Nutella Mommyparties!!

I was so lucky to host a party sponsored by Nutella hazelnut spread. Oh my goodness! 

We had a breakfast here, and I pulled out all the stops, I made French toast spread that with Nutella. I also attempted crepes with Nutella and strawberries, people said that they were good but umm. I'm not so sure that I liked them.

Nutella was so nice to give away samples and coupons to all the guests, they also gave us some amazing coffee tumblers that break down into organic matter in one to five years after they are disposed of!

I would also like to comment on the Nutella spreaders that we received, finally a way to get all the way around my jar of Nutella!

The best part about Nutella in my opinion anyways is that it is free from Hydrogenated oils and trans fat! So that means that even though it might have 200 calories in two tablespoons, its not hydrogenated, and its delicious, which means I have no problem gobbling it up once each morning. 

I've really been getting into spreading it on a whole wheat tortilla with some chopped hazelnuts, brewers yeast (yes folks a great way to disguise the awful taste of brewers yeast) some hemp seeds and whatever else I want to throw on, I just roll it up and eat that for breakfast. Quick, easy and delicious! 

Another great fact about Nutella which makes it especially cool is that its peanut free. In fact, the products in the factory don't come into contact with peanut ingredients during manufacturing, This is so great because often families with peanut allergies are limited in chocolate and nuts that they can eat. Nutella is a great alternative to the classic A.M. peanut butter on whole wheat toast!

I'd especially like to thank Mommyparties for choosing me to be a host of the party, We had a blast and everyone loved the goodies that they got to take home, including the $1.00 off coupon! I'm glad to say that maybe one or two of those guests might convert to reusing their Nutella tumblers, rather then getting a Styrofoam each day from Dunkin Donuts!

Thanks again, my guests and I both look forward to hosting another great Mommyparty

I received a free kit full of goodies from Nutella! I did not receive any cash for this review. Thanks Nutella and Mommyparties!

"Dance First, Think Later"

Alright, before I post this review let me just say that I like books that are easy to pick up and put down, having a toddler, and a full time job makes it hard to read novels. By the time I get started reading something, its too late, I'm already being pulled in another direction.

Which is why I like books that have quick sayings about life, or about being zen or whatever they might be about. Little saying that make me feel good inside are something that I like to have strewn around my home in different places, so I can just pick them up whenever I might need one.

"Dance First, Think Later" is one of these books. Its a compilation of 618 quotes about following your heart and living your life to the fullest. Sometimes it can be hard to remember to follow our hearts. They are inspiring statements that are quick and easy to read.

One of my favorites

Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”—Oscar Wilde

If you don't have time to read a book to get the lesson, try out "Dance First, Think Later" and you'll get quotes that are straight to the point and meaningful. They are great conversation starters or fun notes to put into your kid's lunch for school! 

I recieved a copy of  "Dance First, Think Later" for this review, I did not receive any cash for this review. All opinions are my own. 

Walgreen's supplements, an affordable alternative

This is a compensated post written by me on behalf of Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

When deciding on a way to lose weight, boost my immunity or just about fix anything. I am always going for vitamins and other natural ways to help my body do what its naturally supposed to do. 

So naturally (no pun intended) I was excited to try the new Walgreen's Brand Green Tea  Dietary Suppliment which are supposed to help curb appetite burn calories and boost energy. I appreciate help with all of these daily and its good to know that Walgreens has Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products in their stores to help make finding supplements easy!

holder]To better test my theory, I decided to skip my morning coffee for the day and see if I could still go about my daily routine of cleaning hotel rooms and other places at work. I am happy to note that i did feel energized through my morning, but I didn't have that craving for more caffeine (or in my case chocolate covered almonds) after the caffeine had wore off. I felt aware and awake through the day. And I was able to crave my usual craving for chocolate in the middle of the day with an apple instead. For some reason when I start my day trying to stay healthy; I usually continue that way.

The other thing I liked about the Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products is that they are affordable; the Green Tea Supplements are about two dollars less then the name brand products which is great because as a single mom every little bit counts, if I buy one a month for  a year that's $24 I save by choosing the Walgreens' Brand over the other brands. Why pay all that extra a year for the same thing?

 

When you choose Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products Walgreens will donate to the Walgreens Way to Well Fund™. The purpose is to provide health and wellness services to local communities in your area. Annually Walgreens will donate over $3 million to the fund. That's a lot of help!

So before you choose an expensive supplement at the health food store, be sure to check out the Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products you never know when they will have just what you need for a smaller price!

We have a Winner!

The lucky winner of $25 to make their own custom knobs with Ghostnest Decor is!

#2

Taleah said...

How fun! I've got a dresser that was mine when I was a child, and now we have it for my daughter. I'd update it with knobs with flowers or grass to go with her room's theme! my email is in my profile or taleah AT roknor DOT com!

February 26, 2011 11:06 AM 

Congrats Taleah, sending you an email!

Spring Cleaning with Whole Foods!

I love Whole Foods, when I lived out west some might have even called me a Whole Foods Junkie. (oxymoron) 

So I was more then excited when I was contacted to try out their newest brand of cleaning products. I am all about using Green Cleaners in my life. (except at work where I have no choice which makes me even more apt to go green in my life) I especially appreciated how the representative at Whole Foods sent me a gift card rather then sending me a package. I feel this option was much greener then it would have been to send me a big cardboard box filled with filler . The nearest Whole Foods to me is 45 minutes away in Cranston RI. So I was more then excited to make my first trip to an East Coast Whole Foods

So the first chance I got Annabella, Heather and I headed up to Cranston to go grocery shopping. I was so excited when I saw that they carried almost all the same products out east as they did out west. The only differences really were the local products from Sebastopol and Petaluma California that were missing. It did give me a tinge of homesickness for the West Coast, but it was quickly ignored when I saw the Butternut Squash Crab Bisque.... umm SAMPLE please?

So after spending an hour and a half in the store. We hit up the gigantic Hot Bar and headed home. My trunk full of healthy goodies for Annabella's lunch (my main goal for going there) as well as a few favorites for myself. (stocked up on Marcona Almonds, and crostoni crackers)

I got home late at night and planned a spring cleaning of the house the next day. 

The first product I grabbed was the Soap Scum Remover. I really was excited to see an Organic Soap Scum remover. My shower stays pretty clean and doesn't really build up much soap scum, but I know that when I start to notice the build up I get out my scrubber and go to work with some vinegar. I liked the idea of someone else putting together a formula to do it for me. Annabella's baths had begun to work a nice practice ring around the tub for me to try this out on.

I really liked how this stuff worked. I did have to use a bit of scrubbing to get the soap scum off, I just used a brush and some circular motion and they came off really easy. I don't mind the bit of scrubbing. I clean tubs for a living and use chemicals to do that. I still have to scrub to get the scum off. So a natural cleaner that does the same is great by my standards.

Next I tried out the Citrus All-purpose cleaner. I really liked the smell of this stuff. It makes me want to eat an orange. It got my sink sparkling again with the simple wipe of a rag and it smells so yummy good. I've decided to plant it in the kitchen to encourage the other members of my family to use the cleaner.  I wouldn't mind coming into a kitchen that always smells like this. 

Also as someone who cleans often I have to talk about the sprayer on top of the bottles that I got from Whole Foods. They are excellent quality. I have a lot of trouble with sprayers on the tops of bottles wearing out because the spring on the back gets ruined or rusty. I noticed that the design of this bottle is a bit different and it springs back easily, I believe that these will last much longer then most spray bottle tops. This will allow me to reuse the bottles for other cleaners. 

Next I tried the Unscented Glass Cleaner.  I like a good spray on my glass cleaner that way my window doesn't get soaked and you don't end up using too many rags. I lightly sprayed the mirror and got to work. It was easy and even though the product is unscented I still really like how it smelled. Not strong or like ammonia like most window cleaners that I deal with. It was also really easy to get the toothpaste off my mirror. I am always getting toothpaste and soap on my mirror so  I end up cleaning it a lot. I wouldn't mind switching to this cleaner, its great! My mirror had no streaks when I was done; the Glass cleaner was easy to wipe clean.

Finally I tried the Unscented Liquid dish soap. I am always trying out new dish soaps. I think that my house is a great tester for dish soaps. We go through tons of dishes a day, so we go through it like water (much opposition to the soaking method) My father is allergic to fragrances, so we have to be ultra careful of having scented products. Finally, my mom hates it when soap isn't foamy.

Well let me tell you this met all of our needs. You don't have to use much of the soap to get bubbles. Other natural dish soaps really lack in the bubbles area. Its not their fault, most bubbles come from chemicals. Its not even a bad thing since its really not bubbles that get things clean. Alas, we are spoiled and most Americans require a certain amount of bubbles to feel safe. 

The unscented makes me feel good because I know that my father won't break out in hives!

All the products are affordable from $3-$8. If you're trying to clean and green your home this spring. Then be sure to check out Whole Food's entire line of cleaning products, they even have laundry detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets now!

I received a $20 gift certificate to Whole Foods to purchase the products for this review. No cash was exchanged for this review. Thank you to Whole Foods.

Ten Tips for great family Travel Deals

Do you need a break? Ready for a nice trip to visit the family or a nice sunny trip away from them?

Well it can be tough to get those deals for cheap, especially with the gas prices on the rise and for those of us with larger families.

So when I'm feeling blue, I'm always looking for great travel deals (even when I don't have the money to!) So I've come up with a few tips to help you get the best deals!

1. Go Early! Look online early, months if possible. The earlier that you plan the more of a deal that you will be able to get. I really like using kayak.com and I also like how priceline.com sends me quotes for trips that I take often.
2. Camp: Hey its cheap! And you can usually find a really cute rustic cabin in the woods for a good price. Its quaint and simple. I go right back into the "Little House on The Prairie" 
3. Drive there! Take a cross country trip! I know it might sound intimidating to do but if you plan out your stops it can be a rewarding and fun experience for all involved. There is so much to this country that most people never see! Share it with your kids so that they will share it with theirs!
4. Group Discounts: Why not go with a bunch of people? Bring your whole family for a reunion, most resorts and parks have group discounts if you have more then a certain amount of people. Plan it with your mama friends and the men can take the kids while the ladies go for a day at the spa!
5. Do your laundry: Pack light to avoid paying heavy charges on airlines, just book a hotel with a laundry or find one nearby! I mean really who has time to pack huge bags anyways?
6. Do some cooking: If you cook some simple meals, you can save lots by not going out to diner and enjoy the local cuisine and go to a nice Farmer's Market so you can really find out whats up with the locals. Most hotel's have grills for you to use.
7. Don't forget your toothpaste: Pack one bag with large toiletries, if your hotel doesn't happen to carry a kind you like, you'll spend tons in the vending machine or shop getting a mini version of a kind you like. These tiny bottles can cost you tons when you really add it up in comparison. Just pack them in a large ziplock bag.
8. Visit your family: Most of the time family is more then happy to visit with you. So why not take them up on that offer. Plan a few overnight trips in towns close and you'll get a break and be able to give your relatives a break from having a full house and they can probably tell you the best places to visit. Also they'll probably agree to take the kids for a night!
9. Take a break: Plan a day or two just to hang out at the hotel. This way everybody can have a rest, and you'll save from spending on going out everyday of the week. Bring some card games (these are also good for the airplane) or see if the hotel has some that you can borrow. The kids are sure to already be in a good mood from being on vacation so they will probably enjoy some time with you and the family just chilling out.
10. Shop around: This is probably obvious, but check out the roads less traveled, could you rent a house for just as much as a hotel for a week? Is one cruise cheaper then the other if you add a friend? You probably know somebody who will love to go with you! Check out all the options that you can get on priceline.com and even try calling the airlines to see if you can get a better deal?

Have fun out there planning! And dreaming your vacations away. I'm so ready to go looking for a new place to imagine  going to after this that I might just skip my amazon.com window shopping for some cruise line shopping (a friend just posted pictures on Facebook of his cruise and I am really wanting one) I hope that these tips can help you plan some affordable and enjoyable vacations with your families!

Where do you want to go??

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

What makes me lucky

Sometimes it can be hard to pick yourself up when you're feeling blue, but its important to remember all the things that we're lucky for. Its something that I struggle with everyday, pulling myself back to the reality that is the wonderful life that I'm lucky enough to live. So when I saw that Socialmoms and Redbox were sponsoring a post about being lucky I couldn't help but jump on the bandwagon.

1. My daughter: I have a daughter who is amazing, she is so smart and has a sense of humor. She loves me no matter what and while I don't like to admit that I break down in front of her, she is always there with a hug and a "ahh mum mah" when I am feeling my bluest. I'm amazed everyday that she is so compassionate at such a young age
2. My family: It was hard and scary to leave my baby's father when I did. Its still hard, but I'm lucky enough to have the family that I do around me. I have people who are always trying to give me a break or lend an ear to my problems. They give me the space that I need and when I get overwhelmed with being at my mother's house there is always a place to stay,
3. Annabella's Father: I know I just spent some time talking about how hard my life is without him. But he has been very understanding of my emotions throughout this breakup. He not only is always on time with child support, but he forgives my pissed off and somewhat erratic e-mails that can come from me being angry. Its helpful to be able to talk to the person who you are so angry at and know that they are still here for you
4. Italian food: Okay you know I had to throw food in there, lately its been PIZZA, PIZZA, PIZZA, for me! I love it, maybe its not the healthiest of diets, but it certainly makes me feel better when I sit down to a slice covered in mozzarella, sausage, and some sliced mushrooms.

These are simple, but these simple things are really important in my life. They are what holds me together at times they are what keeps me sane. They show me that my life could be worse and that I'm only working to make it better, with time I know that I will be right in the place that I want to be. I'm glad that I have this list to look back on and I hope it encourages all of you to write down what makes you so lucky in your life.

Another reason to feel lucky? Check out the Redbox refer-a-friend program you spread the word about Redbox to your friends online and you'll earn credits for FREE redbox movies!! What a fun idea! 

So what makes you feel lucky??

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and redbox blogging program, for a $25 Walmart gift card from redbox. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Panera Bread+New Items = yum!!

I went over to Panera Bread the other day and OH MAN! 

Was I excited about the new items on the menu

Okay so I'm not gonna lie, I used to be a Panera FREAK!, Almost every day I was in there for the portabella sandwich with some french onion soup.  (Hey it was close to work) And the food was so yummy.

After a while I moved out West, I stopped going to fast food places. Not that I really consider Panera fast food, but its easy to go to the salad bar at whole foods.

Thats till recently, I discovered the Thai Chopped Chicken Salad at my local Panera bread! Yep a salad a the bread store. (Of course I get my carbs in with one of those yummy rolls)

The salad was tangy, peanuty, citrusy and a bit spicy. I loved how the chicken was cut up already so I didn't have to try cutting it up on top of the salad. Of course I always love how Panera uses regular plates when they serve some of their food. Its so much greener and better for the environment.

I also tried the new Wild Berry Smoothie. I really liked how it didn't taste like fake sugary fruit like most of the smoothies that I get when I go out. Although Annabella finished most of it, but it was something that filled her up and I could feel good that she was eating. Its even made with stoneyfield yogurt. Which I know from experience doesn't have crap in it. Its less then 300 calories and made with blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and black raspberries. High in B vitamins and we all have heard about how healthy  berries are to add to our diets lately

I am so excited about the new menu items at Panera Bread and I can't wait to check out more of them next time I'm over in the area.

Be sure to check out your local Panera for these and many more menu items!

I recieved a gift card for Panera Bread for this review, all opinions are my own. I did not receive any cash for this review.

Out too lunch with my bestest

Planning a post when I get home

We're back in business folks!

Sorry Everyone

I want to appologize for the lack of content on the blog lately

Its been a pretty stressful couple of weeks so I'm tying to get back in the swing of things

Please bare with me. I have some great things coming up

WINNER!

We have a winner for "Exploiting my baby, because its exploiting me"

Lucky #2 (chosen via random.org)

Keisha's Giveaways and Things said...

I was paranoid about things happening to me while giving birth maybe like something bad would go wrong so with all my pregnancy i made sure to make a living will in case .. lol. but after giving birth thoughts just went away. id love to read this one!! 

Congrats Keisha! I'll be sending you an email today

Spring at Pier one

This post brought to you by Pier 1. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sping is here, I fear my dear, my poach is looking drab

It all came clear, just head to Pier, and now its looking fab!

Alright, now that  we have gotten some poetry out of the way, lets talk about furniture.

I love sitting out on the porch during the nice weather and if we're going to be outside why not do it on some great furniture?

I always love the products at Pier 1, some can even be used indoors in the winter (although really who's stopping you from using all your outdoor furniture inside in the winter.

This Outdoor Crazy Chair looks comfy as well and could easily be used inside or out.

I'm in love with the Outdoor Swingasan Chair I would love to spend a warm summer night swinging under the moon! I could see myself spending a lot of time in that!  The Swingasan Chair Stand would make it easy to bring the chair into the living room for year round relaxation! How cute would it look in the corner of the living room!

If you already are loving your outdoor furniture update them with the Pier 1 line of seat cushions! I love all the bright colors that they feature

Be sure to sign up at www.pier1.com/outdoor for a special offer in store on March 18-20 for the first day of spring!

Be sure to keep up with all the latest great products and sales from Pier 1 by subscribing to the Pier 1 Outdoor newsletter

And be sure to check out the Pier 1 Tweetups these are great ways to get together with folks in your local areas! They have some great givewaways, I'm going to try to attend the one in NYC on April 20th sounds like so much fun!Last time they had one in Utah they gave away four $500 gift cards! Now my porch would really be looking great with that much to decorate with!

Happy Spring! 

Winner! Copy of "The Naked Mom"

Congrats to the winner of the copy of "A Naked Mom"

Audra said...

Can friends with out kids win? 

If not I'm posting this on my blog, I love Brooke Burke.

February 4, 2011 3:44 PM 

this lucky winner is also a lucky friend of mine and a new blogger be sure to check out her blog over at 

Turning a New Leaf