Not A “Moment” Too Soon

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Sprint

I was once under the impression that data phones were for 3 types of people: business leaders, techies, and snobs. Although I would have loved to get my hands on one, I couldn’t justify a data plan + snazzy phone for my SAHM (Stay at Home Mom) status.  Nor did I know that data phones offer so many helpful applications and organizational tools for motherhood.

Thanks to an opportunity via BlogHer, I’ve been able to try out a Samsung Moment.  It’s a touchscreen phone loaded with Google Android applications including Google Talk (instant messenger), Google maps (with navigational capabilities), Gmail, etc.

So how has my Samsung Moment helped me as a mom?

A variety of ways…

~ Recipes in the kitchen without having to print a hard copy or look out of a cookbook

~ Pictures on the go and easy to share.  It takes better pictures than my first point and shoot camera. (3.2 megapixel)

~ Calendars - I’m able to sync my husband and my personal and set up reminders for the event at the interval I choose (1 day before, 15 minutes before, etc.)

~ Navigational turn by turn directions and maps. (Lifesaver!)

~ Weather Forecast/Current Conditions for Any Location

~ Bible – multiple versions, subject look up  

~ Toddler Lock – Allows the kids to “play” with the phone without causing any damage, all while they play with shapes/colors/music

~ Pandora – Streaming music based on your own preferences (Because good tunes can make your day.)

~ Connections – text messaging with a slide-out Qwerty keyboard, Twitter Applications, Internet, and very clear voice quality (you can’t tell it’s a cell phone)

And when in a real bind entertaining the quads there’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the SprintTV application.

The only real downside to my new Moment? Battery Life. (Which I hear is the downfall of ALL data phones.) I have to charge it everyday or more if I use it continuously. I’ve recently discovered that using wireless over the 3G and a task killer application helps reserve battery life.

Overall, I’m super pleased with the capabilities and connection perks that come with a Smartphone. And it all happened not a “Moment” too soon!

Here’s a MOMENT you don’t want to miss!

How would you like a chance to win a $300Visa Gift Card?

Sure! We all would!

Just leave a comment with a way to contact you (email, blog link, twitter handle) answering this question:

How would the Sprint Now Network™ help keep you connected and organized?

Official Contest Dates: 3/9/2010-3/31/2010

Please see the official rules here:

http://www.blogher.com/sprint-4g-reviews-official-rules

Also, head on over to the BlogHer.com special offers page to check out 6 more awesome reviews and chances to win!  

Is It Any Wonder?

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Wonder®

Kids need calcium, we all know that.  Getting kids to DIGEST the calcium is often the issue.  Thankfully our boys are milk drinkers, but did you know that just two slices of Wonder® Bread have as much calcium as an 8 ounce glass of milk?  Bonus, my boys LOVE their bread!  (Especially if it has peanut butter and jelly between the slices!)

And nothing beats that soft classic taste of Wonder®. Check out the Official Wonder® website for more!

Here’s how our family prefers to digest our calcium:

 

Is it any wonder that kids prefer the great taste of Wonder® over the alternatives?

You can win a $100 Visa gift card and a year’s supply of Wonder bread (that’s 52 coupons for one free loaf of Wonder® Classic White or Wonder® Classic White Sandwich bread) by leaving a comment telling your favorite way to eat your Wonder® bread.  Do you like it toasted? With BLT in between the slices? French toast, perhaps?

The contest runs from 10/5/09-11/4/09.

Important: Please Make sure that the email address you leave is correct!

Rules:

• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US-residents, aged 18 and over
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here: Official Rules

Be sure to Check out other Wonder® taste-test results - you've got 6 chances to win $100 and a year’s supply of bread.   

 

HomeGoods Has THE Goods

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and HomeGoods

I literally jumped around, clapped, and squealed when I found out that I had been chosen to do a review for HomeGoods. And when I found out that I had a $500 gift card to makeover our home, I was stoked! Trust me, $500 goes a LONG LONG way at HomeGoods, because their prices are so affordable! (Think 3 carts completely FULL!) The average price for the items in my cart was $10! However, don’t think that a cheap price equals cheap look and quality. Their products are designer names for 1/3 of the cost! HomeGoods has THE GOODS!

You can find accessories and decor for whatever your style might me. The store is filled with Contemporary, Cultural, Country, and Classical inspirations. (Or you can go for a cookie cutter/mixed look, which tends to be my personal style.) Check out Open House - HomeGoods' blog "for anyone that loves their home" for ideas and inspiration.

Before my HomeGoods shopping extravaganza, our home was going for the “minimalist” look: our walls were bare, end tables with nothing on them, lots of empty space, and lots of improvising. For example, we were using a hamper as a end table in our bedroom. With some TLC from HomeGoods, our house has went through quite a transformation. I’m in love with every purchase and the new look for our home.

Sunshine for HomeGoods:

• ~Price/Affordability
• ~Unique Selections
• ~Quality of Items
• ~Wide Variety from Kitchen to Furniture to Home Decor

 

Partly Cloudy for HomeGoods:

~Aisles Difficult to Maneuver with Shopping Cart

Enough words, the proof is in the pictures!

Rocking Chairs $39.99

Frame $12.99

Table Runner $12.99, “Because Two People Fell in Love” $3.99, Dinnerware $12.99, Kitchen Aid Pan $16.99

More Accessories/Wall Hangings:

And here’s our biggest HomeGoods transformation, our Home Office:

And now to the BEST part! HomeGoods and BlogHer are giving YOU the opportunity to win a $100 gift card to HomeGoods!

To enter take the StyleScope Quiz and tell me what your style is in the comments below or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below.

It’s a fun quiz and it’s really insightful. Here’s my personal results: (They NAILED it!)

The contest will begin at September 14th and will end October 14th.

(Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.)

Rules:

• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US residents, aged 18 and over
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here.

Check out what the rest of the BlogHer Reviewers found at HomeGoods - you've got 8 chances to win a $100 HomeGoods gift card.

A heartfelt thank you to the wonderful people at BlogHer and HomeGoods for this wonderful opportunity!

Don’t forget you can find more on those “priceless quadruplets” over at www.4tunate.net

Making Water My BFF Again W2D5

Today I'm wrapping up my postings for the Crystal Light Water Way Challenge, but I believe "this is the start of a beautiful re-friendship".

Here's my re-cap on this journey, the sunshine and clouds:

 

Makes Mama Happy:

~On the Go Packets (convenient, easy to transport, quick to make)

                ~Variety of Flavors

                ~Value (especially by using 1/2 the packet)

                ~Overall Taste

                ~Health Benefits (hydration, skin, hair, etc.)

 

Makes Mama Not So Happy:

~The Red Food Dye (It stains; it leaves your teeth filmy; it isn't necessary for flavor) 

                     ~Some of the flavors are too sweet and bold for my liking

Overall, Crystal Light is something that has helped me get back to BFF status with Water, and I feel good making a healthy, delicious change! This is not the end, fellow water swiggers!  Keep on refilling those water bottles and encouraging one another! Let's keep Water our BF FOREVER! 

Making Water My BFF Again W2D4

Making Water more appealing is a great motivator for increasing my intake.  I think that's the great advantage to Crystal Light.  It switches up things a bit;  Adds flavor and a little tang to the same-old same-old without adding the calories.

Some other ways I like to kick my water up a notch:

~Adding Fresh Fruit: Lemons, Oranges, Lime

~Drinking it Slushy

~Mixing Crystal Light Flavors to Try Even More Combinations

~Changing My Water Bottle Design

The BlogHer Conference begins tomorrow.... I hope there are plenty of bathroom stalls to keep up with my water bingeing!

Making Water My BFF Again W2D3

There's nothing better on a hot day than an iced beverage to quench your thirst.

Here's my favorite way to drink a Crystal Light beverage: SLUSHY!!!! 

If you mix your Crystal Light On the Go Packet into your water bottle and place it in the freezer for around 30 minutes, you get a 1/2 frozen treat!  I'm sure you could make some sort of similar frozen drink in your blender, but this is mess-free easiness! 

You really should try it sometime....Like NOW!

Has anyone tried the Crystal Light Popsicles?  I'm guessing they might taste just as delicious! 

Making Water My BFF Again W2D2

How does stress affect your overall daily health? 

Do you find your indulging in unhealthy snacks? 

Chocolate, perhaps?

Carbonated beverages?

Getting less sleep?

Not making time to work out? 

This week I've been frantically packing for our trip to BlogHer '09, and it's been a greater challenge to meet my goals.  I've drank less water (even though I'm super thirsty) and I haven't worked out yet this week.  Urgh! 

I better get to chuggin' if I want Water to be my BFF by the end of the week!  

Making Water My BFF Again W2D1

Week #2 of the Crystal Light Water Way Challenge has commenced! 

Let's recap last week's goals:

*Drink 6-8 glasses of Water/Crystal Light Beverage daily

*Work out 3x a week

*Drink no more than 2 carbonated/caffeinated beverages per week

With the ultimate goal, of making Water my BFF Again!

I'm happy to report that I came very close to attaining my goals for the week. I might have fallen short on my water intake one or two days, but I most definitely increased my overall water intake. When I craved a brown fizzy beverage, I substituted it for a Crystal Light fruity beverage, and it really has been a delicious change.

I'm really craving water more, and it's become less of an effort to meet my 6 glass minimum.  For this week, I'm planning on continuing my Week 1 goals, but bumping my intake up to the 8 glasses a day, instead of the 6 minimum.

How are you doing on your individual health goals?  What tweaks are you making to your goals? 

I look forward to hearing about your progress!

Making Water My BFF Again W1D5

Variety is the spice of life, when it comes to Crystal Light Flavors. A week has passed on my Crystal Light Water Way Challenge, and I haven't even come close to exhausting my options!  

This isn't your mama's Crystal Light Lemonade.  We're talking thirst quenching fun fruit flavors and teas.

So far these varieties have made it in my top 3:

Wild Strawberry         Pomegranate Lemonade             Fruit Punch

 

I'm a BIG fan of the On The Go Packets, because...Well, it's summer and I'm ON THE GO with these four little rascals!

The Wild Strawberry has an energy boost (aka Caffeine) and a boost of flavor to go with...

The Pomegranate Lemonade (my all time favorite so far) is refreshing and nourishes the skin with vitamins, minerals, and lutein...

And Fruit Punch has a sweet classic flavor; introduced to me by Suz on our Chicago trip.  I've been addicted ever since! 

This weekend I'm planning on taking the ice teas for a sip. =)

What are YOUR Favorite Flavors?

Making Water My BFF Again W1D4

(This is a Compensated Review from BlogHer and Crystal Light Water Way Challenge.)

Self-control. Will power. Discipline. Constraint.

Strength. Abstinence. Self-denial.

______________________

That's what it took when I was faced with this lovely aisle in the grocery store last night:

It was hard to leave you behind, Sweet Cherry. How I longed to have you weighing down my cart and awkwardly hoisting you up for the grocery check out clerk to scan, but it's meant to be.  You belong on the shelf. And I belong with H2O. I'm moving on...

Making Water My BFF Again W1D3

If you follow our blog, 4tunate, you know that I'm all about getting more bang for your buck!  So how do I make Crystal Light On the Go packets stretch further?  I use 1/2 a packet per water bottle.

In my opinion, it's a more refreshing, lighter flavor for 1/2 the price.  I noticed today that this option is even suggested on the directions.  Guess I wasn't the first one to come up with the idea! 

So far, I'm achieving the goals I've set for this challenge.  Three days in and I'm making a conscious effort to drink more water, and I think I even tell a difference in my energy level from staying better hydrated. 

It's not too late to join us in making a deliciously healthy change this week!  There's strength in numbers!  Won't you join over 50 of us in at the Crystal Light Water Way Challenge Group over at BlogHer?

 

Making Water My BFF Again: W1D2

(This is a Compensated Review from BlogHer and Crystal Light Water Way Challenge.)

Water Bottles.

They come in an array of shapes, sizes, materials, colors, and lid variations. 

When I'm drinking just plain ole water, I'm partial to a disposable ice cold water bottle.  Most often Kirkland's brand. 

But when I'm adding a flavor, such as Crystal Light  Pomegranate Lemonade, I prefer my stainless steal water bottle with tap water. I like it because it keeps my H2O cold for an extended time, and it's reusable. Plus, it's cute and screams "DRINK ME!" "DRINK ME!", which is just what I need in my quest to become BFFs with my favorite liquid again!

What happens to be your hydration weapon of choice?

Making Water My BFF Again: W1D1

(This is a Compensated Review from BlogHer and Crystal Light Water Way Challenge.)

A challenge isn't a real challenge without goals.  Not sure about you, but I often make unrealistic goals for myself that lead to failure. For instance:

I will work out every day this week.

I will answer every email in my inbox today.

I will clean my oven, fridge, and cabinets during nap time. 

I will never drink a Cherry Coke again.

Yep, I'm a glutton for punishment. 

In an effort to make these next two weeks into a lasting healthy change, I want to make REALISTIC goals that motivate, rather than overwhelm. 

Here's what I've come up with so far:

* I will drink 6-8 glasses of water or Crystal light beverage each day.

* I will only allow a carbonated beverage as a "treat", no more than 2x a week.

* I will work out 3x a week.

Seems attainable...Now on to divide and conquer!!!!! 

What are some of your own goals for healthier living?  How do you make sure you set attainable goals?  How do you hold yourself accountable on a daily basis? 

Leave me a comment here or join us for this discussion over at the BlogHer Crystal Light Water Way Challenge Group!

Making Water My BFF Again

(This is a Compensated Review from BlogHer and Crystal Light Water Way Challenge.)

Water and Jen go waaaaaay back.  Like all the way back to High School when I realized I was highly addicted to Mountain Dew and quit caffeine cold turkey.  We've got history.  While everyone around me sipped on their sodas and javas, I guzzled my H2O. Needless to say, giving up caffeine for the duration of the  pregnancy wasn't a huge sacrifice.  However, I developed a serious craving for a Cherry Coke, specifically a fountain Cherry Coke with little cublets of ice.  

Unfortunately, this craving continued well past delivery, and since I've fallen back into the "Carbonated Caffeinated Consumers of America Club". 

Hi.  My name is Jen. I'm a wasted calorie liquid drinker.

 

So when I heard that Crystal Light was challenging some bloggers to make a delicious change, I signed my name on the dotted line!  A challenge is just what I needed to get my BFF status back with my H2O. I'm sure my body will thank me for it in the next few weeks.  Besides, hydration is a must for keeping up with these 4 little two year olds this summer!

So check back here each day for the next two weeks as I take part in the Crystal Light Water Way Challenge.  I'd LOVE to have some of YOU join me over at BlogHer's Water Way Challenge  Group. We can share ideas and encourage one another in making this healthy change! Just follow this Link to the sponsor.

Also, you can take a Water Assessment and get your own widget by registering at the Water Way Challenge Site and see how you measure up!

For more information see the Crystal Light Official Site.

Goodbye, Cola.  Hello, Crystal.

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Recaps:

Day 1 Week 1          Day 1 Week 2

Day 2 Week 1          Day 2 Week 2

Day 3 Week 1          Day 3 Week 2

Day 4 Week 1          Day 4 Week 2

Day 5 Week 1          Day 5 Week 2