Food Fun Family

Running Out of Gas…And Other Things You Never Want To Run Out Of

Lolli — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 14:26:36 +0000

It was our first year of marriage. I had been a full-time college student for the past 3 years and had not had a car at school. So the wedding gift from my parents – a used Ford Tempo – was a huge treat. My biggest challenge was not getting back into the swing of driving (it’s just like riding a bike, right?)…my challenge was getting used to pumping my own gas. That’s right, I was terrified of pumping gas.

I had learned how to drive and received my drivers license from Oregon, where it was illegal to pump your own gas. And then I spent 3 years in another state without a car and ended up as a young married woman who would have anxiety attacks thinking of having to pump my own gas.

I was able to avoid the gas situation fairly well for a few months. I just conveniently made sure that my new husband was in the car when we stopped at the gas station. Unfortunately, my plan to avoid pumping gas failed, as faulty plans like this tend to do. I had received a call from my husband to come pick him up from work. I made it to his work and about a block down the road when the car died. I had run the tank completely dry.

This was the age before cell phones, so I had to stay with the car for an embarrassing 15 minutes while D walked back to work to call my grandpa, who rescued us with a gas can he always kept in his pick up truck (Grandpa was the kind of person who bought a truck in his 70s just so he would be able to help people move. He was always prepared). Grandpa filled us up enough that we could make it to the nearest gas station. And from that day on, I was infinitely more terrified of running out of gas than I was of pumping gas….In other words, I never had trouble pumping gas ever again.

What are some other things you’ve run out of at inconvenient times? Cash? (Have you ever gotten up to the register with a cart full of food only to realize that you have $2.37 change in your purse AND NOTHING ELSE?) Food? (Have you ever invited people over for a get-together only to discover that you didn’t plan enough food?) Toilet paper??

Have you ever rushed to the bathroom, sat down on the toilet and discovered TOO LATE that there is no toilet paper? Oh, the panic! How often have you had to call out in a public restroom, “Hello? Could someone please pass me some toilet paper under this stall? See my hand waving around? Please? Anyone?”

I can’t tell you how many times my own kids have done the same thing to me at home.

Scott® doesn’t want anyone to have to feel that panic, which is why they’re giving a little extra. The 1000 bonus pack at Sam’s Club now has 1100 sheets – a BONUS bonus! I headed to my local Sam’s Club last week to pick some up (because in a big family like mine, we can ALWAYS use a little extra TP) but first I checked my Ibotta app.

Have you used Ibotta before?? You can earn cash back rebates for the things you buy at your favorite stores – even basic things like milk and cheese and lettuce. I found a $5.00 rebate for the Scott® 1000 bonus pack at Sam’s Club. It was as easy as making my purchase like I normally do and then scanning the product and taking a quick picture of my receipt. Quick and easy!

Grab a Scott® 1000 bonus pack for yourself. Your family will thank you (because no one wants to run out of TP). Don’t have a Sam’s Club membership yet? I can help you there, too! Just sign up here for a membership or try it out for free for a day to see if Sam’s Club is right for you (and pick up a Scott® bonus pack while you’re there…).

The Stages of Bath Time

Lolli — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 18:08:38 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sterling. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a mother of five kids, I can’t begin to imagine how many hours have been spent kneeling by the side of the bathtub washing kids. Especially during the summer, when kids get to the end of the day smelling more like wet dogs than cute children….they need to be bathed at least once a day.

Luckily, my kids are now all old enough to keep themselves clean (although that could be up for debate…) and my days leaning over the tub and protecting little eyes from soap are over. As a mother to an active 10-year-old boy all the way up to a daughter in college, though, I probably have experience with just about every stage that kids go through when it comes to bathing…and I had fun putting this little list together.

I’m guessing I’m not the only mom that has witnessed my kids going through these stages. You might even see a little bit of yourself towards the end.

The Stages of Bath Time

I love splishy-splashy bath time!
I don’t want to get out of the bathtub…ever!
I am too tired to take a bath!
I love the way I smell…I will not get near a bath tub!
What? I played in the river all day. That’s like a bath.

I like baths, but I am old enough to wash myself!
Don’t see me naked, mom!
I’m too old for baths, let me take a shower!
Soap? Why is that so important?

I don’t need to bathe. I took a shower….last Sunday.
I need to look good for school. Wake me up 30 minutes early so I can shower.
Can I take 2 showers a day? I want to look my best!
Shower? When will I fit that in?!
Aww! Bath time. Finally time to relax.

Introducing the Sterling Prevail Shower Door

Because parents and kids spend so much time sitting on or leaning over the side of the tub, having a comfortable tub is important. I’ve always been a fan of shower doors…except when it comes to the tracks that make leaning over to wash kids less than comfortable. I am intrigued by the new Sterling Prevail bath/shower door!

About the NEW Sterling shower doors with ComforTrack technology: The Sterling Prevail shower door comes with ComforTrack technology – a flexible bottom track that supports the shower door’s glide and yields an easier, safer day-to-day use for the family. With the flexible ComforTrack, you can kneel, sit, or lean on the track, making it easier and more comfortable to bathe a child or a pet, access or clean the bath or shower.

ComforTrack is not only flexible, but it is extremely durable with a low profile and sleek shape that is easy to keep clean. Durable, flexible, easy to clean – definitely all things that are really important to me! What’s better is ComforTrack technology is available for both bath doors AND shower doors.

What stage of bath time are your kids in? What tips do you have for parents who are right in the middle of those tough bathing stages?

Slipping on Ice – Recreating the Viral Video

Lolli — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 02:32:21 +0000

I kid you not. After I had fallen flat on my butt not once but twice before I made it to the cross walk at the back of the elementary school, the crossing guard mentioned that I reminded her of the “slipping on ice” viral video she had seen the night before. She described the video to me: Dad is sitting in car with his phone. Notices that a good majority of the kids coming around the corner right in front of his car are tumbling on the ice. Turns the video camera on and captures 5+ minutes of hilarious falls.

My story…

I left the house at the regular time this morning. AJ commented to me that the sky looked like it was going to rain and wondered out loud if it would start anytime soon. It did. Before we had gotten out of our court, the rain started to fall.

As we approached the cross walk just beyond our court, AJ and I slipped on our first patch of ice together. We laughed, we stood up, and we kept going. 3 feet later, I slipped again. I’m sure I looked just as graceful as the kids slipping on the patch of ice on the video. One minute I was standing tall, the next minute, I was sprawled on the melty-frozen, muddy ground.

By the time we had made the typically-seven-minute-walk to school, the light rain had turned into heavy freezing rain, and before I could make it home, I had slipped on the ice 3 additional times. After the last tumble, I lost all confidence in my ability to get home safely and walked at a snail’s pace, one foot in front of the other, so I could remain upright for as long as possible.

Incredibly, I didn’t feel the pain at that point. I knew that my bad knee would not fare well after 5 falls, but on my way home the only thing hurting was my bruised ego. All I wanted was a long, hot bath and my mom to tuck me in bed.

If ever there was a viral video to recreate, THIS video was the wrong one to choose.

I am not looking forward to getting out of bed tomorrow morning.

Like Father, Like Son… #LetsTalkBums

Lolli — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 14:53:07 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cottonelle. All opinions are my own. The story, however, is my husband’s and I did get permission – hesitant permission – to share his story for the benefit and humor of this blog post. Prepare to laugh, say “Eww!” and have a new appreciation for mothers. Especially those with the last name of Franklin.

A few years ago (I’ll leave the timing vague so guilty children will not easily be identified – and mortified. You know who you are.) my husband told a rather embarrassing story from his childhood. He’s not sure why he decided that this would be a good idea – maybe the bathroom was stocked with really cheap toilet paper? – but he recalls a period of time when he thought that avoiding TP altogether and using his hand to wipe after going #2 was the best way to go. Yes, but it gets worse. When he was done, he didn’t head straight to the sink. No, he wiped the excess poop onto the bathroom wall to dry and be discovered later by an unsuspecting brother or a horrified mom.

We all laughed at Dad’s story. What kid would do such a disgusting thing? Was the toilet paper not doing it’s job for you, Dad?

A few days after hearing the story, I discovered brown streaks on the wall in the downstairs bathroom. Could it be?! Later, I found more chocolaty marks on the wall in the bathroom upstairs. Some kid had thought Dad’s story was so amusing that it needed to be repeated.

We had a talk with ALL of the kids after that about bathroom habits and rules.

Because, apparently, we needed to talk about bums.

Here’s the thing about what happens AFTER you sit on the throne – things can get messy. And sometimes messes require something a little more hefty to clean ’em up. You’d never think about cleaning a baby’s bum after a big blow-out mess with a dry piece of toilet paper, would you? Why do we suffer ourselves to go through half a roll of toilet paper before we’re satisfied we’re clean down there?

For years, I had baby wipes in nearly every room of the house, and I admit…there were times I used them myself. The problem with baby wipes? What do you do with them when you’re done and there’s no diaper to neatly wrap them up in? Now that baby wipes are a necessity of the past, I have discovered Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths. Not only do they keep me (and the rest of the family) feeling clean and fresh, but (cue the hallelujah chorus) they are flushable AND discreet (check them out on the back of my toilet. Love the newly designed upright dispenser!).

Nothing leaves you feeling cleaner and fresher than the Cottonelle Care Routine – combining Cottonelle toilet paper (the softest and strongest!) with Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths for messier situations. Talking about bathroom habits can be a little awkward and embarrassing…but it can also be enlightening and funny. That’s why Cottonelle is partnering with Cherry Healey to get people to talk about the way they wipe. Visit the Cottonelle Facebook page or follow the hashtag #LetsTalkBums on twitter and Facebook and let’s talk about YOUR bum.

Do you have a funny (or embarrassing) bathroom story? Tell me in the comments below and let’s laugh together!

Cottonelle wants to get you talking about your bum and on a better way to clean “down there” by using the Cottonelle Clean Routine. By combining the use of Cottonelle Toilet Paper and Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths, the Cottonelle Clean Routine is a revolutionary way to keep your bum cleaner.

Are you ready? Don’t be shy! Visit facebook.com/cottonelle to learn more about the Cottonelle Clean Routine and join the clean routine conversation.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cottonelle.

Hidden Talents and a Giant Surprise

Lolli — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:00:17 +0000

I’d like to say that I’m a woman of many (hidden) talents. Not quite. I’ve always considered myself good at many things and great at only a few. I’m just an ordinary, relatively unexciting girl with few surprises up my sleeve.

Maybe that’s why I was attracted to my husband.

CandyMan is an extreme – full of surprises and hidden talents – and it seems that at least some of our kids have followed him instead of me.

My biggest surprise talent is that I have crazy-flexible feet. I was in ballet as a young girl, and took my flexibility for granted. I didn’t think much of my ability to achieve an extreme point until my college ballet teacher pointed it out. And while I am no longer able to do the splits every which way, my feet have retained their flexibility.

Such a strange talent, I know.

My husband, on the other hand, has a list of silly tricks that he can do. He is surprisingly talented in foreign languages and can speak over a dozen languages. But his true gem of a surprise talent is that he makes an excellent auctioneer (and loves to do it, too). I suppose it’s strange that he’s had multiple opportunities to act as an auctioneer over the years.

(CandyMan has exercised his foreign language talents in Egypt and all over the globe)

What is one of YOUR hidden talents?

Show off your surprise talent on the Green Giant Facebook page. And then check out even more of the Giant’s favorite surprise talents on the Green Giant YouTube channel.

Apparently, my husband is not the only one with a big surprise talent. Green Giant has a few giant surprises in store. This week, we tried out the brand new Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips and Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips.

The sweet potato chips were incredible. I tried them with some salsa – and I couldn’t put them down. Delicious, very flavorful, and perfectly crunchy. I never would have guessed that a sweet potato chip would be so good (this from a woman who swore that she would always hate sweet potatoes). The kids were particularly fond of the Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips. I even caught Reese hoarding away the last few chips so that she could have the last bite.

They disappeared faster than I could say Green Giant.

Who doesn’t love a great tasting chip they can feel good about?

New Green Giant Product Information:

Green Giant Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips – Zesty Cheddar Flavor are made with real vegetables, 17 grams of whole grain per serving (48g are recommended daily), and are naturally flavored.
Green Giant Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips – Sea Salt Flavor are made with real sweet potatoes and made with 14 grams of whole grain. Plus, they contains 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips*!

Set aside the fact that these new veggie chips are a better-for-you snacking option – they simply taste good. That’s reason enough for me (says the person who needs to lose some weight!).
Thank you to The Green Giant for being a sponsor. Show the Giant your surprise talent at www.facebook.com/greengiant

Giant Pajama Pants Dance – The Video You Asked For!

Lolli — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 03:36:21 +0000

I posted a photo on Tuesday of my two youngest kids wearing giant pajama pants and had several people request that I post the dancing video. So without further ado….here are the giant pajama dancing pants:

PS – Yes, these are my pajama pants, and yes they are very, very large and stretchy. And, yes, my kids are wacky to the core.

Back to School Quote

Lolli — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:38:32 +0000

I found this Back-to-school quote today and thought it was too funny not to share.

Disclaimer….I love my kids. I really do. I love spending time with them. But I also look forward to the start of school, a regular schedule, and yes….a little separation.

Celebrate Everyday Moments With Quotagraph (+ $100 Giveaway!)

Lolli — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:00:33 +0000

When my kids were younger, I kept a notebook where I would record weights, illnesses, play dates, and all of the funny things they said each day. Sometimes I miss those days, when my kids were silly and parenting was so much simpler.

I remember my oldest daughter, clearly, coming in to our bedroom at bed time, sitting on Daddy’s lap, and asking simply,

“Daddy, can I ask you three questions? Is the tooth fairy real? Is Santa Claus real? And do you ever have a good day at work?”

That was at least 10 years ago, and we still laugh about it.

Just recently, my 7 year old son declared,

…and this time, instead of writing it in a little notebook (which I stopped keeping long ago), I made it into a Quotagraph.

ABOUT QUOTAGRAPH

OVALTINE Quotagraph helps Moms capture the wonderful, brilliant things kids say, and turn those favorite quotations into art that can be shared with family and friends via social media. OVALTINE Quotagraph can be found on the Quotagraph Tab on Ovaltine’s Facebook page.

Creating your own Quotagraph is simple. Just type in your child’s best quote, chose a background, finish, and share. The app makes it easy to save, email, and share your Quotagraph on social networks.

Capture those special moments and enter to win!

I am so excited to offer my readers this amazing giveaway. One winner will win one (1) 8″ x 8″ canvas of his/her personal Quotagraph AND one (1) $100 VISA gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will end on Friday, August 24 at midnight, and a winner will be notified via email and announced on the Rafflecopter widget. Be sure to use as many of those extra entries as you desire!

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my time to prepare this post and administer this giveaway as well as to help spread the word about Quotagraphs. All thoughts and silly kid quotes are mine.

Child Safety Advice….From a Child

Lolli — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 03:44:01 +0000

I am getting ready to take all 5 of my kids to New York City for a whirlwind day of sightseeing (yes, I decided that I am well enough to survive a day trip to NYC!). As my husband was prepping the kids for our trip (paying particular attention to the younger kids and safety concerns), I over heard this conversation:

It’s wise advice, don’t you think? Definitely pick the NICE mom when you’re looking for emergency help.

Wish us luck and lots of good pictures in NYC!

Food Fun Family

Running Out of Gas…And Other Things You Never Want To Run Out Of

The Stages of Bath Time

The Stages of Bath Time

Introducing the Sterling Prevail Shower Door

Slipping on Ice – Recreating the Viral Video

Sponsored Video: Funny Kid Conversations #Easytodigest

Your water bottle broke?

Like Father, Like Son… #LetsTalkBums

Hidden Talents and a Giant Surprise

New Green Giant Product Information:

Giant Pajama Pants Dance – The Video You Asked For!

Back to School Quote

Celebrate Everyday Moments With Quotagraph (+ $100 Giveaway!)

ABOUT QUOTAGRAPH

Capture those special moments and enter to win!

Child Safety Advice….From a Child