Slow Down

Sure, we may not be able to really do a lot about our everyday schedule, but there’s usually a way to find a few minutes for ourselves somewhere in there. If you can, just set aside a few minutes to do something that’s quiet and helps you remove yourself from the busy-ness of the day.

What Refreshes You?

We all have a few things that truly can bring us relaxation and refreshment quickly, but we each need to decide what that is for us. Whether it’s drinking your favorite mocha, reading a bit of that novel that’s been sitting on the shelf for a few months, taking a long shower or even a few minutes for a bath or a pedicure, find that thing that just makes you go “Aaaaahhh”! The possibilities are endless.

Breathe

When my kids get upset or anxious the number one thing I tell them to do is take a deep breath. It almost always works, helps soothe them and helps them calm down. Adults often forget to breathe! Who has time?

Well, do it! Yoga is a great way to learn to breathe again, it is so relaxing! But, even taking a few minutes to just focus on breathing… steady and even… helps bring the right amount of oxygen to the brain (and the whole body) which makes you feel so much better!

1Hour Break™ is a natural spray for stress, anxiety,or insomnia. 1Hour Break™  combines 5 herbal extracts  to help calm your mind and body. It’s ½ OZ spray bottle contains up to 15 servings, and can help calm overactive minds, allowing you to relax and get the deep rest of R.E.M sleep. When take during the day, 1HourBreak™ does not interfere with mental sharpness or clarity. 1Hour Break™ is vegetarian, gluten free, kosher certified, and proudly made in the USA.

And now, for a limited time, you can get a free sample of by visiting 1HourBreak on Facebook and clicking on the “welcome” tab.  You can also save 50% off 1Hour Break™ through Amazon.com. Enter promo code “mom50off”. Limited time offer available while supplies last.

One lucky reader is going to win a free full size bottle of 1HourBreak!  Here’s how you can win…

Each of the following is 1 entry.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry.  This contest will end Monday, February 20, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.  A winner will be chosen and announced by Wednesday, February 22, 2012

• Visit www.1hourbreak.com and tell us something you learned about the product.
• Like 1HourBreak on Facebook.
• Like A Frog in My Soup on Facebook.
• Tell us one anti-stress/relaxation tip that works for you.

Giveaway is open for US residents and is void where prohibited.

Good luck and happy entering!! Thanks to 1HourBreak for Sponsoring this post and giveaway!

Image from fotolia.com

General health and the need to lose some weight has had me focusing a bit more this year on finding ways to work out more consistently so I recently joined the MapMyFitness Quaker Challenge.

The basic goal with this great program is to work out 15 times in 30 days, which is totally doable (yay). I plan to do more, but what’s great about this is that I can still deal with the unexpected in daily life as a parent (illness, events, etc) but be able to easily reach that goal.

This program is totally free (though they do have some premium membership options that are completely up to you) and simple to use. Just map your workouts as you go to track your progress. Be sure to hop on over to sign yourself up today and get started toward better health!

Joining the MapMyFitness Quaker Challenge is my first step towards becoming healthier. It’s your turn to join the conversation and tell me what motivates you to stay healthy?

For your chance to win $750 complete these two steps:

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker Oats Company. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

If you’re a little daunted by the idea of making fondue for your family, don’t be! You don’t have to have a fancy 1970′s fondue set, a crockpot (or three in my case) and bamboo skewers work perfectly well.

Note that this recipe is only for 2 servings so be prepared to adjust accordingly. Also, I know that the recipe calls for heavy cream, but you can totally substitute in a healthy non-fat yogurt.

I recommend bananas, strawberries, graham crackers, pound cake, angel food cake and any other fruit that can be portioned well for dipping and tastes great with chocolate.

Chocolate Fondue – Eating Well

From EatingWell: January/February 2008
The chocolate will stiffen if it gets cold, so enjoy it while it’s still warm. Skewer and dip anything you like—pear slices, dried apricots, even marshmallows.

2 servings | Active Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon brewed espresso, (see Kitchen Tip)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 banana, peeled and cut into 8 pieces
8 1-inch chunks fresh pineapple
4 strawberries

Preparation

Place chocolate, cream, espresso, vanilla and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl; microwave on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, see “No Microwave?” below.)
Pour the chocolate mixture into a serving bowl. Serve with fruit.
Nutrition

Per serving : 345 Calories; 19 g Fat; 10 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 20 mg Cholesterol; 54 g Carbohydrates; 4 g Protein; 7 g Fiber; 81 mg Sodium; 382 mg Potassium

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 fruit, 1 carbohydrate (other), 4 fat

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Fondue forks or bamboo skewers
Kitchen Tip: If you don’t have an espresso maker, look for instant espresso powder at your supermarket.
No Microwave? Place chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water. Gently stir until almost melted. Remove from the heat and stir until the chocolate melts completely.

Image from Eating Well Chocolate Fondue page

What this post will do is tell you about a fabulous company that you will come to love if you choose or have chosen to breastfeed.

Glamourmom has been my go-to resource for nursing tanks and shirts for a long time; however, I’ve recently discovered that they have even more ingenious products for nursing mamas.  Specifically I just received the Glamourmom Nursing Tankini a few weeks ago and it has become a staple in my travel bag.

A few weekends ago we visited the Great Wolf Lodge.  If you haven’t heard of them before, you should definitely check them out!   GWL is a nationwide chain of indoor waterparks and resorts and it was a perfect winter getaway for us!  My concern was that we would be spending an immense amount of our day in pools, on the waterslides, and playing in the splash park.  I knew I would have to feed my daughter, and I knew that privacy would be at a premium.  I figured I would have to change us both and shlep up to the room everytime she wanted to nurse, until I learned about the Glamourmom Tankini.

First off, let me just say, this bathing suit is super affordable.  At only $59, you are getting a complete bathing suit – top and bottom – for less than what it might cost for just a top these days!  Not to mention, the bathing suit is simple and classic, yet still stylish, and you can easily use this even after you’ve weaned your little one.   A few other little features that I love are the slightly higher waist on the bottoms that hide the leftover baby belly, the adjustable straps, and the easy one-handed snaps to release the straps for nursing.  I felt that I was adequately covered when I was feeding my daughter at the waterpark, and she was able to latch with no problem.

Glamourmom has some really unique and extremely beneficial products in addition to the amazing tankini that I tried.  Another favorite of mine is the Long Tank that not only has a nursing bra, but also built in tummy control!  What post-partum mama doesn’t want a little extra control around their midsection?!  I am also really loving the Nursing Bra Tank with Lace.  It’s such a fun little detail to have the bottom lined with lace, and you can easily wear this as a layer or on it’s own.

The most versitale of all the Glamourmom products is the Long Nursing Bra Tank (seen above), and I have been wearing them since my daughter was born!  They go under everything providing support, easy access while nursing, and they are just downright comfy!  The amazing owner/founder of Glamourmom, Line Rothman, has kindly offered to give one of our readers one of her own!  So exciting!!!

Here’s how you can win!

Each of the following count as one entry. A separate comment must be left bellow for each entry.

• Visit Glamourmom and tell us about your favorite product.
• “Like” A Frog in My Soup on Facebook.
• Become a follower of A Frog in My Soup on Twitter.
• “Like” Glamourmom on Facebook.
• Share a link to this giveaway on Facebook and tag A Frog in My Soup.
• Tweet about this giveaway and mention @afroginmysoup.

That’s a total of 6 possible entries! Remember, each comment is it’s own entry, so be sure to leave a separate comment for each of these that you do.

This contest will end Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 11:59 pm and a winner will be announced on Friday, February 17, 2012. You will have 72 hours to respond to afroginmysoupinfo @ gmail dot com or a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck and Happy Entering!

Disclosure: I received a Glamourmom Tankini free of charge to review, however Glamourmom did not compensate me in any other way. The opinions expressed in this post are mine. You can read this site’s disclosure policy here.

We had such a great time putting together our Valentine’s Day Gift Guide and we hope you loved it to!  Today is the day you have all been waiting for…the day we announce the winners of all our fabulous giveaways!!  If you’re name was chosen please email afroginmysoupinfo@gmail.com by Saturday, 2/11/12 at 11:59pm to claim your prize.  If you’re name wasn’t chosen, stay tuned because we have another exciting giveaway for you starting tomorrow!

And now, without further hesitation, the winners are….

For the Innovia Automatic Paper Towel Dispenser - Comment # 72, Annie C!

For the Personalized Book from MyFairyTaleBooks – Comment # 16, trixx!

For the $50 Gift Card to KLMc Designs – Comment #46, Angel Charm!

For a set of DaddyScrubs – Comment #17, Amber Porter!

For a Saranoni Blanket – Comment # 78, Jen!

For a FunBite Food Cutter – Comment #25, Drama Queens Mum!

Congratulations to all of our winners!  You will be hearing from me shortly!  Please don’t forget to email afroginmysoupinfo@gmail.com by Saturday night or a new winner will be chosen.  Check back tomorrow for our next amazing contest!

For me, keeping it yummy and simple is always the biggest factor in any game-day menu. Here’s a few tips to make preparation even simpler.

Use a Crockpot.

This is absolutely mandatory around here. In fact, crock pots are so useful for holidays and game day we went out and bought a great unit that has three crock pots in it. They are attractive, convenient and one pot does it all from cooking, to keeping warm and serving. 

Plan Ahead

Don’t get too very extravagant, you’d be surprised just how amazing things can turn out with just a little prep and a few ingredients. By planning ahead you don’t have to worry about missing ingredients or last minute trips to the store. Keep in mind there’s almost always a simple way to improvise if you do end up forgetting something.

Keep it Simple

When you’re entertaining a crowd all too often as the hostess we get way too caught up in wanting it to be fancy and impressive. On game-day this is absolutely not necessary! Break out the everyday dishes, the simpler the better actually as game-day tends to be casual and messy. Keep it as simple as possible for not only serving and eating, but for clean up as well!

Now it’s your turn! Join the conversation and tell me what tips you have for hosting a successful party for friends and family for the Big Game and be entered to win a 42” LG flat Screen TV!

Looking for some snack ideas? Tyson Any’tizers are a great snack that satisfies your kids on game day or any day! 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson Any’Tizers.  The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Tyson Any’Tizers Brand. Official Sweepstakes Rules

There are many mornings where making a full breakfast just doesn’t work well so it’s great to have something quick to grab. Also, the hungries hit the boys frequently throughout the day and I love knowing I have something healthy to give them that will fill them up and really feed their bodies well.

So, as I was looking around online I stumbled upon eatbetteramerica.com and their wonderful Healthified Oatmeal Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies (quite a mouthful in so many ways lol). Everything about this recipe I love! It uses natural peanut butter (you should always use the unsalted unsweetened type anyway, it doesn’t take long for the family to get used to it I promise) and honey. There’s NO white sugar in this recipe, what an amazing healthful treat for your family!

Healthified Oatmeal Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies

from eatbetteramerica.com

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 large)
1/2 cup chunky natural peanut butter (unsalted and unsweetened)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two cookie sheets with cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together banana, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine oats, flour, milk powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir the oat mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in dried cranberries.
2. Using a ¼-cup measure, drop mounds of dough 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. With a thin metal or small plastic spatula dipped in water, flatten and spread each mound of dough to a 2¾-inch round, about ½ inch thick.
3. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 14 to 16 minutes or until browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months; thaw before serving.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 35mg; Total Carbohydrate 38g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 22g); Protein 6g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 4%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Image ©JJAVA – fotolia.com

Luckily, I have been introduced to FunBites!  FunBites makes these adorable food cutters that take ordinary food and turn it into “mealtime magic”!  These curved blade cutters can take anything from sandwiches to pancakes, fish, cheese, or fruit, and make it into a fun, neat meal!  I am really loving using this on my kids lunch, especially as Valentine’s Day approaches and I can’t seem to get enough heart shaped goodies!

The blades are sharp enough to use on foods like pizza and allow you to cut the food without having to put your fingers all over it and they are easy to use!

1.  Place your FunBites cutter on top of your food.  Remove the popper top and set it to the side.

2.  Grab the cutter handles on both sides, press down firmly, and rock side to side 5-6 times.

3.  Lift the cutter up, insert the popper top, and pop out the bite-sized pieces! Easy Peasy!!

Some other pros:

• FunBites are made 100% in the USA!
• FunBites are BPA free!
• FunBites are top rack dishwasher safe!
• FunBites were created by the parents of two little girls who wanted to help their picky eater enjoy the healthy foods they served her and not just junk food.  (We love Mom and Dad inspired products!)

You can WIN your choice of a green cube or pink heart FunBites by reading on…

But first, check out these awesome kid (and adult!) friendly creations that you can make with FunBites.

Here’s how you can win!

• Visit FunBites and tell us how you would spend a gift card to the shop.
• “Like” A Frog in My Soup on Facebook.
• Become a follower of A Frog in My Soup on Twitter.
• “Like” FunBites on Facebook.
• Follow FunBites on Twitter.
• Share a link to this giveaway on Facebook and tag A Frog in My Soup.
• Tweet about this giveaway and mention @afroginmysoup.

That’s a total of 7 possible entries! Remember, each comment is it’s own entry, so be sure to leave a separate comment for each of these that you do.

This contest will end Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 at 11:59 pm and a winner will be announced on Friday, February 10, 2012. You will have 72 hours to respond to afroginmysoupinfo @ gmail dot com or a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck and Happy Entering!

Disclosure: I received these products free of charge to review, however FunBites did not compensate me in any other way. The opinions expressed in this post are mine. You can read this site’s disclosure policy here.

Of course, in my home there’s always a lot of clutter, but finding clever and convenient storage solutions can be the perfect answer for keeping things running smoothly when seasons change. This doesn’t have to be expensive, sure it can be, but there are ways to keep it down to a minimum.

Buy them all the same!

Try to buy the same containers for storing seasonal items. These containers can be different for each season but making sure you’re buying the same ones makes them simple to stack, find and label.

Shop Sales

Right after Christmas is usually the perfect time to shop for storage as most stores have big sales on it. Sure, some of them may be red and green big plastic containers but those are perfect for storing all your winter and Christmas stuff and you’ll always know what boxes to look in for that time of year! Even snow suits, winter clothing, boots, etc are perfect for storing in these containers.

Label Well

Label all your containers with not only the season, but the basic contents. For Christmas/winter stuff I’d typically have one box for lights, another for ornaments/stockings and another for winter clothes. You get the idea.

Plan Ahead

Make an area in your home or garage or basement that’s just for storage. Take time to find that one spot that’s not damp or wet, but isn’t used much. Keep in mind that it does NOT have to be a large area. I would venture to say that for seasonal storage you really don’t need more than a 6ft x 6ft area to fit all four seasons.

This is a great time to get rid of any lights that don’t work or clothes that are worn out, too small or won’t be used again! Fill your boxes and stack them all together by season. The great thing about doing it this way is that it doesn’t take long at all and everything is going to be so very easy to find next year when you need it.

Now I’m off to find that pesky Valentine’s Day table runner I didn’t put away last year !

This post was brought to you by Uncle Bob’s storage company! All opinions and content is entirely mine you can see my full disclosure policy here. 

I am lucky to get to tell you about their blankets!  Saranoni doesn’t just make any old blanket though – these blankets are seriously the warmest, thickest, softest blankets I’ve seen, and I am in LOVE with mine!  When Saranoni asked me to review their new toddler blanket and their adult blanket, I was excited because they are absolutely gorgeous, but then when I tracked my order and saw that it was arriving at just the same time as the snow storm we got a few weekends ago, I was even happier.  I literally sat by the window waiting to see the package and when I did, I ran out to grab them.

They  were even better in person than I would have thought.  They are so cozy and so high quality that they are actually heavy which is so comforting when you are cuddling up in bed or on the couch!  Saranoni sent me the Toddler to Teen blanket in Hot Pink Swirl and the Extra Large blanket in Candy Apple Red/Charcoal Lush.  They are both really attractive additions to our home, but I have to say the swirl detail on the pink blanket is really gorgeous!

We have been keeping the extra-large blanket in our living room which I love because I can comfortably cuddle up with both of my kids and have us all be covered by the blanket.  (Our pup seems to like it to as he insists on sitting ON us when we have the blanket on!)  I’ve never found a blanket that was this luxurious and this large!  It’s perfect for our family!

When the blankets arrived here, my daughter, who is 20 months old, was napping in my bed, so I ran in and covered her up in the blanket and she immediately snuggled into it.  She didn’t want to let the blankie go!  I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I didn’t either!  I may or may not still be sleeping with it…   (Who am I kidding?  I have totally been sleeping with it since it got here!)

My son recently asked if he could borrow our new living room blanket for his room, “just for when it snows”.  I reluctantly gave in until he told me “Okay, you can have it back in the Summer!”!  Ha!  I don’t think so, little man!  The blanket is currently safe and sound on my lap as I type this.

In addition to the stunning blankets that Saranoni makes, they also sell adorable kids shoes and clothes, maternity tees, and beautiful jewelry!

So – who could use a Valentine’s Day gift from Saranoni??  Anyone!!  This is a great gift for a child or adult, and with February 14^th quickly approaching, Saranoni has marked down all of their pink and red blankets in honor of the day of love!

Even better, you could win your own Toddler to Teen Blanket from them right here!  They have generously offered to give one of our readers their own blanket to warm up this very cold Winter!  Want to win??  Here’s how!

Each of the following count as one entry. A separate comment must be left bellow for each entry.

• Visit Saranoni and tell us which is your favorite blanket.
• “Like” A Frog in My Soup on Facebook.
• Become a follower of A Frog in My Soup on Twitter.
• “Like” Saranoni on Facebook.
• Share a link to this giveaway on Facebook and tag A Frog in My Soup.
• Tweet about this giveaway and mention @afroginmysoup.

That’s a total of 6 possible entries! Remember, each comment is it’s own entry, so be sure to leave a separate comment for each of these that you do.

This contest will end Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 11:59 pm and a winner will be announced on Friday, February 10, 2012. You will have 72 hours to respond to afroginmysoupinfo @ gmail dot com or a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck and Happy Entering!

Disclosure: I received these products free of charge to review, however Saranoni did not compensate me in any other way. The opinions expressed in this post are mine. You can read this site’s disclosure policy here.