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Wordless Wednesday
November 21st, 2012
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Essence of Vali Product Review
November 20th, 2012
Winter is almost upon us which sometimes means fewer sunny days depending where you live. Ever since I have had my family staying with me we have noticed that there have a lot more cloudy days but somehow having the company makes it better.
Since we lived in Michigan the last 3 years we REALLY realized how little we saw sunny days. We never bought one of those Vitamin D lamps but we made sure to be outdoors to get fresh air.
Now that I have a toddler and am close to being 7 months pregnant being outdoors and in the fresh air seems very essential to both our mental and emotional health. I noticed that Julianne LOVES being outdoors. She even forgets to nap and we have to remind her it is time which then she goes out!
Besides having a solid spiritual connection to my Creator, God, I find that without having a daily walk and reading his work really plays a huge role how I feel. I have to constantly be mindful of this. Why do I bring this into my post today? Well, it is part of my life and while I review products that make a big impression and lift my spirits I never want to lose focus on my true influence in life.
I recently had a chance to communicate with the owner of Essence of Vali, Valerie Bennis, about her amazing products. I received a small sample of her EOV Eau de Parfum and boy was I blown away! I dabbed a bit of the perfume on my neck and on my wrists and my senses were hit immediately.What was I smelling? Essential oils (from plants) of lavender, rosewood, cedarwood, patchouli, palmarosa, geranium, litsea cubeba and clove in a base of corn alcohol and water. It is described as a warm floral, slightly citrus, earthy and sensual and uplifting at the same time. It also received the best natural product award in 2004 at the Fall Extracts Show. My husband came home and he LOVED the smell and the rest is private. 🙂
After I had a chance to try this sample I knew I would love the rest of the products Essence of Vali offered. Ms. Bennis sent me an array of samples of essential oils that had been mixed into her personal recipes sold for different symptoms. Below is a healing index of the symptoms that anyone could be going through. On the right, she then lists the remedy using the name of the blend she has created for each symptom.
Now I some of you might be wondering or worried why I would be using these while pregnant but there is a list stating that none of these blends should be used in the first trimester. Since I am past that then it has been safe using these. The only ones not to be used at anytime during pregnancy are the Relief and Balance Blend. I am just holding them until I have the baby.
How have these blends been working? They have been so soothing! I have been going through restless nights waking up twice a night just plain uncomfortable. I have used the SLEEP blend which uses the essential oils (from plants) of lavender, marjoram, cedarwood & ylang/ylang. It is so sweet smelling and relaxing!
Learn MORE about how each blend was created and how affects each person.
Something I never realized until now is that I have always loved essential oils. I have used Eucalyptus and Peppermint oils to open my nasal passages when a cold hits. Aromatherapy really does have an amazing effect on the senses and whether you know it or not, the perfumes that one buys in the store contain a specific amount of certain essential oils but not as pure as these products.
I WILL be purchasing the larger bottle of the EOV Eau de Parfum because it is simply the most natural and sensual scent I have smelled in a long time. It is relaxing and invigorating and not harmful to the body at all.
Thank you to Ms. Bennis for such lovely products. It is amazing how she has been able to live her dream creating and selling her blends after being involved in the corporate world by day. She finally went full time after receiving her full certification in aromatherapy. Please read more about her success and life story HERE.
On top of this these products are 100% natural and 100% vegan! Never tested on animals is always a plus.
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Almondina Cookie Review + Giveaway
November 19th, 2012
Almondina sent me a variety of Almondina goodies that my whole family has been enjoying the past few weeks. These thin cookies are delicious, all-natural, have no cholesterol, and have no added salt or fat.
What makes this a fantastic product? Well, I found out that the owner of the company, Yuval Zaliouk, has not only been owner of this company for over 2 decades but he is also a world renown music conductor. The yummy cookie recipe was created by his grandmother that was kept a secret until she passed away and was handed down to the owner’s mother.
Almondina is based in Ohio and is now sold in all 50 States and several foreign countries. Distribution has expanded and is now readily available at stores such as Busch’s, Plum Market, Fresh Market, Nick Salvaggio, Trader Joes, Vince & Joe’s, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and many others. You can see our complete distribution store finder.
We enjoyed several different flavors over a game of Settlers of Catan. These cookies do not have to be dipped but are enjoyed with yummy almond or coconut milk.
The hubby is enjoying the Chocolate Cherry Cookie. My favorite! These cookies are only 30 calories per slice, kosher, and proudly made in America!
We then moved on to the Pumpkin Spice flavor and that won the whole table. It was perfectly spiced and delicious crunchy. The almond slices in each bite are satisfying.
If you want to continue reading more about the Almondina story it is heart-warming and amazing. Below are the flavors the company offer. The ones in bold are the ones I was sent to try and review.
Almondina® biscuits in the following flavors:
· Original – America ‘s all natural favorite with almonds and raisins
· Chocolate Cherry – We combined the world’s finest dark chocolate
with plump cherries to produce an irresistible, decadent treat without guilt.
· Choconut – Rich tasting crunchy chocolate, but low in calories
· Cinnaroma® – The original biscuit for cinnamon lovers
· Gingerspice – Trend setting, with chunks of Australian ginger
· AlmonDuo® – Double-nut wonder with almonds and pistachios
· AnniversaryT – Award winning delight with a touch of anise
· BranTreats® – Made with oat bran and the finest cinnamon “Cookies For Breakfast”
· Sesame – Irresistible, exotic, flavorful
– Seasonal Pumpkin Spice – A seasonal attraction with a delightful touch of fall spices combined with the highest quality almonds and pepitas(pumpkin seeds)
· Chocolate Dipped – the Original® dipped in the finest, pure, rich dark chocolate was
previously offered only certain times of the year is now available year round
Tonight I enjoyed the Gingerspice with some coffee and really enjoyed the flavor. These cookies are so addictive and I am so glad they are low-cal. If you are interested in buying the Seasonal Pumpkin Spice, here is where you can find them:
Want to Win?
One person is going to win an Almondina Sampler pack!!
Enter using Rafflecopter. This is only open to US Readers.
Disclosure: I was sent product to sample and try out. All opinions are mine
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Baby’s First Birthday
November 15th, 2012
I have been delaying this post for a bit because it was not what I planned or expected. The other reason I finally came to terms with how things turned out because I made a bigger deal about how Julianne reacted that I should have. My husband and my sister assured me that there was nothing I could have done and that things DID go well.
My sister and bro-in-law decorated the dining room with streamers and little banners. We tried to have Julianne wear a hat but this girl refuses to wear anything on her head. At least I was able to snap a pic or two before she took it off!
Do you wonder why she is really not smiling in any of her pictures? This happened to be a day where she decided to not nap and so she ended up being a bit grumpy. We waited till Daddy got home so we could have an early dinner, open gifts and eat some cake.
Julianne got to crawl around while we got things ready like mommy getting a candle on her smash cake.
I finally settled on a pumpkin spice cake with a cream cheese frosting that I saw Emily post on her website, Daily Garnish. The cake was SO delicious and moist I was so sure that Julianne would love her little cake.
We called her into the dining room and prompted her in her high chair. We Skyped with her grandparents and aunts in Texas as she opened her gifts. She liked them but I believe that is all the strength she had.
She started taking off her hat and well did not eat dinner too well. We handed her cake and she LOVED the candles are lit up but after we blew them up she was sad. She wanted to eat the candles. HAHAHA! Where are those pictures? Well, we realized we only have video and no pictures of us attempting or convincing her to dig into her cake. SHE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY AT ALL. She would not even taste the frosting.
I was so frustrated and it did not help that I was tired as well. I was a mess and took the whole thing personally. She started crying and only wanted to be on the floor playing with her toys. Cake eating was over, despite birthday singing, and birthday celebration was short-lived.
I realized there is next year and I will not be so tired and hormonal and weepy. She did not have a clue what was going on and well she will have the pictures to show that we celebrated. I was happy at least that the next day she had a piece of the cake and liked it for a moment.
I thank God for having the opportunity and blessing to just have my Julianne. Cake or no cake that was not the focus of the day but it was about celebrating the gift that God gave us with life! It has been a beautiful year!!
Love you baby girl!!!
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New York in 24 hours—Part 2
November 13th, 2012
We left our hotel pretty late but it was a gorgeous morning and pretty warm. Warm for us was in the low 60s, high 50s, so our walk was pretty comfortable.
Our view off of 5th ave as we left our hotel.
As we were headed to Central Park, we noticed sights. We checked our St. Patrick’s Cathedral but it was all under construction. Not pretty at all!
At least one of the entrances look nice!
We finally reached our brunch spot. It had been recommended to try Sarabeth’s right in front of Central Park. There was a 30 minute wait when we got there but as we thought about leaving after 15 min, we were seated. I knew I had heard about this place but it did not hit me until I saw their products. Their preserves were amazing and their breakfast was delicious. Even though my omelette was nothing special I enjoyed tasting Ryan’s scrambled eggs with lox. YUM!
After breakfast we headed into Central Park for a stroll.
I know breakfast had not been over with but Ryan insisted that it was tradition to buy some roasted almonds and peanuts. Yummy and crunchy!
Fun and silly pic of us enjoying the nuts.
We checked out the roller rink and I quickly remembered that the movie Serendipity was filmed in this area as well. Don’t you love associated with NYC?
By the time brunch was over it was a little past Julianne’s first nap. She was struggled to go to sleep but after 5 minutes she she fell asleep in the Ergo. Can I tell you that this carrier is a lifesaver?
We had not back carried until this trip and Ryan was VERY happy with it. He wondered why we had been front carrying her all this time. I thought it was perfect to back carry her as we traveled. She soaked every moment. We were SO glad we did not take the stroller.
We walked a lot more and finally got to Times Square when we met long lines of people waiting to do an American Eagle interview and others waiting in line for shows and tickets. We just stood there and took pictures of people and the environment. It was nice. Julianne looked all over and just stared at the signs.
After that, we split again with my sister and BIL. They wanted to go the World Trade Center memorial and we wanted to go to Chinatown. We initially thought we could go with them but I realized I was starting to feel a bit worn. Time quickly flew by and we knew we had a train to catch. We ended up taking an earlier train than my sister because we were thinking of our little girl.
We checked Joe’s Shanghai again after visiting this place back in 2011. We simply HAD to go back. They have the best steamed pork buns and crazy long lines. We thought if we had an early dinner that perhaps we would not have to wait to long. WRONG. We waited 30 min with a very tired toddler. I was not quite sure we would survive.
As we got seated we had Julianne in a booster chair between our seats. She had some dinner and then she proceeded to have some delicious broth. She loved it! Ryan ordered Kung Pao Chicken and I ordered fried green beans and fried noodles with beef. SO GOOD and worth the wait!
After dinner we headed back to our hotel where we had left our bags only to pick them up and haul butt to the train station. We barely made it. Can you believe that after we left the Chinese restaurant that Julianne fell asleep? In fact, she fell asleep for more than an hour and a half, through our train ride. It was nice because we had a break from perhaps having a fussy baby.
We were seriously blessed with the time we had but I would not try to do it over 24 hours. We actually thought it would have been easier to drive some of the way and park the car in New Jersey but we will know the next time.
Now I must go and continue to recuperate from the sleep I lost and the soreness I have.
All these pictures were taken with the LG Intuition, a sample phone from Verizon. Disclosure: I’m a part of the Verizon Savvy Gourmet program and have been provided a wireless device to use and review. I have not been compensated for a positive review; the opinions shared are all my own.
