This post is sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt and prAna as part of the Stonyfield Yogetters Bloggers Network. Mother's Day is tomorrow and our house is in chaos; but what's new! We just started demolition on our kitchen for a very overdue remodel. Our kitchen is the original kitchen from 1985 and the cheap laminate cabinets have been painted over (poorly) several times. As of Friday afternoon the remnants of our old kitchen are now gone and we're left with dust and dreams. Day 2 demo progress! Now we break for the weekend. Cabinets installed on Monday! #kitchenrenovation A post shared by Calley Pate (@backtocalley) on May 12, 2017 at 3:14pm PDT Needless to say I'm learning to live in chaos. We saved out the essential items needed to live day to day and packed up our plates, glasses, and pantry. Most of our kitchen is now packed in boxes and bags in our garage; while the essentials are sitting on our dining room table in the living room. Even the refrigerator and ... [ Read More ]
Oh, Kale Yeah! Sprouts is now open in Tampa!! #NewKaleInTown
This post is written through a partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market. It's finally here, the new Sprouts Farmers Market is finally open in Tampa!! My son and I got to visit the newest location in Carrollwood for their Friends & Family night and blog tour. We got a quick tour and overview of Sprouts with their staff and then had some time to shop on our own. I really didn't have much on my shopping list this week, but I still managed to find some essential items and bargains that I couldn't resist. If you're near Carrollwood I would recommend visiting them between now and Sunday; their Grand Opening specials are running all weekend long. I couldn't pass up the $1 strawberries, $1 pineapples, and 3/$1 avocados. Be sure to download their mobile app before you go so you can take advantage of the Sprouts mobile coupons, no more clipping necessary! As we walked in I was immediately in love with the adorable little succulents and the bright, vivid orchids. I do not have ... [ Read More ]
Tips for Saving Money on Organic Foods
This post is written through a partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market. I've made this confession before, but I don't always buy organic foods. Shopping organically can be expensive and most families just can't afford the extra expense to buy only organic foods. While we could probably afford more than what we spend on groceries, it's very hard to commit to spending THAT much more every time we shop. I'm very excited to see all the money saving options that Sprouts is bringing to the Tampa area for organic, natural, and non-GMO groceries. Grand Opening Specials The Grand Opening of Sprouts in Carrollwood is next week and shoppers have several options to save money. Sprouts will be opening at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, February 22nd and the first 200 shoppers in line will get a coupon for 20 percent off their entire purchase. That's a huge savings for anyone who's up early enough to stand in line that morning. Sprouts will be serving coffee and muffins to everyone in line before the ... [ Read More ]
Sprouts Farmers Market coming to Carrollwood
This post is written through a partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market. It doesn't take long for the news to spread when something new is headed to your neighborhood. Several months ago some friends circulated a post on Facebook about a new farmers market grocery store that was going in down the street from us. The building has been under construction for months and there are no signs out front yet. Fast forward to December of last year when one of their communication specialists reached out to me about working on an upcoming campaign to announce the store to the Tampa Bay area. I was very curious to know if this was the same store I had heard about earlier in the year. Is Sprouts Farmers Market coming to Tampa Bay?? Is there really going to be a new place for me to shop locally for natural and organic foods...without having to drive 20+ minutes to "the other guys?" Yes!!!! Sprouts Farmers Market is opening several stores in the Florida area in 2017; including Tampa! The ... [ Read More ]
Have a Wild Breakfast with Barbara’s Bakery New Wild Rewards
Mornings are always a bit WILD around our house as we try to get dressed and out the door for school. Our current struggle? My kids don't want to eat breakfast anymore. I'm always reminding them to sit down for a few minutes and eat something - anything - before they leave. I just received a new box of goodies from Barbara's as one of their Mom-Tourage Blog Ambassadors that will help me with this daily battle. Barbara's Bakery makes an entire line of Non-GMO, wholesome cereals that my kids actually like. My daughter loves the wild animals on the boxes, her current favorite is the little fox on the Chocolate Chip Snackimals. Now my kids can make interact with these animals online with Barbara's Wild Rewards program. To watch this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n7Bh1N3LXXw Their new interactive wildlife education platform, Barbara's Wild Rewards, is designed to make it fun and entertaining for kids and families to learn about endangered and imperiled species while ... [ Read More ]
Stonyfield Bloggers on the Farm
If you follow me on social media, you may have seen some of my recent pictures from the Stonyfield Farm Tour (#StonyfieldFarmTour) in Vermont last week. The Stonyfield company selected 13 of their blog ambassadors to tour 3 farms in Vermont. This is the second year that they held their Farm Tour and I'm so thankful that they invited me (and paid my expenses....in case you were wondering), this is a trip that I won't soon forget. The Stonyfield blog ambassadors are made up of the Yo-Getters and the Clean Plate Club. Most of the bloggers have never met and live across the US. We all blog about different topics; some of us are lifestyle bloggers, some are food bloggers, some are eco-friendly bloggers, and I'm sure there are a few more niches that we belong to. We all share one thing, we love Stonyfield and their mission to bring healthy and organic food into our homes. This year's Farm Tour bloggers..... Welcome to the 2016 Stonyfield Blogger Farm Tour Team! Follow our ... [ Read More ]
Sweet Florida Strawberry Salad
A fresh salad with strawberries, avocado, and feta cheese is such a sweet treat that you'll feel like you're eating dessert instead of a salad; especially when served with organic girl lemon agave salad love dressing. It's February in Florida and I'm a sucker for strawberries. This is the time of the year that you can get strawberries at any market for a great price and my kids love to take them to school for snacks. Strawberries are great for smoothies, covered in chocolate, or just to nibble on when your sweet tooth calls. I don't think there is a wrong way to eat a strawberry! This colorful salad is a sweet treat that your entire family will love to eat as a side dish or as the main dish. A nice butter avocado adds an extra punch of protein to the fresh sweet pea shoots that are protein rich also (at 5 grams per serving). The red ripe strawberries paired with the organic girl lemon agave dressing bring the sweetness to the salad. I love the richness that the feta cheese ... [ Read More ]
Shopping Organic at Walmart
I don't do a lot of food shopping at Walmart, but there are times when I'm already there for household items and find myself picking up a few essentials before heading home. On a recent trip to Walmart I noticed that they are now selling Stonyfield yogurts in the dairy section. I'm very excited to see my favorite yogurt now available in more stores. In the past I could only get them at our local Publix or Whole Foods, so this is a huge step for Stonyfield!! Each time I shop I'm seeing more and more organic foods at our local Walmart. It's refreshing to have affordable and easily accessible options available to more families who may not have found them at other stores. Some of the other organic brands that I've found at our local Walmart include: Heinz organic ketchup Honest Kits juices RW Knudsen juices Earth's Best Wild Oats organic canned soup Muir Glen organic salsa Plum Organics baby and toddler foods Ella's Kitchen organic baby and toddler ... [ Read More ]
The Truth About Spray Sunscreens
This post is sponsored by Goddess Garden Organics Sunscreen. For years we've heard warnings that spray sunscreens should be avoided. I have to say that as a busy mom in Florida, spray sunscreens can be very appealing. Our kids move quick and don't sit still very long for us to apply lotion sunscreen. I've religiously been using lotion sunscreens for the last few years and trying to explain to my friends why I don't want them used on my children. Did you know that most spray sunscreens are flammable? Check the ingredients list and you'll most likely find alcohol as one of the ingredients in most spray sunscreens. Alcohol is highly flammable and can turn your sunscreen bottle into a very dangerous and explosive bottle. Did you know that most spray sunscreens can be harmful if inhaled? Any material when sprayed in or near your mouth and nose can be harmful. When you are spraying traditional sunscreens, you're also spraying alcohol, fragrances, and lots of toxic ... [ Read More ]
Easy {Healthy} Pre-Packed Lunch & Snack Ideas – Fun With Lunch Series
Have a little fun with your kids lunches this year. You don’t have to spend hours creating beautiful Bento Boxes that look like Hello Kitty to make them fun. Your kids will love the little touches and I promise, you can do this in less than 5 minutes! In todays post I'm sharing some easy (and healthy) pre-packed lunch and snack ideas for busy moms. Note: Some of the products featured in this post have been sent to me free for review. Others I have purchased myself. I’m sharing them with you because I reach for these first before anything else in my fridge or pantry. I'm going to let you in on a little secret, my kids have been eating school lunch all year! I have tried to get them some fun, healthy lunches like the ones you see above, but they insist on buying lunch. For my daughter, it's a novelty for her to order lunch. This is her first year in school and she really likes feeling like a big girl. With that secret out in the open, I still have to pack snacks for my ... [ Read More ]