This is a partnered post for Minute Clinic. All thoughts express are my own.

I can’t believe that summer vacation is almost over for the kids. We have had some fun this summer but I think the kids are ready to go back to school so they can see their friends.  I also have a sophomore that can’t wait to try out again for the high school’s volleyball team.

If your child is interested in sports and in need of a physical, the Minute Clinic offers pre-participation sports physicals for just $39 which is a savings of $20. Even if a physical is not required, it is very important to make sure that your children are healthy and safe to participate in the sport they want to play.

MinuteClinic also offers a variety of back to school vaccinations to make sure that your child does not miss their first day of school. If your child is just starting school for the first time it is very important to know what  your state’s requirements for vaccinations are such as meningitis and pertussis. Schools will NOT let your child start on the first day of school if they do not have the proper vaccinations. Got a child that is ready to head off to college? MinuteClinic also offers college physicals too!

Are you planning on visiting MinuteClinic? Be sure to take advantage of the FREE $22 coupon book when you visit. (No purchase is necessary and available while supplies last through 12/1/14.)

This is a partnered post with Coca-Cola and Walmart. All thoughts are my own.

Although I enjoy cooking for my family I also enjoy being able to relax with the family at times too. There are times when I just want to be able to have a nice hot meal on the table and not have to spend time in the kitchen.

Walmart & Coca-Cola has partnered to make meals easy, effortless and even affordable for families with the Effortless Meals from Walmart.

When you walk into Walmart and visit the deli area you will find Walmart’s Effortless Meal options. You can find pizza bundle meal deals, sandwich bundle meal deals and rotisserie chicken bundle meal deals. I haven’t tried the pizza deal yet but since we don’t get to eat rotisserie chicken often, we enjoyed a couple meals within the last month from Walmart that included their delicious rotisserie chicken.

What I like about Walmart’s rotisserie chicken is the different flavor options that are usually available. They have a variety of flavors but my favorite is their Lemon Pepper Rotisserie Chicken. The meat is tender, juicy and full of flavor! My second favorite would have to be their BBQ Rotisserie Chicken. If you are looking for a dinner for just yourself, they have the smaller rotisserie chickens available too!

When you choose the Effortless Meal Deal with the rotisserie chicken, you will also get to pick one of the side dishes that are available and  a 2 liter bottle of one of the Coca-Cola products.  The side dishes usually include a variety of potato salads (Original, Amish, Red Skin, Mustard), macaroni salad or baked beans.

Even when I am not buying these meal bundles, I often save time in the kitchen by buying these potato & macaroni salads. When we are grilling outside, I don’t want to spend the entire time in the house preparing side dishes, especially if we have friend or family over eating with us.

During these summer months it can be best to keep your oven off! By using Walmart for these Effortless meals you can save time in the kitchen, save from heating your house up and you will get to enjoy a yummy meal at an affordable price without spending any time in the kitchen.

Have you enjoyed any of the Effortless Meals at Walmart?

When you have a big family you often will have a big grocery bill too. I have a family of six and I spend quite a bit of money each month at the grocery store just on food to cook meals for the family. With a weekly budget I use a variety of methods to help save money and make our budget stretch as far as I can. These methods aren’t magic, just simple and easy ways to help save money each time you shop for groceries. Below are ten easy ways to lower your grocery bill…

1. Coupons  – One of the easiest way to save money is by using coupons. You don’t have to go and clip every coupon thinking you might need them, clip only coupons for the products that you actually buy. When you clip a coupon for $1 for a product that you regularly buy, that coupon is like having an extra $1 in your wallet. One of the easiest ways to print coupons before is on Coupons.com and Smartsource.com. I would also suggest emailing the companies of products you purchase regularly and ask to be put on their mailing list. Lots of times not only will they put you on their list, they will send out some free coupons just because your a fan of their product.
2. Rewards/Loyalty Cards – If your grocery store offers a reward or loyalty type of card be sure to sign up and use it. A majority of these cards will give you special rewards just for using the card like digital coupons or personalized offers based on your shopping habits. If you have a Safeway near their card offers digital coupons, personalized offers and ways to save at the gas pump!
3. Like Your Favorite Brands On Facebook – If you are on Facebook chances are that you are a fan of different brands. Many brands will offer a special coupon offer just for “liking” their page.
4. Don’t Shop At Any Store – Not all stores offer the same prices so when shopping for your groceries, be sure to shop at the stores that offer the lowest prices for the items you buy regularly. Even if you have to make two shopping trips, the amount you could save on the items you purchase might be worth the extra couple bucks in gas.
5. Look For Alternatives – Keep your grocery receipts. After you are shopping look at your receipt and highlight the most expensive items. See if you can find another product that is cheaper or buy this product at another local store that offers it cheaper.
6. Don’t Pay Extra For Your Fruits & Vegetables – I know its tempting to grab the pre-packed fruit and vegetables that have already been cleaned and cut but you will save money if you buy your fruits and vegetables in their natural form and do the work yourself.
7. Look For Store Brands vs the Name Brands – In most situations the name brand products are going to be more expensive and at eye level. When shopping be sure to look up and look down for cheaper items that include the generic brands or the store brand.
8. Plan Your Shopping Day On Sales Days – During the holidays you can usually find products that you regularly use at a big discount. On holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth Of July and Labor Day, you can usually score great deals on condiments, canned goods, paper goods and more!
9. Join A Warehouse Club – For those of you that have large families and buy in bulk, it may make sense to signup for a local warehouse club such as Costco or Sam’s Club.
10. Compare Unit Prices– This might make shopping a little longer but worth it in the long run if you are looking for the best deal.  When shopping look at the products unit price. This will show you how much you are paying per ounce which allows you to figure out the best deal.

These are just 10 ways that I use when shopping to save money on groceries for my family. Do you have any other ideas? Feel free to share your ways to save money on your grocery bill by leaving a comment below…

When you are sad and things are looking down, remember that…

Everyone has dreams but…

This is a partnered post with Dasani and all thoughts are my own.

Everyday that I wake up I think of how blessed I am. I have a family, a roof over my head and an income coming in to pay the bills. Many people have those things and don’t appreciate them. I am one that often thinks of the less unfortunate and even though I am not rich and I have a stack of bills, I have a family that loves to make each other smile each and every day.

There are things that really make me sparkle. I have always had a passion for photography and I enjoy taking lots of pictures with my children who love to make silly faces when the camera lens is on them. Sometimes dad likes to be a photo bomb and make silly faces to make the kids laugh which is okay for me. I let them know that mom is going to post that one on Facebook.

Another thing that makes me sparkle is food. I love to be in the kitchen either baking or cooking up some dishes for the family that I can also share on my blog. I love cooking so much that I also have my cooking blog that has even more recipes. Being a work at home mom that gets to spend time raising her children and living my dream makes me SPARKLE…

This summer has been HOT. I am always encouraging the kids to drink WATER. I have preferred water to drink my whole life and try to make sure my kids are drinking plenty of water too. I agree that water can be boring but today there are so many flavored waters that it is easy to get our kids to drink water. We recently been drinking the Dasani Sparkling Water. These are naturally flavored sparkling water beverages that have ZERO calories! They contain carbonated water and natural flavors and when served chilled are refreshing

Since I mentioned that I love drinking water I was excited to try these out. Since I usually drink lemon lime soda I am really enjoying the Lime Dasani Sparkling Water and have a 12 pack in the fridge that is nice and cold for this weekend. We recently installed a pool in the backyard and these waters are great to keeps the kids refreshed when outdoors.

Right now Dasani is having an AMAZING contest that you will want to enter that includes a FREE family vacation to FLORIDA.

To enter the contest for your chance at a Sparkling Getaway to Florida that includes airfaire, hotel and spa treatments for 4, upload a photo of what makes you sparkle to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #SparkleWithDasani. You will want to also make sure that you are following @Dasani so they can contact you if you are the lucky winner.

So now the question is….