Olive Garden: Never Ending Pasta Bowl

*Disclaimer - I received a gift card from Olive Garden to post about their meal they have going on.

What time is it??? The never ending pasta bowl is BACK at Olive Garden!



I have always been a huge fan of Olive Garden and have worked with them a couple of times in the past year or so, and love their food so much. This time is no different. Of course, we get a lot for what we pay for as you get the never ending pasta bowl meal starting at only $9.99 at Olive Garden, which is an awesome deal for a family of 4 such as ours. We get our money's worth for sure, and our kids always enjoy the amazing breadsticks they have to offer. My absolute favorite soup that they have is called chicken gnochhi and it's the best one they have in my opinion. My favorite pasta that they have is of course the five cheese ziti, and if you've made baked ziti at home this is A LOT better than that for sure with the cheeses and sauces that they use. You definitely never leave the place hungry. I am always full after eating there. They do have some great selections of desserts to choose from too.

Everyone deserves a nice dinner and to eat without breaking your wallet, so head out and take your family to the amazing Olive Garden where you can enjoy a great meal of the never ending pasta bowl for price starting at only $9.99! You cannot beat that anywhere else! 

You maybe asking yourself, what pasta do they offer with this deal?
- Spaghetti 
- Angel Hair
- Fettuccine 
- Penne
- Cavatappi
- Whole Wheat Liguine 

Of course sauces are available to choose from too:
- NEW! Spicy Three Meat
- NEW! Roasted Mushroom Alfredo
- Marinara
- Alfredo
- Five Cheese Marinara
- Meat Sauce

For an additional price, you can choose your topping:
- NEW! Shrimp Fritta
- NEW! Chicken Fritta
- Italian Sausage
- Meatballs

Here are 5 values that you should teach your children by age 5

What do YOU think are the top 5 values in life that you should teach kids by age 5? 

Here are some things that I found online for the values, but the meanings under it are all 100% mine.

Random Wednesday: 10 Wishes that I have for my kids

I know there are a lot of parents that don't really think long-term but I do with my kids. Life with kids is definitely NEVER boring and is always interesting and still teaching them a lot about life.


Here are my 10 wishes for both of my kids that:
1. They will grow up to be the man and woman that God wants / needs them to be
2. They will graduate high school and go to college
3. They will have children of their own and have a steady / good job before having kids
4. They will keep God #1 in their lives and teach their children the same thing 
5. They will meet a respectful man and woman to marry and spend their life with
6. They will keep the friendships that are healthy in high school and stay in touch with them
7. They will be a successful man and woman when they graduate from college if they choose to go
8. They will try their hardest in school and all that they do and know that I am very proud of them
9. They will know that their dad and I love them so much and want what is best for them
10. They will grow up to be a good cook for their husband and wife

Evenflo: Car seat Safety Awareness Month - ProComfort Symphony DXL All In One Car Seat

*Disclaimer - I received the product in this post from Evenflo Baby in order to facilitate this review for my readers.

Have you been looking for a car seat that offers a nice variety of pros to it and that is a 3 in 1? Well, this is the car seat for you then! Introducing the Evenflo Symphony DXL All In One car seat. I wish I would have known all about these car seats when my kids were babies, so we could've saved money in the long run. 

We now have a Girl Scout and a Cub Scout!! So exciting

The other night, we went to the open house at our kids' school and they kept asking if they could sign up for girl scouts and cub scouts and hope to have some of their friends in it as well. 

Our daughter's 6th birthday is fast approaching us! It's going to be a FROZEN party!

This post is in no way sponsored, I bought and have already reviewed the products that are pictured in this post. 

Our daughter will be the big 6 in mid October, so we will be having her party right before her actual birthday, as it's during the week. I think that we will both be having lunch with her and I will be making cupcakes for her class and teacher, since it's during the school week, so fun stuff! We won't be able to get the cake that I was really hoping to get, since we're no longer in the same state as the person who makes them, so hopefully Walmart can make one with the sheet of Frozen on it for us.

VTech Toys: InnoTab 3s Plus 5" Learning Tablet Campaign

*Disclaimer - I received the product in this post from Vtech Toys in order to facilitate this review and post for the campaign I am part of.

How many of you love Vtech Toys products as much as my family does? We all do, right? Check out the Innotab 3s Plus 5" learning tablet.

Everyone loves VTech Toys, right? I know our household does and they offer top quality products for a great deal for what is offered! I received an InnoTab 3s Plus 5" Learning Tablet for my kids to share for this campaign. Since this is going to be part of their Christmas presents, I am the one reviewing it this time. This one is a wi-fi enabled learning tablet, which if you've ever owned one is a good thing because in order to download certain apps, you need wi-fi. The one I received is the color blue as you can clearly see in the pictures. The value of the one I received is a $100 value, as it includes not only the fabulous InnoTab 3s Plus, but it also comes with a rechargable power pack, as well as 16 apps for your child to play and use, including free access to an enhanced 2nd generation of VTech Premium Kid Connect, a tablet-to-mobile communication app that lets kids communicate in real time and exchange voice and text messages, photos, drawings and fun stickers with their parents’ smartphones.

I have a 5 and 6 year old, and know that they will really enjoy this particular tablet. They are pretty good at figuring out how to play new games and downloading apps as well. This one on top of the other awesome things that are included in the package has a video recorder / webcam built into the tablet.  About the camera - children will also love taking photos using the 180° rotating camera with over 55 special effects and using the video recorder to make movies. They can even import and listen to their own MP3s with the music player. Below, you'll see the rechargable power pack, as well as the cartridge that comes with this one. The age group that this tablet is best used for is 3 to 9 years old. It has many fun apps in this tablet for reading, problem solving, as well as math. Yes, I said that math can be FUN! 

Other useful information about this tablet:
This tablet offers access to more than 800 educator-endorsed, age and stage appropriate cartridges, software and apps that can be purchased and downloaded from VTech’s Learning Lodge app store. 

- Children will enjoy playing on this innovative learning tablet while sharpening their skills in reading, math, problem solving and much more. 

- New enhanced Kid Connect features include a parent-controlled group chat and a fun multi-player game, which will be available in the fall.


In the picture below, you'll find that this tablet is a $100 value and what it includes for that!

Fab Kids: Fall Fashion for September!

*Disclaimer - I received the products in this post from Fab Kids in order to facilitate this review for my readers.

Do your kids love making a fashion statement with their friends or even just to have new clothes? Fab Kids has a great selection of cute, hip, and new clothes to choose from!


I was emailed about doing another review with the amazing Fab Kids not too long ago, and I was really looking forward to it because let's face it, kids LOVE new clothes! 

My daughter and I looked through the options we had to see which outfit she wanted to get, and of course due to the fact that she loves leggings and the color teal, we decided to go with the adorable tri-colored dress shown in the picture below that came with the teal leggings. 

They both fit her perfectly, and let me tell you she loves it and was very excited to be able to wear it to school. She loves wearing dresses, pants, skirts; you name it! I love the style of it as well.


My son is 6 and has been wanting to get some new clothes to review, since we just recently bought more clothes for the school year. He is more picky when it comes to style and what he likes, so we took some time going through the ones that I could review, and he decided that he just HAD to get the shirt that says This Kid Rocks on it, with a nice pair of jeans with it. 

He is usually a size 7 or 8 in pants, so I went ahead and got a size 8 for him, but as you can clearly see in the picture, I had to roll the pant legs up and they're pretty big on him so he will just have to grow into them. 

The shirt however is just a little bit big on him, so I just roll the sleeves up just a tad bit, so that they're not too big for his comfort. Fab Kids has a great selection of clothes for kids, full of excellent styles for all fashion types. He does love these.

Life with a Kindergartener and First Grader!

This post is going to be all about school!

My daughter went through a pre-k class during my time of employment between August 19, 2013 - April 17, 2014 and then again for 1 week or so in August 2014 until we moved. She has always been ahead of most of the students according to her former teacher there, so I know I was doing my job as a mom by teaching her as well as her brother all about things they'd be learning in school, since 18 months old when they could talk in full blown sentences. She's known all her ABCs since 18 months and so has he, adding up to 10, etc. Simple stuff that is fun to teach at a early age as a stay at home mother.

NUK USA: Boy and Girl Style Orthodontic Pacifiers

*Disclaimer - I received the products in this post from NUK USA in order to facilitate this review for my readers.

Do you have a baby who loves different styles of a pacifier? Then these are the sets for you.




These are the NUK orthodontic pacifiers for a boy, from ages 0 - 2 months, as well as 6 - 18 months. I gave these to my former boss for her 6 month old son. They seem to be working well for what he needs soothing wise. They come in 3 styles as you can see below. The ones  that he uses are the 6 - 18 months pacifiers.


Here are the orthodontic pacifiers made for girls who are 6 - 18 months old. They work great and stay in their mouths easier than some others that I have seen around. NUK is a very popular and honest company to buy products from. I have always been a big fan of their products, since my kids were babies. 

Blue Baby Bum: Toddler Blankets & Car seat and Stroller Canopy / Cover

*Disclaimer - I received the products in this post from Blue Baby Bum in order to facilitate this review for my readers.




I received this beautiful zig zag aqua toddler blanket for my son who is 6. It actually is only a little short on him, but he loves it and it's really comfortable. He likes to sit with it watching movies and in bed of course. The one side has a zig zag design on it, while the other side is minky material. The material it's made of is 100% cotton exterior and soft minky interior (100% polyester). The size of this toddler blanket is 30" x 40" and is priced at $43.99. They also make this blanket in a baby size which is $23.99 and is 30" x 20" in size. I highly recommend this blanket for anyone's kids that love a nice, soft blanket. 


I also received a toddler blanket for my daughter who is 5 years old. She received the zoo animals hippos toddler blanket in the mail and was excited, because she loves the color pink! This is an adorable hippo toddler blanket, and this material is the same as the blue one, it's 100% cotton exterior and soft minky interior (100% polyester). The size of this blanket is 30" x 40", and the price is $43.99. The size of this style in a baby blanket is 30" x 20" and the price is $23.99. 



The last product that I received for review I gave to my boss who has a 6 month old son, for her stroller. The product is called Alexandra black car seat & stroller canopy / cover and it's adorable. It's made of 100% cotton exterior and soft minky interior (100% polyester). The price of this cover is $46.99. It's a beautiful cover. 

Fairhaven Health: Milk Saver

*Disclaimer - I received the product in this post from Fairhaven Health in order to facilitate this review for my readers. 

My boss has a 6 month old and was really glad that I was able to get this product to review for her to use. 



My boss had her baby 6 months ago and is still nursing / pumping too as she works full time in a daycare center. She said that this would come in handy for her to use at times. What the Milk Saver does is just that, it saves milk that may leak while you're nursing. It seems very easy to use as all you need to do is slip it into your bra on the non-nursing side of course before you start to nurse. The neat thing about the Milk Saver is that it will catch any milk that has leaked from your milk letting down. You're able to save this milk to use anytime you need it. It comes with a carrying case that also can serve as a stand for storing the breastmilk. The price of this Milk Saver is $27.95 for 1.

Del Sol / Cariloha - Color Changing Nail Polish, Beach Cover Up, and Queen / King Sheets!

*Disclaimer - I received the products in this post from Del Sol and Cariloha in order to facilitate this review for my readers.

As you know, Cariloha is a very popular brand of sheets with true quality in each set. Del Sol is an amazing company that I have loved buying their nail polishes from! I received everything in this post from the same company, that's why the review has 2 brands in it.



It was hard to choose what I'd like to review for Del Sol, but I fell in love with the beach cover up and a light pink color changing nail polish. The smocked beach cover up is perfect for using at the beach, pool, or even after a shower. I love mine and it's easier to use than a towel most of the time. I like to wear it as a dress when I can and it's not too long or short. I got mine in a medium size, and when I opened it, I thought maybe it would be too big but it fits just right. This would be a perfect go to cover up before a beach or pool trip. The price of the cover up is $29 on their website.

As you know Del Sol is well known for their products being color changing, and it's fun to teach my daughter how it works too! She is very girly, so I chose the pink nail polish shown below. In the sunlight, it turns very bright glittery pink. Our daughter loves to wear nail polish, so I knew she would love this one too. The price of this beautiful and fun polish is only $9 for a bottle that's 0.5 oz in size! I highly recommend Del Sol nail polish and it makes a great gift for girls of all ages!

I was excited when I found out that I could work with Cariloha on some sheets, but wasn't sure what size I'd be getting in the mail exactly as they sell both Queen and King sizes. We have a full size bed, but I make the queen size fit anyway and love the sheets! The king size one I gave to a friend of mine as she has a king size bed, and she absolutely loves the set. The king set received is in a Sage green color and the price of the king set is $199 on their website. They are very soft and comfortable, and come with 2 pillowcases and the sheet set which includes a fitted sheet and a flat sheet. The material the set is made of is 100% Viscose from Bamboo.

The queen sheet set that I received is in the color blue. The price of the queen sheet set is $179 on their website. I absolutely love our set. It also includes 2 pillowcases, a flat sheet, and a fitted sheet. The material this sheet set is made of is 100% Viscose from Bamboo. It fits a bit large on our bed, but we definitely needed another set of sheets, so I make it work. These are very comfortable sheets and I love the softness of the pillowcases as well. 





#Back to School: My kids first week at school!

Yes, I know it's that time of the year again - SCHOOL! My kids were so excited to start kindergarten and first grade, and couldn't wait to ride the school bus again for our son and first time for our daughter. They started the school year on August 25 in Virginia and we moved to PA on August 29, so they are now at a new school but have all their summer park friends back, and are happy about it! 

Up until August 29, I was working at the daycare they went to, so after school I didn't see them until after my shift was over most of the time. It's nice being able to take them to the bus stop and pick them up to walk them home too. We live right up the street from where they get on the school bus, so it's nice. They changed it a little bit to be a tad bit closer for parents but in the same vicinity. 

Since we moved, the school they were at had to fax their information so they could start as soon as possible here. The teacher for our son, sent home a lot of papers and some of them were ones that she had been doing over the past week with his class, so I helped him work on some of them and turn them in just so we can be sure that he is on the right track with what they are working on. We'll be doing some more of the papers tonight as well and send them back in.

Have your kids gone back to school yet? If so, what grade are they in?

Zoey's Personalized Gift: Back To School Shirts

*Disclaimer - I received the products in this post from Zoey's Personalized Gifts in order to facilitate this review for my readers.

I absolutely love to work with Zoey's Personalized Gifts throughout the year for my kids, and these are some awesome shirts that we received for review.



My laptop has been giving me fits over the past month in a half or so with uploading pictures directly from my computer, so I wasn't able to add the picture of my son's adorable shirt for first grade to this post, but the 1st Grade Rules t-shirt he received is a fun one for kids to get! He got it in a  size 10 and the price of it is only $20! It has a ruler on it with his name below it. He absolutely loves wearing it everywhere, especially school. This shirt is made of a very soft material and is easy to wash.

My daughter received the Kindergarten is a Hoot t-shirt for her to wear to school and it's in a size youth small which is for 6-8, and it fits her perfectly. The price of this adorable shirt is only $16.50 on their website. The material that this shirt is made of is very soft and easy to wash. This shirt has a pink owl holding a green apple on it. I love owls and knew my daughter would enjoy this one to add to her t shirt collection. 

Stuffed Shells Recipe

I don't post many recipes, but this is one that I HAVE to share with you guys! It's an amazing meal that everyone should love.

Ingredients:
- ground sausage or hamburger
- spaghetti sauce
- jumbo shells
- ricotta cheese
- shredded mozerella cheese
- 1 egg



Instructions on how to make the amazing Stuffed Shells:

First, you will need to brown the ground sausage or hamburger, whichever you choose to use and then drain the grease from the meat and bring it back to the pan of course.


Next, you will need to cook the jumbo shells and then let it cool off for a little bit and then add the ingredients together in a bowl and spoon it into the shells and of course adding the sauce over it as well as shredded cheese to give it an extra cheesy flavor that everyone will love. 





Lastly, you will need to pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and place the pasta in a nice big pan, depending on how much you need to make. Then once the oven is done pre-heating, bake the stuffed shells for about 30 minutes and check it to be sure that it has cooked all the way.

ENJOY!!

Phillips Avent: Pacifiers and Electric Bottle / Food Warmer

*Disclaimer - I received the products in this post from the popular brand known as Phillips Avent in order to facilitate this review for my readers.

I have had a great experience with the products I have bought from Phillips Avent for my kids as babies. They have awesome customer service and are very prompt in replying.


As you know, Avent has a wide variety of baby products and great feeding products for babies as well. I received the 0 - 3 months Soothie pacifiers, and the 6 - 18 months free flow pacifiers for my review, along with a nice bottle and baby food warmer. The pacifiers that are Soothie ones are awesome for newborns, especially once they have softened up a bit for little mouths. These are the kind that my kids used as babies and that the hospital gave us for my son in the NICU in 2007. They worked so well for my kids and I have always highly recommended those pacifiers for young babies, as they form perfectly to the shape of their mouths. The price of the soothie pacifiers for 0 - 3 months for a pack of 2 is only $3.99.

The 6 - 18 months pacifiers are great for older babies who still like a pacifier in their mouths, whether it's a constant thing or just for nap time. The price of these free flow pacifiers are $5.99 for a pack of 2

The electric bottle and baby food warmer is awesome and works great for warming up cold bottles that have formula or breastmilk in it. It's also good for heating baby jar food in it to warm it up. I know when I worked at the daycare for 9 months, it would have definitely came in handy to heat baby food for the kids I was caring for. The price of this warmer is $45.99 on their website which is very well worth the price to have the warming you need! The baby bottles can be ready to go in as little as 4 minutes with this warmer. All you need to do with this warmer is add water and plug it in. How easy is that? These warmers are so much easier to handle, clean, and deal with than ordinary ways of warming the bottles or heating baby jar in microwave for 10 seconds.