{Pampers Little Miracle Missions $50 AMEX Giveaway}

I have always been someone that enjoys doing little things to help people out. I have been so blessed in my life and I often look for ways to pay it forward. Its not always huge things but just little things that I can get involved in. One of the most important things for me is to teach my kids to give. I always teach them that not everyone is as fortunate as us and how a little kindness can go a long way.  I recently just learned that Pampers is celebrating their 50th Anniversary . I am helping them celebrate and was challenged to do something great with $50 thanks to Pampers. I started to think of ways that I could make the most out of the money. But there is one place here in my town that I know could use a little kindness. It is a local Women's and Children's Shelter. I know how hard it can be to be a mother and couldn't imagine being homeless so my hearts really go out to these moms and their babies. My kids and I chose to spend the $50 on a package of diapers, some wipes and baby lotion. We were very excited to help someone else out and look forward to doing more.

Steps I (Try) to Take to Live Healthier

It’s almost that time of year again - summer! I find that nothing makes me think more about getting fit and healthy than bathing suit season. Here‘s some things that I try to do to maintain a healthy lifestyle:

Drink Lots of Water
Water is important to keep you healthy, and it helps keep your skin and hair looking great too. I always try to drink the recommended amount of water each day.  I have my pretty Reduce water bottles and using then helps me keep track of how much water I'm drinking.

Watch Portion Sizes
My daughter has been studying food labels and was shocked to discover the portion sizes listed on packages. A bag of chips that she was thinking of as one serving was actually three. That adds up to a ton of extra calories that you don‘t even realize that you are taking in.

Here’s my favorite tip for watching portion size: For a couple of meals, use a measuring cup to measure out the serving sizes to be able to see what an actual serving sizes look like on your plate. (You can find serving sizes online) I think restaurant portions have really changed our view of what we think a serving size is. And for me just knowing what a ½ cup serving of something looks like on a plate helps when filling my plate.

Never Eat Directly From the Bag/Box
Another thing I do related to portion sizes is when snacking, I never eat from the bag/box; it’s way to easy to eat way more than you intended. The rule at our house is that if you are snacking, you always get a bowl. That way you eat the amount you meant to, and getting more requires the conscious decision and the effort of getting up to refill your bowl.

{Coupon Chief}

I love using coupons and in general before making an online purchase I always search for coupons that may be available. Until now I haven't had that much success with finding coupons that match the place I am shopping. With Coupon Chief I am able to do a search for my favorite stores even before I start shopping. This makes it so much more convenient than searching around. And you do not have to be a coupon pro to get the fullest out of their site. They offer a very user friendly search engine that you are able to search 50k coupons for over 15000 stores. I found their "How it Works" section to be very helpful and love navigating the site. And another thing that is great is that you can upload coupons and actually get paid with their Pay-2-Share option. I did a search for one of my favorite shoe stores and had 40 coupons available to use.  I think if you love saving then make sure to stop by their site to find your next savings. You can also find them on Facebook!

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{Jenulence Makeup Giveaway}

I am one of those girls that cannot live without their makeup. I have many reasons for my love of makeup but I mostly love the way I look wearing it and most importantly how I feel when I wear it. I feel more confident and put together. I am a makeup junkie and love finding new places to buy my makeup. And with being a busy mom I often make my purchases online. Finding quality makeup that is affordable is always my goal when making a purchase. Recently I had the chance to try some new makeup from a company that I had never tried before.