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Make a Quick Meal Special With Bertolli Meal Soup
I enjoy cooking. I truly do. It's fun to plan, shop for and prepare a special meal for my family. It's also time-consuming, and we moms just don't always have that kind of time. That's why it's so great when I come across a great time saver product like Bertolli Meal Soup. These soups are found in the frozen food aisle and can be prepared in minutes. What I love is that they taste homemade. That's quite a compliment coming from me, as I love my soup and am rather picky!
Bertolli Meal Soup comes in three varieties - Chicken Minestrone, Tuscan-Style Beef & Vegetables and Tomato Florentine & Tortellini With Chicken. I chose the Tomato Florentine & Tortellini With Chicken because it sounded so different from most soups I've purchased at the store. I was not disappointed!
I decided to make this soup last weekend on the day we got our new kitty. It was an exciting day, and I didn't want to spend much time on dinner. I wanted to play with our new friend. Bertolli Meal Soup was just fabulous for a hearty meal in a hurry. It comes in a bag that's easy to open. Just pour the contents in a pan and add a cup of water, then heat. So easy. Take a look at all those zesty ingredients! After cooking, the soup comes together and looks like this.
Yum! There are pieces of tomato in a smooth, creamy tomato soup. There's lots of spinach, and the cheesy tortellini is the perfect texture. It was SO good. So good, in fact, I picked up two more this week at the grocery store! I knew my husband and son would want a little more to sink their teeth into, so I prepared grilled cheese while the soup was cooking, and we had a tasty, fast meal.
I absolutely recommend Bertolli Meal Soup and can't wait to try the other varieties. You can catch up with Bertolli:
On their Facebook page
On Twitter
And at the Bertolli website.
I was compensated by Bertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge. All opinions are my own.
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A Tale of Two Kitties (Both Named Minnie)
We just got a new cat this past weekend. A lot of people may not have chosen this particular cat. You see, she's 7 years old with long fur that sheds everywhere. She's also very shy. I, however, just knew she was meant to be our cat. Here's the backstory.
The kids and I fought a hard battle with my husband a couple years ago to get a cat. He didn't necessarily want the added responsibility or cost of a pet. But we wanted a furry friend we could hold and love. Ultimately, we won. I got in touch with an old friend who runs an animal rescue, and we were able to bring a very nice cat home for only a $25 donation to the rescue. Her name was Minnie. I've written about my writing buddy here before.
Unfortunatley, we didn't have her in our lives for very long. After about a year and a half, she stopped eating and lost a great deal of weight. I took her to the vet and learned that she had a pretty advanced kidney problem. We chose to put her to sleep, rather than deal with the possibility of putting her through various treatments on a regular basis. The kids were devastated. I promised them we'd get another kitty someday.
Bill and I decided not to get a cat right away. We wanted to give the kids some time to grieve. We also knew we'd need to wait until we had a bit of a financial cushion put away in case of another pet health issue. It can cost quite a bit of money to care for a sick animal even for a short while, as we learned. So we made the decision to wait.
It's been about six months since we lost Minnie, and the kids and I started to become antsy. We miss watching our kitty's antics and enjoying her company, when she chose to give it to us. So I started looking at the shelter websites and talking to friends. Long story short, I ended up inquiring about a "sweet, long haired kitty" for adoption through a private owner. Something told me it couldn't hurt to ask about this sweet kitty.
So after some preliminary online back and forth, I asked for a photo of the kitty in question. This is the text I received.
The screen shot is a little small. It says, "Meet Minnie." I almost fell over. What are the chances that we would be looking at adopting another cat named Minnie? After taking a closer look, I realized this cat was a tortoiseshell. Another unbelievable coincidence. When I was in college, my first husband and I had a tortoiseshell kitty that we loved very much. In fact, I had just been admiring my online friend Cindi's tortoiseshell kitty on Facebook and telling her that I'd like to look into getting one myself!
Long story short, Minnie came home with us on Saturday. I surprised the kids, and they're completely in love with her. She's adapting quite well. Initially, she came out to visit us only in the morning and at night. Today, she's been out and about all day long. In fact, she's made herself at home in my office chair, which is where predecessor used to love to sit. So far, she hasn't made any attempt to balance on the back of the chair!
My kitchen...
Music Review: Vineyard Music – I Love Your Presence
I am so glad I was asked to review this cd. It’s a great worship cd. If you read my blog, you will remember that back in September of last year I reviewed Jeremy Riddle’s Furious cd. Jeremy is a Vineyard Worship Artist. It’s a great cd with numerous artists on it.
Saving Grace, track 3 is one of my favorites and What Can I bring, track 4 has some amazing harmonies, in my opinion. I will be shuffling through it in my playlist often, may I suggest you do the same. It’s available now on iTunes go here to download it, or it will be physically released on February 7th at a Christian book store near you. Here is some other information about this wonderful album.
- I Love Your Presence was recorded live at the Burn Bright: Worship and The Kingdom Of God conference, hosted by Vineyard Worship. Several hundred worship leaders and worshippers gathered in the Arizona desert to explore the nature of God’s kingdom through music and teaching with some of the Vineyard’s most gifted communicators and musicians. This inspiring collection of songs recorded live at the The Vineyard Church North Phoenix will immerse listeners in the powerful worship that was the highlight of the event. I Love Your Presence reminds us to not just think of worship as singing songs, but also laying down our lives for Him.
Website: http://www.vineyardmusic.com/vm/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DiscoverVineyard
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/VineyardMusic
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-love-your-presence-live/id491711353
Thanks for taking a little time out of your day to read my little blog and God Bless You and Yours!!
* Material Connection Disclaimer: I received this music from Propeller to provide a review on my blog. Stated above are my opinions and mine alone. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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RTH–Powder Room–Episode 3
This episode will be video less, mainly because I don’t have time to record/edit it. Yes, on day 47 we completed our renovation of our newly installed powder room on our 1st floor. This project has been hurried along, as we decided to refinance in the middle of it and of course wanted the extra value of the added 1/2 bathroom.
These were taken after the walls were painted with no baseboard or shoe moulding.
Here are pictures of the completed addition. It’s amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it. It’s hard to believe that a little over a year ago this was just a closet and now it’s a water closet…
Thanks for visiting my blog and checking on our progress. Come back this week to see how our Kitchen turned out with it’s fresh coat of paint after removing all of that nasty wallpaper. I will never like wallpaper, it’s just a cover…
Bethany’s room is getting a little bit of a face lift as well, I may include pictures of that too.
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Bumps and Bruises
This blog is a good place to time stamp my bumps and bruises. Why? Well, my company has changed health care providers over the past ten years due to mergers, acquisitions, etc. This is a good place to make note of my injuries so I can refer back to this blog to look at recovery times, etc. So, here is a list of my current injuries, when they approximately happened, and how:
1. Left Shoulder - February 2011 - I believe I injured it after trying to remove snow from my deck. The railings on my deck are about 30 inches high, so it is an overuse injury.
2. Left Elbow Tendinitis - Late Spring/Early Summer 2011 - Injured trying to squeeze caulk from a caulking gun.
3. Left Bicep - Early November 2011 - Injured moving an old 21 inch CRT monitor into a work vehicle. The monitor "moved" on me and in an attempt to stop it from moving, I braced it with my left arm.
I could use some bionic parts now.
Random: Photos
Here are some photos I have taken over the last few months that I have been holding on to. Enjoy!!
Georgie was ready and waiting for snow as he rocked his sweater back in December.
My Mom and Dad over for dinner. Love you guys!!
We went to a movie over Christmas break, Jack and Jill.
Sammy and Georgie in the PJ’s.
Sammy opening one of his gifts
The girls as we sat for my sister’s famous lasagna dinner…
My Brenda, My sister, Lisa and me in a self portrait! Love you Brenda and Lisa!!
Derek and his cake that he shared with us for dessert. A friend of his made it for him for Christmas. Pretty Cool, cake and nephew!!
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Something’s got a hold on me, child, and she won’t let go
Something’s got a hold on me, child, and she won’t let go
My Special K Challenge Results
I wrote a couple weeks ago about starting the Special K Challenge. Even if you didn't read my post, I'm sure you've all heard of the challenge, right? This year, Special K wants to take the negative connotations away from the idea of approaching weight loss by asking women to consider what they will gain by losing weight. I think that is the best way to look at things ever! Simply reframing the question and putting a positive spin on things can really change a person's mindset. I'd say it definitely did for me.
I had lost weight through the hCG diet last spring, but I gained a good bit of it back. I took some time to reflect on how I felt when I lost those nearly 25 pounds. According to a study by Special K, the top three emotional benefits women hope to achieve by reaching their weight loss goal are happiness, confidece and a sense of achievement. I would definitely say that I felt all of those with my weight loss, and I wanted to feel those things again. So I jumped right on board with the two-week Special K Challenge.
Program Overview
Have you visited the Special K website? If not, you'll want to go take a look. Special K has so much more than cereal now. Their line of products is extensive. They have salty snacks like cracker chips, protein meal replacement bars and shakes, just to name a few. I recommend taking a look. They have all their products listed on the site, and you can even browse by craving. The website is where you'll want to start if you decide to take the challenge or would like inspiration on beginning a long-term weight loss plan.
This is one of the most thorough websites i've encountered from a brand, I must say. There is a social component where you can connect with others looking for a healthy way of life. I have to confess that I didn't use this part much, as I had my fellow challenge blog participants to lean on, as well as my other online networks. But it's so cool to offer a place for people who are specifically interested in the Special K Challenge. When you've decided to take the challenge or look into a longer-term plan, you can choose your goals and find a daily meal plan tailored specifically for your choice. You'll find sample meals and recipes to try based on your plan. So helpful for busy women on the go! Seriosly, there's just too much to list here. Check out the website for recipe ideas, tips for success, Special K yummy ideas and even a mobile app with shopping lists.
My Experience
Yeah, I know - you just want to know how much weight I lost. I'll get to that. I will. First, i want to talk about how YUMMY these Special K products are. Before starting the plan, I was a self-proclaimed Special K Chocolately Delight addict. Have you ever tried that stuff? Let me just warn you, once you do, you may never stop. It's that good. So I had high expectations for their other products, though I had never tried any of them.
Let me just tell you that I was not disappointed. They were all so good, that I truly didn't have much trouble staying with the program. I followed the meal plan and ate Special K products for breakfast, lunch and snacks, along with a sensible dinner. The website offered a recipe each day for the dinner meal. While I didn't follow each one to the letter, I've added some fabulous new items to my regular meal planning!
Back to the breakfasts and snacks. My very favorite was the Chocolatey Pretzel cereal bar. I am a sucker for anything sweet and salty, and the crunchy texture of this bar just made it even better. What a great snack to just grab and go. I always had one in my purse for those moments I was out and just had to have something quick. I also loved the Multi-Grain Oats and Honey ceral. I am a cereal person. It's one of my favorite breakfasts. This one was crunchy with just the right hint of sweetness. Loved it. Even the shakes were good. I was a bit apprehensive about those and will say that the French vanilla was not my favorite. I found a suggestion on the website, though, for a French vanilla espresso shake and enjoyed that quite a bit. I also made smoothies with them, adding frozen strawberries, bananas, yogurt and orange juice. Yum! And my 13-year old son stole the chocolate shakes - they're that good.
My Results
Drumroll please...But first a little claim language from Special K: Consult your physician before starting any diet or exercise program. Average weight loss when replacing meals with two cereal meals is 4.8 pounds. Weight loss may vary. Average waist circumference when replacing two meals with cereal meals is 1.3 inches. Weight loss may vary.
Okay, here goes. I must first apologize and let you know that I forgot to take my waist measurements. Sorry. However, I did notice that my jeans fit a bit looser, so I'm confident there was definitely a loss. As far as pounds lost, I lost about 3 pounds in two weeks. That's not too darn bad. Especially considering that I cheated a bit on the weekends. I'm a notorious cheater when it comes to diet plans, however, keeping my baby steps philosophy in mind, I usually allow myself a few slips. Even my husband noticed a change and asked just the other day, "Have you lost weight?" Woo hoo! For Bill to notice, there definitely had to be a change.
What have I noticed? What did I gain by losing? I feel so much more in control when I know I'm making choices that are good for me. That's important to me. Making proactive choices is empowering. And, truthfully, the changes weren't that difficult. The products taste good, and they're convenient. It wasn't hard to incorporate them into my lifestyle. I know I will continue to be a Special K lover. Do you think you'll consider taking the Special K Challenge? I highly recommend it. The changes are gradual, and the results go beyond weight loss. Baby steps. Give it a try!
I participated in this program through a partnership with TheMotherhood on behalf of Special K. I received product and supplies to complete the plan. All opinions and statements are based on my own opinion and experience.
Let Yourself Shine Despite Toxic People in Your Life
I've found myself feeling some pretty negative emotions lately in response to actions by people close to me. Feelings like hurt, anger, sadness, frustration, contempt and even hate. These are all normal emotions. Part of life. I know. What I also know is that you can't change other people, only how you react to them. Let me repeat that. You can only change the way you react to others.
You've probably heard this before. It makes sense, theoretically, but how do you stop yourself in the middle of negative feelings and turn your emotions around? It takes conscious effort, but it is possible. You can take your life back, get control of your emotions and move past the destructive path we often allow ourselves to go down when dealing with toxic people in our lives.
Understand That Their Issues Are Their Own
When people lash out at you, say things that are hurtful or push your buttons, consider the reasons behind their behavior. In my personal situation, I had a recent online, public dispute with someone close to me. Immediately, I let old instincts kick in. I felt furious that this person couldn't just leave well enough alone and had to push her ideas and opinions on me. After some time, I put things into perspective. Yes, these are old patterns, I realized. It's not likely that this person's views and actions will change, so I took some time to consider why she took the steps she did. I can see that she felt the issue was an important one to push. I decided to appreciate her passion for her stance, but not to let it affect me. If anything, I've decided to look more into why I took the position that I did.
Take the High Road
It's so tempting to let your emotions get the better of you when dealing with negative people. However, the consequences of doing so can be steep. If your instigator is a co-worker, you could lose your job. If you allow a loved one to bait you on a regular basis, you could lose your sanity or your sense of self. It's just not worth it. Take a moment to consider the worst case scenario of walking away from the situation or simply relenting and allowing the person to believe their behavior is right. I'm not saying it's good to constantly give in, but it can be the best decision to make until you can get some distance to think. Sometimes, however, you have to take a stand.
Stand Up for Yourself
Taking a stand for your position and letting the other person know the reasons for your actions can be very empowering. Sometimes we get in a pattern of allowing others to tell us who we are or have their say simply to avoid confrontation. We may let our wants and desires to take a back burner to those of someone else for any variety of reasons. If you're starting to feel that you've given too much, take a moment to contemplate what might happen if you stop giving in and start standing up for what you want and for your own rights. It's okay to do so, as long as you're not infringing on the rights of others or letting yourself feel out of control. No one likes to get to the point where they snap and say things out of frustration or anger. That's not helpful for you or for the other person involved. But it's more than okay to tell someone why you feel the way you do. It's good to set limits and inform them of what you'll tolerate and what you won't. Put some of the power back in your hands, and you'll feel worlds better. And stronger.
Live Your Life
If you've tried everything, and your interactions with the negative person haven't changed, try just living your life despite their influence. At least to the best of your ability. If the person causing you strife is your boss or someone else of heavy influence in your life, it's probably not feasible to just do what you want. However, you can move forward with your life in many ways and make proactive decisions that work for you and make you feel good. Let the other person have their feelings, do what they want. For lack of a better phrase, you just do you. Give it a try. I bet it'll feel great!
Know When to Let Them Go
All the self-help experts say get rid of toxic people. Purge them from your life. Sometimes that's just not very realistic. It's unlikely you can just quit your job on a whim, get a divorce without a thought about it or just cut a familly member out of your life for good. I get it. That's why I always try to implement the above strategies. But if you're hurting, really hurting. Or if your health is suffering or you just can't take anymore...You know what that last straw may be. Only you know. If you've determined that it's time, let that person go or at least take a break. Sometimes we have to do it for our own good. Sometimes we have to do it for those we love most.
I hope these tips have been helpful. I've learned some the hard way through personal experience. Others I've learned through my professional counseling background. Please feel free to share your best strategies for dealing with toxic, negative people in your life. Let's share, so we can live less stressful lives.
