tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90223788513678571412024-02-19T16:59:02.401-08:00 Love, The Morales Family Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-2882066501923852232014-11-13T19:31:00.002-08:002014-11-13T19:31:53.656-08:00Easy "Gingerale" Tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello readers! Happy Thursday!<br />
<br />
Today, my tummy is not happy. I am in week two of my liver and gallbladder flush. If you are interested in doing it yourself, I will link the original <a href="http://wellnessmama.com/38/liver-gallbladder-cleanse/">here.</a> It works very, very well. <br />
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I have had gallbladder issues for the last five years. My doctor recommended getting my gallbladder taken out, but after doing some research, I decided that I wanted to take a more natural approach. It hasn't been an easy road --truly because I never made any lifestyle changes to go along with this decision. I would cleanse and then turn around and eat fast food the next week. That doesn't work. I had to hit a "rock bottom" before I realized that I was the problem.<br />
<br />
That rock bottom was last month, when I was standing in the shower at 2:00 in the morning crying out to God to make the pain go away and begging my husband to take me to the hospital. That was a rough night. But, after the pain finally stopped, I decided that day that I was going to completely give up fast food and was going to start living a more healthy lifestyle. I had no idea that the health of your gallbladder and the liver had so much to do with your overall health, including fertility which has been an issue for us, your energy levels, even your allergies. <br />
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Last week, I did my first flush, and got rid of at least 100 stones of all sizes. Josh actually did it with me and he also got rid of a few small ones that we had no idea he even had. Today I have gotten rid of at least 200-300 stones, all small ones. The flush should be done until the stones are the size of sand, of course with some recover time in between. The more you do the flush the deeper into the gallbladder and liver you will cleanse. Since I have done it two weeks in a row, I am planning to give my body a couple weeks to rest before doing it again. My goal is to get my gallbladder and liver completely cleaned out and not let it get backed up again by eating healthy, exercising, and losing weight. It's going to take some work, but I am determined. <br />
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I really love this cleanse and definitely recommend it to anyone having issues with their gallbladder and liver. I have felt awesome this week. I have had a lot more energy. I don't feel sick when I eat. I can tell I am able to focus a little more throughout the day. Plus, like five people at work have asked if I have lost weight, so that is an added benefit. <br />
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The one thing I will say if you are thinking about doing this cleanse is that the instructions say not to eat after 2:00pm the day you start the flush...DO NOT EAT AFTER 2:00PM THE DAY YOU START THE FLUSH. We followed this rule last week, and felt awesome the second day. I did not follow this rule yesterday and I feel like crap today...hence the gingerale tea.<br />
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I am so nauseous today, I cannot even tell you. I ate my last meal around 1:00pm yesterday, but then I got hungry around 4:00pm and decided to make some chips and guacamole for a snack since I didn't start the flush until 10:00pm, but ya, it was a horrible idea.<br />
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So back to the tea. This is my go to upset tummy drink. I love ginger, and especially gingerale, but there is just so much sugar in it that I feel it kind of counteracts the benefits. I have a homemade gingerale recipe, that maybe I'll post eventually. It tastes exactly like gingerale, but it takes like an hour to make. I just don't have time for that most days, so this has been my thing.<br />
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It is super easy to make. All you need is a green tea bag, a ginger tea bag, and some sparkling water...I like to use lemon. Fill your cup with just enough hot water to cover the tea bags and let them steep. Depending on what type of tea your ginger tea is will determine how long to steep your tea for: black tea takes one minute, green tea takes three minutes, and white tea takes five minutes. If you need a little bit of sweetness, you can add some honey here with the warm water. Once your tea is ready, you can add your sparkling water and stir it all together. <br />
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Then BAM!, you have gingerale tea with all the benefits of gingerale minus the sugar. Super, super easy. <br />
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You can do this with any ginger tea. My favorite tea to make this with is the Organic Holly Jolly Ginger Aid tea from Traditional Medicinals. It is a holiday tea, so you should be able to start finding it at Sprouts and Whole Foods. I like to get a bunch when it goes on sale at the end of the holiday season. Yogi also has a lemon ginger tea that works really well with this too. <br />
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If you have a little more time, you can even slice up some ginger and lemon and add it to a pot of boiling water to make a fresh tea! I did that the other day when Josh wasn't feeling well. That is probably the best way to get all the benefits, but like I said, will take a little more time. <br />
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So that is all folks! Josh is working tonight until midnight, and then he and I are going to go set up my new desk at work...they had new cubicles installed today, so I have to move all my stuff over.<br />
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I have a few more fun posts scheduled, so I will see you soon!!<br />
<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-83174638393030962822014-10-17T14:47:00.001-07:002014-10-17T14:50:55.523-07:00An Almost Free Haul and a Rant About Walmart Price MatchingGood afternoon readers,<br />
<br />
Today I have a couple of hauls for you...one of which that was completely free...and at the end of this post, a little bit of a rant about my Walmart price matching experience last night. I'll start with the haul though.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYOAS0gqQO_pk5n92HGbtOEtjuRSdRGmyE0hrosPPlxL0_Xb69geJ68FYaaPpsmYIL21UQ4_gW5wTiLQK57tJoOXZtoD_7L987S9YuxjIevuN7IcbiOW_GUS0xlFdbOrgEhQ_x0ar2Ms/s1600/20141016_215048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYOAS0gqQO_pk5n92HGbtOEtjuRSdRGmyE0hrosPPlxL0_Xb69geJ68FYaaPpsmYIL21UQ4_gW5wTiLQK57tJoOXZtoD_7L987S9YuxjIevuN7IcbiOW_GUS0xlFdbOrgEhQ_x0ar2Ms/s1600/20141016_215048.jpg" height="438" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<b>Dollar General:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Transaction #1</span><br />
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
Toothpaste $1.00</div>
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
= $4.00</div>
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
-$1/1 coupon (not sure what insert as I purchased online)</div>
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
Total: $.32 of tax</div>
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Transaction #2</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
Toothpaste $1.00</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
= $4.00</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
-$1/1 coupon (not sure what insert as I purchased online)</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
Total: $.32 of tax</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Transaction #3</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
Toothpaste $1.00</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
= $4.00</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
-$1/1 coupon (not sure what insert as I purchased online)</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
Total: $.32 of tax</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Transaction #4</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
Toothpaste $1.00</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Toothpaste $1.00</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
= $4.00</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
-$1/1 coupon (not sure what insert as I purchased online)</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
Total: $.32 of tax</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
Total tax paid: $1.60</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0CtdVLuMuKx64JUHOraQEGkEDxoZ-t2pLfYInB4cW7AXPDoyd8DNgD9GDE49fY741gRh22r6aSa4fa-rwLD9kwj4_3q07nsGMDF1ObCWLinwGlvvdMUkWV5iLygZsaEPEtIMa04h02E/s1600/20141016_220735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0CtdVLuMuKx64JUHOraQEGkEDxoZ-t2pLfYInB4cW7AXPDoyd8DNgD9GDE49fY741gRh22r6aSa4fa-rwLD9kwj4_3q07nsGMDF1ObCWLinwGlvvdMUkWV5iLygZsaEPEtIMa04h02E/s1600/20141016_220735.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">
<b>Walmart:</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Transaction #1</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
Pasta (pm from Smith's) $.99 each x 30 <span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">= $29.70</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
Prego Sauce $1.88 each x 10 <span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">= $18.80</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
Classico Sauce $2.50 each x 2 <span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">=$5.00</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
Newman's Own Sauce $2.50 </div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
Barilla Sauce (pm from Smith's) $1.79 each x 10 <span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">=$17.90</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
-ten $1/3 Barilla pasta coupons (not sure what insert as I purchased online)</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
-ten $.75/1 Barilla sauce coupons <span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">(not sure what insert as I purchased online)</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">-ten $.75/1 Prego sauce coupons</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">-$.75/2 Classico coupon </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">-$.75/1 Newman's Own coupon</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
Total: $42.11 after tax</div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
And now for my rant. </div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
I have been price matching at Walmart for the last five years. I have never had a problem. The morning of the day we go grocery shopping, I sit down with all of the ads to compare prices and make our list. Not only do I write down all of the prices we are matching and where they are from, but I also bring the ads with me even though the ad clearly states that you do not need to show the ads. </div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
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<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
I always make sure all of my prices are accurate. I know many people fudge the numbers or make up prices, but we never do! I am always 100% honest. That being said, yesterday was nothing new, I made our list the exact same way. </div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
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<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
When we got the register, the cashier said she needed to see all of the prices in the ads before she would ring anything up. Okay. No problem. Even though that is not required per the policy, I know they were all correct so no problem. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
The part that I had a problem with was when the cashier started interrogating me, implying that I was making the prices up. If I were making the prices up, why would I be able to show you them in the ads? She compared every single ad to every single item and even brought a manager over to verify everything. She made me feel like a criminal, and I did not appreciate my integrity being questions. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
She did find one error, that was completely ridiculous. I was price matching red delicious apples from Mariana's 4lbs for $1. I picked up a bag of red delicious apples. Apparently, in Walmart, they don't price match the red delicious apples but substitute the red gala apples. I matched red delicious to red delicious, but the manager treated us like we were trying to pull a fast one on them! <span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">How were we supposed to know that they substitute a different kind of apples? Ok whatever. I sent Josh to get the correct ones. While he was gone, I told the lady to ring up the people behind us because they had been waiting. I stood there at the end of the register to wait for her. As soon as Josh came back, the cashier switched off her light and said "Sorry, I'm closed now." Really? How rude. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">I was so frustrated and upset. I don't like to be treated like I am lying especially when I have spent so much time trying to make sure that everything was correct. I'm not going to stop price matching. I'm not going to stop couponing. I'm going to continue to prove that although some people take advantage of the system, there are still some of us that are doing things correctly. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
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So that is my little rant. Have you ever had issues in price matching?<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-70213921587538589632014-10-13T02:19:00.001-07:002014-10-17T14:51:22.427-07:00I couldn't let the $5/3 coupons expire!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtErEGZPxE7QKMLtGdFYNV8iYvgGA95OS8NNppFi7t1yYWR23ma_ASsEEYh7kAh5UsurHhxspGmwyjlG4E6XNCbZrzX0hRtr3n7har5stiZWkOHB3kL3Tdtvrl1obOf_S8gufjLWGggE/s1600/10-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtErEGZPxE7QKMLtGdFYNV8iYvgGA95OS8NNppFi7t1yYWR23ma_ASsEEYh7kAh5UsurHhxspGmwyjlG4E6XNCbZrzX0hRtr3n7har5stiZWkOHB3kL3Tdtvrl1obOf_S8gufjLWGggE/s1600/10-13.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is today's little haul. I had two more of the $5/3 Tide/Bounce/Downy coupons, and I just couldn't let them expire. As you know, I have PLENTY of Tide, so I used the coupons for some other things we needed. While I was there, I picked up a few other things we needed.<br />
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I absolutely LOVE the Windex Touch-Ups and the automatic toilet bowl cleaners! We bought them a few months ago to try, and they are so convenient. For me, life is about convenience lately. At my previous job, I only worked 3-4 days, about 20 hours a week. Now, I am working full time, at least 40 hours a week, which is a big change. I just don't have the kind of time I had before! The first few weeks after I started this job, I tried to keep up the house like I used to, but I just couldn't. I just don't have the time, or the energy for that matter. The only way my house stays clean anymore is by quick cleaning.<br />
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The Windex Touch-Ups were for sale for $3.47 each. There was a peelie on the bottle for $.75 off making them $2.72 each. I also found a rebate on Ibotta for $1.50 off, which will make them $1.97 each! That is a 44% savings.<br />
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The toilet bowl cleaners were for sale for $1.97, and I bought four. I had a coupon for $1/2 from the 10/7 RP, which made them $1.47 each. This was a 26% savings, which is not as good as I would have hoped as I like to stay around 40% savings, but we actually did need these.<br />
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The Bounce bars were for sale for $5.47 for the refill and $5.97 for the other two. I used the $5/3 coupon from the 9/28 PG, which made them $4.13 each. I love these. So much easier than using dryer sheets! This is a 33% savings; again, not as great as I would have liked it to be, but these really don't go on sale that often, and they are something that we use a lot. Plus, I needed to use my coupon lol.<br />
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The Downy was on rollback for $3.97 from $4.97. I know we just bought Downy in our last haul, but I like the scented one for doing the sheets and the regular one for clothes. I know, I'm weird. Anyways... I used another of the $5/3 coupons from the 9/28 PG, which made them $2.30 each. This was a 54% savings!<br />
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The Soft Scrub was for sale for 1.97, I bought two. I had a coupon for $1/1 from the 10/7 RP. This was a 51% savings. I have never used these before, but I am always looking for easy things to clean the bathroom with, so for a dollar, I'll give it a try!<br />
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Finally, the Advil was on rollback for $12.96. I had a $3/1 coupon, again from the 10/7 RP. This made them $9.96, a 24% savings. Again, not to the 40%, but something we needed. Josh likes these the best for when he has migraines. Plus, it came with 20 free pills, so that's a plus!<br />
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Oh, and I also purchased an All You magazine.<br />
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Alrighty, there is our little haul. Tomorrow, I am headed to the Dollar Tree --well a few Dollar Trees since you can only use four coupons at a time-- to use my $1/1 Advil PM coupons, which will make them absolutely free!! See you tomorrow!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-12638386206100988692014-10-11T12:34:00.000-07:002014-10-11T12:34:35.225-07:00Tide and Downy Haul --ENDS TODAY!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello everyone!<br />
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I have a very exciting haul for you today! This deal on Tide ends today, so hurry and read this so you can head to the store!!<br />
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Josh loves Tide laundry detergent. It's the only one he will use. As you know Tide can be EXPENSIVE! So when there is a good coupon on it, I stock up! Our total out of pocket today was $21.86! A 60% savings! Here is the breakdown:<br />
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<b>Food For Less:</b></div>
Transaction #1<br />
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Downy 64oz $2.49 </div>
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Downy 64oz $2.49</div>
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Downy 64oz $2.49</div>
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= $7.47</div>
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-$5/3 coupon from 9/28 P&G</div>
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Total: $3.08 after tax</div>
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Transaction #2<br />
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Downy 64oz $2.49 </div>
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Downy 64oz $2.49</div>
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Downy 64oz $2.49</div>
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= $7.47</div>
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-$5/3 coupon from 9/28 P&G</div>
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Total: $3.08 after tax</div>
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<b>Dollar General:</b></div>
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Transaction #1</div>
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Tide Ultra Stain Release $4.95</div>
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Tide Ultra Stain Release $4.95</div>
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Tide Ultra Stain Release $4.95</div>
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Tide Ultra Stain Release $4.95</div>
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Tide Ultra Stain Release $4.95</div>
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Tide Original $4.95</div>
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= $29.70</div>
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-$5 off $25 purchase store coupon</div>
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-$5/3 coupon from 9/28 P&G</div>
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-$2/1 coupon from 9/28 P&G</div>
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-$2/1 coupon from 9/28 P&G</div>
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Total: $15.70 after tax</div>
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The $5 off Dollar General coupon can be pulled up on their website and scanned as a mobile coupon. Both the sale and the $5 off end today! :) </div>
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Well, I am headed off to work. What are your plans for this lovely Saturday afternoon?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-41619632929518462262014-05-03T20:53:00.001-07:002014-10-11T01:00:14.525-07:00Easy Korean Beef Tacos<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAN5Ivsm5gTF0pSryPVVHAAQKORLfgKGfBxSjJTzrtKsyBq_UI3aSFbaSBLCl1oX0bkqdnL8QjBrEg0UueISpKUAibps6cszt3Mq2xuZJDWGtbAPQB3E5b1T7LxKdgZl1_aUJxWZeHys/s640/PicsArt_1399173898169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAN5Ivsm5gTF0pSryPVVHAAQKORLfgKGfBxSjJTzrtKsyBq_UI3aSFbaSBLCl1oX0bkqdnL8QjBrEg0UueISpKUAibps6cszt3Mq2xuZJDWGtbAPQB3E5b1T7LxKdgZl1_aUJxWZeHys/s640/PicsArt_1399173898169.jpg" /></a>Hello, hello! How are you doing? It has been a million years! I know, I suck at regular posting lol. But, a lot has been going on! I got a new job, we're moving next month, Josh's brother is having a baby...it's been a busy couple of months! I'm back now, and ready to start blogging again!! </div>
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Tonight we made a super easy supper! I recently discovered the Campbell's Slow Cooker Sauces, and I am in love! As I have mentioned before, the slow cooker is the greatest thing ever invented, and these sauces are the next greatest thing! </div>
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Tonight we tried the Korean Beef. The back of the bag suggested using the beef to make Korean Beef Tacos. We tried Korean Beef Tacos once before from a local food truck and really liked them. The recipe suggested using sour cream and cabbage, but Josh doesn't like cabbage so we used shredded lettuce. We also added a little hot sauce and some white rice. Yum! They were so delicious. </div>
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Have a wonderful Saturday night!<br />
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Hello again! </div>
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I am so happy to report that little Binx is feeling so, SO much better today than he was over the weekend! I definitely think that he was a little constipated. The pumpkin worked perfectly and he is back to my normal, playful, silly puppy. Who would have thought that I could actually be excited to hear the squeaking of toys in the middle of the night! </div>
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To go along with my puppy posts this week, I thought I would share our newly designed pet area with you! </div>
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Our house has this random little wall next to the entrance where the closet of the second bedroom is. It is kind of random and definitely isn't a big enough space for any furniture. So, since we moved in, it has kind of always been the puppy/kitty area. Because it is kind of tucked away, it is the perfect little space to keep food and water bowls. But, since it is kind of in the middle of the room, I wanted to add some decoration to it.</div>
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It has taken me forever to decide what I wanted to do. Since this area is the only space of the hallway that we wanted to decorate, unless you count a cat tree as decorations lol, I really wanted it to be in a bright fun color. </div>
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I'll start first with the water bowl. We have had this thing since the day we brought home Nicky. That was like four years ago! <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aspen-Pet-LeBistro-Auto-Gravity-2.5-Gal-Pet-Waterer-Blue-Cats-Dogs/21295587">We purchased it at Walmart for $15.</a> It has a 2.5 gallon storage capacity which I think is the perfect size. It is big enough that we only have to refill it every week or so, but it isn't too big that the water gets moldy or gross by that time. </div>
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They sell the same dispenser for food as well, but that just didn't work for us. Nicky learned that if he dug in the food the pieces would overflow all over the floor so that he could pick and choose the flavors he liked best while leaving the rest for mommy and daddy to pick up. haha. Needless to say, those containers did not last long at our house. </div>
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The mat we recently got on sale at Ross. I think it was like $2 or $3. Nicky and Oliver must be related. Oli likes to play in the water bowl. The cat is terrified of baths and running water, but he will sit for hours sticking his hand in the water and watching the ripples. Oh the life of a cat. If only we were all so easily satisfied. haha. This mat gives some protection from the splashing. I still have to soak up water now and again with a towel, but that's better than having one big puddle. </div>
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The painting at the bottom was what really launched this whole design. We found it on a clearance rack at Ross for $3! It was exactly what I was looking for to put in this area! I wish that Ross had things for sale on their website so that I could link this for you, but since every store carries different items, they don't. </div>
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After finding the dog painting, I began searching for something for kitten. Even though he thinks he is a dog, I didn't want to leave him out! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/184623140?ref=fb2_tnx_title">I found his paining on Etsy</a> and just knew it was excatly what the wall needed! I was so excited when I got it out of the mailbox because the grey and golden yellow matched the dog's painting exactly! </div>
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Finally, I added some pictures of the boys in frames that I got at the dollar store, believe it or not. And, voila! </div>
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I love how this turned out! I love that it is simple yet really draws your eye up the length of the wall. I think it looks a million times better than just a random water dish in the middle of the room. </div>
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What do you do to make your pet area look better than a bowl of food and water? </div>
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Be sure to follow @ltmfblog on <a href="http://instagram.com/ltmfblog">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/LTMFBlog">Twitter</a> for more fun photos like this throughout the week! </div>
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There is nothing worse than hearing your child scream from across the house...even if that child has four legs and a tail. And then, it may even be a little worse because they have absolutely no way of telling you what is wrong. </div>
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Little Binx came running into the bedroom last night screaming at the top of his lungs. He jumped up into my arms, shaking.<br />
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I had no idea what happened! He wasn't limping, there was no blood, I checked for cuts or bites under his fur...nothing! He wrapped his arms around my neck and held me tight while he shook. </div>
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I ended up taking a long, hot shower with him like we used to do when he was a puppy. He hates water, but the heat seemed to relax him and calm his nerves a bit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht77B5FwlfWXKFis2MosdSkOZc1Yjz-ZeD2_o7fNcMQ_y0JdjegZhbyaLRszgMAdFeGH7n55QQdHrIgL-qGMnUoNHkfPMTrdCrXjP2bEw7EQzOlNRZUxACcOFc4Qh8547TdhcrHRFnXS4/s640/PicsArt_1395552251339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht77B5FwlfWXKFis2MosdSkOZc1Yjz-ZeD2_o7fNcMQ_y0JdjegZhbyaLRszgMAdFeGH7n55QQdHrIgL-qGMnUoNHkfPMTrdCrXjP2bEw7EQzOlNRZUxACcOFc4Qh8547TdhcrHRFnXS4/s640/PicsArt_1395552251339.jpg" /></a>I'm pretty sure he is just constipated, not that you wanted to know that or anything. Poor baby.<br />
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I gave him a little pro-biotic yogurt last night so hopefully he will be able to go potty today. Yogurt is his favorite thing, another thing that dates back to his puppy-hood. I'll probably stop and get some pumpkin for him on the way home, I've read that helps dogs to go the bathroom too. </div>
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He tossed and turned all night. I left him out of the kennel when I left for work this morning so that hopefully he can curl up on the couch and sleep while we are gone. </div>
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I love all my boys equally, but Binx will always have a special place in my heart. He was my first dog as an adult and I have had this little one since he was a teeny tiny four week old puppy. </div>
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It is so scary when your pet, or anyone you love for that matter, is hurt or sick. I hate feeling helpless and I wish I could just take it all away! Poor baby. I am glad he is feeling a little better today. </div>
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He is always so adorable after his baths, so I wanted to write a little post for you so I could share a few of these cute photos of two of my favorite boys!<br />
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It is so crazy that animals choose you as much as you choose them. I can't imagine how different my life would be if I had never gotten my boys. It is so hard to explain this to people that don't have pets. My granddad and my mom tell me to "get rid of my livestock" all the time. I don't think my granddad has ever owned a pet in his life, so he just doesn't get how a dog or cat could mean so much to Josh and I. Pets are such a huge part of your life, they really do become your little furry children.<br />
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I'll keep you posted on how little one is doing when I get home from work.<br />
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As for other news...<br />
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This last week was my Spring Break at school. Unfortunately, the one project that I really got caught up on was sleeping! I was able to knock a few other things off of the to do list, but not as many as I had hoped for. Oh well, when your body tells you something, you have to listen...especially when it is telling you that you need sleep!</div>
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This week is the start of Birthday Week. My 23rd birthday is next Monday the 31st. Josh and I went out for an early birthday dinner and date night last night at the Cheesecake Factory, courtesy of a gift card from my mom. Thanks mom! After dinner we went mini golfing at this new place called Ohana Mini Golf. It was SO fun! I am horrible at mini golf--any golfing actually--but we had a blast! It is fun to just go out and fool around and be silly. I like doing stuff like that.<br />
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Josh and I are both working today, but are planning to check out a new church tonight. So, I will definitely let you know how that goes! Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous Sunday afternoon! And, if you remember to, please send up a little prayer for baby Binx today that he feels better. :] </div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">I'll never forget the night that I met Dave Navarro. Not because meeting him had any impact on my life whatsoever, in fact, I'm not even sure I have ever even heard any of his music, but because of the way my <span style="font-family: inherit;">mom handled the situation. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We were about eleven, maybe twelve, and had gone to the movies at the theater in the Palms Casino here in Las Vegas. Walking out to the car, my sister saw Dave Navarro and immediately started freaking out...she was a big fan of his growing up. My mom kept telling us to go up and say hello, but of course we were too scared. We went back and forth until finally, my mom walked straight up to him, put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Mr. Navarro, my girls would like to say hello to you." If you could see the look on his body guards' faces! Oh my gosh! I swear they were ready to take her down! I'll never forget, my sister, with this totally shocked look on her face said, "Do you know who you are??" Of course, he laughed and said yes, he did. He was extremely nice and talked to us for a few minutes before going off on his way. I wish I had a photo to share with you, but that was back before everyone carried a camera in their pocket. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I learned an important lesson that night, though it has taken me over ten years to really understand it. If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done. See, had it been up to Amanda and I, we would have never gotten to meet him as we would still be standing in the corner trying to convince ourselves to go up and talk to him. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This applies to a lot of things in life. If you never step out of your little bubble, you can never reach anything on the outside of your little bubble, no matter how hard you try. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>"A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: black; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">--Denis Waitley</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I started thinking about this today on my way to work. If you follow me on social media, I'm sure you saw that the news anchor for Fox 5 Vegas came to speak at one of my classes today. I know it is super lame, but I am a Journalism geek and was <u>so</u> excited just to be in the same room as him. I mean this is someone who has had such a successful career in the field I am </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">pursuing</span><span style="line-height: 20px;">, though I </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">definitely</span><span style="line-height: 20px;"> want to be behind the camera not in front! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">Anyways, after class, I was in the hallway talking to a classmate about an upcoming project when John Huck, the anchor, walked out of the room. I really wanted to introduce myself, but I didn't really know how to start a conversation. I went up to him and introduced myself and said that I thought it was funny that he had worked in Nebraska, Rapid City, and now Las Vegas because I was born in Nebraska, moved to Rapid City and now live in Las Vegas. Long story short, he ended up being super nice, walked me out to the car to introduce himself to Josh and even said I could use him as a reference for my internship application with Fox 5! How freaking cool is that! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">So here, again, is another situation in which stepping out of my comfort zone gave me an opportunity I would have never had otherwise, except, unlike Dave Navarro, this time it was with someone that could potentially impact my life. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">My goal from now on is to be a more sociable person. No one ever believes me, but I am naturally a really antisocial person. I'm the girl that wears headphones in the grocery store so I don't have to talk to people and looks down when passing people on the street so that we don't make eye contact. I have a tendency to keep to myself or stick with the people I know rather than introduce myself to others. I am really going to try to work on that in the months ahead. Journalism is a career in which I will have to step out of my comfort zone more often than not, so I might as well start practicing that now! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">That being said...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Hi, I am Christina Morales and this is me stepping out of my comfort zone to introduce myself to you! </span></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">My favorite movies are The Hunger Games, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Wreck it Ralph in that order.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">There is a strong possibility that my future children or animal's names will have something to do with the above movies. I'm thinking Rue for my next dog/cat and Andrew Kristopherson for my future son.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">There is a 100% chance my future daughter will be named Catherine after my grandma. The language it will be in is still debatable. There is obviously Catherine in English or Catrin in Irish Gaelic, or Katya in German...we shall see, we shall see. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">I could eat tacos every day of my life. Though, I don't like burritos. Interesting.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">I am an online shop-aholic and frequently purchase things off of eBay, for super cheap I might add. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">My favorite colors are yellow, peach, mint green and teal. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">My lucky number used to be 22, but things have been coming up in 27's lately which is the day Josh and I got married. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">I am terrified of car accidents and require Josh to text me whenever drives so I know he is safe. Also, I am terrified of cancer. It has taken the life of far too many of my family members. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">My nickname is "B" or "Baby B," though only my mom still calls me that. Baby B is currently my license plate, but I am thinking of changing it because everyone thinks it is for my dog...which is weird. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">I used to have an imaginary friend named Sting growing up because I was terrified of the wrestler named Sting and I thought if I pretended he was my friend he wouldn't be so scary</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Let's be honest, that guy still freaks me out. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">My biggest pet peeve is hearing people chew. I recently found through Buzzfeed that this is an actual brain disorder called Misophonia, which, according to Wikipedia is when a person is <span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">angered, and even enraged, by common ambient sounds, such as other people clipping their nails, brushing teeth, chewing crushed ice, eating, slurping, drinking, breathing, sniffing, talking, sneezing, yawning, walking, chewing gum, laughing, snoring, typing on a keyboard, whistling or coughing" So, there's that.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I love commas and compound sentences; does that make me weird?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Speaking of Buzzfeed, I am obsessed with it. I check it every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to bed. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I have a bad habit of interrupting people.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I hate white shirts.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I am far to emotionally attached to people and am always wanting their approval. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I love country music. And, side note, the new Eric Church album is AH-mazing! As is the new Jennifer Nettles. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Growing up, my grandma always wanted my sister and I to be "professional singers" like she was. We would have rehearsals in the living room after school.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I am obsessed with daytime talk shows, currently The Chew is my favorite. I refuse to watch night time talk shows because my grandma passed away in the night while watching Jay Leno and it makes me depressed. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I am an Aries, though I have no idea what that means. </span></span></li>
<li>I have always wanted to learn how to play the guitar and the piano but have never tried. </li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">The only time I make my bed is when company is coming over. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I am a chronic straw chewer and it drives my hubby NUTS. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I do kiss my dogs on the lips, and no I don't think it is gross. :]</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">My favorite words are hella, side note, ooftah and rando. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">My dogs and I frequently have random dance parties in the mornings. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I used to hate soup, but have been really loving it lately! Weird. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I have a tattoo of a cupcake on my foot. (I have three others as well, but this one is the most random)</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I know they aren't that cute, but I love pajama dresses. I just purchased a Duck Dynasty one...very cute. haha </span></li>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">The End. :]</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-8337970977515827782014-02-26T10:04:00.000-08:002014-10-11T01:02:05.951-07:00Bomb Bread <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqlzD6lglzBKMnLP-K1yu6OgY1P2EYsZdsnLlVeuX2wHGM2xK-ihcsuHTMpWoJAXhWHmjBGwcxzQlMPoV0J6dhU4N61m_X1wstt645OHbF2dHCEOFjkxc86OY3p1ePHjfUl_9qUpE7zY/s1600/20140215_182221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqlzD6lglzBKMnLP-K1yu6OgY1P2EYsZdsnLlVeuX2wHGM2xK-ihcsuHTMpWoJAXhWHmjBGwcxzQlMPoV0J6dhU4N61m_X1wstt645OHbF2dHCEOFjkxc86OY3p1ePHjfUl_9qUpE7zY/s1600/20140215_182221.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a> </div>
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I am officially back from my little blogging break. Midterms came up faster than I anticipated this semester!! Luckily, all went well and I am actually looking forward to my midterm grades for once! In addition to being busy at school, we have also had some things come up around the house as well. We purchased our first "adult" bed this month! How exciting!! I will be sharing photos soon of our new bedroom. I am so excited! We have been sleeping on a full sized bed for the last three years, and it feels wonderful to upgrade to a king! </div>
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What else, what else. I am just excited about starting to blog again and have lots of stories ready to go. :] I will be playing around with the uploading schedule a little bit to try and see what works best for us, but I promise to write at least three times a week from here on out! </div>
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So, with that, let's hop into the recipe today! </div>
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This bread came about by complete accident. One day, when Josh and I were first living together, I made pasta for supper. I have always liked making my own garlic bread, so I put the butter on the bread and put it in the oven to warm up on broil. I started talking, and wasn't paying attention, shocker, and the bread started to burn! Josh, being the supportive man that he is, said he would still eat it, even though the ends were a little black. A little black is an understatement, they were like charcoal! But guess what? It ended up being so good!!!</div>
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I named it "Bomb Bread" because every time I make it, Josh takes one bite and says, "Bomb." Although the idea originally came from charcoal black bread, I make sure not to get distracted while it is baking so that we just get a little crisp instead of a lot of burn! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAk7XA-AZKze8r_aLfqwTBb8tsFdFjo3EUzcodO0v3oJYTA4eFPkVMoyXAiALMTLgjFAITZumGWEaqDcJix6UGchZOtalONQvfOOhsQ5yW6Bm1tZMQEWFrwip5B0RfSCYU6Y1AhgolBMc/s1600/Bomb+Bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAk7XA-AZKze8r_aLfqwTBb8tsFdFjo3EUzcodO0v3oJYTA4eFPkVMoyXAiALMTLgjFAITZumGWEaqDcJix6UGchZOtalONQvfOOhsQ5yW6Bm1tZMQEWFrwip5B0RfSCYU6Y1AhgolBMc/s1600/Bomb+Bread.jpg" height="534" width="640" /></a></div>
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It is super easy to make. You can use any kind of bread that you like. The bread in the photo is ciabatta, but I have used rolls, french bread, even just regular sandwich bread. I really just use whatever I have on hand. The great thing about this recipe is that you can add garlic and parsley to your butter to make a garlic bread, or you can use just the butter. I recommend using the spreadable butter as it is MUCH easier than regular. </div>
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My best advice is to watch the bread closely. Broil is an interesting thing because there is a very fine line between delicious, crispy food and burnt to a crisp, throw it away food. I like to make ours in the toaster oven because it has a glass front so I can watch it without having to keep the oven door open. </div>
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I hope you try this and love it as much as we do! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQQUaqTj4cGKqRcPLzHhdqAj6N8KrFA__naTCvoORk-w5kAmCNCbrhDn7KThN68jaf2mEDevyPk-UIn5hFxJZuF94ynr-9o5S7u0hoaD3hf-eLOKLTYzjsWx8nzVmK2RfWwhCx1D9G5o/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQQUaqTj4cGKqRcPLzHhdqAj6N8KrFA__naTCvoORk-w5kAmCNCbrhDn7KThN68jaf2mEDevyPk-UIn5hFxJZuF94ynr-9o5S7u0hoaD3hf-eLOKLTYzjsWx8nzVmK2RfWwhCx1D9G5o/s1600/signature.jpg" height="51" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-26672842749439569352014-02-06T20:45:00.003-08:002014-10-11T01:02:39.437-07:00Taco Ring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2BZkjTkWOwWHsjOzfvD5stQPJMxNPgtjKWTWrcZ8kBJ7Axa6kvnTRa56D5XN-jLU6eEj6bHnsq0JkL7il5DzGeoNo1TLpBNQjiLWDk4nqesr_Y8X7iN0GqZ4c9mMSO3XRFe-g3ff1tY/s1600/taco+ring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2BZkjTkWOwWHsjOzfvD5stQPJMxNPgtjKWTWrcZ8kBJ7Axa6kvnTRa56D5XN-jLU6eEj6bHnsq0JkL7il5DzGeoNo1TLpBNQjiLWDk4nqesr_Y8X7iN0GqZ4c9mMSO3XRFe-g3ff1tY/s1600/taco+ring.jpg" height="376" width="640" /></a></div>
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My mom was a Pampered Chef consultant growing up, and this was her go to recipe for her shows. It was the first recipe I learned to make, the first meal I cooked for Josh and is still my favorite recipe for special events. I never even thought about putting the recipe on the blog because it is pretty old and I assumed everyone knew it already. I posted this photo on Facebook the other day, and had a lot of people ask for the recipe. So, here it is! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBBCJpoVNo0ydYQoCUOa1yxnQ_JKHM05f6TGLufpNy5yj0qkxw8TexzI5n-YWYD1GsxrCTIcVZ8z1s2S50QtGz-NKYUN6AveeUhrh2_zzBeYdjyLGWjZMrQ0a81oFilmCEsmoK5z5h90/s1600/tacoring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBBCJpoVNo0ydYQoCUOa1yxnQ_JKHM05f6TGLufpNy5yj0qkxw8TexzI5n-YWYD1GsxrCTIcVZ8z1s2S50QtGz-NKYUN6AveeUhrh2_zzBeYdjyLGWjZMrQ0a81oFilmCEsmoK5z5h90/s1600/tacoring.jpg" height="406" width="640" /></a></div>
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My favorite thing about this recipe is that it is really customizable. There is really no right or wrong way to make it. If you don't like something, you can take it out and the recipe will still turn out great! I have used salsa instead of taco seasoning, added in different vegetables, and have even seen a buffalo and Italian versions of the ring on Pinterest.<br />
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The original recipe uses ground hamburger; however, neither my mom or I use hamburger. We both have a hard time digesting red meat. She usually uses ground chicken. I use ground turkey. <br />
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I would love to know how you made it if you try this recipe! This is one of our favorites. Josh requests it for birthdays, company...he would literally eat it everyday if I let him!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UU9k6UVC2snT1ZqNCHmHuHft9H6-9WcANefhKS2KzKa7rfdYnsxddbUfV-JPkzydojqrf_5Ryl45_Cx1FmjTsNpqPiBoFH7Kj4k1i9GyXPnNIfIUp5E66ZV7frM2Rv4X1tBIDXbtx_k/s1600/taco+ring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UU9k6UVC2snT1ZqNCHmHuHft9H6-9WcANefhKS2KzKa7rfdYnsxddbUfV-JPkzydojqrf_5Ryl45_Cx1FmjTsNpqPiBoFH7Kj4k1i9GyXPnNIfIUp5E66ZV7frM2Rv4X1tBIDXbtx_k/s1600/taco+ring.jpg" height="536" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-50063432628120273472014-01-22T16:12:00.001-08:002014-10-11T01:03:07.835-07:00How to keep your house smelling YUMMY!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3z-cQKmllWmhzQUgWIvh_c8G2GrEBNseUcDs87wiaQxJxtcHwiU5i4cV8akunzWUdAlSkdPjSoUHd1AnPT1X72lu7oegmD09OMOB95-YesJ2udnASawOH16OLk5XT9fi-nMV2lwhULtE/s1600/favorite+products+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3z-cQKmllWmhzQUgWIvh_c8G2GrEBNseUcDs87wiaQxJxtcHwiU5i4cV8akunzWUdAlSkdPjSoUHd1AnPT1X72lu7oegmD09OMOB95-YesJ2udnASawOH16OLk5XT9fi-nMV2lwhULtE/s1600/favorite+products+.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hello, hello! I hope you are having a great Wednesday! </div>
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Today was pretty hectic, but also a very, very fun day. As I mentioned yesterday, this semester is very different than the ones prior as I am taking full days of classes. Today I had school from 8a.m.-2:15p.m. That is definitely going to get some getting used to. Overall, it was actually a very fun day. My first class is 3 1/2 hours long, (ahh!!) but seems like it is going to be really, really fun. We are basically creating and producing our own TV news station! I can't wait to get into it and start learning! I have no experience whatsoever in broadcast journalism, so I am really excited to learn how to do it! </div>
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Before changing my major back to journalism, I really didn't like school and would always find a reason to skip class or leave early. Now, I love it!! I feel like I am learning something new every single day, and not just that, but learning something that I can actually put in practice right now! Everyday I am reminded that changing my major was the right decision because I just love it so much! What's the saying? Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life? I am definitely doing what I love.</div>
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Today I want to share with you my favorite products for keeping my house smelling yummy. </div>
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Josh and I have two dogs and a cat. I love them dearly, but I do not want my house to smell like them. If you also have pets, you know that this can sometimes be a challenge. Forget to sweep the floors one day, and suddenly there is enough hair to make a whole new dog! Don't even get me started on the litter-box! At the end of the day, our lives wouldn't be nearly as fun without our furry children, so products that make my house smell good are life savers!<br />
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All products are linked below if you would like to purchase them. :] </div>
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1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BUP5BW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001BUP5BW&linkCode=as2&tag=lovthemorfam-20">Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Basil Countertop Spray -- 16 oz</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovthemorfam-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001BUP5BW" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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I am probably late jumping on this bandwagon, but I freaking LOVE this stuff!!! I found it a few weeks ago on an end-cap at Target. They were getting rid of their holiday scents, which, side note, the Iowan Pine smells fantastic if you can still find some! If not, definitely look out for it next year.<br />
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I have always used bleach on my counters, which works great, but have ruined many a shirt from leaning against it while it is still wet. I still use the bleach if I am working with meats, but for everyday messes, we have switched to this.<br />
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The thing that I love about it is that it smells great. I hate the smell of household cleaners! Most of them smell toxic, they give me a headache, and then your whole house smells for the rest of the day. Your counters will smell wonderful after using this. I actually want to clean now because it smells so great!<br />
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The other thing that I love about this spray is that it can be used one almost everything. I use it on the kitchen counters, the kitchen table, the coffee table in the living room, the bathroom counters...pretty much everywhere! It is super convenient to have a cleaner that works in so many areas. <br />
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I know there are other products in this brand that I have yet to try. I'll let you know what I think of them once I do.<br />
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2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H0IYF9W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00H0IYF9W&linkCode=as2&tag=lovthemorfam-20">Better Homes and Gardens Wax and Warmer</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovthemorfam-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00H0IYF9W" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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We have used these for years and have a wax warmer in literally every room of our house! Most of them are the nightlight plug ins, but I do still have some large ones. We have tried everything including the Bath and Body Works and Glade plug-ins and this is by far my favorite. I have read that your nose gets used to smells within a couple days, which I believe to be true. I always found that the other brands smelled great for a few days and then I could never smell them. With these, you change them once or twice a week and your house will always smell wonderful!<br />
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I have every kind of scent you can imagine! My favorite is Carmel Apple, pictured above. It smells like you are walking through an apple orchard! Yum! My other favorite is one that we found last week, Chai Tea. It is the perfect light scent that I have been using in our bedroom.<br />
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You can use any brand of wax in these, or even make your own. Glade has some awesome wax cubes out right now as well. They are a little pricier than the BH&G ones, but smell just as great.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TRVDUM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003TRVDUM&linkCode=as2&tag=lovthemorfam-20">Glade Candle, Hawaiian Breeze</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovthemorfam-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003TRVDUM" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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My mom bought a house when we were in 6th grade. My sister and I got to go look at all of the model homes with her before we picked one. Back then, and maybe they still do, KB Homes used the Glade Hawaiian Breeze scent in all of their model homes. So, when we finally picked a house, always made sure to have Hawaiian Breeze in her house.<br />
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This scent makes me feel at home, probably just because of all the memories that are attached to it. Whenever I am feeling a little homesick or out of whack, I burn this candle and all feels right with the world again. I know that sounds weird, I mean it is just a candle, but there is just something about this scent that brings me back to Saturday mornings, sitting at the kitchen counter reading the newspaper with my mom.<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008437W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00008437W&linkCode=as2&tag=lovthemorfam-20">Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovthemorfam-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00008437W" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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No one wants to talk about animal pee, but it happens, so I'll keep this brief. Sometimes, puppies and kitties have accidents. Since Binx started wearing diapers, those are very few and far between, thankfully. But, at the end of the day, accidents and throw up are just a part of being a parent, no matter if your children have four legs or two.<br />
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I like to keep a bottle of this around the house just in case. It works really well to get everything out of the carpet, including the smell which is very important so that they don't do it again. My parents used it growing up, back when we had two Greyhounds and a Great Dane, so it works on big messes too! <br />
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5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AUBHXNQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AUBHXNQ&linkCode=as2&tag=lovthemorfam-20">Bath & and Body Works Scentportable</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=lovthemorfam-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AUBHXNQ" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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This technically isn't in my home, but it helps keep things smelling nice, so I'm throwing it in here. I keep a Bath and Body Scentportable on the the mirror in my car. Currently, I am loving the mint tea leaf flavor, but my all time favorite is the eucalyptus scent. I love this anchor design, but the one I have is linked above. It is the pink sparkly peace sign. I may get a new design coming up, we'll see. These are 100x better than any other car air freshener that I have tried. They are a little more expensive, I'll be honest, but they last a long time and the smell is great. <br />
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What are your favorite yummy smelling products? Comment below and let me know! I am always looking for new things to try!<br />
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As always, remember to follow us on <a href="http://facebook.com/lovethemoralesfamily">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/ltmfblog">Twitter</a> for more fun throughout the week! See you soon!!! <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-16307974686799864052014-01-21T19:15:00.002-08:002014-01-22T17:59:27.871-08:00Turkey Lettuce WrapsHello! Happy Tuesday!! And, happy first day of school UNLV! This semester is going to be totally different from any other, mainly because most of my classes are in the afternoon. Today I didn't go to school until 1p.m. when usually I am there at 8a.m. I couldn't believe how many people are on campus in the afternoon! I'm excited for a great semester, but will definitely have to get used to this new schedule as I will be going straight from school to work instead of having some time between the two. <br />
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I made an awesome lunch today! Since I had some time before heading off to school, I decided to start my morning watching some Youtube videos while unloading the dishwasher. There is a vlogger that I like named Nikki Phillipi. She recently posted a video about healthy snack food. Two of the recipes were for fresh pico de gallo and butter lettuce wraps. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V5SzFKeHvE">I'll link to the original video if you are interested.</a> They looked amazing! We have been trying to cut out fast food all together, so I have been in search of some healthy alternatives. I tweeked the recipe a bit and made my own version. They turned out freaking awesome! I am seriously considering having some again for supper.<br />
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Side note: Josh and I upgraded our phones to the Galaxy Note 3, and the picture quality is Ah-mazing! So, that is very exciting!<br />
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I started with some butter lettuce as the "shell." I love this lettuce for two reasons; #1 because it still has the root in the package so it lasts forever, #2 it is just a better tasting lettuce, I think. Next, I added a slice of turkey to each shell. We use the Hormel Natural Choices deli meat because it has no sodium nitrates in it. I've read that it isn't that much healthier than other lunch meat, but I figure it can't hurt, right? Next, I added some bean sprouts. I finished it off with some homemade pico de gallo. I had some roma tomatoes in the fridge that needed to be used up, so it worked out perfectly. <br />
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You could definitely change up this recipe any way you'd like. In Nikki's video, she uses only turkey, tomatoes and cilantro. I think it would be great with some cucumber, olives and feta cheese. Mmm, that sounds good actually. Maybe some tomatoes, parsley, garlic and pepperoni instead of turkey. Yum.. I've got to stop. I'm getting hungry! <br />
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I really liked this lunch. It was filling, yet light, which I think makes for a perfect meal. I honestly didn't think Josh was going to like it, but to my surprise, he said it was "delicious!" I am excited to learn some new healthy lunch recipes!<br />
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Be sure to follow LTMFBlog on <a href="https://twitter.com/LTMFBlog">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lovethemoralesfamily">Facebook!</a> We are brand new on Twitter, but I am actually kind of liking it!! It is very different than Facebook. I know, I know, I am super late to jump on this bandwagon, but hey, I'm getting there! I post various things throughout the week like thrift store finds, photos of my dogs and of course, new posts on the blog.<br />
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There will be a giveaway coming up once we hit 50 followers on Twitter and Facebook... we are SOO close! I would love if you could help us get there!!<br />
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As always, be sure to check back during the week for other fun crafts and yummy recipes! Thanks for stopping by! <3<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-56468614295902237612014-01-03T23:09:00.001-08:002014-01-03T23:16:49.456-08:00Our Farmhouse Style Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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About a year ago, I bought these beautiful vintage blue lamps for the bedroom. One is short and wide with a great big lampshade. The other is tall and skinny with a tall lampshade. I have loved them since the day we bought them because they were so unique and added a lot of color to the room. The bedroom in our old apartment was a little larger than our bedroom now, and so, we were able to have the nightstands farther away from the bed. Since we moved, the short lamp has been driving me NUTS! Of course, it is on my side of the bed, and the lampshade is just too big and is always getting in the way no matter where I put it.<br />
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I'm sure you're wondering how this has anything to do with my kitchen table, but don't worry, I'm getting there. :p <br />
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The night before last, I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. After laying back down, I went to grab my phone off the nightstand to check the time and accidentally dropped it on the floor. Bending down to pick it up, I smacked my head right into the lampshade. Ouch. That was it, the last straw!! I decided right then and there that we would be making a trip to the thrift store in the morning to find a new lampshade. Sure enough, we found a smaller blue lamp with a smaller lampshade for my side of the bed. I moved the other lamp to the dresser where it can no longer attack me in the middle of the night.<br />
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After finding my new lamp, we decided to walk around for kicks and giggles just to kill some time. We went back into the furniture section, and there it was...the perfect bench for our new kitchen table. We have been looking for a bench or two head chairs since we bought this table over a month ago and hadn't found anything! I had pretty much given up searching for one and decided on attempting to build one. <br />
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The wood is the exact color of my other chairs, so they don't have to be painted. The fabric matches everything else in my kitchen so I don't need to reupholster it. It was meant for us! And that wasn't even the best part! The best part is that it was on sale! Originally $29, we got it for $22 with a 25% discount! Yea! <br />
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The bench is very comfortable and will allow our table to seat six instead of only four, just in time for friends to come over for game night! <br />
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Also, as you can see, Oliver has decided that it is his new favorite place in the house. <br />
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Oh! I haven't said anything about the actual table yet, I forgot I haven't showed it before. I have wanted a table like this ever since I first saw it on Pinterest. I just love farmhouse tables. They are so cozy and home-y. We found this guy at Deseret Industries a little over a month ago for $35!! Can you believe that? It was in great condition with only a few minor blemishes that came right off with my handy-dandy magic eraser. <br />
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{Side note-- Deseret is my new all time favorite thrift store. Oh my gosh, I have so much fun there. Everything is reasonably priced; I have never seen anything over $50 and most things are actually $1-$2. Also, they only sell good quality stuff there, unlike other thrift stores that will sell you something that is in horrible condition for one hundred bucks! They are owned by the LDS church, so I would assume that they are all over, but don't quote me on that. ;p I definitely recommend this store!}<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1lXQaLKlYvRk9zTo52MOSzEtEb8x8V7AeqPkS2hCqPjdsK2KcOFfdcv_nnNn1l0nofg2UKaWil7p-I_PdnoH4Yp33gU5MsCDfmhyphenhyphenKvn2ujNzty9QHO6hH1gBYvJbh4rM-xP3tEgBWCs/s1600/DSCN1386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1lXQaLKlYvRk9zTo52MOSzEtEb8x8V7AeqPkS2hCqPjdsK2KcOFfdcv_nnNn1l0nofg2UKaWil7p-I_PdnoH4Yp33gU5MsCDfmhyphenhyphenKvn2ujNzty9QHO6hH1gBYvJbh4rM-xP3tEgBWCs/s320/DSCN1386.jpg" width="240" /></a>You should have seen us trying to get this guy home, holy cow I'm sure we looked crazy! We bought it at the Deseret in North Las Vegas, so it was about a 30 minute drive back home. Josh and I took the legs off the table and slid it into the hatchback of our car. Ugh, it was only a few inches too long. Josh's motto is "If it doesn't fit, make it fit." So, he was determined to get this table home <u>that</u> night. He had me scoot the passenger seat ALL the way up, so that I was literally hanging on to the dash as he drove. It was so uncomfortable, but we laughed about it all the way home. We stopped at a light next to a car of teenage boys who were having a good laugh at our expense. Oh well, they were probably just jealous of my awesome new table! It sure was an adventure, let me tell you.<br />
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My favorite thing about this table are the drawers on the side. Currently, they are holding my placemats and chargers until I decide if I am going to use them or not. I also want to get some paper napkins and keep them in the one of the drawers as well. The left drawer is a little difficult to open, but my hubby is going to fix that for me, right dear? ;p<br />
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So, there it is, our new kitchen table that I have been promising to show you all month! I am in love with it. This morning, I sat at the bench and at my breakfast. This afternoon, Josh and I sat on the bench and ate lunch while watching the neighborhood kids play outside. It feels like home. I liked our old table, but it wasn't me. It was heavy, the glass was hard to keep clean as any little fingerprint would show up, and it only sat four. I love having lots of friends over with lots of food sitting family style in the middle of the table. I am so excited for this table. Yea!! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-76796246593000518992013-12-30T17:23:00.001-08:002013-12-30T17:56:07.167-08:00Granddad's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV5LGG8O96cg76zArGuwyGsnNEqV5QvfkQP7TXtCrjsKA2LPMj8i69Uh55mFi2fR1OBtJ3jLotwSdAjKevKepnCOz-3LvosMQyXGqTxeZH29IT0KFc3K3FzyOCsnFgASRDu59kOCRa9A/s1600/soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV5LGG8O96cg76zArGuwyGsnNEqV5QvfkQP7TXtCrjsKA2LPMj8i69Uh55mFi2fR1OBtJ3jLotwSdAjKevKepnCOz-3LvosMQyXGqTxeZH29IT0KFc3K3FzyOCsnFgASRDu59kOCRa9A/s640/soup.jpg" width="640" /></a>Josh came home from work today with a stuffy nose. Ugh. We can't get sick. Especially with the flu going around.<br />
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Four years ago, almost exactly, I came down with swine flu, H1N1. It was the worst three months of my life. I was a freshman at UNR. There were about five of us that came down with it, and we were quarantined to our rooms, only able to leave for the doctor. I remember being up all night long shaking and shivering. I couldn't get warm. Nothing I ate would stay down. I coughed so much that my lungs would just ache. I kid you not, I have never been so sick in my life. I remember calling my mom in the middle of the night and begging her to make the eight hour drive to come get me, not that there was anything she could have done to help. And now, it's back. I saw on the news yesterday that five people have already died from it this year. We cannot get sick!<br />
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I'm sure what Josh has is just a cold or allergies because he has no fever, but I'm not taking any chances! We've loaded up on vitamin c and echinacea, I've got him drinking Gatorade and Pedialyte to keep hydrated, and I made a giant batch of granddad's homemade chicken noodle soup. This thing does the trick, let me tell you. We grew up eating this soup. Anytime anyone felt sick, granddad made us soup. I recently asked him to teach me how to make it, and now it is one of my favorite recipes, probably because it brings back so many memories.<br />
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On of the best things about this soup is that it is super easy. Besides cutting the vegetables and chicken, you really just sit back and wait for it all to come together. The other great thing is that it is very inexpensive to make. I made ten servings of soup today and spent less than five dollars!! That is $.50 a serving! The other great thing about this soup--I know, it keeps getting better :) --is that it freezes very well. I put the leftover soup in individual bags and freeze them so that we always have some on hand for a quick lunch or supper. The last thing I love about this soup is that it is homemade. Have you seen the label of these canned soups? Granddad has been watching his salt intake lately because he has high blood pressure, and these canned soups have like 900mg of sodium in them!! I make the broth from scratch. I cook the chicken myself, though you could use like a rotisserie if you wanted to. I chop all the veggies myself. The only thing I don't make myself is the noodles. <br />
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Okay, enough blabbing, let's get to the recipe, shall we.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-88995400476374310102013-12-29T19:48:00.002-08:002013-12-30T17:56:25.562-08:00Smoky Chicken and Bacon Tostadas <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello!!! How was your Christmas? I hope you had a great time with your friends and family! We had a relaxing morning and went out for supper with my granddad in the evening. It was a nice day. No cooking, no cleaning.<br />
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The food was AH-mazing. We went to Don Vito's at the South Point. I haven't been there since my grandma was alive, so that was interesting. The food was so good, I can't even tell you. Granddad and I had the turkey dinner and Josh had a steak. For dessert, Josh had a cappuccino cheesecake and I had an eggnog cannoli. Yum!!! If you are ever in Vegas, I highly recommend it. Our supper was $30 per person and included wine, bread, salad, the meal, dessert and coffee. Oh, and did I mention, it was AH-mazing! Totally worth every penny! <br />
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Not to be a Debbie downer, but I never got into the holiday spirit this year. I felt like I was going through the motions of the holidays, but never really felt the holiday spirit. I even took my tree and decorations down the day after Christmas. I really missed my family this year. Everyone lives so far away. I think that's why I never felt the spirit this year. We spent Thanksgiving with Josh's family. It was the first time in awhile that we were able to be with extended family for the holidays. After that, it just wasn't the same to spend the holidays by ourselves. <br />
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I took a little time off from writing for some much needed relaxation, but now I'm back...so let's start things off with a bang!<br />
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I completely forgot about this recipe! This recipe comes from Pampered Chef. I made it about a year ago, and then put the cookbook on the shelf and forgot about it. The other day I was looking for something new to make for supper and stumbled across it. So exciting!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuV7rrXfPzJtxIv5dRdwJ1ec_8iDdSa4OdcEf-nNVIBhyTqwtuC_2i2ZWtLytU_kU9071u1qw0Vm-yayJYQu9w_yFM6W3ZDT-g5Qj6b4kspNw-4C1GLmpEJmsLxx3SwVtnabe93NFODY/s1600/boys+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuV7rrXfPzJtxIv5dRdwJ1ec_8iDdSa4OdcEf-nNVIBhyTqwtuC_2i2ZWtLytU_kU9071u1qw0Vm-yayJYQu9w_yFM6W3ZDT-g5Qj6b4kspNw-4C1GLmpEJmsLxx3SwVtnabe93NFODY/s200/boys+.jpg" width="109" /></a>And let me tell you, this is to die for...literally. It is not a very healthy recipe, unfortunately. Between the bacon and the dressing made out of its grease, you are definitely going to need some Pepto before bed. It is totally worth it. It isn't something I could eat everyday, but it makes a great treat.<br />
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My granddad got us a toaster oven for Christmas, and I am thoroughly enjoying it! We cooked our chicken in it tonight and honestly, any chicken we've cooked in it has turned out absolutely amazing. It is so juicy and delicious. I'm sure there will be more recipes to come done in our oven, because I have used it like a hundred times since we got it.<br />
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Side note, this is what my kitchen looks like when bacon is being cooked. Mommy has a bad habit of giving the boys people food so they are always ready and waiting for some bacon to come their way. <br />
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<b>Hubby's Opinion: </b></div>
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"It was a mix of sweet and savory. The chicken was very juicy."</div>
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So, with that, let's get to the recipe!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-12336664239013097322013-12-19T12:09:00.001-08:002013-12-19T12:13:18.661-08:00Crockpot Chili and Cornbread Waffles <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Josh and I have been trying to eat clean since coming home from vacation. We haven't been eating fast food and have been trying to cut out processed foods. Usually when I make chili, I use one of those seasoning packets you get at the grocery store. I recently read that those packets are filled with salt and unhealthy chemicals, so I decided to try and make my own chili seasoning. It turned out better than I planned and I am so excited to share it with you!!<br />
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I like making crockpot meals on the nights that I work until 9pm so that I can come home and not have to worry about what to make for supper. The crockpot is like the greatest invention ever!<br />
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We also made cornbread waffles. I learned this trick on Pinterest. Any batter can be cooked in a waffle iron instead of the oven. Everything turns out crispy and yummy, and best of all, it only takes a couple minutes! We made our <a href="http://lovetmf.blogspot.com/2013/11/cinnamon-roll-waffles.html">Cinnamon Roll Waffles</a> this way as well.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-48325600886799743962013-12-05T17:58:00.000-08:002013-12-05T18:05:18.347-08:00Our Christmas DecorationsYea!! It is December. Christmas is my favorite time of the year, probably because it is the only time in Las Vegas that it is not super hot here! I really don't do much decorating for the holidays. This is the first year that I have decorated a little bit in almost every room. Usually, I just put up the tree and call it a day. This year, I really wanted to get into the holiday spirit and decorate more.<br />
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I try to use only red and gold decorations, I know, I have mild OCD. I just really like everything to look cohesive and match. This year, my granddad gave me some of my grandma's decorations that are blue and white, so I have incorporated that into the decor.<br />
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Today I'll show you the inside of the house, and next week I'll show you the outside. The one thing you will not see today is my kitchen table. One of the things my granddad gave me were these little blue and white snowman plates that I have on the chargers on my kitchen table. One of them got knocked over the other day on accident. I have been looking everywhere a replacement, but they were something my grandma won at Station Casinos from gambling, so I am not finding it anywhere. :[ So, I am going to find something else to put on two of the four chargers and will show you that next week with the outside decor.<br />
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So, with that said, let's hop right in!<br />
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The most logical start of this tour is the front door! This is our entryway. On the left side of the entry, we have a shelf for our keys and a mirror. I added a little snow-globe a coworker gave me last year and a red and gold tree that I bought from Target my very first Christmas in my own house.<br />
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On the right side of the entry we have our entry table that Josh built for me. If you would like to see it in full, I can do a post on that. Josh originally built it as an island in our old house, but when we moved, I decoupaged it as an entry table. Anyways, that was a long introduction to the table. I usually just have a little Bath and Body candle on the right side of the table. For the holidays I bought this little snowman candle holder from Goodwill and put a little pillar candle inside of it. We also have our box of mail and a little flower bouquet. I just bought this vase at Michael's over the weekend because little Oliver broke the other one while we were in California on vacation for Thanksgiving. <br />
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This is our coffee table and stockings. Yes, we do have stockings for our pets, and yes, there are already things in them...so that's that. I made the candle holders on the right hand side of the table. I can do a tutorial on that if you are interested, they are pretty easy to make. The nativity set I bought at the dollar store actually. It is a pretty cute set. The lantern on the left usually has green and brown decorative balls in it, but for the holidays I thought I'd put some Christmas balls in there. I got the lantern at Fallas. Oh, and the stockings are from the dollar store as well.<br />
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Here is a closeup of the lantern. I hadn't put up the nativity set yet in this photo, but we usually have this little basket for the TV remotes in the center of the table.<br />
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On the couch we have a little snowman pillow that I got from Goodwill this year. It is super cute. I also have a snowflake blanket that I got a few years ago from Target.<br />
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Of course I had to save the best for last, the tree!!! We just bought this tree before we left for vacation from Lowe's. It was $120, but it looks so much like a real tree so it was worth the money! The tree we had before we purchased the first year that Josh and I lived together. It was like $20 from Big Lots and was super thin and crappy, but we've had it for three years so it was time for something new. I love this tree because the needles are plastic and actually look real, unlike most fake trees with the papery needles, if that makes sense. I love it, it makes me happy. I also love that you can't see the pole in the center, because that is my biggest Christmas pet-peeve. Oh, and it is a pre-lit tree which makes life much easier, let me tell you.<br />
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Here it is in full. I love it. The ornaments have just been collected over the years from Target, the dollar store and Walmart. I added the ribbon to the tree this year because I have seen it on all of the professionally done Christmas trees, so I had to copy them.<br />
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So, that is it. Make sure you come back to see the dining room table and the outdoor decorations!! Have a good Thursday! (Sorry all of my posts have been a day late this week, it is finals week at school!)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-7562529353175979352013-11-22T00:00:00.004-08:002013-12-19T12:10:21.467-08:00Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently reintroduced myself to squash. I had a bad experience with squash as a kid. True story... when I was about 8-years-old, my mom bought a squash lasagna from the Schwan's man. I kid you not, it was the grossest thing I have ever eaten in my life! I refused to eat it. My parents made me sit at the kitchen table until I finished eating. After hours of me pushing it around the plate, they gave up and ended up going to bed. I fed the lasagna to my dog Copper. It was very traumatic- okay not really, but I could never eat squash after that. I also don't eat mushrooms because my 1st grade teacher told me they were made from ant throw-up, but that is a story for another time.<br />
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A few months ago, I decided it was time to be an adult and face my fears of squash, because, let's be real, there are much bigger things to be afraid of than a vegetable. I started simple, a yellow squash to put in my pasta sauce. Okay, that wasn't so bad. Then, I tried zucchini squash as a side dish. Hmm, also not bad. So, I went for the mac daddy, the butternut squash.<br />
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To be honest, this was the first and only recipe I have ever made with butternut squash. I should definitely try experimenting a little more with it because I have seen some very yummy looking recipes.<br />
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I use fresh squash, though you are certainly able to use frozen or packaged. Frozen or packaged squash is a lot easier to use, but I just like to use fresh.<br />
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If you use fresh, you will need to peel and dice the squash. This is tricky. The skin is pretty thick. My vegetable peeler isn't sharp enough to cut through it, so I use a knife. Though I did buy it at the dollar store, so you get what you pay for I guess. When picking a squash, you want to look for one that has a long top and smaller bottom. The bottom of the squash is mostly seeds, which you are going to scoop out. My first squash had a huge bottom and there was hardly any actual meat to it.<br />
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I love this soup. It is very creamy and is perfect for this colder weather. It does take a little bit of preparation if you are using fresh squash, but it would be a quick recipe if you use frozen or packaged. I hope you like it as much as we do!<br />
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What is your favorite way to use squash? Leave a comment below!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-74722164187668530502013-11-20T12:53:00.002-08:002013-11-20T19:17:33.656-08:00I Love Winter Tag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Christina's Answers:</span></span></span></h2>
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; line-height: 18px;">1. Do you like the cold?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Yes, I love the cold. I have always said: When it is cold, you can always add more layers, but when it is hot, you can only take so much off. Josh and I definitely live in the wrong city for that though. Someday, we plan to move back to the Midwest. I grew up in South Dakota, and it gets very, very cold there. I do miss waking up to snow on Christmas morning. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">2. What is your favorite part about Fall/Winter?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I have a lot of favorite things about this time of year. First, I love the changing of the leaves. Again, not something that happens very often in Las Vegas. Funny thing about Palm Trees is that they stay green all year. I love cuddling up in a warm blanket with a hot cup of tea. I love taking Christmas photos. I love watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music. I love Thanksgiving. I love seeing all the houses decorated in lights. This </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">truly</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> is my favorite time of year. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">3. What is your favorite Winter drink?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48ClQdglqggjtFiLFzStQT33XAoPQMAJzNscNwyTpDhPKtSjDeud2klqi0_jVvuag6CQXabS-3DlwPLWWhZN45rDvjjyKrJoWA5V8OeBdvNfnAzR9JRhOGs1NVFi3i-Jc7588LZHfoEA/s1600/711drink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48ClQdglqggjtFiLFzStQT33XAoPQMAJzNscNwyTpDhPKtSjDeud2klqi0_jVvuag6CQXabS-3DlwPLWWhZN45rDvjjyKrJoWA5V8OeBdvNfnAzR9JRhOGs1NVFi3i-Jc7588LZHfoEA/s1600/711drink.jpg" /></a>I am not a Starbucks girl. I know, I'm like the one person in the world that doesn't like Starbucks. Almost everything I have tried there makes me sick, so I try to stay away. The one thing I have been liking a lot lately are the refreshers.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">One of my favorite holiday drinks is the Red Velvet Hot Chocolate from Coffee Bean...it is literally the greatest thing in the world. If you have never had it, get in your car, drive to Coffee Bean, and get it NOW! You will die! It tastes like warm red velvet cake in a cup. Yum!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">My other favorite Winter drink is actually something I invented. I've included a diagram because I am a nerd. lol. I like to go to 7-11 and get a drink that is 1/3 hot chocolate and 2/3 peppermint mocha. It is so yummy! Adding the hot chocolate to the drink makes it a little less peppermint-y, which I like. 7-11 surprisingly has good coffee. Their pumpkin spice coffee is pretty good as well. The best part is that it is less than $2 for a large cup!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">4. What is your favorite holiday activity?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I actually love Thanksgiving, maybe even, dare I say, a little more than Christmas. I love cooking and I love </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">entertaining</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> guests, which I'm sure comes as no surprise since I have a blog about food. Thanksgiving is like my dream holiday because it involves a lot of cooking and a lot of people! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I also love going to see the holiday flowers at the Bellagio. That was one of my grandma's favorite things to do, so it has become one of mine as well. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">5. What is your favorite holiday scent?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I love Leaves from Bath and Body Works. I also love anything apple or pine tree. I actually stock up on holiday scents so that I can burn them year round. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">6. Does it snow where you live?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">No. :( Once like every five years it snows here. The last time it snowed, I was in high school, so maybe we are due for a snow day! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">7. What is your favorite cold weather clothing?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I love scarves. My favorite has been infinity scarves. I also love to crochet scarves. I'm working on this really pretty dark purple one right now. I can't wait until it is finished! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">8. What is your favorite holiday memory?</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">My favorite holiday memory was spending Christmas at the South Point with my grandparents. We all got dressed up and went out to a fancy supper. It was something pretty normal at the time because I didn't know it was going to be one of her last holidays. Now, it is one of my favorite memories of her. She had always wanted to eat at this </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">restaurant</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">, so I'm glad we finally were able to before she passed away. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; line-height: 18px;">9. Are you a fan of Ugg Boots?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Unfortunately, yes, I am a fan of Ugg boots. They are warm and comfy and are just perfect for cold days. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">10. Christmas is coming, do you have any idea what you want?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">I want a sewing machine so badly! I told Josh that if Santa will bring me a sewing machine, he will bring Josh a sound bar for the TV. haha. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">So now it is your turn...I tag YOU! Leave a comment below with your answers. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-81105527145577273332013-11-18T21:08:00.000-08:002013-12-19T12:10:39.751-08:00Sour Cream Enchiladas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love enchiladas! I usually just order them when we go out because they seemed too complicated to make. It was a lot easier than I expected, but I had no idea how messy they were to make! Holy Cow!<br />
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I originally found this recipe by Pioneer Woman on Pinterest. I changed it up a bit. It was so yummy, but I can't emphasize how messy this was to make!! haha. Next time, I will probably make it as a casserole instead of individual enchiladas.<br />
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This would also be a good recipe to make a lot of and freeze.<br />
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We even used the left over sour cream filling to make my chipotle salad tonight for supper. You can find that recipe <a href="http://lovetmf.blogspot.com/2013/09/easy-chipotle-salad.html">here</a>.<br />
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<b>Hubby's Opinion:</b></div>
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"It was easy to make, and didn't take long. It was really, really good."</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-68095047960136631832013-11-17T10:46:00.001-08:002013-12-19T12:10:59.801-08:00Cinnamon Roll WafflesHappy Sunday!!! You made it through another week!<br />
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This has been a super busy week at the Morales Home. Josh finished up a two week straight, no day off, all 2am shifts schedule on Friday! Whew, that was tough. We were on completely opposite schedules, he worked while I slept and I worked while he slept. Needless to say, while I am thankful for the extra overtime, I am more thankful that it is over and I can finally have my husband back. <br />
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On Friday morning, I wanted to do something special for Josh to show him how much I appreciate all the hard work he has been doing. So, I got up extra early to clean the house and make him breakfast in bed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6b29b-iGcMSeHOTb9Y2oG07YsYJrqds3DOaxt095Dl94aKKDjsFmKKemwzSR1rUL4XpWaIrAvMeky5q_kPOh0s-vSR2uecrlRLRbffS_EzS48_R_LD6jppYQu2LKiv2_renHFKUTofc/s1600/cinnamon+roll+waffles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6b29b-iGcMSeHOTb9Y2oG07YsYJrqds3DOaxt095Dl94aKKDjsFmKKemwzSR1rUL4XpWaIrAvMeky5q_kPOh0s-vSR2uecrlRLRbffS_EzS48_R_LD6jppYQu2LKiv2_renHFKUTofc/s640/cinnamon+roll+waffles.jpg" width="640" /></a>I couldn't believe that Josh slept through all the noise I was making by trying so hard not to make noise. As soon as I let the boys out of the kennel, Binx ran across the bed and jumped right on Josh's face. Josh slept through it. I went to shut the bedroom door and ran into the night stand knocking over the lamp. Josh slept through it. Nicky started barking at a cat walking around the neighborhood. Josh slept through it. Then, around 11, I decided to start making his breakfast. If you are friends with me on Facebook, you already know how this story ends...I hardly got two waffles done before he was out of bed and walking into the kitchen. Fail.<br />
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Although surprise breakfast in bed didn't happen, I did make a very yummy and super easy breakfast that I would love to share with you!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-75518995619351030792013-11-15T10:16:00.000-08:002013-11-15T10:18:41.496-08:00We are on Bloglovin!!Follow our Blog on Bloglovin! <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11262675">Follow us here! </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-19669370713719956872013-11-11T20:58:00.000-08:002013-12-19T12:11:21.344-08:00Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVrhUBSaDkwAJqAwXE5Vy5YHGItMSxcCSQvO_bFpMCIx1M5v8GVMlVnE5J4umLdaS0MAErSqrxBdv90n5i8zRn2uruPS7AOxKGyG_uFAVpuxOIScYQ04RnxoAn5jg5A3h3sk63IEyINs/s1600/Buffalo+Chicken+Sandwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVrhUBSaDkwAJqAwXE5Vy5YHGItMSxcCSQvO_bFpMCIx1M5v8GVMlVnE5J4umLdaS0MAErSqrxBdv90n5i8zRn2uruPS7AOxKGyG_uFAVpuxOIScYQ04RnxoAn5jg5A3h3sk63IEyINs/s640/Buffalo+Chicken+Sandwich.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I work late on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, so I like to make crockpot meals on those days.<br />
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We are trying not to eat supper too late, which is really hard to do when you aren't getting home until almost ten. Crockpot meals have really helped us because as soon as I get home we can eat supper instead of having to wait another half hour or longer for me to cook...or worse, me stopping at a fast food restaurant on the way home!<br />
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This recipe happened by accident, but it was so yummy. Originally, I was trying to make a buffalo chicken casserole, and forgot to add some of the ingredients. But, I doctored it up a bit, and it turned out to be a great sandwich!<br />
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I expected it to be pretty spicy, but the ranch dressing and soup definitely toned it down a bit.<br />
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This recipe made enough for two sandwiches that night, and two sandwiches for lunch today. So, it would be perfect for a family. You will love it!!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-42735359512601072402013-11-09T19:33:00.000-08:002013-11-17T10:49:44.336-08:00Bathroom Sink Storage- No Mess November<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Under our bathroom sink used to be clean--I know you can't tell in the before picture, but it was. When we moved into this house I spent a good hour organizing all of my makeup and hair things into my grandma's pretty boxes.<br />
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But, at the end of the day, if the organization isn't something you can keep up with on a day to day basis, it doesn't matter how pretty the boxes are, it just isn't going to work. That is exactly what happened. No matter how often I cleaned it, after a few days of running late to work, this is what my bathroom looked like.<br />
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I decided last night that enough was enough and reorganized the whole thing. I think this organization is going to be much easier to keep clean because I have made the things that I used on a regular basis more accessible while storing away the things I don't use very often. I was even able to make room for my cleaning products that were previously beside the toilet. Since this was a spur of the moment project, I organized using all storage boxes I already had. <br />
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On the far right hand side, I stacked plastic shoe boxes that I originally purchased at the dollar store. The bottom two boxes are things that I don't use often, like extra q-tips and headbands. The top box is my ginormous collection of perfume. I know, I have a problem. I use these regularly, so box is open and easily accessible. </div>
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Next, I used two open boxes to store hair items. The box in front was my grandma's and I used it to store smaller hair products. In the back, I used a plastic box from the dollar store to hold my curling iron, straightener, and hair dryer.<br />
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Next, on the bottom, I have storage for extra products like the second bottle of shampoo or the thousand other bars of soap that come in the value packs. Above that, I have my makeup storage. I have used this plastic drawer storage for a few years, I like that it keeps everything separated and organized, but I have a tendency to take the drawers out and leave them on the counter, as you could see in the before picture. I am hoping that moving it higher so that there is nothing in front of it will encourage me to keep the drawers in their spots. So far, so good...but then again it has only been one day, so that isn't saying much.<br />
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Finally, I lined up my cleaning supplies along the left hand side of the cabinet. I am happy that I was able to get them in the cabinet as well.<br />
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So that is that. I hope you all had a productive first week of No Mess November! I know I have been a day late on all of my posts this week, but I plan to be back on MWF schedule next week. Have a good weekend!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9022378851367857141.post-34802819180584552702013-11-07T19:22:00.000-08:002013-11-17T10:50:16.814-08:00Freezer Organization- No Mess November<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My freezer is clean!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!!!<br />
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Do you have any idea how frustrating it is for things to fall out of the freezer every time you need to get something out of it??? Holy cow. I kid you not, every time we opened the door, like five bags would fall out on your head.<br />
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I hated our freezer!! I would absolutely love to have one of those drawer freezers or a side by side, but we live in an apartment so that isn't an option.<br />
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Josh and I are almost vegetarians, so we keep a lot of fruits and vegetables in the freezer. Whenever there is a good sale on something we like, I usually like to stock up and freeze it. For example, if you look in the middle shelf on the bottom photo, that is all guacamole because the grocery store had avocados on sale 20 for $1...don't judge, we like our guacamole. haha<br />
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The first thing I did to organize the freezer was take all the frozen fruits and vegetables out of their bags and put them in gallon storage bags. This allowed me to stack the food flat, which you see in the right hand side of the freezer. I really, really love this! I can't believe I never thought of it before. You can easily see what is in each of the bags without having to take every one of them out, which is really convenient.<br />
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Then, I went to the trusty dollar store and picked up three of these stack-able bins. The were the perfect height and really provided a space to organize some of the smaller items, like bags of frozen guacamole. Finally, I stacked the other items, like frozen chicken, in the middle.<br />
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On the door, I stacked our ice trays and ice packs on the bottom and have a basket of popsicles and butter on the top.<br />
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So, that is our freezer!! I am so excited about it! It is functional, you can see everything in it, and it looks pretty too. The best part, nothing falls on your head when you open the door!<br />
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What projects are you working on for No Mess November? I would love to hear about your projects! Check back in on Friday to see how I organized the fridge!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05934951328939512514noreply@blogger.com0