Yesterday I was given the opportunity to try any of the new Signature McWraps I wanted, I wish I could have tried them all!  (Don’t you worry, I will be – just not in one sitting)  The Sweet Chili Signature McWrap is the one I chose to start with.  I have a thing for sweet chili sauce.   I wish I could tell you I was surprised at just how tasty it was…but when it comes to McDonald’s, I’m very confident in their flavors, and I knew going in that the McWrap would be something I could order on a regular basis.

I wasn’t disappointed!

The New Signature McWrap is made with 100% seasoned chicken breast (available grilled or breaded), features yummy ingredients like cucumber, lettuce and tomato and is served wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla wrap.  It is available in three savory varieties:

• Sweet Chili Signature McWrap – features fresh cucumber and sweet spicy Thai sauce
• Fiesta Signature McWrap – features tomatoes, chili lime seasoned tortilla strips, shredded Monterey Jack and light cheddar cheese and tomato salsa sauce
• Chicken and Bacon Signature McWrap – features tomatoes and Jalapeno Monterey Jack cheese

Want to know the best part?

The new Signature McWraps are only $4.99!

________________________________________________________________________________________________

To Celebrate the launch of this fantastic new menu item, I have an awesome prize pack to share with one of my Canadian readers!

Included in this awesome McWrap prize pack is a $20 McDonald’s gift card, 6 “Be My Guest” coupons for a free signature McWrap, a plaid fleece blanket that folds up into a pouch, 2 twill napkins, 2 eco-friendly palm-leaf plates, cutlery and a McDonald’s frisbee, and the fabulous picnic basket pictured above!

How To Enter:

Mandatory Entry:

In a comment below let me know which of the three above mentioned varieties of the new Signature McWraps will you try first?

Bonus Entries:

Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry

1. Follow @Jen_Banks on twitter
2. Tweet the following (This can be done once per day) “Enter to win a McDonald’s Signature McWrap Prize Pack from #ABusyMommy http://wp.me/p2WkjS-2eN”
3. Subscribe! (on the left, look for the grey Sign Up tab)
4. Follow JenBanks  on Pinterest
5. Comment Love – Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post on A Busy Mommy.  (This can be done once per day)

Rules & Regulations:  This contest is open to residents of Canada only.  Contest closes on Sunday June 3rd  at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be selected at random and contacted by email.  Winner will have 48 hours to reply to the winning notification.  Failure to reply in time will result in forfeit of prize as a new winner will be drawn.  By entering this contest you are agreeing to have your first name and last initial (or online handle)  posted on our winners page.  As well, your contact information with be shared with the PR team representing McDonald’s for the purpose of mailing your prize.

Disclaimer:  I received coupons to try the new Signature McWraps at no cost to help facilitate this post.  No financial compensation was made. As always, opinions posted on A Busy Mommy reflect experiences of my family and the products we use everyday.

The post New Signature McWrap from McDonalds – Have You Tried It Yet? appeared first on .

Yeah…I have kids with a sweet tooth, and a huge love of all things ice cream.

I had planned on sharing a picture of our family having a fun-tastic sundae bar today with all of you, but when I came home from work my eldest (and very hungry son) ate all of the strawberries and cherries I had picked up for the surprise event…so we didn’t get to enjoy our sundae fun today…instead we went off to the ocean.  We’ll have sundae’s on Sunday!

I have a lot of plans for the upcoming summer.  BBQ’s in the back yard, days at the beach…and my kids would never forgive me if I didn’t include ice cream topped with Smucker’s Chocolate (Smucker’s Caramel for me!).  But I feel a bit adventurous this year…why just make sundae’s when you can go all out with those sauces!

For our next get-together I’ll be using up all those almost-empty cartons of ice cream in my freezer and putting together this fantastic ice cream cake!  Doesn’t it just look delicious!

See below for printable recipe

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Enter To Win a Smucker’s Prize Pack!

How To Enter

Mandatory Entry:

What is your favorite sundae topping?  Answer in the comment section below for your main entry!

Bonus Entries:

Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry

1. Follow @Jen_Banks on twitter
2. Tweet the following (This can be done once per day) “Enter to win a Smucker’s Prize Pack including full of Sundae Fun!  http://wp.me/p2WkjS-2ef #ABusyMommy
3. Subscribe! (on the left, look for the grey Sign Up tab)
4. Follow JenBanks  on Pinterest
5. Comment Love – Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post on A Busy Mommy.  (This can be done once per day)

Rules & Regulations:  This contest is open to residents of Canada only.  Contest closes on Sunday June 3rd  at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be selected at random and contacted by email.  Winner will have 48 hours to reply to the winning notification.  Failure to reply in time will result in forfeit of prize as a new winner will be drawn.  By entering this contest you are agreeing to have your first name and last initial (or online handle)  posted on our winners page.  As well, your contact information with be shared with the PR team representing Smucker’s for the purpose of mailing your prize.

Rainbow Ice Cream Cake

Print recipe

• Print with main photo
• Print text only

Serves	16
Prep time	2 hours, 10 minutes

A fantastic DIY Ice cream cake with so many ways to make it your own!

Ingredients

• 1 bottle Smucker's Magic Shel Chocolate Flavoured Topping
• 6 cups assorted flavours or colours of ice cream, softened (strawberry, raspberry, mango, orange, chocolate, vanilla, pistachio)
• 3 tablespoons Smucker's Sundae Strawberry Syrup (plus additional for garnish)
• 2 heaped tablespoons Multicolored sprinkles (plus additional for garnish)

Directions

Step 1

Cover bottom of a 9-inch springform an with the Magic Shell topping. Let it freeze until it is firm, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Randomly scoop half of the ice cream into the pan, smooth top.

Step 3

Drizzle with syrup and sprinkles.

Step 4

Scoop remaining ice cream into the pan and smooth top.

Step 5

Let freeze for 2 hours. Remove from freezer, add garnish and serve.

Disclaimer:  I received Smucker’s products to enjoy with my family for the purpose of this post.  No financial compensation was made. As always, opinions posted on A Busy Mommy reflect experiences of my family and the products we use everyday.

The post Summertime, Smucker’s and Ice Cream, OH MY! appeared first on .

For as long as I have been renting, which is 15 years give or take, I have felt like I was wasting my money. Putting out hundreds of dollars every- single-month, and only getting that month out of it. It has been a huge weight on my shoulders for years. Ever since our children were born, I’ve yearned to buy a home.

About 14 months ago, out of necessity, our family moved from an inexpensive rental duplex apartment, into a single dwelling home. A two story, 1000 square foot 87 year old character home that had been on the market for quite some time, but just didn’t sell. The owner needed to cover his expenses and decided to rent it out. Moving caused our rent to double as well as our heating expenses which left our savings account stagnant.

When we signed the lease on the house, we talked about possibly buying the house in the future. The homeowner wanted a family that would want to live here long term, and he found that with us. About 9 months later he approached us with decent terms to purchase it, and though all the numbers worked well, because of financial flaws in our past, we were declined for a mortgage.

It was suggested to us that if we wait 6 months, keep doing what we are doing, and try again, we would be in a better position to buy. So that is exactly what we did.

It has actually been 9 months since we last applied, and we are getting ready to do so again. I have been doing a lot of research into the costs involved in buying our home. As a first time buyer, there is a lot to take in. I was shocked at just how much is involved in the purchase of a home.

Can I afford to buy a house was my first question. When you’re going from renting to buying, there is a lot more to think about. What happens if the furnace breaks? What happens if the roof leaks? The what-ifs are endless. To help me understand if I am actually ready to buy, I took the RBC Home Buying Readiness Quiz. It was a simple profile of my saving habits, and I scored fairly well. I’m on my way!

My next step was the Rent or Buy Calculator. I have been paying very high rent every month, especially for my area. So much so that the same amount as a mortgage payment would allow me to buy a house more than $20,000 above the price of the home I am buying! I can’t help but feel as though I have lost out on a lot of equity by renting for so long.

As I venture into this new stage of our life, possibly becoming homeowners, I’m excited, yet scared to see how it will all turn out.

Disclaimer: This post content is sponsored by Royal Bank of Canada, however the views and opinions expressed herein represent my own and not those of Royal Bank of Canada or any other party and do not constitute financial, legal or other advice.

The post Renting a Home to Buying a Home, A Giant Step in the Right Direction appeared first on .

I have been talking a lot about meal planning, not just meal planning, but day planning, week planning.  For years I have attempted to get my life organized, and failed horribly.  But with stress and time crunches really beginning to wear on me, it is truly time to get myself into a routine that gives me more time for fun.  So every week I will be writing Meal Plan Monday to share with you what our family will be eating the following week!

I am beginning with meal planning.  And of course, I had to build myself a pretty little meal planner that I can print out each Sunday night and fill in.  If you would like to download it just right click on the image below and save it to your computer…than print.  It fills a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of computer paper, so no resizing is necessary.

Breakfast for us is usually toast and PB or cereal, so I likely won’t ‘plan’ that, but lunch and dinner often leave me baffled…especially with my new, strict $100/week grocery budget.

So here is what we’re eating this week!

Monday:

• Lunch: Grilled Ham & Cheese
• Dinner: Steak & Potato Salad

Tuesday:

• Lunch: Mini Pizza
• Dinner: Roasted Chicken & Baked Potato & Veg
• In The Lunch Box: Ham&Cheese Wrap, Orange & Granola Bar

Wednesday:

• Lunch: Chicken Sandwiches
• Dinner: Hamburger Helper & Veg
• In The Lunchbox: Chicken Sandwich, Apple & Cookies

Thursday:

• Lunch: Scrambled Eggs
• Dinner: Pork Chops & Alfredo Noodles
• In The Lunch Box: Ravoli, Orange & Cookies

Friday:

• Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich
• Dinner: Speghetti & Meatballs
• In The Lunch Box: Egg Salad Sandwich, Apple & Granola Bar

Saturday:

• Lunch: Mini Pizza
• Dinner: Leftovers (?)

Sunday:

• Lunch: Eggs, Bacon & Toast
• Dinner: Shake & Bake Chicken Legs, Mashed Potatoes and Veg

What are you eating this week?

Beginning NEXT Monday I will post a linky here so that you may link up your own Meal Plan Monday Posts!

The post Meal Plan Monday appeared first on .

Usually, ear infections get paired with what I used to call Banana Medicine.  amoxicillin flavored with Banana for kids.  I remember I used to love taking that stuff.  But Ben is allergic.  Allergic to anything that ends in ‘icillian’.  His very first dose at just under two years old resulted in head to toe hives.  Our family doctor at the time said that he is likely severely allergic and that he should never, ever have it again.

So that leaves us limited on what he can take.

I knew his latest infection was different.  The usual routine is pain, followed by burst ear drums, followed by goupy discharge.  And within 3 days all is well again.  Not this time… We’re seven days into this infection and only one of his ear drums has burst, the other is still very red and infected, and now – he has pink eye.

Or at least that’s what the ER doctor called it.  I think what happened was he rubbed his goupy ear, and didn’t wash his hands, then rubbed his eye…spreading the infection to his eyes.  (Would you still call that pink eye?)

Either way – He missed 2 days last week due to his ears, and now, with the contagious Pink Eye he has to miss even more!  I mean, he’s great to have home, but the poor kids needs to be in school!

Do your kids miss a lot of school due to illness?

Do you get homework from their teachers?

How do you keep them learning and not falling behind?

The post Missing School when Kids are Sick appeared first on .

That’s me. In my out-of-the-home job I am a waitress at a busy chain restaurant.  The majority of my shifts are in the dining room, and I tend to be the only server working…I do my best work under stress.  Some days are less than exciting…but the busy days certainly make up for it.  I-don’t-stop-running.  Six full hours of me running this way and that – taking orders, delivering food and drinks, chatting it up with the customers, new and old, and making sure that everyone is always happy.  Yeah, that makes me sweat.

So in the heat of a restaurant, when the air conditioning is sucked out by the fans, when you don’t stop moving for hours on end, you need to have maximum odor protection.  You need a deodorant that will stand up to the heat.  That will let you handle it.

Last week I was sent two Lady Speed Stick products, and asked to put them to the test.  Well, the Friday that just passed allowed me to do just that.  I was running from the moment I set foot in the dining room until 20 minutes after we closed. Almost 7 and a half hours of me running laps around the restaurant! Including vacuuming and scrubbing the floors when all was said and done.

At the end of my shift I was still smelling fresh, which is such a relief…no one likes a smelly server!

Is Lady Speed Stick on your shopping list this week?  There is a fantastic offer right now where you can print this $2 off WUB 2 Speed Stick products.  Click here for more details!  (The speedstick coupon is on page 3)

Disclaimer: I received the above mentioned product as a part of this sponsored campaign. All opinions on this post and any other A Busy Mommy review post are my own.

The post What Makes You Sweat? appeared first on .

Picture It:

You’re laying in bed on a Saturday morning.  Your partner got up early with the kids to allow you to get an extra hour of sleep.  The sunshine is just breaking in through the window, a light breeze is wafting in…you can tell already, it’s going to be a beautiful day.  You can hear whispering and giggling coming from the stair case, you know your extra hour of sleep is about to come to an end, you’re slightly sad to say goodbye to such peace and tranquillity.  You hear a light knocking at your bedroom door…more giggles, more whispers…and in tiptoes your partner carrying a tray…”What?!  Breakfast in Bed?”

The smell of your favorite coffee brewed to perfection mixed with the unmistakable scent of pure milk chocolate.

Wait.  Chocolate?

Yes – Chocolate!

Coffee – Chocolate - and you got to sleep in.

I know, this may all seem like a dream.  But it doesn’t have to be.  With Philadelphia’s new Chocolate Spread and a little hinting and coaxing to your partner you could, in fact, make this simple to-good-to-be-true dream a reality.  If you tried hard enough you could almost make it a weekly event!   (Just get the kids on your side – reminding your partner often)

 So you may be wondering what those three steps are to get Breakfast in Bed.  Well, Kraft and Philly have come up with a fun way to use peer pressure to coax your partner into bringing you breakfast.  All you have to do to set this ball in motion is head over to Kraft Philadelphia Canada’s Facebook page do the following:

• Just post a Facebook status update that says something like “If I get 20 Likes, my sweetie(s) are/is serving me Chocolate Philly in bed. Help a girl out! Thank you!!”
• Your friends will start liking your post and put the pressure on.
• When your guy/family serves you breakfast in bed with Chocolate Philly, take a photo and submit it to the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Canada Facebook page.

Be sure to give Philly Canada’s Facebook page a like, and watch their page closely, because on May 21st they’ll be releasing a special coupon for their new Philly Chocolate spread!  I know I’ll be waiting to get my coupon!

Just imagine all the fun you could have with Philly Chocolate! With real milk chocolate and 1/3 of the sugar as the other guys, and all the dairy goodness the Philly brings to the table, I’m certain this new chocolate spread can get your creative juices flowing!

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored campaign on behalf of Kraft, all opinions expressed are my own. 

The post Philly Chocolate – Oh Yes They Did! appeared first on .

My accent color is going to be yellow, and my very nice hubby has already sanded down a stand that I plan to paint yellow.   And I’ll likely pull in some black and white to help tie in the colors of my electronic equipment…TV, Laptop and my new Brother Printer.

I am excited about the new Business Smart Series printer from Brother, not only because it can print 11×17 pages (how fab is that) but also because it isn’t a solid black (though it is available in black) The one I received is more of an off white with black accents.

As for my $100 office makeover budget, I spent $32 on a gallon of paint for the walls, and $34 on a 5X7 rug for the space.  With taxes those came to about $77, leaving me with $38 including taxes…or about $32 pre tax.  I still need to buy my accent paint, which I’ll be using on the above mentioned stand/table.  As well as a shelf.  I’m hoping a small can will cover that, and I’m not above looking at the miss-tints to save me a few bucks.  If I can’t get a bargain, then it’ll be about $20 for that can of paint.

Thankfully, I get to shop for free in my moms fabric stash!  Because I still need to make pillows and some sort of cover for my ugly chair that’s going in the space.

What I”m truly thrilled about is that before I started this project I was given the chance chat with HGTV’s Samantha Pynn.  She had some fabulous suggestions about making my space both functional and attractive.

Her tips truly made me think about what I wanted for this space.  Since it is my office, I need to be able to work in there efficiently, but I also want the space to be a place where I can relax, curl up and read a book, and escape the craziness of my home.

So, as per Samantha Pynn’s advice.  I will be incorporating trays into my decor.  They are a simple way to have all my work together, yet keep different projects separate.  Everything I need for each project will be in one place, at arms reach.  The best part is I can also put them away quickly when I’m not working on them.  This is especially great for those of you who do most of your work at the kitchen table…at dinner time, just remove the trays, then put them back when dinner is cleaned up.  I found a fantastic tray at Wicker Emporium about a month ago, long before I started thinking about redoing my office.  It’s dark, so it’ll be adding paint to brighten up a bit.

I have decided not to put a desk in my office.  I know this sounds funny…what’s an office without a desk.  But I’m not comfortable sitting up properly at a desk.  When I read, or write, or do any kind of computer work I like to be in a big comfy chair with my feet up.  I have to be proper for so many hours of the day, when I retire to my office, I want to be comfy.  So – no desk!  And no desk means no ugly black desk chair.

Samantha Pynn also suggested that if you are using one of those black computer chairs, recovering it can make it look much less utilitarian.  Just try to stick with a fabric that has some black in it, that way it helps the chair look more unique, but the fabric will still match the metal and plastic parts of the chair.  (If any of you do this, please share a before and after pic with me, I’d love to see it!)

*Disclaimer:  Brother Canada offered me the opportunity to chat with HGTV’s Samanta Pynn about home office design.  As well, they sent me the Brother Printer mentioned in this post to try out in my office space.

The post Office Makeover On A Budget: Part 2 appeared first on .

 
I painted an accent wall the most beautiful shade of purple. Not very manly for my husband, you say? Don’t worry, the delicious grape was balanced by three taupe walls, and a chocolate brown duvet. I refinished some existing accessories in varying shades of purple paint and scrapbook paper….. Some stacking boxes, candle holder, picture frames and an N and E (Natalee & Eric). I also refinished a lamp I got from some ones garbage… No joke. A bottle of brushed nickel spray paint ($7) and a new shade ($12) and  I have a beautiful lamp that is comparable to the $60 lamps in the department store!!! I painted a table as well (also found in some ones garbage) purple to match the wall. It’s fabulous!
 
 I am very pleased with the colour itself and the amount of it in the room, it’s not overwhelming at all. However I found it was missing something…. Art!
 
So this morning I sat down at my (messy) craft table and thought…. And thought…. And thought some more. I could have done an oil piece, but now that I am back to work, my spare time is limited. I wanted something fun, purple, a bit shabby chic you could say and I wanted it to match. Well…. What better way to match the wall  then to use the wall paint itself?!
 
I had two 10×10 canvas’ that I got a great deal on at Micheals (50% off), so I started by generously coating them in my Beauty Tone Latex Velvet finish paint in Martha Stewarts Grape Jelly Bean. I let it dry for about four hours ( let it dry longer if you have more patience than I do). With the base coat down, I sifted through the scraps of paper I had left from covering my letters and stacking boxes. I decided on my paper, then I thought about what design I wanted to do…. I settled on a simple flower.
 
I cut out some petals and a centre and rubbed all the edges with some dark purple stamping ink. I find it helps give paper a finished look. I laid out the pieces where I wanted them and glued them down with some Aleene’s craft glue. Easy peasy. Seriously.  This is by far one of my most favourite  crafting projects I have done. I took it one step further and rubbed the edges of the canvas with some antique brown stamping ink to give it the shabby chic look I love. I followed the flower up with a bird silhouette, kind of keeping with the fresh spring theme.
 

My name is Natalee, I am a stay at home mom of two active boys, Keghan and Finn and wife to Eric, a paramedic and volunteer firefighter. Keghan is a crazy haired ten year old whose life consists of hockey, hockey, Pokemon, hockey, Lego. Finn is a on the go three year old whose life consists of Keghan, hockey, Keghan, Pokemon, Lego. Between hockey practice, games, hubby’s shift work and sheer insanity I LOVE creating. I do a little bit of everything…. Painting (oil, acrylics, water colour), wood craft, card making, scrapbooking, cupcake making, photography…. You name it, I have tried it. Spending time with my family doing out of the norm and creative things is my passion!!!

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