Ni Hao, readers!  Have I told you that I loooove Chinese food?  I DO!  I big puffy heart it.  And I love PF Chang’s.  I have never met a Chinese restaurant I didn’t like, but I do enjoy the atmosphere at PF Chang’s a bit more than most.  And the food is great too.  So when they introduced their new PF Chang’s Home Menu (frozen meals for two!)  and asked me would I like to try some for freezies, I was all “heck yes” (because I am classy)!  They sent me two coupons so I got a Ginger Chicken and a Beef with Broccoli.   I cooked them up a few days apart from each other and Bobby and I enjoyed them IMMENSELY!  They were super-easy to cook, and the taste was awesome! The meat and veggies were great quality. My only “Complaint” is that they didn’t come with rice, which kind of surprised me. So buy a bag of rice when you’re at the grocery picking one of these babies up.

These make a great special “adult” meal when you can’t get out to the restaurant but still want to eat some yummy PF Chang’s food.  I highly recommend them!  Here’s a $2 off printable coupon – I found them at Kroger and Meijer.

I’ve got one coupon for a FREE PF Chang’s Home Menu frozen meal!  To enter, just visit their website and then leave me a comment telling me which flavor you’d most like to try.  I’ll pick a winner via Random.org on Saturday June 26th. Good luck!

As you may have heard (9 million times), Jenny and I had the opportunity to wine and dine with Tim Gunn from Project Runway last week.

Needless to say, we were fah-reaking out about what to wear. I mean, he is a fashion guru! And I am not! So yeah, I obsessed about it for weeks.

I had no idea what clothes I was going to wear, but I already knew what I was going to wear under my clothes – my new Shapeez bra.

This thing is a-MAZ-ing. Seriously, it is super comfortable, and it eliminates all back fat.

Don’t believe me?

I made Jenny take a picture of my back at the Tim Gunn event. See for yourself.

And it’s not that I don’t have any back fat, take my word for it. In fact, I was buying a new bra the other day, and when I was trying it on, I told the sales person that I thought it highlighted my back fat. She told me it was ok, that all bras did that.

I beg to differ… I went and got another Shapeez instead!

A couple months ago, I bit the bullet and joined the gym where I work. It’s a fantastic facility, it’s super-cheap, and I can go on my lunch hour. Perfect!

It only took me six years to work up the nerve to join.

Why? Because I was afraid. The gym to which I’m referring is a university recreational center, which means it’s chock full of young and thin girls who are in great shape.

I am none of these three things!

I finally took the plunge and joined, but I seriously second-guessed my decision the first day. Not only was everyone around me younger, thinner and in better shape that me, but no one else was wearing baggy, worn-out, bleach-stained workout clothes.

I couldn’t automatically make myself younger, thinner or in better shape, but I decided I could definitely find some better clothes.

I put out a plea for fantastic workout clothes for women, and over the last several weeks I’ve had the opportunity to test out some really great stuff. Take a look:

Beyond Yoga

I’m not much of a yoga-er, but I might become one if I get to wear these clothes. Here’s a little background on the line:
Beyond Yoga was created by yogini-designer Jodi Guber to fit and flatter everybody and every body. The irresistibly soft, sweat-wicking Supplex and Organic Pima Cotton make Beyond Yoga the must-have active gear for Moms on the go. Whether you’re at a morning yoga session or workout, lunch with friends, carpooling, or afternoon errands, these easy pieces are designed to transition seamlessly and take you all through the day.
I love my Beyond Yoga pants and top! I have been absolutely living in them the last few weeks. They’re so comfortable and soft, and fit so well. I also love that in addition to the comfort, they’re stylish and give me confidence!

Kalyx Sports Bra

There’s really nothing like a mirror smack dab in front of the treadmill to let you know if your sports bra is doing the trick, and let me tell you, mine wasn’t. I always have a hard time finding a sports bra that’s supportive enough, even though after nursing my second kid, there’s not much left to support! I really like the Uplift Max from Kalyx, though. When I first received it, I wasn’t sure I would like it, because the fabric didn’t seem like it was, well, solid enough to do the job. When I put it on and gave it a test, run, though, I was pleasantly surprised. The bra provides a lot of support while still being comfortable – something I hadn’t been sure was possible! Another great thing about this line is that they have sports-specific bras, so you can find exactly what you need whether you’re golfing or running a marathon. Very cool.

BSkinz Activewear

If you’re looking for a way to make a statement when you work out, look no further than BSkinz! BSkinz is a line of spandex/compression shorts, leggings, capris, skirts, skorts, and sports bras in a fun, funky assortment of patterns. They’ve got everything from solid colors to stripes to tie-dye! I love the tie-dye sports bra I have – and while I would never, ever in a million years wear it by itself (hello tummy flab!), I think it’s fun to wear under a tank top! I also like the skort – it’s not something I would have picked out, probably (working out in a skort??), but that’s only because I wouldn’t have thought about it! I actually really like it – it has the functionality of stretch pants (aka no riding up!) without showing off everything you’ve got!

So there you have it – my best finds in workout gear for women. And in case you were wondering, joining the gym has totally been worth it – especially now that I’m not wearing my old sweats!

This review is brought to you by my BFF, Jessica!

When Emily asked me to be a guest blogger on Mommin’ It Up, of course I jumped at the chance. Emily and I have been BFFs since sixth grade and I’ve been an avid Mommin’ It Up reader since the beginning, almost three years ago. At 8 months pregnant, Em asked if I would try and review the Lullabelly. My husband and I are extreme music enthusiasts and I was delighted to try and review this new product.

Earlier in my pregnancy I attempted a ‘do it yourself’ version of the Lullabelly. At work, I hooked up headphones from my laptop and inserted the ear pieces down my lovely maternity pants. They wouldn’t stay in place, it was uncomfortable and I received many strange looks from my co-workers. I had no idea that the Lullabelly even existed!

The Lullabelly is a belt that can be worn against a prego stomach so that you can play music (via MP3 player or iPod) for your infant to hear in the womb. The Lullabelly company claims that letting your baby listen to music in the womb helps reduce stress, assists with fetal development and creates a wonderful bonding experience.

When I received the belt, I was surprised at how comfortable it was to wear. The material was in a cute pink pattern, super soft and easy to Velcro against my ever-expanding waistline. My MP3 player fits into a little zippered pouch that includes a port so that you can listen along with your baby.

The first time I tried the Lullabelly, I was surprised how much the baby kicked when hearing the music. I think she’s already a Bob Marley fan. My husband got really into this too as he found some great hippie dippie tunes to play for our little one. It was a fun family bonding experience for all three of us! I would definitely recommend this product to other expecting moms!

Subway is one of two fast food establishments in my small town.  I still remember the day it opened – I was a sophomore in high school and it was quite a big deal.  Anyway, since we have limited options around here, and my cooking sucks, we tend to eat a lot of Subway!  It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s reasonably priced, the kids love it… and with the Fresh Fit options, it’s nutritious.

Subway is committed to helping moms stay fit. They’ve teamed up with The Biggest Loser and created a workout mix for your MP3 player – click here to download it for free! They’ve also given us two $25 Subway gift cards to give away! With the variety of $5 footlong subs available, that can go a long way!

Here’s how to enter:

1) Leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite Subway sub (mine’s the buffalo chicken!)

2) Tweet about this contest or post about it on your Facebook page, and leave a comment telling us you did so.

3)  Become a fan of Subway on Facebook, and leave a comment here telling us you did so.

4)  Follow Subway on Twitter, and leave a comment letting us know you did so.

This contest will end on February 28th and the winners will be chosen using random.org.  Good luck!

Remember that?

I know I do… and now Kmart is bringing back the Blue Light Special! Special offers run every Saturday and Sunday, on everything from electronics, to jewelry, to items for your home – all at Kmart Bluelight Special prices! There are over 40 great Bluelight Specials throughout the weekend in-store AND other great offers online at Kmart.com ONLY on Saturday and Sunday. 

To make it even better, Kmart is giving away a $50 gift card every day from 11/12 – 12/23! All you have to do to enter is tweet using #KmartBLS each day.

In addition to daily winners, everyone following @KmartDealsnNews on Twitter (as of 12/23/2009) will be entered for a chance to win a $500 Kmart Shopping spree!

Grand and First prize winners will be chosen at random from eligible followers of the @KmartDealsnNews Twitter account at the end of the sweepstakes. One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive a $500 Kmart gift card, and five (5) First Prize winners will receive a $100 Kmart gift card. Winners will be notified by direct message, and must be following @KmartDealsnNews.

Good luck!

***Congratulations to our winner, Trisha!***

I am very excited about this giveaway!

The nice folks at Breville sent me one of these blenders to review, and they are also going to give one to a lucky one of our readers!

Here’s what Breville says about the ikon Hemisphere LCD Blender:
– The blender’s Hemisphere Bowl/Blade system utilizes a large, semicircular shredding blade positioned to hug the uniquely shaped bowl. What does this mean for you? All of the ingredients placed into the blender will be shredded into fine, consistent, and most importantly, no surprising chunks.
– The blender has a special “Smoothie” button which is programmed to pause mid-cycle to achieve naturally aerated results with a velvety consistency. This features cuts out the need to add extra calories and thickening agents, such as yogurt.
– The blender features five speed settings, pulse function and two preset programs for ice crushing and smoothies, so no matter what you are blending, it has the perfect speed.
– The 54-ounce engineering grade borosilicate glass jar is designed to resist scratching, chipping and fogginess for optimal clarity. The baked enamel measurements provide for sharp viewing and accurate measurements.

Here’s what I say about it:
I love this thing. The only other blender I have ever owned was of the $25 variety, purchased off of our wedding registry. I very rarely used it, and when I did I always had a mess on my hands because it leaked like crazy, and it really didn’t even blend up ice very well. Which, in my opinion, is the whole point of a blender. The Breville does a great job on ice – I had to make sure to test it thoroughly, so I whipped up a batch or ten two of my famous low-cal margaritas, and it worked perfectly. It has several different settings that can be used to get the exact consistency you want – it even has a “snow” setting that I haven’t tried out yet but sounds very fun! I have used the “Smoothie” setting several times, and it does a great job blending frozen fruit and yogurt as well. The smoothie setting is cool because it starts, pauses, starts again throughout the one-minute cycle to let the chunky stuff settle to the bottom to make sure everything gets blended uniformly. Very cool!

The blender is heavy and sturdy, and I love the stainless steel look. It is also very easy to clean (a very important feature, in my opinion, because difficult to clean = never going to be used), and the pitcher part is dishwasher-safe.

I really love this blender, and many people who have come through my kitchen in the last couple months have commented on how nice it is… most notably, Jenny’s husband Bobby, who was disappointed that he can’t win this contest! It retails for $199, so it’s definitely a splurge, but for someone who makes daily smoothies or who cooks a lot, I think it would be well worth it.

So do you want to know how you can win one?
You can enter up to five times by doing the following:
1) Leave a comment here and tell us your favorite thing to make in a blender;
2) Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling us you did so;
3) Follow Breville on Twitter and leave a comment telling us you did so;
4) Post about this contest on your Facebook page and leave a comment telling us you did so;
5) Become a fan of Breville on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did so;
6) Subscribe to our feed and leave a comment telling us you did so.

The contest will end at 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 11, and a winner will be chosen using random.org. Good luck, and a big thanks to Breville for this great contest!

And FYI, Kate and I have tested out various milkshake recipes and have found that Paula Deen’s is the best. We do not, however, recommend any milk shake recipes that do not contain ice cream as an ingredient. Consider yourself warned.

***Contest is now closed. Congratulations to our winner, Greis!**

I love, love, love to read, but between work and school and blogging and my kids and life in general, I don’t always have a lot of time to do so. When the One2One Network asked me to review a book, though, I thought it would be a great excuse to make the time to read. And I’m glad I did!

“Once in a Blue Moon” by Eileen Goudge is a compelling story of two sisters who are reunited after a lifetime of separation. It’s a story of family ties and love and resilience. It is a light, easy read (which is perfect after a long day!). I really enjoyed the story, and I bet you will too.

I don’t want to say too much more because I hate, hate, hate when I find out all about a book before I read it – in fact I don’t even read the back of the book because I don’t want to know! I basically look at the Amazon review rating, and if it’s a good one I give the book a try. This book gets 4.5 stars on Amazon, a rating I completely agree with.

So before I ramble on and tell you the entire story in a much less eloquent way, let’s get on with the giveaway!

You can enter up to six times to win a copy of this book:
1) Leave a comment here and tell us the last book you read for pleasure (and not to your kids!);
2) Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling us you did so;
3) Follow the author, Eileen Goudge, on Twitter and leave a comment telling us you did so;
4) Post about this contest on your Facebook page and leave a comment telling us you did so;
5) Become a fan of Eileen Goudge on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did so;
6) Subscribe to our feed and leave a comment telling us you did so.

The contest will end at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3rd, and the winner will be chosen using random.org. Thanks to the One2One Network for this great giveaway!

Are you headed to a Halloween party this weekend? Or are you going to need a way to wind down after the craziness that is trick-or-treating? Either way, Halloween wine from Elk Creek will fit the bill!

Aren’t those bottles fun? I love them! And the wine is good too. I am not a wine expert by any stretch of the imagination (most of the wine I drink has a twist-off lid), but I do like wine and I love a good excuse to drink it. Last Saturday I had just that – one of my very closest friends came down to visit from Michigan, and she and I tried out the Bone Dry Red cabernet and the Ghostly White sweet mellow white (it had to be done for the sake of the blog, you know!). It had been ages…years… since we’d had the opportunity to just sit and talk, and with a couple bottles of wine added to the mix, it was a great night!

I really liked the cabernet and the sweet white wine. I’m not a chardonnay fan, and my resident chardonnay expert is currently pregnant, so I can’t vouch for it personally, but I really liked the others. The cab goes great with Donato’s pizza! (Yes we are super klassy, I know).

Here’s the official word on each kind of wine, according to wine blogger Michelle Lentz:
* My favorite wine of the bunch is the chardonnay. It’s lightly oaked and seemed to evoke bobbing for apples with some hints of citrus thrown in for good measure. It was barrel-fermented in French oak. I discovered, quite by accident, that it pairs excellently with kettle corn! Serve chilled.
* As for the Cabernet, I think it goes best with turkey and cranberry sauce. I did this as a turkey sandwich with cranberry dressing, but you get the idea. Again, I recommend serving it slightly chilled. The official tasting notes read “rich, well-oaked Cabernet Sauvignon brimming with fancy ripe black currant, roasted coffee bean and bitter dark chocolate flavors; all are framed in suave tannins.”
* The third wine is a combination of French American hybrid grapes, Vidal and Cayuga. It’s a sweeter and fruitier wine, so I chose to drink it on its own. Like the others, I recommend chilling the wine.

You know what else I like about this wine? It is made locally! Elk Creek Winery is in Kentucky, kind of in between Cincinnati, Louisville and Lexington. Who knew they made stuff other than bourbon down there?

So pick some up before Saturday – I may have to go get some more… after Jenny and I (and our husbands) take our kids trick-or-treating, I am going to need some down time! I bet I could even talk Jenny into a glass after that experience

The wines are available in coffin displays (is that awesome or what?) at the winery and Elk Creek stores, including Florence Mall, Rupp Arena, Fayette Mall, and the Mall at St. Matthews. The wines are also available at Kentucky Kroger Liquor stores, Party Town, Party Source, and Jungle Jim’s. If you just want to try a glass, you can find them at Outback Steakhouse and Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky.

Happy Halloween!

*this giveaway is now closed* the winner is Kim Carlile. Congrats Kim!

Jenny and I loves us some Kroger… and we loves us some ice cream, so we were all about it when the nice people at Kroger asked us to host a giveaway. One lucky reader will win six months worth of Kroger Deluxe ice cream! (Which will come in the form of a $30 gift card to Kroger to buy it with. Cause that could get messy otherwise!)

Here’s how Kroger described their ice cream: “Fresh from our own local dairies, Kroger Deluxe Ice Cream is a high quality, affordable ice cream that is made exclusively by us — and especially for you.”

Kroger gave Jenny and I gift cards to go buy our own Kroger Deluxe Ice Cream.  So here’s how I describe it: “YUM!” As I mentioned, I love ice cream but I don’t buy it unless I can find it on a major sale – I do not want to pay $5+ for a half gallon! And some of the cheaper versions… well, if I am going to eat ice cream, I want it to be the real kind! Kroger Deluxe meets both of these needs – a win-win. It comes in a ton of flavors (including my personal favorite, cookie ‘n cream, and Kate’s favorite, chocolate chip cookie dough), and they even have low-fat (yet delicious) versions, as well as sorbet. Woot!

So here’s how you can win a six-month supply!

1) Leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite flavor of ice cream.

2) Tweet about this contest (or click the little Facebook button at the bottom of this post and put it on your news feed) and leave a comment telling us you did so.

3) Subscribe to our feed and leave a comment saying you did (or already do subscribe!).

Our contest will run until October 7, and the winner will be chosen by using random.org. Good luck!

Also, make sure to follow @krogerdeals on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook - you’ll have many more chances to win, as they give away ice cream a lot!