Have you tried the Blue Diamond Baked Chips yet? If not, you are missing out on something very yummy.

When I first heard about Blue Diamond Nut Chips I was very intrigued. Nut chips? What in the world are nut chips? I wasn’t really sure what they were. But what I did know was they were available in delicious flavors including Nacho, Sour Cream & Chive and Sea Salt.

Nut Chips I come to find out are baked chips are made from brown rice and almonds. They truly are made from nuts!

I received two bags of Blue Diamond Nut Chips to review in Nacho and Sour Cream & Chive flavors.

They look like regular nacho-shaped chips. Just by looking at them you would think they were a regular chips. However they taste nothing like a regular chip. They taste better!

They don’t really taste like nuts, per say. I mean, you can tell they are different than traditional chips, but I wouldn’t say they taste like nuts. In fact with the flavoring (Nacho, Sour Cream & Chive) there is no way you would ever believe these were made with almonds and brown rice.

These chips are much hardier then regular chips. They are thicker, “meatier” and very crunchy. These are ideal dipping/scooping chips because they won’t crack as easily as regular chips.

I didn’t tell my family that the chips were made out of nuts and brown rice. They gobbled them up just like they would any other chip. My husband said they were very “flavorful”. When I told my husband and kids they were made from nuts and brown rice they were shocked. My husband told me if I told him that upfront he probably would have never tried them. After knowing what they were truly made of he still thinks they were delicious.

Blue Diamond Nut Chips are made with less saturated fat and calories per serving than potato chips. Another words these are a better option then regular chips. These chips are baked, not fried in grease like a traditional chip. These are a great alternative for anyone who is allergic to gluten or wheat. 

My personal favorite is the Sour Cream & Chive. I think it was a lot more flavorful than the Nacho flavor.

My family enjoyed the Blue Diamond Nut Chips. I would certainly purchase them again for my family. They are a better alternative than potato chips or nachos chips.

Look for Blue Diamond Nut Chips at a store near you. For more information about Blue Diamond products visit www.BlueDiamond.com.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

As a mom I am always on the look out for healthier snack options for my children. In a perfect world they would snack on fresh fruits and raw veggies daily. Thankfully they do, but they also want to enjoy sweet treats too. Most adults feel the same way too. They try and eat healthy all the time, but occasionally they like to have a treat too.

I have never heard of the company Betty Lou’s Inc. before, but I’m glad that I know about them now. Betty Lou’s Inc. offers snacks to suit any dietary needs including Diary Free, Gluten Free, Hormone Free, Vegan, Soy Free, Corn Free and many other products ideal for special dietary needs.

Betty Lou’s carries fruit bars, cookies, protein shakes, nut butter bars and other tasty treats.

I am grateful that no one in my immediate family has any specific diet restrictions or food allergies. However I do know that certain ingredients can have a negative effect on people, like Gluten. I know that people who suffer from Celiac Disease cannot have things made with Gluten. I have read (and they have not been scientifically proven) that a Gluten free diet can boost health and energy, help you lose weight, cope better with ADHD, autism, headaches, and other conditions.

I have tried some Gluten free products in the past and frankly they were also taste-free too (ha ha). Or they tasted gross.

I was asked if I would like to try some Gluten Free Fruit Bars from Betty Lou’s. I checked them out on the website. They did look yummy so I gladly accepted the opportunity.

Betty Lou’s sent me a variety of their Gluten Free Fruit Bars. They came in assorted flavors like Cherry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Apricot and Apple Cinnamon.

The Fruit Bars are not really bars at all, but rather squares. Fruit Squares would have been more appropriate.

Each Fruit Bar is individually wrapped, making them and ideal snack to toss in your child’s lunch bag. They are a nice size too. They look small in the photo but really they are a decent size.

They really are very tasty. I love the fruity flavors. The fruit tastes natural, like a fruit spread. Not something artificial. Blueberry is my favorite. My kids like the Cherry flavor the best.

It’s hard to believe that these are Gluten free. You would never guess from the flavor.

Just one Fruit Bar was very satisfying. My kids have been enjoying them after school with a glass of milk and it holds them over until dinner time. Usually my kids are looking to snack on a few things before dinner.

The fruit bars do not contain any of the 8 major food allergens identified by the FDA. They are Gluten free, Soy free, contains no Barley, are Corn free, no milk, low in fat, no cholesterol and high in fiber. They are just shy of 200 calories each, so you need to keep that in mind if you are counting calories. They also contain 40+ grams of carbs.

My kids enjoyed the Fruit Bars from Betty Lou’s. The only thing they complained about (which I sort of agree with) is that they can be sticky. That is not a bad thing. Just make sure you have napkins available to wipe your hands when you are enjoying one of the fruit bars, or a place where you can wash your hands.

They are also not cheap. They average around $1.50 per Fruit Bar.

I know many people have children who have to eat Gluten free foods. I would recommend trying out the Fruit Bars from Betty Lou. Your child might enjoy them as much as my kids did.

To check out these and other products visit www.BettyLousInc.com.

You can purchase the products online or look for a store near you. There is a store locator on the Betty Lou’s website.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

Valentine’s Day is around the corner. I used to love Valentine’s Day when my kids were younger. It was fun to help them fill out Valentine’s Day cards for their classmates and teacher. Now that my kids are teens I have to worry about them giving (or getting) Valentine’s Day cards from potential boyfriends/girlfriends. Sigh…

I also miss the class parties. I was a class parent for many years for both of my kids at one point or another. I loved planning holiday parties. It was fun to go shopping for holiday theme treats and decorations. I used to like to find Valentine’s crafts for the kids to do too.

If you are a class parent, or are planning a Valentine’s Day party for children, you should check out the cute crafts found at Hershey’s special holiday and seasonal website, Celebrate with Hershey’s (www.CelebratewithHersheys.com). They always have the cutest craft ideas.

I love the cute Valentine Favor craft. It’s a nice project for Spring too!

You can click on the image to go directly to the instructions on the Celebrate with Hershey’s website.

I also adore these cute little Valentine Love Bugs. I think it would be fun to supply children with an assortment of Hershey’s candies and various crafting supplies (feathers, pipe cleaners, googly eyes…) and let their imagination run wild. It would be fun to see what they come up with.

One of my all time favorite crafts are the roses that are made out of Hershey’s Kisses. I tried making these a few years ago. My chubby little fingers were not nimble enough to make the roses. However I have seen the roses made by others so I know that they do turn out beautifully. I just haven’t been able to “master” them yet.

You can find a lot more fun things on the Celebrate with Hershey’s website aside from crafts. You can also find mouth watering recipes to make some extra sweet treats for your special Valentine, or to serve to guests at a Valentines Day party.

I drool looking at the recipe for the Black Forest Mini Cheesecakes. 

 The Sweetheart Cupcakes look really good too! Making the chocolate hearts to embellish them is very easy to do. You just have to melt the Hershey’s chocolate, put it into an pastry bag, squeeze out the heart shape design and let cool.

You can find the complete recipe simply by clicking on the photo.

Of course not Valentine’s Day would be complete without Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. These are SO GOOD! I received some not too long ago as a “thank you” gift. My whole family gobbled them up. They are really easy to make. The hard part is finding large, perfect strawberries this time of the year.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day treats, don’t forget to check out all the fun Valentine’s Day goodies available from Hershey’s this season. You can find a list of Valentine’s Day products (and photos) here at this link, http://www.hersheys.com/celebrate/valentines/products.aspx.

One product I don’t see on the site are the cute Valentine’s Day hearts that come with a box of Hershey’s Miniatures attached to the back of it. There is room to write “To” and “From” on the packaging. This is the perfect Valentine for your child to give to someone special.

If you are looking for something special for your child to give to their teacher you should consider the Hershey’s Golden Apple. It’s a hollow chocolate apple that is wrapped in gold foil.

We have one but the packaging got a bit messed up. It’s a nice size piece of chocolate too (I could easily eat it in one shot).

I am a HUGE fan of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I cannot keep them in the house. If we have them – I’m going to eat them. I ♥ Hershey’s Peanut Butter Cups! When the kids go Trick-or-Treating I quickly remove them from their bags.

Imagine how I felt when I received a Reece’s Peanut Butter tin filled with jumbo sized Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups. I was in heaven! Except I can’t enjoy them right now because I’m trying to loose weight. So my family will get the chance to enjoy them. I might just save one  of them for a special treat. We’ll see.

I love the tin because it can be re-used to hold pens and pencils, crayons, stationary or other items.

Speaking of pens and pencils, have you seen the cute Twizzlers container that doubles as a pen and pencil holder? I saw one in the store the other day. What a fun idea! It comes with several individually wrapped Twizzlers. When you are done with them you have a cute pen and pencil holders.

Of course no Valentine’s Day party would be complete without some Hershey’s Kisses, all dressed up for the holiday with red, silver and pink foils.

You can find Hershey’s products at many retail locations across the country.

For more information about Hershey’s products please visit www.Hersheys.com. Don’t forget to check out all the holiday and seasonal products, crafts and recipes at www.CelebratewithHersheys.com.

I have a sweet Valentines Day giveaway. One winner will receive some Hershey’s Hugs and Hershey’s Kisses. Thank you Hershey’s!

To enter please comment on your favorite Hershey’s candy. You can CLICK HERE to see other Hershey’s products.

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. Extra entries are optional. 

- Subscribe to She Scribes via e-mail or RSS. Both options are found on the right side bar.

- “Like” Hershey’s Pieces on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/Hersheys.

- “Like” She Scribes on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/SheScribes.

- “Like” Hershey’s on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/Hersheys.

- Follow She Scribes on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/She_Scribes and tweet about this review/giveaway. Please include @She_Scribes in the tweet so I can see it too. This is limited to three tweets per day.

- Share this review/giveaway with others on Facebook, Digg, Technorati and so forth. Be sure to tell me what you did and please provide a name and/or URL so I can verify.

- Leave a thoughtful comment on a non-giveaway post on She Scribes and tell me which post you commented on. There is a limit of one comment per post, but you can comment on as many posts as you want for an unlimited extra entry option.

- Post about this review/giveaway on your site and please link back to this post. Please provide the URL.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on February 5, 2012 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name and mailing address (no PO Box), otherwise a new winner will be chosen.  

Other great giveaways can be found on the right side bar under “Win It”.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own. Hershey’s will be providing the prize.

On February 7, 2012, the movie Fireflies in the Garden will be released on Blu-ray and DVD. The movie stars Julia Roberts, Willem Dafoe and Ryan Reynolds.

I didn’t see the movie in the theater but I do recall seeing the previews for it on TV. It looked interesting. I also like Ryan Reynolds. He was perfect in the movie Best Friends, so I was curious to see how he did it a much more dramatic and serious role.

This movie was nothing like I thought it would be. It was an emotional roller coaster!

Fireflies in the Garden is the story of the Taylor family. To the outside world they seem like the perfect family. The father, Charles (Dafoe) is a successful college professor who is on his way to becoming the university president. His lovely wife, Lisa (Roberts) quit college to take care of her children and it just about to graduate with her degree.

Charles and Lisa have two children, Michael (Reynolds), who is a successful romance novelist and Ryne (played by Shannon Lucio) who is about to enter law school.

This family is far from perfect.

On their way to Lisa’s sister Jane’s house for a celebration honoring Lisa’s graduation, Charles and Lisa are in a serious accident and Lisa it tragically killed. The accident occur when Charles tried not to hit Jane’s son Christopher when he ran out in front of their car.

Fireflies in the Garden bounces back and forth to present time (when Lisa is killed) and in the past when Michael and Ryne were children. Their home life was far from idyllic.

Charles was a VERY strict father, which put a huge strain on his father-son relationship with Michael. You can tell as an adult how much animosity there is towards Michael and his father. Let’s just say they have a very volatile and explosive relationship. You can see how much it effects the entire family, including Lisa. She is the one that helped keep the family together. She had to be strong for her family.

With Lisa’s passing old wounds are opened up and secrets are discovered that will turn the family upside down.

Will the Taylors ever find a way to come together and be a family again, or are the scars too deep and memories too hurtful to ever allow that to happen? What secrets are revealed and how do they effect the family?

To find out the answers you’ll need to pick up a copy of Fireflies in the Garden.

This is what I would call a “deep” movie. Even my husband said that he needed to down a pint of ice cream after watching it (referring to how people gravitate towards ice cream when they are upset). As I mentioned earlier, it’s an emotional roller coaster.

I think Ryan Reynolds did an excellent job as the part of Micheal. I still prefer him in comedic roles, but he can clearly pull off serious, dramatic roles too.

Willem Dafoe was the perfect choice for the father, Charles. I couldn’t imagine another actor in that role. His mannerisms and facial expressions made me dislike the character of Charles even more. 

Julia Roberts did a great job as the part of Lisa. But I think most of the credit should go to Reynolds and Dafoe. I think they really made the movie.

If you are into serious and some what depressing dramas, then this is the movie for you. This is far from a light-hearted movie. Far, far, far from it. Make sure to have tissues on hand too. Trust me.

It was a good movie. My husband said he’ll never watch it again because it was TOO ’deep” for him.

 Here is the movie’s trailer for your enjoyment.

Kimberly

*I received a free screener copy in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

I sometimes have a difficult time “shutting my brain off” at night. My body might be exhausted but my mind is still churning with thoughts about the day, or things I have to do the next day. This is made a million times worst if I’m stress out about something.

Other times I simply cannot fall asleep for not valid reason. I hate those nights the worst because no matter what I try nothing works. Sometimes I resort to sleep aids (natural, non-addicting, no prescription stuff). I hate to use them but sometimes I have no choice.

I have tried, and reviewed here on my blog, two different sleep aids that came in the form of a liquid that you drank before bedtime. Now I’ve had the opportunity to try a sleep aid that you rub on your skin. It’s in the form of a creamy lotion. Interesting…

AnuMed-Intl sent me a travel size bottle of their Relaxation Cream. It was developed by Physicians and Scientifically Developed, as per the bottle.

I was a bit reluctant at first to try it but after I read the ingredients list it appeared to be safe to use. The formula is made with things like Aloe, Distilled Water, Evening Primrose, Vitamin E, Chamomile and other ingredients that I was able to identify.

The cream is suppose to be applied and massage directly on to your skin prior to going to bed. The ingredients that make up the cream are suppose to help your body feel relaxed and calm. According to the site it can also be beneficial for those with depression, anxiety, insomnia and could even relieve minor premenstrual symptoms. 

The first night I rubbed the cream on my inner thighs and wrists. The bottle suggests those locations as well as your chest and inner arms. It was also suggested to me to try the bottom of my feet and the back of my neck.

I tried the Relaxation Cream several times, varying the location where I applied the cream each time.

I found that it was “hit or miss”. Sometimes I did feel a calmness come over me. It didn’t necessarily help me to fall asleep quicker, but it did help to relax me enough that I was able to turn my mind off. Other times I didn’t feel a thing. It was consistent.

What I should have done is wrote down where I put the cream on the nights that I felt it was working, and keep track of places where the cream didn’t seem to work. The bottom of my feet was one of the locations where the cream seemed to work for me. I know the inner thighs did not work.

It doesn’t have the same effect as other sleep aids where you feel like you are going to pass out and you cannot function. Instead the Relaxation Cream does exactly that – it relaxes you. I think it helps to take the “edge off” a bit so that you can unwind and fall asleep. Since it doesn’t make you sleepy (or at least I didn’t feel that way) I think you could use this during the day if you are having an especially stressful and difficult day. As the mom to two teenagers, that is every day. Ha Ha.

I’d have to give the Relaxation Cream from AnuMed-Intl one thumb up and one thumb down. I did work sometimes and I do like the it’s made with natural ingredients. Sadly it didn’t work all the time for me.

AnuMed-Intl also carries other products like anti-aging products and supplements.

One product that they carry which I thought was interesting is Stevia, in liquid or crystal form. What stuck me as interesting is that the Stevia comes in different flavors.I have never seen that before.

AnuMed-Intl offers Stevia in flavors such as Chocolate, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Strawberry, Caramel, Mango, Mixed Berry, Peach, Pomegrante, Valencia Orange and Natural (plain). 

I tried some samples of several flavors. Each packet is equal to two teaspoons of sugar. I don’t use sugar often but I was happy to give these a try, especially to see if they had a flavor.

I have always eaten pancakes with a little bit of butter and a sprinkling of sugar on top. I don’t use maple syrup like most people do. That is how I grew up eating pancakes. I’m not sure if that is a British way of eating them or not (my mom was from Wales). I tried Caramel Delicioso Stevia on my pancakes, and on another occasion I used the Mixed Berry flavor. Yes, you can taste the flavors a bit, but they are not overwhelming. It’s like there is just a subtle “kiss” of flavor mixed in with the Stevia. I only used one packet each time. Perhaps if you used two packets the flavor would be a bit stronger.

I tried a packet of the Peach flavor in a cup of tea. There was a tiny difference in the taste of the tea, compared to using regular sugar. I don’t know if I necessarily tasted the Peach or it was the Stevia it’s self since I don’t use Stevia.

I wonder if the flavor stands out more in the liquid Stevia that AnuMed-Intl offers?

I like the idea of the flavors Stevia, and I did notice a slight bit of flavor when I used them on my pancakes.

If you use Stevia in place of sugar than you might want to check out the flavored Stevia.

To learn more about the flavored Stevia, Relaxation Cream or other products offered by AnuMed-Intl please visit www.AnuMed-Intl.com.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

Have you heard about Hershey’s largest sugar confection launch in a decade? It’s called Jolly Rancher Crunch & Chew. It’s a new twist on the popular brand.

Did you know that sugar brands are leading the way in candy-mint-gum growth, and Jolly Rancher and Twizzlers are both Top 10 brands? In fact Jolly Rancher sales are up 16.8% (source: Nielsen 7/9/11 FDMxC). That is an impressive increase.

My kids are crazy for Jolly Ranchers. I find them a tad bit too sweet for my tastes, but I do enjoy the Watermelon flavor. That is my favorite.

Jolly Rancher has introduced a new twist to their brand called Crunch & Chew. They are the same Jolly Rancher flavors that you have come to love, but now you can crunch them and chew them. You can crunch them like the original Jolly Rancher hard candies AND chew them like the Jolly Rancher Chews.

Outside is a crunchy candy shell. Inside is a soft, chewy center. They come individually wrapped too.  

When I learned about the new candy I knew my kids would go ga-ga over them. I just had to try them out.

Hershey’s send me some samples of the new Jolly Rancher Crunch & Chew to try, as well as share with my family and others. Just one taste of them and my kids were hooked. If I didn’t keep an eye on them I’m sure my kids would have gobbled up the entire bags in one evening.

I tried a couple of them myself. I had to try the Watermelon since it’s my favorite Jolly Rancher flavor. I also tried Green Apple. The Watermelon tasted just a good as with the original candy. The Green Apple was sour (as it’s supposed to be) and tasted exactly like Green Apple.

I really liked the soft, chewy center. That is my favorite part. First you suck on them for a bit then when the outer candy shell is the right thickness you crunch down on it to reveal the soft center.

I tried to crack one open to take a picture but it was easier said then done.

I sent my kids to school with a handful of the Jolly Rancher Crunch & Chew candies to share with their friends. Of course I gave them some for themselves too. I wanted to see what their friends thought of the new candies. Both of my kids came home from school and told me that their friends want to know if they can bring in more the following day. Both kids also told me that their friends kept asking them all day if they had anymore of the Crunch & Chew candies. I would assume that means the kids like them.

I was at the grocery store yesterday afternoon with my daughter and we saw a display for the new candies and my daughter asked me if I could pick up more.

To celebrate the candy launch, Jolly Rancher has teamed up with Poptent, an online videographer community, to create three original video spots highlighting the crunchy-chewy essence of the new candy. Now through February 15, you can visit JollyRancher.com to vote for your favorite video.

Here are  the video choices.

-   Do You Wanna Crunch – A group of teens create a funky, catchy Crunch ‘N Chew rap highlighting the product’s crunchy and chewy characteristics.

-   Brand New – Young artists are inspired to create a fresh new track that starts on the basketball court and finishes as a colorful music video.

-   The Adventures of Bart the Bold – “Bart the Bold” goes on a bold adventure, defeating villains and eating Crunch ‘N Chew candy along the way.

You should take a moment and check them out. They did a fantastic job on them. I’m curious to see which one will win. It’s hard for me to pick my personal favorite. I like them all.

The new Jolly Rancher Crunch & Chew candies are available at retailers across the country where ever candy is sold. If you don’t see them yet keep an eye out for them.

For more information about the new candy and to view these videos, please visit www.JollyRancher.com.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way.

I was asked to participate in a fun post by the creators of Save the Ta-Tas. They recently launched their new lifestyle brand, Laughter Heals Gifts. More about that in a bit.

They asked me to write a post about what brings me joy? I honestly thought this was going to be a super easy post to write. That is until I sat down to start writing and realized that there are so many things that bring me joy that it would be hard to narrow it down to just a handful. If I listed everything that brought me joy I would but up for the World’s Longest Blog Post Award. Ha Ha.

One of my followers on Facebook suggested that I do the “ABC’s of What Brings Me Joy”. I thought that was a fabulous idea. So without further adieu, here are the ABC’s of What Brings Me Joy.

A – Animals, especially baby ones and fuzzy ones.

B – Babies. My heart melts when I see a baby smile or hear a baby giggle.

C – Chocolate and Coffee (not together).  Need I say more?

D – Disney. Disney movies bring me joy. Being at Disney with my family brings me great joy. I only wish we could do it again before my kids are too old to appreciate the greatest place on Earth.

E – Elderly people holding hands, hugging and kissing. It makes my heart smile to see love that lasts a life time.

F – Family. My husband and children mean the world to me. I love them with every fiber of my being.

G – Goals. When I FINALLY accomplish a goal it makes me feel so happy and proud of myself. It makes me joyful to know that I accomplished something that I set my mind to do.

H – Holidays. I love them all! I am in my element when it comes to decorating for the different holidays. I also love holiday music, movies and specials. Christmas, Halloween, Easter… I love them all.

I – Ice Cream. There is a lot to be said about going to the local ice cream stand and enjoying some sweet and yummy ice cream with your family on a hot summer evening.

J – Jokes. I love to laugh. Laughter brings me great joy. I am a HUGE fan of comedy clubs. My kids have several joke books and are always sharing jokes with us to make us laugh.  

K – Kindness. I love being kind to others, and having others be kind to me. I go out of my way to perform Random Acts of Kindness every chance I get.

L – Love and Laughter. To be loved and to give love is probably the greatest joy of them all. Laughter is also one of the greatest joys we have to give and get from others.  

M – Music. There are plenty of songs that make my heart fill with joy and happiness.

N – Nature. I love everything about nature. It brings me great joy and happiness to see beautiful flowers, butterflies, a gorgeous sunset, a starry sky… the list goes on. Sometimes I love to close eyes to feel the warmth of the sun on my face, listen to the sounds of the birds chirping and take note of the breeze blowing through my hair. Ahhh… it’s a wonderful feeling.

O – Ocean. I love to feel the warm sand beneath my feet. I love to listen to the sound of the waves and gulls. I love collecting sea shells. And I most especially love to look off on the horizon. It humbles me. It makes me realize just how big out world is and it makes me think about all the wonderful things that are just beyond the horizon.

P – Photography. I am passionate about taking pictures. I don’t do so well with product pictures but I take pretty good landscape and nature photos. It makes me feel so good when I take a great photo.

Q – Quiet. Sometimes you can find joy in simply sitting in silence. It’s a great way to reflect on your life and all the wonderful things that you have. If you have teenagers like I do you can also appreciate peace and quiet. Ha Ha.

R – Reading. I love to read. It’s a wonderful way to explore new worlds, learn, get to know real people and to feed your imagination.

S – Smiles. Happy, smiling faces can bring great joy to everyone. Putting a smile on your face can help spread that joy to others. Smiling is contagious!

T – Traveling. I LOVE to go on adventures and explore new places. It’s also wonderful to meet people from different countries and cultures and learn from them.

U – Unconventional. I appreciate someone who can “dance to the beat of their own drum” so to speak. Meaning, I enjoy people who express their uniqueness and are not afraid to be who they truly are. I tend to think I’m a bit kooky myself, but that is OK because I know I’m unique and one-of-a-kind and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Being true to who I really am makes me happy.

V – Vacation. We can’t afford to go on a “real” vacation, so we do day trips. I love being able to spend quality time with my husband and children. It’s fun to get away from the stresses of our daily lives and just have a fun and carefree time.

W – Writing. I am also passionate about writing. It brings me joy to write, and even MORE joy if people compliment me and/or have kind things to say about something I’ve written.

X – Xylophone, specifically the one made by Fisher Price. I had one growing up that I played with all the time. It gave me great joy. When I became a parent I purchased one for my children. I loved to listen to them play with it and it brought back such wonderful memories of my own youth.

Y - Youth. Just observing my children brings me joy. I love to watch children playing and having a great time. I love to see the look of wonder and excitement in their eyes.

Z – Zoo. I love animals and I love to take pictures so it’s the perfect place to be.

Please note that this isn’t my “ultimate list of things that bring me joy”. There are so many other things that bring me joy. These are just a few of them.

One of the joys I mentioned was Laughter. Laughter does bring me great joy. I love to laugh! I’ve been told I am very funny too. It’s a nice feeling knowing that I can make others laugh too.

As I mentioned earlier, the creators of Save the Ta-Tas has launched a new brand called Laughter Heals Gifts. Laughter Heals Gifts products are not only fun and fashionable, but they also help to inspire joy. This new accessory and gift collection includes tees, bracelets, lanyards, stickers, buttons, a travel mug, key chains and bumper magnets.

Laughter Heals Gifts founder, Julia Fikse, aims to uplift anyone who needs a smile, hug or a good laugh. “I started Laughter Heals Gifts because creating joy in our life can change our lives for the better, no matter the circumstance,” says Fikse. “Joy gives us hope, and hope gives us the strength to discover new paths to greater fulfillment and heartfelt happiness.”

Perfect for any occasion, Laughter Heals Gifts hopes to connect with customers by way of a lifestyle brand that helps create a joyful, fulfilled and healthy life no matter the circumstance. Laughter Heals Gifts is also proud to support initiatives that create joySM.  

I think it’s a powerful message that Laughter Heals Gifts is trying to spread. Having joy in your life does help to life you up and bring you peace and happiness. Without joy in your life, what do you have?

Personally I have found that even in the darkest days you can find something to be joyful about. Even when you are at the lowest point in your life there is always something that can help bring you some happiness, no matter how small it is.

What kind of life would it be if you have a life without joy?

It’s easy to find joy in everyday things, or even create joy. You just have to open your eyes and heart and look around you.

I think Laughter Heals Gifts is a wonderful idea. Laughter is the best medicine, or so they say. My husband has a way of making me laugh no matter how I’m feeling. I could have the worst day ever and my husband can do the silliest thing and make me burst out laughing. Before you know it I don’t even remember what I was in such a bad mood for.

I have a travel mug from Laughter Heals Gifts. It’s really nice with a spill proof lid. It even has butterflies all around its colorful purple band. I ♥ butterflies! They are another thing that brings me joy.

A nice thing about this travel mug is that the bottom has a soft material on it to help keep it from scratching your desk or other surfaces. I have never seen a travel mug with a soft bottom like this.

My kids also have rubber bracelets from the Laughter Heals Gifts website. They say “Create Joy” on one side and “Laughter Heals” on the other. My daughter has the pink bracelet and my son has the purple one (although he wishes it was a “boy color”. LOL). They are really nice bracelets and in a generous size. I have thick wrists and with a bit of wiggling I was able to get the bracelet on my wrist.

These items are available online at www.LaughterHealsGifts.com today and in brick and mortar retailers throughout the country in spring 2012.

Laughter Heals Gifts has be kind to offer the same travel mug that I have to give to a lucky reader. Thank you Laughter Heals Gifts!

To enter please comment on something that brings YOU joy. Easy peasy!

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. Extra entries are optional. 

- Subscribe to She Scribes via RSS or E-mail. Both options are found on the right side bar.

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- Follow She Scribes on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/She_Scribes and tweet about Laughter Heals Gifts and/or giveaway. Please include @She_Scribes and @Laughter_Heals in the tweet so I can see it too. If you can squeeze in @SavetheTatas too that would be great. This is limited to three tweets per day.

- Share information about Laughter Heals Gifts and/or giveaway with others on Facebook, Digg, Technorati and so forth. Be sure to tell me what you did and please provide a name and/or URL so I can verify.

- Leave a thoughtful comment on a non-giveaway post on She Scribes and tell me which post you commented on. There is a limit of one comment per post, but you can comment on as many posts as you want for an unlimited extra entry option.

- Post about Laughter Heals Gifts and/or giveaway on your site and please link back to this post. Please provide the URL.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on February 10, 2012 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name and mailing address (no PO Box). Failure to do so will result in a new winner will be chosen in their place.

Other great giveaways can be found on the right side bar under “Win It”.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own. Laughter Heals Gifts will be providing the prize.

We’ve been lucky this Winter. It’s only really snowed once (about a week ago). Prior to that we’ve only had a few flurries here and there (no accumulations). Of course we did have that freak snow storm days before Halloween. That was certainly “interesting”. Nothing like going Trick or Treating in the snow.

I don’t mind the snow. It’s nice to look at and it’s fun to play in. What I dislike about snow is driving in it (I’m scared to death to drive in the snow!), and shoveling it, not to mention digging my car out. I am grateful that I have a husband and son to do that for me, but there are times when I have to clear the car off myself.

I don’t mind pushing the snow off my car. What I hate is chipping away at the ice. I had a rinky dinky hand held ice scraper. It was hard for me to reach most of the window (I’m not exactly tall). It also didn’t do a good job of scraping off the ice. Plenty of times I’ve had to drive the bus stop with icy streaks across my windshield.

There is a new ice scraper in town that puts all other ice scrapers to shame. It’s called Thor. Thor is the Nordic God that carried a huge hammer. The name seems fitting. This ice scraper is a lot like a “hammer” on the ice. You DON’T bang your windshield with it (NO WAY!). I just mean it’s powerful like a hammer.

Thor is a heavy duty ice scraper that allows you to scrap ice in a back and forth fashion. Instead of just scraping ice in one direction you are doing it in two directions, helping you to get done a lot faster and use your time more efficiently.

It also has a wide “head” so you cover more of an area compared to traditional ice scrapers.

Thor also has a handle which allows you to apply my pressure on that really tough ice, as well as to give you more control.

For “vertically challenge” people like me (short) there is also a telescoping handle. Sadly my handle broke so I can’t use it in that manner anymore. But I can still use the scraper (I just can’t reach as well). I don’t know if it’s a flaw in the design or just a fluke. It’s no big deal. It still works.

Thor comes the ingenious people over at Quirky. You can check out Thor here, http://www.quirky.com/products/72-Thor-Ice-Scraper.

Thor is also available at Amazon and Target.

If you live in an area that experiences a lot of snow and ice during the Winter months you owe it to yourself to pick up a Thor ice scraper. It will make scraping ice off your car a lot easier and quicker.

Even though my telescope option no longer works my husband and I are giving Thor two thumbs up.

Kimberly

*I received a free product sample in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions express are my own.

Today marks the end of my first week on Amway’s Nutrilite’s Weight Loss Plan. It wasn’t as successful as I had hoped it would be. A few things set me back this week which had an effect on my weight loss. I still managed to lose a wee bit over 2 pounds (I am not counting the ounces – I’m rounding to the nearest pound).

This past week I had to deal with the “monthly enemy” (sorry guys, it’s a fact of life). That didn’t help matters at all. I’m sure most women will agree.

I am also an emotional eater. Most especially when I’m feeling stressed out. Sadly there were a few times this past week where I was weak and caved into my cravings. Sigh…

There is a good week to start a diet plan, and a bad week. Last week ended up being a bad week. But I stuck with it. This week things should be a lot better. The same stress is looming over my head, but I am going to find other ways to deal with it rather than grab a bowl of Lucky Charms at 1:00 in the morning.

Getting into the habit of taking all the supplements several times a day has been a bit of a challenge too. I keep them near my coffee cup so it’s easy to remember them first thing in the morning. It’s lunch time and dinner time that I caught myself forgetting about them. I only forgot a few times and took them right away as soon as I remember. I always seemed to remember as I was eating. I need to get myself into the habit of taking them BEFORE I eat.

I have that taking the supplements actually fill me up. You need to consume a lot of water to down all the supplements, and as you know, water fills you up. It wasn’t so bad in the morning because I’m not much of a morning person to begin with. Lunch wasn’t so bad either but at dinner time it was a bit of a turn off to have a full feeling in my stomach and then sit down to eat dinner with my family and not be overly hungry.

I do have more energy than I have the past several weeks. I would like to think the supplements have something to do with that. I found that I can do things like take the dog on a long walk and not feel like I have to pass out the moment I walk back in the door. I also feel a bit more alert and awake during the day, especially the afternoon when I tend to lose steam and slow down.

The recipes this week were OK. Most of the recipes I tried to make four servings of so that my whole family could enjoy them and so I wasn’t make different meals for everyone every night. The recipes are not hard to make for multiple people. What I did was measure out the ingredients 4 times and prepared everything together.

My favorite recipe this week was the Beef Stir Fry. You get to eat A LOT of my favorite veggies with it (peppers, carrots, broccoli and onion. The recipe called for celery. I don’t like celery so I ommited that.

I’m not used to actually making lunch for myself during the day. I normlly grab a PB&J or cheese sandwich because it’s quick and easy to make. I found it easier just to make a big salad than make individual salads on each of the specified days.

Having the journal to keep track of everything is a HUGE help. Without it I’d be lost for sure.

One thing that was listed in the journal this week was Strawberries. I couldn’t find any decent looking ones at the grocery store so I used Blueberries instead. I’m assuming it was OK to do that since it’s still a fruit.

The week could have gone better, but it wasn’t a total loss. I’m still learning and getting used to things.

I’ll be back next week to let you know how week two went.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There is no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.

A few weeks ago my husband and I saw a commercial on TV for the new Peanut Butter Multi-grain Cheerios. We both turned to each other and said “I have to try that” at the same time. LOL!

I love peanut butter. Creamy, crunchy, homemade… it doesn’t matter. I love it all. I’m also a huge fan of Cheerios. Honey Nut Cheerios are my favorite. My son loves the original ones and he eats them all the time.

I was very excited when I was sent the new Peanut Butter Multi-grain Cheerios to review.

Some peanut butter cereals taste TOO peanut-buttery (hopefully you know what I mean). I was hoping that the Peanut Butter Multi-grain Cheerios didn’t take like peanut butter overload. Thankfully they didn’t.

The cereal tastes a lot like the regular Multi-grain Cheerios, but with a “kiss” of peanut butter flavor. The cereal DOES taste like peanut butter, but the peanut butter taste is very “light”. Another words it’s NOT peanut butter “overload” like other peanut butter flavored cereals. The amount of peanut butter taste was perfect.

My husband thinks that it could have had a bit more of a peanut butter taste. He liked the cereal and ate it. He just thinks that it needs a touch more peanut butter flavor. I think the peanut butter is fine the way it is.

Peanut Butter Multi-grain Cheerios;

-   Are a good source of Calcium.

-   Have 16 grams of whole grain per serving.

-   Only 110 calories per serving.

-   Are made with 5 different whole grains.

-   Low fat.

-   An excellent source of 8 vitamins and minerals.

They are made with peanuts so you need to be careful of that if anyone in your home is allergic to peanuts. I wouldn’t take a chance and send them to school with your child either, just to be in the safe side.

The “O’s” come in different shades of brown too, similar to Multi-grain Cheerios.

If you are looking for the bowl to scream PEANUT BUTTER! then you might want to stick with other peanut butter flavored cereals. If you are a fan of Cheerios and would like a cereal that has just a light touch of peanut butter than you’ll like the new Peanut Butter Multi-grain Cheerios.

I think these would taste interesting in the various recipes that use Cheerios. It would add a nice bit of flavor to the recipes.

Look for them on a store shelf near you.

To learn more about this cereal and other Cheerios products visit www.Cheerios.com. You can also find them on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/Cheerios).

Kimberly

*I received a free product sample in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and that of my husband.