I'm #TeamSweetNLow Because It Helps Me Kick Cravings And Stay Hydrated!

***I received a product sample as part of a Crowdtap Sample and Share, I was in no way required to feature the product on my blog. All opinions and photos are original content, copyright Momma Told Me 2014.

Momma Told Me: Stay sweet.

I have an insatiable sweet tooth. A year and half ago I was told I was pre-diabetic and I saw my dessert life flash before my eyes. There were cinnamon buns that would never be eaten, pink frosted donuts without a coffee to dunk them in, and scary men in sunglasses hauling away my secret candy bar stash. If it sounds dramatic that's because, for me, it was. A life without sugar would mean a life not just void of chocolate, but frozen yogurt, root beer floats, rainbow colored lollipops, and those little triangles of imitation corn candy that sprout each Fall. But my addiction to sugar was literally life threatening, I was making myself sick.

It turns out that I was also drinking an alarming amount of sugar. Desert every weeknight and snacking throughout the day didn't help my sugar levels, but I quickly learned that just one beverage of sports drink (which I preferred far over soda) could have as many as 50g of sugar in an entire bottle! That's 2-3 times the amount of sugar in my average candy portion. So out went 'beverages' and in came water. Lots of water. The lifestyle change was severe for me, I began drinking water exclusively, in addition to cutting my sugar intake to dessert twice a week. The transformation was also dramatic, I lost over 70lbs and began enjoying more energy and a better night's sleep. In less than a year I was triumphantly no longer at risk for diabetes.

Now that I'm 'out of the woods,' and living a healthier lifestyle I've begun to get a little restless with plain water. I find myself letting my sweet tooth sneak back in and I supplement the lack of flavor with fresh and frozen fruit infusions and flavored seltzer options. Now, I'm not advocating reliance on sugar substitutes, but I have recently begun incorporating Sweet N' Low into some of my afternoon concoctions to add a little extra sweetness that satisfies my craving without the calories. If we're going to be real, in an ideal world there would be no sugar in our diets but those consumed naturally through fruits and juices, correct? But I have an addictive personality and sweet is my sweetheart, so I reach for the little pink packet that can give me all of that without all the extras.

In fact, I find that Sweet' N Low has a very condensed flavor per packet, and often only nee about half to properly flavor any beverage to my taste; and I am still consuming primarily water (not salt, not sugar, not artificial colorings.) I know artificial sweeteners are not for everyone- and I was once one of those people who couldn't imagine reaching for anything but a white packet at the diner table. As it turns out, when used in moderation, with fresh and wholesome ingredients- it really is one of my secret tools to weight loss and better hydration!

How do you indulge your sweet tooth in more health conscious ways?

What Daughter Says: I don't think Momma meant for my blood to literally turn to sugar. The new me is sweeter without the extra calories!

The Best Movie Snacks Don't Even Need A Movie- Putting On My #ZoursFace

Momma Told Me: Make the sour moments sweet.

You could say one of our family mottos is 'A family that sweets together, stays together;' after all, did you ever see a baker without any friends? As someone who considers themselves a living rainbow it's no secret my love of sugar stems from the beautifully bright colored candies of my childhood. Show this girl a giant spiral lollipop and she will literally squeal with glee. Unfortunately, as magical as candy is, there is no real Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, so Momma and I were often left creating our own sweet moments with a little twist. The local grocery store confection aisle was never lacking new candy ideas for a tradition we dubbed 'Sour Wednesdays.'

You see, every serious couponer knows the local grocery store ads land in mailboxes on Tuesday, and the weekly sales reset Wednesday morning. And, as soon as I could use a calculator, Momma put me to work subtracting and adding all the week's steals and deals as they went into the cart. As a reward I was allowed to hunt the candy aisle for a new candy- and sour was my poison. Upon arriving home, and unpacking the last bag, Momma an I would sit on the couch and pop a candy, one-by-one, into our mouths. The goal was to see who could tolerate the most candies before their eyes began to water and they cracked a 'sour face.'

Not too long ago one of my favorite candies, Mike and Ike released a new sour variety, called Zours®. In no exaggeration I promptly bought every size package in sight and shipped them up to Momma in Oregon. I like to make care packages for my family members (and a family that sweets together....) I can imagine when Momma opened the package she promptly tore open that yellow bag and popped one of each of the 5 flavors in her mouth (Green Apple always has been her favorite) and puckered her lips in enjoyment. I promptly received a phone call, mid #ZoursFace, telling me how much she loved these new candies, and was instantly brought back to my childhood memories making silly faces and crying over candy with Momma.

Remember how I said candy was a family thing? Well it turns out 3 generations of our family have a thing for sour- Sabrina (11) recently discovered my personal purse stash and popped several of these chewy little candies into her mouth. What promptly followed was a phenomenon known as a #ZoursFace. It's something you can't fake, really- much like  baby getting their first taste of a lemon slice, the reactions are priceless (just check out Sabrina's mother trying all 5 flavors at once in my Instagram video.) We were crafting a graduation gift of candy leis (Pinterest Image Tutorial Below) for Sabrina's 5th grade advancement and she just couldn't help herself!

Unlike some 'other' chewy sour candies that have a harsh gritty (sand paper like) effect when you eat too many, Zours® are the perfect popcorn snacks. You can buy theater size boxes without the theater size price at your local Walmart and enjoy them throughout the film without ruining your taste buds. They have  wonderfully unique sour coating on the outside of the chewy candy that makes the sour then sweet Watermelon and Blue Raspberry candies a unique experience. Not sure where to find my favorite sour candy? Stop by a Walmart Supercenter near you July 3-6th to find exclusive demos and take home samples of Zours®; just hover over the interactive in store photo above to find links to the locations nearest you!

After Sabrina's graduation her younger siblings and her all piled onto our Xorbee (massive memory foam bean bag) and began Summer the right way with a movie marathon. Lego Movie, Monster's University, and Nightmare Before Christmas are all favorites in our home, and they wouldn't be complete without the best movie snacks! While they sprinkled Zours® in their buttered popcorn I found the inspiration to whip up a creamy, and healthy, Zour Apple Smoothie everyone loved. Not only does this green drink have the same vibrant color as Momma's favorite Green Apple candy, but it's chocked full of spinach and avocado (shhhh they'll never know) and has a fun little sour kick.

But enough of my yapping, you really need to just get yourself to a Walmart during one of those demo days and experience this candy yourself! While you're there stop by the produce department (because Supercenters are amazing like that) and grab the ingredients to make my Zour Apple Smoothie- the complete recipe is on the image details so hurry up and Pin it now! Then, grab your friends, family, or even the mailman, pop some of these little rays of flavor in your mouth and snap your best #ZoursFace photo and upload it to Twitter and Instagram for all the world to see. Maybe we can all make our sour family just a little bigger, one Zours® face at a time!

What Daughter Says: Create some priceless moments with your best Zours Face!

Continue after the jump to Pin an exclusive Candy Lei Tutorial Graphic. Click for Printable Zour Apple Smoothie Recipe. #CollectiveBias

What I'm Streaming: Deadbeat- Hulu (2014- )

Momma Told Me: TV is mindless.

I haven't been watching a lot of television lately; despite finally catching up on Game Of Thrones (HBO) and my impromptu celebration for the return of Big Brother (CBS)....okay, and last Sunday's premiere of True Blood (HBO) I have actually been quite busy running around taking photos and whipping up some awesome Summer content I will be able to share with you all soon. None-the-less, I still find my fingers cramped and my mind a little exhausted somewhere around midnight each night when the remote rolls over to my side of the bed amid snores. I don't really care what's on the television, really- I just prefer the ambient noise; and that's how a Hulu 'original' made it's way into my lineup.

Deadbeat, a Hulu Original Series, can be viewed by anything with an internet connection or media streamer. Without being judgmental, that usually has my quality and expectations radar low. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great independent, smaller, projects like Deadbeat can be picked up and actually streamed on digital networks such as Hulu, but that really means that the concept was often too wacky, or just plain offensive, to make prime time networks. In any case, there I was at midnight and there was an entire season of 20 minute episodes of mindless comedy to watch.

If you're up for the dare to take on this, fairly short, season you'll likely enjoy it most while cooking, running a treadmill, or waiting in line at the Dr's office. Essentially, you don't need to pay attention all too well to follow it, and the storyline is much more 'Did they really just do that?' than cerebral twists and turns. The filming is probably comparable to 90's cable sitcoms (don't expect HD), and the 'ghosts' are hilariously filtered in with graphics most high school students could manage in beginning film classes.

Oh, yes, there are ghosts- didn't I mention that? Well Deadbeat is about a broke medium who sells his services as such and inevitably ends up more broke than the beginning of the episode. Essentially each episode has a larger story (quirky romance) that wraps around his individual 'jobs' helping wayward ghosts complete their unfinished business so they can cross over. I have to say the show would be very enjoyable if it weren't for the writer's attempts to make the main character appeal to younger audiences with the casual drug use (primarily marijuana). Perhaps in the second season we will see him reform a little? In all, the show is worth a watch (just don't devote all your attention to it) and free to everyone, offering at least a few chuckles to kill some spare time.

What Daughter Says: I'm grateful smaller fish are having the opportunity to be seen, mindless TV can be good as long as you remember not to take it so seriously.

Bucket List Tuesday #58: The Oscar Mayer #Wienermobile

Momma Told Me: You can't just saddle a unicorn and fly into the sunset.

It's not every little girl's dream to parade around town in a giant hot dog on wheels? How odd I feel to learn this, as I recently found myself giddy with glee at the prospect of having such an opportunity this past May. You see, in out house, next to the kitchen fridge, is one of the two things that actually have holes in our wall- it was the first thing I picked out before moving, really. A giant tack-board I faced with cherry red poster board (to match me appliances, of course) and resolved to capture just a little bit of every adventure on. In just the past two years we have done a great job of coating it in admission stubs, concert tickets, photo strips, an wristbands- but few things stand out as much as my #Wienermobile stickers.

It's ironic, truly; I don't like hot dogs. Okay, I will tolerate them at social events such as backyard cookouts, but I prefer to eat my meat in the same form it came off the animal. But this retro-loving girl from Southern California fell in love with Oscar Mayer and all it sung for shortly after watching the first (and indisputably the best) Santa Claus, Tim Allen) movie. When that film came out on VHS I wore through the tape twice, and could recite the lines word for word- but what captivated me the most was the Weenie Whistle one of the main characters had so wished for as a child. I began asking my own parents about this famed food shaped whistle and quickly learned the Oscar Mayer jingles an resolved I would one day set foot on a giant, rolling, hot dog called the Wienermobile. (You just can't make this stuff up, folks.)

You may recall last Winter I'd won a scholarship to #SoFabCon14 in Arkansas, my first real blog conference- and it just so happens one of the major sponsors was Kraft. As I headed out those double doors of the hotel lobby, and around the back to where the glistening giant wiener was parked, I felt my heart skip a beat with glee. I'm fairly certain I squealed a little- I was about to check off one of my oldest bucket list wishes. I suppose that should have made me feel old, and a little retrospective, but I was captivated by this image of Americana and my face glowed as I entered the top-fold bun door into what was a riot of Oscar Mayer Red and Yellow. It was pure magic.

I'm sure I'd expected the beautifully upholstered leather seats to smell like mustard, or the ketchup red floors to squish when I stepped (kids can create some amazing worlds in their fantasies.) While the Wienermobile is in fact a functioning vehicle, it does not disappoint on awesome; in fact, it may be even more awesome from the inside. My favorite touch is the painted 'sky' ceiling that reminds me of the Magical School Bus and simply tickles the child inside me but the hot dog steering wheel is pretty awesome too!

When I stepped off that giant rolling Wiener I was knighted in Wienerhood with the famed Weenie Whistle and a sheet of jingle music- no Santa Claus needed. In fact, there was a very friendly and chipper Hotdogger (the name given to the fleet of drivers entrusted with driving the Mobile and bringing magic to towns nationwide, waiting to greet me. We shall call her an Oscar Mayer elf. This elf asked me and several bloggers to sing the jingle on camera, or posterity, several times, then thee was the magical signing of waivers. It was all glorious, really- and who knows, maybe someday I'll show up in the Wiener web singling the jingle with my fellow sisters in mustard! If you'd like to track down the Wienermobile in a city near you, and kick this one of your bucket list, check out the Hot Dogger Blog!

What Daughter Says: I don't know, Momma, this was pretty darn close!

The #BerryJoyfulSweeps Is The Perfect Excuse To Enjoy My No Bake Mini Berry Cheesecakes!

***I participated in the Berry Joyful Campaign as a member of the Vibrant Nation Network. I received a product voucher and compensation for my time creating this recipe. All content below is copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2014.

Momma Told Me: Make every moment sweet.

Growing up in Southern California I enjoyed the privilege of extended summers soaking up warm sun and an array of fresh from the field produce year-round. Locally we have several high volume crops from avocados and seedless oranges to bright leafy cabbage and big, plump, berries. In fact, when my family moved closer to the coast in middle school, I learned my new hometown was host to a very special berry event known as the California Strawberry Festival. This is no ordinary town festival, this is an event that has major streets blocked off and tourists flying in from outside states. It is an experience, to say the least. That's because Oxnard, California, and it's surrounding cities, are responsible for an estimated 1/3 of the U.S.'s strawberry production, yearly.

To say we have access to some of the largest, freshest, berries in the country would be an understatement. Just walking out the front door at the height of berry season puts a smile on my face and reminds me of childhood memories at the pick-your-own farm smearing fresh strawberry juice across my plump little cheeks. And, when our relatives visit from back East only one thing is demanded; the largest basket of strawberries we can find, and a fresh can of Reddi-Wip in the fridge. There's just something about that fluffy, creamy, whipped concoction that just makes my berry memories extra sweet. As a young girl Momma and I would be caught by pop, huddled around the refrigerator door  swirling piles of Reddi-Wip onto strawberries before scarfing them down.

But there are many ways to dress up a berry, and a dozen desserts I can thin to whip up at last minute's notice. That's the beauty of having fresh, ripe, berries on hand this time of season; Berry Joyful Moments are just one swirl and dip away. That's why Reddi-Wip and Naturipe have teamed up to bring us the #BerryJoyfulSweeps, where berry lovers nationwide are encouraged to pick up a can of Reddi-Wip and share their Berry-licious moments on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Now through July 7th, all photos tagged with #BerryJoyfulSweeps will be entered to win weekly prizes and count as an entry towards the grand prize of a 2 person getaway to the 2015 Watsonville Strawberry Festival!

Of  course it doesn't require a reason, for me to share one of my favorite excuses to enjoy fresh berries and Reddi-Wip; so I hit the kitchen and 'Wipped' up my family's favorite 7 ingredient No-Bake Berry Cheesecakes in mini form. I happened to have some dark chocolate cordial cups leftover from the holidays so I piped some of the batter into them for individual servings. Then I took the leftover batter and spread it into 6oz cups for mini cheesecakes that could easily be served at our weekend cookout, or taken to the bowling alley for league.

You may not be as fortunate as me to have had a backyard full of berries growing up, but I bet you have a few Berry Joyful Moments to share- and if you don't there's never been a better time to start creating them! For those watching their waists, Reddi-Wip Original and Extra Creamy have just 15 calories per serving, while Reddi-Wip Fat Free is just 5, so no excuses! Bring home some berry joy today and tell me how you like to indulge in your favorite berry moments!

What Daughter Says: Summer is here, enjoy your favorite berries today!

A Retro Revival: Bo-Po Peel Off Nail Polish For Kids Review + Giveaway! 7/6

***Please note I received the following product as part of a Tomoson promotion. All opinions and images below are original content, copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2014.

Momma Told Me: Don't chew on your nails!

Every young girl wants to be just like her mother. From sneaking anti-wrinkle cream from Momma's nightstand to smearing lipstick across tiny lips and daubing pots of vivid color onto rosy cheeks; one thing we want most is our mother's beauty. And one of the best things, perhaps, about being a young woman is the freedom to wear twirly dresses, and the encouragement to express ones-self with pretty colors and plenty of sparkles. And, perhaps, while I suspect Sabrina (11) will be well into the end of her teenage years before she is allowed to touch any form of facial cosmetics, nail polish is widely accepted as a form of self expression for girls of any age.

Unfortunately, the above is a common scene in our household, where Sabrina can often be found gnawing the chipped lacquer off her fingers. We're careful to screen the chemicals and contents of her nail polish, but I can't imagine the consumption of any nail color is considered healthy, Nor is it ladylike to be seen with one's fingers in one's mouth constantly. I don't know what goes on during play-yard breaks at school but a manicure does not last more than an afternoon in our household, and somehow this is what walks out of the car after school each day.

I remember, when I was a young girl, there was a product around in the 80's that featured a revolutionary kid-safe peel-off formula. If I recall right it had great intentions, but a strong odor and a dodgy execution in peel-ability. Sadly, this product was not around for long, and disappeared until it's retro revival recently. Worx Toys recently acquired the name and rights to the beloved children's polish and reformulated the concept to be longer lasting and more effective with 10 new hues and tints for the #BoPoFun can continue! The spill resistant containers and quick drying formula has quickly gained popularity among mothers and daughters.

Sold individually or in twin packs, we recently were sent a sample of two Bo-Po polishes in 'OMG' and 'Day Camp,' or ketchup and mustard as Sabrina refers to them. We generally do not let Sabrina wear 'adult' colors like black and red, but this red was a very vibrant and playful kid-color that passed 'daddy' approval. We found ourselves wishing the polish had an equally fun fruity scent as the colors it came in, but were glad to note what odor the lacquer did have was minimal and non-offensive. The wide application brush was easy enough for Sabrina to use on her own, and the color applied evenly in 2 coats, drying in 3 minutes.

Of course when you tell a child that their nail polish is peel-able, all they want to do is peel it! After the first 'sample' run, I could see Sabrina spending hours painting and peeling her nails. (An ingenious ploy on the manufacturer's part!) I didn't mind, however, as long as her nails were being cleaned outside her mouth, she could peel to her heart's content! We did find that three coats seemed to be the magic number for a smooth peel, though 1-2 coats could serve for a day's wear and scrub off with a gentle soap and water rinse. I have no doubt there will be more #BoPoFun in our future!

What Daughter Says: Stop chewing and start peeling with Bo-Po.
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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

One Momma Told Me reader will win a Bo-Po Peel-Off Polish Two Pack!

I Love #MyLitterGenie So Much, I Gave It A Face Lift! #LitterGeniuses

***I received a Litter Genie system as a member of Crowdtap. I was not required to write a post for my blog, but choose to share our experiences because of my genuine enthusiasm.

Momma Told Me: You wanted the cat, now take care of the cat.

Pets are not only companions, but lessons in responsibility. For some, starting with a plant or a goldfish is the best idea, for young children and newly married couples, adopting a new kitten or puppy can be a good test of one's commitment and maturity. Just like a child, pets bring immense joy and many memories as they grow and bond with their parents. Unlike human kids, pet parents will be required to dispose of and handle their pet's waste throughout their entire lives. I once asked a close friend of mine about the type of kitty litter she used and how it performed. I still remember the look she gave me, as if I were bringing up a taboo topic. But every pet owner knows that Everyone Poops, there's even a book, if you don't believe me! So why don't pet owners spend more time about making this unpleasant part of pet parenting more tolerable?

When we first brought Truffles home she was the runt of her litter and hardly weened, but she knew where her litter box was, and how to use it. As a home. Poor Truffles had come from a chicken farm with dogs ten times her size, and was covered in fleas. While she was provided multiple safe places to hide, it was the giant litter box she took refuge in. At about 4 month old I began to train her to use the (human) toilet with a litter system that worked like a charm. For almost half a yer Truffles used the spare toilet to do all of her unseemly business. Then, one day, she decided she no longer liked the feel of the water splashing back up on her behind, and began using the next closest bowl (our sink) to do her business. Instead of fussing with retraining or scolding, I promptly went back to a litter system.

Through the years we have tried over 40 brands and types of cat litter, all with their own pluses and minuses- but that is a tale for another post. The one thing that universally remains a bummer in the litter system is the disposal and separation of waste. As a pet family that has had multiple cats, and expensive boxes from robotic litter domes to litter box 'tumblers' and even multi-layered boxes with rakes; we've tried it all. It's funny, really, because any human mother knows the value of being able to quickly seclude and dispose of diapers- that's why the human Diaper Genie concept has worked so well for decades. And it's about time the technology was adapted for litter systems!

The Litter Genie is not a complicated device that promises to eliminate your handling of pet waste through micro-particalization, or a mechanical butler that takes out the trash. It is, however, pretty close to magical. For under $20 you can walk into most major retail chains and walk out with a Litter Genie system that is ready to use in 2 minutes flat, and I'd bet will change your life. In a discreet footprint that is about 1' square by 2.5' tall, this air tight receptacle comes with a litter scoop and scoop bin. Simply install the easy to use refill, by tying a double knot at the bottom of the insert bag and popping it in, then scoop you litter waste into the top compartment. Close the lid, and pull back on the sliding compartment tray, in the middle of the genie, and allow the waste to fall into a secondary air-tight compartment, below.

The Litter Genie system effectively isolates your pet waste in the bottom half of the container until full, at which time you will extend the bag just enough to tie it off and cut it with the internal cutter. I won't sugar coat it, looking at the blue tinted bag of saved waste isn't exciting- but the lack of odor is astounding, and you can always transfer the genie bag into a shopping bag for it's journey to the waste bin. We keep our genie right next to our main cat box (experts suggest 2 cat boxes per cat in a home,) and are happy to add a second next to our bedroom litter box. I am thrilled with the odor control, and how easy the litter cleaning process is now. (No more dragging trash bins to the box, keeping boxes next to the toilet, or worrying if litter is flushable!)

I was so moved, in fact, by out Litter Genie experiences that I have not only gifted my cousin with a unit of her own for her furry princess, but I decided to decorate ours with some love and a few Sharpies. The units really are inconspicuous, with their sleek profile and white finish, but who doesn't like to define they're pet's space just a little more? For those curious, our Litter Genie refill tends to last us about 2 months, and we change the bag 3 times a month in our single cat household. Refills can be bought in store, or online in multiple units for a fairly cheap price. I'd actually be curious to see this type of system marketed to owners of toy dogs, as I've often contemplated keeping one on the porch for when I have to clean up one of Nora's messes in a pinch!

What Daughter Says: Caring for your cat doesn't have to be a chore; make litter maintenance more bearable with a Litter Genie.