Is there any cooler way to show myself off in a swimsuit than by diving underwater on a reef in Cozumel?

No. No there is not anything cooler.

To give you a better look of my cute self in my Lands’ End swimsuit, I modeled for my not-so-photog sister while we were on our cruise last weekend.

If we were giving out prizes, I’d totally win for Best Locale among all of the other beautiful ladies of Curvy Girl Guide who are joining me for the Lands’ End Swimsuit Confidence Week. Sure those other girls look amazing in their flower-covered backyards, posing as their hot selves in their swimsuits, but come on. I’M ON A BOAT!

And lookit how cute my pink (YES, they’re Crocs!) flippy floppys match my pink swimsuit. It’s totally like I planned it that way. Let’s pretend I did.

It’s your turn. Go strip down to your swimsuit, have a photo taken, and post your picture on the internet for all of the world to see forever and ever, Amen.

I dare you, friends. Do you accept?

Links to the Lands’ End-provided swimsuit I’m wearing: Lands’ End Women’s Regular Beach Living Dot Twist Tankini Top; Lands’ End Women’s Regular Beach Living Mid Length SwimMini

top image credit Manta Raya Divers

© Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] for A Whole Lot of Nothing • Your Favorite Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cozumel, diving, lands' end, reef, snorkeling, Sponsored, swimsuit, swimsuit confidence week

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This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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I totally believe in making sure my girls get all of the vegetables and fruits and vitamins and meats and dairies and grains and whole foods and water and organic non-hydrogenated macrobiotic grass-fed antibiotic-free-range food.

But then I’m slapped back to reality and come to terms with my lack of cooking skills and my girls’ limiting food tastes. In terms of nutrition, we live by the rule of “get it where and when you can.” If that means counting spaghetti sauce as a vegetable serving, so be it. In our house, 100% juice boxes totally count as fruit and reduced-fat hot dogs are a protein.

One of the few vegetables my girls will eat are peas and broccoli. Frozen peas are a staple in our freezer, and they don’t even know they can put butter or honey on them to make them taste better. We don’t have broccoli often in our house, mainly because of the farts, but also because one girl likes cold broccoli and the other likes it hot. And of course, neither one of them eats the stems.

I know. Weirdos.

Creating creative yet easy yet delicious meals is not one of my best qualities. Luckily for me and my kids, there is a very smart lady who’s compiled a collection of creative yet easy yet delicious vegetable dishes that my kids will (probably) eat. In partnership with Country Crock, chef and mom Clare Crespo created a downloadable book of healthy veggie recipes.

image credit countrycrock.com

For this post, I decided to be supermom and make the Sweet Potato Bear Claws, presenting them to my children in all their delicious glory. They would cheer and clap and pound the table with their forks as I exclaimed, “Look what your beautiful, caring mother created for you, the children from which my loins have provided!”

As things go, that did not happen. I decided instead to make one of the recipes on the Country Crock website because it has “easiest” in the name. Easiest Ever Spoonable Cornbread was going to hit the table to cheers and claps and little girls pounding the table with their forks! It would be my greatest accomplishment of the week!

And when I got home from the grocery store with all of the Spoonable Cornbread ingredients, they mocked me saying, “No, Pangie, you cannot make cornbread with yellow cake mix.”

I had bought the wrong Jiffy box featuring a yellow baked goodness on its front. Because of course.

So now I’m left with the ingredients to make Easiest Ever Spoonable Cornbread, an errand to run tomorrow, and the task of making the Sweet Potato Bear Claws the next day.

I’m also looking forward to using the other Clare Crespo-inspired vegetable recipes for my kids because it would be super awesome for them to actually eat more than just hot dogs and peas. I’ll keep you updated…
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Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun? Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!

© Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] for A Whole Lot of Nothing • Your Favorite Blog, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: clare crespo, cookbook, country crock, recipe, Sponsored, vegetables

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You don't want to end up the way you started: WITH NO TEETH!

You like clean teeth right? You like having a healthy mouth, yes? You like winning $100, duh.

Allow me to brag for one second while I tell you that I’ve never had a cavity. True story. But my bragging is short-lived when I tell you that my kid has already had one.

For more to the story and on how to keep your facehole clean, visit my two Listerine-sponsored posts: Healthy Mouth, Proud Mama #HealthyHabits and Forever Teeth Are Forever #healthyhabits

GIVEAWAY

To go along with those super-informative sponsored posts, Listerine, Walmart, and The Motherhood are allowing me to give away a $100 Walmart gift certificate along with some Listerine samples.

To enter the giveaway (which ends TODAY, March 30th, at 11pm EST), leave a comment below with your best tips on how you encourage your family to take care of their oral health. If you don’t have kiddies, let me know know a tip on how you think you would encourage kids to have healthy mouths. (Only comments that include oral care tips can be chosen to win. Them’s their rules.)

The winner will be chosen tonight, March 30th, at 11pm EST and will be notified by email. The winner MUST reply to my email with your name and mailing address ASAP. If I don’t hear back from the chosen winner by 12pm EST on March 31st, I will have to draw another winner who would need to reply with their information immediately.

WINNER!

Congrats to Melissa, commenter #34, who was chosen at random and contacted by email.

No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia, Eighteen (18) years of age or older. Sweepstakes end March 30, 2012. Prize(s) provided by Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products, a division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules for complete details, visit The Motherhood.

© Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] for A Whole Lot of Nothing • Your Favorite Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 40 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: giveaway, healthy habits, listerine, Sponsored, the motherhood

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A few weeks ago, they Lynchipoo house started the LISTERINE® and REACH® Healthy Habits for a Lifetime Oral Care Challenge, which is ironic because it’s a mouthful to say.

Since starting the Challenge and making a more conscious effort to take better care of our mouths, my seven-year-old, Anna, is pretty much obsessed with mouth rinse. She plans out which ones she’ll use after she finishes the bottle she’s currently using and makes sure the ones she wants are safe for kids. (Her current favorite is the LISTERINE® Smart Rinse Berry Shield.) If her sister doesn’t use mouthwash after she brushes, Anna makes sure to call her out and insist Claire rinses.

I’ve basically created a mini OCD monster. Which, if you there was something we could have picked for her to obsess over, there could be worse things than using mouth rinse. (Think: eating couch cushions, sleeping with a blowdryer, or eating her dead husband’s ashes.)

As my girls start losing more teeth and growing their “forever” teeth, they won’t want to end up like their ancestors and have to chew their steak with their hardened gums. And to encourage this OCD behavior of regular teeth brushing and mouth rinsing, we’ve mounted photos of rotten mouthes on the girls’ bathroom walls.

OK, that’s a lie, but if it ever comes to that extreme need for maintaining proper oral care, we’d totally do it.

Disclosure: This post and the previous one linked above are part of a sponsored series in partnership with The Motherhood and Listerine®. All opinions are my own as I highly doubt Listerine® would recommend you post photos of rotten teeth on your bathroom walls as motivation for using mouthwash. Find out more details on having a healthy mouth and teaching kids good brushing habits, visit the Healthy Habits for a Lifetime informational page at Walmart.com.

© Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] for A Whole Lot of Nothing • Your Favorite Blog, 2012. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: healthy habits, healthy mouth, listerine, oral care, Sponsored, the motherhood

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You know all of those pork recipes I shared last month?

• Pork Tenderloin Sliders
• Breaded Pork Chops
• 5-Minute Shredded Pork Tacos
• Stuffed Pork, Apple, Cheddar Grilled Sandwiches

Of course you do.

Tonight, The National Pork Board (@AllAboutPork) and The Motherhood (@theMotherhood) are hosting a Twitter party from 7-8pm EST in honor of Nutrition Month, complete with giveaways. If you’re interested in hearing about nutrition as it relates to eating and preparing pork at home, follow along with the #PorkPledge hashtag on Twitter. Five prize packs will be given away throughout the hour, based on responses to trivia questions.  They will be filled with pork coupons and other items to help you live a healthier lifestyle (such as a meat thermometer, reusable water bottle and reusable grocery bag). RSVP to let them know if you’ll be there. Click this link and press the red “yes” button under “Are you going?” – http://twtvite.com/gku88u

Hooray, Pork!

© Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] for A Whole Lot of Nothing • Your Favorite Blog, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: pork, Sponsored, the motherhood, twitter party

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It’s the final installment of my 4-week series of pork recipes I’ve published in partnership with The Motherhood, Publix, and The National Pork Board.

Or as my girls call it, “that thing for your work where we have to eat pork all the time.”

There’s been 3 great recipes and dinners leading up to today’s finale:

The fourth and final pork meal I handed off to Patrick was tasked with making was a dinner with this week’s Publix special, Pork Sirloin Cutlets. The theme of the week is to create a meal inspired by comfort foods made healthy.

Because “comfort” means “fattening” to me, I scoured the Pork Be Inspired recipe database for a meal that was both kid-friendly and easy to make but also fit the bill as “healthy.” What did I find?

Breaded Pork Chops

4 boneless pork loin chops, 3/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In my house, this is where I hand over this recipe print-out from Pork Be Inspired to Patrick, so I’m assuming he used all of the steps from Pork Be Inspired in the recipe below to make our breaded pork chops. Only, I think maybe he heated the oil too high because the chops came out slightly past “done.”

In small bowl, combine flour, salt, paprika and pepper. In another small bowl, combine egg and Worcestershire sauce. Coat chops with seasoned flour; dip in egg mixture, and coat with crumbs. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown chops on one side until golden brown (about 4 minutes); turn and continue cooking for another 4 minutes until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a 3-minute rest time. Serve hot.
Serves 4

And Patrick did it again; he made a yummy dinner with his favorite meat, pork.

What? Can’t a man have a favorite meat? 

Just ignore those parts that are darker than golden brown. Think of it as Patrick doing you a favor with a warning to not set your oil too high when you cook your meat.

Giveaway

And because WHO DOESN’T LOVE PORK? other than vegetarians and pescetarians and vegans I’m hosting a little giveaway! Included in the giveaway (subject to change, but value will not) from the Pork & Publix campaign include:

• 8 $5 pork coupons (total value of $40)
• Water bottle
• Reusable grocery bag
• Meat thermometer (Patrick raves about the one I received)
• Pedometer
• Recipe book

To enter the giveaway, share one or all of my recipe posts on your Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest accounts, and leave one comment for each separately shared recipe ON THIS POST with the link to where you shared these recipe posts (limit to four total comment entries per person):

• Pork Tenderloin Sliders
• Stuffed Pork, Apple, Cheddar Grilled Sandwiches
• 5-Minute Crock Pot Shredded Pork Tacos
• Breaded Pork Chops

The giveaway is open now through Monday, February 27th. I’ll choose one random comment from those left below that include a valid link to where the recipe post was shared. The chosen winner will be contacted via email and must respond within 2 days to receive the prize from Pork & Publix.

Good luck! And happy porking.

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Check the National Pork Board website for current Publix pork specials and other recipes to try out. Select cuts of pork are currently on sale at Publix through February 22nd. Like the Pork Be Inspired page on Facebook for updates on the new Love Me Tenderloin Giveaway. Follow @allaboutpork for additional information and specials. 

© Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] for A Whole Lot of Nothing • Your Favorite Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: coupons, giveaway, pork be inspired, Sponsored

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You know how when you eat something new and you immediately fall in lust?

That happened with these Stuffed Pork Apple Cheddar Grilled Sandwiches. Try saying that 3 times fast.

For week 2 in my partnership with The Motherhood and the National Pork Board, Patrick was tasked (by me) to make a new pork recipe with pork tenderloin chops.

Holy.

Delicious.

Again, my girls even ate it. Which, seriously, if my girls eat something that’s not pizza or a peanut butter & Nutella sandwich, the Earth must be off its axis.

Stuffed Pork, Apple, Cheddar Grilled Sandwiches

8 boneless pork loin chops, cut 1/4-inch thick and trimmed (10 to 12 ounces total)
4 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
Nonstick cooking spray
8 slices country wheat bread, 1/2-inch thick
3 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced 1/8-inch thick
4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, reduced-fat (made with 2% milk/fat free), thinly sliced

The full recipe is listed on the Pork Be Inspired website. Because he likes to grill, Patrick grilled the chops instead of pan-frying and grilled the whole sandwiches instead of panini-ing them.

Check the National Pork Board website for current Publix pork specials and other recipes to try out. This week, Pork Loin Chops are on sale for $4.99/pound. Like the Pork Be Inspired page on Facebook for updates on the new Love Me Tenderloin Giveaway. Follow @allaboutpork for additional information and specials. 

© Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] for A Whole Lot of Nothing • Your Favorite Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: pork apple cheddar grilled sandwich, pork recipe, Sponsored

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“The other white meat.”

It could be my own personal motto, but the National Pork Board thought of it before I could. It’s a good thing I like eating the delicious meat of the pig, or we’d have a problem with our shared motto.

As part of a four-week-long sponsored partnership with Publix, The Motherhood, and the National Pork Board, I was invited to try out different cuts of pork with new recipes. Seeing as I’m not a girl who loves being in the kitchen, I recruited Patrick to make all of the recipes I’ll be sharing. The world is a better place for that.

This week’s cut is pork tenderloin, and with that cut of meat, we decided on trying a recipe that was suggested.

Pork Tenderloin Sliders With Three* Sauces Recipe

1 1lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
your choice of seasoning
2 T olive oil
12 mini rolls (We used King’s Hawaiian)
baby greens
sliced plum tomato

Cut tenderloin into 1/2 inch thick slices.
Sprinkle pork with seasoning.
Heat skillet with oil over medium-high heat.
Add pork to oil to brown, turning once, about 1-1/2 minute for each side.

Note: Pork should be heated to an internal temperature of 145ºF.

Yogurt-Lime Sauce Recipe

Mix together:

1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon lime zest, grated
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (We used dry)

Goat Cheese-Basil Sauce Recipe

Mix together:

4 ounces soft goat cheese, at room temperature (1/2 cup) (Pro-tip: don’t use crumbles)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (We used dry)
1 small clove garlic , minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch black pepper

*This recipe calls for making three different sauces, but Patrick isn’t an avocado fan, and since he was making the whole deal, I wasn’t going to push him on making something he didn’t like. That’s called: Picking My Battles.

Take one King’s Hawaiian roll, careful not to shove it in your mouth because you know of its sweet, buttery goodness, schmear it with your choice of sauce, slap on a pork slab, top with tomato and greens.

Shove that homemade pork goodness in your mouth.

Pin It

Seriously, it’s crazy delicious. And seriously, it took Patrick all of about 20 minutes from start to finish to make the entire thing.

This week at Publix, pork tenderloin is on special for $4.99/pound. It’s my personal recommendation that you try these pork sliders because my kids even ate them. And if my kids eat something new and like it, the Earth shifts.

Check the National Pork Board website for current Publix pork specials and other recipes to try out. Like the Pork Be Inspired page on Facebook for updates on the new Love Me Tenderloin Giveaway. Follow @allaboutpork for additional information and specials. 

© Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] for A Whole Lot of Nothing • Your Favorite Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: easy recipe, pork tenderloin, sauce recipe, sliders recipe, Sponsored

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There will never not be a time in my life where I will outgrow loving Elmo. Like, never. I’ve met the real Elmo, and it was pretty much one of my top 5 best moments of life ever.

Now that SeaWorld Orlando has a Breakfast with Elmo & Friends, we can all get on the Elmo Love Train. Breakfast with Elmo & Friends is a character meet-and-greet opportunity, and if you’ve not had the chance to enjoy a plate of eggs and bacon with your kids screaming for an autograph from their favorite character, that’s an experience you need to have.

If you have little kiddies, they probably have serious love for Max & Ruby, the Doodlebops, and Choo-Choo Soul. (Or maybe your husband has a crush on Genevieve like someone I know.) On upcoming Saturdays at SeaWorld Orlando, your kids’ favorite TV shows will be live on stage! (Or maybe your husband wants to go oogle at Genevieve from afar.)

Just for Kids Saturdays - Concert times: 11 am and 2 pm

Seating for the concerts is available on a first-come, first-served basis with tickets being handed out at the Nautilus Theatre starting at 9am on concert days, free with park admission. Or, when you have your breakfast with Elmo, you’re guaranteed a ticket to the afternoon concert of the day.

We’ll be at SeaWorld Orlando this Saturday! Anyone else going on an upcoming Saturday? Maybe I’ll be oogling at Elmo. And maybe we’ll oogle at dolphins. BECAUSE WHO CAN’T NOT OOGLE AT DOLPHINS?

I mean, seriously. They’re amazing.

Disclosure – I am receiving entrance into SeaWorld Orlando in exchange for this informational post about Just for Kids Saturdays and Breakfast with Elmo & Friends. All opinions are my own.

© Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] for A Whole Lot of Nothing • Your Favorite Blog, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: concerts, dine with elmo and friends, just for kids, seaworld orlando, Sponsored

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Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.walgreens.com/beauty.

I’m all about putting me first. Clearly, I’m the most important person in my life. When mama ain’t happy, no one is happy. I try to remember than more now in December with the holidays than any other time of the year. The endless shopping lists, packing lists, to-do lists, and gift lists are just that: endless.

If you know me, you know I’m not a makeup girl aside from my staples of base, mascara and maybe some eyeshadow and eyeliner. But when I go out to Target or even to The WalMart, I put on all of my night-out makeup and fix my hair. Why? Because if I look good, I’ll feel good, and I’ll feel better about the throngs of people I’m weaving through, standing in line behind, and elbowing if need be.

It’s all those gifts that are last-minute, but SO important that can be found at the drugstore or grocery store that I think of just hours before Santa makes his way down the chimney. The stocking stuffers like candy, gum, and travel-sized toothpaste (you know you’ve done it) are just down the road from my house in abundance. And the stock of makeup that Claire, my nearly 6-year-old, has requested for Christmas was easy to pick up. While I’m there, the wrapping paper and bag o’ bows are all at the drugstore, too.

Remember, everyone can use an extra bottle of travel-sized Pert and a mini bottle of Scope. Santa wants you to be clean for your family. Hopefully this year, my mom Santa stuffs my stocking full of that makeup I need for my next trip to The WalMart, because I don’t want to end up as a feature on the People of WalMart.

© Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] for A Whole Lot of Nothing • Your Favorite Blog, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Sponsored

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