mamachallenge | Real Solutions for Real Parents | Dallas Blog

Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

5 Tips For the Best Holiday Party #CottonelleHoliday

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This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Cottonelle, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #CottonelleHoliday http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

 While the holidays are meant to be a time to spend with your family and friends, most of us (including me) work so hard to host the best get-togethers that we end up not enjoying anything (or anyone) at all! This holiday season make it a goal to throw a great party that’s not only easy, but is as entertaining for you as it is them by using my five simple Party-Perfect tips! 

1. Create a Theme That Ties it Together. 
From the moment you decide to throw a party, you should work around a theme. 

 Not only do your guests have an expectation of your party plan, but it makes your planning MUCH easier. From the invitation, music, food, and decor, a theme gives you a base to plan your party. However, don’t think you have to use your theme for every detail. And a theme doesn’t have to be complicated either; it could be as simple as blue and silver colors or Peppermint stripes. And remember, not everything has to be as perfect as that pin you put on your Pinterest board, but just enough to give you a little something to remember you (and your party) by! 

 To get your started, I’ve included a Pinterest board full of fun holiday themes to inspire you and to get the juices flowing!

Follow Autumn Reo {mamachallenge.com}’s board HOLIDAYS: Ideas on Pinterest. 

 2. Set the Mood with Music. 
Let your Siri or your computer do the work with either a preprogrammed music list or an online music service. 

 The music is important as it sets the tone for your party, but if you are playing DJ all night, it interrupts the mood and keeps you from your guests. I like the 60/40 rule when it comes to holiday parties with 60% of your all-time favorites (and appropriate) with a mix of 40% of holiday hits (you don’t want your party to sound like a discount store) for a personal touch. 


However, technology has made it even easier with online services like Pandora. Just type in whatever musician you would want to play at your party if money was no option (Harry Connick, Jr. anyone?) and then Pandora spits out a channel with a playlist that includes Harry, Buble and other similar artists with no repeats. (Just make sure to pay the $4.99 monthly fee to ditch the ads so you don’t have a commercial break during your big bubbly toast! You can always cancel it. ) 

 3. Presentation Goes a Long Way with Party Food. 
Food is often a favorite part of a party, but you don’t have to spend three days cooking to present a good spread. Just buy cute platters, muffin papers or small cups and voila, you have an instant presentation even Food Network will be proud of.

  • Order a few of your favorite things from your favorite eatery. Hit up your restaurant, grocery store or deli and have them whip up small versions to plate up at home. Zoe’s Kitchen, Eatzi’s and Olive Garden have several options available for order or even drop in!  
  • Make it a fun food event with a taco or ice cream bar. You only have one big ingredient and then everyone can make their plate exactly the way they want it! 
  • Consider a potluck and ask your guests to bring their favorite dish! Using electronic invitation program Evite or even just a personal Facebook Event Page allows you to post what you are bringing so you don’t have to worry about having duplicate dishes!) 
  • Go frozen! Make it easy by going to your local market or Super Target for all the baked apps you can find (everyone loves those quiches, puff pastry and flautas), throw them on a baking sheet and then 10 minutes later you have party food – now all you need to do is plate it pretty! 

4. Create a Cocktail, not a Bar. 
Being hospitable doesn’t make that you have to have tons of options available at your party. And like music, if you attempt to play bartender at your party mixing up everyone’s preferred cocktail, never get out of the kitchen (and go broke in the process). Mix up one signature cocktail for the party that maybe has a fun name that relates to your theme or has a festival feel and call it done. Then just have water, ginger ale and maybe coffee available for guests.  They don’t call it signature for nothin’ – one cocktail can really make your party memorable. 

However, you could always make it BYOB and tell your guests to bring a bottle of wine. That way you have wine available for guests as soon as the first one shows up at the door. Just make sure to have a few extra bottles on hand for that guest that “forgets” their offering. Nothing is worse than a party that runs out of refreshments just when the party gets going. 

 5.  Prettify the Potty! (Cottonelle Photo)
Yes, you heard me. When you invite 20+ friends over and then serve several servings of apps and drinks, it’s inevitable you also should plan for a least 1-3 trips per guest to the bathroom. That’s why this room should be included in the party plan just as much as what you are going to feed them! 

I like to make my bathroom clean and welcoming with a nice-smelling burning candle, a fresh decorative hand towel (or dry cloths) and stocked with lots of toilet paper. There’s nothing more embarrassing than to run out of TP while you are a guest at someone’s house, so have a few rolls of Triple Roll of Cottonelle (I bought my mine at one of my favorite shopping spots, Target) readily available in the bathroom. That way you don’t have to taken from the fun to go to get another roll (and it still fits on your stand TP holder.) 


And with Cottonelle’s Triple Roll, your toilet paper will last three times as long as that other stuff and the quality is much better, too! If you know everyone is going to have an experience in your bathroom, wouldn’t you want it to be the best one? 

Lucky for you, Cottonelle is helping you spread the cheer (and not the germs) this season with a special offer only from Target. 
[Click the box below to print off your own coupon!]

Now it’s time to get the party started! 


Give Gifts They’ll Love with Help from Walgreens Holiday Gift Guide

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Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

With a Walgreens just around the corner from my house, I’m there all the time. If not to pick up the usual prescriptions or photos, I’m there to pick up any number of things including gifts! It’s like my own little secret to find last-minute Christmas gifts that are perfect for everyone including teacher gifts, neighbor gifts and co-workers. And best of all, Walgreens has all your unique wrapping needs to make your gift stand out and look like you spent hours making it look perfect!

So when work caused me to spend Thanksgiving away from my family, a long-time coworker/friend was kind enough to invite me to her home to join her family for Turkey Day. While I wasn’t able to be with my kiddos, the hospitality of her family not only made it bearable, but memorable, so I wanted to give a little token of my appreciation for allowing me to spend the day with them. 


And of course, I found all kinds of other gift ideas for other people, too! 

The stocking stuffers galore including a great display of Christmas socks and Christmas toiletries that anyone would love.


And I’m pretty sure I began shopping for gift wrap before I even found a gift. Aren’t these options ideal for the small things to the big items that are never easy to wrap. 

And who couldn’t miss these guys – the holiday “chorus.” I just couldn’t resist myself from hearing them all sing in unison. Check out the Walgreens “Chorus!”

One of the coolest things I found was an end cap display – when you buy two bottles of wine and a package of Ghirardelli chocolate, you’ll also receive a free festive red cardboard basket that’s perfect for gift giving, and all for a reasonable price! 

Trying to narrow down the options, I remembered while I was visiting with the family they mentioned that they were having a cooking decorating competition and it would be the last one before her son went to college. So when I saw this Ninja Gingerbread Cookie Kit in the holiday aisle, I just had to have it. Since I’m an apron fanatic, I thought adding a Santa apron would be a way to give signature gift from me. And to wrap it up just right, I found this adorable ceramic Santa cookie tray to use as part of the gift wrap AND as part of the gift. 

Using the red ribbon and these sparkly mitten nametags that almost could be double as pot holders for my culinary-themed gift, I put together a sophisticated gift that I’m so excited to give. 

Walgreens always has the right thing you are looking for and the unique gift wrapping options from quick-and-easy to beautiful and personalized. Make Walgreens part of your holiday shopping this year and don’t forget to sign up as a FREE Walgreens Balance Rewards member! Not only do you get discounts on thousands of items, but you also get money back! It only takes a minute to sign up and you can save even more money just for shopping! 

 Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping at Walgreens! 






Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Tortilla Soup

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Had turkey yesterday? Then you probably have leftovers. Here’s what to do with them with this easy Turkey Tortilla Soup. 

SponsoredPostDisclaimer

Thanksgiving seemed like it was going to be a bust since I was scheduled to work all day. However, I decided that we’d just do Thanksgiving on another night with just the family. 

 

That meant that I was doing it all by myself. From making the menu, shopping, cooking, decorating and of course, my favorite, cleaning it all up (not), Thanksgiving was going to be a solo performance. 


However, I had no idea how many times my best friend PAM was going to come to my rescue. 

Yep, you probably know her – she’s the reliable, zero-calorie cooking spray that you reach for when you want to make sure your food doesn’t stick to the pan…but that’s not all I learned she can do!&

Thanksgiving, I picked up my can of PAM Cooking Spray at least 10 times. From spraying the pan for the rolls, spraying the turkey to give it a little color, finishing the top of the stuffing before hitting the oven for crisp corners, giving a little mist in the food processor before chopping the pecans for the pie, and coating the skillet for the bacon-bleu cheese brussel sprouts, PAM was there for me to make sure that the meal came out picture perfect and even more important for me, easier to clean up the aftermath. 

I just wished I would have sprayed my floor before my daughter decided she needed to make a pie like mama — all over my kitchen.

But the meal I really look forward to is the after-Thanksgiving leftovers. Using the turkey, several leftovers I found in the fridge, and a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles, I cooked up a Turkey Tortilla Soup that was a great way to reinvent Thanksgiving 2013. And, PAM played a starring role for this meal, too, by creating the finishing touch with homemade tortilla chips to give the soup the perfect crunch in under 3 minutes. 

TurkeyTortillaSoup
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Turkey Tortilla Soup 

  • Author: Autumn Reo of mamachallenge.com
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 7 cups of broth (use chicken broth or broth from the turkey)
  • 3 cups shredded turkey (or use what you have left!)
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tsp red pepper
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes and green chiles like Rotel
  • (Whatever leftovers you have – carrots, onions, etc.)
  • 3–4 flour tortillas
  • PAM Cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Instructions
  2. In a large pot, boil the broth and turkey together with cumin, garlic, red pepper, salt and pepper. Season to taste. After boiling for 7 minutes, add the black beans, corn and Rotel and move to a simmer for 20 minutes or more.
  3. While the soup is cooking, prepare to the making the tortilla chips.  Spray the cooking sheet with PAM.  Then using a knife or cookie cutter, cut the tortillas into several triangles like a pie and lay them out separately on to the pan. Then spray the triangles with PAM. Place the pan in the oven on broil for 2-3 minutes until crispy and golden.

What’s your favorite SMART TIP for using PAM Cooking Spray?

Cure Your Kid’s Cold with Maty’s All-Natural Products {Giveaway}

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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, however, I am so glad that I got the opportunity to learn about and try Maty’s and now I am a customer. 

 When Jackson was born, to say my world changed would be an understatement. 

 Not just because he was my first, but because his heart condition made me very cognizant of what I was putting in my son’s body, especially when it came to medicine. He already had more drugs pumped through him in his first three months of life, I was really excited to add more. However, I also needed to keep him healthy – even a cold or runny nose could add stress to his body. 


 Now five years later I am still very aware of what I am putting into my children especially when it comes to medicine. That’s why I am excited to find a company that not only thinks about not just curing what ails my children, but that there are natural remedies that can also cure them. Maty’s All-Natural Products was also started by a mom who’s child was born with a heart defect. 

spending time in and out of seeing the doctor, she started researching ways to treat her child with natural remedies using food-based ingredients for common issues like the cough and cold. And best of all, not only do the product treat the symptoms, but are loaded with several immune-boosting ingredients to help from getting sick again. 


Maty’s has joined up with Conscious Box to give away a monthly subscription box full of all natural, vegan and gluten free products featuring Maty’s Natural Products and 1,000 sample packets of Maty’s! But you only have until Nov. 24 to enter —>  http://woobox.com/4a4e3j! 
But just for Mama Challenge readers, you can win one full-size Maty’s Natural Products (cough syrup, vapor rub, chest rub or nasal ointment – just in time for the cold season!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hope to make your season a little less sniffly!









Ditch the Dictionary – Get Your Own Online Editor with Grammarly

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Tech Tuesday:

Ever read a Facebook status and wished you had an online spell check before you pressed ‘enter?’

 Sent a resume and realized you misspelled Dear for Deer, but your spell checker never caught it? 

 Posted a blog post and then got an email you had four typos, and you needed to change them pronto? 

 Wanted to figure out if you were using the right word in a report and didn’t have anyone to bounce it off of? 


Yes, me too. (Don’t think about going through my posts to start counting…)

 I think we all wish we had a second pair of eyes to look over our writing, especially when we are multitasking between text, email, documents, Facebook and Twitter and never feel like we have the time to run it by someone.

 Well, folks, the sad thing is, everything you write is a major thing.  It’s what you are writing that says you are thoughtful, you are detail-oriented, you are professional and most of all, you aren’t an idiot. 

 That’s why it’s wonderful that there is an option available besides your college English teacher from 10 years ago to ask if that Facebook post is written correctly: Grammarly. 


Not only does this automated proofreader and grammar coach help you find up to 10 more mistakes and 250 more typos than word processors programs, but it also is your plagiarism checker online for free by checking your text against eight million web pages.  

 Pretty impressive, right? 

 There’s lots more it offers, too. 

 What I love about Grammarly is that it can be customized for your style of writing: General, Business, Academic, Technical, Creative, or Casual, so depending on if you are whipping out a report or a blog post, Grammarly can still help you. 




Also, when you check your grammar using Grammarly, all of the grammatical errors are categorized, clearly displayed, and organized for your review and revision, so it’s easy to read and understand. 

 And it doesn’t just correct your mistakes, it tells you why it is making the suggestion. So you are learning how to be a better writer by using it as well as having the opportunity to utilize its online Writing Handbook for more knowledge. 

 So basically why aren’t you using Grammarly? 

Do you feel like Microsoft Word is already enough for you or you don’t want to go to the trouble of opening up another browser? Don’t worry, there’s a Microsoft Word plug-in so you can use it while you are working in Word. 

 Wonder if it works in blog posts and Facebook? Then download it and see how it can integrate into all your platforms including Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and more. 



 The Grammarly online grammar check tool is not only good for discovering what to fix in your writing, but how to fix it. 

 And best of all, you don’t have to delete anything or apologize for your poor writing skills when you have Grammarly at your fingertips! 

Relieve Sinus Pain with Sudafed’s OPEN UP app and Win $5,000

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

After returning from a wonderful mom-and-son blog getaway to Mexico last week, I was “lucky” to have my sinus take over and make me miserable – starting on my way home on the plane. 

Everything hurt; my head was pounding from the pressure on my sinus and my eyes just kept watering. Not to mention the total discomfort of having my ears pop on the plane. In reality I just really couldn’t handle anything, much less traveling with my kiddo or not being able to get to my pharmacy to pick up some relief. 


It wasn’t the way I wanted to end that trip at all, especially when it started so wonderfully for my birthday! But that is what sinus pain and colds do – especially here in Texas… they come over you when you least expect it and then like that you are down and out. And the feeling? That’s the worst part. I couldn’t put my fingers on enough pulse points to attempt to make my brain quit pounding. 


And let’s not talk about the runny nose once that started. Indescribable.

 While hindsight is 20/20, had I been able to take stock in tissues before I got sick, I would be a rich woman now. 

 Bottom line: I just wanted to zip off this body to relieve the pressure. 

Thankfully,  is helping to relieve a little of the pressure that comes from sinus pain with the Sudafed OPEN UP™ Facebook app. This nifty app helps sufferers visualize their pain with a photo contest, share it with other suffers, get a coupon and best of all, be entered in for a chance to win $5,000. 

 That alone is enough reason to feel better. 

 Well, after you have taken a Sudafed. 

Sudafed_OpenUp_Infographic_MECH


Sudafed knows that suffering from sinus pressure and pain can leave individuals feeling crushed, beat down, congested and even squeezed, desperately looking for a way to open up. Serious sinus sufferers are invited to creatively share how their sinus pain and pressure looks and feels to them by using Sudafed’s OPEN UP™ application on Facebook.

Then, beginning on December 2, the Sudafed Facebook community will vote for one of five finalist sketches that best illustrates the pains of sinus pressure. The winner will receive $5,000 and a chance to have their work included in a Sudafed advertising campaign. For more information, visit the Sudafed Facebook page. 

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









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Holiday Rundown: See the Lights at Grand Prairie’s Prairie Lights Powered by Gexa Energy

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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for the Prairie Lights. I go every year, but this year they thought I could share my experience why I return year after year!
 
Holiday already? 
 
Actually, I’ve been working on it for about two months and now it is time! We are kicking off this holiday with your run down of all the best holiday events you should visit here in DFW! 
First one up: Grand Prairie’s Prairie Lights Powered by Gexa Energy

 
With four million lights and two miles of lights and ending in the world’s longest light tunnel, the Prairie Lights Powered by Gexa Energy in Grand Prairie is not just a holiday light display, but a holiday light experience.  For the second year, Gexa Energy is the title sponsor and is powering the spectacular drive-through display and Holiday Village attractions.  
The 2013 drive includes hundreds of new displays. Stop half way and visit the Holiday Village for food, gifts, carnival rides, and Santa – at Prairie Lights through Monday, December 23 – and two Holiday Magic attractions: Holiday Magic Live! at the Light Show Theater and Lighted Walk-Through Forest.  Also, visitors will be able to visit the Gexa Energy display at Holiday Village for an opportunity to take a free photo commemorating their experience.
 
 
Admission includes entry into the exhibit which features hundreds of all-new displays, but a stop into Holiday Village with cocoa, cider and funnel cakes for purchase, and a visit with Santa. For a little extra moolah (like $7 for adults and $4 for kids), check out the Light Show 4D Theatre and the Lighted Walk-Through Forest for the ultimate holiday evening.  
It’s a big exhibit, so get ready for a big time at Prairie Lights.
 
 

 
Graphic from PrairieLights Facebook
 
Prairie Lights in Grand Prairie
Thursday, Nov. 28 through Tuesday, Dec. 31
Thanksgiving Night through New Year’s Eve
Sunday – Thursday: 6 – 9 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 6 – 10 p.m.
Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve: 6 – 10 p.m.
Lynn Creek Park
5610 Lake Ridge Pkwy, Grand Prairie, TX 7505
 
Cars: Mon. – Thurs: $20, Sat & Sun: $30 (other vehicle sizes more)
Holiday Magic Live!: $5 for adults and $3 for children.  
Holiday Magic Lights Walk-Through Forest: $3 adults and $2 children. 
Save on combo tickets for both – $7 for adults, $4 for children. 
There is a small charge for pictures made with Santa.
Carnival rides are free.  
 
 
And follow all the fun on social networks: 
https://twitter.com/PrairieLights

AND BEST OF ALL, YOU CAN WIN TICKETS TO SEE PRAIRIE LIGHTS!
 
 
 

 


Halloween Celebration Play Date Fun: Boo Bark, Spooky S’mores & Poison Punch {Recipes}

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As part of a sponsored campaign for Collective Bias®, I was inspired to create some fun and quick recipes for a Halloween play date using our favorite Mars candies, 7 UP and Hawaiian Punch. 
As I’ve been sharing on mamachallenge, I simply love Halloween. 

The decor, the fun and the candy make it a perfect opportunity to get together with family friends to catch up before the Christmas holidays. So we invited over a few of the neighbors for a little play date with a spooky celebration theme! 

 
The kids wanted to help with the party preparation fun, so we put on our aprons and began the creation fun! My little mad scientist (my 5 year-old) came up with the idea of Boo Bark; an inspiration from his recipe of Easter Day Bark. Using all his favorite Mars candies like Twix, Snickers, and M&Ms, he whipped together a delicious candy-coated treat, with a little help from mom (melting the chocolate.) 

#shop

 

Once in the Halloween spirit, he couldn’t stop himself! My little chef, wanted to have one more dessert for his party. Since he loves s’mores, he decided to make a Halloween S’mores using pumpkin marshmallows, Snickers miniatures and cinnamon-flavored graham crackers. I was surprised at how good they were and tasted just like Halloween! 

#shop

 

To wash it all down, we made up our own brew of “Poison Punch” with Hawaiian Punch, 7 UP and a little dab of sherbet for effect. We also used some other Halloween fun using juice ice cubes and gummi body parts to add a little more fun to the bow. Using a decorative cauldron and a fun little toy we found at the Halloween store, we were able to add a little spooky effect with fog. While you could opt to use dry ice instead of the vaporizer, we were able to find ANY anywhere, so this little device made it easy for us to use and could be used over and over. 

#shop

 

See? Having a little spooky celebration get-together can come together with little work or effort with just a few favorite ingredients! And best of all, after Halloween, what an easy way to use your leftover candy and create a treat perfect for giving in November (just change out your M&Ms for yellow, orange and brown.) 

 
Mars Variety Packs make getting ready for Trick or Treaters easy with Miniatures available in 230 pieces & Fun Size packs in 55 pieces.

 

#shop

 

Boo Bark

 Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 cups chocolate chips
16-20 Twix miniatures
15 Snickers miniatures, chopped 
20 bags M&Ms, separated into green, orange, brown 

Instructions
Line a cookie sheet with foil. Then spray the foil with cooking spray. 
Lay unwrapped Twix on the bottom of sheet spacing them out around 1-2 inches a part. 
Next either melt chocolate chips in the microwave or over the stove with a double boiler, until the chocolate has melted and pulls away from the pot. 
Pour chocolate over Twix bars on sheet. 
Place M&Ms over the top of chocolate bark. 
Then sprinkle Snickers over the top. 
Place chocolate pan in frigerator or freezer until firm. 
Break apart into pieces. 
Serve immediately or store in fridge until ready to gift. 
 
 
#shop

Poison Punch

 Ingredients
2 quarts Hawaiian Punch
2 cups 7 UP
1 cup sherbet (any flavor)
Gummi body parts

 Instructions
Refrigerate Hawaiian Punch and & 7 UP until ready to serve. 
Add to Hawaiian Punch and gummi body parts to a large bowl. 
Then add sherbet. 
Slowly add 7 UP to the bowl. 
Serve punch in a cauldron or other fun serving container! 

 

#shop
 

 

How Do You Do Your Georgia Coffee Moment?

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This is a sponsored post written by me on the behalf of Georgia Coffee. 

Coffee.

The word alone is almost like saying “om” for me.

The aroma. The taste. The moment. Nothing else comes close to your lips meeting the hot, rich and satisfying beverage that has continued to go relatively unchanged no matter where I’ve been in my life. 


I can remember late nights in college that my coffee made a long day better when I had a test to study and papers to write. 

During my first job, when I was traveling from place to place, from airport to airport, a cup of coffee is what met me on my way out, welcomed me on my way to a new place and kept me company. 

Now, whether it’s at home in front of my computer, snuggled in front of the fireplace, or when I’m having lunch with a friend, it’s my coffee that makes me happy, comfortable and at peace. 

And while I enjoy a cup of java anytime of the day, it’s actually 2 p.m. that is my “coffee thirty.” 

With just one sip, all the tension of the day becomes focused; the stress melts away and things seem to be better – at least for just a little bit. However, I admit while I’m thankful for getting the opportunity to experience my coffee moment, if I have the chance, there are a few things that can make it even better.

1.  Cream.  And lots of it. Specifically, half and half. And on a really bad day – whipping cream. (Oh, wow that’s the ticket.)

2.  Good coffee like Georgia Coffee.  Made with 100% Arabica beans, the good ones that derive complex flavors and a richer coffee experience.  And to match my mood, I like to have options, even when it comes to my coffee. 

Light Roast: Nutty, sweet and fruity overtones with a mild finish
Dark Roast: Distinct, full-bodied with rich chocolate character
Decaf: Sweet, medium-bodied with mild acidity and a clean finish

But the way you take your coffee is a very personal request. And why shouldn’t it be when you are talking about how to make your day complete? 

So how do you take your coffee? Sugar, creamer, milk, sweetener, cinnamon, honey or basic black? 

What’s your Georgia Coffee moment? Before your day begins, with breakfast, mid-morning, or with dessert? It’s a discussion that really gets things percolating, at least amongst coffee drinkers. And there are a lot of us. So get in on the conversation with Georgia Coffee on Twitter @Georgia Coffee.

And of course, what a better way to talk coffee than by drinking it, just like I am right now!

To find your cup of Georgia Coffee, visit the locator and type in your zip code. 

I partnered with Georgia Coffee to write this post. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.

For more information, visit http://www.georgiacoffee.com.

It’s Coffee Time!



NickMom Has “The Right Stuff” for Moms

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Because I’m a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community and mom who enjoys a good laugh, I’ve been asked to share a little MotherFunny on the behalf of NickMom. And if you find all the references to boy-band songs in this post, you are pretty MotherFunny too. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog…

#shop
Photo courtesy of Nickmom.com


A few months ago, I sat in front of the TV and the computer to begin my night (which coincidentally only comes after everyone else has finished theirs.) So tired from all my daily “mom dos and dats,” I hadn’t even bothered to change the station from the ending credits of Team Umizoomi to something more adult appropriate (you know something mature and intelligent like reality TV), when I heard a little song come on “advertising” for a new music album. 



 About :10 seconds in the song when the “boy band” Sons II Mothers started to belt out about “doing my dishes and my laundry,” I got excited (from both the song and the idea of a man wanting to do my dishes.) What I realized is I actually wasn’t just watching my 10th infomercial of the day or that my dreams of a clean sink were coming true. This was actually MotherFunny. 

After a little Google session, I discovered this wet-my-pants kinda of fun was from NickMom, a new block of mom-appropriate late night programming for when moms actually get to watch TV. Aimed at mamas just like me, NickMom is made for those of us that sing Yo Gabba Gabba songs when are kids aren’t home, haven’t washed our hair for a least  two, three or four days, and our Facebook status shows we’ve attended a boy-band concert…in the last month or two and didn’t take our daughters.  
Alas – These were my people. 
You see, I’m an admitted New Kids on the Block fan from way back. I mean WAY back. And I really haven’t gotten over it yet, even more than two decades later. I still have my giganto Jordan pin, a few posters and the entire trading card set (no judgement, ok?) 

Just to show my true dedication, I have spent much time over the last six years showing my commitment to the words of “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” for the New Kids like when: 
  • I drove four hours one night to have the chance to meet Jordan Knight. But backed away once he came over to meet me like my daughter does when she fills up a diaper but doesn’t want me to see. (Coincidently, I got the chance to meet a member of 98 degrees and Color Me Badd at the same time, but that’s a whole ‘nother MotherFunny story.)
  • I attended two NKOTB concerts (one of those very pregnant) and still did all the moves to “Hangin’ Tough.” Yeah, you should have seen the guy in front of me wondering if a kid was going to fly out any minute. He just sang “Hold On Girl” all night.
  • And I even admitted on a radio show that if my husband had let me, I might have named our first-born child Jordan. Glad I lost that battle to naming him something more prestigious like after the hottie in Steel Magnolias instead.
Knowing I’m not the only mom with a little obsession for remembering the good ole days, I looked to my friends at NickMom.com and thought there’s got to me someone else that’s just as twisted as me. And of course, they didn’t let me down. 
#shop

Just like my own personal Miss Cleo, this said a lot about me and answered those things I had wondered for a long time, but didn’t have anyone else to discuss this very important matter with. And that’s not all NickMom is dishing up – they also have stand-up comedy that only a mom can appreciate (however, a dad will enjoy even if he only half gets it.) 

But don’t worry it isn’t all just fun stuff, they get to the serious stuff too. I mean just check out this episode of Parental Discretion with Stefanie Wilder-Taylor and her focus on O’Mama Care. If you don’t laugh with this girl, well you need to pour yourself another glass of vino (and check out what your wine says about you.) 

Apparently, mine says I should just attach the glass to the bottle and it would save me a step… 

So are you looking for a little Motherfunny to liven up your sacred Pinterest time? Need a “friend” to debate why Donnie is better than Jordan (not)? Or just want to watch something besides Monica, Chandler and Ross for the nth time while you throw your baby a little late-night boob action? Then turn that dial to NickMom where they know every day is “Step by Step,” so why can’t it be MotherFunny? 


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