Disclosure: I have a partnership with Absopure water, but all opinions are my own.

Now that we are more than halfway through kindergarten, I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of the whole lunchbox routine with the twins.  Since they only have 20 minutes to eat, it was a bit of a battle at first! Some days I would pack too little and they would be starving by the time school was done and others I would go overboard, with food wasted.

Another issue we had was thirst.  At home, they drink tons of water and would end up being so parched by the end of the school day.  We tried sending a thermos to school, but they would misplace them (no idea how!) or end up forgotten at school.  When the flu bugs started going around, the ick factor of having a germy thermos grossed me out.  Enter: the Abspoure packable water.  Super convenient size: 6.5 oz and easy for them to open.  Every morning, we throw one bottle with their initial in their backpack and one in the lunchbox.  Hydration problem solved!

To keep lunchtime interesting, I've been trying to stray away from the most requested PB&J.  I have found wraps go over better than regular bread--it seems like they are quicker to eat.  Main staples include frozen yogurt tubes, fruit and veggies.  Olivia is a bit strange with her requests: hard boiled eggs, bread & butter pickles and she even asked for leftover salmon (I said no).  I swear she is an old soul!

Here are some inexpensive and quick ideas we've been loving this month:

Banana Sushi

Just spread PB or sunflower butter on a warm tortilla, sprinkle with honey, coconut or mini chocolate chips and wrap around a banana.  Super simple and very versatile.  Nutella is super tasty too!

Pizza Bites

Maddie LOVES this, especially since she always asking for those pre-packaged lunches.  So simple to make: chopped up cheese sticks, turkey pepperoni and fiber crackers.  You can also add ham cubes, peppers, olives or sausage sticks.

Cheesy Wraps

Olivia actually came up with this one a few weekends ago.  The Happy Farms wedges from Aldi make for a perfect binder for wraps! Just add your favorite meats and wrap it up!  This is also tasty with pepperoni and peppers, like a pizza wrap.

You can find the Absopure Packables at Meijer and Spartan stores here in Michigan.  I love that they are a local company!  They have a super convenient delivery system, also.  If interested, mention the code BLOGGER and get $2 off monthly deliveries AND a free 30-day trial!

What are your go-to lunchbox staples? Have you seen Absopure Packables in your grocery store?

Healthy Essentials for Summertime! {Exclusive Coupons!}

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.

Anyone who has a child knows that Band-Aids are hot commodities in the house.  Anything from bug bites, two week old scars to a non-existent boo boos all call for one.  I have tried to cut back, but if it comes to the girls crying and whining all day, or one super awesome Muppets band-aid, I'll choose the latter. 

HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® Products are essential for summertime – and can help keep your family healthy and happy while you enjoy the season!  Sunscreen, Neosporin, waterproof mascara--you name it, you'll find available from Johnson + Johnson.  

The HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® program is offering amazing printable coupons, tips & tools and so much more for all the products you and your family love. You can save more than $45 by visiting http://www.HealthyEssentials.com in June and July and signing up for HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® program coupons and offers.

I love to scope out the new back-to-school areas for markdowns on summer essentials at this time of year.  Bulk packages of sunscreen have been up to 70% off at Target!  Use a coupon for even more savings!

 Great Deals for June and July

These are just a few of the great coupons you can score on HealthyEssentials.com this summer for more than $45 in savings:

• Save $1.00 on any (1) NEUTROGENA® Sun product (excludes trial size)
• Save $2.00 on any (3) NEOSPORIN®, NEOSPORIN® ESSENTIALS, BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive bandages, BENADRYL® Topical or JOHNSON and JOHNSON RED CROSS® Brand products
• Save $1.00 on any (1) CLEAN & CLEAR® product (excludes trial and travel sizes)
• Save $1.00 on any (1) REACH® Total Care Floss
• Save $1.00 on any (1) VISINE® product, 5 oz. or larger

I like to hit up the Dollar Tree for containers to hold all of our summer must-haves.  I keep a basket for bug spray, sunscreen and after sun lotion, plus another for any first aid needs.  It's also smart to keep plenty of these products in your car!  How many times have you been out and about and needed a band-aid or some extra sunscreen?

How is your summer going?  What do you include on your 'summer essentials' list?

Stonyfield Yogurt Pouches {Road-Trip Friendly Snacks!} #Sponsored

DISCLAIMER: I participated in a Blogger Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Stonyfield. I received coupons to facilitate my shopping trip and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Next week we are headed on our first family roadtrip to Hilton Head Island, SC.  Just call us the Griswalds! 17 hours in the car with two 5 year olds and a 2 year old should be...interesting.  When we made this trip pre-kids, we would blast our favorite music and have a nice relaxing road trip.  Now, I have a feeling we will be stopping more and hearing quite a bit more chatter-- or "are we there yet?"   I'm trying to stay optimistic!

Since we are staying at my parent's condo, we can come prepared.  I'm planning on bringing cereal and other breakfast goodies, plus plenty of beach friendly snacks.  For the car ride, I want healthy, yet filling snacks for us to grab easily.  My go-to product so far has been from our beloved Stonyfield yogurt.

We are loving the new Stonyfield organic yogurt pouches and they are actually quite road-trip friendly! I'm freezing a bunch for our cooler. They will also double as ice packs!  These come in great flavors for everyone...not gonna lie, I have tried a few myself while driving.  Our favorite is the Strawberry Beet Berry.  They are perfect for healthy snacking and almost mess free. 

Aside from the yogurt pouches, I'm making up a few batches of Greek yogurt banana bread and muffins.  The protein will keep us full, without being stuffed.  I really don't want to have to stop for fast food.  Another snack I'll be packing is some veggie dip made with Stonyfield Greek yogurt, dill and lemon for some crudites.  I'm sure I'll get get some major eye-rolls from the Mr. for my healthy snacks...but he'll thank me when his stomach starts growling around hour 2.  His version of snacks are a case of sugar free Red Bull and Munchies snack mix. (Let's be honest, that Munchies snack mix is ah-mazing...but doesn't make you feel so hot a few hours later)

If you want more information about Stonyfield organic yogurt products, check out their website.  They have coupons to print too! 

Other ways to connect:

• Stonyfield Facebook
• Keep up on Instagram to watch their fun adventures!
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Do you have any fun trips planned this summer? What's your go-to snack?

My Weight Loss Journey: Protein is Key!

Disclosure: I am part of the Stonyfield Yo-Getters.  I received coupons for Greek yogurt, but all opinions are my own!

I have some news!! I’m going to be in an upcoming issue of All You Magazine!  SO excited/nervous.  You would think I would be sharing money saving tips, but it's actually something very different! More details soon, but basically I’ve been testing a fitness app for the last month.  I have really been focusing on being more active after that loooong winter and it’s making me feel great!

Although I am trying to lose weight, I refuse to say that I’m on a diet.  I am ready to make lifelong changes!  One of my top priorities is getting enough healthy food, especially protein.  Before I just assumed protein was coming from meat and occasionally beans…now I make sure to fill up each plate with protein!  Bob Harper says that you should get half of your body weight in grams of protein (ex: if you weigh 160, you need 80 grams of protein a day).  While that may seem like a lot, it’s actually quite easy!  The main purpose of protein is to keep you full longer.

My go-to (and tastiest!) form of filling protein is Stonyfield Greek yogurt. I have the bad habit of standing at the counter to eat during the day and yogurt is a quick way to fill up!  Favorite flavors: Superfruit, Black Cherry with 1 teaspoon of mini chips or the blueberry!  Many people think they don’t like Greek yogurt, but when they try the smooth Stonyfield variety they are hooked. (*cough* Ricky!) I love that they are so flavorful!  This year, Stonyfield is the official yogurt of the Boston Marathon!  Good luck to everyone today!

Aside from snacks in cups, I buy a big tub of plain Stonyfield Greek yogurt for cooking.  I add it instead of sour cream or mayo to many recipes.  My new favorite lunch is a can of tuna, mixed with a bit of mustard, plain Greek yogurt and a hard-boiled egg on a bagel thin.  SO filling!!  On the side, if I’m not having a cup of yogurt, I have cottage cheese with a drizzle of honey.  That meal alone gets me almost half of my protein quota for the day!

Here are some other great (non meat!) sources of protein:

• Liquid Egg whites.  For only 25 calories you get 5 grams!

• Low Fat Cottage cheese. 12 grams per ½ cup!  Great toppings: honey, salsa, berries.
• Tuna.  1 can has 28 grams!
• Steel Cut Oats. 5 grams per serving.  Add some peanut butter and nuts for a great filling breakfast!
• Beans. Protein varies per bean, ex: black beans have 7 grams per ½ cup. I like to add them to salads, blend them up for dips.  Make sure to always rinse and seek out low sodium cans.
• Endamame. 17 grams per cup!  Roast in the oven, add to stir fries, make endamole.

The list is endless, but once you start keeping an eye out for protein, you’ll find some of the sources surprising. 



My weight loss journey is FAR from finished, but I feel like I've gotten a great start so far!  Maybe one day I'll be completing the Boston Marathon...or at least cheering on Ricky!

What's your go-to source of protein?

Easter is Coming! Try a Honeybaked Ham! {Giveaway} #HoneyBakedEaster

DISCLOSURE: I received a gift certificate for some tasty HoneyBaked Ham to create this post.  All opinions are my own!

Easter is almost here!  As much as I love to cook, sometimes it's nice to have an amazing meal made for you.  HoneyBaked Ham is a go-to for holidays in our family.   I love leftover ham sandwiches!

When I was little, I had a large golden retriever named Barney (NOT named after the purple dino...thankyouverymuch).  He loved to eat, especially things that weren't food.  One year he got into my birthday card and ate $20!  It seems I had to make an annual trip to the bank with pieces of money, just hoping that they would let me trade them in for a fresh $10 or $20.  (There is a certain amount of the bill that can be destroyed that makes it still valid)  Barney even ate a package of AA batteries and a good portion of my soccer ball.  Obviously, he wasn't the brightest dog on the block.

Every Christmas, my parents would host a holiday party for my Dad's work and it always included a nice, big HoneyBaked Ham. One year, while we were getting ready for the party, Barney somehow got into the back porch and ate the WHOLE $50 ham, leaving only the bone! I have no clue how he did it so quickly.  You can imagine what happened next...he wasn't feeling very well at all!

Needless to say, my Mom was NOT happy...especially after he threw up ALL OVER the carpet in the dining room.  He spent some quality time in the basement.  My Dad had to rush back to the HoneyBaked Ham store to buy the last ham just before they closed.

You would think that we would learn our lesson when it came to Barney eating everything in sight, but I guess not!  Barney is no longer with us, but Ricky got to meet him during his first trip home to Michigan with me for Thanksgiving.   Our family has quite a few funny Barney stories!

 

Last week, we headed over to the HoneyBaked Ham off of 28th Street to pick out our dinner.  They had quite a few specials, so I decided to get both ham and smoked turkey.  It was so nice to not even have to think about cooking dinner.  The smoked turkey is amazing for wraps!  I asked about reheating the ham and they suggested to keep it cold, as it dries out while heating it. 

While you are making your Easter plans, consider HoneyBaked Ham.  They have quite a few specials going on.  Also be sure to sign up for the VIP program for extra coupons!

• In-Store Specials:
• $54.99 Easter Ham & Turkey Combo – Pair a Turkey Breast (approx. 3 lbs.) with your choice of a Boneless Ham (approx. 3.5 lbs.) or Quarter Ham (approx. 4.5 lbs.)
• $22.99 Turkey Breast (with any Half or Whole Ham purchase)
• $24.99 Easter Brunch Bundle – Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake and Honey-Spice Bacon
• Heat & Share Sides: Two for $13.99, three for $19.99
• With Coupon: http://honeybakedfoods.com/pdfs/2014_HBH_BloggerOutreach_coupons.pdf

Want to win a $50 gift card? Enter through my Facebook page or on the Rafflecopter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shake It with Just Dance Kids 2014!

As a child of the '80s, I grew up with Nintendo.  I was only lucky enough to have a GameBoy, so my video game skills are kind of weak.  When we first got the Nintendo Wii, I was the girl who took 15 minutes to sign her name to create my little Wii gal. (To be fair, my name DOES have 8 letters!) 

Now that the girls have grown older, they are starting to show interest in the Wii too.  It's sad to admit, but they are much better at the Wii remote than I am.  Their favorite game: Just Dance.  (No lie, it's my favorite, too) I love how the songs include classic kid songs, as well as more popular ones. 

Normally, we check out the games at the library, but those tend to be a bit skippy...which leads to cranky kids.  Once I saw there was a Just Dance 2014, I added it to our Christmas List right away! I was so thankful to review this game for Clever Girls...it was an early holiday treat for the girls. 

Olivia informed me, after taking these photos, that I should have let her "do her hair".  Oh 4 year olds...

Verdict on the game: WE LOVE IT!  Yes, I said we: I'm learning some dance moves too.  Watch out next time I'm at a wedding, I have some new moves!

I know my girls are a bit young to completely understand all aspects of the game (like the scoring or following the moves exactly), yet they do so well with remembering the songs and dance moves.  I set it to the team mode, so the twins can both use the remotes.

When you put the game in play mode, there is a timer and you can pick which type of songs are played, as well as the level of difficulty.  Normally, I set it for 15 minutes and they dance the whole time!

Like I said before, I love the variety of songs they use also.  They play childhood classics (Hickory Dickory), Yo Gabba Gabba songs and then they throw in some newer songs (One Direction!).  This version has "Footloose" and "The Hustle" too.  Olivia was looking at me like "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" when I started dancing to "Footloose".  At age 4, I'm already embarrassing her!

Look how much fun they are having!  Sometimes, I even let them go past their 15 minute limit...it is exercise too!

With the long winter ahead, I am so grateful to have this game!  As they grow tired of the easy songs, we can advance to other ones.  I highly recommend this game for parents of kids 4 and up.  Gabby (at 2), is way too young to control the remote but she LOVES to dance along, as you can see in the video. 

As I was uploading these, 90% of the Maddie pics were a blur.  She's a fast dancing machine!

You can find Just Dance 2014 at all of your favorite retailers...I tend to find the best prices on Amazon though!  I also like to keep an eye for deals on the Ubisoft blog...Cyber Monday is tomorrow.

Do you enjoy dancing video games as much as we do?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

#SmilingItForward with Tylenol!

Check out the Smiling it Forward site!

Ever since we've started school, we've had a few bouts of sniffles and coughs.  It's so hard for me to see my little ladies when they aren't feeling well...as a parent, you just want to do anything you can to make them feel better!

While they are sick I make sure I have their favorite soups (Mrs. Grass' noodle and homemade ABC) and we watch our favorite movies on Netflix.  Not going to lie, sometimes I like sick days too...it's somewhat relaxing!

The morning when they finally wake up feeling better with a BIG smile on their face is the best feeling in the world!  Then you realize it's back to the chaos!

Tylenol has a great new project going on: Smiling it Forward.  It's so simple to help other kids out.  For each photo shared, Tylenol will donate $1 to Children's Health Fund!

I chose to share their Halloween picture because they were SO excited to dress up this year and this collage makes me smile!

Head on over to the Smiling it Forward site and share YOUR smile pic!!

While you're on the site, make sure to check out Dr. Tanya's tips.  I love the "When to Call the Pediatrician" tips! 

Disclaimer: I have received information and products from McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., the makers of TYLENOL®. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks. 

Getting Jiggly With It: Halloween JELL-O Fun!

Totally patting myself on the back for that post title...gotta love a little Will Smith reference.

Can you get the song out of your head yet?  Me either.


Now that the twins are old enough to safely be in the kitchen with me, I let them help me as much as possible.  We use kid friendly knives (I found this great plastic pizza roller which works perfectly for helping slice peppers and lettuce) and let them measure with cups and spoons.  Great learning experience too!

(I guess I should say Olivia helps me, Maddie gets bored about 2 minutes into the project and magically returns when there is a spoon to lick or a hot ooey gooey cookie to taste.)

A perfect kid friendly snack is JELL-O!  Our go-to dessert is banana pudding with Cool Whip on top. 

Since our house is fully decorated with spooky Halloween decorations, I decided it's time to make some tasty snacks.  The girls' preschool is peanut free, so JELL-O treats are perfect to bring for a treat.

We started with a simple JELL-O Halloween molds, which even I was excited about.  Something about JELL-O brings out the kid in everyone.  Obviously, the kids can't pour the boiling water, but they helped stir!  The only hard part is waiting 3 hours for them to set!

CONFESSION #1: We ended up making these after dinner, so we had JIGGLERS for breakfast the next day.  Totally got "Cool Mom" points for the day.  Whew!

Can you tell Gabby was "brushing" Maddie's hair in her salon?

Once we mastered the JIGGLERS, we were on to our next project.  We saw an awesome MMMMonster recipe on the JELL-O website that we HAD to try. 

Aren't those MMMMonsters adorable?

Since we had Orange and Lime flavors, we decided to make pumpkins.  Note for parents: this project is more for older kiddos.  The girls helped me pour the layers of JELL-O, but the pumpkins didn't quite turn out for us (toddlers don't have much patience to wait for each layer to set).  Next time, I'll make them alone.  Our plan was to make faces on them, like shown above.

CONFESSION #2: While making these in the little shot glasses, I was totally trying to figure out how to make these into adult JELL-O shots.  Hehe. 

The JELL-O website has so many cute ideas! 

I really want to try these spooky spiders!

We love Monsters Inc!

The girls' preschool party isn't for a few weeks and we have so many spooky ideas now!

What do you like to make with JELL-O?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

My Platinum: Cascade saves the day! [Sponsored]

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

Since we mostly cook at home, I feel like I do dishes ALL.DAY.LONG!  In reality, I do!  As much as I try to load up the dishwasher, we still end up running it at least 2 times a day.  Ugh!

Back in the day, watching Jon & Kate Plus Eight, I would get SO annoyed when she used paper plates.  Now as a Mom, I get it.  I can't imagine the dish load with a family of 10!

I love to try all brands and being a coupon user I am not generally brand loyal.  Some things you can't go cheap on, though!  Dish detergent is one! (Ketchup is the other...but that's a whole different story...).

I've tried store brands and they all left streaks or I would have to run half of the dishes again. We also had a period where we had these strange grainy things left on our dishes.  I was actually considering buying a new dishwasher after we moved into our house because nothing would come clean.  Shopping at Target one day, I found a great deal on clearance Cascade action pacs so we switched from Finish. After one load it became clear: our dishwasher worked fine, it was the detergent!  We found out that we have hard water and some detergents don’t work well with that.

Now we are brand loyal to Cascade.  I love the action pacs and it's Olivia's "job" to put it in the dishwasher.  She is obsessed with how they look and I have to remind Gabby daily that they aren’t candy.  I love that no matter who loads the dishwasher, everything comes clean.

(Ricky, I love you, but I do NOT understand how you load the dishwasher...).

Now that I’m a semi-foodie blogger, I need my dishes to look delicious.  I am so happy we chose to register for white plates last year, everything looks so tasty and the colors really pop.  Cascade Platinum has partnered with Gail Simmons from Top Chef (dont you love her?!).  She speaks about the importance of presentation, which I learned a LOT about last weekend at BlogHer Food.  People definitely also eat with their eyes!

Another perk of using Cascade?  The amazing smell when the dishes are drying.  We had the fresh scent and after the dishes ran the kitchen smelled so clean.  Also, it helps keep the inside of the dishwasher deodorized and sanitized.  Bonus! 

Right now Cascade is having a #myplatinum challenge on Instagram (@myplatinum).  You can win a Kitchen Aid makeover and a year of Cascade, as well as two weekly winners get a Whirlpool dishwasher!

(Even though I said earlier that my dishwasher works well, I wouldn’t mind a sparkling new Whirlpool one!)

Make sure to follow me on Instagram while you are checking out the #MyPlatinum challenge! 

 Are you brand loyal for certain things?