Scrumptious Party Mix For Super Bowl!

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.  

Are you ready for some football!? I know I am! Well, maybe not so much the game as I am excited for all the food that Super Bowl brings. And the hilarious commercials too! It usually falls on me to host the Super Bowl party each year, and that means finding crowd pleasing snacks that aren't overly messy, and aren't going to take me all day to prepare. A mish mash of fun little snacks all tossed together to create a scrumptious party mix snack is what I am making this year, and I found the perfect Party Mix recipe on Golden Blossom Honey!

This is one of those snacks that you reach for, then reach for again and again. Jason had to stop me from snacking on all the mix after I made it because I wasn't going to have any left for photos at the rate I was tearing though it. It was that gooood! *Was* being the keyword. It's long gone now so I have to make another batch for Sunday.

What's in this delicious mix?

6 cups mixed Chex cereal, corn, rice, multigrain
3 cups pretzel twists
1 cup nuts, walnuts, pecans or almonds
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dried fruit, cranberries, cherries or raisins

Get the full recipe Here.

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey! 

 

What are you serving for Super Bowl this year?

Feel Flirty On Valentine's Day With SinfulColors

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Ever since having kids, Jason and I don't celebrate the holiday like we used to. No more flowers and fancy dinners. Just a quiet evening home with our girls. Just because we don't go out for an evening alone together, it doesn't mean that I don't want to put a little effort into making myself feel pretty for the day. I am a girly girl, after all. Don't get me wrong. I won't go over the top getting all dolled up. I'll still wear my yoga pants and a sweater. But I'll fix my hair in more than just a ponytail and I'll put some make up on. I'll even get around to painting my nails. It's the little things like a fresh new color on my nails that makes me feel pampered and special. And when I feel pampered and special, I get a little flirty. I want to snuggle a little closer on the couch next to my hubby. This year I am getting in a flirty mood with new nail polish shades from SinfulColors. 

SinfulColors will be offering 8 new sensuous nail colors just in time for Valentine's Day! The Flirts With Hearts collection is a fabulous mix of reds and pinks, trendy teal, and a brand new, exclusive, limited-edition heart-shaped glitter called Love Sprinkles. 

Here is a my nail painted in shades Daredevil and the new Love Sprinkles:

Aren't those little hearts and sprinkles so fun!? 

If you love those, you are going to love all 8 gorgeous shades:

No matter what shade you choose, SinfulColors will have you in the flirty mood too for Valentine's Day! 

SinfulColors Flirt With Hearts collection will be available for purchase February 2015, at Walgreens, Rite Aid, and other mass retailers. Each bottle retails for an amazingly low price of $1.99 per bottle, which is bargain enough to send my heart aflutter!


If you would like to learn more about these SinfulColors shades, be sure to check out their website. Additionally, stay up to date on new products and promotions by following SinfulColors on Facebook and Twitter.

Do you get glammed up for Valentine's Day? Which of the new 8 shades from SinfulColors is your favorite?

De-stress With Homemade Lavender & Green Tea Bath Salts #LavenderOil

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Policy tab for more information.


It is very rare for me to take over the counter medicines, and last week I talked about how I have been using essential oils for natural health remedies. Not only do I use them to help keep me healthy, essential oils have multiple use benefits. One that I find myself turning to time and time again is lavender essential oil. An all-around relaxer, the scent of lavender can soothe the nervous system, acts as a mood booster, assist with insomnia, and eases headaches. Because it has great anti-bacterial properties, lavender is one of the best remedies for burns, stings, cuts and irritated skin. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that don't have to be diluted. You can apply it directly to the skin without diluting it with a carrier oil.

Since it is so versatile, I use lavender essential oil quite frequently in my homemade bath and body products, as well as cleaning products. The scent is so calming, it is one of my favorites. Having it on hand is an absolute must, and I am currently obsessed with Applejack Life Lavender Essential Oil.

Applejack Life's Lavender Essential Oil is 100% pure, therapeutic grade oil. They steam distill the oil to ensure it is produced with the highest quality. It comes packaged in an amber colored glass bottle to protect the oil from breaking down in light. When I first opened the package, the scent was very strong, so I knew the quality of the oil was amazing. Just having the bottle opened filled my kitchen with the soothing aroma of lavender! Combined with the generous 4 ounce bottle, I am not going to be running though it quickly. It does come with a free dropper, so no need to purchase a dropper to remove the product from the jar. Whether you are new to essential oils or a longtime user, lavender essential oil is one that should always be on hand. You can get Applejack Life 100% Pure Lavender Essential Oil on Amazon for $24.50.

I mostly use lavender oil for it's calming properties, and one of my favorite ways to de-stress is by soaking in a hot bath. Of course, no bath is complete without adding in some soothing essentials. I love to combine lavender oil in some salts and loose green tea for the ultimate bath soak.

Adding salts to the bath is an incredible way to draw toxins from the body. They are also great at relieving inflammation and cramping. Green tea detoxifies and soothes stressed skin,  fights inflammation, and firms and balances skin tone.

When I want to de-stress, I draw a hot bath, pour in these lavender and green tea bath salts, and let it work its magic.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Epsom salt
• 1 cup sea salt
•  8 green tea bags (I use Celestial Seasonings Organic Green Tea)
• 4-6 drops Applejack Life Lavender Essential Oil

 Directions:

In a large bowl, combine salts with the loose tea from the tea bags.
Stir in essential oil until you reach desired scent.
Pour 1/2 cup into warm bath water.
Store any unused salts in an air-tight container.

Since my dogs are allergic to some commercial air fresheners, I also keep a spritzer bottle in the bathroom with homemade lavender vanilla room spray.

To make the room spray, combine 4 drops lavender oil, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon Epsom salt in 4 ounces of water. Store in a dark glass spray bottle. *Do not use a plastic bottle as the oil can break down plastic*.

I will sometimes spritz a little on my pillow to help me sleep better at night.

I can't say enough great things about essential oils. My husband doubted their benefits until he saw them work firsthand. Even though he gets weird looks from his buddies,  now he goes around encouraging others to give them a try too!

Applejack Life offers a 90 day, no-hassle money back guarantee. Try them. You'll like them!

Do you like the scent of lavender? Have you tried lavender essential oils before?

Orkin Bed Bug Feud Game & Giveaway #OrkinMan #BedBugFeud

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.  


Jason and I were watching television the other day, and the show was about creepy, crawly bugs. They touched down on bed bugs, and OMG! Those things freak me out! I will never be able to go to a hotel again without thoroughly inspecting the room to make sure we aren't carting any of those little buggers home with us! Shivers!


                 

Orkin is back with #BedBugFeud - test your bed bug knowledge and see if you are keeping a clean bed in 2015!     

At Orkin, we use the latest technology and unparalleled training to develop an effective treatment that's right for your needs. To learn more about our pest control based in science or to schedule an inspection, visit orkin.com or call 1-800-800-ORKIN.

Play the Bed Bug Feud and beat the clock to make the leader board! 
    


                

WIN IT!


                        


One lucky Theresa's Mixed Nuts reader is going to win a CleanRest Pillow Encasement. Giveaway is open to U.S., 18+. NO PO Boxes will be accepted. The giveaway will run through 2/10/15. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email or a new winner will be selected.

**All entries are verified. Please make sure you are following all task guidelines you claim entries for. Failure to do so will result in your entries being removed from the form.

Entry-Form

Winter Staycation With Pop Secret & Pillow Forts #PopSecretForts

Disclosure:  Today’s post is sponsored by Pop Secret, by my love for their popcorn is all my own!


When we are in the heart of winter, we have to get a little creative with the boredom busters. We aren't big fans of the cold, so we don't travel around much this time of year. On the weekends we pretend we are having a staycation and stay wrapped in blankets and jammies. We try to come up with fun themes to pass the time. Movie night, game night and craft night have been some recent favorites. This weekend, we decided to have a camping night! We rounded up all of the spare blankets and pillows to build a pillow fort, then grabbed some Pop Secret popcorn for delicious camp snacking.

Pop Secret has been a family favorite for many years. We love the Homestyle popcorn because it pops up light and fluffy, and with just a hint of butter and salt, it is so perfect for the mix ins we like to use to turn a delicious snack into something just a bit more decadent. This weekend we whipped up some Jackson Pollock popcorn for our camping adventures.

Our Jackson Pollock popcorn is a scrumptious mix of popcorn drizzled with caramel, and white and dark chocolate. Combined with the touch of salt and butter already on the kernels, it's a taste explosion on your tongue!

Ingredients

2 bags Pop Secret popcorn
½ cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup white chocolate
½ cup dark chocolate

Directions

Pop popcorn according to package directions. Once popped, pour into a large bowl. Remove any unpopped kernels.

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once mixture is boiling, stop stirring, but continue to boil on medium heat for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and baking soda. This will create your caramel mixture. Pour the caramel over popcorn in the bowl. Using 2 spoons, toss the popcorn to coat with the caramel mixture. Spread popcorn/caramel mixture evenly over 2 cookie sheets.

Using double broilers, or 2 glass bowls placed over simmering water, melt chocolates. Using a spoon, drizzle chocolates over the caramel popcorn mixture.

Allow 1 hour for chocolate to cool and harden on popcorn. Once cooled and set, break into small pieces and serve.


The girls had a blast getting their Jackson Pollock on, making a delicious mess all over the popcorn.

 While our popcorn was setting, we set up camp. Building a pillow fort was something I loved do to as a kid, so getting to build one with my daughters was not only great for bonding, it took me back to the days of my childhood when I would spend hours carefully constructing my own pillow fort. Using dining room chairs as our base, we draped over all of our spare blankets, filled it with pillows, and named it Camp Kernel.

Allison immediately settled in with a stash of books and some tasty Pop Secret!

Get in on the action yourself! Pop Secret is your perfect snack companion on trips into the uncharted reaches of your imagination.

Go to the Pop Secret Facebook Page to download printable Pop Secret Pillow Fort Flags and get a valuable $1 coupon for Pop Secret Popcorn!  

Pop Secret knows that fun, like popcorn, is better when it’s shared. Send Pop Secret your Pop Secret pillow fort stories and pictures on Facebook. You can upload them right to the Pop Secret timeline and tag them #PopSecretForts. They might just share a little something back!

Did you enjoy making pillow forts when you were a kid? Do your kids build their own pillow forts now too?

Homemade Trail Mix Bars

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.  

Like many people, I like to snack. I try to keep fruits and veggies within eyesight so I reach for those first, but some days I just want something sweet. Since I don't normally keep candies or prepackaged treats on hand, I usually have to make something from scratch. That means flipping through my recipe box until something strikes my fancy. Lately though, I have been turning to Golden Blossom Honey to meet most of my recipe needs. Last month I came across their Trail Mix Bars recipe and thought it would be a great one, not only to satisfy my sweet tooth, but it would be perfect to pack in my husband and daughter's lunches as well. They are now a family favorite, so we have made these bars several times since then. My youngest daughter thinks they are a real treat because she says they taste just like an oatmeal cookie.

Made with oats, dried cranberries, raisins, almonds and mini chocolate chips, they have everything I need to satisfy my sweet tooth craving, and give me a needed boost of energy in the afternoons! I'd say that's the perfect snack right there!

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°

Lightly grease a 9x15 inch pan.

Combine the first four ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add vanilla, butter, honey and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer. Batter will be very heavy. Using a wooden spoon stir in remaining ingredients until well combined.

Press dough into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Cut into bars and cool completely before removing them from pan.

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey! 

What kind of fruits would you use to mix into your trail mix bars?