The Monopoly 75th Anniversary edition board game was won by Lucy from A Modern Day Lucy and Ricky!
And Random.org picked Alexis AKA Mom for the Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten book.
Congrats, Ladies!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Winners!
I had two giveaways end in the past couple of days.
The Monopoly 75th Anniversary edition board game was won by Lucy from A Modern Day Lucy and Ricky!
And Random.org picked Alexis AKA Mom for the Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten book.
Congrats, Ladies!
The Monopoly 75th Anniversary edition board game was won by Lucy from A Modern Day Lucy and Ricky!
And Random.org picked Alexis AKA Mom for the Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten book.
Congrats, Ladies!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Giveaway: Box Tops For Education and Target Gift Pack
In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided a gift pack as described below by General Mills via MyBlogSpark. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.
We're smack dab in the middle of back to school season, which has meant a ton of trips to various stores and more receipts from Target than I can fit in my little binder. Fortunately, I have one successfully off to school as of Tuesday, and Little Miss starts on Monday - assuming you don't count her one hour into to kindergarten tomorrow as a day. (I know I don't!)
With back to school has come a renewed focus on the wee ones' schools and their needs. I've been signing up to volunteer for various committees, but there is also all the "passive" ways I can help them that I'm starting up again.
Have you ever participated in the Box Tops for Education program?
Earning money for your school is super easy. You simply notice the nice pink Box Top labels and clip them out. Participating schools earn $0.10 per label when they submit them, and lots of products have bonus labels, too. No buying wrapping paper you don't want or candy bars you don't need at an inflated price. It is simply watching what you're already buying.
It's amazing how many brands participate in this program (I looked it up the other day to share with our PTO actually). When I was getting the wee ones' school supplies, and each one that had a little Box Top label, I cut out the label to send to the school - $0.10 per label, with several items having multiple Box Tops!
Right now, you can get double Box Tops, too. From Aug. 15-28, stop by your local Target® and receive double Bonus Box Tops instantly when you buy 5 or more participating General Mills, Avery, Hefty, Juicy Juice and Welch´s Box Tops for Education® products and earn more for the participating school of your choice. Visit Grocery Savvy for full details.
As a way for me to really realize the variety of the options available, I received a prize pack that included all sorts of goodies, including Avery Binder, Betty Crocker Fruit Gushers Variety Pack, Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni, Hefty CinchSak Trash Bags, Honey Nut Cheerios, Juicy Juice 8-Pack Juice Boxes, Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars, Welch´s Concord Grape Jelly, as well as 25 Bonus Box Tops and a $25 Target® gift card.
How many of these items do you suppose I'll be going back to purchase time and again this school year? And that's only the tip of the iceberg of what's available! I have to say this prize pack makes me feel far more prepared for school - it took off some of my stress about how I would handle my first week both for school lunches and snacks and home needs.
Jealous? You don't have to be. I have an identical prize pack to give away to one of you!
So what do you have to do?
First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!
This contest is open until Thursday September 9 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.
Mandatory Entry: Tell me what Box Top items you'd buy with your Target gift card.
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
Good luck!
We're smack dab in the middle of back to school season, which has meant a ton of trips to various stores and more receipts from Target than I can fit in my little binder. Fortunately, I have one successfully off to school as of Tuesday, and Little Miss starts on Monday - assuming you don't count her one hour into to kindergarten tomorrow as a day. (I know I don't!)
With back to school has come a renewed focus on the wee ones' schools and their needs. I've been signing up to volunteer for various committees, but there is also all the "passive" ways I can help them that I'm starting up again.
Have you ever participated in the Box Tops for Education program?
Earning money for your school is super easy. You simply notice the nice pink Box Top labels and clip them out. Participating schools earn $0.10 per label when they submit them, and lots of products have bonus labels, too. No buying wrapping paper you don't want or candy bars you don't need at an inflated price. It is simply watching what you're already buying.
It's amazing how many brands participate in this program (I looked it up the other day to share with our PTO actually). When I was getting the wee ones' school supplies, and each one that had a little Box Top label, I cut out the label to send to the school - $0.10 per label, with several items having multiple Box Tops!
Right now, you can get double Box Tops, too. From Aug. 15-28, stop by your local Target® and receive double Bonus Box Tops instantly when you buy 5 or more participating General Mills, Avery, Hefty, Juicy Juice and Welch´s Box Tops for Education® products and earn more for the participating school of your choice. Visit Grocery Savvy for full details.
As a way for me to really realize the variety of the options available, I received a prize pack that included all sorts of goodies, including Avery Binder, Betty Crocker Fruit Gushers Variety Pack, Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni, Hefty CinchSak Trash Bags, Honey Nut Cheerios, Juicy Juice 8-Pack Juice Boxes, Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars, Welch´s Concord Grape Jelly, as well as 25 Bonus Box Tops and a $25 Target® gift card.
How many of these items do you suppose I'll be going back to purchase time and again this school year? And that's only the tip of the iceberg of what's available! I have to say this prize pack makes me feel far more prepared for school - it took off some of my stress about how I would handle my first week both for school lunches and snacks and home needs.
Jealous? You don't have to be. I have an identical prize pack to give away to one of you!
So what do you have to do?
First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!
This contest is open until Thursday September 9 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.
Mandatory Entry: Tell me what Box Top items you'd buy with your Target gift card.
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
Good luck!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Giveaway: Seventh Generation Back To School Kit
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a Seventh Generation Back to School kit with the items described via MyBlogSpark. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.
I try to do good in my home - both in what I teach the wee ones, how I act towards others, and how we eat in our house. That extends, also, to how we clean. I remember years ago seeing information about how harmful the fumes from chemical cleaners were and how that aggravates so many underlying issues. While I haven't quite gotten to the stage of making homemade cleaners, I do try to find things that are less harmful to my family and to the earth.
Enter Seventh Generation.
Their disinfecting wipes use a component of thyme oil to kill 99.99% of germs - the same claim many other, harsher wipes make. It's amazing to me sometimes how nature has given us such effective ingredients. And better? It actually smells pretty good, too. It took me a bit of getting used to, but I'm really enjoying them.
The disinfecting multi-purpose spray uses the same thyme oil to disinfect in a spray bottle. The lemongrass and thyme smell they exude when used are fairly refreshing, and again - this makes me feel so much better about using them where the wee ones eat and play, not to mention where I do food prep!
We've been using the Seventh Generation unbleached 100% recycled paper towels. Those took a bit more getting used to. For one thing, they're brown. I am not used to seeing brown and thinking high quality and clean. We tried them out, and they're surprisingly strong and absorbent. They're rougher than the paper towels I usually buy, but they aren't tissues where softness is the most important factor. I try to avoid using paper towels as much as possible, but not everyone in my family is quite there yet, so we go through more paper towels than I'd like. Now that I'm used to these, I really like them - and Seventh Generation makes white paper towels that are whitened without chemicals for those who prefer the more traditional look.
And then there is the facial tissue. Since it's still summer, I was expecting that I wasn't going to have much of a chance to test these out. Lucky for me, a friend passed along her nasty cold last weekend, so I got quite familiar with my new tissues. I love that they're recycled and whitened without chemicals containing chlorine. No scents are also a huge plus, as I'm highly sensitive to them, and our box was super cute. But for a heavy duty cold? I need the tissues with aloe or lotion of some sort. My nose is now a little dry from the multitude of tissues I had to use over the past few days.
This a great back to school pack, as I'm doing my best to keep the wee ones healthy (and in school) this year. I used a lot of these products over the past week to try to avoid spreading my germs and - knock on wood - so far no one else has gotten sick.
This school year, Seventh Generation is sharing tips from best-selling author and pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene, to help parents protect their child´s health during back-to-school season. Dr. Greene suggests taking the following precautions:
Optimize the immune system
*Refer to disinfecting product labels for full details
You can also find Seventh Generation on Facebook and Twitter for more information and to keep up with the latest news from Seventh Generation.
Do you want your own chance to try out the Seventh Generation products? I have a Back to School pack that is a duplicate of what I received to give away. This includes a Seventh Generation backpack, two canisters of Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes (one for home and one to donate to your child´s classroom), disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner, facial tissue and paper towels.
So what do you have to do?
First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!
This contest is open until Wednesday September 8 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.
Mandatory Entry: Tell me your best tips to keep your kids (or yourself) healthy and germ free.
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
Good luck!
I try to do good in my home - both in what I teach the wee ones, how I act towards others, and how we eat in our house. That extends, also, to how we clean. I remember years ago seeing information about how harmful the fumes from chemical cleaners were and how that aggravates so many underlying issues. While I haven't quite gotten to the stage of making homemade cleaners, I do try to find things that are less harmful to my family and to the earth.
Enter Seventh Generation.
Their disinfecting wipes use a component of thyme oil to kill 99.99% of germs - the same claim many other, harsher wipes make. It's amazing to me sometimes how nature has given us such effective ingredients. And better? It actually smells pretty good, too. It took me a bit of getting used to, but I'm really enjoying them.
The disinfecting multi-purpose spray uses the same thyme oil to disinfect in a spray bottle. The lemongrass and thyme smell they exude when used are fairly refreshing, and again - this makes me feel so much better about using them where the wee ones eat and play, not to mention where I do food prep!
We've been using the Seventh Generation unbleached 100% recycled paper towels. Those took a bit more getting used to. For one thing, they're brown. I am not used to seeing brown and thinking high quality and clean. We tried them out, and they're surprisingly strong and absorbent. They're rougher than the paper towels I usually buy, but they aren't tissues where softness is the most important factor. I try to avoid using paper towels as much as possible, but not everyone in my family is quite there yet, so we go through more paper towels than I'd like. Now that I'm used to these, I really like them - and Seventh Generation makes white paper towels that are whitened without chemicals for those who prefer the more traditional look.
And then there is the facial tissue. Since it's still summer, I was expecting that I wasn't going to have much of a chance to test these out. Lucky for me, a friend passed along her nasty cold last weekend, so I got quite familiar with my new tissues. I love that they're recycled and whitened without chemicals containing chlorine. No scents are also a huge plus, as I'm highly sensitive to them, and our box was super cute. But for a heavy duty cold? I need the tissues with aloe or lotion of some sort. My nose is now a little dry from the multitude of tissues I had to use over the past few days.
This a great back to school pack, as I'm doing my best to keep the wee ones healthy (and in school) this year. I used a lot of these products over the past week to try to avoid spreading my germs and - knock on wood - so far no one else has gotten sick.
This school year, Seventh Generation is sharing tips from best-selling author and pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene, to help parents protect their child´s health during back-to-school season. Dr. Greene suggests taking the following precautions:
Optimize the immune system
- Reap the benefits of probiotics like those found in yogurt. A recent study showed that children who received enough probiotics daily throughout the cold and flu season had a significant reduction in the number of illnesses they had and, when they did get sick, the symptoms were both milder and didn't last as long.
- Be sure your child is getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun, from food, or from a supplement.
- Build a strong foundation. Good food, good sleep, and good physical activity all help the immune system to flourish.
- Teach children the key times to clean their hands in the classroom. The most important times include after sneezing, coughing or using the restroom, upon leaving "high-risk" places (recess, naptime, play stations) and before meals or snacks.
- Sixty percent of teachers surveyed said that they request that parents donate disinfecting wipes to the classroom. Seventh Generation´s disinfecting wipes kill 99.99% of germs* naturally using the active ingredient thyme, a component of thyme oil which is derived from the herb thyme.
- Stress the importance of not touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Demonstrate to your children how to cover their mouth and nose for every cough and sneeze. This simple maneuver has spectacular results in decreasing the spread of viruses and bacteria floating about the room, waiting to be inhaled.
*Refer to disinfecting product labels for full details
You can also find Seventh Generation on Facebook and Twitter for more information and to keep up with the latest news from Seventh Generation.
Do you want your own chance to try out the Seventh Generation products? I have a Back to School pack that is a duplicate of what I received to give away. This includes a Seventh Generation backpack, two canisters of Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes (one for home and one to donate to your child´s classroom), disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner, facial tissue and paper towels.
So what do you have to do?
First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!
This contest is open until Wednesday September 8 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.
Mandatory Entry: Tell me your best tips to keep your kids (or yourself) healthy and germ free.
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
Good luck!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Giveaway: Disney On Ice Presents Princess Classics
In the interest of full disclosure, I will attend a performance of this show with my family. In addition, Feld provided a partial sponsorship of my BlogHer trip. All opinions expressed are my own, however.
Last year, I took the wee ones to see one of the Disney on Ice shows for the first time ever. It was a surprise to them, and they loved it. We're now hooked - to the point that whenever I say we're going to do something fun, they ask if we're going to see another special show. Ummm, sorry kids.
I do have another surprise for them coming up, however. Disney on Ice returns to Chicago September 8-12 at the United Center, and we'll be there. This show focuses on the princesses of the classic Disney fairy tales, from – Cinderella to Jasmine, Ariel to Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and Snow White. Plus, Tinkerbell - Little Miss's favorite Disney character - is the special guest for the program. Each of the princess's worlds will be brought to life during the performance, and if past Disney shows are any indication, they will be a great recreation with tons of imagination and things to make you say wow.
The shows are 7pm each day from Wednesday September 8 to Sunday September 12. There are also shows at 11:30am and 3:30pm on Saturday and Sunday (September 11 and 12). The fun part? The Sunday 7pm show is a Spanish language show.
Ticket prices vary based on your seating area and date. However, you can get them for a discount. By using the code "MOM" you can get a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 (Valid Monday-Thursday and Friday Matinees, excluding holidays) and save $4 on all weekend shows. Just order your tickets from TicketMaster (at the United Center Box Office, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000) and enter Code in the “MC Promotions Box” on Ticketmaster.com. You need to purchase a minimum of 4 tickets for the discount, and it is not valid on Front Row or VIP seats. No double discounts. Service charges and handling fees may apply.
BUT.
I also have a family 4 pack of tickets to give away for the opening night of Disney on Ice Presents Princess Classics at the United Center in Chicago on September 8 at 7pm.
So what do you have to do?
First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!
This contest is open until Tuesday August 31 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.
Mandatory Entry: Tell me who your favorite Disney Princess is and why.
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
Good luck!
Last year, I took the wee ones to see one of the Disney on Ice shows for the first time ever. It was a surprise to them, and they loved it. We're now hooked - to the point that whenever I say we're going to do something fun, they ask if we're going to see another special show. Ummm, sorry kids.
I do have another surprise for them coming up, however. Disney on Ice returns to Chicago September 8-12 at the United Center, and we'll be there. This show focuses on the princesses of the classic Disney fairy tales, from – Cinderella to Jasmine, Ariel to Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and Snow White. Plus, Tinkerbell - Little Miss's favorite Disney character - is the special guest for the program. Each of the princess's worlds will be brought to life during the performance, and if past Disney shows are any indication, they will be a great recreation with tons of imagination and things to make you say wow.
The shows are 7pm each day from Wednesday September 8 to Sunday September 12. There are also shows at 11:30am and 3:30pm on Saturday and Sunday (September 11 and 12). The fun part? The Sunday 7pm show is a Spanish language show.
Ticket prices vary based on your seating area and date. However, you can get them for a discount. By using the code "MOM" you can get a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 (Valid Monday-Thursday and Friday Matinees, excluding holidays) and save $4 on all weekend shows. Just order your tickets from TicketMaster (at the United Center Box Office, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000) and enter Code in the “MC Promotions Box” on Ticketmaster.com. You need to purchase a minimum of 4 tickets for the discount, and it is not valid on Front Row or VIP seats. No double discounts. Service charges and handling fees may apply.
BUT.
I also have a family 4 pack of tickets to give away for the opening night of Disney on Ice Presents Princess Classics at the United Center in Chicago on September 8 at 7pm.
So what do you have to do?
First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!
This contest is open until Tuesday August 31 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.
Mandatory Entry: Tell me who your favorite Disney Princess is and why.
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
Good luck!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Better For BlogHer Week 4ish
In the interest of full disclosure, I am being provided with 42 Healthy Choice meals, a counseling session at BlogHer, and am being compensated. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
You can read about my previous experiences here:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Wow did I have a blast at BlogHer. While there, the Better for BlogHer bloggers had a lunch with Healthy Choice to learn about some of the new things they're doing, and I'm absolutely loving it.
Do you remember in Week 1 where I said I felt bad about creating so much trash from the packaging? Healthy Choice is launching a new line of entrees called Steaming Entrees. Much like the Cafe Steamers that I love, these are steam cooked, and they don't include the dessert and side like the Complete Meals do. My favorite part? The packaging is recyclable! Yay!
Additionally, these new products that will be available beginning in September (and earlier in some markets) include fewer ingredients - meaning more foods that are recognizable, which again makes me feel better about eating them. I can't wait until they're available in Illinois!
I was able to try them when I was in Florida this past week. And yes, I ate my Healthy Choice Entrees while in Florida. Since that was one of the markets that received the Steaming Entrees first, I was able to try one out.
I also discovered that the price issue I have with Healthy Choice is a Chicago issue with Dominick's and Jewel (especially). While those markets charge mor than the suggested retail price per the Healthy Choice website (Jewel is the highest), the Publix in Florida charges are far more reasonable price, as does Wal-Mart back in Chicago - although I rarely go there unfortunately. I've also seen that Costco now carries the Cafe Steamers in a four-pack at a pretty good price.
I haven't been running while on vacation, but eating the Healthy Choice entrees makes me feel like I'm at the very least keeping myself stable, which is important to me.
Some more thoughts of the items that I've tried (and yes, I've started to recycle because I like some of them and some options just aren't interesting to me - plus my Dominick's carries a very limited selection, hint hint).
Sesame Glazed Chicken This was the Steaming Entree that I tried out while in Florida. It was actually quite good and comparable to the Cafe Steamers type of food. I love that they're using the brown rice for these, and the veggies were nice and crisp. The sauce was light and not as heavy or as overpowering as some of the Cafe Steamers (where I have to pour out some of the sauce). That said, this is not a ton of food. It's great to eat, but then a few hours later, I do need to have something else. That's the point of these, though - they encourage eating the small healthy meals.
Grilled Whiskey Steak This was a Cafe Steamer, and it wasn't bad. I liked the flavor of the whiskey sauce - really, how can you not with that name? Shhh, I did pick out the mushrooms, but the other veggies were good and not overcooked. I would have preferred more meat and fewer potatoes, but it was still ok. That said, I am not the hugest fan of the beef dishes. I like my meat more tender than what frozen dinners can provide.
Beef Bourbon Dijon This was an interesting flavor. It's not something that I would have come up with on my own, but it actually worked out ok. I liked the dijon mustard giving it some extra flavor (which seems like it makes up for eating fewer calories in my mind). On the downside, I had some of my vegetables mixed into my dessert, which is really not where I want my veggies. And again, the peach crisp was a little too sweet for me - but my sweet tooth isn't all that sweet.
Fire Roasted Tomato Chicken Another Completel Meal, I enjoyed this one. The pasta was cooked a little more than my preference (but I've already shared how I like my food much more al dente than most Americans), but the sauce was actually really good. Unlike some of the other pasta sauces that were somewhat tasteless, I really liked the roasted tomato sauce that had much more flavor to it. The apple cranberry crisp was ok - not as sweet as some of the others - but I would have liked more and bigger cranberries. And I'm probably the odd one out on that, too!
Sweet And Sour Chicken I love Asian food, if you can't tell from the majority of the choices I seem to make in my Healthy Choice entrees. Sweet and Sour Chicken is one of my favorites, but not one I can eat regularly if I want to be healthy. I couldn't wait to see how Healthy Choice took this one on. I felt like the peppers were really overcooked for me, so I didn't eat them, but the chicken and sauce were quite good and comparable to what I've had in many restaurants. That alone will have me buying this one again. The broccoli was again a little overcooked, but it tasted pretty good dipped in the sauce (shhh!).
I also have some more of Tara Gidus's tips to share with you again this week:
Eat light and eat often. Eat only what you need to sustain yourself for three or four hours, then follow up with a light snack to tide you over until the next meal or snack. This is exactly what the Healthy Choice meals do for me. I eat one, and three hours later, I'm ready for something like some carrots or grapes or something not super heavy. Yay!
Make it a family affair. Take the whole family out for a walk or a bike ride after dinner to enjoy the summer evenings. This I definitely need to do more of. While the wee ones and I play outside, we don't do a lot of exercise things as a family, and this is a habit I need to get into - but a later bedtime is needed for us to do this, too, so it's a Catch-22.
Rise and shine. Breakfast is a no-brainer to kick-start your day. Feel more energetic and fuel your brain by simply giving your body the food it desires. I always eat breakfast - except in the rare instances that I forget - but I need to do better at eating earlier in the day rather than eating as I'm rushing out the door after I've done all my morning chores and gotten everyone else fed and dressed, etc.
Until next time!
You can read about my previous experiences here:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Wow did I have a blast at BlogHer. While there, the Better for BlogHer bloggers had a lunch with Healthy Choice to learn about some of the new things they're doing, and I'm absolutely loving it.
Do you remember in Week 1 where I said I felt bad about creating so much trash from the packaging? Healthy Choice is launching a new line of entrees called Steaming Entrees. Much like the Cafe Steamers that I love, these are steam cooked, and they don't include the dessert and side like the Complete Meals do. My favorite part? The packaging is recyclable! Yay!
Additionally, these new products that will be available beginning in September (and earlier in some markets) include fewer ingredients - meaning more foods that are recognizable, which again makes me feel better about eating them. I can't wait until they're available in Illinois!
I was able to try them when I was in Florida this past week. And yes, I ate my Healthy Choice Entrees while in Florida. Since that was one of the markets that received the Steaming Entrees first, I was able to try one out.
I also discovered that the price issue I have with Healthy Choice is a Chicago issue with Dominick's and Jewel (especially). While those markets charge mor than the suggested retail price per the Healthy Choice website (Jewel is the highest), the Publix in Florida charges are far more reasonable price, as does Wal-Mart back in Chicago - although I rarely go there unfortunately. I've also seen that Costco now carries the Cafe Steamers in a four-pack at a pretty good price.
I haven't been running while on vacation, but eating the Healthy Choice entrees makes me feel like I'm at the very least keeping myself stable, which is important to me.
Some more thoughts of the items that I've tried (and yes, I've started to recycle because I like some of them and some options just aren't interesting to me - plus my Dominick's carries a very limited selection, hint hint).
Sesame Glazed Chicken This was the Steaming Entree that I tried out while in Florida. It was actually quite good and comparable to the Cafe Steamers type of food. I love that they're using the brown rice for these, and the veggies were nice and crisp. The sauce was light and not as heavy or as overpowering as some of the Cafe Steamers (where I have to pour out some of the sauce). That said, this is not a ton of food. It's great to eat, but then a few hours later, I do need to have something else. That's the point of these, though - they encourage eating the small healthy meals.
Grilled Whiskey Steak This was a Cafe Steamer, and it wasn't bad. I liked the flavor of the whiskey sauce - really, how can you not with that name? Shhh, I did pick out the mushrooms, but the other veggies were good and not overcooked. I would have preferred more meat and fewer potatoes, but it was still ok. That said, I am not the hugest fan of the beef dishes. I like my meat more tender than what frozen dinners can provide.
Beef Bourbon Dijon This was an interesting flavor. It's not something that I would have come up with on my own, but it actually worked out ok. I liked the dijon mustard giving it some extra flavor (which seems like it makes up for eating fewer calories in my mind). On the downside, I had some of my vegetables mixed into my dessert, which is really not where I want my veggies. And again, the peach crisp was a little too sweet for me - but my sweet tooth isn't all that sweet.
Fire Roasted Tomato Chicken Another Completel Meal, I enjoyed this one. The pasta was cooked a little more than my preference (but I've already shared how I like my food much more al dente than most Americans), but the sauce was actually really good. Unlike some of the other pasta sauces that were somewhat tasteless, I really liked the roasted tomato sauce that had much more flavor to it. The apple cranberry crisp was ok - not as sweet as some of the others - but I would have liked more and bigger cranberries. And I'm probably the odd one out on that, too!
Sweet And Sour Chicken I love Asian food, if you can't tell from the majority of the choices I seem to make in my Healthy Choice entrees. Sweet and Sour Chicken is one of my favorites, but not one I can eat regularly if I want to be healthy. I couldn't wait to see how Healthy Choice took this one on. I felt like the peppers were really overcooked for me, so I didn't eat them, but the chicken and sauce were quite good and comparable to what I've had in many restaurants. That alone will have me buying this one again. The broccoli was again a little overcooked, but it tasted pretty good dipped in the sauce (shhh!).
I also have some more of Tara Gidus's tips to share with you again this week:
Eat light and eat often. Eat only what you need to sustain yourself for three or four hours, then follow up with a light snack to tide you over until the next meal or snack. This is exactly what the Healthy Choice meals do for me. I eat one, and three hours later, I'm ready for something like some carrots or grapes or something not super heavy. Yay!
Make it a family affair. Take the whole family out for a walk or a bike ride after dinner to enjoy the summer evenings. This I definitely need to do more of. While the wee ones and I play outside, we don't do a lot of exercise things as a family, and this is a habit I need to get into - but a later bedtime is needed for us to do this, too, so it's a Catch-22.
Rise and shine. Breakfast is a no-brainer to kick-start your day. Feel more energetic and fuel your brain by simply giving your body the food it desires. I always eat breakfast - except in the rare instances that I forget - but I need to do better at eating earlier in the day rather than eating as I'm rushing out the door after I've done all my morning chores and gotten everyone else fed and dressed, etc.
Until next time!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Giveaway: Is Your Buffalo Ready For Kindergarten
In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided a copy of the book to review. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Little Miss heads to kindergarten in less than two weeks. I'm lucky. She loves school. And people. And she sooooo wants to be like her big brother, so she's looking forward to the her first day.
I know not all kids are like that, but even those who appear to be ready still sometimes want a bit of reassurance. A new picture book Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick and illustrated by Daniel Jennewein.
The book just cracks me up. It is a great tongue in cheek look at some of the fears and worries that new students may have. It talks about how it can be hard and worrisome and how to overcome it without anyone realizing that the story is giving pointers to the very children who may be facing those same fears.
When the book arrived, Little Miss immediately grabbed it from me and plopped on the couch. I think I read it three times through before I was allowed a break. We continue to read it regularly, and I've found her paging through it on her own.
It isn't just the fun story that makes this such a great book, but the illustrations are a hoot, too. The buffalo is as huge and out of place as you'd expect, yet you can see his personality shining through regardless. The same goes for the other students in the classroom. Each is an individual, and you can really see how they're interacting with the buffalo as the story goes on. Daniel has done a great job adding to the book outside of just the words on the page.
I also had the opportunity to interview Daniel Jennewein - the illustrator of this book - as part of my review.
This is your first book; how did you become an illustrator? Do you have any more coming soon?
I studied Graphic Design and worked as an Art Director for many years before I got into illustration. To have a design background helps my work, I think. There is a sequel featuring the Buffalo coming out next summer. It is so much fun to work on picture books that I hope I will have the opportunity in the future to do more.
What advice would you give to a new kindergartener?
Try out new things. Don’t worry if you can do it or not. Do collaborative drawings. It’s fun to see how others approach the same topic in different ways.
How did you feel going into kindergarten?
My mother sent me to 2 different kindergartens: One was an outdoor hiking kindergarten, the other a kindergarten with a focus on music and drawing. The outdoor hiking kindergarten was great. We went out hiking in the forest, even when it was raining and learned about different plants and animals. The other kindergarten was not that enjoyable to me. At that time I was really into skulls and hooks and I drew them obsessively. The kindergarten teacher was not pleased and told me she’d rather I draw pleasant things such as flowers, happy stick figures etc. That was my first experience with censorship.
What is outdoor hiking kindergarten?
The outdoor Hiking Kindergarten took place twice a week. Our kindergarten group went for hikes in the forest in any weather: rain, snow or hail. That really toughened our immune systems and it was great fun to play outdoors and learn about nature.
What is your favorite memory from kindergarten?
Playing catch in the forest.
How did you get connected with Audrey Vernick to illustrate this book?
The publisher is at the center of the process. The bought Audrey’s manuscript and looked for an illustrator that fit the style of her words. They found me and asked me to illustrate. I never even met Audrey until long after I finished the book.
You live in Germany. How do you work with a writer an ocean away? It's taking the virtual office to a new level!
As I mentioned before, I never worked directly with the author. Thanks to the web, the process of working with the publisher went very smoothly. Still I am glad that I was able to meet up with my fabulous editor and art director in person several times. Even though I never worked with Audrey directly on the book itself, I was glad we finally got to meet. We have several joint signing dates in September on the East Coast and I am looking forward to hanging out with her. She has so much energy and creativity.
How do you figure out what you're going to draw on each page?
After I read the manuscript for the first time, I started to develop the characters. Then I did rough sketches of scenes I thought might fit, integrating the best ones into a storyboard. For the next step I defined the line breaks and printed out pages with only the text. I mounted these pages together to form a book dummy into which I sketched directly. In that way I could tell how the drawings actually worked in sequence.
A few of the pages have the book illustrated *in* the book. How on earth do you do that?
Actually the reduced cover on the last page was put in by the publisher ;-)
You have some great kindergarten characters drawn who reappear throughout the illustrations but are never mentioned in the book. How do you decide who to include, what personalities, etc?
I was interested in putting together a diverse classroom of kids, so first I just sketched out some ideas. For fun, I modeled some of the characters on people I know, and some of these made it into the final book. For example, the pigtailed girl, the proud guide of the Buffalo, reminds me of the daughter of my host parents during my high school exchange year in Los Angeles. She is supportive and confident in the buffalo’s abilities. There is also one boy who sort of torments the buffalo a bit in the beginning (stealing the building blocks from him) but who soon becomes his dear friend.
Needless to say, this is one of our new favorite books. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I'll be reading this for my Mystery Reader book for Little Miss's kindergarten class. Fingers crossed I can get signed up for an early session!
If this looks like something you're interested in, you can use the reader's guide to get more out of it. There's also a coloring page that you can download here.
So what do you have to do?
First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!
This contest is open until Friday August 27 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.
Mandatory Entry: Simply tell me your favorite memory from kindergarten.
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
4) For each person you refer to this contest, you will earn an extra entry. Make sure they leave a separate comment saying who referred them for you to get credit!
Good luck!
In addition to the giveaway that I'm hosting, there is a grand prize, too! Each blog winner is eligible for the grand prize, along with the blog owner. Each blog (and winner) gets one entry just for participating. Extra entries are given for getting over 50 verified entrants (+1) and over 100 verified entrants (+2).
The winning team (blogger and blogger contest winner) each get to choose a personalized pose for the buffalo which Daniel will illustrate and then print onto a book bag for each. How cool is that? SO. Don't just enter; find everyone you know to enter to increase your odds of winning the grand prize, too!
Little Miss heads to kindergarten in less than two weeks. I'm lucky. She loves school. And people. And she sooooo wants to be like her big brother, so she's looking forward to the her first day.
I know not all kids are like that, but even those who appear to be ready still sometimes want a bit of reassurance. A new picture book Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick and illustrated by Daniel Jennewein.
The book just cracks me up. It is a great tongue in cheek look at some of the fears and worries that new students may have. It talks about how it can be hard and worrisome and how to overcome it without anyone realizing that the story is giving pointers to the very children who may be facing those same fears.
When the book arrived, Little Miss immediately grabbed it from me and plopped on the couch. I think I read it three times through before I was allowed a break. We continue to read it regularly, and I've found her paging through it on her own.
It isn't just the fun story that makes this such a great book, but the illustrations are a hoot, too. The buffalo is as huge and out of place as you'd expect, yet you can see his personality shining through regardless. The same goes for the other students in the classroom. Each is an individual, and you can really see how they're interacting with the buffalo as the story goes on. Daniel has done a great job adding to the book outside of just the words on the page.
I also had the opportunity to interview Daniel Jennewein - the illustrator of this book - as part of my review.
This is your first book; how did you become an illustrator? Do you have any more coming soon?
I studied Graphic Design and worked as an Art Director for many years before I got into illustration. To have a design background helps my work, I think. There is a sequel featuring the Buffalo coming out next summer. It is so much fun to work on picture books that I hope I will have the opportunity in the future to do more.
What advice would you give to a new kindergartener?
Try out new things. Don’t worry if you can do it or not. Do collaborative drawings. It’s fun to see how others approach the same topic in different ways.
How did you feel going into kindergarten?
My mother sent me to 2 different kindergartens: One was an outdoor hiking kindergarten, the other a kindergarten with a focus on music and drawing. The outdoor hiking kindergarten was great. We went out hiking in the forest, even when it was raining and learned about different plants and animals. The other kindergarten was not that enjoyable to me. At that time I was really into skulls and hooks and I drew them obsessively. The kindergarten teacher was not pleased and told me she’d rather I draw pleasant things such as flowers, happy stick figures etc. That was my first experience with censorship.
What is outdoor hiking kindergarten?
The outdoor Hiking Kindergarten took place twice a week. Our kindergarten group went for hikes in the forest in any weather: rain, snow or hail. That really toughened our immune systems and it was great fun to play outdoors and learn about nature.
What is your favorite memory from kindergarten?
Playing catch in the forest.
How did you get connected with Audrey Vernick to illustrate this book?
The publisher is at the center of the process. The bought Audrey’s manuscript and looked for an illustrator that fit the style of her words. They found me and asked me to illustrate. I never even met Audrey until long after I finished the book.
You live in Germany. How do you work with a writer an ocean away? It's taking the virtual office to a new level!
As I mentioned before, I never worked directly with the author. Thanks to the web, the process of working with the publisher went very smoothly. Still I am glad that I was able to meet up with my fabulous editor and art director in person several times. Even though I never worked with Audrey directly on the book itself, I was glad we finally got to meet. We have several joint signing dates in September on the East Coast and I am looking forward to hanging out with her. She has so much energy and creativity.
How do you figure out what you're going to draw on each page?
After I read the manuscript for the first time, I started to develop the characters. Then I did rough sketches of scenes I thought might fit, integrating the best ones into a storyboard. For the next step I defined the line breaks and printed out pages with only the text. I mounted these pages together to form a book dummy into which I sketched directly. In that way I could tell how the drawings actually worked in sequence.
A few of the pages have the book illustrated *in* the book. How on earth do you do that?
Actually the reduced cover on the last page was put in by the publisher ;-)
You have some great kindergarten characters drawn who reappear throughout the illustrations but are never mentioned in the book. How do you decide who to include, what personalities, etc?
I was interested in putting together a diverse classroom of kids, so first I just sketched out some ideas. For fun, I modeled some of the characters on people I know, and some of these made it into the final book. For example, the pigtailed girl, the proud guide of the Buffalo, reminds me of the daughter of my host parents during my high school exchange year in Los Angeles. She is supportive and confident in the buffalo’s abilities. There is also one boy who sort of torments the buffalo a bit in the beginning (stealing the building blocks from him) but who soon becomes his dear friend.
Needless to say, this is one of our new favorite books. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I'll be reading this for my Mystery Reader book for Little Miss's kindergarten class. Fingers crossed I can get signed up for an early session!
If this looks like something you're interested in, you can use the reader's guide to get more out of it. There's also a coloring page that you can download here.
So what do you have to do?
First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!
This contest is open until Friday August 27 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.
Mandatory Entry: Simply tell me your favorite memory from kindergarten.
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
4) For each person you refer to this contest, you will earn an extra entry. Make sure they leave a separate comment saying who referred them for you to get credit!
Good luck!
In addition to the giveaway that I'm hosting, there is a grand prize, too! Each blog winner is eligible for the grand prize, along with the blog owner. Each blog (and winner) gets one entry just for participating. Extra entries are given for getting over 50 verified entrants (+1) and over 100 verified entrants (+2).
The winning team (blogger and blogger contest winner) each get to choose a personalized pose for the buffalo which Daniel will illustrate and then print onto a book bag for each. How cool is that? SO. Don't just enter; find everyone you know to enter to increase your odds of winning the grand prize, too!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Giveaway: Monopoly
In the interest of full disclosure, I received no product or compensation for this giveaway whatsoever. All opinions expressed are my own.
I love board games. I can tell you exactly where the spaces around the board for many games without looking, and many a day in my childhood was spent squirreled away in my room with a friend or two playing a game.
Monopoly was always one of my favorites, and it's actually one of my earliest memories - playing the game with my extended family in someone's dining room. And yes, Monopoly is one of the games where I don't have to look at the spaces to know where I've landed.
Somehow Monopoly is turning 75 years old, and Hasbro is celebrating with a Monopoly Money Makes It Real contest. They are giving away $20,580 (the total amount of money in the game's bank). You can enter now through September 2 by sharing in 75 words or less (sensing a theme yet?) what you would do if the money in the game were real by submitting your thoughts here. From September 3 to 27, you can vote for your favorite entry. More details can be found here.
You can also win your own version of the Monopoly game here.
So what do you have to do?
First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!
This contest is open until Thursday August 26 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.
Mandatory Entry: Simply tell me your favorite piece to play in Monopoly. Are you a shoe or a dog? Do you prefer the car or the iron?
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
Good luck!
I love board games. I can tell you exactly where the spaces around the board for many games without looking, and many a day in my childhood was spent squirreled away in my room with a friend or two playing a game.
Monopoly was always one of my favorites, and it's actually one of my earliest memories - playing the game with my extended family in someone's dining room. And yes, Monopoly is one of the games where I don't have to look at the spaces to know where I've landed.
Somehow Monopoly is turning 75 years old, and Hasbro is celebrating with a Monopoly Money Makes It Real contest. They are giving away $20,580 (the total amount of money in the game's bank). You can enter now through September 2 by sharing in 75 words or less (sensing a theme yet?) what you would do if the money in the game were real by submitting your thoughts here. From September 3 to 27, you can vote for your favorite entry. More details can be found here.
You can also win your own version of the Monopoly game here.
So what do you have to do?
First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!
This contest is open until Thursday August 26 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.
Mandatory Entry: Simply tell me your favorite piece to play in Monopoly. Are you a shoe or a dog? Do you prefer the car or the iron?
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):
1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
Good luck!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Winners!
A quick recap for you - I've had a few contests end while I was busy at BlogHer (yikes!). I've contacted all the winners below, and all have claimed their prizes already.
Congrats go to:
Amy Anderson who won the Spinbrush giveaway!
Joanna Jenkins who won the JumpStart Get Moving Family Fitness game for Wii giveaway!
Alicia who won the BusyBodyBook giveaway!
More giveaways and reviews are coming - just give me a chance to recuperate a little from BlogHer! Congrats to all the winners!
Congrats go to:
Amy Anderson who won the Spinbrush giveaway!
Joanna Jenkins who won the JumpStart Get Moving Family Fitness game for Wii giveaway!
Alicia who won the BusyBodyBook giveaway!
More giveaways and reviews are coming - just give me a chance to recuperate a little from BlogHer! Congrats to all the winners!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Getting Better for BlogHer: Week 3
In the interest of full disclosure, I am being provided with 42 Healthy Choice meals, a counseling session at BlogHer, and am being compensated. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
See my first post in this series here and my second post here.
We're going to pretend that I wrote this post before BlogHer. Why? Because BlogHer has quite probably undone the majority of the good work I've been doing for the last few weeks. I ran only once - the BlogHer 5K - although I did an absolute ton of walking, which is good. My water intake? Not so great. My sleep? Ha! I think "sleep when you're dead" was mentioned more than once. And the food and drink I ingested? Let's just say there was no Healthy Choice on a daily basis. I ate one (Sweet and Spicy Orange Zest Chicken) when I got home, and I started to feel a bit better.
So: enter the time machine. We're going to pretend this is last week when the information I present on progress, etc. is actually valid. And no, I'm not planning to run tomorrow, either. I apparently mildly sprained my ankle at BlogHer somehow, and it's still swollen. While it doesn't hurt, I'm guessing it would be a bad idea to try to run on it right now.
So, the big news? I can definitively tell you that the weight of two wet towels, a heart rate monitor, and toiletries is not nearly as much as I would like to believe they do. That's the bad news. The good news is that I know this because when I weighed myself on the scale, I was under the 155 barrier with all my accoutrement where I promised I'd find out what I "really" weighed. Whoo hoo! How awesome is that?
I'm not saying that this is all due to the Healthy Choice meals I've been eating, but I think it has something to do with it. One of the tips from Tara Gidus (the nutritionist with us!) is to eat smaller and more frequent meals. With the Healthy Choice entrees generally being between 200 and 300 calories, that means I'm eating another snack after a few hours rather than three straight meals (most days).
Add that to making sure I really am drinking my 100 plus ounces of water a day (I love my 40 ounce water bottle!) and getting more sleep - I've been focused on being in bed by 11:30 or earlier and sleeping well - I think this has made a huge difference. Here's hoping that progress continues!
I ate more varieties of the Healthy Choice meals again this week - including some of the all natural entrees - that I hadn't tried before. Again, some were better than others, but they were all pretty decent.
Creamy Basil Pesto: Again, I like a lot of flavor with my food. That includes lots of garlic and basil flavor in my pesto. The pesto in this was a little bland for my tastes. I can make better pesto in a few minutes with some frozen basil - but maybe next time I'd add a little more basil of my own and some garlic, and I'd love it. The broccoli and tomatoes in this dish were pretty good, though - and not as overcooked as I find the broccoli in the complete meals dishes. Then again, I also cooked this slightly less than the recommended time.
Sweet Sesame Chicken: This was another Cafe Steamer, and I've been a huge fan of the Asian ones to date. I liked having the little sesame seeds crunch in my food - a variety of colors and textures always helps make me feel full faster. The chicken was great, and as usual, I didn't have any nasty bits to it. The chicken in the dishes have been pretty impressive. I somehow missed the mushrooms in the dish, as I'm not a huge mushroom fan. The sauce tasted mostly of mushroom rather than anything else, so I ate as little of that as possible. My husband ate all the mushrooms and some sauce and rice, and he pronounced it good though.
Roasted Beef Merlot: I realized that I've mostly been eating chicken dishes, so I branched out with this beef dish. The carrots were great - I love cooked carrots with beef - and the sauce was pretty good. I was a little disappointed with the beef, however. There wasn't as much beef as I had hoped - far more potatoes than beef, and the dish with everything is still only 230 calories. Worse for me is that the beef was rather tough. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I was hoping that it wouldn't be too chewy. I'll try other beef dishes, but this is in the maybe to no category.
Lobster Cheese Ravioli: Mmmm. I'm not a huge lobster fan just by itself, but give me a good lobster bisque where it's more subtle, and I'm in heaven. The lobster ravioli had pluses and minuses. I liked how the pasta wasn't overcooked, and the zucchini and garlic in the sauce were a really great addition. The sauce for the ravioli - a vodka sauce - was the first really flavorful pasta sauce I've had with Healthy Choice. The ravioli themselves were a little disappointing though. While some had great ravioli flavor and pieces in them, others were completely lacking any lobster in the ravioli. I'm still undecided as to whether I'd get this one again or not.
Chicken Pesto Alfredo: Yep, another pasta dish, this time with chicken. This was definitely not one of my favorites. It had the same flavors of the pesto as the Creamy Basil Pasta, which meant there weren't quite enough for me. And since this was a flat and not filled pasta, it got too overcooked for my tastes. If it hadn't had the chicken, I probably would have cooked it less, but I didn't want undercooked chicken. I'm learning on the veggies and pulled off the plastic from there after the first cooking, so those turned out much better. This one had a blueberry crisp for dessert, so it wasn't as super sweet as some of the others I've had, and I really liked it. I'm definitely aiming for the berry desserts going forward.
Chicken Balsamico: This was a pretty good one, and I think I'll get this complete meal again. The chicken pieces were as tender and yummy as always, and I liked the balsamic sauce. It was a bit tangy and savory, which is something I enjoy. There was also a whole grain rice pilaf, which I hadn't seen before. While I've had better pilafs, this was pretty good. The apple cranberry crisp was pretty good, too. While it was sweeter than it would be were I to make it myself, the cranberries helped it from being overpoweringly sweet like some of the others have been. This is a definite buy again.
Pumpkin Squash Ravioli: I wasn't sure how this one was going to be. I'm not a huge squash fan, but everyone always raves about pumpkin squash ravioli, so I figured this would be a good place to try it. And you know what? I really liked it. The filled pasta didn't get overcooked (yay!), and the apples and asparagus that were included with the dish were a great complement to the pasta. The asparagus was (not surprisingly) a little more done than I'd hoped, but I love asparagus no matter what, I think. The butter sage sauce was nice and light - and I ate this all up. I'm definitely getting pumpkin squash ravioli again.
Whew! That's a lot of food when I look at it all in one place.
As I mentioned before, Tara Gidus provided some Healthy Eating Tips. I shared some of them last week, and I have more to share this week. Following them really is important, and I think they're helping me, too.
Shrink your plate, and your waist will follow. Eating from a smaller plate will help control portions, while you still think you had a plate full of food. I absolutely do this. I always use a salad plate to eat dinner, and I frequently use the wee ones' little bowls instead of our full sized ones. I also use smaller forks and spoons and prefer them. Less food fits on there, so you feel like you're eating more than you are - the mind is an easy thing to trick sometimes!
Save dough by eating at home. Restaurant meals can have high calories along with high prices. Cook at home to save time, money, and fuel or bring lunch to work for even more cost savings. Oh I can't even begin to say how much eating out sometimes scares me. I know BlogHer eating totally sabotaged everything I've accomplished. Have you ever seen some of the calories in meals sometimes? Three and four thousand aren't unheard of, and that's more than twice what I'd eat in a day. When I do eat out, I generally eat only half or less of it and take the rest home - and I also eat smaller meals at other times in the day, knowing it's going to be a heavy calorie day.
Color your plate. Fruits and veggies are colorful and add nutritional value to every meal without adding extra calories. This is something I need to do better. My mom was never good on veggies growing up, and I'm just not always in the habit - one nice thing about the Healthy Choice meals is that they always include veggies. Whenever I eat them, I remember how much I really love them. I need to get much better about prepping them when I bring them home and just having them out and ready to eat.
The kids are in sports, why not you? Join a tennis, rowing, or racquetball league. You will have fun, get fit, and socialize at the same time. I absolutely agree with this. And my church women's softball league is proof that you don't need to be good to do it. It's all about having fun - and there are plenty of leagues like that. There are people who play who've never played before, some who are terrible, and some who actually can play, but we all have fun no matter our ability. Plus, it's a great stress outlet and a nice way to spend time with adults!
Need an energy break? Move major muscle groups instead of reaching for a cup of joe. Do a set of lunges right near your desk and feel the oxygen pulse through your veins, supplying energy to your brain - a natural pick-me-up that is better than coffee! I'm not a huge coffee drinker - generally just when I'm absolutely exhausted in the morning, mostly because caffeine affects me for 15-18 hours after I've drunk it! But getting moving is so right. I'll try to get my heart rate up while still sitting in my chair, but blinking doesn't always work. I do find that doing a quick circuit around my house or something similar makes a huge difference.
Drink Up! Just a small amount of dehydration can leave you feeling sluggish, cause a headache, or make you feel hungry. Women need about nine cups of fluids a day from food, water, and other beverages. I am a firm believer in this and walk around with a 40 ounce water bottle all the time. The more I drink, the better I feel - and I'm one of the unusual people who loves drinking just plain filtered tap water. Fortunately, this one is generally an easy one for me!
Wow that was a long roundup. There will be more coming - more progress (I hope!), more tips and more thoughts on the meals. I'm enjoying my journey with Better for BlogHer, and I hope you're enjoying hearing about it, too.
See my first post in this series here and my second post here.
We're going to pretend that I wrote this post before BlogHer. Why? Because BlogHer has quite probably undone the majority of the good work I've been doing for the last few weeks. I ran only once - the BlogHer 5K - although I did an absolute ton of walking, which is good. My water intake? Not so great. My sleep? Ha! I think "sleep when you're dead" was mentioned more than once. And the food and drink I ingested? Let's just say there was no Healthy Choice on a daily basis. I ate one (Sweet and Spicy Orange Zest Chicken) when I got home, and I started to feel a bit better.
So: enter the time machine. We're going to pretend this is last week when the information I present on progress, etc. is actually valid. And no, I'm not planning to run tomorrow, either. I apparently mildly sprained my ankle at BlogHer somehow, and it's still swollen. While it doesn't hurt, I'm guessing it would be a bad idea to try to run on it right now.
So, the big news? I can definitively tell you that the weight of two wet towels, a heart rate monitor, and toiletries is not nearly as much as I would like to believe they do. That's the bad news. The good news is that I know this because when I weighed myself on the scale, I was under the 155 barrier with all my accoutrement where I promised I'd find out what I "really" weighed. Whoo hoo! How awesome is that?
I'm not saying that this is all due to the Healthy Choice meals I've been eating, but I think it has something to do with it. One of the tips from Tara Gidus (the nutritionist with us!) is to eat smaller and more frequent meals. With the Healthy Choice entrees generally being between 200 and 300 calories, that means I'm eating another snack after a few hours rather than three straight meals (most days).
Add that to making sure I really am drinking my 100 plus ounces of water a day (I love my 40 ounce water bottle!) and getting more sleep - I've been focused on being in bed by 11:30 or earlier and sleeping well - I think this has made a huge difference. Here's hoping that progress continues!
I ate more varieties of the Healthy Choice meals again this week - including some of the all natural entrees - that I hadn't tried before. Again, some were better than others, but they were all pretty decent.
Creamy Basil Pesto: Again, I like a lot of flavor with my food. That includes lots of garlic and basil flavor in my pesto. The pesto in this was a little bland for my tastes. I can make better pesto in a few minutes with some frozen basil - but maybe next time I'd add a little more basil of my own and some garlic, and I'd love it. The broccoli and tomatoes in this dish were pretty good, though - and not as overcooked as I find the broccoli in the complete meals dishes. Then again, I also cooked this slightly less than the recommended time.
Sweet Sesame Chicken: This was another Cafe Steamer, and I've been a huge fan of the Asian ones to date. I liked having the little sesame seeds crunch in my food - a variety of colors and textures always helps make me feel full faster. The chicken was great, and as usual, I didn't have any nasty bits to it. The chicken in the dishes have been pretty impressive. I somehow missed the mushrooms in the dish, as I'm not a huge mushroom fan. The sauce tasted mostly of mushroom rather than anything else, so I ate as little of that as possible. My husband ate all the mushrooms and some sauce and rice, and he pronounced it good though.
Roasted Beef Merlot: I realized that I've mostly been eating chicken dishes, so I branched out with this beef dish. The carrots were great - I love cooked carrots with beef - and the sauce was pretty good. I was a little disappointed with the beef, however. There wasn't as much beef as I had hoped - far more potatoes than beef, and the dish with everything is still only 230 calories. Worse for me is that the beef was rather tough. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I was hoping that it wouldn't be too chewy. I'll try other beef dishes, but this is in the maybe to no category.
Lobster Cheese Ravioli: Mmmm. I'm not a huge lobster fan just by itself, but give me a good lobster bisque where it's more subtle, and I'm in heaven. The lobster ravioli had pluses and minuses. I liked how the pasta wasn't overcooked, and the zucchini and garlic in the sauce were a really great addition. The sauce for the ravioli - a vodka sauce - was the first really flavorful pasta sauce I've had with Healthy Choice. The ravioli themselves were a little disappointing though. While some had great ravioli flavor and pieces in them, others were completely lacking any lobster in the ravioli. I'm still undecided as to whether I'd get this one again or not.
Chicken Pesto Alfredo: Yep, another pasta dish, this time with chicken. This was definitely not one of my favorites. It had the same flavors of the pesto as the Creamy Basil Pasta, which meant there weren't quite enough for me. And since this was a flat and not filled pasta, it got too overcooked for my tastes. If it hadn't had the chicken, I probably would have cooked it less, but I didn't want undercooked chicken. I'm learning on the veggies and pulled off the plastic from there after the first cooking, so those turned out much better. This one had a blueberry crisp for dessert, so it wasn't as super sweet as some of the others I've had, and I really liked it. I'm definitely aiming for the berry desserts going forward.
Chicken Balsamico: This was a pretty good one, and I think I'll get this complete meal again. The chicken pieces were as tender and yummy as always, and I liked the balsamic sauce. It was a bit tangy and savory, which is something I enjoy. There was also a whole grain rice pilaf, which I hadn't seen before. While I've had better pilafs, this was pretty good. The apple cranberry crisp was pretty good, too. While it was sweeter than it would be were I to make it myself, the cranberries helped it from being overpoweringly sweet like some of the others have been. This is a definite buy again.
Pumpkin Squash Ravioli: I wasn't sure how this one was going to be. I'm not a huge squash fan, but everyone always raves about pumpkin squash ravioli, so I figured this would be a good place to try it. And you know what? I really liked it. The filled pasta didn't get overcooked (yay!), and the apples and asparagus that were included with the dish were a great complement to the pasta. The asparagus was (not surprisingly) a little more done than I'd hoped, but I love asparagus no matter what, I think. The butter sage sauce was nice and light - and I ate this all up. I'm definitely getting pumpkin squash ravioli again.
Whew! That's a lot of food when I look at it all in one place.
As I mentioned before, Tara Gidus provided some Healthy Eating Tips. I shared some of them last week, and I have more to share this week. Following them really is important, and I think they're helping me, too.
Shrink your plate, and your waist will follow. Eating from a smaller plate will help control portions, while you still think you had a plate full of food. I absolutely do this. I always use a salad plate to eat dinner, and I frequently use the wee ones' little bowls instead of our full sized ones. I also use smaller forks and spoons and prefer them. Less food fits on there, so you feel like you're eating more than you are - the mind is an easy thing to trick sometimes!
Save dough by eating at home. Restaurant meals can have high calories along with high prices. Cook at home to save time, money, and fuel or bring lunch to work for even more cost savings. Oh I can't even begin to say how much eating out sometimes scares me. I know BlogHer eating totally sabotaged everything I've accomplished. Have you ever seen some of the calories in meals sometimes? Three and four thousand aren't unheard of, and that's more than twice what I'd eat in a day. When I do eat out, I generally eat only half or less of it and take the rest home - and I also eat smaller meals at other times in the day, knowing it's going to be a heavy calorie day.
Color your plate. Fruits and veggies are colorful and add nutritional value to every meal without adding extra calories. This is something I need to do better. My mom was never good on veggies growing up, and I'm just not always in the habit - one nice thing about the Healthy Choice meals is that they always include veggies. Whenever I eat them, I remember how much I really love them. I need to get much better about prepping them when I bring them home and just having them out and ready to eat.
The kids are in sports, why not you? Join a tennis, rowing, or racquetball league. You will have fun, get fit, and socialize at the same time. I absolutely agree with this. And my church women's softball league is proof that you don't need to be good to do it. It's all about having fun - and there are plenty of leagues like that. There are people who play who've never played before, some who are terrible, and some who actually can play, but we all have fun no matter our ability. Plus, it's a great stress outlet and a nice way to spend time with adults!
Need an energy break? Move major muscle groups instead of reaching for a cup of joe. Do a set of lunges right near your desk and feel the oxygen pulse through your veins, supplying energy to your brain - a natural pick-me-up that is better than coffee! I'm not a huge coffee drinker - generally just when I'm absolutely exhausted in the morning, mostly because caffeine affects me for 15-18 hours after I've drunk it! But getting moving is so right. I'll try to get my heart rate up while still sitting in my chair, but blinking doesn't always work. I do find that doing a quick circuit around my house or something similar makes a huge difference.
Drink Up! Just a small amount of dehydration can leave you feeling sluggish, cause a headache, or make you feel hungry. Women need about nine cups of fluids a day from food, water, and other beverages. I am a firm believer in this and walk around with a 40 ounce water bottle all the time. The more I drink, the better I feel - and I'm one of the unusual people who loves drinking just plain filtered tap water. Fortunately, this one is generally an easy one for me!
Wow that was a long roundup. There will be more coming - more progress (I hope!), more tips and more thoughts on the meals. I'm enjoying my journey with Better for BlogHer, and I hope you're enjoying hearing about it, too.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
BlogHer Is Upon Us
In the interest of full disclosure, Feld Entertainment providing a partial sponsorship for my BlogHer '10 conference with a stipend. All opinions expressed are my own.
I can't believe that BlogHer '10 is almost here. Somehow the days and weeks have slipped by, and I will shortly be on a plane to BlogHer. Feld Entertainment has generously provided me with a stipend which makes attending so much easier to justify to my family.
But I'm just excited to go. I love working with Feld, as they have such neat shows that are truly family friendly and age appropriate for the wee ones. Mister Man who is growing up too fast and is convinced he's a big boy is reduced to oooos and wide eyes when he sees the magic of Disney on Ice appear or Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus appear before him.
The fact that Feld can so easily recapture the joy and innocence of youth gets them big props in my book. And they're sensitive to the fact that little kids are in attendance, ensuring that there's nothing too scary and that the villains are portrayed in a fun and non-threatening manner. It makes it easy and fun to represent them while I'm at BlogHer this year.
BlogHer will be a whirlwind. I land at 9am on a Wednesday and begin my siteseeing. The first event is at 4pm that day, and it goes pretty much nonstop until I head back to the airport on Sunday afternoon.
There are so many sessions I want to attend, and I know I'm going to have to listen to some of them via podcast later. I love the speed dating and can't wait to meet so many wonderful bloggers. Once I'm done there, I'm off to the MomSpark meetup to network with more great women. The ability to meet so many wonderful and inspiring people is my favorite part about BlogHer. I came away last year with such great ideas, and I can't wait to do the same again this year.
I will be on the lookout for influential Chicago area bloggers to bring into the Feld Entertainment fold, so if you happen to be interested in learning more, make sure you find me!
Feld has also sent me some fun items to share - outside the conference space! - for those who are interested. I have coloring books, toy monster trucks, clown noses, and more. I'm happy to share for those who find me during the conference, as I'll have the items in my room.
I'm most excited about all the learning to do. I haven't been to New York in several years, and we've got some great time to do site seeing before the conference begins. We're walking across the Broolyn Bridge and heading to ChinaTown. We're visiting Dylan's Candy Bar and having dinner at Serendipity. I'm already exhausted, but coffee will make a big difference.
And did I mention that I'm doing my very first 5K? I am ready to run, and my training is complete. At 6:15am on Friday, I will be heading out to Central Park to run for over three miles - hopefully without stopping - in support of Tutus for Tanner.
This year, there are parties galore. I've been invited to a few, although it's rather intimidating to look at the full lists of some of the parties that are out there. They are great opportunities to meet more people in a relaxed session and see other places in New York that I otherwise wouldn't. I've heard more than one person say that they can sleep when they're dead, and I think that's the perfect motto for this conference.
We're even keeping alive the tradition of the Seamen party in "Room L" this year, with bubbles. It's a great low key way to finish up the conference reminiscing with friends made and relax before we start to pack everything for the return trip where we'll digest what we learned and reflect on how we've changed yet again. And then we write.
And thanks to Feld, I'll soon be posting some more giveaways. Wish me luck at BlogHer! For now, I'm off to bed before my early morning flight.
I can't believe that BlogHer '10 is almost here. Somehow the days and weeks have slipped by, and I will shortly be on a plane to BlogHer. Feld Entertainment has generously provided me with a stipend which makes attending so much easier to justify to my family.
But I'm just excited to go. I love working with Feld, as they have such neat shows that are truly family friendly and age appropriate for the wee ones. Mister Man who is growing up too fast and is convinced he's a big boy is reduced to oooos and wide eyes when he sees the magic of Disney on Ice appear or Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus appear before him.
The fact that Feld can so easily recapture the joy and innocence of youth gets them big props in my book. And they're sensitive to the fact that little kids are in attendance, ensuring that there's nothing too scary and that the villains are portrayed in a fun and non-threatening manner. It makes it easy and fun to represent them while I'm at BlogHer this year.
BlogHer will be a whirlwind. I land at 9am on a Wednesday and begin my siteseeing. The first event is at 4pm that day, and it goes pretty much nonstop until I head back to the airport on Sunday afternoon.
There are so many sessions I want to attend, and I know I'm going to have to listen to some of them via podcast later. I love the speed dating and can't wait to meet so many wonderful bloggers. Once I'm done there, I'm off to the MomSpark meetup to network with more great women. The ability to meet so many wonderful and inspiring people is my favorite part about BlogHer. I came away last year with such great ideas, and I can't wait to do the same again this year.
I will be on the lookout for influential Chicago area bloggers to bring into the Feld Entertainment fold, so if you happen to be interested in learning more, make sure you find me!
Feld has also sent me some fun items to share - outside the conference space! - for those who are interested. I have coloring books, toy monster trucks, clown noses, and more. I'm happy to share for those who find me during the conference, as I'll have the items in my room.
I'm most excited about all the learning to do. I haven't been to New York in several years, and we've got some great time to do site seeing before the conference begins. We're walking across the Broolyn Bridge and heading to ChinaTown. We're visiting Dylan's Candy Bar and having dinner at Serendipity. I'm already exhausted, but coffee will make a big difference.
And did I mention that I'm doing my very first 5K? I am ready to run, and my training is complete. At 6:15am on Friday, I will be heading out to Central Park to run for over three miles - hopefully without stopping - in support of Tutus for Tanner.
This year, there are parties galore. I've been invited to a few, although it's rather intimidating to look at the full lists of some of the parties that are out there. They are great opportunities to meet more people in a relaxed session and see other places in New York that I otherwise wouldn't. I've heard more than one person say that they can sleep when they're dead, and I think that's the perfect motto for this conference.
We're even keeping alive the tradition of the Seamen party in "Room L" this year, with bubbles. It's a great low key way to finish up the conference reminiscing with friends made and relax before we start to pack everything for the return trip where we'll digest what we learned and reflect on how we've changed yet again. And then we write.
And thanks to Feld, I'll soon be posting some more giveaways. Wish me luck at BlogHer! For now, I'm off to bed before my early morning flight.