WONKA Easter Candy Review

When I think of Easter candy I think of Jellybeans and Chocolate. Growing up the we knew we could count on getting some sort of chocolate and tons of jellybeans in our baskets! I want my kids to associate the Easter Bunny with the same, memories and traditions are what make us a family.

We make a lot of cupcakes at our house so I whipped up thesee sweet little "nest" cupcake and I topped the "nest" with WONKA Nerds Bumpy Jelly Beans. Nerd Jellybeans sounded weird to me but they really do taste great, I am a huge fan of Nerds so this was a great way to in-cooperate the two! Crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. Yum.

Are you still looking or needing to get your Easter candy for Sunday? If so I recommend anything the WONKA brand makes! There are so many choices out there but with their Butterfinger or Crunchy Bunny you can't go wrong. What about the NEW WONKA Laffy Taffy Jelly Beans...they are awesome and taste just like Laffy Taffy we expect.

And lastly do you have those "big kids" who are always finding the eggs first and feel like you can never hide them good enough? WONKA makes a Hard2Find Egg Hunt assortment. They are camouflage to look like concrete, grass or bark. What a great idea!! So if you like me and you have not finished your Easter shopping check out all of these great candy ideas.

Warm Tradition Review and Giveaway

 

When my little ones are not feeling well or complaining of a tummy ache I want to soothe them as quick as possible. I know that a Hot Water Bottle is a great relief and a helpful tool so they can rest their little bodies. We all know about the hot water bottles our parents used to have, the plain old plastic looking thing that always felt cold even when filled with hot water. There are so many more cute and fun hot water bottle holders out there and Warm Tradition has some really great ones! Check out this little Lamb Hot Water Bottle Holder, so sweet and soothing when they need a little extra TLC.

{Ashley fighting off a yummy ache with her little Lamb}

There are lots of categories and options to choose from like their Classic, Plush, Knit, Fun Design, Kids and more. As well as microwavable Heat Packs and this cute Mouse Heated Neck Wrap. The possibles are endless!

Enter to Win a Warm Traditions Lamb


a Rafflecopter giveaway


 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts March 27, 2013 and ends on April 10,  2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Doodle Dome Glow Crazy Review and Giveaway

To keep my boys busy as we wait for Spring to finally get here I introduced them to the Doodle Dome Glow Crazy. They are having a blast together!

 

Here is information from their site to explain what a Doodle Dome is-

Glow Crazy™ Doodle Dome™ Product Description

Now, kids can play in the dark anywhere, anytime of the day with this portable glow art studio from Techno Source. With the Glow Crazy light pen they can draw, write and play games on the dome’s special inner glow wall. Kids can also put on light shows for their friends and family, use stencils to create cool glow scenes, and make fun silhouettes using their hands, toys, or even their friends. Kids can let their glow creations fade or “glow over” them to clear their canvas and start again. Includes light pen, 4 stencil sheets and everything needed to assemble the glow dome in a handy carrying case.

The boys have been spending hours playing in their Doodle Dome. They love that it is dark like a cave and they have their own "secret" hide out. The possibilities of what they can create is huge, they love the stencils but using their imaginations is priceless.

Enter to Win a Glow Crazy Doodle Dome

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts March 26, 2013 and ends on April 9,  2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Shari's Berries Gift Basket Review

Easter is almost here! We are getting so excited around our house. We are getting treats ready for next weekend and making sure all the gifts are being sent out. I like to buy gifts online so the items are sent directly to the recipient, no shipping for me. Have you purchased all your items yet? You can buy Easter Candy and Chocolate at Shari's Berries. Not only do they have delicious chocolate covered strawberries but they also have everything you need for Easter Candy and other gift baskets.

My husband is not a huge chocolate fan and my mother in law cannot eat chocolate so I always make sure to have other items like fruit and salty snacks to go around. I love the idea of a gift basket with fresh fruit in it. So many times during holidays that involve lots of candy I want to have healthy treats for my son as well.

We ordered the Special Treasures Gift Basket for Easter. I was happy to see the variety of items in the basket. I know my husband will enjoy the nuts and my son and mother in law the fruit.

• Cinnamon Almonds (3 oz.)
• Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds (3 oz.)
• Honey Roasted Peanuts (3 oz.)
• Butter Toffee Pecans (3 oz.)
• Demitasse Petit Fours
• Olive Oil/Sea Salt Crackers (2 oz.)
• Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Round (4 oz.)
• 2 Comice or D'Anjou Pears
• 2 Red Sensation Pears
• 4 Fuji Apples

He declared all the fruit and the peanuts were his! 

The Demitasse Petit Fours were delicious. Tiny little cakes packed full of flavor and sweetness. I would definitely order another gift basket for a birthday or holiday from Shari's Berries. We LOVE their berries and I am glad to know they have the same quality to their other items. 

They have many cute Easter options and oh the chocolate options! They all look delicious. 

There are online coupons you can use for Shari's Berries HERE.

*I was sent the products mentioned above for my review. This is not a paid post.

Finding Ways to Live a Healthier Lifestyle #HealthyChoices

The day you realize you need to make healthier choices for your family can be a liberating one. After doing a funny post on the giant tub of cheese balls my husband bought our son while I was at work I had a mini melt down after realizing, really thats what we are eating. That night I threw out over $50 of junk food that was in the house. Then cried that that money was hard earned. Its crazy feeling to realize that we eat junk just because we are so busy. Its no longer my excuse that we can't be healthier just because we are busy.

My Mom has told me about Healthy Choice Top Chef Meals and Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt since she has made many lifestyle changes to live a happier healthy life. She knows I can be a picky eater and how busy I am so I would enjoy them. When she mentioned there was also a $1 off coupon that I could print and take with me, I was sold! I am a money saving Mom and I do enjoy trying new foods.

I ran to Kinkos to print my coupons (my ink was out but for $1 off each on the 8 items I planned to buy it was worth the extra trip). Then I headed to Walmart to shop for the Healthy Choice food and pick up a few other items I need. There is a coupon you can print for your shopping trip on my blog side bar.

The Healthy Choice Top Chef Crustless Pot Pie taste wonderful!

One of the first items I noticed in the Healthy Choice Top Chef line was the one that said Winner on it. Its a Crustless Chicken Pot Pie. I have loved pot pie since I was a little kid and really wanted to try this one. I saw several other entrees I wanted to try included Italian inspired food. I am often finding myself popping in the microwave a fattening and quick bite to eat on the way to work or fast food while at work. These choices are not making me happy. I want to eat food that taste great and is a healthier choice for my busy life.

One of the biggest struggles for me and making healthier choices is dessert. I find myself buying ice cream, cake and other items that should not be eaten everyday. When I come home from work on a night shift I want to enjoy a sweet treat while I relax and watch a movie. Having an option that actually taste good is what I need. I searched for the Healthy Choice Dark Fudge Swirl flavor in the Greek Frozen Yogurt but it was out of stock in two stores. This tells me it must be good if people are buying it. I bought 4 other flavors of the Greek Frozen Yogurt since I had my coupons.

Living a healthy life not only includes eating affordable healthy meals but it also means have a happy positive attitude. I have my own personal slogan that I tell myself all the time, "P for Positive". Anytime I feel flustered or something arises that can be seen as negative I look for any part of it that can be seen as positive. I have this little Bee card hanging in my office and on my phone. I look at it as a reminder that a mind set can be the center of a healthy life.

Other ways I make lifestyle choices to be healthy and positive is gardening. Being outside and growing food we can eat is very rewarding. It is not an instant thing but one that takes time and care. My son loves to help water the plants and pick the produce when its ready. This year we moved from a big house with a yard and garden beds to a condo with a tiny patio. We did not let this bring us down but we looked at it as an opportunity to learn about container gardening and concentrate on a few plants rather than many.

Since I am so busy working all the time I am not the type of person who will go to the gym on my days off. I feel like those days I need to spend with my son having fun. If I do some stretching and light strength training at home my son can be there on his mat mimicking me and having fun. He does the cutest little sit ups! I am not on a path of lose a bunch of weight really fast but a path to make healthier choices to live a healthier lifestyle.

My son of course had to try what he assumed was ice cream. He loved the raspberry and strawberry flavors of the Greek Frozen Yogurt. In my free time I like to stay active with my son by doing outdoor activities. We live in CA and there is plenty of sunny days to spend outside. I bought a frisbee and a kite to take to the park on my next day off to run around and have fun with. When my family is included in my healthy choices it makes me happier, and a happy Mom is always a good thing!

I now have better choices of food in my freezer and cupboards. I do not feel overwhelmed with junk and needing to throw everything away. Sometimes just tossing the unhealthy stuff and realizing you made the choice to bring the junk food in will help you realize to bring better choices in next time. Living a healthy life is all about the choices big and small we make each day. #HealthyChoices

You can read my Google+ story about my trip to Walmart to buy items that help me make healthy choices.

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and ConAgra Foods #cbias #SocialFabric
All opinions expressed in this post are my own.