How BI-LO Delivery By Shipt Saves Busy Families Time

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Shipt + BI-LO. All opinions are my own. 

Do you ever find yourself at home browsing recipes on Pinterest, and you find the perfect dinner or dessert recipe that you actually have all of the ingredients for? Yeah, me either. I always seem to be off by one or two ingredients. It's hard for me since I do not have access to a vehicle during the day, so this means waiting until after 5:30 before any of the working adults get home. By that time, it's too late to try to put dinner together after getting to and from the store.

I am so grateful to live in the age of technology where you can get just about anything you need, sometimes as quickly as you need it. Thankfully Shipt grocery delivery service is available for the days I can't get to the store right away. Shipt is a membership-based service that you can join with an annual or monthly subscription, and you can cancel at any time. I'm thrilled that they now deliver from BI-LO stores.

Right now if you become a new Shipt member, you can get 2-weeks of same-day delivery free, and receive a $20 credit on your first order from BI-LO! Who doesn't want FREE groceries? Now all of those recipes that I want to make can actually happen. Shipt grocery delivery is not only convenient since you don't have to leave your home, but it helps prevent all of those unnecessary purchases. I can't ever seem to not have that urge to buy things that are not on my list for a variety of reasons. Also, not having to make a trip to the grocery store is a huge time saver, especially for busy families.

I was super excited to make my first order from BI-LO using Shipt. This just happened to be one of those times where I seemed to have run out of so many of my kitchen and household staples at the same time. Also, since it is the baking season, I stocked up on a few baking supplies so I won't run into the issue of not having all of the ingredients for a recipe. But you know what? If I do run out it's no problem! I can just log into my Shipt account and make a quick delivery order, and receive my items in as soon as one hour. As long as I keep my order $35 or more, my delivery is free.

I feel like once you get Shipt delivery, there is no turning back. I enjoyed receiving my groceries from BI-LO, and I look forward to placing my next order. My Shipt shopper alerted me via text when she made it to BI-LO and asked if I needed any additional items. She shopped my order, and as soon as she was done, she texted me to let me know she was on the way to my home. You can start your Shipt account online or through their free app available through your phone's app store. Don't forget to take advantage of their special promotion to get your $20 credit to shop at BI-LO.

So now the question is which dessert or entree do I make first? I guess the next thing I need to work on is my meal planning. That's definitely not my favorite thing to do, but at least I can grocery shop in my pajamas! If you have any questions about BI-LO delivery by Shipt, leave me a comment or send an email. Thank you for stopping by today!

Little Bites® Visit Myrtle Beach Happy Halloween Goodies Galore Sweepstakes + Giveaway

Today's post is sponsored by Entenmann’s® Little Bites®. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Entenmann’s® Little Bites®

Can you believe that it's almost Halloween? It seems like the last couple of months flew on by. If you haven't already prepared for those little ghouls and goblins to come knocking on your door, you better get to it. Of course, Halloween is known for tons of candies, chocolates, and treats, but this year, why not hand out something different? Entenmann’s Little Bites Fudge Brownies are a delicious alternative that are sure to please your trick-or-treaters.

They are also a fun snack for classroom parties since they are available in perfectly pre-portioned pouches, contains no high fructose corn syrup, and zero grams of trans fat per serving. Little Bites Fudge Brownies are a snack “momsters” can feel good about! If you are having a Halloween party at home, you should check out this fun DIY dessert for these Wicked Fudge Brownie Bites:



Find out about Little Bites® Visit Myrtle Beach Happy Halloween Goodies Galore Sweepstakes:

• Entenmann’s Little Bites snacks is giving fans a spook-tastic opportunity to win a family trip to Myrtle Beach! Consumers can enter the Little Bites Visit Myrtle Beach Happy Halloween Goodies Galore Sweepstakes from October 1 - October 31 by visiting https://www.littlebites.com/Halloween-goodies.
• Fans will be prompted to complete and submit the registration form to receive one (1) entry in the Grand Prize drawing.
• In addition to the grand prize, fans can enter for a chance to receive a one (1) week supply of Little Bites product awarded in the form of five coupons, each redeemable for one (1) Little Bites product up to $5.00 in value.
• For more information and official rules, please visit https://www.littlebites.com/Halloween-goodies.

Information about Visit Myrtle Beach:

• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is where cherished memories are made along 60 miles of beautiful coastline.
• Discover stunning sunrises over the Atlantic Ocean, fun days at the beach, lush natural wonders, and grand new adventures.
• Savor our warm Southern hospitality, fresh coastal cuisine, and our unique flavor of fun.
• Cherish these moments together.
• Visit Myrtle Beach — where happiness comes in waves.

Special Reader Giveaway: 

Mom Files is thrilled to offer our readers a sweet prize pack giveaway including a $25 Visa digital gift card and (3) coupons for $5.00 off the purchase of any Entenmann’s® Little Bites® courtesy of Entenmann's. Enter below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only and ends on October 28, 2019. Must follow rules in Rafflecopter. One winner will be chosen randomly. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

The coupons for product redemption, information, and gift card have been provided by Entenmann’s Little Bites snacks so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Entenmann’s Little Bites snacks. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Entenmann’s Little Bites snacks.

Choosing Children’s Shoes: Mechanical Considerations

If you let a child choose their own shoes you’ll probably be surprised by their choice, it will certainly look good, but it may not be the most practical option.

Of course, you may want to get your child shoes that look like yours, but this is also not necessarily the best option.

In fact, despite many children’s shoes looking very similar to adults, children do not have the same movements as adults. As children grow they need different shoes to ensure that their feet are properly supported; giving them the right footwear can help to avoid them having issues later in life.

It’s a lot of responsibility for any parent and the reason specialist shops like Garvalin, Australia exist.

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash

The first thing to understand is that a shoe serves several roles:

       Protection

A long time ago humans didn’t wear shoes, but shoes are seen as an essential means of protecting feet from scrapes and other abrasions.

It’s worth noting that adult footwear is trending towards a more minimalistic look which has helped shoe manufacturers to re-evaluate what is important in a shoe.

       Support

The secondary role of any shoe is to provide support. This is especially important in children. A shoe should support the arch of the foot, but, this is only actually necessary in older children. Children under 4 aren’t active enough for the arch support to matter. Select shoes with arch support at this age can actually hinder the proper development of the foot.

However, plantar support is important from a very young age.  The loading pattern of a foot is relevant from when a child is as young as 2 ½ years old, which means a shoe should have cushioning under the heel.

It is also important for shoes to offer forefoot flexibility, the range of movement can be significantly different in children to adults, it’s essential to choose shoes that allow the forefront of their feet to move in all directions.

Once children hit 14-15 years old their feet will stop growing and their needs are effectively very similar to adults, allowing you to comfortably purchase adult shoes for them. At this stage, the important factors are motion control and support at the rear of the foot.

Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com from Pexels

       Style

Although it can be argued that style is not very important in the correct development of feet. Style is an important consideration when you choose shoes and when your children are old enough to appreciate what they are wearing.

This is actually the reason that so many children’s shoes look similar to adult ones.

Additional Factors

By understanding the role of the shoe and how it supports your child’s foot and ongoing development, you can choose the right shoe for your child. But, you should also consider
these additional factors:

       Minimalistic Shoes

The current movement towards minimalistic shoes is actually a good one and worth considering for your child. Minimalistic shoes allow your child’s foot to develop more naturally, they are worth considering.

       Know Your Child

Your child may have a weak front foot, back foot, or a weak arch. You need to have a good look at their foot and even consult a pediatrician to ensure you identify weak areas and choose the shoes that give the right support.

We hope these tips will help you with your shoe buying process for your child.

A Quick Guide to Finding Endless Blog Post Ideas for Your Mom Blog

As a rule, starting your first blog is so exciting that you literally can't get away from hundreds of ideas that swarm in your head. Most people are feeling super inspired and passionate, making their first steps in the field. The flow of ideas doesn’t seem to stop. But what happens next?

After several months of writing, most people burn out and lose inspiration. It is not like they don’t want to do it anymore or don’t enjoy writing; it is just that they no longer have a clue what to post about.

Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash

Running a mom blog is especially hard. At any time, your children may require most of your attention as they get involved in afterschool activities or just want more time with you.

To complicate matters, over time, blogging transforms into a full-scale chore rather than being just a hobby. That’s when you may face the real challenge. Overcoming this period of burnout is possible but not always simple. Some people decide to take a break, while others prefer to get professional help from https://essaypro.com/ while they recover and come up with new ideas.

Are there any other options? If you don’t want to stop and want to go all the way yourself, but it feels like you have no creative juices left, there still is a solution! In this article, we are going to give you clues on how to find endless ideas at any time. Let’s get to it!

Regardless of the chosen niche, most bloggers face the same issues, such as loss of creativity and inability to come up with fresh ideas.

However, don’t give up on the job you love just because you don’t feel those creative juices rushing through you anymore. This happens to many people, and in most cases, it is only a tough period that you need to overcome.

If you are currently facing such a problem, use the guide below to open an endless source of ideas for your mom blog:

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

Follow the Influencers

Probably all of us have at least a couple of great blogs from our niche in mind. Do you read them? If no, this is just the right time to give them a quick look and, hopefully, get inspired! 

Even if you can’t recap any blogs you read, you can look up the most popular mom blogs on the Internet and find some inspiration there.

Looking at how the niche’s influencers work can give you enough ideas to get back to actively posting.

They have a vast audience, so every post they make is polished and unique, which makes them a perfect source of ideas. No copy pasting, though. We all need to respect the readers not to lose them because of similar posts.

Use Topic Generators

Can’t come up with a perfect headline for your next post? 

On the Internet, there is plenty of topic generating tools that can come in handy! Such tools help writers compose catchy and neat headlines related to their keywords in a matter of seconds. 

Social Media Platforms

Of course, writing an actual blog is much different from being an influencer in social media. However, don’t neglect using platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter for finding inspiration.

Here is the thing, millions of people around the globe use popular social media platforms. Every active user makes regular publications or reposts from others. 

This generates a broad base of content, including pictures, videos, written materials, memes, and much more. Why not use all of it to your benefit?

Have you found a hilarious story about motherhood or a helpful video guide? You can turn this into fresh ideas for a new post!

Pay Attention to Readers’ Comments

Even if you didn’t realize this before, readers’ comments could be a great source of inspiration at all times! Often, readers share their thoughts and stories under the posts they liked, and these stories could turn into some nice post ideas.

Therefore, be sure to pay attention to what your readers have to say. Also, you can check out comments on other websites on related topics.

Ask Your Audience for Advice

If it feels like you still can’t decide what you should write next, why not ask the audience who reads you? Do you have an email subscriber list? Great! Then drop them a short newsletter or create a survey to find out what your audience craves.

Google Analytics

Products created by Google always make our lives easier, and lack of inspiration for your mom blog isn’t an exception. 

Google Analytics allows one to look at the platform from an analytical perspective and find out which of previous pieces were the most popular and which don’t seem to come to the audience’s liking.

Having such stats should help you choose the right direction and maybe even refresh some of your old popular publications' ideas with a series of related materials.

Services That Gather Content Across the Web

Have you ever heard of platforms like Alltop or Buzzsumo? If not, you are missing out on a great deal of inspiration. Such websites gather stories on various topics from the most trending sites. 

Using such services, you can conduct quick research based on some relevant keywords (for example, early education, parenthood, children, etc.) and find out what content specialists like the most in your niche. This could be another source of ideas for you.

Photo by J. Kelly Brito on Unsplash

Final Words

For many moms, who are forced to stay at home, blogging becomes a real-life savior. It is an excellent way of expressing themselves, sharing experiences, socializing with like-minded people, and keeping themselves busy. 

Besides, running a mom blog can give you a stable and potentially high income. Doesn’t that sound like a dream job? It does, but it is still not that easy!

Being a blogger, you may experience various issues such as writer’s block, lack of inspiration, new ideas, etc. 

Therefore, it is crucial to have a backup plan that would let you generate excellent ideas even when you are at your least creative period.

Hopefully, this list will help you find the source of endless blog post ideas. Follow this simple guide, and your blog will prosper!

5 Most Popular Water Filtration Technologies For Homes

It doesn’t matter whether your water comes from a well or the main treatment works, you need to be confident that it is clean and safe to drink.

There are many ways in which bacteria can get into the water supply, this is why every home should invest in a water filtration system.  Of course, there are several different types of water filtration device, you’ll need to choose the one that best suits your home and your budget.

Before you invest in any water filter system you should be aware of the different types available and speak to a reputable supplier of water filters Sydney

Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels

1. Activated Carbon
This is arguably the most popular type of water filter. It is the one you’ll find in jug style filters and the slim containers that bolt into your mains supply line.

Water passes through the activated carbon and sediment, chlorine and VOC’s attach themselves to the carbon. The water that leaves the filter is cleaner and tastes better.
It’s important to note that this type of filter needs to be changed every 2 months.

2. Reverse Osmosis
This type of filter needs to be changed every year but, it is remarkably effective at eliminating nitrates, heavy metals, dissolved salts, and an array of organic and inorganic compounds.

Again, you’ll notice the taste difference and even the color of your water should appear clearer.

Reverse osmosis is also effective if you need to soften your water, which makes it essential in hard water areas.

3. UV Water Filters
A UV filter mimics the sun. UV rays are concentrated on the water, effectively killing any bacteria present. This type of filter can destroy most living organisms but it can’t remove any debris or sediment from your water.

You may prefer to use it in conjunction with a second water filter. You will need to change the filter annually.

4. Chlorine Filter
Chlorine is used by most treatment centers to eradicate bacteria in the water. However, it has also been linked with undesirable effects on your health. For this reason, you may want to use a chlorine filter to cleanse your water. The best one to do this is the carbon filter mentioned earlier.

However, if you source your own water, perhaps through a well on your land, you may want to use a chlorine filter to add chlorine to your water and effectively kill any microorganisms in the water, making it safer to drink.

Of course, you may then want to use a carbon filter to remove the chlorine…
You will need to refill the chlorine when it runs low.

5. Multi-Media Filters
This type of filter is designed to remove contaminants and sediment from your water. Again, it is considered essential if you have your own water supply. It can also be useful if you feel there is too much debris coming down the pipes to your home from the treatment center.

There are different choices of media depending on which types of contaminants you want to focus on.