I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Maytag. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

It’s been a little over a year since we received our Maytag Bravos XL washer and dryer and they are still the hardest working appliances in our home.  Now that life is a whole lot busier with school and work back in session, these machines are helping me be more efficient with my laundry during the week when I don’t have a whole lot of time for household chores.

How can you not love a washer that can wash large loads?  There have been times our dirty towels have really piled up, but thanks to the extra large capacity of the Bravos XL washer, I can throw them all in at once.  The same goes for the dryer.  A job that big would have taken two loads with my older washer and dryer.

Can’t say that I miss those two very much.

I also use the steam cycle an awful lot.  I normally throw in a load of clothes to wash at night and because we’ve been getting to bed earlier.  If it isn’t too late, I go ahead and dry the laundry.  If it’s towels, I don’t worry if they sit there overnight.  However, with our clothing that wrinkles, I would never be able to do this if the dryer didn’t have the steam feature.  All I have to do is fluff them up on that setting and they come out wrinkle free!  This is probably the best thing I love about the dryer, hands down.

My Maytag Bravos XL washer and dryer are helping me out tremendously when it comes to managing our laundry and I can’t rave enough about all of the cool features that help cut my laundry time in half and allow me to be more flexible, especially when it comes to needing to wait just a little while longer to get clothes out of the dryer.

Can you remember feeding your little one solids for the first time? A few days ago, I had the pleasure of feeding my sweet little six month old cousin a few spoonful’s of baby food. Her funny expressions and eager little grunts for “more” if I wasn’t feeding her fast enough for her liking brought back a flood of memories of my own son getting the hang of baby food. The experience, for us, included lots of trial and error, lots of laughs, and lots of laundry! In hindsight, I should have known that my son’s preference for mostly fruits and very little vegetables would be a sign of picky eating to come. However, feeding time is one of the most treasured memories I have of him being a baby.

Happy Family is the first organic brand to offer a complete line of nutrient-rich foods for babies’, toddlers’, and kids’ growing bodies by adding extra nutrition to its products—like Salba, the super chia, probiotics, and Choline for brain health—whenever possible. Happy Family is founded and operated by moms and believes that every baby deserves to be a happy baby. With every product sold, the company supports Project Peanut Butter, a nonprofit that feeds starving children in Malawi, Mali and Sierra Leone.

To learn more about Happy Family, please visit them at the HappyFamilyBrand.com website.  Be sure to like them on Facebook for a $1 off coupon and visit their YouTube page.

For more information, visit http://www.happyfamilybrands.com, https://www.facebook.com/HAPPYFAM/app_198645986849938, or https://twitter.com/HAPPYsuperfoods.

Disclosure: I participated in this post on behalf of Burst Media. I was compensated for my time and commitment, but all opinions are my own.

The traditional depiction of a fisherman is that of a lone man, seeking either the ideal spot of tranquillity in the wild waves of the ocean, or quiet moments in front of a river, lost in the beauty of nature. In an increasingly social age, however, it’s no surprise that even fishing is turning into a collective movement, one capable or bringing people together rather than scattering them across remote parts of the country.

Among the freshest reincarnations of fishing, that of a family activity is perhaps the most inspiring, easily turning into an educational moment of discovery. This is a tendency that is now growing even stronger in the US, thanks to the beauty of many natural available for all families who love to take their fishing rods on the sides of unspoilt rivers and lakes.

To help you make up your mind about the next fishing trip with your loved ones, here are our three favourite spots around the US:

Columbia Park Family Fishing Pond – Washington State

Washington State’s oldest and most memorable fishing area for family, Columbia Park has all it takes to make you and your little ones feel at home, with children below 14 allowed to fish for free. Typical warm-water fish is available here, with pan fish being the most common catch. Signs and dedicated trails are also there to help your kids learn more about the art of fishing and the different aquatic species.

Teton Valley Lodge, Driggs – Idaho

With seven all-inclusive fishing packages available, your family will be guided from beginning to end at this unique and unspoilt corner of Idaho. With mountains all around, twenty-five fishable areas (wild trout is all the excitement here!) and wooden lodges to enjoy some well-earned rest at the end of your long fishing day, few places in the country can claim to be more idyllic than Teton Valley for your family’s getaway in nature.

Oceanana Resort – Atlantic Beach

Fishing doesn’t necessarily have to be a thing for mountain lovers: it can be amazing in the East Coast as much as it is in the Rocky mountains, and it can turn into something with a soul of its own thanks to the stunning marine environments. If you want to discover what it means to fish at a great spont on the East Coast, take your family over to Atlantic Beach, where Oceanana resort’s 1,000-feet pier is a family favourite. Summer life can be very easy for a fishing family here: tackle, bait and accessories are easily available at the Pier’s fishing shop.

This post was brought to you by Lorna Smith, a freelance writer who enjoys outdoor activities and fishing.