Scrutiny by the Masses

Sheex

Way back when I went to Blogher, way back in August, I went to the expo hall in search of a bed. Now, that sounds like I may have had nefarious purposes, but that really wasn't the case at all.

Every single blog her, Tarrant and I take a picture in a bed. That kind of sounds strange, but it's a tradition that I hold dear. Every year, I find her, find a bed, we jump in and take a picture. Two Bloghers ago, I found a bed, and ended up winning it. So this past Blogher, I wondered if I would have similar luck. Not that I need another bed, but there are other things that you need besides the bed.

I was supremely lucky. I found a vendor that had a bed on display. I jumped in the bed, and immediately realized that the sheets that were on the bed or anything but standard. Further inquiry revealed that these miraculously soft, cooling, and very comfortable sheets were called SHEEX.

Sheex are sheets that are anything but traditional. From the website:

Better Sleep Leads to Better Performance. That's why we have created Sheex, the world's first luxury performance bed sheets. Sheex were inspired by the finest professional-quality athletic fabrics, offering a superior level of comfort and performance to help you sleep better.

I won a pair of sheets, brought them home and put them on my bed. They are my favorite sheets. My husband was a little bit upset that his bed doesn't have them – we have two twin Tempur-pedics that we put together – but that's too bad. I'm in need of sheets that keep me cool, and he definitely is not. They are ridiculously soft, breathable and moisture wicking.

WIN in my book.

Want to win a pair of Sheex for yourself?

One lucky winner will! To enter, click here. You have to click over - you can't enter here - but someone is going to win themselves a set of sheets that will make you want to stay in bed alllll day long.

This year's photo!

Walgreens Balance Rewards - Is It Worth It?

 

The Purchased Goods

I went in to Walgreens with no preconceived notions. I've not been a dedicated drugstore shopper for many years - before I had kids, I was convinced that drugstores were the best way to maximize my shopping dollar for health and beauty items, but more than a few kids and a couple of jobs later and I just do not have the spare time that I once had. Now, I'm much more likely to grab the personal products at Wal Mart, knowing that the prices are good and it's an effective use of my time.

When I go to get prescriptions filled, though, I typically shop around and try to pick out some good stuff. That's part of the reason that my husband encouraged me to start using the drive thru to pick up prescriptions - or to go to Target or Wal Mart for those medications - and get it all done at once.

I was asked to participate in the Walgreens Balance Rewards program and I was interested enough to go, with my own money, on a little shopping trip. For the purposes of this trip, I wanted to maximize the amount of points that I would earn, and minimize the outlay of moola. The only thing that I knew that we needed was shampoo and boyd wash, and I didn't plan to purchase them at Walgreens - just because I thought it might be less than cost effective.

It was not until I started walking around the store, though, and really focused on the little "balance rewards" tags - that I truly understood the program. In particular, I was really intrigued by the "Healthy" bonus - spend $20 on any of the Walgreens brand foods that came in the "healthy" category - and get a large point bonus. The first part of the $20 was super easy - I bought a dark chocolate bar for my husband, as well as some trail mix.

The man comes home from work and has a serious case of the muchies every.single.night. Trail mix, with dried fruits and nuts, is at least somewhat of a better choice than a bag of chips.

The remaining amount - $12 - was a bit more dificult to fill, but one can always use flour and sugar - although adding those in the name of "health" was a bit of a stretch for me. Hmmmm. I guess I could say that it's healthier to make your own foods than eat processed junk, and that's where sugar and flour come in.

Still not convinced, but grateful for extra points.

There was a bundle special on Dove/Ax/Suave products - and I'm enough of a product snob that I'm not so much a fan of them for myself - but have you SEEN the amount of product my kids go through? There is absolutely NOTHING more aggravating than walking into the bathroom to see a bottle of body wash on the bottom of the tub, committing body wash suicide one drop at a time, straight down the drain. I really do love the Dove Conditioner for myself, and so one bottle of shampoo + 2 bottles of conditioner + one bottle of body wash = a bunch of extra points.

For stuff I'd buy anyway. Hmmmm.

My daughters begged for Hello Kitty hand soap and the hair clips were buy one, get one free - and we go through hair clips like french fries at a snack bar, so both of those items were added to the basket, along with some bathroom counter cleaning wipes.

The end result, after in store discounts, store coupons and the extra points?

More than half way to a $5 gift card - just for stuff I would ordinarily buy.

I did see something that gave me a chuckle today. When an AARP member uses their membership and spends $25, they earn a 5,000 points (equal to $5 off). I'm not old enough (officially) to qualify for an AARP membership - but my 13 year old son was sent one on his 11th birthday. Maybe I should have taken HIM to the store with me, rather than two little Hello, Kitty soap craving little girls.

I don't think I'm going to cash in my rewards when I make the first or second level - and maybe not even the third. At the fourth level, I could come out of there with $35. That would buy me an awful LOT of makeup - or maybe some super spendy shampoo and body wash.

Walgreens Balance Rewards - helps you treat yourself to something you want while saving on the things you need. It seems like a win-win situation to me!

Walgreens Balance Rewards

We are a fairly prescription heavy family.

Not in pain pills or such - but with five asthmatics, food allergies, intolerances and other fun medical quirks, you can pretty much look for me in the pharmacy section at least twice a week. All of those different medicines run out at different times, doncha know. This unfortunate reality means that I'm in a drugstore a LOT - it's fortunate for the store, however, as I tend to remember that I need one thing or another - and I've spent money almost without thinking.

We try to live a healthy lifestyle. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, avoid sodas (for the most part, but I will confess to a Diet Coke addiction), use sunscreen religiously, get our immunizations and try to get plenty of exercise. We aren't freaks about living healthy, but it's a really good idea and the concept of "healthy living" is one that I want my kids to grow up with - as opposed to trying to adopt in their 40's.

Ahem.

Walgreens has introduced a new program designed to reward shoppers for living a healthier lifestyle. "Balance Rewards" is a comprehensive program that supports you in your efforts to live your life in a way that makes you happy and keeps you healthy. You can earn thousands of points on many of the items you buy that can be redeemed on future purchases, either in store or online.

What does this translate to? It's a shopping card that you swipe - either a physical card or a digital one that can be loaded on your phone - yayyyyy for me - if I have to put one more card in my wallet or on my key chain I might lose my mind - and you are rewarded just for doing things to improve your health.

Get a flu shot? Earn points.

Buy vitamins? Fill prescriptions? Get more points.

Go for a walk? Earn even MORE points.

Seriously. You get points for going for a WALK. Walking is one of the best exercises that there is out there - you don't need equipment, it can be done at any fitness level and can be done with your husband while you give him the intimate details of your day - after all, he's a captive audience and can't escape.

Not that my husband EVER tries to do that.

Here's a great explanation:

 

With exclusive sale prices for Balance Reward members, it means that your total shopping cart will cost less - which means more money for chocolate.

Or fruit. I TOTALLY meant fruit.

Your points are totalled up for you, and you can redeem those points for items you love.

I'm going to join the program and shop over the next month. I'll be reporting back here with my thoughts - make sure to check back. And let me know your thoughts!

Disclosure: I was compensated to facilitate my review of the Walgreens Balance Rewards program. This compensation did not affect my opinion, and, as always, my thoughts are my own.

She's Got Poise

In an effort to spend time together as a family, my mom and I went thrifting one winter
Saturday. We visited several stores with my young children in tow, and found some
great bargains. Mom and I always enjoyed shopping together, and this day was no
exception. We decided it was time to look for some lunch, and jumped into the car to
find a child friendly location.

As I was driving, my mom suddenly called out, "Take the child locks off the windows!"
with some energy in her voice. I was puzzled, but did so at once. Mom immediately
leaned her upper body out the window into the 20-degree air, sliding her coat off her
arms and yanking at the neckline of her blouse. What was wrong? Did she have a bug
in her shirt, or had she spilled her coffee down her front? Was she ill? As I watched her
frantically tugging at her blouse to allow cold air to reach her front, it suddenly dawned
on me - my mom was having a hot flash. As I began to laugh, my mom looked at me
crossly. "You wait. You'll see!" she said. I looked back in my car to see my little kids
huddling under their coats and wondered if this would be a repeated memory for them.
Life has a funny way of repeating itself - and I'm not looking forward to it!

Do you have a story about experiencing, anticipating or watching a close friend or family
member go through menopause? Poise has started the 2nd talk so that you can share
your stories – and your frustrations – surrounding this life stage. I encourage you to join
the 2nd talk at the2ndtalk and share your stories. Once you have, come back here
and tell me what you shared and you will be entered in for a chance to win a “Hot Flash
Prize Pack” including a $50 gift card and Poise products.

Disclosure: This is a paid post, courtesy of Poise. All views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Do Not Get in the Way of My Cup of Coffee

If you know me at all, you know I love me some coffee. I joke about it, certainly, but every night when I go to bed, I think to myself: Well, you get a cup of coffee when you wake up.

Most mornings, I desperately need that cup o'joe.

About, oh, 90% of the time, I make my own coffee. I have a Keurig, and sometimes, I might use the K cups - but, mostly, I use the refillable filter and I make my own. I use packaged coffee, most often a dark blend. Every morning, I have two cups of coffee with 2 spoons of raw sugar and low fat half and half.

Every afternoon, before I leave to get my kids from school, I make another cup of coffee. About half the time, it's over ice - but I must have that cup every day. It's necessary fuel to get me ready to face the onslaught of kids pouring out of the school building, the ones who climb in my car and then ones who simply must all talk.at.the.same.time.

Dunkin Donuts - one of my FAVORITE places to get coffe, yum! -  knows how much people love (and live for!) their daily coffee. They've started a promotion to see the Mugs of America - in more ways than one, this "mug" is both your face AND your favorite cup - and just by uploading a photo on the Mug Up page, you could win one of the weekly prizes of $100 - or the grand prize of a $10,000 grocery card.

That would buy an AWFUL LOT of coffee.

I'm not eligible to enter, but here is a photo of my favorite coffee mug:

Fortunately for you, I'm not showing my face today - I haven't had enough coffee yet.

Take two minutes, grab your phone and your best, most favorite coffee cup - the one you grab out of the clean dishes every day - and take a photo. And when you win the gift card -

You'd better invite me over for coffee. I'll bring my own mug.

 

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Dunkin’ Donuts packaged coffee and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

It's FIOS, For the Win!

Once upon a time, there was a woman who was in the act of working super hard to lose weight. After years of letting herself go, hiding behind a stack of kids and spending most of her life working to solve the difficulty that was her child (who ended up being diagnosed on the spectrum), she'd finally woken up and taken some time for herself.

She did as much exercise as she could, but found herself struggling to stay motivated. And, so, upon the advice of her friends, she decided to pick a far off event and train for it - she picked a 5K that had a cause near and dear to her heart - Autism Awareness.

At the beginning of her weight loss endeavors, the woman was unable to walk around the block without having to stop for breath. It was extremely disheartening.

The week before the race, she had worked up to a run/walk combination that wasn't going to break any land/speed records, but it was a pace at which she felt comfortable.

The day of the race was a warm and muggy one, and pinning her number to her shirt gave the woman a case of jitters. She lined up with the other runners, but because she didn't know anyone, she eavesdropped.

A bit. Not too much.

The couple next to her chatted about their desired finish time - they both wanted to be sub 30 minutes for this 5K race. The woman laughed. She hoped to be sub 60 minutes. More importantly, she hoped that she could finish, that she would finish and that she wouldn't embarrass herself.

Small goals, really.

The horn blew, the race started, and the woman began the first race of her new life. The life that didn't exist sitting on the couch, eating brownies and sobbing to herself because her daughter needed help. When she crossed the finish line, she didn't worry about her finish time, she didn't care that she was near the end of the group - she was happy that, for the first time in her life, she'd put herself first.

In that, she was a winner.

We all know who that story was about - me, although it could have been any number of women. It was a winning moment for me, one in which I realized that I could succeed, I would succeed - and I'd never ever put myself last again.

I'll bet you've had a moment like this yourself. A Golden Moment, if you will.

FiOS is hosting the "Golden Moment" Contest and you are invited to share your “Golden Moment” with them.  Whether you are an athlete, multi-tasker, a couch surfer or a home runner, FiOS helps you achieve peak performance with the highest available internet speeds.

I'm not just blowing smoke at you. FiOS, the internet provider that I use (and ADORE - I cannot tell you how much I adore this company, after more than a few difficulties with my cable internet provider that left me without internet for days at a time) helps me achieve success in my day to day living. At any one point in time, we've got seven people online with computers, personal devices or phones, and it never ever lags. Ever. The new FiOS Internet tiers containing the highest speeds are named FiOS Quantum and feature download/upload speeds of 50/25, 75/35, 150/65 and 300/65 megabits per second (Mbps).  Three of those speeds  75/35, 150/65 and 300/65 -- are twice as fast as those previously offered.

FiOS is fast. FiOS is reliable. FiOS is also, believe it or not, fun. With the Widget option, I can tweet right from my tv and check my Facebook on the big screen - and, trust me, you've never lived until you've seen what some of your Facebook friends are up to, displayed on the big screen! Also - there is now PANDORA on your widgets - and I LOVE me some Pandora.

On the contest app, users are invited to share a moment in their life where they were at the top of their game.  Prizes for this contest include media package worth over $1500, 3D TV and other exciting prizes. Check out the contest app - and enter your winning moment - I'd LOVE to see one of you win!

Follow FiOS on Facebook and on Twitter

Go Further with Ford - The Race Track Part

I am not the most car savvy of people. I can't tell you horsepower, specs, size, capacity, turbo or not. I can show you the spark plugs, the oil pan, the coolant, the radiator, and the battery.

That's about it. Despite having a father who was a mechanic - and my father's father was a mechanic, and my brothers are mechanics - I'll give you $1 if you can tell me what movie that's from! - wait, that line was a lie.

Only my dad was a mechanic. Sorry. I got carried away.

Anyway, my long winded point is - you can tell me virtually anything you want about a car and I'm going to stand there and nod along. I'll PRETEND like I understand. But put me behind the wheel of a car, and I'll be able to tell you in about .425 seconds if I like it and why.

I will leave the specs and the intricate details of why the new Ford cars are amazing to a couple of the guys I went on the trip with - Chris DeMorro, Seth Leitman, Jeffrey Powers and Christopher Tracy can hook you up with virtually any specs, information, details, trivia that one might want. They are much, much smarter than I am - but I'm easier on the eyes - and I often wonder how I got in with such smart guys.

I'm still wondering. But, darn it if I didn't have more fun than should be legal on this trip.

The first stop, since I was hanging with the boys, was, of course, the MUSTANG course. We literally RAN from the breakfast table - and we were the first people in line. I rode with Chris, who has yet to share his footage, but I swiped Christopher's footage of his tour with Seth.

 

I drove a Ford Focus Electric - which can go 100 miles on one charge - and I neglected to get my own video chip - so here is one of me as a passenger. I apparently can't remember to do anything - but I can promise you that I loved this car. It was fun and fast and roomy, with plenty of power and didn't lag on the turns or leave me wishing for more.

 

The scariest drive was the off road course in the Ford Raptor. I have two videos - here is one that is not mine (Thanks, Christopher!)  but it shows the course:

 

We had to wear helmets and lining and everything. And when I was in line, I kept telling Christopher - I'm scared, I'm really scared - and he was so kind - I think the exact words he used were Shut up, already.

It might have been Stop talking. It's hard to hear in those helmets.

And then here is my very poorly shot video from my phone:

  

I'm not gonna lie. I want a Raptor now.

The most fun, though, was when Seth and I drove - if you can call it driving, I think it was slightly more spirited than that - a Ford Police Interceptor.

I could describe it - but why? I could give you lots of details and lots of information - or I could just, you know, show you.

 

We had the lights and sirens on. Seth screamed over the radio. We even called people out. Even my son the almost cop. (You hear me saying that we are going to get in trouble because we finished one drive, and instead of letting the next group go, Seth convinced the man that we needed to go again - I seriously thought we were going to get involved in a crowd altercation.)

Mad, mad thanks to Ford, who provided me with one of the most fun days I've ever had, with three of the most fun guys I've ever hung out with, and allowed us to try to burn all of the rubber off the tires on their cars.

It was AMAZING, and I'm not gonna lie - I really, really want to drive that Police Interceptor course again - and I really want a Raptor.

Get an Authentic Taste of Greek Tradition with Olympus Authentic Greek Strained Yogurt

I was provided with samples of Olympus Authentic Greek Strained Yogurt to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions expressed here are my own.

We eat a lot of yogurt in our house. With eight different sets of taste buds, as well as varying levels of nutritional needs, it can be a stretch to try to find a variety that will please everyone. Greek yogurt is a personal favorite of mine - it's thick, rich consistency and higher levels of protein mean that I will be less likely to be hungry within ten minutes of eating it. One of the problems with many brands of Greek Yogurt sold at the grocery is the high amounts of sugar - and this can be difficult to avoid. Not so with Olympus Authentic Greek Strained Yogurt, which is actually from Greece.

Olympus Dairy International,  the largest organic dairy manufacturer in Greece and one of only five companies worldwide that produce Grade A all-natural yogurt, is importing their authentic strained Greek yogurt to the US. Olympus Greek Strained yogurts also contain a high amount of protein, is available in 0% and low fat options, and many people who have lactose sensitivities find Greek yogurt easier to digest, as it is naturally lower in lactose.

That's all very well and good - but how does it taste?

In a word - delicious. And unlike any other Greek yogurt that I've tried. I was provided with an assortment of flavors, many of which contained real fruit, as opposed to a sugary jelly mixture - and I can honestly say that I enjoyed every flavor I sampled. I was also sent a sample of Feta Cheese as well as Goat cheese, and both products crumpled nicely and had good flavor. My mother termed the Goat Cheese "absolutely delicious" and wondered if I'd find her a local grocery that carries it.

Olympus is committed to always providing an authentic Greek yogurt that gives you a true taste of Greek tradition with every bite. The rich velvety texture is proud to be all-natural, non-GMO and Kosher, offering Plain, Honey, Blueberry, Vanilla, Cherry, Peach, Strawberry and Lemon flavors.

My particular favorite was the Cherry, followed closely by the Vanilla. Would you like to try Olympus Authentic Strained Greek Yogurt for yourself? One lucky winner will be provided with coupons for free cups - to enter, please tell me the flavor you are most interested to try!

U by Kotex Tween Ambassador

I have four daughters.

I also have two sons, but that doesn't have quite the same impact as saying that I have four daughters. Four daughters means four times the drama, four times the make up, four times the clothing and shoes and jewelry -

and four times that I will need to have the period discussion.

Over the course of the next six months as a U by Kotex Tween Ambassador I will be discussing first periods, the reality of dealing with teenage girls, teaching them about their bodies and how to teach them to live their lives without letting a period overwhelm them.

I have, of course, discussed menstruation with my older girls, but the younger girls know very little about it - except to ask, What's a period? - when an older sister moans about cramps or hunts for the heating pad. I've explained it to them, in easy to understand bites of information, but it's a topic I know that I'll need to delve into more in the near future.

Have you had "the talk" with your daughters? Did you do one big talk, or several smaller ones? I have been open with my girls and hope that they feel confident in their ability to ask me anything they wonder about periods, no matter how off the wall it may be. The Kotex site has some great tools such as a calendar with facts about puberty, questions your daughter may ask, ways to start the conversation and more - even if you have already had "the talk", it's a great place to refresh your information. There's also a teenage specific page that can be a great way to open the lines of communication with your daughter.

I remember when my mom gave me a book to read and I dog eared the period specific pages. I was both mortifed and astounded that something like this was going to happen - and I fervently prayed that no boys would ever know. In my house with both male and female children, of course, that's never going to happen.

Are you as open and honest as Aimee Teegarden's mom?

 

“I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of U by Kotex Tween and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Like Her, Like Me - The Breakfast Project

This post is sponsored by the good folks at Got Milk? All content, thoughts, ideas, ponderings and musings are all my own.

I have four daughters. This can mean lots of different things to lots of different people. For certain it means drama, lots of shoes, makeup, clothes everywhere - and drama.

It also means tremendous opportunities to get to know these wonderful people and share with them the things that are really important to me. Developing a good relationship with my girls is one of the most important things that I will ever do as a parent, and it fills me equally with dread and excitement.

My daughters definitely fill the label of "Like Her, Like Me" in many different aspects, that's for sure. We love to read, cook and do Zumba together. I consider my daughters to be good sources of information in all aspects of clothing and make up - although I'm no slouch myself - and we've been known to even make the same choices when we eat out. It's often a little uncanny.

One of the more difficult concepts to get my daughters to understand is the need for good quality foods to fuel their bodies. Nutrition wasn't really a topic that was touched on much when I grew up in the 1970's, other than hearing about the "4-4-3-2" - the daily numbers of fruits, grains, milk and meat.

Thirty years later, we understand a lot more about what our bodies need, and one of the fastest growing areas of nutrition education is that of the teenage girl. At one point in time, common knowledge was that as a girl began puberty, her growth stopped and nutrition just wasn't as important. We now know the danger in this thinking. The foods and drinks that she takes in as a teen can have a lifelong impact on her skeleton and can affect her childbearing years and beyond.

Once, I saw an elderly woman fall. It was a simple fall, and yet, she suffered a compound fracture of the wrist. She was a very small, very tiny woman, who suffered from osteoporosis - and seeing that painful break was enough to convince me that I not only needed to drink my milk but be certain that my girls do the same.

That can be a much more difficult action to enforce, however, especially now that so many teens drink coffee and sugar concoctions and live on junk food. Add in the reality that my older daughters are not breakfast eaters - and, neither am I, let's be honest - and you can begin to see where my struggles lie.

The fine people at the National Milk Mustache “got milk?”® Campaign would like to select three teams that exemplify positive role modeling to appear in their very own Milk Mustache ad. The winners will receive a trip to New York City, for a Milk Mustache ad photo shoot that will grace the pages of Seventeen magazine this fall. Head to TheBreakfastProject.com or follow @milkmustache on Twitter for inspiration, information and more ways to start the day off right with milk at home.

By June 22, 2012, grab a camera, have fun, and, in two minutes or less, show what makes you an awesome team, including tips on how milk at breakfast helps you both start the day off strong. Upload your entries at www.TheBreakfastProject.com. The three winning groups will be featured in an ad as the next Milk Mustache stars!

Here is my video - it was so much fun to create - let me know when you've done yours as I'd love to see it!