Category : Food

This post is sponsored by General Mills, but all opinions are my own.

Mornings are hard. Mornings after the holidays are even harder. The holiday magic is packed away along with the twinkle lights, making the new year feel refreshing, but also a little less cheerful. As a mom, I feel like I’m reliving that feeling as a kid of having to wait a whole year for December to roll around. But now I also see little ways that I can embrace the new year for my family, sprinkling some everyday fun while we gear up to head back to school after the long winter break.

One simple way is to add joy to the morning rush by treating Iris to cereal that I couldn’t have even dreamed of as a kid! Hershey’s Kisses Cereal, Jolly Rancher Cereal, and Trix™ Trolls with Marshmallows Cereal – oh my! These are all-new, fun cereals by General Mills available at Walmart. Iris literally shrieked when she saw that she could have these cereals for breakfast.

Getting Iris out of bed has never been easier and, let’s face it, after the holidays we need all the help we can get. These new cereals bring a little New Year cheer during an otherwise hectic season. Iris (and mom) are pretty stoked to have these sweet cereals as part of our morning routine!

Smiles all around as we’re off to conquer our day! Check ‘em out at Walmart.

DreamWorks Trolls World Tour © 2020 DreamWorks Animation, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
HERSHEY’S KISSES trademark and trade dress, conical configuration and plume device are used under license.
JOLLY RANCHER trademark and trade dress are used under license.

Disclosure: I receive monetary compensation from General Mills and SC Johnson in exchange of my endorsement of Box Tops For Education.

As sad as I am to say goodbye to summer, there’s always something so exciting about the start of school. The hint of autumn in the air, picking out the perfect first day outfit, the smell of new pencils… I love experiencing it all over again with Iris. Starting first grade this year, we feel like we learned a lot from kindergarten and now we’re pretty much old pros. For example, one of the things that we both got involved in last year is General Mills’ Box Tops for Education program. The principal and teachers really encourage the kids to collect Box Tops from various products to raise money for their school. It’s such an easy, fun way for the kids to get involved and learn the importance of giving back to their school and community.

We’ve started keeping a Ziploc® brand bag in our kitchen specifically for Box Tops. Iris gets excited when she spots a Box Top, cuts it out herself, and adds it to the bag. For every Box Top collected, her school receives ten cents which really does add up. In the principal’s newsletter, we’ve learned her school alone earns well over $1,000 every year from the program!
When it’s time, Iris proudly turns them in to her teacher, knowing that she’s helping give back to the school that gives her so much. By shopping at Sam’s Club, we stocked up on lunchbox and breakfast favorites which actually come with bonus Box Tops. Every year I’m learning how to do things just a little bit better, and every year Box Tops will be a part of that. Finding them at Sam’s Club is my new go-to way to help prepare for back to school and help the school that we love so much. So while maybe we’re not quite old pros just yet, I think we’re on our way.

For every 3 participating BTFE products purchased in a single transaction at Sam’s Club on or after 8/1/18, you can earn 100 Bonus Box Tops. To redeem offer, you will need to download the Box Tops Bonus App and scan your receipt with 3 participating BTFE products by 9/30/2018 or while supplies last. Maximum of $150,000 in Bonus Box Tops combined may be redeemed for Sam’s Club offer. Standard Data Rates May Apply. Learn more at www.SamsClub.com/BoxTops. Each box top is worth 10 cents to redeeming school when clipped from box tops products and sent to the redeeming school. Only BTFE registered schools can redeem box tops. Limit $20,000 per school per year for box tops redeemed through the clip program. See www.boxtopsforeducation.com for BTFE program details. © 2018 General Mills. All rights reserved.

This post is sponsored by Sam’s Club, but all opinions are my own.

Summer has always been my favorite season, even down here in Arkansas where the temperatures are hot and the humidity is thick. The days might be on the warmer side, but the pool water is cool and the lightning bugs at dusk make it all worthwhile. We love having folks over during the summer and the 4th of July is no exception. From our front yard swing, to the grill out back, there is nothing better than celebrating a holiday with some of your favorite people.

Stocking up on all of our 4th of July favorites at Sam’s Club, we are officially ready to celebrate. From burgers, to chips, to dessert – it’s a one-stop-shop for everything we need to have some fun in the sun with our friends (even our pool is from Sam’s Club! And we all know how quickly the cost of entertaining can add up, so that’s why we stick with Sam’s Club to get more bang for our buck. (Little known fact, I catered my own wedding and ordered all of my wedding flowers from Sam’s Club!)

Beyond burgers, we often grab steaks or sustainably sourced seafood, along with fresh produce (watermelon and sweet corn are our favorite summer staples) when we are preparing to host a get-together. And of course Iris doesn’t let us forget the sweet treats, like Member’s Mark super premium ice cream or gourmet cupcakes (can you believe I bought all of these cupcakes for under $8?).

Hope you all are having a lovely summer so far and are staying cool. Happy celebrating and happy 4th of July!

This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

With Iris in kindergarten, I feel like I’m still new at this whole packing a lunch thing. Then of course there’s the after-school snack thing. So many things, yet so few easy, wholesome ideas! I keep grabbing the same items on my Sunday trip to the grocery store (much to the dismay of Iris), so I was excited to have the opportunity to partner with Craisins® on their new variety packs, available at Walmart. We tried two different packs of flavors – Tropical with Kiwi Melon and Mango and Fruit Splash with Raspberry Lemonade and Watermelon. Perfectly portioned, I can pop one flavor in Iris’ lunch box and then another in the car for pick-up.

Naturally flavored, these real, dried cranberries have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Plus each pouch contains a ½ cup of fruit! And for the record… I’ve been eating them too.