Thursday, March 31, 2011

YUM YUM DISHES REVIEW

As you all know, I am currently working vigorously on losing weight and getting in better shape.  I am also on the prowl for products that can help me along my way to my "dream weight". I found another wonderful item to be included on that list.  I have found portion control bowls called "Yum Yum Dishes".  Yum Yum Dishes were created by Tracy Adler when she realized she had bad snacking habits and was passing them on to her son.  She saw small dishes at her restaurant and thus began the process that has now created Yum Yum Dishes.


I mean how many of us have gone and grabbed a bag of chips and sat down just to "snack" while watching our favorite tv show just to realize the bag is half gone or even worse completely gone.  I am guilty of the first one and finally became aware of it one day and decided I had to stop this or I would never succeed in my goal of weight loss.  Now these wonderful dishes hold 4 ounces each which is the perfect portion size for a snack ( of course that'a as long as you don't keep refilling it.)  Not only are these dishes great for weight watching women or men, they are wonderful in helping moms give kids the right portion size for snacks.



The wonderful people at Yum Yum Dishes sent me one Yum Yum dish to use for my review and I love mine.  My kids love using it too since it is as my daughter calls it " a little kid's bowl."  I have found myself not snacking as much since in order to get more I have to refill the bowl and I have to stop and think before I do that.  And every time I stop to think about it, I realize I would rather lose that pound then eat 4 more ounces.  This bowl could not have came soon enough.  I might finally be able to curb my snacking with the help of this little dish.  Here is what my dish looks like...



Now here is the same dish full with some delicious almonds. (I love almonds to snack on!)


Now I wanted to give you an idea how much that actually is in that dish so you can see that it is a good size still and more than enough for a snack.  


The wonderful people at Yum Yum Dishes didn't just stop with dishes they have went a step further and teamed with Lisa Mosley to be their spokesperson.  You may remember Lisa Mosley from The Biggest Loser.  She lost 100 pounds on the show but credits keeping the weight off with some help from Yum Yum Dishes.  

Now that is some great motivation!!!!

Currently you can sign up to get a new tip every week from Lisa about weight loss and such. I have definitely signed up for this as I need all the help I can get.  Here is one of her tips:

"We have all been there: you're on a diet and one day you eat a meal that you know you shouldn't. When this happens we seem to think that the entire day is ruined. Trust me, it is NOT! If you broke one of your dishes, would you go to the cabinet and break all of the other dishes in your kitchen? Absolutely not! Don't let that one slip up ruin everything. Simply clean up the mess, learn from the mistake, and move on!"

Such simple advice yet powerful since I know a lot of us get really discouraged when we slip up.  I mean I will beat myself up badly if I do.  But like she said learn from it and move on!  So I am encouraging all my readers to sign up for the tip today.  Each Monday you will get a new tip that will be really helpful.  You will also get updates and promotions from Yum Yum Dishes if you sign up.

Another great thing they have started is their own YouTube channel and are encouraging all users of Yum Yum Dishes to submit a video about how these dishes have helped you with your own battle.  Here is a sample video you can see there featuring Lisa...



To see more videos just click here .  Also follow them on twitter and like them on facebook for updates and valuable tips and advice.

Now these bowls are available online in a set of four online for $22.00. 


GIVEAWAY ALERT

One lucky reader will have the chance to win a set of 4 Yum Yum Dishes n a giveaway starting this Friday.  Please check back this Friday for the rules and your chance to enter.

FOLLOW UP TO YESTERDAY'S WEIGHT LOSS SEGMENT

So i did a late work out last night and paid for it last night.  I couldn't go to sleep for awhile after I got done.  Have now learned I am going to have to work out earlier.  So far today I am not hurting which is great.  Glad I am not since I was worried last night that I would be crying this morning lol.  I never got time to post another review of a great product I am using with my weight loss regiment so I decided to post it this morning.  Keep an eye out for it soon.  Also I want to hear if any of you fellow readers are currently on a work out and / or weight loss regiment.  Let me know what is working and your tips please.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Le PERSONAL COACH book review






(Celebrity Coach and Founder of LeBootCamp)








Valerie Orsoni should be a huge inspiration to every person alive.  She has overcome a brain tumor and has since decided to make helping and inspiring others as her life's calling.  I know she has inspired me by the fact that she fought cancer and won.

As part of her life's calling she has created an online site (LeBootCamp) to help hundreds of thousands of real everyday people lose weight.  There is no food programs or gym memberships.  Each program is PERSONALIZED and only costs $15 a month. (That is less than any gym membership I have ever heard of).  

"92% of women in her program have lost an average of 26 lbs. and not gained it back."
                                                                                                                                      -Dr.Oz Garcia

Also along with this website, Valerie has recently released a new book "Le Personal Coach."  This book is full of Valerie's simple secrets for getting fit and slim without the gym!  This book has a ton of helpful tips.  Here are just a few:

  1. "DO IT NOW! If you like the motivation to get moving, try this simple trick.  Set your cell phone to ring every hour.  Each times it rings, do something active.  Go for a walk around the stadium (if at a game) or, when at home take a walk around the block or do 15 jumping jacks.  Do anything, but make sure you're moving!"
  2. "Click on your favorite soap-or even slip in a movie into the DVD player-and start to move."
  3. "Plant a garden. Every time you spend an hour planting, watering, and weeding, you get an amazing burst of endorphins-the hormones of happiness.  And when you are happy you're happy, you are less hungry.  An hour's worth of garden work can burn 300 calories!"
  4. "The 3-second butt builder.  Each time you go to sit, stand back up before your butt actually hits the chair.  Just do it once each time.  The average person who works in an office stands up and sits back down on a chair at least 50 times a day.  That's 50 squats.  And each one only takes 3 seconds!"
This is just a sample of the many amazing and simple tips included in her wonderful book.  If you want more tips you will have to purchase it!  This book also not only offers fitness tips it also offers tips to help with your mood and inner well-being.  Here is one to try:

"If stress rules your life, open a window and breathe some fresh air as soon as you wake up.  Breathe in deeply through your nose, feeling the air swell your abdomen and chest.  Hold for a count of 5, then slowly exhale."  

This works wonders on a stressful mood or moment.  I find you don't just have to do it in the morning.  So go ahead and try it!  This book also has some great healthy dishes included in it like homemade hummus and salmon pizza.

This book is full of wonderful tips and I have included several of them so far into my workout/weight loss routine.  Plus I am constantly still checking it daily it seems and finding more.  I recommend this book to all moms or women who do not have the time or money for a gym membership like myself.  The book can be purchased at Amazon.com starting at $11.21 for a hardcover copy.  

Check out Valerie on facebook and check out LeBootCamp and all of her books including Le Personal Coach.

*I received the above book solely for the purpose of my review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  The opinion is mine and is completely honest.

WORK OUT / WEIGHT LOS WEDNESDAY

Recently I have shared with  you all bout my ongoing battle with my weight .  Well, I am going to post my progress and tips and reviews about working out and weight loss every Wednesday or at least try to I should say.  Now I had planned on sharing how much weight I was losing weekly but I went into my bathroom today and realized something was terribly wrong..  My "ancient" scale was no longer reading right.  In fact according to it I was well under my ideal weight by like fifty pounds.  Now do not get me wrong I was tempted to keep it! LOL  But I decided I would only be hurting myself so I let go of a good friend today.  So now I am currently on the prowl for a new scale.  So hopefully next week I can update you all on my actual weight loss.  So far I really do not feel like I am losing , much but I refuse to get discouraged.  So I would greatly appreciate if my readers could offer me some encouragement and / or the name of a good scale for me.  So check back every Wednesday for reviews, tips, and my progress.

CONSERVING NOW TOTE BAG REVIEW

So how many of us made New Year's Resolutions?  I personally did like I do every year.  Of course most of the time I slip and that's it for my resolution.  Well, this year I decided even if I slipped back a little I would get back on track and keep trying.  This year I vowed to make improvements to my lifestyle like eat healthier, exercise more, be more organized, create more family time, and go "green" more.

So I have done really good on some of these and am struggling on some.  My family and I have recently started recycling to help save the environment and I have been researching "green" products.  I recently found a great website that is all about "Being Green" and helping the environment.  Conserving Now is a wonderful website dedicated to helping stop the use of plastic grocery bags by recommending and selling affordable reusable totes.  They also have valuable information available for teachers and parents to help them educate our future leaders of tomorrow.

Now I live in the country on a farm and I can tell you there is nothing more beautiful than sitting outside on a warm spring day on the farm watching my kids play.  I for one have taken their pledge to reduce my usage of plastic bags and have vowed to start using reusable bags since I want my kids to be able to sit outside on the farm and watch their kids play like all my family has done in the past.  Now this is a small step for one person to take but a large one if every person takes it.  So I am asking all my readers to take the pledge with me.

Now I told you earlier they also were selling reusable tote bags that you can use for everything like groceries or even as a diaper bag for new moms.  Now they have simple organic cotton market ones and also the very popular Envirosax designer bags which come in an assortment of styles for people to use instead of those boring, un-environmentally friendly plastic bags. Now the big hearted folks at Conserving Now were so generous to send me a bag of my choice.  Now let me tell you they have some really pretty bags.  Here are a few I had to choose from:















They also now have 5 in 1 pouches too.
(It contains all 5 bags in a cute little pouch.)



They also have minisax and kid bags available:

Minisax












And they have Slingsax too...


I told you they had tons of bags to choose from.  They also have the plain organic cotton bags for a clean simple look.


Now I hard a time choosing a bag but finally went with one that features one of my favorite blooms:  
The Cherry Blossom

Is this bag not beautiful?!

Now in this picture you can not see the size of this bag so I took one at home to hopefully show you how large they really are.

It takes up the whole seat of one of our recliners!

I love my Envirosax bag and would love to have a smaller size one in this design for a purse.  I love the print this much.  I also love the fact that it can be rolled up to store easily in your purse or even a diaper bag taking up hardly any space.  I would love to have a whole collection of them for myself and am planning on getting some for gifts this year.

Now these bags vary in size and price with prices starting at $5.99 for the organic cotton tote and $7.99 for the basic Envirosax designer bags.  The minisax start at $4.99 and slingsax starting at $13.99.  needless to say but they have a bag in every size and every price range so basically a bag for everyone!  And after seeing all these beautiful bag how could you really ever go back to a boring unsafe plastic bag.  

No I know what you are saying I would love to use reusable bags but I forget them all the time until I get in the store and then remember them.  Well, I was the same way but Conserving Now has even thought of a solution to this problem too.  They currently have a window cling for your car to remind you to take your reusable bags with you. They have two designs for you to choose from:


Now all you have to do is place the window cling on your car in a place that you will see it when you get in and out of your car to help remind you to BYOB - Bring Your Own Bag!  Now tell me this company has not thought of everything.  So go sign up for your free window static cling.

GIVEAWAY ALERT

Now the amazing folks at Conserving Now have offered one of my readers the chance to receive an ENVIROSAX tote bag of their choice.  Please check back later this week to see teh rules and for your chance to enter.


* I received the above product solely for the purpose of my review.  I received no other compensation and this opinion is completely mine and completely honest.





Tuesday, March 29, 2011

BABY ROCK APPAREL T-SHIRT REVIEW

As a mom of two daughters, I have to love fashion (as if I didn't anyway).  MY oldest daughter is a true diva and a bigger fashion goddess than I ever was.  So I am always looking for hot clothing companies for her.  She loves to stay current with her fashion! lol  Sad thing is she is only 5!  I am so in trouble when she gets older.  During one of my frequent online searches of hot fashion for little girls , I came across a wonderful website called Baby Rock Apparel.  This site is so chic and has those wonderful rocker like clothes for the little ones.  They have clothes for babies to small chldren and have both boys and girls clothing.  Shame my son was too big or I would have gotten him some too.  Here is just a pick at what they have to offer...




Are they just not the perfect clothes for that little kid with tons of personality?!  Now the wonderful folks at Baby Rock were kind enough to send me a shirt to review for my blog.  I had a hard time choosing a shirt since their were so many but I finally decided on this one for my oldest daughter.


Here is the same shirt as a onesie...
It says "Royal Highness The Queen but you can cal me Sweet Heart".

Shipping is very fast with this company which I loved.  My daughter was so excited when this shirt came in the mail.  My ears are still ringing from the screaming she did when she say the shirt.  Now to say she loved it is a huge understatement.  She immediately begged me to let her put it on.  It fit perfectly and it felt so soft.  We both were extremely pleased with the shirt to say the least.  I loved it so much that I am planning on purchasing my youngest daughter one.  I have selected this one for her...


I absolutely love this one for her.

Baby Rock Apparel is very popular and has been featured in People magazine and on the Real Housewives of New Jersey just to name a few. They don't just carry shirts and onesies though.  They also carry shoes, socks, music, tutus, pacifiers, and more.  This is definitely a website you need to check out if you have a future rockstar or diva on you hands.  

Now Baby Rock has offered my readers a discount code so you can save some money while getting some fabulous products from them.  All you have to do is use this code womanofhope and get 15% of your order.  Now all you have to do is decide what products you will purchase.


*I received the above shirt solely for my review and no other compensation.  The above opinion is completely mine and is completely honest.


SHUSHYBYE CD REVIEW

My children are huge fans of music (they get it honestly since I love music).  So I am constantly looking for new kid music to encourage their love of music and dance. I recently was introduced to the Shushies from Shushybye Kingdom.  Now I had never heard of them before this and am actually quite surprised that I have not.  From their website they seem like a perfect fit for most little kids.

Now I am sure you are asking what is a Shushie.  Well, Shushies are residents of Shushybye which is the land where kids dreams come from.  How neat is that!  I really love the back story to share with my kids as much as the music.  All kids have to do is share teir Dream Wishes with a star and it is sent to Shushybye and then the Shushies box it up and send it back to the kids to dream about.

Now there are a few  main characters from Shushybye that  take part in all this magical activity.


dozie menu Meet the Shushies

Now Dozie is a smart Shushie with great ideas and a secret crush on Snoozles and loves to dance.She gives kids the sweetest dreams.


zeez menu Meet the Shushies

Zeez is a good friend who loves to sleep himself and makes creative dreams.  He likes to refer to everyone as "dude."

snoozles menu Meet the Shushies

Snoozles is the  King's Official Helper.  He has a special Dream Wand that allows him to visit children and even bring them and their parents to Shushybye Kingdom.  

snortwheez menu Meet the Shushies

Snort and Wheez are a comical pair of Shushies that drive an old Dream Van to collect Dream Boxes to be taken to Captain Yawn for delivery to the kids.  Unfortunately for them their van is constantly breaking down.

king menu Meet the Shushies

Shushybye King rules the Kingdom.  He resides in the Shushybye Palace in Nap Valley.  His home may look small but is very grand on the inside.

conductor menu Meet the Shushies

Conductor Mc Cloud is a respected Shushie that delivers ream Boxes to the kids with his train.

Now Dozie, Zeez, and Snoozles make up the band .  The band has a few cds out and there is even a plush toy line of them.  Which is absolutely adorable, my daughter had a fit over them when I showed her the website.  Now I was lucky enough to be able to review their newest cd, Shushybye and Goodnight: The Deluxe Edition.  






Product Description

Featuring 16 original Shushybye songs performed by Michael North and The Shushybye Dream Band, everyone is singing about Shushybye and Goodnight: The Deluxe Edition!  Listen to many of the most popular Shushy hits plus four never-before-released favorites!

The cd has a mixture of upbeat tempo songs and lullabies.  No I played this cd for my daughters before bed several nights to see how they would do. They danced to the fast songs and sung the slower songs which I noticed help them to unwind so they could get to bed easier.  The music is very cute and perfect for younger kids.  I really enjoyed the lullabies since they were calm and peaceful and helped calm my daughters.  SInce the girls have ahd a chance to play the cd, now all I hear is I want to play the Shushybye Goodnight cd.  This cd is perfect for parent s who have been trying to find something to relax their kids before bed or naptime.  

This cd along with other cds, books, plush toys, and dvds are currently available online.  The price of this cd is $8.99.  The price for the other cds varies but is about the same price.  You ca even listen to some of their music own their website or the voices of the characters.  They even have pajamas so your kid can really have Sweet Dreams.

GIVEAWAY ALERT

Now the wonderful people who sent me my cd has been generous enough to give one of my lucky readers their very own Shushybye and Goodnight Deluxe Edition cd.  Please check back later this week for the rules and to enter this giveaway.

* I received the above product solely for the purpose of my review.  This review is completely honest and is completely my own opinion.


Monday, March 28, 2011

DOODLES: ALPHABET COLORING FUN COLORING BOOK REVIEW

I have two little girls in my household and since 1 starts kindergarten next year and hopefully the other start Pre-K next year I am alway looking for fun ways to encourage their learning at home.  I recently found a wonderful coloring book that does just that.  It is "Doodles: Alphabet Coloring Fun" coloring book.  The "doodles" in the book are drawn by a wonderful artist named Setria James.



The pictures in this book are very large and perfect for little kids to color in.  The pages have the beginning letter of each drawing at the top of the page so that kids can recognize the letters of the alphabet along with some common words they would use and their pictures.  Below are samples pages from the coloring book.  


This book is wonderful and I love how the illustrations are not too small and easier for younger kids to color that are just starting out.  It made it easier for my youngest daughter to color which I loved.  

Setria James currently has her own blog and a facebook page appropriately titled Doodles.  You should definitely check out her artwork .  She is a very skilled artist and has some amazing "doodles" up on her facebook page of actually kids .  I would love her to doodle my children since her work is amazing.  She had a previous post stating she would create a "doodle'' of your child if you sent her a picture and the offer is still available so hurry and upload your photos.

The book is currently available online at Amazon.com for $14.49.  This coloring book is a great tool to help aid any kid in learning the alphabet and I recommend it to all parents with toddlers.


*I received the above product solely for my review.  I was not compensated in any way for my review. The opinions are completely my own and completely honest.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

BIO-TRUE REVIEW





Currently Bio-True (the makers of the wonderful contact solution) are having an Instant Win game.  But you need to hurry it ends March 27 at Midnight.   All you have to do is enter your email address and information and "Spin to Win" a chance at scoring a wonderful limited edition Bio-True tote bag.  This is a wonderful item to get to help with the environment since Earth Day is right around the corner.  As parents we need to set an example for our kids and start helping out our environment now.

I was luck y enough to receive a limited edition tote bag and a bottle of Bio-True contact solution.  Now I have reading glasses not contacts but my fiancée does and he is very picky about his products he uses.  I had to show him all the information on their website about the product and finally he was game for trying Bio-True. 

Biotrue provides unsurpassed disinfection that healthy eyes need:

Biotrue combines a dual disinfection system with the unique bio-inspired attributes of a
pH equal to healthy tears and protein management, to provide unsurpassed disinfection.

Biotrue utilizes hyaluronan, a lubricant found naturally in 

the eyes:

Biotrue hydrates contact lenses in a way that eyes stay hydrated — by
utilizing hyaluronan (HA), a lubricant found throughout the body.

Biotrue matches the pH of healthy tears:

Eyes that are healthy continually create the perfect environment. That's why Biotrue
 is uniquely formulated to match the pH of healthy tears — maintaining the eye's
natural condition and enabling optimal activation of our dual disinfectants.

Biotrue keeps certain beneficial tear proteins active as 

they are naturally in the eye:

  • Proteins in their native state act as the eye's inborn germ-fighters, carrying out                                                antimicrobial activities on their own.
  • Proteins that are denatured have lost their structure due to factors such as                                                                                  external stresses. Biotrue lifts and removes denatured proteins.
 He loved the product.  I must say Bio-True has to be wonderful product to get him hooked.   He stated his eyes felt more hydrated than normal and he really liked that just like the website said (LOL.)  

 Now I of course claimed the Reusable tote bag which I loved especially the colors and durability of the bag.  


The bag is very sturdy and definitely worth the two minutes or so it takes to enter and spin.  Also the wonderful people at Bio-True currently have a coupon available for a $1 off their 10 oz or larger bottle.  So all you copuon queens need to jump on this one.


* I received teh above items solely for the purpose of this review.  I was not compensated any other way.  The opinion is completely mine and is completely honest.

SKIN MD NATURAL SHIELDING LOTION REVIEW

I am a woman who has tons of family members with sensitive skin or skin conditions.  My youngest daughter has bouts of eczema at times, my nephew gets skin rashes often, my oldest daughter has sensitive skin as does my son, my other nephew is allergic to some detergents, and my fiancée will break out with certain lotions, soaps, and body washes.  So I was excited when I received the opportunity to review Skin MD's Natural Shielding Lotion.



First off I am sure some of you want to know what is a shielding lotion just like I wondered.  

"A shielding lotion is a lotion that provides a natural barrier on top of the skin to protect it from outside chemicals and irritants.  In addition, it also acts to keep the moisture and the oils in the skin so that the skin can heal itself."
-Dr. Lisa Benest, Board Certified Dermatologist

Skin MD Natural has six times the moisturizing abilities of Glycerin lotions making it far cut above other lotions.  Also Skin MD has received the highest hypo-allergenic and "safe-use" rating available.  It can even last through hand-washing and continue to moisturize.  Another great things is all the ingredients are safe and effective.  93% of the ingredients are plant-based natural ingredients. This lotion can be used on your face, hands, and body.  


Now I received several packets of the Skin MD Natural Lotion to try and I even gave a couple packets to my sister since her kids have sensitive skin as well.  Now a little of this lotion goes a long way and I absolutely love that.  I also really loved the face that it blends into skin quickly and is not greasy at all.  It also has no perfume smell  just a nice clean smell which is great for the guys.  Currently my youngest daughter was not having an eczema attack but I have still used it on her and she has not  gotten one either.  I think the lotion has helped subside that and I am so grateful for that.  I mean no pretty little girl should have bad skin issues like eczema.  I also have been using the product and my hands are extremely soft and feel great.  I am going to start using the lotion on my feet at night to get them ready for flip flop weather which is right around the corner (well actually I wear flip flops in the winter so it is always flip flop weather lol). 

Skin MD can be purchased online and at select stores.  A 1-2 month supply (4oz. bottle) is $18.00.

Also they have a the Shielding Lotion now available with SPF 15 which starts at $25.00.

Also Skin MD currently is offering free samples just click here.  The link to the free sample is located on the right side towards the bottom.  Order yours today and try it for yourself.  I just now you will love it.


I received the above product solely for the purpose of my review.  I am currently an affiliate with Skin MD.  The above opinion is completely mine and completely honest.

Friday, March 25, 2011

POSH PIPSQUEAK LEG WARMER GIVEAWAY

My next giveaway is for one lucky reader to win one pair of their choice of either Posh Legs or Big Kid Posh Legs from Posh Pipsqueak.  (Retail value not to exceed $9.95.) Please pay attention to price some are not available for the giveaway. 


 Mandatory entry is to visit Posh Pipsqueak and leave me a comment with which leg warmer you would choose if you win.  Please post the url of the one you want.  This is very important to post the url of the one you want please. You must also follow me with Google Friend Connect.  Please leave me a comment with the leg warmer you choose and your email after you sign up to follow my blog.

 
Additional entries:

  • Follow me on Facebook (2 entry)
  • Follow me on Twitter (1 entry)
  • Tweet about this Giveaway    ( one entry per day)
  • Blog about this Giveaway ( 10 entries)
  • Leave one comment per entry!!!! (This is important.  If the additional entries count as more than one email please comment the number of times you get credit for it so they count.)
Please include your screen names and email address with each entry so I can verify the information and to contact you if you win.

The giveaway starts today and will run for two weeks and will end @ Noon on April 8th. 

Good luck everyone!

6Pence Players 2 cd pack Giveaway

The first giveaway is for one of my lucky readers to win both cds by 6 Pence Players : "The Fairytale Collection" and "Princess Reform School".




Okay no in case you missed my review about them, click here.


  Mandatory entry is to follow me on Google Friend Connect.  Also let me know which story you think your kid or kids will love the most. Please leave me a comment stating you are following me and the email address you signed up with.

 
Additional entries:

  • Follow me on Facebook (2 entry)
  • Follow me on Twitter (1 entry)
  • Tweet about this Giveaway    ( one entry per day)
  • Blog about this Giveaway and link to it ( 10 entries)
  • Leave one comment per entry!!!! (This is important.  If the additional entries count as more than one email please comment the number of times you get credit for it so they count.)
Please include your screen names and email address with each entry so I can verify the information and to contact you if you win.

The giveaway starts today and will run for two weeks and will end @ Noon on April 8th.