Monday, March 31, 2014

Free Poise samples

Select a Pads or Liners sample pack from Poise! Plus, you can choose to print a coupon afterwards. (You will need a Poise account.) 
Coupons are here: http://poise.com/samples-and-offers/coupons

Samples are here: https://poise.com/samples-and-offers/samples

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Free stuff!

Get a free sample of camo adhesive strip from McNett: http://www.mcnett.com/tactical/lt-free-sample These will be mailed out in April.

Oh the possibilities....

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Free Redbox DVD rental today only!

Today only! Get a FREE Redbox rental. Enter the code March27 to get yours today.

http://www.redbox.com/

Another recipe idea

My reader, Alisa, shared a recipe she tried out from All Recipes.com. Ham and Cheese Crescent Roll-Ups. It turned out to be a real hit with her kids, so I hope to test it out here too.
It requires only three ingredients:

  1. A can of Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls (more if you have more mouths to feed)
  2. 4 thin slices of cheese, cut into strips
  3. 8 thin slices of cooked ham (you can substitute another meat)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the crescent rolls.
Sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top. Then add the ham over that with more cheese to top it off.
Roll them up carefully and place on your cookie sheet.
Put them in the oven for about 10 minutes
or until the tops are golden brown.
Even her pickiest eater enjoyed them.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

New lunch idea

It's hard when you have three young and picky eaters. I don't want to make hot dogs, chicken nuggets and French fries daily. I can't afford to go out somewhere daily either. I can barely manage that more than twice a month. So today, as I'm standing in front of my refrigerator, I was trying to think of something different for their lunch. 
I had some crescent rolls, pepperoni, and cheese slices.
They'd been bugging for pizza for the past couple days and I decided to make some... Sorta. I didn't think about adding sauce this time around. 
Basically, unroll the crescents. Top with the pepperoni. 
I didn't have shredded cheese so I ripped slices in half. 
I also made some peanut butter and jelly ones, but my oldest was the only one willing to even try one. Just not good enough to substitute for a PB & J sandwich. 
For the peanut butter kind, I didn't roll them. I folded them. 
Once the toppings are ready, roll them up. I added cheese on top too, but they would be good without that. 
Pop them in the oven for about 8 minutes or so. Sadly, my kids didn't really want them. I ate a couple and really enjoyed them. Next time though, I plan to add some sauce. It's simple, quick and a better alternative. 
If you have any lunch ideas for picky eaters, leave me a comment! 

An excellent deal for My Coke Rewards members!

Right now, My Coke Rewards is offering an amazing deal via Shutterfly! I know I plan to take advantage of it.
So here it is... Get 100 4x6 Prints from Shutterfly and only use 5 points from your My Coke Rewards balance! Click Get It to use the points. They will then email you using the email address associated with the account you have. That code is valid until April 30th. But you have to redeem it soon! My Coke Rewards will only have it up until the 28th of this month, so two days left. Once you get your code, log in to your Shutterfly account and enter it. Shipping, tax and handling may apply. This is a $15 value.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Pizza for dinner?

50% off ANY pizza at menu price from Domino's. Valid until March 23rd. Look to the middle right of the page. Use the code 9413 at checkout.

https://order.dominos.com/en/

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

What was your idea of the dream job growing up?

I went through several ideas growing up; waitress, singer, dancer (not the pole kind), Navy Intelligence, archaeology, Criminal Science... But after seeing this clip, I want to drive fast cars! >.<
)

Another Shoplet Product Review!

Shoplet.com is again hosting a review. This time for Sanford Sharpie products. I received a Sharpie Pen, Sharpie Neon markers, and Sharpie Metallic markers. I also received the sun glasses and black paper, that I'll show you why later... 
The Premium Pen is stainless steel, has a fine tip and doesn't bleed!
This last point alone makes it a great addition to my collection of writing utensils. Being a writer means looking for a pen that is reliable, sharp, and doesn't bleed through your papers. It doesn't create a messy look, but rather a clean and open view. I love the smooth feeling of the stainless steel casing between my fingers. It also had a wonderful, soft grip before the tip that makes grasping it easier. 
This is going to be a pen I won't want to share with anyone... wouldn't want it to sprout legs and run away from me. Sharpie Neon Permanent Markers make great tools for eye-catching projects.
They are fluorescent under black lights and have fine tips. You might need some sunglasses though to view your work afterwards as they are bright! It provides a vibrant contrast to plain white posters/paper. Though the yellow is harder to see. As an example, I decorated some glasses. The last product I have to review are the Sharpie Metallic Permanent Markers.
These work better on dark surfaces so you can see their sheen clearly. They also have the fine tips for precision writing. They give it more of a classic look.
I appreciate having fine tips on all of these. They keep whatever you write looking neat and clean. When you have bad handwriting as I do, you need all the help you can get. They are comfortable to use. It adds variety to what you can do with just a writing utensil. Be creative! I can't think of many uses for the Neon markers as I'm not writing much in bright, eye catching settings. My words are typically meant to be explanatory instead of flashy. I almost always buy Sharpie markers for my needs as they never disappoint me though.
All of these products are available for purchase via Shoplet.com. They have just about any office supplies you might need for your home or company office. They even offer Promotional Products to help you get your business noticed. Check out the Promotional Shirts.
And something new to look into is the United Kingdom part of their website that has Office Stationary and other items. What do you write most? Do you still write letters or has the world of technology taken over with emails?

I've got a garden!

Albeit a pathetic one... But at least I can grow something. I started with gladiola and sunflower seeds. My thumb is by no means "green". Figuratively or literally, I follow my mother when it comes to growing genes. Unless it requires minimum effort to grow, chances are it will die. I even killed a bamboo plant that said, "Just water and it will last forever." Yeah... No. 
At our new place I attempted to clear out space in a corner to plant flowers. We have a 10x10 back yard with a privacy fence. I learned quickly that the ground here is full of rocks. So I bought planting soil and pots to make a garden with my kids.
Ever since seeing an episode of Curious George having a garden of veggies, they have begged me to start growing things. I used to grow gladiola flowers with my mom. They are bulbs and so sturdy that we managed to keep them thriving rather than watch them wither away and die under our care. Here, however, they refuse to even sprout. Nothing. Nada. 
Im pretty bummed about it. But on the other hand, my boys picked sunflowers. Those are growing wonderfully! 
I'm so excited! We have watered them on days it didn't rain. 
The newest attempt in this pot has one sun flower that the boys accidentally pulled up and I replanted. It's thriving despite the interruption, which leads me to believe these are going to be hearty flowers indeed. I added bell pepper seeds. I love bell peppers and buy them every trip to the store, to cook with. Growing them at home would mean healthier pepper and saving some green. So far I haven't gotten a sprout but I'm not giving up hope either. 
What tips or ideas do you have about planting? 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

How many of you plan to check this one out? What movies does your family like?

)

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Some posts from the Twigtale experts that I enjoyed

I was browsing the blog posts on Twigtale. They have some really useful things concerning raising children and the problems parents often face. I got permission to repost a couple that struck me as being especially helpful. I suggest you check them out as well.
As a parent, I have to learn to step back and let my children grow. They have to learn some things by experience. Part of that is getting bumps or scrapes. Its those awkward moments of meeting another child and finding out how to interact with them. This is what Twigtale expert, Dr. Wendy Denham, PhD had to say on this issue:
 

Tuesday Toddler Tip – Let It Be, Knowing When Not To Step In

Like the Beatles said… one of the most important things parents have to learn is when not to step in to the rescue. Tempting as it may be!
Try not to rush in and save your child from uncomfortable experiences, whether it be an awkward social interaction at the park, difficulty holding a crayon or figuring out how to use a toy. These experiences provide invaluable learning experiences for your child in seeing that they (and you!) can survive these feelings, and that feelings (even hard ones) come and go. This builds frustration tolerance and an ability to persevere through difficulty. If you’re not sure what to do, try narrating their experience. This can be just the facts, eg. ‘You’re really trying to hold that crayon and it keeps falling down’. Or maybe you notice how they’re feeling eg. ‘you’re really frustrated because you’re trying to hold that crayon and it keeps falling down.’ Your child will feel like you are paying attention, and that you understand. You are helping to give them the tools and introduce them to the all important language of feelings and emotions.
Toddler Tip brought to you by our new Twigtale child development expert Dr. Wendy Denham, PhD.

The other post I thought was a good one, was posted by the Twigtale Team:

Guest Post: How To Raise Clear, Confident & Kind Girls

Raising a Girl:  A Blog Entry from our Twigtale Co-founder.
Raising two daughters, in LA, in the 21st century?  Terrifying.  I jumped at the chance to attend, Tandy Parks‘  class on “Raising a Girl.”  She had awesome suggestions on how to raise “clear, confident and kind” girls, and below are 3 of my favorite take-aways.
1) Focus on the Internal, Not External
One suggestion Tandy had to help our daughters cope with modern society’s obsession with aesthetics is to avoid focusing on their looks.  Instead, focus on something from within.  Instead of saying “you look pretty in that dress,” try saying “oh, you look happy in that dress.” It will help your daughter learn to find pride in who she is, not what she looks like.
2) Celebrate Your Daughter’s Emotions – ALL OF THEM!  
Help them learn it is ok to be angry and assertive!  Tandy suggests that the “mean girls” phenomena is likely a result of parents telling their daughters to “be nice” and “good little girls.”  These statements teach girls to internalize their anger.  We need to teach our daughters how to openly, and appropriately express their emotions – which will lead to more confident girls with better conflict negotiation skills.
3) Activity and movement is key!
We need to encourage our daughters to move their bodies, so they ultimately have confidence in their physical skills, develop assertiveness and learn to take appropriate physical risks.  Helping your daughter find confidence in her physicality is a great way to combat society’s unhealthy image of beauty and sexuality.
Tandy Parks, MPH is a parent educator in Santa Monica.  She hosts multiple discussion groups for parents every month.  She also is available for individaul consultation: http://tandyparks.com/index.htm
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