Better Breakfast Prepared The Night Before

So I already admitted that I am not a morning person. So how does such said person get into better breakfast habits? One great way is meals that you can prepare the night ahead! I am a huge fan of french toast, but find it can be time consuming, and tough to keep warm and fresh to serve to a family at the same time. I decided to research meals I could prepare in the evening, I am a bit of a night owl, and I found an amazing recipe for Strawberry Banana Baked French Toast here. That night I whipped up most of the ingredients (including my NestFresh eggs from Hidden Villa Ranch) and popped it into the fridge. In the morning all I had to do was spread the fruit in the pan and pour the already prepared bread over the top, then pop it in the oven. Twenty minutes later I had a delicious, warm meal! With the warm fruit on the bottom you didn't even need syrup.

If only computer screens had scratch and sniff capabilities...so yummy!

What are some of your favorite "prepare ahead" meals?

Diamondearrings.org Giveaway!

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One of the things that is sure to make this mama smile is diamond earrings (or anything that sparkles for that matter)! 

I was sent a pair of simulated diamond earrings by diamondearrings.org and have been wearing them along with my usual pair of silver hoops. 

I have received many compliments and comments on the princess cut studs. Most people could not tell that they were simulated diamonds, the cut and sparkle are just right. Normally I would not go out and spend the money to buy diamond earrings for myself, and during their free earring promotion  you won't have to either!

I was skeptical at first but on their site they state "instead of spending thousands on advertising promoting ourselves, we're actually compensating YOU to get the word out for us." The 5 easy steps are explained:

All they ask is that you "simply mention us anywhere on the web. Whether it's on your twitter, facebook or myspace page, blog, youtube, etc. We're not picky, anywhere will do." After you post mention of their site you just have to pay the shipping and handling charge of $3.77 and you will receive your earrings in approximately 10 business days. I received mine in about a week after contact from the company. 

Diamondearrings.org sent me a pair completely free of charge (NO shipping fee) and they'd like to do the same for YOU! If you win you'll receive a set of beautiful simulated-diamond earrings, set in sterling silver and delivered in a velvet box.

 

How to enter (please leave email address with each comment):

Mandatory - 

Become a fan of Makes Mama Smile through Google Friend Connect. Comment bellow telling me where you'd wear your sparkly new studs!

Extras (only after mandatory entry is completed)-

• 1 entry - Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar under "subscribe." Leave comment saying that you've done this.

• 1 entry - Blog about THIS giveaway. Link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged.

• 2 entries- Follow Makes Mama Smile on Facebook. Please leave FB name in comment and separate comments for each entry (ex. "follow on FB #1" and "follow on FB #2"

• 2 entries: Share this giveaway on Facebook. Please leave link to your status and leave separate comments for each entry.

• 2 entries - Grab my Makes Mama Smile button(found at right sidebar) Please leave the URL where it is posted and separate comments for each entry.

• 1 entry Follow Makes Mama Smile on Twitter  

• 1 entry (daily) Tweet about this giveaway- after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet- limit one per day. Please leave a link to your tweet status. 

Giveaway ends Saturday October 9, 2010 at 10:00  p.m. (MST)

Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*This giveaway is open to USA residents ONLY.
Must be 18 years old or older to win.*

Thank you to Diamondearrings.org for sponsoring this review and giveaway!

Today's Freebies 9/20

Want to make your mailbox happy?!
Then sign up for these freebies and show it some love!

Scope Outlast Toothpaste

TENA® overnight pads 

 Icky Bands from Georgia Pacific

Eucerin Daily Skin Balance lotion


Cream of Wheat Cinnabon


Emergen-C


KY Intrigue

Mariani Cinnamon Raisin Bread Raisins 

Spread Wellness wristband

CareFRESH Complete rabbit or guinea pig food 

Get one free issue of An Encouraging World Magazine for free when you use the code AEWFB. This offer looks is available to the U.S. only.
 
Kotex samples: Security Tampons, Regular Maxi Pads and Thin Maxi Pads. Each of these samples will also come with a Kotex long liner sample. These offers are available to the U.S., while supplies last.

Winner of NestFresh Giveaway!

Result: 57 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Comment #57: Baby Mama said... GFC follower sarah_roxy_21

Congrats! I have sent you an email and you have 48 hours to respond.

Thank you to all that entered and made my very first giveaway a success! Stay tuned for many more in the future!

And a huge thanks to Hidden Villa Ranch for supplying the prize of 4 dozen NestFresh eggs! 

Happy Better Breakfast Month!  

Don't Miss My 1st Giveaway!

There is still time to enter my first ever blog giveaway for NestFresh eggs, sponsored by Hidden Villa Ranch!
Visit the post HERE.

I know that people are hesitant to purchase eggs these days, but NestFresh wants to assure you that their products are safe! On their site their statement reads... 
    Current Egg Recall: Please be assured that Nest Fresh Eggs are not involved in the Current Egg Recall that many of you are aware of. The eggs involved in the recall are not from Cage Free or Organic facilities. All Nest Fresh Eggs are safe for consumption and you can be assured they are in no way affected by the current recall. If you do still have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

I also found a great recipe on there for Peachy Keen Cinnamon Pancakes Breakfast that I want to try!

We have some great local peach growers here in Colorado, time to take a trip to the farmer's market. I will let you know how it turns out! What recipes catch your eye on the NestFresh site? 

April Showers Blog Design Giveaway

April Showers Blog Design recently hit 1500 fans and is offering some awesome giveaways to celebrate their 2 year anniversary!

I would love to win the blog design from Chic Shoppe! What would you most like to win?!

Share a Tip - Get Free Box of Uncrustables!

Starting at noon today Smucker's is offering a free box of Smuckers Uncrustables sandwiches when you share an organizational tip or solution for the on the go mom or dad.

This promotion will now begin on Monday, September 13 at 12:00 PM EST and run until October 13, 2010. The first 500 eligible registrants to submit a Tip on the first day (9/13/10) will receive a coupon and the first 400 eligible registrants to submit a Tip on each of the succeeding 30 days will receive a coupon. See site for more details.

$5 for 5 reviews at KMart.com

Find five items on KMart.com which you own (or have owned) and write a simple review of them and you’ll get a $5 KMart or Sears gift card. Write 6 or more and be entered for a chance to win a $500 giftcard!

Free "Just 10" Bracelet

Get Your Just 10 Bracelet Now -- it's FREE!

DoctorOz.com and Zappos.com are teaming up to give you something tangible to wear as a daily reminder that you're worth it. The bracelet has "Just 10" on it so you can let everyone know that you're taking the steps toward a healthier life. Anyone can wear it, and YOU can have one for FREE!
When people ask why you wear it, you can tell them the importance losing "Just 10" pounds has on your health. Register for your bracelet today!

Better Breakfast Month - NestFresh Giveaway!

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September is Better Breakfast Month and I will be celebrating with a four part series sponsored by Hidden Villa Ranch!

I recently watched the film Food Inc. and it changed the way I thought about food as well as the way I shop for groceries. Needless to say, I was thrilled when Hidden Villa Ranch contacted me to be a part of the Better Breakfast campaign. Their company's mission statement states "Hidden Villa Ranch is a diverse food company conducting Retail and Foodservice egg and egg product Sales. We also specialize in domestic and international trading and wholesaling of agricultural products. It is our mission to grow these businesses as a team, to have fun, to make money, and to do the right thing." I love to support businesses that have a vision greater than the almighty dollar! I learned that Hidden Villa Ranch distributes many of my favorite products from Smart Balance to Horizon Organic.
"These products are as varied as the consumers they serve—providing a healthy alternative, a guarantee of animal welfare, an extended shelf life, or one of many other distinct benefits that our brands offer.  We are proud to manage some of the most beloved egg brands and provide diverse choices in the egg case."

I also want to tell you a little about NestFresh and what I have learned about this company. Their business started in 1991 in the beautiful state of Colorado, my home state! On the website they share that "NestFresh was built upon the principle that when businesses do the right thing everyone, from hens to humans, benefits. We are proud that these fundamentals are still the basis of our business to this day."

Over the years their company grew and they now have regional, family owned farms producing their eggs across the nation. NestFresh is growing and Hidden Villa hopes to bring these humane, sustainably-farmed eggs to many other parts of the country. Nest Fresh assures you that "each of these farms are certified cage free by third party auditors committed to farm animal welfare to guarantee that they meet our strict standards of quality and humane animal treatment." It makes me feel good to know that the animals are being treated well, and in turn the product is better. The hens are  fed an all vegetarian diet and are raised without the use of drugs, hormones, and antibiotics. I feel safe feeding my family food that comes from a company that cares. 

One week of the Better Breakfast Month has already passed and with the holiday weekend we took our "better breakfast" to the mountains for our camping adventure. I packed my NestFresh eggs, milk, and cheese to make the perfect "extra cheesy, cheesy eggs" as my boys like to call them. We also brought a few tubes of cinnamon rolls to warm up in my parents' camper.

It was the perfect combo of salty and sweet, and gave my little fisherman lots of protein to keep them full all morning.

I'm sure we've all heard "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" before. It is definitely my favorite meal, whether I eat it in the morning, noon, or night! I am not an early riser, but one of my goals this month is to get up early enough to serve my family a better breakfast. I have two kiddos that I send off to school, and I want to get them started on the right track. My husband leaves for work in the morning, and he deserves a good start to his day as well. With a preschooler and baby at home we all need our energy too! It is going to mean getting myself into bed earlier, and wiping the sleepies out of my eyes with a good attitude when the sun rises! I hope that you will join me in making September a month full of better breakfast!

Hidden Villa Ranch has offered me a month's worth of their NestFresh cage free, vegetarian fed, hormone-free eggs to get us started on our Better Breakfast journey and they would like to share the same with you!

BUY IT- You can currently buy NestFresh eggs in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Wyoming at THESE locations.

WIN IT- Hidden Villa Ranch is offering one lucky winner a month's worth of their cage free eggs! You will receive 4 coupons for one dozen free NestFresh eggs redeemable at any of their retail locations!

Here is how to enter:

First Mandatory entry (must include email address with comment):
- Visit Hidden Villa and tell me something you learned, or why you would like to try their products.

Only after you have completed this first entry will you be eligible for additional entries! Extra entries are not required but offer many more chances to win.

*Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your email address*

Extras:

• 3 entries - Follow my blog publicly through Google Friend Connect (can be found at my left sidebar.) Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I follow your blog on GFC #1" , "I follow your blog on GFC #2" and "I follow your blog on GFC #3"
• 1 entry - Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar under "subscribe." Leave comment saying that you've done this.
• 2 entries - Blog about THIS giveaway between September 10th and September 16th. Link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I blogged about your Nest Fresh giveaway @ http://www.yourblog #1" then "I blogged about your Nest Fresh giveaway @ http://www.yourblog #2".
• 1 entry- Follow Makes Mama Smile on Facebook.
  
• 1 entry: Share this giveaway on Facebook. Please leave link to your status.
• 
  
• 2 entries - Grab my Makes Mama Smile button! (found at right sidebar) Please leave the URL where it is posted.
• 1 entry Follow Makes Mama Smile on Twitter  
• 1 entry (daily) Tweet about this giveaway - after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet- limit one per day. Please leave a link to your tweet status.

Giveaway ends Friday, September 17th at 10:00  p.m. (MST)

Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*This giveaway is open to USA residents ONLY.
Must be 18 years old or older to win.*

Thank you to Hidden Villa Ranch who provided me with the product for review.
All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review and giveaway.

Free Calendar

Go to Womenshealth.gov to get your free 2011 calendar – one per household – in your choice of either English or Spanish.  Click HERE to get yours!

  Allow 4 to 6 weeks to arrive.  These will ship in December (so will take 4 to 6 weeks after they send out).

Thanks to Crazy Coupon Mommy for this tip!

More Free Magazines

ValueMags is offering a FREE 1 Year Subscription to Harper's Bazaar magazine! I have no experience with this company, but the site says "sign up here for a complimentary 11-issue print subscription to Harper's Bazaar. Enjoy a 1 year subscription. No strings attached. You'll never receive a bill." Could be worth a try!

Thanks to Coupon Pro for this great tip!