Give Back With A Single Photo + #SealsForGood- No Purchase Necessary

As bloggers I think we tend to get a little caught up in ourselves.

There's a campaign going around to help spread the word about a very special charity initiative in cooperation with Real California Milk and the Great American Milk Drive. It began a few months back as a response to the Florida and Texas hurricane relief, and has since rolled into supporting California Wildfire relief efforts.

It requires people to do no more than share a photo of a product with the Real California Milk Seal and upload it on social media with the hashtag #SealsForGood (adding a @RealCalifMilk tag helps, too). The photos can be grainy, shot on the shelf in a dairy case, taken as you toss out the wrapper for your cheese while cooking dinner, snapped with a smartphone, uploaded on numerous channels, and can be done as many times as you want now through 12/31/2017, until the initiative hits it's raising caps of $20k for TX and FL hurricane relief and $10k for CA wildfire relief.

I state this so bluntly, and up front, in this post because I feel that is the star of this communication- the real driving force to this post.

It's something anyone can do, especially if you live in California, and it really requires no effort to help give back. The Real California Milk name gets a little exposure and families recovering from recent natural disasters get much needed dairy staples provided through the Great American Milk Drive. It's pretty simple.

But I have a slight gear to grind-

Many of the people sharing this message find the need to include it in a recipe post.

Sure, your blog is all about beautifully shot recipes that drive your Pinterest traffic and click-thru revenue. Yes, you feel strongly that every piece of content on your site should have added value. But are you really getting the messaging out there? In so much content it feels like an afterthought the seal in a single styled photo here, the charitable aspect called out at the very end, or somewhere in the middle. A post title that speaks to the recipe only. You've been taught all of this is necessary for SEO, to pay your bills, to make an income.

But the point here should be that anyone can support this cause without the impulse to buy products for a tasty recipe. In fact people should consider they probably have what they need to help in their home already.

I want my readers to know they don't need a recipe to go out and snap a photo of a Real California Milk Seal- sure you can find hundreds here on the blog with plenty of ingredients that sport the RCM seal. The seal is found on everything from yogurt, cottage cheese, hard and sliced cheese, liquid milk products, and more.

But the point really needs to be that if you live in California and consume dairy you probably have a product with the Real California Milk seal in your fridge already- and, if not, you can easily support the cause on your next shopping trip. It takes less than 2 minutes.
I'm not normally this direct, but charity is something I feel passionate about, especially when the average excuse a person gives as to why they haven't given back or helped is that they don't know how to, or don't have the time or resources. I've solves both of the above with this post. In fact donations will continue to be triggered every time a Real California Milk Seal photo appears on social media with the hashtag #SealsForGood now through 12/31/2017 (or until donation caps have been met) so the entire family can get involved. Why not make it a game to spot and share the seal?

As someone who lives a stones-throw away from much of the recent California Wildfire damage, and has friends impacted by it, I cannot be more passionate about supporting this #SealsForGood initiative. This time of the year we are all quite busy, but we are also in and out of the grocery store preparing to entertain family and friends. Let's all take a moment to help and give back!

Did I mention that I've even spotted the Real California Milk seal on ice cream in the frozen case of my local grocer? Does helping to give back get much sweeter? Yea, you can say I was pretty proud of my efforts to support the #SealsForGood efforts, and may have treated myself to a little reward. The entire family truly has gotten in on this- even Gidget is excited to spot the seal on a new dairy item!

Here's specifically what you need to now to continue to help these efforts:

• If you are using Facebook, tag @RealCaliforniaMilk AND use the hashtag #SealsForGood. 
• If you are using Instagram, tag @RealCalifMilk AND use the hashtag #SealsForGood
• For all other platforms upload your photo with the #SealsForGood hashtag.

You have until 12/31/17 to get those Real California Milk seal photos shared, so no excuses, okay? For every submission Real California Milk will donate $5 to the Great American Milk Drive (up to $20,000) to help families affected by hurricane Harvey and Irma in Texas and Florida. No purchase necessary.
You'll find plenty of dairy infused recipes on the blog and our Pinterest to inspire you to get in the store and snapping those photos- but, remember- you don't need to actually buy anything to help out!

Gifts For The Whole Family For Less Than $40

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DoingThe99 #99YourHoliday #CollectiveBias

Growing up holiday shopping was always certain to 1.) begin as early as Januray when taking advantage of post-holiday sales, and 2.) involve a very strict budget. Looking back I don't think it's because Momma was cheap, I rather think she enjoyed keeping herself to such guardrails. The thrill of shopping with a price cap in mind was a sort of game for her, and the lower she could drive the price on amazing finds the more fun she would have.

Naturally, shopping on a budget is a good idea regardless of your means or income- The holidays are filled with wonderful opportunities to spend money. There are Sugar Plum Fairy shows, your neice's school fundraiser, those red buckets outside every grocery store door, fabulous ugly sweaters to buy, hostess gifts to be given, delicious food to indulge in, snow chains for tires to be bought, and so much more. So, in the spirit of Momma's little budget game, and in the interest of padding my wallet for unexpected holiday events, I headed to my local 99 Cents Only Store.

Holiday decorations began hitting our 99's shelves immediately after Halloween had passed, but the 99 is full of wonderful gift ideas and home decor items every day of the year. Of course the elves at the 99 have conveniently gathered some of their favorite picks in an aisle adjacent to the holiday decor, for the convenience of shoppers. In that magical aisle you'll find gift sets, Disney brand toys, winter wear, stockings stuffed with pet treats, and so much more. It's definitely a great place to start when you want to grab a few high quality gifts on a budget. Of course you can also get creative and take advantage of the 99's everyday inventory to make your own gift baskets, too!

For the purpose of my experiment I set my budget at $40, and my goal to buy gifts for an entire family- a family consisting of at minimum a mother, father, son, daughter, and pet. I'll admit the hardest part about this challenge wasn't staying in budget, it was choosing only 1 or 2 items for each person on my list. I found so many wonderful gift options for every single category! I could only imagine if I was really going all out and spending $20 a person- what a wonderfully generous holiday that would bring!

While I wandered the aisles it was impossible not to add a few extra decorations, entertaining supplies, and wrapping paper/bows into my cart.  I didn't count them on my bottom line, but the convenience of being able to pick up fresh fruit for my upcoming party, as well as adorable gift bags, while doing my holiday gift shopping was truly priceless. Shopping the 99 is always like a fun scavenger hunt, in the sense that new deals are always being added and can be found around every corner (toy mountain case in point)- but the physical store layout is also quite clean and easy to navigate. This means I can wander simply to shop, or get in and grab what I need and get out, at any time.

It's hard to miss the selection of toys and gift sets for children- The office supply aisle has a wide variety of coloring and art gift packs, while the seasonal aisle features some of the hottest characters and brands for kids. My store also had a secondary feature for seasonal specialty toy selections in the form of a giant mountain next to the produce department. For a long time I wrestled between grabbing a 4' Basketball Hoop Set or the Boxing Bag and Gloves Set shown above. Both were priced at jut $3.99!

The 99 has toys for every age group from toddler to teen- there were many licensed dolls for girls including My Little Pony and Disney's Descendants as well as Disney's Inside Out plush characters, Star Wars action figures, and more. For tweens there were many creative kits from building your own stuffed animal to jewelry making and craft kits. For the picky teenager in your life you'll find character clutch wallets, cosmetics gift sets and plenty of tech gadgets like Bluetooth emoji headphones. I picked up a graphic clutch wallet for just $1.99 that my 13 year-old niece would absolutely love!

Shopping for men in any store is generally tough- they can be so hard to pin down. However, I immediately spotted a Basketball Hoop Trash Bin ($1.99) when I entered the door and knew exactly what I wanted to gift for the man of the house. The 99 has an entire aisle dedicated to snacks that would be perfect for any sports fan's game time festivities. I grabbed a few favorites such as Slim Jim, Lay's Stax chips, a Rockstar energy drink, Cracker Jacks, and a new pair of lounge pants to complete my sports fan gift basket gift.

Making gift baskets at the 99 is always fun and affordable. I'd pay $4-$8 for a good gift basket at many other stores. The 99 is full of decorative bins and tubs that are not only durable and affordable but can double as a functional item long after the gift has been received. Once you have your 'basket' chosen all that's left is to decide on a theme and shop the thousands of deals at the 99 to fill it!

While my mission was to gift an entire family under $40, it was impossible for other things not to 'fall' into my cart. There is inspiration around every corner at the 99, especially if you follow them on social media such as Facebook and Instagram where they are constantly sharing their shoppers ideas and finds. I spotted some cute glass mugs, sparkly winder decal stickers, pipe cleaners, and light up necklaces and had an instant stroke of brilliance. This year at our holiday gatherings I would host an Ugly Sweater Drink Table.

The Ugly Sweater Drink Station is quite an easy concept, really- pull out all of those old mismatched glasses (or buy new ones at the 99), grab some holiday decals, pom poms, ornaments, light up holiday jewelry and more from your 99 and let guests go wild making the ugliest sweater glass they can. Not only is it fun to see guests walking around with their ugly sweater glass creation in hand, it's a great holiday tradition all ages can get involved in. My favorite drink for my ugly sweater mug also happens to be sold at the 99- Sparkling ICE, which happens to come in some great festive colors!

Another thing that wasn't on my gift list, but had to come home with me was a D.I.Y Paw Print Ornament kit for just $1.99 at my local 99 Cents Only Store. This little kit required no mixing and had enough pre-made dough to make 3 ornaments (1 for each of our pets). It was the perfect task to time out from wrapping gifts and really quite painless (unless you were the unsuspecting pet having your paw pressed into clay). There was a pretty big stock of these at our 99, and I just might go back and grab more for gifts for the neighbors!

I just love how our handmade clay ornaments turned out- and they took far less time than traditional salt dough, and even cost less than most dough ornament recipe ingredients combined! It's little discoveries like these that make shopping at the 99 such a fun adventure, and keep me walking through the door multiple times a week. You just never know what you'll find at the 99!

Now would be a purrfect time to share what I picked up for the pet on my fictional family's list- There were many items in the 99 pet aisle intended to spoil felines, but a few stood out as seasonal specials. I was able to nab a 20oz value size jug of Truffle's favorite Friskies cat treats for just $2.99! I also spotted some cardboard cat scratchers for just $1.99!

Naturally Truffles is spoiled and I couldn't just gift her a plain jug of treats- so I found a little inspiration in the snack and candy aisle at the 99. For $3.99 I bought an adorable candy machine to put all of those delicious treats in. It was the perfect decor accent for a crazy-cat-lady with a sense of fun and funky style and really helped spoil the pets like our kids.

Last, but not least was the mother on my shopping list. There were many gifting directions to go from gardening supplies and beautiful living flowers to perfume gift sets and new bath slippers. When I spotted an end cap of candle pillars, however, I knew that was the perfect gift. My 99 has a large selection of various size candles and I was easily able to pick up 3 matching pillar candles to gift with it. A fabulous gift that cost me less than $12 in total, and looked as though it had easily cost me $40 alone!

Now anyone can shop gifts on a budget- pinching pennies isn't the real test, it's making those pinched pennies turn into valued items that the recipient truly loves. I was impressed with not just the variety of gifts I was able to find, but the quality from the name brand products to the general home decor. What it comes down to is that I would never give a gift I wouldn't love to have, myself, and every single item I brought home from the 99 could easily have a place in my home. The true triumph of my challenge wasn't the $40 budget for an entire family it was finding real gifts I'd be proud to give any of my friends of family!

Still need a little holiday inspiration? Discover more amazing 99 gift and entertaining ideas on the 99 Cents Only Stores Social Hub! Visit my local 99 on Facebook  for some fun local finds!

This Season Add An Ugly Sweater Mocktail Tradition To Your Holiday Gatherings

On October 31st, this year, I pulled out the holiday decoration boxes , and hauled the duster bag wrapped lights from the garage rafters.

On November 1st we laid out 2 net lights, 1 7' Lighted Multi-Color Outdoor Tree Display, ran alternating lights across the garage, and wrapped the front most tree in our yard with rainbow LEDs.

When November 5th rolled around we put our living room holiday tree up at a time I determined to be grossly late and off schedule, due to a family engagement prior in the week.

By the end of the first week of November the dogs were 'merrily' wearing their festive clothing, and I'd successfully hunted down the only station on the radio dial already playing 24/7 Christmas music.

If ever there was a season made for me, this is it my friends. the loudest, most unapologetic, over-the-top cheerful, ridiculously flavorful season of them all. It is the PERFECT season to pack away the bland and go all out.

Of course the holiday season means opening your home to friends, family, and strangers alike- after all, you didn't spend 3 hours counter-weighing that angel chandelier from the entrance balcony  NOT to show it off. And all of those people coming over for the White Elephant gift exchange are going to be pretty thirsty while they munch on cheese balls shaped like Rudolph's head and sing along to Now That's What I Call Christmas 87 Karaoke. But it can be hard to know what people will want, and you don't always have time to make a special trip to the mega-mart in between hand folding the linen napkins to look like turkeys and whipping up grandma's top secret recipe for 'real' fruit cake. Thankfully the Amazon DASH buttons released this year can help you re-order your favorite Sparkling ICE variety pack (and any of the 15 fruity flavors, really) with a simple push of a button!

Of course you can also stock up on your favorite zero-calorie fizzy Sparkling ICE flavors the 'old fashioned way' on your phone, tablet, or laptop directly through Amazon.com. In fact, that's where you'll find the largest variety of bottle sizes and flavors such as Kiwi Strawberry, Black Raspberry, Orange Mango, and more!

Just pop those bottles into your cart and they'll arrive in as little as 2-days direct to your door (tiny insta-dog not included.) Cherry Limeade is always a hit when we entertain, and just happens to have a beautiful red holiday color so we recently ordered a few cases along with the lovely green Kiwi-Strawberry Sparkling ICE. These zero calorie, naturally flavored, drinks are the fizz of the party and the perfect thing to sip on in between dreaming up your daughter's holiday pageant costume and how to teach the dog to bark Silent Night. They're also a MUST have for holiday gatherings as designated drivers love the flavor options and fun mocktail inspiration!

In fact, we believe the holidays should be bold, so strongly, that we've recently introduced a new tradition to our holiday gatherings- the Ugly Sweater Mocktail. It's as much about the drink as it is the vessel carrying the drink- and it's a true blast to help ignite some fun conversations and mingling at seasonal events where all the guests might not know each other too well. If you're anything like me you likely have a good half dozen or more mis-matched glasses hiding in the back of your kitchen cabinet.

Sure we buy glasses in sets but the very nature of glass is that it breaks- so we end up with 1 or 2 oddly shaped glasses leftover from a set. This is perfect- pull out as many shapes and styled of old glasses as possible, line a table with your favorite Sparkling ICE beverages, tinsel pipe cleaners, sparkly window stickers, holiday light necklaces, and more. If it can be stuck on, or wrapped around a glass, it's fair game in the Ugly Sweater Mocktail world.

Once your guests have their Ugly Sweater Glass just right they'll want to add some ice and their favorite Sparkling ICE. Since there are 15 delicious fruity flavors, guests can easily combine flavors to make a true mocktail experience, or simply go bold by adding fresh fruit, candy canes, cotton candy 'trim' and more. Make sure to snap a photo of each guest with their mocktail before it disappears!

Be sure to send your guests home with their work of art (glass) and a few bottles of Sparkling ICE so they can continue the Ugly Sweater Glass tradition at home- We keep ours out on the counter and guests always ask for their drinks in them when visiting! Hurry on over to Amazon now to stock up on Sparkling ICE and enjoy the benefit of having Prime Shipping as your personal holiday elf. Now, tell me, what types of entertaining traditions do you like to enjoy during the holiday season?

Never Turn Away An Open Hand With Blessing Bags- Day Of Giving, November 28th

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #99YourThanksgiving #DoingThe99 #CollectiveBias

November is a month marked by thanks.

There's an entire holiday centered around the concept of being thankful for that which one has and has been given. However, as the end of the month also marks an entire week dedicated to spending with the intent of giving in the following month, December, the very spirit of giving can actually get quite lost. The slurry of door buster sales and elaborate wish lists can easily make a season of giving feel more like a chore.

It's this season which reminds me most of my mother's mother; a woman who would quite literally give you the necklace off her neck if you complimented her on it. A woman who opened her home to not only her employees and their families when in need, but even strangers on cold holiday nights. She taught me that the clearest way to show appreciation for what one has been given is through sharing it.

As we look forward to the annual Day of Giving on November 28th, the day following Cyber Monday, I find myself heading to my local 99 Cents Only Stores in hopes of stretching that giving spirit jut a little further through incredible savings on a variety of everyday essentials.

A few years back my, then 9 year-old, niece and I were driving around our home town and we passed a man in a frumpy coat with an equally frumpy Labrador retriever and a cardboard sign beside him on a street corner. As I so often did when I had cash on hand I reached into my purse and pulled out a crumpled bill, rolled down the window, and called the gentleman over to hand it to him. An hour later, on a different errand we passed a second out-stretched hand and this time I had only 2 dollars in my pocketbook to spare. As we pulled away my very astute niece had a contemplative look on her face.

"I wish we could do more the just give them (those in need) a few dollars. Sure, they can buy a burger or a drink, but what happens when they are cold or hungry tomorrow?" she explained.

I thought on this for a few minutes before turning the car around and heading back into the shopping plaza. Sabrina was perplexed, and asked if we'd forgotten something on our shopping list. I shook my head no and explained, as we walked through the automatic doors of our local 99, that we were going to do more than give what we had on hand. We were going to give with intent.

We would assemble several kits of daily essentials and food the average individual often takes for granted. We'd stretch our humble budget into a mountain of aid for those who couldn't help themselves, and hopefully touch the lives of those we gave to beyond a single day and a few dollars.

While we called them 'Giving Kits' at the time, it turns out this particular type of organized aid is more commonly known as a blessing bag. You can find all of the necessities to build these kits at your local 99 Cents Only Stores, often at such great prices you can build many for a very small budget of $20-30. The 6 pack of bottled water above will help build 3 blessing bags, while essentials such as antiseptic pads, bandages, and pain relievers can be purchased in individual sealed multi-packs ready to be split up.

Building Blessing Bags has become a sort of tradition in our family. Our car just isn't considered clean and restocked without them, and what we've been able to give back through them has only grown through the years as our local 99 has expanded it's merchandise offerings. This year there is a rather large portion of an aisle dedicated to warm and Winter wear, as well as affordable fleece blanket rolls. For just a few dollars we can add a warm beanie, knit gloves and a blanket to our blessing bags- a gift that continues to give long after our car has pulled away.

While we primarily make these bags with the intent of keeping them in our car to be handed out to needy strangers we might pass on the street you could also make similar kits to donate to a local Woman's shelter, or church pantry. The contents you decide to fill them with will likely be tailored to your local climate needs, and the recipients you expect to share them with.

Consider convenience when choosing items such as food- Food items should have long shelf lives, be easy to open and store, and be shelf stable. Pre-portioned snacks and meals such as protein (tuna/salmon) packs and granola bars help provide sustenance that can easily be enjoyed over time. Make sure any canned foods have easy tab-pop tops, and consider including a few plastic utensils, et naps, and tissues/napkins which may serve multiple uses .

Our local 99 Cents Only Store has a wide variety of items, and the inventory is always changing- we try top pick up essentials for our blessing bags whenever we spot a great deal, especially on multi-pack style items. You never know what you will find when you shop the 99 and amazing finds tend to go fast- so it's important to shop often and snap up those extra-cool finds when you spot them. Of course great prices on the everyday essentials and favorite name brands are always in stock. Our local 99 even has a full produce department and cold food case- so I try to include a $5 99 Cents Only Store gift card in our blessing bags when I can. I can't keep fresh oranges and milk in my car waiting to be handed out- but I can give our bags' recipients a chance to shop for some of those types of things at an affordable place like the 99.

Once you've made blessing bags for the first time you'll likely have some of the staples in excess to get you started the next time. It's a form of giving that is easy to facilitate a little at a time if you are smart and shop the 99 throughout the year. One of the things you'll need to get you started is some form of bag to put all of your items in- we buy 2 Gallon zipper bags at our 99 that hold quite a bit of stuff, and are fairly weather resistant.

Building a great Blessing Bag is a little bit like playing Tetris- if you're including a fleece blanket roll figure out where that is going in your bag first. You'll either want it to go in first, or last as it will dictate how much space you have to play around with in your bag for extras. I like to then pack any liquids, such as bottled water or V-8 juice cans in the bottom. This helps put the bulk of the weight on the bottom and also give the bag, itself, some structure. Next you'll want to thoughtfully layer food and essentials as they fit. If your bags have special themes, such as feminine hygiene products for a woman, or pet food for someone who may have a pet, be sure to face those items outward so you can quickly identify those bags.

Blessing Bags can come in all sizes- You don't have to fill a 2-gallon bag (which on average costs us about $10 to fill at our local 99), a bag with a fleece blanket, some water, and granola bars is certain to be just as appreciated. This is something we prefer to do year-round, so we build our bags based on our budget and what we can afford. This means we usually buy a few things here and there for our Blessing Bags with each 99 shopping trip- though the everyday value of shopping the 99 means you can start with nothing and have several bags built for under $10 if you shop right.

November 28th is the National Day Of Giving, the day after Cyber Monday (as everyone knows it)- and it's the perfect day to start a new tradition in your family. Why not shop 99 Cents Only Stores and make a few Blessing Bags you can hand out to those in need throughout the season? Children love getting in the giving spirit, and building a thoughtful bag helps foster a sense of appreciation for everyday essentials. You may even choose to add a special touch such as a handwritten note, or hand crocheted hat- and you'll find supplies for both at the 99!

If it weren't for 99 Cents Only Stores I, personally, wouldn't be able to afford to give so much, or so generously through these Blessing Bags. The fact that I can shop for such a wide variety of essentials, from quality name brand products really helps stretch my ability to give not only this season, but year-round. If you're looking for a little more inspiration on how to give back this season check out the 99 Social Hub and discover how others are Doing The 99. You can see what my local 99 is up to, and has hitting shelves by following them on Facebook, or discover more great 99 finds and ideas on the brand's YouTube channel and Instagram page.

Now, tell me, how are you planning on giving back this Day of Giving (November 28th)?