Our Kitten Invasion and How I #KeepItFresh

This post is sponsored by Febreze ™Air Purifiers and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping Febreze Air Purifiers but Adventures in All Things Food only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Febreze Air Purifiers is not responsible for the content of this article.

We have been invaded by cuteness this summer.

Our family has swelled in number and until we find proper homes for our 4 new kittens the cat shenanigans are at an all time high. The four kittens are just starting to explore the house on their own and I never know when a little furry face will pop up.

It has gotten wild enough in the house that the older cats go outdoors to rest. Even Hook has been known to duck the little ones now and again for the safety of the hay barn.

So this brings our current (and temporary!) total to 7 cats and 3 kids. I promise it is a summer we won't soon forget. But, with our little bundles of fluff learning to use the litter box, our house has started to smell like we have 7 full-grown cats.

Ugh.

I love my cats, but I also want my house to smell fresh and clean. Let's not even think about the added dander and fur roaming loose in the house. And if my kids weren't messy (and occaisionally) smelly enough... now I have a bunch of little furry kids to contend with.

Yes, our growing feline family is not to blame for all the smells in the house. There would also be the toddler diapers, my love of seafood and two very busy and mess-seeking kids.  My family doesn't always smell like a rose, but I don't want friends or company to know that the minute they walk in the door.

I could open up the windows and air out our house... but this summer has been a scorcher and now with forest fires blazing through the state we have had all the windows closed up tight. Instead, I decided to get an Air Purifier - the Febreze™ Air Purifier which should help me clean the air, eliminate odors and refresh with a Febreeze scent. 

Yes, Febreeze has been a lifesaver on my upholstery and carpets, as I have posted before, but now it can help our full house with the air we breathe. 

This small device easily fits on my side table in the living room. It is amazing to think that such a small appliance can capture up to 99% of airborne pollutants such as dust, pet dander, pollen and smoke. I can't wait to try it out for a few weeks and then share my thoughts. I should also have some cute updates on our growing litter of kittens.

I love the cats and the kids, but I could really do without the lingering odors they create.  You can learn more about the Febreze™ Air Purifiers on the Febreeze™ website. Is there one that would fit your home and needs?

Would you have more pets if pet odor wasn't an issue?

Do you currently use an Air Purifier?

Bonding With My Youngest And the Importance of Premium Care Diapers

This post is sponsored SheSpeaks/Pampers Premium, but all opinions and experiences are my own. #MothersPromise

Elliott is my little bud.

Since it is summer there has been a whole lot of activity (chaos!) around the house with the older siblings home during the day. Usually, it is just Elliott and me.

I gotta say, I may be biased, but my youngest child is a hoot! He is funny, caring, creative and clever. He can turn anything into a toy and never runs out of things to do during the day. Of course, he loves when Mommy can sit down to play with him.

Now that Elliott is a toddler his favorite word is, "No!". When we ask if he needs his pants changed, he yells, "No!" and races off down the hall. It has become one of his favorite games to avoid diaper changes.

My youngest has very sensitive skin and easily breaks out into a rash or chafes if things rub in the wrong places. So I can understand why sometimes he decides to run. But, Walmart has a new option from Pampers that is even more gentle on his skin and makes getting a clean diaper much more pleasant.

Did you notice the Pampers Premium Care Diapers  debut on Walmart shelves this past week?

Diapers are definitely not created equal and these new diapers have:

• Absorb Away Liners: To pull wetness and mess away from baby’s skin
• Breathable Materials: To keep air circulating around baby’s skin
• Extra Absorb Channels: Help to distribute wetness evenly for up to 12 hours of protection - Hypoallergenic - Wetness Indicator: Lets you know when your baby might need a change

Elliott and I put the size 4 Pampers Premium Care Diapers to the test and we both loved how soft they are!

Easy to use, to secure and for him to wear, they did a great job of keeping him dry throughout the day and night. And with the same wetness indicator found on the front (the yellow line will turn blue as it absorbs wetness) I love with Pampers, it is easy to know when my evasive toddler is ready for a new diaper.

It is always easier to bond over Play-Doh or construction trucks when my son is dry and happy.

Whether worn on their own, or under his clothes, these diapers gave him the freedom to run, climb, crawl and play. I love the leg gussets on Pampers diapers. They give me piece of mind throughout the day that we will be accident-free.

I was also sent a fun #MothersPromise kit with a diaper clutch, memory book, promise card and a sturdy box for special keepsakes. I had so many hopes and dreams for each of my children while I carried them to term, and then as they started to grow and develop into individuals. This kit is a great way to keep track of all those hopes, dreams and promises I have for my baby.

I made the promise to each of my children on those late nights nursing that I would support them to be whomever they wanted to be in life. I still stand behind that promise to love them unconditionally.

What promises did you make to your baby?

Pampers #MothersPromise Instagram Giveaway!

Because we all make promises when we bring home our tiny, fragile baby from the hospital, now you can share those promises for a chance to win! There are great prizes like Walmart gift cards and Pampers Premium Care Diapers to be won.

Just head over to SheSpeaks  to enter and information on what you could win by tagging #MothersPromise on an Instagram photo of your baby!  bit.ly/je68mH 

So, what promises did you make to your baby?

4 Simple Breakfast Hacks To Make Summer Smoother

 This breakfast solution shop for busy families has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WrapNGo #CollectiveBias

In the flurry of summertime activities, Jr. Golf, Cub Scout Day Camp, playdates and doctor's appointments, breakfast can be a Mom's worst nightmare when trying to get the family out the door fast. My kids are always up for cereal, but it is cold and far too messy for the car. My kids prefer a hot breakfast and my daughter is particular to pancakes, but when do I have time for that on a weekday morning?

Instead my breakfast strategy for on the go mornings changed. I have 4 easy breakfast hacks that any Mom can prepare ahead of time. With these tricks, you can have the family out the door with a delicious breakfast in hand in no time at all.

...And be sure to keep reading to learn how to save money with the Ibotta coupon app on your next grocery trip!

Simple Breakfast Hack #1:

Holy hand-held-goodness-on-a-stick! 

Foster Farms®, a brand I love, has a new breakfast option, Foster Farms® Pancake Wraps. All the goodness of a Foster Farms® turkey link wrapped in sweet pancake batter. And the best part, it comes on a handy stick.

My kids will eat anything presented to them on a stick and I love how portable this makes a warm breakfast. It is a delicious way to make our busiest mornings run smoother, and I think it is something we can "stick" with.

Simple Breakfast Hack #2:

Buy pre-frozen smoothie mixes that only require juice, or freeze your own fruit/vegetable mixes ahead of time in small zip topped bags. I mix 2 cups of our favorite frozen fruit with a cup of juice to make enough smoothies for the whole family in the morning.

See how easy it is to have a fruit smoothie, turkey sausage and pancakes for the whole family even when you are pressed for time?

Simple Breakfast Hack #3:

Serve your Foster Farms® Pancake Wraps poked through a cupcake wrapper to catch any syrup drips after dipping. I promise your car upholstry will thank me! 

Then to make this easy breakfast even more portable, put a small amount of syrup in a re-sealable plastic container and take the smoothie to go in a bottle with a wide straw and bite valve. True, the kids may through the containers on the floor after they are finished, but at least the contents will stay safely in their containers.

I found the new Foster Farms® Pancake Wraps Original Sausage at my local Walmart in the freezer section. Also keep an eye out for the Pancake Bacon, Egg and Cheese variety. I can't wait to try those myself! 

Simple Breakfast Hack #4:

And if you want to save money on your breakfast purchases, be sure to download the Ibotta coupon app. Hey, everything goes more smoothly when you have more money in your wallet, right? Right now you can  "Buy 1 package of either variety and get $1.00 off" coupon. 

Using the app is easy! Just,

1. Download the free app for your smartphone.
2. Search for the product under "Foster Farms®"
3. Select your coupon and complete the task asked, then scan the barcode to verify the product.

There are so many coupons and rebates to choose from, it is a great way to start saving on your next grocery trip.

Now that I have shared my 4 Simple Breakfast Hacks, I would love to hear what tricks you have for getting your family fed and out the door quickly.

What tricks work with your family?

Bringing the "Wild" Back to Mealtimes for our Dogs - #TheArtofNutrition

This post is sponsored by Wild Calling! and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the Wild Calling! Pet Food, but Adventures In All Things Food only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Wild Calling! is not responsible for the content of this article.

As I mentioned previously, our "puppy" has even more energy than I expected. He is almost full grown now, so I have a hard time calling him that. His appetite is still huge and he burns off all that energy by playing hard with our Border Collie, Cooper, and barking at all the busy tractors and machinery working around the farm. 

This time of year, as we are waiting for the strawberries and cherries to be ready to harvest, I start thinking about how important it is to me that my family is able to eat local food grown the way nature intended. We know the ranchers who raise our meat, and my husband grows the rest of what we eat.

Our four-legged family members deserve the same nutrition, right?

They definitely earned it!

So I am excited to once again share my thoughts on Wild Calling!® and the idea that dogs deserve a diet that is all natural, grain free and meat-rich diet.

Just like on our farm, it is family first and pets before profits for this company and they are proud to be creating a great product right here in the US. Here are a few more things that set this brand apart from other dog food brands:

• GlycoEdge - It is designed to provide your pup with consistent energy and a low glycemic diet. This dog food is made with Tapioca, sweet potatoes, and lentils to provide a low glycemic diet 
• Quality - They believe in using the highest quality ingredients including hormone and antibiotic-free meat, poultry and fish. 
• Meat & Protein rich Dog Food. Wild Calling! believes in grain free nutrition, and their protein is derived from quality animal protein. Rich meats help create an optimal amino acid profile to support healthy muscle growth & increased energy

Huck had not complaints, in fact, he loved the smell of  Wild Calling!®  and we didn't have to call him twice to eat dinner in his crate. He was happy to lick the bowl clean!

We tried the Rocky Mountain Medley dry and Chicken Coop wet dog foods with Huck. He transitioned over to them easily and I never saw any side effects after the switch. This food really agreed with him and I felt good knowing that the first ingredients are always meat, poultry or fish.

Doesn't that seem like the best thing for dogs?

If your pup has a wild side, be sure to feed them the best with Wild Calling! Check out the store locator to find a retailer near you.

Now you know what Huck thinks of Wild Calling, do you have a dog in your life who needs all natural, high quality protein?

Family Movie Night - Grab Your Copy of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

I received a complimentary movie copy and goodies to start off our family movie night as a Vocalpoint member. All opinions and experiences are my own. #VPMovieNight

We love a good family movie night, and this month we popped our popcorn for the final installment of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb now available on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital HD.

I can't believe the first movie came out when I was pregnant with my oldest. In fact, Night at the Museum was one of the last movies I went to the theater to see with my husband before our first baby was born. It left quite an impression on us. It was funny, magical and had an all-star cast of historical and Hollywood names.

The third movie in the series did not disappoint..

We showed the kids the first movie, so they were familiar with all the characters, well except Lancelot (played by Dan Stevens) and British Museum night guard Tilly (played by Rebel Wilson) who joined in the fun for Secret of the Tomb.

To get ready for the fun, we spent a warm Spring break afternoon showing Flat Dexter around the farm. Do you remember this mischievous monkey from the movies? He is a big favorite with all my kids, especially the toddler.

Flat Dexter popped up in our cherry orchard, then started sneaking around the tall grass around our house.

Yes, my kids had a blast seeing what kind of trouble they could get their Flat Dexter into.

He even made an appearance during our movie night. My daughter was so into the movie, it was a while before she noticed her brother had "Flat Dexter'd" her.

We also downloaded a few fun movie activities like these dress-up printables the kids could color and then wear to become Sacajawea, Jedidiah and Teddy.

But of course the main attraction was the movie. Well, my youngest was really into stealing his brother and sister's popcorn, but the older kids fell in love with Night at the Museum: Secrets of the Tomb. My kids enjoyed the suspense, jokes and learning a little about history through the movie.

I thought it was a great movie for my whole family to watch and enjoy together.

Grab a $8 off coupon for your own copy of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, and download your own fun printables on the Vocalpoint site. 

I also have one digital download to give away here to one lucky reader! The winner will be able to download this movie through the usual download channels (Google Play, iTunes, or Playstation.

Enter below, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to Save Some Green for your Family with Lowest Priced Unlimited Plans

This #MarchIntoSavings shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

Have you noticed how expensive kids are these days?

Not only that, but a family of 5 always needs something. Summer is coming up and we need new Summer clothes for all 3 kids, new shoes, etc. On top of that, as my husband and I discussed adding another phone for our family, the plan costs had me sweating bullets. Currently we pay about $200 for our 2 phones.

We no longer have a land line in the house. It was something rarely used and a good place to cut the budget, but that means we don't have an emergency phone, a back-up or a way for my son to stay in touch if he is busy at activities or away from home.

Have you tried to find a payphone these days? I am not sure my son even knows what a payphone is!

After doing some research I found the Walmart Family Mobile - Walmart Best Plans are an inexpensive way to go. It is a great place to start for a phone and reasonable service plan.  I loved that I could hop onto their online site and check to see if my area would have coverage for their plans first.

I went to the electronics department in Walmart to find the Walmart Family Mobile display. You can't miss it!  There were several phone options, but I chose the Alcatel Evolve 2 ($39.83 - was $59.88), and the $29.88/month (for the first line) Unlimited Talk, Text & Data service plan which includes up to 500MB of 4G LTE data.

This is a post-paid plan, so we will pay for our cell service at the end of each month. I also love that it has no contract, so early termination fees or penalties are not a problem.

That saves me a whole lot of "green" right there! 


Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to http://cbi.as/aafid or your local Walmart for current pricing.

To get started, I just needed to buy the phone, and a starter kit. I had the choice to sign-up for service in-store or do it from home. With the whole family in tow, I opted to sign-up later and finish the rest of our shopping quickly. I love saving money by getting all our household needs at one store.

I would love to tell you that I am amazingly tech savvy... but, I won't lie. Luckily, the instructions in my starter kit made set-up fast and simple.

Time is money, right?

The Alcatel Evolve2 had everything we needed in a new phone; a 5MP Camera, built in WiFi and an Android operating system. We were all excited to see how it would work around the farm, especially my son. I mean, we have to stay connected to find one another around here. There is a lot of acreage. 

The phone was easy to use, and signal strength is great. The new 4G LTE service is a great choice for fast service and clear calls.

And for my little budding farmer, he can snap pics of the plants, or bugs and send them to his Dad to help identify. I was impressed with the photo quality.

So, my kids are growing up. My son has a lot to learn about cell phone etiquette and online safety. I am just thrilled that Walmart Family Mobile has options that allow us to teach my son, while not putting a squeeze on my wallet.

You could say I am feeling a little lucky that I have more money in my pocket for our growing family's other expenses this Summer. Saving sure does feel good.

I shared how we will be saving some money this Summer, now I'd love to hear yours!

Declaring War on Messy Faces and Sticky Hands with PURELL®

This #PurellWipes shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

See this sweet little face?

You would be surprised how many sticky dirty messes he can find. Elliott is my third child, my baby, but somehow they all keep me on my toes.You would think after almost 8 years of parenthood, I would be a seasoned pro. But, no, I am still learning, always having to improvise my reactions and anticipate where the next mess will be coming from.

I know, my kids see the fun, new things to explore, touch or smell around them, but this Mom sees all the germs that collect on these sweet little faces and hands throughout the day.

Case in point, while out bowling with friends, it was my oldest who discovered a gold mine of dried gum on the underside of the bowling alley tables.

Wow. Aren't I lucky?

Now, since I also know how often he touches his face, mouth and eyes, we made a quick trip to the restroom to wash up.

But, sometimes messes aren't that easy to take care of. Sometimes hand washing isn't possible.

This past weekend was the perfect example of that. Saturday was busy. I had the two oldest kids up and out the door for Pinewood Derby raises with Cub Scouts. It was just me and the baby at home. I was supposed to clean up from breakfast and get us all packed to leave by lunch for an out of town birthday party. It was a tight schedule, but manageable.  When it was almost time to hit the road, I noticed my youngest had decided to play in the entry way... with my husband's muddy boots!

Don't kids have the best timing?

This time of year in Oregon is very wet and muddy. My husband is a farmer, so his boots were filthy. No time to put my toddler  in a bath and grateful that his clothes were unscathed, I did the next best thing.

As Moms we all find short-cuts, time-savers or handy products to get us through raising kids. Keeping my kids clean means having the right products at the right time. PURELL® Hand Sanitizing Wipes are perfect for those moments when I want to both clean and sanitize their hands. It is quickly becoming indispensable in my family of 5. 

With no harsh chemicals, these wipes are safe to use on hands and faces. They are also great since my kids often rush through hand washing and dislike warm water.

A quick clean-up and we were ready to get into the car and head off to the birthday party. Along the way we grabbed a quick lunch in the car and out came the wipes again for all the kids' sticky fingers.

The PURELL® Hand Sanitizing Wipes traveled with us to the trampoline center. It was a packed rainy Saturday and I think the whole city was out to try the new place. So many surfaces, so many little hands, and there were plenty of runny noses in the building. I am sure there was a fair amount of germs being spread. Check out a highlight of our good clean fun below.

After all that healthy fun, we headed into the party room for pizza and cake. I put out the PURELL® Hand Sanitizing Wipes and they were perfect for sweaty hands, greasy fingers and frosting mustaches. 

Spring is a great time to work on encouraging healthy habits in kids and the importance of wiping out germs.

Now, I am not always around to remind my kids to wash their hands, but I am trying to instill other healthy habits in them. I created this simple FREE Printable this weekend to hang in our upstairs bathroom. My oldest children are both reading now, so a simple reminder might help.

I know. Fun and messes are important parts of childhood. I am just glad that clean up is now even easier, whether I am at home or on the go.

You can find the PURELL® Hand Sanitizing Wipes at most Walmart stores in the household cleaning aisle with other "Quick Cleaners". Starting 3/17, save $1.00 on any PURELL® Wipes canister or Save $1.00 on any two PURELL® Products. Grab your Walmart coupon to save.

Getting set for Spring cleaning? Why not take the PURELL® 30 Day Challenge? I am always looking for ways to stay cleaner and healthier. Also, learn more about the PURELL® Loyalty Program, where you can earn points towards a variety of prizes!  I have definitely declared war on messy faces and sticky hands with the help of PURELL®.

This sweet face? He is probably just plotting his next big mess. It's okay, I have plenty of backup - #PurellWipes #ad for messy hands and faces. Check out how it helped during our busy weekend #ontheblog #flipagram ♫ Music: This Is How We Roll - Fifth Harmony Made with @flipagram See full video at flipagram.com/andrealkruse

A video posted by Andrea (@andrealkruse) on Mar 16, 2015 at 9:39pm PDT

Okay, I shared my "gum under the table" shame, what germy messes did your kids get into?