Sponsored Posts and Guest Posts on The Kerrie Show

If you are a company or a website, The Kerrie Show would love to work with you on post and link placement! (I don't have time for product reviews currently, but try me in the summertime!)

My fee for sponsored posting as of 2021 is $12. You write a high-quality post, and I provide permanent links, social media blasts, and even a graphic if you like! 

This is for indefinite placement. I only ask that the post be proofread before you send it to me and that it fits into one of the categories on my blog, which can be found down the right-hand side of the screen.

I don't have a word limit on sponsored posts.

I generally post within 24 hours of receiving a post and expect to be paid within 24 hours of placement via PayPal. 

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to contact the site owner, Kerrie McLoughlin, at mommykerrie@yahoo.com. You can also find my bio here.

Site Owner: Kerrie McLoughlin 
Email: mommykerrie@yahoo.com
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I also have other sites you might be interested in. These include:

Homeschooling Mommybot chronicles our homeschooling life and gives lots of great tips on education and products and websites. There is a book in progress to accompany this site.

The Published Parent is a site dedicated to parents trying to make money from home, with a focus on writing for family and parenting magazines. Topics also include proofreading from home, working from home while caring for children, and more. The book to accompany this site can be found here.

Kerrie the Kitchen Queen shares successes and failures in the kitchen on my journey to feed my family healthy food on a budget while also achieving moderation. Lots of recipes! There are two books to accompany this site. The Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook can be found on Amazon in ebook and print format and The Ultimate Busy Parents on the go Cookbook is currently in progress.

The Lazy Parent's Guide to Life is all about how to keep your sanity and have fun while raising great kids. You don't need to be perfect! Tips range from doing laundry the easy way to cleaning your microwave in seconds all the way to letting your kids play at the restaurant play area BEFORE they eat their meal. Stop stressing and trying to do things like everyone else and have more fun while being the kind of parent God wants you to be! There is a book in progress to accompany this site.

The Do’s & Don’ts for Good Day Care

After a long break from work to have your first child, you have successfully made it through the first 2 years, and with preschool on the horizon, your thoughts can turn to your career. Once you have managed to source a good day care centre, your child will take another step towards eventual independence, and as a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child is in a positive environment for the few hours a day that they are not in your care. The decision concerning which day care centre to send your child is not one that should be taken lightly, and once you have found the right venue, here are  some do’s and don’ts to ensure a smooth transition.

►   Do Your Homework – Bearing in mind, this could be a positive or negative experience for your child, it makes perfect sense to do some research on the care centre prior to making your decision. You should visit the day care centre and while there, take note of the general environment, which should be clean and orderly. Notice the children and whether or not they seem content, and observe how the carers interact with the kids, as this will give you a good idea of the general ambience.

►   Don’t Leave Too Late – One needs adequate time to visit potential care facilities, and if there are a few near your home, it makes sense to carry out the necessary research to ensure the right choice. One month prior to your return to work, you should already be looking, and with no pressure on you time wise, you can take your time when choosing. You might, for example, be looking for day care in Brisbane, and with a simple Google search, all day care centres will be accessible, and after some browsing, you can make a list of questions to ask when visiting.

►   Do Talk to Other Parents – The best way to evaluate a day care centre is to talk to the parents whose children attend, and this will give you a parent’s perspective. Ask questions about regular contact and whether or not the children seem happy in this environment, and after chatting with a cross section, you will be better informed and able to make the right decision. If you think you need some assistance with helping your child to prepare for preschool, here is a useful guide that will ensure a smooth transition from home to school.

►   Don’t Overstay Your Welcome – It might be the first time you have left your child in the care of someone else, but you must resist the temptation of hanging around when you arrive in the morning. It isn’t good for you or the child if you try to blend into the background, as the child will be focusing on you, rather than on the new environment. There might even be a temper tantrum at the very outset, but you need to be firm and reassuring at the same time, and once you are out of sight, things quickly become calm.

When you arrive in the afternoon, take the time to discuss your child with the care provider, as this will help you both to focus on the child’s development, and by working together, you can resolve any behavioral issues.

Making Sure Your Family Home Is Safe And Secure For The Kids

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The last thing any parent wants is for their child to become injured or scared at home. However, that is something that happens all the time as adults forget to ensure their houses are safe for the little ones. Also, there are thousands of break-ins every single year in the US, and children who witness such events can often become anxious about being in their beds when the lights go out. With all that in mind, you just need to make some improvements to your home to ensure you never have to worry about your kids going through a traumatic experience unnecessarily. The information below should help to point you in the right direction and ensure you don’t overlook anything essential.

Install a home alarm system

The first few tips on this page will focus on making your home as secure as possible. In most instances, homeowners just need to invest in a decent alarm system for their properties. Make sure you get something that uses pressure sensors so the siren will sound if anyone attempts to break in through your windows. You should also aim to get something with motion sensors inside the property. That way, the alarm will wake everyone up if there is movement in the hallways while your family is sleeping. Those who want to go a step further and achieve peace of mind might also look into linking their alarm to the local police station. You can often do that for a small monthly fee.

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Purchase some CCTV cameras

Next up, it’s wise to search online for an affordable CCTV system for your home. Ideally, you need to get something that is going to stand the test of time and remain in working order for at least a couple of years. For that reason, it’s vital that you read some reviews from people who’ve published the package in the past before parting with your hard earned wages. In most instances, you can install the CCTV system without paying for professional assistance. Just make sure it covers are much of the exterior of your house as possible. That way, if any criminals break in while you’re out enjoying life with the kids; you should have some evidence to show the police that could help them to gain a conviction.

Buy locks and screens for your windows and doors

You might also think about making it more difficult for someone to gain access to your property via the front door. It’s possible to do that by adding an extra lock at the top or bottom that required a different key to the one you usually use. You could also get some security screens that make it more challenging for a criminal to see inside your home. In many instances, burglars will come and check out a property before they decide to break in. If those people walk up your driveway and struggle to see anything inside the house, they will probably move onto the next home. That is because those criminals will have no idea about whether or not they will get any valuables from your home.

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Cover any sharp corners

Now we need to start thinking about some of the things all parents can do to prevent their kids from getting injured at home. If you have toddlers in the house, there is a decent chance they seek out dangerous situations every single day. Indeed, you probably save them from immediate peril all the time. So, now is the time to think ahead and use some common sense. If you have sharp corners on tables and other units in your house, it’s essential that you try to cover them up. The last thing you need is for one of the little ones to run into them and hit their head. Thankfully, there are specialist rubber products on the market that make light work of that job. Just search online and solve the problem!

Clean your kitchen sides properly!

Next, you need to get in the habit of cleaning your kitchen thoroughly every time you prepare food. Most adults know not to place bread and other items on the sideboard after dealing with raw meat. However, your children probably don’t have that safety mechanism built-in yet, and so there is a decent chance they will give themselves food poisoning and other bacterial infections. While you could spend weeks making sure your little ones understand the dangers, sometimes it makes sense to take the bull by the horns. If you ensure your kitchen is always clean and free from dangerous germs; your kids won’t have the opportunity to make themselves ill.

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Install stair gates

Lastly, those with small kids will soon discover that stair gates are some of the best inventions in the world. While you can use them to get some peace and quiet, the products are perfect for stopping the little ones from entering dangerous areas or falling down the stairs. As a parent, you won’t want to take your loved ones to the hospital with broken legs or anything similar, and you can prevent that without breaking the bank with decent stair gate products. When the kids mature, you could even recycle the items and use them to keep your family dogs away from the dinner table when everyone sits down to eat. Just be aware that some canines and children see stair gates as a challenge. So, you still need to keep your eyes on them because your little ones will attempt to climb.

If you take all the advice from this article and put it into action right now; your family home should become a safe and secure sanctuary for your entire family. Thinking ahead is vital if you want to avoid disasters and ensure everyone lives a long and happy life. Best of all? You can implement all the suggestions from this page for less than $500 in most instances, So, there is no need to break the bank or spend a fortune when it comes to ensuring your kids have the happiest time possible while they’re young.

Banana Bread Recipe Made With Peach or Strawberry Applesauce

*Originally posted May 1, 2015

Let's ring in May with a recipe I'm making this morning. I hope to make a few batches so my husband, the kids and his brother and his kids can take some on their fishing trip this weekend. I'll make a regular batch, one with chocolate chips and maybe try one with Chia seeds. This is a terrific recipe to bake with the kids!

 

Banana Bread

½ cup applesauce (consider using strawberry or peach applesauce!)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 t. baking soda

¼ t. salt

1 cup flour (white, wheat or ½ wheat, ½ white)

Optional: ¼ cup wheat germ or 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

3 ripe bananas

Mix applesauce and sugar, add eggs and vanilla and stir. Add baking soda, salt, flours and wheat germ and mix. Add bananas, mashing them up in the mixture so they are chunky still. Pour into greased bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. I like to use my Pampered Chef bread pan that makes 4 small loaves so they cook faster and are easier to share J Stand back because the kids will devour this one.

Head over to Kerrie the Kitchen Queen for lots more recipes! And check out The Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook!

5 Things You Can Do To Increase The Worth of Your House

It is not really easy to sell a house. In fact, it usually takes a house a few months before it is sold, and in some cases it may take years before you find a good buyer.

In most cases, the delay is due to buyers not willing to match the asking price. In such circumstances, the best option is to increase your house’s worth so that buyers can find it worth the asking price.

However, not everyone knows how to achieve such results. Without further delay, let’s look at five ways to give your house’s value a boost.

Create More Space

One of the first things buyers notice is the space. You should make sure to get rid of the clutter so that the house looks bigger.

Furniture and other items can make a house look smaller than it actually is. This can affect a buyer’s perspective and cause them to bid lower.

Light Up Your House

Install windows and skylights, fix broken panes and place sun tubes. All this can make a lot of difference.

A well-lit home does not only look bigger, but it looks cleaner as well. Plus, doing so does not even need a lot of investment so it is a good option for all homeowners. Other than this, invite buyers during the day if you can, as natural light can also do wonders.

Clean and Paint

A new paint job can save the day. You can get a room painted for as low as $400, but very high-quality paint may cost you double, up to $900.

However, it is an investment you should not shy away from making because ROI on this can be as high as 15%. You don’t even have to worry a lot about the paint. You can pick any decent color (beige and light gray seem to be popular these days) since you are going to just put the house up for sale.

But, make sure to get the exterior painted as well, since the first impression is the last impression.

Update or Renovate the Kitchen

The kitchen is the busiest place of the house, and as a result all the buyers will pay special attention to it. In fact, reports indicate that a large part of our day is spent in the kitchen, not just cooking but eating as well.

If your house possesses a nice, commodious and attractive kitchen, then it can help increase the worth of your house. On the other hand, if you have an ugly kitchen, that can damage the overall image and value of your home.

Pay Attention to the Bathroom

Local home buyers want a house that has a big and clean bathroom. You need to pay special attention to this factor and make sure to keep your bathroom in good condition before you put it up for sale.

Follow these tips and you will easily be able to sell your house. However, there are many as-is buyers as well, so do some research first.