I received a sample of this product for free from TurnGram, but all opinions are my own.

Lately, D has been taking a lot of pictures on his phone and posting them on Instagram.  However, I do not think he has ever taken the time to have any of his pictures printed.  That is just not something on his radar given the time and effort it would take.  He does capture some nice moments, though, especially of the kids.  It would be a shame if all of those memories just ended up floating in cyberspace forever.  Well, a company called TurnGram has created a solution for this problem!

TurnGram will select photos from your Instagram feed based on instructions you provide and deliver them directly to your door, or the door of your friends and relatives.

I requested pictures from D’s Instagram feed, and this is one of the pictures they sent me last month.  I really like the 4 inch by 4 inch picture size, which is perfect for capturing those square Instagram images.

I could also see this service as being a nice gift for grandparents.  For example, you could set up your account so that they receive photos of the grandkids from your Instagram account every month.

You can get your first month FREE when you sign up for TurnGram today; no coupon code required. There is a 100% money back guarantee if you are dissatisfied with their service in any way.  Check it out!

I am writing this sponsored post for Moms Meet (momsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to share this information and post my honest opinion on my blog. The opinions posted are my own.

As I write this post, it is drizzling outside.  Unfortunately, this is an all too rare occurrence here in Southern California.  According to the Federal Forecast, drought conditions are “likely” to return in California in 2018.  Therefore, it is critical for us to continue to care for our water and to teach our children about the importance of water conservation.

In order to teach kids how to to care for our water, the NAAEE, WestEd K-12 Alliance, and Cal Water have teamed up to sponsor the Cal Water H2O Challenge.  This challenge is made up of two separate competitions.

The Individual Challenge is for students in grade 4-12.  It is a media competition where students can submit original art, photography, or videos that show the importance of caring for water.

The Classroom Challenge is a project-based, environmentally-focused competition for classrooms, grades 4-6.  Students are to initiate, develop, and implement a 4-8 week long project that focuses on the importance of water care.  There is a handbook on the website that includes a project guide and sample lesson plans.  Students are to create a final portfolio that documents their project.  The Classroom Challenge is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and is complementary to the Next Generation Science Standards.  Therefore, participating in the challenge is a valuable learning experience for students on many levels.  The final registration deadline is January 31, 2018!

Winners of the Cal Water H2O Classroom Challenge will receive:

Grand Prize

Class Celebration: Classroom tent-camping trip to the Santa Monica Mountains with NatureBridge

Class Funding: $3,500 grant

Extras: Cal Water Prize packs for every student

2nd Place

Class Celebration: A Pizza Party

Class Funding: $2,500 grant

Extras: Cal Water Prize packs for every student

3rd Place

Class Funding: $2,000 grant

Extras: Cal Water Prize Packs for every student

4th Place

Class Funding: $1,000 grant

Extras: Cal Water Prize Packs for every student

All Participant Prizes

Student Recognition: An official certificate of participation for every student.

Teacher Recognition: A teacher certificate

Teacher Gift: An AMEX gift card

See http://challenge.calwater.com/for more details.  Teachers: Given the urgent need for our state to care for our water, as well as the valuable lessons that this program provides, please consider entering your classroom in the Cal Water H2O Challenge today!

I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my honest opinion on my blog. The opinions posted are my own.

As a kid, I always got a kick out of leaving out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk out for Santa.  It is a fun tradition, and one that I am sure Santa enjoys!

This year, we will be leaving out a plate of Back to Nature Chocolate Chunk Cookies.  The ingredient list is nice and simple: unbleached wheat flour, semisweet chocolate, cane sugar, safflower oil, brown rice syrup, baking soda and sea salt.

Note that there are no hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. There are also no “may contain nuts” disclaimers on the box, which this family greatly appreciates!

These cookies have a hearty and crunchy texture.  I really like the semi-sweet chocolate chunks.  They add just the right amount of sweetness and are a step-up from regular chocolate chips.

Back to Nature Chocolate Chunk Cookies are available to purchase at
almost all major retailers, including Ralphs, Whole Foods Market, and Sprouts Farmers Market. To find a store near you visit: www.backtonaturefoods.com/where-to-buy.  They retail for $3.49-3.99 a box.

Hopefully there will still be some cookies to leave out for Santa come Christmas Eve!

When you have two school-aged children at home, it seems that pencils constantly need to be sharpened.  We have tried the small hand-held sharpeners, as well as an electric sharpener, but none have worked as well as this beauty:

After testing out this pencil sharpener for a few weeks, I can say that the pencil sharpeners from Classroom Friendly Supplies are quiet, stylish and functional.

This pencil sharpener is easy to operate.  There is something fun and satisfying about sharpening a pencil by hand…so much so that my kids now fight over whose turn it is to sharpen the next pencil–no joke!

Look at those points–I do not see how pencils can get any sharper!  Thank you, Classroom Friendly Supplies for supplying this pencil sharpener for review.  These pencil sharpeners would be a great Christmas present for parents, teachers and homeschoolers!

Now, you have the opportunity to win a Classroom Friendly Supplies Pencil Sharpener for yourself!  Good luck!

**I received free product in exchange for my honest review.**

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!  We visited D’s side of the family on Thanksgiving Day (more on that trip later) and had a post-Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family last night.  Since we had just returned from our trip to Northern California, I asked my mom if I could bring an easy appetizer to our family dinner.  Well, it does not get much easier than a HORMEL GATHERINGS Party Tray!

The Party Trays come in a few different varieties:

Hard Salami & Pepperoni Party Tray (28 oz.): HORMEL Hard Salami, HORMEL Pepperoni, Sargento Cheddar Cheese, Sargento Colby Jack Cheese, Round Crackers

Honey Ham & Turkey Party Tray (28 oz.): HORMEL Honey Ham, HORMEL Smoked Turkey, Sargento Cheddar Cheese, Sargento Colby Jack Cheese, Round Crackers

There is also a Supreme Party Tray that includes olives, if you’re a fan!

I chose to bring the salami and pepperoni tray since my kids are salami fanatics.  However, I am sure they would enjoy the ham and turkey as well!

I love how the packaging is so thoughtfully designed.  It comes in a a black plastic tray with easily removable labels so it looks classy on the table.  The tray itself has compartments for the two packages of crackers, two packages of meat and two packages of cheese so you know where everything goes.  I was able to arrange the tray at home and it all stayed in place during our car ride to my parents’ house.

The individual components were all very tasty.  The crackers were nice and crisp, the cheese was “real” (not processed cheese product), and the pepperoni and salami both had a nice spicy kick to them.  Both the kids and adults had fun making their own little cracker/cheese/meat hors d’oeuvres.

These trays are perfect for an appetizer, but they also work for game day gatherings and noshing in front of the television as we are prone to do during the holidays.

I was able to find pick up my tray at our local Target.  They can also be found at Walmart and other retailers.  Click here to locate the store nearest you.

I have one coupon to give away so you can try a HORMEL GATHERINGS Party Tray for yourself!  My tray ended up being FREE after using this coupon, but the final price depends on the variety and store that you buy it at.

It is kind of amazing to think about how robots are changing the way we live.  Schools are all emphasizing STEM and kids are learning how to code at an early age.  We recently had the opportunity to try out the Ozobot Evo.  My kids were able to play with this tiny robot straight out of the box.  They also downloaded the app onto their iPad and were controlling the Ozobot from the iPad without any trouble at all.  They had fun making mazes and obstacle courses with blocks and maneuvering the Ozobot through them.  I also like how you can draw your own “tracks” for the Ozobot to follow with just regular markers and it changes colors according to the color on the paper!

I always try to look for toys that are fun AND educational, and the Ozobot Evo definitely falls into that category!