ashleyd /

Kickstarting Cinco de Mayo and Southern Caviar

If you haven’t done so yet, don’t forget to enter my Swiffer giveaway here!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! I knew today may include more chips and salsa than the average day so I started out the morning with a killer kickin’ workout! I’m often inspired by fellow bloggers kick boxing workouts but have always been intimidated by the moves and jumps. After hearing a few friends rave about Akin’s Cardio Kickboxing class at Equinox I decided today was the perfect day to try!  I LOVED IT! He was very friendly and took me through the moves before class started so I was more comfortable. In addition, his music was upbeat and definitely woke everyone up at the early hour of 6:30! After the hour class I was drenched through my t-shirt and already feeling my quads and arms from the punching moves, kicks, and squats.

I arrived at the office this morning greeted by Cinco de Mayo everywhere! There were emails galore about happy hour drinks
and my manager, whose roots are in Mexico, decided to treat our office to lots of this:

and…
in honor of the holiday. Our area was definitely the most popular as everyone kept sneaking in to grab a plate filled with chips and salsa. If salt intake and calories didn’t exist I could survive on chips, salsa, and guacamole alone! I love the flavors in the gourmet salsas that exist on the market today. I grew up on Tostitos salsa and chips but now I am obsessed with Green Mountain Gringo salsa and flax tortilla chips. These Trader Joes Veggie and Flaxseed chips are amazing!
I tried my best to avoid these during the day and even used a few tactics which were pretty effective:
-Keep my water bottle front and center on my desk and ensure it’s full all day long
-Enjoy my grapefruit mid morning snack and afternoon pear to keep hunger at bay
-Move the chips to different areas of our office area so they are no longer on the table next to my desk
These tactics worked quite well and I only enjoyed a plate full of chips and salsa during the day. This allowed me to feel fresh and energetic when our work happy hour started and even continue the party to the second location where we had a mini high school reunion. Bo and I had the great opportunity to catch up with five of our fellow high school alums at a local irish bar in hopes of avoiding the crazy Cinco de Mayo crowds. Yup, you read that right, Bo and I actually went to high school together.  It was great to catch up with our fellow Georgia transplants.
I’m exhausted and fully intend to do nothing besides watching The Parenthood in the vertical position on the sofa the rest of the evening! I hope you all have a great night! Tomorrow I’ll be reviewing Fitnessista’s newest lifting routine and Cheribundi! Until then, here is the next recipe from last weekend’s Diamond Derby Housewarming Party- Southern Caviar! Southern caviar has nothing to do with fish or their offspring. Instead, it’s a colorful and healthy dip that is a favorite at Southern gatherings and parties! Better yet,  it is inexpensive, fast, easy, and transports well! It was a big hit on Saturday  night and the leftovers have made the perfect salad topping!

Ingredients

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (recommended: Ro-Tel)
  • 2 cups chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh jalapeno peppers
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 (8-ounce) bottle Italian dressing (you can use light or fat free if you prefer)
  • 1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir gently to combine. Refrigerate mixture overnight. Serve with corn chips or veggies!

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ashleyd /

Swiffer Sweep Vac Review and $40 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway

  

I grew up in a home that was warm, cozy, and filled with carpet. We used vacuums for cleaning every room except the kitchen. The kitchen was often the bane of my existence as our two parakeets shed their feathers daily all over the freshly dust busted floor. One of my daily chores was ALWAYS vacuuming the feathers. Every time I’d try to vacuum the feathers the dust buster’s side vents would blow them all over the place. Flash forward a few years to the life of a New Yorker. Almost every apartment flooring is either parquet or tile. In addition, there is no space for a traditional vacuum cleaner. This makes cleaning floors a challenge as brooms tend to be far less effective.

Imagine my excitement when I received a Swiffer Sweep Vac from Procter & Gamble and My Blog Spark. Since I no longer have a Walmart or Target in my area I don’t always get to see the fun new product innovations on the market especially in the realm of home products. I have always loved the Swiffer but had never tried any of their vacuum or flicker products. The marketing/PR team working on Swiffer did an amazing job presenting this new tool. The kit they sent me included a pack of Swiffer pads, small jars of cereal, dirt, and synthetic hair to dump on the floor for testing purposes. 

swiffer7

I was apprehensive at first as I wasn’t sure how affective such a small, simple product could be. The product is the same height of the traditional Swiffer but the neck area is about the width of a dust buster. This narrow dimensions mean that it can easily slide under a bed, hide in a closet, or even behind a sofa if needed.

The product came at the perfect time as I was having to clean our old apartment and then spruce up our new hardwood floors in the new apartment in advance of our housewarming party. I chose NOT to use their hair and cereal samples on the floor as I thought Styrofoam pieces, dust bunnies, and random food particles were enough of a test for this mighty little Swiffer SweepVac.

I started by assembling the vac which was very easy even for the most technically challenged person. There were two handle pieces that went together and then an A/C adapter for charging. I charged it overnight and then went to work on our parque floors.

I must say Bo and I were both beyond impressed.  The result was clean floors that were free of dirt, dust, hair, and crumbs. The pad picked up all the residue normally left behind after using a traditional broom or even Dustbuster while the vacuum was able to pick up all the larger pieces.  It also has a filter similar to a dust buster that can be emptied easily and lasts 6 months! P&G made this the most user friendly product possible.

P&G and My Blog Spark is offering one lucky Healthy, Happier Bear reader a $40 Walmart gift card so they can experience the Swiffer Sweeper Vac!

swiffersweeper2

The giveaway begins today and will end Friday at 5pm.  I will announce a winner either Friday evening or Saturday morning.

How to enter?

1. Comment and tell me what room you would tackle first with a Swiffer Sweeper Vac.

2.  Tweet this contest! Copy and paste the following into Twitter: Want to win a $40 Walmart gift card so you can try a Swiffer Sweep Vac? @healthyhappier is giving one away at http://bit.ly/9z5zWy

3. Receive an extra entry for linking back about this entry on your own blog and comment that you did so.

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ashleyd /

Swiffer Sweep Vac Review and $40 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway

  

I grew up in a home that was warm, cozy, and filled with carpet. We used vacuums for cleaning every room except the kitchen. The kitchen was often the bane of my existence as our two parakeets shed their feathers daily all over the freshly dust busted floor. One of my daily chores was ALWAYS vacuuming the feathers. Every time I’d try to vacuum the feathers the dust buster’s side vents would blow them all over the place. Flash forward a few years to the life of a New Yorker. Almost every apartment flooring is either parquet or tile. In addition, there is no space for a traditional vacuum cleaner. This makes cleaning floors a challenge as brooms tend to be far less effective.

Imagine my excitement when I received a Swiffer Sweep Vac from Procter & Gamble and My Blog Spark. Since I no longer have a Walmart or Target in my area I don’t always get to see the fun new product innovations on the market especially in the realm of home products. I have always loved the Swiffer but had never tried any of their vacuum or flicker products. The marketing/PR team working on Swiffer did an amazing job presenting this new tool. The kit they sent me included a pack of Swiffer pads, small jars of cereal, dirt, and synthetic hair to dump on the floor for testing purposes. 

swiffer7

I was apprehensive at first as I wasn’t sure how affective such a small, simple product could be. The product is the same height of the traditional Swiffer but the neck area is about the width of a dust buster. This narrow dimensions mean that it can easily slide under a bed, hide in a closet, or even behind a sofa if needed.

The product came at the perfect time as I was having to clean our old apartment and then spruce up our new hardwood floors in the new apartment in advance of our housewarming party. I chose NOT to use their hair and cereal samples on the floor as I thought Styrofoam pieces, dust bunnies, and random food particles were enough of a test for this mighty little Swiffer SweepVac.

I started by assembling the vac which was very easy even for the most technically challenged person. There were two handle pieces that went together and then an A/C adapter for charging. I charged it overnight and then went to work on our parque floors.

I must say Bo and I were both beyond impressed.  The result was clean floors that were free of dirt, dust, hair, and crumbs. The pad picked up all the residue normally left behind after using a traditional broom or even Dustbuster while the vacuum was able to pick up all the larger pieces.  It also has a filter similar to a dust buster that can be emptied easily and lasts 6 months! P&G made this the most user friendly product possible.

P&G and My Blog Spark is offering one lucky Healthy, Happier Bear reader a $40 Walmart gift card so they can experience the Swiffer Sweeper Vac!

swiffersweeper2

The giveaway begins today and will end Friday at 5pm.  I will announce a winner either Friday evening or Saturday morning.

How to enter?

1. Comment and tell me what room you would tackle first with a Swiffer Sweeper Vac.

2.  Tweet this contest! Copy and paste the following into Twitter: Want to win a $40 Walmart gift card so you can try a Swiffer Sweep Vac? @healthyhappier is giving one away at http://bit.ly/9z5zWy

3. Receive an extra entry for linking back about this entry on your own blog and comment that you did so.

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Follow: