Ok here is a quickie but goodie for you! I have got to share about a great opportunity to build your child's library for free. Yep you read that right FREE.
Dolly Parton graciously hosts and Imagination Library. You can check the site to see if there is one available in your area and then register your child.
Each child will receive a new book every month until they reach 5 years old. A new book each month for each child. The books come in the mail and my boys love getting "their own mail" each month.
As a former teacher I have a great love for books and this is a wonderful opportunity for children every where.
Here is the website to check out the Imagination Library.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Friday, April 15, 2016
Some things I am up to
Ok today has to be a quickie because it is a BUSY weekend filled with birthdays and parties. I did want to give you a little teaser of what I have been up to craft wise.
Next week I will be sharing more about some wooden cutouts I have been working on.
I was riding down the road from dinner one night when these popped in my head and my wonderful hubby helped turn my idea into reality. So happy with them. Of course one is going on my door or wall and the rest will make it to my Etsy shop. (coming soon)
Next week I will be sharing more about some wooden cutouts I have been working on.
And then these lovelies! Ahh just so pleased with them.
I was riding down the road from dinner one night when these popped in my head and my wonderful hubby helped turn my idea into reality. So happy with them. Of course one is going on my door or wall and the rest will make it to my Etsy shop. (coming soon)
Here is some handprint crafting I did with my boys. Love these duckies and they look great in the bathroom.
Here is a piece my hubby made that I will give some details about. I just love handmade furniture and if he can think it up he can build it. Blessed girl!
I made some cheap and easy monogramed decorations for my cleaned off TV cabinet. They are not perfect but I am perfectly happy with them.
And last not but not least I now have finally trying my hand with some vinyl. So excited and pleased with how they have come out. One is for my father in laws birthday and the others will make it to Etsy.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
4 years have passed but Hi! Let me reintroduce myself!
Well Hi there! Is there anyone there? If so thanks for being patient with me or welcome because you must be new. So lets see, I have been a little slack in my blogging, like 4 years slack to be exact. Life happened and well time for blogging somehow went right out the window. We had some wonderful blessings during those 4 years and some terrible trying times also. I will try to catch you up a bit just so I feel like I can reintroduce myself to those that have stuck around and those that are just stopping by for the first time. (I know I like to have a little back ground info on the blogs I follow, I like to connect with people).
Ok so I was a mommy of 2 in 2012 and now I am a mommy of 3 with a surprise on the way. I have 3 little boys- Conner turning 7 tomorrow, Gavin just turned 4 in January, and Holden just turned 2 in February. We are not awaiting a new surprise bundle of joy that is actually due on my birthday, July 29th. We have stayed team green till this point but maybe caving in soon. (more on that in a future post)
I have been married to my sweet hubby for 13, almost 14 years. We have had rough moments with early miscarriages, house issues, and life but it has always made us stronger. He is as unromantic as they come and I could eat up romance novels. (well before I had children now I only read children's stories, there is no time for mommy to read adult books) We are a bit different but go together perfectly and seem to balance each other out. He loves to hunt, fish, and build things. I keep him busy with crafts, projects, and my next "big idea".
I am a stay at home mommy but try to help with the finances when and where I can (this is where the "big ideas" come in). I am crafty and do it for the love of it but am learning how to make a living with it some too. I used to teach Kindergarten and then 1st grade. I taught for 5 years and then after 3 miscarriages we were blessed with our 1st baby and I started staying home. After my second little man was born I started blogging and stumbled upon Paparazzi Accessories. I had never sold anything in my life but after my hubby gave the go ahead I jumped in. It really was fun and helped build my confidence going to events and hosting parties. (If you are interested in checking it out you can visit my website here. All pieces are $5, you can't beat that!) After my 3rd little guy came I was feeling a bit out of shape and decided to give T 25 a chance to get back into fitness. During that time we had a horrible family battle over land (a really long story) and moved very quickly when my baby was only 2 months old. We stayed about 8 months with my parents and I was desperate to get out and help more financially. Well we were enjoying shakeology and I decided to take the leap and start coaching with Beach Body. I really signed up more to just get the discount on my shakes but it was amazing how many people were interested, felt connected, and needed the support as much as I did. Never thought I would be a fitness coach but I fell in love with it. Piyo was my go to program and while I had never done pilates or yoga, I loved it! A few months later my hubby finally jumped on the wagon with me. He was over weight, high blood pressure, and had terrible eating habits. I got him started on 21 Day Fix and he lost 28 pounds in the first 21 days. I was so proud and he was hooked. Blood pressure lowered and just so much healthier. So I have enjoyed my beach body job for almost 2 years now. If you would like more info on coaching, programs, have questions or just need support please let me know. I run free groups every month so it is not just about selling a program. If you would like to check my site out you can click, healthy. I am now thinking about subbing until this little one comes and starting an Etsy shop. (I always and planning and thinking of how I can help financially, we have a house payment coming up and debt makes me nervous.)
Along with all the babies and new jobs/hobbies I have going on, we are finally making ground on building a house. Our house story is a long and messy one and has been about 6 years in the making. But Praise God we are finally getting there. Just waiting on the bank and then we can start. I am actually getting so impatient. I know if I can wait 6 years, that 30 days should not be too much to ask but ahh it is killing me.
So that is a quick idea of what I have been up to. You can expect to find plenty of house stuff, crafts, recipes, kids stories, fitness, encouraging scriptures, rants, raves, tips, trick, and well just about anything else on this blog. I hope you come back to visit. I do have some serious/emotional things to share soon and I guess that is what got me to pick the old blog back up. Being a stay at home mommy leaves me longing for company and adult interaction, so hopeful to make some new friends.
Oh and I almost forgot. You can find me on facebook at My Blessed Mess. I have lots of recipes, tips, exercises, crafts, and funny things on there for you to check out. Have a wonderful day and I hope you come back!
Andrea
Ok so I was a mommy of 2 in 2012 and now I am a mommy of 3 with a surprise on the way. I have 3 little boys- Conner turning 7 tomorrow, Gavin just turned 4 in January, and Holden just turned 2 in February. We are not awaiting a new surprise bundle of joy that is actually due on my birthday, July 29th. We have stayed team green till this point but maybe caving in soon. (more on that in a future post)
I have been married to my sweet hubby for 13, almost 14 years. We have had rough moments with early miscarriages, house issues, and life but it has always made us stronger. He is as unromantic as they come and I could eat up romance novels. (well before I had children now I only read children's stories, there is no time for mommy to read adult books) We are a bit different but go together perfectly and seem to balance each other out. He loves to hunt, fish, and build things. I keep him busy with crafts, projects, and my next "big idea".
I am a stay at home mommy but try to help with the finances when and where I can (this is where the "big ideas" come in). I am crafty and do it for the love of it but am learning how to make a living with it some too. I used to teach Kindergarten and then 1st grade. I taught for 5 years and then after 3 miscarriages we were blessed with our 1st baby and I started staying home. After my second little man was born I started blogging and stumbled upon Paparazzi Accessories. I had never sold anything in my life but after my hubby gave the go ahead I jumped in. It really was fun and helped build my confidence going to events and hosting parties. (If you are interested in checking it out you can visit my website here. All pieces are $5, you can't beat that!) After my 3rd little guy came I was feeling a bit out of shape and decided to give T 25 a chance to get back into fitness. During that time we had a horrible family battle over land (a really long story) and moved very quickly when my baby was only 2 months old. We stayed about 8 months with my parents and I was desperate to get out and help more financially. Well we were enjoying shakeology and I decided to take the leap and start coaching with Beach Body. I really signed up more to just get the discount on my shakes but it was amazing how many people were interested, felt connected, and needed the support as much as I did. Never thought I would be a fitness coach but I fell in love with it. Piyo was my go to program and while I had never done pilates or yoga, I loved it! A few months later my hubby finally jumped on the wagon with me. He was over weight, high blood pressure, and had terrible eating habits. I got him started on 21 Day Fix and he lost 28 pounds in the first 21 days. I was so proud and he was hooked. Blood pressure lowered and just so much healthier. So I have enjoyed my beach body job for almost 2 years now. If you would like more info on coaching, programs, have questions or just need support please let me know. I run free groups every month so it is not just about selling a program. If you would like to check my site out you can click, healthy. I am now thinking about subbing until this little one comes and starting an Etsy shop. (I always and planning and thinking of how I can help financially, we have a house payment coming up and debt makes me nervous.)
Along with all the babies and new jobs/hobbies I have going on, we are finally making ground on building a house. Our house story is a long and messy one and has been about 6 years in the making. But Praise God we are finally getting there. Just waiting on the bank and then we can start. I am actually getting so impatient. I know if I can wait 6 years, that 30 days should not be too much to ask but ahh it is killing me.
So that is a quick idea of what I have been up to. You can expect to find plenty of house stuff, crafts, recipes, kids stories, fitness, encouraging scriptures, rants, raves, tips, trick, and well just about anything else on this blog. I hope you come back to visit. I do have some serious/emotional things to share soon and I guess that is what got me to pick the old blog back up. Being a stay at home mommy leaves me longing for company and adult interaction, so hopeful to make some new friends.
Oh and I almost forgot. You can find me on facebook at My Blessed Mess. I have lots of recipes, tips, exercises, crafts, and funny things on there for you to check out. Have a wonderful day and I hope you come back!
Andrea
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Paparazzi Winner
Last week I started my 1st ever give away and today is the day to pick the winner. I posted the contest here on my blog and also here on my facebook page, Polka Dots and Pincushions.
I only had a few enter this time but I am thankful for everyone that took the time to participate. Hopefully as time goes by I will have more people interested in my contests. Three answered on Facebook and I had one blog follower answer on here. Not a great turn out but it made the chances of winning even better for those that entered. :)
The trivia question was: What carol contains the line "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing."
And the answer is "O Come All ye Faithful."
Now for the winner.....drum roll......the winner is......Tiffany Caison! Tiffany is a follower on facebook and entered the contest last Tuesday. Tiffany's favorite item from my collection was actually a fleece scarf I made for a little girl. She has a daughter and I am guessing it will be for her.
Congrats Tiffany, I will mail you present off in time for you to enjoy it for Christmas.
Thanks again for those that participated and if you are interested in some affordable $5 gifts for Christmas check out my facebook page, Polka Dots and Pincushions, to order today.
I only had a few enter this time but I am thankful for everyone that took the time to participate. Hopefully as time goes by I will have more people interested in my contests. Three answered on Facebook and I had one blog follower answer on here. Not a great turn out but it made the chances of winning even better for those that entered. :)
The trivia question was: What carol contains the line "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing."
And the answer is "O Come All ye Faithful."
Now for the winner.....drum roll......the winner is......Tiffany Caison! Tiffany is a follower on facebook and entered the contest last Tuesday. Tiffany's favorite item from my collection was actually a fleece scarf I made for a little girl. She has a daughter and I am guessing it will be for her.
Congrats Tiffany, I will mail you present off in time for you to enjoy it for Christmas.
Thanks again for those that participated and if you are interested in some affordable $5 gifts for Christmas check out my facebook page, Polka Dots and Pincushions, to order today.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Christmas Give Away!
I have not been around the blogging world long but I know that everyone loves give aways and that there are a lot going on right now. (I know because I have entered several :) fingers crossed.)
I want to share in the giving mood so I am trying my hand at my first ever give away. Yay right!! Ok to enter is super easy and blog readers will even have more chances to win. Double yay!
Do you want to know what your prize will be? This is the good part, you get to pick! Go to my face book page Polka Dots and Pincushions, here is the link. And check out my albums listed with Paparazzi Jewelry. There are headbands, hair clips, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. Take a quick look (or long) and pick out your favorite item. Then share it on your face book page and comment on the answer to the trivia question : What carol contains the line, "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing"?
Ok your 2nd way to enter is to follow my blog and then answer the same trivia question: What carol contains the line, "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing"?
Post your answer in a comment and let me know you are a follower. Also let me know which item you would like to win.
I am going to leave the contest up all week and will pick the winner next Monday, December 10th.
I am so excited but so nervous this is my first contest/give away. :) Anyway I wish you lots of luck.
Here are a few of the items that are up for grabs. Hopefully if this give away goes well, I can do some more before Christmas, maybe one a week.
Good luck and have a great week!
I want to share in the giving mood so I am trying my hand at my first ever give away. Yay right!! Ok to enter is super easy and blog readers will even have more chances to win. Double yay!
Do you want to know what your prize will be? This is the good part, you get to pick! Go to my face book page Polka Dots and Pincushions, here is the link. And check out my albums listed with Paparazzi Jewelry. There are headbands, hair clips, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. Take a quick look (or long) and pick out your favorite item. Then share it on your face book page and comment on the answer to the trivia question : What carol contains the line, "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing"?
Ok your 2nd way to enter is to follow my blog and then answer the same trivia question: What carol contains the line, "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing"?
Post your answer in a comment and let me know you are a follower. Also let me know which item you would like to win.
I am going to leave the contest up all week and will pick the winner next Monday, December 10th.
I am so excited but so nervous this is my first contest/give away. :) Anyway I wish you lots of luck.
Here are a few of the items that are up for grabs. Hopefully if this give away goes well, I can do some more before Christmas, maybe one a week.
Good luck and have a great week!
Hashbrown Casserole
I had a ton of cooking to do for the Holidays and we always have my husband's family reunion the Sunday after Thanksgiving so there was even more cooking to be done. Neil has a cousin that always looks for something different and has always complimented my new recipes. While that is wonderful it always adds the pressure on to impress him with something new and something delicious.
Well this year was busier than normal with and unexpected passing in the family and I got sick as a dog Thanksgiving night. I did not feel good, did not feel like cooking, and definitely did not feel like trying something new. So I made some reliable recipes and then stumbled upon and new recipe while I was looking for something easy to do with hash brown potatoes. The blog, Never Trust a Skinny Cook had a recipe for "crack potatoes."
They looked good and easy so that made them perfect to try and they did turn out great, but again I modified the recipe. I saw some comments that they were great and then a few that said they were too salty and had too much ranch. So I decided to cut back some of the ingredients and they turned out great!
*original recipe can be found here. And again apologizes for only 1 picture. I was sick and did not think about it till the casserole was almost gone.
Ok here is what you need:
*Bag of shredded hash brown potatoes (I used fresh not frozen but I am sure it would work either way)
*16 oz container of sour cream
*1 pk of ranch dip mix
*1 small container of plain Greek yogurt
*2 packs of real bacon bits (toasted up/ you could use regular bacon and crumble it but I felt bad and was going for easy and fast)
*2 cups of shredded sharp cheese (save a little to the side to top with or add extra)
*Pre heat the oven too 400
Now mix the sour cream, ranch mix, yogurt, cheese, and bacon bits together in a large bowl. Then stir in the hash browns and mix well. Now spread into a casserole dish. I did not have a 13x9 so I used a disposable tin pan that was 11.5 x 9 or something like that, but I think either size would work fine. Sprinkle the left over cheese or extra on top and then cover with tin foil. Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes and then remove the foil for the last 5 minutes to give it and nice little crust and browning.
Now enjoy! Well let it cool a bit or you will burn your tongue. :)
It was so good and everyone was pleased with it.
Well this year was busier than normal with and unexpected passing in the family and I got sick as a dog Thanksgiving night. I did not feel good, did not feel like cooking, and definitely did not feel like trying something new. So I made some reliable recipes and then stumbled upon and new recipe while I was looking for something easy to do with hash brown potatoes. The blog, Never Trust a Skinny Cook had a recipe for "crack potatoes."
They looked good and easy so that made them perfect to try and they did turn out great, but again I modified the recipe. I saw some comments that they were great and then a few that said they were too salty and had too much ranch. So I decided to cut back some of the ingredients and they turned out great!
*original recipe can be found here. And again apologizes for only 1 picture. I was sick and did not think about it till the casserole was almost gone.
Ok here is what you need:
*Bag of shredded hash brown potatoes (I used fresh not frozen but I am sure it would work either way)
*16 oz container of sour cream
*1 pk of ranch dip mix
*1 small container of plain Greek yogurt
*2 packs of real bacon bits (toasted up/ you could use regular bacon and crumble it but I felt bad and was going for easy and fast)
*2 cups of shredded sharp cheese (save a little to the side to top with or add extra)
*Pre heat the oven too 400
Now mix the sour cream, ranch mix, yogurt, cheese, and bacon bits together in a large bowl. Then stir in the hash browns and mix well. Now spread into a casserole dish. I did not have a 13x9 so I used a disposable tin pan that was 11.5 x 9 or something like that, but I think either size would work fine. Sprinkle the left over cheese or extra on top and then cover with tin foil. Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes and then remove the foil for the last 5 minutes to give it and nice little crust and browning.
Now enjoy! Well let it cool a bit or you will burn your tongue. :)
It was so good and everyone was pleased with it.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Strawberry Banana Pudding
I know it has been a while but I am finally back and have some great recipes to share in the next few posts. Today I wanted to share my take on Paula Deen's Not Yo Mommas Banana Pudding.
You can find the orginal recipe here. (Also sorry but I was sick and busy so I only took a few pictures, like 2, sorry.)
*Disclaimer* If I haven't said it before or if this is your first time stopping by I am not a follow the recipe kind of girl. I will follow the basics of it but always change it up and add to or take away. I also am not a measurer. I like to eye ball most of the things I add. With that said, I will try my best to get you a close measurement but cooking is all about trying new things and blending new things together and well just having fun. So have fun if you think it will work try it, the worst that can happen is it will be inedible. :)
A friend at church made the original recipe and I tried it one night. It was good but super sweet. I could only eat a little of it but I liked it and well I wanted to make it for an upcoming dinner. I knew the basic recipe was good but I needed to cut some of the sweetness out.
I decided some strawberries would add some tang and that if I made my own whipped cream it would not be as sweet. I also used less sweetened condensed milk and added some Greek yogurt. I also used less pudding.
Not huge changes but it made a difference and what came about was great! So here is my recipe.
Ingredients:
-2 boxes Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies
-2 cups of milk
-1 box 3.5oz of instant French vanilla pudding
-4 to 5 ripe bananas
-small bag of frozen sliced strawberries (thawed) (make sure no sugar has been added) *you can also use fresh I just didn't have any at the time
-8oz of cream chz (softened)
-small can of sweetened condensed milk (around 14 oz but you will use a little less)
-12 oz of heavy whipping cream (you can use cool whip if you want for ease I did once when I had no cream and it was still ok I just used less than the 12 oz)
-small container of plain greek yogurt (I used Oikos 5.3oz size and I actually ran out of the plain and used the strawberry this last time and it worked)
Ok line the bottom of a 13x9 pan with one bag of the chessman cookies. Next top with sliced bananas and then add a layer of sliced strawberries on top.
Then in a small bowl mix the milk and the pudding on medium for 2 minutes and set aside. Now mix the cream chz with the condensed milk. I used most of the can I just did not scrape the sides but most had come out. (sorry again that I can not be more specific) Blend it till it is nice and smooth then add in the yogurt and stir well. Now whip the heavy cream in another bowl on high until peaks appear. Mix the bowl of pudding with the cream chz mixture and then fold in the whipped cream.
Now pour the mixture over the cookies, bananas, and strawberries. You will have more filling than you need (even the original leaves you with extra) so you can save it to use as a dip for fruit or cookies or make another small dessert, but you would need more cookies, bananas, and strawberries. Now top it with the other bag of cookies and allow it to chill in the refrigerator.
Pretty and delicious!
You can find the orginal recipe here. (Also sorry but I was sick and busy so I only took a few pictures, like 2, sorry.)
*Disclaimer* If I haven't said it before or if this is your first time stopping by I am not a follow the recipe kind of girl. I will follow the basics of it but always change it up and add to or take away. I also am not a measurer. I like to eye ball most of the things I add. With that said, I will try my best to get you a close measurement but cooking is all about trying new things and blending new things together and well just having fun. So have fun if you think it will work try it, the worst that can happen is it will be inedible. :)
A friend at church made the original recipe and I tried it one night. It was good but super sweet. I could only eat a little of it but I liked it and well I wanted to make it for an upcoming dinner. I knew the basic recipe was good but I needed to cut some of the sweetness out.
I decided some strawberries would add some tang and that if I made my own whipped cream it would not be as sweet. I also used less sweetened condensed milk and added some Greek yogurt. I also used less pudding.
Not huge changes but it made a difference and what came about was great! So here is my recipe.
Ingredients:
-2 boxes Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies
-2 cups of milk
-1 box 3.5oz of instant French vanilla pudding
-4 to 5 ripe bananas
-small bag of frozen sliced strawberries (thawed) (make sure no sugar has been added) *you can also use fresh I just didn't have any at the time
-8oz of cream chz (softened)
-small can of sweetened condensed milk (around 14 oz but you will use a little less)
-12 oz of heavy whipping cream (you can use cool whip if you want for ease I did once when I had no cream and it was still ok I just used less than the 12 oz)
-small container of plain greek yogurt (I used Oikos 5.3oz size and I actually ran out of the plain and used the strawberry this last time and it worked)
Ok line the bottom of a 13x9 pan with one bag of the chessman cookies. Next top with sliced bananas and then add a layer of sliced strawberries on top.
Then in a small bowl mix the milk and the pudding on medium for 2 minutes and set aside. Now mix the cream chz with the condensed milk. I used most of the can I just did not scrape the sides but most had come out. (sorry again that I can not be more specific) Blend it till it is nice and smooth then add in the yogurt and stir well. Now whip the heavy cream in another bowl on high until peaks appear. Mix the bowl of pudding with the cream chz mixture and then fold in the whipped cream.
Now pour the mixture over the cookies, bananas, and strawberries. You will have more filling than you need (even the original leaves you with extra) so you can save it to use as a dip for fruit or cookies or make another small dessert, but you would need more cookies, bananas, and strawberries. Now top it with the other bag of cookies and allow it to chill in the refrigerator.
Pretty and delicious!
Linking to some of these great parties!
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