It’s the life long debate: nurture vs. nature. I don’t know the answer, but I can say that I’d like some time to nurture myself while enjoying nature! We all need an area of retreat. An area where we can unwind, not think about the dishes in the sink or the piles of laundry, and…
Do you love bean dips? They are so easy to make and typically are a crowd pleaser at parties. Earlier this summer I shared my Hummus recipe using Chick Peas, but Hummus is so versatile that it warrants another post and variation to the original recipe! When I’m making the ever popular dip, I usually…
Don’t you just love herb gardens? The stunning array of color and the aroma pleases the senses while attracting beautiful butterflies! In the south by the middle of summer however, some plants tend to be overgrown & leggy. A perfect solution is to harvest and dry the herbs by cutting the plants back which allows…
Back to School amongst other things means back to making lunches! Day after day…and if your kids are anything like my husband, he will not eat peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches to this day because he had his fill for a lifetime when he was in school. Now while there’s no need to reinvent…
If you are a regular reader, you know that I must love hummus because I’ve mentioned it in several posts like the Picnic Tips Post and the Greek Dip Post! Of course you could buy your hummus pre-made, but it is so easy to make and so much more flavorful when you control the quality…
What’s better than a picnic in July? A hassle-free summer time picnic! Sometimes having a picnic seems like the greatest idea in the world. You think you’ve got everything covered and all it takes is some wet grass, a forgotten toy, bugs or sunburn to turn what could have been a lovely outing into a…
Aruba, Jamaica, ooohhh I wanna take…a toddler on a cruise?! Absolutely! With most households consisting of blended families and children of varying ages, it’s the one vacation that offers a little bit of everything for everyone. Today, I’m passing along my best tips, along with my travel agent friend, April’s (magicalvacationsbyme.com), so you too can…
Summer-like weather has arrived and made itself comfy in the south and the pool party invitations are being received! I want to share with you what my go-to contribution for these get-togethers will be this season: A Super Easy Layered Greek Dip Recipe! It is healthy, affordable (especially if you have herbs & veggies in…
With the change of seasons comes a wardrobe conundrum for parents: what can I dress my little girl in that is appropriate for the morning and the afternoon? Layers of course, but then they have to carry all of their morning’s warm clothing that they’ve shed by the afternoon. And if your child is anything…
Special thanks to my Louisiana lovin’ friend Rhonda for putting together this tasty looking guest post on how to make a deliciously easy take on king cake! I remember my first Mardi Gras away from Louisiana years ago, I was so excited to see bunKing Cakes in the grocery store that I bought one…
Big thanks to my dear friend Rhonda for infusing this blog with some real Cajun love! Here is her instructions for how she makes her Really Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Jambalaya. If you’re not familiar with Mardi Gras, it is a time of celebration before the Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday. A lot of…
Every year I try to do something special for those on my Christmas list, even if it’s just a little something. As stated in a previous post, this year I ordered several vinyl decals from DivaVinyl on Etsy (link at bottom of post) and I’m so excited to share a few ideas with you so you…
This cake is not guaranteed to make you famous on a cooking network, but it might just make you famous with your friends and family around the holidays. I live in a fantastic neighborhood that hosts several gatherings, all based around food of course. Ever since I first served up this delicious Rum Cake, the…
Now that the title got your attention, I’d like to share a few of my stress reducing Holiday shortcuts with you that will truly save you time, money, sanity, etc.! 1. Decorating Shortcuts: Custom decorations are beautiful, but they can be difficult to find and pricier than traditional décor. Instead, buy inexpensive décor at dollar…
Just like Eric Carle’s Very Busy Spider, I’ve been “very busy spinning my web” or so it seems this Halloween! I asked a few friends if I could help them decorate their mantels for you to view/enjoy/copy and they so graciously allowed me to do so and take pictures too. In true ‘thrifty’ style, the…
My wonderful friend Rhonda has the method of decorating that I love. She likes for things to be beautiful in her home, but she keeps it minimal and diverse enough that she can take a simple design and make it stretch through seasons. Last year she did a post for me on her outdoor decor…
When I think about awesome homemade Halloween costumes, I always think of my friend Rhonda. Rhonda is the queen of how to make your family costumes. Here’s her post that I hope you will love! Store-bought costumes can be so cute, but I have to admit that I love to create clever, inexpensive family Halloween…
On Wednesday, I wrote about how to make easy, delicious Frozen Herb Cubes for Cooking. The cubes are a frugal way to make your recipes taste amazing and keep your garden herbs from going to waste. I wanted to share a Spinach Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins recipe using the savory frozen cubes. This dish is…
Rhonda and I were recently discussing the popularity of freezer meal cooking. In mid conversation Rhonda mentioned that she really enjoys making and using frozen herb cooking cubes. I had not heard of this before and they sounded AMAZING and so I asked her to share a post about how she makes them the next time…
Guest blogger Rhonda writes: This post is perfect for the winter months when you are stuck in the house, yet you need a ‘pick me up’ or just a little updating especially in the one room of the house that gets used the most: the kitchen. I had a few memory foam rugs in my kitchen…
Guest blogger Rhonda writes: It’s time to start putting your Christmas decorations away. While I love to store and reuse gift bags, tissue and ribbon (you know I’m thrifty right), I have a few ‘stick on’ bows left over from my teenagers’ Christmas party (btw they used them as decorations on the counter tops and table-so…
I love to entertain crowds, but I understand why some people don’t like to…so here are a few tips to learn now that will help your next party go smoothly whether for a few or a crowd! The Party Notebook- If you love printables: Check out Kim’s Party Planning Printable Here. Otherwise, use any notebook…
I have a thrifty little secret for you…well it’s actually a freebie!!! For the last few years during the Holiday season, I can be found in front of the Lowe’s garden center rummaging through their tree trimmings bin. The one not too many people know about that has a small sign that says, “Help…
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been standing in line at the grocery store and noticed the beautiful Christmas trees on the covers of the magazines. They are so full, so perfect and so gorgeous they make your tree look like a Charlie Brown tree. In this article, I want to encourage and inspire…
On the heels of Kim’s blog about game night for your tweens & teens, I have another activity that my teenagers and their friends love to do -carve pumpkins! Along with dyeing Easter eggs, I can’t remember an age that my kids didn’t want to carve pumpkins, we just include their friends now. So as the friends are cutting…