When I lived in Memphis I had a friend. She wasn't a close friend, but more of an acquaintance. I visited her a few times for playdates and let me tell you. Her house was beautiful. It was nestled in a gated community with white picket fences and laughing children. It was my dream house and she kept it immaculate. One afternoon I stopped by, unannounced to drop off something and with a smile she invited me in. As we walked to the living room, she sweetly turns to me and says, "Oh, ignore that. I was burned out on laundry for two weeks and just now catching up."

That woman had mountains upon mountains of laundry on her couches, on her coffee table, on her floor, on the kitchen table.. They were everywhere. So, how does one get to that point? The point of laundry burnout? How can we, as Moms make the laundry easier?

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Halloween is next week and I feel like I've been celebrating all month long. When I say I've had my share of candy, I mean I might have inhaled a few bags of Milky Ways. Just sayin'. I admit, it's not the prettiest side of me, but I'm SO ready to take the kids Trick-or-Treating! It's just what I do as a Scary Good Mom. Even more so, I'm excited to be co-hosting a Halloween Twitter Party with Fanta and two other awesome bloggers. Won't you join us?!

Come share your favorite Halloween tips, tricks and memories with Lisa Samples, Piera Jolly, and Sara Patterson {That's me!} on Thursday October 27th from 8-9 PM ET {7-8 CST for all you Texas Folk} for the Fanta Scary Good Twitter Party!

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This year, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I've not only seen new companies, media outlets, and brands support the cause, but I've also seen sports associations like the NFL, Little League, and Cheerleading!

Yes, my 8-yr-old daughter is steadily cheering her heart out in Cheer class with other young girls who she is creating a bond with through friendship. Varsity Brands understands that these girls are full of spirit for not only their team mates and the sport of Cheerleading, but also for causes like Breast Cancer. That's why they've come up with a new line of clothing aimed towards these cheerful hearts in the their Let's Go Pink! accessories and clothes for cheerleaders. 

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Halloween is right around the corner and we've been having fun all month long. First, we celebrated with a Halloween themed Birthday party for my 8-yr-old daughter and then we hosted some cool Halloween giveaways thanks to Fanta and Milky Way.

Being that we have less than a week to the biggest fright night of the year, you guys are either A. Prepped and ready for trick-or-treating fun like good Moms or B. Scrambling last minute for costumes, candy, and decorations like me. If you've confessed to the latter, make sure you head over to Family Dollar for a frightful last minute makeover for a price that won't scare your pocketbook.

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In this day an age, you have SO many options when it comes to watching television. We went almost two years without cable. We, simply, relied on services such as Hulu and Netflix. Yeah. We watched Hulu back when it was FREE. I'm sure you don't remember that, but I feel as if we've always been on top of the game when it came to new television services.

Do you remember my Netflix post? You know... the one where I wanted to quit the service SO bad, because it aids in my daughter's addictive behavior? Yeah. That one. We have since, gotten rid of the streaming giant and reverted to Direct TV, but should we have done our research before taking the plunge? There are other providers out there, that I have just now discovered, such as ATT Uverse Texas. So, my question to you? How do YOU watch television?

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Breakfast on those busy school mornings can be a daunting task. I like to prepare balanced breakfasts that are filling and delicious for my kids. It really does get their day started right! My son is easy. He eats cereal almost every morning. My daughter loves breakfast and but she also loves variety.

These Sausage & Cheese Biscuit Muffins are perfect for the busy weekday mornings. They can be made ahead of time and frozen. Just take out what you need the night before and let thaw in fridge. Warm in microwave and serve. They are great with a side of fruit or for a heartier breakfast serve with scrambled eggs.

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Welcome to another Beauty Pick of the Month here at Momma Findings, your one stop blog for all things Family-Friendly and Mom related. As a Houston Mom Blogger, it's been a complete joy to work with H-E-B as one of the Beauty Bloggers for 2011. The program is almost over as we get through October, November, and December. I'm a little sad, yet excited at what the future brings. Stay tuned for a video recapping my Beauty Blogger experience. You won't want to miss it as I take you directly into my bathroom and beauty cabinet. Yikes!

With that said, this month's pick is EverVescence Anti-Aging products. Lately, I've had to take a littttttle more care of my skin than I used because of my age and health. After using EverVescence, I've come to the conclusion that I'm not getting any younger. Shocker. How do you think it faired on my sensitive skin?

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Last week, the family and I went to see Real Steel in theaters. As we were watching the previews, I looked up from my popcorn to see Mr. Bean! Now, I'll admit, I'm not one for dry humor, but the preview for Johnny English Reborn was hilarious! I turned to my husband afterwards and he only had one thing to say about this spy-thriller, "You gotta love Mr. Bean."

While true, in the sense, I have jumped on the Johnny English Reborn bandwagon and giving YOU guys a chance to win a movie night out courtesy of Universal Pictures. Who can go for some Fandango bucks and a double feature of Mr. Bean and Johnny English?

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A few weeks ago, we had early release day at school. Anytime my kids get out of school early, they kind of expect to eat lunch out. Their Ganee always did this with them when she lived in town. Now that she's moved, they give me their puppy dog eyes and I just can't say no to their pitiful faces.

So, the last early release day, I asked them where they wanted to go and it was an immediate, "SUBWAY! They have Lion King bags!" I couldn't say no to that, because Subway has healthy choices for kids, an extra "perk" they're excited about, AND it's a whole 2 minutes from my house.

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I have been, thoroughly, enjoying featuring some of my favorite brands that have made the decision to support Susan G. Komen during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Today, we're excited to introduce a brand we've all come to love, especially us Mommas who take TONS and TONS of pictures of our little ones.

This month Kodak is offering the KODAK EASYSHARE Camera Bundle C1530 Susan G. Komen Edition, a one-of-a-kind camera bundle featuring a 14-megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom and a Kodak Share Button in pink, as well as a slim camera case, 4GB memory card and wrist strap with pink ribbons. What's more, $4 out of every purchase of the camera will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help fight breast cancer. So? Do I even HAVE to ask who wants to win one?

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Yesterday, I let you guys in on the FANTASTIC time we had at my daughter's Halloween Themed birthday party. The kids were so excited at all the games we played and, for me, it was fun to see each child walk in with a different costume. Not only that, but we had so many sweet treats, it was unbelievable.

One particular treat everyone couldn't get enough of was the NEW Milky Way Simply Caramel candy bars. Oh.My.Sweet.Chocolate.Goodness. Have you tried them? If you like the classic Milky Way bars, you'll LOVE these and you KNOW I'm going to give some away, right?

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As a young mother, I was appalled the first time my little one wrote on my wall with crayon. In fact, I was left with my mouth open wide thinking How in the WORLD do I get crayon off my wall?

Three children later, I've had my fair share of experience with cleaning crayon drawings off the wall, pencil art off the table, and marker mess off the furniture. Out of ALL that experience, I can HONESTLY say there is not one product or cleaning solution that I would recommend over the other. All either did little to clean up the mess or cleaned up the mess so well, it took the paint right off with it. What's a mother to do? Well, Goo Gone has a few answers and that's why they asked me to participate in the Goo Gone Passion Project.

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Halloween is right around the corner, but, here at the Momma Findings household, we just couldn't wait to get in a Scary Good Ghoulish Mood. We celebrated my daughter's 8th Birthday last weekend with a Halloween theme. Asking all of our little friends to dress up in costume, we played games, ate spooky food, and had a great time! I had so much fun preparing and cooking for the Halloween Party that I decided I want to help YOU guys celebrate in a safe and fun environment, just as we did! Who's a Scary Good Mom? If you are, you could win an AWESOME Fanta Prize Pack.

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It's been over four months since I visited the Walt Disney Studios with the #DisneyDreamworksEvent. We were immersed in the making of the Winnie the Pooh Movie, as we learned about the animation, inspiration, and adaptation of this Classic we have ALL loved for years.

Today, I'm ECSTATIC to announce that Winnie the Pooh is hitting BluRay, DVD, and Movie Download on October 25th! My preschooler is in LOVE with this movie and, if you remember, I wrote a Winnie the Pooh Movie review, along with TONS of cool behind-the-scenes posts. Don't forget to check that out, but I'm here to give YOU guys a chance to win a Winnie the Pooh Movie prize pack and print some cool Winnie the Pooh activity sheets.

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Yesterday, it was my daughter's 8th birthday. Usually, I make a big deal about it, here on my blog, posting past pictures when she was a baby or possibly dedicating a post to her, but I'll be honest... Yesterday was SO busy. She wanted me to wake her up early so we can curl her hair, pick out her outfit, and gather the cookies for her class. Then we headed off for a very busy day picking up our new Chevy Traverse {more to come on that later}.

One thing we, thoroughly, enjoyed, however, was taking her out to dinner and the Barnes & Noble Bookstore. She gasped at all the books she wanted and added the Nook Color to her Christmas list. She's my little reader and it got me thinking Am I setting a good example? Am I, at all, a "Reading Role Model" to my daughter?

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So, we're driving down the road, all five of us, when I get an all inspired idea. I blurted out, "We should be a family of ___________ for Halloween!" My husband agreed with a, "Heck yeah!" My children's faces gleamed with excitement as they each picked the character they wanted to be.

It's going to be wicked awesome, but I can't tell you quite yet. If I can somehow make these costumes come to life, we'll be the talk of the town. It's really fun to see what creative Halloween costumes people come up with and this year H-E-B is getting into the Halloween spirit as well, by hosting a HUGE Scary Good Costume Contest on their Facebook Page.

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If you and your family are considering a move to San Antonio or just across town and have started searching online for large family apartments to rent, prepare yourself for the limitless options available to you and your family in the “Alamo City.”

Growing families need more living space, especially when it comes to the kitchen and living room. When you have growing children, it’s great to have a large kitchen/dining room for everyone to gather for meals and when it comes to the living room, a family of 5 squeezed into a limited space on one couch is hardly ideal. Not only that, but those mornings-in-a-single-bathroom situations, when everyone is rushing to get out the door on time, really can become nightmarish.

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It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I feel led to highlight brands, companies, and individuals who are supporting the cause. We started with Cottonelle with it's partnership with Kroger, and it's limited edition products. Today, we're focusing on a movie that's set to air on Lifetime called FIVE and it's partnership with a Ford Warriors in Pink.

The 2011 Warriors in Pink line is designed with symbols such as courage, hope, love, and commitment, all of which represent the greatest strengths of Warriors in the fight against breast cancer. These are fashionable items that not only look good but do good, with 100% of the net proceeds going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

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Fall weather is right around the corner but I am still enjoying the final crop from my tomato plants. The tomatoes are smaller than what I got in the heat of the summer but the wonderful sweetness is still there.

I love the fresh flavor of tomato pie but many recipes I have found are full of fat and calories from the crust and the mayonnaise. In order to make a healthier tomato pie, I use tortillas for the crust and substitute a small amount of olive oil for the mayo. This pie is bursting with the fresh flavor of tomatoes and basil. Enjoy this pie year round and it is great paired with a salad or a bowl of your favorite soup.

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A few months ago, I saw a friend of mine mention on Facebook that her home was broken into and all her electronics were stolen. I'm talking flat screen TV, iPad, laptops, SLR camera. It was insane, the amount of money she lost when a burglar decided to target her home.

I'm thankful to live in a neighborhood where we look out for one another, but that's not to say burglary couldn't happen in the middle of the night or while we're out of town. So, how do you keep your home safe? Are home alarm systems the way to go?

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On the tail of, recently released, The Lion King Diamond Edition, Disney is now giving families everywhere a real live look into the life of animals on the African Savanna. Today, you'll find that DisneyNature has now released African Cats on DVD, BluRay, and Movie Download. You think your kids loved The Lion King? Get ready, because they haven't seen cats like this.

My 7-yr-old daughter, who is somewhat emotional when it comes to nature movies, such as DisneyNature: Earth, was surprisingly excited to check out African Cats. I owe it all to the animated film The Lion King because her curiosity was beaming to learn all about the real life of the animals in the African Savanna and today? I'm bring you guys the chance to win it!

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Last night, I sat on my bed, opened my journal, and began to write. I blog full time here, at Momma Findings, and I also write for a variety of platforms through freelance work, however, I couldn't remember the last time I just wrote for me. I've got to be honest. It felt good. The lines of poem easily came out of my fingers and onto the paper so smoothly.

So, what's got me so inspired? I've surrounded myself with other people who like to write, but my 7-yr-old daughter has also been my inspiration. She has become a budding writer and, after reading a poem she had written, I decided to follow her lead. I, as her Mother, decided to nurture her creative talent and help her reach her full potential.

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I wake up with my head in a blur. It's as if yesterday presented itself. I took one look and said, "Ummmmm..... no. Go back and try again and when you're ready to be a BETTER day, you can come back."

But it doesn't work like that does it? I woke up that morning with a refreshed spirit, a hot cup of coffee, a comfy quilt and a prayer {and who am I kidding? It was also my Facebook status}. I prayed, "Consume me from the inside out... Lord. Keep my heart open, my eyes aware, and my focus on your perfectly paved plan for me." Maybe my heart was left a little TOO open? My eyes were TOO aware? My focus was completely gone, leaving me utterly confused and praying something totally different before I closed my eyes last night.

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