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What She *Really* Wants For A Gift (You might Be Surprised)!

Legalese Disclosure Nonsense: In exchange for the roses of my dreams, I agreed to bring you this fun and handy post! Also, if you get blessed with roses from one of these specific links, I get a weensy bit of the money from that sale!

Tis the season for gift giving! This year I decided to do a little “independent research ” so I asked around to find out what women REALLY want for gifts from the most important people in their life for those big occasions, you know–Christmas, but also those other “biggies” like Valentine’s Day, Anniversaries, Birthdays, really anytime someone might want to treat them!

What they answered might surprise you, and for the “classic” gifts that were mentioned, they had a twist!

If you’re a frequent reader of mine, chances are good you’re a woman yourself! This is a great post for you to get inspired to ask what you *really* want for this year, or, if you’d like to be a bit more subtle, feel free to send this link to the special people in your life with a *hint hint*.

Maid Service

I mentioned before that when I asked what 1 luxury service women would choose if they had the money for it, the overwhelming majority said maid service. While that was not surprising, just how MUCH they want it really is! In fact, a huge number would love to receive even just a few visits from a maid service as a gift!

Create Memories

Another top winner was being gifted something that would create memories, or as I like to call them Experience Gifts. Many ladies would love a night or weekend away with their spouse, others wished for a getaway just them. Some wanted to go to a concert or an event with the gift giver. Time together while doing something fun was very popular.

Get Pampered

The next request on the list was to get pampered! Whether it’s a mani/pedi or a full spa day getting the chance to get away, relax, and be pampered is something many women crave.

Something Unique, That Shows You *Really* Know Her

This includes *everything* above and all the other items on the list that people came up with. There was an overall theme in or behind each item mentioned. They wanted a unique, gift that showed that the gift giver really knew and cared about them. To help you out with this, and to give you something that you can physically gift if you’d like to include one of the others as well, I’m excited to introduce you to VIVAROSES today!

When it comes to unique presents, this one tops the charts! Roses are a classic gift to give someone to show that you love them. And VIVAROSES has a bunch of classic beauties to choose from as well!

But, remember, I mentioned that most of the women aren’t necessarily *looking* for a classic gift. They want something that shows how much you know them.

For me? That would be blue roses.

I’ve had an obsession love with the color blue since the time I was a young teen. (Maybe my hair color of the past clued you into that?) So when I was planning out my wedding, I told the florist that I wanted blue roses. It was before ordering on the internet was much of a thing, but I had done searches and found photos of blue roses, but nowhere that actually sold them. She laughed at me and told me that those photos were photoshopped, and my gorgeous blue flowers didn’t exist. And so my dream died.

Until VIVAROSES. As I was browsing their site–THERE THEY WERE!!!! Gorgeous Blue Farm-Fresh Roses

and on top of that–the prices were crazy amazing. Starting at $70 for 24 roses, you can up the game and receive 100 Blue Farm-Fresh Roses!

Finally, I really did have the roses of my dreams. I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing and stunning present!

But maybe you or your lady is not *gasp*  that into blue? They actually carry a crazy amazing variety of roses from Black, to Orange, to Lavender, to Rainbow, to mixed bouquets! You would absolutely wow the lady in your life when you deliver a bouquet in her very favorite color! I would gush about how amazingly gorgeous these are, but I’ll just let the pictures in this post say a thousand words!

Go browse all the gorgeous roses on the VIVAROSES website!

Were you surprised that all of these ideas are “consumable”? Part of me was, but really I think that these days we so often want memories, experience, relaxation, and beauty–not more clutter! I also love how you can see how the different love languages and personalities weave their way through these gifts. It would be easy to see an Acts of Service really wish for Maid Service, while a Quality Time person would prefer the tickets to a concert. If you’re a Words of Affection person these gorgeous roses with a heartfelt letter would make your day!  Hopefully, this list inspires you to ask for whatever version of that is uniquely you, or inspire you to gift that to the lovely lady in your life!

Ladies, do you see the idea that you really want on this list? Leave me a comment and let me know which one it is, or if it’s not here let me know what YOU really want.

Ways To Track and Save During the Holidays

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SaveWithHopster #CollectiveBias

The holidays should be full of joy, happiness, time with family and friends, and the creation of precious memories.

Often, though, the busyness and strain from added expenses and to-dos turn them into anything but the most wonderful time of the year. Recently I shared a post with you on how important it is to step back and realign with what really matters during this busy season.

Today I’m tackling the other half of the problem by sharing how to track and save! Once you get your holiday budget under control it’s a lot easier to enjoy the season.

First off, let’s start with the saving–because once you get a good handle on that you’ll have more money to put back into that gift budget you’re tracking!

For savings I’m sharing a great app with you that you might not already know about! It’s Hopster Mobile Rebates! One of the best ways to get more money for holiday fun is by saving on the items you already buy. You can download it here and start saving because it’s super simple to use! You just follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose your rebates from a large selection of brands

You’ll find rebates for your favorite groceries, beauty essentials, pet supplies, plus new products you’ll want to try.

Step 2: Shop at your favorite store — most of the rebates you can redeem from *any store* or you can pick from a list of your favorite retailers!

Step 3: Take a picture of your receipt showing the items you purchased–it walks you through exactly how to do it!

Step 4. Rebates will be redeemed and the cash credited to your PayPal account as soon as the redemption is validated. That means you don’t have to wait to reach a certain number or value of redeemed offers!

You can see for yourself how simple and great this is for saving! As you make your shopping list it’s so easy to hop on, scan for items you can take advantage of rebates on, and then scan in the receipt right after you put the items away! All those rebates can add up to a nice little chunk of change to roll into your holiday budget. Which brings us to the tracking part!

The best ways to track your holidays and helpful tips before you dive in!

I’ve mentioned this to you before, but it really is such a lifesaver each year! This year I’ll also cover a few things you’ll want to do in case you’ve been using this or a different system before!

Set A Budget

I know, I know, but trust me, knowing how much you *can* spend actually frees you up to enjoy it and not stress out. Sit down with whoever else is involved in the money situation in your house and come up with a budget to stick to.

(Tip: Start using Hopster and also think outside the box for ways to save on normal things during the holiday months. Maybe you can cut back on a service or plan. Take your extra savings and put it right into your holiday budget!)

Make A List & Check It Twice

Growing up and getting married and all having babies is super-ly amazing and fabulous!!! It does make for a long, long, long  Christmas list after just a few years, though! And things can get awkward when you keep buying presents, and they stop, or vice versa. This year have a pow-wow with your extended family. Often you might find that they’d prefer one family gift they all can enjoy, they just want gifts for the kids, or you might discover it actually blesses everyone the most if you no longer exchange gifts. Just like the budgeting thing, it’s far better to clarify in advance, then to be disappointed when reality strikes.

Make & Track Using a Spreadsheet

As you can see I’ve been using this system for over 5 years now because it’s that awesome! I put in everyone on my list, put in ideas for gifts before I buy them and then fill in the prices when I actually purchase them, and fill in the slots so I know what has been purchased, wrapped, and shipped for our out of state family. At the bottom I have formulas that automatically add up the totals for each column, and also show my savings.

This is super easy-peasy to create for yourself–but I’m making it even easier for you!! Here is a blank gift tracking sheet just for you!

So, to use this you’ll want to go up to where it says File at the top menu bar. Click on it then go down to “Make a Copy”  here you can name it, and save it to your drive. Then it is private to you and you can customize it for your own personal holiday tracking! If you have any questions about how to tweak it further just drop me a comment and ask!

By putting these simple steps into practice this year you’ll save money and sanity this holiday season! Don’t forget to get started by downloading the Hopster App here!

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Fun & Easy Ways to Promote Wellness In Your Family

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NatureMadeFamily #CollectiveBias

Fun Easy Ways to Promote Wellness in Your Family

How are you doing? How is your family doing?

Be honest, when you read that did you assume the fake, “Good, thanks. How are you?” smile and response you give the cashier? It’s easy to be so busy and frantic that we don’t realize that we’re really NOT doing that good, after all.

So how are you really doing?  How is your families wellness, their sense of well-being? Are you living healthy, fulfilling lives? When is the last time you smiled and laughed together? Today’s post is all about encouraging you to get those important moments into your life in fun and easy ways every day.

Fun & Easy Ways to Promote Wellness In Your Family

Play Together

This is one of the easiest and best ways to promote family wellness. It often gets lost in the cracks of homework, meals, and running here and there and everywhere though. When you’re focusing on wellness you don’t want it to feel like a burden, a chore, or just something to check off your to-do list.

It’s a recurring theme around here that we’re all busy. To make sure that playing together happens, you just have to get a tiny bit creative. I found things that were already in my routine and figured out how I could tweak them into play time together. Now when I take the kids to the park, instead of scrolling on my phone I jump in and play tag with them. After school we do a quick stop and walk to the pond and bring bread to feed the turtles and ducks. While I’m waiting for dinner to cook I put on our favorite music and we throw an impromptu dance party. When we have that awkward 10 minutes before we need to head out the door, we sneak in a few rounds of a card game.

When you think about it for just a bit, it’s easy to find some play time, and it benefits everyone in your family!

Unwind Together

Are you going constantly from the time you wake up far too early till the time your head hits the pillow? How would you describe putting your kids to bed? It is peaceful, or more like a war zone?

I can’t over stress how important just having a few hours to unwind each night is. Now, I understand that this can’t happen every night this time of year. But at least 3 nights out of the 5 weeknights you have, should allow you to have this unwind time.

I’ve built in a nice, solid chunk of time for us to unwind as a family and get ready for bed. First I have the kids take care of all their bedtime routine essentials. You know, baths, and brushing teeth and hair and all that good stuff. I also make sure we don’t forget one very important thing: Nature Made® Kids First® Vitamins!

When you get too busy another important wellness item that can get neglected is making sure you’re taking the vitamins and supplements you need. With a chunk of time dedicated to bedtime routine and unwind time together each day, you can be sure this no longer gets neglected. I recently re-stocked up on Nature Made® products for me and the kids at Target! I love stocking up on all our essentials before the holiday rush happens in earnest. Kids First® Gummies are for children 4 years older and up and you can see they have the great price point of $9.99. They’re the easy way for kids to take supplements and perfect to start the family on a healthy, tasty routine.

Another great reason to buy them right now is you can receive 30% off all Nature Made® products with Cartwheel, while supplies last!

After all the bedtime essentials are taken care of it’s time for the unwinding fun! Most nights the kids either get dedicated play time alone with me for 5 minutes, or I help them clean up their rooms if it needs it. Then I read out loud with them from a chapter book. This time also includes talking and sharing with each other. It’s amazing how much they’ll open up at the end of the day!

The kids aren’t the only ones who need unwind time, though! I make sure I also have plenty of downtime each evening. For me, this includes time hanging out with the hubby and usually reading a good book. I also make sure that my night time routine also includes Nature Made® Multi for Her + Omega-3 Adult Gummies or Nature Made® Hair Skin and Nails Adult Gummies. The Nature Made® Multi for Her + Omega-3 Adult Gummies are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, D3, and E, as well as key B vitamins (folic acid, biotin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12), and important minerals such as chromium and zinc.

I can always tell the difference when we have that crucial time to unwind and take care of ourselves, and when we don’t. Try looking at things you can let go of to see if it makes a big difference in your wellness, too!

Participate in the Complaint Flip Challenge Together

The amount of information and connection of the age that we live in is one thing that I’m continually thankful for! However, it can also become negative and overwhelming. It all depends on how and what we choose to focus in on, to let into our brains, and allow to take camp and dwell there.

I’m especially bad about this, and so I’ve learned to become very selective on what I allow myself to focus on, and what we as a family focus our time around. We’re way too busy to be having a bunch of sad, bad, or especially drama filled thoughts floating around up there. We need room for the good, the purposeful, and the creative!

The only way to get into this habit is to work on catching yourself when you’re not focusing on the good and “flipping” it. I’ve mentioned on social media that the past few weeks have been especially trying for us. Lots of bad crazy unexpectedly thrown into the other crazy of this season (isn’t that how it always works?!). To help ease the stress and stay focused on the good as things come up I take action, or I “flip” them in my thinking. If it’s something big and sad instead of dwelling on it I think of one tangible thing I can do to help. For example: donate to the areas that need relief, or bring a meal to a friend who just had surgery. Then, knowing I’ve done what I can, I can move on.

For things that happen to me that I can’t do this on, this is where the “flip” mentality comes in. Instead of focusing on the complaint, I find at least one blessing in the bad, or that the bad brings to mind. For example, say moths decide to overtake our pantry. Then the exterminator needs to come out to come kill them. In order for him to do that I have to move *all* of the food out of the pantry, wipe it down, and throw a lot away. Instead of focusing on all the complaints, I find the good. Two good things here are I’m thankful that we have a pantry full of food, in a country where pest control is relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated.

Challenge your family for one week to try and put this into practice. You might take a few minutes at a meal, on the way home from school, or after homework to share what you’re having troubles with currently and practice doing this together. Don’t nag or push. After all, this is to promote togetherness and refocusing our thoughts. Keep it should be low pressure and fun! Do this every so often when you feel that your family could benefit from it.

It’s amazing how much better our lives become, simply when we switch how we choose to look at them.

Hopefully, by adding in these fun, easy ways your family will feel a whole new sense of wellness every day! Do you have any ways that you add happiness and wellness into your life? I’m always up for amazing ideas! Leave me a comment and let me know! Also, don’t forget to stock up and save 30% off all Nature Made® products with Cartwheel, while supplies last!

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

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Tips To Make Laundry Quicker & Easier

Legalese Disclosure Nonsense: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Mt. Washmore

When I first heard this description of what we as moms tackle in regards to laundry I just had to laugh. At times it definitely feels like I’m tackling Mt. Washmore. As I love to work smarter, not harder I’ve come up with some tips and tricks that help make laundry a whole lot faster and easier, and today I’m sharing them with you!

Tip 1: Condense Your Loads

Figure out what you can wash together safely and easily! For me I personally have 3 loads I always do– Dark Towels, Jeans, and Dark Underwear & Socks all go in one load–this is my load that always get washed in hot water and a super scrubbing mode! Load #2 is all my light colored items of every shape and size. Load #3 is my darks & reds of any other kind. With just these 3 categories I can easily wash all our clothes in a way that will make them last a long time but also combines similar enough items to give me just a few big loads (but that’s getting into a future tip)

Tip 2: Sort As You Go

If you have a laundry room with space this is an amazing trick! As I mentioned I do 3 loads so I have 3 small, foldable baskets without lids located in our laundry room. For my kids instead of having them throw their dirty clothes into a hamper, I have the bring it straight into the laundry room and put it in the right basket. Our master bath/closet is further away and where our dirty clothes end up, so I have a small basket for us, but every few days I take it into the laundry room and sort it out quickly. This means once it’s laundry day you’re ready to go!

Tip 3: Do It All

I know some people who do their laundry all week long, but I’ve found for me personally this wastes a lot of time. I always try to get a head start on my laundry on the weekend, or start Monday morning. Since I only have the 3 loads I can do all those large loads over 2 or 3 days, , and then have all my laundry done for the week no matter how busy I am. This is a huge time saver for me and it feels great to know I’m “done” with laundry until the next week!

Tip 4: Get A New Machine With Better Features & Energy Saving

Do you have a clunker that’s as old as the hills and as energy efficient as a huge, black cloud billowing machine? An upgraded washer and dryer will save you time, energy, and money! And right now at Best Buy, you can get new ENERGY STAR®  certified electronics and appliances that include these features:

  • Better for you – ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers and dryers save energy, which means that you will save on energy bills. Save $490 over the lifetime of an ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer and even more with an ENERGY STAR washer/dryer pair. Many are also equipped with advanced features that make cleaning and drying easier and more effective.
  • Better for the environment – Saving energy means that ENERGY STAR certified washers and dryers help protect the climate, which means that your kids and the planet will benefit for years to come. Clothes dryers that have earned the ENERGY STAR use approximately 20% less energy than standard models.
  • Better for your clothes – ENERGY STAR clothes washers use a variety of sophisticated cleaning methods that are gentler on your clothes, while ENERGY STAR clothes dryers use less heat and sensor drying which reduces wear and tear on clothes from over-drying.

To learn more about ENERGY STAR you can check out this fun video here, or read this great article here!

What are your tips and tricks for making laundry faster and easier? I’d love to hear them!

Easy Ways To Sneak Adventure Into Your Family’s Life

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BornToShred #ShredTheDay #CollectiveBias

There are a couple of quotes that I love, that I feel so strongly about it’s like I came up with them (or, rather, could have if I’d been so clever). You’ve heard me say them before, and chances are you’ll hear me say them again. But they’re Just. That. Good.

Collect Memories, Not Things

&

Not All Who Wander Are Lost ~ J. R. R. Tolkien

Life is the sum of the experiences we have, and the people that we share them with. As a busy-crazy parent, though, it’s all too easy to lose sight of that in the million-mile long to-do list. Especially during this time of year, it’s far too easy to lose our sense of adventure and playfulness and focus on the urgent instead of the important. So today I want to really encourage you to block out some time for some adventure! There’s another new quote I just came across that I love, too:

We were born to play. We were born to move. We were born to laugh and to seek adventures both big and small. We were born to live a full, flavorful live. We were Born to Shred. ~ Shredded Wheat Cereal

I love this!! It so embodies the life I want to live and give my family.

However, as you recently saw when I shared how I rock this back to life season, I’m as crazy busy as everyone else! I don’t have the time, money, or energy for going to Europe or Skydiving at the moment. There are plenty of ways to fill your life with adventures that you can easily sneak into even your busy crazy weeks! So today I’ll be sharing them with you, plus giving you practical tips for how to make sure they actually happen.

But first…

I just *couldn’t* be an adventuring mom of nearly 10 years without throwing in some tips and tricks on how to make your adventure go smoothly!! After all, while chaotic adventures are still adventures, they don’t exactly make for the sweetest memories.

Fuel Up! Whatever you’re into, fuel it with Post® Shredded Wheat! Hanger is a true thing (at least in this family) and making sure that everyone is well fed before heading out for the day not only saves you money, it also ensures that you’ll be able to tackle your adventure!

Shredded Wheat has just come out with 3 delicious new Frosted flavors which are Mixed Berry, Cinnamon Roll, and S’mores Bites! Not only are these perfect for breakfast, but they also make great on-the-go adventure snacks! One of my kids all-time favorite snacks to bring along is dry cereal in a baggie, and these delicious combos are perfect for that!

Extra Awesome? Right now you can take advantage of this great iBotta offer for Shredded Wheat cereal at Walmart and earn $3 cash back! Just click on the picture to get all the details!

Once you’re fueled up for the day, bag some extra for a snack, bring along drinks, make sure your car is all set, and head out on one of these Easy Adventures!

*Explore Every Local Park In Your Hometown

Most cities have a website with a Parks Directory. Search for yours or even find it by looking up the map views of your hometown online. Then visit each park at least once with your family! Parks are my favorite spot for easy week day adventures. Especially here in Texas they usually are so much more than just playgrounds and can include fishing ponds with ducks and turtles, hiking paths, sports fields, and more! Often parks will have special events that happen in them, so search these up too for a chance to find out about concerts, movies, and yearly events that happen there.

*Visit Your Closest National or State Park, or Nature Preserves

These are gorgeous gems that often tourists will travel for days (or in the case of National Parks, the world) to see. The crazy thing is that I’ve often found that the locals have never visited these spots, or only gone a handful of times. Pick one of these and make a day trip on a weekend! These also often have websites completely dedicated to all there is to do, see, and participate in them. In Wyoming, my parents live just a day trip away from all of all the above, and they even include the wide variety of desert regions to the gorgeous mountains lakes and streams!

*Check Out A Locally Owned Store You’ve Never Visited On the Town Square

How many locally owned stores do you have in your town? Even (and especially) in itty-bitty towns there are Mom and Pop Stores, Local Bakeries, and Thrift Stores. Hit up your main town square which usually includes a beautiful mix of old buildings and these shops and poke into places you’ve never been! You might even discover little, hidden treasures like we did when we stumbled across a little free library in our town square.

*Go Painted Rock Hunting & Hiding

While traditional rock hunting has always been loads of fun, there’s a new twist to this classic past time that’s popping up everywhere! People are painting rocks, then hiding them for others to find. Anyone can join in on the fun, and you can easily find or start a group for your hometown using Facebook!

*Learn A New Skill As a Family–like Archery or Taekwondo

Pick a hobby or skill that every member of your family can participate in, and then do it! This can be as simple as searching for videos on how to do a few simple moves or steps of a skill, or you can get dedicated and sign up the entire family to learn together! Active skills are great, but this could also be something like finding a group video game to do together or completing a DIY project.

Want to remember these plus even more ideas? Here’s a printable for you as a way to get inspired to sneak adventure into your life!

Want to make sure this actually happens? Take out your calendar now! Pick 4 of the easiest and put them on your schedule, one a week. Now, pick one of the bigger adventures and put it down for one weekend in the coming month. Then repeat! I promise that if you carve out the time you won’t regret it! The rich experiences and new memories will make you feel alive and encourage you as it draws you closer together as a family. Every state and hometown has its own unique hidden treasures, and I’ve found you’ll love and appreciate where you live so much more when you take a few minutes to go adventuring to them and discover new ones along the way!

Don’t forget to Fuel Up With Your Favorite New Shredded Wheat Flavor before and on the go! Looking for even more amazing and inspiring ideas? Check out all the great ones on Pinterest Here!

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Creative Solutions To Teaching & Rewarding Your Older Kids

Legalese Disclosure Nonsense: I’m being compensated to share this fun, interesting new option for rewarding your kids with you today!

 

It’s clear by many different posts that I’ve shared with you why I think that having your kids help around the house is so beneficial. I’ve shared our system with you, and how it’s evolved through the years. We’re still using the method where the kids work to earn money or screen time. This is perfect for the ages they’re at, but as Amber gets older at a lightning speed, I’ve been thinking towards the future.

So when I first heard about BusyKid I thought it was a super intriguing idea! It is estimated that nearly 80 percent of millennials are not invested in the stock market.  I agree that the stock market has always felt super intimating to me. Although I have an IRA I’ve never actively participated in purchasing stock. I love this easy way to introduce your kids to it, and how it opens up their options for the money they earn. I thought my readers with older kids would especially appreciate learning about this new and innovative option!

Also, did you know that right now in the US, only 7 states require high school students to pass a basic finance test in order to graduate, and it’s possible depending on where you live, that your child would never spend one hour talking about this important topic before being on their own. This means as parents we need to make sure our kids are equipped with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to succeed.

For a limited time, 2 kids of each new family will receive a free $10 stock.  BusyKid wants kids to learn how to invest so they decided to give them their first experience in dealing with the stock market. Also, right now you can enroll the entire family for $14.95 a year and get first 30 days free.

So what exactly is BusyKid and how does it work? Here’s some information from the company:

Think of BusyKid as your child’s first job with direct deposit. Your child can earn, save, share, spend and invest a weekly allowance. By using BusyKid regularly from a young age, your children can start building a routine they can use when it’s time for them to be living on their own.

Earn Your Stock – Let your children earn money to invest by completing chores around the house. By using BusyKid, your children can automatically turn their allowance into investments. In addition to the stock option, you can also use BusyKid to make direct donations to several charities, to transfer funds to bank accounts.

There’s also the option to Add a BusyKid Spend Card (rechargeable Debit Card) for just $5 per year. The BusyKid Spend Card allows your child to spend allowance in-stores or online, or transfer fund to other bank accounts.

I love how these options set up an account that mimics the real world while still letting the parent be in charge of a completely customized system!

To get the whole scoop on this innovative new system visit their website here!

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5 Ways To Power Through Your Crazy Week

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC., The Coca-Cola Company, and Conagra Brands all opinions are mine alone. #PowerfullySmart #CollectiveBias

Life. Is. Busy.

I know, I know. It’s a recurring theme around here lately. But seriously, this time of year is SO BUSY for me, and I know it is for you, too! For a while, I was just really struggling to keep up the energy and drive that I needed to tackle this season (literally and figuratively).

The first thing I did was to get organized and come up with a schedule to keep things on track and from slipping through the cracks. I recently shared that with you in my How To Rock Your Back To Life post. All the organization in the world, though, doesn’t do you a bit of good if you’re so exhausted you can’t get through it, or so distracted that you can’t focus.

So today I’m sharing with you things I’m doing in my life to be able to Power Through My Busy Week and actually manage to accomplish half of that list!

Get Enough Rest

Again, I know, I know. You’ve heard this one a million times, and chances are you might even laugh at it. Like, HOW is it possible to get enough rest? This one has always been super challenging for me, too. For one, I’m a night person so living in a morning person world now that the kids are in school is not pleasant. Also, I’m one of those “lucky” people who truly does need 8-9 hours of good sleep or their whole world is out of joint.

These are the things that have really helped me be able to get the rest I need. Some you’ve heard before, and others are a little non-conventional, but hopefully, they’ll get your mind going on how YOU can get the rest you need. As you’ll see you can tweak your routine according to your personality. The more you know about yourself the more you’ll be able to make it work. For example, extroverts and introverts both need time alone each day–but for opposite reasons!

  • Early Bedtimes For Kids – So a lifesaver for me is that my kids have early bedtimes. Even at ages 7 & 9, they’re both still in bed with doors shut at 7:30 almost every night. Then they can stay up reading or cleaning/organizing their rooms until 8, which is lights out. They’re both extroverts, like me, so this time alone helps them to get tired and shut down their brains for the night. Which plays right into the next step
  • Intentionally Wind Down— When my kids go down for the night is also when I stop working. I shut down my email and my social media and I “mush” for the night. This is so helpful. As I mentioned I’m an extrovert and a night person. In order for me not to be jazzed and my brain not to be whirling into the middle of the night, I have to intentionally shut it down. Plus I think there really is something to that screen light keeping you awake theory (look it up if you’re curious). Cuddling up in a comfy room, with dim lights, and a good book makes it possible for me to pass out easily at a decent time every night!
  • Sleep In — Yepp. You read that right. While there are a ton of articles on the merits of waking up early, I’ve found it’s best for me if I hit that snooze. My kids actually are up *before* I am. *gasps*. But, as I mentioned, they’re the ones who have to be up, dressed, and ready for the day early on. All I need to do is be up in time to make sure they’re good to go, haven’t forgotten anything, and drive them to drop off. It’s amazing what this extra 20 minutes of light snooze does for me each morning. It gives my inner not-a-morning-person a chance to ease into the day–while still in my cozy bed.

Power Up With Your Food

I hate breakfast. I wish I didn’t and I know how (supposedly) it’s the most important, but usually, I skim by with just a little of something like Greek Yogurt. I think it’s that whole “not a morning person” thing still. Because I go lightly on breakfast, though, it means I need a delicious, filling, and smart meal to help me power through the rest of my busy day. I also need something convenient and quick. Since I work from home I don’t want to spend a lot of time whipping up a meal during my precious little lunch break.

Que Healthy Choice® Power Bowls and smartwater. This dynamic duo is the perfect answer to lunch!

First off, let’s talk hydration. Because, really, it should go without saying, but I will anyway. There’s absolutely no way to power through your busy week if you’re not staying hydrated with water! Personally drinking water is one thing that I’ve always been really good at. I love it and it loves me! I know so many of my readers have trouble drinking water, though, so I’d love to introduce you to smartwater. It comes in this gorgeous, sleek packaging and is vapor-distilled for purity, inspired by the clouds, with just the right amount of electrolytes for a uniquely clean taste. If you don’t drink enough water because of disliking how it tastes, you need to purchase this brand! I love the size of the bottle, too. For someone who chugs water all day, this is the just-right amount for lunch or when I’m out and about!

And now for the food! For me, food has to taste delicious, or I just don’t want it. However, I know I need power for my days so I’m trying to be more intentional about what I’m putting in my body. That’s why I was attracted to Healthy Choice® Power Bowls. They are food with purpose that insist that every ingredient matters. They’re also made with an intentional balance of vegetables, proteins, and whole grains to fuel your lifestyle. They come in a variety of bold, fun flavors:

  • Adobo Chicken Bowl
  • Cuban-Inspired Pork Bowl
  • Chicken Sausage And Barley Bowl (my favorite!! I just love the flavor combination in this one, soooo tasty and filling!)
  • Korean-Inspired Beef Bowl

You can find both these products at Walmart! And right now you can even Earn .75 cash back when you purchase Healthy Choice® Power Bowls at Walmart (any variety – any size) through iBotta!

Another thing to do when you’re eating is to **Just Eat**

This is a tough one. When your schedule gets so completely jam-packed it’s possible to want to over-task every single second. I’ve found that this ends up in a very frazzled, tired, and stressed out me! Even if you’re making these for on the go, find a spot, sit down, and actually just *enjoy* eating and drinking. It only takes a few moments and just the act of taking a break and enjoying your food makes a huge difference in giving you power and energy for your day!

Create a Stress-Free Space

This is another big one! When you get overly busy is also when those things that *can* slip through the cracks, do. Often this means that workspaces get super chaotic looking and cluttered. For me, clutter absolutely adds stress into my life. I find it much harder to focus and concentrate when working in an untidy space (although usually, I don’t even consciously realize that’s what’s going on). This also applies to my first step, as well. If your master bedroom looks like a storage room instead of a restful oasis, chances are it’s adding to your exhaustion. Clear the clutter, add in some items that bring you joy, and get back to being productive! Wondering how on earth you can find the time to do this with your current workload? Read on!

Find Your Sweet Spot

In my post on organization, I mentioned how using timers can be huge for helping increase focus and productivity. Learning how and when you work best can make or break this system. For example, I’ve found that when I’m working at the computer I’ll be super focused….and then “all of a sudden” I’ll find myself rabbit trailing down a sea of mindless social media scrolling, stray post clicking, or thinking about the million other to-dos.

By using my timers I’ve found that my brain can focus and work hard for 30-45 minutes. At this point, I start to get distracted by everything. So now I set my timer for 30-45 minutes depending on my daily schedule. Then after that, I reset my timer for 10-15 minutes to do something that breaks me away from whatever I’ve been focused on. Usually, I try to make this something when I get up and move around. So these time chunks are where you’d work in de-cluttering your work area! It’s amazing how much you can get done in 10-15 minutes when you’re motivated. Since I work from home this is the block of time that I do my laundry and other housework in. It takes the time that my brain would automatically be zoning out in and works in active, productive activities. I find once I’m back it’s so much easier to refocus!

Move Your Body

When your life gets busy crazy it’s soooo easy to also let being active slip to the wayside. Again, this is one of the worst things you can do since it’s a great source of energy! I’ve found that during this time of life I just have to get super creative with *how* I’m sneaking exercise into my routine. As you know for a long while I worked on our treadmill once the kids were in bed each night. Over the past half a year, however, for several reasons that just wasn’t working well any longer. Then I came up with a great idea.

When my kids worked out, I joined them! At first, this looked like me playing with them on the playground. When I ran us by after school, instead of scrolling on my phone while they played tag, I joined in! This was a great “work smarter not harder” move as it combined quality time with them and moving for me.

This summer they joined our local martial arts school. For months I’ve sat and watched them while I played on my computer a few times a week. Then I realized that with the group discount rate my husband and I could both join in for just a little bit extra each month. Last week I officially started and we’re all loving it! Our local school combines kid and adults, so we’re all out there together. Again, a super win for working smarter not harder.

Chances are good you have active kids, too. When they’re active find a way to move *your* body as well. That might be playing with them, or walking around the track, or going out for a jog during that time. It’ll look different for us all, but it doesn’t have to be hard!

Have any amazing tips I missed? I’m always looking for more ways to power through my own oh-so-crazy days!  Leave me a comment letting me know and don’t forget to use the iBotta offer on your next trip to Walmart!

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Chicken Mushroom Rice Recipe & The Story of Thomas

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NutrishFureverHome #CollectiveBias

Before I get into our story, I want to make sure you know about this great chance to win big and do good!

Enter this sweepstakes for a chance to win $25,000 and other prizes! Register your purchase at www.nutrishfureverhome.com

The Grand Prize is $25,000 and a one-year supply of Nutrish® dry dog food or one year worth of Nutrish® dry cat. And there’s also 3 First Prizes: $5,000 and a one-year supply of Nutrish® dry dog food or one year worth of Nutrish® dry cat.

Entering is easy, too! Purchase any Nutrish®-only product during the Sweepstakes Period, then visit www.nutrishfureverhome.com and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the registration.

Our family had always dreamed of owning a dog. Once my husband got out of the Coast Guard, that dream became a reality and we were so thrilled for 3 happy years. Then, right after we moved into our new home when he graduated college, a horrible, tragic incident struck and we were left grieving, scarred, and without a dog.

I swore because of the pain and the trauma, I’d never, ever want another dog again.

Just like the cliche goes, though, time heals all wounds and this past summer, one year later, my heart had started to ache for a sweet, furry friend once more. After talking about it we decided to look around at all the local shelters, wanting to adopt our next dog. Of course, we were all thinking about a puppy, and when we walked into the shelter that day it was to look at some pups I’d seen online.

I let the staff know that we were looking for a sweet, mild, low maintenance kind of dog. “Oh!” She told me, “You just *have* to meet Thomas!”

We walked past the cages of wriggling, frenzied, barking bodies. And there, in his kennel, sat Thomas. As calm and quiet and happy as could be. As soon as he came out to us Amber looked and me and said, “Oh mom. This is OUR DOG.” I wasn’t convinced and told her that surely we wanted to look at those puppies.

We looked around the entire shelter but just keep coming back to Thomas. After I began to play with and pet him, I became more and more convinced. It became perfectly clear that this ridiculously adorable little mutt had adopted us.

Indeed, 3-year-old Thomas was OUR dog!

He was at the shelter because his owner had passed away, and he kept getting passed over because of his age, and because of his one “peg leg”. A back leg got broken when he was a tiny puppy and wasn’t set right–so now it’s permanently straight. He has no idea about this, and runs and jumps and plays just like any other puppy. He really was so perfect for us, and now a few months later I can’t imagine life without his sweet smiling little face! We have helped him find his Furever Home™ and he has brought so much joy and healing to our hearts and lives!

I’m not the only one with a soft spot for shelter pets! Rachael Ray™ Nutrish®  Furever Home™ Helps Shelter Pets Find The Home They Deserve. In fact, this month October 2017, your support will help Rachael Ray Nutrish donate $250,000 to benefit shelter pets. Rachael’s Rescue® was created for all of the forgotten pets – the ones who might not have someone who loves them as much as they deserve. A portion of proceeds from each sale of Nutrish is donated to The Rachael Ray Foundation, which helps animals in need through Rachael’s Rescue. Through September 2017, Rachael’s Rescue has donated more than $21 million dollars to pet charities and other organizations that do good for animals.

I picked up my bag of Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Dog Food at my local Dollar General. I love it when I can do good by purchasing something we already need, and the chance to win a sweepstakes on top of all that is just the icing on the dog treat, so to say.

All Nutrish dry dog and cat food is natural with added vitamins & minerals, and wholesome, delicious ingredients.

In fact the Chicken, Brown Rice, and Veggies Nutrish recipe that I purchased Thomas looked like such a delicious recipe combination that it inspired me to pull together a human version for us as a family to enjoy while Thomas noshed on his Nutrish dinner!

Chicken Mushroom Rice Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • Kickin’ Chicken Seasoning
  • Italian Seasoning
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 Cup Chopped Mushrooms
  • 1/2 Cup Red Onion, Diced
  • 1/2 Cup Butter
  • Brown Rice

Squeeze the juice of one lemon over Chicken Breasts.

Season Chicken Breasts with Kickin’ Chicken & Italian Seasoning to taste. For ours, I just sprinkled the tops with Kickin’ Chicken spices, and then once they were chopped up I added 2 TBSP of Italian Seasoning. I wanted the Italian seasoning to be the primary flavoring, but the Kickin’ Chicken flavoring gave it that added depth and zing.

Cut Chicken into Bite-Sized Pieces, then Chop Mushrooms and Red Onion into small pieces.

Prepare Brown Rice according to package directions.

While the rice is cooking, in a skillet melt butter (you can also do 1/2 butter and 1/2 olive oil, but I love how butter caramelizes the mushrooms & the onions) and add in Chicken. Cook until white throughout. Add in Onion and Mushrooms and cook until they melt down and caramelize.

Serve the Chicken mixture over top of the Brown Rice.

This meal is absolutely perfect for a busy week day dinner, and quick and easy to pull together! Which is just perfect for a family filled with activities and pets to love on!

Do you have a shelter pet story? I’d love to hear it! Also, don’t forget to Enter the Sweepstakes!

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The Empower, Inspire, & Thankfulness Challenge

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, MARS Incorporated. All opinions are mine alone. #WhatMakesDove #CollectiveBias

Life’s tough right now, isn’t it??!!

Between the disasters happening on a huge scale, to so many people I know personally just going through HARD hard times, looking around it would be so very easy to get discouraged.

That’s where today’s post comes in!!! I have a mission for you to do within the next 2 weeks.

The Empower, Inspire, & Thankfulness Challenge

Now, don’t worry!! That might sound like a lot. I *know* you’re busy, I *know* you have so much on your plate, and I *know* you could use some help and encouragement, too. Because of this, I’m not doing anything elaborate. This is something you can sneak into your busy day, but this little gesture will have SO MUCH meaning for you, and the women you do it for.

You ready?! I’ll share how I fulfilled this challenge, my story behind the “why” of who I chose, and then I’ll share ideas for who you might chose to encourage and inspire in your life!

Thanks to what I do for my job, I’m the All Things Internet and Social Media Gal for our Center!

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m passionate about helping, empowering, and inspiring other women. In fact, that’s my entire purpose behind this blog! Ever since becoming a mom almost 10 years ago, I discovered I  have such a heart and passion for helping out other moms. I long to teach and inspire them to work hard, support each other, and strive for their dreams every day.

This passion turned into me finding local ways to volunteer and help moms in my community. When we were in Lindale I volunteered for 2 years at a Mom Mentorship and Earn While You Learn program, and in our new hometown I’m volunteering at a Pregnancy Resource Center that offers free tests, ultrasounds, consultations, and also offers an Earn While You Learn program where moms can earn vital items like a car seat, diapers, and clothes all by going through curriculum that teaches them important things about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.

After moving to our new hometown I have had a really difficult time finding “my tribe” or putting down roots. With both of the kids in school all day, and me working from home, making connections was tough. It wasn’t until I jumped back into volunteering that I actually found the empowerment and support that *I* needed, through the other volunteers there! These ladies are so sweet, caring, and compassionate–and not just to our clients! Especially a few of them in particular have allowed me to “adopt” them and given me and my kids hugs, support, and love as we tried to make our new hometown actually *feel* a whole lot more like home.

Because of how much they have empowered and inspired me, I wanted to return just a little bit of that to them, as well! I knew just the way to do it, too!

Like I said before–fulfilling this challenge doesn’t have to be elaborate to be amazing! For all my closest lady friends one of the best ways you can say “thank you” or give them a pick-me-up falls into a very delicious and pretty formula:

DOVE Chocolate PROMISES + Beautiful Flowers = Perfection

This 31 oz Canister is so pretty and it also shows the real treasure that’s inside! 3 flavors of their best-selling DOVE Dark Chocolate Variety Mix! With flavors like Dark Chocolate, White & Dark Chocolate Swirl, and Sea Salt Caramel & Dark Chocolate there is no way to go wrong with this!

It’s exclusively found at Sam’s Club and right now you can Sign up for a free Ibotta account  and earn $1.50 with the purchase of a 31 oz canister of DOVE PROMISES Chocolate 3 Flavor Assortment (if you don’t have an Ibotta account already, you don’t you really should! It’s a super fun and handy way to earn cash back that I’ve used for several months now!)

Not sure where your closest Sam’s Club is? Check out the store locator here!

While you’re in the club you can also pick up some fresh flowers and stock up on essentials–like I said, this does not have to be anything crazy or time-consuming!

The fact that DOVE Chocolate PROMISES are delicious would be reason enough to pick them up, but I actually had another very important reason for choosing this exact product and company for this mission!

DOVE Chocolate, produced by Mars Wrigley Confectionery, together with CARE, announced a partnership designed to empower women who grow cocoa in the communities of Ivory Coast. Along with DOVE Chocolate PROMISES, CARE builds Village Savings and Loan Associations in communities where the cocoa is sourced, which helps female farmers obtain funds that can be invested in their farms, their communities and their future. Here’s a little more about CARE’s Vision:

  • Increase women’s access to economic and social opportunities
  • Provide resources to help women farmers improve their yields and incomes
  • Enable women to make decisions in cocoa farming communities and household

I love that they’re finding ways to empower and inspire women towards a better life across the world–just like we’re trying to do here locally!

So this week I tackled my challenge and surprised the staff and volunteers with the delicious DOVE Chocolate PROMISES and flowers from Sam’s Club. They were all so surprised, and thankful! It brought a smile to their faces and so many of them commented on how much they love DOVE Dark Chocolate.

They also loved the inspirational messaging inside the DOVE Chocolate PROMISES wrapper. These were two of our favorites! “Don’t Worry What The Neighbors Think” and “Be Proud of Your Age”. Talk about awesome little pearls of wisdom!

Now it’s your turn!!! I challenge you to find a woman, or a group of women in your life that could use some encouragement, inspiration, and empowerment! As you read this I’m sure you immediately thought of something that could really use some DOVE Chocolate and flowers. If not here are some thought starters for who you could target for this challenge:

  • A Mom who has been battling sickness, injury, or surgery in her family
  • Teachers or Staff at your local schools
  • Volunteers at Local Community Resource Centers
  • A Military Spouse whose husband is currently away for training, underway, or deployed
  • Staff at a local nursing home
  • New Neighbors (like me they might not have anyone locally and are wishing someone would reach out!)

The possibilities to reach out and empower and inspire are literally all around you, every day! I think we often feel too overwhelmed by thinking that a gesture has to be over-the-top “Pinterest Perfect” to make a difference, but it really doesn’t!

Stop by Sam’s Club, get your shopping done, and then drop these quietly by for someone who needs them!

Want even MORE amazing inspiration for how to encourage, inspire, and thank the women around you? Check out the amazing ideas here!

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How To Build The Perfect Diaper Bag Gift

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MoreHuggiesMoreSavings #CollectiveBias

It’s hinting at being fall and babies are everywhere! Every time I log into social media my feed is full baby grins that make me melt and adorable photo reveals of pink or blue. Every week I also volunteer at Heart of Hope. It’s our local Pregnancy Resource Center that gives out free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and also has an Earn While You Learn program. Through this moms can earn items they need for their babies while working through important pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting curriculum.

So although it’s been a while since I’ve had onesies and diapers in my house; they’re still a frequent part of my everyday life! Anyone who’s been around babies at all knows that the one thing a new mom’s NEEDS is diapers and wipes, and lots of them! They also know that if you just go and purchase them at a regular store they can get pretty pricey, pretty fast! That’s why when I heard about the amazing deal that Sam’s Club has going on right now for new members I just had to share it with you!

Join now and get $45 in Instant Savings on participating Huggies® products! Follow these steps in order to get this amazing deal!

Purchase a NEW MEMBER Sam’s Club Savings membership using THIS LINK *or* you can purchase your membership in store. If you’d prefer to do that, please visit this link and print out the offer page to bring into your club so that they can load this offer for you! (the bonus to joining online is you’ll get a $5 e-gift card!)

Mom Tip: If you purchase your membership online you’ll then go to the club to pick up your card. When you go be sure to bring both your license *and* your confirmation number. They won’t be able to pull up your membership to get you a card with your license alone if you go in the same day you purchase it. If you forget you can always log in to your email or your new Sam’s Club membership profile and get it there {we won’t discuss how I know that 😉 }

Once you’ve purchased your new membership just head on in to your local club and purchase any three participating Huggies® products to get rewarded with $45 in Instant Savings!

 

If you’ve ever thought about getting a Sam’s Club membership now is the perfect time to try! I learned more about Sam’s Club and how awesome it was through my in-laws during a visit years ago. They love the savings they get by buying things in bulk, and always have the business membership for themselves. Since that visit took place when Amber was a baby they stocked me up on diapers while we were there.

I was amazed at how much money you can save by purchasing diapers and wipes in bulk! Another cool thing about Sam’s Club is that they have some really handy services available. My favorites are Sam’s Club Pick-Up service and their Scan and Go option.

This trip we decided to try out their Scan and Go to avoid the after work lines. It’s really easy to use! You download the app on your phone for free and then just open it up! Log in using your Sam’s Club member profile information and you’re good to go! You scan the barcodes as you shop, then input your payment information. That checks you out then you just show your phone at the exit for them to scan and you’re good to go!

If you have a baby it’s a no-brainer to stock up and save. (Plus–you *don’t* want to have to make a diaper run when it’s nap time, trust me.)

Are you like me and no longer having to wake up 3 times a night? There’s still plenty of reasons to buy diapers and wipes in bulk! As I mentioned babies are all over, and with them come all those fun baby showers and visiting 2nd or 3rd (or even 9th) time moms to hold a sweet newborn! The gift I’ve found that is always the most appreciated by new moms is Huggies® Diapers and Huggies® Wipes!

Also, diapers and wipes are some of the most needed and most requested items for local community resources. Did you know that nearly all Pregnancy Resource Centers and Food Banks accept (and desperately need) diaper and wipe donations?! Do a little digging around to see where you can donate these needed items in your community!

At Heart of Hope when a new mom has her baby they visit her and bring her an amazing present–a brand new diaper bag fully loaded with diapers, wipes, and everything us veteran moms know she’ll need!

Today I’m sharing with you just How To Build The Perfect Diaper Bag Gift!

Here are the items to purchase and include:

  • An Adorable Diaper Bag — (the chevron and lil elephant made me squeal a little)
  • Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers –– what’s a diaper bag without the diapers?! I actually fill it with size one, instead of newborn. That way even if they have a big baby (like I always did) they’ll be able to use them all! Huggies is a brand that moms know and trust, and I used them exclusively with Tyler. These ones are so cute too. I adore Pooh Bear and I love the little “front and back” stamps–so helpful for brand new mommies running on NO sleep

  • Huggies® Natural Care Wipes — I like to always give sensitive wipes to new moms in case their babies have allergies! The Huggies® One and Done wipes are another great choice to include, and are especially amazing for moms with older babies!
  • Diaper Rash Cream — another “diaper bag MUST”
  • Adorable Outfit — Babies are messy! I recommend that new moms always keep a spare outfit in their diaper bag at all times for those “just in case” moments
  • Pacifiers — my kids loved their “pacis” and I think they’re wonderful! New moms usually need to try a few kinds to see which their baby will take a fancy to (if any). Mine always loved this type best, so I always gift them. I make sure to only give 2, though, just in case they’re not a hit. I couldn’t resist these cute ones with the cute sayings. If anyone needs to “Keep Calm and Carry On” it’s a mom with a newborn!
  • Pacifier clip — nothings more frustrating than continually replacing your pacifier supply because they’re falling out of your little one’s mouths or they’re *flinging* them wildly for fun. Paci Clips are genius and every mommy needs a few!
  • Light, comfy, sturdy blanket. — These can be used for everything from a blanket, to a play mat, to a diaper changing pad, to a nursing cover. Never underestimate the power of a good blanket!

Gifting these will give the mom in your life all the essentials that she’ll need and a good start on her stockpile! Did I forget anything? Leave a comment and let me know!

Don’t forget to stock up at Sam’s Club and take advantage of the special Huggies offer to save big!