Old Orchard Healthy Balance- Reduced Sugar Recipes for the New Year and a Giveaway

The American Heart Association took a stance against sugar this past year when it issued new guidelines for daily intake; just 100 calories from sugar per day for women and 150 calories (equivalent to nine teaspoons) for men (source: American Heart Association).

With New Year resolutions kicking in next month, perhaps more attention should be placed simply on heeding the AHA guidelines in 2010 rather than losing an unrealistic amount of weight.  Don't get me wrong I will be working on losing weight in 2010.

Healthy Balance juice offers one solution for reducing the amount of sugar we Americans drink. The line features 13 flavors that have 75% less sugar, calories and carbs than traditional varieties of 100% juice, and it’s available at nearly every major grocery retailer in the U.S.

We are starting with our celebration on New Year's Eve.  Here is the recipe we are going to make.

Healthy Punch Float

Directions:
1. Put 1 Healthy Balance Juice of your choice into a punch bowl or any large deep bowl will do.
2. Get a Quart of Rainbow Sherbert and drop by the spoon fulls into the Healthy Balance Juice Then slowly add a Diet Clear Soda of your choice (store brands work well). The sherbert will fizz like a float drink.
3. Use a ladle and serve in individual cups.

You may also want to try this recipe.

Non-Alcoholic Champagne

Serves 6
Ingredients:

• 2 cups Old Orchard Apple Juice, chilled
• 3 cups Club Soda, chilled
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
1. Stir all ingredients together in a large pitcher until well mixed.
2. Serve chilled in champagne flutes or wine glasses.

You can find many more great recipes at from Healthy Balance here.

You can go here to get a coupon to save on Healthy Balance Juice for yourself.  Even better Healthy Balance has given me coupons for free bottles of Healthy Balance Juice to my readers.  5 lucky readers will win 3 bottles of free juice.  To enter leave a comment on this blog post telling me how you plan to be healthier in 2010.

For extra entries:

Follow my blog
Subscribe to my feed
Follow me on twitter and tweet about this contest
Write about this contest on you blog



Be sure you leave a comment for each extra thing you do. Also make sure you leave a way for me to get in touch with you (e-mail). This contest will end on Fri. Jan. 8  at 11:59pm EST and I will announce the winner the next day.

I was given coupons to try this product for free and no other compensation was given for writing about this product.

Wordless Wednesday

When one is not enough!

For more WW go here or here.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas.  Wishing you and your family the happiest of days. 

A Cup of Christmas Tea Tree

A few years ago I bought this little tree to put my tea ornaments on.  This is not the best of pictures but I love this little tree.  What I love the most is that many of the ornaments were given to me by very special people in my life that know  how much I love to share a cup of tea.  I even have the tiny book on it A Cup of Christmas Tea which I love to read every year. After many years it still brings a tear to my eye.  It is a great reminder to stop and take the time during this busy holiday season to share a cup of tea.  I hope that you find the time to stop and have a cup of Christmas tea with someone special in your life. 

Wordless Wednesday

There always has to be one with a silly face!  Another December birthday.

For more WW go here or here.

Halls Refresh Robe Giveaway

To go along with my Halls Refresh Giveaway that I currently have going Halls has offered to give to one of my readers a nice white robe a slipper set with a Halls Refresh logo on the pocket.  I don't know about you but  I think this time of year is made for a nice warm robe and some slippers.

If you remember Halls Refresh is a brand new Mouth Moistening product with Advanced Moisture Action. It is a great tasting, sugar-free drop that has been specially formulated to help
moisten your mouth.

To enter go check out Halls Refresh and come back here and leave a comment telling me what flavor sounds the best to you.

For extra entries:

Follow my blog
Subscribe to my feed
Follow me on twitter and tweet about this contest
Blog about this contest on you blog
Enter my other Halls Refresh giveaway


Be sure you leave a comment for each extra thing you do. Also make sure you leave a way for me to get in touch with you (e-mail). This contest will end on Thurs. Dec 30 at 11:59pm EST and I will announce the winner the next day.

A Visitor at the Library

My son and husband made a trip to the library today to checkout a movie they wanted to see.  They didn't find the movie  but they did get a chance to pet this reindeer. They both thought it was pretty cool.

Green Works New Laundry Products Review

Thanks to Mom Central I was recently able to try out the new natural laundry products from Green Works.  I tried both the detergent and the stain remover.  For both being natural plant-based products I was very pleased with the results. The stain remover does a fantastic job and got out some very tough stains.  It is also great to know that as a mom I can wash my kids clothes without harsh chemicals and still get good results.

The new detergent is dermatologist tested, safe on colors and made with natural, plant-based cleaning ingredients. And clothes washed in Green Works  natural laundry detergent won't leave a harsh chemical residue and are gentle on  your skin. Yet it still cleans with the power you expect from Clorox.

If you want to try out these products for yourself you can go to Green Works and print off a $3 coupon for your purchase. 

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox Green Works and received a bottle of Green Works Natural Detergent and Stain Remover to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate

DaySpring Christmas Sale

On December 15-16 only all Christmas items will be on sale at DaySpring. Hundreds of Christmas items will be on sale at 50% to 75% off. You can choose from Christmas jewelry, home decor, nativities, coffee mugs and much more. If you have never checked out their wonderful Christian gifts you need see what you are missing.


Important Christmas Shipping Dates:

• Order by Dec 16 for guaranteed delivery by Dec 24 with FedEx Ground (free on all $50+ orders!)
• Order by Dec 21 for guaranteed delivery by Dec 24 with FedEx 2nd Day Air
• Order by Dec 22 for guaranteed delivery by Dec 24 with FedEx Next Day Air

G-Force DVD Amazon Deal

You can pre-order G-Force on Amazon right now for it's release tomorrow.  It is on sale $8.49 and as usual  if you spend over $25 you can get free shipping.

A Christmas Centerpiece

My mom has been arranging floral arrangements for a couple of years now.  On Thursday she invited me to go to her class with her.  This Christmas centerpiece is my first attempt at floral arranging.   I had so much fun and I was pretty proud of my work for my first attempt. My centerpiece adds the perfect touch to our kitchen table.

"SuperMom" - Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta

Ronzoni knows our frustration as Moms and the lengths we will go to feed our kids healthier foods. A new survey they conducted shows that that more than half of Moms of kids aged 3-12 find it challenging to feed healthy foods to their kids. So they created a funny, spoof video featuring the Smart Taste Supermom



I think as Mom's we have all been there trying to get our kids to eat healthy food. At times it can be so frustrating. Trying to follow a healthier diet myself I felt I needed to give white pasta but I could not get my kids to eat the whole wheat pasta so Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta is was the perfect solution. I love it and my kids love it as well. They can't tell the difference. It looks and tastes like regular white pasta, but Ronzoni Smart Taste contains added calcium and fiber, helping my kids get in their daily recommended value of both nutrients.

Other benefits for the whole family include lower calories and fat than traditional white pasta, and no sodium, preservatives or cholesterol. With this Smart Taste pasta I can enjoy eating pasta and not feel guilty about giving it to my family because of the added benefits.

RONZONI SMART TASTE pasta comes in five delicious varieties:

• Elbows
• Rotini
• Spaghetti
• Thin Spaghetti
• Penne Rigati

Okay Supermom you can go here and download your coupon to save on Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta for your family.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Ronzoni Pasta and received a sample of Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate."

Halls Refresh. Product Review and Giveaway

Do you suffer from dry mouth? Does it get worse this time of year? Halls has a new product that just might be right for you. Halls Refresh is a brand new Mouth Moistening product with Advanced Moisture Action. It is a great tasting, sugar-free drop that has been specially formulated to help
moisten your mouth. It is available in three, mouth-watering flavors: Juicy Strawberry, Tropical Wave and Refreshing Mint . Each can be found in the same stores you find HALLS today. Enjoy anytime you are looking for mouth-moistening refreshment. Halls Refresh is not a cough drop, it's an every day lozenge. HALLS products may be used by adults and children 5 years and over. For children under 5 years, ask a doctor. You can find out more information at www.gethalls.com. or on facebook.

Halls sent me these drops to try for myself. I take a medication that gives me dry mouth so I have been starting my day with one. The do seem to do a great job at moistening my mouth. The taste is pretty good and is refreshing. I also have been carrying them in my purse for when I am on the go. They are great for a quick pick me up.

Halls has been generous enough to give 5 of my readers a chance to try Halls Refresh for themselves. Not only will they get a sample of the new Halls Refresh but also a cool T-shirt.

To enter go check out Halls Refresh and come back here andleave a comment telling me what flavor sounds the best to you.

For extra entries:

Follow my blog
Subscribe to my feed
Follow me on twitter and tweet about this contest
Blog about this contest on you blog


Be sure you leave a comment for each extra thing you do. Also make sure you leave a way for me to get in touch with you (e-mail). This contest will end on Thrus. Dec 30 at 11:59pm EST and I will announce the winner the next day.

Disclosure: I received a sample of this product to review and received no further compensation for this review.

Skin MD Natural - Product Review and Giveaway

It is getting to be that time of the year that my skin gets all dry and I get eczema on parts of my body.  It seems the older I get the more sensitive my skin gets.  Moisturizers and lotions become a daily necessity and they don't always get the job done.   Skin MD Natural sent me their Shielding Lotion to try.  I had never heard of their product  but I am enjoying using it and my skin has been much less itchy so far.

 

According to Skin MD Natural  a shielding lotion is unlike any other conventional, artificial moisturizers because it works with the skin to naturally moisturize and heal. Most
conventional, artificial moisturizers only add moisture to the surface of the skin, but do little to repair the skin’s natural barrier against  moisture robbing irritants. Continued use of artificial moisturizers can cause the skin to actually begin producing less of its own natural oils thinking that the skin has enough moisture.  This can cause skin to form a dependence on the moisturizer for hydration. Skin MD Natural breaks the dry skin cycle by working to help restore skin’s natural protective abilities by
bonding to the outer layer of skin, strengthening skins natural barrier against toxins and irritants that can dry the skin, while locking in the skin’s natural oils. It is made using high quality natural ingredients making it over 90% all natural. All ingredients are considered to be of food grade and are also on the FDA's most safe list. It is free of harmful fragrances, parabens, and colorants making it hypoallergenic. 

 

 

The lotion goes on well and does not leave your skin feeling greasy.  I have to admit that I am not thrilled with the smell but that isbecause it does not contain fragrances.

 

 

Skin MD Natural  has generously offered to send a bottle to one of my readers as well.  One reader will receive a bottle of the Shielding Lotion.  To enter just leave me a comment on why you would like to try this lotion.

 

 

For extra entries:

Follow my blog
Subscribe to my feed
Follow me on twitter and tweet about this contest
Blog about this contest on you blog


Be sure you leave a comment for each extra thing you do. Also make sure you leave a way for me to get in touch with you (e-mail). This contest will end on Thrus. Dec 30 at 11:59pm EST and I will announce the winner the next day.

 

Disclosure:  I was sent a bottle of lotion to try myself and received no other compensation from this company.

Wordle

My son has been having fun playing with Wordle. Here is his latest creation. Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes Wordle is a great site to use for scrapbooking. You can also make a wordle for someone special with words that are special to you or tell about your relationship.You can frame it and it would make a wonderful Christmas present. Go check it out and have fun.

Old El Paso Giveaway winner

Congratulations to Virginia who is the winner of the Old El Paso taco night giveaway.    How cool os this she was the first to enter.

She will 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.  Thanks to all who visited and entered.

Ultimate Party Meatballs

Do you want a quick and easy recipe to take to your next holiday gathering? You need to try these Ultimate Party Meatballs.  You will be asked for the recipe and you can share just how easy these are to make. I made these meatball on Sunday for a party at church and they were a hit.

These meatballs are made with 3 simple ingredients:  Frozen meatballs, Chili sauce and Cranberry sauce.  You can get the full recipe here. My husband was very leery  about them  because of the ingredients but ended up loving them and my mom has asked me to make them again for another party we are having soon.  The recipe is so quick and easy I am more than happy to do so.

You can also enter to win the Ultimate Party Sweepstakes  for a chance to win $3000 in gift cards.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Heinz and Ocean Spray and received the ingredients necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate

A Christmas Tradition

 Today the fun begins.  The count down until Christmas.  A few years ago I picked up this snowman that  counts down the days until Christmas.  I thought it was a real fun idea that the kids would love.  I never imagined the HUGE hit it would be.  When I unpack the Christmas decorations the kids are always looking for it.  My son had fun going through his candy to find lollipops to fill it with.  Both kids got up this morning and it was the first thing they talked about.  As soon as my son got home from school today he went right over and got his lollipop.  I am sure my daughter will do the same when she gets home.  I am convinced  that this is a part of my kids Christmas traditions that they will remember for their entire lives and that is so exciting to me.  Do you have any special traditions that you do to count down the days til Christmas?

You will notice the tree.  We call it our Charlie Brown tree.  The lids love to decorate the way they want and they look forward to it each year.  We put it in the kitchen next to their snowman so they have their own little Christmas spot.