Scrutiny by the Masses

Taking the belVita Breakfast Challenge!

I'm not typically a breakfast eater, so I was interested to take part in the belVita Breakfast challenge. I was asked to make breakfast a priority and enjoy the belVita breakfast biscuits for five days, and then share my thoughts. Let's get started!

Day 1 - I had Core class scheduled, which meant that I had to have my breakfast with my kids - my typical MO is to eat after I come home from dropping them at school - if I do eat at all. I made a fruit smoothie (mixed berries, yogurt cubes, V8 Peach Mango fusion, spinach, protein powder) and grabbed a packet of the Apple Cinnamon variety. I ate two of the biscuits before my Core class and the remaining two after. 

Day 2 - Blueberry belVita biscuits crumbled over vanilla greek yogurt with a cut up peach while working at the computer.

Day 3  - Running late meant that I grabbed a packet of the Golden Oat belVita bisuits and a cup of coffee and slammed them down as I was driving to school for drop off. I was happy to read the label and see that there were 3 grams of fiber - it can be difficult for me to get enough fiber in, so a packet of these goes a long way towards making that daily requirement.

Day 4 - Peanut butter, smeared between two Golden Oat belVita Biscuits, means that I get fiber+protein.

Day 5 - Last day of the belVita breakfast challenge - homemade ricotta with honey and 2 blueberry biscuits! Super yum!

Overall, I am a fan of the belVita breakfast biscuits. I found that the sugar count was tolerable, the fiber was a welcome bonus and the taste was surprisigly yummy, especially the Golden Oat variety. I was less a fan of the blueberry, probably because I do not like the blueberry buds - but two of my kids proclaimed the blueberry their favorite. They were a quick and easy option for me - there are many days that I just flat out do not have time for breakfast - I'm trying to get 8 of us up and out of the house very early, and so breakfast for me sometimes doesn't happen. I've taken to putting a few of these packages in my car, so that I have something at hand for those days.

I'd recommend adding the belVita Breakfast Biscuits to your breakfast routine, especially if you frequently miss breakfast due to your schedule. They are an easy to pack, yummy and quick choice, especially if paired with fruit and dairy.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of belVita Breakfast Biscuits and received belVita Breakfast product samples to facilitate my review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.”

Ellasport Running Skirts - Tried and True Winners

I won this skirt as a giveaway on Laney's blog. I wasn't asked to write about it or even tell anyone - just asked to enjoy it. I loved this skirt so, so much - and the company as well - that I wanted to share it with you.

I have two running skirts. I really like the concept of them. The execution leaves me chafed and annoyed, though. The undershorts tend to creep up and my chunky, German prison matron thighs tend to rub together. I end the workout in frustration and irriation and vow to never wear them again.

And then I forget and it all begins again.

Ellasport's running skirt solved that issue for me. This skirt is the best running skirt I've ever tried - it stays where it is supposed to and never flipped around. Due to injury - stoopid torn calf muscle that never reattached to the bone correctly and STILL hurts three years after the injury!! - I'm no longer a runner, but I wore it to Zumba and it was awesome.

(not me)

I wondered if I should wear the M or the L, and the owner of the company was gracious enough to send me both to try in the privacy of my own home - and I stuck with the M and sent the L back. Top notch customer service on a winning product.

100000% highly recommended. If you work out at all, I'd strongly encourage you to grab yourself one of these running skirts. I guarantee you'll love it.

:)

Fresh Produce Gets a Big Thumbs Up

I was compensated for this post. All thoughts, ideas and opinions expressed in this post are all my own.

I get some pretty cool stuff here on this blog. I meet lots of nice people and every day, I open to my email to find PR pitch after PR pitch.

Some of them miss the boat. Smokeless cigarettes for my mom for Mother's Day? "Special Time" lotion for my spouse? New puppy food? Sometimes it's like those people didn't read my About page, didn't take a second to read my blog and see that most of us have asthma, we have no pets, and I never, ever, EVER talk about my relationship with my husband in THAT way.

Sometimes, though, I get an offer from a company that is so fantastic, that fits the parameters of my life so closely and their product is so awesome that (shhh!) I already own some of it - well, THOSE companies are a win-win in my book.

Fresh Produce is one such company.

I was contacted and offered an item of clothing from the new spring line, and asked if I'd write my honest and unbiased opinion about it. Um, yes, please. I already own two dresses, a pair of capris and a shirt from Fresh Produce, and they are among my most worn items of clothing.

It was a cinch to decide that I wanted a dress from Fresh Produce, for the two I have are super comfortable, wash easily and wear beautifully. I went back and forth between several dresses, and ultimately I chose the Catalina Maxi dress.Going against my basic instinct to always, always wear dark colors, I chose the Sanibel - a light teal - and I LOVE it.

(not me.)

Fresh Produce has one simple goal: to bring the emotions, the colors, the sensations, the leisure of beach life to everyday life through fashion. They definitely accomplish this - check out the Caribbean Clothing collection. This dress is stylish and I felt completely comfortable wearing it - with a light sweater - to a church meeting - and equally comfortable going out to lunch with my husband. The color is gorgeous and if I (EVER EVER EVER) get a bit of color, it will look awesome. I can confidently and comfortably recommend this dress, and any of the other Fresh Produce products, as a great investment in your wardrobe for function, form and beauty.

Fresh Produce even has a line of children's clothing, and there are several cities who have the pleasure of a storefront. Check out the travel skirts and the party dress!

If you need to buy something new for the summer, especially if you live (or vacation!) near the beach - Fresh Produce Clothing is where it's at.

Red Envelope and Shari's Berries Make Spring Holidays Fun

I have been compensated for this post. All ideas and thoughts expressed are my own.

Easter and Passover are upon us, and the great part about these Spring Holidays, aside from the beautiful weather, is that no gifts are required.

Well, that's not strictly true - we may not have the rush of the winter gift giving. We might be invited to a friend's house for Easter or Passover dinner, though, and in those situations, I always like to bring a gift. It can be tricky to know exactly what to bring - and Red Envelope/Shari's Berries can come to the resuce!

If you've got a hostess gift - or maybe a grandparent who lives far away to buy for - you can find great Easter Baskets, fruit baskets, or the like that are well made and delicious. I ordered the Cherry Moon Treasures basket, full of nuts, fruits and cheeses. I can't wait for it to get here!

Whether you are thinking Easter baskets, gift for grandparents or even some delicious chocoalte covered strawberries, everything I've ordered from Red Envelope/Shari's Berries has been delicious and beautiful - why not give them a try today?

The Listerine Oral Care Challenge Comes to a Close

I was provided with product and compensated for my participation in the Oral Care Challenge. However, all thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Not quite a month ago, we began the Listerine Oral Care Challenge. We were provided with floss, toothbrushes and Listerine and as we used the products twice a day, we were to notate how clean our mouths felt.

The older kids in my family were a dismal flop. Apparently, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them use floss OR Listerine. You can, however, coerce an 8, 9 and 12 year old by giving them their very!own!bottle! of Barbie, Phineas and Ferb or Batman Listerine.

My younger kids took to the product like great gangbusters. I merely had to say, "Time to floss, brush and rinse!" and there they went. My youngest in particular was extremely enthusiastic and I'm fairly certain we've created a convert. My 9 year old was not quite as accepting, but one small reminder of the two fillings that she had to have done made her an entire convert. She NEVER wants to go through that again. They both loved the way that their mouths felt - "Very clean, Mom!"

My 12 year old proclaimed it to be the perfect blend of just a little bit spicy and just a little bit not. Not only that, it had his favorite superhero - and we can do a lot if Batman asks us.

I'll admit it - I've not been a fan of Listerine before. It's too spicy, leaves my mouth on fire and I don't care how good it works - I can't stand the taste. I agreed to try the newer formulation - and I'm a convert. I tried the Fresh Mint, which was, oddly enough, a light pinkish/purple color - and I really loved how it left my mouth feeling clean and tidy at the end of the day. A few nights, I went to bed without rinsing - and I got up just to do so - my teeth didn't feel as clean as they did when I used the Listerine.

It's now on the shopping list. ")

I am an avid flosser - some might say that I've overwhelmingly anal about it. The Cleanpaste is a newer formulation, and I thought it was a wonderful product, given that I have a few teeth that are very, very tight. With regular floos, it often shreds when I'm trying to use it - but the Cleanpaste goes right through.

For more information, check out the Healthy Habits for a Lifetime page - there's some really good info there.

The Motherhood, WalMart and Listerine would like to give you $100  to help you restock your bathroom with new toothbrushes, floss and Listerine for your entire family. To enter, share your best tips for encouraging your family to engage in healthy oral care habits. Those who provide their tips will be entered for a chance to win LISTERINE® and REACH® product samples to step-up their oral care routine and a $100 Walmart gift card to continue the healthy habit.

No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia, Eighteen (18) years of age or older. Sweepstakes end March 30, 2012. Prize(s) provided by Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products, a division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules for complete details. Prize will be fulfilled in a 4-6 week timespan.

About One Helps The Family Succeed

I was compensated for this post, but all opinions expressed are, as always, my own.

Organization is one of those topics that I love to tak about - it's the practical application that trips me up, time and again. But having the responsibility of the entire family on my shoulders means that, although I am not innately organized - I'd better find a way to get there REALLY soon.

I've tried the planners, the calendars, creating a family binder, using different colored markers for each family member - you name it, it's been attempted. Keeping a master schedule for 8 people is often a struggle. I've had some success recently with my iPhone and my Google calendar - but that is by no means a perfect scenario. I am constantly looking for this receipt or that one, tossing stray papers into labeled baskets, pinning things on my bulletin boards - but it's neverthe Gold star answer, by any means.

There's a new online tool that sounds as if it might be the answer to my struggles. Billed as the "Fast, easy way to organize your busy life" - About One works with many of the online tools I already use and streamlines everything. AboutOne is the only comprehensive online organizer that works with a customer’s existing calendar and contacts tools to quickly and easily store and manage multi-media memories (text, photos, videos, artwork) and household paperwork (health, education, possessions) in lifestreams, which is the way this information flows and is used in real life. AboutOne replaces tools that manage silos of information, providing a private, secure application to help organize home life.

In layman's terms, this is awesome. It integrates your calendars and creates an organizer with bank level security protection. It affords you the ability to file receipts (OH, thank you, organization Gods!) with the mobile app, and they then become part of your stream. You can even share pieces of your stream with your social media groups. In time, you'll be able to gift those streams of information to your children, and even create hardbound memory books.

Sounds like a winner to me.

This state of the art program is not available yet, but if you sign up now, you will be invited to the beta - and we all know how much fun beta testing can be!

 

Invisalign Mom Advisory Board - It's ClinCheck Time!

I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board. My daughter will receive complimentary Invisalign treatment, but as always, I'm sharing my own personal thoughts and opinions.

Allegra began her Invisalign treatment the way that most of us began our braces work - with the impression phase. When I did braces - both times - and when my step daughter and oldest son began treatment, we all did impressions. Those nasty, nasty impressions. You start with a mouth full of the GROSSEST goo possible, bite on it, and the forms are sent away. Half of the time, the impressions are not done correctly and you have to redo them.

Invisalign bought the company that has revolutionized the impression phase. Now, there's no goo, and there's virtually no chance of the impressions being incorrect or incomplete. You have no goo in your mouth, no difficulty whatsoever - it's all done by scanner.

And as it is emailed to the Invisalign company, weeks are cut from the first phase of treatment to the time you get your first set of aligners. There are no mistakes, nothing is unclear - it's a simple scan, click and send.

Within about 10 days, we had Allegra's ClinChecks - the videos that explain how her teeth are now, and how we can expect them to appear at the end of the treatment.

 

ClinCheck #2

 

She's currently in her first set of aligners - check back next month for the update!