Minute Maid Juice Box only 50 Coke Rewards Points

Are you a member of My Coke Rewards? If so, this week's deal (Good only today, Wednesday, August 22) is a 10 pack of Minute Maid Juice Boxes for only 50 points. It usually is 250 points. Grab them while they are still available!!!

My Friend Bernard Movie Review

   I was recently asked to review some new movies coming out from Phase 4 Films. One of them is My Friend Bernard. It is such a cute movie! Just watching it put me in the mood for Christmas!

   The plot is very cute. A little boy loses his bear and a small doggie picks it up. The little boy is scared of everything including the little dog. But the dog takes him on all kinds of adventures, which is where he meets Bernard. By going on all the adventures, it helps Sam overcome his fear of everything!

   I thought the movie was very sweet. The animation was well done. My two year old kept talking to me about the baby losing his bear and loves the animals. Her favorite part was when Bernard got bit on the butt by a fishy. 

  If you would like to purchase the movie, they are available at Target, Walmart and Amazon. You can check out more details at Phase 4 Films. 

  We received the product for free but all opinions and reviews are my own. No other compensation was provided.

Pregnancy Update: Week 25

How far along? 25 weeks
 Total weight gain/loss: Only 8 lbs! I have no idea how this has happened but I'll take it!
 Maternity clothes? Half and half. Most of the time around the house, I'm in regular clothes still but will throw on some maternity clothes when I go out because they fit better.
 Stretch marks? Some, but I think they are still from the pregnancy will Maddy.
 Movement: Lots! Its started getting the not cute kicks this week. Like the ones where you push on your stomach trying to move her position
 Food cravings: I'm stuck on bed rest so I just miss having cooked food.
 Have you started to show yet: Yep.
 Gender: Precious little girl!
 Labor Signs: No
 Belly Button in or out? Still in
 Wedding rings on or off? No problems there yet.
 Sleeping: Ok. Having a hard time falling asleep because I'm stuck in bed all day and not burning enough energy off.
 Mood: Pretty Good.

I need to get start preparing for the baby but I'm stuck with studying for the bar exam!One more week and I can focus on baby Abigail!

Investing for your Children

nvesting For Your Children

As any parent understands, one of the most important things about raising children is providing them with opportunities to be successful in the future. This is a very broad concept, and can mean anything from providing a safe home environment, to paying for college, to teaching them how to manage money. Whatever the case, however, any parent who hopes to do the best possible job of preparing his or her children for success and opportunity ought to understand that there are various types of investment opportunities that can be of great assistance with this sort of effort. It is very hard to consistently earn income that can both provide for your family and your future, which is why it is essential to invest, provided that you know what you’re doing.

The most popular sort of investment that most people think of is putting money behind stocks in the stock market. Essentially, the idea is that you buy small shares of companies, and the success or failure of those companies will cause those shares to increase or decrease in value, respectively. You can then sell back the shares for a profit or loss depending on the stock market activity. People who understand how to read trends and predict company performance can have a great deal of success with this sort of investment opportunity, and this is a good way to make money in the long term, if you have a talent for it. However, this sort of investment is designed with inherent risk, and meant to give you an opportunity to make money. For a parent looking to keep finances stable for the future, an investment designed around the idea of stability may make more sense.

If indeed stability is what you’re looking for, you may want to look into an entirely different sort of investment: precious metals. Investing in gold bullion, for example, may not be as familiar a concept to you, but it is quite simple, and can provide you with a means of keeping the value of your money stable. To explore investing in gold, you need only go to a relevant website like bullionvault.com, where you will be able to purchase any amount of gold that you desire. But why do so? Simply put, currency can rise and fall in value as a result of economic shifts, whereas gold bullion tends to be somewhat unchanging by comparison (though some shifts do occur). This means that if you invest a chunk of your money in gold and leave it be over time, then that amount will be protected against potential downshifts in the value of your currency, provided that the value of gold sees no similar shifts. If you monitor you r investment carefully, this can be a great way to preserve wealth for the future.


This is a guest post on behalf of Bullion Vault by Sam Lillard. Sam writes frequently on the topics of financial strategy and investment opportunities.

Kroger Private Selection Products!

I am so excited that we got to try some of Kroger's Private Selection Products through BzzAgent. We were given a bag of cracked pepper chips, a coupon for a 1 lb of Angus beef, and a coupon for an apple pie! (Unfortunately, my toddler stole the coupon for the pie and it has disappeared!)

I am not a fan of pepper, so I let my hubby try the chips! He thought they were of an even better quality than you get from some of the major manufacturers!

We made burgers with the Angus Beef. We usually buy all of our beef directly from a farmer because of the superior quality, however Kroger's Angus Beef was on the same level as our farm raised beef! We will be buying it again!

Filippo Berio Olive Oil

  I was recently given the chance through BzzAgent to review Filippo Berio Olive Oil. It is truly a great, light tasting olive oil. Not only does Filippo Berio have a great taste to it, it also is great for your heart. Olive Oil helps lower you cholesterol and contains the healthy fats. Filippo Berio website offers many different recipes.

This is my favorite recipe on their website:
 Greek Salad

• 1 clove garlic, cut in half
• 4 cups romaine lettuce or mixed salad greens, rinsed, dried and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 radishes, cut in half
• 10 ripe olives, rinsed
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced and divided into rings
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 ripe medium tomato, cut in wedges
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried dill
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ cup Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1. Mix chopped tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, and parsley in large bowl.
  2. Add olive oil and toss salad.
  3. Add lemon juice, pepper, and salt (if desired) and toss again to mix well.

Vickers Family Happenings!

Here is Maddy, age 2, riding her favorite doggy, Chubbs!

     At the Vickers House we have had a very busy past few months (as you can probably tell by the lack of posts).  We are currently 13 weeks pregnant with baby #2. We had our NT scan at the doctor yesterday. Everything is measuring great and our risks for down syndrome, trisomy, cardiac, or brain problems are very slim. We feel very blessed. We also found out there is a 90% chance the baby is a boy! My husband is extremely happy! 

    I am almost done with law school. I have to finish up a paper and attend 3 classes and I'm done!!! I cannot believe we are there already. I started law school pregnant with Maddy and now I'm finishing law school pregnant with baby #2. I'm ready for vacation with the hubs and some nice rest and relaxation before having to tackle the bar exam!

   It is hard to believe it but Maddy is already two. She has so many words and talks so much. She is absolutely in love with her baby dolls and loves rocking them, feeding them. She loves playing outside and jumping on her trampoline! But mostly she just likes being a handful. Welcome to age 2. We still aren't getting good sleep. She wakes every morning at 5:30 regardless of what time she goes to bed! We are looking forward to some sleep on vacation!

Cruise Vacation and $50 Target Gift Card Giveaway!

We are super excited to be heading out in a few weeks for a cruise. We are going on the Carnival Legend and heading to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Honduras, and Belize. We have done the route before and its so much fun! It is my gift for graduating law school. 

My mom is being so sweet and watching Maddy for a week! So the hubs and I are going to get a week of sleep and actual relaxation! So happy!

If you are interested in booking a cruise, visit http://cruiseweb.com!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Potty Time Review

   I now have a two year old. (How did that happen?) And potty training is on the forefront. I must admit I'm more than a little anxious about it. But I was recently given the chance to review the Potty Time DVD.  It was a great resource for us! My daughter really enjoyed watching the DVD and even danced along at some points. 

If you are getting ready to start potty training, check them out. We are currently trying to teach Maddy all the sign language in the DVD, so she can tell us when she needs to go potty! 

Hill's Science Diet Ideal Balance Review

     I received a bag of Ideal Balance Grain Free Dog food to review through BzzAgent! If you know me from reading my blog, you know I have three dogs and a cat, so pet food is a big expense in our house. I always want to buy the best quality for the best price. Unfortunately, one of my dogs tends to break out in allergies from certain foods. The vet and I both think it is related to the grains used in dog food. So I was ecstatic to try Grain Free Dog food. I am happy to report it did work and he did not have an allergic reaction.
    I am also trying to replace a lot of our highly processed foods for more natural foods. So I was really happy that Ideal Balance is made with only natural ingredients, and no corn, artificial colors, or preservatives. What is the best is that it has chicken as the #1 ingredient.
     Unfortunately, it is higher priced than I am used to, but the quality was so great, that we will be finding money in our budget for this food!