Tuesday, January 31, 2012

a few of my favorite things...valentine's edition

With Valentine's Day only 14 days away, (I can't believe it's February!!)I thought I would share with you all a few of my handmade, favorite things from etsy.  Etsy has everything.  I swear, everything.  These, are just 9 of my favorite things.  

From top left:

Miss Brittany's Organic Fun Dough
Chocolate Lips by Nicole's Treats
Dad keychain by Keefer Style Creations
Dog Bow Tie (Charlie Heart's Diesel)
Lola and Cash's Heart Earrings
Silhouette Plate's by Aedrial Original 
Personalized Cufflinks by Block Party Press
Knotwork Shop's Coffee Cozy



check me out....



Beth Anne at The Heir to Blair is one of my favorite bloggers and moms.  She has a great writing style, an ADORABLE son, Harrison, and I love that she says it like it is.  She is also so kind as to host a giveaway for The Smitten Image on her blog.  


So head on over there, enter to win a print of your choice, and check out the rest of her posts if you haven't already.    You can enter HERE.


Have a great Tuesday!

  

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats


This is one of those recipes that is a hit anywhere, and have people begging for the recipe (and more).  The browned butter  and salt give it that extra little something that the original recipe was missing.

Try them, and I promise you won't be disappointed.  Thank you again to my all time favorite food blog The Smitten Kitchen.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars



4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)
Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.


In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. 


Let cool, cut into squares and enjoy.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats


This is one of those recipes that is a hit anywhere, and have people begging for the recipe (and more).  The browned butter  and salt give it that extra little something that the original recipe was missing.

Try them, and I promise you won't be disappointed.  Thank you again to my all time favorite food blog The Smitten Kitchen.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars






4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.




In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do.


As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.


Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. 



Let cool, cut into squares and enjoy.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

MyBlogSpark and General Mills Giveway!


Ringing in the New Year often means new eating habits. We know whole grain is important to you, and the Dietary Guidelines recommend choosing products with a whole grain listed as the first ingredient. Now every cereal with the white check has more whole grain than any other single ingredient with the same great taste. You will see “whole grain” as a part of the first ingredient on the ingredient list, indicating that whole grain is the first and most prevalent ingredient.
According to Dr. Travis Stork, emergency room physician and host of “The Doctors,” identifying whole grain products can be challenging. Shoppers can look for nutritional cues on the front of the box, but they need to read the ingredient list to know if they are getting enough whole grain. Ingredient lists detail ingredients in order of prevalence, and if the words “whole grain” are followed by a grain like wheat or oats, it means the food contains more whole grain than any other single ingredient. Here’s how to determine if your cereals have whole grain as a first ingredient:
With all the health messages facing grocery store shoppers, it can be confusing to translate what appears on food labels into nutritional needs, and hard to determine which foods have a meaningful amount of whole grain. Dr. Stork has some additional recommendations to help you include whole grain easily into your diet. They include:
  • Start Early! The Dietary Guidelines recommend people get at least 48 grams of whole grain in their daily diets. Get a jump-start on the day’s nutrition by incorporating whole grain into your morning routine. For instance, when choosing cereal make sure whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. One easy choice is cereal with the white check, which have more whole grain than any other single ingredient.
  • Make Simple Swaps. Choose whole grain versions of the foods you love. Great options include whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread or even whole grain crackers. Also, try different types of whole grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice as a side dish at dinner or popcorn, which is a whole grain, for a snack.
  • Don’t Judge a Food by Its Cover. The front of food packages provide good nutritional cues, but don’t forget to read the ingredients and check the nutrition label and side labels for additional health information. Cereals with the white check even include the amount of whole grain per serving on packaging.

For more Information:
on the importance of whole grain and a chance to enter the “Fast Lane for Whole Grain” sweepstakes, visit www.WholeGrainNation.com

I was so happy when General Mills and MyBlogSpark sent me a cereal pack to try.  It included Total, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Regular Cheerios.  I have always LOVED Lucky Charms and Jack loves the Cheerios...my husbands favorite is the Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  We will have enough cereal to last us a while around here!

{{{win it}}}
One lucky reader will win a General Mills Prize pack that includes 5 boxes of General Mills cereal with the white check!! Be sure to enter below.

Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark. 

Friday, January 27, 2012

A new winner!

So the first winner of the Tropicana giveaway never responded, which means a new winner!!!


You snooze, you loose!


The new winner is #7 Kelly H!


Kelly send me an email at justanothermomdayblog@gmail.com


Congrats!

Fill in the blanks....




1.   My favorite place i've ever traveled to is     England and Ireland.  I would move to either one tomorrow if I could   .

2.    South Africa    is somewhere I'd love to go someday.


3.  I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by     reading    .

4.  My three must-haves when I travel are     my phone    ,    lip gloss   and     snacks   

5.  My favorite travel companion is    my husband (and now Jack)  .

6.  The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is    Nothing too crazy has ever happened .

7.  The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is    Haggis  (sheep's heart/liver/lungs)  .


8.  If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in    England, Ireland, or Italy.  I have this dream to move to another country  .


9.  I have been to    10  
states in the U.S.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

New shop items!

So my shop is starting to shape up.  I even had a few sales over the weekend!  I wanted to share my new "Barnyard" prints with you.  You can check them out here, and tell everyone you know!







Have a great day!



Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Wordless(ish) Wednesday..say cheese!

I think Jack is taking over with the picture taking since I have been so busy lately....


I hope your "hump day" is going well.  If you also participate in Wordless Wed, post your link below!

Monday, January 23, 2012

hello Monday...and a working mom meal.

During my browsing on pinterest, I was looking for an easy tasty shrimp meal.  I found these:
picture via favorite family recipes  


This recipe via favorite family recipes blog, is amazing, and pretty healthy.  The best part?  It took like 15 minutes to make.  I just added some Lipton Spanish Rice and it was a meal.


I added tomatoes, since tomatoes make everything taste better, but it's up to your tastes!  I love all tacos, but these are a winner, and a perfect weekday meal.
Shrimp Tacos  

Coleslaw:
4 cups shredded green cabbage
3 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
-Toss and season with salt.

Cilantro dressing:
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 avocado
1/2 cup cilantro
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
-Mix thoroughly in a blender adding a little water if needed.

Shrimp:
1 pound shrimp
pinch of sugar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
-Peel shrimp, pat it dry, season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Heat oil over high heat and add shrimp. Cook until shrimp are curled and pink.

Layer the sauce, shrimp, and cabbage in a warm corn tortilla. Top with cotija (or feta) cheese, and chopped tomatoes. 


Have a great Monday, and a good week!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Trop50 wants you to have a Spa day...giveaway!








Earlier this month I brought you a Tropicana Trop50 giveaway of a $50 Spa Week Giftcard.  Well thanks to the generous Tropicana, you have a chance to win one more!!  You have no idea how amazing a facial, massage or mani/pedi sound right now...especially in this freezing, snowy weather!
Tropicana Trop50 reminds me of warm summer mornings, and walks on the beach!  While I love Winter, i could use a day or two of  warm beach weather.  The warm weather would also help me keep up my resolution to work out more!  Walks, bike rides, swimming...they are not the same in the gym.   Tropicana Trop50 is perfect for keeping up that resolution with only 50 calories for one serving!!  Perfect for breakfast or after a great workout!  





Have you had a chance to try Tropicana Trop50?  If you go to Tropicana’s Facebook page and share your New Years resolution, you will receive a $1.00 off coupon along with 50 cent off coupons for 50 of your friends. Super Simple  Also, while you are there be sure to enter to win $1000 from Tropicana Trop50 (there will be 4 winners!)
{{{win it}}}



Tropicana Winner

We have a winner!

The winner of the Tropicana $50 spa week gift card is......

#23 Aubrey!!!
Congrats! Email me at justanothermomdayblog@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

$50 Spa Gift Card ending soon!

Everyone needs to relax a little more...so why not enter for your chance to win a $50 spa gift certificate!  
Just click here!


Love fashion? Then check this out.



I LOVE clothes shopping.  LOVE it.  I love sales, I love online shopping, I love going to the mall, and I love dressing up for work; basically I love anything that has to do with fashion.  


So I wanted to tell you about this new site Stylitics.

What is it you ask?  Well I'll tell you!

Like fashion? Care about what you wear? Stylitics is a fun and useful virtual closet and outfit builder. Add what you’re wearing (it takes 15 seconds per outfit) and you’ll get a personalized outfit history, a view into your own style trends, and much more.


The best part – everything you do in the platform earns you points, which you can redeem for amazing rewards like gift cards, VIP discounts, and access to private events like fashion shows!


I just started checking this site out, but I love it already!  Right now it's invitation only, but if you enter invitation code "Momday" when you sign up you'll have access before anyone else!

So check it out and let me know what you think!  In the mean time, check out these facts about jeans.  

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Wordless(ish) Wednesday..snow

I am sorry I have been late on Wordless(ish) Wednesday lately. ..work is kicking my butt.  Actually life is kicking my butt too, but that's another story.  We FINALLY had our first snow fall last week.  I love snow, and have been waiting for it.  While we only got 4 inches or so, it was still fun.  


Lenny had a blast.  I think he's really a snow dog.









 Jack also had a blast....and he got to wear his new light up Cars boots...


Now we are just praying for more snow....

Have a great Wednesday and share your Wordless(ish) Wednesday posts in the comments section, I love seeing them!

Winner!

So I have a winner for the Smitten Image shop giveaway.


#7 Jessica, you are the lucky gal!


Just email me me at justanothermomdayblog@gmail.com with the image you would like!


Thank you all for entering!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Terrific Tropicana and a $50 giveaway!





Since it’s a new year, it makes sense that one of my very first giveaway for 2012 centers around New Year’s resolutions! Tropicana’s Trop50 True Resolutions wants to help you stay on track and feel great in the New Year, so they are giving one lucky Contest Corner reader a $50 SpaWeek Gift Card to pamper themselves with. Read on for your chance to enter!
Tropicana Trop50 is a juice that offers reduced sugar and calories – something that a lot of people have on their minds right now, since the most common New Year goals tend to focus on health and fitness. Trop50 True Resolutions is a campaign that focuses on the “Real reasons” behind New Year’s resolutions. If you click here to visit their campaign page on Facebook, you’ll be able to share the motivation behind your New Year’s resolutions to receive a coupon good for $1 off Trop50, as well as an entry into their $1000 gift card sweepstakes.  


Recently, Trop50 sent me a coupon for a free product coupon for Trop50 so that I would be able to try out the juice and share my thoughts with you. I decided on the Trop50 Lemonade, which come from 50%-- “Tropicana and ’50 percent’ less sugar and calories”. This juice comes in a large bottle and has a nice, tart lemonade taste – you would never know it had less then 50% of anything! Trop50 Lemonade is a perfect way to quench your thirst!