My Favorite Summer BBQ Essentials

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.


Did everyone have a great weekend? I know we did! I was so thankful for warm (and dry!) weather, good friends, and spending time with my family. On Saturday we hosted a cookout at our house, and enjoyed watching the kids twirl around sparklers in the yard.

 Followed by a trip downtown to enjoy the city firework display! 

On Sunday we went to my niece's house for another BBQ and swimming! 

One of my favorite things about summer is getting together with friends and family, spending a lazy weekend eating good food and enjoying each others company. When I am hosting our cookouts, I don't want to spend a lot of time or money on our preparations. That's why I like shopping at CVS/pharmacy for my summer BBQ Essentials. 

CVS has everything I need to help me save time and money on summer entertaining. The CVS/pharmacy Total Home line of products are high quality, yet affordable, and I can get all of my Summer BBQ Essentials in one stop.

Total Home Paper Plates and Party Cups, aluminum foil and storage containers make serving and cleaning up after guests a breeze. 

Total Home Sanitizing wipes keep areas germ free. I also like to keep sunscreen on hand, as well as insect repellant so I can spend more time chatting with my guests instead of swatting at pesky mosquitoes all day! 

Easy to access snacks are always a hit too! CVS/pharmacy has an amazing selection of party favorites from Gold Emblem to choose from! CVS Gold Emblem Beef Jerky,  Gold Emblem Almonds, and Gold Emblem Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips are all excellent options!

If you are doing any summer cookouts or picnics this year, CVS/pharmacy has all you need to make outdoor entertaining a success!

You can find all your summer BBQ Essentials at your nearest CVS/pharmacy or at www.cvs.com.

What are some of your BBQ Essentials?

 

7 Summer Road Trip Travel Essentials

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.


I can hardly believe that my girls will be on summer vacation in less than 2 months! With the end of the school year approaching and the weather warming up, we are in full summer vacation planning mode right now. Plane travel isn't in the cards for us, but we intend to take a few road trips this summer. Of course, we are starting our vacation with a bang to Cedar Point, followed by another day trip to Chicago. We have also been toying with the idea of taking an extended road trip to New York, maybe taking in Niagara Falls while there. If that doesn't happen, I would like to explore the caves in Tennessee. No matter what destination we choose, I know one of the most important things about our road trip will be to make sure we have our car stocked with summer road travel essentials. Thankfully, CVS/pharmacy has everything we need for smooth travels.

Road trips can be fun, but if you aren't prepared, can lead to stressful situations. Keeping these basics on hand will help you get to your destination as seamlessly as possible.

Bandages- Because kids ALWAYS find a way to get a little scratch or bump that requires a bandage.

Multi-Surface Wipes- Kids are messy! No matter how far we travel, there is always bound to be a sticky mess that needs to be cleaned up before we even get out of the car.

Facial Tissues-  It never fails. When you don't have one handy, kids needs them. So I keep a multi-pack of tissues stashed all over the car to prevent snotty or slobbery seats.

Sunblock- Those harsh sun rays come beating through the windows, it's good to keep a tube handy to avoid nasty burns that are sure to ruin any trip.

Multivitamins- Healthy kids = happy kids = happy parents.

Pain Relief- It doesn't matter if we are in the car for 5 minutes or 5 hours. My kids take each car ride as an opportunity to nit pick at each other. Headaches are always bound to pop up when that happens. It's also great for sore or stiff muscles from sitting in the driver seat for long periods of time.

Snacks- Arguably one of the most important road trip essentials. When kids are hungry, they complain. And whine. And complain some more. We make sure we have more than enough healthy snacks to keep the kids satisfied until we reach our destination. Gold Emblem Abound is the perfect solution for us because they are free of all artificial preservatives and flavors, and are made with wholesome ingredients. And they taste great too!

You can find everything you need for your summer road trip in your nearest CVS/pharmacy or at www.cvs.com.

What road trip destinations do you have planned for this summer?

Gold Emblem Abound For Heart Healthy Snacking

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.


As a mother, I want to be as healthy as possible for my family. As a woman, I know one of the first steps to keeping myself healthy and strong is taking care of my heart. 1 in 4 women die from heart disease in the U.S. each year, and that's a number that really scares me.  Since I want to be around as long as possible, I take every precaution that I can so I don't fall victim to heart disease. Exercise is important to me, and I try to get in a solid workout at least 4 days a week. Mixing it up between Hip Hop, Zumba, Pilates, and free weights keeps my workouts from getting stale. I don't drink alcohol and don't smoke. I try to avoid second hand smoke when possible as well. Even though I enjoy a sweet treat every now and again, I try to eat as healthy as possible, avoiding saturated fats and cholesterol. Keeping heart healthy food within reaching distance is something that I try to do not only for myself, but for my family as well. One of our favorite things to snack on is nuts, and the good news is, some nuts are considered "superfoods" for the heart. I particularly like to snack on almonds and walnuts. A little handful each day provide so many heart healthy benefits!

Almonds have: Plant omega-3 fatty acids; vitamin E; magnesium; fiber; heart-favorable mono- and polyunsaturated fats; phytosterols. They are great to use in baking, trail mix, yogurts and in fruit salads.

Walnuts have:Plant omega-3 fatty acids; vitamin E; folate; magnesium; fiber; heart-favorable mono- and polyunsaturated fats; phytosterols. They are great in baking, especially in cookies, breads and muffins, and add a great crunch to salads.

Since we are regular CVS shoppers, we are partial to grabbing nuts from their Gold Emblem Abound line.

We like the Gold Emblem Abound brand because they are free of all artificial preservatives and flavors, and are made with wholesome ingredients.

Gold Emblem Abound Raw Natural Almonds are ones that I like to eat straight from the bag. The almonds are huge and crunchy, and pack a lot of flavor too!

Gold Emblem Abound Walnut Halves & Pieces are what I like to keep in my baking cabinet. I use walnuts to bake with a lot, and having them stocked at all times is a must for me. I especially love them in my banana nut muffins. (You can find that recipe in my recipe tab.)

Gold Emblem Abound Omega-3 Trail Mix is my favorite though. You get a delicious mix of sweet and salty with this assortment. Each bag contains walnuts, pepitas, cashews, hazelnuts, dried cranberries and sweet raisins. It's the perfect heart healthy snack mix. 

I actually keep a bag of the Gold Emblem Abound Omega-3 Trail Mix in my workout bag to help energize and refuel me after each session. 

Not only does Gold Emblem Abound offer heart healthy snacks, they have an extensive line of healthier foods that are a great alternative to greasy and fatty snack options. The next time you are at CVS/pharmacy, check out their Heavenly Light Popcorn, Sweet & Nutty Probiotic Trail Mix, Deluxe Mixed Nuts, and the Lime & Black Pepper and BBQ Flavored Baked Rice Crisps!

If you would like to learn more about these heart healthy snacks from Gold Emblem Abound, you can find them in your nearest CVS/pharmacy or at www.cvs.com.

 What are some heart healthy foods you like to snack on? 

Celebrate National Cleaning Week with CVS/pharmacy

Happy Spring Cleaning Week! Yeah, ok. I know that cleaning isn't something to get overly excited about, but this week is National Spring Cleaning Week, which includes the word "spring". That's something to get excited about, right?

I have actually been on a spring cleaning kick for the past few weeks. When the weather warms up, I want to focus on spending more time outdoors and less time worrying about messes or organization in my home. Instead of trying to tackle everything all at once, I focus on doing a few tasks over an extended period of time. When the weather started to warm up, we packed up most of the winter clothes and gear and pulled out the summer items. As we were making the switch, we kept a few bags nearby for items and clothing that would be outgrown by next year. These items will be sent to Goodwill or readied for our spring yard sale.

This week I cleared out our toiletry closet. I bought some cheap plastic bins to group like items together (allergy meds in one bin, children's meds in one bin, eye care in another, etc.) for easy locating. I checked the expiration date on all medications and vitamins and discarded those that were passed their date.

Next week I plan on organizing my craft and sewing room using the same approach as I did with my toiletry closet, and then I will help my girls go through their toys to get rid of the ones they no longer play with. My goal is to be completely de-cluttered and have a well organized house by the time summer vacation starts.

In addition to my larger projects, I still have every day cleaning that needs to be done. I don't want to spend a lot of time or money on these tasks, so I turn to CVS/pharmacy for their line of Total Home cleaning products. What I love most about the Total Home line is how convenient they are to use, how well they perform, and that they cost a fraction of what the national brand products do! 

CVS/pharmacy Total Home line offers consumers exceptional, high quality, and reliable products that cost a fraction of what the national brands run. The Total Home line currently has 150 products that have all undergone rigorous quality testing to ensure you are receiving the best products that are also affordable. CVS/pharmacy stands behind these products and offers a full, 100% money-back guarantee to ensure customer satisfaction.

Here is a handy list that will help you check off your To Do cleaning tasks:

Have you started your spring cleaning yet? What spring cleaning task do you dread the most?

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

CVS Total Home- Where Performance And Value Live!

I think most people can agree, running a home is no easy task! As a mom, I know that the job is never ending. There is so much to do each day! Laundry, dishes, trash duty, and just general home maintenance keep me pretty busy. I take pride in keeping my home running and looking the best it possibly can, but I can’t do it all on my own. I depend on products that help me effectively manage each task as quickly as possible, without breaking the bank. That’s why I am excited to tell you about CVS’s new Total Home line of products!

Through the Total Home line, CVS offers you 150 quality home care products that help you maintain your home efficiently and affordably. When it comes to managing every day tasks, Total Home has you covered. The products will help you clean, organize and cook, all while saving you 15% to 20% over the national brands! 

When I made the switch to Total Home, my family never noticed a difference in quality or performance. The toilet paper was soft and durable, as were the tissues. The antibacterial wipes stayed wet enough to get my kitchen counters done, and they were very easy to remove from the canister. The dryer sheets left a light, clean scent on our clothes, and the dry floor cloths pick up dirt off my hardwood just as well as the national brand. The dry cloths state that they fit on the Swiffer. I have the larger Swiffer, and they do fit, but I have to use 2 to cover it completely. I also love to use the dry cloths to wipe down my window blinds and ceiling fans as well. They are great at trapping in the dust as I swipe over them!

You can find these exclusive Total Home products at your local CVS store, along with many other products from the Total Home line:

All of the Total Home products have undergone rigorous testing to ensure you are receiving high quality merchandise. If you try the Total Home products and are not satisfied, CVS does offer a full 100% money back guarantee! 

If you would like to learn more about Total Home from CVS, you can find more information on their website or by dropping in to your local CVS store!

*Disclosure- I was provided with Total Care samples courtesy of CVS for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided.