Lifeway Frozen Treats Kefir Blog Giveaway and Review

You can WIN this plus other Lifeway goodies!!!

I was so excited to see Lifeway as one of the companies at the BSM Media Suite during the BlogHer conference. It was such a hot day it was truly thrilling to sample some of their newer products including the Lifeway Frozen Kefir. I already was so familiar with the brand I knew I would love the newbies too! The have a grown-up Lifeway Frozen Kefir (just like ice cream but better for you!!) in fun flavors like Pomegranate, Dulce de Leche and Strawberry pints and they also have a ProBugs Frozen Kefir just for the kiddos in their own fun flavors!

I have tried alot of the Lifeway products over the past few years but the Lifeway ProBugs Frozen Kefir is a new product that they added to the ProBugs line that I had not seen before.  There are several yummy flavors including fun flavors like:

Goo-Berry Pie

 

Strawnana Split 

Orange Creamy Crawler

They sound yummy right?  They really are!  I loved the Orange Creamy Crawler.  It tasted just like a delicious Orange Creamsicle except that you, as a mom, know that it is better for you and the kiddos. All Lifeway products are all natural, probiotic and GMO-Free so you can feel good about giving them to your kids. We will just keep it our major, bank-safe deposit box double key little secret.

Lifeway carries a whole line of healthy products including frozen Kefir products and refrigerated Kefir drinks.  Another frozen item I love is the Lifeway Frozen Kefir in pints. I have a secret stash a container in the back of the extra freezer for emergencies.  I often buy alot of my Lifeway faves at ShopRite or at my local fruit and vegetable store when I am in a rush.  UPDATE:  I also found the ProBugs kids at Target by the yogurt!  I also found alot at Stop & Shop.  I recently found a stash of the low fat Strawberry and Blueberry Lifeway 8 oz "grab and go" Kefir drinks at Costco too! Boy, hubby and little one couldn't drink them fast enough!  Here is the Lifeway Store Locator to check them out in your own area.  I like to use the Lifeway Kefir as a basis for a fruit and veggie shake for myself or my little one.  I will add whatever fresh fruits and veggies I like and make it fun. Just know that Lifeway Kefir has 12 exclusive live and active probiotic cultures, is 99% lactose free and gluten free.  Lifeway Kefir is also an excellent source of calcium and protein. We all need more calcium and protein!

Here is one of the great recipes from their Lifeway Community Blog. Check it out and see all the great suggestions they have there!

     Sweetheart Cookies Courtesy of Lifeway Recipes

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar - packed
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup Lifeway Nonfat Plain Kefir
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Directions:  Beat sugars, margarine & shortening until light & fluffy. Add Lifeway Nonfat Plain Kefir & vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt & chips.
Drop on sheet sprayed with Pam.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8 -12 min.
Cool 1 minute on sheet & then remove to racks.

Lifeway is always posting yummy recipes and promotions on their Facebook and Twitter pages so don't forget to follow them and let them know how much you enjoy their products. They are even on Pinterest too!

Don't forget to enter to win your free coupons for Lifeway products below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lifeway provided free coupons for this post. My participation is voluntary and my opinions, as always are my own.  

Gevalia Kaffee Coffee Fika with Friends Sweepstakes, Review and Recipe Ideas

I was excited to meet with the peeps from Gevalia Kaffee late this summer during the BlogHer conference in NYC.  I didn't realize that Gevalia has been around since 1853--that is a long time!  Gevalia used to be available online only but now the Top 10 varieties are available nationwide in the coffee aisles of supermarkets.  Check your local supermarket HERE for availability.  Gevalia believes everyone including busy moms like us deserve a second moment for themselves to savor a delicious cup of coffee!

  Gevalia was kind enough to send me several varieties of coffee to try at home.  Hubby was very excited as he loves premium coffee brands like Gevalia.  I received a Gevalia Traditional Roast and a Gevalia House Blend variety to try. 

The Traditional Roast comes in whole bean and ground for convenience.  This is a really balanced blend that tastes great.  We both loved it.  My mom was visiting for a week and this was a fave of hers as well!  It is made from choice, mountain-grown Arabica beans but it is not super heavy...it is a medium roast.

The Gevalia House Blend is a little more robust than the Traditional Roast.  It isn't bitter it just has that darker roast kind of flavor but not as dark as a French Roast if you know what I mean.  It has a great aroma and the flavor is nice and deep--good for when you need a little more than a nudge on those EARLY mornings.  Kind of like when school is starting....you all know exactly where I am going, right ladies?  I really enjoyed the House Blend too. 

Want to try a yummy Gevalia recipe?  This one is a little fancy....perfect for guests!


Frothy Mocha Seville

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 squares (2 oz.) semi-sweet baking chocolate, cut up
• 1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, cut up
• 1 1/2 tsp. grated orange peel
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups freshly brewed double-strength Gevalia Espresso Roast Coffee
• 1/2 half-and-half or light cream, warmed
• Whipped Honey-Orange Topping

Directions

1. Place brown sugar, semi-sweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, orange peel and cinnamon in blender container; cover. Blend until chocolate is finely chopped.
2. Add hot coffee to blender container; cover and blend on medium speed until chocolate is melted.
3. Add half-and-half or light cream; cover and blend until frothy. Pour into 4 coffee mugs or cups.
4. Top each serving with a spoonful of Whipped Honey-Orange Topping and additional grated orange peel. Makes 4 servings.
5. Whipped Honey-Orange Topping
6. Mix 1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon orange liqueur or orange juice in chilled small bowl.
7. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.

Would you like to win $50,000?  Oh, come on....who wouldn't love that?  Gevalia has an exciting sweepstakes promotion right NOW where you can have the chance to win $50,000!  Even the 2nd place prize is fantastic....a trip to Hawaii!  What the heck....you have to be in it to win it so throw your name in the hat.  Mine is in there so we will cross our fingers!

Don't forget to follow Gevalia on Twitter and on Facebook for lots of other fun ideas with coffee.  

I received complimentary Gevalia products from Kraft as a part of this blog post.  All opinions are my own and include my personal experiences with the products. 

Review: Nice 'n Easy Non-Permanent Haircolor #FlirtWithHairColor

I was excited to be chosen to participate in a new blogger program with Vocalpoint.com  from Nice 'n Easy.  They just launched a great product for anyone that needs a little color pick me up for their hair.  New Non-Permanent Hair Color from Nice 'n Easy lets you kind of date a new hair color before you commit.  The color gradually washes out within 28 shampoos so you can sort of flirt with a pretty new shade of color before you get (hair) tied down.  Fun, especially if you are already married because you can still date and flirt LOL!

Vocalpoint and Clairol were so sweet to send me a free coupon so I could really try it out myself. I have light brown hair that I like to keep a bit lighter than that so I chose  #91 Dark Blonde. 

 It was super easy to use and felt very gentle on my hair and skin.  The color came out very similar to what they showed on the Clairol Website HERE.   It even colored those pesky little gray hairs!  It was very easy to figure out the shade I wanted too.  I loved the easy to read directions that came with the package and on the website.  I would definitely recommend Clairol Nice 'n Easy if you are looking to change your shade but not commit too much or too long.  

Try one or even a few shades and take your time deciding on your fave color!   Remember, 28 shampoos and you are all done. No major commitment.  If you love it then do it again with the same Clairol Nice 'n Easy color too or you can switch to another beautiful Clairol more permanent color!  I bet you will love it.  

Don't forget to check out more fun new products and chat with others online and see what they think on Vocalpoint.com.   You can also see what is going on their Facebook page too.  You can go directly there with this link:  Facebook.com/vocalpoint.

You can also follow Clairol on Twitter.  Have fun!

I received a free coupon from Vocalpoint and Clairol in exchange for expressing my opinion.  All opinions and comments are my own.

Review & Giveaway: A Gem Creation Hair Decor

I recently was invited to the MomSelect Swag Suite event as part of a recent blog weekend.  I met a bunch of great brands including Ronit from A Gem Creation.  She had so many beautiful clips, barrettes and more I was stunned.  When I went on her EtsyA Gem Creation page I was totally wowed. You have to check it out.  The colors and designs were so creative too.  Every size you can imagine too!

I chose a Blue Flower Clip as my gift.  It is a beautiful sky blue and clips in my hair easily.  It really adds a lot of flair to any outfit. It is perfect for any occasion too.

You can really see the love and care that goes into each piece that Ronit creates.  She has been crafting for years and has always loved to create things. All AGC items are unique, handmade and rarely repeated which is exciting to me.  She uses a bunch of different fabrics and ribbons, embellishments and hardware which makes each hair item unique. I appreciate that all the clips are lead free and CPSIA compliant.  That makes all the moms comfortable with using them on children too.  She even uses totally non toxic glues and materials. She donates to many causes including families in need.  I really liked that and wanted to support her even more after I read about that.  

You can check out more of her beautiful creations on her Facebook page HERE. Don't forget to visit Etsy to buy any of her pretty pieces too!

Leave a comment about your thoughts on A Gem Creation's hair accessories or tweet about them and a way to contact you in order to be in to win a random piece from their collection!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  I received a product sample for review. As always, all opinions are my own.