Olay Total Effects CC Cream (Giveaway)

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I've said it before– I'm not a heavy makeup wearer. Sure, I like to glam it up every once in a while, but I've never been an everyday foundation user. I've only recently given in to the fact that I should use concealer under my eyes. The fact is, though, I'm 42 and have two kids. My skin is starting to show its age via discoloration. I could use some help evening out my skin tone.
Olay has joined anti-aging properties (AA) with beauty balm (BB) technology to create CC cream. Part of the Olay Total Effects line, CC Tone Correcting cream combines moisturizer, 15 SPF sunscreen and a sheer color for a light, natural effect. No heavy drag queen pancake makeup here, it's just a subtle tint that leaves your skin smooth. Even if you forget to wash your face overnight. Not that I suggest that on a daily basis.
My grandmother uses a lot of Olay products and her skin is still beautiful in her 80s. I should be so lucky!
This is a great product for light coverage. You can literally apply it in seconds and it gives you an even, glowy radiance. If you'd like to try it for yourself, Olay has provided a $25 Walmart gift card for one of my readers. Just enter using the form below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway





In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a complimentary sample in order to facilitate this post and Olay has provided the gift card prize. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are, as usual, entirely my own. 

Fun With HERSHEY'S CAMP BONDFIRE - Summer Never Ends

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The wee ones asked me this morning if summer was over.  It's the first time it's been under 70 degrees since the start of school, and it's a grey, dreary morning.  We carefully checked the calendar and decided that no, summer wasn't quite over yet - even though it felt like it this morning.  And, I promised them, there are some things about summer that we'll keep alive so there's a part of summer always in our hearts.

Their eyes brightened at this notion, and they immediately asked what we'd do.  Put on the spot, there were only a few things I could come up with in the heat of the moment.  We'll still do lots of playdates, I promised.  That's something we frequently do in the summer, but once school hits, we get too busy to think about it.  And, I smiled broadly, we will still make S'mores every once in awhile.

At that, the mood brightened and lifted, and I was off the hook.  It will never cease to amaze me how simply mentioning s'mores or setting a few ingredients on the kitchen table induces such excitement not just in the wee ones but in everyone who sees or hears about them.


We've been having "HERSHEY'S CAMP BONDFIRES" this summer, and it's been a blast.  The lure of making s'mores is a draw for just about anyone I know.  And they come running.  Even at BlogHer this year, the Hershey's S'mores Suite was one of the places to be.  I know I enjoyed my visit(s) - and my s'mores.


Back home, we've had just as much fun.  We invited friends over to chill with us in the evenings after we've left the pool so exhausted we can hardly move.  There's just that last bit of energy we need to expel before we all head to our own homes, and Camp Bondfire was born.  It rotates from house to house sometimes, depending on whose house is clean enough to host others.  The first words out of the mouths of every one of my friends is "Oh please excuse the mess.  My house is a disaster right now" - regardless of how spotless it is.  It's become a running joke.




I remember the days as a Girl Scout sitting around a fire roasting marshmallows for our s'mores and telling stories, bonding with the others there.  It's the same idea today.  Sitting around and chatting - you can't do much else when eating a s'more - is a great bonding experience for the kids and adults.  I'm so proud of the wee ones that they're starting to learn to toast their own marshmallows.  We've lost a few soldiers to the fire along the way, but there always seems to be just one more in the marshmallow bag when we need one.

And once the marshmallow is done to the perfect level - perfectly evenly golden brown on all sides and gooey for me, burned to a crisp for my husband and Mister Man - we sit back and enjoy with family and friends.  When the wee ones were on their RV trip with my husband and parents, the nightly s'mores were a favorite treat, too.

While the kids are usually the ones who ask for seconds, the adults rarely turn down the offer of a freshly toasted s'more.  The gooey marshmallow melting the creamy milk chocolate with a crunchy graham cracker to hold it all together is something that appeals to everyone.  Even when Mister Man had his sensory issues and couldn't eat many foods because of the textures, s'mores was always a winner in his book.  It was our little therapy to give him something with so many different and gooey textures.  At least that was our justification, because who just makes one s'more?  We always had to make enough for ourselves, too, because... yum.

Because no one can resist HERSHEY'S CAMP BONDFIRE.  And really, who wants to?  Especially when you have the opportunity to enjoy a "double s'more."  Lucky boy, right?


How do you celebrate your own Camp Bondfire?

In the interest of full disclosure, I received supplies to host my HERSHEY'S CAMP BONDFIRE gathering to share with my friends.  I was also compensated as part of this campaign.  As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Dominick's International: Tomato Soup

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If you know anything about me - anything at all! - you'll know that I love to cook and bake.  The more I can do at home, controlling what I put into my dishes and what my family eats, the happier we all are.  When given the opportunity to participate in a culinary challenge with Dominick's, highlighting some of the new international foods they are now carrying, I jumped all over it.

I took a deep breath and crossed my fingers as I read what my two mystery ingredients would be.  I got Dell' Alpe extra virgin olive oil and Dell' Alpe imported canned pear tomatoes.  To say I was happy that I got ingredients that go together is putting it mildly.  But... they almost go too well together.  I use tomatoes and olive oil constantly.

I thought and thought and tried to come up with something creative.  Something unique.  And then I remembered that when we went to Medieval Times, Mister Man enjoyed tomato soup for the first time in his life.  Bingo - I need to foster that enjoyment of tomatoes in a healthy and yummy form.

So I decided to make a simple tomato soup that really features the Dell' Alpe tomatoes.  And it was awesome.  Serve it up with a little bread, and everyone was thrilled.


Tomato Soup featuring Dell' Alpe evoo and Dell' Alpe pear tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 white onion
2 T Dell' Alpe extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 T flour
3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable to make it vegan)
1 28 ounce can Dell' Alpe imported canned pear tomatoes
1 T tomato paste
2 T sugar*
salt and pepper to taste
10-15 fresh basil leaves

*Depending on your tomatoes and tomato paste, you may need to adjust this a little to get to the taste you want, usually just a little more sugar.

Directions:
Preheat a large pot.  Chop your onion while it's heating.  Once it's fully heated, add the olive oil, then add the onion.  Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned.


As the onion is cooking, prepare your garlic.  To help keep it from burning, you don't want to cut it up.  Instead, smash it with the flat of your knife.  Once you smash it hard, you can just pluck the peel off, easy peasy.  Add the garlic to the onion once the onion is pretty much done.  You just want the garlic to get fragrant.  Go ahead and add the flour, stirring to ensure that it is evenly coating the onions and garlic, and let it cook for two minutes.

Add the chicken stock and canned tomatoes to the onion and garlic mixture.  Make sure you're using good tomatoes, like the Dell' Alpe imported canned pear tomatoes, because they will be the focus of your soup.


How do you know you have good tomatoes?  Seriously, take a look at how gorgeous these tomatoes are!



Add the tomato paste and sugar, as well as 1 t of salt and maybe 1/2 t of pepper.  Turn the heat down so that it is just simmering.  You don't want this to boil.  Cover your pot and cook it for 30-40 minutes at a simmer so that everything starts to break down.

After that 30-40 minutes, puree your soup.  If you have an immersion blender, you're set.  If not, buy one but use your regular blender in the interim.  If blending in a blender, blend in batches and don't fill the container more than one-third full.  Use a kitchen towel and hold the top on, as blending hot liquids will create pressure that could force the top off.  Keeping it fairly empty and holding the top on helps a ton.  Or ... that immersion blender means you can do it all at once and in the same pot so no extra dishes.  Puree it completely.


Serve it immediately.  Chiffonade the basil and use it as a garnish or add some shredded Parmesan for an extra flavor boost.  The wee ones weren't interested in these accouterments, but I'd definitely go for them.  This will keep in the fridge for a few days, and it tastes better the second day once all the flavors have had a chance to meld.

Interested in making this Dell' Alpe highlighted soup?  Or exploring other international options Dominick's now carries?  I have a $50 Dominick's gift card to give away.

This one?  Super easy to enter.  You must tweet what your favorite international ingredient or dish is, using @Dominicks and @honestandtruly in the tweet along with the hashtag #DominicksIntl.  The only caveat is that you can't use the Twitter handles or hashtag as the first word in your tweet (e.g., "@honestandtruly @Dominick's I love..." doesn't work; "Hey @honestandtruly and @Dominicks" does work).

Tweet by Sunday October 7 at 7pm Central, and I'll choose a winner from eligible entries at that time.  You do need to be a US resident and 18 years of age or older.  Only one tweet per person is eligible.  You will need to provide me with your contact information within 24 hours so that you can be sent the gift card if you are chosen by random.org or another winner will be chosen.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a gift card to purchase ingredients for my dish.  I was not provided with any additional compensation.  As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Don't Get Your Undies In A Twist!

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My husband is picky about his underwear.  Most of the time.  We joke about it because I feel like he goes through it like water, and he can't figure out how I get mine to last as long as I do.  When I told him he had a chance to upgrade his drawers with MaLo Underwear, he agreed readily - as long as I promised not to photograph him wearing it.  The man has his pride.

Why was he so happy right now?  Unfortunately, his underwear drawer was starting to look a little sparse.  He's a fan of boxer briefs, and apparently the elastic has given out on the majority of what he had owned.

He was down to a few of his "oldie but goodies" - which is part of where our teasing comes in.  There are three pairs of underwear that he's owned since I've known him (or at least, it feels like he has) that just never seem to give up the ghost, so they stick around.  They've been relegated to "backup" status when I haven't been as on top of laundry as I need to be, but he still has them.  And I hate them.  They are the old fashioned boxers, and they are cotton, but not the soft cotton.  There's no stretch or give to them.  And... they're ugly.


When the MaLo underwear arrived, I was slightly entertained by the package.  Instead of the usual shrink-wrapped plastic, they came in a resealable bag like they had to be kept fresh.  I thought it was clever.  The image of David on the front of the package wearing the underwear didn't hurt either!

My husband was happy when his new underwear arrived, too.  Men's fashion isn't really his thing. He likes to keep things fairly conservative.  While MaLo comes in all sorts of fun patterns, the package we were sent was perfect for him with black and grey unpatterned boxer briefs.


Wearing them took a little getting used to.  The legs of these boxer briefs are much shorter than the pairs I had been buying him previously.  While they weren't too short, they were noticeably different from what he normally wore, so he had a tendency to want to adjust himself to ensure everyone was staying where they were supposed to.  Once he got used to the new cut and fit, he was fine.

His favorite part was the band of the boxer briefs.  He was used to a simple layer of elastic around the boxer briefs.  While that is effective, it isn't the most comfortable all the time.  The band around the MaLo is just as soft as the rest of it, and it's thicker, too - which I'm hoping means that we don't have to do a replacement job as quickly.  Maybe this time, his underwear will last as long as mine!

So yeah, I might have thought it was a little odd that Mario Lopez would choose to put his name on underwear.  But you know?  I think he made a good choice.  I'll be hopping into Kmart the next time I need to replace more of my husband's boxer briefs because I think we have a new winner in the clubhouse thanks to #MaLoUnderwear!

Interested?  The MaLo Facebook page is currently running a contest for a chance to meet Mario Lopez himself and $75 in MaLo product.  Just take a photo of your man before and after MaLo and briefly describe your makeover.  Include your name and state, and the best makeover story and likes of it wins!  See the Facebook page for complete rules and information.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and MaLo, and all opinions remain my own.  #CBias #SocialFabric

Udi's 14 Day Gluten Free Challenge

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I had never heard of anyone being gluten free until 2001 when a friend told me she had celiac and could no longer eat any bread products.  It was a surprise me to, but I adapted.  From that time, I was amazed by the number of people I knew - both adults and children - who had issues with gluten.  The number continues to grow, and I constantly hear people talk about the differences going gluten free makes.

Mister Man is also on the autism spectrum, and there are proven gut connections where many benefit from a gluten free or gluten free/dairy free diet.  And by benefit, I'm talking significant behavioral changes that help reduce the impact of autism.  I've been intrigued by this for Mister Man for a long time, but his autism is relatively mild, and it's a restrictive diet.  And we all love our carbs around my house.

While at BlogHer in New York, I met with one of the sponsors, Udi's Gluten Free.  I've heard of Udi's before - many times, in face.  They are also a wonderful sponsor at AutismOne, a conference I attend annually, and I have friends who frequently enjoy the Udi's products.  They are one of the "good" ones who have products that taste good without using the qualifier "for a gluten free item."

They offered me the chance to do a 14 day gluten free challenge, and I jumped on it.  While Little Miss has a dairy allergy and we deal well with that, I don't want to put Mister Man on a trial of a far more restrictive diet without knowing that it is something I can do, too - and knowing that gluten issues are frequently genetic, I wanted to see if going gluten free would help me, too.

So on came coupons for me to purchase Udi's products for my gluten free challenge.  I first headed to my local grocery store, and I was crushed and surprised to find that Dominick's does not carry Udi's products at all.  Fortunately, we have another new grocery store in town, and they have plenty of Udi's products.  In fact, it's possible that I stood there in front of the freezer (most Udi's products are kept frozen to prolong their life as the shelf life isn't very long) with my mouth hanging open, trying to figure out how on earth I was going to decide what to choose.

Fortunately, I did eventually make my decisions, and I headed home with a bunch of Udi's products.  I was amazed by the variety, but I was happy to make space for them in my freezer.


I had everything covered from my standard breakfast of granola (many oats are tainted with gluten, so I couldn't just use my usual rolled oats and make granola like I normally do) to pizza for when my family wants to do our Monday Night Pizza Night to a special treat of cookies.

And so I started my gluten free journey.

The first day, I had some cinnamon raisin bread toasted.  By the time I removed it from the toaster, Little Miss had already eaten half of one slice - after she'd finished her own breakfast.  It was good, and I promised to share more with her later.  I had chicken salad I made from scratch on some of the whole grain toast, as well.  My only complaint with the bread is that the pieces are very small.  They are larger than a playing card, but not by much.  I  know that our serving sizes have increased significantly over the years, but I would love to see a larger piece of bread.  I assume the size has to do with baking issues for larger loaves, but ... I would like to see a larger piece regardless.

My only slip the first day was at Costco.  I was diligently checking the samples to see if they had any wheat or wheat products and avoided those.  When I got to the dark chocolate dipped pretzel crisps, I didn't check because I knew what was in them... and that there was no dairy.  It wasn't until I was on my way home that it dawned on me that yes, a pretzel definitely has gluten.  Oops.

Eating gluten free wasn't really a challenge for me, however.  I'm lucky that I cook from scratch the majority of the time, so I can come up with all sorts of foods I enjoy that just happen to not include gluten.  It did amaze me how careful I am with Little Miss - I check every ingredient on every item that she ingests - but it took me a few days to get into that habit for myself.  I did get pretty good pretty quickly at googling "Is XXX gluten free" and finding pretty solid advice for the most part.  I am happy to report that my nonfat chai latte at Starbucks is gluten free.

And my gluten free challenge went well.  The hardest thing for me was when my family did pizza night. They ordered from the usual pizzeria, and the smell of the soft crust and the gooey cheese was really tempting.  I baked my own Udi's pizza, and it was good, but it wasn't quite the same as pizzeria pizza.  I did miss my gluten that night to some degree.  However, I got smart and purchased Udi's pizza crusts so that I could make my own pizza the way I like it.  The next time we had pizza night, my pizza was even more special than theirs - I made an awesome roasted garlic, goat cheese, prosciutto, and sun dried tomato pizza for myself.  And the Udi's pizza crust is pretty good!

I will admit that the morning after my family had the pizzeria pizza, I pulled out the gluten free cinnamon rolls for myself.  While the package doesn't give instructions on how to heat it (and it really should - I shouldn't have to google preparations for it), I figured it out.  Simply wrap the cinnamon roll loosely in tin foil and place it in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  While it's cooking, let the icing warm up in a bowl of warm water (still sealed).  It worked beautifully, and there was way more than enough topping.  In fact, I ended up using some of the topping for cupcakes I made for Mister Man's birthday party for Little Miss since she's dairy free and couldn't have the maple cream cheese frosting.  The cinnamon rolls had a gorgeous, soft texture and tasted way better than most commercially prepared cinnamon rolls.  Four mornings, I was a very happy gluten free camper.


In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by all the Udi's options.  Because the main restriction is bread and other carb-filled foods, that's where Udi's concentrates with everything from muffins (and muffin tops!) to cookies and granola and breads.  I discovered when I was doing the gluten free challenge that I actually tended to eat less of the prepared gluten free food and more foods that happened to be gluten free - like smoked salmon or the "cream" of celery soup I made one night.

Even knowing I had the options of bread products that were gluten free helped lessen my fear that I was being deprived or my craving for them.  And that's a good thing.  I think that had I eaten every meal with a gluten free replacement, I would have gained weight because even gluten free, they're still carbs!  Doing the gluten free challenge caused me to really eat mindfully, however, and think about the foods I was eating.  Was I really hungry?  Did I really want to eat that, or would I rather have something else? And that's something I can always do more of.

In fact, I am pretty sure I lost weight while doing the two week challenge.  I don't have a scale, so I can't tell you for certain, but my jeans felt looser.  And I have a stubborn high stomach area that sticks out all the time that was significantly reduced by the end of my two weeks on the gluten free challenge.

In fact, when my two weeks were up, I was afraid to try anything with gluten again.  I have friends whose children vomit profusely when given gluten (that's in the minority and is a child with other significant allergies).  I have friends who get severe stomach cramps or diarrhea or gas when they eat gluten after going gluten free.  But after being reassured by some of my friends that if I hadn't felt significant differences after going gluten free (and I didn't) that any effects I did have would be short lived.

So I had half a bagel.  And I was ok.  For me, gluten free is not a necessity.  And I'm still debating now whether I go this route with Mister Man, as well.  That said, I do appreciate the benefits of gluten free alternatives.  When I wanted a special treat, I made ginger pear crisp for Little Miss and me to share, using Udi's gluten free granola.  And I have noticed that I have less of a craving for gluten filled items, which I think is good for me.

In the end?  I'm glad I did the 14 day challenge.  I may continue to do week long or two week long challenges from time to time because I think it's helpful to remind me of other, more mindful, ways to eat.  And the Udi's products I tried were good - and there are plenty more than I haven't tried.  Yet.

So how about you?  Have you ever gone gluten free?  Would you ever do it knowing that you can with Udi's gluten free options?

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with free Udi's product to conduct the Udi's 14 Day Gluten Free Challenge.  I received no other compensation, and all opinions are my own.

L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream

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BB creams have been all the rage in Asia for quite some time but it seems like US cosmetics companies are just jumping on the bandwagon. I love the idea of blending skin care with cosmetics, since I have always been a foundation-free girl but I'm getting older and my skin can use a little more evening out these days. Tinted moisturizers that can actually refine your skin tone while creating an even finish sounds just my speed.
I'll admit it, though. I am extremely skeptical of any cosmetics that call themselves "magic." It seems like an overstatement of what any makeup could do, unless you're talking about some super thick pancake foundation that literally covers up your natural skin. L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream, however, is kind of magical. It's a very lightweight and sheer lotion that comes out of the tube white but delivers a dewy, natural look that seems more like bare skin than stage makeup. I have absolutely no idea how it works, but it really does!

There's no chalky or ashy tone from the white lotion– the "BB" in this cream stands for Beautifying Beads, microcapsules of pigment that blend seamlessly with your skin tone as you apply it. My skin tone is usually hard to match since I am neither fair nor dark and have an olive undertone but the Medium BB Cream worked well for me. It's infused with skincare ingredients like Panthenol, Vitamin E and Glycerin for 24-hour moisturization and did a great job of keeping my skin feeling dewy all day, even in the dry climate of the Kansas winter. This would be an absolutely perfect product if it contained a sunscreen.
L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream retails for $10.95 for 1 fl oz. It is available in four shades and is sold at mass food and drug retailers nationwide. Click here to find out more.
SheSpeaks will be be hosting a Twitter Party about L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream and more beauty secrets on Thursday, March 7th at 9pm ET. Join in using hashtag #MagicBBCream and the custom TweetGrid: http://bit.ly/TwZyJS.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a sample from L'Oreal andSheSpeaks to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

Glass Etching with Martha Stewart Crafts for Valentine's Day

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Plaid's Martha Stewart Crafts Glass line, available exclusively at Michaels, makes DIY glass projects just as simple and elegant as one would expect. Martha is, after all, the grande dame of beautiful living. I received a care package of some of her most popular products, including paintable glass clings and glass etching kits.


Roo's anxious to try the clings, which are essentially stained glass stickers with black or silver grey "leading" that can be customized by hand-tinting with transparent glass paint. The clings feature naturalistic motifs in Martha standards like hydrangeas and butterflies. They stick to any smooth surface and can be reused multiple times so long as you keep them clean. Very pretty and an easy way for tweens to make fancy crafts.
I knew I wanted to do something with the glass etching cream for Valentine's Day. I first encountered glass etching in an art class in junior high. My project featured Terry Hall from Fun Boy Three ensconced in tropical fauna as a border on a 12" x 12" mirror square. Nope, nobody knew who it was but it was actually pretty cool. Anyway, I haven't really dabbled in glass etching since. When I found a vintage-styled gumball dispenser on sale, though, I knew I wanted to customize it.


The Martha Stewart Crafts Glass Etching Kit comes with everything you need to get started: etching cream, gloves, instructions, reusable adhesive silkscreen stencils and the most adorable 1/2" brush. Roo was using some foam stickers to make Valentines for her classmates, though, and I thought I'd put her trash to good reuse as heart stencils.

Look at the tiny brush! I love it! 

This kit is truly idiot-proof. You just place your stencil on clean glass and apply a thick, even layer of etching cream using the cutest brush in the galaxy. Then you wander off and do something else for a half hour or so. The instructions say 15 minutes but I like to give it a little more time to set. One thing: the instructions make it look like the etching cream is white but the stuff in my bottle was more like caramel. Don't eat it, though.


After the etching cream sets, take it to the sink, peel off the stickers and wash the glass. You should have a brand new decorative item. Easy peasy, I told you! I was losing daylight inside, so I took the gumball machine outside to photograph. 

For all you photo geeks, it's like permanent bokeh! 

Then you have to fill the machine for best effect. Do y'all have any idea how expensive gumballs are? Holy cow, I did not have any clue. Three pounds of gumballs cost $36! Ridiculous, I know, but look how cute it turned out:

So adorable. Even if three pounds of gumballs didn't fill the whole machine. Ugh.

The kids were anxious to give it a go, obviously. Maybe mommy will make her investment back in loose change… 

Happy Valentine's Day! 

For more information about Martha Stewart Crafts Glass Program by Plaid:

• Like Plaid Crafts on Facebook
• Plaid Crafts on Pinterest
• Martha Stewart Crafts Board on Pinterest

Martha Stewart glass painting program
I wrote this post as part of a sponsored campaign with Plaid Enterprises and The Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own.

Toast Valentine's Day with Casa Noble Crystal

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Valentine’s Day.

Two evocative words. You love it, you hate it, you think Hallmark invented it, but it’s unlikely you’re indifferent to it. One point I think we can all agree on, though: cocktails.
Whether you want to snuggle up, eat your feelings or draft a detailed Facebook status diatribe against the commercialization of love… you’re going to need a cocktail to really get to the bottom of whichever emotional well you’ve chosen. It may as well be the correct cocktail.
“The El Beso de Luz” Margarita(the kiss of light – Named by Santana)
2 oz Casa Noble Crystal½ oz Licor 431 oz lime juice¼ orange; squeeze & drop
This is the most versatile Valentine’s Day drink.
Into it? Not only is tequila an aphrodisiac, but Santana (yes, the Santana of Woodstock and Black Magic Woman) likened his first warm taste of El Beso de Luz to the first time one falls in love. In fact, he was so moved by it that he gave the cocktail its name, a tribute to his wife Cindy.
Feeling bitter? We think the citrus and vanilla notes, complimented by the knowledge that you’re about to indulge in one of Mexico’s finest exports will make that sour mood hard to maintain.
Angry about the perversion of St. Valentine? Unlike other forms of alcohol, tequila – though not technically a stimulant – has been reported to give imbibers more of a boost than its counterparts. So that Facebook post you’re already thinking about? This will help you to bang it out eloquently and steel yourself for comments from coupled up friends.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received complimentary teeny tiny samples so I could try this cocktail. No compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

Spring Cleaning Tips from Ology

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I've written about Walgreen's exclusive Ology line of eco-friendly cleaning products recently but I just came across these tips for spring cleaning and thought I should share. It is, after all, that time of year. In fact, I just vacuumed the house and used Ology glass cleaner to clean all the mirrors. Woo-hoo!


For more info:
www.walgreens.com/ology
www.facebook.com/OlogyBrand
www.twitter.com/OlogyBrand

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that no compensation was received in exchange for this post. I just thought it was pertinent.. As usual, all opinions are my own. 

Honeywell #HomeTips Twitter Party with Evette Rios (Giveaway)

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Join @HoneywellPlugIn on Tuesday, 2/19, at 8-9pm EST for a Twitter Chat with home & design expert Evette Rios from ABC’s The Chew.
Ask Evette questions in real time and get the advice you need on decorating, entertaining and more– including a chance to win $300 worth of Honeywell gadgets! Use hashtag #HomeTips to join in.

Honeywell would like to offer one of my readers the chance to win a Germ-Free Cool Mist Humidifier. It's been a dusty, dry winter here in Kansas and I know what a difference bringing humidity into your living space can make, especially in your bedrooms. Enter to win using the form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway








In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that no compensation was received in exchange for this post. Honeywell is providing the prize for my readers. As usual, all opinions are my own. 

Udi's 14 Day Gluten Free Challenge

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I had never heard of anyone being gluten free until 2001 when a friend told me she had celiac and could no longer eat any bread products.  It was a surprise me to, but I adapted.  From that time, I was amazed by the number of people I knew - both adults and children - who had issues with gluten.  The number continues to grow, and I constantly hear people talk about the differences going gluten free makes.

Mister Man is also on the autism spectrum, and there are proven gut connections where many benefit from a gluten free or gluten free/dairy free diet.  And by benefit, I'm talking significant behavioral changes that help reduce the impact of autism.  I've been intrigued by this for Mister Man for a long time, but his autism is relatively mild, and it's a restrictive diet.  And we all love our carbs around my house.

While at BlogHer in New York, I met with one of the sponsors, Udi's Gluten Free.  I've heard of Udi's before - many times, in face.  They are also a wonderful sponsor at AutismOne, a conference I attend annually, and I have friends who frequently enjoy the Udi's products.  They are one of the "good" ones who have products that taste good without using the qualifier "for a gluten free item."

They offered me the chance to do a 14 day gluten free challenge, and I jumped on it.  While Little Miss has a dairy allergy and we deal well with that, I don't want to put Mister Man on a trial of a far more restrictive diet without knowing that it is something I can do, too - and knowing that gluten issues are frequently genetic, I wanted to see if going gluten free would help me, too.

So on came coupons for me to purchase Udi's products for my gluten free challenge.  I first headed to my local grocery store, and I was crushed and surprised to find that Dominick's does not carry Udi's products at all.  Fortunately, we have another new grocery store in town, and they have plenty of Udi's products.  In fact, it's possible that I stood there in front of the freezer (most Udi's products are kept frozen to prolong their life as the shelf life isn't very long) with my mouth hanging open, trying to figure out how on earth I was going to decide what to choose.

Fortunately, I did eventually make my decisions, and I headed home with a bunch of Udi's products.  I was amazed by the variety, but I was happy to make space for them in my freezer.


I had everything covered from my standard breakfast of granola (many oats are tainted with gluten, so I couldn't just use my usual rolled oats and make granola like I normally do) to pizza for when my family wants to do our Monday Night Pizza Night to a special treat of cookies.

And so I started my gluten free journey.

The first day, I had some cinnamon raisin bread toasted.  By the time I removed it from the toaster, Little Miss had already eaten half of one slice - after she'd finished her own breakfast.  It was good, and I promised to share more with her later.  I had chicken salad I made from scratch on some of the whole grain toast, as well.  My only complaint with the bread is that the pieces are very small.  They are larger than a playing card, but not by much.  I  know that our serving sizes have increased significantly over the years, but I would love to see a larger piece of bread.  I assume the size has to do with baking issues for larger loaves, but ... I would like to see a larger piece regardless.

My only slip the first day was at Costco.  I was diligently checking the samples to see if they had any wheat or wheat products and avoided those.  When I got to the dark chocolate dipped pretzel crisps, I didn't check because I knew what was in them... and that there was no dairy.  It wasn't until I was on my way home that it dawned on me that yes, a pretzel definitely has gluten.  Oops.

Eating gluten free wasn't really a challenge for me, however.  I'm lucky that I cook from scratch the majority of the time, so I can come up with all sorts of foods I enjoy that just happen to not include gluten.  It did amaze me how careful I am with Little Miss - I check every ingredient on every item that she ingests - but it took me a few days to get into that habit for myself.  I did get pretty good pretty quickly at googling "Is XXX gluten free" and finding pretty solid advice for the most part.  I am happy to report that my nonfat chai latte at Starbucks is gluten free.

And my gluten free challenge went well.  The hardest thing for me was when my family did pizza night. They ordered from the usual pizzeria, and the smell of the soft crust and the gooey cheese was really tempting.  I baked my own Udi's pizza, and it was good, but it wasn't quite the same as pizzeria pizza.  I did miss my gluten that night to some degree.  However, I got smart and purchased Udi's pizza crusts so that I could make my own pizza the way I like it.  The next time we had pizza night, my pizza was even more special than theirs - I made an awesome roasted garlic, goat cheese, prosciutto, and sun dried tomato pizza for myself.  And the Udi's pizza crust is pretty good!

I will admit that the morning after my family had the pizzeria pizza, I pulled out the gluten free cinnamon rolls for myself.  While the package doesn't give instructions on how to heat it (and it really should - I shouldn't have to google preparations for it), I figured it out.  Simply wrap the cinnamon roll loosely in tin foil and place it in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  While it's cooking, let the icing warm up in a bowl of warm water (still sealed).  It worked beautifully, and there was way more than enough topping.  In fact, I ended up using some of the topping for cupcakes I made for Mister Man's birthday party for Little Miss since she's dairy free and couldn't have the maple cream cheese frosting.  The cinnamon rolls had a gorgeous, soft texture and tasted way better than most commercially prepared cinnamon rolls.  Four mornings, I was a very happy gluten free camper.


In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by all the Udi's options.  Because the main restriction is bread and other carb-filled foods, that's where Udi's concentrates with everything from muffins (and muffin tops!) to cookies and granola and breads.  I discovered when I was doing the gluten free challenge that I actually tended to eat less of the prepared gluten free food and more foods that happened to be gluten free - like smoked salmon or the "cream" of celery soup I made one night.

Even knowing I had the options of bread products that were gluten free helped lessen my fear that I was being deprived or my craving for them.  And that's a good thing.  I think that had I eaten every meal with a gluten free replacement, I would have gained weight because even gluten free, they're still carbs!  Doing the gluten free challenge caused me to really eat mindfully, however, and think about the foods I was eating.  Was I really hungry?  Did I really want to eat that, or would I rather have something else? And that's something I can always do more of.

In fact, I am pretty sure I lost weight while doing the two week challenge.  I don't have a scale, so I can't tell you for certain, but my jeans felt looser.  And I have a stubborn high stomach area that sticks out all the time that was significantly reduced by the end of my two weeks on the gluten free challenge.

In fact, when my two weeks were up, I was afraid to try anything with gluten again.  I have friends whose children vomit profusely when given gluten (that's in the minority and is a child with other significant allergies).  I have friends who get severe stomach cramps or diarrhea or gas when they eat gluten after going gluten free.  But after being reassured by some of my friends that if I hadn't felt significant differences after going gluten free (and I didn't) that any effects I did have would be short lived.

So I had half a bagel.  And I was ok.  For me, gluten free is not a necessity.  And I'm still debating now whether I go this route with Mister Man, as well.  That said, I do appreciate the benefits of gluten free alternatives.  When I wanted a special treat, I made ginger pear crisp for Little Miss and me to share, using Udi's gluten free granola.  And I have noticed that I have less of a craving for gluten filled items, which I think is good for me.

In the end?  I'm glad I did the 14 day challenge.  I may continue to do week long or two week long challenges from time to time because I think it's helpful to remind me of other, more mindful, ways to eat.  And the Udi's products I tried were good - and there are plenty more than I haven't tried.  Yet.

So how about you?  Have you ever gone gluten free?  Would you ever do it knowing that you can with Udi's gluten free options?

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with free Udi's product to conduct the Udi's 14 Day Gluten Free Challenge.  I received no other compensation, and all opinions are my own.

Mrs. Prindable's Gourmet Jumbo Caramel Apples

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Take a peek at the highlights from a MomImpact (my company) blogger tour at Mrs. Prindable's. The factory is located just outside of Chicago in Niles, in the same facility that produces Affy Tapple taffy apples. However, Mrs. Prindable's features its own production line and a more labor-intensive process. Each hand-dipped is apple is an individual work of edible art. With layers of caramel and chocolate smothering a ginormous, tart apple, Mrs. Prindable's apples are delicious treats that can be shared with up to ten people.
More check-ins at Mrs. Prindable'sPowered by Whrrl

Hershey's Milk Chocolate Drops

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At first glimpse, we thought Hershey's came out with an M&M wannabe snack. In reality, these drops are about twice the size of M&M's without the colorful coatings. According to the packaging, there is no candy shell, but rather a "light shiny finish" that keep them from melting in your hands.The melt occurs much more quickly than with M&Ms resulting in immediately chocolate satisfaction. The sweet taste is similar to a Hershey's Kiss.
My .6 oz sample pack had 5 large drops, but from a psychological standpoint, 10 M&Ms might feel like a more satisfying indulgence.

Breyer's YoCrunch Fruit Parfait

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Knowing how much my preteen son's Starbucks granola yogurt parfait habit cost me over the summer, I happily accepted when the folks at Breyer's offered to send me a sample pack of their granola-topped Yo Crunch Fruit Parfait.

The four-pack they sent me was gobbled up before I could say, "Yo!" Seriously, I did even get to try it.

I like that the product is HFCS-free and lowfat, though I'm not pleased about the artificial dyes. Still, these are a good size for him and easy to tote along. I'm happy that he's eager to bring these as part of his lunch.

Gimbal's Sour Lovers

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Gimbal's comes so close to getting it right for today's discerning parent- they use real sugar and natural fruit juices in their gummies and jelly candies and their sweets are free of 8 major allergens, but I really wish they would lose the artificial food dyes in favor of natural ones.

Image borrowed from the Gimbal's website

I received a sample of Gimbal's new Sour Lovers, which are tasty enough. They offer a tart zap of one of 12 flavors, and hooray for the natural fruit juice flavors, but those too bright colors and the dyes that make them are a turn-off.

This year as I head to the Sweets and Snacks Expo, I'm on the lookout for items that are made with real sugar and use natural food dyes. I'll be sharing my thoughts about the best of them over at Feed Our Families.

Disclosure: Gimbal's sent me three bags of Sour Lovers, but did not ask for or require a product review.

finishing touches.....

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The kitchen has come together nicely. I love the gray, and I really love all the little pops of yellow. I still need to do the grout renew project on the floor, but here is a peek at the rugs I found at Target.

I saw this link on Pinterest for a product called Grout Renew. It looks like the perfect solution for my tile floor.

I'm hoping to start working on it tomorrow-hope it works!
I bought this pretty yellow basket at Hobby Lobby. It is my new cookbook holder on top of the fridge.

Another favorite thing is my numbered pitcher. This pitcher was brown, but it got a fresh coat of white paint and I painted on the number.

Someday, when I finally get the nerve, I'll have the cabinets painted....and get new countertops....and I'd also love to get rid of that piece of trim over the sink and put up a pendant light. I saw this one at Lowes...{{{love}}} it!!


For now though, I'm happy with our kitchen....the yellow & gray really perked things up!