If you read my blog, then you know how much I adore my grandfather. He has made such a huge impact on my everyday character, and who I am in general. Without him as a role model, I don’t think I would have the joie de vie attitude mixed with I don’t care what people say or think about me…. I’m just happy. It is his love for family and survival that has molded my disposition and  sunny outlook on life.

Recently my grandfather had a doctor’s appointment for no reason other then he goes to the Dr. every few months because he’ll be 90 years old soon and we have to keep a close eye on our favorite guy. As usual the doctor gave him shining results and said he is healthy as can be. Lucky me! The only thing the Dr. did say is he should slow down and hold back a little on his sugar intake. What? Right before Easter? He didn’t say he couldn’t have sugar, he just said it shouldn’t be so often. Well here’s the thing, my beautiful old grandpa just loves a tall glass of juice in the morning, and I can’t deprive him of that.

The other day I was at Walmart and found a juice in the frozen section made by Old Orchard. What caught my attention was the fact that it read clear as day “No sugar added.” That already was better than the sugar loaded juice my grandpa drinks in the morning. I reached for a can of Old Orchard to investigate it further, and to my delight it has  no artificial flavors and no preservatives. Each 8-oz glass equals two servings of fruit and contains 120% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin C. Thumbs up! Plus it ONLY cost $1.47 at Walmart– say what? And my grandfather gets to still have his juice in the morning…. Love it! I brought a few plastic cans of juice home and put them to the test. We found a winner. Grandpa liked the natural sweetness from the juice and I liked serving him something his Dr. wouldn’t frown upon. I love my Grandpa, god bless his soon to be 90 year old soul. The whole family will raise a glass with him.

That’s pretty. I always have a desire to make or eat a trifle, but until recently I did not own a trifle bowl. I needed to correct that fast……

My fiance took it upon himself to start looking up places for me to buy a trifle bowl.  Every place was either online with shipping or out of the way, then he checked Walmart, not only is it close by but it was priced so nicely ($6. 97) I went out and bought it straight away.

As my grubby hands placed my new trifle bowl in the cart, I said to my son “We can’t leave here with out buying ingredients to fill this beautiful vessel to the rim.” I then asked “Do you want to make an Easter Trifle? We can decorate it with the new blue raspberry peeps, and a chocolate bunny.” My son looked at me and said excitedly “Can we get jellybeans too?” Me, being a pleased new owner of a trifle bowl, I said “Of course we can!” Then we ran like little kids do across Walmart to the Easter candy section and picked out our prized treats. The blue raspberry peeps didn’t make it all the way home, my son had to have them in the car, luckily I bought an extra pack of regular blue peeps.

Ingredients for Easter lemon cake trifle:

• 1 – 6 ounce box of strawberry jello mix
• 1 1/2 – cups boiling hot water
• 1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 – box Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake mix (bake according to box instructions. Use egg, water, and vegetable oil)
• 1 – box pink bunny peeps
• 1 – large container cool whip
• 1 – box of blue raspberry peeps / or blue peeps
• 1 – bag Starburst jellybeans
• 1 – Lindt chocolate bunny

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl add in jello mix and hot boiling water. Mix with a fork or whisk until all jello is dissolved.
2. Pour sweetened condensed milk into jello mixture. Mix to combine.
3. Pour creamy jello mixture into the bottom on the trifle bowl. 
4. Place in fridge.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
6. Mix cake batter according to box (add in egg, water and oil) and bake. 
7. Allow cake to cool. Remove from pan and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes. 
8. Remove trifle bowl from fridge and start building your trifle. By alternating between the cubed cake and a bunny peep. 
9. Then fill the entire center with cake cubes. 
10. Spread a nice thick layer of cool whip on top of cake.
11. Then place another layer of cake on top of the cool whip. 
12. Top with another layer of cool whip filling the trifle to the rim.
13. Then decorate the top with blue raspberry peeps, jellybeans, and a chocolate bunny.
14. Place back in the fridge till ready to eat.
15. Enjoy!

I woke up to some great news this morning. Walmart released a statement letting the world know that they will now carry a new awesome organic line called Wild Oats in their stores. Can you believe the world’s largest retailer is bringing an organic line to the people at a 25% cheaper price point (compared to other organic lines?)  I love it. This just means more people will be able to eat organic, or people who wanted to eat organic in the past but couldn’t afford it might be able to now. Heck, this organic line may even reach a new demographic of people who had never even considered eating organic, and might go that route now, teaching the country to eat better and live better. This is seriously a beautiful thing and makes me so proud to see my beloved Walmart taking steps everyday to make the organic world more readily available to people.

• Wild Oats Marketplace Organic™, which adheres to USDA guidelines for organic certification and includes everything from canned vegetables to a full range of spices such as paprika, curry powder and ground cinnamon.
• Walmart will carry a broad variety of Wild Oats Marketplace Organic™ categories – from salsa and pasta sauce to quinoa and chicken broth.

I am headed to Walmart now to buy Wild Oats Marketplace Organic™ products and put them to good use. Seeing that round  USDA seal for organic certification is pure joy.

Last week I was having dinner with a group of girlfriends. We were sitting around chatting, exchanging our newest finds around town and updating each other on what’s going on in our lives.  One of my friends said that she had recently started taking “biotin” per instruction from her hairstylist. I asked “Why? What does it do?”  She said it helps with hair thickening, skin, and stronger nails. I liked what I heard and thought I should start taking it too.

A few days later I discovered this cool new tool that Walmart.com is providing called Vitaselect, it’s this quick online survey you can take and based on your answers it will help you choose a vitamin, mineral or other supplement to fit your concerns. Awesome right? Of course, I took the survey right away, and in addition to recommending a daily vitamin, it recommended biotin and cinnamon capsules. I rushed over to Walmart and found everything I needed, and started my new regimen right then.  I can’t wait for my hair and skin to start looking better, then I’ll report back to the girls. Take the survey and forget the guess work…. Vitaselect will do it for you.