Changing the world with #SocialPower

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Social Power for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Social Power is a new way to harness the power of your social networks to create change in the world. 

It's easy to use, you can create an account using Twitter or Facebook to log in, or you can set it up with an email address, login name and password. Once you've started your account, it's easy to create an issue and make a difference. 

After you create the issue, you share it with your social networks, and Social Power shares it with other users, once 1000 people support your issue, it becomes an Initiative, since every Social Power initiative is potentially resolvable, it gets an Agent of Change working on the issue to find a resolution. 

The issues can be anything you feel passionate about. When I was discussing it with my husband last night, it turned out there were a lot of things that we both feel pretty passionate about. I decided to make my first one not about anything really major, just a personal pet peeve. I love vanilla. It's my favorite flavor, and judging by the continuing popularity of things like vanilla ice cream, I'm not the only one. However, my local convenience store doesn't carry vanilla milk, just chocolate and strawberry. My local supermarket has instant flavoring powders for chocolate, strawberry and banana milk , but not vanilla. Restuarants offer chocolate milk, but again, not vanilla. Vanilla is a natural choice for a lot of people, we really like it! So that was my first "issue".  Vanilla milk should be as easy to find as chocolate milk. You can go support my cause if you agree,comment on it, share it with your social networks, and start your own issue! (if you do that, please link in comments, because I'd love to see it!) Take a look around Social Power for other issues you support!

 

If you're wondering, the glasses used for the photo are 6 ounce glasses. The vanilla milk was made with 1 slighting heaping tsp of super fine sugar, and 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract. The chocolate was made with a powder. 

Watch this video to learn more about how Social Power can work for you. 

 

Moose Mandala to color

MOOSE!
We get them in our neighborhood so often. Generally cows and calves. Alaska is the home of the biggest moose, alces alces giga. My husband has had to call in "moose" to work in the past, because he's not messing with any animal bigger than our car who just wants to hang out in our driveway.

So since moose make me think of Alaska, this is kind of an Alaskan themed mandala. The center represents the North Star, the flowers which are completely not in scale represent our state flower, the forget-me-not (forget-me-nots are tiny in real life. Moose are HUGE), and the sunrise/sunset for our midnight sun in summer when it only gets dark for about an hour then we have a 3 hour long glorious dawn starting about 2 am.

Click on the images below for larger versions to color. Print and color!

Small JPG version:

Large transparent PNG version:

PS- Don't Forget the Cake! Private Selection Upside Down Cakes

This post brought to you by Private Selection. All opinions are 100% mine.

We do most of our grocery shopping at our local Fred Meyer, which is Kroger store and carries Kroger's Private Selection label foods. Forget everything you know about "store brands"- we like Private Selection a lot, great quality, flavors, ingredients and without a premium price. 

Up there? That's a German Chocolate Private Selection Upside Down Cake. You buy it, zap it, and invert it on a cake plate to serve. It's gooey, warm, hot fudge cake with coconut, caramel and pecans on top. So indulgent and so easy that it makes any meal special very quickly. 

Private Selection Upside Down Cakes come in 3 flavors, German Chocolate, Double Chocolate Molten, and Amber Honey Apple Spice. My favorite is the Amber Honey Apple Spice, my daughter likes the Double Chocolate Molten Cake. They taste homemade because they use great ingredients. 

I recommend a light dinner, maybe salads with spinach, and possibly Private Selection deli meats (Brown Sugar Ham is my family's favorite!) then the super indulgent dessert served with ice cream. A coffee ice cream goes well with chocolate, and vanilla goes well with everything! Warm cake and cold ice cream on a nice summer night outside is just a perfect ending for a day. What are your favorite quick easy meals and desserts? 

Use the Private Selection store locator to find the Kroger's store in your area. If you have a rewards card for your local store, you can download a digital coupon to your card for 1.00 off Private Selection Upside Down Cakes, or you can get 2 dollars off by sharing the coupon with friends on Facebook!

Private Selection Upside Down Cakes coupon

 

•Disclaimer: 

Coupon ends 6/2/13. Official Rules. In order to load these coupons to your card, you will need to sign into your Kroger account or set up a Kroger account and enter your card number. Limit one use per digital coupon. Digital offers are not eligible on Manager's Specials, cannot be combined with manufacturer paper coupons on the purchase of a single item, and do not double. Not all items are available in all stores. A limit of 150 coupons can be loaded per household at one time.

Like Private Selection on Facebook for coupons, recipes, and food inspiring photos. Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Facebook and follow them on Pinterestest for great ideas- Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Pinterest

Private Selection Upside Down Cakes are wonderful for family celebrations, unexpected company, or for busy days you want to do something special but don't have the time or energy to really get creative. 

Kroger stores include Baker's, City Market, Dillions, Fry's Gerbes, Pay Less, QFC, JayC, King Soopers, Owen's, Ralphs, Smith's and Fred Meyer. 

It's My Birthday- Retro Owl Tape Giveaway

It's my birthday today! So I'm giving away presents. 5 people can win one roll each of Retro Owl Duck® Brand Duct  Tape. I'll even autograph the rolls. I'm sorry, but because of shipping costs, this is USA only. 

So how do you enter? Leave a comment. It's that simple. Make sure you give me some way to get in touch with you if you're the winner. Email address or Ravelry name will do nicely.

Extra entries? Sure. Leave a comment for each one of these that you do-
Follow me on Pinterest
Like Shala's Beadwork and Printables on FB
Share this giveaway on Twitter, Pinterest or FB (link to this page, leave a comment with the link of the page you shared it on)
This giveaway will start today, May 16, 2013 and end on my husband's birthday- June 12, 2013.
Winners will be drawn randomly by The Amazing Turnip Girl.

Good Luck!!