Get #DFreeDefense with Head & Shoulders and Enter to WIN

Posted on August 15, 2015 by Krissyar

This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and Head & Shoulders. All opinions are my own. 

It’s back to school time again, which means not only do we have the early mornings, packing lunches, and homework, but we also have sports practices starting up (didn’t baseball season just end?). Whether it’s baseball or football, our kids are wearing helmets and not only getting helmet head, but did you know

                              wearing helmets can actually cause dandruff?

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Since my step-son plays football, (and well he’s a teenager on top of it), I always make sure he has Head & Shoulders dandruff shampoo and conditioner. He loves the Old Spice scent, so it’s the perfect wash and go dandruff shampoo for him.

VocalPoint loves Old Spice Head & Shoulders too, and they are giving you the  opportunity to win tickets to a NCAA game of your choice.

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To enter to win two tickets to the NCAA football game of your choice,post your best D-FACE photo to Instagram, Twitter or Vocalpoint with the hashtag: #DFreeDefense

Here’s the steps you need to take:

1. Take your best game face pic, (you can download your own printable helmet here).
2. Share with the hashtag #DFreeDefense on Twitter, Instagram or Vocalpoint
3. That’s  it!! You are entered to win NCAA tickets for 2. See official  rules here.

Contest ends on 9/1, so make sure you get your entries in!!

 

 

Posted in Sweeps | Leave a comment

Mexican Brownies

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Krissyar

MEXICAN BROWNIES

Yields: 24 servings

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total: 40 minutes

 

Ingredients:

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

¾ cup butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 cup all purpose flour

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Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 13×9” baking pan.
  2. In a large microwavable-safe bowl, add the chocolate and butter and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
  3. Stir in the sugar.
  4. Blend in the eggs and vanilla, stirring to combine as much as possible (there may be some egg that doesn’t completely mix in).
  5. Add cinnamon, cayenne and flour and mix thoroughly.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs.
  7. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

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Notes: These are dense, rich and fudgy brownies and not too spicy at all! Instead the cayenne and cinnamon spices give the flavor depth and add a warm spiciness.

Posted in Recipes | Leave a comment

Back to School Essentials for Busy Moms

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Krissyar

A lot of my Mom friends are ecstatic that back to school time is fast approaching – but with my already busy mornings just trying to look office-presentable, and out the door on time the thought of adding the stress of getting my kids ready and on the bus makes me feel more than a little anxious.

So this year I am going to do my best to make life a bit less stressful – I’m going to plan ahead, keep things simple, and have fun!

We went to Walmart earlier this week to pick up the remainder of the school supplies off the kids never-ending list. (with 3 kids, 3 entirely different list it took me a few days to just comprehend all that I needed to pick up!) While we were there I decided to go ahead and work on one of my least favorite parts of back to school –

lunch packing.

No one likes to eat the same thing everyday – especially kids. So getting creative with lunch ideas that don’t need to be heated up, or doesn’t take too long to eat or put together is a must. I am a Pinterest junkie,so I had some ideas on how to keep it interesting and healthy.

Fresh fruit and veggies – one of the first things that I pack for the kids lunches. To make sure I have the best and freshest I will usually visit the store about twice a week. I stock up on all my other necessities during the weekend, so the quick-trip mid-week isn’t so stressful.

Water bottles – Each of my kids have a reusable water bottle to use each day. When allowed, they will fill it up during the day to drink at school, and then use it at lunch too. Water is obviously the healthiest drink choice, and saves unneeded calories and sugar in their daily diet.

One snack all of my kids can actually agree on is Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish Crackers. With all the flavors to chose from, it’s a perfect snack that I know will be a win. I picked up a few different flavors, including my favorite cheddar!

Another must-have essential – and I can’t stress this enough – is Wet Ones® Singles for your child to carry in their lunchbox, or backpack. I was shocked to find out how many schools don’t give the kids time to wash up before lunch. We are very particular about making sure we are germ free before we sit down to eat – and with all the germs floating around at school – my kids know to always use their wet ones to wash up.

I love these individual packs (which can actually be found in the school supply area) that they can carry in their backpacks. I also carry a pack in my purse, and have one in my car for emergencies.

I have a ton of great lunch time ideas to share with you later this week, so keep an eye out!

Enter for a chance to a years supply of Wet Ones® for your home & your child’s classroom, plus $1000 cash!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Wet Ones® + Pepperidge Farm® . The opinions and text are all mine.

Posted in Fitness/Health | 2 Comments

Belterra Casino & Resort Getaway Fun

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Krissyar

I felt like it was about that time again, time to get away. I needed to escape from the kids, the house, and just life itself for a bit! I had such an amazing time at Belterra Resort last time I went that I knew I wanted to go there again. It is the perfect location, so much to do, great restaurants and activities, and close enough to home to be a perfect weekend getaway!

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Belterra has so much to offer for a wide range of ages, normally you would think that it is just for adults because it is associated with the Casino, but that’s not necessarily true! You could use the resort as a family get away as well because of all the great amenities that the hotel and resort have to offer, like:

–The Pool: I had the privilege of spending the afternoon by the beautiful pool at Belterra! The weather was a perfect, sunny day and the water was the perfect temperature for cooling off after laying out in the hot sun for a while. The nice thing about the Belterra pool is that the whole pool itself is lined with chaises for laying out and getting a tan, and also private little cabanas where you can get out of the sun for a bit but still enjoy the outdoors, or even take a nap! The cabanas are the perfect spot to take a nice, outdoor, relaxing cat nap.

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–The Belterra Golf Club: Golf is such a relaxing sport and the Belterra has a beautiful golf course! You can enjoy yourself with a nice round of golf, while getting a workout in because walking that 18 hole course is quite the walk! After you finish off your game of golf, you can cool off and relax with a nice drink at the club house!

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–The Beleza Spa and Salon: This is the best part for women who are looking to get pampered! This should be your main attraction if you’re spending the weekend at Belterra for a girl’s weekend! You can get anything from massages to facials to even a pedicure or even get your hair done! They have an amazing package for bridal parties as well!

Among all these amazing things to do within the hotel, there is also a gym where you can get in your daily workout or even go shopping for the day and pick up a great outfit for the night out! You can enjoy live entertainment in the Center Stage Showroom and so much more!

Let’s move onto food, Belterra is filled with a bunch of really delicious restaurants with all sorts of different foods, and price ranges! I was really looking forward to having a nice dinner out because I haven’t had a really good, nice quality meal in quite some time..Dinner was one of the things I was looking forward to most!

Stadium Sports Bar & Grill: This bar & grill is where we ate our meal at last time we visited Belterra and it was really great! They have awesome finger foods such as wings, sliders, then paired with delicious pizzas, burgers, and they have 50 different beers you can choose from! This restaurant has a good time, laid back feel because they are wearing sports uniforms and really everyone is just there to have a good time!

The Buffet at Belterra: We were really tempted to go for the buffet this time, but ultimately decided against it. It was very tempting though filled with such a large variety of food. They have anything you’re looking to eat from pizza, pasta, and various meats to crab legs, other seafood, and even sushi! On top of all that, they have a huge variety of delicious desserts to pick from

19 Steak & Seafood: Last time we were at Belterra we REALLY wanted to try 19, so this time I was determined that this is where we were going to go! I was ready for a nice night out and an evening filled with fine dining. Everyone at 19 was extremely great! From the time we got sat until we finished our meal, everyone was so kind and took great care of us! We have the privelage of meeting both managers running the store, LaDonna and Dan, as well as the Chef, Craig Smit! We were served by Paul and he took really great care of us, making sure we had everything we needed!

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We started our meal with some delicious crab cakes and a salad, and then I got a 9 oz Steak, my husband got the Chef’s Special which was a Steak paired with Crab, Shrimp, and Asparagus. We shared some Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and their delicious Mac n Cheese, finishing off the meal with a Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream! This was such an amazing experience at 19 and I think it was definitely one of the best meals I’ve ever had!

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Nosh: Nosh is a small cafe located in the Hotel as well, they have a variety of muffins/baked goods, sandwiches, soups, and all sorts of coffees and teas! We stopped by for a bit of a midnight snack after gambling for the night and I got a beautifully designed chocolate cupcake with a blue flower design on top, it was sooo delicious!!

As far as accommodations go, I am always extremely impressed with the hotel rooms provided! The rooms are so spacious, elegant, clean, and just very high quality. Everytime I have come to Belterra, the rooms and service have been top notch and I couldn’t be happier with the staying arrangements! Not to mention, the beds are EXTREMELY comfortable, and you’re able to take a nice relaxing bath at the end of the night with the spa style tub to top off a perfect night!

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Finally, let’s talk about the Casino! Belterra’s casino is a really great place to have a good time! The casino is filled with all sorts of games for whatever you like to play! Now, I’m not the best at gambling… I’m not too big on Texas Hold ‘Em or Poker, but I really enjoy the slots…they are my favorite!! Playing the slots allows me to have a great time and I don’t have to spend a ton of money! They also have virtual poker and a poker room if you are a bit more skilled and have a bit more money to gamble with! The Casino floor has so many different machines and types of games, they offer free soft drinks, and it is a nice option that they offer a non smoking section for those who want to have a good time without the smell of smoke around. Belterra also offers a MyChoice Rewards card that allows you to earn rewards like coupons and so much more! On your first trip to the casino any money that you lose between $5 and $500 you will get back in coupons and rewards, so that’s a big bonus of having the MyChoice card! I ended up leaving with being a little bit in the profit zone, so I had a pretty good night at the Casino!

We had such an amazing time at Belterra, again! I really do love the Belterra Hotel & Resort and I will definitely be coming back next time I need to take a mini vacation from life!

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Posted in Cincinnati, Travel | 1 Comment

4 Benefits of Using YouTube to Promote a Business

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Krissyar

When businesses think about their online strategy, they often think primarily about the two key digital players: Google and Facebook. While both sites are an integral part of online marketing, they should not be the only two sources that a business owner consult when developing their online presence. The video sharing site, YouTube, has incredible potential for a small business owner, which is only increased by the power provided to it through Google’s supervision. There are many benefits that a business can take advantage of when they make the use of YouTube a priority in their digital marketing campaign. Here are just four benefits of using YouTube to promote a business:

Sheer Size

A surprising fact about YouTube is that it is actually the second largest search engine on the Internet, second only to Google. This means that it stands in front of both Yahoo! and Bing when people are looking for information. It is also the third most visited website in the world after Google and Facebook. Just the sheer size and scale of YouTube’s user base will put your business in front of millions of eyes around the world.

Building Email Lists

There are a variety of things you can integrate into your videos using software that you can use to grow your customer and marketing base. One of the most beneficial things available through this medium is the ability to allow viewers to sign up for your emails, subscriptions and newsletters during the video. You can use special software that will embed the sign-up form for your newsletter straight into the video. YouTube is full of tricks similar to this that will help you grow your business.

Social Media Integration

YouTube functions seamlessly with many of the top social media sites on the Internet today. It is, therefore, the perfect fit to spread a visual message across several platforms at once. Also, because it is owned by Google, it is specially designed for integration into Google’s SEO program. This is called AdWords for Video, and it means that you can reach customers interested in your content much easier. It is also a good deal, as you only pay if the viewer watched the video for at least 30 seconds. It’s also a great value because rather than paying for clicks, you only pay if the viewer becomes truly engaged with the video.

Make Your Money Back

Obviously a successful advertising campaign will grow your customers and by extension, your revenues. However, YouTube has a program that rewards successful content providers financially. If you commit to creating content for YouTube, you can earn money through the AdSense for Video program. The details of the program are easy, and it’s a great way to fund your advertising campaign on YouTube.

YouTube is more than just a viable platform for business advertising. It is a great way to reach a huge amount of customers and leave them with a more meaningful impression through valuable video content. Even educational institutions such as the Archer School for Girls videos are finding success through the creation of video content.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment