31.10.12

Time For A Road Trip! #kiasocialclub

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Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Kia Motors

I will never forget the time we took the my youngest son on his very first road trip! He was born on June 8, 2007 and we went to the beach with my parents for the 4th of July week. He was 4 weeks old and was such a little sweetheart the entire time. We decided to do the drive at night, which ended up being perfect. He barely cried on the entire drive and was the perfect passenger, mostly sleeping through the trip. The key was taking little sanity breaks along the way to feed the baby, get something to eat and just rest.

We made it to the beach safe and sound, which was such a relief. Little Josiah enjoyed his first trip to the beach and slept most of the time, but many of his relatives got to see him, hold him and spend time with the little man. 

My husband really wants the new 2013 Kia Forte and, since we are looking for a new car, this will be first on the list! Do you drive a Kia? If so, tell me about it below!


What is your #1 road trip tip?

30.10.12

Kotex Encourages The Period Talk : Monthly Maintanence #KotexMom


Thanks to U by Kotex, we've been discussing the big "P" and the period talk and, more importantly, having the talk with your daughter. We've gone over several topics that are a must for the period talk and Ry and I have had some great mother-daughter talks, which is something I never had. The talk can be nerve-racking and tough, but it doesn't have to be. There are many questions which are bound to come up when talking with your daughter, so educate yourself. This week we are writing about Monthly Maintenance and how to be prepared.

It seems just like yesterday when I was sitting in my high school World History class. My teacher was at the front of the class lecturing when it happened. Yes, I had my period, which was nothing new, but this month I had a much heavier flow for some reason. I knew when it happened... my pad leaked. What a horrible feeling to be stuck at my desk and helpless. I didn't want to interrupt class and I certainly didn't walk up to the front of class with everyone looking at me, especially if I had leaked through my pants. Embarrassing! There is no other word for it and I should have been prepared. This is why it was so important for me to discuss this with Ry.

How can your daughter be prepared? During the talk with your daughter, discuss keeping track of her period and let her know that it is normal to experience irregular periods, so she may have a really heavy flow one month and a light one the next. You also need to teach her possible symptoms, such as cramps, headaches and moodiness. I have experienced them all! This is why a "period kit" comes in very handy, especially if you are in a situation like myself when I was in school.
Nothing slows my girl down!
Last month we talked about packing some products in an inconspicuous pouch for daughter's purse, locker or backpack, which is a must. You can keep track of when to expect your period by calendar, but always have a kit ready.

What should be included in the "period kit"?
  • Extra pads for emergencies and for regular changing.
  • Tylenol or Midol for cramps! This was a lifesaver for me because I had horrible cramps each month. PMS is real.
  • Wet wipes for cleaning off
  • Extra undies in case of an accident
  • Extra pair of pants or shorts (She can keep these in her locker, just like gym clothes. No one will know the difference!)
Not only is it important to pack a period kit, but you should also discuss staying clean. It's very important to change your pad before it gets too full (what I did in World History), which is different for each person, but I found changing mine about every 2 hours was the way to go. Why so often? If you don't you put yourself at risk for odor and infection. Believe me, you do not want to have your period and an infection. Talk about uncomfortable!
Ry is such a happy girl and full of life. I never want this to change! In a house of all boys, she has her hands full and is a very curious girl. This is why it is so important to educate her about her period, what to expect and how to take care of herself. If your tween or teen has more questions, direct her to the Hello Period website. There are answers to questions, stories from other girls and much, much more. Unsure how to begin the big talk with your daughter? You can take a look at the U by Kotex tween site.

I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of U by Kotex Tween and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

We Can Listen To Music Anytime

Coming from a family of musicians, music has always been an important part of my life. I've been in bands, play several instruments and love going to see bands play live. Now that I'm a mom, life has slowed down quite a bit, but I still listen to a great deal of music. I enjoy listening to lesser known electronic bands like Dntel and Postal Service. Being up in the mountains, let's just say those are not available to purchase on CD, so I download songs to get the song I enjoy. It's such an easy way to get music and is available immediately. I can listen to it on my computer, iPad and MP3 player during the day, which is awesome. Another wonderful reason I download is because the songs are free!

Lately we've been in the car more often. We travel each week to Atlanta for my son and those two-hour trips can seem like much longer, especially with kids in the car. Many of our local stations have recently turned into sports talk radio, which just isn't interesting to me. Only one of my favorite stations still exists, so most of the time I cannot find anything to listen to, but I have found a solution. All of the songs I downloaded can be added to a CD! How? All I had to do was find a great cd burner. Then, I could easily add all of my favorite songs into the program and burn them straight onto a cd!

Since downloading songs I have also found some great new music artists I'd never heard of before! Plus, I can listen to DJ stations with my favorite types of music. No more waiting for my favorite song to pop up on my radio. I can listen anytime!

In addition to adding my favorite songs and music artists, I've found music for my kids. This is another great way to make it through the long car trips and with the upcoming holidays we will be traveling so often that this will be perfect! I've even mixed a few cds that have half of my music and half of theirs. This way we both get to listen and everyone is pleased.

Who is your favorite music artist or group? Have you downloaded music yet? Give it a try and I bet you will never look back!

26.10.12

Flatout Flatbread Giveaway Package & $50 Walmart Gift Card #flatoutpizza


Two weekends ago we threw our Flatout flatbread pizza party a few weeks ago and it was a HUGE success. Click the link to see all of the great pictures of our pizza idea. Everyone had a great time and loved the pizza we made. Not only was delicious and easy to make. Flatout is so awesome that they offered us a giveaway package for our readers, too!

One Lucky Winner Will Receive A Flatout Giveaway Package!
This includes all of the items pictures below plus a $50 Gift Card to Walmart! You can have a great Halloween pizza party just like we did.
Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. This giveaway will end Saturday, November 10th at 11:59pm and is open to US residents 18+ years of age. Good Luck!

Funky Fluff Fall Festival Giveaway Event Has Begun Win a $120 Cloth Diaper Package!

Welcome to the Funky Fluff Fall Festival hosted by Eco Baby Mama Drama and Mama on a Green Mission! If you love cloth diapers, are curious about them or know someone else who loves them, you are definitely in the right place! 

The Funky Fluff Fall Festival is a two week event all about Funky Fluff! There is one grand prize package that includes 6 Funky Fluff diapers (either bamboo, stay dry, or a combination) and 1 Funky Fluff wet bag! That's a value of over $120! Yay for fluff!

Enter to win this wonderful package below. Be sure to come back every day during the 2 weeks for extra entries!

Ten fluffy lovin' blogs have come together for this event and each day one blog will post a review about their experience and their thoughts about Funky Fluff diapers. Visit that blog and leave a comment and collect the additional entries for that day!  
 
The schedule of reviews is as follows:
Friday, October 26 - Mama on a Green Mission Saturday, October 27 - Eco Baby Mama Drama Sunday, October 28 - A Year with Mom and Dad Monday, October 29 - Happenings of the Harper Household  
Tuesday, October 30 - Crunchy Beach Mama Wednesday, October 31 - Mama Chocolate  
Thursday, November 1 - Our Kids Mom Friday, November 2 - Mommy of Two Little Monkeys Saturday, November 3 - Coping with Frugality Sunday, November 4 - Children Teaching Mama 
Funky Fluff DiaperFunky Fluff Wet Bag
The schedule of reviews is as follows:After all of the reviews are posted you'll have a few additional days to get around if you've missed any reviews because the event doesn't wrap up until Thursday, November 8!
Let's start entering! Good Luck to all!

25.10.12

Today Is World Pasta Day! Support A Wonderful Cause With Barilla Today Only!

In our family, pasta is definitely a staple food! It's one of the foods I can make and know for sure that the kids will eat. With picky eaters, this is such a relief. Our favorite pasta, Barilla, sent us an awesome package to help celebrate World Pasta Day. Did you know that is TODAY? It's the day of the year to celebrate and eat pasta!


What else can you do to help celebrate World Pasta Day? Go to the Barilla Facebook page, click on the "Share a Hug" tab. Barilla is going to donate to Feeding America. Plus, you will get a $1 off coupon! This will only be up today, so please don't waste any time. Go share a hug now! You can also choose to donate to Feeding America to receive a download of "The Modern Family Pasta Cookbook" and a coupon.
There really isn't enough I can say about Barilla pasta. We are a very busy family, always on the go, multitasking is my life lately. According to a survey by Barilla, 88% of parents rely on multitasking and 58% say their lives are more hectic this year than last. I can definitely relate! Take a look at the infographic above for some interesting facts and statistics. That's the life of a mom, after all. Just like most parents, we spend a great deal of time at work, doing school work or some other after school activity. I have to admit that sometimes we don't have time for a sit-down dinner as a family at the table and sometimes we must get takeout. I try to fix dinner several times a week, though, and lately I've stuck to that because it really is important to spend some time together as a family, even if it is just for dinner. As a child we always ate dinner as a family around the table and these times created an impression on me as something I want for my children. 
 
Cooking a delicious dinner doesn't have to take hours. This is one thing I have been learning recently. The great thing about pasta is that it really does help with busy schedules because pasta is quick, easy and it allows for multitasking. In fact, when I was cooking the recipe below, I was also running back and forth between the kitchen, laundry room and making sure the kids were behaving. Just look at The Modern Family cookbook to see some awesome recipes that do not take a year to make. We received a great book called "Dinner A Love Story"along with a variety of Barilla pastas to create our own delicious dinner and I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen and test something out.

My kids like simple pasta dishes (which is fine by me!!). Spaghetti with meat is one of their favorites, so that is actually what we are having tonight for World Pasta Day. Yum! This is super easy and can be made so quickly, which allows us more time to sit around the table and talk about our day.
Just boil your spaghetti according to the Barilla package or with a pasta timer!
Brown the beef in a frying pan (of another meat if preferred).
Boil your Barilla sauce! We like Marinara.
Then, add the browned beef into the Barilla Marinara sauce and simmer until pasta is ready or everyone else is ready for dinner.
Lastly, top with your favorite cheese!
The great thing about spaghetti is leftovers. If you have enough left over, make a delicious spaghetti bake. Just put it in a baking dish and cover with mozzarella, bake and you are good to go! I love it!

Doesn't that look delicious? Barilla Marinara Sauce is honestly the most delicious Marinara I've ever tasted. Seriously! You have to give it a try. The kids ate every bit of it, so no leftovers or pasta bake for us this time, but next time I'll be sure to make extra.
What is your favorite pasta dish?
Don't forget to go to the Barilla Facebook page for a hug and a great cause today only!

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Barilla. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

24.10.12

Join The Fun Tomorrow 10/24 For The Little Chefs Everyday Fun Cook-Along #LittleChefs


Earlier this week we posted about the awesome Chef Boyardee Little Chefs E-Cookbook and also included a giveaway. We were so excited to participate in the e-cookbook, but the fun doesn't stop there!! Tomorrow is our next feature during the Everyday Fun Cook-Along.

The Little Chefs Project series has been hosting live chats, Cook-Alongs, every Thursday at 2pm until November 15th. Each Cook-Along covers a different topic just like in the e-cookbook.  We were featured in the Everyday Fun part of the e-cookbook and we will also be a part of the Cook-Along tomorrow on Everyday Fun!

I hope you can come and join the fun! The Everyday Fun topic will including info about how you and the kids can create fun, lasting memories in the kitchen, such as sleepovers, holidays or even family dinners. We are going to have such a great time and I would love for you to come.

When? Thursday, October 25th from 2-2:30pm

Where? The Motherhood! Just Click Here to come to the Cook-Along.
To participate click the link above, login to The Motherhood using your member ID (if you don't have one, no worries! It's easy and free to sign up.) and join the chat! There will also be video feed included for the half-hour Cook-Along, so you can come chat or even just watch. It's totally up to you, but you are sure to have a great time.

The Cook-Along is sponsored by Chef Boyardee, and it is hosted by The Motherhood.  You can visit Chef Boyardee online at http://www.chefboyardee.com/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chefboyardee.

I have mentioned several times in the past that we LOVE Che Boyardee! I have eaten it since I was a little kid and now my kids love it just as much. I think my favorite is either Mini Ravioli or Beefaroni. My son's favorite, on the other hand would definitely have to be Spaghetti and Meatballs. He loves it and always eats all of his lunch every time I cook that for him. 

Just for fun we decided to try something different out for lunch today. We took the Spaghetti and Meatballs, added some mozzarella  cheese and baked in the oven. I love spaghetti bakes and thought this should be delicious for everyone to try. The result? Delicious! You really can't go wrong with Chef Boyardee or cheese, so together they are a winning combination. I took some pictures and will be sure to add them to the post tomorrow so you can see just how delicious it looks. 

Don't forget about the Cook-Along tomorrow at 2pm EST! We really hope to see you there!

Disclosure: This post was written for Chef Boyardee in conjunction with The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

23.10.12

Educational Insights Estimation Station Learning Toy

We made the switch to homeschooling this year and I'm so excited, but also scared. I've never taken on something like this and though I am happy to spend time with my sons and teach them, I feel almost unprepared. Educational Insights has so many wonderful products and toys that are educational, which is why they are the perfect resource for fun games the kids can play as well as supplemental items for class. This month we received the Estimation Station to review!

About the Estimation Station
No more wild guesses! The Estimation Station is the perfect way to teach your students to make logical, mathematical estimates. Simply send this jar home with a student to be filled and counted. Then fill the included proportional scoop and share that number with your class. Students use that information to formulate educated estimations about the number of pieces in the jar. Clearer and easier than home-made jars with hard-to-view contents.

My Thoughts
The kids have been focusing on counting lately and have really enjoyed working with numbers. It just so happens we watched a Curious George episode recently where there was a contest where all the kids (and George, of course) had to guess how many balls were in a gumball machine. Josiah loved that episode, so when we got the Estimation Station he was excited to see how it worked.
We have measured all kinds of items, including beans, army men and other small toys. Josiah loves seeing how many he can fit in and he will be learning fractions very soon. He is getting much better at counting and estimating the amount of items that will fit in the jar. Crayons were the latest experiment!
I also love that there is a guide for parents and an activity guide with activity ideas, which is very helpful, especially when homeschooling. Sometimes it is hard to keep things new and exciting for kids and Educational Insights have so many great items that really do keep kids interested while learning.
 Ready to Win?
We love the Estimation Station and are so excited to offer a giveaway thanks to Educational Insights!
One Lucky Winner Will Receive An Estimation Station!

Fall Is Finally Here & So Is Arby's New Grand Turkey Club #craveability

Fall is finally here, which just happens to be the most beautiful season of all here in the mountains. Here in Ellijay the fall brings many things that our family loves, including the apple season. We always go to the the annual Apple Festival to walk around and see all the unique crafts for sale. After walking around a while, it is time to eat and we have to get caramel apples, the signature dish of the apple festival. These are different from any other caramel apples I've ever had. Instead of on a stick, they are peeled, sliced into small rings and drizzled with the most delicious caramel sauce you have ever tasted. I really do crave them throughout the year and the kids talk about them all year.
I love the box
Speaking of craving foods, our family members are all HUGE Arby's fans. It is our go-to fast food when eating out. Liam, my youngest, is such a picky eater, but Arby's Curly Fries is one of the only things he will always eat. I was so excited to find out Arby's has a new sandwich, the Grand Turkey Club sandwich! We had a chance to give it a try and are happy to report that it is absolutely delicious!!

I usually eat the regular Arby's Sandwiches, so eating the Arby's Grand Turkey Club was quite a change for me and a good change at that. Pulling into the drive-thru, I saw the picture of the new sandwich on the menu board and it looked huge, stacked with turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on a soft bun. Since trying the Grand Turkey Club, my husband has already stopped by Arby's to eat one for lunch because he enjoyed it so much. He says it is not only delicious, but it fills him up during the day and is just the right amount of food for him.
The kids opted for the usual roast beef sandwiches, but somehow they ended up snacking on MY sandwich and, once it was gone, they were asking for more! I have a feeling we will be purchasing the new Grand Turkey Club many, many times in the future.

Another activity we all enjoy as a family in the fall is going apple picking. There are many apple houses around our home, so we have our pick of great places to go. There is a huge variety of apples that grow here and we can pick them all. Our favorite would have to be Granny Smith apples. It's so fun to walk around and pick apples, but even more fun to reward ourselves afterwards with an apple snack!

What do you crave during the fall season? While you are out enjoying the beautiful fall weather, be sure to stop by Arby's for their new Grand Turkey Club. Then, come back here and let me know what you think. We give it two thumbs up and know you will LOVE it! Click below to "like" Arby's on Facebook and keep up with the latest Arby's news!


 This blog post is part of a paid SocialMoms and Arby’s blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.

Helpful Hints For Removing Stains From Sport Uniforms

As a child, I was always playing sports. You name it, I played it. Now that I have kids of my own, they enjoy playing sports, too! I never knew until now just how rough a time my mom had with all the stains on my uniforms, especially the white pants I wore for softball. Read all the helpful hints below for getting stains out of sport uniforms. I've never thought about some of these ideas and cannot wait to give them a try!

Image provided by: Cisco custom volleyball jerseys.
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Framed Posters Make For A Perfect Gift Idea

I have always loved collecting posters, even as a child. The first poster I remember hanging on my wall was for the movie Dirty Dancing. Unfortunately, I didn't put it in a frame, so after several years it had holes and was completely ruined. I hate to think how much it would be worth today if I would have taken better care of it.

When I was in college, I studied abroad for a semester in Germany. While there we took several weekend trips, including one to Amsterdam! While there I couldn't wait to visit the Van Gogh Museum. Seeing his artwork in person, with all of the amazing detail, was just breathtaking. After walking through the museum I went to the gift shop and noticed several of the famous paintings printed out on posters. Immediately I had a great idea! I could purchase these posters and find wholesale poster frames for them, too. These would make perfect gifts for family members.

I carefully placed the art in a protective tube and the posters traveled with me to several countries. These well-traveled posters safely made their way back to the United States and then I got to work making them into perfect gifts. I quickly realized just how difficult it can be to find the right frames unless you know exactly where to look online, especially when on a budget. Luckily I found some great prices and was able to transform the posters into beautiful gifts. The frames really completed the gifts and I could not wait to give them.

My mom's favorite flowers are roses, so I gave her one of the rose prints by Van Gogh. She loves the print and frame so much that it is now hanging in her bedroom. She is always showing off her poster, telling others all about my trip to Europe and where the poster was purchased. It is so nice to see that my mom enjoys looking at her art and now others can enjoy it, too!

Nonni's Salted Caramel Biscotti Review & Giveaway Package

I have a routine in the morning. I get up and slowly make my way to the kitchen to make a nice cup of coffee, or if I'm going through a "no caffeine" phase then it's a cup of hot chocolate. 
During the fall, hot chocolate in the evening while watching a show. 
Well, I like to think that every cup of coffee or hot chocolate needs a companion, something yummy to go with it. 

So why not try some Biscotti?
And since I love the Salted Caramel Mocha from Starbucks,
 figured we'd give Nonni's Salted Caramel Biscotti a try!

Looks pretty good right? These were too salty for me, but once I got past the salt, the cookies were delicious! Just to be safe, I had my husband & sister try one as well. We all came up with the same verdict, too salty. I was quite disappointed. I wanted just a bit of salty with my sweet. But like I said, once I dusted some salt off, the cookie itself was delicious. If you like salt, these are definitely for you!

I noticed the other day as I was shopping that they have many other flavors of Nonni's Biscotti.  As soon as I decide what flavor I want to try next I'll be grabbing a box! They all look delicious.

Have you tried any of Nonni's Biscotti? Did you like it? 
What do you drink with your coffee/hot chocolate?

Be sure to follow Nonni's on Instagram, too, at @NonnisBiscotti!

Ready for a giveaway? 
Nonni's Biscotti was nice enough to offer an awesome giveaway package that includes 2 boxes of Salted Caramel Biscotti and 3 other surprise boxes of Nonni's Biscotti!

22.10.12

The New Chef Boyardee Little Chefs Project E-Cookbook & Giveaway Package #LittleChefs

We at Children Teaching Mama are so excited to announce we are now published! We are huge Chef Boyardee fans, so imagine my surprise when we were invited to be part of the Chef Boyardee Little Chefs E-Cookbook! Just in time for National Cookbook month, too. I've been eating Chef Boyardee since I was a little kid and now my own children love it, too. After much work from many Mamas, the Chef Boyardee Little Chefs Project E-Cookbook was finished and ready for sharing!

Click Here to see the awesome cookbook! This book is made by moms, for moms and contains pictures, helpful hints and recipes. Kids can have so much fun in the kitchen, so it's up to us, as moms, to show them how. Both Liam and Josiah absolutely love helping us in the kitchen. We are part of Chapter 3: Everyday Fun! Take a look at Liam dressed up in his Chef Boyardee gear and Josiah rolling out dough for cookies. Children Teaching Mama's very own Mama, Roxanne, is quoted within the chapter, too.

I love having fun in the kitchen with my kids and showing them that cooking doesn't have to be boring! I'm not afraid to try new things and let them experiment with ingredients. You never know what we'll be cooking up in our kitchen, especially with my boys around.

How do you have fun in the kitchen with your kids? Take a look at the Chef Boyardee Little Chefs E-Cookbook and let me know what you learned!

Want To Win?
To help celebrate the Little Chefs Project E-Cookbook, Chef Boyardee has a fabulous giveaway! 
 One Children Teaching Mama Reader Will Win A Chef Boyardee Package, Which Includes:

Get To Publix From Now Until October 24th To Support Local Schools & $25 Publix GC Giveaway



We love shopping at our local Publix and now we have more of a reason to go from now through October 24th! Publix is teaming up with Produce for Kids to host the second annual Healthy Schools, Healthy Minds campaign in which shoppers can help contribute to the cause and support local schools.

How do we participate?
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwxQokgjf5FfXYrooGAvOzr_oKQf28LVHmYN9RfeaIZ7w1j5h1bD90cdjyCS8Zd9E5KEAx1V1sH_OLCNYD3ONBNJiG1dkCqE90a7JhKpCwee8VErgRl3PjRv6PLtfKhyphenhyphenB5aSJXQjGDDLk/s1600/publix.jpgAll you have to do to support your local schools is add produce to your Publix shopping lists! During this campaign participating fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers will make a donation based on consumption of their fresh produce items to DonorsChoose.org, which supports local classroom projects!

Be on the lookout for the Produce for Kids displays throughout Publix featuring the characters from the popular Sprout shows, LazyTown and Noodle and Doodle! These are located in the produce section and will tell you which items of produce will benefit local classrooms. The more you add, the more they benefit!

Win on Pinterest
Produce for Kids just began a fun and exciting contest on Pinterest! Check it out by clicking here!

Win Here!
One Lucky Children Teaching Mama Reader Will Receive a $25 Publix Gift Card along with Produce For Kids and Sprout Goodies!! 
Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter! This giveaway is open to US Residents 18+ Years of age and ends on Monday, November 12th at 11:59pm. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

20.10.12

A Halloween Party To Remember With Flatout Thin Crust Flatbread #flatoutpizza

We were so excited to work with The Motherhood and Flatout this October to help introduce the three new Flatout Thin Crust Flatbread! We received all three not only to try out, but to use as part of delicious snacks for a Halloween party.

We received the Heritage Wheat Flatout Flatbread, Spicy Italian Flatout Flatbread and the Rustic White Flatout Flatbread!


Why try Flatout?
The great thing about Flatout Flatbread is that making a pizza dinner is easier than ever! You can make a delicious pizza in about 6 minutes. I love thin crust pizza already, so knowing it is easy to prep just adds to the appeal! Plus, you can grill or bake it. We decided to put Flatout to the test and make our own pizza just the way the kids like it AND invite the extended family to come over for all the Halloween and pizza fun!

Flatout Thin Crust Flatbread is a great source of fiber, is only 120 calories per piece and contains 7 grams of protein. Plus, you can purchase the bags, which are shelf-stable for 14 days, at Walmart for only $2.98! So, you can make an easy dinner for a great price. Josiah and Liam love to keep things simple, so all I needed to buy was some pizza sauce and cheese! Easy-peasy! Each of the flatbread packages contained 6 long pieces of flatbread, so we had plenty for a great dinner.

How easy was it?
First I pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees. Then, I put the flatbread on a cookie sheet and toasted for 2 minutes. I took it out, slapped on some pizza sauce and cheese. Then I placed it back in the oven for about 4 more minutes and, voila', it was finished and smelling great!
One of the delicious pizzas we made!
The favorite among all the adults was the Spicy Italian Flatout Thin Crust Flatbread because it is already perfectly seasoned and goes along perfectly with the pizza ingredients. It has a little spice, but isn't too spicy (in my opinion). The kids seemed to prefer the Rustic White flatbread and my husband always eats wheat bread, so he was excited to eat the Heritage Wheat pizza we made.

This was the easiest meal I have made in quite a while and it really was a hit! For the party we got several decorations and I decided to put them up on our mantle to display. Several of the pumpkins light up and others make noises, which you can't tell from the picture, but they looked awesome!
 I really can't ask for anything more when making dinner and especially when throwing a party. No more elaborate dishes for me. Keeping it simple with Flatout Flatbread is the way to go! It's delicious, easy and everyone is sure to love it. I know all of our guests asked for more information and couldn't wait to give it a try, too! After I told them it only took 6 minutes to make they wanted to give it a try even more.
An awesome witch plate with a piece of pizza!
You should put Flatout to the test, too. Then come back and let me know what you think. I bet you will have nothing but amazing things to say about it. Be sure to check back this week for our Flatout Thin Crust Flatbread Giveaway! You do NOT want to miss it, believe me!

Disclosure: This post was written for Flatout in conjunction with The Motherhood. I was compensated to conduct this review and party, though all opinions are 100% mine and only mine. 

19.10.12

Tiny Prints Beautiful & Creative Holiday Cards

It's that time of year again... time to start thinking about Holiday cards for friends and relatives. For years now we have been huge fans of Tiny Prints and this year is no different. Their 2012 Holiday Cards are now released and are nothing short of awesome! The new designs are fresh, fun and made of Premium DoubleThick™ Matte Paper, making them durable and beautiful. You can choose from traditional cards to more modern designs. They also offer religious-based cards (including Hanukkah)!
Each year we always get 2 different sets of holiday cards, but they are always Photo Christmas Cards. I love this time of year for so many reasons and enjoy sending cards to all of our friends and family we do not get to see often. My favorite cards are those that allow space for telling about the children and their accomplishments for the year. The tri-fold cards are perfect for this and allow us to update those who are not in the loop. My favorite card this year is the Chevron Year card. It has room for 13 pictures AND has room to write about the boys. This year has been such a big one for them and there have been many firsts to report.

Take a look at all the great holiday cards at Tiny Prints and let me know which is your favorite! Also, be sure to check out their Special Offers page for the latest and greatest deals!

Disclosure: This sponsored post was written for Tiny Prints and was compensated. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

18.10.12

$399 Mohawk Rug FREE Blogger Giveaway Event

Hi, everyone! We are back with an awesome giveaway event to kick of the holidays. Children Teaching Mama and Happenings of the Harper Household are hosting the $399 Mohawk Rug Event sponsored by Mohawk Home. The giveaway will begin on November 1st at 12:01am and will end on November 26th at 11:59pm.
Event Dates: Thursday, November 1st at 12:01am - Monday, November 26th at 11:49pm

Giveaway Prizes: Any 8x10 Mohawk Rug equal to or less than $399! (Winner's choice!)

Details: This is a FREE blogger event, open to US and Canada Residents and accepting sign-ups now (but Canadian residents cannot enter the giveaway, unfortunately).

We will be limiting sign-ups this time, so don't delay on sign-ups because this one will fill up quickly!

Event Details
  • Each blogger signed up will receive 1 FREE Link to either Facebook or Twitter (blogger's choice). You have the option of purchasing an additional link for $3 via Paypal to childrenteachingmama@gmail.com 
  • To sign-up, you have the choice of posting an announcement on your blog about the event with links to both the sponsor (http://www.mohawkhome.com), (http://www.childrenteachingmama.com/) & (http://happeningsoftheharperhousehold.net)and my OR Send $3 via PayPal to childrenteachingmama@gmail.com with your email address and "Mohawk Rug Event" in the message. The money collected will go towards event fees and referral prizes.
  • Adding the event button to your blog is optional, though recommended. The html is provided above, so just cut and paste. The more advertisement, the bigger the event!
  • Once you have posted the announcement OR sent the PayPal payment, Fill Out This Form to reserve your spot!
  • You will receive the HTML code for publishing the giveaway at least 4 days before the event, so expect an email around November 27-28th. The HTML sent should be a template used for the event, though you can change the words around to make it your own.
  • I will verify that the posts are live on November 3rd at noon. If you have not posted the giveaway, you will be contacted and your link(s) will be deleted from Rafflecopter.

$50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

I absolutely love Amazon.com and, since we live up in the mountains, I find myself shopping from that website more than ever. I just recently bought my new Canon Rebel on Amazon and have purchased all of Liam's birthday presents, too. Here's your chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card to spend as you wish at Amazon.com! Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Good Luck!

17.10.12

You Wave Ultra By Conair & Conair Retractable Brush Review & Giveaway

I don't even know where to start when talking about my hair. I have fine hair, which is another word for thinning hair, unfortunately. It is also straight as a stick! The only time I've had curly hair was when I was younger and my mom experimented with my hair and gave me perms... which led to a major afro-head. I wish I had a picture to share because it really was that bad. Seriously.

When I read about the You Wave Ultra by Conair, I couldn't wait to give it a try. The only time my hair looks remotely curly is at the beach, which is just another reason I love going to the beach. My hair looks naturally curly, shiny and healthy. Now, my hair can look that way year-round with the You Wave Ultra!
 
The styler only takes 30 seconds to heat up and can reach up to 400 degrees! I love that I don't have to wait several minutes like with a curling iron. The You Wave Ultra also uses Tourmaline Ceramic technology, preventing hot spots, reducing hair damage and frizz.

I followed the instructions suggested to create a sexy summer style. First, I parted my hair into sections. Then, I started with the first section, sliding it into the styler and pushed down for about 5-10 seconds, which is plenty of time to give you some nice curls. Starting about an inch from my roots, I just slide the styler down until all of my hair was curled. Easy! I went through each section to curl my hair and it really didn't take long at all. Once I was finished, I used my finger to break up the curls and make them look more natural.
As you can see, the You Wave Ultra By Conair is awesome! I may not get to the beach every season, but now I can have those beachy curls anytime I want, even in the middle of winter. It retails for $39.99 and is available nationwide at drug stores and mass retailers!
Along with the You Wave Ultra, I received the new Conair Retractable Brush ($14.99) to help me further achieve wavy hair! I love the Conair round brush I received last year and was still using it until I got this new one. The difference is that the Conair Retractable Brush does exactly what it says, it retracts! The bristles go into the barrel of the brush just by a push of a button. When the bristles retract, hair is automatically released, which means hair comes out of the brush without getting stuck and without creating tangles. Plus, it helps reduce frizz.

What I love about the Conair Retractable Brush is that it is so easy to take along with me when we travel! Since the bristles retract, I can pop this in my purse or diaper bag without worrying it will get dirty or bent. I like having a brush with me just in case and now I can.

Want your hair to be curly and frizz-free? Giveaway Time!