Sponsor Spotlight: Pack Your Lunch wih EasyLunchboxes

When living on a budget it is best to make your own meals for school or work. With the Easy Lunchbox system it makes it convenient to do so. Making my husbands lunches becomes a simple task for me just to lay out the containers and add all his food to them for work. My husband really enjoyed using these containers for his lunches. He was very pleased that when he microwaved the containers that they retained their shape and didn't feel wimpy. It quickly became the talk of the break room with everyone asking about the Easy Lunchbox system. At home these containers are great for my toddler's snacks especially when we are on the go. They clean up great in the dishwasher as well. 

EasyLunchboxes is a bento-style, 3-compartment container with easy open lids. Although they are not leak proof they are great for carrying a variety of lunches or snacks. The compartments are great for portion control as well. The main compartment is able to hold a sandwich or other entree while the two little compartments are great for snacks. Two EasyLunchboxes also fit into their lunch Bags with room to spare for a drink or icepack. The lunch bags are made of the highest quality 300D Polyester and come in five different colors.

The containers contain no lead, vinyl, PVC, phthalates, or bisphenol A (BPA). The portable lunch containers are safe for dishwasher, freezer, and microwave. The cooler bags can be machine washed.

These containers are great for kids to take to school or on the go. They are great for adults looking to eat portion sized meals. Below is a video with examples of some lunch ideas.

EasyLunchboxes are a consistent top seller in the category "lunch boxes" on Amazon.com!! 

You can get also FREE shipping for their products (USA only) through their Amazon store.

 

Be sure to check out their Facebook and Twitter page and enter to win your very own EasyLunchbox system Here.

 

 

I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

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Sponsor Spotlight: EatSmart Precision Pro Kitchen Scale

In today's world portion control is a top priority to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. The only problem is "What is a portion?" If you have ever looked at the serving size of packaged food it usually tells you in grams or gives you an about this many pieces. I don't want to know "About how much I am eating". I want to know exactly how much a serving is. This measurement is not easy to figure out using your normal kitchen tools. In comes the EatSmart Precision Pro Kitchen Scale to help you easily figure out how much you should be eating.

At first thought I was intimidated by kitchen scales but they are simple to use to figure out your portions. The first step is to turn it on. The scale measures in grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds.  Choose the measurement you need.  Then place your bowl or plate on top.  You will then hit the Tare button so you do not calculate the weight of your bowl or plate. Next place your food in the bowl just until it reads the right weight for a serving. 

If you are unsure of how many calories are in a piece of fruit then all you need to do is take a look at the Calorie Factors Book that comes with the scale. Here you can find almost any type of food that does not come with a nutrition label. The book gives you a simple formula to figure out the calorie count of the food.

This scale can be used to weigh a variety of things including postage. It can weigh up to 11 pounds.The scale is also compact which makes it easy to take with you if needed.

Checkout EatSmart Products on Facebook and Twitter. 

You can purchase this scale on Amazon or you can enter for a chance to win one in the Share the Love Giveaway Event.

  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Baby Bash Giveaway: Organic Baby Gift Boutique

Now that my baby is no longer a baby but a toddler it is time to upgrade his utensils and dinnerware.

I received the Green/Blue Melamine Snack Tray to review from Organic Baby Gift Boutique. When I first received my package I had been looking out the window and saw the box marked fragile fly out of the drivers hand and onto the ground. I was afraid that it would be broken once I opened it but was pleasantly surprised when there was not a scratch or crack in this set.  Furthermore this set has withstood the abuse from my toddler as he has thrown the dishes many times from his high chair.  This set is very durable and oh so cute.

I absolutely love the trays this set comes with. I have been using this set for awhile and the trays are my favorite part.  The bigger tray I use to hold all the bowls so that I can make one trip from the kitchen. The smaller tray is great for cutting up my toddlers favorite snacks like banana or toast.

I am very pleased with this product and its ease of use. You can find this set and more online at Organic Baby Gift Boutique. Organic Baby Gift Boutique is an online boutique that sells a wide variety of Organic and Eco-friendly products. 

Check out Organic Baby Gift Boutique on Facebook and Twitter. 

Look below to enter to win a $25 gift certificate to Organic Baby Gift Boutique. 

ENTER HERE 

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Baby Birthday Bash with Buddy Fruits

Diapers check

Wipes check

Spare Clothes check

Bottle check

Baby Food check

Spoon check

This is what I have to think about before I leave the house nowadays. Making sure my baby has everything he may need is a must. Meal times on the run are not always the most easy or the most clean. I don't know about you but feeding a baby jar food that is liquidy is not the most desirable when you are out in public. Most of the time my son's food ends up everywhere but in his mouth.

That is why I am glad to have found Buddy Fruits. Buddy Fruits are pure blended fruit in a pouch. No need to have a spoon baby can self feed with these.

Buddy Fruits:     

100% Fruits, Nothing Else!

No Seeds, No Peel!

Blend of Fruits'Flesh Only

Delicious and Smooth Flavor

I can tell you my baby loves these. He will suck them down quick too. Perfect for little hands to hold.

Buddy Fruits also have Fruit Bites 

and Blended Fruit and Milk.

The Fruit Bites are little gummy like chunks that remind me of the fruit snacks for kids only these are made of 100% fruit.

I cut these in half for my baby and like knowing that he is eating a healthy snack rather than something with a ton of sugar.

The Blended Fruit & Milk pouches are made with 100% pure fruit and skim milk. My son has yet to try these but I am sure he will love them just like the other Buddy Fruit items.

Overall Buddy Fruits are a great product for babies and toddlers. I am really glad that we tried these and will continue to purchase this brand in the future. Giving my baby healthy snacks that are not made with preservatives and artificial flavors is a top priority of mine.

You can check out Buddy Fruits
on Facebook and Twitter.

I am excited to bring you the opportunity to try Buddy Fruits for yourself. Just enter the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win a mix pack of Buddy Fruits.

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Purex Crystals and Jockey Sports bra review

Now that the new year is here it is time for me to start working off these extra pounds that I am Still carrying around. To do this I need the right workout gear and the Jockey Sports Bra is just right. It is made with breathable mesh panels, a soft bottom band for comfortable support, moisture-wicking to keep you dry and it has a convenient pocket to keep your key.

The Jockey sports bra is comfortable to wear and do my workouts in. 

After my workouts it is necessary to thoroughly clean my athletic wear. Did you know you should not use fabric softener on sportswear because the oil content prevents the wicking process?

The solution is to use Purex Crystals to keep your athletic wear smelling great. Purex Crystals does not use oil like most fabric softeners which is what stops the wicking process.

When I first heard about Purex Crystals I didn't think much about them. I also didn't think I could use them in my HE washer. After reading that the crystals contain no oil and finding out that they are OK to use in HE machines I figured I would give it a try. The thing I like best about Purex Crystals is that it smells great. After washing my clothes with it they have a wonderful tropical scent. A week later and you can still smell the crystals. My husband really likes this fabric softener as well and constantly tells me how great it is.

 Jockey is giving you the opportunity to save!!!

 Go get your 20% off coupon now!!!

You will also have a chance to win a Jockey Sports Bra and a bottle of Purex Crystals by entering the Rafflecopter form below.

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Sister Schubert's New Mini Baguettes and Soft Pretzel Rolls Review

One of my guilty pleasures is bread. The smell, the taste and when you add butter who can resist. Sister Schubert’s has even made it harder to resist with their New frozen Mini Baguettes and Soft Pretzel Rolls. These rolls both tasted as if they were just freshly made and baked. 

Each roll is already prebaked and in a resealable bag. All you have to do is wait 7-9 minutes to have the best tasting bread out of the oven. Sister Schubert’s frozen Mini Baguettes and Soft Pretzel Rolls are made with the finest ingredients with no preservatives, artificial flavors and 0 grams of trans fat.

When I  first pulled The Mini Baguettes out of the oven I was hit with that smell of freshly baked bread. I eagerly got my butter and knife ready to devour. As I started to cut the crusty baguette the knife broke through the outer crust and slid through the soft bread. The flavor is fresh and has a nice yeasty taste just the way I like it.

The Soft Pretzel Rolls were equally delicious. They are shaped like a dinner roll but with a darker crust. They smelt so delicious out of the oven and the flavor was just like the hard pretzels. When you bite into them they are really soft. Word of Caution these rolls are addicting. Serving size is one roll and I ate half the bag (3 rolls) at once.

You can find Sister Schubert’s for around $3.79 a bag (prices may vary by store).

Check out Sister Schubert’s on Facebook and Twitter!!

Sister Schubert’s will be giving Two of my readers the chance to win a coupon for a Free bag of Sister Schubert’s rolls. Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below.

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Sweat With HotPants

 
After having a baby last January the inches around my waist have stayed up.  I have yet to lose the baby weight, so when I got the chance to review HotPants I jumped on it. Anything to help me lose the weight and inches to get me back to my desired size.  The challenge was to wear the HotPants every day, especially when I exercise.

These pants will make you sweat. I don't want to be gross but that is what they are made for and that is what they do. Hotpants are sport shorts that are designed with bio-ceramic technology, which emits far infrared rays and reflects back the heat naturally generated by your body to warm up the tissue below the skins surface. When this tissue gets warmed up it will then start to break down fat cells. Even just wearing these pants while going about my normal day (sitting on the computer) I was sweating. I wore these Hotpants while playing my dancing game and I had sweat even more than I would normally sweat while working out. These pants are comfortable and you only feel a little wet from the sweat.  I could wear these all day long while doing house chores and know that I was getting the benefit of breaking down the fat layer beneath my skin.  

The pants themselves cover my entire belly down to my knees. In pictures with models these hot pants go to mid thigh. So if you are short like me (5'2) then expect full coverage. Sizing the pants was easy and accurate as well. I really believe these hot pants are great and will help me lose the inches around my waist and get me back down to size.

Check out what others thought about HotPants on their Facebook.

I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Simply Dressed with Marzetti Review

I love trying new things that are full of flavor and that I would use daily if given the chance. I eat salads all the time and am always trying to find the perfect dressing for them. After trying a spoonful of Marzetti Simply Dressed ranch dressing my taste buds were ignited into a frenzy of wonderful creamy, elegant flavors. I could tell instantly that sea salt, which I enjoy tremendously, was used in the mixture giving it a more natural flavor. When I looked to the ingredients to see what was inside this bottle of dressing I was more than pleased to know exactly what the ingredients within it were. There was nothing confusing about garlic, canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, buttermilk, water, salted egg yolk, distilled vinegar, onion, sugar, or xanthan gum.

My mind raced with ideas on what to try it on first. Between spreading it on top of a piece of pizza to using as a dressing on a salad I was completely engaged on all the things it would go great with. The creamy texture made for a perfect dipping sauce for chicken nuggets. The flavors aren't so over powering that they take over other flavors but it is not so weak that it seems a waste to have used it. After trying it on the chicken nuggets I had to find out what else this dressing would make better so I pulled out as many ideas as I could. First I tried it on macaroni and instead of using just my normal salt and butter seasonings I poured on two tablespoons of the dressing. I was pleased with the flavor and the texture yet again. At this point I found nothing else could surprise me until I replaced my mayonnaise on my burger with it and found a splendid new taste to the burger.

Marzetti Simply Dressed come in a variety of flavors that include: Blue cheese, Ranch, Caesar, Pomegranate, Balsamic, Coleslaw, Champagne, Strawberry Poppy seed, Greek Feta and Ginger Sesame. The Marzetti Simply Dressed dressings are made without preservatives, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, MSG or artificial flavors or colors.

With these flavors I will have no hesitance to try it on my future recipe ideas. Some of these ideas are using this in place of sour cream in my beef stroganoff, a replacement of egg on my chicken for my fried chicken and a creamy base for my chicken bake. The kitchen is going to be busy with all these new recipes I am going to try. This dressing will replace my old brands in my refrigerator, always ready for me to use whether it be a replacement for mayonnaise on my turkey sandwiches or a sauce to go on my macaroni noodles.

You can find Marzetti Simply Dressed in your grocer's refrigerated produce section for a suggested retail price of $3.59- $4.59 per 12oz bottle (prices vary by store).

 Find Simply Dressed in a store near you at www.marzetti.com/where-to-buy/.

I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Simply Dressed review. They provided me with product to test myself and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

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Blender Bottle Sponsor Spotlight

One of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is Crepes. I love Crepes. What I don't like is making them. The ingredients are simple (eggs, milk and flour) but that is not the problem. The issue arises when I mix the batter. Every time I mix the crepe batter I end up with large clumps of flour. No matter what I do I always have clumps. That was until I tried mixing the batter in the Blender Bottle.

What is a Blender Bottle you ask? The Blender Bottle is a bottle specially designed for shaking things up, everything from protein drinks to salad dressings. The Blender Bottle uses a patented BlenderBall wire whisk to mix your ingredients to a smooth and light consistency every time. It is made of 316 surgical-grade stainless steel that will never rust, chip, or peel.

Features:

• BlenderBall® whisk inside
• Secure screw-on lid
• Wide mouth makes it easy to add ingredients
• Large drink/pour spout
• StayOpen flip cap™ won't close on your nose
• GripperBars™ make it easy to hold
• Embossed ounce and millitier markings

• Easy to clean—dishwasher safe
• 20 or 28—ounce capacity
• Available in a variety of colors
• Fits in most car drink holders
• BPA-free

Now that I have the Blender Bottle my crepes are the best that they have ever been. No more clumps!!! My husband also likes it for his protein drinks.  In fact, we had to buy a second Blender Bottle just for him. He will not give it up and uses it daily.

There are a few clumps but I just needed to mix it some more and then they were all gone

They also have insulated slings to dress up your BlenderBottle and keep your drinks cooler for longer. Designs range from solid colors to stripes, polka dots and even camo. Made from durable neoprene, the insulated slings feature a handle to make carrying easier.

You can also check out the 101 Quick and Easy Blender Bottle Recipes book to get ideas of all the different foods you can make. The recipe book features a color coded system to allow you to see which ingredient to mix in your Blender Bottle.

Go check out BlenderBottle on Facebook and Twitter!!!

Right now you can enter for your chance to win a BlenderBottle package that includes a 28oz BlenderBottle, Insulated sling and the 101 Quick and Easy Blender Bottle Recipes book.
Click Here to Enter

I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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ZoneFast Weight Loss Program Sponsor Spotlight Review

"The Zone Diet is a way of life that helps you lose fat and increase wellness by reducing cellular inflammation. It's cellular inflammation that is the underlying cause of not only weight gain and the acceleration of chronic disease, but also the reason behind decreasing physical, emotional, and mental performance."

With the ZoneFast two week program you get a lot of food. When my first shipment came I couldn't believe all the food for just that one week. The box contained bagels, breads, pizza crusts, pasta, granola, nougat bars, cookies, soft pretzels, and a cinnamon bun.

I know what you are thinking, that is a lot of carbs. The ZoneFast diet foods are made with Zone Protein which works by helping to release the hormones from the digestive system then tells the brain to stop eating using the foods that you like to eat. The ZoneFast diet foods are just the base of your food. You can add things to them to make them even healthier like tuna on the hearty white roll.

These foods tasted great as well. I started with the cinnamon bun and the cinnamon bread (my husband just had to try it so we split both). They both tasted delicious, not too sweet. I then made myself some pasta. At first I was thinking it wasn't enough for me even though it was portion size. That one bowl of pasta filled me up and I didn't need to eat anything until snack time. 

Of course snack time was my favorite. The cookies tasted like these crispy cookies with big chunks of chocolate.  The nougat bars were my all time favorite. They were chewy and delicious, coming in a variety of flavors. The double chocolate fudge and chocolate chunk were the best.  I can't say for sure whether I lost weight or not. But I did feel good when I was eating the ZoneFast food. I have issues with my blood sugar at times and this food really kept that in check. The food doesn't even taste like diet food or low fat either.

Benefits of the Zone 1-2-3 Program

• Your clothes will fit better as much of your weight loss is excess body fat, not loss of water or muscle
• You will enjoy improved mental focus and acuity as your blood sugar levels become more stable
• You will observe a surge in physical energy as you increase the release of stored body fat to be converted into chemical energy
• You will have an improved ability to handle stress
• Finally, as you continue to reduce excess body fat, you will have decreased blood sugar, blood lipid, and blood pressure levels 

Check out The Zone Diet on Facebook and Twitter!!

 If you come back November 25, 2011, Black Friday, you will have the chance to win The Zone Fast two week program during the 12 Days Gifts Galore Giveaway Event!!!!



I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Get Up And Dance With Just Dance 3

If you want a reason to get off the couch then I would recommend Just Dance 3. Just dance 3 is the newest installment of the Just Dance games featuring over 40 songs to get your butt moving.  

The songs you get to choose from range from Billboard top hits to classic dance party tracks. Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO is my baby's favorite song and I make sure to dance to that one every time.

The track list for Just Dance 3 includes:

1.      2 Unlimited – “No Limit”
2.      a-ha – “Take On Me”
3.      African Ladies – “Pata Pata”
4.      Anja – “Dance All Nite”
5.      Bananarama – “Venus”
6.      The Black Eyed Peas – “Pump It”
7.      Bollywood Rainbow – “Kurio ko uddah le jana”
8.      Brahms by Just Dance Classical Orchestra – “Hungarian Dance No. 5”
9.      Cee Lo Green – “Forget You”
10.     Countdown Mix Masters – “Beautiful Liar”
11.     Daft Punk – “Da Funk”
12.     Danny Elfman – “This is Halloween”
13.     Donna Summer – “I Feel Love”
14.     Dr. Creole – “Baby Zouk”
15.     Duck Sauce – “Barbra Streisand”
16.     Girls Aloud – “Jump (For My Love)”
17.     Groove Century - “Boogie Wonderland”
18.     Gwen Stefani – “What You Waiting For?”
19.     Inspector Marceau – “The Master Blaster”
20.     Janelle Monae – “Tightrope (Solo Version)”
21.     Jessie J featuring B.o.B – “Price Tag”
22.     Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg – “California Gurls”
23.     Kiss – “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”
24.     Konshens – “Jamaican Dance”
25.     Latino Sunset – “Mamasita”
26.     Laura Bell Bundy – “Giddy On Up (Giddy On Out)”
27.     LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock – “Party Rock Anthem”
28.     Madness – “Night Boat To Cairo”
29.     MIKA – “Lollipop”
30.     Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland – “Promiscuous”
31.     Pointer Sisters – “I'm So Excited”
32.     Queen – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
33.     Reggaeton Storm – “Boom”
34.     Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman - “Somethin' Stupid”
35.     Scissor Sisters – “I Don't Feel Like Dancin'”
36.     Sweat Invaders - “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)”
37.     Taio Cruz – “Dynamite”
38.     The Buggles – “Video Killed The Radio Star”
39.     The Chemical Brothers – “Hey Boy Hey Girl”
40.     The Girly Team – “Baby One More Time”
41.     The London Theatre Orchestra & Cast – “Think”
42.     The Sugarhill Gang – “Apache (Jump On It)”
43.     Tommy Sparks – “She's Got Me Dancing”
44.     Wilson Pickett – “Land of 1000 Dances”

Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO

I am one of those people that hate to exercise and keeping up with a routine is hard for me especially with an active 9 month old. Trying to get a regular 30 minute exercise in is hard. Just dance 3 has a Just Sweat mode where you can choose how much you want to sweat. You can choose a fresh start, the healthy choice, or sweat explosion . I chose to do the healthy choice workout which is 1000 sweat points a day and 7000 points a week. Each song is measured with sweat points which let you know how much you are going to move with that song. If you choose the songs with the most sweat points it will only take about 15 minutes to hit your daily goal. That is as long as you don't have to stop and catch your breath every so often because you are out of shape like myself. This game is truly a workout. After each session I am out of breath, sweating, hot, and exhausted. It does feel good to play this game and know that I am really doing something good for my body at the same time.

Now you will look like a fool playing this game but that's the point. Don't think that If you can't dance you can't play. Trust me I end up doing everything backwards from what they are doing on the screen yet I still have fun.

Just Dance 3 is available on the XBOX 360 Kinect and the Nintendo WII. Just Dance 3 will be available for the PlayStation® Move for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on December 6, 2011 in North America at the MSRP of $39.99.

Check out Just Dance on Facebook where you can upload video of you dancing. Just Dance is also on Twitter.


I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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