Mommin' It Up!

May 29, 2012June 13, 2012

RO*TEL “Spring into Summer” giveaway!

Last week on Pin for the Wednesday I mentioned I was working with RO*TEL tomatoes on their “Spring into Summer” campaign, and I showed you my winning pin for their Guacamole that Rocks! Well, this weekend I put even more yummy RO*TEL recipes to the test when I helped my BFF Luanne throw and 18th birthday/graduation party for her daughter, and my kids’ favorite babysitter, Krisha!

krishajenny2 — Not only is she 18 & beautiful, she's also TALL! I am on my tiptoes in this shot.

To help Krisha’s party guests spring into summer, I made five delicious party foods with RO*TEL and RO*TEL recipes! They are, from left to right: Guacamole that Rocks, Spicy Black Bean Salsa, Zesty Franks Ole‘, Ultimate Chicken Quesadillas, and Fiesta Seven-Layer Dip. Don’t they look tasty!?

I had a lot of fun making the recipes, and most were really easy. The Spicy Black Bean Salsa was probably the easiest, and the Ultimate Chicken Quesadillas required the most effort (but were WELL worth it!) A fun thing I did was use different kinds of RO*TEL – I used mild RO*TEL in some of the recipes to make them more kid-friendly and less spicy, and I used Original RO*TEL in some recipes and RO*TEL with lime & cilantro in others! So they all had that RO*TEL kick but at different levels. Everything was SUPER tasty! I think my favorite was still the Guacamole that Rocks followed closely by the Fiesta Seven-Layer Dip, or maybe the Spicy Black Bean Salsa, I don’t know – it was all amazing! Krisha’s party guests thought so too:

Rotelemptyfoodbowls — Everyone was hungry!

The RO*TEL recipes really made Krisha’s party great! Are you in a party mood? To help you spring into summer, RO*TEL has given me a great party prize pack to give away to one lucky reader! The winner will receive these items to throw their own party with great goodies from RO*TEL:

Two cans of RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles
Recipe cards
Chip-and-dip serving bowl
Green chili string lights
Outdoor game set

Here’s how to enter to win! You can enter up to four times!

1) Leave a comment on this post telling me which of these RO*TEL recipes looked yummiest to you

2) Like RO*TEL on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post telling me you did so

3) Follow RO*TEL on Twitter, then leave a comment on this post telling me you did so

4) Follow RO*TEL on Pinterest, then leave a comment on this post telling me you did so

One winner will be chosen at random on Monday, June 4, 2012 at 6pm EST. Good luck! And don’t forget to think RO*TEL recipes when you’re planning your next get-together!

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I am being compensated by RO*TEL for this post and received RO*TEL product and party supplies to faciliate my review. All opinion about the product and the recipes are my own.

May 28, 2012May 30, 2012

Working Out in Russell Athletics

Have you seen this? If not – it’s worth a look.

30 minutes of exercise a day – that’s the best thing we can do for ourselves and our bodies. Easy enough, right?

In theory. In practice, I find it tougher. The best way I’ve found to work exercise into my day is during my lunch break. I’m lucky because my employer offers free group fitness classes at noon, and I love them.

When I was invited to try out some of Russell Athletic‘s workout clothes, I was all about it!

One of the outfits I checked out was this one, labeled on their website as “Runner’s Delight.” Needless to say, I am not a runner, but I love this outfit anyway! The Mid-Support Racerback Tank has a built-in mid-support bra with removable cups and Dri-Power technology.

The Semi-Fit Performance Capri pants also have the Dri-Power technology. I particularly love one feature about these pants – the hidden zippered pocket in the back. A small detail, for sure, but it’s so nice to have a place to keep a car key, money, etc.

The other outfit I was sent consisted of the Dri-Power 360 V-Neck Tee.

I like this shirt a lot. It is soft cotton, but still has the moisture-wicking properties. I also really liked the fit – I felt like it was designed for grown ups. It’s a little longer than some work out shirts, and it’s got a cute, fitted cut without being tight and clingy.

I wore that with the Cotton Stretch Capri.

These are super comfortable and perfect for walking or yoga, or just lounging around the house.

Like I said, sometimes it’s tough to fit exercise in – but I’ve found that having clothes that are comfortable, perform well, and that I feel good in really helps my motivation level.

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Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Russell Athletics and received a product sample to facilitate my review.

May 28, 2012May 28, 2012

Happy Birthday to my oldest friend

This is exactly what we looked like on the beach in Miami

Emily,

I was thinking about your birthday and about you in general and I realized that you have the distinction of being my very oldest friend. Not by virtue of age, of course, since I hang out with a ton of geezers, but I am pretty sure you were first on my friendship scene. After waiting those 20 l-o-n-g months between our birthdays, I not only got a cousin but a friend for life.
So happy birthday, a day that is truly worth celebrating, since you have affected my life in so many good ways. Not the least of which is that I know the difference between “affected” an “effected”. I love you cousin! Thanks for putting up with me all these years instead of dropping me like a hot potato and starting a blog with someone you met in preschool.
xoxo
Jenny