DISCLOSURE – This is a sponsored post. My reviews and recommendations are always honest and true. Read Mom Spark’s full disclosure here.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walmart for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As you probably already know, I have been watching my eating habits lately.  I am not always perfect, but I have been more aware of what I am putting into my body. and I am also trying to get up and move more.  The change has not been easy, but each morning when I wake up I feel more energized and focused than the day before.  Even the slightest change can make a BIG difference!

In an effort to help families live healthier lives, Walmart just announced $9.5 million in grants to national organizations that support healthy, nutritional eating habits.  This funding will go towards nutrition education programs, classes focused on learning to cook and shop for healthier foods on a budget, and live cooking demonstrations in communities nationwide.

Of all of the fabulous organizations that will benefit from these grants, I really appreciate Share Our Strength most.  Share Our Strength teaches low-income families how to shop on a budget, which is such an amazing service to our communities and proves that we all can afford to eat more healthy.

Walmart also hired the expertise of Rovenia M. Brock Ph. D., aka Dr. Ro, an award-winning journalist who has appeared on Dr. Oz, The View and more. Dr. Ro will be sharing steps and tips on how to tie in healthy living everyday and how to eat healthy on a budget.

What have you done to make healthier choices for yourself, family or community?  Please share in our comments below!

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

A few weeks ago, I told you about Walgreens and Express Script’s unsuccessful negotiations, which resulted in Walgreens no longer being in the Express Script pharmacy provide network as of January 1, 2012.  This included all Walgreens pharmacies nationwide and Duane Reade pharmacies in the New York City area.

In an effort to stay true to its community, Walgreens has chosen not to increase its rates, thus allowing patients to keep their own pharmacists at a competitive cost using its Walgreens Prescription Savings Club.

Right now, Walgreens is offering a special discount on annual membership for its Walgreens Prescription Savings Club!  For only $35 a year, a family membership covers everyone in your immediate family, including a spouse, dependents 22 and younger and pets.  Join and receive discount prices on your prescriptions. Only $20 for individuals.

Other benefits include:

• savings on more than 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications
• discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies
• bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services

Stay connected and show your support by “liking” Walgreens on Facebook and Walgreens on Twitter. Learn more about the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club by visiting www.walgreens.com/pharmacy/psc/psc_overview_page.jsp.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of dealnews for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Like many moms, I love a good deal.  There are SO many deal sites out there these days that it is hard to sort through them all.  I was recently introduced to dealnews, and I loved their slogan: “Where Everyday is Black Friday!”  If everyday is like Black Friday, I’m totally in, what about you?

dealnews collected the latest deals found several online sources. (over 2000, in fact!) dealnews also verifies that each deal is valid, which I really appreciate.  They offer deals on computers, tablets, gadgets, electronics and much, much more!

When searching for today’s deals on dealnews, I came across a great deal that Pei Wei is holding that I just may take advantage of!  We eat at Pei Wei often, so this is a great savings!  I love receiving local deals!

One of the best part of dealnews is the email alerts you can sign up for.  You can even set up your alerts for specific stores or a general category!  In addition, you can also subscribe to the dealnews Select Newsletter where you can receive a daily roundup of the best deals around the internet!

For more information on dealnews, visit www.dealnews.com.

Does your family live an all-organic lifestyle?  In my home we do a little bit of both, but when my youngest was an infant I only made his baby food with organic fruits and vegetables.  There was a peace of mind knowing that I was feeding him non-treated foods in such a critical part of his growth and development.

Now that my kids are older, we have strayed away from the all-organic lifestyle, but I do often purchase organic produce and dairy products.  I appreciate that Horizon Organic has always been there with organic dairy food options for us.

For over 20 years Horizon Organic has heard lots of reasons why parents love their products, but they wanted to hear it from those who know best, the kids! Don’t miss what kids have to say about Organics, healthy eating and more below. I love hearing the perspectives of children!

Learn more about Horizon Organic products by visiting www.horizondairy.com.

DISCLOSURE – This is a sponsored post by Horizon Organic. My reviews and recommendations are always honest and true.  Read Mom Spark’s full disclosure here.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, mamas! Here are a few simple craft ideas to share with your little ones!

1. You’ve got to hand it to Martha Stewart — she always comes up with the sweetest stuff!, 2. Perfect potato stampers!, 3. This is one craft idea I never would have though of — clever! & 4. A great way to pretty up a cup of tea!

Looking for more cute Valentine crafts? Check out last year’s post for some heart-shaped loveliness!

How will you celebrate February 14th this year?

Two weeks ago, I shared my new journey to getting healthy with Amway’s Nutrilite.  Now that I have officially completed two weeks of the weight management program, I can confidently say that I feel MUCH better and already down four pounds.  I am consistently consuming more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which my body has been desperately needing for a long time. It is amazing how clear my head feels and the amount of energy I have each day.

The next step in my weight management plan is working in more exercise into my daily routine.  Even walking a little bit everyday makes a big difference, so I am starting there. We are setting up the treadmill today, and Amway has sent me an exercise ball and resistance bands!

I have published a couple of the healthy recipes included in the Nutrilite Weight Management Journal, which are delicious and very easy to prepare! (stay tuned for more!) Check them out below.

• Better Balancer Shake
• Apple & Cheddar Salad

This recipe is inspired by the “Apple & Cheddar Salad” recipe from the Nutrilite Weight Management plan.  It is pretty simple, but very yummy and easy to make.

Apple & Cheddar Salad

• 1/2 small apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 oz low-fat cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
• 2 tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 4-5 large lettuce leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Place apple slices in a small bowl; toss with lemon juice.
2. Add celery, cheese, and mayonnaise; toss to coat.
3. Serve on lettuce leaves and season to taste.

Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away, and so I thought I might share some adorable looks for the little ones on that loveliest of days. I was a bit of a tomboy (a LOT, actually) when I was little, but my mother always went all out to dress me up in some sort of fancy getup for Valentine’s Day — and ALL holidays for that matter. Looking back I was pretty darn cute, but at the time, I could have cried for all those pink ruffles! Yikes!

In the spirit of keeping things sweet and simple this February 14th, here are a few looks your kids will peek back on with a smile!

1. How sweet is this ruffled chino jacket from J.Crew? I can see this with bright red pants and a cute headband!, 2. A handsome look for a handsome lad, 3. Heart pocket love from Oeuf, 4. Extra adorable onesie from J.Crew, great for a boy or girl if you ask me, 5. A dapper fellow in a tweed blazer with elbow patches — always a win!, and 6. Tutu cute from Gro. I couldn’t help myself!

When I was little, I always loved making handmade Valentine’s Day cards for each one of my classmates. On the big day we’d all walk around, stuffing tiny cards into handmade envelopes, giggling, eating too many cinnamon hearts and just being all around silly about everything. Last year, at daycare, my daughter handed out cards that smelled like popsicles and ice cream. Yum!

Are your children handing out Valentines this year?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Barry Manilow for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

You would be hard-pressed to find an American who doesn’t know who Barry Manilow is, or didn’t grow up hearing “Mandy” or “Copacabana (At the Copa)” on the radio at least once.  As a child of the 70′s, my parents often played Manilow tunes, and to see that he is still touring and going strong today is something to be admired.  Barry is indeed a legend.

What about you?  Are you a Barry Manilow fan?

If so, Barry may be coming to a city near you this year! A full list of 2012 Barry Manilow Concert Dates can be found by visiting the official Barry Manilow Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BarryManilow.  While visiting the Facebook page, you can also purchase concert tickets, catch up on the latest Barry Manilow news, sign up for the newsletter, and even “track” Barry himself.  You can also connect with other Barry Manilow fans and share your stories on the Facebook wall.  It is a one-stop shop for everything Barry Manilow!

Will you be attending a Barry Manilow concert in 2012?  Also, what is your favorite song by Barry?  We would love to hear from you in our comments section!

If you have been following my tweets lately, you may have read that my 2012 is becoming a Disney year! In March, my family will be taking our very first Disney Cruise to the Bahamas and I will be attending the Disney Social Media Moms event at Walt Disney World in April.

So, in the coming weeks I will be sharing the planning phases of our Disney Cruise, including how to apply for passport, how to book/decide which Disney Cruise is right for your family, booking excursions and dining, and much, much more!

I will also be sharing my experience at the Disney Social Media Moms event, as well as tweeting and updating on Mom Spark’s Facebook Page!

Since this year is turning out to be a very Disney year, I wanted to share my favorite Walt Disney World memories, as well as hear your own.

AUGUST 2005

In August 2005, we took our very first family trip to Walt Disney World. (this was my first time as well!) At the time, we only had one child who was 5 years old, so the perfect age to take on the big world of Disney.

We stayed at the Pop Century Resort, which proved to be the best option for our budget.  The resort was very crowded and the buses were a little slow, but we made it work and had a fabulous time.

Some of our favorite moments include seeing Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (called MGM Studios at the time), eating at California Grill inside the Contemporary Resort, and riding Test Track at Epcot.

OCTOBER 2008

Three years after our first visit to Walt Disney World, it was time to go again.  This time, our oldest was 8 and we had an another child who was only 10 months. (I know, we were very brave to take him!)  We also joined the trip with our good friends.

We stayed at the All Star Music Resort, which had just been renovated.  The resort was very similar to Pop Century, but a little smaller and less crowded.  Getting on the buses was easier this time, but still a bit time consuming.  Our friends ended up renting a car and we were able to travel a bit with them, which made travel much smoother.

Some of our favorite moments from this trip include eating at the 50′s Prime Time Cafe, attending Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (the parade was EPIC!) and seeing the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular at Magic Kingdom. (we never caught the show during our first trip)

MARCH 2010

In March 2010, I was invited to a blogger event by the Orlando CVB which included a visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as well as Gatorland, Universal Studios and Sea World.  I was able to bring my oldest son, who was 10 at the time.

We stayed at the Loew’s Royal Pacific Resort on Universal Studios property. (we will be revisiting this property with the entire family in March!) The Orlando CVB transported us to each park location.

Some of my favorite memories from this quick Disney visit include riding the Rock ‘N Roller Coaster (which ended up being way too intense for my liking!), seeing the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, and finally getting the chance to ride Toy Story Mania! (I didn’t get a chance in ’08)

OCTOBER 2010

This was, by far, my favorite trip to Walt Disney World.  We went all out this time and also decided to invite my husband’s mother along.  My oldest was 10 and my youngest was almost 3.

We spared no expense on this trip (although we did receive free dining, which cut some costs) and stayed at the beautiful Polynesian Resort. This resort was, by far, our favorite due to the beautiful setting on the lake and super easy access to the monorail system.

Some of our favorite memories include watching the nightly fireworks on Polynesian’s “beach”, eating tons of Pineapple Dole Whip, and most of all, going to Epcot’s World Showcase with my husband, sans kids.  It was the first time we had the chance to go through each country, taste the food and ride all of the silly little rides along the way.  I will never forget that night.

DISNEY CRUISE AND EVENT!

I cannot wait to experience Disney on the water with my family in a few weeks and then heading to Walt Disney World by myself for a little work and pleasure.  Stay tuned for my adventures!

How many times have you visited Walt Disney World, Disneyland or the Disney Cruise Line? What are some of your most favorite memories? Feel free to leave links to your images and blog posts if you have them!

DISCLOSURE – This post is in no way sponsored.

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Last Summer, I shared my Samsung Focus Windows Phone 7 review with you and I’m here again with another giveaway of the fabulous phone!

Here are the awesome features of the Samsung Focus:

Seamless Social Network Integration
Now your calendar, contacts, and social networking sites are fully integrated through Windows Phone People Hub. It makes staying in touch with friends and business contacts much more efficient and streamlined.

Improved User Interface Experience
Your Focus integrates beautifully with Microsoft Office® including Outlook Mobile, Bing search engine and Zune. Using the Game Hub, the Focus is the only phone that allows you to play games with Xbox LIVE. And with Office Hub, you can view, edit, share and sync Office documents on the go. Like music and videos? Check out the Music + Video Hub which allows you to play and download music and videos quickly on your phone.

Learn more about the Samsung Focus Windows Smartphone by visiting www.samsung.com.

SWEEPSTAKES

Win a home office makeover that includes a makeover consultation with celebrity designer and media personality Courtney Cachet, home office prize package from Microsoft (including a new Windows Phone, a Windows PC and Microsoft Office package), and home office décor and accessories from popular online retailer hayneedle.com.  Learn more by visiting bit.ly/homeofficemakeover.

SAMSUNG FOCUS WINDOWS SMARTPHONE GIVEAWAY

Residing quietly beneath the floorboards are little people who live undetected in a secret world to be discovered, where the smallest may stand tallest of all.  From the legendary Studio Ghibli (“Spirited Away,” “Ponyo”) comes “The Secret World of Arrietty,” an animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s acclaimed children’s book series “The Borrowers.”

Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger. The English language version of “The Secret World of Arrietty” was executive produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, and directed by Gary Rydstrom. The film hits theaters Feb. 17, 2012.

Download Coloring Sheets: SWOA_Activity_Sheets

We are smoothie addicts in this house. I can put all sorts of healthy things into the blender (hello spinach!) and my three-year-old chugs it down, no hesitation. It’s a great way to get a healthy start to the day — no fuss, no muss, very little mess! And on those busy rush-out-the-door mornings? Very little excuse not to pop your concoction into a travel mug and ZOOM you’re done!

Here are a few yummy recipes that I’ll be adding to my recipe box (aka Pinterest “Food” board!):

1. Blueberry Coconut, 2. Green Monster, 3. Fruit Oatmeal Flax, & 4. Simple Green Smoothie.

Can I let you in on my smoothie making pro tip? If you think of it the night before, and you’re using frozen fruit, pour the fruit + whatever liquid you’re using into the blender and leave it in the fridge overnight. When you wake up, the frozen berries, mango etc. will be soft enough to blend up in a jiffy! Yum!

What’s your favourite smoothie recipe? Do you use a blender? Immersion blender Magic Bullet?

As I explained a couple weeks ago, the “photo a day challenge” was created by the lovely Fat Mum Slim and the rules are simple – take one photo a day on Instagram, using the themes above. Each month will have a new set of themes.  See the nearly released list for February above!

Don’t fret if you start the challenge late, I did.  Make sure you include #FEBphotoaday in your tweets so everyone can enjoy your daily images.   Thanks to the new changes on Facebook, Instagram photos now appear nice and large in your timeline, so you can share your photos there as well.

Feel free to bookmark this post, and I look forward to seeing your pics!  Follow me on Instagram under username “momspark”.  You can also see my full Instagram feed HERE.

Thank you, Fat Mum Slim for keeping us inspired and bonded through this challenge.

This week, I started on a new road to getting healthy again.  With this new lifestyle comes new recipes, so I will be sharing all of the delicious ones I come across along this journey.

Today, I am sharing the “Better Balancer Shake” recipe from the Nutrilite weight management plan.  I was afraid that this shake would not be sweet enough for me, but I found myself liking it just as much as a regular one.

Better Balancer Shake

• vanilla extract
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh berries (I used fresh strawberries)
• 1 tbsp flaxseed (grind before serving)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

As I sit here writing this blog post, many memories and thoughts are racing through my head.

How did I get here?  Where is “here” exactly? How do I have readers, a community, or followers?  Do they trust me?  Do they really know me?  Do I really know them?

I have been blogging for three years now.  Not long in the grand scheme of life, but my blog has evolved somewhat over that short period of time. What was once an outlet and hobby is now a full-time career. A passion still, yes, but a business nonetheless. I feel grateful that it happened that way, but sometimes I wonder if it changed me in the process, or even how I treat my readers.

I have seen bloggers tainted with the disease.  They reach success (by either creating an income from blogging, traveling frequently to media events, launching new communities, etc.), but leave their followers in the dust along the way. They snub their dear fans at conferences or ignore their reader’s emails and comments.  Their loyal supporters are now beneath them, written off.  Forgotten.

Then their community slowly dies. Crickets start chirping in their comment boxes.  They start to lose credibility and respect.  They lose the very reason they started blogging in the first place.

It is easy to do, trust me.  The more fabulous opportunities you start receiving and media events you attend, the less time you have for everything else, including engaging with your audience.  Thing is, you can’t have one without the other. If the balance is off, you and the reader suffers.

This is something I struggle with often.  The last thing I want is to distance myself from my readers, or have them feel disconnected from me. I cannot express enough how much I value my subscribers and loyal fans, many of which are now good friends of mine.

Our readers are not customers.  Instead, they inspire us to write.  To publish our work.  To share with and learn from.

I am what I am today because they lead me here.  They must not be forgotten.

If I haven’t said it enough lately, THANK YOU. Truly. Please approach me. Talk to me. Never stop.

What about you? Do you regularly engage with your readers and followers, or are you a reader or follower of a community and feel left behind?  I would love to hear your thoughts and comments.

BIG polka dots are BIG this season. Think dresses and cardigans, or even tights. Paired with bright colours — you can’t go wrong. I love that Spring 2012 is going to be all about big prints, especially dots and stripes — as well as bright colours, nearly whimsical. It’s all about fun! Enjoy it!

Here’s what this mama would like to be wearing in the coming months:

1. Red dots! And how cute is that model?, 2. Casual sweater with some big statement spots, 3. Belted dresses are my go-to outfit these days, 4. I don’t even have to see this woman’s face to know she’s loaded with style… and sass!, 5. Adorable dots and a high waist skirt & 6. Classic black and white — you can’t go wrong.

Do you think you’ll be seeing spots this spring?