Send Smiles for Less with Hallmark & Walmart

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SendSmiles #CollectiveBias

Are the months from May to August the land of never ending birthdays and anniversaries for anyone else besides me? It quite literally starts with my sister's birthday at the end of this month and then runs the gamut clear through to the first day of September which happens to be my own birthday. ;) While I love celebrating birthdays and anniversaries and milestones and achievements, I am not necessarily a card giver. I haven't always been this way, folks. I used to run into the store a week or more before the celebrated event and spend a good half hour pouring over cards until I had found just the right one. I literally couldn't wait to give that special person their card and see their reaction. So, what changed for me?

I was visiting a family member once about a week after their birthday party and went into the kitchen to throw away a napkin. Guess what I saw sitting there on the top of their trash can? The very card I spent so much time picking out. The very card I had plopped down almost $5 for a little over a week ago.  And that is when I became greeting card jaded, friends...  I became that person. The person who never has a card with their gift who either has to verbally tell the recipient it was from them or who would quickly write out a To/From on a note card and toss it into the gift bag. I didn't like it. I hated that I didn't have a card to present with my gifts, but I just stopped buying greeting cards. When I did the math, I figured out that I was spending on average $40-$50 from the months of May to August buying greeting cards that were just being tossed out in the garbage less than a week later. Spending the time and money to pick out the perfect card no longer made sense to the frugal side of me. 

But recently I have had a change of heart, and it is all thanks to my recent discovery of the Hallmark cards starting at 47 cents at my local Walmart...

Bavarian Ham Burger

 A juicy burger is topped with ham, cheddar cheese, & Heinz Yellow Mustard on a pretzel bun in this crowd-pleasing Bavarian Ham Burger...

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

I look forward to warmer weather all throughout winter. First of all, I am not a fan of snow or the cold. Yes, I know I need to move south or west. ;) But the other reason is for full-time grilling season! 

We grill all year round in this house- even if we have to shovel a little snow to get to the grill- but once the warmer weather becomes a regular thing around here we are out grilling at least twice a week. Usually my husband is the one manning the grill, so that also means I get a little break from the kitchen. (Not complaining, folks.)

Two essentials that we always have on hand for grilling is New Heinz® Yellow Mustard and Heinz Ketchup. Before we fired up the grill last week, I headed over to my local Walmart to stock up on our grilling must-haves...

Raspberry Limeade Gin Fizz

Fresh raspberries & lime with bubbly club soda & a little gin come together in this perfect for spring Raspberry Limeade Gin Fizz...

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #showmetheshine #CollectiveBias

Do you all feel that? Spring is finally in the air! :) And with spring comes weekend brunches and lazy afternoons on the deck taking in the sunshine and warmer weather. For me, spring also means serving a refreshing, sparkling cocktail that reflects the mood of the season. When you combine fresh raspberries and lime with bubbly club soda and a little gin, you just can't go wrong. That is unless the glassware you are serving this perfectly spring cocktail in is far from sparkling.  Nothing dampens a bright & cheery cocktail quicker than dingy glassware- Am I right, folks?

That is why I was so glad to have discovered Finish® Quantum Max™ tablets at my local Target...

Rock Troll Easter Eggs

Have a FROZEN inspired Easter this year with these fun to make Rock Troll Easter Eggs and a FROZEN themed Easter basket... 

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DisneyEaster #CollectiveBias

It is hard to believe that Easter is just a few short weeks away, right? Usually, I am throwing together baskets for the kiddos a few days before Easter morning (or sometimes the night before). And decorating Easter eggs? Those haven't happened in this house for the past two years. Yep, mom fail.

But not this year, folks. 

For once, I am ready early for the Easter bunny's visit. 

The idea hit me a couple of weeks ago to go with a theme for Easter this year and stick to it. And since my three year old daughter has been obsessed with FROZEN for the past few months, it was a no-brainer what our theme would be for this Easter. ;)

Typically you all know that I am not very often the crafty type. But once I had decided to go with a FROZEN theme, the idea just sort of hit me for these Rock Troll Easter Eggs. 

If you have watched FROZEN already (for some, maybe you have watched it for the 100th time now ;) ), then you know all about the beloved magical trolls that disguise themselves as moss covered rocks.  I thought why not make Easter eggs this year that look like the trolls from FROZEN? 

To make these, I actually used decorating (craft) Easter eggs that I found in the Easter section at my local Walmart for less than $2 for a dozen. I was going to go with real eggs, but I was hard pressed to find gray egg dye. 

I also wanted these to be a fun decoration that could be on display for a couple of weeks in our home. Not to mention the fact that it would be difficult to crack open and actually eat the hard boiled eggs with everything we used to embellish these. 

And here is a tip- if you see gray pom poms while out shopping, grab them for these Rock Troll Easter Eggs. I had to use black pom poms for their noses because I couldn't find gray ones anywhere...

Easy Eggs Benedict with Crispy Onion Rings

Crispy onion rings are topped with asparagus, over medium eggs, a drizzle of a quick mock hollandaise sauce, & a sprinkle of capers in this Easy Eggs Benedict with Crispy Onion Rings...

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SpringIntoFlavor #CollectiveBias

Spring has been peeking her little sunny head up at us this week in my neck of the woods. :) I thought she was never going to get here after Mother Nature dumped about a foot of snow on us last week. For the past two days, we have been greeted with sunshine and warmer temperatures, and the snow has all but melted away now. These fresh breezes and sunshiny days are making me excited for Easter and spring. And when I think of Easter and spring, I always think of laid back weekend brunches at home with good food, wonderful company, and bright, fresh flavors. 

One dish that always reminds of me of a spring brunch is a sophisticated Eggs Benedict. But let's be honest- making a fancy-dancy Eggs Benedict brunch requires some time and a little culinary skill.  From perfectly poaching the eggs to whisking together a creamy hollandaise sauce, it is definitely a brunch recipe that can be a little intimidating. 

I love a nice spring weekend brunch, but I also don't want to be stuck in the kitchen for long making it. With this in mind, I headed to my local Walmart with a challenge- to create an easy to make Eggs Benedict recipe that would be just as delicious as the real deal...

Peanut Butter Crumble Yogurt Parfait

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WhenImHungry #CollectiveBias

Ever had that moment during the day when you have been so busy and stressed that you somehow forgot to eat lunch or you have powered through the mid-afternoon munchies and then hangry sets in? I know some of you all already know too well what I am talking about when I say hangry, but for those of you that don't  know what hangry it is basically when you are so hungry that you are pretty much angry.  You don't feel quite like yourself. Your patience wears thinner a little quicker. The smallest thing can agitate you and make you snap. Yep, that is hangry, my friends. And hangry isn't pretty.

I have been guilty of being hangry more times than I would like to admit. Rather it be because I am trying to power through some blog post guidelines while dealing with a toddler meltdown (and you know that they always perfectly time to throw down the major ones right when you are the busiest ;) ). Or out running errands, picking my son up from practice, and just getting the general business of keeping our home & family running smoothly. And boom! It hits me- hangriness. And that is when I remember that I haven't ate a thing for over 5 hours. 

My new solution to cure the afternoon hangry? This easy to make, energy boosting Peanut Butter Crumble made with toasted oats, toasted rice cereal, peanut butter, chia seeds, and satisfying SNICKERS® Peanut Butter Squares.  I can throw a couple of handfuls in a plastic baggie to go or create a quick and delicious yogurt parfait with it at home in minutes. Hangry cured. ;)

Baymax Marshmallow Dip

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BigHero6Release #CollectiveBias

Tomorrow happens to be a day that my family and I have been looking forward to since we first watched Big Hero 6 in the theaters months ago and met Baymax. That big marshmallow of a hero (and personal health care companion) happened to win all of our hearts.  In fact, my youngest has pretty much been obsessed with him since then. She has been asking for months to watch Big Hero 6 again! And tomorrow we get to watch Baymax, Hiro, and their band of heroic "nerd lab" friends as many times as we would like since Big Hero 6 will be available for purchase from Walmart.com.  I didn't waste any time pre-ordering my family's copy. ;)

I am already planning a fun Big Hero 6 family move night later this week complete with this easy to make Baymax Marshmallow Dip.  You can divvy up this dip into individual cups or ramekins so that everyone can have their very own Baymax dip for movie night or serve in one large bowl for sharing. Either way this is one fun and yummy dip that everyone will love for Big Hero 6 movie night...

Loaded Baked Potato Grilled Cheese

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareYourCheesy #CollectiveBias

What says comfort food better than a good ole-fashioned grilled cheese? 

How about a grilled cheese stuffed with even more comfort food goodness like bacon and mashed potatoes? ;)  Yep, you heard me right, folks. I have taken the classic grilled cheese to a whole other level of cheesy amazingness with today's recipe.

A lot of foods top my ultimate comfort foods list- creamy rice pudding, a perfectly cooked risotto, grilled cheese and tomato soup, and a hearty baked potato loaded with my favorite toppings... 

And I found a way to combine at least two of these into one fabulous sandwich with this Loaded Baked Potato Grilled Cheese! :)

But first, I had to head to my local Walmart to pick up everything I needed for this wonderfully cheesy comfort food goodness...

M&M's Red Velvet Skillet Cookie

This M&M's Red Velvet Skillet Cookie is studded with M&M's Red Velvet candies and then topped with a decadent dark chocolate cream cheese frosting made using Dark Chocolate DOVE Promises...

Growing up, my mother always had special treats waiting for my sister and I when we woke up on Valentine's Day morning.  We would usually find a heart-shaped box of chocolates and a sweet stuffed animal sitting at the breakfast table- one for each of us. 

As we got older the chocolates remained, but the stuffed animals were swapped out for sparkly nail polishes and pink lip glosses. 

To this day, my mother still makes sure that we each receive something from her and my dad on Valentine's Day (although she has now upgraded that small box of chocolates with some DOVE® Promises, aka grown-up chocolates ;) ).

This has been a tradition that I have lovingly carried on with my two children as well. Each and every Valentine's Day since the day they were born, they have received something special from us. And each and every Valentine's Day, I have also included one of my own traditions for my family- baking us all a special sweet treat that we can all share and enjoy together. 

Usually I bake some heart shaped cookies or a large chocolate chip cookie cake, but when I saw the M&M's® Red Velvet candies at my local Walmart I was inspired to bake up something a little different this year.

Red velvet and chocolate are just synonymous with Valentine's Day- Am I right, folks? :) So this year, I decided to bake up a red velvet skillet cookie studded with M&M's Red Velvet candies and then topped with a decadent dark chocolate cream cheese frosting made using Dark Chocolate DOVE® Promises...

Skittles Game Face Fizz

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BigGameTreats #CollectiveBias

Who is excited for the Big Game tonight? I know we will be watching it in this house. Well, I will be half watching the game between taking sips of this fun Skittles® Game Face Fizz and munching on one of our game day favorite recipes, my MVPeanut Butter SNICKERS® Popcorn. ;)  

My husband though? He will be all into the game.

Before any big game, I am making my own game plan for a tasty football party menu. I had to stop by my local Walmart first to pick up some of my game day favorites, like Skittles and SNICKERS.

I knew that for today's big game I wanted to come up with a super fun drink that all the get-together guests could enjoy, including my almost 3 year old daughter. 

While picking up a bag of our favorite Skittles at Walmart, it occurred to me why not concoct a fun and fizzy drink in our favorite team colors using the Skittles? :) And thus, my Skittles Game Face Fizz was brought to fruition...

French 7UP5 Champagne Cocktail

This French 7UP5 Champagne Cocktail is a crisp, refreshing, & bubbly champagne cocktail perfect for ringing in the New Year!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

It is hard to believe that Christmas is done and over with and New Year's Eve is just right around the corner! Where did the time go, you all? 

Just because Santa has made his annual visit here, it doesn't mean that holiday entertaining is over in this house, folks. ;) 

We often host  one or two impromptu (and sometimes planned) end of the year get-togethers with friends and family.

To make sure we are always at the ready to entertain last minute or unexpected guests, I stock up on a few of the essentials... like cheese and crackers, chocolates, and of course bubbly mixers that are perfect for festive cocktails and fun mocktails for the kiddos. ;)

The frugal hostess in me was thrilled to see our favorite 2 liter bottles of mixers- 7UP and Canada Dry Ginger Ale on sale at our local Walmart for just $1 each this past week.

Of course, I had to stock up on these entertaining essentials when I find them at such a great price! :) 

In addition to the traditional 7UP and Canada Dry Ginger Ale, I also grabbed a 2 liter of the Cranberry Canada Dry Ginger Ale for a festive touch for drinks.

Every New Year's Eve, I try to come up with a new cocktail to serve my guests. The inspiration for this French 7UP5 Champagne Cocktail actually comes from the French 75, a champagne cocktail that was created in France during World War I. This cocktail with a kick got it's name from a popular and powerful French field gun used during the war. 

The traditional cocktail is concocted using lemon juice, simple syrup, Champagne, and gin. I simplified the cocktail a bit and made it a little more bubbly by using 7UP instead of the lemon juice and simple syrup...

Chocolate Peppermint No-Bake Cookies

A classic cookie gets a minty makeover perfect for the holidays in these Chocolate Peppermint No-Bake Cookies...

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias , Inc. and Quaker. All opinions are mine alone.

If there is one thing I can count on each and every holiday season, it will be my teenage son's love for anything and everything chocolate and peppermint.  This has been going on for years now... you know, back when he was actually much shorter than me. ;) 

So each and every holiday season, I strive to create a new chocolaty, minty sweet treat that I just know that he will love. 

But this year I took it just a tiny step further and added his favorite flavor combo to one of his all-time favorite cookies- no-bakes!

And after making these, I kind of had to step back and scratch my head and wonder why this was the first time I had ever thought to make Chocolate Peppermint No-Bake cookies...

As soon as I had the idea for this recipe churning in my head, I headed out to my local Target to pick up a package of Quaker Quick Oats...

Cranberry Gingerbread Mug Cake

Soft gingerbread and tart cranberries come together in this low calories dessert for one... 

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

I am picturing it all now... The busy holiday season is quickly approaching on the not so distant horizon.

I see lots of holiday cookie baking, and gift wrapping, and online shopping in my near future.

I see lots of wonderful memories about to be made. Cozy evenings snuggled up on the couch with my family and a warm mug of cocoa watching the twinkling of the lights of the Christmas tree.

But I am also seeing lots of extra calories and fat grams and not enough time for a good workout (ahem... time to #drinkTEN ). And a some stressful, frazzled evenings. And moments when all I want to do is hide in a distant room of the house and catch my breath for a moment... alone. 

Ahhhhhh... 'tis the season, folks! ;)

Before the hustle and bustle and wonderful craziness of the season are upon us, I decided to come up with a perfect little dessert for one that can be made in minutes, is low calorie and low fat (less guilt!), and has some of my favorite flavors of the season. 

And believe it or not, the recipe inspiration for my newest mug cake came from a little trip to my local Kroger to pick up some of my favorite TEN beverages...

DIY Mommy's Little Helper Cleaning Caddy

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias , Inc. and its advertiser.  
All opinions are mine alone.

If your little ones are anything like my little one, they are probably always wanting to "help" especially when you just need to do a quick 10 Minute Clean around the house. And while we certainly do not want to discourage our little ones from helping around the house and learning responsibility, we also know how much more work our little helpers can sometimes create for us as they are "helping". ;)

So, I decided to come up with a fun way that little miss could "help" mama while we hustled to get everything sparkling for unexpected guests.  I created a cute DIY Mommy's Little Helper Cleaning Caddy for her with simple items you can pick up at just about any dollar store!