Join Sun-Maid's Board of Imagination

Saturday, February 20, 2021

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Have you ever thought about what you would do with an entire day of imagination?! Where would you travel? Who would you become? What would you create or design? Just like Sun-maid raisins, the possibilities are endless when you use your imagination!

 


You may not know this, but Sun-Maid has re-imagined and re-invented the raisin over the last few years.  From yogurt covered to chocolate covered to sour raisins that taste just like candy! Yum!  Imagination is truly at the core of Sun-Maid and how Sun-Maid operates.

 

That is why Sun-maid has launched a new campaign devoted to imagination called The Board of Imagination!  They are looking for 5 kids to join this amazing board and get creative with the Sun-Maid team.  

 

Winners will have the opportunity to work with Sun-Maid executives to impact future snacks and brand initiatives, and win a handful of awesome prizes, including: a $5,000 scholarship, and a $5,000 donation + a year's worth of Sun-Maid snacks for their school.

 

You can go to www.sunmaid.com/imaginethat/ for more details on on to enter, which parents, I highly encourage you to do with your child!  I would even have them encourage their classmates to join in on the imagination (and fun).



I asked my girl's why they thought using their imagination was important.  My oldest had the best answer; because it makes your brain work, it's a lot of fun and you can be and doing anything you want!  I hope that they can continue to have that mindset and dream BIG!

 

I even asked my girls' what they would do with a day devoted entirely to their imagination and I loved watching their little minds go right to work.  Their response was exactly what I expected from two outgoing, fun-loving girls, who honestly use their imagination daily.  They said that they would  travel around the world, starting with India!  Have you ever read The Princess in Black?   She is a crime fighting princess, which is what Charlotte wanted to be while traveling the world and my oldest was a cat villain, turning everything into cats! It was so fun watching them travel from place to place trying to catch each other!



So, is your child's creativity ready for a seat on our Board of Imagination?  Don't forget to check out Sun-Maid's website for more details and to apply.

 

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Holiday Gift Guide for Girls | ages 1-6

Sunday, December 6, 2020

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This post is sponsored by Babbleboxx. As always, opinions are 100% honest and my own.

 

Who else thinks this year went by incredibly fast?! Just me? I guess four kids will do that to ya ;)  I am so excited for Christmas this year and to make some fun memories with my girls.  My twins are at such a fun age and I can't wait to watch them wake up Christmas morning and open presents under the tree with their big sisters.  

 

If you are still on the hunt for the perfect gift and some amazing stocking stuffers, I've got you covered!  I'm sharing some great ideas for girls and some pretty awesome discount codes.

 

 

 

Will You Be My Friend book by Sam McBratney

 

One of my girls' favorite things to do is read and we love to get a new book!  Will You Be My Friend is the sequel to Guess How Much I Love You (which we received when my oldest was born) and the perfect addition under our tree this year.  My twins couldn't wait to get their hands on it! They are after all, the best of friends!  This would make a great bedtime book and is such a sweet, playful and warm book full of adventure!

 


Silly Skaters Unicorn Inflatable Ride-On Toy by Kid Trax

 

This inflatable unicorn is ah-mazing and incredibly easy to blow up as it comes with an air pump!  It is sturdy and so much fun, which are two really important things you when you have twin toddlers.  This ride-on toy is perfect for ages 1-3 (and even for my five year old who still meets the weight requirements...haha!).  The wheels even light up! Does it get any better than this?  It is very reasonably priced and would make a great gift for any toddler. 

 

Enjoy $5 off using code Babble5 until December 14th.

 

 

Let’s Talk Conversation Starters and Grab-n-Go Conversation Cards/ Let’s Jokes! / Let’s Think!/ Let’s Talk!

 

My older girls, ages 5 and 6 love to tell jokes!  These are going to be such a fun find for them when they open their stockings for Christmas.  We also love finding things that allow us to find ways to talk to our daughters and these grab-and-go conversation cards are going to wonderful to use year round.  I love that both of these stocking stuffers can be taken on road trips too!  These are going to be hours of fun for us.  Not to mention, 100% money back guarantee if you are not satisfied! I promise you though, your kids will thank you!


Use code MERRY for a free unicorn plush with orders over $40.

 

 

Assorted Soaps from Beloved Bath

 

I love a company that gives back and Beloved Bath is just that.  This company was founded by moms who have children with autism.  They give meaningful employment to those with Autism and even give a portion of their profits from every sale goes to autism education- specifically for vocational training!

 

These bath soaps smell absolutely amazing and the designs are perfect for kids.  I also love that they are vegan, phthlate free and there is no animal testing. They also make candles that would make a great gift for anyone!

 

Enter the code BABBLEBOXX at checkout and save 15% off your entire order now
through December 20, 2020. Limit one per customer.



Baby Alive Tinycorns

 

This sweet doll is the perfect little doll for my girls! My twins are very into feeding, changing diapers and more when it comes to baby dolls.  This one has it all!


Tinycorns baby doll comes with an adorable unicorn dress and her cup is sparkly! I don't know a little girl who wouldn't love that!  After your Tinycorn baby doll drinks from her sparkly cup, she really "pees" like a baby and you get to change her diaper!  I love that this allows my girls to feel big and it really gets their imagination going when playing!

 

You can get yours here.

 

 

Play On! from Bay Area Children’s Theatre

 

Play On! is a screen-free, audio-musical adventure with a storytelling kit that I really wish I had heard about sooner!  I know that this is something my two older girls are going to have a blast with when they open it!  Play On! has individual kit options or you can get a subscription, which I highly recommend doing!

 

They have options for ages 3-5 (Discover), 5-10 (Adventure) and even for the entire family (Holiday)!   Each ones allows your child to choose their own adventure without screen-time.


Use code ADVENTURE10 to get 10% off all Play On! orders.


What would you add to this list?


 
 

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Celebrate National Bread Month with No-Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Thursday, November 19, 2020

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 This post is sponsored by Sun-Maid, but all opinions are my own.

I can't believe that we have already made it to holiday baking season and one of our favorite times of the year!  This year has flown by for us, even considering we have been in our house for most of it.  For many of us, this holiday season looks a little different from others.  We are still going to make the most of it and continue many of our holiday baking traditions.


Did you know that November is National Raisin Bread month?!  We love a good raisin bread (especially using our favorite Sun-Maid Raisins) and this simple No-Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread is a favorite of mine to bake up in the kitchen with my girls.  It's simple, rustic and delicious.  We've baked this up a lot and it never disappoints.  It's a great recipe to make for any time of the day and although we won't be enjoying this bread with our extended family and friends, we will be wrapping it up and giving to our neighbors as gifts this season.


I love including my girls when being in the kitchen, whether it be cooking or baking.  It's a great way to not only make some fun and messy memories with them, but it's also a great math lesson, a lesson on sharing and taking turns and a little responsibility when cleaning up.  Thankfully this recipe doesn't require a lot of clean up, but it does require some patience when proofing, which is also great for them to learn!

 

I always love to save a little dough for them to play with while waiting too!  Besides eating the bread, this is probably their favorite part.  I bring out some small rolling pins, cookie cutters and we snack on leftover Sun-Maid Raisins that didn't make it into the bread ;) They will play with this for hours (no kidding!) and I enjoy watching how creative they get when playing with the leftover dough.


I love how incredibly versatile Sun-Maid Raisins are- from baking to snacking to using for counting...as moms, we have to get creative as well!  It also doesn't hurt that they are whole fruit with 0g added sugars and are naturally sweet.  Naturally made with nothing but grapes and California sunshine, Sun-Maid Raisins’ timeless and trusted goodness has been a healthy snack for kids and grown-up kids alike since 1912. You can't go wrong with that!

 

This bread is seriously delicious as is, smothered in apple butter or even as French Toast the next morning!  I encourage you all to get in the kitchen this holiday season and bake with your little ones.  I promise you, despite the messes you make, the memories you are going to have are worth it! 

 

For more holiday inspiration, tips and advice be sure to follow Sun-Maid on social via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can purchase Sun-Maid California Raisins from Walmart here .


 No-Knead Cinnamon Raisin Bread
 Yield: 1
Prep Time: 9 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 9 hours 55 minutes 
 

Ingredients:

  •     3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
  •     2 teaspoons salt
  •     3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
  •     3/4 cup water
  •     3/4 cup whole milk
  •     1 cup Sun-Maid Raisins
  •     2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  •     1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions: 

Place the flour, salt, yeast, brown sugar, and raisins in a large mixing bowl.

Combine water and milk and heat briefly until luke warm. You can either do this in a small sauce pan over low heat or in a heatproof glass measuring cup in the microwave for a few seconds. It should be lukewarm to the touch but not hot.
 

Add luke warm mik mixture to the flour and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until it forms a shaggy dough. The dough will be very rough, not at all smooth. --> My girls love this part!
 

Sprinkle dough with 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon and use a spatula to roughly "cut" the cinnamon through the dough. You want it distributed but not completely mixed in.
 

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise on the counter for 8 hours. Make sure you place the bowl in a warm place, away from any drafty windows or direct sun. The dough should double in size and become bubbly after 8 hours. I like to put mine in the oven where I know it will rise undisturbed.  My girls take this time to play with leftover dough!
 

Once the dough has proofed, turn it out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Quickly turn the dough over a few times, shaping it into a round loaf. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour more.
 

PRE-HEAT OVEN! 30 minutes before the dough is finished proofing, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a Dutch Oven (with lid) inside to heat on the center rack.
 

Using the parchment paper to lift, carefully transfer the dough (still on the paper) to the preheated Dutch oven. If desired, score the top of the dough with a sharp knife so that the bread can expand while baking. This isn't necessary but it makes a loaf pretty!
 

Use oven mitts to cover and bake for 30 minutes. Careful, the lid is very hot!
Remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes more to brown and crisp up the crust. If the loaf is looking too brown you can keep it covered for part of this time.
 

Carefully remove the bread to a cooking rack and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes but up to 30 minutes before slicing.
 

Tips for Proofing No-Knead Bread
Plan Ahead – calculate the entire time it will take you to proof and when you want to bake and eat this bread before you begin! It will take an entire 9 hours to proof (total) plus an additional 45 minutes to bake. It seems like a lot, but this truly is the easiest bread to make...I promise, it's worth the wait.
Warm Spot – find a warm spot to proof your dough. You don’t want a cold drafty area or direct sun!
Cover tightly – When proofing you want to cover your bowl tightly with plastic wrap so that no air can get in and dry out your dough. For the second proof, you will want to cover completely with a light weight dish towel. Don’t use anything that will deposit fuzz however. I like cotton or linen for this.

ENJOY!

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