May 17, 2012

Change the Way You Shop Online with Digital Folio

Are you ready for the way you shop to change, possibly completely? Let me give you an introduction to Digital Folio. Digital Folio is an absolutely free comparison-shopping app that finds and tracks price savings for you by providing real-time pricing updates and comparisons on a wide variety of products that you’re searching for. Their current product categories include Computer Printers, Personal Audio Players, Camcorders, Children’s Car Seats, Point ’n Shoot Cameras, Televisions, Computers, Blu-Ray Players, Refrigerators, Microwaves, Washers, Dryers, Dishwashers; with more being added every day.

The Digital Folio intelligent shopping list is available to you across the Web. The Digital Folio intelligent shopping list stays with you whether you’re at home, on your phone, or in-store.  I don’t know about you, but when I shop major retailers it’s usually Amazon, BestBuy, Sears, Target, or Walmart and adding products to your list from these online retailer websites is as easy as drag ’n drop.

Another of Digital Folio’s great features is the real-time price comparisons that happen instantly, giving you price updates across each of these major retailers as you shop the Web.  The prices of your saved items automatically update, even when you’re offline, so when you log back on they instantly give you the most current price.  Group shopping with shared lists allows you to share your list or registry with friends and family so everyone can co-shop and compare in real time and nobody buys the same thing.

In the future Digital Folio will deliver relevant promotions based on your shopping list or even the exact product you’re viewing.  Digital Folio is more than just a revolutionary intelligent shopping list. It compares a product—or an entire retailer listing page—in seconds, saving you hours of time normally spent visiting multiple sites. I don’t know about you, but that’s a product I can get behind…especially with the holiday shopping season really getting started!

Want to learn more about Digital Folio?? I know!! Me too!

Join the #DigitalFolio Twitter Party with Resourceful Mommy Tuesday, November 8, 8-9pm EST.

Follow @ResourcefulMom and @DigitalFolio and participate in the party to be eligible to win one of six (6) $25 Target gift cards or the one (1) Grand Prize $100 Target gift card!

Make sure you download Digital Folio (currently compatible with Internet Explorer or Firefox on PCs or Macs) before the party and comment right here about what YOU think about it before the party!

PS. All registered Digital Folio users will be eligible to win a $200 Target gift card that will be awarded by Digital Folio a week after the party on Wednesday, November 15!

Disclosure: I am participating in a sponsored program with Digital Folio and Global Influence, the opinions stated are my own.

Be Fit2Fight Type 2 Diabetes with Better’n Eggs and Blueberry Muffins!

Throughout my life I have known many loved ones who have struggled with maintaining their Type 2 Diabetes.  For those of you who don’t know Type 2 Diabetes is “a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes.”(Diabetes.org,2011)

Diabetes is caused by a problem in the way a person’s body makes or uses insulin. Insulin moves blood sugar into cells, where it is stored and later used for energy. When someone has type 2 diabetes, their fat, liver, and muscle cells do not respond correctly to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. As a result, blood sugar does not get into these cells to be stored for energy.

Type 2 diabetes usually occurs slowly over time. Most people with the disease are overweight when they are diagnosed. Increased fat makes it harder for your body to use insulin the correct way.

However, Type 2 diabetes can develop in people who are thin; happening more commonly in the elderly.

Family history and genes can also play a large role in type 2 diabetes. Low activity level, poor diet, and excess body weight around the waist increase your risk.

Working closely with your doctor, nurse, and dietitian to learn how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates you need in your diet is imperative. Your meal plans should fit your daily lifestyle and habits, and should try to include foods that you like.

Some people with type 2 diabetes can stop taking medications after losing weight, but they also have to constantly stay active and eat healthy. While they may be able to maintain their symptoms they still have Type 2 Diabetes.

The loved one’s I’ve watched struggle with it have had to find a happy medium when it comes to their diet and exercise routines and it has been important for them to remember that they can do this.

One of the things my family members has struggled with has been reconciling good taste with good food, but they are slowly learning to change that.  Better’n Eggs Fit2Fight Campgain has some fantastic recipes ideas that are as delicious as they are good for you.

One of our favorite all-time, go-to recipes is blueberry muffins…but admittingly it’s not the healthiest recipe, so I set out to find a better for you, still delicious, recipe on Better’n Eggs’ website.

I found it!

Better’n Eggs’ Fit2Fight Fresh Ginger Blueberry Energy Muffins

Be Fit2Fight Type 2 Diabetes with Better’n Eggs and Blueberry Muffins!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

Serving Size: 1 muffin

Calories per serving: 147

Fat per serving: 5 g

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (2 oz.) Better'n Eggs®*
  • 1 carton (8 oz.) fat-free vanilla yogurt
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 cup wheat bran cereal (shreds, not flakes)
  • 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper cup liners; set aside. Stir together the Better’n Eggs, yogurt, orange juice, canola oil and fresh ginger. Stir in wheat bran cereal; let stand 5 minutes.
  2. Add whole wheat flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir just until moist. Gently stir in frozen blueberries and almonds.
  3. Spoon batter equally into muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

Sounds delicious doesn’t it??

We had these for breakfast this morning and they are AH-mazing! Seriously!

For more great recipes and tips on managing type 2 diabetes join Global Influence and Better’n Eggs Fit at the #betterneggs twitter party with Bob Greene on 11/16 from 8-10pm EST.  You can head over to http://bit.ly/sa9wmC for more information.

 

I participated in a paid campaign with Global Influence to help spread the word about Fit2Fight and the Twitter party.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. The recipe belogs to Better’n Eggs.

 

Practice Window Covering Safety in Your Home

Window Covering SafetyAs parents of small children Jon and I have always taken the safety of those small children very seriously.  For all of our precautions however, it never even occured to us that our corded blinds were still a danger despite our cutting the adjustment cords as short as possible.  You see, even when you do that it doesn’t eliminate the inner lift cords and those can still pose a major danger.

Window Covering Safety Facts

Small children can strangle themselves with any type of cord used in blinds that’s why it’s always safer to utilize cordless blinds.  And why not?  Cordless blinds are safer, easy-to-use, and come in a variety of stylish options.  Since 1990 over 2,ooo children have been killed in window cord related deaths (many more have been seriously injured), even one is too many when window covering safety is such an easy fix.  As a rule of thumb only cordless shades and blinds should be installed in homes with young children under the age of six.

Window Covering Safety Month

With October coming to a close in the next few weeks, the Window Covering Safety Month campaign is also winding down, but it’s not too late to show your support!  In honor of Window Covering Safety Month, the Window Covering Safety Council (like them on FB!) has a few safety tips to make your home, daycare, and loved ones homes as safe as possible for your children.Window Covering Safety Council

Tips to Keep Your Family Safe

1) Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies manufactured before 2001 with today’s safer cordless products.

2) Make sure to install only cordless window coverings in bedrooms and play areas for children under six years old.

3) Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall.

4)  Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children.

5)  Make sure that tasseled pull cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall.

6)  Make sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of inner lift cords.

7)  Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to a rest on a windowsill.

8)  Be aware of the types of window coverings used in your childcare facilities, as well as in loved one’s homes.

9)  Can’t afford to buy new blinds right now?  Well, worry not!  The Window Covering Safety Council offers FREE window retrofitting kits for your corded blinds that will help you out until you can have them replaced.

10) Thank the Window Covering Safety Council for standing up for children and educating parents everywhere on window covering safety on their Facebook page today!

{I am working on a project with RM Media to help spread the word about the great work the Window Covering Safety Council provides to families.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  All statistics came directly from the Window Covering Safety Council’s website.}

**Images Courtesy of the Window Covering Safety Council**

#ComeAlive with MyEducation.com and Zoey the Zombie to Win $2500

I’ve been back to school since last September, 2010 and since then have more about my inner-strength and determination than I ever have before.  I’ve been challenged and have triumphed equally; each new triumph further fueling me – pushing me on to the next challenge.  I have truly come alive, or in this case #comealive, during this past year…of course while at the same time still trying to find time for sleep.

Along with my thirst for learning comes my thirst for brains…oh…wait…no…that’s not right.

My thirst for zombies…that’s what I meant.

Satisfying my love of continued education and zombies, MyEducation.com introduced me to Zoey the Zombie and her thirst for freedom from her deadend job.  I get that.  Totally.  When I was first pregnant with KJ I was stuck in a position where I was overqualified and understaffed; every day I went to work I was miserable.  Then I was put on bed rest and lost that deadend job.  Ya know what’s worse than a dead end job?  No job. And a new baby.

After KJ was born, thankfully, Jon had a good job and I didn’t have to stress about finding a new job immediately.  As we began nearing the age when she, the baby, would start to school I began to think about finishing up myself.  Here I was already working in the marketing field, why not finish my degree so that when KJ starts Kindergarten next year I am ready to either work for a marketing company or expand my own business further?  Either way I am going to need a degree.

So early last Summer I started the search for a good online college and answers to help me decided what kind of funding would be best for my situation…it was an arduous task and I nearly gave up early on.  If I had known a website like MyEducation.com existed it would have made my journey and the information navigation much more streamlined and simple; all you have to do is fill out a simple for and let MyEducation.com do all the hard research for you!

MyEducation.com is sponsoring a scary awesome contest right now for a chance to win $2,500! All you have to do to enter the MyEducation.com Come Alive Contest is to create and upload an original video telling how education can make you come alive! These videos will be judged by popularity so the key is to get all your friends and family to view your video and leave comments on it. Head over and enter the contest now…but first watch Zoey the Zombie’s video!

I am ambassador for MyEducation.com, however all opinions are my own. Find out more at http://www.myeducation.com/myeducationgirl?campaign_id=13161398.

Max Moms Make A Day Better for Teachers Everywhere

For the past three years High Impact Mom has teamed with Office Max and the A Day Made Better campaign to put an end to teacher funded classrooms.  Two years ago I was given the opportunity to hold a community party to collect school supply donations.  After the party I presented the supplies, along with a $25 gift card from Office Max, to the special education department.

With school budgets cuts, teachers are taking matters into their own hands by purchasing their own classroom materials. According to the National Education Association, teachers are spending about $1,000 each year on supplies for their class, which is pretty astonishing. Can you imagine if your job asked you to bring your own tape, scissors, and paper? There would be a backlash, but somehow, teachers have silently picked up the tab…until now.

Last year I was able to present a local brand new Humanities teacher with a $100 gift card to Office Max, provided by Office Max.  Office Max did things a bit differently again this year by providing $100 worth of school supplies for me to present to a teacher in my local community.

 

After speaking with our principal and other faculty in the school, I had the honor to present another brand-new teacher with a box full of Office Max goodies.

Ms. P is not only a fantastic teacher and adorable human being; she is also active in the community and enriches the lives of children throughout the community.

Needless to say Ms. P was super excited and so appreciative and I was so excited to get to present these goodies to her and brighten her day!

I feel so honored to have joined the Max Moms for Teachers program again to help create awareness and give back to teachers. The Max Moms are working in collaboration with the national “A Day Made Better” cause founded by OfficeMax and nonprofit Adopt-A-Classroom to help erase teacher-funded classrooms. Annually in October, they host a national event that recognizes and rewards over 1,000 teachers with a total of $1 million in school supplies to help alleviate the financial burden and thank them for their hard work.

You too can join in this cause and give back to a deserving teacher by nominating your favorite teacher to receive a $50 gift card for school supplies donated by OfficeMax. You’ll also receive an A Day Made Better cause box, and we encourage you to purchase supplies for your favorite teacher and surprise him or her in her classroom.

Entry Requirements
1) For a chance to enter and win, please post a comment below that describe why the teacher you’d like to nominate is 1) Passionate; 2) Dedicated and 3) Innovative.
We look forward to your nominations and will announce the winner on Oct. 20th!

Terms & Disclosure: No purchase necessary to be eligible for a chance to enter or win. The winner will be selected randomly through http://random.org. The gift card was provided by OfficeMax as part of its cause for teachers. The views written here are my opinion.

 

How Do You Handle Drinking Issues with Your Children?

When I was a teenager, and living with my grandparents, I was kept on a pretty short leash; don’t get me wrong, I was allowed to go out with approved friends, but there wasn’t a single party that I was allowed to attend.  I literally never attended a single party until I moved out and went to college. And boy did I ever party then. Shew girls. It was bad. So bad. {And at the time it was so fun.}Really though? All that partying did some major damage to what was to become my future and made my future life more difficult than it could have been had I not partied the way I did.  Now, I’m not saying that my grandparent’s decision not to allow me to attend parties in high school directly correlated to my wild partying in college, but I wonder if I would have handled the experiences better if alcohol, drugs, and parties hadn’t been taboo subjects in our house.

I am determined not to make that mistake with our girls.  While they’re only 8 & 4 right now, I’m going to take advantage of the natural occurrences that allow for conversations about these subjects.  Last week when KG and I were on our way to pick KJ up from Puppy’s, she mentioned that a little girl in her class told her the reason Hannah Montana wasn’t on TV anymore was because she got drunk and Justin Beiber caught it all on video.  Color me floored.  I casually asked her if she knew what that meant and her response was that drunk meant having too many beers.  Perceptive, that one.  I didn’t know she even had the slightest idea what drunk was and maybe I had convinced myself she didn’t know what beer was either.  This tid-bit opened the door for KG and I to have a discussion about how alcohol consumption was meant only for responsible adults over the age of 21 and how it absolutely wasn’t for children or teenagers.  If anything this conversation opened my eyes that my previous belief that she was too young to talk to about these things was way off base…it’s also set me to thinking about how Jon and I will handle the girl’s futures and how I feel about teenage privacy issues.

I hope that I equip my girls well enough that I never ever need to question my child’s truthfulness or soberness, but if that time comes I will be the parent my girls need and I will do what it takes to help them battle addiction.  Even if that means submitting them to a urine test.  When I was a teenager and heard about friends getting tested by their parents I thought those ‘rents were way outta line.  Now? My opinion has changed.  My children’s safety is my number one concern and if they are addicted to any drug {and yes, I include alcohol in this category for children} that is harmful to their health.  Therefore I am concerned. And as I am the parent it is my responsibility to see that I am raising sober, contributing citizens to the world…I can’t do that if I stick my head in the sand and refuse to deal with the situation at hand.  My girls will learn that they will be expected to check in regularly when they do attend parties or when they’re going out with friends.  It’s likely that I will use a program like SoberLink when my girls are old enough to be running around, so that they can easily check in and I can easily have an idea of what they’re up to.

Learn more about SoberLink with this video

I plan to use a lot of honesty, prevention, and trust while raising my girls, but don’t think for a second I won’t take whatever means I deem necessary to make sure they are healthy and safe.

What do you think?  Would you use a urine test on your child?

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored post campaign for SoberLink and I received compensation for writing about this important subject, but all experiences and thoughts are my own.

Image Credit: Joe Cashin Photography

Finding Me Time

Me time.

As important to a mother’s sanity as chocolate and coffee.

or bacon.

Hush. I know what you’re thinking: Who has the time?!

Am I right?

You do.

No. Really.

Me time, even if it’s just 20 minutes once a week it’s important that you take time to take care of you; to relax for a bit.

Slow down.

Breathe.

{Go on. I’ll wait.}

Okay. You’ve slowed down {haven’t you?}, you’ve breathed {right?}. Now what?

For me, me time consists of yoga in the mornings before the house stirs and a weekly Sunday spa night.  Sure, I get up early every morning for yoga; for me, it’s totally worth it.  20 -30 minutes of yoga in the mornings before a child has a chance to make a demand of me creates a much more focused, more patient, and calmer Amanda for the rest of the day.

While it’s true that I, like most of you, don’t have the time to head to a spa weekly to get my eyebrows waxed, a facial, and a mani/pedi…but I do have time for these things on Sunday nights just before bed.  So I set my calendar to remind me every Sunday at 10pm that it’s time to pamper myself and I treat this appointment just as I would a client meeting.  I feel better about myself and I find that I have more confidence in my business when I take this time.  I never regret taking the time to take care of myself.

I was curious how others spent their me time so I asked around to some of my favorite people around.  Here’s what they said:

Me Time

Erin from A Parenting Production says ” I do two things. Sneak it in where I can find it (example, baby is napping right now and I have a cup of coffee and some blog reading to do) Or if I want more than 15 minutes, it has to be scheduled in advance. I have to find a night, afternoon, morning where hubby has advanced notice or I hire a sitter.”

Colorado Moms Emily says “I take one night during the week when DH is not on call, I will go get my hair cut or a mani/pedi or sometimes got o a movie by myself. I don’t get to do this every week, but when I can, it’s heaven.”

Amy from Freaky Perfect reminds us “If you want ‘me time’, you have to take it. Don’t wait for someone to offer it to you or hope that your husband will read your mind and see you need a break. I find that announcing it helps me. I tell the kids ‘I am going to take a bath and anyone who enters the bathroom for anything other than an emergency will be punished.’ Or I tell my husband ‘I will be going out with friends Wednesday night so don’t expect me to be around for dinner or bedtime.’ I don’t consider that to be selfish. It’s just being very clear about my needs and expectations.”

Jen from over at One Mom’s World shares what she’s doing for me time right now, “[A]t night when the girls go to bed, I am doing a bible study for myself.”

Nicole from Finance Diva  says she loves “Massages and pedicures. There is a cool Foot massage place close by which is both affordable and convenient.”

Tonight at 8pm EST I’ll be joining @SheSpeaksUp, @RachelFerrucci, @LisaSamples, @centsiblelife, @zipporahs, @daily_pinch, @JustPrecious and Cerra.com to talk about the illusive #metime and how we can spread the love.  I hope you’ll join me!

How do you get ‘Me Time’?

Disclosure: I am a paid panelist for the #metime Twitter party, but this post is
unsponsored and is all my own thoughts...well...
except for those thoughts that came from my friends.
Image Credit: ppacificvancouver
 

IHOP Scares Up Good Food and Good Fun for Halloween

IHOP is celebrating October with a trio of specials—participating restaurants nationwide will serve up ‘no tricks – just treats’ this October, featuring a month-long celebration with pumpkin pancakes as well as All-You-Can-Eat Buttermilk pancakes, culminating in a free Scary Face Pancake giveaway for kids 12 and under on Friday, October 28 from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (one per child).

From tomorrow, October 3, through Monday, October 31, IHOP’s Pumpkin Pancakes, made with real pumpkin and spices and topped with a creamy whipped topping, as well as All-You-Can-Eat Buttermilk Pancakes, are available a la carte or in a combo, which starts at $4.99 and begins with fluffy pancakes, eggs any style and golden hash browns.  Guests can add pork sausage links, crisp bacon or ham for an extra charge.

To celebrate Halloween to it’s scariest, IHOP’s famous Funny Face Pancake turns scary with “design-your-own” Scary Face Pancake for kids 12 and under.  Count Spatula was the winning name chosen from more than 1,000 entries to the “name-the-Scary-Face-Pancake” contest last October.  The Count Spatula Scary Face Pancake is an oversized signature buttermilk pancake with a whipped topping mouth and strawberry nose, served with two mini OREO® cookies and candy corn on the side to allow kids to create their own Halloween hotcake.  It will be offered throughout October and, like all IHOP Kids menu items, is less than 600 calories (which means you shouldn’t indulge often, but a once a year treat isn’t all bad for you!).  And don’t forget on October 28, kids will be treated to a free Count Spatula Scary Face Pancake as an early Halloween treat.

Worried you’ll forget before the end of the month?  Not to worry!  Parents can sign up all month long on ihop.com for a wake-up call on October 28 from Count Spatula with a friendly and fun reminder about the free Scary Face Pancake giveaway.

I know we’re planning a trip next weekend to enjoy some delicious pancakes and hot chocolate with the kiddos, maybe we’ll also hit up the zoo’s Trick-or-Treating then too!

Jillian Michaels Interviews Rita Wilson on EverydayHealth.com

I love Jillian Michaels. Love.  Her sheer determination and drive for a healthy and successful life inspire me in a way I’ve never experienced before.  As a woman who is on the never-ending journey of a healthy lifetime, I was thrilled to see that Jillian would be a regular contributor to Every Day Health I was thrilled and when I saw that she recently interviewed another favorite of mine, Rita Wilson, I knew I just had to share the interview with you.  Did you know Ms. Wilson is a brand new editor at HuffPo?  She is!  Such amazingly strong women, it’s hard not to be inspired.

Go on.

I dare ya.

Tell me, who inspires you?

Join the Fight! Enter Your Healthy Recipe in the Aetna Healthy Food Fight!

As a mom there is little more important to me than my children’s health and as such I make healthy eating a top priority in our house.  Jon & I SheSpeaksbuttonactively work to provide a balanced day of meals, snacks, and drinks throughout the day for our family.  If you’ve followed my site for any length of time you’ll notice that I am always looking for ways to make healthy and yet still delicious meals for our family.  I love coming up with new ideas and new recipes that take our family’s favorite traditional meals (like french toast for instance) and make slight adjustments that up the health quality while preserving the yum-factor.

Over the years I’ve learned little tricks to sneaking higher quality, healthier products into my family’s meals – shredding carrots into chili or spaghetti sauce – and I’ve devised many an adjusted recipe for family consumption.  Never once have I had a complaint or had to deal with a refusal to eat (at least not related to an adjusted recipe).  If you’re like me and love cooking and creating delicious & healthy meals for your family, you might want to check out Aetna’s Healthy Food Fight Recipe Contest. The winner from each region will receive an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to compete in the Final Cook-off judged by Bobby Flay.  The winner of the Final Cook-off will receive a grand prize of $10,000 worth of groceries donated by Recipe.com.

Wait…Read that again.

$10,000 worth of GROCERIES!

That’s a lot of turkey bacon!

Here’s what you need to know to enter the contest:

  1. 1. Start with one of your own great healthy recipes.
  2. 2. Select the region in which you want to compete.
  3. 3. Register for the contest, and enter your recipe into our Healthy Recipe Analyzer to determine if it meets the nutritional requirements to be included in the voting for the semi-final cook-off. If your recipe receives a score of C+ or higher, it will be officially entered.
  4. 4. Then spread the word to get your friends and fans to come vote
    for your recipe when voting begins. Up to 48 people with the
    highest-rated recipes will qualify to compete in person.

By the way, the three top qualifiers from each region will travel to their Semi-Final recipe cook-offs, via Travel Certificates donated by American Airlines®.*

{Please note, I have no control over the contest, it’s winners, or losers….except for myself.;)}

I entered my glazed turkey breast recipe and my healthier french toast recipe!  I’m thinking I’ll have to come up with some more! $10,000 is a lot of money!

The fun doesn’t stop with the recipe contest though!  SheSpeaks and Aetna’s Healthy Food Fight have teamed up to share healthy recipes with you on this Thursday, September 15 at 8pm EST during #SSFoodFight Twitter Party Recipe Swap.

Here are the deets:

#SSFoodFight Twitter Party Recipe Swap
When: September 15 @ 8pm EST
Follow: #SSFoodFight and @shespeaksup

Hope to see you at the party, so bring your favorite healthy recipes and join us!

Disclosure: This post is part of my participation in a paid campaign with SheSpeaks, the recipes and opinions are all mine.  I will receive a piece of gourmet cookware from Circulon donated by Meyer Corporation, U.S.