Totally Retro at Target {GIVEAWAY}

Kim

I think my love for Target has been well established, as well as our crazy consumption of cereal, so when Big G cereals teamed up with Target again for their “retro” promotion, I was pretty excited. For a limited time, Big G cereals has brought back their “Retro” themed packaging. That’s not all, to help celebrate the event, Big G has teamed up with Hasbro® too, offering a $5 coupon on Clue® Vintage, Scrabble® Vintage, Parcheesi® Vintage or Risk® Vintage board games at Target! You can collect all five limited edition Retro packages and a $5 Hasbro® board game coupon. Look for the following cereals…

Participating Big G cereals include: Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (16.2 oz.), Lucky Charms® (16 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Cheerios® (18 oz.) and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz.)

But wait! Before you head to Target go online and print a . Collect all 5 different throw-back packages that each include a $5 coupon for these vintage Hasbro® board games. But hurry! These specially marked boxes are available exclusively at Target® from March 15, 2013 to April 30, 2013 while supplies last. The coupon, however, is valid at Target stores from March 15, 2013 to December 31, 2013. The participating Hasbro vintage board games include Clue® Vintage, Scrabble® Vintage, Parcheesi® Vintage and Risk® Vintage. I used to love Clue®, and now my kids are discovering how much fun board games can be too. They are learning how to play Parcheesi® Vintage, and they are going to have to teach me, because I don’t remember! While you’re there, check out all the !

Not only did my family receive this fabulously fun gift pack…

but you can win one too!

The Prize Pack Includes:

2 boxes of participating Big G Retro cereal
$10 Target gift card
1 Hasbro Parcheesi® Deluxe Vintage board game

Fun right?! So go ahead, enter to win via the Rafflecopter form!

Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Vectra Flea & Tick Control – Protect the love™

Kim

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of for . All opinions are 100% mine.

If you have a fur baby (or babies!), then flea and tick control is probably pretty high on your priority list. Especially when your fur babies and your human babies spend a lot of time together!

That’s where Vectra flea and tick control comes in. Vectra is a fast acting, long lasting, broad spectrum product that begins working in 5 minutes and kills fleas within 6 hours. Now that’s fast! It’s not just for fleas and ticks either…Vectra also repels and kills mosquitoes, biting and sand flies, lice and most mites. It last for a month too, even with swimming and bathing. It comes with an easy-to-use applicator and is safe for puppies as young as 7 weeks. (This particular product is not for use on cats)

Interested in trying Vectra for the dog baby in your life? Enter Vectra’s Protect the love Facebook Sweepstakes for a $100 gift card to use at your next veterinarian visit. (A gift card will be rewarded each week for the duration of the Sweepstakes!) Each entrant to the Protect the love Sweepstakes can claim a , you will just need to print out the coupon for a free dose to be redeemed at a Vectra veterinarian near you. (Just enter the sweepstakes, then visit FirstDoseFree.com and fill out the form.)

For more information, be sure to like Vectra on and follow on Twitter.

{healthier} No Bake Cookies

Kim

You know that classic no-bake cookie with chocolate and peanut butter and oats?

Yep, those are the ones! You can’t beat the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. I gave this classic a little makeover, to make them a tad bit healthier, but still a delicious way to knock out that chocolate craving. I’ve posted the recipe over at today…come check it out!

Wordless Wednesday – My baby is 5!

Kim

For those of you that were around at the beginning of the blog, there was Mr. Terrible Two…

and now…

My baby is FIVE!

I really, really, really, can NOT believe how fast my children are growing up!

New Kidz ZonePerfect Bars Review & GIVEAWAY

Kim

My kids are always on the go….whether it is school, sports, church activities….it’s always something. Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) they are in such a hurry that they have to eat on the run. They are throwing things in their lunch boxes for school lunch, or grabbing something to eat on the way somewhere, because we are always running behind schedule. Does this sound familiar to anyone else? (Please tell me it’s not just us!) That’s why I was pretty excited for my kids to try these new bars by , called . They are made just for kids! Well….not just for kids, but with kids in mind (kids actually created the flavors!). They come in great flavors that kids love, but loaded with the nutrition that moms love. Currently available are –

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

Caramel Crunch

Yellow Cupcake!

(yes, that gets an exclamation point!)

Not only do they come in great, kid-friendly flavors but they contain 23 vitamins and minerals, are a good source of protein (5 grams), have a kid-friendly amount of fiber (3 grams), are 140-150 calories per bar, making them a great-tasting nutritious snack alternative for active kids.

My oldest daughter needs the extra protein, while my middle daughter needs to keep calories in check, so these bars make it possible for me to offer the same snack option to meet both their needs. As a bonus, my oldest just got braces recently, and these were easy for her to eat! They are soft enough to not bother her teeth, but not so chewy that they stuck in her braces. (She hasn’t tried the Caramel Crunch yet, but has eaten the other two. Without sharing I might add.)

If you would like to learn more about ZonePerfect, the full nutrition information is available at . Also, join us on and !

Now, the best part…the GIVEAWAY! ZonePerfect has agreed to give one Makin’ it Mo’Betta reader a box of EACH FLAVOR to try for yourselves! That’s THREE boxes of Kidz ZonePerfect Bars! (My oldest is not happy that she can’t enter the giveaway herself, and has insisted I go to Target ASAP to buy more.) Kidz ZonePerfect is available at Target stores nationwide and should now be available in the nutrition aisle at grocery stores, drug stores and mass merchandisers. ZonePerfect Nutrition products also can be ordered online at www.abbottstore.com.

Just enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter form. Shipping only available within the United States.

I received the sample kit pictured at the top of the post to facilitate the review of Kidz ZonePerfect bars. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed in post are my own, or that of my children.

Monterey Chicken {Chili’s Copycat recipe}

Kim

Cheese. Chicken. Bacon. Barbecue Sauce. You know it’s gonna be good. Unfortunately, I took the pics when I was in a huge rush to get the kids out the door to volleyball practice, and the lighting was terrible, soooo….don’t judge the recipe by the picture! This blob of cheesiness was pretty darn tasty (and see for a much better picture). Monterey Chicken used to be a popular sandwich at Chili’s Restaurant, (and may still be, haven’t been in a while!) and contains some of my favorite things. I served mine on a plate with sides, but plan on trying it on a nice toasty bun one day soon. Either way, it’s delish.

Monterey Chicken
source – my changes in italics

Marinade:
3 T. Honey

3 T. reduced sodium Soy Sauce
3 T. Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. sea salt

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Topping:
8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese
8 slices bacon (I used pre-cooked)
8 T. barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s)

* Marinate the chicken in a mixture of honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and salt for at least an hour (but can be marinated overnight.)
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour a little of the marinade in the bottom of a large baking pan and place chicken on top. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for about 30 minutes or until the center is no longer pink and juices run clear. (Cook time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts).
* While chicken is cooking, fry up the bacon and set aside – or use pre-cooked bacon as I did.
* After chicken is cooked through, spread with barbecue sauce, top with bacon and cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly.

Now, I have a little cheat for you – I had pre-cooked chicken breasts from the freezer (thawed), so I placed the cooked chicken in the marinade for a couple of hours (or could be done in the morning before work), then placed my chicken on a baking sheet, covered with barbecue sauce and baked until it was warmed throughout. Then I topped with my pre-cooked bacon and cheese stuck it under the broiler until the cheese was nice and melt-y. It took 15-20 mins at the most (start to finish). The pre-cooked chicken absorbed the marinade well, and it was a time saver since we had to be out the door pretty quickly for the kids’ practices. We had baked potatoes (cooked in the microwave in steamer bags) and a salad as quick and easy sides.

This recipe is a keeper!

I am linking this recipe up at (Monday) , , , , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , , ,, (Wednesday) , , , , , , , , (Thursday) ,, , , , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , , ,, (Saturday) , , , (Sunday)

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. #EverydayEffect

Kim

You may be asking, what is the Everyday Effect in the title all about? Well, I was chosen to participate in The P&G; Everyday Effect Program sponsored by /P&G.; The challenge was to incorporate something in the everyday life of my family that helps us reduce, reuse and/or recycle. If everyone of us takes little steps, then it will have a giant impact on our carbon footprint. With 3 children, I see that the things we do and the actions we take everyday will effect their future. The things they learn and implement starting now, will carry on to what actions they take and their mindset for the future as well. So, I think it is important to start early…teach kids starting at very young ages to reduce, reuse, and recycle whenever possible. I can’t say that I’ve done a great job at having a “green” household, but I hope that with every little change I make, and every fact I share with my kids, it will have an impact. I’ve always taught them to turn lights off when not in use, to close outside doors when they go in or out, to not leave the water running when they are brushing their teeth…but what else could we do?

We had started halfway recycling our plastics before the challenge. But with the challenge, I felt we really needed to make a better effort. We shouldn’t just remember to recycle drink bottles and milk cartons…but all of our plastic products. Now, we have a large garbage can in the garage that is set up just for plastics, AND, since that would require walking a few extra steps (and we are terrible about doing that), I have set up a smaller place in the laundry room for bottles, etc. When the inside bag is full, someone dumps it into the large trashcan in the garage. This has worked out much better for us. Once the outdoor trash is full, my husband takes it off to the recycling center (we don’t have trash pick up).

Take a look at this little video, starring my oldest daughter, sharing the little things we are doing to have an ‘Everyday Effect’ on the environment…

This challenge has been good for us, because it made us focus on a goal (recycling our plastics), but also caused us to think about all the other things we can do to help protect our planet. It also reinforced to my children why some of the things we have been doing are important…like reusable lunch containers and pouches for school lunches, rechargeable batteries, and buying items in bulk instead of the little individual pouches.

Not only is SheSpeaks working with P&G; to raise awareness for Earth Day (and every day!), they are also having an awesome Pin to Win Giveaway for a brand new washing machine! Enter the P&G; #EverydayEffect Pinterest Giveaway by filling out the form !

What little ways are you having an #EverydayEffect on our planet? Feel free to share!

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/P&G; but all content and opinions are my own.

Get ready for Spring at Dollar General

Kim

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of for . All opinions are 100% mine.

Since Dollar General is one of three stores within 30 minutes of my house, I’m in there fairly often. Usually it’s to pick up some forgotten item on my shopping list, like shampoo or pain reliever, but a few weeks ago I ran in to pick up some fun little St. Patrick’s Day items for my daughter to wear to her school dance. I picked up some green bracelets and necklaces, buttons and a shirt. Yes, Dollar General also has clothes and shoes! Who knew?! They had a cute green Kermit the Frog shirt, so I grabbed it since she had torn her closet apart the night before searching for something green to wear. I thought she might think the shirt was cute, but being a middle schooler, one can never be sure! However, she did like and wear the shirt and loved the fun little accesories I had picked up. While I was there, I also found a pair of black flats on clearance for 3 bucks! Yes, three dollars, and they were cute! I thought it would be something my daughter could wear to church.

Hey, you just can’t beat $3. AND, they are very comfortable – not hard plastic 😉 So, to make a long story, uhm, kinda long – my point is that Dollar General has more than just household and office supplies. You can see some of their Spring items in their , where they have some cute little things for the whole family.

Spring Dresses Bright shoes that my girls love! and much more.

So, if you have a local Dollar General, you may want to pop in and see what great deals you can find. You can also and follow too.

Fudgey Mocha Nut Pie

Kim

I know I’ve been skimping on the posts here lately, but I just can’t seem to get things caught up since vacation. I’m trying to find a happy medium between keeping my blog up, and also keeping the house from looking like a train wreck, plus cooking {semi}healthy meals, while running constantly picking up/dropping off children, etc. You know the drill.

As I got on my computer today, the first thing I saw were images from the explosions at the Boston Marathon. Of course I cried, and all I could think of is how I was just looking at horrific images not too long ago. The world is ‘going to hell in a hand basket’ as my mother says. It is so sad and depressing.

You know what isn’t sad? This pie…

Seriously, this is the happiest freakin’ pie I’ve ever seen. (Okay, so I’m being lame, but hey, trying to lighten the mood after than somber look into life.)

This recipe is one I’ve had cut out from a magazine and stuck in a notebook for years!

I don’t know what magazine it came from, but I found it on the website too.

This is the first time I have made it, and this pie is DIVINE. It’s very rich, very chocolate-y, with lots of nuts and a hint of coffee. The coffee really accentuates the chocolate and the texture is like a moist brownie. This is now my favorite chocolate pie. I love the flavor and texture even more than my Chocolate Chess Pie! If you are not a coffee fan, you could leave it out, and still have a delicious chocolate pie, but the coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor. I also used half regular Hershey’s cocoa and half Hershey’s Dark, b/c I looovvvee dark chocolate, and I used fat free sweetened condensed milk, b/c that’s what I had on hand. Other than than, I followed the recipe as written. If you are a chocolate lover like me, you definitely want to give this one a try!

I am linking this recipe up at (Monday) , , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , , ,, (Wednesday) , , , , , , , , (Thursday) ,, , , , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , , ,, (Saturday) , , , , (Sunday)

Spaghetti with Kale and Lemon

Kim

Want an easy, delicious, and healthy dinner this week? Try this spaghetti with kale and lemon. This recipe made me like kale, which if you know my history with the veggie, you know this is no easy task! Come on over to where I shared the recipe!

Does anyone else have this problem?!

via

Monterey Chicken source – my changes in italics

Monterey Chicken
source – my changes in italics