Friday, September 30, 2011

Naturalvitalitykids.com Kids Natural Calm giveaway 10/14 ***Closed!!!***

***CLOSED!!!***


Naturalvitalitykids.com sent me a review for their  Kids Natural Calm Multi-Vitamin Liquid Supplement!

If any kid needs calmed down it's Gigi! Her feet hit the floor in the morning running! She is a ball of energy! Not that it is a bad thing, but she is a normal six year old little girl. Talkative, bubbly and hyper!
She loves being a big girl and taking vitamins. After reading up about how healthy this is, I was as excited as she.
This vitamin talks about magnesium deficiencies. Low levels of this important nutrient may be a common link in migraines, asthma, allergies, fibromyalgia, anxiety disorders, ADD and more.

I can say I gave it a quick taste test and it tastes like a chewable Flintstones vitamins I used to take as a child. I quite liked the taste of it, but Giana didn't. She gags trying to get it down.. which I think is quite silly. it tastes like a vitamin-y orange dreamscicle to me. I still make her take it  though. I think she is over exaggerating slightly. :) 
I am glad I got the opportunity to review it. The bottle is quite large and has a months supply in it!
I have included the nutrition information for those of you who are interested below.

Even if she thinks it tastes bad. I don't. She also thinks the Flintstones chewables taste bad.  And they don't at all!
In fact- I have to buy her the "gummies" vitamins because she will gag and spit the chewable ones onto the floor of my house. She always has. So please don't let her opinion deter you from purchasing it for yourself or your child. I can't say it calmed her down any. But I wasn't expecting a miracle either. The consistency is smooth and creamy and you cannot taste the Omega-Supplement in it and leaves no aftertaste in your mouth either.


Omega is essential to heart health and is important to get not only it, but magnesium in your diet everyday. 


In addition to providing you with healthy children's nutrition like this, Natural Vitality can also be looked to for other things. The site has a lot of resources such as articles about trending topics like organic debates, education, environment, and sustainability, plus expert advice from dietitians.



 One if their supplements is called NutraRev!, which received a Best of Supplement Award from Better Nutrition magazine, provides an exceptional combination of antioxidant energizer and anti-aging supplements in a great-tasting, fast-absorbing and economical liquid. It is popular because of its energizing effects as well as its anti-aging benefits. That sounds like something to look more into!


If you are looking for a great site for information about health and supplements, then I think I might've helped you strike gold with this site! I liked it a lot and even if she won't take it, I can probably sneak it into her orange juice in the morning. I am sure she won't notice!


Click here to find a store near you!
Kids will like the organic fruity splash flavor, sweetened with organic stevia and organic agave. Simply mix with an equal amount of water or add to juice.


MAGNESIUM-DEFICIENT KIDS

It’s not just adults who can get anxious because of magnesium-deficient diets. Our children are also susceptible when their favorite foods are magnesium-deficient—hot dogs, pizza, and soda. The stress in their lives—from peer pressure, academic and athletic performance pressures, worries about body image, the changes and hormonal fluctuations of puberty, exposure to negative events and violence through the media—also contributes. Even playing in a band can be a risk factor! Children are underdiagnosed when it comes to magnesium deficiency, but they can have magnesium deficiencies for the same reasons as adults.—Carolyn Dean, MD, ND
Author of the book The Magnesium Miracle

Image created by Jessica Carvalho of  http://rjandjessie.blogspot.com/ 





Giveaway Requirements.


Please "like" & "follow" these pages. 
Each one counts as one entry! Total 4 entries!


Before you do them, please make sure you follow this blog via GFC by scrolling to the top of the right sidebar and clicking"Join this site" then, follow this blog publicly.




Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LocomotionOfExpressions


Twitter:  
https://twitter.com/#!/1caseycolette




You do not have to do all of them, but if you do Facebook "likes" you must do both. If you chose to do only the Twitter "follows", you must do both.


For an extra entry you can tell me something you learned on the site using the links in the post, and also another extra entry by telling me which other product you think you would most like.






The winner will receive the exact same thing I received one 30oz bottle of  Kids Natural Calm Multi!


This giveaway will end on 10/14 at Noon Eastern time. US + CAN
Winner will have 48 hours to respond with shipping address or a new winner will be chosen.
Winner must be a public follower via Google Friend Connect of this blog; Locomotion of Expressions.
Thanks for being a reader of this blog!
More great giveaways planned soon!








Disclaimer: Naturalvitalitykids.com provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  They will also be responsible for shipping the winners prize, though I will expedite communication between winner and sponsor. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Lets zone it out!

Polyphenols are what makes the Zone diet by Dr Sears so successful!
In the end this diet plan didn't help me lose any weight. But it was tasty, if a little overpriced for 2 boxes or two weeks of bread and 14 days of omega 3 pills and Polyphenols.






The Debate on the Zone Diet
The Zone Diet has neither been rejected nor endorsed by health organisations. Some health experts see some elements of the Zone Diet as favourable, especially the low-fat content. The ADA (American Dietetic Association) sees the Zone Diet as just another fad diet. Some health experts argue that there are safer diets such as the ‘5 A Day’ program (which encourage people to consume five servings of fruits and vegetables a day).
The Zone Diet: For:
  • The Zone Diet features good amounts of fruits and low starch vegetables and is low in saturated fats;
  • Restricts low nutrition carbohydrates; and
  • If followed correctly allows for steady weight loss.
The Zone Diet: Against
  • Complicated and scientific;
  • Restricts calorie intake means it’s hard to stay on
  • Eliminates some essential vitamins and minerals found in certain founds;
  • Expensive to follow
  • Time consuming and inconvenient

The Basic
Calories are distributed as 40% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 30% protein at every meal and snack. In contrast, most "healthy diets" recommend calories be distributed as 55-60% carbohydrate, 12-20% protein and 20-30% fat.

How A Person Can Lose Weight On This Diet
Calories eaten must be below calories needed to maintain weight (i.e., low calorie). This is a low calorie diet. The higher protein level of the Zone Diet can also provide more satiety with meals and snacks. High carbohydrate food portions and sweets are restricted, so blood sugar surges after a high carbohydrate meal or sweet do not occur. This also helps control appetite.

Meal Plans
Protein needs are based on your lean muscle mass and physical activity level. Then you divide your protein into blocks, each block of protein equals 7 grams of protein. Once you know the required number of protein blocks you give yourself one carbohydrate and fat block for each protein block. Each meal has the same number of blocks for carbohydrate, protein, and fat. For example, lunch may include 3 blocks of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. You must keep this ratio for all meals and snacks. One block of carbohydrates is equal to 7 grams of carbohydrates while one block of fat is 1-½ grams.


Special Concerns
People who engage in endurance exercise are at risk for poor energy levels and muscular fatigue due to an inadequate carbohydrate intake.

Alcohol
The Zone recommends that alcohol may be good for you if taken in moderation (~1 drink per day) preferably red wine.

Claims
  • To be in the Zone you need a diet that is exactly 40% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 30% protein at every meal and snack.
  • Insulin causes people to gain weight.
  • It is easy to lose weight on the Zone diet with "easy" rules.
  • A moderately active, 5-foot, 4-inch woman weighing 125 pounds with 23 percent body fat should eat just 775 calories per day.

Pros

  • Promotes eating fat and protein in the diet.
  • Addresses the importance of drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
  • Recommends exercise in combination with diet for weight loss.
  • Recommends snacking throughout the day.
  • Promotes low-fat protein foods.

Cons

  • Limits many grains (pastas, cereal, breads, potatoes), fruits (bananas and orange juice), and vegetables (carrots and sweet potatoes).
  • Complicated rules govern the diet. Dieters must calculate protein requirements based on complex charts and tables. Must also follow the "macronutrient block method" to determine how many "blocks" to eat per day and when to eat them.
  • Strict, controlled diet which does not work for the fast-paced lifestyles of today.
  • Recommends that for the average person a Zone-favorable diet should contain no more than 800 to 1,200 calories a day.
  • Food is treated like a medical prescription. "You must treat food as if it were a drug. You must eat food in a controlled fashion in the proper proportions- as if it were an intravenous drip."

Truth

  • Excess calories cause weight gain not specific carbohydrates.
  • Not one of the studies that Sears conducted to prove his diet works has been published.
  • Diets recommending less than 800 calories may be dangerous and should be medically supervised.
  • Anyone on a low-calorie diet is likely to lose weight.
  • May impair athletic performance.




My FAVE!

What You Can Eat on The Zone Diet

The Zone diet does not recommend that you eat fewer calories than you're currently consuming, just different ones. Although the book has a more complicated and exacting measurement of what to eat, it can be simplified as:
  • A small amount of protein at every meal (approximately the size of your palm or one small chicken breast) and at every snack (one in the late afternoon, one in the late evening)
  • "Favorable" carbohydrates twice the size of the protein portion -- these include most vegetables and lentils, beans, whole grains, and most fruits
  • A smaller amount of carbohydrates if you have chosen "unfavorable" ones -- these include brown rice, pasta, papaya, mango, banana, dry breakfast cereal, bread, bagel, tortilla, carrots, and all fruit juices.
Dairy products are not verboten, but The Zone diet devotes little time to them, except to explain how quickly they release glucose. Sears prefers egg whites and egg substitutes to whole eggs, and low-fat or no-fat cheeses and milk.


The Zone diet keeps saturated fats to a minimum but includes olive, canola, macadamia nuts, and avocados. Certain unfavorable carbohydrates are restricted because they release glucose quickly: grains, breads, pasta, rice, and other similar starches, a deviation from conventional definitions of a good diet. Overall, the diet is higher in protein and fat than traditional diets, which would have us eat nearly three-quarters of all calories as carbohydrates.
Sears is fairly rigid about the amount of protein/fat/carbohydrate each of us needs, and takes the reader through a short course in determining our protein need, based on size, age, and activity, which then determines the amount of fats and carbohydrates we should be eating.
Happily for those of us who would be depressed at the thought of forgoing desserts for the rest of our lives, his list of allowable foods includes, among others, high-fat ice cream. Why high-fat? Because the fat retards the rate of absorption of carbohydrate into the body, according to Sears. Alas, the recommended portion is a mere half-cup.


Food For Thought

The 40-30-30 ratio of The Zone diet applies to all meals all the time, and a broad range of foods are allowed, so there are no confusing schedules or conditions that need to be memorized. Though dieters should find it easy to follow, nutritionists give The Zone diet mixed reviews.





Pros: great idea for healthy bodies.
Cons: Nothing everyone shouldn't already know.
The Zone Diet is pretty muck just a book that will tell you what you should already know. Eat right and exercise. 


Dark Before Dawn _ Ready for Halloween? Creepy!~

Excerpt from Dark Before Dawn by Stacy Juba


Now available for Kindle, Nook, & Smashwords with a paperback edition coming in November. The e-book edition is 99 cents throughout October for a special Halloween promotion.

Book blurb: 
When teen psychic Dawn Christian gets involved with a fortuneteller mentor and two girls who share her mysterious talents, she finally belongs after years of being a misfit. When she learns her new friends may be tied to freak “accidents” in town, Dawn has an important choice to make – continue developing the talent that makes her special or challenge the only people who have ever accepted her.


Dawn dug her fingernails into the seatbelt as Candace drove through Covington Center. Maybe she should forget the whole thing. What if she wasn’t good enough for Serina? What if Candace and her friends were into weird stuff? Dawn eyed a pewter dragon dangling from the rearview mirror. Bells tinkled on its curved serpentine tail at every stop light and turn.
  Who the heck attached dragons to their mirrors? No one Dawn knew, that was for sure.
  "What’s up?" Candace asked.
  "I was just noticing how neat your car is," Dawn said. She wasn’t lying, exactly. The Chevy’s spotless interior had surprised her, after riding in Ken’s mess on wheels.
  "I have to be neat or my psychic abilities go on the fritz. Organization unclogs the drains in your life. Serina says you need outside order to support inner order."
  "Really?" Dawn thought of all the storage baskets and shelves in her bedroom. Had she been acting out that principle subconsciously?
  As Candace parked in a driveway, Dawn gaped out the window at the cream cottage she had seen the first day of school. The cottage had spoken to her, sending out warning vibrations. She shouldn’t go in there. She really shouldn’t.
  Dawn regretted texting her mother that she was staying for extra help. No one knew who she was with, or where she was.
  "This is where Serina lives?" she blurted out.
  "Yeah. Why?"
  "It gave me bad vibes the first time I passed it."
  Candace shrugged. "I wouldn’t worry. You could have been picking up vibrations from the last people who lived here. It could’ve been from Serina, too. She’s had a tough life and sometimes bad memories linger. When you have abilities like ours, it’s easy to jump to conclusions. Serina can teach you to look deeper."
  Reluctantly, Dawn closed her car door. Veined yellow leaves stormed down from the birches, gliding across the grass. The wind, the ocean, the smell of salt water, everything seemed magnified.
  They trudged up the stone walkway and mounted the porch steps. Dawn examined the hand-painted sign she’d missed from the road: "Psychic Readings Here. Call 555-3990 for appointment."
  Candace pressed the doorbell. Shaking off her fears, Dawn pulled a lavender brochure out of a basket on a wicker end table. She skimmed the headings. Serina did tarot, palm readings, meditation sessions and past life regressions.
  The door swung open and Dawn blinked at the lanky girl in front of her. She reminded Dawn of a scarecrow, skinny arms and legs hanging out of her clothes.
  The girl adjusted her baggy sweater, the fabric slipping down her shoulder. Acne blotches reddened her chin and oily brown hair straggled from a rubber band at the top of her head. "Hi, I'm Jamie. Come on in."
  Dawn stepped into a narrow foyer, sniffing the sweet scent of burning incense. A strange sensation overcame her, as if a powerful presence inhabited this house. Dawn grasped the banister, reeling from the impact of whatever invisible force sheathed the air. She gauged how the sensation made her feel. Uncomfortable and a little sad.

Buy Links:
Amazon Kindle: http://ow.ly/6Hiyn
Barnes&Noble Nook: http://ow.ly/6HiC4


Bio: Although Stacy Juba specializes in writing adult novels, she has also authored books for children and young adults – she pursues whatever story ideas won’t leave her alone. Stacy’s titles include the Amazon bestselling adult mystery novels Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Sink or Swim, the mystery short story Laundry Day, the children’s picture books The Flag Keeper and Victoria Rose and the Big Bad Noise, and the young adult novels Face-Off and Dark Before Dawn. Visit her web site at http://www.stacyjuba.com.


Monthly Rewarding Rafflecopter (LINKY!) 10/1/11 -thru- 11/1/11

RAFFLECOPTER ONLY PLEASE!

Discovery Girls Wins 2011 Gold National Parenting Publications Award




To ENTER my Rafflecopter giveaway for a free 1 yr subscription to Discovery girls + a prize pack =  
Click to Enter here! 7 days remaining and only 54 entries!




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Discovery Girls, the magazine by girls, for girls ages 8 to 12, is among an elite group of quality children’s products honored in NAPPA’s Children’s Products Competition
 
San Jose, California, September 27, 2011 – Discovery Girls magazine has been named a 2011 National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA) winner. Recognized for helping guide girls through the difficult preteen years, Discovery Girls joins an elite group of quality products honored in NAPPA’s 2011 Children’s Products Competition. 
 
NAPPA’s independent expert judges evaluated hundreds of submissions for their innovation, entertainment and education values, and quality. Discovery Girls was one of 75 products selected to receive the esteemed Gold Award. Another 93 products received Honors and 13 were chosen as “Rising Stars.” The full list of award winners will be available on NAPPAawards.com as of November 1, 2011.
 
About Discovery Girls Magazine
Discovery Girls gives girls ages 8 and up the advice, encouragement, and inspiration they need to get through the difficult preteen years. It’s the only tween magazine that allows its readers to write feature stories, model, andappear on the cover, Discovery Girls gives girls a voice, addresses their fears, and answers their toughest questions, all in an exciting format with quizzes, fashion, embarrassing moments, crafts, and more! Discovery Girls celebrates girls' uniqueness and encourages them to love all that they are. It’s a great resource for girls andtheir parents. For more on the magazine, visit DiscoveryGirls.com.
 
About NAPPA
For more than 20 years the National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) has been the go-to resource for the best products for families. NAPPA’s team of independent expert judges, along with family and child testers, select the most innovative and enduring products as NAPPA Gold and Honors winners in two annual competitions,Children’s Products and Parenting Resources. Far more than a seal of approval, a NAPPA award signifies that a product has been rigorously evaluated against stringent criteria and stands out among hundreds of other products from around the world. For more information, visit www.NAPPAawards.com.
 

YouTube adds Magisto automatic video editing

YouTube today announced it's offering Magisto's new automated video editor to users. Click on the Magisto icon in YouTube's video toolbox to get started.

Now any video being uploaded to YouTube can be edited automatically. No manual intervention is needed whatsoever--just one click of a button--and Magisto's tool instantly "finds" the best scenes in your video and cuts out the blurry, bad and boring bits. Music and effects (wipes, transitions, titles, and fades) can also be added with two button clicks. The tool is dead simple to use as it literally walks you through the editing "process" in seconds.

Magisto launched publicly just yesterday, as reported. Based in Tel Aviv, Israel, the company also announced it has secured $5.5 million in a series B funding round led by Horizons Ventures, the private venture firm of Li Ka-shing. Ka-shing, the world's 11th richest man, is known for making smart early-stage investments in companies like Facebook and Spotify.

With online photo sharing exploding, especially on Facebook, where tens of billions of photos are uploaded annually, it's not too much of a stretch to imagine Web-based video also blowing up on the world's busiest social network. And when CEO Mark Zuckerberg says content sharing is the new metric (30 billion pieces of content are shared on Facebook every month), and music, TV, film, and publishers are officially hoisting themselves aboard the company's platform this coming Thursday at the company's F8 developer conference, the prospect of the leading social network becoming a top, if not foremost, video destination is almost a no-brainer.

Source: cnet.com

Thursday, September 29, 2011

O.N.E Coconut Water review

How lucky am I these days? I get to interact with all of these great brands! One namely being O.N.E Coconut Water!
O.N.E.™ coconut water with a splash


I have tried O.N.E. coconut water before. I can find it in my local Publix store.. plus my other favorite store online is Amazon.. you can get free shipping on most everything and some pretty sweet deals too! See, back when I was doing surveys all the time... Most of the companies paid in Amazon Gift Cards (What I will be using to award one winner a 50$ GC to Amazon for my Locomotion of Giving contest! ) That was the first time I decided to try them. I got the O.N.E Coconut Water with Passion Fruit and it was delicious! I got them for a great deal too! I think they were $15.52 with free shipping for a 12 pack, making them around one dollar a piece! 

(My O.N.E. Coconut water shipment!)


You know what my favorite thing about O.N.E. Coconut Water is? Not that it's good for you, although that doesn't hurt. I most enjoy the smaller containers. Anyone who knows me and reads my blog knows if it 'aint coffee or tea (which I love as much as coconut stuff!) and sometimes even if it is.. it's super hard for me to drink more than like 2-3 glasses of liquids a day. Days go by where I don't drink at all, because I am not thristy. It's weird and unhealthy. But it's just me. So a lot of the time.. I pour a drink and it goes to waste. O.N.E. plain coconut waters (which I didn't get, but would LOVE to have!) have resealable lids. Like twist off! But even though I didn't get those I can always order them later.. and probably will! 

The variety I was sent is pictured below!

Pink Guava. I have never had fresh or flavored Guava anything. I wasn't sure I was going to like it. But I did! I do know that the Passion Fruit flavor is better. In my opinion- but this one was just as good! 

I'm off track, the best part is how little they are. Most people would be turned off by that, But I love everything about the container. I love the shape, the little aluminum (plastic?) pull tab to insert a straw OR drink from. I like the metallic shine of the paper on the drinks. I even like the color and shade of blue used. I like the way it tastes mostly. I just like it head to toe. You know- if it was bad, I'd be the first one to tell you!


Now lets get into what the sent to Giana and Devonny. The kids O.N.E. Coconut Waters! They actually sent four 8 packs of kids drinks. That is awesome. I wish these were more widely available at every store. Maybe soon. Hopefully. Well, Devonny loves the coconut water (w guava) and the Kids variety they sent. The drinks to be honest... I don't like it at all! However- Giana hasn't said a word about not liking them. The regular O.N.E. drinks are much better, but the kids drinks were definitely not my forte.
The Kids O.N.E. has four varieties: Apple, Fruit Punch, Raspberry Lemonade, and Orange. Giana liked Fruit Punch and I liked Raspberry Lemonade! Devonny liked them all! 

Giana likes juice boxes, and these fit that need, a typical fun kids juice box with straw! No different on the outside to the child. They don't realize its "good for them". But inside, much much different than the massive juice overload at the store. My issue with juices nowadays is this: you can buy a flavored juice, and the juice is 75% apple and/or apple & pear! You know why?
It's cheaper because it's crops are more resistant. 

It has an average retail price of 48.55 on Amazon.. but it is the 32 drinks, The 4 packs of 8 packs, just like what I was sent. That makes each drink average about 1.50? I am pretty bad at math, but that looks about right to me. That seems a little steep, especially for us to be packing in Giana's lunch for school everyday. But on their website you can also buy coconut water, and the same waters are $21.44. I guess it's supply and demand with them rather than a set price. The prices seem to rise and fall a lot with them online. So you never know, looking at their online store with all the prices laid out, some cost significantly more- and some way less. That is a good though! That means if you check it often, you might chance out on a really good deal! Right now, they have a really good deal going on too! But I am grateful we didn't pay for them. Thanks so much Lucy! I wouldn't feel guilty spending Amazon Gift cards I had earned or won on them... A few other webstores sell the drinks for 5$ for an 8 pack. That's a much better price, but I would question it's freshness being sold second hand. When it comes to buying food/drinks online- I'd much rather but it straight from the company!  Paying for private school + uniforms doesn't leave much room for things like this. Water is free. :)
I can't believe I just said that-- no really? I can!
Anyway, it was good and the kids love it. I love knowing the kids are drinking something that is 100% good for them with no bad stuff whatsoever... There aren't many drinks that they can drink around here or that can be bought at the store that are that whole nutrition. They all seem to contain something bad.
Even Orange juice is bad nowadays.  Read the disgusting truth about orange juice. So yes, expensive, but totally worth it. Just remember, you get what you pay for. And when it comes to your life, your health, and especially your kids life and health... It would be more worth it in the long run to be proactive about their health now. There is nothing more healthy than coconuts. :)

So there it is:
You guys know I am coconuts for coconut stuff.

In fact, I have several blog posts about Coconuts already! It's a yummy food. My secret guilty pleasure is an Almond Joy!


The O.N.E. Commitment to Healthy Kids
O.N.E. is a "Trusted Partner" of Healthy Child Healthy World, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to creating healthy environments where children and families can flourish.  They educate parents, support protective policies and engage communities to make responsible decisions, simple every day choices and well-informed lifestyle improvements.

Research shows that our daily fluid intake behavior (spontaneous drinking) is established during the toddler years. So while they are young, teach your children to enjoy drinking water and natural low-sugar beverages like O.N.E. Coconut Water to keep them healthy throughout their life.



Recommended fluid intake for children:
  • 0-6-month-olds — 0.7 liters per day
  • 7-12-month-olds — 0.8 liters per day
  • 1-3 years old — 1.3 liters per day
  • 4-8-year-old kids — 1.7 liters per day
  • Adolescents — more than 3 liters per day for males, and 2-2.7 liters per for females
NOTE: One liter is about 34 ounces

Other Ingredients: Organic Coconut Water From Concentrate, Filtered Water, Apple Juice Concentrate, Pear Juice Concentrate, Lime Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Orange Juice Concentrate, Ascorbic Acid and Cherry Juice Concentrate

Maybe I can do another review with them in the future because this is blowing my mind right now!
Coffee Berry? Cashew? Amazon Acai? Are you kidding me? that sounds delish!


Why Coconut Water anyway? Total Hydration!
Plus don't forget to check out these

Lastly- I want to share with you their donation program!
For every Facebook like O.N.E. Coconut Water receives, they’ll make a free $1 donation to Healthy Child Healthy World




Disclaimer: O.N.E. Coconut Water provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.