May 132013
 

My search for affordable family mobile unlimited plans has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.

I’ve always been, as they say, a “talker”.  There is a picture of me in fuzzy pink footed pajamas, sitting sideways in a rocking chair with my feet up on one arm; the cord of the phone is stretched from the wall to my little hand, and I’m twirling a strand of hair.  I tried to find it to share with you but it may still be in the boxes of photos that my Mom has for me.

I’m not sure whom at the age of 4 I needed to talk to – and so casually – but that clearly was just the beginning bloom to my gift of gab.  As I got older I remember quite a few marathon phone sessions with friends.  Back then texting didn’t exist, so you couldn’t just send three or four words back and forth electronically.  You had to stay on the line to complete a conversation.

Walmart Family Mobile Starter Kit & Phone #FamilyMobileSaves

While I may not spend quite as many minutes (hours) on the phone now as I did then, I do rack up my share of minutes each month.  With my parents living in Maine, not only do I like to check in on them regularly, they also like to talk to Bubbles on the phone quite often, also.  I had always felt like we had a fairly decent cell phone plan – until last summer, that is.  We finally took the plunge and upgraded to smartphones with data plans.  I knew our bill would increase but I didn’t realize by just how much. Continue reading »

Feb 282013
 

Iced Coffee Recipe: Mocha Parfait Shots

Iced Coffee Recipe: Mocha Parfait Shots

Last year I fell in love with the new International Delight Mocha Iced Coffee and shared with you a couple of coffeehouse recipes that you could make at home.  Almost nine months later and I’m still drinking my DIY iced coffees at home.  Not only does it help me save a few dollars but it’s much more convenient.  Instead of driving to a coffee shop every time I get the hankering for a cold coffee beverage I just have to reach into the fridge.

As much as I have been enjoying my ID Mocha Iced Coffee I had decided that I needed to cut back just a bit.  Summer is just around the corner and that means tank tops and swimsuits so a girl needs to watch her waistline just a bit.  I was exceedingly happy, then, when on a recent trip to the store I found that International Delight had read my mind.  There, on the shelf, was a Light version of my favorite Mocha Iced Coffee!

Iced Coffee Recipe: Mocha Parfait Shots Continue reading »

Jan 242013
 

Quick and Healthy Chicken Recipes With Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken

Quick & Healthy Chicken Recipes - White Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Mac & Cheese

Bubbles is a lot of things: sweet, loving, kind-hearted.  (The list goes on but I won’t; I’m pretty sure you didn’t stop by today to read 300 words on why I love my sweet pea.)  Two things she is not, however, is a very good sleeper or a very good eater.  She does pretty well at breakfast (yogurt and a fruit pouch or yogurt and toast, usually) but lunch and dinner are a different story.  When you ask her what she would like to eat her response mashed potatoes, pizza, or mac and cheese.  These foods can be very healthy but I wish they had more protein.

I was trying to think of ways I could dress up her favorites to be even more healthy and protein-packed.  I make her homemade white cheddar mac and cheese about once per week and I decided that I could mix in broccoli (a veggie she likes) and cooked chicken.  Honestly if it’s covered in cheese she’s probably going to eat it (let’s not lie: if it’s covered in cheese I’m probably going to eat it, too). Continue reading »

Dec 172012
 

Gift Wrapping Ideas For The Holidays

Magical Wrapping Ideas For Disney Princess Items #DisneyPrincessWMT

This weekend I picked up a few Disney Princess gifts to go under the tree for Bubbles.  They’re going to be really fun to play with but the boxes they come in are a bit oddly-shaped which can make it a challenge to wrap them.  Additionally as this is really the first Christmas that Bubbles has shown any interest in the holiday festivities I wanted to make the presentation of them as fun for her as possible.  As they are Disney gifts I thought it was appropriate to add a little Disney magic!

One of my favorite Disney experiences is the Beauty and the Beast stage show.  I love how the curtains draw back on the stage and the excitement begins.  That inspired me to create my own “reveal” packaging for the Fisher-Price Disney Princess Songs Palace. Continue reading »

Dec 142012
 

Sprinkling Disney Princess Magic Under The Christmas Tree

Our own little Disney Princess gets to look like one with the Royal Ball app

Bubbles is in love with Disney and I couldn’t be happier.  I’ve mentioned two or twenty times how much I love Disney and seeing her get excited over the characters makes me smile.  I can’t wait until we can take her to Florida so she can meet them in person!

She loves all the Disney characters (Minnie and Mickey were some of her first words) but lately she has really been taken with the Disney Princesses.  If we see them on TV or in a magazine she points, squeals and yells “Princess!”.  We’ve watched Cinderella, the new Sofia the First, and Tangled a number of times and she’s always entranced.

During the flurry of Black Friday sales promotions I saw an ad for the Fisher-Price Disney Princess Songs Palace and thought it would be the perfect introductory Princess playset for her.  She has a few Little People that she likes and the Little People Princesses that coordinate with the Palace will say their name and play their theme song.  In addition to the two Princesses that come with the set there are a bunch of other Princesses – plus Prince Charming and the Beast – that you can buy that go with it.

Continue reading »