Creative {and Inexpensive} Father's Day Gift Ideas with Walmart Family Mobile

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #Save4Summer #CollectiveBias

With Father's Day right around the corner, I've been contemplating some fun ways to remind dad that he's loved. I have a couple of awesome father figures in my life: my Dad and my Father-in-law (as well as an awesome Cajun step Father-in-law but we'll talk more about him another time). Both my Dad and my husband's Dad have taught me so much!

My Dad taught me things like how to play golf and speak french and my Father-in-law taught me how to handle my self-employment finances and what southern hospitality really means. They both are so amazing and so unique and I miss them so much on days like Father's Day! Almost all of our family is back in the Midwest, so when holidays that are all about celebrating together come around it makes us wish that we could convince everyone just to move to Florida!

Since that won't be happening any time soon, I'm happy to share that I just upgraded my phone to a Alcatel One Touch Pop Astro from Walmart Family Mobile! Now we can all stay connected no matter where we are, at just 29.88/month for the first line! Plus, with unlimited talk, text, and data, we won't have any worries about overages or extra charges!

Now that I've figured out that we can wish them both a Happy Father's Day face-to-face with Skype on my new phone, hubby and I have been wracking our brains trying to come up with a fun way to remind the three of them how much we love them. Then I realized I could use my new phone to make each of them something awesome!

For My Dad, I kept it simple and sweet. I made a photo collage of all of us (my sister, brother-in-law, and niece as well as my hubby and I) reminding him how much we love him!

To create this all I did was text my sister and have her send me over a few pictures, then hubs and I took our own and I combined them all in a photo collage app I downloaded!

For My Father-in-law I made a video of all of us, smiling and reminding him how much we love him as well!

L ❤️ V E!!!!! Over #ontheblog I'm sharing how I made creative and inexpensive gifts (like this fun family video) for two pretty nifty Dads in my life using my new @Walmart #FamilyMobile phone! #FathersDay #lovehome #family #ad #nothingisordinary

A video posted by Lauren Paints (@sunkissed_sweetheart) on Jun 16, 2015 at 9:05pm PDT

This video was a bit more time consuming and I actually used my computer to edit some of the video... but it's relatively easy to make a video with any of the video creator apps found on the android play market, just like this one!

If you don't have the time to put together a video or a collage... some awesome ideas that you can buy directly from your cell phone include: Groupons, e-books, e-gift cards, and more! I love shopping on my phone and I'm so happy that I'm able to treat each of the father figures in my life to something nice this year.

Now that I've shared a few awesome ways to easily make your dad something meaningful, I'd love to hear how you plan to surprise your dad on Father's Day?


Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please click here for more information or visit your local Walmart for current pricing.

Healthy Dinner: Swordfish and Sautéed Cabbage and Onions

So the health kick I'm on hasn't ended, but my recipes keep getting more and more creative! This easy swordfish recipe features a delicious side dish, Sautéed Cabbage and Onions! The combination of these two together are the perfect, low calorie, healthy meal and one of my favorites lately!

The cabbage, onion, and spices combine together to make the most enticing, almost stirfry-esque flavors and they compliment the butter-y deliciousness of Swordfish. Want to try this recipe tonight? It's super easy to make and fairly quick to throw together. If you give it a try, I'd love to hear what you think of it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cabbage, chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 lemon

1 tsp basil

3 tsp black pepper

1 tsp Himalayan Salt

1/2 tsp yellow curry

2 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp basil

Swordfish fillet(s)

Place cabbage and onion in mixing bowl, drizzle with 1/2 a lemon worth of lemon juice!

Add in one teaspoon basil, two teaspoons black pepper, one teaspoon Himalayan salt, half teaspoon yellow curry, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and toss throughly to coat all the cabbage and onion!

Add to heated frying pan heated to medium heat, stir, and cover. Let cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Squeeze lemon on both sides of fish fillet, place fish on grill ( I use a counter top grill).

Add a half teaspoon black pepper on each side, a half teaspoon ground mustard to one side, a half teaspoon sea salt to each side, a fourth teaspoon basil to each side and a fourth teaspoon garlic to each side

Let the fish grill approximately 5 min on each side, until perfectly seared!

Enjoy!
 

The Perfect Gift for a Superhero Dad: Nautica Life {+ a Giveaway}

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

I remember as a kid I was convinced my dad was a real life superhero. He would come home and it would feel like he saved the day just by being there with me. I also remember that he traveled a lot during different parts of my life, always for work, but I thought it was because he was off saving the world.

I can recall the handful of times he went on my girl scout trips and having my Mr. Mom with me made me the coolest girl on the trip, every time! He played games, helped me learn, and helped me grow into the person I am today in so many different ways.

I have a distinct memory of him lecturing me about school when I was about 13. I brought home my first really bad grade and he was so unhappy with me. He sat down and explained that my middle school and high school years were laying the "foundation" for my education. I think he actually spent almost that entire year encouraging me to really absorb what I was learning in school and wanting me to succeed so badly that we spent hours doing extra credit projects so that I would get a better grade; these are two memories that I reflect back on often, I cherish the advice he gave me and the time he spent with me.

Things haven't always been perfect though, we both know that. We went through rough patches where we didn't really understand each other, I guess that's just part of growing up.

We've been through periods of time where we didn't talk much, but I always knew he loved me. No matter what, he's been there when I really needed him and for that I'm so grateful. He's helped me more than I could ever even begin to explain.

He's worked hard through out my life, always achieving new feats and staying so disciplined through out his career. He inspires me to constantly keep learning, he inspires me to grow into a better person. He simply inspires me.

While he still may have some superhero qualities, the fact that I'm an adult now means that I've come to the realization that he is really just a normal person, just like the rest of us, just like every parent. While he may have made a few mistakes (hey, we all do)...  That doesn't change a thing, I still want him to know he's a superhero in my eyes and always will be!

My superhero only deserves the best so when I was shopping for something he would like at Macy's, I was certain I found the right gift when I found this handsomely scented Nautica Life Gift Set while browsing the cologne section. Nautica Life celebrates the lifelong journey of love with a refined blend of uplifting freshness, mysterious aromatics, and seductive woods - the perfect cologne for a superhero!

I'm so thankful for my Dad, my superhero, and everything he does for me. Surprising him with a Nautica Life gift set is the perfect way to spoil him. I'd love to hear, how do you plan on showing your Pops your appreciation on Father's Day this year?

Don't miss your chance to win big this year (for you and Dad)! One lucky winner will win a $4000 Cruise Vacation Package and Five second place winners will receive an awesome Nautica Fragrance Gift Package! Enter with the giveaway form below for your chance to win:

Nautica for Dad

Get Your Greens In This Summer with Evolution Fresh Pops!

Today's discussion is brought to you by Evolution Fresh.

Sometimes I like to get a little creative with my veggies, because who wants to eat a salad over and over again? While eating healthy is a huge priority for me right now, I'm trying to find different ways to enjoy in the foods I need!

So when Evolution Fresh sent over a bunch of goodies and told me to indulge in their delicious cold-pressed green juices, I was overjoyed. Drinking Evolution juices is the average way to go about consuming these delicious beverages but I wanted to get creative and make a new recipe with my juice haul...

I went through all kinds of ideas, brownies with juice as an ingredient, mini key lime and cucumber desserts, and then it came to me, simple popsicles are the answer! I've been craving something cold and delicious, especially because all we've been doing lately is moving stuff into our new place in the hot, hot heat! After a long day of painting at the new place and then moving my closets contents over, I whipped up some green tangy juice pops while I let hubby unload the car.

Making popsicles with Evolution Fresh juice is super easy, all you have to do to make these beauties is pour your juice into a pop maker, or you could use other small containers and popsicle sticks. I used the Essential Greens juice and then added a few slices of berries into a couple of the popsicles and placed them in the freezer. Next time I may add a pinch of almond milk and use a different flavor for variety, but these turned out absolutely delicious with nothing added as well!

After putting away some of our stuff and waiting a few hours for the popsicles to freeze, I finally had the chance to settle in on our back porch and enjoy an Essential Greens popsicle and it was a dream come true! The tangy flavors make one of my favorite healthy juices, but the combination of all these flavors frozen is absolutely amazing!

I'm really enjoying my veggies this summer and love finding new ways to incorporate greens into my diet, what's your favorite green veggie infused recipe?

The Perfect Gift for Father's Day: Surprise Dad with a GoPro Hero+ LCD

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

I've always thought videos captured with GoPro's are amazing, whether they are mounted to a helmet, a kayak, or a rooftop - you can capture so much with these tiny little cameras and now that they've come out with the GoPro Hero+ LCD, I know I definitely have to get my hands on one of these.

If you're looking for a way to WOW your Dad on Father's Day, grab a GoPro Hero+ LCD for him from Best Buy. He'll be able to capture all of his adventures in 1080p60 video and in 8MP pictures and relive them on the spot with an LCD touch display or play them for the family at a later date!

Imagine taking Dad on a camping trip and getting to record all of your adventures while hiking through the woods, these memories are so valuable to him (and you)!

This camera is fool proof and since it's water proof as well, Dad can literally take it anywhere and capture video of everything he loves. The GoPro Hero+ LCD isn't just made for Dad though, it's made for the family to use.

Next time Junior goes to camp, send him with a GoPro Hero+ LCD in tow and get a fun view of what his life is like while he's experiencing good times!

If Mom is the type to go skiing during the winter, maybe she can take turns with Dad documenting their skills on the slopes.

Maybe it's time for your daughter to head off to college? Send a GoPro Hero+ LCD with her to make sure she's able to record all of the outrageous fun she has through out the years, from float trips to spring break!

Whether it's a fairly calm adventure or a wild ride, let the GoPro Hero+ be in charge of  documenting your family memories perfectly! With built in wi-fi and the ability to connect via Bluetooth® to the GoPro App you have total camera control and the ability to easily share content on social media via your phone!

Want some awesome news? The Go Pro Hero+ LCD just arrived in over 400 Best Buy stores, so be sure to grab one for Dad! Plus, now through June 20th, you will receive a free 32GB Extreme Plus memory card with the purchase of a Hero+... or if you want to grab the GoPro Hero4 in black or silver, you'll receive a $50 Best Buy Gift Card with purchase! So what are you waiting for?

Capture Beautiful & Unique Photos with 3DRobotics Solo Smart Drone

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Have you heard the hype about drones lately? Specifically, have you heard about the Solo™ Drone by 3DR available at Best Buy? It's a "smart" drone capable of capturing whatever you want and navigated by a video-game style controller to go wherever you want. These fancy drones just arrived in over 400 Best Buy stores on June 8 and are the first-ever drone powered by two integrated Linux computers, making capturing the perfect shot easy!

Solo is designed for you and made to capture the memories and adventures of your life hand-in-hand with a GoPro. Documenting everything and allowing you to see the world in a whole new way, this is a gadget that everyone needs to capture each and every epic memory perfectly.

What makes this drone smart?

Let's start with the fact that Solo has the ability to shoot the most epic selfies, flying up and away but keeping the camera centered on your beautiful face, allowing it to expand into a beautiful aerial shot of your adventure. Can you imagine taking your Solo to the Grand Canyon or Vegas? Can you say the words "bucket list"?

Solo also has a follow mode in which you become the star of the show while Solo follows you wherever you go and captures your every move. If you've ever wanted to start your own reality/adventure show, I suggest grabbing one of these and shooting some footage today!

Not only can Solo play a part in making videos of you even more amazing, it's capable of shooting an iconic wrap around shot of any landmark. Making one of a kind memories, easily adjusted with the handy little controller. Solo can even control it's own flight, allowing you to always capture the perfect shot of any setting. Where will you take your Solo?

Get your hands on a Solo from Best Buy today! Want some awesome news? You'll receive a FREE Solo Smart Battery (RV: $149.99) with your purchase! Act quickly though, this offer is only valid through July 11th, 2015!

My Dessert Solution with Zero Confusion: Bowflex Body + a Sample Kit Giveaway

Prepare yourself for something.


I never thought I'd say this again...


This may not be an achievement for some, but for me, it's a pretty big deal...


Now here's the news: I'm finally at a weight I'm proud of!!! 

I'll be sharing more of what my routine looks like in a couple of weeks when I'm ready to do a final reveal and share my actual weight loss results... I'm losing all my extra lbs this summer and I'm so excited about this lifestyle transformation.

But for today, I'm going to be real... Right here, right now, I'll share something anyone that has ever tried to lose weight has learned: dieting is tough stuff, especially for a foodie! Sacrificing the ability to freely enjoy some of my favorite foods has been a bit painful at times, but I know supplying my body with foods that make it feel better in the long run is so much more important!

Whether you're the type that loves a big ol' piece of chocolate cake, a nice, smooth peanut butter milk shake, or a slice of berry topped cheesecake, I can totally relate... Food cravings are a real thing and when you are trying to reach a weight loss goal, giving into these cravings just isn't an option, until now.

I've found the solution, with zero confusion. Bowflex Body is the answer to your chocolate cake, peanut butter milk shake or berry topped cheesecake craving! It's also the answer to keeping your immune system in tip-top shape and your body strong and lean!

Even though it's not really a treat, I like to think of Bowflex Body as a "healthy" treat anyways. My new lifestyle calls for healthy treats, things that supply my body with nutrition, instead of eating empty calories. Luckily, I'm loving being able to drink my protein with these delicious boosts!

The chocolate boosts help you burn fat, What more could you ask for? Did I mention the peanut butter protein boosts help you build muscle? Plus, the mixed berry antioxidant boosts help your body fight free radicals!

With 15 grams of the highest quality proteins and all of these extra boosts, I never feel guilt when drinking my dessert... it's a fabulous way to indulge without even breaking my diet and  so many have seen great results with Bowflex Body!

Now, I know you're thinking that it's hard to even fathom drinking the vanilla protein powder plain with all these delicious boosts, but it's so very tasty on it's own and packs a ton of nutrition solo as well! I love the fact that it's gluten-free as well, a huge bonus in our home!

Now, something else I feel I need to mention: I've been drinking Bowflex Body's "Pre-Workout Energy" and "Daily Energy" pretty regularly too! I love tasty flavored water options, so that's enough of a reason to drink these alone... but the "pick-me-up" they offer is out of this world! The pre-workout is perfect before a long session at the gym and daily energy is good for a long, busy day running errands. Both of these energy drinks taste delicious but are good for you, I love that and you will too!

Now that I've rambled on about some of my favorite new additions to my weight loss routine, I'm excited to share that they've hooked me up with a sample kit to give away to one lucky reader!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below telling me which Bowflex Body flavor you think you'll enjoy the most and of course, get your entries in with the giveaway form below:

Entry-Form

Want to get your hands on some Bowflex Body, or should I say delicious dessert, today? They've supplied me with a discount code for everyone to receive 20% off and free shipping & handling, just enter BOWFLEXSHAKE and rake in the savings on your order!

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Bowflex Body.

14 Places to Find Adorable & Affordable Furniture & Home Decor For Your Home

If you follow me on social media you may have noticed that we are moving into our new place during the entire month of June, it's been wonderful slowly adding our stuff into our new place and making it our own! I'm still cleaning as we bring things in and buying new things to fit the space, but as you can imagine after a huge deposit for all of our utilities as well as the house, we are kind of strapped for cash. So sadly I haven't been able to run to Pottery Barn to grab the latest styles, but I have some good news... I found so many stylish pieces for our house recently, I had to share where I shop for our home on a budget!

I'm not going to blame our huge deposits for my bargain hunting ways though, I've always been the type that loves finding a good deal! I'm kind of a hoarder in that sense; if it's cute and it's on sale, it's really hard to convince me to walk away from it!

1. TJ Maxx - with everything from towels to desk organizers to gorgeous frames, I've been able to find a ton of adorable (and affordable) items to add to our walls at TJ Maxx. Off topic, but this shopping tip has saved me a ton of money: if you wear a size 7 or smaller in shoes be sure to look in the children's shoe section for designer shoes in children's sizes (4-6), they'll fit your feet as well! 
2. Big Lots - If you haven't been to a Big Lots in a while, I know exactly what you are thinking... But I'm 100% serious when I say they have furniture that you may love! I hadn't been to a Big Lots in a long time but as I stepped into their showroom I was impressed. With sectional sofas, cube storage, gorgeous studded headboards, and all kinds of adorable patio furniture sets... I wanted to spend a full paycheck (or two) in there!
3. Home Depot - As you probably already know Home Depot does not have adorable furniture for the inside of your home (although their patio furniture is on point), they do offer paint and the tools to fix the pieces you find while on the hunt! I'm guilty of wanting to paint brand new pieces of cheaper quality furniture, there's just something about a fresh coat of white paint that looks so nice! If you are a DIY-er like me, you'll end spending quiet a bit of time comparing colors and getting samples at the depot!
4. Marshall's - A sister store of TJ Maxx, Marshall's is amazing as well! They are my go-to store for adorable knick-knack items and rare finds that are awesome! I love finding furniture there too, but the pieces seem to be kind of hit or miss.
5. Amazon - Did you know you can buy everything from a coffee maker for the kitchen to a brand new sectional sofa on Amazon? I went a little crazy since we officially got the keys to our house and may have bought a desk, a new shower curtain, all kinds of bathroom decor, and more on there... With that said, I have my eye on a coffee table that is amazing, so as you can probably gather from all stated above - they have what you'll need and a few extra options, always.
   
6. Ross - One of my favorite places to bargain hunt for clothes just because one of my favorite places to hunt for home decor. I'm a huge fan of Ross because their prices tend to be cheaper than most other stores and the items I've found have been epic! We love all of our Ross bought decor, including an adorable set of office lights for me in the shape of # and @, I just couldn't pass them up!
7. Target -Who doesn't love Target, am I right? While browsing the aisles of their storage sale they are having I found 3 storage shelves that I just had to have... They were oddly placed and I almost passed right over them (so you MUST keep an eye out for their bargains), but I found high quality storage shelves for over 75% off and they are AWESOME! I spent sixty some odd dollars for furniture that would have cost me nearly three hundred, where else can you find deals like that?
   
   
   
   
   
8. Salvation Army - I've met a few people that turn their nose up when I mention thrift store shopping, but to them I say, "HA!" I snagged a brand new, gorgeous, microfiber sectional that had been donated by a local chain for around $300, in the showroom it would be at least quadruple that price. I'm also a huge fan of looking for little knick knacks at our Salvation Army, one woman's trash is another woman's treasure after all!
9. Local Furniture Outlets - We actually found a few end tables that I have my eye on while shopping in our local furniture stores outlet section... While you may have to make a bee-line past the showroom's expensive pieces, you are bound to find something spectacular in their discount section and most of the time the items are just back there because they were part of the showroom for a while. We also have just outlet stores for a few of our local brands and those are full of goodness, Rooms to Go being one of them!
10. Craigslist - Last, and probably the most frustrating, is good ol' Craigslist. As you know, it's a website where you can find all kinds of things, but the furniture tab and the free tab are where you should concentrate if you are looking for home decor! With deals you won't believe, and sometimes shouldn't, you can find some amazing pieces on Craigslist... and most of the time you can haggle with the seller and get an even lower price, just saying! I've bought several things on Craigslist that turned out to be amazing items but it's kind of one of those "buyer beware" situations, so use good judgment and caution!
11. Garage Sales - Most people start to accumulate a little bit too much and tend to want to sell their items to make some cash rather than just toss them. I've found so many cool cabinets, dressers, etc. while browsing at garage sales and since you can haggle with most sellers, it's a fun way to get new items to match your style while helping someone else out. We actually will be hosting a garage sale soon, if you live in the area you should stop by!
12. HSN Outlet (sadly, these are only in Florida) - These stores were new to me, I literally stepped foot in one for the first time last week... but I'm already a fan! I found a Cricut Explore for a steal of a deal... They also had things like bedding, air purifiers, and even remote powered candles. I will definitely be visiting HSN outlet again and if you live in my neck of the woods (or visit often) you should too!
13. Kirklands - One of my favorite places to find unique, fun items to add to our wall decor and knick-knacks is a store you can typically find in a mall. I love how versatile their collection seems to be each time I set foot in the store. I also love when they have sales because their regular prices aren't exactly budget friendly all the time; when I notice a coupon hit my inbox, you better believe I head towards Kirklands to find something cute for the house!
14. Ikea - Visiting Ikea is a bit like walking into another world full of the most beautiful rooms, set up perfectly, and organized closets that you can't even begin to envision without seeing them for yourself. I'm obsessed with finding pieces of furniture made by the Scandinavian genius' that are behind everything in this store. We snagged a few succulents, a new dish set, and more... and will be going back with a truck to get the entertainment center soon! While some may say their furniture is cheap, it just depends on what you are shopping for... I love the cabinets, wardrobes, and bed frames they offer and they look perfectly sturdy to me.
    
    
    
    
    

My house is totally still a work in progress so I'll probably be on the hunt for some pieces with you... and I'm one of those people that love to change up the decor in each room pretty regularly, so I'll probably never stop furniture shopping. I'm actually considering buying some pieces and "chalk painting" them and then reselling, but we will see if I find any pieces worthy! With that said, I hope that you find some awesome deals in your area and I also hope that one of my suggestions on where to shop leads to a great find for your home! I'd love to hear about it if you've found an awesome deal on a piece of furniture recently... tell me all about it in the comments below!