Wordless Wednesday:Smoky Mountain Views

in , , , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, August 10, 2016



Smoky Mountains layers of blue and green





serene water views





wet rock and fern






higher elevation clouds and blue skies


This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias Inc., and it's advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #IamsDogOffer #CollectiveBias



Iams dog food savings at Target #ad

Double the savings for your pet! Save $1 on any 1 bag of IAMS dry dog food, PLUS get a $5  Target Gift Card when you buy 2 bags!



If you are a dog owner, I'm sure you will agree this is a great way to save on your furry friends Iams dog food!


Please share in comments: Do you shop at Target often?


Upgrade your gaming system needs with Groupon

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, August 01, 2016

The dog days of summer are upon us and most of America is experiencing a major heat wave.  When it gets this hot, even a dip in the pool doesn’t sound as refreshing as staying indoors with the AC on. To combat boredom during these long summer days, our family enjoys playing video games together; but we need to upgrade our gaming system and accessories badly. 


My thanks to today's post sponsor, Groupon. While I will receive compensation as a thank you for my time, I only share products/services I feel will benefit my readers. All opinions are mine. 


Gaming systems in entertainment center


My husband is more of a gamer than I am, but I do like playing Zelda and Mario Brothers with my girls. However, now that they are older and are more experienced gamers, their skill levels outpace mine. We were talking about which games we liked over dinner recently and we all agreed, we had to get serious about our gaming system upgrade. We’ve been watching out for a great deal on the Xbox One system and luckily just learned that we can save a bunch by shopping with Groupon Goods!



Most of the time we use Groupon for food and entertainment savings, so we were pleasantly surprised at the variety of high quality games, controllers, systems and more you can find when you check out the video game section at Groupon. It’s easy to find. Just go to the Groupon site, then Goods and then look for video games under Popular categories.  



Gaming system accessories at Groupon



My husband discovered he could purchase the Nyko Xbox One Controller Charge Base for just $21.99! This cool charger keeps your controllers ready to play with a dual-port dock that can charge two controllers at once, which is perfect for playing multi-player games on a family fun Friday night.




Nyko Xbox One Controller Charge Base



If your gaming system needs an upgrade too, I invite you to head on over to Groupon Goods and get shopping, or at least dreaming of the upgrades you want!




Please share in comments: Are you a gamer? If so, what is your favorite game?


Whether it's your local county fair, or big state fair- the season for all things fair is upon us!
Here's a few pics from our previous visits to Tennessee fairs. I'll be sharing more from this season soon. 



Farmall tractor at the fair





Bunny at the state fair





Ferris wheel ride at the fair





Horse at the county fair





Fair food


Happy fair season! Stay cool and hydrated out there!



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!



The walking trail at our local park has a lovely shaded area







Trees reach for the sun







Taking in all that nature shares Linda. Tera, Melissa








 AcaciaTrees in bloom



Please share in comments: Does your local park have a walking trail too?
Happy Friday dear readers! You know how much I love kicking off the weekend by sharing a giveaway with you. Today I've partnered with several bloggers to bring you a comfy, perfect for a lazy Saturday morning style giveaway- Summer sleep pants in an assortment of cute characters! 



Summer Pajama pants giveaway


Each of these pajama pants have an adorable and just plain cool character. From Minnie Mouse, Ariel to the cool Batman pajamas, there is a color and pattern sure to please everyone.



Welcome to the Summer Character Sleep Pant Wardrobe Giveaway Event!

Sponsored by: Richard Leeds International

Hosted by: Southern Mom Loves


With the summer heat in full force, we thought you could use some cool new PJ pants! These character sleep capri pants from Richard Leeds International are made of soft, 100% cotton to help keep you cool all summer long, and are available in Mickey, Minnie, Ariel, Minions, Dory, Eeyore, Hello Kitty, TMNT, Batman, Wonder Woman, and more.

Holly from Southern Mom Loves reviewed these new sleep pants (available at Walmart.) You can see her full review here, and then enter to win a full summer sleep pants wardrobe below!


Summer character sleep pants giveaway

  • 1st Prize: 1 (One) winner will receive one of each sleep pant design for a total of 11 pairs of sleep pants!
  • 2nd Prize: 2 (Two) winners will each receive 5 pairs of sleep pants!
  • 3rd Prize: 5 (Five) winners will each receive 3 pairs of sleep pants!
  • 4th Prize: 16 (Sixteen) winners will each receive 1 pair of sleep pants!

      24 total winners will be sent fun Character Sleep Pants in randomly chosen designs from the styles shown above, in their Women's size as they state it in the Giveaway Tools widget below. (ARV $518!) Enter below, the odds are fantastic!


      Giveaway begins on 7/8/16 at 1:00 am CST and ends on 7/29/16 at 11:59 pm CST. Must be 18 years or older, open to residents of the US only. Once confirmed, the winners will be added to the Southern Mom Loves Winner's List.


      Entry-Form

      Good luck!


      Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per address. All entries will be verified. Void where prohibited by law. Winner will be contacted by email; Please add southernmomloves@gmail.com to your whitelist. Richard Leeds International will be responsible for prize delivery to the winner. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest, or any other social media platform.

      Contact Holly at southernmomloves@gmail.com if you have any additional questions or comments, or would like Southern Mom Loves to organize your next giveaway.
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