Join Me for the Juicy Juice #UltimatePlaydate Twitter Party plus $550 in Prizes on Thursday (5/29) at 11am EST! #shop #cbias

Do you love a good Twitter Party? You know I do and I’m excited to co-host a party about creating playdates that combine learning and fun! On Thursday, May 29th, at 11:00am EST, please join us for the #UltimatePlaydate Twitter Party, where we’ll be discussing how playdates can be opportunities to develop motor and social skills while encouraging independence, AND of course, giving you a chance to win prizes!

As someone who has enjoyed sharing fun learning activities with her readers, it's no secret how much I love watching my children experience learning through creative and imaginative play.  Our 7 year old twins' idea of the ideal playdate would be berry-flavored Juicy Juice Fun Size juice boxes served with string cheese for a snack plus an assortment of Crayola markers and an endless supply of drawing paper.  Throw in a roll of tape and watch where their imaginations take them!  What do you do to spark your children's imaginations?  Join me at the #UltimatePlaydate Twitter Party and tell me all about it!

Specially marked packages of Juicy Juice products from April through September will deliver up to $3 off coupons savings on Crayola products such as Color Wonder and My First Crayola. There will also be $1 off Juicy Juice Instant Redeemable Coupons applied to special Crayola Color Wonder and My First Crayola products.


Join me and RSVP for the #UltimatePlaydate on SoFabChats!


DATE: Thursday, May 29th, 2014

TIME: 11:00am - 12:00pm ET

PRIZES: 5 – $100 Walmart Gift Cards

EARLY BIRD PRIZE: 1 – $50 Walmart Gift Card

HOSTS: @KellysLuckyYou, @LaughWithUsBlog, @_Karen, @FrugalGreenMama, @JManMillerBug

RULES: #UltimatePlaydate Twitter Party Official Rules

RSVP & PARTY GRID: #UltimatePlaydate Twitter Party Page


TWEET TO SHARE:

RSVP for #UltimatePlaydate Twitter Party 5/29 11am ET. Prizes! Rules http://t.co/L9jcmTeMgK #shop pic.twitter.com/G9wMC4mk0r
— Karen Coutu (@_Karen) May 20, 2014

How To Participate In A Twitter Party on SoFabChats!

TIP: How to join a Twitter Party – sign in! Before party starts, click on the green “Sign In On Twitter” bar at the top of the page!

TIP: Who to follow at a Twitter Party? Follow the Party Team by clicking on the Twitter handle links on the RSVP page!

TIP: Want to win Twitter Party prizes? RSVP by clicking on RSVP button before you join the party, follow everyone on the Party Team, and tweet with the party hashtag during the party to be eligible!

TIP: How to win the Early Bird prize? Watch for chance to share a tweet when you RSVP for chance to win!

TIP: Special deals and brand coupons? Keep that options checked when you RSVP for the party!

TIP: New to Twitter parties? Watch your column and Party Team tweet columns – they are slower paced and easier to follow!

TIP: Where to find Twitter Parties? Check out the SoFabChats Twitter Party Calendar to find more fun parties to attend!

Find more helpful Twitter Party Tips on SoFabChats!

Easy Recipe: Summertime Popsicle Punch

In honor of the first day of summer, Mother Nature has decided to make it nearly 100 degrees here in Massachusetts.  I thought it would be the perfect time to share this super-easy, refreshing, and delicious recipe for Popsicle Punch.  I made these on Father's Day and it was a huge hit with both our children and my husband. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can make individual servings in just a minute if you have the frozen cubes ready in the freezer.  There is no need to make a big batch.

Recipe:  Popsicle Punch

INGREDIENTS:

Lemon-lime soda

Red fruit-flavored drink or juice

Non-red fruit flavored drink or juice

Step 1.  Fill an ice cube tray with the red fruit drink or juice.  Repeat with the other color of fruit drink or juice.  Put both trays in the freezer for at least one hour.

Step 2.  When the cubes are completely frozen, fill the glasses of your choice with the cubes, making sure to alternate the colors as you place them in.

Step 4.  Fill the glasses with chilled lemon-lime soda.  (You could also use room temperature soda, but your cubes will melt more quickly.)

After a few minutes, the cubes will begin to melt and the drink will have a peachy pink tint.  Depending on the size of your glasses, one ice cube tray of each color will make enough to serve approximately 5 people.  Our children could not finish all of theirs in one sitting, so next time I'll be using smaller glasses.  They are not usually allowed to drink soda anyways, so a smaller serving would also mean less of a sugar rush.

Review: Healthy Balance Reduced-Sugar Juice Drinks

Am I the only one who finds serving juice to my children confusing? I want something that is good for them, but also want it to taste good. I want them to have the vitamin C, but don't want to give them too much sugar. I've been advised to only give juice as a treat and not to serve it in the mornings because that's when our bodies are the least efficient at processing sugar and carbs. Also, sometimes 100% juice is too acidic for my children's stomachs . . . I know it definitely is for mine. So what is a good compromise?

I think Healthy Balance juice drinks might be a good candidate for that compromise. I think this because it is sweetened with Splenda no-calorie sweetener instead of sugar, which means Healthy Balance contains 75% less sugar, carbs, and calories than juices that are not considered better-for-you. I also like that each 8oz serving gives a member of my family 100% of the vitamin C they need for the whole day. Healthy Balance juice drinks are gluten-free and contain no preservatives or artificial flavors.

So now the big question is whether the taste pleased my family. Out of the 12 flavors of Healthy Balance juice drinks, we tried the Pomegranate Blueberry Acai Juice Blend. I was nervous about the pomegranate because it can be so tart, even more than cranberries. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. This juice blend was extremely easy to drink. In fact, it tasted like punch. I had no problems convincing my family to drink this at all.

Healthy Balance is a corporate partner of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Visit HealthyBalance.com for information about exercising and about diabetes and to find a printable coupon for $1 off Healthy Balance juice drinks. You can also learn more by following Healthy Balance on Twitter and visiting the Healthy Balance Facebook page.

Thank you to Healthy Balance for sending us a sample bottle of juice free of charge to base this review upon and for including VIP coupons and a t-shirt as a thank you for participating in this campaign.