Give the gift of savings to your family’s budget this holiday season with Kmart’s free layaway

This is a sponsored post, I am a Kmart Layaway blogger, though all opinions are my own.

 

Last year, when we moved into our first home, I was excited about the potential of our new patio.  My first priority: new patio furniture to host our backyard barbecues!  I found a good sale at one of the big retailers, but when some unplanned expenses came up, we decided to wait on the big purchase until the following month. Unfortunately by that time, the furniture was not only no longer on sale, but out of stock.  

 

If only I had known about the fantastic free layaway program at Kmart.  Placing an item on layaway can make all the difference for your family’s budget.  With the holidays coming up, it’s the perfect way to plan ahead on holiday gifts, especially for the larger gifts you plan on giving.  Kmart has always offered layaway and from now until November 17 is waiving its layaway fees!    Kmart will also honor sale prices with its layaway program, as long as it was marked down within the previous seven days.  These are things you just won’t find at the other large retailers.

 

I've already got my eye on several items I'm planning on placing on layaway this holiday season.  The Sony portable DVD player will be perfect for my daughter on those long plane rides we'll be having during the holiday travel season.  My husband is a big reader, and so he's going to love the Barnes & Noble NOOK Color.  My parents are going to love the Giinii All-in-One True Video Picture Frame, perfect for displaying digital photos of their granddaughter!

 

Right now Kmart is launching its Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway: though 11/17/12, Kmart will be giving away a great prize to one lucky layaway customer at each store (NO PURCHASE NECESSARY).  What a gift winning would be to any family's budget, including my own!

 

 

To find out more, visit a Kmart store near you or visit the following link: www.kmart.com/layawaygiveaway.

 

 

Growing a fall herb garden & easy cheesy caprese salad recipe

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Early fall is a spectacular time to garden.  With the summer heat beginning to fade away and milder weather setting in, gardening can be done at virtually any time of day.

Even if you don’t exactly have a green thumb, maintaining an herb garden is easy and a wonderful way to teach children about the circle of life.  What kid doesn’t love to dig and play in the mud?

 

There is nothing like being able to grow fresh herbs right in your own back yard to use in tasty, and healthy meals.   Basil is my favorite herb, and one of the most low maintenance, delicious, and versatile herbs around.  I grab some to put on sandwiches along with greens when I’m packing lunches in the morning, and of course add it to salads.  You can use whole stems when cooking tomato sauce for pasta (just discard after the sauce is done cooking).

A light and very healthy salad that’s a family favorite is our Easy Cheesy Caprese Salad.  With our plans for growing tomatoes in the works, we’ll have virtually everything we need in our garden to make this salad by next year!

 

You’ll need:

-- Fresh tomatoes: I prefer vine ripened.  Use about 1/2 medium tomato per salad plate.

-- 12-16 oz. fresh mozzarella (it even comes pre-sliced at some specialty stores)

-- Balsamic vinegar

-- Olive oil

-- Fresh basil

To make:

-- Drizzle 2 tbsp. of olive oil and 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar on each salad plate (an oval plate allows for a beautiful presentation).

-- Swirl to coat the bottom of the plate.

-- Slice the tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices, fan out on cutting board, and salt.

-- Rub the tomatoes into the oil and vinegar mixture on the salad plate, flipping to coat.

-- Slice mozzarella, then layer with the tomato slices, tucking a fresh basil leaf on top of each tomato (another option is to cut the basil into small pieces with cooking shears and sprinkle on top).

-- Drizzle more olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top of the tomato, cheese and basil.

-- Add a pinch of salt to taste.

Helpful hints:

* Get the best balsamic vinegar you can afford.  It really does make a difference to the taste.

*  Store extra basil leaves in the fridge in a plastic container with a damp paper towel to extend their shelf life.

Planning your herb garden for fall

 

My garden is still a work in progress, but I have fresh chives, mint, peppermint, sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano at my finger tips for cooking a variety of meals!  Starting an herb garden is easier than you might think.  Potted herbs are widely available and easy to plant.

My herb garden thrives in the partial shade of my flower bed and with regular watering.  A plant food like Miracle-Gro® LiquaFeed® Advance All Purpose Plant Feeding System Starter Kit provides nutrients to help your herbs grow and thrive, and it's a great way to ensure that your Fall gardening projects are a success.  I love the convenience of this product because it allows you to feed your plants while watering them.

You can also help your herbs get the best start by mixing Miracle-Gro® Organic Choice® Garden Soil into your soil to provide proper nutrients for your plants as they get established.

We can’t wait to expand our herb garden this fall with more sweet-smelling basil, chives for baked potatoes, and rosemary for savory chicken dishes, breads, and more.  I can’t think of a better way to Find beauty in the Fall than to get back to nature by creating or expanding a beautiful garden.

For more helpful fall gardening tips, visit the Miracle-Gro Facebook page and talk with the online community of gardeners.

 

 

New giveaway helps homeless pets! Ends 8/11

I have always had a special place in my heart for homeless and abandoned pets, who deserve so much better. They deserve to find that special forever home. I have really enjoyed volunteering to help these deserving animals, who are so sweet and incredibly grateful to those who adopt them. I look forward to teaching my daughter all about the importance of caring for pets, and the responsibilities that adopting a pet entail. Kitty Mattrazz set up a wonderful page for bloggers and blog readers to help Project 121 through the Arizona Humane Society. Kitty is only eleven, a young artist with a big heart who wants to make a difference for these animals.

Kitty Mattrazz and Coupons and Friends have brought together bloggers and sponsors who love animals and want to help bring awareness to this important cause. It's a wonderful opportunity to win prizes your pets are sure to love, and perhaps give back to charity as well!

Special Thanks to Amber of Thrifty Mom's Review's and More for our Event Image

 

Help Kitty Reach her goal of $200 to donate to the Arizona Humane Society. Even a $1 donation will make a difference. DONATE HERE.

Several outstanding sponsors have been willing to support this great cause and offer some wonderful prizes to win!!

Daris Howard is a wonderful author, and you will have a chance to win Super Cowboy Rides and one of his Life's outtakes books of fun short stories!

Our wonderful sponsor Original Sock Dogs will be giving one lucky winner a pack of these super cute Smiling Bullies Cards. Awww. If you think these are adorable then you just have to check out their sock dogs! Made out of real socks--so cute! You can also find their creative creations on Etsy.

Silver Paw Tags has generously donated one of these heavy duty stainless steel pet tags for a lucky winner. These are beautiful and a very stylish way for your pet to express individuality. Yes, it's a pet fashion statement.

If you have not checked out Artsydog yet then it is a must see! They offer very unique products with something for every dog owner and every dog! These are one-of-a-kind handmade products. The lucky winner will receive a $30 gift certificate to ArtsyDog.

Santa is coming early this year this Dog Treat Advent Calendar being sponsored by Felterrific! Felterrific is your destination for all cute felt crafts. She takes custom orders and has her own Etsy shop. You'll find out how many adorable things can be made of felt.

DistinctlyIvy has donated a gorgeous Mommy and Children hand-stamped name necklace with pearl from her Etsy shop. The winner will have one personalized just for them!

Felissa the creator of Two Little Cavaliers has graciously donated three cute keychains to our giveaway. You'll love Two Little Cavaliers for the latest doggie news, new recipes for your dogs too, and even giveaways!

Christi Smith an independent consultant of Scentsy is offering the winner these great warmers with two scents of their choice! Check out this glowing review: HERE.

Dog Tag Art is donating three fun tags to the winner. They have an endless array from which to choose!

Carolyn From Conversations With Carolyn a blogger who loves to blog about health, recipes, and more, has given us a Pearl Mountain Batch Image Converter registration code for a lucky winner! This is a great product. Check out a review here:

The style experts over at 26 Bars and a Band are going to set one of our readers up with one of their brand new avante garde retractable leashes! These are the latest thing in doggie style! As an extra bonus, readers will be able to get 25% off with code GivingHope25 for the duration of the giveaway!

$10 Gift Certificate to Dog Collar Boutique. Check out this review HERE.

1 Set of My Hikes

1 Bottle of Tantex Leather Conditioner

One summer bag of Optics Eye Care

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Heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the Colorado shooting

I want to start by saying how very heartbroken I am for all the victims who were killed this past Friday at the shooting at a Colorado movie theater.  I send out my heartfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and I think I can speak for all my readers by saying they do too.  I want to offer words of love and comfort for those who have loved ones who were hurt and are recovering.  

I want to tell the people who were in that theater that day that you are not alone.  Anyone who has ever been to the movies, anyone who loves going to the movies, is with you.  You have our thoughts and prayers too.  The horror that you experienced is a wound too.  We want to embrace you and be a shoulder to cry on, because it just as easily could have been us.

As movie lovers we have all experienced the excitement of going to a film on opening weekend.  The movies are a special place. They are a place where we feel so safe that we can make a fun escape from our daily lives.  We trust them enough to lose ourselves in a story, to fall in love with the characters.  On Friday that trust was violated.  That safety was shattered.  

The shooting that occurred is impossible to comprehend.  We search our souls to make sense of a senseless act and pray for understanding.  People thought at first that what was happening was some kind of special effect, a part of the film.  Reading about it in another state or even another country, it does seem more like a movie.  It somehow doesn’t seem real.  We don’t want it to be real, but it very much is.

And this makes me mad as hell too.  The monster who committed this heinous act reportedly ordered 6000 rounds of ammunition to be delivered to his work and home.  How could that not have set off a red flag somewhere?  It’s time for gun control.  I’ve never understood why automatic weapons are so readily available.  Why do ordinary citizens need them?  They make no sense.

I offer my heartfelt thoughts and prayers for all of those affected by the shooting.  I wish you strength, love, faith, and hope.  Many people around the world are thinking of you.

I plan to go see “The Dark Knight Rises” and I will post my review next week.

Information on how to help the families of the victims is available here.