Tuesday, January 29, 2013

90 Day Weight Loss Challenge

This is a whole new year and because of that,I want to get a brand new start on many things. One of my goals this year is to trim down and lose the weight I have gained by being immobile for so long after my surgery. I tried to watch my food intake,knowing that I had almost no way of burning it off, but that didn't stop all of it. Now I am left with the task of  slimming down, so when I was recently introduced to a line of products that could assist me in my weight loss goals, I was excited to find out more.

I visited the site to research the products and see which one of them would work the best for me. I noted right away that the products are designed to focus on a specific issue, instead of a broad spectrum of problems. From the Raspberry Keytone drops that help you lose weight while you sleep to the hCG1234 that burns fat fast, each of these are focused on one certain mission.

I was graciously given the opportunity to select one of these products to try for myself, thanks to the fabulous people at Creative Bioscience. I am choosing to try the Green Coffee Bean Pure Extract, a diet supplement designed boost your metabolism and slow the release of glucose to your system. This seems to be the perfect solution to my issue. I can use these capsules on a daily basis without having to commit to a strenuous exercise program or change my eating habits.

The product line is fabulous for anyone seeking a little extra help in reaching or maintaining their health goals. It can be difficult to get started and we often quit when we don't see results. It is a hassle following a complicated routine,counting calories or charting meals days in advance just to lose a few pounds. Using these simple capsules, I no longer have to do any of that.

Each purchase comes complete with easy to follow instructions,simple diet charts and unlimited, free diet support from a team of trained specialists. The great thing about this is that they will help you with any question, about any diet, not just about these products. This is a great service that allows you to ask your questions with comfort,knowing you are getting a real answer from someone who knows the facts.

All of these products are made in the USA in FDA inspected and GMP approved facilities. They also offer free shipping and a 100% Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee.

If you are a blogger and are interested in joining in the 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge, simply visit the link and apply for your own 90 day supply too. I will be bringing you updates as my journey continues to let you know my results and how I feel while taking these. The capsules are not supposed to make you jittery or raise your heart rate,so hopefully all goes well!


* I will be provided with a sample product for this challenge. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Post Surgery-2 Months Later

It has been a little over 2 months since my foot surgery. I am still not able to walk or do many other things that I want to do. I was able to start trying to take steps last week,but that didn't go so well and I have been back to no walking since. The bones are finally growing together as they should,but I think I am stepping directly on the head of the screw when I try to walk. There is a sensitive spot on the heel and I seem to feel a knot there as well.
                                              This is the top of my ankle now
The incisions have finally healed and I am left with some nice new scars. If anyone knows,or is, a PR rep for skin products,I am in dire need of something to lessen these and soften the skin back .


          The one under the ankle took the longest to heal.I have pain there all the time and it looks like a hot mess. There is still nerve damage there,but the surgery wasn't to address that right now so we will see what happens there.




At this point,I can only take a few steps with a cane or walker. I also have a knee walker,which is kind of like a kids scooter with a pad to place your knee. It is very helpful or I wouldn't be able to go anywhere outside of my home. I am hoping it gets better soon and that I can walk and move again. I am assigned physical therapy three times a week and maybe that will help too. Wish me luck!

Red Robin FAIL

Last weekend my husband and I went to Red Robin for a quiet dinner without the kids. My sister had offered to keep them for the night so we took advantage of the alone time. It was my first attempt at going out on my foot after surgery,so I was being careful not to do too much. I had to walk with a cane and the huge boot on my foot,but we went anyway.

My darling husband chose Red Robin because it sounded good at the time. We have eaten there before but not at this particular location,so we weren't entirely sure what to expect. I noticed that the parking lot was a mess,but it had been lightly snowing for awhile,so some of that was expected. We parked and had to walk up a slanted walkway ramp to the door. The walkway was covered in ice and I almost fell trying to get in.My husband even slipped and he was wearing boots.

I did make it inside,unharmed,and we approached the podium to be seated. There were no people in the waiting area and one group standing beside the podium with drinks. The greeter came a moment later and informed us there were no tables ready but to hold on a minute while she looked for one. While we were waiting,another group arrived and were told to have a seat. At this point,my foot was beginning to hurt,so I turned to go sit down. Of course, at that moment, another girl arrived,spoke to the greeter,who then told us a table would be ready in just a second.

A moment later we were led to a table. As soon as we sat down I noticed it was still wet and not exactly clean. you could tell they had just swiped it in a hurry. I used a napkin to wipe it down and we ordered drinks and appetizers. As I looked at the menu,I noticed the floor beside me.

As you can see it was filthy.There was dirt,trash and pieces of food all around the table. I ordered a chocolate shake,but i guess the waitress assumed I needed a giant shake,which not only cost more,but was way too much for me. they brought me a shake in a glass and the rest of it in a freezing cold tumbler with a spoon that didn't even reach outside of the cup,so it was covered in ice cream and so was my hand.

The appetizers came and the cheese sticks were really good. This is and order of zucchini sticks and an order of cheese sticks that they served together. I assumed the zucchini sticks would be close in size to the cheese sticks,but they were huge chunks of zucchini that you had to cut with a knife. The breading fell off when you cut it,they were hard and we didn't even finish half of them. 


 This was the mess of a steak sandwich my husband received. it looked like they had dropped it,and then thrown it all back in the bun.

My sandwich looked good at first. I went to eat it and discovered the turkey was under cooked in some spots and the hunks of avocado were like pickle spears. They were too big for the sandwich and a little hard too. I ended up eating a bite or two off the edge,which resulted in a soggy bottom of the croissant and way too much lettuce between the two kinds that were on it. Oh and I think there was one slice of bacon in there cut into two or three pieces.



My soup was very good,but without the sandwich to go with it,I only ate a few bites. I would have liked to eat more of it,but by that time I was frustrated. My husband ate about half of his sandwich and we decided to leave. The waitress asked me if I wanted to take the food with me and when I told her no,she asked if something was wrong. I told her my issues and she left to settle the check. When she returned,she did tell me that she had the manager remove the cost of my plate from the bill. I thanked her and we left. We still spent almost $50 for a meal we might have finished half of,and it wasn't because it was too much to eat!


All in all this was a big FAIL. The only good thing out of the visit was a very nice and attentive waitress who received a tip to match. After all,it wasn't her fault the visit was a disaster,although she could have given me the right shake and cleaned up before she seated us.


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Nursing Scrubs Are Fun To Buy

My sister is one of the hardest people I know to buy for. She doesn't really collect anything specific, she recently remodeled, so she doesn't need household items and with two small children, the choices really are limited. Through trial and error, I did manage to find something that she can always use and is always in need of, and that was scrubs. Being in the nursing field, between home health and nursing care, she can always use new ones.




The first time she told me she needed scrubs for her birthday, I have to admit,I thought that was kind of a boring gift. I wanted to get her something that stood out or that she would be able to use/wear often. When I asked her why she wanted something like that, she told me that between work and her kids, she spends most of her life in scrubs. She pointed out that they get soiled often at work and that she can never really have too many sets or pieces.

I set out with the goal to find her something that was cute and that she would like. I quickly found scrubs in white, black and every other color of the rainbow, and in many styles too. I discarded the variety of skirts I found, knowing that she was on the move too much for that to be comfortable. I had no idea there were so many choices for scrub pants. I found them in cargo style, crossover waist, utility, elastic waist, hip huggers and drawstrings, with leg cuts ranging from fitted to flare.

The tops were as much of a surprise as the bottoms. They offered selections on neck styles including yoke, v-neck, round and scooped, and a vast collection of shirts options too. I noticed several styles I had seen her wear before and started with those. The mock wrap was a style I knew she wore and so was the v-neck, as long as they featured pockets. She insists upon pockets because she always has keys, sanitizer, tissue, wipes or something else in them, so I focused on those choices first.

Here I was thinking I had this scrub thing all figured out. I knew the styles and the size I needed, all I had to do was select the colors.  She wasn't limited to certain shades, like some hospitals and offices are, so I was free to choose whatever I liked. I went to choose a few fun colors, and that was when I discovered prints. I am not just talking polka dots and stripes, when I say prints, I mean fun and flirty styles to suit just about anyone. I noticed florals, animal prints and lots of random patterns, as well as many of my favorite character and cartoon prints.

I even saw some really cute scrub jackets for those chilly days or environments and a nice selection of  shoes and lab coats too. You can mix and match colors and prints to suit your needs, or just grab a few of each and see how many outfits can be created with them. Throwing a printed top with the solid pants adds a nice mix of color and something fun for the patients to look at too. I really love the character prints for working with children.

To my surprise, I discovered that buying Nursing Scrubs really can be quite fun. They come in so many styles, colors and designs that you couldn't possibly own them all. It is a nice challenge to find just the right ones for your recipient and a delight when they are truly happy to have gotten them. Scrubs make the perfect gift for any great guy or lucky lady working in a variety of fields and places.



Tuesday, January 22, 2013

My Little Skechers Fans Love Shoebuy.com

In response to my request,my mother-in-law offered to buy new shoes for the kids for Christmas. Much to their disappointment,I had told everyone to find something other than toys to get them this year. We have so many random games,pieces,figures,accessories and more roaming around our home,that I just didn't want any more to deal with. When someone asked what to get them this year,I told them clothes,art supplies or something useful like books and movies.



Instead of trying to pick out shoes for them,she offered to let me choose what kind to get them and then she could give me her card information to pay for them. I agreed to do it this way and began searching for the best deals on new shoes.


In the end,I decided to go with Shoebuy.com. I loved the variety available for all three kids and the prices were competitive too. It only took a short time to decide on a pair for each of them,and the checkout process was quick and easy too. The next time I need shoes,I will be sure to check here first!


My New Windows 8x Phone

I just got a new phone. Well I should say I got it a little over a week ago. I wanted to replace the MyTouch 4G I was using,mainly just to have something new. We have been T-mobile customers for a few years,so I knew they had some fun new phones to try. I called to see what we could do and ended up getting the Samsung Galaxy III for my husband (in the 32gb version ) and the new Windows 8X phone for myself.


I loved the color and style of this phone right from the start. The blue is a T-mobile color but I have seen it  in green,black and red too. The 8X is super slim and squared on the edges,giving it a much more "sharp" look. Everything is controlled from the touch screen,which is exceptionally bright and clear.You can even snap photos from the screen or the button,allowing a much more controlled photo option.


I love that you can do fun stuff like remote control your pc and features the touch-to-share option too. ou can even sign into the Windows store on your computer or tablet and send the apps to your phone with one click.This makes browsing a snap,allowing you to do it on the larger screen and while performing other action. Browse the market,find what you want,click and within seconds you will have it ready to go on your mobile device.

I love that this phone features the tiled home screen.This is a much more fun and personalized look for me than the android style.The phone also came with Slacker radio,voice command,GPS and other fun stuff installed. It even has a feature just for the kids. You can set up the kid space to allow them access to apps and games you selected. This way they can safely play with your phone,without worries over what they might have access to.








***About 2 weeks after receiving this phone, it stopped working. I attempted to charge it,power it on and even tried to do a powerless master reset with customer service,all to no avail. The phone will not do anything at all,not even a light when plugged into the pc or charger. T-mobile informed me that devices do fail at times and just to send it back. It was replaced by a shiny new Samsung Galaxy SIII in blue.



Friday, January 18, 2013

Tasty Tips from Hamburger Helper


These are some quick tips to trim some of the fat from your diet.It is a whole new year and many of us are working to slim and tone. A great way to help with this is by watching and limiting your foods. These are some tips from Hamburger Helper to help you on your way.

Choose lean or extra-lean ground meats or ground turkey breast.
Choose lean and sirloin meats and skinless white-meat poultry.
Trim fat from meats before cooking
Cut bacon or sausage amounts in half or use turkey bacon,lo=fat sausage or vegetarian alternatives.
Cut meat amounts in chili and casseroles in half,add beans for extra protein and fiber.
Add fresh or canned vegetables for added vitamins and nutrients.

Of course,there is more to being healthy than just these tips but they are a good kick start to a healthy New Year. Not only that,but cutting back on meat can save you money too!

***All opinions on my blog are my own and may not be the same as anyone else..that's why they are mine.I was not compensated in any way for this post. The information was provided to me as a member of MyInsite and I am sharing with you.

ProgressOh make-oh-ver Contest





Progresso® wants to help cel-Oh!-brate those little moments of Oh! when you look and feel your best. The feeling of Oh! when you button up your favorite old jeans … and they fit! Or the Oh! you get from your friends when you walk into a room confidently sporting a new dress!
Progresso® is giving you the chance to win the ultimate ProgressOh! Make-Oh-ver experience in Hollywood*! Three lucky grand prize winners will get to take the ultimate trip full of ProgressOh! experiences – from a head-to-toe makeover to sightseeing in LA!
Here’s what you could win:
- Round-trip airfare for you and a guest to Los Angeles, California.
- 4 day/ 3 night hotel accommodations.
- A head-to-toe makeover, including hair, makeup and a blue dress to get you ready for your own ProgressOh! moment in Hollywood.
- Two tickets to this season’s live finale of The Biggest Loser.
- $2,000 spending money.
Here’s how to enter:
- Complete an official entry form.
- Share a photo.
- Tell us why you love Progresso soup.
- Tell us why you deserve a ProgressOh! makeover.
Don’t forget to tag your content with #ProgressOh!
With 40 delicious flavors at 100 calories or less per serving, you are sure to find a soup that makes you say Oh!

* I was not compensate in any way for this post. This information was shared with me from Progresso as a member of MyInsite and I am simply sharing with you too!

Friday, January 11, 2013

What Did You Get for Christmas?

If you are like me,you can never come up with a good idea when someone asks what you want for Christmas. Yes,there are things I may want,but they need to be fitted,personalized or otherwise altered so I cannot ask for those. Then of course,you have the things that you may want,but they cost too much to expect them as a gift.Usually when someone asks me what I want,I will give them a vague answer like body spray or kitchen towels..something simple that can be gotten just about anywhere so I don't have to return anything.

This year,as always,I received money. This is my favorite gift because I can turn it into whatever I want or save it until I find something I need. I haven't really decided just what it is I want to get yet,but when I do,I will already have the money for it.



I got a few small items like ornaments and such from the kids school store but didn't get pictures of them before I packed them back up for next year. I also received a new set of Farberware pots and pans. I didn't really need these,but it did allow me to toss out a pan or two that had seen better days.


I lucked into some new candles,socks,household items and some great gift cards too including  2 for Arbys and another for Outback Steakhouse. I guess I won't have to cook dinner for a couple of days somewhere along the line. (Not that I have been doing that anyway since the surgery!)

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Kids and Money

I hate the way kids spend money. While I have managed to teach them a little about conserving and saving,when it comes to something they really want,they don't have a care how much it costs.

Our families are fond of giving money as gifts. This usually means the kids end up with a chunk of cash after Christmas and birthdays. Yes,I love that they can get what they want,but sometimes I wish they would give it a little more thought before doing things like spending $35 on a comic book.



You might be thinking..hey,you are the parent,right? Yes,I am the parent and yes,I make the rules. If I gave them the money,I would have a few requirements for large spending. I don't do this with money they get from others simply because it leads to hurt feelings. My mom gave the kids each $50 for Christmas this year and I told the kids they could use it to get some sort of clothes or accessories. I figured this was a small limit but still allowed freedom in their spending. That was fine until my mom saw their faces at our Christmas dinner. She felt bad that they watched the younger kids open toys from her so she asked me to let the kids buy "at least one toy". I have a soft spot for my kids and my mom so of course,I had to agree. It was her money after all. That resulted in my daughter spending $40 on two Monster High dolls. I know I could have found a better deal at after Christmas sales,but she didn't want to wait.












Of course,when they receive gift cards they end up spending a little crazy too. If the store only offers certain items,or has a limited amount to suit them,you have to kind of go with the flow. My youngest had Walmart gift cards from Christmas and couldn't find anything else to suit or fit him there so he headed off to the toys and electronics where he came up with the idea to get this charming Wii Skylanders set..yeah a whopping $60 purchase that again,I know we could have saved on had they given themselves time to shop around.




In the end it is their money and they are happy,so that is what matters. I am determined though to teach them to value shop more like me and see how much they can get for the same dollar.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year

I just wanted to wish you all a safe and happy new year.

If you are out and about,be careful. We are at home this year since I can't walk,so a pretty plain night here.

Enjoy!!