Mini Potting Place Cards

I have been passing these in my home and garden center racking my brain for something cute to do with them. Let’s face it they are cute and cheap. The ones you see here cost me $0.94 for a pack of 12.

Yesterday I gave it a shot.

A cute place card setting for your Easter dinner.

Simply use a seriated knife and cut through both sides at the same time.

Print off your desired names and place into slots.

Stuff moss and a few little eggs and you have a super easy {and cheap} place card.


I will be linking up the these other great parties today Works for Me Wednesday – Show and Tell – Thrift Thursday- Make it Your Day - Penny Pinching Party - We Did It

Guaranteed the BEST steak on the grill you'll ever eat!

I guarantee that this will be the best steaks on the grill you’ll ever eat!



There are 3 simple, but very important, ingredients to the best tasting steaks you’ll ever eat.

Rib-eye Steaks: Rib-eyes are the best for cooking on the grill. They have the most marbling and won’t dry out when cooking them well done.

Soy Sauce: It’s best to use La Choy brand. Don’t use light, or reduced sodium, and never substitute with Worcestershire sauce {it’s not the same}.

Garlic Salt: Must be Lawry’s garlic salt. It’s flaky and has bits of parsley in it. Garlic powder can only be used in extreme emergencies. You just won’t get the best taste with garlic powder.


In a pan, dish or anything with sides, soak your steaks with soy sauce. Completely cover both sides very liberally with the sauce and let steaks sit in run-off. Dash garlic salt, covering both sides completely. Let them set at least 5 minutes, but no longer than 30, they will become too salty.

Now you are ready to grill those bad boys!


Pre- heat your grill on med-high.

Now, if you want those fancy grills marks. Sear one side going right.

Then turn to angle left.

Flip and repeat.

Lower heat and allow to cook 7-10 on each side. Depending on how you like them.

Now, remember to count how many people tell you this is the best steak they have ever eaten. And remember to share the recipe with them all, stressing NO substitutes.

Linking up to these other great cooking parties Tempt My Tummy - Tuesday at The Table -  Tasty Tuesday

Yes, I am a coupon addict!

This is something that I have never talked about on here, and I am not sure why. But, I just had to show you everything that I got at CVS yesterday.


 I have been a closet couponer for over 8 years. When I first started I was still a stay at home mom and had more time to run from store to store. I even had shelves in my garage to store my stock piles.


Now- a- day’s I still shop store flyers with my coupons in hand. It’s just scaled back to what my schedule has allowed.

Here is what I got yesterday: CVS ROCKS!


(4) Herbal Essence Conditioner                      $1.10 each
(4) Herbal Essence Hairspray’s                         FREE
(2) Large Pantene Conditioner’s                     $0.50 each
(1) Crest toothpaste                                           FREE
(1) Colgate toothpaste                                       FREE
(3) Bags Hershey Kisses                                  $1.30 each
(1) Brach’s Bunnies                                         $2.00                         no sale/coupon we just like)
(2) Shower poufs with shower hook               $1.25 each
(2) Ice cream cones                                        $0.25 each                    ( for Awana’s party cupcakes)
(1) Bag M&M’s                                               $1.30
(2) Marshmallow Chocolate bunnies              $0.50 each
(1) Small paper plate 100 ct.                           $0.75


Total                                                               $17.35 Plus tax
CVS bucks back                                              -$9.00
Grand Total                                                    $8.35


Savings                                                            $82.95


I have not paid for toothpaste in over 8 years. We have enough hygiene products tucked away to last us 6 months to a year. This includes body soap, shampoos, shaving cream, razors, toothbrushes, hand soap, Advil, sunscreen, deodorant etc…


So, I encourage you to look before you shop. For me it always pays $$$$

My Seam's Are Busting, for Real!

Where to start? For the last two years I have slowly gained about 20 pounds. At least I think it’s about that. I refuse to step on a scale EVER! I like to monitor my weight by wearing the same size and how my clothes are fitting.


Most of my clothes have continued to fit, a few jeans refuse to go over my hips, but for the most part I was content with being “fluffy” and happy. 


Even when my five year old pointed at my thighs in the dressing room and asked, loudly, “ is that what they call fat?” as he pointed to the back of my thigh, while contorting his head. Shocked and saddened that my five year old son would even have that thought about body image.


That was until a few days ago when I realized this.

 My “FAT” jeans were coming undone at the seams, right at the hips!


That was enough for me to take action and get motivated. No more excuses. Just waiting after this holiday, or after the next birthday party. It needed to be NOW!


I have really wanted to start Nutrisystem. But find it hard for two reasons. First, being the cost that would be added to our monthly food budget. Second, we enjoy eating dinner together as a family. I am super anal about making that a priority in my home. It is a time for us all to connect and I didn’t want to set a bad example for my 10 year old daughter. Besides, I like to cook.


Then I read somewhere that Nutrisystem keeps you on a diet of about 1,200 calories. And I thought to myself that’s a no brainer. Planning my breakfast and lunch would be easy. But figuring out how many calories were in my dinner was going to be a bit harder.


I cook all our meals and figuring out the calorie count was going to be tricking. Until this awesome site came into my life http://www.caloriecount.com  It's amazing!!!!! All I have to do is type in my recipe and tell it how many it serves and it will tell me the calorie count, genius!

 Sometimes it will give me a red little flag and I will have to re-word an ingredient. But, for the most part it provides the info in a blink of an eye. So now I know just how much to put on my plate. I am on day three and the hunger pains are slowly getting weaker. I think my stomach his getting the clue that it’s not getting anymore today except for a glass of water.


I plan to take a weekend night off when we go out with friends or the family. But I am hoping to stay on track and be down 20 pounds in 11 weeks. That is if I don’t eat my leather bed while sleeping and dreaming of an In and Out double double with fries. 


Only time will tell!

For My "Deer" Loving Followers

Don’t all little boys want to be just like their daddy? I know my little man wants to be a baseball player just like his daddy. And I know that my nephew wants to be a hunter just like his daddy.

So, when my sister asked my nephew what he wanted to do for his 3rd birthday, he said he wanted a deer and hunting party.


I helped design and print his invites.

 And a deer silhouette t-shirt for him to wear.

Even though he wanted to wear his cameo 3 instead.

He had a deer feeding stand for the cake.

And see those three little candles he “helped” mommy put those in. They really are 6 inch candles.

Turkey & leaf sugar cookies.

A deer to hunt.

Everyone wearing cameo.

Even grandma had on sequined cameo.

So if you have a little hunter in the family maybe this insipred you a bit!

Happy Birthday Spud!

I will be linking up to all these sites Show and Tell - Make it Your Day - Penny Pinching Party - We Did It

Yogurt Rainbow Dot Blondies

These blondie brownies are usually gone, before they even have time to cool off around my house.

I like to think of them as “healthy” due to the fact you use yogurt rather than butter in them, umm…maybe not so much!

We had a friend over for dinner this weekend and we all enjoyed this plate of blondies, so I thought I would share them with you.

What you need:


2 ¼ cup flour
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup plain non-fat yogurt
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cups M&M’s


Preheat oven to 350* and spray a 9X13 baking dish with Pam.
In medium sized bowl sift flour, salt and baking powder, set aside.
In large mixing bowl beat sugars and yogurt together until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Then gradually add in flour mixture until well blended. Fold in M&M’s. Spread into 9x13 evenly {mixture will be very thick}. Bake for 20- 25 minutes. Cool and cut.

Click here for printable Yogurt Rainbow Dot Blondies

Check out my nifty new kitchen gadget.

Perfect for holding up recipes in the kitchen, and adding a touch of spring at the same time.

I am linking up to these great sites today Tempt My Tummy - Tuesday at The Table.

Come back tomorrow when I share a Deer/ Turkey Hunting Birthday themed party we went to over the weekend!

Goodwill and a Roadtrip

Today is the BIG day!

 Yep, that’s right! Today is the grand opening our my new Goodwill.

I can’t help to think of what treasures await me here.


It was Spring Break this week for us so I took the kiddos, and my niece, on a fun little road trip to Dallas this week.

This was our first stop and the only picture that I took on our trip. We had a grand time swimming, eating and shopping {and eating}. We had Dairy Queen dipped cones and Texas sized fries for dinner one night. I believe in teaching them good eating habits early in life!

Make Your Own Fancy Fringe

I swoon over fringe on just about anything, and love the fancy crepe paper fringe I see everywhere. So it was high time I figured out how to make me some!

I bought four colors of crepe paper for an upcoming party, and pulled out Miss. Janome.

Align two colors of crepe paper together and sew a straight stitch right down the middle.

Take your scissors and cut every so often until you get something that looks like this.

Then just fluff up with your hands.

I will be linking up here at all these other great sites Show and Tell -

Make it Your Day - Penny Pinching Party - We Did It - Transformation Thursday - Somewhat Simple - Poppies at Play - Amy Lou Who - Miss Mustard Seed

Hip and Thigh Thickener

Everyone is so eager to create the latest weight loss drug. I think I’m headed down the path to create my own “Hip and Thigh Thickener”.
I keep yellow cake mixes in my cabinets at all times. They are nice to have on hand for a quick and tasty treat.

1 box dry yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
½ cup brown sugar
3 Snicker bars, chopped


Mix cake mix, butter, eggs and brown sugar until moistened. Stir in Snickers. Spread in a greased 9x13 cake pan and bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes.

Guarantied “Hip and Thigh Thickener”

I will be linking up to these other great sites today Tempt My Tummy -  Tuesday At the Table -

Is It Really Monday?

Today is March 15th; exactly one month from today is April 15th, tax day! What a great thought this Monday, uh?



This past weekend seemed to fly by and loosing an hour sure didn’t help. My time was spent on preparing my kiddos outgrown clothes and toys for our cities JBF {Just Between Friends Sale} this upcoming weekend. And trying to see how much over the counter Sudafed I can take before I see monkeys fly by! I hate spring time head colds by-the-way!



So…How has your grass been growing?

Meet...The Bravos!

A few weeks back I posted about needing your help on the purchase of a new washer and dryer set. Thank you all for your feedback. After much debate and WAY too much research online this is what I went with.

They just delivered them yesterday and we are all smiles!

The set we owned for 13 years before this was a Maytag and I swore I would never buy another Maytag. Yet, here I am with a brand new set. Maytag is now made by Whirlpool. And regardless of what brand you buy now days the life span is about 9 years tops {unless you can get those Speed Queens}!  They just don't make things to last anymore.


Why a Maytag you ask? It was rated the #1 front loading set by consumer reports. And I found tons of positive feedback regarding the Bravos.


I did stick to my guns and got a top loader. It has the exact same features as a front loader, just loads from the top. But I can't figure out why it cost more than the front loader? We needed this for a few different reasons.


1. It was not going to be possible to leave a front loading door cracked in the laundry room. This is my MAIN entrance to our home, or should I say, the one the family and neighborhood kiddos run in and out of. It would only have been a matter of time before the door was ripped off or someone got hurt. 2. I can easily add to this one if I need to toss something in quickly without restarting the entire load. 3. We are a tall family and the thought of having to bend over {even with a pedestal} was not something I was eager to do 3-4 times a day.


So there you have it! Only time will tell how we really like them. For now I am enjoying the quietness of it all. However, not so eager on teaching everyone how to use all those new buttons.

How to Plant Your Own Easter Grass!

I finally did it! I remembered before rather than after!


Every year at Easter I always wished I had planted my own Easter grass. And this year I actually remembered BEFORE Easter!

Three cute little pots I picked up at Goodwill for $.50.

Dabbed a few little polka dots with some supper fine glitter, then added potting soil to each.

Sprinkled this over the soil.

No need to cover it with more soil. Just place where the sun can shine and add water as needed.

So I’m hoping by Easter I will have some nice grass to lay a few eggs in.

It’s been fun finding other pots and baskets to do more planting. Let's just hope that the grass will be excited about growing {smile}!

Sharing over at these other great blogs today Show and Tell- Thift Thursday - Transformation Thursday