This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Mission Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.
For lunch yesterday the kids wanted hot dogs. The big problem with that is that mommy forgot to get the hot dog buns when we did our grocery shopping this week. Oops! I also have very picky little kids who will not eat a hot dog plain. There has to be something enveloping that nasty little meat or else they leave it. So I got creative, whipped open the pantry door and found a pack of Mission flour tortillas. Success! I wrapped their hot dogs in tortillas and suddenly I was a genius. They thought it was the coolest thing ever that they could eat a hot dog in a flour tortilla – and I was a HAPPY mommy because I was able to stay home and not have to buy those buns.
I honestly don’t know why I didn’t think of it before as we are family of tortilla eaters. My daughter says that’s because “we’re a little Mexican” .. and she’s right. They and my husband certainly are. Me? I just appreciate their versatility. I can buy a package and know that we could do breakfast burritos, quesadillas, wrap sammies, pin wheels, eat them plane, fry them and make nachos – the possibilities are endless. They are cheap, too. If you know me, you know I’m loving that part. For under $2 I have a great pantry staple that lasts the 3 of us at least a couple of weeks.
Now, while I was proud of myself, I don’t actually think my recipe was THAT awesome. But if you’re kind of awesome yourself and you have some neat ideas for tortilla usage you should enter the contest that Mission has going on, the Mission Menus Challenge! The idea is to create a recipe using tortillas that can feed a family of 5 for under $10. I can think of a few recipes off of the top of my head right now but I doubt they would be creative enough to win anything. I tend to not be THAT creative. But if you are, check it out. The grand prize winner will win round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations for two to the Mission Menus Challenge Cook-off on September 10, 2010 at the Hard Rock Café in Los Angeles. Just be sure to get your entry in before August 9, 2010.
Do you hear that? It’s silence. Sweeeeet silence. Unfortunately it is also running into the wee hours of the morning. That is the way my life works lately. No silence or relaxing until I am almost too tired to relax. I stay up, I putter around, enjoy the quiet and then around 3 am I end up in bed. NOT a great schedule. That’s for sure.
But for now? It’s bliss!! I managed to get everything done that I needed to do like deep clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom, do a couple of loads of laundry, pick up the living room, my bedroom, walk the dog, took out the trash .. just everything. So even though tomorrow I’ll probably be up late or cranky if the kids wake me up super early, at least I won’t have that crap hanging over my head. I get twitchy when housework glares at me.
Heard of Pop On Pals yet? If not, feel free to read more!
Pop On Pals are geared towards children who are 2 to 4 years old. The playsets contain many different pieces – people, animal, activities – to get your imagination going. You can switch their arms and “clothes” around to create new characters very easily. They are kind of like those other little people that many children adore with an added bit of creativity.
We received the Pop On Pals Ultimate Amusement Park for review and I have to admit it that it’s pretty cute. You can pop your little pal onto the roller coaster and send him or her on their way or ride the ferris wheel for a little less thrill and action. It has lots of little noises and fun songs to get your little one interacting and engaged. The imaginative play that can be had with this set would be great to fine tune motor skills.
I have a 4 year year old and though it is geared towards those who are 2 to 4, I will be honest and say that he had NO interest at all. We took it out of the box and it was left within minutes. It doesn’t even seem like something anyone over 2 would play with. BUT thankfully we have a great friend with a younger child. So we packed it up and took it to her sweet little boy and let him have a go at it. He’s under a year and at that stage where sitting up and playing with toys on the floor is perfect. So although the age range recommends 2 years and above this still worked perfectly for him. There are no parts that he could get into his mouth fully and the sounds and noises were pretty much perfect for his age. I will say that it took all awhile to figure out how this toy worked exactly. The instructions are not super clear. But between the 2 adults, teen, and 3 younger children we finally managed. We liked everything about it except for the fact that the roller coasted is very abrupt. You send your little guy or girl down and they flip and tip over. I feel that the maker could have extended the rail a bit with a ramp instead of a sharp stop in order to prevent this. It would have definitely made for a little bit better play time. But the child who is now playing with it isn’t bothered at all. He’s more into the noise and music! As most kids his age would be.
If you would like more information about Pop On Pals you can visit their website at http://www.poponpals.com. The set that we reviewed retails for $34.99.
I was not compensated for this review but I did get to keep the product reviewed which was provided to me by Team Mom. My review is mine and mine alone and as always, HONEST.
Possibly!
I’ve been going through some of my computer files lately, trying to clean them up and organize them, and of course I came across old photos from 6-7 years ago. You know, back when I actually liked myself. I weighed more than more people would be comfortable with but I looked so SKINNY compared to what I had been before that and what I am now. It depresses me to look at those photos because I really feel like I let myself down. I let my husband down. I let my kids down. I let my friends down in a way too because the bigger I am, the less I want to do. I feel uncomfortable and self conscious. I’m not a talk show worthy beast by any means but I feel like it inside my head and I’m sick of feeling that way. I had babies and instead of getting that baby weight off right away I let it go. And it stayed. It’s comfy. Why go anywhere? :(
So … I am going to attempt fix it. I won’t say DIET because that is about the dirtiest 4 letter word I have ever heard and though I enjoy lots of dirty words, I won’t use that one. Instead I am just going to clean things up a bit. Eat even less than I already do (and believe me, it’s not much being post op gastric bypass), drink more protein shakes, eat more protein bars, take my vitamins that I should already be taking and … *gasp* … possibly exercise. UGH. I hate that word, too. Exercise involves sweat and I have never been really big on sweat. I truly believe that I have sensory issues because it bothers me THAT much to feel sweaty. But this ass isn’t getting any smaller by sitting and just NOT eating so we’ll have to do a little something to rev it up.
It would be FANTASTIC if I could just be at least 20 lbs lighter by the time my husband comes home at the end of the year. I need to lose more than that but I am not going to go too crazy. After all, I’m obviously not very good at this anyway. *sighs*
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.
Have you seen the new look for Parent’s Choice formula? I recently got a little peek over at diapers.com and it’s cute! So much brighter, easier to pick out and of course there’s a new name “Bright Beginnings”.
I have a fond place in my heart for this brand of formula because after not being able to breastfeed it eased my mind, a lot! The cost of formula is outrageous and it killed me that I was unable to provide for my child naturally. I felt like a failure for a bit but thankfully got over that really quick once I realized that it wouldn’t cost us THAT much and well, that’s life. Not everyone can breastfeed, like it or not. That’s why they make formula! Gosh, can you imagine how many babies wouldn’t make it if they didn’t have formula available to them?
Did you also know that Diapers.com sells Bright Beginnings? They do!! From personal experience I can tell you that Diapers.com is also a great merchant to shop from. I had almost all of the diapers with my second baby delivered by them. The price was great and the shipping was quick. If you would like to see the new can design “in person” head over to diapers.com and do a search for “Bright Beginnings”. Also, take a gander at that price! If you have been using pricey, brand name formulas then I am sure you will do a double take. Check the ingredients, compare .. you’re paying way too much. I guarantee you. 
Bright Beginnings available at diapers.com
I really don’t understand why people like summer. Most everything about it is on my “shit list”. Sweat, humidity, frizzy hair, HOT, way too sunny .. I could go on and on. I just don’t think I was built for summer. I can’t say it’s because of where I was raised either because while it is cold for about 9 months of the year, Michigan does have summer. Hot, sweaty, humid, mosquito filled summers.
It’s been near 100 or over it for days and today it seems to have finally cooled off at only 85′ish. I can’t believe that feels cool to me. I’m over it. I am anxiously waiting for August and September to be over so I can enjoy my fall weather again. Of course with my luck it will be hot still in October like usual but .. a girl can dream, right?
On our way to the grocery store the other day I decided to stop and grab a smoothie at McDonald’s (as well as kids cones for the munchkins) and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t a GREAT smoothie because I like mine tasting like fresh fruit with the occasional chunk here and there but this was great for a quick “snack”. I have heard it’s made using a puree or jam like substance so you won’t get big fruit taste but there are seeds in there to let you know it’s real. I’ve only tried the Strawberry Banana but the girl child had the Wild Berry today and she really liked that one as well. If you want to try them there’s a $1 coupon available. I didn’t use the coupon because I planned very poorly for my smoothie trip .. lol but I totally recommend it. The small is only around $2.39 so $1 off is quite a deal.
Also, if you’re in my neighborhood (and possibly in your neighborhood as well) there are coupons on the back of the receipts. One I received the other day was for a “buy one get one” on any specialty drink including smoothies. So I used it today to buy the girly child and I each a smoothie. VERY good deal. Especially when you get another coupon on your receipt as soon as you use the one in your hand. They are good through December I believe so you can bet I’ll be hoarding them in my van! With all of the money I will save on smoothies I can spend more on my Amazon books addiction! The gift cards I’ve been earning from Swagbucks just aren’t covering it.
Well I decided to upgrade my wordpress from something like 2.1 to 3.0 and wouldn’t you know it .. the darn theme I had doesn’t play nice with 3.0. I guess. Honestly? I don’t know a damn thing about it. I just push buttons and pray.
So when I get a moment I’ll have to figure something out. For now? Deal with it.
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.
What do you think of when you think of wool clothing? I don’t know about you but “comfortable” is usually not my first thought. My very first thought would be ITCHY and then shrinkage would come next. Honestly, that is why I don’t buy a whole lot of wool clothing. It just does not come off as a very friendly product. Especially when it is expensive (normally) and when you have children who are hard on clothing. Or even a husband who can’t seem to keep filth and tears away from his clothing.
Well, Ramblers Way Farm has made technological advances to change that usual perception of wool apparel. Wool is naturally a great fiber to work with because it is able to be made into many different products. It’s naturally flame resistant and also repels water, soil as well as making for awesome insulation. After all, why do you think sheep love it so much? Ramblers Way has taken the greatness of wool a step further with their “WINDspun” technology production processes, making the wool not only comfortable but very durable as well. Their apparel is made from superfine, luxurious wool products that are cool and can be worn year round. Wool in summer? Oh yes! Better yet? Their wool is all American made using sustainable practices. You can not only feel comfortable in your wool clothing but also feel guilt free, knowing that what you are wearing is doing a little bit of good for the US and the Earth.
This is what my son thinks he needs every single day. He seems to think that he is supposed to receive little gifts time after time, again and again. I’m getting a little sick of it. It is not only annoying but it also costs me so much more money than I really need to spend. Every trip to the grocery store is laced with whining for a ring pop or some other candy. Target? Oh you gotta buy me a toy mommy! So then a quick $10 trip costs me double and I’m just beyond frustrated by the time we leave. I wish I knew how to say NO. I mean, I KNOW how to say no. But I despise being embarrassed in public and we all know how embarrassing small children who are throwing a fit are. BEYOND anything that I can tolerate. 
Any advice from seasoned moms? At least more seasoned than one who has been doing this for 6 years and obviously has no balls? lol
Erica. 29, unhappily approaching the big 3-0, mom to a 4 and 6 yr old & a miniature schnauzer, married (almost 9 yrs), military wife, lover of all things that are bad for me. I love to take pictures, adore reading, enjoy cooking. But I never have time for any of that it seems.
