Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes

This morning we made some delicious, yet so easy donut holes as an addition to our otherwise healthy breakfast.  They were so simple and tasty, I had to share.

1 can of refrigerated biscuits

1/2 cup sugar

cinnamon

vegetable oil

Put sugar in a dish and add a few shakes of cinnamon until you reach desired ratio.  Pour oil into a medium saucepan, about 2 inches high.  Begin heating over medium heat.  Open biscuits and separate each into 4 pieces.  Roll into balls and roll into cinnamon sugar.  When oil is ready (a few drops of water should "dance" when sprinkled on top of oil, but should not "spit" too much; use caution to protect from burning yourself), use a tongs to drop balls into oil and cook just until golden brown.  Remove to paper towels to soak up excess oil and then immediately roll again in the cinnamon sugar.  Transfer to serving plate and enjoy!

Alive and Well

I realize that it has been some time since I've posted here on Jessica, The Mom.  Well, life happens!  Sometimes we are just swept up in all that life throws at us that some things have to take the back burner for awhile!  The most exciting thing that has happened to me since my last post - I'm pregnant!  Yes, baby number three is scheduled to arrive sometime in June.  Unfortunately, morning sickness (all day sickness) was much worse and lasted a lot longer with this baby.  Doing anything productive was a major chore.  I finally started feeling better around Christmas time.  Now that the morning sickness has subsided, the headaches have rolled in.  Thank goodness for Tylenol! 

The rest of the family is doing good.  I'm still doing daycare in my home.  Still trying to coupon the best I can when I make the time to do it.  I had a few good hauls this past weekend.  I've been thinking about my blog and how badly it has been neglected over the past several months, and so I felt the need to drop a short note to let my interested readers know that I am still alive and well.  I would like to find some time to post more frequently, as I did in the past.  I still love to blog and am grateful to those that still visit.  If I haven't responded to a comment or inquiry from you, I apologize, as this is the first time I've logged on in quite some time.  Keep your comments and inquiries coming.  I do love to hear from you! 

I have a great post planned that I hope to get up soon.  Until then, make each day wonderful and live in the moment!  Take care!

Mom On Wheels

So, I was recently given the opportunity to test out some Heelys.  If you didn't know, Heelys are shoes with wheels.  When I decided to order the shoes I thought, I bet my three year-old would love these!  Contrary to my preliminary thoughts, I did not find Heelys in a toddler size.  Okay, so maybe three is a bit young to be coordinated enough for shoes with wheels.  Hmm.  I've already committed myself to testing some shoes, so...guess who's testing some shoes?  Yes.  Me.  Mom.  On wheels.  This could be interesting (and laughable).

Needless to say, I ordered the shoes in my own adult size.  I was surprised at the selection available.  There are colors and styles to fit about any personality.  And a nice thing about these shoes - they're versatile.  The wheel comes out and you can simply wear them as an everyday street shoe.  The wheels are very easy to install and remove.  So, I got my shoes, and they are pretty cute!  I do have a chubby foot, though and would prefer a wider width.  They also aren't very deep, meaning that I feel like my heel should go in farther.  But overall, they were pretty comfortable.  Let's wheel!


Okay, so that didn't last very long!  I have to admit, as an adult in my thirties, I just don't have the coordination that I used to!  I honestly couldn't do it.  Now, I will say that I didn't try overly hard because I recently found out that I'm pregnant with my third child...so, I really didn't want to risk falling on my face!  Unfortunately, I will have to stick to using these as an everyday street shoe.  I think these are great for a kid, not so practical for your typical adult.  I should have gotten them for my 10 year old nephew.  He probably would have loved them!  If you want to try out some cool wheeled shoes, but fear that you lack the coordination, Heelys does offer a tutorial, Skate 101.  I will be enjoying my Heelys sans wheels!

Disclosure:  I received no monetary compensation for this review. I received a product sample for the purpose of my review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sweet Moments® - Review and Giveaway

Sometimes we all just need a moment, right?  A moment to sit back, relax and enjoy a little something that sweetens the day.  Hmmm...chocolaty sweetness.  I definitely have a sweet tooth, so I was more than content to pick up two free bags of Pillsbury^® Sweet Moments^® .  I was disappointed to find that they were sold out of most of the available flavors at the store where I did my shopping!  These sweet little pieces of brownie goodness must be good!  I ended up getting Cocoa Carmel Obsession (which I would have chosen anyway) and settled on Cocoa Fudge Chip for my second bag.  The other available varieties are Cocoa Fudge Escape, Sweet Moments® Caramel Cheesecake, and Sweet Moments® Raspberry Cheesecake.  I would love to try the Caramel Cheesecake ones next.  I'm a sucker for a chocolate and carmel combination!

Sweet Moments® are marketed as bite-sized brownies. I would describe them as a truffle, of sorts.  Call them what you will, but I call them delicious!  If you plan on sharing, you better get more than one bag!  The Cocoa Carmel Obsession were awesome.  Those were gone in two days.  The Cocoa Fudge Chip were just okay for me.  They seemed a bit more dry, whereas the caramel one was very moist.  I have to be honest, I probably won't buy these very often.  The only reason being that these are one of those treats that I would indulge in rather than "eat in moderation".  By indulge, I mean eat the whole bag and regret it in the morning! 

You can visit Pillsbury^® Sweet Moments^® for a sweet $1off coupon if you are ready to indulge!  Or, you can indulge for free by entering this giveaway!  Enter here for a chance to win your own Pillsbury^® Sweet Moments^® prize pack including:

• 2 VIP coupons for the free purchase of any Pillsbury^® Sweet Moments^® variety
• Leather journal
• Fleece blanket
• Coffee Mug

How To Enter:

1. Mandatory - Follow Jessica, The Mom via GFC and comment on this post, and tell me what your everyday "sweet moment" is.  (One entry.)

Additional entries:

1. "Like" Jessica, The Mom on Facebook.  Be sure to comment here with your facebook name for your entry to count. 
2. "Like" Pillsbury^®'s Facebook Page and thank them for the giveaway, tagging Jessica, The Mom.  Be sure to comment here with your facebook name for your entry to count.
3. Tweet this post.  Be sure to comment here that you did for your entry to count. (Can be done once daily.) 

Good luck and have a SWEET day!

This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 years and older. All entries must be submitted no later than August 30, 2011, 11:59 CST.  Winner will be chosen via True Number Generator at Random.org and notified via blog post and email.  Winner must respond to notice within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.  Jessica, The Mom is not responsible if your notice goes into your spam box. 

Disclosure:  Pillsbury^® Sweet Moments^® , information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Great Deal on Propel Zero

Check out Menards through July 31st and score up to six 6-packs of Propel Zero for only $1.75 each!!  That is an awesome price at only 29 cents per bottle!  Price is after 75 cent mail-in rebate (limit 6) and rebate is in form of a merchandise credit check.  Even without the rebate, you're getting a great deal at $2.50 per 6-pack.  That is still only 42 cents per bottle.  I personally LOVE Grape Propel Zero and will be taking advantage of the great sale price at Menards! 

Visit Menards for complete details.

Even If It Makes Me Cry

Once upon a time, I was a 135 pound, size eight, 27 year-old bride to be.  That's a picture of me, then, at my baccalaureate party.  Five years and two kids later, I'm tipping the scales at a much higher number than I wish to share.  I got married in 2006, had my daughter in 2008 and my son in 2010.  I had both of my children via C-section.  But now it's been over a year since my son was born and it's time to lay the "I've had two kids" excuse to rest.

The fact is, I've struggled with my weight since high school.  I've been up.  I've been down.  For most of my late teens and early twenties I bounced around between 120 and up to 150 before I got in decent shape for my wedding.  Keep in mind that I'm only 5'1", so 150 was heavier for me than it would be for a taller woman.  I actually started putting weight back on before I got pregnant with Kaiya.  I was careless.  We had started trying for her right after the wedding and I kind of had it in my mind that I was going to get pregnant and gain weight anyway, so why bother working too hard on my weight right now?  Not the wisest choice on my part.  I was back up to around 150 when I finally got pregnant with Kaiya and gained 50lbs during my first pregnancy.  Yes, I broke the 200lb mark (while pregnant).  I did lose a lot of the weight after she was born, but never got back below 150.  Then came Carson.  At least I didn't break 200 with him, but I did put on about 35lbs.  I lost some of it, but now, 14 months after the birth of my second child, the body of my past seems like such a distant memory. 

Being overweight sucks!  I hate it.  I hate looking in the mirror most days and I hate trying to find clothes that I feel good in.  Some days I am really hard on myself, and it really gets me down.  I do not like the way my body looks.  It affects me on a day-to-day basis.  I know I'm the only one who can fix it.  One good thing is that I still don't have to shop plus sizes.  I promised myself I never would.  If I'm going to keep that promise to myself, I have to fix it now.  I feel like I'm at a point right now where I have to draw the line.  I cannot let it go any longer.  I cannot make any more excuses for myself.  I need to just do it.

Four days ago, I started Insanity®.  This is the first time that I can remember (since my days in the National Guard, anyway) that I've worked out for more than two consecutive days (let alone 4!).  I will do the Day 5 workout tonight and I will do the Day 6 workout tomorrow.  And I will do the entire 60-day challenge, resting only one day per week.   I cried (just a tiny bit) on day 3.  It is a hard workout.  I'll probably cry again.  But I'm sticking with it and I'm going to like my body again.

Follow me on my journey, if you like.  I'll be posting updates and, eventually, pictures of my progress.  I'm not yet comfortable posting a "before" pic, but I think I will be once I can say, "That used to be me."

A Coupon For Just About Everything

I was recently invited to visit a coupon website that I had actually never heard of.  I'm always looking for a good deal, so of course I was curious to check it out.  I went to couponchief.com to see what I'd been missing.  I was expecting another site for clipping traditional grocery-type coupons for food, health & beauty, etc.  Don't get me wrong, I love these sites, but most of them provide the same coupons as the next and I can only deal with so many email alerts in my inbox.  I was pleased to find that couponchief.com is different.

I haven't had the opportunity to do much online shopping lately, although it is one of my favorite ways to make purchases.  But I will definitely be visiting this site the next time I want to make an online purchase from a major (and even not so major) retailer.  Coupon Chief has a coupon code for just about any popular store you can think of.  Planning on doing a little bra shopping?  Click here for a free shipping code at Victoria's Secret.  Looking for a discount on your next electronics purchase at Best Buy?  There's a code for that.  In fact, I did a search on several major retailers (there is a search bar right on the site) and found Target, Verizon, Carter's, Amazon and Hobby Lobby, just to name a few.  There is no guarantee that every code will work and the codes are not provided directly by the retailers, but it appears as though many of them are legitimate.

The codes at couponchief.com are submitted by its fans.  They have a program called pays-2-share that allows you to be rewarded for submitting coupon codes that can be shared on the site.  There is also a blog highlighting current major retailers with codes.  You can create an account to receive newsletters and email alerts.  The site is visually appealing, as well.  It is neat and organized without a lot of clutter.  I'm inclined to not make many return visits to sites full of clutter that are hard to navigate.  The colors are clean and fresh and it had a bit of a retro feel to it.  Overall, I was pleased to add this site to my favorites.  I look forward to utilizing some great discount codes on my next online purchase, and I feel confident that there will probably be one available for what ever my needs might be.

I would love to know if you've visited this site before and, if so, what was your success rate?  Would you recommend it to others?  Stop by for a visit and post your feedback here.  You can also visit them on facebook!  As always, happy couponing!


Disclosure

Classic Entertainment

We had a great three-day weekend at our house, but the weather was a little grim on Saturday and Sunday.  Bored children (and adults).  We made the best of it by having some good, old-fashioned fun!  We built forts and played hide-and-seek!  What kinds of things do you do with your kids to keep the family entertained?  Here are some ideas that came from my childhood.  Classic, fun, and mostly free!

• Build a fort.  Drape blankets or sheets over chairs and couches to make a fun hideout for the kids.  We have a couch on each of two opposite walls.  We also have a large chair and ottoman.  We stick the ottoman in the center of the couches and drape blankets across, tucking them into the cushions and creating a tunnel on each side of the ottoman.  For an easy fort, throw a huge blanket or sheet over your cleared dining table, setting something sturdy on top to hold in place.
• Play hide-and-seek!  A no brainer, this classic is always fun for all ages.  My husband and I take turns with our three-year old daughter.  First, one of us helps her hide and the other finds her (little brother helps in the seek.)  Then one of us hides and the other helps her find us.  You can find lots of great places to hide a little kid!
• Create a club house.  Do you have a large box from a recent appliance purchase or other box large enough to fit a kid?  Turn it into a club house!  Use a razor to cut doors and windows.  Decorate it with curtains, markers, stickers, etc. 
• Make friendship bracelets.  This is great for kids that are a little older.  I loved making these when I was a kid.  You can find instructions on the web for some basic knot bracelets.  Embroidery thread can be found at most craft stores.  We used to make them and trade them.  Do a mom and daughter bracelet!  These can be for boys, too.  Just use boy colors and call them wristbands!
• Play store.  Get out some canned and boxed goods.  Put them out on a table, or shelf, within your little one's reach.  Grab the toy shopping cart and go shopping!  My daughter likes to use my expired coupons and we use her child's laptop as a cash register.  The mouse is the scan gun.  Take turns shopping and checking out.
• Play restaurant.  Let your little one seat you and take your order.  Then they can use play-dough to create you a culinary masterpiece!

There are lots of things you can do with your little ones.  The most fun are usually the things you can remember from your childhood.  Small children love to do just about anything a grown-up does.  So, think about the normal activities you do as a grown-up and turn them into a game with your kids!  Get creative and have fun!

Aunt Lisa's Mojito

*This post is intended for readers 21 years of age and older.*

My favorite summer-time, grown-up beverage is definitely the Mojito!  The Mojito is a cool, sweet, minty refreshment that I've enjoyed since first drink during a visit to my husband's Aunt Lisa's.  There are lots of recipes on the Internet for the Mojito, and I've tried a few, but this is definitely my favorite.  With warmer weather just around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to share.  This would be a great addition to your Memorial Day Celebrations!

For one 2QT pitcher of Aunt Lisa's Mojito, you will need:

A 2QT pitcher
Fresh Mint Leaves (at least 50)
Ice
White/Light Rum
Simple Syrup (dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1/2 cup boiling water, and chill prior to mixing)
Limes and/or Lime Juice
Seltzer or Lime Seltzer





Put a handful of mint leaves (around 40sih) in the bottom of your pitcher and muddle.  If you don't have a muddler, the end of a thick wooden spoon will work.  If you muddle to much, you will have a lot of floaters in your glass.  I provided a picture of before muddle, and after.  You are basically just mashing them a bit to extract the mint from the leaves.

 

  

Add ice to the the mint leaves, in your pitcher, to about 3/4 full.  Pour 1 cup of rum over ice.  Add 1/2 cup of lime juice (either fresh squeezed or bottled - I used bottled just because its easier) to your chilled simple syrup and add to ice mixture.  Top off the pitcher with Seltzer (I used Lime Seltzer -yum).  Stir with a long wooden spoon.  Pour over ice into tall glasses.  Garnish with mint and lime.  Now kick back and enjoy!

Remember to always drink responsibly!!

And The Winner Is....(Blog Design Makeover)

Thanks so much to all of you that participated in the Blog Design Makeover giveaway! 
The winner is Night Owls Perch!  Be sure to let us know when your page is done so we can check out the makeover!  Congratulations!  Please check your email inbox for confirmation!

Winner selected via True Random Number Generator, powered by Random.org.  (Value 2-67, Result 40).

Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop!

I'm co-hosting!  Don't forget to comment so I can follow you back!

It's Sensational Week 7 of Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop hosted by Shelly from My Saving Game and Jeannette from The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug! We are finding some fabulous blogs through this hop and having a great time getting to know so many of you! So thank you for linking up again this week to those of you who are hop veterans and welcome to those who are new! Let's continue to make new bloggy friends and increase our traffic! We do have a few simple rules for you - nothing too tough though. So here we go:

1. Please follow your hostesses My Saving Game and The Advetures of J-Man and MillerBug. Leave us a comment and we will follow you back! (If you already follow us on GFC, we'd LOVE it if you would follow us on Facebook or Twitter.)

2. Please follow our guest co-host who, this week, is Jessica from Jessica, The Mom.

3. You don't have to post our button but we sure would like it if you did. Not only does it help our hop grow so we can all get new followers, but each week we will choose a guest co-host and to be considered you must have our button somewhere on your site! If you post our button and want to be considered for guest co-host, please email me at mailto:jmanandmillerbug@gmail.com.com to express your interest.

<a border="0" href="http://myadventureinmommyhood.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9IgRasN2hnZ4LczXPNDHmykVmwNr9TAQu9PTLhAOJEuB_hOCEMzWfP0dABapLc8xk6g_wLKDemCQKIiRUIUog4pPzsvXMtHPbKhxGJgSnb8FeFjE6mOteCStblXyyJ3dEwERk6G2APM/"/></a>

4. You can link up blogs, facebook, twitter accounts, whatever - just be sure to specify what each link is.

5. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

6. Have fun!

Winner - 31 Tote Giveaway - Ending 5/9/11

The winner of the 31 Tote is Stefani!  Please contact me at jessicathemom1511@gmail.com to claim your prize.  Include your full name, mailing address and phone number.  The tote will be shipped by the sponsor.

Congratulations, Stefani!

Winner chosen via True Random Number Generator, powered by Random.org.  (Value 1-70, Result 44).

$5 Amazon.com Gift Card FB Winner 5/9/11

The winner of the quickie FB gift card giveaway is Heather C.
Heather, please email Jessicathemom1511@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Winner chosen via Random.org, True Random Number Generator.  (Value 1-6, Result 4)

**Swag Code Alert**

Swag Code worth 8SB in the blogs until 2:30CST!  Easy!

Don't Swag?  Start now! 

100 Photos for $10 Plus Free Shipping!

Snapfish is offering 100 photos for $10, plus free shipping! 

Use coupon MOMDAY100 at checkout, now through May 11, 2011.*


*Complete details at snapfish.com

Kid Speak of the Week, Round 2

She's on a roll this week!

As I return to the dinner table from taking out the puppy:

(Daddy) These kids sure like their cheese!
(Me)  They're gonna be constipated.
(Kaiya) And we won't be able to poop, either!

Ah ha ha!  We got a pretty good laugh about that!

BOGO 50% off plus free shipping at Maurices!

Head on over to Maurices.com and take advantage of Buy One, Get One 50% off all casual tops & bottoms, including plus sizes!  Order 4 items or more online and take advantage of Free Shipping!

If you've never checked out Maurices online, you'll be pleased to find a much large selection of SIZES!  Get your size shipped right to your door for free!   

Find them on facebook, too!

New Blog Design!! Review & Giveaway! ENDED 5/15

Welcome to the new and improved Jessica, The Mom!  I am beyond happy with the makeover results!  I was just spending too much time figuring out the codes and what not, to get my blog looking the way I wanted it to.  Plus, the template was kind of generic and not exactly what I had in mind.  So, I decided to let someone else do the work for me!  Pip Designs did an awesome job!

I found Tara at Pip Designs while visiting another blog.  I thought the design of that blog was super cute and was pleased to find a link to its creator.  I browsed around Pip Designs and found that her prices are extremely reasonable! (I would have expected to pay much more for a professional designer.)  I checked out her portfolio and I liked what I saw.  So, I decided to get started! 

She has an order form right on her site that let's you submit your requests and make your payment.  Communication during the process was excellent!  She contacted me almost immediately to answer some questions and confirm my order.  I think I was most impressed with how quickly she did everything!  My design was complete and installed in two days!  And I was able to view a draft in less than 24 hours!  Being able to view the "test site" while she was working was great.  This allowed me to request minor changes, here and there, throughout the process.  I was able to give a lot of input and make it my own.

Overall, I am definitely a very satisfied customer of Pip Designs!  She also offers other services, such as Etsy Customizations, Twitter Backgrounds, Invitations and Cards, Facebook Landing Pages, Business Cards, Logos and Ads.  If you are thinking about hiring out for any of these types of services, I highly recommend you check her out.

So, who else needs a blog makeover?

One lucky winner gets a makeover from Tara at Pip Designs!

Giveaway details:
1 Blog design package 3 worth $55:

clip art and scrap kit not included
Custom background
Custom header
Custom font for sidebar titles, post date, and post titles
Choice of template
Signature
Button with grab code
Favicon
sidebar title backgrounds
simple post divider
drop down navigation bar with 8-10 main tabs unlimited sub-main tabs
post divider image
post title image
social networking buttons on the sidebar max. of 5

How to enter:

**Remember, you must post a comment here for each entry and you must include your email address in each comment!  Comments without an email address will be deleted!

Required (3 entries):

• Follow Pip Designs via GFC.
• Like Pip Designs on facebook and leave her a comment thanking her for the giveaway.  Be sure to tell her Jessica, The Mom sent you!
• Follow Jessica, The Mom (this blog!) via GFC.

Extra entries:

• Like Jessica, The Mom on facebook.  Be sure to "like" from your personal profile for it to count. Include your fb name in comment.
• Share this post on facebook. (can be done once a day)
• Tweet about this post. (can be done once a day)
• Leave a comment here telling me what you think of the new design.  (Don't forget your email address!)
• Comment on a design that you like in Pip Design's portfolio. 
• Grab my button and place it on your site.  (Or you can add my link to your blog roll.)

Have fun and good luck!


This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 years and older.  Contest ends May 15, 2011, 11:59 CST.  Winner must agree to Pip Design's Design Terms.  Winner will be notified via blog post and email after chosen via True Number Generator at Random.org.  Winner must respond to notice within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.  Jessica, The Mom and Pip Designs are not responsible if your notice goes into your spam box.  Prize provided by Pip Designs.

Kid Speak(s) of the Week

Oh, my 3 year old daughter never ceases to amaze me with what comes out of her mouth!

To me at the dinner table: 
Mommy, what is that?
(Me) It's Teriyaki Sauce.
So does it tear easy, or what?

Last night during a television commercial:
Mommy, why is that girl running on top of cars?  Is she stupid or something?
(Me just laughing)

This morning after breakfast:
Mommy, I'm just gonna go out quick and try to catch that birdie.
(Me) You won't be able to catch a birdie, honey.
Yes I can.  Let me just try.

Has you child amused you lately with his/her spoken words?

Free cup of Yoplait Original yogurt!

According to Yoplait.com, 60% of women aren't getting the calcium they need.  So, they are giving away 1 Million free cups of Yoplait Original yogurt to help close the calcium gap!  Wow, that's a lot of yogurt!  Get your free cup here!