Monday Mingle

Welcome again to Monday Mingle hosted and sponsored by our friend Jen over at EightyMPHMom.com. Monday Mingle is a great way to meet some bloggers, learn to vlog on your own. I am off to see some other minglers, hope you are one of them!

This week's question:

1. If you could be any literary / movie character who would it be and why?

2. What is your biggest phobia?

3. Do you have any pets? What are they and what are their names? 

Next week's questions:
1. Would Super Nanny say if she came to your house?
2. On the show Wife Swap/Trading Spouses, they typically pick opposites - what type of spouse would they send to you? (meaning what type of spouse would you really hate having around!)
3. If your spouse (or if someone were to propose to you) what would your ideal proposal be (ie setting, creative)

I Suck as a Mom

Not only do I suck as a mother...but just about every other uterus that has hosted the parasite child and or children that we love today is a suck-tatstic mom. I know...how dare I say you suck as a mom. Well admit..you do! Hell, all those ass hats who CLEARLY think they are such great human beings that camp out on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, in the "Self Help" section of Barnes and Noble, you know they MUST be better mothers, fathers, parent's right? Look where you can find them.

Wrong. Here is why they can eat rat heads and suck a goat's ass. Our parenting skills are courtesy of our parents with a twist, we take what we learn from them and put our twang into parenting. Think of it as a cubre libre, a rum and coke...with a lime. We aren't given the master manual of how to raise our children to June Cleaver standards, which I am still researching, I believe June was flawed and...I know that if you are given a nickname like "Beaver" you are bound for fricking therapy!

I was talking with The Chad today about my blog. I told him I was so happy to take a step back, to see where I was, to look at the kids again in a different light and before I knew it we were discussing my book. Yes. A book. My book. The book I am writing based on the fact that I am a parenting expert who knows diddly shit! Just like all the other diddly shit knowing parents out there. We talked so much about all the funnies from our early parenting days with Grant. Simple items like 'How to Feed Your Child.' Sounds easy right? Wrong. If you were like us, we fed the poor boy until he puked. Yup. Projectile, overfilled the damn tank like they tell you not to do at the gas station, mistake of over feeding our kid. How were we to know? He just kept going....so we rooted him on like any good parent watching their child at a hot dog eating contest. Until we got the Poltergeist effect of formula hurled onto us with a projectile reach of at least five feet. Good form Grant baby....all over me AND dad.

We make mistakes. Lots of mistakes. Mistakes are not bad, mistakes are meant to be lessons to be learned. I look at mistakes as information that was mis - tooken. Yes, I mistook the information to be correct. I was not necessarily wrong, just an err. By looking at my mistake as a simple err rather than a brow beating incident that would result in endless mommy guilt that I would inevitably take out on my child who would take out on their child and we all would end up on Jerry Springer in therapy.

Being a parent is the hardest job on Earth. Our training sucks, the vacation time only gets better after 15 years of service (maybe less), the pay is wet and sloppy (but hey...I will take kisses any day of the week), and the hours are a bitch (Parenting gives a new meaning to the "graveyard" shift). So before you swing your royal gavel about being a parent or someone else's parenting skills, take a step back and remember you may be pointing one finger at them. But you have at least three pointing back at YOU! Each of us that are parents do what we can with the tools we are given and we can build a bridge or we can build a fortress. Parenting is like a flower with each petal, each bloom, and each dormancy a new chapter in how we shape our children and ourselves. Making mistakes and learning from them is all the fun of looking back at how we have flowered, bloomed, and how we pollinated with beautiful people for whom we call our children.

Do your best, love your kids, and know that you are doing your best with what you know at THAT moment in time, in your life, and that you did and will continue to do right by your children and yourself. Because I know that I can look at my kids and know that I am not perfect, but I love each one of my children perfectly, no one can change that and no one can tell me how to raise them or love them.

The Perfect Nursery from QTips :: CLOSED

Each of my pregnancies is so rich in my mind. I can remember each one of them so vividly and how I planned out the layout of the nursery, the bedding, the window coverings, pictures, how I would arrange the diapers, my planning was impeccable. However, when the time came with my first I was frozen as to how to put the basics together with diapers, wipes, the essential baby needs.

By the time the twins came around I knew I was prepared. Celebrity nursery designer Wendy Bellissimo suggests that neutral colors be chosen if you are going to be "surprised" by the sex of your baby, store essentials like Vaseline, diaper cream, rubbing alcohol and Q Tips and hold off on the paint. She confirmed everything I had setup and planned in my double nursery with the twins. I knew I could not be over prepared with this double whammy of a blessing.

The new Q Tips packaging is stylish and sleek for any nursery with the slide out box, neutral colors, and fun themes. The new boxes also allow for safe storage of your Q Tips to protect the integrity as well as protect your baby. Q Tips are great for applying ointments in a delicate manner, cleaning baby's delicate areas (umbilical cord), and for small cleaning of your baby such as outer ear, behind the folds of your baby's ear, and other delicate areas. **When cleaning a baby's ear you should never enter the ear canal as to avoid damage to the ear.

In addition to preparing the nursery with essentials why not add style and functionality. Yes...items can be both functional and stylish! Not to mention some fun accesories for your child to enjoy as he or she grows into their space. Fun accesories like pictures, keepsakes, and of course the all famed piggy bank!

The folks at Mom Select sent me a two pack of Q Tips and a stylish elephant piggy bank to enjoy and to share with you my readers! Yes, you can add Q Tips and the adorable piggy bank to your nursery or someone you know who will be creating their nursery. I know my nursery is now toddler territory and I am also the donations coordinator for my twin mom organization so I am donating my Q Tips and bank for one of the new expecting moms in the club to enjoy!

How can you win this gift pack of Q Tips and the stylish elephant bank? Tell me the various uses you have for Q Tips in your home, car, for your children or tell me who can put these items to good use!

Extra Entries:

• Follow my blog and tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter 
• Tweet this giveaway and attend the party on Twitter: Get nursery ready with this giveaway #QTipsBaby and @Kariewithak http://bit.ly/c3ZAgd
• Where? Twitter February 4th @ 8pm EST
• Who? @ResourcefulMom @MomTalkRadio @MomSelectAmy
• What? #QtipsBaby
•  Subscribe to my feed
• Fan The Fish on Facebook
• Email a friend (worth 2 entries)
• Blog this giveaway (worth 5 entries)
• Grab my button (worth 2 entries) and tell me where you have it posted.

CONTEST ENDS FEBRUARY 6TH @ 11:59PM ARIZONA TIME

Best of luck!

The Fish Out of Water

Goodbye is the healthiest action anyone can take when looking to end something. Everything truly comes to an end whether we realize the situation or not. I love to say goodbye. Closure. Finito. My finale. A closed chapter per se.

I am a soul seeker, I look for answers and when I am faced with numerous options and not the definitive answer I do what all people do...NOTHING. Why? Why act on emotion and the unknowing, why act on the drama of a three act play waiting for the curtain call only the curtains never do call.

I stated that I started my blog with specific intentions, my outlet, my freedom to express what life is like in my home (world), with my children, myself, and my husband. By no means am I saying I am "special" or a chosen one but just a socialite stay at home mom, housewife and former career woman who can share the angst's of life and that we are not alone in our feelings, our momentary insanity, our trials in parenthood, our failures and successes as individuals in our many roles. My blog began to take a fun turn....reviews, giveaways, contests, Oh my! I was Dorothy traveling the yellow brick road, I was off to see the wonderful wizard of blogs. Only I felt more like Alice tripping down a rabbit hole, only that rabbit hole was laced with LSD and bad trips.

Taking a step back allowed and still allows me an insight into the world of "blogging" and the interaction in "social media." What I find completely interesting is the dynamics in this virtual and alternate reality. I also saw a side of myself I did not like, someone I was morphing into that was not me. Even "me" wasn't me anymore as I watched bits here and there of my soul being chipped away by those who could take my good heart and genuine sincerity and deplete my reserves, little by little. I watched as COMPLETE strangers made character assassinations in a weak and pathetic attempt to gain an advantage. One I can now look at and laugh hysterically at the sheer pain, anger, and rage pent up in such individuals to attack someone at such a level. Truly a sad, sad day for them in their actions, and an even prouder day for me...that I can take pity on their wretched souls as they burn from the inside out. Taking a step back allows for total and complete reflection, removing oneself from the aquarium.

Continuing on my path I would have morphed into the juggernaut of blogs. A completely destructive force to myself, my family, and those around me creating a catastrophic area of effect. Supernova is what comes to mind. A bright star becoming so consumed with itself burning into oblivion. What would be the purpose? Sure I could go forth and monetize my blog, become a "top mom blogger," get great invites, go on trips, and then what? Really what is the next level? Total world domination. Why? What would be the reason? Is that really my goal? Is that really what I want? Nope. Why not you ask?

My goal has and will always be law school. I was a born negotiator, mediator, and royal piss you the fuck off because I am ALWAYS right kind of person. My goal is to continue to be the best, happiest, healthiest mom to my kids and so they learn what took me well into my 30s to figure out. My goal is to be a fabulous socialite wife and lover to my husband. My goal is to continue to be a strong and awesome friend, sister, and overall real deal of a human being, to continue to be true to myself and those around me.

Sometimes in life we become so engulfed in what we are doing, where we are going, who we are sharing with that we tear down the walls we had built with precision to protect ourselves from our own demise. Then we are entrenched into our situation we are blinded, almost delusional because our view of reality is so obtuse. Boundaries are created for a reason and if we do not respect or realize our own boundaries, no one else will either. Reaching center allows you to survey everything and take inventory.

Until We Meet Again

Tonight I had a come to God with myself and a few comments made on my blog made me realize that my life has been a little too consumed by this blog. My life is more than a blog, than this blog. I will be fulfilling my commitments because that is who I am, but I have let these commitments take a hold of me more than I had intended. My blog was meant to be my release, my space, and now my space has been damaged. I let too many things, people, and events consume me personally with my life and my time. I am taking time to re-evaluate, you can email me if you need. As I said I will be fulfilling commitments and obligations. My regards until we meet again.

Karie

Cold and Flu Tracker and Triaminic

Winter is such a dreaded season for parents. The cold. The wet. The snow. The blistering winds that seem to cut through you like ice, and that is just the complaints from the adults. Our poor kids must really feel the weather with their small bodies, and we know they do, the runny noses, coughs, sniffles, the symptoms seem to go on and on.

What else can a parent do other than do the best we can with making sure our kids are bundled up, hydrated, and with the cough, runny nose, and sniffles they might need a little extra care by taking an over the counter cough and cold medicine. A trusted brand my family uses for our kids is Triaminic.

Triaminic is great because we as parents no longer have to fight with the dosing of hard to pour and hard to dispense (getting our kids to swallow) over the counter cough and cold medicine. Triaminic has Thin Strips that are placed easily on your child's tongue and dissolve almost immediately allowing your child to take medicine to help him or her feel better without the awful liquid medicine taste, and you can get a $1.50 off coupon. Plus, parents no longer will have the worry of dispensing too much or too little which has been a cause for concern. However, always be sure to read the warning label and directions when administering any medication to your child.

If you happen to really be dreading the cold and flu season and wonder how you can stay ahead of the next wave or better yet how to better protect your family? Triaminic also has a fabulous tool called the the Cold and Flu Tracker where you can track and see the current levels of infection of cold and flu in your area. Triaminic also offers other tools on the website such as sick day guidelines, cough and cold guide and more. Check it out now and see what your standings are, I checked mine for here and Phoenix and with our mild winter we have been lucky to see only a moderate range of folks with cough and cold symptoms. Definitely something I will keep an eye on with a child in school and toddling twins at home. Because once one of them is sick, we all seem to get sick and what fun is that?

Be sure to check out the cold and flu tracker and keep your family on the leading edge of the cough and cold season as well as other tools to help keep your family healthy this winter.

*This post is a sponsored post on behalf of We Speak Media and in no way influences the outcome of this post. I received no product in conjunction with this post, my stated opinion is based on my previous use of the product and is no way meant to be taken as FACT or as medical advice to treat and or cure disease.

Wordless/Wordful Wednesday

I am ever so grateful to have had the time to spend with my sister Nicole on Thursday and Friday. This is Friday night after she and my nephews spent the afternoon with the twins and I, my brother came over after he got off work, we all had dinner together and this is the end result. All the cousins goofing around at the table while the adults chit-chat and drink some fresh brewed java! Good times...good times!

I can't say the phrase enough

FAMILY ROCKS!

Fleet Fiber Gummies :: CLOSED

While we are still in January I wanted to bring this product to your attention and promote awareness that January is National Fiber Focus Month. Fiber. So many cringe at the sound of the word. When you think of fiber you tend to think elderly, those nasty food additives, or worse, the flavor lacking food that resembles the taste of cardboard.

But did you know that fiber is essential for a healthy diet, weight loss, blood sugar maintenance, and digestive health? However, our children don't have to worry about this right? Wrong. Last year the American Academy of Pediatrics increased the recommended daily fiber intake standards. Especially because our lives have been so consumed with time or lack thereof and over scheduling our kids are not always receiving adequate intake in their meals, so many parents head for the drive through window because of time and convenience.

Foods that are naturally rich in fiber, apples, breads, rice, salad, green vegetables, just about everything that is a plant of sorts is rich in fiber for your diet. So what if your kids are like everyone else's kids and they will not eat the green leafy goodness that helps us feel full, promotes digestive health, and tastes great? Why not a supplement?

(If you are curious those are my kids. Eating chicken salads. Yes, chicken chunks in a green salad. I am lucky with their eating habits.)

Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies from Fleet are a great way to help your kids stay regular and get their daily dose of fiber in their diet. The gummies are a cute penguin shape and best of all they are sugar free, calorie free, AND gluten free. Recommended for children ages 2-11 to maintain better digestive health, three gummies a day are equivalent to a half cup of broccoli.

Now if you are not sold or sure on the supplement visit the Fiber Gummies site to get some great ideas on how to incorporate foods (such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains) into your child's diet and even get a $1.00 off coupon to buy a bottle of fiber gummies. Or if you don't want to buy them, try to win a bottle here on this blog.

Tell me what you do to get your kids to eat veggies? Do you hide it in their foods? What creative way do you try to get your kids to eat veggies? Leave me a comment and tell me.

Extra Entries:

• Follow my blog and tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet this giveaway with daily Tweet entries available: Enter to win Fiber Gummie Supplement with @KariewithaK http://www.thefivefish.com Ends 2/4
  
• Subscribe to my feed and tell me you do
  
•  Fan The Fish on Facebook
• Fan Fiber Gummies on Facebook and get all the updates, sweet deals, and meal ideas!
  
• Buy a package of Fiber Gummies (email me a copy of your receipt dated after the date of this post for credit) Worth 10 Entries!
• Blog this giveaway (worth 5 entries)

CONTEST ENDS FEBRUARY 4TH @ 11:59PM ARIZONA TIME

Best of luck!

*The Five Fish received a package of Fiber Gummies to review. In no way does this review intend to diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and in no way represent any medical expertise.

Successful Sunday...On Monday

I was so wrapped up into watching Dexter last night that I missed pulling winners...but HEY! I have three fabulously lucky ladies for the Monave Beautiful You in the New Year!

Congrats Vittoria!

Congrats Rhonda!

Congrats Denyse!

Ladies I have emailed you, you have 48 hours to respond or new winners will be chosen again at random. Thank you again for helping to make this promotion such a success! Big Thanks to the folks at Monave for sponsoring such a wonderful product and giveaway.

Morsel Monday

Food is such a fun project and you know the best way to save money nowadays is to make things at home from scratch. Plus you can control your ingredients so if you are health conscious (like me sometimes) this is the best bet. You can avoid all the pre-packaged food and all the garbage that is inside. I am a huge grilling fan too. I LOVE TO GRILL. With grilling comes favorites like burgers, chicken and my famous smoked brisket. Want to know what to serve with those as a side? Good old fashioned Slaw!

1/2 head cabbage
1/4-1/2 head of purple cabbage (or radicchio for a nice pepperly flavor)
1/4 c. shredded carrots
1T. finely diced onion
1 T sugar
1 T vinegar
6 T cream
1 T Mustard dressing

Shred the cabbage very finely, add in the onion and carrots. In a separate bowl add the sugar, vinegar, cream, and mustard dressing, mix well, drizzle over cabbage and toss. Serve chilled or immediately

Monday Mingle

Welcome again to Monday Mingle hosted and sponsored by our friend Jen over at EightyMPHMom.com. Monday Mingle is a great way to meet some bloggers, learn to vlog on your own. I am off to see some other minglers, hope you are one of them!

This weeks questions:

1. Would you accept an invitation to do a survivor show? What would you hate most about being on the show?
2. When/how did you learn to ride a bicycle?
3. What do you want to have accomplished (personally) in your lifetime?

Monday Mingle january 25th from Karie Herring on Vimeo.

Next week's questions:

1. If you could be any literary / movie character who would it be and why?
2. What is your biggest phobia?
3. Do you have any pets? What are they and what are their names?

Savings in Online Shopping

Now days who really wants to sift through endless ads and drive from store to store when looking to compare shopping prices. When I set out to do any sort of shopping I am looking for a handful of factors in the ideal product with the main factor being price. I then look at comparable options from one product to the next, then availability, quality of the product, and again back to price.

The Chad and I had remodeled our kitchen roughly five years ago and I sorted through catalog after catalog and new home magazine after the next trying to build the perfect kitchen in my head. We finally came up with a fabulous idea for our kitchen and we set out to shop initially for the cabinets, and in hind sight probably should have shopped online first, but managed to settle at our local home improvement warehouse.The two of us also knew we have to stay within a budget so again, price was a factor in our purchases and project. But we also did not want to sacrifice quality in price.

However, the appliances were a completely different story than the cabinets, appliances were virtually everywhere online. We knew that a great deal of online stores carried a vast array of products and we sought out the best shopping deals around by first shopping online. I knew in my kitchen I wanted a built-in refrigerator, but built-in appliances could mean trouble if they broke as the cabinets may be damaged or cut into in the event of an unforeseen repair, thus increasing overall cost for a favored product. So I began to shop for traditional refrigerators and in my quest I came across my dream appliances.

I found everything from the small counter top appliances, to specialized products like built in wine-coolers and of course the mother of all appliances, I found my refrigerator with matching freezer, built-in wall oven, glass cook top, dishwasher, and of course a free-standing kitchen hood. My kitchen is definitely a shining light with the stainless steel free-standing kitchen hood, fullsize stand alone freezer and full size stand alone refrigerator.
By shopping online, we were able to find the best shopping deals, price compare to local stores, and we were able to determine our total savings and stay within our budget during the kitchen remodel.

Ever since our kitchen remodel I shop online first before I even leave the house to shop in a traditional store. I want to know I am getting the most for my dollar no matter what products I may be in the market to purchase. By shopping online I was able to save thousands of dollars on my appliances, so even if I can shop online and save even a fraction of that number I am more than satisfied.
*Sponsored post, however, all the content here within is my first hand experience and was not influenced in anyway by this post.

The Hat Diva

This little girl is something. She is overly independent, knows exactly what she wants all the time, demands it, is ornery as all get out, gorgeous, loving when she wants to be, and has her tender moments and of course she is bossy. Man, she is her mother's daughter. But I love shoes....she loves hats, I will forgive her when I see her at Churchill Downs donning the biggest, most fabulous hat ever while sipping a mint julep.

Until then, I will enjoy these precious moments with my baby girl. Some days I cannot get over how beautiful this little girl is and she is all mine! Best of all, she plays in the mud, water, and loves to say shit...or is it ship...or chip...either way she is one of a kind and all mine. My Little Bitty, Hat Diva.

Mrs. Fish Thursday Tips and Tricks

So I want to bring back the old slave of my mind...put her to work for you. I am hearing buzzing about taxes? Home mortgages? Tax credits? Current homeowner tax credits? Oh you didn't know about that one...ah yes...I will share more! Blog ad payments, review items are they counted towards income, what can you write off, what can you not write off on your taxes? Believe me....I have been audited for NOT claiming everything so I can tell you what is what on your taxes BEFORE you go to your overpaid CPA or worse...GASP....H&R Block. Getting prepared for your taxes is a snap. Bring me your questions. 

Throw me all your questions.  I will....cram all of my answers into FIVE minutes of vlog time for next Thursday. Seriously any money, purchase, credit, whatever question you have I HAVE an answer. Could be any question, let's make this fun too ya know?

Wordful Wednesday: Dinner

The kids are all now at a certain age where we are all sitting at the dinner table. While the twins could probably stand to continue their seating in high chairs, they are socially at the point where they want to be at the table with the family.

I am all for it! Why not? Why not start now and teach them manners and keeping their food on their plate that they have been working so hard to do and by using utensils which they are mastering. They just have to get past that not ever spoon is a spork and not every fork is a spork.

Our scene from dinner just last night. The first night with the "kiddie" bench since I bought a matching farm bench to match the farm table in the kitchen. This way, they can sit next to one another like they like and at the table with big brother, mom, and dad.

I just love to see all three of their smiling faces at dinner. Such a joy to have my family at dinner every night. Now if they would all "SIT" and sit still that would be even better!

For more Wordful Wednesday fun visit Angie and her circus, Wordless fun can be found at Extraordinary Mothers, 5 Minutes for Mom, and WW Hub.

Winner Re-Draw

REDRAW for the UPrinting Business cards winner:

Congrats Amy! An email has been sent, you have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Thanks so much.

Going to the Mattresses with ShopNBC

Tax season is swiftly approaching which means some of those lucky recipients of a tax refund might be considering a major purchase. Long nights may be spent pondering what exactly to purchase; going to the mattresses as they say in The Godfather, sleeping on what to purchase with our refund.

The answer might be more obvious than you realize, by actually "sleeping" on your next purchase. A new bed, mattresses, a quality nights sleep is what anyone and everyone dream about. Nothing says good morning than a fully rested, comfortable nights sleep and the only way to achieve those results is with a quality mattress.
But who has time for shopping for mattresses? All the laying down and getting up, laying down and getting up can really tire out anyone. Well when The Chad and I were looking at mattress sets, we did just that, we went and laid down on the job. Testing out every mattress and maker we could find until we knew what was our perfect sleeper.


We found that the Serta Pillow top fit both of our needs personally in relation to back support and comfort; and financially in the affordability and the overall return on investment for a new bed and mattress set. Next we did price comparisons with local and online mattress dealers. The price differences were astonishing with the local dealers wanting almost two to three times as much as the online dealer, most specifically ShopNBC. Shipping and delivery then began to be factored in and we still found that prices were significantly more affordable online than with a local dealer.

So we did what any good couple does before making a purchase, we "went to the mattresses", and slept on our plan of action. Our answer was clear when we woke the next morning, stiff, cranky, and yearning for that perfect night sleep. We bought our mattress online, scheduled our delivery and we even reviewed the various payment options available.

ShopNBC offers a QuickBuy option which is a one step (two step if you are not yet registered with ShopNBC) checkout option and if you want you can consider the various financing options available from three, six to 12 month special financing. Needless to say any objection we had about shopping online was met with open arms, and with the ease of use of the website gave us a peace of mind, we will be returning customers.

Pure Energy, Pure Fun PlasmaCar, Win IT :: CLOSED

Are your kids the imaginary play and or full of energy type of play kids? Mine are in every sense, if you give them toys that require their own minds and energy they are off and running, literally. I was seeking more toys for my kids to enjoy outside for play time since they are growing up so fast. I found the PlasmaCar.

The PlasmaCar is one fun ride! The "car" requires no battery power, plugs, just the inertia and energy or your own body and movement to really get cooking. But before the ride, some assembly is required.

But as you can see...the assembly is ever so simple. The wheels, the steering wheel, the steering wheel cap and a hex key to tighten down the nut and bolt on the steering wheel. I would suggest a rubber mallet as the instructions indicate for seating the front wheels and the steering wheel into place.

Once you have taken the short amount of time required to assemble your kids will be off and riding! To "power" the PlasmaCar all your kids have to do is grab the steering wheel at the most narrow location, while seated of course, and turn the wheel from side to side in a swift motion. Just think of how you see people on TV pretending to drive a car, same concept. This action coupled with inertia, centrifugal force, and gravity can really get this toy on the go! Just look at all the fun the kids were having:

Even more important than the fun is how SAFE the toy is to use by the kids (and adults, safe up to 220lbs of ride on fun). The PlasmaCar was recognized for the following safety standards: European Safety Toy Standard and American Society for Testing and Materials. A truly tough and rugged construction that allows for riders to take on even rough surface rides.  If you think the PlasmaCar is awesome you should check out the entire toy line from PlaSmart Toys! The toys are interactive fun based on your child, no batteries required, just brain power.

PlasmaCar Pure Energy Pure Fun from Karie Herring on Vimeo.

You can keep up on all the latest reviews and product offerings with Pla Smart Toys by subscribing to their blog and even see your own review featured as well as other bloggers and promotional publications. Or if you are a completely networked individual, fan on Facebook or follow on Twitter to keep up with all your latest updates and news about Pla Smart Toys!

An even better reason to fan and follow Pla Smart Toys is you can win your very own PlasmaCar for your kids to motor around, or you can motor around yourself! To enter to win, visit the Pla Smart Toys website and come back and tell me what other toy you would like to try (USA or CAN toys) and why! (Please do this first before any other entries will be counted, be sure to leave your email addy as well to assist in claiming your winnings.)

Extra Entries:

• Fan and or follow Pla Smart on Facebook and Twitter (Worth 2 entries for doing both!)
• Follow my blog or tell me you already do
• Follow me on Twitter, or tell me you already do
• Tweet this giveaway, available daily tweet entries: A giveaway of pure fun with @KariewithaK and @PlaSmart Ends 2/2  http://bit.ly/7M1c9i
• Subscribe to my feed
• Blog this giveaway (worth 4 entries)
  
• Fan The Fish
• Email a friend about this giveaway (2 entries)

CONTEST ENDS FEBRUARY 2ND 

@ 11:59PM ARIZONA TIME

Best of luck!

*The Five Fish received a PlasmaCar in exchange for this review. Product receipt did not in any way influence personal opinion of product received and tested.

Monday Mingle

Welcome again to Monday Mingle hosted and sponsored by our friend Jen over at EightyMPHMom.com. Monday Mingle is a great way to meet some bloggers, learn to vlog on your own. I am off to see some other minglers, hope you are one of them!

This weeks questions are:

1. When going out to breakfast at a restaurant, what do you typically order?
2. What style/type of house is your favorite? What room or accessory must your dream house have?
3. How many houses have you lived in?


Monday Mingle January 18th from Karie Herring on Vimeo.

Next week's questions:
1. Would you accept an invitation to do a survivor show? What would you hate most about being on the show?
2. When/how did you learn to ride a bicycle?
3. What do you want to have accomplished (personally) in your lifetime?

Morsel Monday and NutraSalt Giveaway :: CLOSED

If you haven't already please partake in the Extraordinary Mothers Morsel Monday link up! Participating is a lot of fun and a great way to find new dining delights for the family and hey, linky love!

This week I am "spicing" up the post with a review and giveaway of a product I received to try from the fabulous folks at NutraSalt. You are probably wondering what NutraSalt is and how nutra and salt can be combined together and not be an oxymoron. The NutraSalt product is a balanced product of sodium and potassium, 66% less sodium, to be exact, compared to common table salt. The proprietary product in NutraSalt's recipe is the harvesting of Red Sea and Dead Sea salts from the Mediterranean.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the extra pinch of salt here and there can add up resulting in excessive sodium intake based on levels of sodium in processed foods, natural sources, and the extra shake during food preparation and at meal time.

Excessive sodium intake lead to conditions such as high blood pressure, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease which results in hundreds of thousands of deaths a year if not lifetime treatments such as dialysis for kidney disease. NutraSalt helps to replace the use of common salt in a healthier alternative to traditional table salt, allowing for the flavor but not the health risks often associated with excess salt intake.

NutraSalt comes in a variety salts and seasonings to "spice" up any recipe:

• Low Sodium Sea Salt
• Seasoned Salt
• Texas BBQ
• Savory Garlic
• Zesty Italian
• Lemon Dill
• Lemon Herbs
• Robusto Adobo
• Spicy Cajun
• Bold Chipotle
• African Medley
• Asian Fusion
• Classic Curry

I received to try in my home the Low Sodium Sea Salt, Savory Garlic Lemon Dill, Bold Chipotle, Asian Fusion and the African Medley. I used every single one on some of my favorite meals. The Asian Fusion is absolutely divine on chicken and pork, I used them both on the grill and they added just that extra kick of spice to the flavor. Savory Garlic, I used that on my spaghetti dish when making garlic bread. Finally, my favorite is the African Medley which I used to make my Turkey Chili. The African Medley has flavors of cinnamon, peppers, ginger, and again the right balance of sodium and potassium. I know you are thinking "cinnamon? In my Chili?" YES!

How can you enjoy a 4-pack of your choice of NutraSalt and make this a staple in your home?  Go to the NutraSalt site and tell me ONE fact in a comment (that I did not mention above. As a recap I mentioned it is derived from Sea Salt, is 66% lower in sodium, is rich in potassium).

Extra Entries:

• Follow my blog or tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter or tell me you do
• Tweet another fact about NutraSalt making sure to use @KariewithaK, the link to this giveaway, so I see your tweets. Daily RT's are available!
• Subscribe to The Fish in a Reader or via email (at the top)
• Blog this Giveaway! (worth 10 entries if you mention a fact, link to NutraSalt and this giveaway!)
• Email this giveaway to a friend (worth 3 entries)
• Fan The Fish on Facebook

CONTEST ENDS JANUARY 30TH 

@ 11:59PM ARIZONA TIME

Best of luck!

Turkey Chili:

1.5lbs ground Turkey

1 can Pinto Beans

1 can Black Beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 can of corn

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, diced

2 T. finely chopped Italian Parsley

2 T. finely chopped Cilantro

2 T. Olive Oil

1/4 c. Nutra Salt African Medley, divided (can be substituted with  2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. ground corriander, 1 T. chili powder, 1 tsp red peppers, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp onion powder)

I used my Cuisinart Multi-Cooker but a stove top cook pot works well too. Pour Olive oil into pan heating over medium heat, sautee onions and garlic until almost translucent add in ground turkey, parsley, cilantro, and 1/8 c. of NutraSalt African Medley (or the above substitutes halved). Cook until meat is browned and spices are mixed well. Add the can of tomatoes, beans, corn and remaining spices. Bring to a boil (add water if needed, but the canned juices should provide enough), stirring well, reduce to a simmer for at least an hour to let all the flavors mix. Serve with cornbread.

VOILA!