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The Football Fanbook Review and Giveaway

Football season is in full swing, and I have no idea what I’m talking about. That’s why I’m so excited to share The Football Fanbook from Sports Illustrated Kids with you! I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click on and purchase through these links.

I’ve always loved sports, and I’ve said it before – but really it’s just the social aspect for me. Getting together and feeling all that energy of the people around you is thrilling to me. However, I’ve never really understood Football. I watch it, I’ve been to a ton of games in person, and on TV. I still always find myself asking what happened, what does that mean, what did I miss?

Related Post: The Best 7 Layer Bean Dip

Now more than ever I feel like I need to figure this out, because I’ve got a little sports fanatic on my hands. I don’t know where it came from, but Venice has decided sports are her thing. I’ll walk into her room at night and find her curled up next to her radio listening to football and basketball games. A few weeks ago I even sent her with Mark to a football viewing party while I stayed home sick.

The Football Fanbook from Sports Illustrated Kids and Time Inc. has been the exact thing we both needed to understand the sport of football more. Inside The Fanbook you’ll find stats on players, fun game day essentials like food and what to wear, and of course a whole section teaching you how to talk the talk.

With the football Fanbook you and you’re little football fans will be ready to talk the talk the whole season! There are even a few tips for playing your own game of football, so when you’re not watching you can work on your passes.

Venice loved the instructions to fold your own paper football. She’s been making them nonstop and handing them out to all her friends and teachers. I can only imagine what kind of paper football games are happening at school. We’re still working on flipping our little footballs, but it has entertained the kids for hours to make these and then have play-offs.

It’s Giveaway Time! Tell me about your Football fans to win a copy of Time Inc’s and Sports Illustrated Kids The Football Fanbook. Enter on the rafflecopter. Open to US 18+. Ends 9/29/2017

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September 15, 2017
How to Have Big Conversations in Little Moments
The coupons for product redemption, information, and gift card have been provided by Entenmann’s® Little Bites® so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Entenmann’s® Little Bites®. The opinions expressed in How to Have Big Conversations in Little Moments are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Entenmann’s® Little Bites®.

Venice is turning 11 this year. Over the past year I’ve had to come to terms with my child not being such a child anymore. I have always wanted to be the parent who was open with her kids so they knew they could talk to me about anything. So I started talking with Venice at an early age. I tried to force a bond with a perceived notion in my head, and it did not work.

Initially, I was met with “Stop talking Mom.” So I tried again the next year and the next. Finally, I realized I was doing no good. I was trying to turn what seems like a big conversation into a big moment. What I needed to do was find little moments to have the Big Conversations.

These are my tips discovered through trial and many errors. It’s the little moments that kids will open up. It’s through many little moments that kids will feel comfortable enough to talk to you about anything on their mind. From changing bodies and navigating friendships to their deepest dreams and fears.

Be Present

In recent months one of the things I’ve heard a few times from my kids is “You were busy doing xyz and I didn’t want to bother you.” It always makes me feel so bad. One of the best ways to avoid this is to always be present. This takes a conscious effort on my part. It doesn’t mean inserting myself into everything they are doing, but rather make myself available anytime they need. You never know when they’ll want to talk about something big. If I can’t stop what I’m currently doing I always make it a point to find them as soon as I’m done.

Don’t force the conversation

Start by asking your kids about their day. Who are they playing with at recess? Who did they sit with at lunch? What kind of books/toys/movies are their friends talking about? These seemingly simple questions I’ve found bring out the big conversations. I’ve learned of friendships gone awry, new interests in toys, dream vacations, and the fears of what growing up mean. Ask the questions, then sit back and just listen.

Related post: The Art of Silent Parenting

Share a Treat

Everyone needs to eat, and kids love a treat. Pulling something out to snack on during little moments in their day and suddenly they’ll start talking. My favorite little moments are right after school, during homework time, driving in the car, and when all the other kids are in bed. The kids especially love having some little moments with just Mom when normally they should be asleep.

Entenmann’s® Little Bites® are the perfect treat to share during these moments. With 4 in each pouch, we like to split it even. With 10 varieties to choose from, there is a favorite for everyone. Our family favorites are the Crumb Cakes and Fudge Brownie.

Little Moments that Do Good

Entenmann’s Little Bites has partnered with Terracycle to recycle their pouches. From August to October 31, Entenmann’s is running a contest to in honor of back to school season. There are 2 ways you can get involved and make a little moment with your kids
1. Send in the most Little Bites pouches
2. Design a receptacle for collecting Entenmann’s Little Bites for your school.
Get Full Contest Details.

Little Bites Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a $25 visa gift card and 3 coupons for $5 off Entenmann’s Little Bites. Open to US 18+ only. Giveaway ends 9/25

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September 9, 2017
Doodle a Droodle Review + Game Giveaway

I received Doodle a Droodle for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Family game night just got more fun with an all new game from the Purple Cow – Doodle a Droodle.

Think pictionary but without knowing what you’re drawing. With Doodle a Droodle, you pick a card depicting some random lines. Place the card on your board and turn the doodle into a picture.

According to The Purple Cow, a Droodle is a cross between a doodle and a riddle. The riddle is in the card and your job is to doodle it out until someone correctly guesses your riddle or the time runs out.

We have had so much fun with this game. I’ve talked about how Lincoln doesn’t enjoy coloring and the games we’ve played to encourage it. This is one more we have been thrilled with. Since there are no words, I can play it with him easily, and he actually enjoys doodling different pictures and having me guess them. The one above he said is me.

I know I said the lines on the card were random, but they actually aren’t. Inside the instruction book, all the cards are listed out with the inspiration behind each droodle. It’s really fun to look through after you’ve finished playing and see how many you may have matched with the original inspiration.

Now who wants to play Doodle a Droodle with their family? One reader will win a copy of Doodle a Droodle to add to their family collection. Open to US 18+ Ends 9/11/2017

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September 1, 2017
ZIPIT Interactive Coloring and Activity Book Giveaway

I received ZIPIT Interactive Coloring and Activity Book for review. All Opinions are my own.

As much as I push screen free play during the school week, I still love technology and letting my kids experience it. The new ZIPIT Interactive Coloring and Activity Book does just that.

Screen Free Play Idea Here

These books have changed Lincoln. My girls all love coloring, but Lincoln never has. Until we opened the ZIPIT Interactive Coloring and Activity Books. The pictures themselves were fun and held the attention of all the kids. The real fun began when they realized coloring meant they could also get on an electronic.

Lincoln was especially drawn to these fun books. All I had to do was tell him he had to color the picture first, and he needed to not scribble on it – at least the best a 5year old can do – and then I’d show him just how cool the rest of it was. Worked like a charm. We spent a good amount of time coloring together. Mostly him dictating what colors and spaces I was allowed to work in.

Taking photos of apps turns out is really not that easy…but what you are seeing here is a page Rosalina was working on. After coloring the monster she added the sun sticker, then snapped a photo with the ZIPIT App. The sun sticker became interactive, and many other virtual stickers popped up that she could then add to her photo. It’s really a cool book and app combo that my kids are absolutely loving.

Since my photo skills are lacking, here’s a video straight from Zipit that shows how it all works.

One lucky person will win a ZIPIT Interactive Coloring and Activity Book. Open to US 18+. Ends 9/9/2017ENTER FROM MOBILE HEREa Rafflecopter giveaway

August 30, 2017
The Lemonade Stand Cookbook Review and Giveaway

Don’t let your kids get bored during the hottest days of summer, send them outside with treats and teach them to be entrepreneurs. I received a copy of The Lemonade Stand Cookbook in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you purchase through them.

The Lemonade Stand Cookbook by Kathy Strahs

Kids have been running lemonade stands for decades, whether to raise money for a new bike, for a charitable cause or simply to conquer boredom. Inspired by dozens of kid experts from all over the country, the author has poured her expertise as a food writer, entrepreneur, and mother into the ultimate guide to setting up your own lemonade stand. Tips for setting up a successful stand, packaging ideas, cooking technique tutorials, and real-life stories from kids themselves are sure to inspire readers to give life a squeeze.

FIND 15 DELICIOUS LEMONADE RECIPES HERE

We were so thrilled to receive a copy of this book! My kids had been asking since Christmas if they could put together a Lemonade Stand. I definitely wanted them to, but I wanted to help them with their first one. The Lemonade Stand Cookbook has a great introduction to how to set up your stand and pick appropriate prices for your goodies. This came in really handy when the kids started tossing random prices on their sign.

For our stand, we whipped up some LOL Lemonade, brownies, and banana bread. A big seller was the banana bread, to which I attribute the cute packaging we found at our local grocery store. With 13 different drink recipes, from cold Lemonades to hot chocolate, The Lemonade Stand Cookbook is more than just a summer guide.

One lucky reader will win a copy of The Lemonade Stand Cookbook. Open to US 18+ ends 8/5/2017

Enter from Mobile Here

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July 28, 2017
New Animal Planet Animal Bites Books: Baby Animals and Animals on the Move + 6 Book Set Giveaway

*I received Animal Planet Animal Bites books for review. All opinions are my honest thoughts.

We love books! My kids especially love books about animals. The Animal Planet Animal Bites books are the perfect size for learning bits of information without overwhelming the kids. Animal Planet came out with 2 new books this past spring that we were thrilled to add to our collection. This post contains affiliate links and I will receive compensation when you click on and purchase through them.

Animal Bites: Animals On the Move

In Animals on the Move kids learn about both fast and slow animals. They see the animals in gorgeous photography hanging in their natural habit. My always on the go child, Chloe, loves this book. I asked her one morning while she was perusing it waiting for the bus what animal was her favorite. She claimed the Banana Slugs as her choice. When I asked why she said it was because they recycle things just like she does.

Animal Bites: Baby Animals

In Baby Animals kids learn all about different animals and their young. Everyone loves babies! As I’ve come to learn in a very personal way, my children especially love babies. Rosalina is obsessed with her new baby brother, so when she needs some baby loving but he’s busy either napping or eating, I can hand her this book to enjoy. I asked her which baby animal was her favorite, and she immediately pulled it open to the baby sloth. AWE! They really are adorable.

There are so many fun things to learn about animals! For more bite-sized fun you can download these Animal Bites cards with facts from each of the 6 Animals Bites books. Print them out on cardstock and turn them into a memory game or for learning on the go this summer.

Animal Bites Giveaway

One lucky winner will win all 6 Animal Planet Animal Bites Books! Enter on the Rafflecopter below. Open to US 18+ Ends 5/19/2017

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May 9, 2017
Day/Week/Year of No Clutter: Are you In? + Giveaway

I received a copy of Year of No Clutter. All opinions expressed here are my own. Affiliate link are included – this means when you purchase something through a link clicked here, I may received a small compensation.

I hate clutter. With a passion. Yet it always seems to creep up on me, pushing what I want to be a fun day aside to instead focus on the cleaning, organizing, and decluttering. It seems a never ending chore, similar to the laundry.

Just this morning, Mark asked who was going to have a fantastic day. The kids all kind of mumbled, but I enthusiastically jumped in with a “ME! I am!”

The kids stared at me kind of weirdly, and then finally asked “What are you doing today mom?”

So I told them I had two different plans. Plan 1 was to head to their aunt’s house, where I would walk with her around her neighborhood and attempt to induce labor. Plan 2 was to clean and organize their bedrooms while they were at school.

“Go to Aunt Renee’s!!!” They all shouted. “Please go to Aunt Renee’s!”

Sadly for them, it turned out to be a rainy day, so walking was out of the question. Instead, Aunt Renee came to our house to help me clean and organize. We started with a basic cleaning of the kitchen, then we walked through the kids’ rooms, and took notes and measurements of how to organize their clutter better. Finally, we hit up Target for some bins and command hooks. It was time to kick the clutter to the curb!

I still have a long way to go with our No Clutter initiative, but we’ve started. Will you commit to a week of no clutter for your own sanity?

Sign up NOW for the Week of No Clutter, March 7-14th, where you will get tips, advice, and video from Eve Schaub herself to help you declutter.

Are you ready? Maybe a week isn’t quite right for you, but you feel like me – overwhelmed and hemmed in by all the stuff accumulating around you. This giveaway is for you then. You could win 1 of 5 copies of Eve’s new book Year of No Clutter, just by entering on the Rafflecopter below. Good luck, and Happy Decluttering!

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March 6, 2017
When the Kids Stay Home Sick, but Still Want to Learn + Target and Pfizer Giveaway

This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and 20^th Century Fox. All thoughts and reviews are my own.

We have been truly lucky this year with minimum sicknesses finding their way into our home. So what happens when a kid does stay home sick, but they are bummed about missing school? You find the good!

That’s just what happened about mid-January around here. Rosie has a frequent occurrence of waking up with “a tummy ache” a “headache” and general “not feeling good” symptoms. I often send her to school anyways because I’m a mean mom that knows when she’s trying to fool me. Last month was different, though. She truly wasn’t feeling good, so we let her stay home to avoid spreading any illnesses around the school.

About 2 hours into our day she turns to me and says “I miss knowledge.” Confused by what she meant, and trying to hide a smile at just how silly it sounded, I asked her to clarify. The poor girl wanted to be at school, learning with her friends and growing smarter.

I pulled out our Sick Basket in hopes something in there would entertain her while I got some work done, but she was adamant that she still get some learning done. Thank goodness Target has everything we need, and I was prepared for just such a day. I gave her some Children’s Advil to reduce the low-grade fever and help her head stop hurting.

Grab these Target Cartwheel Offers before they Expire
10% Off Children’s Advil
10% Off Dimetapp Children’s
10% Off Robitussin

With her headache minimized we pulled out our awesome workbooks. Target has a great book and activity section next to the electronics. I love picking up the Big Workbook’s, and it definitely came in handy for this knowledge craving little girls. I also suggest picking up a good sick day movie, and Target has some great Cartwheel offers on 20th Century Fox videos right now as well!

10% Off The Peanuts Movie
10% Off The Sandlot
10% Off Ice Age: Collision Course

Personally, I can’t think of a better sick day movie than The Peanuts Movie. With Charlie Brown, the eternal optimist, your day just can’t go wrong.

Don't let your next sick day be one of boredom and missed knowledge! #SickJustGotReal Share on X

One lucky winner will receive

$25 Target Gift Card
Pfizer Pediatric Products
20th Century Fox DVD of choice – The Peanuts Movie, The Sandlot, or Ice Age Collision Course

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February 14, 2017
Behind the Orchard at Tuttle Orchards

During September Lincoln and I had the chance to take a tour at Tuttle Orchards in Greenfield, Indiana. It was a nice relaxing day, just what I needed that month.

Tuttle Orchards has been growing apples for 88 years, and currently has over 23 varieties of delicious apples! That’s a long time to be in business and can only mean one thing to me – at Tuttle’s they know what they’re doing. The farm has been in the family for 4 generations, which meant we got a tour from Ruth – a 4th generation Tuttle.

I grew up going to apple orchards every fall for apples. My favorite part of those trips was always the cider. So I was extremely thrilled when Ruth showed us where they make the cider. Since we visited in the early season, they were still prepping the machinery for apple cider production. Once they get started though, Tuttle’s will make approximately 1000 Gallons of Cider a day!

YUMMY!

After the apples are juiced for cider, the pulp is given to local hog farmers and is also used for fertilizer. Color me happy! I hate waste especially when it can serve another purpose, so knowing Tuttle Orchards makes sure to use every portion of the apples makes me love them even more.

During World War 2, Tuttle’s chose to stop the Dairy farm portion and focus solely on produce. The old dairy barn now houses the Farm Store where you can purchase bags of apples, apple cider, produce and locally sourced meat.

Tuttle Orchards is open year round, though activities like Apple Picking are only open seasonally. The Sweet Shop will be open to November serving up delicious treats like Pumpkin and Apple Donuts, and Apple Cider Slush.

If you’re looking to get fresh produce year round, Tuttle offers a Tote Program throughout the winter. Using high tunnels, Tuttle Orchards is able to grow all winter long and wants to share that produce with you. They have a long season and a short season depending on your budget and when you want to receive the box.

October 13, 2016
Prepping for Baby with WaterWipes and (5) $100 Walgreens Gift Cards

This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

There is a reason pregnancy lasts 9 months. It takes time to gather everything you need before baby enters this world. There is a lot to do, and nothing would stress me out more than going into labor knowing I didn’t have my essentials all prepped and ready.

People may assume that because I already have 4 kids I have everything I need for baby number five. However, I don’t. I actually don’t have a thing, and that kind of scares me. See after Lincoln was born, I knew we wouldn’t be having any more for awhile, if we had any more at all. Since Lincoln was born we have moved 5 times. Two of those times happened to be across state lines. There was just no way I could pack up all the baby stuff to take with us.

So here I am with Baby number 5, and only five months left to get everything in order! This time around, though, I’m making different choices. I’m going to do things the way I want them. No fluffy extras, and just the basics. Those basics, however will be the nice things. Instead of going for the cheap diapers and wipes, I’m going with the nice stuff.

WaterWipes are my first addition to the baby stocking. You can’t have a baby and not have a stockpile of wipes. There is no anxiety like that of going to change a poopy diaper and finding the wipes are all gone, or dried up. There’s also so many chemicals in some wipes that just aren’t needed. I mean when was the last time you used chemicals on your skin? Why would we do that to our precious babies?

WaterWipes are 99.9% pure water and .1% grapefruit extract. You can’t get something more pure and perfect for safely cleaning up baby and all their toys. I found my WaterWipes at Walgreens, and so can you! In fact, Walgreens wants to help 5 people get ready for their babies with a $100 gift card! Check it out below!

GIVEAWAY

I-C will randomly select winners from all program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes (5 winners).

WaterWipes Walgreens Giveaway

September 30, 2016