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UnderWAY and Smart for Life
We went to a friend’s house tonight for dinner. It had been awhile since we had seen them and I was surprised at how great she looked. With three kids, 6 and under, I was amazed that she could lose weight and get fit! I myself haven’t been feeling the greatest about my appearance. Standing at a nice, willowy 5’9”, people always refer to me a thin. But I realized today that in the past 10 years, I put on 40+ lbs. I have gone up far too many sizes and despise the fat stomach, flabby arms, and large butt. No matter my excuses (years of fertility meds, three pregnancies in a year and a half (with no baby to show for it), eating poorly, not exercising…), changes needed to be made and soon.
Around this time, I received a package to review from UnderWAY and Smart for Life. The brochure said, “Lose up to 15 lbs in 4 weeks eating healthy, all natural Smart Foods.” I was intrigued. By following the program, eating and drinking the hunger busting foods and a smart dinner, you could lose weight without the normal hunger pains. I was skeptical…my husband was not. He’s a meal supplement kind of guy. So, we both gave it a try for a day (using the samples provided). I have to say I was surprised…the food was good. You must eat their cookies (yes, you read that correctly) 6 times a day. This keeps you from getting either ravenous or too full. Their drinks, underWAY, taste great! They come in three flavors and contain HeroFiber, whose name makes me giggle and imagine a drink bottle in superhero clothing. J And since I am a no caffeine girl, I love that it’s a decaf choice. The hubby is in love with the food and has claimed the rest of the box for himself. (It’s my review,so we’ll see about that!)
My only issue with the whole program is the no fruit requirement. They address this in the brochure and I understand the necessity of it (all that natural sugar!!), but I love fruits and just about the only time we get fresh, ripe fruits in Western PA is right now, in the summer. So, if I’m going to follow this program to the letter, it won’t be until fall when the fruit pickings are slim.
The cookies and drinks certainly did keep me from being hungry. It reminded me to make better choices at the dinner meal, too. So, those 40 lbs I’m looking to lose? I think between this and getting my butt off the couch, I’ve found a way to get my body back. And I get to eat cookies-how cool is that?! RIght now you can get a speical 10% discount code for underWAY and Smart for Life products. PLease use MCUS10OFFUW for underWAY products at www.underWAY.com and MCUS10OFFSFL at www.smartforlife.com.
TKDDaughter and her hubby give underWAY and Smart for Life a:
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of underWAY and Smart for Life and received samples of the products to review.
e.p.t. “the moment you knew”
![EPT_Keepsake_Case_1[1]](/.a/6a00d8341c0f9b53ef0133f2457780970b-pi.jpg)
For most women, seeing the positive pregnancy test is a moment they will never forget. It is a moment filled with joy, and hope, and dreams fulfilled. For me, it was different. You see, I suffer from infertility…and while I have one child, I never had the "pee on a stick/positive test" experience. When you suffer from infertility, your cycles are closely monitored and a blood test reveals your pregnancy far earlier than a home pregnancy test. I found out I was pregnant from a nurse, not a pee stick.
Even after this successful pregnancy, I continued to suffer from infertility and could not get pregnant. I resented those who had that "pee on a stick" moment…I imagined peeing on said stick, running down the stairs to my husband, crying and laughing and hugging. I played the moment out in vivid detail in my head, over and over and over again. None of our treatments worked and so our infertility journey ended and a life as a family of three began.
And yet, three years later, being ridiculously in tune with my body from the years of closely monitored cycles, I realized I was one day late. Just one…for most women, they wouldn't even realize, but I did and I tested. And there it was, my moment. My very own pee on a stick moment. I was mesmerized by the test stick announcing a positive. I waited until my husband came home from work and carefully showed it to him. We were filled with hope, but terrified-it had been a long time in coming and now that we had arrived, it was scary. Unfortunately, three days later, I lost the baby. In anger, I threw the stick away and after I recovered a bit, I felt sad that the one physical reminder I had of my baby was gone.
e.p.t. acknowledges what a big moment this is for a family and has launched a campaign to provide mothers with a keepsake case so that you can always look back at the day you found out you were pregnant. You can check out the info here.
And while my story isn't the joyous experience of others, I appreciate having the keepsake case to remind me of the babies I have lost. I am grateful for the "pee on a stick" moment of my own. (And if you wondering, yes, I did keep the test stick from my most recent pregnancy and loss…and while it hurts, I am so glad the have the sticks to remind me and comfort me.)
Thanks, e.p.t. for providing women a way to remember that special moment for families. TKDDaughter gives this a:
"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Centralon behalf of e.p.t and received an e.p.t. keepsake case and a $20 gift card to JustGive.org to facilitate my review.”
Smart Love of Learning
I received this email today, "Thank you for such an amazing year, it was fabulous to have you as my teacher. I know it was a challenging year but you helped me build confidence, get over my fears and just do my best. You are the best English teacher I have had." THIS is why I teach. Not for the emails of praise, but because I was able to take a scared and insecure 14 year old, help her gain confidence, and watch her succeed.
I got to watch this same experience this year as a parent. My son went into his final year of preschool with a lot of anger, insecurity, and a severe lack of motivation. His teacher would have none of it. With praise and tough love and a ton of humor, she transformed my son into a confident, able, skilled boy who discovered his own amazing sense of humor and many interests. I will be eternally grateful to her as he moves through the rest of his education-she has set the foundation and it is a strong one.
Do you have a favorite teacher memory? If we think back, some of the most memorable people in our lives taught us something, whether in the traditional classroom or just in everyday life. In this day and age, though, reaching this technically saavy kids can be hard. Eight years ago, my department was given some money that was beyond our normal video and resource book money. When asked what we could use the money for, I knew exactly what I wanted-a SMARTboard. Those next few years, my teaching was challenged in new ways…I was reaching students who normally would have passed the time in apathy. They were fascinated by the uses of this "touch screen" and all the ways we could use it. Don't know what this technology is all about? Check out this link to the "Magical Classroom" -you'll be amazed!
The people at SMARTboard revolutionized the classroom for educators and students. Now, they want to honor those who work so hard everyday in the classroom. They have a Facebook page where you can join discussion groups and learn tips on how to raise funds so that your school can get its own SMARTboard. AND, once you join the group, you can enter to win a SMARTboard-this would be an amazing item to win!!!
TKDDaughter gives SMARTboard Love of Learning a:
This post was written as a part of a MomCentral blog tour.
You’re Not the Boss of Me!
I love buying parenting books. Anytime a new issue comes up with my son, I head to Amazon to find the plethora of books that will solve all of my problems. I wait patiently for the book that will bring peace and happiness back to my house. The day the book comes, I head to bed early with book in hand, ready to have all of our issues resolved. A few days later, and only a few chapters in, the book begins to collect dust. Therein lies the problem with parenting books-you feel a gusto when first approaching the book, but reading an entire book and expecting to remember all the techniques is near impossible. So, I give up and the problems remain.
You will not find this problem with You're Not the Boss of Me: Brat-proofing Your 4-12 Year Old by Betsy Brown Braun. Braun encourages you to use the book however best works for you. She suggests that you choose chapters for issues you want to work on with your child. I like this approach. The book does not have to be read cover to cover before you can begin using the techniques or ideas presented. I headed right away to the chapter self-reliance and then the one on independence. We are raising an only child (not by choice), and we worry about his ability to be independent and happy. Braun is encouraging and provides practical ways to deal with your child.
Ours son was also diagnosed with ODD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and while we're not 100% sold on this diagnosis, he does exhibit many of the indicators of this disorder. Braun's ideas fit in with other experts on ODD. She reminds us that kids are kids and that we adults need to relax, too. Perhaps the greatest reminder for me was that we are their models and that kids pick up on our stress. Obvious, I know, but in the heat of the moment, I get wrapped up in my emotions and react and I forget how detrimental my reaction can be-and this is even more detrimental with a child with ODD.
Braun speaks to the reader on a grounded level. You sense she has "been there, done that" and is not passing judgment. The tone is friendly, firm, and encouraging. I found the book to be a refreshing parenting book.
TKDDaughter gives You're Not the Boss of Me a:
"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of HarperCollins and received a copy of You’re Not the Boss of Me to facilitate my review. Mom Central also sent me a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate."
Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain White Rice
I remember when a friend came to visit me a few years ago when her daughter was still quite young. Since I had a newborn, I made sure to ask what types of foods her daughter ate so that I could have a pantry stacked with preschooler-friendly food. The answer? Buttered noodles. "Wow," I thought, "That's all she eats???" Flash forward to today with my own preschooler. Yep, same deal. My son has very little variety in his diet. Luckily for me, rice is a staple on his list of will-eat foods.
Lucky for all of us, Uncle Ben's has made it that much easier for families to get their kiddos to eat a little bit better. Uncle Ben's has introduced a whole grain white rice-same great taste just with whole grains. It makes me feel kind of sneaky at dinner time. I am a huge Uncle Ben's fan to begin with…the fluffy texture, moist but not soggy. Now, I'm even a bigger fan.
My son didn't know or care that the rice was made with whole grains…it was white rice, plain, and it tasted the same as it always does. Victory for me!! I shared my boxes of rice with family members and all reported that the rice tasted the same and all were glad for another easy way to get more whole grains into their diets.
TKDDaughter definitely gives Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice a big
I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Uncle Ben’s and received samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
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