So-{da}lighted Cupcakes with the Pavilions Birthday Bundle

I always love any excuse to get together with friends and celebrate with friends,

and the Birthday Bundle at Safeway, Vons or Pavilions gave me that excuse this week.

Right now - through May 21st - when you shop in the baking aisle at Safeway, Vons,

or Pavilions you can pick up a 2 liter 7UP brand soda, a box of Betty Crocker Cake Mix,

Betty Crocker Frosting, and a box of 24 rainbow candles all for just $5 with your club card.

 

So I stopped by my local Pavilions and picked up the $5 Birthday Bundle so that

I could whip up some So-{da}lighted cupcakes for my park day friends

to celebrate teacher appreciation week at our school.

I love making So-{da}lighted cupcakes beca

 use they are quick and easy,

are great for my friends with egg allergies, and the cake has a great

moist texture that the mommies and kids love.

For So-{da}lighted cupcakes you'll need:

1 box Betty Crocker Cake Mix

12 oz of 7UP brand sods

I used a lemon cake mix this time - my favorite - and 12 oz of Cherry 7UP.

Pour the 12 oz of the soda into the cake mix, watch it fizz up (so fun!),

and then mix until well combined - about 1 minute on medium speed.

Fill your cupcake liners 3/4 full - I like to my cookie scoop to fill them and it

takes to scoops of the batter to fill the liners 3/4 full.

I get about 18 cupcakes when I fill them this full and then they puff up nice

and dome-like, which makes them perfect for frosting.

I also bake mine at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.

Isabella and I headed to the park with our handy dandy cupcake carrier

and get ready to celebrate Teacher Appreciation week with our friends.

Isabella was super excited to share the cupcakes. 

Her little preschool isn't celebrating Teacher Appreciation week like

JT's school, so she was feeling a little left out.

What better way to let her join in the fun than to share cupcakes with friends!

Since all kids are different - some love frosting and some leave it - 

I let each child tell me if they wanted his/her cupcake frosted when we got to the park.

My frosting loving Isabella chose frosting :)

So did her friends Rosalyn and Lilly!

And my friend Spider-man said he'd have frosting too!

If you're like me and enjoy any reason to celebrate,

then the $5 Birthday Bundle is for you too!

It made it so easy to party with friends at a great price.

Be sure to stop into Safeway, Vons or Pavilions with your club card

and pick up one (or two) for your family before May 21st!

Disclosure: This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and SAFEWAY  but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BirthdayBundle  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

Lifeway ProBugs: A {Yummy} Park Day Snack

About twelve weeks ago I started a health challenge with my siblings and parents

to eat better and move more! I was hesitant to start the challenge because

I knew that I probably wouldn't be the big winner - and I really like to win - 

because my brothers are SERIOUS competitors and bring it to any challenge,

especially one that involves exercise and abstaining from sugar.

However, I knew that I needed to do something to be healthier and set a good example for my kids, so I've been trying since February to make little changes here and there that will help 

myself and my family be more conscious of the food we're putting into our bodies.

Enter Lifeway ProBugs Frozen Kefir from Whole Foods.

I had no idea what Kefir was before this whole journey over the last twelve weeks.

When I found out that Kefir is a creamy probiotic dairy beverage similar to, but distinct from yogurt, that contains 7 to 10 billion CFU's that is clinically proven to balance your body's ecosystem and support digestive health and immunity - I knew that I had to have it!

So Isabella and I stopped by Whole Foods on the way home from her dance class

one Tuesday morning and picked up a couple of the 6-count boxes of ProBugs Frozen Kefir treats.

Isabella chose Orange Creamy Crawler and I wanted to try the Strawnana Split,

so we grabbed two boxes and decided to take them with us to the park

to share the new dessert with our friends.

We have a unique situation at JT's school - there are about 10 families from church

that attend the same school - and we get together at the park that backs up to

the school playground/field on an almost daily basis.

It has been amazing for getting the kids outside and moving and out

from in front of the television or computer when there is beautiful daylight.

On this particular day there were five of the families represented and 10 kids,

so I knew it was the perfect time to "take it to the people" and see what 

the little consumers of the ProBugs thought about this frozen treat.

 

THEY LOVED IT!

I had more than half of them ask for another one and Isabella was

really disappointed that we ate them all at the park and there weren't anymore at home.

I was super excited to see that they loved both the flavors and wanted more

because now I have a new GOOD FOR YOU treat that the kids are crazy about.

Another thing I'm excited about finding Lifeway Kefir ProBugs and other Lifeway Kefir products

is that they are a good remedy for digestive problems such as colitis and IBS (both of which I am, sadly, intimately associated with) and is particularly helpful in reestablishing necessary intestinal microflora that may have been destroyed by an antibiotic or other medical treatment.

 

JT was wholly relieved that I tucked away an Orange Creamy Crawler for him

in my cooler bag so he could try the ProBugs too.

He jumped on the Kefir loving bandwagon and I know it won't be long

before we are back at Whole Foods trying out the other ProBugs flavor - Goo-Berry Pie.

 

Lifeway ProBugs Frozen Kefir gets my stamp of approval and I hope

you'll stop by the Lifeway Kefir website and find out about this amazing product

and how it can help you make changes in your health journey.

You can also keep up with Lifeway Kefir on:

{TWITTER}

{FACEBOOK}

{PINTEREST}

Disclosure: This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Lifeway Kefir . All my opinions are my own. #pmedia ##lifewayprobugs http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO