The dreaded rush for dinner and lunch making

We have been getting crazy busy around here.  Between the schedule of the kids going back and forth with their dad, soccer practice, working full time, and homework, baths, making lunches, and whatever else my poor mind can't remember right now dinner doesn't have a big presence every night.  Its not like we eat at the drive through all of the time either, nobody can afford that.  It just takes some planning and thinking and some more planning.  Being that I am super organized and love to plan this is great for me.

We try and do all of our grocery shopping on Monday's and then we can prep all of our perishables for the week.  I have a great veggie tray that I use, it has a tray on the bottom to allow for better air circulation and then the kids get to pick out which different kinds of fruit they want for the week.  Now that we aren't living so far out in the country anymore we have been also hitting up this amazing fruit and veggie stand to get some awesome goodies.  They taste so much better right out of the ground and are way cheaper.  I always thought that it was more expensive there but its actually way cheaper.  Double win :)

For lunches I do a big batch of muffins and cookies up, wrap them all up individually and then throw them into a big container in the freezer and when its time to make lunches or grab a snack the kids can pull one out, throw it in the microwave and eat it or throw it in their lunch and they are thawed by lunch, along with the yoplait tubes. 

 

I like to have cut up veggies with dinner every night, sometimes we do frozen or canned but while they are fresh and yummy and we have them on hand we prefer raw.  I just spend an hour or so on Monday afternoon, if I am off, and cut up all the veggies so they are ready to go and then I just pull out the tray at dinner time and pour some dip and the kids dig right in, its also great to put out if dinner is running late just to tide them over.

So my tips for dinner would be when you are making something that you can freeze, spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, Shepard's pie, most casseroles, homemade crisps and crumbles, and much more.  I like to make double and freeze half.  Then on the nights that I am running late from work or know we have something going on I can just defrost the meatloaf instead of just ground beef and save myself a lot of time.  Something else that I have been trying is to freeze it uncooked.  If you make meatloaf, a big hit around here, make two, freeze one raw, but totally ready to go in the oven and cook up the other one for dinner. 

 

Another great thing that I found that I have been loving is partially cooked buns.  They are only partially cooked so you grab however many you need for dinner, whether it be one or six and then pop them in the over with dinner for the last like 10 minutes.  They taste like fresh baked buns and all I did was take them out of the freezer :)

Do you have any great tips for me?

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own!

Grace Adele - my amazing new bag

So I kind of have a thing for bags, great bags and when I was offered to review one of the great new Grace Adele bags I was all over it!  I got the 3rd bag to the right, the chocolate brown one a few weeks ago and have received so many compliments on it already!  I usually go for a more bright bag but I wanted something that I wouldn't get bored of and being that this is an amazing quality bag I knew it would last me years! 

This bag also goes with everything being a neutral!  What you might not know if that all 4 of those bags above are all the same bags.  They each have a different clutch in the front pocket that you can change up the clutch and have a totally different look.  You can also get charms and flowers and things to add to your bag to make it even more in sync with your style.  You can get notebooks and makeup bags to add to your bag or pick up a few things and constantly, read when you have a spare minute, change it up.

When you shop with Grace Adele you can shop out of your own home or in the comfort of your girlfriends house.  They are sold through home parties.  When you look at the inside of these bags they are super organized and make it easy for you to keep it that way.  They are plenty of pouch's to put your lipstick, keys, cell phone, tampons, and more in.  There is even a great pocket that my e reader fits in perfectly!

If you are interested, and how could you not be, check to see if there is a rep in your area and have a no pressure party with wine and snacks with the girlfriends.  Or if there isn't think about becoming a consultant yourself.  I did the consultant thing a few years ago with kids toys and it was a lot of fun and you can definitely make money at it.  It also gives you a great reason to leave Daddy to put the kids to bed and get out for the night!

Yoplait joins the General Mills Family with a Giveaway

Did you know that Yoplait yogurt has been made in Canada since 1971?  I had no idea!  I love it though and its just another great reason to buy Yoplait!  I also found out that the great Yoplait Kids products, Yop, tubes and MiniGo contain no artificial flavours, sweeteners, or gelatin, other than Yop Vanilla Tropics which contains natural and artificial flavours.  They are also a great source of Vitamin D and Calcium, of course!

My kids love Yoplait, its our go to yogurt and I also love that I can usually find some great coupons online for them, which helps as well.  One of my favorite things to do with Yoplait tubes is to throw them right into the freezer.  They never go bad, not that they stick around long enough anyways.  They go into the kids lunch bag either the night before or in the morning, depending on how on the ball we are at making lunch's, and by lunchtime its thawed and nice and cold for lunch.  Both kids have been taking them almost everyday.

Have you tried Yoplait Source yet?  Not only is it yummy its great for you, even better than you may think.  Its only 35 calories per serving with no fat or sugar!  With over 30 flavours you are bound to find a new love!  Yoplait Yoptimal is another great choice, it has 40% more fruit than other brands and even contains 2 probiotics.

Yop has been a favorite of Kristina's for a few years and Brandon is getting into it now too!  I am sure he would have been before but I just imagined him spilling it all over my van so he never really got it!  Its the perfect breakfast for the kids when we are running late and don't have time sit and have toast or cereal or something.  Good for you and portable and that's perfect for us!

What have you guys been doing to get back into the back to school routine?  We have been going to bed at the same time every night, having dinner at a consistent time, emptying backpacks and lunches as soon as we get home so its not forgotten until morning.  Checking forms and homework when we get home before they are off playing.  We have also been doing as much outside time as we can before this weather changes.  The more energy they burn off before bed the better bedtime is going. 

I have a great giveaway for you Canadians from General Mills!  You will receive the same kit that I did, 4 yoplait coupons, post it notes, a pen, lunch bag and a journal.  Keep in mind that you can enter on as many blogs as you want but you can only win on one.

To Enter:

Tell me how you are getting back into the back to school routine!

(This must be done for additional entries to count)

Additional Entries:

- add my Fun and Funky Mommy button to your blog (2 entries)

- follow me publicly (2 entries)

- subscribe to Fun and Funky Mommy

- like me on facebook (leave your first name and last initial so I can find you)

- blog about this giveaway with a link to me

- follow me on twitter @Funfunkymommy AND tweet about this giveaway for one entry (can RT daily for another entry)

***Feel free to Retweet this***

Win a great package from Yoplait including some free product coupons! #LMDConnector #GMYoplait @Funfunkymommy http://tinyurl.com/9g87b7b

***** Contest will end on October 15th at 8:00 PM. I will use Random.org to choose the winner. The winner will have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Make sure that your profile is set to public or that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you can't win! Contest open to Canada only*****

Disclosure – I am participating in the Life Made Delicious Ambassador Program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of General Mills. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own!

Live Clean Enviro Kidz

I saw a show advertised the other night about how so many companies are able to just slap on an organic sticker or claim to be all natural etc without having to necessarily go through all of the loops and stuff that comes with being actually certified.  There is a big difference with food in the price, companies will not charge as much when its uncertified organic and is probably OK if you know the people and trust them, we are talking local farms, but the cost that goes into getting things certified is huge therefore those companies have to charge more because of the cost to get it certified.  It depends on weather or not its worth it to the company and their bottom line.

This company definitely wanted to be clean! They are live clean and have products filled with all of the good and without the bad!  Here is the link to what they contain as well as what they don't contain!!

I love companies like this, I just read one of the quotes on the bottom of that page that said if you do dishes for 5 minutes under the tap you use 96 liters of water and a full cycle in the dishwasher uses only 41.  That my friends is another great reason why you should let the dishwasher do the work for you.  I sometimes feel guilty those rare times when its not totally full and I have to run it but now I sure don't!

Back to the hair products!  We have used these 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioners a lot on both of the kids.  Kristina not so much anymore as she has pretty highly demanding hair but Brandon just has a cute mowhawk so hes good to go.  These 2 in 1's are awesome, they rinse clean, smell wonderful, and wash and lather up great. 

I certainly have no complaints about the 2 in 1's I just love love love the leave in conditioner.  It has to be my favorite Live Clean product thus far.  Kristina has curly thick thick thick hair and its always a mess, she wakes up with crazy morning hair!

We give it a quick spray down with Enviro Kidz leave in conditioner and its tame and ready for a flat iron or a brush and we are out the door.  I really wish that Kristina would love her gorgeous curly hair and not fight it and straighten it everyday but that's what you do when you have curly hair I guess.  When its straight you want curly and vice versa.

This year my hairdresser suggested that I add some Tea Tree Oil to her leave in conditioner to rid any lice that may think about attaching themselves.  We had a bit of a lice run last year that lasted months.  There wasn't much we didn't do, it just wouldn't go away.  It lasted about 4 months before we finally  had to cut off her beautiful locks.  She had been growing it for a long time but it was so thick we just couldn't get rid of them all!  Once we cut it it was a lot easier to get rid of, but still no easy.

I would do anything for her to not have lice again, that's how bad it was.  So back to my point, I added some Tea Tree oil to the Enviro Kidz leave in conditioner and even though the oil has a strong smell, really strong, you couldn't really tell it was there once mixed with the leave in conditioner.  Back to school tip of the week :)

Live Clean Enviro Kidz are available at many big box stores including Walmart

Mom of the Year Award with Walmart

Well the first year of the Mom of the Year Award with Walmart Canada has been hugely successful!  There were so many applicants and the 8 finalists all have an amazing story to tell.  You can say without a doubt that all 8 of these women deserved to be nominated and I really don't know how exactly the judges are going to choose a winner.  Mind you I also don't know how they even got it down to 8 Moms!

The two Moms who's stories touched me the most were Wendy White and Tammy MacKinnon!

Here is Wendy White's story!
Would you be able to attend and raise money for an Autism Canada Speaks Walk, drive your son's mother-in-law to a cancer treatment, babysit your twin grandsons, help hold down your special needs granddaughter for a blood test, mow the lawn and then bring supper to your daughter's family? My mom can, and does! These acts of kindness are only some of the things she does to see us happy and healthy.. Even after the sudden death of her husband and mother, all within a year, she continues to give unconditionally. Her positive attitude is one of her best qualities, and shines through on even the darkest of days. She is a caring, dedicated and hardworking role model to many friends and family. When I thank her and kiss her good-bye each day, I hope she knows the joy she brings to all of us. I would not be the mom I am today, if not for all her love and support. My mom is The Mother of the Year to me, my brother, our children and our families.

Here is Tammy MacKinnon's story!   Tammy has opened her home and heart to more than 30 foster children over the years. She has adopted 2 children from China and is raising 2 biological children as well. She's relentless in the pursuit of a meaningful life for her children and any children she comes in contact with. Her home and yard is never closed to the neighborhood children. She started an adoption coalition, an adoption website, an organization that helped raise money for playgrounds in Chinese orphanages, is the treasurer for a Canadian group helping poor children get an education and healthy meal everyday in Dominican Republic. She never stops for a second to smell her own roses. She works part time in a supermarket, has her own sign business that promotes family and love. She devotes some time to the local food kitchen to help the needy. She constantly gets her children involved in community/giving to foster the same in them. I cannot say enough good about this mom...when most people stop and relax, she does not.

These two moms are unselfish, caring, kind and would do anything for anybody!  They look out for others before themselves and are just all around amazing women who I would be proud to call a parent, friend or even Mom.  These are the type of women we want our daughters to become.  If Kristina turned out to be half of the women these women are I would be super proud!   Each of the 8 Moms who are finalists will each get $10,000 for the charity of their choice as well as $10,000 for themselves!!!  At the gala this month one Mom will be awarded Mom of the Year and her charity will receive $100,000 can you believe that!  Think of how much of a difference that can make!!  Go and read these women's story's and let them move you like they moved me!  Be on the lookout again next year for another round of Mom of the Year and you can nominate your Mom!!  

Disclosure: I’m part of the Walmart program by Mom Central. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own. Mom of the Year Award: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY Internet access and valid email account required. Nominations open May 10, 2012 to July 8, 2012 for legal residents of Canada over the age of majority.  Entrants cannot nominate themselves. One (1) grand prize available to be won consisting of $10,000 cash, a $100,000 donation by Wal-mart Canada Corp. to charity/cause and a trip to Toronto (ARV $22,000). Seven (7) runner-up prizes available to be won consisting of $10,000 cash, a $10,000 donation to charity/cause and a trip to Toronto (ARV $22,000).  Charity/cause subject to verification and final approval by Wal-mart Canada Corp., at its sole discretion. Odds of winning depend on how the judging panel evaluates each entry according to the criteria. For Official Contest Rules and to nominate an entrant, visit [www.momoftheyear.ca].

Halloween is just around the corner

The kids are back in school. Your schedule is almost all yours for at least a few hours every day. Coffees are sipped while still hot. Life is good.

Then, you have visions of Halloween.

Before you gulp hard thinking up ways to distract your 7-year-old long enough to keep her away from the Monster High costumes or how to stomach another $40 bucks for plastic masks and same-same off-the-rack getups from those big box stores destined for a box under the stairs, ease back into that comfy café chair across from your favorite pals and split another of those sweet chocolate brownies with them. There is magic in the air.

You look down into your nearly empty latte that you drank surprisingly uninterrupted by tiny people and realize that all of this Halloween costume craziness could be avoided this year. If only someone in your town would host one of those very cool costume swaps that everyone is talking about over at National Costume Swap Day™ Canada.

That’s when you pitch it to the smiling moms around you – let’s be the ones to host a costume swap!

No one disagrees. This is sweet genius. Get rid of old costumes? Stay out of the costume aisle at the store? Save some serious cash? Friends and neighbors will envy the simple brilliance of it all.

But…(there’s always a but) Won’t it be a lot of work?

No way. There’s some organizing, a little advertising, a room to rent and costumes to trade. But, the coolest part is that the crew at National Costume Swap Day Canada make it a piece of cake for you to make this the most creative, fun and easy costume-buying season ever.

Plus, you can do something cool like use the proceeds to support your favorite local charity, share the adventure with some other fun, creative and brilliant moms and your kids may even vote you awesome (told you there was magic).

How do you do it?

It’s cake. Head on over to www.costumeswapdaycanada.com, check out the videos, the how-tos and all of the tools. Then, get planning, register your swap, and let the Halloween magic fly.

National Costume Swap Day Canada, presented by the very cool folks at Usedeverywhere.com, is Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. So, after you’ve caffeinated, head on out and plan your local swap today.

They even have this awsome contest going on right now!

Kellogg's Krave

Have you seen the new Kellogg's cereal out called Krave?  At first I assumed that it was just a crappy chocolate unhealthy, super sugary cereal that would make the kids crazy for the first few hours of my day and make me want to pull out my hair.  When I learned that Krave delivers 8 grams of whole grain, is a source of fiber, trans fat free, a source of 7 essential vitamins and minerals and only 170 calories per serving with a 1/2 cup of 1% milk I was game.  Send it over.

It was a given that the kids wanted to try it.  Find me a child who when you show him a box of chocolate cereal says no thanks Mom.  However that doesn't mean that they are going to like it, now that we are passed thinking its just a bowl of sugar.

 

Well of course the kids loved it.  It didn't take long for the box to be gone and the kids to be begging me for more!  It was great for cereal in the morning, obviously, but it was also great thrown in a baggie for a nice snack at school sans the milk.  I spotted some coupons last week for Krave cereal so be on the lookout ladies!

#DisneyJuniorMom ~ New shows, old shows and a great contest!

So all Brandon seems to want to check out on TV is Disney Junior, we seem to be over the other channels and that's really all he wants to watch!  Its a good thing I enjoy a lot of the shows as well and that they are all great shows for the kids!  Kristina may not admit it publicly but she enjoys it as well.  Its not what she would put on by herself, but shes happy to cuddle up with her Mama and watch along side :)

There is a great new show on Disney Junior I wanted to tell you about!  Its called Justin Time.   In the premiere episode on Sunday, September 16th at 8:30am ET titled “ARRGH”, Justin becomes the captain of a pirate ship, but it’s not all smooth-sailing, when Justin and his crew encounter the infamous Captain Redbeard! The adventures of Justin Time will continue every weekend on Disney Junior at 8:30am ET and 3:30pm ET, starting Sunday, September 16th! For more details about the show, visit http://www.disneyjunior.ca/en/shows/justin-time   I know we will be watching, Brandon and his pirates!

Its going to be a good week that week!  Its also going to be Jake and the Neverland Pirates pirate week starting September 17th until September 21st at 5:10 ET everyday!  On the Friday, the 21st, there is even a special 45 minute episode!  We will have the PVR set for the days I will be at work, we definitely don't want to miss this, plus if I know Brandon he will want to watch these episodes over and over again!

Cinderella Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Contest:

Beginning on Monday, September 17th Disney Junior is giving some prizes of royal proportions with the Cinderella Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Contest!  The Grand Prize includes a special private screening of Disney’s Cinderella for you and 20 guests along with a Royal Prize Pack including a Cinderella's Transforming Pumpkin Carriage, Disney Luggage, Lip Smackers, Greeting Cards, CDs and much more!

You could also win 1 of 5 fabulous Princess Prize Packs!  For full details, and to enter once per day, visit www.disneyjunior.ca/en/contests/cinderella/ . Make sure to do so before midnight October 13th when the clock strikes for Cinderella.  Good luck to all you moms of princesses!

Disclosure:  I’m part of the Disney Junior Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own!

Do you like it Hot? Old El Paco giveaway #LMDConnector

I had the opportunity to review the great new products from Old El Paso!  We are huge taco fans, the kids ask for tacos all the time.  I prefer the soft shells and the kids don't really care, they like both the hard and soft shells.  But now Old El Paso has come out with some great new products!  There is a new Extra Mild, Super Tasty Hard Taco Dinner Kit, a new Mild Taco Seasoning, and a new Hot & Spicy Fajita Dinner Kit!

Considering we have tacos about once a week it was easy to fit the new products into our meal plans.  We planted tomatoes again this year, I usually do a good 8-10 plants and so far they are producing about 1-2 babies every day and I am waiting until there is a big one or two one day to use those in our tacos.  The fresher the better!   Its nice to have some more variety when it comes to the taco kits, something a little different is always refreshing.  Now I hope you saw my facebook post about the awesome free product coupon from Old El Paso and hopefully you did it and now have one of those coupons in your hot little hand!  If you didn't get one you can snag a sweet $1 off coupons still!  

  Make sure when you go pick up your free taco kit that you try and grab one with a $4 coupon on it for chicken or ground beef.  Then the next time you go get a taco kit you can get some free or almost free chicken or beef!  Yes I am learning more and more about coupons :)   The great folks at Life Made Delicious and Old El Paco have a great giveaway for you!   You can win the same kit that I got including the three new products and a great dip it salsa bowl to make your table even more Mexican for Mexican night!  

To Enter:

 

Tell me if you managed to snag a coupon

(This must be done for additional entries to count)

 

Additional Entries:

 

- add my Fun and Funky Mommy button to your blog (2 entries)

- follow me publicly (2 entries)

- subscribe to Fun and Funky Mommy

- like me on facebook (leave your first name and last initial so I can find you)

- blog about this giveaway with a link to me

- follow me on twitter @Funfunkymommy AND tweet about this giveaway for one entry (can RT daily for another entry)

***Feel free to Retweet this***

Win a great Old El Paco kit from @Funfunkymommy #LMDConnector http://tinyurl.com/cduk3nk


***** Contest will end on Sept 20th at 8:00 PM. I will use Random.org to choose the winner. The winner will have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Make sure that your profile is set to public or that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you can't win! Contest open to Canada ONLY*****

You can enter on as many of the #LMDConnector blogs as you want but you can only win on one

Disclosure – I am participating in the Life Made Delicious Ambassador Program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of General Mills. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own!

Florsheim Kids with a Giveaway

You may not have heard of Florsheim Kids before, and that's because the kids line just came out, for this Fall!  Florsheim has had a men's line out in 1892, and has come very far since then.  They have gone from making shoes one pair at a time by hand, to supplying boots for the troops in the first and second WW to selling a pair every 4 seconds in 1966.

If that doesn't say a lot about a company I don't know what does.  Florsheim has proven themselves, the quality of their shoes and that they know whats in style and what to put into style.  I could even say with confidence that Florsheim is a leader in the shoe fashion industry.

I got to review a pair of shoes for Brandon from Florsheim and they are so handsome.  They are little man shoes, so awesome.  They aren't just for leaving in the closet for a special occasion either.  They are great with a pair of dark denim or some khakis. 

Kind of wishing we had picked these, how adorable are they?

If your little man needs some shoes for the Fall or Winter make sure you check these out, they are awesome!

The great folks at Florsheim kids have offered up a $60 gift certificate to one lucky winner!!

To Enter:

Go to Florsheim Kids and tell me which pair your little man would rock if he had the choice!

(This must be done for additional entries to count)

Additional Entries:

- like Florsheim Kids on Facebook

- sign up for the Florsheim newsletter

- add my Fun and Funky Mommy button to your blog (2 entries)

- follow me publicly (2 entries)

- subscribe to Fun and Funky Mommy

- like me on facebook (leave your first name and last initial so I can find you)

- blog about this giveaway with a link to me

- follow me on twitter @Funfunkymommy AND follow @FlorsheimShoes AND tweet about this giveaway for one entry (can RT daily for another entry)

***Feel free to Retweet this***

Win a $60 gc to spend on little man shoes at Florsheim @FlorsheimShoes @Funfunkymommy http://tinyurl.com/8rgtgvq


***** Contest will end on October 1st at 8:00 PM. I will use Random.org to choose the winner. The winner will have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Make sure that your profile is set to public or that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you can't win! Contest open to Canada and the USA*****

Don't open me challenge with Pizza Hut ~ and a Giveaway

Well its the long weekend, we are trying to be laid back and chill before the craziness of back to school hits us in full force on Tuesday, so what are we going to have for dinner?  Pizza Hut!

Until the end of the night September 3rd Pizza Hut is having a don't open me challenge.  So fun, if you dine in to any Pizza Hut and order a Pepsi product and you get an envelope with a prize inside.  If you can manage to not open the envelope until Sept 4th, it has to be opened by a Pizza Hut manger, then you will win the prize inside.  Lucky for you, its only a few days away, most people can wait that long, but can you image waiting from July 4th when it started?  I couldn't do it.  I don't like surprises, I want to know what I am getting for Christmas, just don't put it under the tree or I will shake it everyday trying to figure out what it is.

There is a prize inside every envelope that's handed out but the key is that you can't open it until you are with the manager at your Pizza Hut, if you open it ahead of time you forfeit the prize!  The prizes are pretty amazing to!  There is $1 million in prizes including a grand prize of a dream family vacation courtesy of Air Canada Vacations!

Pizza Hut has generously offered up a $25 gift card one lucky Canadian reader

To Enter:

Tell me what your favorite thing off the Pizza Hut menu is or what you would like to try

(This must be done for additional entries to count)

Additional Entries:

- add my Fun and Funky Mommy button to your blog (2 entries)

- follow me publicly (2 entries)

- subscribe to Fun and Funky Mommy

- like me on facebook (leave your first name and last initial so I can find you)

- blog about this giveaway with a link to me

- follow me on twitter @Funfunkymommy AND tweet about this giveaway for one entry (can RT daily for another entry)

***Feel free to Retweet this***

Win a $25 gift card for Pizza Hut @Funfunkymommy http://tinyurl.com/8jq5bc8

***** Contest will end on September 20th at 8:00 PM. I will use Random.org to choose the winner. The winner will have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Make sure that your profile is set to public or that you include your email in your comments because if I can't get a hold of you can't win! Contest open to Canada ONLY*****