Making the Switch to Dove Advanced Care Anti-perspirant/Deodorant #LoveAtFirstSwipe #ad #IC

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Dove. I received a product sample and promotional item to thank me for my participation. #LoveAtFirstSwipe #ad #IC

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I was getting ready to try out Dove Advanced Care Anti-perspirant/Deodorant. Jamie and I aren't getting any younger and we really want to be healthy and active to enjoy these years with our kids at home. I had been really thinking about making some changes in my activity levels, eating habits, and overall routine, and I mentioned that adding in some new activity might call for a better deodorant than the one I've been using the last couple years. After having the opportunity to dry out Dove Advanced Care these past couple weeks, I'm thinking I might make a permanent switch. 

When I told my Facebook friends about my chance to try it out, there was a really great response. Apparently, many of my friends have been using Dove for awhile and everyone said they were pleased with it. One friend said she had bought a different brand on a whim one time and quickly switched back. I really believe testimonials from friends play a huge part in trying to decide on a good brand. 

I really like how this brand offers 48 hour odor and wetness protection. That's probably more than I need on most days, but you know---there's always those days you get busy and forget your deo! It's good to know I've got a 24 hour back up. Ha! It also has added moisturizers to smooth and soften the skin. That's always nice---especially for my dry skin. Dove Advanced Care is easily available at the stores I shop at, too. Find Dove Advanced Care Anti-perspirant/Deodorant at mass, food, and drug retailers, nationwide, for less than $5.00 msrp. 

Have you tried Dove Advanced Care? Well, now is a perfect time because they're running a promotion called, Dove Love At First Swipe. Try the product* and then visit the site to create a "love note" for Dove. Share it on social media for a chance to win a trip to Paris or one of hundreds of other prizes.* 

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. The Dove Love at First Swipe Sweepstakes is sponsored by Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever. Open to individual, legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., who are 18 or older. Begins 12:00 p.m. ET on 4/20/15 & ends 11:59 a.m. ET on 6/15/15. For Official Rules, visit Dove.com/LoveAtFirstSwipe.

Our Homeschool Day Starts with a Nutritious Breakfast #50YearsOfBreakfast #ad #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #50YearsofBreakfast #CollectiveBias

Wow---the past couple months have just flown by for us as we've been so busy! Like many homeschoolers, we school year round---but we don't usually get a good start until about May. Summer and Fall are our best seasons for doing some really fun schooling, so I've been busy preparing new lessons and ordering new books to get us ready to jump in here soon! In the meantime, we've been taking fun field trips and hanging out with some of our homeschooling friends. All these busy, running-around days are fueled by a nutritious breakfast. One thing our family enjoys for a healthy breakfast is Carnation Breakfast Essentials.

I found Carnation Breakfast Essentials in the breakfast cereal aisle at Walmart. It comes in Classic French Vanilla and Rich Milk Chocolate. Make sure to grab some milk to mix it into.

Lynzie or Michael often makes breakfast in the mornings and they like to do special things to make their siblings smile. These are quick and easy for them to surprise everyone with, and they're also great for the younger kids to make themselves, as they just need to open one up and mix with milk. When I'm making this for the whole family, it's easier to mix up a pitcherful.

Our Carnation Breakfast Essentials fuels us for fun days like our trip to the fish hatchery last week, and staves off morning hunger while the kids are hitting the books. With all the things I have to do each morning to get prepared to start our day, it's nice to have a quick and convenient breakfast drink to get me going, also.  

Are you familiar with the Carnation Free Breakfast promotion? Carnation is celebrating 50 Years of Breakfast Across America by giving back to their customers. Just buy any two Carnation Breakfast Essentials products, take a clear photo of your entire receipt, and text with keyword BREAKFAST to 811811. You'll get a message back with submission instructions and then, after submission, a code to share with friends and family for free breakfast! 

You can also email your receipt to redeem@CarnationFreeBreakfast.com or upload your receipt to http://cbi.as/7qnt. Even better, Carnation will donate $25,000 to Feeding America to help those in need through June 30th. It's a win for all of us!

How do you get your mornings off to a good start?

Mom is Coming to Visit for Mother's Day! #BestMomsDayEver #ad #cbias

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

My Mom is a huge part of our lives and I'm so excited she's coming to visit in just a couple days! She'll be here two weeks---which means that we'll get to spend Mother's Day together! The kids are thrilled---and so am I. Last week, I shopped for a few gifts for the kids to give her and found several cute things at the one stop shop American Greetings display at Walmart.

This display features cards, bags, and wrapping materials from American Greetings, as well as gift items like mugs, flowers, stationery, and purses. It's a great place to find a nice gift for the special mom in your life, and it's quick and easy since everything is right there together. Look for the display in your Walmart near the greeting card aisles.

It's really hard having my mom so far away from us now. When we lived in Oregon, we spent time together several times a week. Now that we're 1,800 miles away in Arkansas, we only see her twice a year. The kids are growing so fast and I hate that she's missing out on our day to day stuff. It will be so great to have her here a couple weeks to enjoy the sunshine and a fun Mother's Day party outside!

I picked out a stationery set, since she and the kids love to write pen pal letters to one another, and I know she'll love this cute travel cup. It's her favorite color and has a perfect Grandma phrase on it: What Happens at Grandma's Stays at Grandma's. (That includes messes...yay!) That is totally something my mom would say.

I grabbed a pretty bag and some tissue for them to gift it in and picked out a pretty card to top it off. There were so many beautiful cards that it was hard to choose, but I think she'll like this tea one as we have fun tea party memories together. I like how all the colors match, too.

It's so rare that we get to spend time with Mom so I want to make this Mother's Day extra special! I've been testing out some recipes the past couple weeks to find some pretty things to eat during our Mother's Day party. A couple weeks ago, I made a Strawberry Teatime Torte that turned out absolutely delicious and looks gorgeous on a tea table.

This past weekend, I made Cucumber Sandwiches to celebrate the new Princess Cambridge. These would also go excellent on our party table. Any time I garnish with fresh flowers, it just adds that extra beautiful specialness to the presentation. Plus, these begonias match the colors on Mom's gift bag!

I think this is going to be one of the best Mother's Days ever! How will you celebrate Mother's Day this year? Be sure to check out American Greetings at Walmart for some super special gift ideas, and check out the giveaway below for more Mother's Day fun!

#BestMomsDayEver Giveaway- $4,000 Prize Value