Posts by admin:
- NE-YO “Friend Like Me” (Aladdin)
- Jessie J “Part of Your World “(The Little Mermaid)
- Jason Derulo “Can You Feel the Love Tonight / Nants’ Ingonyama” (The Lion King)
- Gwen Stefani “The Rainbow Connection” (The Muppet Movie)
- Ariana Grande “Zero To Hero” (Hercules)
- Jhené Aiko “In a World of My Own/Very Good Advice” (Alice in Wonderland)
- Fall Out Boy “I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)” (The Jungle Book)
- Tori Kelly “Colors of the Wind” (Pocahontas)
- Kacey Musgraves “A Spoonful of Sugar” (Mary Poppins)
- Charles Perry “Ev’rybody Wants To Be a Cat” (The Aristocats)
- Jessie Ware “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” (Cinderella)
- Lucy Hale & Rascal Flatts “Let It Go” (Frozen)
- Various Artists “It’s a Small World”
- Bonus tracks on Deluxe CD, Vinyl, and Picture Disc:
- Brenna Whitaker “It’s Not Easy Being Green” (The Muppet Show)
- Yuna “A Whole New World” (Aladdin)
- A whole package of Biscoff Cookies, crushed (reserve 6 cookies)
- 3 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine, melted
- 8 ounces Tofutti cream cheese, softened
- 15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 tubs (12 oz.) So Delicious CocoWhip thawed, divided
- 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips ( like Pascha CHocolate chips)
- Add Biscoff cookies to a food processor and process with blade until they resemble wet sand. Place crumbs in a medium bowl and add melted margarine.
- Add 2-3 Tbsps of cookie crumbs into the bottoms of six 1-cup parfait glasses.
- Reserve the rest for another layer when assembling the rest of the parfaits.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, pumpkin, vanilla, sugars and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until well combined and creamy.
- Fold in half of the whipped topping.
- Combine ingredients until mixed well.
- Spoon a layer of pumpkin cheesecake onto the Biscoff crumbles followed by 2 Tbsps of chocolate chips and about 2 Tbsps of whipped topping.
- Repeat layers with cookie crumble, pumpkin cheesecake, ending with a dollop of whipped topping.
- Decorate with a some chocolate chips and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Store parfaits in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Garnish with a Biscoff cookie.
We Love Disney Compilation Album for All Disney Lovers
November 6th, 2015I participated in the We Love Disney album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided an album to review but all opinions are my own.
I recently had the pleasure to listen to the newest album released by Verve and Walt Disney Records called We Love Disney. There is no question that my kids are fans of Disney anything so when I played this album, I wondered how many of the songs they would recognize from the movies they have already seen.
As musicians, my husband and I love to teach our girls to recognize instruments, voices and even songs. It is amazing what both of our girls recognize at ages 2 1/2 and 4. The album features the hottest artists from across the pop, rock, R&B, and country worlds delivering their own unique interpretations of classic Disney songs. What a compilation because it includes artists I am familiar with but none that my girls would know. Here is a list of the songs and artists that the album includes:
Here is a video of one of the songs:
I loved seeing my girls eyes light up as they heard The Little Mermaid and Aladdin songs. I could not get them to stop dancing and kept asking questions why the songs were being performed by other people and not their princesses. How funny. While I find myself humming these Disney songs ALL THE TIME, I know many people think that the songs are JUST for kids but in reality, if we grew up watching the same movies our kids are NOW watching, it would be a part of us now.
I loved having this compilation because I felt like it was and could be geared to teens and adults to enjoy listening to favorite songs they grew up with. My husband’s eyes glazed over just listening to Gwen Stefani perform “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie and I really enjoyed hearing Lucy Hale & Rascal Flatts sing their version of “Let It Go” from Frozen.
Not only is this great to listen to in the car but it is perfect for your fellow Disney lover for Christmas.
We Love Disney will also be available as a Collector’s Edition Box Set, which includes:
Purchase on iTunes or Amazon.
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Out & Active with JJ Cole at the JDRF One Walk
November 5th, 2015
This past weekend a group of ladies from the Philly Social Media Moms took their kids and strollers and bundled them for a 3 mile walk to raise money to help fund research that will impact the lives of the millions of children, adults, and families challenged by Type 1 Diabetes. As part of a team sponsored by JJ Cole, 13 women sported the Bundleme cover on their jogging strollers. They definitely looked ready to get the walk started.
Since I was not able to attend, I had a friend go in my stead and she shared her experience with her baby. Check out her story below. Thanks Kristin!
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Gloves, hat, socks, shoes, jacket…. Check, check, check. I have gone through this checklist every time I leave the house with my infant son for a cold day run. The amount of time it takes to pack and bundle him up can take the motivation right out of me to go exercise. Once bundled, he usually manages to take off a few articles of clothing during the run. Too many times I have tripped over my own two feet trying to secure a glove on my squirming child while running.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to bundle my son up in the JJ Cole Urban Bundleme as I participated in the JDRF One Walk for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). My son stayed nice and warm wearing the JJ Cole Urban Bundleme in the color Stealth. This all-in-one kiddo sleeping bag slips right onto the stroller for an easy baby cover up in the cold.
The material is soft and light (great color options too!). The plush cover feels comfortable and snuggly. Then the easy zipper closure on each side keeps your baby warm without bulky jackets and boots. Taking him in and out of the Bundleme is easy. The longer length Urban Bundleme can even fit my three year old with room to spare! Overall, it has simplified my exercise process immensely.
The JJ Cole Urban Bundleme wasn’t the only impressive experience of the day. The JDRF One Walk brought hundreds of participants together for a common cause. Each year 40,000 people are diagnosed with T1D in the United States, 13,000 of which are children, giving this chronic disease the name “Juvenile Diabetes.” This organization funds research projects to propel the advancement for treatment and symptom control.
Bucks County Community College was a beautiful and serene setting to stroll with other families to raise awareness about this life consuming disease. Crossing the enormous inflatable finish line with so many other people who are somehow personally affected by this disease was a humbling experience.
Disclosure: The team was sponsored by JJ Cole. All opinions are solely by the writer.
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Mrs. Patel’s for Postpartum Recovery and Nursing Mothers + Giveaway
November 4th, 2015Can I announce that I am a proud mother of 3 girls? I am even more proud and blessed that I have been able to nurse my oldest daughters until the age of one and currently am nursing my youngest who is 3 months. While it has been a different experience with my third baby, I am happy that I get to hold my daughter next to me. While I have heard so many mothers have issues with breastfeeding, I always feared that I would be that mother.
The first two times I went through the process I was always stressing that I did not have enough supply. My m other would give me tips on what to eat, drink and even more how much sleep I needed in order to keep a healthy supply. Needless to say, I think the stress just made it worse and my oldest cried the most, which only made me wonder if I just did not have enough for her to eat.
Now that I have my third daughter, despite my being busier and perhaps more stressed than ever, I feel calm about having enough milk supply for my daughter. How ironic is that? I have had a most pleasant baby since starting to have children and I can only attribute that to knowing that I have to feed my baby and feed myself in order to have things go smoothly.
Several weeks back I was able to test new-to-me products made by Mrs. Patel’s that are all edible. Many are familiar with lactation cookies and fenugreek tabs for increasing milk supply but did you know that there are other herbs that are considered galactagogues? I know that at the store I have chosen one or two herbs like raspberry leaf and fenugreek to their magic but what I did not know is that in India, there have been different herbs used to help nursing mothers.
I am a big advocate of learning from other people’s cultures and how moms all over the world use natural ways to make great things happen, like increasing milk supply for little babies. Mrs. Patel’s has served in this capacity by introducing nursing moms to a system of traditional medicine called Ayurveda. Mrs. Patel’s is a company that is created by a fellow mom focusing on delicious treats and teas that help a nursing mother.
I had a chance to try the Fenugreek Bars that were encouraged to be consumed in the mornings. They are amazing and delicious bars that seem to good to be true. How can something so tasty be so great for my body? I received a combo box that included the regular fenugreek bars, chocolate, and peanut butter bars. I think it was a close tie between the chocolate and peanut bar but I would have one in the morning as a snack after breakfast with my coffee. Each bar is made with all natural ingredients like:
Wheat Flour, Almond Meal, Coconut, Ghee, Sugar, Milk, Fenugreek Flour, Poppy Seeds, Ginger, Peepramul, Powdered Gum & Cardamom. Peanut Butter Layer: Peanut Butter (Roasted Peanuts), Butter & Powdered Sugar. Chocolate Layer: Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Soy Lecithin), Vegetable Oil, Cinnamon & Ancho Chili Pepper.
I also got to try the Milk Water Chai Spice Tea which is a cleanser, detoxifier and also boost milk supply. It is a combination of rooibos tea with cinnamon, cloves, dill and more making it an ideal caffeine-free tea. It was definitely very aromatic and was super delicious hot and over ice with almond milk.
Munch Crunch was sent in a pouch ready to pour in my hand. Not only is it great for lactation but also for digestion. It is a combination of seeds and herbs that include sesame seeds, dill seeds, fennel, flax seeds, ajwain, turmeric & lemon. They were very tasty in my morning oatmeal and even sprinkled on my salads.
So how did it help my supply? I felt like it really boosted and naturally increased my supply. It helped me and forced me to pump in the evenings after the baby went to sleep in order to start my milk stash. I can’t help but think it has helped my daughter to be more satisfied after each feeding. I am thankful she is sleeping through the night now.
If you are a mother who is going back to work or struggling with supply, why not try something new to increase your milk supply? Want a chance to try one of Mrs. Patel’s products? Enter below for a chance to receive a box of Fenugreek Bars.
You can also use the code FIRSTORDER to receive 20% off your FIRST order.
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Disclosure: I received the products to review. All opinions are my own.
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Boiron: Homeopathic Essentials for Babies and Toddlers
October 30th, 2015
November is almost upon us and our family has already gone through two rounds of colds since the baby has been born. One of the most challenging things for me as a mother is to make sure that my kids stay healthy. When kids are under the age of 5 there really are not any meds you can really give your kids for coughs and colds. There are the over-the-counter meds for fever or pain, but even so, I really don’t relying on those meds all the time. Before having kids, I would try to use natural medicine to cure my ailments before turning to conventional meds. It was only natural for me to turn to homeopathic and natural curing of ailments when I started having kids.
Boiron is not a new company for me in fact, I have used their homeopathic pellets for simple ailments in the past. When I found out their headquarters are located so close to me, I knew I had to get to know their company a lot more! Even though I have used some baby homeopathic meds for my girls, I knew there were more medicines for these toddlers of mine.
Here are a few of my favorite products and new essentials for my little family:
Coldcalm – Children’s Coldcalm -I have used this the past 2 weeks, for the first time in fact. It is perfect for my almost 4 year old toddler since she is the one that is most susceptile to catching colds. Somehow I need to help her immune system to grow stronger. These pellets are ideal for cold relief including anything that comes along with colds like sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion and minor sore throat.
When my oldest daughter catches colds it lingers for a long time but I noticed after taking the Coldcalm along with elderberry wellness syrup, that her cold was cut shorter. No one else caught the cold other than her middle sister but it was not as strong as most colds these girls get. These pellets have specific instructions to catch the onset of a cold where they are administered every 15 minutes for one hour and then lengthened to be given every 2 hours until symptoms get better.
While it is hard for kids to wait for pellets to dissolve, I love the fact that what they are taking will not make them drowsy or interact with anything.
Calcarea phosphorica 30C – Recently my older and middle daughter have been going through leg pain which only seems like growing pains. My oldest has been growing so quickly which only makes her exclaim, “Why are my legs getting longer mommy?” So cute. Luckily, kids ages 2 and older and even adults can take this. I am glad to make this medicine part of my cabinet.
Chestal Cough Honey – Children’s Chestal Cough Honey – Once the cold started on both girls it developed into a shallow cough but nothing that was painful. We went through the whole bottle in 2-3 days with both girls which yet again seemed like their coughs subsided quicker than usual. The combination of ingredients in the bottle help with every aspect of a cold, from the phlegm, dry cough, or cough that keeps kids up at night.
Not only is there a cough syrup but there is another one that is also for a cough and cold. With the cold season approaching, I am hoping that we can ward off anymore colds.
Cocyntal Colic Relief– It has always been the same with all my girls, but colic is something that babies commonly have especially if a mom is nursing. There is nothing like having a baby constantly crying and writhing in pain because of gas pain and irritability. I have already started using this homeopathic remedy when my 3 month old daughter has colic during the afternoon hours. It works like a charm and I totally see the results with my baby’s diapers. While I try to stay away from trigger foods that cause colic in a baby, sometimes it is hard to stay away from the occasional dairy.
I find myself even when I watch what I each that a baby can be colicky no matter what. This definitely is something I keep in my cabinet by ordering them ahead of time. Such a life saver! There are other products that require a syringe but these single use doses are easy to use. I gently squirt the contents into her mouth.
Camilia – Teething Relief – Another great single liquid dose for babies 1 month and older is Camilia. If you can detect, most homeopathic remedies contain chamomile, which is a natural ingredient that aids in relieving pain and irritability accompanied with it.
My third baby is teething earlier than my other girls and I simply cannot believe it. Sometimes it is hard for me to detect a baby with colic pain or if the baby has pain having to do with teething. My baby is has been gnawing her little hand like it is a tasty ice cream. I am glad that I have homeopathic medicines to relieve a baby otherwise it would be a lot more challenging to handle. These are free of benzocaine which is a plus!
Hydrastis canadensis 6C – These pellets are for those suffering from post-nasal drip which can be very annoying when trying to get rid of a cold. There is one thing having a runny nose but when the mucus runs down the throat it can irritate the throat. These come in the blue tube and are safe for kids ages 2 and older and also for adults.
I love the fact that a lot of the pellets are safe to treat kids but even so, there are references online to help when dosing your family. Boiron provides Homeopathic Medicine Finder showing different categories for symptoms occuring for the person which ailments. It was super helpful for me as I was looking for solutions for my kids and for the rest of my family.
While I am only sharing my experiences with these homeopathic remedies, I am not a professional but I am a mother interested in using a safer and alternative to convetional medicine. I LOVE that Boiron offers training for consumers that helps anyone interested to familiarize themselves with medicines available through Boiron.
Are you familiar with Boiron? How do you use it with your family?
Disclosure: I did receive product from Boiron, but it is a familiar product I have used in my household. All opinions are my own. All material on this website is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.
Amazon disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small percentage if you make a purchase using this link
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Vegan Biscoff Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfaits
October 19th, 2015It is hard nowadays to do any baking or dessert creating because I usually am so tired by the evenings, but usually on my weekends when my hubby is home, I take advantage of making something special for the both of us and even extra for the girls the next day. Now that the Cubs are in the playoffs, we are watching a lot more sports so to ease my husband’s stress I decided to surprise him with a seasonal dessert made with pumpkin.
I love cooking seasonally because then I can work with ingredients on hand to create whatever dessert that comes to mind. I have to admit that I have not always been that way, but when I moved to Michigan in 2009 I learned how the local restaurants and farmer’s markets had recipes based on seasonal produce. It sounds like something so easy to really know, but living in Texas, I was not exposed to sustainable food. Farmers markets were not available but now I have been hearing of area markets which excites me.
Anyway, I made some delicious pumpkin parfaits with So Delicious Coco Whip, Tofutti Cream Cheese, and Biscoff cookies and it was a hit. It was also a hit on Instagram with a whopping 120 likes! Follow me on Instagram to see more of my food creations. Sometimes I add recipes there that I do not have on my blog.
Ingredients
Instructions
