My Family Loves It

Weight Watchers Sweet Baked Goods

Heather — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:22:26 +0000

Well I think I better take it as “a sign” that I keep getting reviews to write that have to do with weight lose! I am going to make better choices and stop putting off weight lose! Baked goods are definitely my biggest weakness, I LOVE to bake and I love to get the huge french vanilla muffin when I stop for coffee with my friend every week. When I bake at home its so easy to “test one” and then “have one with my coffee” and then “have just another” and “oops did I just eat another”! With a product like Weight Watchers Sweet Baked Goods I can keep them in the cabinet for an emergency and then not feel like I’ve fallen off the wagon after! They are individually wrapped and that definitely helps me not to keep having “another”. That also means I can put a muffin in my purse for when I go out for coffee. I was given a box of the new Double Chocolate Muffins and a box of new Blueberry Muffins to test out and 2 free coupons for when I finished those. There are a lot of other choices in the line to: Chocolate Crème Cake, Lemon Crème Cake, Carrot Crème Cake, Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling, Brownie, Chocolate Chip Soft Cookie and Oatmeal Raisin Soft Cookie. I liked both of the flavors that I tried but the blueberry was my favorite. It really went well with my coffee and thats how I judge sweets lately! I think the oatmeal raisin cookies will be what I try next!

Thanks Weight Watchers for the samples and for another nudge to start getting myself on track!

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Minted Classroom Valentines!

Heather — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:29:27 +0000

We loved our Minted holiday cards and I was so excited that we got the chance to do another Minted review! Minted is an online store featuring a unique and modern assortment of personalized photo cards, wedding invitations, and other personalized stationery and gifts, all designed by indie designers. They recently launched a 2012 Valentine’s Day Card and Gift Collection. Their collection includes classroom Valentine’s Day cards – the cards are perfect for your kids to hand out at school! Now Jamie is getting to hand out Minted Valentine’s Day cards with her picture to all her friends and teachers! I had a lot of fun personalizing some of the designs (I always go for the photo options) and I really loved the Little Birdie card that I paired with a great picture of her in a brown embroidered dress (it went so perfectly with the card design) BUT I really knew I had to design a purple card for my purple girl! I ended up saving about 6 different cards in the “my saved designs” on the Minted site and then I let Jamie choose her favorite, she picked the Queen of Hearts card in the purple color option (many cards have other color options and this one comes in pink or purple). She also asked to use a picture of herself in a purple jacket to match! I really like that she is giving out a Valentine that she chose, personalized with her picture and most importantly it has her name already on it. Writing around 30 Valentines is a lot for a kindergartener so its great that she just needs to write her friends names and can skip doing her own (my kids have had a few crying episodes trying to write last minute Valentines in a hurry). When you have boys choosing Valentines can be a tricky thing but Minted has quite a few fun cards geared towards boys that aren’t mushy (I am partial to all the robot ones!). Hmm I can’t figure out how to copy and paste the ones I designed but here are some of my favorites from the Minted site (including the one Jamie picked!):

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Progresso and Biggest Loser Contests (and a coupon)!

Heather — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:47:29 +0000

I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for losing weight and getting healthier. So that means I am thinking about it BUT not actually doing it yet! I know, I NEED to start ASAP! I hadn’t really thought about incorporating canned soups into a diet but they are quick and portion controlled and now that our stove/oven just broke this weekend this prize package couldn’t have come at a better time! I have always been a fan of Progresso (clam chowder, lentil and minestrone are my favorites!) I’ve never watched Biggest Loser before and I’m excited to try out the show and the exercise DVD that I received. I have a contest on this blog but first here is some information from Progresso and their Souper You contest:

With 40 delicious soups with 100 calories or less per serving, Progresso Soup has a variety of offerings that help you beat diet boredom and satisfy your taste cravings, while helping you stick to your weight management calorie goals. Progresso soups are packed with hearty ingredients like pasta, beans, rice, meat and vegetables that suit your taste buds and make you feel good about including it in your meal choices.

This year, the Souper You^® Contest will provide three lucky winners with an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood; this includes a trip for 2 to Los Angeles, California where the winner will receive a head-to-toe makeover including hair and makeup, guided shopping spree with a $1,000 fashion retailer gift card, $1,000 spending money and 2 tickets to this season’s live finale of NBC’s The Biggest Loser
Progresso is asking fans to visit www.SouperYou.com and submit their photo with a brief essay about why they love Progresso soups and why they deserve a makeover, by no later than February 22nd
Fans can check back on March 12th for the announcement of the top ten finalists, and to vote for their favorite finalist until March 25th
In addition, visit http://bit.ly/ProgressoCoup to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off the purchase of four (4) cans of Progresso Soup today!
Also, tune into The Biggest Loser on NBC Tuesdays at 8/7c

Enter to win 2 coupons for free Progresso Soup and a Biggest Loser Workout DVD:

Leave me a comment letting me know your favorite Progresso soup
Open to US mailing addresses only
Contest ends Friday February 3, 2012

Disclosure: The Progresso^® Souper You^® prize pack, information, coupon, and giveaway have been provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark.

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Win 6 boxes of Ocean Spray fruit snacks!

Heather — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:40:47 +0000

Oooh a giveaway that I’m totally on time with!!! Not only that, I get to choose FOUR WINNERS to each win 6 boxes of Ocean Spray fruit snacks! They come in two flavors: Berries&Cherries and Assorted Fruit and each winner will receive 3 of each. My kids LOVE fruit snacks. Both flavors have cute fruit shapes. Since we got six boxes I sending some into school for my kids’ classrooms (they are a handy thing to give teachers for when someone in the class forgets snack).

Ocean Spray^® Fruit Flavored Snacks are:

Made with real fruit juice and natural colors* and flavors.
80 calories, gluten free and contain 100% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C.
Available with year round Double Box Tops.

***You can click here to download a printable coupon for $1.10 off of the purchase of (2) Ocean Spray^® Fruit Flavored snacks today!

Enter to win SIX boxes of Ocean Spray fruit snacks:

Leave me a comment with which of your favorite fruit flavors you would like to see Ocean Spray Fruit Snacks come out with next?
Contest open to US mailing addresses only
Contest ends Monday January 23, 2012
I will pick four winners!

Disclosure: Ocean Spray^® Fruit Flavored Snacks, information, and giveaway have been provided by Ocean Spray^® through MyBlogSpark.

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First day of dance!

Heather — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:22:53 +0000

Jamie started dance in September and loves it! Jillian wasn’t three yet so she had to wait until January to start and today was the long awaited day. She loved it and followed directions well but also snuck out of the room twice to come be shy with me. Overall it went great. After her first “big girl” dance class I took her to dunkin donuts for her favorite egg and cheese sandwich. She went and pulled a high chair to the table and climbed in. I love how she is a baby when it suits her and a big girl when she feels like it.

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Happy Happy New Years!

Heather — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:25:10 +0000

I think we had a pretty good 2011 all in all! Some things that stand out to me (sure I’ve missed a ton of good ones but thats what happens when I don’t sleep enough):

2011 included a lot of silliness, potty talk, geocaching, Lego building and doll playing. Oh and beyblading (which terrifies our dog Casey!).
Jillian seemed to make the leap from baby to big girl.
Our kids went from being 2,4,6&8 to 3,5,7&9 (doesn’t have the same ring to it!).
For Easter Ben lost 4 teeth and Ethan 1 tooth in 5 days (and 2 of those teeth were Ben’s front top). Super sized marshmallows seemed to help the teeth out.
2011-the year the girls decided to start cutting their own hair (Jamie maybe 5 times and Jillian once).
Jamie graduated preschool.
Our quirky but wonderful 12 year old dog Reuben died.
Our first trip to Maine as a family of six! It was the highlight of 2011 really and we plan to go back in 2012 and hopefully many more years.
Also our first summer that we did not go to Lake Champlain. John’s first summer not going there since he was born
The girls moved upstairs to their new big-girl room. Leaving their old room to turn into an office (still a work in progress).
The 3 big kids played soccer.
In September Jamie started K and Jillian started 2 mornings of preschool! The boys started 2nd and 3rd, and both made huge leaps with reading.
Ben started boy scouts and Jamie daisy girl scouts.
In October Grandma and the uncles made a huge move to NC and Grandma Penguin had a knee replacement.
2 weeks before Christmas Jillian took a big spill and got a bunch of stitches on the bridge of her nose.

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Enter the Challenge Butter ‘Real Heritage Recipe Contest’ (HUGE prizes so enter before it ends 1/3/12)!

Heather — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:42:46 +0000

Challenge Butter has launched their ‘Real Heritage Recipe Contest’! 4 Grand Prize Winners will win a Good Cook Ò cookware valued at $500 as well as $2500 CASH! 12 additional Finalists will also win $250 in Good Cook Ò cookware!

“Are you making your traditional drop cookies this season to share with family and friends? What about the big holiday dinner for the family? What are YOU known for? We want to know the best recipe in your recipe arsenal!”
I have a few special cookie recipes that I can’t live without making each year and I definitely will be entering this contest! I can’t tell you how much butter I go through this time of year! I wish Challenge Butter was an east coast company BUT that doesn’t mean I can’t enter and spread the word! As a thank you, Challenge sent me some Good Cook Ò cookware to try out and some free Challenge butter coupons (which I was fortunately able to send to my west coast friend).

Even if you don’t have a recipe that you want to enter, its worth going to the site to view all the great recipes others have submitted! They are even divided up by category so its easy to find something new to try.

*You can submit entries by visiting: www.Facebook.com/ChallengeButter. Challenge Butter is regionally distributed, you can use this link to see if it is available in your area: http://challengedairy.com/where-to-buy . The deadline for the submissions is January 3, 2012.

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Win a $25 gift card to Burger King!

Heather — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:23:15 +0000

Apparently my kids had never been to Burger King before so I thought it would be fun to participate in this review and give it a try! We combined a BK drive through experience with a drive around to see Christmas lights (and a surprise Christmas Carousel ride) about a week ago. It was a great night, something different and fun since our kids all love burgers and fries! John and I couldn’t remember the last time we’d tried BK but we both thought our burgers tasted great. The boxes and crowns were a big hit too and I think the new style crown is much cuter than the ones I remember. I suppose the only issue was that Ethan is not a fan of sesame seed buns but that just reminded me and John of “2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun”. Oh well Mr Picky can’t always win! Here is some info from BK and then my contest to give one of you your own $25 BK gift card.

ENTER TO WIN A $25 Burger King gift card:

Leave me a comment telling me who you’d share your BK gift card with (or any BK related comment will do)!
Contest open to US mailing addresses only
Hurry CONTEST ENDS 12/29/11!!!

Disclosure: The BK CROWN^TM/MC Program prize pack, information and coupon have been provided by Burger King Corporation through MyBlogSpark.

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ho ho ho Green Giant! (hurry contest ends 12/29/11)

Heather — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:48:28 +0000

Another just before the deadline contest post! This computer is so wonky, this is now my second attempt writing this today because firefox froze up and I needed to force quit.

Anyway on to the Green Giant! I think the only vegetable that I don’t like is beets but the rest of my family is much pickier! Luckily for me a few of them eat broccoli because I love it in pretty much anything. I can’t think of many easy things I like better than macaroni and cheese with broccoli. Now its even easier (for nights that are not so easy) with Green Giants Valley Fresh Steamers. I try to always have plain broccoli, corn, peas and spinach in the freezer because they are the basics to me but some ready made side dishes like this are nice for dinner emergencies! Clearly I am one of those moms that have dinner emergencies fairly often. I think something like this would be great to have on hand for single people and the elderly as well, I think most people feel better when they have some back-ups waiting in the freezer!

I have received the following and will pick a winner to get the same prize:

a free coupon to try the new Valley Fresh Steamers
2 Green Giant placemats
Broccoli stress reliever (a huge squishy hit with the kids)
32 oz. serving bowl
Surprise face serving spoon (very cute from Zak)

TO ENTER:

Leave me a comment letting me know your favorite veggie!
Contest open to US mailing addresses only
HURRY CONTEST ENDS 12/29/11!!! (I need to submit winner’s info 12/30/11)

Disclosure: Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers with Pasta, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

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Hope you’re having happy holidays! (now with pictures!)

Heather — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:31:19 +0000

I think we need more than 7 school days off! Seems this holiday vacation is flying by and not quite as planned but all in all the kids are good and mostly happy! As it seems to have been for most of 2011, I have unwritten reviews and excuses why but I will be better with this poor blog in 2012! (as long as I don’t kill this Mac! it is so not cooperating and gives me the rainbow wheel for just about anything I do)

ANYWAY here are some pictures… ~~well maybe soon (think its close to 1/2 an hour trying to get them off camera and into this post so I’ll publish and try later)!~~ from Christmas eve! The kids wanted to all wear the matching PJs that they all wore the last THREE Christmases (I had bought huge when I was pregnant with Jillian but only certain pieces still worked). Note to self: buy or make matching PJs for all of them BEFORE next Christmas eve!

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