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Freebies and Fun from Quaker Chewy

This is a sponsored campaign with Mums the Word Network and Quaker Chewy. All opinions are my own. I only share stuff with you guys that I love and think is super rad, and that I would want to hear about. #PinkyPromise :)

Life with a 3 year old, lol

I’ve realized lately that I really can’t call Abby a “toddler” anymore. She’s seriously a big girl. She’ll be 4 at the end of July. She’s bigger and taller than most 5 or 6 year olds we know. And she’s just getting so darn grown up. But she’s keeping the silly side – this is what our life looks like… Fairy wings, messy hair, wearing a dog tag we got at a no-kill shelter benefit event, a kazillion pictures she’s colored hung on the fridge, and posing while eating her fave snacks – Quaker Chewy bars. Yep. That sums up my life, perfectly, lol.

Quaker Chewy bars

Abby is a crazy-active kiddo. And I love that Quaker Chewy helps gives kids the energy they need to play. SO it makes sense that Quaker and NERF are teaming up to fuel backyard fun, helping families get out and get active together, right in their own backyard. Because what kid can resist a NERF toy? Totally helps motivate them for outdoor fun!

quaker chewy

When you buy three specially-marked boxes of Quaker Chewy, you can enter the codes online at fuelfun.quakeroats.com to get a free Nerf sports item. The available items are the Nerf N-Sports Weather Blitz All Conditions Football, the Nerf N-Sports Pro Grip Football, the Nerf N-Sports Nerfoop Set, the Nerf Sports Bash Ball, and the Nerf Super Soaker Tidal Tube Blaster 2-Pack. Super fun, right? And as a frugal mom, you know I’m all about freebies :)

Creative and fun kids lunch

Obviously we all know that Quaker Chewy is a great snack on it’s own – but it is also a perfect way to jazz up other meals. We use it mixed into oatmeal in the morning. Mixed with trail mix for afternoon snacks. Or topping on pudding like this lunch “snack tray.” Definitely a regular item on my weekly grocery list!

Be sure to follow Quaker on social media for more fun freebies and promotions like this – Twitter and Facebook. And, enter to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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How Tech Can Help Your Family Have More Summer Fun

I received a set of products from HP to help us have more summer fun – and am so excited to share them with you! #HPFamilyTime

“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” – Sam Keen… Ahhhh, summer. Here in central Washington state, we have four very distinct seasons, which I love. As I’ve gotten to travel around the country the past few years, I appreciate our weather even more: As much as I adore the sunshine, I would be bored of it if that’s all I ever saw. But right now, after a chilly spring, I am SO incredibly ready for Mother Nature to bring on the heat and the sun. {When you talk about summer, do you start to hear Olaf singing the summer song in your head? Tell me it’s not just me…. #FrozenMusicIsSoAddicting.}

So, as the weather here is finally warming up, and I’m doing my own dreaming of summer – it’s time for us to plan our summer adventures! We bought a camper last year, and want to plan a couple of big camping trips with friends. I’m hoping to have my brother and his kids join us at the end of summer for a trip to Great Wolf Lodge, here in Washington. And – in the next few weeks Mike and I will load up the girls and head out on a road trip. Somewhere within a few hours from here, but we haven’t decided where yet. Maybe a trip to the zoo over near Seattle, or a fun trip to see the Bavarian charm of Leavenworth. The Pacific Northwest has so many gorgeous places to visit – it’s hard to choose!

One thing I DO know about our trip is that we’ll be bringing some amazing technology along with us. Yes, I’m a big fan of spending “unplugged” family time together – but I’m also a total tech junkie, and love how it can add so much more enjoyment to a trip. Check out my new love – the amazing new HP Pavilion x360:

  • You can transition seamlessly from working, to video chatting, to browsing the web, to watching a movie, to playing a game, to reading a book on a single touch device that is priced about the same as an entry level touch notebook.
  • It converts to let you work and play in the ideal mode: from notebook to stand to tent to tablet mode, just by flipping the screen. {Which is where the “360” part of it’s name comes from.}
  • When you need to get some work done – answer email, write a paper, prepare a presentation – it’s a notebook. This is important, since I always have work to do, and Mike’s oldest daughter will have summer school courses to keep up with.
  • When you want to watch a movie, fold it and watch a movie without the keyboard in the way – it’s an entertainment viewer. Perfect for keeping Abby entertained on a long car ride.
  • When you want to play a touch based game turn it to “tent mode” – it’s a game screen.
  • When you want to relax and surf the web, read a book or have fun with You Tube – it’s a tablet (keyboard is disabled when in tablet mode.) And it’s small enough to fit into my purse, to grab at a moment’s notice if we have a toddler meltdown approaching.

HP 360 - the All-in-one computer every family needs!

This bad boy is going to make traveling with kids, while keeping up with work, so much easier. It’s so super versatile, very lightweight and easy to grab and go – and how fun is the color? So bright and cheerful – which is what summer fun is all about. Awesome, right?

Summer family fun - pool time!

“Hey! It’s summer! Be free and happy and danceful and uninhibited and now-y!” – Terri Guillemets

We’re also planning a lot of “Staycation” style fun this year too. As you can see – the pool is almost ready to go. We’re hoping to open it up for the first swim party this weekend – my birthday is Thursday, Mike’s oldest daughter’s birthday is Friday, it’ll be Memorial Day weekend – it all combines into a great big reason to celebrate. {Not that I need a reason. You know me. I like to party.} I’m putting together a summer bucket list for the kids and I {I’ll be posting it soon – stay tuned!} And I’ve been collecting some super fun ideas on my Summer Family Fun board on Pinterest too, so be sure to check that out. And this all-in-once PC from HP is going to bring a ton of fun to our staycation adventures too:

  • Abby and I can snuggle in and watch evening movies in the hammock.
  • I can keep up with emails while laying out by the pool.
  • I can make party playlists and bring this out to the patio – it’s got amazing Beats Audio sound, which rocks.
  • We can use the built-in web cam to Skype with grandpa, and help him feel like he’s a part of our summer fun, even if he’s far away.
  • I just bought Abby a subscription for ABCMouse.com, and she’s having SO much more fun doing the activities on this awesome touchscreen tablet than she would have on my regular laptop.

I hate to sound old, but… When I was a kid, I remember getting our first Atari, and playing River Raid. I remember the first time I ever got to use a computer, in 3rd grade, and thought that playing Oregon Trail was about the coolest, most high-tech thing ever. Technology has sure come a long way, baby. And – be sure come back next week to learn more about the uh-MAY-zing things our new printer can do, how to get your ink auto-magically sent to you before you run out, and more. And follow the #HPFamilyTime hashtag to see regular updates of how we’re using these fab tech tools to make this summer more memorable! Or if you can’t wait, take a peek here at some of the links to the products to learn more right now:

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6 Simple Newborn Photography Tips

Newborn photography tips – by Lori Epstein, senior photo editor, National Geographic Kids. This is not a compensated post – as a #NGKidsInsider, I love being able to share cool tips and info from their amazing team with you guys!

As moms, we love taking pics of our family. And some of the most amazing photos are the ones we capture of our babies when they are just brand new little ones, right? There are a million amazingly talented photographers out there that can do professional photo shoots for you, but it’s also awesome to be able to snap those little everyday moments on your own. So, I’m excited to bring you some amazingly smart newborn photography tips from National Geographic’s senior photo editor, Lori Epstein. If you have other tips to share too, leave them in the comments!

Newborn Photography Tips for New Moms

6 Simple Newborn Photography Tips
[Read more…]

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Trash to Toys: Make 10 Recycled Educational Toys

Did you celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd? Across the country, Earth Day is a yearly reminder to think about our role in protecting the environment. Parents can totally have a positive impact on this by creating fun, educational toys from everyday items that may initially seem like trash, but can be repurposed into teaching tools. It’s a fun way to set an example for your kids while spending quality time. And honestly – why keep buying new toys when we all know that kids usually prefer the box it came in anyway? {We’ve all seen it.} When Abby was little, and I’d clean her room, I’d catch myself doing a regular room clean-up, and bagging up so many toys to give away. Why? What a waste of my money, and my time to clean ’em all up! So now, we have a few collections we love {Helloooooooo, I’m talking to you, Fisher-Price Little People Toys. Seriously, I think I might like them even more than her.} But in between – we do crafts, play games, or make our toys and entertainment. Which is why I looooove having the chance to share these great ideas with you – get your own environmentally-friendly kids toys idea inspiration too….

Trash to Toys [Read more…]

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Would You Make Your Dog a T-Bone Steak?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ALPO® Brand Dog Food for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.” – Gilda Radner… It’s true. We call dogs “Mans Best Friend,” but really, they’re so much more. They’re a companion to us all. A playmate, companion, or sometimes almost a sibling to your kiddo {like our family.} And no matter our flaws, they only see the good in us, and jump up and down wagging their tail excited to see us, even when we were just at the store for an hour, lol. Which means, they need to be appreciated just like the rest of the family, especially at a holiday – like Valentine’s Day.

My little fur baby, Deuce, is a pain most of the time. {That’s him above, finding his happy spot in between my Mister’s feet.} He is about as old as Abby, {3 years old}, so should be potty trained, but continues to ruin the rugs in my house. He barks for no reason, and isn’t always very bright. But, he is the biggest lover you’ll ever see – he is the best snuggler, and has to be next to one of us in the house at all times, no matter what. And he’s pretty fluffy and cute. So he gets to stay here :) [Read more…]

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