Free Flowers to make your Neighbors Day!

FYI- check this out and see if your neighborhood is included!

Copied from the FTD website-

FTD® Good Neighbor Day® 2013
Celebrate Friendship & Local Heroes
 The 19th annual FTD® Good Neighbor Day® will take place on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. Hundreds of FTD Florists across the U.S. and Canada are planning exciting local events, making philanthropic donations and helping to spread friendship and kindness to their neighbors through the distribution of free floral bouquets. This year's event is extra special since it falls on Patriot Day, so some FTD Florists may also be celebrating local heroes.


Gift of Flowers
 FTD florists have celebrated FTD® Good Neighbor Day® since 1994, encouraging all neighbors to help create a friendlier, more caring and compassionate world through the gift of flowers. That's why customers are encouraged to keep one flower for themselves and give the others away — brightening the day of many other people.

Find a Participating FTD Florist in your neighborhood.
Free flowers available while supplies last at participating FTD® Florists.

Find a Participating FTD Florist in your neighborhood.
Free flowers available while supplies last.
Unfortunately not in our area but hopefully will be in yours!

Tie Dye Day

A little fun for a Summer afternoon.  This weekend, we made some quick and easy tie dyes!

It all started on a trip to Wal-mart where this was on clearance...

We created a few fun shirts and had loads of fun!  

Little princess did this one all by herself!

My attempt!  Not as good as a five year olds!  

Even had to make a fun one for work!  

And of course the ever coordinated princess had to have matching socks, lol

So what have you been doin fun with your kids this summer?!?

Menu Plan for the week of 9/3-9/8

 

Well, it was a holiday weekend so I am way behind.  Monday was the last day of the BEST OF THE WEST rib cookoff so dinner was served.  BTW Famous Dave's won so if you have one in your area go check them out and tell them CONGRATULATIONS! 

 

And I actually made it to the store this week!  Yea!!! So back to dinners at home...

 

Last night we had

 

Grilled Pork Chops with zucchini and ....

Twice Baked Potato Casserole! 

I made a few changes to the recipe, but overall still the same and the family loved it!  It was definitely a SUCCESS! ( you can check out all my tried and loved Pinterest Favorites here)

Now for the rest of the week!

WEDNESDAY:  Currently in the crockpot is Beef Stew

 

 

 

 

 





THURSDAY:   Tuscan Garlic Chicken from the Recipe Critic

 

 

 

 



 



Friday :  Homemade Pizza

 

Saturday :  BBQ Ribs ( gotta try our own now! )

 

Sunday:    Inside Out Hot Wings with homemade French Fries from the Creole Contessa

 

 

 

What's on Your Menu this week?

 

 

Check out the NEW Nerf Cyber Hoop!!! and SAVE !!!!

The kiddos and I are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new Nerf Cyber Hoop!  If you haven't heard of this yet, you gotta check it out!  Its the nerf basketball all grown up for the IPAD generation.

 Wouldn't it have been cool to actually keep score during a Nerf hoops contest as a kid or even watch highlights of your most spectacular Nerf accomplishments?  Now we can!!!!

Hasbro's Nerf N-Sports Cyberhoop come with an iOS app!  Just download the app and it not only tracks stats and keeps score, but also provides color commentary of the action, records your Nerf contest in both still photos and video, and constructs an actual highlight reel.  The app has built in share capability so that your child can share his accomplishments and even lets you play against other players.  Or if you have two, it has the ability to connect both together for two player action!

Marketing your Blog so Others Will Find You!

I just recently hit my 30,000 pageviews mark!!!!!

 

I know a lot of large blogs would say, OH WELL WHOOP DE DOO I do that every month.  But for me and my often forgotten, very neglected little blog, it is a BIG deal! 

 

So, I wanted to talk today about a few things that have made me so many pageviews on less than 100 posts.  I do not Tweet or post to Facebook, I know I should, I am just not there yet.  If you have read any of my previous posts ( if not,what are you waiting for) you know I love Pinterest !!  It has been my number one referral site.  If you are a small blog and are not on Pinterest, start up NOW.  Not only will you get lots of inspiration, you can find boards to give links to ideas of how to succeed with your blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken with sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts

Ever have cravings for something, creamy and hearty even in the summer?!?



Creamy Chicken with sundried tomatoes and Artichoke hearts

This is one of those meals, creamy parmesean sauce with sundried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms and artichoke hearts...Yumm!!!!

 

 

I don't have a recipe for this, I'm sure there was one long ago and many changes ago but here is how I make it. 

 

Cook Noodles of your choice in a separate pot!  Remember to always salt the water.  Flavor each layer of your food!

 

1)  Melt a half stick of butter in a large skillet.  Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms.  Saute.  Add 1/2 a jar of marinated artichoke hearts and 1/2 a package of sundried tomatoes, sliced.  Mix well.  Remove from pan and set aside. 

 

2) Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil to the pan and heat til ripples appear.  While warming,  Put salt, pepper and galic powder on  3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slice (across the grain) .  Add to pan when the ripples appear.  Gently cook until no longer pink in the middle about 6 minutes.  Remove from skillet and set aside. 

 

3)  Melt the other half of the stick of butter in the skillet, mix in 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of milk ( whole for creamier, skim for a thinner sauce).  Gently warm.  Add 1 cup of grated parmesean cheese and mix til melted.  Add salt, pepper, parsley and garlic to taste. 

 

 

 

4)  Return the vegetables to the pan and reheat.  Add the chicken. 

 

 

 

Once everything has warmed and melded together, pour over drained noodles in the second pot. 

 





 

Enjoy!!

 

Linking up at cleanandscentsible

First Day of School - The differences between Elementary and Middle

Well, the kids were both excited.

 

Sorry for the terrible picture, moving kids and way too early with not much sleep!

No one in the house slept! 

Only one missed the bus, because he was determined to go out to early and then thought something was wrong so he came back home at the time that the bus was due to come! 

But we made it we have survived the morning of the first day BACK TO SCHOOL!

 

We are still moving some of the stuff over to the new house...

Living out of boxes...

Eating on paper plates...when we eat at home...

But we are almost there!  We are ready to start a new school year!

 

We battled the crowds this weekend looking for the perfect first day of school new outfits!

The perfect bookbags were found!  First grader is too excited!  Middle schooler is nervous what the new school will bring. 

 

Me, I am looking forward to getting my dishes unpacked and back to the blog! 

 

I am going to be bringing you a Silhouette cut file this week, (Hopefully) and a tutorial to make a sweet sign for your entry way!  Thanks for bearing with me through the move!

 

We'll be back soon!

 

Are y'all ready for back to school in your neck of the woods?

Make Quotes into a Poster for FREE!

We have been moving into a new rental so that the kids could change school districts.  It has been absolutely exhausting and painful.  Note to self... When transporting large items with wheels check from the inside to ensure they have not shifted before lifting the hatch on SUV.   

Yup, my son's electric scooter was riding the five miles down the road in the back of my SUV and evidently it wanted out very badly because when I opened the hatch it jumped right onto my waiting foot.  I was extremely blessed that it did not break anything, but four days later, I still cannot wear shoes.  and now the toes and sides of my foot are demonstrating beautiful shades of red, blue and purple. 

But I can still walk!  And create.  So one of the projects I have planned for my new master is a three canvas picture of a bird on a tree branch.  I will post it once I have made it, but I found this cool website  where you type in your favorite quote and it makes a poster with the Quote...

There are some pretty cool backgrounds and the results are immediate.  From there you can post it to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and more...

 

 

 If my room was not grays, blacks and whites, I would probably to this one, put it in a frame and use the silhouette  to put the Always Believe in Yourself on the front glass with vinyl.  What do you think?

 

Stop by Recite and try it out.  I'd love for you to share in comments links to your creations!

 

 

Olive Garden Recipes

I am absolutely amazed!  Olive Garden shares over 100 of its recipes on their website!!!

What would you try to create today? 

 I love to attempt copycat recipes to save the money instead of going out and while some are successful, some aren't even close.  But these are not copycats, they are from Olive Garden on their website. 

Chicken Gnocchi Veronese

I think this one is going on next weeks Menu!!

There are 13 appetizers like this

Bruschetta Cannelini

 

36 Main Dishes

 

 



Venetian Apricot Chicken



6 Sauces including....

 

Sambucca Chocolate Fudge Sauce



and Pizzas, Desserts, Vegetables, Soups, Side Dishes and Beverages

Go check them out and tell me what your favorite is!




What I find Pinteresting today!

I love pinterest.  I can sit at the computer and lose my whole life on this site, it is very sad I know...

But my inner child feels like I am being creative by looking at all the wonderful, creativity in others.

In our part of the country it is almost back to school time.  The kids go back on August 12th. 

So for today's pinspiration a few back to school ideas!!

Back to school lunch ideas at Mommy's Kitchen

Some reading ideas from KC Edventures

First Day of Grade Pics at Nest of Posies

For more great Printables you can check this Here

This great linky party with lots of ideas at Learning 4 Keeps

And this SWEET teacher appreciation idea at Recipes We Love

For more Teacher appreciation ideas you can check out my Teacher Gift Ideas Board



Good luck and let me know how back to school is going in your neck of the woods!