I Heart You: Hallmark Value Cards

I am a member of the #CollectiveBias ®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

When we moved to Texas 7 years ago we had no nieces and nephews and our family was a lot smaller.  Over the years our family has grown super-sized!  We now have 12 nieces and nephews and still growing.  We try to get together on weekends to have family dinners and that’s also when we celebrate birthdays and and holidays.  I love giving cards to family members and friends.

Have you looked at the price of cards lately???  Some cards are between $5-$7 per card.  I was in Walmart the other day and noticed the Hallmark Value Cards in the card isle.  They were so cute and priced as low at .47 cents.  I kind of went a little nuts because I found so many cute cards at such great prices!

Our Texas sized family:

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I love each and every member of our family and want them all to feel special, but I don’t want to break the bank buying cards. With Hallmark #ValueCards you can Celebrate in a big way without spending a fortune!

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I got all of these adorable cards for different occasions for under $14 bucks!  They are so cute and I’m so excited to give these to someone special.  I stock up on cards a few times a year knowing that eventually I’ll use them.  I also like to decorate the envelopes with fun markers or glitter pens.

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There is also a Hallmark Card Rewards Program, which rewards shoppers for purchasing Hallmark cards and can be collected anywhere (but especially at Walmart). Value cards are $.47 and $.97 cents.  You can’t beat that price!  For every 5 Hallmark cards you buy, you’ll earn a reward.

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Our 13 year anniversary is coming up so I picked out a special card for my honey at Walmart. Time sure does fly!

 A card is not just a piece of cardboard to me…it’s words of encouragement and emotions.  I keep all my cards and look back on them to read what my relatives wrote who are no longer with us, or read what I wrote years ago.  It makes me laugh & sometimes I wonder what I was thinking!

Cards can make you laugh, cry, smile, & reminisce about all the memories and thoughts you once had.

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I love giving cards and I love receiving them as well.  Cards hold so many special thoughts and are a great way to show someone how much they mean to you.  Sometimes when you can’t find the exact words to say a card can do wonders to help.

Don’t let a day go by without letting someone know how much they mean to you!  Life is too short not to 🙂

 Make sure you check THIS out  to sign up for Hallmark Rewards, and to see great content from other bloggers. Join in the #ValueCards conversation on Twitter!  

A Day in My Life with 5-Hour Energy®

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

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Most days my life is a crazy mess.  Like, seriously….we have a lot going on and sometimes it’s just hard to get through the day without dragging my heels.  I have a tiny little secret that I carry around with me called 5-hour ENERGY® shots.  They are so tiny you can carry them anywhere and they don’t need to me refrigerated either.

My day usually starts around 6 am and I’ll get up, shower, and then get ready for the day.  In the midst of all this Terence is also getting ready for work and we are getting Connor showered, dressed, & ready for school.

The boys are usually ready before me because they don’t have to do hair and makeup.   Connor eats his cereal and Terence makes a shake or coffee.  Then I shuffle to get my things together and we are out the door by 7 am.

I drop Connor off at school and then head to work for the rest of the day.

Then…..I hit my afternoon sinking spell around 2-3 pm. UGH.

That’s when I reach for my tiny magic potion.  Ha!  Not really it’s a 5-hour ENERGY® shot.  becfam2 (1 of 1)

5-hour ENERGY® shots are a dietary supplement that contains a blend of B-vitamins, amino acids, and essential nutrients.  There’s zero sugar, carbs, or herbal stimulants.  It’s only four calories.  It contains the amount of caffeine comparable to a cup of leading premium coffee.  It’s gives me that extra push I need in the afternoon to keep going.

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My day doesn’t end at 5pm.  After I get off work I pick up Connor, we have swim lessons, then after that we go home and cook dinner.  After all this we like to chill out on the sofa and watch some TV.  Our days are long, but full of fun and excitement too!  I want to be that Mom who can keep up with her 4-year-old.  With 5-hour ENERGY® shots I feel energized and focused on what needs to be done.

They are so easy to put in your bag or keep in your desk too #ThisIsMySecret ! There are a lot of different flavors to choose from. My personal favorite is grape 🙂

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 The best part is there is no crashing and 5-hour ENERGY® shots are sugar-free.

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Right now CVS has a great sale: Get One 50% off on the 6-pack of 5-hour ENERGY® shots.

Stay updated on the latest from 5-hour Energy® through Twitter and Facebook.

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ENTER BELOW TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN A 6 MONTH SUPPLY OF 5-hour ENERGY® shots

*Please be aware that 5-hour ENERGY® shots is not for use by children.

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No Purchase Necessary. The How Do You Use 5-Hour ENERGY® Products To Keep Up With Your Busy Summer Days Sweepstakes begins on 6/15/14 at 12:00 A.M. ET and ends on 7/31/14 at 11:59:59 PM ET. Legal residents of the 50 US/DC only. Void where prohibited. By participating you agree to the Official Rules.

Tom’s of Maine Whole Foods: Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias,  Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. D7K_0601-2

My life is pretty crazy these days. I know…I know…I just have ONE kid! But I also work full-time and am a wifey and manage a household. That includes laundry (it’s amazing how much laundry 3 people create) & putting meals on the table. Can I just have a drive-thru window at my house please? When it comes to taking care of my family I only want the best.  Of course you can’t always have everything you want, but you can do the BEST you can to provide it!

We shop at Whole Foods because they have the freshest produce and also offer personal care items- like anti-perspirant, that we use every day that don’t contain artificial colors, flavors, fragrances, or preservatives.

When I stop to think about the world we are living in right now sometimes it freaks me out.  I can count on all my fingers how many people are going through cancer right now or are struggling with a debilitating illness.  Of course you can’t ALWAYS prevent these things from happening, but you can help yourself and help our planet.  My son’s future is very important to me.  I know what I’m doing right now will impact him, as well as everyone else generations down the road.

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One product I really LOVE from Whole Foods is Tom’s of Maine deodorant.  It’s a long-lasting deodorant that contains all natural ingredients.  It’s also aluminum-free, which I prefer.

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The Fresh Apricot scent is amazing!  It’s so refreshing for summertime…you just HAVE to try it!  They also offer a men’s version as well leaving them #FreshNaturally. D7K_0612

 

It get SO hot here in Texas in the summertime.  I need something that is going to fit my busy lifestyle and keep me from getting pit stains girrrrrrlTom’s of Main helps me not to sweat my armpits off and stay dry all day long!  Because honestly….I have better things to worry about than sweating 🙂

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CaringBridge #TheOther364

“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for CaringBridge. I received product a promotional item to thank me for my participation. #MC ”

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CaringBridge exists to connect people with their community of support in times of need. In anticipation of Father’s Day, CaringBridge created #theother364 campaign and needs your help!

They want help catching dads in action—not just on Father’s Day, but #theother364 days a year too—whether making breakfast, packing lunch, helping with homework, taking on light saber attacks, building awesome forts, or otherwise being great dads by:

  •  Take a quick (under 30 seconds) video of Dad doing an act your family appreciate

  • Submit your video here by May 29th, 2014 https://theother364.strutta.com/about

  • CaringBridge will select their favorites, and edit them together into a Father’s Day tribute to Dads — celebrating them on #TheOther364 days of the year in their announcement of the final video.

Saving Money with AutoInsurance.com #Compare2Win

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric® Community. Collective Bias has provided me with compensation for my time and effort to evaluate this website. #Compare2Win #CollectiveBias Participation in this program is voluntary. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

I remember when I turned 16 and was FINALLY able to drive a car.  At that age being able to drive a car is “everything“.  I took the course and the test….I was praying I passed because I wanted that license to drive in my wallet sooooo bad!

My parents had my twin sister and I getting our license at the same time.  Bless their heart.  We inherited my Dad’s old Geo Prism.  That was our very first car.  We shared it driving back and forth to school and to work.  There were many fights on who would drive or pay for gas.  Ha ha!  I remember those moments well.

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We thought we were so cool when we got our first car.  Our parents made us a deal, if we wanted to drive we had to pay for our own car insurance.  I’m sure paying for two newly licensed teenagers wasn’t cheap.  So, we got jobs and paid for insurance and gas when we could.  Mom and Dad ended up helping us out a lot.

When shopping for car insurance we wanted the best rate at the cheapest cost.  Let’s face it…we wanted to spend the majority of our paycheck on clothes and makeup.

If your going through this right now with a teen or just looking for rates AutoInsurance.com is a great site to compare them.  Just visit the website, type in your zip code, and fill out your profile. Once finished you’ll get a report of the best auto insurance rates from several different companies.

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If you choose to drive you MUST have insurance!  I was hit by a car right before Christmas & the guy didn’t have insurance. Dealing with that entire ordeal was such a pain.  I’m sure the guy that hit me is kicking himself because it was thousands of dollars to fix my car.  Being insured protects you and so many others out on the road.

Finding a good rate on auto insurance can save you thousands of dollars and it only takes a few minutes to check it out.  The monthly rate you pay for insurance will be much less than if you get in an accident and have to pay for damage.

So, I filled out my info and searched for my quote:

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AutoInsurance.com is a first-of-its kind, independently operated one-stop-shop site that empowers consumers to quickly search, compare and purchase auto insurance, saving time and money online, consumers can retrieve their current auto insurance policy information and compare it apples-to-apples with carrier quotes offered on AutoInsurance.com.

With AutoInsurance.com, consumers have access to compare real-time quotes directly from top carriers, and policies can be purchased directly through the site or via phone with one of their licensed agents

There is no cost associated with searching and comparing quotes – consumers can obtain a quote with no obligation to buy, giving them the control they want without the added pressure to purchase, consumers get a transparent and unbiased comparison to help them realize significant savings and have a greater piece of mind.

AutoInsurance.com is available in these states right now: Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

Here are my 6 month quotes:

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That’s not too bad.  It’s around $130 a month for auto insurance.  (This all depends on what kind of coverage you choose of course!) 

If you’re looking to save some money on car insurance check out AutoInsurance.com it never hurts to check it out and you may save a little moolah!

Check out AutoInsurance.com on FACEBOOK & TWITTER too!

H-E-B: Budget friendly + Quality Diapers #HEBBabyDiapers #ad

Tracking PixelThis is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of H-E-B Baby Diapers.

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I remember when I was pregnant and stocking up on diapers like a crazy hoarder.  As we did this I was also calculating in my head the expense of all the diapers.  I would ask my friends, “So how many diapers do you use in a day or a month?”  I was trying to get a feel for what was to come.  It was great to get diapers at showers and things like that.  I honestly thought we had enough diapers to last an entire year after all the baby showers we had.  Yeah….that lasted maybe a couple months!

Then it hits you like ton of bricks.  Diapers ain’t cheap!

Here in Texas we have stores called H-E-B.  They offer great, quality products you already use at affordable prices.

So, when I was checking out diapers to buy I tried  H-E-B Baby Diapers  brand, the quality of the product, and the price were major factors in my decision to purchase.

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H-E-B has kiddos covered in both style and substance. H-E-B diapers, sized for newborns to toddlers (newborn-6 years old).  We still use them every night because Connor has bed wetting issues.  Let me tell you how thankful this Mama is not to change sheets every morning!D7K_8201

Over the last year H-E-B has conducted extensive testing and made notable improvements based on what parents wanted.  H-E-B diapers  has Soft-Stretch® waist and side panels which allow your child to move freely and comfortably while helping to prevent leaks.  The patented stretch tabs are designed to hug your child for a better fit, and now newborn diapers feature a convenient umbilical cord cutout.  How cool is that for newborns???

The new diapers boast up to 12 hours of wetness protection, a high-performance, super-absorbent materials to prevent leaks. This allows for a thinner diaper with less bulk that stays consistently strong and provides added protection. Satisfaction is guaranteed, or they will refund your money.

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I’m happy parent when I have a happy child who wakes up leak free!

Check out more information on H-E-B diapers and products HERE.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of H-E-B Baby Diapers.

Southwest Chicken Spaghetti: With Kraft FreshTake

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #CollectiveBias

As a busy mom the last thing I want to do at the end of the day is cook dinner.   One of my go to dishes has always been chicken spaghetti.  At our wedding shower 13 years ago everyone brought their favorite recipe to share with the bride.  Someone slipped that chicken spaghetti recipe in there, and I’ve used it ever since!  Over the years I’ve played around with the recipe and made different versions of it.  Chicken spaghetti is great because it’s a casserole dish & you can put whatever you want in there.  When we have friends & family over it’s a great dish to cook for a group because it’s easy and they all love it.

I made southwest chicken spaghetti last night for supper using Kraft Fresh Take Southwest 3-Cheese.   Kraft #FreshTake comes in several different varieties including: Italian Parmesan, Cheddar Jack w/ Bacon, & Southwest 3-Cheese. If you’re planning an Easter meal this year consider using Kraft Fresh Takes to jazz up your traditional recipes.

  • Italian Parmesan -Great seasoning for some Easter egg-shaped meatballs
  • Cheddar Jack w/Bacon – Use to season twice baked potatoes
  • Southwest 3-Cheese- Whip up the Southwest Chicken Spaghetti casserole I’m about to share with you!

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Ingredients:

3/4 lb.  spaghetti, uncooked
1 lb.  boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I used rotisserie chicken)
16 oz. Monterrey jack cheese
1 can  condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Kraft Fresh Take Southwest 3-Cheese blend
8-10 Ritz crackers

Instructions

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
COOK spaghetti
MEANWHILE, cook chicken or debone a rotisserie chicken (like I did)
DRAIN spaghetti.
ADD chicken, 1 cup of cheese, cans of soup, tomatoes & green chilis, & spaghetti in a large bowl and combine ingredients well.
BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until heated through.

Kraft FreshTake can be found at Walmart in the cheese isle.  The Southwest Three Cheese was only $1.98 and if you use the $1.00 off coupon below that brings it to .98 CENTS when you purchase chicken too!  You can’t beat that.

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Shredded rotisserie chicken

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The inside of the Fresh Takes package (seasoning+cheese)

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Combine canned goods, cheese, & chicken in a large bowl

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To make the crumb topping I used the entire contents of the Fresh freshtakes (5 of 14)Take Southwest 3-cheese seasoning package & about 10 Ritz crackers

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Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Yummy delicious!

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The Fresh Take Southwest 3-cheese seasoning added great flavor to my traditional chicken spaghetti recipe. I’ll definitely be cooking it this way again!

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Download the new Fresh Take coupon for $1 off the purchase of fresh chicken and Fresh Take at Walmart!

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