One of my favorite fruits growing up were the California Mandarins that were small, sweet, seedless and easy to peel.  These beautiful orange fruits are also enjoyed by everyone in our home.  So, when I was invited to come up with a crafty id...

We all love the holidays but, let’s be honest – after cooking the first big meal, making another feast doesn’t sound all that fun.  I don’t know about you, but just during the month of December, we have a few major events in whi...

With the holiday break quickly approaching, I find my social calendar suddenly overflowing.  Are you hosting a party?  Having family visit from out of town? Or are you planning on slowing down this season and spending time at home with your f...

Do you love to travel?  I sure do!!!  I’ve been to Canada, Russia, Mexico – just to name a few.  In Mexico, I visited Cancun and Mexico City – not to mention the fact that Frank and I will be traveling to the Mexican Riviera once we get ...

Today, many engaged women are opting to get a plain wedding band. There are several reasons for this new trend. For one, some women want their wedding band to complement a large engagement ring. They may have an engagement ring featuring a diamond surr...

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of LEGO for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. Our kids LOVE LEGOs!!!  Trust me, this is NOT an understatement.  When we asked them what they wanted for Christmas, the first thing they sa...

Although our children are still young, we know that one day their big dreams will be replaced by school grades and college prep work.  Somewhere between nursery school and high school, our kids’ ideas of dreaming big starts getting narrower ...

  This holiday season, there will be any tweens and teens who will be asking for a smartphone as the #1 item on their holiday wish list.  As parents, we want to give our children the independence of having a mobile phone without the worry of overuse, e...

Baking and cooking, cleaning and freshening, personal and baby care, fun for kids.  What do all of these daily tasks have in common?  They all are daily tasks in which you can use ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda.  I know that in our home, I...

Tis the season for holiday shopping and shipping!  What perfect timing for FedEx to introduce their new One Rate shipping options for the holiday season.  The new FedEx One Rate flat rate shipping option gives customers countless possibilitie...

If you follow The Mommy-Files, you are more than likely aware that we have a pretty big family – 6 kids to be exact.  With a big family, the cost of meals can add up pretty dang quickly!  However, we do it and stay on a budget at the sa...

Choosing to buy new vehicles is a big decision. There are many details to be decided, after all. Once you actually choose to purchase a car, you’ll also have to decide whether you want a brand new car. Are you comfortable with a used car or do yo...

I love food.  Not just because it can taste amazing, but because I associate feelings and memories a lot of the time with the food we eat.  Whether it’s a recipe passed down through the family, new foods on a family trip or warm and fla...

I love the holidays – filled with smiling faces, friendly attitudes, lights, presents and especially music!  I have to admit, I would love to start listening to holiday music before it’s even Halloween, but I try to wait until at least...

With California catching up to the rest of the country’s cold spell, I’m finding it more challenging to go on hikes in the morning when there’s still frost-covered paths.  But I have to say that I am counting my blessings that it’s just the cold w...

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. With the chaos of the holidays approaching, we often forget to take time for ourselves.  Even in the midst of chores and to-dos, Netflix is encoura...

Every year, I host an Annual Cookie Exchange and invite our family and friends.  It’s a fun event where we socialize, eat, exchange cookies, eat, laugh, and eat some more!  A big part of the Cookie Exchange is obviously the assortment o...

My 6-year-old daughter recently became a fan of Monster High, huge fan!  And I have to admit; at first glance I didn’t see what the big deal was.  However, after watching a few of their movies, they have converted me into a fan as well. ...

The holidays are here and that means lots of cooking at home, so we have more money to spend on gifts for the family at Christmas!  One brand we have come to love and trust is Ninja.  We have the Ninja Blender, Ninja Cooking System and now, the Ninja F...

We love to play games in our family and with the holidays coming up, it’s the perfect opportunity to stock up on games we can play all year long!  Hasbro is one of my favorite brands and we have a closet full of different Hasbro games.  ...