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Some mornings I need to get breakfast on the table as quickly as possible. Not because we are in a hurry or have somewhere to be. But because when my sons are hungry, they become very impatient and think that food should just appear in front of them instantly. Trust me, listening to a 2 year old and 3 year old competing to be the loudest one to say ‘Mom.Breakfast’ over and over, while a 9 month old is beating on his tray trying to be heard over his brothers isn’t always the most pleasant way to start a morning. When I need something quick, I love to turn to cereal. Not only can I get it on the table within minutes, but there area lot of healthy options.

We normally keep at least 5 different cereal boxes in our pantry. Not only is it a great breakfast choice, it is also a healthy snack. When my husband gives my sons their evening snack, he typically give them cereal and sits down to enjoy a bowl with them. Most of the cereals we eat are Kellogg’s. It is a brand I grew up with and a brand I will always trust. They have a little something for everyone. Some of the healthy wholesome cereals we have been eating thanks to Kellogg’s:

• Kellogg’s Raisin Bran
• Kellogg’s All Bran
• Kellogg’s Corn Flakes
• Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Original
• Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free

My sons are both a fan of Rice Krispies. They love the ‘snap, crackle, pop’ and they even enjoyed the Gluten Free one. I have also been a huge fan of Corn Flakes. I decided to share some with my sons to let them try it out. My two year old said ‘Mmmm, Yummy’ while rubbing his belly. I would say that is a sign of approval from him! My husband’s favorite is the Raisin Bran (and one of my other favorites). We really enjoyed all the Kellogg’s cereals and it is comforting as a Mom to know my family is eating a healthy breakfast (or snack).

All the above cereals are made with seven ingredients or less, plus vitamins and minerals, and all start with just a single grain. This is Kellogg’s Seed-to-Spoon approach. In just a few steps, all the cereals go from being a single grain, to being the cereal we all enjoy. I just love seeing how simple the process is and knowing where the food I feed my family comes from.

Also, you can see just how each cereal goes from being a simple grain to the cereal in your bowl in the follow videos.

• Wheat Cereal Video
• Corn Cereal Video
• Rice Cereal Video

Be sure to check out Kellogg’s ‘Start Simple, Start Right’ website for more information on the simple grain cereals. I know after learning about their Seed-to-Spoon process, I will start paying more attention to the ingredients in all the cereals I purchase.

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Kellogg’s. I received sample products to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”

At least once a month our good friends come over and we make dinner or barbecue and sometimes enjoy a nice glass of wine. During our last few get-togethers, we have been eating outside. With the weather being warmer, a nice frozen cocktail would be more refreshing than a glass of wine. We normally don’t have time to mix up and make a frozen cocktail, but then I was introduced to the new Frozen Wine Cocktails from Arbor Mist. I got the opportunity to try all the new flavors, so this past weekend when our friends came over to barbecue, we decided to try them out.

The frozen cocktails come in 10fl oz pouches and need to be frozen for about five hours. When ready you are ready to drink them, you just massage the pouch, loosening it up to a nice slush. Then open the top and squeeze to pour into a glass and enjoy. The frozen cocktails contain 6% alcohol, the same as Arbor Mist Wines. They are available in three flavors: Blackberry Merlot, Strawberry White Zinfandel, White Pear Pinot Grigio.

First, we tried the Strawberry White Zinfandel. We split one pouch into two glasses, but it would easy fit nicely in a slightly larger wine glass than the ones we used. The flavor was great and I would compare it a strawberry daiquiri. It was very refreshing, slightly sweet with just the right amount of strawberry flavor. Out of the three, I would say this one has the least wine taste to it. I think even if someone isn’t a fan of wines, they would still enjoy it.

Next up was the White Pear Pinot Grigio. I am a pretty big fan of Pinot Grigio wines so I had high expectations of for this one. I am happy to say that those expectations were met! The taste of wine came through the fruit flavors perfectly.

Last was the Blackberry Merlot. Blackberry is one of my favorite fruit flavors so I couldn’t wait to try this one either. Again, I was highly impressed. The sweet dark fruit flavor was amazing. For me, it was the sweetest of the three. Picking a favorite would be hard, because I am a huge fan of all three.

Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails are a great addition to a barbecue, get-together, day by the pool, or just to add a refreshing cocktail to the end of your day. Not only are the flavors great, but they are easy to make (just freeze and pour), and the slushy texture is perfect. I may have to pick up a few more for our next barbecue. When would you enjoy an Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktail?

I received samples of the product at no cost to conduct this review through SheSpeaks and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. Please drink responsibly.

I love convenience. I actually need things to be convenient to get through a typical day. Keeping up with my sons doesn’t leave much ‘me’ time. I don’t always get time to finish a meal, drink enough water, or assure what I am snacking on (or drinking) is healthy. I normally don’t get enough sleep as I should and I tend to be running low on energy most days. When I found out about To Go Brands and got the opportunity to try their products, I couldn’t wait.

To Go Brands specializes in drink mixes and products that are all-natural, healthy, great-tasting and convenient. Some of their products they offer include VitaRocks, Trim Energy, Omega To Go, Smoothie Complete and Go Greens. I decided to try Green Tea Energy Fusion which are single-serving packets that you simply add to a water bottle. It is a fusion of all-natural, healthy teas, herbs and extracts to help support metabolism and provide energy.

The health promoting benefits of green tea have been known in Asia for centuries. New scientific reports of its benefits as an antioxidant & metabolism booster are reported almost weekly in the Western press.

I have never tried a tea that wasn’t hot or mixed with lots of ice (my personal preference). I tend to favor hot tea over cold tea, but I first tried a packet in a bottle of water. The flavor was alright, but I am use to having a lot of ice in my tea. I waited a few days and tried it mixed with hot water and I do prefer it hot. Drinking it hot takes away from the convenience aspect though.  However, the more I drink it cold, the better it gets. For the best results, it states to drink it one to two times daily. I try to drink one every morning while the kids are eating breakfast. After a week or so, I started feeling less exhausted with a boast in my energy! Also, if you are dieting, it is best to drink one thirty minutes before meals to help curb your appetite.

I think I am going to be trying the Trim Energy product line next to help finish losing the baby weight!

To learn more about other To Go Brands product, visit them online (also offers Healthy To Go recipes ideas), become a fan on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. This review is brought to you by Karma Media.

My husband loves to barbecue at least once a week, especially in the summer. Sometimes it is just throwing some hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, but I love when it’s steak night. Life is pretty busy and crazy right now and it is hard for us to find time to get to the grocery store, let a lone the local butcher. Since I buy a lot of things online to save time, I was excited to learn about New York Prime Meats.

New York Prime Meats has been in business for over 50 years. They specialize specifically in prime meats. Only 2% of all sold beef is approved as ‘prime’. That speaks for itself on the high quality of the meat. USDA’s definition of prime meat: “USDA Prime beef (about two percent of graded beef) has more fat marbling, so it is the most tender and flavorful.” New York Prime Meats takes it a step further and inspects each slab of meat before they sell it for the perfect color and texture. None of their meats are frozen allowing them to sell the freshest cuts. When you purchase online, your shipment will be sent via FedEx overnight, properly packaged for insured freshness upon arrival.

I received two filet mignons and a strip steak from New York Prime Meats. I was so impatient to taste them that I had my husband throw them on the grill as soon as he got home from work. He just put a bunch of different seasonings on them, nothing special. A great steak doesn’t need a lot of prep work, right? We each had a fillet mignon and half the strip steak. My husband started eating the filet mignon first and was hounding me to try it until I had a bite because he loved it so much. WOW! The favor was phenomenal. I have this weird thing with cutting meats (I always have) and I really just don’t like doing it. I feel like it’s a lot of work and that time should be spent eating. However, when I put my knife through these cuts of meat, it was so easy to cut and I didn’t mind doing it at all. The steaks were extremely tender and juicy.

I have to say that these just might be better than any steak I have ever had, even from a restaurant. I am sure my husband will say it mainly because he is a Grill Master and I will continue to let him think that as well :) I can’t wait to have another meal from them.

New York Prime Meats also sells burgers, pork, ribs and roasts. To learn more and purchase your own prime meats, visit their website. You get free (overnight) shipping on any orders over $150!  Also be sure to follow them on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Read more reviews from fellow Karma Media Members:

I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. This review is brought to you by Karma Media.

I am always snacking on food throughout the day. That’s all I really have time for it seems like. Even when my sons are eating breakfast and lunch I am trying to clean up the kitchen, load the dishwasher or preparing dinner. One thing I dread is looking for a snack and only finding junk food. I don’t mind some sugar-filled treats every once in awhile, but I prefer fruits, veggies and healthier foods. I also try to eat healthier snacks throughout the day because there is no way I can eat anything without the kids wanting a bite or two or more. I had the opportunity to try something I have never stocked in my house, Funky Monkey Snacks.

Funky Monkey snacks are freeze-dried fruits. This means that the fruit is preserved, but it retains almost all its nutrients while removing almost all of the water. The all natural real fruit has no added sugar, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and also have no gluten, peanuts, dairy, wheat, or tree nut. This makes for a great snack for people with allergies. Each ounce of Funky Monkey Snacks contain three servings of fruit!

Funky Monkey currently comes in seven different flavors:

• Applemon (apple/cinnamon)
• Bananamon (banana/cinnamon)
• Carnaval Mix (banana/pineapple/apple/papaya)
• JiveALime (pineapple/lime)
• MangOJ (mango/orange)
• Pink Pineapple (pineapple/guava)
• Purple Funk (banana/acai)

My toddlers and I first tried the Applemon flavor (I let them pick our first one). I’ll be honest, I was a little leery at first to try them. My sons on the other hand dug right in. I only got one piece of the first package and it was really good and full of flavor. I was actually very surprised at the amount of flavor that was packed into that one little bite. After dealing with a small tantrum from my 21 month old because the package was empty, I got him to calm down after I opened the bag of Carnaval Mix.  This was my favorite flavor, as it has four different fruits in it: banana, apple, pineapple and papaya. When you open a bag, the fresh fruit smell is so strong and I didn’t expect that at all. I was highly impressed with all the Funky Monkey snacks!

I also love the smaller packaging the snacks come in. I always keep a few packages of fruit snacks in my purse/diaper bag for when we are out at the store or running errands just in case one of the boys get hungry or a little crabby. The size of the Funky Monkey snacks fit great in my bag and they are definitely healthier than fruit snacks.

To learn more about Funky Monkey snacks, connect with them on their website, Facebook and Twitter.

BUY IT: Go here to find a retailer near you or Funky Monkey Snacks can be purchased on Amazon.com.

I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. This review is brought to you by Karma Media.