Family * Travel * Food

Enter the #BILOfreegroceries Giveaway #AD

BI-LO is giving away $75,000 worth of free groceries to customers in some of the Southern states. Fifteen (15) BI-LO customers in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee will win FREE groceries for a year, valued at $5,000 each, by entering the Great Grocery Giveaway. Additionally, every person who enters the giveaway will automatically receive a $10 off $100 purchase coupon. I love this since we use the BI-LO fuel perks. Everybody wins!

Customers can visit http://www.bi-lo.com/freegroceries now through June 16 for official rules and to enter-to-win the Great Grocery Giveaway. Can you imagine how much $5000 for a year of groceries would help your family? I encourage you to enter if you live in any of the states listed above-- you have nothing to lose! It took me less than a minute to enter (just have your BI-LO bonus card number handy) and you will receive an email to validate your email address. Two minutes of your life that can be worth a year of FREE groceries!

How would you like to win a BI-LO gift card? Three (3) lucky Mom Files readers will win a $25 BI-LO gift card each! Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open until May 30, 2015 to U.S. Residents only, but remember, the #BILOfreegroceries Giveaway is open on their site until June 16. Be sure to leave a valid email address so you can be contacted in the event you win. Good luck!

Thank you BI-LO for sponsoring today's giveaway.
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10 Tips For New College Students From A College Student (Guest Post)

I remember when I was getting ready to start college – Everything was so new and so different. Two years have quickly gone by, and I’m now a junior. Here are some things I’ve learned from my own experiences and from friends that I’d like to pass along:

1. Get your finances together and be aware of your expenses. – Open a checking/savings account if you don’t already have one. Get in the habit of saving your receipts and documenting them weekly/monthly or however you choose. Your expenses will add up, so it’s best to stay on top of them so you don’t end up in a rut or overdrafting your account.

2. Take the time to read things and understand them. – You are an adult now, and you actually have to read through things to make informed decisions. This will certainly apply if you move off campus into an apartment.

3. Rent your textbooks if you can. – Renting is the best way to go, especially for books for general education (gen-ed) classes. Vendors such as Amazon and Chegg are great places to get them. You can buy books from your institution’s bookstore and sell them back at the end of the semester, but you won’t get nearly as much money back as you spent.

4. Be aware of the available meal plans and your eating patterns. – Most institutions will have a meal plan. Know what plans they offer, and don’t get a meal plan higher than what you know you will eat. Also, PLEASE be healthy! (Don’t eat Chick Fil A every day for three weeks like I did.)

5. Take school seriously. – Your first year of college is so important for your GPA. Focus on your grades first. If you keep it high your first year of school, you have some wiggle room if you don’t do as well one semester. Also, if you have scholarships, you need to make sure you maintain the GPA required to keep the scholarships.

6. Get to know your professors. – Your professors possess a lot of knowledge, and you’ll do even better in class if you sit in the front and introduce yourself to them. If you take the time to get to know them, they will be more willing to help you in class or with other things. Some professors have written recommendation letters for me.

7. Don’t be afraid to get involved, but don’t over involve yourself either. – There are TONS of ways to get involved at your college/university. Try to get involved in at least one activity or organization so you can meet people and begin developing skills. However, don’t get over involved either. You don’t want to be overwhelmed and affect your grades or well-being.

8. TIME MANAGEMENT IS KEY. – Get a planner if you don’t have one already! You’ll be super busy with classes, extracurricular activities, and maybe even a job. Be sure to stay organized!

9. Take care of yourself. – People are going to ask you to do things, approach things in their way, but at the end of the day, you need to do what is best for yourself. If people want to go out and do something, but you want to take an evening for yourself and watch TV, then by all means, watch TV!

10. HAVE FUN.
College goes by so quickly! Take the time to explore new things. Take a class on something you’re interested in, but might not be majoring in. Meet new people and make great friends. The world is yours.

Guest post by my oldest daughter, Chardonnay Ismail.

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National Women's Health Week is May 10-16- Tips for staying healthy #NWHW


Did you know that Mother's Day kicks of the 16th annual National Women's Health Week? As women, especially moms, it is so important to take charge of our health. I am officially in my forties and have been staying active in keeping up with different areas that affect my overall health and well being. Regular doctor's visits, a healthy diet and exercise are a must as well as a good oral care regimen. I just went to my doctor last week to get labs done and learn the latest updates on my current health. It turns out that my vitamin D levels have dropped extremely low again. Normal levels are between 30-100 and mine was at 19. I'm so glad I met with my doctor and found this out. It explained a lot in regards to how I have been feeling lately. I can now take the steps necessary to get my levels back up so I can have the energy to do all that I have to each day. 


To inspire women to lead a healthier lifestyle, Colgate recommends women follow these small steps provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health:
  1. Visit a doctor or nurse to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings. Schedule your annual well-woman visit on National Women’s Checkup Day, Monday, May 11. Use this time to discuss your health goals, concerns or questions.
  2. Get active. Try to incorporate more physical activity into your daily routine. Walk or bike to work or park your car further away from your destination.
  3. Eat healthy. Making healthier food choices can be as simple as using a smaller plate at meals to help control portions or choosing water instead of soda and other sugary drinks.
  4. Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress. Try and set aside at least 15 minutes each day in your busy schedule to do something for yourself.
  5. Avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, texting while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet.
Be sure to follow Women's Health on Twitter  and Facebook for important updates and take the pledge to help take control of your health. As women, we have to be strong and present for so many people, we must not forget about ourselves. Wishing you all a very Happy Mother's Day! xo


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Celiac Awareness Month with Tandoor Chef Gluten Free Entrees

Are you or any of your family members on a gluten free diet? It seems as if many people are going gluten free either because of Celiac disease or just out of personal health concerns. Tandoor Chef, the #1 frozen Indian food in the US, is a great option to incorporate into your gluten free lifestyle. They offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options--15 gluten free options to be exact! The varieties include:

Tandoori Chicken Wings, Lamb Vindaloo, Masala Dosa, Chicken Tikka Masala,
Chicken Tandoori with Spinach, Chicken Curry, Chicken Biryani, Vegetable Pad Thai, Balanced Vegetarian Vegetable Korma, Balanced Vegetarian Paneer Tikka Masala, Balanced Vegetarian Mutter Paneer, Balanced Vegetarian Palak Paneer,
Chicken Pad Thai, Palak Paneer, and Channa Masala.

My personal favorite it the Chicken Tikka Masala variety. This is the only frozen meal I have ever tasted that compares to what you would get in a fine restaurant or cook yourself at home. The best part is that you can enjoy all of the authentic Indian flavor in the comfort of your own home with no cooking! I just can't get over how juicy and succulent the chicken pieces are and how much flavor is packed into the sauce. The rice tastes as if you just scooped it fresh out of a rice cooker. I love that they use all real ingredients. It gets 5 stars from me!

Look at all of that REAL food! 

Tandoor Chef will have a special page on their website where readers can guess weekly what the gluten free dish of the week is. Every week, we will choose one winner from those who answered correctly and they will win a month supply of Tandoor Chef. The contest is going on from May 4th - June 1st.


Be sure to visit Tandoor Chef on their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for product updates and promotions.

I was provided with product coupons to purchase items and post an honest review. All opinions are my own as always.
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Grilled Rib-eye Steaks and Colorful Peppers Recipe

Grilling season is here and probably never ended for some. We grill year 'round since grilling doesn't always mean outdoors. If my husband isn't around to man the charcoal grill, I take matters into my own hands with my trusty cast iron stove-top grill. We are very particular when it comes to the quality of our meats, specifically beef. We love the selection available at our local Sam's Club. They have everything from T-bone, Rib-eye, Strips, roasts and stew beef. I'm a sucker for a thick rib-eye and Sam's Club steaks never disappoint! Their beef is so good that they don't require a lot of seasoning at all. That says a lot coming from a Guyanese woman who believes in her seasoning. The flavor of the beef is comparable to what you get at the finest steak houses.

I tried a recipe provided from to me courtesy of beef check off. I did make a couple of changes and used Rib-eye steaks instead of T-bone steaks and used an indoor cast iron grill instead of an outdoor charcoal/gas grill.


Grilled Beef Steak and Colorful Peppers

Ingredients

2 beef T-bone steaks from Sam’s Club
2 small bell peppers, quartered

Parsley Pesto:
½ cup packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Place pesto ingredients in food processor or blender container. Cover; process until parsley is finely chopped, stopping and scraping side of bowl as needed. 2. Spread pesto generously on both sides of beef steaks and bell peppers. Place steaks and peppers on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 11 to 16 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 15 to 19 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness and until peppers are tender, turning occasionally. 3. Remove bones; carve steaks into slices. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve beef with peppers.

I made some cheese and spinach stuffed mushrooms and grilled some asparagus to go along with the rib-eyes and it was a meal fit for a King (and Queen). My husband was so impressed by how flavorful the beef was and showed appreciation for it by not using steak sauce. We all enjoyed the juicy, tender goodness and look forward to making this again real soon. If you haven't purchased beef from Sam's Club before, you are missing out. Go check them out soon. You won't be disappointed!

Look at all of this glorious beef! Insert all the heart-eyed emojis :)
As a Cargill Beef Ambassador, I accept complimentary products to try, but opinions are always 100% my own.

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