Michael Bolton


I have to say, this past month Michael Bolton's newest release One World One Love really has been a life saver for me. Our family has had so many health issues this past month it's really taking a toll on me and when I can jump in the car, pop in this CD.....I seem to be able to relax and leave all my worries behind while thinking to myself how grateful I should be compared to so many others in this world who are suffering far worse than we are.

One World One Love was released last week and includes collaborations with Lady Gaga and Ne-Yo. Michael Bolton has sold over 53 million records and continues to produce music from his heart. Listening to his music you can hear the love and passion he has for what he does. Michael Bolton will embark on a six month world tour with stops throughout the US and Europe through September 2010.

Michael's music video Just One Love - Amazing song!!


Catch Michael Bolton tonight on the Jimmy Kimmel Show!!

Human Touch iJoy


Happy Monday!! Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! Although I had to share it with my husband since it was also his 40Th birthday, we had a very relaxing and enjoyable day. We ended up just staying in since my son just had his surgery, but would not have asked for anything more.

Wondering what that chair is above?? It is the Human Touch iJoy Robotic Massage Chair - and I won it in a Mother's Day Contest!!! How exciting isn't it!!! Looks like an amazing chair and something I for sure need!! As soon as it arrives I'll up date you all and let you know how it is, I just wanted to share with you my wonderful Mother's Day Gift!!

Hope you all have a Manageable Monday.....come back tomorrow as we get back on track after what seemed like a very long weekend!

Freshology


**Disclosure: I received a three day supply of the Get Slim Program for review purposes only, all opinions are of my own. Your experience and opinion may vary.

Looking for a last minute Mother's Day Gift? Freshology's Get Slim Program for not only new moms, but those looking for some simplicity to their life as well as a healthy well balanced meal is the perfect gift. Get Slim provides gourmet meal solutions, made from the finest ingredients, prepared to the highest standards, and delivered fresh to your door. I was sent a three day supply of the Get Slim Program. The meals arrived in cold ice packs, packaged in individual trays and labeled breakfast, lunch, dinner and desert. The food looked so fresh and tasty I could not wait to try it! For breakfast I had cinnamon raisin oatmeal, fresh strawberries and Canadian bacon. Yummy!! I could not believe how fresh the strawberries were - they were more fresh than any I've seen in the stores lately! They were so ripe, juicy, fresh and just sweet enough to be able to enjoy them as is.
Lunch was salad one day, pork tamales with mushrooms the next and dinner included seabass, steak and chicken fajitas. All in all the food was so good - restaurant quality food. The only complaint I had was the lettuce for the salad had started to turn brown already. The meals also include a daily menu which includes nutritional facts as well as serving suggestions. The food portions were small, but I guess that's just part of being on a diet and something that my body would probably just have to adjust to eventually. The meals are portion and calorie controlled and women received between 1200 - 1400 calories daily.

Get Slims Promise -

  • Provide the highest levels of customer service
  • Provide a deliciously creative and nutritious meal
  • All meals are prepared in their professional state-of-the-art kitchen
  • Get Slim uses high-heat, low fat cooking techniques that include grilling, steaming, searing, poaching and baking - no frying!
  • No preservatives, freeze-dried or dehydrated ingredients in any of the dishes
  • Offers a 45 day menu cycle - meaning no identical dishes are prepared over the course of each cycle (LOVE IT)
  • Committed to reaching out to the community and providing support to our favorite charities
  • Embraces global responsibility
Freshology's Get Slim Program is $42.95 per day plus shipping and includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and a desert for each day.

I love the idea - especially being a Mother to four (sometimes five if you include my husband) we don't have alot of time to think about ourselves. Another thing I love about this is it gives me an example of how and what I should be eating. I think about eating healthy all the time, but have no idea where to start and how much I should really be eating. With the Get Slim Program from Freshology I was able to actually see and feel what eating the right portions is really like.

This is really a good gift idea not only for new moms & Mother's Day but for any time of the year when you want to show mom some appreciation. As a mother - I would love this gift as well as need this gift - anyone want to give me a three month supply??

Dole Fruit Bowls

**Disclosure: I was provided a sample product of Dole's Fruit Bowls to try for this review. All opinions are of mine own and of my families. No monetary compensation was received.

Our youngest son is very active in baseball - in fact he plays year round when possible. If your children play any kind of sport you know that healthy snacks are important. At each game we have a parent bring snack and it always gets me upset when I see candy or something else sweet being offered. When I was asked to review and feature Dole's Fruit Bowls, right away I thought of my son's baseball team - what a great healthy snack to have after playing a hard game of baseball! Some of the things I just love about them -
  • Can be eaten cold or at room temperature
  • Perfect size container for on the go - perfect to even pop in your purse
  • Easy peel off lids
  • Great source of vitamin C
  • Can use in a variety of recipes
  • We also up them in the freezer & used them to make smoothies
Dole Fruit Bowls come in 18 varieties including peaches, pears, mixed fruit, apples and more. My son loves these and as a mother I am proud to serve them. Dole's Fruit Bowls hold 80 calories or less, are low in sodium, is rich in vitamin C and are naturally fat free!

Dole Fruit Bowls were awarded the ChefsBest award by the American Culinary ChefsBest. The American Culinary ChefsBest is an independent, chef-based organization dedicated to identifying the best food products for both consumer and professional kitchens.

Visit www.dole.com for nutrition information, recipes, tips to eat right and while your there enter their Splash Into Summer Instant Win Game where you could win one of over 1,000 prizes!!

Wordless Wednesday


Basketball Mexican Style.....
(this is my husband & two friends @ my sons bday party a while back)

Kikko de Mayo



Cinco de Mayo is honestly one of my favorite holidays!! The culture is so rich in history and the food is amazing!!! Can you believe that I did not even know what real Mexican food was until I married my husband? Cinco de Mayo would not be Cinco de Mayo without some juicy carne asada. When I was asked to give Ponzu a try for Cinco de Mayo I was not too sure what to expect - but I love trying new things and was anxious to give this a try!

I had bought extra meat so that I could invite a few neighbors over to get their opinion too. I fired up the grill and cooked up some carne asada that I had marinated the night before with their Lime and Ponzu Carne Asada Marinade. Before I would always just throw some ingredients in a bowl along with the meat and it was always "good enough" but this was so much more easier and had the flavor that gave it an extra kick! Everyone loved it and I even ended up running out of food. I love the lime flavor - without it this wouldn't work. My daughter wouldn't eat it - but then the only thing she will eat is chicken nuggets! My son it seems as he's getting older he is trying more things and I'm proud to say he loves my cooking!! :) This is actually the most I have ever seen him eat - he is only seven years old and ate three tacos!! Now my husband was the real test....he's Mexican and grew up eating "real" Mexican food. I was afraid he was not going to like it - or would like it and just would not admit to it. Seems like if I like it - then he will always find something wrong with it! lol! I made him try it plain to get the real flavor of the marinade, then I had him put all his toppings on it including hot sauce. He actually loved it too - the meat came out so juicy and tender, I was pretty impressed with myself too :) He preferred it with the toppings - he did note that it did taste a bit too salty, but that's coming from a guy who puts literally tablespoons of salt on his food. That was probably just him putting too much salt on top of the marinade. It tasted perfect!! Next time I think I would only marinade it for the day and not overnight - but all in all it tasted great - better than expected.

As your getting your meat out for tomorrow's celebration try the recipe below and don't tell anyone - see if they can notice the difference!

Lime & Ponzu Carne Asada Marinade

  • 2 lbs flank or skirt steak (or any meat labeled carne asada)
  • 1 cup Kikkoman Lime Ponzu
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 4 crushed garlic cloves
Combine all ingredients, pour over steak and marinade overnight - how much easier can it get?

  • Ponzu, a citrus seasoned dressing and sauce, delivers the perfect balance of salty, tangy and sweet, helping to bring out delicious citrus flavors in Mexican dishes such as carne asada, fajitas and even salsa!
  • Kikkoman Ponzu, available in lemon or lime flavors, can be used right from the bottle as a salad dressing, marinade or dipping sauce in a variety of delicious recipes.
  • Kikkoman Ponzu can be found in the Asian aisle at your local supermarket but belongs in all different types of food – especially Mexican.
  • Get ready to prepare a delicious Cinco de Mayo meal into a ¡Kikko de Mayo Fiesta! with the help of this fat-free “secret” ingredient – Kikkoman Ponzu!


Meet up!!

**Update - giveaway has been posted! Click here to enter...

I hope you all had a great weekend!! It's been a very very long & hot weekend here!! We have lots of fun planned for this month and are super excited because we have two opportunities to hook up with some of our readers this month! I would love to meet some of you in person.....so check back here at noon to find out how your family can spend a day hanging out with us through a contest sponsored by Lunchables: Field Trips For All!

Also......We have a very fun party planned this month on May 22ND at a McDonalds in Los Angeles County (exact city to be determined yet) So, if you are interested in attending please email me at hulahoopingmom@yahoo.com with the number of kids and adults that you will be bringing. Space is limited and more details will be announced as it gets closer.

**RSVP does not guarantee an invite as space is extremely limited. Travel is not included so you must have your own transportation to the Los Angeles area.