Happy Earth Day

It’s a rainy morning here in middle Tennessee, but I for one don’t mind the rain. April showers do bring May flowers and there’s just something so fresh and serene about an April morning after a little rain.

I’m sitting at my desk, looking out my the window and I can see our trees filled with birds and squirrels, the edge of our pond with our resident musk rat and all the green, green grass and I am thankful for this piece of land we call our home.  

Here's a sunny day picture from my front walk.

Our Tennessee Home.

In honor of Earth day we decided to plant peach trees this year. It was a good family day, with all of us pitching in to pick the right trees. 

Our Elberta Peach Tree.

Marking off the area we wanted to plant them and assisting my husband in whatever way we could while he dug the holes. 

My Husband makes digging holes look easy.

Our Elberta Semi-Dwarf Peach tree is doing better than the regular one.

We also attended Nashville’s Earth Day Festival this past Saturday. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect weather day and the festival was very well attended. We walked around all the vendors gathering information on recycling, protecting our parks and streams and talked with local gardeners at the Farmers’ market.  There was good music and food and lots of happy families and dogs. If you are looking for a wholesome, family fun day that is budget friendly, attend an Earth Day Event this weekend. 

On the 26^th, we are going to take the girls to our local library where they are having an Earth Day Celebration as well. We may even bring home a new Dogwood tree to plant since they are free.

Celebrating Earth Day is as simple as getting outside and being a part of nature. Go for a walk, plant a tree or flowers, visit a local park or farmer’s market, start recycling, pick up trash, and get involved in your community by volunteering to beautify a green space, school or help out at your church. Check your local newspaper or your cities website to find out about Earth Day events in your area. Or go to the Earth Day Network for valuable resources.

Please share with me in comments: Do you celebrate Earth Day? What will you be doing to celebrate this year?

The Amazing #Spider-man 2 promo pack Giveaway

We are a family of Marvel fans, so we are very excited about the new Spider-man movie coming to theaters on May 2, 2014! One of the things we love about Peter Parker is he always fights the good fight- he is selfless in his actions and deeds.  And it sounds like we will see more of the same in The Amazing Spider-man 2. 

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising): Many thanks to Propeller, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification."

About The Amazing Spider-man 2:

Source

We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2™, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead.

Here’s a review from MovieGuide:

“Movieguide® gave an award to the first Amazing Spider-man by director Marc Webb, and the second looks quite good as well. Though we haven’t seen the entire film, the clips show a theme of standing up for what is right even in danger,  even though no man is eternal, not even Spider-man. “

I received a family discussion guide that provides excellent family style conversation starters on topics like making good personal choices, living a life that counts, doing for others first and the power of nature. It is inspirational and challenges all to think outside ourselves- much like Peter Parker does.

To learn more about The Amazing Spider-man 2 please visit:

Official website for the movie: www.theamazingspiderman.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamazingspiderman

Twitter: https://twitter.com/spidermanmovie 

The Giveaway:

One lucky reader will receive a Spider-man 2 T-shirt, phone case and paper mask as shown above. No purchase necessary to enter. Open to U.S. residents 18+. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. My WAHM Plan is not responsible for prize fulfillment or shipment.  Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below, where you can read all terms and conditions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising): Many thanks to Propeller, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification."

I'm feeling a little #Fargo

   
Seeing April 15th on your planner makes a lot of people stressed because they are still scrambling to get their taxes filed and so there is a trickle down stress effect- from CPA's to postal workers the heat is on.

So why not chill out tonight with FX's newest show Fargo?

Source

At first I didn't think we'd watch it, but I've got to say- the commercials have been just quirky enough to intrigue me, so I'll DVR-ing to watch this weekend.



About Fargo: 

"Fargo features an all-new “true crime” story and follows a new case and new characters, all entrenched in the trademark humor, murder and “Minnesota nice” that made the film an enduring classic. Oscar® winner Billy Bob Thornton stars as Lorne Malvo, a rootless, manipulative man who meets and forever changes the life of small town insurance salesman Lester Nygaard, played by BAFTA Award® winner and Emmy®-nominated Martin Freeman.
Colin Hanks plays Duluth Police Deputy Gus Grimly, a single dad who must choose between his own personal safety and his duty as a policeman when he comes face-to-face with a killer.  Allison Tolman also stars as Molly Solverson, an ambitious Bemidji deputy."

Speaking of quirky- #Fargo is bringin’ some Midwestern warmth to NYC. Watch for the sweater-wearin’ bus! 

Fargo premieres 4/15 at 10p on FX . To learn more visit FX and follow Fargo on Facebook.

I'll be sharing my thoughts on #Fargo in the near future.  Please share in comments:

Are you planning on watching Fargo? Do you live in Fargo?

3 local Gardening resources you may be overlooking

By all accounts spring is officially here in middle Tennessee so I should be out there digging in the dirt, happily planting flowers and veggies. And trust me, I really want to be doing just that- but I know better.  I’m in a gardening holding pattern waiting for that last frost warning to come and go.

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You see, I am a firm believer in all the old farmers and gardeners around here. The ones who read the weather patterns and can tell you if we’ve gone through the Dogwood winter, or the blackberry winter, or whatever winter remains well after the calendar says spring has begun. 

I wasn’t always a believer though. When we first moved to the Nashville area in the 90’s, I still had a west coast gardening mentality and I lost a few plants before I decided I best take heed.  

There are several good resources for you to find out the true planting and growing season in your area.

Naturally, you can Google it, but you may not get an in depth answer.  You can buy a Farmers Almanac, which I would like to do some day- but let’s face it, I’m not a farmer, and so the almanac isn’t exactly riveting reading for me.  You can listen to your daily weather forecast, but most TV stations cover a large viewing area, so again, you may not get the best information for your specific neighborhood.

So what’s a gardener to do? So glad you asked. Go hyper local for your information.

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1. Go to your local Co-Op, Nursery or Farmers Market and ask questions. There will always be somebody there happy to answer them.

2. Join a local Gardening club or befriend a neighborhood gardener. I have two lady gardening friends who give me extra plant starts almost yearly. I pay it forward when I can.

3. Get to know your neighborhood. While you are driving from point A to point B, take notice of who is doing what in their yards and gardens. For instance, I noticed the lady who has a lovely border of Buttercups, Irises and other early spring bloomers out in her beds every morning when I went by to take my daughter to her early Glee practices.

I’ve also noticed that 3 of the local vegetable gardens I admire in the summer have tilled but not planted. And I’m betting if I were to stop and chat with the owners, I'd learn that they’ve had their seeds started for weeks and have been tending to them, just waiting for the last frost to come and go. 

Please share with me in comments, what are you planting this year?

Craftsy Online Cooking Class Giveaway

It's been a while since I hosted a giveaway for one of my favorite sponsors, Craftsy.  But with the days getting longer now, I think it's the perfect time to learn a new craft, so I happily agreed to host a Craftsy cooking class giveaway. First, Let me tell you a little more about them.

About Craftsy:

Craftsy provides education and tools to help you bring your creativity to life by offering online classes. Craftsy has hundreds of classes to choose from like quilting, sewing, knitting, art, photography, cooking, cake decorating, paper projects and many more. Craftsy brings the best instructors to you via your video lessons so you can learn at your own pace and return to the lesson anytime you'd like. Plus, you can ask your instructor questions as you learn.  

I enjoy going to Craftsy to browse all the classes. The pictures make me want to stop whatever I'm doing and get crafting or cooking. Just look at this Artisan Bread.

Not only do they offer paid classes, Craftsy has several free classes for you to enjoy. You can even shop for needed supplies while there. I invite you to join their referral program while your visiting. 

The Giveaway:

One lucky reader will receive a Craftsy Cooking Class. Entering is easy with a valid email. Just sign in to your Craftsy account or register.Giveaway open from 4/4/14 to 4/18/14 to U.S. residents 18+. Winners will be selected and notified at the email address given on form. 

Enter to win a Craftsy class!

Share with me in comments what's your favorite craft?

Disclosure: I may receive monetary compensation if you join Craftsy using the above links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

2014 Ultimate Blog Party Invitation

I'm back from spring break feeling focused, refreshed and ready to get back to blogging on a consistent basis. One of my goals this year is to grow my blogging tribe and I can't think of a better way than to join 5 Minutes for Mom's Ultimate blog party 2014!

Some of you may be thinking, what's a blog party. Well here is how Susan and Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom explain it.

What Is The Ultimate Blog Party?

The Ultimate Blog Party is an annual blogging event, hosted here at 5 Minutes for Mom, where several hundred bloggers join together in a huge week-long, blog-hopping, commenting and tweeting extravaganza to meet others, grow their networks, have fun and win prizes!

The official party lasts one week – this year April 4th through 11th. But the action starts now and continues throughout the event and afterward. Within that one week we will essentially generate a jam-packed directory of awesome, active bloggers across several different categories.

I'm excited to meet new bloggers and cultivate new associations.

Are you ready to get your blog noticed? Then join us right here! 

Thanks- hope to "meet" you on my hops this week.

Wordless Wednesday- Spring Returns to middle Tennessee

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Shopping Planner & coupons for New Moms from #ShopperIncite #spon

I am really happy to work with our sponsor, ShopperIncite, today to share this information with you because I would have loved receiving their free shopping planner and coupons when my girls were babies and toddlers. 

About ShopperIncite Life Moments New Mom Planner:

"Having a child is an incredibly special “life moment” where Mom spend, on average, and additional $10,400 in the first years of their child’s life on items like clothes, diapers, wipes, detergent, food and more. The pretty Life Moments Planner is perfect for busy new moms to make notes, plan meals and keep track of special offer coupons included all in one neat little planner fits easily into your purse or bag."

Another neat feature of this life moments planner are the helpful tips found throughout the pages like Did you know that newborns are nasal breathers? Babies prefer to breathe through their noses their first 4-6 months. So having a good humidifier on hand is important. 

As a matter of fact, I plan on using the $15 off coupon for a new Crane humidifier from the planner I received this weekend. There are other coupons Moms with older kiddies can use too like savings with Dr. Seuss book club, and baby Einstein Crane and more. This planner doesn’t leave us Moms out either; there are coupons for Jenny Craig, Bio Oil and Zulily too.

I invite you to sign up for your free Life Moments planner today by visiting Just for Moms Savings and filling out their quick form.

You’ll receive your planner right away and then receive a new planner once a quarter. And please share this freebie with your expecting Mom friends and family too because the more planners they send out, the more coupons they will be able to offer in the future assuring savings on more of those special life moments.

Share with me in comments, what coupons do you use most often for your babies/kids?

Now hop on over and get your free planner and coupons at Just for Moms Savings. 

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free along with compensation in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Campbell's Heart Healthy Recipes & Coupons #spon

Thank you Campbell's Soup Company for sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

We may have switched our calendars to March, but the weather here still feels like February on most days.

On  those "February" days I love to send soup to school with my girls for their lunches. It's a quick and simple way to warm them up from the inside out and ensure they are eating a nutritious lunch and more often than not, I'm sending them Campbell's soup. 

On the soup days- I eat soup at home as well. It's an easy way to get another serving of veggies and it's a great conversation starter when my girls get home because they will ask me which soup I chose. Plus- Campbell's soup is an excellent way to take care of my heart. 

About Campbell's Address Your Heart:

National heart month may be over- but I have made a commitment to better health for myself and my family. Campbell's Soup understands that health is foremost on people’s minds, and keeping your family in tip top shape can be a challenge in these busy times.

That's why their website is loaded with tips, coupons and American Heart Association Certified Recipes like these that make serving a healthy dinner just as easy as serving soup for lunch.

Broccoli Cheddar Rice

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken





Louisiana-Style Chicken, Sausage & Shrimp Skillet







Don't these dishes look good? I can't wait to make the sausage and shrimp skillet! Hop on over to Campbell's Kitchen for more recipes, coupons, healthy eating tips and more.

Please share in comments: What's your favorite Campbell's Soup? We are fans of the classic Tomato soup and Minestrone but buy our fair share of Chunky soups as well.



Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Showing our #Disneyside @Home Celebration Princess Style #spon

Disclosure: I received free products to help facilitate my #Disneyside@Home Celebration party. All opinions are 100% my own.

When I first got the email from Mom Central calling for hosts of a Disney Celebration in our home, I was excited because Disney characters hold a special place in my heart and most especially my daughters.  We LOVE Disney Princesses, every one of them. 

From Jasmine, Belle, Aurora, Ariel to Cinderella and Merida they each possess wonderful strength and spirit, hope, courage and a healthy dose of humor. All the wonderful traits we try to instill in my daughters.  

So quite naturally, our party theme was Princesses. Since our “princesses” fall into the tween and teen age groups, I got creative and decided the best way to let then show their fun side would be to let them be grown up versions of their favorite princess.

We played with Makeup and hairstyles.  We did a different kind of face painting by having the girls color in face print outs that makeup artists use. This was a huge hit!

We listened to “Let it Go” from Frozen so many times, even I know most all the words now.

We had fun with all the cool goody bag treats Disney sent us that came in a very unique package- a cool American Tourist Luggage piece that will surely come in handy on our next family trip.

The clear favorite goodie was this classic love poster.

We had special princess Hot Chocolate, complete with Cinnamon sprinkles.

And lots of tasty sweets.

Throughout the afternoon, lots of laughter and smiles and sharing happened, which was quite magical indeed.

I invite you to host your own Disneyside @ Home Celebration! The fun isn't just for princesses.  Just go to Disneyside Celebrations  to learn more, see great party themes, recipes and more.

Share with me in comments: What is your favorite Disney character or movie? My girls pick is Frozen right now!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."