Happy National Donut Day!!

 How are you celebrating National Donut Day today? 

Me, I am trying to steer clear of them. Donuts are so yummy but not on the diet today ;)

Read here about how Patricia at Popcorn and Pearls could not even look at a donut for years!

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Last week we were in sweaters and warm socks, this week we are in swimsuits and swimming pools! 

That's Washington for ya.

Enjoy your weather wherever you are!

Update On Our Walmart Family Mobile Plan #FamilyMobileSaves

*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® #cbias #SocialFabric #FamilyMobileSaves All opinions expressed in this post are my own.


From the first day I gave my husband his new phone and we had a pizza party at the park my husband has loved his phone. I quote him as saying "This phone is awesome" "My phone is way better than yours" and "My camera takes better pictures". I must admit its sadly true! Good for him yes, I just thought I was the cool one with the iPhone lol.

Just the money he is saving monthly on his cheap wireless plan is worth me switching my phone to the Walmart Family Mobile Plan, not to mention the clarity on his camera and the bigger screen. I am so use to the way my iPhone works I did have a bit of trouble using his phone but our son was using it very easily. My son likes the new phone a little better since he does not always want to hit the home button like on my iPhone. My iPhone the home button is big and it tempts my son to click it and he loses the game he was playing. The Samsung Galaxy phone has touch buttons for the home button which even I like better.

I love that my husband has had his own phone this last month. So many things they have done together while I am at work I have been able to see through him texting me photos. I love checking my phone and seeing my son's sweet little face smiling as he does something fun for the day. They attended a Kids Event across the street from my work that was a one day event that I did not want my son to miss out on because I was working and he got his face painted, made a necklace and I was able to see it all through the pictures that were taken. We do have a really nice camera to take photos but as any parent knows getting out a big camera and turning it on in time for a moment to capture is not an easy task with kids. The camera and video features are a reason in itself for him to have a phone. With the low monthly bill its a no brainer for him to keep it going.

I even got to see pictures of my son swimming at the pool while I was working. I get to be in the a/c all day at work so I do not realize how hot it gets outside. My son loves to cool off in the pool, hang out with other kids and practice his swimming skills.

Even a fun afternoon playing at Chuck E Cheese I get to be a part of when I am not there. I LOVE that! My husband even has my son call me to say Hi or tell me what he is doing for the day. I feel so much more connected to them while I am at work. Now that we have the affordable Walmart Family Mobile there is no way we would ever not have him his own phone. For my husband as a stay at home Dad he loves the phone for not only for keeping in touch with me but being able to Google stuff to find places to go, local stores and even sales ads or coupons ( I have taught him well in the savings area!)

The clarity of the camera is great! This was a cool rooster we saw at the County Fair that my husband used his phone to take a picture. We were both taking pictures of the same things that day to compare and most of the time his pictures were better. A few times my iPhone did take a better motion picture when our son was jumping or running.

We can manage our Family Mobile account online and pay the bill online so we do not have to go in store or mail a bill, super simple! My husband now knows as a stay at home Dad the easier something is the better! I find it funny that it took us so long to finally have two phones to feel more connected during my work days but then I realized it was because before we could not afford two phones on the plan and contract I have. As soon as my contract runs out I will add my phone to my husbands plan and we can pay the same price for two phones as I do my one phone!

You can read my Google+ story about how we found the Walmart Family Mobile Plan.

Enjoy the Summer with Everyday Dairy & Safeway #EverydayDairy

*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 Neptune Retail #cbias #SocialFabric #EverydayDairy All opinions expressed in this post are my own.


To celebrate that the Summer is here in CA and the special offer from Safeway for Dairy products I enjoyed a BBQ dinner with my family. Every year as June arrives I am reminded of several things. The most important is that my Mother and mother in law have birthdays this month, second its officially the Summer in CA (the warm weather has started!) and third Safeway will be having Dairy products on sale with a new special each summer. This summer from 5/29 to 7/2 when you Buy $15 in specially marked items you get $5 back coupon for your next shopping trip. Each summer we stock up on Dairy products that we can use everyday for appetizers, toppings, side dishes, snacks and desserts for the hot summer month.

We are having a BBQ by the pool on my day off. I love to be outdoors doing stuff during the summer. I purchased many items we needed for the BBQ and for later in the work week, enough to get my $5 off coupon for my next shopping trip. I love to save money!! I had digital coupons loaded on to my Safeway card and many items were on sale making this a money saving trip. The Safeway deal includes Dairy items and other items like juice and easy to bake items. I like buying Dairy for my family because I know its a great way to get calcium and protein. My son can be a little picky with food but thankfully cheese, yogurt and other dairy products he loves.

I wanted to make an appetizer that was light and refreshing to be a contrast to the savory meat we would be serving at the BBQ. I enjoy Philadelphia Cream Cheese so I decide to make a favorite in our house, Cream Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes with garlic and basil. We grow the basil in our garden, the scent of fresh basil is wonderful.

My husband grilled up the steak for my mini soft tacos with home made salsa and Kraft Mexican style Cheese Blend. I like to incorporate cheese into our dinners as a topping. Cheese is often a way my son will try something if it has cheese on it. Making them mini is easier to eat pool side than a big burrito. I love mini foods they are so fun to eat!

My cream cheese appetizer turned out delicious! I love them texture of the cream cheese with the tomatoes. I like to buy the Philadelphia brand of cream cheese since its the brand of cream cheese my husband used to make me homemade cheesecakes when we were dating. His good looks along with the cheesecakes won me over! We like to make homemade cheesecakes in the summer since it reminds us of our dating years and it is always a welcomed dessert anywhere you take it.

We had a wonderful day at the pool having a BBQ and enjoying the time together as a family. I know my son is learning food habits from my husband and I daily and I want him to see we enjoy Dairy products each day to get the servings of protein, calcium and vitamin D. We have milk with breakfast and dinner, yogurt in our smoothies and cheese sticks for snacks all year long. I love that I can shop at Safeway and easily get the items I need and get money back on products we already plan to buy.

A perfect way to end a day of being in the sun is with a cool Dannon yogurt Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Parfait. I love to add items to a yogurt to make it a dessert. Its good for us and taste great. The blueberry yogurt paired with fresh raspberries and a crunch of granola was delicious. I plan to make this again and take to work!

How will you include Dairy in your Summer Plans? If your looking for more recipe ideas using dairy check out Everyday Dairy. See why I shop at Safeway for deals and great products by reading my Google+ story.

You can stay updated with the deals and recipes at Safeway by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Happy Friday!

 A few things I LOVE about this picture from our outing this morning:

1. Ashley's face!! She is so happy her brother is "sort of" holding her hand, she sure does love him.

2. Liam's face and body language. He is willing to help her walk but could really take or leave it!

3. Seeing my little ones together and happy, seriously aren't these the moments we live for?

Have a great weekend filled with sunshine (I hope) and lots of laughter!

~ Sam

Family Movie Night with Scott Shared Values, Vudu and Walmart #ScottValues

*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 their client. #cbias #SocialFabric


Family movie night is our favorite way to spend time together at home. My husband and I have always been movie fans and our son has turned into one too and we love it. Renting and buying movies can add up quickly so I am always trying to find ways to save money on movies. We belong to the Scott Shared Values program since we buy many Scott Brand items like toilet tissue and paper towels. I read that Scott brand items at Walmart have special marked vouchers on them for a free Vudu movie. Since I already purchase Scott items I thought it would be a perfect time to stock up and get some free movies too.

My husband has been using Scott brand toilet tissue since we have been together (almost 15 years) its been one of the main things he wont let me get a generic or other brands for even when I find a sale and have a coupon. I buy for myself the cheaper stuff to save money but I always have to buy my husband Scott brand. Its a mine vs his battle! When the brand I have is out (which happens often since cheaper brands have less on them) I sneak to the closet to get some of his and I am always informed that it should be replaced with two rolls for the one being borrowed. This makes me laugh every time!!

I do admit his brand of Scott is better and more value for my money so I now have my own stash of Scott tp in the bathroom. The cheaper store version will have to go!

For our family movie night this week we decided to let my son select the movie. We went to Walmart to get the Scott brand toilet tissue and paper towels, to have my son see what movie he wanted and get movie watching snacks. I love the Scott select a size style of paper towel since less is wasted.

My Mom told me about Vudu and that it was simple to use. My first thought was does this need some sort of credit card, and it did not to use my free movie code. I pulled the sticker off the Scott package and redeemed the code on the back at Walmart Shared Values webpage. I created an account and searched the movies. It is an easy site to use, so glad we know about it now.

So cool! Free classic movies when you sign up to use your free code.

We entered our codes and selected Wreck It Ralph since my son has been wanting to see that movie. We had our snacks of candy and popcorn. I made little popcorn holders using Scott Paper Towels and some ribbon. I folded them like a cone and tied off the end and filled with popcorn. This was a perfect way to hold the popcorn, be able to keep hands clean after and no cleaning of popcorn bowls.

With the money we saved on watching a Free Vudu movie with the Scott Shared Values program I feel like it was a $4 coupon on the items since we already spend so much on movie watching. Its a great value! Since we purchased two Scott items we had an additional movie voucher that I used to let my son watch a Disney movie while I cleaned the house, thats a win-win!

To stay up to date on the deals offered with Scott Shared Value program you can like them on Facebook.

The Scott Shared Value program has a great coupon right now for Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful. I love that I can save money on items that are more than just Scott with the program. Saving money is my favorite way to shop!

You can read about my shopping trip to Walmart in search of specially marked Scott items for our Vudu movie and see what other products Walmart carries to make a family movie night complete by

reading my Google+ story.

Coupons to start your week!!

Breakfast

• $2.00 off any TWO Kashi Cereals
• $1.00 off 1 Marie Callender's Breakfast Sandwich

Snacks

• $0.50 off any 2 DOVE Chocolate Bars
• $0.50 off ONE Green Giant™ Veggie Snack Chips
• $0.75 off Totino's Pizzeria Hot Snacks

Food + Condiments

• $0.55 off ONE (1) A.1. Steak Sauce, 10 oz or more
• $1.00 off one (1) Bertolli Meal for Two

Pet Products

• $5.00 off Any Two (2) PetArmor products
• $2.00 off any one bag of FRESH RESULTS cat litter

Health & Welness

• $1.00 off any One A Day Multivitamin product
• $2.00 off any Aleve 80ct or larger
• $2.00 off any Citracal product
• $2.00 off Nature's Bounty Optimal Solutions
• $2.00 off Phillips Colon Health or Fiber Gummy
• $0.50 off select Crest Toothpaste 4.0oz or larger
• $1.00 off any Breathe Right product 10ct or larger
• $2.00 off (1) REMBRANDT Toothpaste or Mouthwash

Baby Products

• $1.00 off any 3 Gerber Organic 2nd Foods purees
• $0.50 off JOHNSON'S Baby product
• $2.00 off ONE Pampers Easy Ups Trainers
• $1.50 off ONE Pampers Swaddlers Diapers
• $1.50 off ONE Pampers Cruisers Diapers

DVDs + Blu-rays

• $2.00 off Man on Fire on Blu-ray
• $2.00 off The Great Escape on Blu-ray
• $2.00 off The Henry Fonda Film Collection on dvd
• $2.00 off The Verdict on Blu-ray
• $2.00 off the A-Team Blu-ray™ + Digital Copy

Magazines

• $0.50 off on All You Magazine
• $1.00 off your favorite magazine

Cleaning

• $0.75 off any TWO Windex Glass cleaning products
• $0.75 off any TWO Windex Multi-Surface products
• $0.75 off 1 Scrubbing Bubbles Auto Cleaner Refill
• $1.00 off TWO Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaners
• $0.75 off any TWO Shout Laundry products

Misc

• $0.50 off any (1) STAYFREE Product
• $25.00 off a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System
• $3.00 off a FoodSaver Heat-Seal Bag or Roll
• $5.00 off one 5 quart jug of Valvoline Motor Oil
• $3.00 off ONE AmeriGas Propane Cylinder Exchange

Staying dry with Parent's Choice Overnight Diapers #ParentsChoiceDiapers

All thoughts and opinions are my own, I am so thrilled to have this opportunity to share my experience as part of this sponsored campaign from Parent’s Choice Overnight Baby Diapers.

As my 2 year old is growing at what feels like a rapid rate, out growing everything it seems, especially his diapers. Diapers are not cheap and between him and his baby sister it can cost a small fortune! I am always searching for a great diaper at a great value, after all there are so many other things to worry about paying for these days that their diapers need to be affordable.
 

Liam just waking up and being his silly self.

My son is starting to potty train and still in diapers most of the time. Potty training can be rough, it is not going as quickly as it did with my first son and I keep having to buy more and more diapers, and often trying to figure out the right size and fit that will hold the longest. During the day he is changed often but at night it is a different story.

Liam sleeps 9-11 hours a night, I know lucky me right? Is is a good thing, until he wakes up wet and miserable from a leaky diaper. We have been there more than once. He needs something that will protect him the entire night so I won't have to worry about him starting off the morning on the wrong note, wet and cranky. I am on the hunt for a good, yet affordable diaper. Recently we tried the Parent's Choice Overnight Diapers.

The overnight diapers have an enhanced dryness layer, the soft inner liner is hypoallergenic and treated with vitamin E and aloe to protect your little ones skin protect. Not only are the Parent's Choice Overnight Diapers great protection for extended periods of time, they are a great value.  For a size 4 diaper, an 74 count you pay only $13.97 a pack. Seriously what a great price!

My son has been waking up dry and happy these days and I feel good knowing that we are able to save money, yet still have a valuable product. It is a win win for us!

So happy to be dry!!

Night time protection for babies is an important consideration for parents as their little one grows. Ordinary diapers may not have enough absorbent capacity to handle multiple voids over long periods of time with older babies. When wet mornings become the norm, parents start looking for more protection to guard against overnight leaks.Parent’s Choice Overnight Baby Diapers are super absorbent for overnight and long-trip protection. This is an overnight diaper at prices that everyone can afford! This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Parent’s Choice Overnight Baby Diapers.

Memorial Weekend Ideas: Family Fun at the Sacramento County Fair

Wow what a day!!! My family and I went to the opening day of the Sacramento County Fair held at Cal Expo. We had so much fun. We rode the rides, we had all sorts of fair food, saw some really fun shows, danced to cowboy music, my son went on a pony ride and he even was in a show as a kid cowboy. We had a day filled with fun and made many great memories.

This show was fun! This husband and wife team had a great act that finished with juggling fire while riding unicycles. 

My son rode every kid kid at least 10 times lol He kept saying Wow Cool this is Awesome! 

The kids tractor area had little tractors to ride, a mock cow to milk wooden cows to rope and even a kid tractor pull contest.

We always have to get Tri-Tip at a fair! We had a big dinner at the Big Bear BBQ stand. So good! 

We met the nicest couple while riding the FREE Train ride! She was a sweet lady who told us about the cool stuff at the fair, her family and gave high fives to people as we rode around on the train. The Western Express train was so fun my son did not want to get off. They were nice enough to let us ride for a while so we could rest our legs, get some shade from the warm day and my son could drink his Slurpee. Thanks to Sleep Train and the Sacramento County fair for inviting the Western Express to come to the fair and give out free train rides.

This was so funny! A Cowboy Clown on stilts lifted my little guy up.

One of my husbands favorite parts of the fair! The gardening and the animals. We were able to pet the cute little farm animals, learn facts about them and my son was even able to sit on a cow. The junior handlers for the livestock were such great kids. They were nice to us and helped my son learn more about the animals they were showing.

This goat had the cutest big floppy ears!

My son wanted to see the Wild West show with Cowboys and Horses we had walked pass but missed the first showing of so I set my phone to remind me of when the next show started. Oh my am I glad I did that. This was the cutest show ever! It is even called the Cutest Show on Earth! The show has a story line that the host carries out but includes kids from the audience. Such a cool idea! My son was the coolest little rootin tootin cowboy of the show. He got on stage and was the star of the show for about 10 minutes. She asked him questions, showed him how to use his "five" shooters and he was able to be a cowboy on stage. He said some silly things, was a little confused but it made it even cuter. My husband and I were giggling so much and he had the biggest smile on his face. I definitely recommend attending the Cutest Show on Earth if you bring your kids to the fair.

Riding the Merry Go Round for the 20th time lol

We had a ton of fun! We did so many things there is not enough room in my post to include all the great pictures. I also recommend the ride wristband. It was a big savings to be able to ride any of the rides we wanted and not have to worry about how many tickets we had left. My son rode his first big roller coaster this year with his Dad. He had a look of oh my on his face but was yelling this is so cool and told me he wanted to do it again as soon as he got off. There is also an indoor play area that is air conditioned if you need a cool down filled with interactive areas like giant bubbles, building blocks, giant chess and checker board and more.

We had a wonderful time filled with memories that we will have forever. Its an affordable fair since kids 12 and under are free and everyone else is only $5 with $10 parking.

If you are looking for something FUN to do this Memorial Day Weekend I suggest the Sacramento County Fair.


*This is not a paid post. We were guest of the Sacramento County Fair.

Arts & Crafts Memorial Day Sale on now at Melissa and Doug!

 Are you a big fan of Melissa and Doug like we are? 

If so check out their Memorial Day Sale happening now!!

Arts & Crafts are the perfect summer pastime, and for a limited time we’re having a very special Memorial Day Sale on our ENTIRE selection of arts & crafts! Shop now, and for every 2 arts & crafts items you purchase, you’ll receive a 3^rd one FREE (of equal or lesser value). This includes all of our arts & crafts supplies, stickers, activity books, paint, stamps, and more!

PLUS we’re giving you a very special Gift with Purchase offer on all orders over $40 – our Sweet Treats Sticker Pad. Packed with hundreds of delectable goody-themed stickers, this jumbo pad is the perfect activity for the car, rainy days, and more.

*I was not paid for this post, just something I wanted to share with our readers :)