Top 10 Posts of 2014!

It's the last day of the year and I am looking back at the past few months. I started this blog back in October and I'm amazed at how much it has grown in such little time. I want to thank you for visiting my blog and being part of it. Thank you for the giveaway entries, comments, likes and shares. You can trust when I say, they are greatly appreciated! Here are the Top 10 Post of 2014. Thank you!

10. What Christmas is Like in Florida

I was trying to bring a little humor to how Floridians spend Christmas time like. I long for a snowy day up in the mountains.

9. Influenster #ModaVoxBox

Beauty products, free stuff, and hot chocolate? No doubt this post is one of the most popular. I still use most of the items that came in my voxbox! Hubby is getting one soon with Reese's! I can't wait to get another voxbox soon. You can sign up for influenster using this link or copy and paste:  www.influenster.com/r/824917

8. Fluffy Homemade Bread

Who wouldn't love this recipe? I have made this recipe multiple times since posting about it and it is a personal favorite. This recipe is easy to make, any novice can make it!

7. Mallow Coconut Fudgies

I thought this recipe would be a little closer to the bottom to the list. These Fudgies are Amazing! It makes for a great hostess gift!

6. Big Slice Kettle Cooked Apples + Giveaway!!

This was my first giveaway on the blog! We loved these kettle cooked apples! I bought some a couple weeks ago and they tasted just like I remembered. They make for a great snack, and I will definitely be eating them as snacks to keep full coming this new year.

5. Love With Food November Box

Healthy snacks and treats delivered to your door every month! Organic, nonGMO, natural, no artificial ingredients. Who wouldn't love that? Their subscription boxes are $10 per month, and they also have a gluten free only box! Love With Food donates a meal to hungry kids in America with every order.  You can sign up here.

4. Pesto Hemp Pasta + Giveaway!!

This delicious Pesto Hemp Pasta was so delicious! It is a perfect way to incorporate Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts into our diets. The Giveaway is still live and will run for a few more days.

3. Skout Organic + Giveaway

This post features Skout Organic bars and raw pumpkin seeds. These bars were delicious and are a great snack for busy days!

2. Figgy Puffs + Giveaway

This recipe is great for parties as an Hors d'oeuvre.  There is so much flavor in these little puffs, and it is all thanks to Valley Fig! They're spreads are delicious and I'm still enjoying what's left of my jars.

1. The Lovely Candy Co Review + GIVEAWAY

This post has by far exceeded my expectations. With over 1700 views, it was by far the most popular review and giveaway of 2014. I LOVED all the caramels and fruit chews. Gluten Free?? Yes!

Which was your favorite post?

Decorating with Toddlers: Chinese Lanterns

I'm always looking for new ways to decorate our apartment in intriguing ways. The hard part about this is finding things that my toddler can't break or set on fire. When you have a toddler with sensory issues, who loves to jump and throw things, you have to find alternatives for almost everything. We don't keep many picture frames or mirrors around, and wall decals are a must. So for Christmas I had to think outside the box.

We didn't place too many breakables on the tree, so I had to decorate other ways. This year I decided to decorate our Christmas area with lanterns. These lanterns are 10 inches in diameter,  and are made from rice paper. You can buy them on Amazon, and it comes with a free ebook with crafts you can do with them. I saw a few ways to use it on the ebook that would be great for Thanksgiving.

I strung up all of the lanterns together and hanged them around the Christmas tree. Inside each lantern I placed a glow in the dark bracelet for illumination. This way, I don't have to turn on the lights when Aiden is playing near the tree. I also left one of the 10 lanterns on the ground for him to play with, in case he gets curious. This quickly turned into a good idea because he started crying as soon as we were putting the lanterns up. He was happy playing with one of the lanterns, throwing it around the living room. I was happy letting him play with it, and not worrying about him breaking anything. I was actually quite surprised that the lantern is still in tact! 

Each night, instead of putting an ornament on the tree, each person grabbed a glow in the dark bracelet that was previously cut, and sprayed the entire wall with the liquid. My son loved doing this, and it's an easy clean afterwards. It is fun letting him just play around instead of restricting what he can and cannot do.

Now that Christmas is over, I'm looking for new ways to use the lanterns. I want to keep the Christmas spirit alive, so I decided to decorate one of the lanterns with all of the goodies Aiden got from his friends. Now I can keep this in the room when the tree is taken down, and Aiden can still enjoy the Christmas Spirit. All I did for this craft was to tape and super glue cards and goodies from Aiden's stocking. I also added a few goodies that he got from his play group.

As far as the rest of the lanterns, I plan on packing them away for now and doing another craft with them next year.

I plan on making this a tradition. I hope it teaches him to appreciate all the cards and gifts everyone gives him aside from focusing on toys he gets. How do transition the holidays into the New Year with your children?

You can buy these lanterns on Amazon, click here.

I received these lanterns in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

PB2 & PB2 With Chocolate! + GIVEAWAY!!!

This is a little tip for your weight loss New Years Resolutions.  You can love peanut butter and eat it too! I love peanut butter, but I hate the fat content. A friend told me about PB2 last year, but I had not tried it yet. Then I was sent 2 bottles from Bell Plantation to review, and I love it! This PB2 has ZERO grams of saturated fats. My favorite part is that I can make it as thick or as runny as I want! You see, PB2 comes in a powdered form, and you mix it with water.

I make the peanut butter runny for my son so he can eat the sandwich slices easily, but 

I make it thicker for myself. We have experimented with the PB2 in many ways since receiving it. Hubby loves adding a scoop or two into his protein shakes. He said his shakes taste way better. I add it to a smoothie; 1/3 cup milk, handful of strawberries, 2 bananas, ice, and a scoop of PB2 Chocolate. Perfect!

Our favorite way to eat it is to make Grilled Strawberry Banana with PB2 Chocolate. It's delicious and my son loved the warm peanut butter!

Alphabet Jam - Music for Toddlers

If your toddler is anything like mine, then he or she must love music. Ever since Aiden was a baby, he could hear music before I could. He would dance and wiggle before I registered the music playing.

Rivana Music sent me one of their educational CD's for my toddler to enjoy. The CD I chose was Alphabet Jam since my son is obsessed with letters. Since my son recites letters and the alphabet song all day, I thought he would enjoy this music.

It was a hit! Now he has realized where the CD goes to turn on the music. He has even learned a few of the songs and sings along as much as a toddler can.  His favorite parts are the little 30 second vowel songs. Check out my instagram video of him jamming:

Review of my son's favorite CD coming tomorrow! #rivannamusic #toddler #cutie #oodd

A video posted by valerie moreno (@hippie7love) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:41pm PST

I like how the songs are in alphabetical order. Most of the songs focus on one letter, aside from the alphabet songs. I love how they focus on the sounds of the letters instead of the name of the letters. All the songs are different, which is great. I'm not listening to the same melodies all day. There is even a rock and roll song, and I found it so cute!

Check out this CD and their other ones on their Website.

***Healthy All Over***--Even NEWER CD!
**Fun Songs for Learning English** -- NEW CD
Ready to Learn: Songs for School Success
Alphabet Jam: Songs and Rhymes to Build Early Reading Skills
My Turn Your Turn: Songs for Building Social Skills
Toddlin' Tunes: Sing Along with Cathy Bollinger
Tunes That Teach: The Fun Way to Learn Everyday Lessons
Singing Sounds: Songs for Learning Early Speech Sounds
Singing Words: Songs for Early Language Development
From a Mother's Heart: Original and Traditional Lullabies for Mother and Baby

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Liztec Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

I LOVE speakers. Specially on those rare instances that I am home along and can blast some music while cleaning the house. Wireless speakers come in handy when I'm cleaning different parts of the house because I can carry the speaker to whatever room I am cleaning. Let's face it, my house will take 3 times as long to clean if I don't have my music to jam to.

I have the Liztec waterproof speaker for when I take showers, and now I have the Liztec Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker for when I am cleaning, go to the park, or the beach. I also take this speakers to my moms house when my toddler and I stay the weekend. My son has been loving some toddler music he got as a present and now he can enjoy it everywhere we go.

The Liztec Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker connects to your phone through bluetooth, and if you don't have bluetooth, it connects through the headphone jacks. Connecting it was easy; the speaker will say that it is connected. I did not expect that. It has a built in battery that charges,  and stays charged for up to 6 hours. The speaker has a built in microphone in case you receive a call. This comes in handy when hubby calls in to check if I need anything before he comes home.

The sound is great, and much better than the waterproof speaker. I love the design; it looks like a high end speaker. The only problem I had with this bluetooth was when I raise the volume.  When I raise it all the way up through the speaker, it disconnects from my phone.

Check out this speaker on Amazon, click here.

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

EatSmart Precision Tracker Digital Bathroom Scale Review

A scale is a much needed device for weight loss. You need to know where you stand to move forward. But the one thing I hate about scales is the number I see. I see a huge number and quickly get discouraged. But the Eatsmart Precision Tracker Digital Bathroom Scale fixes that issue.

The EatSmart Precision Tracker scale measures not only your current weight, but it will also calculate the weight change from your last weigh in, and it also shows the total weight change from your starting weight. So, you won't get caught up on the big number. Instead, you will focus on the weight change (hopefully weight lost).

The scale can store information for up to 8 users, and it can automatically identify the user. It measures up to 400 pounds with 4 high precision sensors. The scale can also be read in kilos.  This EatSmart Precision Tracker Digital Bathroom Scale comes with a 2 year warranty!

This scale is ideal for people trying to lose weight. I am certainly using it to help my New Year's resolution goals. It is also perfect if you are pregnant. You can keep track of your healthy weight gain!

Check out this scale:
Website
Amazon

I received this scale in return for an honest review.  I am not required to give a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

New Years Giveaway!

Start the New Year on the right path with these Giveaways!! 8 Winners to be chosen!!! What prize would you like to win?

Comment: What is your New Years resolution?

Welcome to the Countdown to 2015 Event! This event is hosted by Dixieland Reviews and co-hosted by  Joyful Gifts by Julie, Giveaway Bandit, Mom 'N Daughter Savings and Susie's Reviews & Giveaways.  This event is sponsored by Chelsea Row with Nicole Casey, BeautiControl with Jaime Arca, Joyful Gifts by Julie, Just Ideas with Venus Kem, Authors Jared Delray and Annalise McKenzie & Our World Travel.  

Prizes: 

1 (one) winner will win this gorgeous necklace from Chelsea Row! Arv: $38  (US Only) Check out all the awesome items available at Chelsea Row with Nicole! Read the review HERE. 

1 (one) winner will receive this beauty package from BeautiControl consisting of BC Spa Instant Manicure and  Moisturizing Body Bars set. Arv: $58  You can get these and many more great products at BeautiControl with Jaime! Read the review HERE. 

1 (one) winner will get these two gorgeous necklaces from Joyful Gifts by Julie! Arv: $30

1 (one) winner will receive this Shark Rotator Powered Lift Away Vacuum Arv: $199  Did you get a new e-reader for the holidays? If you did, check out the great new paranormal romance by Jared Delray & Annalise McKenzie!

  1 (one) winner will receive a $100 Visa Gift Card Arv: $250 - Is losing weight on your list of New Years Resolutions? If it is, check out the New Year's Challenge at Just Ideas from Venus Kem!

1 (one) winner will receive a $500 Visa Gift Card Arv: $500 -Earn cash back on all your travel bookings, book with Our World Travel! 

2 (two) winners will each get 1- $500 Visa Gift Card Arv: $500 each!  Every penny counts when you travel, so why not earn cash back? 


Terms & Conditions:   This event is open to residents age 18+ and residing in the US and Canada. Void Where Prohibited by Law!  Please note: The Chelsea Row prize is open to residents of the US only as they only ship to US addresses! All winning entries WILL be verified. All entries from all Giveaway Tools will be combined and the entries will then be ran through random.org to ensure a fair drawing. Winner will be notified via email from marie@dixielandsdeals.com , so please put this email address in your safe list, I do not send spam and this is the only email you will receive from me unless you sign up for our newsletter. I do not sell nor share email addresses with anyone-period. You will have 24 hours from the time stamp on the email to respond. If no response is received, you forfeit the prize and a new winner will be chosen. Winners will be announced on our Winners Page. 

Entry is easy! Just follow the instructions on the Giveaway Tool below! All entries will be verified. The only mandatory entry there is in this giveaway is the very first one on this Giveaway Tool.  All other entry types, including the follow pages are optional, however, every task you complete will earn you extra chances to win. 

Entry-Form

Jump Roping Tips

Did you know that Jump Rope is a low impact exercise that burns a lot of calories? Jumping rope burns more calories than running! Even though you are mostly working your calves, you will be burning calories for hours after. 

If you haven't jumped rope in years, I have a few tips for you: 

• Use a good pair of sneakers. This will soften the impact.
• Use your wrist to turn the rope, not your shoulders.
• Have a a large empty space. You don't want the jump rope to hit anything.
• Only jump 1-2 inches off the ground.  Jumping higher will have more impact on your ankles than needed.
• Buy a good quality Jump Rope.

I am using a Boson Sport Jump Rope in my workouts lately. I must say I love it. My favorite aspect about it is that it does not tangle! It also has foam cushioned handles perfect for gripping. This jump rope is also adjustable to compliment various heights, up to 6' 10".

The Boson Jump Rope comes with a 30 day money back guarantee, and with a 5 year warranty. If you are not happy with it, you can return it!

You can find this jump rope on Amazon. Click here.

I received this jump rope in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

Matcha Green Tea from Kiss Me Organics

I'm always on the look for ways to increase my energy. Since I have hypothyroidism,  I suffer from fatigue on a daily basis. Coffee and energy drinks don't really help, and it usually just makes me more tired.

This Matcha Green tea promotes all day energy and focus, burns calories, and is filled with antioxidants. There are many ways to use the matcha; it can be used to make lattes, added to smoothies, or used in baking.

I thought that the bag would smell and taste horrible from things I have heard about it. When I opened the bag, it had a wonderful green tea smell. But when I made a latte, it didn't taste all that great. It taste great enough to drink for the benefits, but not as a tea time and biscuits sort of drink.

I added the powder to a few sugar cookies I made and it actually turned out pretty good. My son loved the cookies as well. I much rather add it to my baking than drink it. Two or three cookies later, and I can feel a bit of energy and focus.

After trying it a few different ways, I am eager to find the perfect way to use it. The benefits I have found while using the green tea are noticeable.

Connect with Kissable Organics:

Website

Amazon

I received this product in return for a review. I am not required to give a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

Element Bars! Make Your Own Bars!

Wouldn't you love an energy bar made with all organic ingredients? Well, Element Bars does just that and more! You can go on their website and make your own bar without ever stepping in the kitchen! When you go to ElementBars.com, you can customize your own bar and even name it!

These bars are perfect for fueling up for an afternoon at the gym, a hike, or a bike ride. They are filling, delicious, and did I mention organic? Bars made with real ingredients are always loved in my book.

Element Bars sent me a variety box of their bars to review. My favorite hands down was the Datey Divine! They mix of dates, cherries, and almonds give this bar a perfect chewy texture. Another favorite was the Cherry Power.

My son loved the PB Power bars, while my hubby loved the Autumn Blueberry bars. There are bars for all taste buds, and now they have Paleo Bars!

Connect with Element Bars
Make your own organic bar
Website
Facebook
Twitter

I received these bars in return for this review.  I am not required to give a positive review.  All opinions are my own.