Celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day with Krusteaz!

While there is no shortage of slightly obscure holidays that pass by without as much as a mention each week (you missed Go For Broke Day, Draw a Picture of a Bird Day, and National Jelly Bean Day last month, sorry!), there are also those that I find that are worth celebrating.

Namely that today, May 15th, is National Chocolate Chip Day! Yes, please!

Although grabbing a package of tasty chocolate chips to whip up a standard cookie (or, ahem, eat them straight out of the bag) works, you can instead indulge your sweet tooth by providing a variety of even more delectable, delicious treats throughout the day by turning to Krusteaz!

Delighting families for generations, Krusteaz began back in 1932 with an easy-to-make pie crust and has since expanded to include pancakes, biscuits, muffins, brownies, breads, desserts and much more.

Whether you reach for one of their classic favorites or one of the new additions to their premium product line, you can be confident that they have included only the finest and freshest ingredients and that the result will be a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Even better, I adore the way that Krusteaz baking mixes can be used as-is or can be incorporated into any number of great recipes for even more easy and delicious options. Case in point, go grab these three Krusteaz mixes immediately so that you can get in on celebrating National Chocolate Chip Day in style!

Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix

Start the morning off with chocolate chip pancakes or take it to the next level with Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pancakes.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pancakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6-7 pancakes

Directions

Prepare Krusteaz Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix as directed for 1 cup mix, adding ¼ cup peanut butter chips to batter (see below).

Heat pancake griddle to 375°F (medium heat). Lightly grease griddle.

Add 1 cup pancake mix and ⅔ cup water together with a wire whisk. Add ¼ cup peanut butter chips to batter. Batter will be slightly lumpy, do not overmix. Let batter stand 2 minutes. Pour slightly less than ¼ cup batter per pancake onto griddle.

Cook pancakes 1-1¼ minutes per side, or until golden brown, turning only once.

Chocolate Chunk Muffin Mix

Combat the afternoon lull with fresh chopped espresso beans on top of Chocolate Espresso Muffins!

Chocolate Espresso Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 package of Chocolate Chunk Muffin Mix
½ cup of strong brewed coffee
⅓ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
½ cup chocolate covered espresso beans, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a bowl, stir together muffin mix, coffee, oil and eggs until well blended. Fill lightly greased to paper-lined muffin cups, filling ⅔ full. Top muffin batter with chopped espresso beans. Bake 17-19 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix

Bake chewy and delicious cookies for recipes like Mini Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, perfect for the warmer weather!

Mini Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 Minutes
Servings: 12

Directions

Prepare Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix as directed (see below).

Heat oven to 350°F, stir together 1 egg, 1 stick of butter, and cookie mix until dough forms. Scoop dough into small balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light golden brown around the edges

Allow cookies to cool completely. For each ice cream sandwich, add slightly softened ice cream between two cookies. Return to freezer until frozen.

Now we're talking, right?

With everything from classic cookies to Pumpkin Spice Muffin Mix, there's a Krusteaz mix for everything. Whether you're like me and follow the recipe or you're more of a creative baker — it's very easy to take any Krusteaz mix and whip up your own creation — the end result is something that will always wow family and friends, whether for an important holiday like today or simply for a sweet treat!

Be sure to head over to Krusteaz.com to find out more about all of their incredible products, while also connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

I was provided product from Krusteaz in exchange for writing this post, however, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

National Mom's Nite Out: The Ultimate Celebration of Motherhood {#NMNO15}

Let's have a little heart-to-heart, shall we, moms?

Think back to the last time you spent an evening out simply chatting and having fun with your best girlfriends. No kids, no dates, no forced attendance to an event or social outing that left you feeling uncomfortable; just laughter and relaxation with your friends.

Now, how long ago was this evening? A few weeks? A few months? Even more? If it's been a while, you're not alone! It's not uncommon for moms to get overwhelmed with responsibilities and full schedules that don't seem to allow for quality time with friends.

Which is exactly why there is no excuse to not put your foot down once a year and join women everywhere annually to celebrate the one and only National Mom's Nite Out!

Founded in 2008, National Mom's Nite Out is an annual event that gives moms the opportunity to join together and celebrate motherhood. Each year, moms all over the world host National Mom's Nite Out events in their homes and communities by inviting their best girlfriends out for a night of fun conversation, snacks, and drinks.

This year, National Mom's Nite Out fell on Thursday, May 7th (don't be bummed that it has already passed, just mark your calendar and start planning for next year's event on May 5th, 2016!) and I was more than happy to have an extra excuse to plan a special evening filled with laughter and friendship with some of my favorite moms!

Even better, a party kit filled with fun activities, recipe and craft ideas, and goodies from names including HP, MyPrintly, Bicycle Playing Cards, Provident Films, Entenmann's, and more arrived to make the night even more unforgettable.

Who wouldn't have fun with a spread like this?

I am respecting a few of my friends' wishes to not include their photographs online, however, I can't help but share a bit of the entertainment and good times that we had with some of these items.

We enjoyed the delicious, melt-in-your-mouth goodness of Entenmann's Little Bites (chocolate chip!) and all agreed that their delicious pre-portioned pouches are perfect for snacking just about anytime, anywhere. Any leftovers have been going with my girls in school lunches, for after soccer games, and more!

Also, anyone who wanted to had a sample of the Cordina Classic Lime Mar-GO-rita...

...while there was no shortage of drink mix inspiration thanks to the hilarious Bicycle Cocktail Party playing cards.

The look on my friends' faces were priceless when they realized that what looked like a traditional deck of playing cards...

...actually each feature a unique drink recipe right on the cards themselves!

Who knew that you could turn to your deck of cards for recipes for a tasty Mimosa or Grasshopper?

Along with these fun snacks, drinks and games, our Mom's Nite Out was filled with a great deal of talking, catching up and laughter. There is no doubt that, as moms, we cherish and adore our children... but it is just good for the soul to have an evening away with friends just relaxing and being ourselves!

As the party started to wind down, I did make sure that each of my gals took home a goodie bag...

...that included their own deck of Bicycle Cocktail Party playing cards, assorted snacks, candies, a very cool HP Photo Card Pack from MyPrintly (with instructions from me to visit the MyPrintly website to get inspired to create unique and personalized craft projects of their own), and more.

Could I have done more to decorate and plan and prepare for my party? Sure. But did it turn out to be a fantastic, memorable evening anyway simply because it was spent with friends having a great time? Absolutely!

Don't you and your friends deserve to relax, reconnect, socialize and enjoy some well-deserved girl time? Then head over to MomsNiteOut.org to find out much more about this amazing event and how you can participate next year and long into the future. You'll also want to connect with Mom's Nite Out on Twitter and Facebook as well as throughout social media at the hashtag #NMNO15 to see even more great recaps of this year's extravaganzas!

I received free products in order to host a National Mom's Nite Out party, however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Life Feeling Chaotic? Uncomplicate Things with an Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh 'Sanewich!'

No matter what the outward appearance our lives give off, I would bet that just about every parent out there would agree that life can get a little insane sometimes.

Between work and school and cooking and errands and appointments and activities... I don't know about you, but my everyday does not resemble a Pinterest board. Why didn't anyone warn me that motherhood was going to be this chaotic?

Fortunately, there is now an easy (and delicious) way to make life a bit more relaxed and uncomplicated — just grab a Sanewich from Oscar Mayer!

A (humorous) way to predict the future, moms everywhere can be prepared for what is yet to come and just what sort of situations and predicaments their child(ren) will get into thanks to Oscar Mayer's new Sanewich tarot cards.

Each of these 10 cards have given me a chuckle (The Errands card foretells more tasks to get done than hours in the day and The Long Drive card predicts that wild stir-craziness will follow you for untold miles ahead. Completely accurate!) and I couldn't wait to see which crazy situation my own tarot card would depict.

Alas, my life was summed up precisely when mine arrived:

Do I need to even begin to explain how many times I've seen Frozen with Little Sister B and Monsters University per Big Sister E's request?

But why fight it? Instead, I prefer to kick back and relax and, even though I'm reciting the words in my head right along with the characters, enjoy the moment. And we don't need to go all out with fancy snacks or decorations to watch the same movie over (and over) again, we just need a comfy place to sit and a plate filled with something tasty... such as Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh!

In a world where life can often be unnecessarily complicated, Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh can help keep it simple as it provides us the ability to have quality lunch meats anytime. No matter what sort of craziness occurs — due to kids, work, traffic, an internet outage or more — an Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh 'Sanewich' just might be the key to turning things around!

Plus, if you ever need a little extra inspiration as to how to turn your favorite Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh into a delectable dish, Sanewich.com has a whole slew of mouthwatering ideas.

Although none of us will be able to ever actually predict the future and therefore be fully prepared for what insanity might occur later in the day, it's time that we all stopped stressing over meeting the unnecessary and unachievable ideals that are portrayed on television, in movies and magazines, and online.

Instead, grab a package of Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh... it's Sanewich time!

Find out much more about the wide variety of delicious Deli Fresh options (as well as other beloved Oscar Mayer products) by visiting OscarMayer.com and connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This post is part of a compensated campaign with Kraft, however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

What Time Is It? Time for Compassion and Time for Change with Nature's Time {Review}

As we do our shopping on any given day, it's easy to focus on the most traditional categories: the most sought-out electronics and toys for our kids, the healthiest and freshest foods to feed our families, the ultimate in stylish home decor and apparel to impress our friends, and more.

But what if there was something more? What if there was a way to purchase a product that would be enjoyable and functional while, at the same time, it helped to make a difference in the world? One that gives knowledge and a feeling of social responsibility? Inspiration and encouragement to take action in our lives to think of not only ourselves?

That's exactly what is found with the watches from Nature's Time.

On a mission to empower their customers, Nature's Time was created not as a product but as a movement. Why purchase a watch elsewhere when this company allows consumers to make a difference to end bullying while making a fashion statement?

Nature's Time was created in the heart of San Francisco by founder and active Registered Nurse, Christian Panaligan. Christian was motivated to influence a change after hearing about heartbreaking shootings and suicides linked to bullying and how the advent of cyberbullying has made the problem even worse.

As a bullying victim himself, Christian's escape was nature where he found strength and beauty there. He has integrated the idea of nature into his watches: to create a beautiful fashion accessory, using natural materials, with the goal to spread compassion and awareness to victims of bullying.

As Nature's Time has partnered with Free2Luv as they fight bullying through community outreach, awareness campaigns, and events, the purchase of each watch directly helps six bullying victims. Pretty awesome, right?

Needless to say, I was pretty much riveted as soon as I began browsing Nature's Time. Their collection of stunning, sustainable, eco-friendly, toxic-free watches manage to seamlessly combine fashion sense with social good. The results are downright incredible!

I was already in love with the concept of Nature's Time, but when I pulled one of their high quality timepieces out of the box, the sleek, simplistic design of the Brown Sandalwood on Black Steel really sealed it for me.

Featuring 100% natural wood and steel, this watch embodies minimalism at its best while the small details (e.g. Japanese Quartz Movement, date function, and water resistant capabilities) ensure accurate, dependable use.

The result is that my husband loves the uncomplicated overall look and its ability to match with any outfit from jeans to a suit...

...while I am extremely proud that this beautiful watch represents the strength, beauty and compassion that Nature's Time believes in.

In today's day and age of smartphones, wearing a watch has nearly become a thing of the past. However, when you can wear one that supports a wonderful cause and shows your beliefs in a better society, wouldn't you?

The combination of good design and good cause has arrived in the form of a watch with social impact. Nature's Time has just debuted on Indiegogo today, where the men's five design styles start at $89 (retail value $179) for the first 50 sales. Once $100,000 in funding has been reached from the Men's Collection, the women's line of six styles will be released also at $89 (retail value $179) for the first 50 sales. Don't miss out on these and the other amazing options they have listed!

Find out more about this wonderful company and these gorgeous watches by visiting Natures-Time.com and connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Isn't it time that we all supported a company that strives to give us the ability to check the time and change the world all at once?

Other than the Nature's Time watch that I was provided to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this post in any way. This review is solely my honest opinion of this product and this amazing company.