Blackberry Muffins Recipe

Blackberries are ripe and plentiful right now here in Oregon! The grow everywhere like a weed and you can pick as much as your heart desires...for FREE! You seriously can not get rid of blackberry bushes. And although they can be a pain, the fruit is worth waiting for!

We recently went camping and I always like to make muffins for a quick grab and go breakfast and easy clean up. Big Brother and I had just picked a big bowl of blackberries and so blackberry muffins it was this trip!

I found this recipe at Simply Recipes, and modified mine a tiny bit to be a little more healthy. Although next time I might just use all white flower, because I know they will be melt in your mouth delicious!

Blackberry Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
• 2 1/2 Cups of all purpose flour ( I did one cup white and 1 1/2 wheat)
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream ( I used half and half because I was out of sour cream/yogurt and applesauce)
• 1 teaspoon milk ( I cut this out when I used the half and half)
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 Tbsp warm melted butter (1 stick)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of fresh blackberries (if using frozen, defrost and drain first)

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin pan or line with paper of silicone cups.

2.Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, sugar, butter and vanilla.

4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix together lightly just until moistened. Add the berries. Do not over mix!

5. Scoop your batter into the cups about 3/4 full. I use a cookie scoop and got 24 muffins out of this recipe. Bake 13-15 minutes.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Even with the wheat flour and half and half these muffins were delicious! Nearly a dessert when warm from the oven. They were sturdy enough to pack camping and would freeze well too!

The blackberries won't last long! So for all of  you who are in blackberry country, it's time to head out pickin'!

Back to School Spree Giveaway Hop: Lovable Labels #b2sspree

Welcome to the Back to School Spree Giveaway Hop hosted by

Formula Mom and 7 on a Shoestring! 

Back to School is nearly upon us! And what better way to start the school year off right then to enter to win fantastic school related prizes! Please enter my giveaway then "hop" to over 100 other blogs with equally fun back to school prizes!

My giveaway is for a Back to School Pack of Lovable Labels!
($44.95 retail value)

Here is what you will receive: 
• 15 Sticker Labels
• 80 Slimline Labels
• 12 Shoe Labels
• 48 Press n' Stick Clothing DOTS™
• 2 Mini-Metal Tags (two 4” silver ball chains included)
• 12 Square Labels

An easy fun way to label all of your children's personal items to ensure they make it home each day!
 Save money and stress with Lovable Labels! 

Please see my complete review of Lovable Labels here!

*******(psst: If you just can't wait and need to order labels right away there is a money

 saving coupon code in my review!)******

Disclosure: Formula Mom, 7 on a Shoestring, and the Back to School Spree bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that fail to fulfill their prizes. 

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thredUP Review

I just recently posted about how much I love garage sales and how sad I was that they are soon coming to an end. Well the best part about garage saling is the hunt for a bargain and never knowing what you might find. And of course finding deals for all things kid related, especially clothes that are nearly new for a fraction of the price!

I recently came across thredUP online and let me tell you, this may be my new favorite store! I'm still able to get fantastic gently used kids clothing, shoes and accessories for an amazing price!

About thredUP
thredUP is an online consignment boutique out to make your life just a little bit easier! You can browse thousands of like-new kids clothing items, shoes and accessories year round. Each item is hand selected and certified for quality and you can always find all of your favorite brands discounted up to 75% off! All without ever leaving your home!

thredUP Review
I was so excited to find thredUP and equally excited to be able to review and share them with you. Why pay full price on kids clothing when you can buy like new for much cheaper?

They literally take the hassle out of shopping with your kids. Browse thousands of different items right from your house. And just like a garage sale you never know what you might find. The hidden treasure or favorite shirt you can't buy anymore. Browsing is easy. Simply select by gender and size or you can search by product type or brand.

For my review I selected a pair of Lands End Jeans size 4T for $9.99. A Tea brand racing shirt for $7.99 and a Pumpkin Patch brand shirt for Little Brother for $3.99. I was able to get both boys nearly a complete name brand outfit for just over $20!

The Lands End Jeans are so cute and are in like new condition. Flawless. For $9.99 this is a total bargain! The Tea racing shirt is again in like new condition and so cute. And the Pumpkin Patch shirt is adorable, in like new condition and a brand that I wouldn't be able to find at my local stores. I was completely impressed and excited when I opened my box. My order arrived to my door super fast and they came in a cute little box that was packed by hand with care.

And not only can you buy gently used items from thredUP but you can request a thredUP bag and send them your gently worn items as well! You simply fill up your bag, place it on your doorstep. They cover the shipping and then pay you for each item they place in their store! They simply make it too easy! Find out more about sending your clothing to thredUP here!

Stay up to date with thredUP on Facebook for giveaways, new products and more! Don't wait, check them out, save some money and have the cutest dressed kiddos around for a fraction of the price! Try them today and use the code TU10 and receive 10% off your first order!
Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

Back to School safety tips and Master Lock

Back to School is just around the corner! 

It is easy for kids young and old to forget and carelessly leave their clothing and valuables laying around. Here are a few tips to help keep their items safe.

1. Always label all items with first and last name. Engraving on anything electronic.
2. Make sure their locker has a lock if one is not provided for them by the school.
3. ALWAYS check the lost and found if something goes missing. Many times there is an entire box full of stuff at the end of the school year and the school can do nothing but send the items to a charity store like Goodwill.

With theft continually on the rise, Master Lock has multiple products to help! Like this new dialSpeed Electronic Padlock that allows users to store multiple codes that you select. You can even set a guest code. Your special code can be backed up in the Master Lock Vault ensuring you never forget your combination again!

How well do you know safety and security to keep you and your kids items safe? Take the Master Combo Challenge on the Master Lock Facebook page to find out!

Here is to the start of a happy and safe school year!

Disclosure: I am entering a contest for the Master Lock back-to-school prize pack as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club!

YumEarth Organics Candy Giveaway

  

Candy, Candy Candy! Who doesn't love Candy! 
But have you tried organic candy? 
What would you do if you could have some 
delicious all-natural candy right at your doorstep? 

Introducing YumEarth!

YumEarth is a brand of candy produced by YummyEarth. Everything YummyEarth makes is certified organic or all natural, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, and has no chemical colors, artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup. This is why they are the #1 organic company in America! The company was founded by two dads to share healthier treats with their kids and are proud to share that each serving provides 100% of daily vitamin C. It has been called “The Best Lollipop I've ever tasted” by Today Show Food Editor Phil Lempert, YumEarth Organics Lollipops come in eight mouthwatering flavors: Very Very Cherry, Too Berry Blueberry, Strawberry Smash, Sour Apple Tart, Pomegranate Pucker, Razzmatazz Berry, Mango Tango and Wet-Face Watermelon. Featured as the “Snack of the Day” on the Rachael Ray Show, YumEarth Organics Gummy Bears have the quintessential texture of a traditional gummy bear with unique mouthwatering flavors: Pomegranate Pucker, Strawberry Smash and Sour Apple Tart. 

 

YumEarth Candy is now available at Target! That's right, you have the option of buying the candy online or at your local store! Check this list to see YumEarth Candy is available at a Target near you. To celebrate the release of YumEarth Candy at Target, YummyEarth is sponsoring a giveaway of a YEAR'S WORTH OF CANDY to one lucky winner! Enter on the rafflecopter form below!

This giveaway is open to the US only. You are entering to 12 bags of YUMEARTH ORGANICS LOLLIPOPS and 12 bags of GUMMY BEARS. Must be 18+ to enter. Giveaway closes on August 24 at 11:59pm est. Only one person per household/IP address may enter. You only need to enter the giveaway on one of our blogs. Good luck!

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Ozeri Brezza II Oscillating 10" fan review

We've been getting some pretty hot temperatures here in Oregon lately and although this is the first year we have air conditioning, I haven't used it all that much. I just don't like to be cold in the summertime. If its scorching outside then ok I'll turn it on for a bit, but otherwise no.

So how perfect it is that I was able to review the Ozeri Brezza II Oscillating fan! This fan is the perfect size and not like any other ordinary fan!

About Ozeri

Ozeri's main focus is digital lifestyle products for the modern home. They started out supplying their products the the destination club market including vacation residences, timeshares and condo hotel apartments and their products can be found in vacation residences around the globe.

Ozeri is now emerging in the consumer market. Unlike competitive brands instead of placing tons of money into marketing and advertising Ozeri focuses on the relationships it has built with the countless guests that have used their products around the world and therefor can offer their fine products to the consumer for much less.

Ozeri Brezza Fan Review
What makes the Ozeri Brezza fan different from all the rest? It not only oscillates side to side, but up and down as well! Giving you a breeze and airflow in all directions! I love it!

This fan has been perfect to put in Little Brother's room. His room is on the West side of our house and when the sun goes down it beats through the window and really heats up the room. He already has another fan but I can put this one on the table and give him a really good airflow. You can also choose if you want the fan to oscillate or be stationary for both oscillating directions, thus giving me complete control over where the fan will be pointing.

The control knob is really a hard click which I love because the boys can't turn on the fan even if they wanted to.

The fan is 10" size which I think is perfect. It has 3 different speed setting and is really quiet. It looks really nice and one of my favorite and hard to find features besides the dual oscillating is that it can be mounted to the wall. Perfect for families with children, like mine, where you want to provide some airflow and be confident no little fingers can get to the fan.

Overall I have been very impressed with this Ozeri fan. It is the perfect amount of cool and style with hard to find features that place this above other fans.

Find out more about Ozeri and their products on their Facebook page, as well as sales, specials, new products and more.

Stay cool this summer with the Ozeri Brezza II Oscillating fan!

Happy 4th Birthday Big Brother

Big Brother recently just turned 4! I love planning the boys Birthday parties. This year we went with a camping themed party and it was so much fun!

I had come across a fun blog called Giverslog that had a post about "Happy Mail" and this is what inspired me for Big Brother's invitations. I bought large M&M tubes and removed the outside label and emptied the mini M&M's. Made a Smore's trail mix with Golden Grahams, mini M&M's and mini marshmallows and filled them back up with this mix. I then made a small tag that went inside the tube with the party details. The outsides got a small label with the invite rhyme and I sealed the tops with fun packing tape. I then took them to the post office for postage and sent them out. Everyone received the invites with no problems and they made quite a statement.

For decoration I was able to pull some old red lanterns from my fishing/outdoor master bathroom and also got lucky and found 3 more at TJMaxx. I made a bunch of camping themed signs from cardboard and white paint. They were simple to make and turned out so cute. I also used red checkered tablecloths.

Each kid that came to the party got their very own headlamp and a set of binoculars I made from toilet paper tubes. I got my headlamps from Outdoor Adventure Kids and the kids loved them! The binoculars were a hit as well and so easy to make. I stapled two toilet paper tubes together and then glued colored paper around the ends to add some dimension. I then glued a small piece of cardboard across the tubes and glued a small bottle cap to the top for an adjustment knob. I braided embroidery floss to make a neck strap. So fun to see the kids running around with their binoculars and headlamps.

For the past couple of years we have had Big Brother's party in the morning because our yard just gets too hot. So we do a full breakfast that goes along with the party theme. This year I made egg, bacon and cheese breakfast burritos with salsa and sour cream and had watermelon slices and juice. As always the food was a hit.

Cupcakes were smore's cupcakes. Chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling. Topped with chocolate fudge, marshmallow fluff and graham cracker chunks.  A coconut covered marshmallow on a stick and a green gummy frog. Big Brother loves frogs so we decided to tie them in this way.

This year Big Brother wanted a pinata. So together we made one out of cardboard. I punched holes around the edges and then used a small string to tie the sides together. I also scored the cardboard to help make the process a bit easier as the kids are all 5 and under. My hopes were that the more the pinata was hit the strings around the edges would continue to pop out and let the goodies fall out. It did still take a little bit but it did start to break down as I had hoped and the kids had a blast.

The party turned out great and we had so much fun. I have one happy 4 year old. Now it's time to start planning the next party! 

Happy Birthday Big Brother!

TruKid Products Review & Giveaway

So the HOT summer sun is finally settling in here in Oregon and I'm kind of a nut when it comes to sunscreen on my boys. If they are outside they usually have both sunscreen and hats on at all times.

I've always used the same baby safe sunscreen since Big Brother was old enough to wear sunscreen. But this year it was time for a change. With so many options on the market I've chosen a couple different brands to try, and truthfully they failed. White globby paste that doesn't blend in, nasty smell and just overly not easy to use. And we all know getting the sunscreen on the kiddos is a chore in itself when all they want to do is get outside!

Well I can now say I have found my new favorite! Not only do I love the Sunny Days sunscreen from TruKid but their company is one I am proud to support.

About TruKid
TruKid is a lifestyle company based in California. Their main focus is creating healthy habits and providing better personal care choices for children and families. Their products are value priced and they have made it fun for kids to learn to take care of themselves, each other and the environment.

All of their products are free of harmful chemicals and safe for your entire family. They also take to heart environmental concerns and use green packaging that is recyclable and minimizes waste.

TruKid Philosophy: To create a sustainable future for our kids 

TruKid Goal: To provide products free of harmful chemicals

TruKid Review
I've been so impressed with TruKid that I'm not even sure where to start. The more I learn about their company the more impressed I am an I'm happy to have the chance to work with them.

I had the opportunity to review the Sunny Days Sunscreen and the Bubbly Body Wash.
All of their products are:

• All Natural
• Non Toxic
• No Parabens
• No Phthalates
• Gluten Free
• BPA Free
• Petroleum Free
• No Harsh Chemicals

Sunny Days Sunscreen
I LOVE this sunscreen. It is SPF 30+, goes on smooth and easy and it smells wonderful! It is all natural, no chemical, made in the USA and has done it's job and prevented all sunburns! Awesome. As I mentioned before it is my new favorite!

Bubbly Body Wash
Again love this body wash! Smells amazing, lathers up nicely, comes with a pump spout and of course is all natural, no chemicals, parabens and all the other garbage listed above.

Now TruKid not only makes a really good product but they have thought of a unique system to make cleaning and healthy habits fun for kids. Each one of their products come in a brightly colored bottles, and each bottle color has a code.

Blue = Cleansing
Green = Nourishing
Orange = Sun

As well as the code the bottles are stamped with the "TruKid Learning System" that makes it easy for kids to identify what part of their body the specific product is for. (Face, body, hair, etc.) Thus giving kids the freedom to earn independence and learn to take care of their bodies. How cool is that! They also use everyday kid words like Silly, Funny, Happy and Cool that really speak to kids and make using the products fun!

And not only do they do all of the above but on their website each product you will find a list of all ingredients, tips on how to use them and fun silly rhymes and songs that you can use to encourage your kids to use the product!

I could go on and on about this company but why read it all here when you can check out everything TruKid has to offer and throw a few products in your shopping cart while your at it. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. And even better TruKid is offering my readers a COUPON!

Get a FREE Happy Face & Body Lotion with any order of $30 or more from their website! 

Just use the code HAPPYMOM!

TruKid also offers all sorts of fun and useful information on their Facebook page as well as coupons and giveaways, so make sure to check them out there too!

WIN IT! And yes while I love a good coupon, FREE is even better! TruKid is just that cool and is also offering my readers a chance to win the Sunny Days Sunscreen and Bubbly Body Wash just like I reviewed! Please just enter below and Good Luck! Contest ends August 19th!

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Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

Choose to Reuse Giveaway Hop #choose2reuse - Forever Cloths

Welcome to The Choose To Reuse Giveaway Hop! This green event is hosted by The Organic Times, Happy Mothering & Earth Faerie Momma. Each participating blog has a giveaway worth $25 or more. This event will end Friday, August 17th at 11:59pm EST. After you enter my giveaway be sure to hop on over to the other blogs!

My giveaway is for a 6 pack of Organic Forever Cloths from The Willow Store! These cloths can eliminate your need for paper towels, help you save money and serve many other purposes as well. 

Please see my review of the Organic Forever Cloths

Disclaimer: Kids, Clutter & Chaos and the other Choose To Reuse bloggers are not responsible for unfulfilled prizes.

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