Unjunking your candy with UNREAL chocolates!

I have a love/hate relationship with candy, one I've had all my life.  I'm allergic to something frequently used to make chocolate but haven't been able to ever figure out what that is.  Every time I eat chocolate I am playing Russian Roulette and don't know if it will be one that makes me break out in hives.  One pattern I have noticed is the higher the quality - the less I seem to react.

When I first heard about UNREAL candy, I suspected this might be a match made in heaven for me.  I'd seen them everywhere - CVS, Ralphs, Rite Aid, Michaels, Staples and a bunch of other stores but the skeptic in me prevented me from buying one.  I started to hear murmurs from friends about how very different the chocolates tasted. 

The candy doesn't contain GMO's, artificial flavors, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and synthetic colors like most candy bars.  They are made with real milk, cane sugar, double cacao, more peanuts and organic palm oil.  The bars contain about 30% less sugar than their counter parts, have 60% more fiber and actually contain protein!  For me I LOVE the fact they contain protein (the chocolate caramel nougat bar has 5 grams of protein!).  I've been working hard at building up my protein in my diet and knowing that there is REAL food in the bars helps remove the guilt with snacking on a candy bar! (All this for right about the same price as a traditional candy bar!)

When I had the chance to throw a party to introduce the UNREAL bars to a bunch of friends I was excited but nervous since I hadn't tried them myself.  After my first bite I was hooked!  The candy tastes so different than regular candy, but different in an wholesome, delicious way!  And the best part in my opinion?  I don't have an allergic reaction to them!

The kids all had a great time running around getting to sample lots of their favorite candy, but unjunked!  I heard several of the kids commenting that the natural food colors sure make the candy taste better!

I took a poll among everyone there and the peanut butter cups were a definite winner, but the candy coated chocolates were also loved.   This is one more tool for parents to use in removing the junk from our children's diets!

I might be the house passing them out at Halloween along with a flyer for parents to read... 

Have you taken the taste test yet?  Do you prefer the taste of junk in your candy? Or do you prefer your candy unjunked?

Note:  This is part of a compensated campaign, but all of the opinions expressed are 100% my own and I absolutely LOVE the UNREAL candy after trying it!  I honestly am thinking pretty seriously about buying a bunch and handing it out to trick or treaters!

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Helping You and Your Family Be Healthy!

As moms, taking care of everyone else seems to fall before taking care of ourselves.  We often wait until it is that bad to do something about a health problem, simply because we didn't have the time to figure out where to start.

I can't even count the number of times I have paced in the kitchen late at night wondering if my son's cough, fever or weird rash was something that should wait until the doctor was in the next morning or if it was something that needed emergency attention.  I can't even tell you how much I would have appreciated the ability to call a nurse in the middle of the night to diagnose the severity.  Consoling an uncomfortable baby at home is much better than waiting for hours at the emergency room as long as you know its something that can wait!

The other day I had the chance to sit in on a conference call with Blue Cross Blue Shield (it operates under a number of WellPoint family companies, varying by state).  It's one of the largest insurers in the country.  I've never felt that our insurance company was truly a partner in health, but after hearing about how Blue Cross Blue Shield is working to help people maintain health, my opinion dramatically changed.  Our insurance is Blue Cross and I honestly had no idea we had access to a 24/7 nurse, but the number is right there listed on my insurance card!  Having the ability to pick up the phone and ask the advice of a nurse is priceless to me!  It's not available for all health plans, but a huge number of plans include it.

Blue Cross is also partnering with FitOrbit, which provides personalized personal training to assist people with meal plans, fitness goals and everything in between.

There is also a Future Moms program that helps pregnant women at all stages including maternity care and postpartum care.  There are ways to sign up through the Blue Cross website to add email reminders for health issues, patient record updates and countless other features.

The one thing I really came away with was being beyond impressed with how Blue Cross Blue Shield is shifting the focus to helping people maintain (or achieve) healthy lifestyles instead of waiting until an illness or other issue becomes so severe it can't be ignored.  I encourage you to take a few minutes, check out your health insurance website and take advantage of the services being offered to you.  If you have a 24/7 nurse line, make a mental note of it.  If there are other plan specific programs being offered to you, use them.  They are there for a reason, to keep you and your family healthy!

Note:  This is part of a compensated campaign with TheMotherhood, and is completely coincidental that I am a Blue Cross Blue Shield Subscriber.  My opinions are as always completely my own and I can say I am now SUPER proud to be insured by them!

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Avoiding dehydration for kids with a few simple tips

Summer has officially hit here in Southern California this week.  With extreme temperature warnings all over the map, it's crucial that we as parents take the time to be sure our kids aren't getting dehydrated!  After day 2 of a heat wave is when people (kids and elderly in particular) become most susceptible to dehydration.

My boys are great about drinking water, but on these crazy hot days it can be hard to get them to drink enough water.  A couple of tips I have learned over the years is to always have fresh fruit and citrus on hand.  Several times a day hand them a bowl of freshly washed grapes, a mandarin orange, apples or other favorites in your house.  Grapes in particular are loaded with fluid which helps keep the dehydration away.  It's easy to get the kids to snack on them throughout the day!

To encourage the kids to guzzle down the water, add a few tablespoons of juice to give the water some flavor, but cuts way down on the sugar content.

Make jell-o!  Yes, it has sugar, but the water in the jell-o is a great way to sneak it in.

What other tips do you have for beating the extreme heat?

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Keeping Everyone's Underwear Straight ~ Household Hints

Having two boys less than 2 years a part has made life crazy.  Crazy in a fantastic way! 

In some ways it is fantastic because just as one is growing out of a size, the younger one is growing in to that size.  It's a dream scenario for hand me downs!  But it is an absolute nightmare for laundry sorting!

Sometimes the boys will share shirts, but let's be honest - there are some things not to be shared!

I've come up with a great strategy that we have stuck with for years and it has made laundry sorting for the boys much easier.  There are two very well known boys under wear brands... Hanes and Fruit of the Loom.  For years we have purchased each of the boys underwear from one brand exclusively.  It makes it super easy for the boys to find their own clothes from the clean laundry stacks. 

We do the same with the boys socks.  We always purchase the grey tipped socks for one of the boys and the other has no grey tips (solid white) socks.

What other strategies do you use to make laundry easier?

Note:  This post is not compensated in any way and isn't an endorsement of either product, it's just what we do to help with the sanity in the house...

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What do you find in the laundry? Fish eyes and crab claws?

As a mom of two energetic and adventure seeking two young boys, I find a ton of bizarre things in the laundry.  A lot.   And I'm not talking about a Lego here and there.

Just a couple weeks ago I found these crazy jelly balls.  Hundreds of them in the washing machine and throughout all the clothes in the washing machine.  I mean in pockets, in crevices, all over the place.  I took me forever to figure out what they were and where they came from.  Turns out they were a gift one of the boys had received at a party, called fish eyes.  Just add water and watch them grow.  Yeah... pretty sure they didn't mean to place in pockets and put through the wash to grow them.  I'm just so thankful I found them before they went in the dryer because I'd bet they would be melted fish eyes... Let's just not go there.

Then there was the one time I found a pair of crab claws in the laundry.  Yeah...  It was a couple nights after we had eaten at Joe's Crab Shack.  (You can read about those fun times here.)  I can rest assured that life will never be boring when I'm doing the laundry around here!

Recently I got the chance to test out Wisk Deep Clean laundry detergent and in the process learned some fascinating and absolutely grotesque things about the average American's laundry.  Did you know that the average wash contains 20 times more body oils and sweat than visible stains?  That's just nasty.  How often do you change your bed sheets?  I bet not once a week like is recommended...  Did you know that women are more likely to snag something out of the laundry basket to re-wear something than men?  That surprised me!

I'm sure you're feeling as self conscious as I am by this point, so head out and grab a bottle of Wisk Deep Clean the next time you are at the store.  I've just made the switch and have absolutely noticed a huge change in the cleanliness of the laundry.   I've tested it with some of our sweatiest work out clothes (and trust me, we have been putting our washing machine to the test this Summer with all of the adventures we have been on!). 

There are some great options including ones for families with skin sensitivities and for people with HE washing machines!   I tested out the Wisk Deep Clean Free & Pure for HE machines because of the crazy skin issues we have. 

I dare you to test it out on a few loads of laundry to see if you notice a difference like I did!  Psst... if you join their Facebook fan page here you can download a coupon too!

Note:  No compensation was received for this post.  Product was received to facilitate the review, but as always the opinions are 100% my own!
 
 

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What's in a mohawk?

We have decided to mow our lawn to look like a mohawk from now on.  I'm sure you think I've lost it by now.   We actually mow our own lawn (both my husband and I love put-zing in the yard on the weekends and well, my husband is a little protective of his lawn).  He's worked very hard to get it super lush green and healthy even through the winter.  (No joke, we do actually have the greenest grass in the neighborhood).  We have an electric mower and we haven't had to charge it in awhile.  Last weekend it ran out of charge while he was moving the lawn and we were left with this mohawk overnight while it recharged.

My husband has sworn me to secrecy about what his secret is to having such a lush healthy lawn in the middle of winter, even after several nights of harsh frost.  We have several neighbors trying to figure it out... and one is being very sneaky about trying to figure it out.

We've been working on cover stories to tell the neighbors who ask what the trick is.  My current favorite is saying how happy we were that we had the builder put in the septic leech system under the lawn (I can't wait to get heckled by the construction manager for that one since we certainly don't have a septic system...).  But then the lawn mower ran out of charge and now my favorite line will now be that we mow it like a mohawk for 24 hours to appease the native spirits for a healthy lawn.  

Any other good cover stories for me???

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Easy Prepped and Amazing Desserts from fresh&easy!

Still planning that perfect dessert for your holiday party but running out of time?  Be sure to stop by your local fresh&easy to pick up some of these AMAZING desserts.  Trust me, they taste just as good as they look!  And yes, that is an absolutely scrumptious mini chocolate eclair hiding in the back...

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Thanksgiving last minute hints (or help!) for fantastic entertaining!

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving is off to a fantastic start!  I've been in my kitchen baking biscotti, scones and croissants all morning!  But I wanted to share a few resources (courtesy of some of my favorite go to magazines for everything household) for you in case your cooking doesn't go according to plan later today or you just need some last minute ideas ...

Thanksgiving 911

Your top Turkey Day problems solved! View a recent live chat with Real Simple food editors.

 Your Healthiest Thanksgiving

Follow this breakfast-to-bedtime plan and you’ll enjoy all the best parts of this holiday with none of the guilt.

 31 Easy Pie Recipes
Make your holiday meal complete with these festive, decadent desserts

THE CROWD-PLEASER’S HOLIDAY COOKBOOK

Wow your table with these variations from Cooking Light on the 5 best-loved dishes on the Thanksgiving table: turkey, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, and pie.  Pick a dish from each category and you've got the ultimate Thanksgiving day menu consisting of classic recipes with delicious tweaks.

TURKEY 101

MyRecipes.com talks turkey with advice for how to buy, cook, and carve your Thanksgiving bird.

 

THANKSGIVING ENTERTAINING

Get inspired to create a Thanksgiving celebration your guests won’t forget with table settings that cater to your coastal style, and more.

From Farm to Feast

Meet the farmers who are producing our favorite Thanksgiving foods, from heritage turkeys and heirloom potatoes to vine-ripened cranberries, farmstead flour, and exotic mushrooms. Delicious recipes and a local buying guide, make this an indispensable resource for any cook who realizes that the ingredients truly do make the meal.

Makeovers for Thanksgiving Leftovers
Here are few new ways to enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers

Quick Fixes Before the Guests Arrive

The holidays are right around the corner and now is the time to take care of the improvements you've been procrastinating about all year long. From dead doorbells and jammed doors, to caulking the bath and replacing broken tiles, here are our top quick fixes, and all the information you need to get the job done right.

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Candy Cane Peppermint Sugar Scrub - Homemade

It's that time of year... you know, the one where you become overwhelmed by the amount of candy canes that have over taken your life!  Just about everyone I know is looking for ways to cut corners but not feel like they are cutting corners.  Try this delicious (smelling, but don't eat it!) Peppermint Sugar Scrub as a great gift for friends and neighbors.  Be sure to leave yourself a jar for those moments when you decompress and have a little you time this holiday season!

Peppermint Sugar Scrub
Ingredients:

• An empty jar with a lid (or you can use these cute little tins pictured above)
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 6 candy canes/peppermint candy (approx ¼ cup), finely crushed into a powder
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 drops peppermint essential oil (optional)

Pour the granulated white sugar and crushed peppermint into the jar. Put the lid on the jar and shake it to mix thoroughly until the ingredients are well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients into sugar mix. Put the lid on the jar and shake it to mix thoroughly until the ingredients are well blended. Label the jar as desired.
Note this post original posted in 2010 here on this site.

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Mint Cookie Filled Parmadillo Cake - Birthday Fun!

I've started a new tradition of making fondant cakes for the kids birthdays.  Each time I try something new and try to kick it up a notch. 

Life has been absolutely crazy around here with both my husband and I working full time and trying to manage a calm household in the middle of moving, new school and everything else.  Creating an amazing cake was one thing I was determined to not let slip.  I started planning well over a month before his birthday and his request was clear - he wanted a Parmadillo Cake.  It's a character from Viva Pinata in case you weren't familiar.

My trademark filling has become the crumbled mint oreo mixed with vanilla frosting.  Add some purple fondant and a little free hand frosting decoration and there you go!  One custom birthday cake. 

I'm definitely not a professional, but the kids don't care and they LOVE being able to come up with their own cake designs.  Now if I could just find a cake to make to crumble up some of that Halloween candy we have laying around...

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More Kids School Lunch Ideas

I've talked before about school lunches and thought I'd share a few more of the favorites in our house.  I rarely allow my boys to purchase school lunches (Jamie Oliver - Help!), so packing unique and healthy lunches are a necessity in our house.

Tonight I made tacos for dinner and as we were cleaning up the dishes I just portioned out tacos for the kids lunches in containers.  It makes packing the school lunches so much easier and the kids love them. 

Dinner was healthy sliced red, green and yellow peppers sauteed with onions and garlic. 

Grilled chicken, shredded cheese, salsa and a little sour cream and you are set for delish tacos.

A super easy spinoff dish is a cheese quesadilla with a dollop of sour cream, couple pieces of grilled chicken and sauteed red pepper is my other son's favorite lunch.

And for dessert?  Fresh sliced strawberries with a dash of raw sugar for super sweetness of course! 

Keep emailing me your favorite lunch secrets (email me OCMomActivities at gmail dot com)! I'm working on a post to share them soon!

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My Dinner and School Lunch Secret Weapon

This last week has been like a Perfect Storm around here.  My husband was out of the country all week on a business trip, I needed to work a 50 hour work week, I was sick and both my kids traded off being sick.  To say that I was a little overwhelmed would be a bit of an understatement.

Getting a decent meal in for the kids as well as packing a decent/healthy school lunch is challenging when you can barely think straight.  One of my fall backs is Subway sandwiches.  We'll go and buy foot long sandwiches and the kids will eat half for dinner.  The other half is perfect for the main portion in their lunches the next day.  Add a snack, water bottle and maybe a mandarin orange or apple slices and you have the perfect lunch.  A huge bonus is the kids LOVE having the sandwiches for lunch the next day - it sure beats PB & J!

So thanks Subway for helping me my sanity last week when I didn't have the extra brain power or energy to make dinner and school lunches!

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Preparing for Cold and Flu Season - So important!

I dread Cold & Flu season.  We spend a lot of time at Disneyland and are exposed to just about everything going around.  Recently I participated in a shop at Walgreens to prepare for Cold & Flu Season.  It all began with a stop at my own medicine cabinet to check for expired labels.  I was shocked!  It was no where as bad as I thought it was!  I actually didn't have a single expired medication (yay me!).  Last year was a rough one and we went through a lot of Cold and Flu medicines, so I was constantly having to replenish our supplies.  I also don't buy the large sizes (even though they are a value).  I do that intentionally because then the chances of it aging and expiring in our medicine cabinet is far lower.

To prepare for Cold & Flu season this year I took a proactive approach instead of reactive.  I stocked up on vitamins, hand sanitizer, chapstick, tissues, cough drops, Robitussin, vaporizing chest rub, Mucinex and a few other miscellaneous items (be sure to see the ThisMoment photo collage below showing all the products I chose to stock up on, if the image doesn't show below you can go here). 

I always keep a stockpile of hand sanitizer around to send with the kids when they go to school.  They are great about using it before they eat lunch and I know that cuts down on the amount of sicknesses they get.

Brett, my oldest isn't good about blowing his nose - so moisturizing tissues are a must or his nose gets so raw and irritated.  The Chapstick is also critical for when you are breathing through your nose because I always get such chapped lips!

This shop couldn't have come at a better time for us as the day after doing the shop my oldest started to complain about a sore throat.  I doubled up on his vitamins immediately, gave him a handful of the yummy Vitamin C citrus flavored drops and gave him cough medicine for his sore scratchy throat.  Score one for Mom!

I've learned my lesson, every year from here on out, I'll think of Back to School time as medicine cabinet cleaning and prepping time.  I can't tell you how great it was to know when my son started feeling sick today that I had everything he needed, right down to the vaporizing chest rub (which I will sometimes just dab on their nose) to help clear out the sinuses and help him get to sleep.  And the peace of mind knowing that I didn't even have to worry about whether those medicines had expired over the summer was a great feeling as a Mom!

When was the last time you cleaned out your medicine cabinet?  (Hint: If you can't remember... you are overdue!!!)

Note: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias but all of the purchases and opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

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Clif Kids ZBars are a lifesaver for moms!

My son Kyle seems to always be snacking.  He's famous for "starving" just an hour or two after eating a meal and it always seems to be at the worst time.  I can't even count how many times he's declared he was starving while we were in line for a ride at Disneyland or in the car on the way somewhere.  I learned a few years ago that I had to keep snacks in my purse for him or the day could spiral downhill - fast!  It makes me laugh because he eats so much each day but spreads it out through the day and must have a fantastic metabolism because he is definitely slender.  Okay ... so the fact that he is constantly on the go might have something to do with it...

Granola bars are great, but there isn't much nutrition in most of them.  A few years ago another mother turned me on to the Clif Bars - ZBars made for kids.  Kyle loves them and they have also become a staple addition to his school lunches.  I'm always trying to sneak added nutrition in to everything I can, so the ZBars have been a great addition.

Recently Clif Bar sent me samples of the Clif Kid ZBar Crispy.  Kyle absolutely loves them and now asks to have them in his school lunches too.  Each bar has 110 calories, is low in sugar and is made with organic ingredients.  I unfortunately am not able to taste them to give you my opinion because they have oats in them (and yeah... that pesky oat allergy strikes again!). 

Clif Kid ZBar Crispy come in three yummy flavors - Chocolate Chip, Chocolate and Peanut Butter flavors - all ones that kids love!

Thanks Clif Bar for creating another super yummy and healthy snack bar for my kids!

*Note I recieved products to facilitate the writing of this post.

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School Lunch Ideas

Kids are back to school and it's time to get back in to the lunch groove!  I used to find packing school lunches to be a challenge.   I've had to get creative over the years because until recently Kyle (my youngest) hasn't been interested in having sandwiches in his lunch and Brett (my oldest) has never been a fan of sandwiches.  Packing healthy, nutritious lunches has taken a lot of creative thinking on my part, but I finally feel like I've gotten the hang of it.  Ok... so the boys coming home frequently saying the other kids were jealous of their yummy lunches was also a big clue I was on the right path!


One of my favorite "tricks" for their lunches is to pack left overs from dinner the night before.  For example tonight I made chicken breasts in the slow cooker, with rice and salad on the side.  The boys LOVED the dinner, so I have these fantastic split dish containers that I portioned out some of the left over rice.  Add a mandarin orange, granola bar and yogurt cup and the kids have a super easy, nutritious and filling lunch that you can be proud of!  To save time I portion out the containers as we are cleaning up from dinner so it saves me tons of time when I'm getting their lunches packed up. 


The widespread use of re-usable lunch totes has made it easier than ever to send kids with containers  that you know won't be thrown away.  I make use of those to the fullest!  I've sent the kids with taco leftovers, spaghetti left overs, slider hamburgers (made at home so I know what is in them!), bruschetta and more. 

Also don't forget one of these super cute kids re-usable ice packs to keep yogurts and other goodies cold!


I'll share some of our favorite packed lunches over the next few weeks and would love to hear (and feature!) some of your lunches (email me OCMomActivities at gmail dot com). 

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On the Go Recipes with Lawry's

Making delicious and healthy meals that are easy for on the go families are a challenge at best.  Lawry's (a staple product in our household) recently asked a few of us to get together and come up with new, healthy recipes for on the go using their products.  For me it was easy because I absolutely love (and have since I was a kid) many of the Lawry's products.  Working moms frequently have the challenge of eating healthy is difficult, but one of my favorite tricks was to make a salad the night before so I have something healthy for lunch the next day.  Coming up with those easy and delicious salads takes some planning but pays off.
 
RockinMama and I created a fantastic super healthy salad that would work as a main course one night and can be put in a container for lunch the next day.

 Ingredients:
2 lbs. of boneless chicken breast.
1 cup of Lawry’s Ginger Sesame Marinade.
1- pack of your favorite fresh Green Salad
1- fruit cup of Mandarin Oranges
Whole Baby tomatoes to taste

Slivered Almonds to taste

1/4 cup of Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing

Shredded Carrots to taste

Directions:

In a resealable plastic bag, marinated chicken in Lawry’s Ginger Sesame Marinade in the refrigerator for 30 mins (if you have time, I highly recommend letting it marinate over night for even more flavor). Then cook on grill (or on a countertop grill if you are in a hurry).  Once cooked, slice chicken into cubes and add to fresh greens.  Top with mandarin orange slices, whole baby tomatoes, shredded carrots, slivered almonds and top with your favorite Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing.

DayTrippingMom and ThoughtsofaMommy came up with this fantastic twist on Mexican Potato salad.

Ingredients:

5 lbs. of Potatoes
1 package of Chorizo, cooked and drain from oil
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped (separated some for toppings)
10 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup of mayo
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Peel and chop (into small sized cubes) potatoes and boil in water for about 15 mins. I added a teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoned salt to add a tiny bit of flavor. Once boiled, drain and place potatoes to cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour. In a mixing bowl, combine cooled potatoes, mayo, eggs, cilantro, chorizo, onions and mix till all ingredients are well mixed. Add Lawry’s Seasoned Salt to taste.

LosAngelesStory and MommyofaMonster came up with sliders.  Below is LosAngelesStory's recipe using the Lawry's Terriyaki Marinade.

Ingredients:* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1/2 cup Lawry’s Teriyaki Marinade With Pineapple Juice, divided
* 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
* 4 pineapple slices
* Lettuce leaves (as needed)
* 10 mini hamburger rolls, toasted
Directions:
1. Mix ground beef, 1/4 cup of the marinade and red bell pepper in medium bowl until well blended. Shape into 10 rounded slider patties.
2. Broil or grill over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes per side or until sliders are cooked through (internal temperature reaches 160°F). Meanwhile, broil or grill pineapple slices 1 to 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Brush sliders and pineapple slices with remaining 1/4 cup marinade while cooking.
3. Serve sliders on toasted rolls with pineapple slices and lettuce leaves.

*  Note this is a compensated post part of a campaign with TheMotherhood and Lawrys.  I was provided product to facilitate the creation of recipes, but note that they are products I already frequently use and love (hence the bulk sizes of them I keep inmy cupboard...)

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Perfect Pairings - Great ideas for backyard parties

My family is in love with chips.  I've learned to embrace it and use it to my advantage by combining their love (ok this might be a slight understatement...) of chips and healthy foods.  Putting together a fantastic and nutritious dip can make snacking fun and guilt-free for the kids!  Oh... the things you can hide in dips... Spinach dips, hummus dips (we have to skip these in our house because I'm allergic to lentils) and other salsas are some of the yummy dips we love at our house.

Recently, some of my favorite girlfriends and I got together with all our kids to share some super yummy recipes.  I made my famous bruschetta to be used as a salsa.  It's loaded with fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil so it is super healthy (and very addicting!).  No kidding, I make this once a week in our house and the entire family devours it!  It's very easy to make and my best advice to you is the quality of the tomatoes make or break the recipe (fresh crushed garlic and fresh chopped basil are also a must).

 

Ingredients:

●Vine ripened cherry tomatoes (approximately 1.5 quarts when quartered); the quality of the tomatoes makes or breaks this recipe.

●Handful of washed/rough chopped fresh Basil

●Several fresh crushed cloves of Garlic (amount depending on your taste)

●Handful of shredded Mozzarella

●Olive Oil (approx. 2 tablespoons)

●Balsamic Vinegar (approx. 1 tablespoon)

●Cayenne Pepper

●Salt

●Tostitos chips (Hint of Lime or Jalapeno Tostitos chips are also fantastic!)

Directions:

Wash and slice the tomatoes in quarters (depending on the size of the tomato), add the rough chopped basil, crushed garlic, shredded mozzarella (use the apple wood smoked mozzarella from Trader Joe's for a fantastic flavor addition), olive oil, balsamic. Add Cayenne and salt to taste. Mix.

Some of the other fantastic dips were...

RockinMama's Mango Dip

Amy Anderson's Spicy Black Bean Dip

Thoughts of a Mommy Full Press Fundido

DayTrippingMom's Pico de Gallo

L.A. Story's Spinach Artichoke Dip

You can find other perfect pairings recipes here.

What are your favorite healthy perfect pairings for chips?


* Note: This is part of a compensated campaign through The Motherhood and Frito-Lay.

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Tips for those last minute Father's Day gifts

Father's Day is coming up and if you're like me you are just now thinking about what to get for the fathers in your life. I love saving money whenever possible and wanted to share some great online shopping tips from Barry Boone, owner and founder of CurrentCodes.com, a Web site clearinghouse for promotional codes that directs shoppers to timely bargains and discount codes. (You'll find some great Father's Day online discount codes at the end of this post!)

1) Check for Promotional Codes: Always check for a coupon or promotional code online before checking out. Finding a discount code Web site through your favorite search engine only takes a few seconds and could save your family anything from free shipping to 50 percent off or more.

2) Compare Prices: If you know the exact product you want to purchase, it pays to visit several online retailers to compare prices. Some Web sites can help shoppers find the best price by providing a list of online stores in a particular category.

3) Pay with Credit Card: Security of credit card information is a top concern when shopping online. In general, it is far safer to use a credit card than a debit card. Most debit cards do not offer the same level of protection as a credit card does when making an online purchase.

4) Review Carefully: Always take time to review the final checkout screen. Be sure to confirm that your order reflects the correct items, quantities and pricing before you click “submit.”

5) Protect Your Privacy: One of the most important steps of online shopping is how to find Web sites that are safe and secure. It is important to keep your personal information out of the hands of identity theft predators. Be sure to read the site’s privacy policy on information sharing, and don’t unintentionally opt-in to having your information shared with third parties.

6) Sideline Sales Tax: Some merchants are required to collect sales taxes in your state, while others may not. It can save you money to check several online retailers if the merchant you are about to purchase from wants to charge sales tax.

7) Beware of Shipping & Handling Fees: Pay close attention to shipping charges. Some retailers make up for their “low” prices by padding the shipping fees, so be sure you are getting the lowest possible overall price.

Here are some great Father's Day Discount codes too!

MyGolfer.com- Receive 5 % off tool purchases with code TOOLSFORDAD
Neckties.com- Receive 10% off with code DADGRAD
Ties.com- Receive 10% off with code DADGRAD
Wrangler.com- Receive Free shipping on order with codes DADFS1
Original Penguin- Receive 30% off order with code OPGDAD30
Perry Ellis- Recieve 30% off slecetd items with code FATHERSDAY30AF
Cabelas.com- Receive $5 Shipping on $150+ order with code WDADSDAY
Kiehls- Free shipping on any $30 order with code FATHERS
Carol Wright Gifts- Save $4 off $40+ order with code CWLDAD
Vosges Haut-Chocolat- Save 15% off with code DAD15                    
Wildties.com- Save 10% off with code DADGRAD
ShopCatepillar.com- Free shipping on $75 or more with code CATDAD1
Wine.com- Save 10% on all wine club memberships with code CLUBDAD
Sears.com- Receive free shipping on all orders over $99 with code SHIP4DAD

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6 Ways To Save Like An Extreme Couponer

We've all done it, just admit it.  

I've clipped coupons and I was pretty proud of myself when I managed to save 30% on a regular grocery shop at Vons.  My neighbor and I used to go grocery shopping together and make a competition about it, the person who saved the highest percentage bought the other a coffee.  I think the highest we ever hit was 40% discount off a regular shop.  Yeah... I guess we are rookies compared to the people I've been seeing on Extreme Couponing on TLC.  

I must admit I'm a little inspired to get back in to it (I haven't clipped coupons in a few years) and save some serious money on grocery shopping again.  With gas prices on the rise, it would be great to save money on grocery shopping!

Below are Six Ways To Save Like An Extreme Couponer from Andrea Woroch.

1. Start Small
Don't try to go extreme all at once. Take it step by step, rather than show up at a checkout with 50 coupons and little idea what you're doing.

2. Never Pay For Coupons
There are some things in this life you just shouldn't pay for, and a coupon is one of them. Paying someone to clip or organize your coupons defeats the purpose of living frugally. Instead, surf Sunday newspaper ad supplements for coupon savings; ask your neighbors for their unwanted papers; or dive inside a recycled dumpster or two. Also, free online coupon sites like CouponSherpa.com give consumers access to a multitude of coupon codes and printable coupons for thousands of merchants.

3. Get Organized
A little organization can go a long way. Always create a shopping list and have your coupons and shopping strategy organized before you even enter the store. Use an expandable coupon binder to sort coupon inserts by date, categories and expiration dates. Transfer to a small couponizer only those you'll need for a specific shopping trip.

4. Location, Location, Location
Where you shop is a key factor in making the best use of your time and coupons. Only shop at locations that allow coupon stacking and combining coupons with in-store offers. Don't be afraid to call and ask about policies before you show up. You don't want to wind up embarrassed at the checkout line with a handful of useless coupons.

5. Loyalty Rewards
Always take advantage of club membership rewards. These programs are usually free and have many savings perks, like rewards points, cash back programs, and double points for every certain amount you spend.

6. Don't Be Greedy
This is often where extreme couponers cross over into the world of hoarding. Only shop for items you actually need, products you can stock up on that aren't perishable, and those you can donate. Remember, a bargain is only a bargain if you can actually use the purchase. If your pantry has expanded into your living room and the kids are sleeping on rolls of toilet paper, you've probably reached hoarder status.

Still want more tips?  Head on over to Andrea's site here or follow her on Twitter here.

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Keeping Track of Kids at Birthday Parties

Birthday parties can be hectic at best, but when you combine it with a busy venue, it can be very nerve wrecking as the party hosts to keep track of all the kids and be sure they are all in the right place.  In past years, we've always opted to use party locations where the kids aren't being mixed in with other parties.  Eventhough my boys are starting to get older, I still rarely drop-off the kids at a party and come back at the end, unless I know the parents well.  This is just because I know how hard it can be to keep track of so many kids running around who you may or may not know very well.

So a trick I've come up with when you are at a party place that mixes kids around, its to buy the glow in the dark bracelets (we used these for our recent laser tag birthday party) or some other piece that identifies t-them.  I've seen some parents use t-shirts (which can be pricier) to pins.  I loved using the glow in the dark bracelets for laser tag because it was like a party favor and identifying piece at the same time.  The kids also loved it because while playing laser tag, they were able to figure out it was one of their friends even in the dark.

The venue we had our party at made me nervous because of the large number of walk-ins they allow to play alongside the kids and that they don't monitor the doors to be sure kids can't head out the doors without a parent.  In this case, the solution was easy - the glow in the dark bracelets were purchased for 49 cents each at Michael's craft store.  I was able to keep my eye on the door and be sure none of the kids from our party were even near the door, eventhough I wasn't too familiar with all of my son's friends.

What tricks have you used in the past to easily identify the kids from your party? 

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