First Time Mom and Losing It

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I love listening to music with my daughter and dancing with her. When it is close to bedtime I turn off the TV and play some lullaby CD's that I received at my baby shower. After listening to them over and over I got so bored of them. How many times can you listen to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?" That is why I was so happy to review the Eighties Babies from Jammy Jams. It's a modern twist on lullabies using popular 80's songs.

The CD works for me and my daughter. It soothes her to sleep and keeps me entertained while I put her to bed. These are the "lullabies" you get with this CD.

1. Video Killed The Radio Star (originally by The Buggles)
2. Careless Whisper (originally by Wham!)
3. Don’t You Forget About Me (originally by Simple Minds)
4. Time (originally by Culture Club)
5. The Beautiful Ones (originally by Prince)
6. She Sells Sanctuary (originally by The Cult)
7. True (originally by Spandau Ballet)
8. Catch My Fall (originally by Billy Idol)
9. In The Air Tonight (originally by Phil Collins)
10. Private Eyes (originally by Hall & Oates)

If you love 80's music and have a baby or young toddler this one is for you. Check them out at http://www.jammyjams.net/ where you can learn about their other CD's that include anything from Hip Hop to Heavy Metal. You can also purchase them here: http://jammyjams.bandcamp.com/merch

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Every day I am incorporating more and more exercise by going to the gym, taking walks and slowly adding strength training. When I go to the gym I hit the treadmills and then go home. I am definitely not ready to hit the weight room or use those bulky strength training machines. I wanted to do strength training at home without having to buy dumbbells so I opted for the next best thing resistance bands.

I was lucky to get to review the DynaPro Direct Resistance Bands. As soon as I got them I noticed how much stronger and durable they were than the ones I used years ago. I love the D handle with the comfort grip. It makes it so easy to hold and won't slip or hurt your hand like the standard fabric handles.


The bands are made of anti-snap material that is 100% dipped in latex.


**I received a free DynaPro Direct Resistance Band for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good fit for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.

This is the fourth part of the Quiet Book How To Series. You can check out my posts below to make the pages for part one, two and three:
Title Page
Picture Page and Numbers Part 1 Page
Numbers Part 2 Page and Shapes Part 1 Page

From now on we will be making two pages, a front and back. The front is part 2 of the Shapes Page. The back page is part 1 of the Paper Doll Page.

Berries and plain yogurt are my favorite things to snack on. Though I love to eat just plain Greek fat-free yogurt by the spoonfuls I decided to jazz it up a little.

• 6oz container of plain fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
• 1 tblsp crushed macadamia nuts

Yesterday was weigh in day and I lost 3.8 pounds bringing the total to 31.4 pounds loss. I followed the Dr. Oz Rapid Weight loss Plan but I deviated a little by having a small amount of cheese and eating a grapefruit a few times this week.

My entire family including myself was sick this week so I didn't get to go out to the gym. I did go on two walks that I really enjoyed. I am so happy that I am walking without back pain. It is amazing how losing just a little bit of weight can make your body feel so much better.

I am feeling better this week so I have my days and my babysitter lined up to go to the gym four times this week. On the days that I am not going to the gym I will be doing strength training with my cool DynaPro Direct Resistance Band (review coming soon!).

This week it's back to calorie counting and my own yummy recipes. I can't wait to have my healthy Gyro's and Bacon Chicken Pizza!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.


I was so excited to get to review the Perfect Bib by Toppy Toddler. My daughter has become super independent with her meals and makes a huge mess. The Perfect Bib came to the rescue as it is large enough to cover her chest and the high chair tray!

When I first got the bib I loved how light and soft it was. It also comes in other bright colors and cool prints. It has two parts that you can use apart or together. The top bib part has special snaps that turns into a bib with a pocket that catches spills and crumbs.

The bottom mat part can be used as an eating mat or even a changing pad. Together it can be used as a complete cover in a highchair, smock or even superhero cape!

My favorite way to use the Perfect bib was as a complete highchair cover while she eats messy things like cereal and yogurt. I love that the mat part covers the whole tray. The connection of the bib and mat also prevents spills and messes from falling into the lap.

The Perfect Bib can be purchased at http://perfectbib.com/ with free shipping!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I have been getting tired of just roasting, steaming or stir-frying my veggies while on the Dr. Oz Rapid Weight Loss plan. I decided to try something new and came up with the Zucchini "Pasta" Veggie "Pesto" Bowl Recipe. I turned my zucchini into pasta and added a pesto-like taste by adding basil flakes and pine nuts.

Here is how I did it:

• 1 peeled zucchini
• 4 button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small head of broccoli (cut into florets and steamed)
• 1 tblsp of pine nuts
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1 tblsp of olive oil 
• 1/2 tblsp dried basil
• salt and pepper to taste

Today was weigh in day and I gained 1.6 pounds bringing down the total to 27.6 pounds loss. This week was a bit tough for me because my in-laws came to visit from out of town. My mother-in-law is an awesome cook and I have to admit that I could not resist her home cooking. I tried not eat as much as I did before but the amount of carbs I ate from white rice to breads didn't help out. My biggest confession is eating a bacon cheeseburger from a fast food restaurant that I have been wanting to try for years. I finally found one close enough when I was out shopping a state away. As soon I ate it I regretted it because it didn't taste as good as the commercial made it look. I did try eating low carb on the rest of the days left of the week to try to balance out my poor choices.

I do have to say that although I did not eat right this week, I did do the most fitness I have done since I started. I went out to a mall in my area and walked until my feet hurt. I then went to a mall outside of my state and walked again for a couple of hours. Another big accomplishment for me was joining a gym. Although the weather is getting warmer and I could walk outside I felt that by joining a gym it would make me go out and exercise because I have to pay for it. I joined on Thursday and went to the gym Friday and Saturday. It felt good to be a gym rat!

Second Month Progress

• Walking without back pain.
• Not craving any sugar.
• Joining a gym.
• Filling up a big bag with clothes that were too big to donate. 

This week I go back to the Dr. Oz Rapid Weight Loss Plan. I think my body can use a week of super healthy food, low carbs and no sugar. I am also surprisingly looking forward to the detox baths.

I am a member of the #CollectiveBias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.


As I was browsing around my local Duane Reade store I walked past their brand of great cleaning supplies. It reminded me that I still haven't done any Spring Cleaning. I decided to include exercise and turn my spring cleaning into a workout!


Everything I needed for my #DRSpringTime cleaning was conveniently displayed in one location.


When I got home I gathered all of my cleaning supplies in one place and printed out the Spring Cleaning Workout Checklist that I created. The checklist has a list of cleaning tasks to complete per room in your house. Also included in the checklist is a specific exercise to do per room and the calories burned. (Please note that the calories burned are per 200 pound female. You can use http://www.myfitnesspal.com/exercise/lookup if you want to get an accurate count for yourself.) The checklist is broken up into 4 parts. I did 2 parts per day and took breaks in-between for meals and snack time



While you are burning calories scrubbing the stove you can use a can of soup to do 20 bicep curls per arm. Make sure your elbow is touching your side. Lift your arm all the way up to your chest and repeat.


While you are polishing the furniture do 20 lunges per leg. Step forward with one leg and lower your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90 degree angle. Make sure your front knee is above your ankle and not pushed out too far. Your other knee should not touch the floor. Keep the weight in your heels as you push back up to your starting point.


What do you do for spring cleaning that can double for exercise?

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.



I finally did it! I joined a gym! I am not sure if I am fully ready yet for a gym but I had to take the plunge because I couldn't find anymore excuses not to go for a walk. My goal of exercising 4 times a week kept getting thrown on the back burner. "It's too cold", "I have to finish organizing the closets." Blah, blah, blah. Though I am still keeping active by setting my timer and getting up every 45 minutes to clean and organize, I know it is a matter of time before it wouldn't be enough to keep losing. I got the eating right part of avoiding sugar and getting tons of protein in, now it's time to get the active part right.

While I was already out going food shopping I decided to hit the gym first and sign up. I did it! Sign up was simple and I planned to go the next day. I decided to treat myself for making such an awesome decision and went to Walmart to get some gym essentials like a new water bottle and healthy snacks. I have been wanting to try the Oscar Mayer P3 because it is a combination of #MeatsCheeseNuts and was small enough to go in my little NY Yankee gym bag. It was perfect timing to be picked by #CollectiveBias to do the review.


The next day I put on my exercise gear, filled up my water bottle with ice cold water and slipped my P3 snack into my little bag. As I was walking to the gym I felt a little nervous. I haven't been to a gym since last year and this is my first time at that particular gym. When I got to the front door of the gym, there was no turning back now. I took a deep breath opened the doors and was greeted with tons of smiles. I scanned my card and hit the locker room to hang up my coat. I felt a little hungry since I didn't want to eat before I left to the gym so I pulled out my P3 and sat on the bench while I enjoyed it. I love the cute little container that makes it easy to hold. The meat and cheese was delicious but the best part was the peanuts. Since starting on my journey I have learned to love nuts. All of the #PortableProtein from the meat, cheese and nuts left me pretty satisfied.


I took another deep breath and went upstairs to hit the treadmill. Put my headphones on, played my walking playlist and just started walking. As I got comfortable I upped the speed an set an incline. Thirty minutes later I was done and couldn't believe how fast the time went.

On my way back home I felt so good. So good that I actually went to the gym and exercised. Almost two months down in this journey and it is amazing how different and good my body is starting to feel. Can't wait to hit the gym again tomorrow and bring along the Applewood Smoked Ham P3 with me!


Check out the Oscar Mayer P3 on their Website, Facebook or Twitter and tell me: Which would you like to try first?

I have been creating artwork like my Daddy and Me and Family Embroidered Hand Print to put on the wall of my daughter's room. I decided I loved them so much that I would display them in the living room instead. I wanted a picture of my daughter to go in the middle but wanted something special like a canvas print.

I was lucky enough to get to review an 8" x 10" canvas from http://www.easycanvasprints.com/ First I have to say how super easy it is to order a canvas from them. With just a few clicks of a button and a few customizable settings the canvas is shipped out to you. I was also super surprised at how fast I got my canvas shipped to me.


The canvas came really secure in a big cardboard box covered in plastic. When I took it out I was so impressed on how clear and beautiful the picture looked. Having the picture on canvas instead of photo paper made it so much more special.


If you are looking to order a canvas print I highly recommend EasyCanvasPrints for the ease, quality and speed you get it. You can get a 50% off code on your canvas print by clicking this link: http://www.easycanvasprints.com/coupon-codes/

*Please note that I "photo-shopped" the sunglasses onto my daughter's face and it was not part of the final product.

**I received a free 8" x 10" Canvas for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good fit for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.


Today is weigh in day and I lost 9.2 pounds for a total of 29.2 pounds. I definitely feel very deserving of that weight lost because I worked super hard and followed the Skinny Jane Diet exactly as instructed. It is meant to give you a jump start on your weight loss to get you motivated to lose more.

I recieved a 7 day kit of the Skinny Jane diet which is a sample of their 28 day challenge. They also have an 8 week challenge. This kit consists of the following:

Skinny Blend - It is a super yummy weight loss shake that has a special blend of 7 proteins that help  "curb your appetite for up to 4 hours and energize you." Each serving has 100 calories, only 1 gram of sugar, 3 grams of fiber and 12 grams of protein.

Skinny Burn - Is a weight loss and fat burning supplement. It has 9 ingredients that work to "help speed up your metabolism, boost your energy, and control your appetite."

Skinny Cleanse - "Cleanses your body by removing toxins and impurities from your system. In turn, your body will be a much better fat burning machine. This is a gentle cleanse that is very safe and does not cause any stomach discomfort."

My Experience:

Day 1: As soon as I woke up I took the skinny burn and skinny cleanse. About 15 minutes after taking them I was super energized. I felt like I was doing things at a faster speed. I felt great and didn't feel weird or jittery. Super big plus! Thirty minutes later I drank the protein shake. It tasted like not so cold chocolate milk. I then followed the meal plan and took another skinny cleanse at 5pm. I also drank about 2 cups of green tea throughout the day. I was surprisingly never hungry and kind of had to make myself eat. One thing to consider when doing this diet is that you will go to the bathroom ALOT. It is not uncomfortable or painful but it is frequent.

Day 2: Followed the plan exactly as above. I didn't feel like I was moving at a faster speed today. I did feel super energetic but not like the first day. I tried the shake with ice this time and blended it for a longer time. It tasted incredible! Just like a super yummy chocolate milkshake. Again I was not hungry and basically had to force myself to eat. I roasted my veggies instead of steaming them and I was a lot happier at dinner time!

Day 3: Followed everything as above. Night time cleansing was not too great today. I had to get up from sleep a couple of times.

Day 4: Followed the plan exactly. Had stir-fried veggies to change it up. Cleansing was way better today.

Day 5: Followed the plan almost exactly as above. I forgot to take one of the Skinny Burn supplements. I had lean beef as my protein with dinner. Yum! Haven't had beef in a long time.

Day 6: Love the shakes and Skinny Burn but looking forward to stopping the Skinny Cleanse! One more day and counting!! Had Salmon today! Yummy, Yummy!

Day 7: Yay!! I made it. I completed 7 days of the Skinny Jane diet. No cheating, no deviating and following it exactly as directed. I can't wait to see how much I lost when I weigh in.

My Thoughts: It is a great diet that will help you get a jump start on weight loss. Sometimes losing a good amount of weight when you start a weight loss plan can motivate you to continue. If you are somebody that likes to see fast results this would work for you. One thing to really consider is the cleansing part. Keep in mind that you will go to the bathroom a lot throughout the day. The shakes are delicious and really do keep you full. I would probably continue drinking the shakes here and there as my breakfast. They also include a great meal plan that gives you exact details on what to eat.

You can find more information about the Skinny Jane diet here:  http://www.skinnyjane.com/ Follow their facebook and twitter pages for all the latest news.

Next Week: Back to my calorie counting and yummy healthy recipes. I have my walking playlists all ready and an exercise band to exercise with and review! Can't wait to hit my 2 month mark!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

This is the third part of the Quiet Book How To Series. You can check out my posts below to make the pages for part one and two:
Title Page
Picture Page and Numbers Part 1 Page

From now on we will be making two pages, a front and back. The front is part 2 of the Numbers Page. The back page is part 1 of the Shapes Page. I got the idea for the shapes page from this pin.

I love eating beans. They are an easy and low calorie way to add good protein and fiber to your diet. Each 1/2 cup of beans has about 112 calories and 8 grams of protein. You can add them to your stews, salads, pastas, etc. You can also make some yummy snacks out of them like hummus or roasted chickpeas.

I used to use canned beans all of the time until I compared the sodium content to the dry beans. Canned beans have about 231 milligrams of sodium per serving, dry beans have about 2 milligrams. Dry beans also have no preservatives and are a lot cheaper than the canned version.

This is how I soften dry beans in about 45 minutes with no required soaking:

• 16 oz bag of dried beans
• 8 cups water
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• Pressure Cooker*

Today makes a month and a half that I have been on my weight-loss journey. I weighed myself this morning and I gained 1.4 pounds bringing down the total  to 20 pounds loss. I was pretty upset with the weight gain for just a minute. Thinking back to The Biggest Loser, you see some of the contestants gaining weight even though they are working super hard. I know it is my body trying to fight back and hold on to what it is used to. Even though I gained the weight I am still pushing on.