29 February 2012

80Bites Weight Loss Program Review Week 1


I'm happy to announce that I am trying a new approach to weight loss.  It's the 80Bites program!  The 80Bites program is a whole new take on dieting and a close look at how much we are eating.  Thanks to the wonderful folks at 80Bites I am getting to review their full length program, which consists of 12 weeks.

The first thing about this program that I find fantastic, is that it's not overwhelming!  The information is gradually unlocked each week you progress through the program.  This makes it so much easier to digest everything you need to know for that particular week.  This first week was a focus on how many bites you actually take in one day.  You can manage this by either downloading their handy 80Bites counter for your smartphone through the iPhone app store or Android market, or by simply finding a good counting system that works for you.  Below is a picture of what the counter looks like!


The 80Bites program focuses on four important themes: Quantity, Frequency, Quality, and Balance. 


So for week 1 the goal is to monitor your bites.  I found that my average number of bites for the day ring in between 100-110.  This feels promising to me, as it's not that far off from my end goal of 80 bites!  The whole concept really does make sense.  Monitoring how much we eat helps us to end overeating, which in turns starts to shrink the stomach.  I've just begun week 2, so stay on the lookout for the review for that next week!

If you are interested in joining me in the 80Bites diet you can find out more information here.  The full 12 week program is available for $49.99.


Connect With 80Bites:




* Disclosure:  This post is chronicling my journey through the 80Bites program which was provided at no cost to me in exchange for my honest weekly review and opinions.  All opinions in this review are 100% my own and are not a result of any outside influence.

28 February 2012

Extreme Flash Giveaway!



Welcome to the Extreme Flash Giveaway! We will be giving away:
(3) $60 Amazon gift certificates
(1) $50 Live Nation gift code
So be sure to bookmark this page and keep your fingers crossed when we announce the winners on March 3rd. It might just be you!
Giveaway starts on Feb. 29th and ends on Mar. 2nd at 11:59 PM EST.
Good luck!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

26 February 2012

St. Patrick's Day Food And Craft Ideas

I've come across so many good St.Patrick's Day food and craft ideas lately, I wanted to share some of them with all of you!  Just looking at these wonderful ideas has me psyched for St.Patty's Day.  Enjoy!

 












St.Patty's Rag Wreath by TheMagicofOrdinaryThings.blogspot.com










DIY Lucky Button Art by FunkyPolkaDotGiraffe.blogspot.com













St.Patrick's Day Candy Goodie Bags by CreateMyEvent.com













McDonald's Shamrock Shake Copycat Recipe by BunnyandDolly.com











Shamrock Mint Oreos by Blogs.Babble.com










Green Dublin Apple Cocktail by Squidoo.com

22 February 2012

Heart Healthy Food Choices



We all know that heart disease is a factor we all need to worry about, especially us women!  Are you eating for optimum heart health?  There are many simple changes you can make to your diet that will greatly reduce your future risk of getting heart disease.

1)  When shopping the produce aisle, think color!  
Think berries, oranges, yams, broccoli, carrots, spinach, and more!  These colorful fruits and veggies are  a great low fat and cholesterol free addition to a healthy heart diet.

2)  Focus in on your dairy/calcium habits.
Low fat and reduced fat milk, cheese, and yogurt are wonderful additions to any diet.  If you're a vegan, make sure to fill any Vitamin D gaps in your diet with options like calcium fortified orange juice and fortified cereals.

3)  Get your grains!
Specifically, whole grains that is!  Substitute your average white bread, pastas, and cereal for whole wheat versions for a healthier heart.  Make sure you are buying bread that is truly whole grain wheat bread, not bread labeled "wheat" that is simply white bread in disguise!

4)  Eat lean meats and up your protein intake.
Lean meats such as chicken, pork tenderloin, and turkey breasts are another great addition to a heart healthy diet.  To up your protein intake, (especially for you vegetarians like me!) choose protein rich beans like kidney, black, soy, and garbanzo beans.

5)  Omega 3 rich foods are a plus!
These days upping your intake of Omega 3 rich foods is easier than ever!  Options are found in cold water fish such as salmon and tuna.  If you don't eat fish you can also find Omega 3 in walnuts, flaxseed, soy products, and even some Omega 3 enhanced cereals and breads!


Now let's zero in on what is not heart healthy:

  • Too much salt!  Make sure you are reading sodium content on labels.  2,300-2,400 mg of sodium a  day is what is considered "average".
  • Steer clear of too much sugar.  This one can be hard to resist, but keeping an eye on your sugar intake is key!
  • Watch out for unhealthy fats!  Try to minimize your intake of unhealthy fats such as trans and saturated fats to keep your heart healthy.

21 February 2012

Clorox Clean Up Recipes For Fun


Clorox has a great new site for you all to enjoy and it's filled with fun and creative recipes to get your little ones participating in the fun of food!  It's called Clorox Recipes For Fun and it's a must see, especially for you fellow moms.  Clorox knows that's it not just about cleaning up the messes, it's about making them too!  This website is chock full of recipes for your kids to get excited about.  These are not just a compilation of your average recipes by the way!  

Clorox Recipes For Fun includes recipes in the following categories:

* Wacky Science
* Arts and Crafts
* Kiddie Cooking
* Creative Cooking

My favorite is the Wacky Science recipes category!  In this collection of recipes you will get the details on how to make homemade bubbles, paint, gloop, volcanic eruptions, and more!  Here is one of my favorite recipes below!

Glow in the Dark Slime

Ingredients
1 - 4oz bottle of clear or blue gel Elmer's glue 
1 cup of warm water 
2-3 tablespoons of glow-in-the-dark paint 
Green Neon Food Coloring 
2 teaspoons of Borax 
1/3 cup of warm water

Directions:
1) First mix together the Elmer's glue and the 1 c of warm water. 
2) Stir in the paint and food coloring. 
3) In a separate small bowl mix together the 1/3 cup warm water and 2 teaspoons of borax. Stir until the borax is dissolved. 
4) Now add about 2 tablespoons of the borax solution to the glue solution. Stir continuously while adding the solution. 

*This recipe can make 2 small half jar fulls of slime or your could package a smaller amount of slime into favor baggies.


  Want a Chance to Win $10,000 Towards an Ultimate Mess Party?

I thought you might enjoy that one!  So how do you get in on the chance to win?  Just head on over to Clorox Recipes For Fun and register. Just think of the kind of Ultimate Mess Party you could throw with that kind of cash!  There are also ways to gain extra entries such as submitting your own fun and creative recipe here, or get in on the chance to win the daily prizes being given away, such as gift cards, just by viewing other recipes on the site!

Giveaway is open to those in the U.S., 18 years of age and older.  This giveaway will end at 11:59 PM EST on March 27, 2012.  For further rules, please click here.


* Like Clorox on Facebook to get the latest updates *





* Disclosure:  This post was written for Clorox, in partnership with Social Moms.  This is a compensated post, although all opinions expressed within are 100% my own, and in no way a result of any outside influence.

20 February 2012

Extreme Flash Sign Ups!



Hey Bloggers!  Want to increase your Twitter followers and Facebook page fan likes?  Come sign up for the Extreme Flash Giveaway happening Feb.29-Mar.2, hosted by Oh My Gosh Beck for only $3.50!  That includes both a follow on your Twitter and Facebook fan page like option in the giveaway! 

The last Extreme Flash Giveaway had over 100 participants and hundreds of thousands of entries!  This is one blogger event you don't want to miss!  The prizes for this giveaway will include 3 different winners each receiving an Amazon gift certificate! Sign ups will close on February 26th.  To get in on the fun - click here to sign up and be sure to say Textbook Mommy sent you! 

Organize Your Life With Clipix!

Want a great new tool to organize and simplify your life?  Try clipix?  With clipix, you can create multiple boards to organize everything from your favorite recipes you find online, to your favorite online articles!  You can share your variety of personal boards with your friends and family to stay organized, swap ideas, and more!  Best of all, accounts at clipix are free!  Pictured below is one of my boards from clipix featuring shoes I love.



Need some more ideas for how to integrate clipix into your life?  How about using clipix to plan your next vacation, find and save healthy family recipes, organize what supplies you will need for your next work presentation or your child's next field trip, fun and interesting craft ideas, and so much more!
What's great with clipix, is you can choose whether or not you want your boards to be public or private!  Want your boards only seen by your closest friends or family?  You got it with clipix!  You can also use clipix on the go with their featured iPhone app!  You also have the option to share your latest clips on clipix through Facebook and Twitter!
What will you clip with clipix?  Want kind of boards would you like to create?  I love to clip and create boards for recipes I want to try, fashion pieces I adore, and quotes that motivate me!  I encourage you to see how clipix can work for you.  Sign up is simple and free!  Want even more information on how clipix can help you organize and simplify your life?  Check out the YouTube video below!


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19 February 2012

Cloud b Twilight Turtle Giveaway



The Cloud B Twilight Turtle turns any ceiling into a starry night sky and has 8 different constellations that your child can learn. Stars can be shown in 3 different colors, and it even has a sleep timer that prevents it from staying on longer than 45 minutes. This is a great gift for any child, and we are giving you a chance to WIN one! Just fill out the rafflecopter below to enter. :)

This giveaway was made possible by:
Shawn's Auto Advice
BlogGirl
Textbook Mommy
I Heart Giveaways
The Food and Travel Buff
My bric-a-brac
Jared's Little Corner
Couponing In PA




GOOD LUCK!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

17 February 2012

Day 17 of the 21 Day Mommy Blogger Weight Loss Challenge


Today is Day 17 of the 21 Day Mommy Blogger Weight Loss Challenge put on by Dustin Maher, author of Fit Moms for Life.  Today was a good day!  I got in my protein and veggies, as well as 45 minutes on the elliptical.  I can't believe there are just a few days left in the challenge!  While I have decided to not take on next month's challenge due to the pressures of school right now, I am going to be transitioning from this program into another program that is a new take on dieting - so stay tuned for weekly updates and reviews on that soon!  





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