Q&A With a Walmart Family Mobile In-Store Expert

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #FamilyMobileLive #CollectiveBias

You may recall that I have a bit of a love affair with Walmart Family Mobile.  I have multiple posts about the service and my phone and was even a Walmart Family Mobile Brand Ambassador until this past May.  To say I am a fan... well, it is an understatement.

My service has been nothing but reliable and as a matter of fact, my service has been the same level as it was with my previous high dollar contract plan but at 1/3 of the price.  Win.

Summer of Road Trips and Snackations (or just perfect snacks for the road)

This story of road trips  and snackations was sponsored by the J.M. Smucker Company but as always, all snacking opinions are mine.

Yikes.  Summer is almost over.   For me, it's bittersweet.  I actually despise the summer heat here in Phoenix so I am glad to see temps dip below 100F labor day weekend BUT the one perk of the heat? Escaping the Valley of the Sun and head towards the cooler mountain temps of Northern Arizona.

My favorite destinations are Sedona and Jerome.  They're a little less than two hours away and 10-15 degrees cooler.  Ahhhhh the perfection of it.

Head out of town.  Get outside. Explore.  Have TONS of fun.

Walmart SNACKation Stock Up!

This #Snackation post was sponsored by The JW Smucker Company as always... my snacking opinion is all mine.

Y'all know that Em and I are busy gals.  Since we are always in the middle of doing SOMETHING (especially with all the fun summer activities around here), having snacks at the ready are CRAZY important, right?


With road trips, ballet, swimming, zoos  and exercise programs... a growing girl is a hungry girl.  I love going to Wal-Mart to stock up on our snacks... it's totally a SNACKation DESTINATION!  We can score everything in one swoop and at a perfect price.

[ad] Recipe: Szechuan Cornish Hens

This Szechuan Cornish Hens recipe and shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #JuicyGrilledCornish #CollectiveBias

Sometimes, stepping out of a comfort zone is just what a girl needs.  

I am going to admit that my cooking skills are right between beginner and intermediate.  I have never cooked a whole chicken.  No roasting, no baking,  and not even slow cooking one.  

I am also going to admit that I have NEVER tried a cornish hen before.  I've spied them at Wal-Mart in the freezer section more than once and I finally took a leap and purchased the double pack of Tyson® Cornish Hens (all natural! No hormones, steroids or artificial ingredients) 

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Burgers with Jalapeno Cream Cheese

This Jalapeno Popper Chicken Burger recipe and shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #VivaLaMorena #CollectiveBias

Lately, my sister and I have been experimenting with grilling.   Typically our brother or her boyfriend man the grill but you know what? Girl power.  It's not that either of us CAN'T grill, it's just that the dudes jump on it and stake a claim as the grill masters.  

Grilling is awesome.  There's just something about freshly grilled meat and vegetables that just takes the flavor to another level.   Burgers in a skillet- meh, they're aight.  Burgers on a grill?  KILLER!

Tips to Save Money on Road Trips (Ham Roll-Up Recipe)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RoadTripHacks #CollectiveBias #Albertsons

One of the best parts about summer is hitting the road on a fun road trip!  This year I made a goal of take local adventures around my state of Arizona.  This has been an absolutely blast and with Phoenix hitting record breaking temperatures (yuck), heading towards the mountains makes for the perfect one day road trip and respite from the heat.


Here are some tips to save money on your next road trip!

1. Pack drinks & snacks

It's incredibly tempting to buy drinks and snacks while on the road, right?  If road side attractions are on the itinerary, the gift shops sell drinks and snack and they're expensive.

It's more cost effective to grab some drinks and snacks for the kids and adults from Albertson's (especially when they are on sale!) than to buy at each stop.

2.  Pack a lunch.

Memorial day weekend, we took a road trip to the Verde Canyon area to ride the Verde Canyon train.  The train goes through beautiful scenery and is about four hours long and departs at 1 PM with a check in at noon.

The depot offers a cafe but... it's costly.  Riders are not allowed to take food ON the train but you can eat your own food at the depot while waiting to board the train.

It's worth checking to see if lunches can be brought into a destination spot and if not, stop at a park to stretch legs and sit down and eat prior to heading in.

Packing a lunch will save a HUGE amount of money.   Grab a cooler, throw in some sandwiches, salads or make my favorite ham roll-ups (aka wraps/pinwheels).

Ham Roll-Ups

Mix 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1/2-3/4 packet of dry onion soup mix.

Spread cream cheese mix on a wrap (plain tortilla, lavash, or any wrap you prefer!), top with slices of ham, spring salad mix (I like O Organic brand) tomatoes and any other toppings you like.

Roll it up tight and if you wish, you can cut into slices (especially if you have little ones that need smaller portions).

3.  Find Cheap Gas

GasBuddy is seriously the greatest app ever.

If you know your car's mileage, it's easy to figure out when you will need to fill up again on your trip.  I plan it out prior to hitting the road.  I know that going from Phoenix to Jerome and back to Phoenix, I will need to fill up in Prescott on our way back (I get good gas mileage in my car) home.  I can plan the morning of our trip on where to fill up at the start of the trip and where to fill up while on the road.

What are some of YOUR road trip tips/hacks?

Be sure to enter the "Best Road Trip EVER" sweepstakes! (Some epic prizes are available to win!) 

Save 20% on Label Daddy labels!

I am excited to be able to work with USFamily Guide to review LabelDaddy in an upcoming blog  post!


Label Daddy is the number one solution for labeling your belongings! Remember to label all clothing, sports equipment, electronics, and other personal belongings your kids bring to school, camp, sports leagues, day care, vacation, and other places. Label Daddy labels keep them from getting lost or mixed up with others. These labels are great for adults too! -- Put them on your sunglass/eyeglass case, phone, camera, sports equipment, tablet, e-reader, hats, clothing, and more.

These labels are super durable peel-and-stick washable labels -- they're washer/dryer safe, microwave safe, dishwasher safe and UV resistant! Label Daddy labels are also fun and attractive. You design your own labels! Pick from tons of colors, sizes and logos, including Disney and Marvel characters, MLB, NBA, and NHL team logos, other sport and fun logos, and more. Their exclusive laminated coating gives labels an extra layer of protection and is a must for camp! These labels are made in the USA and shipped directly to you worldwide.

Save 20% on your entire Label Daddy order - this is the best discount available anywhere. Use code USFAMILY20 at checkout. LabelDaddy!

5 Ways to Take Standout Instagram Photos

**This post has been sponsored by Bevel**

Social networking has brought forth many ways for people to communicate, stay in touch, grow your business and network with colleagues.  As a blogger, I am always looking for ways to promote my newest ideas and connect with other people.  One of my all time favorite social media apps is Instagram.

Instagram is so much fun and is such a great way to connect with like-minded readers, bloggers AND businesses.  Instagram has been a huge learning curve for me and I am no where close to being an expert nor am I the best but here are some tips on how to take standout photos for Instagram.

Use natural light.

The diffuse lighting from the sun is always beautiful and allows the true beauty of the subject to stand out.   I *never* use the flash on my phone or my DSLR.  I hate fluorescent lights.

Many times, I take a photo with my Canon and upload the image to DropBox, save to my phone & upload to Instagram.

Review: GourmetGifter.com Peanut Brittle (Plus Get Free Kettle Corn!)

This post contains affiliate links.  I received product at no cost for my honest review

Gourmet Gifter is a really cool online shop.  They offer really unique, delicious and gourmet items that you can give as gifts.  As a matter of fact, they even offer gift baskets! As a self proclaimed foodie, there's nothing I love more than a delicious tasting gift and I love giving them.

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits

***Not a sponsored post but does contain affiliate links***

Sometimes, life requires comfort food.

For me, biscuits and gravy are the epitome of comfort food.  Sausage.  Creamy gravy.  Flaky, buttery biscuits.  Perfect.

Lately, I have been under a lot of stress and when I am stressed out, I like to make down home, country cooking. What can I say? I am a stress eater who loves country cookin'.