Getting Cheesy With The Pirate's Booty Mac & Cheesy Video Contest & $50 Giveaway Prize Package

Who doesn't like a good pirate joke? My kids love pirates and, since we are at the beach, we are even going on a pirate adventure boat trip this week! Anytime pirates are mentioned, their little eyes pop open and a smile spreads over their faces. In fact, we received a pirate's chest full of Pirate's Booty... literally!

Boy did it bring some smiles upon those faces! Our prize pack had a fun variety of Pirate's Booty Mac & Cheese, popcorn, and some other fun items for the kids, including eye patches and removable tattoos, but their favorites? The foam pirate swords! Arrgh, matey!

My son and niece are quite cheesy when together! They, of course, had to have a sword fight as soon as they thought I wasn't looking...

There is constant laughter at our condo this week and Pirate's Booty wants to bring the laughter to your house, too. Right now you can enter the Pirate's Booty Cheesiest Joke Contest to win a wide variety of prizes! Check out the Pirate's Booty Cheesy Joke Website to read some of the cheesiest jokes on the planet.

After you've had a good laugh, be sure to submit some of your own cheesy jokes! How? Go to the Pirate's Booty Facebook page for all the info on how to submit jokes using @PiratesBooty along with the hashtag #MacAndCheesyJoke. However, if you want to win the prizes, you need to submit a video! Take a short video of your cheesiest joke and then submit it via their Facebook page. Ours was taken on YouTube, so I included @PiratesBooty & #MacAndCheesyJoke. Then, I went to the Pirate's Booty Facebook page to submit the link to the video. It's super easy even for those of us who aren't so good with technology! Here's Katie's super-cheesy video entry:

So, what are you waiting for, go submit your video entry today! 

What can you win? 

There will be daily prize packages give out!

AND 

The Grand Prize is a trip for Four To Wisconsin Dells, which includes round-trip airfare, ground transport, hotel (4 days, 3 nights), and four amusement park tickets! 

Before we get to our giveaway, I wanted to share what we made for a delicious snack this evening! We decided to cook up the Pirate's Booty Shells & Cheese Aged White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese.

Let me just say, this was the easiest mac and cheese I've ever made and as soon as I was finished, the kids were swarming the kitchen like little bees. I was seriously lucky to have taken the photo above before it was swiped away by my nephew, Michael, who promptly devoured it all.

The rest was portioned between the kiddos and it was unanimous.... Pirate's Booty Mac & Cheese is cheesetacular!

So, are you ready for our giveaway? 

One Lucky Children Teaching Mama Reader Will Receive Pirate's Booty Prize Package with $59 worth of Pirate's Booty Coupons!!!

To enter, use the Giveaway Tools form below! This giveaway is open to U.S. Readers, 18+ years of age and ends on Saturday, July 12th at 11:59pm. One winner per household, email address or home address. If you have won this prize on another blog you are ineligible to win again. Good Luck!

Isis Wallet Is An Innovative, Time-Saving Way To Purchase Items #MC #sponsored #PaySmarter

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Isis Wallet. I received a promotional item to facilitate my review.

I don't know about you, but I never leave home without my cell phone. In fact, I honestly have no idea what I'd do with out it. We all depend upon our phones more and more as the years go by and I'm always in awe of the newest technology coming out. Back when I received my first cell phone, I never would have thought that one day we'd be able to check email and browse the internet while mobile. I'm constantly trying out new apps and trying to stay up-to-date on the latest tech, so when I heard about Isis Wallet, you bet I couldn't wait to give it a try!

Isis Wallet provides a convenient and easy way to pay for purchases with your cell phone. That's right! You don't even need a credit card or debit card with you to buy groceries and other items. In addition, you can save money by adding participating loyalty cards and find offers from nearby merchants!

How is this possible? First, we downloaded the Isis Wallet app onto my phone via Google Play since I own an Android. However, it is also available for download on the Apple App Store. Once the app was downloaded, it informed me immediately that I needed an Enhanced SIM Card. This won't happen for everyone, but don't despair if this pops up for you because you can go to your provider (Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile) and they will switch out your SIM card for free. I walked into my local Verizon Wireless location, was there for all of 5 minutes, and was ready to go with my new SIM Card.

Next, I had to set up my Isis Wallet Account. You need an internet connection and I found that a Wi-Fi connection works better than 4G. I didn't have to enter in any credit card numbers at this point, just the basics for setting up the account. At this point, I waited for 3-5 minutes while the account set itself up and emailed me a verification. Once I verified my email, I logged into my account and was ready for the next step.

Now, at this point you have several choices. You can enter in your own debit or credit card information. A Wells Fargo, American Express, or Chase credit card can be used. Plus, you can also set up an American Express Serve account. I set up a Serve account because right now they are offering a FREE $25 credit (until June 30th), which immediately goes into your Isis Wallet account for use just for signing up! Then, you also receive your Serve debit card in the mail 6-8 weeks later. You can add money to this account at any time and fund your Isis Wallet, which is a great way to go if you do not have one of the credit cards mentioned above. This process took me all of 5 minutes and, not to long after that, the $25 credit showed up in my account ready for use!

Now's the fun part! We can go shopping using Isis Wallet. How do you know where you can use Isis Wallet? You can search via the app for locations nearby or look for the contactless symbol below at participating merchants when checking out. I'd noticed this symbol before, but had no idea what it meant!

I asked the salesperson at Verizon Wireless if he knew where we could use it and I was amazed at just how many places accepted payment this way! I could use it at Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, several Coca-Cola machines in the area, McDonalds, Walgreens, gas stations, and more!

When you are shopping somewhere and see the contactless symbol, simply grab your phone, login to your Isis Wallet App with your pin and hold the back of your phone over the symbol when it is time to pay. That seriously ALL you have to do. It's so easy to use and fun, too! I use my phone often for online purchases, but I love being able to use it while shopping in-store, too. I also love that I can use it at the gas pump instead of sliding my debit card.

I was really amazed just how easy it was to set up Isis Wallet, activate Serve, login and make purchases. It's so easy that even someone with less tech experience could do it. After speaking about this with my mom and husband, they both want to set theirs up this weekend, too! They are both so excited to give it a try. Not to mention, you will receive a $25 promotional credit until June 30th, so take this time to get yours all set up and don't miss out on the free credit. Remember the offers and savings I mentioned earlier? If you are a Verizon Wireless member just like me and use your Isis Wallet to make a purchase of $25 or more between now and June 30th, you will also receive and additional $15 credit to your account. Really, what more of a reason do you need to get out and go shopping?

Have you tried Isis Wallet? If not, set your account up, come back, and let us know what you think! We are positive you will enjoy it just as much as we have. Be sure to "Like" Isis Wallet on Facebook to keep up with all the latest news, promotions, and savings!

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Isis Wallet. I received a promotional item to facilitate my review.

Basic Invite Adorable New Baby Stationary Line & 50 Card Giveaway Open To US & CA

Basic Invite is a wonderful online store dedicated to providing customers with beautiful quality stationary. From save the date cards to wedding invitations and baby shower invites to birth announcements, they have all of your stationary needs covered. In fact, Basic Invite just launched over 50 new designs in their baby stationary line and they are just adorable! Take a look at some of the new cards in our post and then, to further celebrate, be sure to enter our great giveaway.

Birth Announcements
Introduce the latest member of your family in style with a birth announcement from Basic Invite. Once you have selected the design that you want, personalize it to match your babies personality with over 168 different color choices.

Stamp Of Approval

Formal Photo Birth Announcements

Baby Shower Invitations
Impress your guests at your next baby shower with these fully customized shower invitations. Choose a traditional or unique mini fold and design. You can personalize with your choice of colors and fonts to match your party theme perfectly.

Confetti Mini Gate Baby Shower Card

Owl Parents Boy Baby Shower Invitation

Aren't these cards, invitations and announcement just adorable? We are huge fans of Basic Invite here at Children Teaching Mama and that's why we are so excited to work with them on this great giveaway.

Ready For A Giveaway?

One Lucky Reader Will Win A Code For 50 Cards Of Their Choice From The Basic Invite Baby Stationary Line!

Summer Play Date Fun With Arla Dofino #sponsored #HavartiParty #MC

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Arla Dofino. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Summer is officially here and now both Liam and Josiah are home. Let me just say that I never knew just how much two boys could eat and, now that school is out, I've had to restock our kitchen in preparation for breakfasts, snacks, and lunchtime. Earlier this year our family made a pact to start eating healthier and, I have to admit, our plan has gone very well so far. Our diet has changed drastically since last year and we've incorporated more healthy, natural items into each meal, along with fruits and veggies.

Josiah with his teacher on graduation day! He is now a 2nd grader!

This was Josiah's first year in public school, so I was surprised and delighted at the end of the year with all of the notes passed between parents with contact information. It seems Josiah made quite a few friends who wanted to stay in touch over the summer months and get together for play dates. Liam and I have play dates with our homeschool group and with other kids from his hospital, so we are excited Josiah and his friends can now join in on the fun, too. I love play dates with my boys and other kids! Seeing all of them get together, laughing, running around and having a blast is just music to my ears. We practically live outdoors in the summertime, so I couldn't wait to make plans with some friends.

Other fun we've already had this summer break!

I love any opportunity to pack a delicious lunch or snack, so when play dates come along, I take along goodies for all of us to share. Just a few weeks ago, we had the ultimate play date... my son's 7th birthday party! He didn't want anything elaborate this year and requested a day at the park along with family and friends, so that is exactly what we planned. He loves army men, camouflage, which was the theme of his party. Along with his Granny, I set up a snack area under the pavilion as the kids ran around on the playground and had everything set up in no time.

This play date stood out in many ways, including the fact that we used Arla Dofino Cheese to kick it up a notch and make our snacks even more delicious. Arla cheeses fit right into our healthy lifestyle because they are all-natural, hormone-free, and made with quality ingredients. Arla Foods actually happens to be the largest organic dairy company in the world. Not to mention, they also do their part to help the environment and reduce their own carbon footprint by practicing sustainable farming, using recyclable packaging and much, much more.

So, back to the party...

Time to eat!

We supplied many snacks for the party, including organic fruits and veggies, but the main attraction was definitely the delicious sandwiches we made with Arla Dofino Havarti & Gouda cheeses. We made a huge platter of turkey and ham sandwiches, which were also filled with organic lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles before we added in slices of cheese. We used Arla Dofino Havarti Sliced Cheese on half of the sandwiches and Arla Dofino Gouda Sliced Cheese on the other half. You won't believe just how quickly these sandwiches disappeared. I barely got any photos of them before they were devoured. I loved the gouda paired with ham. It went perfectly together.

Our guests enjoying their snacks & sandwiches

Our party was so much fun and the kids had a blast. With such active kids, snack time is a must and gives them the extra energy they need to get through the day. As you can see from all the photos, all of our play date guests played and played. I hated for the day to end, but luckily we've already made some play date plans for this coming week!

As the Arla Dofino brand spokesperson, Kelsey Banfield, believes, being a mom goes hand in hand with being a foodie. Why? Because we are constantly trying new ideas and recipes. Josiah used to be such a picky eater and, because my husband and I are always looking for new recipes and incorporating new ingredients, we've opened him up to foods he never would have tried before. I think it's so important to introduce children to a variety of different healthy foods, even those you didn't enjoy as a kid because you never know when you will find a new favorite to add to the menu. At our birthday party play date, we definitely made many new Arla Dofino fans and had many parents asking us about the cheese and where they could purchase it.

So, if you are a cheesy family like we are, you are probably craving some dairy right now! Luckily, you have a chance to win a 3 month supply of Arla Dofino natural cheeses thanks to the current sweepstakes on the Dofino Cheese Facebook Page. Be sure to enter today for your chance to win! 

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Arla Dofino. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Tumble Leaf : A Creative & Exciting New Kids Series From Amazon Studios #sponsored #MC

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Amazon Studios. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and promotional item to thank me for participating.

I remember the first time I discovered Amazon many years ago and, since then, it has grown into something more than I could have ever imagine. As an Amazon Prime member, my husband and I watch Prime Instant Videos often. A few months ago, Amazon Studios invited members to check out some of their newest show ideas and watch the pilot episodes. Not only that, but we could vote on our favorites and, based on the feedback received, they would choose which shows to continue producing. My favorite show was The After and I cannot wait to see where they take the plot of the movie from the original pilot. They have a huge variety of movies and shows on their current slate, both for adults and children, and have an open door not only for creators, but for members who also have ideas. Obviously, this is working to their advantage because everyone can be a part of the creative process and even the pilots I watched were amazing, unique and thought-provoking.

During the month of May, we were given the opportunity to check out a new release by Amazon Studios named Tumble Leaf, which is the first original kids series released by Amazon. Released on May 23rd, this pre-school geared animated series was immediately noticed by my youngest son, Liam (4), who could not wait to check it out, so we watched together, along with big brother, Josiah, who is 6.

The boys were captivated by the bright and vivid colors of nature captured through the animation, which immediately transported us to the beautiful stop-motion world of Tumble Leaf. Each new episodes follows a day in the life of Fig, a curious little fox who lives in a wrecked ship by the sea with his best caterpillar friend, Stick! In each episode, Fig and Stick journey on a new adventure and explore the world around them.

My two boys can really relate to Fig and Stick as friends and have learned from watching their friendship. In addition, the show encourages little ones to be creative, to explore their environment and to be themselves. I love the message behind Tumble Leaf and have been impressed not only with the quality of the episodes, but that it holds the interest of two very active boys who will only sit still if something is worth their time. Plus, each episode is broken up into two 11-minute stories, so this is especially great for little ones who can't sit still for long shows and/or movies. Liam laughs out loud while watching and, as an animal lover, he gets a kick out of all the animal characters on the show.

The Tumble Leaf episodes are educational, teaching children about friendship, exploration, nature and much more, which I sadly cannot say for many animated kid-oriented shows these days. This makes mama very happy and I can let them watch without feeling the need to monitor. I've never been disappointed by any of the shows we've seen from Amazon Studios so far and Tumble Leaf was no different. I highly recommend this series for young children and think they will love it as much as my boys. Liam has already watched several episodes and is asking for more! Thankfully, Amazon released a Tumble Leaf app with 6 fun games inspired by the show! The app is free and we downloaded it the other day. So far it has been a hit and you can't beat free, so give it a try.

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Amazon Studios. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and promotional item to thank me for participating.

Snickers Needs Your Help To Name Their New Candy Bar & Snickers Prize Package Giveaway #SnickersVote

Does anyone love SNICKERS as much as I do? Well, it is time to get excited because there is a new SNICKERS® Bar is coming to town! What separates this from the rest of the pack? Well, it has more peanuts, more caramel, and more chocolate. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! It has more of everything people love about Snickers... except nougat and a name. That's right, Mars Chocolate North America needs YOUR help naming the newest product from SNICKERS. 


So, as of now, the unnamed bar includes a single layer of crunchy roasted peanuts, smooth caramel blended and topped with delicious milk chocolate. Fans, it is your turn to name it! How? Visit the SNICKERS Facebook page through June 13th, 2014, and choose from one of these five names:

• SNICKERS Go Nuts
• SNICKERS Xtreme
• SNICKERS #MoreNuts
• SNICKERS Nuts Galore
• SNICKERS Nuts!

Which is your favorite name? I like SNICKERS Xtreme the best. The new bar will be out in stores in 2015, so do your part, make history and vote today! 

To celebrate, we are working with PartnersHub to bring up an awesome giveaway prize!

Ready For A Giveaway?

One Lucky Reader Will Receive A SNICKERS Prize Package, which includes a Snickers Voting Pack with an assortment of Snickers Brand Products and two (2) Movie Tickets! 

To enter, just complete the entries using the GiveawayTools form below. This giveaway is open to U.S. Readers, 18+ years of age and ends on Sunday, June 15th at 11:59pm. Good Luck!

Entry-Form

Lactose-Free Camo Cupcakes With LACTAID® & Giveaway #BeyondLI #sponsored #MC

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for National Dairy Council and the LACTAID®Brand. I received product coupons from the LACTAID® Brand to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

When I was just a child, I would get so excited when my grandma picked me up after school because I knew that meant we would go to our local drug store, which also had an ice cream shop! Back then, I'd get an upset stomach and we couldn't figure out why until we went to my pediatrician and I was diagnosed as lactose intolerant. I was not surprised to find out that not only is my husband lactose intolerant, but so is our son, Liam. His stomach is extremely sensitive, so we really have to watch the types of products we use and eat. My husband is a fan of soy milk, but I just can't get into it as much as him. This is why I was excited to work with  LACTAID® because it is my favorite! Unlike other types of milk we have tried,  LACTAID® tastes just like cow's milk because it is. The only difference is the lactose is taken out.

Lactose intolerance is something the National Dairy Council estimates 30-50 million Americans have. This means they can experience a variety of digestive issues after eating foods with lactose, including bloating, gas and diarrhea. The thing is, milk and dairy foods are a very important part of our daily nutrition and, just because you are lactose intolerance doesn't mean you have to miss out on delicious foods. We use Lactaid® in all of our recipes at home to avoid lactose and add a nutritious part of dairy to our recipes and daily meals. Just this weekend we used  LACTAID® to create the perfect cupcakes to accompany my son's army birthday party. Yes, he chose an army/camo theme for his 7th birthday party and, thanks to Pinterest, I found a great recipe idea to help me create the perfect Camouflage cupcakes. 

I love to bake and try new recipes, but often don't have much time. This recipe is perfect for parents who want a delicious, healthy dessert without spending hours working on it.

Ingredients

• White Cake or cupcake mix
• 3 eggs
• milk
• vegetable oil
• food dye (we used green and brown)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Follow the directions according to the box of cake/cupcake mix. 
• Stir until all the lumps are gone and the batter is nice and smooth.
• Separate the batter equally into four different containers (about a cup in each)
• In the 1st container, use two drops of brown food dye to make a light brown.
• In the 2nd container, use about 1/2 teaspoon of brown food dye to make a dark brown. (You can use more or less to create the color you want.)
• In the 3rd container, use 3 drops of brown food coloring and 1/2 teaspoon of green dye to make dark green.
• In the 4th container, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon green food dye to make a bright green batter.
• Stir thoroughly until mixed and you have the colors you want.

You or a little one can put the cupcake baking cups into the cupcake pan. Mr. Liam was my helper for the evening!

Then, spoon the batter using a teaspoon, one color at a time, into the baking cups. I tilted the the baking cups in different directions to create unique designs in each cupcake. Fill each cup a little over 1/2 full and you are ready to cook them.

Put pan in the oven for 20-25 minutes until fully cooked. Let cool and then add the icing of your choice. You can even make camo icing using white icing and food coloring just like we did with the cake batter. Josiah wanted chocolate icing, so we used a whipped chocolate icing.

What do you think? They were absolutely delicious and such a hit! Josiah was so surprised and had to eat one as soon as they had cooled.

As you can see, being lactose intolerant doesn't have to keep you from eating dairy or foods that you love. LACTAID® once again came to the rescue and saved us from digestive issues! 

Are you ready for a giveaway?

One Lucky Reader Will Win A Coupon For One Free LACTAID® Product! 

Just leave us a comment below telling us why you would like to 

try LACTAID® and/or your favorite summer recipe!

This giveaway is open to U.S. readers 18+ years of age and ends on Sunday, June 15th. Good Luck!

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for National Dairy Council and the LACTAID®Brand. I received product coupons from the LACTAID® Brand to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

#FuelBackyardFun with Quaker Chewy Granola Bars & $25 VISA GC #Giveaway #ad @Quaker

Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign with Mums the Word Network and Quaker Chewy. All opinions are my own.

When I was growing up, I will never forget when my mom bought us some Quaker Granola Bars for the first time. As far as I remember, this was the first time I ate granola and I was skeptical until my first bite. My favorites were Chocolate Chip, but there are even more choices now! We received Quaker Chewy Bars and Quaker Chewy Chocolate Covered Granola Bars just in time for our summer vacation to begin.

As you may know, I have two very energetic boys and they definitely keep me on my toes. Being outside, running around in the hot weather zaps energy and that's something we cannot have. Quaker Chewy gives kids the energy needed to play, have fun and enjoy each and every day. Just this weekend we celebrated my son's 7th birthday and we had kids running all around our neighborhood park. Some of the only toys my son wanted for his birthday were NERF brand. That's why we are excited to tell you that Quaker and NERF are teaming up to fuel backyard fun and excitement. Families can get outside and be active right in their own backyard. This summer, when you buy three specially-marked boxes of Quaker Chewy, they will have codes you can enter online at fuelfun.quakeroats.com to get a free NERF sports item.

Here are the 5 items you can pick with your codes:

• Nerf N-Sports Weather Blitz All Conditions Football: durable ball is tough enough to take on mud, being left out in the rain, getting caught in a tree, and everything else your kids want to put it through. Ages 5 and up.
• Nerf N-Sports Pro Grip Football: Pro Grip Football has laces just like a pro football. Ages 4 and up.
• Nerf N-Sports Nerfoop Set: You can hang the Nerfoop backboard almost anywhere you want for your kids to shoot threes, practice lay-ups, and even dunk if you hang it low enough. Ages 4 and up.
• Nerf Sports Bash Ball: flexible all-purpose ball has three hand holds, making it easy to grip. Ages 5 and up.
• Nerf Super Soaker Tidal Tube Blaster 2-Pack: They let you unleash a giant wave of soakage on your target from up to 23 feet away, which means your kids won’t even see you coming! Ages 6 and up.

There is a limit of 4 free items per household. Offer is good while supplies last. All terms and conditions can be found at fuelfun.quakeroats.com. Also, be sure to keep up with all the Quaker news on Twitter and Facebook!

Now that you know about the great promo going on between Quaker Chewy and NERF, I know you are ready to rush to the grocery store, but we have something extra for our readers....

Ready For A Giveaway?

One Lucky Children Teaching Mama Reader Will Receive A Quaker Chewy Gift Pack with Quaker Chewy Bars and a $25 VISA gift card! 

To enter, use the GiveawayTools form below. This giveaway is open to U.S. readers 18+ years of age and ends on Saturday, June 28th at 11:59pm. Good Luck!

Entry-Form