***Disclosure: I received complimentary product to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** While I don't eat fast food often, there are occasions when we're on the go and hunger strikes. (And there is nothing worse than feeling your tummy growl when you're trying to run errands, especially with kids in tow!) I am one of those weird people that actually reads the nutrition facts of food I eat, and a lot of fast food is horrifyingly high in calories, sodium, and fat. So when we get hungry on the go, I try and go to places that have healthier menu items, like salads, grilled chicken, and fresh fruit. So when I learned about the new summer menu options at Wendy's, I did a little research and decided I'd like to try them out! In comparison to typical fast food meals like burgers, Wendy's has some very sensible choices that I don't need to feel guilty about choosing for my family. For example, their large sized Berry Almond Chicken Salad is under 500 calories, loaded with fresh strawberries and blueberries which are rich in antioxidants, and has 11 different kinds of freshly chopped field greens. Add tender grilled chicken, thinly shaved Asiago cheese, and slivered almonds, and you've got an amazing, delicious meal option that is kinder to the waistline. You can even use less of the Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette to further cut calories, or choose the half-sized version which contains only 270 calories! There are also new kids' meal options, like the Grilled Chicken Go Wrap with Apple Slices as a side. This is a wonderful option, since it's loaded with protein, low in calories, and is super fresh. My kids love anything in a tortilla, so I knew we'd have to give this a shot.
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***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** As parents, we have all been there...Especially if our kids are school aged, and starting to get into that summer funk. I bet I hear it at least 5 times a day..."Mooo-ooom, I'm Booooo-oooored." (Usually from my 13 year old.) Sometimes playing outside gets old, or maybe the weather doesn't permit. And I am not one of those moms who is willing to park my kids in front of a TV all day long. (My husband does enough of that on his days off!) So to combat summer boredom, I am always on the lookout for interactive summer activities that get my kids' creativity flowing. I'd much rather get my kids playing outdoor games or doing crafts than sitting in front of the TV set zoning out to some cartoon. The Happy Trunk has helped to save the day several times now, and has saved my sanity, as well! ***Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. No other compensation has been provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** Since summer is here, of course we spend a lot of time outdoors. Whether we're playing on our playground, bouncing away in our bounce castle, or riding bikes and trikes, we stay incredibly busy. Of course that means that little ones tend to get hot very easily. That's where popsicles and water play come to the rescue. And boy, my kids sure do love getting wet. Or dousing their siblings with cool water. Whichever happens to occur first! See that mischievous little grin? That's my 2 and a half year old, Xander, right before he soaked his unsuspecting sister with the Aeromax Fire Power Super Soaking Fire Hose Backpack....Poor Sophie didn't even see it coming! The Fire Power Super Soaking Fire Hose Backpack is the perfect solution for a hot summer day, and even won the Creative Child Toy Award for 2011 Product Of The Year. (How cool is that?!) This innovative design is realistic looking, so it allows little ones to play the part of a real life firefighter. You can even pair this up with some of the Get Real Gear costumes and give kids the complete firefighter experience! ***Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this recipe review. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** As many of you already know, I am a total foodie, and also hopelessly addicted to guacamole. It's funny...The first time I was brave enough to try it, I was pregnant with Xander and was happily eating anything that wasn't nailed down. My incredibly picky eating habits went out the window for a whole 9 months. Thank goodness, because if that didn't happen, I never would have discovered how amazingly delicious guac is. And that would be a tragedy, in my opinion! While I love making my own guacamole, I have found that Wholly Guacamole's amazing products are a lot more convenient for everyday eating. Since these products are "fresherized", they're free of nasty chemicals and preservatives, so it's guilt-free eating, too! I have worked with the awesome folks at Wholly Guacamole several times, and it's always a really fun experience. This time, though, is something extra special. You see, I was asked to take a short video creating one of their delicious recipes. Since the recipe I received is very easy to make and totally kid-friendly, I enlisted the help of my 13 year old, Kyle. He loves helping me in the kitchen, and was very eager to be the star and chef in my video! Check out my son, Kyle, making Guacamole Tomato Boats using Wholly Guacamole's brand new Avocado Ranch! Yum! Welcome to the iPad with Retina Display Giveaway Event Sponsored by Parcelbound.comDo you live overseas and enjoy shopping in the Unites States? Do you run your own eCommerce site and need to ship to international customers? Do you have loved ones overseas and wish to send gifts to them as safely and inexpensively as possible? If you answered yes to any of these questions then Parcelbound.com is for you!! Watch this video below and find out how. Parcelbound is a top rated international package forwarding company. They provide great savings to international customers wanting to shop on all their favorite USA websites stores, and saving them up to 75% on international shipping costs! Parcelbound's service is also great for USA residents wanting to ship gift to friends/family living overseas. Get your own Parcelbound USA shipping address today! This giveaway is open worldwide and the winner will receive the iPad plus if you are outside the US you will receive FREE international/domestic shipping to show how the Parcelbound service works. Giveaway ends July 11, 2013 at 11:59pm est. One lucky winner will receive an iPad with Retina Display 16GB!!Organized by: Mom Powered Media With a special thank you to our co-host: Baby Costcutters, Mom to Bed By 8, Powered by Mom, PinoyRecipe, Shannon's View from Here, Down South Savings, Little Bits of Everything, and Giveaway Booster Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Newly Crunchy Mama Of 3 is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. This event was organized by MomPoweredMedia please contact tina@babycostcutters.com with questions or to see your business or blog featured on the next big event! ***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples for my review. No other compensation has been provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** Ladies, have you ever been out and noticed that your rings or earrings just wouldn't stay in place? Annoying, isn't it? Not only does slipping and sliding jewelry look unappealing, you may also lose it altogether, and that can be devastating to say the least. I don't have a ton of jewelry, but I do want to protect what little I do have. I have a few necklaces that I adore, and a nice ruby tennis bracelet. I don't have any earrings anymore, since they somehow got lost in our latest move. (Made me so sad, but thankfully, none of them were overly valuable.) I do however, have some very expensive wedding rings, which were appraised at $40,000.00. My husband had these custom designed for me straight from the International Diamond Mines in Israel. They have over 6 carats of hand-picked diamonds of good color and clarity, and I would absolutely die if anything happened to them! I find that I am constantly looking down and making sure they're still on my hand. It certainly doesn't help that after losing the baby weight from 2 pregnancies, they don't fit as snugly as I'd like. The slipping and sliding truly makes me paranoid, even though I do have them insured. Luckily, I recently discovered BlingGuard, who specializes in keeping a woman's jewelry comfortably in place! These come in generously sized sets, so once you're done using them, you can throw them out and replace them with fresh ones. ***Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by me on behalf of Lifescript.com. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** I think all of us have gone through periods where we felt "down". I know I have. More than once. Usually, it's short-lived and passes rather quickly. But sometimes, feeling down is not as simple as being in a little funk. Sometimes, it's depression. I have personal experience with feeling depressed, and while I don't usually get this personal, I would like to share my experience with you all. (Bear with me, here, because even to this day, it's not too easy to talk about!) I started my battle with depression when I was a teenager. I didn't have the ideal home life, and grew up with very little support and guidance from my parents. You see, without going into too much detail, I was surrounded by addiction. I seemed to be a burden and just get in the way, and this made me feel very bad about myself. Of course, this led to making bad decisions of my own, all in hopes of getting the much needed attention from my parents. It was a vicious cycle, and one that did me absolutely no favors. I ended up "escaping" my home by getting married far too young to a man who ended up being horribly abusive. I wasn't allowed to have friends, male or female, and I was basically isolated from the outside world. Even reaching out to family had its consequences. I was put down all the time, until it became "normal" to me. I thought that being verbally and physically assaulted was just the way married life was. After awhile, I actually started believing I was worthless. Ugly.Would never be loved by anyone.I felt like I deserved it, just because I wasn't perfect enough. I became very depressed. I cried all the time, hated myself, and was always afraid that no matter what I did, it wouldn't be good enough. I lost all motivation to do things I once enjoyed, like singing or writing, and it was painful to even get out of bed at times. I had become a shell of a person, and it was the hardest period of my life. Looking back now, I can see that abuse is one of the many depression causes, and that it was never my fault. I never deserved to be treated that way...No one does. I learned while researching depression that it often stems from hard life events or circumstances, and that being depressed is nothing to be ashamed of. Thankfully, I eventually found the courage to end that destructive relationship, and I have since remarried a man who treats me like gold, and is an amazing father to our kids. I am so grateful for this, and for the fact that my kids won't grow up surrounded by addiction and will have a solid support system in their lives. Life is wonderful now, but I still suffer from occasional bouts of depression. Abusive relationships and depression can have lasting effects that take time to fully get over. I still doubt myself. I still worry that no one will like me, no matter how nice of a person I am. I am still painfully shy, and it's hard for me to meet new people and make new friends. I still have days where I can hear my ex's voice telling me that I have no value. Luckily, these days are few and far between. It does get better. Bit by bit, it gets easier. While I could be angry or bitter about what I have been through and about my own bouts of depression, I see it as a gift. A teaching tool, if you will. I know myself better now than ever before, and I am confident that I can be the type of Mom my kids can rely on, so hopefully they will never have to experience what I have been through. My biggest wish is for their happiness and overall well-being. And it is my number one priority to make sure they have beautiful lives and always realize their own worth. If you're dealing with depression, be sure to check out LifeScript.com for information and resources about this and many other conditions that impact women's health. All articles and resources come from professional health writers, experts and physicians. Want to find more depression articles? Then be sure you do not miss these posts: Lifescript’s Depression Health Center features tips, quizzes, recipes and articles – all by professional health writers, experts and physicians – covering postpartum depression, seasonal affective disorder, bipolar disorder, how to boost your mood with exercise and more. Please visit the Lifescript Health Center on depression for more information. Bear's First Birthday Bash! #bearsbdaybash Hosted by: Spit Up is the New Black In celebration of her daughter's upcoming 1st birthday, Ashley over at Spit Up is the New Black is throwing a birthday event with one HUGE giveaway centered around products great for 1-year-old kiddos from the following awesome companies: Kids Gourmet Pediped Kelsyus Petite Lemon Oh So Pretty Designs And more coming soon! Current Prize Value: $240 One free link (Facebook OR Twitter) with announcement post Requirements to join Post the giveaway announcement – HTML can be found here Agree to schedule the giveaway HTML for August 1, 2013 at 12:00 AM ET Promote at least 3x a week during giveaway period Sign ups open to the first 25 bloggers ***Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** Uh-oh! I have a birthday coming up at the end of this month! (I will be 32...Sssh! That will just be our little secret!) The problem is, I also have a husband who never knows how to shop for me. I'm not at all demanding, don't get me wrong...I don't expect anything extravagant like vacations, 5 star dining, or anything else overly frivolous. I am really easy to please. In fact, just a simple "Happy Birthday, honey!" will do just fine. Of course I also like the occasional piece of jewelry. What woman doesn't, right? But in my home, like many others, that isn't always in the budget. With 1 income and 3 kids, we can't usually afford things like jewelry. Until now, that is! I just discovered a wonderful online jeweler that offers top quality jewelry that fits into any budget. If you're looking for something gorgeous and super-affordable, you're covered. If you're shopping around for that perfect, once in a lifetime engagement ring, they've got a wonderful selection there, too. As a matter of fact, SuperJeweler.com has pretty much anything you'd want, all at rock bottom prices. ***Disclosure: I received complimentary product to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.*** While I absolutely love the cook, there are some things that are completely foreign to me in the culinary world. One is desserts, and the other is anything canned. You see, while I can make any breakfast, lunch, dinner or appetizer out there, desserts are something I don't personally eat, so I never really had the desire to make them. (Much to my husband's dismay.) Yes, I am one of those odd women who doesn't care for cupcakes, chocolate, or ice cream. Canning is another thing I have always found incredibly intimidating. I have heard so many horror stories about shards of glass flying everywhere, as well as explosions in the kitchen. Eeek! But now that I have a huge fruit and veggie garden in the works, canning is something I want to do to preserve the many different crops we grow. I'd love to make some yummy preserves, jams, and of course, pickles! Plus, canning has tons of health benefits, since it takes fruits and veggies at the peak of freshness and preserves all of their nutrients. So when the awesome folks at Fagor America contacted me to see if I'd like to check out their new Pressure Canning Set, I decided to take the plunge. I was already curious, so this was the perfect opportunity to learn the process myself. (And hopefully not "blow anything up" in the process!) |
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I'm Brandy, a happily married, proud Mom of 3 amazing kids. If you're interested in building a working relationship, please feel free to e-mail me at: NewlyCrunchyMamaOf3@gmail.com Links We Love :Archives
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