Champions for Kids seeks to “mobilize millions” of people by providing training and resources to improve the lives of children in communities across America and beyond.  The easiest way to participate is through their simple service project ideas of which there is a new one each month.

More than 16 million children under the age of 18 are food insecure in this country.  That means that their families lack the funds to adequately supply their growing bodies with nutritious foods on a daily basis, thus resulting in poor nutrition and an unprotected immune system.  Of that 16 million, 3 million are under the age of five years old.

This month, sponsored by Abbott Nutrition, their simple service project challenged people to “pack a snack” using items like Zone Perfect bars, Pediasure, & Pediasure Sidekicks and donate the items to a local organization that serves children.

Working with Loaves & Fishes, which serves the greater Charlotte area, we learned that 17,000 people were recipients of nutritious food at the pantry in our little college town.  Using their list of suggested items, plus the “pack a snack” suggestions, we created a flyer to host a food drive in our neighborhood:

On a sunny afternoon, Ellie pedaled her little princess bike up and down the street handing out flyers to our neighbors.

“We’re having a food drive,” she said proudly.  When I think about mothers who have to decide between paying the electric bill and feeding their families, I know that we’re doing the right thing… and hopefully, inspiring others to do the same in their community.

Little hands, but big heart.

After walking around the neighborhood with her little basket on wheels, we returned home to box up the items we collected.  {We have the best neighbors!}  In addition to our contribution of Pediasure, Pediasure Sidekicks, Zone Perfect Bars, & several cans and jars of food, Ellie took a look at all the food that she had in the dining room and declared, “This is a lot of food!”  And it was…  but there is still a greater need to feed the hungry in our communities.

With the Jetta loaded up, we drove into town to the food pantry.  When we pulled up, a volunteer came out and helped us unload the car.  Then he gave us a tour of the neat & tidy little “store”.

Whether you have a car full of groceries or just one bag, every donation is valued.  I encourage you to research the need in your own community & visit Champions for Kids for great ideas on getting started.

See more of our pictures in our Google+ story!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.  We signed up to participate in this project because of the charitable nature & used a portion of our compensation to purchase items for our food drive.  All opinions are my own.  #AbbottCFK #ChampionsforKids #CBias

After our arborvitaes outgrew our few strands of outdoor Christmas lights, we gave up on decorating outdoors for Christmas.  Ahh, but three-year-olds are persistent & you wouldn’t believe the amount of joy that this small grouping of lights, trees, & one reindeer has brought to her.

Our palm tree is really special to us & we’ve marveled at how quickly it has grown.  It is 6 ½ years old… the same number of years that we’ve lived at this address.  Incorporating it into our holiday display has been a lot of fun.  Ellie likes to visit her little reindeer in the evening & thanks to him, she is no longer afraid to go outside when it’s dark.

Next year, we plan to add MORE lights & maybe even MORE reindeer.  Personally, I think we need a whole team of reindeer…  11 of them to be exact.  Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen, Rudolph, plus two more: one to play center & one animated reindeer to quarterback.  Wouldn’t Coach be surprised?  {No, honey… I didn’t buy 10 reindeer at Kmart.  Must be a typo!}

We have a large front porch that we also decorated for the season.  I spent a portion of our $100 budget on items that would add some cheer during the daylight hours, too.

And how about that elf?  It is {by far} Ellie’s favorite Christmas decoration.  It’s official product name is “porch greeter” but in our house she serves as surrogate sister.  She has accompanied us to the grocery store, the library, been buckled into the backseat of the car, & been pushed around the neighborhood in a stroller.  Thanks to this cheerful little sprite, many happy memories are being made this Christmas.

 This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.  All opinions are my own.  #Cbias

If you are a reader of this blog then you know two things about my dear little daughter:

1. She is very busy.
2. She has a ferocious appetite.

Now is a great time to try Tyson’s newest product – if you buy 2 boxes of Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches,you’ll receive a $5 Walmart Gift Card.  These sandwiches aren’t available in all stores yet, so visit TysonGoodness.com to find a store near you.

To see more pictures, please visit my Google+ Story.

DISCLOSURE: THIS SHOP HAS BEEN COMPENSATED AS PART OF A SOCIAL SHOPPER INSIGHTS STUDY FOR COLLECTIVE BIAS.  ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.  #CBIAS #TYSONGOODNESS

Saving Money Made Easy

I’ll never be an extreme couponer, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t like saving money at the grocery store.  One store in particular has grabbed my attention with their fuelperks! program that rewards me at the gas pump.

BI-LO grocery recently unveiled their new Bonus Card that you can now use to save money at the store, but also swipe & save money at participating gas stations.  For every $50 you spend, you’ll earn 5¢ off per gallon.  It adds up quickly, especially with special promotions like their Triple fuelperks! on gift cards & other bonus rewards throughout the store.

TRIPLE fuelperks!

From now until December 6, you can earn TRIPLE fuelperks with the purchase of giftcards in the store.  The selection is amazing: Pottery Barn, Starbucks, iTunes, Sears, Macy’s, & hundreds more in different denominations.  {Just FYI: fuelperks! are not issued on Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or BI-LO giftcards.}  After checking out all the giftcards, I decided to purchase a Toys ‘R Us card because…

{shhhh… I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Santa shops there.}

Next, I strolled around the store in search of Nature Made Vitamins — a fuelperks! bonus item that would have given me an additional $0.40 cents off per gallon.  Overall, you can earn up to an extra$1.25 off per gallon with bonus rewards.

My BI-LO store experience was great.  The shelves were neat & tidy and I was surprised to see so many great sale prices & bogo offers.

Pump it Up

Getting to a participating station was easy, too.  It was just a traffic light down from the store & in the direction that I was headed.  With the purchase of a $50 gift card, I earned 15¢ off per gallon {tripled from 5¢}, which brought my price per gallon of gas to $3.22.

Using the program is as easy as swiping your bonus card at the pump.  It automatically discounts your per gallon price at the pump — no need to go inside, carry receipts around, just swipe & pump. Wondering if there’s a participating pump near you?  Check here.

You can see more photos in this Google+ Story by clicking here ——————–>

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.  All opinions are my own.  #cbias #fuelperksatBILO

When Ellie was just two years old, Santa brought her the first edition {Silver} Fisher Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning Game.  Although the suggested age is 3-7, we wanted to give her a gift that she could grow into.

It has been the best little game for traveling, waiting for dinner at a restaurant, & has kept her busy and in her seat at many sporting events.

She likes reading along with the stories, doodling with the art tools, & just recently… tracing letters.  As she grows, she’ll be able to learn simple words, practice math facts, & practice spelling.

For Christmas this year, Santa will be bringing her the Disney Princess Fisher Price iXL Learning Game Software.  There are several great software options:  Cars, Kung Fu Panda, Dora the Explorer, & Mickey Mouse for iXL.

What the Fisher Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning Game includes & teaches:

Base system includes:

• 1 interactive story and activity
• 1 learning game
• Writing activities
• Art tools and stampers
• Music sampler
• Sample photo images
• 9 mini-apps
• And it’s easy to add more!

iXL teaches:
• Story comprehension
• Counting (by 1’s, 2’s, 10’s)
• Art and creativity
• Phonics
• Vocabulary
• Writing
• Spelling and lots more!

If you’re considering purchasing the Fisher Price iXL Learning Game, I can tell you that it’s worth it!  PLUS, it’s $20 less than last year and priced at around $59.99.

Heelys got a bad rap when kids throughout the country were rolling through antique shops & pet stores, scaring old ladies and birds.  It seemed like every local business had a warning on their door that rolling through the store was forbidden.  Understandable, kiddos!

BUT, when used responsibly, Heelys are a fun way to get from here to there.  

Heelys sent me a pair of shoes and I was certain that heeling around the Harris Teeter & the kitchen would save me time, but I think I’ll leave all the wheeling about for the younger crowd.  {I’m not terribly coordinated.}  However, with their instructional videos and safety tips, kids {and adults} can successfully learn the sport of heeling.

Heelys have a pretty cool look to them and the wheels can be taken out *very* quickly for school or excursions where heeling would be found to be inappropriate {like church}.  For more info, visit Heelys online or on Facebook.

One little known fact about myself is that I’m a musician.  In addition to writing this blog and a few others, I also teach piano lessons from our house.  I have a very musical family — my sister is a middle school music teacher and my stud brother {in addition to playing the piano, guitar, & drums} sings in his college a capella group.

I love music that is rich in texture.

I love groovy beats.

I love Mat Kearney.

As a mom, I get tired of listening to The Wheels on the Bus, so I was excited when the One2One Network sent me a copy of Mat Kearney‘s third album Young Love.  Two weeks later, Ellie and I have all the songs memorized because we can’t get enough.  Y’all… when I tell you that his album is amazing, believe me:  IT IS AMAZING.  It’s acoustic rock at its best with a twist of hip-hop.

Matt wrote a collection of honest, heartfelt, and hypnotic stories that’ll make you move your feet and put a smile on your face. He gives a piece of himself on every tune, while building timeless tales for listeners to follow as they dance and sing along.

Clapping a beat into his laptop one evening is what inspired him to write the first song on the album, “Hey Mama”.  The song describes his first meeting with his new wife at an Anthropologie store in Tennessee.

Now I’m going to challenge you to a dare:  Listen to this song and try to sit still.

Impossible, huh?

Like all the cool kids, Matt Kearney is on Facebook, too.  Check out his page for tour dates, official videos, and his newsletter.

]]> http://thefootballwife.com/2011/08/mat-kearney-young-love-hey-mama-review/feed/ 2 http://thefootballwife.com/2011/08/our-first-year-of-magic-back-to-school-tiny-prints/ http://thefootballwife.com/2011/08/our-first-year-of-magic-back-to-school-tiny-prints/#comments Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:49:20 +0000 Sara http://thefootballwife.com/?p=2566

 It feels like it was just yesterday that I was a shy little three-year-old headed off to a church basement for preschool.

Okay, I’m lying… it feels like 28 years ago.

BUT, I actually *do* remember preschool!  Unfortunately, the things I remember the most are having to wait for a necklace to ride tricycles and getting scolded during circle time for showing the teacher the bows on my fancy new socks.  Fast forward all these years and now it’s my daughter’s turn to head off to preschool.

While I’m certain that she’ll be asked to quiet down during story time and to stop tap dancing on the snack table, I also know that she will make friends & love her school experience.

As a mommy, I’m looking forward to posting our calendar on the refrigerator and hanging new art projects and pictures on the wall.  It’ll be an entire year of firsts:  first field trips, birthday cupcakes at school, breakfast with Santa, gifts for our teacher, class pictures, & the first time I’ll be able to walk into Target without looking at the Barbies.

School is almost here.  We’ll take a picture of her very first day of school {likely sporting a flowered dress and more accessories than all the housewives of NJ} and we’ll display it in a special place for years to come.

And then one day…

28 years from now…

she’ll show that photo to her child and the magic will continue.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I was compensated with product from Tiny Prints through the Global Influence Network to share this Back-to-School story with you. All opinions are my own and I encourage you to visit Tiny Prints to check out all their adorable Back-to-School teacher stationery, allergy alert cards, and labels.

Thank you to Crocs for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Crocs’ new Back to School line. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

There are two types of mothers during back-to-school week… those who breathe a sigh of relief when the school bus pulls away and those who cry their eyes out.  As for me, I’m undecided as it’s our very FIRST year of preschool.  I’m excited for Ellie because I know she’s looking forward to making new friends, having circle time, & playing on the playground.

In preparing for preschool, we have just a little bit of shopping to do.  Luckily, our Back-to-School shopping list is much shorter than the legions of elementary parents trying to navigate the crowded store aisles for Kleenex and discount crayons.  For us, it’s as simple as buying some leggings to wear under her favorite dresses, new panties, & school approved shoes.  Although it will stay summer-like in the South until October, unfortunately our summer shoes won’t make the cut for school.  Our flip-flops are totally out, however Crocs has a new line of Back-to-School, school approved shoes that are summer on the inside & school on the outside.

Dawson Sneakers for Girls

Ellie loves to climb {up the walls}, so as a mama I know that closed heel & closed toe shoes are the best option for school.  Not only will she be able to scurry faster up the equipment, school-approved shoes will {fingers crossed!} prevent injuries that are caused by our flip-flops.  Ellie already has her little eye on a pair of pink Keeley style Crocs with a little flower on the toe.  They’re not clunky and perfect for wearing with all of her favorite dresses.

Crocs wants to sweeten the news of their school-approved shoes…  while watching this little video, look for this “easter egg”.  By clicking on it, you’ll get a surprise!

Can you find this?

Before you head out for your Back-to-School shopping, I recommend checking out the 13 new styles of Crocs at their online store.  Plus, they’re giving away a free vacation to sunny San Diego {no purchase necessary}.

Whatever your mom personality, school *has* arrived!

If you’re an animal lover like our family, then you’ll love what Carolina Pad has just recently launched.  In partnership with the Humane Society, they’ve created a line of products that proudly promotes Mission: Human, a nationwide movement of young people working to help animals.

If you’re a reader of this blog then you know that we own the world’s most adorable & lovable dog:

Yes, he barks at falling raindrops & has a stroke when the mail arrives, but we can’t imagine our lives without him.  Pets are very much a part of the family, which is why this spoiled dog gets to accompany us on our upcoming beach vacation.  He’s not a big fan of the ocean, believe me… we heard that dogs can swim but this one doesn’t like to get his fur wet.  When he stands on the shore, he looks so peaceful and proud staring out into the waves.  We call this his “spiritual dog” pose:

He likes to romp & play, too.  Here’s evidence:

Are your pets a part of your family, too?

Leave a comment telling me about your pet and you’ll be entered to win a fabulous prize pack from Carolina Pad’s Stand Up! Collection.

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• Leave a comment telling me about your pet {1 entry}

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Contest ends on June 30, 2011