***This is a sponsored post. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.***
 
Do you want to make a difference and have your voice be heard by a major food manufacturing brand? Do you also love talking about food, grocery shopping and your lifestyle, while also earning rewards for sharing?
 
An American food company has partnered with C Space to create a private, password protected online community where members will share their thoughts and opinions on all things food. The online Food Advisors Community is aimed to help gain a greater understanding of the lifestyle and needs of their consumers, so they can improve current food products and create brand new ones.
 
Do not miss this opportunity to impact and influence the future of this major food manufacturer. This is your chance to help determine what they will put on grocery store shelves next! Your ideas will help inspire fresh flavors and new food products. How cool is that?
 
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With International Cat Day happening on August 8, and Happy Healthy Cat Month in September, now is the perfect time to address the 'cat in the room'—and that's your feline friend's diet.

I'll also take this time to introduce a little Tiger kitty that showed up in my yard and clearly isn't leaving. In fact, she seems to love Dan and the kids. I am still in denial that we have a new pet, so I call her Nope. Yes, her name is Nope. As in Nopesauce. 

Anyway, we have a new friend, and yes, we have been feeding her. How can we say no to that face and hungry, teeny little meow? We want to give Nope, along with our existing kitties, only the best food possible. 

I'll be the first to admit my own cat's diet isn't 'purr'fect. My indoor kitties  can be a picky eaters, or ignore their water bowl even when it's placed right next to their food. I struggled to understand how I could address these issues. But then I realized I wasn't alone—my cats were just experiencing one of the three most common cat concerns: picky eating, weight gain, and urinary tract issues. 
 
I learned about the Big 3 by partnering with Weruva [http://www.weruva.com/]—a luxurious, natural pet food dubbed "people food for cats" which is launching a full line of gluten, grain, and carrageenan-free cat food in honor of International Cat Day. It's called B.F.F. OMG! (that stands for Best Feline Friend, Oh My Gravy), and it's all about preventing these Big 3 Cat Concerns.

See that gorgeous young man standing beside me? That’s my 17 year old son, Kyle. Kyle is not only easy on the eyes and a pro when it comes to liquid liner application, he’s also completely, totally, and fabulously gay. (You can read more about him and how being his Mom saved me HERE. It’s a good read. Promise.) He is colorful, he is flamboyant, and he is a bit of a diva. I wouldn't change him for all the riches in the world. 

​Anyway, Kyle is going to be a Senior in High School this year.

A SENIOR.

I’m not entirely sure how that even happened, or where the time has gone.

​It seems like only yesterday, I was kissing his boo-boos and snuggling with him while we watched movies or read a book. Now this young man, who used to fit perfectly nestled in my lap, is a good foot taller than me. And he comes with a heart that is 2 sizes too big for his 6 foot tall body. 

​You see, Kyle is a kid...Oops, young man...that is going places. He is going to change the world one day, and he's overcome many obstacles to achieve the things he has so far in life. He is a consistent, High Honor Roll Student, a Rotary Scholar, a member of his school's Gay Straight Alliance, and also part of an anti-bullying group, STAND. 

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I don't know what it's like where you live, but here in the Cleveland, OH area, it's been H-O-T. Sauna-like, even. During the summer, I take extra care to make sure that my family stays in tip top shape, despite the nasty, oppressive summer temperatures. Thankfully, the folks at Superior Source also has some awesome supplements to help you beat the heat! 

The best part about these microlingual tablets is that they don't have to be swallowed. This is a good thing for a few reasons: For one, a lot of folks, like my husband, have a hard time swallowing even the tiniest of pills.

Also, since these tablets dissolve under the tongue, they retain their potency. When swallowing traditional supplements, their potency can be greatly reduced due to the acrid environment in the stomach. The folks at Superior Source have bypassed this common issue, ensuring that their products live up to their name.

Here are some great supplements designed specifically to keep you looking and feeling your best, from the inside-out....Even during oppressive, summer heat! 

The year was 2015 and Oregon momptrepreneurs Taya Geiger and Leah Tutin were in the Shark Tank to pitch Scratch & Grain Baking Company, their highly innovative line of baking kits featuring individually-packaged and measured gourmet ingredients with such easy-to-use numbered and color coding, even children could feel like pastry chefs.

Passing acquaintances before starting their business, the two women were now firmly united in the pursuit of two equally daunting but decidedly thrilling goals: to walk out of the Tank with a Shark in their corner, and to parlay their extraordinary television debut into a brand that would at long last redefine the baking mix category and make homemade baking for the entire family easier, tastier and healthier than ever before.

As fans of Shark Tank and Scratch & Grain know well, Taya and Leah not only struck a deal with Barbara Corcoran (entailing a $150K line of credit for 20% equity) and were later featured on Beyond The Tank, but have indeed taken their all-natural and organic line of cookie, brownie, cupcake, cornbread, muffin
and pumpkin kits to amazing heights in little more than two short years. Today, in fact, what began with two baking-challenged Moms asking the question that's led to so many entrepreneurial breakthroughs over time–Couldn't we do this better?–is now a beloved, rapidly-growing brand sold online as well as in more 5,000 stores nationwide.

As Taya (who now runs the company on her own as CEO) recalled recently,
"Being a lifelong foodies, Leah and I had very high standards for everything we ate and served our kids. We thought that each dish or dessert should be amazing and have a true wow! factor. If we couldn't get a reaction along the lines of thats the BEST chocolate chip cookie I've ever had, then it wasn't good enough for us. Fortunately, Barbara Corcoran supported our vision, and I'll be forever grateful to her, the entire Shark Tank team and all of the loyal consumers who ve taken us so far, so fast!"

I have SUPER exciting news for all my gamers out there!  

​AtGames recently announced pricing for its Fall 2017 lineup of classic gaming hardware including new premium HD versions of their classic gaming consoles: the Atari Flashback 8 Gold ($79.99) and the Sega Genesis Flashback ($79.99). Each console includes an amazing selection of built-in Atari 2600 and Sega Genesis 16-bit games, respectively, as well as an impressive range of innovative features, including wireless controllers.

These consoles along with additional products, including the Atari Flashback Portable Game Player ($59.99) and the Sega Ultimate Portable Game Player ($59.99) will be available at all major retailers in Fall 2017.

Pre-orders for the Atari Flashback 8 Gold and Sega Genesis Flashback will be available via the websites of major retailers including Target, Best Buy and GameStop starting on July 28.

New products include:

-       The all-new Atari Flashback® 8 Gold ($79.99) features 120 built-in all-time favorites. Games include legends like Activision’s Pitfall! and Taito’s Space Invaders, as well as many other all-time Atari 2600 classics like Kaboom!™, River Raid™, Centipede™, and Millipede™. Two all new, high performance 2.4ghz wireless controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports for optional wired joysticks or paddles. Other all new features for the Atari Flashback® 8 Gold include 720p HDMI output, scan line filtering, and a save/pause/rewind feature for every game.

-       The Atari Flashback® 8 Classic Game Console ($59.99) returns in a new value-priced edition, complete with 105 all-time favorites. Amazing new additions to the game line-up include Activision legends like Pitfall!™, Kaboom!™, and River Raid™. Two wired controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports to add your own optional wired joysticks or paddles.

-       The Atari Flashback® Portable Game Player ($59.99) features an amazing selection of 70 built-in games, including the legendary BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment arcade hit, PAC-MAN™. Other blockbuster games include Dig Dug™, Pitfall!™, and Frogger™, and you can even add your own games with an optional SD card. A built-in, rechargeable battery, means the on-the-go fun never has to end. Games can be played on the portable’s built-in, high resolution 2.8” display, or on a TV via optional cable.

-       The all-new Sega Genesis Flashback ($79.99) has a stunning new design, reminiscent of the original console, and features 85 built-in games as well as an integrated cartridge port that plays almost all of your favorite Sega Genesis and Mega Drive original cartridges. Built-in all-time favorites include the Sonic™ series, Mortal Kombat ™series, Phantasy Star™ series, and Shining Force™ series games. Two new high performance 2.4ghz wireless controllers, styled after the Sega Genesis originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports for optional wired gamepads. Other new features for the Sega Genesis Flashback include 720p HDMI output, scan line filtering, and a save/pause/rewind feature for every game.

-       The Classic Game Console ($59.99) returns in a new value-priced edition, complete with 81 all-time favorites. Amazing new additions to the game line-up include role-playing and strategy legends, Shining Force™, Shining Force II™, and Shining in the Darkness™. Two wired controllers, styled after the Sega Genesis originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports to add your own optional wired controllers.

-       The Ultimate Portable Game Player ($59.99) returns with an enhanced selection of 85 built-in 16-bit Sega Genesis and Mega Drive classic games. The selection of blockbuster games include new additions PAC-PANIC™ and Splatterhouse 2™, as well as many more surprises. You can even add your own games with an optional SD card! Returning for 2017 is save game support for the included Phantasy Star™ series role-playing games. A built-in, rechargeable battery, means the on-the-go fun never has to end. Games can be played on the portable’s built-in, high resolution 2.8” display, or on a TV via optional cable.

July is National Ice Cream Month, and Thirty-One Gifts is celebrating with a newly released ice cream print available on several products, as well as ice cream bowls and special ice cream cone and popsicle personalization, available only in July.

The new ice cream print, Sweet Sprinkles, is offered in three products – their best-selling Large Utility Tote, the Double Duty Caddy, and Oh-Snap Bin. The ice cream cone and popsicle embroidery may be put on most products, along with text such as a name, phrase, or meaningful message for gift-giving. When combined with the new Get the Scoop Bowl Set, customers are ready for entertaining in sweet summer style.

We received a fantastic variety of these new products, and decided to celebrate National Ice Cream Day in style. Well, that and the fact that my 17 year old got a job today at the local mall food court. LOTS of reason to celebrate here, and Thirty-One Gifts makes it all the more festive!