This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Private Selection for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Anyone who knows me online or in real life, knows that I love a good dessert!  With Private Selection, dessert just got a whole lot easier.  In three quick and easy steps you are done.  Just Warm, Flip, and Serve!

The Private Selection brand is a premium private label brand carried exclusively at the Kroger Family of Stores and affiliated stores including: Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Fry’s, Gerbes, Pay Less, QFC, JayC, King Soopers, Owen’s, Ralphs, Smith’s and Fred Meyer.

If you have been to the Kroger Family of Stores, you've likely seen some of their other products throughout the store.  They include everything from frozen entrees and appetizers to salad dressing and snacks.  I've tried several of their products before, and they are great!

Private Selection™ Upside Down Cakes include three great flavors: German Chocolate Fudge with the classically irresistible combination of gooey caramel, pecans and coconut. Double Chocolate Molten  prepared with real butter, eggs, milk, and the finest semi-sweet chocolate. Amber Honey Apple Spice  topped with apple slices drenched in a sweet amber honey glaze.

From April 8 through June 2 Kroger is having a Spread the Love Campain, in which you can get a Private Selection Upside Down Cakes coupon for a dollar off.  And when you share the  Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Facebook and it will be upgraded to a $2 off coupon!  Excellent. 

For more product information and updates follow Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Pinterest.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tree Hut for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

With summer fast approaching, skin care couldn't be more important.  You can focus on your natural beauty with bath and body products from Tree Hut  They are developed using organic shea butter and natural oils and extracts to keep your skin feeling soft, smooth and healthy.  The products are made in the U.S.A. and  include Shea Body Butters, Shea Extra-Rich Moisturizing Lotion, Shea Moisturizing Shower Wash, and Shea Sugar Body Scrubs.

Tree Hut foot cream is made from certified organic shea butter.  It is a non-greasy formula that is paraben free and is made with argan oil and rose hip oil, which both have anti-aging properties.

The Hand Cream is also made with Certified Organic Shea Butter to repair and moisturize skin, and it also contains aloe vera and peppermint oil.
 

And their foot scrub is made with shea butter and peppermint oil and includes Real Sugar to naturally exfoliate the skin.

Of the products, I'd most like to try the scrubs and lotions. I love to exfoliate my skin and smooth it over with lotion.  I also love the way it smells on your skin.  Tree Hut has several scents available.  They include:

• Almond & Honey
• Amazon Pequi
• Brazilian Nut
• Coconut Lime
• Hawaiian Kukui
• Lavender & Chamomile
• Original Shea Tropical Mango

Of these, I'd most like to try the Coconut Lime and the Almond & Honey.  Coconut Lime has a great tropical, summer apeal, and it also smells really sweet and clean.  And then I think Almond & Honey have a sweet, but also sort a natural and pleasant smell.

Tree Hut products are available for purchase at Walmart stores nationwide.  Look for them in a location near you.

What's your natural beauty style?  For part of this post, I was asked to create a style board featuring some items that showcase my idea of natural beauty for the spring and summer.  For me, I enjoy light colors and also flight fabrics.  Currently I'm really liking the feminine lace dresses, so I selected one of those, along with a sweet handbag, shoes, sunglasses, perfume, and of course a dainty necklace!

 

 

Follow Tree Hut on Twitter and like Tree Hut on Facebook to keep up with their latest updates and product information.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Social Power for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Social networking has made it so easy to connect with friends, family, and like-minded individuals.  It also gives a chance to let our voices be heard and make a difference.  Social Power is a new social media site that was designed with this idea in mind.  Are there issues that are important to you?  Maybe it is something as small as getting Starbucks to serve seasonal drinks year round, or maybe it is something more serious such as the cost of college tuition.  No matter how big or small your cause is, Social Power gives you the chance champion it and work to make the change.

Check out this video to see how it works:

You can help support my cause for fast food delivery by clicking here.  Then join the cause and share it on your own social networks.

Then try creating your own causes that you want to change with #SocialPower.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Flood® Wood Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are you working on any staining projects this spring and summer?  Whatever project your working on, whether big or small, Flood® Wood Care has all the products you need to make your indoor and outdoor wood items look great.

To help you with all of your do it yourself projects, Flood® has a Staining Made Simple.  Simply choose the type of project you are working on: a deck, fence, siding, outdoor furniture, or playset.  And from there you will select the type of wood your item is made of: pressure treated lumber, cedar, redwood, hardwood.  Then select from there you will go through a menu of items, answering questions about the shape that your wood is in and what you want for your finished product to look like.  At the completion of the survey, you will be given a list of suggested products to use for your project.

My front door is actually in end of a good sanding and staining.  Here is what the outside of the door currently looks like:

And when stained, it should look something more like the inside of the door shown here:

Flood® is currently holding a Flood Better Backyard Sweepstakes where you could win a $1,500 gift card or one of 12 $10 gift cards given away daily!  All you need to do is like Flood® Wood Care on Facebook  to enter, and share the sweepstakes for more entries!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States of America and (D.C.) 18 years and older. Ends 5/17/2013. To enter and for Official Rules, including odds, and prize descriptions visit www.facebook.com/flood. Void in Puerto Rico and where restricted or prohibited. This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to Sponsor and not to Facebook.    

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As we continue to talk about the spring gardening season, it is important that we have the proper gardening supplies  to grow and maintain our yard and garden.  I have some beautiful Encore Azaleas growing in front my house.  They have really grown a lot since we planted them back in 2009 and are thriving, but I am in need of new mulch to keep the grass and weeds from from around them. 

Scotts Florida Select Natural Eucalyptus Mulch  is great option for this.  It is natural, made from 100% plantation-grown Eucalyptus trees and is free from waste materials.  It is also considered a sustainable, renewable source, which regrows 4 times faster than Cypress. And it prevents weeds naturally while helping to conserve soil moisture.

And for those of you with an eye for design, you can check out Scotts Nature Scapes mulch.  It comes in three different colors to fit your unique tastes: Classic Black, Sierra Red, and Deep Forest Brown.

Here's a list of supplies that we used to create our flower beds.  Instructions are in this post.

-A tiller or – to till up the soil.

-Potting soil – to spread around the flower bed area.

-A post-hole digger – to dig the holes which the plants will be placed in.

-Plants – We used Azeleas because they require virtually no maintenance and are so pretty, but anything you like is fine.

-Landscaping paper and landscaping staples – These are used cover the soil and protect it while the plants take root in the ground.

-Mulch – After the landscaping paper is down, you top it with mulch.

-Border – Next you need a border to prevent runoff and keep the grass/weeds from spreading in to your flower bed.

And after your garden's had time to grow, it should look something like this:

 

Photo Credit

 

And if you prefer a mix of flowers and plants, here's a great example:

Photo Credit

And then here's a fabulous example of a backyard garden:

 

Check out Scotts Website for more information on their products and tips for sustainable gardening.

 

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ZzzQuil for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I often have trouble sleeping.  For one thing, I'm a natural night owl and always have been.  Secondly once I get on the computer, I don't want to get off.  It doesn't matter if I'm working on a post, chatting with a friend, or looking up songs on Youtube, I could stay up forever!  But sometimes I HAVE to get up early in the morning, and although I find that I can go on very little sleep, I much prefer to get some sleep before a big day.  Enter ZzzQuil.

I've been seeing the commercials for ZzzQuil for a while now, and I was really happy to finally get to try it.  From Vicks (the makers of Nyquil and Dayquil), ZzzQuil is a sleep aid that is just THAT, a sleep aid.  In the past you may have taken cold medicines or pain medicines that you did not need because they contained a sleep aid.  But with ZzzQuil you get just the sleep aid, no unneccessary medications.

The medicine comes in liquid form or liquicaps, making it easy for practically anyone to take.  I tried the liquid form.  It comes in a Berry Flavor.  Basically it tastes like cherry cough syrup; at least that is what I'd compare it to.  And although I'm kind of a baby when it comes to taking medicines, the taste was okay.  I did not cringe or anything when I took it, so in my world that pretty much makes it great!  The medicine is also warming.  Upon swallowing you immediately feel it warm in your throat, which I like.

And overall, I'd say it is a pretty effective sleep aid.  Adults and children over 12 take 2 tablespoons of the liquid or 2 of the 25 mg liquicaps.  For me personally, I need to take this medicine about an hour or so before going to bed in order to give it time to kick  in, and unlike some sleep aids this one did not completely knock me out, which is on a good thing.  But at the same time, until you know how this effects you, I would just say that if you don't have time to truly get a full nights sleep, I would not take this, as it could make your groggy.. Or you could do what I do sometimes, which is to take a half dose.

Has anyone else taken ZzzQuil yet? What was your experience?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Missouri Division of Tourism for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Is everyone ready for the summer vacation season to get here?  In my neck of the woods, a good share of the people go to the beach, as the closest one is only about a six hour drive, while others may do a trip to the mountains or the casinos.  Personally I would love to travel out of the region. I’ve never been to the mid-west, but I’m always seeing commercials about visiting Missouri, especially Branson, and it looks so fun!  So let’s talk about just a few things in Missouri that I’d love to see!

Since I’ve already mentioned it, let’s start with Branson.  If I was planning a trip to Missouri, it would be great to spend a day or two in Branson. It is the live Music Show Capital of the World with more than 50 live performance theaters.  There are also three lakes surrounding Branson, a fantastic theme park, and shopping galore, and plenty of outlet malls where you can get your shopping on!

Next I’d have to devote a day to historic attractions.  As a person who LOVES history and actually majored in History and English, I would love to the the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home.  I love historic homes anyway, and plus I remember reading her books when I was a kid, and of course watching “Little House On the Prairie,” so it would be a real treat to see her house!

And also, for the the literature and history lover in me, there is the Mark Twain home and museum in Hannibal, Missouri.  As a huge fan of Mark Twain, it would be so great to see his mom and the places that were the inspiration for his great works.

And finally I would love to experience the Big City Side of Missouri in St. Louis and Kansas City.  Kansas City is Travel + Leisure’s #10 best American city for pizza.  Since pizza is one of my favorite foods, I’d love to try theirs, as well as see how Kansas City barbecue matches up against our good Southern barbecue!

Kansas City is home to the American Jazz Museum, and there’s a variety of music venues, jazz clubs and concert halls across the city.  As a music lover this would be a fantastic way to end end the trip with fun and in style!

Check out this video to see what else Missouri has in store for you:

For updates and more information, follow VisitMO on Twitter and like VisitMO on Facebook.

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you have kids, you will love their infant and toddler selections.  I think the shirt and short sets for boys and girls featured here are so cute, and they are perfect for any activity.  Kids can wear them to the park, shopping, to a party, school, or evening church.  I also love these little girls' sundresses.  They are so light and airy fro the season, and they have some cute colors and patterns available.  And with prices ranging from $7-$9, you simply cannot expect to find a better deal anywhere else.  And don't you just love the shoes shown here?  I think they are absolutely adorable.

I also love tank tops for the spring and summer, and Dollar General has a wide selection of these, ranging from $5 to $15.  I love tanks because you can wear them practically anywhere from the park to the mall, and even out to eat.  And Dollar General has a wide range of bright colors, cute patterns, and hot prints available.

Check out the Dollar General Apparel Book for these and other great selections in clothing and accessories.

Connect with Dollar General: Find Dollar General on Twitter and like Dollar General on Facebook.