Sencha Health Tea Shot from ITO EN Giveaway / Review

Need a NO calorie drink to get you going in the morning?  Ready to get busy staying healthy in 2013?

I know some mornings around our house, a little extra boost in necessary.  But, I am always on the look out for an extra boost that doesn't make me jittery and is healthy.

So, when I was giving the opportunity to review and giveaway a great product from ITO EN, I couldn't wait.  As I have reviewed some amazing, refreshing and flavorful teas in the past.

You can connect with ITO EN on:

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I was so excited to see if these two Shots were going to give me the push I need to meet 5 of my fitness/health goals for 2013 including:

1) Working out at least 5 or more times a week in the morning before going to work. 

2) Make healthy food choices and eating proper portions.

3) Sharing my love of being healthy with other to motivate them to make healthier choices.

4) Get a yearly medical check up.

5)  Keeping my workouts fun, yet challenging.

Let me tell you I am definitely on the right track thanks to ITO EN and their Sencha Shot and Oolong Shot.  Let me explain what these Shots are and then what I thought of them.

The Sencha (means green tea in Japanese) Shot can be used in the morning instead of a cup of coffee.  ITO EN's Sencha Shot is = to an espresso shot.  It is highly antioxidant green tea in a can.  It contains 152 milligrams of the most powerful tea polyhenol-Catechin.  

A Sencha Shot is all natural, unsweetened and imported from Japan.  This shot is great to grab on the go.

The Oolong Shot contains the same amount of caffeine (40 mgs) as a Sencha Shot but is more mild in flavor.  It is a balance between green tea and black tea and is also unsweetened.

I found the Sencha to be bold in flavor, but I love it.  I must admit I drink unsweetened tea all the time...so this was like that with a kick.  It was bold but not bitter.  It almost tasted smoky too.  I think it tastes best cold...just be careful not to give yourself a brain freeze.  

The Oolong was so light and refreshing.  I think this would be a great chose for those who do not like bold flavors.  

I think is is great that ITO EN has put "HEALTH IN A CAN".  This can help you meet your health goals for 2013.  These Shots are quick, strong and invigorating.

Are you interested in purchasing some of your own ITO EN Shots?  They are offering my readers a 20% off Promo Code "NewU13" which is good for the Oolong Shot and the Fiber Shot.  So get 2013 started on a healthy and energized note.

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.

New Years resolutions and reaching your goals in 2013 with the help of mygofer.com

So are you a traditionalist when it comes to ringing in a New Year? Do you vow that this year you are going to follow through with your New Year’s resolutions? I think it is great to make your New Year’s resolutions as they give you something to work towards.  But why not try this year to make progressive resolutions.  Are you asking, what is she talking about? If you are, think about your resolutions this way…set small reachable goals and once they are met, reassess and update them so you continue on your journey to better yourself and even your family for 2013.  And if you do stumble along your journey, it will be much easier to get back on track. I must say one of my biggest goals is to continue with the weight loss or should I say maintain a healthy weight after losing almost 50 pounds in 2012.  So I will accomplish this by weighing in at least twice a month to help make sure I am staying on track.  That way if some weight starts to sneak back on, I can take control right away before it gets out of control.  And in order to maintain a healthy weight I will also set the goal of continued fitness.  As I am a workout addict!!  I love working out and vow to make sure I continue my very active workout schedule.  I normally work out at least 6 days a week, but normally all 7!  Yes, I said I was an addict.  It is true.  So I vow to continue to exercise sensibly, but continue to push myself so I do not get bored.  And get a new pair of shoes, as mine are worn out!  And without good shoes, my knees are not going to hold up to all my routines. I also would like to make a New Year’s resolution to not take my family for granted as you never know how much time you have left here on earth.  I know that personally from work experiences I had in 2012; we all need to cherish our families and time with them.  So I vow to make sure at least once a week I do something special with my children and husband.  That something doesn’t have to be expensive.  It doesn’t have to involve a ton of planning.  It can be something simple as taking a family walk to our local park and enjoying some play time.  It can be finding the extra time to let my boys help cook supper, even though I could get it done ½ hour sooner, by myself.    By making the time to spend quality moments with my family every week that means I need to find ways to make those moments available.  One of the ways I am going to gain those extra minutes and even hours with my family is by using mygofer.com.  In case you don’t remember a few posts I did back in 2012 about mygofer.com.  It is an online shopping service created for all of us who are busy.  This online service is easy to use.  You can shop for all your everyday items, including groceries and get your order today in most areas.  Plus, you get rewarded for shopping with mygofer.com.  I love rewards! mygofer.com has partnered with Kmart to provide order pick up locations at Kmart stores across the country.  Just head on over to the designated curbside pickup location and your order will be brought out to you or head into the customer service center…free of cost.  And speaking of cost, don’t worry about the cost of the products you purchase using mygofer.com.  All prices are competitive or even less than your local grocery or even big box stores thanks to the support of Kmart.  Well, now that you know some of my New Year’s resolutions…I would love to know some of yours and how you are going to reach them this year. This post is sponsored and I was provided payment for my writing.

Jooners.com Online Signup Sheet Giveaway / Review 2 Winners Total Value $99.90

Being a busy working mom and very active in so many (too many at times) organizations and clubs I was thankful and thrilled to be given the opportunity to review Jooners.  Jooners is an online signup sheet which streamlines social event planning.  Jooners provided me a premium membership and courtesy swag...but this review and opinions are totally, 100% mine.

So kick your feet up and get ready to learn about Jooners and my online experiences with this user friendly program and enter for your chance to win one of two premium memberships to Jooners, a $49.95 Value, each.

If you are not sure how to get started with the helpful service, just take a look at there easy to follow instructions.

I love that you can actually select other individuals templates to help you great your own lists and sign up sheets.  What a great concept..so you don't have to re-event the wheel.  Like if you are in charge of a classroom party and need to keep all the details in order - I know my boys 100 day school parties are just around the corner. 

Look at the great template above.  Jooners will help keep you so organized, you will have some extra time just for your busy self.

I really fell head over heals with the feature that allows you to email your list to others.  And you are in charge of the "rights" other people have over your list.  You can make it so they can just sign up and can remove their name or you can allow them to sign up and remove their name if you so chose.

You can even share your list via Facebook and Twitter with a simple click.  A simple click will also allow you to send reminder emails to those involved.  

This is going to save you so much time and you will always be in control (yes, I am a control freak :-).

Jooners also offers a tab that you can click on called "past" so you can quickly and easily find your past sheets you have created and completed.  So you are ready next year with out as much work.  Jooners just keeps making my life easier and easier.

        The one down fall was I did have to upgrade my browser to get the best experience from Jooners.  Even with the upgrade to Google Chrome...the program at times was slow to load. But, it is worth the short wait, for all the time in the long run it saves.  Thank you Jooners for getting rid of my headaches.

Wow...I must thank Jooners for offering such a great giveaway to 2 lucky winners.  This amazing giveaway is for 2 very lucky people to each get their own premium memberships to Jooners....That is a $49.95 Value, each!!

So what are you waiting for?  Enter below for your chance to win and Good Luck!

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free sample to review/giveaway, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Kidde Worry Free Smoke Alarm Detector Review / Be A Hero, Save A Hero!

Be A Hero, Save A Hero! Have you ever really thought about this... Firefighters risk their lives on every call they are dispatched too.  But their risk increases when they have to enter a home for a rescue.  So why not take the pledge! The pledge to practice good fire safety.  Make sure you have enough up-to-date and working fire safety equipment AND making AND practicing a home fire escape plan. Kidde supports a new fire safety program called... "Be A Hero, Save A Hero" Kidde will make a donation to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Help the Good Guys, which are organizations dedicated to helping injured and fallen firefighters and their families. I am sure you are wondering how you can take this important and potentially life saving pledge... Just head on over to Kidde on Facebook (plus you can enter there great New Years Giveaway!) and / or www.AlarmPledge.com and share via facebook or twitter about the message using the hashtag #SaveAHero.  Kidde then will donate up to $10,000 to each organization or a total of up to $20,000!! But make sure if you are taking the pledge you are going to truly practice good fire safety!  Did you know it is recommended that you update your smoke detectors every 10 years?  How old are yours??  Do you remember to change the batteries on the ones you do have?  The way we remember....is to change the batteries the same day as the time change occurs twice every year.  That is until we had the opportunity to try out one of the New Kidde Worry Free Smoke Alarms.  I received the Kidde Worry Free Smoke Alarm for our kitchen to review and have purchased more room specific for the rest of our house. I must confess, I didn't know there were specific fire alarms for different areas throughout your house.  I guess that shows how long it had been since I had shopped for one.  Kidde offers alarms area specific for our home including living area, hallway, kitchen and bedroom.  I was pleased to learn the Kidde Worry-Free Smoke Detector for the Kitchen also comes with a Carbon Monoxide detector too.  So it is like getting two for the price of one!  I hope we never have to see our Kidde Worry Free Kitchen Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm in action.  But, if it is ever needed I like the fact it has a unique senor algorithm which detects real fires faster and reduces cooking-related nuisance alarms (so maybe my husband will not have to say that supper must me ready, when I am baking something at a high heat and open the oven door, which caused our old detector to go off all the time).  But, if our new Kidde Worry-Free does alert for a nuisance, there is a temporary hush button to silence it.  And if you want to know the technical terms, it come with a photoelectric smoke and Nighthawk carbon monoxide sensor. (Est. retail value of $49.97 - and the other Kidde Worry-Free detectors range in price from $25 to $35). I guess I had better explain why you don't have to remember to change any batteries.  Each Kidde Worry Free detector is powered by sealed-in, 10-year lithium batteries.  So it uses the included batteries for the life of the alarm.  And when they are done, so is the alarm...which fits the recommendations to get a new detector every 10 years.  Not sure when your ten years is up?   Kidde Worry Free will chirp alert every 30 to 45 seconds to let you know it is time to replace the entire unit. I do like how easy our Kidde Worry-Free Kitchen detector was to install.  Just put up the included bracket and twist the alarm on to the bracket.  Once twisted on, it automatically starts the life of the detector.  You can then use the test/reset button to make sure it is working properly.  I highly recommend you check out your smoke detectors right now!  You life and the life of your family may depend on it.  If it is time to upgrade your detectors, I highly recommend getting some Kidde Worry Free Smoke Alarms. Disclaimer: I was provided with a free sample to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or in return for the free product.

Hugo The Happy Starfish - The Secret To Happiness Book Review

Hugo The Happy Starfish - The Secret To Happiness

 

Written by Suzy Liebermann

A bright and colorful children's book with the most important message to be learned from all who open up this underwater adventure.  Learn more about the HUGO adventures, here.

I feel it important to share what the book jacket had to say on the inside cover.  As it truly explains the importance of this fun and educational book.  "Encouraging children to give teaches them empathy, as well as a sense of social responsibility.  Children can feel empowered by giving and sharing with others."

I love how this book is clearly labeled on the back what its main topic is....Empathy.

This attitude of empathy is such a key in our society, which often is missing.  That is why I love finding books that serve many different roles towards molding our children into compassionate, educated and productive members of our world.

The lesson of empathy is taught through the life of Hugo, a little starfish.  Hugo finds life dull and is tired of feeling sad.  So he sets off to find happiness.  After many attempts and short lived successes, he discovers that "something" which makes his heart do a somersault!  He figured out that sharing with others is the ONLY thing that makes him truly happy.

 

 

There is a reason why Hugo The Happy Starfish - The Secret To Happiness is award winning - "Award-Winning Finalist in the CHILDREN'S MIND/ BODY/ SPIRIT

category of The USA "Best Books 2012" Awards, sponsored by USA Book News"

-because it is very deserving.

 

I almost forgot to mention along with this very important character education, lesson of empathy; Spanish is also taught.  A few words are added into the story with the English and the Spanish word used and both are included in the vocabulary section in the back of the book.  The HUGO series supports the IB Learner Profiles and Attitudes of the International Baccalaureate Program (PYP books).

I would like to say that my boys enjoy this adventure with HUGO and so do I.  I highly recommend this book to all and for more info on this book and the author you can go to www.MyStarfish.org.

 

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.

Wecolme 2013 with TwinLab Diet Fuel

How many of you have made that infamous New Years Resolution?

You know the one that begins..."This year I am going to actually do it!  I am going to stick with it and lose that extra weigh....!"

So why do so many people quit trying to lose their extra weight within a very short time of just beginning?

I believe it is because weight loss is not something that just happens overnight.  It is a process that involves many aspects.  Aspects like the want and will power to see you through to your weight loss goal....making healthier food choices....portion control....being physically active...support from others.......to list just name a few.

Well, if my last paragraph didn't scare you off, I do think there are products available for people to use that can help boost your calorie burning potential and help with your weight loss success.  And I think the quicker you see and feel some sort of weight loss success..will lead down a road to better health.

One of those products out on the market and available for purchase at GNC is TwinLab's Diet Fuel.  Use coupon code 20376 to receive $3 off your purchase.

TwinLab Diet Fuel combines the herbal power of forskohlii with the fat burning mineral chromium and the powerful thermogenic green tea extra to boost energy levels and metabolism.  What a great combination!  So you have more energy which makes you want to be active and your metabolism can see a boost too.

Don't worry about the boost of energy just coming from caffeine, which makes many people jittery (I am one of them).  Each capsules only contains 60mg of caffeine and you are only suppose to use one capsule twice a day (20 to 30 minutes before a meal).

I was the most pleased with the NO after taste or yucky burps after taking TwinLab Diet Fuel.  Many of the other products out on the market can be tough on your stomach and haunt you for hours afterwards.   And I wasn't jittery.  I did find it caused a decrease it my appetite which was nice.  I can't wait to see what happens after using it for a month...as I was provided a free bottle that will last for 30 days.

 

Happy New Year and to getting fit and being healthy!  

 

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free sample to review from Mom Bloggers Club for Twin Lab Diet Fuel, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.

 

 

Knot Far From the Tree Jewelry Giveaway / Review $30 Value - Perfect Valentine's Gift

Can you believe it is 2013!

I hope you celebrated this wondrous New Year with your loved one at your side.  I know I did and it makes me thankful for the blessings and extreme challenges we have faced together as a husband and wife and as a family with our three blessings (our boys).

I think one of the biggest challenges we faced head on was my battle with Cervical Cancer while pregnant with my third and final son.  It was an unexpected huge bump in our road of life, but that is what life if all about.  It is just how you chose to accept it and mold it into something beautiful.

Even though life if not perfect and love it not perfect....love and life is so special and unique to each an every one of us.  It needs to be tended to, worked on and blessed.

That is where Knot Far From the Tree can help you by creating a hand crafted and hand stamped piece of unique jewelry.  As each and every piece created by Kerry Hill is one of a kind and beautifully imperfect.

Kerry created me the most personalized piece of jewelry that symbolizes my life....

Look at the hand stamped "survivor mom" and the ribbon showing my battle with cancer.  It also included three teal colored Swarovski crystals dangles, symbolizing my boys in the color of cervical cancer.  And of course I wouldn't have my boys without the love and support of my husband.

I am so pleased with my Knot Far From the Tree jewelry.  It is made of quality and love!  What a perfect way to show someone you love them.


The reason each piece crafted from Knot Far From the Tree is perfectly imperfect is the tedious and hard work used to Hand Stamp.  Hand stamping is a process where letters are impressed into metal one character at a time, by hand.  Each of these characters require a steady hand and very strong blows with a hammer to make a clean impression of that character.  By hand stamping the characters are actually much deeper in the piece of metal then with engraving.

Since Kerry hand blows each of the characters in all of her handcrafted jewelry there will be slight differences in the spacing and alignment...which is where the unique beauty lies.

Another a note worthy fact about Kerry and her business Knot Far From the Tree is her social commitments to making our world a more wonderful place.  10% of her businesses proceeds are donated to various organization committed to her goal.  Some of the organizations have included the Wounded Warrior Project, Relay for Life, Tree of Wishes, Little Elves for Little Angels and Choose Life Recovery.   

And I am excited to share that Kerry has offered to giveaway one of her hand stamped, Her One/His Only necklace set...just in time for Valentine's Day.

This creation is hand stamped in aluminum and comes with a 24" silver plated ball chain with a lobster clasp.  It has the vary affordable value of $30.  As all of Kerry's jewelry is made of high quality products but offered at a reasonable price.

So what are you waiting for?  Enter below for you chance to win and don't forget to check out all the other great jewelry offered at Knot Far From the Tree.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free sample to review/giveaway, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Winter you are no match for me and my No nonsense leggings and tights! #StyleMadeEasy

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of No nonsense for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Just because it is cold outside doesn’t mean you have to dress like a bundled up frumpy person.  Think outside the box, yet stay comfortable and cozy.  I am sure you by now you are thinking I have lost my mind.  But trust me I have not. 

I was thrilled to be selected to review two new and stylish leg wear from No nonsense (No nonsense tights and leggings).  I received a one pair of super soft and warm brown corduroy leggings and a pair of heather grey patterned control top tights.  My mind ran in circles trying to decide what outfits I could great with my new No nonsense leg wear.  I am not a girly girl, but I do like to look nice and yet be comfortable.  I may not be a fashion plate but that doesn’t mean I can’t stand out every once in a while.

And stand out is just what I am going to do.  Look at my paring with my super stretchy and heavy reddish dress and my No nonsense patterned tights.  I can’t believe how different this outfit looks with the addition on these tights.  Typically I would just wear some nude colored pantyhose.  But, my new tights totally have transformed my dress into a statement (and this transformation is affordable!)  And I do like the control top feature, especially with this form fitting dress.  It will help keep everything in place.  Thank you No nonsense.

I was surprised at how many different outfits I could come up with wearing my new No nonsense corduroy leggings.  And truly they feel like I am still wearing my pjs.  So least to say, these are my absolute favorite leggings I have ever owned.  The waist band is so comfortable and do not bind at all.  I chose a shirt that has a lot of different colors including some brown that tie my leggings in perfectly.  I must say that this shirt looks so different with leggings that my traditional dress pants.  I love my new affordable look.  Winter you are no match for me and my No nonsense leg wear.

If you want to explore this great new line from No nonsense you don’t have to look very far.  Just head to you locate food and drug stores as well as mass retail stores to pick up a pair or two today. 

And if you need some legging advice don’t worry.  Keep an eye out for Jill Martin, the new face of No nonsense.  Jill is offering advice how to enjoy and where the new legging line from No nonsense.  Plus, don't forget to check out No nonsense on Facebook and Twitter.

TriCalm Anti-itch Gel Giveaway / Review 2 Winners - Child Friendly

As a mother of 3 young boys and one that suffers terribly from eczema, I am always on the look out for new products that can help relieve skin irritations.  Especially those pesky irritations that make you want to scratch all your skin off.

But, I find it challenging to find products that are kid friendly, stop the itch and do not burn when applied.

So when I was given the opportunity thanks to Moms Meet to review and giveaway full size tubes of TriCalm I couldn't wait to see how it would perform.  You can learn more about TriCalm on their Facebook and Twitter pages.

So, once our TriCalm arrived I had to sample it on myself to make sure I was comfortable using it on my children.  I must say TriCalm is a very thin gel, that goes on nice a smooth with a cooling effect.  It does not burn at all.  It had a slight odor that reminded me of rubbing alcohol. 

I also learned TriCalm is FDA-approved (and safe to use daily on children and adults) and does not increase sensitivity to UV rays, so it is safe to use when spending time out in the sun.  I was surprised to find out TriCalm uses COSMEDERM-7 which is a naturally occurring element found in leafy green veggies.  So, it has to be safe!  TriCalm retails for $9.49 for a 2oz tube.  My 2oz tube has lasted a long time, so it is a good value.

I tried it out on my son's itchy patch of eczema on his hand.  He actually didn't complain about it and giggled when I applied it because it was cold.  Guess what?  He stopped complaining about his hand itching, so it worked!  It actually worked on my son!  Thank you TriCalm.

Enter below for your chance to win 1 of 2 full size tubes of TriCalm.  Good Luck!

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer.  As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog.  My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Purex Baby Infants Liquid Laundry Detergent Giveaway / Review 3 chances to win!

I love being a Purex Insider and a Mother.  As a Purex Insider I receive the opportunity to review great products and share those products with my wonderful followers.

I was recently given the chance to review the world's best smelling baby laundry detergent.

Purex Baby

Ahhh the smell....the smell...brought me back to those blissful moments when my boys were tine, tiny infants.  Purex Baby aroma is so gentle and clean.  Don't let the light fragrance worry you. 

Purex Baby is Hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested....so it is gentle on your baby's skin (or in my case a son who has terrible skin allergies) but tough on stains and delivers bright, white clean!

I still am in awe on how Purex somehow makes an amazing laundry detergent so affordable, yet it is able to fight the very tough baby stains on their adorable outfits (without hurting them) and still be gentle on their delicate skin.  Purex you shall receive an standing ovation...

Everyone please stand!!!  Yes, that means you! 

Are you lucky and have a high efficiency washer or how about a traditional top-loading washing machine like myself?  Purex Baby will work with them both.  Purex Baby is currently available in 50oz size and soon will be offered in 100 oz size.  Not every store is carrying Purex Baby yet so try using the store locator to find a location close to you.

So I am excited to be given the opportunity to giveaway away 3 FREE coupons for  a bottle of Purex Baby...you can win more than one if you are lucky!

 

Enter below for your chance to win and good luck!~

 

 

Purex provided me with a sample of Purex Baby detergent in exchange for a product review and giveaway.  However, all opinions expressed here are my own.