You’ve all heard me sing the praises of Walmart’s Site to Store and Pick Up Today shipping options, but Walmart has really upped the ante with their new HomeFree shipping – where a $45 minimum qualifying order (over 100,000 items qualify!) ships TO YOUR HOME for FREE in 3-5 days*.

Um, yes please!

Walmart offered me the chance to put the new HomeFree shipping option to the test – so we chose to do some winter clothes shopping for the kiddos.  I love the great clothes that Faded Glory has at Walmart, so I went looking for some jackets that we could buy for them when we take them sledding in December.  You can see in the screenshot below that the HomeFree logo is clearly displayed in the ordering section – which is good because they were out of stock in my local store! (You might have to click to enlarge and read!)

Ok, so jacket for the princess – check.  Now on to the boys department where I found a similar style jacket from Faded Glory for our young superhero.  Same deal – you can see the HomeFree Free shipping option displayed prominently above where you add this item to your cart.  Easy peasy.

Of COURSE, because I wasn’t quite at $45 yet, I happened to wander over to the ladies section, where (oops) I fell in love with this red coat and naturally I had. to. have. it.  So, HomeFree it is, again!

So I ordered my items on a Monday and they arrived, much to my surprise, only 2 days later on Wednesday. I was blown away at how quickly they shipped it!  I know that I will definitely be using this option through the Holiday season – as a matter of fact it will be a lifesaver!

So what do you think – will you try out HomeFree at Walmart?  Let me know in the comments!

*Business days, plus processing. Limitations apply. Please see terms and conditions for full details.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program and have been compensated for my time and creativity in regards to this post.  However, all opinions are, and always will be, my own.  Thanks for reading!

Morgan is obsessed with apples and almost always has one in his hand or in his bag.  He usually eats one if not two apples a day – he must have heard the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.  Of course, in this house we are always looking for healthy alternatives, what with Morgan being diabetic and me being hypoglycemic - our issues with sugar are ones we battle daily.  So, having this box of some of the most perfect apples that I’ve ever seen overnighted to my house was like having the Holidays come a bit early!

Of course, we do LOVE apples, but we had to figure out what to do with all of these apples, and fast.  I decided to modify an old family recipe that we often use around the holidays for Apple Oatmeal – and to try it out in the slow cooker!  We love oatmeal for breakfast (as my 4 year old says – it makes her tummy warm) so I thought this would be a great way to put all of those apples to use!  I was right!

Slower Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

Ingredients:

If it were up to me, I would live off of macaroni and cheese, Cheese-Its, bread, fettucini alfredo, waffles, and coffee.

I’m very unadventurous when it comes to food, and I always have been.

Then I met my fiance’, Morgan, who witnessed my first foray into the world of sushi, taught me how to use chopsticks, showed me that eating veggies wasn’t all that bad of an idea, and most of all, is diabetic.

Did you notice that there is absolutely ZERO meat up there in the list of things I would live off of?  SUPER healthy, right?  Go ahead, roll your eyes.  I deserve it.

So, for me, preparing to marry the man of my dreams also means learning to eat in a way that is healthy and supportive of the way he currently eats – low carb.  Meat.  Veggies.  You get the picture.

So, when the Walmart Moms were offered the chance to try out the new Johnsonville Brat Patties, my initial instinct was to turn it down.

And then I remembered my sweet fiance’.  And I sent him the email with one word in it.

“Interested?”

2 minutes later came the response, “YES!  These are awesome. Johnsonville Brats are seriously my FAVORITE brat.  These look awesome!  Let’s do it.”

See?  I told you he was excited.  I mean, really. How cute is he?

So we headed to Walmart to pick some up.  We were having a cookout with family, so we actually got a bunch so we could share.

We whipped up a few on the grill, and made brat and sauerkraut burgers.  They were SO yummy.  Seriously everyone devoured them.

He may not marry me after he sees that I’ve posted this photo. But hey, he posed.

We liked the Johnsonville Brat Burgers so much that we actually made them AGAIN two days later.  This time, we made a little video to share with you so that you could check out our experience with them.  Also, of note, super cute cameo by my kiddo.  Of course, I’m totally partial, but I doubt you’ll disagree!

So what do you think?  Will you try the new Johnsonville Bratwurst Patties?  Do you have any great recipes to share?  Let us know!

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post on behalf of Johnsonville Brat Patties and the Walmart Moms.  All posts always have been and always have been filled 100% with my thoughts – that’s how I roll.  If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an email.

With your own money.

Let’s face it.  Teachers already make next-to-nothing.

Box Tops for Education makes a huge different in that regard.  Students can collect the Box Tops then turn them into their teacher or school, who can then exchange them for additional funds to put towards a variety of items.  I’m sure of you are already very familiar with this awesome program and are using it at your schools.

For the month of August, you can get BONUS Box Tops for your school by shopping exclusively at Walmart.  The Box Top program has really expanded over the years and now you can buy items that have Box Tops that are suitable for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert!  Really anything from Cheerios, to Pizza Rolls, to Hamburger Helper and Macaroni Grill items have Box Tops – so you can see there are lots of ways that you can support your school!

Let me know in the comments – do you use Box Tops?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post done on behalf of the Walmart Moms.  All opinions are and always have been my own.

Yes, it is really far away from our always-home in Louisiana, but we are so excited for this change and ready to embrace it!

Of course, we are moving into what has essentially been my fiance’s bachelor pad for two years, and it was in need of a woman’s touch – and just some general preparation for our arrival.  It was fitting that Walmart came to me with an opportunity, through the Walmart Moms program to makeover a room with a gallon of Glidden Paint 2-in-1.  By 2-in-1 it means that it is a primer plus color in one – so really you can paint and go!

$28 per gallon, and mixed for free, at Walmart

We chose to re-do our bedroom with a splash of color and chose “Antique Silver” for that.  I will say that in my head it was a bit more subtle than it turned out, but I still love it.  Just realize that your eyes sort of play tricks on you when you are looking at the paint samples – and imagine it that color, just a bit darker when it is on the walls all around you.  It isn’t REALLY darker, but it will seem that way once you’re surrounded by it.

So, first Morgan and I taped off the door frames, window sills, and removed the power outlets…

Morgan tapes off the door of our closet

...while I tape off the baseboards.

We actually taped it off at night and then we got a little lazy, so we took a snooze and then decided to actually paint the room when we woke up the next morning.  We rose bright and early (ok, at 9 am) and then started moving all of the furniture to the center of the room and covering it all with drop cloths.

At this point, I almost cried when everything was a mess and in the middle of the room, but I hung in there…

So, I’ll just be honest – we used every. single. bit. of this gallon of paint for a normal sized (dare I say, small, even) bedroom.  As a matter of fact, Morgan had to run out to Walmart and buy another quart of it so we could finish the edges.  The coverage was great, but there are still a few “white” places that could use a second coat of paint…but hey, I’m a perfectionist.  Most people probably wouldn’t notice – but I’ve painted a few rooms in my day and well, I noticed.

Also, it was very hard to get photos of the room while I was painting, but here – progress!

Either way, it was a great Sunday project, and I’m soooo happy with how it turned out.  Check out the end result!

Ta-da! We love it!

Overall, we loved working with the Glidden paint – it was smooth, easy to use, and best of all – is VOC free – meaning that we were able to keep the windows closed on a hot California summer day and not die of toxic fumes.  In all seriousness, we didn’t smell anything that seemed toxic at all – if anything it just smelled ever-so-slightly like vinegar.  Erika and Morgan give this experience two thumbs up.  And yes, that was cheesy.

Disclosure:  I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program and was compensated for my time with regards to this post.  My opinions are, and always have been, strictly my own.

]]> http://www.chicshopperchick.com/2011/07/a-move-in-makeover-with-glidden/feed/ 0 http://www.chicshopperchick.com/2011/07/the-one-about-the-dog-food/ http://www.chicshopperchick.com/2011/07/the-one-about-the-dog-food/#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:15:59 +0000 Erika http://www.chicshopperchick.com/?p=4041

Not sure how often I’ve mentioned this here, if ever, but I have a dog.  My sweet girl, Lilly, is 12 years old. I adopted her when I was a junior in high school.

The sun rises and sets on Lilly.

Almost literally.  She is diabetic, so she gets insulin injections, like clockwork, every 12 hours.

She lives with my parents at the moment.  I’m pretty sure every time my mom has to jump through hoops to maintain Lilly’s health (like, every 12 hours?) she chants to herself, “I love my daughter, I love my daughter.”

Let me take this moment to say–thanks, Mom. xo.

Obviously, I jump through hoops to keep Lilly happy and healthy, and Walmart knows that you do the same for your dogs.  They’d love your help getting some insight into your dog food shopping habits and how you shop to best take care of your dog.  They have created a quick 5-minute survey that they’d really appreciate your feedback on.

Just think, you could be shaping the future of Walmart shoppers everywhere.

How many people can say that?

You can thank me later.

So don’t forget – click here to take the survey!

On our way over to the house this afternoon we stopped at Walmart and grabbed some pool toys to bring to the party.  Audrey Grace was thrilled that she was able to pick out some toys – she kept throwing things into the basket.  We had to gently remind her that we weren’t buying the entire aisle of toys, just a few select ones.  Here is what we ended up with:

An inflatable shark, inflatable turtle, variety “pool fun” pack (which included a ring, a beach ball, and a blow up boogie board with a clear see through window that Audrey Grace LOVED), a purple pool noodle and some sunscreen.  The shark, turtle, and Pool fun set were $5 each – which was unbeatable.  Especially when you consider the abuse that they all took…especially the poor shark…

The men always take turns doing their fancy-pants “pool tricks” whenever we all get together (ask my fiance about the famous “flying squirrel!), but this is the first time I’ve seen Uncle Bruce get in on the action!

I love the comment at the end from one of the guys — “that was 8 seconds”.  Awesome.

The pool toys, as you can see, were a huge hit and made for a ton of fun!  Here is one last photo of Audrey Grace, my future SIL, and myself having fun in the pool!  Thanks Walmart for providing a gift card for all of the fun!

Disclosure:  I am a Walmart mom and this post is written as a direct result of that relationship. All opinions are my own, always have been, always will be.  You know how I roll, y’all.

• 8 chopped ripe plum tomatoes
• 5 chopped basil leaves (fresh)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pinch of dried oregano
• 1 dash of crushed red pepper
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 pinch salt
• 2-3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 loaf of Italian-style (or French) bread, cut into diagonal slices

1. Mix the tomatoes, basil, garlic, oregano, red pepper, salt, pepper and olive oil in a large bowl. If needed, add more olive oil until the entire mixture is coated.  Cover, and allow mixture to sit for 15-30 minutes for flavors to blend.
2. While you wait, preheat the broiler. On a baking sheet, arrange the sliced french bread in a single layer and brown both sides slightly in the oven. Remove from oven.
3. Place warm bread on a plate and serve with bowl of tomato mixture.

The perfect poolside snack for the 4th!  Morgan loved it!

Happy Independence Day!

Disclosure:  I am a Walmart Mom and this post is a direct result of my relationship with Walmart. All opinions are and always will be my own, because you know that’s how I roll. xoxo

Do you know how many pairs of shoes I could buy with that?!

Walmart has struck up a limited time partnership with Murphy USA to make summer travel more affordable!  Per Walmart, folks in the following states can take advantage of the Rollback:

Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia) – Our Great Gas Rollback will take 10 cents off every gallon when you fill up at over 800 participating Murphy USA and Walmart Gas stations at your local Walmart using your Walmart Credit Card, Walmart MoneyCard or a Walmart Gift Card.  Not valid in all areas.

And for those of you in Florida and Alabama you will receive a 10 cent credit on every gallon when you fill up at participating Murphy USA and Walmart Gas stations at your local Walmart using your Walmart Credit Card.  Awesome, right?

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program, and this post was sponsored.  All opinions are, and always have been, my own.

]]> http://www.chicshopperchick.com/2011/07/walmarts-great-gas-rollback/feed/ 0 http://www.chicshopperchick.com/2011/06/maters-secret-mission/ http://www.chicshopperchick.com/2011/06/maters-secret-mission/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:59:21 +0000 Erika http://www.chicshopperchick.com/?p=4009 Git-R-Done!

Everyone’s favorite Cars character is back with a vengeance in Cars 2 – the movie is very Mater-centric so all of you Mater fans (myself included) can rejoice.  I was fortunate enough to be on the red carpet for Cars 2 interviewing all of the stars of the film, and the was able to watch the premiere with them all.  I can tell you, you’re definitely in for a treat!

For all of you die-hard Mater fans, check out  Mater’s Secret Mission which Walmart just launched on their Facebook page!  Aside from it being oodles of fun to play around with, you can win movie vouchers, exclusive downloadable coloring pages, and Disney Mater’s Tall Tales Videos.  If you want a chance to win, just send a coded message to a fellow “secret agent”!   You can also buy exclusive Cars 2 merchandise through the Mater’s Secret Mission Facebook app – which is super cool!

Still can’t get enough Mater?  You can get your very own phone call from the loveable tow truck by texting Buddies, Secret, Spy, Mission, Mater, or Charge to 63257!

So what are you waiting for! Go check it out!

Disclosure:  I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program and this is a sponsored post. However all opinions are and always will be my own.

Here is the story, in short form.

I already have a large upright vacuum that I use on my rugs and the carpet in the bedroom.  The DC 35 was chillin’ and charging in the corner and I had 2 hours until I had to leave to pick up my fiance’ at the airport. Time to vacuum, right?  Wrong, My upright vacuum cleaner would just NOT work.  I couldn’t get it to recline. Out of desperation, I put the extension on the DC 35 and turned it on. I vacuumed my entire house with it in 13 minutes flat with full-blow suction the whole time. And we’re not just talking a so-so vacuuming experience, we are talking SERIOUSLY clean.

It even sucked up a few rogue cheetos from under the couch.  Remind me to thank my 4 year old for that one.

Check out the video, and tell me that you aren’t dying to have a Dyson Digital Slim DC 35 of your very own? I thought so!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Walmart as a part of my role in the Walmart Moms. All opinions are, and always have been, my own.

Of course, my daughter is 4 years old, and I’m a single mom, so I don’t expect much along the lines of extravagant gifts (or gifts at all) for Mother’s Day.  However, if somehow, a representative of my sweet little girl decided to get me a present on her behalf…well, here are the things I fancy.

Also, some of these things might not be exactly low in price. Hey, it’s called a WISHlist for a reason, folks!

High on the list?  An iPad 2.  I figure I’m the last person in the world that will end up with one of these little babies – as I’m pretty sure that my fiance’ will be the first of the two of us to have one.  However, there are lots of fun things I can do WITH my daughter on the iPad 2, which is the main reason I want one!

Next on my list?  This 10 mp Olympus X560 Waterproof Camera. Audrey Grace and I practically LIVE in the water during the summer, and this baby comes along for the ride quite nicely, without me having to be paranoid that I’m going to get it wet and ruin it.  Waterparks, swimming pools, and beach – here we come!

Ok, this one might seem a little strange, but I’d love a Philips Sonicare Rechargeable Toothbrush. Frankly, I’m a bit fanatical about my teeth, and I have a wedding coming up in 6 months! I’ve gotta take care of those beautiful chompers!

Lately I’ve been traveling back and forth between my home base of New Orleans and the Los Angeles area a good bit, where my other half lives.  Frankly, toting a suitcase back and forth full of beauty products every other weekend (what – you didn’t actually think I traveled light, did you?) gets old – so I’d love to have a new Chi straightening iron to keep in Cali!

My last wishlist item is a ring with a purple amethyst – which is the birthstone of February – the month that Audrey Grace was born in.  I think it would be special to wear this on a daily basis to remind me of her.  We are together almost every moment of every day, but the moments that we aren’t are the ones where this reminder would be exceptionally welcome.

All of these items can be found at Walmart or Walmart.com.  What is on your wishlist this Mother’s Day?  Share your ideas in the comments!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Walmart as a part of my role in the Walmart Moms. All opinions are, and always have been, my own.

Not long after they came to me yet again with the Dyson DC28 Animal – which has become my go-to vacuum cleaner to this day.  The problem is that as much as I love it for it’s power, it’s a whole lot of machine to drag out of the closet for the little jobs – the baseboards, the kitchen floor, etc.

Enter the Dyson DC35 digital slim vacuum – a powerful vacuum that doesn’t lose suction and is both cordless and portable – but yet does so much more than a run-of-the-mill handheld vacuum.

I’m going to be reviewing the DC35 more in-depth as a part of my role in the Walmart Moms, but in the meantime check out this video made just for the Walmart Moms by an engineer at Dyson – this is one sweet little machine!  Bonus: the engineer in the video, Jo, has the cutest accent in the world, so it makes it even more fun to watch!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Walmart as a part of my role in the Walmart Moms. All opinions are, and always have been, my own.

This is a big deal in our house each year – and my little munchkin has been dying eggs with her mommy since before she can remember (heck, her first Easter she just sat in her Bumbo and watched and I pretended like I was coloring eggs for her.  I wasn’t. It was totally for me.) so this year – at age 4 – was set to be the most exciting year, yet.

This year we tried the Spin an Egg Easter Egg Decorating Kit from Dudley’s and the Bright and Shiny Egg Decorating kit!   We got two kits because I really wanted to dye the eggs the traditional way (and by that I mean dropping an egg in vinegar/water with dissolving tablets) which the Shiny Egg kit enabled us to do, and the Spin an Egg Kit was a homerun for the little one because she had more control over the color and process of each egg.  When you color eggs the traditional way, it requires way more help from mommy.  We got both kits at Walmart for under $10 – which was a steal. I couldn’t believe the egg-spinner thingie was only five smackers. Awesomesauce.

The verdict?  Both kits were amazing.  The Shiny Egg kit was MESSY – especially the making-it-shiny part at the end, but produced beautiful results.  The Spin an Egg kit was a big hit with the little one, and the eggs came out in all sorts of fun patterns and color combos.  Overall, it was an egg-cellent experience!

Because we love you oh-so-much we also made you a video wherein my child says and does some adorable things.  Naturally she is my kiddo so I think everything she says and does is adorable, but I feel that you will agree with me after watching this video!

See? I told you she is totally precious.

If you want to check out all of the great offerings that Walmart has available this Easter, check out the exclusive Walmart Easter site!

Disclosure:  I am a Walmart Mom and this post is sponsored as a part of my voluntary participation in that program. All thoughts, opinions, and adorable children are mine.

Walmart has recently made some changes to their coupon policy, and couponers everywhere are rejoicing.  Also, if you read a previous version of this post, it has since been updated with all of the changes that were made, and is current with the current Walmart policy.  I have a snapshot of the Coupon Policy here, or you can check out Walmart’s Coupon Policy on their site.  If you’re interested, please give your feedback on the coupon policy by taking this short 2-question survey, the results of which go straight to Walmart Corporate!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Walmart as a part of my role in the Walmart Moms. All opinions are, and always have been, my own.