Monthly Archives: March 2012

Schwan’s Easter Dinner Home Delivery Makes Mom’s Life Easier

March 26, 2012Food and Drink, HolidayEaster, Schwan's Home DeliveryAlicia

For the next few days we’ll be decorating the house with Easter decor, spring flowers, and all things pastel. My daughter insists that we decorate for every holiday and I don’t blame her. Decorating is fun and the decorations add excitement to the house. But.. I’ll be honest, one thing I don’t particularly enjoy about holiday’s is meal time. I have what I call kitchen-claustrophobia and I would prefer not to ever prepare a meal for more than my family of four. That’s why I am thrilled that Schwan’s is delivering our Easter dinner this year.

Schwan’s Home Delivery offers up traditional Easter fare that is sure to satisfy family and guests including: Sliced Ham, Au Gratin Potatoes, Green Peas, Old-Fashioned Apple Pie & Vanilla Ice Cream to name a few.

Delivered right to your doorstep and ready in minutes, a Schwan’s home delivered meal will provide you that extra time away from the kitchen and with your family. Sounds pretty great doesn’t it? Check out Schwans.com today to plan your Easter menu. Schwans.com offers an assortment of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and a LiveSmart™ section where you’ll find delicious, real, better-for-you food with minimal additives or preservatives, moderate calories, sodium and fat, and zero grams of trans fat.

Here are a few sections to be sure to check out on Schwans.com

Kid’s Favorites – Take a look at the Oven Roasted Chicken Bites on the Kid’s Favorites LiveSmart™ menu.
Desserts – Cookies, brownies, cakes, and cobblers.. oh my!
Seafood – The Fire Grilled Italian Code looks delicious!

Schwan’s Home Service, Inc. brings grocery shopping right to your door with no muss or fuss, making “convenient” seem like an understatement. Offering a wide variety of products – vegetables, sides, complete meals, and desserts – will help busy moms satisfy hungry family members any time of the day.

Finally, here is a great meal idea for another day:

Start off with Sweet Potato Fries.

schwan sweet potato fries — Schwan Sweet Potato Fries

Then enjoy a juicy, tender and flavorful Bratwurst.

Fire Roasted Vegetable Blend

And end your meal with Passion Punch Sherbet.

Is your mouth watering?

Just imagine an Easter dinner that is delicious, requires almost no preparation, and is delivered to your door!

Connect with Schwan’s:

Disclosure: Schwan’s is providing a meal for my family for review purposes. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. Schwan’s did not require that I write a post about their service of products. I only write about products that I stand behind and would purchase for myself and my family.

iMommy iPad and iPhone App Review

March 23, 2012iPad, New postsapp review, iMommy, ipad, iphoneAlicia

Does your child love playing with baby dolls or pets? Then he/she will love the iMommy app. My daughter has been playing with iMommy today and she loves it. When we launched the app for the first time, my daughter got to choose and customize a baby. She customized her baby by changing her baby’s eye, hair, and clothing color. She even got to choose a cute little design for her baby’s outfit! After her baby was customized she was presented with a scrolling view of the different rooms/areas in which she could play with her baby.

iMommy iOs app for children — iMommy bath time screen

There are six areas where her baby can play, sleep, and eat. The different rooms/areas rotated across the screen allowing her to tap on the one that she wants to play.

My daughter’s favorite room is the playroom. There are books and toys for her baby to play with. She simply drags a toy or book into her baby’s hand or puts it by the baby and watches as her baby reacts with movement and sounds. She can even tap on the radio in the playroom to play music for her baby. The baby sounds are adorable.

Bath time is especially fun. Madelyn enjoys turning the water on and off, giving her baby toys to play with in the bath tub, and cleaning her with soap and shampoo.

When she decides it’s bedtime for her baby, she goes to the nursery screen where her baby is in a crib. She can tap on a teddy bear to have her baby snuggle with the teddy and click on a crib icon to rock the baby’s crib. The lights turn on and off with the tap of a light switch.

Here is a brief video of my daughter playing with iMommy for the first time:

About iMommy
Kathy Shimmield, the genius creator of iMommy developed this game with her children in mind. Her two youngest were especially interested in playing ‘Mom’ and it occurred to her that such a universal game as ‘pretend’ parental play, would translate into a great app. Kathy searched the app store and was genuinely surprised to find no apps that addressed this type of imaginative play for younger children. It took many months of research, learning as she went and focus but eventually ‘iMommy’ was born!
This game is ideal for kids ages 2-10 but is suitable for any age. The focus of the game is to design and interact with your baby, the player can choose 4 different ethnicities of baby then they can change their babies hair, eye or outfit color. It’s up to them to take care of their baby and learn what makes the baby happy and what upsets the baby. They have to feed, play, bathe and even change babies diaper!

iTunes rated TOP 100 in family category and I’m sure it will hit to 10 soon!

iMommy is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later.

Download iMommy today and let the fun begin!

Why Teenagers Need To Eat Breakfast Before School {#Wholesome}

March 23, 2012Food and DrinkWholesome Choices Blogger ProgramAlicia

High school teenagers definitely have a lot on their plates. They go to school, do homework, study for tests, participate in extracurricular activities and spend time with friends. Some teenagers even have part-time jobs they work after school. It is very important for teenagers to eat breakfast in the morning, especially ones that drive themselves to school. Their parents might not be at home to make sure they eat breakfast, so they must remind themselves to eat breakfast. Here are some reasons teenagers should eat breakfast before going to school.

Improved Social Skills

It is important for high school teenagers to socialize with their peers at school. They can get along better with their peers if they are not hungry in the morning. Not eating breakfast can make them more moody and irritable. If they do not eat breakfast, they are more likely to have conflicts with other students at school.

Better Grades

Eating breakfast can help teenagers focus better in school. If they are able to focus better in their classes, they are more likely to get better grades on assignments and tests.

Higher Energy Levels

Teenagers who eat fruits, eggs or whole grain cereal in the morning will have more energy during school. Teenagers who do not eat anything for breakfast are more likely to feel tired and weak.

Better Health

Eating healthy foods for breakfast can improve their overall health. Low-fat dairy products, whole grains and fruits help teenagers get the nutrients their growing bodies need. McDonald’s offers a variety of whole-grain oatmeal choices on its breakfast menu, available all day. The Fruit & Maple Oatmeal and the Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal are both 100% natural whole grain oats, rich in fiber and freshly prepared for you.

High school can be pretty tough on some teenagers. Teenagers can make their school days much easier by consuming a healthy breakfast each morning. They do not have to eat a lot of food for breakfast. A piece of toast with peanut butter and a banana can be all they need.

Follow McDonald’s Atlanta on Twitter @McDonaldsATL and check out their website for real-time promos, meal ideas and how to make the most of your McDonald’s experience.

Disclosure: McDonald’s partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Wholesome Choices” Blogger Program. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used.

Need a Mood Boost? 8 Instant Mood Boosters!

March 22, 2012New postsMood, stressAlicia

You are a busy mom, I know how it is. Down in the dumps? These super-quick tricks can have you beaming in no time (no prescription needed).

Your boss is piling on the work. Traffic is in gridlock mode. The kids won’t … stop … whining. And you? You could benefit from some sort of emotional pick-me-up right about now.

You’re in luck: Research shows that there are a number of simple things you can do to transform grumpiness into happiness (quickly).

“You can change habits, behavior, and attitudes one inch at a time. Just be persistent,” says Philip H. Friedman, PhD, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., who is director of the Foundation for Well Being and an adjunct assistant professor at the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology.

Got a minute? Then hug your partner, check out some artwork, and give these other smile-inducers a shot.

Here are four of my favorite of the eight instant mood boosters featured in the original article on EverydayHealth.com.

Take a Power Nap
Get Decked Out in Green (or Yellow or Pink or Blue)
Jam Out
Take a Piping-Hot Shower
See the other four instant mood boosters here.

Help your Family Make Wholesome Choices {#Wholesome}

March 21, 2012Food and Drink, HealthWholesome Choices, Wholesome Choices Blogger ProgramAlicia

Don’t ever think it’s too late to start living a more wholesome lifestyle. A more wholesome lifestyle will improve the health of both you and your family. Making a few simple lifestyle changes is all you need to live a healthier life. To make this work, you must have your family members agree to make healthier choices. You can do it!

I am partnering with McDonald’s on their Wholesome Choices Blogger Program. Over the past few weeks, I have been sharing my own tips and ideas for making more wholesome choices in your every day life and have been making changes in my life as well.

Here are some tips for living a healthier lifestyle.

McDonald's Wholesome Choices Blogger

Get Enough Sleep at Night

Getting the proper amount of rest at night is more important than you think. Not getting enough sleep can cause moodiness, hormonal damage, weight gain and high blood pressure. Make sure you are perfectly relaxed before bedtime, so you sleep easier.

Drink More Water

Instead of drinking soda or coffee, drink water during your meals. This has been a tough one for me because I love my Diet Coke with Lime! Since I started the McDonald’s Wholesome Choices challenge, I have been drinking at least 6 glasses of water a day. I know I need to increase that to eight because by drinking eight glasses of water a day, you can prevent dehydration, dizziness and headaches. Drinking water can also make your skin and hair healthier.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Some of your favorite foods may not be that good for you. If your diet consists of foods with high fat and salt content, you need to change your eating habits. Start filling your diet with whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fruits and vegetables. If you are on-the-go and need to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner while you are out and about, McDonald’s has some Wholesome Choices on their menu. Through the McDonald’s “Made For You” cooking system, you can special order various menu items to help meet your nutritional needs. A range of serving sizes make it easy to create meal combinations that work for you and your family. Eating healthy foods will not only help you maintain a healthy weight, it will also give you more energy and prevent you from developing certain diseases.

Exercise Regularly

It’s essential to exercise if you want to live a healthy lifestyle. Exercising will boost your mood and give you energy. Go for a walk with your dog, dance around the living room with your kids or take an aerobics class.

If you put the extra effort into helping your kids and spouse live a more wholesome life, you all will be much happier and healthier.

Follow McDonald’s Atlanta on Twitter @McDonaldsATL and check out their website for real-time promos, meal ideas and how to make the most of your McDonald’s experience.