Young At Heart Mommy

Managing Motherhood Through Love & Laughter

Archives for 2015

Ugly Sweater GoGo squeeZ AppleSauce Pouches

My family is enjoying healthy snacks as part of a sponsored series with GoGo squeeZ and Socialstars. #GoGosqueeZSquad

The countdown has begun and while I’m having a hard time believing it myself, Christmas is a couple of days away. ‘Tis the season for glitter, glue, crafts, and classroom parties with treats galore. To spread the goodness this holiday season I made these adorable not-so-ugly sweaters to decorate the GoGo squeeZ applesauce pouches I would be handing out to my daughter’s class before the winter break. These convenient pouches are the perfect alternative to the goodie bags I normally put together for special occasions at her school. I know many parents are thanking me right now because the abundance of cookies, cakes, and candy can be overwhelming. While I don’t mind Toodie coming home with treats from her class parties, I much rather her have a healthy snack that provides a benefit and not just a sugar-induced burst of energy!

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Salted Caramel Dipped Biscotti

As a member of the Starbucks Coffee Blogger Community I received samples to facilitate this post. As always, all opinions are my own!   

With Christmas less than a week away it’s becoming apparent that I have some serious last minute gift preparation to take care of. Where has the time gone? I still have so much to do! This year I bid farewell to the massive crowds and long lines at the mall in hopes of eliminating the unwanted stress the holidays tend to bring. Instead, I turned to homemade gifts that could be personalized for each individual friend and family member based on the things they enjoy. Since the majority of those closest to me love all-things coffee as much as I do, Salted Caramel Dipped Biscotti nestled in a gift basket of Starbucks® themed goodies made sense. Plus, any reason to dip a cookie in chocolate is a good one to me. Who doesn’t love a decked out cookie to pair with their favorite cup of seasonal coffee? Milk chocolate and salted caramel are always a winning combination!
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Banana Cream Minion Trifles + A PEEP-tastic GIVEAWAY

The PEEPS® and PEEPS & COMPANY® products, information and additional gift pack have been provided by PEEPS® and PEEPS & COMPANY®.

The holidays can be hectic but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to decompress and minimize the stress that the season brings. After the shopping is done and the presents are wrapped, it’s time to kick back and relax with family. During the month of December we always make sure to put a little time to the side for a family friendly activity that we can all enjoy together. Usually this is in the form of a movie night in, snuggled up on the couch and watching a funny flick. This year the Minion movie was released on DVD & Blu-ray just in time for Christmas so we set up a mini watch party to build up the anticipation for Santa’s arrival. A little reindeer told me he loves those banana-lovin’ twinkie shaped creatures as much as we do. To sweeten up movie night I made Banana Cream Minion Trifles featuring the adorable PEEPS® Marshmallow Minions.
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Holiday Styles At The Children’s Place + $50 GC Giveaway

I was provided with a gift card to shop the holiday trends at the Children’s PLACE. All opinions are my own!

With all that sass and a true sense of self, sometimes I think that Toodie really is 6 going on 16. She’s growing right in front of me and I wish I could stop the clock, even if it’s for a short moment. Like most little girls, she has an opinion on everything under the sun. This includes her wardrobe- shirts, shorts, socks, shoes, and all. Over the years I have gotten used to buying her clothes and the majority of the time she was pleased with what I would bring home. Well, that didn‘t last very long because as of lately she prefers to dress herself from head to toe and my input is not requested! Apparently, she has this whole “kid’s fashion” thing under control. At times she walks out of the house looking better than me! Luckily, I hit a home run a few weeks ago when I brought home a bag full of trendy finds from our favorite store, The Children’s Place.
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GIVEAWAY: Maze Runner-The Scorch Trials Blu-Ray

As a Fox Entertainment Insider Ambassador I have been provided with materials to facilitate this post and giveaway. All opinions are my own!

Earlier in the year I saw the original Maze Runner movie for the first time. It was actually by accident because I was sitting on my couch doing work and it happened to be on in the background.  The main character Thomas, played by Dylan O’Brien, caught my eye because I recognized him from the hilarious movie The Internship with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. It was strange seeing him in such a different role, being the hero instead of the uptight teenager engrossed in his cell phone. I only caught the middle, closer to the end, but that’s all I needed to be completely hooked. Over the course of the next week I watched it a total of five times, FIVE! It has since become one of my favorite movies so you can imagine how excited I was when the second installment was announced. I love movies that have a continuous story line and contain twists that keep you engaged.
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Tylenol Celebrates The Holidays With All Families

I have received information from the makers of TYLENOL®. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post.

As hectic as the holidays can be, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos and forget about what‘s important. It wasn’t until I became a mother, almost seven years ago, that I was truly able to understand how much I cherish my family. A portion of who we are as individuals can be credited to those closest to us. Luckily, I have been fortunate enough to have an incredible support system my entire life. I like to think that this is what has made me the person I am today. Everything changes when you have a child and as your family grows, so does your heart. While it’s fun to give and receive gifts during the holidays, it’s more about the special moments we share. From baking cookies together to reminiscing around the Christmas tree, the best things in life really are free.  Love, laughs, and memories are just a few of them. Family is always worth celebrating.
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Wrapping Paper Christmas Tree Canvas With Photo Ornaments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SaveYourMemories #CollectiveBias

Give a gift that matters this season with a personalized Wrapping Paper Christmas Tree Canvas!

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Advent Calendar With Glittered Ornament Pouches

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CraftAmazing #CollectiveBias

Each year I try to make the holidays even more memorable and magical than the last. Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love spending time with family, decorating the tree, wrapping gifts, baking goodies, and admiring the lights strung throughout the neighborhood. But the best part of the holidays? Creating new traditions to share with my daughter. From exchanging mother/daughter ornaments to building a candy encrusted gingerbread house together, I am a firm believer that you can never have to many traditions to build upon. That’s why we need one more festive addition to our holiday routine! We’re making our own Advent calendar with glittery ornament pouches because it’s one creative method to count down the days until Santa’s arrival. I don’t know why it took me so long to craft my own but I absolutely adore the concept of getting a special surprise each day in the month of December. It makes it even more exciting for Toodie and myself as we inch closer to the big day.
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Watch Your Favorite NBC Shows Online for FREE With TVEverywhere

Oh Tuesday, I am so very happy to see you. Today is officially my Friday and the start to a mini vacation at home with family. With Thanksgiving only a couple of days away, everyone is off of work and school is closed until next Monday! You know what that means right? Time to get my relax on. I am turning mommy mode off for at least an hour or two a day because I am in major need of some “me” time after a LONG grueling semester. The struggle of being an adult student is real! Finding time to indulge in a little television is hard to come by when your mind is filled with mundane equations and business law terminology. Not only do I get to catch up on some much needed sleep this week but I can finally binge watch my favorite shows from the comfort of my couch or bedroom. I am all about the freedom to stream on my laptop.
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