Saturday, March 8, 2014

Living Heart Healthy

This post is sponsored by Campbell's Soup Company.

Living a heart healthy lifestyle is very important to my family. My family tries to stay heart healthy a number of ways. We are slowly modifying our diet and activity level to better do this.

These are the things we are working towards to stay heart healthy:
  • Getting a good amount of exercise: Make regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.
    • Children and adolescence should get at least an hour or more per day of moderate or vigorous intensity aerobic age-appropriate physical activity. Vigorous activity should be done at least 3 days of the week. Activities should also include muscle-strengthening and bone strengthening on at least 3 days of the week.
    • Healthy Adults should get 2-1/2 hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or a minimum of 1-1/4 hours per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a combination of the two. Adults should also aim to do muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days a week.
    • Older Adults who are healthy should follow the guidelines for healthy adults. If older adults cannot meet these guidelines because of health reasons should do at least what their abilities and conditions allow. Older adults who are at risk of falling should also include activities that promote balance.
  • Drinking enough water:
    • Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day. All healthy fluids (soups, water, 100% juice, herbal tea) count toward the daily total. I dislike the taste of tap water and my irony well water is down right gross so, I compensate with my Zing Anything Citrus Juicer, naturally flavored water, 100% juice that is watered down, herbal tea, or soup.
  • Eating plenty of good fats: (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and good saturated fats)
    • Try to eliminate trans fats from your diet. Check food labels for trans fats (avoid anything with partially hydrogenated oil). Avoid commercially-baked goods, packaged snack foods, margarine, vegetable shortening, candy bars and fried foods. Bake, broil, or grill instead of frying. Also limit or eliminate fast food. We are slowly doing this, but habits can be very hard to break. I need to make my own baked goods and snacks from scratch.
    • Limit your intake of saturated fats. Cut back on red meat (lean cuts are better than fatty). Try replacing red meat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish whenever possible. Eat better saturated fats like: whole fat dairy (raw is better), butter, cheese, ice cream, palm and coconut oil. We actually do pretty good with this one. We eat a lot more white meats like poultry or fish than we do red meats. I need to cook with beans more often and we love all manner of nuts.
    • Eat omega-3 fats every day. Good sources include fish, walnuts, ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil. We want to incorporate aquaponics (growing fish and hydroponics, plants in water, in a balanced symbiotic system) in our agriculture. We will then have a free natural and organic source of fish for the omega-3 fats. We also already have walnut trees and love to eat them raw or in foods.
  • Eating more fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber and low in fat and calories. I am planning on canning/freezing/drying my own and having my own year round garden.
  • Making more healthy, well balanced meals at home. Eating healthy well balanced meals will help in keeping your body strong. Have good time management, proper ingredients and tools, a meal plan and recipes that are both easy and nutritious. I struggle with this because I do not manage my time very well and end up procrastinating and not knowing what I am going to fix. Doing these steps will help me.
  • Minimizing and Managing the stress. Laugh more, don't let little things stress you out or make you angry, meditate or do a relaxing exercise like yoga, listen to nice music, take time out for yourself, do a relaxing hobby, etc.
  • Getting enough sleep. Getting a good amount of sleep helps with keeping your body well rested and working well.
Other great things that keep your heart healthy that my family already does:
  • Not smoking and trying not to be around people that do. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body. Smoking is a major risk factor of heart disease. Second hand smoke is bad for you also.
  • Not drinking alcohol. Alcoholism can cause high blood pressure, obesity, stroke and a number of other health problems.
  • Minimizing the caffeine. Caffeine increases: alertness (therefore can make you miss sleep you need), cravings of fats and carbs, and stress levels (making you grumpy, edgy, and agitated). Too much caffeine can be bad for your heart because of the constant raised adrenalin levels. This can eventually take a toll on your body as well.
Here are 5 of my favorite recipes from the American Heart Association Certified Recipes:

Broccoli Cheddar Rice


Creamy Turkey & Vegetable Lasagna


Louisiana-Style Chicken, Sausage & Shrimp Skillet


Polenta Turkey Bake


Tilapia & Vegetable Casserole
 

Campbell’s Soup wants you to “Address Your Heart” with Heart Healthy Tips, recipes and more! Visit AddressYourHeart.com to get heart-healthy tips, including 21 Campbell’s recipes that are certified by the AHA and product coupons, as well as Facebook.com/campbellskitchen for the latest Campbell’s recipes and offers.

Click here to get Campbell’s money saving coupons.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by Campbell's Soup Company. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Orkin Bed Bug Home Prevention Prize Pack Giveaway & Blog App

I have the opportunity to give away a Orkin Bed Bug Home Prevention Prize Pack below free for posting this information. All information and giveaway prizes are provided by Yellow Pages and PartnersHub.

Bed bugs have come back strong over the last decade, keeping more and more people from sleeping tight. Now is the time to take control with a smart action plan - before the bed bugs bite.

Bed bugs reproduce quickly, so it’s critical to detect and treat an infestation early. Take the “Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite” QUIZ and download the “5 Must-Know Facts” PDF for a few tips on how to spot a budding bed bug problem.



And if you suspect an infestation, be sure to contact your Orkin professional who will inspect your home thoroughly and design a treatment that’s right for you.

Visit Orkin.com or call 877-412-6806 for a free estimate.



Blog App:
  • Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite QUIZ: Bed Bugs have come back strong over the last decade, keeping more and more people from sleeping tight. Take the quiz to find out if YOU let the bed bugs bite!
  • Get Social With It!: Tweet using the #OrkinBedBugs hashtag.


WIN IT
Prize: The Orkin Bed Bug Home Prevention Prize Pack (2 mattress Safe Pillowsafe protectors ($30.00 Value)

Giveaway open to the U.S.A.  Each household is only eligible to win Orkin Bed Bug Home Prevention Prize Pack (2 mattress Safe Pillowsafe protectors) via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Orkin Bed Bug Blog App I am getting a Orkin Bed Bug Home Prevention Prize Pack free for my readers as a giveaway. Thanks to PartnersHub and Yellow Pages for providing me this promotion information and free product. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this blog app and giveaway.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Remington iCoffee Maker Review

We received this product free from Remington to facilitate this review.

Sometimes a girl just gotta have her coffee. My days get super crazy with 4 kids, 2 llamas, 3 horses, a bunny, mini pony, and a large dog! I am not a huge coffee drinker, but I tend to need some coffee to keep me sane some days. Most of the time though I don't care for coffee because of the bitter and acidic taste it leaves in my mouth.

Since I received the iCoffee Maker from Remington though, the bitter and acidic coffee has become a thing of the past in my home. This coffee maker is different from any other coffee maker since it uses rotational steam to brew to unlock the full flavor. The grounds never compact and instead are being stirred and steamed so you will get the rich full body and coffee crèma. Since it filters the coffee through a reusable Premium Goldtone filter the iCoffee will also save you money since there is no need for paper filters. The brew basket lifts out easily with its own handle and rinses clean simply (Don't forget to compost the coffee grounds!! They are great to add nitrogen to your garden.) While it is brewing you can watch the action of the steam and 6 rotational hot water jets as it stirs and rotates the coffee in a clockwise manner through the lit viewing window.



The carafe and water reservoir holds 12 cups total and both have fill lines on them to indicate how much water is being added and where the max fill line is. The carafe is glass and has a plastic flip up lid that is easy to maneuver while also holding the carafe handle. The carafe also has a clip on reusable optional filter that helps strain less of the finely extracted coffee essence (sediment) from the coffee grounds through that were extracted through the Premium Goldtone filter with the coffee. If you see sediment in the bottom of your cup after brewing, this is very natural, but the optional filter will help send less through.

There is a display panel on the front of the base where you can set the time and also tell that it is in brewing mode. iCoffee plays music to let you know that the brewing is done. From the display panel you have the option of turning the music off. It also has a warming plate that warms for up to 2 hours to make sure that your coffee doesn't get cold while sitting idol in the carafe. You can also program the brewer to delay the brewing and auto-start at a pre-selected time. After selecting a time you can press the auto start button on the display panel each day to have the brewer start at exactly the same time every day. It also has a pause and serve and an automatic shut-off feature.

iCoffee is very efficient and releases more flavor from the same amount of coffee, allowing you to use less coffee to achieve the same boldness. iCoffee drinkers report using less coffee to achieve desired strength and exquisite flavor.

The coffee that was brewed with iCoffee was smooth and rich tasting. It had exquisite flavor and full body. It tasted better than the coffee from my french press. I am so happy that I don't have any more bitter or acidic cups at home.

After 7 years and 1,257 prototypes you can rest assured that the makers of iCoffee didn't settle until they had perfection. This coffee maker is BPA and Lead free!

iCoffee is the cream of the crop crèma of the cup! :)

You can follow iCoffee on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Monday, March 3, 2014

ShopperIncite Moms Life Moments Coupon Book Review and Offer

I am getting something in return complimentary for posting this information and received a free coupon booklet of my own to facilitate this review. All information was provided by ShopperIncite and PartnersHub. My thoughts are my own.

Having a child is such a very special "life moment". Moms spend a lot on their child's first years. A baby's needs can be very expensive. Coupons help keep more money in your pocket and let you stretch hard earned dollars to fit your budget.

But, who really has the time to find, collect, clip, and organize coupons, especially when you want to spend those precious moments with your newborn or baby? Coupons can be time consuming.


That's why the folks at ShopperIncite are giving away their Shopping Planner™ for New Moms – 100% free of charge – filled with great coupons moms love, all in one convenient place. And it's small enough to take with you anywhere! It fits into a purse or bag easily.


But it's really more than just a coupon book. At the end of the booklet it has a meal planner and shopping list. The pages are also filled with daily doses of tips, tricks and easy-to-make recipes. I love this part of the booklet too. It is so helpful. When you go grocery shopping it is great to have what you are going to make and a list of what you need right there at you fingertips.

You can "opt-in" to get a free coupon booklet of your very own. The more moms who sign up, the more brands with discounts ShopperIncite can offer later. After signing up you will get a new complementary coupon booklet every quarter filled with even more savings and offers.



DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I have received a free copy of the coupon book to help with my review and I will also receive a complimentary gift card valued anywhere between $10-$50 for posting. (Gift cards are randomly selected by Shopper Incite). Thanks to PartnersHub and ShopperIncite for providing me this promotion information and free product. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this blog post.