I’m so excited to announce that I’m a 2013 K’NEX Brand Ambassador! If you have followed my blog for a while, you know how much our family admires K’NEX for their open-ended fun and hours and hours of play. We have checked out many K’NEX sets including Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoy, the fabulous amusement park K’NEX such as the Cosmic Twist Coaster and Freefall Coaster, Mario K’NEX and many more sets we have purchased for our children.

We adore K’NEX for a variety of reasons; building fine motor skills, fun for any age even adults, allows children to use their creativity, open-ended play and cooperative and direction skills.

The first product I’m going to introduce you to is Tinkertoy. Tinkertoy is truly a classic construction toy that will never get old. Once wooden, they are now more modern with durable plastic pieces such as wheels, sticks, connectors, caps, bendable rods, eyes and more that snap together in the holes to create houses, animals, vehicles, people as well as any creation children wish to build. Tinkertoy building sets are much fun for everyone building.

The Tinkertoy pink building set is a 150 piece set that encourages children age 3+ to create an array of items. This set has 15 ideas to build a cat, rooster, flower, farm and more. With the building sheet included children can look at the images to see what product pieces need to be connected to build.

There are not actual step-by-step instructions but numbered images to show what needs to be done as well as image ideas. This improves problem solving and direction skills. Tinkertoy is one of Zoe’s favorite items as there is no right or wrong way to play. She can build from the included sheet or connect the pieces to create her own desires. The colorful plastic parts are durable and assemble easily as parts are large enough for smaller fingers. Zoe spent hours creating with this Tinkertoy set.

See how much fun!!  Plus when children are ready to clean up, parts disassemble just as easy and get put back in the storage box with lid. Because Tinkertoy are lightweight, the box can travel with children on trips or in the car. They inspire imagination for hours of play. They are one of the best toys I believe you could buy for your children. They are safe, make no noise, allow creativity and are not difficult to use. If children play with another child, social skills are also enhanced! Kids love them as do parents.

For more information on Tinkertoy visit www.knex.com.  Be sure to stay up to date with K’NEX on Facebook, Twitter @KNEX and Pinterest!

Disclosure: As a K’NEX brand ambassador, I’ll be receive complimentary products for our review.  All opinions 100% my own.

Melissa & Doug has a Memorial Day sale going on with buy 2 get 1 free on all arts & crafts when you use coupon code MDART at checkout.

Plus receive a free gift with purchases over $40 the Sweet Treats Jumbo Sticker Pad (a $4.99 value) while supplies last.

Now would be the time to stock up on high quality crafts for the kids including craft kits, activity books, paint, crayons, markers, clay and more.

Offer valid May 22, 2013 – May 28, 2013. Shop Melissa & Doug arts & crafts today.

The OshKosh B’gosh Memorial Day sale has started with everything 50% off!  This does exclude clearance, doorbuster and OKGB exclusives.

You’ll want to check it out as there are hot deals on shorts, leggings, pajamas, jeans, tees, tops, layette, outerwear, World’s Best Overalls, swim and more.  Offer valid now through May 27, 2013.  Shop OshKosh B’gosh today!

The Children’s Place Memorial Day sale has started with everything up to 60% off plus an additional 15% off when you use coupon code X4G521 at checkout.  Hot deals on baby and kids clothing now through May 26, 2013.

Shop The Children’s Place today to stock up on tees, shorts, swim, Americana collection and more.

Shopping this Memorial Day?  Now through Memorial Day, May 27, 2013, Gymboree is having a huge Memorial Day sale where everything is $12.99 and under!

Stock up on kids clothing even new arrivals.  Summer shoes and sandals, tops, tees, shorts, red/white/blue collection, swim, pajamas, outerwear and more.  Shop Gymboree to take advantage of this hot sale.

Transforming my life to live healthier is the best choice I ever made. Losing 32 lbs has made me feel exceptional, have more energy and to know I did this all alone leaves me feeling blessed. I made a huge accomplishment! Exercising daily and changing my diet was a huge step for me. Removing processed foods and soda, plus consuming more fruits and vegetables was never thought of before January 2, 2013. Now it is my LIFE…a LIFE I welcome.

Now, I’m taking action in trying to remove GMOs and purchase organic when possible. It is difficult to buy organic especially when our family is on a budget as prices are steep however I do not want to consume chemicals and organic food honestly tastes much better, especially meats. When you look at your health, those costly prices are nothing.

Suzy Sirloin is a brand I’m familiar with. We checked out their all-natural beef line which made the best meatloaf ever! Suzy Sirloin recently sent us their new organic ground beef (Complimentary products received).  I knew without a doubt I would enjoy this as it is pasture raised beef right here in my home state of New York!

This organic ground beef is 90% lean with the cattle never receiving antibiotics or growth-promoting hormones. The cattle is only fed certified organic grass and grains making this ground beef USDA organic. I’m still learning a lot about organic and grass-fed terminology but I rather know that my food is lower in fat and calories and the livestock that I’m enjoying wasn’t given hormones to grow.

I decided to make two meals our family likes with the beef and could tell a huge difference when preparing. Less fat on my hands, less grease when cooking and overall better flavor. It was raining like crazy when these arrived so I decided on making my healthy patty melt recipe. This is a favorite alternative to a hamburger when the weather doesn’t permit us to grill outdoors. They are delicious!

I also made my simple meatballs for a quick spaghetti dinner. When preparing and rolling the meatballs, you could feel the difference in quality. There was very little fat when I rolled them into ball shape and when I baked them, the baking tray had limited grease. This to me affirms what I already knew about Suzy Sirloin, this organic ground beef is a superior beef.

If you haven’t tried organic ground beef yet I highly recommend it. “Pink slime” and mad cow is very alarming.  Buying organic beef ensures animals were raised in a healthier environment with less chemicals and eat quality nutrients. Plus when you buy from local farms, you are supporting your local farmers. I buy local NY products whenever possible. I spend much time at our Local Farmers Market and look for our Pride of New York logo on products.

I hope to see Suzy Sirloin in our stores here in Western NY at some point, however you can buy Suzy Sirloin American raised quality beef, lamb, veal and pork online at www.suzysirloin.com

With Memorial Day here in just a few days, 4th of July soon and many other summer cookouts you may be attending, Suzy Sirloin has a delicious organic beef slider recipe perfect for grilling season.

Organic Ground Beef Sliders Recipe

Ingredients
One pound Suzy Sirloin Organic Beef
A full Avocado, sliced
A full Tomato, sliced
A full Red Onion, sliced
Sprouts
Low-fat Thousand Island dressing
Sea Salt
Pepper
Low-fat Mozzarella Cheese
Whole Wheat slider buns

Directions
Season Suzy Sirloin organic beef with salt and pepper and separate into small beef patties, approximately 2 – 4 inches in diameter. Grill to taste. Assemble onto slider bun with onion slice, tomato slice, avocado slice, sprouts and top with Thousand Island and enjoy!

About Suzy Sirloin:

The ‘Suzy’ behind Suzy Sirloin is a fifth generation member of the Strassburger family, who has been delivering top quality prime and aged beef to the best steakhouses in the country. All Suzy Sirloin products meet or exceed the highest USDA and nutritional standards and are American raised

5.0 from 1 reviews

Healthy Patty Melts Sandwich Recipe

 

Print

Prep

10 mins

Cook

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Organic ground beef, reduced fat cheese, onions and 100% whole wheat bread make these a tasty patty melt recipe.

Author: Nichol @KiddiesCorner Deals

Type: Entree

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb Suzy Sirloin organic ground beef
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 large sweet onion-thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon+2 teaspoon olive oil-divided
• 8 slices 100% whole wheat bread
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 4 ounces 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. In a bowl place beef, salt, onion powder and pepper. Mix just til combined.
2. Shape mixture into four oval patties (4 ounces each)
3. In a skillet on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
4. Add onion and cook until onions are golden brown about 5 minutes, stir frequently.
5. Remove onions from pan to a bowl.
6. In same pan, add patties, cook about 3 minutes per side.
7. Place patty on slice of bread, top with onion and 1 ounce cheese.
8. In a bowl, mix ketchup, mayo and mustard.
9. Place ½ teaspoon ketchup mixture on the other slice of bread. Place ketchup side down on patty.
10. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in large skillet or griddle.
11. Place sandwiches on and cook until golden brown.
12. Flip and cook until golden brown.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 patty Cals: 414 Fat: 16 Carbs: 47 Sugar: 9 Protein: 26

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.2.1753

Disclosure:  Suzy Sirloin sent complimentary Organic ground beef for review purposes, all opinions 100% my own.

Crocs.com has a great deal going on right now. When you buy any pair of clogs get a second pair 50% off . To get your half off pair you must use coupon code CLOGBOGO at checkout.

Stock up on adorable kids clogs, clogs for you or the man in your life. There are fun character clogs including Yo Gabba Gabba, Phineas and Ferb, Disney Princess, Cars and more. Shop all comfortable clogs for the entire family. Offer valid now for a limited time only.

Our family is Italian dressing addicts , but only one brand which is Kraft. You will never find another in our fridge as Kraft Zesty Italian Anything Dressing is chock-full of flavors, zest and is so versatile. Just ask my devoted husband who dumps, dips and marinates everything in it. So when I had the chance to get zesty at home to add some fun and life to my foods at home, I couldn’t so no. And who could with Zesty Guy saying “Hey Ladies”?

Um…a lot more please! So Let’s Get Zesty, shall we?!

With Kraft Zesty Italian Anything Dressing, foods are full of zest and flavor. Just a tad will living up almost any food. We use it on salads, marinaded on pork, roasted with vegetables, on our subs, as a dipping sauce for steak, mixed in with burgers and my much asked for Zesty Italian pasta salad.

This Zesty Italian Chicken Salad sounds delightful as does this Primavera Pasta Toss and for my taste buds the Zesty Grilled Vegetables sound tasty. These are ideal recipes for family or gatherings. But our families favorite all-time recipe is one I make often. Easy Zesty Italian stove-top pork chops.

A fuss-free, simple, flavorful and moist pork chop the entire family is sure to appreciate.

Ingredients:

-5 6 ounce boneless pork chops
-½ cup Kraft Zesty Italian Anything Dressing
-3 tablespoon A1 Steak Sauce
-1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
-medium/large Vidalia Onion-quartered
-⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation:

-Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
-In a large skillet on medium heat, pour all ingredients in skillet
-Cover with lid and cook 12 minutes, turn all chops.
-Cover and continue cooking 12 minutes.
-Remove cover cook 5 more minutes.
-Serve pork chops with sauce and onions from skillet

For more recipes be sure to check out www.getmezesty.com and you can also get cheeky in the kitchen by sending a personalized ZestyGram to your friends. These are oodles of fun, I highly recommend playing around with it to add zest to everyday moments and special occasions. Have a friend with a birthday, thinking of someone or just for fun, a ZestyGram will make them smile!

Be sure to follow Kraft Dressing on Facebook and @TheZestyGuy on Twitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received product sample and compensation through Kraft and Mom It Forward, all opinions 100% my own

Now through Memorial Day, Hanna Andersson has all girls dresses on sale for $19! Adorable sundresses, pillowcase dresses, twirl and ruffle dresses and more for girls age 1-12. This is a hot dress sale as dresses are regularly priced $28-$46. Shop all Hanna Andersson girls dresses.

Bed-wetting is very common in children which can affect a child’s self esteem, be difficult on parents and cause much embarrassment for the child who wets the bed.   I’m well acquainted with bed-wetting and the impact it can have on an older child.  Zoe, my six year old wet’s the bed, but her bed-wetting is from a medical condition.  Zoe has  bilateral grade 3 vesicoureteral reflux known as urinary reflux.  With urinary reflux her urine basically goes in reverse.  Instead of her urine flowing out of her kidney’s to her bladder, the urine travels back from her bladder, up her ureter tubes traveling into her kidney’s, causing UTIs.  She takes an antibiotic every day to ward off infection, therefore from the daily antibiotic, a bladder that never fully empties and drinking plenty of water daily, she wets the bed, almost every single night.

Since her diagnosis in 2010, we’ve had to use bedwetting pants for overnight protection. Zoe really dislikes that she wets the bed, but now fully understands what her medical condition does through diagrams, regular conversation and us ensuring her that she doesn’t do this on purpose.

She recently checked out White Cloud Sleep Pants, which are a cost-effective nighttime sleep pant, made especially for older children. As soon as we opened the packaged, Zoe was pleased with the funky designs on them. White Cloud Sleep Pants feature two gender neutral designs with peace signs and stars in red or green.

Much more mature then character pants with childish designs. We noticed these were thinner than other brands we have used, so were a bit skeptical since Zoe does wet quite a bit in the evenings. Zoe appreciated the thin design even saying they didn’t feel like a diaper.

They were very comfortable for her to wear due to the stretchy sides and didn’t itch her legs as they have a cotton feel which is soft. They fit snug around her legs and the stretchy band at the top provided additional comfort. The sleep pants are soft and hypoallergenic. She had no reaction wearing these, even when soiled in the morning.

So did they offer absorbent protection? We didn’t have any leak issues! Good news since this is an affordable sleep pant. The S/M size was a bit big on her so I think the size which is for children 45-65 lbs worked well for offering protection and coverage on her bottom. Note: These are also available in an L/XL size for children 60-125lbs! Because the legs are stretchy, no seepage could come through. The entire inside of the sleep pants offer discreet protection as the inner liner goes from back to front. This liner is also treated with Vitamin E and Aloe.

We are satisfied with these and Zoe thinks they are a much better option for her since she is now six. We have no control over her medical condition so until she has been fully cleared, we have to discuss bed-wetting often with her, as it makes her sad. She’s embarrassed that she wets the bed, even fearing she’ll never have sleepovers. It breaks my heart to know she believes children will pick on her because of wetting the bed.  We ensure her this will subside to where she will no longer have to wear sleep pants to bed. I’m just happy that as a parent, there are options out there for our older children such as the White Cloud Sleep Pants.

Did you know that over 5 million kids a year experience bedwetting and it is one of the most common experiences during childhood development?

White Cloud Sleep Pants have been developed to provide exceptional comfort and leakage protection while looking like underwear. White Cloud Sleep Pants offer thin, discrete absorbent protection for your child. They have soft, stretchy sides that fit like real underwear, plus leak guards to help protect against leaks. The soft inner liner is hypoallergenic and treated with vitamin E and aloe for skin protection.

Each bag contains two unisex graphic designs and at $7.75, White Cloud offers exceptional value.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of White Cloud Sleep Pants.