Autumn Rose Reo

Fight Hunger Spark Change to Donate 75 Million Meals with Walmart

April 20, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 20 Comments

In Arlington, Texas, we are all about teams…

AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys

Make a difference with the #FightHungerSparkChange campaign at Walmart, now until May 3. Learn more at http://wm8.walmart.com/Hunger

Globe Life Park, Home of the Texas Rangers

Walmart, Home to the Fight Hunger Spark Change campaign

Our local Walmart is planted directly in between Globelife Park, home of the Texas Rangers and AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. However, this time our team is setting out to fight hunger with the Fight Hunger Spark Change campaign.

When you look around you, wherever you are, at the store, at work, at school it’s hard to think that 1 in 6 of those people you are looking at, talking to or passing in the hallway or in the aisle is struggling with hunger.

With such astronomical proportions, it’s really hard to even begin to think how you can help.

However, now until May 3, by just buying specially marked items you already buy regularly at Walmart, snap a shot of six friends or by just making a donation at your local Walmart, you can make a difference to FIGHT HUNGER SPARK CHANGE to have 75,000,000 meal donations to local food banks with Feeding America.

Yes, it’s that easy to make a difference!

1) For each participating product purchased at Walmart now May 3, suppliers will make a donation to help secure one meal* on behalf of local Feeding America food banks. Together with Campbell’s, ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Kraft and Unilever, Walmart hopes to secure 75 million meals* by the end of the campaign. For more information and a list of participating products, please visit walmart.com/fighthunger.

2) Walmart customers can donate to their local Feeding America food bank at the registers of any participating Walmart.

3) Share the movement on your social media channels to generate a donation.

Here’s how it works:

Take a picture of six people who commit to solving hunger
Post your picture on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and connect it to the hashtag #WeSparkChange—make sure your post is public so it can be seen and counted
Share your post
Walmart will donate $10 for every qualifying post, up to $1.5 million**

We’re only half way there today and only a few weeks left to help make it to 75,000, o00. I know you’ll be doing some grocery shopping in the next three weeks – just make sure to grab the boxes with the sticker “FIGHT HUNGER SPARK CHANGE” and your item = one meal.

If you don’t think hunger is a problem for you or those people are around you, you might want to think twice.

Reconnect with Family Fun at Trinity Forest Adventure Park {Special Offer}

April 14, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Been thinking the fam needed to do something together, but the thought of another movie night or going to spend tons of money at an event to just get full of sugar while standing in line at the bouncehouses?

Instead find something fun to do that might ACTUALLY have your family become stronger? Happier? And reconnect?

The Trinity Forest Adventure Park is a combination of a canopy tour, challenge course and zip line in Dallas.

Photo Credit: Trinity Adventure Park Facebook Page

Trinity Forest Adventure Park is an aerial course that has six self-guided courses at three different elevations and four levels of difficulty. The courses become higher and gradually more difficult, and have 8-12 elements (obstacles) each. Each course varies in terms of elevation and the strenuousness of the challenges.

The courses consist of:

Military-style obstacles (cargo nets, wobble bridges, tight ropes, ladders, etc.)
Zip Lines where the participant is in control
Six Courses with varying degrees of difficulty

To participate, an individual must be:

6 years old AND at least 48” tall
Able to grasp a cable 60” above them while flat-footed
And LESS than 265 lbs.

No matter what your activity level, you and your family will have lots of fun working together, breaking a sweat and getting outdoors to do something unforgettable time and time again at Trinity Adventure Park.

Fine Print:
Trinity Forest Adventure Park Coupon. Receive 1 free, standard, full-price admission ticket w/purchase of An Adult standard, full-price admission ticket. Not valid w/any other offer/discount. Must follow directions on coupon (after claiming w/email address) to get the discount. Coupon expires 6/30/2015.
Coupon expires 6/30/15. Must follow directions on coupon to get the offer.

Get Your Turkey at MOOYAH for Limited Time {Flash Giveaway}

April 13, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 18 Comments

In Arlington, Texas at Collins Street) we have a new choice in town for burgers and shakes. I wasn’t sure exactly what we needed ANOTHER burger place in town for, so we made our way to the new MOOYAH to see what all the buzz was about.

MOOYAH is all about the choices to make your own burger, hot dog and french fries combo. With all kinds of options from several different cheeses, grilled onions to sauteed mushrooms, MOOYAH has a variety of protein options including meat, black bean and for a limited time only, Jennie-O turkey burgers. Until the end of this month, you can enjoy the Jalapeño Jack Turkey Burger.

Jennie-O, a brand on a mission to make it easy to eat well, provides a mouthwatering option for burger fans who want a zippy kick with the ideal amount of spice. By customizing the experience with a combination of MOOYAH’s three buns, five cheeses, 11 toppings and 11 sauces, every member of your family is sure to enjoy the experience.

You’ve got until the end of April to try the Jalapeño Jack Turkey Burger so head over to your local MOOYAH to get your cluck on! Then share your experience and “show your tail feathers” on social using #myMOOYAH to win MOOYAH Moolah. And to make it even better, one lucky reader will win a $20 gift card MOOYAH Gift Card and $20 in Jennie-O coupons.

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Mickey Mouse Brunch Party with Waffle Bar #DisneySide

April 11, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 2 Comments

A party featuring Mickey Mouse is always going to be a good time, but starting off the day with a Mickey Mouse Brunch Party is even better! See how we put together this get together easily featuring the Mouse, waffle bar and lots more Disney fun!

Everyday is a good day for a Mickey Mouse themed party…especially one that starts early in the morning, in your PJs and covered in syrup! Thankfully from the #Disneyside sponsors, we had some great supplies to put together this marvelous Mickey Mouse inspired reverse pajama/brunch party!

Inviting some of our favorite friends and family members, via our favorite email service Punchbowl, we managed to create a hot diggity dog time – all before lunch time!

Centered around finding the coolest Mickey Waffle Stick Maker (affilate link) that makes four Mickey-shaped heads with sticks for waffle on a stick action that makes it easy and fun to eat. So the idea was born to create a Mickey Mouse Waffle Bar at our Reverse Pajama Party!

Aren’t they adorable? And with them just the right size, they are easy to eat AND you can eat more than one. Chocolate syrup, whip cream, strawberries, sprinkles and powdered sugar made for lots of fun for the kids to personalize their Mickey Mouse Waffles.

Along with the waffles, there were tons of other Mickey Mouse-shaped breakfast foodsas well as decorative items like this easy MM centerpiece we made for another Mickey Mouse birthday party for the kids when we returned from Disney World.

Of course, there were several Disney-themed edibles like these chocolate chip muffins with Mickey Mouse toothpicks (affiliate link) on this adorable resuable Mickey Mouse muffin/cupcake stand (affiliate link).

And you can’t ever forget the Mickey Mouse plates, cups and napkins (affilate), especially when you have waffles with whip cream and chocolate chips. While the kids enjoyed watching classic Mickey Mouse cartoons like Steamboat Willie and Mickey’s Adventures in Wonderland (affiliate).

Borrowing this idea from our Disney Princess party, we transformed the idea of princess wands to Mickey Mouse sticks using pineapple cut like Mickey Mouse, grapes and strawberries. If you don’t have a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter (affiliate) and have kids, you should buy one! It’s a quick and easy way to make sandwiches, cookies and these fruit kbobs fun to eat!

However, the fun didn’t stop there! We made these homemade Mickey Mouse marshmallows for our hot chocolate!

And the kids also received their own reusable travel mug with hot chocolate mix, Mickey Mouse marshmallows and other great treats to take home to show their #DisneySide including luggage tags, HP CMYK Pack with photopaper for their own photo memories and a DVD about planning your own Disney trip!

And you can’t ever forget the Mickey Mouse ears to make the PJ party complete.

We’re so glad we were able to get together to show our #DisneySide done breakfast style! The only thing that would have been better is to have Mickey Mouse join us!

How do you show your #DisneySide?

Face This: Daired’s New Facial with UltraLuxe BB Oil Reduces Aging

April 9, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

After a very LONG March, I was feeling like I aged about 20 years. And unfortunately when I looked in the mirror, I looked liked it, too. I needed some relaxation. I needed some TLC. I needed to do SOMETHING to get back to normal…actually to make me look and feel better than my normal would be even better.

Too bad I only had an hour to make magic happen.

However, with the NEW UltraLuxe BB Oil which launched nationally exclusively this month at Daireds Salon & Spa Pangéa in Arlington, an hour is all you need to reduce the appearance of age spots, wrinkles and pores and makes skin glow without the use of makeup.

Just the experience at Daireds Salon & Spa Pangéa is a treat with its 18,000 square-feet of beautiful spa and salon space. Walking into the beautiful glass doors, I was whisked into a calming environment, free of phone calls, people wanting things and just a moment to take a breath. After slipping into the ultra plush robe (that I found out you can and I will be buying soon), I was able to relax and let the stress take a backseat while I took care of me (which as moms we are TERRIBLE at doing.)

After a few moments, I was invited to lie down in a room and cozy bed, while my service began. In just about an hour, I had a therapeutic facial complete with extractions, recommendations for how to take care of my skin’s problem areas and a little mini- massage on my arms, scalp and neck. My esthetician was so good to give me guidance about my skin and how the addition of the UltraLuxe BB Oil can do to decrease the signs of aging.

From reducing the appearance of age spots, wrinkles and pores to hydrating, moisturizing and plumping the skin, this cure-all luxury oil speeds up the healing process and calms skin with its potent aromatherapy and antioxidant properties. Six essential oils, including cranberry, lavender and rosemary, combine to make skin look and feel youthfully radiant from the inside out. UltraLuxe BB Oil is all-natural and vegan, as well as paraben and sulfate-free.

Inside Daireds Salon and Spa in Arlington

And when I was done with my one-hour of zen, I did feel refreshed and my skin did, too. But you don’t just have to wait for a facial to experience the results of the new UltraLuxe BB Oil, you can also purchase a bottle from Daireds and reap the benefits of continued use as part of your own, at-home daily skin regimen. If you don’t have one, then the trained staff will be happy to assist you in creating the right plan just for you.

To book an anti-aging facial with UltraLuxe BB Oil treatment, please call 817.465.9797.

Daireds Salon & Spa Pangéa

I-20 & Bowen Rd. in Arlington

www.daireds.com

Inside Spa Pangea at Daireds in Arlington

Need a Doctor? Mend is the App For That

April 6, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 24 Comments

There’s nothing worse as a mom to see your child sick and you can’t do anything to help…

Except when you either have to wait until daylight hours to try to beg for an appointment with the pediatrician OR to roll into an urgent care facility or emergency room in the middle of the night with tons of other sick folks waiting to be seen while your kid tries to keep from throwing up all over the waiting room?

Don’t you just wish you could call your doctor and have them come to the house? Or better yet, to hit a button and in minutes the doc be at your bedside?

Thankfully, Dallas’ own Dr. Jonathan Clarke, a physician-certified in emergency medicine and military physician, not only heard your plea, he made the process even easier with an app. Mend, like Uber for medicine, delivers convenient, affordable, on-demand healthcare in your home, office or hotel, for patients age 2-64.

Launching just this last month in limited areas of Dallas including Uptown and Frisco, Mend services patients Monday – Friday 8 am – 8 pm and weekends 11 am – 6:30 pm. However, those without an Apple device or would prefer to speak to an individual to make an appointment at 469.458.6363 (MEND), Monday – Friday 8 am – 4 pm.

THE MEND PROCESS IS EASY

1. Download the Mend App on Apple iTunes to sign up for the service.

2. Request a visit using the app in just a few easy steps.

3. Now wait until the doctor comes to you.

While at this time Mend does not accept any insurance, sometimes comfort, convenience, and customer service are completely worth the very reasonable costs (that are also consistent with what I’ve paid for urgent care out of pocket costs.) Ranging from $199 for the visit to $175 for a complex service, no services are rendered without your consent and are payable with your credit card, Health Savings Account, or Flexible Spending Account. And what about if you need a prescription? Not only will Mend write out the prescription, but

And what about if you need a prescription? Not only will Mend write out the prescription, but Doughtery’s Pharmacy will provide same-day (or next day) delivery to your doorstep as well. I remember one time I was able to get into my doctor for a 20-minute visit then to have to spend six hours waiting for my prescription at the pharmacy. I would have paid big bucks to have been able to sleep at home and then wake up to have my pills handed to me at the door.

While Mend may be convenient for those specials times, they are a compliment to the services your primary care doctor and not a replacement. So make room on your iPhone and view the website to see if your area is served right now. If it’s anything like Uber, this concept is only going to grow exponentially as people see the value in this service.

Now let the mend begin!

Your Nose Knows: Spring Into a Good Mood Right Now

April 5, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 118 Comments

The calendar may have changed from winter to spring, but are you still feeling like it’s the dead of winter inside? Are you ready to your internal clock to start hearing the birds chirping and enjoy the sweet smells of Mother Nature?

Here’s why those plugins, candles and melts are much more important than you realize to your well being. Of all your senses, the olfactory system is the most dynamic. It doesn’t just allow you to enjoy the smell of a rose,

Of all your senses, the olfactory system is the most dynamic. It doesn’t just allow you to enjoy the smell of a rose, it also immediately connects you to a memory attached to the smell, like when your first boyfriend gave you a rose AND the way you felt when he did. It’s the connection between your smell receptors, your memory and your emotions that make the power of smell, well, so powerful. Of course, for me and my huge love of food, I choose to surround myself with all things that smell like food, not just because I like sugar cookies, but because I’m transported to a time when I enjoyed making Christmas cookies with a loved one at Christmas time and how they made me feel.

[Tweet “Did you know? Companies are working on a way to ID you not by your SSN but your unique smell? #smellsclean #ad”]

So if you’re looking to get out of your funk AND get the housework done, then go light up a candle. Yep, it can be that easy.

Recently my grandfather passed so my I’m not exactly feeling sunshine and flowers lately, but I’ve got to get moving on all my mom/wife/boss lady tasks. While the idea of jumping a plane to a tropical location to sip a pineapple-filled with pina colada did seem to be a quick way to happiness, budget, time constraints and all that jazz kinda kept that from happening. However, burning a Tiki Colada candle from Walmart’s exclusive 719 Walnut Avenue that smelled like the sweet, creamy concoction did a pretty fantastic number on improving my outlook and got me to wash the dishes, too.

If you’re looking to get a SPRING into the season, it’s just as easy as finding the right scent to match the idea of spring. A five-minute run through the air freshener aisle at your neighborhood Walmart might actually be actually what the doctor prescribed for a little picker-upper.

Several brands are featuring springtime scents just to get us all in the right state of mind (cue a little Jay-Z):

If the idea of a Hawaiian getaway sounds right up your alley, but isn’t in your schedule, consider Air Wick’s Life Scents Turquoise Oasis Scented Oil. With driftwood, sea spray and warm breeze, you’ll be whisked off to a hammock in paradise just a few minutes after you plugin that warmer plugged in.

Don’t need to getaway, but want to just enjoy the smell the sweetness of a mid-afternoon rain? Sunshine Showers from Glade is the right combination for you with the aromas of daffodil and dew.

Looking for a fresh clean smell that doesn’t resemble plain-ole soap or remind you of the big heap of laundry waiting for you to do? Then Febreeze’s Ginger Verbena combines an outdoorsy-meets-spicy-woodsy-with-citrus-love. Yes, that’s how I describe it. Kinda like wine, you get what you want out of a smell and this scent is pretty clean, but it a good, not sterile way.

If you’re more of a Dorothy gal that likes the idea of walking through a pasture of poppies (and your nose isn’t going to hate you later from the allergies), then the mild-sweetness of Poppy Grove will get you in the mood without your ruby slippers ever having to leave home (except for the quick drive to the store to get it.)

And since it’s always good to pass on the favor of feeling good to another person – let’s call it Smelling it Forward, then I’ve got a $5 giftcard for Walmart for one reader so you can go pick up any of these seasonal scents to get you in a great mood for spring!

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Make Your Best Cake Tips

April 3, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 4 Comments

Baking the perfect cake isn’t just cooking. It’s a mix of art and science – and some experience in knowing the best cake tips!

You know that expression “have your cake and eat it, too?”

Unfortunately when it comes to making them, most of us just skip to picking one up at the grocery store so we can take it home to eat it. And if we do make one, well, it probably came from a box and lovely icing from a rounded container.

Face it: cake making isn’t easy, but with a little patience and few of these best cake tips, you can make your own little piece of sweet art a lot better than you ever thought possible. And when you’re done, you don’t even have to share. But I will share a few tips that will take you for basic to Betty Crocker in just one cake.

However, cake making isn’t just cooking; it’s art, it’s a science and actually a little lesson in history.

I love to read cookbooks and actually I own probably about 100+ of them and sometimes just love reading the ingredients, recipe names and my favorite, the descriptions, especially on old cookbooks (like those made from local women’s groups!) One of my favorites growing up were the red-gingham covered (affiliate link included) Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Filled with tips to setting your table, to how to make Sunday dinner for your inlaws, this cookbook was the gold standard cooking staple for most women in the 50s as they either practiced for marriage or worked to “create a home” after the wedding. I love the tips they include as well as all the handy conversions. Just for cakes the section there’s a nifty tip sheet for all the things you did wrong with your cake and how to fix them next time. While looking for a little something to make for Easter, I actually ran across a recipe called “Easter Dinner Cake.” Since it was found in the sponge/pound cake section and made with orange juice, the recipe sounded perfect for Easter dinner. And with 11 egg whites, I had to know how this was going to turn out.

RECIPE: Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook Easter Dinner Cake

As I started to think about Easter cakes, I remembered the one my mom made when I was young that had coconut, lime, lemons, oranges and all the other good stuff that still had me licking my lips for just one more bite 20+ years later. Luckily she knew exactly what recipe it was from her McCall’s Cooking School Cook Book binder, a mail-subscription service that sent you a few recipes every month to add to your binder until you had a full cookbook.

Of course, this was BW (before the web), so it was fun to wait to see what recipes you’d receive each shipment. I tried to find my own copy of the once mail-order binder cookbook, but from others looking for the same thing, it doesn’t appear you can find a copy unless you find one on Amazon from others willing to sell theirs. However, I’m reprinting it here for you (or until they realize it might be worth it to put these online!)

RECIPE: McCall’s Cooking School Coconut-Cream Cake with Lemon-Lime Filling

And it wouldn’t be Easter without Carrot Cake, right? I love this recipe ot just because it’s covered in Cream Cheese frosting, but because it is made with applesauce! You know I’m always about using applesauce in your recipes, especially baking, since it makes things lower in fat, higher in healthy ingredients and definitely much more moist! While you could use any applesauce, I like the cinnamon version from GoGo squeeZ to give it that little kick of sweetness. And then throw in a little 1/2 teaspoon of chile or chipotle powder and you’ve got a cake that won’t stop – at least not until you’ve finished every.single. bite.

RECIPE: Best Carrot Cake Ever

What’s your favorite cake?

Best Carrot Cake Ever

April 3, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

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Best Carrot Cake Ever

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

1¼ cup applesauce
2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chile powder or chipotle powder (trust me!)
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (optional) + 1 cup for garnish
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup crushed pineapple in juice, not drained

Frosting

½ cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine first three ingredients into a bowl.
In another bowl mix all dry ingredients together and then add to applesauce mixture.
Next combine carrots, coconut, nuts, vanilla and pineapple together. Then add to the applesauce mixture until well blended.
Pour into two greased 8 or 9-inch pans.
Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

Beat the butter and cream cheese until nice and fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
Frost the cake until complete and serve! Add chopped pecans or walnuts for garnish.

Easter Dinner Cake

April 3, 2015 By Autumn Rose Reo 1 Comment

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