I eat Cheerios because they are healthy, low calorie, convenient, and they are very filling. First thing in the morning I get a small cup of Cheerios to start my day. When I head out for the day I grab my three snack containers; Cheerios, baby carrots, and pretzels. This gives me the feeling of snacking and keeps me from eating food that I will regret. If I feel like an after-dinner snack I might “spoil” myself and mix a few nuts, dried fruit, and dark chocolate chips in with some Cheerios. It all depends on if I feel like something sweet or something salty. I even pour dry Cheerios into a cup when I am busy driving the kids around. That way I can easily eat while driving.

Obviously, we go through LOTS of Cheerios so I never buy them full price. I LOVE when I get free Cheerios for reviews and giveaways but I also look for sales and coupons. If I am forced to shop without discounts I will head over to Sam’s Club. I love the large 2 cox Cheerios packages. They used to come with 2 bags inside one box but many people found that inconvenient so now they came out with new 2 Box Cheerios Packaging.

The new 2 box Cheerios contains two individual boxes, making them easier to store and easier to pour! They also reduce the amount of air in each individual bag, these enhanced containers fit 10% more cereal than before and use less packaging. While each box contains more cereal, packaging material has been reduced by over 200,000 lbs, saving 1,000 trees and taking 130 Cheerios trucks of the road, decreasing CO2 emissions. You can find these new boxes at your local Costco, Sam´s Club or BJ´s.

THE GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader will receive 2 boxes of the new 2 Box Cheerios Packaging!
Disclosure: Cheerios® cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

We planted our vegetable garden last Sunday. Every year we go through the same thing. I whine and tell James that I don't want to do a garden that year because we are too busy (and I feel lazy). Every year James says that is not an option and we have to have a garden. I then drag my feet until he finally convinces me that we need to go to the local greenhouse. As soon as we get to the greenhouse I get very excited and I am glad that he insisted on a garden.

I can't say that the enthusiasm over the garden is always present though. I absolutely HATE weeding! Actually, I am not too fond of watering the garden either. Mosquitoes love me so I always get eaten alive while I water. See, this is why I try to avoid having a garden ever year. I am pretty whiny when it comes to gardening! We do it every year though because the end result is so wonderful. I love being able to just go out back and get fresh from the garden vegetables. You just can't get that taste from a grocery store!

We have a huge backyard that is great for many things but gardening is not one of them. We live in the middle of nowhere and our yard goes downhill into a marshland. We have to deal with lots of weeds trying to invade our yard, planting on a hill, our soil is not the best, and we have lots of animals and bugs. Oh yeah, and our yard is surrounded in trees so only the center gets direct sunlight.

Every year when we put in the garden I have this image in my head of a thing of beauty. I look at this photo of a garden and I long for the day that I can achieve it. What we get seldom compares though. I try to avoid seeds as much as possible because all of the birds just come and dig them all up. I can never fully keep the weeds out and we have learned that certain kinds of plants just can't survive all of the bugs and animals that we get in the yard. We have given up on anything that is eaten by earwigs, stray cats, rabbits, and deer. So far, all of the squirrels have left our plants alone and the groundhog family from last year seems to be gone.

Since I am a lazy gardener, we have never put anything into our soil. I am thinking that this year should be different. I do not like spraying any chemicals on the garden so at least we are starting with organic soil it just isn't good soil. I am thinking that a good organic plant food would help a ton.

Whitney Farms® provides a line of 100% natural plant food and has 25+ years of leading gardening experience. They are low to no dust, have no manure odor,  and contain beneficial microbes. The easy to apply product is a specially designed protein-based blend that provides your plants with both macro and micronutrients that they need to grow and thrive.

*SAVE* -  If you head on over now you can receive a $3 coupon!

MOTHER’S LOVE: Inspiring True Stories from the Animal Kingdom, the new book celebrating animal mothers and the love they have for their offspring, by Melina Gerosa Bellows, with a foreword by actress Kate Hudson. This adorable book features heartwarming tales that remind us there is no stronger power on Earth than a mother’s love, even among the animal kingdom. In her introduction, Gerosa Bellows writes, “Perhaps these stories touch me so deeply because they illustrate the common bond of motherhood.

This book is full of beautiful photographs of motherhood in the animal kingdom. It includes fun animal mom facts, incredible animal tales, and inspirational quotes celebrating mothers from such well-known sons and daughters as Charlie Chaplin, Victor Hugo, Thomas Edison, Agatha Christie, Sophocles, Mark Twain, Sophia Loren, Maya Angelou and Joan Rivers. Page after page you will be touched by the beautiful photos and words of motherhood.

About the Author
Melina Gerosa Bellows is executive vice president and chief creative officer for National Geographic Books, Kids and Family, which includes the award-winning, No. 1 children’s magazine National Geographic Kids. In addition to authoring five books, she has written for numerous publications, including Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, Cosmopolitan and Glamour. She has appeared on such TV shows as “Today,” “The View,” “Good Day New York” and “Fox and Friends” as well as on CNN.

THE GIVEAWAY

Three (3) lucky Your Fun Family readers will receive a copy of the adorable book Mother’s Love by Melina Gerosa Bellows.

Disclosure: Free copies of the book for review and the giveaway were provided to us.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Someone has been farting up a storm at school and everyone thinks Keith Emerson is to blame. Unfortunately for Keith, it has earned him the nickname “S.B.D.” (silent but deadly). To make matters worse, Keith’s dad is a self-proclaimed “Fart Machine” who really stinks it up at home. With the science fair quickly approaching, Keith decides he has had enough. He comes up with a science fair project idea to turn the foul smell of human gas into something sweet smelling. The idea lands him in the principal’s office, and in big trouble with his mom. With the help of his little sister Emma, his dad, his crazy grandma, and Benjamin Franklin (great American scientist), Keith will attempt to make the greatest scientific discovery of all time, the cure for the common fart.

THE GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader will win the entire 3 book Sweet Farts series!

Disclosure: Copies of the books for review and the giveaway have been provided to us free of charge.

Recently, Stanley Steemer, the nation’s largest deep cleaning service, commissioned a national poll and found out that nearly half of respondents predicted spending less than four hours total on this year’s spring cleaning. Only 19 percent reported having ever used a professional for cleaning. Wow, there are going to be some dirty houses this year!

Last year Stanley Steemer cleaned 200 tons of dirt! Stanley Steemer’s proprietary equipment and cleaning processes remove more than 98% of dry soil from floors. The company and their bright yellow trucks are known everywhere for their great carpet cleaning but they are so much more. Stanley Steemer’s expertise extends to hardwood, tile, air ducts, and water damage restoration. They have over 70 branches and 220 franchise locations in 48 states, Stanley Steemer services 95% of the country. Do you have allergies? Their deep cleaning process can also help combat this difficult allergy season!

THE GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader will win a $100 Stanley Steemer gift certificate! Use the form below to enter.

Disclosure: A gift certificate for review purposes, information, and the gift certificate for the giveaway have been provided by Stanley Steemer through MyBlogSpark.

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We are heading back into prime stain season again! I love that the weather is getting nicer and that the kids can play outside more, but boy do they get dirty! In the winter months all you have to worry about is how cold and wet will the kids be when they come back inside. Now after a long day of playing outside, my girls can come in with everything from dirty to grass stains. Thank goodness for modern stain fighters!

We have been spending a lot of time outside lately and it is not all fun and games. We do play a lot of badminton out back but we also have a ton of yard work to catch up on. All of this rain has made the yard a mess of mud and weeds. This has made all of the spring yard clean up is much messier this year. I have been making the kids shower right away when they come inside so they do not get mud everywhere. That does not help me with all of the laundry though!

I am so glad that stain fighters have come along as far as they have. Bleach would ruin all of the bright colored clothes and the bars of laundry soap tend to really hurt my arm and wear holes in the clothes before the stain even comes out. Shout® Trigger provides an easy way to spray the stain and let it do all of the work!

Shout® has a Triple-Acting Formula that clings to the stain penetrating it and then lifts it away. The convenient trigger allows you to spray it just where you need it so there is no waste. Shout® is safe for all colorfast washables and  works in all water temperatures. It also saves you a ton of money since you are not constantly replacing stained clothes!

Shout® is the perfect stain fighter for busy moms that don’t have time to worry about stains! Shout® Trigger can be found at Walmart, so you can get all of your shopping done at one place and save even more time.

What better way to slurp down to the bottom of the bowl than with the new Curvy Straws, available in specially marked boxes of Big G cereal! With these collectable, connectable Curvy Straws, children of all ages can enjoy mixing and matching to build bigger, colorful straws all while helping them work towards stronger bones and muscles through increased calcium intake!

As soon as we received this cool package in the mail my girls were in a hurry to try it all out! The “spilt milk” bowl was a big hit. It is made out of a squishy rubbery material that makes it look and feel really cool. My girls love connecting and building their curvy straws and the tangle toys and glow cups kept them having fun all night. Breakfast time is now not only a healthy meal to start the day, it is also a great way to start the day with a smile.

Participating Big G cereals include Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Reese´s® Puffs, Honey Nut Cheerios, Trix and Cocoa Puffs. Made with more whole grain than any other ingredient, Big G cereal, combined with a ½ cup of milk, can help provide a great start to your family´s day! Each type of cereal comes with a different straw so be sure to collect all six different colorful straws featuring beloved Big G cereal characters.

*SAVE* Click here to print a coupon for $1.25 off of the purchase of (2) boxes of participating Big G cereal today!

THE GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader will receive an awesome Big G Curvy Straw Prize Pack which includes: 1 box of a participating Big G cereal, 1 Curvy Straw, 1 `spilt´ milk bowl, 2 glow cups, and 2 tangle toys.

Disclosure: Free products for review, information, and the giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Just one more week to go until Cinco de Mayo! How can this year be flying by so fast? Cinco de Mayo is such a fun and festive holiday and the best part is knowing that summer is just around the corner. I am soooo ready for warmth, sunshine, and relaxation! This September we are taking a family vacation to Mexico but until then we will just have to escape to Chili’s!

We have so much fun when we go to Chili’s! James is less set in his ways and always tries new things. The rest of us have favorites that we stick with everywhere we go. My younger girls always get quesadillas and chicken strips. My oldest daughter and I always share a two person combination of chicken and steak fajitas. I also tend to treat myself to a margarita.

There is just something about a really good margarita. They taste like sunshine and fun mixed with just the right amount of sweet, salty and sour. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about one! Right now you can check out the new CoronaRita at Chili’s and start your Cinco de Mayo celebration a little early. This new drink is made with Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila and Coronita. I am not much of a beer drinker normally but the magic word “margarita” is involved so I am sure to love it. The CoronaRita sounds like it would taste great with my fajitas. I may even have to plan a seperate “no kids” night!

Whether you are looking for a fun place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo or you just want to celebrate the coming of summer Chili’s can be a really fun time. I am thinking maybe even a fun night after the last day of school!

What would you like to celebrate at Chili’s and what would you eat?

What do you think of the new CoronaRita?

*You must be 21 years or older to drink alcoholic beverages and as always, please remember to drink responsibly

The full title is S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches. Isn’t that everything we have all been looking for? Cynthia Sass gives you an Optional 5-Day Fast Forward that helps you jumpstart your results so you can lose up to eight pounds five days. It will help you detoxify with clean,delicious, and simple meals that are filling, nutrient-rich, and shown to support weight loss. The best part is that she includes a grocery list so you can easily get started.

When you have finished your 5-Day Fast Forward you can move on to The 25-day plan which includes great tasting and healthy recipes like Cinnamon Walnut Apple Crisp and Mediterranean Pasta Salad. When you Sass Yourself Slim you will learn how to eat healthy and lose weight without sacrificing flavor because this book is stuffed full of great tasting recipes that will actually help you lose weight. There are so many choices and flavors that you will not get bored.

The best part of the Sass plan is the Daily Dark Chocolate Escape! We keep hearing that Dark Chocolate has health benefits but did you know that it also helps curb your cravings for sweet and salty foods? You really can treat yourself a little and feel no guilt!

If you have tried diet after diet and wondered why it never worked and you are sick of starving yourself, you need to check out this book! You do not have to starve or live off of boring diet shakes to lose weight. You just have to know the right things to eat!

THE GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Sass Yourself Slim by Cynthia Sass!

Gutzy Gear is a cool new product that is popping up all over! This product features two easy to use strap covers that wrap around your child’s backpack straps. Then the fun begins! Kids can choose their own Gutzies to add to their straps. Gutzies have a backing of heavy duty velcro so they can be changed anytime they want or they can be traded with friends.

My kids have always been picky about their backpacks. They don’t want to have a plain and boring one and they don’t want it to look like everyone else. Gutzy Gear solves those problems and makes backpacks cool! We received some Gutzy Gear starter sets to review and share with friends and as soon as the package arrived the kids went nuts! They could not wait to get them on their backpacks and show them off at school.

THE GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader will receive a Gutzy Gear starter set which including straps and 2 Gutzies, for your child to wear proudly!