..go-to meals..

There are a lot of weeknights where I just don't feel like putting a lot of effort into dinner. I don't mind cooking, I just don't want to make something that has a lot of steps, or that involves me standing in front of the stove for a long time. So here's a list of some of my 30-minute or less meals..


~Sloppy Joes, mashed potatoes (instant if I'm really tired, Idahoan Golden Buttery are pretty good), and a veggie
~Kielbasa and kraut (slice up the kielbasa, throw it in a deep saucepot with the kraut to heat through), mashed potatoes, and Bush's black eyed peas.
~Taco Pie (recipe to follow soon)
~Breakfast dinner which consists of pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs
~Stuffed baked potatoes, especially good if we have leftover BBQ meat

So what are some of your quickie meals? Share, especially if you have a recipe to it! :)

..pureayre review..

Between my husband and the girls, there are LOTS of odors that can happen in my house. So I was really excited when I was contacted by the company PureAyre to do a review for their odor eliminating spray. PureAyre is different than other odor eliminating sprays because it contains no toxic chemicals or artificial fragrances, but instead is made with plant-derived enzymes. This was really important to me because I don't want toxic chemicals around my kids. Also, it doesn't just get rid of bad smells, it actually cleans the air at the same time, helping you to breathe easier.

PureAyre sent me their Odor Eliminator for Baby, and I was really excited to try it. I can tell you, I really put it to the test... diaper pails, burp cloths that had been spit up on, crib sheets and even the carpet in their bedroom. Knowing that PureAyre is enzymed-based, making it the only food-grade odor eliminator available, I had no reservations about using it around the girls. I was very, very happy with the results. It definitely got rid of the bad smells, and kept them away, it didn't just cover them up. Hours after spraying, the smell was still gone, and it never came back.

Another unexpected test came about when my husband accidentally spilled some gasoline in the back of his car. (ETA: He wanted me to put that it was 2-cycle weed-eater gas, because he said that is actually stinkier than regular gas) He was going to have to drive the girls around later that day, so he knew he needed to get the smell out of the car. He rolled down his windows, and blasted the air for a while. Then I suggested he try the PureAyre spray. He sprayed the carpet that the gas had spilled on, as well as the air inside the car. After a couple of hours he went back and could tell a huge difference in the smell. By the time he left with the girls, the smell was almost completely gone.

If you want to get your own PureAyre, then you can buy online, or find it in a few select retailers. You can also check them our on Twitter and Facebook!

*All photos courtesy of PureAyre.com. I was sent a sample for review purposes, and was not monetarily compensated in any way.

..fun monday 7/18..

Since Monday is the only day of the week I have home from the bakery, and now that I have a totally working computer (*knocks on wood*) then I'd like to do something special. So I thought Fun Monday would be, well, fun! :)

Here are the rules.. don't worry, they're not too strict :)

1. Search the web and find something fun! It could be a craft, a recipe, a new online boutique, or anything. Then make a post on your blog about Fun Monday and link to your fun find!

2. Come back here and leave a link to YOUR blog post about Fun Monday!

3. Visit other bloggers' Fun Monday posts and leave them some love.

4. Tell your friends! :)

If you'd like, you can grab the Fun Monday button and post it on your blog if you'd like.

For your viewing pleasure today, I give you my Fun Find..

I am a huge fan of the blog Craftiness is Not Optional. There's always something neat to see, and Jess (the blog mistress!) has the most adorable little girl that she loves to use as a model :) So today, I share with you a free sew-along that she has going on. It's for the Junebug Dress!

Sew cute right? :) This is one pattern that I definitely see making. It's pretty simple, and you can do all kinds of variations with the buttons!

Now it's your turn. Link up to your Fun Monday post!


*All photo credit to craftinessisnotoptional.com*

..t-shirt printing review..

Recently I had the opportunity to review a product from a cool company called TShirtPrinting.net. They're an online company based in the UK, and are all about, you guessed it, screen printing! They can take your logo and put it on a number of different t-shirts, long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, camis, polos, hats, and much more. They can even embroider your logo as well!

TShirtPrinting.net sent me one of their printed t-shirts to wear and review. The first thing I noticed about the shirt when I put it on was the weight. This was not some thin, flimsy, feeling shirt. It was a quality weight without being so thick that it was hot or heavy. Another thing was that the shirt was soft, even before I washed it. The screen printing on the shirt was also really nice. The colors were vibrant.

So if you need printed shirts for work, sports, or even for a fashion line, then contact TShirtPrinting.net, and see what they can do for you!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

..fun monday 7/11..

Ok, so apparently I think I'm still on Monday vacation. Sorry to be late with this week's Fun Monday! I actually had to go into the shop today for a bit and then we had the girls' 9 month pics taken today.

Since Monday is the only day of the week I have home from the bakery, and now that I have a totally working computer (*knocks on wood*) then I'd like to do something special. So I thought Fun Monday would be, well, fun! :)

Here are the rules.. don't worry, they're not too strict :)

1. Search the web and find something fun! It could be a craft, a recipe, a new online boutique, or anything. Then make a post on your blog about Fun Monday and link to your fun find!

2. Come back here and leave a link to YOUR blog post about Fun Monday!

3. Visit other bloggers' Fun Monday posts and leave them some love.

4. Tell your friends! :)

If you'd like, you can grab the Fun Monday button and post it on your blog if you'd like.

For your viewing pleasure today, I give you my Fun Find..

Jelly Shots!!! Yeh, so if you have no idea what they are, then you NEED to check out the blog Jelly Shot Test Kitchen. Even if you do know what they are, you still need to take a look. They have done some amazing stuff with gelatin!!

Look at how cool these are..

And these..

And there's TONS more lovely little jigglies to look at, recipes included. So cool! I'm guessing with some tweaking, you could make them without the alcohol, which would be great for kids. I might have to try some for the girls' 1st birthday!

Now it's your turn. Link up to your Fun Monday post!


*All photo credit to jelly-shot-test-kitchen.blogspot.com*

..gerber baby contest..

So I entered the girls in the Gerber Baby Contest. If you have a Facebook page and can spare a couple of votes, I would greatly appreciate it :) They each have their own voting page so that you can vote for both of them, and you can vote once per day for the next 27 days :)

Piper is here

Layla is here

..happy 4th..

Wishing all of my American friends a safe and happy 4th. Giving big thanks to all of the veterans and troops who make it possible for us to celebrate.

..what i'm doing tonight..

Won't be around for the rest of today. I'll be driving to Nashville to eat some good food, and then I'll be going to watch...

Bono and The Edge live and in person.. but in Nashville, not Milan unfortunately. Still, I am be-yond excited :D