Get Unreal

My boys love candy!  We call my middle son The Candy Man.  We buy and eat a lot of candy.  I grew up in a home that never had candy, so I tend to buy more candy than most moms.  We don't always have a candy dish out (too much temptation for me), but my boys know exactly where our candy stashes are.  In the cupboard, on top of the fridg, and in the pantry.  Candy doesn't last long in our house.  So when I found out about the new UNREAL Candy, I was very excited to try it.

I really think my boys will like the peanut butter cups the best.  My husband is a Reese's fanatic, so it will be interesting to see if he can tell the difference!


*After trying the candy, my boys love the UNREAL 41 candy covered chocolate pieces!  And the whole family loved the UNREAL 77 chocolate peanut butter cups.  I guess I will have to add these to my next grocery list!

Did you know that you can get a coupon for a free UNREAL candy bar (up to a $1.19 value) from CVS?  All you have to do is enter your CVS Extra Care Card number and they will email your coupon to you.   Easy Peasy!!

*I am a BzzAgent and was able to try UNREAL candy in exchange for my review*

Brew Over ICE

It has been so so hot here in Indiana.  Too hot to drink coffee, but the perfect weather for iced coffee.  So I was very excited to be able to try out the new BREW OVER ICE coffee from the Green Mountain Coffee line.  It is so simple to make this yummy treat.

I just start with a cup of ice in my handy Brew Over Ice tumbler.  Then I grab an iced coffee K-cup.  I make the 8 oz size so it's not too strong for me.  Then I add Splenda and creamer, stir, and enjoy!!  How easy is that?

Did you know that Green Mountain Coffee is offering $2.00 off all their Brew Over Ice K-Cups, plus you will receive a FREE TUMBLER with the purchase of any Brew Over Ice K-Cup Box!!  Simply use the code QUENCH-COLD for this special offer on any of their Brew Over Ice flavors.  These K-Cups are also available at Target, Walmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond if you don't want to wait to try them.

*I am A BzzAgent and received a sample of Brew Over Ice K-Cups to try out and then review*

Shutterfly’s Long Live Summer Photo Contest

You can win a trip for four to The Bahamas and a professional photo shoot so you can remember your vacation forever!  All you need to do is upload your favorite photo with a caption based on the theme of the week.  You can enter at any point during the 5 week sweepstakes.  

WEEK 1: AMERICANA

WEEK 2: GREAT OUTDOORS

WEEK 3: WATER FUN

WEEK 4: SPORTS & ACTIVITIES

WEEK 5: PARTIES & CELEBRATIONS

The prizes are:

•       Instant win prizes just for submitting a photo!

•       Weekly prizes (contestants can enter one time/week)

•       Weekly featured photos: up to 5 weekly entries will be selected from the gallery and featured on the Facebook fan page and awarded a $500 gift card on Shutterfly and a copy of the new Lonely Planet travel photography book.

•       Grand prize: trip for 4 to Bahamas, 4 nights, family photo shoot

The Girl's Still Got It

Last weekend my daughter (by marriage) got married.  She planned a barn wedding and reception and was in charge of all the decorating herself.  I knew it was going to take all of os helping her to pull it all off.  And I knew emotions would be running high with family coming from New York (her mom), Colorado (the groom's family), and other parts of the country.  

In a sense I was kind of dreading the day and worrying way too much about what could go wrong (running out of food or cake, people complaining about the heat, emotions taking over, etc...).  When all along I just needed to focus on the beauty and meaning of the day.  Sometimes at the end of a hard day, I want to think of all the disasters, when the list of things that went right could go on and on.  I truthfully cannot think of one thing I would have changed on Saturday!

I have been reading a new book by Liz Curtis Higgs called The Girl's Still Got It..it is all about the story of Ruth.  And just have to share some parts of the book with you all.

Whenever heartache, loss, disappointment, stress, or any of the other stuff we hate comes our way, it helps to remember that hard times are purposeful, meant to refine and redirect us.  They're not arbitrary or random, and they're definitely not cruel. If I'm going to suffer, at least let it be for a good reason.  Make that a God reason.  If we start thinking, A LOVING GOD WOULDN'T DO THAT, we miss the truth recorded in His Word and the seeds of hope planted deep in our parched soil: God loves us too much to let us starve spiritually.

The book of Ruth is all about trust.  Trusting God and doing what he says.  Trusting God with my whole heart and life.  Trusting God to forgive your past, handle your present, and provide for your future!  Trust and obey.  Sound familiar?  I have a great group of girl friends with whom we've talked about trusting and obeying a lot the last few months!  Maybe (BIG MAYBE) I am finally starting to scratch the surface to this idea in my life.

You can check out the author of this book, Liz Curtis Higgs, performing her righteous rap all about the book of Ruth here. It is worth listening to and will help you in your study about Ruth!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review*

Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.
~Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games

Are you as excited about the 2012 Summer Olympics in London as I am?  I have many fond memories of watching the olympics we recorded on our VHS player over and over again.  I love watching the athletes compete, I love watching the medal ceremonies, and I love getting a little choked up listening to our National Anthem.

Shawn Johnson is no stranger to the Olympics.  She has won Olympic gold and silver medal in woman's gymnastics.  In her new book, Winning Balance, she informs readers all about her journey to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.  Being a girl from the Midwest myself, I loved hearing about how she became "famous" almost overnight and how she and her parents (she is an only child) handled this new fame.  She has an amazing competitive spirit, but she also has a healthy sense of balance in her life.  She knew she would not be a gymnast forever.  It is amazing the intense training she put her body through over the years!

If you are looking for a good inspirational story for yourself or young girls in your life, I highly recommend this book.  The last chapter in the book talks about her desire to train and ear a spot on the 2012 women's gymnastics team.  Ironically this week, she gracefully announced her retirement due to a knee injury.  She retires with three world titles, four Olympic medals, and one Dancing with the Stars trophy.  Not bad for a twenty year old girl from Iowa!


You can check out a video by Shawn Johnson all about her new book here.

*I received a copy of this book from Tyndale publishing in exchange for my review.  The opinions are mine.*

Coupon Giveaway!

Comments 8 & 11 were the numbers chosen by my son. I will email and get your coupons in the mail!  Congrats!


I am giving away 2 sets of coupons!  Included will be:

FREE one box of POST Honey Bunches of Oats (up to $4.49)
FREE one bottle of any flavor Torani Syrup (up to $8.00)

and other surprise coupons I will throw in!

Just leave a comment to enter, and make sure I have a way to get in touch with you if you win.  Contest ends May 31st.  I will contact winners.

PORK Be Inspired!

Today is my children's last day of school, so I am tying up loose ends and plan to take the summer off from book and product reviews.  It is so hard to be productive when I become a referee, short order cook, and taxi driver.  Not that I'm complaining, but when school gets out, my productivity comes to a screeching halt.  That being said, I am going to talk today about pork.  It's what's for dinner!

Seriously, the National Pork Board has a new campaign called Be Inspired.  You can check out their website for inspiration all about pork.  They have all sorts of pork recipes for you to try out and tell you exactly how to cook your pork so you don't end up with dry crispy meat.

I thought I knew about pork, but after checking out the Be Inspired website, I received an education for sure!  My family will thank me the next time I decide to have pork for dinner.

*I received the Pork Be Inspired material from the BzzAgent.  I am writing this review and all opinions are mine.*