If you’ve been following my Jersey updates, I’ve been switching her diet to Pedigree as part of our job as a Pedigree brand ambassador. Things with Jersey have been going quite well, and she seems to be taking to her new Pedigree Small Breed dog food without any issues.

There are a few “Universal Needs” to monitor when you’re switching your dog to a new dog food:

• Skin & Coat ::  Is it dull and flaky, average, or shiny and soft?
• Oral Care :: Are your dog’s teeth dirty, average or pearly white?
• Digestion ::  Watch the number of stools per day and quality
• Immunity ::  How often does your pup get sick?

Overall, Jersey’s universal needs remained unchanged even as her diet fully switched to Pedigree food. In my opinion and her vet’s opinion, she was pretty healthy before the switch, and my goal was to keep things that way! Her skin and coat are average, her teeth are clean and white, her digestion is as regular as ever and I don’t think Jersey’s ever gotten sick since the day I brought her home from the animal shelter!

I want to put out a reminder that Jersey is a shelter dog, and I’ve never, ever regretted bringing her into our home and welcoming her into our family. In fact, I truly believe that fate brought us together, and I feel so blessed that Jersey and I have each other.

I’ve always felt that animal shelters have such a tragic existence. While I’m so happy that they exist to save animals and bring pets and people together, it’s incredibly sad that there are so many dogs, cats, and other creatures that don’t have homes and owners to call their own.

I’m thrilled to share that, with your help, Pedigree wants to donate 100,000 pounds of food to animal shelters across the United States! You can make this happen by interacting with Pedigree on Facebook or using Twitter to spread the word about Pedigree and their amazing donation spree! Just log onto onto Facebook and Twitter starting June 1st (with the hashtag #everydogdeserves) to say why they think “Every Dog Deserves” the very best. For each Like, comment, @reply, re-tweet, photo upload, etc. directed at Pedigree, they’ll donate one pound of food (up to 100,000 pounds total).

I think it’s pretty amazing that all of us can help animal shelters without spending a penny!

I wrote this review while participating in an Ambassador campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Pedigree and received dog food to facilitate my reviews and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Even though this Minnesota mom is still suffering from some pretty cold weather, it hasn’t escaped me that summer is right around the corner! I’ve been happily snuggling into big and cozy sweaters, fleece jackets, and down parkas for the last several months. With the brutally cold weather we had this winter, I hardly had a need to look at my own body, let alone worry about what other people couldn’t even see!

I’m still waiting for that warm weather, but I have high hopes that we’ll be enjoying some lovely sunny days before too long. The warm weather definitely has me thinking (worrying?) about how to get my body back in shape. I’m definitely not ready to wear a swimsuit or even shorts with the condition my body is in right now!

While I’ve never been overweight, I could definitely practice a healthier lifestyle, and my body shows it! I also know that I’m a busy mom, and I’m not great at sticking to overly-detailed plans. With all those thoughts in mind, I’ve put together a high-level set of guidelines to follow in the next few weeks to be ready for summer:

• Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. I know that the benefits of water can be debated, but I know that I should trade at least one cup of coffee each day for a glass of water or two. Not only will it keep me hydrated, it will also curb my appetite!
• Reduce the amount of bread, pasta and cereal I usually eat. This is a very general idea, but I know I eat way too much bread, and that directly impacts my waistline. I know I’ll be doing my body a favor by reducing these types of carbs.
• Move more. I’ve already started playing outside with my kids each day. I also want to start doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred at least a few times a week to improve muscle tone!
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. If I’m not eating bread, pasta or cereal, it should be easier to fit those healthy fruits and veggies into my meals!

If I do all three of these things I’ll definitely be in better shape than I was before!

Weight Watchers Smart Ones is making it easier to stay on track with a healthy meal plan without spending time on prep work beforehand. Their products provide a variety of delicious, convenient and portion controlled meals and snacks that contain lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. And now they are offering two new breakfast items – like the new Egg, Sausage & Cheese Wrap and the French Toast with Turkey Sausage. Plus, the packaging tells you the Weight Watchers PointsPlus values in each serving, allowing you to conveniently plan for the day. Visit www.eatyourbest.com for more information.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Weight Watchers Smart Ones and received a promotional item and coupons to facilitate my review.

(photo credit: Kayaker1204)

I’ve mentioned in the past that I have a solid family history of heart disease. That knowledge always guides my food choices in terms of fat and cholesterol, but I’ve recently vowed to also keep a closer eye on the sodium I’m consuming. I’m determined to keep my family healthy, too, so I’m also watching their sodium intake!

Since January, I’ve been working to replace the salt in our diets with flavorful herbs and spices. One easy and delicious way to do that it to add in some Mrs. Dash seasoning and skip the salt altogether! There are some super-fun blends to try, including Tomato, Basil & Garlic and Caribbean Citrus, but sometimes Mrs. Dash’s Original Blend is all we need to add flavor without sodium.

I had purchased some asparagus last week with the intention of serving it for a breakfast-at-dinner meal over the previous weekend. That didn’t pan out as I had planned, and I had asparagus that was starting to wilt in my crisper drawer. My usual method of cooking aspargus involves steaming it, then sprinkling it with sea salt, but I wanted to try Mrs. Dash on it instead.

I already had dinner in the oven, so I decided to try something new and roast the asparagus. Here are the ingredients I used:

• 1 pound fresh asparagus
• 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Original Blend

My oven was already on and hot, but you’ll want to preheat your oven to 375 for this recipe. Here’s how to prepare the asparagus:

1. Wash and dry the asparagus. If it’s starting to get soft and wilty, just plunge it into ice water for about 5 minutes to perk it back up again. Pat it dry.
2. Grasp the asparagus at the base and about halfway up the stalk and snap off the woody ends. Discard the ends.
3. Toss the remaining stalks into a baking dish (mine is a weird 7×11 size, but you can use 8×8 or 9×13).
4. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, then toss the stalks around in the dish to get each one fully coated.
5. Sprinkle the Mrs. Dash over the asparagus. Your pan will look like this:

Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until hot to the touch. Serve and eat.

Honestly, this is one of the best ways I’ve eaten asparagus. I didn’t even miss the salt! Plus, eating asparagus in-season always reminds this Minnesota mom blogger that spring is right around the corner. The bright green color and the tender-crisp texture tends to lighten my mood and remind me that warmer days are ahead!

If you want a heart-healthy way to serve asparagus or other vegetables, try sprinkling on a little Mrs. Dash!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Mrs. Dash and received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.