How to Kick a Cold Fast

With it being cold and flu season, again. I thought I would post how I kick a cold with some over the counter vitamins and the good old hot toddy.

The first day I started to feel crummy was on a Sunday. That day I just kind of took it easy. On Monday I knew this was becoming a serious cold, but not just a head cold. My throat was feeling scratchy, too. Before I had my coffee, I mixed up my cup of E-mergancy-C. This stuff is a fizzy drink mix packed full of vitamin C, vitamin B, and lots more. It helps boost your system with vitamins and the B-vitamins give you some extra energy. I went to work and came home worn out. This is when I knew I would have to do something before bed.

Just before bedtime, I made myself a hot toddy. There are many variations to this recipe, I use hot black tea, whiskey, honey, and lemon juice(when I have it). To make: fill a coffee cup half way with water and heat. Add about a shot of whiskey and two tablespoons of honey. If you have it, add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Drink it up while it's hot and go to bed with an extra blanket. The whiskey helps you sleep and sweat. The honey sooths the throat, and the lemon is packed with antioxidants. I did this ritual of E-mergancy-C in the morning and hot toddies before bed through Wednesday. I also tried to rest as much as I could. With work and two young children the rest isn't easy. On Wednesday I felt so much better. I wasn't overly tired; I felt like I could accomplish something.

So if you are feeling like a cold is coming on, try drinking a hot toddy before bed. Hey if it was good enough for my grandma, it's good enough for me. Happy Holidays!

Summer Bucket List Final Update

With summer coming to a close, I thought I should give a final update on our bucket list. We didn't get to all the things on the list, but summer was a blast!

Original List:

1. Have a sleep over with friends.
2. Make a back yard splash pad.
3. Plant a garden
4. Run a lemonade stand
5. Short stay-cation
6. Go to local carnival
7. See the animatronic dinosaurs at the zoo
8. Go hiking
9. Have a picnic at the park
10. Visit friends

What we accomplished:

1. Sleep over
2. Back yard water mattress instead of splash pad
3. Garden
4 Went to 2 carnivals (We love Carnivals!)
5. Visited friends
6. Had several picnics in the back yard.
7. Short stay-cation

Our stay-cation was the most expensive item on this list. I would like to share with you how we did it on a budget. We went to Chicago for 2 nights and 3 days. Initially we were going to stay in a friend's condo, but we had to change the date at the last minute and stayed in a hotel. I used hotels.com to book our room. I highly recommend this site for booking hotels. We stayed in the Best Western at Grant Park. We went to the aquarium, the Willis Tower, the beach, Buckingham Fountain, and Lincoln Park Zoo. As you can see we crammed a lot into a few days, but the beach and Zoo were free (you pay to park at the zoo). I prepaid our tickets to be able to bypass the ticket lines at the Willis Tower and aquarium. I didn't think Bubba would do well standing in long lines.

As for food, it is difficult to find a inexpensive hotel in the city that offers any kind of breakfast, so we brought our own. I also packed the individual drink mix packs and water bottles for the kids. This saved on drink costs. Whenever possible, we (the adults) would share a meal with the kids. We did have one nice meal out with friends at Gino's East. Our very generous friends paid. A big thanks to them for that fun dinner. I did splurge on Starbucks coffee since there isn't one where I live. I was in heaven for a few minutes everyday.

Whenever we could, we walked to our destinations, however, that isn't always feasible with two small kids. We did take a taxi three times. The kids thought that the taxi was so cool because they didn't have to sit in car seats!

For all this fun we paid just under $1000.00. This price in includes everything from gas to my Starbucks. However, the best part was all the fun we had together.  

Zucchini Lasagna - They Will Eat It

Every summer my parents grow a wonderfully large garden. Since it is just the two of them, they always have extra vegetable to share with family and friends. I love getting free stuff, so I am always happy to reduce my grocery bill by taking some extra veggies off their hands. However, I don't always know what to do with veggies like zucchini. My kids are little, so they are hit or miss when it comes to food. My husband thinks he might just die if he (knowingly) eats a vegetable, and I think zucchini bread is disgusting.

I turned to the Internet to see what people do with this vegetable. I found several posts on how to make zucchini lasagna. Everyone in this house likes lasagna - well actually if red sauce is put on it we will eat it. After reading about four recipes, I chose the one that seemed the easiest and began making the delicious dinner.

I used this recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/zucchini-lasagna.html , but changed it to fit with what I had in my pantry because I wasn't about to run to the store.

Here's what you need with my changes to the recipe:

• 1 lb 93% lean beef                                                                 (I used venison.)
• 3 cloves garlic                                                                        (minced garlic)
• 1/2 onion
• 1 tsp olive oil                                                                         (vegetable oil)
• salt and pepper
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes                                                   (Jar of Ragu)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil                                                     (Didn't use )                                                    
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick                                     (1 large)
• 15 oz part-skim ricotta
• 16 oz part- mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmigiana Reggiano                                                 (store brand)
• 1 egg

Steps:

1. Slice the Zucchini and sprinkle it with salt. This will dehydrate the zucchini some so it won't be so watery.
2. Brown the meat with the garlic and onion drain the fat.
3. Put the meat and the sauce back in the pan and warm it.
4. In another skillet, place 1 TBS olive oil and heat up. Place the zucchini in the hot oil 2 minutes on each side.
5. Once all the zucchini is seared,  mix together the ricotta, reggiano, and egg,
6. Place a layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Then layer with zucchini and ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Repeat till you run out of ingredients and top with shredded cheese.
7. Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
8. Freeze left overs.

I hope your family likes it as much as mine!

Easy Dinner From: Kroger Deli Review

Recently, as a BzzAgent, I was able to try Kroger's Deli fried chicken with my family. I was glad to get this campaign because, I am always looking for tasty quick dinners for that one night a week we have activities.
After receiving my BzzKit, I checked the calendar to see when I could use this meal to benefit my busy families schedule. I saw that there was a Friday night that we were traveling home for a busy weekend with family. This was the perfect opportunity to try Kroger's Deli Fried Chicken because not only my family could see what it was all about, but so could my parents. When we arrived, I picked up the chicken right from the Kroger Deli. It was hot and ready! My daughter said in the car, "Mom, what smells so good?" I told her that it was dinner. She was very happy with that answer. At my parent's house, we paired the 8 piece chicken with potato salad and carrots. The meals was quick, inexpensive, and very good. My daughter ate two pieces for dinner and asked for another as a snack.
I will definitely keep the Kroger Deli Chicken in mind as an option for busy night dinners.

Disclosure* As a BzzAgent I assure you that the above opinions are my own, and I didn't receive compensation for this review.

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

My husband isn't much of a desert eater, but he loves ice cream cakes from Dairy Queen. So this Father's Day, instead of buying one I thought I would give it a go at making my own. The only way I was going to even attempt this is if I could find a recipe for the crunchy part in the middle. Lucky for me, I found one and to my surprise it only had two ingredients!

I bought all the ingredients and set forth to create this yummy, cute cake. Now, I have to fill you in on some helpful hints to make this easier for all of you; if you choose to make your own cake.

1. If one of your ice cream layers is chocolate, put it as the bottom layer so the ice cream doesn't melt and mix with the frosting.
2. Freeze the cake after each frosting layer. This makes it easier to smooth the frosting and make a pretty cake.

Okay so lets get on with this:

What you need:

1. 2 flavors of ice cream
2. Something for a base: ie: brownies, cake, pie crust
3. Magic Shell
4. Oreos (I used store brand)
5. Frosting
6. Pan (I used a round pan)
7. Plastic wrap

Here's what your do!

Line the pan with plastic wrap. Put the base of your cake in first.

I used a marble cake that was frozen from Bubba's birthday.

Take out the first layer of ice cream and let ti thaw out.

When the ice cream is the consistency of frosting, spread it on top of the base.

Then gently fold the plastic wrap over the ice cream layer and put it in the

freezer till frozen.

To make the awesome crunchy layer:

Take 2 rows of the cookies and smash them up very small.

I did this in a food processor. If you do not have one, put

the cookies in a baggie and smash them with a rolling pin or soup can.

 

 

Once the cookies are all smashed add the entire bottle of magic shell and mix.

It should look something like this. I know it looks yucky,

but it is so good!

Add the cookie layer on top of the first layer of ice cream and put it back in the freezer for 20 minutes. Now put the final layer of ice cream on top. Then put the cake back in the freezer to set. When it has set, spread the icing on top and decorate.

*** Sorry the rest of the pictures were deleted from my computer and camera.

Bucket List Update: Backyard Water Mattress

This activity was not on the original bucket list, but I saw it online and had to try it. It was not difficult to make, but did take about 45 minutes to construct. Plus some additional duct tape because I am not a skilled duct taper. Anyhow, once it was filled and all holes fixed the kids had a great time playing!



 

 

 

If you want to make this all you need is:

 

1. Plastic painters drop cloths

 

2. Duct tape (I needed 2 rolls)

 

3. Water

 

What to do:

 

1. Unfold or roll 4 drop cloths

2. Put 2 cloths together on top each other to make them double thick

3. Tape them together and do the same to the other 2 cloths

4. Put the 2 newly taped sides on top of each other and tape them together, but leave a hole on one corner.

5. Insert hose in the opening and fill with water.

6. Tape the hole closed.

7. ENJOY!

 



Summer Bucket List

For the last two summers, I have either been pregnant or had a new baby which made summer kind of dull. This summer, even though I'm working part time; I wanted to make sure we have a great time. Soon my little ones will be too busy with friends and activities to hang with their super cool mom.

I definitely want to have an awesome memorable summer, but we are on a budget. So I have been reading magazines, looking on the web, and asking other people to compile a list of things we can do this summer.

I have creatively named the the list: Summer of 2013 Bucket List

I know, I know, I'm incredibly creative.

Here's the list so far.

1. Have a sleep over with friends.
2. Make a back yard splash pad.
3. Plant a garden
4. Run a lemonade stand
5. Short stay-cation
6. Go to local carnival
7. See the animatronic dinosaurs at the zoo
8. Go hiking
9. Have a picnic at the park
10. Visit friends

We have started some of these and the stay-cation is in the planning process. Non of these things are too terribly exciting or expensive. The memories of doing these things together as family will make all the difference to my children.



Playtex Bra Review

Playtex has come out with a new bra, and as a BzzAgent I was able to try it out for free. This bra campaign from Playtex boasts that the Playtex Secret bra has not only great style, but a perfect fit as well. This bra comes in what the brand describes as true shades. One will not find this bra with flashy colors, yet variations of skin tones. Naturally, I was very excited to try this bra out.

As a mom of two, I have a hard time finding bras that fit properly. I hate shopping for bras because they look and feel fine in the store, but at home the bra doesn't fit or once I start moving it is very uncomfortable. I also prefer my bras to be natural colors, so I can just grab them and go. When I was chosen for this BzzCampaign, I was happy to give a different bra a try. I ordered a 36 DD in beige with under wire. The style is full coverage which is what I typically buy. When the bra arrived, I took tried it out right away. The fabric felt nice against my skin. The straps didn't dig into my shoulders and the around band stayed in place. However, the bra lacked side cup support. As a mom of two, I definitely need some added support on the sides. So my breast were pointing East and West and it was noticeable through my shirt. I wore the bra for the rest of the day, since I wasn't going anywhere. I was able to wear it all day without any discomfort.

If I did not need the bra to provide more side cup support, I would consider buying the new Playtex bra sold at Kohl's for around $35.00. The bra is comfortable and gives great coverage, but if you are like me and need the side support . . . this bra will not work for you.

**Disclosure: As a BzzAgent, I attest these comments and opinions are genuinely mine. I was not compensated for completing this product review.

Kroger Carbmasters Yogurt Product Review

 

 

 

Kroger has a new healthy yogurt line to offer. Recently, as a BzzAgent, I was able to try this product for free! The line offer has regular, Greek, and Greek lite yogurt types in various flavors. The yogurts are lower in carbohydrates, calories, and sugar than the other brands without sacrificing on the serving size.

 

So far I have tried cherry, peach, strawberry, and carrot cake flavors. I have liked them all as well as the regular brand I usually buy. My 22 month old son loves them as well. I passed some coupons to my parents, and they have tried it too. They agreed that the yogurt was very good. My mom likes that is it low in calories and carbs. because my dad has a specific diet to follow, and this is a product he will actually eat without complaint.

 

I urge anyone who likes yogurt to try this new product from Kroger. It is tasty, affordable, and healthy; you can't beat that!

 

 

Disclosure: As a BzzAgent I tried this product for free. I attest that these comments are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.

No Sew Roman Shade Tutorial

We bought our house almost a year ago. In that time, I have been patiently waiting and thinking about how I can get rid of the vertical blinds that are on every window. I have nothing against vertical blinds for an office building or doctor's office. I do not like them in my home for the following reasons: they look plain, they clink when the window is open, they only open to the side.


                                                                            Before

As this past year has gone on, I have looked at mini blinds, curtains, and roman shades. I love, love, love roman shades because of the cute look and functionality. I hate the price. So I did what I always do; I took to the trusty Internet and found a tutorial on how to make a roman shade without sewing. Then I looked for the fabric I wanted and waited for coupons, so I could make this craft more affordable.

Okay, that's enough rambling, I'll get to the point.

What you need:
1. Tape measure
2. Fabric glue
3. Glue gun
4. Plastic mini blind
5. Fabric

What to do first:
1. Measure your window
2. Buy a mini blind
3. Buy the amount of fabric you need.
**If you are putting this shade on a bright window and want the sunlight blocked, don't forget to buy a sun blocking fabric, too.

Making the blind:

Lay out fabric and measure for the length and width you need.

My window is 60 in. x 39 3/4 in.

I cut the fabric to 62 in. x 41 in.

** Note** I should have cut the length to 64 in. just to have a little more wiggle room.

I used a sun blocking liner for my shade.

If you are using one, lay your already cut fabric on top of

it and cut the liner to the same size.

 

Now take your fabric glue and glue the two fabrics together

and let dry for at least 10 minutes.

 

To make the gluing easier, I folded the fabric back half way,

applied the glue, smoothed it out, and did the same to the other half.

 

Now lay the mini blind all the way out.

 

Remove the bottom.

 

Cut the ladder string. (The skinny one.)

Cut it in several places. You need to remove it completely.

Then take off all the blind slats you don't need.

You must determine how many folds you are going to want, and

leave that number of slats on the blind.

 

Once the extra slats are removed, evenly space the remaining slats.

Then put the bottom back on the strings.

 

Now take your hot glue gun and fold the fabric over the ends

and secure it. Do the top first and then the sides. Make sure

when you do the sides that the slats stay straight. (I didn't do that

and mine are slightly crooked.)

 

Let the blind dry for at least 12 hours. The fabric glues takes some time to set.

 

Hang it up.

 

The first few times you pull up the blind, you will need to assist the folds.

After a few times, the fabric should relax and fold easier.

 

 

 

Cost Break Down

 

2yds printed fabric with 50% off coupon = $9.99

2yds sun blocking fabric with 40% off coupon = $9.59

Fabric glue = $4.99

Mini Blind = $4.26

 

Total Cost = $28.83   That's not too shabby!        

 

 

Progress Report . . . New Year, New or Old Resolutions

At new years, like so many other people, I made these resolutions:

1. Continue loosing the baby weight; I have about 15lbs to go.
2. Have a game night with Misses at least once a week
3. Sign Bubba up for swimming lessons
4. Go on a weekend vacation as a family
5. Organize, organize, organize

Today, I would like to share my progress with you.

1. Weight loss : I have lost 5 of the 15 lbs. My progress is slow with this one but I am working out, and I feel strength improving.
2. Game night has turned into game afternoon. At least once a week, Misses and I play games, do crafts, read books, or bake goodies. The afternoon just seemed to work out better for us.
3. Sadly, I haven't signed Bubba up for swimming lessons yet. I still plan to, but the schedule has to allow for it.
4. My husband and I are planning a little trip for July.
5. I have organized my closet. That is it. I have the next week off, so I hope to achieve this goal then. I am thinking about becoming a Clever Container Consultant as well. I love to organize . . . it is keeping things organized that has proven to be difficult.

As I type this, I think shoot . . . that's not too shabby. I'm still a work in progress; but if I didn't have progress to make, I'm not sure what I'd do with myself.

How are your personal goals/resolutions going?

Shamrock Rice Crispy Treats

It is March! There's a ton of snow on the ground! 

St. Patrick's Day is around the corner, and I'm trying to get on top of this blog. Many times we do things, but I fail to write about it. So here I am being all productive.

I hope you find these treats as cute and yummy as we do.

What you need:

• 5c. Rice Crispy Cereal
• 7 oz Marshmallow Cream 
• 4 TBS. Butter
• Wilton Colored Chocolate Disks
• Shamrock Cookie Cutter

What to do:

• Make rice crispy treats (I use this recipe: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1613,152172-234205,00.html)
• Put the treats in a pan and let cool
• Cut the treats with cookie cutter and place on plate
• Melt the Wilton Disks in the microwave
• Use a small spatula to spread on top of the treats.
• Let set
• Enjoy!

Picture instructions below.

Candy Melts

 

Spread in Pan

 

Cut out Treats

 

All done! Don't they look cute and yummy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cabin Fever is Setting In

My kids are the kind that want to be outside from sun up to sun down. They don't care if the weather is good or bad. However, I am not as adventurous or tolerant of our Midwestern climate. It has been pretty cold this winter and we just got roughly eight inches of snow last week. We did get out and play in it more than once, but eight inches is difficult to navigate when you are dressed like Ralphy's little brother in The Christmas Story.

Since we are projected to get about eight more inches on top of the eight we already have, I thought it would be a good idea to get these kids out of the house to run and play.

Yesterday, we went over to Clinton, IA to check out the Discovery Center. It was pretty cool for the size of town it is located in. Not to mention, I really liked that all the exhibits were on one level that was all open. So I could stay close to Bubba while letting Misses explore and make friends. Below, you will find pictures of the fun we had yesterday.

Train Engine

Train Engine

Train Table

School House

Ambulance

Mini Golf

 





There were many more exhibits, but I wanted to play too, so I put the camera away.

If you are ever up around Clinton, IA check out the Discovery Center. It is worth the $4.00 per person entry fee. The staff is very friendly.



Thankful Wreath Activity/Craft



Not to long ago, I saw a wreath crafted on Pinterest (at least I think it was Pinterest). Anyway, it was a Thankful Wreath. When I saw it, I thought, that would be a good activity for Misses and I for Thanksgiving and to reiterate gratefulness.

So I took myself over the the craft section of the store. I do not frequent this area, but I found the materials needed to complete the wreath.

Materials:
1. Wreath foam form
2. Ribbon in the color of your choice
3. Straight pins
4. Construction paper

After I got all the things we needed, I set forth to wrap the ribbon around the form. One spool was not enough, but I had some fabric scraps and that covered the rest. Then I drew little leaves on the construction paper. After I drew the leaves, Misses and I started saying all the things we were thankful for. I wrote all the responses on the leaves; we both cut the leaves out. Next, I used the straight pins to hold the leaves on the wreath. They are easily pushed into the form and add alittle silver pop. Finally, we hung the wreath in our dining room.

I wish I would have thought to take a pic of the finished product, but I didn't. Using the pins also allows for use year after year.

Rainbow Cupcakes

Misses recently turned 5! This year for her birthday, she wanted rainbow cupcakes. I groaned just a little at this. I do not care for making cupcakes. Since that is what she wanted, we looked on the Internet for some inspiration. In no time, we found a picture of cupcakes with sky blue frosting and candy rainbows on top.

After finding what we were going to do. I gathered the supplies.

What you need:
1. Box of cake mix (I use whatever I have on hand.)
2. Ingredients for frosting     (see: Thomas Cake for recipe)
3. Cup cake papers
4. Sour rainbow Airheads (I found them at Walmart.)

What to do:
1. Make the cup cakes according to the box instructions.
2. Make the frosting.
3. Frost the cupcakes with the blue frosting.
4. Cut the Airheads to the length you want for the rainbows.
5. Pipe 2 white frosting lines on top the blue and push the Airheads into them.
6. Pipe the white frosting around the Airheads to hold them in place and look pretty.

 

Here they are all finished. They are easy to make and very cute.



Homemade Valentine's Saves $$

This year Misses is in preschool. Her class has 20 students in it, and Misses needed to take a Valentine to school for each of them. After a couple trips to the store, looking at the options and prices for Valentines, I decided to see if Misses could make her own.

Making Valentines is a great activity for my daughter. She loves to do all things crafty. Later that week, I was flipping through a magazine and saw a child stamping red hearts with a toilet paper roll. I instantly got excited. I know, I know, I'm a dork. I just love saving money.

I set forth to collect all the supplies we needed to make these cute Valentines. Luckily, I had everything we needed.

Supplies:
card stock
paint
toilet paper roll
marker

Instructions:
Cut the card stock in strips and then cut the strips in half. You are making a little post card Valentine. Then write Happy Valentine's Day! Next, bend the toilet paper roll into a heart shape. Have your child dip the roll into the paint, and stamp it onto the card.

 

 

 

Let them dry. If you want to add a piece of candy or pencil that is up to you. We added pencils by taping them to the back. The total cost of these Valentine's were $1.94 for the pencils, since I had all the other materials on hand. Not to mention, putting these together was a nice activity Misses and I were able to do together. 

Cheerio Snacks

Last Christmas, I made party mix for friends and family. I got a little over excited with the great cereal prices and now have 2 big boxes of plain Cheerios. My kids will not eat them plain. I will only eat them for breakfast with about a 1/4 cup of sugar added to them. You know, just enough to scrape it off the bottom of the bowl with each bite. That doesn't work for me right now, because I am trying to loose weight. So I turned to the trusty Pinterest to see what I could do with these Cheerios.

I had pinned this recipe awhile ago.

• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. corn syrup
• 1 c. creamy peanut butter
• 1 t. vanilla
• 5 c. Cheerios (the original recipe called for Honey Nut)
   I added red chocolate drizzle to the top of mine for Valentine's Day

In a large sauce pan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Bring to boil over medium heat.
Allow mixture to boil for one minute and remove from heat.
Add peanut butter and vanilla to mixture and mix until smooth.
Add Cheerios and mix until all coated.
Drop mixture by spoonful onto waxed paper and allow to cool.

Makes approximately 2 dozen.

Thanks to http://kathiecooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/cheerio-treats.html for this recipe.

If I did the math correctly, each treat has roughly 168 calories. I figured one to be the serving.


Trail Mix with Cheerios
This recipe, I made up by adding ingredients I already had on hand.

Ingredients

2c. Plain Cheerios
.5c. Blueberry Craisins
.5c. Cherry Craisins
1c. M&M

Put all in a large resealable container and enjoy!

Almost Old Mother Hubbard

As the nursery rhyme goes . . . Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to give her dog a bone. When she looked the cupboard was empty. This is almost the scenario in my house the last couple of days. As you can imagine, dinner here as needed to be creative and tasty. Which can be a difficult accomplishment with a picky husband and two little kids.

Okay, I need to explain why there is little food in my house right now. We are at the point where we need everything, and I coupon to help keep the food budget in check. I have Misses (4) and Bubba (20 mos.) with me almost all the time. I know from interesting experience that trying to buy a lot of groceries and use coupons at the same time does not make for a delightful time for any one within a 20 foot radius. Not to mention, Bubba likes to throw things out of the cart while we are shopping. I can't prevent that from happening when the cart is over flowing. Plus, it has been pretty cold out, and I haven't wanted to bring all the groceries in alone with my little helpers. Tomorrow, there will be full cupboards, since my husband has a day off!

Since there was little food this evening, I found all the stuff I needed to make homemade pizza.

Ingredients:


Pie crust
Cheese
Pepperoni
Tomato Sauce







Instructions:

Lay out pie crust on baking sheet and use a fork
to poke holes in it.

Bake it in the oven for 10 min.









Remove it from the oven and spread the sauce on top.

Add the pepperoni.

Spread the cheese on top.












Then add any other toppings you like or have on hand. We added onions and green peppers. Put it back in the oven for the 15 min. or until crust is fully cooked and cheese is melted.




This meal was pretty good. The crust is a little doughy, but very good.

So if you find yourself in a similar situation, don't pick up the phone and call for take out. Look at what you have and get creative. Misses liked helping me make this pizza. The lack of food in the house made for a fun activity and bonding time for us.