Weeknights Are Easier When BI-LO Cooks

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

Raise your hand if you are sick and tired of cooking for what feels like 239 times a week. You can be certain that I have both hands raised! I cannot believe how much more cooking and cleaning many of us have been doing on a daily basis. Some days I am the expert baker and gourmet chef, other days I am ready to quit! Do you feel me? I decided that a couple days a week I will take some shortcuts to get meals on the table without wearing myself out in the process. We all have enough to think about in the current climate we are living in, so why not take a break when you can?

The BI-LO deli is such a great help when you're taking a day off from the kitchen. There are so many main dishes and sides available including: rotisserie chicken, Lip Lickin' chicken, ribs, sandwiches, salads, coleslaw, and so much more. One thing I like is that I can make a complete meal using items from the deli, or add some premade sides to a main entree I plan to cook that day.

One of my family's favorite main dishes is fried chicken. I don't tend to cook it because of the hassle involved. BI-LO's deli makes some of the most delicious fried chicken that is flavorful and has that perfect crunch.

 Look at all of this golden brown deliciousness. They call it Lip Lickin' for a reason!

I like serving fried chicken with sides like potato salad and coleslaw. The combination of the three is perfection! BI-LO has so many to-go sides to choose from. They would go well with any of their rotisserie chickens. Some flavors available are barbecue and lemon pepper. I will be trying some other combinations on the next store trip.

I am a huge fan of sandwiches. I can eat them every day, honestly. My BI-LO deli had turkey, ham, and Italian sandwiches which are made fresh daily. You can always tell by the bread how fresh it is. Believe me, it was just as good as my favorite sub shop sandwich bread. You can't go wrong with a tasty sandwich, chips and a glass of lemonade for lunch. 

Meal inspiration ideas using BI-LO deli items: 

• You can make chicken Caesar wraps by using fried chicken tenders from the deli paired with bagged Caesar salad from a kit, then wrap it up in a tortilla. 
• Add grilled shrimp or chicken to the salads available at the hot food counter. 
• Have deli ribs as the main dish paired with deli beans and rolls from the bakery.
• Shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken to add to your favorite rice dish.
• Make a sandwich board by taking a variety of deli sandwiches and cutting them into small size portions. Add cubes of cheese and assorted fruit. It's perfect food to graze on while watching a movie together as a family. 

There are so many meal possibilities you can come up with these deli foods. It’s easier when BI-LO cooks! It really feels good on days that I didn't have to cook and clean the kitchen multiple times. I hope that you all take good care of yourselves, and take breaks in the kitchen as often as you can. Please stay well and thanks for stopping by. 

Free Printable Games From Welch’s Fruit Snacks

At this time, we know it can be challenging for most parents adjusting to the new normal, balancing working from home, and homeschooling the kids. No one was prepared for any of this!

To help keep the family a bit more entertained, Welch’s Fruit Snacks has released a number of printable games as a resource for kids and parents to enjoy during this time. From fruit snack themed bingo to crossword puzzles and word searches, we hope these games can bring a little fun to every household.

Check out the games here: https://welchsfruitsnacks.com/printable-games/

Stay home, cozy up, and spark some fruitful fun with activities that’ll entertain the whole family. Check out the links to print out games and coloring pages that’ll bring the gang together for a good time! Break out a pack of Welch’s® Fruit Snacks and let the games begin!

5 Tips For Instilling the Love for Learning Early On

We as parents have an all-encompassing role in instilling the love for learning early for our children. From getting them motivated in finishing their homework, participate better at school to learning to love any form of study, it’s all about proper conditioning and the right balance of encouragement and rewards.

Life requires us to learn new skills and gain knowledge, and it’s up to us to raise children that are ready for this challenge. Because learning starts when we’re children, it’s also the best time to foster a love of learning. Here are a couple of ways to help our kids love learning.

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Identify any learning barrier and plan ways to overcome them. It’s hard to love something when you struggle with it. Be vigilant about signs of issues that could impact your child’s ability to learn at school and taint their enjoyment of learning.

Issues could be social, emotional, or potential learning disorders. While teachers are on the lookout for these, kids sometimes hide it by overcompensating.

If you believe there’s a problem, talk to your child in a comfortable, safe environment. See if you can find any suggestions for stress or avoidance about a particular subject or activity. Questions to ask include asking what their favorite and least favorite part of the school is and why/why not, what are the hardest things they did and why.

Help them engage. Education experts believe that under-performance in school can be caused by a lack of engagement. There’s a plethora of strategies and reforms in place to improve classroom engagement, but parents have the starting reins to work on this lack of engagement at home.

Start by regularly asking your kids what they learned at school. This will help them be proud of their newfound knowledge. Many kids also relish the opportunity to teach something to their parents. This will also encourage them to think more critically about their learning in school, and to learn better. Your questions will need to be age-appropriate.

Make learning enjoyable. Check out your child’s curriculum, textbooks, and homework. There are many examples, but you should be able to find examples to use for activities. If you’re reading this during the current COVID-19 pandemic, then you’ll have plenty of time to revisit and try out more activities.

Assess your child’s curriculum, textbooks, or homework. It can be as simple as counting games, getting them to spell words from their favorite books. For older kids, assist them to discover their passions and interests.

Remove the pressure. We’ve all been there. Academics do put pressure on kids. This includes grades, peers, and parent approval. Giving them a hard time or punishing them for poor results can backfire and make them dread the learning process.

So instead of punishing poor performance, offer support both emotionally and academically. Allow them to be free to express their disappointments without fear of your judgment.  Speak with them, listen well, and collaborate to find ways to help them improve and enjoy school.

Choose the right learning institute. The kind of school where you enroll your child will serve as a beacon in developing many aspects of his or her character, which is why choosing an appropriate one is of paramount importance.

Some curriculum is better than others when it comes to the learner. For instance, expat children and those with international connections should prefer international schools. Consider schools that offer inquiry-based programs like GMP Montessori which not only fosters the development of cognitive, expressive and motor skills but also induces a sense of social responsibility, cultural awareness and environmental consciousness - all key components of GIIS's holistic pedagogy.

Encouragement during this stage must come from you. You need to walk the talk. The values you teach should also be present in you because your kids innately look to you not just for support, but for inspiration as well.

These tips can help to make the school what it needs to be for children — a fun, secure location, where they can learn about the world, themselves, and find out who and what they want to be.

The Importance Of Wearing A Face Mask When Venturing Out

These have been the most challenging times we have been living in in recent months. Who would have ever thought a virus could shut the world down? I am used to being home all the time, but never imagined being forced to stay home under lock-down orders. It's a whole different experience when you have to leave home. Panic sets in and you have to have a real plan to minimize your time out while keeping yourself as safe as possible.

*Today's conversation is sponsored by CanvasDiscount.com. All opinions are 100% my own as always. 

It has come to a point now where most grocery stores are requiring you to wear a mask in order to enter their store. I am definitely okay with that. It's not always easy to find masks, and sometimes unavoidable to go to the grocery store. I am so happy that my favorite online custom wall canvas shop, CanvasDiscount.com is now offering Custom Face Mask options. Since we all have to wear them, we might as well be comfortable and even stylish.

There are so many colors and patterns to choose from. You can even upload your own deign for a customized look. The thing I like is that CanvasDiscount.com is super user-friendly and the checkout process is a breeze. Even better is their items are made and shipped in the USA, which means a quick turnaround.

Each custom face mask is made from 2 high-quality layers of Oeko-Tex fabric, machine washable in warm water, and comfortable in a one-size-fits-all design. They are not made for medical use, but more for safety for the rest of us who do not work in the medical industry. Having that layer of protection definitely gives peace of mind. Another plus is the adjustable straps, especially when you have a smaller face.

Pricing for these custom face masks start at $12 each depending on how many you order. It's neat to be able to order different colors and designs to suit each of your family members. Safety masks are even a good idea to give as a gift to neighbors, co-workers or friends. Who would have ever thought that getting a mask as a gift would even be a thing?!

It is so important for all of us to do our part to keep ourselves and others safe and healthy. With social distancing, proper hand-washing, and wearing a protective face mask, we can all help to slow this horrific virus down. Please continue to stay home as much as possible, and stay vigilant when you do leave home. I wish you all good health and safety always. Be well, friends! xoxo

BIC Launches U.S. Program To Recycle Used Pens, Pencils & More The “WRITE” Way

BIC, a world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, has partnered with international recycling leader TerraCycle® to offer consumers a free and easy way to recycle their fully-used pens, mechanical pencils, markers and other stationery products and parts of packaging nationwide. As an added incentive, for every shipment of used stationery products collected and sent to TerraCycle through this program, collectors earn points that can be donated to a school or charitable organization of their choice.

“As families spend more time writing, drawing and coloring together, we want to provide them with a responsible way to dispose of their products once they are used. Our collection program with TerraCycle gives consumers a simple way to recycle their writing instruments and art supplies to make a difference in the world,” said Mary Fox, North American General Manager for BIC. “Sustainability has always been at BIC’s core. We are thrilled to expand this program to the U.S. from Europe, where we have successfully recycled an astounding 46 million items.”

Through the BIC® Stationery Recycling Program, consumers can now send in all brands of pens, markers, mechanical pencils, highlighters, glue sticks, watercolor dispensers and paint sets to be recycled for free. The program is also collecting the soft, flexible plastic packaging that some writing instruments are packaged in. Participation is easy: sign up on the TerraCycle program page https://www.terracycle.com/bic and mail in the used items using a prepaid shipping label. Once collected, the waste is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that is remolded to make new recycled products. The BIC® Stationery Recycling Program is open to any interested individual, school, office or community organization.

“Through this free recycling program, BIC offers consumers the unique opportunity to learn about the value of recycling products they use every day while learning, playing or working that would otherwise end up in landfill,” said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “We are proud to partner with BIC to offer consumers an easy solution for these typically unrecyclable items.”

This is the latest step BIC has taken on its journey to further enhance the sustainability of its long-lasting products, which are made with the least amount of material, and to minimize its impact on the environment, one of the goals in its 2025 “Writing the Future, Together” program.

BIC and TerraCycle began partnering in 2011 to collect and recycle used stationery products in Europe. A similar program was launched in Australia and New Zealand last year.

The two organizations have also partnered to promote the circular economy by offering BIC products through LOOP, an e-commerce circular economy platform created by TerraCycle aimed at eliminating waste and reducing dependence on packaging.

For more information on TerraCycle’s recycling programs, visit www.terracycle.com.