I used to Jazzercise.

I used to Jazzercise. The funniest thing about that, is I am totally uncoordinated,  I didn’t do too hot, I only went for 8 weeks and then I was done.  I couldn’t keep up, I must have been the comic relief, besides the awkwardness from the ladies in the thong leotards.  I always hid in the back. I didn’t want anyone following my lead.  Cue the sweatbands, cheesy 80’s music and all the women jazzercising in unison. Then there was me, the 24 year old with her 24 year old best friend and my boss. Who was a nightmare in her own hellish Montessori way. Never Jazzercise with your boss, I didn’t do it on purpose. How was I supposed to know that she would be there? I was afraid of making a mistake, of course I couldn’t hide from her. She saw me and started talking me up.  Shooting my old best friend judgmental looks of why she didn’t enroll her kids in her Montessori school.  That was added stress of the monstrous Mrs. V breathing down my neck. Judging my Jazzercise form, which I had none.  I think the instructor was tempted to tell me about a preschool class that I could join to catch up.  I have never been a dancer.  Maybe when I was little, and I was dancing in my basement to music.  I never danced at school dances unless they were slow dances. 

I don’t even dance at bars or clubs. I did on my 20^th birthday though at some club somewhere in North Carolina. I figured I would never see these people again so whatever.  That was more like rub up on random people and hope you didn’t get lice or worse.  It was at a club with drinking but you had to have a special wristband to get alcohol, and since I didn’t have my first sip of booze until the day I turned 21, I wasn’t interested in that. If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you. I was responsible though.  I know it isn’t really a self esteem thing it is just not what I am in to.  So, any chances of me going and winning a dance off ala Grease or Saved by the Bell, are gone.  I am one heck of a slow dancer though.  I won’t even step on your toes. I remember dancing with my Grandma Rose in her kitchen we would do the box step.

I always dance with Noah, we dance in the pool while I sing to him holding him in my arms. We also dance like crazy people around the house. I am really silly. It is so cute because Noah will say, May I have this dance to me.  Of course I have to say yes. He is so adorable.

Bertolli Frozen Meal Review

Most parents are really busy with their families and they don’t always have the time to make a home cooked meal from scratch. That doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice quality and taste in your dinner choice.  You can still have a quick and easy and delicious meal. Bertolli is a brand that I was already familiar with, from their other frozen meals and of courses their spaghetti sauces.  I had the opportunity to try out Bertolli’s new frozen meal soup. It is for two; of course you could eat it for two meals, if you wanted. I was really excited to try this new product.  It comes in 4 varieties: Chicken Minestrone, Tuscan Style Beef & Vegetables, Roasted Chicken & Rotini Pasta, and finally Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken. My son is a really picky eater so sometimes I don’t want to eat the same thing he is having for dinner or lunch.  My tastes are more refined so occasionally we have different foods for dinner.  Bertolli Frozen  Meal  Soup  is different than any soup you can find in the soup aisle of the grocery store. I think that is because all the flavor and ingredients wouldn’t fit in a can.  If Bertolli put this soup in a can, it would have to a really big can.  So, because not everyone wants to carry around a huge can, they decided to make it frozen. I personally think that can soups lose something in the canning process.  They wanted to keep it as fresh as possible, just like your mom would spend hours in the kitchen making. 

I tried the Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken. The Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with chicken is Cheese-filled tortellini, white meat chicken, spinach and tomatoes in a rich tomato bisque with a hint of basil.   This soup is full of gorgeous vegetables, big chunks of chicken and delicious flavor.  You can tell how fresh the ingredients are. It was really easy to make right on the stove top. It smelled so good when it was cooking that my mouth couldn’t wait to try it. The bisque is amazing and very creamy.   The vegetables retained their color and texture that really makes it special.  It would be great on a bed of rice, but I decided just to eat it with a couple pieces of good Italian bread with special garlic spread.  I was really looking forward to dinner that night, where I finished up the rest of my soup. I really enjoyed Bertolli Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken and I can’t wait to try the other flavors.

You can find all of the Bertolli  Frozen Meal Soups in the freezer section at your local grocery store.  For more information please visit the Bertolli Website.

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 I was compensated by Bertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

L'Occitane Gifts for Valentine's Day

“Roses are red, violets are blue, Valentines day is fast approaching and I don’t know what to get for you.” This is a little poem that captures how I feel every Valentine’s day. Without getting into a debate about how Valentine’s day is a silly holiday that might only be around so that corporations can get one last squeeze out of our wallets after the holidays, I LOVE to get people gifts. I don’t think that Valentine’s day is only for couples to shower each other with gifts (although that is a nice perk). I believe that the main point of Valentine’s day is to acknowledge the people that you love, and to receive acknowledgement from them that YOU are special in their lives. It is so easy to get lost in the commercialism of the holiday, but if you boil it down and keep it basic it can really be an enjoyable day that does not leave you broke or cynical towards love. A company that I often use to find all of my great gifts is L’Occitane. They provide amazing french beauty products that are eco and animal friendly. There are so many quality products to choose from that it can be a one stop shop for your shopping. Now, you might think it is only for women, but L’Occitane has a great men’s line of various face care products. I know my male friends do not like to buy there own grooming products, so it actually makes a fabulous gift for men. Not only will they enjoy the exceptional quality, but you will also love the smell and effect of L’Occitane’s products.