Mutual Father's Day Gifts {Guest Post}

Father's Day is a perfect time to show your husband how much you care about him by giving him a thoughtful gift. Of course, a gift for your husband can also be a gift for you. Choose from one of these gifts to make this Father's Day as rewarding for you as it is for him.

If you and your husband are wine lovers, a subscription to a wine of the month club is the ideal Father's Day gift. After you subscribe, a variety of carefully selected wines will be delivered to your door on a monthly basis. The wines are collected from many different wineries across the globe, and the two of you will have a blast trying them and picking your favorites.

Another option that works for both of you is a gift card for a family activity. Batting cages, go-karts, and miniature golf are guaranteed to be fun for your husband as well as your kids. You can go with them for a family bonding experience or unwind in a blissfully empty house while they're away.

If you and your husband have been spending too much time in the kitchen instead of the gym this year, shed some pounds as a team by purchasing a dual membership at a fitness center. Whether you are battling it out on the racquetball court or spotting your husband while he pumps some iron, working out together will improve your health and add an extra spark to your love life. You could also buy two pairs of slick running shoes and go for walks and runs as a couple.

If you want to get out of the house this Father's Day, consider spending the holiday at a resort. Many resorts offer all-inclusive day passes, giving you access to all amenities on the premises. Turning Stone and many other resorts are also beginning to offer couple specific resort packages. Your husband can test his luck at the poker tables or play a round of golf while you enjoy a day of pampering at the spa. Guided tours and activities such as scuba diving and surfing are available when the two of you are ready to reconvene. There will also be plenty of restaurants to choose from for a romantic sunset dinner.

Finding the perfect Father's Day gift for your husband doesn't have to be difficult. Each of these gift ideas is a surefire way to make him feel loved and appreciated. The fact that you will also benefit from them certainly doesn't hurt.

Guest post by: Michelle Pino 

Eat Clean, Train Dirty...Getting FIT

It's been over a year and I have tried to make better choices for myself, eat healthier, workout and overall make some lifestyle changes. With the help of my journey with Shaklee 180 (formally known as CINCH) I was able to get a great start with losing weight, healthy eating and exercise!

I have recently started training with a friend who has been teaching me so much about my body, my limits, my strengths, eating clean and much more. Yes, I used to workout, go to the gym, run..etc. I never thought of changing up the exercises I knew to overcome that plateau I kept hitting. It has been a little over a month now that I have been training with weights. No, I don't want to become a bodybuilder or anything like that. It is said that with strength training and weights (and eating clean) you can transform your body quicker. 

With the help of supplements, I have challenged myself to a whole new outlook on clean eating and exercise. They say it's 80% diet 20% exercise.  Now that it's been about 3 months of training and eating clean, I have learned to enjoy working out. I also do not crave the junk I used to eat (as much). I won't lie...I still crave it from time to time, but I don't let tempatation get me like I used to. I have since found many alternative foods to conquer my cravings. 
I started taking Herbalife Supplements. The supplements I have been taking are Herbalife Tea, Herbalife Cell-u-loss, Herbal Aloe Concentrate and Herbalife Formula 1 meal replacement (Shake). The Mint Chocolate I take to replace my morning meal is amazing. Who wouldn't want to have be able to have chocolate for breakfast!? 
It's not just the eating, workouts and supplements that have help with my new lifestyle, it's the amazing people in my life who have supported me, motivated and inspired me. Especially to the many people I've met along the way online who have the same goals as I do. 
I have found so much help, motivation and inspiration within Social Media. I had blogged about my fitness inspiration before. Khristine from BeautyandtheBrute.com has always inspired me and mad me believe that it can be done. A Mom of 3 kids who puts in time for herself to gain strength, lose weight and be fit is the best motivation. Follow her on Instagram: fitxtine
My other inspiration is from my friend, Travis and his wife Ashley. Find them on Instagram Herbabeast7 and AshbFitness. Aside from his knowledge in health and fitness. He is such an inspiration. I was inspired by seeing pictures of Ashley before I even met her. Seeing her progress while training with her Husband made me realize I need to stop making excuses and start working harder. Travis helped me kick start my training regiment. He taught me alot about weight training and the proper way to train my body. I can only hope to be as fit and strong as he and his wife. 
This is my progress beginning February 2013 to May 2013. Keep in mind I had almost a month out of the gym with only upperbody workouts due to being sick and then having a boot on my leg for a strained achilles tendon.  

Started at 147lbs currently 143lbs

My bicep progress. 

My biggest progress I think is my backside. I hated having "back fat" around my bra strap area and it's finally disappearing.  Although I have a lot more to go in my goals in weight loss and strength training I am very happy with my results. I had to learn to not look at the scale and not compare myself to others results. What matters the most is how I feel and how my clothes are fitting. I started a year ago at 159lbs and am currently 143lbs with strength and working on definition! I have learned not to worry about what the scale says. It's more about how I feel. I have gone down a size in shirts and in pants/shorts. I have a few shorts and jeans that used to be snug that I can no longer wear because they're too big.  A few outfits I've had that I've worn before, but didn't quite nicely are fitting perfectly now or even too big! I dug out a pair of boardshorts (don't ask my why I still had them) I had from YEARS ago that just last year wore too tight around the thighs and didn't even close, now slips on with ease and is lose around the thighs. I'm excited about my journey and I feel blessed to all of my friends and family who have supported me and motivated me along the way.
If you're beginning a new journey or have any tips and motivational words, please leave them below. If you have a blog or vlog where you've posted your journey, I'd love to read/watch. 

Ick-tionary your wiki for ICKY

If you're a Mom you have probably used "baby talk" or made up words to communicate with your kids. . I never really thought I’d be one of those “Moms” who made up words. But of course, once having kids…all things changed. Not only did I baby talk to my kids (and sometimes to adults, by mistake) I started to make up works for dirty, grime, germ infested issues around the house. This blog post is part of a paid SocialMoms and Clorox blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here. 

 

Clorox® has come up with an ick-tionary made up of words from Moms who have battled with sticky situations. It's interestingly funny, informative and pretty darn the truth! I'm sure you as a Mom (or even a Dad) has experienced many of these instances and may even have your own term for the situation. 

Below are my two Clorox® Ick-tionary contributions: 

Germie: Anything full of germs; germs galore, FILTHY!

Sticky icky: A sticky mess that is full of goop and gunk.

What's the best way to clean up germies and sticky icky messes? Clorox® Disinfecting wipes! For those tough sticky icky situations, Clorox® Clean-Up Cleaner with Bleach is always the magic in my house!

In my household, "Germie" was a simple baby talk word I used with my kids when they were younger. Whenever they touched something like dirt or something dirty, I would say, "Ewww germies." Immediately they would give me that guilty look and eventually knew to put it down or not touch it. It was never too early to teach my kids about germs! Of course as a first time Mom I was my germa-phobic more than I was the second time around.  The funniest thing is when my son who was 3 at the time, refused to let his Dr. touch his mouth and immediately yelled "No, germie!" I had to explain to the Dr. what we had started with our made up words. "Sticky-icky" was a word I came up with when my kids would touch something. The word made them giggle and eventually became a funny word. Even if their hands weren't dirty from eating, seems their sticky baby sweat (or something) always made a sticky mess on the remote, my cell phone, the wall..etc. There was something about kids and their hands touching other things that later left a "baby residue". Can anyone else relate? 

Click on over to the Clorox Ick-tionary and let me know what your favorite terms are. Leave me a comment on your own Ick-tionary term. Foop and Slobby Knobby are two of my favorites from the Ick-tionary. I'd love to hear about your sticky situations.  Be sure to check out Clorox on Facebook. 

Foodie Friday: Faux Fried Rice

It's been over a year now that I have been working out, changing my diet: eating clean, training dirty! I have had to give up one of my favorite carbs...RICE! I have been able to manage but one day I craved fried rice. Instead of running to Panda Express or making my own fried rice like I would have in the past, I browsed Pinterest for some alternative ideas. A friend of mine had been telling me for months to try using cauliflower as an alternative for rice, as she was doing the Paleo diet. So when I saw all the variations of cauliflower fried rice on Pinterest, I didn't hesitate to try it. 

The first time I made it, I didn't tell my Husband or kids what it was. I have since made this several times at the request of my little one. I have been getting a  lot of questions about sharing the recipe when I posted this on Facebook and Instagram, so here it is! I promise you'll love it! Even my KIDS love it!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 head of cauliflower chopped and washed
Vegetables (I like to use frozen mixed vegetables)

1/2 cup of diced onions

1/2 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 minced garlic
2 eggs (or 4 eggwhites)
Shrimp (or protein of choice)

Soy Sauce

PREP:

Chop cauliflower in a processor. Chop to "rice" like texture

1. In a large pan or wok, saute garlic and onions in olive oil on a medium/high heat, until onions become soft and transparent. 

2. Add in cauliflower and soy sauce. Cook and stir frequently for about 5 minutes.

3. Next add in vegetables until they begin to soften and are heated through, about 3-4 minutes

4. Make a well in the middle of the wok and add eggs. Mix together until egg mixture covers the cauliflower. 

5. Add desired protein 

You can always try making your own variation adding in chicken, beef, pork or whatever your heart desires. ENJOY!

Everyone loves The Globetrotters: Summer Clinic

As a kid, I remember watching the Harlem Globetrotters every time they came to town in San Diego. My boys love basketball and would get a kick out of The Globetrotters now. Such great family fun. You ca now get your kids involved in the Summer Clinic with The Globetrotters.Now everything awesome - kids, basketball, teamwork, and having fun – comes together at destination awesome: Harlem Globetrotter Summer Skills Clinics, the ONLY clinics coached by stars of The Harlem Globetrotters!

Everyone loves The Globetrotters, the stars who always put smiles on kids’ faces. At Globetrotter Summer Skills Clinics, our stars coach kids in limited size groups and bring laughs, encouragement and high fives for everyone! Globetrotters direct, motivate, inspire AND entertain, keeping it inclusive and fun for ALL boys and girls, aged 6-12, of ALL skill and experience levels. Each session is $59 and includes a free ticket voucher to see the Globetrotters live in 2014!  But you can save $10 with promo code USFAMILY! Code is valid through 5/31.

Each child will receive:

A free ticket voucher (valued up to $40) to see the Globetrotters during their 2014 World Tour

Autographs and photos with the stars!

Official Globetrotter certificate of completion with a personalized Globetrotter nickname

Clinic Locations: http://globi.es/GlobetrotterClinicsUSFAMILY (These are just the clinics - the games for your tickets are in 200 cities)

Save $10 on registration! Enter the Coupon Code USFAMILY on the cart page after completing your registration  http://globi.es/GlobetrotterClinicsUSFAMILY

Tip Hero's Super Grad Giveaway!

Welcome to the "Super Grad" giveaway event sponsored by Tip Hero, featuring some awesome bloggers. Graduation season is just upon us and we thought a giveaway would be a great way to CELEBRATE. One lucky winner will be the recipient of a $100 Amazon that can be used to get a great present for your favorite grad! Who wouldn't want to be able to give your favorite grad such an amazing gift?

This giveaway begins on May 7th and will run until May 21st at 11:59pm US Eastern time. It will be open to residents of the US only, 18+. Use the PromoSimple form below to enter, and be sure to take advantage of the many entries you can gain. And be sure to come back daily for more chances to win. Good luck!

 $100 Amazon Gift Card 

Tip Hero’s Super Grad Giveaway Event

 Sign-ups are now open for this great new giveaway event!

• Event is free to join with an announcement post. If you don't wish to post the announcement, please send the $5 non-post fee to tiphero@gmail.com
• You'll receive 1 free link for participating (either Twitter or Pinterest)
• Additional links (RSS/Email, Twitter and Pinterest) are available for $5 each
• Sign-ups for this event end on May 5th
• Event runs from May 7th - 21st
• Prize: $100 Amazon gift card

Please send all payments to tiphero@gmail.com as a "gift" via PayPal. Sign up for this event here.