Kyocera Hydro Vibe Review
June 30, 2014

Kyocera Hydro Vibe Review

I participated in a campaign on behalf of  Mom Central Consulting  (#MC) for Sprint. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and to thank me for participating. As part of my partnership with Sprint, I was sent another one of their phones to try. It is called the Kyocera Hydro Vibe which is a waterproof 4G LTE smartphone. This phone is a smart phone but is cheaper than most at $229.99 retail value (buying it without the plan for full price). This would be a good phone for those wanting a smart phone but looking for a lower price. Also, FYI, I wanted to share that I am loving my HTC One M8 phone that I was sent from Sprint. I added all of my apps and switched my phone number to this phone. I think that it works great and I am very happy with it. The speakers are awesome and the pictures are very clear as well. What is different about this phone compared to others is that it is waterproof for 3.5 feet for up to 30 minutes. I think that it would be awesome to ta

Tasty Beverages Review and Giveaway
June 30, 2014

Tasty Beverages Review and Giveaway

1. Maison Camus Coffee - My husband and I love coffee and this coffee from Maison Camus is no exception. We were sent the french roast and signature blends. Since my husband likes his coffee strong nowadays, we made that one. It is described as a "dark roast coffee with intense flavors". This coffee is very flavorful and rich. I enjoyed having a cup with a couple splashes of skim milk. The coffee can be purchased in whole bean or ground varieties. The coffee is packaged right after roasting for peak freshness. We have been using our new iCoffee steambrew coffee maker to make this coffee and have really enjoyed it! 2. Vemma Antioxidant Supplement - Vemma is a drink that contains mangosteen, aloe vera, green tea and lots of vitamins and minerals. I added some of this to my smoothie in the morning and really enjoyed it. It tastes pretty fruity. One can has only 45 calories and contains 100-200% of many vitamins that you need per day. If you don't like to take a d

Under the Nile Review
June 29, 2014

Under the Nile Review

Under the Nile is a company that sells different baby clothes and accessories. For my review, I was sent a Welcome to the World Basket. This basket features the "take me home" collection for newborns. This would make a great baby shower gift as it is very cute and comes wrapped nicely. The blanket and onesie outfit feature the hello, goodbye pattern which says hello and goodbye in 5 different languages. It also comes with a little blanket. The set comes in both pink and blue. The items come in a hand woven basket from palm fronds. All of the items from Under the Nile are made from 100% organic Egyptian cotton. The items are soft and nice quality. I look forward to using these when our baby is born in less than 3 months!!! If you like organic clothing, this is a great option. Here are some of my other favorite items from Under the Nile:

Chicnova Review
June 28, 2014

Chicnova Review

I was recently sent some super cute clothes from Chicnova . They sell some of the trendiest styles at low prices. I chose items that I thought would work for my before and after pregnancy. The first item that I reviewed was the vintage style pure color hook flower dress. This dress is very affordable at $14.25. I am wearing it as a top with leggings. I like this look for summer as it is light and pretty. I was also sent the striped tank top with crochet back. I like the mix of grey and orange together. During my pregnancy, this is not the most flattering look so I will save it to wear later. This top is only $13. This is also seen with the pure color modal long skirt in black. I chose this because I knew that it would match with a lot of different items. I expected it to be floor length but it was not so I was a bit disappointed. It lands mid calf. The elastic waist pure color shirts are a nice summer short. They come in many colors including black, yellow, white, pink,

Cookina Review + Grilled Potatoes Recipe
June 27, 2014

Cookina Review + Grilled Potatoes Recipe

I was recently sent some Cookina cooking mats to try out and review. I love to grill in the summer (and so does my husband). We like to cook things that often stick to the grill or are in small pieces and want to fall through the cracks. I was so excited to try out this Cookina Reusable Cooking Sheet for the barbeque. I decided to make burgers and grilled potato wedges for my Pier 1 party . They turned out awesome and did not stick to the Cookina mat at all. It saved my food from falling through the grates as well. The mat was easy to clean and could be stored easily for use next time. I know that we will get so much use out of this mat this summer. These products from Cookina can be found at your local Home Depot. Grilled Potato Wedges Ingredients: Whole potatoes Olive oil Garlic powder Onion Powder Chili Powder Any other spices you want to use Directions:  1. Microwave potatoes until they are about 1/2 cooked to soften them for the grill. 2. Cut into wedges an

17 Must-Try Summer Fruit & Vegetable Recipes
June 26, 2014

17 Must-Try Summer Fruit & Vegetable Recipes

All year round, I look forward to summer produce. Fruits and vegetables taste so much better this time of year. Simple meals are my favorite and I love to pack my meals with vegetables. For snacks and desserts, I love adding a bunch of fresh fruit. Some of my favorites are grilled vegetables and salads loaded with vegetables. For fruit, there is nothing like a piece of fresh fruit such as peaches, nectarines, plums, raspberries, etc. Favorite summer fruit recipes include peaches and cream and fruit crisps. These are some of my summer must-try recipes that I want to make soon. Check out Summer Fruits and Veggies Recipes by Amanda Hernandez at Foodie.com Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Foodie.com. All opinions are my own.

Avoid Distracted Driving!
June 26, 2014

Avoid Distracted Driving!

Source Driving is a necessity but it can also be very dangerous. Since I was 16, I have been driving long distances for different reasons. I moved across the state from my family at 17 to go to college and would drive home often, jobs, trips, etc. Driving feels second nature to me now but sometimes, it can be quite scary. When I was 18, I was in a car accident. It was on the expressway and there were two cars at a complete dead stop. It was on a curve and I could not see until it was too late that they were stopped. I hit the cars going ~40 miles per hour. Everyone was okay but my family's car was not. The car was totaled. I was by myself and was very shaken up. Luckily, my parents came to pick me up and the police officer was very nice and told me that it was not my fault.  I was paying attention when I was driving but many times, people are very distracted while driving. This experience did make me scared to drive for some time and made me a more cautious driv

Cheribundi Review and Giveaway
June 25, 2014

Cheribundi Review and Giveaway

I first reviewed Cheribundi cherry juices back in 2012 and really enjoyed them. I recently checked out their site and saw a whole bunch of products that I had not tried before. For my review, I was sent products from the Refresh line of juices and teas and some smoothie packs. I have not had too many pregnancy cravings but the one thing that I have really wanted is lemonade. When I saw the Cheribundi tart cherry lemonade that I was sent, I had to try it right away. I served this over some ice and really enjoyed it. It is a mix of tart and sweet and I loved this flavor. One 8 ounce serving is 80 calories. This drink is 25% juice and along with the juices, has added water and sugar. For a treat, this drink was delicious. The Cheribundi Fruit Refresh line also has some great flavors such as cherry pomegranate, cherry blueberry, cherry raspberry and cherry cranberry. I love smoothies, especially in the hot summer weather. I loved these tart cherry and tart cherry mango smoothie

Baby is Going to Love Dachshunds Giveaway
June 24, 2014

Baby is Going to Love Dachshunds Giveaway

I recently spent some time browsing Etsy for different dachshund products. I found some adorable items for the baby that I had to have. I was sent some neat products to review and can't wait to introduce baby to my dachshunds once she is born! 1. CheekyandStylish Dachshund Soft Toy - Baby Girl Hernandez was sent this awesome handmade dachshund toy from the Cheeky and Stylish Etsy shop. She sells all different dachshund toys as well as quilts and rugs. I love the different colors and patterns that the stuffed animal comes in. I love yellow so I chose this yellow stars design. My dachshunds did not like this toy however since it was almost their size (I held it up to their bodies and they freaked out- haha!!). Baby will love it though! 2. byMMcc Onesies - Right when I found out that I was pregnant, I started researching everything dachshund. Any dachshund baby clothes that I can find, I want so badly. I found these adorable onesies from the byMMcc Etsy shop. There is the

CK Mondavi Wine + Pairings
June 23, 2014

CK Mondavi Wine + Pairings

I was recently sent some wines from CK Mondavi to try out. Since I am pregnant, I am obviously not drinking so I had to rely on my wine-loving husband to try these for me. He loves all wine and when we drink, it is almost always wine or beer. I prefer white wines usually and he prefers red wine. My husband had a great time trying these wines and his favorite was the Scarlet Five (as you can see in my picture, he got to the bottle before I was able to take a picture!). It is a variety of 5 different wines including Cabernet, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. He described it is as very full bodied wine. It contains notes of black cherries and plums. Troy thought that this wine was very tasty and enjoyed the full bodied flavor that it has. This wine is 13.6% which is just slightly higher than average. Another wine to note is the brand new Blonde Five which is coming to stores in August. It has flavors of honeysuckle, pear, honey, baked apple and lemon zest.

Cutco Knives Giveaway- best knives ever!
June 23, 2014

Cutco Knives Giveaway- best knives ever!

I am going to rave on about how great these Cutco knives are for a few minutes. I first tried a set of Cutco knives a few years ago and to date, they are my best knives. They are super sharp, precise and work well on all foods. When my husband is cutting something like chicken, he will wash our Cutco knife special to make the job easier. My husband and I both agree that the most important tool in the kitchen is good knives. When you have dull knives or just junky knives, it makes the job of cooking and prepping food so much harder. For my review, I was sent the kitchen classics set of knives. It comes with a trimming knife, pairing knife and chef knife. They come in a nice box which would make a great gift. My favorite of these knives is the trimmer. That is the same as the knife that I have been using from Cutco for years. I swear by this knife. These knives can cut through hard items such as a butternut squash with ease. Cutco knives are well made and last a long time. Th

Wantable Intimates Review
June 22, 2014

Wantable Intimates Review

Last year, I reviewed the Wantable jewelry box . I was a fan of the jewelry. Recently, I was contacted to try out another box from Wantable. This time, I chose to review the intimates box. Wantable is a monthly subscription service that customizes your box based on preferences. They have a makeup box, jewelry and intimates. I chose the intimates box because I wanted to see what kinds of products they would send. You choose what type of undergarments you like, fit, styles, etc. so that you get the kinds of items that you like. I was sent a set of super comfortable pajamas in my box which I really like. I love feminine style pajamas but they have to be comfy. It is kind of hard to tell in the picture but the shirt is shorter in the center and longer on the sides. These underwear are the best! They fit my bottom so well and are extremely comfortable. I really, really like them and would highly recommend these. I also received this soft bra in my Wantable box. It is comforta

Onzie Workout Clothing Review
June 21, 2014

Onzie Workout Clothing Review

Any kind of cute workout clothes are something that are right up my alley. As you can imagine, at 6 months pregnant, not too much of my workout clothes are fitting me very well right now. I was sent a couple pieces of workout clothes from Onzie to try out. FYI these are not maternity, I just chose a looser fit top which worked perfect. I was sent the All in One Tank Top in turquoise/boho to review. This top is one of my favorite workout tops ever. It has a bra and tank all together for a very cute look. I actually wore this to the Detroit Hoedown since I liked it so much. The top has a very loose fit but it is still flattering. I love this style of top with a fitted sports bra that shows and a looser top. I love that the tank is loose because it lets more air in that way and helps me keep cooler during my exercise in this heat. I was also sent the fitness shorts (seen in the first picture) in yacht club/black. These are very fitted shorts which seem to still be fitting me well

Healthy Snacks Review
June 20, 2014

Healthy Snacks Review

1. Gourmet Nut - Gourmet Nut is a company that sells different kinds of nut trail mixes. I am a big fan of nuts, dried fruit and trail mixes so I was excited to try theses. My favorite was the antioxidant mix which comes with dark chocolate, pecans, cranberries, walnuts, blueberries and raisins. I am such a huge snacker and love variety so these are perfect for me. The Power Up protein packed trail mix was another favorite with cashews, raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries and peanuts. All of the items taste great together. My biggest problem is portion control when it comes to these snacks- I want to eat the whole bag! 2. Eatrageous Chips - These chips are unique and extra crunchy. They are not baked or fried. They come in interesting flavors including crunchy mac n' cheese, wasabi ranch, sweet & smoky BBQ and original sea salt. Each bag is pretty generous in portion size and is only 100 calories. These are great when you have a salty snack craving but don&

Delicious and Healthy Foods Review
June 19, 2014

Delicious and Healthy Foods Review

1. Love Beets - I have always been a big fan of beets but boy, are they messy to cook with! My favorite way to make beets myself is to cut them up and roast them. This always dyes my hands and cutting board purple for a few days. These Love Beets are the perfect solution. They are already peeled and cooked beets. They come in different flavors. I was sent the balsamic infused, honey and ginger infused, organic beets in vinegar and sweetfire infused.  My favorite of these beets is the balsamic infused. I cut a whole bunch of beets up over my Greek salad and loved them!  They taste like pickled beets but fresher than the canned variety. I will be using these all week to top my salad.  Yum!  2. Siggi's Yogurt - I had tried Siggi's yogurt about 3-4 years ago and thought that it was just okay at the time. I thought that it was a bit too sour and bitter. My tastes for yogurt have changed and it is now my favorite yogurt. The flavors are so fresh and flavorful. I lov