A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.: December 2012

Thank you, Crowdtap and Healthy Choice for our...
Healthy Choice Baked Entrée Sample Share!

As a member of Crowdtap, I have been participating in Crowdtap's Healthy Choice crowd the past few months. I have had a great time joining in Healthy Choice discussions, where I have learned more about Healthy Choice's great products, such as their Greek Yogurt and Top Chef frozen meals. I'm a diehard Top Chef fan, so I love their Top Chef inspired dishes.

I've also learned ways to live healthier, which will be a great way to start off my New Year's Resolution to take better care of myself. I love Healthy Choice's slogan, "Don't Diet. Live Healthy." Have you seen their fun commercials with their latest ad campaign? I have never been one for fad diets, so I think this is a great mantra to live by everyday.

I was excited when I got chosen by Crowdtap and Healthy Choice for the Baked Entrée sample share. It was the perfect excuse to try their new "Fresh Baked Taste" line, which I had seen in the grocery store. Healthy Choice provided me with a $1 OFF coupon link to share. My Publix grocery store had them priced @ $1.99 EA, which made it $0.99 + Tax after the coupon. Wow! Whoever said you can't get anything good for a dollar these days?

Healthy Choice $1 OFF Coupon Link: http://bit.ly/12bA4Te (Hopefully, the coupon link still works!)

Top Row: Healthy Choice "Fresh Baked Taste" Entrees - $1.99 @ Publix

See The Healthy Choice "Fresh Baked Taste" Options!

Chicken & Rice Cheddar Bake
Fettuccini Alfredo Bake
Four Cheese Ziti Marinara
Italian Sausage Pasta Bake
Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Roasted Chicken and Potatoes


Our Healthy Choice "Fresh Baked Taste" Choices!

My Healthy Choice: Fettuccini Alfredo Bake!

"This classic combination of freshly made fettuccini and rich Parmesan Alfredo sauce, with crisp broccoli and topped with seasoned breadcrumbs, is sure to satisfy your taste buds."

My Boyfriend Matt's Healthy Choice: Lasagna with Meat Sauce!

"Feast your eyes on three rich layers of freshly made pasta, hearty meat sauce, and ricotta cheese, topped with mozzarella. Then, when your eyes are done, just feast in general."

My Sample Share - Spreading Healthy Choice in my Office!

Working in an office setting, I typically don't have time to go out for lunch. Boo! Honestly, I normally am just grabbing something quickly from the cafeterias. However, that doesn't work so well when the cafeteria is closed. I work in Finance and am always stuck working during the holidays at year-end closing. The rest of our plant is on shutdown, though. So, the cafeteria is not open between Christmas and New Year's.

I thought I had nothing for lunch one morning. But, I remembered I had the Healthy Choice "Fettuccini Alfredo Bake" in the freezer. I brought it in and enjoyed it for lunch, as my co-workers salivated around me. It was a great way to spread the word about Healthy Choice to my co-workers. The smell of delicious smelling food always draws people into my cubicle.

I sent an e-mail out to my co-workers passing the coupon link around. They were quite jealous that day when many of them had to run out in the cold to grab lunch. But, the funny thing is that quite a few showed up with Healthy Choice meals the rest of the week. It has helped keep my cubicle neighbors happy during year-end.

Overall, I thought the Healthy Choice baked entrée was delicious. It honestly tasted better to me than competing frozen food brands (i.e. Smart One's.) The best part was that it was... Healthy! I loved how it left me full for the afternoon, without feeling any guilt or sluggish like some lunch options. I was happy with my lunch choice that day, despite the cafeteria being closed.

Thanks again, Crowdtap & Healthy Choice!

http://cdn0.crowdtap.com/assets/ads/girls125x125-ec7e29161466e0d48ea4b500623bffe8.jpg

Join Crowdtap:

http://www.crowdtap.com/

Healthy Choice "Fresh Baked Taste" Entrées:

http://www.healthychoice.com/products/baked-entrees

Thank you, Crowdtap and Old Navy for our Sweater Sample Share...

Keep Cozy this Season in Old Navy Sweaters!

As a member of Old Navy's Style Council on Crowdtap, I get to participate in discussions to give my opinion on Old Navy's latest trends and styles. I also get the opportunity to apply for sample shares and hosted parties, which Old Navy mails me coupons for free Old Navy clothes for me and my stylish best friends.

Previous Blogs:

Get Cute and Cozy at Old Navy’s Bundle-Up Bash

Get Dolled Up in Old Navy Dresses
Get Stoked for Summer with Old Navy Shorts

Look fabulous this fall thanks to Old Navy (Cardi Party!)

I got picked for Old Navy's latest sweaters sample share. Yay! :)

Old Navy mailed me two coupons... One for me, One for a friend...
One *FREE* Sweater of your choice!

One *FREE* Sweater!

Even though I have been chosen before, I am still always shocked when I see the Old Navy coupons arrive in the mail. The best part is being able to share them with my friends. I relocated for my job earlier this year. When I lived in Roanoke, I used to always shop with my friend Jackie at Old Navy. I decided to mail her my "One For a Friend" coupon. While I miss our Old Navy shopping trips together, we still had a ton of fun shopping via iPhone messages. Gotta love the powers of technology! I kept sending her picture messages the whole time I was trying on sweaters in the dressing room. It made me feel like were really shopping together, as crazy as that may sound.

My Free Pick:

Women's Fair Isle Cardis - Striped
Women's Fair Isle Cardis - Diamonds

I was instantly drawn to the four "New Arrival" racks of Fair Isle Cardis that were in the center of my Old Navy store. They looked so warm and cozy. When I felt the fabric, it was super soft. I was a little discouraged at first because I couldn't find any of them in size "Small." I even asked an Old Navy associate to check in the back. She said they didn't have any "Small" size, but I decided to just try a "Medium" size. I figured that it couldn't really hurt to just try it on. And, it might be okay since it was an over-sized sweater.

Like most Old Navy sweaters, there were plenty of fun colors and patterns to choose. If you've read my previous posts, you can probably tell I am not overly adventurous when it comes to bold patterns and colors. I try to stick to more neutral pallets, which I can wear to my office or dress down for an evening out on the town. This sweater comes in a diamond pattern in Charcoal and Camel. While I liked the colors, the patterns were a bit too bold for me. I loved the striped option much better, which came in In the Navy (Navy + Coral - See Above Pic) and Marshmallow. I loved the Marshmallow colors. I could see pairing it with both my Old Navy gray and tan perfect khakis in my office. Love mixing it up!

I liked just letting this sweater hang open, as pictured above. As I posed for a picture with my puppy Kodiak, I realized it could also look cute closed. I have tried putting a belt around it, which added a nice flair to my outfit. It's perfect paired with a pair of skinny jeans and flats. Now, I'm a bit petite as well... 5'4." I still found the style to be flattering for me. Honestly, I don't own anything like this sweater, which is why I ultimately picked it. Cute, warm, cozy, fun patterns, excellent colors. I can see why this choice was popular with quite a few Crowdtappers. When I checked out of Old Navy, my cashier told me how she was so jealous. She said it was her absolute favorite sweater in the store. And, I have to agree. If you're looking to snag one for yourself, Old Navy currently has a great sale.
Regular Price: $42.94, Sales Price $29.00 ...!

My Honorable Mentions:

This season, I've seen Old Navy's Pop Color denim ads everywhere. But, those same great colors are available in their sweater lines. I saw so many different color shades while shopping. It honestly looked a bit like a rainbow. They also had all the classic styles available... Scoop Necks, V-Necks, Cardigans, Cable Knits, Sequins, etc. There was a great variety of choices, and I tried a few on below. I loved the blue and green shades the best. They also had a cool style, which had buttons on the shoulders. It adds a nice little detail to the normal cable knit sweater this sweater season.

Women's Softest Boyfriend Cardis

Women's Sequin Scoop-Neck Sweaters

Women's V-Neck Sweaters

Women's Scoop-Neck Sweaters

Women's Button-Shoulder Sweaters

Jackie's Free Pick:

For Jackie's free pick, she got this Old Navy scoop neck sweater in bright "Orange You Cute." (Seriously, that's what this color is called!) Jackie loves picking out fun, bold colors to wear. I honestly think it's the perfect holiday sweater. She looks quite cute posed with her kitten in front of the Christmas tree. With Old Navy's great selection this season, there's no such thing as an ugly Christmas sweater. Sorry... You'll have to look elsewhere for your holiday Ugly Sweater Parties.

Women's Scoop-Neck Softest Sweaters

Special thanks to my patient shopping boyfriend, Matthew!

P.S. He would love to see some Old Navy sample shares for guys on Crowdtap!

My boyfriend Matt joined me for my Old Navy sweater shopping trip. He actually picked up three Old Navy V-neck sweaters for himself. Don't forget... Old Navy has great clothing options for guys, too. And, their sweaters are very affordable, which make the perfect holiday gift this season. Yay! Our store had some great sales going on, which we combined with an Old Navy $15 off $50 coupon. The sweaters above ended up being $7.27/EA. Wow! But, that wasn't all we found...

Old Navy Jingle Jammies!!!

Last year, we started an Old Navy Christmas tradition. We bought "Jingle Jammies," which we wore on Christmas Eve. I got a snowman pair, and he got a grey pair. During our shopping trip, we decided to pick out our pairs for this year. I got a polar bear pair, and he got a navy pair. Old Navy also had their pajamas on sale, so it ended up being another steal. Old Navy fleece is so soft, cozy, and warm. Perfect all winter! I'd love to see a Fleece or Pajama sample share in the future.