Morning Coffee Treat!

    I admit I have a really hard time functioning without my morning coffee. But as the weather gets warmer I find it's harder to drink it. Solution Starbucks Frappuccino bottled cold coffee drink. Then we get into my issues with this.
   1) Price--- Seriously 4 bottles for $6-$7. I'm not pleased with the price
   2) Ingredients--- Yes I am trying to be more aware of the stuff in my foods and drinks.
   3) Size--- It's such a small bottle! It leaves me wanting more every single time.



Solution! I do have one! I went in search of recipes and adapted them to what works for me and my likes and dislikes.


My Recipe- A bit less sweet than some and less fat. (makes 5-6 servings)

Coffee- I used 5 cups of extra strong brewed coffee for mine. (normally I use 2 TBSP coffee in this size pot, I used 1/4 cup)
Milk- I used 5 cups of 2% as that is what I have in my fridge
Sugar- I used raw sugar (This is to taste. I used 1/3cup sugar in my batch and will drop it a little more next time)
*****Optional Stuffs!*****
 Chocolate Syrup, Caramel Syrup, Creamer

           To make this I made the coffee, and mixed in the sugar until it was dissolved. I then added the milk and in a container with a lid shook it up and stored in the fridge.
          To make my drink... I fill my blender bottle with ice, add the coffee mixture and a splash of creamer ( I wanted to finish what I already had). Blend add the lid and I have my morning cold coffee. With ice added I tend to get about 20 oz total and the bottle of the mix lasts me for 6 servings.
             Nutrition Info:
   My ingredients in calculations so yours might vary a bit.

144 Calories
4 Fat
20 Carb
20 Sugar
7 Protein

The optional stuff will add to your calorie tally.

Quaker Instant Oatmeal

   I received this oatmeal to try from BzzAgent.


We've tried it a few times just to see if it really is something we enjoy.

NEW Quaker^® Steel Cut Quick 3 Minute Oatmeal is made with 100% natural, whole grain Quaker^® Oats that are steel cut to give the oatmeal a heartier texture and nuttier taste that comes in Blueberries & Cranberries and Brown Sugar & Cinnamon

Quaker^® Protein Instant Oatmeal powers up your morning with 10g of protein available in two different flavors – Banana Nut and Cranberry Almond

 I received the Cranberry Almond in the Protein variety and the Blueberry Cranberry in the Steel Cut. 

Verdict:

 * Jared my picky eater went nuts on the steel cut and asked for more. This is amazing for him!

 * Liam was not impressed with the oatmeal but hasn't really ever liked oatmeal so I wasn't surprised.

 * Myself I liked the steel cut (making 2 at one time didn't work well). The Protein one was almost too creamy and left a weird aftertaste in my mouth that was sort of slimy and I won't be eating it again. 

     The protein packets had a line on them so you could fill the pouch with water instead of a measuring cup and would be perfect on the go when you need a quick breakfast and I liked the idea that there is an option for a version with more protein than average instant oatmeal. If I could get past the texture I would probably have loved it. 

     The Steel Cut took longer to cook than I normally need for instant oatmeal but was so worth it when it was done. It tasted amazing and was much more satisfying than the more processed instant oatmeal.

  

          I was able to find both items in my local Kroger store which is a big plus as lots of the time it takes a good long while to get in newer items if at all in my smaller town.

Ingredient lists: 

Steel Cut

Protein 

GoGo Squeez Fruit and Veggiez - BzzAgent

     I was asked to review these pouches by BzzAgent and was excited to give my littles a special treat that of course they think it just yummy and I know they are healthy. We received the Boulder Berry to try.
   
Our package came with a box of the pouches, some coupons to pass along and this cute Balsa Wood plane, kids cracked it before I got it together so it's hanging up high and safe.


Very excited for mom to open their treats!



Chug Chug Chug!


and gone!
          Verdict:
 They LOVED these and were begging for more. I love to keep some pouches in my purse and travel bags as a quick on the go treat and have been known to buy them while grocery shopping because a hungry kid while shopping is NO FUN!
      I am looking forward to picking up the other flavors for them to try out.

The ingredients... This is one of the things I look for. I can pronounce everything!!
  They are also NON-GMO Verified again something this mom loves to see on the treats I choose to give to my littles.



I was given this item free and has no impact on my review.

Comforts for Baby- Diapers and Training Pants

   I was asked to try Comforts for Baby from Kroger by BzzAgent. As I have 2 little boys one in diapers and the other in training pants at night I was all in for this one. Normally I would post my own pictures but nope not with this one.
   I picked up a pack of each the training pants and diapers.
         Liam is in diapers and I have been using these on him every day and accidentally one night.(I wasn't ready to try nights and take the chance of having a wet bed in the morning) for over a week.  These work just as well as the pricy Pampers I have been buying for almost 4 years. No wet bed, no wet clothing, and they fit him wonderfully! The little bees on the diapers are cute.
      Jared is potty trained but doesn't wake at night so he wears the training pants to save his bed. He loves the pirate theme and gets excited to wear them. He has woken twice wet but has done that even with the pricy Pull-Ups he was wearing. I was leary letting him wear these because most brands of diapers he has worn has caused him to get a chemical burn as his skin is extremely sensitive. So far though his skin is just as clear. They fit him great around the legs and are actually nice and snug on the waist. This is usually a concern as he has a longer torso but a small waist.

    I will most likely continue to buy these until potty training is done as they are considerably cheaper and a lot of times Kroger has digital coupons for them to make the price even lower!



                    I was given this item free and has no impact on my review.

CHOBANI SIMPLY 100™ GREEK YOGURT

  Bzzagent sent me coupons to try the Chobani Simply 100 Greek Yogurt. I was beyond excited for this as in our family we go through anywhere from 10-15 containers of Greek Yogurt a week and I love to shop sales for it when we shop. This was available at my local Kroger store and I want more brand options open to me. We picked up a few flavors since I wanted a good amount to make my decision, and I am all for the less calories for me since I am trying to stay healthy and work on losing some of the weight I put on with all my pregnancies. We as a family have given up many of the artificial ingredients in most food items. This item boasts No artificial sweeteners or flavors and no preservatives, made from rBst free dairy, AND they donate 10% of their profits to charity!
    I picked up Peach,Blueberry, and Strawberry. I loved the peach one and the blueberry what I got to try was good. I didn't even get a taste of the strawberry as the littles absolutely loved them all. Just as creamy and that little bit of tart that Greek Yogurt has as the full calorie ones I often purchase.

    I plan on picking up more soon and hiding them from the littles!

This item was given to me free and has no impact on my review.

Opal Apples

I was given coupons from Bzzagent to try these Opal apples. They claim that they won't brown and that is something that I was very skeptical about but hopeful that was true.

*They are only available from November to March. Non-GMO (something we in this home are working towards completely switching to)
*The are grown exclusively in Washington at Broetje Orchards and have since 2010.
*A portion of the sales go to their Youth Make a Difference grants that support youth-led non-profits involving food,nutrition, and agriculture. (this is something that always makes me want to buy from a company)

Ok my verdict:

     QC and LT (aka Jared and Liam) as always are my main focus when it comes to trying new and healthy foods. Jared was a little timid about the different color of skin but when I got him to actually try the apple he loved it so much I lost my apple! Liam was totally into trying out the apples of course. These boys will throw an apple away as soon as it starts browning and HATE when I use citrus juice on them to halt it from happening so I deal with a lot of half eaten apples or I buy the smaller apples in hopes they can eat them fast enough. Me I am a person who prefers a thinner skin, more tart that sweet, and juicy but not so much it drips down my face. I got all of this with my Opal apple! 

They are a nice large size and taste crisp with a nice crunch. They boys both loved them but the main thing I wanted to see was if they really were non-browning. So I took pictures at the start and an hour and a half later....

 We will be buying these again and again as long as they are available.

Dove Dry Spray

I was given this deodorant to try from Influenster.


I tried this product and out of 5 stars I can only give it 2. It did work and worked fairly well BUT...
I have asthma and will not use something that gives me attacks which this product did. It is very strong when you spray. Secondly I was not entirely comfortable with the ingredients in it. That is my personal opinion and I am sure there are others who wouldn't mind either the smell or the ingredients

Halloween 2014

What do you do when 90% of the candy your child gets for Halloween is candy they can't eat due to dietary restrictions? Do something different!

 We went to trunk or treat with our local mom group earlier in October and while my boys had a blast when I was done sorting out what they could actually have since they are unable to have red dye there was about 30 pieces from 2 large buckets that were collected. My boys were crushed to have so much taken away. I knew I needed to do something else for Halloween night. So instead of going Trick or Treat we are having a party. A party with all safe treats for my little monsters. Thank heavens we decided this since it's snowing and extremely windy out.

Step 1- was picking out ideas for treats. I went to pintrest and put in the search parameters and let Jared pick what he liked. He now understands that red is bad for him and was pretty great at avoiding treats that he can't have. Then I took his list and made it more manageable for me.

Step 2- Find fun crafts that are easy for 2 young children to make for decorations. Again Pintrest to the rescue!

Step 3- The plan and grocery list. We had the hardest time finding the Ghost peeps and had to cut out one of the planned treats.  I made my list of what we were making and when. Since we home school we were able to take the week and have more crafting/cooking time. I love that flexibility!

Step 4- Start crafting/cooking! We had so much fun and boy was it messy but worth it. I had the party set up and ready the night before the party since normally Friday is full of errands, I didn't know it was going to be a weird weather day so I had to cordon off the party room from little fingers hehehe.

We invited our play date family for a time before the city Trick or Treat so they could still going Trick or Treating (again hello weather)

Spotify for music and lots of treats and we are ready. The boys dressed up because why not and I even ended up throwing something together since Jared was sure Mom needed a costume too!



Treats-

Sugar cookie cut outs
Skeleton Cookies - We used the sugar cookie dough instead of gingerbread
Popcorn balls with Goblin Snot - We called it Goblin Snot because the boys said it was more icky
S'mores on a stick - We found just enough of the Ghosts to make this.
Mummy Cupcakes - I used the candy coating instead of frosting and we didn't use m&ms since we avoid the red dye.
Dead Cow dip with Halloween chips-
      Dead Cow Dip (Moms party dip)

1 1/2 lb ground beef ( I used 85/15 because it's what I had on hand)
2 blocks cream cheese
1 jar salsa
      Brown and drain beef
      Add beef, Salsa, and Cream cheese to crock pot on low. Stir to melt the cream cheese and warm through. Put on warm and you have dip!


Decorations-

Fall color paper chain
Candy corn Banner
Ghosts- I used crepe paper streamers instead of TP
Bats
Painted pumpkin
Jack-o-lantern bottles 



Jared is C-3PO and Liam was supposed to be R2D2 but refused to wear it so Skelly Jammies and a little eye liner.


I'm a cat... fleece triangles on a headband some makeup and black shirt and pants. Done!

Playtex® Sport® Fresh Balance™

Guys Turn Away Here!!!!!











So I am not a tampon person and it has been a good 5ish years since I bothered to even use one. I have irregular and heavy periods and honestly tampons have never been a good fit for me, which of course this means when I go out to walk I am uncomfortable and anxious that my pad will leak. So I decided what the heck and gave these a try. I so far really like them. I was worried about them being scented because I have sensitive skin but so far no reactions. They haven't leaked as fast as I remember in the past and they are comfortable. I like the applicator and the package they each come in. Easy to open with the perforation and easy to insert. I think when I go for my long walks these will be perfect but for the normal heavy times like sleep I will still use my tried and true pads.

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara

   I was really excited to try out this new mascara especially since my old one was about ready to hit the trash. I really like how easily this went on and the clumping was very minimal. When I blinked right after I didn't end up with those wonderful smudges under my eyes that I normally get. It lasted all day and my husband who normally doesn't notice changes in my make-up routine said that my eyes looked good. This is a huge thumbs UP for me and I am anxious to try out the other items in this line of eye makeup. Buy it HERE.

Kiss Everlasting French

The first item up for me to try from my Influenster Spring Fling VoxBox is the Everlasting French Nails. I am not a huge fan of the do it yourself nails normally but have high hopes since these are the real short length.
   They have 14 sizes in this box with 28 nails. I did have a difficult time finding a good fit for my thumbs but found a decent fit. To put them on was super simple with the glue on both the nail and my nail and the tab was nice not only for sorting but for keeping a hold of the nail when putting it on. I liked that the box came with a small file to remove the little plastic from removing the tab. They aren't as short as I would have hoped for being "real short" as normally I keep my natural nails to just over the tip of my finger.
  I have a very busy lifestyle with my 2 young boys so I am hoping they will last through more than one day like others I have tried in the past. The box says that they shouldn't chip and last 7 days with normal wear and tear. (do dishes, kid baths, laundry, and the normal scrubbing count as normal wear and tear?)


"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Influenster Spring Fling Vox Box! Unboxing and Initial thoughts.

So after about 6 months I got picked for another VoxBox!  What's a voxbox? It's a themed box of items to try out and review and talk about from Influenster.com. 

In this box we have:
   *Playtex Sport Fresh Balance Tampons - Initial thoughts are that they smell STRONG! I am not sure how I will like these and as I am near the beginning of my cycle it will be a while before I have the chance to try them.
  *Kiss Everlasting French- Initial thoughts are that they are not going to work well for a busy mom. I am going to give them a whirl this weekend and see what I think.
  *Nivea Skin Firming Hydration Body Lotion- Initial thoughts are that the smell isn't terrible but we will see how my sensitive skin reacts.
  *Rimmel Scandaleyes retro glam Mascara- Initial thoughts are that a girl can never have too much mascara and a nice volumizing one will be nice. Can't wait to try it out side by side with my normal brand.
   *Peach Pie car air freshener.- I don't drive so I sent this bad boy with my Trucker husband to see what he thinks.





"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Fair Trade Three Continents Kcups from Green Mountain

First off I want to thank BzzAgent for allowing me to try this Limited Edition Blend for free. My thoughts and views are my own and in no way influenced by receiving the item free.

     This coffee is Fair Trade which is always a plus for me as my family and I try to choose products that are better for the farmers who grow/make the items we consume. In a short week I have used up all my Kcups and plan on ordering more ASAP! This is a medium blend coffee which worried me at first because most medium blends are way too strong for me and need copious amounts of creamer for me to drink it. I was pleasantly surprised at how well this coffee tasted. It's not bitter and doesn't need much creamer at all. I found myself going back for more, normally I down one mug and I'm done for the day. Normally I like to use my reusable K Cup so I have less waste but these are perfect for those days where I am too tired to fill that cup without spilling all over (yes this is a common occurrence).  

         Kelly Clarkson took a trip to Peru to experience the benefits of Fair Trade. There are journals and videos on ChooseFairTrade.com. There is also a exclusive song to download. Visit Green Mountain Coffee^® Facebook page to enter for two tickets to see Kelly perform in a special Fair Trade Month Concert in New York City.

Curel update.

  It's been 12 days using the Curel Intensive Healing Cream on my feet. So far I am impressed with the results!
 My before and current pictures.
Day 1: Dry, flakey, itchy, cracked

Day 12: No more flakes, not itchy anymore, Cracks are almost gone, and not so dry anymore!

I am in love with this stuff and recommend it for anyone with dry skin, as a sufferer of Eczema it is so nice to not break out when I use this. 

Will put a final update when I have used this for 30 days.

I want to thank BzzAgent for allowing me to try this for free. 

BzzAgent Campaign #3. Green Mountain Certified Fair Trade!

       As a regular coffee drinker I have tried so many different coffees. Having my Keurig has been so convenient for me as I am the ONLY coffee drinker in my household. When I was offered the campaign for try out the Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Coffee I was over the moon. I love trying new types of coffee but hate when I buy a kind I am not fond of.  For this Campaign I will get to try out 3 kinds of Fair Trade coffees by Green Mountain Coffee for free. As I try them I will update!
     As a Certified Fair Trade Product I am sure that the farmers got a fair price for the beans! For Fair Trade month Green Mountain has launched  ChooseFairTrade.com, where you can learn all about the benefits of buying Fair Trade Certified^™ coffee. 
  Kelly Clarkson took a trip to Peru to experience the benefits of Fair Trade. There are journals and videos on ChooseFairTrade.com. There is also a exclusive song to download. Visit Green Mountain Coffee^® Facebook page to enter for two tickets to see Kelly perform in a special Fair Trade Month Concert in New York City.

Easy, Meatless, Filling, and Cheap!

Sometimes I really just want something filling, tasty, and cost effective. So my awesome crock pot chili started.

Ingredients:
Canned Beans- 1 each of Black, Light red Kidney, Dark red Kidney, Navy, and Pinto.  .68 each
Large can crushed Tomato 1.00
Chili Seasonings- I just make my own so it comes straight from the spice rack.
    I use Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Chili Powder, and Cayenne Pepper to taste.

Directions:
     In a 5 qt crock pot. Drain and rinse the beans and add to crock pot, pour in can of tomatoes, add water to cover beans, add spices. Turn on Low and cook for 8-10 hours.
        Serves 6-10 people.
I like mine several ways. Over baked potatoes, as is, over fries with cheese, in an omelette, or over a burger!
                                 

For under $5.00 I have enough to fill myself and the boys for several days and still have some to freeze for another day!