Almost Lasagna (Recipe)

This recipe is one of my favorites!  It tastes just like lasagna but so much easier to to. You can add extras to pack a punch or just leave it the way it is for your picky eaters. Serve it up with a side salad and garlic bread and your meal is complete! I love doubling this meal and putting one in the freezer for when I need a quick dinner.

Hot Drinks on Cold Winter Nights: Hot chocolate & Wassail Recipes

Over the years I have tried and tested many recipes for Hot cocoa and Wassail. With the holidays around the corner I thought it would be fun to share my favorite hot drinks for those cold winter nights, snowman making, or Christmas caroling.  First up is my favorite creamy hot cocoa mix just the way we like it!

Flat to Flip Flops Giveaway!

Have you heard? Ashley from flats to flip flops has a new home! And today I am helping her celebrate with a HUGE GIVEAWAY! If you like shopping then this is the giveaway for you!

Ashley has made a bunch of changes to her site and here she is explaining what new things she has in store! Take it away Ashley!

First..Meegan(said Mee-gan)! Talk about an answer to prayers! This gal is truly talented and I am so excited she said yes to joining me and my craziness! Coming from a photography background and with an eye for design and fashion..I know you guys are gonna love her as much as I do! I won't reveal too much..she'll be introducing herself a little later! Second...Discuss With Us. I love sharing my tips and tricks and outfits with you guys but those of you that have been around here long enough know that doesn't make me immune for fashion di-sasters. And I know that you guys have a ton of knowledge to share as well! That's why I knew my site needed some sort of forum. So please don't be shy! Use the forum to ask questions, get and give fashion advice, share your latest purchase or the great deal you got on your latest pair of shoes! You can even upload pictures! So don't be shy! Third..Strut Your Style. This is located over on the sidebar and is connected to the forum. Every pic that gets uploaded to the forum will automatically show up in a slide show on the sidebar! Think of it as an endless link party! So please come back on the regular and upload your latest outfit pics and if you blog, leave a link back to your blog in the description! And come back on the regular to get endless outfit inspiration. Fourth..Styling. You know I love putting outfits together..but you know what I love even more? Helping other people put outfits together! Meegan and I have decided to start a styling service called Fully Clothed Styling. From closet clean outs to stylist services to a personal clothing style package(coming soon) that can be sent directly to your home, we are here to help you with any styling need! So in celebration of Ashley's new home I am joining her for a GIVEAWAY! I mean..what better way to celebrate right? Being a fashion gals and all Ashley and Meegan are giving away a few gift cards to their fav shopping spots.

1st Place: $50 to Forever 21 & $50 to ASOS

2nd Place: $25 to Forever 21

3rd Place: $25 to Target

And be sure to check out these other ladies who helped make today's giveaway possible!

Shaping up to Be A Mom/ R&R Workshop/ Free Time Frolics/ A Thrifty Mom/ Maybe I Will

The Benson Street/Crafting in the Rain/One Little Momma/ The Foley Family/ Girl Loves Glam

Enter below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MIlitary jacket to vest, How to

A few weeks ago I went on a thrifting trip with a few friends.  I totally need fashion help so I was lucky to be thrifting with Ashley from Flats to Flip Flops and Meg from Brassy Apple. (check out there blogs...Amazeballs!)

I have been on the hunt for a military styled vest.  But have found nothing. Finally while out shopping I found this Military jacket for just $4.  Yipee!  I was so excited!

How to make Grapevine Ball Decorations

I have this crafty friend. She makes all kinds of great things on a whim.  Every time I go to her house she has something new to show me.  She is super talented at painting and jewelry making.  (Both things not my strong point.)  But one day I saw these cool grapevine orbs. She has 2 of them sitting on her porch. The first question out of my mouth, "Where did you get those?"  They were truly amazing.  Then she preceded to tell me she made them.  My heart stopped knowing I was unable to make them because the snow had already begun to fall. So no more grapevines for the season.  So I kept this beautiful spheres in the back of my mind until fall.   

So this year I have been anticipating this project!  I visited family who had grapes and harvested the vines myself and a few grapes too!

Armor of God Youth Activity Idea

In the past few weeks I have been called to work with our local youth.  Each week we hold an activity using the values and teaching of our faith.  A few weeks ago our youth group held and activity called "Putting on the Armor of God". WE decided that this topic was important for all to hear so we teamed up with the boys to make the activity a little more exciting. Here is how it all went down!

We started by announcing the activity was coming up with giving them no clue as to what the activity was.  We only said don't wear your nice clothing. Just stuff you didn't care about getting dirty. 

Next we gathered the supplies we needed. 

Cardboard

Duct tape

scissors or box cutters

several bags of water balloons (1 bag per leader)

We gathered boxes for weeks. Check out your local stores for empty boxes they are throwing away. (Lowes or Home Depot work great. the bigger the boxes the better)

 

Prior to your activity, plan an small obstacle course that your youth will have to get through. We just did yours through the parking lot. Have stations for your leaders to be standing.

 

When the youth arrive tell them they have 20-30 minutes to make themselves an armor. This is where you youth can get creative and build there armor however they want. They can ask for help or work together but each one needs there own armor using only cardboard and duct tape. They boys will love this part and some of the girls too!

 

 

Once time is up take all of them out and line them up.  When its time have them go through the obstacle course as fast or as slow as they like. All the while the adversary (leaders) will be trying to pelt them with water balloons, hoses or squirt guns. He who stays the driest wins!

 

Afterwards we had the youth remove there armor and dispose of it.  We met back in the church for a discussion about putting on the whole armor of God and why all the parts of the armor are important right down to the duct tape.

 

Our youth loved this activity and the message that was shared.  A great activity that was fun and had a purpose!

Linking up! {Here}

Corn Cutting Tips

The other day a neighbor asked if I was interested in making freezer corn.  I was thrilled. So we went out to here garden at 6:30 in the morning and picked 230 ears of corn and headed home. While talking about the best way to cut it off the cob we looked at several corn cob cutters online.  After doing a little research we decided the one that would work the best was unavailable in our area. So we did the next best thing.  We used what we had and it worked great!

Cheesy Chicken & Corn Chowder

A few weeks ago I spent the afternoon preparing and freezing corn.  I was able to get 12 quart bags of corn.  Yummy! I decided to find a great chowder recipe for my sweet corn. I found a few that looked good but not exactly what I wanted. So that means I make up my own.  I wanted mine to have lots of veggies, meat and cheese.  So I came up with this chowder that was delicious and filling.  Add a a slice of my fresh homemade wheat bread and you have the perfect meal on a cold day. 

Maple & Brown Sugar Applesauce {Blender Style}

Apple Season is just about here. I love drying, juicing and saucing them.  My kids love to head to grandma's house and pick bushels of them to eat. So this year while canning with my buddies we decide to make Maple Brown Sugar Blender Applesauce.  

This apple sauce is so easy to make.  Here is how we made it.

Love Me Pretty {Creativity}

A few weeks ago I shared this post over at Flats to Flip Flops.  The theme for the month was "Pretty me". basically different bloggers shared what made them feel pretty.  Here the post I shared.  For more on Ashley's Pretty Me Series check out her blog.

When most people think of  "pretty me" they probably think of fashion or self image. Over the course of the month you have read  about women who are promoting positive self image, taking care of your body, positive affirmations, motherhood and more to feel pretty. For me, some of that is true. But even more for me is the the feeling I get from Creating.  It gives me a sense of self worth and a feeling of accomplishment.

As someone who creates I don't hold myself to just one medium.  I love creating on my computer, in the kitchen and my sewing machine. I create for the joy of creating and the solace of my thoughts when I create. When I create I feel my heart and my soul come together to make something beautiful! A calmness comes over me and I feel amazing!

A few of my creations!

Even as a child I would sit up to my moms sewing machine and make doll clothes, pillowcases, and drawstring bags for fun. For extra income my mother would make porcelain dolls.  She did everything, sewing bodies and dresses, pouring the molds and painting the faces.  You could usually find me stuffing bodies and wiring arms and legs to the bodies. 

As time has gone by I have have jumped from one thing to another. But always felt that need to create.

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the Human soul." D. Uchtdorf

Do you feel it to?  Your need to create may not be the same as mine but the need is there.  Watch the video below.  I don't think anyone could put my feelings to words better.

So today I will create something... Anything will do. It may be a nice meal for my family, a dress for my daughter or a photo I have edited for my home. But I will create something great today! And from that creation I will know that I am Pretty inside and out!

LDS Youth Cirriculum Thank you Ideas

With the new youth Curriculum in the LDS Church, the youth are asked to teach a lesson one Sunday  Month if possible.  In my Presidency we decided a Thank you was in order.  Planning these lessons take time and planning.  We appreciate all the girls who plan and share there lessons.  So I came up with this cute thank you card paired with a yummy candy bar.

Young Women's Lesson Thank you

Another thing our youth are expected to do is speak in church during sacrament meeting.  We rotate through our youth.  Every week there is one girl and one boy. So in our ward the girls speak at least twice a year some more.  So as a small thank you I made this Easy printable with two choices.  Each one is paired with a mini candy bar.  Make up a bunch with a few different choices of candy bars. (Pick up a few extra bags of candy at Halloween)

Young Women's Sacrament Talk Thank you

Linking up! {Here}