Random Questions

Scott's cousin posted these on her blog Optimistic Army Wife and I thought it'd be fun to answer:

Q: What is your least favorite chore? Why?
A: Probably doing the dishes because our dishwasher is broken so I have to wash them by hand.... it does give me and opportunity to catch up on tv shows on the internet though so it isn't too terrible


Q: If you were to get a tattoo (hypothetically ladies) what would you get?
A: I really don't know.... probably stars or something on the inside of my wrist. Never really thought about it because I've never wanted a tattoo.


Q: Everyone asks about your favorite ___ memory... I want to hear about your worst vacation memory. Someone got sick, someone was an idiot - go! =)
A: I think all of my vacations have been awesome but on my honeymoon we decided to go to Aspen, CO as a stop because we didn't have a ton of money and it reminded us of dumb and dumber, one of our fav movies. So we get there only to find our hotel has valet only... we didn't have the money for that. So we had to park down the street a ways and weren't sure if it was a legal parking area. We were so afraid our car was going to get towed. We didn't do a lot of research before we came so we didn't know where anything was and only wanted to stay in walking distance of our hotel. We walked everywhere and couldn't find anywhere to eat besides really fancy restaurants and we couldn't afford them. This also happened to be my husband's birthday. So we found a little convenience store and found some cafeteria type food like mini pizza bites, popcorn chicken and just junk like that. So that was our dinner. We probably won't ever go back... it was beautiful, but Aspen in May is like a ghost town! There was nobody around! Plus our room was small and had like fur on the bed and a red light in the elevator... we just felt kinda outta place.... made for great memories though. We still laugh about it today... how many hotel rooms, instead of food in the room have edible chocolate, massage oils and kama sutra cards? Yeah.... it was weird. Here's a link to the hotels site... it was nice... just not our "scene." http://www.theskyhotel.com/index.html


Q: What is your favorite Disney movie?
A: This is so hard to answer.... I love all the Disney princesses and the Disney Pixars but I think its a tie between Meet the Robinson's and Emperor's New Groove.


Q: What does your dream house look like?
A: I love a big one story wide open tropical type home. Big glass windows, sheer curtains, high ceilings. Hammocks and wicker furniture. Just a very tropical feel about it. I love to just have big open rooms and this relaxed feeling to it... I know I won't ever own a home like that so it doesn't stop me from giving my own home its own tropical feel even though we have 4 seasons. Here's a link to a home that would be sweet: http://www.homehousedesign.com/dream-homes-tropical-house-design-in-maui-by-pete-bossley-architects/dream-homes-tropical-house-photos/


Q: Flashback moment: Were you a Backstreet Boys fan or an NSYNC fan? =) 
A: NSYNC..... I loved Lance. I have a Lance barbie doll still.. in my basement somewhere.... and a Lance bracelet and pictures... he was my fav....now he's gay... go figure. I still have all my cds :)


Q: What is your favorite board game"
A: Life! hands down.... I have a computer version since we don't own the board game... plus Scott doesn't like to play them very much


Q: If you could relive just one day in your life, what would it be?
A: Wow, this is a tough one because I think that everything in my life has gotten me to where I am which is exactly what I want.... so maybe if there was any day I would relive it would be the very first time I saw Scott. I would have made more of an effort right there and then to get to know him instead of having to wait almost a month to really get to know him!

Sanuk Giveaway

Another Sanuk giveaway.... I would love a pair of these and I'm thinking about investing in some if I can save up... we'll see... but in the meantime I would love to win some! There is another giveaway going on here: http://onefrugallady.blogspot.com/2010/09/sanuk-review-giveaway.html
And in case you wanna check out Sanuk's site the link is here: http://sanuk.com/
And I still really want these ones....

Macaroon crust pie

So this recipe was kind of a combo of other recipes I found. I was just looking for something to make and came up with my own thing. I of course don't have a pic because I forgot to take one so use your imagination :)
I started out with a round cake pan... don't know the size... its 8 or 9 in... hand me down from my mom.

I took 2 cups crushed macaroons (probably about 10 cookies from the great value brand pack) and mixed it with 1/4 c butter. Press that into the pan. (if you own a pie plate or tin... probably work better but closest thing I own is a round cake pan). Put in freezer for 15 min.

Then take 8 oz of softened cream cheese and mix it with a 3.4 oz vanilla instant pudding package and 1 c. milk. Beat until its smooth. Then whisk in 1 c cool whip. Once crust is set put in crust and put in fridge.

While that's in the fridge take 3 semi sweet bakers squares and melt with 1 1/2 c. cool whip in the microwave (1-2 min... checking after each minute) Allow to cool completely. Once cool spread over pudding mix and let set in the fridge 2-4 hrs.

The filling and topping are supposed to be for a pb cup pie so you should add in 1/4 c pb with the cream cheese but I wasn't sure how pb with a macaroon crust would do so I took the safe route and stuck with vanilla. Surprisingly it came out pretty good. It's cool and refreshing... probably better for summer but I love cream cheese so I can eat it whenever and I love the coconut flavor of the macaroons.... yum yum!

Birthday Bash!

Get Ready to Party! Rachel from Second Time Around and Natalie from The Adventures of Paul & Natalie are celebrating their Birthdays in October. So from October 3rd to October 29th, you can enter to win lots of great prizes! Go check out either of their blogs now to get extra entries into the giveaway!

Pumpkin's Boutique review

So I won a giveaway not too long ago from Pumpkin's Boutique. I was so excited I won this because its handmade and original. Who doesn't love things like that.... I should learn how to sew is what I should do. But I got a $35 gift certificate. Here's some pics of what I won:

I love the personalized clothing labels and even the cute little thank you sticker holding the tissue paper together. She gives you a refrigerator magnet and business card plus the personalized card she wrote out. How thoughtful is that? I ordered a peasant dress and some korkers. She will coordinate with you what type of material to use for the clothing. I got a 2T dress so I wanted something springy for next year. She had this cute daisy material and some that was just white with pink polka dots. I just love the dress and think its so cute and can't wait for Charlotte to fit into it. I know that its cheaper to make your own but if you can afford it... she makes really cute dresses. So I hope you'll check it out and refer her around... Jenica is great to work with and is so talented!

Hoover Wind Tunnel giveaway

So yes.... another vacuum giveaway.... think I'm desperate much? Yes, yes I am. Here is the link if you're interested: http://happilydomestic.blogspot.com/2010/09/joys-of-homemaking-hoover-windtunnel-t.html
I am lazy again and still not posting pics so you can look on her site to see what you could win. It would be so sweet to have... I'm a little partial to Hoovers since I absolutely loved my last vacuum and was very sad when it died. It really worked so well. I miss it ::sniffsniff::

Nordic ware bake ware giveaway

I love to bake as I have mentioned many times. I thought I'd like to enter this giveaway because I could never have enough pans to bake with... especially nice ones. Mine are always so cheap but work decent enough. So this site is doing a nordic ware bake ware giveaway which you can link to here: http://menonewmom.blogspot.com/2010/09/nordic-ware-bakeware-giveaway-with.html
I would post pics but I think its easier to see them on her site so you can go there to see what you can win!

Oreck Giveaway

So if you're not already aware my vacuum died a couple months ago. We have been using one of my parents old ones in the meantime. So I have entered this giveaway hoping to win it so I don't have to buy one.... I've been procrastinating :) So anyway, if you'd like to check it out the link is here: http://www.minnesotamamasmusthaves.com/2010/06/b2b-oreck-edge-vacuum-cleaner-review.html
Also, here is a pic below:

Biggest Loser Wii Fitness Kit

So technically I don't have a wii but my parents do and I hope to get one.... someday.....But I really want the biggest loser game. I think it'd motivate me a little more. So I'm entering this giveaway here: http://www.jleighdesignz.com/2010/09/biggest-loser-nintendo-wii-fitness-kit.html
You can find more info about it there. You can also see a little pic below of the kit... pretty sweet giveaway... I'd love to have that!

Pop Art Toaster Giveaway

So I had no idea that there were products like this out there. A toaster that makes a design on your toast while it cooks. This site Pop Art Toaster, has some really neat products. On J. Leigh Designz they are giving away this really cool 5 in 1 standard tasty baker. This looks like it'd be so fun to have with Charlotte. So anyway, I've entered this giveaway, you should check it out.... pretty cool stuff. Here's a pic:

Diamond Earrings!

How would you like some diamond earrings? Okay so maybe they're not totally real. It's totally straight forward. Tell people about their site (I twittered) and you get a pair of princess cut simulated diamonds for $3.77. Not too bad of a deal. I wanted some bigger ones since I like that they kinda match my wedding rings. My stone is a princess cut. If you wanna see another ladies site about them you can check it out here: http://lovestitched.blogspot.com/2010/09/diamond-earrings-review-and-giveaway.html. I've seen this place listed on a few people's blogs over the last couple weeks but can't remember who. So anyway.... if you're interested in this amazing deal you can go here http://www.diamondearrings.org/. I've been wearing mine for like 3 days straight now and just love them and they are way cheaper and better looking than anything you can even find at walmart!

Mamaroo giveaway!

Well I've been debating on entering another giveaway. But I wanna get as many chances as I can at baby stuff so next time around we have a little more and maybe some newer better things. So I have entered this giveaway: Mamaroo giveaway. When we had Charlotte we bought a swing at DI for $8 but were always using batteries since it didn't have the adapter then we found the bouncer for like $3 (I saw the same one at WalMart for $25). It was missing some stuff but basically worked. Charlotte wasn't much a fan of that. So when I was looking at all these giveaways and saw this little beauty I thought... oh man I want that! What a neat product! You can check it out here: 4moms - Mamaroo. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford something like this. I think they said it retails for like $200! That's like groceries for a month! So I'd love to win it. If not, oh well.... I still got the DI stuff in the basement!

Sanuk

Another really cool giveaway. Sanuk makes some really cute shoes. I have wanted Sanuk's for like 5 yrs but I can never bring myself to pay for them. If I'm gonna spend money on shoes they will probably be boots for winter now that I live in UT or no more shoes at all since I really have plenty. But if I win some where I don't have to pay that's not so bad right? Well on Piece of ME they are giving away a pair of Sanuks (right here http://www.makingmyamericandream.com/2010/09/sanuk-fun-functional-footwear-for-all.html) Here's a pic of the ones I want if I win :)

Don't they look nice and fuzzy and warm for the many cold months we have out of the year!

Etsy

I don't know how many people have hear of Etsy but they sell all kinds of stuff. It's a place where people can go and sell handmade things. I just thought I'd share with you some of my favorites. I haven't been able to purchase anything really but its fun to look and wish!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimpleSerendipity - they have some cute jewelry... I'd love some of the mums earrings
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SoSimplySplendid - another jewelry site with some cute stuff.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AuntRenaesGems - I won some turquoise earrings from this site and they are so cute and I love them. She's a really nice lady to work with and told me if I ever see something on her site or have an idea for something a little different I can let her know and she might be able to make some custom stuff. She's just so nice and great to work with. Here's my pic with her earrings:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlewhitechapel - This is a cute site if you know someone getting married looking for some original jewelry. I think its very elegant and simple.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/babyeverafter - Okay these are just so dang cute. Lots of different bags in really cute fabric. I can't afford them but they are just so cute!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sassandsavvyjewelry - More cute jewelry
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TreasuredbyHolly - This has crocheted stuff - headbands, newsboy caps... cute stuff for little girls.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/momiboutique - They make the cutest girls clothes... not in my budget but maybe someday.... they are really really cute.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/barnowlprimitives - I think I posted about this the other day. I saw them on a giveaway I entered. I love their signs
http://www.etsy.com/shop/uhreusable - They have some really cute reusable pouches and lunch bags
http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovestitched - Love love LOVE this site. I won one of their giveaways. I got a headband, earrings and a necklace. They are so cute and so nice to work with. I would love to get more of their jewelry. Here are some pics of what I got. I love to wear them!

I just love all the details that go into the jewelry. And her business cards are so cute too!










Oh and on another note I was checking out Our Best Bites (thanks again to Meg for the tip about this site) for recipes and came across this little beauty: Pizzookies. Okay , soooooo good. I made the homemade hot fudge sauce and the homemade buttermilk syrup which is basically caramel. Although I didn't wanna spend money on buttermilk so I did a handy dandy Betty Crocker substitute of regular milk with some vinegar. 1 tbsp. vinegar for every cup of milk. Comes in handy for buttermilk pancakes and stuff. It was so good though. Plus the little ramekins are just the perfect size so its not too much. But yeah.... that is an amazing recipe. If you don't own ramekins... you can pick some up at WalMart pretty cheap. I use them for so much... dipping sauces, putting spices in while prepping to cook, mini desserts, heating up small portions of things for Charlotte... so many ideas. But yeah, just wanted to share this stuff with whoever reads it.....Seriously check out Our Best Bites... so good!

aden + anais giveaway

This site has some cute baby linens that I could never afford so I thought I'd try to win them. Probably won't be getting pregnant for some time but I know we'll eventually have more so it doesn't hurt to save up! This is the link to the giveaway: aden + anais giveaway. It's for a 3 pack of bamboo swaddles which you can see here: http://adenandanais.com/shop/bamboo.aspx. They are so cute. I'd love to have these:

So check out the site. There are lots of baby giveaways going on this month at http://www.jleighdesignz.com/ so look on her sidebar to see what else she's got. Great opportunity!

Awesome site

So my friend Megan shared this site with me a week or two ago. It's called Our Best Bites. She was telling me about this really good frosting recipe she uses for cupcakes... haven't tried it yet but it looks really yummy. I follow their blog since they have sooooo many neat things on there and I had to share this with you. They have some cool kid ideas and its just stuff I never thought of. So if you click on the link above it'll take you to the post and in the meantime here are some pics of this stuff.....so cool!

I had no clue that tonic water would glow under black lights and the idea with the milk you won't have your kids drink... such a neat idea. It's like mini science experiments. I just saw this and had to share... not sure how many people check this out but hey, its worth a shot!

Barn Owl Primitives giveaway

Alright so I came across this giveaway on a site of a company I won some jewelry from. They were so great to work with and I think this is such a cute giveaway. You can enter here: Barn Own Primitives giveaway and you can check out what you can win here: Barn Owl Primitives. Their signs are just really cute and I love the family rules ones. It would be a nice reminder when you might be having a tough day. I know as Charlotte gets older and as we have more kids its not gonna get easier so hopefully that could give a little visual reminder when things aren't going great. So check it out.... if I win....I think I'd like something like this one:

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I just wanted to share this link with you. It turned out really good. Red Velvet Cupcakes - McCormick recipe

I thought the frosting didn't hold shape so well but it tasted pretty good still. I also filled them differently. I found out how to do that  here: Filling cupcakes. I was then able to take the discarded cupcakes bits and use it as topping! Oh and I also mixed in like 3/4 c of mini chocolate chips to the batter to give it a little extra something. So here's what it all looked like :

 Next time I do these I think I'd try this cream cheese frosting recipe from my Magnolia bakery cookbook:

1 lb (2 8oz pkgs) cream cheese softened slightly cut into small pieces
1/2 (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened slightly, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In med size bowl on med speed beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 min. Add the vanilla. Gradually beat in sugar and then beat until we incorporated. This ends up being enough icing for a 2 or 3 layer cake but whatever extra I have I just keep in the fridge and use it on whatever. Its my favorite I've found and its just really good .

Mexican Lasagna

I was kinda hesitant about this one because I definitely do not think Mexican when I think of lasagna but this was surprisingly yummy and easy to make. Once again I substitute ground turkey for ground beef... I do that all the time. I never buy ground beef anymore. Here ya go:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 (16 oz) can fat free refried beans
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp garlic powder
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 (11 oz) jar salsa
2 cups water
2 c (16 oz) reduced fat sour cream
1 (2.25 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 c. (4 oz) shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions

In a nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the refried beans, oregano, cumin and garlic powder. Heat through.

Place 3 noodles in a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray; cover with half the meat mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles. Combine salsa and water; pour over noodles.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until noodles are tender. Spread with sour cream. Sprinkle with olives, cheese, and onions. (Scott isn't a fan of sour cream so I just put a little on my helping seperately)

Mexican-Style Stuffed Peppers

Scott and I love Mexican food and tried this recipe out the other night. Really yummy and filling. One night Scott was really hungry so I made him a quesadilla on a whole wheat tortilla to go with it but I'm good with the stuffed pepper itself. Charlotte also loves the mix inside. Its also from my everyday light meals cookbook. So here it is if you wanna give it a shot:

6 medium green or sweet red peppers
1 lb. lean ground beef (I use ground turkey)
1/3 c chopped onion
1/3 c chopped celery
3 c cooked rice (1 c dry rice cooked in 2 c water will come out to 3 c rice)
1 1/4 c salsa, divided
1 tbsp chopped green chilies
2 tsp chili  powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c (4 oz) shredded reduced-fat mexican blend cheese

Cut off tops of peppers and discard; remove seeds. In a dutch oven or large kettle, cook peppers in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, cook the beef (or turkey), onion, and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the rice, 1 c salsa, chilies, chili powder and salt. Spoon into peppers.

Place in a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Add 1/4 c water to dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and top with remaining salsa. bake 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Convertible Sleigh crib and Mattress giveaway

I've been so excited for the Bump 2 Baby event to begin. A great opportunity to win some stuff for Charlotte now and our next kid in the future. This is one item I'm really excited about. We have a crib for Charlotte but it was used and it never came with instructions so we had to guess how to put it together. It's technically a recalled crib because it has the drop side but its all we have and it works. The mattress is also used and it doesn't seem very comfy but Charlotte sleeps on it so it works too. But how nice would it be to have something new for her! I kinda feel bad because normally the first kid gets all the new stuff... not quite so with Charlotte. Pretty much everything from her furniture to toys and some shoes and clothes is used. We did get new car seats and strollers and a good part of her clothes but I just hope I can make it all last through how ever many kids we end up with. So anyway, the giveaway you can find here: http://www.jleighdesignz.com/2010/09/b2b-davinci-kalani-ii-4-in-1.html and you can find TONS of stuff for not just your baby but everything in your house here: http://www.hayneedle.com/. They have a huge selection of everything. So I hope you'll check it out. I'm sure it'll be hard to win since this has got to be a popular item but I have to give it a shot... you never know!

Fantasy Jewelry Box giveaway

I know these seem repetitive since they tend to be the same giveaway on a different site but I like what they have to offer and darn it, I'm gonna try my best to win it! Here's the link to the giveaway:http://frompdxwithlove.com/1813/giveaways/fantasy-jewelry-box-reviewgiveaway/2010/
and you can go to fantasy jewelry box to see all they have to offer! http://www.fantasyjewelrybox.com/. They have a huge selection of stuff. I could get a new ring... maybe something like this:

Or maybe a fun bracelet like this... hmmm... so many decisions!

Another Karmin Flat Iron Giveaway

Alrighty... I'm still on the hunt for a flat iron and there are like 3 or 4 giveaways going on with a chance to win. I really hope I win one of 'em! This one can be found here: http://mamasmoneysavers.com/2010/08/karmin-g3-salon-pro-flat-iron-giveaway-ends-914.html/ and you can also go and purchase the product here: http://www.hairproductspro.com/. They have lots of salon style products so you should check it out!

Guidecraft Giveaway

So I totally had this typed up before but my computer was having issues and it didn't save it. But after restarting my computer I think I'm good to go. So anyway, this giveaway you can find here:http://www.jleighdesignz.com/2010/08/guidecraft-papagayo-storage-step-up.html and check out guidecrafts site here: http://www.guidecraft.com/
They are giving away a storage step up. If I win, I'm thinking I want this one:

They have lots of really neat kids stuff and I'm definitely bookmarking this site for future use. Way cute stuff!