Freezer Smoothie Bags

There is no better time to enjoy a daily smoothie than during the hottest season of the year. Fill your freezer with pre-made individual sized drop-in-the-blender smoothie bags. 

This post is brought to you in partnership with Naked Nutrition. It also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

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The days are getting warmer and longer (hello sunset at 9pm) and more humid. The last thing I want to do is heat up a warm meal or sit and chew on a salad. Smoothies are the perfect replacement for breakfast, lunch or dare I say, dinner! They are so versatile by using your favorite fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Then throw in some fancy powders and you have yourself one of the healthiest drinks EVER. 

My least favorite part of making smoothies used to be the cleanup. However, I learned a little trick to clean the blender super quick. Just rinse out the blender after use, fill halfway with hot water and drop in some dish soap. Turn the blender back on and bam - your blender just got a nice little cleaning.

Click to tweet: Genius - pre-made individual sized drop-in-the-blender smoothie bags!

Another thing I dislike about making smoothies is gathering all of the ingredients. Trying to manage and entertain a 3 month old can make simple things impossible and then my healthy smoothie turns into me grabbing a bag of chips or a dozen cookies. That's where pre-made individual sized drop-in-the-blender smoothie bags come into play. 

My favorite type of smoothies are simple. I can't really be bothered with loads of ingredients to make a new flavor each day. I typically just buy whatever frozen fruit is on sale or freeze my overly ripe fruit, some type of green, and freeze almond or coconut milk in ice cube trays. This is the basis of a delicious smoothie.

Pre-made Individual Sized Drop-In-The-Blender Smoothie Bags

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls frozen fruit
• handful frozen kale
• 2 ice cubes frozen almond or coconut milk
• fold top sandwich storage bags

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in fold top sandwich storage bag.
2. Store multiple sandwich bags in a gallon sized freezer bag and keep in freezer until ready to use.

How To Make Smoothie

1. Blend fruit, kale, frozen almond or coconut milk, and 8 ounces water in Ninja blender until smooth. 
2. *Optional: pulse in 1-2 scoops Naked Whey, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and a few dashes ground cinnamon. 
3. Enjoy!

Naked Whey protein powder is the only protein powder I feel comfortable using while nursing. It contains only one ingredient (grass fed whey protein) with 25 grams of protein per serving. And you will love that it's gluten free and soy free too!

*Get 10% off Naked Nutrition products by using the code 'JENNATL' upon checkout. 

What are some of your favorite ingredients for smoothies?

Have you ever made smoothie bags before?

PIN for later. 

Ice Cream Cream Puff

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

The weather is starting to warm up and it's a perfect time to enjoy one of my family's favorite desserts. Ice cream cream puffs are best eaten while they are still warm and topped with lots of chocolate drizzle.

The season of ice cream has arrived. Check out more recipes here. 

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In high school, I took two home economics classes. Both involved cooking but one was only desserts and the other was only entrees. Most of the meals I would recreate for my parents and there are many of those recipes that I still cook today. 

Click to tweet: A spring classic - ice cream cream puffs

During the desserts class, we made cream puffs. It was my first experience with creams puffs and I wasn't all that impressed. I told my Dad that we made them and he was thrilled. He grew up eating cream puffs from a place in Michigan that apparently had AMAZING cream puffs. 

I made them often for my Dad and we loved filling them with all different types of ice cream and chocolate drizzle. It was fun to hear all of his childhood stories while we experimented with different flavor ice creams. 

When I learned about the new flavors that Blue Bunny® came out with, I knew it was an excellent excuse to make my famous cream puffs. The PB 'N Cones™ seemed like a great choice to pair with the soft cream puff. Plus nothing screams warmer weather like vanilla ice cream with swirls of creamy peanut butter and chocolate dipped cone pieces!

I picked up a few of the other flavors to stock the fridge. It's so convenient that Blue Bunny® products are available at Walmart stores nationwide. Don't forget about the super delicious ice cream cakes that Blue Bunny® has to offer.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has. I can't wait for LadyBug to be old enough to enjoy spring and summer treats!

Cream Puffs

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 cream puffs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 2 Eggs

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium saucepan, boil water and butter then simmer.
3. Mix in flour and cook for another minute.
4. Remove from heat and add 1 egg at a time until smooth.
5. Spoon onto uncreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, until cream puffs are golden brown.
7. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes prior to slicing in half.
8. Serve cream puffs by slicing in half creating a top and bottom, filling with a generous scoop of ice cream, topping with powdered sugar and chocolate drizzle.
9. Enjoy!

Have you ever had a cream puff?

What kind of ice cream would you put in the cream puff?

PIN for later. 

The season of ice cream has arrived. Check out more recipes here. 

Tips For Introducing Bottle to Breastfed Baby

Taking care of a newborn brings all sorts of challenges and battles - don't let feeding them be one of the battles. Below are a handful of tips for introducing a bottle to a breastfed baby. 

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FirstsMadeEasy #ForBetterBeginnings #MomsFirsts #CollectiveBias
Discover more tips for better beginnings.
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When A and I moved to Missouri, I was 10 weeks pregnant. We did a lot of research to find a doctor we liked and hospital that we felt comfortable delivering at. The hospital we chose is considered a baby-friendly facility which means it offers an optimal level of care for infant feeding and mother/baby bonding. They encourage breastfeeding and offer unlimited amounts of support to make breastfeeding possible. 

I completely understand that breastfeeding isn't for everyone, whether it be a personal or medical decision. Heck, I was formula fed and in the past I had never been around individuals that chose to breastfeed their baby. Regardless of how you choose to feed your baby - fed is best! And in most cases you will need to purchase at least one bottle to feed your baby. Even if you are exclusively breastfeeding, Momma needs some sanity too - I'm thinking spa day or girl's night out. 

After LadyBug was born, I met with a lactation consultant. She helped correct LadyBug's latch and explained all about milk supply, pumping, and introducing a bottle. It was recommended to wait 4-6 weeks prior to introducing a bottle so that my milk supply was well established and so that LadyBug didn't get nipple confusion.

Click to tweet: Tips for introducing bottle to breastfed baby. 

When we finally started to introduce a bottle, it wasn't an easy task. She would fuss, arch her back, and just flat out scream. There are several techniques that can be used to successfully introduce a bottle to a breastfeeding baby. And once the baby will take a bottle, Mom can go out for some much needed me-time. 

Have Mom leave the room, or leave the house altogether.

Sometimes babies won't take a bottle from their Mom because of confusion and would prefer the comfort of skin-to-skin feedings. If Mom can leave the room so that baby can't see or hear her, baby might take to the bottle right away. 

I would take our dog for a walk around the block while A introduced the bottle to LadyBug. My absence allowed baby and Dad some much needed bonding time and also let LadyBug know that food can come from other sources other than Mom.

Play with the temperature of the milk.

Some babies would prefer milk warm just like taking it straight from the breast while other babies aren't too concerned with temperature. At each bottle feeding, try a warmer or cooler temperature milk to see what baby will take. 

Try different positions.

Putting baby in a position similar to breastfeeding might confuse baby. Try offering different positions and locations to help teach baby that food can come from other sources than just Mom. Some options would be to have baby sit upright or have baby sit in their carseat. 

Get the RIGHT bottle.

Playtex Baby™ VentAire® bottles are a great choice because they offer complete tummy comfort and help baby latch on naturally. The angled design helps to promote a semi-upright positioning. This can help make bottle introduction more successful plus can help prevent ear infections.

Another option would be the Playtex Baby™ Nurser® with Drop-Ins® Liners which simulates the same suck, swallow and breathe patterns as breastfeeding. You can mix and match all Playtex bottles and nipples to find what works best for your baby - AMAZING!

Click to tweet: Find the RIGHT bottle.

One reason why we love the VentAire bottles and Playtex nipples is that they can be found at Target. And I mean, what Mom and baby don't love to make a Target run during the week?! Don't forget those Cartwheel offers like 15% Off All Playtex Baby Bottles (4/2-4/8).

Offer freshly pumped milk.

One easy way to 'trick' baby into taking a bottle is to offer freshly pumped milk over previously stored milk. The milk will be a temperature the baby is familiar with and will taste like it is coming directly from the source.

Just remember, you are doing a great job no matter how you choose to feed your baby. And don't be afraid to get support when needed - from professionals, family, friends, or peers. Parenthood is an ever evolving journey. 

Do you have any other techniques that others can use to introduce a bottle?
Do you remember to use Cartwheel offers while shopping at Target?
Don't forget to check out Playtex Baby™ for better beginnings. 
PIN for later.

Creating New Habits While Pregnant

This post was sponsored by Premama as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

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Pregnancy comes with a whole bunch of ups and likely a few downs. You get to partake in all the fun tasks like shopping for a new human, decorating the nursery, and picking out your baby's name. Then there are a few negative side effects like morning sickness, backaches, insomnia, etc. 

Regardless of how your pregnancy is progressing, there is one thing all us pregnant mmmas have in common - taking our prenatal vitamins. 

This was definitely a new habit that I needed to start incorporating into my daily routine, which at first was not easy. Prior to finding out we were expecting, we were getting ready to list our house in Maryland for sale and move on to our next adventure in Missouri.

At 7 weeks pregnant, I had movers in my house packing all of our belongings to be transferred to storage while we searched for our new home in Missouri. Then I lived out of a hotel room and luggage for the following 8 weeks.

I didn't have my own space, or much space at all, but I tried to create a daily routine until we finally moved into our new home. Once we moved in, I had to create a new routine yet again. 

When I learned about Premama products, I was thrilled that I no longer would have to carry around a large bottle of prenatal vitamins. Their individually packed multivitamin supplements were easy to just throw into my purse and I could take my vitamins any time during the day by simply mixing with my favorite beverage. I have also been a big fan or the digestive aid chew because it tastes like a treat and helps with all those digestive issues that arrise during pregnancy. 

Click to tweet: There is one thing all us pregnant mommas have in common - taking our prenatal vitamins!

Premama products were created to support women who are trying to conceive, expecting, or lactating. Plus their products contain similar levels of folic acid to many prescription prenatal vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and non-constipating iron. Yeah, constipation can be one of those negative side effects of pregnancy I was previously talking about. 

So tell me, how do you form new habits when your regular daily routine gets altered?
Have you heard of Premama products?
If you are currently expecting or have been pregnant, what's one piece of advice that you received (either advice that was completely ridiculous or something that was helpful)?

No Bake Mini Pumpkin Turtle Cheesecake

Tis the season for all things pumpkin. While I love pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin muffins - some days I can't be bothered by turning on my oven. Next time you are in the mood for something pumpkin-y, try these mini pumpkin turtle cheesecakes that require no baking! Each pie is an individual serving, making a great snack or dessert that can be grabbed straight from the fridge. 


This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EffortlessPies #CollectiveBias
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Click to tweet: Grab this no-bake dessert straight from the fridge - Pumpkin Turtle Cheesecake.

I've only really enjoyed two fall food favorites this season - cider donuts from Michigan and mini pumpkin turtle cheesecakes. Blame it on me being pregnant and not wanting to cook or blame it on me being pregnant and not interested in particular flavors and textures. Either way, we will just blame my lack of pumpkin flavored foods due to being pregnant.

But I am not going to complain one bit because these no bake mini pumpkin turtle cheesecakes that I am sharing with you today will satisfy your every pumpkin craving. They are also so simple to make that I could even put the task on my hubby, A, to make for me! AND all ingredients can conveniently be purchased at Walmart.

No Bake Mini Pumpkin Turtle Cheesecake

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 65 minutes
Yield: 6 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients

• single serve Dannon® Light & Fit® Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt®
• 8 ounces Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
• 6 count Individual Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crust
• Caramel Sauce
• Pecans, chopped
• Dark Chocolate Morsels, chopped
• Reddi-wip®

Cooking Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the yogurt, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Set aside.
2. Lay out your 6 individual mini pie crusts.
3. Spoon a dollop of caramel sauce into each pie crust then fill with cheesecake filling.
4. Top your mini cheesecakes with a drizzle of caramel sauce, chopped pecans, and chopped dark chocolate.
5. Allow to set in refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.
6. Top each cheesecake with Reddi-wip®.
7. Enjoy!

Click to tweet: I can't wait to try these mini pumpkin turtle cheesecakes that require no baking.

What's your favorite pumpkin treat?
Love mini cheesecakes? See my Five Minute No-Bake Cheesecake.
Check out some other amazing effortless pies. 
Don't forget to PIN for your friends. 

Chocolate Chai Tea Breakfast Drink

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

I don't always have time to make a well-rounded breakfast each morning because of lack of time or lack of desire. With the aid of caffeine and Carnation Breakfast Essentials® powder drink mix, I can have a tasty and fulfilling breakfast without spending more than 10 minutes in the kitchen. 
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Mornings always feel so rushed, don't they? That's mostly because I would rather hit the snooze button 12 times than get out of bed and prepare a full breakfast. I would bet that even you hit the snooze at least once eat morning! 

There are several solutions for those busy mornings to keep you from skipping the most important meal of the day. Some of those solutions include preparing breakfast items the night before - think overnight oats, muffins, breakfast cookies, etc. Or you could even prepare packages of ingredients that could be stored in the freezer to whip up a quick smoothie. But with all of the different breakfast hacks, I am nothing without caffeine in the morning. Anyone else with me?!

I've come up with be BEST solution to a quick, filling, and caffeinated breakfast that you will want every morning. That might be a bold statement but I am confident that this breakfast will solve all your morning problems. Besides helping your kids find matching socks or helping your husband remember to put the toilet seat down. 

Click to tweet: The BEST solution to a quick, filling & caffeinated breakfast!

Chocolate Chai Tea Breakfast Drink

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 serving

Nutrition per serving: 210 Calories | 38 g Carbs | 1 g Fat | 13 g Protein | 30 g Sugar

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk (your favorite type)
• 1 packet Carnation Breakfast Essentials Rich Milk Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon Chai Spice
• 1 Black Tea Bag

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, mix together the milk, rich milk chocolate powder drink mix, and chai spice.
2. Heat mixture over medium heat until hot. Do not allow to boil.
3. Remove from heat and steep tea bag for 3-5 minutes.
4. Pour into drinking glass and enjoy.
5. *Optional - add whipped cream and additional chai spice

I have always loved chai lattes but often find them to be too sweet and I haven't found a chai tea that  has enough spice for me. So for years I have been making my own chai spice mixture that I can add to plain tea or make my own chai tea latte without all the added sugar. Now you can use this chai spice mixture and add it to a packet of Carnation Breakfast Essentials® powdered drink mix to make a delicious chai tea breakfast drink - something that is filling, quick, and caffeinated.

In my recipe above, I specifically used the rich milk chocolate powdered drink mix however, don't feel limited to that flavor. The breakfast drink would also be delicious with the dark chocolate or classic french vanilla powder drink mix. Also, if you would like to reduce the amount of sugar and calories, you could use the Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Light Start™ powder drink mix. 

Click to tweet: Make your breakfast easier w/ Chocolate Chai Tea

Now's your chance to stock up on Carnation Breakfast Essentials® powdered drink mix to make your mornings that much easier. Not only could you make my chocolate chai tea breakfast drink, but you could try out my strawberry crumble breakfast muffins. 

What are some breakfast hacks that you use?

How many times do you hit the snooze button in the morning?

Have you tried Carnation Breakfast Essentials® in a unique way?

Love this recipe? PIN for later. 

Big News!

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Single Edition Media.

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If you are not following me on Instagram, what are you doing with your life?! Only kidding, but I did share a pretty big announcement yesterday which leads me to today's post. 

A photo posted by Jenn - a traveling Wife (@atravelingwife) on Sep 21, 2016 at 9:54am PDT

As a first time expecting mom, I am faced with loads of research regarding pregnancy and childcare. It can be beyond overwhelming and most of the time I feel completely lost. Babbleboxx found out I was expecting and offered to send me loads of goodies to give me a jump start on maternity and postpartum care. Below is a list of products that might be of interest to you if you are a new or expecting parent! *When it comes to all things regarding your health, or your family's health, always consult a health care professional. 

Click to tweet: Six products you should consider during #maternity or #postpartum care.

FUJIFILM INSTAX Mini 70 Camera (retail $139.95)
This instant camera produces credit-card-size photos instantly. It's the perfect size to have in your diaper bag to get pictures immediately of the new baby. The INSTAX pictures can be used to decorate by creating wall art or a baby mobile, and the photos could also be shared instantly with family or friends. INSTAX Mini instant film is sold separately for $19.95 for a double pack with 20 exposures.

Gerber® Onesies® Brand One Piece Underwear
Gerber® Childrenswear keeps babies covered from day to night - safe and quality products at a great value. The solid white garments are wonderful for layering and the solids or prints can be worn alone or paired with pants for the perfect outfit. The Gerber® Onesies® one piece underwear is available in short or long sleeve lengths and in sizes from newborn to 24M.

You can save on Gerber® apparel at your favorite retailer with money-saving coupons to use in-store only: http://goo.gl/RYGA6D.

You can also order online at www.GerberChildrenswear.com and receive FREE $6 standard shipping on your order with code 'BBOXX16FS' at checkout. *Offer expires 10/8/16.

TempTraq® Wearable Bluetooth® Temperature Monitor (retail $19.99)
TempTraq® is the ONLY wearable Bluetooth® temperature monitor that continuously monitors body temperature. It can easily be applied to the underarm area and provides alerts to compatible mobile devices through the free TempTraq® app. The app displays temperatures with easy-to-follow colors that indicate different temperature levels that is recorded over a 24 hour time frame. The data can simply be emailed to a health care professional or family members.

You can receive 10% off when you use code 'BABBLEBOXX10' at checkout. *Offer expires 10/31/16

illumai® Biome Care System for Hair
illumai® is a three-product system that helps you detox your locks from everyday environmental toxins. There are only 7 ingredients and contains no sulfates, silicones, parabens, preservatives, or plasticizers. The are also gluten-free, nut-free, 100% vegan, and cruelty-free. Best yet, the products are 100% color safe and work with every hair type.

This system is ideal for the whole family and is well-designed for new moms. You can enjoy 40% off of the travel pack or full-sized set by using the code '44ATRAVELINGWIFE' at checkout. *Offer expires 10/31/16.

Boudreaux's Butt Paste - Original (retail $19.19) & Maximum Strength Formula (retail $6.79)
Boudreaux's Butt Paste products are free-from parabens, preservatives, dyes, phthalates, and talc. Available in three targeted formulas to help protect against and improve diaper rash. The original formula contails 16% zinc oxide and the maximum strength contains 40% zinc oxide for increased rash fighting power.

Rainbow Light 35+ Mom & Baby
This uniquely formulated pre and post-natal multivitamin for Moms aged 35+ delivers scientifically-based potencies, nourishing superfoods, and a digestion-enhancing blend to ensure you get the best nutrition for you and your baby. Rainbow Light prenatals are vegetarian - containing no gluten, wheat, milk, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, eggs, fish, and shellfish. It can also be taken on an empty stomach, which means it is gentle - very important when you are pregnant I've learned.

You can receive a 20% savings with code 'HappyBaby' on Rainbow Light prenatals or a 20% savings on multivitamins with code 'HappyFamily' at http://www.rainbowlight.com.

Those with experience, what are some must have products I should purchase?
Have you had any experience with any of these products?
Stay tuned for more maternity posts to come, but not too many. :)
Know any new or expecting parents, PIN this post for them.

The Three Rooms You MUST Unpack First When You Move

This post was sponsored by Charmin as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.
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They say that one of the most stressful situations you can experience is moving. I've moved my fair share and agree that disrupting my current routine can be stressful and picking up a similar routine that works for you and your family can be hard to establish after moving. However, after my half a dozen moves over the past 5 years, I have some tips for setting up house quick so you can get back to your daily routine.

Once all of your boxes have been packed and loaded onto a moving truck, or in your car, it's time for the real journey. Whether you have your family and friends help you move in to the new place or if you hired a crew, you will be bombarded with questions on where you want what and how you want things.

First things first, move all labeled boxes to the most appropriate room. If your move is anything like mine, the new house doesn't have the same layout as the previous house so guessing where you want boxes can be challenging. But, if you have a spare room you can stage random boxes in, you are setting yourself up for a spectacular unpacking session.

Once all of the boxes and furniture have been placed in their corresponding rooms it's time to unpack. There are three rooms to focus on first; your bedroom (and any kid's bedrooms), bathroom, and kitchen. After those three rooms have been established, or at least livable, you can move onto the living area, office, basement, garage, outdoor space, etc. Now let's break down the three most important rooms to unpack first.

Click to tweet: The 3 rooms you must unpack FIRST when moving.

Livable Bedrooms
If you are a solo mover then it's only important to set up your bedroom but if you are moving with a family, it might be a good idea to be sure that everyone has a bed to sleep in the first night. The first step to setting up your bedroom is to unpack the bed including the mattresses and make the bed with clean sheets. The closet and dresser situation can be handled at a future time, so long as your clothes can be easily accessed.

Bathroom(s)
This is one of those rooms that will get used within the first few hours of moving in. I mean, we all have to use the restroom to either relieve ourselves, wash our hands, brush our teeth, or take a shower - it's inevitable, when duty calls. So try and do a rough cleaning of the toilets, sinks, and showers then make sure the room(s) have soap, towels, and toilet paper.

I have always been the type of person that keeps loads of extra toilet paper readily available in each bathroom for my family and for guests. There's nothing more terrible than running out of toilet paper and having to yell for help, especially when you are at someone else's house. Talk about embarrassing!

Charmin is inviting shoppers to upgrade their Angel Soft® for Charmin Essentials Soft and Scott® 1000 for Charmin Essentials Strong. To participate, people can simply Tweet their TP swap out request to @Charmin using the hashtag #CharminEssentials and #Promotion, and Charmin will send you a free roll.*

Click to tweet: @Charmin I want to TP swap with #CharminEssentials #Promotion

I appreciate the the price point of Charmin Essentials because it allows me to keep all three of my bathrooms completely stocked. Plus, who can complain with a strong quality toilet paper that can withstand all your bathroom needs?!

Kitchen 
Chances are you will order out or get a takeout pizza on moving day. However, it's important to get the essentials setup in the kitchen so you can quickly get back to a daily routine. Finding a home for the dishware, glasses, silverware, bakeware, and such can seem like a daunting task but having those items put away sooner rather than later will help you to feel more established in your new home.

*#CharminEssentials TP Swap Program Terms & Conditions: http://spr.ly/6011B4QMT 

Have you ever moved?
Do you follow guidelines when it comes to unpacking?
Share your go-to TP (toilet paper) below.
PIN for later.