My rolled fabric flowers

So I showed you in my other post a craft I started. Well I have made some more and I'm working on Christmas presents now. I just got some amazing news that my nieces and nephew I haven't seen since August will be coming for Christmas. I still have pretty negative feelings toward my ex sister in law especially since she was going to take them to her parent's for Christmas. We didn't see the kids on Thanksgiving and they were going to go to her parent's who she used to be lucky to see once a year because her parents never wanted to nor made an effort to see them in years past. So I was confused why she'd be going there anyway. But for whatever reason something changed and my brother told my parent's that they'll be coming up this year. So him and my dad will meet his ex in Mesquite on Christmas Eve to bring them up. I hope the weather is going to be okay because that will be one long day of traveling. I'm just so glad I get to see the kids. So now I'm trying to come up with Christmas presents for them. I wanted to make my sister some hair stuff with the rolled flowers so I'm gonna make more for my two nieces. So anyway, I thought I'd post some pics of what I've made so far to show you my super easy Christmas presents. I still need to acquire some alligator clips to make hair clips but I found some headbands at the dollar store to use. So anyway... here's some pics:

 This is the one for my niece Cami. I'll probably make her at least 3 or 4 headbands and some clips.

This one is for my sister. I'm pretty sure she has a shirt this color so I went with it. I hope she likes it!

Rolled fabric flowers

So ever since I won my little lovestitched gift I have wanted more! But I can't afford to buy a bunch of stuff. So I decided I wanted to figure out how to make the rolled fabric flowers. So after a little search on the internet I discovered on of our local channels just happened to do it on their show studio 5. I never watch tv but have seen quite a bit of studio 5 since my boss used to be on there quite a bit. They do have some neat stuff on there. So anyway... if you'd like to learn just go here. These are my first ones. I just found some cheap stuff at walmart in their scraps and thought I'd start with that while I get the hang of it. I wanna make headbands and hair clips and then some jewelry. Hope you guys will check it out. Maybe some of you know how to already but if not, there ya go! Save some money for some cute girly things. It could also make cute gifts for people too!

Holy moly its been a while!

Yeah... Its been a long time since I posted on here. I've just been so busy. I've been helping coach our young women for volleyball and we made it to region! Yahoo! I had been working on shirts for them. Me and the lady I coach with wanted to get them nice shirts and we bought them these really cute neon colored knee socks. They're all different and mixed and matched. Then we bought lime green shirts and iron on numbers and then I printed our ward name off onto iron ons and put that on the back of the shirt. They look so cute and really set our girls apart. It took some time but its totally worth it. We have an amazing group of girls.

When I haven't been doing that or cleaning and doing stuff around the house I cook. I love to cook and try new things... I'm also trying to lose weight so I try not to make too many desserts or sweet things but have done a few things recently that are pretty good. I know I've mentioned that website http://www.ourbestbites.com/. My friend Megan told me about it and I've been hooked. They have great ideas and their recipes are tried and true. The steps are so easy to follow and they tell you if you can or can't substitute things and its just a great website. Well I had used their chocolate frosting recipe for cupcakes I promised my Sunday School class on Halloween. We celebrated everyone who had a bday that year and was gonna have one so my kids got to munch on those while we learned about Isaiah. It was sooooo good. I rarely make cupcakes but when I go again, I'm so using that recipe.

Another one I've tried is easy pumpkin crumble. I made it once to take to my parents. Scott loves pumpkin stuff. The next day Scott and I had gone to the store to get medicine because we were all sick and also picked up dinner. The half hour we were gone our dog ate the other half of the pan. Stupid dog. I made another one yesterday when we went down there. It's really yummy and their sweetened whipped cream recipe they have a link to in that recipe is really good with it. Super easy to remember too. For every 1 c whipping cream you add 1/3 c. powdered sugar.

I also made their classic banana bread recipe but added some chocolate chips. I had some really REALLY ripe bananas I needed to use. I hate to throw them out and was pretty sure I could use 'em still for banana bread. It turned out really good. I've made plenty of batches of banana bread and have never stuck with one recipe. It just never seemed right. I think I'm sticking with this one.

I also ran into a problem with some really good gala apples I had. I kinda lost track of how long I had 'em. We had had some pears and oranges at the time too and those were eaten up first and I noticed my apples weren't as crisp. Soooooo.... I made apple struesel bars. Those were quite yummy. I'm a big fan of almond extract. I love using it in french toast and glazes and pretty much anything. I think it brings back memories of baking as a kid with my mom. So yeah... this was a big hit for me.

Well I just wanted to post a little something. I really have no idea who reads this. I only have 2 followers and if those are the only 2 then I hope you guys try these... if you like that stuff..... because they are YUMMY! Hopefully I won't slack too much more. Later I'm going to try to post some pics of these things I made to make our home a little more festive for Thanksgiving. We hardly have any decorations for anything. I bought some more for Christmas last year the day after Christmas when they were on sale. I know we've only been married 4 1/2 yrs so we are still working on collecting junk :) I just like to have a little something festive.

It's been so long!

It's been a while since I last posted on here! I haven't been doing my giveaways as much. Just been busy with Charlotte and lots of stuff going on. I've been fall cleaning in my house. I borrowed my parents shark steamer and cleaned so much of my house! I just know we'll be stuck inside more and I want it clean and disinfected to keep us all healthy these next 5 or 6 cold months. Plus Scott and I have decided we're not gonna paint. Just too difficult with the dog and Charlotte. So we've reconfigured our office/extra bedroom, living room and some stuff in our kitchen. It makes all 3 rooms much more open and a lot less cluttered. I just tried to organize a bit better since we have been here 2 1/2 yrs. So things look good and when Charlotte lets me keep it clean it looks pretty dang nice. We've also hung a bunch of pics. Our marriage certificate is finally on the wall. Our temple pics are hanging. The wood signs I have are hanging up too. I also purchased some more temple pics including the first presidency and quorum of the twelve. Our house looks so much better.

I've also become officially addicted to ebay. I got my new 160gb ipod  for cheaper. It was all factory sealed. So sweet. I've also won a skirt, bought some scentsy samples for really cheap, won a cheap 6 c. food processor I have yet to receive and try, won Scott a pair of shoes for just over $10 and some stove burner covers. It's my new friend. All these years its been around and just now I'm discovering it. I also am in love with the dollar store. Got all my halloween decorations there. I got some hanging skeleton things to hang from the gutter by our walkway and some orange paper lanterns. Scott's cousin also posted about how she uses glow sticks instead of candles for pumpkins. The dollar store sells those so I bought a bunch for our pumpkins and for the jars I made. I'm gonna place them on our walkway. If I had a blacklight I could do some cool stuff. I should check with my parents.

I'm just amazed what I've been able to find between the dollar store and ebay to help improve our home. I love it. If you haven't tried either of those for ideas.... seriously.... check 'em out. I have loads of time tonight to surf ebay since Scott is gone on a campout and Charlotte's been down since about 8:30 so it's me and dog in my bed and he better not hog it all! But yeah....I'll be on ebay seeing what other amazing deals I can find! I love my new skirts! I should post them sometime.

Texas Ranch Style Stew

This is another recipe from my Everyday Light Meals cookbook. It's yummy, its easy, and I like that its flexible. I think you could add additional veggies or any beans to fit your taste. So here we go:

1 c small shell pasta (I use whole wheat medium... its all I can find in whole wheat in Winco's bulk section)
1 lb. lean ground beef ( Like I've said many times I prefer ground turkey)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (I don't have time to be mincing up garlic so I use the pre-packed stuff)
3 cans (5 1/2 oz each) reduced sodium V8 juice
1 can (15 oz) ranch style beans or baked beans, undrained (I use kidney beans instead. I think they are heartier plus when we were on WIC I stocked up on a lot of those and chick peas so yeah... I use what I have already)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) southwestern diced tomatoes, undrained (you can buy the name brands that way or look for the cheap store brand that is diced tomatoes with green chilis... way cheaper)
1/2 c frozen corn, thawed (I love corn. I'll add a cup or more)
1 tbsp chili powder (I thought this might be much for Charlotte but it doesn't make it too spicy and she still eats it up)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta. Stir into the stew. Then serve it up!
Sometimes we like to add a little grated sharp cheddar on top. Or we'll do leftovers with some tortilla chips with melted cheese. I love this recipe because you can really do a lot with it. You can add extra veggies or maybe add a little cumin to it. So many options. Hope you guys enjoy!

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!

Karmin flat iron giveaway

I hope I don't appear to be too desperate but maybe I am....I really want a new flat iron in case you haven't noticed. So yet another giveaway. You can enter the giveaway here: http://www.makingmyamericandream.com/2010/08/karmin-g3-salon-pro-hair-styling-iron.html
I really hope I win won... it'd be so nice... if not I'll just need to practice a little patience I guess until I can get a nice salon style one.

Big giveaways coming!

Wow so if you aren't into giveaways yet... you should start Sept 1st! This is gonna be big! You can see the full preview here: Bump 2 Baby. Basically, if you want to be pregnant, know someone that's pregnant or has little ones, have a little one yourself or are in any way associated with people that want to eventually be pregnant or are or whatever..... you want to tune into this. It's gonna be huge! Amazing giveaways are planned. Lots of baby gear and stuff. I pretty much would love anything that they are offering. If I don't use it I'm sure I'll find someone who could. This is just an amazing opportunity and by blogging about it now I can gain some extra entries before the big even begins. So here's some pics of what can be won.... seriously... great opportunity.

A new crib set

A couple different strollers

A convertible crib!

A new car seat!

And this little beauty. This is what I needed for Charlotte. Having to hold a baby on your lap and feed them rice cereal for the first time is terrible! We had nothing to put her in. She hated her bouncer and didn't want to sit in the swing but I think she would've liked a chair like that... maybe I'll win this and have it for next time around!






So as you can see some pretty sweet stuff! I'm so excited for this... I hope I can get something good... a new crib would be nice too. Having hand me downs isn't bad but it'd be nice to have some new stuff!

Dryel at home dry cleaning kit

Okay so I'm not sure who is reading these but if you know me you know me and my family go to church and that means Scott wears suits.... suits that are dry clean only. Yeah, and we can't afford to clean them all the time and luckily he only wears them once a week for 3 hrs and sometimes more if he has a meeting. So its ok because if they get dirty its either from the dog at home or Charlotte at church. I think it'd be sweet to win this giveaway to try a new product. It could save us money in the long run and I can clean a couple coats I've had sitting around and haven't worn in years since they need to be dry cleaned. So if you'd like to check this giveaway out you can here: dryel giveaway. If you would just rather buy it you can go to walmart and buy it then they have a link to a mail in rebate to get it free so if you can put the money out now you can get it back! If I had the money now I'd do it but oh well. Hope you go and check it out!

New music

So I saw this really cool thing Scott's cousin, Liz, had on her blog that doesn't just play music but music videos. I love to listen to music so I created a new playlist for this blog and edited my other. So here's some of my fav stuff and I'm sure I'll be changing and updating stuff but this is what I like so I hope you enjoy!

My favorite things to clean with

So I'm kind of a neat freak. I have now developed a cleaning schedule for the week so I don't spend an entire day cleaning. Thursday is my day to clean our bathrooms. I have tried and tested a few products on our toilets and showers. When we first moved in our house was fixed up after being a rental. From the looks of the unfinished basement and some other things, it must have taken quite the beating and probably wasn't cleaned very well. We have hard water as it is and you could still see hard water stains. So I tried any and everything to help get rid of them. I've come down to my favorites. When I buy these I seriously get excited  to use them and see how well they work How sad am I... I get excited to clean. So here is my list. If you haven't tried them, you should. They are awesome and I love the way my bathroom looks after using them. First for sinks and tubs I use:

Kaboom foam-tastic. It sprays on blue then turns white when its ready. Its my new favorite....just barely pulled the lead from the arm and hammer oxy clean spray.

This is a good one too, to remove hard water and stuff. I loved it too but kinda like the foam spray better

This is my new favorite for toilets. I saw a commercial and got some at Costco. Its amazing. And it smells really good too. It smells like wintergreen mints. And it works so good. Highly recommend it.






I just had to share some of these with you since I'm so into a clean house. I've noticed a different spirit about our home when I keep it cleaner everyday. I feel like I'm in a better mood with our home being cleaner. I now sweep and mop 3 times a week, vacuum twice and dust twice. If you don't already I totally recommend splitting things up like that. It's easier to clean in between and things stay cleaner longer. So hope you enjoy my little review. Kinda sad I'm so passionate about cleaning but hey.... I like to clean.... its kinda my therapy... what can I say?

Chicken Marsala and Cranberry Spinach Salad recipe

Alright, my first recipe post! Well I made this last night and it was so amazing! My mother in-law gave me this cookbook called Everyday Light Meals from Taste of Home. She knows I try to cook healthier foods and we try to eat good so I was so excited to get this book. I seriously have cooked out of only this since I got it last Mother's day... minus a homemade pizza or calzone recipe I'd make. So I love this book and every recipe I've tried I have loved. This one was probably one of my favorites though. I forgot to take pics of what mine looked like so I used the pic in the book.... I just thought mine looked better though :)

So anyway, if you wanna try it out, its not too difficult to make. Scott and I aren't mushroom fans either but the way these ones cook up is so good. We loved the mushrooms. Didn't bug us at all. The salad is good too but if you don't plan on eating it all if you have a smaller family then toss some salad with some dressing in a seperate bowl so it doesn't all wilt overnight or just make a 1/2 recipe. Anyway, here's the recipes below! Oh and remember your chicken needs to marinate for 8 hrs at least or overnight. Your chicken will be so flavorful if you let it sit overnight and while this cooks you can whip up the salad pretty quick and have it done just in time for the chicken to come out of the oven!

Chicken Marsala
6 (4 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup fat free Italian salad dressing
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp butter
1/2 c reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 c marsala wine or 3 tbsp apple juice plus 5 tbsp additional broth ( I used the broth of course)
1 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c minced fresh parsley

Flatten chicken to 1/2 in thickness. Place in a large resealable plastic bag; add salad dressing. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hrs or overnight.
Drain and discard marinade. Combine the flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; sprinkle over both sides of chicken. In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook chicken in 1 tbsp oil and butter for 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.
Gradually add broth and wine or apple juice mixture to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Strain sauce; set aside. In the same skillet, cook mushrooms in remaining oil for 2 minutes; drain. Stir sauce into mushrooms; heat through. Pour over chicken ; sprinkle with parsley. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Cranberry Spinach Salad
8 c fresh baby spinach
1 c dried cranberries
2 medium pears, cored and chopped
1/4 c cider vinegar
5 tbsp sugar
1 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 c olive oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp chopped pecans, toasted

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cranberries and pears. In a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and paprika; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Add the sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with pecans.

So there it is. It makes for a really yummy healthy dinner and even if you don't like mushrooms give it a chance. We were shocked!

Baby legs giveaway!

Ok so how totally cute are these? Little leg warmers and they have the cutest designs and patters.

You can find a link to this giveaway here: http://ladyvdzine.com/2010/08/24/babylegs-review-and-giveaway/
Or if you wanna purchase (they have some on sale for $6!) you can go here: http://www.babylegs.com/Leg-Warmers.aspx

These would be so great since our fall and winter are pretty cool and it'd be nice for Charlotte to have something other than just tights to keep her little skinny legs warm. I love that they have newborn ones too! Next time around I'm so getting some!  It'd be way easier to change diapers and not have to take pants on and off all the time. I just think they're so cute and I hope I win so I can try some out!

Cute as a button giveaway

So I have Charlotte, my sweet little girl, and I love to make her girly. My mom had bought her one tutu already but I thought, hey, why not try to win another one. I technically could make one but a free tutu instead of a cheaper one after I buy materials is much better. They are just starting an etsy site so they're kinda inbetween but you can see some pics straight from the giveaway post here: http://everydaymama22.blogspot.com/2010/08/cute-as-button-product-review-giveaway.html
or you can head over to their facebook site and see some too here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=137336242943829&ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=137336242943829&v=photos&so=0
I think they're so cute and would love to get Charlotte one.

One like this would be way cute for the 4th next year and she could get all patriotic and cute....Charlotte's like my little barbie doll

Got my gloveables!

So I ordered some of these from Flirty Aprons:

Mine don't have the bows sadly but they are still really cute. Since our dishwasher is broken and I have to wash everything by hand, my hands have been so dry and icky. And I have other gloves I wear when I do the bathrooms but I hate the latex smell and they make my hands really sweaty so I wanted something different. Thought I'd give these a shot. They are really comfy and my hands don't get gross like the other ones. Plus I feel better wearing 'em. Makes me feel a little more girly while I scrub food off of pots and pans and plates. Funny thing is, I don't mind doing dishes as much anymore. As long as I can watch something on the laptop it isn't so bad. So yeah, I think everyone needs a pair of gloves like these so we can at least feel a little cute while we're sweating ands scrubbing away. I think I may purchase a couple more in the future. One for cleaning bathrooms and one for when I'm cooking and cutting up stuff. So yeah, here's a link to their site: http://www.flirtyaprons.com/
Check it out. I also like that they have mother daughter stuff too. I think there stuff could make great gifts.... especially for someones bridal shower!

Right on the wall giveaway

Alright so I've been dying to do something with Charlottes bathroom. I've already ordered some vinyl stickers but I know I'm gonna need some more and so I'm trying to win some here: http://www.jessicascoupons.com/2010/08/right-on-walls-review-special-offer.html. I've come across Right on the walls before and wanted to use them but didn't have the money to get what I wanted. So hopefully I can win!
Here are some pics of what I've done with Charlotte's bathroom so far. I basically did this yesterday evening:

I went to home depot and instead of paint I decided to spray paint. This was more of a baby blue and had a few chips in the paint. I wasn't gonna re-do it but then when I saw how cheap spray paint is, I went for it. I actually think it goes better with the shower curtain. This was a pain in the butt to hang and took forever. I had to try to shave metal of the slits on the back so my screws would fit. It was a huge pain and probably took me like 2 hours to finally get it hung right.

My mom had all this stuff from our house in CA. We were gonna use it in the bathroom my sis and I shared but never did so she gave it to me and its been great to have a cute kids bathroom now. These are just some wall hangings she had found and they fit perfect.

Charlotte's bathroom isn't very big so we didn't have a ton of room but its a little bigger than my bathroom in CA so I knew it'd fit here. I decided to go with a light purple to match the sticker I have on the mirror and the shower curtain. I just think its a really pretty color. I love the hanger... its way cute and just the wave cut in general. I used to use a design like that whenever I'd doodle growing up so I always loved it for as long as we've had it.

I got this sticker for $3 from somewhere... can't remember but its way cute and figure when Charlotte gets older and uses the potty, it'll be a good reminder of cleanliness.

So anyway, that's what I've got so far and I hope I win so I can get some more color in here since I opted not to paint. Re-decorating is fun!

Vapur Giveaway

I had posted about this one on my other blog but just had to repost. I think this is such a neat product and I hope to purchase some soon for our family since they are relatively cheap. To enter the giveaway head over to the site here: Vapur Giveaway and if you would rather just purchase the product itself you can find it here: Vapur. Only $9 a bottle.... not bad... totally reusable and dishwasher safe. Oh and you can freeze it too! So check out the giveaway site for more details and check out Vapur's site as well. Good stuff!

Misikko Hana Professional Flat Iron (pink edition) Giveaway

Alright, first giveaway post! This is a good one. I really need a new straightener. A good one. So I found a great giveaway on Dustinnikki. I'm so excited I came across this because I've wanted a good flat iron for so long. Mine is killing my hair but its the best I have and I won't waste money on one (plus I really don't have the extra cash for a new one). So I make due but there's nothing wrong with trying to win one right? Plus how cute is this one... it's pink.

Here's a link to Misikko's site:http://www.misikko.com/ They have lots of professional products for cheaper prices and from what I've read from other people's reviews is that the better salon style hair dryers and flat irons and what not, work way better than just the normal cheap ones we buy. So I'm really glad my sister is taking cosmotology this year so she can teach me lots of stuff and gimme the proof! But anyway, exciting giveaway, check it out!

Welcome!

Well this is my brand new blog started today! I've been thinking about doing this the last couple weeks. I hope to be able to share with you giveaways that are going on through other sites. I have found so many great products out there but can't really afford a whole lot of extras but at least you can check 'em out and maybe find something that is useful or just fun for you. I also will share stuff from giveaways I've won. Another reason I really wanted to start a new blog is to share recipes with you. If you know me you know I love to cook and I try to cook healthy... minus the sweet treats we make every now and again :) but hopefully you'll see something you like. This is also just a chance for me to be me. I just thought I'd separate all these things from my other blog which I mainly wanted to keep for just info about my family so for friends and family we don't see all the time. So anyway I hope people enjoy this site and I hope I can give you new ideas or help direct you to some great giveaways so you can try to win too!