sunny vegan » food, photography, and fun

6.9.13

All New Ubooly Lab and a Giveaway

We have had our Ubooly for awhile now, but the Ubooly Lab and updates make this an entirely new and improved toy. It still has all the great features of protecting your iPhone in an adorable little soft toy and cute personality to entertain your kids, but the added features take the Ubooly experience to a new level of education fun.

Having 2 kids, personalizing Ubooly to know who it was playing with was so cool! Once you log in and personalize their interests, Ubooly tailors the playing and learning experience to what they like and appropriate educational levels. I was cracking up as she talked to Ella (age 9) about her favorite colors and foods because Ella had no idea how her little playmate knew so much about her. Ella says her favorite part of the new updates are the ability to customize her appearance and new additions to the Ubooly room.

Teagan, age 6, also loved personalizing Ubooly so that her friend didn’t look like her sister’s. As you play with Ubooly in her box, you child earns coins to decorate her box and give her snack.

The truth is, finding an iPhone game that I am happy to let me kids play is tough, but the Ubooly Lab updates combine cute fun with education in a way the held both my girls attentions. I highly recommend you check out this Ubooly intro video then enter to win one below!

Ubooly Lab Features:

CUSTOMIZE UBOOLY
• Teach Ubooly your child’s name
• Add lessons with just one click
• Promote healthy habits
• Adaptive to learn your child’s interests

EDUCATION PERSONALIZED

• Lessons are written by top educators
• Lessons include: Reading, Math, Science, Foreign Language, and much more.
• Stay fit and active while learning!

VIEW YOUR CHILD’S PROGRESS
• Receive email progress reports
• Ubooly Lab suggests what to learn next

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find more information on Ubooly here: website, facebook, twitter

This is a sponsored post. Opinions, as always, are my own.

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+ - 9 comments

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June 9, 2013 - 9:05 pm

Cheri - This looks like so much fun, I would love to win for my little man.

June 10, 2013 - 1:51 pm

BriGeeski - I would give the Ubooly to my daughter. She would love it!!

June 10, 2013 - 6:50 pm

Ali - It would be a shared toy for my kids…at least until I am able to get a second one delivered!

June 10, 2013 - 8:25 pm

Lynda @MommyPowers - I’d give it to my 6 yr old, he’d LOVE it! Thanks!

June 11, 2013 - 12:50 pm

latanya - my son

June 11, 2013 - 3:47 pm

Eliza Ferree (Homemom3) - I’d give this little guy to my 9 yr old daughter.

June 11, 2013 - 6:40 pm

Tracie Brown - I would love to give this to my daughter for long car trips! I think it would keep her occupied

June 13, 2013 - 11:43 am

Cee - I would love to give this to my 5yo!

June 15, 2013 - 6:54 pm

Leah CB - I would give it to my nephew.

6.5.13

simple living – our BIG announcement and a free printable for you

Why would anyone chose to live in a small house? Because according to Graham Hill, “Small is Sexy!”
Not that I am trying to be sexy (I gave up years ago) but do you know what, I think he’s right. (I highly recommend watching this)

So what can we really do about it? I have been trying to figure that out for awhile, you can read more about our simple living beginning here. What if you had the chance to try out the simple living lifestyle, would you do it?

It turns out that we have a unique opportunity to try it out before we commit to it. and now for my big announcement…
We are leaving our big house and downsizing to a 960 square foot cabin in the mountains!!! Eeeeek!

No more 3 car garage, instead we will have NO garage.
No more dishwasher, just the sink and my hands.
No more his and hers walk in closets, one closet for his and hers.
No more 5 bedrooms, just 2.
No more 3 bathrooms, just 1 and a half.
No more upstairs laundry, I will have to carry it up and down the stairs.
and maybe most importantly for myself-
No more big fancy kitchen with gorgeous marble, a small kitchen with old laminate instead.

I am completely excited and scared to death, but my gut says this is the right thing for us.
While my husband initially thought I had totally lost my mind, and my mother still does, we are going to do it. We have a great house in a great neighborhood, but it’s way to big for me personally. It turns out that we only use about 1000 square feet of our 3000 anyway, so here we go. At least for now, how long we stay is still up for debate.

Next’s weeks simple living post will be from our new local in Big Bear, CA. A town of only 5,000 people and *gasp* without a Target.
Whoa, this is going to be fun, right?

Thanks for reading this far, now here is your free printable poster of the word art above. ( 8×10 without the gray border)

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June 5, 2013 - 4:38 pm

Cynthia - I’m so excited for you! What an adventure it will be! I can hardly wait to hear all about it. No Target?!

June 5, 2013 - 4:38 pm

Anne (@notasupermom) - That’s a big move! Very best wishes for your move.

June 5, 2013 - 4:40 pm

Megan @ Mama Bub - I can’t wait to hear all about it!

June 5, 2013 - 6:03 pm

Jessica - It’s going to be an awesome adventure! Can’t wait to follow along.

June 5, 2013 - 7:15 pm

Anna - Wow! What a change, but what an amazing opportunity to start fresh and new and define what is truly important to you! I’m excited to read more about your adventure. And thanks for the beautiful print!

June 6, 2013 - 5:53 am

Jackie - Wow! Now that is a huge change… It will definitely be an adventure and I hope that it all works out for you!

I live where there is no Target for at least 30 minutes, cows & coyotes can be heard day or night, and you know most people when you go to town. Oh… my laundry is in the basement too.

June 7, 2013 - 7:50 am

BriGeeski - Awesome!!! Sounds great! We will be in Big Bear for 4th of July weekend. Hope to see you there! Love the printable too.

6.4.13

greek quinoa salad – picnic perfect

I am so excited for summer! Picnics in the park or at the beach, backyard bbq’s and just chilling. If you need a dish to satisfy your vegan and gluten free friends, this is one dish to keep everyone happy. It also comes together quickly, stores and travels well and is really delicious. Oh, and it’s pretty

Using quinoa instead of lettuce in the greek salad makes this a really hearty side or main dish. It still surprises me how many people are not eating quinoa since it’s so versatile, try using it instead of pasta or rice with your favorite sauce. Whatcha waiting for, go get some quinoa will ya! and then let me know how you like to eat it…

Ingredients: 4-6 servings

1 cup quinoa
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped tomato or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup crumbled tofu
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic
1-2 tbs agave
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

prepare quinoa according to package directions and allow to cool. combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and agave in bowl and mix well. combine remaining ingredients with quinoa, add dressing and mix well.

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June 5, 2013 - 7:22 pm

Anna - It’s like you read my mind! I’ve been dreaming about picnics, but I typically pack sandwiches for my family. Since I’ve gone gluten free, sandwiches aren’t quite the same. But you’re right, this is perfect, and gluten free picnic food. Thanks!

June 7, 2013 - 7:55 am

BriGeeski - Mmmm… this looks so good! I have been making quoinoa with garlic, tomato and olive oil. I never thought to add olives!

June 7, 2013 - 9:07 am

Ann - I’ve been seeing lots of mentions about quinoa lately; your recipe looks really simple so I think I’m going to give it a try. It sounds like something that would work great for taking to work for lunch too!

June 7, 2013 - 12:44 pm

Monica P - Ah, I’ll have to give this a try. Quinoa cooks quite fast. I made some the other day for a brownie recipe which came out awful .. lol.

Monica, http://www.pear-shaped-gal.com

5.29.13

The Fast Metabolism Diet – book review

The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy promises that you can eat more food and lose up to 20 pounds in 28 days. Hailed as “the metabolism whisperer,” Haylie reminds us that food is not the enemy, it’s the rehab needed to rev-up your sluggish broken-down metabolism and turn your body into a fat-burning furnace. You will eat a lot on this plan and it is broken down into phases:

Phase I (Monday-Tuesday): Lots of carbs and fruits
Phase II (Wednesday-Thursday): Lots of proteins and veggies
Phase III (Friday-Sunday): All of the above, plus healthy fats and oils

Haylie is know as the go-to weight loss guru for stars like Cher, Jennifer Lopez and Robert Downey Jr. She also looks healthy and talks about avoiding unnatural foods such as fat-free, artificial sweeteners and chemical additives which is also sound advice.

So what did I think about the book? I was turned off by the promises of eating more to lose more, it’s on the front of almost every diet book. Then I was surprised and delighted by her approach to holistic nutrition and was intrigued by the science of metabolism and digestion since I am currently studying those areas. The promise of a vegetarian option was exciting too because so many other books are things I would never consider eating, but the book really fell short in this area for me. The phase 1 breakfasts were ok as they were fruit smoothies. When you get to the phase 1 lunch recipes, you have Tuna, green apple and spinach salad, Open faced turkey sandwich, Sprouted grain turkey wrap, Chicken and barley soup, or Turkey Buffalo chili. Now which of those recipes is vegetarian?
That’s right, none of them unless you leave the meat out and you then have a salad.

This book may be helpful to non-veg-heads, but if you are vegan or vegetarian, you may be disappointed. Haylie recommends that vegetarians alter their diet to include eggs and fish (personally insulting to me that she even mentions this in the vegetarian section) but can also sub beans for the protein. After checking out the forums on the fast metabolism diet website, it seems that other veggies have the same concerns that I have.

Have you read the book? I would love to hear your opinions!

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/FastMetabolismDiet.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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June 2, 2013 - 6:38 am

D. Renée - I just got the book 2 days ago, and I’m sorely disappointed. Have you found any vegetarian alternatives?

June 5, 2013 - 5:00 pm

Amanda - Hi D, other than the few pages in the book which address substitutions, I haven’t found any other alternatives.
Good Luck if you try the diet!

June 17, 2013 - 4:21 pm

Anne S. - I don’t understand why vegetarians and vegans think this book doesn’t include options for them. I’m vegan, and I’m having no problem doing any of the phases, because there’s a section in “The Fast Metabolism Diet” that specifically says to substitute soy products such as organic tempeh, etc. for the meats/ non-vegan proteins. And soy products such as tofu and tempeh are a traditional meat substitue in recipes, anyway, because the texture works as a faux-meat. So rather than Turkey Buffalo chili, make Tempeh chili

In my circle of vegan friends, soy has a really bad rep because of its high phytoestrogen content. People logically make the assumption that an increase in phytoestrogens will adversely affect their homone levels. I’m a pre-veterinary student at a university, and I recently took a class on the uses of plants and herbs in the medical field. Multiple peer-reviewed, double-blind, randomized studies show that while soy has phytoestrogenic properties, it also has anti-phytoestrogic properties; this means that your body only uses the phytoestrogen in soy to boost your hormone levels IF YOU HAVE AN ESTROGEN DEFIENCY. It will not raise already normal estrogen levels. So while the fear of soy SEEMS logical, studies show that this fear is simply not justified.

The only concern people should have of soy, is that it is second only to corn in being the most genetically modified organism. So it is wise to buy organic/ non GMO’ed soy products, which is exactly what Haylie Pomroy suggests.

I hope this helps people utilize “the fast metabolism” dietary principles into their lives better because this program really is working for me! My weights finally stabilized because for the first time since I became raw vegan, my hunger level has stabilized!

Happy Fast Metabolism!

June 18, 2013 - 2:12 pm

deb - I felt as you did- I bought the book because there were “vegetarian options”, and also was disappointed with the “hey, you can eat fish for this little bit” kind of attitude. It just showed a lack of understanding that many of us don’t omit meat from our diet simply as a dietary choice.

June 18, 2013 - 2:21 pm

Amanda - Glad it’s working well for you Anne!
I think the frustration comes form the statement that it includes vegetarian information but we are left to fill in the recipes and substitutions on our own, rather than providing vegetarian and vegan recipes.
and hey, I love soy!

June 18, 2013 - 2:21 pm

June 18, 2013 - 2:29 pm

Amanda - That really bothered me too Deb. I have NEVER eaten fish in my life and suggesting that I do it now for her “holistic” plan totally irked me

June 18, 2013 - 7:13 pm

Anne S. - Haylie’s website has a vegetarian/vegan forum. This might help , there are a few more recipes on it.

http://www.fastmetabolismdiet.com/forums/forum/fmd-for-vegetarians-and-vegans/

5.29.13

ready for summer? here’s your free bucket list

I can’t believe that school is almost out for the summer! Who else is excitedly freaking out about how to entertain everyone for 3 months? While I loved the idea of a summer bucket list, last year (more about it here) I realized that a lot of the lists out there didn’t work for me or my family, so I made a different kind of list based on photos.

Every summer I have grand plans of fun which quickly go out the window, but last year we hung our empty bucket list where we could easily see it and were reminded to get out and have fun! It worked so we are doing it again.
We will ROCK this summer! Who’s with me?

Remember when the summer was about the simple things? As we are still focused on our Simple Living plan, this summers list reflects time spent with the family and surrounded by nature. I’ve gotta tell ya, we are all so excited about what this summer has to offer us, stay tuned for next weeks Simple Living Wednesday post for a BIG family announcement. Until then, here is our list…

The Prince Summer Bucket List 2013:
picnic in the woods
create a Prince family sandwich recipe
go on a water slide
make a new popsicle flavor
backyard vegan BBQ
watch the 4th fireworks
eat from our garden
swim time!!

simply click the image to download, print and write in your own list. or use photoshop to add your list and family name.

then let me know what is first on your list!

and here is the other version, slightly updated.

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May 30, 2013 - 7:53 am

Steph Calvert - On my bucket list for this summer? Get the family up to the Hotlanta area to explore, and go find out what Stone Mountain, Georgia is all about!

May 31, 2013 - 6:19 pm

kara noel @small things - This is great! Love the picture idea and I totally pinned it!

sunny vegan » food, photography, and fun

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All New Ubooly Lab and a Giveaway

simple living – our BIG announcement and a free printable for you

greek quinoa salad – picnic perfect

The Fast Metabolism Diet – book review

ready for summer? here’s your free bucket list

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