This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Jimmy Dean; however, the opinions and views expressed are my own.

New Years resolutions are frequently forgotten about one week into the new year. People often choose resolutions that are too tough to stick to or too much of a reach. I'm not going to make that mistake this year.

Instead of waiting until the New Year to start really getting into the workout mode again, I started a couple weeks ago and it's been going well. I know that it's difficult for me to get motivated to work out on my own, so I set up a bunch of personal training sessions with an affordable trainer who I've worked out with before. He's been busy making me sore and miserable (in a good way) for a few weeks now.

The best thing about him is that it's not all about pushing weights around. He's also talked to me a lot about nutrition and especially about protein. If you're going to work out in the morning, you need to eat protein before you go; and when you come home, a sensible lunch and a protein shake later in the day really make the difference between sticking with your workout plan and finding yourself elbow deep in a container of cheese balls.

Last week when I worked out with him, I had a bagel before I went to workout. Half way through our workout, I was dead tired. Today, I had a protein shake before going for my workout and the difference was unbelievable. It took longer for my muscles to fatigue and I felt stronger overall. And those kinds of feelings can become addicting, which is exactly what I'm hoping will happen.

Over the summer, I was one of the fortunate ones who got to spend some time with Jimmy Dean's "The Sun." He and a celebrity chef made me three different meals with different Jimmy Dean products, and I was a happy and full girl by the time the show was finished filming.

Recently, I was told about a new Jimmy Dean product called "D-Lights." This is the perfect way to get my protein each morning and I am looking forward to giving them a try this week.

For your chance to win a $100 Visa gift card, respond in the comments section below and tell me how you plan on making choices that are better for you in 2011. For the official round-up page, click here. 

The sweepstakes runs from December 28, 2010 to January 30, 2011 and is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older.  Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.  Click here for official rules.  Here are the basics:

Rules:

No duplicate comments.  You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) Read the official rules for alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.  Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.  You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Good luck!

Some of most favorite ornaments from one of my most favorite companies are the ornaments from Wendell August Forge.  Wendell August Forge  is America's oldest and largest forge creating hand-wrought metalware for over 85 years.  The company continues to be an American company producing American made products.  But better than that, they are a company that completely exhibits the American spirit.  Six months ago, their flagship store, an historic building containing precious items, burned to the ground.  And while this could have destroyed the company forever, the owners and employees dusted themselves off and flourish today.  Their strength and grace in such dire circumstances are an inspiration.  I loved this company before, but now I have a profound respect for their spirit and determination to continue to make American made, hand-wrought gifts for generations to come.

My newest favorite thing from the company is this:

Look at this incredible For Santa with Love plate for Christmas Eve night.  Complete with the red ceramic mug for Santa's cocoa, Santa will be sure to stop by any house with this keepsake.  Santa is lovingly illustrated in extreme detail. When I asked my son what he thought of it, his response, after the squeal of delight, was  "that's great!"  This truly is high praise from a six year old.

There are so many amazing products by Wendell August Forge.   You can buy from them online, or visit one of their four locations.  Some of my most precious wedding gifts came from Wendell August Forge and I have a Christmas dream to add a fifth tree at our house with just Wendell August Forge ornaments. How amazing would that be? 

Can you tell how much I love this company?  If you need gift ideas, visit them and support an American company, producing American-made products, and who, quite literally, has risen from the ashes.

TKDDaughter gives Wendell August Forge, their To Santa with Love plate, and all their other items a resounding:

Enter Soma Intimates Personality PJs.

When I saw there was a tour for pajamas, I was all over that. Soma Intimates offers a wide range of pajamas, but their personality pjs are brand new. You can find out what pair of personality pjs fits your personality best by taking this quiz.

Any guesses at to which one I am?

You might be surprised to know that my category was "chic" (followed closely by "wild"). Here is a picture of my pajamas, although that is not me and I tend to button mine up when I wear them.

I'll be honest. At first, I was like, "Oh man, I wanted the blue ones." Everything I own is practically blue. However, once I put these on, I was pleasantly surprised. The lacy pattern in soft browns and black is very flattering and the satin material is super comfortable and a big departure from my flannel and fleece obsession.

I was worried when I chose my size that I picked incorrectly. However, their sizing is very true to size. In fact, it might even be a bit oversized. Normally, when I choose PJs, I go up a size, but whatever pant and dress size you are, that's what you should order. I could have possibly even gone down a size. It took me a while to get this review up because no clothing review of any kind is complete without a wash test. I'm the girl who buys clothes and wears it before washing it because I am terrified it will shrink. I have very long arms and legs. However, I was quite happy when they came out of the washer and dryer the exact same size that they went in there.  

If you're looking for a unique gift for someone, figure out their personality and get a pair of these PJs. They are luxurious, fun and true to size. I can't think of anything better than that (unless they were all blue, of course).

BBM gives the Soma Intimates Personality PJs. . .

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Soma Intimates and received a pair of Personality PJs to thank me for taking the time to participate.

This is what makes us love our Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee machine even more-he can get his caffeine and I can stick with my decaf.  He also likes very sweet coffee, and I tend towards just a little cream.  My favorite is the Caffe Lungo Decaf-it's a flavorful, bold coffee, but no caffeine to make me crazy.  The hubby's favorite is the Vanilla Macchiato. My only issue with it – and it's a small and common issue- is that there aren't a few more decaf choices.  There are many other options, though, including cold beverages.  So whether you need a warm cup of comfort or a cold, refreshing beverage, the Nescafe Dolce Gusto is the right choice for anyone!

We are so happy with this machine.  It's the perfect addition to our kitchen "family" and has allowed us to enjoy the kind of coffee we want, whenever we want it!

TKDDaughter gives the Nescafe Dolce Gusto a:

“I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto and received a coffee machine to facilitate my review.”

Never in a million years did I ever think I would  use those types of words about a…coffee maker!  Yet, here I am.  You see, there's a new addition to my kitchen and it's making all the other appliances.  Here it is:

 
You see it now, don't you?  It's awesome!  It's the Dolce Gusto Creativa!

This machine is an instant update for anyone's kitchen.  And I'm telling you…your other small appliances are going to be turning green with jealousy.

Interested in this machine?  Come back tomorrow to read about how well it works and the flavor choices.  To tide you over until then, check this out.  See you then!

“I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto and received a coffee machine to facilitate my review.”

However, with the 4th grade comes all kinds of new challenges and I recently decided it would be worth my while to review this program already and see if it's all it is supposed to be and more.

I'll be up front about this: my kids are really well behaved and we don't have a ton of problems. My daughter is a straight A student and her teachers pretty much want to adopt her. However, we do struggle with some new found independence and talking back issues lately. So I dug into the program and went through the first two sections. 

Like a reading program I did with my daughters years ago, the best part about this program is that it is as much a behavior management program for children as it is for parents. I learned a lot about the type of parent I am and the way I react to certain situations. It's not one of those programs that blames you for how you parent and tells you that you alone are responsible for when your child rolls her eyes at you. It simply lays it all out there and makes you go, "Hmm, yeah, that is me." 

In addition to telling you the type of parent you are, it also tells you how each individual parenting type can change for the better. It's not a magical program where results are seen overnight. However, it's food for thought and if you put the effort into changing your behavior and eliminating behaviors in your child that are not becoming, I have no doubt it will work quite well. 

The program also helps you figure out your own kid and how they react to certain situations. Of the many types, it was easy to peg my child and understand why she acts the way she does. These discoveries, by the way, happened with me spending about one hour with the program. 

I quickly realized that much of what my daughter does, when I'm discussing something with her, is try to distract me from the real issue and draw attention away from whatever she has done wrong. In less than an hour, I learned a technique to deal with it and was able to apply it instantly. The results were pretty fantastic. Instead of talking back like she usually does, she stopped talking and thought about her behavior. Then she apologized and the issue was over. 

Keep in mind that this was just with me doing the quick start-up portion of the program. There are techniques and weeks worth of material to review and learn from; and the program offers something for every parenting type of type of kid (serious diagnosed behavior problems or just your run of the mill childhood rebellion). 

Currently, The Total Transformation Program is offering some excellent specials where you can get the program for absolutely nothing. If you are struggling with behavior problems and want a more peaceful house, I strongly recommend you give this a try. The best part about the program is that no matter what the age of your child, there is help out there for you. 

With exactly one hour of time spent reading, learning and watching a video, my house has certainly become a little more peaceful. I bet yours would too. 

The Total Transformation Program comes with a workbook, a DVD and many audio Cd's to help you on your path to greater understanding with your child. Click over to their website and check it out for yourself. This is one review blogger who thinks it is totally worth it.

BBM gives The Total Transformation Program a…

In order to complete the review, The Total Transformation Program was provided to me free of charge from The Legacy Publishing Group. No additional compensation was provided. 

For many years, my Mom was tied to daily insulin shots (several times a day) and frequent finger sticks as she continually tested her blood. It sounds like more of an inconvenient disease, but there's much more to it than that. I remember coming home from school as a little girl to find my Mom unconscious and in insulin shock. She always took really good care of herself, but diabetes is an unpredictable disease and when you're a brittle diabetic, it makes it even worse. I can't even tell you how many times I saw my Mom disappear into an ambulance. It was terrifying.

Today, there have been many advances. My Mom uses a sensor that beeps and alerts her when her blood sugar is dropping. She also uses an insulin pump which eliminates the need for constant injections. However, the pump is a tethered reminder of her disease and she rarely gets an uninterrupted night of sleep without her sensor waking her up. It is a disease that robs you of many of your freedoms and it is life changing, not only for those who have it, but for the family members that face it as well.

I had just a brief taste of what it was like when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during my second pregnancy. The frequent finger sticks and blood tests were an annoyance and low blood sugars, after I took my medications, were scary. I was elated when I delivered and was told I was in the clear. However, it is something that is always on my mind. Diabetes tends to run in families and we are careful to watch our sugar intake in our household. Sugar doesn't cause the disease, but it's certainly an enemy of every diabetic.

This year, the JDRF has found an amazing way to raise money and I hope you'll join me in supporting the cause. Spearheaded by Komar, the largest sleepwear manufacturer in the United States, PJs For The Cure was created to benefit JDRF. PJs For The Cure offers specially designed women's and children’s pajama sets and 100% of every sale from PJs For The Cure will be donated directly to the JDRF to fund further research to find a cure for juvenile diabetes. Their goal is to raise $1 million in support of JDRF. For more information and to support the cause, I encourage you to visit the PJs for The Cure Facebook page. Please "like it" and encourage your friends and followers to do the same.  You can buy your own set of PJs or just check them out here.

One lucky reader will receive a pair of the women's, girl's, or boy's pjs. Please leave a comment telling me your favorite thing to do in your pjs. Entries must be received no later than this Friday at midnight! Please check your email so you can shoot me back your name and mailing address if you're the winner! Good luck!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Komar and PJs For The Cure and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

When I first started taking prenatals, you had to have a prescription to get anything of quality…even with insurance, prices were extremely high.  Now, you can easily grab a prenatal over the counter, but finding a good one that provides you with the ingredients you need is a bit harder. 

Nature Made has made finding a great quality over the counter prenatal vitamin a lot easier.  Nature Made was the first to launch a prenatal with DHA in one single softgel; DHA is the omega-3 fatty acid that plays an important role in brain development.  Containing 800 mg of folic acid, iron, vitamins A, C, D, and zinc, you get all the essential vitamins that you need to get your body in great fertile condition. 

After having taken the Nature Made Prenatal + DHA for a few weeks, I can report that it is an easy vitamin to take…some make me a little sick, but the Nature Made is easy to take and it seems easy to digest.  I'll be continuing to take prenatals until we're finished trying to have children and Nature Made will be my vitamin of choice.  And the cool thing, YOU can win a 9 months supply of Nature made Prenatal + DHA vitamins, 2 packs of clothe diapers, and a food processor.  Just leave a comment below and one winner will be chosen for this awesome giveaway!

TKDDaughter gives Nature Made Prenatal + DHA a

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central on behalf of Nature Made and received the products necessary to facilitate my review and giveaway.”

Now, six years later, oral care has taken on a different meaning in our house-if you brush your teeth and floss regularly, the trip to the dentist won't take as long.  This has been a great motivator in our house!  If you're like us, though, any holidays really messes with the routine.  And Halloween is NOT the time to be putting aside the family oral care with the amount of candy in our house right now.  Listerine has found a way to help with that…they have launched the Listerine Oral Care Challenge in the month of October to help families with all the other months of the year.  My son, husband and I all took the challenge, brushing, flossing, and rinsing every day for three weeks.  We have one week left in our challenge, but we're all doing incredibly well.  We've gotten into the routine of brushing, flossing, and rinsing without too many reminders and my son likes the idea that he's making all future trips to the dentist a whole lot easier. I highly encourage you to challenge your own family with an oral care challenge.

LISTERINE and REACH also did a really cool event for Halloween-they joined forces with "America's Toothfairy" for "Trick or Treat for America's Toothfairy" to help raise awareness of pediatric dental disease and to help provide life changing dental care to children who don't have the access to quality dental care. Check this important campaign out and see all the good work that was accomplished. 

TKDDaughter gives the Listerine Oral Care Challenge a:

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of LISTERINE and REACH and received products to take the Oral Care Challenge. Mom Central also sent me a Global Giving gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

 

The Filtrete Water Pitcher from 3M is the perfect fit for our family.  It's space-saving shape allows us to fit in all the other "necessaries" in our fridge (you know, things like chocolate cake…) and still have room for the water pitcher.  The water has a clear, untainted taste, and the filter filters the water super fast, five times faster than other water filters!  The ease of the pitcher has my family drinking a lot more water!

Filtrete also has a registration system that sends you seasonal newsletters, better living tips, and money-saving offers, but the best reason to sign up?  They'll send you filter change reminders.  Sign me up because I never remember when the last time I changed the filter was! You can also follow the Filtrete brand on Twitter andFacebook.

Best part yet, just for reading this post, you can take advantage of this coupon!

TKDDaughter gives the Filtrete Water Pitcher a:

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Filtrete and received the water pitcher to facilitate my candid review.”