Friday, March 11, 2016

Friday Highlights 2016 V10

Hello Friday!

It has been a long and dreary week and we are oh so ready for the return of that sunshine and warm weather that we were enjoying. March always seems to be so gloomy, rainy and windy and 5 days of it in a row gets to be a bit much. 

Weekend plans consist of pretty much nothing AKA lots of time with my laptop and a larger than life cupcake.
Things could be so much worse.

How about you? 
What do you have planned?

{ONE}  Blog Recap

This week on the blog I shared about...


 Our Pretty Little Girls 2nd birthday! We are officially two now!
Our February in numbers.
'The Kid(s) Behind The Blog's' Second link-up
Our February Picture Perfect link-up.

{TWO} A BIG Change

This weekend there are some exciting changes happening here.
But, if everything goes well you won't know any different.
(Other than a pretty new page design of course)


Here's a sneak peak at the new look.

Later tonight I begin the process of switching our Blogger blog over to a self-hosted WordPress. Say a little prayer for me and wish me lots of luck because like most of my projects I am DIY'ing this transition.

{THREE} Easter Fun


Looking for some fun Easter posts too check out?!

Whitney from Polka Dotty Place did a fun feature on chalk eggs.
Last week I shared how you can DIY your own resurrection eggs.
Stephanie from Wife Mommy Me shares 25 candyless Easter basket ideas
And that adorable Bunny Pie is the perfect dessert for your Easter Meal.

{FOUR} Ibotta

Confession. I found out about Ibotta one week ago today when my friend Anna brought ups the $43 in gift cards that she had earned in a matter of months. If there is one thing I love it is getting money back for buying things I was already going to buy!

So that got me  thinking surely I'm not the only one who has never heard of this app? 
Yes? No?

Check it out today and when you use my link you will get an extra $10 when you make you redeem your first coupon. 

{FIVE} Almost Famous... Again

Sunday morning I was shocked when someone said they saw Emily's photo in the local paper.
Marissa's response: "WHAT?! Emily, AGAIN!"


It turns out the individual making the ad for the 2016 JMR run must have thought Emily was just as cute as we do and picked her to be the "fun run poster child"


I think they picked well.

Friday Linkup Parties
To see where I am linking up check out my link-up tab.

Have a great weekend!
We will see you back here soon.

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Thursday, March 10, 2016

Picture Perfect Project V3: February 2016

Another month of photos is done.

Goodness does it seem like the year is flying by with the first two months of the year already over. 
Today I'll be sharing February's photos for our 2016 Picture Perfect Project.

I kept things the same as last month. I love the idea of taking my photos in the same spot every week but the lighting in that room is proving to be a challenge and wanting to cause some unpleasant shadows in my photos and that is really starting to bug me. So I'll either get over it or pick a different location.

Let's take a look!

February

Week 6
Emily has been quite the over smiler aka sarcastic smiler lately. It has made for some "Interesting" photos.
Oh and look, a Minnie Mouse dress!



Week 7
These photos have made me VERY aware of how often I just let the girls wear headbands and don't really fix their hair. So this week I braided M's bangs and gave sister some pig tails. 



Week 8
Emily's birthday week and she wore the best Minnie Mouse dress ever.
It's like a Minnie lovers princess dream come true!



Week 9

The shadow and lighting was especially terrible this day.
This was the morning of our overnight get away.
The girls just "HAD" to pose with their new Build-A-Bear friends. 



And that wraps up February and 9 of 52 photos.

2016 so far...

January


Now it's your turn to link-up!

Grab the button from my sidebar and share the photos you've been taking lately.


Courtney // Sweet Turtle Soup
Desiree // Macke Monologues
Elizabeth // Chasin Mason
Stephanie // Wife Mommy Me
Whitney // Work It Mommy





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Wednesday, March 9, 2016

The Kid(s) Behind The Blog V2: March 2016

It's time for the second month of 'The Kid(s) Behind The Blog'!

First off I want to say a HUGE thank you to those of you who linked up with us last month.
We had a whopping 22 of you join the fun and for a brand new link-up that felt huge to us.


Secondly, this might just be my new favorite monthly link-up.
I love photos, Target and all thing home-school, but putting the spotlight on those kiddos and hearing what they have to say has been so much fun.



So let's see what those crazy girls of mine had to say this month.

What do you enjoy doing with Mommy and Daddy?
Marissa// I just like to spend time together, doing all sorts of stuff.
Emily// Playing with you.... WITH MINNIE STUFF!!!

Name one thing you are really good at?
Marissa// Uh... Riding my bike.
Emily// Hmmm... Ummm... Playing games?!

What is one thing that Mommy and Daddy tell you often?
Marissa// That you love me!
Emily// I do not know. *So I prompt a bit* Do your school work!!!

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Marissa// A mommy!
*NOTE* Emily who I surveyed first, alone was still in the room and she loudly said "I thought you wanted to be a donut maker!"
Emily// You know what, A MOMMY!

What do you think Mommy and Daddy do when you go to bed at night?
Marissa// I think you have a snack or something *She's onto us!*
Emily// Watch something? Talk to each other? I do not know. 

Meet the hosts!
Crystal // Hall Around Texas
Beth // Our Pretty Little Girls
Meghan // The Adventure Starts Here
Jessica // Secrets of a SAHM
Stephanie // Wife Mommy Me

Link-up!
Now it is your turn.
Grab the button from my side bar and link up!

We can't wait to read your answers!

Next months questions are...

What is your favorite thing to do with your friends?
Who is your favorite person?
When playing outside, what do your ideal sunny day plans look like?
What do you like to do when it's raining? (Since April showers bring May flowers)
If you could plant a garden of anything, what would you plant?

Plan to join us again on April 13th!

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Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Bunny Pie #EasterMadeEasy {Recipe & Tutorial}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EasterMadeEasy #CollectiveBias

Spring is in the air!

For the first time in years spring has actually sprung early, thank you Jesus! With Easter arriving early this year I am so glad the weather will match the occasion and maybe we won't be wearing coats over our Easter dresses after all. 

Today I wanted to share the perfect delicious & quick Easter dessert with you. It is something that you can whip up in a matter of minutes with the kids and is sure to leave your dinner guests, friends or whomever impressed!


Sometimes I want to make a special treat but I don't always have time to whip up a made from scratch dessert, especially during the busyness of spring. Anyone else in the same boat as me?!


Enter Mrs. Smith's & Edwards Pies.
They are a total game changer.

Recently while shopping at my local Wal-Mart I decided to stock up on a few items to get me through the next couple of months. Walmart has a HUGE variety of Mrs. Smith's & Edwards Pies. I try to keep one in the freezer year round, you never know when you might need dessert in a pinch. Oh the many times that I have been rescued by their convenience. Not to mention all of the times that we pull one out just because it is a Monday.

Right now you can save $1 on any Mrs. Smith or Edwards Pie purchase on Ibotta!
I recently signed up for Ibotta after my friend Anna recommended it and I am already loving it.


This particular shopping trip I had something extra special in mind. With Easter less than 3 weeks away, now is the time to start planning and preparing for all of the celebrations. I picked out my pies, headed home and got to work.


The pie is pretty perfect just the way it comes.
Those delicious layer and a homemade cookie crust make every bite delicious. 

I decided that by adding a few simple ingredients I could turn this pie into something festive.



print recipe

Bunny Pie
A fun festive treat featuring Edwards.
Ingredients
  • 1 Edwards Pie (any flavor)
  • 2 Black Grapes
  • 1 Raspberry
  • 1 piece Pull n' Peel licorice
  • 1-1.5 Cups Whipped Topping
  • 1 Piece of white card stock
  • 1 Piece of pink paper
Instructions
1) Remove the pie from the box and fill in the middle with and even layer of whipped topping.

2) Use the grapes, raspberry and licorice to create the bunnies eyes, nose and whiskers.

3) Cut the card stock and pink paper into bunny ears (gluing together if needed and slide them in between the crust and the pie plate.

4) Enjoy!

Details
Prep time: Cook time: 0 minutes Total time: Yield: 1 Pie


How cute is this pie?!
My girls were GIDDY with excitement

#EasterMadeEasy




Fun and simple to make.
Delicious to eat! 

Mrs. Smith's and Edwards Pies are the perfect dessert any time of the year for any occasion.


What is your favorite kind of pie?
With the huge variety Mrs's Smith's and Edwards make you are sure to find something for everyone!

Now it's your turn to link up for this weeks Tuesday Talk!
Grab the button in my sidebar and join the fun!




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Monday, March 7, 2016

February In Number {2016}

I had so much fun writing up my January in numbers post  that I decided to make it a part of the monthly blog rotation. It is such a fun way to recap a month and add up all of the little things that make up our days.


Recipes shared: 2
I feel the need to add that I tried the blueberry muffins with strawberries this week and they were equally amazing.


Trips to the gym: 15
Honestly I am completely shocked and had to double check my check ins. I only thought I had 13 or so. 

Cupcakes baked: 36
I did a trial batch and a birthday batch and ate entirely to many.


Episodes of Parks & Rec Watched: 23
I think this show is officially my all time favorite now. It is just the funniest.

Rounds fired: 180
Pew, pew! Working on my skills, watch out.


Hours spent debating 2016/2017 curriculum: 12... at least
So glad for my friend Anna and my SIL who I can bounce ideas off of.

Cell Phone Selfies: 28


NASCAR Races watched:2

Tickets purchased to the May 7th, Kansas Speedway Race: 2!
Boogity, boogity we're going to a race!

Nights away: 1
And it was glorious.


Paper hearts cut out: 96'ish

Girl night/dates with Anna: 4
I think that might be a record number in one month.


Blog posts wrote: 22

Years Emily turned: 5

Pieces my heart broke into while looking at her 5 year photos: Hundreds
I was am just not ready for my baby to be 5.


And that recaps our February... now that we are a week into March already :/.

Linking up with Deena @ Shoes to Shiraz

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Saturday, March 5, 2016

Happy Second Birthday Our Pretty Little Girls!

So I don't normally post on a Saturday but...

Today we are officially two! 


And I think that is worth celebrating.

(Last years celebratory cupcake)

So today I will light another candle and celebrate two year of living the blogger life.

Thank you so much for celebrating with me!
Your sweet words of encouragement and compliments this week have meant the world to me

And just in cased you missed IT, there is a giveaway going on right now!
Time to enter is running out, so don't delay!


I linked up with Whitney @ Work it Mommy & Courtney @ Sweet Turtle Soup to put together this awesome package.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
Have a great rest of your weekend!

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Friday, March 4, 2016

Friday Highlights 3.4.16

Happy Fri-Yay Friends 

Things are going to be a bit different around here today as I stray away from my typical Friday five format. This week I had the pleasure of working with Hello Fresh who hired me to share their amazing service with you. Today I want to talk about my experience and give you my honest opinion while I share 5 reasons why Hello Fresh is awesome!


{ONE} Convenience

Two hands in the air if going to the grocery store pains you. Anyone else?! Picking a menu, creating a shopping list, loading up the kids and going to the store. It is definitely one of my least favorite tasks. Hello Fresh takes the work out of the process by creating a menu, doing the shopping for you and delivering quality, fresh ingredient to your door step, FOR FREE!


When my box arrived, I naturally dropped everything to dig into it right away. On top I found my recipe cards followed by boxes with the ingredients for each meal. Underneath that was a cardboard layer with several large ice packs and the meat. It was all wrapped in an insulated bag. Leaving me already impressed. 



{TWO} Quality

Hello Fresh provides gorgeous, high quality ingredients that are purchased from their local suppliers. Not only are the ingredients a great quality, they also send you almost everything you need for the recipes. In the three Hello Fresh meals that I fixed the only thing I used from my pantry was a bottle of olive oil.




{THREE} Creativity

I absolutely love being creative in the kitchen, but sometimes I find myself stuck in our routine or a comfort zone. Hello Fresh challenged me to be creative by using new ingredients and flavor combinations. The meals I prepared were more gourmet and healthier than our typical week night meals and that was a great change.




{FOUR} Fun

Hello Fresh made cooking exciting and fun again. I often find myself in the "do we really need to eat dinner" rut, but not this week. Preparing the meals was so easy and exciting. The whole family really enjoyed being a part of the process and I found Marissa excitedly asking which box we were going to fix tonight!




{FIVE} Flavor

The meals we tried were:
Crispy Chicken Pamigiana Salad
Korean-Style Beef Stir Fry
Jamies Mega Mushroom & Lentil Curry with Tomato, Cilantro & Lemony Rice

We definitely had our favorite, the Crispy Chicken Parmigiana Salad, but all of the recipes were so flavorful and unique. Hello Fresh loves picky eaters too. With their classic box you are able to hand pick up to 5 recipes a week to try.




Are you interested yet?
Convenience that you will love.
Amazing, quality ingredients.
Creative recipes & flavors.
Meals that are fun to prepare.
Great, gourmet meals at home.
Why wouldn't you be?!

To take $35 off your first box use code: Pretty35

What are you waiting for?!
 

Friday Linkup Parties
To see where I am linking up check out my link-up tab.

Have a great weekend!
We will see you back here soon.

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