Menu Plan Monday

Husband is going to be gone again this week, so it's going to be kid friendly, again.  Kinda getting sick of it!  I want to cook a nice big meal again!!  Normally, when I cook big meals, like steak or pork chops, I still end up having to cook something different for the boys...so if Husband isn't home, there's no point in making a big meal that they won't eat.

Monday: taco night

Tuesday: chicken nuggets & fries

Wednesday: grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup

Thursday: pizza night

Friday: crockpot chicken, mashed potatoes and stuffing {Husbands favorite!}

Bright Start Ultimate Baby Shower Event

 

*Please use my name as a referral in your sign up form. :)**

The Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Event is a free blogger event. You will receive one link at no cost as a thank you for participating in this event.
Prize: Bright Starts Sunnyside Safari Collection including the Chair Top High Chair, Plug in Sway & Swing, Portable Swing, Playard, and Saucer!
Open to: US only
The event dates: May 7 at 12:01 am to May 28 11:59pm
Blogger Note – (Canadian bloggers may participate in this event if you have a large number of US readers/traffic)
Link options are: GFC, Email, RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Vote (as long as it is a no signup or like required, example picket fence). G+ is not allowed as it is against google rules.
What is required to join? 

• Post about the event with the button above linking back to this post. Easy copy paste text below along with the button.

Bright Starts, Mom to Bed by 8, Mom Blog Society and Iowa-Mom is excited to present the Baby Shower Event from May 7^th to May 28^th. This is a free blogger event and accepting signups now.

Join the Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Giveaway event today, grow your readership and offer one amazing baby shower gifts giveaway!

• If you do not wish to post the announcement, send the $5 via paypal to goodnightmommyboutique@gmail.com with your email address and Baby Shower April Event in subject line or notes portion of the form.
• Once you have posted your announcement or sent the paypal payment, fill out this form with your information!
• You will receive an email from me with 72 hours, confirming your participation. If you do not, please email me at teri@momtobedby8.com and I will check into it for you.
• Then on or around May 4^th you will receive another email from me with the html code for publishing the giveaway.  Note it is required that you publish the giveaway html in full to be included in this event. I will verify links on May 7^th around 10am central and if you have not done so, your link on the rafflecopter will be removed. This keeps this event fair for all who joins.

Cooking With Choley: Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I have been obsessed with cupcakes lately!!  I have a ton of awesome recipes that I've been dying to try...so I decided to start on some last weekend!  I made a lot of cupcakes {4 dozen  cupcakes to be exact!}  Here's a recipe for one of my new favorite cupcakes...

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

You will need...

For the cake

1 box white cake mix

3/4 frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed out

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 egg whites

First, Preheat oven to 350, put cupcake liners in the muffin tins.

Combine all of the cake ingredients {first 5 ingredients} in a mixing bowl.  Using your electric mixer, mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium speed for an additional minute. 

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake @ 350 for about 18 minutes {baking times vary based on your oven!}.  Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.

Pink Lemonade Frosting

For the frosting...

1 stick {1/2 cup} butter, room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

4 cups powdered sugar

2-4 tbsp pink lemonade concentrate

red and/or yellow food coloring 

Combine butter and shortening in large mixing bowl, use hand or stand mixer to cream butter and shortening on high speed for about 3 minutes, or until light in color.

Add powdered sugar {I did this one cup at a time, mixing it together a little before I put the next cup in}  

Mix on low for 30 seconds, then increasing the speed speed to medium for an additional minute or until sugar is incorporated.

Add 2-4 tbsp of pink lemonade concentrate and mix on high until light and fluffy looking.

I used a wilton 21 tip for the decorating.

You can follow Cooking With Choley's blog here, facebook page here, and twitter page here!

WWTK

It's that time again....

Vandy @ http://tttandme.blogspot.com/ wants to know:

{one} What is your quirkiest habit?
When buying multiple of something, I noticed that I tend to buy it in even numbers...not really sure why, but I was grocery shopping last week and I noticed anything that I bought in multiples was either two's or four's?

D @ http://beneaththesurfaceanewbeginning.blogspot.com/ wants to know:

{two}What TV show do you always stop to watch?

Oh man...there's so many right now!!  Glee is a must see, as well as Grey's Anatomy.  Most of the others I will catch on Hulu if I miss it during the week.

Vanessa @ http://www.jfamforlife.com wants to know:

{three} What do you miss most about being a kid?
Not having to worry about money or bills,  or even someone else!  

Jolene @ http://richjmylife.blogspot.com   wants to know:

{four} How many siblings do you have?
Two, both younger.

Kenzie @ http://cbmommyhood.blogspot.com wants to know:

{five} How do you get yourself out of a funk?
Depends on deep the funk is...Exercising if it's pretty deep...  I love to go for nice long walks or bike rides.  If I can't {which I barely ever get to anymore} then I clean...like REALLY clean.  If it's just a little "blah" funk...then I like to do my hair and make up and dress nice, even if I'm not going anywhere.

Sponsors

Wow, so it's already almost May!?  Where on earth did April go??  Now that things are starting to get back to "normal" around here, I've decided to offer a sponsorship again!

I will be accepting new sponsor's for the whole month of May- & it's FREE!                

*The fine print: All I ask in return is that you are following me in some way: GFC, Google+, Facebook, Twitter,Pinterest..  I will follow you back on any that you follow me, just let me know that you have done it by leaving a comment or in your e-mail message to me*

I will start posting buttons on my blog on May 1st, so what I will need from you is:

An e-mail with your url address, facebook URL and twitter name, as well as your button {any size up to 200x200}!

What the sponsorship will include:

-Your sponsor button on my side page, can be any size up to 200x200

- One spotlight post featuring you and your blog!

-Weekly Facebook and twitter mentions throughout the whole month of May

- Also a guest post- topic is your choice {optional}

This sponsorship is open to businesses as well as bloggers!

If you are interested in a FREE sponsorship for the month of May, or have more questions, just send me an e-mail!!  {mamaq0608@gmail.com}

Menu Plan Monday

So this week we're back to Husband being gone all week =(  Can't wait until he has a full {and good!} crew under his belt so he can get some rest and actually be home more!!

I think I am going to keep it simple since it's just me and the boys this week...that and I don't want to grocery shop this week, lol

Monday: Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

Tuesday: Corn dogs, onion rings

Wednesday: homemade chicken nuggets, corn on the cob

Thursday: Chili & crackers

Friday: crock pot steak & potatoes

Saturday: Pizza {& movie} night

Sunday: crock pot chicken stroganoff, potatoes, stuffing

Do you want to win $500?

Welcome to the $500 JC Penney Gift Card Giveaway, presented by CouponTrade.com and Moms with Voices Media!

CouponTrade.com is your new source for coupons that MATCH discounted gift cards! Sell your unwanted gift cards and name your price today!

One lucky winner will receive a $500 Gift Card to JC Penney! Just enter on the Rafflecopter form. Good Luck and have fun!!

Could you do it?!

Do you think you could "Live Below the Line"?

What does that mean? Live Below The Line is a campaign that is challenging individuals from May 7th-11th to eat and drink on just $1.50 per day for 5 days!

Why? By exposing participants to a glimpse of some of the daily difficulities experienced by the 1.4 billion people who live in extreme poverty everyday, for everything, the campaign provides a unique window into understanding the realities of life for so many people.

Do you think you're up for the challenge?  

Are you ready to take the plunge and live off of $1.50 per day? First, eat a giant cheeseburger. All finished? OK, now follow these steps:

1. Visit the Live Below the Line partner page and choose one of the following charity partners to support
   • Shot at Life
   • UNICEF
   • The Global Poverty Project
   • CARE
   • Global Syndicate
   • Malaria No More
   • Rainforest Foundation US
2. Enter your profile details, making sure to add BzzAgent as your network
3. Let your Facebook friends, Twitter followers, friends and family know you're going to be Living Below the Line May 7th-11th to spread awareness and convince them to join and support you.

Not interested in taking the challenge but want to help?  I will be supporting the Shot @Life.  My goal is to raise at least $250 for this cause...you can help by donating here

Cooking With Choley: Chicken Lasagna

Once a week I will be posting a recipe from my other blog Cooking With Choley!  This week I have decided to share with you one of our favorite recipes: Chicken Lasagna!

You Will Need:

9 Lasagna noodles
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic
6 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded mozzerela
1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1.) Cook lasagna noodles.  

2.) In large bowl combine soup, sour cream, parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, mushrooms and chicken.  

3.) Mix well.

4.) Spread 1-2 Tbs of chicken mix over bottom of 9x13 pan.  

5.) Cover with 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of chicken mix and 1/3 of mozerella.  

6.) Repeat layers ending with chicken mix.  

7.) Top with Swiss cheese.  

8.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 min.  

Who do you look like?

Linking up to the "Who's your doppelganger" linky!
So I don't really have any one person that people say I look like, so I decided to use the celebrity look alike generator to see who I looked like...

Match: 67%	Match: 66%	Match: 65%	Match: 65%	Match: 65%
Sarah Michelle Gellar	Bonnie Hunt	Jerry Springer	John McCain	George W Bush
Upload	Upload	Upload	Upload	Upload

Click to See More Results for Face No. 1

So according to this...I look like an old man!! really!?  Let's try a different website!

This was my closest match with 74%...

So I guess this one is a little better...  Who do you look like?

April Flowers {not showers}

Spring is in the air!!!  Why not bring it into your home too?

Not only do fresh flowers make your home smell a little nicer and brighten things up, but a recent study done at Harvard also shows that having fresh flowers in your home can make you a more compassionate and less depressed person!!  

Here are the three main findings from their study:

1. Flowers feed compassion: Participants who lived with fresh cut flowers for less than one week showed an increase in feelings of compassion and kindness towards others
2. Flowers chase away anxiety, worry and "the blues" at home: Participants felt less negative after being around the flowers in their home after just a few days.  Participants most commonly placed the flowers in their kitchen, dining room or living room, and reported they wanted to see the flowers first thing in the morning.
3. Living with flowers can provide a boost of energy, happiness and enthusiasm at work: Having flowers at home can have a carry over impact at work as well.  The study found that participants who had fresh flowers in their living areas in their home were more often happier and had more energy at work.  

Here are some tips for decorating your home with flowers

My theory is "if it can hold water, it can hold flowers!"  I love finding unusual vases or other containers to use to hold my flowers.  It just adds a little something.. The best place to go for them is thrift stores!

Scored this awesome vase on sale for $1.50 at a  local thrift store!!  This is on our fireplace mantel

Don't limit yourself! Don't limit yourself to just the kitchen or dining room!  Fresh flowers in the bathroom or bedroom can serve as a natural air freshener and make the room look for "inviting"

Entertaining ideas:

Welcome: Cut flowers are a great way to welcome guests!  Add a basket of fresh cut flowers to your front door or fill a couple of milk bottles with your favorite flowers and add them to your steps

Napkin Rings: Instead of using napkin rings at your next barbecue, use fresh flowers!  Just bend the stem around the napkin, slip knot it, and clip off the excess stem.

For the dining table: Put a single, short stem flower in a shot glass or mini-vase and set one at each place setting.  This is a great way to give every guest a fragrant gift to take home.