Theresa's Mixed Nuts: September 2014

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday ~ Compliments



Found on my daughter's Twitter page. Awww! Every woman loves a compliment, but nothing beats getting one from your child ♥


What's the nicest compliment you have ever received?



Friday, September 26, 2014

White Chocolate Pumpkin Dreams

Tis' the season of pumpkin flavored everything, so I feel it's my duty to throw another recipe in the mix! Upon hearing "Why don't you ever make us any cookies!?" from my family, I decided to bake up these amazing white chocolate pumpkin cookies that I got from Taste of Home a few years back. And to answer their question- I don't make cookies because I sit and eat them all when I do, just like I did with this batch.

pumpkin cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 package white chocolate chips (or 12 oz coarsely chopped high quality white chocolate)

Frosting Ingredients: (note, these are sweet and really delicious without the frosting. If you don't like an extra sweet cookie, leave the frosting off)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1 and 1/2 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and the pumpkin.Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in white chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or until firm.

Cool on wire racks. Top with frosting, if desired, when completely cooled.

(For frosting, mix all ingredients until well combined.)

pumpkin cookies



What is your favorite fall dessert?




Wednesday, September 24, 2014

2014 World Vision Catalog - Making A Difference in Lives Across the World {Giveaway}

*Disclosure- I received an item to help facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.


I am excited to be working with World Vision again this year! For those of you who are unfamiliar with World Vision, they are charitable organization that help poverty stricken people with means to better their lives. World Vision offers many programs designed to help eradicate poverty and provide hope to nearly 100 countries around the world. Through their gift catalogs, that are now in their 19th year, you can help those in need with a small donation, which would be a very generous gift to the recipient. There are more than 100 meaningful gifts in the paper catalog, starting at just $16. The online World Vision catalog offers more than 250 items. You can chose to gift items such as job training, school supplies, or live animals.

Reading through the catalog, there is a short paragraph detailing how your gift helps. For example, you can read how Super Nets protect children from malaria: 

Mosquitos kill nearly 655,000 people every year. Preventing this deadly disease is out of reach for many poor African families. Your gift will provide one of the best ways to protect children from malaria -bed nets- as well as critical education for prevention and control. 

Bed nets for 5 families - $90
Bed nets for 3 families - $54
Bed nets for 1 family - $18.

It amazes me how many lives could be saved with a small $18 donation!


In 2013, more than 350,000 animals were donated. Goats continue to be the most popular animal to give, as they provide a family with many benefits. Milk, cheese and yogurt provide protein to help children grow, the fertilizer increase the amount of vegetables grown in the family garden, and any surplus milk, cheese and yogurt can be sold in market to help earn money for other necessities, like medicine and clothing. A goat really is the gift that keeps on giving! Other popular gifting items include sheep, chickens, soccer balls, ducks, and education for a child.

83% of World Vision's total operating expenses are used for programs that benefit children, families, and communities in need. In the 2013 fiscal year more than $33.7 million was raised through the World Vision Gift Catalog, and that helped more than 844,000 people around the world!

More Examples of life changing gifts:

Fight Poverty in America: Feed a family in the U.S. for a day ($18), give a child a backpack filled with essential school supplies ($22) or help disaster relief in the U.S. ($50).

Stock a School: Give kids in developing countries the books and tools they need to fulfill their potential and lift themselves out of poverty. A gift of $100 provides $800 worth of supplies such as textbooks, teaching materials, desks and more.

If you are planning to donate to a charity this year, please keep World Vision in mind. If you are looking for that hard to buy for person, donors can choose to have a card sent in honor of a loved one, which can be printed or emailed from the website at any time to let an honoree know that something special has been done for them this Christmas.

If you prefer, World Vision offers many tangible, hand crafted gifts that still help to benefit those in need. There are many tangible gifts to chose from in the Hand Crafted Gift section. I personally have a love of natural wood objects, and immediately fell in love with these hand-carved serving spoons.




Each of the gorgeous hand-carved serving spoons are unique, and come in a colorful pouch. They are made to benefit Kenyan orphans of the Kamba tribe, and can be yours for a $65 donation.

There are many other beautiful items, like African soapstone boxes, colorful silk scarves, and fair trade coffee sets, all benefiting the area that makes the most impact.

If you would like to make a life changing donation or place a holiday order, go online to www.worldvisiongifts.org or call 855-WV-GIFTS. Hard copies of the catalog are available on request.

If you would like to learn more about how World Vision is helping individuals and communities across the world, be sure to visit their website.

WIN IT!

One lucky Theresa's Mixed Nuts reader is going to win a set of the above mentioned hand-crafted serving spoons.

The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S., 18+. NO PO Boxes will be accepted. The giveaway will run through 10/9/2014. 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.



Monday, September 22, 2014

Clothes That Fit Just Right At eShakti!

 *Disclosure- I received a sample product to help facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

I don't consider myself a fashion mogul, but I do appreciate beautiful clothes and will stop to admire them when possible. Shopping for new outfits, on the other hand, always leaves me feeling very frustrated. My body doesn't usually fit well in off the rack clothes. For example, I have a smaller waist, but a big booty, so if I buy to fit my waist, the rest of the pants are skin tight. If I buy to fit my rear, I have a horrible waist gap. I can't remember the last time I found a pair of pants that fit just right. I have the same problem with shirts too!

I bet I am not alone in this clothing conundrum. But listen! eShakti  has the solution we need. At eShakti you can get beautiful custom clothing! They offer many designs, but you get to customize each piece to your specifications. With sizes range from 0-36W, there's something for pretty much everyone. It's Real Fashion for Real People!

Take this dress for example.

The first step would be selecting a size based on your measurements.


Then you would select your height. After that, you decide if you like the sleeve length. If not, you have the option to shorten or lengthen to your liking.


If you don't like the dress length, you can change that too!


Custom size and styling starts at a reasonable $7.50. If you don't like the embellishments or pockets, those can be removed for free.

Submit your order, and your custom made to fit item will arrive within 18 calendar days. Now, I did not make any changes to the dress that I ordered, and it arrived about a week after I sent my order in, which I thought was very quick. I received this dotted wavy lines chambray denim dress.


I simply loved everything about the way it was already designed, so other than my measurements, I left it as is. As soon as it arrived, I couldn't wait to try it on! And for once, I was actually impressed with how well an article of clothing fit. It really was like a glove.



The denim material was thin, but not cheap. Very lightweight and breathable. The embroidery was stitched in really tight. No loose threads that needed to be trimmed off. There is a zipper on the side of the dress, and it moved up and down with ease. I really hate it when a zipper is tough to open and close, so this made me very happy!


Overall, I am very pleased with my first item from eShakti and will definitely be adding more pieces to my wardrobe from them in the future!



To get your own custom fit clothing, browse the fabulous selection by visiting the eShakti website. Additionally, you can stay up to date on current trends and promotions by following along on their social media:


Do you have a difficult time finding clothes that fit just right? Would you consider buying made to order clothing online?


Thursday, September 18, 2014

DIY Candy Bar Cake

A few years back I made a "cake" out of candy bars for my nephew's birthday. He absolutely loved it! Mariah's boyfriend just had a birthday, so I thought maybe I'd be nice and make him one too. The nice thing about this "cake" is that you can use any candy bar to make it. Use the same, mix them up. It really doesn't matter. Just make sure the bars are about equal in size so it isn't totally lopsided.


I used Hershey's because that was what was on sale that week, and I bought one of these foam rings at the $1 store, so this craft is relatively inexpensive, but a huge hit with teens! 

This is a pretty self explanatory craft. Just hot glue your candy around the ring. I stuffed the inside of the ring with tissue paper, then topped it with some Hershey's Kisses. Wrap a ribbon around, then you are all done!


What kind of candy bars would you use on your cake?


Sweet After School Snacking With New HERSHEY'S Yogurt Mix-ins #HERSHEYS #PlatefullCoOp #paid

Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.


My kids don't give me as much as a sideways glance when they come in the door from school. They act like they haven't eaten in ages, and head straight to the kitchen for an after school snack. We like to keep a variety of options on hand so I don't have to hear them immediately start complaining that "There's Nothing To Eat!" Fruit and granola bars are always stocked, but their true snacking love is yogurt. When my girls saw the new HERSHEY'S Yogurt Mix-ins that were stocked in the fridge, they couldn't wait to try them!



Introducing the new HERSHEY'S Yogurt Mix-ins. Classic HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate together with the goodness of Yoplait® yogurt, creating a yogurt snack your whole family will get excited for! Available in 3 different varieties, you can try the creamy yogurt with Whoppers, HERSHEY'S Cookies 'n Crème or HERSHEY'S chocolate bars. 


The yogurt has the creamy consistency that Yoplait® is known for, and there is a fair amount of candy mix-ins for each cup. 


Each cup has 130 calories and only 1.5 grams of fat, so I don't feel guilty letting my girls indulge in this sweet treat for their after school snacking! Each package contains 2 yogurt cups with the candy mix-ins.  I found mine at Walmart for right around $2 each.


Allison loved it so much, she all but licked the cup clean!

New HERSHEY'S Yogurt Mix-ins are currently available in most major grocery retailers. If you would like to learn more, be sure to visit their website. Additionally, you can follow along on Pinterest for after school and lunchbox inspiration.


Which HERSHEY Yogurt Mix-in are you most excited to try?



Friday, September 12, 2014

You Never Forget Your First Concert!

I was 12. I had just won some fabulous concert tickets from the radio station and was so excited! This was going to be great! Not only because it was a free for me concert, but because we had awesome seats and it was going to be my first concert experience ever! My excitement quickly fizzled when we arrived at the stadium and they informed us they changed it to open seating. Even though my tickets were for almost right on the stage, I had to sit up in the balcony, nose bleed section because we arrived too late to get up close. How crummy was that!? Since then, I kind of became a seat snob. I will stalk an upcoming show until the day the tickets go on sale. If I can't get within the first 10 rows or so, I don't go. If I am going to drop more than $50 on tickets to an event, I want to see what's going on!

So, when Jason tried talking me into taking the girls to a Fall Out Boy concert a week before the show, I said no. One does not buy tickets that close to the event and expect good seats! But, after a little more persuasion, and the fact that I remembered that Allison had "go to a concert" on her bucket list for this year, and since she has never been to one, I gave in. They were on tour with Paramore, which we happen to like too, so the ticket prices, even for crummy seats, were justifiable.

Paramore concert

I could barely make out the people on the stage, but at least I could see them from my camera lens ;)
Fall Out Boy Concert
Fall Out Boy  
 I did worry about it being not age appropriate for a 10 year old. Not so much the songs (I think there were about 2 F bombs dropped during the show) but I was worried about the behavior of the other concert goers. Thankfully, everyone seemed to be on their best behavior, just wanting to come and have a good time.


Overall, the show was way beyond fabulous! This event taught me that it is ok to have crappy seats. I got to experience watching my daughter have a magical time going to her first concert, and we all got to rock out together as a family.


What was the first concert you ever went to?


2014 Office Depot Foundation National Backpack Program Helps Children with Needed School Supplies

 *Disclosure- I received a sample product to help facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.


Starting the school year can be an exciting time for most students. It's a time for new beginnings, making new friends, and learning new things. But it can also be a challenging time for families when money is tight. Even though we live in a great nation that offers free education, there are still expenses associated with sending our children to school. They need so many supplies -  backpacks, paper, pens, rulers, folders... Those expenses can really start to add up, and some families simply can not afford to send their children to school with those much needed supplies. Children should be worrying about getting good grades, and not worrying about if they are going to have the tools necessary to achieve those grades. The Office Depot Foundation is doing their part to make sure many children are going to start the year off on the right foot by sending them to school with the necessary supplies needed to have a successful school year.

Office Depot Foundation


In 2014, The Foundation is donating 350,000 sackpacks throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, as well as many other countries. The sackpacks come in 7 different colors, and are specially designed with fun new patterns for 2014. Each sackpack contains a pen, pencil, 4 crayons, pencil sharpener, eraser, 6 inch rule, and a zippered pencil pouch. 

Office Depot Sackpack

There are NO Office Depot or Office Depot Foundation logos or markings on the bags, with the exception of the removable paper tag. They want children to feel proud to carry the sackpacks, without the risk of being stigmatized by something that could be identified as an act of charity. My girls thought the designs were trendy and stylish, and a whole lot of fun!


The Office Depot Foundation has given away more than 3 million sackpacks since its inception 14 years ago. This year they will be giving away another 350,000 sackpacks to those in need.



Here is a short 2 minute video on the program. It's beautiful to see how happy the children are to receive their sackpacks!


If you would like to learn more about The Office Depot Foundation, please visit their website.



WIN IT!

One lucky Theresa's Mixed Nuts reader is going to win a Sackpack!! The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S., 18+. NO PO Boxes will be accepted. The giveaway will run through 9/26/2014. 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.


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Monday, September 8, 2014

Parasite Cleanse

I have been a longtime fan of Terry's blog My Journey with Candida. For the past few years I have been fascinated with the detox cleanses she does, and I have learned quite a bit from her. But, as one who struggled for years to get my ulcerative colitis under control, I was terrified of doing any cleanse because I though it would throw me out of remission. But, a few months ago she had up symptoms of parasites in the body. I had almost every symptom! The one that bothered me most was the fatigue. I feel like I need a nap several times a day, and carry dark circles under my eyes constantly. Since we are taking a family trip in October, I really wanted to get these issues under control before we left. I did a little more research, and ended up buying the ingredients needed to start an 18 day parasite cleanse.


I bought all 3 products on iherb.com for a total of $21 shipped (I had a $5 coupon code that was applied to the order.) I printed out a handy dosage chart from drclark.net. You can find the chart HERE. Scroll down a bit to access it. It took about 2 days for my product to arrive, and once it did, I got started.

Here were my results:

Day 1 through 3: I notice a little grinding in my belly, but it isn't uncomfortable. I am also burping up the herbs all day. They don't taste bad, but it is annoying.

Day 4: A migraine starts kicking in. Terry tells me this is good as it indicates the parasites are dying off.

Day 7: The migraine is still going strong. I debate quitting the entire cleanse altogether to get some relief.

Day 8: The migraine is gone. My energy levels have significantly improved.

Day 12: I still haven't seen any parasites exit my body, though Terry says some people don't. You have to go "in" and dig them out. Not happening here!

Day 18: I am happy to have made it to the end of the cleanse. I have more energy than I have had in years, and I was thrilled the cleanse did not cause any bleeding or cramping, so it's safe to say, it did not throw me out of remission.

I never did see any parasites, but I think the cleanse did exactly what it was supposed to do. My husband also noticed I had more energy and wanted to drive to Terry's to give her a big hug for her influence on me starting the parasite cleanse. The only thing I would do differently is see if the black walnut comes in capsule form. The liquid was nasty, and I had to choke it down as the dosage increased.


Have you done any cleanses? What were your results?




Friday, September 5, 2014

Playing Tourist Around Chicago

This post is a little over due! Last month when we took our kids to Medieval Times, we decided to get touristy in Chicago for a few hours. We go frequently, but Chicago is so big, we haven't fully explored it yet. Last year we did the tourist bit too, visiting hot spots like "The Bean", but this year we stuck close to Michigan Avenue and hiked it on foot.

Even though the first stop we have been to on pretty much every visit (Navy Pier), it just wouldn't be a trip to Chicago without traveling the boardwalk for some cinnamon nuts, ice cream and lots of photo opps.

Navy Pier, Haagen Dazs

From there we explored the shopping district on Michigan Avenue, stopping at American Girl, Lego, Disney, and the best smelling store in the world- Hershey's!


 The thing I think I love most about a big city is the characters you come across walking down the street. There are some truly amazing artists like this guy (His sign says grandma told him to get a job, so his job is selling his drawings on the street.)


And you never know what kind of street performers you are going to come across.

street performers

Of course, there's beauty in the buildings as well.


There are still many places we want to visit in Chicago, like the Art Institute, Field Museum, etc. But we still had a blast walking around the city, and best of all, being touristy on foot was practically free!


What's your favorite thing about big cities?


Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Wordless Wednesday ~ Toad

toad

toad

Summer isn't complete until one catches a toad. This little fella patiently let us snap some photos, then the girls took him down to the duck pond where we thought he'd be happier to spend his days.

Have you caught any toads this summer?


Monday, September 1, 2014

Ottilie & Lulu Naturals is Skincare for Tweens!

*Disclosure- I received a product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items. 


Some of the best advice I ever received was from an older friend of mine. She told me that the sooner I started taking care of my skin, the better it would look in the long run. I listened to her and started a facial skin care routine in my teens. I will be 35 this year, and will be forever grateful for that bit of wisdom, as my face isn't showing very many signs of aging yet. This is advice I have passed down to my girls, encouraging them to clean, moisturize and wear spf on their faces daily. They do a pretty good job of keeping up with their own routines, but the problem is, there aren't too many products that work on sensitive tween skin. The harsh ingredients in teen and adult products can damage tween skin, and 80% of skin damage occurs before age 17! Finding effective, but gentle tween skincare just got easier with Ottilie & Lulu Naturals skincare line for tweens.

Ottilie and Lulu

Ottilie & Lulu offer a full line of skincare products that are specially formulated just for tween skin. The products are filled with anti-oxidants, botanicals and vitamins, ensuring your tween's skin is getting the TLC it deserves.

My daughter Allison is going to be 11 soon, and she is just starting to see changes in her facial skin. It's getting oily from time to time, especially after resting her face on her hands all day at school, and after her gymnastics classes. Like most tweens, she should be washing her face twice a day, and the Ottilie & Lulu Morning and Night Gel Cleanser encourages her to do just that. It lathers up to cleanse, then easily rinses away, leaving skin feeling clean and refreshed.


In the morning, she likes to follow up with a moisturizer. If she is planning on staying in for the day, the Morning Pure Facial Moisturizer is what she will use. If she is going outside, the Everyday Facial Moisturizer & Sunscreen has SPF 20 included in it, so that's what she will use to not only moisturize, but protect her skin from the sun's damaging rays. Even though she hasn't sprouted any blemishes on her face yet, I like that they also offer a Spot Blemish Treatment. Made with a blend of White Willow Bark, Peppermint Leaf, and Tea Tree Leaf extracts, it calms the skin and reduces redness. We will definitely keep this on hand for when those pesky pimples pop up.

Of all the product Ottilie & Lulu offer, my favorite has been the Clean Skin Face Wipes.


The pre-moistened cloths are all-natural and alcohol-free. They come in a resealable pack, so they are ideal to take on the go. Tuck them away in a backpack for a quick cleaning during school, leave them in the car for cleaning on the go, or just keep them handy in the house to use to quickly wipe away dirt and oil throughout the day. We recently took these on the go. Allison went to her first concert this past weekend, and all the jumping and dancing caused her face to get sweaty and oily. She was able to do a quick clean up with the Ottilie & Lulu Clean Skin Face Wipes right in the bathroom after the concert. Her teen sister even enjoyed using them too!


The products smell great too! My kids will not use any products they think "stink". The O&L products offer a very light Mandarin and Sandalwood scent, which both of my girls find pleasing to use. Ottilie & Lulu products are dermatologist and allergy tested. They are NOT tested on animals. The full line is currently available to purchase on the Ottilie & Lulu website.


Want the chance to WIN a backpack full of Ottilie & Lulu?

 Enter the Ottilie & Lulu's Got My Back To School Backpack Giveaway!


Simply Follow Ottilie and Lulu on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Take a selfie with your awesome backpack, then load it to your social media account. Tag your photo with #oandlhasmyback.

One winner each day will be selected to receive a package of O&L Clean Skin Facewipes. On 9/2, one winner will win a backpack of Ottilie & Lulu products- a $125 value! 

Enter as many times as you like, but hurry! There are only a few days left to submit your entries! 
(Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only)



At what age did you start a facial skin care routine? Which Ottilie & Lulu product would your tween be most excited to try?