Holiday Potpourri

I needed a quick little gift to make for my co-workers. Last year I received one of these from a friend and loved it. I refilled the water often and was able to use it for weeks!

The idea came from Pinterest. 

Each bag includes:

• One orange
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• A bit of grated nutmeg

I found the best deal on cinnamon sticks was to buy them by weight from our local natural harvest.

Instructions: Quarter the orange, place all in a small saucepan filled with water and simmer on lowest setting. Refill water as needed. 

I tied a homemade tag to each bag with red ribbon.

My co-workers absolutely loved these! I have extras, so I think I'm going to give some of these to my friends too.

Monster High Birthday!

I can't believe that my little girl turned 7 this year! Somedays it seems like she was just born.

Addison is really into Monster High this year and that is the theme she wanted. I lucked out and earlier this fall Target had Monster High products in their dollar spot! We picked up Monster High, notebooks, markers, stickers, and tattoos for the gift bags.  After Halloween I also picked up a package of eye patches and some glow in the dark mice (for the boys invited to the party), and a giant bag of candy.  I also added a balloon and a Go-Go squeeze apple sauce.

I decided to make a Monster High doll cake. One of my friends had a doll cake pan that I borrowed and I found this design on Pinterest. I used the Duff tye dye cake mix, which was really good. The colors were amazing! 

I love how the cake turned out, however, the doll cake pan was not tall enough for the Monster High doll. I ended up making a 8x8 square cake that I put under the doll pan and trimmed the edges. Even with that, it wasn't tall enough! I used the trimmed edges on top of the doll pan and secured them with tooth picks and it turned out great.

I also made 36 cupcakes. Some of them I used around the cake during the party, and the rest of them she brought to daycare for a birthday treat there.  I found a free printable for cupcake toppers, which I just printed out and taped two matching ones to a toothpick.

I had the party at our local gymnastics gym, where Addison belongs. I loved having the party there, it was probably the least stressful party I've ever thrown. It was two hours long, the kids got to run around for the first hour and used the gym equipment. The teacher working also set up an obstacle course for the kids to run through.  Then we had cake and ice cream and opened gifts. 

Purex & Isotoner Giveaway

ISOTONER smarTouch gloves keep your hands warm while using your touch screen devices. Keep them bright and clean all winter long with Purex liquid detergent and WIN! You can enter to WIN an iPad mini and a $500 Isotoner shopping spree! 

If you would like to enter, just click here!

Critical Reaction

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Todd Johnson's newest book, Critical Reaction. Earlier this year I read his first book, The Deposit Slip, and really enjoyed it.

Critical Reaction starts with an explosion at a nuclear power plant. It then leads into the health issues of multiple people involved and a lawsuit brought forward from one individual. 

This book also talks about the struggling relationship of a trial lawyer and his daughter who is also a lawyer. The daughter takes on the lawsuit for her friend and her dad helps with the process. During the process they work out many of their issues that stemmed after their wife/mother passed away.

This book was very suspenseful, which I really enjoy. It kept me wondering what would happen next.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes books that are suspenseful or about the law.

 

 

First Day of School!

I haven't posted in awhile and I apologize for that! I've been so busy this month, it's crazy.

Addison started first grade this year. She absolutely loves school, and I am so happy about that. She only has two kids in her class from last year, so she is busy making new friends.

She brings home reading homework about three times a week. They have these little readers that they have to read three times and then I sign off saying she did the work.  She has also started spelling and has weekly tests.

She loves math, but the math they are doing right now she finds "boring". She wants to be adding and subtracting, and so far they are just doing a recap of numbers, etc. 

I put her picture from this year next to her picture from her first day of kindergarten. I knew she had grown a lot over the year, but actually seeing it in a picture made it so real! My little baby is turning into a little girl!

 

Purex Fabric Softener Sheets

I was lucky enough to be able to try the Purex Fabric Softener Sheets. I received a box of the Sweet Lavender Scent.

 These dryer sheets helped with static as well as made my laundry smell great. 

For more information on the Purex Fabric Softener Sheets you can check out their webpage or their https://www.facebook.com/purex

Peach Butter

I love making homemade jellies and butters. Our local farmers market had a special on peaches, buy one box and get one free. I ended up with about 4 lbs of peaches for $3.

I went to the farmers market to get the peaches because I wanted to make peach butter. I made this years ago, and of course could not find the recipe I originally used. I ended up searching online and found one that sounded good. I saved it to Pinterest for anyone else that wants to try it.

I started by peeling the peaches. The easiest way I've found to do this, is to drop the peaches in boiling water for 30-45 seconds. Then plunge them in ice water. The peels pretty much fall right off. I then pitted and chopped the peaches. I used a big pot and added the peaches, water, and sugar. 

 After about 20 minutes of cooking, I pureed the peaches in my blender. I did this in three batches. Then you put the puree back into the pot and cook for 30-40 minutes until thick. I ended up with 5 - 1 cup servings. You can can this, but I chose just to use the freezer containers. I kept one for myself and gave four away to lucky friends and family.

My favorite way to eat the peach butter is on a toasted English muffin. 



 

Frozen Banana Bites

I've said it before, I always have an over abundance of bananas in our house. They are usually ones that need to be used soon, or ones that are too ripe and I freeze for making muffins or bread later.

I saw this pin for frozen banana bites and thought they looked interesting. I had everything on hand and thought they sounded like an easy snack.  I decided to just use one banana, even though the recipe called for four. I didn't want to use that many in case I didn't like them.

They were really easy to make. I sliced the banana into slices that were a little less than an inch thick. I just made sure to have enough slices to make sandwiches. You then spread peanut butter on one slice and cover with another. Freeze the little sandwiches for about an hour. Then dip in chocolate and freeze again.

I thought of a couple of things while making these that would make them easier. I found the peanut butter kind of hard to spread on the slices. I think freezing the slices for 15 minutes or so might help with that.  I would also wait to take the sandwiches out of the freezer until the chocolate was melted. By the time my chocolate melted, one side of the bananas started to thaw and it made it really hard for the chocolate to stick on the last few that I dipped.

You can tell the ones where they were thawed just by looking at the picture :)

I was really surprised with how these tasted. They actually had an ice cream consistency, I felt like I was eating a little mini ice cream sandwich.  Addison also really liked these.  I will definitely make these again trying my changes.

You Are My Sunshine

We had a Hobby Lobby open up an hour away from us. Addison and I were in that town for some doctor and dentist appointments and decided to check out the store.  Of course we couldn't leave empty handed, but I also didn't have a craft in mind before going into the store.

While browsing, I found a two pack of canvases.  I remembered a cute picture I saw on Pinterest.  We quickly picked out paint and some foam brushes so we could make it when we got home. The original pin was just a picture, so I just looked at the paint color to pick out the hues that I liked best. 

Addison absolutely loved this project. She was so excited to paint on the large canvas, instead of just paper.  She is so goofy sometimes and decided she had to wear her hood from her winter coat while she was painting. 

We used two different shades of blue and one white acrylic paint for the background.  I picked up a four pack of foam brushes, so we would have a separate brush for each color.  Once the background was dry, I painted the inside circle of the sun with yellow and orange acrylic paints. Then I painted Addison's hand with the yellow and orange, about half and half. We then pushed down on the canvas around the sun to make the rays. 

I then used a pencil to free hand  a rough outline of the words. Then I used a paint brush and black acrylic paint to paint over the pencil marks. 

I love how this turned out. I think it is one of my favorite projects we have ever done! I have this hanging at the end of my hallway. It makes me smile every day. 

Purex 31 Days of Fun!

Purex has launched a mega sweepstakes for the month of August. This sweepstakes is really fun. They are giving away awesome prizes every day for the 31 days of August!

In order to be eligible to win these prizes, you do need to be a fan of the Purex Facebook page. My favorite things they are giving away are:

• Apple iPad Mini
• Patio Furniture Set
• Swing Set
• New Fall Wardrobe 

You can enter for your chance to win 31 different prizes here!

I'm also hosting my own giveaway with this promotion for a $10 Amazon Gift Card! For this giveaway you will need to share the 31 Days of Fun Sweepstakes on your own social media pages like Facebook, Twitter, your own blog, using the URL above that you used to enter the sweepstakes. Once you have done so comment on my blog that you did so and let me know how many followers you shared the sweepstakes with. I will be choosing a winner on August 23 from the comments!

Good luck on both of the sweepstakes! 

Patriotic Crunch

We spent the 4th of July weekend up in Ely with my family.  I was asked to bring some treats.  I searched my 4th of July board on Pinterest and decided to make Patriotic Crunch.

This was so easy to make, Addison helped with most of the work!  

Patriotic Crunch
2 cups pretzel sticks
2 cups rice Chex
1 bag plain white popcorn popped.  Make sure to take any unpopped kernels out.
5-6 blocks almond bark
sprinkles
M&Ms

Mix the pretzels, Chex, and popcorn on a wax paper lined pan. Melt the almond bark and pour over the mix.  Mix well and sprinkle with sprinkles. Once hardened break into pieces and add M&Ms.  

The next time I make this I think I will add the M&Ms prior to letting the mix harden. Most of them fell to the bottom of the bowl.

Everyone loved this and I will definitely make it again.  I couldn't find red, white, and blue M&Ms, but I would love to make this for other holidays with the holiday coloered M&Ms.

Dr. Scholl's for Her

I was lucky enough to receive a pair of Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles, through BzzAgent, to test. These came at a perfect time as I wear sandals almost every day during the summer. I have loved using these with my healed sandals. They have added extra support in my arches as well as made them more comfortable. 

I would definitely use these insoles again and would recommend them to anyone that has shoes that need extra support or comfort.

The following is information regarding these wonderful insoles.

Guaranteed to provide all-day comfort or your money back, Dr. Scholl’s^® For Her High Heel Insoles help prevent foot aches and pain caused by wearing high heels two inches and higher.

• Unique design is clinically proven to help prevent pain from high heels 2” and up
• Ultra-soft gel arch shifts pressure off ball of foot
• Immediate and long-lasting comfort guaranteed, or your money back
• Practically invisible, even in strappy heels
• Slim design won’t make shoes feel tight
• Insoles stay firmly in place, and are easily removable without damaging shoes
• Made to fit women’s sizes 6–10, including all open-style shoes

Stand, walk and strut in comfort

Dr. Scholl’s^® products are backed by a highly technical group of scientists focused on foot care. Extensive research, development and clinical testing go into every product, ensuring they’re effective before they meet your feet. Because the makers of Dr. Scholl’s^® For Her products are focused on women’s needs, clinical studies for the line were performed on ladies just like you — high-heel wearing general managers, students, office workers and busy moms (to name a few)!

Dr. Scholl's is in the middle of an Extra Step Challenge. You can find more information here.

You can also find more information on Dr. Scholl's products as well as coupons on their Facebook page. 

I received samples and coupons from Dr. Scholl's for my review. As always my opinions are my own. 

Last Day of Kindergarten

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted!  We have been super busy this summer with sports and activities.

Addison's last day of kindergarten was on May 30. It was very bittersweet. She absolutely loved kindergarten. I was very proud of her. She did very good on her school work as well as state testing.

She was so sad the school year was ending. She loved the learning, all of her friends, and her teacher. Her wish is that her teacher will start teaching first grade and she'll have her again!

We searched Pinterest for an idea for an end of the year gift. While I like the look of the printed tags on the gifts we saw, I like for Addison to write her own, especially since she is really learning how to read and write.  We both decided we liked the "Thanks for making me one smart cookie" idea we saw. 

Addison's teacher loved the gift! 

Gillian Flynn

I have recently read all three of Gillian Flynn's books.

Gone Girl

Sharp Objects

Dark Places

I really enjoyed all three.  If I had to rank them it would be Sharp Objects, Dark Places, Gone Girl.  

These books all had a lot of twists and turns.  I was really surprised by the endings in all three.  If you like books that are dark, full of mystery, twists and turns and are a little dark, you would like all three of these books.

Banana Split Muffins

It's no surprise that we love muffins! I've posted other recipes in the past:

• Apple Butter Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (Our Favorite!)
• Banana Muffins

I found the recipe for these Banana Split Muffins on Pinterest. One night while watching TV I saw a commercial for Frosted Flakes.  It brought back childhood memories of this cereal being a once in awhile sugary cereal treat.  I bought a box and needless to say, I'm not feeling the love as an adult!

What is one to do with a full box of Frosted Flakes?  I found lots of recipes when searching, rice krispie type treats, a coating for chicken, but decided to try these muffins. 

Addison was a big helper.  i love that she has my joy of baking.  I followed the recipe pretty close, but left out the walnuts and added 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips instead.

The only sugar in this recipe is the crusted Frosted Flakes. If I ever make these again I think I would add some brown sugar.  

Soft Scrub 4-in-1 Toilet Care

The Soft Scrub 4-in-1 Toilet Care provides long lasting cleaning and freshening due to it's unique design and advanced formula.

This toilet cleaner is so easy to use. It has a plastic hanger that goes over the toilet bowl rim.

The Soft Scrub 4-in-1 cleaner:

• Cleans Toilets
• Prevents Future Build Up
• Fights Toilet Ring
• Freshens up to 4 Weeks

I have been using the 4-in-1 cleaner for about two weeks now and have noticed that it seems to be staying cleaner and fresher.  I did have some trouble getting the holder to fit where the water stream is, but it still seems to be working.

Soft Scrub is hosting a sweepstakes along with the release of New Soft Scrub 4-in-1 Toilet Care.  You can enter here for your change to win:

• One Grand Prize Winner of $1000
• 250 Winners of One SoftScrub Coupon for a free product.

I am also giving away 1 coupon, valid on any Soft Scrub product, up to $3.39. You can enter through the rafflecopter entry below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The Soft Scrub brand provided me with a sample of Soft Scrub 4-in-1 Toilet Care in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.

First 5K

I have decided that I would like to run a 5K this year.  One of my friends from work is a runner and has even fun a couple of half marathons.  I mentioned to her that I would like to start running and she is helping me set up some training schedules.

I signed the two of us and another friend up for the Essential Hope Springs 5K.  I had hoped to run at least part of this. But, the Minnesota weather had other plans.  We actually had a blizzard with over 18 inches of snow one week before the race!

The three of us walked the race and ran the last 2/10 of a mile, so we could cross the finish line running!

Sam, Me, Heather

I had SO much fun and am looking forward to the next race.  We have a couple more lined up for this summer!

Combat Ant Killing Bait Strips

Combat has a new ant strip that has the same killing power as Combat Gells. This is a thing bait strip with an adhesive backing that makes it easy to keep out of sight and the reach of children and pets.

The unique bait formula contains food and water that ants seek, combined with Fipronie, a fast acting insecticide that begins within hours once the inset comes in contact with the bait. 

Combat killing bait strips are designed to kill the nest and colony.  You place the strip wherever you see ants.

I have not been able to test this out yet because we still have a ton of snow. I am looking forward to trying these this summer.

Combat is hosting an online sweepstakes where you could be eligible to win:

• One of 3 $250 Visa Gift Cards
• $1000 grand prize Visa Gift Card.

You can enter here.

I am also hosting a giveaway here. Combat will provide one contest winner with their choice of either Ant Killing Bait Strips or Roach Killing Bait Strips.  You can enter through the rafflecopter entry below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: Combat brand provided me with a sample of Combat Killing Bait Strips in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own. 

Lemon Bars

I love lemon bars, the tarter the better!

I found this recipe on Pinterest. It looked so good and I have never had a lemon bar with a glaze frosting on it. 

This recipe was really easy to follow. My crust ended up looking more like cookie dough, than crumbles, but that was probably due to me grabbing the filling ingredients while I was mixing it up.  It probably took about an hour to make the bars, with the double cooking times.

These definitely need to cool before you try them. I ate one when it was still warm and they just aren't as good as when they are cooled.  

I think they could have a stronger lemon taste, I used the juice of 4 lemons in the filling, the recipe said about 2.  I think next time I'll add even more.

Dial Kids Body + Hair Wash

Dial is excited to announce its entry into the kids' personal care segment with NEW Dial Kids Body & Hair Wash. This offers age-appropriate variants developed to address the specific skin needs of children.

There are two new Dial Kids:

1. Dial Kids Peach Clean for ages 2+
2. Dial Kids Watery Melon for ages 6+

This Dial for Kids Body Wash was developed with pediatric dermatologists. The specialized formulas are made for children ages 2-6 and 6-10. These are a 2-in-1 formula that combines shampoo and body wash for one speedy step!

As a Purex Insider I was excited for Addison to be able to try the Dial Kids Watery Melon. 

She loved the scent of the Watery Melon Body & Hair Wash. She uses a princess bath poof on her body. 

Dial is also hosting a sweepstakes with the release of NEW Dial Kids Body & Hair Wash. You can enter here for your change to win:

• One grand prize winner will receive $1000
• 250 additional winners will receive a coupon for a free bottle of NEW Dial Kids Body & Hair Wash

You can also enter the rafflecopter giveaway below for your change to win one (1)  coupon for a FREE bottle of NEW Dial Kids Body & Hair Wash, valued up to $4.49


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial kids Body and Hair wash in exchange for a product review. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

Overnight Oats

I keep seeing lots of different recipes for overnight oats on Pinterest. They seem interesting to me. I love oatmeal, but I've never had cold oatmeal before.  I finally decided to give it a try.  After searching I found this recipe on Pinterest. 


I liked that it had multiple options for flavors with one base recipe.  I don't have Chia seeds, so I did add in a little extra oats.  I decided to try the Banana Cocoa recipe because I had a banana that needed to be used up. 

It was really easy to mix up. The recipe shows that it was mixed in a pint glass jar. I had pint plastic jars from homemade strawberry rhubarb sauce, so I mixed it in there.

I just wasn't a fan of the flavor. The Greek yogurt I used was very sour, so I might try a vanilla one next time and a different flavor combination.

Peanut Butter Granola

I have been searching for an easy homemade granola recipe that was easy and didn't call for a lot of ingredients. I found this one for Peanut Butter Granola on Pinterest.

I love granola and I love peanut butter, so I thought it sounded good. I also had all of the ingredients on hand.  It was so quick to mix up, I just mixed it in a 4 cup measuring cup.  It probably took me 15 minutes total to make this, that includes baking time!

The final result was very good. I want to try it on top of Greek yogurt. I will definitely be making this again!

Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash

Purex has launched an exciting new fragrance as part of their Natural Elements line. Exotic fruits like pineapple and coconut combined with distant flowers to take your nose on a tropical vacation with NEW Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash detergent. 

This detergent delivers bright, white, and clean with naturally sourced ingredients.  The Tropical Splash detergent provides a great scent and a formula gentle enough for sensitive skin. This detergent can be used in HE and regular washing machines.

I am giving away two coupons for a FREE bottle of Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash Detergent, valued up to $6.00. You can enter through rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash detergent in exchange for a product review. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own. 

Apple Butter Muffins

I found this recipe for apple butter muffins on Money Saving Mom's website.  I thought they looked good and I had everything on hand.

My friend Ricci's mom makes the best jellys and apple butter. I had a jar of her homemade apple butter to use with this recipe.

It was very easy to mix up. the recipe says it makes 12 muffins, but I would have had enough batter for 18. I ended up making a little loaf and bunt pan out of Addison's miniature cook pans she has.

I thought these were "just okay". They are really dense and don't have a lot of flavor. Addison didn't like them at all. this will probably be the one and only time that I make them.

Soft Scrub Advanced Surface

Soft Scrub Advanced Surface is a rinse free gel that cleans and polishes granite, marble, glass cook tops, and stainless steel.

This all purpose cleaner is really easy to use. I used this on my glass cook top.  You just apply to the surface and wipe away with a sponge, cloth or paper towel.

I was impressed with how this worked. My cook top wasn't really dirty, but there were some spots that I was never able to get out. 

Before: 

After:

Soft Scrub is having a sweeptakes where you could be a lucky winner of:

• One 1st Place Winner of $1000 and a years supply of soft scrub coupons
• 250 2nd Place Winners of a coupon for free soft scrub advanced surface.

You can enter the Soft Scrub sweepstakes here.

I am also giving away 2 coupons for any Soft Scrub Product, valued up to $3.39. You can enter through the rafflecopter sweepstakes below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Healthy No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

I found this recipe on Pinterest. I thought it sounded interesting and better for my health than eating regular cookies.

they were very easy to make and only had three ingredients: oats, bananas, and chocolate chips. I have also seen some recipes where you add craisins instead of chocolate chips.

You mix all of the ingredients, roll into balls and bake for 15 minutes. I was able to get 14 cookies out of my mix. 

They don't spread out at all when baking. They just firm up more into a cookie texture.

I entered the ingredients into MyFitness Pal and each cookie is 56 calories.

While these are a low calorie snack, I did not care for them at all. I would rather eat a cookie with more calories that actually tastes good. 

Purex Plus Crystals

I have to admit this one got away from me. I received the Purex Plus Crystals for review and put the bottle on top of my washing machine and then haven't done much laundry after receiving it. 

I usually only wash on average two loads of laundry a week! I know that probably sounds amazing to everyone, but we just don't generate a lot of dirty clothes.

However, this morning I did use this with a load of towels. I was surprised at how the detergent looked, it was more opaque than regular detergent. The scent was really nice though. I tend to use non scented detergent on clothing and scented on towels. 

Purex Plus Fabric Softener combines the enchanting fragrance of Purex Crystals with the proven performance of Purex detergent.  This is perfect for every day laundry. This detergent also has DirtLift Action, which works dept into clothes to get out dirt. 

Since I let so much time go, this time I'm not going to have a separate contest for coupons for this item, but I will be sure to include them in my next giveaway as an added bonus. 

Disclaimer: The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex detergent plus Fabric Softener with Crystals Fragrance in exhange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.

 

Firefly Island

I just finished reading Firefly Island by Lisa Wingate. 

Mallory Hale's life quickly veers off course when she falls hopelessly in love. After a whirlwind romance, Mallory finds herself leaving the bustle and action of Capitol Hill for the remote town of Moses Lake, Texas--with husband, stepson, and a U-Haul in tow.

A sweet, mishap-filled journey into marriage, motherhood, and ranch living ensues, and Mallory is filled with both the wonderment of love and the insecurities of change. But what she can't shake is the unease she feels around her husband's new boss, Jack West. Jack's presence--and his mysterious past--set her on edge, and when hints of a scandal emerge, Mallory finds herself seeking answers... and comes to realize that the middle-of-nowhere home she wasn't sure she wanted is the very place she'll risk everything to save. 

I thought this book was ok. I found it very slow moving in the beginning. Once they moved to Texas I felt like a lot of the story was just filler. I really started to enjoy it the last third of the book when it became more suspenseful. 

I also felt like the book left me hanging. I would have liked to know what happened with Jack and his son. I would also have liked to know what happened to his wife and stepson. It felt like a lot of the beginning story line was just ended without any resolution.

You can find out more about the author Lisa Wingate here

Disclaimer: I was given an electronic version of this book for my review, as always all opinions are my own. 

Happy St. Patty's Day!

We are going to see the new movie Oz today with friends. Addison and I are both wearing green for St. Patrick's Day!

I saw a fun craft on Pinterest for her to make at home. I already had all of the supplies on hand. I cut white paper to 5x7. Then I painted her hand with flesh and orange paint and she stamped the paper. 

While we waited for the paint to dry, I drew a hat on green paper and she cut them out. 

Then she glued black paper on the hat and glued the hat on the handprint. 

I used tacky glue to glue a button on the hat. Then Addison drew on a face and wrote her name on the bottom corner and 2013 on the other corner with black marker. 

We decided these would be fun to frame and give as gifts. I picked up black 5x7 frames at the Dollar Store to display them in. I think they turned out really cute and look forward to putting this out every year for St. Patrick's Day!