Product Review: Pledge Multi Surface

Pledge Multi Surface Wipes and Spray are some great cleaning shortcuts to have in your cleaning arsenal! Who doesn't like to have a few shortcuts up their sleeve? Take the wipes for example, grab a wipe, you can wipe down the bathroom mirror, the windows, glass doors, and toss it in the trash. How easy is that? And because the spray is anti-static, you can use it to clean electronics. It's nice to have one product that will clean just about everything you own!

You can grab a wipe and clean the inside of your car (and if you have kids like mine, trust me, your car will thank you). You can dust ALL of your furniture with one product, no more window cleaner for glass, wood polish for wood, etc. You don't have to worry about allergens because you are throwing your dirt away, not just moving it around. And it's wax free, so there's no build up, and no streaks!

So if you're on the lookout for a good (quality) shortcut, try Pledge Multi Purpose Wipes and Spray!

Product Review: Sciece Diet Nature's Best

Everyone knows we like to spoil our pets! Our animals are part of our family. Bailey, our rescued mixed breed "Border Collie", and Ricky, our rescued whack job of a cat. But as crazy as they are, we always feed them the very best.

Science Diet Nature's Best is one of the best foods out there. It is always made with premium, healthy ingredients, meat first, real fruits, veggies and whole grains, and vitamins and minerals. And of course, nothing artificial, no fillers and no preservatives!

And after so many animals getting sick and dying off of cheap pet food from China, I think it's important to note that Science Diet is made from quality, natural ingredients inspected by the USDA and vegetables and grains grown in the US and European farms.

It will provide a complete, balanced nutrition for your pets, and help them maintain a healthy body weight. Be sure to check out the bag to find out exactly what nutrition your pet is getting, since they break it down for you.

And it's available at most pet stores, so it's easy to find.

Product Review: ZapIt Game Wave

This is an AWESOME game system!! We have had tons of fun with this. What I LOVE is that it comes with 4 remotes so all four of us in the family can play at the same time, that means my kids aren't constantly fighting, "my turn," "NO! My turn!" And that instantly makes ANY game night more fun! We love the Veggie Tales game so far the most. Me and my husband can play on level 2, the harder level, and the kids can play on level one, easy, all at the same time, and my 6 year old can beat us, fair and square on her own. She LOVES that.

There are many games that you can get for your Game Wave, a few of the fun ones include a game called Letter Zap, which is a Boggle type word game, Lock 5, which is a codebreaker game, Rewind, a trivia game about events from the past, Sudoku (a math game that I suck at!) 4 Degrees, another trivia game, and Click! a Wheel of Fortune type game that the kids also loved.

Another great thing about the Game Wave, when you aren't playing a game, it can be used as a regular DVD player, so you don't have to keep unhooking and rehooking up the system. That's always an issue at our house since we have SO many gaming systems!

We've spent a lot of family nights playing together and having a great time, no fighting over turns or who's winning, every one does well at something. It's been a great system to have, with no war games, no violence, no shooting, Mom loves it!

Product Review - Logitech Harmony One Remote

Or more accurately, Big Daddy's New Toy! This thing is the bomb though. He has this set up to run everything in our house that had a remote. Even our old stereo, well, I don't like to think of it as old, but as far as electronics go, its ancient. Logitech says the average family has over 4 remotes, we must be above average, sweet! We had a remote for the TV, the DVR, the DVD player, the Stereo system, which in itself controls several things, the CD player, the Tuner, etc. And if you have a fan with a remote, or your coffee maker on a remote, this thing could control that too.

Of course, I don't get to use it a whole lot. But, when I do, it's nice. When the kids are in school, and dad's at work, I get to play with it. It has a touch screen which is really neat. Makes me feel like I'm watching TV in a Star Trek movie. I know, I'm a little behind the times.

What I do like about it is, you touch "Watch DVR" and it turns the TV AND the DVR on at the same time, or if you want to watch a movie in the DVD player, the old way, I would have to put the DVD in, turn on the TV, turn on the DVD player, then change the TV input to the DVD channel, it required pressing a million buttons, let's just put it that way. Now, I touch "Watch DVD" and it turns it all on, puts it on the right input, and starts the movie, voila!

And it keeps track of what you have on. If you turned the TV on with the remote, it remembers, and then you just press the screen again to turn the TV off. It's like magic. Very sweet.

I didn't handle the setup, that was the "man's job" but since there were no remote shaped holes in the wall or swear words coming from the computer room, and the remote was still in one piece just minutes after he started the setup and we were using it to turn on all our goodies, I assume it all went well.

So, if you're in the market to buy a new remote, you should get this one! It's magic.

Product Review - Aveeno Positively Ageless

I can't really say a whole lot about this because I don't have a lot of wrinkles and aging skin YET, but I'm using it now so I DON'T get the wrinkles and aging skin!! Aveeno is made with natural ingredients like wheat protein and shiitake mushrooms, and those of you who know me know that's the only way a mushroom will get anywhere near my body, is pureed into some type of cream and smeared onto my skin! Seriously, it's supposed to be good for your skin!

I do use several of the other Aveeno products, and have liked all of them, and this one has the most wonderful smell. I can tell it has a firming effect, I just can't judge on wrinkles, but hey, I'm certainly not complaining about that!

If you're in the market for some new night cream, I recommend the Aveeno, it's probably cheaper than what you're using now, and more than likely works better (and I would be willing to bet smells a LOT better!!)

Weigh in

I haven't done a weigh in for a while now, but at my last I was down almost 20 pounds, so I'm stoked!! I got my Wii Fit hooked up and have been using it, so I'm really hoping at my next weigh in I'll be down even more. I've been going slowly down about 3 pounds a month which isn't a lot, but slow and steady wins the race, right?

Product Review - Ziplock Twist 'N Loc Containers

These containers ROCK! I try to make lunch for Big Daddy everyday, it doesn't happen EVERY day, but as often as possible, I will pack him a lunch of leftovers. If I don't, he will go out to eat, and he can't just make a run through a fast food place. His idea of lunch is a sit-down at Salt Lick or Cannoli Joe's! So his lunch will end up costing us anywhere from $10-15 bucks at a time. Add that up over the course of a few weeks, and you have a good college fund going there. So, I try to make him a lunch every day, saves some money, and most of the time, it's a little healthier than what he could get at a restaurant.

But that means I have a never ending supply of disposable containers. I have bottoms with no matching tops, tops with no matching bottoms, and why do I hold on to these? It's like one day I will open the cabinet and they will mysteriously appear out of thin air? I think it's safe to toss the lonely pieces away at this point, but still, I hold on to them. But, I was sent a set of these wonderful Ziploc Containers from BzzAgent, and since then, I've made chicken and dumplings, spaghetti with sauce, tortellini, chili, and beans, and have used these containers to hold it all! They hold it all great with not a spill! They have worked out great on the commute to work and back home again, and they microwave great, and best of all, the lids are different, so I know which one to grab!

I'm saving money by using these, and saving the environment by using reusable containers, and not paper plates. They will also come in handy on those days when the school wants kids to have a "trash free lunch". I just love Ziploc Twist 'N Loc!

Weigh in

So I had another weigh in today and WOW!! Down another 6 pounds. I'm down 13 pounds from starting one month ago. It's so exciting!! I would LOVE it if I could lose 13 pounds every month. I don't know if that's possible but wouldn't that be nice. It would sure be over quick. Anyway, I'm focusing on making better food choices for now, so that when I'm not taking medication, I'm at least eating what I should be.

Product Review - Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaner

I am a BzzAgent, (bzzagent.com) which is the best thing EVER! I got my new, free Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner in the mail and immediately set it up in my shower stall. We have a walk in shower with frosted doors, and it's very hard to clean, lots of hard to reach places, and the floor of the shower is a textured plastic that seems to hold on to any type of dirt, grime or mold. I have tried everything to get the floor of the shower clean, the only thing that usually works is to get some rags, spray bleach on the floor and "ice skate" around the shower stall. I look (and feel) like an idiot!! Not to mention the hard water we have here, we have a water softener, but over time, sometimes the fixtures start to turn a nice shade of orange.

So, I was excited to get something to clean my shower with less hassle than what I normally have to go through! It was super easy to set up, I hung it up there, pressed the button, it beeps for a few seconds to give you plenty of time to get out of the way, although I have to admit, I kept the shower door open a crack so I could watch!! The doors are frosted, I couldn't see what it was doing!! But it shoots out quick, so I had to jump out of the way and shut the door really quick. I was surprised at the coverage, it shot up pretty high, and went all the way around. After just a few days, I can already tell a noticeable difference. I am just so happy that my ice skating shower days are over! The only down side I see is that I had to take my shower caddy down, you can't have two things hanging over the shower head. I'm not too torn up about it.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Movies You Intended to Watch But Haven't:

1. The Godfather
2. The Godfather 2
3. The Godfather 3
4. Citizen Kane
5. A Streetcar Named Desire
6. Taxi Driver
7. Raging Bull
8. Wuthering Heights
9. Easy Rider
10. The Deer Hunter

Manic Monday

How did you celebrate your last birthday?
Big Daddy took me to III Forks to eat dinner, the in laws watched the kids for the night, we got up the next morning and had breakfast at Magnolia and went to Whole Foods, and just looked around.

What's the last thing you bought yourself, just for fun?
Probably a Wii game, although they would be more for the kids, I do play them and have fun with them. American Idol was more for me.

What would the child you once were think of the adult you have become?
She would think I rock!! Probably think I'm not nearly as active as I used to be, but I always wanted to be a mom and be a fun mom, just like my mom was, and I think I am, so mission accomplished!

Product Review-Dawn Direct Foam

I got a free bottle of Dawn Direct Foam with the agreement that I would blog about it, so I'm doing my part, cause I love me some FREEBIES!! And, this one is great. I love the pump, that's my favorite part. I love that it's foamy also. And surprisingly, it does soap up A LOT! You would be surprised how much you get from one pump. I don't wash a whole lot of dishes by hand, thank God, but when I do, most of the time I don't even use a whole pump, just a little squirt and it's plenty to do what I need it to do. I wash my hands at the sink all the time, and don't like having two things of soap up there all the time, so I usually just use a tiny bit of this soap, and it really does take just a tiny bit to lather up quite a bit.

The only thing I didn't like about it, it seemed to go rather quickly. Because I don't wash dishes by hand that often, when I buy a liquid soap, it will last me months and months. This one has lasted me a while, but I can tell not nearly as long as a regular liquid soap.

Bottom line, I would buy this again, most definitely. And I would recommend it, for ease of use and quality.

Israeli Chicken Rub

Israeli Spice Rub:
1 1/2 T sweet paprika
1 1/2 T ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
1 t ground coriander
1/2 to 1 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 t coarse kosher salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Warm pita or flat bread

Rub on chicken breasts and grill. This is one of our all time favorite recipes. I make it with a side of hummus, basmati rice and pita bread.

This stuff WORKS!!

So I go back in for my 2 week check, and guess what? I have lost 6.6 pounds. I can't even believe it. All I really did differently was take that little magic pill every morning. Okay, that's not all I did. I did try to walk, but honestly, that didn't happen everyday. I tried to be more active, going inside to get the kids from school instead of drive thru, parking farther away, that type of thing. I tried to eat more veggies, more fruits, whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread, not whole wheat. I pretty much gave up all sweets. I gave up fast food and sodas. I watched my portion sizes. A lot of that was on my own, and a lot of that I had help, in the form of the pill. I noticed I would eat breakfast, which, I'm NOT a breakfast person, never have been, probably never will be. There just isn't many breakfast foods that appeal to me other than bacon. So usually I will eat some sort of leftovers. Then I noticed I wouldn't be hungry for HOURS. Or I would get just a tiny bit hungry so I would have a healthy snack, some fruit, Sun Chips (love the Garden Salsa) or granola bar, or handful of almonds. Then eat a smaller portion of dinner. I also started using the smaller salad plates for dinner instead of the larger dinner plates. A few times I would fix a plate like I normally would, take a few bites and look down and realize I still had enough food on my plate to feed a couple more people, and I was FULL.

So, I guess the magic pill is working, I'm not getting the placebo!! I know it's not making the food choices for me, but it's a lot easier to eat healthier when you aren't hungry ALL THE TIME. It's a nice feeling to be satisfied. And it's nice to not be worrying about food all the time. And I really, really hope that I keep losing 6.6 pounds every 2 weeks, I know that's a lot, and probably unrealistic, but a girl can dream, right?

Friday Fun - Gaming Edition

1. What was your favorite outside childhood game?
Hide and Seek of course!
2. How about board games? Do you have a favorite?
I hated it, but we always played Monopoly, and when I ran out of money, my brother would pay me to straighten all his houses and hotels!
3. Do you play any PC games? Online or offline? If so, what is your favorite?
I used to play Sims and LOVED it, too busy now.
4. Gaming stations,…Do you have one or more and which ones? XBox, XBox 360, Playstation, etc.?
Wii!! It rocks!!

Proud of Myself!

We were supposed to have company over for Valentine's Day, so I made a nice dinner and dessert, which I don't usually make unless it's a special occasion, and so I went all out and made one of my favorites, it's called Sunshine Cake, it's so light and fluffy, it's made with mandarin oranges and pineapples and cool whip, and it's yummy. Well, the company backed out at the last minute and I was left with a huge pan of cake. I was proud of myself though, I covered it up, and delivered it to the kids school for the teachers on Friday morning, and heard plenty of rave reviews. I was glad they got to enjoy it, and I didn't have it sitting here tempting me all weekend!!

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

This is a great recipe, the whole family enjoys it, and it doesn't take a long time and I usually have ALL the ingredients on hand. I'm bad about measuring things, but this is a general idea:

Preheat oven to 400

2 t dried oregano
2 t dried thyme
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1 t salt
1 t pepper
2 lbs pork tenderloin

Mix all the spices together, rub pork with olive oil, then rub with spice mixture, put in well oiled pan, cook for about 30-35 minutes, let sit a few minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Hot Vanilla

Probably not the best health-wise, but I'm thinking it has to be healthier than hot chocolate, right? My kids have been drinking it a lot when it cools off (which thankfully hasn't been too often lately!)

1 cup milk
2 t sugar
1/2 t vanilla

Mix ingredients and heat for 90 seconds in microwave. Top with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.

Weight Loss Study

I got accepted into the Weight Loss Study and started taking the medication on Friday. They gave me a book to learn how to make better food choices and want me to just walk 30 minutes a day, which sounds doable. I haven't really felt any different since taking the meds, except maybe going to the bathroom more often (TMI) but I just hope I wasn't given the placebo!! That would suck!! So, I go back in two weeks for an update, we'll see how it goes.

Low Glycemic Diet

Well, one of my new year's goals is to get back on track with eating right. I know that's probably a goal we all have. I've been trying to think of this as not a diet but a way of life, a way of eating, that I will be on the rest of my life. I CAN do this. I have been looking into the Low Glycemic Diet. I don't know a whole lot about it yet, but I have a book about it that I'm reading and I've heard lots of success stories, first hand. I want this to be something my whole family can do, it's so hard for me to cook a meal for the family and for me to eat something else. And we've cut out a lot of processed foods, trying to eat a lot more organic, I've cut out fast food, and sodas, you would think I would lose at least a pound or two, right? I don't know, I haven't weighed in a while!! So, I will try to be better about posting, and posting updates as I learn more about the LGD and how to do it, if it works, etc.

Oh, almost forgot an important thing...I joined a weight loss study!! I heard an ad on the radio about it, and wouldn't have called except that it was being done by my endocrinologist, the one Big Daddy and I both use, so I know he's legit, and really good at what he does. So I went in for more info, see if I qualify, so far so good, I will go back in two weeks to get the results of my blood work and more instructions. From what they said, it will be a combination of phentermine (appetite suppressant) and topomax (migraine medication) and for whatever reason, the combination of those two make people lose weight. Now, there is a 50/50 chance I'll get the placebo, but I'm praying, Please God don't let it be me!! Let this be the thing that jump starts this for me!! So, I'll be updating about that also. They did say I have low blood pressure, have no idea why but that does mean a visit to my regular doctor also. So, I will update on that later also.