My McCormick Grill Mates Grill Ambassadors Party

I was really excited to be chosen to host a McCormick Grill Mates party as a member of Crowdtap.  Here is the Crowdtap link if you would like to join and get in on some of these great opportunities to connect with brands you love and possibly get some products to try and share with others!  It was a great opportunity to get together with friends Memorial Day weekend.  We had a ton of fun down at the beach house.  We got the grill going with some help from McCormick Grill Mates.  They sent us a bunch of great items in our party kit:

Party Booklet

Grill Mates® Spiced Brandy & Herb Marinade

Grill Mates® Slow and Low Memphis Pit BBQ Rub

Grill Mates® Montreal Steak Seasoning Blend

Grill Mates® Molasses Bacon Seasoning Blend

Grill Mates® Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Sauce

We grilled up a ton of yummy Spiced Brandy & Herb Marinade chicken wings and the Grill Mates Molasses Bacon Seasoning made the burgers taste out of this world.  I made up a big batch of yummy pasta salad with fresh orange peppers, scallions, zucchini and green squash.  I tossed it with a quick sauce made with dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, pepper and a few other secret additions.  Of course I made a giant salad with lots of fresh arugula and summer baby tomatoes. We baked some fresh brownies for dessert with ice cream.   It was a beautiful day and the weather held up all afternoon.  

Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day. 

Book Review: Sass Yourself Slim!

Cynthia Sass has written a simple book called Sass Yourself Slim about healthy eating for people that are looking for quick results without crash diets. Her book introduces a 30 day eating plan plus a Fast Forward plan to help you start to see the results super fast!

Sass Yourself Slim shows you what you need to eat and and when you should eat it.  She makes it very easy to follow too.

The author even explains how to make the diet work for you and increase your self confidence and learn to love walking.  She gives you all the tools and resources you need to improve your mind and your body.

Cynthia Sass includes a critical section in the book on S.A.S.S, which explains fully about integrating certain seasonings and flavorings into your foods.

I am already a healthy eater and I exercise but let's be real:  no one is perfect including me.  My weight doesn't stay constant and everyone, including me needs a jump start now and then. Especially for bikini season!  The author writes this book with an easy step by step approach that anyone can follow.  She gives you simple steps to change your eating habits for the better. 
Even if you can't do the Fast Forward part, that is okay.  Just move forward and follow the rest of the plan, girl!   Cynthia even says that it is okay to skip the Fast Forward and don't stress about it.

The S.A.S.S part of the program, which includes information about seasonings is totally new to me and I thought it was fascinating!  It is a novel way of thinking about eating and satiety and makes alot of sense to me.  Speaking of satiety, she also gives the green light to including some chocolate in your everyday diet. Let's not go crazy but there are benefits as long as the portion is reasonable!

I love her recipes and she gives your some great ideas for healthy cooking and eating. You sure can incorporate your own recipes and ideas into the plan as well so no worries there ladies.

Sass Yourself Slim is really a mind and body approach to good health. This is not any kind of crazy crash diet that you won't be able to maintain long term. This is a plan for good health that you can continue for years to come!  Check out her website and let me know what you think.






 I was given the opportunity to read and review the S.A.S.S Yourself Slim book through One to One Network.  I was given the book by One to One Network to provide an honest review that included my own personal opinions and experiences.  The opinions in this post are all my own.

Save Big and Eat Healthy with Green Giant Coupon!

I recently found out that  Weight Watchers endorses Green Giant Boxed Vegetables.  What great news.  Frozen boxed vegetables by Green Giant are a great way to get your veggies in and now you can save at the same time! 

You can visit http://bit.ly/greengiantcoupon to download a printable *coupon for $0.60 off the purchase of two boxes of Weight Watchers® endorsed Green Giant Boxed Vegetables.

I  received this information and the coupon offer from Green Giant and Weight Watchers through MyBlogSpark.

Madagascar 3 Europe's Most Wanted Crowdtap Party

You can't have Madagascar Movies without popcorn!

My Super Madagascar 3 Europe's Most Wanted Party

 Crowdtap has all these wonderful opportunities to get involved with fun products and services for you and your family.  You really should check it out. It is fun, easy and you never know what you might find or recieve!  Recently, I qualified for a party opportunity coinciding with the June 8th premiere of Madagascar 3:  Europe's Most Wanted.  We had such a fun time this past weekend playing and watching the first two Madagascar movies too!

My Rainbow Circus Cake

DreamWorks Animation  and Crowdtap sent me this super Madagascar Digital Party Kit (that helped me create my own circus at home with family and friends.  I already had the DVD's Madagascar 1 and 2 so the timing was perfect!  The kids loved all the games and decorations.  I added a few of my own as well.  They loved the face painting...thanks to my neighbor and friend Tammie, they all looked so realistic!  Alex, Melman, Marty, Gloria and our fave characters joined us at our party this past weekend while we ate, played and watched the DVD of Madagascar 1 and 2 to get us hopped up for the upcoming movie premier. Check out what I received to help get my circus adventure going!

This is what I received in my Party Ki:

• - A crack-a-lackin recipe for Marty's zebra cake
• - A classic game with a "mad" twist featuring Gloria
• - Decorations, masks and face paint to get everyone into the Madagascar mood
• - Fun activities and games to keep the party movin'

A little more about Crowdtap for you ladies and men out there that may be wondering. 

Crowdtap  is a new kind of social marketing and research platform that enables you to be rewarded for working with and promoting great leading brands, entertainment properties and many other types of companies.  You can earn cash for rewards and charity too for taking surveys, sampling new products and promoting your favorite brands to your friends and family.

These are some of the potential rewards out there with Crowdtap:

• CASH REWARDS - Activities launched by brands will earn you cash rewards
• GIFT CARDS - Your cash can be redeemed for Amazon.com gift cards
• HELP CHARITIES - Your cash can also be used to help your selected charity
• FREE PRODUCTS - Some activities will also offer you free products and other goodies 

My Marty's Zebra Cupcakes!

#Crowdtap

Madagascar 3 Party In Celebration of the Movie Premier June 8th

Madagascar 3 Party Coming to Theaters June 8th!!

Thanks to Children's Claritin and MomSelect,  I  recently got the opportunity to have a fun  Madagascar Movie Party.  We were sent a fantastic movie package that included both Madagascar 1 & 2 movies on DVD, adorable Popcorn containers, Madagascar tattoos and a ton of Children’s Claritin to share with guests.  It was a great opportunity for me to spend time with some of my mom friends and for the kids to relax, play some games and enjoy the movies.

This sure was a perfect time to discuss allergies as I had been working out in the garden the day of the party.  I had been sneezing and my throat was so itchy I had popped a Claritin before the party--thank goodness because it allowed me to really enjoy myself--24 hours allergy free with my Claritin too.   I love that I don't even get drowsy too!  The moms (and dads) chatted about their allergy experiences this season and everyone was excited to get the Claritin samples.  Several of the moms and dads are Claritin users themselves and their children as well.  I told them how my little one never seemed to mind taking Claritin when she had allergies either since it tasted so good!  They all agreed.

So, back to the party...it was great because we had both a bunch of Madagascar fans including my husband who watched with the kids!  Before the movie started we let the kids color and do crafts with the free Madagascar printables from the Facebook/Claritin website out in our backyard.   We have a few big colored beach balls which they incorporated into their circus antics after they decided they needed to do some circus activities in celebration of the movie.   You can also find some additional printable Madagascar movie printable activities on the movie website here by clicking on printables.

#ChildrensClaritinParty

Beautiful Brahmin Bag for Summer!

I was so thrilled to be chosen as a member of the Vogue Influencer Network.  It has been a wonderful experience working so closely with Vogue and getting the inside skinny on all the new styles and trends for each season.  I was especially excited recently when I received a notice that I was chosen, as a member of the Vogue Influencer Network, to receive a Brahmin purse.

I just received my Brahmin Arno Glossy Tote today and it is gorgeous.  Ever since I first set foot in Florence, Italy years ago, I fell in love with black as a staple of my wardrobe.  The longer I lived there and the better my fashion sense got.  I learned how perfect black is--day or day, casual or dressy.

So you can imagine my excitement when I opened the box and took the purse out of the protective bag and saw that it was a gorgeous black color.  I love it. The Brahmin Arno Glossy Tote is part of the Brahmin Spring/Summer Collection.  It has a zip top and sturdy shoulder straps. I love the outside profile pocket too.  The brass hardware is a perfect complement to the glossy black. The bottom has feet so the bag stays protected as well.

Take a peek at some of the other beautiful bags in the Brahmin Spring/Summer collection--I am sure you will find a gorgeous one just for you!

Free Bowling ALL SUMMER LONG! AMF's Summer Unplugged

It is always a challenge to keep the kids busy during the summer, you know what I mean?  There are only so many days you can go to the beach or just hang out in the yard.  Sometimes air conditioned bowling is just what everyone needs!  AMF Summer Unplugged & Summer Pass is one of the best freebies I have heard about yet for the summer.  Let me know what you think....

AMF's Summer Unplugged is this summer's best bowling deal for kids!  And adults get in on the fun too with Summer Pass.

Summer Unplugged: Zip, Zero, Zilch for Kids 15 and Under

At select AMF centers, two free games of bowling per day for kids 15 and under. (Shoe rental not included, but they’re worth paying for.)

• Time: Free bowling until 8:00PM, 7 days a week.
• Dates: Monday, May 14 through Monday, September 3 (Labor Day).
  
• Parents go to http://bit.ly/AMFfree to select a participating center (over 250 locations) and complete a simple registration form.
• Free game coupons emailed every week starting May 14 – it’s that simple!
• $3.29 Kids Meals

Summer Pass: Great Deal for Everyone 16 and Over

2 free games, per day for up to four people ages 16 and up (shoe rental not included).
One $29.95 Summer Pass is good for 2 games per day for up to four people all summer long - that's $7.50 per person! (Same dates and times as above.)
Available online at http://bit.ly/SummerPass.


I was provided with this information as a member of the One2One Network.  

Unjunk Your Junk Food Book Review

Are you trying to eat healthier but get frustrated with all those crazy ingredients on the food labels? You may be finding it a real challenge to figure out what is REALLY going to help you eat healthier. What about your family? Don't forget about your kiddos too. The most popular brands are not always the best for your family to eat!   So many of the brands you know and have been buying forever contain some really scary ingredients.

Unjunk Your Junk Food is a great little book and reference guide by the creators of NaturallySavvy.com that truly helps to educate you about food and drink choices in an easy to understand way. It has simple comparisons of your typical choices and a healthier sub. You can see below how they show you that PopTarts are a no-no but the yummy sub by Nature's Path (which I happen to have recently bought by coincidence) is a healthier version with no freaky ingredients. My little one thinks the Nature's Path toaster pastries taste way better too! How easy is that?

Unjunk Your Junk Food is small enough that you can stash it in your purse or tote bag to refer to on a regular basis--like when you are food shopping!  It really helps you begin to re-think your food choices before they sneak their way into your cupboards. Don't forget all the yummy subs for every item that they don't recommend eating so you don't feel deprived--you just feel healthier without all those funky chemicals and additives.

Many of the items they recommend I regularly see at the conventional supermarkets her in the mid-Atlantic region like ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Pathmark and A & P. I have also seen many of them at Whole Foods as well. Unjunk Your Junk Food is a wonderful little book to help you get started on the road to healthier eating. Andrea Donsky and Randy Boyer explain the basics about healthy nutrition in the first few chapters.

The authors decipher some of those terms and names you have always wondered about like Pantothenic Acid and Ferrous Fumurate. How about GMOs? When you read the book you will find the answers! The main section of Unjunk Your Junk Food is a really fun and easy to understand format that shows you what to avoid and what to try in place of the offending food. They even give you additional options for healthy subs too on each page. They also explain why they are advising you not to eat something and why you SHOULD substitute something else.

I like their little Savvy Alert tips on each page as well. Tiny little tidbits or explanations that are "easy to digest." Just like the DIY tips. Easy little ideas to make for tasty snacks, drinks or even a body scrub! Everything is easy to absorb and not overwhelming. That is really important, right? We all like easy-peasy!

You can see below they show you a can of Coke Classic. What could be wrong with that? Even I used to keep it in the house for when a family member was ill. Yikes. It is full of high fructose corn syrup and caffeine. They show you the ingredients and nutrition information right there on the spot.

The nice part is they show you the substitute--Blue Sky Natural Soda. I bought Blue Sky Cola at Stop & Shop recently in their natural foods section. I have to say it tastes great and I feel better knowing that my family has a healthier option on the rare occasions when we drink soda.

 I was excited to participate in this book review opportunity through Naturally Savvy's blogger program. I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book Unjunk Your Junk Food Healthy Alternatives To Conventional Snacks by Andrea Donsky and Randy Boyer. All written opinions are my own and I was not provided with payment of any kind. 

Unjunk Your Junk Food is a great book to buy to get you started with eating healthier. I love the size and easy to read format. It would be perfect to share with your children to help them understand why you might be making some changes. The large, colorful pictures would be a fun way to involve the family in helping your to find items on the store shelves too!

I would like to leave you with a quick reference of ‘The Scary Seven’ ingredients lurking in so many everyday foods. Andrea and Randy suggest you steer clear of these ingredients if at all possible:  

MSG: Monosodium Glutamate 
HFCS: High-Fructose Corn Syrup 
Trans-Fat: anything hydrogenated or hydrogenated 
Artificial colors 
Artificial flavors 
Artificial Sweeteners: (Aspartame, Splenda, ace-K (Sweet One), Saccharin (Sweet n Low) 
Preservatives: Polysorbate 80, TBHQ, Propionates, Sodium benzoate, BHA, BHT, Sulfur dioxide  

Unjunk Your Junk Food Healthy Alternatives To Conventional Snacks retails for US $17.99.  It is available online at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon and Books-A-Million and in stores. I see that Amazon currently has a great sale price of $12.23 (move fast...prices change quickly on Amazon!).

Get your child to drink more milk and WIN BIG with Big G cereals!

Did you know that simply drinking the leftover milk from cereal bowls may help kids work towards fulfilling their body´s daily dairy, calcium, and Vitamin D needs? And what better way to slurp down to the bottom of the bowl than with the new Curvy Straws, available in-pack of specially marked boxes of Big G cereal! With these collectable, connectable Curvy Straws, children of all ages can enjoy mixing and matching to build bigger, colorful straws all while helping them work towards stronger bones and muscles through increased calcium intake!

Be sure to collect all six different colorful straws featuring beloved Big G cereal characters Participating Big G cereals include Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms®(16 oz.), Reese’s® Puffs (18 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Trix®(14.8 oz)  and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz) Made with more whole grain than any other ingredient, Big G cereal, combined with a ½ cup of milk, can help provide a great start to your family’s day  Whether you use one or connect them all, the fun with Big G Curvy Straws doesn’t have to stop when you reach the end of the bowl. Simply grab another serving of ice cold milk, and slurp away! Need more cereal to go with your milk? You  can visit this link to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off of the purchase of (2) boxes of participating Big G cereal today! One lucky reader will win a great prize pack from Big G and MyBlogSpark.  Don't forget to enter each day to increase your chances for winning! a Rafflecopter giveaway

www.wholegrainnation.com

The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark."

Children's Claritin Mom Crew Member Pefect Timing

I was recently notified just in time for the spring flowers and allergy season that I am officially a member of the the Children's Claritin Mom Crew. What perfect timing! I was thrilled to be included in this Mom's Panel because so many of the Mom's I know are managing allergies this time of year---and some of them year around!

 I have been so itchy and sneezy myself. My little one has been sneezing as well but fortunately not too bad this year. I always keep the Children's Claritin in the house just in case. The little one doesn't mind at all when she has to take Children's Claritin--says the chewables taste great too.

The pediatrician recommended Children's Claritin by name recently and suggested that it would help when allergy issues crop up.  I recently found out that Children's Claritin is the #1 Pediatrician Recommended Non-Drowsy Allergy Brand too. Only Children's Claritin provides Non-Drowsy 24hr Allergy relief with one pill a day.  I love that I can count on Children's Claritin when I need it most! If you haven't tried Children's Claritin, I would recommend you give it a whirl. Don't forget to check with your pediatrician first.

Do you have a favorite allergy medicine that you have had success with using for your child? I would love to hear about what has worked well for your kids too.

 "As a member of the Children's Claritin Mom Crew, I may receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit.  No monetary compensation has taken place   "As a member of the Children's Claritin Mom Crew, I receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit.   No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my personal experience." 

Brahmin Spring Collection of gorgeous bags

I was thrilled that Vogue Influencers shared a sneak peek with me at the Brahmin spring bag collection. Brahmin is so up to date with some fun, fancy- free modern, colorful designs that fit any style or outfit. Here are some of the polka dots, floral and snake designs that I love!

Reef launches gorgeous new Spring Shoe styles

If you've always loved Reef sandals, get ready to fall in love all over again with the Reef Bella Costas. This new line of beach chic ballet flats, boat shoes and slip-on shoes are sure to become your go-to for spring and summer.  Each shoe features a quilted foam footbed (soft and comfortable!) with anatomical arch support while the exterior features vibrant textiles, espadrilles and special details. The Reef Tropic, the conversation piece in the line, is constructed with textiles that are hand woven from skilled artisans in Guatemala as part of the brand's 'We Heart Collection.'  Let me know what you think!