PearUp.com and #RitzBitsTeams Can Help Sponsor Your Team!

Disclosure: This is a compensated post brought to you by Global Influence.

Pear cares about kids! With their very simple way to sponsor sports teams, they are blazing the path for innovative social media sponsorship that is far easier (and safer!) than carrying boxes of candy (or whatever) to sell face-to-face or door-to-door. Their method is far more convenient too!

In our house, soccer is a big deal...and although my son has been in T-Ball this year and loved it, it is the soccer he is looking forward to returning to when school starts.

Whether it's during the weekly practice...

or a real game, the benefits derived from soccer are plentiful and legit. The kids on the team learn not only rules, skills, and the value of sportsmanship, but they also learn how to work together, how to stick to a commitment, and the importance of being a part of a team. They also get to make new friends.

When money is the one thing thwarting the progress of a team, Pear can help!

PearUp.com is a (totally free!) great social media resource to help match local non-school affiliated sports teams, like our favorite (soccer), with local and national businesses who want to sponsor them. This kind of concept is brilliant and could eliminate the need for traditional fundraising efforts entirely!



Participation is easy. Simply go to the website and select the sponsorship award type you are looking to find. For example, if you wanted to find a sponsor for clothing (t-shirts, jerseys, etc.), you would click on the apparel link and then select the perfect sponsor for your team's apparel wants or needs. Or for another example, you could click on the league/team fees link, if that was the area in which you needed help.

Your next step would be to input your group type, the gender of the team, and your zip code to find a group of national and local sponsors from which to choose.

A list of ways to earn points would then appear, and supporters would pick and choose which activities they wanted to do to earn them. Some examples of the easy ways to earn points include rallying your friends on Facebook, following along on Instagram, uploading pictures or videos to social media, etc. Points earned would go towards financial backing for the team. Easy peasy,  no obligation, and it's all free.

I found two teams in my immediate area that are looking for sponsors. One has already already received enough money to meet their goal, the other is a group that has 13 days left to raise a $1,000 credit for their team t-shirts. They have raised $186 of that goal so far, with the help of 7 supporters. You can learn more about that PearUp sponsorship by clicking here.

Ritz Bits is the PearUp.com sponsor champion, so what better way to help return the favor to them, than to offer up delicious Ritz Bits for the after practice/game team snack?

You can learn more about PearUp.com and how easy it is to find a sponsor for your team by visiting their website.

You can also follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Lola Granola Bars (w/Giveaway!)

What do you get when you have a loving family with a low budget, and a wife who wants her husband to have something good for him to eat, rather than the quick junk he's been eating to try and cut costs? In the case of the Molina family, you get LOLA GRANOLA BARS!

LOLA Granola Bars were created by a loving wife for her husband
so he'd have something affordable & healthy to eat, that he liked.

Created in small batches at their upstate New York facility, Lola Granola Bars are catching on, and people are starting to realize you can have good-for-you food at a reasonable price. With a MSRP of $1.99 these bars won't break the bank.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, and no GMOs.
These bars are packed only with wholesome goodness.

Now in addition to providing a healthy treat for their own family, the family who created these bars is doing so well that they're reaching out to others. Lola Granola Bars are donated on a consistent and generous basis to anti-hunger children's backpack programs.

*FUN FACT* Each bar is named after a child in the family.

The Lola Granola bar comes in five different flavors, and each one is sweetened only with honey. Each bar is made with all natural proteins, fiber and Omega 3's. They are low in sodium and they contain no GMOs. They do not have any rice, wheat, corn, or soy fillers; no hydrogenated oils; and no sugar. And as if that weren't enough, there's more: All of the bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and kosher.

You can learn more about Lola Granola by visiting their website. You can also visit them on Facebook and/or Twitter.

One lucky winner is going to get a sampler pack (one of each flavor--> five bars total). Cont. US entrants only. Previous winners of LOLA Granola Bars ineligible to win.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Say What?!? Yesteryear Music

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Awhile back we were out somewhere when an Elvis Presley song came on the loudspeaker. I said, 'Hey, an Elvis song!' My youngest said, "Who's Elvis?"

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In the car a few days ago, Yellow Submarine came on the radio, and I said, 'Woohoo, The Beatles.' My son scrunched his face up and said, 'The Beaaaaaaaa---tles???? Who would name themselves after bugs?!'

I did notice he was singing the song later that night, so I said, 'Ha! You're singing The Beatles!' He laughed and told me it was easy because all they do is say the same thing over and over and over and over.  lol  No appreciation for 'fine music.' ;)

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Last night we went to see Planes Fire & Rescue at the movies. AC/DC's Thunderstruck was a featured song, and when it came on I said, 'I've got that album.' My son said, 'What's an album?'  lololol

AC/DC was all the rage when I was in school. When the guitar licks of any one of their songs starts to play, it takes me right back to being a teen. That being said, I did think that was a strange song to pick, lyric-wise, for a Disney movie (even though they did edit it a bit).

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ThinkFun Robot Turtles

Rock n' Learn

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#Sponsored #Noseblind Putting Febreze to the Test (w/ $60 AmEx GC & Product Giveaway)

Disclosure: This review and giveaway was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Febreze. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% my own. 

Febreze has made some pretty lofty claims in their advertising about how well their products work. I'm thinking of the blindfold testing on the commercials, where they take someone in a very stinky place, blindfolded, and the person only smells the Febreze product instead of the gunk that is (unbeknownst to them) surrounding them.

I think those commercials are fun.  I recently got a selection of Febreze products, and directions to invite friends over for a movie, popcorn, and a little Noseblind Test of the Febreze ourselves (though not as extreme as the commercials).

What do you need for such Noseblind testing?

Doesn't everyone accost their friends with a Febreze Smelling Challenge
when they come over for Popcorn and a Movie?

 You need friends...

Popcorn...

A movie to watch...

The winner of the giveaway will receive a $60 American Express Gift Card
& an assortment of Febreze products, such as those pictured above!

And Febreze!

There were three short surveys for us all to take independently, and then an assessment when all was said and done. We took those on the computer. What we found was that when everyone first came in the house, they smelled fresh air, or a light citrus smell. Not sure where the citrus smell came in, but it was mentioned more than once. Maybe from the baby oranges my son had earlier in the day, that's all I can think of, but I didn't detect that scent in the air. According to the Febreze site, that is Odor Habituation, or me getting used to a scent in my house and no longer detecting it, even though it is a strong enough smell for arriving guests to pick up on.  With oranges, that's not so bad...with other things (like fish or burnt popcorn), it could get ugly.

The next thing we did was pop the popcorn. The smell identified by everyone was 'popcorn.'

After giving the room where the popcorn had been popped a quick shot of Febreze Air Effects, the smell was completely gone.  And in the room where we were eating our popcorn, and watching our movie, the Febreze candle was running, and the odor disappeared as well. We were eating movie style butter popcorn, and anyone who's had that in the house, knows the smell is a strong one (and one that leaves you wanting to eat that popcorn ;) ).

At the end of the movie, a final (brief) online survey was taken by everyone, and a discussion ensued. We all agreed that the Febreze did its job.  Three cheers for a product line that does what it's supposed to do.

I stand behind the product now, and our friends say that they do too.

How would you like to bring some friends over to try a Febreze Noseblind test on your own? One lucky winner will get a $60 American Express Gift Card and the same Febreze products I did (pictured above) to have a little fun on their own. US entrants only.

Learn more about Febreze by visiting their website. You can also follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.

This is a short giveaway, so get your entries in quickly, and be sure to tell a friend!
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#Sponsored #MC #UrbiniBaby Strollers that Grow with Baby!

Disclosure: I participated in a Blog Blast on behalf of Mom Central for Urbini. I received information from Urbini to facilitate my post as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. 

Three cheers for Urbini!

Over the course of the years in raising our children, there is no denying that there has been progress galore with baby items/products. One of the biggest changes I've seen is in the development of strollers. Like my grandmother said with our third child, they've turned into Cadillacs. ;)  Urbini Baby is at the top of the pack with thoughtful features, practical design, a great look, and the ability to grow with your child.

The Omni 3-in-1 Travel System grows with baby!
Available at Walmart!

The Urbini Omni 3-in-1 Travel System allows an infant to snuggle up in the detachable Petal Infant Car, and the built-in bassinet allows for a little stretching during the ride. A slightly older child can face mom or dad while riding; and an older child can face forward. In addition to that very welcome consideration, there is also huge storage space underneath (which every parent knows always comes in handy!).

The Omni 3-in-1 Travel System is so popular that after its very first month in stock at Walmart stores everywhere, it sold old completely. Urbini is happy to report they are back on the shelves now, and ready to go!

In addition to the Omni system, Urbini also sells other great strollers. The Hummingbird is the world's lightest full-feature stroller that has one-handed closing capability; and The Touri includes a stroller and Petal Infant Car Seat for dual convenience and purpose.

You can learn more about Urbini By visiting their website or the Urbini product page at Walmart.

You can also follow Urbini on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or Pinterest.

#Sponsored Cottonelle CleanCare: Defying Bathroom Routine

Disclosure: This post is #sponsored by Cottonelle. All opinions stated are genuine and my own. 

I love that he was excited about the Cottonelle CleanCare
I also loved that he offered to carry it to the car. ;)

Our family loves to try out new products, so when we heard Cottonelle (already a household favorite) was upping the game with a brand new wet/dry system, we were all in! The Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths Upright Dispenser and Clean Care Toilet Paper we purchased was huge, but if you want to start smaller, there are four other sizes for sale as well.

Inside of our package was an innovative wet/dry system for use in the powder room (aka restroom, bathroom, lavatory, WC, toilet, well, you've got it... I'm sure). :)

The Cottonelle Fresh Care flushable cleansing cloths come in a handy well-sealed pack (unopened shelf life: 2 years), and each pkg. fits perfectly right into the handy dispenser that is included in the kit (you can purchase refill packs separately). The wipes are great because they dry quickly, have no alcohol, and can be used by the entire family.  The one question my husband had was the clog potential these might present. Not to worry! Thanks to the Cottonelle Safe Flush technology, these wipes are listed as being septic and sewer-safe, and they immediately begin to break down once they've been flushed.

The one-touch pull-out dispenser is great for keeping your wipes moist, nearby, and looking good in its sleek design that fits any decor (also comes in white).  So now you can use the Cottonelle CleanCare paper, like you've always done and follow up with a fast-drying wipe when you're done. #LetsTalkBums Would you use the new wet/dry system? Most everyone wants to feel clean & confident. Cottonelle, with this new and very innovative product is certainly doing their part.

As an added incentive to try the new Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths Upright Dispenser and Clean Care Toilet Paper set, head on over to their website, and claim a coupon for $1.50 off any purchase ($2 off if you share with three of your friends).