Albion Fit Swimsuit Giveaway!!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.

Hello!

Summer is right around the corner! Can you believe it?

Summer for me means school’s out so the kids’ schedule is a bit more relaxed. The weather is beautiful, gorgeous and sunny and we’ll be hitting the pool. And this year. .  we’re going on a family vacation to Puerto Vallarta baby! I can hardly wait. But let’s talk swimsuits for a second here because I will obviously be wearing one poolside on vacation. It’s the summer time. It’s inevitable. Maybe you’ve had kids and don’t have the bikini bod you once had? or maybe you wouldn’t be caught dead in the old swimsuit you have tucked away in your closet somewhere.

Good news. There’s Albion Fit. 

So, I’ve been scouring the internet doing massive online swimsuit shopping. I’m not bold enough to wear my bikini anymore. After the first kid, sure. After this second kid, even though I’m back to my pre-baby body, I just don’t want to do it. My body has changed and there’s no shame in that. The tummy isn’t as toned as it used to be and frankly. . .

One pieces are making a comeback, yo. 

When I saw the one piece swimwear at Albion Fit, I immediately fell in love. And one pieces can still be stylish and cute!!

But Albion Fit has more than just swimwear . .  they also have women’s fitness clothes and workout clothing. Albion’s mission is to provide women with the most luxurious, flattering, and hassle-free fitness and leisure apparel on the market.

I think all of their women’s fitness, swimwear and workout clothing is so cute and I am so thrilled to say – because SUMMER is right around the corner, we’re giving away ONE GOWN swimsuit from Albion Fit!

Giveaway Details. . .

Now please read carefully because this giveaway is going to work a little differently (and you must have a Pinterest account to enter).

To be eligible to participate in the giveaway:

MANDATORY: You must first LIKE Albion Fit on Facebook AND you must also PIN your favorite item from Albion Fit to one of your Pinterest boards and leave a comment down below with the link to that specific pin.

FOR EXTRA ENTRIES:

You can do the following but you must leave a comment in the comments section of this post telling me what you have done, and each one will count as an additional entry.

1. Like Hip Foodie Mom on Facebook.
2. Follow Hip Foodie Mom on Twitter (@HipFoodieMom1).
3. Follow Hip Foodie Mom on Instagram.
4. Follow Hip Foodie Mom on Pinterest.
5. Follow Albion Fit on Twitter.
6. SHARE this giveaway on 1) Facebook, 2) tweet on Twitter or 3) pin on Pinterest and leave the specific corresponding URL in the comments section below. If you do this for all 3, you can earn 3 additional entries!

Here’s a promo code for anyone who doesn’t want to wait for the giveaway and is ready to buy one today!! “hipfoodie15″ ($15 off any albionfit.com purchase of $50 or more, exp. 5/14/13). 

More Giveaway Details:

1. One entry per person, PLUS additional qualified bonus entries (as mentioned above).
2. Giveaway only eligible for residents within the United States.
3. This giveaway ends on Thursday, May 16, 2013.
4. ONE winner will be chosen at random from all of the comments/entries listed here on this post. Be sure to do the mandatory entry by LIKING Albion Fit on Facebook AND PINNING your favorite item from Albion Fit to one of your Pinterest boards and leave a comment with the link to that specific pin.
5. ONE winner will be announced on Friday, May 17, 2013. The winner will be notified via the email supplied in the entry. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Sangria, Drinks, Beverages and Good Vibrations

I’m a wine drinker. Never acquired the taste for beer. I know. I know. But give me a glass of red or white and I am a very happy girl.  In my early 20′s, I was a cheap date. One glass (maybe even half a glass) and I was tipsy. Now, I can hold my own. Word.

I decided to have a little fun and wanted to test out my new Primula Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System. From iced coffee to iced tea to sangria. This baby does it all. I really love the sleek design of the pitcher and the flavor infuser is great! With my sangria, I actually like also having all the fruit in my glass so I simply poured some out from the infuser. For other drinks, like teas or iced coffee, the Stainless Steel Tea Infuser is designed to brew loose tea or ground coffee, either hot or cold. How awesome is this?

The Primula Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System

Brew it, flavor it, or chill it in the new Flavor It Pitcher from Primula. Whether you’re brewing hot or cold coffee or tea, infusing fresh fruit flavors into water, infusing mint or lavender into lemonade, or chilling mojitos for entertaining – Flavor It is an eco-friendly alternative to infused bottled beverages. The perfect pitcher, along with trend-forward accessories, makes beverage preparation easy. The pitcher, tea infuser, flavor infuser, lid, and top are dishwasher safe.

The beverage system includes:

• Flavor Infuser - can be filled with fresh fruit, herbs, or spices to lend intriguing flavor notes to water, tea, punch, and more. Creating a multitude of beverage options from cucumber lime drinks to blueberry iced tea, to sangria and more.
• Stainless Steel Tea Infuser – designed to brew loose tea or ground coffee, either hot or cold. The infuser’s filter sits low in the pitcher, accommodating small quantities as well as a full pitcher.
• Chill Core – filled with non-toxic gel, it is better than ice because it keeps the beverage cool without diluting the flavor.

Features and Benefits:

• BPA-free Tritan material
• 2.9 quart pitcher
• dishwasher safe
• scratch resistant
• shatter proof
• stain resistant
• fits into a standard refrigerator door
• no-spill locking lid

So, if you are looking for a Mother’s Day gift or just something for yourself, take a look at this. .  I am so using this (+ my Zoku Quick Pop Maker) all summer long! So, I will leave you with that thought and this recipe! (A friend of mine told me he adds Fanta Orange in his sangria ..  how awesome and brilliant is that?! Definitely going to be trying this soon!)

Very Berry Sangria!!

 

Print

If serving for a party, double the recipe. If using the Primula Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System, you will need to use 2 bottles of wine.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Cocktails

Ingredients

• 1 Bottle of red wine (I suggest a good table red wine)
• 1-2 oranges; halved and sliced with rind left on
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ cup strawberries; sliced
• ½ cup blackberries or raspberries
• ¼ cup brandy
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups ginger ale (to be added right before serving); optional

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients into a large pitcher except the ginger ale. Mix and refrigerate overnight. About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, pour in the ginger ale if using and mix. The best Sangrias are chilled for about 24 hours in the refrigerator, really allowing the flavors to marinate into each other.

3.2.1753

Disclosure: I was given a Primula Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System for product review and recipe development purposes. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Celebrating Teachers and Office Depot’s REAL Change Project

I can’t believe it’s already May and the school year will be ending next month. I survived my daughter’s first year in school; Kindergarten. You might be laughing right now. .  yeah, yeah, it’s only Kindergarten you say but a whole helluva lot happens this first year. For starters, some of them will learn how to read, others, will begin to learn the process. They learn about math and science, start to gain their independence more, make new friends and feel like a big kid!

I’m celebrating my daughter’s kindergarten teacher, Miss Angela Patino. Miss Patino doesn’t know this but I knew she was the right teacher for my daughter that very first afternoon at “Meet the Teacher” night. This was right before school started and it was in August so it was warmer than usual here in Washington. I don’t think the school has air conditioning, which is very common here (even our new house doesn’t have A/C). You never really need it here except maybe for a few weeks in the summer. So, at the school that day, there was a loud fan blasting. As soon as we arrived, I noticed a child who was quite bothered by the fan and the loud noise it was creating. .  so much so that he would not even walk into the classroom. Miss Patino, who was meeting this child for the very first time (it was Meet the Teacher night remember), got down to his level and spoke very softly to him and listened. And then, proceeded to walk back into the classroom to turn the fan off. The boy came in shortly after that.

That is when I knew. I knew what kind of teacher Miss Patino was.

Caring. Observant. Trusting. Someone great for 5-6 year olds. Someone who the children would grow to love, admire and respect. Someone who takes control of the classroom simply by forming the letter “C” with her hand in front of the children. C = close mouth. My daughter taught me this at the dinner table one night. . . but it doesn’t work for me at home.  I think most of the girls in the classroom all want to be a teacher now when they grow up.

So, the year went on and at our first Parent/Teacher conference, Miss Patino told me how my daughter, Phoebe, would shy away when attention was on her and never really raised her hand during their morning circle time. This is pretty much how my daughter initially was in pre-school so none of this surprised me, nor really worried me. But what was amazing to see. .  as the school year progressed . .  was how much Phoebe blossomed and grew and became more comfortable and out-going even. To me, she gradually became a different girl. One who smiled, now would raise her hand and speak up in class and was excited about going to school. I think this is the result of a few things, but the main ones being: Miss Patino and Phoebe starting to become more confident in general. If you ever ask her what she likes about school or Miss Patino, she will talk your head off for about 10 minutes straight and then draw you a picture of Miss Patino. .  wearing big, blue basketball earrings. I have no idea where this came from.

I’ve written about education news and keeping yourself informed. .  I’m so grateful for the opportunity to write this blog post because it educated me on where school supplies and decorations/art/supplies for most classrooms come from. I’m sure all schools, school districts and PTSA’s all work a little differently and help out the teachers as much as they can, but for the most part, there are a ton of teachers out there spending their own money on classroom supplies.

Office Depot is partnering with AdoptAClassroom.org. AdoptAClassroom.org partners donors with teachers so teachers can have funds to purchase critical resources and materials for their classroom. By registering, your classroom will be posted on the AdoptAClassroom.org website available for donors to select. When adopted, the teacher will have full discretion to purchase items that meet his/her unique classroom needs.

So what are you waiting for? Register your classroom today with AdoptAClassroom.org to participate in the REAL Change Project and be eligible for funding from donors nationwide. 100% of AdoptAClassroom.org donations goes directly to the teachers, so they don’t have to spend their own money on supplies. All of the information you need is HERE.

Did you know?

1.   $1,000: Out-of-pocket amount spent by the average teacher each year on essential classroom supplies
2.   92%: Percentage of teachers who report spending their own money on classroom supplies
3.   $1.3 billion: Total out-of-pocket amount spent nationally by teachers on classroom supplies each year

So, please help spread the word. Teachers Change Lives.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Looking For a New Home? Look No Further. BHI: Start New Buy Fresh.

I realize not everyone is in a situation where they can buy a new home, but if you are and if you are looking or if you are planning on buying in the future, this post is for you. And building new homes represents a growing economy and new jobs for people so I like this!

After my husband and I were married, I moved into his condo. We’re pretty traditional and were not living together before we got married so everything was different, new and exciting. Because we moved into my husband’s place, I never completely felt like it was our place. I just moved in. Me and all my stuff. But, at the time, it just made sense for us. He already owned his place and I was still renting.  And all we had to do was kick out his younger brother, have the place cleaned from top to bottom, figure out what furniture stayed and what got tossed, and how we were going to decorate. Easy enough, eh?

My husband is pretty handy. He fixes things. He loves going to Lowe’s and Home Depot. He likes wearing his tool belt. So, occasionally when something would need to be fixed, he’d bring that sucker out and get to work. There were a few times we had to call a real plumber or someone to look at the dishwasher. Our condo has a great view and I think this was why my husband purchased it. But it was a pretty old building and he did a lot of work on the place. Remember, he’s totally DIY. In fact, one of our favorite shows after we got married was a home renovation TV show and I swear, HGTV was on all the time at our place. The condo was fine for us as newlyweds and just for us. . . But then we became 3.

After we had our first daughter, like most people, we accumulated all the baby stuff that pretty much starts to take over your house. And then she became mobile. She was cruising around all over the place, and so we quickly realized we needed more space. We were living in Los Angeles and, if you live there, you know you have to pay big money to live close to the city. So, off we went. To the Valley. Where it’s freaking hot weather-wise, but you can get a bigger house with a backyard and maybe even buy a brand NEW house.

And that’s what we did.

We were actually just driving around so our daughter could sleep more in the car. Parents out there, I know you can relate. And we happened to come across a brand new housing development. We had only been semi-looking at used houses and I didn’t think we could afford a new house.  While we were walking through the model home, I was inwardly admiring the open floor plan and the decor and the newness of it all. I totally imagined myself living there. Dreaming. As we left, I thought “Oh, I wish we could get a house like this . .  well, one day.” We went back home, discussed everything, looked at our finances, made a spreadsheet because that’s what we do and my dream came true earlier than expected. We got a great deal on the house and so we went for it. We were home owners!

If you read my blog, you know we also recently relocated to the great state of Washington in 2012. Again, we had to go through the budgeting and house hunting process but this time, we did it the right way. We found a fantastic real estate agent. One who knew WA and all the neighborhoods really well; because we didn’t. We had over a month to find a house and took two house hunting trips as a family and the rest was handled by my husband. For us, since we have children, we purposely looked for houses in the school districts we wanted to be in. And originally, we were only looking to rent. I mean, we were brand new to WA and what if we picked the wrong neighborhood or found an area we liked better later? Well, long story short, we ended up buying – again- a brand new house, in a brand new housing development. This meant being a little farther out from the city, but that was fine by me.  Fortunately, I actually had friends who lived here who gave us some great advice and we got the school district and schools we wanted to be in. We are in a great neighborhood and I really love where we are. And I love our new house. I got my dream kitchen (more on this in another post), the kids got their playroom, and my husband got his big garage and study. Everyone is happy.

And although I love a good re-model or a fixer-upper, what’s great about buying a new house is that your house is move-in ready, which means there’s nothing to fix. And for my husband, meant hardly any trips to Home Depot, which saved us time and money. This worked out well for us because we were both starting new jobs and I, was mainly concerned about getting the kids acclimated to their new home, city and neighborhood. If we had to spend time on the house or if a lot of things needed to be fixed, on top of everything else, we would have been way too overwhelmed.  And the new house just allowed more time to breathe, unpack, settle in and explore our new city as a family. Everything is new and usually more energy efficient. And after looking at so many new houses, I feel like newly built homes are built for modern families, with open floor plans, more storage and more room to entertain. Which, for me, is a big plus.

Buying a new home might sound impossible or something you think might only happen in 5-10 years. And can you even afford it? Do you even know where to start?  You can start here, at BHI’s Start Fresh, Buy New website where you can find information about buying new homes. There’s a cost savings calculator to help you, information about energy efficiency and they are currently hosting a $10,000 Grand Prize Giveaway!  You’ve got to check this out.

Want more information? BHI has a New Home Resource Center with articles that outline:

1. New Home 101, How to Get Started
2. How to Shop New
3. The Buying Process
4. Designing Your New Home
5. The Building Process
6. Settling In

Here are more important steps can help you out. And of course, it doesn’t always happen in this order but hopefully all of the steps and points outlined here can help.

Steps to Buying a New House*

Step 1, Get Your Finances in Order

Your credit reports are an ongoing look at how you manage your finances. You must know exactly what your credit reports say about your financial historybefore you apply for a mortgage, because the reports play an important role in the mortgage approval process and in determining the interest rate and other loan terms that a lender offers you.

If you haven’t looked at your credit reports, you might be surprised at their contents, because errors are common.

Background Reading

1. What’s on Your Credit Report and How Did it Get There?
2. How To Check Your Credit Report
3. Clean Up Your Credit Report
4. Understanding Your Credit Scores
5. How to Improve Your Credit Scores

Step 2, Get Familiar with the Mortgage Industry

Finding the right loan and lender is crucial to your home buying success. It’s up to you to determine which lender is best for your needs, and it’s always a good idea to have at least a bit of background about the loan process before you talk to a lender.

Background Reading

1. What’s the Difference Between a Mortgage Broker and a Bank Loan Officer?
2. Understanding Your Debt to Income Ratio
3. Should You Choose an Adjustable Rate Mortgage?
4. FHA Loan Basics
5. VA Home Loan Facts
6. Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payment Plans
7. Should You Really Buy Discount Points?
8. Facts About Private Mortgage Insurance
9. Will You Have a Mortgage or a Deed of Trust? Why Does it Matter?
10. Watch Out for Loan Fraud

Step 3, Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

Do you know how much house you can afford? Probably not, unless you’ve talked with a lender.

Pre-approval helps you in other ways. Consider this scenario. A home seller gets two similar offers. One is accompanied by a letter from the buyer’s bank that states she is pre-approved for a mortgage in the amount of the offer. The other has no supporting documents. Which offer do you think the seller will consider first?

Background Reading

1. Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval, Which Do You Need?
2. Using Online Mortgage Calculators to Analyze Your Loan Possibilities

Step 4, Determine Your Wants and Needs

Buying a home isn’t as difficult as you might think, even if you’re short on funds, but the process will go a lot smoother if you get familiar with your real estate market and narrow down your wants and needs before you start looking at houses.

Background Reading

1. Sort Out Your Wants and You Needs
2. Considering Resale Potential
3. When You Need Help with Downpayment Funds

Step 5, Learn to Work with Real Estate Agents

Real estate agents represent buyers, sellers, or both–and in some states they can work as neutral facilitators for either party. It’s essential to understand agent duties and loyalties before you make that first phone call.

Background Reading

1. Does Your Agent Work for You?
2. How To Work with a Seller’s Agent
3. What You Should Expect from a Buyer’s Agent
4. How To Hire a Buyer’s Agent
5. How a Buyer’s Agent Becomes a Dual Agent
6. Common Myths About Working with Real Estate Agents
7. Your Duties to Your Agent
8. Dealing with Incompetent and Unethical People

Step 6, Start Searching for a Home

Your agent will give you multiple listing sheets to study. I’m sure you’ll also pick up House For Sale magazines and read classified ads in your local newspapers. You’ll probably spend time surfing the Internet for homes. You might even plan afternoon drives to preview neighborhoods. Those are all excellent ways to see what’s available. Here are some tools to help you narrow your home buying search.

Home Buying Search Tools

1. Consider the Houses that Others Overlook
2. It’s Time to Find Out What’s Out There
3. Search Public Versions of Multiple Listing Service Web Sites
4. Find Real Estate Agent Web Sites
5. Browse Real Estate Search Engines and Networks
6. Find For Sale By Owner Properties
7. Look at Print Magazines
8. Find Foreclosed Homes

Step 7, Handle Pre-Offer Tasks

Deciding whether or not you want to buy a house involves a look at its structure and its features, but there are many other topics that are every bit as important to your purchase. Here are a few topics you should explore before you make an offer.

Background Reading

1. How’s the Resale Potential?
2. Contract Contingency Basics
3. What Kind of House Is It? Site Built, Modular, Manufactured
4. Do Others Have a Right to Use the Property?
5. Can You Live with the Deed Restrictions?
6. Is the Reported Square Footage Accurate?
7. Is the Heating System Efficient?

Step 8, Make an Offer

There’s no one set of instructions that can cover all the differences in real estate laws and customs that exist throughout the United States, so the mechanics of making an offer and its specific contingencies depend greatly on your location. However, there are some home buying tips that can help you fine-tune your offer, no matter where you live.

Background Reading

1. What Comes With the House? Contract Considerations
2. What Should the Seller Disclose?
3. Determine if Lead Paint Disclosures Are Required
4. Decide How Much to Offer
5. Asking for Possession Before Closing
6. Special Considerations for For Sale By Owner Purchases

Step 9, Home Inspections and Other Tests

In some states, home inspections are accomplished before the final purchase contract is signed. In other states, inspections take place after an offer is finalized. No matter when you do them, it’s critical to decide which inspections and tests you want to perform.

Talk with your real estate agent or other advisor to find out when inspections should be handled and if additional types of testing are important for your specific area.

Background Reading

1. Order a Full Home Inpsection
2. Testing for Radon Gas
3. Looking for Molds and Mildew
4. Lead Paint Disclosures & Inspections for Pre-1978 Homes
5. Is There a Private Well on the Property?
6. Understanding and Checking the Septic System
7. Tenting to Eradicate Wood Destroying Insects
8. Should You Buy a Home Warranty?

Step 10, Avoiding and Correcting Last Minute Problems

As your closing date nears, everyone involved in your real estate transaction should check its progress on a daily basis, because staying on top of things means you’ll know immediately if there’s a problem that must be dealt with. Here’s a bit of information that focuses on a few common problems that home buyers must deal with before they close on a house.

Background Reading

1. 10 Things You Shouldn’t Do When You’re Buying a Home
2. Get the Facts About Residential Appraisal Methods
3. How to Deal with a Low Appraisal

Step 11, You’re on the Way to Closing

Most of your home buying problems are behind you now and you’re on your way to closing, also called settlement, the event that transfers ownership of the property to you. Just a few more things to learn, a few more things to do, and you’re there!

Background Reading

1. Coping with Buyer Remorse
2. Get the Facts About Title Insurance
3. Learn to Read the HUD-1 Settlement Statement
4. Take Your Final Walk-Through

Closing Thoughts

“The steps outlined in this article are a general home buying guide. You will encounter issues specific to your location and your transaction, issues that can best be explained and handled by your local real estate agent, your lender, your attorney, your closing agent, or others who are helping you complete the home buying transaction.

Never hesitate to ask questions. Ask as many questions as necessary to help you understand the entire home buying process. You are making a long term commitment and spending a major amount of money–you’ll feel much better about the transaction if you stay informed and understand what’s happening every step along the way.”

*”Steps to Buying A New House” was from About.com

Wherever you and your family end up or live, just make it your home. And fill it with lasting memories.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Celebrating National Library Week and TeachHUB!

One of the main reasons or the big selling point for us in moving to this great state of Washington was the public school system here. WA has some of the top rated public schools and school districts on the West coast. This might sound surprising to some . . moving so my kids could go to a better school. .  but it’s not. A lot of people do this. Maybe not move to another state but I think educators and parents can relate with me on this one. We even chose our house (I’ll have another post on this next week) and neighborhood based on what school district we wanted to be in. Does this sound crazy?

Education is so important.

Why wouldn’t we set up our children for success and do everything possible to ensure their learning and growth? This was my first year as a parent with a child in elementary school (kindergarten) and it’s never too early to educate ourselves!  From the curriculum to getting to know your child’s teacher to the PTSA to learning about your school and school district to all the different academic programs available, the accelerated/gifted programs (you start testing your child in 1st grade!) to the latest in education news and technology. .  it can be a bit overwhelming. But I want and prefer more information than none.

Obviously, you have to do more than just making sure you child is attending a good school and learning. Many of my friends with older children have told me about the benefits of being active with our children and doing homework together.  But we’re not all stay-at-home-parents. A lot of my friends also send their children to after-school care where they help the kids with their homework. .  and hey, that’s ok. Do whatever works for your family.  Every family is different. Every family’s schedule is different. And, let’s be honest, sometimes we just do what we need to do to get through the day. If you are working full-time, you, as a parent, can still stay up-to-date and informed with online resources for education news. I recently discovered TeachHUB. TeachHUB.com provides the latest in education technology, news and tools. It’s a great FREE online resource for all K-12 teachers and parents. There are free lesson plans and great, informative articles. .  I just read “12 Ways to Keep Kids Motivated at the End of the School Year.”

TeachHUB is the resource to go to for the latest in education news and technology. You can see the latest articles from TeachHUB by subscribing to their Facebook page or following them on Twitter.

It’s National Library Week!

“This week, education enthusiasts around the country are celebrating an institution that has changed the lives of millions of people, making massive amounts of information free and accessible to the public. Remember how exciting it was to walk through rows and rows of colorful books, filled with images of imagined worlds, ancient civilizations and endless uncovered secrets? Well there’s no better time to rediscover the magic of the library than now!”

And to help celebrate, TeachHUB teamed up with teacher bloggers across the country to create the First Infographic Made by Kids! Together, they completed over 1,000 student surveys to find out what stories and characters K-5th grade students love, what they’d like to learn more about and how technology plays a role in their education. How cool is that?

Please feel free to share this infographic and celebrate National Library Week (April 14-20, 2013) with us!

I love our local library. Toddler Story time for Madeline. (Her current fave is Ten Chirpy Chicks). Books for both girls. Reading to them and getting Phoebe excited about reading. I want my kids to grow up enjoying and loving to read. And books for me as well! I think once I became a parent, I forgot the library wasn’t just for the kids. So, get out to your local library this week!  If you have kids, check out their events calendar. .  they have so many FREE events for kids, it’s great! And get your kids their own library card if they don’t already have one.

According to the teachers at TeachHUB.com: success in education starts with curiosity and curiosity starts at home. For National Library Week, encourage your kids to explore a topic they’re interested in learning more about. Sit down at a library and read together – and ask them what they learned!  Taking your children to the library and establishing that routine will hopefully become something they will want to continue to do as they grow older.

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, and content and opinions expressed here are all my own. To learn more about the TeachHUB.com, visit their website. #CleverTeachers #NLW13

UNREAL Candy. Get Unjunked, yo.

Hey everyone! Have you heard of UNREAL candy? If not, you are in for an informative treat today.

UNREAL Candy^{® is} Candy Unjunked^™. They reinvented everyone’s favorite candies, but without all the bad ingredients like chemicals, artificials, preservatives or GMOs, whatever those are .  .  .  ok, so I don’t know about you, but I grew up eating Reeses peanut butter cups, snickers, m&m’s. .  I ate it all. And I was a fat kid. Fat, but happy. But now that I have kids of my own, I don’t want them eating junk as long as I can help it. Does this mean that they will never have an m&m ever ever again? Probably not. But I am going to start introducing more and more UNREAL candy so I can feel better about the candy they are eating.

Now, personally, I would be the happiest and proudest mom on earth if all they ate was fruit, raw veggies, yogurt and nuts. But they are kids. My kids like sweets and for them, eating candy is inevitable.  So, like I said, I feel better giving them this candy. And it’s starting now.

No artificial ingredients, no corn syrup, no GMO’s, no hydrogenated oils, no preservatives. OK, so how does this candy taste?  It’s good! It’s different. It’s not going to taste like a Reeses peanut butter cup or m&m’s because all the junk is out. But rest assured, the candy is still LEGIT and my kids can’t even tell the difference.

So, visit the website, read the story about how UNREAL candy got started (a 13 year old kid) and go buy some and taste it. Everyone needs to give this candy a try. And check out their current social media 2013 Easter Bunny Apology Tour campaign. .  I love this!

NatureBox Giveaway and Bidding Farewell to 2012.

I can’t believe 2012 is coming to an end soon. Dude, this year went by extremely fast. I can’t believe it. As I mentioned in a previous post, this year was a BIG one for my family because we moved from CA to WA and got settled into our new lives there. Life in Washington has been great so we can’t complain. .  and we have a lot to be thankful for.

With a year ending and a NEW ONE beginning, we always talk about New Year’s Resolutions or just things we want to do and get better at doing. I know the #1 New Year’s Resolution is losing weight, getting into shape, getting healthier. .  eating healthier. .  whatever you want to call it.  I know it’s so cliché but hey, it’s important.  Seeing my parents growing older and now, having a family of my own, health to me is extremely important. And I think good eating habits goes along with that.  Sure, I indulge in dessert and sweet treats and it may appear that I inhale one too many cookies (because of the blog) but I really don’t. I exercise a lot of portion control.

My wish and hope for all of you, my readers, my friends, my family: is that we all get a little healthier in 2013.  We eat a little healthier. We exercise a little more. We walk, we get outside, we get active. We spend more time with the kids and less time online (this is more for ME).   I’d love to hear some other resolutions you all are thinking of. . .

To help you all SNACK a little healthier, (because I don’t know about you, but I am a HUGE grazer and snacker) I’ve partnered with Nature Box for this awesome giveaway! One reader will win a box of NatureBox snacks. Each box comes with a variety of 5 heathy snacks. I’ve enjoyed unique and healthy snacks like: Carrot Chips, Chipotle Maple Almonds, Lemon Pucker Pistachios, Country Ranch Peas, Dried Pears, Pistachio Power Clusters, Wild Blueberry Flax Granola and . .  my girls favorite so far:  Masa Crisps! . .  Just to name a few!

If you’ve never heard of NatureBox, you seriously need to check them out.  For a monthly fee, you get a variety of different snacks shipped directly to you each month. I love the variety and surprise and knowing that I am eating (and giving) healthy snacks to my family.

The NatureBox Promise:

1.  No High Fructose Corn Syrup
2.  No Partially Hydrogenated Oils
3.  No Trans Fats
4.  No Artificial Sweeteners
5.  No Artificial Flavors
6.  No Artificial Colors

There will only be ONE winner. If you are completely intrigued and want to try NatureBox now, you can use this promo code: PISTACHIO for 25% off your first month’s subscription (please note that the 25% discount is only applicable to the month-to-month subscription. 6 month subscriptions receive 1 month free and 12 month subscriptions receive 3 months free).

(also, if you really don’t like using Rafflecopter for giveaways, please let me know in the comments section of this post. I’d love to hear from you!)

To Enter This Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE RULES:

1. One entry per person, PLUS additional qualified bonus entries (mentioned above).
2. Giveaway only eligible for residents within the United States.
3. ONE winner will be chosen at random from all of the comments/entries listed here on this post through Rafflecopter. Be sure to do the mandatory entry by answering the question and leaving a comment.
4. ONE winner will be notified via the email supplied in the entry. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.