4X gas points for gift card purchase at Kroger + $50 Visa GC #Giveaway {Ends Dec 11} #KrogerGasnGifts and more

Thanks to Tatu Digital Media for partnering with me to bring you the details on this awesome 4X gas points for gift card purchase at Kroger promotion, and for being the host & sponsor of the Giveaway!

If you plan to purchase Gift Cards for those on your holiday list this year, you’ll want to hurry in to your local Kroger to purchase them! For a limited time, you can double dip on savings when you use your rewards credit card at the time of purchase. It’s an excellent time to stock up on gift cards to use in your holiday shopping, to stock up on gifts for the upcoming year, and for everyday personal use!

Find a store near you HERE ==>>http://j.mp/2y8uZRC. You’ll want to check with your local store for full details, and keep in mind that the variety of available Gift Cards may vary from store to store.

How do you use Gift Cards in your everyday life?

• Purchase Gas Gift Cards to pay for fuel at the pump, allowing you to earn rewards! Excellent for travel and daily commuting.
• Shopping at specific retailers? Grab some gift cards to pay for the purchase & earn rewards!
• Dining out? Grab the gift card ahead of time, so you can earn rewards!
• Need gifts for family members, teachers, coaches, neighbors, service people? A gift card is a universally loved item, and earning rewards makes it even better!
• As an added bonus to earning rewards, using gift cards at many places can also add a layer of safety, since you won’t have to risk using your credit or debit card at the time of purchase at so many retailers!

Starting 11.21.18 to 12.11.18 smart shoppers earn 4X Fuel Points when they purchase gift cards at Kroger!

Here are a few important details:

• • Earn 4 times more gas points when you buy gift cards at Kroger stores.
  • Earn Credit Card Rewards too: By using your favorite rewards credit card to purchase, you can earn points, miles or a percentage back on your purchase.
  • Gift cards are great for holiday gifts or save for yourself!
  • Savings like this are a win/win

Find your local store here: http://j.mp/2y8uZRC

Don’t forget to enter the Giveaway below for your chance to win a $50 Visa Gift Card. As a reminder, this giveaway is hosted and sponsored by Tatu Digital Media. They will be selecting and notifying the winner at the end of the event. Good Luck to you all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

                  

Welcome to the Oh the Places You’ll Go Giveaway Hop, hosted by The Kids Did It and The Mommy Island. This hop will run from Sept 4 – Sept 18. The prize at this stop is a $25 Amazon GC.

Pumpkin Spice Playdough – This full craft and pictures will hopefully be up today. Many of you may have noticed my absence over the Summer (post move), and it’s due to some medical issues – very thankful for improved medical care in our new State! I felt good early in the day and have the craft ready to go, but then not so great, so it’s time to rest. I did share the full ingredients and instructions though, if you’d like to get a jump start on trying this Be sure to check back for the pictures!

Pumpkin Spice Playdough Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Playdough Step 1

Pumpkin Spice Playdough Step 2

Pumpkin Spice Playdough Step 3

Pumpkin Spice Play Dough
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
¼ cup salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water
Orange food coloring

Additional Materials:
Popsicle Stick
Thin sticks
Leaves
Vines

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the flour, salt, cream of tartar and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until incorporated.
Add the olive oil, water and food coloring and stir continually until mixture thickens and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and starts to form a ball.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Place the cooled play dough on a non-stick surface and knead until the color is consistent throughout the dough and the texture is smooth.
To create pumpkins, divide dough into even sized balls. Flatten slightly and use your thumb to press down on the top center.
Use the side of a popsicle stick to gently press down the sides of the ball to create the grooves similar to a pumpkin.
Break off a small piece of a stick and press in the top center of the pumpkin to create the stem.
Add leaves and vines with the stem to complete the play dough pumpkins.

Note: Store in an airtight container to prevent drying. If the play dough starts to dry out, add a little olive oil and knead.

Giveaway: One $25 Amazon GC.

                  

Welcome to the School Days Giveaway Hop, hosted by Savings In Seconds. This hop will run from Aug 16- 30. The prize at this stop will be a $25 Amazon GC.

I am so excited that my kids will be starting school today at their new schools! It’s been a hectic, busy summer of moving across the country, into temporary housing, then into our new home. We got our first electric bill, we were pretty nervous – temps have been over 100 all month, several days over 110. However, one of the benefits of the home we selected is that the builder uses Spray Foam Insulation as a standard material, and our first bill for 33 days was just $81 – for a two story house!

I hope all of the children in your life have fun and exciting transitions into the new school year too

                  

Beach Sensory Bin

Many of you know I have a son who has an Autism Spectrum Disorder and a Sensory Processing Disorder. When he was very, very young, we started intervention therapies to help him overcome the challenges ahead of him. Now, he is a teenager, and the therapies have done WONDERS for him! He amazes me each and every day, as he takes on challenges without fear, and conquers them. This Beach Sensory Bin Project is fun for children of many ages and abilities, and I hope it inspires some fun creativity for your family Enjoy!

Beach Sensory Bin

Materials:

Play Sand

Water

Blue Food Coloring (optional)

Large storage bin

Optional: toys, shovels, shells, etc.

Directions:

Pour enough play sand into the bin to fill up half of the space.

Fill a pitcher with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Stir to blend the color into the water. Pour the blue water into the empty side of the bin.

Add beach toys, shovels and shells into the bin. Kids can enjoy digging in the sand for shells, scooping up the sand, and splashing in the water with their hands.

Notes:

The bin in the picture used approximately 25 pounds of play sand. I purchased a 50 pound bag of play sand at Lowe’s in the garden section for around $3.

For this giveaway event, the prize will be a $25 Amazon Gift Card that you can use to purchase the Sensory Craft Book of your choice. There are many great books to choose from, to help you get ideas for fun and creative sensory crafts!

This month, we’re celebrating excellent products and brands in the Award-Winning Giveaway Hop! This event runs through July 17, 2018. Be sure to enter to win a package of gluten free, award winning BFree foods at Savings in Seconds blog! Disclosure: Hop host and participants are not responsible for sponsors that do not ship prizes.

*Note: Thank you to each of you for the kind comments and emails checking on my family during our long distance move. It hasn’t gone as smoothly as we’d hoped and planned for, with some medical issues popping up, and some logistical issues with the relocation company. BUT, we found a new house and were able to close in around 3 weeks due to some hard work and diligence with our Credit Union, and able to move in over the past 4 days. Our internet provider got me connected to the internet today (YAY) and I’m working hard to get the important boxes unpacked, medical appointments followed up on, and hope to be back to regular posting very soon! Thank you all for your patience

Kids Water Beads Sensory Toys: Reusable & Non Toxic Growing Jelly Balls – Educational & Therapy Toy – Safe for Toddlers – 20,000 Colorful Gel BeadsJonti-Craft 0285JC Sensory TableNational Geographic Play Sand – 2 LBS of Sand with Castle Molds and Tray (Blue) – A Kinetic Sensory ActivityJonti-Craft 2871JC See-Thru Sensory TableKarma Keepers Rainbow Rice Colored Rice Mix Non Toxic Sensory Tables, Neon, 10 lb.ALEX Jr. Tots Sticker PicturesCreativity for Kids Sequin Drawing BoardSkoolzy Preschool Large Lacing Beads for Kids – 30 Stringing Beads with 2 Strings Toddler Crafts with Travel Tote – Montessori Toys For Toddlers Occupational Therapy Fine Motor Skills Toys Autism OTCoral Entertainments squishies toys 30 pack kawaii squishy set mini soft squeezable sensory fidget toys slow rising decoration and stress reliefKinetic Sand Beach Day Fun Playset with Castle Molds Tools, and 12 Oz. of Sand, for Ages 3 and upKingseye Water Painting Graffiti Book Card 26pcs Chidren’s Early Education Cognitive Cards Colouring Doodle Board 2 Magic Drawing Pens Games Toy for Toddlers Kids Baby – Number, Shapes and Colors

                  

Sepsis Awareness: Take Time to Educate Yourself about the Signs and Symptoms

This is a post prepared under a contract funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and written on behalf of the Mom It Forward Influencer Network for use in CDC’s Get Ahead of Sepsis educational effort. Opinions on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CDC.

Infections put you and your family at risk for a life-threatening condition called sepsis. Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis.

Sepsis is a topic that is close to my family because we lost my Father-In-Law to sepsis a few years ago.

Source: AdobePhotoStock

A few years ago, my Father-In-Law, at the age of 72, was hospitalized with some medical issues. He was in the hospital for a few weeks, in a city about 8 hours from our home. We spoke on the phone with him daily and had family members who lived in the same city checking in on him regularly. Based on our phone conversations, we felt like he was improving. In fact, he was due to be released when—very suddenly—things took a turn for the worst. He developed all of the signs and symptoms of sepsis.

He was quickly moved to the ICU and we were called to come immediately. We packed up all three kids in the car and were out of the house within 30 minutes, making the 8-hour drive in under 7 hours. As we were traveling along the highway, the Infectious Disease Specialist in the ICU was calling us on the phone. They were frantically trying to determine what specific type of infection was affecting him so they could best treat it. They needed to confirm specific drug allergies and interactions, medical history, etc. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at the hospital, he had passed. It was a very tragic situation but it taught us firsthand how important it is to know our loved one’s medical information and the signs and symptoms of sepsis so that early recognition and timely treatment can take place. I write this story not to scare you, but to encourage you to take the time to educate yourselves and your loved ones about sepsis. I hope none of you are ever in the situation where you need to use this information, but should you find yourselves there, I hope this story is valuable to you.

In our immediate family, I have one son on the Autism Spectrum and he also has a variety of other health issues. Another son developed RSV as an infant and continues to struggle with health issues as a teenager (more on that in a moment). My third son has ADHD, but no other health issues. I have an autoimmune disorder, and some of the medications I take make me more susceptible to infections, so I keep a close eye on things and stay in communication with my physicians when I am sick. We are all fully vaccinated because we have chosen to take every possible action we can to help prevent serious illness and infections.

My middle son who had RSV tends to get very sick very quickly from illnesses. We’ve had to make several Emergency Room visits when fevers spike very high, or signs and symptoms seem to be progressing instead of improving. Just this past year, he was hospitalized with pneumonia when his first course of antibiotics did not show improvement after 72 hours. We were fortunate that the IV antibiotics he was given at the hospital helped him turn the corner quickly. Many other children on our floor had to be flown to larger hospitals in Boston for more advanced treatment.

We’re very thankful he recovered, especially considering that he had one of the four types of infections that are often linked with sepsis:

• lungs (pneumonia)
• kidney (urinary tract infection)
• skin
• gut

When a family member is sick, it’s important to document signs and symptoms and treatments taken. The doctors were thankful that I brought a record of every temperature taken, medication given, and other signs and symptoms exhibited, because it helped them quickly identify what was working/not working, and not waste time repeating previous treatments.

As caregivers, you also want to be proactive and not reactive, whenever possible. Do not worry about bothering a nurse with a question, asking a doctor to further explain anything you don’t understand, requesting a second opinion, or take any other action needed to help your loved one as they recover from illness. Wash hands frequently, ensure others are handwashing as well, make sure gloves are used when appropriate, and any gowning up that is necessary is done.

Photo Source: Adobe Photostock

The CDC has launched a new initiative, Get Ahead of Sepsis, to help us know about the importance of early recognition and timely treatment of sepsis, as well as the importance of preventing infections that could lead to sepsis.

Recently, I have had two friends, both in their early 40s, hospitalized with sepsis. My first friend had a simple ear infection, went to the doctor for an antibiotic, and after 48 hours...

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