Go Red for Women on Feb.5th

It's that time of year again. Time for my annual public service announcement. This may sound like a broken record for those that are my regular bloggy friends, but I put this out there as much as I can. If it helps just one person, it's worth it.
The following is from the American Heart Association:

One in three American women die from heart disease, making it the leading killer of women in America. In 2002, heart disease killed more women than breast cancer, lung cancer and strokes combined, according to statistics from the National Heart Lung and Blood institute.


I dodged one major bullet. On February 10th, 2002, I had a heart attack. Fortunately, I was not one of those women that lost their life in 2002. I was 35 years old. Who would have guessed that there was trouble lurking inside my body. Quite frankly, I should have guessed. I should have taken steps to make sure that everything was ok. Why should I have guessed? To start with, I have a family history. I ignored a history and it could have cost me my life. I thought that since I was a woman, that I was not a risk. Aside from hereditary aspect, I was not heavy, I exercised, I did not and do not smoke. So you never really know.

Simple tests can detect trouble. Don't ignore this advice. Go to the doctor. Get yourself checked. Whether you have a history or not. Use the great tools at Go Red for Women, Keep your heart healthy, you can't live without it!


Don't forget to wear red on February 5th! Everyone looks good in red!!!

Orbitz

The reason that I chose Orbitz is because I generally find the lowest rates for Hotels through them. I have not used them for flights yet, so I cannot comment on that.

** If you find a lower rate on another site for your same prepaid hotel room, they will refund the difference and give you $50 toward your next hotel booking. You have all the way until the hotel's cancellation fees apply to try to find a lower price.

** They do not charge booking fees on hotels & flights. Plus they they dont charge change or cancel fees on hotels, because heck, plans change right?

** Orbitz is also the only one that offers a Price Assurance on both Hotels & Flights.

DHC

DHCcare.com is your exclusive online source in the U.S. for authentic DHC products - skincare and cosmetics from one of Japan's top beauty companies. We are also a provider of fine foods and nutritional supplements - products that help you be as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. Look for new sales and liquidation specials every month for a savings of up to 50% off! Get 4 free samples every time you order.


DHC USA Incorporated is my #1 go to brand for skin care. I use their Deep Cleansing Oil exclusively. It is the only product that cleans and removes my make-up quickly and without harsh chemicals. Don't let the name fool you, there is no oily residue. Nor does it clog pores. I even it to remove waterproof mascara without irritating my eyes. I use the "Olive Essential Set" as my nightly routine. I also ADORE the "Velvet Skin Coat" as a primer or on it's own. I love how my skin looks and feels after using the Velvet Skin. Try it, you will not be dissapointed. Do yourself a favor, go to the DHC USA Website and see what they have to offer. Plus, you get to choose 4 samples with every purchase. If you decide to order, be a pal and please click through from here.

Hawaiian Airlines

A few days ago, I mentioned that I would be placing ads on my blog. Just to see how it goes. I decided that any ads that are placed on my site, would be from companies that I actually have done busines with and use frequently. That is why I decided against the Ad-Sense, since I would have no control over what is advertised. So for now, I have chosen the following.

Hawaiian has a wonderful 77 year history. We are renown for our inflight service (including not only offering a tasty complimentary meal but a choice of three meals in Coach on daytime flights) and for our punctuality (we've been America's number one on-time airline for over 2.5 years). We operate from more U.S. mainland gateways to Hawaii than any other airline: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle. All our mainland gateways offer one or more daily nonstop flights to Honolulu while San Diego, Portland and Seattle also have nonstops to Maui. We also operate nonstop service from Honolulu to Sydney, Australia, Pago Pago, American Samoa and Papeete, Tahiti. Our entire mainland to Hawaii and South Pacific service is operated with 252-seat, Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The 767-300 is the ideal aircraft for this service as it offers widebody, twin-aisle comfort in a 2-3-2 seat configuration in Coach.

Hawaiian also operates over 115 daily flights between the Hawaiian Islands with state-of-the-art, 123-seat, Boeing 717-200 aircraft and the convenience of seat assignments like our long-haul flights. Besides providing Hawaii's best interisland service, our flights make easy connections to/from the mainland and South Pacific.


I chose Hawaiian Airlines because it is my all time favorite airline for my travels to Hawaii. I love their planes, their service & especially their On-Time record. I have used them for both flights to/from the mainland & interisland and I have never been dissapointed. I have also received very good customer service via phone & email. I will hopefully be booking my October trip with them real soon!

Danny & I on our way to Maui onboard Hawaiian Airlines

Now I need a new pair of shoes!

There was a time when I wouldn't be caught dead wearing Crocs. I have really skinny ankles and the big bulkiness just looked odd. Then they came out with all these cool & cute styles. Now, I live in them. I LOVE my Cleo's. So much so, that I have 2 pairs. I just bought a pair of Ithaca & a pair of Athens. Now I am seriously considering getting a pair of Cyprus for the Disney Social Media Moms Conferfence. I would love to be able to wear heels to the evening events. But those events would also require quite a bit of walking. I really don't want to choose between comfort & cute with just a little bit of height for my short self. The Cyprus Crocs could be the answer.

So do any of you own the Cyprus Crocs? Are they comfortable? Will I be able to be on my feet all day? Ay, chi chi, decision, decisions!


**This is NOT a paid or sponsored post**

Momma needs a new pair of jeans!

I was at the mall yesterday, trying to find something tho wear for DisneySMMoms Conference. Have I mentioned that I'm going?? LOL As some of you know, since I've gained some weight, my relationship with clothes shopping is a love/hate type. I LOVE seeing all the gorgeous stuff. Especial the Spring & Summer lines. Everything looks fantastic & cute...on the hanger or the rail thin mannequins. In a way, these miserable trips to the fitting room encourage me to try harder at losing the weight. But it definitely sucks at the moment.

I stopped at Aeropstale and saw that you can take in any brand of your gently worn jeans to any Aéropostale store from 1/19/10 - 2/14/10. To say thanks, Aéropostale will give you an additional 25% off your next pair of jeans. All collected jeans will go to homeless teens. Their jeans are very well priced to start with. What I like about Aeropostale jeans, is that they have short, regular & long. Did you get that? SHORT! I have such a hard time finding jeans for vertically challenged people! Geeze, it's descrimination I tell ya!

**This is NOT a paid or sponsored post**

22 More Sleeps

A Lifetime of Magic

I currently have Disney on my mind because of the Social Media Moms Conference. Have I mentioned that we’re going? Well, in case I haven’t mentioned it in the last 20 minutes or so, we will all be there with bells on in February.

Anyhoo, my first ever trip to Walt Disney World was on January 20, 1972. I had just turned 5. ( I know ya’ll are doing the math and all. Just to save you the trouble, I’ll let you know that I stopped at 29! ) Although, it’s been (cough) 38 years, I really do remember that day clearly. Back then, the characters would stroll around the park on their own. To me that was just the most amazing & fascinating thing ever. I even met my idol at the time, Snow White. She spoke to me for over 5 minutes. I have home movies to prove it. Unfortunately, there is no sound. I clearly remember telling her how I had a record that played her story and that I would follow along with the book. I also explained that there was a little chime when I was supposed to turn the page. You know, just in case she didn’t know how that worked. I also asked if the apple tasted bad. She seemed so very interested in what I had to say, and I was in awe. Those were also the days of tickets for rides. Sometime that same year Eastern Airlines opened a ride in Tommorowland, which did not require tickets. We would ride it over and over. If you had wings, If you had wings, If you had wings, had wings, had wings! I LOVED it! It was love at first sight for me with Disney. It’s a love that has endured the test of time. Heck, I’ve loved it almost as long as I’ve been alive! On a side note and totally useless piece of information, we stayed at the Polynesian a few months after our first visit and my mom tells me that the nightly rate was about $35!!!

Fortunately, I have lived in Miami all my life, and road trips to Disney were the norm for me growing up. When I got married, my dear sweet husband took me on an around the world honeymoon... to Epcot. Once we had kids, we couldn’t wait for them to be old enough to appreciate the magic. There is nothing like seeing Disney through the eyes of a child. We were fortunate enough to be members of the Disney Vacation Club, which facilitated our many trips to Disney, Vero Beach, Hilton Head & several Disney Cruises as well. My girls, still love Disney and are looking forward to our upcoming trip, with the same anticipation as when they were five.

Next up for us, Disney with the grandkids. There’s no rush, but when I do have grandkids, I will be ready to take them to the happiest, most magical place on earth!

Don’t forget that this year is Give a Day, Get a Day. You just volunteer your time with a participating organization and Disney will give you one FREE day at either Disneyland or Disney World! It’s a win-win situation. So head on over and see what’s available in your community!

I’m sure that I will have a ton of things to report on after the conference. So Stay tuned!

This is just for the audio . The video is irrelevant.

Your Shape & Jell-O Mousse Temptations

As I posted before, my non-resolution resolution is to try to lose some weight and get in shape. I was fortunate enough to be chosen by House Party.com to host a Your Shape & Jell-O Mousse Temptations party. My party was supposed to be on Saturday the 9th, but due to the frigid weather here in sunny & warm S.Florida, I postponed it till the 14th. Only 11 ladies were able to make it, but we had a blast!

Your Shape



Let me start with the Your Shape for Wii by Ubisoft with Jenny McCartney. A tiny webcam is included with the Your Shape disc. I like that I don’t need to use the Wii Remote or Nunchuk. You work out on your own and let the USB camera track your movements. It's really easy to set up. The camera comes with a base that allows it to easily be attached to the top of a TV, or to your Wii sensor bar. You do need quite a bit of room to use it, because the camera needs to be able to see your entire body to properly track your movements. We got the basics down & the exercises are fairly simple (so far). I’m not too thrilled about watching myself on the TV but not having to use a controller is a huge plus.

Of course, the game is not without a few, shall I say, inconveniences. I have french doors that face my TV in the family room, I have to close the curtains in order see my awesome self on the TV. You’re supposed to avoid having direct light hitting the camera but the room is supposed to be well lit and avoid shadows. My image on the TV is just like most webcams that I have used. Somewhat dark, and a slight delay is the norm. Nothing like the picture below. Which brings me to the actual tracking of my movements. Although, I believe that my movements are correct, Miss Jenny keeps telling me otherwise. I totally blame this on the webcam delay. It can also be that I don’t have the recommended space for the webcam to track correctly. They recommend 10 feet from the TV which, for me, means rearranging furniture before and after the workout. Or it can also be that I am only 5 ft tall. Maybe the webcam can’t properly track the movement of my short arms and legs.

I like the calendar that sets up my workout schedule for the month and I can adjust it as needed. Most exercises are standard aerobics moves like steps, lunges, jumping jacks, squats, etc, along with walking, marching, running, and swimming motions. You can also use your own exercise equipment to kick to up a notch since the game supports the use of items like an exercise ball, hand weights or a step. When you choose your workout, you can set the length of time for your exercise and what part of your body you want to focus on. You will have a choice between one to three styles: Burn, Strength Training, and Toning. Next, there is a list of exercise equipment that you may want to use. If you choose one, the game will incorporate exercises using the equipment chosen. You don’t have to use any extra equipment if you don’t want to.

I was able to unlock an extra challenge by following Your Shape on Facebook & @yourshape on Twitter.

We did sweat. The jury is still out among my friends though. I will have to use the Your Shape some more before rendering a definite opinion. All in all, like any other exercise routine, it requires commitment. As long as you do the exercises, you will benefit. I ignore the score and just work out.

Right now the Your Shape is priced at $49.99 on Amazon.com. I have $10 coupons left over if you are interested, just let me know. It’s only good towards the purchase of Your Shape at Amazon.com.





Just Dance

My House Party box also included a Just Dance game for Wii. This was a blast! You do have to hold the remote for this one, but you are dancing. That alone, is a workout! You can play single or multi player. There is a choice of 30 songs ranging from Elvis to the B-52’s to Katie Perry. I found it to be a fun party game. That being said, I don’t think that I would pay retail for this game. Plus it definitely isn’t for real gamers. But, it is a lot of fun. Especially for making a fool of yourself in front of your friends!






Jell-O Mousse Temptations


The Jell-O Mousse Temptations come in single serve cups, just like the pudding.

They come in 3 flavors:
Caramel Crème Mousse
Calories: 60; Total Fat: 3g; Sugar: 0g; Protein: 1g; Fiber: 0g
Chocolate Indulgence Mousse
Calories: 60; Total Fat: 3g; Sugar: 0g; Protein: 2g; Fiber: Less than 1g
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Calories: 60; Total Fat: 2.5g; Sugar: 0g; Protein: 2g; Fiber: 1g

I personally loved the taste. I had some texture issues, as did several of my friends, but nothing that I can’t overlook for a chocolaty treat at just 60 calories each.

Maybe I will meet my goals this year after all!


**I received the You Shape for Wii by Ubisoft, Just Dance by Ubisoft, and coupons for Jell-O Mousse Temptations for free from HouseParty.com**

We're going to Disney World... AGAIN!

I had recently decided that I would like to start a new blog aside from my personal blog, or maybe merged with my personal blog. I would really like to get into the reviewing/sweepstakes aspect of blogging. I currently write reviews on a private level directly to companies via mystery shopping. Since I am such a huge travel junkie, I am fortunate that many of my assignments are travel reltaed. I have also done public reviews for sites like BzzAgent, HouseParty and a few others.

So pretty soon, there will be a change or maybe an addition to this blog. Stay Tuned.

Which brings me to Social Media Moms Celebration at Disney World! When this amazing opportunity presented itself, I just couldn't pass it up. I'm looking forward to learning as much as possible. Not only from the guest speakers & the conference experience, but also from all the ladies (& gents) that I will meet! This is the 1st conference of this sort that I will be attending, so I really don't now what to expect. One extremely fantastic perk is that I can take Danny & the girls! How awesome is that? And it's at Walt Disney World to boot!

I would like to thank 5 Minutes for Mom, Resourceful Mommy Media, Mom Bloggers Club , Mom Select and of course Walt Disney World for hosting this event.

Orange Craisins!

I should be used to it, whenever I fall in love with a product, it is discontinued. Be it a scent, a nail polish, cosmetic, candles... you name it!

I LOVE Orange flavored craisins from Ocean Spray. I use them in salads, for baking and just on their own. To my dismay, my local grocery stores no longer stock them Why? I don't know. They told me that the Orange flavored ones were discontinued. They lied. I called Ocean Spray myself. Although they were very nice, they didn't really give me any options to purchase. I go on vacation and make it a point to check the grocery stores there, with no luck either. Even Amazon did not have them available.

So after looking around online, I finally found Buy the Case.com. Not only did they have it available, but the prices are very comparable to my grocery store's prices. Plus they ship really fast and send a coupon for a future order to boot! Needless to say, I am a very happy camper! I got them in time for my holiday baking, so my friends were happy campers as well! :-)

Does it ever end?

I would have never, in a million years, ever dreamed that would be such a worry wart. My mom used to tell me that what goes around, comes around. Let me just say that I was a good kid. I just had a problem with getting home on time. Mind you, this was before cell phones, so I had an excuse ;-)

Nowadays, I can't get to sleep until the girls are both home. They call to keep me posted as to where they are. You know, just in case there is a fire somewhere, I will know that they are not there! Have I mentioned that my girls are 19 & 20? At 19, I had already purchased my 1st home, a townhouse. I had 2 jobs and was going to school. I was totally independenet. Different times I guess.

In my defense, they still live here, so I guess that justifies my neurotic behavior. I wonder how I would act if they did not live at home? Geez, they are just little girls, they were just born yesterday! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Brrrrrrrrrrrr

We are finally getting around to putting away all our Christmas decorations. Slowly but surely. Meaning that I started on Tuesday, and still have not finished. It's been way too cold and it's kind of hard to work with a Snuggie on! Boy did I make fun of this thing when I first saw it. Heck, I was still making fun of it just a few weeks ago. I even got one as a joke gift for Kari! Actually, that's the one that I have been wearing. Sort of indian giver-ish. I guess. But it keeps me warm and that's all that matters. Only problem is that it is made for giants, not for 5'0" humans.