Before and After - The Avenue Linen Closet

I had a couple of goals for this summer...declutter the house and potty train TC.  Sadly I'm failing at both.  I did manage to clean out my linen closet the other day.  At a quick glance it didn't appear to be that messy or cluttered, but every time I went to grab something, something else would fall out.  The towels were hard to put away and when I shoved them inside, the door was hard to close.  So as TC slept behind the closed door in the very same hallway, I quietly conquered The Avenue Linen Closet.

These are the before pictures.  

How about those pads, prominently displayed as soon as you open the door!

 See that hot pink stain on the carpet? 

Nail polish!

I just can't pass up a good shampoo sale, but it will take years to use all of this!

 Same thing with toothbrushes!

 We have very clean hands on The Avenue!

 Sadly, this is only about a six month supply of gray cover up.

 That's a gallon size baggy of band aids!

I may have a hoarding problem.

And now the after pictures.

Good Will should be happy with my donation of extra towels and sheet sets.

 The top shelf now houses seldom used items.

Extra hair styling products are easily accessible.

 OTC meds are higher up and pushed back so the boys can't reach.

I think it was Heloise that said you only need two sets of sheets, 

one on the bed and one in the laundry.

Now I am in  compliance!  I kept several

extra pillow cases that I just couldn't part with.

 I saved ten of the best towels and put the rest in the Good Will bag.

Sadly I kept all of the soaps and shampoos.  

Hey, it's a start!

Udi's Gluten Free

Udi’s is the #1 gluten-free brand in America. Just this year they introduced gluten-free options at Major League baseball stadiums like Coors Field (Colorado Rockies), Yankees Stadium (NY Yankees), and AT&T Park (San Francisco Giants).

Although my family does not follow a gluten free diet, both gluten sensitivities and Celiac Disease are on the rise. For those afflicted, eating gluten can lead to chronic and life threatening symptoms. Did you know that eating gluten free may also help alleviate swelling and inflammation due to Rheumatoid Arthritis? Or that some parents report an improvement in their child’s autism and ADHD symptoms when following a gluten free diet?

I was sent a variety of Udi's Gluten Free products to share with my family and I must admit I was surprised.   I wasn't sure what to expect, although I feared a cardboard taste.  Boy was I wrong!  The hot dog and hamburger buns were not of the usual variety.  They were more firm, similar to what you might get when ordering a gourmet burger at a restaurant or a bakery bun.  Definitely not an out of the plastic bag type of bun.  I enjoyed mine toasted as well, with a little butter as a quick get out the house in a hurry breakfast.

My sample package also include 4 varieties of gluten free cookies.  Now here's where I say, I'm not a fan of most boxed store bought cookies. Udi's Snickerdoodle and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were delicious!  Moist and full of flavor!  In my opinion, you could easily pass these off as home baked.  TOF tried the Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownie Bites as an after camp snack and he summed up his feelings in one word....Choclatastic!

Udi's Gluten Free baked goods will stay fresh on your counter for up to seven days. If you do not plan on eating your product in seven days or less then the proper shelf life for baked goods is as follows: 180 days frozen, 21 days refrigerated and 7 days ambient. The gluten-free granola has a shelf life of 180 days.

To receive a $1 coupon good on any Udi's Gluten Free product, click here.  Find Udi's at select Target stores, Meijer and Whole Foods.

Disclaimer:  I received a Udi's VIP package for sharing this information with you.  All opinions are my own.

Pillsbury® Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain

Looking for a way to get creative in the kitchen? New Pillsbury® Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain is the perfect canvas for a culinary masterpiece, or should we say master-pizza! Just add your favorite ingredients and enjoy a hot, fresh meal in minutes. Whether your family loves pepperoni, veggies, or the works, the possibilities are endless with New Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain.

With 16 grams of whole grain per serving, this is a pizza crust the whole family will love Now available in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store Quick, convenient, and completely customizable new Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain will help you add some pizzazz to your homemade pizza along with the health benefits of whole grain!  To download a printable coupon for $1.25 off one package of New Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain, visit http://bit.ly/PCwWG today!  Disclosure:  The product, a gift pack, information, and additional sample have been provided by Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.

GUND's “Top Dog” Contest

The first ever GUND “Top Dog” Contest is in progress with a grand prize of “the Boo treatment” - a limited edition GUND plush in the winning pup’s likeness!  Inspired by the wildly-popular "World's Cutest Dog" Boo stuffed dog from GUND, the “Top Dog” Contest invites pup parents from around the country to submit photos of their own four-footed friends on the GUND Facebook page in one or all of the following four categories:

• Most Beautiful Dog 
• Ugliest Dog 
• “Doganista”/Best Dressed Dog 
• Dog that Most Resembles its Owner 

The Grand Prize will have tails wagging; GUND will create a limited edition model of the winner’s dog. The dog will be available in gift and toy stores in 2013. That’s right! Your pup could become a GUND plush just like Boo! Submit your dog photos via the contest tab on GUND’s Facebook page.

The contest will run July 16 - August 15, 2012; winners will be chosen the week of August 20th and announced the week of August 27th.

• Entries: July 16 – August 5 
• Voting: August 6 – August 15 

Simultaneously with the “Top Dog” Contest on Facebook, GUND will run the “Most Pinteresting Dog” Contest on Pinterest. Just post your entry on your own Pinterest pages, “tag” @GUNDMostPinterestingDog and submit the link to GUND at MostPinterestingDog@GUND.com. The “Most Pinteresting Dog” Contest winner will be selected based on the number of times the entry is “liked” on the GUND Pinterest board and the winner will receive a selection of GUND products valued at $250 retail. For complete rules, see “Top Dog” Contest and “Most Pinteresting Dog”  at www.GUND.com.

Disclaimer: I receieved a GUND plush toy for sharing this information with you.