Confessions of a busy mom!

March 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I’m such a slacker.  Well not really, but it kinda seems that way when it comes to this blog lately.  I confess, I haven’t blogged in at least a month, but it’s not because I don’t want to.  It’s because I feel like I need to write a book when I post.  I read other blogs (well some of them) and gesh they put so much content in one post.  But here’s the thing, half the time I don’t even finish reading them because they can be so long that I don’t have time to read a small book.  So, instead of trying to be like everybody else, I’m going to start blogging (Lord knows I have enough drafts saved) posts that are short and sweet for the busy mom.    From volunteering at my sons school, trying to take care of an 18 month old, fix up my house, etc I just don’t have time for a chapter book lol.

So here’s a little tip for laundry!  Use vinegar as a natural fabric softener.  Use about 1/2 cup – 1 cup (I use 1 cup on my towels and 1/2 cup on all other clothes).  I promise you will NOT smell like vinegar lol.

Have a fabulous weekend!  THINK SPRING!

bridgetsig

Filed Under: Babble, Tips

Sweet and Salty

January 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I’m such a sucker for chocolate.  One night I was watching tv and I was craving sweet and salty.  Now I love popcorn with peanut m&m’s however I did not have any M&M’s.  I will always have popcorn in my house and on days I don’t, we are in trouble.  I realized that I didn’t have the M&M’s, but I did have chocolate :D  So I decided to pop my popcorn (I do the kernels not the microwave stuff).  So this is how I did it.  Of course you can switch up things however you wish.  After I popped the popcorn I added salt and then melted some chocolate chips, which is another ingredient I try not to be out of because I always want to be prepared for a hot chocolate bar.  I dipped a fork into the melted chocolate and just drizzled it over the popcorn.  Of course you can do more than I did, however, I was trying not to over do it because it only goes to the hips anyhow.  It was just enough to have a good sweet and salty snack that wasn’t too fattening.   Here’s how it looked…

popcorn

 

Do you ever whip up a sweet and salty snack?  We’d love to hear your recipes or even how you would switch things up for something like popcorn and chocolate.

 

Love,

bridgetsig

Filed Under: Food/recipes Tagged With: , ,

Cravebox-Dog Theme

January 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Have you seen those really cool boxes from various companies?  You can subscribe to them and receive one every month.  They have boxes for beauty, pets, babies/kids, family fun, etc.  So many great boxes!  I’ve become addicted to them.  It’s like getting a present in a mail from a stranger lol.  Recently I gave Cravebox a try.  They usually do various theme’s such as Coffee, Book Lovers, New Year Resolutions, etc.  They vary in price from $10-$15-includes shipping.  You chose which ones you want, fill out a short survey and wait to see if they accept you to get a box.  If they do, they usually bill you within a week or less so be prepared to pay promptly.  My first was the Dog Themed box.  I received a bunch of different products.  My box included:

*Stain Lifting Pad

*In A Dog’s Heart book by Jennifer Arnold

*Keen’s trial size dehydrated whole food for dogs

*Calming Collar from Sentry

*True Chews Natural Chicken Jerky Fillet

*CouponsSAMSUNG

 

I actually don’t have any dogs, however I own a gourmet dog treat company called PupCake Shoppe and I thought it would be perfect to use as giveaways for my customers and hopefully they’ll give me their opinion on what they thought of the products.  Have you received a Cravebox or another subscription type box before?  Let me know what it was and how you liked it.

 

Love,

 

bridgetsig

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Hot Cocoa Anyone?

January 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I tell ya, with this cold weather I just LOVE to warm my sons belly with some delicious hot cocoa.  I have no idea my obsession with it, but I just love to make a hot cocoa bar.  I make sure I have a fully stocked bar at all times.  Of course making it with milk makes it creamer, but we usually just use water.  There are TONS of great recipes for different kinds of hot chocolate including crock pot hot chocolate.  I plan to make it for my Card Club I will have starting next week.  It’s a recipe I found on Pinterest.  If it’s good, I’ll post about it and let you know how it turned out.  I really hate to promote a recipe I haven’t tried yet.

When I get my hot chocolate together there are a few things that I feel are MUST haves.  Here are a few things I usually have for mine:

Chocolate chips (a must have)-you could also get butterscotch chips, peppermint, etc

Whipped Cream (a must have and we go through A LOT of this because we always do a squirt in the mouth too  lol)

I dust mine with Dove Chocolates powdered cocoa

Peppermint Creamer is a great way to flavor it up as a Peppermint Mocha.  There are tons of creamers out there that can really give a different flavor to your cocoa

Crushed peppermint

Marshmellows

Hershey Kisses

International Delight’s Iced Coffee is good in them too!  Check out my friend/inspiration Misty’s review on her blog

Really the list could go on!  This is a picture of some hot cocoa I whipped up for my son after school one day.  He’s been on a Hershey Kisses kick lately so I replaced the chocolate chips with those.

hot cocoa copy

Did you know there have been research studies on hot cocoa and there are a lot of great health benefits of drinking it?   They did a study at Cornell University and that showed hot chocolate contains more antioxidants than wine and tea, which reduces the risk of heart disease.  Plus chocolate has been known as a great anti-depressant.  What woman couldn’t attest to that? lol  All the more reason to drink some!  Do you like/love hot cocoa too?  What kind of things do you put in yours?

Love,

bridgetsig

Filed Under: Food/recipes

YUMMY Recipes!

January 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment

So I’m perusing through Pinterest and of course getting lost and hungry in all of the pins.  I’m not even sure how I can across this site, I think it was the French Toast Muffins, it’s FoodGawker.com.  There are sooo many yummy recipes on there.  Of course I doubt any of them are healthy, but you could probably switch up a few things to make them as healthy as possible.  Actually Pinterest probably isn’t a good idea if you are having a weak moment when dieting, hence I shouldn’t even be on it right now.  BUT I was craving sweets and decided to torture myself hoping just looking would full fill my need lol.

 

Check it out and let me know which recipes you think you’ll give a try.

Love,

bridgetsig

Filed Under: Babble, Food/recipes

Five Ways To Get Healthy!

December 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Everybody is hearing all over the news about how this or that is toxic, has some new chemical causing cancer or is poisoning our children.  Going through the drive thru has now become something you second guess.  From obesity to the preservatives added to our foods.  It starts to become a little alarming…or a lot.  That is why I started as an Independent Consultant with Arbonne last year for that reason.  Of course now because we are approaching the beginning of the year everybody is ready to “make a change”, “start new”, “get healthy”, “lose weight”.  Well I’m here to share with you FIVE of the many products I suggest you start out your year with to become healthy and toxic free!

1.  Protein Shake-Arbonne’s Protein Shake comes in both vanilla and chocolate.  It’s lactose FREE, Gluten FREE and contains 20 grams of Vegan protein (Yellow Pea, Cranberry and Brown Rice Protein).  These also come in a bag, individual packets or ready to go shakes.

2.  Fiber Boost-12 grams of fiber supplements.  Helps keep you full and supports digestive health.  It’s tasteless, colorless, textureless and non thickening.

3.  Fizz Stick Energy Drink-Comes in both Pomegranate or Citrus.  Mix it with your water for high energy boost.  It’s a great alternative to coffee and could also help kick the soda habit.  Alkaline drink, which disease can not grow in!

4.  Weight Loss Chews-These come in Caramel, Chocolate and occasionally Arbonne will carry a seasonal flavor like lemon.  They are an ideal snack to help control appetite and cravings.

5.  Detox Tea-This tea contains 9 botanicals that help to support the liver, kidney and blood detoxification.  This tea is GREAT!  I am not usually a tea drinker, but this tea made me change my mind.

Arbonne has several other products with tons of great benefits to help you get healthy.  Like our Metabolism Boost, Digestions Plus (great for those with acid reflux), 7 Day Detox Cleanse, Immunity Booster, Daily Vitamin Power Pack, Omega 3 Plus and so many more!  Contact me for more information or to join my 2013 Healthy Living Club.

We offer a Fit Kit or you can buy the products individually.  Everybody purchasing any of the “Fit” products will receive a FREE gift.  You can visit www.arbonne.com and use ID 19910337 at check out or contact me.  If you order through the site I will have to mail out your free gift separately as this is a special I am doing and is nothing Arbonne is promoting.

Love and Health,

bridgetsig

Filed Under: Healthy Eating

Flu Season YUCK!

December 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

They say flu season is the worse this year than it’s been in years past.  Don’t we hear that every year?  They are also saying you should get your flu shot if you haven’t yet and dispelled some of the main myths like the you can’t get the flu from the flu shot.  I personally got mine back in September.  Ever since my daughter was born prematurely I’ve been getting them with no problems.  I too was one that thought I’d get sick.  However, in addition to that, I’ve been using essential oils to combat any colds/allergy symptoms.

I’ve been rubbing my daughter down with doTERRA’s Eucalyptus oil at least 3-4 times a day on both her chest and the bottoms of her feet with coconut oil.  It’s helped her so much!  While she does not have the flu, we do have some kind of allergy that we’ve had for some time now.  Just runny nose and cough.  Since I’ve started using doTERRA’s oils it have improved.  Another great oil to use and is a must during flu season is doTERRA’s OnGuard.  It is a blend of Wild orange essential oil, combined with clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary.  OnGuard is your BEST defense against illness.  They also now have a concentrate cleaner for your counter tops, door knobs, etc.

Do you use other essential oils?  What do you use them for?  I think I might take a try at making my own laundry detergent.  I’d love to hear your suggestions/homemade recipes.

 

 

Love,

 

 

Filed Under: Seasons

Pamper Your Pooch?

December 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Do you treat your pooch like one of the family?  If I had a dog I know I would.  In fact, when I did have a dog I did.  He was such a joy to me and we had such an unique bond.   He is the reason I don’t currently have one.  Well part of it.  The other part is I have small kids and I really don’t feel like picking up anything they could track in from the yard ;)  I had such a bond with my dog I’m afraid no other dog could live up to his expectations so I just don’t press the issue with my husband.  Selfish?  Probably, but it is what it is for now.

It’s a proven fact that dogs help to relax people, uplift their spirits and are great for senior homes and hospitals.  I can totally see why.  Think about it, when you see a cute dog and you start playing with it, are you worried about anything else other than that dog?  Here’s a picture of my dog-german shepherd/doberman-Bear.

 

So what do you do to pamper your pooch?  Do you buy them gifts?  Spoil them with spa services?  Dress them in their own outfits?  How about buy them gourmet dog treats?  I offer gourmet dog treats at the PupCake Shoppe!  Come check it out and become a fan!  We will be doing a doggie contest in January and are currently looking for your favorite rescues.

 

Love,

Filed Under: Babble

Love with Food

November 15, 2012 By 1 Comment

So I came across this company somewhere and EEK I can’t remember where.  I’m sure you’ve heard of the several popular box subscriptions you can get out there.  Anything from beauty samples, kids items and even food.  I came across this Love with Food box and thought, GENIUS!  I love food, why not try it.  It comes with various yummy gourmet samples.  Here is a picture of the box I received in November.

love with food copy

 

It contained:

*Truffle Piglet from Hagensborg Chocolates-All Natural European Chocolate bliss.  My son and I both LOVED this.

*Inka Corn from Inka Crops-Harvested from non-GMO crops.  It was good, however, it was weird eating hard corn pieces (salted)

*Chocolate Chunk Cookie from Skeeter Snacks-Totally nut-FREE!  This was our favorite!

*Mango Pear Pineapple from Fruit.o-100% organic fruit with no added sugar or preservatives.  I personally did not like the concept of it being in a bag like some baby food is now.  However, my 5 year old LOVED it!  I was really surprised and shocked because he normally won’t eat a mixture of flavors.

*Mini Crunch from Mrs. May’s-Bite sized roasted almond and fruit crunches (we had strawberry).  I loved these as well.

*Turkey Bak Kwa Jerky from Little Red Dot Kitchen-This was the most moist jerky I have ever tried.  It was so fresh and flavorful.  My husband liked this as well and wants me to order some.  You know how men can be, not so excited, but he loved this.

*Original Mulling Spices Blend from Aspen Mulling Co-You just stir this into apple juice.  We haven’t tried this yet because I don’t usually have apple juice, however I will be trying it and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.

*Pumpkin Spice Tea from Stash Tea Company-This is a decaf tea and was very spicy.  It was good, however, I think I left my tea bag in too long :(

As you can see we loved pretty much everything.  I was not disappointed in the least and can hardly wait for our next box.  But here’s the BEST part!  Everytime you buy a box, Love with Food donates a meal to help feed the hungry.  I also didn’t realize that Amy Roloff from TLC’s Little People Big World is also a spokes person for the company-bonus!  I love that show!  So signing up is so easy!  Here’s how it works:

1.  Go to Love with Food and click on Get Our Box.  You can use coupon code Holiday12 to receive $5 off any plan.  You can cancel at anytime with no obligation.

2.  Thanks to YOU, Love with Food will donate a meal to help feed a hungry child!

3.  You can enjoy exclusive discounts to all full-sized products

4.  Earn points to get products for FREE

This wasn’t an “official” review requested from the company.  I did it simply because I really love the products, I love the cause and I love that Amy Roloff is involved.  I am not being paid to write this or compensated in anyway.  So what are you waiting for?  Go check it out!

 

Love,

 

 

Filed Under: Reviews

Support a local business!

November 13, 2012 By 1 Comment

I’m sure a lot of you are excited about Black Friday NEXT Friday.  Holy cow I can’t even believe it’s here already.  I am super excited to see some of the great deals out there of all the things I’ve been wanting all year but decided to wait until Black Friday to get them.  The funny part?  I HATE going out on Black Friday.  I even hate going to any stores from then through the middle of January.  Lets hope Cyber Monday has the same great deals or I’ll just be saving money this year haha.

So while some things like dual dvd players, popcorn machines, coffee machines, etc can not always be bought through a direct seller or maybe even a small local business I strongly encourage everybody to at least buy a few things from local businesses.  We’ve all probably seen the blurp going around on Facebook about support a direct seller because you help support a local family who may be a friend or family member.  Most of the time when you buy from a direct selling company the products are really great quality.  They are also a great resource for gifts you can’t just go buy at a store.  And there is literally something out there for everybody!  Here are a list of ideas:

 

Candles are always good especially for teacher gifts.  Companies like Scentsy, Mia Bella, Gold Canyon and PartyLite

Jewelry is always welcomed.  For a great unique idea to capture memories try Origami Owl.

Organization seems to be what everybody wants now.  There are so many companies for that!  Here are just a few Thirty One Gifts, Tupperware, Clever Container

Food!  Who doesn’t love to eat?  Tastefully Simple, Dove Chocolate Discovery, Velata

Very unique idea that can be made with TONS of things is UpperCase Living.  You can get tons of ideas from Wendy Woodwards Facebook Fanpage.

For the guys in your life why not try Cave Man, Pampered Chef?  I know tons of guys that love to cook.  Or even a good skin care system or cologne from Arbonne (use Consultant ID 19910337) is great too.

For the kids you could try books from Usborne, they have books for all ages.  Discovery toys is great for the little ones.

There are HUNDREDS of ideas and I’d love to help guide you if you need a unique gift for somebody or if just want a gift for yourself.     Have a great stress FREE rest of 2012!

Love,

Filed Under: Seasons
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