Sensa Update

It’s hard to believe I am now on Month 5 of using Sensa. This product is starting to get some serious press too! Just this week there was an article in Woman’s World for the product. Sensa has appeared on the home pages of both HSN and MSN within the month. And The Daily Candy featured two articles about the product here and here.

The affect this product has had on my appetite is unreal. It seems as though I eat less and less without even trying. There are times that I have to actually remind myself that I haven’t eaten in hours! Whereas the first month I used the entire box of tastants within 30 days, now at the fifth month I always have some left over. And that is with me sprinkling liberally on everything I eat. Proof positive that I am eating less.

Evidence just keeps pouring in from everywhere that Sensa is working, and no one can dispute how easy it is to incoporate into your life.

If you are ready to try it, they are still running this fabulous deal. You can get 15% off your order and FREE ground shipping with coupon code ROCKETXL at www.trysensa.com

What have you got to lose? Besides 15 or 20… or maybe even 30 pounds?

Sensa Update

I can hardly believe I am starting month 4 of Sensa. The time has gone by so quickly. There are some things I can say with absolute certainty about this product.

1. It is very easy to use. Unobtrusive and does not alter the taste of the foods you love.
2. It is easy to remember. It only takes 21-days to form a habit. Sprinkling Sensa on everything I eat has become second nature. I don’t even have to force myself to remember.  I just do it.
3. It definitely helps me to fell fuller faster, and for a longer time period. I cannot eat as much as I used to at one sitting; nor do I have the desire to eat as often. Sometimes my mind wants/needs to eat well before my body signals being hungry. That is a weird thing to get used to!
4. I am eating less overall. The first month, I used nearly 2 full containers of tastants. By now, I am lucky to even use up one. I always have some left at the end of each month. And that is with me using it consistently.

So that was what I know for sure, now here is what I believe:

1. Sensa has helped me get through the holidays without gaining any weight at all.
2. Sensa allows me to eat whatever I want without gaining a single ounce.
3. Sensa is responsible for my shedding the 5 pounds that I keep battling with (they come off, then come back on, then off again).
4. Sensa has a cumulative effect that is changing my relationship with food, in a positive way.

So while I cannot report an overwhelming statistic on personal pounds shed, I do believe that Sensa has helped me lose about 5 pounds so far. I am hoping for even better results next month.

Remember, if you want to try Sensa too, use promo code ROCKETXL to get 15% off your order and free ground shipping.

And now, I am off to eat one of my son’s birthday cupcakes at 10:30pm (and I have absolutely zero guilt, fear, or remorse about it either).

BlogTour: Liberty Mutual Fire Safety

Ok, I am embarassed to admit this, but it’s true… the first year I put up my very own live Christmas tree, it never ocurred to me that I was supposed to water it every day. Or at all. That’s right. A fully decked out tree, bedazzled with lights, near the heating vent and electrical outlet, in my house for an entire month… without a single drop of water given to the plant. When I finally took it down, it was so brittle and dry that it practically disintegrated right in my hands.

How clueless!! We were fortunate. That was a definite fire hazard just waiting to combust; but we made it through the holidays without incident. Liberty Mutual wants to educate people on fire safety to help avoid dangerous mishaps like the one I created simply because I did not have the information or the knowledge. So they have created an entire website, BeFireSmart, which is an interactive approach to fire safety.

The site is divided into 4 sections: Parents, Educators, Children, and Fire Fighters. Of course I paid close attention to the Children’s Section which has several fun games for the young ones to play online. There is also a downloadable coloring book featuring “Firefighter Joe”. That is an automatic slam dunk in my house of boys.

My favorite activity is the Winter Safety Quiz. It reminds us (in an entertaining way) that with all the heating and cooking we do in the cold months, we are in fact at the greatest risk for fire than any other time of year. Additionally there are games testing your escape plan and your fire IQ.  So even the grownups get to play their own versions of games using online interaction. You can also download a list of Winter Safety Tips which are relevant to any household, and a good idea to keep in mind while going through the daily routine.

There’s much more available on the site than what is mentioned here. Take a little time out of your busy holiday schedule to check it out. Explore it together with your kid, and you might both learn something new. And who would disagree that learning about Fire Safety should be tops on any parent’s list? Just use me and my dying Christmas Tree as an example.. a simple mistake could have had some pretty dire consequences. Since knowledge is power, Liberty Mutual is turning you into a Fire Super Hero with this site.

Sensa Update

I am now starting month 3 of Sensa. I think it might be starting to work. I get full so much quicker now. The same amount of food that I used to eat will now have me feeling totally stuffed if I continue to clean my plate. It seems that I just don’t get as hungry, as often. The effects of Sensa are so subtle and so gradual I would hardly notice any difference at all. But since I am paying real close attention to how this is working for me, I tend to notice every little thing.

I still don’t think I have lost any weight though. My brother saw me this weekend for the first time in about 3 weeks and said that he instantly thought I looked like I had lost weight. That is not what the scale says though.

I am just so curious to see if the weight is ever going to start melting off for me. I have to be honest with you — so far it has not.

But I am not giving up hope. I am going to keep using Sensa every day, on every meal — and I will not give up until it proves it is working on me.

If you have started taking Sensa too, you can participate in the online community simply by signing up for their newsletter. If you haven’t started using it yet, what are you waiting for? The holidays are the perfect time to try to combat the Battle of the Bulge. And besides, here is a little gift for yourself… place an order online and use redemption code ROCKETXL to get 15% off your order plus free shipping. Happy Holidays!

BlogTour: Ultimate Party Meatball

During the holidays you likely find yourself doing a ton of entertaining. You may be the star hostess, having everyone over to your house for the event. Or perhaps you have volunteered to bring a dish to the office holiday pot luck. Better still, you just want ideas for quick and fun snacks with a little creativity, simply to serve to your own family during the hectic holiday season.

Ocean Spray has teamed up with Heinz to create The Ultimate Party Meatball. And it couldn’t be easier. The recipe calls for one bag of frozen meatballs, one can of Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce, and one bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce. Combine it all together, warm it over the stove — and when the meatballs are thoroughly heated, you are done. It’s that easy.

We follow a vegetarian diet in our household though, so when I made these there was a slight variation to the theme (I used a soy-based hamburger substitute product in lieu of meatballs). Nevertheless, they were enjoyable and a hit. There was the perfect mingling of sweet and mildly spicy: enough to give it a tangy kick with a savory sweetness. I know what you might be thinking: I was also skeptical about this combination of ingredients The end result however, is delightful. Perfect party food. Stick some toothpicks through them, garnish with parsely and a couple of dipping sauces… and you’re done!

Oh, and if you don’t have 15 minutes to stand over your cooktop making these things? There is a slow cooker variation for this recipe too. Yes you can thank me now for introducing you to this wonderful little dish (and Mom Central too).

Party Menu Dilemma? Solved.

BlogTour: Mom Central Holiday Gift Guide

Christmas-Time Is Here….

I love Christmas. I love shopping, and I love having the best reason to shop even more (buying gifts!). Sometimes though, I need a little help when deciding what to buy. What do you get for the woman who has everything? What are some of the hot toys for 2008? How can I get a cool gift for my teen-aged family members without blowing my entire holiday budget? Presenting the Mom Central Holiday Gift Guide, which answers all of those questions plus more. Categorized by the person you are buying for, then the amount you want to spend — it is super easy to get some great gift ideas in less time than it takes to finish your egg nog.

But it doesn’t end there. Mom Central is giving away daily prizes from now until December 18. To be eligible to win, simply register on Mom Central, log-in, and leave a comment on the Holiday Giveaway post for the day. In addition, if you tweet or email friends about the giveaway, you can earn another entry! Just go back to the Mom Central Review blog and leave a second comment to let them know. So now you have a chance to get some of those great gifts for FREE. And who doesn’t love that?

Go check it out: Get a great gift idea, have fun playing for a prize, good luck, and Happy Holidays!

BlogTour: Baby Einstein Holiday

As I have spoken about on this blog before, Baby Einstein is still going strong with their initiative to get moms interacting more with their babies and toddlers – particularly in the midst of this hectic holiday season. Here I have an opportunity to share with you some of their product offerings designed to help you do just that. (which we have been fortunate enough to be able to sample).

Baby Einstein is celebrating their tenth anniversary in a big way: Ten Years of Discovery. As part of this, they have re-introduced Special Editions of Baby Mozart and Baby Beethoven (the two most popular DVDs). We received a copy of Baby Mozart, and in my opinion Baby Einstein just keeps getting better. Aside from the usual colorful images and soft classical music you have come to know and love from these videos, there are several new sections on the DVD designed to help you get some real quality time with your infant. For example, the Activity Modes have a “Dance Together” option that really will get you moving with your baby and have a barrel of laughs to boot. My kid was really into the Puppet Shows and of course the multi-lingual options are always a plus to me.

The biggest hit in our house was the Touch And Feel Farm Animals book. My little ones love books, but my youngest especially loves books with interactive elements or with barnyard animals. So a title that combines both? Oh, he’s in Hog Heaven. I like the pictures of real animals superimposed on the cartoon backgrounds. He likes feeling the fur or the nose or the mane of various animals. We both like cuddling up together with an open book in front of us. What more positive can I say?

And finally we got the Lullaby Classics CD which is a beautiful, calming selection of popular classical tunes by various composers such as Mozart, Pachelbel and Beethoven. Some of my all-time favorites are on this one CD, and I am more than proud to introduce my little ones to the world of classical music in this way. The “re-orchestration for little ears” is actually a good thing. The original pieces may in some cases be a bit powerful for wee ones left as-is. Even though my baby is not really considered a “baby” anymore, he is to me. At night, right before bed, he lets me cuddle him while we listen to this music together. That alone is a reason to love this product: But there are truly more reasons than that.

Happy Tenth Anniversary, Baby Einstein! Here’s wishing you many, many more to come.

Sensa – Month 2

So I am beginning my second month of using Sensa. I must admit, I have not lost a single ounce at this point. But I am doing a good job of making Sensa a habit – it has become a part of my life to sprinkle the tastants on everything I eat. While the granules for month 1 were off-white in color, I was surprised to see that this month they are neon yellow and fuchsia! Interesting.

Even though I have not noticed any change in my weight, I still have 5 more months to use the product. The complete cycle is 6 months long. According to the Sensa literature, it is not uncommon for women to remain rather stagnant and notice a drastic weight loss near the latter months (as opposed to men, who lose weight steadily the entire time they are using the product). So I am not giving up!

Stay tuned for more updates on my experience with this product. And if you decide to take the journey with me, please let me know! Remember, you can get 15% off your order by using the promo code ROCKETXL from this link: http://www.trysensa.com/link/A0B089

Sensa

It sounds too good to be true. A way to lose weight without going on a diet; without buying prepackaged meals; without using stimulants, drugs or diuretics. Introducing SENSA Weight Loss System: an all-natural method to lose weight that is unlike any other weight-loss program today. With Sensa, it is so simple you will think I am joking when I tell you how it works. You simply sprinkle the all-natural Sensa Tastants on everything you eat (full meals or snacks). There are two types of tastants: sweet and salty. You just use your common sense to match the tastants with the spices and seasonings in your food. The product then goes to work using your sense of taste and smell to control your appetite. Because the feeling of fullness comes from your brain (and not your stomach, contrary to popular belief), Sensa helps trigger the mechanism to make you feel fuller quicker. The end result is that you eat less food and you lose weight.

Best of all, it has been scientifically proven to be effective in clinical trials.

Now, I don’t know about you… but when someone tells me that I can continue to eat all the foods I love and still lose weight, I am more than just a little curious about it. You don’t have to change any of your habits except for one — You must get in the routine of sprinkling everything you eat with Sensa. Click here and here from some amazing testimonials of people who have tried Sensa and are living proof of how well it works.

I am hoping to also be one of these success stories. I am on Month 1 of using Sensa myself, and I am eagerly awaiting the end results. And because you read this blog, you have the opportunity to try it too, at a generous discount. Enter promotional code ROCKETXL upon checkout at trysensa.com for 15% OFF your order and FREE GROUND SHIPPING.

Additionally there is a contest for those of us who display the most dramatic weight loss.  To participate, simply post your before and after photos (faces may be covered) here on Reviews By K. or on your own site. Post the photos during the week of February 2-6 and email a link to the post to Amanda@rocketxl.com. That’s it. The 3 lucky winners will recieve an additional 6-month supply of Sensa and other Intelligent Beauty products.

Let’s lose weight together. In 6 months, we will surely look back and be amazed at the journey!!

BlogTour: Noodleboro

I love anything that does double duty. If you can educate my child under the guise of entertainment, you have a winner in my book. So when I had the opportunity to review Hasbro Noodleboro, I was super excited. The entire idea behind this line of products is teaching our kids manners. I hate to admit it, but in recent times, many of us have proven to be sorely lacking in politeness. Not just children, but adults too.

I, for one, do not find it to be acceptable for my children to avoid using their manners in every situation. Say “please and thank you” or don’t forget “you’re welcome”. Ask for permission using “May I” and respond with Yes -or- No (not uh-huh or mm-hmm). Put “Ms.” or “Mr.” before an adult’s name and speak respectfully to elders. These are some of the things I try to impress on my children. It is so important, and they are still so young, that many times I definitely sound like a broken record.

But Noodleboro has given me a fun way to work on these things with my children. We were sent the Picnic Basket Game which focuses on manners. The object of this game is to collect all items for a successful picnic without letting the ants carry everything away. When you are trying to collect your own set of items, there are plenty of chances to say “please” or “thank you” to your opponents. It also encourages sharing, because I am allowed to give my son a piece that he needs from my own stash (provided he asks nicely, of course!). You can offer gentle reminders to someone who forgets to use their manners, but repeat offenders do get penalized. This game was so fun for my kids that even my 20-month-old wanted in on the action! He does not speak yet, but he knows how to sign “please” and “thank you” among other things, so it was a hoot (and a joy) to watch him try to play with us.

A bonus is that the package comes with more than just the game board and pieces. It also includes a cd and a corresponding story book. Of course the theme of these items matches the game (picnic + manners) but it is a nice treat that the kids can take anywhere. The cd includes fun songs and a read-along for the story. The storybook is full color with vibrant illustrations, and the back pages have tips for adults to reinforce the core concepts.

Noodleboro is a much needed addition to toy and game offerings for children today. We need to get back to the basics. Here is a fun way to help us how.