Freschetta Review & Giveaway!

This post brought to you by FRESCHETTA®. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m no gourmet chef. My meals are prepared by heating, re-heating and microwaving. That being the case, I am always looking for convenient dinner options that are not only easy but DELICIOUS! And I completely found my holy grail meal with the new Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizza!

With most frozen pizza options, you’re limited to the plain jane topping options. But with Freschetta that is simply not the case. They have EIGHT topping options in the Simply Inspired line! My favorite being the Harvest Supreme which is loaded with real mozzarella, black olives, spinach, Italian sausage, feta cheese and their delicious red sauce!

And even though it’s a frozen pizza, you can still count on your meal tasting as fresh as ever because Freschetta has geniously packaged all of their pizzas with a new FRESCH-TASTE SEAL which locks in all of the amazing flavors! Not only that, but Freschetta is now using 30% less packaging material, making this truly an Earth-friendly dinner your family will love.

If you want to read more about the EIGHT great flavors, you can see them all at FRESCHETTA® Simply…Inspired™. You can also follow @FreschettaSI on Twitter and even “Like” them on facebook to snag a $2 off coupon and win exclusive giveaways!

SPEAKING OF GIVEAWAYS!!!

One lucky reader of my blog will have a chance to taste the new Freschetta Simply Inspired pizza line for themselves for absolutely FREE!

What you will win:

1. Coupon for a free Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizza

2. Beautiful round bamboo cutting board with cheese platter utensils

How to win:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post telling me what Freschetta Simply Inspired pizza flavor you want to try the most! View them all here!

GIveaway ends 5/31/11 at 12:01am. Good luck!

Sport Shoes: Satisfying The Fitness Craze

The modern day fitness craze began in the late 1970s and exploded in the 80s with a confluence of newly developed exercise apparel, indoor health and sports clubs, celebrity hosted exercise videos, plus dire health predictions about stunted longevity absent physical fitness.  Shoedom followed suit by moving beyond the basic sneaker into sport shoes that were geared toward specific athletic endeavors.  Prompted by guidelines that were set by the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, shoe manufacturers took bodily protection seriously and began to develop their sport line with safety and minimal impact in mind.  

Sport shoes are the one shoe style that is truly unisex other than in size and shape. Sport shoes for men tend to have a wider toe and back heel area, while sport shoes for women are narrower in both front and back.  Besides shoes that are specifically geared toward a sport such as golf, tennis, soccer, football, basketball and cycling, sport shoes comes in three basic categories, Aerobic, Walking and Running.

Aerobic Sport Shoes
For aerobic conditioning this type of sport shoe must be both lightweight, yet able to absorb the shock of the foot- floor impact that is associated with this type of exercise.  The goal is to stem the stress placed on the foot and ankle.

Walking Shoes
It can be said that ever since the quest for health and fitness took hold walking has become a national pastime, savored for its cardiovascular benefits.  Orthopedic surgeons and fitness trainers have stressed the importance of having a sport shoe specifically designed for walking in order to avoid pain under the ball of the foot and in the heel.  Walking is supposed to use a heel-to-toe motion which a number of walking shoes promote by the way the sole is designed.  Walking shoes are to be lightweight, but with more cushioning than aerobic shoes in order to handle the increase in impact and endurance.

Running Shoes
It was the advent of the jogging suit that brought running into vogue for non-professionals. As more and more joggers developed a number of ailments such as shin splints, stress fractures and various forms of tendinitis, shoe manufacturers realized that they needed to develop a running shoe that secured the heel in place, as well as provide the highest amounts of shock absorption and cushioning for the foot and ankle.

As child obesity rates are climbing the need for children to become more physically active has been pronounced by medical professionals across the board. This has also prompted the development of sport shoes for kids that look cool, as well as provide the protection required for young feet and bodies. The development of sport shoes is serious business when it comes to new developments in style and design in combination with safety and protection concerns.
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Houston shoe store SC Pakar USA is a purveyor of fine Mexican footwear for women, men and children.  Based in Mexico City, Grupo Pakar has been in business for over 35 years with over 60 store locations in Mexico, as well as a an online shoe catalog.  In 2009, the company launched their U.S. presence with two stores in Houston, TX.

AEROBIC:

WALKERS:

RUNNERS:

Skin Care Goodies from Reviva Labs

The fine people at Reviva Labs recently sent me a few of their awesome (very, very awesome) products to try out. I had heard of this brand before, but never had any experience with their products. They definitely made me a life-long customer! The stuff they sell isn’t your typical moisturizer or exfoliator. They carry products that are different and inginutiave, which I love about any brand. Take a look at the goodies I got to try: Collagen-Fibre Eye Pad kit ($38), Light Skin Peel ($20) and the Vitamin E Oil Stick ($4).

This is the Vitamin E Oil Stick. It resembles a lip balm, but you’re not just limited to using it on your lips. You can apply it to your cuticles if they’re a little dry or even your eye area for a quick moisture touch-up. The taste is a little perfumey, but other than that, my lips loved soaking up this product.

 This, my friends, is the mackdaddy of all products! I will be buying these ALL the time because the results are just outstanding. These pads literally make the fine lines under your eyes disappear. It’s only a temporary effect, but it lasts all day long. I’m only 26 but I do have a couple little lines underneath (which I HATE!). The Myoxinal gel that comes in this kit absorbs into the eye area and just smooths everything out for a freshly botoxed look. Love!!!

 This product also became a new favorite. You apply a layer of this “peel” cream to your face, allow it to dry, and then either rub it off with a towel or your dry fingers. I would suggest the towel route as it can be a little messy. After you remove it, your face is fully exfoliated.. all dead skin cells are finito! Think of a clarifying shampoo but for your face. This does have a semi-strong smell, so if you’re sensetive to that then you might not like it as much. But I don’t really mind it and I LOVE the results. It’s the equivalent of a chemical peel without the chemicals.

 I’ve only tried three things from Reviva Labs, but there are dozens of more items I’m definitely gonna purchase! Shop for yourself at http://www.revivalabs.com

Dive into this season’s sexiest swimwear

This post brought to you by Express. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hi there girlies! How has the weather been in your part of the country? Here in Arizona it’s heating up FAST and I am super excited to finally have SWIM WEATHER again! Yay! Nothing better in the summer than laying out in the sun and taking a dip in a beautiful pool.

Of course, you have to look your absolute hottest when you are laying poolside getting your tan on. That means picking up the hottest women’s swimwear you can find! I love getting my girlfriends together and hitting up my favorite store in the mall, Express! Whether you’re into string bikinis or one-peices, you won’t find any sexier swimwear than at Express.

Express even has an awesome sweepstakes going on right now! Sign up for their Express e-mail list and you will be entered to win one of TEN $200 Express gift cards! How sweet is that? You see all of the sweepstakes rules here.

This is my favorite bikini from the Express swimwear line. Isn’t is hot? You can even pickup your favorite accessories such as tote bags, sunglasses, sandals, wraps or hats to go along with your styling new suit.

Acne Laser Treatments: Putting Your Best Face Forward

Ladies, when pursuing a fashionable head-to-toe look for yourselves, you might want to consider adding acne laser treatments to your list.  Even though we have moved beyond our teenage years, do any of us ever outgrow the fear of an outbreak just in time for a big date, event or now in the working world, an important presentation? You know the feeling, the one where you think everyone is looking at “it”, the red, throbbing “eruption” on your chin, nose or forehead. What about the aftermath of those eruptions?…acne scars.  Some of us came through unscathed, but for others there may be a little reminder every morning when looking into the mirror sans makeup. Do not fear, the Bella Rosa Houston MedSpa has taken skin to a new level with their state-of-the-art laser technology treatments.   

A MedSpa is essentially a spa with medical staff. While they offer the more commonplace treatments as facials and massage within a day spa atmosphere, there are also a number of procedures that require a highly skilled medical staff. Most of these procedures involve laser technology. Lasers have fast forwarded the field of non-surgical cosmetic procedures into the stratosphere of correcting all manner and types of skin problems and disorders.   

Acne is a condition that is as unpleasant as it sounds and looks. The adult version is the cruelest because just when you think you are over it, you get pulled back in. Enter laser technology to the rescue, more specifically, the Harmony XL laser.  The treatment only takes a few minutes and is appropriate for all areas of the face and upper body. The traditional protocol centers on prescription medication such as antibiotics or steroids, plus topical creams. In only a one month period with sessions twice a week, acne laser treatments have proven to achieve an overall 80% clearance rate in the most severe cases without the possibility of scarring.  The traditional method takes triple the time and scarring may still occur.   

Rosacea is a skin disorder that requires a holistic approach since there are environmental and lifestyle triggers as well. Often treated traditionally with creams and anti-inflammatory medications, laser skin treatments have proven to be very effective in minimizing the external ramifications of the disease. Ongoing skin care and cosmetic products provided by medical professionals who understand the disorder may prove beneficial as well.     

Microdermabrasion is a skin resurfacing treatment that is appropriate when there is little or no scarring and a flawless, glowing complexion is the goal.  The DiamondTome system is an exfoliating process that clears away the top layers of dead skin, along with superficial scars and pigmentation irregularities. Approved by Dermatologist and Plastic Surgeons alike, the system is considered to be gentler and more effective than some forms of chemical peels.  

There is a saying that your face is your fortune. If this is even remotely true, then investing in it once in awhile can prove to be very profitable.  
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Houston Medspa Bella Rosa Clinic is a full-service facility housed within the MD Aesthetics Plastic Surgical Center.  Under the direction of Dr. Mark A. Schusterman, a leader in Houston cosmetic surgery, it provides a full line of laser treatments for acne treatment, and hair, scar, and laser tattoo removal.

Laser Hair Removal – End The Torture Forever!

It really is pretty amazing what we girls go through to beautify ourselves.  I think I was 13 when I received my first electric shaver for Christmas. We all know how effective those are. Then I tried various razors (I have the scars to prove it), creams that smelled up the bathroom for days, tweezing and of course waxing. Only women could endure hot wax slathered on them before having the hair ripped off of their bodies. And they say we are the weaker sex! Ha!

I do have to give credit to the Kardashian sisters, especially Kim, for putting me onto laser hair removal.  I decided to do some investigating and found the BellaRosaClinic.com website. Located in Houston, Texas, Bella Rosa is a medspa, rather than a day spa, which means that a doctor is on the premises and that you are treated by trained and certified professionals.  That’s always a plus, as you don’t want some fly-by-night store front with nothing but 3rd rate equipment and a chair to sit in taking a laser  to your skin.  They damage they could do could scar you for life.

Medspas aren’t like spa retreats, where you go to relax, get a massage and a facial and have your nails done.  The stuff medspas do—and they do a lot of stuff—gets under your skin to the source of the problem, so having a doctor on hand is rather handy.  What’s really cool about the Bella Rosa Medspa is the plastic surgery center it is located in, so if you want a little nip and tuck—or, dare I say, boob job—you are right there! Great domain name also, AlwaysYouthful.com.  The website does a great job of explaining the different stuff they do, especially for laser hair removal.

Back when your grandmother cared whether or not she had long hairs growing from her chin, people freed themselves of tweezers and wax by getting electrolysis, which means they zapped where the hair wasn’t wanted with a spark of electricity—kind of like a little Taser.  Ouch!   (Can  you just smell the sizzle of singed hair?!)  It also took lots and lots of time because it was so damaging to the skin, they could only do little bits in a session and had to wait quite a while before going back for more.

Your mom probably could have had laser treatments when she was 30-something, but back then, lasers weren’t as advanced as they are now and treatment sessions were way too pricey, so most people saved up their pennies and settled for electrolysis instead.  And if they did go for laser treatments, it was still really painful—both to the face and the wallet.  (Like a bad sunburn, they said.  Ha!)

What I learned about today’s laser hair removal is that a really good medspa uses state-of-the-art laser systems, such as the Soprano XL. This laser has a built in cooling system that keeps the skin from overheating when the laser light is zapping the hair follicles. Because the pinprick of light is so small it can get to just the hair, while the cooling system protects the skin around it.  That means, no burned skin, a lot less pain, and none of this patchy business.  This system is approved for anywhere on the body, including the face and bikini area.  Because the natural growth of hair goes in stages, a second treatment is usually needed in order to zap any new hair growth. In most cases, you are then finished with the torture of hair removal forever!!!  Check it out!

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Houston cosmetic surgeon Mark A. Schusterman, MD, FACS, with a list of credentials as long as your arm, personally supervises Bella Rosa Medspa.  Located within the MD Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Center, which specializes in breast augmentation and body contouring, their trained clinicians and medical professionals ensure their clients receive the best care and best results available in laser hair removal in Houston today.  

[http:www.bellarosaclinic.com]