Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Celebrate New Year's with Farm Rich and Sea Pak

With New Year's just a few days away, I have been busy making plans of what to feed my guests for this fun-filled night.  I love to serve a variety so that everyone will find something they love.  So with that in mind, my plan is beginning to revolve around hors devours.  A little of this and a little of that.  


If you are looking for some easy appetizers to serve for your big night, make a quick run to the grocery store and pick up a few bags of delicious Farm Rich products. They have such a wide selection and they are easy to make and yummy to eat!
My family has loved all the Farm Rich products that we have tries so far.  Our favorites are probably the cheese sticks and pizza slices.  Try them today and you won't be disappointed.  Also, don't forget to  check out their website for more product info, promotions, and coupons. Join them on Facebook to keep up-to-date on all current promotions and freebies.


Now make sure while you are out shopping, you don't forget to stop by the SeaPak aisle and grab my husband's favorite appetizer: Coconut Shrimp.  However, if coconut isn't your thing, no worries.  SeaPak offers a great variety of delicious seafood.


SeaPak products are great for entertaining or even for simple meals that taste like they came straight from your favorite seafood restaurant. "Only SeaPak gives you easy-to-prepare products, fun and unexpected recipes plus shrimp and seafood know-how from chefs and culinary experts around the country to make it easy to prepare spectacular seafood dishes every time."  Visit their website for the latest promotions and coupons.

Lucky Winners!


Congratulations to manthas24!  You are the winner of the Kidorable Giveaway!  Manthas won with comment #30, "follow you on GFC".  The winner has 48 hours to accept her prize or a new winner will be randomly selected.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thank you to Kidorable for offering such a great giveaway!

Congratulations to Debbit Does Dinner Healthy, Tina, anonymous, Janelle, and Huguette E.!  You are the winners of the Praim Group Chocolate Giveaway!  The winning  comments are #1,16, 86, 92, and 107.  The winners have 48 hours to accept their prizes or a new winner will be randomly selected.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thank you to The Praim Group for offering such a yummy giveaway!


Congratulations to Cathy H.!  You are the winner of the Stephanie Gleichsner giveaway!  Cathy H. won with comment #52, "Email Subscriber."  Cathy has 48 hours to accept her prize or a new winner will be randomly selected.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thank you to Stephanie for offering such a great giveaway!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

From Our Family to Yours




Have a Blessed Day!

Tricky Trivia: Popular Christmas Toy Week

What was the most popular Christmas toy in 2006?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Tricky Trivia: Popular Christmas Toy Week

What was the most popular Christmas toy in 1997?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Tricky Trivia: Popular Christmas Toy Week

What was the most popular Christmas toy in 1960?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

'O Christmas Tree

Our girls did a great job decorating the tree this year.  I'd love to see your Tree.  Leave me a link in the comments so I can see it.  Merry Christmas!

Tricky Trivia: Popular Christmas Toy Week

What was the most popular Christmas toy in 1992?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Eat This, Not That: Part Two

Yesterday’s post focused on foods to avoid. Today I wanted to share some healthy discoveries I made from Eat This, Not That. According to the books, there are eight foods that you should eat every day: spinach, yogurt, tomatoes, carrots, blueberries, black beans, walnuts, and oats. Now it’s not very likely that you will include all of these every day, but you should try to eat as many as you can. These foods are full of Omega-3’s, antioxidants, and other important vitamins that help boost brain and heart function.


It is easy to say you should avoid fast food restaurants altogether, but it’s not likely to happen. So I looked through Eat This, Not That to find some healthy choices available at some of the most popular fast food joints. An Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich at Wendy’s served with mandarin oranges and medium ice tea has only 480 calories. This is a large enough meal to satisfy your hunger and it won’t stick to your thighs. Arby’s also had a grilled chicken sandwich that will keep you within your calorie budget. At Taco Bell, you can order two Fresco Soft Beef Tacos with a side of Mexican rice for 470 calories. By ordering a Fresco Taco, you have to sacrifice the cheese and sour cream, but if you at a little extra hot sauce, you still have a great taco.


How do you eat healthy when dining at a fast food restaurant? Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Tricky Trivia: Popular Christmas Toy Week

What was the most popular Christmas toy in 1985?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Eat This, Not That

Most of you have probably heard of the popular books, Eat This, Not That, but like many of my friends you may not have had time to actually read them. I am usually very health conscious when it comes to feeding my family. However, every time I read one of these books, I gain surprising new insights. Eat This, Not That, is a great resource to have (especially if your family eats out often). Unfortunately though, you may discover some information you just did not want to know. For example, the cheese fries at Outback contain 2,900 calories. That is more than the average person’s daily intake of calories! I will admit, I love cheese fries, but that may be just too many calories.

Did you know that there is an omelet at IHOP that has 1,890 calories (Colorado omelet)? That is the same as eating six Egg McMuffins! If you are at IHOP and want an omelet, opt for the Garden version that packs only 430 calories. Another fattening breakfast food is the donut. I’ve never figured out how donuts became a breakfast food, but Americans love them. If you must eat a donut, the book suggests that you opt for the glazed donut instead of the cake donut. The difference is 100 calories and 8 grams of fat!


When ordering a salad, we often get a false belief that the meal is good for us. More often than not, salads served at restaurants are far from healthy. Take California’s Pizza Kitchen’s Thai salad for example. This salad contains 2,238 calories! This salad not only has two types of dressing, but also fried wonton strips. Eating this salad would be equivalent to eating 6 pounds of grilled sirloin steak! Wraps are another food item that portrays healthy eating. However, with the large tortilla and added dressings, they are loaded with calories. T.G.I. Friday’s BBQ Chicken Wrap has 1,720 calories. On top of loading the wrap with fattening ranch dressing, Friday’s also include an extra scoop of mayo. According to the book, this wrap is equivalent to eating three Big Macs!


Tomorrow I will continue this post with some foods that are good for you. What crazy calories have you been consuming (remember Christmas Baked Goods Calories don't count;)? It can't be as bad as the Caribbean Jerk Nachos I ate last weekend! Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Tricky Trivia: Popular Christmas Toy Week

What was the most popular Christmas toy in 1979?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Silent Sunday

Hanging Out By The Sea










Tricky Trivia: Popular Christmas Toy Week

What was the most popular Christmas toy in 1980?

Take a guess in the comments below.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Lucky Winners!


Congratulations to tristatecruisers!  You are the winner of the Tortuga Giveaway!  Tristatecruisers won with comment #105, "Subscribe via email".  The winner has 48 hours to accept her prize or a new winner will be randomly selected.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thank you to Tortuga for offering such a great giveaway!

Congratulations to Cari!  You are the winner of the Scunci Giveaway!  Cari won with comment #26, "blog roll".  Cari has 48 hours to accept her prize or a new winner will be randomly selected.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thank you to Scunci for offering such a great giveaway!


Congratulations to ksmom!  You are the winner of the Bake Me A Wish! Giveaway!  ksmom won with comment #429, "I can't decide if I'd rather try the carrot cake or something with brownie."  Ksmom has 48 hours to accept her prize or a new winner will be randomly selected.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thank you to Bake Me A Wish! for offering such a great giveaway!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Three Great Giveaways Ending Tonight!

Don't miss your last chance to enter three awesome giveaways!  To enter, simply click on the appropriate link on my right sidebar. The three giveaways end tonight at 10 pm!

Win a 33 oz cake from Tortuga Rum Company!

Win Hair Accessories from Scunci!

Win a delicious cake of choice from Bake Me A Wish!


For 5 bonus entries for any of these three giveaways, please tweet: I nominate @kellymalinowski for Disney Epic Mickey's #EpicMomBlogger! http://bit.ly/epicmomblogger

Unlocked

I believe that all of us keep pieces of ourselves locked away from the rest of the world.  It is a simple way to protect what we fear will be ridiculed.  But why do we have to live with this fear?  Where does it come from?  My belief is that as kids grow up and work their way through the years of school, they begin to build a wall to protect themselves from being different.  To protect themselves from being bullied.

I just finished reading a new book from Karen Kingsbury called Unlocked.  This wonderful story focuses on the struggles faced by a family who have an 18-year-old son suffering from autism.  In the story, "Holden Harris,..., is locked in a prison of autism where he's been since he was a happy, boisterous three-year-old. At school he is bullied by kids who do not understand that despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden is very happy and socially normal on the inside, where he lives in a private world all his own".  This novel touches on very important issues and reminded me of how important it is to teach our children that it is okay to be different.  Through the novel, I struggled to read about the bullying that took place in the high school.  It was even harder when you saw the teachers ignoring the issues.  The main main female character of the book, Ella Reynolds, struggled with ignoring the bullying of Holden and other students or standing up for them and being mocked herself.   It made me sit back and think, were there times that I ignored the issue and should have stood up for someone?

Later in the book, one of the students who was continually made fun of and bullied by the jocks, committed suicide.  This completely broke my heart that this child didn't see any other way of coping with the madness he lived through daily.  It was also disheartening to see that the mother didn't even recognize the signs of depression in her son because she was too busy trying to make ends meet.  I know we all have days that we just wish we could be alone and we don't even feel like talking to our family, but I pray that we can always remember to take time out for our children to remind them that they are loved and that they can share their fears and troubles with us.   In, Unlocked, Ella discovers that it is okay to stand up for others and the change in her are seen throughout the school and community.  "The greatest miracle is the change in Holden, himself, and everyone is stunned by the transformation they witness. Ultimately, the community comes to understand that many people walk around in a personal prison and that only by love and faith can the doors become unlocked, the way they dramatically do for Holden Harris".

I would encourage everyone of you to grab a copy of this book and then share it with a friend. It is a story that everyone needs to hear.  After finishing it, I'm sure you will be hooked on Karen Kingsbury.  She has an extraordinary gift and her writings are always inspirational and life-changing.  I've read them all and not a single one disappoints.  Happy reading!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

New Hairstyle

My baby girl was excited with her new hairstyle, that she insisted that I share it on my blog.  "Mommy, they will love it!"   So since you all are going to love it, I just had to share.  Isn't she a cutie?!?

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

We Have More Winners!

Congratulations to Ruthhill74!  You are the winner of the Photacular Giveaway!  Ruthhill74 won with comment #59, "Like Photacular on Facebook."  Ruthhill74 has 48 hours to accept her prize or a new winner will be randomly selected.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thank you to Photacular for offering such a great giveaway!

Congratulations to manthas24, CathyH, fdigsby, Diane, and Kimberly!  You are the winners of the Bloomsberyy & Co. Giveaway!  The winning comments were (in order): 64,98,127,180, and 9. The winners have 48 hours to accept their prize or a new winner will be randomly selected.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thank you to Bloomsberry & Co. for offering such a great giveaway!

Congratulations to Dlori, j.nes, and Tylerpants!  You are the winners of theNeoStrata Giveaway!  The winning comments were (in order): 143, 12, and 113.   The winners have 48 hours to accept their prize or a new winner will be randomly selected.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thank you to Michelle from NeoStrata for offering such a great giveaway!

Tea Drinkers Unite

While most of the world enjoys their morning coffee, I start off my day with a hot cup of tea. The sweet aroma and smooth taste helps jumpstart my brain for the busy day ahead. I’ve been a tea drinker for years, but I’ve just recently learned about the added benefits. Perhaps one of the most important reasons you should drink tea is that it is an easy way to get your antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they help your body fight against the excess free radicals. Clearing out the free radicals can help prevent heart disease and cancer, reduce blood pressure and slow the effects of aging. Besides tea, antioxidants are found in a variety of berries, broccoli, tomatoes, garlic, red grapes, spinach, carrots, and many whole grains.


Tea can also act as Draino for your arteries. Keeping your arteries clear of blood clots will greatly reduce your chance of having a heart attack or stroke. “A 5.6-year study from the Netherlands found a 70 percent lower risk of fatal heart attack in people who drank at least two to three cups of black tea daily compared to non-tea drinkers.” (Lynn Grieger) Tea also helps strengthen your immune system from everyday illnesses.


In the past, I have watched many of my family and friends grow very dependent upon caffeine. Their dependency causes them headaches and even indigestion. By switching to tea, they could still get their much needed caffeine, but in smaller doses. On average, a cup of tea has about 100mg less caffeine than coffee or soda. Too much caffeine can lead to fatigue and dehydration. On the flip side, tea has been proven to aid in hydration. And since it is calorie free, you won’t be wasting your precious daily intake on a drink.


Some of my favorite teas are made by Lipton. If you are a new tea drinker, I would suggest you start with Lipton’s Bavarian Berry. This black tea’s smooth sweet taste will help keep you from adding any unneeded sugar. Other favorites of mine include Lipton’s Mixed Berry Green Tea, Lipton’s Blueberry White Tea, and Twining’s Pomegranate. What are your favorite teas?


Grab a latte (or a cup of tea), put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Our Gingerbread Village

Every year we gather around the kitchen table to create our annual gingerbread house. Every year we have fun.  And every year it turns out great.   However, last year we ran into a few tears because someone didn't get to decorate the exact spot they had their eye on (Just a hint, it wasn't me:).   So this year, I was so excited to find a gingerbread village package.  The package came with 5 buildings, three colors of icing, and tons of candy and sprinkles!  My girls were so excited to decorate their own gingerbread house without any help.  Even my hubby got into it, giving his house a very special touch (any Red Wing Fans?).  
To put our village all together, I cut out a piece of cardboard and covered it with foil.  We then covered it with white icing, shredded coconut, and crystal colored sprinkles to get our Winter Wonderland!  My oldest daughter created North Pole's Candy Shop, my youngest created Santa's Toy Shop, my husband was in charge of the bakery and the reindeer's chalet, and I was lucky enough to decorate Santa's house.   Here are some pictures of the finished product.  Let me know what you think.
Toy Shop

Bakery

Candy Shop

Santa's and Reindeer Chalet

The Village


ABC.com: Holiday Specials and More


A few weeks ago, my darling husband surprised me with an iPad.  I was shocked and excited beyond belief.  The iPad can do so many different things, but that is for a different post.   Today I wanted to tell you about a free app that I downloaded right after I learned how to work it.  ABC.com has a free player that allows you to watch their shows instantly on your iPad.  They are currently including all their Holiday specials too including “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “CMA Country Christmas,” “Prep and Landing,” ABC's first television special produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”  So if you happened to miss one of their festive Holiday specials or just want to watch it again, just click on your ABC.com app.  

Don’t have an iPad? Don’t worry! Check out the Holiday Channel on ABC.com for a collection of your favorite holiday specials, holiday-themed episodes of ABC’s hit shows and more.  In addition to the specials available on the iPad, ABC.com’s Holiday Channel features ‘All Things Merry,’ where your favorite ABC stars from Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Cougar Town and more share their favorite holiday memories and traditions.

Explore ABC.com’s Holiday Channel here:

Monday, December 13, 2010

Running

I love running.  I love running.  I love running. I love running.   Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself that I love running?   I will admit that I do love a morning jog.  Meaning, I love to get in a couple miles each  morning.  But I am beginning to hit some serious mental walls with this marathon training.  After an hour of running, the boredom begins to set in.  It's not that I can't run anymore, it is just that I don't have the motivation.  What I need is a running partner.  Someone to help me pass the time.  Someone to encourage me as I encourage them.   Any takers????