I had an opportunity to review Healthy Choice’s new Cafe Steamers thanks to Mom Central. I like to keep some variety in my healthy lunch options. I’m usually in a rush of some sort at lunch time, trying to pick BigBrother up from preschool, get a healthy lunch in both boys, get them down for their naps, run errands, meet deadlines and, oh yeah, eat lunch myself. If I stick with the same thing every day, I get bored and splurge on something that isn’t quite healthy. As such, I tend to rotate a salad, a soup and a frozen meal of some sort, every three days. I’m wild and crazy like that.

I’m glad that I found Cafe Steamers because now I have one more option. Well, that’s not entirely true. I tried the two that they sent me (flavors here) and have purchased one more since that time. I have liked all of them thus far so my frozen meal options have expanded greatly! Very exciting.

I tried the Balsamic Garlic Chicken first. The directions for all of the Cafe Steamers are really quite easy.

The trickiest part is not to puncture the cello on top. Every other frozen meal on the planet requires you to do so! I was tempted to do it but followed the directions. It steams itself and turns out just perfect. Trust me. As far as the taste goes, it was great. A bit garlic-y, that first one, but I’m a garlic lover myself. What helps me when I eat frozen meals like Cafe Steamers is the whole portion control. I like food. I want to eat more if I have the option. When I don’t, like with these meals, I’m pleased. Situation solved for me! Hooray for staying on track with my food intake!

I am pleased that I now have more variety to my lunch menu. I would suggest Cafe Steamers to anyone who happens to be watching their portion sizes and calorie intake and also happens to like the flavors of food. Flavorful but not throwing me off track. Also, if you’re rushed? These are good. We have and will purchase these on our own again.

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[Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Healthy Choice and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.]

As I told you before, we have been included in Team Refrigerator for Frigidaire’s pairing up with Mom Central. It took awhile due to the Winter That Will Not End but our fridge was finally delivered last Saturday. I wasn’t home as I was at work but FireDad said that the installers were polite, knew their stuff and got the job done. My sneaky husband didn’t tell me that it had been delivered and installed so I came home from work, opened the front door, started up the steps and squealed like a little girl.

I’m in love.

I’ll have better pictures of the front of it once we get our trim work done in the kitchen. (Remember? We’re also doing a semi-remodel of our kitchen at the same time. We like to live in chaos.) We’ve now had the fridge for almost a week and I can tell you a few things that I really love about it. The size, the adjustable shelves and the freezer side are all great.

But I’m kind of easy to please. I’m loving the water and ice maker. I didn’t have that before and now I do. It’s funny, though, trying to get your mind to wrap around a new place to get water from instead of the tap. LittleBrother asked for water the other day and I got it out of the sink, walked back across the kitchen and said, “Oh yeah, filtered water, right there. Duh.”

I love also that the control buttons lock. Do you know why? Little hands like to press buttons. Press the control lock button and not only are the buttons for things like temperature disabled but so are the water and ice functions. That way, little hands can’t run by and press the water supply and get my (new!) floor all wet. However, if I forget to lock the controls, the water will turn off automatically if you have the thing depressed for three minutes. So only a couple of inches of water on the floor, right? Right.

I think in my next post I’m going to talk a little about why I love certain shelves. You wouldn’t think that shelves, especially adjustable shelves, would make such a difference in food storage and such but, wow, I’m seeing a difference already in how easy it is to find everything. But more of that next week. I’m going to relax with a nice glass of water, which, by the way, I’m drinking more of now that I have ease of use and a nice filtered taste. Who knew my fridge could help me with my weight loss goals?

Yep. In my Hot Dog Shoppe cup. Booyah.

My next post will be later this month. Stay tuned! I’m sure I’ll learn even more about my fridge in the meantime!

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[Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Refrigerator to facilitate my review.]

I’m finally caught up on my episodes of The View. Last week I had a few favorites (and a few words to say about those favorites).

1. Nadya Suleman. Okay, I’ve got to be honest: I don’t like that she’s “famous” enough to be on The View or magazines in my grocery checkout aisle. But it’s kind of like a train wreck for me. I just can’t look away. I won’t get into an ethical discussion on reproduction. I will, however, say that I was pleased as to how the women of The View handled it. Suleman laughed a lot, avoided questions and, in the end, she got called on it. The discussion about her being on the show brought up other good questions (some of which are more ethical, which always gets me going). While I still don’t understand why Suleman is famous, I did enjoy this segment. (Don’t hate me!)

2. On Thursday, The View had a special about fertility and, really, infertility. It was a difficult one for me to watch. I’m not necessarily sure that I liked this episode more than any other but I thought it was great that the ladies of The View were actively discussing the topic on their show. Infertility is so often a hush-hush matter, for various reasons, and to see it talked about on national television gives me hope for our future.

Those are really the two issues/topics that stuck out at me from last week. Funny as they are somewhat connected.

Things I’m looking forward to this week? Robert Pattison (Tuesday) and Abigail Breslin (Thursday). Breslin was in the one movie that I really wanted to hate but didn’t quite hate enough this past year. And, well, Pattison is my favorite sparkly vampire even if he isn’t a vampire in his newest movie. The schedule for the week is as follows:

Tuesday, Mar 2: Robert Pattinson makes his first-ever appearance on the show with his “Remember Me” co-star, Emilie de Ravin. Mitt Romney, the 70th Governor of Massachusetts also makes his first-ever appearance.
• Wednesday, Mar 3: This show will feature the best of “View Tube,” including backstage antics and celebrity exit interviews. Lisa Kudrow of “Who Do You Think You Are” will be joining the hosts as well.
• Thursday, Mar 4: Celebrity guest co-host Valerie Bertinelli, former Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin from Broadway’s “The Miracle Worker,” Mia Wasikowska from Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland,” and a musical performance from Broadway’s “Fela” will be featured on this jam-packed episode.
• Friday, Mar 5: The View’s “Road to the Oscars” episode welcomes former Oscar nominee Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes and “Fashion Friday” celebrates “The History of Oscar Fashions” with a two-part look back at some of the most memorable – and perhaps forgettable – Oscar hits and misses, with host and celebrity stylist Robert Verdi. Hosts of “At the Movies” Michael Phillips and Tony Scott will also be on set to unveil their 2010 Oscar predictions.

In the end, the different views keep me coming back to The View. I’m enjoying some of the discussion it has spawned between me and my friends. More over, I’m just enjoying watching it regularly again. (I had previously been missing episodes because I hadn’t been DVR-ing it! So glad to be back in the habit!)

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[Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.]

I’m late to the party because of the death in the family we endured last week. However, the kind people at Mom Central told me that I could still join the party so I’ll be posting two things this week. About what, you ask? About The View. That’s right. The daytime talk show that is sometimes controversial, sometimes hilarious and sometimes informational. Are you surprised that I not only watch it but that I like it? I do.

Here’s why: women getting together and talking about things is awesome. I meet with my friends once a week for coffee and discussion. Sometimes we talk about very serious things like how to handle a parenting issue that has stumped us. Sometimes we whine about our spouses. Sometimes we cry. Sometimes we whine about the weather. Sometimes we make plans to go out, without children or husbands, in the hopes of remembering that we’re not just wives and mothers but women. We don’t always agree. Don’t ask us to discuss the topics of vaccinations because we don’t all agree. Wait, I take that back. We still discuss it, mostly in a civil manner. Which is why I like The View.

And so, now that I’m back in the land of blogging after our series of losses in the past month, I’ve set my DVR to record The View (in case I’m out of the house when it airs). I plan on discussing episodes with you once a week for the next four weeks. (This week you get a double dose: this introductory post and another on Friday morning.) I invite you to watch episodes over the next month with me and engage in some civil discussion if you should so choose!

I look forward to these posts and I hope you will as well!

Oh? And? Mom Central is hosting a giveaway in which you can win a trip to see a taping of The View. Go enter. If you win, take a cutout of me with you in your purse and take a picture. Or, take me with you. Either or!

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[Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.]

I struggled with The Crimson Rooms by Katharine McMahon. My struggle, however, had nothing to do with the writing of the book. I found it to be an interesting and extremely well-written book. A piece of historical fiction, the book follows a grief stricken family after the death of their only son/brother after he dies in World War I.

I should tell you: I love war stories. Whether in novel or movie form, I find myself constantly attracted to them. This one, being about post-war life, throws a different twist on the issue. Not only do we get to see and feel the issues that faced women as they tried to work (you know, like men) but we also get a good look at grief. That’s where I struggled. If you read my blog at all, you know that my family just endured two deaths in less than a month. Reading this book for review during that time conjured up all kinds of emotion. The main character, Evelyn, is occasionally haunted by dreams of trying to reach her brother. I had a similar dream earlier this week. And so, it isn’t in the story or the writing where I struggled. It was in my own personal life challenges at this time.

The book got more interesting when a woman showed up on their doorstep with a child she claimed was the son of their dearly beloved, almost sainted (in their own eyes) son and brother. I won’t spoil the story for you but I found this particular storyline to be quite interesting. Meredith brought some color to a house that was still dark with mourning, though she didn’t always do it in the kindest way possible.

Evelyn herself is working, one of the first women in a graduating law class. Throughout the story she muddles her way through pre-feminist London, fighting for equal treatment of not only herself but her clients. I can’t decide which storyline I liked more, really, the Baby Mama issue or the woman fighting for her right to work. I think, perhaps, that the two storylines worked together and made for an interesting view of what life might have been like for women, and families, at that time.

In the end, I suggest this book to anyone who enjoys a bit of historical fiction, has a bent for feminism and generally likes a well-written book. I enjoyed it and will be passing it on to my friends as I do with all books that I thoroughly enjoy. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound and other online retailers.

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[Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by MotherTalk on behalf of G.P. Putnam's Sons / Riverhead and received a copy of the book to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.]

I don’t drink a lot of pop. Or, you know, soda if you don’t live in my area. When I do, it’s a special splurge for pizza night or another restaurant outing. That said, if I’m splurging, I’m going with Pepsi. I don’t need to say anything more than I prefer the taste of Pepsi to any other variety of pop. It’s my special treat sometimes.

That’s why I’m super pleased that Pepsi is starting something special of their own.

It’s called the Pepsi Refresh Project and it has the potential to be awesome. In short, Pepsi is going to be giving away more than $20 million dollars to help fund projects of all sizes that help make communities better. No. Really. $20 million dollars. My brain doesn’t even comprehend that kind of money. In fact, Pepsi is so serious about this project that they opted not to advertise in this year’s Super Bowl (February 7th) so that they could dedicate the money that they would have spent there instead to this very important social cause.

I could go buy a Pepsi right now and splurge a little bit myself in honor of this awesome project. Giving up ad space to help people? Holla.

What things count? New playground equipment. New library computers (hey, Ohio, are you reading?). Upgrades to make a historical building/theater/etc handicapped accessible. The list goes on and on. From the small projects to the bigger than big ones! Every month, you have the ability to post a project in one of six categories: health, arts & culture, food & shelter, the planet, neighborhood or education. At the end of the month, Pepsi then posts the top submissions and lets the public vote on who should win the grants which start at $5,000 and go all the way up to $250,000!

You can get involved in two ways. Visit RefreshEverything.com and either submit your idea to improve your community or vote on other ideas to help other people improve their communities. The power of social media can help improve your community, your family’s community and communities all over. Let’s show the world how we can come together for good. Get to suggesting and voting now! (As a side note, you can also connect via twitter (@Pepsi) or on Facebook to become a fan.)

(By the way? I’m suggesting something to make our community better. I know that your community could use something, couldn’t it? Think about it. Submit. You never know what can happen with the press of a submit button!)

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[Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Pepsi Refresh. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

An exciting update: I’m a Frigidaire Test Drive Mom!

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of that, however, I do want to tell you about some stuff. I told you before about the new Frigidaire appliances that are supposed to save moms time and money. I also told you about how Jennifer Garner, in all her awesomeness, paired with Frigidaire to create the Make Time for Change campaign that raises money for Save the Children. They’ve decided to kick off a new campaign to continue to help Save the Children. It’s called Spin and Win.

Basically? You visit Make Time For Change, take a spin and see if you win anything. You could win a new Frigidaire Affinity washer and dryer. (Have you seen it? Go to the site. That blue? Wow.) There are also great gift cards that encourage you to “curl up with new books” or “get outside and play.” I’m all for gift cards!

Plus? Here’s the real bonus. Every day you take a spin, Frigidaire donates $1 to Save the Children as part of their $250,000 commitment to this worthy cause. It’s kind of win-win, especially if you actually win.

Now that you know about that, I suppose I should tell you about my involvement with Frigidaire. I’m getting a new fridge! That’s right! A brand-spankin-new stainless steel wonder of an appliance. We’re thrilled. In fact, we’re so thrilled that we finally decided to finish our kitchen.

Let me explain. When we bought our house in 2006, it was “move in ready.” We painted and have since been fixing everything that the previous owners did wrong and/or covered up to sell. The kitchen cabinets were brand new and the appliances were tolerable (though we bought a new stove). But we only painted one wall in the adjoining dining room and wanted to redo the floor and never figured out the backsplash and eventually came to hate the color we painted the one wall. Did I mention we had cheap linoleum on the kitchen side and carpet in our dining room? A mess. Thanks to this partnership with Frigidaire, we’ve been inspired to finally finish our kitchen project! I’m getting new flooring (laminate honey colored oak to match our cabinets) and we’ve already painted (a nice dark tan/light brown that warms up the room) and we finally, after four years, agreed on a backsplash, though that has yet to be purchased and done! Needless to say, we’ve been watching a lot of HGTV!

Our new refrigerator is set to be delivered at the end of February. I can’t say whether we’ll have the backsplash done but the flooring and subsequent trim work should be completed by that time. In fact, the flooring might be done this weekend! And I may or may not have found new curtains for the back window. (Help?) I’m excited to share our semi-remodel with you as well as how we’re loving our new fridge over the next few months. I’m hopeful that by the time this Frigidaire Test Drive is done, we’ll have a kitchen that I love to be in since, of course, that’s the room where everyone congregates!

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[Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Refrigerator to facilitate my review.]

I read lots of blogs. All kinds of blogs make their way to my Google reader. I just added the FedEx Home Office Blog, entitled Out of Office. Their tagline reads “Unexpected Ideas for Creative Projects.” Yes, please.

I’ve been especially enjoying the blog since the beginning of the year. The posts have been well-written, encouraging and have inspired me to work on some of the organizational things in my own life. Keeping in touch with others is important as is keeping up with our schedule. In fact, I went ahead and made a fitness schedule like the one they talked about though, with the snow that’s been dumping on us this week, I’ve had trouble actually implementing it as of yet. Soon.

There’s also a nice link on the side that says “Print to Any FedEx Office Anywhere.” Now, I have a printer. I do. And I use it. In fact, I use it too much. But I ordered ink. The trouble is that I ordered ink during the holiday mail rush. Which means that when I went to print a contract (all 14 pages of it) on my first Monday back to work (I work at home), well, I was out of ink. And the ink wasn’t here. And it’s nice to know I have an option in utilizing FedEx. The things you learn!

But, yes, I’ve subscribed to the Out of Office blog. I have liked their ideas thus far and hope that they will hit me with some others in the near future. You should check it out as well!

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[Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx Office. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.]

If you’ve ever dreamed of taking your photography hobby and making it into a business, you’ve got to hear about the Soar! Scholarship with Me Ra Koh. Basically, Me Ra is giving three women the chance of a lifetime. Applicants can and have submitted two minute videos explaining why they should be given this scholarship which gives them a full page of prizes including a new Sony dSLR camera, lenses, flights for training and a whole YEAR worth of stuff and time and help. It’s amazing.

Amazing.

I know that as a photographer I have thought of starting up my own business. I work for a newspaper now and really don’t feel that portraiture is really want I want to work on at this time in my life. I do know, however, the amazing opportunity that is being presented to these women by this scholarship. Especially in this difficult economy, it can be so hard to start up a business. When you think about how much photography equipment and the editing software can cost, it can seem almost impossible to a woman with a dream. Thanks to Me Ra, it’s not impossible.

The winners will be announced tomorrow. You can see ALL of the video entries right now on the Soar! Scholarship website. There are 30 pages of videos. THIRTY! That’s amazing. I know I’ll be logging on tomorrow to see who won. In fact, I’ll be following the winners on their websites over the next year to see what they learn and come up with from their training. While I may not be going into the photography business, I am a photographer and I can always learn!

Photo Credit: Jenna Hatfield, 2009.

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of the SOAR! Scholarship and Me Ra Koh Photography. In addition, I received an Amazon gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

I’m not good with numbers or math or anything that doesn’t involve words. That may be a lie. I was okay at those algebra word problems because they were wordy and tricky. Like me! I fear how I will help (or hinder) my sons in the future when they come to me with math questions. Thankfully, we’ve already gotten some help on some simple numbers learning topics thanks to Munchkin Math.

We were sent the Munchkin Math DVD, Shapes!!, for review. The ages on the DVD are for kids 2-8 and I can tell you one thing, it’s a hit with my two year old. My four year old who already knows that triangles have three sides, octagons have eight sides and, yes, Mommy, the refrigerator is a rectangle, isn’t all that interested. But my younger son? Loves it.

I’m all for using different forms of educational material to teach children things. Yes, we have books on shapes. In fact, we have a series of books on learning topics like shapes, colors and the like that we all absolutely adore. We could page through them for hours. But I also know that my children respond to visual learning and interactivity. As such, my younger son is enjoying Munchkin Math Shapes! I can tell because he yells out shapes, counts along and generally has a good time watching the 22 minute DVD. Unlike some other learning DVDs, this one really captures his attention. (And it doesn’t annoy me. Parenting win!)

Quite honestly, I’d love to grab the Telling Time and Counting Money DVDs in hopes that BigBrother would glean some information from those as well. (Or LittleBrother, too!) Hopefully by the time these guys hit high school they will have released titles like, “Munchkin Math, Trig!,” and, “Munchkin Math, Physics!” Right?

Munchkin Math: Shapes! is available at Amazon for $15.49 (12/22).

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[I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Munchkin Math and received a sample DVD to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate. Links are through Amazon Associates.]