American Bandstand

At the beginning of the year, while enrolling my son in a new school, we were told about a play that the school puts on every year. It is comprised of the preschool through eighth grade and they started practicing soon after he started. While the preschool's part was small, Superhero was very excited about participating.

Several months later, while picking him up from school, we were going through our daily routine of asking how school was going and what he learned, enjoyed, was nervous about, etc. This particular occasion he started talking about being nervous about "acting like a bird and singing". I wasn't sure what he was talking about until I received a message from his teacher on Facebook. She explained that they practiced on the stage that particular day and that he was pretty nervous, almost to the point of tears. It all made sense.

My son is the type of person who needs to be forewarned about performing. I spoke with him about it and after a few discussions and a few days passed, he was ready to try again. He got up on stage and performed his little heart out. I received word from his teacher that he did a great job at practice that time. Whew!

Last night was his real performance. He was amazing. I was wondering if it wasn't going to be a disaster because he didn't want me to leave him. However, he finally let me go and did great! Here's a little video of him as he performs. If you see the little birds circling the "tv host" you'll see one who is slapping his thighs, er, I mean flapping his wings. :) That's my boy!

You can view the video by clicking, here.

Chaos & Confusion

Sometimes life is just a mix of jumbled up emotions, chaos swirling around us as we desperately try to find our footing. I often find myself wishing for the next step in life as I find myself treading water tryin to keep myself from being sucked in to the current. I have a really hard time trying to live in the moment and enjoying each passing second with my family without wonderin, "What's next?"

Last month, my mom, my second mom and my sister all attended a religious Women's Conference that shared one of the same messages as this month's General Conference. The message portrade to those attending was to stop living for the "What's next?" and let now be enough. This is something that I have always had issues with and something I strive to perfect in my mortal life on earth.

I have always been happy, upbeat and opptimistic with nearly every situation I have encountered. However, when you grow up in one crappy situation after the next, it's hard to not look ahead to the "What's next?" in life. It's what helped us get through the really crappy times and look forward to getting out of them.

Lately, I have been in the massive whirlwind of postpartum hormones, a thyroid that is possibly not working effectively and a string of infected children. A few weeks ago, three to be more precise, we noticed a dime sized spot on Princess R's back. After inspection, I couldn't figure out whether it was ringworm or a bout of eczema that she has had so frequently. It started to grow and get progressively worse so we decided to take her in during Princess M's well child check and get it checked out. The doctor inspected it and agreed with my findings. It was either eczema or ringworm. If it popped up in any of the other kids, however, it was definitely ringworm. He perscribed her a cream and we were on our way. The very next morning, however, we found 4 spots on Superhero. The spots have since quadrupled in size and now he's up to 10. Princess R has 4 and as of this morning, we found 4 spots on Princess A. Thankfully Princess M has yet to get any. While at the doctors office we also found out that Princess A has a pretty awful ear infection and a raging fever. He prescribed us four prescriptions for the 3 kids, talk about mess.

I also questioned him about my ongoing hormone issue. I constantly feel like I am dying of heat stroke. I am aways sweating, my cheeks are flushed and I feel like it's always 85 degrees in the house. I cannot tell you how many times my husband has come home to me sweating and it's 60 degrees in the house. No wonder everyone constantly complains that it's cold in here. Problem is.. if we raise the temperature, I'm even more miserable. The doctor thinks it's because my thyroid is protesting life. Not his exact words but close enough. He took a blood test and we'll see what the results say. Now I get to nurse my horribly sore arm where the vein blew when they drew my blood. Fun times!

I feel like our house is slowly but surely being sucked into a bacteria infested pool and I can't seem to keep everyone out of it. I'm constantly running in fifteen different directions trying to keep everyone healthy, happy and content in the moment but I am nowhere close to succeeding.

One of the speakers at General Conference just gave a talk this past Sunday in which he stated (I'm paraphrasing) "How can we be thankful for the rainbows in life without first thanking God for the rain?" This resignates so much in my heart. I need to stop and enjoy my family, now. I need to be thankful that the troubles we're having right now are small in comparison to what they could be. I need to be thankful that overall, our family has not had to endure anything too serious and that usually we're all fairly healthy. I am so grateful for the times in which we are healthy. I need to be more grateful for the times in which we aren't because during times of trial, it makes the happiness that much sweeter when we arrive.

I need to learn to let this be enough and in doing so, know that it is my perfection. My situation, however tough or rocky the road, is perfect for me and that is enough.

Super Hero Humor

Oh my sweet boy. I go to get Super Hero on the bus this morning and after hugs and kisses he goes and sits in his seat. The bus driver waves me on and proceeds to tell me a story about last week.

Last week? Last week we were running a tad late. Late to the point where when we showed up at the bus stop, the kids were already on the bus and in their seats. The bus was getting ready to drive away when it seen me pull up.

*pause for a little backstory*

We live in a super tiny town. Population about 3,000. We have one elementary school and one high school. However, we have chosen for my son to go to a school that is about 15 minutes north, which is smaller and much more child centered. In order for him to go to this school, he has to ride a bus from our town, up north. We all have to drop our children off at one buss top behind our local grocery store which is about 5 minutes from my house.

*continuing on*

As I'm running to get Super Hero on the bus before it pulls away, I told him I loved him and to be kind and listen. This is something I always say to him. He yells back that he will and hops on the bus. The bus driver then pulls out and proceeds up to the school as I went home.

Two minutes into the bus ride, Super Hero starts wiggling in his seat. She reminds him, "Super hero! You need to sit still in your seat, for safety." He says okay and calms down. A minute later he starts wiggling again. That same gentle reminder comes from the front of the bus again as they proceed up to the school.

Then from the back the bus driver hears my sweet Super Hero says the following, "Excuse me, Bus Driver but my mommy fixed my hair and if I sit back, it will mess it up."

We both couldn't help but laugh hysterically when she told that story. My sweet little Super Hero.

I should note that when he came home that day, he did tell me that he wasn't listening on the bus. I explained that he always had to be kind and listen to the bus driver and if he didn't, he would loose his privilege of riding the bus. Since then he has come home every day from preschool to tell me that he has listened on the bus and been kind. The bus driver has agreed. :)

Better Than Boxed - Easier, too!

If your family is anything like ours, brownies are a common dessert staple. One thing I never realized, however, is how incredibly simple they are to make from scratch! I grew up buying desserts prepared from the store. Forget making things from scratch, if it didn't come from a box, we didn't have it.

Once I married my husband, he and I were determined to start making things from scratch, not only because we're true foodies at heart, but also because we wanted to make things healthier than stuffing our faces with a bunch of processed junk. This passion has continued to grow over the years and one of my main passions, aside from raising my children, is providing delicious meals (and desserts!) for them.

One of our favorites is brownies. It could be because the delicious chocolatey goodness, the perfectly salted background notes or the just how easy they are to throw together at a moments notice, but these babies truly are delicious. They're a pinch to whip up and are rarely ever are there any left overs. I often double the recipe to make extras for missionaries or friends who like to stop by unannounced. I definitely urge you to give these a try, they're divine.

SWEET & SALTY BROWNIES

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted (You can also use 1 cup oil!)
2 cups granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt (I use coarse kosher salt.)
*You can also add 1 cup chopped nuts, but I rarely have those on hand so they often get left out.*

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Using non-stick cooking spray, spray a 9x13" cake pan and set aside.

In a large bowl (I use my kitchenaid stand mixer.) mix together the oil OR butter, sugar and vanilla until combined. Mix in the eggs. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to the egg mixture and mix just until the flour is incorporated. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20-25min until the edges pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool just long enough to get some plates and forks, cut and enjoy.

Note: If you want perfect little squares of brownies, you'll need to let these cool completely before cutting and serving. If you could care less how they look, enjoy them warm. They are, however, incredible both ways and I rarely eat cold brownies. :)

Positive Changes

Man. Life has moved so quickly. Changing as each day moves forward. It seems as if yesterday my husband and I were just married and it has been almost 9 years now. It seems as if yesterday we were spending the time worrying about whether or not we would have children and we happily have four children fast asleep up stairs. It is amazing how fast life can take turns in unexpected directions. Directions completely unforeseen and either totally unpleasant or blissfully beautiful.

Our life has been filled with blessings. We have had the chance to travel across the country. We have spent time rescuing animals. We have even been fortunate enough to foster an amazing little girl. We have been extremely blessed to have issues with infertility and have undergone tests and procedures to see what was "wrong" with us.We figured out the issues and were able to get pregnant, not once but three times, resulting in four of the most beautiful children that I have ever seen. My babies. We have somehow been covered in the blessings of watching our four children grow into the amazing little people that they are. Even if we were somehow kicking and screaming along the way. We are so grateful for each and every blessing that we're constantly graced with.

Things, however, have not always been peachy keen. In mid December, we received a call that my oldest brother in law committed suicide. We still don't want to share the details of it but needless to say, he was sick and obviously wasn't getting the help he needed. It didn't help the hurt. The pain of knowing that we didn't call as much as we should have or at all. The pain of knowing that we'll never be able to call him again. The pain of knowing how alone he must have felt and the guilt of knowing we were not there. I don't think that pain will ever go away.

That pain was quickly followed by the preterm labor of our last baby. An ambulance ride followed by a hospital stay, only to be sent home. Two hospital trips followed resulting in a further swollen belly and empty arms. Finally, January 13th rolled around and my water breaks. I was 3 weeks early and I knew that she had to come. She would only be given 24 hours before she would be evicted via c-section.

After a full 18 hours of labor, she never came. I was wheeled in for a c-section and almost an hour later, out she came. Emmie was born at nearly eight o'cock, weighing 7.5 pounds and was just over 20 inches long. She was chubby and she was perfect. Every ounce of pain that those last two months held were so extremely worth it. She was worth every single moment.

She is now almost a month old and while I have been nothing but sick, she is an angel. She sleeps so incredibly well and eats like a champ. She's quite easily the easiest baby in the world. She rarely cries and is often joked about being stolen when she is held by friends. I, however, cannot stop staring at her. My last little baby. My muffin cup. She is perfect in every way. I hope I can show her how much she is.

Then.... last week. We get a random knock at the door to basically tell us that the Mister fell on the ice, hit his head and was unconscious in the middle of the road.. the ambulance was called and next thing I know is that we're at the ER with scans being ordered and tests being run. Thankfully he only has a severe concussion and should return to "normal" after lots of rest. Normal, however, is dependent on who you ask. Several people we have talked to have never really returned to "normal". They still have issues with memory, fuzziness, focusing, vertigo, etc. That is primarily what the Mister is dealing with now so I hope he continues to heal. He's miserable.

See how life moves quickly? All in the blink of an eye. In lieu of all this craziness, I think I am going to change things around a bit. I need a new blog name to capture the life that I now live. Life with 3 princesses and a super hero. Here's to hoping I can continue to keep this little beauty updated with my gorgeous life's blessings. I owe myself that, right?

Life Happens

My goodness. So much has happened in the last few years and my blog has gone from personal written stories about me to a spamming of sponsored posts. It's amazing how time can change things. In any sense, I would like to get my blog back to a more personal stance with a few sponsored posts and giveaways that pertain to my life.

Life is crazy right now. As many of you know baby J is no longer a baby and has grown into a very handsome little boy. He's getting ready to turn 4 this fall and is an amazing little helper. He loves coloring, drawing, church and horses. This kid is a true cowboy at heart, I tell ya. He hasn't stopped talking since he was a baby and continues to impress us with his knowledge of everything.

What some of you may or may not know is that we have other little ones in the house! We gave birth to TWIN girls in December 2011 and as amazing as time has passed, they'll be turning two just after Christmas. I cannot begin to imagine how they've grown so fast. I feel like the more you have, the faster they grow. Right before your eyes.

Baby A is a very spunky and silly girl. She has long dark brown curly hair and bright blue eyes. She has a petite little frame and eats more than our other kids combined. She's feisty yet compassionate. She's truly our gentle soul. Always trying to help Mommy.

Baby R is our silly little dancer. She has shorter sandy blond hair that is very bone straight. She has bright blue eyes (3 for 3) and is a few pounds and a few inches taller than her sister. She's sensitive yet silly and is always ready to dance and laugh. She's a very funny girl with the BEST facial expressions.

Next we have some news! WE'RE EXPECTING AGAIN! Baby Z/K is due this coming January 2014 and we are very excited to be welcoming him/her. We should find out what Baby Z/K is in the next few weeks.

We also have a new little pup named Belle. She's a spunky little 1.5lb black and tan Chihuahua who we like to call our little Mexican Jumping Bean. She's so funny. I swear she's made of springs because she just does NOT stop jumping. She's very gentle with our wee ones and they're very gentle with her, surprisingly! Everyone is getting along very well.

Life has kind of changed paths for us lately. We've recently bought a house and settled a bit here in Eastern Washington. Our plan is to start preschool for J this fall, if we can get him in. If not, we'll probably start a co-op preschool until he can start Kindergarten.

I've spent a lot of my time sewing, knitting, crocheting and painting over the last few months. It's amazing how much money you can save when you make things yourself. All you need is a little know how and a whole lot of determination. We're very happy with our current and upcoming projects and I look forward to sharing them with all of you as they're completed.

I should also send a shout out to all of you, who've stuck with me through all of this and are still here. I appreciate all of you and am thankful for all of your friendship. You mean much more than you could ever know.

Pillsbury Artisan Big Game

Yes, the Super Bowl has passed but the party doesn't have to stop! With Pillsbury Artisan you can make any game a big game and enjoy all the delicious food that goes with.

Pillsbury has created a new line of pizza crust that contains 16 grams of whole grain per serving! Just add your favorite ingredients and withing just a few minutes you will have a great semi-homemade pizza that you're sure to love.

If you would like to keep updated on all things Pillsbury, check this out:

Pillsbury Website
Pillsbury on Facebook
Pillsbury on Twitter
$1.50 coupon for Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain

I would like to thank Pillsbury and My Blog Spark for providing me with a prize pack in exchange for this post.

Perrigo Nutritionals Infant Formula

When I gave birth to my son in late 2009, I was determined to breast feed. To me, breast was best and in my opinion, the only option (for me) to feed my child. When I gave birth to my twins, late last year, I was forced to change my opinion. You see, my girls were born 5 weeks early and were unable to nurse. Their latch was sloppy and their energy levels were not strong enough to accommodate an adequate nursing session. In order for them to gain enough weight to go home, we were forced to enhance our milk with formula. After two months of expressing my milk, my body gave in. Unfortunately the girls were no closer to nursing and I was no longer able to produce enough milk to feed my girls. This forced me to change my views. To learn that it was acceptable to feed my children formula because, after all, as long as they are eating and thriving, that is all that matters to me.

When researching different formula brands, I came across a statistic that I was a little surprised by. Only 30% of mom's will buy a store-brand product for their children.Can you believe that?

DID YOU KNOW? All infant formulas that are made in the United States must meet FDA requirements for safety, nutrition and quality. They must also provide complete nutrition for growing babies. This means that store brand formulas are a nutritional equivalent to similar national brands but cost half the price. These savings can add up to $600, per year!

Perrigo Nutritionals produces quality store brand infant formulas that are avilable at retailers such as; Walmart - Parents Choice, Target - Up & Up, Kroger - Comforts and Sames Club - Simply Right. They adhere to the highest of standards so you can feel good about meeting your child's needs while saving money. If you would like to learn more, click out www.storebrandformula.com.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to review a few different products from Perrigo Nutritionals. I was sent a package that included two Perrigo Nutritionals store brand infant formulas, a formula dispenser, a bottle brush, a bottle drying rack, as well as a book by Sandra Gordon, titled Save Big: 50 Ways to Save Big on Baby Gear.

After spending two months with my girls on formula, one thing I have learned is that not all formulas are the same. In the instance that there are many different varieties of each formula. However, there is always a store brand alternative and I have found is that every one works just about the same as the name brand equivalent. One example, my daughter, A, has a very hard time with a certain brand of formula. It makes her projectile vomit all over the place. I tried the store brand alternative and the same thing happens. Fortunately for me (and my daughter), we have found an amazing formula that both my daughters do amazingly well on and the store brand works just as great for our girls. I will say, if they're equivalent, why would I want to pay double the price for the same exact product? Next time you're looking into formulas, or any product, check out the store brand and save some money while you're at it.

Disclosure: The Perrigo Nutritionals product, information and additional gift pack have all been provided by Perrigo Nutritionals.

Progresso Light & Creamy

Fall is coming! What is better during the chilly autumn days than a nice warm bowl of soup to help soothe the soul? To me, nothing. I love to curl up on the couch with a big bowl of soup, some crackers and enjoy the rays of sun peaking through my sheer curtains.

We've teamed up with Progresso Light to bring some new fall favorites to your lunch lineup. Not only are these soups rich and creamy but they're only 100 calories per serving! Now you can have a soup that tastes great and fills you up and not feel like your ruined your entire day of healthy eating and when I say delicious soups, I don't mean chicken broth with some measly little chicken particles. I mean rich and creamy soups like Light Creamy Potato with Bacon and Cheese, as well as Light Chicken Pot Pie Style. I don't think you could get anymore festive with these great choices. These two soups are joining the ranks of 40 other styles that are all 100 calories or less per serving.

Are you a member of Weight Watchers? These Weight Watcher endorsed soups are 2 PointsPlus^® value per serving!!!

Light Creamy Potato is a wonderful mixture of chunks of potato, savory bacon pieces and rich cheese flavor and has 50% fewer calories than the leading potato, cheese and bacon ready-to-serve soup. Now you can enjoy your favorite soup without feeling so guilty about it.

Light Chicken Pot Pie Style has a great blend of white meat chicken, hearty potatoes and classic vegetables that we all love. It also boasts 33% fewer calories than other ready-to-serve soups.

Would you like to try some Progresso Light soups to see how great they taste? Click here to receive a coupon worth $1.25 off the purchase of 4 cans of soup. Feel free to share the coupon with your friends and family, as well.

You can also keep updated on all things Progresso by liking Progresso on Facebook.

The coupons, information, and gift packs have been provided by Progresso^® through MyBlogSpark.

Cheerios 2 Box Packaging - Review & Giveaway

Most people with small kids have one thing in common, having multiple boxes of Cheerios in the house. It's a great snack and you cannot get a better beginner finger food. Not only are they super healthy for you but they're also very good, too. The only thing that could make Cheerios any better is to create bigger/better packaging.

Cheerios did just that. They've create new 2 box packs to help simplify your life. Each 2 box Cheerios contains two individual boxes which makes them easier to pour and easier to store. Cheerios reduced the amount of air in each bag, enhancing the containers to fit 10% more cereal while using less packaging. Not only has packaging material been decreased but a thousand trees have been saved and it has taken 130 cheerio trucks off the road which has reduced C02 emissions.

You can check out all the benefits of the new 2 box Cherrios packaging, here. You can pick up the new and improved 2 box Cheerios on the shelves of Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's nationwide.



I would like to send a special shout out to Cheerios and MyBlogSpark for sending me 2 packs of the 2 box Cheerios. My family and I couldn't be happier with them.

Disclosure:  Cheerios® cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Streamline Refinance

With the downturn of the economy, it's no wonder people have chosen (and been forced!) to cut back. On both necessary items and splurges alike. When life changes like this, we're all forced to look at our spending, our budgets and the money we have in our pockets. Sometimes things get bad enough to where we have to sell prized possessions and loose things we can no longer pay for comfortably. One thing you can't loose, however, is your home. I hate to see that so many people were forced to foreclose their homes do to ridiculous interest rates which was essentially throwing money out the window.

With Streamline Refinance, you don't have to loose your home. Simply head on over to their site and check out how you can save your home and livelihood today. Why spend hundreds of dollars per month that isn't even going to pay off your house? Wouldn't you rather spend less per month and have more money to do things that you and your family love? I know I would.

At Streamline Refinance, you can easily get a quote in a few minutes online. They're also an Accredited Business with the BBB so you can feel safe with them. Head on over and get a quote today!

Would you rather talk to someone in person? Then call (800) 960-2850.

This sponsored post was brought to you by Streamline Refinance.

Dermagist - Review & GIVEAWAY

Ok. First before I delve into the inners of Dermagist and present to you the giveaway, I must first confess something. I suck at being girly. Well, let me rephrase that. I suck at taking care of my skin. It's just something I wasn't brought up doing so it's something that slips my mind frequently. I've been trying to be better at it but it's definitely something I have to work on.

When I was contacted by Dermagist, I knew that this was my chance. My chance to take care of my skin and in return, feel better about myself. Dermagist was kind enough to send me a Hydrating Spa System to try and 1 to give away. Their Hydrating Spa System includes three products, Hydro-renewal Hand Cream, Foot & Heel Revitalizing Cream & Hydropeutic Body Lotion. I have to say that I love them all.

The body lotion is perfect for my sensitive skin and eczema. It calms it pretty quickly and keeps me soft and moisturized all day without having to continuously re-apply like I have to do with other products.

The hand cream is perfect to keep my hands moisturized and soft. This takes a lot when I'm constantly washing bottles, my hands, cloths and diapers. My hands are constantly in water it seems like and this hand cream keeps them soft and smooth and crack free and that my friends, is not an easy task.

The Foot & Heel cream is another great find. I wear sandals nearly year round, even when it's raining and snowing outside. I know, I'm weird. Regardless, it creates some pretty rough and scaly feet. While the foot cream hasn't completely healed my feet, it keeps them super soft and makes them feel MUCH better. I haven't had a crack in my heel since I've used it which is saying a lot!

If you would like to try a hydrating spa system for yourself or gift it to someone you love, then leave me a comment and let me know. :) I will choose a winner on May 31st. :)

Rolled Canvas Giveaway - uprinting.com

You've seen this company before and as always, we love their work. This time, Uprinting is allowing us to give away a rolled Canvas Printing. The prize pack will include a 16"x20" rolled canvas print for one lucky winner! You can choose to have no border or a two inch border. You will also receive 1 business day turnaround time and free shipping to the US only.

To enter, simply complete one (or more) of the following options: Please keep in mind that each option constitutes as ONE entry into the giveaway. PLEASE leave your email address in each giveaway entry. Entries submitted without one will not be eligible to win.

Mandatory Entry: Share with me what you would have printed on your UPrinting Rolled Canvas.

Additional Entries:
Follow me via Google Friend Connect.
Follow me via Facebook.
Follow me via Twitter.
Recommend this blog post to google. (bottom of the post)
Share on Facebook, linking to this blog post.
Share on Twitter, linking to this blog post.
Like UPrinting on Facebook.
Follow UPrinting on Twitter.
Add UPrinting to your Google+ Circle.

Please link to me or my blog post when possible and come back here letting us know which you did. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Terms & Conditions: This giveaway ends on April 20th, 2012 at 12:00pm. This giveaway is open to US residents, 18 years old and above, only please. No prize substitutions will be authorized. UPrinting winners are only allowed one winner per six month period. Only the email addressed used during the giveaway will be eligible to claim the prize. The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize or an alternate will be chosen. By entering this giveaway, you agree to all terms and conditions of this giveaway.

Disclaimer: You should assume that the owner of this blog will receive free print products in exchange for this post. Any and all reviews posted are based solely on my own experience and may be atypical. Please practice due diligence in making any related purchase decisions.

Children’s Advil®

Did you know that according to TWO national surveys from the makers of Children's Advil®, more than half of all parents report feeling fearful, anxious or helpless when their child has a fever. In addition, the surveys also found that parents were not managing the fever correctly. 94% of pediatricians believe that parents need more training in fever management.

Children's Advil® has partnered up with nationally recognized pediatrician, Alanna Levine, M.D., to introduce a new fever relief program to help educate parents this cold and flew seasons. To teach parents common misconceptions and better practices when it comes to treating fevers in their little ones.

Dr. Alanna Levine and the makers of Children's Advil® recommend the following tips during this cold and flu season:

FEVER RELIEF TIPS:
Stay Cool: Remember that most fevers are in fact indicators that the body is fighting an underlying illness.
Be Prepared: Start the season by talking to a pediatrician about proper fever management. Also, check the medicine cabinet to ensure that all medications have not expired or been recalled.
Watch for Serious Signs: Generally, it's time to call a pediatrician:
- if your child is less than three months old and has a fever of 100 degrees or higher;
- if the fever is over 103 degrees, no matter what the child's age;
- if the fever lasts more than three days;
- if your child has a fever and looks and acts very sick;
- if you are concerned regarding your child's health.
Long Lasting Relief: When choosing a fever medication, be sure to consider how long the medication will last. Children's Advil®, which contains ibuprofen, provides up to 8 hours of relief with one dose.

I must say, I much prefer to give my children Advil, if possible, over tylenol as not only was tylenol recalled but tylenol doesn't seem to have the same effect as a small dose of Advil does. It works better, faster and seems to make my son much more comfortable.


DISCLOSURE: I want to send a special Thank you to Children's Advil® for providing free product samples, the survey information and a gift pack.

Pillsbury Bake Off - Sponsored by Walmart & General Mills

Every year for the last 45 years, Pillsbury has sponsored a Bake Off contest that challenges home cooks to create award winning recipes with some of their ingredients. This year, I was very intrigued by the amazing recipes that were submitted. From breakfast items to desserts, every category was covered. Since I am head over heels for desserts, I'll stick to those but please, check out the other categories. They couldn't be anymore delicious. One of the recipes that caught my eye is: 

Chocolate Chip, Oats 'N Caramel Cookie Squares

Are you kidding me? Don't these little squares just look divine? I'm seriously going to have to make some of these, I'm not even joking. To view the recipe, please click here.

And while you're browsing around looking for recipes to try out, why don't you head on over to find some great deals at walmart so you can purchase more ingredients for less. To take advantage of some great coupons, head on over to EveryDaySaver.com/Walmart to purchase ingredients you need to make the recipes you've found at Pillsbury. I'm telling you, they have a TON of Pillsbury coupons that you can take advantage of.

What are your favorite Pillsbury Bake Off Recipes?

You can also keep updated with both Pillsbury and Walmart in the following ways:

Walmart on Facebook

Walmart on Twitter

Pillsbury on Facebook
Pillsbury on Twitter

Disclosure: I was provided with a $25 Walmart giftcard for review as well as one to give away provided by Walmart and General MIlls, through MyBlogSpark.

Choffy - My Not-so-Guilty Pleasure

Have you ever heard of Choffy? No? Me, either, until recently. Choffy is another one of those inventions that you wish you would have heard about sooner. It's one of those "Why didn't I think of that" moments when you hear about what it is. After I found out what Choffy was (Yes, I had to google it.) I was intrigued to know more. Thankfully my friend Shana was ordering some and when she got it, she was more than happy to let me try it out. For those of you who don't know what Choffy is, here's more information:

WHAT IS CHOFFY  
Choffy is 100% organically brewed chocolate! In the same way coffee beans are roasted and brewed, Choffy does the same with cacao beans. However, unlike coffee, it isn't addicting or give you the well known crash feeling that coffee can provide. It's much healthier and much, MUCH more flavorful.

BENEFITS
Antioxidants: Raw cacao contains the highest concentration, by weight, of antioxidants over any other food in the world, including; red wine, blueberries, acai, pomegranates and goji berries. Even if you were to combine all these ingredients, raw cacao still wins.


Detoxification: Choffy is a super-detoxifier and helps rid the toxins that weaken your system, keeping you younger, longer.

Heart Healthy: Theobromine is a long lasting, yet gentle, stimulant that helps provide you with energy by dilating the cardiovascular system which in turn, makes the hearts job easier, without affecting the nervous system negatively. Therefore, you won't feel the crash or after effects of caffeine, like you do in coffee. Theobromine is also a vasodilator. It increases your heartbeat, as well as dilates blood vessels which helps you reduce your blood pressure and provide your body with greater blood circulation. There is also an abundant amount of flavanols in cacao that activate Nitric Oxide in your blood which helps prevent vascular disease.


Feel Great: Cacao contains the bliss chemicals phenylethylamine (PEA) and anandamide. Anandamide is a chemical present in our brain when we feel good and PEA is an adrenal chemical that helps us to feel focused. These two chemicals, combined, causes a change in blood pressure and blood sugars which leads to a feeling of excitement and alertness without the negative side effects of caffeine.


VARIETIES OF CHOFFY

Ivory Coast - A nice deep chocolate with light natural grain undertones and a classic earthy flavor.

 La Espanola - Created from limited edition single estate cacao beans from the Dominican Republic, creating a deep, rich, yet smooth chocolate flavor with nutty overtones.

Mamberamo - This limited edition carries an exotically deep, smoky chocolate flavor with subtle hints of spice. This flavor is exceptionally rich and smooth.

























My favorite flavor would have to be La Espanola, with Mamberamo coming in a VERY close second. Really, though, you cannot go wrong with any flavor. Pair any of these up with some Almond Joy Creamer and you have my all time favorite drink. I love the smooth chocolate flavor that it gives off, without you feeling extremely full like hot cocoa can.


I also love the feeling that I get when I drink Choffy, not only does the taste make me super happy, like dessert in a cup, but the after effects have seriously saved me more than once. Being the mother of a two year old and almost three month old twins, I have to be on my toes at all times. Choffy gives me the ability to do that without feeling like I've just taken speed. I have more patience with my children and my husband and I don't run down nearly as quickly as I do otherwise.


I must say that this is a staple drink at our play group.


HOW TO BREW CHOFFY
Choffy comes pre-ground and ready to brew. For best results, it does require a french press, like the one here. You can, however, brew choffy in a standard drip coffee maker, if you chose to. For best results with the standard drip coffee maker, use a gold or nylon filter, although, any can be used.

If you would like to learn more about Choffy, please contact Todd or Shana at: tschamberlain[at]hotmail[dot]com
If you would like to purchase Choffy, please click here.


Disclaimer: I am chosing to write this post for my own love of Choffy and my friends Shana and Todd. I have not been paid to write this post. All opinions expressed are my true, honest opinions.

Perrigo Nutritionals Infant Formula

When I gave birth to my son in late 2009, I was determined to breast feed. To me, breast was best and in my opinion, the only option (for me) to feed my child. When I gave birth to my twins, late last year, I was forced to change my opinion. You see, my girls were born 5 weeks early and were unable to nurse. Their latch was sloppy and their energy levels were not strong enough to accommodate an adequate nursing session. In order for them to gain enough weight to go home, we were forced to enhance our milk with formula. After two months of expressing my milk, my body gave in. Unfortunately the girls were no closer to nursing and I was no longer able to produce enough milk to feed my girls. This forced me to change my views. To learn that it was acceptable to feed my children formula because, after all, as long as they are eating and thriving, that is all that matters to me.

When researching different formula brands, I came across a statistic that I was a little surprised by. Only 30% of mom's will buy a store-brand product for their children.Can you believe that?

DID YOU KNOW? All infant formulas that are made in the United States must meet FDA requirements for safety, nutrition and quality. They must also provide complete nutrition for growing babies. This means that store brand formulas are a nutritional equivalent to similar national brands but cost half the price. These savings can add up to $600, per year!

Perrigo Nutritionals produces quality store brand infant formulas that are avilable at retailers such as; Walmart - Parents Choice, Target - Up & Up, Kroger - Comforts and Sames Club - Simply Right. They adhere to the highest of standards so you can feel good about meeting your child's needs while saving money. Don't take my word for it, click here to learn more.


Recently, I was given the opportunity to review a few different products from Perrigo Nutritionals. I was sent a package that included two Perrigo Nutritionals store brand infant formulas, an 8 ounce bottle, a fleece baby blanket and a baby bib.

After spending two months with my girls on formula, one thing I have learned is that not all formulas are the same. In the instance that there are many different varieties of each formula. However, there is always a store brand alternative and I have found is that every one works just about the same as the name brand equivalent. One example, my daughter, A, has a very hard time with a certain brand of formula. It makes her projectile vomit all over the place. I tried the store brand alternative and the same thing happens. Fortunately for me (and my daughter), we have found an amazing formula that both my daughters do amazingly well on and the store brand works just as great for our girls. I will say, if they're equivalent, why would I want to pay double the price for the same exact product?

Next time you're looking into formulas, or any product, check out the store brand and save some money while you're at it.

Disclosure:  Prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Perrigo Nutritionals through MyBlogSpark.

Clipix - A Virtual Pinboard

Have you heard of virtual pinboards? If not, you're missing out on an amazing part of technology right now. Pinboards are places where you can clip ideas, lists, etc. to refer back to later. For instance, have you ever been online and seen an amazing recipe you wanted to try only to loose where you seen it and not be able to find it when you needed it? This is exactly where a pinboard comes in handy.

clipix is a virtual pinboard that allows you to clip ideas, recipes, diy projects, photos of favorite destinations, etc all onto one place so you can have one easy place to refer back to. I use Clipix to save my favorite recipes. It's like a ginormous box of recipe cards all without having to print or write a single thing.

This is a screen shot of my dessert board on Clipix.

The best part about Clipix is that you can organize your Clips into boards. Since I use mine for recipes, I have mine categorized into the following boards; Break FAST, Lunch Date, Snack Attack, Dinner Time and Dessert First. You can title your boards what you want and categorize them any way you wish. Check out clipix and sign up to see what you're missing. Also be sure to let me know what you're going to use Clipix for. I love to hear new ideas.

Clipix also offers an iPhone app for those interested. Now you can clip ideas on the go.

Be sure to check out Clipix on Facebook and Twitter to keep updated on their latest ideas.

Promoted Post

WALGREENS VS. EXPRESS SCRIPTS - TAKE TWO

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

I'm sure many of you have read my previous post regarding Walgreens and their failure to reach a deal to support their contract with Express Scripts. If you have read my previous post regarding this issue, here is Walgreens' side of the story, so to speak, and how they're trying to help their customers by offering discounted prescriptions for families and individuals at low prices. This program is called their Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens.

Walgreens is offering a special discount on annual memberships for it's Prescription Savings Club. For $35, per year, a family membership will cover everyone in your immediate family, including your spouse, dependents who are 22 years old and younger and your family pets. By joining you will receive discounted prices on your prescriptions. The individual memberships $20, per year.

Other benefits of the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club includes; savings on more than 8,000 brand name and all generic medications, discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions,nebulizers and diabetic supplies, as well as bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services.

You can support Walgreens and stay updated by liking Walgreens on Facebook and/or following Walgreens on Twitter.

Sprint 4-Day SALE!!!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprint. All opinions are 100% mine.

For a limited time, February 5th through February 8th, you can get the Nexus S™ 4G FREE when you open a new line of service or add a new line to your account! OR if that doesn't appeal to you, you can get the HTC EVO™ 3D for only $49.99 when you open a new line of service or add a new line to your account.

The Nexus S™ 4G is FREE due to a $50 mail in rebate converting to instant as well as $99.99 web only savings! The HTC EVO™ 3D is $49.99 due to a $50 mail in rebate converting to instant as well as a $50 web only savings.

As if these deals couldn't get any better, they do! You will also receive waived activation fees for new lines of service and FREE shipping on sprint.com! Free shipping is always a great thing to take advantage of!!

Hurry and take advantage of these amazing deals because this is a Sprint Limited Time Sale and is available online only! As I said it's available between February 5th and February 8th, so hurry!! For any questions, please see sprint.com for full details.