I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

If you took a look into my kitchen sink at the end of a day, you would be able to tell that not many in my house are fans of rinsing off their dishes after they eat. It is kind of my pet peeve because I am the one who is left rinsing (more like scrubbing) them all off to get them into the dishwasher. It is not my favorite chore! So when I was reading about Casacade Platinum’s dish care benefits, I decided I definitely wanted to put it to the test!

Cascade Platinum dish care benefits:

• Delivers Casace’s ultimate clean for dishes
• Scrubs away tough 24 hour stuck-on food
• Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes
• Provides exceptional dish ware shine
• Contains the Grease Fighting Power of Dawn

The challenge: I loaded my dishwasher and resisted my urge to rinse, inserted a Cascade Platinum pack face up and let it do it’s job.

The result: The majority of my dishes turned out pretty clean. There were a few dishes that still had dried cereal (seriously, that’s hard to get off even by hand), but everything looked pretty clean. I also noticed that my dishes did not come out with the cloudy spots they usually get on them from the dishwasher. What I have been even more impressed about is that after about a week of using the Cascade Platinum pacs, my dishwasher interior actually looks cleaner. I was so focused on the dishes that I forgot that it is also supposed to help your actual dishwasher, too!

About Cascade Platinum Technology:

Cascade Plantinum features a premium, advanced triple-action formula specially designed to deliver Cascade” best-in-market performance:

• Increased enzyme Power delivers better tough food cleaning than CAscade complete Pacs
• Unique liquide-top dual surfactant system delivers exceptional shine for the dishes AND helps keep your dishwasher sparkling
• Specially designed chelant and polymer system helps prevent hard-water film build-up on your dishes, glasses adn even the interior walls of your dishwasher
• The chelant is designed to fight Calcium that comes in with the hard-water and food to help deliver virtually film-free dishes wash after wash.

Cascade’s Parntership with Gail Simmons and Contest Details

“Now, more than ever, people eat with their eyes, and the evidence is all over sites like Facebook and Instagram. With that in mind, Top Chef judge and editor of Food_Wine magazine, Gail Simmons, has partnered with Cascade to discuss why presentation is just as important as preparation.”

Videos are available for your viewing with tips from Gail on the Cascade Facebook page and YouTube page about how to impress with Platinum Presentation.

Cascade Platinum Contest Details

I am all about winning stuff and participating in fun giveaways, so I have to share Cascade’s contest with you! Cascade is hosting a 4 week #MyPlatinum contest via Instagram encouraging fans to upload photos related to the weekly contest themes. Each week, two contestants will WIN a brand new Whirlpool dishwasher AND one lucky Grand Prize Winner will receive a Platinum kitchen makeover. Check out the Cascade Platinum Instagram Contest page for more details!

Maybe your next desert can win you something big! This will be mine for this week…

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Do you have a campout on your tentative “Summer To Do” list or want to cross it off your Summer Passport? Consider June 22 as a great day to unplug and spend some fun time outside!! This month’s Family Challenge was put together by Janelle from LDS Parenting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

According to the NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION   :

“On June 22, 2013, thousands of people across the nation will gather in their backyards, neighborhoods, communities and parks to take part in a one-night FREE event that will provide an experience for all generations to connect with nature. ”

Let’s join in for our June Family Challenge!

Check out the official page for the Great American Backyard Campout of 2013!

Here are some ideas for fun things to do at your backyard campout!

At MY KIDS MAKE the talented blogger has created a super cute nature scavenger hunt that would be fun to do in your backyard! It could be just one of the many activities you can do before bedtime in the tent!

At I CAN TEACH MY CHILD The cutie pie blogger has an entire post full of super fun things to do for your backyard campout… invite some friends! Make it a party!!

And no backyard campout is complete without s’mores!!! YUM!!!

June Family Challenge Details:

Go to http://www.nwf.org/Great-American-Backyard-Campout.aspx sign up and start planning for an amazing night of family fun and togetherness!! I can’t wait!

Post a pic of your campout on Facebook {Instagram and Twitter are great, too}, tell us what you did. Even if you have an indoor campout, it still counts! The challenge is to spend the night with your kids!

Have FUN!!

This Month’s Family Challenge Brought to you by

The Family Network :

Fun On a Dime:

Play With Your Family:

True Aim Education:

LDS Parenting :

Serene is my name, Not my life!

As promised I am back to share more about my experience with the Change Your Plate Change Your Life Home Study Course from Tracie Hittman Nutrition. I shared my initial review a month ago and since then I have watched the final 5 DVDs 2-3 times each! My biggest improvements over the last month have been an increase awareness of what I am putting into my body and being able to drink real milk (not lactose free milk), which is something I have not been able to do in over 20 years…I’ll tell you more below!

Tracie is easy to watch and does not disappoint. After each DVD I am excited to watch it again. For an information lover and someone who believes that knowledge is power, I am in Heaven! I have learned SO much with this course. Tracie not only teaches how to improve your nutrition, she takes the time to explain how your body works and in turn how improving your nutrition affects your body. When she lays things out this way, terms I never understood or why certain reactions to food occurred that never made much sense to me before just started to mentally click. Plus, knowing why you should eat a certain type of food over alternative options and how it will react in your system makes it a lot easier to make the healthier food choices. I have heard her say a few different times that she is giving us the information/tools and it is our decision on what to do with the information. So true!

Currently, my favorite DVDs/sections are the last half of #7, “The Dairy Dilemma”, and 1st half of # 8, “Vitamins and Mineral Sources”, where she talks more about dairy/the right kind of dairy and how to get your vitamins and minerals in your diet without taking a ton of supplements. I especially loved the milk section for the reason that I have not been able to drink real milk since I was at least 13 (20+ years) without serious consequences. I used to call it Lactose Suicide when I just wanted to have a little ice-cream! I was flipping through the Home Study Course manual when I was on DVD #3 and discovered the milk section and was immediately interested when she started talking about how most people are not lactose intolerant. I had always thought the opposite. This is where the manual is super handy to have with the DVDs because there is a lot more information in the manual for this section. She gave some tips, one being to drink whole milk, and I decided to jump in and do it as soon as I could! I tried a couple different brands, started out small and slowly worked my way to drinking more. I am now drinking 1-2 cups of milk a day. I never had a reaction to the whole milk! Crazy, right?!?! I would have loved to do Raw milk, but that is hard to find in Arizona right now. And if you are thinking that whole milk will make you gain weight, Tracie talks about that, too, and so far for me that has not been the case. I have actually lost 10 lbs since I received Tracie’s course 2 months ago.

Improving anyone’s health and nutrition is a journey. My family is becoming more aware of what we are putting in our bodies. I have actually caught my husband reading labels, too, which is something he has rarely cared about in the past. Through this Home Study Course I have learned that eating healthy and balanced is NOT complicated. I strongly recommend the Change Your Plate Change Your Life Home Study Course in a heart beat, and I do all the time, to anyone who wants to learn more. Knowledge is power and this course definitely gives you the knowledge!

*** Product was received to help facilitate this review and did not influence my opinions in any way. All opinions are 100% my own!

What is summer without a coloring contest?! Back when I lived in Cedar City, they would handout a booklet full of coloring pages each sponsored with a prize by a local business. These pages would occupy my 2 children for hours! They loved them! So to add even more fun to our Summer Passport FREE printable packet, we have partnered with some of our favorite summer sponsors and together they are bringing two awesome prize packs for two lucky people to win! The prize packs are a perfect summer bundle of fun including a popular summer movie release title, an educational and entertaining book, a board game, some snacks, a new summer outfit you can shop for and a lock to let them protect their gear in the coming years at school!

Summer Fun Coloring Contest Details

Note: Coloring Contest is for ages 2-10

How to Enter:

Step 1: Download your coloring page by heading over and “like” the Fun On a Dime Facebook Fan page, if you have not already.

Step 2: Color! Let your kids get creative and color the front page of the activity packet. The coloring page is a cute hand drawn page with a variety of summer images and the title “Summer Fun”. Below are examples for you of how my 5 year old and 7 year old colored their coloring pages so you know which page to look for in the packet.

Step 3: Submit! After your child between the ages of 2 and 10 has completed their drawing, adults may enter on behalf of their child by submitting their drawing into the contest. You can scan a copy of their picture or use your camera to take a picture of it for submission. Submit your photo on Pinterest with #SummerColorFun in the description. You can find additional Summer Activities here to add to your boards.   Yes, you can submit a photo without having it posted on your own blog…I just discovered this! (Check out how to make a pic from your computer a Pin on Pinterest if you need more help.) But posting and then pinning from your own blog or other media to Pinterest is fine, too! Once your photo and additional activity are submitted, enter below on the Rafflecopter to complete your entry.

Open Dates: We will begin accepting entries into the coloring contest on June 1st, 2013. You may enter anytime between now and June 30th, 2013 at midnight EST. After the submission window closes, two winners will be drawn at random from all of the entries!

Here’s What You and Your Child Could Win!

Prize Pack 1 includes:

• Escape from Planet Earth Blu-ray Combo Pack (ARV $40)
• National Geographic Kids Almanac 2014 (ARV $15)
• CVS Gold Emblem Snacks (Random Assortment, Varies)
• Masterlock Speed Dial (ARV $12)
• P.S. Aeropostale $25 Gift Card
• Peaceable Kingdom Stack Up! Game (ARV $25)

Prize Pack 2 includes:

• Peaceable Kingdom What’s It? Game (ARV $25)
• Escape from Planet Earth Blu-ray Combo Pack (ARV $40)
• National Geographic Kids Almanac 2014 (ARV $15)
• Masterlock Word Cable Bike Lock (ARV $7)
• P.S. Aeropostale $25 Gift Card
• CVS Gold Emblem Snacks (Random Assortment, Varies)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest Rules

Only one entry per adult can be submitted. A child who would like to complete the coloring sheet must be between the ages of 2 and 10 at the time the entry is submitted. The child must use their own creativity and abilities to complete the coloring page. The child’s legal guardian can then enter on behalf of the child to officially enter in their coloring page. Entering adult must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States. Only one prize pack can be won per child, entrant and/or household.

By entering you accept the official rules of the contest. You can view the full rules on the rafflecopter.

Disclosure: No compensation or product was received for this post or for hosting this giveaway. All Opinions are 100% my own!

Eight weeks have come to a close and it is time to announce our official 2013 Slim Down For Summer Fitness Challenge Winner. But, first I want to tell everyone who participated that you are all awesome and did such a great job! I hope everyone was able to learn something new, gain (or re-emphasize) some healthy habits and lose some weight/inches. I know I lost 8 lbs, which I am pretty sure will be staying off since I lost it overtime and not in one week. Thank you for joining in on the fun and fitness!

Click here to see the final tally of points

And our winner of the 2013 Slim Down For Summer Fitness Challenge …..

Jen!!!

Again, A Big Thank You! for everyone’s participation! Getting healthy is way more fun with friends!!

Welcome Back To our final check-in…Week 8!

We are done! I have learned a lot about myself during this Slim Down for Summer Fitness Challenge. When we started, I thought I could cut sugar out no problem, but learned I was way more addicted than I was the first time I did the Challenge in 2011. So although I did not loose as much as I would like this time  around (I can blame that on nursing weight, right? :-?), it was nice to be aware of what I was eating and to make some healthier habits. Thank you for motivating me! I hope everyone was able to get something from this challenge, too, and I am excited to see your results! I will announce a winner on Friday after I reconfirm all points!

***Make sure you FILL OUT THIS FORM to officially check-in ***

*This form will be closed Wednesday night at midnight.

If you have children, don’t miss out on our FREE Summer Activity Printable. My kiddos have already gone crazy on theirs. I love that they are so excited about it!

Click here for your FREE Summer Passport Printable Activity Book

To snag your own copy of the FREE Summer Passport, stop by the Fun On a Dime Facebook page and “Like” it, if you have not already. If you are not taken directly to the free printable, there is a tab on the Facebook fan page labeled “Free Summer Printable!” that will take you to it.

My daughter and her cousin have already started working on their Summer Passports! Being true girls they have spent all their time on the front page that doubles as a coloring page. Last year we made Summer Bucket Lists, but this year we will not need to worry about that with our Train of Fun. This packet includes a page of “tickets” (i.e. fun summer ideas) and a 10 car train that is waiting for its owner to fill each car full of the fun you want to do this summer or to fill in as you go. We created the list with simple ideas, but feel free to remove any of the suggestions that will not work for you.

We may have to put up a second train in our house for each kiddo. When my niece looked through the packet and saw how many train cars were available she stated, “Oh, there are only 10? What if I need more?” I figure there are enough cars for us to do one activity a week for sure.

More Summer Fun Ideas

Kid Friendly Games and Activities

• Indoor Summer Camp
• Bean & Straw Game – a younger kid friendly version of the M&M Straw Game with video demo
• Homemade Chalk Paint
• Doctor Day – A mending toy day
• Pick-Up “Sticks” – an indoor or outdoor “get ‘em moving” game with video demo
• Make a Kite – the easy way
• The Sign Game ~ Action Style – group game with video demo
• Zip-Bom – group game with video demo

Easy Summer Treats

• Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
• Mint Brownies
• Homemade Saltwater Taffy (Yummy!)
• Food Castles
• Homemade Kettle Corn
• Easy Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag

Kid Friendly Arts and Crafts

• Easy Magic Wands
• Circle Art
• Paper Roses
• Sand Art with Homemade Colored Sand
• Creating Fireworks with Paint
• Make a Wrestling Buddy

Summer Book and Game Recommendations

Great Summer Reads

1-3

• Little Bear
• The Monster at the End of this Book
• Left Foot Right Foot – Dr. Seuss
• Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb
• If you give a Mouse a Cookie
• Busy, Busy Town
• The Gruffalo
• Curious George
• Good Night Moon

Ages4-6

• Fly Guy
• Flat Stanley
• Fancy Nancy
• Elephant & Piggie
• Pinkalicious
• I-Spy
• Where’s Waldo
• (Girls) Anything with Princesses or Dancers on the cover!

Ages 7-9

• Scooby Doo
• Big Nate
• Goosebumps
• Magic Tree House Series
• Roald Dahl books
• Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew
• Amelia Bedelia

Ages 10+ / or parents to read to younger children

• The Boxcar Children
• Harry Potter
• National Geographic 2014 almanac (recommended for ages 8-12)
• My Father’s Dragon
• Percy Jackson (our current series)
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH series
• A Series of Unfortunate Events
• Anything by Shannon Hale
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe series
• Anne of Green Gables series
• Nancy Drew series

**I am sure there are a ton more. Email me if you have any favorites to add to the list.

Game Recommendations

• Go Fish
• Bingo
• What’s It?
• Stack Up
• Yahtzee
• War (card game)
• Speed (card game)
• Garbage (card game)

Head over to AMomsTake.com/Summer-Passport for more fun ideas!

AND…stay tuned for a COLORING CONTEST coming soon!!

Disclosure: No compensation received…just a load of fun for you to enjoy!

According to my daughter we were in desperate need of some good dancing music, especially for those times when friends come over. So I jumped on the opportunity to review Disney’s new release of “Shake It Up: I <3 Dance”.

We have had a lot of fun sharing it with our friends. I love watching my kiddos and all their friends dance! They are so fun to watch dance with all their “moves” they come up with. Who taught them those?

I grew up on Disney music and so if it comes from Disney I usually trust it. It is nice not having to worry about music with bad words or themes (because you know they always seem to learn the lyrics of songs you never thought they’d pick up) and to let them just enjoy dancing. There is even a version of “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” that does not drive me crazy like the original version from my Jr. High days did. Gotta love that!

Shake It Up: I <3 Dance is a collection of 12 dance tracks from the third season of Disney’s hit show “Shake It Up.” It features songs by Bella and Zendaya as well as fellow Disney stars Selena Gomez, Bridgit Mendler, Roshon Fegan and Caroline Sunshine, in addition to up-and-coming stars Coco Jones, McClain Sisters and more. The Shake It Up: I <3 Dance soundtrack is currently available for $9.99 on both iTunes and Amazon.com.

*Product was provided to supplement this review. Regardless, all opinions are 100% my own.

Father’s Day is just around the corner and I am always on the look out for gift ideas that my kiddos can make (or at least be a big part in the making process). My sister-in-law, the creative Debra, shared with me this cute idea of self portraits. She even snapped a picture for me to share. I love the idea and it would not only be great for a Father’s Day gift, but could work for other occasions with Grandparents, Christmas, etc. I believe the youngest below was 3 or 4.

What You Need:

• White card stock (or light colored)
• Pencil
• Acrylic paint (variety of colors)
• Paint Brush
• Fine point permanent marker in black
• Picture frames of choice

Directions:

Step 1: Have each child draw a picture of themselves on a piece of card stock using a pencil. You will probably want to make sure the card stock is precut to the size of your desired picture frame. I know my kiddos would use the entire space given to them!

Step 2: Then have them paint it using acrylic paint.

Step 3: Once dried, trace over the pencil / outline the entire drawing with the skinny permanent marker.

Step 4: Frame and display!

Super easy, unique and you cannot help but love it! And you can update it every few years to add to the fun.

Enjoy!!!

Welcome Back To Week 7 Check-In!

This our last week! The challenge has been great, but I feel summer calling my name! If you are still hanging in on the challenge, I am sending you a Hi-5! This May seems to be busier than past years with all the end of the year stuff going on. Keep on with it. We only have one week left, so finish strong! You still have time to make a difference on how you feel and look! What was your most successful week and what did you do to get the bests results (just feeling awesome and/or losing the most)? Remember do not get discouraged if you did not have a good week. We are building healthy habits.

Make sure to look at the bottom of this post for Week 8′s Bonus Points!

***Make sure you FILL OUT THIS FORMto officially check-in ***

*This form will be closed Tuesday night at midnight.

Week 8 Bonus Points: 3 Ways to Earn (you can do all!):

***Way #1: Eat your 1st meal within an hour of waking up each morning for at least 5 days. In response to “why?”,  I want to know why you think so. Leave a comment in our Fitness Challenge Group – not required. I’ll leave my response there. (1 points for each day = max 5 points for the week)

***Way #2: What area do you need to improve on or is the hardest for you out of the 5 main ones (water, exercise, sugar, sleep, food curfew)? In the last box of the check-in for week 7 (link is above), make a commitment to improve in one area (preferably one that is hard for you) and what you are going to do to make sure you achieve full points in that area this week…. i.e.  ”I have a hard time getting my last qt of water in until the couple of hours before I go to bed. This week I will drink all my water before 6 pm” or “I’m going to drink 3 qts water this week” or “I am going to exercise for 45 minutes 5 days this week”, etc. Don’t cheat yourself. Be realistic, but don’t pick a challenge that you are already achieving and are awesome at!  (1 point for each day you meet your personal goal = Max 5 points)

***Way # 3: Take an after picture to go along with your before picture from week 1 and take the same measurements again. Do this preferrably as close to check-in next week as possible/when it will be best for your schedule. i.e. If you have to do it Friday, do it friday! (1 point for each = Max 2 points)

So, you have a chance to get 12 bonus points this week! Whoa!