Thankfully, Thirty One has come up with a way to carry cool items in style with their Cinch-It-Up Thermal Tote!

Welcome to the Thirty-One Cinch-It-Up Thermal Tote Giveaway

Hosted by The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug and My Saving Game.

This thermal tote is super roomy AND cinches at the top to keep items in! If you’re like me and constantly dumping everything out of your bag, you know how important that is! It’s thermal interior keeps items cool or hot, allowing you to take food along without the worry of it getting hot – or cold! And it’s bright, Spring patters allow you to look fashionable while on the go!

So, whether you’re planning a picnic, a trip to the beach or an afternoon by the pool, make sure you have a way to carry the items you need with this fabulous tote! I have a feeling it will quickly become one of your summer essentials!

And now, one lucky winner is going to win their very own Cinch-It-Up Thermal Tote from Thirty-One Gifts in the pattern of their choice! You’ll be ready for where ever the weather takes you!

We want to give a big thank you to Rachel Kwant, Independent Thirty-One Consultant for sponsoring this giveaway!

So, are you ready to win? Entry is super easy thanks to Rafflecopter. Just use the form below!

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Giveaway will end at 11:59 PM EST on May 18, 2013. Giveaway is open to US residents only, 18+. My Saving Game is not responsible for prize fulfillment. We received no compensation for this post. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and all other social media sites are in no way associated with this giveaway. Please see the Rafflecopter form for full terms and conditions.

Me in Second grade (I thought it would be funny to just show my gums, mom was not laughing! LOL)

At the end of the year my mother (who was THE best advocate ever for her kids) sat down with the teacher the principal and the school board. My mom could see that I was not catching on to reading and that I needed extra help. She requested that I stay back and do first grade again.  Do you know what the school board said to my mom?? “It will take too much of the tax payers money so she will be going on to second grade” (I was in a public school).  My mom fought hard but she lost that battle. Despite my mom’s best efforts to get me the help I needed through tutors I struggled my entire life with school and reading. I hated school, it was extremely hard for me to even get a “C” in school. My reading comprehension was way below par and to this day I am awful reader and because of that I really do not like to read.

When I finished my 5th grade year our family moved from Georgia to Minnesota (yeah it was a shock to the system!) I went from a public school in Georgia (which at the time was at the bottom of the list for good education) to a private school in Minnesota (one of the best schools systems in the country).

I was totally lost. You could have been speaking greek to me and I would have understood just as much.  My teachers in 6th grade could see I was getting further and further behind and just not doing well.  Halfway through my 6th grade year my parents and teachers thought that it would be a good idea to put me back a year so I could at least try and get a little more help.  They left it up to me though because it was going from middle school back to elementary school.  I decided I should do it. So after christmas break I was back in 5th grade. It was THE hardest thing I ever had to do up to that point and I hated it. It should have happened back when I was going into first grade.

Fast forward 30 years. As you all know I have a son.  He has been in kindergarden this past year. The school he is going to has a goal to have the students be 1 grade level ahead by the time they finish the school year (so kindergardeners going into first grade should be at a second grade level) although I disagree with this idea my son seemed to like the school and we both love the teacher so I decided to let him stay.

This coming year we are putting him in a different school. I have been saving for the past year so that I could get him into the private school that we originally wanted him in but could not afford.  He had testing done a few weeks ago for placement.  I though FOR SURE he was going into first grade because, after all, he has been doing all the first grade work while in kindergarden. The tests showed that he is not ready for first grade. They want him to repeat kindergarden.

Am I upset? No, I don’t want him to go through what I went through as a child. I want him to be successful in school and not always struggling. If I can help that in anyway you better believe that I am going to.

I have heard that some parents fight about what grade their child should be in. They think because they are ready academically they are ready for the next grade they should just go. There are other things to consider for your child to make him successful all around. My son is more advanced on SOME things in school but there are other things he really struggles with. Also maturity is something to also consider. My son is ready to be around kindergardeners not first graders. What’s the difference? A LOT! Kids grow up a lot in a year. For my son he is not ready to be with first graders. If he went there he could easily be ostracized and then be bullied because he reacts to stuff more immaturely. If I can help him NOT have that problem I will do it.

So for those out there on the fence or fighting the teacher on what grade their kids should be in remember this is NOT a competition and the teachers have your children’s best interest at heart. They want the child to succeed not to fail. They know better than you do how well they are doing in the class. They know how to help that child the best and just want them to feel good about themselves. It might be hard to do but especially in the younger grades kids don’t care. My son is excited to do kindergarden again and this time I am betting he will flourish!

Listen to the teachers and don’t have them struggle the rest of their life just because you wanted them to go into a grade they are not ready for. Trust me they will pay for it the rest of their lives I do now. I wish I had redone first grade when I had the chance. I wonder how different school would have been for me then. Maybe I would have LOVED school, maybe I would be a reader maybe I could have gotten “A’s” in schools.

So I bet you are wondering who/what or where is The Maker’s Kitchen.  I am a HUGE food network or just plain food TV fan. I love seeing all the food that I wish I could make. It is fun to see what all these creative people do in their kitchen.  Well since I watch it, my 5 year old son watches it too. So last week I was in the kitchen doing something and my son was talking into something hanging around his neck. Here is that conversation

Me: “What are you was doing?”

My son: “I am talking on my microphone to all my kitchen people and telling them what they can and can’t do”

Me: “What kitchen people?”

My son: “The ones that cook in my restaurant”

Me: “OHHH Ok, what is the name of your restaurant?”

My son: “The Makers Restaurant”

Me: “How did you think up that name?”

My son (looking at me like I was crazy): “Because you make stuff silly!”

Me: OK works for me

and whala “The Makers Restaurant” was born.

This restaurant will be run by my 5 year old son and is meant to show kids some easy things they can make with little to no help from mommy and daddy.

So without further Ado here is the first recipe from The Makers Restaurant (owner is a 5 year old)

I know what you are thinking NOTHING worth eating comes out of the microwave especially not a CAKE! I thought the same thing when I originally found the recipe over on “The Yummy Life” but I was willing to give them a try because she made it sound so intriguing (and my boys are chocoholics ).

What you need:

• 1 brownie mix ** use family size for 9×13 pan plus all ingredients needed according to brownie mix instructions
• 1 large egg this is in addition to the eggs called for in the brownie mix instructions (makes the brownie more cake like)
• 16 Dove Chocolate Promise candy pieces (seems to melt the best) I used Milk Chocolate (obviously taking the wrapper off)

What you do: (keep in mind,  this is my son doing it all on his own all I did was put it in the jars and make sure of measurements)

• Put Brownie mix in a mixing bowl

Sorry he would not sit still while putting in the brownie mix

• Spray Ramekins or canning type jars (I used the smaller canning jars) with oil and add a little of the dry brownie mix in the jars to coat it

• Put eggs including the 1 extra egg, oil and water in a separate mixing bowl and whisk together the add to the dry brownie mix and mix all together (I actually put it all in the  mixing bowl together and them mixed it with the whisking attachment not sure if that make s a difference or not)

• Put in a 1/2 cup of the mix into each Jar
• Take off candy wrappers and put in TWO dove chocolates into the middle of the jars

• Add the rest of the brownie mix on top of the dove chocolates covering the all the candy
• Put them in the fridge (will stay up to a week in the fridge) OR
• Put them in the microwave for 1 minute. **note you can do more than 1 at a time just add a 1/2 minute to each extra one you put in (up to 4) I prefer 1 at a time myself.

ENJOY

We gave this batch to his teacher because she will be out for a few days for a surgery so we added tags:

If you are just eating them out of the jars there is no reason to grease them but if you are going to take them out make sure you grease them well and then once cooked take a knife around the edge of the dessert and it will fall out after you cut all the way around the dessert.

They are OUT OF THIS WORLD! YUMMMMMY I swear! Try them yourself you will then always have a quick 1 minute dessert ready for you to eat!!

5.0 from 1 reviews

One Minute Lava cake: From “The Makers Kitchen”

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

1 min

Total time

11 mins

 

SO easy my son did it mostly on his own!

Author: Michelle

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Lava Cake

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 brownie mix ** use family size for 9×13 pan plus all ingredients needed according to brownie mix instructions
• 1 large egg this is in addition to the eggs called for in the brownie mix instructions (makes the brownie more cake like)
• 16 Dove Chocolate Promise candy pieces (seems to melt the best) I used Milk Chocolate (obviously taking the wrapper off)

Instructions

1. Put Brownie mix in a mixing bowl
2. Spray Ramekins or canning type jars (I used the smaller canning jars) with oil and add a little of the dry brownie mix in the jars to coat it
3. Put eggs including the 1 extra egg, oil and water in a separate mixing bowl and whisk together the add to the dry brownie mix and mix all together (I actually put it all in the mixing bowl together and them mixed it with the whisking attachment not sure if that make s a difference or not)
4. Put in a ½ cup of the mix into each Jar
5. Put in TWO dove chocolates into the middle of the jars
6. Add the rest of the brownie mix on top of the dove chocolates covering the all the candy
7. Put them in the fridge (will stay up to a week in the fridge) OR
8. Put them in the microwave for 1 minute. **note you can do more than 1 at a time just add a ½ minute to each extra one you put in (up to 4) I prefer 1 at a time myself.
9. ENJOY
10. ***If you are just eating them out of the jars there is no reason to grease them but if you are going to take them out make sure you grease them well and then once cooked take a knife around the edge of the dessert and it will fall out after you cut all the way around the dessert.

3.2.1753

A few weeks ago we decided to that our 5 year old son should start learning to ride a two wheeler. He was scared to do it and although he did OK he was freaked out about biking on anything but grass. He literally bikes just fast enough to keep the bike from falling (barely). We were not sure how to get him less scared about biking.  Then I got a request to review FirstBIKE.

FirstBIKE is a balance bike.  What is a balance bike?  It is one of those bikes that has no pedals and no training wheels. Here is one of the first times he went on the bike:

Here is their concept:
“FirstBIKE is designed for ages 22 months to 5 years. Its minimum seat height of 12 inches (with Lowkit accessory) enables even 2-year-olds to master the sensation of keeping their balance within hours. Weighing only 8.6 lbs., FirstBIKE is almost three times lighter than a traditional pedal bike with training wheels. This balance bike is truly a model of great design and craftsmanship – instead of using training wheels or inflexible materials like wood or metal, FirstBIKE was designed without pedals and with a flexible and durable high-tech frame. Only the highest quality materials are used for every FirstBIKE, including a high-tech injection-molded composite frame that doesn’t scratch, splinter, swell or rust thanks to its frame and fork made from 30% glass fiber reinforced nylon composite. In my demonstrations of this bike, I lay it on its side and jump up and down on the frame to show how flexible it is! All of this affords tots who train on FirstBIKE safety, balance and pride from the start. This allows them to smoothly transition to pedal bikes without ever needing training wheels!”

My son LOVES this bike. The minute he gets home from school he is on it. He is begging to go out and ride until bed time. I would call that a rousing endorsement.

From a parent’s perspective I was a little worried at first that he was not going to get it because when he would ride it he would move his hands with his feet so then the front wheels would move as his hands did (the video above shows that a little). After a few days of using it he figured it out and now does not do that anymore. He got his balance and here is what he looks like now:

HUGE difference from the first day.

I love how light it is. On his other bikes I always had to help him move it but with this one he can do it himself and actually wants to do it himself:

It was easy to put together. There is no exposed nuts or bolts to protect kids from getting hurt from exposed nuts and bolts. There is a low kit accessory for this bike which lowers the bike down so that kids as young as 22 months can use it. I think the younger the better because there is less fear at that age.

There is only one thing I would change.  The way you adjust the bike seat. It is supposed to be the way it is so that it is easy to move the seat up and down with out getting any tools out. It is a great concept but I think they need to rethink it because it does not hold the seat in the right position for long. Since my son is on the bigger end for this bike we had to have the seat all the way up. The seat would slowly go down. It is not fast is goes down a little at a time. We have had to fix the seat a few times so that it would be the right height for him. I have heard that others do not have this problem so it might just be our bike. Other than that I think this bike is a hit!

I would recommend it to any one. In fact I am going to lend it to a friend who wants to teach her child how to ride a two wheeler. It is well worth the money. It is a hardy bike and works well and light weight.

So who would like to win one? First Bike is letting me give away one of their Street Bikes. You even get to pick the color. Enter below and maybe you will be teaching your child how to ride a two wheeler sooner than you think!

My Saving Game is not responsible for sending the prize.

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I am a grill girl. I swear that grill can make just about anything taste awesome. I am willing to try anything on the grill at least once. So when I decided to try a grilled Pizza I think my husband thought I was crazy but I just LOVED the idea!

Here is what you need: (adpoted from Kitchen Simplicity)

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 package (1/4 oz) quick rise yeast
• 2-3 cups all-purpose flour (I used probably another cup or two because the dough was too soupy)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

What you do:

• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. (Make sure the water is really warm but not HOT that will kill the yeast).
• Add in the rest of the ingredients and kneed (I used my dough hook on my Kitchen aid but you can do it by hand.) Kneed it until it is soft and smooth and slightly sticky.
• Put dough in a greased bowl, cover it and set it in a warm place for at least 15 minutes (I turned on my oven light while I was mixing the ingredients and put it in there)

• Oil the grill really good and preheat on Medium heat.
• Split the dough into 4 pieces

• and roll them out to about 7 inches or so (basically pretty flat).
• Transfer them to the grill to cook for 1-2 minutes (VERY light brown) make sure the of the grill cover is down.

• Take off the grill and add all the stuff you want on the pizza:

• Put back on the grill for another 4-5 minutes until crust is lightly brown and cheese is melted, again with the cover down.
• ENJOY!

Would love to hear some of your idea of what you put on a grill!

Some Sides notes: I think I would also put a little olive oil on the crust before you cook it and maybe put a little garlic powder in the dough. I think that was taste yummy. Really the options are endless!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Quick and Easy Grilled pizza

 

Save Print

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

7 mins

Total time

32 mins

 

Quick pizza crust to put on the grill with all you toppings!

Author: Michelle

Recipe type: Grilled Pizza

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 7

Ingredients

• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 package (1/4 oz) quick rise yeast
• 2-3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Add all the other ingredients
3. Knead until smooth; adding additional flour if necessary to become soft and mildly sticky.
4. Place in a lightly greased bowl; cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.
5. Coat grill with oil and preheat to medium heat.
6. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a 6-7 inch circle.
8. Transfer to the grill and cook, covered, for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned.
9. Remove from grill and add your toppings.
10. Put back on grill and cook, covered, for 4-5 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is lightly browned.

3.2.1753

“What is IBS?”, you ask. Well most people out there might know it more as Spastic Colon. The medical term is Irritable bowel Syndrome. Basically at THE most inconvenient time it flares up.

Picture this… you are out with the girls (or boys).  You are having a great time at the restaurant/Movie/bar or where ever you are.  You get your food and just having a great time.

Yup had a flare up while I was out this night.

Then your IBS is feeling left out and starts yelling (she is SO rude!) Your friends look at you like you are going nuts or feel bad for you as she yells at you. There is nothing you can do but as desperately look for a bathroom wishing you were at home in your own private bathroom because the public ones are just not going to cut it. You are embarrassed , in pain and most people just don’t know how to react while she yells the “I told you so” spiel at you.

I have suffered from IBS since I was a young child but when I discovered stress it became 100x’s worse so let me tell you what I have figured out. First I want to say I am not a doctor or any kind of medical professional these are just my opinions on what worked for me after suffering with this for close to 33 years. If you have not been diagnosed make sure you get check out first to rule out anything else.

There are two types of IBS there is IBS-D and IBS-C. From what I hear IBS-D is not always that painful but you better find a bathroom NOW or you will be in big trouble. IBS -C is the one I suffer from so that is what I can talk about. IBS-C is terribly painful (I have almost passed out from the pain.) I have had a baby and I will tell you that the pain I get from IBS is worse (Do they have epidurals for IBS sufferers? ) Best way I can describe it is put your finger in a vice grip and keep turning the handle until the ends of the vice grip touch, repeat over and over again.

IBS is talked about as a brain/gut connection… why?  Because stress and anxiety is a BIG part of it. The more you are stress the more apt to have a flare up. The one thing that has TOTALLY frustrated me in the past is that Dr’s seem to think it ONLY comes from stress. I disagree.  Yes stress will bring on a flare up BUT I get flare ups sometimes for no good reason at all. So don’t let the Dr’s convince you it is all in your head (it REALLY bothers me when a dr says that), it is not JUST a “head” disease IBS rears her ugly head when she feels the need.

Depression is a BIG part of this.  IBS can be lonely. It is just not something that you talk about while having lunch with a friend. It is gross and honestly who really wants to hear about it. Don’t let IBS rule your life. I did for a long time and I was pretty depressed. I missed out on a lot because of that.

What if’s play totally with your mind. I was anxious (BIG, BIG problem with IBS) about the what if’s.”What if I go and I have a flare up and there is no bathroom”, “What if I get on this plane/car/boat and she reminds me she is came too”? “What if there is no bathroom?”

Fiber I always thought sucked. Why would I even mention fiber then? Because YOU NEED IT!! I fought this one for YEARS! I hate the tastes of fiber stuff. I mean REALLY it tastes like cardboard and that is about it.  I want fried chicken, delicious desserts and ALL sorts of just normal food. I hated that it bloated me and everything that comes with fiber.  First it is a myth that you are bloated because of fiber… yes it can do that but most likely that b@^#* IBS likes to keep you bloated so makes no difference. EAT FIBER daily. There is a ton of stuff out there that has a ton of fiber that actually tastes good. I personally found some of the Fiber one cereals taste great so that is what I use.

Food sensitivities are HUGE and I mean HUGE in the IBS world. You need to find out what can trigger her. You basically have to take certain foods out of the diet for about 2 weeks and then reintroduce them and see if that is the trigger to piss her off. For me I have 2 BIG triggers and 3 smaller triggers. Onions (regular or powdered) are an instant attack for me. Soy is a close second but I can can have Soy sauce and other things with soy as long as it is not the main ingredient. Smaller triggers are rice, sage, cabbage (actually cabbage is close to a BIG trigger). On top of all this those fried/ fatty foods (sorry guys) you really can’t do those! She HATES them.  A lot of IBS sufferers are lactose intolerant (I am one). I am not that severe on that one but can tell when I eat any milk products. Raw Fruits and Veggies are also a big thing. You really can’t eat them in big quantities. Why? because as it was explained to me by my DR it is THEY hardest thing for your stomach to digest so it needs to work harder. Banana’s are the only exception to this. Eat those! They are great for IBSer. No you don’t have to quit raw fruits and veggies all together, you need them but just be careful with them.

So now you ask “how did/do you get past all the anxiety and “what if’s”? Well I will tell you it is not an easy process almost all of my 20′s I did not do much. I couldn’t get past the fact that IF I do have an attack I can’t be in my own private bathroom. I had a shy bladder (or something like that). WHAT if someone was in the next stall while this was going on? It will smell etc, etc. For me I got sick of living in fear, worrying about what other people thought. I trusted God to give me the peace I needed (after a 10 year or longer battle of fighting it). After all how many of those people in that store/bathroom are ever going to see you again? Most likely the answer is never. Is is easy? NOPE but I honestly just don’t care anymore. I want a life and IBS is NOT going to do it for me.

So do I still fight with the What if’s? YUP! It is a battle that will go on probably the rest of my life. I LOVE to travel but let me tell you my stomach SO doesn’t. I am VERY careful on vacations both in the USA and abroad. If I don’t know where a bathroom is I will eat very little and just bring snacks with that I know my stomach tolerate.

In California

So don’t do like me and waste years on worrying about IBS, that is what she wants!! Get out there enjoy life and those that are your friends will totally understand when there are problems or flare ups. I promise it is worth it!

There is a lot more to IBS and this in no means is covering everything but it is something that I wanted to share with everyone. If you do like to travel but afraid to because of not knowing where a bathroom is I have another website that talks about traveling and where and what I rate bathrooms. It is just in the beginning stages and I don’t travel a ton so it is not updates as often but I love doing it! Click here to see that site.

I have been on a food kick lately have you noticed?  No I am not becoming a total foodie blogger but lately cooking has been my thing! So I ran across this awesome food thing going on at the Arizona Science Center

Do you want to try a ton of food from all sorts of Arizona chefs? How about getting it for free? Then April 20th the Arizona Science Center is the place to be!

Just outside of the Science Center at  Heritage & Science Park (in front of Arizona Science Center) from 10 am – 3 pm you can taste the food of all local chefs.

Here is all the information:
WHAT: Arizona Science Center is celebrating the culmination of the Chew on This! film and lecture series with the first annual Grow Phoenix Festival. In addition to educational and interactive activities hosted by Arizona Science Center, the event will feature informative demonstrations by members of the Phoenix culinary community, with a focus on food sustainability in the Valley. A variety of food trucks will join the festival, with a popular local band providing entertainment.

Cooking demonstrations will happen every hour on the half hour (starting at 10:30 a.m.), and will include the following:

• Chef Jon Clancy from M Catering
• Chef Joshua Herbert from Posh Improvisational Cuisine
• Chef Nathan Hirsh from Whole Foods
• Chef Eddie Matney from Eddie’s House
• Chefs Sammy & Zach Sleman from North Italian Farmhouse

Festival-goers who need refreshment will be able to choose from an array of food trucks, which will be onsite between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. They’ll include Island Logo, Burgers Amore!, The Chef Genie, Kona Ice, frufrupops and Paletas Betty. Local band Peppermint James will provide musical entertainment between noon and 2 p.m. (whenever there is not a chef demonstration on stage).

Scientists from Arizona Science Center will be on hand with fun activities for the whole family, including T-shirt design stations, solar manicures, eco-weave projects, a “Calculate Your Food Mile” challenge and much more.
The event is free and sponsored in part by Chipotle Mexican Grill, Whole Foods and M Catering by Michael’s.

WHEN: Saturday, April 20; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

COST: Free

WHERE:Heritage & Science Park (in front of Arizona Science Center)
600 East Washington Street, Phoenix 85004
(Between 7^th Street and 5^th Street)
WHY:Arizona Science Center and Chipotle both share a commitment to the local community and raising awareness of important food-related issues. Chipotle has a track record for changing the way people think and eat fast food through its Food With Integrity vision, including through its own ingredient sourcing, seeking out the most sustainable sources for everything from beans to lettuce and meats. Specifically, Chipotle will serve more than 10 million pounds of locally grown produce this year. Additionally, Chipotle serves naturally raised meat – from animals that are raised in a humane way and never given antibiotics or added hormones – as well as dairy from pasture-raised cattle. Chipotle and Arizona Science Center both wanted to provide a learning platform for all ages, and the Chew on This! film and lecture series provides the perfect, fun way for families to start thinking differently about food, where it comes from, how it was raised and how it will affect the environment around them.

INFO:More information about the event and Arizona Science Center is available by visiting azscience.org or by calling (602) 716-2000.