Scrutiny by the Masses

Popina Swimsuits - Timeless and Gorgeous

One of my favorite parts of summer is the warmer weather, hanging out at the beach and pool, and vacations. The relaxed, "hang out" atmosphere - it all appeals to me. 

One of my least favorite parts of summer is appearing in public at said events in a bathing suit. 

There. I said it. Bathing suits are not my friend. Even when I had lost a great deal of weight and was at my very best physically, I was still awkward and uncomfortable in a bathing suit. It's just so distressing, am I right? Being a woman who is no longer 22, has stretch marks and varicose and spider veins, has teenage children and grown up children who would be mortified if they were to see their mother in a revealing bathing suit - well, it's a set up for disaster, that's for sure. 

At the same time, I don't want to wear a skirted turtleneck. I still have SOME fashion sense, thank you, children, and I have no desire to masquerade as my grandma. It's a conundrum. 

A few years ago, I heard about Popina Swimwear. I'm a fan of all things retro and I have that more "vintage" body type - full of boobs and bottom, yay! - and so I was attracted to them for their Retro Vintage style. And I was sent one for review, loved it, and soon had a couple more of their suits. 

Ladies, that was at least four years ago. AND THOSE SUITS STILL LOOK AMAZING. In fact, the Popina Vintage Bathing suits are all that I wear. 

That's in all caps because it's super important. How often have you purchased a swimsuit and had to toss it at the end of the season because it's just falling apart - elastic shot, legs gaping open, colors faded? My Popina swimsuits look as good now as they did when I first got them. 

If you are looking for a cute one piece without high cut legs, a plunging neckline or risque cut outs -  check out these from Seafolly Swimwear. My total favorites, though, are to be found on this page - the Vamp and the Kiss N Tell. And I'm really, really digging the Cobalt - decisions, decisions. 

I like Popina's line of swimwear because the bathing suits lift and support, hold me all in and don't look like they are doing anything more that just simple coverage. (Well, we all know I need more than simple coverage....) They are fashionable without being "of the moment' - which means you can wear them next year and the year after, timeless and attractive without showing too much, and I don't have to worry that the suit might slide up OR down and show too much. I can jump into the pool without fear of escaping breasts, wedgies or the like, and don't have to worry that I'll embarrass myself - well, I might still embarrass myself but it won't be due to my bathing suit!

There's still plenty of summer left, plenty of warm weather, plenty of pool and beach and river time. Many of the bathing suits at Popina are on sale - why not pick up a new suit to refresh your wardrobe - that way, you'll have a new one for next year?

As well as a new one for this year. 

Disclosure: I was provided with a new swimsuit in order to facilitate this review - but it's honest and true. I really and truly do love these bathing suits so very, very much.  

Tyson Meals Together

This post is part of a compensated campaign by Tyson Foods. However, all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

I am particularly fussy about the foods that I feed my family. I make much of everything from scratch - not only because we have food allergies (peanut, tree nut, shrimp, a lactose intolerance, and Oral allergy syndrome to peaches, mangoes, broccoli) but because I really enjoy cooking and baking and I am a sincere and earnest control freak who likes to know what is in all of the food. :)

Coupled with a husband who is super finicky about the meat he eats - and you might understand why my kid was super happy to be able to try frozen chicken nuggets - a rarity around these parts. 

I was approached by Tyson to sample their newest products and provided with coupons to facilitate a family dinner featuring said products. My kids love chicken nuggets - LOVE them - and I was interested in trying these Whole Grain Chicken Breast Chunks, to see if they passed the "Parent" challenge. 

I mean, really - everything will pass the kid challenge - but the parents are where the difficulty lies. My husband is especially fussy with chicken nuggets. He doesn't like many of them, as often they are compressed bits of chicken formed into a nugget - and he's unsure of what even is in them. 

I really like making my own chicken nuggets - but I've gotta say, it'd be nice to have a bag already made for those super duper crazy nights that overwhelm me. Like, say, Tuesday. 

:)

These nuggets passed the test for all of us - they were easily identifiable as chicken breast meat, the breading wasn't overpowering, and they tasted just like chicken - you laugh, but how many times have you had a nugget that was too spicy/chewy/had an off flavor?

Because I'm a control freak, we had the chicken nuggets with homemade mac and cheese and baby carrots. It was a great, satisfying and fun dinner - one that my kids have requested we have again this week! The best part of the meal was not just finding a quick frozen entree that we all enjoy, but spending time together as a family, which is rare indeed many weeks. We are often going multiple directions and the same time, and dinner is not always a meal we eat together - but it really should be. 

Tyson Foods is focused on family meal time, and how they can make it easier to bring families together.  To celebrate meal time, they are hosting a #MealsTogether photo contest on their Facebook page.  The premise behind the contest is simple – they’re asking fans to show what meal time looks like for their families (whenever and wherever!) by entering a photo into the contest.  They are going to be giving away weekly prize packs, plus a grand prize of $1,500!

To win one of many weekly prize packs and a grand prize of $1,500, enter on the Tyson Facebook page. 

The Tyson Whole Grain Chicken Breast Chunks are our new "go to" on nights that contain choir practice, dance class, music lessons and tons of homework - they were a quick and satisfying addition to our dinner table. 

What dinner meal will you share ont he Facebook page - let me know, and put your pic up. Maybe you'll win $1,500 - that'd buy a LOT of chicken nuggets!

I have an extra coupon for a free Tyson product - if you'd like to win, leave me a comment telling me your best side dishes to go with Tyson chicken nuggets - and I'll use random.org to pick a winner!

Stride Rite Shoes Make the Holidays Special

I was provided with two pairs of shoes to facilitate my review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own - as if anyone, ever, could buy my mind.

Stride Rite has long been a part of my kids' lives. Every one of my kids took their first steps in Stride Rite white high tops, with baby bells on them, thankyouverymuch. That was my very favorite, most adorable, baby look - and that way, you always knew where the baby was, because those bells gave 'em away EVERY TIME.

In fact, the last time I took my kids to the Stride Rite store, I swear to you that I stood in front of those ubiquitous shoes for a few minutes and gave a big, sad sigh when I walked away.

As my kids grew older, I have always felt confident in shoes purchased from Stride Rite, because I was confident that they fit, wouldn't rub blisters on their feet (especially for my kiddo with the flat, wide feet) and, most importantly, they would last. And it wasn't like the kids were stuck in ugly, boxy, frumpy shoes, either - they were hip, up to the minute styles, often including super heroes or fairies - things that made my kids feel as if the shoes were fun to wear, while I was happy that the shoes were good for them.

Stride Rite has come a long way to make their offerings up to the minute and fashionable, all while not sacrificing form, fit and comfort. With a wide variety of styles available, from casual to dressy, and from leading brands such as Stride Rite, Sperry Top-Sider, Keds, and Saucony, Stride Rite is the perfect one-stop-shop for all children’s footwear needs. 

While perusing the website, I realized exactly how far Stride Rite has come in up to the minute offerings - and chose two pair of Jessica Simpson boots for my girls. These boots are cute, fashionable, comfortable, and will help make the upcoming dressy occasions that we have even more special - Daddy Daughter Dance and Santa's Breakfast, anyone?? I mean, really - does this boot come in my size?

ADORABLE.

It's a well constructed, good quality boot - the materials are soft and sturdy, the buttons firmly attached, and the heel is solid, so I don't have to worry that my girl will twist her ankle as she chases her friends around the gym (while she's SUPPOSED to be dancing with Daddy, but I digress). The prices are right in line with shoe and department stores, and the individualized attention that they take to be sure the shoes fit the child perfectly is second to none.

If you have special occasion shoes to buy for your kids, spend some time in Stride Rite - I think you'll be very happy you did.

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.