Ah. It's Friday! You know what that means right? Other than looking forward to catching up on my rest tomorrow morning, it's also time for my Pin of the Week.

Every Friday, I'm not rounding up LOTS of pins I discovered. I'm simply picking ONE pin I've discovered, tried, and LOVED. I don't want to share recipes, crafts, and products with you unless I've first tried them. So, today it's a simple little treasure that I found from an old High School friend on Facebook. It's a great way to boost your calcium, vitamin A, and iron intake. Plus, if you're anything like me, you don't usually get your full recommended dose of fruits and veggies throughout the day. I'll admit, in all honesty, I get SO busy during the day that I forget to eat. This healthy morning smoothie has helped assure that I'm getting essential vitamins and staying healthy.

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Earlier this week I let you guys in on the NEW Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD that hit store shelves, I Heart Minnie. We had the chance to watch it and absolutely loved that this DVD isn't just for girls. It has the WHOLE Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang and perfect for young families to celebrate Valentine's Day and Birthdays alike. My little guy turned 5-yrs-old yesterday and it was really cool to watch the birthday episode with him. 

Now that we've gotten through little man's birthday, we're gearing up for the big "Love Day," by making crafts, baking, and, of course, shopping for the ones we love. Whoo! I'm also really excited to offer you guys the chance to win a really cool I Heart Minnie prize pack valued at over $100!

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We love granola bars in my house. They are great for quick, portable snacks. However, I won’t just buy any granola bars for my family. I make sure I read all the ingredients and choose the ones that will provide the most nutrition.

Kraft Foods recently sent me samples of their new, soon to be released MilkBite Milk & Granola Bars. They also sent me a $10 gift card so I could purchase my family’s favorite granola bars and do a blind taste test!

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Guest post by Jennifer from Still Living the Dream in our three part series on How to Start a Mom Blog. She takes us through her journey as a blogger and brings you great tips straight from the trenches!

Let me start off by saying, I’m not a big player in the blogger world. I’m growing my blog slowly and while it may be taking me a bit longer to get to “the big show”, I’m working hard, having fun and I’ve participated in just enough campaigns and programs to be dangerous. Many people ask me what it’s like to be a blogger and how they can get started and I can completely understand why. The opportunity to participate in fun campaigns, try out new products, write about topics close to your heart and earn a living for your family...all while wearing your PJ’s in your home. What’s not to love?

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I'm a sucker for love. I've always been totally giddy on Valentine's Day. Call it all the pink and reds or call it the chocolate, this is the one Holiday where I don't need an excuse to shower my loves with all that cheesy stuff. You know what I'm talking about .... the cards, the stuffed bears, ALL of it.

Since becoming a Mom, 9 years ago, I've found that I get EXTRA cheesy with my little ones. One year I surprised them with a heart-shaped breakfast feast. Another year, they woke up to pink and red balloons on their ceiling. It's a day of love, not just for sweethearts, but for families as well. So, if you're looking for something to shower YOUR little one with, check out Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I Heart Minnie, now on DVD today!

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Welcome to Part 3 in our Stranger Safety series for families. This series was spawned from a very scary and very REAL experiment we participated in with Local 2 News Houston, entitled CRIME ALERT: Could Your Child Get Out Alive? which aired last night.

We wrote about our playground abduction test on Sunday stating how we felt before taking part in this experiment (by the way my husband did NOT want to do it). You can also see a video of how the KIDS felt after it was all said and done, but today? Today, my hope is that I can give you more than that. Using our favorite stranger safety teaching tool, the kids and I have come up with 10 Stranger Safety Tips all families should know. Oh and did I mention we've got a giveaway to help YOU teach your kids? 

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Welcome to Part 2 in our Stranger Safety Blog Series. Tomorrow, be on the lookout for 10 Stranger Safety Tips AND a cool giveaway of our favorite Stranger Safety DVD.

Yesterday, I wrote a very difficult post. I let you guys in on the Stranger Safety test we participated in with KPRC Channel 2 News. It was heartbreaking. It was eyeopening. More importantly, it was an experience that will be with us for a very long time. KPRC is airing this segment tonight in their all day event titled Crime Alert: Could Your Child Get Out Alive? Put through the test on whether or not she could be lured away by a stranger, my daughter passed. She remembered the stranger safety rules we've taught her over the years, but I'll be the first to admit, I didn't teach her alone. The one tool that essentially saved her life, had this been a real life situation, is a DVD called The Safe Side: Stranger Safety.

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Welcome to Part Two in our three part series on How to Start a Mom Blog. Thank you to Lisa from Milehimama for taking the time to share her expertise and contribute to this series. Check out Part One7 Things to Remember When Starting a Mom Blog.

All right, you know what you're going to write about, you're family is on board with your new venture, and you've thought about how you'd like to make money. Now what?

You'll need an address (domain name) and hosting (a place to put all of your site data.) Then you'll need a site design, usually based on a prepackaged theme. The theme contains the codes that determine how big your headlines are, if you have sidebars and how many, etc. It's the "frame" that your design will hang on. Then you can customize your theme with the colors you want, add graphics and font styles, and so on to bring your site to life.

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My hands are shaking as I type this. My heart beats fast and goosebumps run down my arms and legs. In fact, I'm almost on the verge of tears because I'm about to broach a very, very, difficult subject among parents. I'm about to talk about an experience my family will never forget.

Recently, my family participated in an investigative report with KPRC Local 2 News on Stranger Safety. My family wasn't alone, as we also met Crystal, from Simply Being Mommy, with her family. We weren't prepared in the least. The only thing we were told was where to go, what time to be there, and how we'd focus on child safety. That made me nervous, but as a Houston Mom Blogger, I felt this could help other families, like mine, learn more about keeping their children safe. I had no idea, it would, completely, change our lives.

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I actually had the nerve to ask my husband the other day, "Honey, how do you think Pinterest has affected us as a family?" Do you REALLY want to know his response? It wasn't THAT bad, but he stated, "We're eating more than chicken for dinner."

He's right. I've been really enjoying finding new and easy recipes for the family using Pinterst. This week, I'm sharing with you an easy breakfast recipe. If you love french toast, like I do, you'll see that this recipe takes out all the "elbow grease" in making it on the stove. I found this french toast bake recipe on Rach's Blog and with a few tweaks, I made it fit my family's taste buds.

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Nothing makes me more giddy than to enjoy a classic movie with my children. The last year or so, I've enjoyed the movies I fell in love with as a child with my own children. Movies like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast have given us so many memories together.

It's definitely a joyous moment to see my preschooler watch these movies for the very first time. The release of these Disney classics has given me a different perspective on what a movie can do to my child's creativity and imagination. This month, we get to enjoy, yet another, Disney Classic with our little ones with the release of Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition. For the first time ever on Blu-ray. This heartwarming tale now charms a new generation of families and fans with its exquisite animation and unforgettable songs in one of the greatest love stories of all time.

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Welcome to another month of beauty! Tomorrow we'll unveil the H-E-B Beauty Pick of the month (which is all about skin care by the way), but today I'm all about make-up, but more specifically creating smokey eyes.

As a Cattiva Cosmetics Ambassador, I've had the rare chance to experiment with lots of different color palette for my cheeks, lips, and, now, my eyes. Have you ever wanted to try the Smoky Eye look, but too scared to actually do it? I was always afraid that I wouldn't be able to get it right. Well, Cativva makes it REALLY easy with just one of their mineral eyeshadow quads.

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This is the first part of our three part series on How to Start a Mom Blog. Thank you to Lisa from Milehimama for taking the time to share her expertise and contribute to this series, as it will help new bloggers and Moms, not only in the Houston area, but throughout the country.

Starting a mommy blog isn't difficult, but it does take some thought and planning. First, examine your motives. A blog is interactive. Do you have the time and temperament to foster a community and deal with negative comments? Do you just want to make money online? If you don't want to deal with readers, and/or pure profit is your motivation, a blog probably isn't the best choice. Start a niche website, instead.Remember: The heart and soul of blogging are your readers and your community.

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Sunday, Americans everywhere will be glued to their television for the Superbowl XLVI. Some will attend parties and grub on some delicious food. Others will plan a small gathering of family of friends to critique all the Superbowl commercials. That's the best part, right?

Although, my Houston Texans did not make it this year, I'll be watching with some REALLY cool guys.... The Coca-Cola Polar Bears. These are just SOME of the perks of being a Coca-Cola Arctic Home Mama Bear. The iconic animated Coca-Cola polar bears will be equipped with a TV, computer, smart phone and tablet device. That's my kind of bear!

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I never realized, at this age, my daughter would know exactly what she wants to be when she grows up. In fact, when I was 8-yrs-old, I had no idea. The same ole' answer, every kid uses, blurted out of my mouth, "A doctor! A lawyer! A nurse!" The fact is, I just loved being a kid and, thoroughly, enjoyed my carefree life.

My daughter, however, enjoys her childhood a little different than I did, lost in a book or in her writing journal. She wants to be a writer, "Mom, I haven't decided if I want to be a novelist, a screenwriter, or journalist." Her options are, definitely, open, but what do you do when your child shows so much potential and passion for one particular profession so early in life? How can you, as a parent, encourage her creativity and nurture her talent without her burning out? I thought about those questions, long and hard.

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