Make a batch of waffles or if you are like me you already have some premade in your freezer. I crisp them in the toaster oven, cut them in quarters, add a scoop of ice cream and make a sandwich of them. Then, I drizzle some homemade chocolate syrup and add a dollop of COOL WHIP Whipped Topping.

Ingredients:

• Waffles
• Ice Cream
• Chocolate Syrup
• COOL WHIP

Assembly:

• Cut waffles in quarters.
• Add scoop of ice cream on top of one waffle portion.
• Add another waffle portion on top of ice cream to make a sandwich.
• Drizzle with chocolate syrup.
• Add a dollop (or two) of COOL WHIP whipped topping.

This is such a quick and easy dessert and it is perfect for those warm summer nights!

This is just one of the many ways I get creative with COOL WHIP, making every dessert more delicious. Share what your kids love about COOL WHIP and you’ll be entered to win $500 cash!

Visit the COOL WHIP Facebook page to see more recipes and to share your own COOL WHIP creations!

Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

She has been blogging for herself and contributor sites for a couple of years now. She has been wildly successful at marketing and affiliate campaigns and she works behind the scenes with some of the best and brightest talent in blog world today. And no I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about Sarah Mae. She is on my team too though.

Those qualities are what make her the person you should trust when it comes to details and plans for your blog.

She offers several services and packages.

Blog Critique

Scan blog for specific elements including

• social media buttons and placement
• subscriber placement/access
• page loading time
• overall blog design: header size, color scheme, background
• blog layout
• content layout
• sidebar content
• accessibility

Basic Blog Consultation

One-on-one examination of your blog content/traffic, your questions, and the following

• determine what road blocks you may be hitting
• formulate a plan to push through them
• help with goals and vision
• intro to monetization

Blog Consultation and Critique Package

Includes all the elements included in the blog critique and consultation:

You can visit her Services page for more details.

Giveaway

I am giving away 3 blog critiques and 2 blog consults.

I’m not going to make you jump through a bunch of hoops to enter, either.

All you have to do is leave a comment with your most pressing blogging question. But you must ask a blogging/blog question in order to be entered.

Winners will be chosen at random one week from today.

Don’t forget to visit Christin at Joyful Living Media! Right now she’s doing a series on how to get sponsored by a company for a conference, such as Allume Social.

You can find Joyful Living Media on Facebook and Christin tweeting on Twitter: @christinwrites

…

As I thumbed through a copy of A Complaint-Free World five years ago, I considered myself the most optimistic, positive, encouraging (and obviously humble) person I knew.

In fact, I joked to my husband that we needed to buy two (maybe three) dozen copies to give the long list of negative people in my life who drag me down with their never-ending complaints, criticism, and gossip.

Than I read a little farther. And the author had the nerve to suggest that of all the negative people in my life, I might be the worst of the worst

That. Made. Me. Mad.

So I decided to take the author’s Complaint-Free challenge: 21 days with no complaining. Just to prove how wrong he was, I even ordered his silly little purple bracelet.

The instructions were simple: I was to start each day with the bracelet on my left wrist. As soon as I caught myself complaining, criticizing, or gossiping, I was to move the bracelet to the other wrist.

For accountability, I told my students what I was doing.

Big mistake.

Did my students ever warm up to the “challenge.” In the first class, my bracelet switched arms five times in just three minutes!

The shocker was that each time took me totally by surprise. I wasn’t even thinking critical thoughts, when suddenly, “Mrs. G? Is that complaining I hear?”

I soon discovered that my optimistic self-image resembled reality the way a chick flick resembles marriage: hardly at all.

Sound Familiar?

Maybe you’ve experienced some of the same warning signs I have. See if you identify with any of the following statements:

___ “My life would be much easier without the negative people who drag me down.

___ “I speak Sarcasm fluently.”

___ “When I see a type-o on a sign, I have to point it out to someone.”

___ “I’m surrounded by difficult people at work and/or at home.”

___ “It’s not really gossip; everything we say about her is true.”

___ “There’s an impossible person in my life who will never change.”

___ “I struggle with anxiety, fear, and/or depression.”

___ “Negative things people have said keep popping back into my mind.”

If two or more sound familiar, you’re invited to take The PURSE-onality Challenge!

What is The PURSE-onality Challenge?

Quite literally, it’s 31 days of replacing “baditude” with God’s word and gratitude, May 1-31 (with a warm-up week starting April 22.)

I’ve tried the Complaint-Free challenge many times in the last five years. But just trying to stop old bad habits was never enough; I needed to start new ones to replace the old.

So for one month, we’ll be focusing on four positive habits: spotlighting Personality strengths, eliminating complaints, journaling gratitude, and memorizing scripture.

Take The PURSE-onality Challenge if…

• …you feel convicted to change your thoughts and words.
• …you’re at your wit’s end with a particular relationship.
• …you desire more hope, joy, and peace in your life.

Check out our website to sign up!

You’ll also find three free audio messages:

Let’s Get PURSE-onal!

Personality Puzzle for Parents of Preschoolers

and

Healthy Marriages Major in History (NOT Math!)

plus a free e-Book: Top 10 Priceless Gifts that Don’t Cost a Dime for Each PURSE-onality!

 Giveaway

Enter to win a free copy of The PURSE-onality Challenge journal and a set of 31 laminated Bible verse cards!

Mandatory: Leave a comment telling what changes you’d most want to see in your life from taking The PURSE-onality Challenge! That’s it! We require no hoop jumping to enter giveaways.

Cheri Gregory has been married to her pastor/teacher/musician college sweetheart, Daniel, for 23 years. The Gregorys are enjoying their newly “empty nest,” now that Jonathon (19) has joined Annemarie (21) at college. Cheri is a high school English teacher and Christian speaker/author. Connect with her via Facebook, cheri@cherigregory.com, and www.CheriGregory.com.

 

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored guest post.

We used to go to a famous fast food (11 herbs and spices) chicken restaurant where they served a lemon parfait in a cup. I loved it so much that grandma would make it for us at home. I enjoyed her version so much more. To this day when I hear a spoon clank on the side of a jar I think of those days and smile.

It makes me happy to share those same moments with my kids. One of our favorites is Lemon Creme Pudding.

Here is grandma’s recipe:

• 2 lg eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder(or cornstarch)
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup butter (not margarine)
• COOL WHIP whipped topping
• a couple of handfuls of Vanilla Wafers, crushed
• small Mason Jars

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.
2. In a medium sauce pan mix sugar, arrowroot powder, and flour. Stir in buttermilk and place pot on burner. Turn heat on medium and gently stir until it is simmering (about 12-15 minutes). Remove from heat.
3. About a quarter cup at a time, whisk some of the buttermilk mixture into the eggs. Don’t add too much at once or you will have scrambled eggs. Once the eggs and some of the buttermilk mixture are completely mixed add it all back to the pan with the rest of the buttermilk mixture.
4. Add the lemon peel, lemon juice, and butter.
5. Stir gently until a thick coating forms on the spoon. This takes about 5-7 minutes.
6. Spoon the pudding into a glass bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
7. Crush the vanilla wafers to a crumble and put a layer inside each jar.
8. Spoon in a tablespoon of pudding.
9. Add another layer of crumbs.
10. Spoon in another tablespoon of pudding.
11. Add a dollop of COOL WHIP whipped topping.
12. Sprinkle with some lemon zest.
13. Enjoy!

Do you have any favorite desserts from your childhood? Do you still enjoy them today? Reply below for a chance to win a KitchenAid mixer from COOL WHIP to create even more wonderful desserts!

Visit the COOL WHIP Facebook page to see more recipes and to share your own COOL WHIP creations!

Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Once I pulled out all of my craft supplies I realized that I had so many things that I was overwhelmed. I’ve learned that the key to true creativity is simplicity. I have donated more than 3/4 of my craft supplies to local schools, churches and outreach charities. Since then I have not stopped creating. I have room to create and I am not limited by the things that were surrounding me. Now I only shop for things at the craft store that I have a purpose for.

I’ve really started to enjoy the process of repurposing things. Lately, some of the things I’ve added to my repertoire are: repurposed shower curtains, bumper pads from infant crib sets, lamps (with rope), plates from the thrift store, trees made from the pages of books, laundry sorter, pickle jars and pillow cases. One of my favorite bouts of creativity was in how to display kid’s artwork.

From scratch ideas are fun too. My lil sis-in-law came up with this idea for a no knit, no crochet scarf. I love it and apparently so do many people on Pinterest.

Some of my favorite things involved nothing more than cardstock and glue: rolled paper flowers, professional altered composition notebook, and paper piecing for scrapbooking. These types of crafts are even easy to take with you.

You want to know how to be creative? The best ways to simplify creativity and really get those ideas going are:

1. Don’t have so many craft supplies that you are overwhelmed. Instead of increasing creativity, for some this can hinder it.
2. Look for inspiration everywhere, not just the craft store. My best creations come from wanting to take a technique or color scheme and use it somewhere else.
3. Keep a creativity notebook. This may seem silly but it is one of my most effective tools. When I get an idea I write it down. If I don’t I might forget it. Over time I can hone the idea or create it. This does not hinder creativity because I’m simply recording something I’ve already been inspired to do.
4. Start with a clean slate. Keep things somewhat tidy. Not many people can sit down in the midst of a mess and create.
5. Designate a time to manifest your creative ideas. Most of us never take time for ourselves. By designating time you can prepare ahead to keep the family occupied and you can enjoy creating without guilt!

Check out the rest of the post in my simplify series:

• Simplify Your Cleaning
• Simplify Your Cooking
• Simplify Your Time
• Simplify Your Creativity
• Simplify Your Blogging
• Simplify Your Relationships
• Simplify Your Finances

The Couponizer booklet – measures 8″ tall, 6″ wide, 1″ deep (before coupons), 18 pockets for grocery coupons, 6 pockets for other coupons such as Restaurants, Retail, Rewards, 2 shopping pockets (Coupons to be used this shopping trip & Checkout), 3 loyalty card card sleeves, metal spiral bind, elastic closure strap, durable plastic covers.

• 1 Shopping List pad – 20 tear off sheets/cardboard backing
• 1 CoupTracker pad – 15 tear off sheets/cardboard backing for record spending and savings by store
• 1 CoupStacker – pre-sorting mat used to organize coupons according to pocket when clipping
• 1 Carrying Bag – clear zippered vinyl bag
• 1 pair of scissors

Right now and through Mother’s Day with every Couponizer purchased, you’ll receive a $25 Restaurant.com Gift Card! This is a fabulous deal!

Giveaway {Closed}

Friday, April 20th was my birthday. The older I get the more simplified I want my life to be. I believe in some way we all want to simplify things. I’ve decided to celebrate my birthday week by hosting giveaways (from Oreck, TrueLemon, eBook Bundles, Couponizer, Thrity-One Gifts, and many more) and sharing some posts on simplifying life. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe because over the next week we’ll discuss:

• Simplify Your Cleaning
• Simplify Your Cooking
• Simplify Your Time
• Simplify Your Creativity
• Simplify Your Blogging
• Simplify Your Relationships
• Simplify Your Finances

In order to enter all you have to do is answer the following question in the comments: Do you have any secrets to saving money? If so, what are they? That’s all. Really. No hoops to jump through. However, I would be honored if you would subscribe to my free blog posts, like my page on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter. The giveaway will end on April 27th at midnight CST.

By the way, be sure to enter the Oreck AirInstinct giveaway.

Couponizer provided by the company for a giveaway.

Today, I want to ask you if you would like to be a part of something I am putting together. A while back I did a series called 17 Days of Natural Cleaning. It was well received. So well received in fact that I decided to put them all into an ebook, but it won’t just be recipes. I am going deep into how to naturally clean, maintain, and enjoy your home. I’m going to include 75% new and unpublished material. I don’t plan on leaving any stone unturned with this one. It will be a complete guidebook for natural cleaning. My tentative launch date is July 4th.

I am looking for adventurous homemakers to help me test my recipes, systems, and theories. I have a very talented and highly educated Environmental Engineer helping me with the scientific specifics, however I still would like a test group. I need women who are interested in trying and testing new things and who can give an objective and unemotional opinion about the process and results: homemakers, chemistry fans, natural living enthusiasts, and others who are interested are welcome. We will simply chat via a private Facebook group and I’ll lay out all assignments there. All will be voluntary. Those who contribute to the overall results of the book will be given credit and free eBooks to keep and share.

Besides, I think we’ll have a lot of fun! If you would like to participate simply friend me on Facebook and send me a private message saying you’d like to be a member of the group. I will then add you.

Here is what we have up for giveaways today! {CLOSED}

Bundle 1

1. Do It Now
   When you see that something needs to be done do it. If you are currently working on another project that requires completion then write the other task down on your daily to do list. Don’t let yourself get sidetracked. As soon as you are finished with the other task you can begin on other tasks. I had to learn how to stop procrastinating.
2. Piles are Simply Unmade Decisions
   If you are a piler like me (everything from papers and DVDs goes into a pile), then this is for you. The reason you have a pile is because you haven’t make a decision about what to do with that item. The way to prevent piles is to not put off making decisions. Write that date on your calendar now and toss the flier. Decide now whether or not your child will attend that camp. Call that ministry now to find out how you can help. Decide now to put those new scrapbook elements away. Refer to #1 Do it now!
3. Minimize Your Home
   While preparing to sell our home I began the task of sorting through things we had to have and things we could store away. All of the how-to guides I’ve read on home selling state that you have to remove most of your belongings to make your home appealing to buyers. What I discovered through the process of simplifying our home is that I prefer things this way. It is strange that the more appealing I made our home for potential buyers the more appealing it was to us. Some things simply aren’t needed. It is okay to have some things you want but when you dedicate entire rooms and cabinets to stuff you simply wanted then that could be too much. Simplifying is liberating. When you have less stuff then you have less to manage and care for.
4. Set Up a Command Central
   What is a command central you ask? It is a central location that houses most all necessary items and information for a particular task or event. We have a household binder that serves as our command central for all things related to paperwork, medical documents, and calendars. An organizing caddy stores all of my natural cleaners with supplies and I also have an organizing tote that keeps all of my bible study/prayer materials in one location. My favorite though is my travel tote. In it I keep my personal planner, office supplies, iPod, Kindle, headphones, notebook, and many other things that I can just grab and go when the need arises.

This is a guest giveaway by Eleisha of Thirty-One.

Through the month of April when you spend $31 you can buy a purse for half off. For every one that orders you will be entered into a drawing for a $100 shopping spree with me!

Giveaway CLOSED: Black Happy Dot Organizing Utility Tote

This is great for organizing cleaning products, to use as a diaper bag or a mobile office. It has 8 pockets!

This is the design of the bag that the winner will receive.

This Friday, April 20th is my birthday. The older I get the more simplified I want my life to be. I believe in some way we all want to simplify things. I’ve decided to celebrate my birthday week by hosting giveaways (from Oreck, TrueLemon, Lodge, Couponizer, Thrity-One Gifts, and many more) and sharing some posts on simplifying life. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe because over the next week we’ll discuss:

• Simplify Your Cleaning
• Simplify Your Cooking
• Simplify Your Time
• Simplify Your Creativity
• Simplify Your Blogging
• Simplify Your Relationships
• Simplify Your Finances

In order to enter all you have to do is answer the following question in the comments: what is your nemesis when it comes to time management? That’s all. Really. No hoops to jump through. However, I would be honored if you would subscribe to my free blog posts, like my page on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter. The giveaway will end on April 23rd at midnight CST.

By the way, be sure to enter the Oreck AirInstinct giveaway and take advantage of this deal from Simplify Your Life.

Previously-Prepped Meals

Having most of the components of a meal already prepped and ready means all I have to do is thaw and combine them to cook together. Look at any recipe. Prepping is what takes up the majority of the time. By doing the prep work ahead of time you cut that time out of the recipe. I even have my own spice mix recipes. My favorite is the taco/fajita seasoning mix!

For desserts I have a vanilla bean extract recipe and a vanilla sugar recipe. If you want to be nostalgic you can try my frozen Dixie cups recipe or these other delicious dessert recipes.

Something else I do for my family is seal up leftovers so that we have homemade freezer dinners made from good, wholesome food.

Fast and Easy

Breakfasts are an every day family meal in our house. I don’t like waking up at 5 am, not in the least. To make things better I prep ahead with our bacon, pancakes and waffles. I even make biscuits and muffins in large batches and freeze them. They actually freeze very well.

In order to have fast and easy food for the kids I prepare snacks ahead of time and this idea for fast food that comes from home got me featured in Woman’s Day.

Continue Your Education

One thing I have always been a fan of is learning. I carry that over to my homemaking. If you’d like to learn a few new things let’s start with how to grill and how to tell when a steak is done. Those are two of my more popular posts.

You can also check out my step-by-step directions for making sun-dried tomato pesto cream sauce with grilled chicken recipe and Cajun shrimp scampi. They are simple and quick.

And now for another giveaway!

True Lemon Giveaway Bundle Includes {CLOSED}

• A True Lemon T-Shirt
• A True Lemon Branded Water Bottle
• A box each of True Lemon, True Lime, & True Orange for Cooking, Baking & Beverages (32 packets/box)
• A box each of True Lemon, True Orange, True Original Lemonade, & True Raspberry Lemonade for Your Water (10 stick packets/box)
• A box of True Grapefruit for Your Water (32 packets/box)
• A True Lemon & True Lime Shaker for Cooking, Baking & Seasoning (2.85oz/shaker)

This Friday, April 20th is my birthday. The older I get the more simplified I want my life to be. I believe in some way we all want to simplify things. I’ve decided to celebrate my birthday week by hosting giveaways (from Oreck, TrueLemon, Lodge, Couponizer, Thrity-One Gifts, and many more) and sharing some posts on simplifying life. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe because over the next week we’ll discuss:

• Simplify Your Cleaning
• Simplify Your Cooking
• Simplify Your Time
• Simplify Your Creativity
• Simplify Your Blogging
• Simplify Your Relationships
• Simplify Your Finances

In order to enter all you have to do is answer the following question in the comments: what is your number one issue with cooking? That’s all. Really. However, I would be honored if you would subscribe to my free blog posts, like my page on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter. The giveaway will end on April 23rd at midnight CST.

By the way, be sure to enter the Oreck AirInstinct giveaway and take advantage of this deal from Simplify Your Life.

The Oreck AirInstinct 200 is an air purifier that you can just “turn on and walk away.” It has unique features that allows the air passing through to automatically adjust the airflow speed. If your air needs lots of purifying then it automatically sets itself on a higher speed. As the air is purified the speed decreases. Another nifty feature is that the light illuminates in different colors depending on the speed.

It stands just over two feet tall and is approximately a foot wide. It purifies rooms up to 248 sq. ft. and is Energy Star qualified. It has built in child safety features, which is always a bonus for moms!

Speaking of being a mom, if you have boys –especially teenage boys — then you know the smells that fill their bedrooms. I am happy to report that the Oreck AirInstinct 200 removes boy smells! I tend to move it from room to room everyday so that I can purify the air in each room.

I especially like being able to put this in the bathroom that is located in the center of our home. That bathroom has no ventilation system and no windows. With the Oreck AirInstinct 200 I can rest assured knowing I’ve done my best to purify the air in that room.

I also like the fact that it has several filters and they last up to 3 years. That is a huge money saver right there. And let’s talk about the sound…there isn’t much of it. What sound that is coming from the air purifier is soothing. My ceiling fan makes more noise.

AirInstinct 200 has five amazing features that set it apart:

It’s powerful and efficient. The most powerful air purifier Oreck has ever offered, and it is ENERGY STAR® qualified.
It’s smart. It actually monitors the dust, pollen and smoke in the air passing through the sensor with its APS^™ (Automatic Particulate Sensor) technology. Based on what the APS detects, it turns the air purifier from low to medium to high (automatically, so you don’t wonder what setting to use), and pulls more air in through its fan.* The four-color lighting system tells you that it’s working, pushing cleaner air back into the room.
It cleans. Its three-stage PATH system reduces odors and captures 99.97% of the particles (as small as .3 microns) from the air that pass through its filters.
It’s whisper quiet on low setting or can provide white noise, depending on the setting.
It’s built to last. Oreck backs the AirInstinct 200 with an amazing 5-year limited warranty.

Mandatory Entry {must do to be entered}: Visit Oreck.com and tell me one thing you learned about the AirInstinct 200.

For additional entries: (be sure to leave one comment for each thing you do)

• Follow @oreck on Twitter.
• Tell me in the comments whether you “Like” Oreck on Facebook.
• Sign up for Oreck’s email list by clicking on “Sign up for Email” in the top navigation bar and entering your email address.
• Tweet about the giveaway:

@amygbayliss is giving away an @Oreck AirInstinct 2000 Air Purifier on her blog! http://tinyurl.com/7qpy76z

Fine Print:

·         The giveaway winner must be a resident of the U.S. 48 contiguous states. Giveaway ends April 23rd, 2012 at midnight CST.

Oreck Spring Cleaning Sweepstakes:

Visit the Oreck Spring Cleaning Sweepstakes and enter to win $10,000! Visit The Gypsy Mama and My Home Sweet Home for more Oreck giveaways.

I received this product to review in exchange for my honest opinion. Oreck Corporation provided the prize for the sweepstakes but is not the sponsor of the sweepstakes. The winner will have to provide a snail mail address so that the product can be shipped to them. Facebook has nothing at all to do with this giveaway and you are not required to do anything on Facebook’s platform to enter.