Nursery Rocks!

I think the nursery in our church totally rocks. Probably more so than other ward nurseries if I do say so myself! We have a wonderful nursery leader that goes out of her way to make it an enjoyable class for the littlest primary kids in the ward.

She has a really cute bulletin board up with all the children's photos and she always teaches them lessons that, as a parent, I would want my child to learn. Look at this cute crown she made for all the kids! It's durable too! Just what a 2 year old needs. And it's an sweet reminder that she is a child of God.

I love that our leader gives the kids handouts that will help reinforce what they have been taught. They bring home things that they can either play with or look at to remind them.

We also have a fabulous music leader that sings each week with the children. I can hear them when I'm next door teaching my own lessons to the older kids. They sing and then Ava comes home and sings them for me and with me. So fun!

Many thanks to all the primary teachers and leaders in my Ward!!! Oh, and the presidency isn't too bad either....*wink*

Try it Tuesday.....riceworks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps

I found a yummy treat! I'm always thinking of ways to add brown rice to my children's diet. They don't like it. Because it's brown. Simply because of that fact. Me? I love brown rice! I prefer it over white. Not just because of the nutritional reasons, but I just like it. It tastes good. It's really not that much of a difference in taste as the white anyway in my opinion. But it does have a bit of a different texture according to my kids. So they won't eat it. Well, I bet Ava would.

So I see this new chip at Wally World a few weeks ago. riceworks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps. And yes, the riceworks is spelled all lowercase and as one word. They look like a tortilla chip but I could tell they were smaller.

riceworks crisps have all these great benefits:



-Natural ingredients

-No preservatives or artificial flavors

-Wheat & Gluten free

-No transfat (0 grams)

-33% less fat than regular potato chips

-Vegan & Celiac friendly

-No cholesterol

-Kosher certified

-Zero sugar



The FDA claims that diets rich in whole grain foods such as brown rice and that are low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.



Great! But how do they taste? So I picked up the Salsa Fresca flavor. We all really loved these! I knew that because these were brown rice, they would probably be a bit more dense than a regular tortilla chip and I was right. They are kind of small, but still good sized and satisfying.



So then a week later, I pick up the Sweet Chili & later on the Sea Salt flavors. We love them all. Even my husband said they were really tasty. None are too strong in flavor. They are just right.



Now let's talk fat & calories.....



10 chips (remember, they aren't big) or 1 ounce have 140 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram fiber, 0 sugar, 2 grams protein and 110 mg salt.



I like that they have protein and at least 1 gram of fiber. I'm not too thrilled with 6 grams of fat and 140 calories. But like I said, they are more dense so they are filling. Plus with all the nutritional benefits, I'd say I would choose these over tortilla chips any day. Crush and sprinkle them on top of tomato soup...mmmm. They are still kind of a junk food though....It never says if they are baked or fried, but I'm guessing fried in canola oil.



In a dream world, these would be just as tasty if they were baked. Why promote a heart healthy chip and then deep fry it? I think baked would be better for us all. Just my opinion.



Besides the Sea Salt, Salsa Fresco & Sweet chili flavors, these brown rice crisps also come in Parmesan & Sundried Tomato, and also Wasabi and Baked Cinnamon flavors. I wonder if they really mean baked when they say Baked Cinnamon. I doubt it. I'm sure I'll get around to trying them all eventually.



One small set back for me- Sometimes I get a tiny allergic reaction to certain foods....raw carrots, banana, avocado and now brown rice crisps. My tongue itches! Weird, I know. But yes, my tongue itches a little bit after eating a few of these crisps. I love bananas and raw carrots, so I usually just put up with it and will with these crisps.



Now go ahead and buy some of these for yourself and let me know what you think.



Oh, want a coupon for $1 off a bag? Here is a link. Plus, you can learn more about this product at their site.





Would you like to read about the health benefits of brown rice? I found some great info at this site...



Benefits of brown rice

Winner!!

Oh this has been F-U-N! There were only 5 comments, so I didn't think I needed to use a random generator to choose a winner. Instead, I asked Ava to help me!

She's only just turned 2, so I knew she wouldn't be able to read the names and then say, "Hey, I want my friend Nancy to win." or something like that (not that we didn't want Nancy to win, mind you). Ava was perfect for this since she is totally unbiased! So I scribbled everyone's names on slips of paper and folded them up. Then asked Ava to choose one.
Choose one? Only one? She couldn't do that. She had to have them all.

Ok, so now what? I tried a few times to explain to her that she only needed to choose ONE. Nope. Doesn't want just one, she wants all the pieces of paper. If there were only a few people signing up to win, I would have said OK! We have 3 winners! But there were 5 and I decided that we had to just choose one.

Sooooooo.....finally Ava decided to give ONE paper back to me.





I decided that this one paper would be the winner....

Congratulations Rachel!! Now just tell me which scent you would like of the Glade Fragrance Collection candles! Here is a link to the website to help you choose. I'll do my best to find the scent that you like. I also need your address, so send me a Facebook message.

This was fun! I might do another sometime!

It's kind of funny that the very same day I picked a winner.....I WON a give-a-way!! How random is that?!

Tick Tock....

The time is running out! Don't you want to win a *free* Try It Tuesday product?

Tick tock...tick tock....tickety tock....

Leave me a comment by midnight tonight to be eligible!

Don't forget to let me know which product you would like to receive and how to reach you.

Free is good. So sign up now!!!

Give, Oh Give-A-Way!

I did it. I've joined the *give-a-way* bandwagon!

Would you like to receive your very own Try It Tuesday product? For freeee?!

Just say yes. You know you want to.

Here's how it will work.......

Leave me a comment telling me which product that I have reviewed that you would loooooove to have sent right to your doorstep. You can find the Try It Tuesday products by using the search box or clicking on the label cloud on the right hand side of my blog. You'll have to scroll a bit to find it. If you are already a follower of my blog, you probably have a product already in mind!

Make sure when you comment, that you leave me a link to your blog or an e-mail address so I can contact you. If I already know you...no worries! Chances are, I know you anyway because my blog is teeeny tiny in the blogger world. Which, I might add, doesn't bother me a bit.

RULES:
There.. are.. no.. rules.

LOL. Just kidding. I had to say that. Anyone watch the movie, "Rat Race"??

Ok, maybe not. *sigh*

Anyway, there is only one rule. If you do not live in my town, you cannot choose a product that needs to be refrigerated or frozen. Sorry...that's just too much work for moi. If you don't even know where I live, then make it easy and just choose something that needs no refrigeration okay? Thanks!

Oh, I lied. There are 2 rules. The winner needs to "try" the product and then e-mail me to let me know how they liked it. Sort of a mini review if you will. If you would include a photo of yourself actually using the product.....well, then you become my new best friend. (although a photo isn't really necessary....and who needs another friend to annoy you anyway?!)

So go ahead and leave me that comment! You know you want to.

Just make sure you do it soon because this give-a-way lasts only until *Sunday, September 27th.* On Monday the 28th, I'll pick a weeeeener!!

Try it Tuesday.....Schick Intuition Razor

This will be a short review, because I didn't like this razor and don't care to waste too much space about it.

I received a free Schick Intuition razor. I love free. I'm glad it was free because these things are just under $10 and the refills (you get 3) are almost as much. It comes with a cute suction cup hanger that works perfectly. That's the only thing I liked.

The razor itself is not easy to handle. It's big, bulky and wide. It kept slipping out of my hand. Not cool.

There is a moisturizing soap built up all around the blade. This is for convenience so they say. No more using a separate soap or shower gel. It's built right in! Nice concept, but it misses the mark. First of all, I couldn't really tell where I was shaving and because it was built in, it was almost 'too' smooth and again, I couldn't tell where I was shaving. It's hard to explain, but the few times I used this razor, I came out with streaks that weren't touched. Nothing like having rows of hair down your legs. Pinstripes! Nice. Not.

The soap only lasted about 4-6 shaves and it wore down unevenly. The soap on the bottom...closest to my skin, was gone before the top part. Not very useful. Wasteful even. Plus the razor lasts longer than the 'soap', so I had to use my own shave gel anyway. My Bic Soleil razors last much longer than this one too.

Why did they send me an Intuiton recently, when there is a new one called Schick Intuition PLUS?? Weird. Looks like the Plus verison is the same price, but it's handle is narrower and there are 4 blades. Duh Schick! Couldn't you have thought of that before?
I doubt I will even try the Plus version (unless it's free!).

Feel free to argue with me on this review, but I feel that this razor just isn't very useful to me. I'm glad I didn't waste any money on it.

Something To Think About Saturday

Elements & paper by Nicole Young Designs

View the short video, "What Matters Most" here. It's only a minute and a half out of your day. Make it worth it.

Try it Tuesday.....Hershey Goodies Straight From The Factory!

I know, I know. It's about time I got back on track with Try It Tuesday's! Summer is always busy and I just haven't had the energy. Plus, I have to fight with 4 kids to use the computer on summer days. One computer doesn't really work for 5 people.

Anyway, we went on a trip with the hubby (he had business) last month and stopped in Hershey, PA! What can I say about this sweet town?! It's cute, it's quaint and smells sooo yummy. I'm not kidding. We rolled our windows down and could get nice, big whiffs of cocoa coming from the Hershey Chocolate Factory. The whole town is centered around the highly popular chocolate. Even the street lamps are shaped like Hershey Kisses!

The street names are just as sweet.

Before I get to the review, here are a few more photos that I took while we were there. Please bear with me on the pictures...I'm not so great at taking them from a moving vehicle!

Heading into town from the east (we were in Lancaster, PA first), we were greeted by a yummy sign.

It's kind of hard to see, but the bushes spell out, "Hershey Cocoa". The real factory is behind it.

Don't get me wrong, it was fun for the kids (Molly is in the photo above). But I was a bit let down because I really wanted to see the whole process in action. Instead we got to look at fake candy bars being made. *sigh*

And fake cocoa beans rolling down the conveyor belt.

One fun thing about this tour, was that it wasn't a walking tour. We rode in a fun car (of course I didn't take pictures of that part because I just didn't think of it! Duh) that took us along and spun us around to see things. Ava especially enjoyed the cute cows with their moving heads singing about how the chocolate couldn't be made unless milk is used.

After the free tour (which we took one more time after this I might add) we watched the cutest 3-D movie! This wasn't free, but $5 for kids and $6 for adults wasn't too bad. I thought it was just going to be 3-D, but it was interactive too. We had great fun watching Ava try to grab the floating Hershey Kisses and Milk Duds, while we also got sprayed with sweet smelling cocoa, sprayed with 'milk' (water) and confetti dropped on us all while our seats wriggled and things felt like they were tickling our legs! Great fun I tell ya. I felt like we were at Disney for a bit!

We could have gone on to a chocolate tasting adventure show, but time wouldn't allow. Those shows filled up quite fast. We did get to see a Reeses Nascar race car though which thrilled Brycen. Doesn't he look thrilled?

There were plenty of other things to do in Hershey.... like take a trolley tour, go to the Hershey Museum, learn how to make chocolate etc. But time wasn't on our side. Plus, it was expensive and a man who worked at Chocolate World said the kids would get bored because most was geared towards adults. And to think I believed him and and we didn't do any more fun things! Later, I heard they were still fun for kids and that we just should have atleast gone to the museum. Oh well. Next time.

While in Hershey....well, everywhere we went in PA actually...I saw the most beautiful homes. They love to build with stone and I love to gawk at all the beautious architecture! There were a few mansions right on the main drag in Hershey that were SO lovely, but I couldn't get a good shot of them. I did, however, get one of this small stone home. It's not a great shot, mind you..but it shows some stone that I just loved! I could have just walked all along this main road if hubby would have let me. Even in the rain! Yes, it rained all day while we were there. :( Our oldest daughter, Jillian couldn't come with us on this trip because she had to work, but we brought back a large personalized Hershey Bar for her to munch on. Speaking of candy, the Hershey Chocolate World really pushed the shopping! The main area is one big store with anything and everything you would want to eat, wear, play with or cook with. Anyone up for some tiny Hershey Kiss shaped salt & pepper shakers for $15?! They did have some cool vintage looking tins and vintage looking shirts, but we passed on them. Actually, the prices on candy weren't too bad. No mark up in the price...they were the same that I pay at Target. I thought for an attraction, they would have sky high prices. But I guess they really don't need distributors with the factory so close do they?! Ok, on to the Try It Tuesday part! After both the free tour and the 3-D movie, we were given little treats! They were both new products, so I thought they would be perfect to review. After the 3-D movie, we were given Twizzlers Sweet & Sour Filled Twists. Below is not a great photo. Sorry. I know it's out of focus, but atleast you get to look at the beautiful sarong (is that the right word?) of the person behind the candy.

These taste lemony (yellow) and cherry. The insides are a soft candy that packs a punch! I'm not much of a fan of the sour part, but my kids loved them! I'm not sure if they are in stores yet, but when they are, I'm sure kids all over will like 'em.


After the free 'factory tour' (blech), we were given little handfuls of the new Hershey Chocolate Meltaway. I have no idea if these are out either, but I doubt they will make much of a hit. I wonder if they are a limited edition. They remind me of the Hot Chocolate flavor that was out last winter. They are tastier than the Hot Chocolate, but like their Meltaway name, they melt away *in*your*hand*. Once you take them out of the foil, don't wait too long to actually eat it. The soft center makes them melty all right.
And there you have it. Our small little jaunt to Hershey, PA. Next time I go, I'm going to visit Hershey Gardens plus I'm staying at one of their hotels and soaking in a chocolate bath!

More to come about the rest our east coast business/vacation trip! A little Fairfax, VA, Washington D.C. and a small trip to the Washington D.C. LDS Temple!

This sign on the factory tour building explains that it's a free tour. I was expecting to see 'real' chocolate being made in a 'real' factory. Nope. Not gonna happen. The whole thing was a fake tour.
We are now entering Hershey's Chocolate World! Inside is the free factory tour, shopping, eateries, a 3-D movie etc. Plus the theme park is right next to this building below.

Something To Think About Saturday

Paper & elements by Vera Lim.

Time to get my house in order.

A Brand New Year

The 2010 Mutual theme for LDS youth is......

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9)."

Each ward will receive a dvd entitled, " A Brand New Year: 2010 Youth Celebration"

The DVD is a special resource being prepared to strengthen youth and enhance Young Men and Young Women activities planned for 2010. I believe it's mostly youth speaking and testifying about what they have learned and how following the standards have strengthened them. Learn more about the dvd here.

I love this! I wish we had special DVD's to introduce the theme when I was a leader in YW. Sometimes I think the youth need to see that a lot of effort and prayer goes in to the themes. After all, it's what the Lord wants the youth to know, study and live right? What they learn is an armour of sort. Things to protect them inside and out throughout their lives. This theme will help them realize that everywhere they go, Heavenly Father goes with them and will not abandon them. I hope they listen to this counsel, because at one time or another, we all feel alone. It helps to know that we don't actually have to feel that way.

Just my 2 cents :)

Something To Think About Saturday

Paper by Stacey's Scraps

Ribbon & button elements by C.W. Pickett & Co.

Trailer Park elements by Shabby Miss Jenn Designs

I'm not saying that my vacation was a failure by the above quote. It was actually quite fun (sometimes). But don't all vacations have some sort of discomfort? Whether it be the heat, bugs, family squabbles or too much "going & doing" crammed into one day. There are usually 'downs' to go with the 'ups' right?

I'll be blogging about the vacation/ business trip we took last week as soon as I can. First, I have to get some kids off to school and learn the new online Quickbooks. Plus all of my other responsibilities that life demands. After that, I can get back to the fun stuff....blogging, digi-scrapping, etc!