Sharing Super Moments With Del Monte Fruit Fusions

By Meg Hodson

I was compensated for this post in exchange for sampling Del Monte Fusions and providing my feedback. All opinions remain 100% my own.

Back-to-school is one of my favorite times of years with my children. They are excited to get back. I love to meet their new teachers and see what excitement is on the horizon for them in the coming year. 

I also love the structure that school brings. I thrive on juggling school, lunch boxes, and after school activities. And the kids thrive, too. Being more active, I think, makes them sleep better. 

These are special moments. I cherish them. I work out of the home now so a simple activity like walking my children to school is monumental; it truly is a super moment. 

Although our family has a very full schedule, it is extremely important to me that my children are eating as healthy as they can. Good, clean, real food. That can be a challenge when organizing three school lunches. 

While I don't like to rely on convenience food too much, there are some healthy choices out there that can make a balanced school lunch easier. I am loving the new Del Monte Fruit Fusions. They are actually a blend of vegetables and fruit in convenient cups that are perfect for school lunches and snack time. Each cup offers a combined 1 serving of fruit and vegetables. They are a quick and easy way for your kids to get the nourishment they need.

Even better, Del Monte is hosting a great sweepstakes where they are inviting their fans to #ShareTheSuper on Twitter and Instagram. Capture a great #ShareTheSuper moment with your kids for a chance at some great prizes. Hey, who couldn't use $2000? Or a limited edition backpack? A year supply of Del Monte Fruit Fusions? Click here for more details.

Let me know in the comments below how you #ShareTheSuper with your kids!

If you like what you're reading, I invite you to follow my blog.  Cheers!

It's Too Quiet

By Meg Hodson

The conversations and chatter inevitably began mid to late August. "Are your kids ready to go back to school?" My response was typical: "Oh yeah, they're ready, they want to see their friends, they are getting a little antsy."  I thought I was antsy, too. I was looking forward to being able to get work done, have a little "me" time, some peace and quiet. 

Well, as it turns out, I am not liking it at all. Yes, I have been able to get some personal time in, work done without having to stay up late, and the house has definitely been quiet. Too quiet. It reminds me of a sweet book that I still have a copy of and will occasionally read for story time. "It's Too Noisy" by Joanna Cole tells the story of a husband and father with an extremely noisy house. Through the advice of a friend, he is asked to add numerous animals to the already noisy house. Then at the end, after the house is SUPER noisy, he removes the animals and is appreciative of his relatively noisy house.

Summer is a tough and busy time with all three kids at home all the time without too firm of a schedule. It's not easy running my business, keeping them busy, doing fun activities with them, all the time trying not to go INSANE. Because let's face it, it does get crazy with them here all the time. Really insane. I thought for sure I was going to love being home once they started school. Honestly, I'm kind of hating it.

It could in part be due to nostalgia for them as young children. My youngest just started kindergarten, so this is the first school year where all three of them are gone all day. I really like my kids as "little people", needing my help with things, having me fix them breakfast, watching Sesame Street. These needs are on the eve of passing Even though being a Mom can be stressful a lot of the time, turns out I like it! 

But I am happy that they love school and I am making a point to make sure I can give them all of my attention and time when they are home. Because before you know it, I will blink and I will be taking my first born off to college (okay it's 8 years off, but still.....) It has given me some time to really enjoy my time with them, but to also try to relish time with myself.

If you like what you're reading, I invite you to follow my blog.  Cheers!

Back-To-School Made Easy With Del Monte

By Meg Hodson

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Del Monte, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #DelMonteBTS  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Who has gone back-to-school? My children actually don't begin until after Labor Day. And it works out great. Living in the Pacific Northwest, the month of August is usually a perfect, non-humid 80-90 degree stretch. We are still able to enjoy summer.  

But my children are also excited about school. My daughter, entering 5th grade, and my son, entering 3rd grade, are keenly aware of many things that are in store for them. They want to know who their teachers are, who will be in the class, and they are excited to buy all their school supplies. It's a little different story for my youngest son, who will be joining his older siblings at the same school as he begins kindergarten. I ask him if he is excited and there is not much emotion in him about it, he is very nonplus. I know once he gets there, all will be well and he will love it.

For me, I have had my highs and lows this summer with the kids on summer vacation. This has been the most challenging summer to date as I balance having them at home, my wedding business, and my growing blog. They really don't like it when Mom has to work too much and they are definitely not shy about expressing how they feel. But the highs have outweighed the lows. We've had some great trips to the beach and a wonderful family vacation to Central Oregon.

This school year is monumental: all 3 children will be at the same school and will be in class for a full day. While summer days have been hectic and noisy, there has also been joy. I am not sure I am going to like the house so quiet! As I start to game plan clothing, school supplies, and school lunches, it hits me how busy I am going to be! While the free time to get my work done while they are in school will be time well spent, mornings and afternoons are going to be hectic.

It's important to me to pack well-balanced school lunches for my kids. While I try to make everything from scratch for them, I am also realistic in knowing that is not always going to happen. Del Monte has a great new line of Fruit Burst Squeezers and mixed fruit cups that are super easy to tuck into lunch boxes. Best of all, there is a wide array of flavors, so you are sure to find one that your child will like.

I bought the Fruit Burst Squeezers in Blueberry, Mixed Berry, Strawberry, and Peach-Mango.  They can be hard to find (I was able to track them down at a Wal-Mart Supercenter near me). My kids' faves were the blueberry and mixed berry. I love that they are all 100% fruit with no added sugar. My kids love mandarin oranges, pineapple, and the other fruit in the fruit cups that I bought.  I only wished they had an option of no sugar added and not artificially sweetened on the cups.

Get your Del Monte lunch box essentials, too, with a great offer! You can receive a free back to school photo offer from select Walmart Super Store Print Shops with purchase from August 1 – September 13 while supplies last. If you participate in the free back to school photo offer, you will receive $1 off the purchase of (2) Del Monte 4-pack Fruit Cups or (2)Fruit Burst Squeezers (again offer is available from 8/1 to 9/13 while supplies last).

So, we are all ready for the new school year! Well, almost......

 

Back-To-School With Chiquita Bites + Giveaway

By Meg Hodson

I received this product for free from the manufacturer.  I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog.  My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the manufacturer of the product.

I did not purposely set out to make my posts this week focused on back-to-school.  But it seems like good timing, right?  It is time to think about slowly starting to get back on a "school time" when it comes to going to bed and waking up.  School supplies are stocked on store shelves.  And, of course, parents are thinking about school lunches.  

Like most Moms, I want to feed my kids healthy meals, but not let them become boring.  I am always looking for ways to present the same food in different ways, to make it a little different to keep their interest up.  

I was recently asked to sample the new Chiquita Bites line of freshly prepared fruit and veggie packs.  With school lunches for three children looming in the back of my mind, I jumped at the chance for my kids to sample them. With only 30-80 calories per pack (depending on variety), they come washed and ready to eat. So, they are perfect for tucking into lunch boxes or for a quick snack after school or soccer practice.  

My kids sampled the peeled apples, green apples, red apples with caramel sauce, and the red apples & grapes mix.  Let me preface this by saying my children are generally not picky eaters and love fruits and vegetables with little fuss.  Overall, they loved the green apples (super crispy!) and the red apples with caramel dipping sauce (no surprise there!). I was happy that the caramel dip was not a huge portion and the individual bag was still under 100 calories.  

My youngest still has a texture problem with eating apples, so I thought he would like the peeled apples. Unfortunately, he still did not go for them.  My son loved the grapes and red apple blend; my daughter, who loves both of these fruits separately, did not like how the "grape flavor" rubbed off on the apples.  

Chiquita has a great contest going on right now on their Facebook page, the "Moms Rule Back to School Contest".  You may enter for a chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree and a year’s worth of Chiquita Bites by commenting on their page with a tip or trick that has made getting ready for 

school easier. For official contest rules, click here.

And right here on my blog, you can enter to win a stylish lunchbox, care of Chiquita! The Thirty-One Thermal Tote is perfect for taking lunch on the go or to keep drinks and snacks cold while you’re out and about.  It is the perfect addition to any Mom’s back-to-school collection!

Note: style and color may vary.

a Rafflecopter giveaway