Embracing a Healthy Family

Neuma Moisture Shampoo, Conditioner & Intensive Masque Sample Packet Review

I don't normally spend a lot of time on my hair of late as I'm trying to make it healthier after a hot summer under the sun coupled with blow drying and using a hair straightener. My hair is easily damaged as well due to repeat coloring so it's a must I have something of high quality to use on my hair. I tried the Neuma Moisture Shampoo, Conditioner & Intensive Masque sample packet and did like how my hair felt but unfortunately, being a sample, I cannot provide long term input as my hair requires a lot of conditioner and I had to use the whole pack on my hair one time. The fragrance was nice and I liked how it rinsed out without having to keep running water over my hair like many other. Overall, I would have to try it longer term to really get a good feel for the product. I did like how my hair felt and looked after the first use.

Neuma Hair Care Products contain:

Renewable, beneficial plant-based ingredients

Certified Organic Extracts

85% post consumer recycled bottles

100% certified wind power

100% recycled fiber containers

Organic raw materials, sustainable business practices and continuing membership as a global corporate citizen will make the difference in the long run.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Canvas Champ 12 x 8 Canvas Review and 10 x 8 Giveaway 10/11/14

I am an avid picture taker and even though no where near a professional, I do enjoy collecting many memories throughout the years of my family. My current mission is actually rounding up all pictures from both sides of my family to create a nice guest room and to share in the memories of generations gone by. I've been slacking in getting pictures and prints up on my walls mostly due to all the moving around so the opportunity to review a canvas from Canvas Champ was ideal!

The canvas, although the appearance in my photo are not as vibrant as in person, it's spot on with the photograph. The colors are perfect along with the lighting and the wrap around canvas and ready to hang hardware makes it even more appealing. I don't know about you but I hate having to assemble the hanging hardware on pictures and since it's already attached, the only problem I had was to figure out where to hang it. I cannot review the ordering process as I ordered via a person direct but after looking at the site, it looks incredibly easy ...so easy, I'm ordering this right now!

The process is so easy:

Select the type of print you want: canvas, peel & stick, photo boards, metal prints, acrylic prints or canvas banner.
Upload your photo and choose from the various options from layout to size.
Select display options, border and frame and any optional retouching and color finishing
Add to the cart

You can see a 3D view, on the wall view and in design view to ensure you are getting exactly what you want.

They also have a 100% guarantee so if you don't love your order, they will back it up! Shipping is free for orders over $100 and they tout fast shipping. I was AMAZED at the speed of delivery and my canvas was packaged to perfection with no damage. The canvas at the top is just beautiful isn't it? Canvas Champ has a repeat customer now!

The Giveaway:

One winner will receive their very own 10 x 8 canvas.

To Enter, please use the form below.

Giveaway ends 10/11/14 at midnight (EST). US only please

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Homeschool English Tea Cakes with World Vision Prosperity Cinnamon Review & Giveaway ($85 Value) - US - Ends 10/11

I'm starting a series of homeschool recipe days which currently has an English themed due to my dual citizenship and the girl's grandmother being from England. The girls are enjoying selecting a recipe and then making it. We have tried egg salad and chicken salad tea sandwiches, pork pies, strawberry scones and now English cream tea cakes minus the clopped cream. So far, most have been a hit except the little tea sandwiches so I wonder how bangers and mash will go over. This morning, we started our day making the tea cakes and setting up for our little tea party. We also utilized our complimentary Prosperity Cinnamon compliments of World Vision.

Danielle is definitely in her element and is loving the idea of the Jane Austen/Regency period so she must get dressed up to include the traditional English type hat.

Jamie skips the formalities and just participates but was quite pleased with her recipe choice. She also liked this recipe since we were using a product that will raise awareness about giving back. The girls have a non-profit that delivers items to children with epilepsy and/or asthma so giving back is huge in our house.

Our recipe addition was our complimentary prosperity cinnamon we received from World Vision. This world renowned sweet cinnamon from Vietnam is collected from the Cassia tree. The villagers carve these beautiful boxes out of cinnamon bark and it contains 3 ounces of cinnamon. The symbol on the box is the Asian character for prosperity.

It's simply beautiful and a magnificent gift for those the have a love in the kitchen or Asian art. If you have not heard about World Vision, they have a Christmas edition that is released every year with beautiful, unique and handmade gifts that are available to purchase in exchange for fighting poverty across the world. The World Vision's Gift Catalog provides over 100 different ways to improve the lives of children through clean water, food, medicine, education, job training and small business loans. There are many gifting options as well that includes helping those in the United States from giving food, backpacks with school supplies to disaster relief. There are so many options to make a difference and give back from the smallest token at $20 to the very large gift donation of $39,000.

Our recipe was very easy:

1 cup of butter

3/4 cup of sugar

2 1/4 cups of flour

4 tablespoons of Bird's Custard Powder 300g

1 egg

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350

Beat butter and sugar until very soft. Add beaten egg, custard powder, flour and salt.

Knead on a floured surface.

Roll out and cut with a plain biscuit cutter.

Bake for 10 minutes or until a pale brown.

Add clotted cream or rasberry jam. I had neither one so I just mixed powder sugar and almond extract together for a slight sweetened taste.

The girls had a lot of fun with their tea party once again.

The Giveaway:

One winner will receive the same gift I received. A World Vision Prosperity Cinnamon Box valued at $85.

To Enter:

Please use the form below. Giveaway ends 10/11/14 - US only please

a Rafflecopter giveaway

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide.

Some World Vision Gift Catalog Facts:

The 2014 Christmas season marks the 19th annual edition of the World Vision Gift Catalog.
More than 100 meaningful gifts ranging in prices from $16 to $39,000 are available.
There are more than 250 items available online at www.worldvisiongifts.org
More than 30 gifts are in the catalog at $35 or less
Donors can choose to have a card sent in honor of a loved one.

Announcing Another Grandchild and Win A Wish from Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers

I participated in a Huggies® and Mom Central posting opportunity in which I received a gift card from Huggies® in exchange for my honest opinions.

If you are a regular to my blog, you know that I have children and that I've always stated what a Huggies® family we are. Not only did I use Huggies® with my two younger ones but my oldest uses Huggies® exclusively too. I didn't use Huggies® with my oldest as she's 26 and have no idea what I used all the way back then! I have tried many brands and I do have a second favorite but I always turned to Huggies® for the reliable protection and unbeatable skin care which is why I eagerly wanted to share Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers with you. I also wanted to share that I'm going to be a grandmother again! My oldest is due early November and in spite of her newly discovered ovarian cancer, we know her little-one-to-be saved her life as the tumor wouldn't have been discovered if it weren't for him. As she progresses towards her second child, who are close in age to my second crew of children, we are happy to continue along the Huggies® line of products.

As snug and as happy as can be with a dependable, dry Huggies® on!

We all love those adorable soft hugs from our babies, not to mention as they grow too, so why not have make sure the second hug is just as soft? Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers has a new Gentle Absorb Liner that provides a cushiony layer of protection with hundreds of tiny absorbent pillows keeping your baby's skin dryer. Huggies® has changed and improved over the years with such great new features such as a wetness indicator so no more putting that finger inside the diaper to feel if it's wet. For the newborns, there is an umbilical cord cut out to help protect that sensitive healing spot that we all worry about. The diapers also feature a cottony-soft inside and out to help keep your little one comfortable as well as a unique stretchy Snugfit waistband that is flexible and pocketed to help keep the messes inside and not all over the bedding or your arm.

As I plan for my newest grandchild, it's time to open up an old post I wrote in which I made a Huggies diaper cake for my first grandchild. This time, I'm using Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers in a Beatrix Potter theme and will stack the sizes since Huggies ® Little Snugglers Diapers are available in five sizes from Preemie (up to six pounds) through size 3 (16-28 pounds). With a suggested retail price of $11.99 for a jumbo pack to $22.99 for a BIG pack, I can't go wrong and the other beauty is, they are available in grocery stores and major mass retailers nationwide so wherever I shop, I will be able to find them. Although my favorite place to shop is Target, which I had done weekly while we lived in El Paso, but we just moved across country so now I have to find my nearest Target and fast! My oldest loves Target too and has a registry for her baby-to-be.

As part of my participation in this project with Huggies® and Mom Central, I received a $50 Target gift card which I used to purchase two packages of Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers online as I forgot to capture my prior week's purchase of Huggies® for my other little one. If you haven't shopped online via Target, you are missing out! There are great shipping deals and other specials they routinely run and if you live in a congested area like I do, shopping online beats fighting traffic!

If you know someone who is pregnant or if you are, don't forget to submit your wish to Huggies® as for six months, there will be one lucky winner per month with a prize value up to $5,000! All you have to do is create, if not already done, a registry at Target and then click on the Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers Make a Wish to learn more and enter! I just did so hurry and enter and as a bonus, you get to sign up for a free sample after you complete your wish entry. The registry is fast and easy and really lets you set up what you want and need to help others give you the perfect gift! Target provides suggestions or you can browse on your own and what is wonderful, Target will even allow your gift givers to ship the gift to you!

LeapTV Pre-Order is HERE!

This is a sponsored post from LeapFrog and MomSelect but the opinions are of my own.

If you have children, you probably have heard of LeapFrog. My children and grandchild are big fans of LeapFrog's array of educational products and from the LeapFrog family including the LeapPad, LeapReader Interactive Map, Letter Factory DVDs, LeapReader Book Sets, Touch Magic Learning Bus and Leapsters that we own and now we can't be more excited to learn about the latest LeapFrog product is now available! This is sure to be a huge hit with kids given that it's made for kids and provides education and action.

LeapTV provides three opportunities to play from body motion, pointer play and classic controls. Just swivel one end of the controller out with a simple click to play in pointer play mode. For body motion, no controller is needed and your child will be able to use the camera mode for playing fun games like Sofia the First. Classic controls might be a favorite to the little video game avid who's used to pressing A and B buttons for fast paced gaming. The three modes of play will surely be a hit among the little ones and why not offer up educational value while they play? I know my kids love playing games and I gravitate towards the ones that will teach while engaging their attention in fun play.

Check it out the LeapTV behind the scenes video here and don't forget, you can now purchase the new LeapTV during the special pre sale!

Get Ready for LeapFrog's NEW LeapTV Gaming Console Coming September 2nd

This is a sponsored post from LeapFrog and MomSelect but the opinions are of my own.

As I previously wrote, if you have children, you probably have heard of LeapFrog. My children and grandchild are big fans of LeapFrog's array of educational products and from the LeapFrog family including the LeapPad, LeapReader Interactive Map, Letter Factory DVDs, LeapReader Book Sets, Touch Magic Learning Bus and Leapsters that we own and now we can't be more excited to learn about the latest LeapFrog product releasing on September 2nd called LeapTV! This is sure to be a huge hit with kids given that it's made for kids and provides education and action.

Mark your calendars because on September 2nd, LeapTV Gaming Console will be available for pre-sale! If you haven't heard about LeapTV, check out the great LeapTV YouTube video:

Aperion® Audio Speakers Rock

My family loves all the gadgets like most everyone else as we have iPods, an iPad, iPhones and other devices. It's almost a must nowadays to have at least one and of course, most use them to hold their music collection on them. They make it so easy as well to have multi-purposes for the devices such as traveling, at home, exercising and more. They are great to have but the sound is not all that great which I've learned as I take my iPhone with me on the treadmill. I'm constantly pulling out the headphones which disrupts my run as I want to use it for the Nike run app. Not having a good sound demotivates me because I get energized with music which is where Aperion® Audio Speakers comes into play as I just love my ALLAIRE™ WIRELESS SPEAKERS AND ACCESSORIES! Music has never been better!

I can hook up all my devices and with the Avantree Roxa Bluetooth 4.0 Receiver, I can play music from anywhere in the house and it will be transmitted to the Aperion® Audio Speaker. When I received it, I was surprised by the size as it was bigger than a typical device speaker but it was portable enough to take anywhere. The set up was very easy which I like as I don't like reading instructions. Other features include:

Adjustable and removable steel base allowing you the look you want
100W total power
Six internal speakers that includes four powered drivers and two passive radiators
Three sound modes: natural, bass boost and enhanced stereo
Simple connection to your home network via push-button or wizard for Wi-Fi and plug-and-play for Ethernet
Compatible with Windows 7 Play To and Windows 8
Works with DLNA®
One-year warranty
FREE SHIPPING
FREE lifetime technical support
Live chat
30 day in home trial

I recorded the sound first on the Kindle with the highest volume allowed and then I plug it in and you can hear how much louder, clearer and better it sounds:

It's really a great system and my girls like it so they can't hear my voice fluttering as I sing and run per my middle daughter.

To show you how easy it is to set up, here is their own video:

Overall, I love the Aperion^® Audio Speaker system. I love the portability and lightweight feature of the speaker. The wireless adapter allows the speaker to be placed anywhere while plugging in the device somewhere else. The three music functions allows the user to adjust the sound to their preference and the various volume levels is ideal for any listener since it can be tuned in very low or very high. There was no distortion or interference heard and the sounds was incredible. It's a great speaker system to have in any house that enjoys music or even audio books and more. I would recommend it.

Follow Aperion® Audioon the following social media channels:

*Disclaimer: I received the complimentary system as part of this review. The opinions are of my own.

Personal Chef To Go: Excellent Healthy Meals

I've been trying for some time to eat better and with the recent diagnosis of my youngest child having congenital heart disease on top of severe asthma and my middle child having epilepsy, it's even more important for myself and my girls to eat healthier. Sometimes it's not always easy to eat healthier nor to have the time to cook a great meal between working, running a non-profit for children and blogging. I have to admit that I was a bit reluctant to try out the meal selections when I was asked to review Personal Chef To Go given past experiences with meals through the mail although I have to confess, I'm referring to diet type programs. If you want to read the entire post, I welcome you to do so but if you are limited in time, please scroll down for a review summary at the end.

I was surprised to receive all the food still cold as living far west, it's hard to get packages still on ice but these were perfect. Personal Chef To Go did an amazing job packing them in a reusable Styrofoam cooler with reusable ice packs. They even provide ideas on how to reuse the items and how to dispose of the other packaging material to be as green as possible. I love these type of coolers and ice packs and never throw them out so it's an extra bonus. The items were all packed nice and neat and even the dinner rolls managed to arrive without a smash or dent in them. Now, the hard part was deciding what to try first! As I sat on my computer, I kept thinking about the really green salad and rolls so that was my first meal to try along with my middle daughter.

The Fresh Green Salad serves 2-3 and contains the nutritional information along with storage instructions. It's made of romaine lettuce, red peppers, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onions and has a balsamic dressing that is just right. Not too heavy and not too light. The vegetables were all in their prime and each had wonderful flavor. The cherry tomatoes lit up the salad for me as they burst with such a wonderful sweet taste. It was the perfect salad. The dinner rolls made it an ideal lunch.

Next on our list was the baby carrots and rice. As you can see in the picture, the spices made it such an eye appealing dish. This was a favorite of my youngest daughter. I was surprised as I expected to bite in to crunchy carrots but the carrots were cooked to perfection and had a wonderful taste along side the flavorful rice. It was a very healthy and tasty side dish.

For an entree, we had the Greek Chicken Penne Pasta that was made from grilled chicken breasts and whole grain pasta with peppers, peppers, red onions, and olives tossed in a tomato sauce and topped with feta and Parmesan cheeses. Another great dish that was perfectly flavored. The spices were just right as well as the amount of the tomato sauce. The cheeses perfectly enveloped just the right pieces of chicken and pasta to give great flavor in each bite.

Pomodoro Shrimp tossed in fresh basil, garlic and tomatoes and served with the dish below that of roasted sweet potatoes and petite mushrooms. Another perfect tasting meal! The shrimp was not spicy and was tender. The sauce was rich and tasty. My personal favorite were the roasted sweet potatoes as I'm a sweet potato fan!

Next on the menu was Italian Style Chicken Stew made with chicken breasts simmered in tomatoes, spinach, cannelloni beans and Parmesan cheese served with whole grain macaroni. The chicken was full of flavor and the tomatoes, spinach, cannelloni beans and Parmesan cheese provided the perfect flavor combination to compliment the chicken. The whole grain macaroni was not overpowering with flavor but was perfectly done. My girls didn't like it but they are unfortunately, macaroni and cheese fans. I like the idea of eating whole grains and this provided the perfect balance.

Our next meal was Grilled Herb Marinated Pork Chops that were grilled with their special herb marinade served with petite baby carrots. Again, perfect! It's amazing the quality and abundance of flavors every meal had. As you can see from the pictures above, spices are definitely used to maximize the wonderful tastes. My girls did like this meal!

As you notice, each meal was prepared in a healthy manner. No deep frying, no bread coatings or such. When Personal Chef To Go states, "Where professional chefs deliver smart'n healthy meals for a smart'n healthy lifestyle," they mean it. Here is my youngest with all smiles happy with her meal. It looks like my middle one is sticking out her tongue and she might have because she didn't like the chicken but she's a typical child and likes her chicken nuggets.

How it Works:

Personal Chef To Go's online site details everything you might want to know about the mail delivery program. You get to see the meals you want before you order to ensure it's what you would want. You can even see the next menu to plan accordingly and choose the frequency of delivery to include an auto-delivery that features a bonus of exclusive access to the Chef's Table which has a lot of material as well as a savings per week.

Each meal arrives in a flavor-fresh container that has a "enjoy or freeze by" date clearly written on the package. The dates are far enough in advance that you can enjoy the week's menu all week long without worrying about them expiring and since you can freeze them, never a problem if you have plans for dinner out.

You decide on the meal that suits your lifestyle best and choose from:

Busy Singles;
Couples on the Go; or
Family Favorites

Each meal is simple to prepare and only requires minutes in the microwave but you can also bake in the oven if you prefer.

Special requests for dietary restricted foods and allergies can also be accommodated

You can read more about who Personal Chef To Go is here.

Menu Costs:

Busy Singles ($99.95/week)

Five entrees and three entree salad lunches

Couples on the Go ($129.95/week)

Ten individually packaged dinners consisting of two servings of each of our chef's five guilt-free selections are included in this package.

Family Favorites ($89.95/week)

Choose from either a full, 16-serving plan (four meals/four servings each); or a half, 8-serving order (two servings each).

Dinner Only ($69.95/week)

Five individually packaged dinners consisting of a single serving of the five weekly entrees from the Couples on the Go menu are included in this package.

Lunch and Dinner Menu ($124.50/week)

5-single serving lunches and 5-single serving dinners from our most popular weekly items

Review Summary:

Overall, the very best in pre-packaged foods in the store or via mail delivery. I daresay even better than most of my meals as they are truly delicious with the right blend of spices and other ingredients. It's easy to see that the meals are prepared by recipes created by chefs. The portions are perfectly sized for two adults or one adult and two children. The variety of the menus also give you a break from the same old thing night after night. With the convenience of ordering and delivery from the ease of preparation, it's the ideal way to be healthier without breaking the bank. Personal Chef To Go definitely has an excellent idea here especially for the busy families or singles on the go!

Follow Personal Chef To Go on Twitter, on Facebook and on YouTube. Also, don't forget to sign up to receive free E-Alerts, specials and more on their home page.

LeapFrog's New LeapTV Gaming Console Coming Soon for Pre-Order!

This is a sponsored post from LeapFrog and MomSelect but the opinions are of my own.

If you have children, you probably have heard of LeapFrog. My children and grandchild are big fans of LeapFrog's array of educational products and from the LeapFrog family including the LeapPad, LeapReader Interactive Map, Letter Factory DVDs, LeapReader Book Sets, Touch Magic Learning Bus and Leapsters that we own and now we can't be more excited to learn about the latest LeapFrog product releasing on September 2nd called LeapTV! This is sure to be a huge hit with kids given that it's made for kids and provides education and action.

$20 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway - Ends 8/20

Every so often, I giveaway gift cards that I receive from blogging to my readers for the fun of it. This time, I'm giving away a $20 Walmart Gift Card and it's easy to enter with many options below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway