Mommy Has to Work

The Big Game #GameDayTraditions #Recipe

January 27, 2016 By Anne

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/P&G.

There’s more to football and food on game day. We have to get ourselves ready as well. I always shop at Walmart to get everything I need for our big game day. Before the cooking starts and friends come over it’s time to get beautiful!

Start your shower off right with Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Shampoo. We wouldn’t want any dry flakes on our game Jersey would we? Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Shampoo is gentle and pH balanced for daily use on all hair types, even on colored or chemically treated hair. Plus it makes my hair feel so good!

In Florida we may be wearing shorts on game day so make sure to get rid of all that unwanted hair with Gillette Venus Swirl Razor. The FlexiBall technology helps to contour better to tricky areas, like knees and ankles. I hate it when I knick my knees! The water-activated MoistureGlide serum provides incredible glide for a smooth shave every time.

Let’s not leave out the men! Gillette Fusion ProGlide offers FlexBall Technology for maximum contact and Enhanced Lubrastrip for smooth glide and a clean shave.

Wanting to eat all that delicious food? Make sure to get your pearly whites clean with Crest Prohealth Advanced Toothpaste. Advanced formula to make your gums healthier and stronger from day 1. The Oral B Vitality will get your teeth sparkly white. The round brush removes more plaque than a regular manual toothbrush, plus the MicroPulse bristles clean between teeth in all those hard to reach places in your mouth.

Now that you’re ready it’s time to enjoy game day with good food and friends. Walmart has everything you need to keep your #GameDayTraditions, traditionsforgameday.com.

What’s your game day traditions?

Here’s my husband’s famous sweet chili recipe perfect for Game Day!

Don’s Firehouse Sweet Chili

Recipe Type: Chili

Author: Don Crane

This is my husband’s firehouse firehouse chili.

Ingredients

1 yellow onion
1 green pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
18 oz. tomato paste
16 oz stewed tomatoes
2 spicy chili beans
2 dark red kidney beans
2 bush’s baked beans, original
2 pounds ground beef
garlic powder to taste
chili powder to taste

Instructions

Saute peppers and onions
Add ground beef and brown, adding salt and pepper, garlic powder and chili powder.
The add canned items.
Sometime we add more or less of the beans and tomatoes. We usually go by taste.
Let simmer all day.

Connect:

Twitter: @ProcterGamble, @Walmart
Facebook:@ProcterGamble, @Walmart

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Create Personalized Gifts At Shuttertoons: Review And Giveaway #shuttertoons

January 26, 2016 By Marijean

I love creating personalized gifts for relatives and friends. I also love receiving them. I feel that it is extra special to create a gift that will last a lifetime and be treasured. When Shuttertoons asked me to review one of their products, I was excited to see what they offer and what I could create.

About Shuttertoons

Shuttertoons founder, appreciates and understands the importance of cherishing and preserving memories with photo’s. That’s why she brings to you the Shuttertoons photo products to display your photo memories that don’t fade away. Choose a product(s) (photo globes, aluminum or hard board panels, slate rock, t-shirts, hats, awards, stuffed animals, key chains, coasters (and SO much more) from our categories, customize, upload your photo, use Shuttertoons art or templates then preview your design!

How it Works

Browse through our product categories to find the perfect gift, award or personal treat. Watch our how it works videos! We’ll help you add your own graphics, photograph or saying with our top-of-the-line design center that lets you easily resize and add pizazz to your personalized product. When you complete the checkout process our work begins!

Behind the scenes the Shuttertoons system routes your order to the partnered printing press closest to your ship to or pickup address. You get all the benefits of shopping with a national retailer, like access to a diverse range of products, easy online ordering, and the ability to use the Shuttertoons design center, while at the same time supporting a local small business. They’ll print your product, and the shop’s close proximity means it will be dropped at your doorstop or picked up in no time!

Back of Canvas

Front of Canvas

Shuttertoons offers a wide variety of products, from frames to christmas ornaments. I decided to create a 8 x 12 photo canvas of my sweet cat, Scarlet. I can never have enough pictures of my fur baby. The website was very easy to use and navigate. To create my canvas was simple, upload a picture and fit it to the canvas. They do have “how to” videos if you need some help doing so. You can add text to the picture as well. Checkout was simple, and I received my canvas in 13 days after I placed my order.

Canvas on wall

The canvas is really beautiful. I used a cell phone photo, so I wasn’t sure how the quality would be. It came out great, I am so pleased. It came with wire on the back and all ready for hanging, and also a nail for the wall. I look forward to ordering more items as gifts and for myself.

To order, please click here and use code MHTWDRAGON for 20% any purchase site wide!

Connect with Shuttertoons: Website Twitter Facebook

Be the Hero of your own Story

You’re invited to the

Name the Shuttertoon’s Dragon & Design Center!

Contest to win free gifts!

Shuttertoon’s

is running a contest to name their mascot, the Shuttertoon’s Dragon, and their Design Center. Shuttertoon’s is a digital printing company that specializes in personalized gifts with the intention of helping others preserve precious memories. The company recently updated their Design Center software in order to make an intuitive platform that allows people with a wide range of technological and artistic abilities to design their own customized products.

Win Free Gifts!

The grand prize winner will receive a monthly free product of their choice from Shuttertoon’s for one year. The first runner up will win three free products of their choice, the second runner up will win two products of their choice, and the third runner up will win one product of their choice.

The contest begins on February 1st, and entries will be collected until February 14th. Judging will run for three days, and the potential winners will be put to a vote on Facebook on February 18th. Final judging will last for one week.

Please email Patrice@shuttertoons.com with your entry!

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win one free personalized item from Shuttertoons! A winner will be picked on 2/2!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Keep Your Car Healthy

January 25, 2016 By Anne

Many people depend on their car for their livelihood. You will have a big problem if you are unable to get to and from work every day. This is why regular car maintenance is so essential. Just doing a few small things could help to prevent many expensive repairs down the road. You do not need to be a car expert to keep your car running great. Everything that you need to do in terms of maintenance can be found in the owner’s manual for your car. Make sure you read it completely so you have a thorough understanding of what you will need to do. Here are a few tips related to keeping your car in top condition.

1. Do not ignore dashboard lights

The indicator lights on your dashboard are there for a reason. They tell you if something is wrong with various systems of your car. This is why you should always take these lights very seriously and never ignore them under any circumstances. Unfortunately, many people do ignore them and end up paying a very high price later on. The check engine light is one of the most common lights that people choose to ignore. Some people drive for weeks with that light staring them in the face. This is foolish behavior. This light means you should take your car to a mechanic immediately so he can see what the problem is with your engine.

2. Emissions

There are many regions of the United States that require vehicles to pass an emissions test. The ability of your car to pass an emissions test is often dependent on how well you take care of your car throughout the year. Failing the emissions test can be a big hassle that you do not want to deal with. Scheduling regular maintenance appointments with your mechanic will ensure that you have no problem passing the Pennsylvania state inspection.

3. Rotation of tires

This is something that is incredibly simple and only takes a few minutes to do. It does not require years of training. In fact, you can do it yourself without paying a mechanic. Simply taking your tires off and rotating them on a regular basis will prevent the tread from wearing down in an awkward manner. You need to have your tires wear evenly to make them last longer. Tires can be very expensive. It is in your best interests to make your tires last as long as possible.

Anne

Disney•Pixar The Good Dinosaur Available On Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere February 23rd.

January 24, 2016 By Marijean

From the Studio That Brought You “Inside Out”

Comes the Hilariously Heartwarming Tale of Unlikely Friendship

The Perfect Adventure for the Whole Family Stampedes Home On

Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere February 23

Extensive Bonus Features Include the Academy Award© Nominated Theatrical Short “Sanjay’s Super Team,”

Making-of Featurettes, Deleted Scenes and More!

The Perfect Adventure for the Whole Family Stampedes Home On

Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere February 23

Extensive Bonus Features Include the Academy Award© Nominated Theatrical Short “Sanjay’s Super Team,”

Making-of Featurettes, Deleted Scenes and More!

SYNOPSIS: From the innovative minds of Disney•Pixar comes a hilariously heartwarming adventure about the power of confronting and overcoming your fears and discovering who you are meant to be.

The Good Dinosaur asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely, and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In this epic journey into the world of dinosaurs, an apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.

Bring home this original story full of humor, heart, action and imagination, perfect for the whole family!

CAST:

Raymond Ochoa (NBC’s “The Night Shift,” TNT’s “Rizzoli & Isles,” “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”) as Arlo; Jeffrey Wright (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Parts I & II”, HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”) as Arlo’s wise Poppa; Frances McDormand (HBO’s “Olive Kitteridge,” “Fargo”) as Arlo’s strong Momma; Marcus Scribner (ABC’s “black•ish”) as Arlo’s brother, Buck; Jack Bright (“Monsters University”) as Spot; Steve Zahn (“Captain Fantastic,” “Ridiculous Six,” “Rescue Dawn,” “Mad Dogs”) as a fearless pterodactyl named Thunderclap; A.J. Buckley (TNT’s “Murder in the First,” FX’s “Justified”) as teen T-Rex Nash; Anna Paquin (HBO’s “True Blood”) as Nash’s tenacious sister, Ramsey; Sam Elliott (FX’s “Justified,” “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” “Grandma”) as T-Rex patriarch Butch

DIRECTOR: Peter Sohn (Short – “Partly Cloudy”)

PRODUCER: Denise Ream (“Cars 2,” “Up”)

EXEC. PRODUCERS: John Lasseter (“Inside Out”), Lee Unkrich (“Monsters University”) and Andrew Stanton (“Inside Out”)

ORIGINAL CONCEPT

AND DEVELOPMENT: Bob Peterson

STORY: Peter Sohn, Erik Benson, Meg LeFauve, Kelsey Mann and Bob Peterson

SCREENPLAY BY: Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out”

MUSIC: Academy Award®-winning film composer Mychael Danna (“Life of Pi”) and Emmy®-nominated composer Jeff Danna (“Tyrant”)

RELEASE DATE: February 23, 2016

PRODUCTS: Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA), Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On-Demand

BONUS: Digital HD*, Blu-ray Combo Pack & Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA)

THEATRICAL SHORT – Sanjay’s Super Team – Sanjay loves the world of cartoons and comics, while his father tries to draw him into his Hindu traditions. Reluctance quickly turns into awe-inspiring adventure as the boy embarks on an amazing journey, returning with a new perspective they can both embrace.

TRUE LIES ABOUT DINOSAURS – We know – it’s preposterous to think Apatosaurs spoke English. Learn more about what separates the fictional dinosaurs of “The Good Dinosaur“ from what scientists know about real dinosaurs.

RECYCLOSAURUS – Pixar takes creative competition seriously. Maybe a little too seriously. Watch as “The Good Dinosaur” crew competes to see which department can create the best dinosaur ever…using only discarded items from the studio’s “free table.”

THE FILMMAKERS’ JOURNEY – Finding your way from an idea to a film takes a lot of exploration. Director Peter Sohn and his fellow filmmakers talk about the challenging, inspiring, and unexpectedly emotional experience of making “The Good Dinosaur.”

EVERY PART OF THE DINOSAUR – The filmmakers talk about the special animation challenges of “The Good Dinosaur” – including figuring out how to animate a dinosaur who’s really a boy, and a boy who’s got the spirit of a dog.

FOLLOWING THE T-REX TRAIL – Follow the filmmakers as they travel to a working cattle ranch and meet the McKays, a close-knit family whose work ethic, generosity, and stories inspired the T-Rex ranchers of the film.

COMMENTARY – Commentary from director Peter Sohn, story supervisor Kelsey Mann, supervising animator Mike Venturini, director of photography/lighting Sharon Calahan, and supervising technical director Sanjay Bakshi.

DINO BITES – Montage of original animated pieces produced to promote “The Good Dinosaur.”

HIDE AND SEEK – A short animated clip produced to promote “The Good Dinosaur.”

DELETED SCENES

o The Attack – An idyllic introduction to the family farm is cut short when a savage predator attacks the newborn Arlo. With an introduction by Director Peter Sohn.

o Building the Silo – An admiring Arlo is thrilled to follow along as his father builds a silo for the family farm. With an introduction by Director Peter Sohn.

o Waiting for Poppa – Arlo awaits the return of his beloved father on a stormy night, only to be greeted with tragic news. With an introduction by Director Peter Sohn.

Blu-ray 3D & DVD:

THEATRICAL SHORT – Sanjay’s Super Team

Digital Exclusive:

JUST LISTEN – Trace the development of the unique soundscape of “The Good Dinosaur,” from the wilds of British Columbia as Sound Designer Craig Berkey collects sounds, to the recording studio where Jeff and Mychael Danna use instruments from around the world to create the music.

*Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarTheGoodDinosaur

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGoodDinosaur

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thegooddinosaur/

ABOUT DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE (DMA):

Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) is an engaging and family-friendly cloud-based digital movie service that makes it simple to buy your favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars movies once and watch them anywhere. With DMA you can explore Disney’s library of over 450 eligible digital movies, discover hours of new and exclusive short-form content, and watch your digital movies from the comfort of the living room or across multiple mobile devices. Using the free DMA apps and website, you can connect your DMA account with participating providers including iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Microsoft Movies and TV and Google Play and unlock access to your eligible movie collections across platforms and devices – iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV/Airplay, Amazon’s Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Microsoft Movies and TV service on Windows and Microsoft Xbox devices, Android mobile and tablet devices and Android TV, Chromecast and the Roku platform. In addition, you can redeem Digital Copy codes found in Disney, Pixar and Marvel Blu-rays and DVDs, as well as earn Disney Movie Rewards points with every digital purchase.

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Nickelodeon’s Shimmer And Shine DVD Review And Giveaway #nickelodeon

January 22, 2016 By Marijean

SHIMMER AND SHINE MAKE THEIR STANDALONE DVD DEBUT

WITH AN EXCITING SEVEN-EPISODE DVD

Nick’s newest and most magical twin sisters sparkle their

way to DVD on February 2, 2016

Nickelodeon’s (mis)adventurous and magical twin sisters come to DVD on Shimmer and Shine. In its standalone DVD debut, fans can join Shimmer, Shine, Leah and her friend Zac in the magical worlds of genies, dinosaurs and more. Despite any obstacles, the power of teamwork and friendship help to make their adventures turn out great! In addition to over 2 ½ hours of magical content, this DVD comes with a set of four hair ties as a fun gift with purchase! Created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Media Distribution, Shimmer and Shine is available for the first time on DVD February 2, 2016 for the price of $14.99.

About Shimmer and Shine:

Twin sisters Shimmer and Shine are Leah’s secret genies-in-training! Leah always has some dilemma that she needs her magical friends’ help with, and the genies are happy to grant her three wishes a day. As genies-in-training, they sometimes misinterpret what Leah wishes for, and often times they’ll accidentally grant her wishes she didn’t even mean to make. Each wrong wish quickly compounds into a crazy adventure. Ultimately, through teamwork, the genies and Leah find a way to fix the problem without the use of wishes.

Shimmer and Shine airs on Nickelodeon, weekdays at 11:30am ET/PT.

I received a copy of this DVD to review, my daughter loves this series. She loves watching and finding out what magical adventures the genies, Shimmer and Shine, are up to next with their friend Leah. This show premiered on Nickelodeon in August 2015. The episodes are so cute and will surely have your little one want to keep watching to see what happens next. Definitely check this DVD out, your children will love it!

Shimmer and Shine includes the following episodes:

Genie Treehouse – Leah and Zac try building a treehouse but find themselves in over their heads. Leah asks her genies for a treehouse and is thrown for a loop when Shimmer and Shine turn her house into a house of trees.
Ahoy, Genies! – When Leah’s bucket full of beach treasures floats into the vast ocean, Leah summons Shimmer and Shine to help her retrieve the loot. With the genies’ assistance, a typical day at the beach quickly escalates into a magical beach treasure hunt, complete with a treasure map, pirate ship, and a talking parrot.
The Sweetest Thing – When Leah wishes for help making cupcakes for her school bake sale, she and the genies find themselves stuck with a giant birthday cake, some farm animals and a river of cupcake batter. How in the world will Leah finish her cupcakes without any wishes left, or worse, explain all this craziness to her curious (and hungry) neighbor Zac?
Lights! Camera! Genies! – When it looks like Movie Night will be a no-go, Leah asks Shimmer and Shine for some movie magic help. But when they accidentally wish the movie to life, they turn Leah into a medieval princess with a flying dragon to tame in her own backyard.
What a Pig Mess – When Leah’s party food accidentally gets run over by Zac in his battery-operated car, Leah needs to figure out what else to bring fast. Leah asks her genies for more Pigs in a Blanket, but the genies give her real pigs wrapped in a blanket. It’s up to Leah and the girls to catch the fast little pigs and find a way to fix this hog-sized mistake.
Abraca-Genie – Leah notices Zac the Magician’s magic tricks aren’t going quite so well, so she calls on her genies for some real magic assistance. But Shimmer and Shine aren’t getting the tricks right either and suddenly more than a rabbit pops out of Zac’s hat – a whole zoo of animals. The girls have to find a way to fix the magical mess before Zac’s big performance.
Dino Mite! – After searching endlessly for Zac’s missing dinosaur toy, Leah asks her genies to wish up a replacement and gets stuck with a real live Apatosaurus. Now Leah, Shimmer and Shine have to figure out a way to fix this behemoth mistake before Zac finds out – and it all starts with a little bit of dino training.

Connect with Nickelodeon: Website Facebook Twitter

GIVEAWAY

Would your little one like a copy of this DVD? One lucky reader will win! Giveaway ends 1/29/2016!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***I was given a product in exchange for my honest opinion. This review is based on my experience with the product. I am not affiliated with the company and everything in this review is my opinion.