I'm Back! (And a $10 Paypal Cash Giveaway)

Life got busy and crazy and I've been MIA from this blog for awhile now. But I'm back! I'm going to be cooking through a couple of family cookbooks - and I cannot wait to share of the delicious recipes with you!!!

 

 

I am really excited to share with you my Grandma's "Chicken and Dough" which is a family favorite - and has been for generations!!! I'll also share some no-fail recipes from one of the best cooks I know (my great aunt!)

 

 

I've also got some guest posts coming up!!! My new friend, Jessica, loves fashion and has started her own high-end online consignment store! She's going to start contributing for me!! I am so excited!

 

 

 

 

I'm also going to focus on what I need - help with parenting! I've started a series called "30 Days of Teaching Boys to Be Kind" - I am ready to see what is revealed to me also through writing and sharing this series!

 

And finally, I'm going to get my butt in gear and get back in shape....for good!

I want you to come on that journey with me!!

 

I am so happy that you're here. Make sure and follow me on Facebook or Bloglovin for my updates!!

 

As a THANK YOU for hanging out with me, I'm giving away $10 in Paypal cash!

Thanks again - and good luck!

Sam

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Blushbox Giveaway - Ends Soon!!!

If you're looking to spice things up in the bedroom - you should try a monthly subscription to Blush Box! They have several subscription boxes to choose from - anything from as tame as "The Panty Delivery" to the very sexy "Signature Blushbox", which comes with 6-8 full size high-end products...including lingerie!

 

I love that these great boxes, start at just $20 a month!

You can click here to get started

 

 

I wanted to let you know that right now, Blush Box is hosting a giveaway for a one year subscription! I've entered myself - you better get over there now and enter too before it ends on November 21st!

 

Click here to enter the Blush Box Giveaway

 

3 Step Pineapple Salsa Chicken (Crockpot Food) + Giveaway

Today, you will have the pleasure and sheer joy or watching me make the best chicken dinner in the whole.

wide.

world.

Not kidding.

And to make it even better...

it's easy!

Here we go!

1 jar Pineapple Salsa from Traverse Bay Farms

3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1. Put chicken breasts in crock pot

2. Pour the award-winning Pineapple Salsa on top of the chicken

3. Cook on low for 8 hours

No joke, this is the most tender, sweetest dish ever...with just a little kick to it.

 

I think this now might have to be my go-to meal when I can't think of anything else to make! And I could just kick myself...because I didn't get a picture of the chicken!!! {so embarrassing}

The family literally eat it so quickly, there was no time. {sorry - try it - you'll love it}

Traverse Bay Farms offer a wide variety of award-winning fruit salsas all made in small batches with fresh fruit. Read the reviews on their website, people are really going crazy over their salsas. I knew my family would love the pineapple salsa...because it involves two of our favorite things!

 

We also loved the salsa with chips....

 

The Pineapple Salsa is full of chunks of pineapple that are sweet when they first hit the tongue. It stays sweet until the very end and gives you just the right amount of kick. I can see why this salsa won 1st place in the Scovie Awards in 2011!

 

 

You can order any of the Traverse Bay Farms Fruit Salsas for just $6.95 for a 16oz jar...you can also get their award winning salsa jar sampler pack (4 - 16oz jars) for just $25.80.

 

 

We were lucky enough that Traverse Bay Farms also sent us a bottle of their Fruit Advantage Joint Formula - Tart Cherry Capsules. With Chris and I working out...and getting older....our bodies can sometimes really show their age! The Tart Cherry Capsules help support your joint function and a healthy cardiovascular system. Both things that are important as we're getting older.

 

For me, joint health is important because about 14 years ago, I got into a pretty bad car wreck and ended up really messing up my knees and back. I've have arthritis in my back every since and when I'm doing too much sometimes....the back and my knees can really give me problems.

 

After taking these pills for about a week or, I started to noticed that I wasn't as sore in the morning...going up and the stairs after a long day was easier. I can see already the effects of taking these everyday...a routine I plan to continue!

 

Here's some more about the benefits of tart cherries from Traverse Bay Farms...

 
Our capsules are free of: fillers, binders, preservatives, pesticides, beeswax, alcohol, yeast, wheat, corn, dairy, egg, tree nuts, fish/shellfish, artificial colors and flavors, MSG, starch, olive oil filler, sunflower oil, sesame oil, peanut oil and rice. In two simple words - "100% Natural". Fruit Advantage is scientifically-based and precisely manufactured to deliver the potent and synergistic phytonutrients of tart cherries for fast and maximum absorption. In fact, each daily serving equals the specific antioxidant benefits of 5+ glasses of cherry juice without the sugar!

 

You can purchase bottles of the Fruit Advantage Joint Formula - Tart Cherry Capsules for yourself. They start at $18.95 for a 30 day supply. The more you buy, the more you save per bottle - with free shipping!!!

 

And with that, I'm so happy to announce that Traverse Bay Farms is letting me giveaway away a jar of the Pineapple Salsa and a bottle of the Tart Cherry Capsules to TWO WINNERS!!

(That's a $25.90 value!)

 

BTW....I need to mention that I was given product free of charge from Traverse Bay Farms in exchange for a review. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are 100% mine. You can read my full disclosure statement here.

 

 

 

 

 

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Making Learning Fun + a Giveaway!

Do you have a kid with a curious mind?

I do - I have two of them!

My boys love learning about new things and I try to help expand their learning whenever I can.

I was recently send a package from Little Passports called the USA Edition Discovery Kit. 

The kit includes: 

-  a letter from the travelers Sophia and Sam

- the USA field guide

- scratch book

- USA wall map

- disposible camera

Ashton, my 9 year old, love the field guide and started filling out all the information about our state (Nebraska) - it also asks about states he's traveled to and alot of trivia questions about the US. 

Those questions got him in books and on the computer, looking for the answers.

Colton, our 4 year old, was more into the scratch book. He loved being able to draw pictures of the Statue of Liberty and of the Liberty Bell. 

They both loved the wall map and Colton wanted it to be hung in his room. We've made it into a game each night for them to name the states we point to. They also both loved the disposible camera and had fun taking it on our vacation! 

Little Passports works as a subscription service. You sign up for a 3,6 or 12 month plan and each month, your children will get a new booklet to learn about two new states plus stickers, pop-out models and postcards! 

I love the Little Passports Kit - my kids loved it and I thought it was a great learning tool for them!

I loved it so much, that I'm going to give one reader a free 3 month subsrciption!

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Saving Money Every Time You Wash Clothes (Giveaway Post)

I have a family of four.

This means that laundry is never-ending in this house.

Actually, doing the laundry is not a big deal for me. 

It's certainly not a chore that I dread.

I don't mind sorting, washing or drying the clothes.

For some reason...

it's the putting the clothes away that I hate.

I've been known to have to put clothes back into the dryer, to get all the wrinkles out

because I've let it sit folded in the laundry basket too long.

{oh the shame}

I do like to save money when I wash clothes.

All the things that you need to get the laundry done, can get pricey!

Laundry soap, bleach, dryer sheets, stain remover...it all adds up!

While I haven't gotten to the point of making my own laundry soap

I have given up dryer sheets all together.

After reading about the chemicals in dryer sheets

and how they can remove the flame retardant stuff they put on children's bed clothes?

No, thank you!

I was recently sent a box of Woolzies Dryer Balls to try out.

Have you heard about these?

Wool balls you throw into your dryer - they work just like a dryer sheet

only without any of the chemicals!

Woolzies also help you save money by reducing your drying time 

by up to 25%!

We have a newer dryer, that some how can sense when the clothes in dry and turns off
the clothes dry super fast

so every time I'm using the Woolzies, I'm saving money!

Love it!

And they are good for up to 1,000 washes!!!! 

If you do one load a day....that's over TWO AND A HALF YEARS!

Here's a little more info from the Woolzies website...

WOOLZIES®, The All Natural Dryer Ball Set. This set of six handmade pure wool dryer balls are special in several ways. They deliver the same benefits for laundry as conventional fabric softeners WITHOUT all the nasty chemicals. They save everyone a lot of money by eliminating the need to continuously spend on fabric softener liquid and sheets. They cut down on the time it takes to dry a typical load by at least 25% thereby saving everyone even more money and cutting down on fossil fuel usage. Finally, being as that they are handmade in the democratic republic of Nepal, they provide a steady source of income to the desperately needy women of that developing nation.

So smile when you purchase a set of WOOLZIES®, because you know you're helping to make the world a more pleasant place for yourself, your family and future generations!

The best part is that they are letting me give one lucky reader a set of Woolzies Dryer Balls of their very own!

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I was given a package of Woolzies in exchange for a review. I was not paid for this post and all opinions are 100% mine. Thanks and Good Luck!

PrintRunner 100 Postcard Giveaway

I'm excited to announce that PrintRunner is going to let me giveaway 100 of their postcards to one guest of Cooks and Creates! 

As a small business owner, I currently use PrintRunner's stickers for my candles - they make great reorder labels. When I placed my order they came extremely quick and I the quality is great. I've been wanting to order some of their postcards too - these would be perfect for building brand loyalty. You can check out their postcard printing services to see all PrintRunner has to offer in postcards. 

Since I've worked with PrintRunner before I can tell you that they provide the best value and high quality full color printing at affordable price. PrintRunner is a full service high quality printing company located in Chatsworth, California.

Here are the details on the postcards: 

Postcard Size : Postcards 5x7

Quantity : 100

Colors : 4/0 Front Only Printing

Paper : 14 PT. UV Coating on Front

Rounded Corners : Yes

Proof : None

Ready to Ship In : 4 Business Days

Thanks so much to PrintRunner for allowing me to host this giveaway - it's so exciting! a Rafflecopter giveaway