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Showing posts from 2014

Annie In Theaters December 19 #AnnieMovie Prize Pack Giveaway

Who's ready for a NEW Annie ? I certainly wasn't! But it's time to get ready! Annie is in theaters December 19. Like I said, I wasn't ready for this.  I was skeptical about a movie remake of the classic that knew and loved as a child. I just wasn't sure how the new and different ANNIE would stack up. Thanks to an advanced screening of the movie, this skeptic had a big change of heart!  I have to report that I really enjoyed it! I love the music, the characters, and enjoyed the entire production. New and different is a good thing. Now I have TWO Annie movies that I really love. Academy Award® nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who's also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they'd be back for her someday, it's been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). B

Knott's Family Friendly 2015 NYE Celebration and Giveaway #KnottsNYE

This post in written in partnership with GigaSavvy. 2014 has gone by so quickly for us. Where did the time go? I'm sure that many of you feel the same! How will you celebrate the end of this year and the start of a new one? We are planning on spending ours at Knott's Berry Farm ! All the fun is ready for us so all that we have to do is show up! Knott’s has fun and safe options for families who want to ring in the New Year together.  Extended park hours (10 am to 1 am), live entertainment (FUN for ALL ages), and a fireworks display all included in the price of regular park admission! Check out the lineup here: Knott's NYE 2015 . Join us in ringing in the new year at the Knott's Berry Farm New Year's Eve Celebration !  Thanks to our friends at GigaSavvy and Knott's Berry Farm - one lucky reader will WIN 2 (two) FREE passes to attend the celebration! Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and GOOD LUCK! Please use #KnottsNYE on any social posts

$25 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway! Save Time and Money on Household Items with Walmart and P&G

This post is sponsored by P&G. Thanks to P&G I shopped at Walmart.com to order a few of our favorite P&G household items. With gift card in hand I was able to knock off one item from my HUGE to-do list! Like most of my friends and family - I feel like I am ALWAYS busy. My time is stretched thin between my full time job at the office, moments for quality family time, and everyday chores. Squeezing in the "me time" that I crave is tough to do these days. Just a small spot of time to myself for online activities, yoga, and the occasional veg-out would be awesome. The constant juggling can be a pain and the challenge of "finding enough time" is constant one. I need as many time savers that I can muster. One less thing to juggle makes me a happy lady! I shop online for many things and love the convenience of having my products delivered to my doorstep. Our delivery guy knows us and our shopping habits better than my best friends and family.  Don't ge

Bye Bye Boring Fries, Spiral Fries are More FUN

Kitchen gadgets are great. I love them. Confession: I don't use them as much as I'd like. I have my ice cream maker just BEGGING to be used. SUMMER is here after all! The same goes for our Popsicle mold! Oh my neglected crock pot, juicer, blender, food processor... I'm so sorry to leave you so lonely for so long. I DO use my Mandolin Slicer! It's fun and the newest of my toys! I've had my spiral tool for making vegetable garnishes so I decided to put it use and make they typical french fry MORE fun.  Even after a LONG day at the office I was motivated enough to play in the kitchen. I used pre-washed Non GMO Baby Blondes Potato Bites so I was able to whip them up in NO TIME. These babies are pre-washed so I didn't have to scrub mud from my spuds! I worked a full day at the office and didn't have the time (or energy) for that! I want to chill out with the kiddo and the hubs while snacking on some yummy and fun to eat spiral fries! They finished product l

On The Road with Disney Social Media Moms in Phoenix #DisneySMMoms

As a blogger and big fan of social media, I make most of my connections online. When I have the opportunity to meet my colleagues in person, it's hard to pass up! At blogging and social media conferences, I get a chance to connect with online friends in real life and I also learn a great thing or two from industry leaders. Connecting with event sponsors is also a big plus. Celebrity sightings are known to happen every now and then! Pin Exchange, Photo Gift from HP, Business Cards from my new friends , Disney Treats, and THE Grumpy Cat caught napping! I was going to wake her but feared she would be PISSED OFF Cat instead of just Grumpy. The Disney On The Road event with the Disney Social Media Moms led me to Arizona this year. This event was held on June 25 and the venue was the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess 7575 E. Princess Drive Scottsdale, AZ 85255.  About 100 attendees were expected for this event, but I believe that a few had to miss the program due to unforeseen circums

Whole Body Department at Whole Foods Market #WFMSummerFun

Thanks to an event sponsored by Whole Foods Markets in San Diego, I had an amazing opportunity to learn about skincare, beauty, and bodycare items that were selected with the highest quality standards in mind. Whole Foods held an event to showcase their Whole Body Department. I enjoyed the product demos, food, drinks, AND information about the high standards that Whole Foods Markets maintains as far as the products that are offered in their stores. Attendees received a goodie bag full of products from their bodycare line. THANK YOU Whole Foods! I enjoyed the added bonus of catching up with my blogger friends! Whole Body Quality Standards: Whole Foods Markets carefully evaluate each and every product sold. They are passionate about aromatic, luxurious, effective personal care products and the pleasure of sharing them with others.  They encourage vendor partners to use plant-based and naturally-derived ingredients, pure essential oil fragrances, gentle preservatives and n

WIN a Mamma Chia Vitality Prize Pack and #SEEDYOURSOUL

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Mamma Chia. Mamma Chia  is a conscious and sustainable company with a mission to share the magic of chia through delicious, high quality, organic chia-based foods and beverages. This spring Mamma Chia unveiled several highly anticipated new products including: Two new Chia Squeeze Vitality Snack flavors – Mango Coconut and Wild Raspberry Convenient four packs of the Chia Squeeze Vitality Snacks Mamma Chia’s organic bagged chia – black and white seed varieties WIN Mamma Chia goodies! Total retail value: $75. Winner will be selected at random and prize fulfillment is direct from sponsor. Giveaway open to U.S. residents. Winner must reply with 24 hours with address and T-Shrirt size, otherwise an alternate winner will be selected.  The Mamma Chia prize pack includes: One week’s supply of Mamma Chia products - 7 Chia Squeezes (varied flavors) and 7 beverage vouchers One copy of Janie’s book – Chia Vitality  One Mamma C

How To Train Your Dragon 2 EXPERIENCE IT IN IMAX 3D

Looking for an action-packed weekend of fun for the whole family? Head to your local IMAX® Theater for the premiere of How to Train Your Dragon 2 ! Starting this Friday, June 13th, the second chapter of DreamWorks Animation's beloved How to Train Your Dragon franchise is soaring to all IMAX theatres domestically in select engagements. The IMAX 3D release will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®, creating a unique environment that will make audiences feel as though they are flying alongside heroic Viking Hiccup and his faithful dragon, Toothless. Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Kristen Wiig reprise their respective voice roles, joined this time by Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett, Djimon Honsou and Kit Harington. For more information about How to Train Your Dragon 2, please visit DreamWorks Animation's official website . For IMAX T

My Take on Disney's Maleficent

Last night I attended an early screening of Disney's Maleficent. I was very excited about the movie since attending the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration  earlier this year. During the conference, which was held at the Disneyland Resort, producer Don Hahn spent time with us to share information about the upcoming movie. We had a special sneak peek at an extended trailer.  We got such an early look at it that were were instructed not to share what we saw with our social networks. THAT was not an easy task! Hahn also introduced us to Elle Fanning who plays Princess Aurora.  She just had her 16th birthday and we got to celebrate by singing Happy Birthday to the young star. After she blew out her candles we all had cupcakes! A future post about that in in the works. Back to the movie... “Maleficent,” the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty,” reveals the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart and drove her to curse the baby, Auror

Tea for Energy, Metabolism, and Digestive Health #FitTeaDetox

This is a sponsored post for FitTea. FitTea is a detox tea that helps burn fat and suppress your appetite. FitTea is made with  natural ingredients like green tea, ginger and pomegranate. The product is designed to give you energy, boost your metabolism, and aid in digestive health.  With all of the juggling that I am doing - this sounded great. I am a big fan of tea and was willing to try the product out. I signed on for a 14 day program.  I didn't start it right away because I had a planned conference/family vacation at Disneyland.  Since this product was new to me, I wasn't sure how my body would react to it. My biggest concern: bowel disturbances. Yeah, I just said that and should probably feel a little embarrassed for saying so but I'll be honest - I did NOT want to be at Disneyland hunting for a restroom!  I took the cautious route and I didn't start the product until I returned. Now let us move on from my TMI moment about my biggest apprehension an

Moms' Night Out Movie Screening with San Diego Moms #MNOmovie

A few of my friends and I were invited to a VIP early screening of Moms' Night Out.  We enjoyed the movie and the chance to get together to reconnect. I, for one, am excited about the release of Moms' Night Out on Mother's Day weekend because I want to see it AGAIN! It is a fun movie. I honestly think that my husband would enjoy it too since there are some pretty hilarious scenes that he might relate to as a husband and a father. Perhaps a date night is in order... OR...we could easily make it into a family outing since it is a family friendly film. Or maybe, just maybe, make it another moms' night out! Angela ( Mira Mesa Mom ), Becky ( misspriss ), Raquel ( Stronghold Mom ), Brianne ( BriGeeski ), Myself, and Anna (Future Blogger?) I don't want to give away too much about the movie details but I will include the official movie trailer below! Casting was GREAT! The characters were fun to watch. Now the movie IS a comedy, but there were some scenes that

2014 Sharp Blogger Ambassador Program #iheartsharp

Sharp HealthCare works in partnership with select San Diego-based lifestyle and family bloggers to spread the word on Sharp's news, events, hospitals, services and more. This year I was selected to participate in the program.  I am very excited to be a participant and to be able to share what I learn with you. Bloggers at the Sharp Women’s Health Conference 2013 For even more Sharp HealthCare news and events, please visit my friends and blog ambassadors listed below. • Danielle – Simmworks Family Blog • Leah – Leah's Thoughts • Angela – Mira Mesa Mom • Brianne – BriGeeski • Nicole – Funthusiast Health Screening at the Sharp Women’s Health Conference 2013 The Sharp Rees-Stealy Del Mar Community Open House Event Disclosure : I am a participant in Sharp HealthCare’s blogger ambassador program. While Sharp HealthCare has provided me with samples, event opportunities and/or resources to serve as content for my blog posts, all opinions expressed in this

Countdown to The 2014 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration #DisneySMMoms

We were invited to attend "The Most Magical Social Media Conference of the Year". The 2014 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration . This is the FIRST year that the event will be held at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. We're going!  The countdown is on. The recap video from the 2013 Celebration has added to our excitement level!  I am honored to have been included to attend the invite only event!  My family an I are sure to make some wonderful memories!  My first Disney Social Media Moms event was the On The Road Celebration San Francisco last June. The announcement was made then that the Disneyland Resort would be the venue for the 2014 celebration. I, along with the entire group, have been hoping to be invited since the announcement last year. I received word in February and have been looking forward to it ever since. I can hardly wait to share more about the experience! I'd love your tips if you have attended in the past. I'd

Women Get Social at Baby Bloggy Boot Camp in San Diego #BabyBBC

This post is written by me on behalf of Liz Lange and Ergobaby. Product was provided. I was thrilled to attend Baby Bloggy Boot Camp in San Diego. The event was held at the Bahia Resort Hotel. This was the second  mini conference that I attended that was hosted by The SITSgirls' fearless leaders Tiffany Romero and Francesca Banducci. This time with the Sway Group. I LOVE learning great new things about blogging, social media, and making life work while engaging in it all!  Hearing from moms that are succeeding at it is just the inspiration that I needed! The Rookie Moms, Whitney and Heather, made me long for a blogging BFF and partner! They made it sound like so much fun to be on the motherhood/blogging journey  together !  I couldn't do this with my friends. They were sending their first born off to college while I was potty training mine. True story. Anyway back to the conference... Whitney and Heather did a great job at sharing ideas for creating compelling content f

1Hour Break Natural Relief For Stress and Anxiety #BEATANXIETY

This post is written in support of 1Hour Break to help them launch their Indiegogo campaign on March 25th. I am sure that many of you can relate to stress and anxiety. I'm no stranger to it. I work full time so I feel the pressure of work obligations combined with making sure that I am there for my family. I am an "older mom" at 42 with a 3 year old - I need to take care of myself!  I want to be around for many, many years. Did you know that STRESS is is linked to the top five causes of death in the United States? Here are a few other interesting facts about stress: 95 million Americans suffer from stress-related illnesses every week. 1/4 of all women in the US suffer from anxiety disorders. Stress and anxiety suffers often self medicate with pills, alcohol, cigarettes, and food. My biggest stressor is feeling like there is never enough. Not enough time, not having enough energy, and that I'm not doing enough to accomplish it all.  Every day isn't this

Core Power Fit Kit Giveaway

Giveaway has ended. Calling all athletes (and non athletes too)! I'm sure that most of you have heard about Core Power protein drinks and may have seen their booth at your local athletic event.  It may already be a part of your post recovery routine! If you don't participate in such events, you may have seen their logo at the recent Olympic Games. Core Power was named the “Official Protein Drink of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.” Core Power is a real-milk based sports recovery drink and contains natural whey and casein proteins found in milk - never removed from their original liquid state. Simple ingredients and great taste, without a chalky texture. Personally, I had not been a fan of protein drinks. Reason: the powdery taste and chalky texture. This product is different! Since powders aren't used, I didn't notice that weird aftertaste that normally kept me away from protein drinks. This product is made from fresh milk and real honey! Lactose intolera