Spon | The TaterTwins

The Great Outdoors

20 Feb posted by Jayme

We’ve recently received a playhouse for the twins, as well as a water table- and now I can’t wait for spring and outdoor activities. We have a little slab of concrete, but I’d LOVE it if we were able to add something more visually aesthetic out there for me to enjoy while the kids play.

My dream home would have gorgeous composite decking where we’d keep our grill, outdoor table & chairs and of course a hot tub. I wouldn’t get real wood because I know we’d never take care of it properly, and this stuff looks just as nice to me. We also could put our little fire pit out there and make smores with the kids…

Does this look relaxing? Of course you’d have to imagine it all junked up with kid toys everywhere….

What we really need here though is a fence around our yard. We’re allowed to put one up, but we’d have to take it down when we leave. Since we currently don’t have a dog, I’m not sure it’s worth the expense. I’d love one though to keep the twins from wandering too far away. We have a big playground out back, and it totally tempts the boys.

The enticing view from our back yard.

The cheapest way would probably be with a chain link fence, but those are such an eyesore. I’d love pretty wooden fencing, but again, like with the deck, it requires such upkeep. So the best bet for our family would probably be composite fencing. It’d be nice to enclose my yard for the safety of my kids, yet still look pretty. I just love the look of classic white picket fencing, especially when lined with pretty flowers.

If our yard was fenced in and we had a nice deck with comfy chairs… I would be sitting out there, letting the kids play their hearts out while reading when the weather is nice. Currently I feel like I can’t take my eyes off of them because they’ll dart out towards the playground or the street on the other side- not to mention we have nothing to sit on.

Someday…

Rub a dub dub!

18 Feb posted by Jayme

With seven kids, we’ve done a lot of baby bathing. Right now, the twins are the only ones that need help, although they are happy to play in the bathtub for hours if we’d let them. In fact, if anyone else in the house even thinks about taking a shower or bath, there’s a good chance they’ll be joined by 2 two year olds if they don’t lock the door!

Over the years, we’ve always used Johnson’s products on our children. There’s just something about that classic clean baby scent that you don’t get from other products. Ryan has sensitive skin, so I was thrilled to discover Johnson’s Natural products! Containing no essential oils, I know they won’t affect him.

And I LOVE the pumps. They are so much better for little kids- we prefer them even with the older girls- because otherwise they go through shampoo entirely too fast.

Johnson’s Naturals products are great if you are looking for an affordable, more ‘green’ option to use on your babies. With an average price of $4.59 and containing at least 98% natural ingredients, it’s a great way to start making a difference. And with over 100 years of experience, Johnson’s is a brand that knows it’s stuff! And I’m not the only one that thinks so- Johnson’s Natural line recently won the 2012 Better Homes and Gardens Best New Product Award!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson’s Natural and received a product sample to facilitate my review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

2 Comments
Filed Under: 1featured, Review, spon

Buzzraid

16 Feb posted by Jayme

I’ve come across yet another deal site- Buzzraid. They feature coupon codes and deals for various sites and stores, from fast food to travel. That’s what struck me as different from some of the other similar sites- I don’t recall seeing travel type discounts on them.

For example, you can get $20 off through Hotels.com when you book a 3 night stay somewhere using a coupon code posted on Buzzraid! With Aaron traveling to Philly again next month, it only makes sense to book through them. We often use services such as theirs to book hotels, because we find it cheaper in general than just walking in to the front desk.

As I was browsing the site, I even found a Verizon promo code! This prompted me to look for our cell phone provider, because I know at least one of our phones is currently eligible for an upgrade. I found several deals that interest me. Like the travel site discounts, I don’t remember ever seeing things like this on other sites.

Additionally, Buzzraid also features a blog where they spotlight cool products and specials. There you can read about what they think of some of the popular products that you can find through the various deals available on the site.

I think my favorite section is the one where they list assorted freebies special deals. Some of these in the past have included free ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s, half off Fannie May chocolates, and a free rental from Redbox.

Buzzraid is definitely a site to bookmark and so you can check out all the available discounts before you shop for anything!

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: coupons, shopping, spon

Looking for a deal?

7 Feb posted by Jayme

I hate paying full price, and if possible, only buy things when they’re on sale or when I have a coupon. When shopping for something online, I always search for percent off codes and free shipping. There are several coupon sites out there that offer codes, so usually after browsing several of them, I can find what I’m looking for.

But recently I was introduced to couponchief.com and noticed a few differences when compared to the other sites. Unlike some of the alternatives, they remove coupons when they expire- so you won’t see pages of codes from 2008. That means when they say they have more than 50k coupon codes, they have that many VALID ones.

There are several ways to search for the codes you need. You can use the search box at the top of the page, browse popular coupons, check out the alphabetized list of stores, or look through the tags. Feel like ordering out and the family wants pizza? Just search the pizza tag and you’ll find 12 codes from three different pizza places!

What makes couponchief.com really distinct to me is their pays-2-share program. In an effort to collect as many coupons in one place, they invite users to upload and share the savings they find to the site. And when someone uses a coupon you’ve shared- you earn 2% of the sales! What a great way to earn some money for more shopping!

For more information, check out the couponchief.com site or their Facebook page!

Bob Evans Sausage Chili

5 Feb posted by Jayme

bob evans sausage chili

Recently I received a package from Bob Evans that included a recipe for chili made with sausage- and I was intrigued. The idea of the extra flavors of the sausage instead of plain ground beef seemed like a perfect idea- plus the recipe itself appeared super easy. They gave the option to cook the chili on the stove top or in a slow cooker- and I chose to go with the slow cooker.

I love this recipe- and I definitely will be making it this way again. We served it over brown rice and topped it with shredded cheese and sour cream, and it made the perfect meal. I did double the meat and use one of each flavor of sausage.

Bob Evans Sausage Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound Bob Evans Zesty Hot or Original Recipe Sausage Roll
1 package chili seasoning mix (1.25 oz)
2 cans diced tomato with onions (14.5 oz)
1 can light red kidney beans, undrained (15.5 oz)

Directions:
In large saucepan, crumble and cook sausage over medium heat until browned. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

SLOW-COOKER OPTION: Crumble uncooked sausage into bite-size pieces and put in slow-cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Stir gently. Cover and cook on low heat 4-6 hours. Stir before serving.

What are you eating on this Superbowl Sunday?