Where Hope Grows Movie Hits Home

May 12, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Godspeed Pictures, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #wherehopegrowsmovie http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

As I snuggled up with Hubby watching a pre-viewing of Where Hope Grows, I expected to get some of the feels and a good message. I had no idea the wide range of emotions that would come as we watched! This amazing movie was such a touching story that I could connect with in many ways, and truly enjoyed seeing the characters as the progressed and overcame challenges. Here’s the way the new Where Hope Grows Movie Hits Home in such a wonderful, must-see way!

To give you an idea, the story is about a man named Calvin Campbell, a single dad who turned to alcohol after being forced into early retirement for freezing at the plate as a pro baseball player.

His 17-year-old daughter is ready to give up on him, and in her desperation for love and attention goes for a really big jerk.

Neither of them expected that Produce, a local grocery store worker with Down Syndrome, would have such an important and moving influence on them to change turn their lives around!

Produce is such an amazing guy with such a huge heart, facing a world full of challenges and people who don’t understand.

Watching him go through the struggles and having my heart just hurt for him made me think of some very special people in my life with disabilities to deal with – this amazing family:

This sweet mamma, Andrea, is raising the two most down-right fabulous kids ever! They both have different disabilities, pretty major, so their life is anything but easy. I can honestly say that these three are some of the most unbelievable caring, faithful people I’ve ever had the privilege to call my friends!

Andrea’s boy is in the same grade as my Black Widow, so when we first moved here they really hit it off as great friends. What I loved the most was – I hadn’t met any of these guys, yet, and almost every day she’d come home from school talking about him, the fun they had, how sweet he was…..not once did she describe him in a way that made me think he had disabilities. NOT ONCE. It wasn’t until a school teacher pulled me aside one day, complimenting on how sweet my daughter was for her patience in helping him with his differences did I know.

I was such a proud mama that my daughter could see past any differences and just have a true love for her friend! This is some of what Calvin learns to deal with as he befriends Produce in the movie – others don’t understand. Luckily, Calvin learns to love him deeply for the sweet friend he is, and the life lessons that he learns from this unlikely teacher.

After I finally met Andrea and her kiddos, we became amazing friends and I can’t say enough how much I love and care for every one of them. About a year ago, I invited her to bring them to a neighborhood play date at the park – she was shocked. When she told me that they pretty much never get invited to things like that because of the kids’ disabilities, it broke my heart! After leaving her house, I had to sit in the car a bit and just cry.

Okay, totally let the feels get me as I’m writing this and I’m now sitting here at the computer crying. Woah! This movie really delivers a meaningful message, and includes humor along the way – so don’t worry, you’ll laugh, too! Where Hope Grows hits theaters 05/15 so check your local theater for showtimes!

10 Best Tips for Attending a Blog Conference

December 23, 2020 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received a discounted conference ticket in exchange for this post. All opinions and ideas are my own. May contain affiliate links. #SoFabUOTR #cbias

A little over a year ago I was preparing for my first ever in-person blogging conference. I was super nervous, had no idea what to expect, what to do…or what to wear (that seemed to be a common concern)! Luckily I had friends who helped give me some tips, and now I’m passing on that wisdom with these 10 Best Tips for Attending a Blog Conference!

Now, I’m not saying I’m an expert by any means! I do have some experience with conferences now, and am currently prepping for a couple more this month! I was so excited there were some here in Dallas, TX that made it pretty much too easy to say no….so I said YES!

On May 30th I’ll be getting with about 50 other fabulous bloggers at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center for the raved about SoFabU on the Road! It’s going to be a chuck-full day of chatting with other amazing bloggers, fantastic brands and learning more information than I could hope for – such as How to Use Social Media to Drive Blog Traffic. The main speaker? My friend Randi Dukes of Dukes and Duchesses, a craft and DIY blog!

Randi’s blog went from a hobby into a business in the last few years, and she’s passionate about using social media to promote and monetize it. She’s one of those people that I really admire, and I can’t wait to learn about her strategies that built her over half a million combined followers on her social media channels.

They recently announced ‘The Adventure’ portion – we’re going behind the scenes for a photography/video lesson while learning from top Chef’s at some of the Gaylord Texan’s award-winning restaurants, plus walking around their 4.5 acres of indoor gardens and waterways. Yup, I pretty much yelled ‘Woot woot’!!!

I also can’t wait to talk to some of the great sponsors like Johnny Rockets, Müller, Kraft and iBlog plus some other great companies! As I’m getting all prepped, I’m keeping in mind these 10 Best Tips for Attending a Blog Conference.

Tip #1: Making Friends is Easy – so Be Social!

I’m a shy person initially, but once I feel comfortable with someone I’m a total talker! I slowly learned, after attending more conferences and socializing, that I had the best time when I just pushed myself to be friendly and go outside my comfort zone. You never know who you’ll ‘click’ with, so reach out – just start with a ‘hello’ and go from there!

Tip #2: Bring Business Cards

You’re going to be meeting so many bloggers and brands, you WANT to stay organized…the best way is with business cards. Keep theirs (hole punch them and use a binder ring to keep them together). It keeps your mind from going crazy trying to remember everyone’s details, and it’s much easier to follow up after the conference!

Tip #3: It’s Ok to Use the Camera on Your Phone

I know this isn’t EVERYONE’S opinion, but most that I know agree that it’s just a pain to carry around a DSLR. Many of the pics you want are general ‘fun’ and candid ones – it’s difficult to get these when you’re pulling out the massive camera and messing with settings. You’ll stress a lot less by just using you phone camera. This tip alone saved my sanity at my first conference!

Tip #4: Notebooks are a Must, Laptops are Optional

You’ll want to take notes – LOTS of notes! You definitely need a notebook and something to write with (or a couple – you never know when your pen will run-out mid-session). But again, lugging around a big piece of tech isn’t going to be fun or help you feel more comfortable, so a laptop is up to you. It could also die in the middle of the day, then you’re either carrying around a useless, getting-heavy laptop or racing back to your room to put it away and missing out on more socializing.

Tip #5: Dress Comfortably

I know, we all want to look our best when meeting other bloggers and brands – but don’t go overboard and make yourself miserable the whole time! Stick to your favorite pieces that you NORMALLY wear; don’t feel like you have to go out and buy a new wardrobe. Also keep in mind that conference rooms can really vary in temperature – you could be freezing in one session, then sweating in another – so be flexible and do layers.

Tip #6: Use Your Social Media – Everyone Else Will Be!

In general public, it’s considered rude to sit there on your phone while you’re talking to someone. When you’re surrounded by bloggers, it’s the norm, so do it! I’m not saying never talk to someone while making eye-contact, but join everyone else is sharing about the conference, your new friends and all the fun on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, whatever.

Tip #7: Back-up Batteries can Save Your Life – or at Least Your Phone!

My first conference, the biggest frustration I had (and several others) was our phones dying part-way into the day. We have much more social media to do and pictures to take! I bought a battery back-up before my last conference, and it was a life-saver!

Tip #8: Don’t Try to Learn Everything 100% the First Time

You’re going to be hearing so much excellent information, and if you’re like me you’ll want to go implement ALL of it right away. Do NOT do that! Your brain will go crazy trying to process all of that, plus the whole time issue. Make notes of the top things you think would be BEST to do immediately, and address those very shortly after you get home. Keep your notes on the rest for down the road.

Tip #9: Perfect Your Blogger Elevator Pitch

Every time you meet a new person or brand, you’ll probably repeat your elevator pitch. What IS an elevator pitch? Basically it’s you describing yourself and your blog in 60 seconds or less. Your name, blog name and what it’s about. Difficult, I know – I’m still trying to perfect mine!

Tip #10: You’re Never the ‘Newest’ Blogger

I could have sworn I’d be the newest, smallest blogger at my first conference – and this affected how social I was willing to be! I wouldn’t even TRY to talk to ‘the big’ bloggers because my thought was ‘I’m nothing compared to them, why would they want to talk to me’. First of all – that’s entirely NOT true! They want to be friends with you regardless of the size of your blog! Secondly, there’s ALWAYS someone there that’s newer, smaller, quieter, whatever than you are. It’s a huge assortment of people – so don’t let that affect how much you get from your conference!

Bonus Tip: Have Fun and Don’t Stress!

Seriously, I always kick myself when I stress unnecessarily about a conference because I always end up having the most amazing time (even the one where I got sick and sounded like a toad the ENTIRE time)! It’s going to be great, you’ll learn lots and meet so many fabulous people – so just have fun and go with the flow!

SoFabU on the Road Events are open to all bloggers and influencers! Go check out their website to find them at a city near you!

Better Nutrition for Your Dog & Other Tips

April 10, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

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

How many of you have a dog or two? We have two amazing furry friends in our family, and they fit perfectly with our wacky personalities! We learned a lot raising these girls, so I thought it’d be good to share some advice for Better Nutrition for Your Dog & Other Tips.

If you’ve followed the blog for awhile, you probably remember Kita (full black) and Tula (black/white). We adopted Kita from a tiny pup, then a year later got Tula from a shelter for a playmate. They’re the funniest pair, and we just can’t help but laugh at them running around teasing each other!

Of course we get all of our pet supplies from PetSmart, since they have the friendliest staff! Not only that, but they allow us to take in the dogs, which they think is the most exciting ‘adventure’!

When we go, we try to do it during the daytime when they’re doing a doggie day camp or training, since it’s so fun to see the dogs interact with each other. These girls are part of our family, so we want to take the best care of them we can, especially with what they eat, which is why we get them Purina® Pro Plan®.

They both LOVE this stuff, and I feel confident that it’s a wise choice for their health. Real chicken, beef, lamb, or salmon is the #1 ingredient found in all Purina® Pro Plan® dry formulas. Since both our dogs are part lab, we choose the Large Breed Adult dog food. I love that they have actual shredded pieces mixed into the food!

It’s so funny how the girls react when we bring home a new bag! It’s like ‘gimme gimme’ – super cute! They eat it daily, yet the excitement is still there Every. Single. Time!

The people at Purina® Pro Plan® say “Our goal is to give your dog the nutrition to be his absolute best, helping him to be energetic and resilient, and maintaining an ideal body condition, healthy skin, and a stunning coat.” I can tell the difference with this food, so I feel great about feeding this to our special, extra-furry kids!

Visit the Purina® Pro Plan® MyPLAN website to get your dog’s MyPLAN recommendation and a rebate offer for a free bag of Purina® Pro Plan® Dry Dog Food (4-6lbs, up to $18.99.) Good only in U.S.A. A.P.O’s, F.P.O’s. Void where taxed, prohibited, restricted. Allow 6-8 weeks for shipment. LIMIT ONE REQUEST PER INDIVIDUAL, ADDRESS, or EMAIL ADDRESS. Offer expires 04/30/2015.See full terms.

Now that we’ve covered tips for great nutrition for your dogs, let’s get on to a few other tricks we’ve learned these couple years with our pups!

Tips for Dog Owners

If your dog likes laying on your bed, but you hate the fur getting everywhere, just have a certain blanket you lay on top during the day. Their shedding gets on that blanket, then you can just take it off to sleep in a nice, fur-free bed!
Leave a dish towel or old rag underneath your pets feeding dishes. This will help reduce spills and messes!
If there’s a special couch where your dog sleeps at night, lay out some cheap sheets before bedtime. Any fur, drool or even snot (yup, even dogs get boogy noses!) gets on the easily-washed sheets, and your couch is cleaner for daytime use/entertaining!

What are YOUR best tips for dog owners?

Dinnertime Help with TWO Quick Recipes

March 17, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

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

As much as I love cooking, I often dread late afternoon because I know I have to get dinner ready. Life’s busy, so I just don’t have the time to spend forever on a tasty meal for my family! Luckily, I’ve found some great simple meals so we have some Dinnertime Help with TWO Quick Recipes: Sweet Onion Teriyaki Kabob Casserole and Chicken Herb & Garlic Soup!

These recipes were already super simple to make and absolutely delish…a crowd-pleaser fore sure! Now they’re even EASIER, though, and take even fewer ingredients just by replacing some of them with the NEW Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking! So convenient to keep on-hand for those nights you just don’t have the time (most nights, for me!). When you can whip up a fantastic meal in less than 30 minutes or work, that’s a definite Woot Woot! So grab a few of the fresh sealed cartons (not cans) from the soup aisle at Walmart and get cookin’!

I love that these not only help me use fewer ingredients, but I get a more flavorful meal for hardly any effort at all! Don’t forget to take advantage of a $0.75 coupon on Walmart.com valid until 04/13.

Chicken Herb & Garlic Soup

Ingredients

1 box Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking: Creamy Herb & Garlic with Chicken Stock
12-14 oz. Chicken Breast, cooked and cubed
1 tbsp. Thyme
1/2 tbsp. Garlic
1/8 cup Green Onions, diced
1/8 cup Onions, diced
1 can Peas & Carrots, drained
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Sweet Onion Teriyaki Kabob Casserole

Ingredients

1 box Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking: Sweet Onion
1 tbsp. Garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds
1/8 cup Soy Sauce
12 oz. Steak or Chicken, cubed
1/4 Sweet Onion, sliced
2 cups Sweet Peppers, diced
1 Green Pepper, diced
2 Tomatoes, diced
8 oz. Mushrooms, sliced

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the Campbell’s soup, garlic, sesame seeds and soy sauce to make your marinade. Set aside.
Wash and cut all your veggies (unless you’ve already done so). Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees F. Spray a deep 9×13 baking dish. Spread 1/2 of the marinade along the bottom of the dish.
Spread your veggies (except onions) evenly in the baking dish over the marinade. Top with your diced meat, then strips of onion. Spread the remaining marinade over top (it will gain more moisture and spread during cooking, so don’t worry if it’s clumpy).
Cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until meat is cooked through and veggies are as tender as you prefer. Serve plain or over rice for a delicious, quick meal!

Here’s more ways you can switch up your favorite, simple recipes for your busy schedule:

Recipe calls for Cream of Mushroom >> now try the Savory Portobello Mushroom in your recipe (great for skillet recipes)
Recipe calls for Cream of Chicken >> instead enjoy the Creamy Herb & Garlic with Chicken Stock in recipe (perfect for pot pies)
Recipe calls for Condensed French Onion Soup>> now try the savory addition of Sweet Onion flavor in your recipe (this a savory addition to any meatloaf and skillet dishes)
Recipe calls for Condensed Tomato Soup >> now enjoy with Mexican Style Tomato (great for Mexican dishes)

You can get more recipe and product ideas by following Campbell’s on their social channels:

Facebook

Twitter

What go-to recipe do YOU want to try switching around with Campbell’s Soups for Easy Cooking? Grab some ideas HERE!

Dreaming about Flooring

March 14, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

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

We spend a lot of time in our home. Like…a LOT! Right now both Hubby and I are here, the younger kids aren’t yet in school so they’re here. Since this is our special place, we’re working hard to take our now 1 1/2 year old builder-grade house and turn it into a beautiful, comforting and welcoming home that fits OUR tastes and preferences. The process is going slowly but surely, and right now I’m in full on remodel mode and Dreaming about Flooring!

For those that follow regularly, you know I love a good DIY project. That being said, there are definitely times when it’s better you #DDIY – Don’t Do It Yourself. Like the time I tried applying molding to a table with a hammer and nails….dumb. The nails kept bending, the molding was crooked, and a few bruised fingers left us in quite the grumpy mood! Or when we tried ripping out some baseboards to do a built-in shelf, thinking we could reinstall it without a nail gun….ya, not smart. I finally gave up with that, and it’s still an eye-sore along the base in Wonder Woman’s bedroom. You should check out these videos of other #DDIY moments from people!

This big flooring project I have in mind is one of those situations, and I’m being smart enough to not attempt it myself first. I’m relying on my friend Jeff at my local Carpet One to handle it for me!

See all those selections in their store? That’s just a FRACTION of what they have for you to choose from! First, I love the way Carpet One smells like fresh carpet. Am I weird? Perhaps, but I like it. It’s so fun to pick out your colors and materials, too, because they have plenty of samples to look through, feel…even walk on, to make sure it’s the right choice for YOUR project. Speaking of projects, this is one of the area’s I’m working on….

The huge playroom loft, plus the top of stairs and hallway. Now, I don’t just want carpet everywhere like it has right now. I want the hallways to be wood laminate. Can you imagine trying to do the carpet, stairs, PLUS making it go well with installing laminate? No way! I love that I don’t even have to measure it myself, Carpet One will do it for FREE! No hassle, no strings attached. Jeff came and did all the measuring for me, plus brought plenty of samples so I could compare the look and feel, especially against my specific paint colors.

I wanted a carpet that wasn’t a solid color, but a few speckled in there. I love the look, plus it does better on hiding things if it happens to not get vacuumed for little while…perfect for a playroom! I also wanted it really soft, since the kids roll around, sit and play on there every day.

I know, our old carpet isn’t THAT bad….but take a look at some of the issues, like stains…

Or the chunks that are flat out MISSING because our dogs went through a carpet-chewing stage as pups…

Are you a fan of mood boards? I totally am, and sometimes make a dozen or so for a project! Here’s one of mine for this upstairs flooring project…

I had a ton of fun at Carpet One going through my options, and loved that they really know their stuff and WANT to help, not just make a sale. Of course I have a budget I want to work within, and it’s important to them to help you find what will work best. I’m also big on supporting my community, and these stores are locally owned by people who live and invest here.

Jeff was so patient with me, since I kept going ‘oh, this one looks great’ and then found another one that was ‘perfect’. I’ve never done a project of this type or scale before, so had a million questions that he answered clearly so I could understand. They really know their stuff at Carpet One! They also have their ‘Beautiful Guarantee’ – if you’re not 100% satisfied with the new floor, they’ll replace it for free. Can’t go wrong with that!

One concern I had was the mess that could end up in the house, with Superman having such sensitive skin. No worries, though, because their cleaner, healthier installation practices help minimize the irritants, dust and other junk that could affect the air quality in my home!

And guess what? They’re having a #DDIY Sale!!! Everyone loves saving money, right?! From 03/06/15 – 04/19/15 is the #DDIY Flooring Sale – Lee’s Promotion and you can get up to 50% select Lee’s carpets, or up to $500 instant rebate on select hardwood, tile, laminate, LVT and more.

Want another option for saving some on your budget? Save $100 Off a Purchase of $1,499 or more. Disclaimers: Available at participating stores only; not all products at all locations. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts or promotional offers and is not valid on previous purchases. Coupon has no cash value. Limit one coupon per household.

Easily Make a Brick Wall with Stencils

March 6, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received a free stencil for this post. All opinions and ideas are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more info.

Have you ever wanted to do a specific design on your walls, but the thought of doing each piece by hand made you want to cry? That’s how I felt when I decided to make my kids’ playroom wall look like bricks…old, sloppy bricks (that still looked fabulous)! Luckily, you can Easily Make a Brick Wall with Stencils from Royal Design Studio!

When we bought our house, the biggest reason we chose this specific floor plan was because of the HUGE loft upstairs, knowing this would be the playroom while the kiddos are younger. The last couple months I’ve been working on remodeling it to be more fun, organized and look AMAZING! After I painted the yucky, builder-grade wall a nice grey color to install our new shelving area, I got ready to create a ‘brick’ look on the rest.

Before the Brick Wall Look…

My go-to place for stencils is, of course, Royal Design Studio. They have an amazing selection, and I know my chances of finding exactly what I need for a project are high. Sure enough, I browsed through and found their Mosaic Stencil (in large) that would be PERFECT for a brick wall! I contacted their amazing staff (seriously, they’re all super friendly and helpful!) and got started right away…

Although in their project images they have the lines running up and down, for the brick look I did mine horizontal. I loved the variety of shapes and sizes, since I needed it to look NOT perfectly matched. I went one shade darker than my wall for the majority of the ‘bricks’, then two shades from that for some.

Originally, I considered just doing the one color….

Not quite the ‘POW’ amazing look I was going for…it needed that other coloring for some accents and variety! Much better, right?!

Since I didn’t decide this until later, I did things the REALLY hard way and went back over for the dark ‘bricks’ by hand….every single dark one you see wasn’t roller, it was a brush.

So the EASY way to do it, other than make up your mind before the ‘end’, is to follow one (or more) of these great stenciling tutorials from Royal Design Studio.

After the Brick Wall Look…

Check out my cute little photo-bomber in this picture….he LOVES the new look of their playroom!

I seriously can’t WAIT to finish the entire playroom remodel! Still a lot to do, but it’s going to knock your socks off, so be sure to check back! And the next time you have a fun project you want to make simpler and look FABULOUS, check out the selection at Royal Design Studio!

Other Royal Design Stencil Projects I’ve done

Whiter Teeth in 3 Days* Plus a Printable

September 19, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Colgate-Palmolive. All opinions are mine alone. #OpticSmiles #CollectiveBias

Who else had to wear braces? I did…for SIX YEARS! Not a very happy time during my teen years, that’s for sure. Once I was finally free, my teeth looked nice and straight…but really off in color. Ugh! Ever since, keeping my teeth bright and beautiful is really important to me…don’t want to have those six years be for nothing, after all. Now everyone can get Whiter Teeth in 3 Days*…plus a printable!

I really don’t like using different types of products to whiten my teeth, so when I heard there’s a new TOOTHPASTE that will do it in just three days, I was thrilled! With Colgate® Optic White® Express White, I can just do my normal teeth brushing routine, use this, and my smile will stay nice and bright. Woot woot! I grabbed a tube at Wal-mart to try…by their teeth/personal care aisle they had a big end-cap display for it, so it was super easy to find…

I was really excited this worked so well! Hubby’s had more of a difference than mine because they did start out a shade or so more ‘off’. And it’s not that ‘fake white’ that some things leave on your teeth, it’s real and pretty – probably because it has 2x more of the professionally recommended whitening ingredient vs. Optic White Sparkling Mint Toothpaste.

If you want to see a demo for yourself, see if your store is doing one on 02/28/15! There will be ambassadors roaming around the aisles giving out $1 off coupons for the Colgate® Optic White® Express White Tooth Paste, so try to find them!

Ready for that cute free printable? You have some choices – I have a full 8.5×11 sized print of EACH of the four designs, and then a sheet that has all four on the page (like in my pictures shown above.)

Brush Printable Flush Printable

Wash Printable Hang Printable

All Four Printable

*For best results, use as directed for 4 weeks.

How to Pay Less for Your Auto Insurance

June 7, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

If you drive a vehicle, it is the law that you must be covered by auto insurance. Depending on where you live, what type of car you drive and your driving record, you might be paying an enormous amount in auto insurance premiums. However, there are some things you can do to limit the amount of money you spend on auto insurance. By doing a little research, the amount that you pay can drop significantly, while still maintaining enough coverage that will allow you to drive legally. Here are some ways you can go about paying less for your auto insurance Austin.

1. Shop around

If you think that all auto insurance companies are the same, you are sadly mistaken. You will find that the rates they charge for the same amount of coverage can vary widely. This is why it is in your best interests to call as many auto insurance providers as you can. You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing this. In fact, tell the representatives at the companies you call that you are comparing rates between providers. You can also say that you will choose the one that offers the lowest rate. This might cause the representative to give you a favorable rate just to get your business.

2. Start living in a better area

As mentioned earlier, where you live can play a huge role in how much your auto insurance costs. If you live in a neighborhood where car thefts are common, it goes without saying that insurance companies are going to charge you more. This is because there is a greater likelihood of your car being stolen. Living in a better area with less crime will cause providers to lower your premium.

3. Think about buying a different vehicle

The newer and more expensive a vehicle is, the higher your insurance premiums will be. This is due to the fact that it will cost more to repair or replace a new vehicle than an old one. Sports cars and other high-performance vehicles will also cost you more to insure because of the increased risk of a high-speed collision.

4. Increase your deductible

Your deductible is how much you need to pay prior to your provider paying you a settlement on a claim. By increasing this deductible, most auto insurance providers will enable you to lower the amount of your premiums. This can save you a tremendous amount over the life of the policy.

Pizza Hut ‘Flavor of Now’

January 27, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

This shop has been compensated by TapInfluence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #flavorofnow #sponsored

If you know my family at all, you know we’re HUGE pizza-lovers. It’s especially great to save me some time cooking in the kitchen during a busy day! Whether we make our own or order out, family pizza night is one of our favorites! We won’t settle for ‘good’ pizza, though, only amazingly delicious kinds. When we heard about the new Pizza Hut ‘Flavor of Now’ Menu, we had to give it a try…and were blown away!

If you haven’t tried their ‘Flavor of Now’ options, you’re really missing out because there’s items for EVERY taste preference! I couldn’t choose just one when we ordered this week, so got THREE….

Pizza #1: Garden Party™

This was a pre-designed flavoring which ended up being Hubby’s absolute favorite of the three (my second)! It had their new Hut Favorite Crust Flavor, Premium Crushed Tomato Sauce, Fresh Spinach, Green Peppers, Mushrooms, Onions, Diced Tomatoes and a Balsamic Drizzle to top it off.

I will say this was my favorite Crust Flavor…perfectly seasoned and bursting with great taste!

Pizza #2: Giddy-Up BBQ Chicken™

THIS one was my very favorite of the three (although I loved all of them!). Also a pre-made Flavor of Now combination, it had the Honey BBQ Sauce, Bacon, Chicken, Onions, new Toasted Cheddar Crust Flavor and a BBQ Drizzle. SUPER yummy!

Pizza #3: My Customized Flavor of Now Pizza

This one I customized, mixing and matching some of their new toppings (there’s 5 new ones!), crust flavor, and sauce! For this one I chose to try out the Garlic Butter Blend Crust Flavor, Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce, Green Peppers, Ham, Mushrooms, Onions, Black Olives, Italian Sausage and Diced Tomatoes. I didn’t do a drizzle on this one, since I thought it was already perfect…and Oh. My. Gosh! It was fabulous! My kiddos downed this one way fast.

I also received the most AMAZING customer service! I had ordered the pizza early on in the day for later on their website, and 5 minutes before it was suppose to be delivered I received a call from the manager apologizing that they would be a little late due to so many orders. Guess how late they were probably going to be? Only 5-10 minutes! Seriously, that’s not much, but it was still so generous of them to make the effort to keep us happy and take the time to call personally to apologize. I was definitely impressed!

Give Pizza Hut’s all-new menu a try with 5 premium new ingredients, 6 bold new sauces and 10 amazing new crust flavors. Build your own creation now at PizzaHut.com.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pizza Hut. The opinions and text are all mine.

Best of Busy Mom’s Helper 2014

January 18, 2021 by Kelly Dedeaux

I’m in major shock that later this week we’ll be writing 2015 on everything. Where the heck did this year go? It was full of fun and memories, challenges and obstacles, great achievements and growth. Despite how time seemed to fly by, this year was absolutely wonderful! As we wrap up December, I wanted to share the Best of Busy Mom’s Helper 2014!

Below are the Top 10 Posts from 2014, what all you amazing readers chose as the most popular! Busy Mom’s Helper has grown so much over the past year, and opened up a lot of doors for my family and I. I wanted to say THANK YOU for all of your support this past year, and hope you’ll stick around for the many fabulous things to come this next year!

#1: Free Printable 2015 Planner & Calendar

#2: Disney’s Frozen Elsa Dress Tutorial

#3: Pumpkin Breakfast Smoothie

#4: 50+ Superhero Crafts

#5: 14+ Gifts of Valentine’s Day with Free Printables

#6: How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend

#7: Pink Lemonade Cupcakes with Lemonade Buttercream Frosting

#8: Frozen Inspired Bedroom Makeover

#9: Trick or Treat Smell My Feet Gift with Printables

#10: 15+ of the BEST Grocery Budgeting Tips EVER

These are all some of my own favorites, too, so it’s good to know that we share our likes! I have a TON of exciting plans and fun things coming up, so I hope y’all stay tuned for more awesome ideas, recipes, home projects, crafts and more during 2015! Let’s kick off the year with a BANG and end it with a WOOT WOOT!

Make Your Phone YOURS with Moto Maker

December 24, 2014 by Kelly Dedeaux

Merry Christmas Eve, y’all! I can’t believe it’s actually here…feels like it should still be November or something! The kids are so dang excited for their gifts, the food, the family coming over, and everything. I don’t get quite that off-the-walls about my own gifts anymore…but I sure would if I was getting a brand new phone! Not only that, but I’d love customize it myself. Impossible, you say? Not anymore! Now you can Make Your Phone YOURS with Moto Maker!

If you’re like Hubby and me, you almost LIVE through your phone. Not literally, but we take our phones everywhere! Especially since he’s a software guy, he sometimes can work from his smartphone, plus we both can keep up on important emails, our social media (that’s work for a blogger, right?) and of course as a back-up with games when the kids are getting bored during sister’s dance class. As much as it drives me nuts that we rely so much on technology, I really can’t do without it! What I don’t like is the ‘one size fits all’ approach to phones. Hubby and I are quite different, so why can’t our phones also match our uniqueness?

I love the idea of the new Moto X, Motorola’s fully customizable smartphone! It offers the ultimate in custom gifting – either for yourself or a loved one. It’s the perfect gift for that special someone because it can be designed to reflect their personal style. I know I’d get the wife-of-the-year award if I got Hubby one of these beauties!

So here’s how it works….. MotoMaker.com is the online studio where you can design your Moto X. There are thousands of ways to make Moto X unique to you or anyone on your list. You choose the colors, leather or wood and decide all the details: front, back, accents, memory storage, wallpapers, even add a name or a short message that is laser engraved on the back. Head to the website and you see this….

Ya, talk about options! So let’s go on through and I’ll show you MY ideal phone, and even Hubby got it on the fun and designed his! For the Back Color, I had a hard time choosing because there’s plenty of awesome colors. Or you can choose wood, or even leather! I finally went with this fabulous shade of purple.

The front I wanted black, since the white doesn’t really ‘stand out’ to me.

At first I wasn’t sure what they meant by ‘trim’, but then I realized where it was…the outlined spots are pointed out for y’all with arrows here. Again, plenty of fun colors to choose from, but I thought silver looked great with my purple.

If you’re like me and drop your phone often (or your kids do, whatever) a case is probably a wise decision! Aren’t these colors fun?!

One thing Hubby and I both LOVE about the Moto X is that you can choose to have more memory. For us that use our phones for basically everything, we definitely want the 32 GB. If we had teens we were getting a phone for, we’d most likely get them the 16 GB.

They’ll even engrave a name or saying on the back! Here’s mine…

And here’s Hubby’s….

When you click ‘More Options’ it lets you choose some of the settings, or you can change those later when you get the phone. I wanted to get mine all figured out!

Upon start-up, instead of the normal ‘HELLO’ or whatever is on the standard phones, you can put your own message. I thought it’d be fun to have a little ‘uplifting’ when I look at my phone….

Hubby wants to bring out his inner Megamind….

Then there’s the cool wallpapers! Mine…

and his….

Since it’s Android (our fav!), you can even get it all connected to your Google account! Or do that later when you have the phone, up to you!

Then choose a black or white charger. Super fun!

The new Moto X raises the bar in design with a perfectly-sized 5.2-inch HD display and a curved frame that fits comfortably into your hand. Here’s some more awesomeness of the Moto X from Motorola!

You can even name it whatever you want and ask it questions “Wake up, Shirley… what’s the weather?”
It lets you do more using only your voice, working with favorite apps like Facebook, Twitter, Google Play Music and Pandora. It’s aware of where you are–in the car, in a meeting or going to sleep–and adjusts to your preferences accordingly.

And since this blogger uses my phone for photos TONS, I loved that the camera makes sure you capture every can’t-miss moment, even at the most dimly lit holiday / New Year’s Eve parties! The Best Shot feature takes several photos before and after you snap the picture and identifies your optimal shot. It even knows if you’ve taken several pictures at a party or on vacation, and will organize them into a highlight reel with options for music and special effects.

The new Moto X is everything you want in a premium smartphone without the premium price. It is available for $99 with a two-year contract and $499 without a contract. Add $25 for the wood or leather backs.

Head over and design yours today!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Blogger Spotlight: Sowdering About

January 4, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

This week I get to share with you another amazing lady that joins me with our Awesome Things Wednesday while running her super fun blog! Randi has all sorts of craftiness, plus finds time to write…not sure how she does it! So get ready for this week’s Blogger Spotlight: Sowdering About!

Not only does she find time for all HER stuff, but she’ll will even do craft projects her friends request. Super nice, huh? Here’s a bit about Randi in her own words:

“I started my blog a few years ago because I wanted to help inspire people to find their crafty. So many of my friends were always asking me how I did things, or wanted to see what I was up to. I also wanted a place/space to be able to keep up on my writing. I love to write and never want to lose that. “