Free Garden Plant Markers

It's almost time to plant (I can barely stand the anticipation!) and every kitchen garden needs adequate plant markers. Why? To help remember where you planted spinach versus lettuce, which seedlings are plants versus weeds, and just for aesthetic reasons.

You could make markers out of paper (or even stick the seed packets right in the ground) but they will get wet, muddy, and torn over time.

My kids came up with an idea to make plant markers for our garden using stones they gathered on a nature walk. I wrote the names (for legibility - lol) and they decorated them. We used sharpies. Will they last all summer? Who knows. If not, that's okay. They'll most likely last until we can tell what everything is and if they don't last, then they'll get to make them again next year.

They always enjoy making things, so it's kind of a win/win. Plus, there are no unnatural products to get broken or lost in the garden. The garden already contains a few rocks. And if we lose a rock, we know right were to find new ones.

Super Boom - Can you make money in the stock market again?

In 1976, Stock Trader’s Almanac Founder Yale Hirsch predicted a 15-year super boom—a move in the stock market of 500% or more. His forecast was amazingly accurate as the market rose and continued upward, eventually posting a gain of 1,447% on the Dow Jones Industrials from the 1982 low to just before the tech crash in 2000. History has a way of repeating itself, especially in the financial markets.

Now his son, Jeffrey Hirsch has predicted a similar rise in the stock market! He's predicting the Dow will climb to 38,820 by 2025! And he's sharing all of this information in Super Boom - Why the Dow will hit 38, 820 and how you can profit from it. 

Jeffrey has spent most of his adult life following the stock market and his insights are intriguing. I read this book, and re-read it (kids running around making random noises....grrr) until I think I understand what might be happening.

I have no idea what will happen in the stock market, but since this book was written in 2010, some of his predictions for 2011 have already panned out. It's worth reading and arming yourself with the information you need to profit (rather than lose!) in the stock market. 

I recommend checking it out. 

*I received a complimentary copy of Super Boom for review purposes. 

Graeter's Ice Cream - Oprah's favorite

I can count the times I've actually watched Oprah on one hand, but the few times I have watched, I've learned something......about food. Many years ago, I watched an episode where she discussed her favorite iced chocolate drink. It was excessively expensive, but surprisingly easy to make.

The restaurant even gave out the recipe on the show! It's become our go-to chocolate drink and it's awesome. So when I heard Oprah had a favorite ice cream, I listened.

Maybe you're thinking "ice cream is ice cream." Well, on so many levels you are wrong. Low fat ice cream does not compare to real ice cream. And it's full of other not-so great ingredients. Even the full fat ice creams available are mass produced with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, etc. I have found only one brand sold in all stores that fits the bill of a "good" ice cream.

Is Graeter's in a grocery store near you?  Visit http://graeters.com/locations.aspx to find out. If you live near Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, or Louisville/Indiana, you can have it delivered. You can even have it shipped. That may have been weird a few years ago, but I find myself buying all sorts of great natural/organic/homespun foods online these days.

So what makes Graeter's special?

Two answers: real ingredients and the French pot process. Graeter's uses the French pot process to produce just 2 gallons of creamy ice cream at a time. Just like you would at home (if you were an expert ice cream maker!)

Here's what they have to say about their ingredients:


We use ONLY the highest quality ingredients in our ice cream:
• Fresh cream from farms that pledge not to use
  artificial growth hormones (rBST).
• Sweetened with 100% cane sugar.
• No hydrogenated oils, therefore no trans fats.
• Peter’s Chocolate–the inventor of milk chocolate.
• Premium, hand-selected Oregon black raspberries & strawberries.
• 100% Arabica coffee beans.
• Madagascar vanilla beans.
• Oreo® cookie chunks and Heath® toffee.


I had the opportunity to try 6 different varieties of Graeter's ice cream, but there are way more than 6 flavors available. Personally, I don't know why they bother making anything but chocolate or vanilla, but my kids LOVED the strawberry (and I love that it actually contained strawberries!) and mint chocolate chip. 


On that note, the ice cream was really good. We all enjoyed it. It tasted creamy and delicious. My only complaint....I wasn't a huge fan of the chocolate chunks in the ice cream. They tasted a little rubbery to me (as do most chocolate chunks in food products.) 


But the chocolaty essence of the chocolate ice cream was divine. And the vanilla was wonderful. If you want a really good ice cream, with real ingredients, made with attention to detail, you can read more about Graeter's here. 


*I received complimentary samples for review purposes. No compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

A Video Summarizing the Best Way to Eat to be Lean, Healthy (and Green...)

You want a strong, lean, healthy body right? Well.... 80% of your body composition comes from what you eat.

80%

I could talk ad nauseum about what you should or shouldn't eat, but this video summarizes it all quite succinctly. Take a look and then think about what you put in your mouth. (just ignore the lame music)

If you really want to get into the details - I still recommend reading The Ominivore's Dilemma. It's a must read and a life changer. Check it out at your local library (but prepared for a super long waiting list...) or pick it up at Amazon for under $10.

If you don't mind an exhaustive biochemical tome - then check out Good Calories Bad Calories. I was fascinated with this book (but then again I was a biochemistry major and love nutrition research). His other book (Why We Get Fat is more user friendly.) And Yes, I have read all of the above mentioned books (and then some!)

THIS is what we're training for!

In just a few short weeks, my family and I will be running for our life through mud, barbed wire, and fire. Awesome! This is what I'm working toward in the gym. Take a look at the quick video above to get a glimpse of what we'll be doing - I hope to look as strong as the lady crawling under the barbed wire toward the end....like a warrior!

2011 Garden - Phase One

The snow is finally melted (and gone for good?) so we're getting our garden ready to go. This year we are expanding our garden and revamping how it acts, looks, and functions!

This is what my garden looked like last year:

Gotta love the green! 

Here's what it looks like today:

Oh! The Death.....

We are building four 3x12 raised beds to hold our garden contents safe down the sloping hills of our yard. I transfered my blueberries into the top box (the one finished in the photo) and am hoping we can finish the other 3 boxes soon.

The top left box will be dedicated entirely to blueberries, herbs, and my daughters flowers. The bottom left box will hold all my red raspberries. I'm still dreaming of a good place for golden raspberries to grow, but haven't found it yet.

The other two boxes will be a few feet to right of the current garden - with ample walking space between all the boxes and a fence encircling the whole shebang. They will hold all of my tomatoes, peas, spinach, cucumbers, etc.

Like any good "re-user" we didn't throw away our old garden boards. We used them to make our children a bridge in the forest.

To get an idea of how deep in the forest this bridge is, check out the view from a few feet back:

I can't take a picture from the top because you can no longer see them. In fact, they are frequently lost and found at the bridge. They love it out there!

The other boards we pull out will be used as erosion control in the forest.  I am so desperately awaiting planting time..... I can't wait for our berries to look like they did last year!

Remember these:

Here's hoping for garden success this year!!

ProFlowers Mother's Day Giveaway

When I think Mother's day, I think berries.....and flowers! What a fun surprise it was to open up our door and find All the Frills with 6 dipped strawberries!

I mean, what could be better than getting a beautiful bouquet of flowers and chocolate strawberries! It's possible guys....this could be the best Mother's day for a woman in your life! Really! Pink Roses. Strawberries. 

Of course you could also shop around and find her favorite type of flowers. And right now is the time to do it. If you head to the ProFlowers Coupons Page, you'll find coupon codes that could save you 20% off, get you a Free vase with your bouquet, Free weekday delivery, and more. 

But it gets better. ProFlowers would like to share the holiday cheer with a Suburban Jungle reader. They will be giving one reader a $50 Gift code to use at ProFlowers.com.

To Enter: Visit the Mother's Day Flowers section and tell me what you'd buy with your $50 Gift Code. 

Want Extra Chances to Win? 

Take 5 Extra Entries if you blog about this contest (leave your link and 5 extra comments)

Take 3 Extra Entries if you share a link to this contest on facebook (leave your link + 3 comments)

Take 2 Extra Entries if you Like ProFlowers on Facebook (becoming a fan saves you 20% on your order too!)

Take 2 Extra Entries if you tweet about this giveaway (include @suburbanjung in your tweet, 1 extra for daily tweets) Feel free to grab the following and tweet to your followers:

{Please RT: #Win a $50 Gift Card to buy Flowers for Mother's day http://tinyurl.com/4j6p3vk #giveaway @suburbanjung }

Take 1 Extra Entry if you follow this blog on Google Friend Connect

Take 1 Extra Entry if you follow @suburbanjung on twitter

**This contest will end on April 28, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents. No compensation was received for this review/giveaway and all products were supplied by ProFlowers.

Use MyTrak to get YOUR HEALTH ON TRACK!

Have you ever watched a weight loss show like The Biggest Loser and heard the contestants talk about "getting their burn" for the day? I have, and I've always wondered how they were calculating their calorie expenditure.

When I run on the treadmill, it tells me I've burned 600-700 calories. I know that's bogus and that my machine is calibrated for a much heavier person, but how much do I really burn? I had no clue. Not until I tried the MyTrak m2. 

Like any device, there are pros and cons to the MyTrak. I'll get to those in a moment, but first, let me tell you my story and what I thought of wearing the m2. 

Like most people, I consider myself an active person. Yep, super active. I was wrong. Just like I thought I was eating a reasonable amount until I actually counted calories, I was not nearly as active as I thought.

In fact, I was downright sedentary. All my running around washing dishes, folding laundry, and on and on, only accounted to 10-25 minutes of actual activity. That's it! It was a wake up call I needed to hear! 

What's more....because I only weigh 110 pounds, I was only burning around 200 calories a day in activity. In order to be considered moderately active, you need to burn about 500 calories a day in activity.

This was a major psychological blow! I thought I was eating responsibly. I thought I was moving enough. Both were wrong. 

How many of you have ever heard someone say, "But I'm active and I eat like a bird....but I just can't seem to lose any weight."? I think we all over estimate our activity an underestimate our eating. Even me. 

The best part about the MyTrak is being able to see all of my results in a chart on my computer. I can see how I've done and see my goal (to be moderately active!). You can set your own goals. To lose weight or to improve your fitness. I chose to improve my fitness and am working toward getting up off the couch and being more active in my day-to-day life.

It's easy to wear (clip to your belt line) and super easy to upload each night. You can upload less frequently, but I want to see my results.

How does it work? 

The MyTrak Health System measures your activity and using your stats (height/weight/age, etc) it calculates how many calories you have burned and how intensely you moved. It connects to your computer through a USB port and uploads your data onto your computer and online. When you buy MyTrak, you also have a year's worth of free online coaching, community, and support.

While you move around during the day, the ring on your MyTrak changes colors. No worries, it's not glowing all day long for the world to see. When you press the button, it will light up. It starts out red (no activity) and you "go for the green" for the rest of the day. When you've reached your daily goal (easily set on your computer and monitored/updated by the MyTrak devide) it turns all green. 

You can see it slowly turning green throughout the day. In fact, if my MyTrak wasn't green by the afternoon, I'd get worried and start picking up the pace. I wanted it to turn green! You would too! 

The only downside....it can't tell the additional calories I burn from the things I lift, the food I eat, or the energy I burn for heat or other metabolic differences that may make my burn different from someone else's. You can buy a heart monitor to attach to the MyTrak to make it do all those things, and that's probably the best and most accurate plan. 

But for me, I'm just happy to learn what I've learned. I'm happy to use the MyTrak to push myself to be more active.

I plan to keep wearing my MyTrak until I routinely make it into the "moderately active" category. Once it becomes habit, I'll stop wearing it. But until that time, I'm learning a lot about myself and receiving the non-judgmental nudge I need to get out there and get moving.

**I received a MyTrak M2 for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own. No compensation was received.

Cascade Ice - Low calorie water alternative

My family loves flavored drinks. So far, my kids only drink 100% juice every so often, and no soda. But my husband loves flavored waters. Have you ever read the ingredient lists on popular flavored waters? I have and it's scary!!!! 

We recently had the chance to review Cascade Ice. What is Cascade Ice? Sparkling Water with juice. And with less than 2 calories per serving, it's a much better choice than sodas. 

My thoughts? I was surprised that it was fizzy. Yes, it says Sparking Water with juice, but I was still surprised. My husband liked them and I thought they were okay. I don't like carbonated beverages but the flavor was good. 

Bottom line - low calories, no sugar, great soda alternative. Check out this link to find out which stores carry it in your area. 

*No compensation was received for this review. We did receive free products for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

Twist Water - a healthier alternative to sodas

If you are looking for a healthier alternative to most bottled drinks on the market, I would highly recommend Twist. Not only is it only 9 calories per serving (contrast that to juice or soda!) but it's made with organic ingredients. 

What are the ingredients? Mostly water, organic agave nectar, and whatever juice is offering the twist of flavor. Each flavor (Mandarin White Tea, West Indies Lime, Mango Acai, Wild Strawberry, Lemon, and Pomegranate blueberry) is a bit different. 

They do not contain artificial flavors, ingredients or preservatives.

How did they taste? Great! They were extremely flavorful. My daughter that she was drinking straight juice and my son asked if it was "okay to drink" since he knows how I feel about artificial drinks. I would feel okay with my family drinking Twist. Especially compared to juice, soda, sports drinks, and juice "drinks."

You can find Twist at few select retailers or on Amazon.

*I received samples for review purposes. No compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own. 

Cute things that kittens do....

Take a look at some cute cat moments:

Here she is trying to fight with the leaves as they sway in the wind.

She used to jump on my son's backpack every day just seconds before he needs to be out the door.

Today, I'm reminiscing about how cute kittens can be because I'm currently angry at my cat. The scratching. The meowing. The dissidence.  So soft and furry, but yet so unlovable. Phew! I needed to get that off my chest. 

Now I'll go back to cleaning up her fluff piles and she can go back to ignoring me.....

Freschetta By the Slice - Giveaway!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you seen the new FRESCHETTA® By the Slice in your grocery store? I found it at Target and my first thought  was- "you've got to be kidding me! Who would buy just one slice of pizza?"
Then I remembered that a whole lot of people actually go to work every day and 1 piece of pizza is a reasonable (and easy!) lunch. At my Target, the Freschetta By the Slice was priced at $1.99. Not bad for a lunch. And not bad considering what a slice of pizza costs at a restaurant.
Not to mention the time you'd save not waiting in line for your lunch (that's time you could take a walk or get in a quick workout.)
So I got over my snobbish first impressions and bought the tasty Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom pizza. And it was tasty. It had a creamy white sauce, just the right amount of toppings, and a chewy crust.
I liked it, but it probably wouldn't be enough lunch for someone like me. That's where a salad comes in. Freschetta sent me a 6 piece storage set that would be perfect for bringing a salad or dessert along for your on-the-go lunch.
How would you like the chance to try Freschetta By the Slice pizza? One Suburban Jungle reader will win a coupon for a FREE box of Freschetta By the Slice and a 6 piece Freschetta storage set.
To Enter: Leave a comment telling me which flavor you'd most like to try. Freschetta By the Slice pizza comes in the following varieties: BBQ Recipe Chicken, Vegetable Medley, Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom, and Six Cheese Medley.
**This contest ends May 5, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST

I want to try Spaghettios!

Last week, my son asked me if he could try Spaghettios. What?? I asked him where he had ever even heard of spaghettios, and it turns out a friend at school eats them every day for lunch.

I thought about it and I decided he should be able to try them.

Today was the day!

He wanted to try them for breakfast. Fine by me. I heated them up and gave him a fork. What happened next was actually pretty rewarding.

This is what I heard:

"Why does this look like soup?"
"It smells kind of weird"
"Yuck. This doesn't taste like spaghetti at all"
"Well, at least there are meatballs"
"I don't like this"
"Can I stop eating it?"
"Is it okay if I throw this away?"
"I don't want to ever eat this again!"

I tried not to taint his judgement. I gave it to him and left the room. He already knows how I feel about "food in a can" or "food in a box."  Some of the time, I laughed to myself. But through most of it I felt kind of bad. Bad that he was eating it at all. Bad that this is what other people think is "real food" or "fun" food.

But at least now he has some understanding of why I make him real food for lunch. Why there are no packages or "treats." He already knew the "Not good for you" message but now he's got the "tastes like crap" message as well.

Baby Name Website - check out your favorite names.

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift!

It's almost Mother's day, and let's just be honest. Having Chocolate Covered Strawberries Delivered is the best gift EVER!


My family knows that if they want to make me happy, all they need is berries. And berries with chocolate are even better. I had the chance to peruse the fine selection of berries at Shari's Berries and was sent a Plush Easter Bunny & 12 Swizzled Berries for review. 


Like a typical mom, I thought the bunny would be great to slip into one of my kids' Easter baskets and of course I shared the berries. 


They were wonderful! I love that these berries came swizzled so beautifully with chocolate. The best (by far) were the dark chocolate covered berries, but my family loved the variety. 


If you're at all leery of ordering berries online, don't be. These berries arrived fresh, well packed, and chilled. They were covered in chocolate all the way to the top and were delicious. It's hard to go wrong with good chocolate and fresh, ripe berries and Shari's Berries provided red, ripe berries and yummy, yummy chocolate.


Check them out for yourself. You can even find them on Facebook.


*I received the product mentioned above for review purposes. No compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

H.O.M.E.Foundation Dream Home Raffle Ticket Giveaway - You could win a $1,000,000 home, trip to Italy, luxury car or another great prize!

The H.O.M.E. Foundation  recently launched a dream home charity raffle benefiting great non-profits such as Junior Achievement of Southern California. They are raffling a dream home and giving $1 million to charities.  

You can purchase a raffle ticket for $100 from November 30, 2010 until the Grand Prize drawing on September 4, 2011. This year - the grand prize is a brand new Spanish Style Home, fully furnished and in Los Angeles.  The home is worth $1,000,000! But's that not all you can win. Take a look at these prize options!

Your ticket sales benefit charities, but you also have a chance to win here! The H.O.M.E. Foundation is generously offering one Suburban Jungle reader the chance to win a FREE raffle ticket! 

To Enter to win: Fill out the entry form below. You must be 18 or older to enter and be a US resident. 

Want an Extra Entry? 
Comment on a non-giveaway post on this blog for 2 Extra Entries

Follow @suburbanjung on twitter for 1 extra entry (click the box in the entry form)

Follow this blog on google Friend connect for 1 extra entry
Follow The H.O.M.E. Foundation on twitter for 1 Extra Entries 
Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter (or both) for 2 Extra Entries each
Post this giveaway on your blog or post it on a giveaway linky for 5 Extra Entries.
**For Extra Entries - Just click the boxes, I will add up the Extra Entries when the winner is drawn**




*No compensation was given for this giveaway. All prizes will come directly from The H.O.M.E Foundation. This giveaway will end on April 29, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST and is open to US residents 18 years and older. The winner will be contacted via email. Be sure your email address is entered in the entry form.

Crest Pro-Health Invigorating Clean Multi-Protection Rinse Test Drive Results

It's been a few weeks since I first started using Crest Pro-Health Invigorating Clean Multi-Protection Rinse during the Test Drive Program.

Initially, I found it difficult to remember to use the mouth rinse. I'd find myself running back into the bathroom to be sure and use it. Eventually, it became routine. I used it while I brushed my hair in the morning and when I while I washed my face at night. That way, it didn't take any extra time. It was easier to remember this way too.

At first, I wasn't a huge fan of the taste. It tasted a lot like medicine to me, but it really did it's job. My mouth felt clean and fresh for hours after use. And in the morning, my mouth wasn't quite as yucky.

I haven't noticed any other changes; just fresher breath. But believe me, that is it's own good reason!

 I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Crest and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Cheerios - Spoonfuls of Stories Giveaway

Have you ever dreamed of writing a children's book? I know I have. If you're like me, then it may be time to get to it! Right now, Cheerios^® cereal is holding their New Author Contest - with a grand prize of $5,000 in cash and a possible publishing deal with Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. And your book could be featured inside Cheerios cereal boxes nationwide.


Ready to make your dream a reality? From March 22 through July 15, 2011 - visit www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com.


To help you get started General Mills and MyBlogSpark are offering one Suburban Jungle reader the chance to win a Spoonfuls of Stories Prize pack.

You'll receive a box of Cheerios and a "create your own" book kit for kids that contains two hard cover books and all the necessary materials to creatively fill the pages inside. 

To Enter: Leave me a comment sharing what type of story you'd most like to write. 

Extra Entries: 

-5- Extra Entries for blogging about this contest (leave your link and 5 comments)

-2- Extra Entries for tweeting about this contest (include @suburbanjung in your tweet, 1 extra for daily tweets)

-2- Extra Entries for following on Google Friend Connect

-2- Extra Entries for following @suburbanjung on twitter

**General Mills provided me with the free product, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark. This contest will end on April 22, 2011 at 9:00 PM. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents. 

Manhattan Toy - Boysterous Extreme Sports Action Figures Giveaway

Boys love imaginative play just as much as girls do...but most of their toys are limited to violent action figures or building toys. Not that those are bad...my son loves them. But what about sports action figures?

Manhattan Toy has created a line of boys Extreme Sports Action Figures called Boysterous! When I first saw them, I thought they were cute but I was surprised how much my son actually liked them! He adored them!

He carried them around, made the "guys" play sports together, and zipped them up in their case to put away at night (arguably, the best part...from a mom's perspective.)

See what I mean? There are 4 different action figures. Check them out - There's Slope Shreddin Sean:

Slap Shot Sam

Touch Down Dillon

Goalie Gavin

and Half Pipe Pete

The action figures are great. Their accessories (snowboard, football, soccer ball, etc) magnet to their feet. To a young boy, magnets are awesome! So my son loved this aspect. All of their body parts bend (again awesome!) and they come in cool kid-appropriate clothing. And they are soft and approachable - like a stuffed animal almost. 

But hands down, the best part is having the matching Extreme Sports ZipBin. It's reversible, so the boys can play on two different playing fields and it zips up for storage. 

How would you like a chance to play with an action figure from the Boysterous line? Lucky you - Manhattan Toy is generously offering one Suburban Jungle reader a Boysterous action figure! 

To Enter for a Chance to Win: Visit Manhattan Toy and leave a comment on this post telling me another toy you liked. 

Extra Entries:

5 Extra Entries for blogging about this contest (leave your link and 5 comments)

3 Extra Entries for tweeting about this contest (include @suburbanjung and a link to this page in your tweet)

2 Extra Entries for sharing this contest on Facebook (leave your link in the comments)

2 Extra Entries for liking Manhattan Toy on Facebook

2 Extra Entries for Following Manhattan Toy on Twitter

1 Extra Entry for following @suburbanjung on twitter or this blog on google friend connect (1 each)

1 Extra Entry for commenting on which action figure you'd most like to win and who you'd give it to.

*This giveaway will end on April 22, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. No compensation was received for this review/giveaway. All products were supplied by Manhattan Toy and all opinions expressed are my own.

Pulling Your Own Weight

How strong is strong enough? This is a question I've asked myself since starting my fitness routine 7 months ago. I want to get stronger at each workout, but how do you know when you're done... you've made it?

Judging by what I've seen, I decided that I needed to at least be able to pull my own weight. What does that mean? Respectable sets of real push ups, pull ups, squats, sprints....

Just two years ago, I couldn't do a single real push up. And many of my friends that have worked out at gyms and with personal trainers for years still can't do a single push up. To me, that's insane. If you're going to workout, then really workout and make some progress!

Well I've been able to do pushups for sometime now and can bust out a seemingly endless number of reps/sets and have graduated to weighted pushups. Yay!

But I've been behind on pull ups. To be fair, most women cannot perform a single pull up. Even my bodybuilding friends have trouble with it. I have a friend (same size as me) that squats over 450 lbs and can clean over 180 lbs, but she can't do a single pull up.

I have another friend, an all around athlete that body builds (and has been for years) and she can perform 1-2 pull ups.

Well......I'm happy to report that you can now include me among the ranks of women that can actually perform pull ups. Or at least one pull up.

While at the park with my kids, I jumped up on the monkey bars and did a real (no kicking!!!)  pull up. I tried for a second rep and made it 3/4 of the way up. So I rested for a few seconds and went again. I did this 8 times.

So, I effectively did 8 sets of 1 rep. I tried twice more but my muscles were shot. I know 1 rep isn't fantastic, but it's huge progress. I was thrilled and could have ran for miles off the excitement. The goal - to be able to do a set of 8 reps....then to be able to add weight (most likely a backpack full of weight) and complete a full set.

I'm getting stronger and it rocks! Walking Handstand.......Here I Come!

Kidzmet - helping kids discover the right teachers

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kidzmet for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We all want the best learning experiences for our children. But none of us can deny how frustrating this process actually is. Every child is unique, but the school system is not set up for individuality. In some cases it's not even set up to benefit most children (lack of recess anyone?)

We are currently struggling to determine whether to switch schools, which enrichment activities to add, and how to find the best teachers for each activity. 

That's where Kidzmet may help.  Kidzmet is a site that helps kids discover who they're meant to be become by connecting teachers, tutors, and coaches with the students they were meant to teach. 

Take a second to check out the guided tour and see what that means. It means finding the right teachers to match your student. It's like having a close friend recommend a great piano teacher or swimming coach. Oh....and it's free for parents to join. 

Plus, during the month of April you'll have a chance to win a $400 enrichment scholarship. 

 

The prize can be used toward any summer enrichment you want (horse back riding, swimming lessons, family camping trip...) All you need to do is sign up and complete your pairing portrait by April 27, 2011. 

Read more about it here. 

How to Make Raw Almond Butter using a Blender (Vitamix)

If you love almond butter, then I'd highly recommend learning how to make it yourself. I buy raw almonds for about $3 a pound, so the savings aren't huge, but knowing what goes into my almond butter is priceless. 

What goes in? Nothing but almonds. You can certainly add salt, cocoa powder, sugar, honey, or whatever floats your boat - but the truth is - you don't have to! 

You can roast the almonds and have a rich nutty flavored almond butter or you can make it raw (which to me - tastes more like cookie dough mixed with peanut butter, yums.)

Here's the deal: you don't need to add oils or anything else. A Vitamix blender (or other similarly powerful blender) can handle it.  

Here's a video of me making raw almond butter. I used about 3 cups (measured by a 5 year old - so about 3 cups is fine). 

You will notice a lot of icky noises while I'm blending the almonds (and no talking - lol.) The machine will grunt and squeal until it starts to liquefy the butter.

Once it gets to that part, the machine will jerk and move and make more noise. You'll see me start to let it go when it gets to that point. Then I let it go a little longer so it's extra creamy.

The key to good almond butter is turning the blender up to it's maximum speed within seconds and not stopping until it's done. If you stop, you will overwhelm the motor and be left with almond meal. That's okay - use it in your pancakes  (as a flour replacement.) But next time, don't stop!

I taped myself making almond butter from beginning to end and it the whole deal took 5 minutes 38 seconds. I cut out about 3 and 1/2 minutes of scraping. Scraping the almond butter out of the canister is the worst part. It's exactly like scraping  peanut butter out of a blender, so you can imagine the annoyance.

This is how clean I scraped it.

Clearly, I cold have scraped more. But there's a point when you just have to let it go.

Here's what creamy, raw almond butter looks like:

The taste is A-W-E-S-O-M-E! I could (and do) eat almond butter every day. Store it in the refrigerator. I never have to stir my almond butter.

If you roast your almonds before blending, your almond butter will be darker. And it will smell like roasted almonds. Roasted almonds also blend easier and faster than raw almonds. Both options are yummy.

Best of luck making your own almond butter!

You can find this post and other great REAL food recipes at Kelly the Kitchen Kop and The Healthy Home Economist.

Ultimate You - A 4-Phase Total Body Makeover

If you've been reading about fitness for any length of time, you know that the general recommendations have changed. It's not just about eating less and moving more. It's about moving smarter and eating better.

Ultimate You - A 4-Phase Total Body Makeover is all about eating better and moving smarter. With a detailed plan on how to do it (exactly!)

I've read a lot of fitness books (5 or 6 in the last month!) and in my opinion this is a book that will help you get results. It's a synopsis of all the information that's out there (saving you from reading 4 or 5 heavily scientific books) and it's a detailed fitness and eating plan.

I personally agree 100% with the fitness recommendations, though I would skip phase 1-3 entirely and only focus on phase 4. I'm at a high fitness level and I'd be angry if I started at level 1, 2, or 3. The workouts are just too easy. But they are a good set up for gaining strength and endurance. If your'e new to fitness or haven't been active in a while, then start at phase 1.

I agree with almost all of the nutrition information (minus the sugar alternatives and supplements.) I even learned a few new things that have greatly improved my performance in the gym. One of those was foam rolling.

This book shows you how, tells you why, and is clear about when to add foam rolling and stretching. If you follow the advice and routines in this book, you will lose weight. But more importantly, you will be in much better health!

*I received a complimentary copy of Ultimate You for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

Growing at the Speed of Life

If the weather hasn't piqued your interest in gardening, maybe reading a few good gardening books might? I just finished reading Growing At The Speed of Life by Graham Kerr and would recommend it to anyone interested in gardening.

The book starts out sharing details of how the author and his wife began gardening. Graham Kerr states that he's "cooked just about everything that grows - but never grown a thing [he's] cooked." So he tells his story from chef to gardener. It's a fun and informative section, especially if you're a new gardener.

My favorite part of the book is the middle - all about plants and recipes. I love reading through advice, tips, and plant details. Each plant's section contains recipes specific to that plant. Gotta love it.

 Every time I got to an exciting one (lemon tree, artichoke, etc.) I'd get so jazzed, and then I'd read the growing zone... and remember why they are so exciting to me in the first place.

Growing zone 4 may have it's limitations, but at least we can grow berries. And lots of them.

This is a fun book. It's informative and the writing style is approachable. Mr. Kerr had plenty of successes and also failures. It's good to read both and learn from them.

If you're a new gardener, this book is good all around. If you're experienced, buy it for the camaraderie (everyone loves to swap garden stories), the plant tips, and the recipes.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinion expressed are my own.

The Joy of Hobby Farming

If you have spring fever like I do, then you'll probably enjoy "The Joy of Hobby Farming," by Michael and Aubrey Levatino. It's equal parts guide book, instruction manual, and gardening memoir. And it's full of great lessons and insights.

When I first starting reading the book, I remembered everything I love about gardening. And why I want a hobby farm in the first place! They cover every topic: selecting a farm, growing food and flowers, raising chickens and livestock, maintaining honeybees, growing mushrooms....all of it. They cover the good and the bad.

This book is extremely helpful. I tend to romanticize nature. I show pictures of all the tasty blueberries I picked, come up with tasty tomato recipes, and give away endless herbs. What you don't see is the hours spent digging in the hot sun, the time our compost bin rolled over my leg and one if it's rusty bolts deeply cut my leg from below my knee all the way up my thigh, or the time bunnies ate my blueberry bushes down to little nubs.

I hate the nubbing. The Joy of Hobby Farming shares both the good and the bad. You can learn from their mistakes and also remember that it's not all berries and sunshine. Animals get sick. Plants die. Your hard earned produce can/will/might be hijacked.

If you would love to own a hobby farm, I'd highly recommend this book. They offer suggestions on how to build, maintain, and profit from your farm in an environmentally friendly and ethical way. Their farm stories are enlightening and fun. Their advice is sound and useful.

It's renewed my need to expand our garden and look at expanding our land so that we can someday have the hobby farm of our dreams too.

*I received a complimentary copy of The Joy of Hobby Farming for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach Review

When I hear the word bleach, I immediately think toxin. I prefer to use safer ingredients in our home, and recently had the opportunity to review Tropical Tradition's Oxygen Bleach.

What is it? It's an all purpose cleaner made from sodium percarbonate. In most applications, it's a more environmentally friendly bleach alternative.

Here's where I used it - I used it as a toilet cleaner. I used 1/2 a scoop per toilet and then scrubbed it as usual. No smells, no mess. It worked great.

I used it to clean up cat vomit (thank you Reya!) by mixing a bit with water and scrubbing it into the carpet. It's tough to get the smell of vomit to leave, so I was glad to have another product in my arsenal.

I also used it when I washed towels and sheets. I added 1/2 a scoop to the washing machine and washed them as usual.

I've been happy with the results, the lack of offensive smell, and the convenient application.

Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.