TSMSS Graduation Day

Today is graduation day for two of my teens. Today I watch them grow just a bit more and become high school graduates. I am proud of them and wish them well and hope that all goes their way in life. There will be happy times, tough times, sad times, and times where they don't know which way to turn. My hopes for them is that they keep in their memory the fact that they have a friend who is closer than a brother and always ready and waiting when they don't have the answer he all ready knows it.

FashionPlates discount code

FashionPlaytes have some new great summer looks and they are offering any of Annies Home readers $10 off $35 So you can purchase any of the great looking spring and summer styles including tank dresses, denim skirts, flared capri leggings, & more that girls can of course customize to express their own sense of style. The only restriction is that the $10 off $35 does not apply to gift cards. To take advantage of this great discount use the code "annies10".

Green Golly & Her Golden Flute giveaway

Music and stories were both part of my growing up and something that I tried succesfully to incoporate both into my childrens life. That is why adore Green Golly & Her Golden Flute by Flute Sweet & Tickletoon. Barbara Siesel and Keith Torgan the individuals behind Green Golly & Her Golden Flute share a story with the listeners through classical music, humor and the story of Rapunzel. If you have ever heard the majestic sound of a flute playing softly then you know the sweet sounds that are found with in this wonderful cd.

Green Golly is the alter ego of Rapunzel who like Rapunzel is facing problems of her own. Her wonderful golden flute will help her to express her deepest feelings and allow her to explore life. Locked inside the story you will find the music of Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Gossec, Elgar, Bizet, Chopin, and Copland. May 11th saw the release of this wonderful cd for children and all who love to hear stories and wonderful classical music. I was lucky enough to receive a copy to review for this post and one of my readers will also recieve a Green Golly and Her Golden Flute cd of their own.

My Thoughts: I love the way the music seems to take you right into the story the characters songs in such an arrangement that it seems to draw you in. Beautiful music wrapped around a story that children should love.

Buy: You can purchase the Green Golly & Her Golden Flute here

Giveaway: win a copy of the Green Golly & Her Golden Flute cd

Enter giveaway by going here and letting me know which of the songs you like the best

Extra Entries:

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Contest starts now and ends May 28, 2010 Good Luck entry will not count if email is not on blog profile or in comment

Graduation Planter Celebrating the years

This weekend we will be celebrating graduations at our house. I found the instructions to this planter here and love it I will create my own for the party to follow graduation

•2 Photos
•Craft Wire (16 gauge or thicker)
•Pen or Pencil
•Craft Glue
•Wire Cutters
•Scissors

Start out by trimming 2 photos to the same size. I wanted to preserve my original photos so I scanned them and printed them out on cardstock. Cut a piece of wire about 2-feet long. Wrap the wire around a pen or pencil to make it look like a spring. Gently pull on each end of the wire to separate the coils a little bit. Straighten about 2-inches of one wire on either end. Now spread a thin layer of glue on the back of one of the photos. Lay the straightened wire end onto the glue and then lay the other photo on top of it so that the wire is sandwiched between the two photos. Try to line up the edges of the photo as well as you can. Once the glue is dry, you can poke the other end of the wire into the soil in a flower pot of into the vase of a bouquet of flowers.

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich

I know the weather is not as nice as it is here everywhere. For those of you who are still experiencing snow days I say I am sorry. For those of you who are really warm then you will like this recipe as much as I will when it gets a bit warmer here.

Brownie Ice Cream

2 boxes (19.8 oz each) family-style dark chocolate fudge brownie mix (we used Duncan Hines)
6 large eggs
1 cup oil
1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 containers (1.5 quart each) vanilla ice cream (let sit at room temperature 12 minutes to soften)

Heat oven to 350ºF. Line two 15 x 10 x 1-in. baking pans with nonstick foil, leaving a 2-in. overhang on each short end. Prepare each box brownie mix separately using 3 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 cup water and 1 tsp vanilla extract (for cake-like brownies). Spread mixture evenly in prepared pans. Bake 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely. Lifting foil by ends, place brownies onto a baking sheet; cover. (Brownies can be stacked with foil in between.) Refrigerate or store at room temperature until ready to assemble. Reline one baking pan with nonstick foil. Scoop ice cream into pan, spreading evenly. Freeze 3 hours or overnight until firm. To assemble: Place one sheet of brownies on baking sheet. Invert ice cream onto brownies; remove foil from ice cream. Invert remaining sheet of brownies on top; peel off foil. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze until serving. To serve: Cut in 10 rows lengthwise and 3 crosswise to make thirty 3 x 1 1/2-in. rectangles. Garnish plates with blueberries if desired.

Source: womans day

Friday Fave 5

Wow!! This week went super fast and yes I can say that we had a great week. Here were my favorite 5

1. we attended another prom with the girls dancing late into the night
2. Mothers Day was great and we all shared a few memories and thoughts as it was also the baccalaureate
3. Honors night was wonderful with son earning two awards for commitment and grades. Makes a mama proud
4. We have really been enjoying early strawberries. They are delicious alone, served with cake or along side a dessert
5. While this week has went quickly I have taken the time to spend time with each of the graduates being sure they know what step they want to take next

Food Trip Friday : Graduation Cupcakes

This weekend will be my youngest daughter and my second eldest sons graduation. So this week on Food Trip Friday I share graduation cupcakes.

Aloha Friday

Aloha Friday is a meme that is hosted by Kailani at the blog An Island Life It seems that in Hawaii friday is a day of ease and relaxation. So to celebrate this day Aloha Friday was created so that bloggers like me and you can ask each other an easy to answer question.

My question today is what is your favorite T.V. show ?

For us it would be shows of the past or reality t.v.

Personal Cell Phone Charging Stations

With 5 teens still living at home and several of them having cell phones somewhere to plug them in becomes a crazy episode. You see they have so many things that need to be plugged in that the available outlets sometimes end up in a squabble. When the outlet is found the problem then turns to the clutter and where to place the phone while it charges. The CP Docks can help knowing where to place the phone while charging a mangle problem.

Have you seen this sort of scene before? Well if you have then you should try the CP Dock and make it all manageable like the pictures below.

The EZ Mount Cell Phone Charging Station was a product born out of necesity. Like our family the inventor saw the family kitchen counter taken over by cords and chargers. There was no room left for anything else thus the need for a system to charge phones in an orderly fashion. THe EZ Mount wall plate was the solution to the problem now the phone, cord and all could be placed somewhere out of the way and the family had their counters back.

Buy: The Personal Cell Phone Stations make perfect gifts for dads, grads, or anyone else who may need one You can purchase your choice of phone charging stations at http://www.cpdocks.com

we received a phone charging station for review purposes. The thoughts and opinions in this post are those of mine

Warm Buddies review and giveaway win a bear

One thing that you never want to leave home alone without is your buddy your teddy. When your teddy is a warm buddy then it is even better. Warm Buddies can be your best friend, aid in the pain, warm up when needed and chill out with you as well. The Warm Buddy Company is presided over by Karen McKee. Karen has worked as a Registered Nurse, has an interest in alternative therapies, herbal medicine and aromatherapy. The first Warm Buddy product was designed with an idea created with a heat wrap in mind. These were accepted greatly by others and soon there were many other great products added to the line up. Warm Buddies that are teddies, kittens, and puppies were one of the great additions and since being created have brought relief to sick children, the elderly or simply anyone who needed a friend. The Warm Buddies have left such an affect on everyone that sees them that recently they won the PTPA Media award for excellence in parenting products. Warm buddies can be heated up or chilled in the freezer depending on what type of care that is needed. Items available from Warm Buddy include:

Buy: In addition to the cool Stuffed Plush Warm Buddies also sell robes, throws, and rejuvenating spa style products. You can purchase any of these great items at the Warm Buddies website located here

Win: Warm Buddies would love to give you one of the super cute bears like we received.

To enter giveaway please visit the Warm Buddies website and let me know a product you would love to try

Extra Entries:

• follow my blog
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• let me know something that comforts you when you are away from home.

Giveaway starts now and ends June 3, 2010 Good Luck Email must be on blog profile or in comment for entries to count

We received a warm buddy for review purposes. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are mine alone.

Thursday 13

For my list of Thursday 13 I am going to share 13 school memories of my kids

1. My son who did not learn to speak clearly til age 7 and then had some trouble could always say the words he shouldn't clearer than those he should


2. I can remember my daughter always beaming to go to preschool


3. My son always played sports he loved them and when he was younger would cry at the end of each season


4. My daughter who has a sister one year older than her played sports as well but was always on her sisters team and boy did they fight like cats and dogs now all these years later they are best friends


5. My son was always a good eater and up to anything one year at boy scout camp they had to eat an earthworm he still shares that story now


6. My daughter was a picky eater unlike her brother


7. I can remember them being in a play together The Kings New Pajamas. Oh boy thinking back to those days really brings memories rushing back


8. Every year at school they have a Thanksgiving dinner where all the students bring something to share this was something that they always looked forward to


9. Tempers were something that were an alarm during middle school years I am not for sure how many times I ended up in the office because of this


10. The middle school principal was a man who had taught many years before becoming a principal. He was one of the kids favorites both of them really liked and respected him and him in return. If we see him around time they can strike up a conversation in no time


11. Many trips were taken with the kids I chaperoned most of them having lots of fun and creating great memories


12. dating took on a life of its own with me asking myself many questions along the line this is still a new experience and may share more ten years from now when I can reflect


13. We will create a new memory on Saturday night when they graduate. I am so proud of them

Super Shepherds Pie

Super Shepherds Pie

budget friendley recipe

2 large potatoes (about 1-1/2 pounds), peeled and cubed
1 pound ground round
1 packet (1.31 ounces) Sloppy Joe mix
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 box (10 ounces) frozen peas and carrots
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (8.75 ounces) corn, drained

Heat broiler. In a saucepan, combine potatoes with salted water to cover. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and cook 13 minutes or until softened. Drain. Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, cook ground meat over high heat until browned. Drain. Add Sloppy Joe mix, tomato sauce, frozen vegetables, and the water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes. In medium bowl, mash cooked potatoes with milk, butter, and salt. Stir in corn. Place mashed potatoes in a resealable plastic bag with a large star tip. Divide meat mixture among 6 1-cup ramekins and pipe potatoes on top. Place ramekins on a baking pan and broil 5 minutes

Source: parent.com

Thursday Thunks

Are you a Facebooker? Are you addicted to those stupid games that suck a person in at the drop of a hat? Would you care to share your Facebook identification link so that we may all stalk you be your friend?

Yes I have a facebook account. I used to play the games like crazy then I broke away from it. You can find me here

If you had to be magically transformed into an animal that you loathe, which one would it be? And don't give me those "none" answers...

an antelope

What is the strangest thing you have said to:

* get a job? I stated that I would work on Christmas after all no one wants to do that I was hired weekend before
* get a date? This was easy hubby found me and we never let go

What cartoon character do you find the most sexiest?
Superman I wonder whats under that cape and tights

When dog food is new with improved tasting, who tests it?
That is a good one but many of them are made with the same foods that we eat but believe me I would not try it

What does OK actually mean?
not for sure

If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth?
good question I would say in most cases yes after all it is in the deed about minerals etc.. found in the land

When you were in high school and were sitting in math class... when the day came to learn about 3.14, did you get hungry?
Yes I could of went for a piece of pie

Have you ever been on the radio?
Yes when I was a kid

Beans, beans the magical fruit The more you eat, the more you toot The more you toot, the better you feel So let's have beans at every meal!
Why do people say that when beans are vegetables?
well its what those vegies do to you after you eat them just sit around after eating a bowl of beans and see what you hear

What about tv? And I don't mean physically on top of the tv either, you silly people. Same goes for the radio question.
yes again when I was a kid

Do you think Adam & Eve had belly buttons?
Good question I would not know but I would say no

If you were going to own a liquor store or a bar, what would you name it?
The Church affect

How about you own a grocery store - what's it's name?
Church Dinner Bucket

If you could only watch one tv show for the rest of your life and no other, what would it be? And yes, it's going to be in series form so you don't actually have to watch the same episode over and over.
I love reality shows so I hope it is one of them

What was the name of your 3rd grade teacher?
Mrs Friolli and boy was she something else tall, slim, wore high heels and every young man desired her

Do you know how to parallel park?
yes

What kinds of cereal do you have in your home right at this very moment?
lots of it from raisin bran to fruit loops

If you were to have a garage sale tomorrow, what is the first item you own that you would say "I'm selling THAT!"?
Well there are times that I would say that about my teens but then I would just have to buy them back but in actuality anything in the storage shed could go

College Kids Soup

College Kids Soup

staying with the theme of this week I thought this actually might be good on a busy day you can find the original recipe here

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 cup frozen chopped onion or 1/2 cup frozen pearl onions
1 cup water
1 can campbell's tomato soup
1 cup stew meat, cut into bite size pieces
seasoning (salt, pepper, cajun spice, garlic powder, etc)

Place frozen mixed vegetables and onions in quart size freezer bag. Wrap stew meat in plastic wrap and place in same bag as frozen vegetables. Be sure to write name of recipe on bag and date bagged. Wrap seasoning in plastic wrap and place with tomato soup in a brown paper lunch bag. Be sure to write name of recipe on the bag and date bagged. Write the following directions on outside of lunch bag. Place frozen vegetables, water, meat, soup and seasoning in med.
8size boiler. Bring to a slow boil and cook for 10 minutes on slow boil. Turn to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. May have to add more water if needed.

find more great recipes on the blog Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom located here

Energizer Kids Take Charge Contest

Many of us will be taking vacations during this summer and the one thing that we are counting on to keep the kids happy are their hand held electronics. The problem comes in during the summer when the batteries die and there is nothing else to do or is there. Do you remember before the hand held games, the IPods, the electronic craze? I do. I also remember the great things we did as kids as well.

Energizer wants to know what your child would do if they couldn't play with their battery powered toys. The first 250 entries will automatically win an Energizer Smart Recharger and if your video is one of the 10 cutest and wittiest entries, you'll also win the the aboility to give the charity of your choice a portion of the $10,000 energizer will give to the finalists' charities. This contest closes May 17th so you will need to hurry to get your entry in. Enter here

Tips for Adults with ADHD

I am one of the many adults that find their selves struggling with keeping on task. I am an adult with ADHD. Having ADHD I have to constantly find ways to keep myself on task and concentrate to get the job done. Every Day Health.com shared an article for all those with adult ADHD and tips that can help them. Some of the tips include

• Break the job into smaller steps. I do this for my children and I think this makes lots of sense. Breaking the job into smaller steps allows me to see that I am getting somewhere and that progress is being made. It stops some of the frustration
• Make lists, this I do and can contribute to my mother who was one of the best list makers I have ever met. She had a list for everything. As I use my list I can see things getting down, without it things either do not get done or I get frustrated because it seems I am not getting any where
• Schedules - something that I have did for years schedules for everything the kids, housework, homework, etc. etc.....

To read more of this article go here

Aquafina Anbassador and giveaway

I am a Aquafina Ambassador thanks to Mom Central. We are not tap water drinkers in our house. I am not sure why but offer them so flavored water and you will get more of a reaction. My athletes only drink water and juice and since receiving the flavored water have decided they could do without the juice as well.

Aquafina FlavorSplash's "Flavor Your Day" Mom Ambassador program will be lots of fun. People are busier than we used to be with everything that needs to be done there seems little time to think about what is good for us. Soft drinks used to be a treat but now they are all to common. As moms we can do something about this. By offering our children water to drink we can help ensure their health. Doctors recommend keeping hydrated by drinking eight glasses of water a day. Plain water does not have the attraction that many other products do. However, now there is delicious Aquafina FlavorSplash. The wonderful Aquafina's lightly flavored FlavorSplash water provides a sweet and refreshing alternative to regular water, allowing you to get the benefits of drinking water with the delicious taste.

As a Aquafina Mom I will receive a six pack of water a week. The flavors are peach mango, raspberry, strawberry kiwi, lemon, wild berry and grape The great thing is that the waters have been sweetened with splenda and thus have zero calories. This week I received the flavor wild berry. One of my favorite berry treats is fresh berries from the garden with sugar and cream. The flavor of the water allows me to experience a berry treat without having to consume the calories in my loved berry treat. I also received flavored lip balms and several coupons for free 6 packs of flavorsplash water If you would like to try a flavor a day then I have a coupon for you. Follow this link to print a coupon for $1 off Aquafina FlavorSplash http://bricks.coupons.com/bstart.asp?o=62676&c=AF&p=bIDTjXgY

I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for Aquafina FlavorSplash and have received various FlavorSplash samples to facilitate my participation. Mom Central will send me a gift card at the end of the program.”



Giveaway: Five (5) winners will receive a free coupon for Aquafina FlavorSplash and 2 lip balms each.

To enter this giveaway share with me what you are doing to stay healthy.

Giveaway will run one week and end May 20, 2010. Email must be on blog profile or in comment

Snorg Tee Giveaway

SnorgTees began as a way out of real jobs in 2004. So they decided that they weren't meant for real jobs and would have to find a way to make a living. They decided the only thing to do was to sell tees. I love this story because it is exactly where my kids are at as well as many other graduates. What to do in life is the question that everyone must answer for the folks at Snorg tees their answer made them happy and their company has grown. Most of the tees at Snorg are designed by Snorg employees while others come from their customers. Snorg is always open to great ideas for their tees.

Great Looks available at Snorg Tees include:

Tees there are available for men, women and children as well. In fact, they also have those awesome cool hoodies that everyone loves to hide under so they can sleep in class or through other boring moments.

You can purchase your choice of Snorg tee at this website http://www.snorgtees.com/

Win: Snorg Tees would love to give one of Annie's Home readers a tee of their choice.

To enter let me know what tee at Snorg tees is your favorite

Extra Entries:

• follow my blog
• subscribe to my blog
• follow my blog on twitter
• tweet about the giveaway (1 entry per tweet) link in comment
• leave comment on any review post (2 entries) let me know which one
• enter any giveaway (1 entry per giveaway) let me know which one

Giveaway starts now and ends June 2, 2010. Good Luck Email must be on comment or on blog profile for it to count.

Wonderful facebook contest for baby and mom

Natural Mat, Kushies and It's My Planet have teamed up to host a favulous giveaway.

One grand prize winner will receive a Natural Mat Coco Mat, Kushies new organic It’s My Planet 2 and Stripes & Stars layette and a collection of Baby Blanket music CDs. Second and third place winners will receive great prizes from these companies as well. To enter hit the picture above or follow this link http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natural-Mat-USA/111307958897972?v=app_392248091048&ref=ts

Crockpot Spahetti and Meatballs

http://s755.photobucket.com/albums/xx199/darnold23/?action>

Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 lb (approx. 2 handfuls) spaghetti, break into pieces
1 26-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
20 frozen fully cooked meatballs
1 c water

Combine all ingredients in Crockpot; mix well. Cook on Low for 4 hours until pasta is tender and meatballs are completely heated, stirring once during cooking. Serves 6.

Unclog A Drain using Household Ingredients

Have a stopped up drain that needs unclogged. Here is an easy trick to try before calling the plumber.

Pour 1/2 c baking soda down the drain
follow with a bottle of vinegar and a kettle of boiling water.

Use this the next time you have a clog before calling the plumber. Using this once a month may help you avoid clogs at all.

Summer Fun

Hosted by A Southern Daydreamer



This was a picture a friend took oh what fun we had this day. Its everyones dream to bounce in the bouncehouse on a warm summer day.

Farmers Hash Potato Casserole

•1 (2 lb.) bag frozen southern style hash brown potatoes
•1/2 cup onions, chopped fine
•seasoning to taste
•1/2 cup melted butter
•1 1/2-2 cups Colby cheese or cheddar cheese, shredded
•1 (10 1/2 oz.) can cream of chicken soup




Spray a 13 X 9 X 2 inch-baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a bowl, combine soup, cheese, butter, onion, salt, and pepper. Gently fold the potatoes into the mixture and pour into prepared pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until heated through and top is browned.

Source: My Daily Moment

Slow Cooker Barbq Ribs

Slow Cooker Barbq Ribs

2 medium onions
4 lb country-style pork ribs
1 cup Hot ’n Spicy barbecue sauce (or your favorite sauce)

Halve, then thinly slice onions. Place onions, then ribs and barbecue sauce in a 5-qt or larger slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until ribs are tender


To spice it up a bit you could add fresh sauerkraut to cooker before adding ribs, or add some minced garlic and ginger to create a teriyaki flavor or stir a can of baked beans into sauce in cooker 30 minutes before ribs are done

source: womans day

The Party Is On

shared on the blog MomStart for Wordless Wednesday

Tomatoes taste good and so good for you

Were you aware that tomatoes may play a role in preventing breast and cervical cancers. There have been no clinical trials as of yet but many believe it to be true. There was a test conducted bythe Boston researchers that stated that tomatos may protect against cardiovascular disease. So growing those tomatoes may prove one day to be just the medicine you need.

Champion Chicken Parmesan

Champion Chicken Parmesan


1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

Chicken:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 cups hot cooked linguine (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta)

To prepare tomato sauce, combine sun-dried tomatoes and water in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and finely chop tomatoes. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion; sauté 7 minutes. Stir in canned tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, basil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic. Preheat oven to 350°. To prepare chicken, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a shallow dish. Place each breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Dip each breast half in egg white; dredge in flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Arrange in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Serve over linguine.

Source : My Recipes

word Filled Wednesday

Ecclesiastes 3:11 is perfect for the occasion of graduation. We did not know when we held our tiny babies what they would do in life. We had our dreams and aspirations but there was one that did know and that one is our Lord in heaven above. Now as we have watched them grow and they soon graduate I wonder what the next step will be. They both proudly state "I am not afraid as I walk with my Lord" and my son says "I wait for him to call me and tell me where and what I need to do." Just like when they were little I have aspirations and dreams but no real knowledge of what will come but there is one that does.