Kat's Confessions

Fit & Firm~ A Tough Week

2012-01-26T22:26:00.000-07:00

This was a really tough week for me. Along with the usual chaos in life, I have a nasty cold. I definitely did not push myself as far as the exercise go. I did do a lot of walking this week and kept to my stretching.

I did try some new recipes though! While we do eat fairly healthy meals everyday, there is always room for improvement. I spent a lot of time scouring the web for healthy recipes and even started a "Healthy Recipes" board on Pinterest.

The first recipe we tried was the Balsamic Chicken with Pears from Busy But Healthy. The verdict? I really enjoyed the chicken. It was super moist and the sauce went great with the brown rice and fresh peas I served with it. The kids and my husband LOVED it. They licked their plates clean...literally. I wish I was joking! LOL!

The nutrition per serving are: Calories: 136 Fat: 1 g Carbs: 11 g Sugars: 4 g Fiber: 1 g Sodium: 82 mg Protein: 20 g

The second recipe we tried was Sweet and Salty Chickpeas from Cupcake Project which I found thanks to Multi-Testing Mommy! I am telling you, if you want to learn something go visit her! I was shocked at how tasty they were and yet again my kids loved them! The man passed but I'll let you know what he thinks if he gives them a try. I'm not sure what the nutrition per serving for those is.

So that's about it. I am still getting over this cold but I am starting to feel a little less like death warmed over so I will be pushing it double time with the workouts.

Let's move it!

I Dare You!

2012-01-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Who is up for a game of Truth or Dare?! Nancy, Patty and I are! Every Tuesday we will be writing a post answering either a truth or a dare and we would like to invite you to play along with us!

How This Works:

Each week we will post a truth and a dare to choose from.
Write your post answering the truth or dare.
Add your post to the linky on Tuesday and have fun hopping!

We will start off simple this week as a kind of "getting to know you" post but you better believe it's gonna get interesting later on!

Warning Posts may contain: TMI, disturbing photographs, coarse language, mildly lewd, rude or crude content.
Possible side effects may include shock, temporary blindness, and Laughtillyoupee [ laugh-till-you-pee] Syndrome.

Kidding, kidding! BUT! It is Truth or Dare so you never know what's going to come out! ;)

Truth for January 31, 2012:

Tell us 3 things about yourself that isn't common knowledge about yourself.

Dare For January 31, 2012:

Do a vlog post telling us a little about yourself.

I Dare all of you to join us! ;)

Fit and Firm ~ Week 2

2012-01-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest reasons I am really excited to be taking part in Fit and Firm Friday is the chance to learn. Last week Multi-Testing Mommy linked up her post "Let's Get Healthy Together" and I am SO glad she did! I learned about the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Healthy Weight Action Plan.

This tool is great for people like me. I don't really pay attention to what I am eating,the number of servings per food group, how many glasses of water I am drinking or the amount of physical activity I do in a day. I eat twice a day and try to stick to healthy foods. From there I call it good. The first task on this tool? Logging and assessing my current habits!

I still need to fill out some of the information but this week I have been diligently logging what I eat. Once I have a week of information in I can assess it and see where my eating habits fall short. I am also able to make goals, a plan of action, pick up a recipe or two and find a wealth of other information.

Last week I stuck to what I was already doing so I could log what is normal in my everyday life. I wanted to see what I am doing wrong and what I am doing right so that I know what my bad habits are and will be able to catch myself slipping back into them.

I didn't get much extra exercise in but I was still doing my walk back and forth to the school and I'm pretty sure I burned a few extra calories with the shivering during our lovely -40 weather!

This week I plan to try out a few new super healthy recipes. I think it is much easier to stick to eating healthy foods if it is tasty and exciting! Who wants to miss out on taste for health?! Luckily we can have our cake and eat it too...sort of speak. ;) Switching up the meal plan helps to keep the food boredom blues away!

I also plan on breaking out the Zumba! If you need to exercise, you might as well make it fun right?! I can't dance, I am a total walking hazard; walls jump out at me, and I could totally win the $10,000 if I were to video tape myself doing my funky chicken type dance moves but who cares! It's fun and it kicks my butt ever single time! You WILL sweat and feel the burn!

My starting point:

Weight: 148 pounds
BMI: 24.6
Waist: 37 inches

Here's to another Fit and Firm Week! Let's move it!

Don't forget to join Sober Julie for her "Motivated Monday" linky too!

Guidelines:

Simply link up your posts below.
Follow your hosts if you'd like.
Have fun. Ask questions or rant if you want to!
Support your fellow Fit & Firm buddies by visiting as many of them as you can!
Grab our button.
Use #FitNFirm for any fitness related tweets/pics/posts that you have to share to inspire your Fit & Firm Buddies!

Fit and Firm Friday ~ Getting Started

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Motivation and willpower are not my strengths when it comes to keeping fit and staying healthy. I eat a fairly healthy diet but I don't actually diet. Why? Because I know I will fail. If you don't try you can't fail right? I know, not the best attitude but it's true. I love food. I have no willpower. I will eat it. The good news is, it is usually healthy foods.

I love to exercise....when I actually do it. I walk a minimum of 40 minutes per day going back and forth from the school but most days that is the only exercise I do unless you can count the stairs I climb while doing laundry, the number of times I pick up my three year old and the hardcore scrubbing required to clean a bathroom used by 4 males. Does that count?

My goals for right now are simply learn, encourage and support my fellow Firm and Fit participants,get started with a consistent exercise plan and amp up my healthy eating habits. I am 5'5 and 148 lbs of flub so I really want to lose a few and tighten it all up!

That's why I was so excited when @WhispersInspire from Whispered Inspirations and @pamperedpatty from Positively Pampered Patty asked me to join them for Fit and Firm Friday! This is going to be the kick in the butt I need! If I slip, feel free to pull out your big boots and wind up! ;)

Are you ready to find a healthier YOU?!

What better time to start then now?

Simply link up your posts below.

Follow your hosts if you'd like.

Have fun. Ask questions or rant if you want to!

Support your fellow Fit & Firm buddies by visiting as many of them as you can!

2012 Has Arrived!

2011-12-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome 2012! I am so excited to be starting a new year! 2011 brought many great opportunities such as working with Elephoto, attending Blissdom Canada, meeting some of the most amazing Canadian women and the huge growth of the Canadian Moms Online Community.

It was also the year my youngest baby boy started school, I went out into the world all by my little ol' self for 5 days for the first time since I was 14, and I took a lot of steps towards letting the "real" me out more online as well as off.

2011 was an amazing year.

2012 is going to be even better!

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your support and friendship! From my family to yours HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2012 be full of health, happiness, joy, love, laughter and peace!

*MWAH!*

My very first Guest Post- Lost Moments...

2011-12-10T09:57:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to be guest posting over on the Elephoto blog!

Yup, I am! You can find my very first guest post ever on the Elephoto blog, right. Now! Please stop by and show some love to Elephoto and let me know what you think of the post.

Thanks!

Lost Moments...

Elephoto Review and Some Goodies For You!

2011-11-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

I had the extreme pleasure of reviewing a poster and calendar from Elephoto. I was very excited about this review because I had seen a sample of their work and looooved it so the chance to put my own memories into one of their works of art was almost to much excitement for this mama!

First, a bit about Elephoto. It is a Canadian company (WOOT!) with over 50 years of printing experience. They offer affordable, high quality personalized photo books, greeting cards, posters and calendars. Elephoto is also FSC certified, which means, all materials used come from responsibly managed forests. You have to love an environmentally friendly company!

Getting started was really easy. I picked my project, the paper (standard or premium), the size/ number of months (12 or 18), theme and the calendar allows you to add your special dates, Us, Christian, Jewish, and Islamic holidays.

What I liked:

No software to download. I love that there is no software to download. You can simply create your account and get started on your projects.

Drag and drop. The no fuss, easy peasy drag and drop feature is awesome! I am the queen of drag and drop so I had a great time playing with different photos, art and text features.

Themes, art and fonts and text options. The wide selection of themes, art, colors, text options and editing options means you can truly personalize your project to suit the person or occasion. There is limitless possibilities available to you from holiday images to text bubbles. Fonts can be changed, colors, the way your text is displayed and you can even change the theme and layout you use for each page of your calendar . Believe me, you can spend a lot of time playing with all of the options!

Quick delivery time. I placed my order on Monday night and I received the package in the early afternoon of the following Tuesday. Anything coming from Eastern Canada usually takes at least 10 business days to reach us so that is very impressive!

Affordable. The total cost for both the calendar and poster was just under $41.00! Elephoto has great shipping rates so it is a very affordable gift option that comes straight from the heart.

Ease of use. The site is very easy to navigate, taking you through each step with a few simple clicks. You can create your account and be happily designing in minutes. I have said it before and I will say it again. I need quick and easy!

Editing. Here is another time saver. There is no need to edit your photos before you start. Elephoto allows you to edit them as you go along including changing the colour of your photos, getting closer to that precious smile, and they even have the option to Auto Fix.

Quick uploads. The upload speed was incredible! I was able to upload 20 photos in under 2 minutes! Since I was constantly changing my mind about the photos I wanted to use and the layout of them, being able to quickly upload the new photos was fantastic!

Quality. I used the premium paper for both projects. The paper used is a thick shiny paper that will last for years to come. Some of my most precious memories are sure to stand the test of time. The ink used is vibrant and clear. I am so pleased with the crispness of the art I added and my photos. I used some photos from an old camera we had that are not great quality but mean more to me than I could ever say, while you can tell the difference in photo quality, with the help of the editing tools and the high quality materials used by Elephoto, they look much nicer than they ever have.

Here are my projects! These pics really don't show just how beautiful they are! One tip, keep in mind the colour of your background. The month of November has "Lov" instead of "Love" because in the preview it showed the "E" outlined as a grey/silver and it never occurred to me that it was actually white. DUH!

I have big plans for this calendar once the year is up! The pages are beautiful and photos so close to my heart, I could never throw them away. I will be cutting out and framing the photo pages for my walls.

Some Improvements:

I love that Elephoto wants to hear about any problems or suggestions we have. All great companies will want to know what their customers think and will continue to take our feedback into consideration. While I don't have a long list here, there is one thing I would like to see improved on.

Site function. The Elephoto site is very easy to use, as I said, but I did have a few troubles. As I was working on the calendar and poster, I would suddenly be unable to drag and drop or add text. I was still able to upload photos but that's about it. There were other times when I would be unable to work on them due to the same problem at all. Elephoto recently did some big changes on their site and with changes there are always a few glitches so I am sure that will be fixed ASAP.

Overall, I am very happy with the process as well as the end product. Elephoto did an amazing job of preserving my memories in a truly personal way! I already have a million ideas swirling through my head of the special treasures I can make for family members!

The Goodies:

Now you have read what I have to say, why don't you give it a try?! Elephoto is going to give one of you a $50 gift code (does not included shipping) to create your own masterpiece!!! You will find a Rafflecopter entry form for the giveaway below. The giveaway is open to residents of Canada and will run from November 24- December 2, 2011 at 12:00 . The winner will have 24 hours after notification is sent to respond or another winner will be drawn.

Want another chance to win a $50 gift code from Elephoto? Stop by Whispered Inspirations and find out what she thought about her photo book and greeting cards! You will find a giveaway there too! :)

The good news isn't over yet!

I also have a special code for all of you to receive 15% off of your orders until February 29th, 2012. Thanks, Elephoto! Enter Confessions15 at checkout.

AND...

Don't forget to join us for our Facebook Q&A chat and the #elephoto Twitter party for more chances to win some goodies from Elephoto! RSVP Here!

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It's Party Time! Come and Party with Elephoto!

2011-11-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

You're Invited!

So, guess what guys?

On Friday, December 2nd at 4:00 PM we are going to be having a fun Q&A with Elephoto!

Come on by and meet Elephoto and ask them your questions! We are also hosting a Christmas or Ugly Sweater picture contest! Show us your best shot and enter for a chance to win prizes! Make sure you "like" Elephoto prior to coming to the event that way you can participate and follow along and of course, win prizes! Like Elephoto, here.

Now, we aren't forgetting our tweeps either!

Tweet, Tweet!

On December 9th at 9PM we are having a Twitter party! Please make sure to follow your hosts @CndMoms, @WhispersInspire and @elephoto to follow along. There will be fun trivia and another chance to get to know Elephoto better. If you missed your chance to enter your favorite Christmas pictures or Ugly Sweater pictures, be ready to share them here! So, get ready to chat it up, laugh and get into the Christmas spirit! There will also be a savings special for ALL those who attend!

See you there!

Please fill out the form to RSVP:

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Who Wants a Free Greeting Card from Elephoto?!

2011-11-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever considered ordering products from Elephoto but didn't weren't sure if they were the right company to order from? Or maybe you haven't even heard of Elephoto before but would love to check out their stuff? Well! You are in for a treat! My friends over at Elephoto have exciting news for you! You can create your very own greeting card and have it shipped right to you for FREE! Yes, that does include shipping!

You want to know how?

1. Create your own greeting card on Elephoto
2. Like Elephoto on Facebook to receive a code to get your card for free!

That's it! Easy right?!

There are so many things to love about Elephoto and so many reasons you should rush right on over to Facebook and get that code and here are just a few of them:

1. Elephoto is fast!!!
Orders placed before 11:59 pm on December 18th will arrive before the holidays using standard shipping and if you use Express you can order right up until December 20th at 11:59 pm and receive your products before the holidays! You HAVE to love that!

2. Ordering from Elephoto saves you money! You don't have any duties to pay!
Buying and Shipping in Canadian dollars.

3. Elephoto is a friend to the environment!

Elephoto is FSC certified which signifies that the materials used are sourced using the chain of custody for responsible forest management.

4. Elephoto is Canadian owned and operated! WOOT!

Elephoto has 50 years of printing experience behind them! They are powered by The Printing House which has been proudly serving Canadian communities for over 50 years!

So what are you waiting for? Go get your free greeting card! ;)

Psssstttt! One more thing before you go...

Shop between November 4, 2011 and January 3, 2012 and be automatically entered
into a draw for one of 3 Canon HD Cameras and Elephoto gift cards. See “Entry” terms
and conditions.

Time...could you stop just for a little while?

2011-10-31T14:28:00.000-06:00

My baby girl is turning three on Thursday. I have no idea when that happened or where the time went. I love that she is growing, she is a happy little girl full of personality (and let me tell you, this kid is a ham!), and that she is showing more and more independence every single day but it's bittersweet.

My daughter is the last baby for us. Sometimes I long to feel a new life growing in my belly one last time, to see a new little person come into the world, to watch first steps, add another Baby's First Christmas bulb to the collection but that just isn't going to happen and to be honest it's a good thing.
I love all of my children but this momma can't handle the day to day life with another little one and neither can the pocket book!

So while I wish I could hold back the hands of time just a little bit longer, I am also so very excited to be a part of and celebrate each new stage, phase and milestone ahead.

Oh! And if anyone knows how to fast forward through the broken hearts, attitudes and hormone driven teen years I would love to have that information! :D

Blissdom, Baby!

2011-10-18T21:53:00.002-06:00

October 12, 2011 marked the start of many firsts for me.

Being so far away from my kids.
Going away without my husband and kids.
Taking the shuttle. Alone.
Being in the Calgary airport along with the whole check in, find your gate and get on the plane experience.
Going to Toronto.
Going to a Conference.
Meeting some of my fave people from my online life.

...and that is just a few of them!

It has been a very liberating journey full of adventure, fear, joy, disappointment, inspiration and fun! I have gained confidence in myself, knowledge, new friends and so much more. One of the most memorable speakers at the conference was the beautiful @herbadmother. She really made me think...

What I know:

1. I know I let fear stop me from accomplishing a lot of things.
2. I know that I am going to work hard to overcome that.
3. I know that I had the pleasure of meeting some of the most fabulous women I have ever met while at Blissdom Canada.
4. I know that Come hell or high water I will be at Blissdom Canada again next year!
5. I know that I don't know much in the grand scheme of things.

What I believe:

1. I believe that as individuals we can be awesome and as a community we can be AMAZING!
2. I believe that anything is possible if we just try.
3. I believe that everyone has good in them even if we don't see it right away.
4. I believe there are those that think they are better than others but they are wrong.
5. I believe I can do great things if I put myself out there.

What I don't know:

1. I don't know if I will ever be a "big blogger".
2. I don't know if I want to be a "big blogger".
3. I don't know why I didn't put my big girl panties on and reach out to more of the women I wanted to meet.
4. As mentioned above, the list of what I don't know is pretty endless.

What you don't know about me:

1. I am painfully shy.
2. I care way too much about what people think of me.
3. I have twitter-phobia.
4. I am technologically impaired.
5. Until I started blogging, the only things I knew how to do on a computer was check my email and google stuff.

I would love to write a brilliant post about what I learned at Blissdom Canada and all of the fantastic people I met but at this point I am still sorting through it all in my head ( and brilliant posts are not one of my strengths!) :) I will have more to say about bliss later...once my mushy brain has recovered a bit. For now, a huge thank you to Elephoto for helping me attend Blissdom Canada, the lovely ladies behind it all- Allison Worthington, Barbara Jones, Paula Bruno, Catherine Connors, Shannon Mischuk, Shannon McKarney, Amy Halleran, and Dana Hilmer, and of course the fabulous sponsors!

Rubbermaid Glass with Easy Find Lids Review and Giveaway

2011-10-08T19:47:00.000-06:00

I, for one, am afraid to open the door on the cupboard that holds all of my containers. Even when, by some miracle, I manage to get them organized they don't stack very well. I have been interested in the Rubbermaid Glass with Easy Find Lids for quite a while so when I received the opportunity to give them a try, I jumped at it.

"With the patented Easy Find Lids design, lids attach to each other and to the bottom of containers for storage, so the right lid is always at hand. And the Glass containers come in graduated sizes that neatly nest within each other to save space, making Rubbermaid Glass more convenient to keep organized than ordinary glass containers."

The Features:

Microwave safe
Dishwasher safe
Freezer safe
Oven-safe up to 425 degrees
Flex & Seal™ leak-proof lids won’t tear or break
Square-shaped to maximize space
Superior stain and odour resistance

The Glass with Easy Find Lids products can be found at Walmart, Loblaws, Real Canadian Super Store and London Drugs. They range in price according to size from $5.69 to $15.99 or an eight piece set for 29.99.

What I loved:

They are sturdy! I have four kids, three of them boys between the ages of 12 and 5. Needless to say, they are not all that concerned about being gentle with..well much of anything really! LOL! I also have a two year old that looooves to help Mom in the kitchen. These containers have already been banged, dropped, smashed together and who knows what else but there is not one single chip, scratch or crack in sight. Awesome!

They also hold a misleading amount of food! I consistently chose the wrong size to place my leftovers in because they hold much more than it would appear. The storage containers do fit perfectly into each other making them very easy to organize as well as stack nicely in the fridge when in use. One of the biggest hassles of other containers is always the hunt for the right lid but with the Rubbermaid Glass with Easy Find Lids, that is no longer a problem. It's great! Anything that saves me time and frustration gets an A+!

What I didn't love:

So far I haven't actually found anything I don't love. They do just what is promised at a reasonable price. What more can I ask for? I will let you know if I think of anything though! ;)

The Giveaway:

The awesome people at Rubbermaid have some goodies for one of you! They have offered to send one Canadian reader an assortment of the Rubbermaid Glass worth an approximate retail value of $35.00! Thanks, Rubbermaid!

Entries: Please fill out the form once for each entry. Ex. Post about the giveaway= fill out the form 3 times. Thanks! :)

Mandatory Entry:

Tell us why you want to win the Rubbermaid Glass on The Rubbermaid Facebook page or on twitter. One entry

Tweet the giveaway. One entry per day

Post about the giveaway. Three entries.
Follow Kat's Confessions on GFC, Networked Blogs, or subscribe. One entry.
Follow @KatsConfessions on Twitter. One entry.
Stop by my Facebook page and say hi! One entry.

This giveaway is open to Canadian Residents only. The winner will be drawn using random.org. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to the email or another winner with be drawn. The giveaway will run from October 8- Oct 22, 2011 at 11:59 pm (mountain). Mandatory entry must be complete for other entries to be valid.

Good luck!

I received one set of 3 Glass with Easy Find Lids for the purpose of writing an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Toe Tappin Flapa Flapper Costume Review

2011-10-06T22:48:00.001-06:00

I rarely dress up for Halloween. I think I have dressed up once since I was nine years old. I found it utterly embarrassing to ask anyone for anything as a child so knocking on strangers doors asking for candy was like a form of torture for me! LOL!

This year I will be attending the Blissdom Canada Costume Karaoke party so I will be dressing up! I know it's going to be a lot of fun and I am so excited to see what other costumes the ladies have come up with. For me, I wanted something fun but I wanted it to be pretty too. After much discussion with some of my fave ladies and looking through a million costumes, we decided to check out the 20s Halloween costumes and I finally decided on one of the new Flapper costumes- the Toe Tappin Flapa Flapper Costume

What I love:

The white and silver work. It's pretty, simple, and glamorous all in one. The sparkle of the sequins are sure to catch the light and turn any woman into a star! Along with the dress, the costume comes with clear straps to attach if you don't feel comfortable going strapless, a silver sequined headband complete with white feather, the famous black and white cigarette holder, and a silver sequined choker.The material is a little thin as most costumes are but not so thin as to be see through. I was a little worried about that so I was very happy to find it wasn't. The seams are tight and should last through at least a couple Halloween parties.

What I don't love:

The sequins are pretty easy to knock off the costume. Just trying it on I lost a few. It would be nice if they were a little sturdier and the thread a little thicker to keep the them in place. The dress itself is shorter than I would normally wear as well but that is due more to my lack of attenion to detail after going through so many costumes. The picture clearly shows a very short skirt. For all going to Bliss, I promise I will not bend over! ;)

Overall, I am happy with the costume. For the price, you certainly can't go wrong!

Elephoto Rocks!

2011-09-23T09:42:00.000-06:00

As you know, Nancy and I will be attending Blissdom Canada this year. We are so excited to go learn a ton and meet so many great people! You probably also know, we have been searching for the perfect sponsor. A company we believe in. A company with fantastic products and fantastic people behind those products. Guess what?! We found them! ELEPHOTO! Thank you, Elephoto!

*Crowd cheering*

Who is Elephoto? Only the greatest company dedicated to helping you create beautiful custom photobooks, calendars, cards, posters, wedding guest books and more!

Elephoto is 100% Canadian owned and operated with over 50 years of printing experience behind every photo book. You can have your treasure in your hot little hands in as little as four days with very affordable shipping costs. Just a few of the many, many reasons to love them- there is no software to install, a ton of beautiful templates and the simple drag and drop method makes using Elephoto fun!

Check it out!

Posters

Calendars

Greeting Cards

Photo books

The New Way to Save Money

2011-09-17T15:56:00.000-06:00

I am always looking for ways to save money, I mean, who isn't?! We clip coupons, check the flyers, and will go to 30 different stores to get products twenty cents cheaper. I recently found out about a division of Canada Post that can help me find the best deals in my area as well as online. Sweet, right?!
Check out centrsource.ca.

"The CentrSource network, anchored by Canada Post, is a strong community of some of Canada’s most trusted media brands who bring local and relevant Offers from Sellers to you. On CentrSource you’ll get targeted Offers for you based on your specific interests and your location. That means you will always find great Offers - where you want them and when you want them. Our Sellers are able to provide these Offers through our Community Publishers who are already familiar with you and your interests.

CentrSource is the link between you and our trusted Sellers who will customize their Offers just for you - when you want it and local to your neighbourhood. You control the way you shop on CentrSource. You can feel confident with any Offer you get on the CentrSource network."

I can search for exactly what I am looking for by category, shop and brand. I signed up, which took about a minute and a half of my time (you can also sign up with your Facebook) and began browsing. I found an incredible amount of products at great prices including some I had never even heard of. CentrSource has everything from Clothes, books, and services to computers, ink cartridges and PC speakers. It's great!

I am really looking forward to spending more time looking through the site and taking advantage of the great deals. With four kids, I am all about saving money and time!

After you check it out, let me know what you think!

This is a paid post. I was not asked to write a review in any way. All opinions are my own honest opinions and experience with centrsource.ca

Quick and Easy Apple Coleslaw Recipe

2011-09-14T15:46:00.000-06:00

3 cups Chopped cabbage
2 grated carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
3 finely chopped green onions
1 granny smith apple cored and chopped (leave peel on)
1 red apple cored and chopped (leave peel on)
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Combine cabbage, carrots, red pepper, green onions, and apples in a bowl. In another bowl, thoroughly mix the mayo, brown sugar and lemon juice. Once your dressing is smooth pour it into the veggie mix and stir. Make sure they dressing covers all of the salad. Cover and chill for half an hour. Serve and enjoy!

This salad will stay crunchy for a few days. The dressing will get a little watery after the second day but still tastes yummy! It's super easy and quick to make and everyone loves it!

Let me know if you try it out and how your family likes it!

Rubbermaid Filter Fresh Water Bottle Review and Giveaway

2011-08-31T10:32:00.001-06:00

I am a water snob. I grew up in Chilliwack, where the water was the best! No kidding! The City of Chilliwack has actually won awards for having the best drinking water in Canada! So, when I moved out to Alberta the water was a tad difficult for me to get used to. I could not drink the water fresh from the tap for the first year and ended up buying a water cooler to save the planet and our bank account from my water snobbery. Unfortunately, there isn't always a water cooler handy when you need it and buying a bottle of water while out gets pretty pricey so when I was offered the opportunity to review the Rubbermaid Filter Fresh Water Bottle, I happily jumped at the chance! If this baby worked then I would NEVER have to drink yucky tap water or spend three bucks for a bottle of water again! Sweet!

So let me tell you a bit about the Rubbermaid Filter Fresh Water bottle.

The Features:

Transforms ordinary tap water into great tasting refreshment
Removes chlorine
Each filter provides the equivalent of 300 bottles of water (One filter included with bottle
BPA Free
Important: should only be used with potable (safe-drinking water)
Finger loop for easy carrying
Features a screw tight lid to prevent leaking
Does not remove fluoride
Ice-cube friendly
Holds 20oz. of water
Dishwasher safe
Freezer safe ( remove filter first)

My thoughts:
I love this water bottle! There is nothing better than ice cold, clean water! The top of the bottle is indeed wide enough to easily slip some ice cubes in. I really love the shape of the bottle. While it holds quite a bit of water (20 oz), the bottle is shaped to fit nicely into your hand. For me this is huge! I have small hands and find some bottles are difficult for me to hold comfortably. Another great feature is the lid. The thumb loop also holds onto the lid so you don't have to worry about losing it, which is another big issue in this house! The filter works fabulously. I noticed a big difference in the water. As I mentioned, I am a water snob and don't generally like drinking the water straight out of the tap here however, with the Rubbermaid Filter Fresh Water Bottle I am quite happy to keep filling 'er up straight from the tap!

My husband also tried out the water bottle. After the first couple uses, he determined that buying one for him was definitely on our list of things-to-do. Since my husband works outside he tends to drink a lot of water, especially in the summer, so he was very happy to learn he could throw the bottle in the freezer (without the filter) so that he could enjoy cold water even when it's hot. Again that attached lid was a bonus and when testing the water for the first time, his comment was " You can really taste the difference!"

We both feel the Rubbermaid Filter Fresh Water Bottle will be a great addition to our cupboard and will be purchasing a few more in the near future!

Now for the best part! I am very excited to have a giveaway for you guys! 2 winners will receive a Rubbermaid Filter Fresh Water Bottle as well as 2 replacement filters! Awesome, right?! Thanks Rubbermaid!

The rules:

You must complete the mandatory entry for all other entries to be valid. The giveaway is open to Canadian residents only. The giveaway will run from August 31, 2011 to September 15, 2011. A winner will be drawn using random.org. The winner will be notified through the entry email and will have 48 hours to respond with their information before another winner will be drawn.

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry

1. Post a comment on the Rubbermaid Facebook page! . Once you comment, fill out the entry form with the name you commented under.

Extra Entries: Please fill out the form for each entry. Thanks!

1. Follow Kat's confessions on GFC. 1 Entry Leave the name used to follow with in the entry form.
2. Follow @KatsConfessions on Twitter. 1 Entry. Leave your Twitter handle in the entry form.
3. Tweet this giveaway (can be done daily for an extra entry per tweet.) 1 Entry. Leave the tweet URL in the entry form.
4. Post about this giveaway. Leave the URL of the post in the entry form. 3 Entries.

Good luck!

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I received a free Rubbermaid Filter Fresh Water Bottle in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A Week of Green Products at Great Prices!

2011-08-22T12:53:00.000-06:00

I have the inside scoop from Grassroots Enviromental Products! Check out what they have up their sleeves:

"We are very excited to present you with a week of green products at great prices!
On the week of August 22-28, Grassroots Environmental Products (www.grassrootsstore.com) is going to host a week of Daily Deals. You will enjoy 30-50% off the regular price (or more, we are not telling you just yet)...

We are ready to surprise you with something different every day, even on the weekends (we never sleep). All kinds of eco-friendly products and some back-to-school bundles will be served on a recycled silver plate. Keep it quick, we don’t have a lot of these products: each day there is a limit to how many items you can buy.

Have we gone crazy? No… We would just like to empower more people to live a green lifestyle. That’s the real deal!"

So what are you waiting for?! Go check it out!

The Bomb Thursday- Run for Cover!

2011-08-11T00:00:00.001-06:00

The bomb...let's see...the only things that I can use "the bomb" for this week is the way my house looks every morning-like "the bomb" went off and destroyed my house. Or I am "the bomb"and time is up...BOOM!

Yup, that's about it for "the bomb" around these parts right about now. What will be "the bomb" is August 30th.

School is back in session! This has been one heck of a long summer!

Am I alone in this? Did you have a better week? What is "the bomb" in your life?

How to Create a SkinnyScoop Guide

2011-08-08T10:34:00.001-06:00

I am sure you have heard of SkinnyScoop, but if not, SkinnyScoop is The place to go for information and opinions on just about anything. With tools such as polls, product recommendations and lists, it's easy to find a wealth of information from a community of women in the know!

One of my favorite tools that I just found out about is the SkinnnyScoop Guides. SkinnyScoop Guides are a great way to share your expertise, favorites or passions in one place. The perks? It is super easy and helps create compelling content, keep readers on your site longer, build your audience and generate linkbacks.

How do you get started with SkinnyScoop Guides?

1. Create an account with SkinnyScoop. It's really easy and only takes a moment of your time.
2. You can click the "Get Started" tab on the bottom right of your screen. From there you will be taken to some "How To" information on each of the tools or you can go straight to http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/create.
3. Fill out the information for your guide (Title, description, category, etc.). Save and continue!
4. Now you can start adding items to your list by clicking the "add item" at the top of the page. The images will be pulled for you, so you just have to pick which image you would like to display for that item.
5. Publish, embed it into your site and promote! If you have set your guide up to allow suggestions, as suggestions are entered you will have the option to promote the item and it will be added to your list.

The SkinnyScoop Guides are really quite simple once you get started, I mean, I did it so anyone can do it! If you want to take a look at what one of the guides looks like, check out my "Blissdom Canada '11 Attending Bloggers Guide".

I hope this all makes sense and is helpful to someone. Feel free to ask me any questions and I will be happy to answer them if I can or find the answers. :)

Canadian Moms Blog: Breastfeeding Q&A Aug 5th with Ddrops and Pat Buck...

2011-08-04T22:15:00.000-06:00

Canadian Moms Blog: Breastfeeding Q&A Aug 5th with Ddrops and Pat Buck...: "As a way to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, Ddrops company will be hosting a free live question and answer event on breastfeeding! Lacta..."

Blissdom Canada '11 Guide

2011-08-01T21:48:00.001-06:00

As many of you know, Nancy from Whispered Inspirations and I are very excited to be attending Blissdom Canada this October. I can't even begin to put how excited I am into words! I am looking forward to learning, meeting awesome people and network! Even though I have been blogging for over a year now, I still have so much to learn.

Nancy and I are still on the hunt for that perfect sponsor/sponsors to shout about from the rooftops about! We would love to work with a truly awesome company that we believe in. Not just any company will do! :D

I have set up a "Blissdom Canada '11 Attending Bloggers Guide on SkinnyScoop so if you are attending, please add your links so we can start connecting early! The ladies over at SkinnyScoop asked if I would like to work on the list and I am so glad I did! It's awesome and could be used for so many different lists so check it out even if you aren't attending Bliss this year. :)

I can't wait to meet you all IRL!

Blissdom Canada "11 Attending Bloggers

Wordless Wednesday- It's Stampede Time!

2011-07-26T18:41:00.000-06:00

A look at some fun from last year:

The 4 at the top? Ya, those are mine.

The Bomb Thursday- Rockin' Out

2011-07-20T19:15:00.000-06:00

Let me introduce you to my new love...my brand spankin' new Rockin' out Skechers Shape-Ups!

Look at those bad boys! Beautiful, right?! They are THE BOMB! I love these shoes. Walking on sand? I say, walking on clouds! Seriously, they are super comfortable from the first moment you slip your toes into them. Mine are navy blue and white and have super cute sparkles on them. I know I am a geek! So what?!
What's the bomb in your world this week?

The Bomb Thursday- Love, Love, LOVE!

2011-07-14T00:00:00.002-06:00

Thanks for stopping by! This is the very first "The Bomb Thursday"! If you haven't heard about it yet, every Thursday I will be posting some of my fave things, an awesome story, fantastic photos or whatever makes me say "that's the BOMB!". It's my way of taking a minute to appreciate the awesomeness around me and in my life. I will post a linky for anyone that would like to join me!

Let's get started, shall we?

Family fun complete with s'mores and cake! :D

Chat nights with my girls on CMO

The Medicine Hat Stampede that will start on July 27!

Canada Day Fireworks from Katrina Bush on Vimeo. (The last few minutes of the fireworks).