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Simple Family Taco Night Party – #JuneDairyMovies

Did you know June is Dairy Month?… You guys know how much I love to entertain, right? And with summer finally showing it’s bright, cheery face around here, my entertaining schedule goes into overdrive! We have a big patio, in ground pool, and a really great, fenced-in yard and field. So what I’m saying is, we’ve got the perfect gathering place for all of our friends and family to come and cool off when it’s hot out! We celebrated last weekend with a little #GrabSummerFun party, as we took the winter cover off of the pool, and started prepping it for summer. This week we’ve had little shindigs almost every evening… I just love an excuse to get the family outside and enjoying the weather together in the evenings. And, since June is Dairy Month at Safeway, which means you get free movie tickets to see the new Ice Age flick when you buy $40 bucks worth of participating dairy goodies, I planned a family night dinner around that, to take advantage of the freebie!

Safeway Just for U

“In summer, the song sings itself.” – William Carlos Williams

Have you checked out the new Safeway Just for U program yet? If you’ve ever shopped at Safeway, I’m sure you already have the Safeway Club Card – the cool red card you swipe at check out to get your extra savings. But now, Safeway has made it even easier to save when you stock up on your families summer favorites – Sign up for Safeway Just for U today, and you get personalized savings tips, you can add digital coupons right to your club card, and right now you get a special coupon for a free dozen eggs added to your card just for joining. Super simple, very smart. {There’s an even an app for your phone too!}

dairy month

June Dairy Month at Safeway = Free Ice Age Movie Tickets #JuneDairyMovies

To get this sweet deal that’s going on this month at Safeway, look for the Dairy Month signs around the store. You’ll see it explained in their weekly sales ad, in big display signs in the dairy aisles, and each participating item will be marked with a little sale tag, so you know for sure what qualifies. I decided to go with a fun Taco Night family get-together, since things like shredded Mexican blend cheese, Dairgold sour cream, and nacho cheese were included in the dairy promotion. Then, since we were inviting Grandma and Papa over too, I picked up supplies to make Root Beer Floats, since those are her favorite. {And the Tillamook ice cream is also part of the promo!} Love getting little freebies like this, just for buying stuff we would have needed anyway.

dairy month taco night

“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” – Sam Keen

We loooooove us some Taco Night around here! And since we had a couple of extra friends over, plus Grandma, I made sure to stock up on lots of extra stuff – 3 types of chips to go with 3 different salsas {watch for my tropical salsa recipe tomorrow!}, cheese, sour cream, jalapenos and olives, lettuce, tomato, and onions, spanish rice and beans – and of course, FOUR pounds of taco meat!! Whew, I’m getting hungry again just thinking about it all….

fun with water

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” – Henry James

While I cooked up this simple homemade dinner, the kids cooked up their own fun outside. Since we hit a snag getting the big pool opened up for summer {we have to replace the pump. Ugh.} the kids have to make do with the kiddie pool and slip n’ slide. I absolutely LOVE this shot of Abby… She just learned about the hose, and that she can wave it around to spray the water, and thinks it’s the funnest thing of all time. And while I wish her face was in this shot, I love the way it catches the movement of the water. Very cool.

Dairy Month Taco Night Collage

“When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.” – Joyce Brothers

Finally, dinner was ready – and everyone grabbed towels to gather up for dinner on the patio. Mmmm…. How can you not love a big double-decker taco, perfectly cheesy, topped with crisp lettuce and tangy salsa? So good! And the rootbeer floats were totally a hit – we haven’t had those in over a year. {The fact that I added glow-in-the-dark straws made them even cooler…}

free tickets for ice age

Have your own summertime family night!

Head to your local Safeway store anytime this month, {or any affiliate like Vons, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Pavillions or Carrs} and buy participating dairy items. You don’t have to spend the $40 all at once like I did – if you use your Safeway Club Card, it’ll automatically add up your purchases each time you shop, and let you know how close you are to getting your free tickets. You could have a fun Italian night, with a yummy baked ziti covered in cheeses, partnered with gelato, or BBQ up some burgers, and top ’em with some delicious Tillamook sliced cheese. Then, once you’ve spent $40 bucks, the register will print out a Catalina coupon like the one above, that you can redeem online for two free tickets to see the new Ice Age movie in theaters. That means you’ll get another fun family night, almost free.

“I don’t care how poor a man is; if he has family, he’s rich.” – Dan Wilcox

Collective BiasI 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 Safeway #CBias #SocialFabric. All photos and opinions shared here are 100% my own. For more info on this June Dairy Month promotion visit JuneDairyMovies.com.

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Want to “See” Big Summer Savings?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zenni Optical for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I see summertime savings…. I got my first pair of glasses earlier this year – and realized how much I was missing by not having them. It makes working at the computer SO much easier. But – when I went to look for a pair of prescription sunglasses, I was blown away by how expensive they were. And I'm not the only one in our house who needs them – my adorably wild 5-year old nephew who lives with me just found out that he needs glasses too. But with all of the craziness of summertime, I hate to spend a ton of pricey prescription sunglasses that we might lose, or break. {I've NEVER made it through a summer without losing a ton of sunglasses. So… If some of you busy mommas on a budget are in the same boat, {that was a lot of B's…} let me share my little secret with ya – Zenni Optical. Rockin' styles and super affordable prices, on shades for you, the Mister, and the kiddos. 

Super sweet summer shades

These is the style I ordered for myself – love the funky pattern and bold orange color. Very fun. And here's how it works – choose any style from their affordable prescription eyeglasses selection, {this pair is a little over $20 bucks.} Then for less than $5 bucks they'll give them an 80% tint to turn them into summer shades!  They also have some extra add-on options like polarization you can check out if you're looking for even snazzier styles. And the kids selection is so great, we haven't even been able to get the little guy to decide on his favorite pair yet! And since these are so affordable, I can get each of us a couple of pairs, for that inevitable clumsiness or forgetfullness that we both are sure to have this summer. 

Do you get prescription sunglasses too? What's your families biggest challenge?

 

Visit Sponsor's Site

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Want to be a ShopYourWay Personal Shopper?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ShopYourWay Program for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love shopping. Seriously. Anything from searching for funky finds at a flea market to getting a great deal on a high-end handbag at a boutique. I even love going grochery shopping – just because I get to buy stuff :) And as a smart mom, I always make sure to use coupons, rewards cards, and any other program I can get access to – to maximize my savings and freebies. Since I do a lot of shopping at Sears and Kmart, I've had a ShopYourWay Rewards card with them for over a year now – I use it each time I shop, and it adds up some free cash back. Super simple. But just today I learned about a bigger and better way to get rewards through this feature – the ShopYourWay Personal Shopper Program. Quick explanation: It rocks.

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What is a ShopYourWay Personal Shopper?

Here's how it works: Invite your friends to join you on ShopYourWay – it's super easy, you can invite right through Facebook if you want to. {That's how I do it.} Then help them shop for stuff they need or will just love, at great prices. When they buy from your suggestions – you earn rewards! And you don't even need an affiliate link – when they shop at a store using their ShopYourWay Rewards card, you'll automatically see the earnings add up! Sweet deal, right?

How Do You Get Started?

It's simple! First, Request an Invite to ShopYourWay. Right away you'll have a confirmation message in your email inbox. Click it, fill out a few boxes, and you're ready to rock. Invite a few friends, share a few finds, and you're on your way to earning some extra bucks. Every month that you've earned over $20 dollars in rewards, they'll mail a check right to your door. Very cool.

Remember, as I always say – Friends Don't Let Friends Pay Full Price!

Visit Sponsor's Site

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No Budget to Hire a Nerd? Try Smore.com!

In the age of Facebook and Twitter, is the good ol’ flyer a thing of the past?… If you need to get the word out about an event, you may feel inclined to type up something in Helvetica and head to the photocopier, but we have a better idea…

Smore makes creating web pages simple - no coding needed

Meet your new event coordinator— Smore

Imagine, you (yes, you!) can create a beautiful web page with no coding experience and no design chops. Whether you’re spreading the word about a book club event, a small business, a networking event or a bake sale fundraiser for your local theatre, Smore is a great way to create a compelling online flyer with all the information, share it through social media and email, and how many people it’s reaching. Creating a flyer is fun, fast and it looks so professional everyone will think you have a design nerd on staff.

Smore makes pretty web pages… no coding required

I am seriously in love with this site. I’ve been playing around with it this morning, and it is seriously simple to use – very intuitive. {And if you know me well, you know I’m NOT a techy type. Yes, I run a blog, but what I’m good at is taking pretty pictures, writing stories, and telling jokes. The tech side is more challenging to me. Which is why I LOVE that my girls at Digitwirl teach me these great tips each week. Subscribe to them. Seriously, so smart.} Anyway – the site is very easy to use, and I’m still turning my brain thinking of cool new ways to use it…

  • It’s got tons of options: Choose Event Invitation, Product to Sell, Personal Flyer for a Person, Flyer for a Business or Shop, Informational Newsletter Style, or just use the “other” if nothing really fits. Coupon or Ad Promotion, and App are coming soon too.
  • Get Inspired: Check out this sweet gallery of cool ideas and examples of what you can create with their online templates, and find inspiration for new ways to create buzz for your event or new promotion. They all use the same layout, and while they do share a similar feel – they are all able to give a totally custom feel using different photos, fonts, colors, and styles. Love it.

I’m definitely going to be using this a lot – and am SO super grateful to the ladies at Digitwirl for sharing this. The video made it SO easy to jump right in and get started. {For more tech made simple tips, services, and products – browse my board on Pinterest.}

What Ideas do You Have for Fun Ways to Use this Free Service?

Carley from DigitwirlDigitwirl is the weekly web show that offers simple solutions to modern day problems. In 3 minutes, Digitwirl brings busy women the very best time, money, and sanity-saving technology, and then teaches them how to use it, step-by-step. Digitwirl was created by technology lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch, who uses lots of technology to manage her busy life as mom of two and entrepreneur. Become a subscriber to get weekly show alerts and exclusive deals at Digitwirl.com, or follow Digitwirl on Twitter at @digitwirl.

 

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Bloggertunities: Blog Opportunities for #MomBloggers 6/20

bloggertunities: oppertunities for mom bloggers

“IF YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING IN LIFE, YOU CAN’T SIT BACK AND HOPE IT WILL HAPPEN.  YOU’VE GOT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.” –  CHUCK NORRIS

We had an incredibly rough start to this week… {If you haven’t heard, Abby had some seizures on Sunday. Apparently this type of seizure is somewhat common in kids under 5, although I’d never heard of them.} But, I’m trying to really get myself in gear to push my blog to new levels… I am proud of the accomplishments that I’ve made in the past year, but I’m totally excited to take it up a notch. Watch for tweets tagged #RockYourBlog2012 – I’m working on a TON of blogging tips posts and resources, and you’ll find them with that hashtag. And feel free to tweet your own great tips and posts with it too, so I can see ’em and RT ’em for you!

Reviews and Product Opps

  • Pregnancy or Motion Sickness: If you suffer from morning or motion sickness, then this will be a perfect review opp for you – fill out the form to be contacted for Psi Band review opportunities.
  • DEI Worldwide: Sign up for their Bloggertunities list, for a chance at cool promotional opps. Learn more: Bloggertunities Sign Up.
  • Mommy PR: She sends out a great email newsletter with new opps that you don’t want to miss! Visit Mommy PR, and click on the Blogger Connections tab in her navigation bar to sign up.
  • OXO: Sign up to be a part of their blogger outreach program! OXO Blogger Resource Sign Up.
  • MomFuse: Sign up for POP Alerts – {Post Our Pitch} – to be notified of cool new opportunities for bloggers. These are random and cover tons of different topics – so there’s always something for everyone, no matter what you blog about.

Networks for Women Bloggers

  • Social Moms: This is a fun site that I just recently started getting into. You get reward points for doing things like sharing posts, leaving comments, or writing content – and you redeem them for PayPal cash or fun gift cards. Easy peasy, and it’s actually good stuff too. Join Social Moms today.
  • Better Networker: This is a new site I just joined this week – but so far, it’s a great experience. They have a no-spam policy that is really strict, so it’s filled with great content. You can get answers to your questions, learn a ton, and network with others. You can find my profile here, {it’s not 100% filled out yet…} and sign up yourself.
  • Mom Bloggers for Social Good: If you are passionate about spreading helping to promote great campaigns that give back in communities around the world – learn more, and join us today.
  • Blogger Link Up: Sign up for an account, to connect with writers and PR reps, find guest posting opps, and more. Blogger Link Up Sign Up.
  • The Motherhood: Sign up to join this amazing network. I’ve partnered with them on a few projects, and have had a wonderful experience. Find their form here – Join The Motherhood.
  • Question Moms: If you’re a business owner, you can get great feedback on your products or services. If you’re a blogger – you can earn incentives for sharing your feedback with the brands, and connect with them for product reviews too.

Events to Join

  • Twitter Party Today: Join me and Mom Central today at noon PST for a #PullUpsBigKids Twitter Party today. Awesome prizes – so RSVP to be eligible!
  • Dallas, Houston, and Northern CA events: Sign up on this form, with all of your info, to get on the list for sweet invites to blogging events in your local areas. {I hear that they’re looking specifically for N. CA bloggers for a grocery store event right now…}
  • Free Kinect Giveaway:  Techy Tribe and Mom to Bed by 8 is proud to present the Techy Summer Xbox Kinect Bundle Event from July 8 to July 22. This is a free blogger event and accepting signups now. Join the Techy Summer Xbox Kinect Bundle Giveaway event today, grow your readership and offer one fantastic cleaning tool giveaway!
  • Free Giveaway Event List: Love this every week – huge resource to help you find a ton of great free blog giveaway events to join, to help boost your traffic, and to connect with some great new bloggers at the same time.
  • Little Girl Prize Pack: This is a super fun prize package filled with almost $500 worth of girly goodies – like tutus, hair bows, and gift cards. You can join for one free link, plus $1 each for any additional links. Super fun.
  • Win a Trip to BlogHer ’12: Enter to win a trip for 2 to BlogHer ’12 this year – would be pretty darn awesome, right?

Monetize Your Blog

  • BlogFrog: If you’re a member of Blog Frog, fill out their blogger partner form for a chance to partner with them on fun campaigns! Blogger Partner Sign Up. And, if you have your own BlogFrog Community {see mine here – Smart Moms Chat} – make sure to check out the new options to monetize it with ads. I just recently learned about this – very cool.
  • Deal Junkies: Do you love finding great deals and sharing them with your friends? Then you’ll LOVE zuuzs – you get rewarded with cash. Very cool – Learn more here.
  • Paper Coterie: These are the prettiest paper products you will ever find… Seriously, incredibly creative picks. I’m crazy in love with their photo-cover planners! Sign up for their easy peasy affiliate program {runs just like Escalate} – and earn when you share their fun seasonal promotions and pretty products!
  • Social Spark: Get offers weekly for sponsored posts – Only write about the products and services YOU are interested in. Payouts are great. Join Social Spark.
  • Escalate Network: I love the quick payouts – They pay at Net 15, quicker than anyone else. And the minimum payout is only $25. Check them out – Escalate.
  • InfoStable: Share quick giveaway links, and earn a buck a piece each time one of your readers enter. So simple – and I researched the giveaways, the ARE legit and safe to promote. Earn with InfoStable.

Freelance Writing and Other Paid Work

  • Constant Content: I find a lot of great opps on here. Sign up for the newsletter, and they’ll send you a list of new things to apply for each week. The topics have a huge range, and the pay runs from $20 bucks for a short post, up to $200 for longer articles. Writing Job Sign Up. I’m sure you’ll find at least a few topics that you’re comfortable writing about, and love it.
  • Examiner: Get your own local column of choice, and get paid to post cool content. {See mine –Yakima Frugal Living Examiner}. Get started by applying to be an Examiner today.

Helpful Reads and Resources

If you’d like more great tips, tricks, resources, and blogging opps –  CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER WEEKLY BLOGGERTUNITY POSTS TOO, OR BROWSE MY BLOGGING & SOCIAL MEDIA BOARD ON PINTEREST. I hope you’ll find a lot of great content to help you #RockYourBlog2012. Make sure to subscribe to my Smart Solutions email updates, so that you never miss an opps post or other great content in the future. And don’t forget to leave your own blogging tips posts, favorite tools or site links, and giveaway events or linkys in the comments below. Love hearing what you guys are lovin’ lately too!

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Thanks for Reading – Have a Great Week!

 

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Easy Cake Pops: How to Video Makes it Simple!

I love me some cake pops –  And since I’m also VERY much a Semi-Homemade cooking type of gal, I’m a big fan of recipes that involve shortcuts – like pre-made, store-bought products that make the process a little simpler. That is why I’m excited to share this great Cake Pops recipe… It’s not a ton of work, but it’s jazzed up enough that no one will EVER know that it started as out with a simple pound cake you bought at the grocery… Enjoy!

Love Cake Pops? Check out these great goodies too:

 

 

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Spam Fighting Superhero Gives You a Chance to Win an iPad

It’s like a spam-fighting super hero… Hate all of those spammy, time-consuming, junk emails you get every day? Well, there are a few solutions for that… You can set up a separate email address for things like giveaways and free offers, but that won’t solve the whole problem. You can use a super cool service like OIB to help you organize your inbox – but again, that won’t solve the spam, it just keeps it a little more out of your way. But if you’ve got Gmail, you now have a sweet new option for stopping spam….

Unsubscriber Stops Spam to your Gmail Account Automatically

This is a pretty rad service, and to spread the word about it, and encourage people to check it out, they are giving away free iPads. How much cooler can you get?

Join Unsubscriber for Gmail today!

Giveaway Details from Unsubscriber…

We’re giving away a free, brand-new iPad! If you’ve been wanting a revolutionary new iPad for your very own, now’s your chance. Just sign up for Unsubscriber for Gmail to enter. We’ll announce the winner on August 1st. While you wait for the big announcement, you’ll enjoy the benefits of Unsubscriber, the simplest way to stop emails you don’t want. Sign up today! {See more rules and regulations on their site.}

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