Wordless Wednesday- Fall skies

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, December 09, 2015
As we head towards Christmas and temperatures drop, gray skies like this one seem to rule the day.
Gray skies in Fall
But I have found beautiful, abundant, hard to take in colors at sunrise:
Beautiful Sunrise in December
And at Sunset:


Beautiful Sunset in December



Which color palette do you prefer?
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Spread Holiday Cheer with Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies and a giveaway!

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, December 03, 2015
Once I’ve served Thanksgiving leftovers at least twice, I feel comfortable turning my attention to all things Christmas and that means decorating and baking cookies! I love baking from scratch whenever I can, but sometimes this busy work at home Mom needs to streamline the baking process and that’s when I turn to Betty Crocker Cookie mixes. This week, I’m spreading holiday cheer with my Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies that started with a Betty Crocker mix. These cookies are so quick and delicious; nobody will believe they aren’t from scratch!


baking, holidays, cookie, season, peanut butter, toffee, cookies


I bake cookies often throughout the year, but at Christmas time, I’m baking like a boss all season long. I bake for family and friends, I bake for cookie swaps and teacher   appreciation days at my daughters’ schools and I bake cookies to give to my neighbors.

 It really is a simple and easy way to spread kindness and cheer at this special time of year. All you need is a Betty Crocker Cookie Mix, about an hour and a few Ziploc containers to put your cookies in.  I chose peanut butter because I knew it was a favorite ; but Betty Crocker has plenty of options like Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Chip and Double Chocolate chip just to name a few.  Both the mixes and the Ziploc containers are on sale right now at Publix, so be sure to visit readysetsave.com to download your digital coupons. Be sure to check out all the fun holiday recipes there too! 



Here’s my quick and easy recipe for Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies. 

Simple ingredients to make Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies


Ingredients:


  • 1) 17.5 ounce Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
  • 1) 8 ounce bag English toffee bits (found in baking aisle of most grocery stores)
  • 3) Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2) Tablespoons water
  • 1) Large egg


Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In large bowl mix oil, water and egg in Peanut Butter cookie batter until no longer grainy.
  • Gently fold in toffee bits.
  • Shape dough into 36 small balls or make drop cookies like I did by gently sliding off tablespoon size dough balls on to parchment paper.
  • Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes for regular size cookies or 9-11 minutes for large cookies.
  • Allow to cool.


If you are giving cookies as gifts like I am, while the cookies cool, it’s time to get your cookie container ready. I prefer using Ziploc containers because they are sturdy and reusable, which truly comes in handy this time of year! Sometimes,  I even receive my container back with a goody inside as thanks. 


Put baked cookies in a Ziploc container for sharing


I’ve found that a dozen cookies fit perfectly in the 1.25 quart size Ziploc containers. Sometimes you can get lucky and find the holiday containers, but if not, you can decorate your container as festively as you want. 


Label your cookies for gifting with a simple festive tag

Win it!


Thanks to my sponsor, Betty Crocker, one lucky reader will receive a $10.00 PayPal cash transfer so you can purchase some cookie mixes too! 


Terms: 

No purchase is necessary to enter using the Rafflecopter from below.  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. You must have a PayPal email account to enter. 

Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Happy Holidays- $100 Wilsons Leather Giveaway

in , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, November 30, 2015
I couldn't wait to share this amazing giveaway with you dear readers! I've long been a fan of the high quality products from Wilsons Leather, so when I had a chance to join in with a great group of bloggers to spread this kind of Christmas cheer, I jumped at the chance!


Wilson Leather logo and giveaway


Sponsored by Wilsons Leather 


 About Wilsons Leather: 
Wilsons Leather is a leading specialty retailer of quality accessories and outerwear. They have some of the best selections in all kinds of formats. Their many categories include: outwear, handbags, briefcases and even travel items. They use many other fabrications other than leather, so you have a vast amount of options for your personal preference. Offering both Men and Women attire, Wilsons Leather is the choice to make.

The Plus Size Wilsons Leather Belted Leather Hipster w/Faux-Fur Lined Hood is one of many excellent selections from Wilsons Leather.  So why not make your loved one love you even more, make those sparks last longer.

This would be a more than amazing way to express your love towards your dearly beloved. So why not make this an even more special Christmas. Express your love the right way with the right choice in a gift. Check out the product above, you are sure to like what you see.

Wilson Leather Giveaway ends 12/20


Entering is easy using the form below. No purchase necessary to enter. 

Terms:

No purchase is necessary to enter using the form below.  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. You must have a PayPal email account to enter. I was not compensated to share this giveaway. 

 Good Luck!

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Weekly Chore Prompt: Prep your foyer before holiday guests arrive

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Are you hosting family and friends during the holidays this year? Naturally, you want to make them feel welcome from the moment they arrive.  All of a sudden the busiest spot in your home isn’t the kitchen; it’s the foyer. Before your guests arrive, think through what they will be wearing and carrying so you can provide a clean, functional space to help get them settled in quickly. This chore shouldn’t take more than 35 minutes.


Winter weather for the #holidays


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November is National Adoption month- can you help? #NAM15

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, November 16, 2015
For most of us, as soon as we turn our calendars to November, we start thinking about the big family style holidays coming up. Thanksgiving can be a stressful endeavor with some families, whether it is a logistics concern, or more often than not, the thought of multiple personalities clashing over the cranberries. Some of our family squabbles would seem silly to the thousands of kids here in the United States that need a home. 


November is national adoption month #NAM15 on MWP


Since November is National adoption month, I’m honored to work with today’s sponsor- the U.S.  Department of Health and Human Services, AdoptUSKids, and the Ad Council to help spread the word about this growing need and ask for your help as well. While this is a sponsored post, all opinions and love of children are my own.


As a Mom of two teen daughters, I was shocked and honestly heart-sore when I read the information sent to me to share with you today. For instance, did you know that there are 415,000 children in the U.S. foster care system and 108,000 are waiting to be adopted?

AdoptUSKids’ maintains a national photo listing service for children waiting to be adopted. Since the project launched in 2002, more than 25,000 children who were once photo listed on adoptuskids.org have been adopted and nearly 38,000 families have registered to adopt through the website.  

Nevertheless, older youth are disproportionately represented – approximately 41 percent of children and youth photo listed on adoptuskids.org are between 15 and 18 years old, but only 17 percent of those adopted have been in this age group. This just breaks my heart, because I don’t know what my world would be like if I didn’t have my two beautiful, vibrant, smart and funny teens in my life! 

Still, the fact is older youth and teens have lower adoption rates than younger children and often wait longer to be adopted. Can you imagine what they must feel at this time of year? 

All kids need a supportive, loving home and the teenage years are a critical period of growth. The theme for this year’s AdoptUSKids campaign is “We never outgrow the need for Family”. Doesn’t that hit you right in the heart? It did me! If you have ever considered adopting or fostering a child, now may be the perfect time to get started.  

Watch this cute video!




AdoptUSKids wants to remind you- “You don’t have to be perfect to be a #perfectparent”. 


Here are some facts worth considering.


Why Older Youth?

All of us – that includes older youth in foster care who are waiting to be adopted – need and want families throughout life to support us and to share important life events. Learning to drive a car, applying for higher education, and birthday and holiday celebrations are just a few examples of the times in life we need and want to share with family.
  • Older youth are overrepresented in the foster care population, as they generally wait longer to be adopted, and have lower overall adoption rates.    
  • On adoptuskids.org, roughly 41 percent of the children and youth actively photo listed are between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. About 58 percent are male. (Most recent stats as of May 31, 2015) 
  •  Families, who adopt older youth, are providing them with the support and stability of a family during a critical period of normal adolescent concerns and additional self-identity issues.
 
Some of the Misperceptions about Adoption from Foster Care:

Adoption is expensive. Unlike the private adoption of an infant or adopting internationally, there are virtually no costs associated with adoption from the US child welfare system. In addition, the vast majority of youth adopted from foster care are also eligible for monthly adoption assistance up to the level of the foster care rate. 

You have to be married. You do not have to be married to adopt in most states. Many children have been very successfully adopted by single parents. Single-parent families accounted for 29 percent of all adoptions from foster care in 2014 (AFCARS). 

You have to have a college degree. Having a high school diploma or college education is not required. What is important is that you are stable, flexible, and compassionate, and that you have a good sense of humor. Most importantly, you must have the support and commitment to raise a child and to be there for him throughout his life. 

You have to own a home and each child has to have their own room. You can rent your home or live in an apartment or a mobile home so long as your living situation is a stable one. 

You have to be of child-bearing age to adopt. Experienced parents and empty-nesters are encouraged to adopt. In most instances, you’re eligible to adopt regardless of age, income, marital status or sexual orientation.  

You can only adopt a child who is the same race and ethnicity as you. Federal law prohibits the delay or denial of an adoptive placement based on the race or ethnicity of a child in U.S. foster care and the prospective parent or parents who are seeking to adopt them. The only exception to this law is the adoption of Native American children where special considerations apply.  

You can’t adopt if you’re in the military. Military families stationed overseas and within the U.S. are eligible to adopt children from the U.S. foster care system. 


As we enter this season of thanks, kindness and giving, I invite you to learn about adoption, or about becoming an adoptive parent to a child from foster care, please visit www.adoptuskids.org or visit the campaign’s communities on Facebook and Twitter. You can also call 1-888-200-4005 (English) or 1-877-236-7831 (Spanish) to receive the latest information about the foster care system and the adoption process.



I thank you sincerely for reading this post to here. I would love if you would consider sharing this post, so that others can become aware of the overwhelming need to adopt older kids in the U.S.


Please share in comments: Do you have a positive/uplifting adoption story? I’d love to hear it! I’ll share your story on my Facebook page as well!

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All can be well with Amwell online Doctor Visits #sponsored

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Sunday, November 15, 2015
As a busy work at home Mom of two busy teen daughters, it can sometimes be a challenge to find the time to visit a doctor when I’m not feeling well.  If it’s my daughter’s or my husband- I make the time, but for myself? 

This is a sponsored post with Mums the Word Network and Amwell. All opinions are my own.

Amwell #online #doctor #visits

The internal dialog starts- how will I find the time- or make up the time I’d spend waiting to be seen at a traditional doctor or urgent care office? What if I get somebody else sick for what could be “just a cold? What about the cost? I’m sure this internal dialog sounds familiar to several of my readers. I may have the perfect solution so all can be well for you and your family- online doctor visits with Amwell.



I recently was asked to try out Amwell and share my thoughts with you here and I must confess I was pleasantly surprised with how fresh and responsive the Amwell website is. It is very easy to navigate, which is a huge plus if you aren’t feeling your best- or worse- you’ve got a sick kiddo and you want answers ASAP.


set up an Amwell account



After you set up an account, Amwell will remember your information for your next visit. You will be prompted to enter your insurance on the next screen. I did run into a bit of a hiccup here- they didn’t list my exact Insurance carrier. I was able to skip that until later; which was such a relief because if I’m not well, or I’m in a high stress situation, the very last thing I want stopping me from getting help is an insurance number.


On the next screen, Amwell lets you choose who in your family has the problem. Once you choose an option, another screen will come up allowing you to either use their symptom checker (which I found very helpful), or move forward and choose a doctor to speak with.



Before you’re able to connect and talk with an online doctor, the site will ask you to check if your computer is able to see and hear the doctor. Please note- you may have to update your browser at this point, like I did, to get Amwell to work! That was a bit of a time set back, but a necessary one. 


Amwell diet and nutrition doctors



 Once you have your computer set up to ensure an optimum doctor visit, you’ll pick your doctor from the ones listed for your area of need. All Amwell doctors are board certified and educated in the United States.  I had a nutrition question, so several nutritionists were made available for me to choose from. You can read about each doctor’s expertise, education, and more.


Here’s a video to show you just how an online doctor visit at AmWell may work for you. 





I was thoroughly impressed with the process from beginning to end and think having an online doctor visit is an excellent option for those times when getting to your regular doctor isn’t a convenient option, like if you are your child has the flu, or your super senior has an ache or pain that they would like to discuss .



Another thing I really like about Amwell is their upfront pricing. They show you right on the homepage, what you can expect to pay for each of the services they provide. 


Amwell upfront pricing

I invite you to learn more about Amwell, and their mission to provide quality medical advice online by visiting their website here and following them on Facebook.


As we enter the dreaded cold and flu season, I’m pleased to be able to offer my readers a code for a $1.00 visit to an Amwell online doctor of your choosing. Just enter this code CARENOW14 at check out and you are set. 


Please share in comments: Who would you most likely use this service for- yourself so you don’t miss work, or a loved one?

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Get a jump on gifting at Opry Mills, Nashville $50 GC giveaway!

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, November 13, 2015
Tonight is the first hard freeze of the season here in the Nashville, TN. area and nothing can make me ready for the holidays quicker than a chill in the air! That's why I'm happy to team up some wonderful local bloggers to share this giveaway with you!

With black Friday deals just around the corner, it's the perfect time to start your shopping lists now and I can't think of a better mall to go to than Opry Mills!

Ready to win $50 to Opry Mills Mall in Nashville, TN? 


Win a $50 gift card to Opry Mills Mall in Nashville, TN.


Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below. No purchase necessary to enter. Must be 18+ years to enter. Once you've entered to win let me know which store at Opry Mills is your favorite by leaving me a comment!

Terms:

Transportation is not provided to the Nashville, Tn mall. You must live within driving distance and can get yourself to the mall. Gift card will be mailed to winner.


Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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