Today I am excited to review the Vita Mix 5200 for you.  The vita-mix is my personal very favorite kitchen appliance.   We generally use it at least once per day – generally for smoothies.  (although it does get used for many many other things - such as to grind ice for homemade snow-cones, to grind dry peppers, to make homemade sorbet, to make almond milk, soup & more – I certainly don’t have room to list all the things we have used our vita-mix for!)  But back to smoothies… they are a great way to sneak in extra fruits, veggies and protein.  My kids call them milkshakes, and are delighted I let them drink a "milkshake" for breakfast!  I can’t think of a quicker, easier, or tastier way to get your daily dose of fruits and veggies.

In the past, our downfall was that we were going through at least one blender per year as a result of our smoothie habit.  We kept buying nicer (or at least more expensive) units, but even so, our motors kept giving out on us.  We were to the point where we were spending at least $150 a year on blenders!  We finally gave in and bought the nice professional quality Vita Mix 5200.  Now I don’t think we could live without this blender!  We LOVE this machine!  Everything turns out incredibly smooth, (no more hidden large ice chunks) the cookbook that comes with it is incredible and best of all…  It has a 7 year warranty!  (At the rate we were going through blenders, we would have spent $1050 in a 7 year period.)  When you look at that the Vita-Mix price is a steal!) 

Of course this machine is great for other things besides smoothies as well.  It is a food processor and blender all in one.  It basically does everything both a professional grade blender and food processor would do.  Anything from baby food, to chopping vegetables.  It also makes homemade soup (it even heats it up for you) and homemade ice-cream in a snap.  I guess it’s three machines in one for us (blender, food processor & ice-cream machine) as we have an ice-cream maker as well that we haven’t used since we purchased our Vita Mix.  You also have the option of purchasing a dry food container to make homemade flour and to knead dough – which is so much cheaper & healthier than buying the processed stuff you get in the store.

One of my favorite aspects of the machine is the clean up.  Do you have a traditional blender or smoothie maker that has to be disassembled into 3-10 parts for cleaning?  Yup, all our past machines were like that too.  This machine does not have to be taken apart.  When you are done using it simply fill it with hot water and a drop of dish soap.  Turn it on, run it for a minute, turn it off, dump and rinse and you are done!  So quick and easy!  

I will warn you that I felt a bit of sticker shock when I saw the price.  However, I am incredibly thankful now that we made the purchase.  Smoothies at our house have never been quicker or easier to make and they taste like the professional ones you pay $5.00 for at the mall or coffee shop.  (This is actually the machine those fancy shops use to prepare your drink!)  Truthfully we will be saving money as this one is guaranteed to last at least 7 years; so at the rate we were purchasing blenders this one has already paid for itself in less than 3 years.  Not to mention with this machine I don’t have to have extra kitchen appliances cluttering my kitchen.  I think we will probably own one for the rest of our lives now that we are so attached to ours. We have had ours for just over four years and use it pretty much every day and it hasn’t let us down yet!

Learn more about the Vita Mix Blender 
If you do decide to purchase through us, you are eligible for free shipping.  
The coupon code is 06-001694.  (As well as the bonus mentioned at the top of this page.)

Disclaimer:  Vita Mix did not ask or pay me to post this review.  I am sharing it because I enjoy sharing with you products that I enjoy.  If you do use the free shipping code (06-001694), I do receive a small commission from vita mix. 

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If not, you should consider it.  It is a great way to make some extra money by telling your friends about Dine Without Whine (via e-mail, facebook, twitter, blogging, etc.) 

If you aren’t experienced in affiliate marketing – that is okay!  We will train you! 

Until November 30, Dine Without Whine is giving you two ways to earn some extra cash for Christmas.

FIRST, we’re having a $100 PayPal cash raffle. To join the raffle, all you have to do is refer new sales from today until November 30. Each NEW sale you refer gives you one entry.

SECOND, you get additional bonuses, depending on how many NEW sales you refer:

10 new referrals = $15
15 new referrals = $25
25 new referrals = $45
35 new referrals = $70
50 new referrals = $125
75 new referrals = $200
100 new referrals = $300

Remember, if you qualify, you’ll get a bonus on top of your affiliate commissions.

So I guess that makes THREE ways to make more cash this Christmas.

If you have any questions at all, shoot us an email at affiliates@dinewithoutwhine.com. We’re here to help you make more commissions.

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So… Instead I decided to go read some of my favorite blogs.  That’s when I read about MckMama’s baby Stellan’s Home-Run Surgery today and was flooded with emotion.  Suddenly Zhu Zhu Pets seemed highly trivial & un-important.  MckMama’s baby completely flatlined today and almost didn’t make it; but now we’re praising God that He worked a miraculous work today through the doctors & nurses and allowed little Stellan to have a successful surgery. 

So I’m off to love on my babies and be very very thankful for healthy kids. 

C-

Directions:
1.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and bananas. 

2.  Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be slightly lumpy.

3.  Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.  Pour 1/3 c. batter on griddle for each pancake.  Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides. 

Don’t forget to take part in the #ZhuZhuPets Twitter party tonight! You and your kids will have a blast tweeting about the hottest toy out there.

Zhu Zhu Pets™/MomSelect Twitter Party

Date: TODAY! Monday, November 9, 2009
Time: 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. EST
Location: #ZhuZhuPets
Host: @MomTalkRadio (Maria Bailey, Founder of MomSelect)
During the jam-packed Zhu Zhu fest, we’ll be giving away over 25 Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters, as well as awesome habitrail pieces and accessories.  Kids are welcome to tweet alongside Mom!
For those of you new to Twitter, here are some tips on attending:

1. If you don’t already have a Twitter account, sign up for one at Twitter.com. It’s extremely simple and a great way to connect with other moms and Zhu Zhu Pet fans.
2. Make sure you are following the party hosts- @momtalkradio, @resourcefulmom
3. Follow the instructions tweeted out by the party hosts to enter the contests and participate in the scavenger hunt
4. Keep up with the conversation by searching for the party hashtag #zhuzhupets and make sure you include it in your tweets as well.
5. Grab your little ones and chime in about what you love about Zhu Zhu Pets!
6. Have fun!!

Let us know you’re coming by clicking HERE to RSVP. Your registration will count as an additional entry to win a Zhu Zhu Pet™ hamster and fun accessory! And because we know that you do a great job of spreading the word, tweet the details of the party until 7 p.m. today for additional entries.
We’re so excited to party with you and your family! Feel free to contact Amy@bsmmedia.com with any questions.

Warm Regards,
Your Friends at MomSelect.com and Zhu Zhu Pets™

We’re going to try to stop in – maybe I’ll see you there!

C-

I’m Invisible!

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response,
the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone
and ask to be taken to the store.
Inside I’m thinking, "Can’t you see I’m on the phone?" Obviously not;
no one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the
floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can
see me at all. I’m invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this?
Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being. I’m a
clock to ask, "What time is it?"

I’m a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?"
I’m a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the
eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude
- but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be
seen again. She’s going, she’s going, and she’s gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the
return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a
fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed
in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together
so we ll. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I
looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could
find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and
I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling
pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped
package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great
cathedrals of Europe . I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me
until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte , with admiration for the
greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after
which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great
cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave
their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made
great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building
was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit
the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a
tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man,
"Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that
will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman
replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was
almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I
see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you
does. No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no
cupcake you’ve baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over.
You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what
it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a
disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my
own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn
pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great
builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will
never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be
on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could
ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing
to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend
he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up
at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes
a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table."
That would mean I’d built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just
want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to
say to his friend, to add, "You’re gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if
we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world
will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that
has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Great Job, MOM!

So last night as I was making 3 pans of lemon bars (one for the new neighbors, one for a meal at church today and one for Bible Study tonight) and I realized I needed 12 eggs and only had 5…  I wasn’t too pleased.  That meant at least an hour delay to solve the situation. 

However, then it dawned on me!  We have “neighbors” (3 1/2 miles down the road) who have chickens!  So I picked up the phone & gave them a call and sure enough…  They had eggs for me!  (many more than I needed – I ended up with 2 dozen!) 

I love how each of them is unique!  Some are darker than others, some are long and skinny some are short and fat, and they are all different sizes – some big yolks some small.  But they all are FRESH!

At any rate – YEA for nice neighbors who saved me a trip to the grocery store! 

C-

The other day I heard about these cute little toy hamsters that have their own little habitat aka Zhu Zhu Pets.  It’s the perfect pet solution!  I immediately knew that my boys would LOVE this!  So…. I headed off to find a few hamsters & accessories to order online.  My search went something like this:

Walmart – Sold Out
Target – Sold Out
Toy R’ Us – Sold Out

Amazon:  We’re in Luck!  Well sort of… you can pick up an in stock price gauged (we’re talking 4x the price) Zhu Zhu Hamster or accessory on Amazon…

Tonight I got an e-mail from Toys R’ Us.  We’re in Luck!  SUNDAY morning I can be at Toys R’ Us (which is an hour away from here) and if I am one of the first 50 people in line, I am allowed to purchase ONE…  (Yeah, 1 for 4 kids).  On Sunday morning…(remember my husband is a pastor – church is our priority) Yeah, probably not happening. 

The Zhu Zhu Pets main website does say that Wal-Mart will have them in stock beginning tomorrow.  Our Wal-Mart is little town rural tiny – so that means 1 of 2 things.  A.)  They won’t have any at all.  or B.) They will have some because no one around here is in the know about the craze yet.  My schedule is a bit cramped tomorrow, but I just might have to make a trip to see what I find. 

It certainly isn’t the end of the world to me if I don’t end up with some for Christmas – I don’t think my kids even know about them – they haven’t asked for them – their hearts aren’t going to be broken if I don’t find them.  But…  truth be told – now that more and more people are saying they are going to be impossible to find…  it brings out the competitor in me, and I enjoy the challenge! 

So I’ll keep you posted – we’ll see if I find some hamsters to make our own Zhu Zhu Zoo!  How about you?  Have you heard about Zhu Zhu Pets?  Are you on the lookout, or is this the first you had heard about them? 

C-