It's Christmas Card Choosing Season!

I love sending Christmas cards, especially since we live away from our families. We were able to spend time with my extended family more than normal this year because we were in NY for the summer, but we still only saw most family members a couple of times. Most of AJ's family we haven't seen since 2008. We also have friends all over the country that we only get to see maybe once a year. For this reason, I really enjoy including a photo in our cards. I know our friends and family like receiving the pictures because I have seen them on their refrigerators and cork boards. And not just our picture....other people's Christmas photos are up there too (Don't worry I know I'm not that important!). This year I am combining the card with a photo and plan to use Shutterfly because they have so many pretty options! They even have some that are printed on premium card stock. Pretty and great quality? Yes, please!

I am currently trying to decide between these three cards:

Flourish Elegance Holiday Card

Royal Elegance Christmas Card

Elegant Cranberry Damask Christmas Card

I love all the damask options! Now I just need to decide if I want to go simple or choose a design that is a tad more ornate. Oh and take the perfect photo!

You can get 50 free Christmas cards too...just click here!

Disclaimer: I will be provided with 50 free holiday cards as a result of this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Homemade Bread!

A while back I posted that I was going to review a product from CSN stores. Well I am just now getting a chance to review my product! I decided to order the Oster 58-Minute ExpressBake Breadmaker, which came with a free Zwilling JA Henckels International Eversharp Pro Deluxe 8" Bread Knife. The breadmaker comes with an Oster manual/recipe book as well.

We've made bread twice since receiving the breadmaker. Both times the process was super easy and the bread was delicious. I used this Rosemary bread recipe for the ingredients and mixing instructions and left the rest to the breadmaker.

I added the ingredients to the bin:

And added the last cup of flour while it was mixing:

All mixed and kneaded:

3 hours later:

All done:

Using the knife:


We have only used the standard 3 hour bread cycle, but as the product name reveals, there is a setting to make bread in 58 minutes. Pretty convenient for a week night bread making session. My only complaint about the breadmaker is that it is kind of noisy when mixing and kneading. However, I have never used a breadmaker before and they all might be noisy during this part of the process.

Also of note, the breadmaker shipped right away and was at my door in 3 days. Not too shabby. The knife, however, was shipped separately, and didn't arrive until the first week of October. I'm not sure why there was such a delay, but I guess since the knife comes free with the breadmaker purchase, I shouldn't complain too much. Especially since it is such a great knife! We didn't have the knife the first time we made bread, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

If you are in the market for a breadmaker, I definitely recommend this one! Thanks, CSN!

Disclaimer: I was provided with one $40 gift certificate to use toward any product available through CSN sores so that I could review the product. The balance of the bill was paid by me. All opinions expressed are my own.

CSN Review in the Works

A few weeks ago I was asked to review a product from CSN Stores. I have been putting off the review because I wanted to wait until the kitchen renovation was finished before choosing a product. Well....the time is here!

CSN has over 200 internet stores and offers a wide selection of products. You can find big items, such as furniture and exercise equipment, as well as smaller items, like wine glasses and dutch ovens. I haven't decided what product I am going to review, but I know it will be something for the new kitchen!

Stay tuned!

G Natural and G2 Natural

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by a PR firm to see if I wanted to try two new Gatorade products, G Natural and G2 Natural. I love G2 and love free stuff, so of course I said yes!

Here is an excerpt from the press release:

For athletes who thirst for natural products, Gatorade® has harnessed its 45+ year competitive edge in sports performance to introduce G Natural™ and G2 Natural™. Made with natural flavors, colors and ingredients, G Natural and G2 Natural have the same performance and hydration benefits as original Gatorade Thirst Quencher and G2, with a great taste that athletes will love. The new, natural offerings are now available exclusively at select Whole Foods stores.

Like I said before, I am a big fan of G2, so obviously I drank the G2 Natural first. In general, I like G2 more than regular Gatorade because it is lighter and not at all syrupy. I have an aversion to drinks that leave my mouth feeling sticky and heavy (umm gross), and G2 does not do that. G2 Natural is also very light and did not taste any different than G2. Given that it is made with natural flavors, colors, and ingredients, I definitely recommend G2 Natural. G Natural also tasted the same as regular Gatorade. If you like Gatorade, you will like G Natural. Given that G2 Natural has 40 calories per bottle while G Natural has 100 calories, I am again more inclined to like G2 Natural more. Either way, the Natural products are a good choice for anyone looking to rehydrate and replenish their body while working out!

G Natural and G2 Natural are available exclusively at select Whole Foods stores. Visit www.gatorade.com to find the store nearest you. Suggested retail price for a 16.9-oz bottle is $1.49. (Via Press Release)

Disclaimer: I was sent free samples of these products. Click here for more information.

Great Finds!

I've come across some really great products recently and thought I would share the finds with all of you!

I follow a few of the "frugal blogs" (Money Saving Mom, Fantabulously Frugal, Frugal in Virgina) for the deals info and advice on different ways to save money. One of my favorite types of posts are the ones alerting everyone to free samples. The samples make great travel items and often introduce me to various products I normally would not buy.

Photo from Burt's Bees

A couple weeks ago I received a sample of Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Targeted Spot Treatment and I am OBSESSED. I was worried that my skin might break out after going off the pill, so when I saw this free sample I signed up right away. My skin isn't bad, but I definitely get a few ginormous pimples every now and then. The spot treatment is a liquid that you rub anywhere that you have a pimple and it literally works like magic in just a couple of days. The bottle says the active ingredient is salicylic acid, but the website lists a bunch of other inactive ingredients (in case you are interested). It retails for $10 on the website and I will definitely be ordering a bottle when my sample runs out!

Switching gears....

I recently ordered a tea set and a coffee set from Yedi Houseware via One Kings Lane (let me know if you want an invite!) and am very impressed with their products, so I wanted to share these finds with you too!

My mom's family draws names for Christmas because there are so many of us (I think there are 40 people?) and we can't buy gifts for everyone. This year we drew my 3 and a half year old cousin. While browsing One Kings Lane I stumbled upon the Yedi sale and knew that the Polka Dot Tea Set would be perfect for her. Here she is last May at my bridal tea:


Yes, she is squeezing her tea bag with her hand. Hehe.

The set is great quality, cute as can be, and comes in really nice packaging. I can't wait to see her open it on Christmas day. I remember I was her age when I received my first tea set and hope she enjoys hers as much as I enjoyed mine. When I was looking at the website just now I saw that the tea set was featured in Oprah at Home magazine!


I also ordered the Birch Coffee Set from One Kings Lane for AJ's parents. These colors fit perfectly with their style and I know they will get great use out of them. They are so hard to buy for and I thought this was a practical gift that will hopefully last a long time. This set was featured in Good Housekeeping magazine!


You can't really see the details in this picture (I love how the inside is a different color) so here is a photo from the Yedi website too.


Hopefully this was a useful post. I have a tendency to only call out companies or products that suck, so I wanted to spotlight a few things that have made me happy lately!

A. Tierney Ribbon Belts

If you haven't heard of A. Tierney, you must be living under a rock, neglecting the blogosphere, and/or are a guy. They have been featured in a bunch of magazines and are a favorite accessories source for many bloggers.

When I was contacted by A. Tierney about reviewing a product, I jumped at the opportunity because I have been reading such great things about their stuff. They sent me the Kimberly Blue Ribbon Belt to review and I knew right away that it is a great belt. Not only is the belt pretty, but it is definitely high quality. The belt is stiff, yet flexible and has sturdy rings. I have worn it a bunch of times since receiving it last week, and it still looks and feels like new. I often have to iron or steam grosgrain ribbon belts because they get so wrinkled, but I have not had to do that with this belt. Just another reason they are so great! Here is the description from the A. Tierney website:

Timelessly trendy, the A. Tierney grosgrain ribbon belt is a wardrobe staple and colorful accent for any age. These classic grosgrain ribbon belts are double sewn to maintain shape and accented with lustrous nickel D-rings.

I usually fluctuate between Small and Medium with belts depending on the manufacturer. When ordering this belt I went with a Medium to be on the safe side, and it fits perfectly.

The belts are currently on sale for $5, which is a total steal given the quality and the regular price ($36).

Also, A. Tierney is having a summer special on tote bags. If you are in the market for a new bag, you can snag one when you are buying your new belt!


Happy shopping!

MmMmm Treats!

Have you had Vitakraft Yogurt Drops?

No?

Me neither.

But, I really want to try them.

They smell and look like candy!!

It is taking all the willpower in the world to not eat them.

And that is because...they are dog treats.

But let me back up...

My Mom loves to spoil Kona. Whenever we go back to NY or she comes to visit us, we always end up with at least one grocery bag full of treats, toys, and food. That is why we have two shelves dedicated to Kona's stuff in our only storage closet. She buys the things I never would, either because they are too expensive or because they aren't good, old fashioned bones. At some point we acquired Vitakraft Yogurt Drops, which we opened this past weekend while we were giving Kona a much needed bath. They look and smell so delicious! If I ate one, would you still be my friend? Have you ever eaten something wacky?

I'm Seeing Green

I married into a family that is very environmentally friendly. I also watch Jon and Kate Plus 8.

Both of these things have slowly influenced me to take some short rides on the green bandwagon. Although I haven't completely transformed my life, I have picked up a few good habits in the past couple years. At first I was resistant to changing my ways, but it's really not that bad and there are definitely some perks.

For instance, today Alson and I went to the Dupont farmer's market. Alson's family prefers to support local farmers/businesses/etc. and I am sure they will be happy to hear that we are slowly integrating a little bit of their lifestyle into ours. At the market there was a huge selection of fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, and flowers. Obviously, everything is so fresh and usually organic, two pluses in my new green book. We came home with some string beans, corn on the cob, jalapeños, mozzarella, homemade oat & wheat pasta, ground bison, eggplant, and a bunch of zinnias (in our reusable bags). I plan on using the bison and jalapeños tonight for sloppy joes. According to wisegeek.com "Bison meat is very lean and has become popular in supermarkets. It contains far less calories and cholesterol than either beef or chicken. For example, bison meat contains 2.42 g. fat, 143 calories, and 82 mg. of cholesterol per 100 grams of cooked meat. By comparison, beef has 9.28 g. fat, 211 calories, and 86 g. cholesterol. Skinless chicken contains 7.41 grams of fat, 190 calories and 89 mg. of cholesterol". I have never had bison, but Alson really likes it so I have decided to give it a chance. I will report back on the taste after our dinner tonight.

We also recently bought some Clorox Green Works cleaning products.

We have the Natural All-Purpose Cleaner, Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner, and the Natural Bathroom Cleaner. They all contain plant-based ingredients, which (among other things) makes them smell so much better than traditional cleaning products. The Toilet Bowl Cleaner smells like limes, so it makes cleaning the bathroom a little bit more enjoyable. I used to have this Kaboom powder stuff that I would pour into the toilet bowl, and I would have to do this maneuver while pouring so that I didn't inhale any of the fumes. The first time I used it I did inhale, and I literally could not breath for 20 seconds and then had difficulty breathing for about 15 minutes. Ultimately, I like the Green Works products because they aren't slowly killing me as I clean. Here is a more complete review of the products from TreeHugger.

Any other simple, easy things I can incorporate into our life?

Oh What a Night!

Thank you to everyone for all the birthday and engagement anniversary wishes!

Last night was really great, it was nice to have a relaxing dinner at a new restaurant and a few drinks at our favorite neighborhood hangout.

I wore the beautiful dress Alson bought me.....and got pesto spread on it within the first 5 minutes of the bread being served. I was so upset! I never spill anything on myself and I was convinced the dress was ruined. However, the way we were situated in a corner of the restaurant prevented others from seeing it, so I tried to let it go and not worry about it during dinner. After dinner, we stopped back home to see if we could get the stain out. Enter Joseph A. Bank Silk and Clean.

Alson's mother bought him these "stain remover for silk" wipes, (that basically look like Shout Wipes) for Christmas, and he had one left! I literally followed the directions and the stain was gone in less than a minute, with the "magic solution" already evaporated and no trace of anything ever being on the dress. Like, not even a wet spot. UNBELIEVABLE! I will be buying more of these ASAP.

We then headed out for some cocktails. As all of the DC bloggers are aware, a severe thunderstorm (or four) passed through the area last night. Throughout the thunderstorms we were on the patio of Jack's (under an awning and away from the edge...which was the best seat for an awesome view of the storms and the poor people stuck on the street when there were sporadic torrential downpours). Now if you had asked me three or four years ago what I would be doing during a severe thunderstorm....I can tell you with certainty it would not involve being anywhere near windows, let alone outside. I have come a long way in four short years, summers in North Carolina have shaken the scaredy cat out of me. Granted, I won't be standing in the middle of the street holding an umbrella, but I can now appreciate the craziness of Mother Nature and enjoy the visual and auditory stimulation of a good thunderstorm. There were a few thunderous booms that had the whole restaurant jumping, but everyone stayed safe and continued to enjoy their evening.

All in all it was a fantastic birthday/anniversary. The thunderstorm was entertaining, we made (temporary) friends with some of the other patio dwellers, and I got many compliments on my dress. And our favorite waiter also gave us complimentary tiramisu and strawberries. Yum!

Virtual Train Mii

We had another crazy busy weekend, but we have finally made it back to DC. We attended Alson's college roommate's rehearsal dinner and wedding in Syracuse on Friday and Saturday...but more on that later this week.

I'm hear today to plug Wii Fit!

My parents bought it for me for my birthday and it is so awesome! I bought Alson a Wii for his birthday back in February, and the sports game definitely proved to be a good workout. Now we can continue to work on our health with Wii Fit, as it provides you with a virtual personal trainer, your stats (weight, BMI, etc.), and even allows you to make goals for weight loss or maintenance. You can do yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance exercises to work toward your goals.

Luckily my BMI is normal, but my muscles are apparently a little weak, so I plan to strengthen up!