Sweet potatoes are abundant this time of year so I cook with them frequently. My family loves the wonderful moist, sweet taste plus they are fiber rich and loaded with beta carotene.

I often do the traditional thing and bake them whole or peel and cut into chunks and roast in the oven with olive oil, salt & pepper. It is also fun to mix them in with others flavors to make a complete meal.

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Welcome to the first H-E-B Beauty Pick of the Month for 2012! We embarked on a partnership with the Texas Grocery Giant in January of last year as one of their local beauty bloggers. It's been SO much fun discovering new products for my beauty regiment, but most of all? I love sharing them with you!

So, this month our beauty pick will have you well on your way to soft and clear skin in the new year with Orchid Facial Products. I shared with my friends on Facebook how my preschooler asked what was on my face. It was a pimple... possibly the worst I've EVER had in my life. What's up with mid-life acne? I thought I left that behind in the 9th grade?

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Today, as I scrolled through Facebook, I came across a story from ABC 13 News Houston that was troubling. Hundreds (and yes that's not a typo), HUNDREDS of Clear Lake High School students were caught cheating on an English Final Exam. I'm not surprised students try to cheat. Heck. I was caught cheating on homework in the 8th grade and almost lost my best friend over it. Thanks goodness for second chances. Thank goodness that was the one incident that made me think twice about ever cheating again.

No, it baffles me that out of ALL those hundreds of students, not one of them had a guilty conscience? Not one felt the call to come forward prior to the test and alert a school official? Not one student felt it morally wrong? Where is the courage in this generation of kids?

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As 2012 marches forward we're all making resolutions to be a better version of ourselves... my 8-yr-old daughter included. While she battles the adolescence of her youth, she's finding just where her weaknesses and struggles lay. This year is a pivotal year for my girl as she learns just what her strengths are and how to build her confidence, while turning challenges into triumphs.

An example of my little fireball of a daughter can be seen through American Girl's newest doll, and 2012 American Girl of the Year, McKenna Brooks. Through McKenna, girls will discover the power of believing in yourself and your potential to achieve great things. Something that, I've found, can be lost at the detrimental age my daughter is in.

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How can I continue to be an H-E-B Beauty Blogger without an H-E-B? I asked myself that when I got a text from my Dad a few weeks ago that read:  Did you know they're closing our HEB, as soon as the new Joe V's opens?

Well, no. No I didn't know. In fact, I was so upset about it that I texted my H-E-B contact to see if it was true, to vent my frustrations of not having an H-E-B in my little town anymore, and to ask how it would affect my relationship with my favorite grocery store and if I could continue to be an H-E-B blogger. More importantly, what exactly is Joe Vs Smart Shop and, although it's an H-E-B "sister" store, how would it compare? I needed answers.

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I took my kids to lunch yesterday to get our minds straight on how the Back-from-Winter-Break would begin. "We'll be going to bed at the regular time again, room will be clean, homework done, chores checked off, and mornings will be early," I was clearly shooting for the moon only to receive, in return, the deepest of their grumbles. "Oh yeah... and I need you guys to know I decided not to be a blogger anymore."

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Is it me or does time go just a LITTLE bit slower during the days after Christmas, but before New Years? I've talked to so many of my friends who are just counting down the days for school to start back up again. Their kids are bored and after ALL those Christmas gifts, STILL looking for "something to do".

My kids are with their grandparents in Waco for the last few days, but tomorrow they come home and I'm afraid. So afraid. Hold me. Someone save me from the Holiday Break Blues before they strike our house! If they DO appear, I'm armed and ready with help from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Have y'all seen Chipwrecked yet?

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Christmas has come and gone. If you're anything like me, you may have already packed up all the decorations and already looking forward to the start of a well-organized and well-planned New Year.

Yup. I took the last week off from blogging to celebrate with family, but most of all organize my life. That includes cleaning the house, organizing closets, and weeding out stuff I don't need. The New Year symbolizes a fresh start and I've got six products that will have you well on your way to an awesome year in, both, your home and your beauty routine. Have you tried this yet?

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I thought to myself... I haven't really wished everyone online a Merry Christmas. You've probably seen it on my Facebook or on Twitter, but I was trying to concoct the perfect Holiday Wish for you guys to no avail. That's when it hit me...

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Earlier this week, I loaded up the kids on the back of a lighted trailer, grabbed my blanket and scarf, for a night full of Christmas Caroling and giving of fruit baskets to the community. This was all made possible by the wonderful church I'm a member of, but for me? It was more than that.

I can't sing a lick to save my life. Did you ever see the movie My Best Friend's Wedding where Kimmy tries to sing Karaoke? Ummm... yeah. That's me, but worse. I've often been told that if you simply make a joyful noise, you'll delight the Lord and those around you. Whoever said that, obviously, hasn't heard me sing. Nevertheless, I did! I did make a joyful noise and it brought a warmth to my heart in doing so. It also brought smiles to my children and those around us. How do you pay-it-forward during the Holiday Season?

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I don't know about you, but I, often, forget people on my list. I mean, I tend to be a little OCD with a spreadsheet that included everyone by alphabetical order including whether or not we purchase the gift and if it's been wrapped.

This year, however, my daughter keeps throwing curve balls at me, "Mom, what about my friend down the street? What about my BFF at church? What about the little girl who I've never met, but I know she needs a gift that lives down the street? You get the picture. I'm all about teaching my kids about giving, but this is getting out of hand. So, we ventured off to Toys R Us to check out simple, yet fun gifts for girls. I'm talking 8-yr-old girls.

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Last year, I was in awe of how much we could make a difference in my local community just by being a blogger. Thanks to Cepia LLC, through RAZ 2010, we were able to 100 Zhu Zhu Pets to a children's advocacy center called Bridgehaven.

This year I wanted to give TWICE as much. Not knowing I'd be asked to partner with RAZ 2011, I started collecting and asking for donations from companies months ago. Before I knew it, my garage was full of gifts from a variety of partners such as Creativity for Kids, Townley Girl, and, for the second year in a row, Cepia LLC (makers of Zhu Zhu Pets).

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This Holiday Season be on the lookout for a NEW emotionally riveting movie to be in theaters. We Bought a Zoo, with it's amazing ensemble of cast members, sent my heart on a roller coaster of ups and downs as I watched a story about the human spirit and it's ability to build itself back up in the midst of a tragedy.

No. This is not a children's film, although I thought it would be. Was it the movie poster that made me think that? Was it the trailer? Either way, I walked out of the theaters in Los Angeles with a sense of hope in this thing we like to call PARENTING. It gave me the strength to simply believe in myself as a Mother. Sometimes I get it wrong. Sometimes I make mistakes. Sometimes I have no early idea what to say to my child, but all I need is 20 seconds of insane courage to build myself back up. We Bought a Zoo... what else does it entail?

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This week we're counting down the days until Christmas, but we're also celebrating a semester of hard work with my daughter through cheerleading. She has grown so much since beginning just a few shorts months ago and it's a joy to see her maturity at the end-of-the-season.

The Cheer Competition is finally over and she feels like she can breathe again without the grueling weekly schedule. So, I thought I'd help her celebrate with a few of her friends as they cheered the end of the cheer season. One of the Mom's is a professional photographer. So we set up a photoshoot in my home for all the girls to get their picture made. We also enjoyed awesome healthy snacks by WhoNu? Cookies as we talked about our goals for the following year. Little girls are such fun!

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The Holidays can be brilliant and magnificent and amazing and beautiful, but for thousands of families across the country it can also mean stress and worry. I know, as a family of five on a tight budget, those worries can take away from the real reason for the season.

This year, I've teamed up with Leapfrog to bring you easy tips to embrace the Holiday Spirit with your family. We're featured on Leapfrog.com as this week's host and it's been an absolute honor to be a part. So, what do you do to get in the Holiday Spirit?

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