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

Have you ever had something put in front of you at exactly the right time? Maybe a song came on the radio and the lyrics were so relevant that it gave you pause, or the sermon in church was exactly what you needed to hear on that particular Sunday.  Well, that’s what happened to me with this  commercial- 

You seriously need to watch it, it’s pretty awesome.  For me, it was a lot more than just a commercial…it was exactly what I needed to hear.  See, with all that has been going on in the world around us, school shootings, bombings, natural disasters…it has been a little overwhelming as a parent. I guess terrifying is a better word. It was getting to the point that everyday was filled with fear and trepidation about what the day could bring for my kids.  Do I want to live like that? NO. Do I want my kids to feel that fear and be scared to go to school each day? Absolutely not!  It is time to face those fears and acknowledge that yes, bad things happen, but I want my family to focus on the GOOD.  We want a good life, and to cherish each and every day we have on this earth.  

My goal is to focus on the positive.  My life is full of so many blessings, and it would be terrible to ignore all of the good, and only pay attention to the bad. My dad almost died of leukemia a few years ago. He went through a horrible time of chemotherapy, hospital stays, and a stem cell transplant.  It was a terrifying time for the entire family. But you know what?  My dad HAD leukemia. We are getting ready to celebrate his 3 year anniversary of his transplant.  He HAD cancer. And now, everyday is a new day. Everyday is a blessing. Life is GOOD, because he is here with us. He has been given the gift of life and is here to watch his grandchildren grow up. Yes, he has bad days, and yes, we worry about every sniffle, sneeze or cough, but that can’t be the focus of our life. We can’t live in fear of what may happen next, we have to appreciate what we have.

Allstate’s belief of “Good Hands for a Good Life” is more than just a company motto, or a sponsored post for me. It’s a new take on life. It’s a reminder that life IS good, and I have to embrace that everyday.  When I woke up this morning and the sun was shining and my kids are safe and sound with me….I gave thanks. Thanks for this life, this moment.  Yes, bad things are going to happen, but I hope when they do, I will remember that I am not in it alone and it does not define me.

Want to put a little twist on your traditional burgers?  How about one of these – 

Instead of spending all of my time spinning my wheels chasing the illusive dream of a perfectly clean and orderly house, and actually feeling “caught up” on everything, I have decided it’s time to LIVE a little.  I want to spend time doing stuff with my kids, instead of allowing them to entertain themselves with computers, Nintendos, iPods, and television, while I clean and cook and do all the other mundane things that go on everyday (every.single.day.) When they grow up, are they going to remember how well the closets were organized and if the bathrooms were always spotless, or will they remember the ‘fun stuff’ we did together?  Will they remember that their mom actually played with them? 

That’s where comes in. “The Active Family Project provides moms, from sources like its Play Council, with family-friendly tips and advice. Brought to you by Merck Consumer Care, Inc., this health and wellness initiative is designed to help moms overcome their worries about doing it all and truly be at their best by being active and enjoying time with the ones they love.” (from the Merck Active Family Project Fact Sheet)

That is why I am right now!

I am so fortunate to have so many things I can do with my kids, right out my back door! We have a swimming pool and nice yard to run and play in. Why don’t I have a volleyball net set up? My girls love volleyball! We also live within feet of a large body of water….this summer I want to go fishing with my kids, go kayaking, take walks around the neighborhood, have picnics – little things that would get us active and enjoy our time together as a family.  Not to mention we are less than an hour’s drive to the ocean.  I see lots of beach days ahead! I want to enjoy this time while I can, and one thing I know for sure…the laundry and dishes will still be there tomorrow!

How about you? Will you take the pledge? How do you maintain an active family? Check out the for active play opportunities in your area.

Disclosure: I received $100 from Merck Consumer Care, and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience. This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Merck Consumer Care

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

Yes, it can be done! Thanks to  I can send my family out the door having had a nice, hot breakfast sandwich including a honey wheat english muffin, canadian bacon, egg whites and cheese! 

Yep, all for 210 calories. Unless you are like me, and always add jelly to your english muffin sandwiches. Does anyone else do this?!  These can go from the freezer to your plate in less than 5 minutes!  So, even if we are running late (which is often), we can still have a good breakfast.

I don’t know what your mornings are like, but mine are always hectic.  With 3 kids to get out the door (all to different places, at different times), our mornings are full of scrambling around looking for books, shoes, favorite outfits, etc.  Or in the case of my 5 year old, it’s trying to pry him out of bed in time to have breakfast and get dressed.  I can’t tell you how many times he has gone to pre-school with bed head!

Of course, even if your mornings are not spent running around, these breakfast sandwiches are still a good choice. I bought a big box of 12 from Sam’s Club, and each are individually wrapped, so if you like to wait and have breakfast once you get into work, you could grab one on the way out the door and microwave it once you get there.  Sam’s is also offering demos of the new  from June 15th to July 1st, so you could sample before you buy. My Sam’s didn’t have a demo going on when I was there, but I knew my girls and I would enjoy these, and Jimmy Dean products haven’t let me down yet.

It’s nice to have a quick, yet filling breakfast alternative to cold cereal AND keep the calorie counts in check.  And since I like breakfast food at any time during the day, these make a low calorie lunch option too!

What is your morning routine like?  Crazy? Calm and leisurely? (If it’s the later, please tell me your secret!)

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

It’s no secret that dessert is my favorite meal of the day (and chocolate is my favorite food group...it’s nice in my world, you should come join me), but I don’t always have time to make dessert from scratch. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a working mother, have fur babies, or no babies…life.is.busy.  It’s just a fact Jack.  That’s why it is nice to have some secret time saving tricks up your sleeve…or in your pantry, in this case. 

Let me introduce you to Private Selection™ Upside Down Cakes (if you haven’t already made their aquaintence).  These cakes can make it to the table in three simple steps – warm, flip, and serve – it’s that easy!  These aren’t just any cakes either, I’m talking German Chocolate Fudge (pictured at top), with the classic and irresistible combination of gooey caramel, pecans and coconut; Double Chocolate Molten Cake, made with real butter, eggs, milk, and quality semi-sweet chocolate; and Amber Honey Apple Spice,  topped with apple slices and drenched in a sweet amber honey glaze. Drool.

Can you imagine the look on everyone’s face when you whip out one of these fabulous desserts? With the convenience of Private Selection™ Upside Down Cakes, you could have one on an average Wednesday, or with their decadence, you could serve it up at a dinner party. Private Selection Upside Down Cakes are premium quality products, without the premium price. All you need is to have access to the Kroger Family of Stores or affiliated stores (Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Fry’s, Gerbes, Pay Less, QFC, JayC, King Soopers, Owen’s, Ralphs, Smith’s and Fred Meyer.) The Private Selection brand is a premium private label brand carried exclusively by these stores. (Check out the to find one near you.)

Now that you are ready to warm, flip and serve yourself some deliciousness, head over and get yourself a . If you share your coupon on Facebook, you can get double the savings! Be sure to ‘like’  and get some great ideas at .

Disclaimer: Coupon ends 6/2/13. Official Rules. In order to load these coupons to your card, you will need to sign into your Kroger account or set up a Kroger account and enter your card number. Limit one use per digital coupon. Digital offers are not eligible on Manager’s Specials, cannot be combined with manufacturer paper coupons on the purchase of a single item, and do not double. Not all items are available in all stores. A limit of 150 coupons can be loaded per household at one time.

Life IS busy….

PS, Don’t forget the cake!

To make the glaze:

*I didn’t read my directions and just mixed the ingredients together and dipped my donuts in.  I think had I heated it as suggested, they would have gotten the nice crunchy glaze pictured in the original post.  My glaze kind of soaked into the donut.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Remove from the heat. Dunk the donuts in the glaze and place on a wire rack to set.

*NOTES – I subbed out the sour cream for yogurt and the vegetable oil with coconut oil.  Therefore, the texture of my donut was not nice and dense and cake-y…it was more light and sponge-y. Next time, I will throw some more fat in there 🙂  The flavor was very good however.

As you can see from the above pic, I had enough batter to make a few mini donuts as well. Everything is just better in mini size I think. Well, almost everything…