You may already know that Lawry’s makes marinades and spice mixes. I grew up with Lawry’s spaghetti spices, for a very long time it was the only seasoning packet my stepdad would use. So much so that when they moved from Texas to Florida and could no longer find Lawry’s he special ordered it on-line. When I started cooking for my own family I knew it was good so I would use it to marinade my meet.

I took my kids to the grocery store to pick out some vegetables and while we were there the red cabbage (we call it purple in our house) caught my eye. I asked my daughter if she wanted me to buy it, so I did. We used it with our Santa Fe Chili Marinade Recipe. Letting your kids participate in the shopping experience makes it more likely that they will eat what you make. It also helps to let them help in the kitchen (not my best quality but we try to cook together).Lawry’s took the fun in the kitchen one step further. You can create a dinnertisement video. Now, What is a dinnertisement you might ask? I had to ask myself the same question. Dinnertising is all about making meals interactive and fun for kids. You pick a recipe, add your name and Lawry’s creates a fun video for you to share with your family and friends. You could be features on Rachel Ray.

Our actual dinner was created with pork chops. I cut them into cubes marinated it for 30 minutes and then cooked it on the stove top.

Pork Santa Fe Chili Marinade On Bed of Cabbage Recipe:

Ingredients:

Two large Pork Chops
half a bottle of Lawry’s Santa Fe Chili Marinade
Sliced Cabbage
Ponzu sauce

Directions:

Cut up the pork
Marinate for at least 30 minutes no longer than 24 hours
Cook until pork is done
Serve over a bed of cabbage

If desired use Ponzu sauce to enhance flavor (not that it’s needed) or as a dressing for the cabbage. Now if you go and make your own video like we did

You could be featured on Rachel Ray and win the following:

Enter to Win:

• Rachael Ray Lasagna Lover Stoneware
• 2 Zak Designs Serving Spoons: Either happy or surprise spoons
• Lawry’s NEW Marinades and Spice Blends: Mediterranean Herb Seasoned Salt, Fire Roasted Chile & Garlic, Roasted Garlic Salt, Santa Fe Chili Marinade and Mediterranean Herb and White Wine Marinade

To Enter:

You need to create your own dinnertisement leave the link below. You could be featured on Rachel Ray

I’m a Boost Kid Essentials Brand Ambassador and we’re going to be spending the next two months talking about kids and nutrition and three different families struggling to get their kids to eat right. Meet the Brunelle Family. Van is underweight and his mother worries about him as all the other kids look twice his age so she works really hard to get him to eat more and makes sure he’s getting the right amount of nutrition.

How can you get nutrition into your active kids?

I often wonder if my kids are getting enough veggies in them. So far, I’ve been pretty lucky with how picky they are, but as a mom that worries I still wonder about the veggie intake. Lately though as Zoe is getting older she’s starting to get picker and it’s harder to get her to even try something she thinks she’s not going to like and protein is what she avoids the most. So in our house we’ve really pushed the fact that you have to try it. We still can’t make her eat it after she’s tried it. I’ve seen so many parents have even more trouble with their children than I do. I can only offer the advice of giving them lots of options and to not give up. Also it’s good to use things like Boost Kid Essentials to make sure they are getting all the vitamins and nutrients that they need. And you can always get creative with it. Try the Boost Kid Essentials Chocolate Caramel Banana Cooler Recipe.

My other advice is to not let yourself feel helpless, doctors almost always have really good advice too. I’ve recently visited my doctor and talked to her about Zoe. The peace of mind and ideas she gave me really helped me relax a lot.

Do you have any ideas or need help with your children? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section asking or giving advice. Also visit Boost on Facebook and watch the video about the Brunelle Family.

On Wednesday, June 20, 2012. I’ll be participating in a live chat on the Boost Kid Essentials Facebook Page talking about my struggles with a picky eater and I would love for you to join me!

Enter to Win:

25 VIP Boost Kid Essentials Free Product Coupons

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me about struggles in your family with picky eaters

Extra Entries:

use the rafflecopter and leave a way for us to verify it

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends May 28th. Please see the giveaway rules.

THE HOST is an enchanting and fateful story about the survival of love and the human spirit in a time of war. Our world is invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over, while their bodies remain intact. Most of humanity has succumbed.

Have you read this book? I read this book because I liked the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer  so very much. The Host are the humans just as the synopsis stated above and there are a few humans that have remained safe and are in hiding coming out only for emergencies. The main character (Saoirse Ronan plays Melanie) is inhabited by one of these aliens (Wanda) and her personality is so strong that the alien can not take full control of her mind so they share the body. The humans don’t trust Melanie anymore being a host and the human part of her wants to be part of the humans more than anything. Why? LOVE Companionship all those things that humans live for.

Melanie is in love but he is disgusted because of the alien inside her. Of course a love triangle develops here, the alien falls in love with a different human. It will be interesting to see if the relationships are truly captured on the screen as they are in the book.

In anticipation of this movie coming out next summer we’re celebrating summer reading.

Enter to Win:

a copy of the book the Host

5 winners

To Enter:

Tell me if you like books or movies more

Extra Entries:

Use the rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends June 4th. Please see the giveaway rules.

They say that May is wedding season and yes I have to agree it’s the beginning of wedding season as the weather gets nicer people are looking to have outdoor weddings. We had our wedding outside in June in Washington and in June you can never be sure to have a sunny wedding but we were lucky enough to have one and this year it looks like May is nice enough for outdoor weddings, very unusual but we’ll take it.

NIVEA has the perfect combination of his/her products for a skin care Bridal Boot Camp to make wedding day skin ready for “I do’s.”

For the Woman:

· New! NIVEA Kiss of Vitamin Swirl Lip – Its hydrating formula is enriched with Acai Berry and Wild Apple extracts, both rich in vitamins and antioxidants, to help maintain healthy looking, kissable lips.

· New! NIVEA Touch of Renewal Lathering Body Scrub –with HYDRA IQ technology, this product delivers a unique  balance of exfoliation and a rich cleansing, moisturizing lather.

· New! NIVEA Extended Moisture Lotion – Keep your skin soft with this fast-absorbing lotion featuring HYDRA IQ technology and Provitamin B5. Extended Moisture Lotion provides up to 48 hours of relief to provide long lasting moisture in preparation for the wedding day.

For the Man:

· New! NIVEA for Men 3-in-1 Relax Body Wash – A refreshing yet relaxing shower experience for a groom or groomsman to enjoy before all the excitement.  This body wash with massaging micro-particles, a  rich lather and relaxing scent, rinses off easily, to leave skin feeling clean, comfortable and healthy.

· New! NIVEA for MEN Maximum Hydration Moisturizer with HYDRA IQ and sea minerals– A technologically-advanced, intensive, moisturizer for Dry to Very Dry skin that provides more than 24 hours of moisture to the skin and leaves skin feeling great.

For more information on Nivea products and fun ways to win great prizes- Including the Million Moments of Touch date night giveaways check out the Nivea Facebook page.

Enter to Win:

Full set for both the women and men

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me what you love about Nivea

Extra Entries:

Use the rafflecopter and leave a way for us to verify the entry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends May 28th. Please see the giveaway rules.

Mother’s Day is over but pampering mom should be an on-going thing. Even if you can’t find anyone to pamper; you as a mother, you deserve to pamper yourself. Why not pamper yourself with a little extra hair care. …..If you’re reading this and not a mom but know a mom that could use some time check out a few simple tips to pamper that mom on-the-go. 

- Give them time to Enjoy a relaxing bath by taking the kids for a few hours

- Give her A fun, new lipstick shade is a quick change to your daily beauty routine

- Treat her to a fresh haircut or day at the sap

- Give her new nail polis maybe a bright, bold color for Spring

Alberto VO5, the iconic hair care brand we’ve all grown up with, also offers shampoos and conditioners with 5 essential vitamins for healthy, beautiful hair.

So treat yourself to a relaxing and moisturizing hair treatment with Alberto VO5’s Hot Oil to dramatically revitalize your hair making it look healthy, shiny and brand new.  Better yet, it only takes one minute! I’ve been using hot oil on my hair since I was a teenager in middle school. I love how easy it is to use and how silky smooth your hair looks after using it. It’s great for over processed hair. So give it a try!!!

Enter to Win:

VO5 Shampoo, VO5 Conditioner and VO5 Hot Oil

To Enter:

Leave a comment about how you treat yourself or someone you know

Extra Entries:

Use the rafflecopter and leave a way for us to verity your entry

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends May 28th. Please see the giveaway rules.

Hey guys, I’m having a sick day today and needed an easy post. My friend Jeana came to the rescue last night with a $150 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway we’re doing as a team hosted by other bloggers too sponsored by Handmade Peaces

Handmade Peaces has a fresh and truly unique business model in the home party industry, fundraisers &  online shopping. If you like to host parties in your house consider hosting a Handmade Peaces party so you can receive free products from them. They offer handcrafted & eco-friendly products made by artisans in the USA, no imports! Everything from artisan jewelry, home décor, clothing, children items, garden, gift items and so much more! It’s quite a large variety.

Oh and this is another company that considers the importance of charity. They “pay it forward” and promote  charities AND “going green”. They also make it easy for you to host your online home party through email and social media including Facebook, and Twitter. Throwing parties is easy and  your free products or hostess rewards add up fast by going NATIONWIDE through your friends, family, co-workers & followers.

SAVE:
USE PROMO CODE DFD0010 to redeem a $10.00 coupon on $65 or more on top of your home party, OR online purchase when you LIKE or SHARE on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Flckr. Offer expires June 6, 2012. This offer can be forwarded to others as well so pass it on AND PROMOTE MADE IN THE USA!

Enter to Win:

$150 Amazon.com gift card

How to Enter to Win

1. Make sure each of the Facebook Page buttons say you already like them
2. Now do the same for the Twitter buttons below – make sure you are following them all.

Follow @handmadepeaces	Follow @Deals4Dummies
Follow @simplybeingmom	Follow @waystosave
Follow @SassyScorpYM	Follow @MyBaybah
Follow @queenofswag4u	Follow @MamaBeeDoes
Follow @klippinkrazy	Follow @tammileetips

3. Now use the Rafflecopter form to record your entries. To start, click on the first button that says “DO IT” and complete the task!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Must be over 18 to enter. Giveaway ends June 1, 2012 at 12:01am EST. Winner will be chosen and notified by email within 72 hours of giveaway close. Winner must respond to winning email notification within 48 hours or another random winner will be chosen. Thank you to Handmade Peaces for sponsoring this giveaway.

Summertime means more time outside and in the pool. These conditions seem to dry out skin out, and Zoe has already started to notice her skin getting dry so she asked me for some lotion to try. Seemed fitting that I just received two products from Aquaphor to review.

· Aquaphor Healing Ointment  is a dermatologist and pediatrician trusted product that helps protect and relieve dry, cracked skin. It provides effective soothing relief for dry skin and its mild formula is safe for external use on your baby’s most delicate, sensitive skin. 

· Aquaphor Baby Gentle Wash & Shampoo is a pediatrician-recommended cleanser that gently cleanses both skin and hair. Enriched with soothing chamomile and provitamin B5, the tear-free formula is specially designed and clinically proven to be mild enough for baby’s sensitive skin.

The healing ointment is not a lotion, it has the texture of Vaseline with a much better scent. Zoe’s skin is just like mine we both have very sensitive skin. Aquaphor works great without irritating our skin. She hasn’t asked me for more lotion for a few days since she applied the ointment this past weekend. So I’m really pleased with it. It moisturizes without feeling oily which is another plus in my book. The wash and shampoo is also appreciated because it’s mild on the skin as well and tear free.

Visit the Aquaphor Facebook page for more information and current deals.

Enter To Win:

:$50 Visa gift card, Aquaphor Healing Ointment and Aquaphor Baby Gentle Wash & Shampoo

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me about how you care for your skin

Extra Entries:

Use the rafflecopter and leave a way for me to verify it

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends May 28th. Please see the giveaway rules.

“The Secret World of Arrietty” on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD, on May 22, 2012. This visually stunning animated masterpiece stars an illustrious voice cast that includes Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Bridgit Mendler, Moises Arias, David Henrie and the iconic and much beloved Carol Burnett.

“The Secret World of Arrietty” is based on the children’s book “The Borrowers”. I’ve never read that series of books but a friend that watched the movie with me did and she said it was the same kind of story. I thought the movie was pretty cute, a little long or it felt long at times but it’s really a visual thoughtful movie. “The Secret World of Arrietty” is an imaginative tale of “little people” living furtively among us, and the unlikely friendship that forms when their hidden world is discovered. The heartwarming family adventure features beautiful, stylized animation and timeless themes of friendship, courage and determination.

The friendship that formed between Arrietty and 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, was probably my favorite part. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger. From the legendary Studio Ghibli (“Spirited Away,” “Ponyo”) comes “The Secret World of Arrietty,” an animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s acclaimed children’s book series “The Borrowers.”

The film was directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and produced by Toshio Suzuki. Gary Rydstrom directed the English-language version of “The Secret World of Arrietty” from a screenplay written by Karey Kirkpatrick. The producers include Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall. The original Japanese screenplay was written by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa.

Special Features Include:

2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack: (1 Blu-ray Disc + 1 DVD)
• Storyboard presentation of the film
• Original Japanese Trailers and Television Commercials
• “Summertime” Music Video – Performed by Bridgit Mendler, the speaking voice of Arrietty.
• The Making Of “Summertime” Behind the Scenes – Bridgit Mendler hosts a look at the making of the music video.
• “Arrietty’s Song” Music Video – Experience the movie’s theme song, performed by innovative singer and harpist Cécile Corbel, who also wrote the lyrics.
1-Disc DVD: (1 DVD)
• “Summertime” Music Video
• The Making Of “Summertime”

Released May 22nd.

Enter to Win:

The Secret World of Arrietty Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack

To Enter:

Leave a comment

Extra Entries:

Use Rafflecopter and leave a way for us to verify it, maybe comments in the comment section.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends May 28th. Please see the giveaway rules.

My daughter and I are both shoe girls and I think my daughter has more shoes than me, or at least she wears a larger variety of shoes than I do. I find a pair I like and then I wear them over and over and over again. I like to buy shoes from the same brand. Now, I’ve heard of the brand Dansko and heard great things about them but never owned a pair until now. I now own a pair of Dansko Valerie Canvas shoes and they are super comfortable. Plus they provide me with a little bit of fashion as they are quite cute. If you ask my daughter I need a lot of fashion help, so I’m quite happy to wear these. In fact, I’ve found a new favorite that I’m going to wear all the time.

Plus Zoe has a pair to match. Dansko has Mommy and Me shoes. For mom you pick out one of the Valerie and for your little girl you can pick out a pair of the Valentine. And Zoe loves them, she wear them outside all the time and loves to show them off.

About the styles:

Valerie: Our popular sneaker outsole is now available as a Mary Jane. Complete with a removable contoured footbed and rubber outsole, this fun and flirty interpretation will soon be among your comfort classics.

Valentine: This adorable Mary Jane is the perfect complement to Mommy’s grown up version. Plus straps adjust for a snug fit so she can look like a little lady but not necessarily have to act like one.

Enter to Win:

Mommy and Me Dansko Shoes

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me which color shoe you like the most

Extra Entries:

Please use the rafflecopter and leave us a way to verity your entry

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends May 28th. Please see the giveaway rules.

We received Samples.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING will be in theaters May 18th and the last time I went to the theater with my husband I saw such a funny trailer that I’m really excited about this movie. What to Expect When You’re Expecting looks so very funny and the line up of actors is amazing. Having kids brings the true meaning to unexpected to your lives and from the trailers it looks like this movie has truly captured it.

Inspired by the perennial New York Times bestseller of the same name, WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING is a hilarious and heartfelt big-screen comedy about five couples whose intertwined lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood.

Over the moon about starting a family, TV fitness guru Jules and dance show star Evan find that their high-octane celebrity lives don’t stand a chance against the surprise demands of pregnancy. Baby-crazy author and advocate Wendy gets a taste of her own militant mommy advice when pregnancy hormones ravage her body; while Wendy’s husband, Gary, struggles not to be outdone by his competitive alpha-Dad, who’s expecting twins with his much younger trophy wife, Skyler.  Photographer Holly is prepared to travel the globe to adopt a child, but her husband Alex isn’t so sure, and tries to quiet his panic by attending a “dudes” support group, where new fathers get to tell it like it really is.  And rival food truck chefs Rosie and Marco’s surprise hook-up results in an unexpected quandary: what to do when your first child comes before your first date?    
A kaleidoscopic comedy as universal as it is unpredictable, WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING finds humor and uplift in all the unexpected trials and triumphs of welcoming a child into the world.  The film stars Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Santoro, Ben Falcone and Joe Manganiello.

Enter to Win:

(1) Main Prize package including:
(1) shirt
(1) poster 
(1) swag from promo partners
(5) Second Prize packages each including:
(1) shirt
(1) poster

(1) smaller swag from promo partners

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me what you look forward to in this movie?

Extra Entries:

Please use the rafflecopter and leave a way for us to verify even if you have to leave extra comments

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends May 28th. Please see the giveaway rules.