Walmart

Crayola Makes Summer Time Breezy

May 16, 2013 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

As a child there was nothing that thrilled me more than a box of new art supplies: stickers, crayons, markers, colored pencils…I loved them all! And, still as an adult new stationary makes giddy. So, I want to bring those memories of my childhood to my own children. So, ever since Judah could hold a chubby toddler crayon I’ve been doing projects with him and buying new art supplies. And now that Eliana is getting a little bigger she’s been dying to get in on the action.

So, when we received a big box of Crayola Color Wonder products and Sidewalk Chalk I knew fun was in our future! First, the kids spent the afternoon coloring on the porch with the Color Wonder Kits and tools. The kits in our package were perfect for my kiddos – Hello Kitty and Hot Wheels! Judah preferred the brush tip markers while Eliana went straight for the gel paints. It was a great little afternoon project and held their attention for much longer than most things they play with!

I also took the coloring books and color wonder mini markers with us when we went for a drive on Mother’s Day. We met my mom’s family about an hour away so this was the perfect “car-occupier.” I love that all of the color wonder products are mess free! So, while my kiddos were all dressed up for their lunch date their outfits were still in ship shape after all their artsy fun in the car.

We saved the chalk for a sunny day and yesterday proved the perfect day for it. We took the Sidewalk Chalk Paint set out as well as a box of Crayola Sidewalk Chalk. Even I had a little fun in the drive way. I LOVE side walk chalk. I especially like Crayola’s side walk chalk because it is so much more vibrant. The colors are bright and really pop.

Judah and Eliana made a big ol’ mess with the paint set and Judah was really thrilled with the novelty of using paint on the drive way. The set came with apaint roller and a paint brush. Judah hogged the paint roller the whole time but Eliana didn’t mind a bit. She was just happy to be allowed to paint with a paint brush. This was the perfect place for her to practice her painting skills since there weren’t any walls in this space to worry about!

All of these new products are available at Walmart. And, they are all very affordable. Side walk chalk is $1.97 for 12 or $2.97 for 24 pieces. The Color Wonder kits -with coloring pages AND markers- are on rollback this month for $6.97 {down from $7.97}. The Color Wonder books {like our Hot Wheels and Hello Kitty ones} are just $4.97 as well as the tools like the brush tip markers and gel paints. That makes these the perfect “anytime” gift to put a smile on the face of a kid who deserves it. Let ‘em know you appreciate their manners, hard work, or effort by bringing home an inexpensive treat. Crayola is always a good choice … you’ll be giving your kids the keys to their creative side.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I’m a participant in the Walmart Moms Program. Walmart has provided me with a product sample and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. Participation in this program is voluntary and the opinions stated above are entirely my own.

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Filed Under: Product Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: color wonder, crayola, review, side walk chalk, Walmart

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Spring Sports Begin at the Sawyer House

April 25, 2013 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

Its definitely spring at our house! We’ve been busy getting the yard ready and Judah has started his first year of Tee-Ball. In our little town it is called “Tot-ball” for 3 and 4 year olds. We decided to wait until he turned 4 to sign him up. He technically could have played last year but he wasn’t really interested then and I’m glad we waited. He ASKED to play “baseball” like his cousins. He was SOOO excited when we told him we were going to sign him up.

Of course, we waited about a month from the time we signed him up until the actual first practice. That was a LONG wait for a four year old. He asked every couple days if it was time to go play a baseball game.

Last week was his actual first practice and he had a blast! The coaches were so good with them and we were surprised at how well Judah could take instruction {another reason why I’m glad we waited another year}.

But, with adding an extra curricular to our busy schedule we’ve had to get organized. A little extra planning on my part and we’ve still managed to have meals at home and get to practice on time. It takes team work though, I plan a meal that can work up quick. Sometimes I start parts of it the morning or night before. DJ helps me get Judah dressed and we all run around like crazy packing up last minute items and loading the dishes in the dishwasher. But it works!

After our first practice we realized we needed to get Judah a glove and a bat. We went straight to our local Walmart in town and were able to get what we needed for a very reasonable price. Judah picked out a baseball bat that has a shark on it – he thought that was really cool. {I thought it was really cool that it only cost me about $17}.

We also picked out a mitt that would fit his hand. Again, I was giddy with the $7 price tag that was on the shelf! so for around $25 he had all the gear he needed. Last spring we purchased an inexpensive tee and some balls to play around with at home from Walmart. Now all we have to purchase is his team’s uniform. We haven’t heard the final price but it sounds like we can expect about $40 for his shirt, baseball pants, and a visor. So, all in all we’ll be about $65 into this sport. Not too bad for a season of fun.

And fun it is. At the end of the first practice, Judah wrapped his arms around his daddy’s legs and said, “Thank you daddy for bringing me to baseball. I had a GREAT time.” I think DJ almost melted.

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Filed Under: Field Trips, Product Reviews & Giveaways, Wholesome Fun Tagged With: baseball, baseball gear, fun with kids, spring sports, spring time, tee ball, Walmart

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Spring is Here!

April 23, 2013 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

Are you soaking up spring right now and getting ready for summer in your neck of the woods? We’ve had nearly perfect weather for a couple of weeks now and we’ve managed to tackle a handful of outdoor chores already this year.

First up, I planted some strawberry plants and blueberry bushes in the back and front yards. We’ve been watering and taking care of them. Judah is so excited. When I came home from work last week he greeted me with a loud and happy announcement that our strawberry plants had baby strawberries on them!

This weekend I cleaned up our patio furniture (going on 3 summers now). We purchased this furniture at Walmart about 3 year ago and it is still looking good! We bought the planters and umbrella last year and I am amazed at how well the umbrella has stood up to the weather!

I picked up a couple of new throw pillows while I was at my local Walmart because the old ones were a little worse for wear. Judah loves them {and I do too – love the pop of color} and wants to buy more so every chair will have one! {He makes me giggle}. I also picked up two new hoses and a nice hose reel to keep it all neat and tidy.

I haven’t purchased any flowers yet. I have been waiting a bit longer just to ensure the frost is gone. I have a lot of pansy flowers that overwintered and look great in the backyard. I just need a few pretty flowers for the front porch. I’m always a sucker for Gerber Daisies. They are my absolute favorites. Walmart always has them very reasonably priced. That is the next thing on my to do list, along with picking up some tomato plants for my little garden.

Whats on your outdoor to do list? Have you been busy snagging every warm and dry minute outside?

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Filed Under: Home Improvement, Product Reviews & Giveaways, Wholesome Living Tagged With: garden center, outdoor, spring, Walmart

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Upcycle Your Trash to Treasure and You Could Pocket Some Real Treasure!

April 18, 2013 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

I am so excited to be part of this “Pin To Win” contest with Walmart…I actually get to help judge! I LOVE using old things in a new way. Instead of recycling I prefer “upcycling,” – making something EVEN BETTER from something old that would have otherwise been thrown away.

So, if you have a cool project where you reused something old to create something new you should definitely enter this contest!

Here’s What You Need to Do:

First create a dedicated Walmart Green Earth Month: Recycle Revamp pinboard on Pinterest

Next, repin Walmart Green’s Recycle Revamp contest pin that links back to the Green Room and then pin a photo of your OWN creative up-cycled project that creates something new out of old items.

Be sure to include the #WalmartGreen hashtag and a caption of how you reused old items to make something new in your upcycled project pin

The Deadline to Submit a Pinterest Board is April 30th

What Happens Next:

Walmart (with Ketchum’s support) will provide the top 10 pinboards to Walmart Mom bloggers, who will then judge the top three best projects

Winners’ will recieve prizes for first place ($500 gift card),second place ($250 gift card), and third place ($100 gift card).

Winners will be announced May 6

Filed Under: Product Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: conteset, pinterest, recycle, sustainability, upcycle, Walmart

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Rachael Ray Cookware Review

March 12, 2013 by Denisesawyer 2 Comments

Are you a Food Network fan? I’ve said more than once that it is where I learned a lot about cooking as a new bride. If it weren’t for Food Network Television, their website, and my dear ol’ mom being available every evening at the dinner hour {when I would call and ask a string of questions}, I wouldn’t be the cook I am today! I still love to watch Food Network and often leave it on even when I’m doing something else. Judah even enjoys some of the shows now, like Chopped and Cupcake Wars.

Since we are HUGE Food Network fans, I was very excited to get an advanced look at the Racheal Ray Collection kitchenware line which will be available at Walmart starting March 24th. The collection includes cookware, stoneware, and tools and gadgets. Walmart will carry 40 pieces in store from the collection and an addition 175 items will be available on Walmart.com.

I received a Skillet Twin Pack, a Garbage Bowl, Lazy Spoon, and Top This Lids.

My favorite piece by far has to be the Garbage Bowl. I have used it for anything but garbage! It is so beautiful and colorful and the orange speckled melamine matches my kitchen so well! It also comes in other colors too, lie purple, green, blue, and red. I love that it has a rubberized foot that keeps the bowl from moving around on the counter.

Since I have a compost bucket with a lid that I use for my veggie scraps, I have been using this bowl to hold all my fresh fruit on the counter. My kids go through so much fresh fruit and veggies and this big bowl is perfect for holding 4 or 5 avocados, a bunch of bananas, and my fresh tomatoes.

The ramekins are on the top of my WANT list. I can’t wait to get my hands on some to make individual pot pies, desserts, and duchess potatoes.

The Top This! lids and lazy spoons are also very functional. If you are like most home cooks you have a bunch of bowls that don’t have lids. Instead of using plastic wrap or foil for covering things you can use this suction lids {that create an airtight seal} on top of your bowls …. a much more “green” solution.

Filed Under: Product Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: cookware, racheal ray, review, Walmart

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Empower Women Worldwide with your Purchasing Dollar

March 8, 2013 by Denisesawyer 1 Comment

Do you want to support small business owned by women? How about improve the lives of women and their families worldwide?

Well, it just got easier, friends! You can purchase unique and beautiful items including jewelry, fine foods, accessories, home decor, and apparel. And, with each purchase you make on Walmart’s new online destination HERE, you can empower the women behind these products to create new jobs and improve both their own lives and the lives of their families and communities. Empowering Women Together will offer shoppers more than 200 items from 19 businesses in nine countries.

Empowering Women Together will be part of Store for Good, a developing Walmart.com program dedicated to connecting consumers with products that do good for other people, for themselves, or for our environment. The initiative will grow and potentially include eco-friendly products and healthier food options.

Each of the businesses participating in Empowering Women Together is fueled by women with inspiring stories. No two stories are alike. Challenges such as poverty, lack of education, domestic abuse and physical limitations are common. What each supplier shares is a drive to build a better future. Empowering Women Together will give Joy Ndungutse, an entrepreneur in Rwanda, and many women like her around the world the opportunity they never thought they’d have – to begin or greatly expand their access to shoppers in America.

“From a humble beginning under a tree in a remote village in Rwanda, my sister and I founded Gahaya Links after the devastating 1994 Rwanda Genocide that left over 1 million dead,” said Joy Ndungutse. “We organized about 20 women with a vision of empowering them to enhance their weaving skills, to be able to earn an income, and live adequately by community standards. Today we are a growing network of over 4,000 women, the majority of whom are genocide survivors and are organized in cooperatives throughout Rwanda. Through our partnership with Full Circle Exchange and opportunities such as Empowering Women Together, this platform gives hope to many families in Rwanda and we are so grateful.”

Empowering Women Together is also dedicated to helping U.S.-based women-owned businesses grow and expand their distribution. Nine of the initial 19 Empowering Women Together businesses are U.S. based.

What are you waiting for? Need a gift for a friend or relative? Need something to treat yourself? Do you really need a reason? Empower someone today with your purchasing dollars!

Filed Under: Product Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: empowering women, small business, Walmart, women owned businesses

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Valentine’s Day Gifts Under $10

February 7, 2013 by Denisesawyer 1 Comment

Have you purchased {or made} Valentine’s gifts for your loved ones yet? I challenged myself to purchase gifts for all three of my family members for $30 {that is $10 a piece}. I also tried to stick to healthy items – no big boxes of chocolate.

While there are TONS of different boxes of Valentine’s chocolates at Walmart that fit well into this budget, my kids already eat WAY too much chocolate {yes this is a confession}. So, I tried not to be too stingy – Judah did get some cotton candy as part of his gift but the rest of the gifts are either:
1. healthy
2. fun to do together

Here’s what I go the littlest member of my family – Eliana {17 months). Her gift comes under the $10 mark. I purchased the pack of Valentine’s stickers in the section with Valentine’s Party supplies at Walmart. There are several sheets in this pack that could be split and put into goody bags for a child’s classroom. I decided to purchase one and split the sticker sheets between her and Judah. My kids LOVE stickers. It is a great, quiet {calm} activity that both of them {and I} enjoy.

I also found this cute Elmo book – Eliana LOVES Elmo {like most toddlers}. I added the Peter Rabbit’s Organic strawberry banana {in a lovely pink, Valentine’s package} to her gift – a yummy AND healthy Valentine’s treat that she loves. Eliana’s gift came in at about $7 including the cute gift bag for $0.97.

Judah {who is nearly 4} did get this $1 container of cotton candy. A treat he will go gaga for but that he doesn’t get very often. Other than that his git is similar to Eliana’s. He got this super cute, affordable {$3.77} book that we’ll enjoy reading together. He will also get a yummy {and healthy} Peter Rabbit Organics Peach & Apple Sauce – in a lovely shade of Valentine’s red. My kids love these fruit sauces in the tube packaging – they often choose them their selves as their one treat at the grocery store. These are great because they are organic but a bit pricey at around $1.50 each. I could’ve chosen candy and come in a lot cheaper but I was trying to give healthier gifts – and I still came in under $10. Judah’s gift cost around $8 before tax.

Daddy’s gift was a bit more than $10. The super cute coffee and mugs set was $10. So, after adding the super funny card and $0.97 gift bag his gift was about $13 and some change. But, with the money left over from the kid’s gifts I still came in at $30 for all three gifts!

I packed them all up in the gift bags along with some tissue paper I had picked up on clearance last year (go me!). I am super excited with what I found for my sweets for Valentine’s Day and I think they’ll love their gifts too!

How about you? Are you trying to celebrate Valentine’s Day on a budget?

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Filed Under: Holidays, Product Reviews & Giveaways, Wholesome Family Tagged With: cheap gifts, frugal fun, gifts under $10, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Gifts, Walmart

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Closet Overhaul

February 1, 2013 by Denisesawyer 2 Comments

I’ve been cleaning up a few trouble spots in my house lately {did you see my post on organizing my bathroom cabinets and the one on capturing my kids crafts supplies?} My mom and I were brainstorming on what to tackle next and she told me she really had been wanting to clean up her spare bedroom closet {the catch all} and the linen closet. They were both out of hand and the space just wasn’t being utilized the best way. {Can you say AVALANCHE!?} The bedroom closet housed grandkids toys, table cloths, decorations, cushions for patio furniture, beach towels, and clothing overflow from her own bedroom closet.

The linen closet was in even worse shape, although it did only house linens. After much discussion one how to organize these closets we decided to turn the linen closet into a “game closet” for the grandkids – housing all the games and other playthings. And, as for the bedroom closet, we decided it would best be used as a much larger linen closet to hold all the linens that were in the linen closet plus the beach towels, patio cushions, and table decorations.

The first thing we did was meet at Walmart to pick up the items we needed to organize this mess! We bought three shelving units {they cost around $20 each} and several Rubbermaid tubs for under $100. Judah and I had fun helping Nana put the shelves together (they were super simple!). While we were busy putting things together Nana was deciding which items to keep and which items needed to go to another home.

The shelving units fit perfect under the clothes rod in what used to be my brother’s old bedroom closet. These made for almost custom – but much more affordable closet organization system. Nana stacked beach towels and pool things on the first shelving unit, table linens (table cloths, runners, etc) and picnic supplies on the second shelving unit, and bed linens on the third shelving unit {separated by size – double, queen, king). On the top shelf of the closet (the existing shelf) holds the plastic tubs with seasonal decorations. My mom and I have amassed lots of pretty things for decorating in the fall. These tubs are perfect up high since they only need to be accessed once a year. She also left her patio cushions on the top shelf.

The linen closet, turned game closet is perfect! The kids know exactly where their toys are AND where they need to go when they are finished with them. The games are a little high up for my two tots but that’s a god thing! They can’t drag out all the games and jumble the pieces. They have to ask one of us for help once they’ve selected a game. The closet could use one more shelf on the bottom but my dad can fix that pretty easily.

All the loose toys are in the bottom of the closet in a wagon that can be easily pulled out. Even my smallest one can get to her toys. The other crate in the bottom is filled with books and dress up items – making them easier to get to too.

My mom was very pleased with how the two closets turned out and that she was able to get everything she needed to organize both closets for under $100 at Walmart. I’ve got one more organizing project to share with you in the coming week. I redid my pantry and I am soo happy with the results. Stay tuned!

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Filed Under: Cleaning, Home Improvement, Wholesome Living Tagged With: bedroom closet, linen closet, organization, organizing, organizing a closet, Walmart

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Quaker Perfect Portions Oatmeal

January 31, 2013 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

When it comes to oatmeal, everyone has a favorite. Some like steel cut, some like old fashioned, others like quick cooking oats, and others like the convenience of instant oats. I personally prefer old fashioned oats but my husband like the quick cooking ones. I remember growing up with instant oatmeal. I loved the strawberries and cream variety. I was recently up for a visit with my in-laws and noticed that my mother in law had a box of instant oats in that memorable flavor. I decided to have a bowl – you know to reminisce. I couldn’t eat it, it was SOO sweet. Apparently, I’ve grown out of my need for sickening sweet cereal in the morning!

But, if you like the convenience of instant oatmeal {especially for getting school kids out the door} you’ll be glad to know you don’t have to sacrifice the convenience of instant oatmeal, Quaker Oats has a new product – Quaker Perfect Portions Oatmeal.

It cooks up just like those speedy quick instant oatmeal packets, but you can cook as much or as little as you want and it is unsweetened. So, you can sweeten if you want, how you want – with agave, honey, sugar, brown sugar… you decide. And then top it with what you like!

You can purchase this big bag with multi servings for just $1.98 per bag. So, it is a very affordable, fast breakfast for those of us who are on the go!

My kiddos love oatmeal and we top it with everything under the sun -depending on what we’ve got in the house. On this particular morning we decided to add a little honey, some chopped banana, and some raisins. They ate every last bite.

My favorite topping is blueberries and slivered almonds. Judah’s is raisins and honey. My husband is the weirdo who likes brown sugar and chunks of bread!? And, Eliana likes it any way you serve it to her. Lol.

How do you like your oatmeal?

Filed Under: Product Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: oatmeal, perfect portions, quaker oats, Walmart

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Mom Gets Active

January 26, 2013 by Denisesawyer Leave a Comment

danskin

How many of you made resolutions to lose weight this year? Probably quite a few since it is one of the top resolutions people make each year. Even if you aren’t trying lose, perhaps you’ve resolved to get healthy, eat better, or be more active. Those are all great decisions to make for your health regardless if you are into making resolutions at the beginning of each new year.

If you are working out and need a little motivation to get you going there is nothing better for the ‘ol self esteem for us ladies than to get yourself some new, pretty work out clothes that you’ll want to wear. Well, I’ve got great news for those of us who are also resolving to spend less and save more this year – Danskin {available at Walmart} has some super cute, really comfy active wear this season.

See that outfit I’m wearing in the the photo there? That came from Walmart. Right? It’s super cute, huh? I’m going to wear this every day to ~~workout~~ chase my kids around the house. I’m just gettin’ real with ya’ll. The chances of me working out is slim. Real slim. But, I would say I’m pretty active with a 1 year old and 3 year old. I do a lot of standing {In front of the stove and fridge fixing endless snacks for said children}, running {to catch naked bodies to strap diapers on them}, and leaping after small children {who are doing dangerous things}. Here’s what my workout looks like:

Danskin 2

And those clothes in the picture there… super comfy. AND, I think they are nice enough/appropriate for heading out in – you know, to do mom stuff like grocery shopping, running errands, picking up kids, dropping off kids, library visits, and doctor visits. As, a matter of fact, I’ve done all those things in these clothes. Just the other day while I was wearing those clothes Judah asked me why I wore them everyday. {HA!} I think everyday might be an exaggeration. But, it is a testament to the fact that I do wear them as soon as they are rewashed.

The pants are Danskin and in size petite {Squee! Petite pants are often hard to find off the rack!}. And the sweatshirt is Hardcandy – and just $9. I just think it is too cute. I’m also wearing a loose fit Danskin T-shirt under the sweatshirt and it was just $3.96! And, if I did decide to do a little exercise, this outfit would be great for a morning jog or some yoga or pilates.

But, if this doesn’t suit your fancy, Danskin has a pile of other choices:

Danskin NOW Performance Poly Tees $5.96
Danskin NOW Performance Jacket $13.96
Danskin Now Mesh Pant $8.96
Danskin Now Running Short $6.96
Danskin Now Seamless Sport Bra $9.94
Danskin Now Performance Heather Tea $5.96

Aren’t those prices crazy cheap!? I had a hard time deciding what to buy because there were so many bright and pretty choices. The sports bras were so cute with the stripes, but I couldn’t find my size and since I’m a shorty I went with the pants that came in petite! But, if you are in the market for running shorts, The Danskin Running Shorts look very similar to another brand {that will remain nameless} that cost 3 to 4 times as much as these! So, get the look for less!

This is a sponsored post. I’m a participant in the Walmart Moms Program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. Participation in this program is voluntary and the opinions stated above are entirely my own.

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Filed Under: Raising Kids, Wholesome Family Tagged With: fashion, Walmart, walmart moms, workout, workout clothes

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Crayola Makes Summer Time Breezy

Spring Sports Begin at the Sawyer House

Spring is Here!

Upcycle Your Trash to Treasure and You Could Pocket Some Real Treasure!

Here’s What You Need to Do:

What Happens Next:

Rachael Ray Cookware Review

Empower Women Worldwide with your Purchasing Dollar

Valentine’s Day Gifts Under $10

Closet Overhaul

Quaker Perfect Portions Oatmeal

Mom Gets Active

Click the Image for a Printable Meal Plan

@WholesomeMommy on Twitter