I could buy the ice cream that I like and eat it while the kids are in school. But, my daughter has a habit of investigating the bowls in the sink. She’ll spy a spoon and the gig is up. 

Ice cream in our family is the perfect summertime dessert. I’ll send one of the children out to garage fridge to choose iced cream. Lately, we have been snacking on the new Breyers Smooth & Dreamy ice cream bars and sandwiches.

With six rich and creamy flavors, including Chocolate Caramel Brownie, Vanilla Caramel Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Vanilla Fudge Brownie, and Triple Chocolate Chip, Breyers Smooth & Dreamy bars and sandwiches have no artificial flavors or colors. At 160 calories or less and 4-6g of fat per serving with delicious mix-ins and swirls, these bars and sandwiches make for refreshing snacks and desserts.

Would you like to try some Breyers Smooth & Dreamy ice cream bars and sandwiches? I have several coupons to giveaway. Leave a comment to win a coupon. One comment = One chance to win.

Required Entry — Leave a comment

But, I am struggling with my weight. I lose some. I gain some, but I never get anywhere near my goal weight. My goal weight is largely unattainable to me. Did I ever weigh my goal weight??

You see I love food. Gastric bypass surgery would not be an option for me. I cannot spend the rest of my life eating a portion the size of an egg for each meal How sad! So, I need to find ways to eat less, eat sensibly, and eat healthy all within the structure of my family and crazy/busy/insane kiddie activity schedule.

Healthy eating on-the-go and exercising suffer when schedules become busier, and sorting through the plethora of products and services on the market proves an overwhelming, time-consuming effort in itself.  A new line of products may help me to achieve my elusive weight-loss goals.

I was sent a sample shipment of innovative products from underWAY and Smart for Life to review. We had a family taste testing over a period of days.

Note: Since my children are growing and a healthy weight, I monitor what dietary products they ingest. I didn’t let the kids try to underWay supplement drink as it is a meal replacer. I want the children to eat the healthy meals that I prepare rather than “drinking their meal.” Since I need to lose weight, I find a meal-replacing drink to be acceptable to me. I did let them try the Smart for Life cookies and cupcakes.

The Musings from Me family thoughts on Smart for Life and underWay products:

• underWay supplement drinks — I am not a huge water drinker. If the water is flavored I will drink more. The underWay drink I tried was Acai Pomegranate. underWay is an appetite suppressing drink that curbs hunger. I drank one for breakfast on a day I was on-the-go. Here’s what I found on the underWay website: underWAY™ Curbs Your Hunger Two Ways: (1) its special formulation not only takes longer to be absorbed by the stomach, but it also slows the absorption of what’s already there–making you feel fuller, longer, and (2) its unique ingredients stimulate your stomach, telling your brain you’ve consumed more calories than you really have – which, with underWAY™, is almost zero!
• Smart for Life cookies and cupcakes were pronounced good by the kids and husband. Not an abundance of flavor, but as far as diet products go the flavors are better than most. I like that the ingredients are all natural, 60% organic products. We liked that the products were packaged in small packs. The size of the package was small enough for me to eat in 2 days or the whole family to eat in one sitting.
• Ready-to-Go Vanilla Shakes and Chicken Soup — we have not tried yet. Update to come!
• Smart Crunch, Cupcakes–Chocolate and Carrot, and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes were a hit with all of us!

I’m not sure if I could adopt the new 7-meals-per-day schedule featuring 6 cookies or products plus a balanced dinner that underWay and Smart for Life advocates. But, I found the drinks, cupcakes, and cookies to be tasty and a useful snack in my harried and rushed day.

The new 7-meals-per-day schedule allows your body to maintain steady blood sugar and glucose levels, and to burn more fat for a longer portion of the day.

For more information, from the Smart for Life and underWAY products, developed by physician Dr. Sasson Moulavi, a board certified bariatric weight loss doctor, go to www.smartforlife.com and www.under-way.com.

Special Discount Offer for Musings from Me Readers:

My readers can get a special 10% discount code for underWAY and Smart for Life products.

Please use MCUS10OFFUW for underWAY products at www.underWAY.com.

Please use MCUS10OFFSFL at www.smartforlife.com.

Codes good through August 30.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of underWAY and Smart for Life and received samples of the products to review.

I had the unbelievable good fortune to win a laptop computer. I was thrilled not only to win, but to try out a new type of computer.

The litl is a computer that is simple to use. Now, how often do you see the word “simple” and “computer” in the same sentence? Never, right?

Once I arrived home from the brand/blogger gathering I unpacked the computer. I was surprised at how light (weighs about 3.5 ibs) and thin the litl is. I pressed the button on the side to turn the computer on. The first screen asked me to select a wireless network. No modem or wires or cables needed — only wireless.

The second screen showed a series of boxes. Some are preset — weather, clock, and media. I got to work adding my own boxes to the litl. First up e-mail. I typed my e-mail host in to the search box at the top, hit Enter, and my e-mail popped up. I saved the box so that I can check my e-mail each time. I played around with starting and deleting and rearranging the boxes on the screen. Next up I added boxes for the kids…PBSKids, Webkinz, and Yoursphere. Facebook for Coach Dad and me.

No more Windows with folders and subdirectories on top of other folders and yet more directories jamming the screen. Can you say clutter? My laptop AND desktop computer screens (and hard drives for that matter) are a cluttered jumbled mess. And just try getting rid of a Windows folder or a program…another mess!

The litl does not have a harddrive. Everything you need is stored on the internet. There is no CD or DVD drive only a USB port, a place to plug in an HDMI cable, and a power button. No software to install, either.

—

From the litl website, here’s a description of the litl:

We love the web. It’s full of useful stuff, and it’s a great way to connect with friends and family. But we hate computers. At least the mainstream ones that we’ve been using. They’re unnecessarily complex for everyday tasks like browsing and checking email. So we hit the reset button by designing a first-of-its-kind computer that lets you enjoy the web without worrying about anything else.

With the webbook, you can do everything you can normally do with a web browser, and you can use the litl’s apps for a new way to experience the Internet. Carry the webbook around the house to

• Watch your favorite TV shows and movies
• Listen to music, talk radio, and podcasts
• Check email, news, and weather
• View and share photos
• Look up and use new recipes

We also flipped traditional hardware design on its head to make it easier to use. You can bend the webbook over into an easel for a more TV-like viewing experience. When you’re not actively using it, set the webbook on your desk, or counter to stream news headlines and photos. You can even connect it to a big-screen TV.

Best of all, we built the webbook as a computer without all the computery stuff – it just works. We packed the webbook with intuitive software that takes care of all maintenance, automatically and free of charge.

How does it work?

Using wifi, the webbook accesses all your content over the Internet — that means that you store your documents, music, emails, and photos, online where you can access them from the webbook or any other computer. No more worrying about hard drive crashes and data recovery — let your web services handle that for you.

You’ll also never see a pop-up about your virus protection being out of date, or a missing security patch required. The webbook automatically takes care of system updates, patches, and virus protection and even sends you new features and upgrades. Just leave your webbook plugged in overnight, and we do the rest.

—

Oooo, I almost forgot! I have a deal for you to use to get your own litl computer! Go to litl.com/momdeal by July 1, 2010, to get $100 off a litl webbook! Oh and did I mention that the litl deal includes FREE shipping and a FREE remote!

I was invited to attend the Silicon Valley Moms Blog Brand/Blogger Symposium. I won a litl as part of a drawing. The views expressed in this article are my own.

As a college student DJ, my radio show was called “Technical Difficulties.” Skipped records, locked myself out of the studio, broke the sound cart…you name it I did it. At my house I regularly struggle to turn the wii on for the children. I’ll say to the kids: “What am I doing wrong?” “Why is the screen blank?” “Do I press Aux 1 or Digi 1 to get the wii to come on?” My children are more techie than I am. One will reach for the 3 remote controls and fix the problem. BTW, 3 remote controls is not helpful if you are #notatechie…I’m just saying…

At a recent brand/blogger gathering in northern Virginia, I was surprised — nay shocked — with the depth (for me!) of my computer knowledge. I was chatting  to two reps from litl. Annie was explaining the litl to me. She said that the litl is a computer that uses wireless internet. I nodded, but was thinking “wireless?” She went on to explain that the litl does not have a hard drive. My first thought was “no harddrive crashes.” But, my second thought was “Where is the data stored if there is no hard drive?” Annie explained that all the data is stored online at flickr, shutterfly, google docs, your e-mail server, etc. I burst out with “Cloud Computing!” I’m sure I caught her off guard. I’m generally either completely disinterested in computer/tech speak OR I nod my head alot and say “ummm” and “aahhh” to show that I understand.

At the drawing at the end of the event, the business cards we exchanged with the PR/brand reps were put in a drawing for some fabulous prizes. Guess what? I won a litl computer!!! You should have seen me juggling a few bags, a plate of food, and trying to leap over other bags to receive my computer! I was shocked when I heard my name called. In the photo above, I look as though I am about to fall on Jordan Newman of litl, don’t I?

My next post will explain my first impressions of the litl. What do I think of it so far? I love it…that is when my family have allowed me to use it!

Oooo, I almost forgot! I have a code for you to use to get your own litl computer! Go to litl.com/momdeal by July 1, 2010 to get $100 off a litl webbook! Oh and did I mention that the litl deal includes FREE shipping and a FREE remote!

I was invited to attend the Silicon Valley Moms Blog Brand/Blogger Symposium. I won a litl as part of a drawing. The views expressed in this article are my own.

I have driven past Noodles & Company in Columbia, Maryland, many times.  I assumed it was a Chinese restaurant. We love Chinese food. I never knew that Noodles & Company had such a varied selection of dishes.

I had a chance to take my family to Noodles & Company last Wednesday night. Once I walked in I took in the restaurant vibe. It is a counter service restaurant where you order at the counter for your party, but the food is brought to your table. We chose a booth at the back of the restaurant. I’m not a fan of booths for the 5 of us due to constant getting in and out of the booth…someone always forgets to get a drink! But, we sat in a booth.

I let each person choose their own meal. We had coupons for a free soup, salad, or entree. The person at the register initially told us that we couldn’t use all 5 at once. I told her we were doing a restaurant review for MomCentral. She rang up each coupon on a separate order. The checkout took longer than usual, but we survived. I encouraged the kids to get a dish with vegetables. Two out of three kids complied. Oh well…

Once we were seated, our food arrived in about 5 minutes. The menu is divided in to three sections: Asian Noodles…Mediterranean Noodles…American Noodles. Here’s what we ordered:

• Me: I tried the Asparagus and Lemon Linguine dish. I was concerned that the lemon would be overpowering. The dish was delicious. The asparagus was tender.  The noodles were tender enough for me to grab with the chopsticks, not slippery at all.
• The husband: He had the Pad Thai with chicken breast. He liked it, but probably wouldn’t order it again. He would like to try the Indonesian peanut dish the next time.
• The teen: She loved the Penne Rosa. She couldn’t finish the large version. She said the dish was spicy, but not too spicy. My husband and I finished her meal for her!



• The tween: She is our least adventurous eater. At restaurants, she orders either a hamburger or Mac & Cheese. Thankfully she loved the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese. She even ate it with chopsticks.



• The Kid: Speaking of chopsticks, my son ate his Caesar Salad with Shrimp by holding a chopstick in each hand and picking up each piece of lettuce…one leaf/crouton/cheese at a time. A surprisingly effective, yet painfully slow way of eating. On the flip side, how many 7-year-old boys order Caesar salad anyway??

The Musings from Me verdict on Noodles & Company? We all agreed that we would go back. We might even add it to our rotation of restaurants we go to regularly!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Noodles & Company and received five Noodles & Company bowl cards to facilitate my review. Mom Central also sent me a thank-you gift certificate.

Want to find a good deal? Check out widget.

Here’s how the Savvy Source Savings and Scholarship widget works from the Savvy Source site:

The Savings: Each week, we offer parents a significant savings on a fun, family-friendly activity selected by our Savvy Source editors. Once enough people have signed up to purchase, the Savings and Scholarships offer becomes active. We store your receipt of purchase in your online Savvy Savings account, where you can easily find it to print now or save for later. Check out today’s offers now!

The Scholarship: Beyond giving parents in our communities a great deal on a fun activity, we donate 5% of each purchase to a preschool of the purchaser’s choice. We also donate 5% of each purchase to a scholarship fund created to help parents afford preschool for their children.

Helping schools, helping kids, helping parents, helping communities — this program is a win for all of us. Be sure to tell your friends. The more we sell, the more everyone benefits.

Oh, and by the way, I’ll be starting work on Monday at the Savvy Source DC City Guide Editor. Check back for preschool and toddler and baby events in D.C. and surrounding areas starting Monday.

In my early married days my husband was the cook while I was the chief bottle washer. When his work, coaching, and graduate school schedule got too hectic once we had children I took on the cooking responsibilities. I was a WAHM managing editorial projects while caring for 2 little children. I made meals that were kid friendly. As you can imagine we ate, fruit, vegetables, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, cereal, waffles, ready-made dinners from Costco, and other easy-to-prepare foods.

My cooking skills improved greatly once I stopped working from home. Overnight I had time to cook. Now, I still wasn’t a very good or enthusiastic cook,  but I had the time to stop buying all the processed foods and start cooking from recipes. Our diet improved considerably.

Since I have cooking issues I try: (1) stick with recipes that I can cook and the family will eat (the eating part is not a given when I am cooking!) and (2) used tried and true ingredients. Uncle Ben’s is a brand we love. My kids love Chinese and Mexican food dishes that feature rice.

Now my husband is still picky when it comes to anything whole grain. My son, could care less. When I found that Uncle Ben’s had created a new Whole Grain White Rice that looks and tastes like white rice, I knew that it would be a winner with my family.

Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain White Rice has the look, taste and texture of white rice, but is packed with whole grains (almost a full day’s worth in one serving). Uncle Ben’s new Whole Grain White Rice provides a healthy alternative to plain sides like pasta or potatoes. The rice comes in a variety of flavors from traditional Long Grain to Chicken, Broccoli Cheddar, Taco Style and Sweet Tomato, so you can mix-up meals and still know that you’re getting whole grains on the table. Plus, with a quick 10-minute prep time, Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain White Rice provides a great solution for the nights when jam-packed schedules leave you scrambling for a quick, healthy option.

Uncle Ben’s has partnered with Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals. As moms we struggle to find a balance between what kids want to eat and what we want them to eat. I struggle to get kids to eat enough fruits, veggies and whole grains. Lapine’s tips and recipes can help sneak nutrition-rich foods into children’s favorite dishes.

Want to try a box of Uncle Ben’s Whole grain White Rice? Here’s a coupon.

Want to find where Uncle Ben’s rice is sold? Here’s a link.

Do you live close to me? Do your kids attend the same schools as mine? Are we members of the same pool, sports teams, etc.? This giveaway is for you!

I have a box of Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain White Rice and an Uncle Ben’s apron for FOUR lucky readers who live close to me. I’ll leave the prizes on my front porch or deliver them to the pool or end-of-year events.

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment at the end of this post.

I wrote  this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Uncle Ben’s and received samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

I had the pleasure of participating in a roundtable discussion with Shoppers Food Warehouse nutritionist, Jennifer Shea. Shoppers Food Warehouse rolled out its nutrition IQ program last week.

• nutrition IQ program is designed to “help consumers make better-informed, better-for-you food choices right at the grocery store shelf.”
• nutrition IQ was developed with the Joslin Clinic, which is part of an academic medical center affiliated with Harvard Medical School.
• nutrition IQ is available in the 62 Shoppers Food Warehouses in the greater D.C. and Baltimore area.

The nutrition IQ program comes as research shows that consumers are having difficulty making sense of nutrition guidelines. Consumers want to find an easier way to make informed decisions about what they feed their families. The nutrition IQ program uses easy-to-see, color-coded shelf tags, hung near the items price tag to help consumers quickly identify healthier food choices for their families.

The tags — details about the program can be found at nutritioniq.shoppersfood.com — help consumers find an easy way to eat smarter. The color-coded tags on each shelf represent the following nutrients in products:

• Excellent Source of FIBER (orange tag)
• Good Source of FIBER (orange tag)
• Excellent source of CALCIUM (blue tag)
• Good source of CALCIUM (blue tag)
• Low SODIUM (green tag)
• Healthier Level SODIUM (green tag)
• Excellent source of PROTEIN (yellow tag)
• Good source of PROTEIN (yellow tag)
• Whole GRAINS (orange-red tag)
• Low Calorie (purple)
• Low SATURATED FAT (red tag)

I toured the Shoppers Food Warehouse in Potomac Yards, Virginia, with the Shoppers nutritionist, Jennifer Shea. After checking out the cereal, yogurt, and pasta aisles, I got the hang of examining the labels. I compared the brand name product to the generic in the cereal aisle to see why one of the products had the label and one did not.

The next time I shop at Shoppers I will look at products with a more critical eye now that I know more about nutrition and the nutrition IQ program.

DC — MD — VA Readers of Musings from Me! I have a fabulous giveaway for my cost-conscious LOCAL readers. What is it? What is this fabulous item? A Shoppers Food Warehouse $25 gift card! One comment = one entry. There is one winner. Enter now!

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I was given a bag of food and a Shoppers Food Warehouse gift card (I am giving away the gift card as I live a little too far from a Shoppers Food Warehouse) as part of my participation in the nutrition IQ tour. The views expressed in this article are my own. The giveaway will end May 25 at 11:59 p.m. The giveaway is open to those near a Shoppers Food Warehouse in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

Whaaaaatttt??? Heresy! We love Costco! I have been a member of a warehouse club since 1989…BEFORE we got married! Do you remember when Costco was Price Costco and before that Price Club? Yep…we were members then. Actually, we were members of Pace Membership Warehouse which became Sam’s Club.

In all seriousness though, we hated shopping at the Gaithersburg, MD, Costco. I agree with every point in your article. The crowds. The jockeying for position in line. The glazed over eyes of the workers. The parking lot…my gosh the parking lot was a nightmare to find a space in!

Once we moved out of Montgomery County we discovered the oasis of tranquility that is the Frederick, MD, Costco. Few huge lines. Not crowded even on a Saturday. Enthusiastic workers who go the extra mile. Kindly sample ladies. And the parking is NEVER full.

Fed up with your crowded, madhouse Costco? Are you in driving distance of a Costco in a less crowded area? Check it out. It might be worth it, so that you can stock up in a less frantic fashion.

For a Costco near you, go here.

I was not compensated for this post!