Enter the Flood® Take it Easy Sweepstakes

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Flood Wood Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Now that summer is practically here, we'll be spending more time enjoying the deck.  We had dinner out there last night!  It's such a pleasant place in the evenings.  And in the mornings, it's a great place to enjoy my coffee.

While I was appreciating how nice the deck is and what a pleasant place it is to spend time, Jeffrey was noticing some things that need taken care of.  He's noticing screws that need tightened and things like that.  Then he and Tim started talking about different deck materials and how long the deck will last, and I stopped paying a whole lot of attention.  I just want a nice deck to spend time on!  I trust Jeffrey to know what needs done and when.

Seriously, I do know that it's important to take care of the wood so that it will last a long time.  You can't just build a deck and then ignore it.  That's why the guys used some kind of cleaner on all the surfaces and then stained the whole thing.  We stuck with a transparent finish with just a hint of color, though there are lots of colors to choose from too.  We have neighbors that chose brown and red for their decks.  The important part is that these wood finishes protect your wood from the elements, allowing you to enjoy your decks and wood fences for many years to come.

I honestly do not know if Flood® Wood Care is the brand Jeffrey used for our deck, but knowing that brand has earned the reputation as “The Wood Care Specialist” and knowing he'd want to take extra special care of the deck and pergola after working so hard to build it, I wouldn't be surprised.  I think that Flood® is the best solution for any wood care projects you may be taking on this summer - because you definitely have to take care of your wood, and while you're doing it, you might as well do it right.  Right?

Or even better would be to have somebody else do all the work!  How, you ask?  Enter the  Take it Easy Sweepstakes.  If you win, Flood® Wood Care will provide all the supplies AND labor to prep and stain your deck PLUS $2,000 for the deck party of your dreams.  So be sure to enter.  All you have to do is click the link and  fill in all the required information.  Please note that to be eligible to win, you must be a resident of the United States, and you must be the owner of a house with a wooden deck.  They will not be building you a deck.  They will be using Flood® Wood Care products to make sure you get to enjoy the deck you have for a long time!  Limit one entry per person/email address.

You'll invite me to your party, won't you?

Cute Little Family

I saw these three on the couch yesterday evening, and I just had to take a picture.  Jason was just so happy to be between his daddy and mommy.

So cute!

How to Write A Helpful Review

I'm often occasionally asked to review products, and I always jump at the chance, because who doesn't love trying new stuff?  But then when it comes time to write the reviews, I always have a hard time.  What do I say?  How detailed do I need to be? Etc., etc., etc.  One of these days I just need to record myself when I'm telling people my husband about the products.  I usually have a definite opinion about what I like, what I don't like, and why.  But when I sit down to write the review, my mind goes blank.  Arghhhh!

So, this evening I was going to post a review on Bzzagent - for Dr. Scholl's^® For Her High Heel Insoles (which I really, really liked, by the way) - when I noticed they had a helpful link to tips on writing a good review.  I clicked, yes I did, and I found this helpful list - which, of course, will be great for writing that review but will also be a helpful resource to have on hand for all the other reviews I agree to do.

How to Write A Helpful Review

Answer the question “What would I want to know before I get this product?”

• Be detailed: Include at least 3 key things someone would want to know.
• Be specific: What exactly made you give the rating you did?
• Be rational: Explain why exactly you did or didn’t like the product.
• Be yourself: Include personality and share your background/expertise for context.
• Be respectful: Don’t use offensive language or attack other reviewers.
• Be honest: Especially about free samples or affiliations with the product.

Now go share your wisdom and experience with the world!

I think that will help me a bit.  Sometimes I just need a little direction...

Plan Your Pennsylvania RoadTrip with Roadtrip-a-Matic

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PA Tourism for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

You know how much work is involved when you're planning a trip - visiting the tourism websites, requesting travel guides, trying to digest all the information so that you can make the most of your trip.  Where to go, what to do, where to stay, what to see - sometimes it can be overwhelming.  Or my personal regret - grabbing the brochures or the travel guides and then finally sitting down to read them after the trip - at which time I find all kinds of fun things I would have loved to do and see.

VisitPA.com, the official tourism website of Pennsylvania has come up with an awesome idea - pre-planned roadtrips.  They call it Roadtrip-a-Matic, and it's like they've got all these pre-packaged trips all boxed up and waiting for you.  Not that you're limited to just what they've planned for you, but it's certainly a great place to start.  It's like asking the locals what they'd recommend you see and do.  Simply browse the website and look through the dozens of ready-to-ride roadtrips available.  They've got trips for visitors looking for outdoor experiences, small town charm, historic landmarks, shopping, the best in PA beer, wine, and food,  and so much more.

When you find a roadtrip you like, you can download and print the pdf.  It tells you where to go, what to do, where to eat and where to sleep - all the planning!  How easy is that?  Of course, just because you printed the trip out, you're not commited to do everything on the list - and you can spend more or less time.  It's really up to you. There is also a whole list of worthy detours you can make along the way and additional resources for more information.  The only thing I don't see is a map or directions, or at least an address for each destination so visitors can plug that into their GPS or Google Maps on their cell phones, which would be really helpful.

Browsing through the pa-roadtrips available, I'm having a hard time choosing just one.  They all look great - except maybe the golfing trips, which I'm sure Jeffrey would like.  I'm thinking, since I've never been to Pennsylvania that this one called PA 101 - Western Pennysylvania's Greatest Hits would be a good one.  I think it would be nice to see a nice sampling of what PA has to offer and learn a bit about the state while we're there.  Here's a description of this roadtrip:

Duration: Two days and two nights
There aren’t many places where you can get a complete education that covers art, natural science and history like you can in the Pittsburgh area. This road trip will give you a lesson on two of the most renowned artists of our time in Andy Warhol and Frank Lloyd Wright. You will also learn the importance of economics during our shopping excursions. Nature will be front and center as you scale Mount Washington and visit one of Western Pennsylvania’s beautiful state parks. And, through it all, you will come face-to-face with history at every turn. Buckle up and hit the road with us as we explore all that greater Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania has to offer.

It would be a fun getaway for Jeffrey and me.  Maybe we could even find a golf course along the way - as long as he's scaling that mountain with me!

Be sure to check out Roadtrip-a-Matic on visitPA.com and pick out your own roadtrips.  Which one most appeals to you?

The Funny, Broken, Love of Parenting

Guest post by Jennifer Grant, author of MOMumental: Adventures in the Messy Art of Raising a Family

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I click open a Facebook message. A friend has sent me a word search and tells me to let my eyes fall onto the image and take note of the first three words that I see. These are the words that best describe me, she promises.

I shrug, take a sip of coffee, and glance at it. “Funny,” “broken,” and “love” are my words.

When I close the message, I’m tempted for a moment to try again. What other words are hidden in that tangle of letters? Maybe on my second try, my eyes will land on a combination such as “smart,” “attractive,” and “successful.” (That would be nice.)

I don’t give it another try, though. The words I read the first time are just right considering how I’ve been spending my days for the past several months, thinking and writing about the family in which I am the wife and the mother and about my family of origin, where my story began.

Funny, broken, love - sounds like family.

MOMumental: Adventures in the Messy Art of Raising a Family is about my own missteps and small victories as a mother. Over the years, after beginning my parenting journey – as so many of us do – staggering under the weight of the expectations I had for myself, I’ve loosened up. I’ve come to learn that none of us is perfect. We all fail, misunderstand our kids sometimes, and mess up in countless ways. In MOMumental, I share stories of some of my “epic fails” as a mom.

The dire messages that flash on the computer or television screen that warn what a mother absolutely must or must not do no longer hold me tightly in their grasp. I now look at myself – and at other mothers – with less judgment, knowing that we all work it out, there is no manual for motherhood, and that the most important thing in raising kids is to be authentically connected with them.

(And a person can do that whether she serves microwaved macaroni and cheese to her kids for lunch every day or gives them homemade bread and a sampling of organic greens from her vegetable garden. Whether or not she homeschools them, uses “the family bed,” or exposes them to Mozart by the time they are six days old.)

I hope in sharing my own personal – and often quite cringe-worthy – story in MOMumental, other parents will show themselves, and other parents, more grace as we raise our children.

To me, those three words – funny, broken, and love – are great ones to reflect on when I think about the gift of family. To be able to enjoy our kids, repair our relationships with them when needed, and most of all to love our children like crazy covers a multitude of parental crimes and misdemeanors.

Wishing you all the best in your own messy family-making adventures!

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Book Review: MOMumental

MOMumental: Adventures in the Messy Art of Raising a Family
by Jennifer Grant

About this book:

Celebrating the joyous art of being a mother, MOMumental offers an inspiring, honest, and infectiously humorous look at the perils and pleasures of raising a family in the real world.

Once a devout believer in the myth of the perfect mother, author Jennifer Grant now has a more realistic yet still upbeat view of parenting and families. Instead of focusing on creating a conflict-free home, raising picture-perfect kids, and being an ideal mother, Grant offers a wiser and more down-to-earth way to love your children that makes room for mistakes and imperfections. She says, "I share stories about family life and how I've come to appreciate the mess of it. I am grateful for my own happy, idiosyncratic, and imperfect family."

MOMumental is one mother's account of the unpredictable, creative, sometimes hilarious, and always rewarding process of raising a family. It's filled with funny and poignant stories from her everyday life--a life that mothers everywhere can identify with.

I very much enjoyed this book.  We live in a culture that puts unfair pressure on moms to do everything exactly right - or we as moms put that pressure on ourselves.  We grow up with our own ideas of family and parenthood, how it's supposed to be, how we want ours to be, how our kids and our house is always going to be perfect, etc.  And then, when it doesn't happen that way, we think we're failures.

Sharing stories from her own background and family life, Jennifer Grant shows in a very real way that being a mom is never what you might expect - and that's OK.  No mom is perfect, and what matters is what we do most of the time and learning to relax and connect with, accept, cherish and enjoy our kids.

My kids are pretty much grown now, but I can always stand to be reminded that things are never going to be perfect.  Actually, I'm reminded of that often, what I need is to be reminded that imperfection isn't always a bad thing.  For moms with babies and young children, I would definitely recommend this book.  It's not a how-to kind of parenting book that will teach you how to be a great mom, but it is a book that will leave moms with the knowledge that they are not alone.  Other moms have gone through and done the same things - and their kids turned out OK.

You can read the first chapter of MOMumental now, and the book is available now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.   Look for a guest post from author Jennifer Grant and a chance to win your own MOMumental Book in the next few days.

Note: I received a free copy of MOMumental for review from Worthy Publishing.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Soft Baked Bars from @Quaker

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Quaker Oats for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I've always been a fan of Quaker oatmeal and Quaker granola bars, and now I'm really looking forward to trying the new  Quaker Soft Baked Bar.  They come in two flavors, Banana Nut Bread and Cinnamon Pecan Bread.  Both sound really good, but I'm leaning toward the Cinnamon Pecan Bread.  It just plain sounds good!  I really love cinnamon in about anything - always put it in my oatmeal - and it's also really good for you.  These bars contain real fruit and nuts and are easy to grab when you're on the go.  Or, for a special treat, heat them in the microwave for a fresh-baked taste.
 
Because I'm home in the mornings, I have a lot of different things for breakfast.  I have time to cook some oatmeal or make an omelet if I want.  I can even enjoy my own fresh-baked muffins or breads if I want to take the time to make them.  However, the rest of my family is often running out of here in the mornings, oftentimes without eating anything for breakfast.  (Jeffrey does usually have something he eats at work) Having some of these Quaker Soft Baked Bars on hand for them to grab and take with them would be so handy and a great way to make sure they start their day with some wholesome food.  They'd be more likely to eat something if it's handy, easy to take with them, and tastes good.  Quaker says, "With flavors you'll love and nutrients to help fuel you, you'll be a morning person in one delicious bite."  I don't think even these will turn Beth into a morning person, but I would like to see her eat something in the mornings - something that's not junk.

These treats aren't just tasty, but are packed with:
• 140 calories
• 5g of Fiber
• 6g of Protein
• Excellent source of 5 B-Vitamins
so definitely not junk!
 
While I think these bars will make a great  breakfast snack, I think they'd also be handy and nutritious for any time of day.  I especially like having a granola bar or something like this that I can grab and take along when I go grocery shopping.  That way I have something to eat if/when I get hungry, something to give me the energy to finish my shopping - and you know what they say about shopping on an empty stomach!
 

Kids Bowl Free all Summer Long

Now that school is about over for the year, moms everywhere are dreading those two words - "I'm Bored"

Yep, the kids are so excited for summer vacation.  No getting up early.  No classes.  No homework.  Nothing to do.  It's all good for the first day or two, and then boredom sets in.

AMF has the answer!  Kids bowl free all summer long!  That means now through September 3, kids 15 and under can bowl two free games every day.  Free bowling is available 7 days a week until 8pm. All you have to do is visit the AMF Summer Unplugged page, find a participating location, and fill out the simple registration form.  Every week they'll email you vouchers for two free games for each child per day.  Whether you go every day or just a time or two during the summer, it's a great deal and a great way to beat the heat and the boredom.

And if you want to bowl too - because it's more fun that way! - or if your kids are older than 15, AMF has a deal for you too.  For only $29.95 you can purchase a Summer Pass that enables you and up to 3 family members 16 and up to bowl 2 games every day all summer long.

Note: I was planning to post this earlier, as part of a campaign through One2One Network, and I would have been entered to win some kind of prizes for doing it.  But I was thinking I had more time - for some reason the wrong date got stuck in my head, and I just kept putting it off.  So I will not be eligible to win anything, but I still wanted to let you know about this - in case you haven't heard about it on the radio or seen it somewhere else online.  I love free (or very cheap) entertainment!  And I strongly believe in getting out and doing things with the kids as much as possible - enjoy them while they're young and make memories.  Plus, now that smoking is not allowed indoors (at least here in Wisconsin), it's actually possible for families to go bowling together without worrying about all that nasty smoke.  I always thought bowling should be a family activity, but unfortunately the smokers did their best to discourage that!  Not anymore!!

I'm just wishing my kids weren't all grown up and off doing their own things and living their own lives, because I'd love to include bowling in our summer activities.

Related articles

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• Free Kids Bowling At AMF All Summer Long!

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• Kids can bowl free all summer at AMF

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It Pays to Vacation at Home

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Clorox Company for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

With the cost of gas, many people are saving money by vacationing at home - Staycationing instead of vacationing.  It's a really good idea, because if you're like us, there are tons of things to do in your local area that you never do - because you just don't have the time or because you feel you can always go there.  At least that's my excuse...
 
This summer, not only can you save money on gas and hotel rooms and see some of your local sites - or just hang out in the backyard with the kids - you could even get paid to do it.  How, you ask?  By entering the It Pays to Vacation at Home sweepstakes from Dollar General and Clorox®.  20 lucky grand prize winners will be selected to receive a $500 "paycheck" and 100 lucky winners will win a $25 Dollar General gift card.
 
Simply visit dollargeneral.com to register.  Then, once you register, you can also play the “Wipe To Win”  game for the chance to win a $10 Dollar General gift card.  You take a virtual Clorox® Disinfecting Wipe and wipe the virtual fridge to find out if you won or not.  I played.  I didn't win - but I can try again tomorrow.  There will be 100 instant win prizes given away.

Be sure to enter the It Pays to Vacation at Home sweepstakes for your own chance at some of the prizes, and remember you can pick up all your favorite Clorox® cleaning products at Dollar General - Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface cleaners, Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes, and Clorox® Liquid-Bleach, to name a few.  (Interesting - as I'm typing this, there's a commercial for Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes on tv.)  Just rember that, even if you are staying home,  you are not allowed to spend your entire vacation cleaning!!   That wouldn't be a vacation, would it?

This contest runs now through June 24, 2012.  Good luck!

I Got a Package from efoods Direct

I just got a package from efoods Direct.  They asked if I'd like to try their meals, and after reading the info, I was only too happy to try them.  Basically, what they offer are delicious and nutritious food in a convenient and easy-to-store package.  Dehydrated products are packaged as complete Quick-Fix meals.  Simply boil water, simmer and serve a healthy, delicious hot meal no matter where you are.

These meals would be great in all kinds of situations - stock the pantry and have them on hand for emergencies, take them camping, or I'm thinking they'd be great for a certain college student I know.  He has a hard time finding healthy food on campus, so I'm always looking for easy solutions - something he can fix in a dorm room without too much trouble.  These would be great.

I love that all the products carry the exclusive Nutriversal Seal of Promise:

• Quick Fix: We promise our meals are quick and easy—just add water to rehydrate the food! Our true Quick-Fix line provides packets of complete meals that can be served in less than 20 minutes; Reserve Paks (1-year supply) products are individual ingredients you can use with your own recipes.

• Extended Shelf Life: We promise our products are storable for up to 25 years.

• Daily Use: We promise that all of our products can be served daily.

They want their products to taste great, be universally appealing, and provide superior nutrition.  Their foods are a good source of fiber, contain no trans-fat or hydrogenated oils, contain no MSG, contain no genetically modified ingredients, contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and they even offer gluten-free options.  They're soy-free, irradiation-free, and use oxygen-free packaging.  And they're made in the US!   There is quite a list of positives here - I did not have time to list them all, so be sure to check them out for yourself.

I love that they are committed to providing healthy, easy to prepare foods that can be stored for an extended period of time.  I got the Tortilla Soup, Cheesy Chicken Rice Casserole, and Creamy Potato Soup to try.  I am really excited to try them to see if they really do taste as good as they say they do.

If these products sound like something you'd be interested in, be sure to check out efoods Direct.  They've got some specials going right now- Save 50% on a 7-day supply by entering code FOOD50 or save 40% on a 5-day supply with code FOOD40.

I'll be posting a review once I've had a chance to try them - or my son just came home and claimed them.  He's leaving Monday for his summer internship, and he's going to need to eat...  He promised to write the reviews, so that will be fun.  I told you they'd be perfect for a college student, even in summer!  He obviously doesn't have time to actually cook.