http://theblogfrog.com/128594/community/feeds/defaultThe latest discussions from the A Frog In My Soup Community - powered by BlogFrog(c) 2009, BlogFrog, INC. All rights reserved.5 The big game day has come and gone, but there's always the next event to celebrate with friends and family and around here food is a big deal. For boys, food seems to be a large part of any event and they look forward to it immensely. For me, keeping it yummy and simple is always the biggest factor in any game-day menu. Here's a few tips to make preparation even simpler. Use a Crockpot. This is absolutely mandatory around here. In fact, crock pots are so useful for holidays and game day we went out and bought a great unit that has three crock pots in it. They are attractive, convenient and one pot does it all from cooking, to keeping warm and serving. Plan Ahead Don't get too very extravagant, you'd be surprised just how amazing things can turn out with just a little prep and a few ingredients. By planning ahead you don't have to worry about missing ingredients or last minute trips to the store. Keep in mind there's almost always a simple way to improvise if you do end up forgetting something. Keep it Simple When you're entertaining a crowd all too often as the hostess we get way too caught up in wanting it to be fancy and impressive. On game-day this is absolutely not necessary! Break out the everyday dishes, the simpler the better actually as game-day tends to be casual and messy. Keep it as simple as possible for not only serving and eating, but for clean up as well! Now it's your turn! Join the conversation and tell me what tips you have for hosting a successful party for friends and family for the Big Game and be entered to win a 42” LG flat Screen TV! Looking for some snack ideas? Tyson Any’tizers are a great snack that satisfies your kids on game day or any day! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson Any'Tizers.  The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Tyson Any'Tizers Brand. Official Sweepstakes Rules http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/146452/game-day-food-tips.htmlTue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:10 GMTWe all want our families to be healthy and happy, but that's much easier said than done! This year at A Frog In My Soup we're going to talk about family and women's health a lot, but I wanted to know if anyone else is implementing changes in your lives to help your family be healthier this year? http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/141951/healthy-family-in-2012.htmlFri, 06 Jan 2012 16:47:09 GMT I always love when a brand gets behind real nutrition for families! I know it seems like all major food brands should be, but alas, that often isn't the case. Sacrificing nutrition for the sake of cutting costs and "improving" flavor (really?) is what most brands are all about. As you all know I've been a big fan of Horizon for a long time, the fact that they now offer their milk with DHA (in the Omega-3 family) is a great option for families who are trying to find ways to provide more nutrition for their family. Often kids love milk but are also picky eaters and not as likely to consume the variety of foods necessary for the optimal diet so this is a great way to offer that extra nutrition. Before I bore you completely with my nutrition soap box, let me just say that adding Omega-3 to your family's diet doesn't have to be difficult and can actually be amazingly tasty! My kiddos LOVE granola! When I found out that Flax Seed is one of the best sources for Omega-3 I immediately started adding it in when I make our homemade Granola. Granola is an amazingly versatile food. We eat it with dried or fresh fruit, as cereal, with yogurt and the list goes on. Homemade Granola 6 Cups Oats 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar (or substitute if desired) 1/2 Cup Flax Seed 1/4 Cup Powdered Milk 3/4 Cup oil (we use Extra Light Olive Oil) 3/4 Honey 1 Tbsp Vanilla Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. On a cookie sheet mix the dry ingredients. Put the honey, oil and vanilla in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute (should only be warm not hot). Pour the liquid mixture over the dry mix on the cookie sheet and blend until all dry ingredients are coated. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool to warm then immediately transfer to an airtight storage container (if you wait too long it will harden and stick to the cookie sheet). Fun Tip! My favorite thing about this recipe is... when you go to rinse your hands after mixing, put just a little warm water on your hands and scrub....makes the most AMAZING sugar scrub and leaves your hands feeling great! Chance to WIN! Did you know that if you share how you sneak Omega-3’s into your family’s diet you can be entered for a chance to win a $500 Grocery Shopping Spree! DHA belongs to a category of healthy fatty acids known as Omega-3's. DHA is a major structural fat in the body, and has been shown to support brain, heart and eye health. Not only is DHA found in foods like salmon and eggs, but it can also be found in Horizon® Organic Milk enhanced with DHA Omega-3. Learn more about Horizon’s commitment to healthy families at http://www.horizondairy.com/everyday-nutrition/dha-omega-3/ This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon.  The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Horizon Organic brand.  http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/131879/homemade-granola---waking-up-to-omega-3s.htmlTue, 25 Oct 2011 04:00:10 GMT Ok, I will admit it right here and now, teaching kids to clean is not an easy task for most of us. I for one am not good at keeping an upbeat attitude when it comes to cleaning. If i was, I think I'd have a much better chance of having perfectly angelic little children who wanted to pitch in at every turn. But that is not our reality. Teaching kids to clean can be frustrating, yet strangely, I can't think of a better way for them to learn about life than through that very process. Someday, like it or not, they will need to know how to clean a shower or a toilet or a floor, they should know how to operate a vacuum a washing machine and a dishwasher. So, before we get to the giveaway info part, here's a few tips that help us when teaching our kids how to clean. Lighten Up As much as I dislike cleaning, I think hubby has the right idea when he turns on the music and lightens the mood. It changes the whole environment and helps everyone's attitudes...yes, even mine. Make it Work There's nothing worse than having a system that simply doesn't work. Our cleaning system is mediocre at best even now, but that's primarily due to living space. Having a cleaning kit that makes things simple to get to really helps the process of teaching kids to clean. Answer the "Why's" Ok, truthfully, I definitely fall into the "because I said so" category of motherly sayings on a frequent basis, that said though, I think it's very important for kids to understand why cleaning up is so important. It's not just about the visual appeal, but also very important for hygienic and safety reasons. Kids are smart, smart enough to act like they don't get it even when they do, so taking a few minutes to explain the why's can help a lot. Keep it Clear Helping kids not only understand why cleaning is important, but making sure they know exactly what their part of the cleaning entails is key. Kids have an extremely keen sense of "fairness" and while there is no way to be precise in measuring fair when it comes to cleaning, making sure that each person knows their job, knows how to do it and are solely responsible for completing that task can help eliminate a lot of those issues. Despite it all, there will just be times that the house looks like a tornado ran through it (6 kids qualifies right?). So I'll be the first to admit that I often wish someone else could do it for me! Do you want to hand over cleaning to the experts? Tell us how you have taught and encouraged your kids to clean and be entered to win one of two prizes! First Prize: House Cleaner for a day plus $100 in product from GreatCleaners.com. Second Prize: A Copy of the Book Over 100 Helpful Household Hints With GreatCleaners.com Clean Club, you'll never have to shop for cleaning products again. With the simplicity of automatic shipments that fit your schedule and free shipping on every order, plus 25% off your first order, you'll never have to be without your favorite, essential cleaning products. Click here to join the Clean Club today! WamnWWantWant to hand over cleaning to the experts? Tell us how you have taught your kids to clean for a chance to win one of two prizes! •First Prize: house cleaner for a day plus $100 in product from Greatcleaners.com. •Second Prize: A copy of the book 101 Uses for Baking Soda With Greatcleaners.com Clean Club, you’ll never have to shop for cleaning products again. With the simplicity of automatic shipments that fit your schedule and free shipping on every order, plus 25% off your first order, you’ll never have to be without your favorite, essential cleaning products. Click here to join Clean Club today!Want to hand over cleaning to the experts? Tell us how you have taught your kids to clean for a chance to win one of two prizes! <div id="cke_pastebin" style="position: absoluthttp://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/130591/little-cleaners.htmlMon, 17 Oct 2011 04:00:10 GMT Although I can remember plenty of times when recess was not my favorite thing (I disliked rain, sometimes the games weren't fair, etc.), the break from the monotony of classroom activities was always so refreshing. My twins (5th and 6th sons) just started Kindergarten. Their first day of school was so exciting they stumbled all over themselves trying to tell me all the amazing things they did that day. The funny thing is, when I asked them what they loved most about school...their reply, in stereo no less, was RECESS! No amount of explaining that recess isn't a subject would get through to them, they were determined that it was in fact, the most important part of the day. In so many ways I just can't blame them. The appeal of the swings, slides and bright equipment is nearly overwhelming to a little one. What many fail to realize I think is the amazing amount of creative and imaginative play that can take place during recess, as well as social interaction. Sure, there can be problems, but I think that's just all part of the learning process. It's in those mistakes we learn. So, I stopped trying to explain away recess as a truly valuable part of my children's education and embrace the stories they tell about their favorite part of the day. Did you know that over the past twenty years, children have lost an average of 8 hours of recess a week. Danimals Rally for Recess is a national initiative designed to create healthy competition, pitting school against school. Go to Danimals Rally for Recess for a chance to win $20,000 for your Elementary school playground. Plus each day Danimals is giving recess-related prizes to keep kids healthy and active. Share your Recess memories below and go to Rally for Recess for more information on how your school can win! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Danimals. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest Rules. http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/129681/the-fun-part.htmlTue, 11 Oct 2011 05:00:10 GMT Let's face it, some kids are naturally picky eaters. As parents we have a choice, help them become creative eaters who try a variety of foods or feed them only what they like leading to unhealthy eating habits and questionable health. Today we're talking about how to get kids to eat healthy, and below you get the opportunity to join in the conversation and share your thoughts for a chance to win a Mom's Getaway Spa Day! Although it may seem like a strange combination, I have always felt that giving my children the opportunity to eat a variety of foods regardless of their refusals helps them in other areas of life as well. Not only am I making sure that they are eating a balanced and healthy diet, but I'm also ensuring that they are not a frustration to others anytime anyone other than myself has to feed them a meal. So, how do we get around the picky eater and whining? When you have worked to prepare a yummy and healthy meal, hearing a child say "I don't like that" can be so frustrating. Being part of a big family, there's truly not a lot of opportunity to be picky, there's simply no way to prepare a lot of separate meals just because of one or two childrens' limited tastes. That's not to say we haven't had our fair share of battles with the picky eater over the years, but we have learned a few things. Feeding children a variety of healthy foods right from the start is paramount for growing a healthy eater. Finding fun ways to present healthy foods and using all the great tools and flavors we have at our disposal to make truly deliciously healthy food is ultimately the very best way to encourage our children to eat. Heres' a few more tips. Let them Help This is probably the best way to get a child to eat something they ordinarily wouldn't even look at. Letting them help make the food will almost always guarantee a child will eat it. Although kids cooking can be a messy adventure and requires a lot of supervision, they are actually quite creative. Sometimes we let them help plan from the meal planning and shopping to the cooking and serving. Taking ownership of an entire meal is something that makes the kids so proud! Be Creative Serving foods that are not on your child's list of things that are ok can be a little less challenging if they are presented in a fun and creative way. Check out the discussions we've been having about Bento lunches, there's plenty of creative and fun ideas by even simply creating food that's shaped in fun ways. Also, having theme nights such as food from a certain country or foods all of a certain color (even though I usually recommend serving a rainbow of colors...which could also be a theme...in this case it works for the greater good to serve one color), etc. Approach it Head On If all else fails you can talk to them straight out about it. Obviously this won't work with the toddler/preschool ages who are quite possibly the most picky group of them all, but for kids that are school age, understanding how important it is to eat a balanced and healthy meal is important and can definitely make them think. In the end, if the child simply doesn't respond, I always find myself going back to the fact that I'm the parent. I am ultimately responsible for keeping each of our children healthy, and sometimes I simply have to gently but firmly take charge whether the child likes it or not. Yes, I want my children to be confident in their individuality, feel free to express themselves, and so on. But they also need to learn to be flexible and that's what being part of a family is all about. We want to know your tips for getting kids to eat healthier! Please join the conversation by submitting your tip in the box below for a chance to win a $500 Mom’s Getaway Spa Day from BlogFrog! Want to exchange more healthy snacks ideas, money saving tips and back to school shopping advice with other moms? Visit the Horizon® Healthy Families Back to School Community! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of <a href="http://www.horizondahttp://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/125823/enter-your-title-here.htmlThu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:11 GMT This year all 6 of my sons are going to be in school. While this may not seem particularly monumental to anyone but me, it also brings a mile-long list of supplies that need to be purchased for the collective masses. Money is tight, my dollar doesn't go nearly as far as it used to and I need to be careful that back-to-school doesn't break the bank. I know I'm not alone. Here's a few suggestions to keep back to school more affordable, and maybe even a lot less stressful. Plan ahead - who says back-to-school shopping has to be done during summer break? I know it's a little late for the new school year, but the biggest tip I have for the cheapest back-to-school prices, is to shop year round. Year round, I can be found scouring ads and shopping the clearance rack at the stores I frequent. Often I can find name brand clothing even for 70% off or more! Just get to know your stores, the locations of their clearance racks and how often they have big sales. Of course, since some of my boys are growing like weeds (literally), this is rather necessary anyway or their pants start fitting them like capris (trust me, this is not the look a boy is going for). Keep a List - we even have a standard clothing "supply" list around here. I'd rather not have a child with 10 t-shirts and 1 pair of jeans in their drawers, and with a lot of kids it's easy to mix up who has what. So, keeping a checklist for each child to ensure they have the right amount of all the necessaries is key around here. Be Flexible - sometimes the best deals are where you least expect them. I was recently doing a search for coupons and sales for back to school online and was surprised when it suddenly occurred to me that using the annual local Entertainment book is an incredibly simple option. If you don't have an Entertainment book, look on craigslist or sites like that for the current edition, or simply put it on your list for next year (shop for it several months after it's released to get it for $10 or less). That's just one example of thinking "outside the box" for a super cheap back-to-school, imagine the possibilities. We want to know how you're saving this year!!! Share your back to school money saving advice below for a chance to win a $500 Back to School Shopping Spree from BlogFrog! Want to exchange more tips and ideas with other moms? We'd love to hear your solutions (or questions even) for healthy snacks, school supplies and saving money! Visit the Horizon® Healthily Families Back to School Community! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon.  The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Horizon Organic brand.  http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/122570/affordable-back-to-school.htmlTue, 23 Aug 2011 04:00:12 GMT Movie nights are much anticipated events around here, especially new releases they haven't seen before. Since movie night is often on a weekend, the pre-movie meal will commonly be pizza and chocolate milk (something that was basically a tradition for me growing up), so keeping snacks fun but also healthy is always at the forefront of my mind. I want my boys to love healthy food and see it as a treat not an alternative. It's might take a little creative thinking outside the box on your part, but fun creations like frozen dipped banana pops (my recipe below) or even homemade popcorn balls actually tend to be more appealing than junk food. To celebrate summer fun, Redbox is asking moms, "What's your family’s go-to movie night snack?" Plus, they are rewarding 2 lucky people with a chance to win $10,000 as part of the Redbox Summer of Fun & Games Sweepstakes. We'd love to know what your movie night snacks are (just leave us a comment below, yes we read them all), especially any fun and healthy ideas. Our go-to movie night snack is definitely popcorn, a simple healthy snack that kids love (and frankly they don't know it's healthy). Creative Movie Night Snack Ideas When we're looking for something a little out of the ordinary, we might do Caramel Apple Dippers (homemade or store bought caramel with sliced apples for dipping, but also yummy with dipped marshmallows believe it or not). Or how about a really fun Dessert Fondue night? You don't really even need fondue pots (though they are convenient for keeping the dip at the right temperature.. and let's face it they're kinda fun). You can simply have a couple pots of dips (chocolate and caramel are always hits) served with skewers filled with slices of things like bananas, strawberries, marshmallows and pound cake. Feel free to get creative, even dipped pineapple slices are yummy, be sure to serve up a variety of fruits or even pretzels for dipping in addition to any sugary foods. Frozen Banana Pops Although you could use this idea with a variety of fruits, my preference is Bananas, they are a fun treat that come in a convenient shape. Here's how we do it: Ingredients Bananas (peel and cut in half) Chocolate Chips (melted and stirred in double boiler) Chopped peanuts (totally optional) Skewers (kabob skewers cut in half work great) Directions Gently insert a skewer in the cut end of one half banana Dip banana into the melted chocolate coating at least 3/4 of the banana with a light layer of chocolate. Roll in chopped peanuts if desired. Place each banana onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Once you have repeated the process with the desired number of banana halves and have them laid out on the cookie sheet simply set the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 30 mins to chill. There are so many great movie snack ideas that are tons of fun and amazing for creating memories! This is a fantastic way to start a new tradition with your family. Redbox is celebrating summer family time with a great line up of family-friendly titles, awesome savings and two chances to win $10,000 as part of the Redbox Summer of Fun & Games Sweepstakes.* 4 Easy Ways to Enter: 1. Enter your email address at www.redbox.com/summer 2. Rent a movie or game at a redbox kiosk (and provide a valid email address at checkout) 3. Reserve a rental online at redbox.com 4. Text 'SUMMER' to 727272 Enter to win today! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Redbox. The opinions and text are all mine.  *Each item rented earns one entry, regardless of how long it is rented, up to three entries per day. Limit 3 entries per day, regardless of entry method. The sweepstakes begins May 27, 2011 at 12:00 a.m. CT and ends on August 1, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. CT. No purchase necessary. See official rules at www.redbox.com/summer. http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/117924/yummy-movie-night---creating-tradition.htmlWed, 27 Jul 2011 03:00:10 GMT Because not every summer day will be nice, it's just a basic fact that I'll have to plan many indoor activities to get us through the summer as well. So, the timing of the Redbox Summer of Fun & Games Sweepstakes couldn't be better! To celebrate summer fun, Redbox is asking moms, "What's your family's favorite video game to play together?" Plus, they are rewarding 2 lucky families with a chance to win $10,000 as part of the Redbox Summer of Fun & Games Sweepstakes. For us, I have found that the favorites change as the kids get older, or even sometimes as they get different gaming platforms. Overall though I'd have to say that the long standing favorites are the Lego video games, especially Lego Star Wars followed closely by Lego Indiana Jones! So this week's summer activity tip is creating a fun indoor day for your family to just have a blast playing games! Put together a box filled with video, card and board games that your family doesn't get to play often. Keeping it such a rare treat will make any rainy, grumpy or sick day a lot brighter! With any activity, kids are going to want food, so having plenty of snacks on hand (especially if they kind of go with the theme of the selected games from the box) is a definite must. Because not all summer days are sunny, and sometimes the kids getting on each other's nerves, it's nice to have a fun day planned that will be totally unexpected! Redbox is celebrating summer family time with a great line up of family-friendly titles, awesome savings and two chances to win $10,000 as part of the Redbox Summer of Fun & Games Sweepstakes.* 4 Easy Ways to Enter: 1. Enter your email address at www.redbox.com/summer 2. Rent a movie or game at a redbox kiosk (and provide a valid email address at checkout) 3. Reserve a rental online at redbox.com 4. Text 'SUMMER' to 727272 Enter to win today! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Redbox. The opinions and text are all mine.  *Each item rented earns one entry, regardless of how long it is rented, up to three entries per day. Limit 3 entries per day, regardless of entry method. The sweepstakes begins May 27, 2011 at 12:00 a.m. CT and ends on August 1, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. CT. No purchase necessary. See official rules at www.redbox.com/summer. http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/112027/summertime-indoor-activities.htmlWed, 22 Jun 2011 04:00:10 GMT Do you have a favorite recipe? Feel free to share it (or a link to it online) and you might see it featured on A Frog In My Soup in the future. http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/110772/have-a-favorite-recipe.htmlTue, 14 Jun 2011 18:34:27 GMT Today I have the honor of offering all of you the opportunity to enter to win a Keurig Special Edition Brewer at A Frog In My Soup, just in time for Father's Day. Be sure to stop in and leave a comment and take advantage of all the extra entry opportunities. But hurry, the Giveaway ends at noon on 6/14/11! http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/109917/win-a-keurig-special-edition-brewer-for-dad.htmlThu, 09 Jun 2011 16:26:41 GMTToday, I posted about "falling" in and out of love and the oxymoron that very phrase is when applied to a lifetime commitment. Feel free to check out the post, you are welcome to comment there as usual, or join the discussion here.I think it would be a great encouragement if we could share the different things we each do to keep the flame alive in our marriage. (Please keep it clean though ladies).For me, it's the simple act of remembering that his needs are different than mine emotionally. That he will not understand my frustration if I do not share it and that I need to analyze my frustration before sharing it with him in the first place to make sure that it isn't something I need to take to God first. The funny thing is that absolutely none of that has anything directly to do with our relationship...and it definitely doesn't sound romantic.The second thing I do is to try and make sure there is plenty of alone time for just the two of us! Sometimes it is date night, sometimes it is just hanging out watching the TV. That's the thing about marriage, it is made up of a lot of moments that we keep as memories and build upon themselves. So, what do you do?http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/4164/marriage---fanning-the-flame.htmlTue, 06 Oct 2009 16:10:28 GMTToday I posted about Quiet, if you haven't had a chance to read it, feel free to hop on over and do so and join the discussion! Finding a moment for quiet is rare and even difficult these days with 6 boys from 3 to 13 creating mayhem around me. So I thought it would be great to share ideas on how to create quiet time.How and when do you find your quiet time? Have you gone looking for it lately?http://theblogfrog.com/128594/forum/3897/finding-quiet-time.htmlTue, 29 Sep 2009 13:31:41 GMT