Ah, Summer! How we love you. When you aren’t here we dream of your warm days and perfect star filled nights. We long for juicy peaches and messy popsicles. July is half over and we still happily look forward to summertime fun like swimming, taking road trips, picnics at the park, family cookouts, gardening, morning trips through the farmer's market and bonfires, just to name a few. The one thing we don’t plan and dream of is summer chores. Today I'm sharing 15 chores you can tackle in 15 minutes or less to help you get back to enjoying this amazing season quickly.

We tend to stay in our own little comfort zones as parents and as people. Sure, we try to say and think all the politically correct things to parents with kids who are differently-abled, but do we ever truly know what one hour of one day feels like to the parents or the kids living with special needs? 

From The day of deep breaths that Rachel so eloquently shared in the first chapter to the way Andrew unpacked Psalm 130 in the chapter entitled What to do with suffering, all the way through the book to Marriage on Fire; I was drawn in to this book as a willing student.

I wanted to learn about their journey so that I would be prepared to be a better person when presented with people in my life walking this path. In a few short years, I may be blessed with grandchildren- and what if one of them is autistic? I now have a helpful guide book of sorts, thanks to the Wilsons.

About The life we never expected by Andrew and Rachel Wilson:

“What do you do when hard or painful circumstances turn your world upside down, resulting in a life you never expected? Andrew and Rachel Wilson grappled with this question after both of their children were diagnosed with regressive autism. Refreshingly honest, this book explores the highs and lows of raising children with specials needs, reflecting on the broader question of how to cope with suffering of all kinds. Sharing personal stories from their lives and encouragement rooted in the truth of God’s Word, Andrew and Rachel highlight lessons they’ve learned related to fighting for joy and thriving in the midst of trials—ultimately pointing readers to Christ, the One who promises to make all things new.”

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and the Wilsons share what it means to live a life they never expected. They share their sorrows, pain and triumphs in unique and Godly ways. Reading this book taught me a few things about myself as a parent and as a Christian. I think it may reach you in a spiritual and healing way, whether your child has special needs or not. 

Win it:

Thanks to today’s sponsor, #FlybyPromotions, one lucky reader will receive a paperback copy of The Life we never expected. #lifeweneverexpected

Terms: 

Invitations to summer events, potlucks and neighborhood block parties seem to show up weekly now that summer is here, and each time you receive an invitation, do you automatically think What will I bring? Sometimes the invitations are spur of the moment and you may not have time to cook something from scratch, but don’t fret! Your next summer party side dish can be made easily with a box or two of Suddenly Salad on hand. Thanks to today’s sponsor, Publix and Suddenly Salad, I’m going to have a #SuddenlySaladSummer filled with great food, fun, family and friends! All opinions are my own. 

Even though I love cooking from scratch, when it comes to the laid-back flow of summer living, I’m more than happy to serve up semi-homemade sides from time to time. I grew up watching my mom say yes to summer family invitations because she kept a supply of side dish ready staples in our pantry and one of her favorites was the classic Suddenly Salad pasta salad. She would jazz it up with cucumbers and a healthy amount of Italian dressing and it was always a crowd pleaser.  

I loved learning helpful entertaining and cooking tips from my mom, and thinking of her making this side dish reminded me of a tip on seeding cucumbers before serving that will take your summer salads to a whole new level of tasty goodness.  

How to De-seed a Cucumber:

Simply peel cucumber, slice it in half width-wise and then slice those pieces in half, lengthwise. Next, hold slice of cucumber vertically, take a teaspoon, and gently spoon out seeds by working down the length of the cucumber slice. Voila! No more pesky seeds! Not only does this make your salad more appetizing, removing the seeds makes cucumbers easier to digest.

Following in my mom’s footsteps, I try to keep my pantry stocked with side dish staples too, and thankfully, we can get $0.75 off (with the purchase of 3 Suddenly Salads) in July when shopping at Publix or your favorite retailer!  If you have a Publix loyalty card already, you know it’s so easy to load savings onto your card and have them ready when you checkout. Now, everydaysaver.com it's easy to grab the coupons and use them anywhere you shop. 

Click here to grab your coupon now!

This week I decided to try two different Suddenly Salad pasta salads ‒ Creamy Italian and Caesar.  My family was excited to try the Caesar first so I whipped it up for dinner in record time. It was an instant hit served with hot dogs.

I decided to make my Caesar side dish original, not creamy, so I added oil and water and tucked a sprig of fresh rosemary in the bowl for an added touch of flavor and color. If your family likes a creamy pasta salad, you can simply add a ½ cup of mayo and a teaspoon or two of milk and this tasty #SuddenlySaladSummer is transformed into a creamy summer party dish you’ll be proud to serve. 

Win It:

Thanks to today’s sponsors, one lucky reader will win $15.00 PayPal cash transfer.  You’ll be able to stock your pantry with several types of Suddenly Salads! Entering is easy- just go to the Suddenly Salad site by clicking HERE, then come back and tell me in comments which recipe you want to try and which Suddenly Salad product you’ll need to buy to make it. That’s it! You'll be enter to win. 

Terms: Important, please read!

• No purchase is necessary to enter. Open to United States residents 18+. Must have a valid email address AND PayPal account to enter. 
• Must leave a thoughtful comment about Everydaysaver.com ( like which coupons would you use and why) with same valid email address to for entry to count.  
• My WAHM Plan is responsible for prize fulfillment. 
• Giveaway will run until 12 am 7/12/16 and winners will be randomly selected via Random.org using emails in comments.  
• Winners will be notified by email used in comments and have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  
• This giveaway is not associated with nor endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, or any other social channel.

Good luck and happy summer!

Winner selected!!!

Congratulations to Julie Wood! Your comment number was randomly selected as the winner via Random.org! An email has been sent to you! 

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TenaTips #CollectiveBias

Just as my husband and I got a handle on the happy, messy, emotional ride that is raising teen daughters, along came another family situation we weren’t quite prepared for: helping take care of our senior loved one.  My mother in law started turning down invitations from friends, she started missing doctor’s appointments, she even stopped wanting to come to our home for holidays and the main cause, we later learned, was occasional incontinence. 

She never wanted to tell us she was struggling with this, so she remained silent until one day a few months ago, she fell. While she was recovering, she asked us to go shopping for her. She asked for overnight underwear and the look on her face as she did ‒ full of embarrassment ‒ stayed with me. I vowed to find ways to help this wonderful senior remain active and not let incontinence leave her sitting on the sidelines of her life.  

The first way to help a senior loved one is the easiest ‒ simply observe their behavior. Do they seem happy when you visit them or do they look uncomfortable? My mother in law shared with me that when she had to start using pads for unexpected leakage, she feared she may have an odor when we hugged her, or that her home might smell unpleasant because she had placed used product in the trash. 

Thankfully, she had discovered TENA® pads and liners which helped eliminate odor and I suggested she get a slightly larger waste basket for her bathroom and line it with a scented liner. 

Second, take in their home. Do they have a towel or a pad on their favorite chair or part of the couch? That is a red flag to light bladder leakage or stress incontinence. If you asked to use their bathroom, do they say sure, or do they ask if they can grab something out of there first? I learned that my mother in law didn’t want us to see her pads and overnight underwear, but had to leave them out near the toilet some days.  I found an easy solution to this situation by making her a cute personal hygiene bag that could sit on the back of her toilet, on the side, or on the counter without advertising the contents.

The third way to help your senior remain active is to make sure they always have enough pads, liners and overnight underwear on hand.  Our local CVS carries the full line of TENA® products, so I can just pop in and purchase what my mother in law needs for the week.  

TENA® is also available online at CVS.com . You can have them shipped directly to your loved ones’ home.  There are rebates available through Ibotta for pads/liners here and their overnight underwear here. These will be welcome savings  since most seniors are living on a fixed income. 

Bonus tips for all women 35 and over:

I've learned several helpful things from watching my mother in law's decline in health and I'd love to share her wisdom (and that of her doctors) with you so that we can strive to live life without compromise well into our senior years.

1. Strengthen your core. All movement comes from your core and light bladder leakage may be prevented by having a stronger core. 

2. Do Kegal exercises, but do them correctly. Pelvic floor muscles can be easy to isolate once you know how to do a proper Kegal. The best way to isolate the right muscles is to clench or stop your urine the next time you go. The muscles you use to do this are the very muscles you need to use to do Kegals. Hold those muscles for 3 seconds and release. Do several times a day anywhere.  You can learn more from WebMD here. 

3. Walk more, sit less. It sounds easy enough, but just standing more often through out the day and taking short 10 to 15 minute walks helps strengthen your muscles, including your core muscles. And it helps with number 4.

4. Lose weight. Losing just 5 pounds of excess weight can help alleviate light bladder issues such as leakage and stress incontinence.

5. Last, but certainly not least, take the time to fully empty your bladder each time you go to the bathroom. Conversely, don't go to the bathroom at the very first hint of needing to go when at home. Allow your bladder to fill up and use the core and pelvic floor muscles. We all know that a muscle at rest tends to weaken, so use them, don't lose them!


It is my hope that this post will help you take that first important step to talk to your parents or grandparents on this delicate topic and let them know that there are great products to help them.  I hope the bonus tips for the 35 and over will help serve as a reminder for all of us women to take better care of ourselves today for a healthier tomorrow.

With a little love, discretion and TENA® products, you can help a senior in your life remain active and enjoy their golden years happily doing the things they love and living life without compromise!

Please share in comments: Do you have a senior in your life that may benefit from this post?