My Favorite Things

Southern Made Simple Turns 3

November 4, 2018 by Laura Tucker 2 Comments

I’d love to tell you my life as a blogger is rainbows and butterflies, but it isn’t.

I’d love to tell you that documenting my life and sharing it with the world is effortless and easy for me, but it isn’t. I’d love to tell you that turning this piece of the Internet into something that works for me and not the other way around has been crazy easy, but it hasn’t. I’d love to tell you that every second of the time I’ve poured into creating Southern Made Simple has paid me in dividends, but I can’t. I’d also love to tell you that I keep a batch of homemade cookies on hand at all times, and that I receive an endless supply of cuddles from my babies all day long as a “stay at home mom,” but I don’t.

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Stack your Snacks and Collect to Win! + Sweepstakes

October 19, 2018 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

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

Stocking up on our favorite snacks is the name of the game in our household. With two little ones in tow, I try to make as few trips to the grocery store as possible, so making sure I have enough snacks to get us by for a while is always my strategy!

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

September 6, 2018 by Laura Tucker 1 Comment

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!

August 7, 2018 by Laura Tucker 13 Comments

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!…

Back To School Snack Stock-Up + DIY No-Sew Ice Pack Cover Tutorial

August 6, 2018 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

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

Isn’t it crazy how fast the summer always seems to fly by? It seems like one day children are celebrating at their end of the school year parties, and the next day they’re headed straight back! To be honest, though, I do get a little bit giddy when I see stores putting out all of the colorful school supplies and bins filled with awesome deals on all the back to school essentials! I’ve always been one to stock up when I see a good deal, and aside from all of the great deals on crayons and pencils, I’m ALL about those awesome grocery deals on snacks to keep our pantry stocked!

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Our Farmhouse Office Reveal

June 12, 2018 by Laura Tucker 22 Comments

I received product from Kenroy Home in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed within this post are 100% my own.

Since completing our brand new home roughly 7 months ago, I’ve had numerous people reach out asking to see “reveals” of the different rooms in our home. I’ve always loved to decorate, and for years I’ve had big dreams about what the decor in my home would look like one day. I have Pinterest boards galore that highlight my love for farmhouse inspired decor, and some of the most popular posts here on Southern Made Simple are farmhouse decor related! However, since moving in I’ve discovered that decorating a home is a rather time consuming (and expensive) process – and since finding out that I was pregnant just a few days after moving in, that process has sort of been put on the back burner. That is, until today!

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In The Wild VBS Craft Ideas

June 5, 2018 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

Affiliate links are included throughout this post. Purchases made through clicks on this page may result in a small commission earned on my end at absolutely no cost to you.

VBS 2018 may be coming to a close in your neck of the woods, but fret not! The brilliant minds at Lifeway have been getting the ball rolling on their quest to make VBS 2019 the very best one yet! Earlier this afternoon I was anxiously awaiting their theme announcement on Facebook Live (shown on their Facebook page) and was ooh-ing and aah-ing at all of the magnificent fun it’s going to be!

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Our Summer of Adventure with Minnetonka

June 1, 2018 by Laura Tucker 1 Comment

I received Minnetonka product and compensation in exchange for my honest review. However, all opinions expressed within this post are 100% my own. I only promote what I truly love!

This summer is really shaping up to be a great one so far, and we’re hoping to add lots of adventure and fun to our calendar to keep the good times rolling! At 7 months pregnant (and due at the very beginning of August,) I’m really trying to make this summer a memorable one for our little girl before her baby sister arrives. While I don’t have very long spurts of energy these days, I get pretty pumped at the idea of going to a fun new destination for a little family time!

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Preserving Special Moments for Father’s Day with FoodSaver® GameSaver®

May 29, 2018 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

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

With Father’s Day quickly approaching, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the numerous qualities of my husband and his own father (pictured below) that have had a wonderful and positive impact on our family and how we will raise our own children over the years to come. I could name off a laundry list of character traits they both possess that make them the incredible men that they are, but one thing they both have in common that I am particularly fond of is their field-to-table philosophy that has proven to be beneficial to our family is so many ways!

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My Biggest Pregnancy Craving & How I’m Enjoying it Guilt Free!

May 18, 2018 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

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

Now that I’ve entered my 3rd trimester of pregnancy, things are starting to get a little more hectic around our household. My toddler has done her very best over the past several months to sort-of ignore the fact that a new little girl will be stripping her of her “only child” title, and she can totally sense something is going on as I begin to nest and make preparations for her baby sister. She has been actively demanding ALL of my attention, and certainly not cutting me any slack when it comes to me lacking energy and not being able to get down on the floor and play with her. She’s definitely been keeping me on my toes, and as a result I’ve been slacking a good bit on taking care of my own personal needs.…

My Favorite Things

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

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

Discount Alert!

Sweepstakes Alert!

Giveaway!

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.

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

I received product from Kenroy Home in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed within this post are 100% my own.

Affiliate links are included throughout this post. Purchases made through clicks on this page may result in a small commission earned on my end at absolutely no cost to you.

I received Minnetonka product and compensation in exchange for my honest review. However, all opinions expressed within this post are 100% my own. I only promote what I truly love!

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

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