Habits change over the years...

 I have always loved shopping, especially for others. It wasn't something I ever dreaded doing unless I had to find something like a white button down shirt (which you can never find when you NEED one). I enjoy being out around people and that feeling of success when you find a great deal on something really amazing. I was never one to shop online. That is, until this year!This Christmas, I was more about bargains than finding the absolutely perfect gift!

Enter: become.com! Become.com is basically a one-stop search engine for shopping. They have an amazing internal search engine as well as wonderful buyers guides! There's even a coupon section. Become.com has an amazing comparison shopper feature that I have never seen before. Its one of those things where you think "why didn't I think of that?" This feature shows the total price after tax, shipping, and everthing and lets you compare THOSE prices. Amazing, right?

Another thing that I absolutely love about Become.com is actually one of the main reasons that I never shopped online before. I am huge on spending money locally. I believe we should put our money back into the community when we can. With Become.com, we can do this. They have an amazing local shopping feature. Just find the item you want, type in your zip code, and you will see a list of the stores local to you that sell that item. Use this feature to keep money in your community, to test an item before you buy it, and even get it quicker.

Now, it gets fun! Being the mommy to a little boy is getting more and more exciting as the days go by! I realized that it won't be long now until my amazing 15-month-old starts playing sports. As exciting as this is, my wallet isn't so exciting. There will be so much equipment to buy over the years: balls, bats, shoes, cleats, support briefs, clothing, and even band aids. Since I have discovered Become.com, I will be able to even throw in a reward of two in addition to the must-have items. Maybe some fun baseball necklaces for boys!

I even had a really genius idea for become.com. I could help my dad restore his boat by searching " boat seats clearance " This would help him get the boat fixed soon, which means we would be on the lake sooner. FUN FOR ALL! Who knows what I can accomplish when the website does so much multi-tasking for me. I do believe that my new discovery will pay off. 

Testing Diet Food: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Satisfying Selections

As you all know, dieting is a problem for me.

This may be because I'm a new mom, because I am easily distracted, because I am lazy, or it could simply be because I love chocolate!

Who knows, but it doesn't really matter, because dieting is one thing I really am bad at!

Recently though, I was given the opportunity to test the new Weight Watchers: Smart Ones frozen Meals. These are called Satisfying Selections. The are larger than most diet entrees, even including larger pieces of meat! 

These meals come packages in a bag so that you can either cook them on the stove top or even steam them in the microwave. Pretty handy!

My favorite part: With the amazing taste, you wouldn't believe they have fewer than 400 calories!

If you are a Weight Waters Lady, that is between 8 and 10 points!

They even have 25 or more grams of protein, which is pretty handy for chasing around a toddler!

The varieties include: 

Sesame Chicken

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Ziti with Meatballs and Cheese

Chicken with Broccoli and Cheese

Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

That's actually a decent range for a new line!

I went with Sesame Chicken (because I have an unhealthy love of it) and Chicken with Broccoli and Cheese (because I am a picky eater and I don't like Alfredo or Teriyaki- I know, I'm a strange, strange lady)

I was actually really impressed with the taste of these meals. 

Another reason that I'm not a good dieter is this: 

I see diet food and I run away.... 

Once again, this is because I am a picky eater.

I do, however, see myself picking these up when I pick up frozen dinners for the family!

These are definitely meals you should not run away from screaming!

They are definitely at least worth giving them a try!

I am now willing to even give the Alfredo and Teriyaki a try...

If I don't like it, I'll just give it to the Knight, he won't know that its diet!

Disclosure: This post is part of a SocialMoms product evaluation, for which I’ve been selected. I’ve been compensated for my time with 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of SocialMoms or Heinz.

KID CUISINE: Don't Feed These to Your Kid!

About a week ago, we all had grilled lemon pepper chicken for dinner. 

I wasn't sure if the little prince could eat it, so I got him one of these: 

HUGE MISTAKE!

I heat the meal, and think: This will be something fun!

NOT!

He would not eat it!

Wouldn't touch it!

I break apart the chicken nuggets, and they were nothing but breading!

I was so annoyed!

Needless to say, he ate the lemon pepper chicken,

AND LOVED IT!

I WILL NEVER BUY THE LITTLE MONSTER THESE AGAIN!

The really bad part- I ate these as a kid...

and they were nothing like this one!

I'm A Love Bug

I've recently become a love bug! These labels are amazing! Mine are hot pink, and they stand out really well. I'm still playing around with different ways to use them, but I will keep you guys updated!