Purrfectly Fresh with #FreshStepFebreze

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Krissyar

“This post is sponsored by Fresh Step®  and the BlogPaws® Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Fresh Step® with Febreze® but I only share information I feel is relevant to my readers. Fresh Step is not responsible for the content of this article.”

I love our cats – I didn’t realize overall how much easier they are than the dogs; they don’t expect a ton of attention (well except when they demand it), they don’t really chew on important things and ruin them (our dog ate my daughter’s DSi , our cat eats my hair ties) and the wonder of not having to worry about rushing home to let them out – well that just speaks for itself, right? As much as I love the freedom of scooping that litter box at my convenience, the smell coming from it when I get home – well it’s less than desirable.

Now I have been told I have a super nose. I smell most things before anyone else – especially in my house – and I swear I can smell the kitty litter box needs changed as I walk in the door. So when I was told that  Fresh Step with the POWER of Febreze safely eliminates odors at a price point that works for cat owners. Not only that, but NEW Fresh Step with Febreze includes de-dusting agents to reduce dust levels to keep your cats healthier and happier – so off to PetSmart I went!

A photo posted by Krissy Higgins (@krissyar) on

I actually was really excited when I got home and opened it up – it smelled exactly like a fresh Febreze product, and I was praying it would do the trick!

fresh_step_febreze

With two cats we now have two litter boxes (which only took me a few months to know that’s what we needed so I didn’t feel like we were constantly cleaning them out!) and one of them is directly in our bathroom. So obviously odors can um, get stuck in there with you  if you know what I’m saying. The cats love to hang out in there while I shower and get ready for work, and I was pleasantly surprised how the Fresh Step Febreze  not only helped eliminate odors – but gave off a pleasant smell instead. (Can they make some for my kids sneakers too while they are at it?!)

What litter do you use? Have you tried Fresh Step with Febreze?

 

“This post is sponsored by Fresh Step®  and the BlogPaws® Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Fresh Step® with Febreze® but I only share information I feel is relevant to my readers. Fresh Step is not responsible for the content of this article.”

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fresh Step. The opinions and text are all mine.

Posted in Pets | Leave a comment

No Bake Oatmeal Energy Bites

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Krissyar

These energy bites pack a punch – totally worth the approx 130 calories per serving, these no bake oatmeal energy bites will get your body moving. These are great to eat as a mid-afternoon snack (or even for breakfast) or when you find yourself hungry after dinner.

You can adjust your calorie intake by changing up a few things like using low-cal peanut butter, or skipping the chocolate chips (but that’s the best part).

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup natural crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup milled flaxseed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

energy_ball_ingredients

Combine all ingredients together.

 

energy_balls_first_step

and mix!

energy_balls_mix_ingredients

Refrigerate for 45 minutes and then roll into balls.

Store in the refrigerator in air tight container.

Makes 20 if made in approx 1″ inch balls.

energy_balls_final

For more recipes like these, follow my “HEALTHY RECIPES” Pinterest board, or follow all my boards on Pinterest here.

Follow Krissy’s board Healthy Recipes on Pinterest.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Give a Gift Worth Sharing – and enter to Win!

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Krissyar

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Minted.com

Minted Children’s Photo Stationery

If you are like me you come up with any reason to give your kids gifts – The joy on their faces make my day, so they get something special for good grades, for losing teeth, and of course for nearly every holiday (I have yet to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with gifts, but my son is part Irish, so maybe that’s a good reason to celebrate).

After a snowy, boring month of January after the hustle and bustle of Christmas, I am ready to get creative again with my gift-giving skills. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and then closely following is Easter. These are the two most fun gift giving holidays for me (besides Christmas of course) and I despise the idea that these holidays have to be filled with lots and lots of candy. Now don’t get me wrong – my kids get their favorite candy added to their Easter baskets – but in moderation. I don’t pile it full where they are laying on the couch strung out on sugar the next day. I give them awesome gifts they can use every day that doesn’t make them sick! Where toys are great, we have plenty of those floating around my house (especially after Christmas with the whole family) so I decided to get a bit more creative this year.. and that’s when I ran across Minted.com

Now my kids love to draw and write and will write you a note for any reason – like even when you are hiding out in the bathroom needing a break (I can’t tell you how many notes have been slipped under that door!) they write thank you notes, and I’m sorry notes (I have to say I really love these), and just notes to their friends, so pretty much I have notepads everywhere. So why wouldn’t the kids love their own personalized stationary??

Minted_custom_stationary

Now my oldest is an artist at heart – and a book lover (with literally two entire book shelves in her room overflowing with both, she will probably need another soon!) so when I was looking at customizing a cute basket for a gift, and I found this adorable book theme, I had to go all out with the notebook, stationary, personalized stickers and thank you cards. I’m going to throw in a bookmark I picked up on Etsy, and this will probably be one of her favorite gifts ever. (I may have to pick up some cute pens while I’m at it).

Now my son loves only about 3 things in his life right now (besides his mama of course) and that’s LEGO, video games, and baseball. I love baseball myself, and I have enjoyed teaching him, and watching him grow as a player (it makes my heart burst a bit) so of course out of his three loves, I favor one. So his gift theme was baseball – I really wanted to order like every single piece of baseball everything, but some of us do have a budget =)

minted_for_kids

There are so many cute things, you will have a hard time choosing! But All in a Days Work and Minted want to make it a little easier for you – enter to win a $250 gift card to Minted.com

Head on over here and enter to win!

minted_giveaway

Posted in Giveaways, Holidays | Leave a comment

Make Money on Social Media with IZEA – Download the App Now Available on iOS

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Krissyar

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

I mentioned before that you didn’t have to be a blogger to make money online using your social media influence – IZEA offers everyone the chance to work with some great companies and brands, putting money in your pocket for something as simple as a tweet!

IZEA is making it even easier to make extra money with the new IZEA iOS app available today! You can now access IZEA anywhere via the app on your iPhone – waiting to pick up your kids from school, at the Doctor’s office, or riding in the car. The app allows you to sign into your account and browse opportunities and bid and negotiate on what you are interested in. What makes it even better?? You can create content and cash out – all from your phone!

IMG_5889.PNG


Just like when you login through your computer, you can access your accounts dashboard, view your opportunities, pending items and completed items. The app makes it super easy to work on the go without the hassle of pulling out your laptop or confining you to your desk.

IMG_5890.PNG

As you can see its super easy to see what opportunities are available, as you scroll through the list to see what you might be interested in, and what might fit your audience (or friends and family).

IMG_5891.PNG

You can select a specific campaign to read more about the opportunity, what they are asking for or looking for, to see if you are a good fit.

IMG_5892.PNG

To be honest, I don’t think it can get any easier – if you are interested, simply hit the ‘bid’ button and submit your bid for consideration.

 

IMG_5893.PNG

 

Bam! Easy as pie – Your bid has been submitted, and you wait to hear if you’ve been accepted for this opportunity , and what to do from there. 30 days after posting your money will be available in the IZEA dashboard to be cashed out via PayPal. It’s as simple as that!

Be sure to go sign up now if you haven’t – and download the IZEA app through the app store and start making money today!!

 

 

 

Visit Sponsors Site

Posted in Money Matters | Leave a comment

Best Apps & Devices to Monitor Teen Drivers

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Krissyar

I’ve partnered with insuranceQuotes.com to share the best mobile apps to monitor your teen’s driving –

Your teen has finally hit the driving age.

Before you add him to your auto insurance policy, know the effect it will have: Your premium may soar because teens lack experience to make wise decisions behind the wheel and therefore are charged higher insurance rates.

Lauren Fix, a New York-based automotive expert and author of “Lauren Fix’s Guide to Loving Your Car,” says you’ll have an easier time persuading your kids to drive safely if you use devices or smartphone apps that monitor driving behavior.

teen_drivers

These are popular with many auto insurance companies, says Janet Ruiz, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit Insurance Information Institute. Some of these devices come with insurance discounts.

“They help teens to drive better and give parents opportunities to help them learn,” she says.

A good app should be “intuitive,” says Ross Rojek, chief technology officer of GoLocalApps.com in Sacramento, Calif. That means it’s easy to use without a lot of instruction. If you don’t understand how it works, it won’t be useful.

Learn about five products parents can use to monitor driving behavior.

Apps and devices to monitor teen driving

1. Star Driver. Allstate’s Star Driver program encourages parents and teens to agree on limits about how fast, where and when teens should drive. The Drivewise app for iPhone and Android devices can alert parents by text messages when teens arrive at their destinations. The app collects data about driving speed, time of day, hard braking events and driving routes.

2. Teen Driver. General Motors has released technology that enables cars to give teen drivers visual and audible warnings when they exceed speeds preset by parents. If the warnings are ignored, they will surface in “vehicle report cards” that show how far and how fast the teens drove. To gain access, parents enter passwords on the GM MyLink telematics system. The first GM car to have this feature is the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. Reports to parents list any vehicle safety features that were used while teens were driving, such as stability control and anti-lock brakes.

Read more about the apps to help keep your teen driver safe here...

Posted in Parenting, Techy | Leave a comment