My Story: The Quick Version.

So… Two years ago, I lived in a big 4 bedroom house, just the cat and I. I was working in Retail Management and Fashion Merchandising- Long, hectic, and unpredictable hours, with high stress; but lots of creativity and a great paycheck. I had a huge social life, little sleep, but loved it all. I was in my late 20’s, but had NO desire to change anything… I LOVED being an Auntie Meagan, no tickin’ clock urging me towards kiddo’s.

Fast Forward to Now…

Now, due to a lot of unplanned life changes for everyone, I’m living in a new house, with my mother and 4 dogs, my brother and his two sons {5 and 7}, a new baby, her father, and our new puppy. Wow, right? {Are you wondering where the cat went? Well, she didn’t dig the new roommates, and went to live with the other cat-folk at my old neighbors house. We’re friends, but she wasn’t a fan of all of the commotion!}

I am a B-U-S-Y Momma!

My mother, brother, and boyfriend all work, so I stay home with the kids all day. I buy the food, cook the food, and clean up after the food is eaten. {Some days I can hear that song from Cinderella… “Cinderell-y, Cinderell-y, Night and Day it’s Cinderell-y”, remember?} I’m always on the look out for healthy snacks I can feel good about serving, but are super quick and easy. It was a big change to go from single lady to house-momma of 2 kids and a baby… Plus taking care of laundry and house work for such a large new household!

A healthy pre-packaged snack? Yep, it’s true!

These amazing new Seneca Farms New Oatmeal & Fruit are meant for breakfast, and they are a super yummy choice for a morning meal. But we’ve been eating them as our afternoon snack! They’re so quick and easy, and the fruit and whole grains keeps the kiddo’s {and ME!} full until dinner time.

Read more about why they’re so great:

“Just launched in April, it is the perfect choice for anyone who has trouble finding time for breakfast in the morning. In less time than it takes to make a cup of coffee, heat the six-ounce microwaveable cup – no milk or water necessary – in the microwave for 45 seconds. Seneca’s Oatmeal & Fruit has no trans fats or cholesterol, and is a great source of Vitamin C.

Currently available in Apple Cinnamon and Vanilla Peach, Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit can be found nationally at Walmart and at a wide variety of retail grocery stores. For a detailed store list, visit www.seneca-farms.com. Seneca Farms plans to expand its flavors later this year with Oatmeal & Fruit Cranberry Apple, and Oatmeal – Maple & Brown Sugar.”

Some Quick Facts:

Did you know that*…

• Nearly 60% of U.S. parents of children ages 3-17 admit that their child skips breakfast, with more than half of U.S. Moms wishing their child ate a more nutritious breakfast.
• 58% of U.S. Moms say they skip breakfast regularly. 46% of Moms who skip breakfast say they do so because they do not have enough time to prepare or eat it.
• 57% of single adults say the number one reason they skip breakfast is that they don’t have enough time to prepare it.
• While 71% of U.S. adults agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, 67% of those admit to skipping breakfast.

{*Results of 2011 Children’s Nutrition Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive for Seneca Farms.}

Perfect for busy back-to-school mornings!

We’ll probably eat these way more often as a breakfast item once the weather gets colder, and when the mornings get hectic again, at school time {can you believe it’s going to be here soon?}. This is an easy snack to send them off to the bus stop with on an especially busy morning!

Here are a few of my favorite things about them:

• The first 4 ingredients are Water, Fruit, Thick Cut Oats, and Juice. Love that, right? It’s so hard to find packaged products that aren’t filled with weird ingredients.
• Their easy to find! Most grocery stores {Store Locator Tool} should carry them, including almost all Walmarts.
• They taste SUPER DUPER yummy. There is no processed or artificial taste to these, like you get with a lot of other instant oatmeal’s. Probably because, these actually have REAL ingredients!

Want to try them yourself?

Win the same set of Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit cups that I got to test out in my home: One lucky winner will receive one full-size package of the Vanilla Peach {my favorite!} and another full-size package of the Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal {the kiddo’s favorite!}. You’ll love ’em… Even the baby is a big fan! And check out their Facebook page to get a coupon too!

{This review was made possible by the amazing Mom Spark Media! I was provided a free sample set of products to review, but as always, this is my own opinion, and 100% honest! You know I only speak the truth… :)}

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