Tag Archives: reviews

BioTrue Video Review

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When I went to the eye doctor a few weeks ago, I think I may have horrified her with how long I’d been wearing the same pair of contacts. Well, my prescription ran out, and I have a tiny baby, and not a lot of money, and … and …

I tend to misuse my contacts just a little. At the encouragement of my husband, who loves me in them, I started wearing glasses full-time recently.

But I still like to have contacts on hand in case of a special occasion or to wear while running.

To hear about what I did to my most recent pair of contacts and why I love the BioTrue solution MomCentral sent me, watch this video!

I wrote this review while participating in a Mom Central Consulting blog tour on behalf of Bausch + Lomb Biotrue. I received a Biotrue sample and a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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Holly Jolly Christmas Cards

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I love sending Christmas cards. Really.

I just have this thing. I refuse to send them without some sort of personal note to the family. To me, it just seems like a waste of stamps to send off a card with two signatures and nothing else but an impersonal, imprinted message. (I think Laura, now at Hollywood Housewife, thinks the same way I do!)

But last year I sent a photo card and did just that–no written words. The year before, we had an infant; I sent out birth announcements in lieu of Christmas cards.

This year I am bound and determined to get back into the Christmas card swing. There is nothing that says JOY TO THE WORLD like getting a mailbox full of brightly colored envelopes. I want to make my friends and family smile a little more in December.

But have I mentioned I am due with my second baby on December 22nd? I need to get this game started. A great trick to the Christmas card game is having all your cards written, addressed, and stamped before December even starts. Stick them in the mail whenever you feel like it. There’s enough to do in December already … especially if you’re planning on having a baby that month. (Or, say, going on a cruise and then moving to a new city, like my parents.)

Last year I used a lesser-known photo site with a great deal to create my cards. They turned out cute! But the site didn’t offer the option of mailing them for you, which I think is a great invention of modern science. (Although yes, opposed to everything I said above.) Last year, in the throes of moving and single parenting and just being a little insane, I would have appreciated that feature.

I am a long-time fan of Shutterfly and have ordered many prints and photo books from them without any issues. Shutterfly does offer to mail and address your Christmas cards for you for a small fee. That gives them one point in my book. They have a selection of over 700 designs you can choose from for your Christmas photo cards or holiday cards–two points!

They also have a good selection of religious Christmas cards, so there’s their third point in my book. I prefer to send out Christ-centered cards since a) not everyone we send cards to is a Christian; and b) He IS the reason for Christmas, after all. I was a little wary Shutterfly might not honor this part of Christmas, but I was pleased to see they have 35 designs they designate “religious Christmas cards.”

My three favorite designs are shown in this post. If you’re related to me or a close friend, I think you can expect to see one of these in your mailbox in December (with a picture of Libbie, of course). I just have to work on choosing which of Libbie’s eight Christmas dresses I want to try to get a picture of her in.

I’m thinking as soon as her birthday party is over, it’s time to start working on Christmas cards and Christmas presents!

If you’re feeling really ahead of the game, you could even send out cute Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas cards this year. I actually think that would be pretty fun to receive!

Are you a do-ahead-planner when it comes to the holidays? I tend to start buying gifts in June, to spread out the cost if nothing else. I like to be finished by Thanksgiving. Or do you wait til the last minute for everything and enjoy the bustle of the holidays?

Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

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Things I Love Thursday: Imprint Mats

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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.

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Weight Watchers Cheese Review and Giveaway: I Like to Snack.

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Congratulations to the winner, #31, Nanette! 

I’m nearly 19 weeks pregnant, which means I am well into the second trimester. And what comes with the second trimester? HUNGER.

I still maintain I was hungrier when I was nursing than I ever was pregnant; but still, the second trimester is when I find myself gnawing away at my arm if I don’t make good use of protein and fats during the day.

When Weight Watchers® contacted me to see if I wanted to review their new cheese items, at first I was a little skeptical; obviously, Weight Watchers and pregnancy don’t mesh!

Their campaign, however, is about snacking. And I DO like to snack! So I said yes and got to try WW’s  new gourmet cheese wedges and reduced-fat cream cheese.

 

Here’s some info on the two products.

  • The new Weight Watchers Gourmet Cheese Wedges come in four mouth-watering varieties – Original Swiss, Garlic & Herb, Parmesan Peppercorn and Jalapeño Pepper – and are perfect for spreading onto crackers, apple slices, celery sticks and more for a deliciously fun and easy snack.  Each rich and creamy wedge has only 30 calories, packs more fiber than the leading competitor and comes with a POINTS® value of 1. The wedges have a suggested retail price of $2.99-$3.99.
  • The new eight-ounce variety of Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Cream Cheese Spread is ideal for baking and snacking alike with pre-measured servings and the same easy-to-spread goodness that has made Weight Watchers cream cheese products a hit. And in addition to its flavor props, the spread boasts 40 percent less fat than regular cream cheese and a POINTS® value of 1 per serving. The cream cheese spread has a suggested retail price of $1.69-$1.99.
  • Look for both products at national retailers such as Wal-Mart and Kroger.

Weight Watchers sent me a great snack basket! I got this Picnic Time collapsible picnic basket, Kashi TLC crackers, Back to Nature nut mix, Emerald dried fruit mix, a Frisbee, a cheese spreader, all 4 kinds of cheese wedges, and one block of the reduced-fat cream cheese.

The original Swiss cheese wedge was definitely my favorite. It makes a great snack on the Kashi crackers. (And occasionally breakfast … I do have a toddler!) My Bible study group and I tried the other kinds and all were given a thumbs up, although I thought the Parmesan Peppercorn was a little strong for my tastes. I don’t love peppercorn-flavored anything, but if you do, you might like them.

With the cream cheese, I made Kate’s Cream Cheese Noodles. I sauteed some garlic in about 2 tablespoons of butter and mixed in 4 oz. of cream cheese and a little salt and pepper. I then mixed in 1/2 a pound of cooked thin spaghetti. YUM! I couldn’t tell at all that the cream cheese was reduced fat; usually I am not a big fan of reduced-fat dairy so that is a good thing.

Would you like to win the exact package I got from Weight Watchers? Leave me a comment with which flavor of the cheese wedges you think would be your favorite. A winner will be drawn Sunday, August 1st at 3pm EST.

If you do not leave your email address in your comment or have it linked to your Blogger account (check “show my email address” under “Edit Profile” at blogger.com) I WILL DELETE YOUR COMMENT. I have had too many issues with this in the past. Please just change your Blogger profile. Then I can respond to all your comments by email.

For an additional entry, Tweet the following and leave me another comment letting me know you did:

Win some delicious #WeightWatchersCheese and other snacks over at @vanderbiltwife until 8/1! http://bit.ly/azzWCe

And since I REALLY like snacking and talking about snacking, here are my top ten favorite snacks ever.

Top Ten Favorite Snacks

{I talk extensively about my relationship with some of these foods in this post.}

1. Bagels with cream cheese, or egg, or cheese. I just love bagels. A lot.

2. FiberOne bars. These actually fill up my hungry baby belly!

3. Tortilla chips or crackers with cheese melted on top. Melted until it’s crispy. Yummm!

4. Granny Smith apples with havarti. I think Michelle introduced me to this fine delicacy. The creamy Havarti and bite of the green apple really balance each other out. It’s DELISH!

5. Hard sausages and cheese with crackers. I like salt. So kill me! Not something I have a lot, but I will devour it if it’s out at parties.

6. Raw veggies, pretzels, and dip. If we were in a musical, I might start singing, “Any dip will do!” I like dips. Speaking of …

7. Spinach and artichoke dip with chips. We’re talking fantasy snacks, right? Cause I’ve made this homemade maybe once, but I LOVE it. The frozen kind will work if needed.

8. Cherries. While I don’t splurge for Raniers, I love my Bing cherries and will happily eat a bowlful for a delicious and fresh snack.

9. Candy. Straight up sugar is my pregnancy weapon of choice. I am not proud of it, but it’s true.

10. Ice cream. Lemony, chocolatey, peanut buttery–I’m sort of indifferent. Just bring me a bowl: not melted, and no marshmallows please.

Added to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda and Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. 

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Some Days It’s Good to Be a Blogger

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A few weeks ago a PR rep e-mailed me and asked if I’d like to be involved in a campaign promoting Chili’s new and improved menu. They gave me a nice gift card and told me to take my family out!

Like I said, it’s good to be a blogger some days! I don’t participate in a lot of campaigns, but I am pretty open when it comes to free food. Especially since we don’t eat out very much.

So one Friday night Mr. V, Libbie, and I, drove the four minutes to our local Chili’s for an early dinner. Since I am trying to watch what I eat, I printed out a PDF of their menu with nutritional information before we left and studied it a little bit. (I was horrified to find out my beloved Quesadilla Explosion Salad has 1400 calories–but over 400 calories and 24 grams of fat come from the cheese quesadilla, not the salad part. The dressing is another 250.)

Mr. V and I sampled several items off the new menu. We both decided to get one of the new $9.99 Fresh Pairings. I got the (old standard and oh-so-delicious) chips and salsa with smoked chicken mini-tacos. I am going to have to be completely honest and say: the tacos tasted good at first. Then they started to taste funny to me. I am not a big fan of very pungent cheeses, such as bleus, unless they are paired with fruit; and I think the Cojita cheese was a little much for my tastebuds. The beans and rice that came with the tacos were interesting, mixed with corn and other veggies, but nothing special in my eyes.

Mr. V got the Crispy Onion Fries and Jalapeno Stack as his appetizer. It came with a ranch dipping sauce and was yummy and HUGE. We barely made a dent in it (or the chips). He also got a half rack of ribs with their new Shiner Bock BBQ sauce. They were quickly devoured. The sauce was lovely and sweet.

We ordered Libbie a cheeseburger and rice off the Pepper Pals Kids’ Menu. The waitress thought I said fries, and she offered to get rice, but we let Libbie keep the fries, which she enjoyed very much. She wasn’t a fan of the burger–but she also rarely eats any meat, so that means pretty much nothing.

Other than one very memorable occasion, I’ve always had excellent service and good food at Chili’s, and I am happy to promote them as a good family restaurant that we’d go to no matter what. I almost always get the Quesadilla Explosion Salad, Southwestern Cobb (which has left the menu–sad!), or fajitas.

 

Sadly, we used the rest of our gift card ordering from the new Chili’s To Go online service and were not pleased. They have a guarantee that your food will be ready at a certain time, and my husband waited over 20 minutes for ours past when it said it would be ready. I ordered the new Asian Chicken Salad, and I am pretty sure it was missing two parts of the salad. The rest of the food was good, though.

All that said, I won’t give up on Chili’s. They really do have good food at reasonable prices. The manager offered to send us coupons when my husband had to wait for his order.

Right now, Chili’s is running a campaign called Shout Out to Eat Out! You can upload a 10- to 30-second video telling them why you don’t want to cook tonight and be entered to win a $50 gift card. They’re giving away one a day until August 30. There are a lot of nights I don’t want to cook. How about you?

What’s your favorite thing on the Chili’s menu?

I received a $50 gift card from Chili’s in order to do this review. I was not compensated in any other way.

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