Food Fun Family

How I Am Reducing Holiday Stress

Lolli — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 21:18:13 +0000

This post has been sponsored by SheSpeaks, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love the holidays. All of them. I love finding the perfect gifts for my family and friends. I love decorating my house (despite the fact that I’m challenged in the home decor department). I LOVE baking. And I love hosting big gatherings for family and friends.

The fall to winter season makes me happy…in all ways except for one. Holiday shopping crowds give me a headache. Even when I’m heading to the store for something as simple as sodas and bread (which, for a family like mine is something we need to restock every few days), the lines and the crowds can be overwhelming. As far as the holiday spirit goes, crowds are a buzz killer for me.

I’ve tried all sorts of things to make my life easier and less stressful, especially around the holidays. I’ve tried shopping early in the season or during less busy hours. I’ve made well-planned and detailed shopping lists so that I could reduce the number and length of trips out. But hiccups seem to always happen to even the best-made plans.

As we enter another holiday season, I’ve discovered my new favorite holiday helper: Club Pickup at Sam’s Club. Now, whether I need to shop for gifts, stock up on soda or lunch snacks, or re-fill our kitchen essentials like bread, I can order online and pick all of my items up at Sam’s Club – for no extra charge. Club Pickup is free for all Sam’s Club members! That means a full cart with no lines and a lot less time out of my busy schedule. And THAT means more time to spend in the kitchen making my famous caramels and toffee and cookies!

Here’s how Club Pickup works: I shop online or on my Sam’s Club app. A Sam’s Club employee does the shopping for me. I get a notice when my order is ready for pick up, and I drive over to the club. I can either pick up my order inside or just drive my car up to the Club Pickup area. I check in on my Sam’s Club app and they’ll bring my items out to my car for me. This is an especially handy feature when you’re shopping for heavier items like cases of Coca-Cola® products for the party you’re hosting.

This past week, I used Club Pickup at Sam’s Club for the first time and was blown away. Not only did I get to spend my time preparing a nice dinner for the family instead of standing in a line, but I was able to take advantage of Sam’s Clubs’ awesome value on my favorite Coca-Cola® products, like Coca-Cola® Mini Cans and Sprite® Mini Cans, Dasani® Bottled Water, Gold Peak® Sweet Tea, and Diet Coke®.

I’m definitely going to appreciate Club Pickup when it’s snowing outside and I’m rushing to get back home to host a big dinner for family and friends. On second thought, I think I’ll send my husband or son out to do the Club Pickup run for me while I stay at home to cook (and sip on my ice-cold Coca-Cola®). Learn more about these products at Sam’s Club here.
What will Club Pickup at Sam’s Club help YOU do (instead of standing in line) this holiday season?

Connect with Sam’s Club:

Twitter: @SamsClub
Facebook: @SamsClub
Instagram: @SamsClub

Join the 30-Day Family Floss Challenge

Lolli — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 21:38:59 +0000

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

I don’t know about you, but my own personal and my family’s dental health is one of those things that I’m concerned about but I don’t have a great track record of DOING much about. I mean, I brush and floss my teeth and use mouthwash daily. My kids are old enough to take care of their own teeth-cleaning routines (which is sometimes a scary, scary thought).

We take care of the basics, but I know that we could all do better in the dental health department, so when I was challenged to participate in the 30-Day Family Floss Challenge this January, I eagerly agreed. What better way to start the New Year off?

Before my family headed down to Florida for the holidays, I stopped by Walmart for some stocking stuffers, trip necessities, and other supplies. It’s been a tradition for years to include a new toothbrush in each family member’s stocking (my married daughter says that her husband thinks that my inclusion of a toothbrush with all of the Christmas candy is humorous).

This year, I not only stocked up on new toothbrushes, but on DenTek® floss picks as well. You can find DenTek® floss picks in Walmart’s Kids and Adult oral care sections at Walmart’s everyday low prices.

My daughters and I have been using floss picks for years, but like any other personal care routine, it’s easy to get out of the habit, and it can be even harder to start and stick with a new habit (thinking of those family members who haven’t used flossers regularly before). DenTek® Floss Picks make flossing my teeth so much easier than typical floss, and I admit it’s something I look forward to now instead of dreading or just feeling guilty about.

Do you have family members like mine who need to get in the habit of flossing their teeth? DenTek® is making it easier than ever to get in the habit of flossing regularly with their 30-Day Family Floss Challenge. The steps are not only easy, but fun!

Download the 30-Day Family Floss Challenge Calendar – The challenge goes through March 31, but you can start any day! Simply pick a day, and start recording your progress.
Take a selfie with those super flossed teeth and post your pic to Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Tag your pic with @DenTek and hashtag #FamilyFlossChallenge.
Win Prizes! *No purchase necessary to participate or win. Visit dentekchallenge.com for official rules and more info.

We’ve printed off our calendar and posted it in the upstairs bathroom where most of us brush our teeth. We thought it was important to keep our tracker in a place where everyone could see it, and where the calendar itself would serve as a reminder to floss each day.

Every day, each family member is going to leave their own “mark” when they floss (you can decide what works best for your family….placing a sticker, writing initials down, assigning a symbol to each family member, etc). Then, weekly, we’ll have our own personal incentives for family members that meet the challenge (this is totally optional, but a fun way to customize the challenge and motivate your own family members even more).

Is your family ready to Join the 30 Day DenTek® Family Floss Challenge? Let me know if you have any tips or if you learn anything along the way. Good luck!

Light Up the Holidays with Energizer®

Lolli — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 20:50:10 +0000

This post is brought to you by Energizer®. All thoughts and ideas are my own.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been running around like a mad woman trying to wrap up holiday shopping before the weekend is over. It’s no easy task to shop for six direct family members as well as other family and friends.

Now that my kids are teens and adults, it’s even more challenging to find non-toy gifts that fit their personalities and interests. Little kids were so much easier to shop for (or should I say that little kids are a lot easier to please when it comes to finding presents that they’ll enjoy?).

I discovered an unconventional gift that the whole family will appreciate and get tons of use out of: Energizer® Vision HD flashlights. They are the perfect stocking stuffer for every family member! We’re already stocking up on batteries for the toys that certain grown-up boys HAVE to have each Christmas. Energizer is already making a much-needed appearance under our Christmas tree.

About The Energizer® Vision HD headlight: powerful beam of up to 180 lumens with 3 light modes, a new dimming feature, and pivoting functionality to direct light where you need it. It’s weather resistant and drop-tested (up to 1 meter) to stand up to harsh conditions. The innovative smart-dimming technology feature provides users with maximum run time to brighten all their hands-free activities.

About The Energizer® Vision HD performance metal light with Digital Focus: ultimate light control with digital focus feature MAXVIZ technology. The one-press digital focus easily transitions from a full spotlight to a full flood light and the aluminum alloy exterior makes it a durable choice. Impressive run time, powerful light output and a natural daylight color.

Here are just a few ways that our family could use the Energizer® Vision HD Headlight and Focus Flashlight:

Taking the dog out at night: Our family adopted a 7-year-old rescue pitbull this fall, and so a lot of our daily routine now revolves around our furry family member. Jax may be big and strong, but when it comes to going outside in the dark, he’s a big baby! I used to use my phone’s flashlight to light both of our paths out into the backyard. Now, I use the headlight to light our way.

Reading in the car: We’re heading on a winter road trip to visit family members, and we all love to read in the car. However, night traveling makes reading difficult. Both Energizer Vision HD flashlights are a perfect way to illuminate their reading materials without having to turn the car’s indoor lights on!

Hiking, running, or night time walks: We all love hiking and camping, and while we’re in Florida, we love taking evening walks on the beach. We also have a family full of runners. It’s always important to pack a light along so that we’re prepared when the sun goes down.

Hobbies and projects: A few of my family members (yes, I’m pointing right at you, AJ!) love to work on DIY projects constantly. The Energizer Vision HD headlight is the perfect way to spotlight your projects while keeping hands free to build and create.

Holiday storage: Once the holidays are over, we’ll be packing up the holiday decorations and packing them away in the attic until next December. Flashlights are critical in getting around the attic, and the headlight comes in extra handy (pun intended!) when you need your hands free to handle all those boxes!

How would you use the Energizer Vision HD lights this holiday season and throughout the year?

Buy the Energizer Vision HD Lights:

Energizer® Vision HD+ Focus LED Headlight and Energizer® Vision HD Performance Metal Lights
Energizer® headlights cost between $15 and $30 (before taxes).
Energizer® metal light series cost between $15 and $25 (before taxes).

Connect with Energizer:

Instagram: @energizer
Facebook: Facebook.com/Energizer
Twitter: @energizer

My Heart Optimizer Results from Helix

Lolli — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 19:19:09 +0000

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

Last month, I sent a DNA sample in to Helix. Who knew that spitting in a tube could be so revealing?

One simple DNA sample with Helix opens the doors to a world of discovery about your personal health and wellness. Check out what you can discover with Helix (with no need to submit multiple DNA samples):

Fitness Diet Pro by DNAFit
Food Sensitivity+ by EverlyWell
Wine Explorer by Vinome
Heart Optimizer by Arivale
CarrierCheck by Sema4
And so many more amazing products….like those that will tell you about your ancestry!)

How Helix Works

The first step is to order any of the products Helix offers. They’ll send you a DNA collection kit (plus easy-to-follow instructions) in the mail. You provide a small saliva sample in the provided tube (remember, the instructions will walk you through each step), and send it back to their lab. Helix then sequences your DNA by reading the millions of letters of your genetic code. Helix then stores your genetic data so you can access it later should you choose to utilize another one of the products they offer.

Heart Optimizer

One of the wellness products offered on the Helix Store is Arivale’s Heart Optimizer. This is the service that I tried out first. Heart Optimizer helps users gain an in-depth understanding of how genetics could increase the likelihood of:

High LDL (bad) cholesterol
Low HDL (good) cholesterol
High triglycerides (can cause heart disease)
Caffeine and salt’s impact on blood pressure

After I got my results back, I scheduled a one-on-one phone conversation with an Arivale Registered Dietitian, who I just spoke with a few days ago. She went over results, helped me understand what everything meant, listened to my goals, and made specific diet and exercise recommendations tailored to my DNA predisposition to improve my heart health.

The first thing that my coach asked me when we started talking was my “why.” Why did I choose Heart Optimizer? My reason is fairly simple. First, I was born with a heart condition. While it’s not serious, it can be very annoying – even distracting at times. And mostly, I worry that years of irregular heart function will leave my heart weaker as I get older.

My second “why” involved a family member who recently had an unexpected heart attack. I want to proactively take lifestyle changes NOW to try to lower the risk of heart attacks in the near future.

But, really, my biggest “why” is my family. I want to be around for them (and with them!) for many, many years!

Here are just a few things I learned on my call:

Genetics is all about potential, NOT destiny. DNA tests like the Heart Optimizer look at possibilities and predispositions.
It’s important to get blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels checked regularly. It’s been too long since I’ve checked! Again, DNA can tell you about predisposition, but it’s not a replacement for visiting a doctor regularly and having those levels monitored. As with any health issues, early detection is key.
My results were able to tell me areas that I have a higher predisposition. This doesn’t mean I HAVE problems now. But knowing about predispositions (like my predisposition for salt to have a negative effect on my blood pressure) help me make better decisions now, before there is an issue.
My Arivale coach sent me away with a goal to incorporate more Omega 3s into my diets (salmon, walnuts, and homemade salad dressings with walnut or flax oil, for instance).
I learned a TON about LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and more. I felt very comfortable asking questions (or admitting that I didn’t know much).

Here’s what my coach sent to me in my action plan after our call. I think this is great advice for anyone!

Eat a food source of omega 3 fats: Omega 3 fats are heart healthy fats that should be included regularly in a healthy, balanced diet. The best sources are oily fish, like salmon, as well as walnuts, flax, hemp, and chia. A few simple ideas for incorporating more of these foods in your diet include: – Substitute wild salmon for meat one night per week – Top a rice cake or whole grain toast with avocado and tuna – Add walnuts to oatmeal or yogurt – Try small fish, like sardines and anchovies, in pasta dishes. – Make your own salad dressing using flax or walnut oil – Add hemp seeds to a smoothie – Use chia seeds to make a fiber-rich pudding – Make your own pesto using walnuts.

Want to try a kit from Helix out for yourself? I’ve got a discount code for 30% off any purchase for the first 25 unique users! Just enter Code HelixlwiE!

Which product would you like to try first?

Connect with Helix:

Website: https://www.helix.com

Hashtag #crackyourcode

Twitter: @my_helix

Facebook: @myhelix

Instagram: @helixdnastore

Discover How Genetics Affects Your Heart Health with Helix

Lolli — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 20:21:51 +0000

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

Just last month, a family member unexpectedly had a heart attack. Thankfully, she’s doing great now, but the heart attack took all of us by surprise and certainly caused me to reflect on my own health and risk factors. I was recently introduced to a new sort of DNA testing. In this day and age, I’m sure most of us are familiar with DNA tests that tell us where our ancestors came from. Helix takes simple DNA tests one step further. Now, more than ever, people want to be actively involved and proactive about their health and wellness. I’m extremely grateful for the doctors that have helped me and my family members over the years. But there is also a lot we can do on our own to learn more about ourselves and make changes to live a better life. Helix believes that “by unlocking more genetic data (around 22,000 genes), every person will be able to make more informed choices and decisions about their health, lifestyle, fitness, nutrition, and more.” How cool would it be to use your DNA to uncover the best fitness and diet routine for your own body? What if your DNA could tell you which foods to avoid and which foods will help you feel the best? What if you could discover new wines tailored to your palette…based on your DNA? What if you could use your DNA to better understand your cholesterol or how your body will react to caffeine? Amazingly, you CAN find all of these answers with Helix. With Helix, you only need to get your DNA sequenced once and then over the course of your life, you can choose from a variety of unique products that use that DNA information:

Fitness Diet Pro by DNAFit
Food Sensitivity+ by EverlyWell
Wine Explorer by Vinome
Heart Optimizer by Arivale
And so many more amazing products!)

Helix uses your DNA (from a simple saliva sample sent in to their labs) as a starting point to find out SO much about your personal health and wellness profile. The results from your one sample are stored and can be used for multiple products, so if you decide you’d like to find out more in the future, you don’t have to go through the collection process again. And, yes, that includes finding out about your ancestry, too! The Heart Optimizer product is able to tell you about your predisposition for high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and caffeine and salt’s possible effect on your blood pressure. After you get your results back, you have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with an Arivale Registered Dietitian who will go over results, listen to your goals, and make specific recommendations tailored to your optimal heart health. Another great part is that I can log in and chat with Arivale coaches and ask them questions while my DNA is being sequenced, so I can get started right away.

Getting started

I ordered the Heart Optimizer kit from the website, and received my collection kit in the mail shortly after. The first step after receiving any of the kits is to register it online (so that when they receive your kit back in the lab, they know who it belongs to!). Registration was quick and easy. I think the hardest part of the whole process (for me) was remembering to not eat or drink for 30 minutes prior to providing my saliva. Luckily, the amount of saliva needed for the test is not too much. It was easier than I thought to fill the tube up to the line! Once my saliva was collected, I added it to a plastic sealed bag and then placed it in the postage-provided box that was in the kit. I was excited to get an email a couple of days later that my collection had been received and was being processed! I’m eager to see what my Heart Optimizer test results tell me. I’ll be posting again once I get my results back! Want to try a kit from Helix out for yourself? I’ve got a discount code for 30% off any purchase for the first 25 unique users! Just enter Code Helixt4HF!

Connect with Helix:

Website: https://www.helix.com Hashtag #crackyourcode Twitter: @my_helix Facebook: @myhelix Instagram: @helixdnastore

It’s Time to Get Your Game On for Back-to-School

Lolli — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 17:00:24 +0000

This post is sponsored by Kohl’s. I received the included back to school clothes and essentials as compensation.

I remember as a kid that I LOVED back-to-school shopping. I was the one time of the year (and often the ONLY time) when I could count on getting a few new outfits. I loved trying on new clothes and finding pants and shirts and shoes that were stylish, crisp, colorful and new.

Starting off that first day of school with a new outfit made me feel more confident and more ready to tackle the new year.

Now I’m on the other end of the back-to-school shopping spectrum, as a mom with 4 kids living at home (and teenagers at that!!). Let’s just say that back-to-school shopping is often NOT on my list of “fun things I am looking forward to doing.”

I love shopping for myself. Browsing the racks of clothes and trying on new styles is still as exciting as ever. But taking four kids out shopping and finding things they like (and I like, equally)? That can be a different story!

I decided to bite the bullet this back-to-school season and knock all of the school clothes shopping out in one trip to Kohl’s. What was I thinking? Taking four teenagers out to shop for clothes….two girls and two boys, all shopping in different departments?

Yes, it was a big undertaking, but we scored some amazing deals at Kohl’s and came home with outfits for each of the kids that they can wear during the first week of school and throughout the school year. And you know what? I actually had fun!

And now my kids are ready to tackle their new year of school, with both of my girls heading to new schools this year (one starting high school, and the other starting college!). They definitely have their “game face” ready to make a great first impression.

Our favorite deals? We loved all of the “two-for” shirt deals! Everyone scored some graphic tees for a great price. It was fun to see which styles “spoke” to each of the kids. I loved that I was happy with each of the things that they picked out, too!

The boys were in desperate need of some new jeans (because boys grow SO fast!) and we were thrilled to find jeans that were a great price and fit. And take my word for it…the boys are not always the easiest shoppers to please!

After we got home, I asked each of the kids to pick out their favorite outfit to take some back-to-school pictures. They definitely don’t want to wait til the first day of school to start enjoying their haul from Kohl’s…and I don’t blame them!

Are you getting ready to do some back-to-school shopping with your kids, too?

Check out Kohl’s Friends and Family Sale from August 17th-20th. Be sure to score 20% off using code SAVER at check out. You can also get $10 off any $50 kids clothing purchase between August 4-20 using promo code BTS10!

Check out the back to school selection here: https://www.kohls.com/sale-event/school.jsp and here: https://www.kohls.com/sale-event/kids-clothing.jsp

What is on your must-have back-to-school list?

My blog may contain links to other websites. I am not responsible for the privacy policies of those other websites. When you click on a link, your information may be collected by those websites so I encourage you to read their privacy policies.
Affiliate links are not associated with Kohl’s.

5 Tips to Be Ready for Back-To-School Season

Lolli — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 03:57:07 +0000

It’s back-to-school season already! Although my kids still have a few weeks left of summer, I know school will be back in session before I know it, and that means a huge adjustment in our schedule. This post is sponsored by Harris Teeter, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

As much as I love the lazy days of summer (Who are we kidding? Summer is a ton of work for us parents!) I admit that I do look forward to the start of a new school year. By the end of the summer, I can tell that the kids are craving routine, even if they THINK what they want is late mornings sleeping in.

We love school, but the adjustment can be tough. I’ve pulled together a handful of helpful tips to make the back-to-school transition smooth and enjoyable, with a little help (and a shopping trip or two) from Harris Teeter.

5 Tips to Be Ready for Back-To-School Season

Plan meals ahead of time – Nothing puts a wrench in the evening like not knowing what we’re going to eat for dinner. It only takes 5 or 10 minutes at the beginning of each week to jot down a quick list of meals that we’re going to eat throughout the week, and then make a shopping list for the necessary items. But it saves a ton of time (and most importantly, headache!) in the long run because we don’t have to think about the classic (and never-ending) question, “What’s for dinner?” I love taking my shopping list to my local Harris Teeter, where I can get private label products for a low price everyday. Harris Teeter has recently lowered everyday prices on a ton of their private label products, many of which are pantry staples.

Make breakfast quick and easy – Whether your kids are old enough to serve themselves breakfast in the morning or not, having a few quick and easy breakfast options is one of the ways that we make our mornings go much more smoothly. I love a hot, cooked breakfast as much as the next person, but I don’t often have the time to cook one every morning. And that’s ok! Having quick and easy-to-prepare breakfast encourages the kids (especially the teens) to eat something before school every day versus skipping breakfast.

Set up a lunch/snack station – Just like the easy-to-prepare breakfast, our family believes in easy-to-prepare lunches! We have sandwich fixings together on the shelf so that sandwich prep is smooth, and all of the lunch snacks, like fruit cups and granola bars, are in a quick-access drawer. Preparing their school lunch is as easy as grabbing a few items from the lunch drawer and sticking it in their backpack. We are stocking up on low-priced Harris Teeter private label items for our lunch boxes.

One of our favorite after-school snacks!

Create a homework station – After school, the kids always need a snack and a short mental break, but that is followed quickly by homework time! The longer my kids are in school, the longer their homework takes! The easiest way we’ve found to stay on task when it’s homework time is to have a homework “station” in a central location, like the kitchen, that is stocked with pencils, erasers, calculators, good seating and lighting. It’s important that we keep the homework area distraction-free (which is tough when their homework has to be done on the computer!).

What are some of your best tips for adjusting to back-to-school season?

Did you know about Harris Teeter’s Together in Education program? It’s simple! When you purchase HT private label items, your local school of choice can earn money. Harris Teeter has donated over $25 million to Together In Education schools since 1998! Find out more about the program here.

Post a weekly schedule – We’re a family of seven (with 6 of us currently at home), which means a ton of moving parts. Heading back to school means starting fall sports and other after-school activities. Adjusting to a new schedule can be rough, but posting the calendar with all of the family’s activities and commitments helps keep everything running smoothly.

About Harris Teeter: Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Matthews, North Carolina, just outside Charlotte. As of January 2017, the chain operates 243 stores in seven states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Delaware, Maryland and Washington D.C.

The Harris Teeter, Your Plus Guarantee applies to all private label items: “Our goal is to keep you satisfied! If you are not 100% satisfied with this product, simply return it for a full refund. Plus we will replace it with a like item of your choice.” Harris Teeter Private Label items are priced lower than other grocer’s private label items, which means that you get a great quality for a low price.

Connect with Harris Teeter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harristeeter/
Twitter: @HarrisTeeter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harristeeter/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MyHarrisTeeter
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/harristeeter/

Enter to WIN a Harris Teeter Gift Card

We’re giving away a $50 gift card to one (1) lucky winner. Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fuel Your Adventure with Safeway this Summer #FuelURAdventure

Lolli — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 12:00:16 +0000

This is a sponsored conversation between myself and Safeway. All opinions are completely my own.

Summer….in one breath it’s the relaxing break we crave all school year long. And in another breath, it is absolutely exhausting!

Summertime is the time of mixed up schedules, early morning swim practices, summer reading, vacations, long, lazy play days with friends, and family adventures near home. We might not have to pack school lunches every morning like we do September through June, but we seem to require even more fuel to keep us chugging along (and cool!!) during the summer months.

One of the keys to fueling ALL our adventures, year-round, is starting off with a good breakfast every morning. My youngest son declared this week that Quaker Life Cereal is one of his favorites and I need to buy it more often. He likes to stay fueled with a bowl of cereal or two or three throughout the day!

I visited my local Safeway recently and couldn’t wait to share with you guys the exciting #FuelURAdventure campaign. Safeway is our one-stop-shop for everything we need to keep our family fueled for our summer-time adventures, whether that’s chilled bottles of water and Gatorade for hikes or swim meets or tasty breakfast to give us energy to start the day. One of my favorite summer-time “treats” are Tostitos Scoops with a big bowl of fresh salsa made with tomatoes and peppers from our garden (we’re still waiting on the tomatoes here…).

Now! Here’s the news I couldn’t wait to share with you!! To help celebrate summer adventures everywhere, Safeway is giving shoppers the chance to win a $500 grocery gift card! You can enter simply by sharing how you #FuelURAdventure with Safeway and participating PepsiCo products this summer.

How to #FuelURAdventure

Show your local Albertsons Companies store how you #FuelURAdventure for a chance to win a $500 grocery gift card. Entry is easy as 1-2-3:

1. Take a photo featuring one or more participating PepsiCo products (see below) showing how they fuel your summer adventure
2. Share the photo on Twitter or Instagram or the contest site by 8/17
3. Use #FuelURAdventure on Instagram or Twitter and don’t forget to tag your local store

For official rules and more details, visit the contest site here

BONUS: everyone is really a winner here, because you’ll earn 4x Gas Reward Points when you stock up on any of these items. (Restrictions and exclusions apply. See your local store for details.)

PepsiCo Participating Products:

Quaker Cap’n Crunch (14 oz.)
Gatorade G2 Lemon Lime (32 oz.)
Lay’s Classic Potato Chips (family size 10.75 oz.)
Tostitos Scoops (10 oz.)
Quaker Life Cereal (13 oz.)
Aquafina bottled water (24pk 16.9 oz. bottles)
Gatorade (32 oz.)
XL Sunchips Veggie Harvest Tomato Basil and Cheese (7 oz.)

I can find all these great products here in Washington D.C. at my local Safeway store – be sure to check out these great products at your local Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Albertsons, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets and Market Street.

So tell me, how will YOU fuel the rest of your summer with Safeway?

Connect with Safeway:

Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Safeway. The opinions and text are all mine.

Care For Your School With Box Tops for Education

Lolli — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 16:30:28 +0000

This is a sponsored post with compensation received from General Mills. As always, all opinions are my own.

Mom confession time: I am the mom who will dig through the recycling bin to snip off any Box Tops for Education that my family has missed. I’ve even been known to sneak a few Box Tops out of the neighbors’ recycle bins before they’re taken away. We even have Grandma collect them for us out of state, and I’ll pack plastic baggies full of Box Tops in my luggage after visiting her.

Box Tops are pretty amazing, if you ask me! I shop for the stuff I would normally buy, and the kids’ school gets 10 cents per Box Tops. It couldn’t be easier!

Box Tops are kind of a big deal in our house.

I’m still in denial that Back to School season is almost here. Didn’t we just start summer break?? There’s no use denying it or trying to avoid the inevitable. School will be back in session before we know it, which means back to school shopping and preparation time is NOW. That means stocking up on school supplies and filling the snack drawers in the kitchen with plenty of goodies for the kids’ lunches.

The Power of Box Tops

What makes Box Tops so incredible? Box Tops for Education helps schools do more for the KIDS. They can help provide more books and academic resources for students; they can help kids be more active with additional gym or playground equipment; they can help fund field trips or field days at school. There are so many ways that Box Tops help parents care for their school and the children it serves.

Did you know that you can search for collection drives from your child’s school, a school in your area, or just find a drive that resonates with you? Check out all of the options here: https://www.boxtops4education.com/clipboard Even though my kids are in middle and high school, I found our kids’ elementary school on the list, and love that they’re gathering Box Tops to help kids attend field trips. But if you’re like us and have kids in middle school or high school, you can still collect Box Tops!

CVS Extra Bucks Offer

While you’re out back to school shopping with your kids this month, be sure to stop by your local CVS. CVS is making it easier than ever to care for your family AND your classroom with everything you need to keep your kids focused, active, and prepared for the new school year. When you shop Box Top items at CVS this back to school season, you help supply schools with the equipment and tools they need to support each and every student!

Special Offer! CVS Extra Bucks Offer (8/20-8/27): Spend $30 on participating Box Tops products, get $10 ExtraBucks reward. So not only are you getting valuable Box Tops for your kids’ school, but you’re saving money on items for your family, too. We like loading up on cereals (my kids eat a TON of cereal!) and lunch box snacks like Mott’s fruit snacks or Fiber One bars.

What are your favorite products to stock up on to collect Box Tops? Is your school listed on the Box Tops site?

Connect with CVS and Box Tops for Education

Be sure to stay connected with Box Tops for Education on the web and social media!

Website: https://www.cvssavingscentral.com/shop-assets/04_GMS_H9273_GenMillsBTS/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btfe/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoxTopsForEducation
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/boxtops/pins/

*Offer valid 8/20/17 – 8/27/17. $30 worth of participating General Mills BTFE products must be purchased in a single transaction with CVS card in order to receive 10 CVS ExtraBucks automatically at checkout. Net purchase determined after all discounts, offers and coupons. Each box top is worth 10 cents to redeeming school when clipped from box tops products and sent to the redeeming school. Only BTFE registered schools can redeem box tops. Limit $20,000 per school per year for box tops redeemed through the clip program. See www.boxtopsforeducation.com for program details.

Fitness Tips for Seasoned Moms {Plus a Mother’s Day Fitness Special}

Lolli — Tue, 02 May 2017 14:37:25 +0000

This post is sponsored by Planet Fitness but all opinions are my own.

Disclaimer: The content provided by Planet Fitness is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should consult your physician or other health care professional before following any fitness advice to determine if it is right for your needs.

It’s spring, which means that most of us have long forgotten New Year’s Resolutions to eat better and get in shape…but as the summer approaches and we start thinking about days spent at the pool or the beach with the kids (in swimming suits. Gasp!) some of us may be thinking about hitting the gym again.

I know one of the things that often holds me and other seasoned moms back from getting a gym membership is the fear of discomfort or embarrassment. (Note: by “Seasoned moms,” I mean middle aged women with a few kids and a decent leftover baby pooch).

I admit I’ve been one to think twice about heading to the gym because I very obviously NEED it (as compared to the women who are totally in shape and don’t look like they need it quite as much as I do). That’s why Planet Fitness is such a good fit for me. Each Planet Fitness gym is a Judgment Free Zone® – that means the gym is non-intimidating, hassle-free, and welcoming. Planet Fitness caters to “everyday people” – like the first timers or the every-once-in-a-while gym goers, rather than just the fitness fanatics and body builders.

Well, luckily for me (and moms like me), Planet Fitness is having a new membership sale starting today! Between May 1 and 12, new members can join any Planet Fitness location for just $5 down and then $10 a month with no commitment. That includes access to the Planet Fitness club near you, but also unlimited access to small-group fitness training.

Planet Fitness also provides members access to an online community called “Planet of Triumphs,” where members can celebrate accomplishments and share inspirational stories, encourage and support each other.

There are more than 1,300 locations all over the country, many of them staffed and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so there’s probably a club near you. To find the nearest Planet Fitness location, check out: https://planetfitness.com/local-clubs.

Fitness Tips for Seasoned Moms

Brian Zehetner, Director of Health & Fitness at Planet Fitness shared a few fitness tips for seasoned or more mature moms such as myself, and I’ve included a few of my own.
· Using the stationary bike and elliptical put less stress on the joints, making them a better option for cardio workouts.
· It’s important to remember to do weight-bearing exercises to combat osteopenia, osteoporosis (bone loss), and sarcopenia (muscle loss) as we age.
· The older we get, the longer it takes to recover between exercise sessions, so pace yourself and don’t take on too much at once.
· Focus on functional exercises which increase mobility, stability, and balance (which then reduce the risk of falls and injuries later on).
· Don’t forget to stay hydrated. Not only do I bring a water bottle to the gym, but I start off my workouts with plenty of water in my system.
· Exercising consistently is often more important than what you’re doing at the gym…but that doesn’t mean that you should skip the gym again simply because you’ve missed your last few workouts. Focus on the forward progress, not the past challenges.
· Accountability partners help so much in keeping your commitments to going to the gym. If you can, grab a friend to head to the gym with you. Even if you go alone, have a “virtual” partner that you tell about your successes.

What exercise tips would you add?

Connect with Planet Fitness:

• Website: https://www.planetfitness.com
• Facebook: @planetfitness
• Twitter: @PlanetFitness
• Instagram: @planetfitness