summer Archives - Jen is on a Journey

Cost Plus World Market : Pack for a Beach and Park Picnic

July 2, 2012 by The Mom Jen 5 Comments

Right now we’re in two places, home and on the ball field, that’s how the beginning of summer has started for us due to All-Star baseball. When we’re not in those two places, you can be sure we’ve packed the car and we are on our way to the beach. At least 2-3 times a month the beach is our second home. With food for a picnic, our beach chairs, umbrella, and skim and boogie boards we’re set for the day from fog burn-off to sunset!

I’m all for plopping right down into the sand on a towel or blanket, but Cost Plus World Market has these great beach chairs that are comfortable, come in great patterns, and work great for beach, park, or back yard!I love the Parnavi pattern and the color on the chairs, I grabbed an umbrella in a contrasting color to go with them! The butterfly melamine plates and insulated tumblers work well for picnicking and truly for everyday when you have kids. Cost Plus World Market is a fun escape from the normal. When I head there, I feel like I’m getting a taste of so many different cultures as well as having a unique selection of items you won’t find anywhere else. I love their practical selections but also their toys, jewelry, and clothing make fabulous gifts year-round.

Seasonal sales, kids’ items, cocktail partyware, and their eclectic candy selection put smiles on the faces of the whole family.

One day, I’d love to own a beach house, here’s where I’d start decorating…

Sweepstakes/Promotion

Right now, Cost Plus World Market is offering the Buy and Fly in store promotion. When you make a $20 or more purchase in the store you will receive a 15% off coupon (look for it on your receipt) for Southwest Airlines to purchase a flight anywhere Southwest Airlines flies!

Bonus, they were offering an additional $10 off each beach chair on the day we shopped (I found out via Twitter)! Make sure you sign up for discounts, deals, and promotions, via social media and submit your email at checkout, follow on Twitter, @WorldMarket and Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/worldmarket.

This shop has been compensated by Cost Plus World Market, but all my opinions are my own.

Kraft Foods Queso Blanco Burger Recipe

June 18, 2012 by The Mom Jen 69 Comments

As the nights warm up, be inspired to turn your patio into a party space for the perfect backyard barbecue with Kraft Foods. Invite the neighbors over and let us kick off your summer fun with a giveaway fit for any hostess.

Kraft Foods is bringing together five of your favorite brands to bring your family the must-have products for creating a fun-filled backyard party.

· KOOL-AID New Unsweetened Peach Mango and Unsweetened Strawberry Kiwi Drink Mixes: Beat that summer heat and keep the kids happy and cool with great summer refreshment for entertaining the whole gang. New Unsweetened Peach Mango and Unsweetened Strawberry Kiwi flavors from KOOL-AID Drink Mixes are a good source of Vitamin C per serving and, most importantly to your little ones, pack the flavorful fun they expect from your best outdoor shindigs! The kids see Kool-Aid and immediately like it, their smiles when me made a few glasses spoke volumes!

· New COUNTRY TIME Half & Half Lemonade Drink Mix: Who could enjoy the summer’s heat without a taste of COUNTRY TIME refreshment? My husband loves just the lemonade, but I had him try this before I told him there was tea in it. He and my oldest loved it! They do not drink tea, but they said this has a lemon taste but nicely balanced with the tea. It is so refreshing on a hot day!

· VELVEETA Slices Queso Blanco: Top a burger or your favorite sandwich with the brand new Queso Blanco flavor cheese from VELVEETA Slices for a delicious spin on a barbecue must-have. Heat it up grill-side and enjoy Queso Blanco’s creamy, mild and super melty effect! We can’t wait to make one of these mouth watering burgers!
VELVEETA Slices Queso Blanco Burger

Prep Time: 30 min. | Makes: 4 servings.

What You Need
2 Tbsp. KRAFT SANDWICH SHOP Chipotle Flavored Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
1 plum tomato, seeded, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onions
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1lb. lean ground beef
4 VELVEETA Slices
4hamburger buns

Make It
Heat grill to medium heat.
Combine first 4 ingredients.
Shape meat into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Grill 7 to 9 min. on each side or until done (160ºF). Top with VELVEETA; grill 1 min. or until melted.
Fill buns with cheeseburgers and mayonnaise mixture.

Serving Suggestion:
For added color and texture, serve with a mixed green salad.

How to Turn Hamburgers:
When cooking ground beef patties, turn them over with a spatula. Do not flatten the patties during the cooking process since that will cause the juices to escape, resulting in dry cooked burgers.

· HONEY MAID Lil’ Squares Honey Grahams: These bite-sized versions of the graham crackers you love are great as a wholesome snack or for wrapping up your party with a creative, s’more-style dessert. Made with 8g of whole grain per serving, no artificial flavors and no high fructose corn syrup – you’ll feel good about letting this snack help fuel your kids’ days! Kids gobbled these up in 2 days time, pairing them with bananas and strawberries!

· KRAFT SIZZLING SALADS Southwest Chicken Dinner Kit: Talk about jazzing up a main dish! KRAFT SIZZLING SALADS are cooking sauces and salad dressings, perfectly paired to create a delicious chicken and salad dish your family and friends are sure to love!! Four easy steps, 20 minutes and you’ve answered that “what’s for dinner” question with a bang! I tried the Zesty Fajita chicken and it was really good with a nice tangy kick to it. It was paired with a bbq ranch sauce for salad, that I didn’t care for too much. We are ranch purists in our house and it was a touch sour for me and my husband. I love that the cooking sauce can be placed in the fridge and used again, that is fabulous for the value!

Kraft Foods is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me and has provided me with prizing of equal value for review. This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by Jen is on a Journey.

Keep Your Skin Protected with Coppertone

May 21, 2011 by The Mom Jen Leave a Comment

With our upcoming Maui trip, one of the most important things on our list is sunscreen and Coppertone Sport has us covered! Living in California, our family doctors suggest that we wear sunscreen every day of the year! It can’t be any different in Hawaii and with the temperatures consistently forecast at 85 degrees +, we need to make sure that we don’t damage our skin while we enjoy ourselves.

Ever since I was young and saw those Coppertone ads with the dog pulling on the little girl’s swim suit, it’s been a brand that I love and trust. Not to mention, once you apply the sunscreen, the infamous sweet scent just screams beach, pool, and summer! It’s important to protect the whole family from UV damage no matter the temperature. It’s never too early in the day to apply sunscreen. Below are a few Coppertone products with something for everyone – mom, dad and kids:

· NEW! COPPERTONE Water BABIES Sunscreen Foaming Lotion: A unique, light and airy foam innovation from the #1 pediatrician-recommended brand. The sunscreen is mild for babies’ delicate skin. Available in SPF 75+.

· NEW! COPPERTONE Water BABIES Pure & Simple 2oz: Offers sun protection that’s tear-free in an ideal size for the diaper bag. The ultra gentle formula is mild for babies’ delicate skin and won’t sting or irritate eyes.

· COPPERTONE SPORT with Replenishing Antioxidants: Helps fortify skin’s natural antioxidant defenses, which can be depleted during sun exposure, especially during physical activity. They are ultra sweatproof to help maintain protection during outdoor activities. Available in lotions SPF 30, 50, 70+ and 100+ as well as continuous sprays SPF 30, 50, 70+ and 100.

· COPPERTONE KIDS with Protective Vitamins: Contains a specially-selected antioxidant vitamin blend to supplement the natural defenses of children’s skin. Available in lotion SPF 70+ and Continuous Sprays SPF 50 and 70+.

Our Take: We were sent a supply of Coppertone Sport to use and so far we enjoy the Continuous Spray (arv: $9.99) the best. Our kids can get it on evenly themselves and it’s not an eye irritant! The sprays work at any angle and you feel complete coverage. We’ve always used SPF 50 on our kids and when I found out they had 55, 70, 85, and 100, I knew the more protection the better, and that’s what I want for our family. My parents have a swimming pool, so we’ll be all spending many days there this summer, we all want that great Coppertone protection.

I’ve been using it to get some pre-trip color, yet to keep my skin protected and it’s really doing it’s job. Reapplying is key especially when you’re in and out of the water albeit pool or ocean. We’re packing it with us for Maui and it will be on us 24-7, while we snorkle, enjoy the beach and pool, and stroll throught the towns.

My oldest daughter has very sensitive skin on her face and during P.E. during spring she tends to get sunburns easily over the delicate areas around her eyes. Coppertone Sport Faces (arv: $8.15) SPF 50 is a perfect solution to keep in her vanity or school backpack to apply when she needs it most. I’ve worn it as well under my makeup and it doesn’t leave any residue! The Coppertone Sport Sunscreen Stick (arv: $5.49) is portable, and great for kids’ backpacks, purses, or to keep in the car for those unexpected times when your caught outdoors unprotected. It’s great for spot areas like ears, nose, and face.

You can find Coppertone nationwide at food, drug, mass, and internet retailers.
Product was sent for honest review.