Back to School With Crayola {Win a $25 Gift Card!}

Disclosure: The Crayola product, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Crayola.   As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

I was contacted recently by Crayola to see if I would like to shop for Crayola products during our back-to-school shopping.  Of course I said yes!

I thought back to my own childhood and the fond memories of being so excited to get that 64-count box of crayons with the sharpener on the back.  Then there was the day I was given an entire box full of paper and various types of Crayola markers, pencils, and crayons (some of them were even glittery!)  Yes, those were exciting times, and I thought I could expect the same thing when I headed out for our big shopping trip.

I was right…but I was also wrong!  Not only does Crayola still make all those same great products from my childhood, but they have also added so much more!

I did my shopping at good old Walmart.  With 3 small children to get in and out of the car, I try to consolidate my shopping to one store as much as possible.  Not only were there various Crayola products interspersed throughout the school supply aisles, there was also an entire aisle in the craft section that was chock full of Crayola products.  My jaw just about dropped when I turned the corner and saw it.

Our Walmart trip was cut short before I could look at and purchase everything I was hoping to.  This pregnant mama just got completely worn out from walking, so I decided to head home and finish my shopping online.

Here's what I ended up with before we left Walmart, though:

• Paint and paintbrushes
• Supertips washable markers
• A good old-fashioned package of crayons
• A dry-erase board
• 2 packs of fine tip dry erase markers
• A 12-pack of washable dry erase markers
• Dry erase crayons

All of these are practical supplies that we will use regularly in our home school.  The paint, paintbrushes, and markers are for art class.  The crayons are for my daughter's pre-school activity sheets.  (And you can't beat 50 cents!  I'd rather pay 50 cents for Crayola than 25 cents for the off-brand.  There's a big difference.)  My son already had his own dry erase board for various activities, but when I saw that Crayola had this purple one, I got it for my daughter (she loves purple!)  The washable dry erase markers are for my own sanity (as opposed to non-washable.)  Since I was at Walmart, I was able to price-match those for a lower price.  I also used a coupon for $1 off 2 dry erase products that Crayola had on their Facebook page.  (They have had a number of different printable coupons available throughout the back-to-school season.)  The fine tip dry erase markers are for worksheets that I want the kids to re-use.  I put the worksheets in sheet protectors and they do them with the dry erase markers so they can erase them and do them again later.  The dry erase crayons are for my 2 year old.  That way he can do work on his dry erase board like the big kids, but I won't have to worry about him drawing all over his clothes with markers.

When I got home I hopped on to Walmart.com to finish the rest of my shopping.

Crayola Wild Notes Notebook set – the pens change color as you write! How fun!

Fingerpaint – more art class fun

Construction paper – my kids go through this stuff like crazy!

Yup – the 64 pack with the sharpener on the back. My kids need to know how fun it is to have this! 🙂

You can see I'm a very practical person, and don't really go for the gadgety type stuff, but it is amazing to see all the cool stuff Crayola has come up with!  Just take a look at all their newest products and you'll see what I mean!

It also wouldn't be a bad idea to follow them on Facebook and Twitter.  (Remember those coupons I was talking about?)

Win a $25 Visa Gift Card to purchase your own Crayola products!

Entering is easy as pie!  Just click the enter button in the rafflecopter form below!

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Personalized Back to School Supplies with Duck Tape®

This post brought to you by Walmart. All opinions are 100% mine.

I think I've been more excited about school starting than my kids have.  I have made school supply lists about a million times.  We finally had the chance to get out to Walmart this week and actually buy the stuff on the list!

One of the things I needed was binders for the kids to keep their seatwork assignments in.  But I'm cheap.  It kills me to pay 4 or 5 dollars for a binder when the one for 92 cents does the same thing.  The only problem is that the cheap ones are boring and drab.  

It was so easy to fix that with Duck Tape®!  

First we accented the pockets of J's binder with the camouflage he had picked out and added his initials to the front.  So quick and easy, but he couldn't have been more thrilled!

For miss K, we used the polka dot tape she had picked out and made a pocket to hold all the itty bitty pieces from her various preschool activities.  This will go in her notebook, which of course we had to personalize with her initial too.

I'm sure these projects aren't the only thing they'll be using their Duck Tape® for!  They have been cutting pieces off and sticking them everywhere!  I guess since their dad uses it as bandages, they figure they can use it for pretty much anything too!

Have you made your inevitable trip to Walmart for school supplies yet?  You might want to consider grabbing a couple rolls of Duck Tape® too!  It's an easy way to make a happy kid! buy Duck Tape at Walmart

Need more ideas for using your Duck Tape®  (besides having your kids stick it in random places all over the house)?  Follow @TheDuckBrand for tons of creative inspiration!

Healthy Eating 101: Where Do I Start?

Are you trying to make healthier changes to your eating habits, but just aren't sure where to start?  I know how you feel.  I've been there.

It's honestly been quite a long road since I started making changes.  And that's okay.  It may take a while for you too.  Don't sweat it.  Progress is still progress, and I'm happy for any that you make.

So…the big question:  “Where do I start???”

Many times when you begin reading information on food – what's good for you, what's bad for you, what will outright poison you – it can become overwhelming very quickly and you may want to quit before you even begin.  It's easy to say “This is too hard.  What's the use?”

You need to start out small.  Just choose one thing to research and come to your own conclusion.  This is one aspect you shouldn't skip.  If you haven't come to a certain conclusion on your own about eating/not eating a particular thing, you will quit eventually.  When you start feeling the pinch in your wallet, or when you start spending extra time in the kitchen making things from scratch, you will ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?  Oh yeah, because some crazy lady on a blog somewhere said it's good for me.”  That's not going to keep you going when things get tough.

Here's my recommendation for a good starting place:

Change one thing that you consume the most. 

Do you eat fast food a lot?  You probably already know that eating that kind of food is not good for your body, but if you need some more motivation to stop, start doing some research on that particular topic.  Before long you will be easily making the decision not to swing by for that hamburger.

Maybe you eat breakfast cereal like it's going out of style.  Did you know that even the “healthy” kinds are chock full of food additives (many of which are not even legal in other countries because of their detrimental effects on the human body)?  Start your research there.

Are PB&J's the normal lunch in your family?  Take a look at the ingredients in the bread, peanut butter, and jelly.  Research them.

Whatever it is that you find yourself feeding yourself and your family on a very regular basis is what you should focus on changing first.

What if I don't like what I find in my research and I know I need to change a particular area?  How do I change it?

First, you may be able to completely throw out a food from your diet altogether.  If you get rid of the packaged cookies and chips, you'll be forced to find something else to snack on.  Fruits and veggies, cheese or yogurt, or nuts can do the trick.

If a particular food is something you feel you can't live without, you can almost always replace it with a whole-food version of the same thing.

Fast-food burgers can be replaced with homemade.

Breakfast cereal can be replaced with homemade granola.

Peanut butter sandwiches can be made healthier with homemade bread, homemade peanut butter, and homemade jelly.  If that's just too much of the word homemade, and you're overwhelmed at the thought of doing all that, then see if you can search out a store-bought compromise.  (In our house, I buy a natural peanut butter without added ingredients, we do honey instead of jelly, and that only leaves me with the bread to make.  If I'm still feeling too overwhelmed to make the bread, we use apples to dip in the peanut butter, and *gasp!* sometimes I still buy store-bought bread as long as it contains no HFCS.  It's still not a perfectly healthy solution, but it's better than the alternative, and remember, this is all about finding a balance.  Don't overwhelm yourself.  Do what you can and don't get gray hair over what you can't do.

So, here's the recap from today:

1. Figure out the one thing that you and your family consume the most.

2. Research its effects on your health to solidify your decision to make changes.

3. Get rid of the offending food or find a whole-foods replacement.

That doesn't seem so hard, does it?  Now go get busy!

Essential Oil and Humidifier Giveaway

I'm excited to be able to offer you all the chance to win an essential oil humidifier and a bundle of essential oils!  I wish I could win this!

Essential Oils are a powerful tool in any home. You can use them all over the house for safe and natural cleaning. Apply them to cuts, bruises, scrapes, and burns to help soothe pain and speed healing. Massage them onto your feet and muscles to help facilitate sleep, relaxation, and help soothe aches and pains. Or diffuse them using a humidifier to help purify the air of particles and toxins, kill odor, and make your house smell awesome!

Positively Real Media Network (for like-minded “natural” Christian bloggers) is giving away a Blue Rose Ultrasonic Humidifier and a bundle of essential oils to use with it {worth over $380} to one lucky reader!

Blue Rose Humidifier

This humidifier is a perfect addition to any home and is different than most humidifiers. Instead of using hot water with huge particles that can settle around your room, the blue rose humidifier uses cool mists to distribute a finer water particle which is safe to use in all rooms, even in those with electronics.

The humidifier features a mood light {which works as a terrific night light for kids}, uses low amounts of power, and is very quiet to run. But the best part is that you can add essential oils to this humidifier and it disperses the oils throughout the room! It has a fragrance bottle receptacle that you can put essential oils directly into.

This powerful machine is essential to use in every home's medicinal routine.Read more about the Blue Rose humidifier from Kitchen Kneads. And if you don't win the giveaway, you can always purchase your own humidifier while it's on sale for only $59.99! Watch this video to see the humidifier in action:

Essential Oil Bundle

In addition to the humidifier, we are also including a bundle of essential oils in the giveaway so you can start using it right away! 13 bloggers have come together to giveaway these oils in addition to the humidifier to one lucky reader! Included in the bundle is:

Introduction to Essential Oils Pack {includes: 5 ml of lemon, lavender, and peppermint}: Includes the basics for cleaning, relaxation, and helping soothe aches and pains. Intro pack from Jill of The Prairie Homestead, find out where to buy HERE.

Lavender Essential Oil {15ml}: Lavender is used for it's calming and relaxing properties. Lavender oil from Krissa of More Than Mundane, find out where to buy HERE.

DiGize Essential Oil {15ml}: Di-Gize™ is a dietary supplement that provides valuable aid for digestive concerns and helps support a healthy digestive system. DiGize oil from Clarinda of A Jewel in the Making, find out where to buy HERE.

Rare Quality Tea Tree Oil {.2oz}: Treats minor cuts, scrapes, bug bites, and burns, gently soothes “ouches,” naturally fights bacteria, naturally penetrates and cleans, and jump-starts the healing process. Melaleuca oil from Kristy of Little Natural Cottage, contact her to find out where to buy.

Idaho Blue Spuce Essential Oil {5ml}: This oil contains high percentages of alpha-pinene and limonene, with a pleasing evergreen aroma that relaxes both mind and body. Idaho Blue Spruce oil from Jennifer of Royal Little Lambs, find out where to buy HERE.

Orange Essential Oil {15ml}: has a rich, fruity scent that lifts the spirit while providing a calming influence on the body. Orange oil from Sara of A Mama's Story, find out where to buy HERE.

Tangerine Essential Oil {15ml}: Tangerine is a calming essential oil with a sweet, tangy aroma. It helps with occasional nervous irritability. Tangerine oil from Mary of The Encouraging Home, find out where to buy HERE.

Thieves Essential Oil {15ml}: This proprietary essential oil blend was university tested for its cleansing abilities. It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health. Thieves oil from Anne of Authentic Simplicity, find out where to buy HERE.

Frankincense Essential Oil {5ml}: A truly unique essential oil, with a rich, aromatic scent that is calming to your senses, your emotional state and overall sense of well-being. Frankincense oil from Stacy of A Delightful Home, contact her to find out where to buy.

Clove Essential Oil {15ml}: A favorite among both health care professionals and health conscious individuals for its many useful and healing properties. It is also a powerful antioxidant. Clove oil from Sara of Your Thriving Family, find out where to buy HERE.

Ylang Ylang Extra Essential Oil {.5oz}: Has an intense floral aroma that is prized in perfumes. The powerful scent nourishes and encourages the spirit. Ylang Ylang oil from Danielle from More Than Four Walls, contact her to find out where to buy.

Peppermint Beadlets: Each tiny beadlet delivers a refreshing burst of peppermint as it quickly dissolves in your mouth, while invigorating your senses as you breathe in the cooling aroma of pure peppermint essential oil. Peppermint Beadlets from Audra of Naturally Well, find out where to buy HERE.

Purification Essential Oil {5ml}: Purification® can be used directly on the skin to cleanse and soothe insect bites, cuts, and scrapes. When diffused, it helps to purify and cleanse the air from environmental impurities including cigarette smoke and other disagreeable odors. Purification oil from Whitney of Beauty in the Mess, find out where to buy HERE.

Enter to Win!

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This giveaway is only available in the United States and Canada.

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My Journey to Healthy Living

This is the story of my journey to healthy living.  The story is not complete yet, and it won't be until the day I die.  It is my goal to always be learning about what I can improve and making positive changes.

The steps in my journey have often been slow.  Other times I've felt as if things were moving way too quickly for me to keep up with it all.  That's why this is all about Finding the Balance.

I want to be as healthy as possible, but there are also demands on my time and on my tightly-stretched budget.  How do you stay healthy without feeling like your whole life is spent in the kitchen?  How do you purchase only the best ingredients when your budget says you must do otherwise?

My story will not be the same as your story.  Our circumstances are different; our budgets are different.  And once we think we have it all figured out, things change.  We get a raise and are finally able to put more money toward the food budget.  We lose a job and have to figure out how to eat as frugally as possible without feeding our family things that could damage their health.  Regardless of what your story looks like, I hope mine will inspire you to keep taking steps forward toward a healthier lifestyle!

If you've been reading here for a while, you may have read these posts in the past.  If not, here's my story in a nutshell:

• Part 1: Introduction
• Part 2: The Beginning
• Part 3: Those sneaky bad habits
• Part 4: A new strategy
• Part 5: A well-balanced plan
• Part 6: A big bump in the road
• Part 7: The conclusion

As I continue on this journey, I hope to bring you along and share new things as I learn them.  I strongly desire that I never make anyone feel guilty if they don't make the same exact choices I do.  And I hope I never give anyone the feeling that they have the right to look down on others' choices either.

Keep going forward – one step at a time!

Easy Ham and Egg Cups

These Easy Ham and Egg Cups are a great way to prepare breakfast quickly while still serving something substantial!

I saw a picture of something similar on Pinterest, but the site didn't actually have a recipe, so I made up my own!

Note: I made sure to instruct you to use nitrite/nitrate free ham, but please be aware that I still don't recommend consuming commercially made lunch meat on a regular basis. 

Here goes:

You can pick these right up and eat them with your fingers!

Enjoy!