Rave & Review

Family & Friends Sale at Sears this Sunday

This is a sponsored post for all of you still shopping for Mother's Day.  Which, judging by the emails and messages I've been getting, includes most of you.

Well, this is one time it pays to wait until the last minute because just in time for Mother’s Day, Sears has the PERFECT deal for all the Moms in your life.  For ONE DAY only, on May 5, Sears is having its Family & Friends sale where you have a choice between receiving 15% off your purchase, or 25% in SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS Points added to your account.  Awesome, right?

And, with Mother’s Day just a few days away, it’s a perfect opportunity to make sure you get that perfect gift.  Or, if you're a real planner, you can already think ahead to Father's Day.  Here are just a few great options:
 
•         Cannon® Egyptian cotton towels are $7.99 (reg. $15.99)
•         Canon ELPH camera is $129.99 (reg. $169.99)
•         Nordic Track T5.7 treadmill is $599.99 (reg. $899.99)
•         Up to 20% off All Original Pink Box tools and storage
•         1-cttw stud diamond earrings are $329.99 (reg. $989.99)
•         TIMEX, Armitron, Relic, BULOVA and other branded watches are 25% off
•         Sterling silver “family tree” pave pendant is 70% off
•         Diamond mom ring (SS 1/20 cttw) - $99.99 (reg. $349.99)
•         Carter’s® for newborns, infants and toddlers clothing is 50%
 
Can’t make it to shop Sears on Sunday?  Shop these deals online at Sears.com May 4, from 8 p.m. CT – May 7, at 7 a.m. CT!
 
And, I know I've already mentioned the SHOP YOUR WAY rewards program, but if you haven't signed up yet, you should!  I've saved up a huge amount of points since I signed up and it's helped me score some great gifts for the past year+ that I've been a member.  Shop Your Way is a free, members-only program and shopping community that offers rewards, personalized deals, product reviews and services like e-coupons and e-receipts {I love this since I hate all the receipts that collect in my purse, and it makes it easier to return or exchange}.  You can join at ShopYourWay.com.

I am writing this post as a part of a sponsored campaign as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club.  As always, all opinions remain 100% ours.

Upgrading my wardrobe with a Simon Malls shopping trip at Northgate Mall Seattle

A few months ago I realized that almost every single pair of jeans I wear was either badly worn or had a gaping hole on the right knee.  The exception to this rule was my two pairs of “good” jeans, which I only wear a few times a month.  But, my pile of holey jeans isn’t because I am really, really hard on my clothes, it’s because I have only gotten two new pairs of jeans in the past five years {AKA my “good” ones}.

Pretty awful, right?  Hence, this post that took place on Facebook {edited for length and with names removed, but with the jeaneology comment left in for humor's sake} :


This wouldn’t be a problem if I was a slacks and jackets kind of gal who only wore jeans on the weekend, but the problem lies in the fact that I wear jeans every day.  Whether I’m working, playing, lounging, digging in the garden, running after kiddos, or biking, I’m definitely wearing jeans.

Obviously, Nichole is correct, some serious shopping is definitely in order, and I knew just the place.  Remember a few months ago when the Northgate Mall saved my #SeattleBaby event I threw for expecting and new mom bloggers?  Well, now was the time to shop the stores for something other than kid stuff and hopefully get mama some new jeans. 

I will admit that I was giddy when I picked up the gift card from guest services at Northgate Mall, as I rarely do shopping for me these days.  I had been mentally planning my route all day long and knew just how I wanted to make my way to my favorite stores, so I was dying to get to the mall and make it happen.  If only I had known about the new Simon Malls shopping app, I would have simply planned my trip right on my phone for an even more detailed itinerary and shopping list.

Since jeans were the top priority and I have really good luck at Nordstrom, I decided I would start there and see what I could find.  One tour through their t.b.d. and Savvy departments and I found some really cute styles, but not exactly what I was looking for.  I ended up heading to Nordstrom Rack to check out their selection {yes, Northgate mall has both Nordstrom and The Rack… awesome, right?}   


At Nordstrom Rack I found not only an awesome pair of jeans, I also found these adorable BRIGHT YELLOW flats.  It’s almost as if they heard me complaining that all I own are boring black flats and they created these babies just for me.  Comfy, easy to run in, and hard-to-ignore, it was apparent as soon as I saw them that these yellow shoes were it. 


Now that I had my jeans and shoes, I was technically done with my jeans mission and then some.  But, after daydreaming about this shopping trip all day, I had my heart set on a few other stores, so I continued on with my shopping plan and headed to Macy’s for accessories. 


While Macy’s didn’t have the turquoise purse I have been dreaming of, they had a huge selection of name brand bags in the sale department and I found 6 that I loved.  After getting help from some ladies in the accessories department, I finally decided on this little number. 


Yes, I know, it’s black and I’m trying to get away from all the lack of color, but I couldn’t pass up the great deal and the fact that it has both a cross-body strap and shoulder straps.  I’ve been using it for a few weeks now and I adore it because it can go from handbag to cross-body bag quickly, it fits on the stroller handle nicely, and for the fact that the lining is a light blue so I can see what is inside. 

After my card was spent and I was positively giddy with excitement over my new jeans, shoes, and purse, I could have easily called it a day.  But, I still had extra time and there was a big huge mall in front of me, so how could I refuse browsing for a bit?  Besides, I still was looking for more color, and I knew the perfect place to find it: The Gap, Fuego, and Rue 21.

Once my shopping trip was complete, I almost had an entire new outfit to show for it.  Of course, each of the pieces can be worn alone on a daily basis, but there's just something fun about getting so many new things that look good alone and together. 

After I was all shopped out {which was mostly due to my large number of bags I was sick of carrying}, I decided to call it a night and meet the family to get some food and refuel for the ride home.  Luckily, Northgate Mall has a Red Robin, which just so happens to be the kiddos favorite restaurant, as well as a big Starbucks for hubby and I, because I think we all needed a break after our trip. 
I was so excited with all my purchases that I transferred purses on the way home, just so I could carry my new bag for the weekend when I debuted my new outfit.  And, once my old purse was empty, I happily ditched it once and for all in the donation pile. 

As happy of a feeling as it was to ditch a purse that no longer worked with my lifestyle, wearing my new outfit out to the island the next day was even more fun.  I love looking down and seeing a bright pop of yellow, I love the dark wash of the Kut from Kloth jeans, and I love that my new purse is perfect for my days out - with or without kids.  

So, what do you think of my new look?  Much better than the holey jeans, right?  I'd say it was a good upgrade for sure!

With Mother's Day just over a week away, I know many of you are desperately trying to think of something for the special moms in your life, and I would suggest a Simon Malls gift card.  I know gift cards aren't the most personal gifts you can give to the woman who gave you life, but when paired with a card that says simply, "For all you do for others, here's something just for you.  Spend it on a new purse, a new necklace, a salon day, or spend it on clothing - it's up to you, just spend it on yourself" it certainly doesn't feel like an impersonal gift.  In fact, I know quite a few moms who would love to get that present this year to give them a good excuse to splurge on something that will make them happy.  Because, you know, that's what it's all about, isn't it?

A big thank you to Simon Malls Northgate Mall for offering a gift card for me to get one new item.  I had so much fun and found so many bargains that I was able to get a few other things as well as quite a few that I bought that night.  As always, all opinions remain 100% ours. 

Awesome and unique gifts for Mom from RedEnvelope {with coupon code}

I’ve had a bit of a love affair with RedEnvelope since my teens and I now have numerous pieces I’ve gotten as gifts or bought for myself from them throughout my home.  Many pieces of jewelry are from them, and they are nicely stored in a wooden RedEnvelope box.  My wedding photos are in shadow box frames from RedEnvelope, and both of my children have special personalized baby gifts bought from RedEnvelope.

If you’ve never shopped at RedEnvelope before, you are in for a big treat.  Everything from their easy-to-search gifts for all occasions to their easy ordering process and their beautiful red packaging, it’s easy to see why RedEnvelope is one of my absolute favorite stores.  Their goal is to make gift giving easy and fun so that it’s just as fun to give as it is to receive, and I think they have definitely succeeded. 

So, when I got a chance to shop with a gift card from the RedEnvelope catalog last month for all the spring birthdays and holidays, I was in heaven.  I found a wide range of products from the obscure to the sentimental to the fun and quirky and have compiled a list of my absolute favorite products. 

For the tree hugger - Envirosax Market Bags

I love these Envirosax bags and I take them with me everywhere these days because they pack small and can fit right inside my purse.  I was a bit worried when Seattle issued their "bag ban", but was completely relieved when I found Envirosax are actually more convenient than plastic for me, and I don't end up with a million bags to recycle. 

I also love that Red Envelope sells them in packs of 5, because 1 or 2 is never enough when you have shopping "helpers" who insist on carrying a bag of their own.  They have numerous different color pallettes to choose from, and some even have options for boys and girls {and even a Sesame Street set for the little ones.

For the wine lover - Vinturi Wine Aerator

I have had one of these for almost a year now and I absolutely love it.  While I love white wine, I have always hated the taste of red... until I found this aerator.  It's quick, easy, can be thrown in the dishwasher for cleaning, and it makes red wine taste amazing.  We've done blind taste tests with this aerator and every single person has chosen the Vinturi aerated wine as the winner.

It's wine, only better.  Win, win.

For the sentimental mom - Mother's Birthstone Necklace

I'll admit I'm totally a sucker for mom necklaces.  I currently have three mother's necklaces I've made with various charms that I wear daily, and I have my sights set on even more in the near future.  While I love necklaces with birthdates and names, I also like something simple with birthstones and this is my favorite non-traditional necklace from Red Envelope. 

For the fun and funky gal - Dino Planters

Not sure she'd love a dino planter?  Wonder if she'd look at you like you've lost your marbles when she opens a box with a big ceramic dinosaur that she can put plants in? 

Check out how we took an offshoot from a basic plant we got from our wedding {which we have happily kept alive for 9 years - wooohooo!} and took it from boring to amazing, all with a little prehistoric help from Red Envelope.

For the jewelry lover - Personalized Stacking Love Rings

I seriously love this ring.  While I normally do not like heart shaped jewelry, I make an exception when the heart shaped item is this cool.  And, if you're really anti-heart, you can always wear the circle ring separate - or over any other simple birthstone ring you already own.  I had dreams of fitting the circle ring over my wedding ring, but it didn't quite fit over the diamond.  In the end, though, I realized I liked the circle ring simply on its own. 

The stacking ring is something you don't see everyday and I think it's really cool that it is personalized so I can literally wear my heart on my hand.  And, I love how comfortable it is even to wear all day long.  I've bought many rings without trying them on only to find that they aren't smooth on the inside and end up digging into my finger, so I was really happy with how smooth both rings are so I can wear them every day.

For the gardener - a Year of Seeds

If you are shopping for mom for birthday or Mother's Day, I would definitely check out Red Envelope first.  It's amazing how many items I found there that I've never seen anywhere else, and I feel like I could easily bookmark half of their catalog if I let myself shop on there too long.  Whether your mom is the sentimental type, the fun and funky type, or simply loves cool things, you are bound to find something amazing that she will remember forever. 

And, just in time for Mom's Day, you can save up to $20 off, get free shipping, or take up to 20% off all sorts of awesome presents using this Red Envelope coupon link.  You can personalize many of their items right on their site and you can have them shipped to you so you can hand deliver it, or have your present shipped directly to your recipient in a lush red package with a heartfelt note.  Either way, it will be sure to make her day.

A big thank you to Red Envelope for providing a gift code so I could do some holiday shopping.  As always, all opinions are 100% ours. 

Coordinating sibling clothes for everyday from Gymboree

I’m not a fan of sibling full-on matching outfits, unless there’s a special occasion or the kiddos specifically request it.  But, since I constantly have my camera out, I do love my kids to wear coordinating outfits most days so they don’t clash with each.  Crazy, I know.   

For this reason, I’m a huge fan of Gymboree’s mix and match collections that come out each season.  I love visiting one of the many Gymboree stores near me and grabbing a few things from the boys’ side, a few things from the girls’ side, and then adding in some basics for a wardrobe that makes it easy to keep them coordinated… but not matchy matchy. 

So, of course I said yes when they offered a gift card so I could do a little spring and summer shopping for the kidlets.  And, I *might* have gone a little crazy and went way over my gift card just because I love their clothes so much.  Oh, and their hats, and their shoes, and their purses...

Of course, Gymboree also has some great matching outfits in boys and girls, toddler and baby that I love for professional portraits and holidays.  But for everyday outfits, I love to keep the kids in the same general color scheme or color accents for when I’m taking pictures without worrying that everyone matches perfectly.

Because you never know when a moment like this will happen.

Or this.

Or this.

Or, even if I just want to blow up a few pictures of the spring and summer and want one coordinating color throughout the pieces, Gymboree mix and match is perfect.  By weaving some of the new orange and navy collection into multiple outfits or sporting the pastels all through summer, I’m going to have a file full of pictures to choose from come fall that would look great as a picture wall or picture book.   

And, I already know a few of the pieces we picked up this spring at Gymboree are bound to be favorites, like the blue striped shorts that just so happen to match a favorite baby doll’s outfit, the white button up shirt just like daddy, the pink flower purse perfect for girl necessities, Breezy Blossom dress that gets worn as soon as it comes out of the dryer, the Gem Flower white sandals that go with everything, and the orange headband that gets compliments whenever we leave the house.

It’s this reason that I love how well their clothing holds up to all kids can dish out – through multiple seasons and through multiple kids.  Our family passes around Gymboree clothing and they go through all the nieces and nephews, so I love when I see my younger nieces getting compliments on the dress or shirt that my daughter adored. 

It certainly makes it easy to justify a $100+ purchase knowing that it will clothe over 6 kids, and the bonus is that it also doesn't make it so sad when they grow out of the clothes so quick.  Note: Sorry, cousins, we're not going to be passing down this headband, though.  I think that's something that's going to grow with us for a while!  What's your favorite item in the new spring lines?  Do you love them as much as my kiddos do?

A big thank you to Gymboree for sending a gift card so we could check out the new spring collections. As always, all opinions are 100% ours.

Save money with SIMPLY RIGHT Baby Care items {Free Sample Link}

Besides being asked what my favorite product is I’ve ever reviewed, I get asked one thing over and over again by readers.  That question is what my favorite money-saving tips are for families.  And, no matter how many times I get asked it, it still somewhat surprises me.

While I’m a couponer at heart and do my best to save money wherever I can, I’m far from an expert on frugal living.  But while there’s thousands of blogs devoted to just that, I think I speak to a more middle of the road reader – someone who doesn’t have time to clip millions of coupons a year or stockpile lotions for the next three decades.  You know, someone without 40 hours a week to spend on saving money.

As for me, my advice is simple.  Bring a calculator with you while shopping and know what the stuff you use costs.  Don’t be fooled by “sales” that merely mark items down to what they cost elsewhere, and do clip the coupons for the stuff you’re going to buy anyway.  

That being said, I always warn new moms that baby stuff is notoriously confusing in that diapers and wipes have no standard quantity per box/bag/container.  To make matters worse, the labels I normally rely on to give me an actual unit cost like they would on, say, packages of single-serve items are blank in the diaper section.  So, even with coupons, I would often stand there looking at wipes and diapers for far too long wondering what exactly the best deal was.

It was only after writing down all the prices I was finding in retail as well as the coupons I was able to collect that I began to get a much better picture of what a good cost per diaper or wipe was.  Once I had that number, I checked my local Sam’s Club compared their prices against the other “sales” or “deals”.  What I loved right away was that the price per diaper was clearly spelled out, making it easy to compare apples to apples, or apples to oranges, whatever the case may be.   

Once I compared these numbers I realized quickly that even sale diapers and wipes at grocery stores or baby stores are very overpriced.  Depending on what size I checked, sometimes I was looking at a 5 cent markup that Sam's Club didn't have!

When considering warehouse shopping you need to keep in mind that all the rules about how they are not cost effection for a small family do not hold true with diapers and wipes – trust me, you WILL go through the stuff!  One look at this adorable little guy and it's easy to fantasize that he's going to be potty trained by 18 months, but we all know how that goes.  He's likely got years of diapers ahead and saving money on diapers and wipes is going to be a huge savings in the long run. 

The SIMPLY RIGHT Baby Care line was created for parents like us who want a premium wipe and diaper brand without paying a huge amount each month.  In fact, Sam's Club has calculated that members could save an average of $392 a YEAR, per child in diapers and wipes by switching to the SIMPLY RIGHT brand.  That's a whole lot of extra money to stash away for a rainy day!

And, no, these aren't the awful super-thin and paper-stiff diapers you find in most stores under their own brand name.  Simply Right diapers look and feel just like the premium brands with stretchy side panels and waist band, which they call their 3-Point Soft Stretch System.  This means they fit really well and hold leaks in better, which is more than I can say for other store brand diapers. 

Their baby wipes are also some of my favorites as well with a triple thickness and strong yet soft quilted texture.  But, my favorite part is that they are hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and are formulated for delicate skin. Just look at the difference between the SIMPLY RIGHT wipes {right} compared to another store brand {left}.  Which would you rather use on your baby?

They certainly don't sound like they would cost almost $400 per year less than the premium brands, do they?  What are some fun things you would do with $392 in savings?
 
For a FREE sample of SIMPLY RIGHT diapers or wipes, visit http://simplyrightbabycare.com/sample.html today!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of SIMPLY RIGHT™ Baby Care Products.  As always, all opinions are 100% ours.

Pressure-free jewelry shopping online with Kranich Jewelers

Although I adore jewelry of all kinds, I have a love/hate relationship with jewelry shopping.  On one hand, I love just seeing all the new styles and dreaming of what I would buy if I won the lottery.  But, on the other, I hate the pressure of the mall jewelry stores near me – the clerk following you around, needing to ask for every single price, the fact that I have {apparently} expensive tastes – all of it makes me never want to set foot in a mall jeweler again. 

This is why I’m so grateful that I can now do jewelry shopping online.  I may not be able to see an online diamond solitaire with the clarity I would in person, but I can find so much more selection than with a mall store.  So now I can actually find that amazing ring guard I’ve been looking for to frame my solitaire diamond ring without having to visit every store within 100 miles of here or find someone willing to let me design it.

I recently found Kranich Jewelers during one of these searches and was amazed at the amount of settings and styles I’ve never seen before.  We spent a little while going through the different jewelry categories from wedding rings to mother’s jewelry and we each picked our favorite of the bunch below.

His pick for me:

My daughter's pick for me:

And, my ring guard I've been draming of:

While, unfortunately, we still have expensive tastes, at least I didn’t have to bug the clerk to open every case in the joint to realize there was no way I was going home with it!  For this reason, I may never set foot in a jeweler near me again. 

Want to do some truly fun, no pressure jewelry shopping?  Click here to head over to Kranich Jewelers to see their selection of diamond rings, engagement sets, and more.

A big thank you to Kranich Jewelers for offering a promotional jewelery piece as a thank you for this post.  As always, all opinions are 100% ours.

Seattle Readers: Designer Stephen Saint-Onge at IKEA in Renton on Saturday 3/9/13

I love IKEA.  The store is single-handedly to thank for all of my closet organization, our movie room furniture, our nursery gear, and a good deal of my décor throughout our house.  And, every time we go to IKEA we leave with boxes and boxes of furniture that we insist on putting together the moment we get home, which we call a “furniture party”.   

So, when IKEA is having a free event with famous people and giveaways like they are this Saturday, the store reaches dangerous levels of awesome.  Well, prepare yourselves for awesome, Seattle residents!

On Saturday 3/9/13, Family Circle and Designer Dad Stephen Saint-Onge are partnering with Ikea to host an event at the Renton {Seattle} store.  The FREE Life Improvement Store Seminar will feature creative tips and techniques on how to refresh and update your kitchen.  And, in addition to all the knowledge you will take home from the event, you might be one of the lucky ones who will walk away with one of the many IKEA gift cards and prizes they will be giving away throughout the day as part of the Bring Your Own Friends Day.

The Seattle IKEA event is open to the public, but they are requesting RSVPs so they know how many people to expect.  And, for every RSVP they receive {up to 25,000}, they will donate $1 to Save the Children's Early Steps for School Success, so you’ll be helping give back to the community too!

RSVP today, and follow IKEA Seattle on Twitter @IKEA_Seattle to keep up with all the BYOF happenings at #IKEABYOF.  Find out more at thelifeimprovementproject.com and print coupons for free breakfast, a free blue bag, $5 off select items, and more that you can use on 3/9 in-store.

Although this is a sponsored post, all opinions remain 100% ours.

Stock up on quick and easy on-the-go breakfast items at the Buy 4 Save $4 Safeway sale

While I enjoy cooking up a good homemade breakfast on weekend mornings, the weekdays around here are a very different story.  Those days we have places to be, deadlines to meet, and rarely do we have enough time to cook, let alone clean up after a big meal. 

It’s those days that I’m very grateful for my snooze button, which in turn makes me grateful for anything that helps save time in the morning.  And, if my solution is easy to eat or great for on-the-go, that makes mornings a whole lot easier on me as I get us out of the house on time. 

When I heard about Safeway’s Buy 4 Save $4 event, I knew this was the perfect time to stock up for quick weekday breakfasts.  I was even more excited when I saw the Safeway ad for the week and saw how many of our favorite breakfast foods were listed, and then even more so when I realized that the prices in the deal are so good that I could afford to stock up.

Because my kids love grocery shopping, I decided to take them with me as I took advantage of Safeway’s Buy 4 Save $4 promotion so they could pick their own breakfasts for the week. And, you would have thought they were headed to Disney Land with how excited the two were to get to the grocery store.

Once we got to Safeway, we headed to pick up our fresh veggies and fruits for the week, and then we picked up a few bakery items we needed.  Next, we headed down the dairy aisle to find my favorite grab and go breakfast: OIKOS Greek Yogurt. I eat a carton most mornings with granola and pack some in hubby’s lunch for him as a mid-day snack, so we go through it pretty fast. 

We finally made it to the breakfast aisle and I let the kiddos loose to pick up a few things that they wanted to eat for the week.  Not surprisingly, my daughter chose way too many cereals and my little guy chose all the NutriGrain bars.  After explaining that we were getting 2 boxes of cereal and 2 snack bars as part of the promotion, I let my daughter do most of the deciding on what items we all would eat, not just that she liked. 

I was thrilled when she figured out which tags went with the sale and then used that to narrow down her favorites.  She finally chose Mini Wheats because they would be something that she and daddy both liked but she went with a new flavor she has been excited to try along with Corn Flakes, a family favorite. 

After that, she helped out in the snack bars and chose Apple NutriGrain Cereal Bars that she knew her brother would eat.  As sweet as that is that she consulted him and helped him choose, I was especially proud that she also noticed the coupons on the back of the Apple NutriGrain bars and announced “that means we can buy more later”.  Ah, so proud!

With two boxes of cereal and a box of cereal bars, I then let them choose a box of PopTarts as a treat that are great for quick mornings when I need them to eat while we walk to school or drive.  Since this isn’t something we get very often, they took the decision making process very seriously and debated for over 5 minutes about what flavor would go over well for everyone.

Finally we headed home with our haul, which the kiddos were so excited about that they made plans to eat everything as soon as we walked in the door.  I talked them into letting me put away the perishables first, and then I let them help themselves to some of our new goodies. 

In planning ahead for the rest of the week, I placed the PopTarts and NutriGrain Cereal Bars in the door of the pantry that the kids can help themselves to, and I poured the cereal into the easy pour Tupperware containers that make it easy for my 4 year old to get her own breakfast ready. 

Now while we’re getting ready in the morning she will ask what kind of morning it is: breakfast bar, a cereal, or cooking.  There’s no arguments or discussions, she just knows that depending on what my answer is she can start getting it ready all by herself as soon as she’s downstairs.  This saves me a huge headache each morning and sure beats standing in the doorway of the pantry trying to reason with preschoolers and talk them into eating something – anything – before you can leave the house.

Here's some more tips for quick breakfasts with preschoolers:

1) Just like you plan ahead for busy mornings and choose outfits the night before, you can also easily lay out breakfast ahead of time in baggies or bowls with lids and just add milk and other perishables in the morning.

2) Make breakfast foods easily accessible to kids and let them get their own food. If they get more Corn Flakes on the floor and table than they do in their bowl, add sweeping {a great hand/eye coordination activity for preschoolers} to their chore lists for when you get home.

3) Many cereals are great without milk and perfect for on the go.  Pre-pour little snack baggies or little containers full of dry cereal and always have it easy to grab as you leave the house.

4) Keep a cereal bar or baggie of cereal in your purse or diaper bag at all times.  It's a fairly clean-to-eat snack that won't weigh down your bag, and you will be very grateful you have something the next time you have to leave without eating and the kids are melting down. 

5) Preschoolers want to assert their independence and choosing breakfast is a great place to start. Always have a few cereal types on hand as well as granola bars, cereal bars, and fresh fruit and it will make morning battles over food all but disappear.

Knowing how easy the mornings have been with all the great on-the-go items we got during the Buy 4 Save $4 promotion has got me convinced I need to keep these in stock at all times.  The fact that they can get and serve their own breakfast and have foods they can eat quickly at the house as well as on the road makes our whole morning routine less stressful for everyone. 

And, most days I even get to sneak in a quick OIKOS and granola breakfast as well, which is good because I need my energy these days keeping up with these two.  And trust me, as a mama of a superhero princess girl and a sweet action hero, I need my energy these days. 


You can see more of our shopping trip in my #BreakfastSavings Google+ album.  I don’t know about you, but I’d call our Buy 4 Save $4 shopping trip a success, no?

Find out more about how you can save on great breakfast foods for the whole family at Rise And Shine With Savings.  Need some inspiration for quick and easy breakfasts for your crew?  Find some great recipes on the National Breakfast Week site.

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Safeway #cbias #SocialFabric.  As always, all opinions remain 100% ours. 

Toast to the Newlyweds with Personal Creations

With lots of family and friends announcing upcoming weddings, I can’t help but start searching early for personalized bridal shower gifts and wedding ideas.  When I got married, it was well before Pinterest and even before people went online for everything, which made it hard to get truly special items that everyone else wasn't going to have at their wedding. 

Because of this, I’ve always been sad I didn’t have the opportunity to customize the event even more than we did and am very jealous of all of you lucky ducks getting married in this internet age.  You will never understand why I spent weeks searching on a bad {dial-up!} internet connection for one simple little personalized piece of art for the reception or why I ended up having to make almost everything by hand that I wanted special. 

If I was getting married now, I could find hundreds of gorgeous pieces at Personal Creations with a simple click of a mouse.  But, while I'm obviously not getting married now, I still can appreciate the ease of creating awesome, personalized gifts in a matter of minutes with the help of Personal Creations, which is why I return over and over.  It may be quick and easy to shop and order, but it certainly doesn't look like you didn't put any thought into a gift worthy of their big day. 

The first thing that always catches my eye whenever I start shopping is the gorgeous hand thrown Wedding Crock.  What I wouldn’t have given to have this little beauty as my centerpiece on the day of.  I love how classic the Wedding Crock looks, and how it would be great for cut wildflowers or for kitchen utensils year-round. 

Well, you know, if it had my husband’s and my names and wedding date, of course. 

And I definitely would have ordered the I Heart…Hoodie personalized with up hubby's name.  I could have worn for the colder nights on our honeymoon…  or to channel our inner Monica and Chandler and attempt to get a plane upgrade.

In fact, I loved the I Heart…Hoodie so much that I had to order it for a friend’s upcoming wedding.  Now, isn’t this adorable?  

I really love that the letters look screenprinted and aren't cheap iron-on ones you can get at the fabric store, and I also love that it's got a vintage-y vibe while still looking put together and fun.  I was really happy to hear my friend absolutely loved it and she’s worn it numerous times to pre-wedding events and gotten compliments on it each time. 

Even though I was initially worried at how the shirt would wash up because I seem to have bad luck with hoodies, I was told that by following the washing instructions to a T it came out nicely, even after two washings.  This is great news, because I know this sweatshirt certainly won't be retired once the wedding is over; it's going to be the perfect shirt to wear whenever she wants to make her husband smile. 

The next item I ordered was the Mr. and Mrs. Black Mug Set because I also wanted to surprise hubby with a little something as well for our anniversary this summer.  But, I decided not to order ones with our last name on them; I had to go with our pseudonym because I knew it would make him laugh. 

And, as soon as I unwrapped them, I had to laugh myself. 

Since hubby and I have tea almost every evening, I knew these would be the perfect replacement for the snowman mugs that recently got chipped, and I was correct.  While the cube-shaped mugs are smaller than our ginormous mugs we typically use, they still hold about 8 oz, which is still a good size for drinking, especially at night. 

If you are like me and have a bunch of weddings this spring and summer, you should definitely check out Personal Creations and take care of all your shopping at once.  Everyone loves personalized products, and this is even more true for new brides who are changing their name for the one they love.  You really can’t go wrong with a Mr. and Mrs. set for a bridal shower gift that they can use for the wedding or to celebrate the day they wed, and Personal Creations has more choices than I have seen anywhere else.  

Start shopping now for all the special couples on your list to make sure your perfect present arrives before the big day.  And, be sure and check out the Personal Creations coupon page before you start shopping so you can save money while ordering the perfect personalized present.  Win, win.

A big thank you to Personal Creations for providing a few personalized items for gifting this spring and summer to facilitate this review.  As always, all opinions are 100% ours. 

Walgreens 24/7 Pharmacy Chat and Mobile App to Keep Your Family Happy and Healthy

My kiddos never fall ill in the morning, mid-day, or even in the afternoon when I could pop them in a car and head to the pediatrician.  No, if they are going to get sick, it will undoubtedly happen in the middle of the night while the rest of the world is sleeping.  I don’t know about you, but my math and reasoning skills don’t work during the wee hours of the night when I’m struggling with laundry, sick kids, and lack of sleep, which makes these nighttime illnesses all the more annoying. 

Was it 3 tablespoons or 3 teaspoons?  Is it feed a cold, starve a fever?  And, at what point is it a real emergency?  These are the things my husband and I all of a sudden can’t remember and we spend our time digging for that first aid book we got during our childbirth classes in a panic, re-reading medicine labels, and stressing that our little ones need better care than we can provide in our hazy state. 

Next time, though, all we will have to do is snuggle our babies and grab our cell phones to find all the answers we need.  With the new Walgreen’s 24/7 Pharmacy Chat you can talk directly with a pharmacist to get the answers you need - day or night.  You simply register on their site with your Balance Rewards card and you can access things like pharmacy orders and more, and when you're done you can print the transcript so you don't have to remember every little detail.  My 3am self thanks you in advance, Walgreens.


Not only do they have online chat, they also have an app that can help you manage your family’s prescriptions easily.  You can order prescriptions through the app by scanning your old medication, manage doses, schedule reminders and more that will ensure that everyone gets the medicine they need, when they need it.  Do you remember the days when you had to make a trip in to see your doctor to get a slip of paper with your prescription, drive to your pharmacy, and then return home?  Then remember how excited you were when doctor’s offices started faxing orders?  Their auto-fill and express refills via their app are like that, only 10x more exciting and a million times quicker when you’re sick. 

In addition to managing your pharmacy orders, you can also shop via the app, order photos {seriously! From your phone!}, browse their weekly ad, and even find emergency clinics near you.  My husband and I both have this downloaded on our phones {iPhone and Windows} so we can manage our prescriptions, so no matter who ends up doing the wellness run they will have all the information they need.

Last week, my son and I did a quick run to the corner of Happy & Healthy, AKA our local Walgreens.  While the purpose of the trip was to pick up a prescription refill, while we were there I wanted to restock our children’s medicine after our awful bout with the flu late last year, as well as get a new addition to our first aid kit, the EarCheck that my doctor recommended since my son is prone to ear infections. 

We did some shopping for items for my daughter’s snack day at school, got some wellness items to prepare for cold and flu season,  and when we were done, our prescription was there waiting for us at the back counter.  With our items all ready, our coupons clipped, and prescription, we headed to the register to purchase. 

We had a slight glitch with their Balance Rewards program when their till locked up and they weren’t able to select my name off their computer, but they hooked me up with a shiny new Balance Reward card so I don’t have to look it up each time, and we were all set.  If you don’t have one yet, you should!  It’s free to sign up online or in-store and you can earn rewards on the items you buy the most so you can at least save money during your late-night medicine run. And, now is a great time to sign up for the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club because new members get a $15 bonus! 

See our whole shopping trip and #HappyHeathy Wellness Kit here.

I headed home and updated our #HappyHealthy “wellness kit” and admired my amazing preparation skills.  I even reorganized our locking linen closet to make room for our two Crane humidifiers, checked expiration dates on old medicines, and did a general clean sweep to make sure we were stocked and ready. 

Then, because I love new toys, I had to check out the new EarCheck.  My son was nice enough to sit still long enough for me to try it on him and it turns out he loves it.  He kept saying “more scan” and then giggling.  I love that it seems very reliable {even with a low battery warning} as the ear that is prone to infection came back as “monitor” and the other one said “fluid unlikely”.  While I haven’t had a chance to test it out with an actual ear infection {knock on wood}, I feel better prepared for the next round of illness knowing I have it. 

I’m hoping Murphy’s Law doesn't prevail and that being this prepared makes us less likely to fall ill this year.  But even if that doesn’t work out, we now have one place to go when looking for supplies in the middle of the night and professional backup available 24/7 via Walgreen’s pharmacy chat.  And, we also have my secret weapon: cure-all, homemade turkey soup with heart-shaped carrots. 

Connect with Walgreens via Facebook, Twitter, and download iPhone App, or download Android App

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Walgreens #cbias #SocialFabric #HappyHealthy.  All opinions are 100% ours.