Spoonful of Chocolate Sistah

Famous Footwear Back-to-School BOGO Shoes

2012-08-07T19:32:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Famous Footwear. All opinions are 100% mine.

Clothes and shoes are the type priority amoungst kids when it comes to back to school shopping. The lastest fashions and styles can sometimes put a hole in the parents wallet while trying to keep up with the trends. Famous Footwear can help you out with over hundreds of name brand shoes and thousands of styles to choose from.

To get the most out of shoe shopping for your kids, Famous Footwear is offering BOGO + 15% off Famous Footwear Coupon to their already affordable prices, so you will be able to save more when you purchase. Famous Footwear knows that customers like to find their shoes quickly without frustration and guarantees that you will also be able to buy 3 pairs of shoes within 20 minutes. Fast, right? If you are not able to find a pair of shoes that you like in the store, they will be able ot get it for you through home delivery or you may visit their website www.famous.com and you pair of shoes can be shipped to your favorite store with no charge.

Another great way to save more money on Famous Footwear shoes is joining their rewards program. If you sign up or if you are already a Rewards member, you will receive 20% off the purchase of your shoes. Through their rewards program, you will also be able to:

• Earn 1 point for every $1 you spend in-store or online
• Accumulate points to earn certificates up to $100 a year
• Discount offer just for signing up
• Other special inside discounts and perk

What more could you ask for in great savings? The BOGO + 15% off Famous Footwear offer will be available between 8/2-8/18, so grab your pair of shoes soon!

Get Your Morning Started on the Right Track

2012-06-07T01:09:00.001-04:00

This post brought to you by Quaker Oats. All opinions are 100% mine.

During the hectic mornings of getting the kids ready for school, I sometimes will not be able to sit down and enjoy a breakfast myself. Usually, when I have to do errands after dropping the kids off at school, I may not get a bite to eat until close to lunch time and by then I've gotten really hungry.

With the new Quaker Soft Baked Bar by Quaker Oats, those famish mornings would be gone for me. The Quaker Soft Baked Bar would make a great breakfast snack to take on the go which include wholesome food which would give me the right amount of fuel and nutrient for the morning, plus a great taste of real fruit and nuts. Each bar is packed with

140 calories
5g of Fiber
6g of Protein
Excellent source of 5 B-Vitamins

My kids would definitely enjoy having these as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack that would tie them over until lunch or dinner time. Since the bars are nutritious, I don't have to worry about eating something unhealthy and have them hungry again in a shorter period of time. It would also be a great thing in the morning when my kids may not want a big breakfast. The Quaker Soft Baked Bars also come in two delicious flavors:

Banana Nut Bread with real bananas and almonds

and Cinnamon Pecan Bread with raisins, peacns and sweet swirls of cinnamon.

I think the Banana Nut Bread bar would be my most favorite as I love banana nut bread. These would definitely be a staple in my cupboards to grab on the most hectic of mornings.

My Jewelry Box White and Blue Diamond Earrings Giveaway

2012-04-30T00:01:00.000-04:00

Coupontrade.com and My Jewelry Box are offering an AMAZING giveaway for Mothers Day! Mom is a girl, so who is her best friend? That's right, DIAMONDS! CouponTrade.com is your new source for discount gift cards and NAME brand coupon codes. Now you can combine these discounts in ONE place to save more than ever before!

For the most exquisite and wide selection of jewelry gifts this Mother's Day, MyJewelryBox.com is your number one of all jewelry stores that guarantees the best in quality, service at the most competitive prices. A Style for Any Taste; A Price for Any Budget; The Perfect Gift for Mom's Everywhere! Save 20%!
This stunning pair of 1/2 carat (ctw) diamond earrings boasts the luster of over five dozen round, brilliant cut blue and white stones and is delicately crafted from 10 karat polished white gold. Fourteen luminous blue diamonds glimmer alluringly among a bed of fifty-two pristine white diamonds.

Make this Mothers Day like NONE other- Entry is simple! Just fill out the Rafflecopter Form Below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bogger Sign-ups Event: 1K 1.5ct Blue Diamond Earring GIVEAWAY

2012-04-25T16:07:00.003-04:00

Bloggers, this will be an awesome chance to give your readers a great prize. A beautiful set of earrings that are worth $1,000. What is even more awesome is that you will automatically get a free entry in the giveaway too.

Sign-up Here where Cute-Ecakes has the form.

The giveaway will start really soon, so be quick in signing up.

Top 10 Things I Miss About Being Alone

2012-04-25T09:07:00.000-04:00

Yes, I love being around my kids as any parent does when they are not tattling, not listening, just plain bouncing off the walls. And yes, hubby and I are amicable at times, but that doesn't mean that I don't think about the times when it was just me and I didn't have to worry too much on anyone else but myself. Here is my top 10 things that I miss about being alone and not in any particular order.

1. Going to the bathroom without hearing Mama, I have to go pee too. (see attention children bathroom post here)

2. Reading a book without disruption ~ I used to read books all the time within a couple of days if it was really good. Now I don't get to read a book at all unless it's story time for the kids.

3. My own space ~ how does everyone have their own personal space/room except for me. I need a special room like Clair Huxtable had.

4. TV time ~ being able to watch whatever show/channel I want to. Kid TV shows have taken over my house until late night when I'm too sleepy at times to really watch TV.

5. Sleeping late on the weekends

6. Leaving out of the house spontaneously or meeting up with friends on the fly.

7. Listening to the type of music I like without worry about the kids repeating the lyrics. 90s music is my speed, but still some lyrics can be inappropriate for young ears.

8. Knowing my good desserts won't be eaten except by me ~ my sweets keeps disappearing if I don't hide them.

9. Not worrying about cooking ~ I can munch on cereal all day if I wanted.

10. Being able to rest when I'm sick ~ it's rare when I get sick, but I want to my time to be miserable and cared for too.

What are things that you miss about being alone?

Dead Musical Artists Performing As Holograms: Is This The Next Big Thing?

2012-04-23T08:54:00.000-04:00

Recently there was a show Coachella 2012 that had the rap artist/actor Tupac perform with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. Not a problem, right? Well to those that are not familiar with Tupac, he died back in 1996. The audience at the show saw the rapper in a hologram form, rapping and two of his songs "Hail Mary" and "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted". There were many of Tupac's fans that felt differently of whether it was cool to watch or just creepy.

Here is the performance of the hologram of Tupac performing. The lyrics do contain strong lyrics, so if you have little ears around, you may want to view it at another time.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;now&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Now there is talk that the Jackson brothers wants to go on tour again and have their brother, Michael, with them performing as a hologram. I'm sure ticket sales would go through the roof from fans of Michael Jackson just to see him perform again.

Would you pay money to go watch a hologram of a musical artist who is no longer living perform? If so, who would it be?

Free Blogger Event: Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Event, Taking Sign-ups

2012-04-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

The Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Event is a free blogger event. You will receive one link at no cost as a thank you for participating in this event.

Prize: Bright Starts Sunnyside Safari Collection including the Chair Top High Chair, Plug in Sway & Swing, Portable Swing, Playard, and Saucer!

Open to: US only

The event dates: May 7 at 12:01 am to May 28 11:59pm

Blogger Note – (Canadian bloggers may participate in this event if you have a large number of US readers/traffic)

Link options are: GFC, Email, RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Vote (as long as it is a no signup or like required, example picket fence). G+ is not allowed as it is against google rules.

What is required to join?

Post about the event with the button above linking back to this post. Easy copy paste text below along with the button.

Bright Starts, Mom to Bed by 8 and Iowa-Mom is excited to present the Baby Shower Event from May 7^th to May 28^th. This is a free blogger event and accepting signups now.

Join the Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Giveaway event today, grow your readership and offer one amazing baby shower gifts giveaway!

If you do not wish to post the announcement, send the $5 via paypal to goodnightmommyboutique@gmail.com with your email address and Baby Shower April Event in subject line or notes portion of the form.
Once you have posted your announcement or sent the paypal payment, fill out this form with your information!
You will receive an email from me with 72 hours, confirming your participation. If you do not, please email teri@momtobedby8.com and she will check into it for you.
Then on or around May 4^th you will receive another email with the html code for publishing the giveaway. Note it is required that you publish the giveaway html in full to be included in this event. The links will be verified on May 7^th around 10am central and if you have not done so, your link on the rafflecopter will be removed. This keeps this event fair for all who joins.

****Please tell them that Nicoyle from Spoonful of Chocolate Sistah sent you.****

My Mother's Day Wish

2012-04-21T14:19:00.000-04:00

So Mother's Day is approaching. There isn't anything special that is done for the celebrated day here. I'll get a Happy Mother's Day from the kids along with a homemade gift/card that they may have made either at school or on the day. Usually hubby will be at church and me and the kids chill here at home. Dinner is usually cooked by me, as any other day, and then that's about it. See, nothing special.

One year I did have a relaxing Mother's Day when I was pregnant with my son, pretty much I treated myself, and I really enjoyed it. What I did was go to a spa and reserved a room at a hotel and made a day just for me. That was my first time at a spa and of course I was kind of anxious of what it would be like. I went to Balance Day Spa which wasn't far from where I lived and the people that worked there was so friendly. If I could have that for this Mother's Day, I think I would be one happy mama. This is what I would request again...

The massage that I received felt so good. I think I had a 30 minute session and the lady that I had was so good, I think I fell asleep, that's how relaxed was.

Photo Credit: D Sharon Pruitt

I would always do my nails and just did a basic nail polish, so a professional manicure was a first too. I chuckled when it was time for me to dip my fingers in whatever solution that is used after she shaped my nails and did my cuticles. I never really thought that was an actual thing that is done besides seeing it in a movie or TV show. The manicurist did a great job and I liked the color. I think I chose a light purple color.

When it was time for my pedicure, I was brought to another room to sit in a comfy chair while the same manicurist got the small tub of water going so that I ca place my feet in it (no fish pedicures here) and she went to gather her tools. I played around with the chair remote because there were different settings for it to massage your back, but it didn't feel comfortable to me, so I just stuck to reading a few magazines for the rest of the time while she did my feet. Now I'm one that don't like people to touch my feet, but that was one thing I had to get over pretty quickly. The foot massage felt really nice and I had the same color put on my toe nails.

My pregnant self walked out of there feeling refreshed and beautified..lol. After that I went to my hotel room and had a nap. Talk about missing having a bed to myself and being able to lay in a comfortable position. I wish I was able to afford a night at a better hotel, maybe something like this

So that would be something I would like to do again for a Mother's Day wish. What would be your wish for Mother's Day?

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Basic Air Gun Information

2012-04-21T00:30:00.000-04:00

If one is interested in getting into the sport of using air guns, one must first know the basic information.

What is an air gun?

Air guns are considered to be the same as a firearm. As with any type of firearm, one must go through the procedures to require one. There is a minimum age requirement of at least 18 years old to purchase one. Depending on how powerful the air gun is will determine the type of regulations that may be placed on it. If firearms are prohibited in a certain country, then air guns are completely banned for purchasing or having possession of one.

What is an air gun used for?

Most people associate using an air gun for hunting, competitive sports or paint balling. For hunters, they are able to use air guns for small game animals such as rabbits or squirrels. Those who are into competitive sporting can use air guns from different tournaments such as intraclub matches or in Olympics. Paint balling is also another type of competitive sport in which teams use colored paint ball pellets to shoot their opponents.

Safety with an air gun

As with any firearm, there should always be safety while using them and also while being around them. A few basic safety rules follows:

Where ear and eye protection.
Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
When the gun is not in use, it should be unloaded.
Fingers should be off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

When children that are younger than 18 years old, they should always be supervised by an adult. The National Rifle Association (NRA) will have more detailed information about air guns and safety.

The Twin Baby Bug Did Not Bite Me

2012-04-20T15:47:00.000-04:00

Twins run on my side of the family. I'm not sure how far back, but I was skipped of having twins myself. My maternal grandma is an identical twin, my mom had fraternal twins (my younger brothers) and my paternal grandma had a set of twins who unfortunately didn't survive for more than a week I think.

When I was younger and learned about the birds and bees, I was already ~~scared~~ aware that one kid could come out of a such a small area, but two?? Come on... Let's just say, that was my abstinence solution throughout high school. It was also funny that my friends were a set of identical twins, so for some reason I just knew that I was destined to have a set of twins.

When I became pregnant with my kids, I secretly hoped that I wasn't going to have twins. I hope that doesn't sound bad though. For those who had twins, including my mom, I applaud you for having to take care of two infants at the same time. I know that if I did have twins I would have no choice, but just the thought got to me. Now since that I was skipped of the twin bug, I wonder if one of my girls will have twins when they are ready to have a family of their own.

While I'm on the subject of twins, there is a company, Baby Stuff Gifts, that specializes in personalized baby gifts and they are offering a FREE Pastel Pancake Crinkle bear with any purchase made. Great gifts for anyone who is having one baby or multiples.

Deluxe Twin Baby Basket

Easy Sloppy Joe Biscuit Rounds Recipe

2012-04-20T09:22:00.000-04:00

I made this last night and they were really good. I ate three of these suckers and they filled me up. Plus it wasn't as messy as a regular sloppy joe sandwich. I saw the recipe from Pillsbury, but made a more simple version.

Ingredients:
1 lb of ground beef or turkey
1 can (15.5oz) sloppy joe mix
1 can of buttermilk biscuits (the one with 8 in them)
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon of water
1 pkg (8oz) of mozzarella cheese

Cook the ground beef or turkey until it is thoroughly cooked. Mix in the can of sloppy joe and let it simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Place the biscuits on either a non stick cookie sheet or spray it with some cooking spray. Flatten each biscuit with your hand and round the edges up enough so that it will hold the sloppy joe mix. Mix the egg yolk with the 1/4 teaspoon of water and spread it around inside and outside of the biscuit. Spoon some of the sloppy joe mix in each of the biscuits and sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown and the cheese has melted.

My Kids Are Vaccinated....And?

2012-04-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

National Infant Immunization Awareness (NIIA) is coming up in a couple of days, April 21st, and will last for an entire week. I know that there are debates, controversies of parents who choose to vaccinate or not vaccinate their children, but I hope that either way this awareness about immunization will give enough information that both sides can take in, however new or not.

All of my kids have been vaccinated since they were born, within the months and years that they were suppose to receive them or as close to as I possibly was able to per what the doctor or nurse had told me. I have read the little flyers that the nurse would give you before the either one of the kids would have their shots and knew what the basic side effects would be from them. Like soreness or a slight fever depending on what vaccination was given at the time. I never thought in my mind that these required vaccinations would be any harm to any of my kids. Myself (when I ws pregnant with my second daughter) and my son (had only one dose) have had a flu vaccination, but that is because I sunk down to that "I may be a bad mom, if I don't do this..." type of thinking when a nurse was talking to me about it. However, my son and I have not had any flu vaccinations since and when asked, I do not consider having them done.

I will continue on giving my kids the vaccinations that are required on the little card you get from the hospital until it says they are completely done with them. From what I understand, the vaccinations are suppose to help prevent certain disease or outbreaks. However, with the new vaccinations that seem to come out every year, for example the HPV one, they will not receive. I feel like there is no reason for a lot of them that the nurse say, or what I read, that are needed. Now I must say that I am not that well educated on vaccinations as others may be, but I am willing to learn. I know that there are people that take one side or the other on this subject matter. I know that some children may have a harmful reaction when they receive certain vaccinations and I know that everyone should do their research of what their child is receiving as with any other type of medicine. Honestly, regardless how someone feels on the subject, it is the parent's choice of whether to vaccinate their child or not. There shouldn't be a gigantic controversy of who is the most right or wrong. It should be what is best for your child and don't worry about what others say.

Just my two cents. Like I said, I'm willing to learn about vaccinations a little more than what the doctor tell me, but what are your thoughts on this whole back and forth thing on this?

Image: Sura Nualpradid / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Right Parking Section, Wrong Car

2012-04-18T12:39:00.000-04:00

I'm usually good in keeping up with where I park at when I'm at the mall, grocery store or where ever. Most places that I go to all the time, I try to park in the same area that way I know which direction to go to when I leave. A week or so ago, that wasn't the case. I think this was the time the kids were out during Spring break.

The kids and I went to Wal-mart to get a few a few things to do for crafts and we weren't in there for long. So when we came out, I knew where I parked at and the actually row and all I had to do was load the kids and stuff into the car and pull out of the parking space. So we came up to a car, same make, model, color and I began to put the key in the lock to unlock the door. Just before doing so, something just said look closely inside.

My only thought was after looking inside was where is my Hello Kitty seat and steering wheel covers? Then I'm like, I don't have a dent on my roof. I told the kids to wait, don't touch the car as if they were going to get zapped if the put one finger on it. But who knows these days with people and their cars. So I told the kids, let's go because this wasn't mama's car. Well of course, when I told them that, they were all loud with, That's not your car?, Where's your car mama? Oooh, were were going to get in someone else's caaarrr. I just kept the kids moving as we get those side looks from others trying to see what is going on.

We get to our car which was about four car spaces or so further down in which my son says, There's kitty mama.. lol.

My dad had an incident like this when I was younger where he literally was able to unlock the truck and get in before he realized it wasn't his. Have you ever been close in getting into someone else's car by using your own car key? What was your reaction?

UPrinting Giveaway Ends 4/25

2012-04-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Enter to win custom stickers from UPrinting. Giveaway starts from April 18 through April 25.

Prize Information:
250 pcs. stickers for one (1) winner
2" x 3.5"
70lb Label Matte
Front Only Printing
4 Business Days Turnaround
*Free shipping

Restrictions:

1. This giveaway is open to US residents only, 18 years old and above.
2. No prize substitutions allowed.
3. Winner are allowed to win once over a six-month period.
4. Only email addresses used for the giveaway will be eligible to claim the prize.

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*Disclaimer: "You should assume that I will receive free print products in exchange for the post. Any and all reviews posted are based solely on my own experience and may be atypical. Please practice due diligence in making any related purchase decisions. Interested to hold a giveaway like this? Please sign up here."

Brides Going to the Extreme: Losing Weight With a Feeding Tube

2012-04-16T09:48:00.000-04:00

Image: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Whatever happened to just plain diet and exercise before the big day? Some brides-to-be are all for this new method of losing weight. It's called the K-E Diet which is suppose to help you loose 20 pounds in 10 days. Those who want to do this method will have a feeding tube through their nose to their stomach and will be fed with protein and fat in a slow drip. The tube will be left in for about 8 to 10 days and is said that it will remove your hunger. You wouldn't be in the hospital throughout this time, you would carry the mixed solution in a a bag similar to a purse. Click here for more of the story.

I understand that women want to look good for their wedding day, but really... why do they put themselves to something extreme like this. I don't remember myself thinking that I need to make sure I keep myself the same size so that I will make sure I fit my dress. I was stressed out more of future in laws thinking that they can tell me how to do my wedding.

Do you think this is very extreme for anyone to lose weight in a few days?

Sadie Kicks Butt Giveaway end 4/23

2012-04-16T07:39:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Sadie Kicks Butt giveaway! My fellow blogger Sadie from Slap Dash Mom recently issued herself a pretty big challenge – bike 100 miles before her birthday or give away all her birthday presents. That’s pretty good motivation, right?

Well, it worked. Sadie met her goal, plus an extra 10 miles before her birthday. But we couldn’t leave her readers empty handed. That’s right, you still get to win presents!
I’ve teamed up with a few other bloggers to give away some cool prizes in honor of Sadie’s success:

$25 PayPal Cash (Open Worldwide)

My Self Defense Kinect game ($49.99 value – Open to US Only)

$50 PayPal Cash (Open Worldwide)

The giveaway will run from Monday, April 16th through Monday, April 23rd at 11:59pm EST.

Ready to win?

Just fill out the easy RaffleCopter form below!

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Housewarming Dyson Giveaway Starting June 1st Accepting Signups Now

2012-04-14T18:13:00.000-04:00

Mom to Bed by 8 is excited to present the Housewarming Dyson Event from June 1 to June 15. This is a free blogger event and accepting signups now.

Join the Housewarming Dyson Giveaway event today, grow your readership and offer one fantastic cleaning tool giveaway!

Indian Product That Lightens the Vagina

2012-04-14T11:10:00.001-04:00

So here I am again, just floating around the internet, doing my daily thing of visiting my daily websites and what do I see being talked about? A product called Clear and Dry Intimate Wash is being advertised in India which claims that the product will allow women to lighten or bleach their vagina. Now, honestly when I view the commercial there was a huh moment for the whole 30 seconds and I did kind of laugh at it and shook my head. I really wouldn't think that a guy will be that involved in what color a woman's vagina would be as long as it was clean and wasn't, um,... blue (look it up at your own risk). Here is the commercial.

The commercial got me a little confused I guess on how it was presented, however it sunk in for a second and got me thinking.How is this product different then any other bleaching product that is out on the market for the body to make someone more attractive? Think about it....

Society is always showing people that if you don't look a certain way then you won't be accepted. When some people continue to listen to this and see products that are suppose to "make you better" in the eyes of others, then they don't think twice about and go ahead and purchase it. They believe that they aren't that particular person that they should be and try to please others instead of themselves. People want to be accepted in some form, for instance there have been products that were directly pointed to darker African American to lighten up their skin. So how would this particular product be any different?

The male executive of the ad campaign explains the reason of their ad:

“It is hard to deny that fairness creams often get social commentators and activists all worked up. What they should do is take a deep breath and think again. Lipstick is used to make your lips redder, fairness cream is used to make you fairer-so what’s the problem? I don’t think any Youngistani today thinks the British Raj/White man is superior to us Brown folk. That’s all 1947 thinking!

The only reason I can offer for why people like fairness, is this: if you have two beautiful girls, one of them fair and the other dark, you see the fair girl’s features more clearly. This is because her complexion reflects more light. I found this amazing difference when I directed Kabir Bedi, who is very fair and had to wear dark makeup for Othello, the Black hero of the play. I found I had to have a special spotlight following Kabir around the stage because otherwise the audience could not see his expressions.” (Beauty High)

What are your thoughts of this product?

CareOne Debt Relief Services

2012-04-13T12:27:00.000-04:00

Trying to get a grip on debt can be a struggle at times, but there is help out there to make it easier.

Feeding Picky Eaters

2012-04-13T11:17:00.000-04:00

My kids are very picky eaters when it comes to food. I have to say that it is a bit my fault because I am a picky eater myself, but I do try to encourage them to eat different types of foods when possible. Unless hubby as for vegetables to cook, I usually don't pick them up at the store. If I do, then it may be corn for him or I may pick up green beans or turnip greens because I only eat those veggies when they are cooked. My middle girl has branched out to eating different things such as chicken, pork chops, corn, fruit and other things. Now my oldest daughter and youngest son will not try anything really. They will eat fruit and mainly pasta dishes, macaroni and cheese, pizza, fries things like that, but not as up for new things as my other daughter. It's funny though that my son will try out different foods at Pre-K like chili beans for instance and will eat it, but I know if I make it at home, he probably wouldn't. Maybe I should though and see.

The other night I cooked up some penne pasta. Now I tried to be slick and add some pieces of cut up chicken into the pasta instead of the ground turkey that I normally use. I cut up the chicken into small pieces that I could and mixed it into the kids pasta and stirred it around so it wouldn't be to noticeable. While they ate, I watched to see if they noticed anything different. My son and middle daughter had no trouble eating their dinner, however, my oldest picked out the chicken. She didn't know it was chicken, but thought it was some weird looking pasta as she said.

I don't force the kids to eat something that may be on their plate that they don't want to eat. I don't even eat food on my plate that I don't like if it automatically comes with the dish. I remember my mom and dad having me and my brothers sit at the dinner table until we finished everything on the plate. For me, it usually ended up being pinto beans or peas left on my plate to which I gagged those down after they had turned cold and even more yucky tasting. So that is the reason I don't bother the kids with it. I just fix on their plate what I know they will eat.

I do want to try to cook different foods during dinner instead of the same stuff continuously and for at least my oldest and youngest to have some variety than eat starchy food all the time. I also want them to eat some vegetables and I was thinking probably try to see if they would eat raw vegetables instead of cooked ones. I personally like raw vegetables, so maybe I could encourage that and they could see that they are good if they see me eating them.

If you have a picky eater, what do you do to get them to at least try something, even if it is a small taste of a new food?

The Rainy Day Facebook Frenzy!

2012-04-13T09:15:00.000-04:00

You have literally HUNDREDS of chances to win $200 Paypal cash from CouponTrade.com and The Ultimate Baby Shower!

CouponTrade.com is the newest and the hottest way to save because now, you can combine coupon savings with discounted gift cards for the same stores, plus sell all those unused gift cards and redeem whats yours, all in one place!!!

The Ultimate Baby Shower will offer MONTHLY diaper and Formula giveaways, as well as a seasonal NURSERY giveaway! That’s right- you can win the entire nursery, furniture, bedding, and all the baby gear you could need!

Entry is so simple, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review and Giveaway: Dermagist Therapeutic Cleansing Gel

2012-04-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

I have an issue with my face sometimes of it deciding to be too oily or too dry depending on the day. During the cooler months, the nose area and the area between the bottom of my lip and chin tend to peel. During the warmer months, my face becomes more oily and shinier around the forehead and nose area. This is how my skin has always been around my face. To help this out I would sometimes use an over the counter products, but the ones that I chose had that medicine kind of smell to it that lingered for a while and I didn't really like that. Plus I think it dried out my face a little too much, probably because they may have been some alcohol content in it, so I basically just use a little bit of soap and water to clean. Recently, I had the opportunity to review Therapeutic Cleansing Gel from Dermagist Skin Care. With the information that I read on the product, I was interested in seeing if it will lessen the oil and help with the dry areas of my face.

Some company info: From what I've learned, Dermagist Skin Care line offers products to help women to continue to have a more youthful appearance and healthier skin. The company was formally known as Dermajuv and has been seen in many popular magazines such as Reader's Digest, O Magazine, Woman's Day, InStyle, Redbook and many more. If you would like to see what else the company offers, you can visit http://dermagist.com.

My Review: When I received the The Therapeutic Cleansing Gel, it was well packaged and came with a colorful pamplet that listed the other skin care products that are available. The gel came in a 4.5 oz squeezable bottle, very simply labeled and with the basic information of instructions on how to use the gel, the ingredients and how the gel will help your skin. I was excited to use it the same evening that I received it and to see if it would work well on my face.

When I opened it up and squeezed it in my hand, the gel was an opaque color, creamy, but very light feeling. The scent of the gel had a citrus aroma to it containing tangerine oil and an orange fragrance. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked the smell or not. The gel also has Aloe Vera, shea butter, chamomile and other ingredients to help with cleansing the skin.

After my first use of the Therapeutic Cleansing Gel, I could actually tell the difference. My face felt very clean and refreshed like it does when you step out of a shower. The scent of the gel did give me a relaxed feeling. The next following morning, I used the gel again to wash my face with and as the day progress, my face did produce oil as usually, but not as much as it does, so I think the gel kept control of that some.

I've been using the cleansing gel for close to a week now and I think that this is a great product for a day and night cleanser. I like that it can be used for any type of skin, the cleansing gel doesn't contain alcohol that can really dry out my skin and my skin felt moisturized and even soft after using it.

Want to win this product? One of my readers will have the chance of winning the Therapeutic Cleansing Gel. To enter, all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. The more entries you put in, the more chances you have of winning. The giveaway ends on April 18th. Good luck!

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Disclosure: I received this product for free for the purpose of doing this review. The thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

What Do You Think About the George Zimmerman Fund?

2012-04-10T17:36:00.000-04:00

Honestly, I have not been indulge with the information or lack of as many may say, about the tragedy of Trayvon Martin. I have heard and read about the incident and have my own thoughts about it, but I'm really not going to post about it though. However, I heard on the radio this morning and then happen to see this online about Zimmerman requesting donations to help him in his legal battle and living expenses.

Now I know that there are a lot of people who support either of the two sides of this situation, but what do you readers think about this. Are you one to support Zimmerman and give out a donation to help him or are you one that will say screw him, that's his problem?

To view the website, visit: The Real George Zimmerman

Unless Someone Like You Cares a Whole Awful Lot...

2012-04-10T12:15:00.000-04:00

" Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." ~ Dr. Seuss

Last Friday afternoon, I took the kids to see The Lorax movie. We didn't live to far from the movie theater, I think about 10 minutes or so, but I wanted to try to get there early enough in case there would be a long line and for us to sit far enough from the screen. Plus it was Good Friday holiday, so there probably were going to be quite a few people out and about. When we got there, of course there was a line for tickets, but it looks like most of the people there were going to see the Hunger Games, so that was a good thing.

Well when we got into the theater and found some seats, the kids were excited to see the movie, however we had to sit through and watch the previews before the actual previews. I guess you might as well call them commercials before the previews. Of course one of them were talking about some type of spinning toy in which my youngest daughter replied that she wanted one. *Sigh* So after going through the little commercials, the previews come up and there are a couple of movies that I would like to take the kids to. One was a pirate clay animation movie and another was Nemo, but in 3D version. Now that one I want to see myself.

So the movie starts and my youngest daughter doesn't like it from the start and wanted the Lorax to show. Then my didn't want to sit in the chair, but on my lap, so I let him do so, but he kept moving around and I had to tell him a few times to sit still. Now my oldest was good throughout the movie, no trouble at all with her. The other two were just frigidity and then I think about 30 minutes into the movie or so, the two wanted to go home. Well eventually The Lorax finally showed on the screen and they were content throughout the rest of the movie.

The kids really likes the movie and it was okay to me. There were quite a few parts in the movie that I had a few chuckles from and I do admit that some of the things said in the movie makes you think. I asked the girls what did they learn from the movie and they said to not chop down all the trees or you won't breath right. I know that really isn't the whole lesson of the movie, but they did learn something, so I'm cool with that.

Rainbow Salt in a Jar

2012-04-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

The rainbow salt in a jar is another craft that I found through Pinterest that me and the kids did during their spring break. They jumped right into the craft after I gave them instructions on what to do.

What you will need is:

glass jars with lids ( I used mason jars)
colored chalk (I think any brand will do.. we used sidewalk chalk by Crayola)
paper
salt
newspaper or other covering for the table

So basically I placed newspaper on top of the kitchen table to hold whatever mess that may be made while doing the craft. Everyone had a piece of drawing paper and I first started to measure out the salt, but then after awhile I just poured some salt on the paper. With my 4 year old son, he was losing more salt than he was coloring so I tried to give him a little more. You can use as much as you want depending on how much of the color you want. Then you would choose the colored chalk you would like first and begin to rub the chalk into the salt.

Once all of the salt is tinted with the color, you would use your paper to pour the salt into the jar. Alternate with different colors to create a rainbow effect.

I still have some mason jars left over and was thinking in letting the kids, if they want to, do this for a gift for their teachers since Teacher Appreciation Day is coming up soon. Below is the finished jars that we created.