Post and giveaway sponsored by Carter’s, but all opinions are my own. 

I have been a Mom for almost 6 years now.  One month after my oldest turned four, I had twins, making me (at the time) a Mom to 4 kids 4 and under!  Live has been crazy ever since!  I have 4 early birds who love to wake me up sometime between 5:45 and 6:15, the minute we get downstairs I have two 20 month olds crying at my feet, waiting for their sippy cups of chocolate milk and my 4 and 5 year old are "reminding" me that they need theirs to!  I get everyone breakfast, pack a lunch and backpack for my Kindergartener, brush 4 heads of hair, change two diapers, find 8 pairs of shoes, and try to make myself look presentable enough to leave the house.  The rest of my day consists of cleaning (a lot), preparing meals, kissing boo boos, fixing toys, reading stories, helping with homework and then finally off to bed...for them...I usually get to bed much later than I want to... and then those early birds start my day all over again!

  (my two earliest birds)

On paper, my life seems hectic (who am I kidding, it is off paper too)!  The truth is, I wouldn't have it any other way!  I love that I get to stay home and spend my days with my sweet kids.  Even though it is tough to have so many so little, I love how close they all are, and hopefully always will be.  I love to watch them playing together, or by themselves.  I love being there to play with them!  There are days I wish I could have a "break" and go to a "real" job, but I know that no one will ever love my kids as much as I do, so I am happy that I am the one there taking care of them.  My hours are long, my recognition is little, I am payed in kisses, snuggles and  little tiny arms hugging my legs.  I love being a Mom, and I know that I have the best and most important job in the world!

Mother's deserve to be celebrated EVERY day!  Carter's is celebrating Moms well beyond Mother's Day with a Sweepstake for Mothers!  Tell Carter's why you love being a Mom and share a photo of you with your little (or big) ones for a chance to win!

"Like" Carter's on Facebook then enter for your chance to WIN* $100,000, plus outfit your children for an entire year in the cutest Carter's kids or baby clothes with a $5,000 gift card.

Carter's isn't stopping there, if you miss out on the grand prize, there will be other prizes!

-10 second prize winners will receive: $1,000 Visa gift cards

-90 third prize winners will receive: $100 Carter's gift cards

My two monkeys are shown here in some adorable outfits from Carter's.  Carter's is one of my favorite brands to buy for my kids because not only are they great quality and  wash well, but they so cute, they are super affordable!  Click here to find a Carter's store near you!

TIME FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!

Today, Carter's is giving one lucky Somewhat Simple ready a $50 Carter's gift card!

All you have to do to enter is go visit Carter's.com and leave us a comment telling us what your favorite style is!  A winner will be randomly picked on Wednesday, May 29th!  Good luck!

Carter’s partnered with bloggers such as me to help promote Carter’s “100,000 Ways to Celebrate Moms” Sweepstakes. As part of the program, I received product or gift cards.  Carter’s believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words, and therefore did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products I used. Carter’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. The winner of any giveaway in this program will be randomly chosen and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

The post 100,000 Ways To Celebrate Mom With Carter’s + GIVEAWAY! appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

Today's Link Party is sponsored by Essential Swimwear.

This is our 4th year in a row featuring Essential Swimwear, and there is a good reason why!  They sell, hands down, THE BEST SWIMSUITS EVER!!!  I'm not even exaggerating!  Steph now owns 4 or 5 of these babies and loves them all.  The oldest ones still look as new as they did they day she got them, and living in Arizona, they get a lot of use!  I loved Steph's so much, I bought a few of my own, and will never buy swimsuits anywhere else for as long as I live!

Our first impressions of these swimsuits are as true today as they were 4 years ago:

“Not only is it totally cute, it’s slimming without feeling too snug and modest in all the right places! I love the neckline- just the right amount of coverage- I’m not covered to my collar bone, but my I don’t have to keep pulling up the top to avoid showing too much. The bottoms were a hard choice for me, but I am so happy I went with the hipsters! I wanted a little extra coverage, without feeling frumpy and these are just perfect!”

Swimsuit season is upon us, and if you are on the hunt for that perfect suit, Essential Swimwear has it!  Every year I fall in love with their new styles, and this year did not disappoint!   I can't wait to get my hands on the Charcoal Chevron One Piece!  This is the first year they have offered a little girls line!  I was so excited when I found out!  The quality and styles we already love are now pint sized!  The sizes range from 2t-10.  The colors and patterns are too cute and the styles are adorable!

 Check out Steph and Leah in their matching suits, FABULOUS!

Essential Swimwear is offering Somewhat Simple readers a 10% DISCOUNT OFF OF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER!!!

Just enter SOMEWHATSIMPLE10 at checkout, discount good through May 31st! 

The post Blog Link Party With Essential Swimwear appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

Hello Somewhat Simple Readers! My name is Angelina and you can find me blogging over at JoJo and Eloise.

I am so thrilled to be here sharing with you and I am also looking forward to getting to know you.

I have to say that this is,

Hands Down the best Kids craft EVER!!!

Okay, Okay!!! I know you probably here that all the time, but this time it's REALLY true. :)

Why? You ask!!

Because, this little guy was THRILLED to pieces to be a part of creating his very, OWN SHIRT!!

Now, that's a Craft worth thinking about.

Every kid loves to have things that are SPECIAL to them. It's important to know what your child LOVES and is into at the moment. So use that thing as means to be creative and Personalize that craft to fit and suit his or her's interest.

Our little man is into Superman and I mean INTO it! He loves, Watching (the old black & White ones), Wearing, Acting and Playing with his Superman toys.

He also LOVES crafting with me, so I took his Favorite thing and turned it into the BEST craft ever.

Here's what I did.

I drew a Superman emblem onto a blank piece of paper and grabbed some of my Fabric Markers.

( Be sure to follow your Manufactures instructions )

I found a plain white T-Shirt in his drawers and slid that piece of paper inside.

You can see the faint lines of the pattern. (this method works best with White or light color fabrics). Using a pencil I lightly traced out the design onto my t-shirt.

I then placed a piece of thin cardboard inside the t-shirt, to prevent the fabric markers from bleeding through.

I traced out my design.

If your design or pattern has more than one color you can put small Color Dots in those areas. It will help your little one's know where the colors go. It is also a great way to train and teach them how to follow Color Codes and Instructions.

Our little guy is one of those who colors ALL over the place. He didn't pay much attention to the color dots, but it is certainly a good training tool and the more he does it the better he will get at it.

So don't worry if it's not perfect.

After I prepared the shirt for him, I handed him the Fabric Markers and let him go to town.

He was SO excited!!!

Not only did he get to color his Very Own shirt and Not only was it Superman but he got to use MOMMA'S, fabric markers. He thought that was so much fun.

I seriously think this was the BEST day of his life.

He got so into it and kept talking about how he was making his Very Own Superman shirt. I was so overjoyed with him as I saw how special and how important being a part of making something of His Very Own was so meaningful to him.

His shirt was all ready to wear and Talk about one Happy little Boy!

He was so VERY proud of his work and couldn't stop showing and telling everyone in the house about it.

So go ahead and get PERSONAL when crafting with your little ones.

Your sure to make them SMILE and bring JOY to their Sweet little hearts, not to mention yours as well.

I had so much fun sharing here today and would love to connect with you.

Here are some of the places you can find me.

Hope to see you there.

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and on my Blog.

The post How to Make Kids Crafting Personal appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nutrisystem, Inc. for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have always wanted to try Nutrisystem! Some of my friends have tried it and lost so much weight. I've had a couple kids and not a lot of time. The hardest part of dieting for me has been planning my meals and eating the right amount of the food. With Nutrisystem, they take all the guess work out of everything! You get a meal plan and then just eat the food they send you! Want to hear something even better?! Now you can jumpstart your journey to weight loss with the Nutrisystem 5-Day Weight Loss Kit that features popular, perfectly portioned breakfasts, lunches, dinners and desserts available at a Walmart near you!

The new 5-Day Nutrisystem Jumpstart Your Weight Loss Kit includes 15 entrees plus desserts, a free meal planner and program guide with access to free weight loss counseling. This kit can be purchased at select Walmart stores for $44.98.

There is also a 5-Day Nutrisystem kit designed for people losing weight to help manage their diabetes available in the pharmacy section of select stores!

I got one to try it out and it was awesome! I lost 5 lbs in a week! And you get SO MUCH in one box! Altogether, i got 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners, and 5 desserts! When i was eating, it didnt feel like i was dieting! Knowing that all i had to do to lose weight was to eat!

It was easy to find Nutrisystem at Walmart! I took a pic so you can get an idea what it looks like on the shelves...

You can also check out Nutrisystem on the Marie Osmond Show on YouTube! Nutrisystem makes an appearance at the 6:44 mark!

The post Jumpstart with Nutrisystem #Nutri5DayKit appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

Several months ago, my sister-in-law and I were talking about ways we can add a little more fun to our family routines- specifically our dinner-time routines. We both agreed that the dinner table is an ideal gathering place to connect with your family and create lasting memories. But with all of the tasks and responsibilities we have as parents, it is easy to fall into a “dinner-time rut” and lose some of that excitement and joy.

Raising children is no walk in the park; in fact, it’s one of the HARDEST things we’ve ever done. We’re all about keeping motherhood meaningful and fun, but what happens when you get too busy for meal times or the conversations at the dinner table are lacking? We all have struggles and triumphs in our own lives and there is no such thing as a “Perfect Mom”, but with a little bit of effort and determination, the time you spend with your family can be meaningful and memorable.

We got right to work brainstorming ideas that we could implement with our own families- activities we could do at the table, games, themed dinners, fun foods to eat etc. When we had a pretty extensive list of ideas, we hit the ground running and tried them out on our individual families.

And guess what.......... it was a stinkin' BLAST!!!!!!!

My kids for sure thought I was the coolest mom ever. If they came home from school and saw the table already set for dinner, they knew they were in for a treat! A couple times their friends would come over when I was setting things up and you could see the ENVY in their eyes...... every kid deserves to experience this!

We had such a great success with our individual families, we decided to write a book all about it! Introducing..........

The Family Dinner Project is a book written by moms for moms! We continue to work extremely hard at our motherhood responsibilities. We’ve learned many things along the way and we are ready to share them with you!  If you’re ready to make family dinners a priority in your home, we have you covered!

 "The Family Dinner Project" is here to help make dinner time more meaningful!  We planned 12 themed meals that are fun, interactive and perfect for all the different times of the year. These are some of the best tips and ideas we’ve put to use with our own families.

All of the planning has been done for you - the menu is set, a shopping list is written and the decor and activities are suggested. We’ve also included fun printables for every meal that will make your evenings even more special. All you have to do is add your own special touch!

Let us help you turn your dinner table into something magical!

CLICK HERE get your hands on a copy of The Family Dinner Project for only $9.95!!!!!

Then, gather your family together and let’s see where the night takes you!

The post How to Make Dinner more FUN- The Family Dinner Project appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

Nothing says “summer” like a nice, refreshing drink- and when you make it fresh and make it fruity, it’s even better! This Cherry Lemonade Slush is one of my family’s favorite. Not only does it taste delicious, it is also super simple to make and requires just a few simple ingredients.

I've submitted this recipe to the Flavors of Summer website- have you seen it? It is chalk full of great ideas for summer- recipes, entertaining ideas and more! It is a must see!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY CHERRY LEMONADE SLUSH RECIPE

The post Fresh Cherry Lemonade Slush Recipe appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

Today's Blog Link Party is sponsored by Megaflowers.com

~INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY~

~FRESH AND FAST~

~DELIVERY OPTIONS~

Once you have chosen your bouquet, Megaflowers gives you options for delivery.  You can have your recipient called before delivery, or have it be a sweet surpise!  You can also choose to have the flowers delivered to a neighbor or relative in case your recipient is not home.  They also offer to take a photo of the recipient receiving the flowers!

~NOT JUST FLOWERS~

Megaflowers is a perfect option for sending flowers or gifts for graduations, birthdays, Father's Day or any occasion!

The post Blog Link Party With Megaflowers.com appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

• The color is natural looking and builds up gradually. No orangey tints and you don't go from white to SUPER TAN in one day. You can apply daily under your makeup on your face and get a gorgeous glow in a few days time.
• The smell is nice. It's not overwhelming at all.
• It dries quickly. I can put it on under my makeup and rub it in well and it's dry. There's no 10 minute waiting period while it soaks in.
• It's affordable and easily obtainable. I found it at my local Target and it was nearly half the cost of some of the department store brands I've bought in the past and with better results!
• The face cream has SPF in it, so if you're going to the beach you don't have to double up on self tanner AND SPF.
• They make different tones, so if you want that darker coloring or need it to match your skin---it's available.

Share how natural-looking skin color makes you feel for a chance to win $500!

The post Beauty Regimes #JergensNaturalGlow appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

Hi there, Somewhat Simple readers. It's Ashley again, from Kitchen Meets Girl, and I'm thrilled to be back for a second month to share another fun recipe with you. Last month, I brought my Slow Cooker Chicken Ranch Pasta, which is one of my family's new favorite weeknight meals.

Today I'm sharing an easy pudding cookie.  I baked some Funfetti Cheesecake Cookies last month, and they were a huge hit at my house.  Pudding cookies are one of my favorite cookies to make because they come together so quickly, and are super soft and moist.  Oh, and simple.

Simple is a necessity for me right now: between end of school year activities, work, graduations, and family events, I don't have a lot of extra time to spare.  So when my kiddo comes home from school and casually mentions that I'm supposed to send treats the next morning, I don't panic.

These are your basic cake mix/pudding cookies, but with an extra-ripe chopped up banana thrown in.  If you're like me, you almost always have a pile of brown bananas hanging out on your kitchen counter...and what better way to use 'em up than in cookies?  

Also, the combination of the pudding mix and the banana make these cookies super soft--my favorite kind of cookie!

To give these the chocolate "topping" that we all love on top of our banana splits, I simply melted some chocolate chips.  You could also just drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the cookies, but since my kiddo asked for extra, I smeared it on the top halves of the cookies instead.  And, since we love sprinkles at my house, I added some of those as well.

And then we ate them all!

The post Banana Split Pudding Cookies appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Arby's for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of mine and my hubby's most favorite places to eat is Arby's :) I can eat there even when i'm dieting and it dosn't feel like i am haha My husband is a simple man and LOVES the regular roast beef sandwich. I'm so happy to see that they have added something new to the menu :)

Arby’s is excited to announce a new twist to the beloved classic Roast Beef sandwich! For a limited time only, Arby’s is partnering with the iconic KING’S HAWAIIAN brand to introduce two irresistible new sandwiches to their menu, the Arby’s KING’S HAWAIIAN roast beef sandwich and KING’S HAWAIIAN Roast Beef & Swiss. One bite of this delicious new flavor combination and you will experience Roast Beef Paradise, or as Arby’s calls it; Roast-Beef-atopia!

Served hot, and made fresh to order, there are TWO new KING’S HAWAIIAN sandwiches to choose from:
- Arby’s KING’S HAWAIIAN Roast Beef sandwich comes with an extra helping of freshly sliced roast beef, piled high on a soft and slightly sweet KING’S HAWAIIAN bun
- Arby’s KING’S HAWAIIAN roast beef sandwich & Swiss sandwich has the same extra helping of roast beef and KING’S HAWAIIAN bun, topped with Swiss cheese, crunchy pickles and creamy Dijon spread.

Of coarse we HAD to try it! My i just say.......YUM! It did NOT disappoint!

Just looking at it, i couldn't wait to dig right in! I'm a huge fan of the bread and of  course i LOVE the roast beef! It was, for sure, Roast-Beef-atopia :)

Arby’s is hosting a Hawaiian Getaway sweepstakes to offer customers the chance to surf in paradise! The grand prize winner will receive a round trip for two with four nights stay in Honolulu, HI. Plus a premium group lesson at one of the island’s premier surf schools, Hawaiian Fire. For more details and to enter the sweepstakes visit www.ArbysKingsHawaiian.com from April 29 – May 26. So go enter the Arby’s Hawaiian Getaway Sweepstakes NOW!!!

AND...Want to try the new Arby’s KING’S HAWAIIAN sandwiches for yourself?! I have a $5 Arby’s gift card to give away! Just leave a comment on this blog post stating which of the 2 new KING’S HAWAIIAN sandwiches you’d like to try most!

The post Arby’s Roast-Beef-atopia! appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

You can download all four tags here:

1 // navy + coral 2 // ranunculus 3 // orange + mint 4 // black + white

I'd love to see what other gift ideas you come up with!  If you blog about it, leave us a link in the comments so we can come check it out!  Have fantastic week! --xoxo

The post Thank you for helping me grow – free gift tags appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Private Selection for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have made it my mission this year to make better meals for my family. I went as far as having a menu board set up in the kitchen so i know how to plan the meal for that night. One thing that i want to make more of is dessert :) My daughter LOVES it when i tell her that we have dessert! The only problem for me is time. By the time i finish plans for dinner, i don't even want to THINK about making something for dinner (i usually end up getting ice cream lol). GOOD NEWS! Private Selection™ Upside Down Cakes can make it to the table in three simple steps – 1. warm, 2. flip, and 3. serve – making it easy to prepare a delicious gourmet experience for any meal or occasion.

Discover the indulgent new flavors of Private Selection™ Upside Down Cakes: German Chocolate Fudge – with the classically irresistible combination of gooey caramel, pecans and coconut; Double Chocolate Molten – prepared with real butter, eggs, milk, and the finest semi-sweet chocolate; and Amber Honey Apple Spice – topped with apple slices drenched in a sweet amber honey glaze.

Made with only the finest ingredients, they elevate dessert to the next level. Treat yourself and your guests to the rich flavors of the new Private Selection™ Upside Down Cakes. See how simple gourmet can be. Private Selection Upside Down Cakes are premium quality without the premium price. They come in 3 distinct flavors, so there is a cake for any taste. They also taste homemade, thanks to only using the best ingredients. You can find out where to buy a Private Selection Upside Down Cake by visiting http://www.privateselection.com/store-locator/

Kroger is executing the “Spread the Love” campaign beginning on April 8, 2013 and running through June 2, 2013. During this time you can get your hands on a Private Selection Upside Down Cakes coupon! You can get a $1 off coupon BUT, if you share the coupon on Facebook, you can double that coupon and get $2 off your purchase! How fantastic is that?!

Coupon ends 6/2/13. Official Rules. In order to load these coupons to your card, you will need to sign into your Kroger account or set up a Kroger account and enter your card number. Limit one use per digital coupon. Digital offers are not eligible on Manager's Specials, cannot be combined with manufacturer paper coupons on the purchase of a single item, and do not double. Not all items are available in all stores. A limit of 150 coupons can be loaded per household at one time.

You can "Like" Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Facebook and follow Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Pinterest!

You can learn more about Private Selection Upside Down Cakes by visiting http://www.privateselection.com

The post Private Selection™ Upside Down Cakes appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and Walmart partnered in support of this campaign. Walmart compensated me for participation in this campaign. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Click to view Empowering Women Together Mother's Day Look Book on GLOSSI.COM

***Today, Walmart is hosting a giveaway, and one lucky winner is going to get $75 worth of these amazing products!***

The post Walmart Empowering Women Owned Businesses + Giveaway! appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

Today's Link Party is sponsored by Lullaby Paints

The post Blog Link Party With Lullaby Paints appeared first on Somewhat Simple.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I keep looking in my backyard and thinking that i want to fix it up so my kids and i can play out there or, when i have guests over, i want it to look really nice :) BUT it usually comes with SO much hassell (and money!). I have a few yard inspirations that i love and aspire to :) Here are some inspirations of mine...

There are SO many gardening supplies to buy between shovels, gloves, the plants/seeds, etc. there's so much to consider. One thing that is found to be SUPER helpful is Scotts Florida Select Natural Eucalyptus Mulch !

Scotts Florida Select Natural Eucalyptus Mulch is made from 100% Florida-grown Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus Mulch is a sustainable Cypress alternative, grown in Florida, for Florida!

Eucalyptus Mulch is the best option for your landscape and sustainable gardening because it is:

1. SUSTAINABLE: Sustainably-harvested and plantation grown Eucalyptus is considered a renewable resource because it re-grows up to 4-times faster than Cypress.*

2. NATURAL: Made from 100% plantation-grown Eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus Mulch is guaranteed free from any construction, demolition, pallet, or other waste materials.

3. EFFECTIVE: Prevents weeds naturally** while helping to conserve soil moisture and moderate soil temperature.

4. LOCAL: 100% Florida-grown - helps support your local economy.

*Sustainably-harvested and plantation grown Eucalyptus is considered a renewable resource because it re-grows up to 4-times faster than Cypress.
**A three-inch layer of Eucalyptus Mulch naturally helps prevent weeds by blocking growth and access to sunlight.

For all you non-Florida readers, Scotts Nature Scapes mulch is a great option for your landscaping needs this Spring!

It comes in 3 different colors: Classic Black, Sierra Red, and Deep Forest Brown

They’re natural forest products - no waste wood and come in a variety of textures. Scotts Mulch helps to maintain moisture, prevent weeds (I HATE PULLING WEEDS!), and create a groomed landscape all year long. I highly recommend this product! :) It definitely helps maintain the way you want your garden to look.

The post Scotts Florida Select Mulch! appeared first on Somewhat Simple.