Deals after signing up and add this offer to your card.)

Enter to win a $50 Safeway Gift Card!

For helping them promote this campaign, Safeway offered me and one of my lucky readers a $50 Safeway Gift Card. All you have to do is leave me a comment here and I’ll add your name to the random drawing. (Be sure to leave a valid e-mail address when you comment so I can inform you if you win. Your e-mail address will not be displayed on my website.) The prize will be awarded on July 1, 2010 — so be sure to get your comment in before the end of the month to be eligible to win.

Win a set of Thank You cards from Jan designs

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

My parents, who grew up in the small plantation towns of Wahiawa and Lanai City, had fond memories of living in communities where residents were not just neighbors, but they were also friends. They shared vegetables from their gardens or fresh eggs from their chicken coop. Men gathered under the shade of a neighbor’s garage sharing beers after a long, arduous day of physical labor. Women swapped recipes and fresh baked goodies. They got into each other’s business. In a good way. Most of the time.

It’s unfortunate, but since I moved from Wahiawa (years ago) into a newer development, the residents were of a different ilk. Young families, busy between working and whisking their children to and from soccer games in their minivans, never seemed to have the time or inclination to make friends with their neighbors.

Even in the land of Aloha, I’ve never lived next door to folks that I could honestly call my friends beyond “hellos” across the fence. Until now.

I am blessed to live next door to a phenomenal couple who have become fast friends. Jan is generous to a fault and truly embodies the spirit of sharing. We are prayer partners, interceding on each other’s behalf, and we touch base daily — not always in person, but often by e-mail.

Jan has influenced me in many ways. Her sweet, loving heart reminds me how to seek the best in others. Her positive, prayerful spirit demonstrates the power of making our requests known to God. Her kindness and long-suffering encourages me to be a better mom, wife, and daughter. Her artistic talent inspires me to tap into my creative side.

You may have seen my previous entry about Jan’s upcoming class to teach us how to make a Friendship Star for Valentine’s Day. (If you are on Oahu and are interested in attending the class, please visit this entry for details on how to sign up.) But I wanted to give her art blog, Pictures with Words a quick shout-out, too. As a professional watercolor artist and calligrapher, she creates beautifully inspired artwork regularly and shares them on her blog. It’s a fabulous way to keep her skills honed and a venue to share her art with the world. And if I may toot my own horn for a moment here, I introduced her to the wonderful world of blogging. But honestly, I can’t take any credit for the way Jan seized the medium and ran with it, making it truly her own. It is my hope that more people will discover her blog and enjoy her artwork.

Jan is hosting a giveaway right now and all you need to do is visit her blog at http://jancalligrapher.blogspot.com and leave a comment on her Giveaway entry. She will be drawing a name from those that leave a comment and the lucky person will receive a set of Thank-You cards featuring her artwork and calligraphy. (The photo above is one of the designs that you can choose from if you win.) If you have a Blogger or Google account, please be sure to become a follower, too!

To learn more about Jan’s artwork, please visit her website at http://www.jandesigns.net or her Etsy Store.

Just in time for Christmas!

The good folks at Midori-dori are extending a 15% discount on purchases made on their website for champuru.net readers. Just use the discount code 09CHAMPURU15 at check-out to receive 15% off your purchase.

Midori-dori is an eco-friendly, reusable gift wrap that is beautiful and convenient. The product was invented by my friend Stacy Uyehara, who was fed up with seeing the piles of wrapping paper being discarded on Christmas morning.

I used the Midori-dori wraps for the centerpieces containing bottles of Island Princess macadamia caramel popcorn for my daughter’s first birthday party. The wrap was convenient to use and didn’t require additional decorating to make it a focal point on the tables. Consider using Midori-dori wraps for centerpieces or favors for your next party. It comes in three sizes: box wrap, wine wrap, and DVD wrap.

See below for a video that I shot and edited for Midori-dori. Stacy demonstrates how you can wrap a gift in under a minute using a Midori-dori wrap. So, go green this Christmas and save some green by using the champuru.net discount code for 15% off: 09CHAMPURU15.

Baby Safe Feeder

Baby Champuru

Baby Champuru enjoys a banana
in the Baby Safe Feeder

Whenever Baby Champuru eats anything solid, I am in constant fear of her choking. So, when I saw the Baby Safe Feeder, I knew I had to buy it and try it. I put a banana in the mesh pocket and attached the handle. Giving it to baby, she didn’t know what to make of it at first, but quickly understood that there was something edible inside and starting gnawing on it. The handle makes it easy for baby to hold and feed herself. After she finished the first serving I wanted to refill the feeder with another piece of banana, but she was so captivated by it, that clenched the handle with both hands and hollered in protest. I managed to pry it out of her hands and give her another serving — and she was absolutely thrilled.

The Baby Safe Feeder also makes a great teether, as you can put an ice cube in the mesh pocket for baby to suck on to alleviate teething pain. The real benefit is being able to put a piece of fresh fruit in the pocket without having to mash it — and it also gives baby the opportunity for self-feeding safely. The mesh bags are reusable and can be washed with warm soapy water and a clean toothbrush.

Did I mention? This product is made in the USA!

Here’s a short video of Baby Champuru eating her first banana in the Baby Safe Feeder.

Guest Blogger: Lyss Stern

Lyss Stern

I am pleased and honored to feature Lyss Stern, owner of Divalysscious Moms and author of the book, If You Give a Mom a Martini: 100 Ways to Find 10 Blissful Minutes for Yourself as a guest blogger on Champuru.net. In this article, she shares her advice on how to strike a balance between being a mother and an entrepreneur. Even if you don’t run your own business, all moms will benefit from Lyss’ “divalysscious” tips.

As the owner of Divalysscious Moms, (www.divalyssciousmoms.com), a luxury lifestyle company for mothers and families, and the mother of two young children, (Oliver is 20 months, and Jackson is five years old), I am frequently asked how I balance motherhood and owning/operating my own business especially during the summer months. While every successful mother and business owner has her own recipe with ingredients that work for her as an individual, some tips that I like to give other mothers that are in similar situations are the “Divalysscious Tips”, and the ingredients that work for my “Mommy Entrepreneur Recipe For Organization During The Summer.” Working during the summer months can be a challenge for any mom but with a little bit of ingenuity and being intentional about making time for fun, you can have a great summer with your kids.
Here are my “Divalysscious Tips on How to be a Mommy and an Entrepreneur the Key Ingredient is Organization” for owning your own business and being mother of children under the age of five.
1. Your Children Come First. That means that any email and phone call can and will come after the children are happy and settled in. With today’s technology, it seems that everything is urgent; however your children’s well being comes first. Most importantly, your children need to feel secure. Keep the children busy outside, playing, running around and or swimming in a pool. Once your children are “tired” out, you will have more time to get your work accomplished. Plan a fun family trip, it can be to the local pool and or beach. You must make time for your children during the summer months.
2. Prioritize. Make sure that your work can be done early in the morning before the children wake up. Yes, that means sometimes waking up at 4:30am to finish work… of course you will need a large cup of coffee! Get a laptop, so that you can work from the beach, pool and or your backyard. It’s important that your children see you during the summer days. Try to do work at night after the children are sleeping. Set goals for your business, family and yourself. Balance is extremely important.
3. Have a routine. Having breakfast with the children and taking my older son to the camp bus in the morning are crucial aspects of my daily life during the summer. Dinner, bath time, and bedtime are also extremely important for my children and for me. I try my best to put down the blackberry, and eat with the children, bathe them, read to them, and spend quality time with them before bed. After my boys are sleeping, I know that I can go back on the computer to finish up my work.
4. Have a “Mommy Time Out”. Moms that run their own businesses also need to take a few minutes out of their busy day for themselves. I have a strong philosophy that if mom isn’t happy then the children won’t be happy, and with running your own business, at many times things can be stressful. Take ten minutes to meditate, get a quick ten minute back massage at the local nail salon, look through a magazine, or even take ten minutes to make a phone call to a friend, completely unrelated to work, just to say hi. This time will rejuvenate you and allow you a much needed break.
5. Delegate. Always remember that being a mom and a business owner gives you the right to delegate the work, which means surrounding yourself with a great supportive team comprised of positive people who have high energy. Make sure these are people that you can trust, and people that can help you. My husband is my biggest supporter, at times he has to help with the children because I might need to be at a meeting, have to work late, etc… I know that I can count on my husband and vice versa for him, as he too, has a high demanding job. Delegate the errands with your family, care giver, and do not be afraid to ask for help! It’s always better to ask, then to be completely overwhelmed.

If You Give a Mom a Martini: 100 Ways to Find 10 Blissful Minutes for Yourself

As a stay-at-home mom, my baby tends to become an extension of myself. I rarely venture anywhere without her and when I do, it feels as though I’m missing a limb. My identity has become swathed in a cute pink onesie, as I am wrapped around the tiny little finger belonging to Baby Champuru. Trying to find a few minutes of “me” time isn’t always easy and sometimes I even feel guilty for wanting just a few minutes to myself.

But along came a book, If You Give a Mom a Martini: 100 Ways to Find 10 Blissful Minutes for Yourself that assured me that out of 1,440 minutes in a day, taking 10 minutes for myself is more than fair. Besides, as they say, “every so often, it’s good to do a little something for yourself, because a happier mom is a better mom.” Hey, I want to be a better mom!

The book was a fun read, perfect for busy moms – as you can read a tip or two or three, depending on how many minutes you can steal during baby’s naptime or how long you can sit on the commode before your toddler comes barging in wanting to know where her sippy cup went.

Even if you can’t employ all 100 suggestions, moms will enjoy the relatability of the authors and smile as you ponder the possibilities for your next 10 blissful minutes of mom time.

(Sponsored Review)

Tracking Baby: Baby Log iPhone/iPod app

Clipboard

When our baby was born, the hospital provided a form to track baby’s activities: feeding and diaper changes. In the beginning days of life, it’s vitally important to track input and output to ensure that baby is being properly nourished, especially if she is being breastfed. It also provided columns for tracking how many minutes per breast your baby nursed on; if baby was fed by bottle, what kind of formula given and how much; diaper changes specified wet or stool. It was so helpful to me that I continued keeping the log, but found having to keep a clipboard always at hand somewhat cumbersome.

While I was browing for games on the App Store on my iPod Touch, I thought of doing a search on applications for babies. Surely someone thought of creating some nifty app to make a mommy’s life easier, right? Well, yes. Enter the Baby Log application for iPhone/iPod Touch by Platinum Coded.

Baby Log

The Baby Log app easily tracks feedings (in minutes, ounces, or milliliters), diaper changes (specify poop or no poop), sleeping, baths, and “other” which you can specify yourself. This is especially helpful for breastfeeding moms (like me) who have a hard time remembering which side they nursed last and it’s great for keeping time while you are nursing. I try to nurse baby around twenty minutes on each side every two hours, so at a glance I can see how much time has elapsed while I am nursing as well as when it’s time for the next feeding. Tracking baby’s sleeping patterns have also been particularly helpful, so that I can guess when her next nap might be based on past trends. I am still concerned about baby’s poop frequency, so tracking that has become easier with the Baby Log as well.

The Baby Log also allows data to be exported to Excel (in comma-delimited format) so you number-crunching types can run your own reports and make your own graphs if you so desire. The application also computes weekly statistics and displays them on the timer screen (not shown).

If you have twins, no problem! Baby Log is twins capable, just shake your iPod/iPhone to switch profiles.

At $4.99, it’s a great deal considering there are gadgets for this exact purpose for upwards of $25.

Co-sleeping

We have an Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper that was received as a baby shower gift and it is the single most useful thing we own for baby.

Having baby right next to me without having her in our bed is imporant to me. I am a heavy sleeper (yes, still) and if she were in the other room where her crib is, she’d likely be crying for an hour and work herself into a red-faced tantrum before I am roused from my slumber. With her no more than a few feet from my eardrums, the smallest stirring or whimpering will awaken me from a dead sleep. It’s also convenient to have her literally at “arm’s reach” for those 3 am feedings.

The co-sleeper attaches securely to our bed, but can also be converted to a free-standing bassinet or a playard. It’s portable (breaks down to 10″ x 10″ x 32″ and weighs 32 lbs.) and comes with a travel bag. Our family is going to Turtle Bay Resort for the weekend to celebrate our niece’s birthday, and while we were considering attending, the co-sleeper was definitely on the packing list. However, after speaking with our pediatrician, he recommended against going out in public while baby is still less than two months old, especially during flu season (October through mid-May), so that’s a no-go.

Her crib is used mainly for daytime naps, but we will transition her to the crib once she outgrows the co-sleeper. I can tell that the transition will likely be harder on me than on the baby.

iPod Touch – The Essential Baby Gadget

Numerous friends have told us that a white noise or “sound machine” is a helpful device to have to help baby get to sleep. We saw the calming effect it had on Baby Champuru at the photo shoot we did with Lisa Hoang of Windwardskies Photography. Ever since, I have been meaning to get a sound machine and even sent Hubby on a mission to USA Baby and Wal-mart to find the elusive gadget — but, to no avail. And lucky for us, too, because we found a much better solution that cost us less than a buck.

As I was perusing the iTunes App Store, I found a nifty little application called Ambiance for $0.99 that is basically a sound machine for your iPhone or iPod Touch. Instead of paying $20+ for an actual device, I just downloaded the application for $0.99 and hooked up a set of old Dell computer speakers and subwoofer and — voila! — we have a sound machine that sounds phenomenal.

I have been using it at night after her last feeding and it seems to do the trick. Our favorite is the creek sound effect, which really does sound like running water just outside our window. It’s all the benefits of having a creek, without the mosquitos.

Most of the sound machines I’ve seen online look much like a clock radio, I’d assume with the sound quality to match. With the ambiance app, your iPod Touch (or iPhone), and a set of decent speakers, you have a nice alternative for a fraction of the cost. So, now you have a legitimate reason to put that iPod on your baby registry!