Hyundai Santa Fe: "Families Who Rock"

  

 



This post is brought to you by The New Santa Fe from Hyundai. Think your family rocks? Show us by uploading a photo of your family rocking out. Enter now for a chance to win great prizes. 

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we are a family that loves music! with six kids, we could practically start our own band. growing up, music defined so many milestones in my life, and I want my own children to develop this passion for music as well. my first memories of music in my life were dancing in the backseat of my mom's car (i guess, back when seatbelts were uncool), and always carrying my kid's suitcase record player around with a cyndi lauper record. i was a child of the 80's and even then, music was my life.

now, that record player is a thing of the past, and has been replaced with an ipod, but my love of music has never faded. we even have speakers installed throughout our house now, just for music. when we are in the car, we usually can't get out of the driveway without someone saying "turn the music up"!

  

last year, we even made sure we had seats at their very first concert. I remember my first concert, so I know they will too. They had such a memorable time, and there was nothing better as a parent than seeing the smiles on their faces and them singing along to some of their favorite songs.

how do we incorporate music into our everyday? even though music is on often at our house, we use music as a therapeutic resource as well. 4 of our children have ADHD and it was recommended by their doctor to have music playing during their homework times. to get the wiggles out and rehydrate our brains, we often take regular homework breaks as well, which usually results in a 5 minute dance party in our living room. we turn it up and sing it loud.

jason and i spend a lot of time with our kids, and prefer it that way. whether, playing dance central on xbox, going to concerts and music festivals, singing karaoke, rocking out in our car, or having crazy dance parties at home, music is a huge part of our life. there's one thing for sure... we are a family who rocks!

are you part of a family who rocks?

hyundai santa fe and rolling stone are looking for families with strong values that include hard work, sharing, and kindness, but also love to have fun with loud singing, practical jokes, and mischief.

Hyundai Santa Fe "Families Who Rock" Contest

right now, you can enter a photo of your family into the Hyundai Santa Fe "Families Who Rock" contest for your chance to win!

how to enter: upload a photo, demonstrating how your family rocks, along with 500 words or less about your family.

prizes including: a photo shoot with Rolling Stone featuring your family shot by an industry photographer, airfare, hotel, and transportation to the 55th Grammy Awards, and a fully tricked out Hyundai Santa Fe custom rock 'n' roller

ends: december 14, so be sure to get that photo in for a chance to win!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

 joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram 

unilever spreads thanksgiving menu

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thanksgiving is coming up and if you are like me, you have traditions and pretty much cook some of the same foods every year for your family. however, every year, i do try to incorporate at least one new recipe as well. each year my family looks forward to the foods they are familiar with and yet excited to see what new recipe i will add. 

one of my family's favorite recipes i have cooked for years now is my homemade macaroni & cheese. it is by far one of the first things to go on the table. super cheesy with a little kick, it has often been known to fill up half of ryan and mackenzie's plates.

thanksgiving is definitely one of those times during the year that i try to cook from scratch, however,  i will admit to serving stuffing from a box and gravy from a jar. yep, i admit it! recently, my mom gave me a recipe for homemade gravy that i had been wanting to try. for some reason, making gravy is one of those things that i have always been nervous to make because it seemed so difficult, but she ensured me that i couldn't mess this up. rather than ruin a perfectly good thanksgiving turkey with a bad batch of gravy,  i decided to whip up some of my homemade mashed potatoes and see what my little family thought of this new gravy recipe. and, while i was at it, i made some of my macaroni & cheese too.

the results: yum!

how would you like to add a new recipe to your thanksgiving table? check out these two recipes that i am sure you will LOVE!


spicy macaroni & cheese

 you will need:

• 6 tbs. country crock 
• 1/2 lb. elbow macaroni
• 6 tbs. flour
• 3 cups whole milk or unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs

preheat the oven to 350* and grease a 2 qt. baking dish with 1 tbs. country crock.

in a pot, cook macaroni noodles according to the directions on the box. once the noodles are done, drain and rinse with cold water.

melt the remaining 5 tbs. of country crock in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat. when the country crock has melted, stir in the flour and heat for about 4 minutes stirring constantly. be careful not to let the mixture burn.

next, add the milk and whisk constantly until it is thick and smooth (approx. 5 minutes), then remove from heat.

add salt, pepper, cayenne, and 2 1/2 cups of the cheese. then, add the noodles and stir until everything is mixed together well.

pour the mixture into the baking dish. mix the last 1/2 cup of cheese together with the bread crumbs and spread evenly on top of the macaroni.

place in the oven for 20 minutes or until it is golden brown. let set for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

basic gravy 

you will need:

• 1/2 cup country crock
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tbs. worcestershire sauce
• 1 qt. beef, chicken or turkey broth, cold
• salt and pepper

in a saucepan, heat the country crock on medium low heat until melted.

add flour and stir for 5 minutes, making sure the mixture doesn't burn. then, add the garlic and cook for about 1 more minute. 

whisk in a cup of cold broth. add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer on low heat. continue adding broth if you prefer a thinner texture. let simmer on low for 20 minutes. salt and pepper to taste.

there's no doubt both of these recipes will be on our thanksgiving table this year and probably for many years to come.


what are some of your thanksgiving recipe traditions?


Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

the cottonelle® care routine. try it & name it.

 

going to the potty is some pretty big "business" at our house these days ever since elijah has been transitioning into the potty trained phase. we have been having fun coming up with catchy little phrases and songs that make going potty super fun for him, so i was pretty excited when i heard about the cottonelle® name it contest. 

the two-step, enhanced clean routine of cottonelle® ultra comfort care toilet paper and cottonelle® fresh care flushable wipes is catching on quick and it deserves a name! 

 enter the name of your cottonelle® care routine for the chance to win a year's supply of cottonelle® product!
i shared mine, will you share yours? 

enter below

cottonelle® name it

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

beep, beep! who's got the keys to my...SLEEP?

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sometimes getting a good night's sleep can be hard to come by.

six children are a lot of work. even when the older two boys are not with us, four children make for long busy days...especially when 3 of them are ADHD. my day usually starts around 4:30 AM every morning, whether i am driving jason to work because we are now a one car family, or because phoenix and tyler almost never sleep past 5.

i try not to complain too much about the sacrifices i have to make because i chose to have a big family. i knew it was a huge responsibility, but some days i definitely wish my job as a stay at home mom came with a few "lunch breaks".

as much as i try to keep a schedule, it is almost always impossible to stay on task every bit of the way. keeping my children busy and out of trouble leaves little time for myself, especially when naps are no longer in their vocabulary. oh, and did i mention that they aren't exactly easy to get to bed at night either. sometimes elijah doesn't get to sleep until 11 PM.

not having a whole lot of time to myself during the day results in late night cleaning, catching up on my favorite shows, editing photos, answering emails, and blogging. this is usually the time jason and i come together and vent about all of the things that stress us out as well, like... the second car we need, elijah needing to be potty trained, the grass that is now overgrown because we didn't have time to cut it this week. not to mention, eating, showering, and of course, my favorite...SLEEPING!

now that summer has arrived, i have found that my #1 solution to a good night's sleep is making sure the littles get a good night's sleep first. in order to do that, i make sure they spend as much time outside as they can during the day. playing outside all day and having fun in the hot summer sun certainly wears them out. after coming in, taking a bath, and filling their bellies, they are usually in bed around 8 and out within a few minutes. the earlier they get to bed, the earlier i get to bed.

once they are in bed, i can get what i need to do done and quickly send myself to bed as well.  before bed, i pull the curtains tight, make sure there is a nice breeze coming from the fan, put on one of my favorite soothing sounds apps on my phone, and lay my head down on my fluffy pillows. it doesn't take long before i am off to sleep myself.

sometimes getting a good night's sleep is a bit of a challenge and i bet there are a lot of mom's out there that can totally relate.


need help getting a good nights rest? from the makers of vicks nyquil comes zzzquil, a non-habit forming sleep aid for when fluffy pillows and blowing fans just aren't enough. be sure to grab this coupon and check out zzzquil at your local kroger brand store. 

NEW ZzzQUIL SLEEP-AID, BECAUSE SLEEP IS A BEAUTIFUL THING™

what keeps you from getting your best night's sleep? 


i was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All the opinions expressed here are my own. 

 

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

using coupons is pretty smart thinking

Thanks to Tervis for sponsoring my writing. Visit their website http://www.tervis.com to learn more about the world’s first smart cup. ___________________________________________________________________________________
for some people, couponing is their life. they spend countless hours collecting coupons, looking for deals, and shopping the stores all to get as much as they can for next to nothing...sometimes even NOTHING. it takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

however, that is time i just don't have. i do use to save quite a bit of money, but i don't spend a whole lot of time doing it. even if you are saving just a few dollars, that IS money saved, and that money will eventually add up. who doesn't wish they had a few extra bucks each week to treat themselves or even to save for gifts this christmas?

the first thing to remember is that being a "couponer" does not mean you go into your grocery store and clear shelves. i certainly don't. and besides, extreme couponing is like a job. i am not looking to make this a full time career.

the best way to get started is to decide what store you will shop at. if you think trying to coupon at every store in your area to get the best deal is going to be easy, i can promise you it's not. you will become frustrated and more than likely, give up.

stick to one or two stores. my rule of thumb is one grocery store and one drug store.

once you have decided what store you are going to be using, find out what their coupon policy is, including how many you can use per transaction/per day, how many of the same coupon you can use, and whether they double or triple coupons. finding out this type of information helps you decide how many coupons you need before going to the store.

why collect 100 coupons for the same item if your store only allows you to use 3 coupons for the same item per day? coupons usually expires within 6-10 weeks and most items only go on sale once every 12 weeks.

collect & clip: there are several ways you can acquire coupons: ask a friend, neighbor, or co-worker for their coupons they don't want, buy the newspaper, or visit a recycling facility. there are also coupons in magazines, at the grocery store, and even the ones that can be printed from online.

then just simply clip coupons and match them with sales going on at your store to get the best price.

i don't make it difficult and time consuming, yet i am a still able to save money to feed my large family.

i once filled a basket with toiletries for an unexpected house guest. i also filled a basket with different pastas and sauces to welcome a new neighbor. i have even donated to my local food bank. i was able to do this because of coupons.

so, next time you think about throwing those coupons away, think again and save some money by actually using them.

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I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about Tervis, visit their website http://www.tervis.com.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry