Embracing a Healthy Family

Health, Beauty, Children and Family Fans

Health, Beauty, Children and Family Fans
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Riiviva Microderm Giveaway - $299 Value - US/Canada - Ends 12/1


Welcome to another Riiviva Microderm Giveaway! Brought to you by Riiviva Skincare MD. The Microderm is an at-home microdermabrasion system worth $299 that delivers amazing results! I have one and love it! I have been wanting to try it out on some other areas on my body and plan to with some extra Christmas money. I have noticed an improvement in my skin texture and a diminishing in lines. It's something that I use every day and am amazed at how smooth my skin feels. It's quick and easy! I saw an article about one of the reasons men's skin looks good is possibly due to shaving. With the Riiviva, to me, it gives the same results as you are taking off the layer of dead cells to reveal brighter, smoother skin so it's a win-win for us.

To learn more about Riiviva, click on the link to visit their page: www.riiviva.com


The giveaway is open the the USA and Canada and ends December 1st. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 24 hours to respond. The prize will be mailed by Riiviva and is not the responsibility of any participating blogger.


Check out my other giveaways here.

Riiviva Microderm Giveaway - $299 Value - Ends 12/1 - US and Canada


Welcome to the Riiviva Microderm Giveaway! Brought to you by Riiviva and Debbie Jeans Blog!
The Microderm is an at-home microdermabrasion system worth $299 that delivers amazing results! I have one and love it! I have been wanting to try it out on some other areas on my body and plan to with some extra Christmas money. I have noticed an improvement in my skin texture and a diminishing in lines.

For more info, please head over to www.riiviva.com to check it out!


Giveaway is open the the USA and Canada. Begins November 25th and ends December 1st.
The winner will be notified via e-mail by Debbie Jeans Blog and needs to respond within 24 hours or another winner will be chosen :) Prize will be mailed by Riiviva and is not the responsibility of any participating blogger.

Good luck!!

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Check out my other giveaways here.

Read How the Advocare System Helped My Friend Get in Shape

I've tried so many products to help lose weight and many of the products would work if I stuck to them but I have a bad habit of not sticking to the plan.  I know that if I have a buddy system, I can be more successful.  This is where my friend Trish comes in.  She's an Advocare success story.  She proved it works and now I'm going to try it.  I know how many others struggle with what works and what doesn't so I wanted to share Trish's story and I will be adding updates on how well I do.  This is not a sponsored or paid post as I did buy the products to try.

Trish's story:

At 14, I had the ultimate teenage dream body; flat stomach, toned legs, slim arms….everything.  At 21, I was filled out and in a wedding dress on my way to becoming a Navy Wife. I was a dream to my Husband and although parts of me were showing signs of endless drinking games and all nighters at the local burger joint I was happy.  At 24, my body was a wee bit more maternal.  I was a new Mom and with that I figured an 80 pound baby would be popping out during labor and yet again I’d be slim.  No- she wasn’t even 8 pounds.  Damn.  During a 4 year break in between children I had managed to lose 40 of those former baby weight pounds and I was proud of that and then my Husband and I got just a bit too excited about trying for another baby and my weight loss journey stopped because well, baby on board and at 28, a wee bit more weight packed on and again, I was disappointed that 60 pounds of baby wasn’t there. Sigh….at 30, I’m a fat ass.  No seriously, if I was typing this then I would have hand to God inhaled the remainder of a bag of Muddy Buddies.  No joke.  It wouldn’t even have a chance.   I am a busy Mom but my car ran the roads; I didn’t.  So, where do I go?  I’ve tried ALL of the weight loss programs.  I was hungry, I was moody and I still snuck a nightly Snickers bar out of desperation. I sounded like Gollum…my precious candy….my precious.  I prayed the kids wouldn’t hear me. So, I hit rock bottom and man….it sucked.  But, I gave up and I was sort of just content to wearing 4x shirts and eating whatever I wanted to and every now and again worrying if I was going to end up like that Mom on “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”


Suddenly, I’m 31 and yep, still fat.  I remember sighing and thinking to myself “why can’t I just stop?  Why can’t I play with my kids or just do something physical to help myself out?  I’m so tired.  This sucks”.  Then a friend of mine posted something on her Facebook newsfeed:  “Hey!  Anyone wanna join us for a quick 1 mile run this Saturday?”  Running.  Running.  I tried out for track team in high school- I got 1/3 of the mile around the track before I felt like dying.  I was NOT a runner by any means.  And I certainly wasn’t going to start now at 332 pounds.  I let the thought pass and went about my day; however the thought kept popping up so….I went.  I looked like an idiot my first time.  I did not have proper running shoes on, I was wearing something that was the equivalent to a sauna and I looked like a fat kid in a celery store.  I was searching for a way out, this place scared me…dear God, where is the candy??!!  Then the dreaded words: “okay, let’s get started”.  Oh sweet baby Jesus, I will RUN to my car if it’ll count.  This was a bad decision.  I was going to die, in the middle of a nice neighborhood and like Gilbert Grapes Mom they may have to burn half of the subdivision down because they couldn’t move me.  Just burn and rebuild.  Easy.  I felt my friends hand on my back and somewhere in those skin folds she assured me I would be fine.  So I started out with a walk, then a trot….I feel like a horse.  A horse that was given freedom to roam but was really off to the glue factory.  Trickery is afoot.  Then I breathed in, then out, then in and out….holy Mother, I was running!  I wasn’t fast, but I was doing it.  This was my first day of the last day of being fat.  I was empowered and Twinkies could suck it.

Then last Winter I saw an advertisement for the Gate River Run.  I mulled it over in my head- at that point I had successfully ran/walked/trotted in 5 different races and my eyes widened when I saw “every finisher gets a MEDAL!””  Yippeee!!!!  I like shiny things!  It would be my first medal ever and I was determined.  Later, at a get together I noticed one of my friends.  I mean, I always noticed her but I really noticed her on that day.  She was happier, more energetic and did she lose weight?  So I discreetly sashayed over to her and whispered “what are you on??”  She looked at me, smiled and said “Oh…Advocare!”.  Ad-what?  Then she slipped me a packet of Spark.  I seriously felt like this was illegal drug transactions happening.  She was so energetic and happy….this is crack flavored like mangoes.  So you know, not one to turn down a free anything; I drank it.  Within a little bit of time I was happier, I was more energetic…I actually wanted to run long distances without a medal at the end waiting for me.  I was done.  I wanted more, I felt amazing!  So then I talked to her about other products they had.  She knew my struggles with my weight and she knew that all I wanted was to be free of it.  That’s when she told me about Advocares 24 Day Challenge; a two part diet challenge that would change the way I felt, what I ate, how I looked.  I wanted it- it was guaranteed to work and guaranteed that I would feel awesome.  Well, I had Spark so of course if a simple powdered drink could do what it just did, I was all in.  I ordered it and during the next 24 days; my clothes got bigger on me, my stomach got flatter, my cravings for sweets and fatty food diminished, my skin cleared up and my energy was through the roof.  I raced the Gate River Run 15 pounds and 8.8 inches lighter.  My friend who first turned me onto Advocare gave me some Rehydrate and Spark for the long run ( 9 MILES!!) and I felt on fire!  I was Rocky on the steps!  I was Britney Spears before she went bald and crazy!  I was awesome!! 


So, here we are.  I’m almost 33 and I’m currently holding steady at 280 pounds.  It’s totally not where I want to be…yet but I will get there.  I’m in the middle of my second 24 day challenge now and have lost 4 inches and 5 pounds- I’m only on day 12.  I have Spark to keep me going, Clear Mood to keep me from feeling down and the motivation that this coming February I will be running in the Glass Slipper Challenge at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.  All in all, it’s 19.3 miles….my longest run ever at that point.  I’m doing this because of Advocare.  It gave me my life back and I’m proud to give these products everything I’ve got because it gave my kids their Mom back, it gave my Husband a Wife who thinks more of herself now, a woman who is happy and playful and would rather go outside and play than watch movies and eat all day.  MY LIFE….finally.  So, now I’m a distributor for the Advocare company.  It’s not about the money I could make, for me it’s about empowering people with their goals and what they can do to achieve them.  I would really love to have you see what Advocare can do for you because I KNOW it will change your life.  I’m living proof.  And, if you’ll allow me; I’d love to be with you every step of the way; cheering you on while you change your world!             
                                                                                        
Here's the website:  https://www.advocare.com/13105846/


Did I mention Drew Brees and Jason Witten are spokespeople for Advocare?  Stay tuned for my own personal experiences.

Giving Comfort: Fighting Cancer with Comfort Kits is a Wonderful Idea

This is a pro bono sponsored post.  I refused payment for this post due to my passion for helping others with cancer and I fully support this non-profit.


Did you know that this year, more than 1.6 million people in the US will be diagnosed with cancer?  My father beat stage 4 colon cancer seven year's ago, my maternal grandmother beat breast cancer and so far, my middle daughter's favorite teacher from another school continues to beat her breast cancer.  Cancer is a part of our life and one of the things we do to fight back is to volunteer our time.  From participating in walks and activities that support walks to giving to efforts that provide smiles and comforts to children with cancer.  We have our own non-profit in which we deliver to children with asthma and epilepsy but last year, we delivered specifically to children with cancer at our local hospital.  Giving back is something that each and every one of us can take pride in doing and I believe teaching kids early is essential.  This is why the Giving Comfort program is something that is very near and dear to me.  Giving Comfort is a non-profit program of the McKeeson Foundation.

The Giving Comfort kits are not just for children as they are ideal for any age and gender.  I received the Younger Girl's Essential Kit and I have to say it's a wonderful gift to send a  little girl with cancer.  From my experiences of delivering gift bags to children, the price is also amazingly low.  The Kit included:

  • Custom children's design pillowcase
  • Fleece throw blanket
  • Sleep cap
  • Socks with Grippers
  • Animal crackers
  • Toiletry bag contains Burt's Bees Lip Balm, toothpaste, Extra soft toothbrush, Hand Sanitizer, Unscented lotion
  • Magazine voucher for 1 year free magazine
  • Custom coloring book w/pack of crayons
  • Playing cards
  • Stuffed animal
  • Back Pack


It all fits inside the full size back pack and is just adorable.  The stuffed monkey is of high quality along with the rest of the products.  As soon as I received this, I told all my friends especially on Facebook because I have a lot of friends who work with children with cancer to spread the word about this wonderful non-profit, Giving Comfort.

There are kits for boys, girls, men, women, teens as well as caregiver kits.  Everyone is covered and if you know how devastating and draining cancer can be which is why I also love the men's and women's Harmony and Tranquility Kits.  These kits are created based on providing comfort your loved one with products that they will enjoy and use.  Even if you don't know someone personally with cancer, purchasing one of these and donating them is such a wonderful way to give back.  These kits will let your loved one or adopted stranger that they are not alone.

From my experience with my father fighting his cancer, he didn't talk about it.  He did keep his sense of humor and rarely complained.  I still remember him mowing the yard at the age of 71 while undergoing chemo and radiation post surgery.  He was a trooper but I'm sure he struggled inside because he confides in me that he's not ready to go yet.  I also have experience seeing children with cancer embracing gifts they receive from others and can see the smile in spite of the pain they are enduring with their treatments.  Nothing is more special to a little one than receiving a gift unexpectedly.

Here is just how special Giving Comfort Kits are to those fighting cancer:

To learn more about Giving Comfort, please click on the link.





 *Disclosure:  I did not receive payment for this sponsored post.  The opinions are of my own.  I did receive a complimentary Giving Comfort kit that I'm donating to my local Ronald McDonald House to give to a child with cancer.

After a Month, Big Savings with the Best Wireless Plan Found at Walmart Family Mobile

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #cbias and their client #FamilyMobileSaves.

#shop
Walmart Family Mobile Saved Us Big Money #shop

Last month, I posted about an opportunity that I had to try out the Walmart Family Mobile plan.  This was a challenge to myself to see if I could really make a difference in the budget by switching to a cheap wireless plan and I was surprised as I did!  There were no hidden charges or add on charges I wasn't expecting AND the phone and service performed better than I had expected.  We took this phone up through Texas, Colorado, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Utah and New Mexico and had no issues with service other than an expected area within Yellowstone National Park.  The clarity was great and there were no drops offs.  My middle daughter used it mostly to text to her older sister along the way and she's all smiles with being able to try out the phone in that capacity.

There were many things that drew me to the Walmart Family Mobile plan, such as:
  1. No contracts!  No worries if you have to cancel the plan.  No renewal of the plan if you want to upgrade the phone.  No contracts!  Anyone with one of the "other" businesses know how costly it is to cancel a contract and how inflexible they are.  
  2. The price is amazing!  When we signed up for the Walmart Family Mobile Unlimited plan it included talk and text starting at only $29.88 a month and we purchased the optional web access for $10 more a month to have up to 5 GB of 3G high speed web for the low cost of $34.88.  
  3. The option to add up to five additional lines at only $24.88 per line which is another big savings given my old plan which had four lines and it was priced at $35 per line.
After seeing my first month's bill, I can see a huge savings over a typical $80+ bill from one of their competitors just for ONE line.  Granted we didn't save enough money to pay for the whirlwind trip to see Mt. Everest and Yellowstone, but in time, it could!  My daughter loved being able to take pictures too with the phone.


#shop
What We Were Able to Do When We Switched to Walmart Family Mobile and Saved Money #shop
Other great features about the Walmart Family Mobile plan are the ease of activation once you pick one of the available phones and they have a great selection to choose from.  The activation was via online or telephone and was extremely simple.  The ability to set up the account was equally easy and allowed many benefits from changing features, paying the bill, setting up parental controls and much more via online account management and information.  It's really the all in one place to establish and keep mobile phone service whether you are one or have a family.  Having the ability to set controls and limits really provides me with a peace of mind with having children. Walmart wins hands down with the Walmart Family Mobile plan.


#shop


Check out my photos from last month's post on Google+:  Walmart Family Mobile plan.  There are still great tips and ideas in the SoFab Back to School Digital Magazine that includes an article on the Walmart Family Mobile plan.

Party Like a Football Star Giveaway Event - ARV $698 - 9/12

Make Our Own Network
Prize:
Best of Times Ultimate Personal Bar Package (A.L.L. Review)
ARV $698

Hosted by:
A Ladybug on the Go
and 
M.O.O.N.
"The Best of Times Bar is the ultimate piece of party equipment for entertainers from all walks of life. The portable bar is perfect for any occasion, and can be customized with a variety of interchangeable wraps."

Our Twist on Old El Paso Tacos and Cool Gift Pack Giveaway - 9/14 - US - $54 Value


We are a Mexican food family and tacos are the number one item along with nachos.  Being we live in El Paso, what better product to use then Old El Paso?  It truly is the brand I turn to for nearly all my Mexican food ingredients.  While living in El Paso, I have picked up some variations on how I used to make tacos and nachos and loved having the opportunity to try them out as my Old El Paso gift pack arrived.  As you can see, it's a really cool prize pack that really motivated me to try it out that night as I had everything on hand especially since the gift pack included everything except cheese, meat and salsa.



Our twist on tacos is deep frying them as it adds a nice crunch.  It's not the same as corn shell hardness but a light flaky crispiness that tastes amazing.  It's now the preferred way to fix tacos and I tried it out with our Old El Paso Taco prize pack.  It's easy and it's just like making a taco except after filling it with the taco meat post cooking it per the taco seasoning package mix and adding refried beans to the meat mixture, I add a little cheese, fold over and secure with a tooth pick.  Then I fry it for just a minute or so and then I let it drain on some paper towels.  It's easy and quick and the kids love it!

My nachos are similar as I just used the flour shell tortilla's from Old El Paso and cut in fourths with a pizza cutter to get clean lines.  I then fry them for about one minute on each side, drain, let cool and then add a layer of beans and cheddar cheese and bake in the oven at 350 for about five minutes. They turn out crispy and perfect!

Check out Old El Paso for great recipes, product information and more at Old El Paso.

The Giveaway:

This very cool prize pack will be given away to one reader:





  • Rinse & Chop foldable chopping board
  • Prep & Serve nesting storage bowls
  • Fold-flat grater
  • Old El Paso® Soft Flour Tortillas
  • Old El Paso® Traditional Refried Beans
  • Old El Paso® Taco Seasoning
  • Retail Value: $54
To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.  Ends 9/14 - US only please

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*Disclaimer:  I received this prize pack as part of my participation with My Blog Spark.  The Sponsor, Old El Paso, provided the prize pack that I was able to review and the one that will be given away.  The opinions are of my own.

Check out my other giveaways here.

Luvs® Super Absorbent Leakguard Diapers have 15% More Absorbency

I was reminded of the need for good quality diapers as I was removing my little granddaughter's car seat from next to my daughter's car seat and all of a sudden a liquid dripped out.  After a few seconds, I realized it was her urine as her diaper didn't do such a good job so we had quite the mess to clean up.  My oldest decided to buy a different brand of diapers this time.  She's 25 year old and is on a budget.  Sometimes buying a lesser expensive diaper or a brand you think is better is not always the case.  Luvs® is priced right and has the features of a good quality diaper that does what it says it will.  I know as I have quite the variety of ages at home.  I remarried later in life and started all over again.  It's more than alright as I love the idea of having children surround me most of my entire adult life.  As an experienced mom, I also know the importance of having quality diapers that I can depend on such as Luvs® with super absorbent leakguard diapers.  As any mom knows, a princess must be dry!

#TheClueIsInTheBlue
Luvs® Super Absorbent Leakguard Diapers come in all sizes making it the ideal choice for a growing baby.  From sizes newborn all the way to size 6 (over 35 lbs).  They are designed to lock away wetness which is key in avoiding diaper rashes.  What's even better is there is actually a money back guarantee!  The contour fit gathers around the legs while providing a cottony softeness and provides 15% more absorbency than other Luvs®. Luvs® is priced right too which is great for those of us on a budget.  The convenience of purchasing small or large packs is also nice.  

Check out Luvs® at your local Walmart or other retailer and don't forget to visit Luvs® on Facebook and Luvs® on Twitter.


This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Luvs®

A Sound Economical Change to a Cheap Wireless Plan

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community.  As part of my participation, I was recently chosen to evaluate the Walmart Family Mobile plans. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. 


It's amazing how much monthly expenses add up and with the economy, it's always a good idea to look for ways to cut and save a dollar here and there.  Over the course of the past few years, I've looked at ways to save money and made some changes but there have been other areas I overlooked mostly due to procrastination.  I firmly believe that my grocery bill goes further when I shop at Walmart as the prices just can't be beat overall and the quality of product is as comparable to other markets.  When I think of Walmart, I never really thought about cheap wireless plans as I just perceived them as a place to purchase goods.  When I saw the opportunity to check out what the Walmart Family Mobile service powered by T-Mobile has to offer, I jumped on it as I not only have a cellular phone bill by a competitor that is way too high but I also have family members who could use the lowest price rate plan since they are on a fixed income.

One of the biggest problems I have with my current cell phone provider aside from the enormous costs, is their requirement to extend the contract and now when you upgrade, they charge an additional fee just to upgrade while you end up having to extend the contract for another year or two. The add on fees are just too much and having the contract clause really keeps you locked in without having options.  


#FamilyMobileSaves #shop
#FamilyMobileSaves #shop

The idea to switch to a no contract wireless plan is very appealing. I proceeded to check out the Walmart Family Mobile plan and this is what I found:
  • The plan starts at $29.98 for unlimited talk and text or $39.98 for unlimited talk, text and web.
  • The unlimited talk, text and web provides up to 5 GB data for web and 3 G speed for e-mail, video, pictures and social media updates like Facebook and Twitter.
  • Unlimited plans for data (high speed is capped - see above).
  • Ability to purchase extra GB's of high speed data at around $10 per GB
  • Options to use more than one type of phone for example, a variety of smart phones to non-smart phones are compatible with the Walmart Family Mobile Plan. This is good because my father does not like the smart phones and would not utilize the features.
  • Ability to check online with the online account management and information link.
  • Ability to implement family controls, alert and notifications and everything else my current plan offers at the lowest price rate plan.
  • Additional pack option to call and roam internationally and a speed boost option.
#FamilyMobileSaves #shop
#FamilyMobileSaves #shop
There is nothing different that the Walmart Family Mobile plan provides that is different from my existing plan other than a huge savings!


#FamilyMobileSaves #shop
#FamilyMobileSaves #shop
Last month, our cellular bill was $233.50 and we used 1.18 GB of data in our family plan. By switching, we would save at least $100 a month! That is a HUGE savings! It's also ideal to save that much money in the upcoming months since we are leaving Sunday for a long road trip to Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park not to forget, I just spent over $200 on school clothes. At least I will make the clothing purchase up in only two months by switching to the Walmart Family Mobile plan. Here is my break down for the initial purchase and activation of the phone:
  • myTouch phone - $129.88
  • Starter kit - $25
  • Tax - $12.77
When I purchased the Walmart Family Mobile myTouch 4G cell phone, I also purchased the $25 Starter Kit and I was ready to go. The beauty about this activation is you can do it at home without having to wait to go through all the paperwork that takes a long time as it did when I purchased my iPhone at Best Buy this past year. The process is easy and step by step, you are done in less than five minutes. If you decide to not transfer your number, you can select your local area code as well.

#FamilyMobileSaves #shop


As I mentioned previously, Walmart Family Mobile also has an online account management and information website where you can pay your bill which you can also pay via your phone or at the kiosks inside Walmart. It was an easy five part set up to establish a new user. Here is where you can do all things such as see current/past bill details, set up automatic payments, add a line, set limits, set access, add packs and much more. It's a great site that allows you to manage your phone and achieve optimal savings while ensuring you have the ability to set up precautions protecting your children if they have a phone as well.


#FamilyMobileSaves #shop
#FamilyMobileSaves #shop
AsFeaturedInBTSLiveSoFab

You don't have to just take my word for it, check out the latest Live SoFab Back to School Digital Magazine for other's experiences as well as some great back to school ideas:



Now I have my new phone, my new Walmart Family Mobile plan and I'm ready to go.  T-Mobile has my service area covered along with any place that I might end up going in the foreseeable future so it's time to test it out!  So far so good and stay tuned for an updated post to see how much money I saved and how happy my family is with the change.

Check out my Google+ album for more pictures of my shopping experience.
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