Embracing a Healthy Family

Identity Theft Protection

Have you ever been a victim of identity theft? I was once but was notified by the bank luckily. Had we not been, we would have been responsible for over $500 of charged racked up by someone who obtained my credit information via a previous hack to a site I used in the past. When thinking of people stealing your identity, it's a big deal. Not only can it cost you immediately from a financial aspect but it has long term ramifications on your credit report and future interest rate charges. IdentityHawk is one company that does provide the comfort needed for those incidents when someone steals your identity.

Identity theft protection is something I was missing and I was very fortunate that the bank caught it and put a stop on payment. I do admit that it did require a lot of work on my part as I had to contact each online vendor where the purchases occurred to stop payment. After I did that, made several calls to the bank, I was then instructed to file a report at the local police station. That was a lot not to mention the mental duress of worrying if we caught all the transactions, caught them in time and would we be without the money. I was relieved it ended happily but that's not always the case.

*Disclosure: This is a paid post.

Welcome to Saturday FLASH $50 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway Hosted by Coupon Scribbles

On tap for tonight.... A $50 Walmart Gift Card

The FLASH Giveaway begins at 7pm EST Saturday 1/21/12 and ends at 11:59pm EST Saturday 1/21/12

Be sure to come right back to this post around 12:30am Sunday 1/22 to see who won. That's the beauty of the Flash Giveaway - There's no waiting around to see who won.

Participating in the Saturday Flash $55 Target Gift Card Giveaway tonight along with Coupon Scribbles are:

Extreme Personal Measures

Health Beauty Children and Family

Angels4Epilepsy

Follow the instructions below. Good luck!!!

al fresco All Natural, America’s #1 chicken sausage brand, and Boboli pre-cooked pizza crust have teamed up to bring two lucky Facebook fans a “Perpetual Pizza Party:” a year’s supply of al fresco chicken sausage and Boboli pizza crust.

To enter, all you need to do is “like” al fresco All Natural on Facebook and then vote for your favorite original Game Day Pizza recipe before February 5, 2012. That’s it! Each vote is a chance to win, and choices include delicious options like the Amalfi Caprese or the Chipotle Mexican (all perfect recipes for a Super Bowl party!).

In addition to the grand prize, one winner will be selected weekly during the sweepstakes to win coupons and an assortment of branded cooking supplies from both al fresco and Boboli. Official rules for the contest, as well as complete prize details, are available here.

Post® New Honey Bunches of Oats Fruit Blend Cereals

Have you heard about Post® New Honey Bunches of Oats Fruit Blend Cereals? I hadn't either until a few minutes ago! The newest, Fruit Blends, includes two fruit combinations – Peach Raspberry and Blueberry Banana. The two bursts of fruit flavor complement each other with one on the crispy flakes and the other baked into the crunchy granola bunches.

I don't know about you but I love blueberries and bananas so I can't wait to try it! I also like that it has 10 grams of whole grains and not processed for each 3/4 cup serving! Whole grains are so much better for you and with only 6 grams of sugar, that's just the perfect amount to make it sweet and tasty.

To learn more, check out Honey Bunches of Oats here and on Facebook.

*Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post.

How to Make a Football Snack Cake #gluenglitter #cbias

I had a challenge to create a snack cake or a craft cake like you see with the diaper cakes so I chose a snack cake just in time for the Superbowl! Making a football craft cake was fun yet challenging at first as I had no idea how I was going to make it so I took to the web and my Facebook friends for some suggestions. I ended up making this cute football cake that would even appeal to the men since it was not "girly."

I set out to my local Walmart since they have a crafting department and some extra goodies like candy bars and peanuts which I needed for this cake. We got there early to avoid the rush and it was definitely nicer. The girls loved looking at all the princess stickers and scrapbooking embellishments but I was on a mission to find as many Elmer's Glue products as I could. I have used Elmer's adhesives for many of my other parties which you can see by clicking on parties.

I had some items already but here is what you will need to make this snack cake:

Elmer's CraftBond Glue Spots Medium Thin
Elmer's CraftBond Foam Mounting Tape
Elmer's CraftBond Wet and Dry Dual Tip Glue Pen
Elmer's Mini Bi-Fold Foam Board
Elmer's Paint Marker - silver
Elmer's Gel Pens
Three different sizes of Styrofoam circles - you can use the Foam Board if your store carries the different sizes but mine didn't
3 small bags of Hersheys and Snickers
1 jar of peanuts
1 snack size bag of Kit Kats and Reeses
1 roll of brown ribbon
1 roll of brown ribbon with polka dots
Package of small footballs - craft store
Package of foam small footballs - craft store
1 small paint can - craft store
4 wooden skewers
Soda or water caps or anything to provide the bottom a base

Instructions:

First step was to secure the bottom with a base since I had the ribbon overlap the top and the bottom of the circle. I used Coke bottle caps to provide the base. Not exactly pretty but it's on the bottom and it's an effort to reuse what I had.

I secure each layer by using pieces of wooden skewers and glue to fasten them in place and for added strength. I then added ribbon and used the Foam Mounting Tape to secure around the back #gluenglitter.

I used the CraftBond Glue Spots to secure the candy bars together for added support. I also put one periodically on the bottoms of the bars to secure for transport. Using the Foam Board would have been ideal for added adhesive qualities.

I also added extra Kit Kats and Reeses in between each layer to provide a secret surprise stash and extra strength to keep the next layer up. I added small football foam shapes periodically around the ribbons as well as in the back where the seams met up.

On the final or top layer, I filled the small paint can with peanuts and placed on top securing with more foam tape. I added two layers of Reeses around the top and secured them with the CraftBond Glue Spots. The CraftBond Foam Tape was ideal for keeping the footballs on top together.

I had the girls sign "thank you" on the foam board and stuck the sign in the back to thank the soldiers for all they do. You could purchase the plastic basket bag to secure everything together if you have to transport it.

It took about an hour or maybe more to put it together. I think it actually looks better in person than the photo. You can check out all my photos here on Google+.

Disclosure: this shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias” All opinions are of my own. #gluenglitter

The Progressive International Motorcycle Show This Weekend - Free Entry for Military, Police and Firemen!

The Progressive International Motorcycle Show is happening this weekend in NYC and is the #1 place to see the latest Motorcycle products, custom bikes and stunts. To check out show features, go to www.motorcycleshows.com.

Firemen, Policemen, and Military will get in free all weekend if they come in uniform or present ID, and kids 12 and under get in free on Sunday for Family Day!

sneakpeeq $25 & $10 for 4 Winners Giveaway 2/3

When it comes to the Health, Beauty, Children and Family/sneakpeeq giveaway, everybody wins! sneakpeeq is giving away 20% off your next purchase just for entering, plus a chance at the Grand Prize: one winner will receive a $25 gift card to use on your favorite food, style and home products. Four runners-up prize winners will receive a $10 gift card—that goes a long way in sneakpeeq’s amazingly low-priced boutiques!

Come see all the things you love but haven’t discovered. sneakpeeq only has New Products that you have never seen before! There are a variety of items and they change so you want to keep checking back.

I fell in love with these:

The Giveaway:

One winner will receive a $25 Gift Card and FOUR winners will receive a $10 Gift Card!

To Enter:

Enter the giveaway by clicking on this link: http://bit.ly/AhPRdG and joining sneakpeeq! All winners will be announced on my blog on 02/03/2012!

Don't forget that anyone who joins, gets 20% off their next purchase!

Giveaways ends February 3rd and winners announced February 4th! Giveaway only open to new subscribers of sneakpeeq and US only.

General Mills 5 Boxes of Cereal Giveaway 2/6

A new year and a new set of goals if you are like me. I have set aside some goals for the year and one in particularly started actually last year but because getting healthy is a life long journey, there is nothing wrong with continuing a new year's resolution into the following year as if it's a new resolution. To date since I started working on getting healthier, I've lost 28 pounds since around June of 2010. That wasn't easy and it's a complete mind set change along with a need to exercise as I won't tell you that you can't. Part of my getting healthier was for myself and the rest was for my children. As parents, we lead by example and I don't want my children doing the same mistakes I made when it comes to our health. One of the areas I'm working on with myself and them is consuming more whole grains. Whole grains are reported to be essential to the well being of our body and whether or not that is true, I believe it is so. I'm happy my girls have chosen General Mills' cereals as their cereal of choice.

Another thing you may not know is that when you look at the ingredients on a product, the first ingredient is the biggest portion of the recipe. When you shop for General Mills cereal, the white check mark signifies that particular cereal has more whole grain than any other singular ingredient and that sure beats sugar being the first ingredient! According to Dr. Travis Stork, emergency room physician and host of The Doctors, identifying whole grain products can be difficult. He stated if you see a product listed with whole grain with oat or wheat following, it means the product contains the most whole grain over any other ingredient.

Dr. Stork provided additional guidelines to help us on our journey to get healthier:

Start Early! The Dietary Guidelines recommend people get at least 48 grams of whole grain in their daily diets. Get a jump-start on the day’s nutrition by incorporating whole grain into your morning routine. For instance, when choosing cereal make sure whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. One easy choice is cereal with the white check, which have more whole grain than any other single ingredient.
Make Simple Swaps. Choose whole grain versions of the foods you love. Great options include whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread or even whole grain crackers. Also, try different types of whole grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice as a side dish at dinner or popcorn, which is a whole grain, for a snack.
Don’t Judge a Food by Its Cover. The front of food packages provide good nutritional cues, but don’t forget to read the ingredients and check the nutrition label and side labels for additional health information. Cereals with the white check even include the amount of whole grain per serving on packaging.

If you want to have some fun and learn a bit more, General Mills created an online educational game called "Fast Lane for Whole Grain." You will be taken through a virtual grocery store to find the products with the most whole grain along with an option to enter a sweepstakes to win one of 50 boxes of cereal with the white mark.

The Giveaway:

Total
Honey Nut Cheerios
Lucky Charms
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Cheerios

To Enter:

Please complete the Rafflecopter form below.

Don't forget to enter my other giveaways!

Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Zeiss' Educational Tools to Help with Vision Health

Vision health is an important part of one's life and is often overlooked until an obvious problem presents itself. Given January is National Glaucoma Month, it's an ideal time to get those peepers checked! My eight year old was diagnosed with an optic pit and required glasses almost a year ago. I had no idea as she never had any complaints but when the headaches started and her school work started to slip, I knew it was time to get her eyes checked. If you are like me and you didn't really know a lot about vision tests and how to choose the right doctor, you can check out the Zeiss educational tools.

I did learn that once you reach age 40, you might become one of most adults who suffer from presbyopia which is a result of crystalline lens of the eye losing its flexibility making it difficult to focus up close.

Do you know the differences between an optometrist, ophthalmologist and an optician? Sounds confusing doesn't it? The optometrist performs the eye exams and writes the prescriptions. They can also diagnose and treat some medical conditions of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who can treat a full range of eye diseases and conditions. They also perform surgery for cataracts and other eye conditions. An optician fills the prescription.

Some other common vision problems include:

Nearsightedness – condition in which visual images come to a focus in front of the retina, causing blurry distance vision
Farsightedness – condition in which visual images come to a focus behind the retina making it more difficult for the eyes to focus on near objects
Astigmatism – condition in which the cornea's curvature is asymmetrical, so light rays are focused at two points rather than one, resulting in blurred vision

Make sure you are getting your annual eye exam and check out the resources to help ensure you pick out the right doctor!

Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Review

If you are a regular to my blog, you know that I prefer natural products and things that are healthier. I don't always choose the best choice but when it comes to something that I'm putting on my skin daily, I definitely want something that is not going to be harmful. I used to use one of the leading brands until I started reading about the potential toxicity of the ingredients that made them effective. Once my now eight year old, yes, she's only eight, needed deodorant, I didn't want her putting anything harmful on her skin. This is where Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal comes on the scene.

Not only is it 100% pure and natural, it's made in the US AND is a woman-owned and family-operated natural products company. I cannot ask for anything more other than having Johnny Depp delivering it to me! They don't just stop with deodorant as they also have a full line of personal hygiene products that includes spray mists and roll-ons that provide 24 hours of hypoallergenic protection against body and foot odor. My younger daughter, not quite ready for deodorant yet, is allergic and sensitive to products. Knowing that all their products are paraben free, propylene glycol free and contains no aluminum makes it ideal for my entire family.

In case you are wondering how regular deodorants work, they are processed into smaller molecules which allows easier absorption into the blood stream. Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal is not processed and the molecules are larger to prevent absorption. If you want to learn more about aluminum and mineral salts and alum, just click on the link.

I was able to review the following three products: Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal, Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal - Spray Mist and Moiststic Natural Lip Protection.

Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Roll-on

Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Spray Mist

Each product performed as expected and I was able to use even when running. I did notice that if I ran late in the day, I needed another application of deodorant but that is what I expect with all deodorants. The smell is pleasant and was not overwhelming. Out in the dry winter, my lips took a beating so the timing of the Natural Lip Protection couldn't be better. It went on easy, stayed on and was not filled with obnoxious aromas or a waxy film. All products performed up to my standards and I definitely recommend each of them. For me, the fact that they are natural is top notch!

Follow on Facebook and Twitter and to purchase, click here.

*Disclosure: I received complimentary products but the opinions are of my own.

Good Snacks: Oceans Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks Giveaway (4 Winners) - 2/4 (US)

I took on a big healthy living kick starting in 2011. I started with an interest in 2010 but fully embraced it in 2011. With getting older and seeing the effects of too much McDonald's on my middle one, I knew it was time. I stopped those nearly daily after school stops to McDonalds and started with wholesome snacks and regular cooking. Finding snacks that are good and good for you can be challenging with all the carb laden, calorie enriched foods out there. I was happy to discover Oceans Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks. Only 80 calories, gluten free and they contain 100% of daily value of Vitamin C, you can't go wrong. When I noticed my eight year old was getting a little chubby, I knew it was time to make the change as it's a health issue over a "fat" issue.

We started eating healthier and getting more exercise through playful exercise. Whether it's through the pool or playing interactive wii or Xbox games, we are moving! I have lost 27 pounds in the course of a year. My girls are fit and healthy and that is the key....healthy! My girls enjoyed the flavor and this is the first fruit snack that my youngest would actually eat!

Oceans Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks colors are made from all natural sources. The snacks are made with apple, pear and cranberry concentrate.

You can download a $1.10 coupon here for two boxes of Oceans Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks. Check them out on Facebook.

Don't forget to enter my other giveaways!

The Giveaway:

Six boxes (three of each) variety of Oceans Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks.

To Enter:

Please use the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: Ocean Spray^® Fruit Flavored Snacks, information, and giveaway have been provided by Ocean Spray^® through MyBlogSpark.

Kindle Fire and $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway 1/30

Welcome to Kindle Fire and $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Hosted by Coupon Scribbles

You've heard about now WIN one!! The Kindle Fire would be wonderful to win just by itself but we are throwing in a $50 Amazon Gift Card for Movies or Books to load up your Kindle Fire.

The Giveaway begins at Monday 1/16/12 and ends at 11:59pm EST Monday 1/30/12.

The winner will be chosen and notified. The prize will be sent out via 2nd day shipping!

Don't forget to enter my other giveaways!

Co-Hosting the Kindle Fire and $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway with Coupon Scribbles are:

The Krazy Coupon Queen