Product Review

Tech Talk + Getting Organized with my ASUS Tablet

0 · Sep 29, 2014 · Leave a Comment

#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Intel. This could include the Intel Corporation providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

Ugh, let’s just all agree… Life is getting complicated! Many of you know, I have four kiddos, one in each level of school. High School, Middle School, Elementary and Pre-School. (Yea, that’s a story for another day.) Maybe if I had been more organized I would have thought about the spacing a bit more. Not that Mother Nature always cooperates. Needless to say… I could have an entire kitchen wall full of flow-charts, schedules and simple algorithms to try and keep our lives organized. And then… we would inevitably, miss something! That is until I started using my ASUS Intel Tablets to get organized!

I would have to admit, I have a bit of a fruity obsession when it comes to tech gear, so I was a little skeptical. Never would I have thought that I could still integrate all of our family communication devices and stay on top of our crazy life. We have!

For the sake of simplicity… I keep things simple for this post. You don’t need to see all of our craziness. Here are some of my favorite features on the ASUS.

First, it’s simple to add all of your favorite apps. I have everything that I have used on other devices so I felt right at home. The ASUS Intel tablet has aaaamazing graphics, especially for a tablet at this price point. It’s $123 on Amazon!

I put together a weekly menu for the family using the calendar app, linked to our family Google account. That way… no one has to ask, “What’s for dinner?”

Then, I use my Target app to create a shopping list using my menu…

PERFECT!! Now, no matter who goes shopping, my husband or I, we have all the info we need right at our finger tips using the ASUS tablet.

We can even pull up the Target Cartwheel app and find even more goodies there, right on the ASUS.

All in all, I’ve really enjoyed this ASUS Intel Tablets and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a great tablet experience.

Target Cartwheel

0 · Sep 23, 2014 ·

It’s no secret that I have a long time crush with Target. It started when I was a little girl, I still remember shopping trips with my Mom that just made my heart sing. When I was about 7 or 8 I remember a purple coat that I found at Target that I thought was the coolest coat I had ever seen. My Mom made my dreams come true and bought the coat as a Christmas present. I thought I was the coolest kid on the block. I think that shopping trip was the beginning of my long time crush! It’s crazy to think how the world has changed since then, shopping isn’t just shopping any more. It’s a full interactive experience that has empowered us as consumers to participate even more in the shopping experience at Target. For example, have you used Target’s new Cartwheel app?

I will have to admit that I was a little slow in adopting the new app. I just wanted to go shopping and I didn’t really have time to play around with an app. Boy was I wrong!

My daughter Haley started her first job this summer and it was a no brainer to apply for a job at our favorite store! She had a ball working at Target! She was constantly coming home asking, “have you seen what’s on Cartwheel this week?” “Mom! All of the kids clothes are 30% off on Cartwheel right now!” or, “Mom, did you know that you can just scan an item and the app will tell you if there is a deal or not?” She was constantly telling me all kinds of Target Cartwheel gems. Of course I had to investigate further.

If you aren’t familiar with Cartwheel, it’s an app that is available for iOS or Android users. It’s packed full of fantastic deals on everything from food, household supplies, clothing, toys, electronics… The list goes on an on. These are deals that are only found in Cartwheel and they can be stacked on top of other coupons or store deals. It’s so cool! For example, a few months ago, Target has these super cute folding chairs that were on sale in the Target circular one week. The price was already reduced but… They also had an additional percentage off within the Cartwheel app. Total score!! I ended up getting 4 chairs for a really good price.

The app is so easy to use. You can either scroll through the deals by department or even by what’s trending or you can just scan an item and see if there are any available deals.

Once you find an item that you would like to add to your list, you click on the item and you can add it to your item list.

You can add up to 14 items to your list at one time. You can even earn more spots by sharing your deals on social media.

I decided I wanted to grab some new storage baskets, they are on sale for 15% off.

I grabbed my basket and then headed to checkout. When I am checking out, I show my special bar code to the cashier and magically the savings just stack-up.

It’s as easy as that. Cartwheel even keeps track of your savings. So far I’ve saved $42.20 and quite frankly, every penny counts. I just love cartwheel!! It’s so easy to use and I always feel like they are extra special deals just for me. Have you used Cartwheel? What are your favorite Cartwheel features?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Target. The opinions and text are all mine.

Tech Talk + Getting to Know a ASUS Tablet

0 · Sep 22, 2014 · Leave a Comment

#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Intel. This could include the Intel Corporation providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

I’m a tech girl. I can pass on your typical gift items. I don’t need flowers or chocolates. But, if you want to sweeten me up… Give me a gadget. It’s been that way since I was a girl. Anything with buttons or a processor, I was smitten. So… When I was approached to give the ASUS Memo Pad 7 a whirl, of course I said, YES!

The ASUS tablet is part of the Intel Tablets family. It’s powered by an Intel Processor that makes for a fabulous user experience. The graphics are crisp, the wifi is super stable and the battery life is really great. What’s even better is the price! You can score an ASUS for $150 a fraction of the cost of most tablets. The great thing is, even though you are getting a budget friendly tablet, you aren’t getting a budget type experience. So far, I’ve been thrilled with what I’ve found with this tablet. My whole life, digitally that is, is with Google. My calendars, contacts, email and so on. The ASUS is very Google friendly.

I’m spending this week getting to know the tablet a little more. My life has become SUPER busy. I’m balancing several different major projects right now, I need a great tool to keep me on track. I’m going to be using the ASUS this week to keep my life organized. I’ll pop back in on Friday and let you know how it goes.

Almond Pumpkin Bread Pudding Topped with Maple Butter Glaze

1 · Sep 18, 2014 ·

It’s finally here… PUMPKIN SEASON!! Oh my stars, this is truly my favorite season of the year. The chill that’s in the air, the leaves are hinting of change. Starbucks has busted PSL out of the vault. I’m not a coffee drinker, but even I can sense how big that is. Baking season has arrived and with it, all kinds of fabulous new pumpkin recipes. I’ve created the most scrumptious Almond Pumpkin Bread Pudding that your family and friends are going to die over!

This simple bread pudding recipe is a cinch to make and it packs a huge pumpkin wallop. The cool thing is that I make it with SEVEN basic ingredients. Bread, Silk Almond Milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, one can of pure pumpkin, honey and topped with slivered almonds. I love baking with the whole family of Silk products. I especially love the flavor that the Vanilla Almond Milk adds to the flavor profile for this dish. Many of you know that I cook quite a bit with Silk. I love that it’s a natural plant based protein rather than animal based. It’s heart healthy with no fat or cholesterol. It’s low in calories, high in vitamins and is GMO free. You can’t beat all of that! You can learn even more about Silk and all of it’s amazing benefits here.

That is why I choose Silk Almond Milk over regular cows milk to make the custard for my Almond Pumpkin Bread Pudding and the glaze that I top it with.

Almond Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe

1 loaf of hearty bread (I used a pumpkin struesal bread from Target, but you can use virtually any hearty bread for this recipe.)

3 cups Silk Almond Milk

6 eggs

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 can of pure pumpkin puree

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

First, you take your hearty bread, like I said before, I used a pumpkin streusal bread but, you can use any bread of your liking. You could use a cinnamon bread, a crusty loaf of French bread or even a hearty wheat. It’s really whatever you like.

Cut the bread into cubes and place in a small baking dish that has been covered in a non-stick cooking spray.

Next, you need to mix your custard in either a mixer or blender. My blender bit the dust this summer, so I opted for my mixerAdd your Silk Almond Milk and eggs.

Your pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree.

and your honey and mix until your custard is mixed well.

Pour over your cubed bread and top with slivered almonds.

Cover with foil and place in a 350˚ oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and place back in the oven for an additional 40 minutes or until the top has brown and the pudding has set.

I top mine with a butter maple glaze. Here is the recipe for that…

Butter Maple Glaze Recipe

1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

1 tablespoon Silk Almond Milk

a SMALL splash of maple and butter extracts

a small pinch of salt

In a small bowl whisk together the Silk Almond Milk and powdered sugar. You want the glaze to be rather thick. Add a few drops of maple extract and butter extract and a pinch of salt. Whisk together well.

You could really use any extracts that you like. Vanilla, Almond or even Rum if you like. Top your warm bread pudding with the glaze and serve.

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

For more Silk inspiration follow them on Facebook or sign-up for their mailing list. They have great giveaways all the time, plus great coupons and fantastic ideas on how to add more plant protein into your life!

Disclaimer // This post is sponsored by Silk Almond Milk. I have received payment for recipe development along with my post. However, all thoughts, ideas and opinions are my very own.

Product Review

Almond Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe

Butter Maple Glaze Recipe

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