Pillsbury Potluck Party!

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to host a little get together, courtesy of Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.  It was an informal and fun little potluck party where each person in attendance got to select a dish from Pillsbury's website to make and share.

It was supposed to be a get together for roughly ten of us, but I unfortunately had a few cancellations at the last minute.  I was thankful when my two sisters were able to join us with just a day's notice!

I decided ahead of time that it would be fun to do a little brunch type party, since all my mommy friends have small kiddos that nap in the afternoon.  It ended up working really well that us girls got to chat and sample each others dishes while the kiddos played.

It was fun getting to see what each gal picked to bring to the potluck.  Here were a few of the dishes...

Bacon-Cheddar Pinwheels

Grandwich Breakfast Sandwhiches

Sugar 'n Spice Dip

Palmiers

This last pic is a yummy dessert I made.  They were supposed to be tarts but instead they turned out more like tortillas with fruit filling, lol!  They were so simple to make with just pre-made Pillsbury pie crust, apple pie filling, marshmallows and caramel.  Proving that not all dishes come out right the first time, these tasty treats were delicious despite the minor cooking mishap!  If you ever decide to try making these, I'd recommend pinching them together really well after putting the filling on the pie crust.  I don't think I did a good enough job of that and that's why most of them got flat during the baking process.

Caramel Apple-Marshmallow Tarts

It was fun getting to have an excuse to get together with friends and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to be  hostess.  I don't have enough get-togethers at my house but this one got my inspired to do more in the future!

At the end of the party, each of the ladies got to take home a set of recipe cards, coupons for free Pillsbury product and copies of all the recipes. We were all supposed to vote on which dish we liked best but it was so hard to ask everyone to do that!  If the vote was up to me, my friend Miranda's palmiers were my favorite! She said they were super easy to make and they looked so pretty and were delicious!

If you're still in need of a recipe for an upcoming party, you must check out Pillsbury's site.  There are so many delicious recipes to choose from from appetizers to main dishes to desserts!

P.S. I just had to add that I was so excited when I walked into my Dad and Step-Mom's for Christmas brunch, and saw that my Step-Mom had a Pillsbury recipe laying out on the counter and this delicious brunch ring. It's called Broccoli and Ham Brunch Ring and it was so pretty and very tasty.

She had no clue I'd done this party for Pillsbury this month and I thought it was pretty neat that she'd been on the site for recipe ideas. Too cool!

Disclosure: I was given a gift card, an apron, plus coupons and recipe cards to share with my guests courtesy of Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.  Thank you so much Pillsbury for providing me with all the goodies!

Let's get together!

Back when I first started this blog a zillion (or more like three) years ago, I mentioned how I used to attend a crochet class.  It was long before I joined MOPS and it was when Alyssa was around a year and a half.  I loved going to our meetings every Wednesday afternoon and I went faithfully for almost two years until I had Audrey and couldn't go back anymore.

What I loved most about my time with my crochet friends was the fellow shipping. The talking and sharing of stories while we worked on our own little projects.  What made it most special was that all the ladies in the group were all older and they took me in just like a granddaughter!

When I was pregnant with Audrey, they threw me a sweet "potluck" type shower.  I had the best time and felt so blessed by all the ladies coming together to do something special just for me!  It was at my shower and other fun holiday get togethers we would have that initially got me into the world of pock lucking as adult.  I loved trying all the different dishes friends would bring and loved it even more when they'd share their recipes with me!

Which brings me to what I really wanted to share to today!  Recipes...and get togethers!  It's December 1st and Christmas is just 24 days away! Can you believe it?

I made these fun countdown blocks at a girls craft night this week!  Super fun!

It's that time of year for get togethers and holiday parties and all that good stuff! I was so excited when I got an offer through MyBlogSpark to host a fun Potluck Party courtesy of Pillsbury here in my home!  Our little get together is actually tomorrow already and believe it or not (well if you know me well that it won't be a suprise, really) I still haven't decided what I'll be making for the party!

What will be fun about the party is that each guest will be bringing a dish they made from a recipe they chose to make from the Pillsbury.com website.  We will each sample each others dishes and vote on which we like best!

I'm really looking forward to the hanging out with friends, while at the same time getting to try out and get ideas for some new recipes I can add to my collection!

I'm planning on making two dishes and would love to get some help deciding on what to make.  I'm really loving this one for something sweet...

Caramel Apple-Marshmallow Tarts

but I could still use some help deciding on a savory recipe to try out.  If you'd like to help me...I'd love it if you'd go HERE to Pillsbury's site and suggest a recipe you think would be great for me to make. While you're there, you can also get some great ideas for possible holiday party dishes you can make this Holiday season!

BK Crown Program {A giveaway}

There's rarely a day in the week that I don't have a zillion things going on!  It's usually a race to get all my have-to's done and inevitably, I'll be out running errands when lunch time hits.  I'm sure lots of other moms out there can relate! Most days I try to pack a lunch for the girls and me while we're on the go but on special treat days, I'll pick up lunch. That's when places like Burger King make my life a whole lot easier!

Just recently, I found out about about some new and fun changes that Burger King made that I want to share with you! (Info courtesy of Burger King through MyBlogSpark.)

• The BK CROWN^TM/MC Program comes in a fully interactive Kids Meal box. Sitting atop each box is a newly redesigned BURGER KING^® crown, because every kid deserves to be treated like royalty at BURGER KING^®! With crowns on their heads, kids can dive into the box, taking it apart, playing fun games and activities that challenge their minds, inspire their imagination and engage with the whole family.
• With the BK CROWN^TM/MC Program, Burger King Corporation invites kids to tell BURGER KING^® what matters to them most. BKC has established a fund to help support the Wildlife Conservation Society, National Parks Conservation Association, DonorsChoose.org and Have It Your WayTM Foundation. By visiting BKCrown.com, kids learn how BKC´s charitable partners make a difference. Upon entering BK CROWN^TM/MC Codes and clicking on their favorite cause, each kid´s vote helps BK^® choose which charity to give back to.
• The fun doesn´t end at the restaurant; the BK CROWN^TM/MC Program experience lives on atwww.BKCrown.com where kids can place their vote for how BKC should give back, as well as find more games, win prizes and enjoy interactive play.
• Also at BURGER KING^®, for just $9.99 your family can enjoy the "BKTM Family Bundle" which includes a WHOPPER^® sandwich, WHOPPER JR.^® sandwich., two small fries, two small soft drinks and a Kids Meal. Now that´s a deal worth getting together for! Limited time only. Price and participation vary. Prices higher in HI.

Lots of fun changes, right?

Well, what was even more fun was that Burger King (through MyBlogSpark) offered me a $25 gift card to try out the new Kids Meals and/or BKTM Family Bundle!  Pretty awesome right?

You can imagine how happy the girls were when I told them I was going to be taking them for Kids Meals at Burger King over the weekend.  I don't know about anyone else's kids, but mine live and breath chicken nuggets, ha!

The girls were super excited about their Kids Meals and especially about their crowns!  Each of my three girls wore their crowns around the house literally the whole afternoon and played with them for the better part of the weekend!  They also enjoyed the fun cutouts and games that came on the Kids Meal box, which helped keep them busy while I cleaned up the aftermath of Thanksgiving. :)

Alyssa is at the age where she really enjoys playing games on the computer, so going on BKCrown.com  to play games is right up her alley.  

When asked which charity she wanted Burger King to give back to, it didn't surprise me that she'd pick Education! The girl loves to play school and do things like collect boxtops for her class.  She is just like me when I was a little girl! 

So what do you think...would you like to win a $25 Burger King gift card just like I did?  

All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post answering this question:

What part of the BK CROWN^TM/MC Program would your child like most and which charity would they pick to help BK^® choose how to give back to and why?

For Additional entries...

*Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect.

*Blog, Facebook and/or Tweet this giveaway.

For every item you do, be sure to leave a separate comment so that I can use Random.org to select the winner.  Please also include the links to where you shared the giveaway!

I'll leave the giveaway open until Monday, December 5th, at 11:59 p.m. PST and I'll announce the winner sometime on Tuesday the 6th.

You can also find Burger King on Facebook and Twitter here:

• BURGER KING^® on Facebook at www.facebook.com/burgerking
• BURGER KING^® on Twitter (via @BurgerKing) at www.twitter.com/burgerking

Disclosure: I was provided a prize package for me and one winner, and the information for this post by Burger King through MyBlogSpark! Thanks so much to Burger King for the great  prize package!

{Two} Winners

 It's late in the day already but I finally wanted to get to posting the winners!

Selected by Random.org, the first winner is comment #12!

Congrats Lindy @Who Am I, you won the Kix cereal prize pack!


The second winner was commenter #10.

Holly @ A Pearl Among Diamonds, you of the winner of the Pilsbury "Sweet Moments" prize pack!

I'll be forwarding your info along to MyBlogSpark ASAP and thanks so much to everyone who entered in!

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Kix Cereal: a review and giveaway

Note:  This giveaway is now closed!

We are HUGE Kix cereal fans at our house, so I was thrilled when MyBlogSpark offered to send me SIX boxes of original flavored Kix to enjoy and share!

I remember eating Kix cereal when I was a little girl (they've been around since 1937, did you know that?) and now my own girls enjoy eating them! Here's a little more info courtesy of MyBlogSpark:

Kix Cereal is proud to say they are still kid-tested, mother-approved^®. This go-to favorite is made with whole grain corn and is an excellent source of iron. It also is a good source of calcium, fiber, and Vitamins C and D, providing your family a wholesome breakfast with nutrients they need to grow.

I'm so excited today to share that not only did I get to enjoy this awesome prize pack, but I also get to give the exact same prize pack away to one other person as well!

If you'd like to be the winner of this awesome prize pack, here's what you can do:


Leave me a comment here telling me why Kix cereal is approved in your household!


For Additional entries...

*Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect.

*Blog, Facebook and/or Tweet this giveaway.

For every item you do, be sure to leave a separate comment so that I can use Random.org to select the winner.  Please also include the links to where you shared the giveaway!

I'll leave the giveaway open until Thursday, September 1st, at 11:59 p.m. PST and I'll announce the winner sometime on Friday the 2nd.

Disclosure: I was provided a prize package for me and one winner, and the information for this post by General Mills through MyBlogSpark! Thanks so much to GM for this great  prize package!

Pilsbury Sweet Moments: a review and giveaway

Note:  This giveaway is now closed!

My family has a major sweet tooth so a couple of weeks ago, I happily agreed to try out Pilsbury's Sweet Moments bite sized brownies through MyBlogSpark! I actually need to revise that and say that my family  tried them out. I've recently been trying to work on losing some weight, so I let my girls and Hubby be my testers!  Of course they happily rose to the challenge!

Before receiving my Sweet Moments prize pack, I'd never actually heard of this product before. I was surprised  when I went to redeem my two coupons and found them in the refrigerator aisle at my favorite grocery store.  I've passed by that section all the time but had never noticed them before.  

Here's a little bit of info about Pilsbury's Sweet Moment brownie bites courtesy of MyBlogSpark:

These ready-to-eat, bite size brownies are layered with delicious fillings, covered in a cocoa-kissed shell and topped off with a cocoa drizzle.

• Sweet Moments are now available in two delicious new flavors, each with a combination of rich, luxurious brownie and velvety cheesecake: Caramel Brownie Cheesecake and Raspberry Brownie Cheesecake


• Find these and additional flavors like Cocoa Fudge Escape and Cocoa Caramel Obsession in your local grocer´s refrigerator aisle

Ready-to-eat Pillsbury^® Sweet Moments^® give you the indulgence you crave in a bite-size brownie that is chilled to perfection. So go on - indulge in your Sweet Moment today.

While at the grocery store, I used my two coupons to try out the Cocoa Fudge Escape and Cocoa Caramel Obsession flavors.  I brought them home and let my girls and Hubby try them out after dinner. They all enjoyed the little treat and my husband commented on how rich they were.  For the next several days, the girls would ask me for a brownie bite and if it was a good day, I'd allow them to have just one.  They were the perfect little treat and the girls really enjoyed their special treat!

As with most all reviews I share, I'm excited to have to opportunity to also give away one of the same prize packs to one special winner! Here's what you'll win...

-2 VIP coupons for the free purchase of any Pilsbury Sweet Moments variet

-Leather journal

-Fleece blanket

-Coffee mug

What a great prize pack, right?  I love the other items that came with the coupons, especially the mug and journal.  Definitely a great way to enjoy a sweet moment just for yourself!

If you'd like to win the prize pack pictured above, here's what you can do:

*Since we're talking about sweet moments...leave me a comment here on this post telling me what is your everyday "sweet moment."  It could be anything!

For Additional entries...

*Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect.

*Blog, Facebook and/or Tweet this giveaway.

For every item you do, be sure to leave a separate comment so that I can use Random.org to select the winner.  Please also include the links to where you shared the giveaway!

I'll leave the giveaway open until Thursday, September 1st, at 11:59 p.m. PST and I'll announce the winner sometime on Friday the 2nd.

You can also go to HERE to check out Pilsbury on Facebook and HERE to for their Twitter!

Disclosure: I was provided a prize package for me and one winner, and the information for this post from Pilsbury through MyBlogSpark! Thanks so much to Pilsburyo for this sweet package!

New winner

After talking with Kristin, who initially won the Kung Fu Panda giveaway, I've decided to go ahead and pick a new winner.  Kristin said that her girls have already seen the movie and she wanted to be able to let someone else be the winner!  That was really sweet of you, Kristin! So, I went ahead and drew a new winner and that person is....

Cheryl F @ The Lucky Ladybug!  Cheryl, you've entered into and shared a bunch of my giveaways, so this was pretty fitting that you won!

Please email me at theveronicablog(at)gmail(dot) com within 24 hrs to claim your prize.  Please include your address in the email.  Thanks so much!

A winner

I'm late announcing the winner of the MyBlogSpark Kung Fu Panda giveaway.  It's #24...Kristin!

I'll get that prize pack sent your way!

Kung Fu Panda fun!

Note:  This giveaway is now closed!

It's been a long while since I've been able to host a giveaway but today I'm back with something fun! This one is brought to you by General Mills and DreamWorks through MyBlogSpark!

For any of you with small kiddos, I'm sure you're already familiar with the movie, Kung Fu Panda. We watch a lot of Nick Jr around here and I've been seeing lots of commercials talking about Kung Fu Panda 2 coming out in theaters next week!

To promote the movie throughout the spring, spin fighter toys featuring character from Kung Fu Panda 2 can be found inside specially marked boxes of participating General Mills cereals, such as Cocoa Puffs, Trix, Golden Grahams, Reece's Puffs, Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Cookie Crisp, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Honey Nut Cheerios.

Last week, our family was sent a fun prize pack to review which included one participating Big G cereal (in our case, it was a box of Cocoa Puffs), a Kung Fu Panda 2 spin fighter toy and the original Kung Fu Panda movie, which we hadn't yet seen.

I was amazed to find upon opening the package that Alyssa already knew that a spin fighter could be found in the box of cereal.  Marketing techniques definitely worked on my kid, lol!

If you'd like to win a prize pack just like we did, here's what you can do...

Leave me a comment on this post telling me if you've seen the original Kung Fu Panda movie.  If so, tell me who your favorite character was.  If you've never seen the movie, you can just tell me who you'd take with you to see the new movie!

For extra entries, you can also...

*follow my blog using Google Friend Connect

*blog about it (be sure to leave me a link to the post)

*Facebook the giveaway

*Tweet the giveaway (again, be sure to leave a link to your tweet)

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do so that I can use Random.org to select a winner. I'll leave this giveaway open until Sunday, May 22nd at 11:59 p.m. and will announce the winner sometime Monday afternoon!  Happy entering!

P.S.  I was provided by General Mills and DreamWorks the prize pack, information and additional prize pack through MyBlogSpark.  Thanks so much for this fun opportunity!  My girls loved it!

Progresso Soup Review and Giveaway

Note:  This giveaway is now closed!  Thanks to all who entered!

It's been a long while since I've done a review and giveaway, and I'm way past due to post this next one from MyBlogSpark!

Many of the people who read my blog are from areas that are experiencing super cold temps, so now's the perfect time to talk about soup! I love Progresso soup so last month when MyBlogSpark gave me the opportunity to sample some soup, I hopped right on it!

Progresso has several varieties of soups and I was sent two cans from two different lines of their soup varieties to try out. 

The first flavor I sampled, called Chicken Tortilla, is a flavor that comes from a new line of New World Recipe soups.  Here's a little more info on this particular line according to MyBlogSpark...

Progresso® New World Recipes™ – Inspired by Mexican recipes, explore one of the fastest growing ethnic cuisines by giving the Progresso New World Recipes line a try. Made with authentic Mexican ingredients and seasonings, four new Progresso soups will be hitting grocery shelves near you - Chicken Tortilla, Meatball & Rice, Black Bean Jalapeno and Chicken & Vegetable.

I decided to sample the soup for lunch one chilly day last month and it totally hit the spot! It had a hint of spicy and it was very tasty! I even put a few tortilla chips on top and a little dollop of sour cream and it made it even yummier!

The other flavor they sent me was part of their Light soup line.  Here's a little more info on that again, courtesy of MyBlogSpark...

Progresso Light - America’s number one Light soup just got better, as all 13 existing Progresso Light varieties are now packed with bigger pieces of white meat chicken, more tender pieces of beef or added vegetables. Need even more to talk about? Progresso Light New England Clam Chowder is the first creamy Light ready-to-serve soup that holds true to the Progresso Light name with just 1 Weight Watchers® POINTS® value per serving!

With this particular flavor, I'm just gonna be honest and say it tasted way too "diet" to me. It was pretty watery and had almost no flavor. I'm not exactly a fan of diet anything really so of the two flavors of soups I was sent, this was definitely my least favorite. 

If you're a fan of Progresso and would like to win the same prize package I was sent, which includes VIP coupons for two cans of Progresso coup, a spoon rest, a soup can rack and a soup mug with a matching spoon here's what you can do:

*Tell me which flavor of Progresso soup is your favorite.

For Additional entries...

*Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect.

*Blog, Facebook and/or Tweet this giveaway.

For every item you do, be sure to leave a separate comment so that I can use Random.org to select the winner!

I'll leave the giveaway open until Thursday, February 10th, at 11:59 p.m. PST and I'll announce the winner sometime on Friday the 11th.

Happy entering and also for more information about the new and improved varieties of Progresso soups as well as great recipe ideas, visit www.progressosoup.com today! Also, check out Progresso on Facebook to “Like” the brand and keep up with the latest news on your favorite Progresso products, both new and old!

Disclosure: I was provided a prize package for me and one winner, and the information for this post from Progresso through MyBlogSpark! Thanks so much to Progresso for the fun package!

Winner

I never got to announcing the winner of my Fiber One giveaway last week.  So sorry!  Congrats to Lori!  Please message me with your address so I can sent that along to MyBlogSpark!

Fiber One Cereal & Bars (A review and giveaway)

You know how there are some products you buy pretty much every time you go to the grocery store?  Well, one of those things on our list is Fiber One Cereal bars!  As we've come into our 30's my Hubby and I have started to care more about our daily fiber intake.  Call it silly if you want, but that's just us!

We've been a fan of Fiber One Cereal bars for quite some time now so I happily took on the chance to review the new and improved cereal and bars from Fiber One recently through MyBlogSpark!

The prize package I was sent was a great one!  It included a coupon for one free box of Fiber One Cereal, another coupon for one free box of Fiber One Cereal bars and a $25 gift card to Safeway/Vons so that I could purchase more Fiber One products!

I used my coupons to try out these two products...

Honey Clusters Cereal

and ...

Oats & Apple Streusel Cereal Bars

I picked these two varieties since they're ones we hadn't tried before.  Over the past week, my Hubby and I have eaten both products and have really enjoyed them! This was our first time eating Fiber One Cereal and it was actually pretty good.  It does have a "healthier" taste to it, but it was still tasty.  As for the cereal bars, this was my first time trying out the fruit variety.  We usually purchase either the Chocolate Mocha or Oats & Chocolate flavors so I thought we'd give these a shot! 

I was so surprised to find that I actually loved the flavor of the Apple Streusel cereal bars!  They had a delicious blend of apple and oats and didn't taste the way I've come to find "healthier" cereal bars to taste.  I just sent my Hubby off to work with the last bar today as well, so I will for sure be going back to the store to use my gift card to buy more of these soon! 

If you're a fan of Fiber One and would like to win the same prize package I was sent, here's what you can do!

*Go HERE to Fiber One's website and come back and leave a comment here on this post telling me which flavor of their Cereal or Bars you'd like to try!

For Additional entries...

*Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect.

*Blog/Facebook/Tweet this giveaway.

For every item you do, be sure to leave a separate comment so that I can use Random.org to select the winner!

I'll leave the giveaway open until Wednesday, December 8th, at 11:59 p.m. PST and I'll announce the winner sometime on Thursday the 9th.

Happy entering and also...for all you coupon lovers, I thought you might like to know I found THREE great Fiber One coupons on their site today that you can use to buy their products!  Go HERE to get those!  Also...just so you know...the gift card included in this prize pack can be used at any Safeway family of stores including Dominick's, Tom Thumb, Randall's, Von's and Genuardi's!

Disclosure: I was provided a prize package for me and one winner, and the information for this post all through Fiber One through MyBlogSpark! Thanks so much to Fiber One for the fun package!

Old El Paso taco seasoning review and giveaway!

We love eating tacos around here so I gladly took on the chance to review Old El Paso's taco seasoning mix recently through MyBlogSpark!

Sometimes I make our tacos with chicken, other times ground turkey or beef.  On the day I made tacos to try out the Old El Paso taco seasoning, I used ground turkey and it turned out really good!  The taco seasoning added a yummy flavor to the meat and the only thing I would probably do different next time around is wait to add salt and my own seasonings to the meat until after I've added the taco seasoning.  I tend to oversalt food ( I like my food salty for some reason) and the meat turned out saltier than I usually like it. I would totally use the taco seasoning again since everyone here loved the way the tacos turned out!

Old El Paso offers a variety of seasonings, sides, sauces, and meal kits as simple solutions for a night of catching up with the family over a delicious taco dinner. To satisfy your Mexican style cravings, the Old El Paso® line up of products includes chilies, dinner kits, dips and sides, enchilada sauce, refried beans, seasoning mixes, shells, taco sauce and salsa. The Old El Paso taco seasoning mix selection includes flavors like Burrito, Cheesy Taco, Chili, Fajita, Taco, Mild Taco and even a seasoning with 40% less sodium. For a fun twist on Taco Night, be sure to try one of the delicious recipes below.


Double Layer Tacos...Layered taco shells and tortillas create the "double" in beef- and bean-stuffed tacos.

Chicken Ranch Tacos...A twist on tacos using precooked chicken.

To keep your family laughing at the dinner table, have some fun with El Tacodor™, the world’s only Family Taco Night Game. With El Tacodor, your family can share a special night at home by challenging one another to quick fire trivia, wordplay and pantomime. Visit http://www.eltacodor.com/  today to download instructions, a score card, and a challenge sheet for even more family fun!

Now...If you love tacos too and would like to win a neat little taco prize package of your own that includes a packet of original Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, a Cactus Chip & Dip Serving dish, a set of 3 Fiesta Chili Pepper serving dishes and a $10 gift card to purchase your taco fixings...

Here's what you can do to enter in:

Leave a comment here on this post sharing which of the featured taco recipes featured above that you're most excited to try next! 

For additional entries...

*Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect.

*Blog/Facebook/Tweet this giveaway.

For every item you do, be sure to leave a separate comment so that I can use Random.org to select the winner!

I'll leave the giveaway open until Tuesday, December 7th, at 11:59 p.m. PST and I'll announce the winner sometime on Wednesday the 8th.

Happy entering and also...for all you coupon lovers, you can go HERE to download a printable coupon for $0.60 off any two Old El Paso products today!

Disclosure: I was provided a prize package for me and one winner, and the information for this post all through Old El Paso through MyBlogSpark! Thanks so much to Old El Paso for the fun package!

A winner!

I was totally supposed to announce the winner of my "Show Your Helping Hand" giveaway earlier today but hadn't been able to get to the computer til now.  Anyhow....congrats to...

Caroline from The Croley Gang!  Caroline, when you get the chance, please email me with your address so I can send that along to MyBlogSpark!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!  More giveaways will be coming soon!

Show Your Helping Hand (Raising awareness and a giveaway)!

Note:  This giveaway is now closed!

You may have noticed when coming to my blog this week that I put up this new button on my sidebar...

Today I wanted to share more about "Show Your Helping Hand" and host a great little giveaway courtesy of  Hamburger Helper though MyBlogSpark.

According to the organization Feeding America, approximately 5.7 million different people receive emergency food assistance from the organization in any given week. Talk about a big number!

In an effort to raise awareness about the national issue of hunger, Hamburger Helper is partnering together with Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actor Tim McGraw to help Feeding America deliver millions of meals to local food banks through the "Show Your Helping Hand" campaign.  McGraw will be featured in an upcoming Public Service Announcement which will air nationwide that you can check out HERE.

After reading what I shared above, you may be wondering to yourself how you can help to support this campaign.  It's as easy as submitting the codes from specially maked boxes of Hamburger Helper at http://www.showyourhelpinghand.com/ or by logging on to make a donation.  Hamburger Helper has already donated more than half a million dollars and will contribute up to an additional $100,000 to Feeding America through this special program.

And...just in case you're thinking that one code will make a difference...The 17 cents Hamburger Helper donates per code is enough for Feeding America to deliver one meal to a local food bank.  Every little bit truly does help!

Now...onto the giveaway!

One winner will receive a box of Hamburger Helper skillet meals, a Hamburger Helper foam “Helping Hand” and a copy of Tim McGraw’s “Southern Voice” CD.  You can check out Alyssa modeling all the items since we were also sent this same prize pack!

To enter in...

Just leave a comment here on this post sharing how you plan to help show a helping hand this holiday season to those around you in need.  Do you have a special tradition or something you do with your family to help out another family in need?  I'd love to hear about it!

For additional entries...

*Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect.

*Blog/Facebook/Tweet this giveaway.

For every item you do, be sure to leave a separate comment so that I can use Random.org to select the winner!

I'll leave the giveaway open until Tuesday, November 23rd, at 11:59 p.m. PST and I'll announce the winner sometime on Wednesday the 24th.

Happy entering and also...for all you Tim McGraw fans out there, be sure to visit http://www.showyourhelpinghand.com/ and enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Tim McGraw’s “Southern Voice” CD!

Disclosure:  I was provided a prize package for me and one winner, and the information for this post all through Hamburger Helper through MyBlogSpark!  Thanks so much to Hamburger Helper for the fun package!

WINNERS!

I'm working on my regular post for today but thought I would quickly post the winners of my last TWO giveaways since I'm sure you're all dying to know!!!

First off...

The winner of my Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potato prize pack is...

Jodi @ The Lansinks

and the TWO winners of the $15 Butterball turkey gift checks are...

Jenilee @ The Goodwin Family & Stephanie @ The Hanes Family Chronicles

Congrats to the three of you and thank you so much to everyone who entered in!  I selected the winners with the help of Random.org but I just had to show off my cute little cupcake paper/picture holder that Kristin surprised me with in the mail this week!  Isn't it adorable?

Hope everyone's having a great Friday so far and I'll be back with more giveaways soon.  I seriously have at least four more to do through MyBlogSpark in the next week or so here.  Fun, fun!!!

P.S.  To the winners...Jenilee and Stephanie...I'll be sending the gift checks to you ASAP and Jodi, I'll forward along your info to MyBlogSpark! :)

Also...to check out my newest giveaway, you can go HERE!

Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes (A giveaway)

Note:  This giveaway is now closed!

Last Friday was a crazy busy day for me.  It was filled with several to-do's so I decided early on in the day that I would make sure that dinner was something fast and easy!

On my way home from picking up Alyssa from school, I headed to the store and grabbed a rotisserie chicken, one of our favorite quick dinner items.  It would be super easy to warm up later and for side dishes, I decided on mashed potatoes and green beans.

I normally cook homemade mashed potatoes (since that's what my Hubby prefers) but this time, I figured it would be a perfect opportunity to use one of the packages of instant mashed potatoes from Betty Crocker that I was sent to review through MyBlogSpark.

They were super easy to whip up and I was able to have dinner on the table in no time!

With the two boxes of instant mashed potatoes I was sent, I also received all the other great items you see here in this picture...

What's really great is that I get to give away one of these same prize packages to one of you!

To enter to win this giveaway, here's what you can do...


* Leave me a comment on this post telling me which busy night of your week is perfect for whipping up Betty Crocker Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes. (This is a mandatory entry)

For additional entries...

*Go HERE and "Like" Betty Crocker on Facebook.

*Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect.

*Blog or FB this giveaway.

For every item you do, be sure to leave a separate comment so that I can use Random.org to select the winner.

And that's it! I'll be leaving this giveaway open until Thursday, November 18th at 11:59 p.m. PST and I'll announce the winner sometime on Friday the 19th!

Also...if you're a coupon lover like me, you can go HERE to print out a coupon for $.55 off of one package of Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes!

Disclosure:  I was given the product, prize pack, information and giveaway prize pack by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark to review here for free.  Thanks so much Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark!

Cupcakes in CA {and a winner}!

It started off as just a fun conversation with a few bloggy friends on my Facebook wall a while back after I posted about making the newest batch of cupcakes in all my recent cupcake craziness!  The comments went something like "...oh I wish I could have one" or "can you send me one?" or "better yet, can I come out to CA and get one?" 

That last comment was the spark that led to a fun conversation about two (even three...you know who you are) friends (I've never met in real life) actually coming out to CA! Ever since that day, we've been talking about making the whole thing a reality and after a few conversations, both by email and phone, I am so super excited to say that the trip is finally official!

Both Stephanie and Amanda (and their two youngest little ones) are coming out to CA, from Wisconsin the first weekend in January for what we're calling...

Stephanie emailed me last night to tell me that the plane tickets have been purchased which makes this trip totally officiall! I am so super excited to get to meet these girls after almost two years of getting to know each other through blogging!  My wonderful Hubby will be helping me with lots of the details of things and I'm so blessed that he's totally on board with the whole trip.  He'll be helping me pick up the girls at the airport in L.A. and we'll be having the girls staying with us here at our house.

The plan is to cram as much fun into a weekend as possible and if it doesn't rain, I'm hoping to take the girls to see some palm trees (Amanda's only request), bake a few cupcakes and just have an awesome weekend!  I am so, so excited about it!

This morning I went to select the winner of my Pillsbury pie crust/baking giveaway using Random.org and I couldn't believe who the winner turned out to be...

Do you know who comment #25 was? 

It was Stephanie!

It totally made me smile after getting the whole news about our trip being official.  Pretty neat, huh?

Well, Stephanie, I'll get your info forwarded along to MyBlogSpark and I really hope everybody has a great day today!  I'm hoping to get another great giveaway posted later today so wish me luck on that!

Thanks a bunch to all who entered and Stephanie and Amanda....I cannot wait to meet you and the babies!!!

"Love the Pie" Review and Giveaway!!!

Well, you all know how much I love baking.  It's been my obsession for the last several months and I've had a lot of fun making yummy treats for my family and friends!

A couple of weeks ago, I got to thinking I might try my hand at making a pie since it's already Fall and  perfect time for pie making.  The only thing really stopping me was the fact that I've never had luck in the past with making my own pie crust from scratch.  Well, wouldn't you know it, not long after thinking about making a pie, I was offered the opportunity to review Pillsbury's refrigerated pie crusts through MyBlogSpark. Talk about awesome timing!

At the end of last week I received a sweet prize package which included a VIP coupon for a free sample of Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts, a pie dish, and apple themed kitchen items.

I decided I would make an apple pie so while at the Avila Valley Barn picking pumpkins over the weekend, I also picked up some fresh apples.  I asked the girl there which apples would be good for baking and she suggested Braeburn.  I ended up buying some of those although when I got home, I came to find that that particular kind of apple are considered "good" but not "excellent" for baking. To see a list of which apples are good for the different types of eating, you can go HERE.

This week I got to redeeming my coupon for my free pie crust and went to work on making my pie!  I decided to make this pie and it turned out really good!  The premade crust made making the pie SO easy and it turned out light and flaky!  Yum, yum!  While at the store, I also bought another package of pie crust to try out this recipe for an Easy Apple Pie Foldover I think my girls will really like!

I'm excited today to also share the opportunity for one of you to win the exact same prize pack I received.  Check out all the awesome things included in the prize pack...

If you'd like to be the winner of this great giveaway, here's what you can do to get entered in:

--Leave me a comment on this post sharing a fall harvest ritual your family has, such as going apple picking or baking a pie with freshly picked apples, etc.  *This is a mandatory entry*

--Go HERE and "Like" Pillsbury's "Love the Pie" page on Facebook and then come back and leave me a separate comment telling me you did.

--If you publicly follow my blog using Google Friend Connect, leave me a separate comment telling me you do.

Be sure to leave separate comments for each entry so that each entry will be counted.  The giveaway will close on Tuesday, October 19th at 11:59 p.m. PST and I'll select the winner using Random.org.  I'll announce the winner sometime on Wednesday the 20th and that person will have 48 hrs to contact me to acknowledge their win.  If I don't hear back from that person within that time, a new winner will be chosen.

In the meantime, if you'd like to try Pillsbury's refrigerated pie crust for yourself, be sure to go HERE and download a printable coupon for $.50 off this yummy and easy to use pie crust!  Also, you can go HERE to check out more delicious pie recipes!

Happy entering and have fun making your own yummy pies this season!

Disclosure: Pillsbury was kind and provided me with the products, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark.  All opinions stated here about the product are my own.

A new product from Gain and a giveaway

{Note}:  This giveaway is now closed!

I've been doing a lot of chores around here lately and one of them includes washing lots of dishes.  Seems like our dishes pile up so quickly and before I know it, they're eating me alive!

I do use my dishwasher a lot but I also hand wash a fair of amount of dishes as well and that's where having a good dish soap really helps out a lot.  Not only for getting the dishes clean but for making dish washing a pleasant experience (if that's even possible, LOL)!

I've used several dish soaps in the past and recently had the chance to try out a new dish soap from Gain through  MyBlogSpark and I really liked it!  It smelled really good and it didn't take much to get the dish water all bubbly.  Even more than that, the dishes came out super clean too!  I liked it so much that when I'm done with this bottle, I'm thinking I'm going to go and buy some more!

I was sent a fun package which included a bottle of the new Gain dishwashing soap in the original scent plus three of these shirts to share with friends and family, which I already did!



They say "I heart Gain" on them.

What was really neat was that included in this same package, were three $5 gift cards to Walmart to share with you guys so that you can try out this new dish soap too!

If you'd like to win of the of the $5 Walmart gift cards, here's what you need to do...

First, go HERE and then come back to this post and tell me which of the four new dishwashing soap scents you'd like to try. 

If you follow my blog using Google Friends Connect, be sure to leave me a separate comment telling me you do and that will get you an extra entry.

And that's it!  I'll be drawing the three winners this coming Friday morning, September 24th and I'll announce them sometime that afternoon!

P.S.  Just about every time I do a giveaway from My Blog Spark, I get an email from someone asking how you sign up, so I thought I'd quickly mention that.  All you need to do is go to myblogspark.com and fill out the online form there to join.  Veronnica told me about it a long while back and I've had a lot of fun getting to review and give away new products.  Also...for family interested in doing it...you do have to have a blog to be a part of the program.

Disclosure:  P&G provided me with the free product, t-shirts, and gift card giveaway through MyBlogSpark.