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Join the Book Lovers Blog Hop. (One entry)
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If you are a regular to my blog, you know that I've been trying to make the baby steps to get healthier for about a year or so. I'm part of a women's group called Mamavation to keep the motivation going and still always like to find something that will inspire me. Now, I have found or it has found me in the form of an online interactive service called Mindbloom. I was able to try a complimentary test run of it. It's really a nice feature to help a person gain in many areas by using behavioral science, personalized media and fun social gaming. It's simple to use and really gets you thinking. It's like the Farmville of health where you actually are doing good things to feel better in many areas.
Some Quick Details:
Discover and add inspiration
Connect socially (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc)
Add friends
Send snail mail
Market place to buy features
Works on iPhone and Android phones
Free to use but an optional upgrade is available
You choose different areas you want to work on such as your lifestyle, career, creativity, spirituality, health, relationships and finances. You decide what is important and grow your tree. When you accomplish your tasks, you get to water your tree and watch it grow. It really is full of endless possibilities of what you can do and one of the biggest features that appeals to me is you can set your tasks to the timing you want so you won't forget them such as drink more water, exercise, read something career related, take a course and so forth. It's a great goal setting tool to manage so many aspects of your life.
I'm still learning about Mindbloom but so far, I'm sold. I love the constant reminders to complete my tasks along with all the great recommendations to help me meet my goals and to introduce some goals I didn't know I wanted! The online features are superb in that if you need to learn something, you can click and it takes you to a site that has more information. So far, it seems endless!
I will be posting a later update as to what else I've learned as well as what it has helped me to accomplish.
Five readers will win a lifetime membership which is a $34 value until November 1st and then it will be $89 so jump on board now, what do you have to lose? It's fun and motivating!
I seem to be one of the few who can actually state that I don't know of any family members that passed away due to breast cancer. I can say that my maternal great-grandmother had breast cancer but she was one of the rare ones who beat it as that was quite some time ago. She is no longer with us but that is not what took her life. You are seeing a lot about breast cancer awareness because it's the time to bring attention to the countless number of mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins and friends who have bravely fought the battle. Some won and some lost but each of their memories helps to inspire us to move forward to find that cure. Freschetta pizza and Artisan Pizza Crusts are proud to support October as the National Breast Cancer month with the Freschetta Proud to Support Pink program from September 25th through October 31st.
When you purchase specially marked packages of Freschetta pizza and Artisan Pizza Crusts, you will be helping them reach their goal of a $50,000 donation to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. When you purchase one of the specially marked packages, there is a code that you can enter at www.ProudToSupportPink.com and for each code entry, Freschetta will donate $1.00 to this center to support breast cancer research, up to $50,000.
On this site, you can share your journey or your loved one's journey. The stories will be displayed on www.ProudToSupportPink.com and on Freschetta's Facebook page to inspire others. Freschetta will also be giving away 50 pink iPod shuffle players each week in October as part of the giveaway. 50 additional iPod shuffles will be distributed to four cancer centers around America for those undergoing treatments.
I received a complimentary coupon for a free Freschetta pizza which I chose Freschetta Naturally Rising Signature Pepperoni and we just had it for lunch. The pepperoni has a tangy, smoky flavor (at least to me it did) and was delicious. The crust was nice and crispy and my whole family loved it. It had just the right amount of cheese, sauce and pepperoni. This definitely rivals any pizza you pick up the phone to order. It's convenient, easy and quick! Just pop in the oven and in no time, you have a hot, delicious pizza.
I also received these really nice pink earphones that I can give one set away and keep another. What a nice way to bring awareness to breast cancer awareness month with wearing earphones that others will see are pink and know what it means.
The Giveaway:
Photo from MamaMommyMom
One reader will win the same prize pack as I did. Two Freschetta coupons and two sets of these cute pink earphones packaged in these cute cases with a pink organza bag.
*Disclosure: The makers of Freschetta Pizza contacted me and provided products to review and are responsible for the giveaway. The opinions are of my own.
It's Monday tomorrow ...again. I've been hit or miss with a string of energy zapping events that prevented my from fully committing but this morning was good, I did 30 minutes of yoga and 30 minutes of bicycle riding. My food intake probably ruined the gain I made today because I was craving a hamburger for some reason and I was double bad because instead of eating it on my 100 calorie whole grain Arnold Thin, I used a white bun. I did make the patty extra small if that counts. I then ate a Fiber One bar. All in all, could be better but I'm not giving up.
My oldest is returning from Georgia for a month or so and we plan to kick this into gear together. I need her motivation although most of the time, she isn't very motivating as she caves in too easily to my weaknesses so my mission is to be the stronger one and keep us both on the path of getting healthier. I am proud to say that my habits are rubbing off on my eight year old who refuses soda, chooses apple slices the very few times we go to McDonalds as we don't go very often, now picks salads frequently and picks water over everything else. I have even caught her on the bike for a few minutes a day. Her focus is not about her body size rather being healthy and for that, I'm very proud. I'd be very sad if she was concerned over her weight.
Did you take the Mamavation Mom and Brita challenge? I did and have been very committed to getting in my daily water intake and then some. You can join too to take the Brita challenge and once you sign up, you can get money saving rebates along with great tips and inspiration.
Animalogy: Animal Analogies is a cute and quick book comparing and contrasting animals. I enjoy books that rhythm as it just makes reading them to my children run smoother. The comparisons vary from one animal to another ranging from sounds, physical adaptations, behaviors and animal classes providing an educational opportunity to learn with fun. The illustrations by Cathy Morrison are wonderful with all spaces filled with beautiful colors of each animal and their habitat. It's put together very well and the pages are full of entertaining words such as:
Chick is to feathery,
as bear is to furry.
My girls enjoyed the book as much as I did. It was more suited for my four year old but my eight year old still enjoyed listening and looking at the illustrations. It's been one that I've read more than once and sits proudly in our home library. My favorite section of the book is the Creative Mind section that provides additional educational opportunities for the children. This is a must have for a home library as well as any pre-school or elementary school library. We really enjoyed this book.
To purchase Animalogy: Animal Analogies, just visit Sylvan Dell Publishing along with great links to the Creative Mind section, a quiz and much more.
*Disclosure: I received a sample of this book but the opinions are of my own.
What do you get when you have two friends competing to win who can catch the most butterflies? Fun competition! Ten for Me is a great book that teaches how to count in a fun, rhythmic manner. I like the book in that it has one child winning while the other one becomes frustrated only to learn, all is not lost. It not only teaches about math but it also teaches about butterflies such as how to attract butterflies. The verses on each page are entertaining:
That first day out, it wasn't much fun
'cause Ed netted ten and I netted none!
How many in all? Let's add them again!
"Well, 10+0 is 10," Ed said. "10+0 is 10!"
My girls were very entertained with this book and I thought the illustrations further drew them in to want to know more. They had fun playing along and shouting out the answers to each of the questions. It's a great book for children learning to count to 10 as well as those who just mastered it. My eight year old has fun reading it to her four year old sister. I also enjoyed the back secion For Creative Minds. This is a great section to further the learning aspect of Ten for Me with extras such as numbers and patterns, butterfly body parts, butterfly compare and contrast and much more.
It's a must have for any home or school library. Now that I'm homeschooling, I loved that I was able to add this to our library and think it would make a great addition for an elementary or preschool's library.
The book was written by Barbara Mariconda and illustrated by Sherry Rogers. It's a great book for children and the adults who are lucky enough to get to read it to their children.
To purchase Ten for Me in hardcover, softcover or eBook, visit Sylvan Publishing. There are also other great resources such as PDF versions of the preview, a quiz and much more.
*Disclosure: I received a complimentary sample but the opinions of this book were my own.
Who can resist a children's book that allows you to sing along with the words in a fun way? I love books that rhythm and to let you sing as you go is a bonus. I am also a big advocate for books that teach while entertain and Hey Diddle Diddle a Food Chain Tale is just that. Written by Pam Kapchinske and illustrated by Sherry Rogers, it's a book that teaches children the food cycle and how each animal has a part in the ecosystem. Each page is full of toe tapping words that keeps you moving:
He sang, "Hey diddle diddle--life is grand,
baskin' and relaxin' in the toasty sand."
A plump caterpillar on a leaf above
was wigglin' along doin' what she loved.
Included are big, bright pictures of each of the different animals that go along with each page. I also enjoy the latter part of the book that is dedicated to creative minds as a supplement to offer more educational opportunities such as questions about herbivores or carnivores, food chain true or false, animal classification and more.
You can purchase Hey Diddle Diddle A Food Chain Tale in hardcover, softcover or eBook from Sylvan Dell Publishing. Other great links include PDF versions of an eBook preview, for creative minds section, quizzes and more.
I think it's a fun book to read as long your little one isn't squeamish about animals eating one another. It's not graphic at all and it's really told in a cute way. My girls listened intently and seemed to enjoy the story. I like the way it flowed and thought it was clever in the way it entertained and taught at the same time.
*Disclosure: I received a complimentary sample but my opinion on this review is of my own.
I'm always on the lookout for good books that entertain as well as teach. It's hard finding them sometimes or at least ones that appeal to inquisitive minds. I also still like to read books that have a rhythm when it comes to children's stories. All this along with beautiful illustrations make up Multiply on the Fly by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Erin E. Hunter. Another great book set out by Sylvan Dell Publishing, I'm a fan. Children love bugs and to write one that appeals to children while incorporating multiplication and facts about each bug is clever such as:
Four lovely luna moths
rest upon a pine.
Each one spans three inches.
How long is the luna line?
4x3=?
I think it's a great way to encourage young readers to read more and learn as they go. The other aspect I love about this book is the back section, For Creative Minds. That provides further learning activities such as insect body parts, match the insect, compare and contrast and many more.
You can purchase Multiply on the Flyat Sylvan Dell Publishing in hardcover, soft cover or eBook. There are even downloadable previews, a quiz, the creative mind portion and more at Sylvan Dell Publishing.
If your child takes part in the Accelerated Reader program, it's on the list!
Overall, I think it's a must have book for any home or school library. It's easy to read, provides great educational facts and teaches about multiplication. The illustrations are bright, beautiful and vibrant.
*Disclosure: I received a complimentary sample but my opinion on this review is of my own.
My oldest is getting set to start college so we already know how expensive it can be. The books are sometimes as much as the course if not more. I cringed when I started back a couple of months ago at how expensive they are. I remember many, many years ago when my then husband and I were going to college and the loans we had to take out to pay for the books. We didn't have places like CampusBookRentals.com to turn to.
When you go to their site, you enter the book title, author, ISBN or a keyword to find the book you are looking for. I tried it out with a book I had to recently purchase titled Legal Research Writing, Analysis and Writing and it was there to purchase or rent which was a better option than the school I signed up for offered. They even buy back books.
There are many benefits to trying them out such as:
To learn more, just go to CampusBookRentals.com for more information.
As a bonus for those of us that love when a business is partnering with someone else for a good social cause, CampusBookRentals.com has partnered with Operation Smile who have pledged to donate a minimum of 1,000 life saving cleft lip surgery to children in need.
*Disclosure: I did not utilize their service as I have no reason at the moment to do so. I was not financially compensated to write this post.
If you have a young girl at home, you might have heard of Discovery Girls and if you haven't, you might want to check out this great magazine that comes in two versions for tweens and teens. It also showcases some girls who do great things which inspires others to do the same. My very own eight year old daughter was featured this past April for her work with starting Angels4Epilepsy and you can read about it by clicking on Angels4Epilepsy.
It's a great magazine for girls with so much inside created by girls themselves. Discovery Girls has just won the 2011 Gold National Parenting Publication Award and our congratulations to them!
See the press release:
Discovery Girls Wins 2011 Gold National Parenting Publications Award
Discovery Girls, the magazine by girls, for girls ages 8 to 12, is among an elite group of quality children’s products honored in NAPPA’s Children’s Products Competition
San Jose, California, September 27, 2011 – Discovery Girls magazine has been named a 2011 National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA) winner. Recognized for helping guide girls through the difficult preteen years, Discovery Girls joins an elite group of quality products honored in NAPPA’s 2011 Children’s Products Competition.
NAPPA’s independent expert judges evaluated hundreds of submissions for their innovation, entertainment and education values, and quality. Discovery Girls was one of 75 products selected to receive the esteemed Gold Award. Another 93 products received Honors and 13 were chosen as “Rising Stars.” The full list of award winners will be available on NAPPAawards.com as of November 1, 2011.
About Discovery Girls Magazine
Discovery Girls gives girls ages 8 and up the advice, encouragement, and inspiration they need to get through the difficult preteen years. It’s the only tween magazine that allows its readers to write feature stories, model, and appear on the cover, Discovery Girls gives girls a voice, addresses their fears, and answers their toughest questions, all in an exciting format with quizzes, fashion, embarrassing moments, crafts, and more! Discovery Girls celebrates girls' uniqueness and encourages them to love all that they are. It’s a great resource for girls and their parents. For more on the magazine, visit DiscoveryGirls.com.
About NAPPA
For more than 20 years the National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) has been the go-to resource for the best products for families. NAPPA’s team of independent expert judges, along with family and child testers, select the most innovative and enduring products as NAPPA Gold and Honors winners in two annual competitions, Children’s Products and Parenting Resources. Far more than a seal of approval, a NAPPA award signifies that a product has been rigorously evaluated against stringent criteria and stands out among hundreds of other products from around the world. For more information, visit www.NAPPAawards.com.
We, moms, don't get much of a chance to unwind nor enjoy some simple things like relaxation and a good healthy snack. I know I don't and would savor a few minutes where I could just lay down, put on some of my favorite music or start up a hot bath and sip on a chocolate banana smoothie. I am counting calories and watching my weight but I also want a treat every now and then that is good for me which is where I turned to Yoplait and their new Yoplait Chocolate Banana Smoothie. They are great tasting and are only 130 calories! I received my complimentary coupon to try out my very own decadence and I can tell you as a chocolate and a banana fan, I'm in love! Move over Gerard and Johnny!
In case you weren't aware that Yoplait has smoothies, the new Chocolate Banana flavor joins four other delicious flavors from Yoplait Frozen Fruit and Yogurt Smoothies: Triple Berry, Strawberry Banana, Blueberry Pomegranate and Strawberry Mango Pineapple. I have tried all but the blueberry pomegranate due to lack of availability and like them all but my favorite is the new Chocolate Banana Yoplait Smoothie due to the flavor! It's a perfect mixture of chocolate and banana without the banana overpowering the chocolate.
Yoplait has live and active cultures while delivering 50% of the recommended daily amount of calcium. Good for you and LOW in calories! Even if you aren't watching your weight, this is a good alternative for a great tasting snack for yourself and your children. If you can't find it, just look in your grocer's freezer section of just ask! Each pack makes two 8 oz servings when blended with one cup of skim milk.
Save by clicking here for a $1.00 off coupon for Yoplait Smoothie.
The Giveaway:
One reader will win the same prize pack I received:
A VIP coupon for your very own Yoplait Smoothie - Chocolate Banana
Lavender eye mask
Very cool neck pillow
Yoplait Smoothie tumbler
Great prize pack isn't it?
Disclosure: The Yoplait® VIP Coupon, information, and giveaway have been provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.
Star Wars is a big thing for us in our house. We've even been to the last Star Wars Days at Disney two years in a row. We love Star Wars and the kids watch all six episodes and even love The Clone Wars. Now Star Wars is available on Blu-Ray with all six episodes, enhancements and bonus material! Most Halloweens are even spent being at least one character from the beloved six episodes.
The latest BzzAgent Daily Bzz is all about Star Wars on Blu-Ray so how could I resist but to show my love for Star Wars and be one of the participants? I have been a member of Bzz Agent for awhile and with my love of Star Wars, it only made sense to show it.
When I was a kid, we opened our Christmas presents and then tried to hide the damage on the paper. Being a kid, you think you are just as smart or smarter than adults and couldn't conceive of the outcome being anything but stellar. Unfortunately, our grandiose plan didn't work and although we were all smiles and giggles because we knew what "Santa" was bringing us, it quickly ended when my mom discovered the truth. First, we should have never had peeked but then we were kids so what do you expect? We probably should have confessed when first confronted but are you kidding me? Who on earth would fess up to something like that? I don't know if our punishment would have been less harsh had we told the truth but as I reflect back, I know we should have.
In one episode, Brick shares Sue's room where they accidently knock a hole in her wall, they try to fix it but only make it worse. They attempt to cover it up by putting a poster over it but it doesn't work.
Have you ever been in a situation similar to Brick and Sue's? See how the Hecks brilliantly true-to-life kids cover up their accident on The Second Season of The Middle on DVD, currently available for pre-order (http://bit.ly/qliHr2) that hit the shelves on 9/27/11!
Season of The Middle on DVD, currently available for pre-order (http://bit.ly/qliHr2) and hitting shelves on 9/27/11!
I bet you didn't know that September 28th is National Good Neighbor Day? I personally think it's a great way to forge new friendships and increase neighborhood cohesion. In the "old" days, people were much attuned and involved with each other, helped one another and looked out for one another. It seems people are just too busy to have those relationships as much anymore. When we moved, I inquired with the owners of the property on how the neighbors were and she confided in me that she never met them and they were all quiet. I thought that it was good they were quiet but sad that there is no community involvement. The second day we were here, a neighbor from across the street introduced himself to us so that was promising.
When the idea came across to Becky Mattson of Montana in the early 70's, she moved forward with getting official proclamations from three presidents and numerous governors. There are many ways to celebrate National Good Neighbor Day and some are easier than you would think:
A simple wave or smile is one very easy way.
Invite your neighbor over for dinner.
Help one of your neighbors with something they might be doing like carrying in groceries, lawn work, etc.
Hold a block party to get all your neighbors involved.
The goal is to get to know your neighbors and this is an easy and great way to do so as you never know when you might meet your future best friend or your life saver. WhitePages Neighbors can help you set up a party and get to know who your neighbors are with a few clicks of the mouse. Just click on WhitePages Neighbors to find your neighbors and you can see how easy it is on YouTube:
I actually used this feature as my daughter ran for a grant last month and I wanted to personally request items from my neighbors so I printed out their names so I could sent them requests. It's a great feature especially if you are needing your neighbor's help or want to plan a community function like a block party, yard sale or any event. As part of the National Good Neighbor Day, you can enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card by just telling me what you might do or did to celebrate the your neighbors! Please complete the form below.
*Disclosure: I will receive an Amazon gift card in exchange for this post and giveaway.
This is my first year at home schooling and if I say that I'm scared, I'm SCARED! I'm so afraid I will let my girls down with not being able to teach them what they need to know. I also want to make it fun and not just a mundane day of reading, arithmetic and writing. I started with the Robinson Curriculum but then added the Read to Write and Spell (hopefully I wrote that correctly). It's a tough program to learn as it's phonetic based and has special rules. I'm taking advantage of the YouTube videos for it after I realized today to look there!
So last week, we made an apple board to celebrate fall and the girls loved it. They used a basket to collect their apples which included a picture of themselves that they had to glue and then they had to write come facts about themselves. After that, they assembled the board and included some clouds. It was a quick and easy project to get them in the school mentality.
