Summer Meal straight from the grill!

Now that I have my outdoor living space completed, it is time to fire up the grill. Now, you may be asking - what can she cook on the grill? She doesn't eat meat! Well, with a little thought, I will be utilizing my grill all summer for numerous meals. The first one? Grilled portobello mushroom burgers, grilled asparagus and for dessert, a fruit salad! All of my items were purchased at Walmart and I have to tell you my family truly enjoyed the meal! 

First I started by firing up the grill, I used self-light charcoal which was a breeze and while waiting for the grill to heat up I prepared the mushrooms. After cleaning both the asparagus and mushrooms, I placed them on a tray and gently drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. 

I scored the mushrooms and added chopped garlic and rosemary to the mushrooms. After this simple preparation, I went back out and placed everything on the grill. Meanwhile, my mom prepared the fruit salad. 

This ended up being the main course for my son because he is such a picky eater - I'm just glad that we were able to get him to eat!

While the veggies cooked I cut up vine ripened tomatoes and placed them on Arnold sandwich rounds (100 calories) with low-fat mayonnaise. Once the veggies were done, I placed the mushroom burgers on my bun and ate the asparagus fresh off the grill with no additional seasoning. 

My mother loved it and clean-up was simple! I can't wait to utilize my grill for cooking throughout the summer! 


Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and have been compensated for sharing my summer cooking ideas with you. 

Outdoor Living Space Overhaul

I must admit that I have not been taking advantage of my outdoor living space. I have a nice patio set that was provided by Walmart a few years ago but honestly it has just been sitting collecting pollen this entire spring. As summer is upon, I decided I really needed to utilize this space better and Walmart helped make this happen by providing me with a budget of $150.00 to redo the space.

I did some very simple sprucing up and I am more than happy with the results. I purchased some new pillows to bring life back to my slightly faded cushions. While browsing the outdoor living section I eyed a rug that perfectly matched the pillows so I purchased that too. I thought flowers would be a nice addition to the decor so I added a begonia to the mix to place on my coffee table.

One of the reasons that I haven't used my space is that during the spring especially the bugs take over. They send both my son and I running into house. So, I purchased a couple of tiki lamps that both add to the ambiance and have a utilitarian purpose, I filled them with anti-bug oil!

Finally, I decided to purchase a grill. My mother has been after me for years to get one so that we can dine al fresco without turning on the stove or oven in this Georgia heat. I choose a color to match the overall decor and I must say I am pleased with the outcome! And my final bill? $149.58 including taxes! And honestly, I really did not add up the prices while I shopped, I planned to purchase anything over $150.00 with my own money.

Of course, now that my space is complete, I had to try out my grill and eat outside. Check out my next post for details.....






Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and was provided with a $150.00 giftcard and compensation to overhaul my outdoor living space. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Calling All Musicians and Artists for the Create More birthdays contest! - Video Post

Usher is so talented and really easy on the eyes too! That is why I was thrilled when he joined the American Cancer Society More Birthdays Campaign - did you know that this year 11 Million cancer survivors are celebrating another birthday??!!! As a member of the American Cancer Society Blogger Advisory Council I not only help shape campaigns but also work to get the word out about new things ACS is doing.

If you are a musician or an artist you can join the ranks of Usher and have your video featured in the More Birthdays Campaign.

This year, American Cancer Society has had some of the biggest names in art and entertainment join us to help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays - from Celine Dion to Rihanna to Eric Carle to Usher. And now it's your turn.

Starting today, we invite you to share your art and music inspired by the fight against cancer in our Create More Birthdays Contest.
Musicians, submit a music video of you performing the "Happy Birthday" song.
Artists, submit original art inspired by the progress we are making against cancer.
Both artists and musicians can submit entries at my.morebirthdays.com. Winning entries will be featured alongside stars such as Justin Bieber, Masha D'yans, Ricky Martin, Lady Antebellum, and more in our More Birthdays online gallery, helping to raise awareness and support for the fight against cancer. The winning musician will also be featured in our online nationwide advertising campaign, while the winning art will be featured in a custom American Cancer Society card collection on TinyPrints.com.

Get more information about contest rules, eligibility, and prizes at my.morebirthdays.com.

Even if you are not inclined to enter, get involved by voting for your favorites! For every vote cast, you'll receive an entry into the Create More Birthdays Sweepstakes for a chance to win More Birthdays prize packs filled with Tiny Prints® cards and ACS gift wrap, limited-edition prints and more, created from the art donated exclusively to the ACS by famous artists.

Cars 2

As the parent of a four year old most of the movies that I have seen over the past few years have been targeted to children. The thing that I appreciate about these films is that the writers recognize parents need to be entertained too and develop the scripts so that parents can truly enjoy the time spent in the theater. This Friday I will be taking my son to see Cars 2.  I must admit that I saw the first film before I was a parent and loved it! So, I am anticipating it just as much or more than my son! Check out this special video from Mater:







In celebration of the film, Walmart has launched an app on facebook that you can utilize with your family and win prizes! Possible prizes include:

• Movie Ticket Vouchers (worth $7.50, 2 per facebook user
• Coupons for V-Tech
• Exclusive access to two online games
• Exclusive access to Disney Mater's Tall Tales videos
• Online downloadable coloring books

Mekhi and I will be checking out the movie this Friday and in the meantime we will be playing with this app and sending messages to grandma!

Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and have been compensated to spread the word about this facebook app. As usual all opinions are 100% my own.

Father's Day!

Tomorrow is Father's Day and if you haven't shopped for your father, grandfather or the father of your children you still have time to make a stop at Walmart. As a Walmart mom, I was given a $30 giftcard to shop for my son's dad. I have to admit I was a bit overwhelmed because I wasn't quite sure what to purchase. But the one thing I know that he loves are books so I headed over to the book section to see what I could find. 

He mostly reads books in his field so I thought he might enjoy some levity. I chose Awkward Family Photos and The Book of Awesome. I'm sure he will enjoy them. And it is a great departure from the classic Father's Day gift of a tie! 


I also purchased a Cars themed card that my son will enjoy and a nice gift bag. All in all I think Mekhi's dad will be pleased this Father's Day! 


Disclosure: I am a Walmart Mom and was given a giftcard to shop and was compensated for writing this post. But as usual all opinions are 100% my own. 

Happy Birthday Mekhi!

This year my baby boy turned four. It is amazing how quickly the time has passed. I have vivid memories of bringing him home and the first night staring at him as he slept, marveling at the miracle God blessed me with. Now this big boy is independent, wants to do all sorts of things on his own and even has dry nights! I wanted to do something special for his birthday this year and thanks to the  folks at Tide I was able to provide him with a birthday party that he will never forget !

The party was held at one of Mekhi's favorite places, the Imagine It! Children's Museum. Prior to party the children were able to explore the museum, have fun and engage in learning hands activities that were experiential and educational. At the appointed time, all of the kids gathered in the party room. For crafts, games and of course food and fun! 

Mekhi was able to add his handprint to the wall where countless other birthday children had left their mark. His friends got in on the fun and made a card just for him with their handprints. As the party was winding down we distributed the goody bags that were provided by Tide. 

Inside were gifts for both the children and the parents - a sample of Tide Stain release (which can be used for any of the pizza or ice cream cake  that might have occurred at the party). And all of the children were given Tide aprons which were a huge hit. 

 Mekhi and his friend Davie (Secret Agent Mama's son)

After the party was over the children dispersed into the museum. Mekhi and I left after two additional hours but we saw party goers still enjoying the museum on our way out! I have to give a tremendous THANK YOU to the folks from Tide Stain Release. I enjoyed being given the leeway to provide my guests with information about their product in a way that was natural and fun!

Photo Credit: All photos by Mishelle Lane (she is amazing, thank you Mishelle!)

Disclosure: The party was sponsored by Tide Stain Release and I've been compensated for spreading the word about the brand. All opinions are 100% my own as usual and since I've been using Tide Stain Release for awhile now this is a perfect fit for me!