Monday, December 15, 2014

Fresh and Easy’s New Look and Features

Disclaimer: I was compensated for my time and for writing this post. All opinions are 100% my own and I had a great time at the Fresh & Easy Re-Grand Opening.


I had the opportunity on Saturday to go to the Fresh & Easy Re-Grand Opening here in Vegas to check out one of their newly renovated and redesigned stores. They had giveaways, samples, and other free stuff.

I was really impressed with the new look of the Fresh & Easy stores. The layout is really sleek and clean.
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The shelves are much lower which makes everything at eye level or below and gives the store a really open feeling.
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Oh and there's a pretty big gluten free sections, one with the bread and the other the packaged goods.

In addition to the new look, there are a bunch of new features in store. The Beverage Bar has fresh made to order smoothies, fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee and tea, draft sodas, and even an oatmeal station!
beverage bar
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The Fresh to Go area serves made to order pizzas, sandwiches, and soup. I got to try the Chicken Noodle soup and a sample of the pizza, I think it was mushroom, and they were both fantastic! Plus they still have their ready to heat meals that are great for quick meals on a busy night or a quick and healthy fast food alternative.
fresh to go

They’ve even provided microwaves and a toaster to heat up your soup, meal, burrito, breakfast sandwich, and more.
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Fresh & Easy still has fresh baked goods, just in nicer cases.
bakery items

Of course there are still their pre-prepared smoothie kits, salad kits, and their fresh chopped ingredients to make meal prep a breeze.
fresh and easy ingredients

One of the other cool new additions is the homeopathic aisle and new baby section. They even added a little touch screen kiosk to help you understand and select from the homeopathic aisle.
homeopathic baby isle
So there you go, a sneak peak at the new look and features of the new #smartermarket . If the changes haven’t already come to your local Fresh & Easy, they’ll be coming soon. You’ll be really impressed and I’m excited to be able to grab a quick lunch and do my shopping all in one place! Be sure to check out the new look and enjoy a fresh squeeze orange juice or something while you’re there!



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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

How to Be a Good Holiday Houseguest

I grew up the daughter of two international flight attendants. It was pretty cool. My parents traveled all over, brought me goodies from different countries and cultures, and I even got to travel to some cool places as well. Through the years, there were times that their schedules would over lap and they would both be gone at the same time. My brother and I were so lucky to have lots of great family friends we got to stay with and it really helped me to be a good houseguest, at least I like to think so. I feel it helped me to be open minded to the way other people live and run their house and to be flexible in these situations.

 One family we stayed with was very health conscience and if I remember correctly, vegetarian. We drank rice milk and ate very healthy. As a young kid, I could have been a pain and refused to eat, thrown a fit, or made my mom bring over my food, but I didn’t. I learned to adapt and appreciate their generosity and try new things. Everyone is different, but you can’t bring your expectations and your way of doing things into their home when you are the guest.
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So here are my suggestions of how you can be a good houseguest, which you may be soon with the holidays coming up…
Be Observant – You are entering someone else’s home, not a hotel, so be observant and respectful of how they act in their own home. Do they take their shoes off? Then take yours off. Do they eat at the table or on the couch? Follow their lead, it’s always a good idea to try the table first instead of making a mess on their couch. Do they have separate towels for drying their hands and bath towels? Use bath towels for your body and hand towels for your hands. This last one is especially important if you are using a hallway bathroom or any bathroom that might be used by others at any point. No one wants to go to dry their hands to find a wet towel you’ve used to dry your body. Gross.

At any time you are in doubt, ask. It’s better to ask how the host would like something done than to make a mess or be insensitive to their property. The host will appreciate your respect and will not feel you are invading their space or trashing their home.


Clean up after yourself – You are after all a guest, don’t be a sloppy one. Pick up your clothes/jackets, hang up your wet towels in an appropriate place, wash your own dishes or at least put them in the dishwasher a majority of the time, and when you leave do a once over of all the places you’ve stayed and used. Perhaps remove the bed sheets for your host, wipe down the bathroom counter, and don’t leave stray hair in the sink. Yuck. After all your host is opening their house to you, the least you can do is to do like the boy scouts ‘leave no trace and take only memories.’ ok, so that’s a little modified, but you get it.

The host likely spent a while cleaning before your arrival and will likely clean some more after you leave. Do what you can to help and lighten that load for them.

Treat their house better than your own- Do you normally crash on the couch after a late night on the computer or watching movies? Then sleep in until noon? Do you frequently talk during movies or tv shows? Is it your habit to take 20+ minute showers? Don’t do any of these at your host’s house. Sleep where the host has prepared a spot for you, be respectful when watching something together, and don’t be wasteful of the host’s utilities. In general, treat their home better than your own.

True story, we had a ton of family coming to stay with us once so there were multiple rooms and beds made up, my kids were shuffled around to accommodate the guests, and lots of cleaning and work went into it. One of the guests decided they didn’t want to sleep in the bed prepared for them (actually they just weren’t taught to be courteous) so they slept in another bed one night (before other guests arrived) and on the couch another night – greasy face all over my decorative pillows too! This one guest also used at least 3 different bath towels for the couple night stay and left them on the floor in two different bathrooms! They alone contributed immensely to my stress of trying to fit everyone in and the work of cleaning up after them. I am not very apt to have them back…they were not respectful or courteous!

Offer help – Offer your help cooking, washing dishes, cleaning up, or whatever you can. Your host may not always accept your help, but still continue to offer, every time and every visit. Just the gesture of offering shows that you care and appreciate your host. Depending on the length of your stay, you may also consider offering to buy some groceries or reimburse for gas if you are driven around town. Or depending on your relationship with your host, you may consider just doing either of these without offering.


Ask for odd requests – Do you need to wash a load of laundry? Want to see a friend and invite them over to your host’s house? Want to turn the AC/heat on? Ask first, you are in someone else’s home and they may have a certain way they like things done. Be respectful of that and ask before just doing it. Also be aware of the food you eat. If you are helping yourself to something in the fridge or cupboard, it would be polite to ask the cook if that is ok. It would be very rude to eat something that was meant for a meal or recipe and leave the cook out on a limb.


Communicate- This one is two fold. Communicate with your host about when you will be arriving and leaving and any plans you may have. If you are leaving the house and not returning for a meal, let them know so they are not waiting on you. Also, communicate if you’re running a little later than you expected. Again, leaving someone waiting and wondering isn’t polite. Communicate any specific activities you would like to do during your stay and ask what their plans are so you aren’t trumping theirs or taking off with the car when they need it to pick up kids or whatever.

The second part is to communicate, make conversation. Say ‘Good Morning!’ and ‘good night’ and always say ‘thank you’. Thank you never gets old! When you make conversation don’t make it all about you, brag, vent or pass judgment on other people. I’ve had guests come and talk about nothing but how friends and family fall short (according to their judgment). It honestly makes me very self conscious thinking ‘What they’re going to go home and tell others about me?’ There are many extended family members that I don’t know anything good about because all I’ve heard is the negative. There are also some guests who’ve come and gone without asking me a single question about me and my life, what’s going on, what my interests are, etc.
 
Bring Your Host A Gift – This may be an old tradition, but it still very thoughtful and considerate to bring your host a small gift. Whether it’s a small bouquet of flowers, something for your host’s home, a nice box of chocolates, or some nice fresh fruit, a gift expresses your appreciation for your host. It tells them you acknowledge their sacrifice of time, energy, and resources and are grateful for them.

So the last bit I’ll add is if you’re going to stay with family, for example, if I’m going to stay with my brother and his family, I’m going to direct most of my questions at my sister-in-law. They have traditional family roles and she runs the house and kids. So if I have a question about what towels to use or how to wash which dishes or anything else pertaining to the house and kids, I’m going to ask her and not my brother. Love ya bro, but sometimes husbands, even though they live in the same house, don’t know how their wives like to have things done.

Being a good house guest not only reflects well on you, but it eases the ‘burden’ placed on the host. Now I say burden because no matter how happy the host is to receive you, they’ve had to clean, change their schedule, maybe take off work, buy more food, or something extra to accommodate your stay. A hotel charges you no matter how good of a guest you are, so if you’re staying with friends or family for free, the least you can do to ‘pay’ for your stay is be a good house guest!!

What other suggestions would you add to be a good house guest?

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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

As They Grow–Shopping Report and Giveaway

Alright I just wanted to report back to you guys about the As They Grow sale this year. I just got home from shopping and it was full!
There were tons of clothes, all the way up to size 16/18. So don’t think just cuz you’ve got a big kid, they don’t have anything for you!
There were shoes, toys, strollers, jogging strollers, baby gear, winter gear, bassinets, books, toys, games, baby carriers, and lots of cloth diapers!!
as they grow baby jumpersas they grow bassinettsas they grow car seats
Cloth diapers…there were 3 large boxes like this one and 3 laundry baskets, one of them wasn’t with the others so be sure to look around!
as they grow cloth diaper boxas they grow cloth diapers
I scored a new to me double jogging stroller for $50!!
as they grow jogging strollers
Strollers galore
as they grow stollers
Now for some really big news, I get to giveaway a ‘Skip the ENTRY line’ pass for Friday. They’ve never given one away before so this is a BIG deal!! You get to walk right up on the first public day of the sale and go in before everyone else in line! That’s HUGE!

Thursday, November 6, 2014

As They Grow Children’s Consignment Sale

*****Winners have been picked: Erin, George, and Wilka check your email or get in touch with me somehow! ******

We all look for ways to save money.

One of the biggest ways I’ve saved money with three kids is on their clothing. It doesn’t have to be expensive to clothe your kids.

One thing I just recently discovered is a local consignment sale called As They Grow. It is amazing!


They run 4 sales a year, the next one is the fall Henderson detour sale. Detour? What does that mean exactly? Well, they ran into some issues securing a location in Henderson so they’re going to be at a location at Craig and Rancho.

Anyway, why is this sale so special? 60,000+ new and gently used items for a fraction of retail!! You’ll find everything here; Newborn up to Junior Clothing & Shoes, Designer & Boutique Brands, Baby Swings, High Chairs & Bouncers, Strollers & Exersaucers, Games, Books & DVDs, Indoor & Outdoor Play Toys, Furniture, Bedding & Décor, Dancewear & Sporting Goods & so much more…

Here are some pictures from last sale…

atg pack and plays

atg clothes

atg strollers

So if you’re local to Vegas, make sure to stop by between November 14-16th to score some amazing deals for that little person in your life!

I’m excited to find some bigger church shoes for Ben, some walking around shoes for Cadence, and some pieces to coordinate our outfits for family photos! I can’t wait to share my haul with you!

I'm giving away 3 'skip the line passes' so if you're local you'll want to enter! Leave a comment with what you will be shopping for at the sale... clothes? Christmas gifts? shoes?

I'll pick winners on Tuesday Thursday (my bad I confused my days, sale opens on Friday to the public so you have until Thursday to enter)! Make sure to leave your email or don't comment as 'no reply' or I won't have anyway to contact you if you win!
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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

October Free Membership and Free Shipping Special

For the month of October, you can get FREE membership (no renewals or minimums order to maintain) along with FREE shipping for your order (up to $20, expedited shipping does not apply).

The following product packs qualify for this promotion:


MindWorks 2-Pack
mindworks 2 pack
MindWorks is a revolutionary program that provides nutritional support + brain training software.  MindWorks key nutrients have been shown in three clinical studies and dozens of laboratory studies to immediately enhance mental sharpness and focus and protect against age-related mental decline.*  And a portion of the proceeds from each bottle of MindWorks purchased will be donated to fund brain health research. 


Every MindWorks purchase includes a free month of access to brain-training software from CogniFit. An email will be sent to you within 48 hours of purchase including a link to activate your CogniFit account and your unique login code.

I love MindWorks! I noticed a difference after just one day and I hope you will too! It cleared my foggy mommy brain and took away my 'tired headache'.

Get a free sample by going to www.startsampling.com/mindworksto get started. Don't forget to enter my referral code WR03669!


Foundations Regimen

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

How to Boost Low Breast Milk Supply

Disclosure:This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are 100% my own. I only recommend products I love!
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You would think as a third time mom, everything would be a breeze when it comes to feeding a growing baby, but it hasn’t been for me. And balancing the dynamics of having 3 kids, well that’s a whole other post!
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My youngest is now a year old and I’ve finally been able to nurse one of my babies to a year! I’m so proud of myself and my baby for making it! Now, I’m not trying to shame or judge anyone for the choices they make when feeding their baby, but when Cadence was born I made it a goal to make it until at least 12 months. Normally, my supply plummets around 6 months and becomes very difficult to maintain and any disruptions usually signal the end.
I actually thought for a long time that I was one of the only women I knew who had difficulties breastfeeding. But I recently have had conversations with other moms who’ve said they struggled too, so just know if you’re struggling, you’re not along.
Here are some of the things that have helped me to make it to my goal…
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Drink water: This may be obvious to some, but when you’re breastfeeding you need to take care of yourself as well, so make sure you are drinking an adequate amount of water. It will vary personally how much water you’ll need, but I drink about 75oz a day.  In addition to drinking enough water, I also find it helpful to drink cold water while nursing, it helps with milk letdown for me.
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Protein, protein, protein: This has been essential to me and goes along with eating enough calories. I find that days I am good about getting protein (high quality is best), I feel the most consistent with my supply. Protein is especially important for me first thing in the morning for breakfast. If I go too long before eating breakfast (you know with feeding everyone else, getting them ready, and out the door to school) my supply suffers later in the day. My very favorite on the go protein sources are Shaklee 180 smoothees and meal bars! So convenient and also high quality and all natural.
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Maintain a schedule/Feed Regularly: Don’t go too long between feedings. With both my boys, this was probably the biggest challenge for me to overcome. I had different service positions in my church that didn’t accommodate feeding my baby for a couple hours on Sundays. My supply would dip on Monday and I would have to work to bring it back up though the week, only to have the same problem on Sunday. This and being separated from my second for a week during a camp (I tried to pump) were too much for me to overcome and maintain my supply. With my third, I planned better, made it a point to feed her before church and I had a different calling that allowed me to feed her more freely.
So my advice to you is to make sure you feed regularly, if your body recognizes that you aren’t emptying your supply, it will slow down on production.
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Alfalfa and fenugreek: I’ve used both fenugreek and alfalfa to additionally help boost my supply. Both were effective for me, however, I didn’t like the way fenugreek made me smell. Seriously, it seeps out of your pores and milk and is just plain funky. So I mostly take alfalfa and as an added bonus it helps my allergies!
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Eat enough calories: I struggle with eating enough. I don’t have a large appetite and I don’t enjoy cooking so after prepping food for my boys, I often just nibble to get me by. That really isn’t enough though so I have to eat even though I’m not feeling hungry. I also make sure my calories count. I avoid empty calories and processed foods and make sure I get plenty of fruits and veggies.
So there are the things that have helped me out this time. I’m not sure how much longer we’ll continue to nurse, but I’m grateful for each and everyday.  I hope some of these tips help you or someone you know who has the desire to breastfeed.
Oh, one last thing, my babies never had this issue, but if you try to nurse and there is a lot of pain, like A LOT, have your pediatrician check the baby out for a lip tie or a tongue tie. And get a second opinion if they say there isn’t, but you suspect there is. I’ve heard a lot lately from friends and others that their doctor missed it or never looked for it in the first place. Once the tie is clipped, breastfeeding success is much more possible.
What was your biggest struggle with breastfeeding and were you able to overcome it? If so, how?
Good luck on your breastfeeding journey!
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