Child Hunger Efforts Today!

Did you know that 1 in 6 children in the United States face hunger?

That’s why Sarah Michelle Gellar teamed up with Mott’s and No Kid Hungry to design a one-of-a-kind lunch bag now available for auction on eBay to raise money and awareness for No Kid Hungry, a campaign to

end childhood hunger in America by national

nonprofit Share Our Strength.

From now until September 29, you can head over to ebay.com/usr/nokidhungry to place a bid on this unique masterpiece, 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to No Kid Hungry!

Other celebrities that have personalized a Mott’s lunch bag include:  

• Landry Bender – actress
• Jordana Brewster – actress
• Gia Lopez – 8-year-old daughter of Mario and Courtney Lopez
• Danielle Monaro – Elvis Duran and the Morning Show
• Janice Dean – Fox News TV host and author

**** This information has been provided by Mott’s.

Aaptiv On Sale this Summer

I wanted to re-share information about a great workout program I have found. If you are busy like me and joining a gym is just not something that will work in your schedule you need to check out Aaptiv

The app has TONS of workout that are geared towards anything that you might like. There is music and a trainer to help you stay motivated the whole time and really push you to do more. I have really found this to be a great app to help me fitting in those workouts in the summer time. Check it out for free for 30 days, and for the summer they are also running a 30% of sale after that!

Let me know what you think:)

Thank You to all the Trainers, Gym Owners and Coaches

I wanted to share this video that was sent to me to thank all the trainers, gym owners, and coaches that do what they love everyday to help us all be the best we can be.

Thank you all!

**Just sharing because I liked this!

New Maternity Workout Launch

I am a big proponent of working out while you are pregnant (nope no more babies here), but I did workout with both my pregnancies up until I went to the hospital. So when the people at the Aaptiv App contacted me about promoting the new maternity line I was in. 

Here is the info on the new program:

We’ve recruited top-tier talent to lead the design and development of the maternity program, including Kira Kohrherr of FitBump, yoga guru and author, Kristin McGee, and expert Aaptiv trainers who are trained and certified in pre and postnatal exercise. Earlier this month we launched stroller workouts and first trimester workouts (second is launching June 1 and third to follow!). Each week will include both strength and cardio exercises specifically designed to prepare a woman’s body for birth. So not only do we have your back for 9 months, but we’re right there with you to get you back on track after a baby. Whether you’re a marathoner or novice runner, getting back into shape with a stroller or a busy schedule is a new experience for any mom. 

I mean seriously how awesome does that sound? I love that all the workouts are audio based and come with playlists. This is totally my type of thing. Now don't get worried non-preggo friends, they have tons of other workouts. Here are some examples:

• Full & half marathon and 5 & 10k training programs to get you ready for your race
• High intensity interval training to help you more effectively burn calories, build muscle, and lose weight
• Monthly challenges with targeted goals to challenge and motivate 
• Curator playlists hand-selected by our elite trainers, brands we love, notable personalities, and more 

Many of the programs are only 7-10 minutes long! Again how awesome is that. Visit this link to get started on your free 1 week trial and I will post again after I give the programs a try as well!

Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwasher Packs

First of all, you have to understand that I LOVE Seventh Generation products, so any time they ask me to try one I do a little happy dance. Most recently they asked me to try the Automatic Dishwasher Packs.

 The first thing I noticed when I open the pack is that they are not all plastic feeling like other dishwasher packs. These feel very natural, which makes me feel better about them going in with the items with eat with. From the Seventh Generation site:

Dishwasher Packs remove even dried, stuck-on food
Dishwasher Tabs for convenient, no-guess, no-waste single-pack dosing
Dish Packs contain no chlorine, phosphates or synthetic fragrances
Enzyme-rich, biodegradable dishwashing formula
Dish Packs in resealable pouch

I will be for sure buying these in the future!

*** I received a package of the Dishwasher packs for Free, but all opinions are my own.

How to Eat Healthy for the Holidays

Here are some great tips on eating well as we are now in the Holiday Season full swing!

Thanks to the people at Kremer Eye Center for the great tips.

*** No compensation was received for this post.

Beets BLU Bluetooth Weight Bathroom Scale Review

The amazing people at Beets BLU have asked me to try one of their products again. This time it was the Beets BLU Bluetooth Weight Bathroom Scale! Not going to lie I have had my eye on this product for a while.

First of all this was the most easy thing in the world to set up. The best part, all the instructions are on the back!

By the time I had the app downloaded to my phone the scale was up and running. I love that the scale has all these features with the app:

• Wireless Scale measures people's muscle mass, body weight with body fat percentage, water (hydration level). Scale supports kg and lb weight mode
• Connects to mobile via Bluetooth Smart (4.0), uploads all information to free native mobile application for Android and iOS, with saving history. Recommended weight limit is 150 kg/330 lbs
• Helps you to analyze the data and choose the most appropriate way to track your weight loss. Our scale is high precision
• iOS: Uploads all measurements to the Apple Health app (configurable)
• Our biometric scale is suitable for adult men, women. It's a great device for slim, normal and overweight people

I have been using it most morning (best time to weigh yourself!)

Here is the screen shot of the information it gives you right to your phone! How awesome is this!

I feel this is a better way to track weigh then just the weight itself.

Thanks Beets BLU

*** I was not compensated for this post, but was sent the scale shown to facilitate my review.

Take Your Lunches Up a Notch with a Healthy Asian Twist

It's time to rethink your lunches with the help of San-J, known for their premium gluten-free, Non-GMO Asian inspired cooking sauces.  You can get ready for spring clean eating, without having to sacrifice delicious flavor. 

Try these new gluten-free recipes created by clean-eating expert and author of "Eating Clean: The 21 Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation and Reset Your Body,” Amie Valpone. By using San-J’s line of gluten-free sauces, mix it up  with these salads and wraps for a healthy spring lunch or afternoon snack. From orange turmeric wild rice to sweet and tangy chicken wraps, your spring will be bursting with flavor. The health booster, Turmeric, has also never tasted this good! 

Orange Turmeric Wild Rice Salad

Ingredients

½ cup Wild rice

½ teaspoon Ground turmeric

4 Beets (large)

1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup Snap peas

1 Pineapple (small), peeled and diced

1 tablespoon Fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons San-J Orange Sauce

1 tablespoon Sesame seeds

¼ Teaspoon Ground cayenne pepper or chili powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the wild rice according to the package directions. Add the turmeric to the cooking water and mix well. Poke holes in the beets using a fork. Place the beets on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes then increase the heat to 400 degrees F and roast for another 25 minutes or until beets are tender.

Remove the beets from the oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Peel and dice each beet into ½ inch pieces.  In a large bowl, combine the cooked wild rice, beets, snap peas, pineapple, cilantro, sea salt and pepper. Add the San-J Orange Sauce and cayenne pepper; toss to combine. Garnish with the sesame seeds and serve immediately. 

Another great use for your San-J Orange Sauce is to add a depth of flavor to any sauteed veggies. We have had a lot of veggies thanks to our summer CSA (thank you Johnson's Farm) so I decided to add some San-J Orange Sauce (our favorite) to the red chard I was doing a simple salute with. 

Ingredients 

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 bunch red chard

2 tablespoons San-J Orange Sauce

Directions

Heat a medium skillet with oil and add garlic. Once the garlic is fragrant, add your chard and saute for about 10 mins. Finally add the San-J Orange Sauce stir to combine and serve. 

*** No compensation was received for this post, we have been sent San-J products in the past to try. 

Amino Health Tips and Surviving the Cold

Well the time has finally come, winter has come to the Northeast. While I did enjoy the 70's on Christmas Day it did not seem right to me. So here we are preparing for a "blizzard" to come over the weekend as I write this (it will be posting after the snow). This makes me think of the ways we need to stay healthy.

Thanks to Amino Health for this nice reminder of how to stay healthy

For me personally I think sleep is the biggest one to remember. I try to make sure that everyone get enough sleep in our house and we stock up on veggies and fruits to keep us healthy all winter. 

We also see the doctor when we need to. Are you having trouble finding a doctor, check out Amino Health's Doctor Finder here. The Doctor Finder lets you use insurance provider, personal preference and conditions to find the best match for your needs. Check it out next time you need a doctor!

**No compensation was received for this post, information was provided by Amino Health. 

San-j Sauces for the Holidays

I have frequently talked about my love of my San-J Sauces on the blog, so I wanted to share some fun ways to use the sauces in your holiday planning. Our house hold current favorite is the Orange Sauce, so I am highlighting that a little today.

This  Brussels Sprouts and Fennel Orange Salad makes a fun an festive addition to your holiday table. 

 I can't wait to make this for Christmas Eve, along with  Matcha Pesto Pasta to add a little spice to our Italian Christmas Eve party. 

What fun new ideas are you trying this holiday season?

*** No compensation was received for this post, but I was sent a few bottle of Orange Sauce to try out some new recipes. 

Bebox for Meal Preppers

Recently I was contacted by Jenna of the BeBox to help with her goal to make her dream a reality. After reading about her and her product, I knew I wanted to help.

After being frustrated, like many of us are, we the lack of quality containers to prep meals for on the go, Jenna came up with the idea of a customizable, stackable container.

Seriously, how cool is this product? Jenna is raising money for the BeBox to have it go into production so we can all have one. So please go check out the BeBox and order yours now so that Jenna can start making her dream a reality!

***No compensation was received for this post, I just think this is an awesome idea and want to help get it into production.

San-J Asian BBQ sauce

I have talked in the past about my love of the amazing San-J sauces that we have had the chance to try, and the most recent was one of the best yet. We recently tried the Asian BBQ sauce to marinate some chicken before grilling it. This might have been our favorite yet. The chicken was so moist and flavor full, both the baby and the pre-schooler ate it up.

I love that these sauce are gluten and MSG free as well. They make me feel like we are eating healthy as well.

Asian Cooking Sauce - Gluten Free

Asian BBQ

A new twist on traditional barbecue sauce, Asian BBQ infuses sweet & smoky barbecue flavor with a hint of the exotic. Ginger, garlic and sesame add the perfect Asian touch to this certified gluten free sauce. Asian BBQ is a great match for the grill. Use in your favorite barbecue pork ribs recipe or brush on during the last few moments of grilling chicken. It's also a tasty condiment for gluten free chicken nuggets or fries.

** I was not compensated for this post only sent the sauce to try. All opinions are my own. 

Balancing work and life.....

Work/Life Balance how often do we hear this concept? I think every professional development session I have ever attended for work talks about this, especially in the time of cell phones and everyone being connected.  So what can we do to make this balance a reality? I will not EVER say I am an expert, but as a full time working mom with two very active little girls I have found some tips that work for me and might work for other as well. Also this is always a work in progress so I would LOVE to hear anyone’s suggestions.  Here are my tips to help you create some balance
whether you are just starting your career or find yourself entering your second decade. 

1-      Take a social media break (Yes I know this is hard, but this is the most recent one I have done and oh my gosh, I have so much more time). Now I will not say you have to give it up (I know that is not going to happen) however, I have taken Facebook off my home screen of my phone and try to not check any social media before I get to work or before the girls go to bed during the week. I will tell you I am more relaxed and have more time when I am not seeing what other people are up to. (Notice I did not say I do not look at all…baby steps here….)

2-      Meal Plan This is huge in our house. Here is the menu board for the week. We make a plan, shop over the weekend and have our meals for the week. Now sometimes things come up and we have to move things around but to have this plan in place is a great way to not stress about meals.

3-      Make lunches the night before For those of you that can wake up in the morning and get lunches made before leaving the house, YOU ARE SUPERSTARS. I cannot get up, get everyone ready, feed, and out the door AND make lunches. So I make them all the night before, in the lunch boxes and in the fridge. That is just easier for me.

4-      Use your lunch hour This does mean if you get one. I never use to do this, but my current supervisor told me to use it the best I can. Some days that means running errands, sometimes getting a quick pedicure, others just closing my door and reading a magazine in my office.  I have found that using this time helps me work better and leaves less to do later at home.

*** I will say without #3 and #4 eating well would be really hard for me. I think having the plan and knowing what you are going to eat makes it easier to stay healthy.

5-      Schedule time to exercise I had a big problem with this after Miss E was born. I was worried that I should not spend the time away from her. After Little B, I realized to keep up with these two I need to be sure I keep myself in shape. Now I do not workout anywhere as much as I use to, but I still get it in. After they are both in bed I spend about 30 minutes 2-3 times during the week and once on the weekend (often at naps) getting in a good workout. It makes me happy and able to keep up with them.

6-      Ask for help This might have been the biggest one for me, but asking my hubby to help around the house has made all the difference. If you are a working mom with a spouse you do not have to do it all. Once I asked hubby to take over a few jobs around the house I was happier and so was he (mainly because I was less stressed). Just remember you have to ASK!

7-      Set boundaries with work I work in education, no one is going to die if I do not answer my phone or an email at 10 PM, so I stopped. I realized that I am not that important any my kids are! Simple as that, if you are not delivering babies or putting out real fires, most likely it can wait. 

#Rockthelunchbox

The wonderful people at Influenster allowed us to be part of the #Rockthelunchbox campaign and tried some awesome products. We received coupons to try Annie's Homegrown products, Honest Kids Sips, Rudi's Organic Breads, and Applegate Half time lunch packs.

Here is what we picked up:

Little Miss is loving her Honest Kids Sips, once she figured out how to put the straw in (FYI, there is no hole just push it through the top). I love that they are so low in calories.

The Annie's Homegrown "grammies" are a big hit in our house. Although on the box they are purple and inside they look more blue, that was a bit of an issue at first....she she is picky about her colors, especially purple!

The  Rudi's Organic Breads have great flavor and have been a hit with the whole family. Was happy to use they had some non Gluten free varieties as well.

Our favorite product had to be the  Applegate Half time lunch packs. Little Miss picked the ham and cheese version and was so happy it came with grammies and yogurt (a personal fav of hers). I love this lunch pack and it was great on a busy night in our house, but I did find the price to be a little on the high side to buy normally.

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own. 

San-J Sauce Review

The wonderful people at Naturally Savvy again provided me with some new products to try from San-J Sauces. As a household that LOVES Asian food (and healthy ones) this was a great opportunity. We are know to throw together a quick fried rice to use up extra veggies all the time! Especially after the holidays, we find a quick stir fry is a great use for holiday veggies. 

This time around we are sampling the Gluten Free Tamari sauce. 

SEASONED BY EXPERIENCE. For 200 hundred years, San-J has been perfecting the fine art of brewing Tamari soy sauce. All San-J Tamari is naturally brewed for up to six months using traditional methods passed down for eight generations. Made with 100% soybeans and no wheat, San-J Tamari has a richer, smoother, more complex taste than regular soy sauce which contains 40-60% wheat. We do not add MSG or artificial preservatives. San-J Tamari is certified kosher and Non-GMO Project verified. All San-J Tamari is now certified gluten free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization. Look for the Certified Gluten-Free logo on the label.

From exotic stir-fry dishes to your favorite meatloaf, the rich yet complex taste of San-J Tamari enhances the flavors of food naturally. Experience the taste of an ancient Japanese art in your cooking tonight.

We love these sauces and the high level of flavor they provide. I fee this sauce really spiced up our stir fry and was hubby, baby, and toddler approved!

** No compensation was received for this post, the sauce was provided to facilitate the review, all opinions are my own. 

Santa Barbara Bar Review

Recently I was contact by the people at Santa Barbara Bars to try out there products. Of course being a snack lover I said yes, and expected to get a few bars in the mail, however, I was so excited to see a huge box with three yummy flavors inside. Here is the information about the bars:

Santa Barbara Bar provides you with a delicious taste, wonderful chewing experience, and great nutritional benefits from super foods like cranberries, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Best of all, our bars are gluten free, provide a good source of protein and fiber, and contain no added soy protein or refined sugars.

They are an awesome size (think Clif Bar size) and the flavors are great. They come in Coconut Almond, Cranberry White Chocolate, and Peanut Chocolate Cherry. While I have enjoyed all the flavors the Peanut Chocolate Cherry the best. Anything peanut butter and chocolate is always a hit for me. I love that the bars look like real food and something I could make on my own. I might be weird about that but I love seeing all the pieces in the bars and not just a solid mixed up lump of something.

The bars are available around the country (find a location here) or order them online!

**No compensation was received for this post all thoughts are my own. I was sent a box of bars to try and review.

Baby/Toddler Products to Save Money and a Giveaway

As a recent new money again, I wanted to share some money shaving tips and a great products with everyone out there. We love store brand products in this house, so when this opportunity to try the products below came up I jumped at it. 

Here is the test pack we received!!!

About Perrigo Nutritionals

·         Many moms are not aware that they can save up to 50 percent on infant formula by choosing a store brand over a national brand

·         Store Brand Formula is nutritionally comparable to the national brands, yet are typically up to half the price, and can save you about $600 a year

·         Perrigo Nutritionals is the largest supplier of Store Brand Infant Formula and nutrition products in the world and one of only four companies recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for meeting the strict FDA requirements for safety, nutrition and quality for infant formula-manufacturing in the United States

·         Same standards and expertise used to develop infant formula applied to toddler foods

·         Toddler foods are appropriately developed for variety of stages of growth and motor skills with quality, nutritional ingredients to create foundation of good nutrition

Crystal Paine’s 5 Money Saving Tips for Families

Create a Budget
A budget gives you parameters and purpose, it gives you boundaries, and it gives you freedom to live creatively within those boundaries.

Shop With Cash
When you shop with a credit card (or even a debit card, for that matter!) you can have your budget in your head and you can do the best to stick with it when you check out, but it’s so much easier to go just a little bit over here and there when you’re swiping!

Plan a Menu
When you have a plan in place for what you’re supposed to be eating each meal and you’ve already purchased the ingredients for those recipes, it’s a lot harder to justify chucking the plan for takeout.

Use Coupons
Coupons are a great way to save a lot of money on your grocery bill, but they can be hard to keep up with. Clipping, sorting, and organizing coupons takes time — so enter a coupon database! You’ll have access to printable and other coupons currently available and it’s one of the most effective and efficient ways to save money on groceries.

Buy Store Brands
One way to save a great deal of money on your grocery budget is to learn to like and use a variety of brands. The sooner you can get over being a brand-snob, the more your pocketbook will thank you.
For example, while I breast fed my children, moms who choose to formula feed can save up to 50 percent by switching to store brand formula, which meets the same FDA quality standards as expensive name brands. There are also coupons available at a website - StoreBrandFormula.com (www.storebrandformula.com).  This one simple change can save moms about $600 a year. 

Now the fun part, to get your own prize back including:

•         A copy of “Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your  Passion for Life” by Crystal Paine
•         1 container of store brand formula
•         9 assorted Puree Pouches
•         5 assorted Puffs
•         4 assorted Yogurt Bites

Please leave a comment with your best money saving tip and your email by Saturday, March 22nd (Baby Girl's 1 month Birthday!)

Thanks to CoynePR and Perrigo Nutritionals for the information and products. 

**No compensation was received for this review, only the sample products shown above. 

San-J Sauces Review

The wonderful people at Naturally Savvy again provided me with some new products to try from San-J Sauces. As a household that LOVES Asian food (and healthy ones) this was a great opportunity. We are know to throw together a quick fried rice to use up extra veggies all the time!

  First up was the the Mongolian Sauce. Here is some info:

"MONGOLIAN BEEF STIR FRY AND MARINADE SAUCE - San-J’s newest luscious flavor that allows home gourmets to make restaurant-quality Asian meals at home. This all natural, gluten-free and non-GMO sauce is the fastest, easiest and tastiest way to make authentic Mongolian Beef in your own kitchen: Starting with 1/2 to 1 pound of flank steak, cut in thinly across the grain into strips. Coat the strips with cornstarch, then stir-fry in hot oil. To finish, simply add San-J Mongolian Beef Sauce, top with sliced green onions and serve.  All the delectable flavors of traditional Mongolian Beef are already in the sauce, including ginger, garlic, and just he right touch of sweetness. Also can be used with chicken, shrimp or tofu."


I marinated some chicken with this for a lo mein and the flavor is wonderful, not over powering and very tasty. My two year old was a huge fan:)

Next up was the Tamari Lite

For a family that uses a lot of soy sauce this was a nice change. Here is the info about the sauce:

"TAMARI LITE – A breakthrough for anyone who is concerned about the sodium content in available soy sauces. It is a flavorful Tamari that contains 50% less sodium than their regular Gluten-Free Tamari (Black Label), and made from 100% soybeans. Tamari Lite is ideal for the home chef who is trying to reduce the family’s salt intake without sacrificing on taste.  Like most San-J sauces, Tamari Lite is certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organization as well as Non-GMO Project verified and made form non-genetically-modified soybeans. It can be used in stir-fry, rice or noodle dishes, as a flavor enhancer in soups and sauces, as a marinade or a condiment. "

These sauces are great and much healthier for you. I would recommend  San-J Sauces for anyone that is a frequent user of Asians sauces like we are.

***No compensation was received for this review all thoughts are my own. Two bottles of sauce were sent to sample for the review.

Barbara’s Organic Snackimals Review and Giveaway

The wonderful people at Naturally Savvy  have again sent me a wonderful product to review.

We received a box of each of the Barbara's Organic Snackimals Cinnamon Crunch and Vanilla Blast cereals to try. 

Here is the information from Barbara's:
Barbara’s Organic Snackimals cereal brings the Snackimals fun from the cookie aisle onto the breakfast table. Available in two great flavors, Cinnamon Crunch and Vanilla Blast, this nutritious cereal has 8g of whole grains and only 7g of sugar per serving. It is also a good source of calcium and fiber and low in sodium and cholesterol free. Best of all, it is USDA Organic and Non-GMO Verified! Put some in your kids’ lunch boxes, bag them up as an after-school snack, or bring them with you for an on-the-go munch!

I am a big fan of this cereal because not only is it organic, in comparison to most kid friendly cereals it is low in sugar and taste great. In our house the family favorite is the Vanilla Blast, but I personally like the Cinnamon Crunch myself. We have been eating these the last few days and I think I will have to buy a new box by the weekend!

If you would like to win a box of Barbara's Organic Snackimals Cinnamon Crunch and Vanilla Blast cereals for your family to try, just leave a comment telling me your favorite cereal (and leave your email as well). Giveaway ends Monday, November 11th at 12 PM EST.


Also check out this great contest that Barbara's Organic Snackimals is running:


*Contest alert! Barbara’s wants your help naming the Snackimals monkey! Click on the link below to enter to win a Year’s Supply of Snackimals Cereal and Cookies. 

*Everyone who enters wins a free Snackimals Dash app that is a lot of fun – steer the monkey through the jungle in search of healthy snacks for you and your friends, and recycle for bonus points!


*In addition to the grand prize of a Year’s Supply of Snackimals, there are lots of other cool contest prizes, so enter today! What will you name the Snackimals monkey? Send your suggestion today! http://www.nameasnackimal.com/?utm_source=naturally+savvy&utm_medium=blog+outreach&utm_campaign=blog 

Review "Label Lessons: Unjunk Your Kid's Lunch Box"

Naturally Savvy has launched a new FREE e-book: Label Lessons: Unjunk Your Kid's Lunch Box. It is similar to Label Lessons: Your Guide to a Healthy Shopping Cart, however this version teaches us how to properly read labels with a focus on foods that are often found in packed lunches.

The e-Book is FREE, features a variety of great printable coupons, and there is the chance to WIN a $1000 Healthy Shopping Spree. And even better - for every share of the e-book, Naturally Savvy will donate $1.00 to the Holistic Moms Network, a non-profit organization whose mission is to generate national awareness, education, and support for holistic parenting and green living.

Click here to get the e-book: Label Lessons: Unjunk Your Kid's Lunch Box

I found this book to be a great reminder of what to pack and what to not pack in our kids lunches, and you get coupons for the products in the book, what is not to love!

What is your go to lunch to pack for your little ones?