Ways To Unplug And Go Outdoors

The world is more connected than ever before, for better or worse. Although the Internet and improved telecommunications technology allow us to be in contact with almost anyone around the globe immediately, this can be useful and harmful. A recent study revealed that Americans spend up to 10 hours a day staring at screens watching television and surfing the Internet. While there are loads of benefits that come with our current dependence on technology, it also puts us in danger of missing some helpful experiences.

Even if we’re watching our DVRs from a park bench or scrolling through social media feeds poolside, we miss something when we make technology the primary focus of our lives. Too much screen usage means we’re most prone to sitting for too long, and probably indoors. There’s something to be said about the benefits of fresh air and sunlight, not to mention good old-fashioned exercise. That’s why it’s important to remember to unplug ourselves from technology often and get some face time with the real world.

Photo by Devon Janse van Rensburg on Unsplash

The perks of unplugging are numerous, especially if you spend that time outdoors. Studies have found that frequent exposure to social media can intensify feelings of depression and anxiety, not to mention the health issues that arise when we waste too much time sitting and consuming electronic media. Spending all your time indoors gawking at your screens also opens you to a lot of recycled air and artificial lighting, neither of which benefits you in terms of health.

Going outside and staying active, even if it’s simply relaxing in a nature preserve drawing a landscape, can do you a lot of good. You don’t have to become a rough outdoorsy type to get the benefits of the outdoors, either. There are plenty of simple ways you can unplug from technology and benefit from the outdoors. For example, you can take a walk throughout your local park or around your neighborhood. You can take up landscape painting or nature photography to utilize your artistic side while taking in some fresh air. Fishing and bird watching also are great ways to take up a hobby that doesn’t demand being plugged into a wall outlet. Or, taking a boat out onto the water can be relaxing as well as exhilarating.

Putting some limitations on your technology use also can lead to meaningful perks. You could think about trading in your smartphone for a simpler cellphone that is unable to connect to email or the Internet. You might consider putting a limit on your screen time the same way you would restrict your calorie intake on a diet. Reading a book instead of staring at your phone during your commute also can work wonders for your mood as a way to unplug.

As pleasant as it is that we’re all connected these days, it’s also necessary to remember to unplug. If you’re looking for ways to de-stress, the checklist accompanying this post can provide you with some basic tips. Use the unplugging checklist, and you may see some benefits right away in terms of your mood and well-being.

Ways To Unplug & Go Outdoors from Duck Bay Lodge

Why We Are Loving Crate Space!

I think most any American family can agree on on thing: we all lead extra busy lives. With kids in school, work for adults, sports/activities, family time, and everything in between, time is a valuable commodity. Fitting shopping for groceries and household goods can be a big chore for many. I recently tried out a new service from Crate Space where you can purchase those everyday household items in an easy way.

What is Crate Space? It's an online service with one simple goal. Making buying the things you normally would much easier. You simply pick any 5 items and pay a fixed price of $29.99 with no shipping costs or membership fees. They offer 6 categories of products including: Household, Bath & Body, Cleaning, Skincare, Kids, and Health. Crate Space automatically lists the most commonly purchased items so you don't have to scroll through dozens of varieties of one basic thing. If you are the type to only shop for what you want specifically without having to search through a bunch of what you don't want, Crate Space is for you! No nonsense shopping is what they are about.

I ordered my first Crate Space package and here is what I got: 6-roll pack of Bounty paper towels, 12 double rolls of Charmin toilet paper, 160-count plastic drinking cups, 40-count box of Glad kitchen trash bags, and a bottle of Palmer's Shea Butter Lotion.

I was happy to see that the lotion was sealed to help prevent potential leakage. I also received a voucher for $5 off my next package. I am happy with all of my products because they are what I buy anyway. The fact that I didn't have to leave the house is a big bonus!

The actual ordering process is so fast and easy. I think not having so many choices of a particular product is a time saver. I can see this service being a monthly thing for my household. The shipping is not the fastest, but I am okay with it since I didn't pay a shipping fee. I love FREE shipping, all day, every day!

Shop Crate Space online and follow on Facebook and Instagram for updates. As a matter of fact, you can enter the code: MORESPACE for $5 off your first purchase. Try Crate Space out for yourself!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary code for a Crate Space box to try for myself. All opinions are my own as always. 

Ways to Give Your Breakfast A Healthy Boost

If you are a parent, you probably have found yourself asking a family member if they had breakfast. We all know how important breakfast is to start our day and sometimes it's hard to eat healthy things. The following items are great to add an extra boost of healthy nutrition that you can feel good about.

Viki's Granola

Available in 5 varieties: Original, Blueberry Almond, Maple Cranberry, Banana Walnut, and Apple Cinnamon

This granola is simple. There are no unnecessary ingredients at all, just wholesome all-natural goodness. It's not coated with sugar or artificial ingredients like many popular brands and are a great addition to your breakfast or snacks.

Viki's Granola is Gluten Free, Non-GMO Verified, Cholesterol Free, Zero Trans Fats, Sodium free, Dairy Free, and Kosher Pareve. I tried the Blueberry Almond variety and it tasted as it should. It was not sweet and was well balanced. A big difference from what I have been used to. It is great on top of yogurt, ice cream, applesauce or as is for a snack. Get some recipe inspiration on the Viki's Granola site and purchase them here.

Carrington Farms Organic Chia

Chia seed is an excellent source of nutrition that can be added into almost anything. My son LOVES it on his oatmeal every morning and that makes me happy. He was even eating a rice dish the other day and requested a sprinkling on top. It helps that chia seeds make you feel fuller longer which aids in weight loss. My husband and I enjoy chia seeds on salads and in baked goods.

Carrington Farms Organic Chia Seeds are:

• 100% Organic
• A sought after, nourishing “superfood”, loaded with beneficial properties that support a healthy lifestyle
• Contains the richest plant source of Omega 3’s, containing more Omega 3’s than salmon
• High in fiber, has more calcium by weight than milk, high in iron, potassium, folate, phosoporus, magnesium and manganese
• One of nature’s highest plant based sources of a complete protein and are extremely high in antioxidants
• Naturally gluten free
• Can be added to salads, cereal, yogurt and smoothies
• Perfect to make the popular Chia Seed Pudding

Buy them here. 

Munk Pack Oatmeal Fruit Squeeze

They come in 5 flavors: Blueberry Acai Flax, Peach Chia Vanilla, Maple Pear Quinoa, Raspberry Coconut, and Apple Quinoa Cinnamon. 

This Ready-to-eat Oatmeal Fruit Squeeze is perfect for busy families. You get the goodness of whole grain, gluten free oats and delicious fruit bites in one convenient squeezable pack. No more excuses of having no time for breakfast since they are portable. They are available for purchase in Publix Supermarkets, Whole Foods, Earth Fare and more. 

Any of these products are convenient ways to boost your breakfast in a healthy way. 

I received product samples for review and all opinions stated are my own as always. Thanks for reading! 

The Fresh Market's Little Big Meal Program

I wanted to pass along these great deals for those who live near The Fresh Market

Available every day of the month, The Fresh Market offers shoppers convenient, grab-and-go solutions for preparing a home-cooked meal with its “Little Big Meal” program! Shoppers now have the answer to the perennial “What’s for dinner?” question at their fingertips.  With hand-picked ingredients and a simple recipe, Little Big Meal offers a quick and easy wholesome meal for four -- starting at just $10!  Shoppers may simply stop by the “Little Big Meal” display every day of the week to choose from a variety of ingredient options to prepare the perfect feast.

WHO: The Fresh Market, a specialty grocery retailer focused on providing fresh, delicious fare, locally sourced products, convenient meal solutions and an expanding selection of household items in an inviting atmosphere

WHAT/WHEN: January “Little Big Meal” Schedule

Visit your neighborhood The Fresh Market any day of the week in January to pick up the below convenient meal solutions:

January 4-10 – Stir Fry

January 11-17 – Meatloaf 

January 18-24 – Tacos
January 25-31 – Slow Cooker  
WHERE: The Fresh Market’s 177 store locations nationwide

For local store information, please visit: https://www.thefreshmarket.com/all-stores/

MORE INFO: For more information on the “Little Big Meal” program and this month’s options, please visit: http://www.thefreshmarket.com/view-specials/littlebigmeal

Be sure to follow The Fresh Market on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About The Fresh Market, Inc.

Founded in 1982, The Fresh Market, Inc. is a specialty grocery retailer focused on providing an inviting atmosphere; fresh, delicious fare; convenient meal solutions; an expanding selection of household items; and a variety of products to help its shoppers live a healthy lifestyle. The company operates 177 stores in 24 states across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.thefreshmarket.com or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For A Limited Time, Kids Eat FREE At IHOP

With soccer games and dance practices, it’s seldom that families have time to eat a meal together anymore. Moms and dads can save time cooking in the kitchen and let IHOP handle the cooking… and doing the dishes!, From April 11 through May 6, with every adult entrée ordered, kids can eat free daily from 4pm to 8pm at participating IHOPs. That’s right… EVERYDAY!  Kids can choose from a myriad of fun and delicious plates, including: kids’ size chicken and waffles, grilled cheese sandwich, or they can make their own “funny face” chocolate chip pancakes sprinkled with powdered sugar, and a whipped cream smile…because at IHOP, breakfast for dinner is not only just accepted, it’s encouraged.

Silver 5
The perfect portion for little ones, these five silver dollar-sized buttermilk pancakes come with a scrambled egg and crispy New hickory-smoked bacon.

Jr. Chicken & Waffles
Two all-white meat chicken strips, battered and fried to a golden crisp paired with two Belgian waffle quarters. Served with whipped butter and your choice of dipping sauce.

Funny Face® Pancake
Kids give two thumbs up to this big chocolate chocolate chip pancake, sprinkled with powdered sugar and a whipped topping smile.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Grilled just right, this IHOP pick will have even picky eaters digging in! Served with Mott's Applesauce.

Run over to your local participating IHOP and get this deal before it's gone! Be sure to connect with all things IHOP on Facebook and Twitter.

Plan your next birthday party with SUBWAY Catering ($50 GC Giveaway) #SUBWAYcatering

**CLOSED** The winner is Sheena Tatum-- Congratulations! 

This post is sponsored by SUBWAY, but opinions are all my own.

Planning birthday parties can be a stressful task. There's the guest list, invitations, decorations, tableware, food and so much more. If your schedule is as busy as mine, time is precious. I love to offer my guests nice food and drinks and feel like that part of party planning is the most time consuming. Sometimes just coming up with a menu will make me crazy. I have been introduced to a great way to take the stress out of party menu planning and get back the countless hours I would lose. SUBWAY Catering is here to save your sanity. The website is very user friendly and you can order your entrees, sides, dessert and drink all with a few clicks of your mouse! I did it for myself and believe me, it was life-changing! I have been party menu planning the wrong way all my life. Let me break it down for you...

The first step is to go to the SUBWAY Catering website and find a location you would like you use. Some stores even offer delivery service for more added convenience. Next, you can view the menu items which range from platters & trays, giant subs, to-go boxed meals, dessert, sides and drinks. The offerings vary by store. Here is an example of what it looks like:

You can select what types of entrees you want. I went with the Classic Combo Platter and was able to pick which variety of bread I want, cheese or no cheese and all of the toppings and sauces. 

I went with the option of having a variety of breads and I am so glad I did! If your guests might be picky about toppings, you can opt for a toppings platter so they can pick and choose as they please. Once you finish with your order, choose your pick-up date/time, you then pay for it online. You can even use a SUBWAY gift card like I did. It's a very quick process and you will receive an email with your order number. I suggest signing up for an account because YOU WILL need it for future orders. The entire ordering process took me about 20 minutes. Imagine not having to make a shopping list, go to the grocery store, shop around for ingredients or stand in line to pay for it all. Oh and you are bound to forget something along the way! SUBWAY Catering really made this task so easy. 

I threw a mini belated birthday/you-are-doing-a-super-job in school party for my son William. We purchased some Power Rangers themed decorations, plates, napkins and cups from Party City. They had everything we needed and it was easy to get in and out of the store. I called ahead to my local SUBWAY store that I placed my order to make sure it would be ready for my 11:30 AM requested pick-up time. It turned out that my order was ready ahead of schedule. I made the quick five -minute drive and my order was handed to me right away. I had such a great experience with the staff and they even offered additional plates and napkins for my party. Everything was put together so nicely.

Here are some photos from our intimate little party..

Don't these sandwiches look delicious?!

It was so nice having a variety of subs that everyone found something (or several things) they liked. The cookies were very fresh and chewy the way my family likes. 

My son is my picky eater and he enjoyed his sub. I had to take the toppings off of his. The bread was so fresh and soft, so I think that encouraged him to eat it all. Our family enjoyed everything! This was truly the easiest party I have ever planned. I was discussing future events and already know that the menu portion is taken care of. I may never cook for a party again! SUBWAY Catering platters and subs are a great choice for birthdays, graduations, office functions, class parties, field trips, sporting events and more. I had a great experience and highly recommend you give them a try!

SUBWAY Catering has teamed up with Party City for an exciting new promotion! With any SUBWAY Catering purchase, from now until May 30th, you’ll receive a special link giving SUBWAY customers $10 off a $50 order at Party City. Be sure to connect with SUBWAY on Twitter and like them on Facebook for product promotions and updates.

To help you save time on the next birthday party you plan, SUBWAY has generously offered a $50 SUBWAY gift card for one very lucky Mom Files' reader to win! Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on May 21, 2014. Please follow giveaway rules in Rafflecopter widget. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!