SOPA Strike Blackout

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/01/wikipedia-sopa-strike-blackout.html


My site is going black on January 18th! I encourage everyone else to do the same thing!

GourmetGiftBaskets.com Review!

I dont think there is anything more fun than receiving a gift basket during the holidays. Actually, I'd be thrilled to get a gift basket at any point in time! I do think during the holidays there is just something festive about a gorgeous gift basket. Last year I had the chance to work with GourmetGiftBaskets.com and it was so much fun! When they contacted me to work with them again this year I didn't hesitate to say yes. I know I am going to get exceptional quality items for an outstanding price.

For review I received their Christmas Gift Basket Classic which sells for $59.99. It is worth every penny! Take a look at everything you get:

- Almond Pecan-dy Crunch - gourmet popcorn and pecans covered in a caramel glaze.

- Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

- Dipping Pretzels

- Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip

- Salted Peanuts

- Signature Dark Chocolate Bar

- Buttered Peanut Crunch

- Metropolitan Train Mix

- Parmesan Artichoke & Garlic Cheese Biscuits

- Chocolate Covered Cherries

I am a serious dark chocolate lover and the Signature Dark Chocolate Bar was by far my favorite item in this gift basket. The thing I love most about this entire gift basket is that it will satisfy a wide variety of people! Whether you crave something sweet, salty or savory, this basket delivers it all. I think you get a very decent amount of product for the money and it is packaged beautifully!

The basket everything comes in is very sturdy, not cheap and flimsy. I love that the basket would be able to serve another purpose in my home after the goodies are gone. I also loved the ribbon and bow. Nothing was smashed or cheesy looking. It came carefully packaged and you can tell they take pride in how the basket looks when it arrives!

I would definitely recommend GourmetGiftBaskets.com for any gift giving occasion in your life! Their prices are fair and they have fabulous customer service! I plan on sending the Beer-B-Q Bucket to a friend for their birthday!

Go check out their award-winning gift baskets and pick up something exceptional for everyone on your Christmas list! While you are there be sure to sign up for email updates to be the first to know about any future offers and follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

I want to say a huge thank you to the fabulous people over at GourmetGiftBaskets.com for this awesome review opportunity and for such gorgeous gift baskets! There is a reason why you guys are award-winning and I am happy to have a go-to company for all of my gift basket giving needs!

Disclaimer: I received free product to review. I was not paid to write this and all opinions are my own!

25 Days of Christmas Countdown 2011!

Today kicks off a tradition in our house where we do one Christmas activity every single day until Christmas. This can be something small like watching A Charlie Brown Christmas or something bigger like taking the kids to Zoo Lights. It's a ton of fun for the kiddos and I plan on documenting this years activities right here on my blog! Happy Holidays! Here are some of the things we do:



- Write letters to Santa and make Reindeer Chow to leave out on Christmas Eve.

- Hang our stockings up and watch The Polar Express/Drink hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles.

- Baking Day with the kids!

- Family Christmas Picture and mail our Christmas cards/ See Santa?

- Read Christmas books and watch Christmas movies

- Snowman Ornament Kit Craft

- Listen to Christmas music all day long

- Drink sparkling cider with our dinner

- Go to Zoo Lights!

- Build a gingerbread house at home

- Build a gingerbread house with everyone at grandmas house and bake cookies there too!

- Paint holiday scenes on our french doors!

- Help the kids make Christmas cards

- Christmas craft day (Michaels has awesome craft kits!)

- Take a ride to look at Christmas lights

- Christmas Eve everyone gets pajamas and a new ornament

- Homemade candy day! Think fudge, homemade marshmellows and peppermint bark!

- Help a family in need. This Christmas Eve we are going to head over to Pop Cycle on 4th Avenue in Tucson AZ and help them hand out sandwiches and clothes to homeless people. This is SO important to teach kids and show them how awesome it is to help others!

- One night we eat only red and green foods!

- We make paper chain garlands. Never tried popcorn garland but might try it this year!

- Kids shopping day. Each kid gets to pick something for their brother/sisters and mom and dad.

- Kids get to wrap their gifts one night

- Have a slumber party by the Christmas tree

- Stained glass ornament project

- Cookie baking day!

- Go to Winterhaven and see all the Christmas lights


We usually throw in more things as they come up. We dont usually assign dates to these activities, because if we are busy one day then we just do something small like drink sparkling cider with our dinner and watch a Christmas movie, etc. The kids LOVE it and I love having such fun traditions with them. We try to teach our children that Christmas isn't about how much we get, but making memories and helping others!

Do you have any fun Christmas ideas to share? Leave me a comment and tell me! I will be posting each day of December with what we did that day and tons of pictures to help inspire everyone! Todays post will be up later tonight after we finish!

December 1st - Write Christmas letters to Santa and make Reindeer Chow for Christmas Eve!


Merry Christmas!

Danielle

Go Green Pocket Diapers = New Fluff Addiction!

When I set out to cloth diaper, I had no idea how obsessed I would become. I find myself constantly looking for new diapers to try out, but that gets expensive really quickly. I wanted to cloth diaper to save money, not feed an obsession. That is why I get so excited when I find companies like Go Green Pocket Diapers. They let me feed my fluffy addiction without breaking the bank!

Go Green Pocket Diapers offer two styles of diapers. One is what I am going to call a classic pocket diaper style available in silky or fuzzy prints and then they offer one they call The Champ. Their classic diaper sells for only $9.99 and The Champ sells for $15.95. I love how affordable these diapers are!

For review I was sent the Stellar silky diaper and we absolutely adore it. It's at the top of my post and you can buy it right now for a reduced price of only $8.99.

Things I love about this diaper:

- It's silky on the outside, not stiff or crinkly.

- It has an adorable pattern, which I consider to be gender neutral.

- It comes with an insert at an insanely affordable price.

- The inner fabric is suedecloth, which we prefer in this house.

- There are 3 rows of adjustable rise snaps. This is a one size diaper, which is our favorite kind!

- These diapers have hip snaps to prevent wing droop and the waist snaps overlap. These are features you typically only see on more expensive diapers!

- I love the 3 layer insert! It is surprisingly absorbent. So many of my less expensive diapers I would not let my babies wear out of the house for fear of leaks, but we wear this diaper out all the time and have never had a leak!

- I also love how durable the rise snaps are. Again, on all of my other inexpensive diapers, the rise snaps pop off SO easily. We do not have that problem with our Go Green Pocket Diaper.

Honestly, if I didn't know the price, I would assume it was much more expensive than what it is!

Things I dont like about this diaper:

Absolutely nothing. This is a sensational diaper at an incredible price. I have already told many friends who were interested in trying cloth diapers to buy these instead of more expensive ones. You are getting much more bang for your buck. I find myself reaching for this diaper over several name brand ones in my stash. I love that this diaper isn't bulky, which makes it a winner for wearing while we are out and about! I have also used it on both my 6 month old and my almost 3 year old and have had no issues with it from either of them. This diaper stays on, doesnt leak and the rise adjusts easily from one size to the next!

If you are looking for something more than your basic one size cloth pocket diaper, then look no further! Go Green Pocket Diapers offer a Champ diaper and I cannot wait to own one! This diaper is only $15.95 and offers ALL of the features of higher end diapers. They have dual gussets like on a Rumparooz and the inserts self agitate out like on a Thirsties diaper. I also love that it is four sizes in one diaper. They took the features of 2 of my favorite diapers and combined them into one. This diaper retails for HALF of what the more expensive ones cost! That is insane to me, but oh so wonderful! These diapers really would fit from birth to potty training with no problem from what I can tell. Clearly, I am so excited to buy the Champ and add it to my stash!

I strongly urge any cloth diapering mom out there to check out Go Green Pocket Diapers and add some adorable diapers to your stash. If you are a mama who is cloth curious, look no further! I personally know some women who were turned off to cloth because of price alone. Dont be one of them! Check these bad boys out first. I am so happy with my Go Green Pocket Diaper experience, I see no reason to buy diapers anywhere else. Why on Earth would I pay double for the same quality diaper?

Check out Go Green Pocket Diapers on Facebook to be the first to know about any future deals!

I want to say a huge thank you to the lovely people over at Go Green Pocket Diapers for this awesome review opportunity and for showing me the light!

Disclaimer: I received free product to review. I was not paid to write this and all opinions are my own!

Milkin Cookies!

If you're a breastfeeding mama, then you probably have heard about lactation cookies. They are little bites of heaven that do wonders for your milk supply. If you are like me, it can sometimes be a pain in the butt to make a huge batch of lactation cookies just for yourself. Sure, they are perfectly safe for other members of the family to eat, but then I cant claim them as "Mama's Special Milk Cookies" and keep them all to myself. Enter a fabulous company called Milkin' Cookies. I seriously consider this company heaven sent. I can have fresh baked lactation cookies sent right to my door!

Milkin' Cookies are the creation of the Mommy Doctors, two physician mommies who wanted to continue nursing while working full time. I think SO many mamas can relate to that scenerio! In fact, they felt the same way I do - I dont want to take Fenugreek! If you could see me, you would see a tantrum about it. I think eating a cookie is a MUCH better solution to supply issues and luckily, they agree!

I noticed a difference after just one cookie. I couldn't believe how much my supply changed after one cookie! They were awesome enough to send me 6 cookies - 3 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and 3 Cranberry Almond Oatmeal. My favorite by far was the Cranberry Almond Oatmeal. I have always been a fan of a less sweet cookie and I love the little bit of tartness in them. Each cookie comes individually wrapped and should be eaten within 2 weeks or stored in the freezer if you want them to last longer. Each cookie will stay good out of the freezer for 6 weeks, but should be eaten sooner if you want the freshest cookie possible. They dont use any preservatives in their cookies, which I love!

Now lets talk ingredients, which is the most important thing for me!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip - Oats, Butter, Whole Wheat Flour, Semi Sweet Chocolate, Brown Sugar, Nutritional Yeast, Ground Flaxseed, Wheat Germ, Unsweetened Cocoa, Salt and Baking Soda.

Cranberry Almond Oatmeal - Oats, Butter, Whole Wheat Flour, Brown Sugar, Eggs, Sugar, Almonds, Dried Unsweetened Cranberries, Nutritional Yeast, Ground Flaxseed, Wheat Germ, Vanilla Extract, Salt and Baking Soda.

I love ALL of the ingredients in these cookies! Nothing artificial or hard to pronounce here. The ingredients that will help your milk supply are the nutritional yeast, the flaxseed, oats and the wheat germ. I have tried recipes with brewers yeast and let me tell you, you can tell a difference! I MUCH prefer nutritional yeast to brewers yeast!

Prices:

A 14 Day Supply (14 Cookies) - $20.99

A 30 Day Supply (30 Cookies) - $44.99

A 3 Month Subscription (30 Cookies per Month for 3 Months) - $119.99

I think those prices are awesome. Some may think they are expensive. I sort of look at it like this, I dont have to spend any time cooking, each cookie comes individually wrapped for convenience and freshness, the cookies taste phenomenal and I can keep them in the freezer for whenever my supply needs a boost. Is it cheaper to make your own lactation cookies? Sure, but I know mine dont taste as good as these! I dont have extreme supply issues, so a 14 day supply would last me a long time, which makes the $20.00 worth it. Alternatively, if I DID have major supply issues, I would do the subscription and that would make the $119.99 worth it as well. Either way I think these cookies are a fabulous buy, especially if you do have major supply issues and you cant bake to save your life. Keeping a strong milk supply is extremely important to breastfeeding mamas and I am SO greatful to have this awesome company in my arsenal of breastfeeding products.

My main reason for wanting to try Milkin' Cookies was my solid foods fear. I always have this panic attack when my babies start solids. I get so afraid my milk supply is going to dry up and vanish. I know that sounds so silly, but I think it's a legitimate concern! My baby Josie started solids at 6 months and she has loved every minute of it. I love knowing I have Milkin' Cookies for when I feel like I need a boost!

I strongly urge all of my breastfeeding mamas out there to give them a try and to keep them in mind for anyone you know who is struggling with supply issues. Lets support all breastfeeding moms and offer up the tools to help!

I want to say a huge thank you to Milkin' Cookies for this review opportunity!

Disclaimer: I received free product to review. I was not paid to write this and all opinions are my own.

Pipsqueak Boutique Review (Part 2)

And this is why she is Violet! Her shirt from Pipsqueak Boutique is PERFECT for her! What is your child's Dictionary Definition? Check out Pipsqueak Boutique for all of your personalized, birthday and custom shirt needs!

PS - That was her outfit creation! Just another reason she is Violet!

Pipsqueak Boutique Review(Part 1)

I recently had the opportunity to work with a fabulous company called Pipsqueak Boutique and I could not be more happy with my experience. This review is going to be split into two posts because I am having so many issues with posting multiple pictures in my posts and I have no idea why! So stay tuned for part two with adorable pictures of my Violet wearing her shirt!

Pipsqueak Boutique was launched in 2005 after the birth of Jennifer's first niece. Like many other people, she got addicted to all of the adorable baby items out there and was on a hunt for the cutest baby gear for the littler girl in her life. After moving from a huge city to a smaller one, she realized the selection wasn't what it was! Her solution was to start her own store and here we are today!

Working with Jennifer has been incredible and I am so honored to promote her products on my eco blog. Wanting organic items for my kids can sometimes be a challenge. There are plenty of plain organic cotton items out there, but sometimes I feel left out when it comes to the super cute items! It's refreshing to know that Pipsqueak Boutique offers all of their personalized shirts in an organic cotton! You can imagine how excited I was to pick a shirt to review.

After MUCH looking and lots of going back and forth, I finally decided on their adorable Dictionary Definition shirt in their organic cotton. I fell in love with it and knew it would fit Violet's personality perfectly! You get to pick whatever words you want to define your child. We went with:

Violet: Mess Magnet, Princess in Training, Wild Child, Mommy's Little Helper, Cutie Patootie.

When you see the pictures, you will fully understand WHY we picked those words!

I honestly could not be happier with the quality of this shirt! Like I always say, there is NOTHING softer than organic cotton and there is nothing cuter than this shirt!

If you aren't into the whole organic cotton thing, then there are SO many options available to you for shirt styles. You can pick from their ringer tee, raglan tee, long sleeve raglan tee, raglan onepiece, ringer onepiece, organic tee or organic onepiece. I adore that you an personalize the style of tee as well as the color and the wording. For this particular shirt you can choose from white with pink, white with lavender, white with red or all white(organic).

Another big difference between this shirt and other custom shirts from other companies is you would never know this one is screen printed. You honestly cannot feel any raised bumps or lines, no rubbery feeling, no peeling or cracking. It looks and feels like it was always a part of the shirt!

If you want to customize the design of the shirts even further, all you have to do is contact them to make your perfect one of a kind shirt! That is fabulous customer service!

Pipsqueak Boutique offers much more than just personalized shirts like their Dictionary Definition shirt. I for one am absolutely IN LOVE with their Cupcake Pinafore and Bloomer Set and desperately want that or a first birthday shirt for Josie's first birthday! This outfit is what is at the top of my post. Isn't it beautiful?? You can order birthday shirts for toddlers and for any kid in your life I know my kids will feel so special having their own personalized shirt to wear at their birthday parties. Celebrating a birth in the family? Make those big brothers and sisters feel special with their own sibling shirt! Check out their selection of custom outfits while you are at it!

I strongly urge all of you guys to go check out everything that Pipsqueak Boutique has to offer(their selection doesn't stop at clothing!) because there is no way you will be disappointed! Their customer service is fabulous and they ship your item within 5 business days. Our shirt got to us quickly and without any problems.

I want to thank Jennifer over at Pipsqueak Boutique for this review opportunity! It was a blast working with you Jennifer!

Disclaimer: I received free product to review. I was not paid to write this and all opinions are my own!

Honest Kids Review

We recently had the awesome opportunity to try out Honest Kids Organic Juice Pouches and all I can say is good-bye Capri Sun! Our kids absolutely loved them and I loved that they are way healthier than any other juice boxes on the market.


We were sent the flavors Appley Ever After, Berry Berry Good Lemonade and Super Fruit Punch, but they also come in Goodness Grapeness and Tropical Tango Punch as well. Neither of my kids could tell me their favorite flavor when I went to buy them at my local Target, so we just bought a box of the Appley Ever After. They were perfect to take along when we went to the local apple orchard and pumpkin patch!


These juice pouches are USDA Organic and contain zero high fructose corn syrup, two huge things I look for when I am buying just about any product. I also love how sturdy the pouches are. They aren't as flimsy as competitor brands and the straws are really strong and wont bend while trying to punch them into the pouch. I love that I can hand it to my two year old and she can do it herself without bending the straw.


Each pouch contains about 40 calories and the ingredients are really simple. For example, the Appley Ever After flavor contains:


Filtered Water, Organic Apple Juice Concentrate, Organic Cane Sugar, Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid(Vitamin C), Malic Acid and Citric Acid.


Probably my most favorite part about these pouches is that they come in a pack of 8 for around 3.00 and you can purchase them at mass retailers like Target! This is so convenient for me!


These pouches are perfect for road trips, picnics and any other time you want convenience AND an organic product. I really would recommend these to any parent I know.

I want to say a huge thank you to the rockin people over at Honest Tea for this review opportunity and for turning me on to an new awesome product!





Disclaimer: I received free product to review. I was not paid to write this and all opinions are my own.

LARABAR

The lovely people over at Larabar sent me several samples to try out and I am so incredibly happy they did. My husband and I are always on the lookout for healthy snacks that actually taste good and these bars exceded our expectations.

The thing I love the most about Larabar is that they are gluten free. I am about to undergo testing for celiac disease and if I am diagnosed, I wont be able to eat gluten anymore. At this point I find myself wondering what products gluten ISN'T in because it is in SO many things. What is gluten doing in a Twizzler anyway? I am constantly on the hunt for yummy gluten free snacks and I am so happy that all Larabars are gluten free!

For more information about Larabars and special diets, click here.

I wanted to talk to you guys about two specific Larabar flavors I was sent. One is my absolute favorite and one was not such a huge hit.

First up is Cherry Pie. This bar is a complete WIN for me. I have since purchased several more of these bars to keep in my diaper bag for mommy hunger emergencies! It's perfectly sweet and tart just like a cherry and completely satisfied my sweet tooth. I even gave my kids a bite and they loved it just as much as I did.

"Tart and tasty, chewy, but not ooey or gooey, our Cherry Pie contains 1 full serving of fruit, 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. The simple, 3-ingredient mix of unsweetened cherries, dates and almonds, packs a big flavor with a dollop of fun. "

The flavor that was not a win for me was the Lemon Bar. I was super sad this wasn't my favorite. I adore lemon and this just wasn't what I expected. I wanted more lemon flavor. Dont get me wrong, it was still good, I guess I just like my lemon to be stronger.

One thing I found truly interesting about Larabar products is that each bar contains no more than 9 ingredients and they are all made from whole foods. I love how simple and delicious they are. I also like that they wont freeze or melt. I can keep a bar in my bag and not worry about the 100 degree weather here in Arizona.

I strongly urge you guys to check out Larabars and give them a try because I think you will be pleasantly surprised. They really fill you up and are an awesome healthy snack for when you are on the go!

I want to say a huge thank you to Larabar for sending some bars my way and for opening my eyes to their fantastic product!

Disclaimer: I received free product to review. I was not paid to write this and all opinions are my own.

First Food Success

I think her first time eating solids was a huge success! She loved it. Her first food was organic brown rice, breastmilk and organic apples! 10-6-2011, she was 5 months old.

Tummy Time!

Coconut Oil 101

On my journey to eating healthier foods, I came across coconut oil. Is it good? Is it bad? What is the deal? I found tons of conflicting information and after rooting through it all, I discovered the truth. There is nothing in the world wrong with coconut oil! Is has gotten a bad name for nothing. I really want to spread the word about the benefits of coconut oil and I want to share some of the facts with you guys!

Coconut oil contains lauric acid. The only other food item on this earth that contains lauric acid is breastmilk. Our bodies convert lauric acid into monolaurin which acts as a antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, and an antibacterial.

Coconut oil consists of 90% saturated fat. Dont panic! The fats in coconut oil are a medium chain fatty acid, which is awesome. Medium chain fatty acids do not have a negative effect on cholesterol and actually help protect against heart disease. Short and medium chain fatty acids help aid in weight loss by speeding up the metabolism.

Coconut oil helps improve digestion and can help prevent various digestion related problems like irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats in coconut oil have antimicrobial properties which help deal with bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of vitamins and minerals.

Coconut oil contains less calories than other oils and it's fat content is easily converted into energy.

All of my information came from here and here. Check out those sites for MUCH more information on coconut oil. I am so glad we made the switch!

Tropical Traditions Certified Organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is fantastic and the only oil we use in our house now. Their coconuts are used fresh(within 24-48 hours of harvest) from small family farms in the Philippines.

How do they make coconut oil? The coconut meat is shredded and then cold-pressed using the water from inside the coconuts to make coconut milk. The milk then has to sit for half a day allowing the oil to separate from the heavier water. Then they filter the oil from the curds. They do not use any chemicals or high-heat treatment and this coconut oil does not contain any trans fatty acids. I adore that their oil is not mass produced and is made by small farming families. They use methods that have been around for hundreds of years. All of their coconut trees and family producers are certified organic by strict USDA guidelines, which I love! Another thing I love about this oil is its long shelf life! I can stock up when it goes on sale and not worry about it going bad.

My favorite quote from the Tropical Traditions website:

"Virgin coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, a nutrient that supports the body's immune system. Lauric acid is also found in human mother's milk. Dr. Mary Enig suggests the average adult include 3.5 tablespoons of coconut oil per day in their diet to take in an equivalent amount of lauric acid that a nursing infant would receive from breast milk"

I LOVE that quote and it is my number one reason for wanting coconut oil in my diet. I love that it is a natural oil. Vegetable oil is NOT a natural oil. If you squeeze a soybean, you do not get oil. The oil in soybeans(vegetable oil) has to be extracted. It is creepy and unnatural.

I have replaced all oils in my kitchen with coconut oil from Tropical Traditions and I will never go back. I think all of my meals and baked goods taste even better when I use coconut oil! When cooking things like eggs, I can smell the coconut oil when it is hot, but I do not taste it on my eggs. I love that it can replace any oil, including olive oil.

Coconut oil beauty tip - mix this with sugar to make an at home sugar scrub! It is phenomenal and my new favorite scrub. Dont pay ungodly prices for scrubs when you can make your own!

Check out the recipe section on the Tropical Traditions website and check out even more of their research!

Purchase your own Certified Organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil here. Right now they have a 10% off coupon code on their website - 111010.

I want to say a huge thank you to the phenomenal people over at Tropical Traditions for this amazing product review opportunity. I am a customer for life!

Disclaimer: I received free product to review. I was not paid to write this and all opinions are my own.

Pure Bar Flavors, My Opinion

From the Pure Organic line:

Chocolate Brownie - I absolutely adored this bar. I am a dark chocolate freak and I love knowing I was eating something organic and healthy. We cant always have brownies, but one of these bars every once and awhile is a safe choice. If you love dark chocolate and walnuts, buy this bad boy!

Wild Blueberry - My husband actually got to eat this bar and he said it was awesome. This bar is packed with blueberries, dates, almonds and cashews. This was the first one he tried and it definitely sold him.

Cherry Cashew - This was my favorite Pure bar. Cherries are probably my favorite fruit. I could eat them all day and this bar put me in my comfort zone. I think I will always have one of these bars stashed in my diaper bag for emergencies. I think every mom can relate to not taking time to eat while out and about. This is my go to bar! Everything about this was delicious. If you love cherries and cashews, you will love this!

Apple Cinnamon - This was not my favorite, but I am not big on apple cinnamon foods in general. It just reminds me of cooked apples, which I am not a huge fan of. This bar wasn't disgusting by any means. I say I dont like it out of personal preferences for not wanting apple cinnamon. If you love apple cinnamon, you will love this bar for sure. I did like that this bar also has walnuts in it though!

Cranberry Orange - If this flavor comination sounds a bit crazy to you, dont worry. You are not alone. I thought it was a little nuts too, but I ended up loving it! It's perfectly sweet and tart, with almonds thrown in for a kick. I highly recommend this Pure Bar, it was such a surprise.

Pure Naturals line:

Chocolate Almond - This bar was more like a granola bar or trail mix bar. I definitely liked the Chocolate Brownie bar better, but this was still good! If I want something crunchy, I would definitely reach for this.

Peanut Raisin Crunch - My husband ate this one, as he is obsessed with peanuts. He said it was pretty good but wasn't sure about the raisins. He isn't a huge raisin fan, but he said this reminded him of trail mix in a bar form.

Superfruit Nutty Crunch - This was by far my favorite Pure Naturals Bar. It was heavenly! It's sweet and tart and nutty and wonderful! If you love pomegranates, blueberries, cranberries, almonds and peanuts, then look no further. This is the snack for you!

My Baby is 5!

Today my first born turned five. FIVE. I cant even stand it! I cant believe it has been five years since I first held him in my arms. I cannot thank him enough for making me a mother. He changed my life forever.

Thank you Michael Maden. I hope we made your day wonderful!

Pictures of his party will be posted tomorrow and thanks ONCE AGAIN for being patient with me. I have a couple reviews done, just need to proofread and then post. This weekend has been exhausting and wonderful and I am so insanely lucky. The picture above is the first time I ever held Michael. I pushed for 4 hours only to end up with a c-section. This was one of the best moments in my life.

Updates!

Hey guys! I wanted to update you on what I have been up to and let you know what is in store for October! We have all just gotten over being sick in our house and I think my girls still have a little bit of a cold. I think all moms know what it's like to have a little baby with a runny nose! We've all held in there and everything is going great now. We have also had a ton of doctor's appointments going on in September. My husband's blood pressure is out of control at 148/110 and he has started taking a couple blood pressure medications. That has been a HUGE adventure for us. I am glad they are taking care of him and getting it under control though.

In October we are busy as well! But dont worry, I have a blog schedule planned out and ready to go. My son turns FIVE on October 10th and I can carely believe it. Where on Earth has the time gone? We are having his birthday party on Saturday the 8th and then on the 9th we are going to pick apples and pumpkins. It's going to be such a fun weekend!

Now on to what I have planned this month for my blog!

I have a PureBar flavor review to post
Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil
Organic Family Cookbook Review
Honest Kids Drink Pouch review
Larabar Review
Milkin Cookies Review
Urban Originals Shirt Review
NurturMe Baby Food Review
Go Green Pocket Diaper

So I have 9 reviews planned for October with the first 2 going live tomorrow night. Thanks so much for sticking with me while I get back into the swing of blogging. It's amazing how life can hit you right over the head! I also have a wordless wednesday going up tomorrow morning and a whole post about saving money while eating healthy as well as my Sunflower Market haul!

I hope you all are enjoying the lovely Fall weather and I cannot wait to share pictures of us picking our apples and pumpkins! I also have a post planned on how to show you all how to make homemade apple butter! I adore the Fall! Oh! If you are looking for a delicious Pumpkin Spice candle, check out the Mainstays one from Walmart! It is amazing and by far the best pumpkin spice candle I have ever found!

Peace and love

Danielle

Pure Bar = Pure Bliss

As many of you know, I am 4 months postpartum and dying to get this weight off of me. Dont get me wrong, 30 pounds have melted off with ease, and now I have to work for the rest! My doctor also wants me to watch my gluten and fat intake because she thinks my gall bladder might be on the fritz. With all of this going on, I need to make healthy choices with the foods I pick and I am SO glad I stumbled upon Pure Bars. I was sent one of each flavor and there wasn't one bar that my husband and I didn't enjoy.

One of my biggest problems was never packing snacks for ME in my diaper bag. Oh sure, I had plenty for the kids, but when it came to myself, I tended to stop for french fries or something very unhealthy to munch on when we were all out. Pure Bars make it incredibly simple to carry a mama snack with me in my diaper bag. Just toss one in and go. They dont get all smushy in my bag and they keep really well. Now I have no excuse for eating healthy when I am outside of my home! I think this reason alone is a reason for me to love Pure Bars.


My fear with trying out bars like this is that I wont think they taste good. That fear was short lived with one bite of my Pure Bar Organic Cherry Cashew bar. It was absolutely delicious and I became hooked. My husband's first bite was the Organic Wild Blueberry Bar and he said it was fabulous. He wanted to steal the rest of my bars to take for snacks at work!


The absolute best part of Pure Bars?


Cherry Cashew Pure Bar Ingredients: organic dates, organic cherries, organic walnuts, organic agave nectar, organic almonds, organic cashews, and organic brown rice protein.


That's all! I know my body is getting the fuel it needs, no nasty chemicals and I get a yummy snack for only 190 calories! Each bar is also gluten free and vegan. I love a product that tailors to so many people!


Stay tuned for various mini posts on each of the other bars I tried. In the meantime, follow Pure Bar on Facebook and Twitter. You can also subscribe to their newsletter for yummy updates!


Purchase Pure Bars online or use their store locator to find a store near you.


I want to say a huge thank you to the lovely people over at Pure Bar for this fabulous review opportunity.





Disclaimer: I received free product to review. I was not paid to write this and all opinions are my own!