Molly McButter's Powder Butter

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I think of myself as a pretty healthy eater. Don't get me wrong, I love my pizza and could probably down a good chunk of it if needed (I probably shouldn't be proud of that). But I do try to use turkey instead of beef, throw in fiber where I can, and use fat free everything. So you can imagine why I would be over come with joy when I discovered MOLLY MCBUTTER!

This in only the best cooking trick I have discovered yet. It is a powder butter... yes.... I said it.... powder butter. Well, better yet... Fat-Free powder butter with only 5 calories per serving. I know... amazing isn't it? We have just fallen in love with it. You can use it to replace the calorie packed, fat filled, food that is butter. We use it a lot with corn, vegetables, baked potatoes, and even as a replacement for butter with mac n' cheese. We especially love it for home made pop corn. Simply pop some kernels in a little bit of olive oil and then sprinkle with Molly McButter and salt; then you will have some of the most delicious pop corn you have ever tasty and a lot healthier too as you are using olive oil.

So feel free run out and buy some guilty free pleasure or to help make those sin foods a little nicer. Sprinkle some butter on and cut back on fat. What is a health food trick you use for cooking?

The Goose Girl

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I have been bitten by the reading bug. Ever since I picked up Twilight a couple months ago I haven't been able to keep myself away from books. I have been just loving it too. I use to read all the time, always trying something new; but unfortunately I haven't picked up a book (except for Harry Potter) in a while. During this new reading phase I have been going through, I have discovered a delightfully sweet book by Shannon Hale called, "The Goose Girl", which is a retelling of a Grimm's Brother story.

"The Goose Girl" is a wonderful fairytale about a princess named Ari and her story of betrayal, strength, and resilience. With her mother sending her off to a far away land to marry in a strange place. Unfortunately she is betrayed by those closest to her and has to escape with her own life. With trying to figure out a plan as to how to get home, find her soon-to-be husband, and unmasking the traitors, she stumbles across friends, lessons, and talents that she never knew she had.

This is a fun sweet read that had a plot that kept me always wanting to know more about Princess Ari and her world. With pages filled with their history, tradition, and mystical legends I was constantly smiling and having my mind filled with beautiful painted images. After reading "The Goose Girl" I am really excited to read more by Shannon Hale: Book of a Thousand Days, Rapunzel's Revenge, Enna Burning, Princess Academy, and River Secrets.

You can find "The Goose Girl" for around $4 on amazon.com.

Free Long Distance With Skype

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These days the song, "Its a Small World After All" is really true. The world so quickly has become so connected. Talking, visiting, seeing, and receiving things from all around our planet is as easy as a click of a button. There is technology for emailing, instant messaging, texting, sending photos, and pretty much anything else that you can think of.

The best part is that this kind of technology has made it possible for people to keep in contact with loved ones easier. We know this well because with my parents living over in India and Curtis's parents living in Chile....we don't get to see our family as much as we would like, but luckily for us, we have Skype.

Skype is a free program that allows you and other Skype users to talk to each other.....for FREE! That's right... I said it... free. F-R-E-E and I mean completely free. (as you can tell I am excited about it being free) and when I say talk.. I don't mean typing, I mean talk. Skype is basically a telephone for you computer. You simply download it, have it recognize your microphone/web camera, and there you go.... one free phone/video. You now can call anywhere in the world and talk as long as you want for free. Skype has been the life saver for our family. It has helped us be able to see our parents and for our parents to not miss the changes in their grandkids.

The program isn't just for calling other skype users, you can call any number you want, which does cost money; but it is definitely cheaper to use Skype then your long distance provider. Skype is also a instant messenger too. So, if someone can't talk on the computer/phone right then, you can talk with them through instant messaging. Your program even comes with a answering machine too. If you are not available, someone can leave you a message and show you who called and what time.

Skype even offers some other amazing things. They realize that not everyone is at their computer all the time. Sooooo.... Skype has come up with a phone that is completely compatible with Skype. It is specially designed to have a screen that is exactly like the program. You can look at your phone's screen and see everyone who is online and with a push of a button call them for free from your land phone, with the help of internet. This is a nice option because then you are not tied down to your computer when you want to chat. The phone gives you some nice free agency.

So, if you have family over seas, a husband in Iraq, a sister in the next state over, or a husband that goes on business trips.... then download Skype and pass it around to your friends and family. You can see and chat with your loved ones for free and help stay connected. If you would like some more information here is a link their info website.

Apple Fries

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It is nice to have so many options these days. Never did I imagine that at McDonald I could actually order a SALAD... my old version of a healthy choice at Mc-a-D's would be asking for a diet coke instead of a regular (it did NOT help me loose weight) :)

Places like Burger King, Wendy's, McDonalds, and such are all starting to offer some healthier choices... especially when it comes to the children. Burger King right now has been introducing a fun new option called "BK Fresh Apple Fries" and they are how they sound. It is honestly genius! Burger King simply took apples and cut them to look like fries. My husband and I tried them and it was crazy how much they looked like french fries, until you pick them up and it is cold and wet (like an apple). They look like fries so much that it was kind of odd trying them, I kept waiting for that potatoie-fry taste.
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I really love these Apple Fries not just because they are a healthy option, but a fun one too. With the apples cut like fries it is definitely more interesting then a boarding old apple. Also it helps to keep the mess down. Your children get to eat an apple without having to worry about old apple cores rotting away int he back seat.

The Apple Fries even come with some yummy packaged carmel sauce; it is a healthy low-fat carmel sauce. I find this especially nice because it also helps to eliminate spilling in the car when you are on the go. Can you tell I worry about the neatness of my car?

So, if you are looking for a health fresh option for a quick meal, the Fresh Apple Fries are something you might want to try.

Weight Watchers

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My sweet daughter is 9 months old now. Wow, 9 months old, 9 months ago I gave birth to her, 9 months before that I was pregnant with her, and 9 months before that... I HAD A KICKIN' BODY and I miss it! Seriously! Before I had Lucy I ate great, ran 3 miles everyday, and found excuses to be outside to bike, roller blade or jog. I loved working out.... loved it!

But now 18 months have gone by and 60 pounds have been added on and guess what.... I am missing my old body.... I want it back... and I am going to get it back. All during my pregnancy, no matter what I did, I couldn't stop gaining weight, but what is worse it that I haven't been able to loose it either. I have tried working out , tried eating better, and even tried to see if there were health issues making a difference, like a thyroid problem and such.

I have been getting pretty worked up and upset with my situation. I have never had a weight issue, but I have always been one of the girls thinking I could always stand to lose some pounds, and man oh man... I should have appreciated it, because now I can't seem to loose a single pound and I still fit into my maternity pants.

Well, I was talking with my friend one day, well I should say she was listening to me patiently while I went off on my situation, then she suggested I should try Weight Watchers. She apparently had done it after her second kid and it did great for her. I was hesitant, but it seemed to work for her, but I was nervous about their so called "weight ins" and learning a whole diet thing, but she assured me she loved it and I should give it a go.... so, I did.

A few weeks ago I joined Weight Watchers and even from my first day there I fell in love with it. When you walk in there are sweet friendly people there ready to greet you and to help you. They have friendly leaders who themselves have gone through Weight Watchers and have their own success stories. What really surprised me was that everyone there was not there to loose weight, I mean most people were, but there were a bit of people there trying to be taught how they can live a healthier lifestyle.

It really has been a great experience so far and the best part is, is that Weight Watchers is NOT a diet, it is a way to live a healthy lifestyle. They are not telling you to stay away from certain foods or carbs are the devil (because honestly how could carbs be the devil... they taste sooo good), but they are trying to show you how to get what you need to eat in a day. You get to choose what you eat, when you eat, and at what speed you want to go.

After only two days of following Weight Watchers I had already noticed how bad my eating habits were and how much more I needed to exercise, in a few more days I was already feeling better and healthier, and by the end of the week I had lost nearly 2 pounds. I was so excited because this is the first thing that has worked, been good for me, the healthiest option, and something that makes sense. Cause duhh..... go figure, eating healthy food, with healthy portions, and having a balanced NOT EXTREME diet, why wouldn't it work?

For anyone of you that have been thinking about loosing weight or even just wanting to help your self live a healthier life, give Weight Watchers a try. The first meeting is free and if you want to sign up they have a weekly price, a packaged weekly pass (for about 10 weeks), or a pay per month pass. With signing up you will get all the information you need to know how healthy a food is, what it's point value is (every food has a point value and you are allowed to eat your allotted points everyday), and to figure out how much your exercise did for you. There is even a web tool that lets you plug in your own recipes and it will calculate how many points a serving is.

If you are interested in checking out their website you can click HERE or, if you are interesting in finding a Weight Watchers meeting then you can click HERE. Honestly, if anyone has any questions feel free to email me and I would love to answer them. Hopefully you will all like it, like I have. I also will be keeping up on my progress from now and again and my success with Weight Watchers.

Baby Einstein DVDs

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I am a pretty anti-TV type of mom. My husband and I try not to watch too much; in fact, we don't even have cable. I mean, we do watch TV here and there, usually only for "The Office" and "Scrubs", but TV for my kid..... no no. I see so many children these days being glued to the TV set and that is something I refuse to let happen to my kids. Don't get me wrong, I am alllll up for letting them watch stuff here and there, but I have a limit. I am okay with our children (when they are old enough) to watch a Disney movie here and there, because who doesn't love watching "Aladdin" or "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"? But since Lucy is only 9 months old TV is not really something I want on while she is in the room.... well... except for Baby Einsteins.
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I am sure most of you have seen these, but for those of you who haven't heard of them, they are shows designed for children 3 months to about 2 years old to help teach them anything from, shapes, colors, animals, Bach, Beethoven, Shakespeare, to sign language. The DVDs use puppets, actors, toys, children, and cartoons to help teach. They even will teach things is several languages. Lucy has the "Baby da Vinci" and they help show and teach body parts in English, French, and Spanish. Lucy loves it, especially when they show the cute little puppets. I just recently got her one that plays music by Bach and one that teaches sign language.

Besides feeling that they are a nice way to show baby something new, since most of the time they see the inside of the house, they are a nice break for mom. I'm not saying put baby in front of Baby Einsteins as a babysitting tool, even though they are educational, but I do save them for when Lucy is acting up. If there is a certain day where she is just fussy and I can't help the situation, then the Baby Einsteins will help to educate and to calm her down. Since they are only 20 mins long, that is just enough time to settle her down and to give me a chance to finish what I was doing, whether it be dishes, cleaning, crafts, or blogging.

And if you don't have a baby in the house right now, but small children, then you will LOOOOOVE the Little Einsteins. This show is truly amazing! It is four sweet little kids running around trying to help someone or something with SOME kind of problem, but on the way they teach art, history, and music. There is always an artist and musician of the day. They are really enjoyable to watch, even as an adult, and I even learned a few things. These are really good, they air on the Disney channel and on the Sprouts channel sometimes.

These shows are really fun for kids and infants, plus I don't feel guilty about letting my Lucy watch them either... I am actually really excited for when she is old enough to watch Little Einsteins and learn about Von Gogh, Monet, and Chopin! They are also a little pricey; new they go for $19.99, but I have found them on Craigslist, Amazon, or at second hand stores for as low as 3-5 bucks. I did buy one brand new and have not regretted it, but I wouldn't go out and buy the whole collection for the original; having just one or two is good enough until they out grow them, which takes a while.

So, help your baby learn and experience something new and let them try out a Baby Einstein. (plus what mom doesn't enjoy a nice 20 min break)

Fung Fu Panda

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If you all are looking for a good movie... look no further. Curtis and I were celebrating one of my sister's birthdays, so we took her out to dinner and a movie... and what can I say, we saw Kung Fu Panda and it was... HYSTERICAL! Really truly funny. It had all three of us belly laughing in the theater and I don't want to be cheesy too, but it had a few good messages like, believing in your self and have faith... just all around good stuff.

Jack Black was just wonderful and if you didn't like him before, you will like him now. It will be hard for me not to think of him as a big ol' lovable panda from now own.

So whether you are a minivan mom, a college child, or a burly woodsman... you will like this movie. And for all of you out there who already know this, all I can say is, "Skadoosh" :)

V8 V-Fuision

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I am not the best at eating my vegetables and fruits. I am a grown adult and I yet I still HATE them. I feel bad and I try to be good, but I just seem to fail miserably every time I buy a load of bananas... I like them, but half of them go bad and so then the next time I don't want to buy them because I know they will get wasted.

I have even tried getting into V8 juice... which was noooooot so successful. I just could never get through a can. It was too weird. But then they came out with V8 V-Fusion and OH MY GOSH! Amazing! It isn't amazing because it is the best juice ever (though it is really good) but because you get 1 serving of fruit and vegetables with every serving. Can you believe that!?

It is a dream come true for me. I try to drink 1 glass with every breakfast and then through out the day I still try to get fruits and veggies in, but at least I am comforted knowing I got at least 1 serving in everyday and a yummy serving at that.

They have 5 wonderful mixtures,
Pomegranate Blueberry
Strawberry Banana
Tropical Orange
Peach Mango
Açai Mixed Berry

So whether you are trying to get your self, your kids, or your husband to eat their fruits and veggies, you should give this a try. Always tasty and always healthy being made with 100% juice.

Kraft Bagel-fuls

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I find it very important that everyone eats 3 meals a day, especially breakfast, but in this house the hubby is always skipping out on breakfast and it drives me crazy. So, basically he sleeps all night, gets ready and runs out the door, then he doesn't come home till 1 in the afternoon for lunch... so great,.... he has now gone over 12 hours with no food! Seriously, how is that okay?! What I find really crazy about this, is it isn't just my husband. I see many friends, family members, and children that run out the door with no breakfast. I just want to run after them throwing scrambled eggs at them hoping that they will eat whatever sticks to them. But for every problem, there is a solution and those have been... Bagel-fuls.

Kraft is selling a fluffy bagel that's comes with Philadelphia cream cheese filling. Okay, I know what some of you are thinking, "Not another prepackaged no-bake food." That is what I thought when I first heard of these. Personally, I kind of get tired and irritated with all the no bake foods... like the cereal breakfast bar; its a bar made out of cereal bits and what claims to be a solid milk filling, um... can we all say ewwww! Lets just say, if you don't have time for a sit down breakfast, I am more of a yogurt and fruit person.
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When we first got them, I was expecting them to be alright, probably not great, and lacking in the cream cheese area, but I was surprised. They were fairly tasty and had just the RIGHT amount of cream cheese filling. With flavors coming in Original Plain, Strawberry, Cinnamon & Brown Sugar, Chive and Whole Grain, you are bound to find a flavor you like.... I was a HUGE fan of the Cinnamon, and Hubby ate his weight in Strawberry.

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So, the husband likes, which is great, because now I find him yelling from the kitchen on his way out the door, "Honey... where are the Bagel-fuls?"... he is actually searching for breakfast! Curtis can now eat a healthy quick breakfast most mornings by grabbing a Bagel-ful and a piece of fruit and he is good to go. But besides being good for a quick alternative breakfast, they are great for me because I have sworn off bagels. I know! What crazy person would swear off that heavenly-goodness? Well, ever since I have been trying to loose the baby weight I have been paying more attention to foods that might be shady in their healthly appearance.... one of them those bagels. I love bagels, but unfortunately, depending on what kind and how much cream you put on, you are looking at a bagel being any where from 500 to 800 calories and a good chunk of that is coming from fat! So, I have said good-bye to my bagels and shmear, until Bagel-fuls. Now I can have a bagel that is already proportioned so it doesn't need anymore cream cheese... I can now get my bagel fix and never eat more than 200 calories.

Whether you are looking for some proportioned snack or a fix for a quick breakfast, you might want to give these a try. They are located in the frozen breakfast aisle and can sell from anywhere to $2.40-ish to $2.89-ish. You can find more information on the Kraft website.

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P.S. I will be hosting a Bagel-ful giveaway and three lucky people will win FREE BAGEL-FULS! So check back on Friday for rules and a chance to win!

Sew Pretty Homestyle - Craft Book Ideas

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I have bought ANOTHER craft book. Yes, yes, I know... I have a problem. But I can't help it. I love having new projects and new ideas that will help me sprout even NEWER ideas. Plus, I am always amazed at the never ending creativity that some people have. This new book that I have been hoarding in a corner saying "my preeeeecious" is called, "Sewing Pretty Homestyle" by Tone Finnanger.

It is such a fun, bright, crafty book. Filled with pages and pages of around the house crafts that will help spruce up any room. The books has items and decorations for the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, children's room, and even for the garden. They have pictures, instructions, and actual-size templates for all projects.

If you are looking for some cute slippers... done! Sweet center pieces?..... got it!!!! Make-up bags, water bottle holders, blankets, rugs, dolls, pillows, chair cushions, organizers, even potpourri bags that are just sooo cute. I am not a really girly girl... really I am not. I am more of a outdoorsy, snowboarding, AC/DC kind of girl... but even with all of that, I can't help but "ooooo" and "ahhhhh" as I turn from page to page.

If you are looking for a cute craft book to either help you get started or even if you are already waist deep in the Martha Stewart metamorphosis, this is a will be a great book. I love how the book takes you by the hand and leads you through each step; and then, once you are feeling more comfortable, they even have crafts in the background of the pictures that are also sweet and easy to make your self with no instructions needed. So, go check it out, I got mine at Joann's for $19, but they are selling them on Amazon for $10.00.

Horatio Hornblower

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I like movies and there are even a bit out there that I can watch over and over again. But there are only a few flicks that can make me get just as excited as the first time I saw them; and if you have seen the Horatio Hornblower movies, then you understand.

A&E several years ago filmed a made-for-tv series of the novels written by C.S. Forester, and well, they are just amazing. Besides being filled with adventure, honor, and passion.... Horatio is simply... well, yummy! :) There is nothing like sitting down after a long day, curling up with some popcorn and watching hours of a dreamy lookin' guy fighting for honor and bravery. He is the best of what good men should be and everything you like to see in a human.

These movies tell the adventures and life of Horatio Hornblower, who is a sweet humble guy that is out to work hard and always ready to prove himself. The story takes place the early 1800's right around Napoleon's time. The British and french are constantly fighting and they are either trying to stop Napoleon or help end the french revolution.

We have introduce these movies to several families and we have all loved them. Not many people have seen these, but there is a strong following. A&E has been selling the complete box set for a little while now. I have seen them on Amazon for around $37 and the A&E website for $39. But if these are a little too pricey for you, you can rent them from Netflicks, they have all 8 of the discs.

So if you are ready for a good fella that loves sailing the high seas and can make McDreamy look dreary... then check out Horatio Hornblower, you wont be disappointed.

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And p.s. .... the hubby will love it too... well, hopefully not for the same reason we women do :)

Mod Mum Baby Sling Review

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A few weeks ago I was approached by Mod Mum and asked if I wanted to review a baby sling that they sell and well.... I was ..... EXCITED! My very first review... wow.... I felt so honored.... I mean... you like me.... you really like me :) So as you can tell I have been looking forward to trying out the baby sling. So, patiently I have been looking and waiting for the mailman to drop off a package for me. I have to admit that I was cruelly teased the whole time because my sister just happened to order a bunch of clothes around the same time and every time one of her boxes came, I got all excited and was ready to tear it open..... and then I see it..... "Melanie Nichols". Ouch! So, I push aside the box and would wait some more.
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So now the baby sling is here and I have to say that I was very surprised. I have seen many moms with slings, wraps, straps and what ever you could think of and I have to admit that... I never liked them. I always thought they were a bit hippie-ish and frumpy. But this one... this one is different.

First of all, it is one nice smooth piece of fabric... no wrapping, tying, or hot gluing to keep it in place. You simply slip it over your head onto your shoulders and done. The sling is also made of a lighter more breathable fabric. I have seen some that slings that have so much padding and layers that they can get a little toasty for me and for my Lucy. I was very glad that there wasn't a heat problem with Mod Mum.

The slings are great for several different ways of carrying your child. You can either cradle carry (which is good from newborn - 9 months), front carry (which is 2-8 months), and hip carry (for 6 months and up for 35 lbs). I love this because it gives moms the chance to let their babies grow with the sling. Certain position are better at certain ages. Lucy seemed to prefer the front carry; she could see out, be close to me, and still be snug. But in a few months she will be better suited for the hip carry.

These slings are a little more expensive then some I have seen, but I think they are worth the extra money. Especially since I usually get a sore back from some of the baby carriers out there, but this one didn't seem to bother me. They do range in pricing from $48 to $64, depending on what patterned fabric you want. But my favorite thing about all their slings, besides having CUTE patterns, no wrapping needed , good for all sizes and ages.... was that Lucy loved it. She babbled and cooed and played with the fabric the whole time. She was pretty comfortable in all the positions and loved having a view with the front and hip carry.

These really are some of the best baby slings I have seen and I have even fought buying one for a while now. I just never tried one that I liked completely with how it felt or it didn't look cute or I could tell in a few months she wasn't going to like laying in that position. But this one passed with flying colors. So, if you are looking for a sling, a good baby shower present, or something to just help you keep your baby from crying while you are trying to cook dinner.... try Mod Mums slings.
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You can check out there sizing, styles, and instructions on how to wear them properly on their website also. And remember when ordering a size take everything into consideration... waist, shoulders, and your babies size. I ordered a Large and it seems a little loose in my shoulders, but also I have super small shoulders... so look at everything. The website provides a good table to show their suggestions.