Shrinking Sisters Reviews

One pod to rule them all (in the laundry room)

Ever since detergent pods were invented, we've been big fans. No measuring, no spilling and the ability to shoot free throws in the laundry room.

And with the kid wearing two sets of clothes pre- and post-camp, plus my sweaty workout duds on top of the usual family loads, we've been angling for a spot on the Miami Heat.

What could be easier than Tide Pods? How about having them shipped directly to your front door?

Now through Aug. 31, if you purchase Tide Pods through the P&G eStore, you'll get  free shipping with a $25 purchase and 10 percent off for new shoppers. (I earn a commission on any sales at the P&G eStore from Shrinking Sisters readers who purchase products through the widget below.)

We've tried Tide Pods Spring Meadow, and while we don't feel quite as free and breezy as Julie Andrews in the opening scene of The Sound of Music, laundry time is simpler and the clothes smell great.

In addition, you can find P&G eStore deals on lots of Olay, CoverGirl, Crest, Oral-B, Swiffer and more products from Procter & Gamble.

But get shopping -- the deal ends Aug. 31. And the deal isn't just for you -- let all your laundry-lovin' friends know about this, too.

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 notebook: Week 1

Thank you to Ubisoft for providing me with a copy of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 and sponsoring this fitness diary series. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Usually, the Xbox is the domain of the teenager, but Mama's got an appointment with it now -- I'll be letting you know about my fitness journey every week with Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012.

I get sent a lot of workout DVDs and "exergames" and the first version of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved was definitely my favorite of the bunch. It was the easiest to follow, it had the best variety of workouts and we liked the Gym Games for recreational fun.

So I was psyched to get to try out the latest version of the Ubisoft program. New this year is improved motion tracking (it really is better); Bollywood, hip-hop and Latin dance aerobics (cha cha!); and just more of everything.

As soon as it arrived, the kid and I popped it in the Xbox. He liked the Wall Breakers -- apparently punching things is a great way to get out your after-school hostilities.

(That's the Wall Breakers above. Blam!)

I liked the jump rope and the Hu-la-las because there were no real jump ropes to trip over or hoops to fall off my hips. Finally, I can do those!

I'll be tracking my progress at the online YourShapeCenter and I'll also be letting you know how I'm doing on the scale, because being accountable to someone other than myself is extra motivating.

We review: Marzetti Simply Dressed

I am a label reader. If I'm checking out a new product at the grocery store, you'd better believe I'm scouring the ingredients for funky stuff. I'll flip over many a box and bottle

Too much sodium? Back on the shelf. High fructose corn syrup? No thanks. Loads of preservatives and artficial flavors and colors? See ya later.

I am also a salad dressing aficionado. You should see my fridge door -- it's packed with bottles (you can see it at left). I'm always on the prowl for a creative accompaniment to a big ol' pile of greens.

Truth be told, I'm a salad dressing snob -- I've ordered it by mail, brought my own bottle to my parents' house for Sunday dinner and even stashed a a bottle of the good stuff in the office refrigerator.

So when Clever Girls Collective offered me the chance to try out Marzetti Simply Dressed salad dressing I knew we'd be a perfect fit. I've spied it at the grocery store in the produce department. If it needs to be refrigerated that's a sign that it's not laden with sodium and preservatives. What first drew me to the dressings was the cute stubby bottle shape and label design -- I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff.

I checked out the Pomegranate because, frankly, it was the lowest in calories (this is a weight-loss blog after all). Two tablespoons is only 60 calories and 4.5 grams of fat with zero sat fat. Plus, it's gluten free, nicely low in sodium (150 mg) and contains 150 mg of omega-3 ALA per serving. (All the Simply Dressed varieties are gluten free except for the Ginger Sesame, which gets its wheat from the soy sauce in it.) There's no high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives, no MSG and no artificial flavors or colors.

What does it have? A nicely tart-sweet flavor and ruby red color, which was great on my salad of supergreens, tomatoes and leftover chicken breast. I also think the Pomegranate flavor would be great on a fruit-laden salad, like my favorite baby spinach and sliced strawberry combo.

Lil' food tip: If you're using a flavorful, high-quality product, you don't need to drown your salad in it.

If Pomegranate doesn't interest you, there are lots of flavors to choose from:

• Balsamic
• Blue Cheese
• Caesar
• Champagne
• Coleslaw
• Ginger Sesame
• Greek Feta
• Pomegranate
• Ranch
• Strawberry Poppyseed
• Thousand Island

You'll have to check with your local grocery store to see which ones it stocks. I'm hoping my store will also start stocking Marzetti's brand new Simply Dressed & Light line, too, because so-called "diet" salad dressings can be simply awful and these look to be great with clean ingredients and skinny nutritional stats. The Light flavors include:

• Blue Cheese
• Caesar
• Celery Seed Slaw
• Ranch
• Raspberry Acai

I knew I had made a good choice when both the cashier and the bagger saw the bottle and said that they liked the line of dressings. Usually, grocery store employees look at my weekly haul of Greek yogurt, flaxseeds and brussels sprouts and make funny faces. Not so the Simply Dressed.

I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Simply Dressed review. They provided me with product to test myself and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

Coffee with ethics is extra tasty: We try Equal Exchange

I'm the only coffee drinker in my house. Husband calls it "icky" and the kid is too young to appreciate the nectar of the gods. So the coffee I bring home is MINE, ALL MINE!

And did I mention that coffee is a metabolism-boosting, antioxidant-rich wonder food?

I'm not a fan of run-of-the-mill grocery store coffee. Life's too short for mediocre, sour java. So I was intrigued when Mambo Sprouts asked me whether I'd like to try Equal Exchange coffee.

They had me at "organic Fair Trade."

I was sent Organic French Roast and Organic Love Buzz, both fairly dark blends (fine with me!).

Like I mentioned, not only is it organically grown, it's also Fair Trade. Equal Exchange partners with small-scale farmer co-ops that are democratically organized.

In 1986, Equal Exchange founders wanted to empower farmers and consumers, supports small-farmer co-ops, and use sustainable farming methods.

So the coffee is noble, but how does it taste?

Just lovely. Love Buzz is a rich, chocolatey dark blend, and the French Roast is smoky and sweet and not at all bitter like some French roasts can be. Both blends send out an incredible coffee aroma as they brew.

I don't gunk up my joe with lots of cream and sugar. Lately, I've been grooving on Organic Valley's new soy creamer -- just a touch. So my morning mega-mug has to really sing. And this one does.

Want to try Equal Exchange? Go to the Mambo Sprouts website where you can print out coupons on this and other natural and organic products, including that Organic Valley soy creamer.

Equal Exchange products are available in cafes, co-ops, supermarkets and natural food stores throughout the United States.

Thanks to Equal Exchange and Mambo Sprouts, I received Equal Exchange coffee for review purposes only. The opinions in this post are my own opinions and were in no way affected by having received these items.

NutriSystem Week 4: Anticipation is making me work

    I received incredible news this week … my two kids, my mom and I will be flying up to visit my brother’s family for two weeks in July.

    I can’t wait to see my nephew and nieces, already 17, 15 and 6; to enjoy a glass of wine on a summer evening with my sister-in-law, who I’ve known and loved since high school; and to laugh with my hilarious brother, one of the most standup guys around.

    The news is an invigorating push for me in my NutriSystem journey. Hey, not only do I want to look good walking around Florida … I want to look good hanging out with my Connecticut family and possibly even my old high school buddies.

    At 27 days on the program, I am 9 pounds down.

    Soooo proud of those numbers.

    It’s basically 1 pound every three days. And that includes my Easter week fiasco, and the occasional mango juice sidecar or Breckenridge-brewed Vanilla Porter. (Why thank you! It’s true, I have exquisite taste in cocktails.)

    I dropped a clothing size within the first 10 days and have been waiting patiently for the next drop. For a week now, my clothes have felt incredibly loose and it feels silly to walk around in ill-fitting clothes. I can’t remember the last time I dropped two clothing sizes … oh yeah, that would make sense, ’cause it’s never happened before!

   By the time July gets here, I should reach bathing beauty status. And if you have trouble reading the sarcasm in that line … let’s recast as at least darn proud of my success.

     I’ve placed my reorder for the second month of NutriSystem food. I ordered multiples of my favorite dishes – the pizzas, the spicy wraps, the bean dishes. Really, my only dislikes were some of the lunchtime soups and breakfast cereals. That’s not a surprise since I’m typically not soup or a cereal person.

    And, if I could, I would have ordered a straight month’s worth of NutriSystem’s ice cream sandwiches. LOVE is an understatement. As someone who could eat a Klondike ice cream sandwich every day of the week, I have some elevated ice cream sandwich standards, lemme tell ya.

    The one thing that I still haven’t added into my schedule on a regular basis is high-intensity exercise. I get a lot of the typical stay-at-home mom exercise: hours of cleaning, lifting laundry, pulling weeds, walking the dog (or the kids). Serious weights or treadmill or gym work? Nada. So my goal over the next month is to add these extras into the mix and see what happens to my numbers.

     NutriSystem, thanks for the 9 pounds down. Looking forward to another 9. 

 

DISCLOSURE: Nutrisystem has provided its food program to us free of charge in exchange for our weekly updates. We are not required to write a positive review. The opinions we have expressed in this post are our own. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog.

 

A little tasty high 'culture' for your diet

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Weight Watchers.

I don’t think the grocery store cashiers are shocked anymore as they see the platoon of yogurt containers march down the conveyor belt every week.

 

We go through a lot of yogurt in our house. There’s only three of us but I buy at least 15 containers every week. Hubby eats it for breakfast every morning mixed with cereal, and often has it in the evening as well. I usually have one with fruit for breakfast or an afternoon snack, and the growing preteen is always on the lookout for a healthy snack.

 

Nonfat yogurt is my go-to food -– it’s a great source of protein and calcium, plus there’s no fat and it comes in a variety of flavors. It’s great on its own, swirled with cereal, sprinkled with walnuts or spun into a smoothie.

 

While I “date around” on yogurt brands, Weight Watchers Yogurt is one of my steady dates. It’s only 100 calories per container (2 PointsPlus on the Weight Watchers program), has 6 grams of protein and is sweetened with crystalline fructose and sucralose. Other “diet yogurts” use other artificial sweeteners that just don’t taste as good to me.

 

While I like all the flavors, my absolute fave is Apple Pie a la Mode. There are crispy bits of real apple (check out those chunks, at right) along with vanilla and cinnamon notes (yes, yogurt can have “notes”). If you really want to play up the apple pie feel, sprinkle a teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs on top.

 

In addition to traditional flavors such as Strawberry, Vanilla, Peach and Black Cherry, Weight Watchers Yogurt has an Indulgent Flavors line that includes Cherry Cheesecake, Amaretto Cheesecake, Key Lime Pie and the brand-new Caramel Spice Cake.

 

Want to try it for yourself? Download a coupon for $1 off the purchase of Weight Watchers Yogurt. To find a store that carries it, check the product locator HERE, and for more info visit the official site.

Visit the Exclusive Offers section

Shrinking Sisters checks out Green Giant boxed veggies (giveaway!)

So you're trying to lose weight and you're assuming that plain, flavorless vegetables will be your lot in life for the time being.

Not necessarily. Green Giant has more than two dozen varieties of its boxed frozen vegetables, and its Broccoli & Cheese Sauce is only 60 calories (2PointsPlus) per serving. A serving of it over a baked potato would make a great quick lunch.

Or you can do what Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien does and make a great broccoli-cheese soup with it. Her original recipe uses the Just for One! size veggies, but I doubled the recipe with the regular box of vegetables.

All it uses is a package of Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese Sauce, 1 cup light (plain) soymilk, 2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, chopped into pieces, and salt and pepper, to taste. All you do is cook the vegetables and put them into a blender with the other ingredients -- voila!

"Like" Green Giant on Facebook or follow the Jolly Green Giant on Twitter for more information and recipe ideas, or visit greengiant.com.

And now, the giveaway

Shrinking Sisters is dishing up a Green Giant prize pack that includes a coupon for one box of Green Giant vegetables, an insulated tote bag, groovy green silicone spoon, serving bowl and a pedometer.

To enter

Leave a comment below, telling me how you're fitting more vegetables into your diet. Contest deadline is Feb. 28March 8. When you comment, please make sure there's a way for me to contact you should you be the winner. (The comment system can be a little slow to load, so make sure you're commenting to the IntenseDebate System.) We'll choose one winner at random by pointing blindfolded at the computer screen after being spun around 50 times on the office chair.

Extra entries

• Subscribe to Shrinking Sisters.
• Follow Shrinking Sister Gail on Twitter.
• Become a fan of Shrinking Sisters on Facebook.
• Tweet about this giveaway using the phrase Enter to win a Green Giant Prize Pack Giveaway by Feb. 28 http://goo.gl/xraGx #myblogspark

Disclosure: Green Giant provided a sample prize pack and information through MyBlogSpark. No other compensation was received.

Be the Biggest Loser at home

My guys go through a ton of cereal, and MultiGrain Cheerios is a staple in our pantry. I'm a label reader, and the stats on MultiGrain Cheerios are good: a full cup is 110 calories, 1 gram fat, 160 mg sodium, 3 grams fiber, 6 grams sugar and 2 grams protein.

I'm also a big fan of The Biggest Loser, and have written about it since 2006. Right now, MultiGrain Cheerios and The Biggest Loser Club are offering a free 7-day plan with a code inside specially marked boxes.

After entering the code, you can access exclusive tools, including:

• A BMI calculator to gauge how much weight you may need to lose or gain to be considered healthy and not at risk for serious health problems.
• A 7-Day Plan that pairs daily meal plans with cardio and strength-training routines.
• 15 recipes from The Biggest Loser cookbooks, show and Cheerios.
• Daily workouts that couple cardio with mobility and resistance exercises to hit major muscle groups.

Also, every week during Biggest Loser season 11, you can Join MultiGrain Cheerios on Twitter at 8 p.m. ET to connect with past contestants, share weight loss tips and discuss how to become your own Biggest Loser. Be sure to follow @MGCheerios and use the hashtag #mgcheerios to keep up with the conversation. This week's guest is season 8 champ Danny Cahill.

And Shrinking Sisters Reviews is offering a little extra incentive: A prize pack, shown above, which includes:

• A full-sized box of MultiGrain Cheerios cereal with the online code.
• A cute, little purple gym bag.
• BPA-free (I checked) water bottle.
• Cereal container for snacking on the go.

To enter

Leave a comment below, telling me what you're doing to get healthier this year. My goal -- which I will attain -- is to finally FINISH losing weight. What's yours?

Extra entries

• Subscribe to Shrinking Sisters.
• Follow Shrinking Sister Gail on Twitter.
• Become a fan of Shrinking Sisters on Facebook.
• Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily for two entries) using the phrase "Enter to win MultiGrain Cheerios cereal and The Biggest Loser Club Prize Pack Giveaway 2/8 http://goo.gl/ijxM2 #myblogspark #mgcheerios"

Giveaway ends Feb. 8 at midnight ET. If you are chosen, from comments picked at random, I'll contact you via e-mail to get your mailing information, which will be passed on to MyBlogSpark.

Disclosure: Cheerios provided me with the product and information through MyBlogSpark.

The love affair with my lunch box

I've been enjoying my Nutrisystem meals for five entire days, and I must say I am impressed.  I was on Nutrisystem 20 years ago when there were brick & mortar centers peppered through my county.  Waaay back then, the food was, for lack of a nicer word, "different".  My sister referred to it as cat food... lots of tins of "pate" which, in fact looked like cat food.  But that was a whole different Nutrisystem.

NOW, food comes in microwavable containers, little boxes, trays, cup-o-noodle type cups and bags.  And
the food is actually, quite nice.  I've been enjoying breakfasts of scones, pastries, pancakes on Saturday and fritattas on Sunday.  Lunches have been enjoyable. I've enjoyed chicken and noodles two different ways, and today's lunch, by far, has been my most favorite.  The red beans and rice with sausage was really really tasty.  My lunch-buddies even sampled it and were equally impressed.  I have been supplementing the boxes and cups of food with yogurt, fresh fruits and veg, and water. Lots and lots of water.  I'm even still drinking my coffee (my 1 "off-program" cheat) as I can't give up all of my old friends at once.

The rice and beans came in a box. Based on this fact, I assumed that the food came in a tray. Imagine my surprise today at lunch when I went to heat up my lunch that I saw it came in a bag.  Add 1 tablespoon of water and microwave. When I brought my "bag lunch" to the table, my lunch buddies told me I was eating Astronaut food.  It may have looked like a MRE, but it sure tasted great!

If you would like to shrink with this sister, go to www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog, or dial 888-853-4689

DISCLOSURE: Nutrisystem has provided their food program to me free of charge in exchange for my weekly updates. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed in this post are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

'No calories left: Enjoy your dinner!'

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and The Laughing Cow.

'No calories left: Enjoy your dinner!'

That's what my food journal basically told me when I tallied up the calories from breakfast, lunch and assorted snacks. 7 p.m. -- too early to go to sleep, and a bowl of naked lettuce just isn't going to cut it.

Why do I do this to myself? (Another reason why I now "write it then bite it.")

So while I still made the pasta dinner I had planned for the guys, I broke out the Bare-Bones Meal for myself.

Yay! Cooking twice burns twice the calories, right?

Actually, the Bare-Bones Meal is quite good. It just happens to be less than 100 calories. And an extra 100 calories in your day every now and then won't ruin your eating plan.

So what's my Bare-Bones Meal?

1/4 cup Egg Beaters, any variety (I used Southwestern) -- 30 calories

1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry -- 20 calories

1 Laughing Cow Light wedge (to go with the Southwestern Egg Beaters I used the Queso Fresco & Chipotle flavor) -- 35 calories

Pour the Egg Beaters into a nonstick pan. After they set somewhat, put in the spinach and break up the cheese into little bits over the whole thing. Cook until set.

That's it -- 85 calories! And you can knock yourself out with a couple tablespoons of salsa for another 10 calories. I also sprinkled a little Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle on to turn up the heat.

And it doesn't involve one leaf of lettuce or one stalk of celery.

Hey, speaking of Laughing Cow...

Share a funny story, video clip, picture etc in the comment section and you will be entered to win $150. Please keep your comments G-rated as any profanity or offensive content will automatically disqualify you from sweepstakes entry. You should also Visit The Daily Laugh hub (see link below) to read funny content each day and for weekly chances to win $100 at the “Play For Laughs” game. If you share something really funny, we may even use it in The Daily Laugh!

Check out the Daily Laugh Hub to check out other bloggers' stories. You'll also have 11 other chances to win $150 each month & the chance to win $100 from the Daily Laugh Hub on BlogHer!

Click HERE for official rules.