Seventeen Sirens

Honey, Do You Need a Ride? Confessions of a Fat Runner Book Excerpt and Giveaway!

2013-05-15T23:27:06Z

A year after having my son, I noticed that the weight just wasn’t coming off. I didn’t change anything in particular about my diet and exercise routines to even start a weight loss journey, until recently. I am by no means a runner, but I do know what it feels like to identify yourself as being “fat” and “overweight” because that’s how I used to feel. I’ve been there.

Honey, Do You Need a Ride? Confessions of a Fat Runner by Jennifer Graham is a hilarious memoir of life as an overweight runner. Jennifer Graham doesn’t run to lose weight like most people, no, she runs for the joy of endorphins. The challenges of being a fat runner, however, disappear when Graham’s marriage implodes, and she finds herself a single mom with four children, two donkeys, and a really bad attitude.

To cope, she registers for a half-marathon she ran 10 years ago, to see if she’s made any progress, or if she’s just been running in place.

The title alone makes me really interested to read it and I can’t wait to read about Jennifer’s journey. I know that runners and non-runners alike (fat or thin) can relate to her book because almost everyone has been in a situation where you are just unhappy with your current state and want to make some changes.

Chapter 21: How Nike Made Me A Terrorist

“Still eyeing me with suspicion, a TSA agent hands me my shoes,
purse, and laptop. I kneel to lace my shoes and then have to sprint
to get to the gate on time. Taking my seat on the plane, I look down
at my shoes and think, Will I ever look like my tribe?

“I worry that I do, and my real tribe can be found at Walmart on
a Saturday night.

“I go there sometimes to buy groceries and gardening supplies, and
to confirm that the author of People of Walmart is an evil genius.
Not that I have anything against Walmart. Au contraire. I vacation
at Walmart. I swear I don’t make this stuff up.

“I met my best friend, Diane, when I worked for the afternoon
newspaper. It was right about the time I started to run. She is my
other reliable source of joy, one that doesn’t require nearly as much exertion.
In fact, Diane and my grandmother share the same philosophy
on my sport. It is this:Jim Fixx died while running, ergo, running
kills. I once coaxed Diane into walking the Cooper River Bridge Run
with me; her first, and last, 10K.

“Anyway, not long after we both got married, Diane up and left,
took a job at a newspaper in Ohio, her home state. To ensure we didn’t
lose touch (there was no Facebook then), we decided to meet—
with another friend—once or twice a year at a state park in West
Virginia. (It’s where Dr. Sheehan introduced me to Pre.)

“We’ve been doing this now for almost as long as I was married. So
long that once, the staff put up a sign that said WELCOME, DIANE,
JENNIFER AND CAROL! We pass the days in the happy stupor of longmarrieds:
eating, sleeping, talking about the kids and the weather,
and, for excitement, shopping at the Bluefield Walmart.
Yes, it’s true. Each year, I travel 750 miles to shop at the Walmart
in West Virginia. There have been times—I’m ashamed to admit it—
we’ve been twice.

“In one day.

“But, understand, it’s only because there’s no IHOP.”

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a copy of “Honey, do you need a ride? Confessions of a Fat Runner.” To enter, leave a comment below letting me know what your fitness goals are, if you have any, or what changes you are making in your life to live better.

This giveaway will end on May 22nd at midnight EST. Winner will be notified by e-mail. Open to US residents only. 18 years or older. Void where prohibited by law. Good luck!

Disclosure: Giveaway prize is provided by Hedges Virtual Book Tours. Seventeen Sirens is not responsible for shipping the prize to the winner. Please allow 4-6 weeks for shipping, no PO boxes. I will be provided a copy of the book in exchange for hosting this giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Iced Caramel Coffee Recipe ~ With a Twist!

2013-05-15T16:33:55Z

I drink too much coffee for my own good and as the weather gets warmer, I will be drinking my coffee iced from here on out. One my favorites is the classic Iced Caramel Coffee, however I decided to put a little twist on it thanks to my recent experience with Dunkin Donuts‘ new seasonal coffee flavors.

Generally, you can use whatever coffee flavor you like for the Iced Caramel Coffee, but for this particular recipe I will be using Dunkin Donuts’ newest flavors, Coconut Coffee. Before you get your panties in a bunch, let me tell you just how awesome this coffee tastes on it’s own.

Pretty freaking awesome.

It has a bold coffee flavor and the coconut is very subtle and not overpowering at all, which is why I decided to combine it with my favorite topping~ caramel. Trust me, if you love coconut (and even if you don’t) you’re going to love to this recipe. The ingredients give this iced caramel coffee a decadent, sweet, nutty, and tropical flavor all in one, without it being too overpowering which is the best part.

Cast of Characters: Dunkin Donuts’ Coconut Coffee, Caramel Sauce, Ice, Vanilla Syrup, and Almond Milk.

Brew your coffee based on the directions on the packaging. Generally, it’s one tablespoon for every 6oz or so. Add the vanilla syrup to your cup first and some caramel sauce (not a ton, just a tiny bit!). Then, fill the cup with ice and add your almond milk. Then, slowly (and I mean VERY slowly) pour the hot coffee over the ice & milk. The slower the better separation you will get and it will give your coffee a chance to cool without melting all the ice away.

After you reach your desired level of admiration, stir it all together and enjoy!

Iced Caramel Coffee Recipe ~ With a Twist!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup Dunkin Donuts Coconut Coffee
1 1/2 tablespoons Caramel Sauce
2 tablespoons Vanilla Syrup
Ice
1 cup Almond Milk

Instructions

Brew 1/2 a cup of coffee according to the instructions on the packaging.
Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla syrup to the bottom of your cup along 1/2 a tablespoon of caramel sauce.
Fill the cup with ice to the brim, followed by 1 cup of almond milk.
Next, slowly pour the coffee over the milk and top with 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce.
Stir and enjoy!

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Dunkin Donuts New Seasonal Coffee Flavors ~

2013-05-15T00:49:01Z

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Dunkin’ Donuts. I received a Dunkin’ Donuts Party Kit to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Coffee is what helps me get through the long nights of studying for exams, blogging while Zach is asleep, or even starting my day off on the right sip. I’m always up for trying new flavors of coffee, so I was really excited to learn about Dunkin Donuts new seasonal coffee flavors.

When I think of coffee, I never associate it with a tropical bliss, like Dunkin Donuts has with their new flavors: Triple Berry, Strawberry Shortcake, and Coconut. For starters, coconut is one of my favorite flavors but I have never tried coconut coffee before. I was extremely excited about that one.

We received a Dunkin Donut party kit filled with the new coffee flavors to try out with my family and friends. We decided to host a small party on the 11th, right before Mother’s Day and Zach’s birthday just to get everyone together to enjoy a small treat before an exciting day. Our theme for the party was coffee & desserts and it took place a little after dinner time. It was nice to just sit back and relax and try new flavors of coffee and catch up with each other.

It isn’t a Dunkin Donuts coffee & desserts party without some Dunkin Donuts! So, I stopped off to buy some donuts, which were tasty. We got flavors like Coconut and Spring Fling to tie into the Springtime coffee flavors theme.

I brewed all flavors of coffee right before the party and opened each bag of coffee one at a time. Right away, I could tell how strong the flavors would be because of the strength of the aromas. My guests were mostly excited to try the Strawberry Shortcake coffee, while I was most excited for the Coconut Coffee. We tried all three flavors both hot and iced.

The Coconut coffee was by far, my favorite but because I’m biased, I’m going to also mention that it was also my guests’ favorite flavor as well. The coffee itself had a bold flavor, but the coconut wasn’t overpowering at all, it was more like an after taste of coconut, which I thought was pleasant. If you’re not a coconut lover, I think you would still enjoy this coffee as well just because it’s not as strong a flavor as the other two were. I thought it was the best one.

The Triple Berry coffee reminded me of blueberry muffins. We couldn’t really taste much of the strawberry or raspberry part of the coffee, we all agreed that blueberry was the star flavor in this coffee blend. I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing, but if you don’t like blueberries, then I wouldn’t recommend this coffee flavor to you. We love blueberries, so we liked this coffee flavor a lot!

The Strawberry Shortcake coffee, the one my guests were most excited to try, turned out to be too strong of a flavor for their liking. We tried it hot first, and it was literally as if were eating a dessert instead of drinking coffee. I wouldn’t expect how sweet the flavor turned out to be, I thought it would be more subtle like the coconut, but it was definitely the strongest flavor of the three. It was very sweet, but I think if you like Strawberry Shortcake desserts then you’re going to love this flavor. For us, the Strawberry Shortcake flavor tasted better as an iced coffee though, which is great because that’s what I drink with the warmer seasons.

These flavors definitely put us in the Spring spirit as we don’t usually expect such tropical flavors for coffee. It was a nice treat and my guests enjoyed trying out all the flavors. I think I’m going to continue to drink the Dunkin Donut new seasonal coffee flavors this spring season, but more as iced coffees to cool down with the warm weather.

My kitchen still smells like Dunkin Donuts coffee! I love it.

You can purchase these flavors are your local grocery store, but hurry because they are only available for a limited time.

See Kai Run Children’s Shoes Review & Giveaway

2013-05-14T16:11:55Z

See Kai Run offers a wide range of children’s shoes and accessories that are stylish and durable. They just came out with their Spring collection and you will find all sorts of sandals, sneakers, tights, and socks that will put you in the mood for Spring! See Kai Run promotes healthy feet as they ensure that the leather used for their shoes meets the most stringent US and international guidelines available.

Their collection of shoes include flexible soles, breathable leather, padded collars, alternative closures, wide openings, and more. See Kai Run offers shoes divided into three age groups: Smaller (0-24 months), See Kai Run (6 months- 3 years), and Kai (2-8 years).

We received a pair of See Kai Run shoes (Alexander) in size 7 and a pair of socks. Zach was so excited when we opened the box of shoes and he wanted to put them on right away. So, he did. The shoes were a great fit. We originally got them in a size 6, but then we sized up to a size 7 when the size 6 shoes didn’t fit him. The size 7′s were perfect.

The Alexander shoes are perfect for playing outdoors in because of the high top style and the durable denim and leather. The shoes feature a 3 strap closure and are very flexible and easy to put on. The flexible rubber sole provides for healthy developing feet but are sturdy enough for Zach to play outdoors in so I never have to worry about his feet hurting when he’s playing outside. After wearing these shoes for the past couple of months I can report that he has never had a single red ring or mark around his feet like other shoes seem to cause him. This is because of the generous width, wide toe box, and padded collar for extra comfort!

Zach has had a wonderful time using these shoes so far and now he likes to put them on by himself and the strap closure is easy enough for him to use on his own as well! I am impressed with the quality of these shoes. We’ve been using them for a few months now and they are in great condition and literally look like they’re still brand new.

I also received a pair of socks as well. These socks are made from certified organic cotton blend. They have smooth, seamless toes and non-binding cuffs. I choose this style because I am biased towards gray colored clothing so I just really loved the style of this pair, haha. I love that I can dress Zach in these socks and know that they won’t slide right off his feet because of the cuffs are really soft and stretchy, but tight enough to keep their position. I’ve washed these several times and they keep their shape nicely, they haven’t shrunk and I am very pleased with the performance of these socks. I think I’m going to actually buy more for the fall/winter seasons later this year.

I would definitely recommend See Kai Run to parents out there looking for a good quality pair of shoes and socks for their children. Definitely mom-approved!

Buy It:
The Alexander shoes retail for $39.50 but are actually on sale now for $21.73

Win It:
One lucky reader will win a pair of See Kai Run shoes and a pair of socks!

Use the GiveawayTools widget below to enter. This giveaway is open to US residents only and will close on May 21st! Good luck!

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Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Wet Ones Keeps Germs Away This Spring Season!

2013-05-06T16:57:11Z

I participated in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Wet Ones. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Spring is in full swing, here in Michigan (finally!) and my family has been spending a lot of time outdoors these past few weeks. We do several things to prepare our family and household for the change of the season and that means a lot of Spring Cleaning!

We always start with the inside of our house and work our way outside. Because we know we’re going to be spending a lot of time outside during the spring and summer, we make sure to tidy our yard. That includes cutting the grass, planting in our garden, cleaning and clearing out things from the garage, and getting things ready for BBQ season as well.

Wet Ones

Wet Ones is perfect for my family because of all of the outdoor activities we do. Since soap and water isn’t available outside, we can easily use Wet Ones to keep germs away while we carry on our activities. My younger brothers love playing sports outside, so they tend to get really dirty while playing. Wet Ones is great for quickly wiping their hands before they decide to eat any snacks or drinks while outside.

You Can Use Wet Ones:

After sharing toys outside
After making mudpies
While on vacation
During outdoor birthday parties
At the lemonade stand
Between yard work tasks
After sidewalk chalk adventures
For sticky hands from BBQ ribs at a picnic!

We love keeping Wet Ones singles in my brothers’ sports bags for on-the-go clean-ups and we also love keeping some Wet Ones on our table outside for when we are having a BBQ! We’ve had 3 barbecues so far and Wet Ones are a staple at our BBQ table. Our family gathers around and fixes up their burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and chicken meals and it can get quite messy! Thankfully, Wet Ones is there to keep our hands (and faces) clean of any messes and germs that can accumulate while we are outside eating.

Wet Ones is a great solution to keeping germs away on the go. I like to stash them away in my diaper bag when I’m running errands with Zach and he’s eating a snack during the ride. Or when his hands get sticky when he decides to play with his apple juice instead of drink it! As a mom, I can assure you that Wet Ones are a great solution for on-the-go clean ups during the Spring and Summer seasons!

Guest Post: 10 Things To Do With Rocks & Early Childhood Activities for a Greener Earth Book Giveaway

2013-05-01T06:09:12Z

We’ve got little rock piles in every room of this house. We can’t help it-I’ve always been a saver of rocks, and L is too. Everywhere we go, she and I are collecting them, absentmindedly putting them in our pockets and bringing them home.

We dug out the stash of rocks and the kids came up with some very creative ways of using them. In no particular order, here are 10 favorites:

10. Use them as trucks. Long, flat rocks became bulldozers. Small round ones were steamrollers. J even designated one to be a feller buncher, his all-time favorite truck. (um, whose child is this?)

9. Use them as blocks. They make fantastic building elements. We created a cave, some bridges, and a “garage.”

8. How many can you stack to make a tower? Which kinds of rocks work best for stacking?

7. Use them as characters in a puppet show. They all have distinct personalities, have you noticed? Is this a bit of a stretch for you? Pick up a rock and make it “talk” to your child. He or she will likely get the other rocks involved in the conversation and you’ll soon see each rock’s personality emerge.

6. Wash the rocks. You can do this in the sink, a pan of warm water, or better yet, the bath.

5. Paint them. An old favorite, this activity never gets old. Tempera paints are bright and bold, what effect can you get using watercolors? Or forget the paints, how about pastels? Crayons?

4. Paint with them. Instead of using brushes, use rocks. Dip them in paint, press them on paper, roll them around in a tray lined with paper.

3. Sort them. Let your children decide on the categories: size, shape, color. Where found, boy/girl (for some reason, in our house, rocks have gender) etc.

2. Hide them around the house. In our house, we never seem to tire of “hide-and-seek” games. The kids love it when I hide their stuff so they can search for it. Rock hunting inside is a new challenge.

1. Roll them around on various surfaces and compare what happens. Watch how they move, listen to the sounds that they make. This is especially fun if you’ve first dipped the rocks in paint. (see #5 above)

How does your family play with nature indoors? Love to hear your ideas!

Early Childhood Activities for a Greener Earth by Patty Born Selly

This book is full of ideas and activities that help you educate children about the environment through experience and play. These activities encourage children to develop a sense of wonder, curiosity, and joy for nature. Each chapter focuses on common and important environmental topics including waste reduction, recycling, air quality, weather, climate change, and energy reduction and provides information to present these topics to children in developmentally appropriate ways.

Patty Born Selly is the founder of Small Wonders, an educational consulting company that provides teacher training and support for science and nature education initatives. Patty is an adjunct faculty member at Hamline University and Metropolitan State University in Minnesota, where she teaches classes on nature and environmental education, as well as science education to early childhood elementary school teachers. She has taught preschoolers, kindergartners, and elementary school students.

Giveaway!

One lucky reader will win a copy of Patty’s book, Early Childhood Activities for a Greener Earth! Simply use the GiveawayTools widget below to enter the giveaway. Good luck!

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Disclosure: This has been a guest post. The above information was provided to me by a pr representative.

The Fairy Hobmother Visited Me ~ Fairies DO Exist!

2013-05-02T23:29:53Z

In all of my years of blogging, I have never heard of anything like the Fairy Hobmother before.

The Fairy Hobmother

The Fairy Hobmother is a fairy that likes to spread light and joy across the blogosphere by offering bloggers a $50 Amazon Gift Code in exchange for a simple post about him. He thinks that a blogger’s hard word deserves to be rewarded.

He seems like my kind of fairy!

You can visit the Fairy Hobmother and his fairy overlords here and if you leave a comment below, he might just pay you a visit a too! He’s going to visit one of my lucky commenters below.

A fairy like the Fairy Hobmother is just what the blogosphere needs! A fairy who knows how to appreciate bloggers.

Thanks, Fairy Hobmother!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Werther’s Original Candy Now Sugar-Free!

2013-05-01T05:24:35Z

Oh, Werther’s.

Sweet, sweet Werther’s.

Sugar-free (sweet) Werther’s, I might add.

That’s right. Werther’s Original Caramel Candy now comes in a variety of sugar-free flavors that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

You can now enjoy a sweet, satisfying moment without the sugar. Wether’s Sugar-free caramel candies are now 100% caramel satisfaction with 0% sugar. Each caramel has 3 grams of carbs and only 8 calories (40 fewer calories than Wether’s Original caramels)!

They are available in the following flavors:

Caramel Cinnamon
Caramel Coffee
Classic Caramel
Caramel Apple

Werther’s sugar-free caramel candies are the are perfect for my nephew. He was diagnosed with Type I diabetes when he was about 4 years old. That means his body doesn’t product it’s own insulin to stabilize his sugar levels. So, it’s really important for him to be careful when indulging in sweets, especially if they have too many sugars and carbs. My nephew has a sweet tooth that can’t be satisfied with sugar-free snacks we’ve tried in the past. They seem to be missing that sweet-factor that he loves.

He fell in love with the Werther’s Sugar-free caramel candies we received and they really hit the spot for his sweet cravings. His favorite was the Caramel Apple flavor. Just one piece is enough to satisfy his sugar cravings and keeps him from over indulging in other sugary snacks. We are definitely going to keep these in mind when we’re out shopping for some goodies for him next time.

My personal favorite was the Caramel Coffee. I love that even though these candies are hard, they easily melt away in your mouth. They are very delightful and just as good as when I was younger. I am definitely going to keep these on my desk in this cute container, but I can’t promise they will be there for too long!

For more information about Werther’s Sugar-free Caramels, visit their Facebook page!

Disclosure: I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Mothers Day Event: Something About Silver $40 Gift Card Giveaway

2013-05-01T04:56:56Z

Something About Silver specializes in custom hand-stamped jewelry. They offer a wide selection of keepsake necklaces that would make a great gift for any mom this Mother’s Day. Each piece can be personalized to fit your needs. You can include birthstone crystals and even names to your necklaces to give it a special touch.

I received a family tree wax seal pendant to review from Something About Silver. This pendant offers a vintage style with a family tree and what I love is that you can personalize it by adding birthstone crystals, which is what I did. Each birthstone crystal represents a member of my family. The wax seal pendant is made from fine silver and is hand-formed and then fired in a kiln. It is then hand sanded and antiqued to give it a vintage look. The pendant measures just under 3/4″ and includes a little freshwater pearl (mine includes crystals instead of the pearl).

I chose to get three birthstone crystals to represent myself (aquamarine), my son (emerald), and my husband (tourmaline). I really like how flawless the crystals look and even though they are super flashy compared to the actual vintage tree pendant itself, I don’t think they clash, which is great. The necklace lies nicely along my neckline and is not too short or too long. The crystals don’t flip around too much, which I also appreciate. I love the overall design of the family tree pendant and think the vintage touch is genuine. I think this necklace would make a great gift for any mom.

Everyone loves their mom and always wants to find the best gift to make her feel loved and appreciated. One lucky reader is going to win a $40 gift card to Something About Silver! Just enter using the GiveawayTools widget below. After you enter my giveaway, head over to Makobi Scribe to see her mothers day gift ideas worth over $3000. Then enter the grand prize drawing of a $1000 worth of Karina Dresses.

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Be sure to hop over to the blogs below and enter their Mother’s Day giveaways too!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product to facilitate my review. Regardless, opinions are my own. Makobi Scribe Reviews, LLC or the Mother’s Day Gift Event Bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes.

Try New Snacks with The Goodies Co.

2013-04-21T04:43:25Z

Last month, my sisters and I went to our local super market to specifically buy ice cream because we were craving it. We decided to try a new brand and flavor out of curiosity, but after the first bite, we were full of regret. It was probably the worst tasting ice cream I’ve ever had.

Have you ever purchased a bunch of snacks, thinking they might taste good, only to find out that they were absolutely awful? Your family didn’t like them either, so you were left with a bunch of snacks nobody wanted to eat.

I’m so glad I found out about the Goodies Company before I made anymore snacking decisions.

About The Goodies Co.

The Goodies Company is a monthly subscription service that sends you a Goodies Co. Taster’s Box of 5-8 new snacks for just $7/month. This allows you to try new snacks with your family before you buy a ton of them! Since trying new snacks can be risky and time-consuming, the Goodies Co. Taster’s Box gives everyone a chance to discover their tastes. No more making guesses at whether or not the snacks you want to try will taste good.

Goodies Co. Rewards

With The Goodies Company, your opinion matters, and you get rewarded for it! After you try your snacks, go back to the Goodies website and give a review of your box. By doing this you will earn points to redeem for rewards and free Taster’s Boxes. How sweet is that?

Invitation-Only

This awesome subscription service is invitation-only. There’s even a waiting list! But, you can actually sign up for an invite and use the promo code BLOGVIP to skip to the front of the line and get your invitation today!

Be sure to visit The Goodies Co. and use promo code BLOGVIP. You won’t regret trying new snacks each month!

Disclosure: This is post was sponsored by The Goodies Company. All opinions expressed are my own.