Ideas for a Cozy Commute with Yankee Candle® Car Fragrances #LoveAmericanHome #ad #cbias

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

When I was a new wife and homemaker, there was this lovely shop downtown called The Sycamore Tree. I loved to go in there and browse all the beautiful things for sale and imagine making my home warm and cozy and super inviting. One display I loved to spend time at was the Yankee Candle® shelf. There were dozens of glorious fragrances of jar candles to choose from! Now I can have Yankee Candle® brand products in my car with these new Smart Scent Vent Clips and Car Jar Ultimate hanging fragrances. 

Yankee Candle® brand Smart Scent Vent Clips and Car Jar Ultimate can be found in the Auto Fragrance and Air Care (near the laundry aisle) sections of Walmart. I found several great fragrances for $4.94 each in the Auto Fragrance aisle. Check out the Walmart Assortment Page for a large variety of fragrances.

 In addition to the hanging jars, there are these neat vent clips. I love the innovative idea of these air fresheners.

Just like my dreams of a cozy home, it's nice to have a cozy car---especially if you've got a long commute! Using Yankee Candle® fragrances is just one way I make the inside of my car more inviting. Here are a few more ideas for a relaxing commute:

I make sure to have a separate charging cord for my phones---one that is designated for car only. This way I don't find myself forgetting to grab it from the house, resulting in a dead battery half way through the day.

I love to listen to soothing music while I'm driving. These Celtic harp CDs inspire me to creativity.

It's also important to have some nutritious snacks and water. These help keep me awake and alert for safety---and are great for those really long waits in traffic.

Do you have a favorite Yankee Candle® fragrance? Let me know in the comments below!

Natural Nutritious Cat Food from Purina Muse® -- Grab a Coupon! #MyCatMyMuse #ad #cbias

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

A healthy cat is a happy cat so I try to be careful to choose nutritious food for O'Neill to enjoy. We've had him for almost 10 years and he's always been a sweet and loyal cat. He's not one of those stuffy, nose-in-the-air felines---he's a true friend whom we've nicknamed the "Guard Cat". 

See that scar above his lip? That's from defending our house against a giant raccoon about eight years ago! O'Neill has several scars from fighting off raccoons, possums, and other night time trespassers. He's not scared of any of these Ozark mountain animals who want to steal his food and camp out on the porch. He even growls and stares down the foxes!

It's important to me to keep him strong and healthy. Choosing which food to buy is simple with 100% complete and balanced nutritious Muse, especially if you're looking for a quality natural food for your cat. Taste is key with Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food--your cat will gladly clean her plate! Varieties of wet recipes include Chowder, Broth, Gravy, Paté, and some with Toppers. All are made with real fish or poultry and contain no colors, preservatives, or artificial flavors. 

Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food is only available at PetSmart. There are 30 delicious recipes to choose from with 24 grain-free varieties. Make sure to grab a coupon before you go!

I like giving O'Neill a variety of flavors to enjoy. I wouldn't want to eat the same thing every single day so I like to change it up for him, too. He loves wet food over dry food so he got pretty excited when he saw these three cans I'd bought him.

With Muse you don’t have to choose between natural nutrition and food that tastes great. Your cat can have both when you choose Muse. Natural has never been so delicious. Put Muse to the test with our clean plate guarantee. How do you keep your cat happy and healthy? Let me know in the comments below!

Creamy Cucumber Bacon Salad #GameTimeClean #ad #cbias

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

Fall is in full swing and it's time to break out the comfort food! I love making warm and hearty dinners for my family when it's chilly out. Still, sometimes it's nice to set off the rich and meaty with something cool and refreshing. That's what this Creamy Cucumber Salad is---crisp, fresh, and full of zesty flavor. Fall is also the season for game time and this salad is an excellent tailgating take along. You can make it ahead of time and it's easy to transport in a covered container.

My whole family loved this salad when I served it last night and Jamie said he was excited for lunch time today so he can enjoy some leftovers! It was super easy to prepare and clean up was simple with Viva Vantage paper towels. I tend to have really sensitive skin so lots of water irritates it. I love using paper towels during cooking because I can use them to mop up messes during the prep process and then wash the counters once at the end with soap and water. These ones are cloth-like; soft and strong and textured so they scrub well without ripping.

I found this 6-pack of Viva Vantage paper towels at Walmart in the paper products section of the grocery side. This pack is a great size for our large family. 

I love using these high-quality, super absorbent paper towels for soaking up bacon grease. After this bacon drained, I lifted the towel and the plate below was dry. I love that!

For this recipe, I removed the seeds and excess juice from the tomatoes to keep the salad from getting soggy. The towel captured all the juice, leaving me with no mess.

Creamy Cucumber Bacon Salad

3 cucumbers

2 large tomatoes

6 slices of bacon

1/2 c. mayonnaise

2 TB. horseradish mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

salt & pepper, to taste

Fry the bacon and set on a paper towel to cool. Slice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and bacon into bite-sized pieces. Whisk mayo, mustard, and seasonings in a separate bowl, then mix in with the cut ingredients. Stir well and chill until you're ready to serve.

If you're looking for easy clean up from a strong paper towel, give Viva Vantage paper towels a try. What are some of your favorite tailgating and potluck dishes? Let me know in the comments below!