Coffee Mate for Holiday Coffee and Dessert #UltimateCup

For the last two months I have had an obsession with Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice coffee drinks. I had a Pumpkin Spice drink at a coffee house and was hooked. I knew I could make it at home for much less. When it became December my husband told me it was time to move on from Pumpkin Spice to a new flavor that was more Christmas season. I decided I would try the Coffee Mate Peppermint Mocha and also make a coffee house style creation for my everyday creamer flavor, Hazelnut.

My son and I headed to Walmart for Coffee Mate creamer, items for my recipe and to look at a few items on my Christmas list. After gathering all the stuff we needed and more I headed home to make two drinks. One is a coffee house style coffee drink and the other a dessert.

Hazelnut White Chocolate Coffee #UltimateCup

Hazelnut White Chocolate Coffee

2 cups low fat Milk
1 cup Coffee Mate Halzelnut Creamer
1 cup White Chocolate Morsels
2 single serve packs of instant coffee
Whipped Cream for topping

In sauce pan heat milk, creamer and white chocolate morsels. Slowly stir until chocolate is melted. Add instant coffee, stir until incorporated. Pour into your cup top with whipped cream and enjoy!

I was inspired to make this coffee house style creation from the drinks I see people enjoying at my work from the coffee house that is next door. I see people relaxing and enjoying a white chocolate mocha and I knew I could make one at home even better since I would be adding hazelnut to mine. It turned out delicious and very affordable to enjoy any time I want!

Peppermint Mocha Coffee Chocolate Ice Cream

Living in California I am lucky enough to have sunny days that are even warm during the holidays. This means we still get to enjoy ice cream treats! To make a regular chocolate milk shake appealing to the adults that will be coming over for the holidays I added coffee, Coffee Mate Peppermint Mocha and  candy cane pieces. I blended chocolate ice cream, Coffee Mate Peppermint Mocha, instant coffee that I dissolved in the creamer and candy canes. After a blending I let the mixture set in the freezer in individual serving cups for 20 minutes. Topped with crushed candy cane, a little bit of whipped cream and inserted a candy cane for the perfect peppermint sweet treat for dessert.

Before you make your own Coffee Mate Coffee House Inspired Creation be sure to print the Coffee Mate Coupon on Walmart's website. 

For more Coffee Creation Inspiration you can check out my Google+ story. Be sure to see what other families are creating by visiting Coffee Mate on Facebook and Twitter. 


*I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Nestle Coffee Mate #CBias #SocialFabric #ad All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Football Homegating with Infinity MascotWear

 My family loves to get into the spirit of watching sports. We like the fan apparel, the food and goodies that are a part of homegating. With a toddler tailgating and going to a game in person is not for us. I am sure my kid would be "that" kid that ran out into the field or would bonk you over the head with his foam finger! Hanging out at home while we watch a game and have food is perfect for us.

 My son has outgrown all his last year San Francisco 49ers fan apparel and we needed new outfits for the homegating we were planning. We headed to Walmart since we can get snacks and goodies at a low price and be able to look for clothing. I saw online a super cute fleece outfit by Infinity MascotWear I wanted for my son. It would keep him warm and cozy while we watched the game and when we throw the football around outside. The MascotWear outfit has a removable hood so he can wear it during the game and if he falls asleep after all the football fun he can sleep in the fleece outfit.

I did not find the Fleece outfit but I did find another MascotWear item. I found super cute San Francisco 49ers Loofahs. My son is a messy boy while he eats and plays. After a homegating party he needs a bath after we enjoy goodies and throwing the football around outside. The MascotWear loofahs will be a fun way to scrub up after a game.

 For homegating you need to have the sweet and salty snacks while showing your team spirit too. We made sugar cookies with our team colors of red and gold. We tinted the frosting red and topped the cookie with gold sprinkles to look like gold flecks. The cookies were a big hit and eaten very quickly. I will have to make more of them next party we have.

Red and Gold like our team the San Francisco 49ers!

Living in Northern California we are huge fans of the San Francisco teams. We love the bay area for all its beauty and their seafood! My son has loved football since he was a little baby. We would all sit and watch the games together and he would smile and be happy. Now that he is a toddler he loves football even more. He throws the ball around and likes to dive for a ball to make his catches more dramatic. His favorite part is of course a touchdown! He throws up his arms and yells "Yessss!"

After a fun afternoon of football watching, snack eating and throwing the ball around outside my son was in need of a bath. He did not want to stop playing until I showed him his new Infinity MascotWear San Francisco 49ers bear loofah. He loves the little loofah and was squeaky clean after he took a bath with him. I will be looking at my local Walmart again soon for the toddler fleece outfit of the San Francisco 49ers for my sons upcoming birthday. I know he would love to wear the cute outfit for the game and scrub up with his matching loofah.

What is your family favorite football team? What kind of snacks do you serve when you are homegating?

To find out more about MascotWear and the fun products they make you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook. You can read my Google+ story of my shopping trip to Walmart to find supplies for my homegating party to get ideas for your next party.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Infinity Headwear and Apparel #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Healthy Snacking With Del Monte's Delicious New Fruit Cup Flavors #SmartSnack #CBias

By Patricia

My family has always been big snack lovers. When I was raising my five children, snacks played a very important role in their daily diets. I was always on the hunt for healthy snacks, but they were always something that I had to put together myself, and that was always very time consuming. Times have certainly changed and I love how easy and convenient snacks have become.

I now have small grandchildren that I am lucky enough to spend a lot of time with. As with all children, snacks and treats are a fun and important part of our time together. I love being the Nana that provides treats, but I also want them to eat healthy foods. I felt like I was giving them too many treats, so I decided that I would find snacks that are both healthy and that they would still enjoy.

My family has loved Del Monte fruit for many years, and more recently, the Del Monte fruit cups. I went to Walmart the other day to pick some up, and was happy to discover two new flavors.

I knew Diced Apples & Pears with Caramel flavor would appeal to my grandsons. I like that these fruit cups are one whole serving of fruit per cup, are loaded with Vitamin C, and contain no High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Diced Pears with Vanilla & Spice are the other new flavor of fruit cups I found. These new flavors remind me of fall, so it's the perfect time for them to be coming out.

Del Monte fruit cups are so easy and convenient to eat. They really make a great at home or on the go snack. They are also only 60 calories per serving, and gluten free. #SnackSmart

My five year old grandson has become a snack "expert". After a couple of years in preschool and now being in kindergarten, he knows what snacks he likes and what he doesn't.

He has eaten Del Monte fruit cups before and he has a favorite kind that I try to keep on hand. When I told him this new flavor had caramel in it, he was very happy, so this is the flavor he chose to try.

 

My two year old grandson wanted to try out the Diced Pears with Vanilla & Spice. He's too little to tell me exactly how he feels about them, but he does know what he likes.

After eating one fruit cup he took it upon himself to try and open another one to eat. I'd say he definitely likes these new flavors of Del Monte fruit cups.

I'll be picking up more of these new Diced Pears with Vanilla & Spice, and the Diced Apples & Pears with Caramel flavors.

I tried both kinds myself and I really like them too. I could taste a nice hint of the caramel, and the vanilla and spice were not overpowering, but just right. I do advise shaking them up a little so that all the flavoring is not on the bottom of the cup. Pears are actually one of my favorite fruits and it was nice to enjoy them with these new flavors. I'm very happy to be giving my grandsons snacks that are delicious and healthy for them.

Although I did buy the new Del Monte fruit cups for my grandsons, I like them too, so I tucked a couple in my purse to eat when I am busy and on the go. I love how they are only 60 calories each and just sweet enough so that I will be satisfied eating one instead of grabbing a snack that is loaded with sugar and calories.

If you'd like to know more about these Del Monte fruit cups and other Del Monte products, go to their website. You can also visit them on Facebook and Twitter. If you'd like to see my shopping experience at Walmart, check out my Google+ photo album.

If you would like to try the delicious New Flavors of Del Monte with your family there is a coupon for $0.50 off the product when you buy it at Walmart. Click here to redeem your free coupon.

* I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Del Monte #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Champions for Kids Dial Into Giving Donation #DialCFK

By Patricia

This month's Champions for Kids Simple Service Project is all about providing personal care items for children in need. Champions for Kids has teamed up with Dial Soap in the month of October to encourage donations of these very important items that children need to be and stay healthy.

I went to my local Walmart to purchase items to donate to my favorite place that helps those in need, the Kingston Food Bank. I bought lots of Dial hand soap and Dial bar soap for donation.

Did you know that Dial Complete is the #1 Doctor Recommended antibacterial hand wash? According to the Centers for Disease control, 80% of infectious diseases are spread through hand contact. You can go here and find out how to teach your children the importance of regular hand washing, and the best way to do it effectively.

I decided to make some personal care kits to donate for kids. I was also asking friends and family for their own donations to my project. For the care kits, I included Dial Soaps, kids shampoo/conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and fun nylon scrubs.

Low income families that receive food stamps are not allowed to use them to buy any personal care products, and some families struggle to obtain them on a regular basis. #DialCFK

My grandson helped me put together my care kits. We wrapped them in cellophane and a bow so that they would look cheerful and make the child that receives them will feel like they are getting a gift. 

My grandson has helped me on Simple Service Projects before, and I am so happy that he understands that when he is helping me, he is really helping other children.

I chose to make my donation to the Kingston Food Bank. It is run with love and devotion by Barb Felton,

whose own parents started the food bank over 50 years ago. I love donating here, and knowing my donations are always needed, and put to good use right here in the community.

Here we are making our donation of care kits to the food bank. Barb and her volunteers distribute much more than food. Household items, clothing, baby clothes, diapers and more are available. I am happy my donation will be able to be given to kids that really need them.

You can Dial into Giving and help the children in your community by getting involved in the October Champions for Kids Simple Service Project. Simply gather donations from family, friends, or co-workers and donate them to a charity that benefits children. You can be one of millions to help Champions for Kids meet their goal of helping 20 million people by 2020.

To learn more about Champions for kids and how you can get involved in Simple Service Projects, go to their website  Champions For Kids. You can read my Google+ story about my shopping trip to Walmart for Dial Soap products for ideas for your donation.

You can learn more about Champions for Kids and Dial by following them online:

Champions for Kids Twitter 
Champions for Kids Facebook
Dial on Facebook
Dial on Twitter

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Dial Soaps  #DialCFK  #CBias #SocialFabric

Champions For Kids Dial Into Giving #CBias

By Patricia

This month's Champions for Kids Simple Service Project is all about providing personal care items for children in need. Champions for Kids has teamed up with Dial Soap in the month of October to encourage donations of these very important items that children need to be and stay healthy.

In 2011 the number of Americans receiving food stamps hit an all time high. But families receiving food stamps cannot use them to buy soap, shampoo, or other basic personal items that help keep kids clean and healthy.

I am so proud to be participating in this month's Simple Service Project and helping the kids in my community. I have been made aware that there is a real need at the local food bank. Donations are down, not just for food, but for other personal and household items that they distribute to those in need as well. As parents need help in providing meals for their families, that means they don't usually have money for soaps, toothpaste, and other needed items. I am very happy to be making my donation here to the food bank, and that what I contribute will be put into the hands of children that need them the most.

I went to my local Walmart to buy Dial Soaps and other personal care products. I love that this Champions for Kids Simple Service Project. is so important to kids physical and mental health. When children feel good about themselves, they are more confident and do better in school.

Besides buying Dial bar soap and dial hand soap, I am also buying toothpaste and toothbrushes. I am going to be making some personal care kits that the food bank can give to the kids that need them.

This is what I am buying today to start my donation. I will also be asking family and friends to contribute soap, shampoo, and other items that I can put into the personal care kits. I would like to make as many kits as possible for the food bank.

I am happy to be 1 in a million to help Champions for Kids reach and help 20 million kids by 2020. You can Dial into Giving too, by contributing Dial Soaps and other products to kids in your community. #DialCFK

I will be putting the personal care kits together to include Dial bar soap, Dial hand soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and shampoo/conditioner. I have also included colorful nylon scrubs to have some soapy fun in the bathtub or shower.

I'm encouraging everyone to contribute and participate in this very important project for children. So many of us take soap and other basic hygiene products for granted, but for the kids that don't have them, they can make all the difference in the quality of those children's lives. 

Make October the month that you begin making a difference for the children in your community. Join Dial Soap and Champions for Kids and help bring a healthier and happier life to kids everywhere.

Visit the Champions For Kids website to learn all about the Dial Into Giving project. You can read my Google+ story about my shopping trip to Walmart for Dial Soap products for ideas for your donation.
             .
You can learn more about Champions for Kids and Dial by following them online:

Champions for Kids Twitter 
Champions for Kids Facebook
Dial on Facebook
Dial on Twitter

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Dial Soaps  #DialCFK  #CBias #SocialFabric

Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Book Drive Donation

Today we donated our books we collect from family, friends, neighbors and publishing companies for our Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Book Drive Simple Service Project. I was so happy with all the donations we were able to collect. I am thankfully to everyone that helped support our book drive. Knowing that 61% of low-income families have no books for children in their homes inspired me to need to get books to those kids. Reading in my home is a treasured activity that we enjoy as a family. I want all kids to be able to sit down with a book and get lost in the adventure they are reading. Reading encourages learning, creativity and bonding time with your kids. Encourage your kids to read to you, siblings, family members or even their pets!

All the great books we will donate

We wrapped our book donation and added some colorful stuffing to make it a nice present.

My son and I packaged up all the wonderful books we planned to donate and headed to Roseville Home Start. I selected Roseville Home Start to receive our Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Book Drive Donation because many of the children living at the program no longer have the items including books that they once did. The charity helps local families that have become homeless get back on their feet through job and education training and a temporary home. They provide a home for these families that have found themselves needing help. What touches me about this charity is that homelessness can happen to anyone. A lost job, then a foreclosure or eviction and you find your family homeless. I cannot imagine the stress of that. Having children going through this brings me to tears.

We are bring books and "this book belongs to" tags to the charity today to bring a little bit of joy to the kids that live there. I want the kids to know that the book is theirs to keep forever no matter where they live. My son loves to point out his name tags in his own books before we read them. Knowing its his since he name is on it makes him smile. I hope our book donation will bring a smile to the kids living here.

Roseville Home Start was once a hotel but was turned into a housing program.

Today we were able to meet a few new people that worked at Home Start. They are always so nice about a donation and even sent us a thank you email.

On behalf of Roseville Home Start, thank you for your generous donation of children's books for the families at Home Start. As you know, we are a private, non-profit community based organization that relies heavily on community support. Since 1995, we have served thousands of homeless children and their families in Placer County and beyond. Thanks to donors like you, Roseville Home Start provided 56 families (114 children and 72 adults) in 2011 with a place to live, learn, and feel safe. Our community is a better place because you care.

This was so heart warming to read! I love the last line, we really do care and one person can make a difference. I had neighbors and companies help with my donation but had I not asked the books would not have been given. I love to see how people can come together to help kids!

I encourage all of you to participate in the Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive in your own communities and to report it on the Champions for Kids website. Together we can be the one of millions to help Champions for Kids meet their goal of helping 20 million people by 2020. It can be as simple as asking friends and family to help you by collecting gently used books. So many of us have kids or grandkids that have books they have outgrown that other kids would cherish. Or get together and have a donation jar for change for whatever money people have to spare for money to buy new books. You can participate by having community group or kids sports teams make a group donation of a few books too. There are so many ways each and everyone of us can find a way to help kids get the books they need. #NickCFK

My son was so sweet today. He told me We are taking books to the kidsies Mom. (He calls kids "kidsies)

Thank you Roseville Home Start for all you do for the community

A big thank you to Sylvan Dell Publishing and Zondervan Publishing for contributing books to the donation.

You can read more about the Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive in my blog post about the September Simple Service Project here. For more ideas on what types of books Walmart has to buy for your donation, including the awesome Bargain Bin you can read my Google+ Story.




*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids. #NickCFK #CBias All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Champions for Kids September Simple Service Project: Nickelodeon Book Drive

As far back as I have memories books have been front and center in my life. My mom read to us all the time and made sure there were plenty of books for us 5 kids. Birthdays, Holidays and just because books were given to us. I have wonderful memories of trips to the book store to meet authors to sign our books, even Babar the Elephant at one book event. Books are very important to my family and its a love I now share with my own son. Not only is my son learning as I read to him and he "reads" in his own way back to me (he is almost 3 years old) but its a time we can bond as a family.

Libraries were something we were lucky enough to have access to. Once we even lived next door to a huge library it was Awesome!!! Sadly this is not the case in many homes. Many families and educators do not have the resources to buy books for their own children or students. The thought that kids do not have the chance to sit down and read a book at home makes me beyond sad. Books not only teach kids to read but they teach them to be creative and to see the world through a different perspective.

Here are some facts about Children's Literacy in America from Champions for Kids:

• Students who do more reading at home are better readers and have higher math scores. Students with more types of reading materials in the home also demonstrate greater reading proficiency.
•  67% of fourth graders in the U.S. are reading below a Proficient level, according to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress.
• 61% of low-income families have no books for children in their homes, and more than 80% of the preschool and after-school programs serving at-risk children have no books at all.
•  Approximately 8.7 million fourth through twelfth grade students struggle with required reading and writing tasks in school. For many adolescent students, ongoing difficulties with reading and writing figure prominently in the decision to drop out of school.

For the month of September Champions for Kids Simple Service Project will be a Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive. I am so excited to be a part of this project. Books are so special to me and I feel like every home should be full of them.

 My son and I headed to Walmart to shop for books to donate. I found many cute Nickelodeon books with the characters we know. There was Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go and Sponge Bob. I was looking for Blues Clues too but did not spot him. We found many great books to donate at low prices.

 My son loves books as much as I do and had a blast helping me pick out the books for us to buy. Our book section had many books to select from. I wish it was bigger but that's just because I LOVE books!

These are the books I have collected just in the last few days for my Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive. I have the books I purchased at Walmart and a few others that neighbors have given me. I have only just started to collect donations and I look forward to seeing how many books we can collect for a local charity. I have selected a local charity that I know could use these books. They house families in transition from being homeless to independent living in sustainable environments. These families could be any of our neighbors that have lost jobs and then lost their homes with no where to turn. I feel this charity can use the book donation to give to the children that live there. There can be as many as 30 kids living at the charity transitional homes that need these books to make sure they can get the quality reading they deserve.

I encourage all of you to participate in the Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive in your own communities and to report it on the Champions for Kids website. Together we can be the one of millions to help Champions for Kids meet their goal of helping 20 million people by 2020. It can be as simple as asking friends and family to help you by collecting gently used books. So many of us have kids or grandkids that have books they have outgrown that other kids would cherish. Or get together and have a donation jar for change for whatever money people have to spare for money to buy new books. You can participate by having community group or kids sports teams make a group donation of a few books too. There are so many ways each and everyone of us can find a way to help kids get the books they need. #NickCFK

Here is a short video from Champions for Kids about the Nickelodeon Book Drive:




For more ideas on what types of books Walmart has to buy for your donation, including the awesome Bargain Bin you can read my Google+ Story.



*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids. #NickCFK #CBias All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Donating Champions for Kids Elmer's Bag It Forward School Supplies

Having the opportunity to help a teacher and kids in my own community makes me happier than I can explain. I have always admired teachers for what they do and elementary school was a magical time for me. I loved school for the reading, writing, art and projects. I have read statistic and news articles about the cut backs to schools and how teachers are paying out of their own paychecks for supplies. I remember when I was kid it seemed there were limitless supplies or my teachers made it be that way for us kids. Most teachers love what they do and provide what the kids need, not asking for help. That is why I am so happy Champions for Kids teams up with Elmer's to inspire people all over America to Bag It Forward.

My son and I went shopping at our local Walmart for Elmer's products and other back to school supplies. We found a Elmer's display that had lists of items needed for back to school for each grade. I grabbed a 2nd grade list since I wanted to donate to a local 2nd grade class in my neighborhood. For me 2nd grade was great! I had a fun teacher and there was lots of reading. I have always loved books! We even went to a school for a year that had a huge ship in the middle of the school where kids could take a book on board to read. It was a cozy ship made from like squishy matting, I wish I had a picture of it. It was the coolest thing I have seen at a school! We lived in WA at the time,  rain and snow up there makes for a need to have cool indoor stuff like the Reading Ship.

I have always assumed that I alone was not enough to impact the life of anyone. That just one person doing something was not enough (I was so wrong!). Through taking part of the Champions for Kids Simple Service Projects I have realized that if I am one of the people doing a project that we all add up to millions! Even as a budget savvy Mom I still can donate. Shopping at Walmart we were able to find great prices on back to school supplies. We spent almost $26 and got 46 items to donate! I was so happy to be able to give that much stuff to a teacher and her students.

I selected a local elementary school Lichen Elementary to take my donation to. This is a school in my neighborhood where the kids play at the park my son does and as parents we all shop at the same local stores. I wanted to help kids that I may not know but are a part of my community. My son is not old enough for school, to me he is still a baby! :) He sure did love being on the school campus though. He was telling me over and over "Mama, Kids!!" He waved to people, pointed out to me posters and the characters he saw on back packs. He was super excited to be there!

My son was running all over her classroom he was so excited. He grabbed a book and climbed into the reading area too.

We were so excited to meet the 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Rhodes. We took the giant bag a supplies with all the Elmer's glue products and other supplies to her classroom. (I still think the Elmer's purple disappearing glue is so cool!) Mrs. Rhodes was super nice! Teachers do a tough job and there a many kids in her class that she is responsible for shaping into the future adults of our world.  I hope our donation lets her know the community is behind her and we appreciate all she does for our neighborhood kids. She was very thankful for our donation and super sweet to my son. My little guy even shook her hand when we met her. (I have taught him to be a little gentleman and shake someones hand when first meeting them since he was 1) Too cute! I was talking to her about the statistics I read about for teachers expenses for supplies for their own classroom. She told me that yes she does spend a large amount each year for her students. I hope more families and even companies will take part in the Bag It Forward campaign to help teachers and students.

It had been over a decade since I had been in a classroom at an elementary school, since my little sister was in Kindergarten but the joy of a classroom came immediately back. I loved all the posters, books, the little desks and small touches of a teachers personality. I am hoping we will have the chance to come back to Mrs. Rhodes classroom to donate more supplies all year long. I encourage everyone to give back to the community you live in through the Bag It Forward Simple Service Project from Champions for Kids. The teachers and the kids will be grateful for it.

You can read my first blog post about the Champions for Kids Elmer's Bag It Forward project to see the low prices and variety of supplies we purchased for our donation here. #BagItForward #Champions4Kids

You can read my Google+ story for ideas on what to buy for your Elmer's Bag It Forward donation.

To learn more about Champions for Kids you can follow them on twitter and facebook. 

For great ideas on items to donate from Elmer's you can follow them on twitter and facebook.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Help Teachers and Children with Elmer's Bag It Forward Back to School Supplies

I have always loved the beginning of the school year. It was a fresh start with so much to look forward to learning. New teachers, new students and new back to school items were wonderful. For many families back to school can also be stressful due to the cost of getting kids ready for the new school year. I want to make difference in the lives of kids in my area. Helping with back to school supplies is a simple and great way to help out.

My son is not yet in school but I still feel the need to help out other children for this exciting time of year. I have worked with a wonderful charity Champions for Kids in the past and was thrilled to learn they were having a Elmer's Bag It Forward campaign as the Simple Service Project for the month of August. There is still plenty of time to make a donation. Champions for Kids has many great ideas on how anyone can help. As an individual or as a group. You can host a back to school neighborhood party where you asks your guest to bring school supplies to add to the big donation. You can have a school supply drive at your work or church. You can also shop with your own family to gather supplies at the store to donate.

My son and I shopped at Walmart for our donation since I knew it would be a great store to find low prices. You can give your donation to a local teacher, charity or food bank. Many food banks will be able to make sure your donation goes to kids who need the items. We are planning to donate our items to a local elementary school teacher.

Many of the items at Walmart were $0.50 or $1 like this Elmer's Glue.

If you are unsure of what to buy for back to school supplies look inside your local Walmart. They have a big Elmer's display that contains lists by grade for the items needed. If your shopping for your own kids too it would be a great time to show them how they can help select a few items for other kids.

I have selected the elementary school since its in my own neighborhood. I picked a second grade teacher since my second grade teacher was awesome and so was the school I went to at that time. We drive by the school all the time on the way to the park and store. The kids that go to that school are the same ones that play at the park my son goes to, the parents are the ones who shop at the local stores we do. It feels awesome to be able to help a teacher and her students that are a part of my own neighborhood. There have been cut backs in the school district in our area. Teachers often have a large out of pocket expense to make up for the lack of supplies and I feel great knowing we will do our part to help. Since we shopped in the local Walmart in our neighborhood about 10 minutes from the school we were able to get 47 items for $26! That is a lot of supplies that will be used by kids that live near by.

 If you do not know of a charity or school in need but would still like to donate you can look in your local Walmart in the back to school area or near the check out lines for the Champions for Kids Elmer's Bag It Forward donation box. Its an easy way to be able to help local kids.

Anyone can participate in a Simple Service Project from Champions for Kids. Its a great way to get your family, friends and kids excited about back to school by helping out other kids with a Elmer's Bag It Forward donation. #BagItForward #Champions4Kids

You can read my Google+ story for ideas on what to buy for your Elmer's Bag It Forward donation.

My son had a blast helping me shop and organize the items we plan to donate.

Some info from the Champions for Kids site about the Elmer's Bag It Forward campaign: 

Did You Know?

• Teachers spend an average of $356 out-of-pocket on quality school supplies every single year. Many
spend up to $1500 just to provide basic classroom necessities.

• More than 31 million students from low-income families receive free or reduced-price school
lunches. Their parents often find it challenging to buy project boards, scissors, paper and glue. It’s
been proven that having quality supplies is important to building a child’s confidence and self-esteem
which, in turn, supports educational accomplishments.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.