Going Back To School With Mead FiveStar Gear!

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I was born and raised “Deep in the Heart of Texas”, Austin to be exact! I was the first member of my family to be born in the Texas and I couldn’t be prouder that my parents chose Austin,Tx to call home and start a family!
When I was 5, my parents bought a house and we moved about 30 minutes out of the city, to a small town where I grew up on 2 ½ acres…guess you could say living the Texas dream! Some of my favorite memories are the big BBQ get together’s we would have with family and friends. Brisket, Burgers, Beans, Deviled Eggs…That’s Texas dinner at it’s finest!
Now that I have my own family, there is still nothing better than a BBQ get together! Lots of friends, family and good food. Over the years I’ve had fun turning some of our favorite BBQ snacks into something the kids will love, like my Kid Friendly Bacon Cheddar Ranch Deviled Eggs!
Bacon Cheddar Ranch Deviled Eggs A kid friendly version of a traditional deviled egg.
12 Hard Boiled Eggs
5 Strips of Bacon
1/2 Cup Ranch
3 Tbs Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Place your eggs in a pot add water to cover. Bring to boil then turn off and cover for 10-12 minutes. Remove and place in cool water for about 15 minutes.
In the meantime cook your bacon. Once done set aside to cool.
Peel your eggs, slice in half and remove yolk placing it into a bowl.
Chop up 3 slices of bacon into bacon bits. You will use 5th for garnish.
Mash up your yolk and add in remaining ingredients. Mix well.
Use a spoon or piping bag to fill your egg halves with the mixture.
Garnish with bacon pieces and cheese shredds.
If you’re looking to do an adult version, mix in some green onions or add some heat with cayenne pepper.
My Sparkling Life https://mysparklinglife.com/
Texas has always been home to me and my family, and we like to buy local whenever possible. Recently I found a product found exclusively at Walmart, that’s just 2 blocks from out new house! Lone Star Eggs produced by CCF Brands just for Texans! They were a great discovery because we eat a lot of eggs at our house. They are a great source of protein and you can use them to make so many things.
To learn more about Lone Star Eggs, visit the Lone Star Eggs Facebook page and enter for your chance to win a year’s supply of eggs!

Wintertime is here, and you are probably in need of activities to keep you and your children from going crazy. Here are eight ways for you to keep your children entertained during the long winter months.
1. Library
Take your children to the library. The library has thousands of books that are filled with tons of adventures and stories to keep your children happy. Let them check out a few books to read at home so they can stay busy when it is too cold for them to go outside.
2. Outdoors
Dress your children warmly and send them outside to play. Children need plenty of fresh air and physical activity, especially in the winter. Playing outside in the snow provides the perfect opportunity for your children to be active and burn off some of their excess energy! If you are not too busy, bundle yourself up and go outside to make some snow angels and snow forts together for some family fun.
3. Camps
Many local organizations and daycare centers run camps during the winter time to provide children with fun places to go while their parents are at work. Many of these organizations have enrollment requirements and may charge a nominal fee.
4. Quality Time
If you work when your children are in school, chances are you and your children are often too busy to visit any close friends and relatives. Schedule some time off work during the winter and take your children to visit some of your close friends and family that live nearby.
5. Movie Time
Find out which movies are playing at the local theater that your children may want to see and go on a family movie date. If you can’t afford to go to the theater, schedule some movie time at home. Pick out your favorite movies, grab a few pillows and snacks, and press play.
6. Field Trips
If you live in or near a large city, take your children on field trips around town to visit different attractions such as museums, art exhibits, and activity centers. Give your children a taste of what their city has to offer and help them to gain a better appreciation for where they live.
7. Arts and Crafts
Get your children’s creative juices flowing with some arts and crafts. Pick a theme and come up with different ideas that you know will keep them busy and happy, such as making snowflakes, painting using watercolor paints, such as this set from Nova Natural, sculpting, or making homemade play dough and paper mache.
8. Experiments
Children are curious by nature and absorb information faster when learning is fun. Foster their hunger for knowledge by working on experiments. The snow and cold temperatures are great for winter time experiments. Popular winter-time experiments include frozen bubbles and melting snowmen.

Remember that just because you care about each other, doesn’t mean that you need to spend every waking moment together. There is nothing wrong with you pursuing your own interests and hobbies. After all, this will keep your relationship fresh and it will also give you the chance to grow as individuals. If you feel as though you are emotionally reliant on the other person then it could be worth learning how to break the cycle of codependency.
You Fight
Disagreements are normal. If you never have even minor arguments, then there is a chance that you are holding back. You have to remember that not all fights are bad, in fact, sometimes they can be a productive way of expressing your emotions, especially if you are trying to understand your partner, or have them understand you. If you spend all of your time trying to point-score then this will really harm your relationship and it could lead to miscommunication in the future.
You Like your Partner as they Are
Healthy relationships are always based on reality. Your relationship won’t get better if you have a baby, win the lottery or even purchase your dream home. For this reason, you have to love your partner for who they are. If you base your affection on what you see in the future then you could be setting yourself up for false hope, while also putting an unhealthy spin on your relationship.
Joint Decisions
If you call all of the shots, or if your partner does then this could indicate that your relationship is unhealthy. You need to learn how to make decisions together and you also need to know each other’s concerns and desires too.
You Laugh
Healthy relationships usually consist of fun and laughter. This doesn’t mean that you have to be giddy every day. Sure, your partner may drive you up the wall sometimes, but as long as you enjoy your time with each other then that’s all that matters. You may enjoy making dinner together, laugh at the same things or even finish one another’s sentences. It’s little things like this that show that you have a healthy relationship and it is also a great way for you to connect with your partner on a much deeper level.
Balance
Relationships are often about balance. Sometimes your partner will need to work long hours while you cook or clean, and sometimes it will be vice versa. Behind every healthy relationship is a healthy level of balance between two people.

I was provided a behind the scenes look at Papa Murphy’s from BSMMedia & Papa Murphy’s, however all opinions are 100% my own!
Tuesday I had the opportunity to go to a local Papa Murphy’s Pizza and look behind the scenes! I really had fun and learned a lot! I would love to give you that behind the counter look too!
What is Papa Murphy’s Pizza? Papa Murphy’s is a Pizza restaurant, but different than other local pizza restaurants. At Papa Murphy’s you can call in or stop by and order your freshly made pizza. Then you “take” it home and “bake” it when you’re ready. This is perfect for busy families, just pick one up on your way home, pop it in the oven for 12min..you have dinner! First thing when I arrived they had orange juice and chocolate chip cookies (YUM) to fill my tummy! They also made a super delicious cinnamon wheel that I got to try…OMG! It’s like a slice of heaven! Since I had never even been to a Papa Murphy’s I had a lot to learn!
Next up, was a look at all their toppings, which are super fresh! Their fresh produce was delivered and right away washed and ready for prepping. They sliced and diced everything right there in store!
Ok, it’s not the fresh veggies, but it looked sooo good!
You know what else is fresh? Their pizza crust. They also make their crust in-house and let it rise for a day, and then it is made and served the next day! I got to watch the whole process that day and it was really neat to see.
Once the crust was ready, I got to create my own signature pizza! It was a so much fun, and I created a really delicious pizza!
I got to make the Family size…What size would you need?
I’m not to creative when it comes to pizza, so I just created a Family size meat pizza, something everyone would love!
Now here are some fun facts that I learned that day! And there was a lot to learn.
Papa Murphy’s loves helping out their community. They offer fundraising programs to local community groups, such as selling Peel-a-Deal cards to family, friends.
Papa Murphy’s offers five different combinations of pizzas and crusts:
Fresh Pan – thick, buttery crust that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Signature – their famous crusts on which their signature pizzas are made.
Delite – packed with flavor, thin on the crust. It has 25% less fat, and 35% fewer calories than their original crust.
Stuffed – loaded with two layers of fresh dough stuffed with fresh and yummy ingredients.
CYO (create your own) – make it your own and add your favorite items!
I also learned that you can call during the day to place your order and then pick your pizza up after work! How easy does that make meal planning for your family?
Coupons and Savings
The pizza was really good that night too!! We just threw it in the oven for 12 min and we had a delicious dinner! The family size was a lot bigger than I was thinking too…I thought we would need more to satisfy my boys, but everyone had 3-4 squares (yes I cut it in squares, it was that big) and seemed to be satisfied…I hope you give Papa Murphy’s a try if you haven’t already, I think you will love it as much as we do!
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links with fund the Mom of 4 Boys blog. All opinions seen in this publication are those of the writer and may differ from your own. Momof-3boys.com received compensation as a condition of this publication. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. For questions or to have your product featured on Mom of 4 Boys, email Becky at [email protected]..

Where are my Movie fans at? What about Marvel? It’s time for a Fall Movie Madness Giveaway! One lucky winner will win their choice of either Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War Blu-ray Combo Pack or a $25 AMC giftcard!
About Captain America: Civil War
Marvel’s Captain America Civil War finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in twocamps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.
When you are done entering to win here, be sure to hop to all the other great movie giveaways as part of our Movie Madness Hop! This great event is co-hosted by Miss Molly Says, ItsFreeatLast and Mom Does Reviews!
WIN IT!
One (1) lucky My Sparkling Life reader is going to This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 12:00 PM EST Oct 3, 2016.
THE FINE PRINT: ENTERING THIS GIVEAWAY MEANS THAT YOU ACCEPT BOTH MY RULES & DISCLOSURE. I WILL NOTIFY WINNER VIA E-MAIL AND THEY WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO REPLY BEFORE I AM FORCED TO REDRAW WINNERS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. EACH HOUSEHOLD IS ONLY ELIGIBLE TO WIN THIS PRIZE VIA BLOG REVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS ONCE. ONLY ONE ENTRANT PER MAILING ADDRESS PER GIVEAWAY. IF YOU HAVE WON THE SAME PRIZE ON ANOTHER BLOG, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN IT AGAIN. WINNER IS SUBJECT TO ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION. MANY WILL ENTER, FEW WILL WIN! PLEASE ALLOW 8-12 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY OF PRIZING. MY SPARKLING LIFE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOST OR MISDIRECTED PACKAGES. PRIZING & SAMPLES PROVIDED & SHIPPED BY MY SPARKLING LIFE. IN THE RARE OCCASION THAT A PRIZE DOES NOT ARRIVE (WHICH HAS HAPPENED), PLEASE NOTIFY ME.
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With school back in session, it’s time to think about the kids lunches. What do you send that is health, that your kids will love…Cheese is the answer in my house! I was lucky enough to try Frigo Cheese Heads String Cheese…My kids couldn’t get enough! And I’m happy knowing they are getting a good source of calcium & protein (which we all know is hard to do!)
About:
As America’s Favorite String Cheese, Frigo® Cheese Heads® String Cheese is:
– Perfect for school lunches and after school snacks – High in calcium and a good source of protein – Individually wrapped for wholesome and fun snacking on-the-go – Easy to use in recipes the entire family will enjoy Frigo® Cheese Heads® String Cheese is the go-to wholesome snack when you’re on-the-go! Frigo® Cheese Heads Superstring® cheese. Natural cheese, super nutrition! Frigo® Cheese Heads Swirls® cheese – low moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese with added Cheddar cheese. Two great flavors twisted together for a fun, delicious and wholesome, on-the-go snack. The boys just loved having string cheese to eat daily, so they were excited to get three packages in the mail! They didn’t last us long, with three boys, and a husband (ok and me) sneaking some…they were gone with in a week Great for lunches, snacks at home, at school, or even on the go! We took ours to the park one morning for a mid morning snack… You can enter to WIN they’re running a sweepstakes on Facebook right now for the chance to win a family adventure for 8 to Universal Studios Orlando Resort in Florida! Enter once a day through October 15! You can purchase Frigo® Cheese Heads® String Cheese in the dairy department of your local grocer
Disclosure: I have received a product(s) for review purposes only, however I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. Frigo has not influenced the editorial nature of this post, and No other compensation was received. Please see our disclosure policy for more information.