Oct 14

Lumpy Bumpy Monster Candy Cupcakes #Treats4All

Oct 14

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #Treats4All

It’s no mystery that Halloween is high on the list when it comes to my favorite holidays. Last month I got a head start and began sharing a few of my ghoulish recipes to get into the spirit. As we approach the spooky day of celebration my gears have been locked into creative mode and there has been quite a bit of hocus pocus going on in the kitchen. As much as I enjoy nibbling on Halloween candy before and after the big day, it has become a staple ingredient in my creations lately. These Lumpy Bumpy Monster Candy Cupcakes bring the best of my two favorite treats together- cake and candy. Using the Wonka Mix Ups I was able to bring those fun lumpy bumpy creatures to life!
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May 16

Spark Summer Time Creativity With Juicy Juice + Crayola #UltimatePlaydate #CollectiveBias

May 16

DIY Juice Box Art Caddy #UltimatePlaydate #CollectiveBias

As a parent I have always encouraged my daughter to explore activities she enjoys and those that help her grow. This includes playtime. In our home playtime is just another outlet for learning. It isn’t limited but rather nurtured. Whether it’s through a puppet show, crafting, dress up with our pug Chloe, or collecting stones outside for her nature collage- we are learning together. Playtime promotes creativity, imagination, and allows children to gain an understanding of the world around them. Not to mention, it’s just plain old FUN. Even as an adult I find myself taking advantage of playtime. I almost forgot how entertaining it is to get a box of crayons and some white paper, drawing whatever comes to mind.
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Sep 11

Perfectly Peachy Pineapple Smoothie With Bigelow Tea

Sep 11

Before the year began I had a solid list of resolutions and changes that I vowed to stick to, no matter how tough the temptation. One of these being my love, addiction, and urge to drink the fizzy beverage known as soda. Does anyone really stick to their resolutions and promises for more than a few weeks, maybe even days? I know what you’re thinking, it’s almost impossible to keep the willpower going strong! For me it was easier said than done. While I never paid attention to the unhealthy affects of soda, I came to realize that there were other options that would quench my thirst without harming my body. This is why I started drinking tea, hot and cold. Whether it’s fruit flavored or green, the brand that I prefer is Bigelow Tea.
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Jan 26

Control Your Appetite & #StopSnacking With Full Core Refreshments! #cBias

Jan 26

You would think with the holidays being over it would be easy to get back on track and shed the unwanted pounds that were nearly impossible to avoid. I always find myself determined and encouraged to stop snacking, eat healthier, and be active when a new year begins. While I am disciplined in my goals, I still have a few bad habits that need major improving. One of these being the urge to frequently snack throughout the day. Sometimes I just don’t want a big meal. I would rather grab a bag of chips and go about my business. Being a mom I tend to focus on my daughter’s meals more than my own. As you can imagine this unhealthy habit hasn’t been very supportive in my plan to shed a few stubborn pounds. I think it’s about time to look into something new. Feeling discouraged I was ready and willing to take the leap and try an appetite control drink known as Full Core.

Many of you may be wondering what exactly Full Core is and how it is different from similar products on the market. I, myself, was in the same boat and decided to research before placing my order online. I came across a ton of helpful information and was intrigued by the benefits it offers. Full Core is a refreshing and fizzy lemon lime beverage that curbs your appetite and also promotes a healthy digestive system. It’s the equivalent of enjoying an ice cold carbonated soda without all of the unhealthy ingredients inside. For me this is the jackpot, the mother load, the big kahuna! I have had such a difficult time kicking my soda habit and sometimes I can’t help but crave something bubbly. This was already getting me excited to try Full Core for myself. It is also blended with 15 essential vitamins, minerals, and 40% of the daily fiber you need. Not only will it make me stop snacking but it will help with my digestive health as well. Sold? I think I am!

Full Core refreshments and merchandise can be purchased at one of their retail locations and also online. Since there nearest store was a bit far from my home, I was pleased to be able order on their website. You can take a look at my digital shopping trip here. After browsing through the options I placed my order and waited patiently for it to arrive. I was very impressed with the shipping time. It took less than a week to arrive! For those of you who are also not close to a retail store, ordering online is very easy. The shipping costs are reasonable and as you can tell from my experience, you don’t have to wait very long.

Anxious to try the sparkling beverage, I popped a couple of cans into the refrigerator and waited for them them to chill. It is best served cold and is even better poured over a cup of ice. I left mine in over night and decided to start the next day with Full Core in hand. After dropping my daughter off at school and running errands I was tired, hungry, and thirsty! Using Full Core as a cure I couldn’t believe how refreshed and re-vitalized I felt. The taste is amazing. It is almost indentical to a lemon lime soda. Even better there was no after taste or jittery feeling. Within about 10 minutes I was no longer hungry and felt much more hydrated. I was surprised that I did not even have a slight urge to pick up a snack. Full Core completely satisfied me and left me feeling full. This is exactly the product I need to push me into losing the holiday pounds. Combined with a continuous work out plan and healthy eating, Full Core is going to be a vitale part in my journey.

Full Core Commerical #3 from full core on Vimeo.

You can learn more about Full Core and their products by visiting the website. in which you will find an online store. To interact with the brand follow along on Twitter and Facebook.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Full Core. #StopSnacking #CBias #SocialFabric

Jan 21

Creating Valentine’s Day Memories With Kleenex #ShareTheSoft #cBias

Jan 21

Through the years the Kleenex® brand has become a dependable part of my family. It is always there to wipe away tears, clean messy faces, and soothe runny noses. It also doesn’t ask any questions! I grew up having a box in every single room of our home, and today not much has changed. I have very fond memories of Kleenex®. Although no one enjoys being sick, this is when I would spend the most time with my trusty box of boogie wipers. Whenever I was feeling under the weather my mom would come home with soup, a tub of ice cream, and a nice big box of tissues to call my very own. I was set and for some reason I felt better plopped on the couch with my Kleenex® right next to me. Today I am passing on the admiration to my daughter, who seems to be sick a lot more often than I would like. With a stock pile in each bedroom and bathroom, there are never any unattended sniffles in this house.

As a result of Toodie going to school regularly I notice that she comes down with a bad cold at least a few times a month. In the past year we have gone through our Kleenex® supply quicker than expected. With it running low we decided to take a trip to Walmart and replenish. When we arrived there was an organized display with different sizes and types of packages to choose from. I picked up a few boxes of the popular Ultra Soft and a convenient To-Go Pack to keep in the car. Now it was time to get home and get crafting. Since Valentine’s Day is a few weeks away I thought it would be fun to make a homemade treat box to hold cards and goodies.

Here is a list of the supplies you will need:

Empty box of Kleenex® tissues
Valentine’s Day themed wrapping paper
Large googly eyes
Foam shaped heart cut outs
Rectangle foam sheets
Elmer’s glue
Red sparkle felt
Glue gun
Shape stencil

To begin take your rectangle box of Kleenex® tissues, preferably Ultra Soft. Remove the tissues and put them in a safe place. After all, you don’t want to let them go to waste! I placed ours in the bathroom where they are used on a daily basis. Once the box is empty, re-seal the pull away tag by taping it back into place. Using scissors you will cut a generous sized slit on the upper end of the box. Make sure the hole is wide enough to fit Valentine cards and treats. If it is too small you may have a hard time getting them back out. Wrap the box in your festive paper and leave the open end for last. This part may seem tricky. Trim the excess paper around the edges of the opening and tuck any remaining pieces into the box. Use tape to secure the paper inside.

In the center of the owl glue a medium sized foam heart. For the eyes I traced two circles on white card stock. To add depth and texture I used the glittery felt to make a smaller circle for the center. Once these are glued together place the googly eye on top. Now your little friend should be coming to life. The remaining parts of the owl were made from a single sheet of light pink foam. I used the smaller heart pieces to trace the feet and free handed the wings, nose, and ears. If you are working on this craft with a child I suggest stepping in to attatch the parts. Using a glue gun will keep them secure and sturdy. Since they are thicker than paper the Elmer’s glue may not hold the weight.

Your Owl Valentine Box can be used to hold cards, candy, or loves notes. You can even place the original tissues back into the top of the box and use it as a tissue holder for the month of February. Until Valentine’s Day gets closer we are using ours as a decoration! Empty Kleenex® tissue boxes are great for crafting and creating.

Attached to the 4 pack bundle of Ultra Soft Kleenex® was a peel away coupon which would allow us to redeem a FREE streaming movie on Vudu.com. Once the coupon was removed, a unique 16 digit code was revealed. By visiting www.walmart.com/kleenex I was able to create a Vudu account and browse through the movie selection. Compared to other video streaming websites, there were many choices and new releases to choose from. It was very easy to navigate through and there were movies that everyone in the family could enjoy. In addition to the $4 credit, I also received 10 free movie rentals by signing up for the first time. The complimentary Vudu codes can be found on specially marked Ultra Soft and Lotion 4 packs.

After looking through the many categories and genres, Toodie was stuck between Coraline and Frankenweenie. I can tell that I passed on my love of Tim Burton movies to her! She ended up going with Coraline and I proceeded to the rent the movie within seconds. As a 24 hour rental, you can continuously go back and check your Vudu account to see the remaining time left. If you have a child that is anything like mine, they may want to watch the movie two or three times! Having this reminder available is very helpful. Vudu is really starting to grow on me.

As if it wasn’t already convenient enough, Vudu movies can be streamed directly to many different devices. These include your HDTV, Blu-ray, PS3, Xbox 360, Roku, PC, and even select tablets. I love watching movies on my IPad. It makes things so much easier! After creating out Valentine’s Day #ShareTheSoft craft, there was no better way to relax than to watch a fun movie together. With all of her stuffed puppies tucked in and a full bed of comfy pillows, we snuggled up and enjoyed Coraline together. It’s the moments like this that make me appreciate being a mom and thankful that Kleenex® helps to make them possible everyday! This Valentine’s Day be sure to #ShareTheSoft and the love with your family too.

To get a closer look at my Walmart shopping trip and Vudu.com experience, stop by my Google+ album.

You can get more information on Kleenex® products by visiting the Walmart website. You can also interact with the brand and other fans by following along on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kleenex® Brand Tissues #CBias #SocialFabric

Nov 19

Making Bedtime Comfy With GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats #HuggiesWalmart #CBias

Nov 19

As our children grow there are many milestones that we face along the way. One of them being potty training! It may not be the easiest to get through but it sure is one of the most exciting to accomplish. Being the parent of a toddler, I can tell you from experience that potty training is no cake walk. Toodie has been doing such a terrific job using the potty and has even made it through several nights completely dry. But with every stride comes a few accidents along the way. There is nothing worse than having to get up in the middle of the night to change sheets and realize you don’t have a clean set available. Since we do not have an endless supply of fitted toddler sheets in the closet, the GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats are a lifesaver when accidents strike while nighttime training.

As one of my favorite retailers, Walmart.com makes shopping for GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats painless and saves me a trip to the store. While there is a Walmart location only a few miles away from my home, I prefer online shopping because it’s more convenient. Shipping is always speedy and I have the option to pick up the items in store if I choose too. I was able to get the bedmats and a few bedtime story books delivered to my door without even leaving the comfort of my home. With Christmas only a month away, I will be taking full advantage of their free shipping on $45 or more this year!

The GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats by Huggies are super absorbent and contain a leakage barrier within. They are soft to the touch which makes them comfortable to sleep on. You can’t even tell they are on the bed because there isn’t any rustling or sounds of paper crinkling. The adhesive strips on the bottom of each mat keep it in place throughout the night and do not leave a sticky residue on the sheets below. I was very impressed with how well these things stick on and how clean they peeled off after use.

The mats fit comfortably on a toddler bed and were much longer than I expected. I was able to cover the whole area that Toodie sleeps on while also tucking the extra material into the sides. This made it feel more secure and prevented the edges from pulling up while she rolled around at night. Just like her mommy, she isn’t a very still sleeper. But for once that isn’t a problem because of how durable the GoodNites have proven to be.

With our long awaited Disney World trip coming up within the next few weeks, I am hoping that the excitement will not interfere with our potty training success so far. I am hopeful that the change in scenery and being away from home won’t have any affect on the process she has made. Just in case, I will be packing the Goodnites Bed Mats to have on hand during our hotel stay. Since they are light and folded I will have no problem fitting a few of them in my suitcase. If an accident happens, no big deal. With the mats being disposable I can quickly toss it into the trash and not worry about calling room service to replace the linens. If your family has used the mats at home or traveling I would love to know about your experience!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Huggies. #HuggiesWalmart #CBias #SocialFabric