Arizona's Ultimate Women's Expo: FREE Tickets

The Ultimate Women's Expo is back in Phoenix, Arizona this October!

 Hundreds of Shopping Pavilions, perfect for unique holiday gift Ideas for every member of your family - and that all important "You". Indulge yourself with the very best Arizona has to offer in shopping, fashion, food, entertainment, cosmetics and travel. Spend a relaxing day being pampered with spa treatments, massages and retail therapy.          

Right now, you can score some FREE tickets to Arizona's Ultimate Women's Expo courtesy of Fry's Food stores! 

This event will be held Saturday, October 18th, 2014 and Sunday, October 19th, 2014 at the Phoenix Convention Center. 

Gain access to these awesome FREE tickets by registering HERE!

 

 

I attended the Ultimate Women's Expo in April with my mom and sister. This is a great experience and a fun way to spend a weekend. We had a great time!

 

 

It's Not a Secret! My Tips for Weight Loss the Healthy Way

I have been working really hard since the middle of March to get my body back in shape. During this journey I have been asked many times how I am getting results. Now, I have decided to share it with you.

When I decided I was going to encourage my body to drop some weight, I was a bit surprised at how many "get skinny quick" schemes and fad diets I came across. These magic fat cures range from pills, to magic fat sucking herbs and wraps, to practically starving ones body. The fact is, and some of you may not like this, if you want to lose weight in a healthy way and have results that last, it starts with changing your lifestyle and I know that is not always easy. It is going to REQUIRE dedication and hard work.

 

It took me three babies and eight years to get my body like the photos on the left and only five months of slow and steady dedication to achieve the results on the right. 

When I started, I was really overwhelmed with all the different exercises, not knowing what to eat, etc. I mean, I hadn't REALLY tried to lose weight in my life. I decided to take it slow. In this journey I have not been perfect, far from it, actually. I have learned that trying is key and it is hard work.  Here are some tips that worked for me.

*Note: Everyone has a different body. The same things will not work for everyone but I feel this is worth sharing as a jumping off point. I am not an expert or a dietician. These tips are based off of my own research and what worked for my body.

1. It Takes Time

You didn't become overweight over night, you won't lose it over night either. Healthy weigh loss is generally considered to be an average of 1-2 pounds per week. With the assistance of a dietician or doctor, many people can safely lose more than this. I did not. I decided to take it slow as to not overwhelm myself.

House Party: L'Oreal and Redbook Happy Hour

I was recently chosen by House Party to host a very cool Redbook and L'Oreal Happy Hour party. We took this opportunity to go all out and have a kick-off to Fall with a comfy, cozy, mom's night in pajama party. Tell a group of moms, "hey, come over, eat some food, take home some awesome swag, AND wear your pajamas!" Seriously, Can't get much better than that. Once I found out I was chosen for this party, I waited anxiously  patiently for the box to be delivered. I love that House Party sends tracking emails once they ship party packs. That way, I can stalk, I mean, WAIT FOR the delivery man. My party pack arrived the Monday before my party, giving me plenty of time to review it's contents, organize everything and put together swag bags. I was really excited for this party.

House Party sent us a really great party pack! It included tons of great L'Oreal products to sample and give away as well as some goodies from Redbook magazine.

Party Pack contents:

Starbucks BOGO Fall Drinks

If you are a Starbucks lover, make sure you head to your local participating U.S. Starbucks location for their "Autumn Two-gether" promotion where you can score buy one get one free Fall drinks from 2 pm- 6pm.

Promotion runs through September 21st, 2014.

This is always a tough call for me and I am a sucker for BOGO. I love the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino and the classic fall Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino! What is your favorite Starbucks Fall drink?

Walmart Beauty Box

Each new season brings different product needs and a reason to refresh your beauty cabinet. In your Walmart Beauty Box, you’ll find sample beauty products and tips on how to use those and other items sold at Walmart and on Walmart.com. Receiving your Walmart Beauty Box will be another reason to welcome each new season.

If you are looking for a new beauty subscription, Walmart just started a seasonal beauty subscription service. You can get a new beauty box once per season filled with samples of products available at Walmart stores.  The best part? The box is just $5.00 (FREE but you pay the shipping)! I have already seen some sneak peeks and this box is definitely worth the price!

* This is a subscription service that will charge your credit card automatically, four times a year. You can easily cancel at any time.

If you haven't signed up yet, there is still time to get the Fall box!

 Get your Fall 2014 Walmart Beauty Box here!

White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe

 

                          Photo credit: Allrecipes.com Charles Schiller; Styling: Tara Bench

Fall is upon us and it it the hardest time of year for me to choose healthy food options. This white bean chicken chili is my new favorite Fall recipe. It's healthy and delicious. It definitely screams "comfort food" and is perfect for family gatherings.

INGREDIENTS:

Artistic Expression at the Expense of a Child's Innocence

My sister-in-law posted a link on Facebook today of a Huffington Post article. I usually don't spend too much time thinking about things I see on Facebook once I finish reading them. This article was different and really had me thinking, all day. I am not going to re-post the photos, article or names because if I did, I would be contributing to the further exploitation of this child; and really, that just contradicts everything that is about to follow. The article was about a photographer and his photos of his young daughter nude and semi-nude. The main idea was to artistically capture the innocence of a child.

Now that you have a brief background on the subject, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on it.  I do not think this father/artist/photographer is sick or perverted or anything of the sort. I also do not find the photos to be pornographic, sexual or offensive to my eyes. I am not a sick pedophile, though. As I look at these photos, I start to think, maybe he is just clueless and unaware of the perversion and illness of some members of our society. Then I think, that can't be it. He has been pounded with negativity since people caught a glimpse of his photographs and he even made an entire art show featuring them!

As a mother, I look at the photos and I want to smile and cry!

Amazon Mom: Great deal on Huggies! 648 wipes for $1.57!!!

Through August 17th, Amazon is offering a great deal on Huggies to new Amazon Mom subscribers. Get 50% off  your first Huggies subscription in addition to the 20% you will receive for joining subscribe & save. You will need to do the FREE trial of Amazon prime to get this deal. Don't worry, it is very easy to cancel if you don't want to keep it and you can continue the trial (instructions below). You will also earn a $5 Amazon credit by signing up through my referral link! Even better, right!?

I was able to score a package of 648 Huggies wipes for $1.57!!!

Birchbox Has Won Me Over: How to Get Big Bang for Your Buck with Shop Points

I was not too sure about Birchbox when I heard people talking about it. In all honesty, I Google searched their previous subscription boxes and kept asking myself  "What am I missing? What do some know, that I don't know? This doesn't look like a good subscription service at all." I started doing my homework and I'm glad I did! I discovered a few great tricks to make the most of Birchbox and get rewarded handsomely for being a subscriber.


HOW TO EARN POINTS FOR FREE STUFF:

Coobie Seamless bra sale

Coobie Seamless Bras are ultra comfortable and versatile without sacrificing style. These affordable, stylish bras are seamless, one-size (comfortably fits 32A through 36D), available in 7+ styles and 50+ fashion colors and patterns. There is also a full size version fitting up to a size 42D. They are perfect for every day wear, yoga, pilates, new and nursing moms, sleep wear, and more! Coobie Seamless Bras also has a large following of mastectomy patients that love the soft comfort and pad pocket to insert a form. This line is truly a fit for all women!

CHECK BACK for my REVIEW on THESE FABULOUS and COMFORTABLE BRAS!

Promotion: Save 25% on any order of $40 or more at www.shopcoobie.com
Promotion code: USFG25