Randomness

I know I haven't been posting much.  Life happens and life is good. 

This is all the girls curled up like kittens.  One big pile of girls :)

There have been amazing sales on fruit and veggies this week and we have stocked up. 

And why do I want to stock up???

I got a VitaMix off Craig's List and have been blending like crazy.  I have wanted a VitaMix forever and got it at a fantastic price!!  WooHoo!!  Green Smoothies all around!  I also broke out my juicer that hasn't seen the light of day in years.  Both have been used daily.  LOVE IT.  Makes for lots of energy.

Here is Scarlett posing with the Mail Carrier outfit I made for our dramatic play center.  Getting ready for Valentines Day.  Love the expression. 

Lexi ran in her first cross country meet of the season.  I love watching her run. 

Like in everything she does, she is so focused.

I took Scarlett to the zoo with a friend and all the girls wanted to do was pose.  Funny!  She is one of a kind.  Her friend commented that Scarlett never stops talking.  Welcome to my life.  I am a person of few words that has three daughters who barely stop to take a breath.  



Life is good.

Dulce de Leche Cheerios #giveaway

Now, moms everywhere can bring a beloved traditional Latin flavor to their family’s breakfast table with new Dulce de Leche Cheerios. With a hint of caramel flavor, Dulce de Leche Cheerios, provides a delicious and tasty start to your family’s day while delivering key health benefits expected from a cereal made with whole grain and 6 grams of sugar per serving. Be among the first to taste this new twist on a familiar classic.

• Dulce de Leche is traditionally incorporated in Latin American inspired desserts, and you can now get a hint in the newest variety of Cheerios
• With the same goodness you’ve come to know and love about Cheerios, the new Dulce de Leche flavor provides 39 percent of the recommended daily amount of whole grain* (* According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the daily recommended amount of whole grain for most people is at least 3 ounce equivalents, which is equal to 48 grams. Dulce de Leche Cheerios has 19 grams of whole grain per serving.)

Don’t just eat Dulce de Leche Cheerios with milk at breakfast. Enjoy the sweet flavor and crunchy texture of Dulce de Leche Cheerios in one of these recipes for fun new snacking options:

• Dulce de Leche Cheerios Snack Mix- combine pretzels, nuts, and other sweet treats with Dulce de Leche Cheerios for a sweet and salty munching mix with a crunch
• Dulce de Leche Popcorn Balls- Gooey popcorn balls that melt in your mouth as you bite into the caramel flavors
• Dulce de Leche No Bake Snack Bars- Hearty bars with bits of fruit and nut for on-the-go snacking
• Dulce de Leche Apple Bread- A hint of caramel paired with refreshing apple flavors that is perfect for any time of day
• Dulce de Leche Cheerios Parfait- Jazz up your yogurt with Dulce de Leche Cheerios and fresh fruit
• Dulce de Leche No Bake Cheesecake- Make your own crust for this rich cheese cake using Dulce de Leche Cheerios

My girls were so excited when the box arrived so they could try the new Cheerios!  Dulce de Leche Cheerios did not disappoint.  They ate them dry for an after school snack.  I was happy that they were not overly sweet and were happy that they were under 10 grams of sugar per serving.
Visit HERE to download a printable coupon for $1.00 off the purchase of ONE BOX of Dulce de Leche Cheerios® cereal today.

Your Dulce de Leche Cheerios prize pack will contain:
• Box of Dulce de Leche Cheerios
• Orange polka dot cereal bowl
• Cereal spoon
• Dulce de leche scented candle

One I Blame My Mother readers will be sent  the Dulce de Leche Cheerios prize pack. 
To enter, Tell me what you would enjoy most about new Dulce de Leche Cheerios? Taste, health benefits, etc?
Additional Entries:
1.  "Like" I Blame My Mother on Facebook HERE
2.  Follow I Blame My Mother on Twitter HERE
3.  Friend me with Google Friend Connect
4.  Subscribe via email.
 
I will end the giveaway on Friday, February 3, at 9 pm EST. 
Giveaway open to US Residents

 The new Dulce de Leche Cheerios information, product, and prize pack have been provided free of charge by Cheerios and General Mills, through MyBlogSpark.

Valentine Collection Box Made Out of Cereal Box Tutorial

While perusing Pintrest I found these incredibly CUTE pinatas.  I don't have a need for pinatas at this time but did need to come up with an idea for a collection box for Valentine's Day.  Here is how they meet....

Cereal boxes are going to be all different sizes so you'll have to make a template that fits your box (the sides of the heart should hang over the edge of the box.

Trace the heart on each side and cut as shown below.

The sides of the box will fold in and become the bottom and the handle.  Use masking tape too join the edges.  You could also cut the top sides off and make a completely different handle.  I was going for easy.

If the sides on the bottom are not long enough cut a strip from the scraps of box.  I put this piece on the inside and then taped and figured to would have extra support that way.

Tape the top flaps together to make a handle.

Paint with whatever you have on hand.  It doesn't have to be perfect because you will be covering it up.  OR you can stop right here and have your child put stickers on it, stamp it, color it, whatever.....be creative.

I want my preschool students to be able to decorate their own so they will be taking tissue paper squares and gluing (or Mod Podging) them to the box.  This is most easily achieved by applying the tissue paper when the paint is still wet and using a brush to brush the glue over top.

Easy enough.  I think they will be able to do it without too much mishap.

Here is where the pinata idea came into play.  I originally was going to do the entire thing in pinata style but realized this was not going to be kid-friendly.  I will have them do their entire box with tissue paper squares.

I cut strips of tissue paper and glued them on for the pinata style.

On the handle will be every one's name.  I printed them out instead of having them write their own name so that when the children pass out their cards, they will be able to match names much easier.  They sit nicely on a flat surface and because they are flat, they will not take up much space when all 10 will be lined up.

They could also be hung on coat hooks.

There it is.  Simple.  Inexpensive.  Cute!

Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks #Giveaway

So you want a snack your kids will love and that you can feel good about? With new Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks, you need not look any further! Available in two delicious varieties, Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks provide kids with the great tasting snacks they crave and parents with the confidence that they come from a good place. Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks are: Congratulations to CharW, Kimberly, Melanie, and Erin!  You are the winners of the Ocean Spray Prize Packs!

Made with real fruit juice and natural colors* and flavors. 80 calories, gluten free and contain 100% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C. Available with year round Double Box Tops. - You know I love this :) Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored snacks have been a big hit with my kids.  They are lovers of all things fruit snacks and these are no different.   Click here to download a printable coupon for $1.10 off of the purchase of (2) Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored snacks today!*colors from natural sources FOUR (4) I Blame My Mother readers will be sent  6 boxes (3 of each variety) of Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks.  To enter, tell me your favorite snack. Additional Entries: 1.  "Like" I Blame My Mother on Facebook HERE 2.  Follow I Blame My Mother on Twitter HERE 3.  Friend me with Google Friend Connect 4.  Subscribe via email. 5.  Enter my Dulce de Leche Cheerion Giveaway HERE I will end the giveaway on Friday, January 27, at 9 pm EST.  Giveaway open to US Residents "Disclosure: Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks, information, and giveaway have been provided by Ocean Spray® through MyBlogSpark."

Real Marriage; The Truth About Sex, Friendship, & Life Together Review

I had the chance to review Mark and Grace Driscoll’s new book, Real Marriage; The Truth About Sex, Friendship, & Life Together.  I have read several other books by Mark Driscoll and listen to his sermons often so I was excited for the book to arrive.  Real Marriage is a book written from both husband’s and wife’s point of view, mainly relying on Pastor Mark’s bold, cut-to-the-chase style of preaching.  Grace’s voice is a very good addition as no book on marriage would be complete without the input of both parties involved. 

The book is divided into three sections, Marriage, Sex, and The Last Day.  Part 1, Marriage, uses the experiences in the Driscoll’s marriage and the marriages of those around them to figure out what a successful marriage consists of.  The advice given is backed by scripture and relevant to the times.  They believe that a strong friendship is essential to a strong marriage.  There is a chapter devoted to the men to make them see what it means to be a man and godly husband, and one for the respectful wife. 

I had a hard time imagining that the statistics about pornography in Part 2, Sex, could actually be true.   I didn’t know that the problem was so staggering and far reaching.  They go over the hang-ups of sex and questions about what is biblical allowed in a healthy marriage.  There was nothing surprising there. 

My favorite quote of the book comes from Part 3, The Last Day.  They are talking about the last days of a marriage ending either in divorce, regret, “Or by God’s grace will the last day be a day to rejoice in a life lived together and remember the gift your spouse was to you while on earth?”   I love that.  It’s something for every married couple to aspire to.  In this chapter you are encouraged to reverse-engineer your life and marriage to make sure that happens. 

I would recommend this for singles, couples thinking about marriage, and, of course married couples.  Not every section will pertain to you or your marriage but it is a good eye opener to read it all.  We are made for relationships, not only in our marriages but throughout our lives.  If specific info won’t help you, you will most likely be able to use it to help someone else. 

I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."