Lawry's Seasoning and Bakeware Giveaway

 

I recently received the above gift from Lawry's and MyBlogSpark. As you can see there are four different seasoning packets included, as well as a large baking dish. 

I have really enjoyed these products.

The seasoning packets are remarkably good! 

A good seasoning packet can really make dinner

time a lot easier, can't it?

This girl is not opposed to a good collection of seasonings

all brought together in one little pouch.

Watch for tomorrows post, 

I'll be using one of the above packets to 

make a great, easy dinner.

 Lawry's and MyBlogSpark have agreed to send the above package to one of you fine readers.

To enter the give away leave me a comment at the bottom of this post telling me your family's favorite QUICK meal. 

Be sure to leave me your email address within your comment, 

so I have a way to track you down.

The Giveaway will close at 

midnight on Thursday November 4th.

I'll announce the winner on the 

morning of Friday November 5th.

Thanks and have a great day!

My Ultimate Family Vacation

Sponsored By

 Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine and Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.

The Ultimate Family Vacation. What would that look like in my minds eye. We are entering into a new age-phase at my house. I'm not talking about listening to "new age" music. I'm simply stating that....these kids of mine are getting older. We are past the baby stage, so there are no diapers or nursing routines to work into the mix. Eliminating those two things really opens up the possibilities, doesn't it!  I do believe I could come up with some great vacation plans.

Plans that would incorporate a wide range of interests. Our Ultimate Family Vacation might have to be a potpourri of sorts.

A hand full of days spent at Disney Land for the LittleTwinBoys.

(ok, the rest of us would love that, too.) 

A night out to see Wicked or Hairspray for TheParents and TheGirls. 

Some kind of sporting event we would all tolerate while TeenSonMark lived it up.  

(He's really hoping at least one of his twin brothers shows an interest in sports. The rest of us are just a bunch of music nerds....poor kid.)

And of course, the Ultimate Family Vacation would have to include a long stretch of days where nothing was planned. Nothing but time to do what ever suits our fancy. Play a little card game together, wrestle on the floor, dance around to MyHandsomeHusband's piano music, catch some frogs, swim in the lake, and read a good book.

(I like to go light on the frog catching and lake swimming. Heavy on the good book.) I'd want to talk about silly things. Talk about religion. Talk about other matters of importance. Remember about the past. Laugh about embarrassing moments. Laugh about life. Laugh with and about each other.

You see. It would need to be a mix. A mix of planned activities and open, unscheduled time. Time together. Time to really get to know each other better.

Time to talk,

and play, 

and laugh, 

and not answer the phone.   

Don't forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Kraft and Sears in Chicago

 This is not a paid post. The Kraft products pictured below were given to me as a gift. I am receiving no payment for this post. Just passing along some opinions.

 Earlier this week I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago with some of the Blogher team and a hand full of  very fabulous bloggers. We met with Kraft and Sears to discuss our blogs, and how Blogher works in general. It was a lot of fun! I was thrilled to be able to meet Lisa Stone, CEO and Co-Founder of Blogher. Also pictured above are David from Leite's Culinaria, Claire from Life in Chicago and Courtney from CJane Enjoy It. There is really something wonderful about being with fellow bloggers. Let's just say, there was never a lack of conversation! I felt privileged to be among these fine people. They are real veterans in the blogging world (and I am just barely stepping off my front porch) so I felt very blessed to rub elbows with  these talented and knowledgeable folks.

Kraft sent us home with some of their great products. Look at this fun Halloween Mac and Cheese! My boys were loving it for lunch today. I have to admit, I am guilty of buying the generic brand of mac and cheese. You know how it goes, my friends. Every penny counts these days, doesn't it?

However....this Kraft Mac and Cheese puts my cheap no name brand to shame. 

Serious shame. 

It was so much better, I ate a bowl full myself.

After a small bowl of the "Cheesiest" I gave this new Kraft Chipolte Mayo a try. It is a light Mayo with only 40 calories per serving. Wow! It was full of great flavor. Loved it. Loved it.

Here is a sampling of the other things they sent home with me. Zero yourself in on the Mint Oreo Fudge Creams. Oh my. I would definitely be embarrassed if you were to look in my pantry and see just how many of those cookies are left. 
It's down right shameful. 
Lucky thing the Kraft Chipolte Mayo was light.
Thanks Kraft. It will be fun to try more of your great products!

The view from my Hotel window.

What a beautiful city.

Hello Mr. Trump. Please don't fire me.

Who would have thought a little (well, a kind of chubby) gal like myself would be heading off to Chicago to meet with these amazing brands. It was a real honor.

An honor in deed.

No Ordinary Family

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and ABC's No Ordinary Family.

This fall ABC has a new show coming out called No Ordinary Family. You can watch a video trailer of the show at the bottom of this post, or like it on facebook! 

Are we a Super-Hero Type family? Well no. I have to admit….when I was asked to write about my family of 7 being extraordinary, I was at a bit of a loss. Sure, I think we are pretty great!

 But, pretty normal. 

Nothing too extra-ordinary really.  

So, I had to put my thinking cap on.

Really tight.

I thought about the extraordinary things a person might see if they peeked into my kitchen window between the hours of 3:30 and 7:00. They might see things like a teasing-happy teenage son, two daughters in tears (girls can only take so much teasing), two daughters arguing with each other, one twin boy spilling red punch and crackers on the kitchen floor, and another twin boy tracking muddy shoes onto the kitchen floor. All of this while a mother tries to help with homework, make a little dinner, ask kids to practice the piano, pile kids in the car to run to different activities,while she asks “how was your day, and your day, and your day too dear?” 

Someone stealing a look through the window might think…

“Why. In. The. World. Would someone CHOOSE this! The chaos! How can one stand it? Seems extraordinarily crazy to me!”

They would be right. It does seem crazy! It is crazy!

But just you wait now.

It just so happens that the chaos is a small price to pay. Small,indeed. It’s the price I pay for….

A teen son who comes through the door after school saying “Are the twins having a nap? Could I wake them up early so I can wrestle with them?” A daughter who’s willing to look around the school cafeteria and sit by the underdog. Little twin boys who want to cuddle and read stories at any given moment. A young daughter consumed with looking after her dear friend that has Leukemia. A Teen Son who offers to accept his younger sisters punishment.  A bunch of kids dancing around the living room while their Dad plays a fast jig on the piano. A whole slew of kids standing along the sidewalk cheering and clapping while one of their siblings learns to ride a bike.

It’s the love. Plain and simple.

The love of a family is hands down, fabulously, exceptionally, out of this world……extraordinary.

I have a sneaking suspicion that your family is just as extraordinary. I would love to hear some of the sweet things that happen in your “pretty normal” lives. Get your thinking cap on, and leave me a comment. Can’t wait to hear what kind of love is buzzing around your house.  Now don’t go thinking things like “there isn’t any love around here”. Put your thinking cap on tight. Really tight. I think you’ll be surprised what you can come up with.

ABC’s No Ordinary Family hosted a video contest to find the most EXTRADORDINARY family in America and starting September 27th you can help vote for the winner!  Between September 27 and October 1, watch the top 5 video submissions and vote for your favorite.  Click here for details and be sure to vote!

Baking with Betty 2010

This past week I was super fortunate to be in attendance at the Baking with Betty event, sponsored by General Mills in Minneapolis. It was so very wonderful! 

My entire trip was paid for by General Mills...how thoughtful!

I was one of 30 bloggers invited to the event. It was so fun to be able to chat with other blogging gals. Let me just say...there was never a lack of conversation. We had a lot to say to each other. There were four bloggers from Utah invited including Laura from RealMomKitchen, Jessica from UtahDealDiva, and Deborah from Taste and Tell. Other bloggers include Megan from MegansMunchies, Amanda from I Am Baker, and Julie from Joy's Hope. It was a fabulous group of gals. Really inspiring. I felt very honored to have been chosen.

Monday night we went on a fun boat cruise. They served dinner right on the boat and we got  to see some beautiful, 

BEA.U.TI.FUL. 

real estate along the lake.

The next day was spent at the General Mills Headquarters...were a lot of fun art can be seen. Check out these Cheerios! Right in the middle of a little rock garden. Wow, who would have thought.

I thought this quote was especially insightful.

These are they. 

The fine, famous, well thought of....

Betty Crocker Test Kitchens!

Wow. Seriously. I had to keep pinching myself.

The fine folks at General Mills had a full day planned for us. They told us a lot of fun background,

history if you will,

about good old Betty Crocker.

It turns out that she is a business...not a real person.

I know, I know. Try and hold your tears in. It's true.

Back in the early 1900's General Mills developed her persona to answer the questions homemakers were sending in to their company.

She became a way for the company to help homemakers learn to cook, and cook WELL.

Back in the 1930's and 40's Betty Crocker had her own radio program. When I mentioned this to my own dear Grandma she said that she can remember her own mother talking about Betty Crocker and the great advice she gave about cooking. 

Pretty fun!

General Mills is still very interested in helping homemakers learn more about cooking. We spent the day in the Betty Crocker Test Kitchens making all kinds of yummy things.

Yummy, EASY (so easy) recipes that I will be sharing with you very soon. If you have read my blog for any amount of time at all, you know I am a huge fan of a good cake mix. The possibilities are really endless. With just a few added ingredients you can have something FABULOUS in a short amount of time.

Just look at a few of the fabulous things we made! 

In the process of fabulousness....

Considering the fabulous....

Look no further....these are the fabulous.

...and the CUTE fabulous.....

...and the beautiful fabulous!

We made all of these recipes with Betty Crocker Products.  

The 8 different pictures of Betty Crocker. Is it just me, or does she get younger looking the older she gets? 

Betty Crocker wanna-be.
Thanks for the fun trip General Mills. I loved it a lot!

Sassy Apron Giveaway

 THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
The fine people at CSN stores recently sent me this lovely apron! 

Wasn't that a nice how do you do.

I am in love with the darling, cheerfully red color and the fun polka dot print. They have many aprons to choose from at www.cookware.com. All kinds of darling prints and styles. 

Cookware.com carries just about anything your little cooking heart desires. They sent me a couple of Ramekin sets a few months ago that I am in love with. 

The quality of their products is really exceptional.

CSN Stores has agreed to send one of you lovely readers a darling Sassy Apron. How kind and thoughtful!

To enter the giveaway 

leave me a comment at the bottom of this post telling me your favorite summertime meal, 

something you might cook up in a lovely new apron.

You have until Sunday Night (August 1st) at midnight to enter. I will choose a winner at random and announce the lucky gal 

on Monday morning.

Good Luck everyone!

Click here to get back to the recipes.

I can see clearly now the rain is gone!

I'd like to give a special-shout-out-thanks-a-million to Quaker who sponsored me this past weekend at the Evolution of Women in Social Media Conference. It was held at The Canyons Resort in Park City, and organized by TodaysMama and Mom It Forward. I feel super lucky to have been able to attend, as I am very new to the blogging world and let's face it....

I need all the help I can get.

(Would it be too embarrassing if I admitted that last year I didn't even know how to right click?)

I had a phenomenal time to say the least and soaked up every word that was uttered.

I was thrilled to be able to spend some time with these great ladies. Tina from Mommy's Kitchen and Laura from Real Mom Kitchen.

These gals have given me a lot of blogging advise, which I appreciate so much. It was fun to be able to know them in person!

In addition to all of the wonderful classes on running a successful blog, they really pampered us well! Just look at these beautiful desserts! You know how desserts are my favorite.

These were all totally to die for.

A fun candy bar!

A fancy bottle of Diet Coke.

Thanks again to Quaker, and all of the fabulous speakers. It was a weekend very well spent