Caterpillars, Medals, & ipad Oh My!

We have some new pets in our home.  They are not permanent residents though.  Our caterpillars arrived Monday.  B has named them Crawly and Miranda.  We are going to watch the metamorphosis process for fun and for one of our science lessons.

 B holding our caterpillars

Crawly (on top) Miranda (below)

A and B finished their gymnastics on Wednesday.  They had their gold medal ceremony and David and I (along with C, D, & E) were able to watch them show off a few tricks - it was fun.  And it appears that B's broken arm last month hasn't slowed her down a bit.

Getting their medals

And, wait for it...I am the proud owner of an ipad2!  I have been saving for one for 6 months now so I was so happy when David and the kids surprised me on Mother's Day.  It was a big day indeed.  My amazing husband essentially made me breakfast, lunch, and dinner - not to mention all the gifts and kind words.  Thanks babe!  I truly have an amazing husband (and my kiddos are pretty awesome too).

Honey Bunches of Oats: Review & Giveaway (5 winners)

*** Giveaway Now Closed ***

Congratulations to Melinda, Steph, Kerry, 1porkchop, and Jennifer!

 

Our family has been eating the new Honey Bunches of Oats - Honey Roasted this week and loving it!  I knew that David and I would enjoy it but honestly, I wasn't quite sure about the kiddos.  "Mmmm, more please?" was a common response and the kids gobbled it up.  So, I guess I should have known that right?  In fact, they have been enjoying it so much that they have been asking for it as an afternoon snack as well - Go Honey Bunches of Oats!  When I went to get some for my breakfast this morning it was gone.  I guess it's off to the store for me :)

 

It tastes so good it's easy to forget why it's good for you too - here are some highlights:

- 10 grams whole grain (per serving)
- 6 grams of sugar (which is actually low when you start comparing!)
- Heart Healthy! (0 g trans/saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol)
- provides 9 essential vitamins and minerals
- brings together 4 nutritious grains into crispy flakes and even more crunchy granola bunches

They have a whole line of flavors available: Honey Roasted, Almonds, Strawberries, Cinnamon Bunches, Vanilla Bunches, Pecan Bunches, Raisin Medley, and Fruit Blends as well.  A little something for everyone.

 A gobbling hers up

B eating her Honey Bunches of Oats

Now, onto the giveaway!  You can try the new Honey Bunches of Oats for yourself!  Up for grabs is 5 free product coupons, good on any 1 box of Honey Bunches of Oats (13 oz. or larger) up to $4.49 value.  Coupons expire 06/30/13!!  I will select five winners who will each a free product coupon.  Please be sure and leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.

Mandatory Entry:  Follow me on google friend, that's it!

Extra Entries, leave a separate comment for each extra entry.  As you can see, there are lots of extra entry opportunities so don't be shy!  In fact, if you do everything, that is 16 entries :)

1.  Follow my google+ page (2 extra entries)

2.  Follow my facebook page (2 extra)
3.  Follow me on Pinterest (2 extra)

4.  Follow me on twitter here (2 extra)
5.  Like Honey Bunches of Oats on facebook (2 extra)
6.  Post on HBoO facebook page and mention Cummins Life (5 extra)

Giveaway will end on June 1st at Midnight.  Winners will be selected using a random number generator and will have 48 hours to respond.  If there is no response, I will randomly select other winners.  Open to US residents only.

Disclosure:  Post provided a free sample of their Honey Bunches of Oats - Honey Roasted so I could review them.  However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.  Thanks to Post for providing the free product coupons for this giveaway as well!

Easy Canvas Prints Review

Have you heard of Easy Canvas Prints?  This company is a great option for turning your photos into Photos on Canvas!  These canvas prints are a fabulous way to decorate your home or office, or give as a gift.

Their canvas prints are printed and stretched in-house by canvas professionals, and come ready to hang or display with a classic semi-gloss finish.  All you have to do is choose your canvas size and wrap thickness, upload your photo or art, and choose your border - for a personalized canvas print of your very own.

 D holding our canvas

I love the 8 x 10 canvas of D that I just received.  I love the wrap around feature and the quality is outstanding!  Shipping was super fast!  It came with a hanger attached and ready to hang - love that!  I definitely recommend Easy Canvas Prints if you are looking for a fun way to display your photos artfully on your walls.  And these truly would make great gifts.

My canvas up on my wall.  

Disclosure:  I received my 8x10 canvas free for review.  All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

Live Below The Line: Day 5

Today is Day 5 and the final day of our Live Below The Line Challenge.

Total for Today = $9.01.

That also makes our total for the week $47.49!
The goal was $10/day, for 5 days.  Woo-hoo!!

Remember back on day one when I was certain we could achieve this goal?  One reason I knew it was possible is because we've been budgeting carefully for years.  Currently, our monthly grocery budget is $350, but $300/month - roughly the same as $10/day - was our life just a few months ago.  Now, this doesn't account for dining out, which adds up fast.  Budgeting has allowed us to prioritize our goals, live without credit cards or debt, and enables us to give generously.  Do you have a budget?  If not, I seriously suggest sitting down and making one. 

A budget is not expense tracking!  We don't track expenses typically.  Honestly, the most annoying part of this week's exercise has been the painstaking accounting of every item.  Having a pre-written budget is like freedom from worrying about where all your money is going, and freedom is good!

We use the cash envelope system so I always know how much money is available and how long it has to last.  When the money is gone, it is gone - your priorities become straight fast.

Our breakdown for today.

Breakfast: 3 instant oatmeals, 1 cup cheerios, 3 cups milk, an apple, lots of water

($0.44 + $0.14 + $1.07 + $0.37 = $2.02)

Snack: 1 cup milk, 1 cup dry cheerios, lots of water

($0.36 + $0.14 = $0.50)

Lunch: pizza left over from dinner (already accounted for), 3 meat/cheese sandwiches, 1 peanut butter and jelly sandwich, tortilla chips, 1 slice of cheese, water

($1.02 + $0.15 + $0.15 + $0.12 = $1.44)

Snack: 3 servings of wheat crackers, 3 slices of cheese, 1 cup milk, water

($0.50 + $0.36 + $0.36 = $1.22)

Dinner:  2 fish tacos (yum, tilapia!), whole wheat pasta and sauce, beans, 1/2 container of strawberries, 2 kiwis, 1/3 cup applesauce, lots of water

($1.37 + $0.74 + $0.59 + $0.63 + $0.40 + $0.10 = $3.83)

Total for Today = $9.01 (GOAL MET)

Live Below The Line: Day 4

Today is Day 4 of our challenge, as a family of 7, to consume not more than $10 of food per day.

Total for today = $9.18.

By now you are all well aware that I love to receive freebies and capitalize on deals.  But one reason why we are so careful to keep our expenses low is that I also love to give!  

I find that there is real joy in giving generously, and so I want to position myself to be a giver as much as possible.  That's part of the fun of hosting giveaways on this blog, tithing to our local church, supporting charities and missions organizations operating locally and globally, and just carrying a few extra dollars around earmarked in the "give" category, looking for perhaps a more spontaneous opportunity to bless someone.
 
"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

- 2 Cor 9:7

If you've been at all inspired by Live Below the Line to make a difference in the world to alleviate poverty, World Vision is a great, really great, place to start.


Here are today's calculations:

Breakfast:  Cereal (2 cups cheerios, 1 cup total), 3 cups milk, handful of raisins, lots of water

($0.28 + $0.24 + $1.07 + $0.09 = $1.68)

Lunch: 3 grilled cheese sandwiches, Chicken nugget sandwich (made with leftover chicken nuggets from last night), 2 servings cheetos, 1 cup yogurt, lots of water

($1.10 + $0.22 + $0.26 + $0.45 = $2.03)

Snack: Leftover cheez its from yesterday, 2 apple cinnamon cereal bars, 2 blueberry cereal bars, water

($0 + $0.38 + $0.38 = $0.76)

Dinner:  Homemade chicken pizza, 1 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup applesauce, 3 cups milk, water (I ate free at The National Mom's Nite Out - panda express chicken, 1/4 stromboli, water - I brought the kids each home 1 piece of candy too)

($3.10 + $0.45 + $0.08 + $1.08  = $4.71)

Total for today = $9.18 (GOAL MET)

Tidy Tots Review & Giveaway

*** Giveaway Now Closed ***

Congratulations to Kerry!

 

Have you heard of Tidy Tots?  Tidy Tots disposable potty chair liners take the mess out of your child's potty training experience.  No more dumping or pouring your little one's success into the toilet and then trying to clean and sanitize the potty chair for the next use.  Tidy Tots will put an end to wiping out what is left behind and cleaning after your child's potty training session.

They are designed to fit in most any potty chair.  Simply cover the removable bowl with a Tidy Tots plastic disposable potty liner, smooth it into place, and add a Tidy Tots super-absorbent pad.  The pad is designed to absorb more than your child can create in one sitting, so you can choose to change the liner after each use or wait for 2-3 uses.

D is still in the midst of potty training; hopefully, we will be finished soon!  I started using the Tidy Tots potty chair liners and I like them.  They fit our training potty without a problem.  They are easy to put in and take out.

  Our training potty

With Tidy Tots Liner

It won't be long - hopefully!

The pad is made so that you have the option of waiting to change the liners after several uses.  We are not putting too much in the potty right now but I haven't had a problem with performance either.  So, in my opinion these are a good addition to have when potty training, specifically designed for the one who cleans up afterwards - which would be me.  And anything that helps me clean or keep things clean is a plus in my book.

Now, onto the giveaway!  You can win your very own package of Tidy Tots potty chair liners!  Enter with Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  I was blessed to receive my own package of Tidy Tots potty chair liner for review.  Thanks so much to The Cumberland Companies for sponsoring this giveaway!  All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

Logaster

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

Have you heard of Logaster?  Logaster is a professional online logo maker and generator.  It is also your full time designer available 24/7.

Here are some features:

Ease of Use

1. It is extremely fast allowing to create logos in seconds
2. LOGASTER itself will create unlimited unique logo design special for you until you are 100% satisfied
3. It does not require payment unless you are 100% satisfied
4. It is easy to master for both, beginning and advanced users
5. It is all-purpose and suitable for creation of logos, corporate identity, and branded items

Efficient

1. It provides you with logos and layouts in bit-mat and vector formats
2. Extremely competitive price
3. It creates countless designs for business cards, envelopes and more so that you can print several versions of produce using one logo
4. Highly professional level
5. Its ready-made logos are developed with web 2.0 technology

If you are in the market for a logo or a change of logo, check out their Logo Generator  and let me know what you think!