Tag Archives: Shoppertunity

March 17, 2016 · 12:18 pm

Discover The #WildSideOfFlavor With Jack Link’s

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

Does your family love bold flavors? When they hear the word Jalapeño do they say, “BRING IT ON”? If your family is tired of flavorless sausage, Jacks Link’s can satisfy their WILD SIDE. It is time for meat lovers to rejoice because Jack Link’s Wild Side Sausages are available at Walmart and come in great flavors like Original, Jalapeño, Cheddar and Bacon Jerky.

Recently I was shopping in Walmart when I saw the Jack Link’s Wild Side Sausages in the Packaged Deli section. I picked up several packages. I knew my family would love them because they are crazy about bold, flavor-filled taste. I chose the Jalapeño, Cheddar and Bacon Jerky varieties. I really liked that they are high in protein, had no fillers or added MSG, no artificial flavors or colors and are made with premium cuts of beef & pork. I was happy to see they were also on rollback pricing and only $3.48 a package from now until Memorial Day! These sausages and brats are great by themselves or in a recipe!

My family loves variety so I decided that we would make a great dinner of grilled Jack Link’s Wild Side sausage, peppers and onions sliders and grilled sausage and sausage, pepper and onion pizzas. I would serve them with a nice spring salad and fresh lemonade.

The sausage cook up fast on the grill since they are fully cooked. To make the Sausage Pepper and Onion Sliders we first cut up 2 large onions.

Next we cut up red, orange and yellow peppers. You can use any type of peppers you want.

We have a grill pan that is made for cooking vegetables on the grill, so we used that to cook the onions and peppers. We put them in the pan, added some olive oil and tossed them. Then we put the pan on the grill and kept a close eye, turning them every couple of minutes until they were done.

We also had the sausage on the grill at the same time. The sausages were done first and inside we had coated different size pre-made pizza shells with olive oil.

Then we added pizza sauce which we also bought pre-made.

We added mozzarella cheese and then topped them with sliced Jack Link’s sausage hot off the grill. We kept the kids small pizzas with just the sausage and added peppers and onions to the large pizza.

Cooking pizza on the grill is fast and so you need to be watchful. My husband manned the grill while I made the salad. I also made the sausage, peppers and onions sliders.

I cut large hero rolls in half and then stuffed them with sausage pepper and onions. We used all 3 kinds of sausage so that everyone can choose what they want.

When you cut the sausage in slices or in half you can see whether it is cheddar or Jalapeño or Bacon Jerky so that is a plus.

When the pizzas were ready it was time to dig in. We also made some homemade ice cold lemonade.

Needless to say my family love this bold flavorful dinner, tons of variety and big on taste! It was something we will be doing again very soon. Has your family tried Jack Link’s Wild Side Sausage? I would love to know if you have and hear about your favorite recipe. Please let me know in the comments.

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Filed under Cooking, Kitchen, Shoppertunity

Tagged as #CollectiveBias, #WildSideOfFlavor, Grill, Jack Link's, Mommy Ramblings, Sausage, Shoppertunity, SoFab, Spicy, walmart

December 17, 2015 · 8:43 pm

Spice It Up In December With The 12 Days of Passion

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

As we head straight into the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” it can often feel like the most stressful time of the year. Most of us already lead incredibly busy lives so throwing the holidays and all the expectations they bring on our already overflowing plate can seem like a recipe for disaster. I think stress is something most would say definitely rises during the holiday season.

The holidays seem to exacerbate so many issues for couples like family tensions, finances, and not having time together. This can all lead to arguments and hurt feelings. I think it is best to get an action plan and go on the offense before we make the most wonderful time of the year feel like the most horrible time of the year.

Couples tend to put their relationships on the back burner this time of year. It is so important to remember that you and your partner need to make time for each other. You might think that while that sounds nice it’s just not possible when you have so much to do. You can barely get through each day as it is and you only sleep 4-5 hours.

Well, time to make a plan. Everyone has the same 24 hours. Your relationship matters and fighting and arguing can zap your energy. So make some small changes and see how you feel. Commit to 12 days of passion with your partner this holiday season.

Sit down with your partner over dinner or coffee and dessert and get out your calendars. Calendar in 12 special times for you and him alone. They don’t have to be elaborate and they don’t have to cost a lot of money either. Just get out your calendars and take a look at some of the suggestions below and you can add your own.

Notes of Passion– Pick a day and agree to leave each other passionate notes throughout the day. Of course you can include texts, but mix it up. It would be fun to stick a note for him to find in his briefcase or coat pocket as well. Speak from the heart and let your partner know why you are thankful he is your soulmate. Just doing this throughout the day can brighten both your spirits and make you feel adored.

2. Unplugged Game Night– for just the two of you- Family game nights are nice, but this is just for you and your partner. Pick a favorite game and spend the time together when the kids are in bed to play together. You can make a favorite dessert, hot cider or cocoa to serve while you play and extra points for playing in front of a cozy fire.

3. Dinner and a Movie– Always a great one, and it does not mean going out. Chances are you have a DVD you still have not had the time to watch and cooking even the simplest dinner together can be fun. Don’t make it hard, even homemade pizza with your favorite toppings works. Heck, even frozen pizza will work, it is about the two of you spending quality time together. It does not have to be expensive or mean slaving over a hot stove all day. Use fun printables and of course some movie theater candy and popcorn containers make it super fun!

4. Couples Massage– I was in Walmart recently and I saw K-Y® TOUCH®. K-Y® TOUCH® is a product that is a 2 in 1 Massage Creme and Pleasure Gel that can be found down the Family Planning aisle. What better way to work out that stress than from a loving massage from your life partner? This cream feels like soft cashmere and creates a feeling like warm cashmere wherever you massage it into. It is touch activated and will have you slowing down together to enjoy the splendor of the feelings it evokes as you lovingly massage one another. Trust me you will not need board games after this to pass your time.

5. Couples Playlist–You and your partner each put together 6 songs that remind you of each other, your relationship or the love you share. Then get together and listen to them. It is amazing the feelings that music can stir up.

6.How Do I Love Thee–Write down 6 things about your partner that you love and cherish and then read them aloud to each other. Too many times we don’t feel appreciated or adored. This will give you the time not to remind each other of your shortcomings as we so often do in our day to day lives but to celebrate what you love about each other.

7.Make Something Special For Each Other– Don’t worry if you are not crafty, it could be a coupon book for special things, a poem, a song if you are musically gifted, etc. Just make something from your heart and share an early gift with the one you love.

8. Take A Walk Together–Even a short one holding hands and unplugged. Just spend some time in nature and with each other, you will be surprised how good you feel when you take the time to connect with nature and each other.

9. Sweets For Your Sweetheart–Pick out a special dessert recipe you have never made and make it together. Taking the time to find something you both think is pure decadence and then making it together may turn out just as sweet as the end result.

10. Share A Favorite Holiday Movie Together–Pick a holiday classic you both love and watch it together. Add cocoa and cookies for extra points.

11. Help Each Other– Help your partner with one of the chores they need to do. Maybe he helps you to wrap presents or you help him paint the guest room. Just pick something that either of you would normally do alone and help the other with it. An extra set of hands makes the load lighter and brings you together doing something that is necessary.

12. Sit Back And Just Talk–Maybe in front of the tree in the quiet evening over some coffee or cocoa, take the time to just talk about what is on your mind. This is a time to connect with conversation and really communicate. You never know what you might learn or where it might lead.

Do you have any special ways that you want to share about how you keep your relationship paramount during the holiday season? If so, please share in the comments, I would love to read your ideas.

#SnackAndGo Treats To Make For Halloween!

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

Do you have a Halloween party coming up? Are you in charge of bringing in snacks for a Halloween class party? If so, I have a fun idea you might want to try. I was in Walmart recently and picked up some NABISCO Go-Paks!, Snack Pack® puddings and Reddi-Wip. You might wonder why these three items? Well, did you know that Go-Paks! come in sturdy, plastic containers that are half full and perfect for adding mix-ins or other ingredients to create a super, special treat!

Go-Paks! come in many varieties like TEDDY GRAHAMS, Mini NILLA wafers, Mini OREO Chocolate Sandwich cookies, CHIPS AHOY! Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies, NUTTER BUTTER Bites Sandwich Cookies, Mini OREO Golden Sandwich Cookies and more. Snack Pack® puddings are available in chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, chocolate and vanilla mix and more.

Another cool thing is that the containers themselves are great to decorate. You can even let the kids help!

Some easy ways to dress up the containers for a Halloween, Halloween parties, classroom treats and more are:

Pirates- Take a costume pirate eye patch and secure it to the container. This would make a great favor at a pirate theme birthday party too!
Mummies-Wrap vanilla pudding cups with white net fabric securing the beginning and end with tape. Then, glue on some google eyes.
Spiders-Take a pudding cup and 3 long sparkle craft sticks in any color you like. Next, just cut the craft sticks in half so you have 6 spider legs. Tape the legs to the back of the pudding cup and fold them around to the front. Add some google or sticker eyes.
Bats-Cut out bat wings from black construction paper and tape to back of chocolate pudding cups. Add google or sticker eyes.
Create Your Own-Cover Go-Paks! with sparkly paper and use it as a blank canvas to create monsters, funny faces and more. Decorate pudding cups with stickers to create funny faces.

There are endless possibilities. Kids will love them and love helping you make them!

Then let them mix up a fun snack! Some great combinations we found were big hits are the TEDDY GRAHAMS, Chocolate Pudding and Mini Marshmallows topped with Reddi-Wip and some additional Teddy Grahams for a new take on the S’more. If you take Mini NILLA wafers Go-Pak! and mix with vanilla pudding and fresh sliced banana then top with Reddi-Wip and banana and more Mini Nilla wafers you have a banana cream pudding snack cup. Let kids pick and choose and mix up their own creations. They will love being able to create their own recipe.

Save Now With This Coupon!

BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE NABISCO Go-Paks! Buy ONE (1) Snack Pack® Pudding and get ONE (1) FREE (up to $1.00) NABISCO Go-Paks! (2.25 oz. or larger) with Coupon-Click HERE To Get Coupon!

So what do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts and if you do try this, please let me know how it went in the comments.

Give Your Dog A Loving Nudge With Nudges Wholesome Dog Treats-#NudgeThemBack

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

We love our dogs, they are more than pets to us, they are family members. We have three dogs and they are each very unique in personality and size. Delilah is our big dog, a purebred American Bulldog and a loyal protector. Delilah will watch the kids and if any animal or person tries to harm them, they won’t live to tell the tale. As parents we feel blessed to have a dog that will protect our kids, it makes us feel great to know she’s around since we live out in the country.

Next, we have Zoey, our West Highland White Terrier. Zoey is always there to “help” with any project. She is also a fearless protector of our family and our home. In typical terrier fashion she will be tenacious and persistent if some critter starts hanging around that should not be. This is not always a great thing, a couple of weeks ago she had it out with a skunk and she was on the losing end. Those skunks have an unfair advantage!

Last but not least we have tiny Sassafras (Sassy), our Maltese. Sassy is a sweetheart who does not understand she is tiny. If the other dogs go off to bark at some intruder, she will go right with them and give it her all. Her spirit is much bigger than her stature.

The way we love our dogs, we want nothing but the best for them. We make it a priority to feed them wholesome food and treats that will allow them to live a long, vibrant life. The other day I was in Walmart and saw new dog treats called Nudges® Grillers. The clear window package showed the treats and they looked just like cuts of steak and chicken that had been freshly grilled. I am more aware of the ingredients in dog foods and treats and was pleased to see that Nudges® were made in the USA with only USA sourced protein! The number 1 ingredient in the treats was real meat and they did not have artificial flavors or fillers! These were treats I could feel good about feeding our girls, I picked up a few bags and headed home!

I was really impressed upon opening them, they smelled just like fresh grilled meat and they had a similar texture. One of my young sons asked if this was okay for him to eat, lol. I told him no, but I think that is a great testimonial for how similar they were to beef or chicken fresh off the grill. I like them because when we are grilling outside the dogs sit and sniff and want to be included. Nudges® Grillers Beef and Chicken treats give us a way to include our dogs in our BBQ. You can learn more and see the full product line up at nudgesdogtreats.com

The taste tests went over great and they just loved the beef and chicken Grillers. Nudges® also has Sizzlers in Chicken Bacon and Beef & Cheese. The Grillers and Sizzlers are available in 3 oz or 18 oz bags. Given our brood, we went with the 18 oz. bags. I noticed a value size of Jerky Cuts by Nudges® that I want to pick up the next time I am in Walmart. Check out nudgethemback.com and see how other dog lovers are nudging their best friends and family members back. You can also stay in touch with them on their Facebook page. So tell me, have you seen the new Nudges® dog treats? Which ones do you think your dog(s) would like the most? If you have tried them, I would love to hear what you and your dog thought of them.

How I Save Money Using My Unlimited Data Plan #MyDataMyWay

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #MyDataMyWay #CollectiveBias

We’re a very high-tech family and love the way technology has enhanced our lives. I’ve been working from home for the last 8 years thanks to technology! Technology opened the doors to so many opportunities for me! Using the latest technology can help us do the things we do well even better! I’ve always been a savvy shopper, but the data/web service on my smartphone lets me save like a superstar! One of my favorite apps is a price matching app that lets me scan a barcode on any item, then it shows me prices at other stores. Most stores today will price match competitors, all you have to do is show them at the register. I have saved hundreds of dollars using this app.

The Price Matching App not only saves me money, it saves me time. I don’t have to worry that something will be less expensive in another store, I know right away and can get the same price. No more driving around, wasting gas going from store to store. Now, I just load the item in my cart and get the lowest price at the checkout!

Another thing I use my data plan for is inspiration. I’ll look up a recipe while I’m at the store, check the ingredients and know if I need to pick up anything. Last weekend I was on a road trip and checked the weather before heading home because it was snowing where I was. Data/Web service is perfect when traveling and unfamiliar with the area, we can pull up the local restaurants and attractions, get GPS directions to guide us and even pull up the latest episode of a podcast to listen to while driving.

Having all of this at my fingertips is great, but don’t learn about data overage charges the hard way. If you don’t have a sufficient data plan, you’ll be charged when you go over and those overage charges can be brutal.

I was in Walmart the other day and saw their Family Mobile has the Lowest Priced Unlimited Plans. It’s just $29.88* a month (on the first line) for Unlimited Talk, Text & Data/Web service which includes up to 500 MB of 4G LTE data. I was impressed! Could not pass up a deal like that so I checked out their phones and really liked the Alcatel Fierce 2.

The Android smartphone is packed with features like 4G connection speeds, 5 inch touchscreen display and best of all no contract! This plan saves our family big money! Given the winter we had that’s still here even though it’s spring, we just may take our savings for a quick getaway somewhere warmer! Off to research some destinations on my new phone! Let me know how you use your data/web service and what you think of the lowest priced unlimited plans from Walmart Family Mobile.

*Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please check HERE or your local Walmart for current pricing.

2 Comments

Filed under Tech

Tagged as #CollectiveBias, #MyDataMYWay, Lowest Priced Unlimited Plans, Mommy Ramblings, Shoppertunity, Walmart Family Mobile

March 31, 2015 · 5:07 pm

How We Made A Unique Coat Tree From Cut Timber For Free #BringingInnovation

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

I care deeply about the Earth, I love to repurpose things and use the natural resources around us. It’s funny, even though our house has many closets, my children and husband leave their coats and back packs all over our kitchen chairs. This drives me crazy! Since closets and wall racks did not work, I thought maybe a coat tree placed in the side hall would. The coat tree would be prominent, they could easily hang their coats, hats and backpacks as they walked by. I choose my battles and would rather have the coats on a coat tree in the side hall than on my kitchen chairs.

When I started researching coat trees, all I saw were flimsy or unattractive designs. I looked further and found some really unique coat trees made out of TREES! Can you imagine? After seeing that and living on acres of wooded property…I think you can imagine my thoughts. I called out to my husband and showed him my idea, he was all for it. We couldn’t have picked a better time, many trees were recently cut by the town because they were too close to electric wires. We gathered our tree supplies and started the process of assembly.

For the base my husband split a large log in half. Then he used a chainsaw and chisel to make a hole in the top of the base for the tree trunk. He also hollowed out the underside of the log right beneath the hole on the top. Hollowing the bottom made it possible to get the screw/bolt used to attach the trunk to the base, deeper into the trunk. We wanted to make sure the base was very safe and secure.

We also put wood glue around the base before attaching it. Then my husband cut the “hooks” from long lengths of tree branches. After that he drilled holes in the tree trunk for them. He put wood glue on the base of the branch hooks, then placed them in the holes and knocked them into place with a 2 pound sledge-hammer. Right now, we have three branch hooks on the bottom for the little kids and three on the top for adults but we plan to add a few more.

As soon as this New York winter, err I mean spring, wants to give us some seasonable weather, we’re going to take the coat tree outside and seal and protect it with marine varnish. I will update when it is finished with the final pictures.

We are really impressed with our unique coat tree and have more projects in mind that we will share with you in the upcoming weeks. We’re happy we can utilize the natural resources on our property to make something we need. In the end we have something we’re proud of and best of all is made in the USA by us!

The coat tree is super sturdy and far better than anything we could purchase. I wish we could make everything we need, but there are some things we can’t. Batteries for our remotes, kid’s toys, clocks, and more are something we can’t harvest outside. Last weekend I was shopping at Walmart and saw new Energizer® EcoAdvanced_™ AA Batteries and picked some up. They’re right in the normal battery aisle in the photo department. EcoAdvanced_™ AA batteries are the longest lasting and best performing Energizer® Alkaline ever! Equally impressive EcoAdvanced_™ AA and AAA batteries are the first in the world to be with a percentage of recycled batteries. You can stock up on them too, because they hold up to 12 years in storage.

Performance is very important to me, I work from home and rely on the battery in my computer mouse. If I’m in the middle of a webinar or conference, I can’t afford to have the battery die when trying to change a slide (I hate touchpads). I need performance I can depend on. Energizer® EcoAdvanced_™ Batteries give me peace of mind knowing I have that! This is another step Energizer® is taking on their journey to bring performance and responsibility to the world – that’s positivenergy!™ I’m thrilled at these steps forward and love the guilt-free benefit I can count on in the longest lasting Energizer® alkaline!

You know what else I love? Coat free kitchen chairs around my table! Yippee for small but gratifying victories! Speaking of victories you can enter the “GuiltFreeEnergy” Giveaway below for your chance to win $1,000 in Gift Cards!

GuiltFreeEnergy Giveaway – $1,000 in Gift Cards

I hope you will let me know what you think about our project and share with me what you’re doing to make our Earth a little greener!

1 Comment

Filed under DIY, Home, Shoppertunity

Tagged as #BringingInnovation, #Collective Bias, #CollectiveBias, Batteries, Coat Tree, DIY, Earth Friendly, EcoAdvanced™, Energizer, Go Green, Project, Shoppertunity