What's your flavor Friday and a Giveaway!

The weeken is finally here!! And it's a 3 day weekend which is even better!!  I am so excited we are going apple picking in Michigan this weekend!  I will for sure post some pictures of that.  It's hard to believe a year ago this weekend we went, and Jack was not born yet.  Now he is going to be a year in less than 2 weeks.  Time is FLYING by!
If you are a new visitor from  Feature Me Friday I hope you like what you see and come back to visit soon.  If you are one of my regulars, thank you for reading, and thank you for all your comments. 

Now for the giveaway!

I love easy dinners, but no matter how easy a meal may be, it has to be delicious.  So when Lawry's  and My Blog Spark asked if they could send me some of their delicious marinades and seasionings, I of course said yes!
I received my package in a mail a few days later with these amazing mainades and seasonings:
Marinades

• Szechuan Sweet & Sour BBQ gives meat a delicious sweet and sour flavor with a touch of Szechuan heat
• Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato includes extra virgin olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers and the perfect blend of herbs

Seasoning Mixes

• Asian Style Beef & Broccoli – This easy to prepare stir fry meal will remind your family of their favorite Asian restaurant. The dish combines beef, broccoli and seasonings with a hint of garlic. Serve it over rice and you have a complete, satisfying meal.
• Chimichurri Burrito Casserole – Lawry´s gives the familiar Burrito casserole a new twist with this traditional Latin American sauce. With a few simple fresh ingredients, mealtime just got a lot more exciting.
• Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic Chicken – Add a taste of the Mediterranean to your family´s casserole. This easy to bake casserole combines chicken, pasta, tomatoes and Feta cheese to easily make a flavorful meal any night of the week.
• Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil – Chicken Marsala is a restaurant favorite, but it might not make the menu at home. This effortless version comes together on your stovetop with just a few fresh ingredients. Flavorful garlic and basil gives this meal its own Tuscan flair, perfect for serving over pasta or rice.

I decided to try the Beef and Broccoli Seasoning Mix that I was sent, and it made the meal preparation quick and simple! My husband loved it and so did I! 

***You can find Lawry's Seasonings at a grocery store near you.

WIN IT:
One Lucky Reader will receive a Lawry's“What’s Your Flavor” kit (pictured above) that includes a marinating dish, a set of skewers, Lawry’s two new marinades, as well as a sample of each of the four new Seasoning Mixes and a bottle of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

HOW TO ENTER:
Leave a comment~ Which Lawry's Seasoning Mix / Marinade are you most excited to try? The comment is considered your entry.

ADDITIONAL  ENTRIES:

1)Follow me (if you do, leave a comment!)

**Please leave your email address with one of your comments.  Contest will end Friday October 15th, at 11:59 pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and contacted by email.
Good Luck!

Welcome Friday and a Sweet Pea Totes Giveaway!

TGIF!!!  I can't tell you how happy I am that this week is over.  Some weeks just feel longer than others.  This was one of those weeks.  I want to welcome all my new visitors from New Friend Friday and Featuring You Friday, and I hope you like what you see!

So back to the weekend.  I hope you all have fun plans for this first weekend of fall!  We are going to have Jack's 1 year pictures taken.  I can't wait!!!  We also are going out for our anniversary Saturday....dinner and a movie.  We have seen one movie since Jack was born!  Any good movies out there?

Speaking of going out, I found the cutest boutique on Etsy; Sweet Pea Totes.
It was love at first sight.  I girl can never have to many handbags or purses can she?  So I now have them on my list for holiday gifts. 
I especially love these. 

Aren't they both perfect for Fall?  Mary creates one-of-a-kind handbags and accessories that are inspired by today's hottest designer fabrics. Her creations are all original designs from patterns she drafts myself so her handbags, clutches and wristlets are one of a kind.

The best part?  Mary is offering one of my readers any wristlet priced $26.00 and under, like this one....

To enter to win this AMAZING contest, visit Sweet Pea Tote's shop and comment on which wristlet you would choose!

Additional Entries:

Follow Sweet Pea Tote's Blog at http://sweetpeatotes.blogspot.com/

Follow my blog (if you do just let me know!)

Contest ends Sunday October 3, at 11:59pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and contacted via email! 

Good Luck, and have a great weekend!

"Gain" new friends...but keep the old (and a giveaway!)

It's Friday!!!

I just love the Friday feeling.  The feeling of knowing I have two glorious days off with my family, two days to relax and unwind.  I want to welcome back all of my loyal readers, and I also want to welcome my new friends visiting from Featuring You Friday , and New Friend Friday! And as the saying goes..."Gain new friends but keep the old..." (well maybe that's not the saying exactly) I have a small giveaway!

I spend much of my days in the kitchen washing dishes, especially now that our dishwasher is broken.  I have to have a good scent when washing dishes, and Gain has done just that. I am so excited that I have been given the opportunity to try the new Gain Dish Liquid in the Original Scent.  P&G and My Blog Spark sent me a free bottle of Gain to try and I love it!  Origonal Gain has a fresh, clean smell, and also gets the job done with my dishes!

To learn more and keep up with Gain, you can “Like” Gain on Facebook and Follow Gain on Twitter!

Two (2) of my readers will receive:

• $5 Walmart Gift Card
• I Heart Gain T-Shirt (size large)

All you have to do is comment below! Conest will end, Friday September 24th, at 11:59pm. via random.org.  Winner will be contacted via email!
Good Luck and have a great, relaxing weekend.  Enjoy every second of it!

so I turn to you..........

Welcome all my new friends! New Friend Friday also means the weekend is here! I made it through my first week back with the kids.  I have to tell you, it is hard.  Harder than when I came back from my maternity leave. Jack is so much more aware, and interactive and I just miss him like crazy.

I am also having a hard time juggling everything.  I get home from work with Jack around 5.  We play, go for a walk or to the park and it's bath and bedtime at 7:30.  Then my husband and I eat, wash bottles, pack for the next day, clean up and it's bed time for me.  I feel like I have no "me" time.  No time to relax, or workout or do things I need to do like grocery shopping or running errands.

So that's where I turn to you, my wonderful, loyal followers.  How do you juggle it all?  How do you balance work, family and also have time for yourself?  Can it be done?

With that, have a great weekend, enjoy it.  It is going to be beautiful here, so we will be doing lots of outside activities.  I will also be catching up on my photo taking this weekend and will post so new ones on Sunday! Have a great Friday!

new friends and a great recipe

Welcome to my New Friend Friday Friends! So I made it through my first week back.  It was VERY VERY difficult.  Jack screamed the first two days at daycare.  I felt sick  about leaving him and that made me feel alot worse.  The rest of the week Jack is with family and he was as happy as can be. That made me feel MUCH better. 

The last thing I want to be doing after work, is cooking for hours.  The recipe below is super simple; everything is grilled!  It is also super healthy and super yummy.  I hope you enjoy it, and also enjoy your weekend, only a few summer weekends left!

Grilled Chicken with Green Beans and Tomatoes

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon plus 3 teaspoons olive oil
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound green beans
4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Directions
1.Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the oil.

2.Rub the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large bowl, toss the green beans and tomatoes with the remaining oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

3.Grill the chicken until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill the green beans and tomatoes, turning the green beans often and the tomatoes once, until tender and charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with the vinaigrette.

New Friend Friday

Another Friday which is bitter sweet.  I'm glad it's the weekend, but every Friday means I am one more week closer to going back to work.  I have three weeks until school starts and that awful feeling in my stomach is starting to form. I just need to enjoy these last few weeks of summer break and be happy I have this time off with Jack and Lenny.

Enjoy your weekend, and be sure to check out my giveaway below for a custom camera strap! 

Participating in New Friend Friday and Five Question Friday


1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it?
Yes, I had a favorite blankie for so long my mom finally told me she "accidently" gave it to good will.  I cried for days.  I found it in her dresser drawer when I was in college.  I loved that blankie!


2. Do you dream in color?
Yes, every time.
3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller?
I am 5-6, I wish I was a bit taller.

4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, who would it be?
Trace Adkins.  Very sexy.


5. Do you return your shopping cart to the corral or leave it wherever in the parking lot?
I always return them, otherwise I feel like people will say "oh look at that lazy girl, she can't even put her shopping cart away!"

Happy Friday!!!!

Welcome if you are new to my blog and thanks for returning if you are not.

I hope you have a great Friday, and please enter my two giveaways I have from some great Etsy Shops.  Just click the Giveaways tab to enter.

I hope you all have fun plans for the holiday weekend, or maybe you just plan to relax. 

I can't wait to spend time with family, and friends!

New Friend Friday!

Welcome New Friends and Old!  Happy Friday.  I made it through my first week of Summer Break! It's amazing how fast time goes when you are off of work.  If you are new, I hope you enjoy looking around, and if you are a frequent visitor thank you for coming back! 

What are your plans this weekend?  Anything fun?  I have a girls night tonight, which is always fun, and a Michael Jackson Party tomorrow with friends. Today I am taking Lenny and Jack to the farmer's market in my town and then we will go for a swin at our pool!

Be sure to come back Monday for Meetup Monday and today is the last day to enter to win a custom necklace from My Belle Boutique!

A Giveaway, Day 192 and, New Friends!

CLOSED! Congrats LIZ! 

It's here! It's here! Day 192!  That's how many days of school we have (which is longer than anyone!).  We get out at 11:30 today and SUMMER IS HERE!

To celebrate I wanted to give away one of these perfect little necklaces I received in the mail yesterday,which I will also be wearing on my last day of school.....

 The picture does not do it justice!  I just love it so much.

My Belle Boutique is a great little Etsy shop I found one day while browsing.  Kayla is a stay-at-home mom and loves making handmade creations for her shop. Her products are SO affordable and are a great treat for yourself, or for a gift for a friend!

The winner of this necklace will get to personalize this round disc with your first or last initial{s}, number{s} or short name! The disc can hold up to 4-5 characters, depending on the size. There is also a silver puffy heart charm, as well as a pearl charm, hung on a fine {1.2 mm} ball chain.

Official Entry: (Required)
Please visit My Belle Boutique and pick out your favorite item, then come back here and leave a comment!

Bonus Entries (after required entry)
1. Become a fan of My Belle Boutique on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mybelleboutique09
2. Follow My Belle Boutique's blog at http://mybelleboutique.blogspot.com/

Please leave your email address with your entries. Contest ends Friday June 27th at 11:59pm, and winner will be choosen via Random.org. Good Luck!


To all my new friends visiting, welcome to my blog!  I hope you like what you see and return! Have a great weekend!

Welcome New Friends!

Since it's Friday, I just wanted to welcome all my new visitors. I hope you enjoy this blog, and your weekend!  If you are a regular, you should join New Friend Friday and meet some great new people!

I love friends!

Welcome New Friends!!  The Girl Creative (who did my blog design) hosts New Friend Friday.  If you get a chance,  check it out, her site is great!!  To my new friends, Thank you for visiting, enjoy your visit and check out my giveaways! 

I hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Welcome New Friends

If you are visiting from New Friend Friday, Welcome! To everyone else, I hope you have a great Friday and an awesome weekend!

Friday Fun

     

 

TGIF!!!!!!! The Girl Creative hosts New Friend Friday and I love it.  Not only is it a great way to celebrate Fridays, but she has a great blog, and a great way to find new blogs and meet new people!

I also just started participating in One 2 Try's Friday Follow! 

I would love to hear your plans for the weekend.  We are getting Jack's professional pictures done tomorrow (I'm so excited!!!) and have a wedding Sunday.  Tonight I get to get together with the girls for a cards night! 

So, to all my new friends, welcome!  And to all my old ones, thank you for reading, (and commenting)  you make my days!

New Friend Friday!

I found  New Friend Friday though other blogs and had to take a look.  I love it! What a great way to meet new bloggers and friends!   The Girl Creative hosts NFF and I think you should check out her blog and join with me!


I hope you all have a great Friday!