Rave Reviews and Giveaway!

Have you heard I've been running lately? No? I didn't mention it? Psychhhh. You're probably sick of hearing about it and how awful it is I'm trying to do a 5K in a month. 


And while I run, I need some gear. My iPod, iPod arm strap, proper attire, comfy kicks, watch (for timing intervals), and now? My Bondiband. Never heard of it? I hadn't either until I read a review of one on another blog. I knew I needed to have one (or several.) I sweat when I run. Yep. And not the "glistening" kind. The gross kind. Drippy, stingy, in my eyes kind. 


Enter Bondiband. Not only does this thing keep my hairs out of my face, but it also keeps the runny sweat off of it. Here's me and my schweaty self with my Bondiband. And I even put arrows pointing to it....for extra emphasis:

Want one? I know you do. Well, the fine folks at Bondiband have one for me to give to one of you lucky readers. Here's what you've got to do to win:

First, you must be a follower of my blog, but you don't have to be a blogger to enter. 

• Comment on this post telling me why you need yourself a Bondiband. 
• For one additional entry, tweet about this giveaway including the link. Come back and comment letting me know you did. 
• For one additional entry, post this on Facebook, including the link. Come back and comment letting me know you did. 
• For two additional entries, blog about this giveaway, including the link. Come back and post a comment (with your blog link) letting me know you did. 

You have until Friday at noon to enter. I'll post the winner and some AWESOME coupon codes on this week's Fitness Friday! 

Good luck! 

Stuff I Love

I'm sure you're sick of hearing me talking about moving. I don't blame you. I'm sick of thinking about it. So, I've decided, it's time for another rousing installment of...

Let's start in the world of food. I've currently been enjoying...

Special K Protein Shakes: I've been drinking one of these for breakfast with fruit. I've only had chocolate, but I just bought some strawberry today. I hope that was a good decision. 

Yoplait Smoothies: Now, I realize that I could get the same results by combining frozen fruit, yogurt and milk, but these are so convenient. You just add milk and blend. I've had the triple berry and strawberry mango pineapple. And I love all of them. Actually, I had one for dinner.

Now, for stuff other than food...

Space bags: Ok, so I said I wouldn't mention moving. But I'm going to. These have been a lifesaver for space. Now, the photo above is a little misleading because they don't get THAT small. But they still give you lots more storage space. 

Scrubbing Bubbles Foaming Bathroom Cleaner: I LOVE this stuff. I happen to use a lot of hairspray. Which happens to adhere itself to my counters. I spray this stuff on and it dissolves it right away. The only thing that could make it better is if the cartoon scrubby things came out of the bottle.

And finally, some reality TV I'm loving...

Bethenny Ever After: I'm not sure if it's the fact that she has no filter from brain to mouth, or her crazy, hectic lifestyle, but I love this show. I'm usually not into spinoffs of other shows (for those of you that don't know, this is a spinoff of Real Housewives of NY), but she's much better on her own show. Find it Mondays at 10PM on Bravo.

Stuff I Love

Occasionally, I come across some pretty sweet things that I like to share with you all. Since I've gotten all kinds of creative lately, I made a nifty little button for this installment of...

In the health and beauty section, I'm loving:

Maybelline Falsies Mascara: This stuff gives you some serious lashes. It can get a little smudgy, so if you're prone to shedding tears or rubbing your eyes, you might want to wait for the waterproof. 

Covergirl Liquiline: This is the ultimate liner. I hate eyeliner that tugs on my eyelid and makes me look like a 4 year old applied my liner with a crayon. This stuff goes on smooth and stays put. 

Clairol Nice n' Easy Foam Color: I got the hair dying bug a few weeks back, so I scooped this up at Target. Typically, when I dye my hair, I get it everywhere. Last time, Wiggles got his own little brown splotch on his back because he walked underneath me while I was dripping everywhere. I decided that this foam would be the less messy option. And it definitely is. Four stars for this. It was much easier to apply than the gel, and I certainly had less drips. Warning: Cover your hairline with Vaseline or cold cream to prevent dying your skin! 

Crest Spinbrush: I resisted the electric toothbrush craze for a long time...until my dentist suggested I get one. For $8 I purchased this bad boy at Target (are you sensing a pattern here?) and I was immediately in love. I just had my first visit back to the dentist since using it and I had significantly less tarter. For that, I give it two thumbs up. If you're still using a manual toothbrush after you read this, you're a silly monkey.

In the world of delicious foodstuffs...

Breyers YoCrunch Fruit Parfait: I've been eating these every day. Which means I'll probably get sick of them soon, but for now, I've loving them. They're got granola for crunch, lowfat vanilla yogurt and lots of fruit. Get some.

Lean Cuisine Spring Rolls: These things are ah.may.zing. Run to your local store and buy these now. I haven't had the fajita style, but I can personally recommend the garlic chicken and thai-style. They're freaking awesome, and you'd never know they're good for you. 


What are you loving that I should try?

These Are A Few of My Favorite Thingsssss!

I love Oprah. And I don't care who knows it. 


I watched the launch of O.W.N., her new network, this weekend while I was recovering from my New Year's Eve hangover. She makes me feel warm and fuzzy with all her feel good, live your life better, type shows. Because, let's face it, everyone needs a good dose of motivation. I know I do.


As an ode to my one my most favorite Oprah shows of the year (cue fanatical screaming...) I'm going to do my version of Favorite Things. Except in my version, no one wins anything...except the new found knowledge of some things I think are pretty great.

1. Silk Pure Almond - Dark Chocolate - Delicious, chocolate flavored almond milk. Pure delight.
   
2. Vitatops - In the old Weight Watchers system, these babies were just one point. You usually can only get 2 flavors at your local supermarket (deep chocolate and golden corn), however I just ordered a crap-ton (yes, that's an accurate term of measurement) from the Internets. Do it yourself at www.vitalicious.com. WARNING: These are very high in fiber. I do not recommend eating more than one at a time. Unless you have a steel stomach. I found this one out the hard way.
   
3. Just Dance 2 - If you haven't read my review...please reference an earlier post. It rocks. And I've sufficiently mastered Proud Mary AND the crazy Bollywood song.
   
4. Skype - This has been a savior for hubs and I over the last 8 months. If you aren't familiar with it, it's free video chat. FREE. All you need is a webcam and microphone. I don't know how I would have gotten by without it.
   
5. Body Shop All In One Face Base - I have tried a laughable amount of foundations in my makeup-wearing years. Usually, they have something I really hate about them. They look unnatural, feel heavy, wear off, don't blend...you get the idea. But this...THIS is the ultimate in foundations. It's a powdery, silky, full-coverage foundation that I couldn't recommend more. If you have normal - oily skin, it's for you.  Get it here!
   
6. Vera Bradley Wristlet - Ok, ok. Those of you that know me, know that I have a slight obsession with all things Vera Bradley. And I totally got my mom and sister on the bandwagon. By far, one of my favorite things is the wristlet. My mom actually got it for herself and decided she didn't like it (for shame!), but then passed it on to me (victory!) And now I use it all the time. I suggest you buy one too at www.verabradley.com.
   
7. Vera Bradley Weekender - And while we're at it, I might as well mention my other most favorite Vera purchase...the Weekender. Perfect for...that's right...weekends away!
   
8. Water for Elephants - I recently read this book upon recommendation from a friend, and it was definitely one of the best books I read all year. The premise is a young man, whose parents are killed in a car accident, drops out of veterinary school to join a traveling circus. Intrigued? You should be. Plus, it's being made into a movie that's coming out in the Spring, starring Reese Witherspoon (love) and Robert Pattinson (hate...but oh well.)
   
9. Eddie Bauer Ice Scraper Mitt - My mom got me my first ice scraper mitt when I was in high school, and I laughed at it's silliness. But let me tell you something, ice scraper mitts are genius. Keep your hand warm, while scraping your windshield? Check. "But Heather, just wear a glove!" Sometimes, you forget your gloves. Or misplace them. Or are too lazy to put them on. Ice scraper mitt to the rescue! Luckily, I got another one for Christmas this year. I highly recommend the Eddie Bauer brand.
   
10. Lands End Down Jacket - This was another Christmas gift. It's the perfect winter coat. Waterproof, super warm, and not too poofy...so you don't feel like you're straight out of a Christmas Story. And, lucky for you, they're on sale!

Just Dance!

Last week, I bought the first video game for myself that I have in a long time...with no prompting from Nile. I was over at the Seiler household recently, and they had Just Dance2 for the Wii. I didn't have high hopes for it at all...buttttt 4 hours later I had obviously been proven wrong. 


Not only was it a fun party game (you can play with up to 8 people), but it was a good workout! I was all kinds of sweaty after playing it. 


So I ordered it for myself...not only for fun, but to add to my workout routine. The concept? You follow the people on the screen to learn the dance moves. The more accurate your moves, the higher this score.

The playlist isn't bad either. And luckily, you can download songs as they become available. Some of the songs that come to mind are:

• Firework - Katie Perry
• Holiday - Madonna 
• The Austin Powers Theme Song (I forget the real name)
• Toxic - Britney Spears
• Hey Ya - Outkast

Did I look like an idiot dancing around my living room? I have no doubt about that. But I worked up a sweat. I can't wait to make Nile dance to some old school Madonna. 

Food Reviews

I've happened upon some delightful new food finds recently in my local supermarket. Let's have a look at what it is currently in my kitchen.

Barber Foods Fit and Friendly Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Chicken: I happened upon these in the frozen foods aisle one day. I had their other varieties many years ago, but they are usually high in fat, sodium and calories. This one has some pretty impressvie stats and comes in at only 190 calories per portion. They're indiviually portioned, so they are great for single diners, and they take only 30 minutes to bake fully frozen. They are a little smaller then I expected, but then again, it's probably the right portion size for meat.

Dole Fruit Crisp Bowls: These are a great addition to my cubicle lunch. They have several flavors, but my favorites are the Apple Cinnamon and Apple Pear. The sauced fruit is topped with an oat and brown sugar crumb topping that you mix together to make a delicious dessert. You can find these puppies with the applesauce.

Hidden Valley Harvest Dill Dip Mix: I actually happened upon this by accident. I really wanted the ranch dip mix, but Giant was all out, so I picked this up instead. I mixed it with low-fat sour cream and kept it in the fridge for veggies. Definitely a winner...it just might replace the ranch. Look for it in the salad dressing aisle.

Those are my new favorites! Bon appetit!

New Food Finds!

A few fantastic food finds have recently come into my life, so I wanted to share them with you all.

First up, broccoli slaw. You can find it in the produce section. I was a little skeptical at first, but I sauted it with a little garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar and it made a delightful little side dish.

Now, in the land of frozen treats, I found two that rival Skinny Cow. And I really love my Skinny Cow, so that's a bold statement.

Both are by Breyers. The first is chocolate covered strawberry popsicles. It's milk chocolate covering Breyers strawberry ice cream. These are awesome and only 110 calories.

The other is chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream sandwiches. Also irresistable, but they come in at 160 calories. Still not bad!

BONUS: If you live near a Giant, these are both 2 for $6 right now!

I may or may not have 4 boxes in my freezer...

As Seen On TV

The other day, I was strolling through Target, looking for a bottle of Draino to clear a hair clog in our shower drain.

While I was in the home goods section (specifically closet organization), I found an "As Seen On TV" display of products on the aisle endcap. Of course I had to stop and look because I already watch all the infomercials on TV, and have convinced myself I can't live without half of the products.

As I was browsing, I found the Turbosnake. You may have seen the ad, but this handy little device snakes your drain for hair clogs. You shove it down the drain, give it a twist and the velcro-like attachment pulls out the hair. It was $9.99...about the same as a bottle of Draino, but less toxic. So I decided to give it a try.

The verdict?

I would say that my $9.99 was well spent! It was easy to use, and definitely got the hair clog out of the drain. It took a few times of snaking the drain for me to get all the hair (I've been shedding), but it cleared the clog, as promised. And, it comes with a smaller size for clearing sink drains.

But that's not all!

It also comes with a handy plastic hook for easy storage! Woweeeeeeee!

So, in conclusion, if you have some minor hair clogs, I would say pay the $9.99. What have you got to lose?

Chocolate Goodness

Finding decent tasting, lower calorie ways to satisfy a sweet tooth is particulary challenging.

However, I'm have come across two products that have sufficiently satisfied mine.

First up...Chocolate Cheerios!

How are they, you ask? Delicious. Chocolatey. Make your plain skim milk into CHOCOLATE MILK. Only 100 calories per serving. Plus, they taste heavenly with strawberries. Any given morning at 8:15 this week, you could see me in my cubicle enjoying this tasty treat for breakfast.

Next up...another great product from Skinny Cow...Ice Cream Cups!

WOW! Honestly, these are awesome. They come in a few different flavors:

• 
  
  Chocolate Fudge Brownie
• 
  
  Strawberry Cheesecake
• 
  
  Cookies and Cream
• 
  
  Dulce de Leche
• 
  
  Caramel Cone

I can only personally review the chocolate fudge brownie, strawberry cheesecake, and cookies and cream. All three...heaven in my mouth. I would have to say, at this juncture, strawberry cheesecake is my favorite. Nile's is chocolate fudge brownie. They sell for $1.49 (at Giant) and are only 150 calories each.

Now, $1.49 is a little steep for about 1/2 cup of ice cream. I could buy it in a tub and only give myself 1/2 a cup. However, that's not going to happen. Eating 1/2 cup of ice cream, when I have access to an entire tub is virtually impossible. Perhaps you have the willpower, but I do not. You wouldn't put a pound (or gram or kilo or whatever you call it) of heroin in front of an addict and ask them to only take one hit, right? Ice cream=heroin for me. Case closed.

In conclusion, buy this stuff. You'll like it.

Restaurant.com: Where Have You Been All My Life?

I just found out about an awesome site called http://www.restaurant.com/.

Perhaps I've been living in a hole, because it seems like I was the only one in the conversation that had never heard about it. However, I'm going to share it anyway, because it's AMAZING!

All you do it put in your zip code, decide the distance from the zip code you want to travel, and it displays restaurants that have gift certificates available for half price or less! So, you can get a $50 gift certificate to a restaurant for $20!

I just searched my area, and there's an impressive selection for the Baltimore and surrounding areas. Restaurants choose to participate, so your fave place might not be there yet, but this is a great way to try new places!

I'll definitely be using it, because let's face it, we can all stand to save a little money!