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A Mom’s Guide to Planning Ahead & Being Prepared This Holiday Season- Family Size

By on December 10, 2013 in Busy Mom Living The Dream, Sponsored, Survival Guide for Busy Moms

Who Knew A Family Size Lasagna Could Make A Difference This Holiday? – This Mom Does I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and advertiser.2013-12-07 15.41.23 Each year my holiday wish list is the same:

  1. I wish I had more time.
  2. I wish I was more organized.
  3. I wish I were better prepared.

In the past, this is the time of year for me when my best intentions give way to just getting through the holidays. It’s also the time of year when I want to schedule that holiday play date for my kids best friends, or invite my friends over for a girls night. But when “just getting through the holidays” becomes the best you can do, next thing you know it’s February and time to wish for a more organized next year. This year, I’ve decided to plan ahead and share my guide to being prepared this holiday with the help of Nestle #PlanAhead solutions at meals.com. So, for all my fellow busy moms out there who want more time to enjoy the holidays with friends and family this year, I’m sharing these simple steps.

Step 1:

While decorating for the holidays early in December, set out all of your most festive serving ware as if you were decorating for a party, and keep it that way throughout the month. I always like to have my table and buffet set with my best holiday party dishes.

IMG_4760

Step 2:

Keep easy and delicious meals in the freezer so that at a moments notice, you can have hot and healthy food to serve to guests. No more planning a menu for that play date or cocktail party, or running by the grocery store on your way home from work or dance class to pick up days-old veggie trays. Here are a few items I picked up at Walmart to keep on hand this year:

Stouffer’s Party Size Macaroni & Cheese

Stourffers Family Size Macaroni and Cheese

For more #PlanAhead ideas, visit meals.com

 

Stouffer’s Party Size Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Family Size Lasagna

for more Family Size meal ideas, visit meals.com

 

Digiorno Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza

Family Size Pizza

For more Family Size ideas, visit meals.com

 

Dreyer’s Slow Churned Light Ice Cream in A Very Merry Eggnog and Peppermint Wonderland

Peppermint Ice cream

For more #PlanAhead meal ideas, visit meals.com

 

Step 3:

Serve food on your most festive holiday platters, plates and bowls. The table and buffet are already set with your best holiday dishes, so why not use them? This is the one time of year to use those beautiful red glasses, so go ahead and get them dirty!

Peppermint Ice cream

For more #PlanAhead meal ideas, visit meals.com

The desire to be prepared during the holidays is something I share in common with every mom I personally know. The old saying “a stitch in time saves nine” has always resonated with me because I know that just a few simple steps to plan ahead will create a ripple effect that saves me nine times that in the end.

Nestle

Walmart shopping trip to #PlanAhead


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Donation Drive with Dial Soap and Champions For Kids

By on October 12, 2012 in Busy Mom Living The Dream

Simple Service Project

Today was our bi-annual trip to donate items to Child Haven.  This time, instead of donating just our routine clothes, toys and books, we collected soap and other essentials as part of a Simple Service Project with Dial Soap and Champions For Kids.

Earlier this month I wrote about turning any event or party into an opportunity to support the children in your community by holding a simple donation drive during the event- see Champions For Kids Donation Drive.

My girls enjoyed participating in the donation drive by first shopping with me to purchase soap items, and then later by collecting donations from guests as they arrived like soap, shampoo and toothpaste.  The guest who brought the most items to donate to support the children in need in our community won a prize of a custom framed art piece to take home.  For more photos from our shopping trip and preparation for the party and donation drive, visit my Google+ photo album here.

 

Peggy’s Attic

Today we loaded up the SUV and drove to Peggy’s Attic at Child Haven.  I chose this charity because my donation is directly helping children who are removed from their homes or placed into protective custody with few few- if any- personal belongings.

Peggys Attic Child Haven

Peggy’s Attic at Child Haven

 

Located on the campus of the Child Welfare Department, Peggy’s Attic resides separately on the far side of the parking lot and is decorated to look like a small boutique.  Caretakers of these children can enter Peggy’s Attic and shop for these children with dignity.  Unlike other larger charities that take donated items and resell them, all items at Peggy’s Attic are free of charge.

Donation Drive

 

It was participating in the Champions For Kids campaign that brought to my attention the need for essentials like soap, shampoo and toothpaste for these most vulnerable children.  Hand washing is a necessity and by donating these needed supplies, I’m helping these children and families.

Child Haven Donations

 

In addition to boxes and boxes of clothes, toys and books, we were also able to donate bags and bags of toiletry items like soap, shampoo and toothpaste thanks to the many friends who supported our donation drive.

 

Hand Washing To Help Prevent Disease

After reading this article, Hand Washing To Help Prevent Disease, I will plan again for future events to have this same type of donation drive for the children in our community

Helping 20 Million Children By 2020

For ideas about how you can hold a simple donation drive for the children in your community, visit the Champions For Kids website for inspiration and information on how you can participate in the Dial Into Giving SIMPLE Service Project in your own community.  When you have your donation drive, you can report it directly to Champions For Kids website.

 

For more information about the Dial Into Giving SIMPLE Service Project, follow Champions For Kids on Twitter and Facebook.  Also, follow Dial on Twitter and Facebook.

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids, however the views and opinions expressed here are very much my own. #DialCFK #CBias

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Dippable Appetizer with Kraft Anything Dressing

By on October 7, 2012 in Sponsored

Home Entertaining

I’ll admit that I do a lot of entertaining in my home.  Whether it’s a “Mom’s Night Out” party or family gathering, I love to share food and time with the people I care about the most.

The fact is, I’m not a “chips and dip” kind of gal.  I can’t set out a bag of potato chips and then call it a party.

At the same time, I’m a busy on-the-go mom with a lot on my plate (pun intended).  Therefore, I’m always looking for delicious and classy appetizers that are easy to prepare in very little time.

Reuben Appetizer

Reuben Dips with Kraft Thousand Island Anything Dressing

Easy and Delicious Appetizers

While shopping for an upcoming get-together, Walmart was hosting demonstrations for Kraft Anything Dressing to use in dippable appetizers.  Prior to the demonstration, I had never really thought of Kraft Dressing for anything but salads.

But the demonstration got me to thinking; and I quickly came up with the idea for my Reuben Dips.  I grabbed a bottle of Kraft Thousand Island Anything Dressing then headed off to the deli for some shaved pastrami and Swiss cheese.  After swinging by the bakery section for some mini bread sticks, I was set for a visually inspiring and delicious snack for my friends… not to mention, easy.

Kraft Anything Dressing

Shopping at Walmart for party food and supplies

 

Kraft Anything Dressing in Thousand Island

For more photos from my shopping trip to Walmart, check out my Google+ photo album here.

 

The Recipe

If you’re hosting a party or family gathering, here’s my recipe for Reuben Dips that is sure to not disappoint.

Reuben Dips using Kraft Anything Dressing in Thousand Island

 

Reuben Dips Recipe:

Ingredients:

  1. Kraft Pourable Anything Dressing- Thousand Island
  2. Shaved Deli Pastrami- 1/2 pound
  3. Swiss Cheese- 1/2 pound
  4. Mini Bread Sticks (the perfect ones are found in the salad dressing isle close by Kraft Dressings)
  5. Spring Salad Mix (optional)

Ingredients

Directions:

  1. Slice cheese into strips
  2. Wrap a cheese slice around the tip of the bread stick
  3. Wrap a slice of pastrami over the cheese; the pastrami is moist enough to stick
  4. Spread salad mix over plate
  5. Place each wrapped bread stick on top of the salad
  6. Pour dressing into dipping bowl
  7. Serve

Kraft Anything Dressing in Thousand Island

 

Dip!

 

To find out if there is a demonstration at Walmart in your are for Kraft Anything Dressing, visit In Store Now.  And, to find more recipe ideas, follow Kraft on Twitter at @KraftDressing or on Facebook.

 

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Kraft #cbias #socialfabric.

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