Tag Archives: contests

Sometimes You Feel Like Breakfast, Sometimes You Don’t

Posted on by
24

Congratulations to the $10 PayPal winner, thight!

Or is that just my problem?

I’ve never been a big breakfast eater. Except for those times my dad made us breakfast so we could be smart for tests or big days at school, I rarely ate much, if anything, before I headed out the door to classes.

Then I graduated college, got married, and got a job I had to be at by 7:30 a.m. I soon realized that if I didn’t eat breakfast, I would be gnawing my arm off by 9 o’clock. And if I didn’t eat the right things, arm-gnawing would commence as well.

A white bagel with jelly might get me two hours before I was starving again. A homemade breakfast burrito on a whole-wheat tortilla? I wasn’t even hungry at 11 o’clock, my usual lunchtime. Behold the power of protein and fiber!

Last week I was asked to help co-host a chat at The Motherhood about having a healthy breakfast. That link will take you to a recap of the chat, and here are some of the highlights I’ve gleaned for you:

  • Think outside the breakfast box. There’s no reason you can’t serve your kids half a turkey sandwich for breakfast if that is what they will eat. Christine shared that her son has an egg allergy and looking to other sources for breakfast protein will work for their family. Libbie often asks for peanut butter and jelly for breakfast, and as long as it’s on whole wheat I don’t see a reason not to oblige. (We also use natural peanut butter and simply fruit-type jams.)
  • Concentrate on dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin D, and potassium. These are the four nutrients Americans are likely not getting enough of, according to the new Dietary Guidelines. Great sources of fiber can be fruit with skin, flaxseed, beans and legumes, and vegetables. Sneaking veggies and flaxseed into your food can be fun! My Chock Full of Healthy Muffins have apple, carrot, flaxseed meal, AND oat bran. What a way to stuff some fiber in your face early in the morning!
  • You NEED breakfast. It helps refuel your body after a night’s sleep, kick-starts your metabolism for the day, and should supply about 20% of your dietary needs each day. 
  • Make breakfast convenient. You know I am all about freezer cooking, and there is always something for breakfast in our freezer.  Muffins, pancakes, waffles, breakfast burritos, egg cups … they all freeze well. Lately we’ve enjoyed having baked oatmeal for breakfast, too; one batch can last Libbie and me a workweek.

Are you a breakfast person? Leave me a comment telling me what you had for breakfast this morning and I will pick one commenter to win $10 (given through PayPal) that you can use to buy ingredients to make your favorite breakfast!

I thought outside the breakfast box this morning and had leftover ham and scalloped corn from Easter, as well as an apple.

Rules: You must either have your e-mail linked to your Blogger account or provide your email in your comment. I will pick a winner on Friday, April 29. You will need to be able to receive funds via PayPal to win.

The Motherhood chat is sponsored by Kellogg’s, and I will be compensated for my time and efforts.

    —-
    Please visit my sponsors: Mimi’s Babies (adorable crocheted baby items) and MoxieMandie (ruffly and handmade!)
    Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
    Twitter much? I’m vanderbiltwife there, too.
    Join my Facebook Fan Group

    Ultimate Blog Party Prize Winner!

    Posted on by
    Reply







      <—- “What! You too?” Is the part of the quote from this one.


    Not all of you got it in that order … but we’re not so mean that we didn’t count your entries.

    The winner of the $100 Target gift card is Jacqui at Echoing Him. Congratulations! Mary will contact you about your prize.

    Thanks to everyone who took the time to visit all the #sisterchicks and to any new subscribers and Twitter followers who have come as a result of the party!

    —-  
    Please visit my sponsors: Mimi’s Babies (adorable crocheted baby items) and MoxieMandie (ruffly and handmade!)
    Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
    Twitter much? I’m vanderbiltwife there, too.
    Join my Facebook Fan Group

    Medela Nursing Bras – Review and GIVEAWAY!

    Posted on by
    44

    The winner is #35, Emily E. Congratulations, Emily! I’ll be emailing you to get your information.

    Disclaimer: First, I have to say I am very well-endowed.  So obviously what works for me in terms of nursing bras may not work for everyone. And for the business part: Medela provided me with a bra to test out for review. I did not receive any other compensation for this review/giveaway.

    Maybe it’s just that when you’re pregnant you attract other pregnant people like a magnet. You huddle together to confer about your misery, expectations, and excitement. But it seemed that half the Internet had a baby in December right along with me. (Kacie, Tara, Suzanne, Karen, and Jenny all did! And those are just the ones I can come up with in my baby-no-sleep-dazed mind.)

    So I hope this giveaway will benefit one of them–or one of you who has recently welcomed a baby or will in the near future!

    I don’t think I have ever done this before, but I contacted Medela about doing a review for them because they have the only nursing bra that has ever worked for me. It’s their Seamless Underwire Nursing Bra, which goes up to an H cup, has thick straps for the larger cups, and actually gives me enough support. I have tried many nursing bras; and, as a larger-chested girl, barely felt comfortable enough to leave the house with any of them on.

    I was a little worried about wearing underwire right away while nursing, though, as there is some evidence they can cause clogged ducts or restrict the milk coming in. (The lactation consultant at the hospital told me I should not wear one ever–but honestly, they don’t even make many bras that are not underwire big enough for me.)

    So Medela sent me the Comfort Nursing Bra. It’s got a sports bra feel, with a racerback cut and thicker straps. Because it is microfiber, it stretches with you. Medela totes it as “the perfect ‘take-to-hospital’ bra.”


    I agree with them! It’s a great bra for while you wait for your milk to come in. I wore mine at the hospital and found the hooks easy to unclasp and get back together and the size just right. It is a great nighttime bra, because there are no uncomfortable hooks or tags to bother you.

    Unfortunately, this type of bra does not have enough support for me; it’s definitely a “lounge around the house” nursing bra for me. I wouldn’t want to scare anyone in public. Once my milk came in, even the extra-large was not really large enough.

    So now that I have thoroughly frightened you with tales of my chest (which Libbie calls David’s Mommy Bottles–how cute is that?), I am delighted to tell you I have one Comfort Nursing Bra to give away to a lucky reader.



    To enter, just tell me why you need it. And if you’ve nursed before, what is your favorite nursing bra?

    Details:

    Best of luck!

    —-
    Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
    Twitter much? I’m vanderbiltwife there, too.
    Join my Facebook Fan Group

    Mint Julep Monograms WINNER

    Posted on by
    1

    The VERY blessed winner of my Mint Julep Mongrams $30 credit giveaway is …

    #16, my darling in-real-life friend Jeanette! Congratulations, girl!

    You have until December 3 to snatch up some Mint Julep Monograms goodies for Christmas. Hillary’s always running specials on her Facebook Fan Page, so make sure to “like” it if you haven’t already.

    My friend Mary at Giving Up on Perfect hasn’t ended her giveaway yet for $30 credit, so if you get there fast maybe you’ll have a chance to win from her! {She is also having a giveaway week, so lots of fun ones to enter!}

    —-
    Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
    Twitter much? I’m vanderbiltwife there, too.
    Join my Facebook Fan Group

    Giftable Blog Giveaways: Week Three

    Posted on by
    1
    FELICES FIESTAS A TODOS LOS FILCKROS MERRY CHRISTMAS

    If you missed what’s going on with these, this post should explain it.

    I’ve filtered out any giveaways that have expired and left the ones you can still enter. Please add your new giveaways here, and I’ll add some I find as well. Anyone win anything yet they can give away? 

    Strangely, I recently won $250 worth of baby clothes from Macy’s and BlogHer. Sadly, they are 6-9 month winter stuff. Don’t think they will fit my little guy unless he is tiny next winter!

    —-
    Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
    Twitter much? I’m vanderbiltwife there, too.
    Join my Facebook Fan Group

    Mint Julep Monograms GIVEAWAY!

    Posted on by
    104

    At Blissdom ’09, I had the pleasure of meeting the cutest little Southern girl you’ve ever seen–Hillary from The Other Mama. We’ve bonded through blogging, and at Blissdom ’10 we roomed together with Mary from Giving Up on Perfect. We talked way too much and stayed up too late and laughed at how many bags Hillary felt it was necessary to bring.

    SNV33271

    Well, you know there’s nothing a Southern girl likes like a monogram, right? So earlier this year–in the midst of her third pregnancy–Hillary up and decided to start a monogramming business called Mint Julep Mongrams.

    Not too long after she started her business, I commissioned this t-shirt to make a little announcement to my friends, family, and blog readers!

    And sweet Hillary wouldn’t even let me pay her for it, despite my rush and pickyness and altogether nagging her half to death.

    I knew right where to start my Christmas shopping this year.

    I can’t tell you what I bought, because, well, EVERYONE I AM RELATED TO reads this blog, it seems like! Which is a good thing. Most of the time.

    But I got a great deal with one of Hillary’s many discount codes from her Facebook Fan Page. 

    And then she offered me a $30 credit for hosting this giveaway, so I was *forced* to go pick out another great gift. Woe is me. ;)

    Yes, giveaway! Are you in love with these products yet? I totally am. And you’re in luck, because you have a chance to win a $30 credit to Mint Julep Monograms all for yourself!

    For your required entry, you need to go to the Mint Julep Monograms site and tell me in the comments here what your favorite item is.

    For additional entries, you can:

    Lots of chances to win! Just make sure you leave a comment for each entry. And FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, leave your email if it’s not connected to your Blogger account. If I don’t have your email somewhere, you can’t win. And that’s that.

    I will pick a winner next Friday, 11/19. Good luck!

    {Buying or WINNING Christmas gifts from a good friend and small business is definitely a FINER THING!}
    —-
    Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
    Twitter much? I’m vanderbiltwife there, too.
    Join my Facebook Fan Group
    A few of my favorite things on my Tumblr page

    Giftable Blog Giveways: Week Two!

    Posted on by
    1
    FELICES FIESTAS A TODOS LOS FILCKROS MERRY CHRISTMAS

    If you missed what’s going on with these, my post from last week should explain it.

    I’ve filtered out any giveaways that have expired and left the ones you can still enter. Please add your new giveaways here, and I’ll add some I find as well. Anyone win anything yet they can give away?

    —-
    Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
    Twitter much? I’m vanderbiltwife there, too.
    Join my Facebook Fan Group
    A few of my favorite things on my Tumblr page

    Giftable Blog Giveaways, Just in Time For Christmas!

    Posted on by
    2
    FELICES FIESTAS A TODOS LOS FILCKROS MERRY CHRISTMAS

    I’ve done something lately I don’t do a whole lot of–enter blog giveaways.

    I mean, I do occasionally. I’ve won a maternity shirt, a V-Tech Reader, a Vintage Pearl necklace … some great things! But the blogosphere is so supersaturated with giveaways sometimes it’s hard to wade through them and find something you would even like to have.

    Lately, I’ve entered with a purpose: find items I could gift for Christmas! Because when you are frugal and/or not rolling in money, FREE is the best price for a Christmas present.

    I thought we could help one another out by having a link-up for giveaways here that would make great gifts (for anyone, kids included). No cleaning supplies. Nothing too practical. And let’s be honest, if you win that $100 Visa gift card, you’re going to keep it for yourself. Just fun items that would be great to gift.

    PLEASE link to the specific post, not the general blog, or it will be deleted. Please add the “end by” date somewhere in your title so we all know! I will repeat this every week until the beginning of December.

    —-
    Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
    Twitter much? I’m vanderbiltwife there, too.
    Join my Facebook Fan Group

    Things I Love Thursday: Imprint Mats

    Posted on by
    44

    Giveaway is now closed. The winner is #43, Nesting Project (Rosy)! Congratulations!

    A few months ago, I was contacted by a company to try out their Imprint Comfort Mats. The company makes the following promises about their mats:

    ✓ Reduces overall fatigue and pain associated with standing on hard surfaces
    ✓ Beneficial to individuals with back, thigh and lower leg or foot discomfort
    ✓ Conforms to the shape of your feet and supports your arches resulting in soothing relief

    I was VERY skeptical, but my cousin Tricia had already raved about the mats, which gave me some hope.  I am pregnant, have scoliosis, and often do long cooking sessions in the kitchen which usually kill my back. I have the hardest time with OAMC because of the constant leaning over, standing, and chopping. My back just does not like long times standing on hard surfaces. (I even quit a retail job after 6 weeks mainly because of this issue.)

    I won’t say that the Imprint Mat is a miracle-worker, but I have definitely had less back pain in the kitchen. When I did my mini-OAMC session in July, my only complaint was that I needed to move my mat back and forth from in front of the sink, the stove, and the counter where I chop!

    It’s like they read my mind, because soon after I received the longer (20″x72″) runner mat in the mail. Hallelujah!! Now the mats line all my counters and I am happy as a clam. Seriously, these things are amazing.

    They come in two sizes: the runner, as listed above; and standard, which is 20″x36″.

    I sure wish this were my kitchen. Don’t you?
    I only wish the price point were not quite so high. Being a cheapskate, I would have a difficult time paying $70 for a kitchen mat. It’s almost silly, though, because $70 would have saved me SO much back pain and agony it would totally be worth it.

    If you’re also cheap, you’re in luck, because you have the chance to WIN a standard Imprint Mat! To enter, go to their site and tell me what your favorite feature about the mat is.

    For an additional entry, Tweet about this contest and leave me the link for your specific Tweet. Here’s a Tweet you can use, if you like:

    Win a super-comfy Anti-Fatigue Comfort Mat from @vanderbiltwife! http://bit.ly/8Y7WIi

    Contest is open until 9/8. YOU MUST LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL OR HAVE IT CONNECTED TO YOUR BLOGGER ACCOUNT. I will not be hunting you down. Go to Blogger.com, click on “edit profile,” and check the box that says “show my e-mail address.” This will get you five stars and a sticker in my book.

    Good luck!

    Linked to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

    —-
    Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
    Twitter much? I’m vanderbiltwife there, too.
    Join my Facebook Fan Group
    A few of my favorite things on my Tumblr page

    Things I Love Thursday: Natural Skincare

    Posted on by
    27

    Giveaway is over! The winner is  #14, sarahespn! Sarah, I will e-mail you and get your info to Antebellum Naturals!

    I am a wee bit lazy. Perhaps you hadn’t figured that one out yet. (Heh.) I confess I take very bad care of my skin (although I do wear sunscreen if I’ll be outside for more than half an hour). I wash my face sporadically. I never take my mascara off.

    I’m not sure Janice from Antebellum Naturals knew what she was getting into when she offered to send me some of her products to try out. I like trying new things, though, and all her products are safe for pregnancy because they are completely natural–and also not tested on animals.

    I got a very cute little bag with a dozen samples of natural products. Body scrubs, facial cleansers, lotions, and even a microdermabrasion cream found their way into my bathroom!

    The clean, fresh scents of the products won me over. The only truly scented products were “flavored” with citrus or sugar. If you like scented products, the sugarbutter body scrub was divine! I love body scrubs and I always have.

    Unfortunately, many of the products I tested are not available yet from the newly formed company. I was bummed that my favorite, the Botanical Bio-Peptide Cream (a heavy moisturizer), is not on the site. Janice explained to me that the item’s price had gone up and she didn’t want to overprice her products. So that, I can understand. Another favorite, a loofah scrub with ground-up corn as the scrubber, Janice assures me is on backorder but will be available in a few weeks.

    I do love the feeling that my bath and body products are not harming the environment, being tested on animals, or are full of chemicals. I would definitely purchase some of these products on my own, as I think they are very reasonably priced compared to other natural lines.

    BUY IT! If you’d like to purchase any of the Antebellum Naturals products, you can have a 25% discount and free shipping if you order before July 23. E-mail your order to Janet with the code VANDERBILTWIFE.

    WIN IT! Antebellum Naturals is giving away a sample bag identical to the one I received for one of my readers. To win, simply go to the Antebellum Naturals site and tell me one product you’d like to try and why. (Use the buttons on the sidebar to see the various products.)

    For an extra entry, Tweet this giveaway, making sure to put @vanderbiltwife somewhere in your Tweet.  Please leave a separate comment telling me you did this.

    For ANOTHER extra entry, join Jill’s Things I Love Thursday carnival this week (6/24) and leave me a comment letting me know you did. 

    You have until Wednesday, June 30 at noon to enter. PLEASE make sure either your e-mail is linked to your Blogger account or you leave it in the comment.


    Linked to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries. 

    I was supplied with products to sample for this post but was not compensated in any other way.

    —-
    Subscribe to the RSS feed or by e-mail.
    Twitter much? I’m vanderbiltwife there, too.
    Join my Facebook Fan Group
    A few of my favorite things on my Tumblr page

    Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...