Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and sparkling dishes are mine.

We have SO many dishes.  I'm not sure if our dishwasher is smaller than average or it means we eat too much.  I think it's the latter.  My girls are constantly eating--I'm not sure where they put it!!  We've tried almost everything on the market, but Finish has been the best dishwasher detergent for us! Bonus: there's always great coupons!

Over the summer, we added a few chores to the girls' daily routine.  Nothing too major: making the bed, putting clothes in the hamper, feeding Rambo and helping with the dishwasher.  I let them put away the (non-sharp) silverware and measuring cups.  Olivia actually loves to do this--obviously her love for cleaning doesn't come from me! As much as I love their help, I never let them touch the dish tablets or any cleaner--that's MY job. 

When it comes to loading, usually after dinner it's Ricky's job. Whenever he is loading the dishwasher, he claims I hover over him, correcting each dish he puts in.  In my defense, he tends to just throw dishes everywhere.  At least with Finish, we don't have to worry about dishes with spots or stuck food--it truly gets every dish (no matter the crazy direction...) clean!

One day while the twins were at school, Gabby and I took a trip to Walmart to check out the markdown $2.97 price on Finish.  There's a $1 off coupon too!  Since we run the dish washer at least twice a day, I like to stock up with a deal.  Gabby has a rough time with the girls at school and she insisted on wearing a Princess dress. I have learned to pick my battles!  Let's be honest, there's only a small window in your life where you can get away with wearing a Princess dress without looking completely crazy...am I right?

This stash we picked up should last about....a month.

I'm loving the Finish Quantum Power & Free, which uses hydrogen peroxide to clean and less harsh chemicals than other varieties.  Of course, there was only one box of that one left while we were shopping! It has a 3-Chamber capsule and it really seems to make my glasses and plates shine.

Have you tried Finish detergent?  What's your go-to tip for clean dishes?

Drink Pink! Take a #mymikesmoment for Yourself!

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for mike’s hard lemonade. I received a Visa gift card to facilitate this review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

I'm going to be honest here: I'm exhausted.  I thought having the twins in school all day would give me more time to do work, some cleaning and spend quality time with Gabby, but it's not quite going that way.  After a long week, I work all weekend and then it's time to start over again. I have always been a night owl, but I have been crashing by 10:00 most nights. 

As a Mom, it's hard to stop and take a moment for yourself.  Everyone else in the house is taken care of before myself.  Some days, I'll be making lunch for Gabby and realize my English muffin from 8:00 am is still sitting on the counter, untouched. Even at the grocery store, if I pick up a special treat for myself (*cough* mike's hard pink lemonade), I feel like I should spend the money on something else.  I love the old airplane analogy: you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first so you can take care of others. It's definitely something I'm working on! 

The other night, I had a rare moment alone to myself to catch The Voice (never watched it before, SO addicting!).  I put my cozy socks on and enjoyed a mike's hard pink lemonade.  Seriously, it was amazing to just relax and have a moment to myself after running around all day.  I didn't care about the mess on the floor from the girls or the laundry piled up (in my defense: our dryer is broken, so laundry is quite a chore).  I made my favorite sriracha coconut oil popcorn and drank my pink lemonade in peace.  By "drinking pink", I was able to savor a moment for myself and support a larger cause!

Since 2009, mike's hard lemonade has released their special pink lemonade in the fall to help raise funds for breast cancer research.  They have donated over $1 MILLION dollars y'all! I know October is around the corner because I'm seeing pink everywhere.

Stop and think about your day.  Can you take a few extra moments for yourself?  Grab a 6-pack of mike's lemonade and have a special treat!  Or polish your nails pink! Or go to bed early, instead of scanning Pinterest! The possibilities are endless!

What's your favorite way to unwind? Do you experience the "Mom guilt"?

Fun Dips: Faux Cookie Dough

I have a major cookie dough addiction.  I know, I know...you're not supposed to eat raw eggs.  But I cannot resist dipping a spoon in any type of batter while baking.

When I came across this recipe in Family Fun magazine last April, I was hesitant.  Chickpeas? Oatmeal? That will NOT taste like cookie dough!  But I'm all about beans, I had to test this out with the girls. Let me tell you this: the girls LOVED this dip.  They think Mama has gone crazy and is letting them have an indulgent treat.  Little do they know, this is a HEALTHY cookie dough. Ha! #MomWin!

Here's what you need:

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (also labeled Garbanzo beans)
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or your favorite PB alternative)
• 3 tablespoons old fashioned oats
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• Dippers: apples, pretzels, fingers (hehe)

1. In a mini chopper, mix together all ingredients except mini chips.
2. Blend until smooth. Taste and add extra vanilla, if necessary. 
3. Fold in mini chips.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. 

Who's ready to try this? Have I gone crazy? Since it's apple season, might as well try this with your next snack! 

Healthy Breakfast: PB & Banana Oatmeal Muffins!

 

I envisioned our mornings before kindergarten to be hectic, but they have been going so smoothly!  Well, we have a few breakdowns about clothes, but otherwise we have PLENTY of time to get ready.  We like to experiment with different breakfast foods and these muffins are always requested!

These breakfast muffins are filling and super healthy.  With oatmeal, Greek yogurt, bananas, peanut butter and a few chocolate chips, you'll send your kiddos off to school full AND happy.

I love to make 2-3 batches of these on a rainy day to fill up the freezer.  Simply bake them, freeze them on a cookie sheet and then put in baggies once frozen!  Or freeze the batter to bake later. I do grocery store demos on the weekends and I learned a cool new trick from the bakery: freeze the batter (with the cupcake liners) in the muffin tins.  Once frozen, pop out and keep them in a freezer bag.  When you are craving fresh muffins, pop the frozen muffins in the oven and bake for 10 or so minutes longer than normal.  Saves the time of making the batter! 

Here's what you need:

• 2 mashed bananas (look for those markdown ones!)
• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil 
• NOTE: You can sub 4 tablespoons butter for pumpkin & coconut oil
• 1/4 cup 0% Greek yogurt
• 1/2 peanut butter or sunflower butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and baking soda
• 1/4 cup flax seed (optional)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips to sprinkle on top

I like to make little "kits" of the dry ingredients in mason jars to grab when I'm craving muffins. Total time saver.  ALSO a great gift!

Let's Bake! Yields about 12 muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together, except chocolate chips, and set aside.
3. In a mixer bowl, add banana, pumpkin and coconut oil. Mix on low until blended.  Add yogurt, peanut butter, vanilla and egg. 
4. Slowly pour in dry ingredients. 
5. Add batter to lined muffin pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
6. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Don't overcook! 
• They will look a bit dry, but let them cool. Pinky swear they are ah-mazing!

What's your favorite healthy breakfast?

Book Review: After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid (And Giveaway!)

Check out BookSparks U!

I absolutely love reading, I just haven't been able to keep a steady schedule lately.  I blame Bravo. So many Housewives on right now!

In an effort to read more, I've joined BookSparks U program to help jumpstart my reading again.  They offer new releases and prizes for reading each week! Woohoo!  My goal is to review books as I read them, then give away a copy of ones I love!  How does that sound? I promise to be honest in my reviews--I hate when I waste time on an awful book after being led astray!

I read After I Do a month ago and it was one of those books you can't put down.  I definitely went through lots of coffee that week since I was up late reading every night!

Main plot:
Lauren and Ryan reach a point in their marriage where they aren't sure if staying together is the best idea.  After being together since college, they feel like they are changing into incompatible people. Instead of giving up, they decide to take a year off.  Ryan moves out of the house and the story takes place during their year off, from Lauren's point of view.

I really loved the character development and it was a new idea for a story that I've never seen.  Obviously I won't give too much away, but I really appreciated how realistic these characters seemed.  Lauren's family is a huge part of the story and you fall in love with them, also. 

Overview: I highly recommend picking up this book at your library or at the book store! Warning: it can be a bit of a tearjerker at times.  I feel like the story is something fresh and worth the read!

Stay tuned for more reviews! I'm reading up a storm!

Want a copy of this book? Head over to my Facebook page and comment below the review link (I'll pin it to the top).  I'll draw a winner this Sunday (9/21!).

Labels for Education: A Quick & Easy Way to Help!

Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Now that school has started, I want to do as much as I can to help!  I know once the school year starts rolling along, it can be difficult to find time to help or volunteer—especially if you work full time!  My favorite way to pitch in year round is to save labels for the school.  Labels forEducation is a simple way to help out your local school.  Even if you don’t have kids in school, it would be great to save for a local one near you!  Many times, grocery stores like Meijer will have bonus points for buying a certain amount of product.  Even before the girls were in school, we would save them for friends and family members.  Right now, Campbells Labels for Education has a contest where 1000 schools will win $1000! While the labels are mostly on food items, many BIC labels have them as well!  Check out the complete list here.  There are over 2500 items!

Most teachers have a “wish list” that you can help by picking up extra classroom items. I’ve been eying the Target clearance for a week now, waiting for the 70-90% off day.  Not sure about you, but I tend to get busy and forget to keep bringing extra goods from the wish list throughout the year.  Labels for Education is a quick and easy way to help! (I am adding a reminder note to keep bringing in items now, though!)

Once Ricky said “a few labels won’t even matter!” and I had to remind him that each school has hundreds of kids who have hundreds of people that can save.  We have grandparents and other family members saving labels for us, as well!  It’s nice to designate a certain area in your kitchen for labels: a baggie on the fridge seems to work best for us!

Next week, the twins have to bring in a snack and I thought I might as well use Labels for Education products for a tasty peanut-free snack!  Our favorite show right now is Super Why! and Post AlphaBits has teamed up with them for their cereal.  I remember loving when snack time was an ooey gooey marshmallow bar, so I thought I would make it with the cereal.  Tasting batch was a HUGE hit!

On the website, there are always Labels for Education product coupons that I like to keep an eye on.  I like to pair the coupons with a sale to stock up the pantry! With cold weather coming around, I love to have cream of chicken and tomato soup on hand for casseroles and comforting lunches.

Do you save Labels for Education?

 

How to Establish a Back-to-School Routine on a Budget #HealthyEssentials

DISCLAIMER: This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

Since this is our first official "back-to-school" season, we are total newbies with setting a routine.  I remember what I used to do back in the day: get to bed earlier, buy new school clothes, etc--but with kids of your own it's totally more complex.

Fall can be expensive!  First thing to do is to set a budget.  When you have a general idea what you have to work with, you know how to designate the money.  Since my girls had a growth spurt this spring/summer, I got out all of their clothes and took inventory.  We had an afternoon fashion show and set aside items that didn't fit anymore.  Don't forget the shoes too!  From that point, I would focus on one item of clothing every week or two, based on sales.  The first week, Children's Place had an amazing deal on jeans, so we stocked up.  Two weeks later, Target had a deal on undies/camis.  When you break it down throughout July and August, it doesn't seem as bad!

Another tip: don't wait until the last minute for school supplies.  Sales will continue all through August, with basically the same prices...but the selection becomes much smaller.  Print coupons when you see them, they go quickly!  If you can, wait until 2-3 weeks into school to hit the clearance.  I like to make bags for teachers with the markdown finds.

I don't know about you, but summer is rough for me.  My hair gets dry and frizzy, my skin is dry--when the end of August came around, it was time to refresh!  With my kids, they have all sorts of summer scrapes and "flip flop feet" to deal with (permanently dirty looking feet, even after a shower!).  Right now Johnson + Johnson has over $40 of printable coupons for their #HealthyEssentials program.

• For the kids: 
• Lubriderm is our favorite lotion.  It's moisturizing, yet doesn't have the irritating scents like some other "big kid" lotions.  
• Neosporin to help heal all of those bug bites and summer scrapes.  I also picked up a few new boxes of Band-Aids. 
• No More Tangles conditioner and spray can't be beat, especially with Gabby's curls.  We've tried other brands, but this is something we always stock up on! The conditioner is great for post-swimming/beach tangles, we leave it in for 2-3 minutes during the bath.
• For the adults:
• Refresh your skin with Neutrogena oil-free pink grapefruit scrub. This is my go-to for getting soft skin and it smells amazing!
• Take off that nail polish! After the sand, sun and flip flops, your feet have taken a beating.  I like to let my nails breathe for a few days before putting on a new polish.  Sally Beauty Supply has a great cuticle oil that I keep by my toothbrush to apply at night.

The biggest step to getting back on schedule is to stick to it, which is hard during the busy summer.  My girls still occasionally nap, so near the end of the summer we cut those out (early bedtime outweighs the cranky kids, right?) and tried to push their bedtime to 7:30-8:00.  Now that school is in session, we're trying to keep that schedule going on the weekend too.  We'll see how that goes!

For me, I had to organize myself--which, if you know me, is not easy.  I like to say I'm an organized mess because I usually know where something is, but I'm quite messy. I try to pack as much of the lunch at night, so I just have to quickly add components in the morning.  Backpacks are all lined up by the door at night, with shoes right next to them.  This saves SO MUCH time in the morning!

Check out over $40 in Healthy Essentials coupons to save while you're shopping this month!

What Back-to-School tips can you share?

Let's Talk Lunch + #RockTheLunchBox Giveaway!

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield. All opinions are my own.

We've almost made it through our first week of kindergarten for the twins!  Woohoo!  The biggest challenge so far for the girls has been listening.  Go figure!  Also, I need to learn how to pack the perfect amount of food in their lunches so they have time to eat it all.  Since they're there from 8:55-3:55, I want to make sure their bellies are full!

I asked the girls to draw their ideal lunch on Monday before school started and it was interesting what they came up with.  I thought for sure there would be a cookie added to their list.

Maddie had an emphasis on fruit, since she is going through a "I don't like chicken" phase.  I wouldn't be shocked at all if she became an vegetarian when she gets older.  They are loving the Honest Kids juice boxes we found at Target. I just freeze them overnight and they are like a little ice pack in their lunchboxes!  Another item that is great to freeze: YoKids yogurt pouches.  One major plus is they are easy for the kids to open by themselves in the lunchroom.

Olivia had basically the same ideas with fruit, but she also wanted a BIG turkey sandwich.  She even said that she can eat Maddie's sandwich at lunch if she doesn't want it.  One request: Annie's Bunnies--any flavor. 

Every year, Stonyfield and other companies we love join together for #RockTheLunchbox.  They offer amazing lunchbox ideas and great coupons!  I don't know if I have time to be creative everyday, but I love the inspiration to think outside of the box while providing the twins with healthy lunch options!

I have a fun giveaway so YOU can also join in on the fun!  You can win a prize pack from Stonyfield, which includes FREE product coupons, a Bento box and other goodies to make your lunchboxes ROCK!  Just enter below!


Rock the Lunchbox