Showing posts with label easy

School Safe, Allergen-friendly Valentine’s Day treats

in , , , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Even though it’s been a few years since I was a room Mom setting up a classroom party in middle and elementary school, I remember always putting allergy reminders on the classroom sign up invitations. Even though I’d ask for individually wrapped treats with no peanuts or eggs, there would still be a well-meaning parent that would send in treats that weren’t clearly labeled. Finding just the right classroom approved treats can be stressful!  I’m happy to share a solution for this problem just in time for Valentine’s day parties and gift exchanges- Made Good Chocolate Chip Mini Granola Bars in a just for Valentine’s Day size box!


Yummy Treats!



Made Good mini granola bars for Valentine's Day
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15 chores to tackle in 15 minutes or less

in , , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, July 18, 2016

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.



15 chores to tackle in 15 minutes or less



I don’t know about you, but at my house, once the kids are out of school my chore time increases. From sticky kitchen tables and counters to the ever present need to sweep up tracked in grass and dirt, I felt like I could not keep up until I made this one simple change. 


When I'm home, I take a break from work every 30 minutes or so and do a quick chore. Taking these mini-breaks helps me be more productive, helps increase my energy while decreasing my seat time and helps lessen my chore list when I do switch gears and stop working for the day. You’d be surprised how much you can get done in 10 - 15 minutes! 



Fold towels and stack in like sizes for a more organized linen closet


Here are 15 quick chores that I do. Feel free to copy my list to get you started.


  • Fold a load of laundry, put it away and start a new one.
  • Sweep the kitchen and mud room floor.
  • Wipe down bathroom counters and mirrors.
  • Water plants on front porch.
  • Clean out trash in car.
  • Go through mail and recycle junk mail.
  • Dead head flowers and pinch back herbs.
  • Check pantry supplies for weekly meal plan.
  • Dust a room and put away discarded items.
  • Unload dishwasher.
  • Wipe down kitchen table and chairs.
  • Clean out Frig drawers or organize shelves.
  • Clean photo frames in the hall.
  • Update coupons.
  • Wipe down glass doors.


Clean one portion of your frig weekly to keep it tidy




If you work away from home all day, you can still use this list to tackle your chores. Taking a break every 30 minutes to do something you enjoy like sipping a cool drink while reading will help you feel re-energized once you do return to your chore list. 


Be sure to delegate some of your chores to your kids if they are old enough and especially if they find you mid-task and tell you they are bored! I always find a task my daughters can handle. Just remember to be good to yourself and step away from work too so you can fully enjoy this special season.



Please share in comments: What is the toughest area of your home to keep clean? For me, it's the bathroom counters!
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Don’t fear back to school bake sales with Krusteaz bakery style cookie mixes #giveaway

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Now that my elementary school Mom days are behind me, I don’t get called upon to bake for class parties much anymore. While I do miss seeing the joy on the kids’ faces when I shared a sweet treat; I still get pressed into baking service for the hospitality committees at both the middle and high school level- which often means donating to bake sales.  Sometimes I don’t have time or the supplies needed to bake from scratch, but I don’t fear bake sales because I keep Krusteaz bakery style cookie mixes on hand. My thanks to Krusteaz for sending me complimentary products for today’s post and giveaway. 
My WAHM Plan: a pan of fresh baked cookies

My family and I love a warm, fresh from the oven cookie, so it was difficult for us to decide which cookie mix to try first; there were so many good options in my box of Krusteaz Bakery Style mixes like:
  • Butter Vanilla Sugar
  • Oatmeal Scotchie
  • Brown Sugar Oatmeal
  • Double Peanut Butter
  • Triple Chocolate Chunk

 We tried the Oatmeal Scotchie’s first. What a delightful cookie! Sweet and salty and just about perfect with a glass of milk. These were gobbled up so quickly by my family; I knew I’d have to tackle bake sale cookies while my cookie monsters were at school and work! I chose to make Triple Chocolate Chunk cookie bars.



My WAHM Plan: Don't fear back to school bake sales with Krusteaz!


The mix comes together quickly and there is almost no clean up with the Krusteaz mixes. Just add an egg and some butter and stir. The batter has a beautiful brown color- and look at all these chunks of chocolate! 

My WAHM Plan: Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie Batter
Hello, cookie bar perfection! They are moist yet fluffy, not thick and dense like some bars. Because there is three types of chocolate, they are sweet and very satisfying, so I suggest cutting 18 cookie bars if you use an 8x8x2 inch baking pan like I did. 
My WAHM Plan: Cookie bar perfection!


The hardest part was getting them cooled and wrapped for the bake sale without my family eating them! I’m thrilled at how easy these mixes are to work with and how good they taste! Nobody will ever know you didn’t bake these cookies from scratch unless you tell them.

I invite you to learn more about the Krusteaz brand, find yummy recipes and coupons by visiting their website and by following them on Twitter.


 Win It!
My WAHM Plan: Krusteaz prize pack


Krusteaz wants to help ease the stress of back to school baking for one lucky reader, who will receive a Krusteaz Back to School prize pack which includes a variety of Krusteaz bakery style cookie mixes and apron, oven mitt and lunchbox!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 Terms:
No purchase necessary to enter. Open to U.S. residents who are 18+ years or older. My WAHM Plan is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Winners will be notified by email used on entry form and have 48 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.
Disclosure:

My thanks to Krusteaz for sending me free products to facilitate today's post and for hosting this giveaway. I didn't received monetary compensation for my thoughts, however, I only share content I feel will benefit my readers. I’m disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

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A yummy after school snack your kids will cheer for #Cheeriosfunflavors #sponsored

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, August 17, 2015
I can still remember it like it was yesterday- the diaper bag and my purse never left home without a fresh supply of Original Cheerios when my girls were little ones. Fast forward a decade and I’m still serving up Cheerios for snack time.  I don’t put them in my purse as often as I used too, but Cheerios are still a favorite part of snacking here. My kids cheer and thank me when greeted with this yummy after school Cheerios Trail Mix snack.  







My WAHM Plan: Cheerios for after school snacking #giveaway


Cheerios have always been more than just breakfast food here at our house. From mid- morning snacks, to night time noshing, Cheerios add just the right amount of crunch without being overly sweet or salty. We prefer Original and lightly Frosted Cheerios for our snacking, but Cheerios comes in more yummy flavors like:
  • Honey Nut
  • Banana Nut
  • Multi-Grain
  • Multi-Grain Peanut Butter
  • Apple Cinnamon 

My daughters almost picked Banana nut flavor on out last trip to Publix because Cheerios are on sale right now as BOGO’s. Who doesn’t love a good sale on a household staple like Cheerios? The sale runs August 13 through September 2, so you have lots of time to stock up like we did. Once I told them I’d make my Cheerios Trail Mix, in the Frosted and Original boxes went in the cart. 



Cheerios Trail Mix Recipe:
Makes 3 cups.


Cheerios Trail Mix recipe on MyWAHMPlan.com


Ingredients:
  • 1 cup Original Cheerios
  • 1 cup Frosted Cheerios
  • 1 cup Mountain trail mix. (Mine has raisins, peanuts, almonds, cashews and chocolate). Feel free to raid your pantry for trail mix items and add your kid’s favorites.
  • 1 gallon zipper close baggie


Directions:

In zipper baggie, pour in Cheerios then Mountain Trail mix, or one cup of your own ingredients like raisins and nuts. Close bag and gently mix all ingredients. Pour into a medium sized serving bowl and set on the table for after school munching!
The great thing about this trail mix snack as it can double as a breakfast cereal or to go breakfast in a bag if you are running late! 

Cheerios Trail Mix recipe on MyWAHMPlan.com

Looks good doesn’t it? It really is so quick and easy to whip this up and have it waiting for your kids after school.

Does your family love Cheerios too? I invite you to head on over to Cheerios.com for more tasty recipes and to learn more about the Cheerios products. Be sure to download or print out your BOGO coupons so you can stock up while shopping at Publix too.

If you’ve been reading my blog for long, you must know how much I love working with Publix on their campaigns, especially food ones because they want to help us save on brands we know and trust, like Cheerios. I appreciate both companies as my sponsor of today’s post and this giveaway!


Win It!

One lucky reader will receive a $10.00 PayPal transfer! I hope that you’ll shop and save on Cheerios at Publix with your winnings, but if you don’t have a local Publix store, perhaps you’ll buy a box of Cheerios anyway.

Terms:

No purchase is necessary to enter using the Rafflecopter form.  My WAHM Plan is responsible for prize fulfillment. Winners will be notified by email used on entry form and have 48 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!


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Bring back Taco Tuesday and delight your family! #summerfiesta #ad

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, August 10, 2015
By August, our family meal plans have fizzled and we all are getting a bit bored with the same dinner fare. That’s why last week, I decided to go old school and serve up tasty tacos on, you guessed it! Tuesday- much to the delight of my family! If your summer dinner routine has hit a snag, maybe it’s time to bring back Taco Tuesday and delight your family too.




Bring back Taco Tuesday #summerfiesta


I wanted to keep dinner a surprise, so I headed to Publix by myself with the intention of buying the ingredients for good old fashioned beef and bean tacos. That’s when I noticed the Stand ‘n Stuff Taco shells dinner kit right beside their refried beans and green chilies that I normally buy. I knew these stand-alone shells would be a big hit with my girls, so in the cart they went, along with some avocados for guacamole.

My WAHM Plan: Avocados from Mexico make tasty guacamole

As soon as I got home, I started making some guacamole with these beautiful avocados. I’m fortunate that my family loves the taste of this fruit! Of course we aren’t alone- did you know that Americans eat 1.4 billion pounds of guacamole a year?! Yeah, I was pretty blown away by that number myself.


I keep my guacamole recipe really simple and easy to follow by using ingredients and spices I have on hand like ground garlic, cumin, Adobo and fresh squeezed lime juice. I’ve found it I stick to this recipe, the guacamole will get gobbled up and used for more than just chip dipping,  We spread it on sandwiches, dip our carrots and peppers and more.


My WAHM Plan: freshly made Guacamole


Avocados do ripen really quickly, so I used all 5 of mine in this batch of guacamole. If your family won’t eat that much, you can store uncut avocados in the frig for a few days, or slice them and squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on them to keep the avocado from browning. If you’d like to see some recipes for guacamole and other avocado dishes, just head on over to Avocados from Mexico. My guacamole tasted perfect with some Blue Corn tortilla chips I had on hand, so I set it in the frig to chill and got started on my stand’n stuff tacos.


My WAHM Plan: Taco Tuesday stand n stuff tacos

With the Old El Paso dinner kit that has shells, meat seasonings and taco sauce, my Taco Tuesday dinner was done in a flash. Besides cheese and sour cream, I make sure I serve tacos with lots of veggies- romaine lettuce, black olives, tomatoes, peppers, and more guacamole to help them be a bit healthier. 

When my family came to the dinner table, they couldn’t have been more surprised and delighted that I was serving tacos on Tuesday again. And the crunchy, easy to use stand n stuff shells were a huge hit!


My WAHM Plan: serve up a plate of crunchy tacos for dinner


If tacos aren’t your thing, you can find lots of quick and easy dinner recipes like Grilled Fajita Boats over at Old El Paso. They sound just as yummy as my tacos and I’m sure will be just as welcome at your next #summerfiesta dinner. 

Save!

From now, through the 19th, you can save on all Old El Paso products by shopping with Publix. Just upload, or print out the coupons at readysetsave.com to your loyalty card.


Win It:

My thanks to Old El Paso and Publix for sponsoring this $10 PayPal cash transfer giveaway! Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below.

 Terms:
No purchase is necessary to enter using the Rafflecopter form.  My WAHM Plan is responsible for prize fulfillment. Winners will be notified by email used on entry form and have 48 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!


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Easy Lemon Yogurt Mandarin Orange Shortcake Dessert recipe #YogurtPerfection #spon

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, April 17, 2015
I’ve been enjoying lots of yogurts lately after re-discovering how much I like having them with breakfast; so when Linqia asked if I’d like to try Liberté® Méditerranée #YogurtPerfection and make a recipe to share here, I quickly said yes! 





Lemon, Yogurt, dessert, easy


The first order of business was to visit Liberté® Méditerranée #YogurtPerfection to learn more about this brand. The delightful sounding names on their yogurts had my mouth watering! Their new flavors include:

  • Méditerranée Cappuccino
  • Méditerranée Caramel
  • Méditerranée Blackberry
  • Méditerranée Coconut
  • Méditerranée French Vanilla
  • Méditerranée Lemon
  • Méditerranée Strawberry

Liberté® Méditerranée says their #YogurtPefection is a luscious whole milk yogurt, with live active cultures, real fruit and no gelatin, sugar substitutes or preservatives. That really does sound like yogurt perfection so I can see why they use that hashtag.


Once at Publix, I found the hardest part of the trip was picking a flavor for my dessert recipe. I stood there in the yogurt isle for quite some time while different recipe ideas popped into my mind with each new flavor I picked up. I finally chose the Méditerranée Lemon!


lemon, yogurt, good, delicious



All that lemon goodness i could see at the bottom of the container and their description-  Whole milk yogurt enlivened with the sharpness of lemon. Bracing but silky , had me longing to try it and dreaming of a warm weather treats, like Orange Crème bars! Armed with my yogurt and a perfect dessert idea, I completed my shopping at Publix, easily finding all the ingredients I needed since there are only 4!

This recipe is super quick and easy to make, you’ll have dessert ready in no time. Here’s what you’ll need to make Lemon Yogurt Mandarin Orange Shortcake Dessert. 


Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

easy, dessert, warm, weather, recipe


  • 1- container Liberté® Méditerranée Lemon yogurt
  • 1- container of shortcake dessert shells
  • 1- container Lite whipped topping
  • 1- 15 oz. can Mandarin Orange Segments in light syrup


Directions:


yogurt, lemon, manderin orange, dessert


  • Spoon stirred container Liberté® Méditerranée Lemon yogurt into large mixing bowl
  • Drain the can of Mandarin Orange Segments reserving syrup and 4-6 Mandarin Orange Segments, pour in mixing bowl
  • Add two heaping tablespoons of Lite whipped topping
  • Gently stir all ingredients until well mixed

dessert, ingredients, easy, mix


  • Place 1 shortcake dessert shell on a dessert plate and fill with Lemon Yogurt Orange filling
  • Top with a small dollop of Lite whipped topping
  • Add one Mandarin Orange Segment to top of dessert and drizzle a teaspoon of Mandarin Orange syrup on dessert
  • Serve chilled


Enjoy!


lemon, yogurt, mandarin orange, shortcake, dessert



This dessert really is a tasty way to kick off the warmer days that have finally arrived! Why not make this treat for your family this weekend? Just head on over to Publix readyplansave.com to clip and print your coupons. Available while supplies last.



Win! 

It’s Friday, it’s spring and we are talking desserts, so let’s celebrate all that by having a giveaway! One lucky reader will receive a $15.00 PayPal transfer, sponsored by  Liberté®Méditerranée #YogurtPerfection! 

Terms:

Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below. No purchase necessary to enter. Must live in the United States and be 18+ years or older to enter. My WAHM Plan will email winner, whom must respond with valid PayPal email address or another winner will be selected. This contest is not associated with or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram or any other social channel. 

Good Luck!


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My Messy Patio Table Was No Match for Viva Vantage Paper Towels #VivaTowels #sponsored

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, August 22, 2014

Many thanks to Viva Vantage and Walmart for sponsoring today’s story and helping me clean up my messes!

My family and I love spending time out on our back deck. It’s so relaxing to sit back and enjoy nature at its unspoiled finest. It’s why we moved out to the country. One of the draw backs of country living is dirt. Lots of dirt and “gifts” show up on our deck from our cat, the birds we feed, a raccoon that makes a routine visit, even an opossum, who  has an affinity for the grease can on my husband’s grill. 


Somehow, a big portion of this dirt winds up on my patio table. It’s gross, folks! Yes, that is birdie poop and cat hair and mud and I don’t even know what else!

dirty patio table #cleanup #VivaTowels


I clean this glass top table at least once a week; more often if my daughters want to do homework here, or if company is coming. And every week, I use a big wad of my regular brand of paper towels. First, cleaning and scrubbing off all that nature gives, and then going back and cleaning off all the lint the paper towels left. It’s a chore I don’t look forward to. 


gross glass table #cleanup #VivaVantage


 That’s why I was so excited to learn about the new Viva Vantage paper towels. They are said to have “great scrubbing power for everyday messes”. After seeing how dirty my patio table was again, I knew it was time for me to break up with my old paper towels and give Viva Vantage a try. I headed to my local Walmart, where I was happy to discover Viva Vantage was on sale at a much lower price than my regular brand. Score one for the family budget!


#VivaVantage paper towels at #Walmart
Viva Vantage paper towels at a great low price at Walmart.

Armed with my new paper towel scrubbing team, I went outside to face the table too tough to tame.


#VivaVantage paper towels #cleanup
Viva Vantage ready to take on this table

I felt the Viva Vantage paper towel noticing all its ridges and stretchiness  and thought, I bet I’ll need at least 4 of these to tackle this mess; but for the sake of experimentation, I’m going to try them one at a time to really give them a test. 


I spritzed on my usual glass cleaner and allowed it to set for a minute. 


time to clean dirty table #VivaTowels


 Then I pulled off just one Viva Vantage paper towel.



One paper towel challenge #VivaTowels
One Viva Vantage paper towel versus gunk

And, to my amazement- it was all I needed. Look at how all the ridges and flex-weave  held on to all the cat hair, dirt and grime!  


Grime is off the table #VivaTowels



The Viva Vantage held up to my scrubbing (it only got a couple tiny holes) and it had plenty of absorbing power left. If I’d had the time, I could have taken this same paper towel and start wiping down my chair arms.  Instead I chose to stand back and admire my pretty, shiny clean table! 



shiny, clean table thanks to #VivaTowels
Thanks to Viva Vantage towels, my table shines!


Thanks Viva Vantage paper towels for tackling my messy patio table. I'm hooked on your cleaning power. 

If you are ready to break up with your old paper towels and give Viva Vantage a try; head on over to your local Walmart or visit Walmart.com.


Disclosure: Many thanks to Viva Towels and Walmart for sponsoring today’s post.  I did receive compensation as a thank you for sharing my thoughts on Viva Vantage paper towels. 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." 


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Cute & Easy Birdhouses #craft

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Inspired by all the cute birdhouses I saw recently on Plaid Craft, I thought this would be a perfect rainy day craft for my girls, and they happily agreed. So, off to Walmart we went. 
You can pick up the supplies at any craft store, major retailer, or purchase online. Before you go shopping, double check your crafts supplies for foam brushes, stamps, stencils, etc. You may only need to buy the birdhouses!

Supplies Needed:

Small Birdhouses (we bought two)
1 Set of foam brushes
Assorted Apple Barrel paints (we bought six)
1 set of Stencils 



#craft supplies



Another great thing about this craft is it is budget friendly.  I spent $11.32, and we will be able to re-use all the supplies except the birdhouses.


Directions:

Make sure all the glue from the labels/price stickers are off.
Pull or buff off any rough spots on wood. (Use a fingernail file if necessary.)
Now, your birdhouses are ready to paint. 



craft, painting


craft, painting


Allow base coat to dry. (About 4 mins.)

Add additional colors as desired, using stencils, stamps, or free style; anything goes.


painted birdhouse
Freestyle Painted Birdhouse


painted, craft
Stenciled painted Birdhouse


As you can see, my daughters used different styles and painting techniques on their birdhouses. Both of them are very happy with their finished project, which makes crafting so rewarding.


crafts, painting, wood
Pretty Birdhouses


This craft really is cute, easy and budget friendly. Please let me know if you try it with your kids.

Share in comments: Have you tried a painting craft lately?

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