Are Tieks Worth the Price?

If you follow me on Instagram (hint, hint) you have probably noticed a few photos of
my feet from time to time.  That's because I'm so in love with my pretty fuchsia and lilac
Tieks ballet flats that I just can't resist!



Never before have I loved a pair of shoes so much! Not only are Tieks cute and stylish,
but they are THE most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever owned!  Tieks are made of
fine Italians leathers, are hand stitched and have non-skid split leather soles providing
comfort and support.

John Boos Cutting Board

Did you happen to catch my Holiday Gift Guide I posted right after Thanksgiving?

Well if you're still looking for a gift or two for someone special you should definitely

check it out! 

The Food Dare {A Book Review}

For the past year I have been on a quest to eat as healthy and clean as I can
80% of the time.  Do I eat cupcakes?  Of course.  But for the most part
when I crave something sweet I have a small piece of dark chocolate or a
granola truffle.  It's all about balance!

I recently read the book The Food Dare by Lindsey Banks.
Basically in The Food Dare, Lindsey dares you to live a healthier life and
suggests to you to one thing you can do every day to get there.
I like this approach.
Baby steps.

The Food Dare is not a diet.  It's about enhancing your diet with healthy,
whole foods one day at a time.  It's about making small changes daily so that you can
maintain a healthy lifestyle for the long run.

Peach Pie Smoothie

I have been a fan of healthy smoothies for quite a while now, but since discovering
Kura Protein Smoothie Powder I have been making them almost daily.

I have never been a huge fan of protein powders, I find most of them to taste chalky or just
weird, so most of the time I make my smoothies with fruit, yogurt and greens.
Kura has changed my mind about protein powder!
Kura uses high quality protein straight from the farms of New Zealand.  Each serving
provides 14 grams of New Zealand grass-fed, GMO Free dairy protein.  Kura also contains
26 vitamins and minerals and 4 billion probiotics and has no artificial sweeteners, flavors
or colors.  There is no added sugar and best of all - it tastes great!

PB Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins and Hamilton Beach #FlexBrew

How did Monday morning get here already?  Weekends should last 3 days at least!
A day for cleaning and yard work, a day just for fun and
a day to lay around and do nothing but read or watch movies.

My 3-Day Juice Cleanse

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you probably know that I recently did a
juice cleanse.  I had been thinking about doing one for over a year now and finally got
up the nerve to go for it this month.  I felt my body needed a break from my Diet Coke
addiction and all of the heavy foods I consumed over the holidays.
I needed to feel like I was doing something good for my body.
I needed a reset.
Do you know what I mean?

There are several brands of juice available for cleansing, but after taste testing a few
Garden of Flavor juices at Whole Foods, I chose them for my 3-Day Cleanse.
I wanted the juice for my juice cleanse to be made from all organic fruits and vegetables.
Juicing with non-organic juice just didn't make sense to me.
Why would I want to cleanse my body with juice made with fruit and vegetables
sprayed with pesticides!

The juice arrived on Wednesday afternoon.

Applegate HALF TIME™ Review and Giveaway

I'm a big fan of Stonyfield, Applegate and Annie's, so when I was asked if I would like to
review a new lunch kit combining products from all three I said YES please!

Applegate natural and organic meats has teamed up with Stonyfield and Annie’s to create the first ever natural and organic lunch kit – HALF TIME™.

HALF TIME™ includes Stonyfield YoKids Squeezers, Annie’s Butter Rich crackers and snacks along with Applegate meats and cheeses. They come in 3 varieties – Turkey & Cheese, Ham & Cheese and Bologna & Cheese.

Applegate HALF TIME™  is a lunch on the go kit that you can feel good about giving to your family.

Eppa SupraFruta Sangria Review

I've got something new and delicious to share with you all today.
Eppa SupraFruta Sangria!
Have you tried it?

I was recently given the opportunity to try Eppa SupraFruta Sangria and since it's no
fun to drink alone, I decided to invite my besties over for a little sangria party.

All You Magazine at Dollar General Store

“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and All You, but all my opinions are my own. #lifeforless #pmedia http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO


I think I may have mentioned this to you all this before....I am a magazine and cookbook fanatic!
I love the feel of a brand new magazine and the excitement of all the great ideas, tips and recipes that await me inside those glossy pages. 
Nothing is more relaxing to me than sitting on the deck with a Diet Coke and a new magazine :)

All You has been one of my faves for quite a while. 
All You is packed full of decorating ideas, beauty, fashion and exercise tips, craft challanges, cleaning tips, recipes galore and coupons!
If you are a coupon clipper, then All You is the magazine for you!
My latest issue had more than 15 coupons inside!
Now granted, I won't use all of those products, but I will definitely get back the $3 I paid for the magazine plus some. Woo hoo!

Now you may be asking "Where can I find this fabulous magazine?".
You can now find All You at Dollar General Store!
Check out All You here http://www.allyou.com/value.

Here is the July issue.

I was so excited to see cupcakes on the cover!! 

 

Nothing says summer like fresh strawberries, so I was all over making this cover recipe.
Instant Strawberry Shortcake - yes please!

I decided to garnish my cupcakes with fresh mint.

My little container garden is doing quite well :)

This recipe was super easy, especially using a box cake mix!

I'll even share the recipe with you :)

 

 

Instant Strawberry Shortcake 

 

Mix up a batch of your favorite yellow cupcakes or try this recipe.

Cut cooled cupcakes in half crosswise.

Top with 1 Tbsp. strawberry jam and 1 or 2 Tbsp. whipped cream.

Repeat layers.

Garnish with fresh strawberries and serve right away.

 

What are you waiting for?!? 

Run out to your Dollar General Store and get your copy of All You!

Coupons, recipes, informative articles, puzzles and tips galore are at your finger tips! 

Happy Reading :)

 

Cascade Platinum Pacs #MyPlatinum

“I participated in this campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

When I bake I tend to use ALOT of bowls, spatulas, measuring cups, etc.
My dishwasher definitely gets a workout!
The thing that gets me is that I always need to rinse my dishes before I put them in the dishwasher to make sure they come out clean. 
Not cool. 
Who has time for that!

So when Cascade Platinum offered me the chance to try their new Platinum Pacs
I was all over it.
Don't the Platinum Pacs look cool!



















I decided to put Cascade to the test.
This is my morning green monster smoothie glass. 
I even let it sit all day before putting it in the dishwasher.

 

This is my smoothie glass after using Cascade Platinum - wow!

Sparkly clean!

I'm sold!

 

Now, more than ever, people eat with their eyes, and the evidence is all over sites like Facebook and Instagram. With that in mind, Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine magazine, Gail Simmons, has partnered with Cascade to discuss why presentation is just as important as preparation.

Learn more about Cascade's partnership with Gail Simmons by viewing videos available on the link to the Cascade Facebook page and Cascade's YouTube page.

 

How would you like to win a $10,000 Kitchenaid Kitchen Makeover?
The Cascade “My Platinum” contest is a four week Instagram contest that encourages all of us food lovers to upload photos related to the weekly contest themes. Show off how sparkly Cascade makes all your pots, pan and plates!
Each week you will have a 6-day entry period where you can enter the contest with your #MyPlatinum Photo. Cascade will choose two weekly winners and one final grand prize winner after the entry period has ended. Be sure to include both the #MyPlatinum hashtag and tag @MyCascade in your entries to the contest! If you are not on Instagram yet, you will have to sign up before entering the contest.  There are almost two weeks left, so go take those photos!

Weekly Contest Themes

• Week 1: My Platinum Plate (Entry Period: 6/3-6/9): Show us your best dish styled from the sparkling plate up!

• Week 2: My Platinum Bite (Entry Period: 6/10-6/16): Show us your best bite and most creative use of sparkling silverware!

• Week 3: My Platinum Clink (Entry: 6/17-6/23): Show us how you serve up creative concoctions in sparkling glasses. Cheers!

• Week 4: My Platinum Table (Entry Period: 6/24-6/30): Show us your sparkling tablescape for your most special celebrations!

• Grand Prize Winner (Entry: 6/3-6/30)

Instagram your favorite foods or super clean dishes and maybe you can win!

To learn more about Cascade Platimum be sure to visit their website and Facebook page.

Aunt Jemima: Lil' Griddles

I've never been one of those people that skip breakfast.  I need that morning fuel to get me moving!
I know how important that morning meal is for my daughter too, that's why I have always made sure she's had a healthy breakfast over the years. 

She's a teenager now and still loves pancakes, french toast or scrambled eggs before she goes to class.

On crazy mornings, when I'm short on time,  I let Aunt Jemima do the cooking.
With Aunt Jemima every batch is made from scratch with real eggs, milk and butter.

Aunt Jemima frozen breakfast takes great pride in making frozen pancakes, waffles and French toast just like moms across America make breakfast in their own kitchens -- their griddles are just a little bit bigger :)


















With new Lil’ Griddles from Aunt Jemima frozen breakfast, families now have big breakfast taste, bite-sized.
They're ready in just 50-55 seconds in the microwave or 3-5 minutes in the oven.
I prefer the oven method.
Aren't they cute!

The new Aunt Jemima frozen breakfast Lil’ Griddles line has three delicious bite-sized options for family fun; new Aunt Jemima frozen Blueberry Mini pancakes, Aunt Jemima frozen Mini pancakes, and Aunt Jemima frozen Cinnamon French Toast Sticks.  They are available in frozen food isle of your grocery store. 
I found them locally at Food Lion and Martin's.

Want to give them a try for your family?  Click here to request a coupon.

My teenager can be picky, so I was a little worried trying something new.

Guess they passed the picky eater taste test. 
This is how I found the plate when she was done.
Way to go Aunt Jemima!


















Thank you to Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Firmoo Prescription Sunglasses Review

I spend a lot of time by our pool during the summer.
Hot summer days filled with family, friends and books are my fave!

This past summer my girlfriends listened to me complain ALOT that I couldn't see to read by the pool anymore. Either that or they witnessed me wearing reading glasses with my sunglasses over top of them.
It was not a pretty sight :)

So when Firmoo, an on-line prescription eyeglass company, contacted me a few weeks ago about trying out their prescription glasses and sunglasses I was all over it!

Firmoo is the most popular on-line eyeglasses store.  Vision and fashion the frugal way is the ultimate goal of Firmoo.  They are commited to providing customers with high quality and fashionable eyewear at affordable prices.

Firmoo offers free eyewear to first time buyers in order to give customers the opportunity to try their eyeglasses and service.  All you have to pay is the shipping - what a great deal! 

My sunglasses arrived in this pretty pink case.
It also contained a cleaning cloth, black cloth carrying case and an eyeglass repair kit.

I love the shape of the lenses. 

The frame color was not my first choice, but black was on back order so I decided to give the green a try.

I'm just happy to be able to sit outside in the sun and read again!

Now I'll be ready for all of my books and the pool next summer :)

Want your own free pair of glasses?
Click HERE to find out how to order yours.

Be sure to visit Firmoo on Twitter and Facebook too. 
They have over 500,000 Facebook fans - pretty impressive!

Thanks for my free glasses Firmoo :)

Pillsbury Baguette Chips

During the summer months family, friends and neighbors are always stopping by to hang out with us at our pool.  The more the merrier - we love company! 

I try to have some snacks on hand, because let's face it, laying by the pool is hard work and you build up an appetite :) So I was happy to find these new Pillsbury Baguette Chips on my door step recently. 

I love it when the mailman brings yummy goodies for us to try!

My sister-in-law and I dipped the Cheddar Sundried Tomato chips into roasted red pepper hummus.  The crunchiness of the baguette chip was a perfect match for the dip.  They would be great as a soup or salad topping too. 

With 130 calories per serving (21 baguette chips), and 50% less fat than regular potato chips, Pillsbury Baguette Chips are delicious snack chips that you can feel good about eating!

Want to give them a try?

Click HERE for a .75 cent coupon or check out the details below to win your own sample pack.

One of my readers will win a sample pack that includes:

(3) Bags of Pillsbury Baguette Chips in Italian Cheese & Herb 

(3) Bags of Pillsbury Baguette Chips in Cheddar Sundried Tomato

Giveaway ends Tuesday, July 10th at 12:00 p.m. EST

Giveaway open to US Residents only.

Main Entry (Required)

Leave a comment telling me how you plan to use the Pillsbury Baguette Chips

to spice up your snacking routine.

(For EACH additional entry, you must leave a separate comment for EACH ADDITIONAL entry)

1.  Follow Pillsbury and Me and My Pink Mixer on Facebook.
2. Follow Pillsbury and Me and My Pink Mixer on Twitter.
3. Follow Me and My Pink Mixer via email (on sidebar)

Good luck!

Contest is now closed.

“Disclosure:  The product, gift pack, information, and additional sample have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”

Skin care GIVEAWAY with #EclosBeauty

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Taking care of my skin has always been a top priority for me. I never, ever go to bed with make-up on and I am always searching for that perfect moisturizer, cleanser, night cream, etc.
Who doesn't want their skin to look it's best...right?!
I'm all for trying out new products, so I was really excited when I received a sample kit of éclos Skin Care.  éclos Skin Care is a skin care line that is made from plant stem cells extracted from a rare Swiss apple.  It has been shown to have the abiltiy to stimulate skin stem cells, encouraging aging skin to behave like younger skin.  Got to love that!
In addition to the plant stem cell technology, eclos is enriched with phytoplex24, a proprietary complex of plant extracts, vitamins and anti-oxidants known to work in synergy to minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and tired skin while delivering a smooth and radiant complexion.

I was sent a kit to try out that included these products:

* Facial cleanser skin prep

* Cellular activator face serum

* Moisture therapy regenerative cream

* Restorative eye cream

* Instant radiance facial scrub

* Skin renewal clay mask

* eclos terry cloth headband

I loved that all of the products worked together to improve my skin.

The cleanser made my skin really feel clean and fresh and the instant radiance facial scrub felt like it was heating up as I used it!  The terry cloth headband was nice too :)

  After using éclos Skin Care for two weeks I defintely noticed my skin did feel more toned and smooth.

Would you like to try out your own sample kit?

All you have to do is leave a comment telling me which product you are most excited to try.

The giveaway will end on Monday, July 2nd at 11:59 EST and a winner will be announced on Tuesday.

The giveaway is open to US residents only.

Giveaway is now closed.
Congrats to Lisa Kanney for winning!

The New and Improved Food Lion & A Giveaway!

I was recently invited to participate in a Food Lion ambassador program to check out the new and improved Food Lion stores and to let my readers know what I thought. 

This program sparked my interest because I normally do not do my family grocery shopping at Food Lion. 

I've had an MVP card for years, but I rarely ever use it.  

Our grocery shopping is divided between Martin's and Wal-mart. 

I purchase fruit and produce at Martin's because they have a really nice selection of organics
and Wal-Mart for our staple items.  They seem to be less expensive for those type of items.

I was excited to receive my program package, so I could make my Food Lion comparison.

I love fun mail days :)

This is what was inside the box.

A wooden recipe box with several recipes, Food Lion Reusable Shopping Bag, spatula, oven mitt, wood cutting board, a super cute lion cookie cutter and a $150 gift card.

Let's go shopping and check them out.

The produce section was very inviting. 

I just wish they carried more organic fruits and veggies.

The cart gives the store a little farmer's market feel. 

I liked it.

The store was very clean and inviting. 

I was pleasantly surprised.

Food Lion's "my essentials" program promises you their lowest prices on the items you buy most.

I found the pricing on these items to be very competitive.

I often buy whipped topping for desserts that I make.

The Food Lion price was LOWER than Wal-mart.

Love those buy one get one free deals too :)

I always keep a jar or two of sauce in my pantry for a quick dinner, such as Skinny Chicken Parmesan.

Skinny Chicken Parmesan

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin

olive oil

salt and pepper

italian seasoning

4 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese

parmesan cheese, if desired

1 jar marinara sauce

whole wheat pasta

Place chicken breasts on a plate.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and italian seasoning.

In a large pan, over medium heat, saute chicken breasts until done.

While chicken is cooking, place pasta in boiling water and cook until al dente.

In a glass bake dish sprayed with cooking spray add 1 cup of marinara sauce.

Place cooked chicken breasts on top of marinara sauce and add a slice of provolone cheese onto

each chicken breast.  Place under oven broiler until cheese has melted.

Spoon pasta on each plate and top with chicken and cheese.

Add additional sauce and parmesan cheese if desired.

Overall I was very impressed with the changes that Food Lion has made and will probably shop there more often, especially when I don't want to deal with the craziness of Wally World!

How would you like to win a $50 Food Lion gift card so that you can make your own comparison?

Just leave a comment on this post telling me what you would purchase from the new and improved Food Lion.  The contest is open to U.S. readers over the age of 18 and ends May 15th at 12:00 p.m. EST

Extra entries (leave a comment for each extra entry)

Like Me and My Pink Mixer on Facebook.

Follow Me and My Pink Mixer on Twitter.

Follow Me and My Pink Mixer on Google Friend Connect (sidebar)

Good luck!

This giveaway is now closed.

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central for Food Lion. I received a gift card and product kit to facilitate my review.”

Green Giant Frozen Vegetables & a Giveaway

Have you had your veggies today?

Whether you're striving to watch your weight or simply helping your family to add more vegetables in their meals, with a little help from Green Giant® finding a delicious way to mix up your diet routine can be easy and convenient! Available in a wide variety of flavors, there are nearly 30 varieties of Green Giant® frozen boxed vegetables endorsed by Weight Watchers®, including offering that feature decadent sauces and tasty seasonings.

Click here to download quick and delicious recipes that incorporate Weight Watchers® endorsed Green Giant Boxed Vegetables, with most coming in between only a 1 and 4 Weight Watchers® PointsPlus® value per serving - from "Broccoli and Chicken Topped Potatoes" to "Quick Corn and Black Bean Soup," this wide array is sure to satisfy every member of your family.

Want a coupon?
Visit  http://bit.ly/greengiantcoupon to download a printable coupon for $0.60 off the purchase of two boxes of Weight Watchers® endorsed Green Giant Boxed Vegetables.
Garden Vegetable Medley is my favorite!

Thanks to My Blog Spark, I received a gift pack with a coupon for a FREE box of Weight Watchers endorsed Green Giant boxed vegetables, water bottle, lunch bag, mini nutrition tracker, Lunch to Go kit, Solar Powered Pedometer and a mini ice pack. 

Would you like one too?

I'll be giving away one gift pack just like the one I received.
Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry:

Leave a comment telling me your favorite Green Giant boxed veggie.

Extra Entries (You must leave a comment for each extra entry)

• Become a follower of Me and My Pink Mixer on Google Friend Connect (on sidebar)
• Follow Me and My Pink Mixer and Green Giant on Twitter.
• Tweet about the giveaway. 
• Follow Me and My Pink Mixer on Facebook.
• Follow Green Giant on Facebook.
• Follow Me and My Pink Mixer by email (on sidebar)

 Giveaway ends May 6th at 12:00 midnight EST.

 Good luck!

Contest is now closed.

  

"Disclosure:  The coupons, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Green Giant® and Weight Watchers® through MyBlogSpark."

VitaTops and VitaBrownie Review

Look what was at my front door when I got home from work a couple of days ago!
Vitaliciousness!!!

Have you ever tried them?
If not - you are missing out!

Vitatops and VitaBrownies are a delicious alternative to cookies and cakes at only 100 calories each.
They are high in fiber and low in fat - kind of like a healthy brownie!
How awesome is that!!

Not only are they good for you, but they taste pretty fantastic too.
I pack one in my lunch almost every day to curb that chocolate fix I always seem to need :)
I find them here locally in the freezer section of Martin's Grocery Store or you can purchase them online.

I no idea they had all of these fantastic flavor choices!
Banana Choco Chip, Deep Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip, Apple Crumb, Triple Chocolate Chunk, Blue Bran, Raisin Bran - just to name a few.
The chocolate ones are definitely my fave :)

I had never tried the brownies before.

They are perfect for dessert after dinner :)

Chocolate with no guilt - gotta love it!

To be completely honest - I'll have to say I loved, loved, loved doing this review.

I have absolutely nothing but good things to say about Vitalicious.

Tasty treats that are good for you.

The end.

Note - Vitalicious sent me samples for this review, but I was not compensated in any way.

All opinions are my own. 

And I loved them.

Just sayin'.

Follow Me and My Pink Mixer on Facebook and Twitter.