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Teflon Back To School Back To Routine Tips #Giveaway

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I love using non-stick pans, they save so much time. I’ve been working with Teflon for the past year and I have a few of their pans, some clothing treated with Teflon and I love it. It’s so nice to have clothing treated with Teflon because stuff just rolls right off of it. And as far as pans go, I hate washing dishes, and when things don’t come clean in the dishwasher it’s quite a pain to re wash them by hand. With Teflon, I’m quite happy with how easily they come clean.

Today, I’m working with Teflon coming up with Back To School Tips for cooking, but then I figured, you are all done with back to school having been back for a month or two. So maybe you might need some refreshing ideas of what to create for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I’ve got a post that goes live every Monday called Bento Box Monday and it’s got lots of great ideas to keep lunch interesting. One of the ideas included fried chicken and I love fried chicken so I made a video of myself cooking fried chicken. In the video I talked briefly about the bento boxes.

I received a Back To School Kit:  a 5-quart Jumbo Cooker with Teflon® nonstick coating and the Breakfasts and Brunches, featuring “Favorite Recipes from America’s Bed and Breakfast Inns”, signed by author Gail Greco and so can you. Be sure to Find Teflon® Brand on Facebook and Follow Teflon® Brand on Twitter.

Enter to Win:

The Back To School Kit:  a 5-quart Jumbo Cooker with Teflon® nonstick coating and the Breakfasts and Brunches, featuring “Favorite Recipes from America’s Bed and Breakfast Inns”, signed by author Gail Greco.

To Enter:

Give me the name of your best recipe

Extra Entries:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

This giveaway ends October 22nd. Please see the giveaway rules.

What Moms Have to Say About Traveling with Kids

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Pampers was my sponsor to Blogher 12 and I learned so much about where blogging conferences are going, networking opportunities and about moms and how those of us do it all and how we do it well. We keep our kids close and travel with them as often as we can. Sometimes work takes us away from them but many of the moms I encountered had their children with them. Since holiday travel plans are being made for us I figured others are thinking about the same things. And that’s what made me decide to go ahead and share these tips with you today.

I was tasked with interviewing moms to find out what their tips were about traveling with kids. Here’s what they had to say:

Tips:

Baby Carrier

Packed Toys Wrapped so the child can open them

Snacks that aren’t messy

Leave in the middle of the night

Travel Version of their favorite Game

Baby Wearing

I find that when I travel with my kids I need to be prepared to be stranded so we each have a backpack full of things we need. The kids have one change of clothes and all the toys and activities they can fit in their bags. In my bag I have a change of clothes, my computer, wrapped toys new and old and lots and lots of snacks. (YES I have been stranded in an airport overnight with my children). So we’re always prepared or try to be prepared for the unexpected.

 

I loved doing this with Pampers and thank them a great deal for sponsoring me to Blogher 12.

5 Things to Know About Car Seat Expiration: Child Passenger Safety Week

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5 Things to Know About Car Seat Expiration – Just in Time for Child Passenger Safety Week

By: Ashley

clip_image002I usually consider myself to be a pretty informed parent. I’m aware of hot topics, and do my own research to figure out what is best for my son. So, when my sister in law told me my car seat was about to expire, I had a brief moment of wordless, anxiety ridden panic. I didn’t even know car seats could expire! I pulled up the information online, and started researching. Apparently I’ve been living under a car seat safety rock though, because not only do car seats have expiration dates – it’s a pretty hot topic in the world of family consumers and safety experts. Do car seats really expire? Or is it just a corporate scheme to get you to spend more money? I’ve spent a few weeks digging around, talked to our friends at Britax, and I wanted to share what I learned with you. So here are the 5 most important things I found that you should know about car seat expiration.

The development of better technology, more in depth research, and safer seat options is a huge part of car seat expiration. Regulations and requirements for child car seats change all the time. It’s better to have a seat that has been manufactured with the most recent information so that your child is as safe as possible.

Car seat expiration is also due to the materials that a specific car seat is made of. After a certain amount of time, those materials begin to break down. Plastics and foams are not timeless materials. They become more brittle and hairline fractures in the seat can lead to the seat shattering in a crash.

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Different car seats have different life spans. The type of material a specific car seat is made with indicates how long of a life that car seat will have. A general rule of thumb is to set the expiration date 6 years after the manufacturing date. Many car seat companies have information online to help you know if your car seat has expired. Our car seat is a Britax, and they have a TON of information online to help me figure out if our seat is still okay.

clip_image008The manufacture date and the date of purchase are two different things. Just because you find a great deal on a car seat that is brand new at the store, you should still check the manufacture date on the product to determine the expiration date. This is also true when buying a used car seat. You always want to check the manufacture date which is always somewhere on the product.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration supports the research and information behind car seat expiration. Paying attention to expiration dates and replacing car seats when recommended is one of the NHTSA’s top tips for car seat safety.

Now that I know I have an expired car seat, I’m starting the process of shopping for a new one. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to keep you posted on all of that too! I definitely want to make sure my little guy has a seat that will keep him safe and sound.

If you’d like more information on car seat expiration:

· Check out Britax FAQ’s on car seats.

· About.com has a lot of info on car seat expiration.

· More car seat questions answered at Parenting.

Special thanks to Britax for providing information about car seat expiration.

About Ashley (Managing Editor at MomStart): Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at Momicles and follow her @Momicles2010 .

Whirlpool Duet Still Simplifies Our Lives

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Remember over a year ago I received a brand new washing machine and dryer from Whirlpool and they are still going strong and saving me time. Currently they are saving me even more time because my husband likes them so much he’s doing the laundry. He even instituted a new laundry procedure that keeps the laundry off my couch and clean and put away where it belongs.

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Want to know the rules?

Clothing must be put in the laundry room – the kids have to put their laundry in the laundry room. He does try to find their clothes but my daughter just learned yesterday that if she doesn’t put her clothes in the laundry room they won’t get clean. She wanted to wear one of her new dresses today to school and she couldn’t because she never put it in the laundry room. Saves me time because their rooms are cleaner and I don’t have to remind them.

Sorting Clothes depends on who does laundry – my husband and I both sort laundry differently. I do purple pink and red, blue green and gray, jeans and whites while everything else falls into one of those categories. My husband does bright colors. reds darks jeans whites towels and light colors. He does much more sorting than I do and guess what, the machine has settings for both of us.

From the Washer to the Dryer – once laundry begins you must make sure it goes from the washing machine to the dryer. The good thing is that this washing machine, The Whirlpool duet, has a keep fresh setting so if you can’t get to it right away the washer keeps it fresh so you don’t have to rewash, saving about an hour and a half of time.

From the Dryer to away – His best rule yet. If you start a load you finish it, fold it and put it away. He’s amazing at doing it and told me that if I decide to help I have to follow the rules and I’ve been following the rules. It’s been so wonderful, now I don’t have to spend a Saturday on the couch having a laundry folding fest with the whole family.

So the key message is organization simplifies my life. I wonder if someone could help me get organized in other areas of my life as well.

 

How do your appliances simplify your life?

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

5 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Grocery Bill

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As an independent adult, one of the most important activities in your routine is shopping for groceries. Considering the poor state of the economy of the past few years, especially if you are unemployed or receive a small income, it can be difficult to make ends meet. Your grocery shopping, although necessary, may  contribute to financial stress. However, there are ways you can reduce your grocery bill that will prove highly beneficial:

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Use Coupons

The first thing you can do to reduce your grocery bill is to search for coupons online. Many people make the mistake of simply buying anything they see that they want or need at regular price. Seeking coupons for items you regularly purchase from your regular grocery stores and supermarkets is extremely important. You will also be pleasantly surprised at how much money you can save when you utilize coupons.

Create Grocery Lists

Always make a list whenever you plan on going grocery shopping. This is a great way to keep yourself organized and focused on only making purchases of things you really need. Without a list, it is very easy

to fall into the trap of simply grabbing anything that captures your attention, which can rack up the dollars at the cash register. Stick to your grocery list and make sure to only buy items you listed on it.

Budget Yourself

Another way to reduce your grocery bill is to create a budget for your shopping trips. While it is a good idea to budget in general, doing so for your groceries is easy and quick. You can give yourself a reasonable amount of money with which to spend on a weekly basis for your grocery shopping and still have plenty of money left over for your other bills, transportation and even entertainment. Calculate the approximate cost of all of your items and put back anything you don’t need if you discover you are over your budget.

Buy in Bulk

Buying in bulk is a great way to reduce your grocery bill. It can also prevent you from having to shop for certain items frequently as you can feel assured that if you run out of a certain item you purchased in bulk, you will have more stored away.

Buy Items on Sale

Finally, always take advantage of buying goods that are on sale. This will greatly reduce your grocery bill, and knowing that you spent less money on food you love will make it seem all the more delicious when you eat it. It is important to use common sense whenever you do your grocery shopping. You can easily save plenty of money every week when you discipline yourself during your shopping trips. You will be happy when you see how much cash you have actually saved within a year’s time!

Guest Post: DIY Tips For Mom

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DIY Tips For Mom

If a busy mom can learn one good thing a week to make her life simpler, she is well on the way to efficiency. For what it’s worth, moms do the lion’s share of the housework, whether they are at home chasing kids all day, or working all day at the office. Here are some tips to make her life a little bit easier.

1. Use dryer sheets to clean the glass.  Glass shower enclosures are rarely shiny and transparent. And wet or dry, dryer sheets do the job. For stubborn residue, add a little cornstarch to your damp dryer strip, scrub and rinse. Very fine steel wool works. Make a paste of cornstarch and water. Scrub doors and rinse.

2. Before your kids go to bed, bathe them and dress them for the next day. They will pop out of bed ready to go. If their clothing looks rumpled, put Spray-N-Wash stain remover in a spray bottle with water at 1 part Spray-N-Wash to 3 parts water. Shake the bottle and spritz their clothing, pulling on fabric slightly to remove wrinkles.

3. For the ever-present toilet ring, pour one cup bleach in the toilet bowl. Close the lid and wait an hour, scrub with brush and flush. The ring will disappear. You can do the same thing with Borax powder. Sprinkle it around the ring. Scrub in a half hour and flush.

4. Have your kids cook dinner once a week. Lay out Pillsbury cornbread dough and hot dogs. Cut the hot dogs lengthwise so that you have 4 hot dog strips per hotdog. Have the kids wrap triangled (they come that way) cornbread dough around 4 hot dog strips and place on Pam-sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 5 – 10 minutes. Serve with can of pork and beans.

5. Moms need breaks. One (prearranged) hour per week, take your kids to a babysitter, come home, peel off your clothes and take a bubble bath imbued with essential oils. Before stepping into the tub, put on soft music and light a few candles. Give yourself 30 complete minutes of scented, uninterrupted peace.

Now you have 5 simple changes to make your life a little bit easier. Don’t forget to carve out a little quality time for yourself. 

Promotional Codes April Savings with Every Day Items Giveaway

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Spring has sprung! For many of us, this means we’re dedicating a solid weekend cleaning up after winter. Between the repairs, replacements and intense scrub-down sessions, costs to get organized can quickly add up. pc hi res

That’s why coupon site PromotionalCodes.com is providing some frugal ideas and extra savings for April spring cleaning, plus a giveaway of a Dirt Devil vacuum, a Target gift card and 3 TurboTax e-files!

Frugal uses for everyday items

Salt. Believe it or not, you can use good old salt to clean up stains on clothing and coffee mugs. To clean clothing, simply stretch the fabric over a bowl, cover with salt and carefully pour boiling water over the salt. For removing coffee residue, rub the inside of the cup with a salted citrus peel.

Olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Combine a ¼ cup of each and you’ll have an all-natural furniture polish. This will make your spring cleaning efforts look even better with home décor that will look like new. Plus, your living room will smell amazing!

Hair dryer. Set your hair dryer to cool and point it on dusty shelves or intricate home décor to blow debris right off. Start from the highest shelf so you can use gravity to your advantage. Unfortunately, a hair dryer won’t accomplish all your vacuuming jobs, so enter to win a Dirt Devil below. (If your floors just can’t wait until April 5, or you only need accessories you can also get 25% off plus 99 cent shipping for all Dirt Devil purchases!)

Dishwasher. Use your dishwasher to get bath accessories to glisten and lighting to be more functional. Wash globe lights and fixtures on the top shelf in the delicate setting to restore original clarity, and shower heads in the pots and pans cycle to get rid of clogs and residue.

Save extra money by de-cluttering

Enable online bill payment. The average household receives about six credit card statements monthly, not including cell phone, utility and cable bills. And according to a recent report by the Internet Innovation Alliance, switching to online bill pay can save you approximately $47 annually since you eliminate postage, check reorder fees and pay-by-phone charges.

Organize food storage. Americans throw away a quarter of the food we buy, which adds up to $2,200 in annual food costs for the average family. How easily we forget about canned soups and leftovers simply because they are stuffed into the back of our pantry or refrigerator. Organizing and labeling food storage will help you reduce over-buying and use items up before they go stale or expire—you can easily find storage containers from Target. For additional Target.com savings, apply a code for $5 off $50 purchase + free shipping.

Shape up your finances and taxes. Whether you’ve been collecting receipts in a top drawer or have several scattered between your wallet and vanity, you may be able to squeeze extra cash out of them for tax purposes. Tax software like TurboTax can help you find extra deductions and credits that you may have missed—like for a new baby in your family! For even less tax clutter, file online and save 10% on TurboTax services plus a free federal e-file on PromotionalCodes.com.

Enter for a chance to win these great prizes on the Rafflecopter form below!

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