Baby, it's COLD Outside!!

Actually, I'm not even sure that "cold" is an appropriate description. It's crazy-frigid here in Kansas City! They're talking about wind chills of -35° by Friday morning, and highs by the end of the week (HIGHS) of 3° and 4°. BRRRR!!!!

With the temperatures that low, we aren't getting out much! I did get to Aldi yesterday with a very long list. I spent $74, which is a LOT for me at Aldi! But...we would probably be okay if I didn't get to the store for the next two weeks. I'm sure that won't happen, but it's nice to have everything we need. Today I managed to get a mystery shop done, but tomorrow and Thursday, I don't have any intention of getting out of the house. I really hope they cancel school tomorrow, because we're supposed to get even MORE snow (we already have about a foot out there) starting around noon tomorrow.

I know that there are areas that are even harder hit than Kansas City - I've been told that Minneapolis has about TWO feet of white fun and that driving involves following the "ruts" in between the hills of solid ice. Yuck! It's bad all over, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants it to all go away and warm to a reasonable temperature.

I remember once a few years ago when I was traveling with a friend to Denver to visit a friend of his and to see a couple of concerts (Suzy Bogguss, if you're interested). It was near Christmas and we had to travel all the way across Kansas. Well, as luck would have it, a terrible snowstorm hit during our trip and we got caught up in the midst of it. I-70 was shut down due to the conditions, but we weren't even ON I-70. My friend was taking an "old highway" that ran parallel to the more popular route, and of course, it had not been paved at ALL. We were in a four-wheel drive SUV (thank God for that!), but it was a full-blown blizzard and we guessed that we were driving through 12-18" of fresh snow. Mark was literally driving on knowledge of the road, as he had taken it many times to visit the Denver area and basically had every turn memorized.

It was terrifying, but there was no where to stop, and we both knew that if we stopped anywhere, we'd never get started again and we didn't have any idea when someone might come along that road. We just kept driving. Somehow we never went off the road, and eventually we reached a junction with a convenience store. It was an oasis!!! We went inside and found many other travelers who had been dealing with the same issues, and we stayed inside until we both felt calm enough to drive again. The main highway was open at this point, at least for a short distance, so we asked about hotels. It was only a few miles up I-70 to the closest one, so we set out. It was slow going, and still rather scary, but we made it to that exit. Of course, the hotel was full. They allowed Mark to call ahead to the next exit and he was able to find a hotel with some rooms. So back onto the road we went, and we made it safely to the hotel. I'm not sure a hotel room has ever felt so great. :) The next day wasn't nearly as bad, and we did get to our destination on time, but it was a harrowing experience that I hope to never repeat. I'm very fortunate that he knew the road as he did had was well-practiced at driving in heavy snow.

For the record, the concerts were absolutely wonderful and I had no regrets about making the trip. I also fell in love with both Colorado Springs and Denver. It was beautiful there, and I enjoyed the difference in elevation and how it felt. I hope to go back there "Someday Soon." (That's a Suzy song, for those who don't know.) It was definitely an experience I will remember for a very long time.

When I started this post, I wasn't even thinking about that trip, but you never know where your words will take you when you start blogging, do you? :-) I just wanted to talk about the cold and ask my readers a question: What do you do keep warm when the weather outside is frightfully frigid? We have space heaters downstairs, where the temp keeps falling to 60° and below, and I burn candles upstairs to make it feel warmer. We have throws on the couches for snuggling and I have been baking most of the afternoon. Cocoa is another favorite, as it warms everyone from the inside out. At the kids' snacktime today, I was reminded of a poem and gave them a familiar treat. Remember this?

Animal crackers and cocoa to drink.
That is the finest of suppers, I think.
When I'm grown up and can have what I please,
I think I shall always insist upon these.

The kids loved their snack, even though they don't know the poem. :-)

So please share how you are keeping warm and cozy in this VERY cold time. They say it's the worst winter in 20 years. I believe it!

Great Deal on Webkinz

It's been one of those days so far....it started out with my son up at 2:15 a.m. not feeling well and moved along to taking him to the local Take Care Clinic along snow-packed roads with snow falling like crazy. Ugh. At least I wasn't being a paranoid mom, though, as his strep test turned positive very quickly. If only they could have gotten me the prescription half as quickly. That. Took. Forever. Seriously - I have been reminded why I only go to CVS for my prescriptions. Walgreens is disorganized, slow, and not very friendly, either. And they LOST my prescription between the Take Care Clinic and the pharmacy. How do you DO that?? But that's another story, and really not even worth discussing! At least we were the first ones in the door at the Take Care Clinic, and would have been in and out very quickly if not for the pharmacy.

While we were at Walgreens, my kids were looking at the toys, and the girls discovered some special packs of Webkinz that had both a regular pet and the Lil Kinz that matched. Considering that most Webkinz I find cost about $14.99, the set for $9.99 seemed like a great deal. After forcing them to sit for almost two hours during Trevor's clinic visit and the ridiculous pharmacy adventure, I told them I'd go ahead and buy them. I'll just pick up an extra mystery shop or two this month to pay for them. :)

At the checkout, I was stunned when the packs rang up at $5.00 and $4.99! They were half-price, along with the Christmas items! Even the cashier was shocked, and said she was going to have to get some at that price. She even called over another associate to share the deal with her. If your kids love Webkinz, you definitely need to head over to Walgreens for this deal. They had some in a sidecap display in the toy area and others in a bin in front of the Christmas merchandise (what was left of it, anyway). I wonder when they will go 75% off? That would be worth another trip to get some for gifts. I plan to go back later in the week just to check!

If you happen to read this and visit your local Wags for some cheap Webkinz (think birthdays, or even Christmas this year), let me know! It's not often that you find them this inexpensively. Happy shopping!

Resolve to Eat Breakfast

Today is the first day of 2010. Whether you call it "twenty-ten" or "two thousand ten," it's the dawn of a new decade. It's also the time for those wonderful New Year's Resolutions. Did you make any? I prefer to think of them as goals, and I have a few in mind, but haven't put them to paper just yet.

If you're also still planning out your resolutions for the year, I have one that you definitely need to add to your list, both for you and your family. Resolve to eat breakfast this year! Eating breakfast is the best way to start out the day.

One of the best choices for breakfast is a nice bowl of General Mills cereal. They already make many of the best kids' cereals on the market, but now they are making them even better! General Mills has made a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.

And there are plenty of other benefits to enjoying a bowl for breakfast:

* Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.

* Ready-to-eat cereal is the number one source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.

* More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.

* Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

Did you also resolve to save money this year? Then I've got a deal for you! Right now if you visit here you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals. How great is that??

Eating breakfast is a simple way to improve your overall health and well-being. Resolve to commit to a morning family meal, and make General Mills a part of that. This is one resolution you will enjoy keeping!

DISCLAIMER: I received four coupons for a free box of General Mills Cereal through MyBlogSpark for posting about General Mills' commmitment to kids' nutrition. No other compensation was received. The facts are from General Mills, but the opinions are strictly mine and you will always find General Mills cereals in my pantry! :-)

Fiber One Winners!!

With the holiday season, participation was sadly low for my recent Fiber One Yogurt giveaway. But that's good for those who took the time to enter, isn't it?? :) This morning, I went to random.org to generate two numbers to choose my winners. If I knew how to do it, I would post the screenshots of the generator, but I have no clue how to do that. If you know, and would tell me in a comment or email, I'd love to learn!!

My winners are:

#1 JDaniel4's Mom and

#7 Annie Jones

Congratulations, ladies!!! I will be sending you an email very soon to get your mailing information and your prize pack will come directly from MyBlogSpark. I hope you enjoy your free yogurt, as well as all the fun goodies that come with it.

Thanks so much, and I look forward to more giveaways in the future. Hopefully the timing will be better and more folks can get entered!!

Happy New Year to all!!!!

You Could WIN!

Hello readers, subscribers, and followers!

Did you know I was having a GIVEAWAY??? There will be TWO winners of Fiber One Prize Packages, and so far I only have FOUR entries! Now that Christmas is over, it's time to get back into the routine and enter some giveaways! You really have a great chance at winning this one, so please enter! It only runs till midnight on 12/31, so enter today!!

Just click HERE!

Tasters Choice....What a JOKE!

I am absolutely appalled at the practices of Nescafe Tasters Choice. If they ask you to be part of their panel and host any sort of "tasting event," my advice is DON'T!! I signed up on their panel and I receive regular emails from them. As part of my participation on their so-called "panel," I agreed to distribute samples and talk up their products at an event in my home. They in turn agreed to give me "points" of some sort to earn prizes on their website. Oh, and they also promised an Amazon gift card worth $25. Seemed reasonable. They sent me two boxes of samples to distribute, and each box of sample packets was different. I figured, great...variety is a good thing.

So I held a Christmas cookie exchange in my home and served Tasters Choice, as well as offering samples to all the guests. I took the photos and submitted my information to Nescafe. They emailed me today and rejected my submission, stating that I used the "wrong" samples and therefore they wouldn't honor my event.

How is this possible?? THEY shipped me the products for the event that was approved by THEM, and now that the event has occurred, they decide it doesn't "qualify"?? Talk about lying and deceptive business practices! You promote our product to your friends and then we will find a reason to not give you anything we promised in exchange. We win, you lose. Nice, huh?

I can definitely guarantee that I will never purchase any of their products. I don't support companies that intentionally deceive the public. I'll happily purchase Starbucks Via for my instant coffee needs and equally happily share with others how they do business.

I've asked to be immediately removed from their "panel." What a joke it is. I wonder how many other people they've duped into providing them with free marketing promotion. Nescafe is truly pathetic.

Fiber One Yogurt Review and Giveaway

Actually, if you've been reading my blog for awhile, you might remember that I posted earlier this year about how much I loved-loved-loved the Fiber One Key Lime Pie Yogurt. That stuff is GOOD! I have to say that I am extremely impressed with the entire line of yogurts from Fiber One. The commercials aren't exaggerating when they say that you won't believe it's high in fiber. If the taste doesn't get you right away, the creamy texture certainly will.

Fiber One Yogurt comes in several varieties: Key Lime Pie (my personal favorite), Vanilla (quite tasty), Strawberry (soooo good), and Peach (rich and creamy). Each delicious 4 ounce cup contains a mere 50 calories, but has 3 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and no fat! It provides you with 20% of your daily level of fiber and tastes so great that you will want more than one! What I really like about the Key Lime Pie Yogurt is that they capture not only the flavor of the pie filling that I love, but there's also a hint of pie crust flavor, too! I was surprised at how delicious this yogurt is. It definitely satisfies a craving for sweets without harming your waistline!

I've been a fan of HungryGirl for some time now, and Fiber One Yogurt is on her list of must-buy foods. They fill you up for minimal calories, and are full of goodness that your body needs. It's a win-win, no matter how you slice (or spoon) it!

BUY IT: You can find Fiber One Yogurt in the yogurt section at your favorite grocer, and to make it even better, you can find a $1 off coupon HERE.

WIN IT: Thanks to MyBlogSpark and Fiber One Yogurt, I have two fantastic prize packs to give away to YOU, my readers! You know you want to win this:



TWO lucky winners will receive this exact prize pack (but you will get a coupon for a free yogurt rather than the yogurt itself)! It's easy to enter! Just leave me a comment about how you currently include more fiber in your diet and/or how many grams you think you eat every day. That should get you thinking! :-)

For bonus entries you may do any or all of the following:

* Subscribe to or follow my blog and leave a comment that you do. If you're already a follower or subscriber, you can let me know, and it counts, too.

* Tweet this giveaway and leave me the link to your tweet in the comments.

* Blog about the giveaway with a link on your own personal blog and leave me a comment with the url.

* Grab my button and post it on your blog, then leave me the link or url so I can find it.

That's a total of 5 possible entries! You have a great chance of winning! I will use random.org to choose 2 winners from all eligible comments submitted and will notify the winners via email (so make sure your email is either easily visible in your profile or that you leave it in your comment/s).

Enter by midnight CST on Thursday, December 31st. U.S. addresses only, please. I will announce the winners on Friday, January 1st, and the prize packs will be shipped directly from My BlogSpark. Thanks for entering and good luck!!!!!

Disclosure: The product, information, prize pack, and giveaway have all been provided by Fiber One through MyBlogSpark and I received this prize package to write this review and host the giveaway.