There are books upon books about men and women and our differences.  One could say that men are not easy to understand. On the flip side, most women will admit that we are not easy to understand either.  I don’t understand myself sometimes… and I’m a woman.

There is one thing my husband and I do understand about each other.. we like to eat and we enjoy food that is easy to prepare.  You’ll never guess what we eat at least once a week.  Hot dogs.  Ball Park® calls them franks.  I am participating in a blogger campaign with Ball Park® called “Men. Easier Fed than Understood.” and will be sharing my experiences, ideas, and even some questions for my readers, over the next two months.

My husband and his friends get together to help each other out with DIY projects.  Painting, carpentry, yard work, etc.
While they usually complete the project, they have a great deal of ‘fun’ while they are at it.  They eat, drink, build stuff, paint stuff, make messes, and eat more.  There are times when do-it-yourself projects are best solved by the experts but for the most part, my husband and his buddies are able to tackle most any DIY project, as long as they are well fed.  I have no idea what they talk about and I probably don’t want to know but they have a great time and I know that “Guy Time” is important.

Watch Ball Park’s 99% Sure commercial below

I don’t think I will ever say I’m 99% positive since watching this commercial.. at least I’m 99.9999% sure I won’t.

 

Whether you’re enjoying a day with the family or stocking up the fridge for those unexpected guy get-togethers, Ball Park has you covered offering a variety of beef, meat and turkey products, including a line of Angus Beef and Deli Style Franks along with a line of better-for-you options like our Smoked White Turkey Franks.
Since 1957, Ball Park® has been whipping up meaty, juicy and bold guy food favorites that are tasty, simple and easy to prepare.

Do you have a funny ‘Guy Time DIY’ story to share with us?  Do you understand guy time?  Are there some things men do that you just don’t understand?  Share them with us in the comments below.

Get a $1 off coupon!

Men. Easier Fed than Understood. is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Photo source: YaiSirichai

Cakes and pies used to get all the attention, but that’s rapidly changing with a trend towards choosing cupcakes instead. Cupcakes make it easy to give each person a serving of dessert and avoid the mess involved with cutting and serving a cake or pie. Most of all, they’re simply tasty and fun.

Cupcake Party Time

When it’s party time, cupcakes make a good choice for dessert. They are easier to transport than traditional cakes and can also prove easier to ice and decorate. This is an especially important point when letting kids in on the fun of preparing them. Cupcakes are also a hit with sometimes finicky children. For example, when preparing cupcakes for a school party, you can make a variety flavors. Having a selection of choices means there’s a cupcake to please just about everyone.

Family Time

Cupcakes aren’t just for fun times at school. They also provide fun for the whole family. A tasty cupcake can brighten up the day when served as an after-school snack or after-dinner dessert. You can also add to the joy of a birthday or holiday party at home with themed cupcakes. Families can even visit a cupcake bakery for a fun time out together, as can busy couples interested in a unique date-night activity.

Healthy Ingredients

Best of all is the fact that cupcakes don’t have to be unhealthy.  Applesauce or yogurt makes a good substitute for oil and butter, and reduced-fat icing makes for a healthier dessert. You may also add fresh fruit as a topping to reduce the amount of icing used and to take the place of candy and other less healthy toppings. Adding nuts, shredded vegetables and fruits to the batter may also increase its health value without hurting taste.

Enter to win a $25 Amazon.com Gift Card!

Do you have a favorite cupcake flavor?  Cupcake recipe? A favorite cupcake memory?
Share one or all with us in the comments below to be entered to win a $25 Amazon.com gift card!

Entries accepted through 11:59pm December 31st.  The gift card will be emailed to the winner upon claiming the prize.

• Be sure to have completed the mandatory entry first!
• 1 extra entry – Follow @mommyinsider on Twitter
• 1 extra entry – Like The Mommy Insider Facebook page
• 1 extra entry – Subscribe to The Mommy Insider (and confirm your email address via the confirmation email)
• 1 extra entry (each time) – Tweet this up to once every 8 hours:
  “I’m entered to win a $25 Amazon.com gift card from @mommyinsider!  You can enter to win too here: “http://wp.me/plszx-2Gw”.
• 3 extra entries per giveaway you enter – Enter any of our other giveaways and/or The Divine Miss Mommy’s giveaways and leave a comment below telling us which giveaways you entered.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post.  I was not compensated for any portion of this post.

The Incredible Cupcake Craze + a $25 Gift Card #Giveaway {Ends 12/31} is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I didn’t know much about ALDI until recently.  ALDI and Mom Central Consulting offered me the opportunity to shop at a local ALDI to purchase wine from their line-up of award-winning international exclusive wines, and other treats.   While I didn’t find the manager of our local ALDI store very helpful when we asked questions about the wine selection, we have enjoyed the wine very  much.  My husband said that when he asked the manager which wines he would recommend, he said “Well, I’m not actually much of a wine drinker so I can’t help you there” and he walked off.   It seems to me that the manager should have had some training on the wines and could have spoken in a more positive and encouraging tone.  Also, the shelves we all out of whack with wines in the wrong place and manyo f the wines were even turned the wrong way so you couldn’t see the label.  I hate to gripe though, so I’m moving on now.  That situation doesn’t affect my decision to return to ALDI to buy wine again in the future honestly.

ALDI’s wine prices are great with award-winning wines starting at just $5.99 and going up to just about $10.  Great prices, huh?

For a recent get together we enjoyed two award-winning 85 point wines from ALDO’s: Sunshine Bay’s Sauvignon Blanc ($6.99) and Chaza Moscato ($4.99) paired with assorted cheeses, vegetables, onion dip, sausage balls, and fruit.

We’ve already planned a trip back to ALDI to pick up more wine for our Christmas Eve and Day meals.

About ALDI:

Known for its premium exclusive brands, ALDI offers more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased grocery items for up to 50 percent less than traditional supermarkets. Customers can get all the holiday essentials for less, including everything from wines and appetizers to main courses, side dishes and desserts, making holiday meals and family gatherings warm and memorable. During the holiday season, ALDI stores also carry an additional line-up of more than 100 seasonal items at unbeatable prices.

Connect with ALDI:

ALDI Website

ALDI Smartphone App

Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of ALDI and received a gift certificate to facilitate my review.”

ALDI Award-Winning Wine Review is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

The holiday season is often the busiest time of the year, and when friends and family come to visit, the last thing I wants is to be stuck in the kitchen preparing time-consuming holiday meals. By having a couple of quick and easy recipes in my recipe book, I can have festive holiday meals on the table and join the party too.

Liven Up Your Holiday Menu With Ragu and Win a $200 AmEx Gift Card! #Giveaway is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

What do you think of when the holidays get near?  Gifts, shopping, cooking, AND sweets and treats right?  We are here for you then!  Lindt offers a wide range of Lindor Truffles products, including a whole holiday collection that you can put out for holiday guests to enjoy, take to work with you, or just keep in a special place for you and your husband to enjoy!

It all started in a small pastry shop on Marktgasse in Zurich’s old town in 1845. Confectioner David Sprüngli-Schwarz and his 29 year old son Rudolf Sprüngli-Ammann, who also trained to be a confectioner, dared to do something new: they decided to make chocolate. In particular and in keeping with the new fashion that came from Italy –solid bars – just like François-Louis Cailler in Vevey and Philippe Suchard in Neuchâtel had already done.

You can even build your own holiday themed bag of Lindor Truffles!  Mix and match five flavors for a total of about 100 pieces in your bag. You can’t resist that can you?

Connect with Lindt

• Lindt website
• Lindt Holiday Truffles page
• Lindt on Twitter
• Lindt on Facebook

GIVEAWAY!

One winner will receive a bag of:

• Lindor Dark Peppermint truffles and
• Lindor Milk Chocolate truffles

Disclosure: I received Lindor Truffle samples for purposes of this review.  All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Lindor Truffles – A Great Stocking Stuffer.. and a #Giveaway! {Ends 12/21} is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Congratulations Marie!

My kids and I enjoy baking together.  Baking together gets us away from the hustle and bustle that is family-life and usually leaves us all with memories sometimes funny (because we threw flour at each other) and a few times.. sad (because we burned what we baked).

If you love molasses cookies, but could do without the preparation and mess, Betty Crocker has come to your rescue!  Betty Crocker recently introducing a molasses cookie mix, making this year-round favorite cookie easy to bake in less than 20 minutes.

• With a delectably soft and chewy texture, and great spice cookie taste, new BettyCrocker® Molasses Cookie mix combines real molasses flavor with hints of cinnamon and spice for a homemade taste that you’ll love.
• Look for Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie mix in the baking aisle of grocery stores this fall.
• In addition, you can download a printable coupon for $0.75 off the purchase of one (1) Betty Crocker® Molasses Cookie mix pouch today!

Connect with Betty Crocker:

Disclosure: ”The product, information and prize pack has been provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.”

Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix Review and #Giveaway – {Contest ended12/15} is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!