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Nourish Yourself At The San Diego Nourished Festival + Ticket Giveaway

January 23, 2019 1 Comment

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Today I am excited to tell you about the Nourished Festival (formerly known as the Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo) that is coming to San Diego on February 9-10, 2019. This festival began in 2007 and is currently held in eight different cities throughout the United States. The Nourished Festival is the largest gluten-free, allergy and special diet festival in the country!

The Nourished Festival features a variety of Gluten-Free & Nut-Free exhibitors, along with new Paleo, Keto & Plant-Based zones–something for everyone. Even in these new sections, all products at the Festival are gluten-free!

This will be my first time attending this event and I am excited about checking it out. Although I do not follow a gluten-free diet, both of my kids have nut allergies. Plus, I am always interested in learning about and sampling products that promote a healthier lifestyle. A Festival ticket includes:

Entry into the vendor fair with over 100 brands
Valuable coupons at the vendor booths
Samples from the vendors that are considered to be gluten free
Discounted products available for purchase
Informative classes related to the gluten free and allergen-friendly lifestyle
Free reusable bag to carry your goodies
Meet your favorite vendors, authors and bloggers

Tickets can be purchased here.
Get 20% off with code ADVANCE (thru 2/8)

In addition, I have two tickets to give away to my readers (1 ticket per winner)! The ticket voucher is good for one adult or child, single day or weekend.

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Family Field Trips, Reviews, Sponsored

Making Memories at Medieval Times + Discount

January 22, 2019 No Comments

Disclosure: I received tickets in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Have you ever been to Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament? They are located in nine locations across the country (and Toronto):

Buena Park, CA
Dallas, TX
Baltimore, MD
Orlando, FL
Atlanta, GA
Lyndhurst, NJ
Myrtle Beach, SC
Chicago, IL
Scottsdale, AZ

Last night we had the opportunity to see the dinner show in Buena Park. The last time we went to Medieval Times was about three and half years ago. Looking back, the kids seem so small! I knew this would be a whole new experience for them.

Parking is refreshingly free, and access in and out of the parking lot to the castle is really easy.

We arrived about an hour before our 6:00 reservation as recommended. This gave us time to take some pictures, soak in the castle atmosphere and not feel rushed. There are also “knighting” ceremonies that are kind of fun to watch. (*This is also a good time to use the restroom since it can be inconvenient to go in the middle of the show depending on where you are seated.)

As you can see by the color of our crowns, we were cheering on the Red Knight.

No utensils are provided so the fun part is eating with your hands!

Each person receives half of a chicken! It was amazing how all of the food was nice and hot considering how many people they had to serve at once. (I was unable to take a good picture of the potato and corn sides, but the kids liked everything.)

It is a lot of food, and the kids receive the same portions as the adults. However, they do provide to-go bags on request! (Be sure to bring cash so that you can leave a tip for the hard-working servers at the end of the meal.)

I thought the actors did quite a good job with their roles and dialogue.

Some parts of the show might be a little intense for really young children. There is a lot of sword play and “fighting” which makes it exciting. It is funny how some of the adult men are the ones who really get into it!

Even if your knight does not win, everyone ends up having a good time. I love that we were able to visit Medieval Times together as a family. I think it is experiences like these that bring us closer together because they provide such wonderful mutual memories. During the show they went down a list of everyone who was celebrating something special that night (birthday, anniversary, honeymoon etc.) and there was a lot of celebrating going on! Keep Medieval Times in mind for your next family outing.

Grab tickets now with a special holiday offer:
40% Off Adults & Teens & 20% Off Kids
Code HOL4020

Valid through 1/31/2019

Food, Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Meatless Monday With Alpha Burritos: Review + Giveaway

January 21, 2019 1 Comment

Disclosure: I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

I have definitely been noticing an increase in plant-based convenience foods in the freezer aisle lately. We recently tried Alpha Burritos, which are 100% plant-based burritos that are packed with protein and veggies. Alpha Burritos come in four varieties:

Mexicali
Fajita Chick’n
Philly Sandwich
Pizza

Unlike most frozen burritos, Alpha Burritos are free of GMOs, cholesterol, hormones, corn syrup, artificial preservatives, and all animal products.

We enjoyed the Mexicali and Pizza burritos. They were both very flavorful and satisfying. I was surprised by how meaty and cheesy the burritos tasted, considering they do not contain any animal products. Pair one with a salad and you have a quick and healthy dinner! Click here to find where Alpha Burritos are sold near you.

For a chance to win 4 FREE product vouchers for Alpha Burritos, visit my Instagram post!

Book Review, Giveaways, Sponsored

New Reads For the New Year: Reviews + Giveaway

January 19, 2019 26 Comments

Disclosure: I received a copy of these books in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Today I am reviewing three fun books for the new year from Ulysses Press. The first one is called The Big Book of 30-Day Challenges, by Rosanna Casper. The title immediately grabbed my attention because I like the idea of thirty day challenges. This book includes 60 such challenges, ranging from walking 10,000 steps to learning a foreign language. The challenges are divided into six categories:

Fitness
Food
Self-Care
Mindfulness
Organization & Productivity
Networking & Relationships
Creativity & Learning

Even though each challenge is for only thirty days, the intent is that some of these challenges will become life-long habits that improve your quality of life.

The challenges range from “do-able” to seemingly impossible. For example, “Drink 8 to 10 Glasses of Water a Day” is something I know that I should do, but has always been a personal challenge. On the other hand, “Write a Novel” is a challenge that I do not ever intend, nor do I want to take! Even though not all of the challenges will appeal to everyone, the point is to pick the ones that speak to you. I like how the author offers helpful and practical tips specific to each challenge. I would recommend The Big Book of 30 Day Challenges for anyone looking to develop good habits for the new year.

Have you heard of bullet journaling? I have seen various samples on Instagram, but I have never tried it. Beyond Bullets by Megan Rutell, gives an excellent overview of various journaling styles and encourages creativity in the process.

I like how there are many different journaling styles included in the book. I am a visual person, so lists and charts appeal to me. Beyond Bullets inspired me to create a “Water Intake” chart (related to the challenge I want to take from the first book in this review!) Journaling is a tool that can help you organize your life and also be a creative outlet. Beyond Bullets is a wonderful guide to help you get started.

Finally, Twinkle, Twinkle, Social Media Star by Kate Kennedy, is a laugh-out-loud funny picture book about a mama bear teaching her baby bear the ins and outs of social media.

As a blogger, I must admit that I tend to obsess about my Instagram account. Many of the jokes hit a little too close to home, but that’s why this book is so hilarious! As the cover indicates, this book is meant to be “A Parody for Adults”. (My son n started reading it because he was curious, but most of the humor did not translate for him. Social media savvy teens would probably get it, though!) Give a copy of Twinkle, Twinkle, Social Media Star to the blogger/influencer/social media star that you know for some good laughs!

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Book Review, Sponsored

Applying the Gospel to All of Your Life: How To Grow Review

January 17, 2019 No Comments

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

The Christian life is a journey of spiritual growth, but it is not always constant. We all experience stagnancy, or even regression. In How to Grow, Darryl Dash shows us how and why it is important to cultivate three core habits:

1. Reading or Listening to the Bible
2. Prayer 3. Pursue Worship and Fellowship Within a Church Community

There is also a chapter entitled “Six Practices to Propel Your Spiritual Growth” that I found particularly helpful. The six practices are:

Keep Practicing the Core Habits
Practice Sabbath
Give Generously
Serve Others
Share the Gospel
Look After Your Body

I appreciate how Dash provides practical steps Christians can take to increase their spiritual growth without being rigid and legalistic. He emphasizes God’s grace and His ultimate role in changing us in order to ensure that How to Grow does not read as merely a “self-help” guide. I found this book to be an interesting and inspiring read and would recommend it to newer Christians as well as those who are more mature in their faith.

Crafts, Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Organizing for the New Year With Scrigit Scrapers (Review + Giveaway)

January 14, 2019 93 Comments

Disclosure: I received samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

The new year has inspired me to declutter and organize. One tool that has helped me with various projects around the house is the Scrigit Scraper. If you have never heard of Scrigit Scrapers, they just might be the tool you never knew you needed!

The Scrigit Scraper is a pen-shaped tool that is made of a durable but non-scratch BPA-free plastic. It can be used to remove unwanted substances such as adhesive stickers, labels and grime, without damaging surfaces. I must admit I often use my fingernails for such tasks, and broken fingernails are usually the result! Scrigit Scrapers are much more effective and I would highly recommend them for cleaning and crafts.

I recently used Scrigit Scrapers for two home organizing projects. For the first project, I upcycled a plastic candy container into a container for office supplies.

When D brought this little plastic box of candy home from work, I immediately thought of ways I could reuse the container. I used a Scrigit Scraper to remove the label without scratching the box. Now the container is a cute way to store binder clips.

As I was working on this project, I noticed there were some grimy spots on my desk from a prior craft project. So I used my Scrigit Scraper to remove them!

My second project involved transforming a letter organizer into a charging station. It seems like our family has so many electronic devices to charge and the cords were getting out of control. A while back, my mom mentioned that she saw someone on Pinterest use a letter organizer (similar to the one I already had) to make a charging station. After putting the project on the backburner, I finally gave it a go.

The first step was to remove some yellow tape that I had put on the organizer years ago. It was stuck on there pretty well, so I used a Scrigit Scraper and saved my fingernails! I then used my brother in law’s cordless drill to drill some holes in the back for the cords to feed through. (Be smarter than me, however, and use a drill-bit extension if you are trying to go through a small opening!) I covered some chipped areas with decorative washi tape and made labels so everyone knows where their device belongs. We set up the charging station next to a power strip tower similar to this one so that we have enough outlets and USB ports to charge all of our devices.

Scrigit Scrapers can be purchased on Amazon. The 2-pack retails for $6.99 and the 5-pack retails for $11.99. Keep one handy in different rooms, or split a pack with a friend!

I am pleased to announce that the owner of Scrigit Scrapers is offering my readers the chance to win a Scrigit 2-pack, Scrigit 5-pack AND a $20 Amazon gift card!

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Food, Giveaways, Reviews, Sponsored

Snack Healthier in 2019: CHOMPS Review + Giveaway

January 11, 2019 48 Comments

Disclosure: I received samples in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

The new year means many people are resolving to try to eat healthier, right? Personally, I am on the lookout for healthier snacks year-round since D, the kids and I are all big time snackers. When I received some CHOMPS snack sticks in the latest #NewHopeBloggerBox, they caught my attention.

Each stick contains 9-10 g of protein that is grass-fed, grass-finished, free-range and antibiotic free. CHOMPS do not contain any GMOs, added sugar, dairy, soy or other “hidden nasties” (e.g. binders, fillers, MSG, artificial ingredients). In addition, CHOMPS are Keto and Paleo-friendly and Whole 30 approved. For more information, click here.

CHOMPS snack sticks come in six delicious flavors:

Original (Beef)
Original Turkey
Crankin’ Cranberry (Beef)
Jalapeno Turkey
Hoppin’ Jalapeno (Beef)
Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt (Venison)

If you like heat, the Jalapeno Turkey or Hoppin’ Jalapeno flavors are the way to go. However, even the Original has a little kick to it. The Original Beef and Turkey flavors also come in a mini size and they are called “Chomplings”. These would be the perfect size for lunchboxes or smaller appetites.

n enjoying CHOMPS after school at the park!

CHOMPS snack sticks can be purchased online or at a store near you. (I see they are available at Trader Joe’s in my local area.) Enter to win a 12 ct. variety pack of CHOMPS snack sticks (2 of each flavor)!

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Food, Reviews, Sponsored

January 2019 #NewHopeBloggerBox

January 9, 2019 No Comments

I always look forward to receiving packages, but one of my favorite deliveries is the New Hope Blogger Box. This latest box that I received did not disappoint. It was full of new-to-me products that help promote a healthier lifestyle.

Here is a list of the products I received, along with my impressions regarding some of the ones I have tried so far:

Tree Below Zero Sparkling Juice Infused with CBD: I have to admit, I am still a little unsure about trying products with CBD. D tried one of these drinks, and liked the taste. If you are interested in CBD, it is worth checking out.
Bellucci Organic Olive Oil Squeeze Pack: I use olive oil to make salad dressing all of the time. These squeeze packs are super convenient to make dressing on the go.
Origin 846 Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Again, high quality olive oil is a must in our house. I was impressed that they sent such a large bottle!
CHOMPS 100% Grass Fed Beef Jerky Sticks: Everyone in our family likes these jerky sticks. (Full review and giveaway coming soon!)
Bone Suckin’ Sauce: I used this sauce to make chicken wings and they turned out delicious!
Fusion Naturals Vegan Collagen Booster: I let my sister try this one. It is fruit-based, so I would not suggest putting it in your coffee like she accidentally did! I think it would be good in a smoothie, though.
Gaia Herbs, Inc. Calm A.S.A.P.: Try it if you need some calm in your life, naturally.
Healthy Gourmet Kitchen Moroccan Red Lentil Soup: I have not had the chance to try this yet, but I think I will be making it soon since we have rain in the forecast.
HumanN Superbeets Immune: I am not a big beet fan, but I know they offer a lot of health benefits. This would be an easy way to incorporate them in your diet.
Laiki Red Rice Crackers: My kids liked these crackers, but I was not too crazy about them. The texture reminded me of Triscuits.
Jakemans Throat & Chest Cherry Flavored Lozenges: D tried these when he was starting to feel a sore throat coming on and he said they helped.
Caratino Palm Oil & Canola Blend: I like the idea of using this to pop yellow popcorn.
MATI Sparkling Organic Energy Drink: Good option if you are looking for a healthier energy boost.
METTA Natural Awareness Beverage: I believe this drink is supposed to be one step down from an energy drink, without artificial ingredients.
Sambucus Mega Gummies 7x: These really are mega-sized! The kids and I have enjoyed these elderberry supplements. These are gelatin-free and vegan.
Panco Foods Mushroom Jerky: I have not tried this yet, but it sounds interesting, especially for vegetarians or vegans.
SmartyPits Deodorant: I like the idea of aluminum-free deodorant. This one smells good, too!
Solely Fruit Jerky: The ingredient list cannot be any simpler: 1 whole organic banana with pecans!
Utzy Naturals U-Mune Immune Support: With all of the illness going around, taking this would be a good idea.
Kyo-Green Energy Greens Blend Powdered Drink Mix: This would be easy to add to smoothies.

I am really looking forward to attending this year’s Expo West so I can discover more products like these and share my finds with you!

Book Review, Sponsored

Start 2019 Off Right With Ellie Claire 365 Day Devotional Journals

December 27, 2018 No Comments

Dislcosure: I received copies of these journals in order to facilitate this review.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

As a Christian, it is important to set aside time everyday to be in God’s Word. However, I know that the busyness of life can become an easy excuse to skip quiet times. As 2019 quickly approaches, now is as good a time as ever to make spending time with God a priority. These three 365-Day Devotional Journals are a wonderful way to start. All three of these journals include a page for each day of the year. There is a passage, a short devotional, and several blank lines in which you can record your thoughts.

As the title indicates, Peace Begins With Me is a devotional journal that focuses on instilling inner peace through the pursuit of God. Even the cover, (which is in my daughter’s favorite color), evokes a sense of calm. Life’s circumstances often leave us feeling anything but peaceful. However, being grounded in Scripture can provide us with us with hope and ease our anxieties.

The devotionals in Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus are intended to help the reader to trust Jesus with her life and not to become distracted by everything else that often gets in the way. Each devotion begins with a line from a classic Christian song or hymn and includes a verse and prayer. Just having this book out put the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” in my mind and I found myself humming it throughout the day. Similarly, it is helpful to start your day off with Scripture so that you may be mindful of it even as you do other things.

Finally, The Earth Is the Lord’s and Everything In It serves as a reminder that God’s handiwork is all around us if we take the time to stop and appreciate it. This would be a nice choice for the nature lover in your life. Appreciating His creation draws us closer to Him and is something that we can do every day.

All of these Ellie Claire journals are beautifully bound and provide year-round inspiration, which is something we could all use!

Family Field Trips, Reviews, Sponsored

Never Too Old To Experience Disney Magic: Disney On Ice Dare to Dream Review

December 20, 2018 No Comments

Disclosure: I received tickets to this show to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.

Last night we had the opportunity to attend the opening night of “Dare to Dream”, the newest Disney on Ice show, at the Honda Center.

Moana is the newest addition to the Disney on Ice repertoire. We were invited to some pre-show activities, including a craft where the kids decorated some Kakamora coconut pirates from Moana.

They turned out pretty cute!

We were also treated to a Polynesian dance performance.

It is always fun to watch performances like these. Their energy is contagious!

Minnie and Mickey also made a special appearance and took pictures with us.

The show was divided into two halves, with an intermission in between. My favorite performance from the first half was Beauty and the Beast. “Be Our Guest” will always be one of my favorite Disney movie scenes. The fun costumes and special effects really added to the skating and music.

The second half was comprised of scenes from Frozen and Moana. Frozen seems like it was just made for an ice-skating production. Moana was the crowd favorite, with a lot of the audience singing along.

Seeing all of the young kids in the audience made me regret that we had not taken the kids to see this show when they were younger. However, I am glad that they were still able to experience and appreciate the Disney magic!

Tip: Bring a jacket, because the ice definitely makes it cold inside!

In Southern California, this show will be taking place at:

Honda Center, Anaheim (December 19-23, 2018)

Citizens Bank Arena, Ontario (December 26-30, 2018)

Long Beach Arena, Long Beach (January 3-6, 2019)

Tickets can be purchased online here. Save 20% on tickets by using promo code: MOM20

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