If you’re in Jacksonville, NC, then you have to check out the cool things happening on and around October 31st!

Halloween in the Old West at 30 Acres & a Mule Farm

Saturday October 31st at 7pm. The wagon leaves at 7:30pm.
Take a hayride to the Old West and watch a live Western Show, with Trick or Treats, Hot Chocolate, and a Marshmallow Roast.
Tickets are $2 for adults, $5 for children.. but if you RSVP by Oct 29th, You can get $1 off per child making it $4 per child!

125 McGowan Rd. Jacksonville, NC
For more information call 910-324-4499
Haunted Hayride & Halloween Carnival at Mike’s Farm

Hayrides begin at 7pm on October 29th, 30th, and 31st.
Children’s Carnival on October 30th and 31st, after dark.
Costume Contest for children on Saturday Oct 31st only, starting at 8pm.
All Proceeds go to the Back Swamp VFD & Fountaintown VFD.
Mike’s Farm is located at 1600 Haw Branch Road in Beulaville, NC.
For more information  call 910-324-3422.

Marston Pavilion Haunted Forest

Choose between two haunted paths: Trail of Terror or Purgatory Path.
Hours of Operation are 7pm – 9:30pm October 28th – November 1st.
Admission is $3 per trail, or $5 for both trails.
The Pumpkin Patch Just For Kids October 29th – October 31st from 7pm – 9pm.
Located at Marston Pavilion aboard Camp Lejeune.
For more information you can call 910-450-1687.

The Nightmare Factory in Havelock

Open Thurs. from 7pm-11pm, and Fri., and Sat. from 7pm-12am from September 18th – October 31st.
Rated “R” Show Times are Friday & Saturday 10pm – 11pm.
Features Mystery Maze.
Hosting HallowFest 2009, being held on Oct. 30th & 31st from 4pm-7pm, with daytime activities for families.
Haunted house tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children. Mystery Maze price is $8 for adults, $5 for children. They also offer group tickets and discounts.
Located at 29 Park Ln. in Havelock, NC.
For more information call 252-444-FEAR

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!!!

Last week was a very busy week for the MommyBrain family! I was going to Blog World Expo in Las Vegas, but before that, we had a very special concert to attend!

We went to see the Imagination Movers in concert in Durham, NC. It was a good drive, but it was so worth it! We had aisle seats towards the front in the Orchestra section. They were amazing. When the Movers came out into the audience to sing, they always came down our aisle and the girls would run out to give them High 5′s or shake their hands. The smiles that they had on their faces were just amazing.

This was the girls’ first concert ever, so they didn’t know what to expect. All they knew was that they were going to sing and dance along to some of their favorite music! The funny thing was that they asked Daddy and me if they were *really* the Imagination Movers or if it was just a movie. They thought we were at a movie theater. When we told them it was *really truly* the Imagination Movers, they got so excited. We got dressed up. The girls asked me to curl their hair, and off we went on the 2.5 hour drive to Durham. We arrived about an hour before the show, checked in and picked up our Meet & Greet Passes. We hadn’t eaten yet, so we snacked on some of the food there at concessions… A small fortune there… They opened up the lobby upstairs so up we went.

When they opened up the theater, we quickly found our seats… Like I said, we were sitting next to the aisle, in row K… They were amazing seats. We watched a few really cool Disney cartoons, including “Where is Warehouse Mouse” on the screen up on stage while waiting for the Movers to come out on stage.

Suddenly… the theater went dark, and we heard the announcer telling us to scream… The girls weren’t too sure what was going on… all they knew was that it was getting loud, and everyone was getting excited… The lights came on and out came Mover Rich, Mover Scott, Mover Dave and Mover Smitty!!! They were soooooo excited. I should’ve known that children wouldn’t stay in their seats when there’s amazing music playing.

I can’t give anything away, but I have to say that the Movers put on an EXCELLENT concert. If you can make it to one of their shows in your area, you will not be disappointed. Your children (and you) can participate in an Idea Emergency… We had a little brainstorm going on there… We even got to see Warehouse Mouse at the show!!! He’s so cute!

After the show, we stayed for a Meet and Greet. We got to actually talk with the guys for a little bit, which was so cool. They are some of the sweetest guys… I can see why the kids love them so much! Honestly, I don’t know who was more excited, me or the girls. Daddy and I seriously wanted to get up and dance with the kids the whole time! I may or may not have danced to their “Jump Up” song that they play after they solve every Idea Emergency…  What can I say? The Imagination Movers have cool kid music that the parents don’t want to turn off!

Ok, so for more about their concert… check out this interview I did with Mover Dave a couple of days before we saw them!

Imagination Movers – Dave – Interview

To see if they’re coming to your town, check out their concert tour schedule!

I can not thank Disney and the Imagination Movers enough for giving us tickets to the show, and passes to the Meet & Greet. It was an amazing evening for the whole family! We wish you guys much success and safe travels on your tour! Can’t wait to talk/see you guys again!!!

Over the last few weeks, my husband and I have been given the opportunity to try out several of the latest iPhone battery pack cases on the market today. He helped me write this review of the four cases we tested out.

FastMac iV:
Good: The iV really extends battery life. Ryan used it for a few weeks, and noticed that he would get to the end of the day with normal usage and just barely be getting to the phone power. The iV can also be used to recharge other USB chargable devices, like a bluetooth earpiece. It also has a very convenient flashlight that can be used to improve photo quality in dimmer lighted situations among other things. Unlike many of the other battery pack cases, the iV uses your iPhone charging cable to charge up, and you don’t have to remove the case if you use the Apple universal dock.
Bad: With more power comes a bigger battery that makes it big and bulky, especially if you keep your phone in your pocket. Another thing we found was that when the iV is low on battery it will continuously alert you by vibrating if your ringer is off or beeping if your sound is on. We’ve contacted FastMac and they said that it is normal, and suggested removing the case. They also suggested only using the iV as a charger rather than a case, and only connecting it to the iPhone when you need a quick charge. It does not fully encase phone so the top is not protected if phone is dropped.

It’s big and bulky, and not our first choice for carrying around in a pocket all day, but, it’s spectacular battery life makes it great for when the kids want to watch movies or play games or if you’re going to be away from a charger for a weekend away. It’s great to keep in your purse or laptop bag for those quick charge emergencies! They do also include a free screen protector and in iPhone headphone adapter cable so you have microphone and iPod music controls just like the iPhone headphones. It comes in handy if you forget your iPhone headset and can find your iPod earphones!

2G only: $79.95

Universal 2G, 3G, 3Gs & touch: $99.95

* Optional belt clip is available for purchase from FastMac $19.95

**UPDATE 11/17/09: @rjbrady has just informed me that the second battery pack case has failed on him. The iV has started losing it’s charge very quickly. It used to last all day, and now it’s lasting half of the day. The issue I mentioned with the vibrating when the battery pack is out is constant. The case does not stay off when he turns it off. Not sure if there is an issue with the power button, but will be contacting FastMac tomorrow for possible solution!

inCase Power Slider
Good: The inCase Power Slider is fairly streamlined. This case extends battery life to last all day with moderate use of phone and Internet. I’ve actually owned this one for several months now. I purchased it when I upgraded to the iPhone 3G. It was the only iPhone battery case that I knew about at the time. It uses (included) a mini USB cable to charge, which is the same USB cable used with most digital cameras. This makes it easy to charge without wall outlet adapter if near computer. The Power Slider does not alert you when it’s out of battery. It just switches to phone battery.
Bad: I have had it for 6 months and it was already losing charge time. It was great at first, but with daily use and charging, it seemed like the battery life was diminishing. The matte finish was peeling off, which was only cosmetic, but just didn’t look as pretty anymore. My phone also seemed to lose some reception with this pack. When I removed the top part I typically gained one bar. The speaker phone could not be used unless I removed the battery pack. It would cause some sort of interference and make noises on the phone and person I was speaking to couldn’t hear me. I also had a lot of trouble with syncing the phone with the case on. I followed the instructions word for word, and it still would not connect.

*inCase has recently discontinued the 3G Power Slider due to many of the complaints it has received, but is promising a new version out just in time for the holidays. Despite inCase no longer carrying this item, the 3G Power Slider is still available from many online retailers.

MSRP $79.95 at many retailers

Mophie Juice Pack Air
Good: The Juice Pack Air is very streamlined. It’s thin so it doesn’t add a whole lot of bulk to the phone. The case fully encompasses the phone so it’s protected all around, except the screen. I’ve been using this case for the last couple of weeks, and even took it with me to Blog World Expo. The battery definitely lasts through the day with a lot of use! While at the conference, I was able to text, tweet, check my email, use the internet and talk on the phone all day without worrying about my battery dying. The trick, I learned, is to use your phone battery until it’s at about 20%, and then turn on the battery pack to re-charge the phone. It worked out really well this way. Unlike the Power Slider, I didn’t experience any interference while using the speaker phone, nor did I notice any reception loss when the case was on.

Bad: The Juice Pack Air uses a (included) micro USB cable instead of a mini for charging. Make sure you have your cable because you more than likely won’t be able to just bum one off of your neighbor at the conference.. but don’t fret. If you happen to carry an Amazon Kindle DX2, you can use that cable to charge your Juice Pack Air too.

$79.95 at Mophie’s site, the Apple store or other Apple certified vendors!

Case-Mate Fuel:

Good: The Case-Mate Fuel extends battery life very well, even with heavy use of the iPhone and it’s services. Like the iV & the Juice Pack Air, the Fuel has an on/off button so you can control when your pack is on or off. It also has a belt clip attached so you don’t have to put it in your pocket or bag. The great thing about the clip is that it allows the case to turn so you can wear your iPhone vertically or horizontally. After 10 days of continuous use, the clip is holding up very well. The clip is not detachable though, so if you don’t like the idea of having a clip, this probably isn’t the case for you. The Fuel uses a mini USB cable for charging, so it should be fairly easy to find a cable to charge up if you forget yours.

Bad: The Fuel doesn’t protect the top of the phone. It also has bright blue LEDs on the front that are always on when the pack is turned on. This uses unnecessary battery power, and makes it hard to have on in darker places (i.e. the movie theater).

$79.99 at Case-Mate online store and other retailers

After testing out the various cases, Ryan has decided that the Fuel is the best one for him for a daily use case, where I have chosen the Mophie Juice Pack Air. Check out the various iPhone battery cases on their websites using the links in each review or in your local retailers to see which one would best fit your usage needs!

**UPDATE 10/29/09: The Fuel has stopped charging this week. No idea why. Searched Google for anyone else with similar issues and came up empty. I’m in contact with a rep from Case-Mate who has requested I send it back to him. No troubleshooting suggestions. We’ve both tried plugging the phone into our computers, our Apple Chargers with the correct USB cable, and I’ve tried both his and my iPhones. No luck. Will update again when I get some sort of resolution.

**UPDATE 2: The Fuel was sent back, and deemed to be a bad battery. No replacement unit was ever sent for further review.

**UPDATE 3: We really needed to get my husband an iPhone battery case, so for Christmas 2009, I purchased him a Mophie Juice Pack Air. Based on all review units sent to us, this was the case that I felt was the best option for us.

**We want to thank FastMac, Mophie and Case-Mate all for sending us their cases for this review.

Michael Bublé has come out with a new album called “Crazy Love” and thanks to One2One Network, I got to check it out before it was out in stores!

Similar to my previous review of Harry Connick Jr’s new CD, Michael Bublé is another artist that I haven’t normally listened to. My good ol’ Rock n Roll has always taken my heart when it comes to music that I listen to. I must say though, that Michael has an amazing voice. His music just makes my heart happy! I couldn’t help but smile when I heard “Georgia on my Mind”… and his title track, “Crazy Love” is very cool.

I actually have really enjoyed listening to this CD while blogging and cleaning house. My girls haven’t really liked it though. They’re like me and LOVE music with a big beat :) They love to dance too, and for them, this music is a little slow…

If you want to learn more about Michael Bublé, you can check out his website: http://bit.ly/MBSite

Check out his Music Video for  “Haven’t Met You Yet” : http://bit.ly/MBvideo
Fan him on Facebook: http://bit.ly/MBFanPage
and when you’re ready, buy his album from Amazon! Check out the tracks on his album!

Album Tracklisting:
1. Cry Me A River
2. All Of Me
3. Georgia On My Mind
4. Crazy Love
5. Haven’t Met You Yet
6. All I Do Is Dream Of You
7. Hold On
8. Heartache Tonight
9. You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
10. Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)
11. At This Moment
12. Stardust
13. Whatever It Takes (bonus track)

**This giveaway is now closed**

Random Integer Generator

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7

Timestamp: 2009-11-06 23:39:20 UTC

I love to read… when I have the “free time”… and I’ve had the opportunity to read some really great books lately. I normally read action and things like Dan Brown’s books, but when I was offered the chance to step out of my “normal library” and try something new, I took it!

One2One network sent me a copy of Eileen Goudge’s newest novel called “Once in a Blue Moon”. It’s a story about two sisters who were separated at a very young age when Child Services took them away from their mother. Life went on for them, in two very different directions. They are reunited later on in life when one of the sisters is stuck in a similar situation like her mother was years ago. I have not finished this book yet, but what I’ve read of it, it’s been pretty good! I took it with me on the airplane to/from Blog World Expo this past weekend, and it was perfect! It kept my attention and I couldn’t put it down!

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve never been into the natural herbs, and holistic thing. I’ve always been scared to take things that aren’t given to me by my doctor. Lately though, I’ve done a lot of research into how different things can be healthier for you, and help your body to function better. Now I am not a doctor, nurse or anything close to a medical person, so please do your own research before taking on various herbs and other things… but I was given the chance to try some Flax Seed Oil from Herbs of Mexico. They sent me two large bottles… with the instruction in Spanish… LOL.. Luckily with a little High School knowledge and the internet, I was able to figure out what it said.

I don’t have any scientific facts or studies from using this product, but I did do some research on the internet about the possible benefits from flax seed oil, and here’s what I found**:

Flax Seed Oil contains omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fiber, protein, and zinc and also provides approximately 50% more omega-3 oils than what you could get from taking fish oil, minus that horrible “fishy” after taste.

Just look at this list of facts and studies of what Flax Seed Oil can and may accomplish:

– Research shows low incidence of breast cancer and colon cancer in populations that have high amounts of lignan in their diet. Flax is 100 times richer in lignan than most whole grains.

– Studies show that Omega-3 fatty acids help lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and prevent clots in arteries, which may result in strokes, heart attacks and thromboses.

– Helps protect the body against high blood pressure, inflammation, water retention, sticky platelets and lowered immune function.

– Shortens recovery time for fatigued muscles after exertion.

– Increases the body’s production of energy and also increases stamina.

– Accelerates the healing of sprains and bruises.

– Eases weight loss in people afflicted with obesity.

– Stimulates brown fat cells and increases the metabolic rate making it easier to burn off fat.

– Improves the absorption of Calcium.

– Strengthens finger and toenails.

– Can improve eyesight and perception of colors.

– Can often improve the function of the liver.

– Can relieve the side effects and stop development of many forms of cancer.

– Can relieve some cases of Asthma.

– Helpful in the treatment of Eczema, Psoriasis, and Dandruff.

– Can relieve the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. It can relieve the symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus.

– Can alleviate some allergies.

– Helps prevent Atherosclerosis (the accumulation of fatty deposits inside the blood vessels, especially the large and medium-sized arteries, that many people experience during the aging process).

– Lowers high blood pressure in Hypertension sufferers.

– Has been scientifically proven to treat some cases of depression.

– Can improve the mental function of many old age pensioners.

– Can help in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.

– Has been proven to improve the behavior of Schizophrenics.

– Can relieve some cases of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) in females.

– And more…!

As with anything that has to do with your health, ALWAYS consult a doctor before trying something you’re not sure of… Even after extensive research on the internet!

I have noticed that I feel a little more energized, since starting to take the Flax Seed Oil, which is nice. I’m really hoping to see the potential weight loss benefits too!

Herbs of Mexico has a huge selection of herbal and health products available from Detox and Cleansing kits, to Cold Be Gone and *ahem*… Sexual Health Kits… Their site is very easy to navigate, and have products sorted alphabetically, or by Health.. Aging, Blood Sugar Control, Stress and Anxiety, even Brain & Memory (I so need that)….

If you want more information about some of the products they offer and what they could potentially do to help your health… Check out Herbs of Mexico!

Thanks again to Herbs of Mexico for sending me the Flax Seed Oil to try out!

** Sources for Info about Flax Seed Benefits

http://www.essortment.com/all/whatisflaxsee_pfy.htm

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed

http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/health-supplements/flax-seed-oil.htm