Making Time for Yourself {+ prAna Giveaway}

Making time for yourself is so important! Whether it's taking a walk, doing yoga, or going to the gym, 

be sure to make YOU a priority.

Photo courtesy of prAna

This isn't my usual post today. I'm not sharing a recipe or a how-to, but sharing the importance of making time for yourself. Do you make time for YOU every day? Or even every week? I for one am guilty of not spending time on myself as often as I should. Between work and my boys, homework, sports. etc., it can be difficult to carve out "me time." This Fall I've decided that needs to change, even if I spend just 20 to 30 minutes doing something that I love.

Although my love for baking goes really deep, and I consider baking "my time," it's nice to get out of the house, get some fresh air, and be active. Two of my favorite activities are walking and yoga. I rarely exercise at a gym, I do mostly everything at home. Taking a walk around my neighborhood is so refreshing. Since I live further out of the city, but not totally in the country, there is so much to see on my walk. Whether it's a deer near the river, little squirrels and chipmunks running through the woods, or the tons of beautiful birds we have in our area, I never tire of the beautiful scenery. 

C Space Online Community

This is a sponsored post. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Have you ever had a great idea for one of your favorite brands? C Space is a company that helps brands grow by connecting them with their customers, who in turn create impactful insights for their brand.

You’re invited to join their new, private online community where you can interact with other members like yourself, and impact a variety of brands like Hallmark, Nestle, or Godiva (to name a few) who work with C Space. Whether you’re interested in retail, CPG, technology brands, etc, there’s a large assortment of activities to interact with.

In addition to your impact on these companies’ products and services, members will earn Amazon gift codes for their participation in the community.

Have a say in what comes next by signing up today:  http://mayweask.com/launch12

PB & J Yogurt Smoothie

This simple smoothie recipe is healthy, creamy and delicious, and tastes just like my favorite 

childhood sandwich, a peanut butter and jelly!

Now that the kids are back in school, I'm back to planning quick and easy breakfasts for them during the week. The biggest problem I have is that my kids aren't hungry first thing in the morning. They don't feel like eating until mid-morning and, in fact, on the weekends we probably don't have breakfast until 10:30 or 11:00. This presents a problem when I'm pushing for them to eat at 7:00 am!

Lucky for me, I found a way around this issue. I get them to drink their breakfast! I've been making smoothies for a long time, so I decided to create some fun versions for quick breakfasts. This PB & J Yogurt Smoothie is definitely a favorite, and currently the most requested in our house every week.

Eggplant Parmesan Panini with Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce #NewTradish

All of your favorite flavors in Eggplant Parmesan, pressed between to pieces of thick sliced bread and made into a delicious Panini!

Ragú® recently challenged bloggers to put our own unique spin on one of their classic recipes, making it a new Tra-Dish! I was excited to be tasked with making over the No-Fry Eggplant Parmesan, as it is one of my favorite dishes!

Did you know that each and every jar of Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce has at least 11 tomatoes? This makes it richer and thicker than the previous previous formula! 

Be sure to check out the Ragú® Sweepstakes for a chance to win great Authentic Italian themed prizes, including a grand prize trip to Italy for a family of four! Enter today at www.RaguSweeps.com!

Also be sure to visit Ragú® on Facebook for more easy and delicious authentic Italian recipe ideas!

Breakfast Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This post is sponsored by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. All opinions are my own.

Did you know April is National Grilled Cheese Month? Well it is, and who doesn't love grilled cheese?!?! My family certainly does, and over the years I've come up with some pretty cool and cheesy concoctions.

In honor of National Grilled Cheese month, I wanted to develop a different recipe. Not something traditional that you see every day. What I came up with is this amazingly delicious breakfast grilled cheese sandwich. Filled with a fried egg, crispy pancetta, havarti cheese and a bit of arugula, it's hearty, full of flavor, and easy to take on the go!