Am I the only one that has children that are food snobs? My kids are usually happy with anything I bring home but there are a few things that they get very picky about. Off the top of my head I can come up with 3 things that they are very snobby about. They are very brand loyal with it comes to ketchup, macc and cheese, and fruit snacks. I understand when people are wine and chocolate connoisseurs but macc and cheese? I guess as a child you have your own set of priorities!

I can not believe how fast time has been flying! Winter break has ended, life is getting back to normal and the school year is half over! We have been doing a lot of shopping lately. Why do kids keep growing and wearing out their things? We have also had to replenish our stock of school snacks and supplies at Sam’s Club. The best part is that many of our favorite General Mills Box Tops for Education brands have  “6 Box Tops on a Pack” at Sam’s Club this month.

This post brought to you by PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love how beautiful my house looks all decorated for the holidays! I try to keep all of the decorations up as long as possible. The house just seems so plain and boring after enjoying all the decorations! This year I am going to start dressing my home up more during the rest of the year.

When we lived in Arizona I spent a lot of time decorating and the house looked great. As my kids got older, there just was not enough time. Add that together with moving around and across the country, and we have not spent too much time on decorating.

Have you found less and less time to dress up your house since you have had kids? A PartyLite party might just be the answer for busy moms! You can have fun with relatives, friends, or coworkers and get some great free products to redecorate and refresh your home. When you host a party you can earn free stuff and who does not love free!

PartyLite has the best premium quality scented candles, candle warmers, home decor accessories, and reed diffusers. You can easily decorate your home and leave it smelling fabulous. How great does it feel to relax with a wonderful smelling candle? It really adds to the warmth of your home. Check out the PartyLite Winter/Spring 2012 Catalog that launched on Dec. 16th to find everything you need to redecorate and refresh your home!

Make sure to “Like” the PartyLite Facebook page. The PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes just ended but there will be more specials going on that you will not want to miss!

There are so many really cool toys out there for kids these days! My favorites are the ones that help kids get creative. Yesterday we received the Moon Dough Ocean Pals set to review. It is full of fun and creativity! Kids can play on a reusable ocean mat and create their own ocean scene using Moon Dough and the Push and Pop Tools that are included. They can create an amazing underwater land and you don’t have to clean a nasty fish tank!

I love this time of year. It is a time of joy spent with family and friends. Have you started attending Christmas parties yet? We just finished the last of the holiday concerts for the kids. Now we can really get down to business and get into some serious holiday cheer!

This post brought to you by Sprint. All opinions are 100% mine.

Wow, do I have a deal for you today! I love the great deals during the holiday season. This is a great time to get a few presents for yourself too. You have to take advantage of great deals, right? Today is your last chance to take advantage of a holiday deal from Sprint. Sprint is giving away the HTC EVO 4G or the EVO Shift for FREE!

It is that time of year right? I know many children that are begging for a new cell phone right now! My younger two just had got new phones because they just had their birthdays. My oldest has her birthday right after Christmas so she is in full begging mode.

After seeing the new phones that my youngest two got I really started to want a new cell phone. My cell phone is a year old now and my kids now have better phones than me. That is simply not fair! I should have a better phone than them right!?!

I guess it is not just kid that are begging for new phones this Christmas! Everyone could use a new phone especially if you can get a great deal! Don’t forget to check out this great deal from Sprint. The best gifts are free and who would not want free Android™ powered EVO 4G devices!

This post brought to you by Slim-Fast. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you started thinking about your New Years resolutions yet? Last year 16% of women decided to make losing weight their New Years resolution. I wonder, how many women really stuck to it? Most people have a hard time with their resolutions and I wonder if it is because we wait to start them until New Years. This year I decided that I want to start right now. It is not normally good to put things off so my new healthy lifestyle starts right now!

I was recently given the opportunity to review Slim-Fast so I figured this is the perfect time to start my new life of getting healthy. I tried the new Cappuccino Delight. It was so rich and creamy that I definitely did not feel like I was missing out on anything. Slim Fast shakes are now even better tasting and come in convenient plastic bottles that can go anywhere with you. They come in Creamy Milk Chocolate, French Vanilla, Rich Chocolate Royale, Cappuccino Delight, and Strawberries N’ Cream.

The new shakes are part of the Slim-Fast 3•2•1 Plan that makes it easy to customize your own plan and stick to it.

3 Snacks: You can choose 3 snacks a day which can be fruit, nuts, veggies, or Slim-Fast 100-calorie snack bars.

2 Slim-Fast Shakes or Meal Bars for the day: Slim-Fast shakes and meal bars will give you the balanced nutrition of a meal and up to four hours of hunger control while still tasting great and keeping you on track.

1 Balanced Meal: This plan allows you to enjoy one balanced 500-calorie meal per day. As a rule, try to fill half your plate with veggies, a quarter with protein, and a quarter with whole grains. 

This plan allows you the variety you need while still keeping it easy to understand. Many diet plans starve you and end up slowing down your metabolism. I have always been a fan of diets that give you 6 low calorie meals a day like this Slim Fast 3•2•1 Plan. They keep your metabolism going so you can burn fat all day long and they keep your hunger pains away so you are not tempted to cheat on your diet.

Whether you are trying to fit into a hot dress for a Christmas party or your next reunion or if you just want to start the new year off with a new you, I would like to wish you luck. You don’t need luck though. You can do anything that you put your mind to!

This post brought to you by GravyMaster. All opinions are 100% mine.

Has cooking for people over the holidays gotten you stressed out? The holidays can be stressful enough without having to worry about the food! I try to head off the stress by choosing some things that can be made ahead and just warmed up. The more you can do ahead of time the more fun you can have with guests. Think like a caterer!

One of the things that can not be made ahead is gravy. I have heard many gravy horror stories so it is no surprise to me how many people dread making gravy. I always recommend that people keep products like GravyMaster in their cupboards. When the stress of the holidays set in and the gravy is a disaster it is always nice to know that if all else fails you are able to quickly whip up another batch. Don’t cry over burnt or separated gravy! If you are prepared with GravyMaster you can just make some more.

GravyMaster has been around since 1935 and has been loved for generations. It contains no meat, fat, or calories and is certified Kosher. It is not just for gravy though. It is the only seasoning and browning sauce capable of the caramelization process. You can Master the meal with great recipes from their site.

I would love to try the many BBQ and BBQ sauces recipes on their site. The Easy Cheese and Nut Spread and the Stuffed Mushrooms would be perfect for the holidays too. Yummy!!!

I would love to see what you would make with GravyMaster! Share your ideas in the comments.

I love watching those old television shows. The mother has nothing better to do all day than bake for her family and make a huge dinner. Some how the house is always spotless but the only cleaning you see is an occasional vacuuming. Those old shows make being a mother look so easy. It is no wonder so many women feel guilty for not being the perfect mother!

Are companies using Twitter to it’s full potential? Most companies do not understand how to use Twitter as a marketing tool. Twitter is full of people that want to talk about what they just bought, where they just went, and if they had a good or bad experience. There are just as many people that want to hear all about it. So why aren’t more companies becoming active on Twitter?