Jun 12

A Father’s Day Deal from Outback Steakhouse #FathersDay #BestMates #sponsored

by mudpies

Thank you Social Chorus for providing me with a gift card to Outback Steakhouse. All opinions are my own.

I’m not sure what kind of dad you grew up with, but my dad is a ton of fun! He took me out on formal dates to 5 star restaurants, took me shopping and showed me how a guy should treat a lady. He also humiliated me in SO many ways! Ha! A few memories…..

On my last day of 5th grade. He got me up and took me out for a special breakfast to celebrate. As he dropped me off at school and I began to walk away he started screaming, “My baby! My baby is graduating 5th grade! my baby is going to middle school!!!” Oh my word. I wanted to die! I asked another kid whose dad that was. LOL! Then my last day of 8th grade I was leaving school with my friend Chelsea. I was breathing a sigh of relief because dad had not done anything that morning. That relief was short lived. All of a sudden I hear these kids screaming, “Look! It’s a TV show!” And there he was. My dad and a groups of guys from a local college standing there. With megaphones. They all start shouting, “Congratulations Kristen and Chelsea!!! Y’all are big kids now! Going to high school!!!” We just looked at each other and burst into laughter. I mean, really, what can you do? On my 16th birthday I just happened to have to march in a parade. My dad had a camcorder out. He walked along the parade route asking people to say “happy birthday” to me on camera. Well, a car filled with teen boys from a local high school drove by and he raced up. He asked them to wish me a happy birthday and then shouts out my phone number and tells them to call me. Guess what? One guy DID! He called that night! He ended up being a decent guy who was in another marching band. Now I am friends with him on Facebook and when our baby boy had RSV that friend took the time to call me. Here’s a picture of my dad playing with our youngest daughter.

What funny memories do you have of your father? Are you planning to take him out for Father’s Day? If so, you will want to hear about this great deal from Outback Steakhouse. When you bring dad in for a meal on Father’s Day, you’ll leave with an extra gift from Outback – a certificate for $10 off two entrees on a future visit! This Father’s Day certificate will be given out in restaurant only while supplies last. Certificate details: Valid for Dinner only June 17-June 30, 2013. $10 off the purchase of 2 dinner entrees or $5 off the purchase of one dinner entrée. This offer is valid for dinner only, and is not valid for No Worries Wednesday Complete Meal for 2 or in conjunction with any other offer or discount.

Content and/or other value provided by out partner, Outback Steakhouse.

What are your Father’s Day plans this year?

Kristen:

Kristen is a wife, mom, blogger and Brand Ambassador. She has four children; 2 boys and 2 girls. Kristen enjoys her role as a stay-at-home mother. Her oldest children are home-schooled. Her interests include gardening, coffee, reading, cooking and finding new ways to be eco-friendly. You may contact Kristen at mudpiesandtiaras at gmail dot com. Click here to meet Kristen

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Jun 9

This Father’s Day take a SteakCation at LongHorn Steakhouse! #sponsored

by mudpies

2 comments

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for LongHorn Steakhouse. I received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

Next Sunday is Father’s Day! Oftentimes it seems to me as if Father’s Day can slip by almost unnoticed. My husband works so hard for us that I try to find ways to make him feel special on Father’s Day. This year my choice was made for me. He asked to go on a SteakCation to one of our all-time favorite restaurants, LongHorn Steakhouse. We first discovered LongHorn when he was in the Army. We have now eaten at LongHorns in multiple states and for many special occasions. Last Sunday we loaded up the kids and went to our local LongHorn Steakhouse after church.

We had bit of a wait, but the kids used their time to get some extra snuggles with daddy. He works 6 days a week so time to just relax with him is pretty rare. They took full advantage!

Once we were seated we were all pretty hungry so we order an appetizer to share.

This was the Texas Tonion and we had never tried it before. The presentation was great, the kids loved it and the dipping sauce was delish!

Our meals came quickly. We all ordered something different. Our toddler ordered kids mac-n-cheese, our youngest daughter chicken, our oldest daughter an 8 oz steak and my husband ordered himself a steak as well. My daughter actually likes her with more red than my husband. She ordered hers Medium Rare and my husband ordered his Medium Well. Both came grilled to absolute perfection!

I am not a real big meat eater. However, LongHorn is still one of my favorite places. I ordered an amazing grilled chicken sandwich. It was actually big enough to share and I brought home the second half.

After an excellent meal we let the girls order some smoothies. Reeses Peanut Butter Cup smoothies.

Next time I am ordering one for myself.

Will you take Dad on a SteakCation this year? Here are some grilling tips from LongHorn to inspire you.

Need even MORE inspiration for making a father feel extra special? Consider ordering some LongHorn Steakhouse steak knives. If you love steak like my husband and daughter do, then you know how vital a proper steak knife is when dining on a steak. We were sent a set of the LongHorn steak knives to try.

These knives are available for anyone to purchase and come boxed (beautifully) as shown above. Have you ever dined at a LongHorn? Check out their menu and let me know what YOU would order.

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for LongHorn Steakhouse. I received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

Kristen:

Kristen is a wife, mom, blogger and Brand Ambassador. She has four children; 2 boys and 2 girls. Kristen enjoys her role as a stay-at-home mother. Her oldest children are home-schooled. Her interests include gardening, coffee, reading, cooking and finding new ways to be eco-friendly. You may contact Kristen at mudpiesandtiaras at gmail dot com. Click here to meet Kristen

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Jun 3

Make Dad happy with a #gift from Ryobi!

by mudpies

46 comments

Thank you Ryobi for giving a prize to our readers. I did not receive any products or compensation. I am just sharing a great giveaway from a great company. All opinions are 100% my own.

Ryobi rocks! Our family sure thinks so at least. We have quite the Ryobi collection in our garage. My husband has grand plans for getting more and more Ryobi products because he is a huge fan of the Ryobi One + system. This is a unique tool system where the entire line of tools labeled with One + use the exact same batteries! This is a space saver in your tool area. It also makes jobs easier. You use one battery while the other is charging. The battery works on ALL One + tools. My husband owns several One + Ryobi tools and has many on his list of “gift ideas”:

His number one choice is the Ryobi One + 18 V 6 piece combo set. He told me I would earn MAJOR points if I get him this set. He said it is a “dream set of guy tools”.

He also has on his the inflator/deflator, the Pole Saw, the portable fan and the Paint Sprayer.

Ryobi wants to make one dad’s dream come true this year. They offering one very lucky reader their very own 2 Cycle Gas Backpack Blower!

Wow a special this year by winning this from Ryobi! It is valued at $199!!!!

“Ryobi Outdoor products introduces our most powerful blower – ever. With an extra large 42cc engine, this backpack blower is designed to handle your toughest clearing jobs. The unique engine mounting is engineered to deliver maximum air flow at all times, and the contoured shoulder/back harness provides ultimate comfort and a perfect fit. The tube construction includes a variable speed trigger and cruise control for easy command, and the angled nozzle points naturally downward – reducing effort, and maximizing clearing power. This backpack blower is sturdy, but light – at just 18 lbs. Best of all, Ryobi backs this blower with a 3 year warranty.”

Please enter for a chance to win! And Happy Father’s Day to ALL the dads!

Entry -Form

Kristen:

Kristen is a wife, mom, blogger and Brand Ambassador. She has four children; 2 boys and 2 girls. Kristen enjoys her role as a stay-at-home mother. Her oldest children are home-schooled. Her interests include gardening, coffee, reading, cooking and finding new ways to be eco-friendly. You may contact Kristen at mudpiesandtiaras at gmail dot com. Click here to meet Kristen

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May 9

IHOP has your Mother’s Day Solution! #Sponsored

by mudpies

7 comments

Thank you IHOP for the giftcard to try our local restaurant. All opinions are 100% my own.

I will be honest. We have not eaten at an IHOP in over 2 years. Our last experience there was…less than stellar. However, we were sent a gift card from IHOP to try out our local restaurant. We were excited because we knew the kids would love it and they were running a current promotion for Broiche French Toast.

The Brioche French Toast is served in three delightful flavors:

“Bananas Foster Brioche French Toast comes with a New Orleans Foster’s sauce made with sliced bananas, caramelized in a buttery brown sugar glaze, and whipped topping.

Berry Berry Brioche French Toast layers blueberries and strawberry topping with a luscious dusting of powdered sugar and whipped topping.

Peaches & Cream Brioche French Toast combines sweetened sliced peaches, honey-roasted pecans and vanilla cream drizzle with a dollop of whipped topping.”

When we entered our local IHOP, I knew things had changed. It had been completely redone from top to bottom. It had a homey almost…lodge type of atmosphere. We were given a prompt friendly greeting and taken to a table.

The kids were thrilled to be in a place that served Pancakes! Then menu had so many new choices since the last time we were there.

Our food was amazing! The fruit was fresh, the food was hot and the portion sizes were very generous. None of us finished everything we ordered. We will look forward to dining there again soon. I would actually love to eat there on Mother’s Day…. hot food…no dishes….happy kids. IHOP is making your Mother’s Day shopping so easy this year. Simply visit your local restaurant or their website. Place an order for a giftcard. If you choose to order it online you will be given the option of using a personal photo to create a custom, one-of-kind digital gift card! This is a lovely gesture for moms all over! Go ahead and pre-order a card for Father’s Day and any graduating students. A gift card to IHOP…especially with the personalized photo….will make everyone smile with joy!

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Apr 25

Be ready for Father’s Day with a great Daddy Tie! #sponsored

by mudpies

4 comments

I will be honest. I think most Father’s Day gifts are overrated. You will never find me buying golf tees or screwdriver sets found in the jewelry department. Another gift I have scoffed at is a tie….until I found the sweetest tie from Daddy Scrubs (and yes, this is my umpteenth review with Daddy Scrubs because they are one ROCKING company who chooses to honor all the daddy’s). My intent was to photograph my hubby with the tie. I set it up nicely by surprising him with the tie in an unusual location.

Since the tie comes in an adorable box, I hid it in the bowl with his breakfast bars. He was surprised to find it there. The tie is nice and low key. Just right for a guy like my husband. Like I said, I wanted to photograph my husband wearing the tie. However….that is not quite what happened.

You can enter below to win a tie like this too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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