Sweet Serendipity

BOOK REVIEW Angel Song by Sheila Walsh & Kathryn Cushman

2010-08-10T21:06:00.002-05:00

Anne Fletcher traded her hometown of Charleston for New York City, and she does not regret her move one bit. However, she finds herself heading back home to celebrate the college graduation of her sister Sarah. The happy reunion planned is abruptly turned into a nightmare when an accident occurs that leaves Sarah on the brink of death. As Anne battles a sadness unlike anything she has ever felt before, God places some special people and some Angels in Anne's life, and the difference they make is astounding.

I highly recommend this book! As a reader that enjoys a wide variety of books, I found this one particularly refreshing. To actually read a scenario of how God can make Himself known to someone in need by placing the right people in their lives just reminded me of how God cares about each one of us individually. I also loved this book's emphasis on Angels. How powerful to think that even as Angels help us, when we help others we never know when we have just helped an Angel.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not asked to write a positive review, but simply, an honest one.

five question friday

2010-07-30T16:23:00.002-05:00

I've found a new Friday post topic thanks to My Little Life. This should be something fun to look forward to! If you wish, head over to her blog and check it out!

This week's questions...
1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it?
2. Do you dream in color?
3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller?
4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, who would it be?
5. Do you return your shopping cart to the corral or leave it wherever in the parking lot?

My Answers...

1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it? No, I do not have any favorite blankets or toys that I've kept into adulthood. Looking back though, I would guess that my Barbie dolls, my Sweet Valley Twin books, and my bicycle would be my favorite toys from my childhood.
2. Do you dream in color? Yes. Although most of the time I cannot specifically recall what I dream about, I do know it is pretty real life stuff, so yes, it's in color. I cannot think of a single time I've dreamed in black & white.
3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller? I'm 5 foot 3 inches flat footed. I guess that's pretty average, but I would love to be a few inches taller...guess that explains all the heels in my closet:)
4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, who would it be? I've never thought about this before this moment. Although I have thought on many occasions that I'm not too crazy about the female voice my GPS does have. Just off the top of my head I would say Patrick Dempsey's voice. It sounds pretty good on the Mazda vehicle commercials, so I think I would be satisfied with it!
5. Do you return your shopping cart to the corral or leave it wherever in the parking lot? I'll be 100% honest - I do not return the shopping cart to the corral all the time. If my kids are shopping with me (which is a majority of the time) it all depends on how close the corral is to my car. I do my best to part as close to the corral as possible, so that the chance of the shopping cart getting returned to the proper location increases, but sometimes it's just not possible. Now on those rare occasions I am shopping with children, then yes, the shopping card does get returned...period.

the wednesday dish

2010-07-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

This recipe was given to me by a friend I worked with while in college. She made this for a potluck style lunch we had at work, and it was a huge hit with everyone. That said, if I'm guessing correctly, I've been making this chicken spaghetti for 5-6 years.
Disclaimer: This recipe makes a ton of food, but luckily, it is one of those foods that is even better warmed over.

chicken spaghetti

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken - seasoned as you wish and fried in a bit of oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup butter
12 oz angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
1 block Mexican Velveeta, cubed (if large block use half, if small block use all)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
1 cup frozen english peas
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

Saute onion and bell pepper with the butter in a large skillet until tender. Add cream of mushroom, rotel, peas, worsteshire sauce and cooked chicken. Stir until well mixed. Add cubed Velveeta and stir until melted. Mix angel hair pasta in.

BOOK REVIEW Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

2010-07-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ben Sherwood's book Charlie St.Cloud (originally published under the title The Life and Death of Charlie St.Cloud) takes you on a journey with Charlie, a guy that is in his late 20s and haunted by a tragic accident that took the life of his kid brother 13 years earlier. Since the night Sam died and Charlie lived, Charlie has carried a huge secret; he can see his brother's ghost, and this, Charlie will find, is part blessing and curse.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - I literally could not put it down! It had an entertaining storyline with just enough of the unexpected to make it almost magical. What if we could see and communicate with our loved ones who have died - this story brings that ability to life. They always make the best books into movies, and Charlie St.Cloud the movie is coming out at the end of the month, so you know the book has got to be good!!!

For God So Loved...

2010-07-23T18:36:00.001-05:00

Untitled from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

the wednesday dish

2010-07-21T07:00:00.003-05:00

I've been making these cheese biscuits for almost 10 years. My mother-in-law made these biscuits for breakfast the very first weekend I spent at her house (about 2 months after my husband and I started dating), and she was nice enough to share the recipe with me:)

cheese biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup butter

8 oz sour cream

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients by hand. Roll into balls and place in greased muffin pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until tops begin to brown. This recipe yields approximately 18 biscuits.

BOOK REVIEW The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

2010-07-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Stephenie Meyer's new book, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner gives readers a look into what life is like for a newborn vampire. Bree Tanner, the main character in this novella, was first introduced to readers in Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight Saga. In this new book, you get to experience life along with Bree; the fears and friendships she uncovers, and her ultimate revelation - that she was created to go to Forks, WA and the battle with the Cullens.

As the title implies, Bree's vampire life is short, and therefore, so is this book. If you have not read the Twilight Saga this book will probably bore you, because there are many things that will only make sense if you have prior knowledge of them. If you have read the Twilight series, this should be an easy and enjoyable read. Be aware that this book is not broken down into chapters, so it is very hard to put down - there is never a good stopping point. If you don't read this book in one sitting, you will be left hanging each time you put it down!

what bugs me

2010-07-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

I am terrified of bugs -when they are in my house - and when I'm the only one home to kill them!

With the exception of those teeny spiders you sometimes find in your bathtub and sugar ants that sometimes invade your kitchen, I'm a bug wimp. I cannot stand the thought of stomping or smashing them. Even pesky flies. It just grosses me out. Instead of using a shoe or rolled up newspaper, I prefer a bottle of Hot Shot - squirt the heck out of those nasty bugs and watch them slowly...very slowly as the case was today...die.

Once I'm absolutely certain that the bug is dead I'm faced with the job of disposing the bug body. I seriously think I hate this part more than the killing part. I'll go grab a wad (half a roll) of toilet paper, and stand poised over the dead bug. At this point, I'm praying either the thing will just disappear, my husband will stop by and I can hand the toilet paper to him, or one of my kids will heroically offer to get the bug for me. Never in my lifetime of getting rid of bugs has one of these three things happened.

Instead the scene usually plays out like this: Me standing over the bug with my toilet paper, just staring down offering up the prayer mentioned in the above paragraph. The kids crouched very near the scene looking between me and the bug, and asking "What are you doing mommy?". Me responding "I hate bugs! Jules, do you want to pick it up for me?" Jules replying "No" verbally and with a firm shake of her head and look of disgust that I would even ask her such a question. A few more minutes pass with us looking at the bug, and I FINALLY sike myself up enough to reach down, grab the nasty thing in the toilet paper, and run screaming "I hate bugs!" over and over again as I make my way to the nearest toilet to throw and flush the bug down in one fluid motion.

After all the drama is over, my breathing will return to normal, the kids will start playing again, and I'll wonder to myself...did God give me a little boy, because he knew I needed someone who would want to kill bugs for mommy one day? Must be one of the reasons at least, because Jules and I are just too girlie to kill bugs, and we'll gladly hand the job over to Griff whenever he's ready.

oh the joys of shopping

2010-07-15T09:01:00.005-05:00

You may want to stop in your local Old Navy store to see what kind of clearance clothes they have available. If your Old Navy is anything like the one I visited yesterday, they have a huge section in the back of their store that is nothing but adult clearance items. I didn't have the time to browse the clearance racks as closely as I would have liked, but a pair of jeans did jump out at me.

As you can see, they are very dark denim. Perfect, in my opinion, to pair with a sweater and boots during the winter weather!

I also loved the fact that these jeans were sort of on the dressy side...not your typical looking jean. Other than the way they looked and the way they fit, there was one more thing that I loved about these jeans...

...THE PRICE!!!

At $1.97 there was NO WAY I wasn't taking these jeans home!!!!!!!!!!

the wednesday dish

2010-07-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

I tried this recipe for the first time tonight. I paired it with a chicken casserole and deviled eggs. I know there is no picture of my finished product, and this week that is on purpose. When I pulled the pearl onion and broccoli back out of the oven, I thought about grabbing my camera, but to be honest, it wasn't that pretty, so I opted to skip the picture. It was pretty tasty, and definitely a recipe I will make again though. It was a nice twist on plain old broccoli and cheese.

pearl onion broccoli bake

Ingredients:

2 14oz packages frozen broccoli cuts
4 cups frozen pearl onions
1/2 cup butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
6 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, cook the broccoli in 1 inch of water until almost tender; drain. Cook pearl onions in 1 inch of water until almost tender, drain.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/4 butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cream cheese until smooth and blended.
Place broccoli and onions in creased 9x13 baking dish. Add sauce and gently stir to coat. Toss bread crumbs and cheese together, and sprinkle on top of broccoli and onion mixture. Pour remaining, melted butter evenly on top.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

retail-me-not

2010-07-12T12:42:00.004-05:00

Do you ever shop online? I know I do. With a 3 year old and an almost 2 year old, I've found that online shopping is sometimes much easier than the real, get-in-the-car, drive-to-the-store kind. My kids are like little, ticking, time bombs when it's time to shop. Even if they're in a pleasant mood when we arrive at the store, and Griff actually doesn't have a fit that he has to ride in the shopping cart or stroller, while Jules gets to walk, I can just about bet money on the fact that the happy mood will not last. I am so sure of this that I keep two lollipops on me at all times, just in case I need to bribe my kids into remaining calm at least until I can get through a check-out. I hate giving my kids candy, because my kids get hyper on air much less sugar, but sometimes it keeps mommy from loosing her sanity, and in those moments, a little sugar - ok, a lot of sugar - is worth all the stickiness and hyper activeness that follows.

So now you sort of understand why, if at all possible, I will just shop online. Here's the problem though. I love the convenience online shopping brings, but I cannot stand having to pay shipping charges for something I can run to the store to purchase as well (guess that's the bargain hunting, coupon clipping Kristen coming out). Basically, I'll shop online as long as I don't feel like I'm being ripped off, cannot purchase or easily purchase what I need in a nearby store, or, most importantly, if I can find a promotional code to use at the online checkout. Those promotional codes are little blessings I assure you, and they are easier to find than you might think!!!

Just go to http://www.retailmenot.com/, type in the website you are shopping on (example: orientaltrading.com) and a list of promotional codes appears. Now granted, not every, single online store will have promotional codes to offer, but if a store does, you will find it on the retailmenot website. This site has saved me so much money, and I will not check out online without first going to retailmenot's site to see what kind of money I can save. Just this week, I bought some party supplies from Oriental Trading for my son's upcoming birthday party. I checked http://www.retailmenot.com/, and found a promotional code that gave me free shipping and $5 off my order. Needless to say, my day had been made:)

Don't forget about this fabulous site...it can save you money too!

saw it & loved it

2010-07-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Eclipse was excellent! Not sure it was the best out of the three Twilight Saga movies, as I've been told it was, but it met all my expectations without a doubt. Once again, Kristen, Robert and Taylor made Bella, Edward and Jacob come alive!

Watching this movie made me think for the very first time that maybe Bella should have given Jacob a chance (that's a lot coming from me..a huge Edward fan). You could feel the love Jacob had for Bella even more than you could in New Moon, and it really made me wonder how different the story would have been had Bella chosen Jacob.

Unfortunately, I was not able to make the June 30 midnight premier. Here in Virginia, I know no one, so if I had went to the premier I would have went alone...that idea didn't appeal to me at all. I'm sorry I missed all the premier fun my friends back home have told me about. I definitely could have handled paying $17.50 for a ticket to show up at the theater at 7pm to watch Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse back to back on the big screen. Oh well, part 1 of Breaking Dawn is only 16 months away, so I'll just have to wait for that midnight premier.

I had to wait an agonizing 2 days after Eclipse debuted before I was able to take me turn to see it! I made it to the theater on Saturday for the 11:45am showing. Patrick dropped me off at the theater, and then occupied the kids by taking them to Walmart, the mall and Chick-fil-a. I was certain the theater would be packed, but by 11:30, nobody else had shown up, so I figured it wouldn't be sold out after all. When the theater lights dimmed at 11:45, I was the only person in the theater!!! I watched Eclipse alone, literally. That was sort of a neat experience. Certainly the first time I had been in a theater all by myself. I think it made the movie sort of more personal, but I really missed watching the movie for the first time surrounded by other Twilight fans. When I went to theater to see New Moon the day after it opened last November the theater was packed, and when Jacob took his shirt off for the first time when Bella fell of the motorcycle, many in the crowd clapped and cheered. I wonder had there been a packed theater this time, what moments would have brought cheers and applause. I have my suspicions, but I won't reveal anything, because you may not have seen the movie for yourself. Nevertheless, I did see the movie, and that's really all that matters.

Now I just have to sit back and wait for it to come out on DVD, so I can watch it repeatedly for at least a month- or until I can quote it - whichever comes first!

BOOK REVIEW Storm Warning by Billy Graham

2010-07-07T20:00:00.002-05:00

Storm Warning by Billy Graham has two main, corresponding components. The first is an in depth look at the visions the apostle John was given while on exile on the isle of Patmos. These visions were of the 4 Horsemen and 7 Seals that will one day be unleashed on the earth as described in the book of Revelation. While explaining John's visions in detail, Graham intertwines current events, and events in recent history that prove that the 4 Horsemen could well be on their way to earth to set the end times into motion. Billy Graham uses much Scripture throughout this book to back up his writing, and his authority as a Man of God can easily be sensed.
This is the first Billy Graham book I have read, so I am not able to compare it to any of his other works. Standing alone tough, this book was pretty good. It was fairly easy to read, and the current events mentioned and stories shared made John's visions extremely relevant in our modern world. I loved the fact that several times in the book, Graham clearly lays out the plan of Salvation and literally begs those not ready for the return of Christ to take head to the hoof beats that can already be heard in the distance.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not asked to write a positive review, but simply, an honest one.

the wednesday dish

2010-07-07T07:00:00.003-05:00

This is one of my favorite desserts! It's easy to make. Only 6 ingredients, one of which is Oreo cookies, so you know it's got to be good. I will warn you though, it is very rich, and highly addictive!

oreo delight

Ingredients:

1 package of Oreo cookies
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 cup of butter
3 cups of milk
1 16oz Cool Whip
2 3oz packages of Jell-O French Vanilla Instant Pudding

Preparation:

Crumble Oreos and pack them firmly into a 9x13 container to make a crust. *Save a handful to decorate the top.

Melt butter and pour over the Oreo crust.

Mix pudding and milk in a separate bowl and set aside.

Mix by hand cream cheese and 1/2 of Cool Whip in a separate bowl.

Combine the pudding and cream cheese mixtures stirring by hand until blended. Pour the mixture over the Oreo crust.

Top with the remaining Cool Whip and crumbled Oreos.

let's get this party started

2010-07-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm one of those moms. I live to plan birthday parties for my kids! Without any forethought on my part, I managed to have my oldest in the month of March and my youngest in the month of September. It's perfect this way - six months in between each party. It gives me plenty of time to prepare for each one, and this is essential, because I start planning their parties 2-3 months ahead of time.

I sort of feel sorry for the moms whose kids' birthdays fall one month after another - or goodness, more than one birthday in a month! How stressful to be simultaneously planning more than one child's party, and how hard to get family and friends together over and over again. Plus, it would just be lousy to have one time each year, where you cram in party planning and birthday celebrations, and then have to wait another full year for such excitement to roll around again.

Yes, I definitely feel lucky in the fact that I can begin planning Jules' party in January (right after getting over the holidays), have her party in March. Take a breather, and start planning Griff's party in late June to July, and have his party in September. I joke around and say that IF I had #3, it would just be too ideal to have him/her in June...so then their parties would be every three months! If I have a third, I'm not going to try to arrange a June birth, but I'm just saying it would be convenient:)

So now that I've disclosed my love of planning parties, I just wonder at what point parties go from fun to extreme! What's an ideal birthday party budget? Just this week I've started throwing around party theme ideas for Griff's 2nd birthday. At one point, for just a second, I seriously considered a train theme. Why? Because I found a place that would rent me both a train shaped moon walk and slide, plus an actual little train that would ride the kids around! Patrick immediately informed me that I could not have both. I guess I see his point. To rent both was going to run us about $550, and then there would be food and decoration costs! It really adds up. So now that this plan is out, I've got a few, less expensive ideas, forming in my head. No doubt when I finish typing this post, I'll start researching online, once again, for Griff's party.

The funny thing is that before we had kids, Patrick and I had both swore off throwing parties every single year. We thought it was ridiculous and a waste of money. Sure have a party celebrating the milestones - 1st, 5th, 13th, 16th...but that's it. Obviously, now that I have kids of my own, I've changed my mind. I now say that ridiculously fun parties should happen. Every. Single. Year. Your kids are only young once, and their birthday only happens once a year...so go nuts. Maybe not too terribly, I charged the whole party on my credit card, nuts, but you get my drift!

more veggies please

2010-07-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

Look what I found at Kohl's today! And for only $5! It was up near the registers - you know, where they usually have the $5 stuffed animals and books for sale! I did a double take when I saw it. I never dreamed it would be so cheap, but sure enough it is a part of Kohl's Cares for kids, "where 100% of the net profits are donated to support health and education opportunities for children nationwide" (quote taken from Kohl's website).

I've heard about this book many times. I actually saw Jessica Seinfeld on Oprah when she was first promoting her cookbook. In case you are unaware, what makes her cookbook unique is that each recipe has vegetables hidden inside it. Jessica even shares dessert recipes in this book.

To be honest, before today, I had never seen this cookbook in a store...not that I ever set out to look for it. Anyway, when I saw it (and saw the price) I knew it was going home with me.

I'm going to make these kids of mine eat veggies one way or another:)

walmart - kraft independence day sampling event

2010-06-30T19:28:00.002-05:00

July 1st through July 3rd select Walmart locations are hosting a Kraft Independence Day Sampling Event - FREE. Each day the samples will be offered from 11AM until 4PM. Eight new Kraft products will be available for you to sample:

Hot Dogs (Angus Bun Length)
Kool Aid Fun Fizz
Crystal Light Pure
Dentyne Pure
Oreo Fudge Cremes
Ritz Munchables Pretzel Thins
Jello Mouse (Mint Flavor)
100 Calorie Cheese Bites

Note: It is my understanding that the following Walmarts will be participating: Leeds, Trussville, Springville, Pell City, Oxford, Anniston, Jacksonville & Gardendale. This is not an exclusive list, just the Walmarts I figure most of my readers will be close too.

the wednesday dish

2010-06-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is a new recipe. I found it in a magazine. I love making pasta dishes, but have never made one in a slow-cooker. Overall it was a pretty good meal (my husband said he liked it anyway). I served it with a salad and garlic bread. The only bad part is that it's not your typical slow-cooker recipe where you let your food cook all day. Preparation begins about 3 hours before you want to eat, so it's not that convenient for those who work. For those who don't have time to make it during the week, it's definitely worth trying on a weekend!

slow-cooker baked ziti

Ingredients:

1 15-oz. container part-skim ricotta
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp. salt
1 lb uncooked ziti
Two 25-oz jars marinara sauce
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained (optional)

Preparation:

Combine all three cheeses and salt in a medium bowl. Rinse ziti under cold water in a colander, allowing some water to cling to pasta.
Mist inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Place half of pasta in an even layer over bottom of cooker. Spoon half of sauce over pasta. Dot with half of cheese mixture and half of basil. Repeat with remaining pasta, sauce, cheese and basil. Pour in 2/3 cup water.
Cover and cook on high until pasta is tender. Approximately 2 to 3 hours.

*If you choose to add ground beef. Brown first and then mix with the jars of sauce.

the wednesday dish

2010-06-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

I made this dish tonight (Tuesday), but I completely forgot to snap a picture of it to include in this post. It's simple to make, and a recipe I learned from my Nanny. It has no official name, but when I tell my husband I'm making it for dinner I usually just call it beef, gravy and mashed potatoes. It's one of those recipes that is next to impossible to mess up!

beef, gravy & mashed potatoes

Ingredients:

mashed potatoes (however you like to prepare them - homemade or not)
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 jar of Heinz Beef Gravy

Preparation:

Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet. Drain. Place meat and onions back in skillet, and mix jar of beef gravy in. Warm. Serve over your prepared mashed potatoes.

a little useful information

2010-06-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

I LOVE all you magazine! So much so that I received a subscription as a Christmas gift. Each month's magazine is stuffed full of money saving ideas, and even better, it is stuffed with coupons! The coupons I get out of the magazine and actually use save me enough money to pay for the magazine and then some. For example, I use Neutrogena foundation, and about every other month there is a $3 off coupon for Neutrogena makeup, and that one coupon alone pays for my magazine. You can click here if you're interested in a free trial of all you.

In the June issue I ran across an interesting article and I thought I would pass along a little of what I learned from it.

Wash your dishwasher: Fill the detergent cups with 1/2 cup white vinegar then run your empty dishwasher through a complete cycle.
Clean your garbage disposal: Once every few weeks, put a handful of ice cubes into your disposal. Turn on the disposal while running cold water, and the ice will help break up grease that collects on the blades. To add a bit of freshness toss in some orange, lemon or lime peels into the disposal.
Keep sponges sanitary: After using your kitchen sponge, rinse, squeeze and place in the microwave for three minutes. The heat will help kill any bacteria.
Keep the trash clean: Take old newspaper and line the bottom of your kitchen trash. The newspaper will help soak up leaks and absorb odors.

This is just four of 30 ideas they gave. The ideas seem so simple, but I had never thought of them myself. I thought I would pass this new knowledge on!!!

the wednesday dish

2010-06-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered this recipe in a recipe book I've had for years. I can't remember liking a squash casserole before this one! It's got a really good taste. I love the fact that there's cheese in it:)

Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked, drained squash (fresh or frozen)
1 cup cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small onion, chopped (I usually cook the onion with the squash)
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons of melted butter

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together, and place in glass baking dish. Top with crushed cracker crumbs and melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

sally hansen product review

2010-06-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'll admit, I was a skeptic of this product from the start. I think it just sounded too good to be true. The can boasts "no touching - no spreading - no mess", how wonderful if it were the case

! I know I've had my fair share of nasty, stinky Nair moments. Just the thought of Nair makes my stomach turn. I'll never forget the summer I bought the cucumber melon scented Nair expecting it to actually smell like cucumber melon - I was completely let down when I squeezed some into my hand and it smelled like, well, Nair! So, when I saw this new, spray on formula, I was interested! Then to top it off, I happened upon a $1 off coupon, so that sealed the deal. I bought a can just in time to try it out on my beach trip.

Here are my thoughts on the product. It worked pretty much like they said. I just sprayed it on, and did not touch it at all...just let it set on my legs for approximately 3 minutes, then jumped in the shower and rinsed it off.

I found a few negatives while using the product. When I sprayed it on my legs, it was COLD! It took me by surprise the first time I did it. Also, the can suggests you spray it on yourself while standing in the shower. I did not do this, so I had a very slick floor to clean up thanks to the over spray. Also, it worked much better on my upper legs and the finer hair than on my knees and lower legs. Lastly, for the $7 something I paid for the can, I expected it to last longer, but after about 7 uses, it was gone.

Overall, I would buy this product again, and as long as this item is on the market, you will never see Nair in my shopping cart again.

what a no-fun weekend

2010-06-13T19:47:00.004-05:00

Today I got to have a little "me" time. That's right, 2 whole hours without my kids. It was a totally unexpected couple of hours, and definitely 2 hours I would have much rather spent with my kids. Heck, I would have rather watched paint dry or grass grow! Why? Because my 2 hours alone were spent in the emergency room (and they wouldn't let the kids go back, so Patrick took them to walmart instead).

I'm ok. There was no blood or broken bones. Just a horrible case of food poisoning! It started late Friday afternoon after a meal at - dare I say it - Taco Bell. I won't go into the yucky details, but lets just say I felt like I was pregnant again...nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and stomach cramps that went all the way up my back and mirrored the way I felt when I was in labor with Griff. On a side note, I was just starting to get minor baby fever, since my youngest will be 2 in a couple of months. Let's just say that this weekend nipped that fever in the bud. No new babies for me, thank you.

They drew blood, took a urine sample, and gave me an IV of fluids laced with antibiotic for pain. I started to feel much better, and even enjoyed playing a little Diner Dash 2 on my cell phone. The final diagnosis: acute gastroenteritis. Actually, the doctor said it is either food poisoning or a virus. There's just no way to know with 100% certainty without a stool sample. And my body was not excited nor willing to hand one over. Instead they've sent me home with a little kit to collect one myself and bring it to their lab when I do. I'm, of course, praying for a miraculous healing before I have to "go" again, so no stool sample will be needed.

As I'm typing this, I still feel a bit weak, but not nauseous. Come tomorrow morning I should start feeling a good bit better, because Patrick is going to fill my Vicodin and Zofran prescription. Oh how I would love to be doped up tonight, but the nearest 24 hour pharmacy is just too far. Patrick's willing to make the drive, but honestly, I would just rather have him home with me.

I've spent over 48 hours feeling puny, so maybe, just maybe, I'll be back to my old self soon. Goodness, all I've ate today was a strawberry cereal bar and about 8 tater tots. I'm starving! But, I'm too scared to eat - afraid of a relapse! I'll tell you what, when I do get my appetite back, I already told Patrick we're heading to a buffet:)

FREE kotex sample pack!!!

2010-06-11T14:37:00.002-05:00

Want a free kotex sample pack? If so, click here. As if the news of something free weren't good enough, there's more good news!!! You get to pick from 4 different sample packs, so you're sure to find something you will use. Plus, you can request up to 2 packs per household (so make sure you click the link in this post twice to score a double freebie!).

the wednesday dish

2010-06-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

I love eating chicken pot pie! I always have. Patrick makes a delicious one with homemade crust that he basket weaves (inside joke between the two of us) on top. It's a Paula Dean recipe, I think. Anyway, it's very good. But...that's not the chicken pot pie recipe I use! Seriously, do you think I have the time to make homemade crust when I have two kids running loose in my house? Of course not. So I found an easier and quicker pot pie that is still pretty stinking delicious!!!

My Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour
12 ounce bag frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, & corn)
2 cooked chicken breast halves, cubed
3 small potatoes, peeled, cubed & boiled*
package 2 count pie crust

*Optional ingredient. I've made this recipe with and without potatoes.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 1 TBS evoo in medium saucepan. Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper, cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Stir in 1 cup broth. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1/2 cup broth and flour, and gradually whisk into mixture in saucepan. Bring to a boil, still whisking. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and bring mixture back to a boil. Add chicken and potatoes to boil.

In a glass pie dish place 1 of the pie shells. Press firmly forming the shell to the dish. Pour pot pie mixture into pie shell, and cover with other pie shell. Seal the edges of the pie shells together with fork, and then cut slits in the middle.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

the wednesday dish

2010-06-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

This Wednesday post is going to be a little different! Why? Because I'm at the beach. I have not cooked a single meal all week. Therefore, I have no recipe to share!

This week it's your turn! I want to know your favorite recipe! Maybe it's your signature dish... maybe it's a family favorite...either way I know it will be delish, and I want to know how to make it too:)

So please, leave a recipe comment or two! When I try it myself, I'll be sure to blog about it, and give you props for giving me the know how!

kristen's 25 random things

2010-06-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

Can you come up with 25 odd and random things about yourself? I did. It's a lot of fun to do:) If you're up for the challenge, make your own list. Post your list on your blog and then link it below. Don't have a blog? Not a problem. Just leave your list as a comment.

Have fun with this! I can't wait to read about you!

I have to have an Avon Moisture Therapy chapstick with me at all times.

I took piano from the time I was 4 until I was 17, but rarely play anymore.

I straighten my hair every morning. If I didn't, it would be VERY frizzy.

At least once a day, I turn on some music and dance with my kids.

I could watch the Game Show Network, all day, every day. Family Feud has been my favorite for years!

My dream job: to be a game show host.

I am spoiled rotten by my husband.

I sleep in socks...year round.

As of May 19, 2010, I have been out of high school for decade. I'm starting to feel real old.

Mopping is my least favorite chore and cleaning the toilet and laundry would be my favorites.

I classify myself as blind! I've worn contacts and glasses for so long that I honestly cannot remember being able to see without them.

My favorite sound: My two kiddos belly laughing. Precious...precious...precious.

I had Griff with an epidural...not by choice...he just came too quickly.

I love to sing along to Sirius 32 Hear the Message in my car.

I am a night owl. I'm most productive after 8 pm...that's also when I do most of my blogging.

I've been swept into the Twilight Saga...Team Edward.

I was a bank teller for 5 years. Boy do I have some stories from that experience.

When Griff kisses me, my heart melts.

I love Debbie Cakes. Always have...always will.

Cheese is my favorite food.

I have been to the Jay Leno Show and The Price Is Right in California.

I love letting Jules "fix" my hair. It gives me a reason to sit still, plus I think she enjoys having control over mommy for a change.

I have to iron everything (with the exception of underclothes & socks) whether it needs it or not.

Call my crazy, but I think I want one more child...certainly not right now, but maybe in another year or two.

I come across as shy until I get to know you, then I become quite crazy...just ask my friends:)

weekly lesson #7

2010-05-28T07:00:00.002-05:00

I learned this week that some people know just what to say to make your day:)

I spent Thursday afternoon getting a way too expensive manicure and pedicure, and enjoying every minute of it! The mani & pedi was a special treat from my husband and kids, and it was practically magical:)

While the nice lady was giving me my pedicure she glanced up at one point and did a double take when she noticed my wedding rings. She asked me uncertainly if I was married. I told her that I was, and then she asked me for how long. I told her I had almost been married 7 years. Her eyes got pretty big, and she told me I looked like I should be in high school:)

After the pedicure was done, I moved over to a table for my manicure. Another nice lady worked on my hands. Once she had finished painting my nails, we started talking, and she mentioned that she couldn't believe it was almost 7 pm. She asked me if I had already had dinner, to which I responded no. Listen to this...she looked me dead in the eye, and asked me if my mother was going to have dinner waiting on me when I got home from the nail salon!!!!! I told her no, because I was married. She said she had thought I was a high school student. (side note: she never saw that I was wearing wedding rings. I took them off before she came to the table because of all the lotion and oil they put on you.)

I've always looked younger than my age. For as long as I can remember I've gotten comments when people find out how old I am. Even back in my teenage years. On up into my early 20s, it would make me mad that people thought I was younger than I was. Not sure why, it just did. In the last couple of years (since I became a mom), I've gotten these comments less. Maybe because I look old and tired all the time. Maybe just because I have two little ones tagging along everywhere I go. Now when people comment on how old I look, it's usually in a check-out line, and it sounds something like this: "You don't look old enough to have two kids."

When those two women at the nail salon told me I looked like a high school student they really made my day! Without even knowing it, they told me I looked 10 years younger than I am. I personally think they must not have great vision...there's no way I could seriously pass for 18 again, but it made me smile anyway! Just last week I celebrated 10 years of being out of high school, and according to these ladies, it looks like I never left:)

the wednesday dish

2010-05-26T07:00:00.003-05:00

I found this recipe online last week. It sounded tasty and easy to make, so I thought I would give it a try. I always get nervous when I'm cooking something for the first time, but this turned out pretty well. I love cheese, and while this recipe called for 2 cups, I probably used around 4. The next time I make this, I think I'll stick to the 2 cups...4 cups made it almost too cheesy. Also, I may put some Tabasco in the recipe next time too. Just to give it a little more kick.

Pizza Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can Pillsbury biscuits
1 16oz jar pizza sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 green pepper, chopped*
1 onion, chopped*
1 2oz can sliced black olives*
4oz pepperoni*
2 cups mozzarella cheese

*optional ingredients - put in pizza toppings of your choice

Preparation:

Combine the pizza sauce and cream of mushroom soup in a large bowl. Mix in peppers, onions, and black olives. Cut pepperoni and biscuits into quarters and mix into bowl. Add 1 cup of mozzarella to mix. Pour into a 9x13 dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Top with remaining cup of mozzarella and return to oven until melted.

the family man

2010-05-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend, I stayed up way too late watching this movie. It came on one of our cable channels, and I just couldn't resist (although the next morning, I questioned my sanity for staying up to watch tv when I have little ones who wake up with the sun).

For those of you who have not seen this Nicholas Cage movie ever or in a while, let me give you a very quick synopsis! At the beginning of the movie Cage's character is a wealthy businessman. Although rich and powerful, and in his opinion, happy, he is alone. Years before, he actually chose his career over a girlfriend, and as a result, never married or had children. In a sort of "It's A Wonderful Life" way, he is given a glimpse of what his life could have been had he chosen the girlfriend and not the job. He goes to bed on Christmas night by himself and wakes up the following morning with a wife and two kids. You get to watch him experience life in a completely different way; as a middle class family man. And you get to watch him fall in love with this new life.

Before this weekend, I had seen this movie once before. Nearly 10 years ago when it came out in theaters during the 2000 Christmas season. Patrick and I went on a date to the movies, and this is what we chose to watch. At the time, we had only been dating 3-4 months. No thoughts of marriage and certainly no thoughts of kids.

It was so weird to watch the movie together almost a decade later, and realize how much our lives have changed since we saw it last. We watched the movie this time in a completely new way, because we realized that our lives mirrored those of the characters. We are now the couple with the crazy but ordinary life. We now have our own two kids. Most importantly, seeing this movie made me realize that even though I may occasionally wonder how my life would be different had I made different decisions, I realize that my life is a success! It brought me to tears to think that what Cage's character learns to long for and love, I've had all along!

a tip for couponing at target

2010-05-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

You may know this already...you may not. You can go to target.com and print Target coupons. While a few that you print will be manufacturer's coupons (meaning you can use them in any store), most of them will be Target Web coupons (for Target stores only). This is good news! I've found some excellent Target coupons. I've found coupons for Merona shoes, sunglasses, clothing, and even Circo or Cherokee kids clothes. The great news is that if you have a Target Web coupon for something and you also have a manufactures coupon for the same item, you can pair them up and get extra savings! Just this weekend I did this on some Energizer batteries. I had a $1/1 Target Web coupon and a $1/1 Manufacturer's Coupon, so I got a total of $2 off my batteries. I've been printing Target coupons for a while, but I just found out you can pair them with manufacturer's coupons, so I'm very excited with this new info.

Click here and you can view Target's official coupon policy. I keep a copy of this in my coupon organizer that I take in the store. If the cashier ever questions my pairing the two types of coupons on an item I can pull it out and show her that Target allows it! I know this sounds extreme, but you would be surprised at how little cashiers know about their employer's coupon policy. I've not had a run in at Target yet, but I have at other locations. Anyway, Happy Saving at Target:)

$2/1 coppertone coupon

2010-05-22T14:32:00.003-05:00

This is the first sunscreen coupon I've seen all season! I am so excited! I've been hoping to see one before I had to buy for our beach trip. Click here to get to the coupon's website. Once there, just scroll through the pages for this awesome coupon. While I was there just now I also noticed that the Huggies $3/1 Snug & Dry Diapers had re-set (meaning you should be able to print it 2 more times). I also printed a $2/1 Ovaltine product...this is great, because I've only ever found $1/1 before.

something FREE from chick-fil-a

2010-05-21T17:15:00.005-05:00

Chick-fil-A is about to debut their Spicy Chicken Sandwich! It's set to hit their menu on June 7, 2010. But, you can try the sandwich before then and for FREE!!! From May 31 to June 5 Chick-fil-A is giving a limited number of FREE Spicy Chicken Sandwiches to customers who make reservations. Reservations are easy to make...I've already made mine. Click here to get started. You will get to pick exactly what day and time you want to pick up your sandwich and which Chick-fil-A you want to visit. You will have to print out your reservation con

Remember there is a limited number of reservations available, so hurry up and make yours!

weekly lesson #6

2010-05-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I guess you could say that I've re-learned a lesson this week. It's something I've known all along, but really saw put into action lately. It is the fact that I have an extremely hard working husband. Seriously. He worked 84 hours last week, and will be pushing 90 by this week's end. I cannot even imagine working those kind of hours! I know as a stay-at-home-mom I feel like my job never ends, but at least the kids and I get to come and go as we please and do all sorts of fun stuff during the day.
I miss my husband when he works so much. When he gets home at night after the kids are in bed, and just eats and goes to bed himself. But I am so very thankful that I have a husband who WILL work so hard. There's not a lazy bone in his body!!! He makes me proud!!!

the wednesday dish

2010-05-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

These are really good...and healthy too! You really need to try these for yourself!

Chicken Pita Pizzas

Ingredients:

Package of Pitas

1 small can of tomato sauce

2 cup bag mozzarella cheese

green bell pepper, diced

small zucchini squash, diced

small onion, diced

2 mushroom, sliced (optional)

2 oz. chicken breast, cooked and diced

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small pan saute the peppers, mushrooms, onions and zucchini until tender. Place the pitas on a pizza pan, bottom side up. Spread the tomato sauce over the pita. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with sauteed veggies and cooked chicken. Place in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pitas are golden brown on the bottom.

*I also put black olives on mine.

i ♥ freebies

2010-05-18T16:24:00.003-05:00

Look at the nice surprise I pulled out of my mailbox today! If I remember correctly I requested this box of goodies on Kraft's Facebook page. I had completely forgotten about it until it arrived! I received 3 Maxwell House Vanilla Caramel Latte packets and 4 individual bags of Sundried Tomato & Basil Wheat Thins. Even better is that I received a coupon for a FREE package of Kraft Cheesy Explosion Macaroni and Cheese, and another coupon for a FREE package of Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Angus Beef Bologna or Turkey Pastrami!
The next time I come across a freebie like this, I'll get a post up, so you can take part too!

to be tan

2010-05-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time there lived a girl who kept a tan from the months of May through September. This girl was extremely busy working and going to college, so her beautiful tan came compliments of the local tanning salon. There was no time for a good old fashioned tan from the actual sun. Besides, that kind of tan comes with tan lines...yuck!

Fast forward a few years. The girl is now married, and has a husband who likes keeping a tan too. So much so that it did not take much twisting of his arm, to get him to buy them their very own tanning bed. How heavenly...to be able to come home from work or school and simply go into a room, in your own house, to work on your tan! This tanning bed was open 24/7, and it was truly a prized possession.

Fast forward another few years. The girl and her husband go through a whirlwind of changes. College graduation. New jobs. The selling of a house and the buying of a new one. And the biggest one of all, a baby is on the way. There is no room in the new house for the tanning bed. That's ok though, because a pregnant girl is beautiful even without a tan. The tanning bed goes into storage, in the basement of the girl's in-laws.

Three years later and the tanning bed remains in storage. The girl and her husband had the baby, and wouldn't you know, 17 months later they had another one. Life is busier for them than ever before. The girl is a stay-at-home mom whose job has no set hours, and the husband works 80+ hours some weeks. Life is crazy, but at the same time sweet.

There's a beach trip coming up for this little family in a matter of weeks. For some reason, the girl and her husband start reminiscing about life with a tan, and how nice it would be to go to the beach golden instead of pasty! Fate (aka the GPS) reveals a tanning salon only 5 minutes from where they live, and they happily sign up for a tanning package. In between cooking dinner, bathing kids, brushing teeth, putting on PJ's, and rocking kids to sleep, the parents take turns slipping away to work on their tan. Oh how this little piece of yesteryear makes them happy, makes them feel young again, makes them golden:)

$3 off diaper coupons

2010-05-15T14:16:00.003-05:00

I just happened on some excellent Huggies brand diaper & wipes coupons. These were the ones I found available:

$3 off on one Huggies Little Movers or Little Snugglers Diapers
$3 off on one Huggies Smooth & Dry Diapers
$2 off any two packages of Huggies Baby Wipes 64 ct. or larger
$2 off any package of Huggies 64 ct box and refill package

Click here to get the coupon site, and make sure 06776 is the zip entered (it's the zip the coupons were under on my computer).

*Remember you can print these coupons twice on each printer! You guys in AL, watch your Publix sale papers, because when they have a Huggies coupon in their paper, that is a Publix coupon, so you can combine it and one of these you print, and get the diapers for CHEAP! I've done it a few times:)

weekly lesson #5

2010-05-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

My AAA membership is awesome!

Patrick has had us enrolled in the program for several years now, and each year I happily place my new AAA card in my wallet. Before this week, the card has just sat in my wallet...I didn't realize I actually had a reason to show it off.

That all changed when I was shopping at New York & Co. They had an awesome sale going, 50% off of EVERYTHING! We're having professional beach pictures taken at the beginning of June, so I've been on a mission to find cute clothes for the entire family to wear during the shoot. Well, I stopped in here to see if they had anything for me, and they did. We're going with khaki and white clothes for our pictures, and I found a really cute pair of khaki dress Capri pants. They were $34.50, but with 50% off, I thought $17.25 was a steal. Plus, I found another cute top that I had to have.

When I went to the checkout, the cashier asked me if I had a AAA card. I'm sure I looked at her weird, but told her I did and dug it out of my wallet. She looked at it for a brief second, and told me that the card would score me another 15% off my purchase!

I've been on www.AAA.com a few times since then trying to find out where else I can shop and receive the AAA discount. You know me, I love coupons, and getting a deal, so I'll probably just start asking anywhere I go if they offer a AAA discount. The worst they can tell me is no.

american idol anyone?

2010-05-13T21:15:00.003-05:00

It's down to the top 3.

Casey James. Crystal Bowersox. Lee Dewyze.

Who is your favorite? Who do you think will win?

I'll admit it. I'm one of those people who religiously watches the show. Well, I religiously watch it once it gets dwindled down to the top 12, and then I usually only watch the Tuesday night show. I prefer to skip the results show, or if I'm lucky, happen upon the last 5 minutes. Typically, my mom fills me in on who was sent packing. Also, I'm not one of those viewers who actually votes for a contestant (unless that contestant is from Alabama).

This season I've watched, but haven't really had a favorite. Now that it's down to these three, I would have to say that Lee would get my votes (if I actually voted:)) However, my prediction is that Crystal will win in the end.

Who knows though! I think last year's winner was a complete surprise, so who knows what will happen until it happens!

the wednesday dish

2010-05-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

This week I'm sharing the meatloaf recipe I mentioned last Wednesday. Shame on me because I do not have a meatloaf picture to share. I did make it in the last week, but things have been wild around here, and we ate it, before it even entered my mind to photograph it! So, you'll just have to use your imagination this week:)

This is the only meatloaf recipe I've ever used, and to be honest, I made my first meatloaf only about 2 months ago. I always assumed preparing a meatloaf would be difficult and time consuming, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. If you have a delicious meatloaf recipe of your own, please share it with me!

By the way, what makes preparing a meatloaf worth all the effort is enjoying meatloaf sandwiches the rest of the week!

Kristen's Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey or beef
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup uncooked oats (I add more oats in the end to get the meatloaf the consistency it needs to be)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 medium tomato, pureed
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 small can green chili peppers, undrained
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Mexican blend seasoning (I use Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime)
Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into a loaf and place in a baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for one hour.

BOOK REVIEW The Money Answer Book by Dave Ramsey

2010-05-08T20:43:00.001-05:00

This book offers concise financial advice. Dave Ramsey uses a question and answer format in this book in an effort to address some of the questions he is most frequently asked. There are chapters on topics such as bankruptcy, investing, saving for college, retirement planning, and good ole budgeting. There are easily 100+ questions presented in the book, and each question is accompanied by an easy to read answer.

I liked this book. It was the first Dave Ramsey book I've had the chance to read, and because I enjoyed it, I'm sure it will not be my last. Some of the chapters were irrelevant to my specific financial situation (bankruptcy), other were a little over my head (investing and retirement), but others hit home (how to save for college and budgeting advice). Overall, I think this book is a good resource to add to your library. I definitely know I will hang on to it just in case I need to consult it further in the future.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not asked to write a positive review, but simply, an honest one.

weekly lesson #4

2010-05-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

This week I have learned that no matter how much I may want to blog, I do not always have the time!
There are several reasons I have not blogged much this week:

1. writer's block-I hate when this happens, but every now and then it does! I have a book review that needs to be finished and published, but every night this week that I've tried to work on it, I've just come up blank. Hopefully, it will get published by Monday, so stay tuned:)

2. exhaustion-I hate it when this happens too, but with two small kids using up all my energy and then some, I'm finding myself exhausted more and more. This past weekend, Griff (my 19 month old) came down with conjuntivitus. Thankfully, the drops our pediatrician's office called in have worked, and worked quickly. They have definitely been miracle drops! However, my little guy has not slept well all week, and so, neither has mama!

3. blog reading - I get so caught up catching up on some of my favorite blogs that time gets away from me. Sometimes, it is just easier to read other blog posts instead of creating posts of my own! Plus, I'm always finding new blogs to read...so many blogs...so little time!

So there is my lesson - or should I say confession - of the week!!!

top 3 thursday

2010-05-06T07:28:00.010-05:00

This week's Top 3 Thursday question is:

Where are the Top 3 places that you would most like to visit?

#3 Alaska - To cruise here is something my husband and I both want to do! Maybe, someday we'll get to.

#2 New York City - I've been there once, but it was almost 15 years ago. It's high time I go back:) While there I definitely want to go to the Regis & Kelly Show and ice skate in Rockefeller Center.

#1 Hawaii - We went to Oahu on our honeymoon - it was beautiful. I would love to be able to visit each of the other islands too.

Where would you like to go?

the wednesday dish

2010-05-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe I've made a handful of times. I found it in a magazine, thought it sounded simple enough, and gave it a shot. One of these days I plan to substitute the frozen meatballs for homemade ones. This meal is pretty good with the frozen ones, so I'm sure it will be out of this world if I take the extra step and prepare homemade meatballs! I actually have a tasty meatloaf recipe (that I plan to share next week) that I think will be perfect for the job!

Italian Meatball Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 jar (26 ounces) marinara sauce

1 pound frozen pre-cooked Italian-style meatballs

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/3 cup sliced ripe black olives

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

6 hoagie buns

6 slices mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients (except hoagie buns, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese) in a large saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat about 15 minutes or until meatballs are hot. Place two pieces of cheese on the bottom of each bun. Spoon meatball mixture into buns and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

weekly lesson #3

2010-04-30T07:00:00.001-05:00

Hair conditioner works as well as shave gel when you're in a pinch!

I had read this little tip somewhere, some time ago. So, when I ran out of shave gel after only shaving one leg, I thought it was worth a try. Had it been winter when this happened, I would have simply just shaved one leg, but since it's capri pants and skirt weather, I had to shave both!

The hair conditioner worked even better than I figured it would. The razor glided over my leg as smoothly as it does when I use shave gel. The only down side was that the conditioner was invisible, so you could not tell where you had already shaved. Other than that, I have no other complaints!

Try this alternative yourself the next time your shave gel runs out!

top 3 thursday

2010-04-29T21:00:00.006-05:00

If you could be a character in any movie, not the actor or actress but the character, who would it be and from which movie?

It's late here in VA (10:22 pm), so I am going to make my answers short and sweet!!! By the way, feel free to comment and leave me your top 3 answers as well!

#3 Allie Hamilton Calhoun

The beginning of Noah and Allie's love story takes place in the 1940s. This is an era I have always been intrigued with, and would have loved living through. The Notebook is a touching movie, but the book, written by Nicholas Sparks, is even more incredible. Allie was able to experience a true love that lasted decades! What an amazing gift!

#2 Sara Thomas from Serendipity

Sara ends up with her soul mate...her perfect match! That's reason enough to want to be her! Plus, I like her belief that if something is meant to be, it will be, period.

#1 Bella Swan from Twilight

If you know me at all, you had to see this one coming:) I would want to be Bella for the one simple fact that she gets to love and be loved by Edward! Lucky girl:)

goodbye swoozie's

2010-04-29T13:18:00.002-05:00

I love this store! I've bought Julia's birthday party invitations there twice, Griffin's baby book and several other unique things. The Swoozie's I've always shopped at is located at the Summit, in the strip of mall located behind the Cheesecake Factory. Click here to see which location is closest to you. Now that they are going out of business, you may be able to find some cute Mother's Day gifts and other unique stuff at really good prices. If there was a store close to where I am in Virginia, I would have already been, and given you a first hand account of what I found...but, sadly, the closest one to me is in Tennessee, Pennsylvania or New York, and there's just no way the kids and I are up for that kind of road trip:)

sing it bob & larry

2010-04-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is the cutest CD! It was $9.99 at Target (thanks MaMaw for the $5 gift cards...the kids pooled their cards for this purchase!). It is awesome praise music, but with a Veggie Tales twist. It's perfect for moms and kids. Many of these songs are favorites of mine, and the kids love the fact that the Veggie Tales are helping sing them. It's a win-win, because all three of us could listen to this CD over and over again! I'm so glad Julia spotted it while we were shopping!

the wednesday dish

2010-04-28T07:00:00.002-05:00

This is a must share recipe, because it is a favorite at our house! These cookies are so easy to make, but taste like they are made from scratch! You must try these!!!

white chocolate coconut cookies

Ingredients: 1 roll sugar cookie dough, 2 1/4 cups coconut, 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, break cookie dough into pieces. Add remaining ingredients and knead by hand. Grease or lightly spray a cookie sheet or use parchment paper. Roll cookie dough into balls about the size of golf balls, and bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Yields 24-28 cookies.

6 germiest places

2010-04-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

My Nanny gives me stacks of old magazines, and when I have the time, I flip through them. Mainly I enjoy looking for recipes or craft ideas, but sometimes something else will jump off the page at me...some random story or bit of info.

I thought these facts were part interesting and part creepy. They came from the December 2009 Woman's Day magazine.

The 6 Germiest Places

Shopping Cart - 80% of shopping carts tested had traces of E. coli on them
Cutting Board - More harmful bacteria are here than on a toilet seat
First-floor Elevator Button - Most punched elevator button, so it is highly germy
ATM Enter Key - Another popular button
Your Desktop - Bacteria are higher here, because you spend so much time in this one area
Playground - Bacteria (including fecal bacteria) are all over playgrounds

Lovely, huh?

weekly lesson #2

2010-04-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

This week I have learned that a crayon drawing on my fitted bed sheet is really no big deal!

With my 19 month old being the artist, the bed sheet the canvas, and a blue Crayola as his means to inspiration, a nice (and rather large) scribble highlighted our Tuesday morning. His big sister, Jules, was the one that informed me the incident had occurred, and surprisingly, it didn't really bother me. I guess I was just thankful it was a sheet, and not the headboard or the wall! Apparently, Crayola crayons really are washable, because after just one hot water wash, the sheets are perfectly normal again. Come to think of it though, the sheets were prettier with the drawing on it!!!!

the wednesday dish

2010-04-21T07:00:00.003-05:00

This was the 2nd time I ate this particular Crispy Crown Casserole recipe, but the 1st time I made it (my husband whipped it up the time before). It's actually pretty yummy, and is an excellent one dish meal. It has it all: meat, veggies, starch and dairy. This picture of it is before it went into the oven, obviously. On a side note, the recipe calls for only 1 cup of cheese, but I adore cheese and use a whole 2 cup bag.

crispy crown casserole

Ingredients: 1lb ground beef, 1 onion - finely chopped, 1 can cream of mushroom soup (10 3/4 ounces), 1/4 cup milk, 8-10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 16 ounces crispy crowns.

Preparation: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown ground beef with onions, and drain thoroughly. Put the beef and onions in bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Mix mushroom soup and milk. Layer over ground beef. Sprinkle frozen veggies over mushroom soup mix. Top with 1/2 cup of cheese. Lay crispy crowns in an even layer, and top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes or until crowns are crunchy.

PRODUCT REVIEW Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets

2010-04-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

I received this Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets sample in the mail. The sample included two sheets, so I was able to test the product on two different loads of laundry. In case you are not familiar with this product, let me give you a brief description of what it is. It is the sheet pictured above, and by putting this one sheet in your load of laundry, you are adding the necessary detergent, softener and anti-static. This Purex sheet goes into the wash, and then goes right into the dryer along with the clothes.
What I like about this product:
1. the convenience. no messing with liquid or powder detergent or liquid softener. not having to remember to put the anti-static sheet in the dryer.
2. the fact that it is h/e compatible, meaning that it can be used in a front load washer.
3. the smell. i used spring scent. they also offer a citrus scent.

What I do not like about this product:
1. the fact that you pay for the convenience. i bought a 20 load starter kit from Publix last week. Publix had them on sale for $4.99 and I had a $1 off coupon. So paying $3.99 to do 20 loads of laundry comes out to 20 cents for each load. That's reasonable, I guess, and certainly not going to break my bank account, but I'm not sure at regular price and without a coupon if the convenience would really be worth the price.

My overall opinion:
It's nice to pull a sheet out of the container and throw it into the wash, and that's it! It would certainly de-clutter my laundry room if I only had this one container, and no more big detergent bottle, liquid fabric softener bottle and box of dryer sheets. It does not make me WANT to do laundry like the exaggerating ladies on their commercials lead you to believe it will! Also, it does not seem to clean and soften my clothes any better than my typical washing routine of All free & clear liquid detergent, Snuggle liquid softener, and Great Value dryer sheets. Until it is priced, per load, a little closer to liquid detergent, I do not think I will permanently switch to using it. It will be a luxury item at our house, where if I find it on sale and have a coupon I might just splurge like I did last week!

Couponing 101

2010-04-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

There was a short couponing 101 article in The Birmingham News Extra that ran on April 14, 2010. Articles giving couponing tips are excellent way to gain couponing knowledge. As I read this article several things jumped out at me, and I knew I had to share them on the blog!

First of all, if you are not into coupons yet, either because you just don't think it is worth the time to clip them, or you never remember to use them at the store once you clip them, or whatever your excuse might be, remember this tip. "Look at coupons as cash in your pocket. You'll be less likely to toss them." How true! There are things that I buy on a regular basis like shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, a number of Pillsbury products, diapers, and so much more that I WILL NOT buy without a coupon! Coupons for these things are everywhere, and it is such a waste to not get your 50 cents or $1 off the product! I'll have to do a post soon on certain products that you can literally always find a coupon for. The coupons are out there, I promise. You just have to want to find them!

The second piece of valuable info I found in the Couponing 101 article was a breakdown of which stores double coupons. I'm guilty of only shopping at Publix (because I know their couponing policy well), and Walmart (because it is so conveniently located to my house), but now that I have this information I'm going to try out some other stores...especially if they are running a sale on a product that I have a coupon for!

Publix, Food World, Winn Dixie, and Bruno's double up to 50 cents.
Western doubles up to 65 cents.
Food Giant doubles up to 90 cents on Mondays only.
Aldi does not take coupons.
Walmart takes coupons. However, they do not double and they do not take competitors coupons. You can ad match and use coupons on a product.
Target and Publix will let you use one of their coupons and a manufacturing coupon on the same product.

I'll add one more couponing tip. I did not read this one in the article, and I can only attest to the fact that it works at Publix. The tip is that on the BOGO (buy one, get one free) sales, you can use two coupons...one for each product. I know it doesn't seem logical to be allowed to use a coupon on an item you are getting for free, but Publix apparently doesn't care...they let you do it anyway! Also, if you only need one of the BOGO items or you only want one, because you only have one coupon that's perfectly fine. Publix only advertises the stuff as BOGO. In actuality, it is more like 50% off. If you only get one product, you pay half the price. If you get the two products (BOGO) you pay the full price of one item, but get two. I love this rule, because I don't always need two of an item, and many, many times I have just bought the one.

weekly lesson #1

2010-04-16T07:00:00.002-05:00

Never, NEVER, go to the store, even for a short length of time with Griff (my 19 month old), but no baby wipes! I'm sure this one sentence could stand alone, but I'll elaborate a little.

This past Tuesday, squash casserole was on my menu. After breakfast, I started setting out my ingredients for the dish, and realized that it called for two eggs. It's been several months since I've made this casserole, and I had completely forgotten about the needed eggs. Just the day before, I had used my last two to make blueberry muffins. Even though a trip to the grocery store was not in our Tuesday plan, the kids and I headed out to get the eggs.

In hindsight, I probably should have just postponed the squash casserole until next week, and made something that didn't need eggs. But I didn't!

We get to the store, and run in for our items. Yes it's plural now, because while driving there, I thought of a few other things I should just go ahead and grab, so another emergency trip was not needed. We are in and out in less than 30 minutes. When we get back to our vehicle, I crank the car, then load the groceries in the back. I then get Jules (my 3 year old) buckled in her car seat, and drive the shopping cart to the cart holder with Griff still buckled in. When I get him out of his seat, there is a nice wet spot on the side of his shorts! His diaper had leaked, and it was poop! I open the back of our SUV, and while holding him, rearrange the groceries, so there is a little space for him to lay. Thankfully, I had a diaper with me, but the wipes were MIA! It was a stinky job that I quickly realized tissue (for that's all I had) would not thoroughly remove. I gave up, put a clean diaper on him, strapped him in his seat, and drove like mad home!

I learn from my mistakes! If you ever see me out with my kids, you can be guaranteed a pack of wipes will be close by!

the wednesday dish

2010-04-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

All you need is Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, & EVOO

+ a 16 oz bag of frozen green beans.

I discovered this quick and easy alternative to canned greens from my mother. The first time I made them, I was very skeptical as to how I would actually like them. You see, I'm one of those people who does not like crunchy veggies, and I just assumed that these would be. I was wrong. They were simply perfect...perfectly easy to make, and perfectly delicious!!!

not-out-of-a-can green beans

Ingredients: Sea Salt (table salt will work also), Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and 16 oz bag of frozen green beans. (Note: I usually split the 16oz bag giving me green beans for two meals...I only serve 2 adults and 1 child though.)

Preparation: Pour 1/3 cup of EVOO into your salte pan (you can use more or less EVOO depending on your preference). Turn heat on medium, and pour in your frozen green beans. Take the Garlic and Onion Powder and sprinkle over the beans until they are lightly covered. Do the same with your salt. Cover with lid, so the beans can steam a bit, and stir occasionally. I like my beans a little blackened, and to get them this way I typically cook them right at half an hour. Towards the end of the cook time, you can sprinkle the Garlic and Onion Powder again to help absorb the rest of the oil. Basically, just add the seasonings to taste. Then...ENJOY!

If you have any questions, email me at sweetserendipityblog@yahoo.com.

book give-a-way rules

2010-04-12T22:42:00.004-05:00

Since I cannot keep each book that I review (my house is just not big enough!), I will occasionally do a book give-a-way. If a particular book that I have reviewed interests you, and I have indicated at the end of the review that I will be giving it away, you could be the lucky winner!

Simply follow these two rules to be entered into the drawing:
1. Be a follower of Sweet Serendipity
2. Leave a comment on the blog review post, which includes your email address so I can get in touch with you if you are the winner.

The drawing will remain open for 7 calendar days. For example, if I post a review at 8pm on a Monday, the following Monday after 8pm will be when the winner is chosen. If more than one person puts their name in the hat, the winner will be chosen through www.random.org.

HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!!

BOOK REVIEW Will The World End In 2012? by Raymond C. Hundley, PH.D.

2010-04-12T22:14:00.005-05:00

This book examines 10 different doomsday predictions. From the Mayan calendar’s abrupt end on December 21, 2012 to religious predictions, which point out that the end is near, each chapter of this book looks at a different perspective of how the world could possibly meet its demise, and if that end is really likely to happen in 2012. Even though the author is open about his Christian beliefs in his introduction, he exams each prediction objectively allowing the reader to reach his own opinion.

The title of the book, presented in question form, really caught my attention, and made me curious to know what Hundley thought the answer was. Before reading the book, I had actually heard very little about the 2012 end of the world hype, so I wanted to know why so many people believe the world will end that year. I found this book to be interesting and easy to understand. However, if you are easily worried about impending doom, do not read this book. While several chapters detail some pretty extreme predictions, others, like the one discussing the eruption of a super volcano, will have you scared to death.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not asked to write a positive review, but simply, an honest one.

*Want this book next? I'm passing it on for free! Click here to find out how it can be yours.*

a few good deals...

2010-04-12T08:00:00.004-05:00

You know I love finding coupons...especially when I can pair them with BOGO deals at Publix.

Publix has their Mueller's Wheat Pasta BOGO (buy one get one free) frequently. I bought it several different times when they had it on sale and I had a coupon. Speaking from memory, if you buy this pasta BOGO with the .55/1 coupon the pasta is well under $1 a box. The wheat pasta is delicious too...I can tell no difference in taste or texture from regular pasta.

Go to www.muellershealth.com to print your coupons. Note: most sites will only let you print a coupon twice, but I was able to print 6 of these Mueller's coupons...and I just stopped at 6...Mueller's still had not told me I had reached my coupon printing limit.

The second deal I have found is a free pouch of Uncle Ben's Ready Whole Grain Medley Rice. You can choose either the Chicken Medley or Roasted Garlic.

Visit: http://bit.ly/freeunclebens to get your free pouch in the mail.

the 1st post

2010-04-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my new blog! After weeks of preparation, I'm excited that it is finally time to introduce Sweet Serendipity to you.

My plan is to use this blog to share recipes, book and product reviews, coupons and money saving finds, opinions and whatever else I find time to write about!

Check out the above About tab to learn more about me and Sweet Serendipity. Also, the Blogroll tab lists links directly to blogs I regularly read.

I hope that Sweet Serendipity will quickly become a blog that you look forward to reading! Would you make my day and do one, two, or even three favors for me? Favor 1: I would love it if you would follow my blog (followers make me feel like I'm writing to someone other than myself). Favor 2: If you like what you read, leave a comment (comments make me do a happy dance, and motivate me to blog more often). Favor 3: If you have a blog of your own, grab one of my buttons for your blog (buttons make pretty little additions to your blog, plus they help me spread word about my blog).

I'm so excited that you are here at the very beginning of my new writing adventure! Thanks in advance for stopping by and reading Sweet Serendipity over and over again!

Sweet Serendipity

*BOOK REVIEW* Angel Song by Sheila Walsh & Kathryn Cushman

five question friday

the wednesday dish

*BOOK REVIEW* Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

For God So Loved...

the wednesday dish

*BOOK REVIEW* The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

what bugs me

oh the joys of shopping

the wednesday dish

retail-me-not

saw it & loved it

*BOOK REVIEW* Storm Warning by Billy Graham

the wednesday dish

let's get this party started

more veggies please

walmart - kraft independence day sampling event

the wednesday dish

the wednesday dish

a little useful information

the wednesday dish

sally hansen product review

what a no-fun weekend

FREE kotex sample pack!!!

the wednesday dish

the wednesday dish

kristen's 25 random things

weekly lesson #7

the wednesday dish

the family man

a tip for couponing at target

$2/1 coppertone coupon

something FREE from chick-fil-a

weekly lesson #6

the wednesday dish

i ♥ freebies

to be tan

$3 off diaper coupons

weekly lesson #5

american idol anyone?

the wednesday dish

*BOOK REVIEW* The Money Answer Book by Dave Ramsey

weekly lesson #4

top 3 thursday

the wednesday dish

weekly lesson #3

top 3 thursday

goodbye swoozie's

sing it bob & larry

the wednesday dish

6 germiest places

weekly lesson #2

the wednesday dish

*PRODUCT REVIEW* Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets

Couponing 101

weekly lesson #1

the wednesday dish

book give-a-way rules

*BOOK REVIEW* Will The World End In 2012? by Raymond C. Hundley, PH.D.

a few good deals...

the 1st post

BOOK REVIEW Angel Song by Sheila Walsh & Kathryn Cushman

BOOK REVIEW Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

BOOK REVIEW The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

BOOK REVIEW Storm Warning by Billy Graham

BOOK REVIEW The Money Answer Book by Dave Ramsey

PRODUCT REVIEW Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets

BOOK REVIEW Will The World End In 2012? by Raymond C. Hundley, PH.D.