Laundry Made Easy with LG's TwinWash System - Available at Best Buy

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

We have a large family; two adults, five children, one dog, and two hamsters. In our family, we play hard. In the fall, two of my boys play football, and my girls both participate in competitive all-star cheerleading. In the spring, cheerleading is still going on, but baseball season kicks off, as well. We're a large, BUSY family. And we create a LOT of dirty laundry! 

In our house, at least two loads of laundry is washed a day, yet we're never ahead. I mean, think about it, after each person comes home and takes off today's clothes, I instantly have two new loads of laundry; lights and darks. Add to that their sports clothes, pajamas, and bath towels. I have given up on the thought of ever being completely caught up on laundry. What's that saying? "Enjoy the chaos now. Before you know it, all of the kids will be grown and gone." Maybe I just made that one up, but you get what I'm saying; before long I'll be wishing for dirty cheer uniforms and grass-stained baseball pants to wash and practice clothes and school uniforms to fold. 

I was so excited to learn about LG's NEW TwinWash system! With LG’s TwinWash system you can wash TWO LOADS of laundry at the same time.  For small loads that can’t wait (the sweatpants after hot yoga, the red shirt in a pile of whites, the dirty school uniform on a Sunday night) there is the LG SideKick pedestal washer. You can even use it simultaneously while you do a bigger load up top on your LG Front Load Washer. 

Remember how I said I did two loads of laundry a day, yet never stayed caught up on dirty laundry? Now, I can double that to four loads a day. Maybe there's hope for me yet. LOL

Not only do these washers have mega capacity to tackle any size load, they are energy efficient while giving you the best cleaning performance. No wonder more households have chosen LG laundry over any other brand!

SAVE NOW: Today through April 25 receive up to $500 off a LG laundry solution for your home.

How many loads of laundry do you think you have each week? Would the LG TwinWash system make your laundry life much easier? 

Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders {a Hillshire Naturals Review}

With cheerleading season in full swing and baseball season beginning, I'm often at a loss of what to feed the kids; I need something quick and easy, but still quasi healthy. Of course, I can think of lots of things to feed them, but feeding them something they won't grumble at is a whole 'nother story! I love the simplicity of this Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders recipe. I assembled the sandwiches in only a few minutes, baked them for 10 minutes and we devoured them in less than the time it took to make them! My boys were asking for more...but, they were all gone.

First, gather the ingredients for your sliders. 

You'll need:

1 pkg. Hillshire Farms Naturals Honey Roasted Ham
1 pkg. King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
6 slices of deli Baby Swiss cheese
2 Tbls. of Mayonnaise {not pictured}

You'll also need these few ingredients for the topping:

1/2 Tbls. onion powder
1/2 Tbls. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. worcestershire sauce
3/4 Tbls. dijon mustard
1/4 cup melted butter

To assemble sliders, begin by cutting your rolls in half. You could cut each one individually, or leave them as a loaf, like I did. Then, spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the inside of your bread.

Next comes a layer of Hillshire Farms Naturals Ham. You can put a single layer or double it up...we like a lot of meat, so we doubled it up!

Last step of your slider prep, add a layer of Baby Swiss cheese. I say Baby Swiss because it's less pungent than other Swiss Cheese. You're gonna want the ham to shine through in this little slider! 

It's looking good, huh?! You could stop here and just dig in...but, wait! This last step puts these over the top!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While waiting for oven to heat, mix all of the ingredients for the topping and brush or pour over the top of your sliders. Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes. After they've sat, put them in the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. remove from oven and ENJOY!

Now, watch your family devour the ooey-gooey, goodness that is this Hot Ham and Cheese Slider!

Disclosure: I'm required to disclose a relationship between my site and Hillshire. This could include Hillshire providing me w/content, product, access or other forms of payment. This recipe was adapted from KingsHawaiian.com

All-American Apple Crisp #CookingWithGerber

This post is sponsored by Megaphone Influence/The Women Bloggers, LLC, a #SoapboxInfluence Project. All opinions are mine alone.

Do you know how long it's been since I had a jar of Gerber baby food or a box of Gerber baby cereal in my kitchen pantry? Approximately 21 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, and 12 hours. [So long, apparently, that they were still packaged in jars and boxes. Ha!] It's been a long time since I fed a baby of mine baby food.

Before creating this recipe, I had never even thought of using baby food for anything other than feeding babies. But, after giving it a little thought, I came up with this delicious Apple Crisp recipe, that uses Gerber Oatmeal Cereal and Gerber Apples baby food. It's going to be perfect for Summer picnics and barbeques. Best part, all ingredients are found at Walmart, so no running around town searching for this or that. 

Easy Apple Crisp with Gerber Oatmeal Cereal

You'll need:

For the crust:

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup Gerber Oatmeal Cereal
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• dash of salt
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon of water

For the filling:

• 6 gala apples - peeled, cored, and sliced
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 ounce "jar" of Gerber Apples

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup Gerber Oatmeal Cereal
• 1/4 brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine crust ingredients, press into bottom of 9 inch pie dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
2. Put filling ingredients into saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir for 10 minutes, or so, until apples begin to soften. Pour into crust.
3. Combine topping ingredients, sprinkle evenly over filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Lower oven to 350 degrees, and continue baking for 10-12 more minutes. 
4. Serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a heaping scoop of whipped cream. 
5. Ask yourself why you've never thought to use Gerber Oatmeal Cereal before.

Are you brave enough to Cook with Gerber?? Imagine the possibilities. You can sneak veggies and fruits into recipes, and you're kids won't suspect a thing. After all, they won't see them. 

Head over to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram, and see who else has been cooking with Gerber. Search the hashtag #CookingWithGerber. You'll be astonished at the creative recipes you find! 

But wait, there's more!! Now, enter to win a $50 gift card!! One of you will win $50 to go buy lots and lots of Gerber baby cereal...or, whatever you choose. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

#GerberCereal

Southwest Hummus Black Bean Dip Recipe - Bush's #HummusMadeEasy

This post is a sponsored conversation made possible through The Women Bloggers in association with Kendal King Group and #SoapboxInfluence. All opinions are my own.

There's something about hummus that sounds expensive. But, it doesn't have to be. Hummus does not have to be a luxury item in your grocery cart. In fact, with Bush's Hummus Made Easy, it can be the most inexpensive item in your cart --  also, the most tasty! With baby carrots, pita chips, or sliced cucumbers, you'll be snacking on hummus every chance you get.

Have I mentioned how easy it is to make this hummus at home?? Grab your food processor, drain and rinse the beans, empty the packet of hummus flavor, and process until smooth. Done. The finished product is two cups of fresh, delicious hummus made easy.

Today, I'm sharing with you a recipe that is a favorite at every party I take it to. There's never even a teaspoons worth of this delicious dip leftover in the dish at the party's end. The original recipe uses refried beans in place of the hummus. But, I tweaked it a little to have Bush's Hummus Made Easy, the Southwest Black Bean flavor, substitute the refried beans and taco seasoning. The end result is, dare I say it, even more tasty than the original recipe!

Southwest Hummus Black Bean Dip

• 1 can (16 oz) Bush's black beans
• 1 pkg Bush's Hummus Made Easy Southwest Black Bean flavor
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 medium plum tomato
• 3 green onions with tops
• 2 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
• Additional sour cream and tortilla chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare Bush's Hummus Made Easy per package directions. Combine pressed garlic into prepared hummus. Spread hummus over bottom of oven-safe baking dish. Combine cream cheese and sour cream; mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture over hummus. Bake 15–18 minutes or until hot. Remove baking dish from oven to cooling rack; top with cheddar cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional 2–3 minutes or until cheddar cheese is melted.
2. Meanwhile, slice tomato in half lengthwise; scrape out seeds. Dice tomato and thinly slice onions. Snip cilantro. Sprinkle olives, tomato, onions and cilantro over dip. Garnish with additional sour cream and serve with tortilla chips, if desired.
3. Watch as your Southwest Hummus Black Bean Dip disappears into your friend's bellies.

With two other flavor choices in Bush's Hummus Made Easy, the recipe and snacking possibilities are endless. Choose from Classic, Southwest Black Bean, or Roasted Red Pepper. Find it in the "bean" aisle.

How will YOU use Bush's Hummus Made Easy? I'd love to hear which recipe you'd recreate using one of these hummus flavors! Tell me in the comments.

Riceland Foods Rice Rummage Recipe -- the Perfect Summer Dish

Summer is coming. School will be out soon. Yep, there's less than a month of school left. Consider this a courtesy post, giving you a recipe that you'll be glad you made when the kids come running inside for an afternoon pick-me-up. Riceland Foods Rice Rummage recipe is chock full of fresh veggies, sweet apple, and a twist of sweet vinegar. It's DELICIOUS!

Hop on over to Riceland Foods to see more.

A Protein-Packed Snack Choice {Hillshire Snacking}

Disclosure #spon: I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and Hillshire. This could include Hillshire providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

It's no secret I have a large family. I mean, we're not the Duggars but, five kids in one family is considered large these days. While I would love to have a healthy snack of cut-up apples, gluten-free crackers and sliced organic cheese laid out for my kids when they walk through the door from school, it's just not that easy. I use every minute they're away from home to clean the house, take care of Mabry {who's still at home}, do the laundry and tend to any other household duties. Enter the NEW Hillshire Snacking plates! I CAN now have a healthy snack laid out for them that is also packed with protein {at least 15g per serving!}. Know what that means? Full bellies until dinnertime! {my kids would set up camp in the pantry, if I let them!}

New Hillshire Snacking features premium meats like grilled, seasoned chicken breast and hand crafted salami, and at least 15g of protein per serving. Available in 8 different varieties, including Grilled Chicken Bites paired with Teriyaki or Sweet Chili dipping sauce and Small Plates with Genoa Salami and Gouda, Hillshire Snacking options are perfectly portioned for an everyday snack at home or on-the-go, no prep required. 

Hillshire Snacking Grilled Chicken Bites and Small Plates are going to be perfect for moms {and dads} when they need to pack a lunch for the next field trip they chaperone! {I sure wish I had one of these on the zoo field trip I went on last week. You better believe I'll have one when we go to the museum in two weeks!} 

There are many days that I am working at home and just don't have the time to stop and make myself something for lunch. With any one of these varieties in my fridge {they are ALL delicious!} I can have a quick lunch that will satisfy my hunger. 

I have to also share this story with you. I went to Super Target the other day to pick up a handful of these to share with my family. I also needed them for photos. The next morning I went to the fridge and found that two of the snack plate varieties were missing. It was a huge mystery until I sent a text to my husband. He said "I'm sorry but, those things are GOOD". Okay, I can't argue with that! So, a little warning...these are sure to disappear from your fridge almost as quickly as you stock them!

Want to get your hands on Hillshire Snacking varieties today? You can find them in the refrigerated aisle of Cincinnati, OH, Dayton, OH and Northern Kentucky Kroger stores, as well as at King Soopers and Super Target stores nationwide! What are you waiting for? Go!

Also, check out the sweeps that is going on now through November 15!

Swaddle Your Baby with Summer Infant

When I was pregnant with Mabry I hadn't been pregnant for nearly five years. It was almost like being pregnant for the first time all over again. So much changes in five years. SO MUCH!

Want to know what else I forgot about? How much sleep you lose when you have a newborn.

As I am sure you can believe, parents with newborns ages 0-5 months often sleep on average two hours less than usual per night. From age 6 months through age two, parents are getting one less hour of sleep per night. That means that moms of babies are losing upward of 875 hours of sleep by the time their child’s second birthday rolls around!    

Summer Infant, the maker of the #1 swaddle wrap, the SwaddleMe, is expanding its swaddle collection to help soothe babies as they transition out of swaddles.  This in turn, puts parents' minds at ease and helps mom get some well-deserved ZZZs. You may already be familiar with the SwaddlePod and SwaddleMe wraps, used to help soothe crying babies, while also keeping babies on their backs (and hence helping to reduce the risk of SIDS) - all while ensuring they're warm and comfy.  

Now Summer Infant has added two new swaddling products to the line – the SwaddleMe WrapSack and the ComfortMe wearable blanket – which extends the progression of stages of swaddling beyond the SwaddleMe.  The SwaddleMe WrapSack provides growing babies with additional legroom and can be worn with babies’ arms in or out, while the ComfortMe blanket provides large arm openings allowing for breathability and airflow, and a bottom zipper for easier nighttime changing. 

The new additions complete an easy-to-understand swaddling system designed to replace loose bedding in the crib and aiding in a calmer sleep for all.  Plus, the cute colors and patterns bring out the personality in any little one.

Thirteen years ago, there were only square blankets to wrap babies up like burritos. Five years ago, I had the baby burrito wrapping DOWN. When Mabry came along I literally had a moment in the hospital because I could not swaddle her. I felt like a complete failure. You better believe I ran to the nearest baby store for a SwaddlePod. For real.

Look at how cute and cuddly {and snuggly} she is. She slept like a dream in that thing. It was a life saver for the first few weeks. Once she grew out of it, we got the next step, the SwaddleMe. Life saver. Or, should I say sleep saver? The Summer Infant Swaddling System is a must for new moms and babies.

Once Mabry got a little older and didn't much like to have her arms tucked inside we discovered the SwaddleMe WrapSack. Not only does it keep Mabry comfy throughout the night but, it also zips completely open on the bottom for easy diaper changes. No more undressing baby in the middle of the night to change a diaper. She gets cold when that happens! 

Next time you need a baby gift I absolutely recommend Summer Infant Swaddle pieces. The new momma you're buying for will thank you for the quality sleep she'll be getting through the first year! Or, maybe YOU'RE having a new baby. These pieces are going to save your sanity! At the very least, you'll get a few extra hours of sleep!

***There are affiliate links within this post. That means that if you click through and make a purchase, you'll be helping this momma of five support her family. :o)

How do YOU get your kids to brush?

This paid post is brought to you by the new free Oral-B Disney Timer App as part of a Type-A Parent Community Sponsored Post.

When Jake Austin got his first tooth we began worrying about his oral hygiene, much like we worried about our own. Trips to the dentist office aren't cheap, y'all. And, we like our teeth.

We brushed his tooth until he grew more teeth...and brushed all of his little teeth until he could brush on his own. And then came Jonah. And Jett. And then McKinley. And now Mabry. We now have LOTS of teeth to brush!

My favorite thing to tell my kids to get them to brush, my trick, if you will, is that the "cavity bugs" will eat their teeth if they don't brush well. After twelve years of telling that to kids over and over, I think it has stuck.



You know something that makes it easier? For years, I bought the less expensive toothbrushes. Whatever gets the job done, right? That works when the kids are too young to care. Once they discover Winnie the Pooh, Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Lightning McQueen, though, you have to make the switch. That's when brushing CLICKS for them. When thier "friends" are along for the ride. OralB and Crest know what the kiddos like best. The characters that make them smile slapped right on the brushes handle and the front of the toothpaste tube. THAT is what makes brushing teeth easiest in my house. That, and the fear of the cavity bugs!

For years, these simple ideas have gotten me through in the tooth brushing part of our days. Now, Disney has a new app that's available from the App Store or Google Play that encourages brushing. Sixteen Disney and Marvel characters are featured. Many of the characters that your children know and love. Rapunzel, Ariel, Tow Mater, the Avengers, Monsters Inc., and many more. These characters brush along with your kids to reveal a fun little cartoon. The two-minute process is fun and interactive. While your child brushes, so does the app!

Jett and McKinley just love it. Did I mention the stickers they earn?? Oh my goodness, you really must check this app out for yourself. And your children. Of course, your children. It's so great!!!





This paid post is brought to you by the new free Oral-B Disney Timer App as part of a Type-A Parent Community Sponsored Post. Featuring sixteen of your favorite Disney and Marvel characters, use this app to seamlessly encourage your kids to brush longer. Collect a new digital sticker after each successful two minutes of brushing; track progress with stars and milestone badges on the Brushing Calendar. Longer, happier brushing for your little one is just a download away!

Download the Free App Here

Werther's Original Baking Caramels {a review}

**disclaimer: werther's sent me a great big box of yummy baking caramels in exchange for this post. all opinions are my own.**



when i think of werther's original candies i think of childhood. these candies were one of my favorites growing up.

a couple of weeks ago i received a great big box of sweet, ooey-gooey, yumminess. i'm talking about werther's original baking caramels. {did you know werther's made soft caramels?} in my box were bags of easy-to-unwrap, delicious caramels, coupons for friends and recipes to make and share with friends. and share with friends i did.

last week i invited a few people over to enjoy caramel pecan brownies. i mean really, those sound amazing, right? they were.

these caramels are perfect for caramel apples, cashew-caramel brownies, salted caramel candies...look HERE for more than 250 original caramel recipes! you will not be disappointed!

what will you make with werther's original baking caramels? HERE's a coupon for you to give them a try. :o)