Thursday, November 29, 2012

Wow! Has it really been 16 days since my last post? Oh geeze, so sorry to my wonderful readers, life has been crazy the last few weeks, between a trip to the West Coast to bring Bella to visit her father and my crazy new work schedule,  its been rough keeping up! I have some GREAT reviews and giveaways coming up for you this week, including some food boxes, some bra straps, gift ideas and a GREAT alternative to those hydrogenated fried onions!
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and I will be updating soon!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

What's Your 'Lie-Q'

What’s Your ‘Lie-Q’?
Take the Test to See if ‘Self Lies’ are Holding You Back

Prophets and philosophers throughout history have spoken of the potential calamities embedded within lies.

“Relationships are ruined every day because of lies,” says former IBM executive Cathy Holloway Hill, a life improvement consultant and author of “Lies, Love & Life,” (www.chollowayhill.com). “Think about the collapse of our economy starting in 2008 – it didn’t happen because bankers and other key players were honest and acted with integrity. It happened because of lies. But the most damaging lies are the ones we tell ourselves.”

“Self lies” cause us to perpetuate a cycle of failure, she says, and the first step in reversing the pattern is recognizing them.

Hill has developed three questions – a Lie-Q test – for people who can’t seem to find success, whether it’s in romance, weight loss, finances or just general contentment.

• Have you ever told yourself, “I’m too old for that”? That’s just one of the many common self lies. Others include, “I will never find true love;” “I’ll never get out of debt;” “I can’t change who I am.” While the briefest of analyses demonstrates how illogical these lies are – people find true love, get out of debt and change every day – we persist in believing them. If you tell yourself you can’t, you won’t make the real effort required to succeed.

• Do you pretend to be happy when you’re not? Many of us have pretended to be happy on the job or at home when, in truth, we’re very unhappy. Sometimes we pretend for the sake of others; sometimes because we worry about the consequences of expressing our true feelings. And sometimes, we do it to convince ourselves that we’re happy. Are you happy? If you’re not sure, or if you’re sure you’re unhappy, Hill recommends getting into “self-discovery” mode. Take a close look at the hobbies, relationships, activities and work you enjoy. Determining what they are and working them into your life starts the process of feeling more content, she says.

• Do you think you can’t find a more satisfying job? It’s important to find satisfaction and gratification in our work lives, Hill says. “We spend most of our waking hours on the job so if yours feels tedious, meaningless and dead end, you will be happier if you’re at least working on a Plan B,” she says. Since the economic downturn and soaring jobless rates, the mantra has been, “Be grateful if you have any job at all.” That’s the wrong attitude. “If you have an exceptional skill and are willing to work hard, chances are you can find something that makes you happier. If it’s not a paying job, perhaps some volunteer work on the side,” Hill says. Make a list of your skills and the things you enjoy. Do any of these match job descriptions in the real world? You may be surprised to find that your dream job – or something close to it --is out there. “Why wouldn’t you go for it?” she asks.

About Cathy Holloway Hill

Cathy Holloway Hill is founder of C. Holloway Hill Enterprises, an international consulting, training and professional speaking firm focusing on personal and professional growth and effectiveness. Her guidance is sought by Fortune 100 companies, youth organizations and individuals who want to transform their lives. Hill has a bachelor’s in computer science, a master’s in psychology and numerous life coaching certifications. After 25 years in the corporate world, she walked away from her successful career at IBM in order to pursue her passion – helping people live happier lives. She is a winner of Indiana’s Torchbearer Award for contributions to her state.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Navitas Naturals Organic Coconut Powder

Found inside fresh young coconuts, Coconut water is an ancient hydration tool that has been found used for thousands of years. in one 35 calorie serving, you not only get essential vitamins and minerals, it provides more potassium then a banana, and it provides the liquids that your body needs for proper hydration.

I first learned about coconut water in massage school, I went to massage school in Northern California so its safe to say that many of my classmates were VERY into healthy living, green lifestyle, and coconut water.  At first I brushed it off as a fad, but after trying it for myself and learning about it I was very impressed and added it into my daily smoothie as well as mixing it into other drinks that I had through my day.

I was very impressed to see coconut water available at the Napa Valley Marathon, where I worked as a sports massage therapist for runners after they finished the race. I saw coconut water being used for the runners instead of the usual high fructose sugary sports drink that is so often dumped onto the heads of coaches after football games. I was so excited, it made so much more sense to give athletes something natural from the earth to repair and hydrate their bodies!


And now an amazing product has come onto the market!


Navitas Naturals Organic Coconut Water Powder

As I go through my mind I can think of so many wonderful benefits for this product, because like powdered milk, you don't have to refrigerate it! It also weighs less then what a container of coconut water.

I can bring it camping and have the convenience of coconut water without having to have it take up space in my cooler.

On a marathon (not that I run marathons) its a great option so you can not only get hydrated, but build up the electrolytes in your body and get some calories in there! It has five key electrolytes for hydration : Sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.

I love that I can store these and that way I can have coconut water on hand in case we get snowed in, or can't get to the store for some reason.

I love being able to customize how my coconut water will taste. Simply stir 11 grams into a glass of water and you can have a hydrating sports drink, sometimes I add a bit more when I make it for my morning smoothie, that way I can add more or less depending on the flavor that I'm looking for that morning.

I feel that I have only begun to discover the possibilities of this product, there are so many benefits having coconut water powdered. 

Navitas Naturals is a company who's mission is to provide the best organic superfoods, to increase energy and enhance health. If you are new to superfoods, then this is defiantly a company and a website to check out.

Superfoods really do add a lot to a diet, I started with adding different ones to my smoothies in the morning, but have been adding them to my diet and find myself turning to Navitas naturals for the highest quality.

You can find Navitas Naturals Organic Coconut Water Powder at stores through North America including; Whole Foods Markets, Wegmans, Sprouts, and HEB. You can also find it online at Navita's Naturals Online, as well as Amazon.

I was provided a sample of Navitas Naturals Organic Coconut Water Powder for this review, all opinions are my own, I did not receive monetary compensation for this review 




WINNER!

We have a winner of the Topricin "Care and Share" Package!!

USA is the winner!

USA October 15, 2012 9:31 AM
I read that Topricin provides pain relief by improving circulation which would improve quality-of-life. My mother lhas pain in her hips and shoulders this would be a product she could try without having to take any medication.


Thanks USA, send me an email with your address and contact info and I'll have the folks over at Topricin send out your stuff!

Thanks so much for entering

And don't forget to enter the

Kimco Wine bottle cover giveaway

and the

Curamin giveaway

Friday, November 9, 2012

An experiment in Positivity

So since November 1st this year I have been adding a daily facebook post, with something that I'm grateful for, sometimes its meaningful like family, or flexibility, other times its something simple like cheese or music..... but today is the first time I really sat back and looked at my experiment and realized that after nine days of naming the things I'm grateful for, I'm actually doing this more often then thinking about the negative things.

An example, the other day when I blew a tire at dunkin donuts...in the drive-thru, then changed my tire in the parking lot, then drove across the street to put air in it, where the spare tire came of the tire trek  then when it started snowing I called AAA, where they towed my car, and I had to buy a new tire....

Now normally, I would have been in full break down mode fort that, but I remained oddly calm during the whole thing, I knew it would work out, and it did it wasn't nearly as bad as I could have made it.

Also when driving in the car, I have a tendency to think about whats going on in my life, both the good and the bad. More often then not, the thoughts would turn to negative, but recently when I have started to have those negative thoughts, a little voice in my head has been reminding me to turn them into positive thoughts!

Now this could just be something in me that's been coming to surface, but I doubt it, I believe that my conscious effort to bring more positivity my life has been working!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

A cold winters day

Well here we are November 7 and already it's snowing, sleeting, a nor'easter.

Boots, hats, winter coats. Here we go...

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Curamin Review and Giveaway!

Most over the counter pain medication can't exactly use the word 'natural' and until I was introduced to Curamin, I didn't think that there was a natural pain reliever that could compare to the results that are commonly achieved with a product like aspirin or ibuprofen.

I first heard of Curamin in 2011 when I was approached to review it for my blog (you can find the old review here), I was VERY impressed, not only did it help take away the lower back pain and headaches that I was suffering, but there wasn't a scary warning label on it warning me of liver damage, and my midwife had told me it was okay to use while breastfeeding!

These days I have less low back pain, and less headaches (and I certainly don't have to worry about breastfeeding anymore) But I try to continue living a holistic and natural life, which can be tough now that I live out on the east coast. Products like Curamin make it easy to stay on the right track.


Curamin is not only approved by me, it has won LOTS of awards. 

Best of Supplements Awards Winner, 2012
Better Nutrition magazine, 5th consecutive year (2008-2012)
• Pain and Inflammation Category

Essential Supplement Award, 2012
Taste for Life magazine
• Pain Relief Category

Vity Awards Winner, 2011
Vitamin Retailer magazine, in 3 categories:
• Best Herbal Supplement
• Best New Herbal Supplement
• Best New Natural Remedy

Natural Choice Award Winner, 2011
Wholefoods magazine

That's pretty impressive list. The people over at Curamin certainly know what they are doing when it comes to helping relieve pain, but how does it work exactly?

Well Curamin is all-natural supplement that enhances the body's natural defense mechanism for the relief of pain due to exercise and overuse. It is a powerful antioxidant that helps get the cells in your inflammation pathways working, with the added BCM-95 Curamin has found a way to make standard curcumin (found in turmeric)  more easily absorbed into the system! The formula used in Curamin has been found to be 10 times more effective then standard curcamin extracts!

Curamin is made by Europharma, a company that provides clinically proven effective nutritional supplements and natural remedies. The president and founder of Europharma, Terry Lemerond, has a newsletter that you can subscribe to for natural health updates. You can subscribe to his newsletter at
 http://www.terrytalksnutrition.com/sign-up/

Give Curamin a try for yourself, a 60 count bottle sells for $34.95. You can find it at Whole Foods and other natural health stores. Just visit the "Where to Buy" tab on the top of the website, type in your zip code, and a store near you will come up!



WIN!!

Win a 60 count bottle of Curamin! (retails for $34.95)

To Enter
Subscribe to the Terry Talks Newsletter
Folow Curamin on Facebook
After you have done these two things, come back here and leave your email address!
That's it!!

Contest ends December 7,  2012 at midnight; I will pick the winner and post it the next day!



Monday, November 5, 2012

Health Warrior Chia Bars

Health Warrior Chia Bars

Chia seeds are known to be amazing, they are tiny seeds; less then 1/4 the size of a grain of rice; Chia seeds are filled with protein, omega 3's, dietary fibers, calcium, magnesium, and Antioxidants. 

The Health Warrior Chia bars are a delicious alternative to candy, with only 100 calories and 5 grams of sugar. They not only have less calories and sugar then a candy bar, they also actually have health benefits to them. Chia seeds provide nine times the amount of Omega 3's of salmon! Its a snack that I feel good about Bella eating.

The Health Warrior Chia Bars come in three flavor; Peanut Butter Chocolate, Coconut, and Acai Berry.  My favorite was the Coconut, It was packed with Chia seeds and I really enjoyed the real coconut flavor, rather then the fake or sugary taste that you get with the coconut in a candy bar. My second favorite was the Peanut Butter Chocolate (this happened to be Bella's favorite flavor) The chocolate peanut butter flavor makes the bars taste like a treat, while still packing in all the benefits of  chia seeds.


I really enjoy the Health Warrior Chia Bars, I like that I can pack them in my daughter's lunch for a treat that will help her stay energized for the rest of the day! They are all-natural, vegan, dairy and soy free!

GIve them a try! Health Warrior Chia Bars are available at Whole Food's Market, and retail for about  $1.89 per bar or $29.99 per box




Thursday, November 1, 2012

Kimco Wine Bottle Covers

Wine bottles are beautiful.. most of the time

But sometimes its nice to give them an extra bit of beauty (or hide that cheap bottle that you love so much that tastes amazing.... we all have that one)

So when I was introduced to the Kimco wine bottle covers, I was very excited to give them a try!


I was a bit worried that the covers wouldn't fit the bottles, but it was easy to fit them over, they are stretchy materials and they have elastic on the bottom making it easy to slip the covers over the top of the bottles; and slide them to the bottom. The bottles are then sleek, and easy to pour, and can even match the decor of the party or event you are attending!

How nice to have a wine bottle on every table at your next party, that not only tastes great but matches whatever decorations you have at the party!


The bottle covers retail for $2.99 a piece, not only do you receive the wine bottle cover, but a gift tag and a bag making it easy to have a personalized gift on hand! Grab a few and always have a gift on hand that will impress.

The bottle covers are reusable and washable! So your friends can use them again and again!

Get yourself some of the wine bottle covers here

Or visit www.booksox.com and see all the great products they offer!

WIN!!

Kimco has offered to give three wine bottle covers away to Mommypants readers!

To enter let me know your favorite wine, and which wine bottle cover you like the best!
I'll choose three random winners on November 30 2012
 Contest Ends November 29 2012 at midnight

please include your email address in your comment so that I can be sure to get in touch with you!