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  • Monster High: Boo York, Boo York {Giveaway}

    Disclosure:  This giveaway is sponsored by Universal Home Entertainment.

    Our favorite ghouls are back at it again. Seriously, you guys should know by now that Moo can’t get enough of Clawdeen, Draculaura, Frankie, Cleo and the rest of the Monster High gang.  This time around the gang is headed to Boo York in the first-ever Monster High musical, Boo York, Boo York dropping on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD combo pack on Tuesday, September 29th.  Bring on the fright lights and big city!

    Cleo de Nile gets invited to attend a fancy gala to celebrate the return of a magical comet.  Of course she invites her BFFs (Beast Friends Forever) because what’s a trip to the big city without your girls?!  Needless to say their trip won’t be all fun, shopping and frightseeing.

    Cleo’s sister, Nefera, decides harness the magical comet’s powers to use for her own spooktacularly sneaky plans.  Will our fave Monster High ghouls be able to unwrap the mystery of the magical comet and stop Nefera’s plan before it’s too late?  Guess you’ll have to watch Boo York, Boo York to find out.  The musical will feature 8 original songs.

    Want to win a copy of Monster High: Boo York, Boo York for the Monster High fan in your life?  We have you covered.  Universal was kind enough to offer to give three of you a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combo pack.  So just use the Gleam widget below to enter.  And don’t forget to spread the word!  This giveaway is open to US residents 18 years & older.

    Monster High Boo York, Boo York Combo Packshttps://js.gleam.io/e.js
    Check out a sneak peek of Boo York, Boo York, the Monster High musical below.
    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yeq9HouerNs]

    Don’t forget you can purchase your combo packs at these retailers:

    Amazon
    Walmart.com

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  • Southern Sauce + Charlotte Beerfest

    Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Southern Sauce Beer, Bar-B-Que and Bands Festival.

    Looking for something fun and exciting to do this weekend?  Come out and be a part of one of the most unique festivals the Queen City has ever seen.  The Charlotte Knights, Romare Bearden Park and BB&T Ballpark are proud to be the host location of the inaugural Southern Sauce Beer, Bar-B-Que and Bands Festival starting Friday Friday, September 18th through Saturday, September 19th.  The festival consists of two events, Southern Sauce and Charlotte Beerfest.
    About Southern Sauce
    Presented by GoCarolinas.com, Southern Sauce is the two-day family friendly portion of the festival.  Admission will be free both days.  You can round up the kids and prepare to enjoy live music featuring bands from the Charlotte Blues Society and food from some of the best bbq restaurants/food vendors in the Carolinas.  There will be fun activities for the kids as well.  Southern Sauce will begin at 11 AM both days.  So pull out the sunscreen and get ready to enjoy some family bonding!
    About Charlotte Beerfest
    If you’re like me, you want to just make Friday the family day and use Saturday as a Date Night or Mom’s Night Out.  If so, the Charlotte Beerfest portion of the festival is for you!  Presented by Devils Backbone Brewing Company, Beerfest will be a celebration and showcase of the finest craft beers from the best breweries across the globe.  While you sample these beers, you’ll also get to enjoy live concerts from Gin Blossoms, Simplified and Down Home Band. 
    General admission to Beerfest is $50 which includes unlimited samplings of over 200 craft beers in a commemorative sampling glass.   VIP admission is $100 and includes premium concert seating, access to an exclusive beer tasting and delicious VIP only bar-b-que  buffet with private seating and restrooms and a gift bag that will include a Charlotte Beerfest t-shirt and pint glass.
    A while back I had the opportunity of talking with the festival’s director, David Hynes.  I asked him what his favorite part of the festival was going to be and his response was this:
    When asked if festival goers could expect any special surprises and he said, “You never know.”  What I do know is that Southern Sauce and Charlotte Beerfest are geared up to events that you won’t want to miss.  So if you’re in the Charlotte area or nearby, I hope to see you there!
    For more information you can visit SouthernSauceClt.com or CharlotteBeerfest.com.  Also be sure to follow the hashtags #SouthernSauce and #PlayBeer on Instagram and Twitter!
    What are your plans this weekend?

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  • Destiny: Step Into Your Purpose

    Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Faith Words.  I received a complimentary copy of Destiny to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

    I was first introduced to the ministries of Bishop T. D. Jakes through my mom.  Growing up my siblings and I knew it was time to get up and get ready for church when we heard Bishop T. D. Jakes shouting “Get ready, get ready, get ready!”  My mom faithfully watched The Potter’s House every Sunday morning before church when we got cable.  She has almost every book he’s ever written and the songs from his Sacred Love Songs cd are forever memorized in my head from years of hearing her play them in the house and the car.  So when Faith Words reached out to me to see if I would be interested in reviewing his new book Destiny: Step into Your Purpose, of course I said yes.
    If you’re like me, I’m sure that many of us have often wondered what your purpose is.  I know that I’ve asked myself (and God) many times “Why am I here?”  Is there more to our lives than just living day to day and bills?  After all we are all put on Earth for a higher calling/deeper reason, right?  
    Many of us are of tired going through life feeling like we have no true purpose.  Others of us might have already discovered what our purpose/calling is, but need help navigating this series of adventures called life in order to reach that destiny.  In Destiny, Bishop Jakes not only reminds us that we each have a predestined purpose, but he also teaches us how to uncover, achieve and protect our destiny.  And because we live in a time where it seems more and more people looking for elevator routes to living their purpose Bishop Jakes reminds us that there are no shortcuts.  We have to take the steps!
    When the Bible said that we could do all things through Christ, that included letting God guide our steps and having the patience to see our journey to our destiny through.  What I love about this book and so many other books from Bishop Jakes is that he doesn’t just say do this, this and this.  Instead, he provides personal stories/learned lessons and observations coupled with advice and tips.  Essentially, Destiny is a step-by-step guide for those of us who are ready to STEP into our purpose and stop going around and around in a circle or living a life of mediocrity. 
    President Obama once said, “We are the authors of our own destiny.”  Yes, God has purpose planned out for us already, but He gave us the freewill to either create journey that either aligns with that purpose or leads us from it.  So if you’re ready to get serious and put in work (remember use the StairMaster not the elevator) to write out and step into yours, Destiny: Step into Your Purpose by Bishop T. D. Jakes is definitely a must-read for you!
    About Author
    T. D. Jakes is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 25 books.  His television ministry program The Potter’s Touch is watched by 3.3 million viewers every week.  He has produced Grammy Award-winning music and such films as Heaven Is for Real, Sparkle, and Jumping the Broom.  A master communicator, he hosts Megafest, Woman Thou Art Loosed, and other conferences attended by tens of thousands.
    You can order your copy of Destiny: Step into Your Purpose from the following retailers:

    Have you ever wondered what your destiny/purpose was? 
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  • Thankful Thursday

    “Talk about your blessings more than you talk about your burdens.”
    ~ Unknown
    Happy Thankful Thursday!  I’m definitely working hard to remember to count my blessings instead of focusing on life’s shortcomings.  This week has been especially long.  It started off with Moo bringing home some germs from school.  She and JJ were sick all Labor Day weekend.  
    The plus side is that I think being exposed to all those school germs last year has helped to strengthen Moo’s immune system because she bounced back late Tuesday night.  JJ on the other hand got the worst of is just now starting to show signs of getting better.  I’m so grateful because that means we can go back to sleeping through the night.  Moo was tardy twice this week alone because I hit the snooze button one too many times to catch up on sleep.
    Also, this week the back brakes went out on our car.  Apparently when the last set of brake pads went on they forgot to re-grease the pins which ended up doing more damage.  Long story short God was looking out for us because after being quoted $300 and up by a few chain places, the Mr took a chance on calling a repair shop from our old neighborhood and received a much better rate.  It pays to support local small businesses because they don’t have to adhere to any pre-set corporate pricing.
    The Mr has been going through some stresses, but he’s been managing to keep it together like a champ.  We all go through our rainy seasons.  And this is ours, but we’re choosing to keep our heads above the water.  The sun is peeking over the horizon and it won’t be long before it’ll be fully shining again.
    What are you giving thanks for this week?

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  • 5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Cheesy Spaghetti Recipe

    I’ve always been a fan of spaghetti it comes three of my favorite foods- pasta, ground turkey and tomatoes.  When I found out about the kids’ gluten allergy, I thought for sure I would have to give up my favorite Italian dish.  Thankfully, food has come a long way and brands like Hunt’s (and Kraft) understand that the struggle is real for those of us on gluten-free diets.  After some experimenting I’m proud to share my 5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Cheesy Spaghetti recipe as part of the Publix Flavor Excursion campaign. 
    Before we hop into this recipe, I would like to disclose that I always season my ground turkey with my own special blend of Italian seasonings anywhere from 3 to 24 hours prior to making this dish.  Of course, you’re free to skip this step and tweak this recipe anyway that you see fit.  Also, if you’re allergic to dairy or lactose intolerant you can totally use your favorite non-dairy cheese as a substitute.  Now that we have that out of the way let’s get to the recipe!
    Ingredients

    1  28oz can of Hunt’s crushed tomatoes with basil
    1 pound ground turkey
    1/4 cup parsley, chopped
    1 cup Kraft natural shredded Mexican style four cheese (or substitute)
    1 12oz box of gluten-free spaghetti noodles

    Directions

    In a medium skillet brown ground turkey until done.  Drain fat/juices.  Then mix in Hunt’s crushed tomatoes with basil and let simmer on low heat to create a meat sauce.

    While the ground turkey is simmering cook gluten-free spaghetti pasta according to package directions.  Drain water and plate noodles once done.

    Top spaghetti pasta with meat sauce.  Next sprinkle on a fine layer of Kraft natural shredded Mexican style four cheese blend.  Follow that with a few pinches of chopped parsley.  Top with another light layer of cheese and serve!

    Time for a giveaway!  To help one YUMMommy reader try out this recipe I’m giving away $10 in PayPal Cash thanks to Publix and General Mills.  Simply follow the directions in the Gleam widget below to enter.

    $10 PayPal Cash Giveaway https://js.gleam.io/e.js

    If you’re looking for more meal inspiration, check out the Publix Flavor Excursion landing page for other recipes as well as coupons. 
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  • Thankful Thursday

    “Our deepest fears are like dragons guarding our deepest treasures.”
    ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

    These last two weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind with the start of school, I had a cookoff to prepare for,  and my family came to visit.  Somehow in the midst of all that business and running around, I forgot to post my Thankful Thursday post last week.  And if you’re a long time reader of my blog then you know I haven’t missed a Thankful Thursday in over two years!  While things around here aren’t slowing down, I’m working on getting this blog and my social media back on track.  So let’s hop into this, shall we?
    Fear has been something that I’ve struggled with for a while.  As much as I can be spontaneous at times, there are just times when I overthink certain situations and allow fear of “What if I can’t” to creep in.  However, when 2015 started, I said that one of my words for this year that I wanted to live up to was going to be FEARLESS.  And I was just that this past weekend.
    A few weeks ago, Food Lion reached out to me to see if I would be interested in participating in their bloggers vs bloggers Iron Chef-ish style Food Lion Frugal Cookoff at the Southern Women’s Show.  If you follow me on Twitter, then you would know that I have two favorite grocery stores- Food Lion and Publix.  I had already fulfilled my dream of working on a campaign with Publix and couldn’t believe my luck that Food Lion decided to reach out to me as well!  So of course I said yes to being in the cookoff.  How could I pass up that opportunity?!
    Long story short because I’ll be doing a full post about the cookoff this weekend, my team ending up winning!!  Even if we wouldn’t have won, I would still be thankful for this experience.  Not only did I get to cook in front of a live audience, I got to share this opportunity with some of fellow blogging friends and make some new ones.  Most importantly I’m thankful that I was able to work with a brand that I really trust and believe in and that’s local.
    Also, I’m grateful that my family was able to witness me partake in what has been the best moment of my blogging experience this year.  I love being in the kitchen and cooking.  Cooking always been a comforting and soothing activity for me.  It also helps me to remember the good times I had in the kitchen with my father, whom I no longer have a relationship with, before he decided a family wasn’t what he wanted.
    And while I’m talking about my favorite grocery stores, Publix has also reached out to work with me again.  I’m debating on whether or not to take the offer because I’m not sure if I want to add anything else to my plate right now.  I’ve already missed one deadline and am playing catchup.  I’m going to sleep and pray on it.
    I’m thankful that Moo has had a good almost two weeks of school.  She likes her teacher, has made a new friend because none of her friends from her old school were moved to her new one and she kinda like most of her classmates.  She did catch me off guard the other day when she informed me that her teacher couldn’t get a few of the kids in her class to listen and that they had “interrupted her learning environment.”  Moo takes her education seriously and she can’t understand why some kids don’t listen to/respect adults.  I’m praying that her teacher finds a technique that will help her to regain control of her classroom soon.
    JJ had another evaluation this week and I’m grateful that all went well.  He did throw a bit of a tantrum at the end.  However, the therapist was prepared for that as we had already discussed some of his triggers and issues over the phone beforehand.  I’m thankful that with each evaluation I get better feedback on how to parent him.  I want to make sure that I’m doing everything in my possibility to help him learn how to manage his Autism and speech delay because some day he will leave the nest. 
    I don’t like to think about it, but I have to prepare him to be as independent as he can so that he doesn’t limit himself.  My hopes and dreams for JJ is that he will have the opportunity to do everything that I’ve had the chance to do, everything that Moo has the opportunity to do.  He’s different sure, but I don’t want him seeing his Autism and speech delay as issues that are crippling him.  I want him to feel empowered and to go after his dreams.
    Lastly, I’m thankful that my baby brother celebrated another year of life!  We weren’t able to be with him on his birthday, but he still enjoyed it and had a good time. 
    What are you thankful for this week?

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  • Thomas & Friends: Sodor’s Legend Of The Lost Treasure

    Disclosure:  This post and giveaway are sponsored by Universal Home Entertainment.

    Thomas the Tank Engine has been a part of my life since my little brother arrived on the scene.  I can recall countless afternoons of sitting him in front of the television and being so fascinated by the many adventures of Thomas and his best pals as they worked hard to be “really useful engines” on the Sodor Island.  Fast forward to 2013 and I found myself enjoying Thomas and the gang all over again with my son.  To say that JJ adores “Tom,” Percy, Hiro, Caitlin (his faves) and the rest of the gang would an understatement.  Therefore, it’s needless to say that we are excited to be celebrating Thomas’ 70th anniversary with the release of the new movie Thomas & Friends: Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure and the introduction of four NEW friends on Tuesday, September 8th!
    This movie is sure to be adventure packed as Thomas tries to hunt for Sodor’s lost treasure and ends up unearthing an old pirate ship.  Can you say “Shiver me timbers?!”  It’s no surprise that Thomas will rock boat with some new friends because where there is a possible pirate’s treasure there is sure to be a bit of trouble, right?
    Will Thomas be able to track down the treasure in time or will Sailor John set sail with it?  Find out on September 8th, when you join Thomas & Friends for what is being described as “their most daring adventure yet!”  Just see for yourself in the movie preview below.
    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTAF2LZRFT0]
    And if you have a Thomas & Friends fanatic/lover in your household, I have a treat for you.  Universal Home Entertainment has gifted me with three Blu-ray combo packs to giveaway to YUMMommy readers!  All you have to do is use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.
    You can preorder Thomas & Friends: Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure from the following retailers:
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  • Food Lion Frugal Cook-off

    Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Food Lion.
    Having five kids, my mother was the master at ordering groceries for a large family on a very limited  and tight budget.  Looking back I’m still amazed at how she managed to not break the bank on groceries because we ate a lot!  And during my early childhood years before my parents split, it was my father who first sparked my passion for cooking.  Some of my favorite memories from those years are the cooking lessons he gave us in the kitchen and being glued to our seats watching Food Network the few months we could afford cable.
    Thus, it’s not a shock that my siblings and I all have a passion for food and cooking.  Being in the kitchen helped us to bond and taught us how to work together as a team.  In addition, it gave us the opportunity to experiment with our recipes and a greater appreciation for the art of cooking as a whole.  Now as a mommy and wife, I become even more passionate not just about being a frugal grocery shopper, but putting together meals that are healthy and meet my family’s diet restrictions.   

    Therefore, I am proud to announce that I will be participating in the 2015 Food Lion Frugal Cook-off on Saturday, August 29th!!  The cook-off will be held at the Charlotte Southern Women’s Show (Charlotte Convention Center Hall A – 501 South College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202) starting at 11 AM.  This cook-off will be a bloggers versus bloggers version of Iron Chef (also one of my father’s favorite cooking shows).  My team for the cook-off includes Jen of Peanut Butter Runner and Amy from Atta Girl Says.  While we’re going up against some awesome competitors, we’re confident that our “cuisine will reign supreme” when all is said and done in the kitchen arena.
    I’m not going to lie, I am a bit nervous about this event.  Cooking in your kitchen for the people you love is much easier than cooking for a judging panel, Food Lion reps and in front of a room full of strangers.  Not to mention, there will be cameras rolling!  We’re all feeling the pressure to put our best foot, or should I say feet forward.
    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjRreNCgWH0]
    Nevertheless, I feel blessed to have received this opportunity.  I’m so grateful that Food Lion reached out to me to participate in the Frugal Cook-off.  It is my hope that someone in the audience will be inspired by the meals that we create and that they see that it is possible to be a frugal shopper and still feed your family healthy foods.  And if you’re in the Charlotte area and planning on attending the Southern Women’s Show please stop by and cheer us on!  Also, I’m giving away 2 tickets and you can enter to win by tweeting:
    Going to @SWSCharlotte this Saturday? Come cheer on @YUMMommies, @AttaGirlSays & @jdecurtins in the @FoodLion #FrugalCookoff at 11 AM!!
    Tweet: Going to the @SWSCharlotte this Saturday? Come cheer on @yummomies, @AttaGirlSays & @jdecurtins in the @FoodLion #FrugalCookoff at 11 AM!!


    How do you feed your family healthy meals on a budget?
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  • A Back-to-School Prayer For Moo

    So long Summer Break!  The first day of school snuck up on us quick.  I’m going to be honest and say that our whole family had a bit of anxiety about how Moo’s first day of First Grade would go.  Last year, she met the Mean Girls and came home full out bawling on the first day.  I’m happy to report that she was all smiles this year!!
    She said that she enjoyed her teacher, her classmates are quiet and polite and she’s excited to go back.  Talk about a complete night and day experience.  My hope and prayer is that the remainder of the school year goes off without incident or problems.  And speaking of prayer, one of our school morning traditions is starting our day with family prayer.   This year I took it one step further and created a special prayer to pray over and with Moo every morning.
    Please feel free to adjust this prayer to fit your child(ren).  My fondest memories of going to school are the morning prayer sessions we’d do in the car with my mom as drove to either drop us off to school or pick up her bus.  The Prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) was her favorite to pray with us.  And I’m pretty sure she prayed that prayer and many others for us throughout the day.
    When I went away to college, my mom and I became prayer partners.  We kept prayer journals and called each other if we had a special prayer request that we didn’t want to share with others, but needed any extra set of lips to send up a prayer to God’s ears.  It is my hope that just as prayer helped us to get through school last year, it will not only help us, but give us comfort again this school year!

    Do you prayer for or with your kids during the school year?

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  • A Sapphire Season

    Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Faith Words.  I received a complimentary copy of A Sapphire Season to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 
     
    1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that “Love is patient and kind,” but often times we forget the patient part.  Being patient doesn’t just apply to being slow to anger or act when it comes to our loved ones.  Waiting on God to do His will in our lives is part of remaining patient as well.
    In Lynn Morris’ A Sapphire Season, we meet Lady Mirabella Tirel.  Once upon a time Mirabella was in love with the young and handsome Captain James Pryce, but due to the disapproval of her parents and his untimely death the two never married and she ended up heartbroken.  Her quest to get married no longer centered mostly around finding a spouse she could connect to romantically.  Instead, as Mirabella prepares to head to London for the “Marriage Market” season, she’s determined to take a more practical and less fairytale-ish approach to snagging an engagement.  Little does Mirabella know God is about to derail HER plans for His own.
    Sir Giles Knyvet has been Mirabella’s best friend almost since before they were born.  Being neighbors it was inevitable that these two were destined to bond and be a part of each other’s lives.  Like most besties these two confide almost everything to each other.  However, Giles is sitting on a secret.  He wishes Mirabella saw him as more than just a friend (if only Biz Markie had been born in the 1800s).  And to make matters worse, Giles’ parents left him with a mountain of debt to settle.
    Mirabella on the other hand is rich and too oblivious to the fact that her best friend is head over heels in love with her.  In fact, she doesn’t become “aware” of Giles until they dance one night at a ball.
    “I suppose it’s that I’ve never really been aware of Giles as man.  No, that’s silly, of course I know he’s a man.  I just never have been so conscious of his physical presence, how I can feel the warmth of him, and I’ve always loved his scent, . . .“
    Now that these two are aware of each other, will they each overcome the obstacles blocking their paths and join in holy matrimony?
    A Sapphire Season, a historical Christian romance, is a delightful and easy flowing read.  I’m a hopeless romantic and have always been a fan of historical romances because of their romantic and tasteful feel/content.  Lynn Morris does a great job capturing this in my opinion.   While so many authors of doing Alpha males, it was nice and refreshing to see Giles being portrayed more as an average guy who’s kind of shy/hesitant to put his heart out there so soon. 
    I could relate to Mirabella being so scarred by her past experience that she felt like she had to choose between putting her heart on the line for romance or being practical and pushing love on the back burner in order to get married.  Heartbreak is never easy and it can break us if we allow it.  And focusing too long on those past heartbreaks and being a rush can cause us to miss out on THE one God has placed right in front of us.
    I’m definitely looking forward to reading future books from Lynn Morris and seeing what adventures her characters will take me on next.
    About Author
    Lynn Morris is the bestselling author of over 25 novels.  She is the daughter of Christy Award-winning author Gilbert Morris, with whom she has often collaborated.  She lives in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
    You can order a copy of A Sapphire Season from the following retailers:

    Were you and your spouse best friends before you got married?
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