Do you want to build a snowman?? #DisneyMusic #ENMNetwork CD Giveaway

I have been fortunate enough to be able to review Disney's latest CD release, Frozen: The Songs which is available NOW for you to buy!!!

On September 30, Disney has released not only the CD but a Vinyl edition and a Spanish language version.

***I was provided the product for review as part of ENMNetwork however all thoughts and opinions are my own***

I still haven't decided if I would be Elsa or Anna "when I grow up"

I believe I would be more likely to be Anna because of my protective instincts to my family and friends.... I also would like to think I can sing like Kristen Bell but if we're being honest, I need to leave the singing up to the pro's!

So I am excited that the second the CD arrived, I had a rocking sing along with my 2 & 10 year old, I mean come on, who doesn't want to build a snowman and there's nothing sweeter than hearing my little guy singing let it go with such passion!

I am yet to decide which version of Let It Go I love more though, Idina Menzel or Demi Lovato, the jury is still out.

The CD comes with some cute stickers and the cover insert opens up to have all the songs and their lyrics on one side and a poster on the other.

Frozen: The Songs track list follows:

1. Frozen Heart

Performed by Cast

2. Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Performed by Kristen Bell, Agatha Lee Monnand and Katie Lopez

3. For the First Time in Forever

Performed by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel

4. Love Is an Open Door

Performed by Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana

5. Let It Go

Performed by Idina Menzel

6. Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People

Performed by Jonathan Groff

7. In Summer

Performed by Josh Gad

8. For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)

Performed by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel

9. Fixer Upper

Performed by Maia Wilson and Cast

10. Let It Go (Demi Lovato Version)
Performed by Demi Lovato

Frozen: The Songs, Frozen: The Songs Vinyl Soundtrack, Frozen Canciones de Una Aventura Congelada and the Frozen Score digital album is available from September 30, 2014.

Now for the Giveaway, this is the FIRST EVER MrsJRad giveaway, all you need to do is comment on this post and tell me: Which Frozen character are you most like and WHY?? Simple as that! Entries close Sunday 5th October at Midday (Australian Time)

**Disclaimer: If it come to this bloggers attention that the winner of my giveaway has won on a additional blog, this blog reserves the right to choose another winner.**

Weekly dinner dilemmas

So as most of you know, I'm a 40 hour a week working mum with two kids (2 & 10) and my big kid of a hubby!

Every week we face the same battle on a Sunday....meal planning!!!

I do my best to plan out the meals in our house so we are less likely to slack off and get an unhealthy take away purely for the convenience on our way home.

Our slow cooker has become our best friend & approaching winter it's the perfect way to have a comforting meal when we walk in the door.

Every week we have some sort of roast, this week we decided to have a lamb but whilst browsing the aisles at the supermarket I came across this little gem

We decided to try it out, for a rrp $5.99 I figured why not!

It came with the seasoning rub which instead of putting on lamb strips we rubbed all over our leg of lamb and let it soak in overnight in the fridge.

This morning we put the lamb in the slow cooker with about a cup of water to be sure it didn't dry out and switched it to low to cook until our return.

Arriving home at 6:30pm, our house smelt like a Greek souvlaki heaven!

Dinner was served within 10 minutes, that included making the tzatziki yoghurt with the sachet that came with the kit & chopping up the salad!!

Holy deliciousness it was good!!

It was a complete winner in our house, the 8 wraps that came in the kit was plenty for our family of 4 and the best part is there is enough lamb left over for lunch tomorrow #winning!

So give it a go, a wonderful winter warming meal and super fast to prepare!

This is definitely going to become a regular in our house

Sleep well, Mrs J Rad xxx

Tomorrow is a new day

I declared that 2014 would be my year & it has delivered in soooo many ways already, however there is one major thing that has fallen by the wayside!!

I want to get healthy, yes I want to lose weight and tone up too but that is all part of it. The exercise and eating better will make those things happen without me obsessing over how many kilos I have lost to date....

So tomorrow my alarm is set, 6:30 I will see you then & I fully intend to show you what I am made of...early morning workout here I come!!!

These are a few of the quotes and inspirations I have to focus on!

Enjoy,

MrsJRad xxx

Moments like these

I struggle on a daily basis at times to be the mother I want to be.

You see when my first blessing Lily came in to this world, I was only 2 months off turning 18, in so many ways I was still a child myself.

I had an upbringing that was turbulent to say the least however I think in a lot of ways this was what prepared me to be a mother so young.

The biggest challenge for me recently has been that now Lil is approaching a "pre-teen" age, she is craving more mummy time.

Things have been harder since we became a family of 4, not because she didn't want a sibling but it has meant time has now had to be shared between her and her brother.

So we have focused as much as possible on trying for quality vs quantity and having some one on one mummy time has seemingly helped.

Today was one of the moments as a parent that your heart truly could explode. I took Lily to see a mini concert in our towns mall by Reuben Koops, you can see my previous blog post about Reuben here - http://bit.ly/1q2MR3n

It was a surprise and I didn't tell her what we were doing just that we were heading to the mall, the expression of pure joy and excitement in her face was irreplaceable <3

Today made all of the hard days as a parent worth it.

I hope that one day Lily will reflect on her childhood and remember not so much that Mum worked 40 hours a week but that we worked so we could give her everything we possibly could, so that she could receive a wonderful education, so that she could see places around Australia and in time all around the world but mostly I hope she reflects on her life and remembers being LOVED by so many people she never had to feel alone.

So Lily if you read this one day, I love you and I know I am far from the perfect parent but I love you with everything I have in me & I am so blessed to have you as my daughter, there will be times in your life you will hate me and in these times I hope you can understand I am only trying to protect you. There will also be others that only I will be the one who can heal the pain. I will always be here for you and will continue daily to give you as much as this world has to offer and as you would say "Never let anyone dull your sparkle"

MrsJRad aka Mumma Bear xxx

Join the Nerdolution

WOW! In just a few short weeks, Zac Levi and the Nerd HQ campaign has raised over $212k with nearly 10 thousand contributors!

This alone is a testament that we nerds are not walking this earth alone.

If you missed what #IWantMyNerdHQ is all about, you can view my last post here

Technology has come so far and in a reasonably short amount of time, flash back 10 years and there would be no way on this earth I would have been interested in something like this. Not because I don't love Zac and what NerdHQ is all about but from feeling disappointed that I was on one side of the world while this event is on the other.

Guess what? That doesn't matter!!

I will be attending panels that fans from anywhere in the world can log on and watch online.

So who wants to join me? I know most of my readers are based within Australia but this is an opportunity for anyone to be a part of making this event happen.

Picture courtesy of The Nerd Machine

How do you do this you ask??

We have 27 days left to contribute, anything as little as $5 can help.

His team have started adding some really cool incentives to spice things up a little, the current one is for "contribute a minimum of $5 from now until Sunday at 11:59pm PDT, you could receive a thank you call from Zac Levi himself!".... Did I contribute again to win this, you KNOW I Did!! 

Give now at IWantMyNerdHQ.com

Last Sunday, Zac answered questions and talked about the campaign on Ustream.

You can watch below.
I promise you, watch 10 minutes of this and you will find it hard to keep your wallet in your handbag and NOT give him some financial help.

And cause I know you're gonna want more as soon as you're done, this was a Google Hangout with Zac from this week also.

Well, What are you still doing here?? GO...NOW.... #NerdsUnite 

MrsJRad xxx

Chuck, Flynn, Fandral... Introducing King Nerd Zachary Levi

“Being nerdy just means being passionate about something, including everyone - the coolest people on Earth are passionate and therefore nerdy about something whatever it is, whether it's sports, or gaming, or technology, or fashion, or beauty, or food, or whatever.” - Zac Levi

I want to introduce you to someone, for the purpose of this post, let's call him a "friend" of mine.

This is Zachary Levi, you might know him as Chuck, Flynn Rider from Disney's Tangled or most recently Fandral in Thor: The Dark World. To be honest, it doesn't matter if you haven't met him right up until this moment, what is important is that we help him.

Every year for the past 3 years, Zac and The Nerd Machine team have put on a pop culture event "Nerd HQ" a 100% completely FREE event that coincides with Comic Con in San Diego. Until now, Zac has had to rely solely on sponsorship dollars and his own funds.

In 2014, Zac needs our help.

He is asking that anyone and everyone contribute $5 (or more if you have it) via Indiegogo to help make #NerdHQ happen.



This is a fan's dream come true, it is an event that to quote Zac is "trying to incentivize celebrities and fans to come together and in really intimate and interactive ways, all whilst raising money for charity."

That's right people, not only is this event free, 100% of any of the paid celebrity photo ops, signing ops or panels goes straight to Operation Smile.

Operation Smile is a not for profit charity that provides free surgeries to repair cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities for children around the world.

"Fans will treat something preciously if given the opportunity to do so" - Zac Levi

I believe in that quote with every part of my being, as you all know, I was pretty much born a fangirl and through the power of social media and technology, I have been able to be a part of so many wonderful things that a lot of fans would dream about.

So what are you waiting for? Join me in becoming a part of #NerdHQArmy today.
Not only will you be helping a selfless event take place, your name will appear on the "Nerd HQ Wall of Honour" at the event and on The Nerd Machine page.

All Zac needs is $5, if you have more great, but if not, its incredible to know that you can help such a selfless event happen for the same price as a good cup of coffee.

Go to the Indiegogo page now #IWantMyNerdHQ!!

MrsJRad xxx

Reuben Koops

In November 2013, my sister turned 30 so we went out for dinner and a few drinks to celebrate.

At the bar that we went to, I was immediately draw to the back where the talented Reuben Koops was doing a solo gig. I had heard of him from being on Australia's Got Talent but in all honesty, I didn't watch the show.

In my opinion, Reuben's sound is a young combination of John Mayer and Jack Johnson, two of my favourite artists ever! So I had a great night dancing the night away (because of the chilled lounge setting of the bar, I may have even been the crazy lady that was dancing on her own but hey I was feelin it!)

The next morning the first thing I did was jump on google, I had to know if there was a CD I could buy! 

Low and behold, Reuben was crowd funding via indiegogo.com to make his debut album, I signed up instantly!!

I got this baby in the mail last month & I have had it on daily in my car ever since.

The YouTube album sampler that Reuben released is  http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=mCZtinCbRlw

Reuben sings a number of songs that are clearly written from the depths of love for his wife. It's really refreshing to have a love song that is pure, honest and isn't tainted by sexual undertones as most of the pop scene is these days.

This is something that with a daughter approach her teen years is incredibly dear to my heart, the love reuben sings about in most of his songs is one of self worth and value. 

That is a message I am more than happy for my pre-teen to listen to on repeat!

The debut single "Where You Water It" which is also the name of his album, sends a clear message about you getting out of a relationship what you put in, the specific lyric "the grass is greener when you water it". This message is one far beyond his years but one that I think the world needs to hear.

You can view the film clip here - http://youtu.be/-L_7emT2EbM

I truly have been swept up in this album and can't recommend it highly enough.

My favourite pick has to be "Two Little Words" which I believe Reuben wrote for his wife before they married last year. It's a touching song about starting their married lives together.

An acoustic video of it can be found here - http://youtu.be/zLXMSxb6bP0

I hope you all consider checking this young Tasmanian artist out, I feel there will be great things ahead of this guy & I for one will be looking forward to seeing it happen!!

Buy Reuben's album on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/where-you-water-it/id805279636 or for any of my international friends that might want a copy, email me or comment below and I can source it locally for you!

Thanks for reading,

MrsJRad

P.S check out the tasmanian tour dates

I knew chocolate was good for me

***I am a participating Influencer at The Entertainment New Media Network. I have received free product for review to facilitate this post. I was not compensated for this review and all expressed opinions are strictly my own.***

For anyone that knows me, the only hot drink this body consumes is a strong hot cup of coffee or a honey and lemon drink when I am sick.

Until today.

Today I have been introduced to a whole new world of hot drinks, one that just might see me reaching past a large double shot skinny latte and making myself a delicious Crio Bru hot chocolate.

Crio Bru is a hot drink made from 100% cocoa beans, brewed like coffee and is filled with flavour and packed full of antioxidants. The health benefits alone were enough for me to want to give it a try.

We have tried our Bru a number of different ways over this past 5 days. Primarily because I am impatient and couldn’t wait to buy a new French press to try it out. Each time we added a little skim milk and 1tsp of sugar, just as we would our coffee.

First attempt was in a tea pot (yes desperate times call for desperate measures).

                                                  

Needless to say, it wasn’t ideal. The Cavalla Crio Bru was nowhere near strong enough but I could already tell by the flavours coming through that I had found a new night time companion.

The following day, I again forgot to buy a French press so we gave the Thermomix a run as per the Crio Bru website’s “How to Bru” guide.

50gm Crio Bru (we used the Cavalla), 800-900mls water and 10 min/90°C/speed 2

The smell in my house was simply divine. This time by using the Thermomix, it was a much stronger flavour and I just knew we were nearly there with perfecting the art of Crio Bru.

My husband Roger tried this with me and found that after having a night time Crio Bru he felt much more relaxed and sleepy. A definite winner for our nightly wind down once the kids are in bed.

On Sunday, I finally remembered to buy myself a new French Press.

    
                                                                

This took the Crio Bru to a whole new level. Using the French press made for rich and deeply enhanced flavours. If I had to try and describe it, I felt like I was drinking a silky, creamy, rich chocolate bar.

My favourite aspect of the Cavalla was the undertones of the dark chocolate that came through in every mouthful. The saddest part was that with the introduction of the French press to our household actually meant that within no time our Cavalla ran out.

Last night we gave the Maya Crio Bru blend a whirl. Personally this flavour wasn’t one I fell in love with, I still enjoyed it but the cinnamon flavours were a bit too strong for my liking.

Another fun way we tried the Cavalla Crio Bru was actually using the grounds in place of some of the cocoa in protein bars.

The Recipe for anyone interested in trying them is as follows.

250gm raw almonds
12 pitted dates
60gm Protein Powder of your choice (we used chocolate)
1.5tsp Vanilla extract
1tbsp Cocoa
1.5tbsp Crio Bru grounds (we used the left over grounds out of the French Press instead of composting them)

Blitz up in either a food processor or Thermomix and slowly add up to 2tbsp of water to bind them together.  You can roll the mixture in to walnut sized walnut balls or if you’re feeling slack like me put in a slice tray and set overnight in the fridge before cutting in to bars.

The verdict overall is in, we adore Crio Bru and if I am honest with you all, I am awaiting delivery of 3 new bags I ordered last night, I cannot wait to consume some more chocolatey, healthy goodness!

Head to www.criobru.com now to try some for yourself, I promise you won't be disappointed.

The "Other" B word

Budgeting!!

I know, I know, it's a topic that some people find boring & others find it downright stressful.

But that's where I come in!

Most people when you say the "B" word, I have found people get emotional, their stress levels rise and in turn you can almost see (or in my job HEAR) their blood pressure rising. 

My day job is and has been working in a bank call centre for the past 6 years, so for 40 hours a week I help people with their finances.

I started out in a servicing capacity, helping people transfer money, set up savings plans and most recently I help people with their lending/borrowing needs.

I like to think that I am quite good at what I do and for the most part, the feedback I receive from my customers is that I am.

So I would like to share one of my most common tips to take control of your own money.

I would say at a guess, 70% of people these days have most of their payments set up by a direct debit or automatic transfer. In this day and age that can become somewhat of a nightmare to manage when it's all going through your main everyday banking account.

Now I am not going to name specific products that the bank I work with uses (primarily because I'm not sure of the legalities of doing so) but it's a simple theory that can be applied to any banking institution!!

So budgeting 101 with MrsJRad!

Step 1 - know what you have coming in and out. 

Sit down and write down what you pay weekly, fortnightly and monthly. 

You need to include how much each one is. 

*Some people even like to be extreme and include annual payments in to this method but let's start with the basics!

Step 2 - set up a secondary everyday bank account that we will call your "bills" account. Worst case this should cost you around $5 a month but think of how many $9 dishonour fees or account overdrawn fees you may save by having this set up!

Step 3 - calculate what those weekly, fortnightly and monthly bills total.

Then if you are paid weekly, divide that whole amount by 4, fortnightly by 2 and monthly just leave as the whole figure. 

Step 4 - now you need to set up ALL direct debit and automatic payments on to your new "bills" account. 

Step 5 - when you get paid, move the said amount from step 3, in to your bills account, some people even like to have payroll disburse it there for them so it's out of sight, out of mind.

Step 6 - RELAX!! It's truly that simple!! Now you know when you look at your everyday account balance you know that is your spending money (I have even called mine my spendings account) and your bills will all be taken care of!! 

This is incredibly important for the upcoming reforms within Australia regarding credit reporting. From March 12 onwards, under the new privacy rules, credit providers will be able to provide your repayment history to anyone you seek further borrowing from, so now is a fantastic time to get on top of your budgeting and ensure you don't miss payments!!

Read more here - http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-law-reform/credit-reporting-reform

I hope this has helped and for anyone who needs or wants any further (General Advice Only) help, please email me radfordramblings@gmail.com

Now budget away my pretties!! 

Mrs J Rad

xxx

P.S - to try out my favourite budgeting tool, go to moneysmart.gov.au and try their free online budget planner 

Baby Simon

My heart is incredibly heavy at the moment, I have a dear friend who is preparing for the funeral of her new born baby, little baby Simon Leo.

Charity and Ryan knew that Simon was going to pass either before his arrival into the world or not long after.

I still to this day don't know how I would cope being faced with the information and decisions they were faced with. 

I was blessed to be able to share in Charity's pregnancy through the power of technology, as this is one of my friends I met online when lily was a baby who is in the USA.

Charity blogged her pregnancy and I have tears the minute I read anything she has written, her faith and strength are nothing short of inspiring. 

You can read here - http://carstensenfamily2010.blogspot.com.au

There will never be the words to express how heartbroken I am for you Charity (and Ryan, Tanner and Leah) but I hope you know how incredibly loved you are and how proud we all are of you and you are surrounded by so much love right now.

Baby Simon Leo will have a special place in all of our hearts and I thank you for letting me "get to know" him through you

Sending prayers and love across the world,

Jess xxx