Giveaway

Friday night arrives and my daughter begs to stay up late. Her 7:30 PM school night bedtime is pushed to maybe 8:15. We would even let her stay up later but her eyes are typically half closed by 7:45. Our Friday nights consist of a family meal, often pizza, sometimes a movie and most commonly a game. The Murphy Family Game Night has really become a tradition.
Family Game Night is a great tradition to start in your home. Learning strategy, sportsmanship, competition and game play, many board games tap into higher level thinking – regardless of your child’s age. It has become one of the immediate request I make to a family member or friend who asks what to get my older daughter for a gift. She loves board games. We love board games. We love to play them as a family.
This winter we’re going “American Idol” …

Homemade Baby Food – Simple & Healthy with Sage Spoonfuls!
I cannot believe my littlest one is already 7 months.  Where has the time gone!?  I still remember the 1st moments that I held her and when she opened her eyes with a bit of a smile.  I instantly fell in love.  Fast forward a few months and here I am experiencing her 1st crawls, 1st waves hello and her most recently her 1st solids.

I knew I wanted to provide fresh, healthy foods for her.  I had for her big sister 5 years ago.  At that time, I had more time on my hands, and just one child to look after.  Now with 2, a busy blogging career and more, I’ve been nervous about managing the added time of making homemade baby food!
I was presented with the chance to try Sage Spoonfuls – essentially a simple make …

eBay Lemonade Made by Tristan O’Brien – An eBay Money Maker Story
When all else fails, when you’ve lost your job, wife just gave birth and you’re essentially living in a new city with very limited support, what do you do?  Tristan O’Brien, of Westfield, Indiana, took his HUGE bowl of lemons and made a big glass of lemonade, eBay style of course!
If you take a moment and look around your home you will notice the many items you have are out of true desire not need.  Tristan did just that.  Along with his wife, he found numerous items, including an enormous big screen TV that wasn’t necessary in their home.  They took these items and listed them at auction on eBay.  They needed the money in their wallets more than hanging in their family room!
Before they knew it the items began to sell and sell – the …

Thanksgiving Day means a table food of delicacies for many of us, but not for all.  Did you know that 17.2 million (1:7) households in America were living in hunger in 2010?  Astonishing!  It makes your prayers of thanks more meaningful as you recognize how blessed you are to have a turkey and its fixings this Thursday and the other days of the year.

‘Tis the season for Turkeys and football!  We hit the parking lots of our favorite college or Pro teams and cook up some BBQ snacks while enjoying great time with friends and fellow fans!  Kraft Foods’ has tapped into this love of the game and awareness of the growing number of Americans going hungry with their Huddle to Fight Hunger campaign.  This campaign launched in 2010, has already brought 21 million meals to those in need through the support of football fans and other members of the community.  These fans …

Silly Pasta Shapes – Become a pasta designer! Win a $100 AMEX card!
I get so excited when I hear, “Mom, can we have pasta and sauce for dinner?”  I honestly feel like it’s a special gift from someone upabove who is trying to cut me some slack after a chaotic day.

 
My husband is more often than not, not home for dinner these days – he works long hours.  With a preschooler and infant at home, well, you can just imagine what the witching hour (5-7PM) can be like around here!
I like love to cook, but have given up on complicated yummy recipes for nights when I’m the only adult eating.  Don’t get me wrong, I do make good, yummy dinner for me and the preschooler, but they do tend to be less complicated.
I have found that a jar of sauce and a box of pasta can be a busy mom’s …

Buffalo Chicken Dip and Ways to Spookify your Dishes for Halloween
Tis the season for chips and dips!  Football season means easy foods to munch on as you’re watching the college game on Saturday or the Pro on Sunday!  I have some favorites, including the Mexi-Melt of Beans – my father-in-laws favorite!  Here’s another one that will have you wanting to lick the bowl!
Hormel Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch salad dressing
3/4 cup hot wing sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (12.5-ounce) cans Hormel® Chunk Breast of Chicken, drained
Crackers, tortilla chips and celery sticks

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, combine cream cheese, dressing, hot wing sauce and shredded cheese until well blended. Gently stir in chicken.
Spoon mixture into 2-quart casserole. Bake 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips and celery sticks for dipping.

Kicking it Up a Notch …

Coca-Cola’s Family Game Night – We’re up for it! Are you? w/giveaway
Weekend nights are the best, especially Fridays when we have family night.  We eat as a family and then play as a family.  We enjoy classic board games, Old Maid or a game invented by my near 5 year old, Isabella, as we sit in the family room having fun.   Isabella loves these nights – although we need a few more lessons on not being a sore loser!
MyCokeRewards.com/Family Provides Tips for Families Fun
I’ve recently teamed up with Coca-Cola and their passion for family fun!  Through MyCokeRewards.com/Family you can access fun ways to game, play and snack together as a family.  Their suggestions are great!  I especially loved the snack tip of freezing gummies or small pieces of fruit into your ice cubes. How much fun would your kids have seeing what appears …

Reading, writing and arithmetic.  That’s the focus.  What can you do to support your pre-school or elementary aged children as they embark on a new school year?  It’s important to keep it fun, with a hidden educational twist!  My years as an elementary school teacher have provided me with a keen eye on what’s worth it for educational fun.
I have been a fan of Rock ‘N Learn videos for many years.  In our home we have 5 of the videos and my daughter would watch them over and over if she had the time!  Most recently we enjoyed the Rock ‘N Learn Sight Words in DVD.  I was impressed, especially with the content.  Rock ‘N Learn videos are content heavy, light on graphics and always get the (learning) song stuck in your head.

The child is presented with dozens of sight words through the showing.  (Sight words are words that are …

My opportunity as a Hormel Extended Family Blogger is inspiring a little Iron Chef for Smarty Pants Mamas this week!  Let’s try using an ingredient that is often a pantry staple.  It’s used “as-is.”  It’s used in appetizers, entrees and more.  Think of ways you have or could use it.
So, this week I put before you…. Hormel® Chili with Beans!

Yummy! How can you use it?
Here’s my favorite way (compliments of my step-mother-in-law) of using it in a quick and easy appetizer!

It’s always a crowd pleaser and a staple anytime the guys are watching the game! Many variations can be found of this dip.  Maybe you have your own.
Mexi-Melt of Beans
Ingredients

1 can of Hormel® Chili with Beans (without beans if you prefer)
1 box of cream cheese
1 package of shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 325, or have microwave ready.  In an oven-safe/microwave-safe medium …

We thought we would always remember the special moments of pregnancy.  We’ve seen beautiful hardcover journals and more to document the daily happenings of our pregnancy.  We swore we would take out the book, find a pen and write (in our best handwriting of course) our pregnancy happenings. I’ve tried to, but it never happens.
We’ve called the crew, from mom to mother in law and everyone in between at the sense of the 1st kick or after each sonogram.  Time spent on the phone is ridiculous at times, especially with a toddler yanking your leg or dinner burning on the stove.

Between the dozens of doctor’s appointments, errands to run, a job to keep and possibly chasing after one or more little munchkins, your down time is usually spent here, online catching up on Facebook, checking in on your registry or just Googling some random thing.
Mama Memoirs (MamaMemoirs.com) …

I like things simple.  I like things that work, get the job done and won’t take ten years to figure out how to use.  I spend countless hours in front of the computer, writing posts, finding recipes, playing on Facebook or uploading the latest pictures of my newborn.  I need, because I don’t have time for the alternative, to know that my computer is running at its best speed and doesn’t have any hidden quirks waiting to destroy my day!
If you too are spending time reading this post, you are probably also a Smart Mama who relies on her computer for everything like me!  And, like a Smart Mama, time is of the essence.  You don’t have time for the 20 minutes it takes your PC to start up when your kids are screaming and dinner hasn’t been started.  You need a housekeeper for the computer (maybe even one for …

A cookie sheet, breaded chicken, maybe even a squeaky door all have a tool that comes in handy…PAM!  Yes, I just said the traditional cooking spray that is found in nearly every American household!  PAM has come to the rescue so many times here.  The days of greasing a cookie sheet with butter are done, and days of a quick spray have arrived!  In this Smart Mama home we use PAM regularly, and not just in the kitchen!
Over the next few weeks I invite Smarty Pants Mama readers to share their tips and tricks to using PAM!  Is there a recipe that just wouldn’t be as good without a spray of PAM?  Or have you or the Smart Daddy in your house found a practical way of using PAM to help with household tasks? Currently PAM/ConAgra is hosting PAM Top Tips, an incredible opportunity for Smart Mamas and …

12 Days of Diapers!

Win a $200 Amazon gift card or other great prize!  Giveaway ends tomorrow, December 17th!!
Please be sure to participate in 12 Days of Diapers today! Simply make a diaper donation to a participating Every Little Bottom diaper bank, or other local organization to enter!
See more details at: http://smartypantsmama.com/2010/12/smart-cause-12-days-of-diapers-support-a-mom-in-need-wgiveaway/
As an official Blog Ambassador I am a selected social media partner for the Huggies Every Little Bottom campaign. I am compensated for my time as a consultant to the program. However, the content and thoughts shared in this post are my own.

WINNER: Jennifer B. who donated to a local food bank! Thank you Jennifer for supporting moms in need!

Our Christmas lists are made and the shopping may even be done!  But, we all know the truth.  Many moms are struggling to alone diaper their babies, not to mention providing a gift under the tree.
I am inviting Smarty Pants Mama readers (that’s you!) to take advantage of an awesome opportunity to support a mom in need this December in the 12 Days of Diapers!  These last few months I have seen 1st hand how I can raise a few pennies and set some of my own spending money aside to support the many moms who rely on Destiny Diaper Bank to help them through difficult times.  My donation of diapers and of cash made a difference in a mom’s day – I just know it!
This month, in …

GIVEAWAY WINNER:  Jennifer Hutcheson @Mami2Mommy
Just in time for gift buying time, Baby Einstein has come out with a new product that’s perfect for all those little ones on Santa’s list!  The Baby Einstein Discovery Kits combine the established DVD’s, with a related book or activity cards and a musical CD. 
These discovery kits provide structured purpose to play time with the little one.  The kits are organized in three different levels.
Level 1:  Experience, is for children who are just beginning to look, listen and figure out what this world is all about
Level 2: Explore, is for children who are beginning to sit, reach, grasp and scoot.  This kit allows the child to make connection with the world around them.
Level 3:  Expression, is for children who are just walking and beginning to talk.  A better understanding of self-expression is gained from this kit.
I certainly understand …

Seafood during pregnancy, it’s considered a must by many OBs. What does your doctor say?
What a week it has been!  We found ways in this Smarty Pants Mama household to include seafood in 2 dinners, plus a few lunches!  My daughter even tried, and enjoyed scallops for the first time!  We are told by experts in nutrition and health that seafood consumption in an important part of a healthy lifestyle.  I want to continue to encourage each of you to include 12 ounce of seafood in your diet each week.  Most importantly, I want you to instill these healthy, nutritious eating habits in your children.  Fish sticks and shrimp cocktail shouldn’t be the only seafood served.
Please be sure to review  the “A Seafood Lover’s Guide to Eating during Pregnancy” that has been put together by The Perinatal Nutrition Working Group, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies and the National Fisheries Institute. It …

He thought it was nonsense. How would stickers hold up a large, heavy frame? He wanted no responsibility if it fell.  I told him, “Just trust me!”
I challenged my husband, Tom, to use the 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips instead of nails to hang a large painting in our living room. We had hung up two other paintings the traditional way, already damaging the wall with nail holes.

He reluctantly read the directions and got to work.  These picture hanging strips can hold frames up to 24×36 inches, with a weight not greater than 16lbs.
3M Command Picture Hanging Strips are intended to be used to hang pretty much anything, however do consider the size and weight limitations.  The strips are similar to Velcro strips, where one side adheres to the object and the match to the wall.  The strips “click” together and …

The Hanes Casuals Cushion Low Cut socks must be the most comfortable socks available and now have taken over my day to day sock wearing! Living in South Florida I don’t typically wear socks other than with sneaks and around the house. Yes, I can’t stand being barefoot on tile floors.
My daughter, 3 ½, who makes me laugh with her adult-like vocabulary, had her eyes opened wide when she woke up from her nap and looked at my feet, saying with much excitement, “Wow Mom, love the socks!”  I guess the dingy white sport socks aren’t doing much for me; she had never mentioned a thing about them!  These
Hanes socks really are comfortable. I am impressed.
The 3-pack I have came with different patterns. The striped ones with the red toes were my daughter’s favorite.  She wants …

Mommy, can I have a pancake on a popsicle?
Bet your child didn’t ask you that this morning!
Jimmy Dean has created what I consider a mother’s solution to eating on the run, the Jimmy D’s Griddle Stick!  This pancake on a stick has a delicious turkey sausage in the middle.  After just 60 seconds in the microwave your child is holding their breakfast and ready to munch on the run. The 160 calories and 7 grams of protein also they make Smart Mama happy, too!  The griddle sticks sell for about $4.99 and come with 6 in a box.

I had my first griddle stick at BlogHer, a conference for bloggers, this past August. I was captivated by its design and most importantly nutritional content.  My family loves pancakes and turkey sausage. How great would it be, I wondered? Fantastic! Ideal for moms, ideal for kids …

Updated 9/5/10 due to product availability updates.
It arrived around 3 PM. I had shown her pictures and read her information all about the new MobiGoTouch Learning System
that was to be delivered that day. She was ecstatic! She tore into the box like it was the first gift on Christmas!
Her expectations were met! She sat there for the next hour (I made her stop for dinner,) playing the MobiGoTouch Learning System! The default game cartridge, Touch & Learn Game Pack, includes 6 games that entertain and educate. This handheld device seemed to be the right fit for her!
The following day, we ventured on a 4 hour trip to DisneyWorld.  We certainly packed the MobiGoTouch Learning System, knowing that it could potentially help the “Are we there yet?” whines! Within minutes into the trip, she wanted her “computer!” I couldn’t …

Winner:  Emily Robison!  Congratulations Emily!
Giveaway
Win a Savvycents, just like I use in my 10 Steps to Succeeding at The Grocery Game post!  I have found Savvycents to be a great tool for staying organized on my weekly supermarket and CVS runs.
Product Info:
The Savvycents wallet is not only functional but also fashionable. It contains everything you need to organize your monthly or weekly budget using a cash system. With an accordion style file system inside the wallet you can separate money and/or coupons by categories. Your wallet comes with file cards where you can label each category with our pre-printed labels.

There are also blank labels where you can customize your wallet based on your personal categories. You no longer have to carry envelopes to separate your money and deal with loose change in the envelopes. A coin pocket is located on the backside of …

Winner:  Julie L who said the she’s a FB Fan!
Congrats Julie!

Win a 10-pack Personalized Butterflies Notecards by Dirtroad Sisters!
As we celebrate spring and look forward to summer, pen your notes on a set of Dirtroad Sisters (DirtroadSisters.com) fanciful note cards with bright and patterned butterflies fluttering across the white royal linen paper. This giveaway also includes a set of 10 folded notes with envelopes of your choice (white, pale blue, red)  Retail Value:  $15

To enter the giveaway:

Fan/Like my Facebook Page: www.Facebook.com/SmartyPantsMama (1 comment entry)
Leave a comment on Facebook letting me know you really want to win the notecards! (1 comment entry)
Follow me on Twitter. www.twitter.com/smartypantsmama (1 comment entry)
Post this on Twitter: Win personalized notecards from @SmartyPantsMama http://bit.ly/b0zHhm (1 comment per day)
Visit DirtroadSisters.com and pick out your favorite stationery pattern. (1 comment)

Giveaway …

Wondering about Wonder Hanger?
Congratulations to Angi from timandangi.com/blog for winning her own Wonder Hanger!  She commented that, “We could really use these in our boys closet. It’s so tiny and they have so much stuff to hang.”  I am so excited for her to see the wonders of Wonder Hanger in her boys’ closet!
Yes, we’ve all seen it on TV.  The miraculous Wonder Hangar that claims to:

Triple closet space
Keep clothing organized
Keep clothing wrinkle free

I was intrigued. Would the Wonder Hangar actually work in my closet?  Mind you, my closet would never make the cover of any “organized mom” magazine!  It’s on my list of things to do, I swear!
Anyway, I wasn’t hopeful that it would work, but I put together the 8 hangars to give it a shot. Nothing to lose, right?  I decided to try it on Smarty Pants Dad’s side.  (Yes, I was not …

Congratulations to Gigi!  She is the fabulous winner of theCLIF ZBar and Twisted Fruit Assortment Box! 
Woo Hoo!
Thanks to the so many readers for entering!
 
PR:  I will host Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Summer Blast, 4 of July, & Back to School blog parties.  I am looking for products that would be a good match for the parties to be offered to readers as a giveaway prize.  Please contact me, following the directions here, to submit your product for consideration.

     Picky eater in this house!  How about yours? 
I was provided with a sampling of both the CLIF Organic Twisted Fruit & CLIF Organic Z-Bars.  Here’s what I think:
The CLIF Organic Twisted Fruitare tasty and nutritious!  These fruit snacks come in 6 different flavors, increasing the chances of satisfying the pickiest of eaters!  Each snack is equal to one serving of fruit!  How great is that!  Last week, as a change from the standard snack of fishies or cheese sticks, I shared the CLIF Organic Twisted Fruit with Isabella’s playgroup.  See first hand what they thought:
 
Next up was the CLIF Organic ZBars.  We tried them out on the way home from the park and they were lovedby my daughter!  Isabella enjoys “bars” for snack with a stash of NutriGrain or its store brand version always filling the pockets of my bag.  While these bars are yummy and offer …

Watch my review!
Where can I buy it?  Retail stores in North America such as, Office Depot, Best Buy, Ace Hardware, Hastings, Zellers, Wal-mart Canada, Canadian Tire, Giant Eagle, Loblaws, Fingerhut, RadioShack, The Home Shopping Network, The Shopping Channel, ThinkGeek.com, and many more shops coming soon this fall including Bed Bath and Beyond & The Container Store.
How much? $4.99 for the 2.65 oz package (great price!)
Where can I win one?  Here!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS
Let’s all have clean keyboards and phones!  There are THREE ways to enter and TEN Cyber Cleans to win!!!  Woo Hoo!
Entry #1 What are you most excited to clean with CyberClean? Visit cyberclean.tv to get ideas! Share as a comment.
Entry #2 Enter daily through Twitter!  Post this on Twitter and share the URL of your post as a comment.
Got crumbs in your keyboard? Win CyberClean to pull the dirt out! To enter go to: