Baked Apple Turnovers {made with Splenda} | #Moms4JNJConsumer #AD

Disclaimer: This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

***

Last month I was excited to kick off 2014 with a little box of goodies from The Motherhood and information on how you can save on Johnson & Johnson Healthy Essentials. And I'm happy to say that the savings on Healthy Essentials are continuing through February. Right in time for Valentine's Day!

This year Valentine's falls on a Friday. Being special needs parents, child care is limited and date nights are rare. We don't really go crazy celebrating. But I try to do a little something to sweeten the day. 

Since we both work on Friday and I don't typically make breakfast, I thought I'd treat The Husband with a heartwarming breakfast treat to enjoy with his coffee. When I found this recipe for Baked Apple Turnovers made with Splenda, I knew it would be perfect.

Splenda is a No Calorie Sweetener and can be used almost anywhere sugar is used, including cooking and baking. It measures cup-for-cup like sugar, but contains 678 calories less than sugar on a cup-for-cup basis. One teaspoon of Splenda contains the sweetness equivalency of one teaspoon of sugar with no calories or carbohydrates. 

Now I'm not much of a baker and my cooking skills are just okay. But I found this recipe easy and quick. And I had all the ingredients in my kitchen (with the exception of the refrigerated pie crust). Since it's Valentine's, I thought it would be fun to use heart shaped cookie cutters. 

Don't they look great? I'm feeling pretty proud of myself considering this was my first time making these.  

Baked Apple Turnovers not your thing, how about  delicious Raspberry Heart Cookies (made with Splenda) that taste as good as they look? You can check out the recipe HERE.

***

How You Can Save: 

You can get significant savings by visiting the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS website in February and signing up for extra-sweet HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® coupons and offers. As you prepare for a special Valentine’s Day, these HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® products and tips can help you be healthy and happy for the ones you love.  

Get a printable coupon for $1 off any SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener product at at HealthyEssentials.com. To sweeten the savings, you could get a free 30 minute nutrition consultation with a Registered Dietitian when you buy $10 of SPLENDA® Sweetener Products between now and February 17, 2014 – up to $75 value! More details on this special offer at HealthyEssentials.com.

***

Disclaimer: This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

Stock Up On Healthy Essentials | #Moms4JNJConsumer #ad

Disclaimer: This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

I have this little ritual around New Year's. I go into major clean mode. I start organizing, sorting and throwing things away. I like going into the New Year feeling like I have a completely fresh start. One of the areas I spent a lot of time was my linen closet. 

My linen closet - by the way - has no linen. It's pretty much a storage space for towels,  toiletries, first aid necessities and other healthy essentials. I toss anything that's expired and if it doesn't have an expiration date - if I can't remember when I bought it, then it goes too. Then I take stock of what I have and what I need. 


Turned out, I needed quite a few things. Luckily I received this beautiful box of Healthy Essentials…

         

And it's great to know that there's a way to save on other healthy essentials not found in my box of goodies. Guess what? You can too. 

Get Significant Savings from Healthy Essentials this Month

To help families usher in a healthy New Year, HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® is offering amazing printable coupons, tips & tools and so much more. Here’s the deal: you can save over $45 by visiting www.HealthyEssentials.com in January and signing up for extra-special HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® coupons and offers.

Now is the perfect time for a fresh start to your healthcare routine and to create healthy resolutions. From pain & allergy relief to dietary & digestive health to products for kids & babies, there are significant savings on items for every member of the family! Visit www.HealthyEssentials.com to sign up!

I am excited to join Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies for a Twitter party to talk about HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® for the New Year, resolutions, family wellness and how to score great deals on health and hygiene products! Learn how HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® can help you reach health-related goals for 2014.

When: Tuesday, January 14, 1 p.m. ET

Hashtag: #Moms4JNJConsumer 

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann, @TheMotherhood25 

Prizes: We will randomly award 15 prizes throughout the party, from all eligible correct responses to trivia questions. Each prize includes an assortment of Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® products with an estimated retail value of $50.

Prize Eligibility: No purchase necessary. Entrants must be legal residents of the 50 United States + D.C. 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited.

Want to go to 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™? Visit HealthyEssentials.com and see if your wish could come true. Plus, get tips and coupons to save on your favorite products for the New Year.

All you have to do is share a picture or story of a moment of caring in your life and you could scream “GOAL!” from Brazil.

Visit www.healthyessentials.com for more information on this amazing opportunity!

Disclaimer: This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

"I Love You To Pieces" Help a Special Ed Teacher with an Art Project for her Class #BlickARA

I remember when The Boy was first diagnosed with autism, he couldn't clap his hands or point his finger let alone hold a crayon to color or a pair of scissors to cut.

Suddenly art became part of his therapy, something that needed to be taught. Something that was work. And in the beginning, coloring wasn't his favorite thing. Cutting was frustrating. And let's not even get started on gluing.

And then one day all of that changed. Art became fun for The Boy. He started asking for crayons. He started coming home from school and was eager to show his art work. As for cutting and gluing? I have to hide the scissors and glue. 

Art allows The Boy to express himself in a way he can't do so verbally. He takes pride in his work and his creations bring him both joy and satisfaction.

      
So I am thrilled to partner with The Motherhood and Blick Art Materials to help The Boy's former teacher, Kiley, raise funds for art supplies using Blick's Art Room Aid program.

The Art Room Aid was created in 2009 by Blick Art Materials. A company that focuses on educational and professional art supplies, Blick has also consistently supported arts education in diverse ways. Whether sponsoring art scholarships or creating lesson plans that address national standards of learning while easing the burden on busy educators, Blick understands just how important collaboration is. 

Blick continues to nurture that deeply rooted investment in the arts and in educational communities with Art Room Aid. As the world becomes increasingly linked, skills like visual communication and creative problem-solving are more important than ever. 

If you’re an art educator, Art Room Aid provides the tools to easily share your dreams and funding needs without complicated applications or fees that take away from contributions. If you’re an arts advocate you can quickly locate a project that resonates with you and make a high-quality contribution that will go directly to a project in need. 

For more information check out the "help/FAQ" is a great resource: http://www.dickblick.com/ara/help/faq

An art major in college, Kiley - now a special education teacher - understands the importance of art, especially for children with autism. Kiley believes "art builds independence, imagination and creativity. It also gives our students a new way to communicate and express themselves when sometimes words are not possible." 

Kiley was eager to set up her Art Room Aid program to create her wish list of supplies for a Valentine's Day project: I Love You to Pieces. Kiley will use puzzle pieces and have students color them for their parents, she will assist her students to write "I love you to pieces" on them.

If you would like to support Kiley and help her student give their parents a gift they will cherish for years to come, please visit Kiley's wish list here - http://www.dickblick.com/ara/lists/2700/home. Every little bit helps and is always appreciated.

Kiley's favorite picture about art

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with The Motherhood and Blick Art Materials. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way. 

#BlickARA Twitter Party to Raise Money for School Art Materials

I have yet to write a post about The Boy's current school but it's truly a special place. And I'm excited to be a part of this program to help the teachers at The Boy's school raise money for art materials. Art is critical for all students - especially kids with special needs. They help imagination, fine motor skills, planning, socialization and so much more. But supplies can get expensive and budgets are constantly being cut. Too often, teachers are digging into their own pockets to purchase the supplies they need. And this is where Blick Art Materials wants to help.  

#BlickARA Twitter party details

What: Do you believe art is an essential part of your child's education? Then you already know how important art education is — and how schools are struggling to keep their art programs alive. That's where Art Room Aid can help! A program of Blick Art Materials, Art Room Aid is helping teachers across the country enlist the aid of parents, families, friends, and other art advocates to fund their art projects and keep creative learning going.  

Interested in learning more? Join this Twitter Party to find out how you can support art education, make sure art continues to play a role in your children’s lives, and spread the word about Art Room Aid in your community. We'll be discussing projects you can do with your own kids, and sharing sources of inspiration.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2 p.m. ET

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #BlickARA hashtag to track the conversation. See this Twtvite for more info and to RSVP: http://twtvite.com/BlickARA

Hashtag: #BlickARA

Prizes: We will give away five total prizes - two $25 Blick gift coupons, two $50 Blick gift coupons, and one $75 Blick gift coupon.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Check out Art Room Aid here: http://www.dickblick.com/ara

Blick Art Materials website: http://www.dickblick.com/

Disclosure: This is a compensated post sponsored by The Motherhood and Blick Art Materials. All opinions are my own.