Mommy Has to Work

A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn by Shelley Shepard Gray

September 23, 2015 By Anne

A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn is the third book in this series, however you can read this book without having read the first two books. Shelley Shepard Gray is one of my favorite authors. I love reading her Amish stories. Especially when they are set in Florida. All of her books are easy reading and this one is no exception. I could just curl up and read her books all day.

A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn is a wonderful story about falling in love a second time. Two widowed parents meet and discover they can and do love another person after the lose of their spouse.

A wedding brings together two young widowed parents . . . and gives them a second chance at love.

Emma Keim was heartbroken when her husband, Sanford, passed away, leaving her to raise three young daughters alone. Though several years have passed, her relatives have made it no secret that they expect Emma to remain a widow, mourning Sanford indefinitely. But when she meets Jay Hilty—a handsome widower with three young sons of his own—Emma is delighted to have a new friend who understands her struggles. Still, she is dismayed that her family is so opposed to their friendship—and the idea of it ever becoming anything more. She honors her husband’s memory every day, but is she destined to be alone forever?

Emma’s gentleness with Jay’s boys stirs something in his heart that’s been quiet for far too long. But when his oldest son becomes engaged to a local woman, suddenly Jay, Emma, and their children are swept up in wedding preparations. Witnessing his son’s joy, Jay wonders if it’s time for him to move forward, too, and find happiness again.

Once again, love has come to Pinecraft. But can these two parties of four become a happy, healthy family of eight?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1USUEQM

To see other reviews go to: http://litfusegroup.com/author/sgray

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

Find Shelley online: website, Facebook, Twitter

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!

NETFLIX: DUST OFF YOUR “SHELFIES” FOR FALL

September 23, 2015 By Marijean

I am a Netflix Stream Team Member.

I love to watch TV. Love my drama tv shows but hardly get to watch them because I am a busy mom. During the day I am tied up volunteering at my daughter’s school or doing house work, at night I am making dinner and then want to spend my time with the kids. I need to start making some “TV” time for myself and catch up on some Netflix shows. Time to dust off my “Shelfie.” You may be asking yourself what a Shelfie is? A Shelfie is a virtual shelf of shows that you have been wanting to watch, but haven’t had the time. Netflix has a great line up of tv shows to catch up on. Whether you have watched some episodes already, or just starting out, you will not be disappointed. I am going to share with you the top 3 shows I want to either catch up on, or start watching this Fall.

#1 SCANDAL I have been hearing awesome things from friends about this show, and have seen previews and the show looks amazing. Kerry Washington (who I love in movies) is the main character named Olivia Pope. The show takes place in Washington, D.C. and focuses on Olivia Pope’s crisis management firm, Olivia Pope & Associates (OPA), and its staff, as well as staff at the White House, which includes President Fitzgerald Grant III, Chief of Staff Cyrus Beene, and First Lady Mellie Grant. This show has received numerous awards, and had been renewed for a fifth season.

#2 Once Upon A Time I watched the first season of this show and I absolutely loved it! I love Disney, so once I heard that this show was based on some of the Disney Characters I was hooked. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to keep up with the show, so this is on my Shelfie list! The show takes place in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke, Maine, whose residents are characters from various fairy tales transported to the “real world” town and robbed of their real memories by a powerful curse. This show really did keep me hooked to it and wanting more. I am excited to catch up on the episodes. The show displays the growth of relationships between the doctors, either friendly or sexual, often stemming to a clash between their personal and professional lives.

#3 Grey’s Anatomy I am probably the “odd man out”, but I have never seen any episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. I am always hearing about the show, so I am looking forward to watching. This show follows the lives of surgical interns and residents at the fictional Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital (formerly Seattle Grace Hospital, Season 1–6, Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, Season 6–9, and then Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, Season 9– present), as they gradually evolve into seasoned doctors, with the help of their competent mentors. Need some shelfie suggestions? Check out the great library of fall shows you can stream this month on Netflix.

Marijean

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

Fall Is On The Way: Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Menu Returns This Month

September 22, 2015 By Merrilee Kaminski

Autumn is just around the corner and Dunkin’ Donuts is sweetening the season with exciting, new additions to their fall lineup!

This lucky lady was invited to visit our local Dunkin’ Donuts to sample the new fall menu items. Who would pass up this opportunity I ask you? Not me! I love pumpkin. Period. No matter what form it comes in, I’m all over anything with pumpkin in the title. So with an empty stomach and a sense of adventure I embarked on my Dunkin’ Donuts Tasting Experience.

The first on the list to try was the new Tailgater Breakfast Sandwich. This hearty breakfast sandwich serves up the spirit of game day grilling. Featuring a mouthwatering combination of egg, reduced fat cheddar cheese and juicy split smoked sausage topped with fire-roasted peppers and grilled onion mix and Ancho Chipotle sauce on an oven-toasted French Roll. This breakfast sandwich is so hearty and delicious I couldn’t help but eat every bite of the sample we were offered. A real winner!!

The next item offered was pumpkin coffee and lattes served hot and iced. These are a delicious staple I look forward to each fall at Dunkin’s. Pumpkin K-Cup pods and pumpkin packaged coffee are also available again this year.

The new Reese’s Peanut Butter Square was next on the tasting menu. This donut is filled with rich and creamy Reese’s peanut butter buttercream, topped with chocolate icing and finished with an orange icing drizzle. Scrumptious and sweet, this was a delight to devour.

Also brand new this year is the Pumpkin Cheesecake Square. This was my favorite new offering from Dunkin’s. This is pumpkin perfection! You need to try this if you love pumpkin as much as I do. Seriously! You can thank me later.

Three returning favorites were next on the tasting agenda. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin donuts and donut hole treats. Perfectly paired with a warm cup of coffee, these sweet treats were delicious.

For guests in the Jacksonville area, Dunkin’ Donuts is also offering the Pumpkin Pie Coolatta. Featuring real pumpkin puree and spice flavors, with crumbled graham cracker pieces mixed in. Those graham cracker crumbles bring an unbelievable element to the drink. While they are small, their pie crust texture and flavor put the pie in this pumpkin drink. Whipped crème topping is the perfect addition to this unique offering.

Dunkin’ Donuts announced the return of its delicious Homestyle Apple Pie for the month of September only. A handheld pie made with real apples and a braided crust, topped with cinnamon sugar. One can never go wrong with the classic flavor of apples in autumn. If pumpkin isn’t your thing, this warm apple treat is guaranteed to make your taste buds smile and dance a little jig.

Coming in October……..Pumpkin Macchiato! Served hot or cold. Yep, I’ll be seeing you there!

What new treat will you try?

September 29th is National Coffee Day!

Celebrate the season with a

FREE medium cup of Dunkin’ Donuts Dark Roast Coffee!

Merrilee Kaminski

Sweet’N Low Sampling Truck Coming to a Town Near You! #ad #IC #DontHesitaste

September 21, 2015 By Anne

“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Sweet’N Low. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”

Sweet’N Low Launched a sampling truck tour this summer, “Don’t Hesita(s)te”. You can catch their truck at a town near you and sample some tasty Sweet”N Low drinks.

I had a few stops on the tour near my house. I choose to attend the event on September 12 in Jacksonville. My daughter and I drove over the local Winn Dixie and she was the first to see the big, pink truck.

We pulled into the parking lot and saw a few pink men and women and what looked like a fun photo frame. The truck had the side open and tasty samples of sweet tea using Sweet”N Low to try. Savannah and I both received a cute gift. A little purse to put your Sweet’N Low in to carry in your purse. Inside the purse was lip balm. It reminded me of the lip balms for the 80’s.

If you do get a chance to visit a truck near you, tell them that Mommy Has to Work sent you and receive a free gift.

Sweet”N Low has been around for a while now. Have you tries it lately? Tastes change so give a try and taste the sweetness!

“Don’t Hesita(s)te” represents that moment when someone hesitates before tasting something which can mean they miss out on something delicious.

Did you know that one packet of Sweet’N Low, made with saccharin, is about as sweet as two teaspoons of sugar. I usually only use a half a packet myself. A little bit goes a long way.

The American Diabetes Association, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, World Health Organization, and National Cancer Institute have acknowledged saccharin’s safety for human consumption and its benefit in helping to develop a healthy eating plan for long-term weight management.

Do you like to enter contests? Well this one is easy! To enter the #DontHesitaste photo contest, upload a picture of your favorite Sweet’N Low-sweetened drink for a chance to win money, prizes and more! To be considered you must use the hashtags #DontHesitaste and #contestentry in your post.

Make sure to check out the Sweet’N Low website at http://www.sweetnlow.com/ and their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sweetnlow.

Anne

How to Shop Green? Tips and Tricks How to Be Eco-Friendly Every Day

September 14, 2015 By Anne

In this society, then ecology is becoming more and more important and must-do philosophy, we all need to rethink our shopping habits. And also start finding new ways how to shop greener. There are some ways how to do it, but it is not very well-known for masses just like you and me. So, in order to help you out (and help myself too) I did a little research of a few tips and tricks how to be an eco-friendly shopper. This will make at least a little impact in the common welfare. Read it right away and start changing not only your habits but the whole Earth too!

Buy that you really need

This is definitely one of the first things you need to start thinking and rethinking about. Just by knowing what actually is necessary for you and what is only to pamper yourself, you can be both eco-friendly and frugal too! First, you will buy only the essential stuff you need, and secondly – that directly effects with your finances as well. Because you are not going to spend of products or items what are not needed, you will improve your savings. Of course, remember that quality is always much above quantity. So while shopping remember that and keep it in mind.

Shop online

Shopping online is not only much cheaper way to shop but is actually a very environmentally friendly way to get stuff too! Firstly because you won’t need to use your gas to go to the store, and secondly because you will not use any kind of paper while shopping as well. No receipt, no paper coupons – no harm to forests and Earth. All you are going to do and use is digital and it doesn’t need any additional printing. In fact, by using online coupons from Chameleon John (for instance Kohl’s online coupons) you will get same discounts as paper ones and can enjoy your new items at a much smaller price. So shop online and reduce you spending everywhere and save Earth!

Bring your own bag

Another way how to make your shopping trips even more eco-friendly is one of the simplest too. By taking your bag (in no matter what fabric or material) you can make a little impact on Earth as well! How come? Because every year, millions of plastic bags are dumped in landfills or our oceans, paper bags brought home from the store often end up being crumpled and tossed into the recycling bin. So it is actually a cultural mandate that you carry a shopping bag wherever you go. There are so many cute and beautiful shopping bags from different eco-friendly materials that it can become a style accent! So why not be eco-friendly and stylish at the same time while carrying your own bag into stores?

Buy local

By just buying groceries from local farmers you not only avoid huge prices and unnecessary packaging but also support small business! And at the same time while being eco-friendly! Visiting your local farmers market is beneficial on at least several different levels. It ensures you are getting the freshest possible fruits, vegetables, and animal products while supporting small businesses and making everyone happy! So why not do that and eating fresh every day after that?