Fearless at 40 with Poise Impressa

This past year, I celebrated my 40th birthday milestone and reaching this milestone has brought me to a new chapter in adulthood: mid-life, and the age-related issues that come with reaching this milestone.

Having been diagnosed with a bladder-related condition when I was 5 years old, urinary tract health is something I have been concerned with literally most of my life. With this age 40 milestone comes the reality is that age can bring on stress urinary incontinence issues. The worry that comes with thinking about these sudden and unexpected leaking accidents happening during activities such as exercise, heavy lifting, sneezing, coughing, or even laughing.  

Before, the two most common options for women with bladder leaks were absorbing leaks with bulky pads/liners or resorting to invasive surgery. This has been the reality for my grandmother's generation, for my mother's generation. Now, Poise Impressa has a product that helps me to be fearless at 40.  There it was on the shelf and there was the end to my worries about SUI accidents ruining precious family time moments.  I came home with a sizing kit that allowed me to find just the right fit for my body.

Poise Impressa Bladder Supports adapt to the unique internal shape of each woman’s body, and that is one of the things I like most about this product. 

One of the activities I most enjoy this time of year is outdoor fitness activities with my husband, especially our daily walks together, but one of the activities where SUI accidents most happen to me is exercise activities. Our annual beach vacation ritual is a long afternoon stroll on the beach. Poise Impressa helps me be worry-free about having to cut short our quality time due to a stress urinary incontinence emergency and helps us to have our treasured time together.

Designed for the temporary management of Stress Urinary Incontinence, Poise* Impressa*Bladder Supports do not absorb leaks — they help prevent them.

Stopping leaks starts with the Impressa Sizing Kit. Impressa comes in three different sizes, and the Sizing Kit helps you find your most effective and comfortable internal fit. Each kit includes six bladder supports (two of each size), along with a $4 coupon toward a 10-count Single-Size Pack of Impressa.

After you've found your perfect fit with the Impressa Sizing Kit, it's time to purchase a Single-Size Pack. Each includes 10 bladder supports in your size — and you can use Impressa for up to 8 hours every day to help stop leaks before they happen.

You can find a Poise Impressa $2.00 off Coupon here, which I think is a great way to help you #TryImpressa.

Movie and Book Review with a Giveaway: "90 Minutes in Heaven"

I have reviewed a substantial number of books and critiqued a number of movies since making this part of my college field of study 20 years ago. Rarely am I ever completely blown away by one or the other. In the case of this movie and the book it is based on, I have been personally impacted in a way that truly is beyond description. This is a faith-based movie and book that so many in the world needs to experience.

The book, which has become a New York Times Bestseller, is 245 pages in length and takes the reader on a journey through one family's amazing miracle so vividly that you can't help but feel this miracle deep down in your soul.

The movie opens in theaters this Friday, September 11. I was given an opportunity to view the opening scene of this movie, which stars Hayden Christensen (Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith), Kate Bosworth (Remember The Titans, Blue Crush) Michael W. Smith, Fred Thompson, Dwight Yoakam, and Jason Kennedy. I was moved to tears viewing the first few minutes of a movie I cannot wait to go see in the movie theater this weekend with my husband. 

The movie and book tell the true story of Pastor Don and Eva Piper. Don died on January 18, 1989 when a semi-tractor truck crushed his car.  He was declared dead by the first rescue workers to arrive on the scene. For the next 90 minutes, Don's earthly body lay under a tarp, but Don's soul, meanwhile, was experiencing love, joy, and life like he'd never known before because he was in Heaven.  

Another pastor's prayers helped bring Don back to life and he became a living miracle. Heaven's bliss was soon replaced by excruciating pain and emotional turmoil. The Piper family's incredible true story of perseverance and overcoming the challenges of life - and death - and I believe the experiences of Don and Eva along with their three children and an army of prayer warriors will bring hope and encouragement to a world who dearly needs it.   

I also love that this movie company has a passion not only for sharing hope-filled movies, but they donate ALL of their profits to charities and ministries who serve those in need.  Beginning with their first film, 90 Minutes In Heaven, Giving Films is allowing all of us to be a part of making a difference, and I can't wait to share this with my readers as well as when I talk to my family and friends.  Anytime you go to see a Giving Films movie in theaters, you can visit their website here  and select which of the designated charities you want to receive the profits from your movie ticket.  Their charitable organizations are Christian Alliance for Orphans, Faith Bridge Foster Care, Hire Heroes USA, Hope International, LifeWater, Street Grace, and World Vision. 

Here is a powerful preview trailer of this film:

You can find out more information about the movie by going to the website here. 

Giveaway:
One of you will win your own copy of the book, "90 Minutes in Heaven",  ARV $14.99
To enter, please leave a comment below to let me know you would like to win. Giveaway closes Friday, September 11 at Noon EST. Open to US and Canada residents only. 

If you are not able to leave a comment on this blog post, please e-mail me at angelaskitchen@rocketmail.com with "Giveaway Entry" in the subject line and that will count as your entry.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Book Review and Giveaway- "The Bridge Builder: The Life And Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein"

I enjoyed the opportunity to review, "The Bridge Builder: The Life And Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein" by Zev Chafets.  I believe that in this day and time, the concept of bridge building for understanding between these two faiths is so important and Rabbi Eckstein has made this a foremost part of his life's work.

As the Founder and President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews and Goodwill Ambassador for the State of Israel, Rabbi Eckstein has devoted more than 35 years to building bridges of understanding between Christians and Jews and broad support for the State of Israel.  He is recognized as the world's leading Jewish authority on evangelical Christians.  Rabbi Eckstein received Orthodox Rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University in New York.  He holds master's degrees from Yeshiva University and Columbia University, where he also completed studies for his doctorate.  Rabbi Eckstein has served on the faculties of Columbia University, Chicago Theological Seminary, and Northern Baptist Seminary.  He currently serves on the executive committee of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.  

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews was founded in 1983 by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein to promote understanding between Jews and Christians and build broad support for Israel and other shared concerns.  Their ministry's vision is that Jews and Christians will reverse their 2,000-year history of discord and replace it with a relationship marked by dialogue, respect, and cooperation.  

One of the passages that stands out and personally impacted me is told in the book's beginning and shows that before the bridge building of understandng began, Rabbi Eckstein had a vision to accomplish this and in order to build this bridge, he had to step up and be the engineer. That depiction has impacted me personally, as I feel it will impact others who read this book, for your personal passions impacting the world we live in. To realize that any bridge for understanding these causes could use an engineer, and it could be me stepping up to do this. It could be another reader of this book who becomes inspired to step up and create an opportunity to make a difference in this world through action.

I also took great inspiration in the fact that he has from the beginning felt a personal relationship with God and felt at the time that it was a divine mission, what is known in Hebrew as "shlichut".  He received inspiration from the story of Abraham and Isaac told in the book of Genesis, where God gives a command to Abraham to take his son ‘to the land I will show you.’ God doesn’t tell Abraham where it is. He simply expects Abraham to obey. It was the spirit of the message found in this story that Rabbi Eckstein says has guided his work and his life. 

For more information on Rabbi Eckstein, you can visit his page on the ICFJ website here.

About the Author:
Zev Chafets is the bestselling author of fourteen books of fiction, media criticism, and social and political commentary.  He has been a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine and is a former columnist for the New York Daily News. 

Giveaway:
One of you will win "The Bridge Builder: The Life And Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein", ARV $27.95. To enter, please leave a comment below to let me know you would like to win. Giveaway closes Thursday, September 3 at Noon EST. Open to US and Canada residents only. 


If you are not able to leave a comment on this blog post, please e-mail me at angelaskitchen@rocketmail.com with "Giveaway Entry" in the subject line and that will count as your entry.

 

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Book Review and Giveaway: "The Apologetics Study Bible for Students HCSB"

I enjoyed the opportunity to review  The Apologetics Study Bible for Students HCSB. This Study Bible anchors younger Christians in the truths of Scripture by equipping them with thoughtful and practical responses for whenever the core issues of their faith and life are challenged.

I love that this Study Bible is made in a way that speaks through both words and graphics to reach this generation of young people, and in doing so, I feel has an important message for those of us adults who likewise should see this as an effective aid in fulfilling our Commission of winning the world for Christ.

This is an invaluable resource full of important topics to address, including many pressing questions asked today by both non-Christians and Christians:

"Why does God allow evil?"

 "How old is the earth?" 

"How do I know God’s will for my life?"      
"If I can’t see God, how do I know He’s real?

I love that on each page of the Study Bible is an attention-getting color layout of the page, perfect for the younger generation's "visual age", but I also think this attribute makes it such an effective study aide for all ages. I enjoyed the indexed tabs for easier navigation.  

Another feature that I enjoy, which I also feel is ideal for both this younger generation as well as all ages, is the "list" format I feel is used very effectively in sharing ways to "remember key apologetics topics", "tactics against common anti-Christian arguments" and one of my favorite features, of commonly "Twisted Scriptures" and how to explain their meaning.  

A "Confident Faith Sweepstakes" is being offered to give away Bibles, free mini libraries of B&H's best apologetics resources and a trip for two to the National Conference on Christian Apologetics (NCCA) being held October 16-17, 2015 in Charlotte, NC where some of the world's leading thinkers will offer insights and teaching.  You can enter the Confident Faith sweepstakes here.

The gift of Confident Faith is being celebrated this summer through the website with 16 brand new, energetic and brief videos featuring Sean McDowell, free resources like Bible studies and articles as well as wonderful specials on apps and Bibles. 

For more information on this Study Bible, you can visit the Official Website here.

Giveaway:
One of you will win "The Apologetics Study Bible for Students", ARV $34.99. To enter, please leave a comment below to let me know you would like to win. Giveaway closes Saturday, August 22 at Noon EST. Open to US and Canada residents only. 

If you are not able to leave a comment on this blog post, please e-mail me at angelaskitchen@rocketmail.com with "Giveaway Entry" in the subject line and that will count as your entry.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Celebrating National Ice Cream Month with Mars Ice Cream #Ad

July 19 is now set aside on the calendar as National Ice Cream Day, but I love it that the entire month of July is set aside to celebrate National Ice Cream Month.

I was given the opportunity to try some fun new ice cream offerings from Mars Ice Cream, who have a line of frozen novelties that pair delicious, real ice cream with the delectable chocolate taste that consumers know and love as well as a cold and refreshing fruit sorbet bar.

There are so many flavor combinations for Dove chocolate fans to choose from and my favorite is the Dove vanilla ice cream bar with a crunchy milk chocolate coating.

 I think the m&m's ice cream cookie takes the traditional ice cream sandwich to a whole new level with creamy vanilla ice cream resting in between two chewy, home-style cookies with lots of m&m's chocolate candies baked in.

Twix candy bar have been a beloved favorite of mine since I was a young child and as a grown-up, I am intrigued by the Twix ice cream bar with creamy vanilla ice cream with caramel, cookie bits and a chocolate caoting.

 I was over the moon with happiness that they not only have a Starburst fruit sorbet bar, but one of the two flavor offerings is my all-time favorite Starburst flavor, the strawberry fruit chew. I love the sweet and tangy flavor to this one.

 The Snickers bar delighted me with a smooth peanut butter ice cream and a caramel filling with roasted peanuts covered in a chocolate coating.

This month began a favorite new summer treat tradition in our home: a family movie night with a Mars Ice Cream bar assortment to choose from. It made for some sweet summer memories that we can't wait to make more of when we have our next summer movie night.  

You can find out more about these products by visiting them on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclaimer: I was compensated by Mars Ice Cream for this blog post. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

Berry Beauty and a Review: AZO Cranberry Gummies

I come from a family history of numerous illnesses on both sides of my family and as an adult who has been given the gift of good health, I am extra diligent about my health and always looking for new products that offer ways to promote a healthy lifestyle in my daily life.

I was given the opportunity to try a new product from AZO, the #1 urinary and vaginal health brand† which joins the range of products they offer

 AZO Cranberry Gummies is a urinary maintenance tool that incorporates the clinically proven benefits of cranberry.*  

It contains Pacran®, a super-concentrated cranberry powder that helps flush the urinary tract to maintain cleanliness.*
One of my favorite things about this product is the fact that two AZO Cranberry Gummies equal one 10 ounce glass of cranberry juice**—without the excess calories.*  

I love that they come in a variety of mixed berry flavors and it gives the power of cranberry juice without the tart taste. 

Berries have been incorporated into my diet since I was a child. My favorite is blueberries, which are packed with antioxidants and always at the top of my ingredient list when using fruit in one of my recipes.  This is a favorite berry beauty tip for all women because berries are not only high in antioxidants that can help to prevent and repair damage to the body's tissue, but they also contain polyphenols, which help fight chronic disease and cancer. 

As a redhead, I discovered as a college student that berry shades of lipstick are a great hue for my shade of red hair and to this day, you will find my trusted berry shades of lipstick in my makeup bag. 

I am also a fan of berry scents and use bath products in a variety of berry scents in my daily routine, especially raspberry.  

AZO Cranberry® Gummies is available at CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, Walmart, drug stores, food stores and other major retailers.

Right now there is a fun giveaway going on over on the AZO Facebook page. There is a weekly winner for a $25 Sephora gift card and there will be three winners of a Sephora Berry Beauty basket valued at $200. You can enter the giveaway here.

Disclaimer: **Biological activity of 10oz cranberry juice cocktail
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This products is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. AZO Cranberry® used under license by i-Health, Inc. Pacran® is a trademark of Naturex. † Based on Nielsen data as of 2/21/15 and the 2014 Pharmacy Times OTC Survey

Porter Peach Memories: Gluten Free Peach Pie

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way by the Pillsbury company for my endorsement of their product in this blog post. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

My recent trip home to Oklahoma brought another special kind of pilgrimage for me with a trip to Livesay's Orchard in Porter as another Porter peach season arrived on the calendar. I enjoyed picking out my peaches and then shipped them to my doorstep here in NY, where they arrived safely. So many special memories of making the road trip to Tahlequah to Porter every July first with Mom and Grandma Cleva, then it was me and Grandma Cleva and finally, it was, and is, me making the trip, sometimes with others, but always me and my precious memories of the beloved car passengers past who made the trip with me.

Some of the peaches pictured above were soon sliced and diced to make my peach pie recipe. This past year, I have received several requests from readers for gluten free recipes and I recently received a request for a gluten free peach pie.

Pillsbury now has several kinds of gluten free dough available in the refrigerated section at many grocery stores and I found it in my local store and decided to try their gluten free "pie and pastry" dough for this recipe. I am constantly in search of gluten free products for my recipes that are tasty and at a good price point.

I was impressed with the taste of this gluten free dough. The dough requires extra kneading in order to get the consistency needed, but once kneaded, it was a good crust dough to work with for this recipe.

"Angela's Gluten Free Peach Pie"
1 tub Pillsbury gluten free pie and pastry dough
8 medium size fresh peaches – sliced, peeled and pit removed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Prepare the peaches. Remove the gluten-free pie dough from the tub and cut dough in half. You’ll use one half of dough for the bottom crust and the other half for the crumb topping.

For the crust: Dump 1/2 of the pie dough into a pie tin. Knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth. Now flatten and push the dough into the pie tin until it evenly covers the entire inside of the tin and becomes the crust.  

For the filling: Place the peach slices across the bottom pie crust. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the top of the peaches in the pie tin.

For the top crumble crust: Using the same small bowl, use a fork to mix together the 1/4 Cup sugar and remaining pie crust dough. Just combine until crumbly. Now pour the crumb mixture on top of the pie, carefully covering the entire pie.

Cover sides of pie crust with foil. Place pie in the oven and bake 40-45 or until top crust is browned in color. Place on cooling rack until cooled. Serve and enjoy!

Any of you who try this gluten free recipe, I'd love to know what you think!