Subscription box savings

Bramble Box is offering 30% off your first box purchase.

Just use the code SUMMER30 at checkout. These boxes are designed for kids 3-8 to encourage exploration and imagination. They also come with free shipping. 

Time Saving, Creative Fun Do you wish you had more time to pull together creative activities for your kids? Let us save you some running around. Bramble box monthly subscription boxes and pretend play prop boxes for kids age 3 - 8 contain all the materials required for hours of open-ended fun; building and strengthening essential development skills. Including themed, pretend play props, crafts, activities and more! We save you time by sending mom designed activities to your door every month or just once. Encourage Open-ended Educational Play Materials are carefully selected to be versatile, to allow children to extend and elaborate on their play. Hours of fun and learning. Hand's On Activity ideas are included for additional inspiration. Each kit is designed to nurture the imagination and allow children to explore the world around them. Themed A new theme - like post office, detective, scientist, florist or community helper - every month.  Lots of Options Buy a single box or a monthly or 3, 6, 12 month subscription for extra savings. Graze is another one with a deal going on. Right now you can get your first box free to try some snacks and also get free shipping. You sign up for the subscription like normal and just have to cancel future subscriptions or if you like what you see, it will automatically deduct the amount from your payment information in the subsequent months. Its certainly a neat idea. Snacks by mail!

Mediterranean Snacks have a new product review

I love being a brand ambassador for Mediterranean Snacks. They always send such yummy treats to try out. The latest big box they sent out was filled with what they call Bean Stalks.

These are straw-like chips made from beans! Extra crunchy with that salty flavor that is still better than your leading brand chips. Plus the beans give these snacks added fiber value which is better for your digestion. You won't have colorful fingertips for your kids to decorate the furniture or their clothing with either. They use cannellini, green and pinto beans to make these. There are three flavors; BBQ,

cheddar,

and sea salt.

My kids definitely devoured the BBQ and cheddar ones first. I love the crunchy and flavorful addition they bring to our snacking habits. They have 50% less fat than regular chips. This is how its put when you pose the question, Why beans? 

"Beans have been a staple in the Mediterranean region for centuries, packed with protein and nutrients our bodies crave.

This modern day superfood, allows us to create better-for-you snacks with simple, ancient ingredients."

As a bonus, they sent me this nifty little notepad with pen.

Its perfectly pocket-sized and good for someone constantly writing while on the go! 
I sent some out to friends and family. One bag accompanied my friend and her family on the road from Texas to Florida. They sent me this picture when they stopped to snack. 

So check them out!

Gotham's vigilante comes in cake form

A friend posed a challenge to me. He knew I loved baking and that I did it quite well. So he sent me a picture of a cake with the Batman silhouette and a skyline silhouette along the sides.

He needed it for his brothers bachelor party. Of course I agreed to take his challenge. How could I not?! It's Batman, chocolate and cake all in one. First of all, it took more money and time than I anticipated. Fondant comes in a box for $10 a pop. Seriously?? And its like a brick that takes a muscled arm to get flat. I work out. I work hard. And yet, I wanted to cry. It took two days with interruptions to get everything done. And there were several bumps along the way. 
First I went searching for the images I'd need to use as stencils. 

Batman was hard to find. Everyone had protected images... Then the skyline... 

I had to re-size the images to make them cake ready. I did this two nights before needing the cake ready because I'd had practice before and knew what a pain it would be.

It takes a lot of time to get so much detail done right. 

Then came making the chocolate cake. That is usually easy. Find your favorite recipe and make it as you normally would.

My problem? The cake didn't want to exit the cake pan. Even though I sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray HEAVILY. What do my cakes do? Crumble out of the pans in pieces. 

So start over I did. Made two more round cakes. 

Finally I had two rounds to work with. I found a tip on putting fondant on cakes that said if you lightly frost the cakes, the fondant would hold better. So that's what I did. Plus it adds flavor and sweetness to a bland fondant cover. First comes the black cover. Then the white shapes over it. I also added decorating gel to the backs to hold the cutouts in place. I found that heat makes the fondant melt slightly so that it sticks better. Granted I discovered this by leaving a cake like this in a hot car while watching a movie. But still... 

It was an experience I won't soon forget. And I'm not in a rush to try again. I hope the guys enjoy it. My hands and arms are paying for it this morning. 

As a bonus, I salvaged some of the cake that I plan to enjoy later. 

Schneider pen review via Shoplet.com

Shoplet.com sent out some wonderful Schneider pens for me to review.

These Schneider pens come from a company called Stride, Inc. Stride, Inc. is a small, family owned business that is owned and operated by women. They are  an integrated workplace with 50% of their colleagues being adults with intellectual and developmental delays. These colleagues package and ship the products and when possible, hand assemble the Schneider line for distribution in the United States. They included stories with my products about how Stride, Inc. got started and how one successful employee bettered his life. They seek to help their disabled employees make "Strides" toward being independent and successful members of society. These people are able to be integrated into a more normal life without being considered a burden. Stride formed a relationship with Schneider in Germany to be the exclusive agent in the United States. They seek to be as "green" as possible to leave the "campsite better than you found it". I'm definitely loving these pens. I believe every professional should have a set of cheap pens that don't matter when they walk away. But you also need a set of nice pens that never leave your sight while leaving an impression on anyone who borrows it. Better even if that pen has an amazing story that leaves other in awe of what you support. Now to tell you about each pen. 

The Schneider Xpress .8 mm Porous Point Pen Black is a soft feeling pen that grips well in your hand.

The ink flows smoothly like velvet on the paper. It's made for documents that require a comfortable but professional look.

The Slider Basic XB 1.4 mm Viscoglide Ballpoint Pen black is a basic ball point pen.

The ink is still smooth and effortlessly applied. It has a great grip too.

The Slider Memo XB 1.4 mm Viscoglide Ballpoint Pen 4 pack colors feels the same as the Basic XB but comes in colored inks. It has a full body grip that keeps your hand comfortable.

I'd use the red one for making notations or grading papers. The other colors are purple, green, orange and pink. Those are great for notating and fun notes. This uses the same ball point Viscoglide Technology as the Slider Edge. 

The Slider Rave 1.4 mm Viscoglide Retractable Ballpoint Pen black is another ball point pen.

It has a sleek housing that offers better grip than the Basic, but writes the same. 

Lastly, I have the Slider Edge 1.4 mm Viscoglide Ballpoint Pen Black.

This one is triangle-shaped as part of the Viscoglide Technology. It allows for better fitting in your fingers and a full bodied grip to make writing comfortable. This pen is made completely without adding to the carbon footprint

Schneider is the first pen manufacturer in the world to be EMAS certified. They seek to do more to protect the world and resources. 

Want to get some pens for yourself? Or other office supplies? Check out Shoplet.com and see everything they have to offer. They also have medical supplies, office stationary, and promotional products to get your business name out there! 

FREE shipping from Fanatics!

Here is an awesome way to get some Father's Day gifts and save money on shipping. Use the code FREESHIP for free shipping. There are so many things under $10 even. Totes as low as .99 or the shot glass I found for $4.95. Shopping for sports fanatics just got easier at Fanatics! 

The Amazing Triple Dessert Recipe

I don't have a name for it but this is absolutely delicious! And it's a quick one to throw together. 

What you will need:

2 packs of refrigerated cookie dough

Your favorite candy bar cut or premade in bite size (I used Reese's peanut butter cups) 

Brownie batter mix (boxed or homered, your choice) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash cookie dough into the bottom of your greased cupcake pan. 

Put the candy piece on top. 

Add brownie mix on top of that. 

Bake for about 18-20 minutes until you can see that the brownie mix is cooked through. Then enjoy your delightful treat! 

Pour me something strong and lets get this weekend over with...

Only 4:30 PM and I’m ready for bed. No… ready for a strong drink and a movie. Yeah…. Just 4 more hours until the kids go to bed. 
This is my thought line about now. I’ve spent the entire day since breakfast cleaning the apartment.

Two and a half bathrooms, kids’ bedroom, kitchen, dining room, swept and vacuumed the floors…. I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss anything. And the smell of bleach was like welcoming an old friend over. Tried playing some video games after I was done to cool down. Somehow it just doesn’t work when you have kids running around screaming or tattling on each other. 
What led to my day going this way? How about living with your ex as a roommate who doesn’t help clean anymore? He takes the trash out and babysits. Makes sure bills get paid and occasionally washes laundry (especially when he needs something clean). But that’s where it ends. Lately I find that every time I’m off for a day, I’m cleaning. At first I believed it was because he was incompetent as a stay at home dad on disability. I mean honestly… how hard is it to wash the dishes before I get home? How hard is it to see the trash is full and take it out before I have to say something or do it myself? But this is part of what led to our divorce. I’m tired of having a grown man that has the mentality of a teenage boy for a husband. Of all the jokes that I don’t just have 3 kids, I have 4. But after today…. I’m thinking he’s doing it on purpose. Maybe I’m giving him too much credit, but it seems like he is actually leaving the heavy cleaning for me to do on my days off. My days off are when he goes out with his friends from morning until night. He typically takes the van so I have no way of leaving the house with the kids. What else am I to do then? Clean! Plus he knows I’m OCD about cleanliness.

I hit the ground running every day when I get home from work. Washing dishes, folding laundry that was left in the basket, changing a diaper, sweeping the floor. I see something didn’t get done, I get to work on it. Or how about his half-done jobs? You ever hear the saying, don’t do a half-ass job? I’ve grown up with that mentality. You can’t do the whole job, don’t bother trying. Don’t sweep the floor and leave the pile in the corner. You have three kids running around. Especially in a high traffic walkway. How stupid can you be?! I digress… I feel used. Taking advantage of someone's mental strain to get something done is awful. Being OCD means I can't fight the urge to clean. To have order amongst the chaos. It makes me feel disoriented. I'm lost. I feel like I'm living in a dirty old barn. 
So I get to work and don’t stop until everything is spotless. Headphones in and ponytail tight. This is practice for the day when I live alone as a single mom of 3 after all. Do you know it sucks? Like really… how you single moms do this daily I will never know. My respect only grows stronger for them. I just want to run away from it. The thought of leaving it all behind has hit me more than once. And lately, more so. 

My mind had a chance to think about all those things I try to tuck away and ignore. All the things that I will need to deal with, but I really want to just ignore until they go away. That’s when I realized that I spend my days off cleaning. Every single week. Thoughts then drift to my divorce. What’s left to complete it? How can I speed it up so my ex can officially start dating these girls he’s been asking out? After all, I’m not the psychotic ex-wife that slashes tires, cleans the toilet with his toothbrush, and spreads rumors about his personal habits. Nope. I want him to find someone who makes him truly happy. I doubt he will. After all, he married a modern day Wonder Woman and she wasn’t good/smart/pretty enough for him for 7 ½ years, but still. Having someone in his life will keep him off my case and out of my business. Total win-win if you ask me. The frustration keeps my energy on high until the job is done. I even packed away stuff that sits on shelves collecting dust to make extra space for his Lego mess which has taken over half the dining room. Now I'm ready to cook dinner and pop in a movie with the kids. Once they are in bed though.... Bring on the alcohol. Granted I'm not a drinker. Matter of fact, I had my first drink at the ripe age of 27 years old. And even then, it was only a Smirnoff. Or two... But tonight, I think I'll take it up a notch. Its the weekend, I'm off, children will be asleep. What else would I do to relax? I'd go back to Krispy Kreme for another doughnut... yesterdays free doughnut was awesome!

So here's to drinking to forget how crappy the day was...