2012 Reflections Part 2
December 31, 2012

2012 Reflections Part 2

I already recapped January through June 2012 and shared what a great year it was. Here is what happened July through December. _______________________________________________________________________________ I studied for my Registered Dietitian exam and passed.  I became Amanda Hernandez, RD !!! I was hired at a nursing home as a full time RD. We had a nice weekend at the farm with my dad's cousins. We went to some concerts and had fun in downtown Detroit . I started two new Master's classes ...and got an A in each! We enjoyed my sister Natalie's sunflowers . We went to the Croswell Swinging Bridge and had lunch. My family celebrated my Aunt Emma's 91st birthday. I went to a Harvest Moon Ball for my work. We went to the opening of the Belle Isle aquarium in Detroit. We painted the basement.   We took some pictures in front of our burning bushes and took my parents out to dinner in Canada. My beautiful Ava had a photo shoot

2012 Reflections Part 1
December 30, 2012

2012 Reflections Part 1

2012 was the best year of my life so far. SO much has happened and here are some of my reflections on it. I created some goals for 2012 and met all of them!!! We rang in the New Year at Lakeland Banquet and Event Centre where we have the last 4 years. We did tons of work and painting on our new house. We also bought all new appliances for the kitchen.  We had a fire in our new fireplace and champagne with my parents before we moved in. I shared what was going on in my clinical dietetic internship . We had a strangely warm March and went to the beach a couple of times before we moved. We packed up everything in Fennville and moved 3 1/2 hours across the state. April 20th, we moved into our new home!! We celebrated Mother's Day at the farm in May... ...and had some of our first parties at our house. We spent time at my parent's farm . June 1st, I finished my dietetic internship and reflected on the whole experience. We

Wholesome Meal Review
December 29, 2012

Wholesome Meal Review

Wholesome Meal is a company that makes snack bites that are high in protein, gluten free and organic. They come in five different flavors including chia chocolate, peanut butter, sunny honey, nutty monkey and cranberry almond. Each small bite contains 4 grams of protein which makes for a filling and nutritious snack. One bite contains 55-61 calories. For a snack, I would have two to three of these. They come in little round balls and have a chewy, crumbly texture. My favorite was the peanut butter one. After a meal one day, I had my family try the different flavors. They liked them a lot. My brother was a fan of the cranberry almond and my mom liked the peanut butter. These bites are made with real ingredients such as organic peanut butter, almond butter, whey protein, chia seeds and sunflower seed butter. I would definitely recommend these for a filling mid-day snack. I keep these in my desk at work and eat a couple mid-morning when I am getting hungry before lunch.

Dermagist Skincare Review
December 27, 2012

Dermagist Skincare Review

I have written about it before but in the last 8 months or so, I have been struggling with acne that I never really had to deal with before. It has gotten somewhat better but is still not where I want it to be. I recently found a company called Dermagist that sells products that helps your skin. For my review, I was sent the Dermagist clarifying system for acne prone skin. It comes with two products: the detoxifying cleanser and the clarifying cream. It is currently being sold for $79.99 for the set. According to the company, this system "rapidly soothes and diminishes the look of Blemishes and Redness with Resveratrol, Glycolic Acid, Niacinamide, Aloe and Chamomile". My experience with it so far has been very good. I have liked using the cleanser while in the shower to give my face a very clean feeling. The cream is moisturizing which is great for my extremely dry skin. So far, my face has definitely been looking clearer which is amazing! I definitely recommed these

Soap Hope Review
December 26, 2012

Soap Hope Review

Soap Hope is a company that sells all things beauty. They sell many organic and natural products that smell great. Not only does the company sell great products but they donate their profits to those in need. Read more below: Soap Hope invests 100% of its profits every year into anti-poverty non-profits. These organizations use the funds to provide loans, training, literacy, healthcare, and other services to women in poverty. This approach can permanently lift whole communities from poverty, providing families with the resources and skills they need to be self sufficient. We call our program "Good Returns." If you can buy products from Soap Hope for the same price as another web site or retail store, wouldn't you choose to purchase from Soap Hope? You get the same great products, but we will invest ALL the profits into organizations that transform the lives of women. For my review, I was sent a bunch of samples of their products which I ended up loving. I kept th

Merry Christmas!
December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas!

I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas with their family and friends.  And remember, enjoy the foods you want today. Tomorrow is a perfect day to get back to healthy eating but today, enjoy those family favorites : )  Christmas 2011 Can't wait to share with you how our first time hosting Christmas went!

It's Almost Christmas!!
December 24, 2012

It's Almost Christmas!!

Merry Christmas Eve! This is actually a bigger holiday for my family and I than Christmas day. Usually, we go over my Polish Busia's (grandma) house but this year, my mom is doing it. We will eat a big meal around 1 PM, open a couple of presents and go to church at 4 PM. After church, we have leftovers including my favorite: a ham sandwich. In the evening, we usually watch a Christmas movie, play games or do something with the family. Merry Christmas to all! (Santa's coming!!)

Shadora Jewelry Review
December 23, 2012

Shadora Jewelry Review

Shadora is a company that sells nice jewelry at a very discounted price. I was able to review the silver plated roman numeral earrings which retail for $99.99 but were being sold at Shadora for $1.99! These are now sold out. Here is some information about this company: Our quality is top rate! Using top quality sterling silver and real gemstones, the pieces we feature are always well made, fashion forward and incredibly inexpensive. All of our jewelry is selected with elegance and longevity in mind. We only choose pieces that we consider classic - jewelry that will be as tasteful in 10 years as the day it arrives at your door. We feature a limited number of items at a time, and each item is up for sale no longer than 30 days. I like the earrings that I was sent because they are a classic look that will look nice with most outfits. Here are some of my other favorite pieces of jewelry from Shadora: Sterling Silver Gemstone & 1/10 Carat Diamond Teardrop Earrings Norm

Playful Threads Review and Giveaway
December 21, 2012

Playful Threads Review and Giveaway

Playful Threads is a company that I first tried out two years ago and really liked. Recently, the company decided to let me do another review of their products. I chose the white nightie called the Isabelle bridal lingerie mini dress seen below. It is really cute and not too revealing. It comes in one size fits all which is nice for those who do not know their exact size. It is stretchy and comes with a pair of underwear. It is on sale right now for only $24.94. Two years ago, I reviewed a dress that has become one of my favorite dresses. It is a maroon one strap long sleeved dress that can be worn with or without leggings. It is actually quite warm with leggings and boots. Last year, I reviewed a silver dress that is perfect for going out. This company sells tons of cute and sexy options. You can find a going out clubbing dress or find bathing suits, lingerie and pajamas. They are not expensive and seem to be good quality. ***The companyt would also like to offe

Sweet 'N Low Gingerbread Latte
December 20, 2012

Sweet 'N Low Gingerbread Latte

Homemade Gingerbread Latte I created this drink that I knew would be perfect for this season. It saves a lot of money making it at home compared to ordering out. I lightened it up a lot from a typical latte because I do not like to drink  a lot of calories. Enjoy! Ingredients: Enough coffee and water to make 4 cups strong coffee (I used 3 tablespoons coffee and 4 cups of water) 1 teaspoon ground ginger 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 2 tablespoons Sweet 'N Low sweetener 2 cups skim milk milk Optional: sprinkle of cinnamon for garnish Directions: 1. Add coffee grounds, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon,  ground cloves and nutmeg to coffee machine. 2. Brew according to directions. 3. Heat milk on a low heat until hot. 4. Combine spiced hot coffee, hot milk and Sweet 'N Low sweetener together and stir. Enjoy! Makes 4 good sized cups of coffee. This latte turned out very t