Healthy Humane Menu Plus a Giveaway!

With all of the garbage that is put in our food today, it is important to be conscientious about where your food is coming from. Not only that – but where your meat is raised is a BIG deal. By buying welfare-certified animal products, or more plant-based products, you send a strong message to food companies that you care about the treatment of farm animals. Most of the nearly 9 billion animals raised for meat, milk, and eggs in the US are suffering in inhumane factory farms. I know – it is disgusting and sad to even think about it. But where DOES your meat come from?

A normal medium size family spends hundreds of dollars each month on things like chicken, beef, and sausage. As consumers, most of us do not realize just how powerful we are. As a group, we have the power to make something a success or even push to have something inhumane pulled from the shelves. But it takes us as one collective to actually get it done.

ASPCA Healthy and Humane

It is time to put a STOP to these inhuman conditions and we, as consumers, can fully harness the power of our collective purchases and demand better lives for farm animals with the Shop With Your Heart initiative launched by the ASPCA. This initiative gives consumers the resources to recognize, locate and demand meaningfully welfare-certified meat, eggs and dairy products as well as plant-based alternatives.

Here are five simple ways to become a more aware and welfare-conscious consumer when shopping for your family’s groceries.

  1. Eat Seasonally – Eating foods in season means that you’re able to buy from a more local economy and avoid having your food ship from other countries. This means fresher foods picked at peak ripeness too!
  2. Shop Locally – CSA’s and local farmers’ markets help support local, often smaller scale, farmers, and ranchers who are producing outside of the traditional factory-farm system. If you aren’t sure where to start, visit your local farmers’ market and start asking some question – this guide will get you started.
  3. Conquer Labeling Confusion – Marketers create confusion with their flashy labels and clever catch-phrases. But unfortunately, sometimes they care more about finances than transparency. Words like “natural” or “humane” often don’t have any oversight to actually tell you as a consumer anything concrete. However, some phrases and labels do have regulations associated with their use, and that’s what you can start to look for as a savvy shopper. Here’s a guide to labeling to get you started.
  4. Be Careful to Minimize Waste – One of the ways we can treat the animals used for food respectfully and humanely is by making the most of the food we purchase. Purchase only what you know you’ll use and serve the right sized portions to avoid wasting what your family buys.
  5. Look for Certifications That Mean Something – Unlike marketing gimmicks, there are certain certifications and awards that have true meaning. For example the USDA Organic label shows that the produce grown (or fed to the animal) didn’t use banned pesticides. Others include Animal Welfare Approved or Certified Humane

See The Good Groceries Guide for more information about how our shopping habits impact the lives of those around us – animals included.

WILL YOU TAKE THE PLEDGE?

Take the pledge to be a more welfare-conscious shopper: aspca.org/shopwithyourheart. Everyone who signs the pledge also gains access to an exclusive Shop With Your Heart Grocery List, including welfare-certified and widely available plant-based brands.

ASPCA Healthy and Humane

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

To fully harness the power of our collective purchases and demand better lives for farm animals, the Shop With Your Heart initiative gives consumers the resources to recognize, locate and demand meaningfully welfare-certified meat, eggs and dairy products as well as plant-based alternatives.

SHARE YOUR BUYING POWER!

Post a photo of yourself on your social media channels or use one of the resources here to show your friends, family and co-workers you are a part of the movement with sample language like:  “Join the movement with me and pledge to #ShopWithYourHeart! aspca.org/ShopWithYourHeart @ASPCA.” 

ENTER TO WIN!

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Save Money on Fabulous Accent Pieces for Your Home

Whether you are just starting out and need to save money due to a low budget, want to re-decorate because you are tired of the same old décor, or you just have some plain walls that need some love – you can do it all on a thrift store budget!

Thrift shopping is not only a great way to save money – but it can also be a lot of fun. The thrill of finding that perfect thing for your home, for pennies on the dollar. Who wouldn’t love doing this? The thing about thrift store shopping – you must have patience and a willingness to hunt for that perfect thing.

I have found that one of the BEST places to find those perfect unique treasures is my local Goodwill store! They not only have some great unique items, but their prices are always reasonable. We also find that they frequently have sales that slash their prices even more. It is a total win!

My Goodwill

When you’re at the big box retailers – you know you are grabbing up something other people have too. And even at the for-profit thrift stores, while you might see some nice unique items, their price tag tends to be a bit steeper than what you find at Goodwill – so you aren’t really going to save money.

And as a bonus, over 313,000 people in the United States and Canada connected with jobs or earned employment using Goodwill organizations’ career services programs this past year. And more than that – tens of millions access the Goodwill education, training, and online learning services that Goodwill offers to strengthen their job training skills. As a non-profit, they are dedicated to helping create jobs and providing on-the-job training for many who would find employment opportunities scarce without Goodwill’s help.

So – have an open mind and get yourself ready to shop! Remember, if you’re crafty, there are tons of ways to spruce up and refurbish pieces to make them new again. If you’re one of the lucky people who has more than one Goodwill store near you – be sure to hit them all up!

Here are some great Goodwill finds from just the last couple of weeks.

Outdoor and Patio items – this was a really fun find! Unfortunately, by the time we got there, it was already sold.

My Goodwill Saving Money Finds

Lamps and Lampshades can be so much fun to DIY!

My Goodwill Saving Money Finds

Photo frames, photos, and canvas paintings can be used as is or restored in so many ways.

My Goodwill Saving Money Finds

We found a TON of different kinds of decorative vases – some in wood, some in glass.

My Goodwill Saving Money Finds

Unique pieces of furniture can really be fun to restore – if it is your first time doing a DIY restoration, you can bet you can find something awesome at a bargain to get you started.

My Goodwill Saving Money Finds

All kinds of baskets – I can think of so many things that I could do with these.

Save Money at Goodwill

Google DIY canning jars – there are about a million things, right? Look at these jewels!

Save Money at Goodwill

Do you have some amazing finds and restoration products you’ve found by shopping at Goodwill? I would love to see them! Share them with me on social media using the #ShopGoodwill hashtag!

Plan Your Retirement Now and Secure Your Future

One of the most stressful things is when you’re unsure about your financial future. It is tough being pulled in so many directions – children’s college funds, vacation and family outings, home ownership and more. But I’m being reminded that it’s important not to neglect long-term savings for your retirement years. I’m may not be anywhere near retirement age yet but I definitely want to make sure that I am well-prepared for retirement when we reach that stage.    

Understanding retirement needs can be confusing sometimes and may feel like an overwhelming and impossible task. That’s why I am sharing these simple tips for helping you get started with easy-to-understand resources at AceYourRetirement.org. Here are seven things to consider to help you maximize your retirement savings.

  1. Minimize debt – but not at the expense of paying into your 401k or other retirement accounts. The less debt-load you have during your retirement, the more you’ll be able to make your retirement dollars stretch.
  2. Don’t rely solely on Social Security – in fact, people are often recommended to wait until up to age 70 to collect Social Security to allow benefits to grow more.
  3. Consider whether downsizing your living quarters makes sense once children are grown and out of the house.
  4. Make sure your beneficiary designations are up-to-date and talk to your spouse to make sure everyone is on the same page.
  5. If you’ve been divorced but not remarried you may be eligible for Social Security benefits from your ex-spouse.
  6. Enroll in a retirement savings plan. Even a little bit held out from each paycheck can really add up.
  7. Never contribute less to your 401k account than your employer matches if they offer a matching program. Save more if possible and increase your savings by 1% per year whenever possible.

As we approach a new year it’s important to take stock of your current situation, and make adjustments where needed. Pop over to AceYourRetirement.org and get personalized, simple tips on how to jumpstart your retirement savings. It was so helpful to me to see a couple areas that I could adjust to help improve the financial situation of our family.

I wasn’t surprised to find out that I was the only one struggling with what to do with our finances. But it’s especially tricky being self-employed since the income varies month to month. But I’ve got some great tips now that I’m going to begin implementing and already feel better. When you have a plan it’s easier to feel more confident.

retirement

I found out that Americans know they should be focused on the long-term, with nearly 6 in 10 (58%) preferring to save for retirement over something more short-term, a vacation (40%).  But approximately 2 in 5 households headed by people age 55-64—over 9 million households—have no retirement assets saved at all.   I definitely don’t want to be in that position when I am in my 50s.

Taking steps to take control of your retirement planning could have a positive impact in many areas of your life. More than half of people in their 40s and 50s say that feeling more confident about saving for retirement would help them feel less stressed (54%). And 46% would be happier knowing they are taking care of their family’s future. I know I feel better after walking through the AARP website AceYourRetirement.org. We’ve been savvy with our money – paid off car loans ahead of schedule, living debt free for a while…I know we are capable of achieving large financial goals. But I just wasn’t sure where to start. Now I feel much more confident and you can too.

Retirement

Where will you start with your retirement planning? What’s your biggest challenge today?

Enter to Win This Adorable Prize Package From Hummel Gifts!

M.I. Hummel is a company that has been making beautiful figurines for decades, yet they continue to produce new, gorgeous figurines that are perfect for anyone to collect and enjoy. My son thought it was so cool that the founder, Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, was an artist and taught children even after becoming a nun. I love the handmade quality of the Hummel figurines – each piece sculpted by a master sculptor, carefully molded, and hand painted. It’s rare to have such high-quality art pieces in our disposable society so I love that about Hummel. You can learn more about the history of M.I Hummel at https://hummelgifts.com/blog/the-mi-hummel-story/.  I also think it’s cool when their figurines incorporate a blend of traditional motifs and modern flair like my figurine, Moonbeam, an Annual Angel that features a glittering Swarovski crystal moon clutched in the charming angel’s hand. How adorable is that?

Hummel Gifts Moonbeam Annual Angel

Hummel is known for their beautiful tradition of angel figurines, which are some of my favorites. I love the Annual Angels, a Series of figurines that Hummel produces a new piece for each year. This year’s angel is called Angel of Faith and is the first of three in a mini-series featuring the Three Divine Virtues. These angels are unique Hummel figurines as they feature gold-dipped wings. The next two years will feature Hope and Love making this the perfect time to begin your own Hummel collection!

Hummel Gifts Angel of Faith Annual Angel

Of course when it comes to the holiday season, one naturally thinks of angels. I love Heavenly Angel which comes in a large 13” tall figurine as part of the Masterpiece Collection and there is a 4.25” size of the same figurine designShining Light is another gorgeous angel helping to illuminate your way this winter season.

Hummel Gifts Shining Light

In addition to the incredible figurines Hummel is known for, they also have some other products that feature angel motifs. These include candles, napkins, tin postcards, water globes, and the 2018 Hummel calendar.

Hummel Gifts Calendar

What is your favorite figurine? You can see all the lovely gifts Hummel has to offer on the Hummel Gifts website. If you have a Hummel story of your own we’d love for you to share it with us at the M.I. Hummel North America Facebook Page.

https://hummelgifts.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HummelGifts/

Enter to Win Your Own Handmade M.I.Hummel Figurines!

M.I. Hummel is offering a fabulous prize package valued at $312 consisting of a fun baking themed collection just in time for the holidays. One winner will receive figurines One Cup of Sugar and Baking Time, as well as two sets of M.I. Hummel cocktail napkins with The Baker Motif.

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Glow in the Dark Fun With Super Wubble Brite!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Wubble Ball. As always, opinions are my own.

You have seen me write about the Super Wubble Bubble Balls before – but now they have a NEW fun Wubble that glows in the dark! The Super Wubble Brite is the newest creation in the line of Wubble Balls. I mean who doesn’t want to play with a huge, light-up bubble?

Super Wubble Brite

Just the idea of the Wubble balls are pure genius! Frank, a father of four children, is the mastermind behind the Wubble ball. “So one day, while blowing giant bubbles in front of our house, one of my kids said “I hate when my bubbles pop! I wish I could play with them!” I had heard this from all my kids over the years, time and time again. But this time, I really took it to heart because my two little ones truly looked disappointed that they couldn’t actually play with their bubbles. And so began the quest to make this wish come true.”

The Super Wubble Brite is made of even stronger material than the original Super Wubbles. Whether playing with it indoors or outdoors, you can kick it, whack it, throw it, bounce it, or sit on it. It floats, wobbles, dribbles, spins, and smashes. Plus, deflate it for storage until you’re ready to play again.

Super Wubble Brite

It also includes a flashing light for glow-in-the dark fun! Simply press the button on the light to illuminate the Super Wubble Brite ball. The ball will flash for a total of 20 seconds before the light will stop and need to be pressed again. The Super Wubble Brite ball looks really cool lit up at night and is a lot of fun to play with in the dark.

Not only can the kids have a blast with this ball for hours, it can be done inside or outside. And with winter hot on our heels, having something fun and entertaining that can be played with inside and isn’t a video game is great for parents. Plus, these Wubble balls are affordable enough to make great gifts for the upcoming holiday season!

Super Wubble Brite

Wubbles can be kicked, thrown, bounced, and sat on. They’re super strong and able to withstand even the rowdiest bunch of kids. You can find Wubbles in a few different versions. Super Wubble, Water Wubble, Wubble Brite, Wubble X, and Tiny Wubble are all guaranteed to entertain kids (and adults) for hours.

The Super Wubble Brite brings the Wubble to an entirely new level. It lights up red, green, and blue from the inside for hours of entertainment both indoors and outdoors. It’s super fun to play with at night – imagine the game of Dodgeball you could get going with it! How about a Wubble Dance party? The adults would have just as much fun as the kids!

Super Wubble Brite

Kids popped the ball? No problem! You can even repair it with the patch kit. The Super Wubble Brite is for ages 6 and up. The giant size and squishy feel of the ball will be hard for any kid and adult to pass up. The ball looks and feels cool, especially when the lights are going and you’re playing a game of catch in the dark.

Click here to enter to win your OWN Super Wubble Brite!! a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Other F Word Series is Back With Season 2!

The Other F Word

Last year I shared with you about The Other F Word, an edgy comedy about a group of friends who find that the angst of raising kids may be nothing compared to the angst of starting over after they are grown.  The show, written and producer by Caytha Jentis, was met with so many rave reviews I’m thrilled they’ve just released Season 2! My only possible complaint is that it ended too soon but I loved being about to binge watch for free through Amazon streaming.

The Other F Word proves that we don’t have to be afraid of getting older – there’s nothing scary about “forty.” And these four friends certainly bring a fun, comedic perspective to the issues surrounding midlife for women. You’ll love the cast including Judy Gold, Steve Guttenberg, Gilbert Gottfried, Michael Boatman, Alysia Reiner and Nancy Giles. Plus, former Comedy Central EVP and comedian Judy Gold joins Jentis as an Executive Producer. The chemistry between these characters is brilliantly portrayed and highlights the importance of friendship at every age. With such an amazing group there’s no doubt Jentis has another hit season on her hands.

The Other F Word

Jentis will say it’s not a success that she achieved on her own, however, as she enlisting the help of some wonderful writers and contributors. While Caytha Jentis wrote the show, she had help from other moms behind the scenes and women entrepreneurs. One of the scenes was co-written by Emmy award-winning tv writer Judy Rothman Rofe who authored Neurotic Parent, while the musical within the series is written by the award-winning playwriting team Pam Weiler Grayson and Alice Jankell.

She also gave back to woman-owned businesses and when you watch The Other F Word, you’ll see many of these products featured: 10th Studio, peach, Adam & Eve Unbound Box, SheSpark, Pink Truck and much more. I love that! Head over to Amazon Prime Streaming and check out the show today. Together we will prove to Hollywood that midlife women matter and we are a demographic tired of ageism and sexism.

The Other F Word

As one Amazon reviewer wrote: “Humorous, realistic, and completely well cast series. Actors had great chemistry and it’s about time someone talked about the post mid-life crisis in a marriage dynamic and how life changes but get’s better!” And I agree – it’s about time! Click here to binge-watch (I mean check out) The Other F Word today absolutely free.

http://www.theotherfwordseries.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theotherfwordseries/

https://twitter.com/tofwseries

 

**Disclaimer – I was compensated for watching this series and giving my honest review. All opinions are my own and do not reflect compensation.

MyRxProfile – The App That Everyone Needs

MyRxProfile has the potential to save lives. Studies show that 1.5 million Americans are hurt each year by preventable medicine errors. Many people are unaware that over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics can cause potentially serious adverse effects when used in combination with other common medications. Even commonly used over the counter children’s cold and allergy medications can have an adverse drug reaction when taken with another commonly used medication like Adderall. That is really a scary thought if you have a child who is on a regular medication and gets a cold or a fever and you don’t realize there are potentially lethal results to giving something as simple as Tylenol.

Pharmacist Robert Baker realized there was a problem with people obtaining overall drug information after conducting a lengthy amount of research. As a pharmacist, Robert has had extensive patient interaction for over the last 30 years. This gave him great insight into what patients need to have –useful at hand knowledge of their medications.  Some of the more important issues patients stressed were over the counter (OTC) interactions with their current medications, as well as interactions between their prescription medications. Patients also expressed the need to have an easily accessible list of all of their medications to present to their doctor – so they would know what their patient was taking and to have their own medication information on hand.

To fix the problem that so many of us have, Robert created MyRxProfile. The MyRxProfile app can alleviate the stress we go through as parents and caregivers by helping people manage over the counter and prescription medications and interactions with other medications by checking drug information and interactions with a simple scan of a barcode or typing your Rx prescription information.  MyRxProfile allows you to email your doctor this medication profile directly. This really simplifies things!

One brilliant feature that stood out to me – you can add multiple profiles so that you can keep track of your own prescriptions as well as your kid’s prescriptions. This is really helpful for those of us who are taking care of multiple children who might be taking regular medications – or even those who are prone to something as simple as yearly allergies. I also like the fact that there is a new feature that alerts you if you are combining “like” ingredients, such as acetaminophen. Did you know that there are over 600 prescription medications that contain acetaminophen?

MyRxProfile

The MyRxProfile app is simple and easy to use. You can check for drug interactions with a simple swipe of your phone and scan of a bar code. People shouldn’t have to second-guess whether or not they can take medications together. MyRxProfile has taken out the guesswork – and made it simple to potentially save a life!

The app is available for iOS and Android. For more information on MyRxProfile, visit MyRxProfile.com, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Back-To-School Ready With Understood.Org

The back to school season can be a trying time for both parents and children. You have to get your child re-accustomed to waking up at a certain time, picking out their clothes the night before and then there is the dreaded new school year paperwork that seems to never end. But the beginning of a new school year can be an even more challenging time for families with children who struggle with reading and writing, math, focus, and organization.

Understood

One in five children in the U.S. have learning and attention issues, like ADHD and dyslexia. Children with these types of challenges can feel especially stressed during the back-to-school season as they face new subjects, teachers, and schools. Together the Ad Council and Understood.org have partnered together to promote ways children and their families can be First-Day Ready. Understood.org is offering a free First-Day Ready Guide to help parents with students at every age successfully navigate back-to-school transitions and manage challenges with academic, organization and social skills. Below you will find some tips from the guide.

Every child has a different story – some may love school, some may dread the thought of going back, and for some, it may scare them enough to cause real issues for them. Starting school can be an exciting, confusing and even scary time for kids with learning and attention issues, and for their parents. New teachers and classmates, new schedules and demands—these changes can be a lot to prepare for and absorb.

Plan early – A few weeks in advance, make checklists and calendars, and start settling into the school year routine with earlier bedtimes and wake-ups. If your child is starting a new school, schedule a walk-through to learn the lay of the land and help your child feel more comfortable finding their way around

Connect with teachers ASAP – If possible, reach out before school begins to discuss your child’s needs or learning style. You can fill in this card in advance to help guide that conversation If you can’t meet with the teacher in person, send your child to school with an introduction letter that can help your student speak up about his challenges.

Get support – Many parents and students are going through the same experience. Ask around at your school to make connections and build your support network. You can also follow Understood’s Facebook page to connect with parents across the country to share information and learn from each other.

So, no matter your child’s age or needs, make this Back-to-School season a seamless transition and positive experience!  If you could use some help getting started on the right foot this school year, Understood.org is a great place to start. 

All kids learn in different ways and at different paces. With the right support, all kids can thrive in school and in life.