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If Only Healthy Snacks Smelled as Good as Bacon…. #SmartSnack

“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” – Doug Larson… Do you struggle to get your kids to eat healthy snacks? We do pretty well in my house – but when they’re bombarded by commercials for sugary treats, fat-loaded snacks, or toy-filled fast food meals – it can be a bit rough. But, as smart mommas, we always have a few tricks in our toolbelts, right? Whether it’s sneaky – err, I mean creative – ways to get kids to eat more veggies, frozen meals that are high on convenience but still low on fat and yucky additives, or new ways to make whole grain sandwiches more fun – I’m always hunting for the best new ideas and products to keep us eating great, while still staying on a budget, and keeping it all low prep.

Shopping for healthy snacks for kids [Read more…]

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Big Savings on Harlem Globetrotter Tickets for Families

Looking for an awesome event the whole family will enjoy? Get your tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters brand new “You Write the Rules” tour. Your family’s smiles will start before you even get to the game as the Globetrotters take kid participation to a whole NEW level.

bannerYour family can vote at harlemglobetrotters.com and decide rules for the game that could affect the final outcome.  With rules like double the points for every basket, and two balls in play at the same time, there’s an exciting rule that every kid will enjoy. How fun is that?? The kids will LOVE seeing their own rules in action on the court. And after the game, Globetrotter stars will stay on court to sign autographs and take photographs with your kids.  The only thing better than finding an awesome event for the whole family, is getting a great deal on it, right?  That’s why I’m bringing you this sweet promo code – Use “USFAMILY” when you buy tickets for your family, to save $7 on each ticket purchased on http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/tickets.  Get ready to experience the show your family will remember for a lifetime!

You can get your tickets here http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/tickets and don’t forget to use the promo code USFAMILY to save $7 on every ticket!

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Do You Know Someone Who Would Love a $10,000 Holiday Delivery?

It’s amazing how just one holiday memory can take you home, even when you’re far away. Do you know someone who can’t be home this holiday season? Tell Febreze your story for a chance to win big!

Home for the holidays sweepstakesThrough their Facebook Contest, Febrese will deliver $10,000 and all the special holiday memories of home to the one lucky winner. All you have to do is share a loved one who can’t make it home this holiday season – and tell Febreze about your friend or family member and why he or she could use a little happiness this year. Can you imagine what an amazing gift this would be to send to someone special who’s far away from you this season?

The Febreze Best of Holidays Past Contest starts 11/5/12 & ends 11/27/12.

Make sure to get your entries in today! It only takes a minute to fill out the form, and it could lead to an amazing holiday season. Good luck!

{Disclaimer: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Febreze. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating.}

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Getting the Best Care for Kids with Special Needs

Do you know a child with special needs?… My family has seen it’s share of hospitals. My dad has had health problems off and on all of my life. My youngest brother was born with a defective heart valve, and had to have surgeries every couple of years until he turned 15, and they did an open heart surgery to replace it. My youngest nephew had to come into the world during an emergency c-section, was airlifted to Seattle Children’s Hospital, and spent over a month there before he was well enough to finally come home. And my little girl, Abby, was born in a ton of distress – we actually thought she was stillborn when she arrived. The NICU team was on call in my room, and whisked her away to their unit right away – and it was 2 days before I even got to hold her for the first time. She spent a week there before recovering fully – but then earlier this year, my sweet toddler started having seizures, and we’ve been dealing with an overwhelming amount of doctors and hospitals once again. So I know, all too well, how important it is to find the best care for your family….

[Read more…]

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The Benefits of Gardening as a Family

There are few activities as rewarding as cultivating a garden — by sowing a few seeds in the spring you can be harvesting armfuls of fruits and vegetables in the summer. There are a number of benefits to taking on this activity as a family, including saving money on groceries and having fresh and healthy produce to eat. But perhaps the greatest benefit is giving your child invaluable insight into the natural world around them.

Gardening Tips [Read more…]

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Share Family Traditions – Join Our Little Chefs Cook-Along!

We’re part of The Little Chefs Project series on The Motherhood – and I would love to have you guys join us for our live Cook-Along event! Abby and I helped create the new Chef Boyardee eCookbook – which was an absolute blast. I mean, what kid doesn’t love Chef Boyardee, right? And now they’ve put together a collection of recipes featuring your favorites like Beefaroni, Mini Raviolis, or Spaghetti and Meatballs. They make it easy to create simple dinners that the whole family is going to love – check it out!!

The Little Chefs - cooking with kidsThis is Abby and I in the kitchen – She turned two in late July, and is becoming such a great little helper. We get to learn measurements as we fill up the cups and empty them out again. We talk about the colors of the different ingredients. We stir, we taste, we giggle, and we usually make a pretty darn big mess. But I absolutely adore it.

cooking in the kitchen with kids - Chef BoyardeeTo celebrate the launch of the eCookbook {get it here: The Little Chefs Project: A Collection of Kid-Friendly Tips, Tricks and Recipes for Fun in the Kitchen. We’re in the last chapter – Family Traditions!} These pictures above are from our photo shoot for the book, when Abby and I baked cookies together from one of my grandma’s recipes. About 10 years ago, one of my aunts put together a big cookbook filled with family recipes, and gave all us girls a copy. It’s one of my favorite gifts, ever. I love being able to make all of my childhood favorites – and so glad that they put them all together like this, so that I can share them with Abby too.

Make new Family Traditions with Chef Boyardee!!

The Little Chefs Project series consists of live chats called Cook-Alongs taking place every Thursday at 2 p.m. ET until November 15, and each Cook-Along covers a different topic around cooking with kids. Family Traditions is the final Cook-Along in the series and addresses how you can carry on existing family traditions (such as baking for the holidays) or create your own new traditions with your kids.

  • What: A virtual Cook-Along called Family Traditions, part of The Little Chefs Project series on The Motherhood.
  • When: Thursday, November 15, at 2 p.m. ET.  It will last 30 minutes.
  • Where: The Motherhood – here is the link to the page where the class will be held: http://bit.ly/R1ekBM

About the class: More than 85 years ago, Chef Hector Boiardi migrated to the United States and began sharing his delicious meals made with real quality ingredients – a tradition which is carried on today. For any holiday or occasion, or simply for the everyday, traditions are important to your family history. Whether you’re looking to pass your age-old family meal traditions to the next generation or create new ones, these moms have advice and stories to share.

To participate, just click the link above, log into The Motherhood using your member ID (if you don’t have one, it’s easy and free to sign up), and chat away in the text-based comments. We’ll also have a video feed running during the half-hour Cook-Along, so you’re welcome to show up simply to watch if you’d like! You’ll get to meet some of the other families from our chapter, and watch my recipe video too!

The Cook-Along is sponsored by Chef Boyardee, and it is hosted by The Motherhood.  You can visit Chef Boyardee online at http://www.chefboyardee.com/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chefboyardee.

I’ll be there with several other bloggers to co-host the class, and I hope you’ll join us!  The fabulous people who will be co-hosting with me are:

Hope to see you at the Cook Along!! Feel free to use the social buttons below or at the top of the post to share this event with your friends too!

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Brusha, Brusha, Brusha – Especially during the holidays! #SweetSmart

Do you guys remember me telling you that we were going to challenge ourselves to build some healthier smiles about a month ago? {What makes you smile?} Well, what more perfect time of year for us to get serious about taking care of our teeth than during the fall Halloween season – you know, candy central? I always stock up on candy waaaaay before the big day – I have coupons, and think I’ll save it until trick or treating. But I never do, lol. So yes, we end up eating quite a bit ourselves before Halloween night even arrives….

trick or treat candy [Read more…]

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