Family * Travel * Food

Celebrating Your Girlfriends on Gal-entine’s Day

Haven’t heard of Gal-entine’s Day, yet? It’s high time you started observing this wonderful celebration of female friendship. Originally coined by Amy Poehler’s character Leslie Knope on the hit NBC show “Parks and Recreation”, this occasion is celebrated on February 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day. It’s meant to commemorate the beautiful bond and love between best friends, and if you’ve got a great crew of gals you adore, you need to celebrate your friendships and give a nod to the many different but just as wonderful types of love in your life.

Gifting isn’t Just for Lovers
Give your best gal pals a token of your appreciation for their friendship with some sweet and sentimental presents this Gal-entine’s Day. Skip the stale presents and make your besties feel like queens with some heartfelt presents you know they’ll adore. Whether it’s friendship bracelets (those aren’t just for preteens you know!) or tickets to a show you know all of you will enjoy, sweet little presents will definitely have your besties feeling the love.

A Fun Project
Want to keep busy while you’re hanging out? Provide all the supplies for a fun DIY project. Whether it’s making a dream board of all the hopes and wishes you all have for the future using pictures and terms cut out of a magazine, or a wonderfully scented homemade shower scrub, you’ll laugh over your arts and crafts project and leave the evening with a fun memento of the fun times you had that evening.

Paint ’N Wine Night
If you haven’t done a paint and wine night yet, you’re missing out. There are tons of companies in every big city that offer evenings where you and your girlfriends can get firsthand instruction from an artist and create a copycat painting masterpiece, all while sipping on alcoholic beverages and eating yummy appetizers. You’ll all go home at the end of the night with a new painting to hang on your wall, and every time you see it hanging on your wall in the future you’ll smile and think of the amazing women in your life.

Karaoke Night
What better way to spend an evening celebrating love than singing your heart out to some ballads with your besties? Head to a local karaoke bar and pick your favorite jams, sing some duets, and rock out to girl groups for a celebration that will have you losing your voice (all in good fun, of course!)

Television Binging
What is a night in front of the television without some delicious snacks? Order in food and have it delivered from a company like DoorDash, or do it smorgasbord style with a yummy charcuterie and cheese board, mini sliders, and chocolate berries from a company like Shari’s Berries. Celebrate women by picking movies with female leads: think Katniss from “Hunger Games” or the funny, singing gals from “Pitch Perfect”.

For Far Away Besties
If your best friend lives far away but you still want to let her know you’re thinking of her, send a fun card that will provide a happy surprise come February 13th  when she checks her mailbox. Plan a Skype date to catch up and get all the details on any Valentine’s plans you two might be celebrating with the lucky fellas in your lives.

A Girl’s Trip
If you and your friends are all single for the Valentine’s holiday, then you’ve got the entire weekend to work with for your Gal-entine’s celebrations (no wallowing about not being a relationship necessary, ladies). Go out on a sweet getaway weekend that will have you all feeling rejuvenated come the following Monday. What about a wine tasting weekend with a side of luxury spa treatments? Or perhaps you’ll head out on a ski weekend to make the most of the snow still clinging to the ground as winter winds its way down. Whatever it is that you like to do, plan a last-minute trip and celebrate with the girls who know you best.

Romantic relationships can come and go, but your best friends are always there for you, so make sure you celebrate all the types of love in your life this February.
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The Dos and Don'ts of Coats and Car Seats

With winter weather in full effect, I wanted to pass along some great information about keeping your little ones cozy and safe when traveling in the car.

These tips are provided by: Allana Pinkerton, Global Safety Advocate for Diono

BIG DON'T: Never place a child in a car seat with a thick, bulky winter coat because the harness might not be snug enough to perform as it should during a crash.

WHY? If they are wearing a thick coat, the padding in the coat will not allow you to snug up the harness correctly and the harness will actually be loose on the child.  The padding in the coat will compress during a crash until it gets to the body which doesn't allow the child to ride the crash down appropriately.

Important to note: Car seat manufacturers cannot determine if it is safe to use a thick winter coat because they do not crash test with coats on the test dummies. They do test for misuse and they can determine if a loose harness causes injury.

DO: Follow the car seat manual for proper harness fit, installation and use. The manuals are written based on crash test data.

DO: Use an appropriate car seat no matter what the weather conditions are outside.

DO: If there are no safety issues in doing so, heat up the car ahead of time.

DO: Put a thin fleece jacket on your baby, toddler or older child.

DO: Put a toboggan hat and gloves on your child. This definitely helps retain some internal warmth.

DO: For a newborn baby, many infant carrier car seats come with a "warming boot" to put over the baby. If not, one may be purchased from the manufacturer of the car seat or they may have approved the use of one manufactured by another company.

DO: Throw a blanket around your child when carrying them out to the car to keep them warm. (If you are super nice, you might have even warmed it up in the dryer first.)

DO: Place them in the harness and snug it up. Then you can place the blanket over them so it doesn't interfere with the harness and tuck it in around the child's sides. To avoid the possibility of suffocation do not put the blanket near their head.


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3-Ingredient Buffalo Chicken Empanadas Recipe For Game Day

Today's post is sponsored by Naturally Fresh. All opinions are my own as always. 

It's football season and the big Game Day is approaching. This means you have a little time left to start getting your Game Day menu ready or plan on what you will take to a party you may attend. Of course you must have an abundance of savory finger foods on hand. One of my new favorites are my Buffalo Chicken Empanadas. The best part is you only need a handful of ingredients to make them.  These can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator if you need to. They can be heated up in the oven or microwave. They are so easy to make, taste SO good and really are a crowd-pleaser. 


Ingredients:
1 small pack of boneless, skinless chicken thighs 
1 box of refrigerated pie crust
Buffalo wing sauce 
1 egg 
Seasonings of your choice
Naturally Fresh Bleu Cheese Dressing for dipping 


Directions: 
Lightly season your chicken (if you choose to) and place in slow cooker on high setting and let cook for 2 hours or until tender. Shred and lightly chop chicken since it will be a filling. Big chunks will not work. Cut pie crust with a glass or cookie cutter that is about 3 1/2- 4 inches in diameter. Place a little bit of the shredded chicken in the middle of each pie crust round and drizzle with Buffalo sauce. Be careful not to add too much sauce to avoid spillover or a soggy crust. Fold circle in half and use a fork to press edges to seal. Beat one egg with a little bit of water and brush empanadas to give them a nice sheen and brown color when baked. 

I recommend using parchment paper for baking to make removal easier. Bake at 400 degrees (or lower according to your oven) for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with Naturally Fresh Bleu Cheese Dressing and enjoy! 

Isn't that flaky crust gorgeous? 
Look at all that delicious Buffalo chicken filling!
Why Naturally Fresh Bleu Cheese Dressing? It is the perfect dip for these zesty empanadas. Naturally Fresh makes their yummy dressings with their very own buttermilk and aged bleu cheese chunks. You can really taste the difference! I can't get enough of those glorious cheese chunks. They also use real herbs and spices like basil, black pepper, spicy ginger and tangy mustard seeds in many of their sweet and savory dressings and dips. Naturally Fresh does not use:
  • Artificial thickeners to make up texture that should come from real ingredients.
  • Monosodium glutamate (MSG), an artificial flavor enhancer.
  • Artificial preservatives. That’s why you’ll only find Naturally Fresh products in the refrigerated section.
  • Artificial colors or flavors

Naturally Fresh dips and dressings can be found in the refrigerated section of your produce department. You can use this store locator to find a nearby retailer that carries them. I have found these dressings at my local Publix and Kroger stores. You simply can't beat high-quality, homemade-tasting salad dressings and dips with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Be sure to "like" Naturally Fresh on Facebook for recipe ideas and more. 



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Get Through Winter With ChapStick® Products (Giveaway)

Unless you live in South Florida or the Tropics, you are probably getting hit with some chilly temperatures. After having such a mild end of 2015, Mother Nature has unleashed her bone-chilling wrath. This means one of the things most of us experience-- dry lips. You know what? Dry lips are not sexy at all. No worries, the ChapStick® family of lip care products are here to save the day and your lips


ChapStick® has been a household name since I can remember. They are actually over 100 years old. Over the years, there have been many additions to the Classic line. Of course those Classics are perfect for every day wear and come in Original, Strawberry, Cherry and Spearmint. You can count on your lips feeling smooth and moisturized.

Provide your lips with a little extra TLC using ChapStick® Medicated. Whether you are feeling under the weather or just need that extra boost of hydration, ChapStick® Medicated quickly soothes and seals in moisture with a light, protective barrier to help heal dry, chapped lips.

Winter or summer, quench a thirsty pout and protect your lips with ChapStick® Moisturizers. Delivering an ultra hydrating formula, with ingredients, like Aloe and Vitamin, and fun lip-locking flavors, like Green Apple, Vanilla Mint, Raspberry Crème and Original, say hello to delicious hydration for lips!

ChapStick® Sun Defense offers a conditioning formula, including sun protection with SPF 25, defending skin all year long. Winter, spring, summer and fall, ChapStick® Sun Defense prevents and temporarily protects chafed, chapped or cracked lips.

Aloha! Treat your lips to a refreshing and fruitful getaway with tropical inspired, fresh fruit flavors reminiscent of warm weather and an island breeze with ChapStick® Tropical Paradise Collection.  Mix it up with *Mango Sunrise or soak in Aloha Coconut.

*Aloha Coconut will be available exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide while Mango Sunrise will be available at mass retailers and drug stores nationwide.

Don't walk around with dry lips. ChapStick® products are just what you need to get you through the winter months. We keep these lip balms handy year 'round.
Check out all of the ChapStick® lip care products on their site and be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for product information and promotions.



Giveaway: One lucky Mom Files reader will win a ChapStick® Prize Pack filled with similar items you see below. Enter in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only and will end on February 5, 2016. One winner will be chosen and contacted via email to claim prize. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Please follow rules in Rafflecopter. Good luck!

The ChapStick® product, information and gift have been provided by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.. All opinions are 100% my own.
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Prepare For Cold & Flu Season With The Exergen Smart Glow TemporalScanner

With the holiday season behind us, many people are stocking up on all of the necessities to help battle against cold and flu season. The weather has taken a huge turn from the mild temperatures and we are feeling the deep chill of winter. We always have items like cold medicine, fever and headache reducers, assorted teas, and vitamin supplements on hand. The latest addition to our medicine cabinet is the Exergen Smart Glow TemporalScanner. This thermometer is unlike the old school digital ones that are sometimes tricky to use or provide inaccurate results.
The Smart Glow thermometer works by pressing a button and passing the top area over your child's (or your) forehead and boom, the temperature is revealed within seconds. The beeping sounds will indicate when it's done. Seriously, this would make any parent's life easier. You can even use it on your child while they are sleeping. Why didn't I have something like this when my kids were babies?
The display is illuminated, so this means you can check your child's temperature in any lighting. The days of making your kid sit still or hold a thermometer under their tongue is over! Let's not even go there with the rectal thermometers from the infant stages.  I love this even for myself. It's such a convenient and accurate way to monitor fevers. I've seen one similar in the doctor's office and was very impressed. I remember my reaction after seeing the temperature revealed so quickly being like, "Wait, that's it?!" Now I can feel like I have something comparable to what many nurses in doctor's offices are using. I'm telling you, once you have used this fabulous thermometer, you will never be able to go back to the old school ways. This says a lot coming from a very old-fashioned person like myself.

Some facts about the Exergen Smart Glow TemporalScanner:

The TemporalScanner™ comes with four ways to make it even easier to take a temperature:

· A softly illuminated display for easy reading in any light – perfect for checking the temperature of a sleeping infant in a darkened room

· Beeping sound indicating scanning can be turned off or on to avoid waking a sleeping child

· Automatically retains the last eight temperature readings for instant recall to check on fever progression

· Ability to switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius modes

Made in the United States, the Exergen Smart Glow TemporalScanner™ is the number one preferred thermometer by both nurses and pediatricians, and is backed by more than 55 clinical studies proving its accuracy.

It is sold at major retail stores including Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Costco, Babies “R” Us, Toys “R” Us, Kroger and BJ’s. The Smart Glow thermometer retails for $49.99. Trust me, it is well worth the money. This would make a great gift for expectant parents. As a matter of fact, if you are expecting a baby, you should add this on your gift registry.

If you'd like more information about the Exergen thermometer, check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for product tips and promotions. I wish you all well during this cold and flu season.

I received a product sample in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own as always.
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