Since our first venture into gluten free living we’ve tried lots and lots of different brands.  One of the hardest things to find a replacement for are breads.  This of course would include muffins, bagels, sandwich bread which tend to be a staple in every home.  After brand after brand and $ and $ being wasted as we’d try something and then not like it or it was just too hard we were about ready to give up on any type of “bread” products.  Then we came across Udi’s Gluten Free products.

We couldn’t believe it! It was soft and tasty.  We could have muffins and bagels again!  In fact, we received a package from Udi’s containing just that bagels and muffins: (our kit included)

Plain bagels, which my son promptly devoured.

Cinnamon Raisin bagels, which I had for breakfast a few times during the past few days.

Lemon Strusel Muffins, which my husband really enjoyed and he’s a bit of a picky eater when it comes to bread products.

and Double Chocolate muffins, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed eating. That was a big feat as picky an eater as she is.

Something for everyone in the family, now that in itself is awesome to me.  ‘Cause trust me getting everyone to eat the same thing/brand is a rarity in my house especially with my littlest one who is not a big fan of gluten free foods.

It’s so nice to have options for breakfast foods other than eggs and/or ceral.

And their foods don’t just stop at breakfast. Their food line includes:  hamburger and hot dog buns, sandwich bread, muffins and cinnamon rolls, granola, cookies and even pizza crusts.

I think we’ve found our gluten free “bread” brand!

Disclosure: I did receive a VIP package from Udi’s for this review free of charge. No other compensation took place. All opinions are my own.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

I’m always on the look out for quick easy meals for lunch but like you, I’ve tried several microwaveable meals and they end up tasting like a microwaved meal.  The meat is usually very dry and tough and the veggies end up not so crispy or worse – overcooked and dry. Not to mention they have a lot of calories to them. Not too appealing is it?

Healthy, quick and tasty. That’s all I want in a quick meal for lunch. Is it so hard to find?

Not anymore!  Yesterday for lunch, I had a delicious, healthy, quick meal – Barbeque Seasoned Steak with Red Potatoes.  Sounds good doesn’t it? It was.  It didn’t taste like your typical microwave meal.  Tender meats, and cooked just right vegetables. That’s because it was The Healthy Choice Top Chef Inspired Cafe Steamers.  (My photo doesn’t do this meal justice.)

It’s the unique steaming technology that separates the sauce from the rest of the entree to steam the meal in the microwave, allowing the vegetables to remain crispy and the meats to remain tender.  The exclusive line includes eight delicious varieties that utilize proprietary steaming technology.  I’m sure one of these will catch your eye:

• Barbeque Seasoned Steak with Red Potatoes (4g Fiber, 20g Protein,330 Calories)
• Chicken Fresca with Chardonnay
• Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo
• Chicken Margherita with Balsamic
• Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan
• Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables
• Grilled Vegetables Mediterranean with Rice
• Roasted Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

You can find these meals in your grocery store freezers nationwide with a suggested retail price of $2.75 – $3.50.  Make sure you look for the Top Chef mark on the package along with the description on why the entree is inspired by Top Chef.

Visit www.healthychoice.com or www.bravotv.com/showdown for more information.  You can also find Healthy Choice on twitter: @Healthy_Choice and on facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthyChoice

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.  I was provided with a free Healthy Choice Top Chef Inspired Cafe Steamers meal and coupon to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

So for two weeks in October I test drove the new 2012 Chevy Traverse as part of a campaign sponsored by the Houston Area Chevy Dealers.  I was provided with a gas card and a spa gift card as well.  It case you missed it, take a look at it:

I’m in my SUV all the time it seems. Driving here, driving there.  There were so many really nice features I’m already missing.  Autostart for those over 100 degree temperatures that make my vehicle so hot you can’t hardly breathe when you get into it. Leg room and head room for family members that are six feet or just slightly over.

These are some of the features I’m missing most:

• Bluetooth – controls on the steering wheel (It was extremely easy to set up even for me. No more having to have my kids answer and say mommy will call you back or get a totally mixed up message. I am really going to miss this.)
• Remote Start (Awesome for these super HOT Texas summers and included safety precautions against the kids’ playing with the remote, I couldn’t damaging the starter by starting the Travers again after it was already on since it didn’t engage the starter after I used the remote start.)
• Pop Locks on the gas tank (no more broken nails, yes I know that sounds totally girlie of me)
• Personal glove box (easy and safe access to it for me)
• Roadside Assistance for 5 years/100,000 miles (this is a major plus as far as I’m concerned)
• Free loaner vehicle if the Traverse will be in the shop for over 24 hours (I hate being without my car don’t you?)
• 3 rows of seats (no more having to take 2 cars when grandma and grandpa get into town – we’d all fit in one)
• OnStar (if you’ve ever had it there is no need to say any more – it’s Awesome!)
• Lots of cargo space (just look at all that space – see my photo below)
• Seats locks (no more guessing whether or not I locked the seats in place correctly either they are locked or they will fold up so I’d know if I didn’t latch it correctly which isn’t likely ’cause it’s super easy to do)
• Remote garage door access (no more having to carry my garage door remote with me)
• Volume controls on the steering wheels

The new Chevy Traverse covered all my needs, well almost.  Only thing I’d add is some sort of cover for the cargo area.  There needs to be some sort of cover in the back for items I don’t want out in plain view for anyone who walks by the vehicle to see.  They’ve thought of everything a mom could need plus some added features just to make the ride a little more pleasant.  I loved the XM Radio (drove my kids nuts with my 70′s music, they prefer 80′s), the security of OnStar to get  me to and from where I needed to go and in case of an emergency and their app just in case I needed OnStar to unlock the car ’cause I left the keys in it, easy access to the things I needed and plenty of room for the family or cargo space for groceries or suitcases when traveling.  I had a lot of fun testing out the new Chevy Traverse. Thanks Houston Area Chevy Dealers.

My Chevy test drive has ended but you can test drive a Chevy Traverse between October 31st and November 26th and receive a $40 SpaFinder gift card.

Want to keep up with all the Chevy Fun going on?  On twitter follow the hashtags #chevygirls and/or #chevyfun or head on over to http://www.facebook.com/gottalovechevyhouston

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

Heart of Haiti is a Trade not Aid project.   A partnership between the artisans of Haiti, Macy’s (Macy’s Heart of Haiti line of products) and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund; it is a unique success in the chaos of Haiti.   Amidst the rubble, cholera and civil unrest in Haiti, there is prosperity and stability.  Small islands of artisan villages have steady work and have since July 2010.  These artisans produce high-quality crafts for Heart of Haiti.  The income of these four hundred plus artisans who are employed full time reaches over four thousand Haitian citizens. Artisans work out of their own homes and workshops, so they don’t have to brave the dangerous streets.

Fairwinds Trading, founded by Willa Shalit (lifelong artist and activist) guides them, helps with market-design, logistics and electronic-data-interface and imports the products to the US, and has invested more than $100k in product development and systems.

The sounds of hammering can be heard through the village of Croix-des-Bouquets as artisans make hand-cut, beautifully detailed metal frames.  Women in the slum of Cité Soleil, sit in clean surroundings, sewing patchwork quilts to which they proudly embroider their names, in the Seaside village of Jacmel, colorful Paper Mache vases are lined up on sidewalks and rooftops to dry in the sun, ready to be shipped to the US.

As you have read, there is so much more to this beautiful, handmade cow horn stretch bracelet than meets the eye.  It’s beautifully made and the perfect statement piece that every outfit needs. I may not be a fashion guru but I do know a pretty piece of jewelry when I see one, especially one I like.

Gilbert, Atelier artisan says, “The Macy’s orders give us hope. Hope that we will provide for our families”

Thanks to the Heart of Haiti program the Atelier artisan’s like Gilbert have hope.

Visit Macy’s Heart of Haiti page to learn more about the people, the artists, the thoughts and stories of the artists behind Heart of Haiti.

If you’d like to connect with Heart of Haiti online you can follow them on twitter at @heartofhaiti and/or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HeartofHaiti

I was send the Horn Stretch Bracelet to review free of charge. But it was the passion of these artists, their pride and desire, the beauty within them, the beauty they express in their work and the hope that this project gives that drew me to share it with you.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

As a Buzz agent I received the Scrubbing Bubbles One Step Toilet Bowl Cleaner starter kit along with a few coupons. As a person who hates to clean the toilet, I was thrilled to say the least about this product.  No more scrubbing the toilet to keep it clean.   One step twice a day to keep my toilet bowl clean. I can do that!

It’s really easy to set up and use.  Why didn’t this come out sooner?

Like I said, set up was super easy.  There is an action sprayer that clips on to the toilet and sprays at 360 degrees so it covers the entire bowl including under the rim. The clip is attached to the base which holds a refill can.  It’s good for 30 days if it’s only sprayed twice a day as instructed.  Mine won’t last that long because my son has discovered it and every once in a while I’ll walk by the bathroom and smell the fresh scent and I know he just stepped on it.

But hey, that’s ok with me.  He’s learning to keep the toilet clean and I don’t have to worry about him getting chemicals on his hands or in his eyes or anything like that. Oh and that’s one of the key points to remember when purchasing this product. “Keep”  – you need to begin with a clean bowl and the product will help you keep it that way.

The starter kit ($9.99) includes the base, a sprayer and one refill can. Refill can’s are $3.99 and are available in two scents: Fresh Mountain Morning and Sparkling Spring. One of the things I liked about it was that it’s not obvious when someone walks into your bathroom either.  It actually took my son about a week before he even noticed it.

Scrubbing Bubbles One Step Toilet Bowl Cleaner can be found at your local grocery store, mass market retailers and also online at amazon.com.

So, what did I think overall?  I think it’s a great idea! Anything that is going to save me time, energy, help me teach my kids the importance of keeping our home clean and make keeping my toilet clean I am all for!

So now you tell me do you like cleaning your bathroom or is it one of those tasks you dread?

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

Do you live in your jeans?  I do, even in the summer months when it’s hot. So when I go buy jeans I want them to look, feel good and make me feel good in them.  I’ve always worn Levi’s as long as I can remember. So when Levi’s introduced their new dENiZEN jeans line (only available at Target) I was anxious to give them a try. dENiZEN styles are offered for men, women, boys and girls in stores and online at Target.com.

Personally, I hate low rise jeans. The muffin top is not a good thing on me.  Not really a good thing on anyone but on me if that’s what jeans do to me I will not buy them. I don’t want the high waisted mom jeans either though but I do need something high enough to cover my mommy tummy especially with shirts that aren’t extremely long.  Yes, I know I’m a tough one to please when it comes to jeans.  So here’s what I thought about the dENiZEN jeans.

The Style: dENiZEN from Levi’s {Totally Shaping} at Waist Boot Cut

The price tag: $27.99.  As a mom on a budget, I love that!

Waist: They sat at the waist but didn’t give me that mom jeans look. It wasn’t too high or too low.

The cut: I typically get boot cut and these were a little wider than I’m used to but still ok.

The length: The “misses short” were still a bit long for my typical tennis shoe days but are the perfect length for heels and boots.

The fabric: They did have a tummy slimming panel which  didn’t hold me in as much as I would have liked but then again they are stretch jeans so I can’t expect perfection. They are described as “High stretch fabric”.  I could have done with a little less stretch on the tummy panel.  My thighs however could have used just a bit more stretch. See I told you I was hard to please. But overall, they jeans were pretty comfortable, easy to move around in and whether I was sitting at my desk working or playing with the kids they were comfortable for my everyday lifestyle.

dENiZEN comes in various washes and styles, women’s sizes from 2-18 with fits including Mid-Rise Boot Cut, Mid-Rise Straight, Totally Shaping Mid-Rise Boot Cut and Totally Shaping At Waist Boot Cut.

Want to learn more about dENiZEN jeans? Find dENiZEN on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DenizenAmerica

Disclosure: I received a free pair of jeans to facilitate this review from dENiZEN. All comments and thoughts are my own as always.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

I purchased a tablet to take with me to BlogHer in San Diego but it wasn’t easy to multi-task on and it was thin but still heavy and I just couldn’t justify the cost right before BlogHer  so i returned it the very same day I bought it. I’m so glad I did. Honestly, there were several little items I really liked at BlogHer but this was the most exciting.

You see, I’m not what you’d call a “lucky” kind of person so when I won a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 at the Verizon luncheon I was just floored to say the least. I’ve had it now for a couple of weeks and after a few minor issues I’m really liking it. By the way, @SamsungSupport on twitter is a great help if you have any issues.

I had to go out of town almost immediately after returning from SanDiego, which getting back in itself was an adventure but I won’t bore you with that. Anyway, I was worried about being able to get work done on the road.  Six hours each way was a lot of time to lose out on work/blogging time so before we left my husband suggested I get it activated so I could use it on the road. That’s what we did and I must say it was great to be able to blog from it while on the road; it saved me so much time. It will be so much easier to take with me to therapy sessions and maybe once I get a cover for it I’ll let the kids do some learning games or read using it. Yes, I could have taken my laptop but this was so much easier to work with, carry and put away when we stopped.  I used the camera, looked at pictures and video (1280 x 800 WXGA display = awesome), tweeted, blogged and just spent time playing around with it. Now, I just need to get a cover for it so I can carry it out of the house without the box. If you have a favorite tablet cover please let know which one it is. I’m on the hunt for one.

The thing I can’t get over is how light it is -556 grams.  Honestly it feels like it weighs nothing which makes me a little worried I might drop it. I also love being able to multi-task, thanks to mini-apps, which wasn’t easy to do on the other tablet I bought but returned. Here it’s so easy to get around and understand. And since it’s android it wasn’t something new to get used to since I have an android phone already.  Everything is easy to find and I love the size of the screen.  Even me with my bad eye sight can use it without having to readjust the size (well, not much anyway).

I highly recommend giving it a look if you are in the market for a tablet. Well, I’m off to learn more about the Galaxy Tab’s Social Hub.

Disclosure:  No, I was not compensated in any way to post this information. I just really like it and think it’s one you might look at as an option should you be in the market for one.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.

Disney always seems to have something new to enjoy and this trip to Disneyland was no exception.

Star Tours – The Adventure Continues took you to more fascinating destinations throughout the Star Wars saga. Every ride was a different adventure.

Mickey’s Soundsational Parade – Mickey shared his musical talents as he drummed his way down the streets of Disney followed by a cast of other loved Disney characters.

Then Disney took the joys, smiles and family togetherness of that day at the park and transformed the It’s a Small World attraction into the stage for sharing the joyful images of the day projected on to it with the Magic, Memories and You show.

Just further proof that the imagination and magic of Disney continues.

© 2011, Nanette Gomez. All rights reserved.