High Quality Entertaining Without Breaking the Bank At Aldi

Suppose you were planning a holiday gathering, and needed to buy some food for the event. Not a lot of stuff, but a few items to munch on, and possible some dessert and adult beverages. (Let's also say you're unable to cook anything from scratch, either because you're short on time or inept in the kitchen like me.)

So you go to the store with this list:

- cheese cubes
- whole grain crackers (the round entertaining-type - 2 pks)
- soft cheese (Brie)
- apple pie
- cheesecake sampler
- chocolate truffles
- after dinner mints
- 2 bottles of wine

How much would you expect all of that to cost you? I priced these items out at one of our local grocery stores, and the cost was at least $75. The wine alone was $10 a bottle for decent wines.


So when I was invited to take a list like this to Aldi and spend less than $50, I wasn't convinced I could do it. First, Aldi sells wine? And second, would the quality be as good as I'd expect from my usual grocery store?

Well yes, Aldi does sell wine in select stores. Their wines include several award-winning wines for very reasonable prices. Known for its premium exclusive brands, ALDI offers more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased grocery items for up to 50 percent less than traditional supermarkets.

Customers can get all the holiday essentials for less, including everything from wines and appetizers to main courses, side dishes and desserts, making holiday meals and family gatherings warm and memorable. During the holiday season, ALDI stores also carry an additional line-up of more than 100 seasonal items at unbeatable prices.

I did get all of the items on my list, along with some chocolate covered gingerbread cookies and a frozen pack of grilled chicken strips. Total cost for everything: $50.19.

As for the quality? Outstanding. Everyone loved the cheese, the crackers, and the desserts. The truffles just melted in my mouth. (And I probably ate far too many!) The only item I didn't like was the gingerbread cookies, but my kids liked them.

The two wines I bought were the Landshut Riesling and the Villa Malizia Pinot Grigio - both award-winning wines. I poured the wines for my family at our Christmas gathering and didn't tell them where they came from. Once everyone had tried the wine - with several comments about how I picked good wines - I then told them I bought the wine at Aldi and each bottle was $4.99. The surprise was evident!

This one was my fav!

I admit I've never been to Aldi before this trip. My mother occasionally shops there and has always liked it. In our area, Aldi has the stigma of being more of a lower-quality grocery store, but I've found this is far from the truth! Just because Aldi offers private brands doesn't mean the quality suffers in any way. They put a lot of thought into the quality of their food, with the result being great taste at a low price.

I'm impressed at the amount of food I was able to purchase for $50, but I'm even more impressed at how tasty it was. The wines were truly outstanding, proving that pricier wines aren't necessarily better. I've already added the Landshut Riesling to my next grocery list.

If your budget is being stretched thinner and thinner, consider Aldi for your grocery purchases. In case you've never been before, here are a few tips: the grocery carts require a quarter to remove from the corral, but you get your quarter back when you're done. (And ensure no dings in your car from runaway carts in the parking lot.) Aldi also saves money by charging you for grocery bags - ten cents a bag. But bringing your own bags is free and encouraged. You could say they were promoting eco-friendly practices before it became popular!

Full disclosure: I participated in this blog campaign on behalf of Aldi and Mom Central Consulting and received a gift certificate to facilitate this review. No guarantee of a positive review was promised nor required. All opinions are my own. And so are my truffles - go buy some for yourself.

It's A Dance Party With Just Dance 3!

What did we ever do before the invention of dancing games? When I think back to holiday family gatherings from years past, I remember the same old board games brought out year after year. If the game was too advanced, the younger kids couldn't join in, and the adults didn't want to play anything aimed at the little ones.

But now that there are games like Just Dance 3, any gathering can quickly turn into a dance party for all ages. The first dance game I ever tried was the original Just Dance for Wii (and recented ABBA You Can Dance), and despite my eternal lack of coordination, I was hooked. The enthusiasm spread quickly, too: at Thanksgiving this year, my mom and my aunt joined me for a dance-off in my living room. Never until now would I have imagined them joining in for a dancing game!

Just Dance 3 has all of the fun of the original Just Dance, with even more music and a greater variety of modes to keep the game interesting. Lots of current hits can be found in this game, but for people (like my mom) who don't keep up with the Top 40 and have never heard of LMFAO, there are plenty of older hits to choose from as well like Boogie Wonderland.  (Some songs have to be unlocked via game play, and others can also be downloaded to your console.)

Let me be clear: you don't have to be good at dancing to play this game. You only need to be able to hold the Wii remote in your right hand and try your best to follow the moves of the dancer on the screen. That's it.

You won't match every move, you'll laugh at yourself trying to do some of the poses, and at the end of a song you'll find yourself saying, "Oh no, we're doing that one again, and I'm going to ace it this time!"

We tested the game with all ages, from my older relatives to my four year old. There's the standard quick play mode to get you right into the action, and there's also Just Sweat mode for some serious cardio while burning up the dance floor. If you're not picky about songs, you can set it to Shuffle mode. Dance Mash-up is a new way to play that lets you have up to four players each with their own, separate dance moves to do. You have to carefully follow your selected dancer on the screen, but when done well it's a really awesome choreographed dance number.

Our friends and family have loved playing this game. The number of songs included with the game means it's hard to ever get bored, and the Dance Mash-up provides a fun new way to dance as a group. Beyond the fun - we're also getting our exercise while we play!

And while I've said I'm uncoordinated, there are those few (short) moments when it all comes together and we suddenly look like we know what we're doing:

(I said SHORT moments, people.)

I highly recommend this game. Dance alone for fun and exercise, or hand your friends and family Wii remotes and make your holiday party a dance party. As for us, I know we'll be burning off those Christmas dinner calories with a little Just Dance 3 this weekend!

Just Dance 3 is available for Wii, XBox 360 and Playstation 3.

Full disclosure: Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions (and sore muscles from too much dancing) are my own.

Be The Dancing Queen With ABBA You Can Dance

Let's get one thing out of the way up front: I'm not the most coordinated person you'll meet. Far from it. I can usually trip over my own feet on a smooth flat surface. So when it comes to dancing, I'm generally the one hiding in the back to avoid looking like a fool or taking out a group of dancers with one wrong move.

The rise of dancing video games, however, has given me the chance to practice my dance skills a little more in the comfort (and privacy) of my own home. But when the time comes to play a game as a group, I suddenly get shy and encourage everyone else to go before me.

I've found one dance game, however, that simply needs a party. Why? One word: ABBA.

If you know nothing of ABBA, then you are likely under thirty years old or avoid musical theatre. ABBA was one of the great disco groups of the 1970's and their music has persisted well beyond that decade. Even in college in the mid-90's, we could count on the song Dancing Queen being played at every sorority dance. Eventually a Broadway musical was made using only songs from ABBA, and Mamma Mia! quickly became a hit that still tours the US today. (It's actually in Columbus right now!)

When I received my copy of ABBA You Can Dance for Wii, I expected it to be like many of the other dance games available. And in many ways, it is. You can select the song you want to dance to (all ABBA, of course), choose up to four players to dance, and then try your best to match the dance moves on the screen for a high score.

But this is ABBA. These songs are party songs - disco songs that you can't help but move to and sing along with. When you've got songs like that, dancing by yourself is a crime - you need a group.

To properly try out this game, we went to my brother-in-law's house for a proper dance party with friends. I also received a small gift to help set the mood:

Disco time!

The result? We had a blast! We won't be winning any dance competitions anytime soon, but we laughed and sang and danced ourselves silly. 

Even Mira joined in for some dance time.

Some of the songs feature a single set of dance moves, while others have you select a character to follow and your dance moves won't always match those of your fellow dancers, giving you the feel of a choreographed performance. This is especially fun in Mini-Musical mode, where you can live out your Broadway dreams by dancing in a sock-hop style musical. Adding a USB microphone lets you sing along if dancing isn't your style.

While we weren't dancing queens, with practice we did have a few moments of being in sync. Very short moments, of course.

ABBA You Can Dance is a great Wii game for all ages, and perfect for any party. Whether you're a loyal ABBA fan or have never heard them, the songs are fun, the dancing is challenging without being too difficult, and there's plenty of entertainment to keep the party going for hours.


Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. And I have to brag that I was AWESOME at Super Trouper.

Hickory Farms Makes The Holidays A Little Tastier

The holidays are not kind to those of us watching our weight. So many parties, and an endless selection of food. I can't resist party foods, and one of the areas I always hover over is the meat and cheese tray. Sure, the sweets get their fair share of attention, too, but a girl needs her protein before all that sugar.

So when Mom Central asked if I would like to review a gift basket from Hickory Farms, I nearly drooled on my keyboard while hitting the reply button. When I was younger, it was common to have Hickory Farms sausage and cheese as an appetizer at our family holiday gatherings. It's been awhile since I had the chance to savor those treats, and I was curious if they tasted as good as my memory tells me they did so many years ago.

I received an impressive selection of sausage and cheese, all packaged in an awesome "Hickory Handyman Tool Bag" set. My husband took one look at the tool bag and started planning how he could use this bag. I was more interested in the food, of course. Included were three different summer sausage, three sausage snacks, four blocks of cheese, two boxes of crackers and a container of hot mustard.

We decided to start with the mini beef sausage snacks while watching TV one night. My memory had clearly not failed me in this matter - the bite-size sausage snacks were spicy, juicy, and full of flavor without being too salty.

We brought the summer sausage and cheese to a party, and everyone loved the spicy beef and creamy cheeses. (I nearly kept the Hickory Cheddar all for myself because it was so tasty.) I only got a bite of each myself - it was all gone before I could go back for seconds! I wish I could have had another bite or three of the ham summer sausage, a new favorite of mine when combined with a little dab of hot mustard.

This holiday season, Hickory Farms will donate $5 to Share Our Strength for each Party Planner Gift Box sold. Share Our Strength is a leading national non-profit organization working to end childhood hunger in America. Additionally, 40 of the gift items available on the Hickory Farms website have free military shipping, allowing our troops across the globe to share in holiday traditions.

Hickory Farms sausage and cheeses are not only great choices for your holiday party spread, but they make great gifts for friends, clients, and families. With gift baskets and boxes of all sizes and selections, you're sure to find the right gift for several people on your list.

Full disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a Hickory Farms gift basket to facilitate my review. No further compensation was provided, and a positive review was neither promised nor guaranteed.

Let's Get Ready To Boogie!

Ever since I got my Wii, I've been searching out fun games to try for it. Until now, I really only played my Wii Sports and Wii Fit, deciding this game system was really all about me getting into shape. But when Parent Bloggers asked me if I wanted to try out Boogie Superstar, I about fell over myself to reply as fast as possible and beg to be one of the reviewers.

Boogie Superstar is a dance and karaoke game, with a design similar to an American Idol competition. The only device you need to play, besides the Wii controller, is a microphone, which is supplied with the game. I was a little diappointed to see that the microphone wasn't wireless, like every other Wii add-on, but at least it does have a very long cord so you can move around while singing.

After watching the intro, you choose a character and then have the option to fine-tune the character to make it look just the way you want. You can change the hairstyle, haircolor, clothing, shoes, etc. Many of the clothing items are locked at first - you have to play the game and earn points to buy them.

When I got the game, I was far more excited about the karaoke part of it, and for the first few tries I selected only singing competitions. At first I was a little surprised to see so many of the songs were locked - again, you have to play the game and earn points to unlock them. As I scrolled through the list, I saw several songs I wanted to sing that were currently locked.

However, while I worried I wouldn't know any of the songs, I did find four that I knew relatively well on the starting list. (Bleeding Love, Hot & Cold, Pocketful of Sunshine, and Makes Me Wonder.) Seeing Hot & Cold on the list was a big surprise - that song has only been on the charts for a month or so! With only a small bit of instruction, I was soon singing loudly to some of my favorite tunes. Was I on-key? Not always, thanks to a cold, but the game is very generous with it's range of what is on-key. My first competition (a series of three dance, song, or combo sets) earned me a win over my computer competitors - not a surprise, since I think I'm a decent singer.

I finally decided I had to try out the dance portion, in order to give it a full review, and so I went into the practice room to practice my dance moves before attempting a competition. I learned that I suck as a dancer. Clearly this game was meant for younger people in better shape. Unlike other Wii games where you don't have to move at lightening speed, you have to keep up a dance club groove at a zippy pace. The first time I tried a competition with dance sets only, I was beat by one of the computer characters.

But playing against friends, though, yielded a different result - play against people your own age, and suddenly age is no longer a factor in the game. And if you're really concerned, make it an adult game night and set out a bottle of wine.

And for the record - Boogie Superstar is a great upper-body workout. After playing several rounds, my arms and upper back were sore the next day.

Despite my lack of dance ability, this is a fun game. It especially works well as a party game, both for kids and for adults. While I tested it out solo at first, I felt kinda lame singing and dancing by myself. I know there are some concerns with songs having bad words in them (Makes Me Wonder has the word damn) or inappropriate lyrics for kids (Britney Spears & Toxic, perhaps?), but at the same time, these are the same songs that your kids are listening to on the radio all the time. The age range for this game is 10+, so unless your children aren't allowed to listen to the radio, I think the songs are acceptable.

If you've got a family who likes to act silly together, Boogie Superstar would make a great game for keeping the family entertained at holiday gatherings. Now if only they'd make a Boogie 80's version of the game. I could totally rock at singing Whip It.

Party Supplies and A Chat With Elmo

Right before Cordy's birthday party, I was contacted by the Solo Cup Company, asking if we would like to try out their new line of Sesame Street cups, bowls and plates. Specifically, I was asked if I had an upcoming party that needed supplies. I replied that Cordy was having a birthday party that weekend, and we didn't have any supplies yet. Candace then overnighted me a box of cups and bowls to use for the party.

The kids loved the cups and bowls! We used the bowls to serve ice cream and cake, meaning less was scooped off plates onto the floor or small laps. I liked that they were strong bowls and the cups held up all day long, despite several refills with ice. The cups also came with tops and straws to minimize spills. At the end of the party, we had a large bag for people to throw all of the paper products into for recycling, making clean-up a piece of...well...cake. The Sesame Street paper bowls and cups were perfect for the party.

Also, right now Solo is putting a toll-free number on each package of Sesame Street party products. Dialing that number will put your child in contact with Elmo, which if your kid likes Elmo will make you officially Coolest Mom of the Year. Sure, it's a recorded message, but will your child care? Probably not. The Solo Sesame Street website also has activities to print off, including recipes and coloring pages.