Starting My Day the Healthy Way with Activia Breakfast Blend

We've heard it time and time again --> Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day!  I make sure my kids begin their day with a healthy breakfast but *sigh* when it comes to myself, I confess I don't always do as I say.  I enjoy yogurt and have been known to sprinkle some whole grain cereal in my yogurt for an added bonus and yes, I am aware of the benefits of yogurt so when I heard of Activia® Breakfast Blend I was eager to give it a try.

The addition of whole grains give Activia® Breakfast Blend a unique texture and is a great alternative to other less healthy choices.  You're getting one of your day's servings of calcium, some whole oats and grains and the healthy benefits of yogurt are well known.  Activia is made by Dannon and Dannon knows yogurt.  I sampled the Apple Cinnamon, Maple & Brown Sugar and Vanilla varieties and was very pleased.  Vanilla is not typically a yogurt of choice for me, but the addition of the whole grains and oats made for a delicious change from your typical hum drum vanilla.  I am eager to try the Banana Bread but my local store did not have it in stock.  If you've tried it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.  


From the Activia website:  NEW Activia® Breakfast Blend, a delicious breakfast experience you can enjoy every day. With its creamy, thick texture, this lowfat yogurt not only tastes good, but also helps regulate your digestive system.* Each serving of Activia® Breakfast Blend contains the exclusive probiotic culture Bifidus Regularis ® (Bifidobacterium lactis DN 173 010). 
Mixed with grains and available in four delicious flavors, it’s bigger, heartier and has twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt.**

Help start your day off right with Activia® Breakfast Blend. A delicious, tasty addition to your daily, morning routine!

• 2X the Protein vs. regular lowfat yogurt**
• 50% bigger cups than 4-oz. 4 pack Activia®
• Four delicious breakfast flavors including: Apple Cinnamon, Banana Bread, Maple & Brown Sugar and Vanilla

4-Pack MSRP: $3.99

Visit http://www.activia.us.com/Promotions to snag a $1 coupon towards your next purchase of Activia® Breakfast Blend 
 
Visit www.activia.us.com for more information.
“Like” us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Activia or tweet @Dannon


Disclosure:  I received a gift card to use for purchase of this product in exchange for this review.  The views expressed above are mine.  Opinions are my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  Click here for the Disclosure Policy of Three Boys and an Old Lady blog.

Live. Learn. Repeat. Arkansas Womens Bloggers Conference 2012 #AWBU

What do you get when you cross a bunch of women from all points North, South, East and West Arkansas who just happen to blog?  You get an experience.  I looked forward to meeting most of my fellow Arkie bloggers in person for the first time.  I hardly meet any bloggers from my home state when I attend the "major" conferences, so I opted to forego another conference held the same weekend and spend a little time getting acquainted with bloggers in my neck of the woods.  

Location, location, location.  There is much to be said about location and the Ozark Folk Center is a picturesque awesomeness of serenity located in the Arkansas Ozarks.  One of our hosts, Stephanie, is the wife of the Superintendent there and a lovely hostess might I add.  Ozark Folk Center proved to be a stunning canvas for all the photography buffs I met.  Even those of us who chose to leave our cameras behind were rewarded with glimpses of nature at its best.

The workshops were informative and I really enjoyed the "45 in 45" where we exchanged blogging tips with each other.  I also did things I'd never done before like throwing an axe and dye wool...with Kool-Aid.  The wool came from a sheep owned by one of the docents and she uses it to make rugs and sweaters and stuff.  A few of us gathered to learn how to make wool balls.  What a great project!  Given I'd spent ten bucks on a wool ball toy for our dog I figured it was worth a try.  


If you have a dog, you've probably seen those wool balls.  They're all the rage in the Dog-o-Sphere!  Unlike tennis balls, wool balls won't tear and you can wash them.  I don't know what everyone else had in mind when we began this project but one look at the little balls of wool and I knew I wanted to make a huge wool ball for our doggie.  I dyed and rinsed and rolled...dyed and rinsed and rolled...and dyed and rinsed and rolled again until I had 4 oddly colored, oblong-y shaped balls.  Well, time ran out before I could finish my project but I got the gist of it and was able to finish it when I returned home the following evening.  So, next time instead of buying our beloved doggy some organic wool ball toys, I am going to save my money and make it myself.  

Oh, I'll have more stories to share of my Arkansas Womens Bloggers Conference experience.  There are so many to share and many thanks to the wonderful group of women and the staff of the Ozark Folk Center for their gracious hospitality.

Sleeping Pretty thanks to Plus Size Lingerie Boutique

I'm quick to just put on my comfy tee shirt and flannel pajama pants and hop in the bed after a long day.  Flannel?  It just says "comfort" doesn't it?  Well, trust me this lil' polka dot piece from Plus Size Lingerie Boutique says a heckuva lot more.  Plus Size Lingerie Boutique features comfort and beauty.

This chemise and robe set is just one of the beautiful pieces of intimate apparel perfect for plus size divas like me.  Delicately constructed of silky smooth polyester and satin trim, the Peggie Chemise and Robe set is the perfect replacement for the humdrum tee and flannel pjs bottoms. 

I was surprised by the vast assortment of intimate apparel available at the Plus Size Lingerie Boutique features and their prices are well within my budget.  I know, you're probably thinking this is not practical sleepwear.  You're right but the chemise is so soft and silky and the robe is comfy.  The robe has a long belt and although I could have probably wrapped it around my waist twice, it made for a beautiful bow.  The set is gorgeous, you will find yourself posing in the mirror in amazement of how beautiful this set makes you feel.  You may even step back to catch a glimpse of your beautiful self as you walk past the mirror.  Best of all, Hubby loved it!  He was surprised to see me come to bed with this pretty little number on.  I confess, it was nice hearing him say that.  It made me feel as pretty on the inside as I looked on the outside.  Yes, I'm still working on getting rid of all my baby weight but hey I had three babies in less than a year.  Twins and a bonus.  Granted they're much older now, but I'm using that excuse as long as I can.  Plus size divas unite, there are plenty of beautiful fashions for us and Plus Size Lingerie Boutique is a great place to start.


Website:  www.PlusSizeLingerieBoutique.com







Disclosure:  I received this robe and chemise set in exchange for this review.  The views expressed above are mine.  Opinions are my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  Click here for the Disclosure Policy of Three Boys and an Old Lady blog.

Havertys: Discover Something YOU at Havertys

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Havertys Furniture. All opinions are 100% mine.

Our family room needs to be rescued.  It's a hodge podge of old furniture, office equipment and just a plain, hot mess.  I'd love to update it to something a little more modern, yet chic.  Something like this Metropolis, leather couch, chaise and chair found at Havertys.  When it comes to furniture, we have our own taste BUT Havertys let's you discover something distintively YOU!

Havertys invites you to Havertys: Discover Something You.  For the next four months Havertys will host Inspiration Sessions on their Pinterest site.

Check out Havertys Inspiration Sessions

• Sept 15th- Now Showing (designing an entertainment space)
• Oct 13- Seasonal Scapes (desiging for seasons)
• Nov 10- Winter Colors (designing to incorporate winter colors)
• Dec 1-Finishing Touches (making that room complete)

I'm most excited about this week's session on designing an entertainment space.  Hubby and I have considered updating our family room for several months now and this is a great place to find some fab decorating ideas.  Our family room is cramped with oversized furniture and we'd love to incorporate a home theater in this area so we can enjoy our family movie nights with more seating and *ahem* more comfortable seating.

I'd love a FASHION-FORWARD FAMILY ROOM If you don't have a separate room of the house you can devote to a home theater, make your living room transformable. Lined curtains are the first key. To avoid glare, use panels you can slide closed.

Seating is also a key element in this space. For TV viewing that’s comfortable for the whole family with plenty of room to spread out, a sectional is the perfect choice.

 

Check Out the Diet Mountain Dew Crew

Check it out!  I'm a member of the diet Mountain Dew Crew!  Want details on how you can join and snag savings, offers and more.  

Join today!  

Visit:  http://apps.facebook.com/dewcrew?mcpArg_acquisitionSourceId=SCHORUS

Disclosure:  Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Mountain Dew.

50 Ways to Play Book Review

This post is for mature audiences only. It contains links to a book that is not appropriate for little ones. Thank you. 

This simple and highly accessible non-fiction guide to BDSM (Bondage, Dominance, Sadism, and Masochism) features 50 edgy and erotic adventures to sample and is the perefct companion for the millions of fans of the Fifty Shades trilogy (Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed), the Anne Rice/A.N. Roquelaure Sleeping Beauty trilogy (The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment, Beauty's Release) and Sylvia Day's Crossfire novels (Bared to You and Reflected in You). This instruction book for couples contains one warning: you should try this at home!

From turning your ho hum bedroom into a “Red Room of Desire,” to exploring the fine art of Japanese rope bondage—and a few other ideas perhaps better not mentioned in polite company—50 Ways to Play invites couples who might otherwise think of themselves as “average” or “nice” to walk on the wild side. According to husband-and-wife writers Debra and Don Macleod, sex should pack a punch—it’s meant to catch you off guard. The fifty sexy and surprising “ways to play” offered up in this book are guaranteed to turn up the heat in your sex life.

My Thoughts:  This "50 Shades" madness has gotta stop.  It seems that everyone is writing a book about "50" something.  I appreciate the book was written by a husband and wife team and albeit a little daring for my taste, if your love life is in a slump, perhaps some of these ideas will spice things up a tad.  There are no pictures in the book, yet the text is graphic enough to convey the intended message.  The text is graphic, not vulgar.  Authors Debra and Don Macleod kept the book compact.  Seriously, the book is quite compact almost as if the authors understood some of us may feel as if the entire world is watching you as you read the book.  

Yet, truth is I had no idea what BDSM was until the very 2nd page of the book.  Yes, that was my "OMG MOMENT".  LOL!  I simply loved the catchy title and the cover. 

Overall, corny title but perfect little instruction guide for all you little lovers of the whole "50 shades" craze.  

Preview It:  Click here to take a peek at the first few pages

Buy It: 50 Ways to Play is available at a bookstore near you and also at online retailers like these:

 

Resource® Natural Spring Water Review

When I was a kid, I remember my mom always telling us we didn't drink enough water and now that I'm a mom, I often find myself saying the same exact thing to my kids.  Funny how that works.  I never really appreciated fresh, clean water until we moved to a state where the tap water was beyond gross and everyone drank bottled water and over the years I became somewhat accustomed to bottled water myself.  With so many different bottled waters out there can be exhausting to find fresh, clean, water.  Fortunately, Resource® Natural Spring water, makes the choice a little easier.   

Resource® Natural Spring water is

• 100% sustainably sourced spring water
• Natural electrolytes for a uniquely crisp taste
• Bottles made from 50% recycled plastic*
  *excludes label and cap

and best of all, Resource® Natural Spring water tastes fresh and clean.

Why electrolytes?  Resource® Natural Spring water electrolytes are those that occur naturally from their springs.  There's nothing added to your water.  This makes for a unique taste and a great product. 

Resource® Natural Spring water is a product of Nestlé Waters North America Inc. and we've been fans of their water beverages for quite some time.  I enjoyed the samples we received and shared a bottle with one of my running buddies.  She said "Water is always a great pick me up and the addition of electrolytes will help restore what the body loses during your exercise routine".  She gave Resource® Natural Spring water two thumbs up and so do I.

Follow Resource® Natural Spring water on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/resourcespringwater 

Disclosure:  I received two (2) complimentary bottles of Resource® Natural Spring water for review.  The views expressed above are mine.  Opinions are my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  Click here for the Disclosure Policy of Three Boys and an Old Lady blog.