Southern Made Simple

Keeping things simple with a smidge of Southern charm

Current Giveaways

Getting Off the Grid and Getting Outdoors with GameSaver® + GIVEAWAY!

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This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of FoodSaver®; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Have you ever felt stuck in a season of life where it seems like you’re busier than normal.? Time so quickly passes and we get swept away by our own agendas. We get caught in the hustle and bustle of work, parenting, maintaining somewhat of a social life and trying to keep up with the Joneses, all while keeping our eyes glued to a screen in some form or fashion to keep us “entertained.”

For my family, the month of August was a total whirlwind! My husband and I welcomed our second child into the world in late July, and we’ve been having to learn all over again just how hard it is to adjust to a severely disrupted sleep schedule, balancing a toddler’s needs with a newborn’s needs and keeping a grip on our sanity all at the same time. Don’t get me wrong – it’s been a joy! But my husband and I are both ready for a day of rest.

Sometimes, it’s important to disconnect from things so that we can reconnect with things that are important to us. Making time in our busy schedules to breathe and enjoy the beauty of the world around us can do wonders for mental clarity, and that’s why my family is making it a point to get off the grid and get back into nature during National Hunting and Fishing day – taking place on September 22nd this year.

I feel pretty darn lucky to have married into a family of outdoor enthusiasts. During this time of year, my family begins making their annual preparations for deer season to open up, and out come all of the bows, rifles and ammo to be sighted in and tested in anticipation of a bountiful harvest. 

Speaking of bountiful harvest, check out my beautiful mother-in-law and her handsome buck she killed a few seasons back! She has always loved getting outdoors and suiting up in her camouflage to scope out a beautiful buck or doe to bring home to her family. Not only is she handy with a rifle, but she also assists with cleaning the kill – and she cooks a mean venison roast!

My husband and I are counting down the days until National Hunting and Fishing Day, where we plan to fully disconnect from the distractions in life and spend time with our family preparing our gear for opening day coming up very soon. We’ll finish sighting in our rifles, sharpening our broadheads and get in a little target practice. Come opening day, we’ll be diving into the woods and breathing in the fresh air while we scope out a deer – and we couldn’t be more excited!

One tool we simply cannot live without during deer season is our GameSaver® Outdoorsman Vacuum Sealing System and GameSaver® Heat Seal Bags and Rolls to help us preserve the meat that we harvest so that we can enjoy it all year long.

This particular system is perfect for a beginner due to it’s ease of use. The bags are made of a durable, multi-layered material that is puncture resistant and blocks out oxygen and moisture, so any meat or produce that is sealed lasts up to 5x longer compared to ordinary storage methods! The Outdoorsman has an extra wide sealing strip and can power through 40 consecutive seals at a time. It’s been a HUGE helping hand as far as keeping our meat fresh for our family all year long, and helps our family save a ton of money each year by preventing freezer burn on our favorite foods!

Discount Alert!

Amazon will be running a special promotion on GameSaver® products throughout the month of September. Plus, The Outdoorsman and the GameSaver® 28 gallon bags and GameSaver® 11″ expandable heat rolls (2 pack) will be 20% off from September 9th – September 16th!

Sweepstakes Alert!

Looking for a little adventure? Gamesaver® is offering outdoor fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their own off-the-grid adventure with a trip to Alaska! (Plus, a super awesome GameSaver® Vacuum Sealing system of their own!) The sweepstakes is currently taking place and runs from August 25th – September 22nd. Entering is super easy to do! Just enter here for your chance to win!

Giveaway!

One lucky buck (or doe) can get in on the action now and enter to win an Outsdoorsman of their own! I’m hosting a giveaway for one right now on my Instagram page, so hop on over and get your entries in! Giveaway ends September 20th, 2018 at 11:59pm CST

 Will you be going off the grid on September 22nd to celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day? Do you hunt and/or fish for wild game? How could the GameSaver® Outdoorsman enhance your outdoor adventures? Leave a comment below and share the love!


The Perfect Summer Side Dish: Broccoli & Cheddar Stuffed Tomatoes + GIVEAWAY!

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

Throughout the entire second and third trimester of my pregnancy, my body constantly craved the juicy goodness of fresh, homegrown tomatoes. Unfortunately, my husband and I were not able to plant a garden like we normally do each year so we could grow our own tomatoes, but we were very fortunate that my mother and several other friends in our community had bountiful crops of tomatoes and other fresh produce that they were more than willing to share with us!Broccoli & Cheddar Stuffed Tomatoes #VeggieSwapIns #IC #ad…

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Food, Family and Fun in our Brand New Home + Special Contest!

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This post was sponsored by T.J.Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

They say there’s no place like home, and this week that phrase has taken on a whole new meaning for myself and my family.

If you’ve been following for a while, you may know that we’ve been building a brand new home for the past year. My husband took on the role of contracting much of the work out himself, and he and his father spent countless hours and long days after work going over to the construction site and working to the point of near exhaustion. It’s been the busiest and most hectic year of our lives, but it was also a year full of blessings (and a ton of learning, too!)

We have a brand new place to call home, and my family has gathered together to celebrate the holidays and each other in a really special way!…

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Cranberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake + GIVEAWAY!

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This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Rubbermaid®

Growing up in the South, I’ve learned one quintessential piece of advice that has served me incredibly well over the years for just about any and every situation that has come my way:

When it doubt, make a pound cake.

Whether you’ve got a potluck event to attend, you’re in need of a sympathy dish to take to a family, or you’ve just got a hankerin’ for something sweet, you’ll never go wrong with making a pound cake.

Each slice of this dreamy dense pound cake with sweet cranberries tucked inside will make you wish it was fall all year long! #FreshWorksFreshness #ad …

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Cherishing every (Mom)ent with JORD

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I received product in exchange for my honest opinions. All thoughts expressed within this post are 100% my own.

The Easter bunny has officially come and gone, and we’re hopping right along through this beautiful spring season! Easter weekend gave me some much needed time to rest, reflect and enjoy this life and everything in it. The past two weeks have been a little tough on me. Seeing horrible happenings in the news, dealing with a string of bad weather that rolled through and juggling multiple different projects has made me feel a little defeated at times, but being able to rest has helped me sort through those feelings and refocus on the most important things in life.
Celebrating every moment with JORD #jordwatch #woodwatch #gradgift #mothersday …

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How I Transformed A Closet Into My Office Space + OttLite Review

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When my husband and I moved into our current home, we knew that we were going to have far less room in our new house than we were accustomed to. We decided to move back to my husbands hometown and stay in his grandparent’s rental property for a few years to save up enough money to build our dream home. While we’re forever grateful for this humble little abode, it’s had it’s share of challenges. For instance, the house is approximately 1100 sq feet, so coming up with places to put our belongings requires us to get really, really creative sometimes. With just 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and no storage space at all, things got tight fast.

closet7…

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10 Minute Skillet Nachos

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Mars, Incorporated. All opinions are mine alone. #BensBeginners  #UncleBensPromo  #CollectiveBias

I’m not sure what stars had to align in my life to make me love cooking as much as I now do, but I started taking a major interest in getting creative in the kitchen right after my toddler was born almost a year and a half ago. I’m always flipping to the cooking channels when I get a chance to see what my favorite chefs are up to, and I find myself dragging out all of my old cookbooks from over the years a lot more frequently now.

I’d say it’s just because I love to eat, but truthfully I think it has something to do with the experience. The same satisfaction you may get after you’ve assembled a challenging puzzle or craft project happens for me after I put together a nice and delicious meal for my family. But now that school has started back and my schedule has gotten busier, I find it harder to put together meals on the fly that leave myself and my family feeling satisfied. I long for those recipes I can throw together quickly that will still leave me feeling like a champ in the kitchen.

10 Minute Skillet Nachos…

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J is for Jeep Brand All-Terrain Jogging Stroller

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Hello, friends!

I recently had the opportunity to write a guest post on Stuff Parents Need sharing a few fun ideas on enjoying the Summer with your toddler. You’ll also find a full review of the J is for Jeep Brand All-Terrain Jogging Stroller, and ONE lucky person is going to WIN a stroller of their very own!

Jeep Brand Terrain Jogging Stroller (GIVEAWAY!)

You’re definitely not going to want to miss this one, y’all! While you’re visiting Stuff Parents Need, be sure to subscribe or follow her on any of her social media channels. She’s always sharing the best contend around! You can enter through the link listed below. Happy strolling!Jeep Brand All-Terrain Jogging StrollerGiveaway ends August 8th, 2016, so get those entries in today!

For other great giveaways happening right now, be sure to visit my current giveaways section found here.

How to Simplify your 4th of July Menu (And Spice it Up) In 3 Easy Steps!

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Is it hot enough where you live this summer? If not, you can CERTAINLY have some of this South Alabama heat! I’ve never been one to love the heat and humidity, but one place that I love to have a little heat is in my food – especially BBQ and all the fixin’s! The 4th of July is coming up in just a few short days, and best believe I’ll be kicking up the heat on my plate this year! I’m anxiously awaiting it’s arrival so I can chow down on some delicious dishes, but one thing I’m not so hot on is all of the time and prep that can go into those dishes.

But fret not my BBQ loving friends! I’m comin’ atcha this evening with 3 quick and easy tips to prepare the best stress-free BBQ dinner this season (and I’ll show you how to spice it up, too!)

How to Simplify Your 4th of July Menu (And Spice it Up, Too!) #SuddenlySaladSummer #Ad …

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Love Coffee? Have a Cup on Me!

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Hello my fabulous friends! Can you believe it’s already May 1st? It really seems like this year is zooming by so fast! Turning the page in my calendar to a brand new month always makes me excited. May is my favorite month of the year, and I really believe this one is going to be ah-mazing!

Oh, what’s that? You’re not sure what all the excitement is all about? Allow me to fix that for you..

Love Coffee? Have a Cup on Me!

This song is always played multiple times in my house on May 1st (and basically every other day because it’s my jam and N’Sync will always live on in my heart.) 😉 But I especially love to listen to it on this day because it gets me so excited to jump into May and all it’s glory. Hello, birthday parties and warmer weather!

This month I’ll be celebrating my second ever Mother’s Day, our wedding anniversary, and my daughter’s FIRST birthday! (Stay tuned for a post or two about that. We’re going all out!) 😉

In addition to all of that awesomeness, Southern Made Simple is officially 6 months old! I’ve been having such a blast sharing my thoughts, favorite finds, and life in general with all of you. You’re all a big reason to keep the celebration going this month! So to show my appreciation for all of you, I thought I’d share a little bit of Starbucks sweetness with one lucky follower!

$15 Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway - Follower Appreciation on Southern Made Simple

[the_ad_group id=”278″]This giveaway will run throughout the entire month of May, so be sure to share Southern Made Simple and this giveaway with your friends so they can get in on the action! Just enter using the giveaway form below. All entries will be verifies. Open to US residents only, 18 years and older.

Love Coffee? Have a Cup on Me!

Open to residents of the United States 18 and older. Limit one entrant per household. Giveaway will end at 11:59pm CST on 5/31/2016. Winner will be drawn using Giveaway Tools. Entries will be verified. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Southern Made Simple is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

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