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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Did you get an iPAD2 for the holiday season?

With the holiday season behind us it is time to share what everyone received as their favorite present this year! My husband's favorite gifts were his accessories for the iPAD2 (I won't lie I am not iPAD savoy so the following opinions are my husbands and daughter). My husband's #1 problem with his iPAD2 is that it does not "stand up" well-we do have the covering but it often fall down and causes more trouble than it is worth in the end. To solve his problem I found the Rocketfish stand for the iPAD. The stand easily rotates and makes it super easy for my husband to use the device hands free. I personally love the non skid base-with a house full or kids and children you never know what can happen! My husband love the stand because it is light weight and he can tilt any direction whether he is using it on the table or in his lap- his direct quote is: "must buy" for anyone with an iPAD that doesn't want neck problems".  My daughter on the other hand likes to use the iPAD2 to watch movies on the way to Nana's house but we have had a few close calls with her dropping it on the floor because she either fell asleep while we drove or was just to tired to hold on any longer. The Rocketfish Car Mount was the perfect addition for little miss-it is up high so she no longer has to strain her neck looking down to watch a movie and we don't have to worry about her dropping the iPAD on the floor. The Rocketfish Car Mount is the perfect size and feels very sturdy...I was a little leery about attaching it to the head rest at first but the overall quality is amazing. We are looking forward to new additions from Rocketfish and best buy to make our iPAD just right for our busy lives!









The reviewer has received the reviewed product from Best Buy for free.

Nutrisystem Week #11

Well the holidays are over and I am happy to say that I stuck to the plan more than I had anticipated. I took the holiday planning advice from Nutrisystem and ate my meals before going to each family dinner and actually found that I did not over eat! Now I am not going to lie I cheated more than I have ever cheated before-a small bite of cake here, some ham there, and who can resist the egg nog and cookies. So while I did indulge I did not drink a whole glass of egg nog (cannot believe the calories in one glass) or eat a whole plate of cookies but I did enjoy the holidays with my family. I now do NOT link a good time with food-it was great to just laugh and catch up with friends at one of our homes instead of focusing the entire visit or food. Next week my SUCCESS order will arrive and I am so excited it is ridiculous-I cannot wait to taste the donuts and protein shakes. One of the shakes is coffee flavored and another is chocolate...how delicious! I would also like to mention that Nutrisystem was feature on one of the late night shows with Terry Bradshaw and as I watched him talk about his goals I realized we are all in this together. I am a huge believer in  Nutrisystem and so thankful to find a weight loss program that not only cares about weight loss but you as a person. Holding strong at 17 pounds lost and loving ever second!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Nutrisystem Week #10

So week #10-I cannot believe that I have lasted over two months on a "program". I lost another pound last week which is amazing considering I went to three holiday parties and a bunch of shopping dates with friends-thank you Nutrisystem for encouraging words during the holiday season...eating before going to a party really makes a HUGE difference! I managed to stick to the main meals and not "save" my calories for all the holiday treats. Now I will admit I did eat a cookie and a chocolate covered cherry-but guess what I came with a plan. I cut the cookie into fourths and then ate one piece....after an hour if I still wanted the cookie I knew I could come back for another piece but the sweet taste was long gone and that little cookie was just as satisfying as eating the whole plate-thanks Nutrisystem for teaching me portion control! Now if I can survive all of those temptations I know I can make it through this weekend and the rest of my life....it's not about what I eat it is about the quantity (well of course I am not saying I can eat junk like crazy but one bite is satisfying). I am going into the new year with a new outlook on life-I have made it over two months eating great food and watching my body change-there is no going back to 179 for this girl!


*thank you Nutrisystem for proving my food in exchange for my honest opinions*

Friday, December 16, 2011

Nutrisystem Week #9- Welcome New Chef Table Collection

Week nine on Nutrisystem has been a full on adventure-I have given in a little and hit rock bottom more than once this week but also bounced back! In the beginning of the week I had to make cookies for my daughter's holiday party-let's just say I was not ready to tempt myself! I thought I could eat just one but that was a disaster and then I felt to bad about myself for straying from my goal that I ate junk all day long. One thing is for sure I woke up the next morning feeling disgusting and had a new sense of what my goal is all about-amazing how much food can change how your body functions on a day to day basis. The highlight of my week was a suprise package at my door of the new collection of the Chef Table meals from Nutrisystem. The new foods are full of flavor and part of a great new SUCCESS program which incoorporates a variery of foods and the personalized "My Daily 3" activity program. SUCCESS by Nutrisystem has also teamed up with Janet Jackson who has had a great change in her own weightloss adventure thanks to Nutrisystem. I am very excited about the program because they are adding new desserts and the new food using steam technology-the sort of remind me of the steamer bags with the vegetables and my new favorite is the crepes-delicious! With all the new options and the holiday ahead I am hoping to stay strong and at least maintain my weight if not lose a few pounds next week-here's to 16 pounds and counting!

*Thank you to Nutrisystem for providing my meals in exchange for my honest opinion*

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Christmas Highlight-Veggie Tales Little Drummer Boy DVD

My daughter is a little over two this holiday season and we really want to start sharing the holiday stories about Jesus and his birth. Most of the shows available revolve around Santa and while we embrace Santa & his elves we want our daughter to know about Jesus and his birth. My favorite religious dvds for children is of course Veggie Tales. The story lines are very simplistic and my daughter loves Larry the cucumber. So when Christmas time rolled around I knew that Veggie Tales must have a great dvd with a great lesson to teach! We found Veggie Tales: The Little Drummer Boy which is a story about a lonely child that finds hope when he find Jesus. My daughter loves the characters and the story line was age appropriate and entertaining. If you need something that is both educational and entertaining for a little one on your list this holiday season be sure to look for the great collection of Veggie Tales dvds!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

What a great day brought to you by Oral B & mommy parties!

I want to give a huge thanks to Mommy Parties and their host Oral-B for an amazing afternoon. We were recently selected to host a Winnie the Pooh themed party filled with fantastic treats and goodie bags for all our guests. During the movie we made the kids pop corn and gave them the jelly beans provided...it was so adorable to watch the kids so engaged in the movie! Winnie the Pooh was a just the perfect length to keep everyone entertained yet not so long that some of our little guests became distracted. After the movie we had a great time passing out the goodie bags to all our guests which included Winnie the Pooh toothbrushes, toothpaste, and Winnie the Pooh body wash. The kids were so excited to try their new toothbrushes we opened up a tube of paste and everyone brushed their teeth....what a site to see the sink with all these little chairs and step stools and the kids actually enjoying brushing their teeth! Now the toothpaste came in Princess and Cars theme which was a huge hit! Oral-B offers different stages based on the age of child and it is displayed on the front of the package so their is no question as to which toothbrush is right for your child! My daughter loved her new Winnie the Pooh toothbrush that is perfect for her age and her princess toothpaste. Not only does Oral-B make quality products but they taste great and all the kids were excited to go home with their favorite character!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Win a $50 Gift Card to DaySpring-perfect for the holidays!

Still looking for the perfect gift for the holidays? DaySpring truly has a little something for everyone...I was able to find the perfect sentimental gift for my daughter's godmother and a recordable story book for little miss. DaySpring has a very easy to maneuver site....I love being to able to pick an occasion and find gift ideas! I for one do not want to have to sort through a billion Easter or birthday themed items if I am looking for a wedding gift. Every minute of every day is crazy here so if shopping online can be a quick and easy process I am so in! Now we ended up ordering my daughter's book and it arrived very quickly and the packaging kept everything in tact. Over the holidays I am not sure if companies get a little crazy because of the rush but I have received several gifts that were damaged because of horrible packing. Not at DaySpring-they actually put the book in a wrapping to protect it and wrapped the book in enough tissue in the box-no damaged corners! Here are a few of my favorite things DaySpring has to offer:



Be sure to enter using the rafflecopter form below and win your very own $50 gift card!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Nutrisystem Week 8

Well I am now back home for a whole week and back on the Nutrisystem plan! I am so excited to finally be home and be able to get back into the routine. This week I have lost a total of two pounds and feel like after the break I am hitting a restart button on my weight loss so to speak. I am so close to hitting the 160 mark that the high 170's seem like a distant memory...crazy how 10 pounds can change so much! In two weeks we have my husband's annual holiday party and I am really looking forward to dress shopping this year. All of the past years I have been a weird size and either the bigger size was baggy or the smaller size looked like I had to do a gymnastics routine just to get in the dress. So I have also lost a bunch of inches off my waist-not sure how many but enough to drop a pant size! This week I also decided to spice things up a little and try all new foods and everything was so full of flavor-love the chicken Parmesan pasta. Although I must admit all of their pasta dishes have been delicious-and the pizza! I usually use the Margarita pizza as a treat for myself and when I hit the big numbers (anything over 2 pounds) I "treat" myself to pizza for lunch. Once you try this pizza you will know what I mean....quite possibly my favorite pizza ever! Here is to another week for everyone on the weight loss adventure-I look forward to hearing your feedback!

*Once again a huge thanks to Nutrisystem for providing my meals in exchange for my honest opinion*

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Gift Guide Highlight:Personalized Teddy Bears!

Now I know what you are thinking a teddy bear is a teddy bear right-wrong! I have come across one of the cutest sites ever dedicated to teddy bears and personalized items for your teddy bear....imagine presenting your love one with an adorable bear wearing a shirt with your photos saying "will you marry me". Of course this is something you create on Huggable Teddy Bears and as the holidays approach I am a sucker for any good proposal story!
Now my favorite bear they have to offer is the "Mother to be" bear. Often pregnant women get lost in the holiday season and are bombarded with gifts for the baby to be...I was pregnant during the holidays and received so many gifts for the baby! Now I am not complaining but we need to remember that there is a person carrying that little baby that everyone loves so what better than presenting the special someone with a mom to be bear holding a gift card to a maternity store or a pedicure.

Now these are a just a few of my great ideas when it come to the wide variety of bear available. There are custom shirts, sports themed bears, gift baskets, and really gifts for any occasion. The quality of the bears is impeccable and they really do have something for everyone this season. With great customer service and a wide selection Huggable Teddy Bears would be a great addition to any gift!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Win a Butler Bag-just in time for the holidays!

Now as you know I am always on the hunt for a super cute bag that is practical and fits my hectic life. My number one problem is things spilling in my purse and then ruining everything....let's just say those little squeezable fruit snacks are NOT my friend! Then I found out about the "world's most organizable handbag"-the Butler Bag. Of course I thought it was way to good to be true and there was no way my mess of a purse could be organized....well I will now tell you I am eating my words. The bag is super cute and looks like a high end designer bag without giving away your little organizational secret. My Everyday Tote is made of 100% Napa Leather! I have used the bag for several weeks and everything really does have its place. I can now find my cell phone without having to stick my hand into the unknown and hoping that I reach it in time before voicemail picks up. Do you want to know my favorite part of the bag-I can now carry lotion and lip gloss without having to worry about everything in my bag becoming a greasy mess. Here is my everyday tote:

The bag has been featured in US weekly, The Oprah Magazine, People, Lucky, Life & Style, the tryra show, e online, and so many more! The bag comes in a variety of sizes and colors-there is even a clutch for  holiday parties...carry it all without getting anything lost or broken! Right now Butler Bag is offering my readers a $130 off the EveryDay Tote by using the code 130FRUGAL and if you use the code you can also receive a free gift (your choice or bangles jewelry organizer or folding mirror). With that price it is a great buy for the holiday season....I love being organized while carrying a trendy bag!