Matthew's Puzzle and a mom putting it all together

Pumpkin Drink made with Sugar Free Tagatose and Other New Products from NuNaturals Plus Giveaway!

October 17, 2013 By Maryann

Disclosure: I was provided with NuNaturals products with which to facilitate this recipe. NuNaturals is providing the gift pack.

With Fall here I thought I’d join the onslaught of all-things-pumpkin. My boys love having a sip of my coffee in the mornings but I don’t feel comfortable with them ingesting all that caffeine, so I decided to develop a warm pumpkin drink I can feel good about them enjoying. I picture us drinking these by a cozy fire while my husband reads us a classic book. Of course that is just a fantasy and instead they will be sitting at the table, fighting, laughing and just being generally silly. Still, it will make a fabulous memory.

NuNaturals was kind enough to send me some of their newest products to try so I opted to use their Tagatose in this Sugar Free Pumpkin Drink.

Pumpkin Drink Recipe

1 cup half and half*

1 cup Almond milk *

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

2 Tablespoons NuNaturals Tagatose **

1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 dropper NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia

Method

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except the vanilla stevia. Warm on the stove until scalded but not boiling. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla stevia. Mix. Strain if you prefer a smoother finish or drink as is for a full pumpkin experience. You may wish to top with additional pumpkin pie spice.

* you can use any combination of milks that you prefer. I like the half and half mixed with almond milk for a very rich drink, but you can choose to do all almond milk or even half and half with cows milk.

** you may substitute other sweeteners such as maple syrup.

Our family loves NuNaturals and I even carry their stevia packets in my purse for our trips to restaurants. I like to use the stevia packets in my iced tea since they dissolve so easily and make for a delicious drink. I also keep their flavored liquid stevias (lemon and orange are my favorites) in my cabinet and use them to flavor my mineral water. Their flavored stevia liquids are made with real essential ingredients instead of artificial or synthetic flavorings, and I think they make a great addition to my water regime.

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Domestic Violence Awareness Month with The Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse

October 7, 2013 By Maryann

“Disclosure: ” This post is part of a sponsored campaign with The Allstate Foundation and MomSelect. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Domestic violence is a very scary, yet very real part of our society RIGHT now. Domestic violence happens more than 145 times an hour in the US and on average, 3 women die every DAY as a result of domestic violence. And yet, with such staggering numbers we don’t seem capable of talking about it. I remember one of my co-workers having enough guts to approach me when she thought I was being abused. It took a lot of courage for her to bring me to a private and safe place and to confront me with her fears. Thank goodness her fears were unwarranted ( she noticed “bruising” around my eyes which in reality were simply seasonal allergies), but I will never forget her caring enough to take that step.

The Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse Campaign is a way for you to take a stance too. The Allstate Foundations Purple Purse Campaign and PurplePurse.com are ways to get people to start talking about Domestic Violence while The Allstate Foundation donates money to the YWCA. As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, The Allstate Foundation is sending more than 1,000 purses carrying domestic violence information throughout the country. The purses will be passed between co-workers, friends, and family, sparking important conversations along the way. You can also pass a virtual purse by logging in to PurplePurse.com. For every purple purse passed through the end of October, The Allstate Foundation will donate $5 to YWCA. We’ll give up to $350,000 for programs aimed to help domestic violence survivors and stop the cycle of abuse.

I have started my Purple Purse moving along and I hope that it will help women, just like you and me, who are victims of this horrible form of abuse. Please pass my Purple Purse code number 0030 on and help us raise awareness, money and maybe save a life! Encourage your friends, family and co-workers to take a moment and pass the purse. I was shocked to learn how many women are hurt by domestic violence and encourage you to help them through this wonderful cause. If you need immediate help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.

Join The Allstate Foundation and Purple Purse on Facebook to learn how to help!

The Boys Who Couldn’t Get Enough of the InnoTab 3S and Giveaway

October 4, 2013 By Maryann

Disclosure: I was provided by VTech with an InnoTab 3S to help facilitate my review. VTech has also provided the additional information and the InnoTab 3S for the giveaway. All opinions are my own.

I wasn’t really sure what to make of the new InnoTab 3S. Mostly because my older two boys already own Kindles. We were hoping the InnoTab 3S would be a good substitute for our youngest son. He always wants to play whatever his big brothers are playing. But boy were we wrong! Instead of being a substitute it is a highly coveted prize all it’s own. The three of them fight over the darn thing. If one gets it, then next one is clambering on top of him to get at it. My fool proof plan was obviously NOT fool proof.

My boys have had a great time playing with the InnoTab 3S. They absolutely love the built in camera. Not only can they take photos but they can also take video. It is actually pretty darn cool. They have each been able to customize their logins with photos of themselves and even recorded their own greetings to themselves which play whenever they log in. I often find them making movies together. So that is a real nice upside – they are playing TOGETHER!!

The boys have browsed several other cartridges (it comes with one called Read, Play and Create) and are dying to get The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turtle Power cartridge. Matthew swears Santa will be bringing it for Christmas this year. I think he is probably right. Shh, don’t tell anyone.

Lorenzo has really taken to the E-Reader option which will read books to him. He will play them over and over. And all three of them have enjoyed the Magic Beanstalk Game where you grow your own beanstalk by taking virtual care of it. There is also a game they refer to as the H2O game which teaches them about water and all the different properties of water, how it rains, etc. They love it. I haven’t looked at it, but they talk about it A LOT.

The InnoTab 3S also has a kids-safe wi-fi connection. I haven’t allowed the boys to use that feature yet, not because I don’t trust InnoTab 3S but more because they haven’t even gotten to it yet. They have been so engaged in the rest of the toy that we will open that feature up to them in the near future.

Lastly there is a very, very cool feature which allows kids to send their parents stickers and short messages, directly to their parent’s smart phones. I know that Lorenzo, our youngest, is just going to LOVE that feature. And once the other two boys get a hold of it my husband is going to get some darn cute messages while at work. This is a great way for the kids to feel like adults or older teens without the worry of what they could be exposed to with more traditional messaging apps.

I am very please with the InnoTab 3S and I know my boys are enjoying a quality electronic toy that has both education items and just plain fun activities too.

InnoTab 3S retails at MSRP $99.99 and is recommended for children 3 to 9 years old. Keep up with InnoTab 3S and VTech on their social media sites

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Nordic Naturals Gives Back to Troops

October 3, 2013 By Maryann

I am a big fan of Nordic Naturals. I recently received the following information in a nice email from the company. I would love for you to read a little bit more about Nordic Naturals Gives Back to Troops

Nordic Naturals^® Gives Back to Troops

U.S. Troops, Veterans to Receive up to $30,000 of Best-Selling Ultimate Omega^®

through “Buy One. Pass It On.” Campaign

Watsonville, CA (October 1, 2013) This holiday season, Nordic Naturals, together with its customers, will express heartfelt gratitude to the U.S. military with the gift of health through the company’s campaign, “Buy One. Pass it On.” From October through December, every time a customer purchases a bottle of Ultimate Omega^®, Complete Omega™, Omega-3, Children’s DHA™, or Nordic Berries™, Nordic Naturals will donate one bottle of its #1-selling Ultimate Omega to Give2TheTroops^®, a non-profit organization that sends care packages to veterans and active-duty military in combat and disaster relief zones. Nordic Naturals will donate up to $30,000 in product.

According to Chief Medical Officer Keri Marshall, MS, ND, “Each bottle will be sent in a signature Nordic Naturals eco-bag to troops who have requested nutritional supplements. Each bag will also contain a card expressing our appreciation for their service, as well as our sincere desire that our high-quality omega oils will contribute to their optimal health during their deployment.”

Ultimate Omega is not only Nordic Naturals’ top-selling omega-3, but also the #1 fish oil in the United States. Ultimate Omega supports heart and brain health, immunity, and a positive mood. Without solicitation, doctors and researchers worldwide consistently choose and recommend this powerful formula, which has been shown in original research to support healthy joints, healthy lipid levels in professional athletes, and the body’s ability to respond to stress in an optimal way.

A video explaining the campaign can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVCTuRjnuqM.

About Give2TheTroops

Since December 2002, the non-profit organization Give2TheTroops has supported approximately one million deployed U.S. troops, active-duty troops at home, and veterans, with care packages and letters. To date, they have sent more than 185,000 boxes and 20 million letters and cards through the help of tens of thousands of generous and patriotic friends in the U.S. and abroad. For more information, see www.give2thetroops.org.

About Nordic Naturals

Based in Watsonville, CA, Nordic Naturals is committed to delivering the world’s safest, most effective omega oils to help provide the essentials of an extraordinary life. Distributing to more than 35 countries, Nordic Naturals offers more than 150 products in a variety of flavors and formulations, all in line with leading standards for safety, efficacy, and sustainability. By providing omega oil supplements for adults, kids, athletes, and pets, Nordic Naturals helps everyone do more of what they love. Further information is available at www.nordicnaturals.com. Nordic Naturals is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nordicnaturals and people can follow the company on Twitter at @NordicNaturals.