Great Finds Under $6

As many of you, I LOVE Target's $1 section. I found this cute porcelain bird and little owl in there! I just couldn't resist buying them especially since they were only $1. The owl is a dark grey color it is kinda hard to tell in the picture. I will definitely be using these in my Halloween decorations to come in October, but can be used year round as well! 

Now that my kids are back in school, my 1st grocery trip to Walmart with out them again turned up some surprising things. Since I didn't have my older two kids with me, I took my time and wondered up each isle. I found this cute frosted mason jar with the bird and twig for just $2.97! It would cost me more to make this so, I snatched it up. Down another isle I found this cute barn lantern and was shocked to see it was only $5.97. Again I couldn't resist. 

I love it when you find great finds when you are not expecting it!

-chelz

Chevron Messenger Diaper Bag

With each of my pregnancies I went in search of the "perfect" diaper bag -- something that was functional (love me some pockets!!!) and also stylish.  I went through several diaper bags but none of them was what I was looking for.  Wouldn't you know it, now that I'm done having kids I have finally found the perfect one?!

My sister had her first baby two years ago and being the talented seamstress she is, made her own diaper bag.  Brilliant! It has about a hundred different pockets and lots of personal touches. And it is CUTE!  I am seriously in love with her bag.  Not enough to want more kids, but you get the idea.  ;)

She's started selling them in her etsy store.  If you or anyone else you know is pregnant, you should check out this bag.  I'm telling you, you will be so happy with it! You can view it HERE.


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Things We Love Thursdays: Rold Gold Peppermint Snowflakes

My friend introduced me to these delectable little treats. I picked them up from Costco, but I'm not sure where else you can get them. They are snowflake shaped pretzels dipped in peppermint white chocolate. They are soooo yummy! They satisfy my craving for a salty/sweet treat.

Do you have a favorite treat you can only get during the holidays?

-marie

Things We Love- Revised Astringent

Ok, awhile back I did a post about Biore astringent and I have used it for years. About a month ago I ran out and when I went to the store to get more they were out. I had a mental freak out cuz I have very sensitive and oily skin, so it is very hard for me to find products that dont irritate or cause break outs. I began searching for a temporary fill in astringent until Biore was back in stock. I had used some Neutrogena products in the past and they were fine so, I chose this one cause it had many of the same ingredients as my trusted Biore one. When I first tried it, it stung a little  and I was not sure that I liked it. As time went on and my store still had not gotten the Biore back in, I began to notice something good! When I would have a pimple show up, this astringent would help it go away a lot faster then when I didn't use it. Instead of having a pimple for like a week they were gone in 2-3 days! I am a new fan of this astringent and will not be going back to Biore! I still recommend Biore but I found that Neutrogena Rapid Clear has worked a little better for me! I love it when a good accident happens!

-chelz

Things We Love Thursdays: Savers

I stumbled up this thrift store on accident.  We were driving home from Utah a while ago and let's just say it was NOT a fun trip.  The kids were tired and not interested in sitting in the car for 10 hours.  So we made a stop to let them get out and run around.  We walked into Savers having no idea what kind of a store it was.  But the first thing I saw were the shelves and shelves of books and didn't make it any further than that!

They had so many used books in great condition and most were a dollar or less.  Plus they have a promotion where you buy 4 and get the 5th free.  Yeah, I was in heaven! We got a few books for me and some for the kids.  They were happy to have something "new" to read and look at in the car and I was happy it bought us at least a few minutes of sanity.  :)

I have to say, I've been to several Savers now and really couldn't tell you about the rest of the store -- the books and I are besties.  :)  But it looks really clean inside so I'm sure they have more great finds.  I'm thrilled that they *just* put one in down the street from me!!!  I will have a fabulous library built up in no time.

-marie

Things We Love Thursdays: Laughing Cow Cheese

I absolutely LOVE Laughing Cow Cheese.  It is so yummy and is low in calories.  I love to eat it spread on crackers, in place of mayo on sandwiches, or mixed in with tuna.  I've tried almost every flavor and I haven't found one I didn't like.  

I recently came across a recipe blog called Green Lite Bites.  She works with Laughing Cow and comes up with all kinds of recipes to use it in.  My favorites are the tuna melts and nacho cheese dip.  Mmmm!

How do you eat Laughing Cow Cheese?

-marie

Things We Love Thursdays: Suave Dry Shampoo

I've always been envious of people who don't have to wash their hair every day.  Mine just gets so oily and greasy if I don't wash it every morning.  My mom told me to try this Suave Dry Shampoo and since it was only a couple dollars I decided to give it a try.  I was really surprised at how well it worked in my hair.  I spray it on my roots and bangs and it makes it feel like it was freshly washed.  I love that I don't have to wash my hair every day if I don't want to.

-marie

Things We Love Thursdays: Downton Abbey

I know, I know.  I'm a little late jumping on the Downton Abbey bandwagon.  But better late than never, right?!  We got Netflix a couple months ago so I was able to watch the first season and Amazon Prime just recently added the second season so I was finally able to get caught up.  I absolutely adore this show.  If you haven't watched, you MUST!  Here are my top 5 reasons to watch:

1. The Characters.  There are so many great characters on this show from the Crawley family to the enormous staff -- ones you'll fall in love with and ones you'll just love to hate!

 

2. The Romance.  There are so many great love stories at work here, both in the privileged and the staff.  You can't help but root for these couples but, of course, things are never easy for them.

3. The Accents.  Hello, does anyone ever tire of British accents?  I love listening to them and find myself speaking with an accent after I've watched too much. :P

4. The Fashion.  Oh how I LOVE to see what they are wearing! It's such an elegant time period and I love seeing the styles and wishing I could just snag some of their beautiful dresses and jewelry for myself.

5. Maggie Smith.  Um, can I just say I love her?! She is such a hoot on this show and has the best one liners!

So, have you jumped on the Downton bandwagon yet?  Do you have a favorite character?  Are you DYING until the next season comes out like I am?!?!

-marie

Things We Love Thursdays: Take & Toss Cups

We drink a lot of smoothies in our house and let me just say, sippy cups do NOT work well with those!  The valves always get clogged and the boys can't drink their smoothies.  And regular cups are out cuz one little tip too far and the contents are all over the floor.  I found these Take & Toss Cups cups at Target (only $3 for a 5-pack!) and decided to give them a try.  I LOVE them!  The lids fit on tight and the straws slide in very tightly so they don't leak.  (Unless of course your kid tips it completely upside down -- then it will dribble out of the straw.)  I always love when I can find exactly what I need. :)

Things We Love

I ran out of my old smoothing serum a few weeks ago and I needed some more. I was at the store and decided to give the Herbal Essences one a try. I love it! It doesn't take much to make your hair smooth and it smells so good! The best part is it was under $5! I think I have found myself a smoothing serum that I love and will never try anything else! 

What hair products do you like to use?

-chelz

Things We Love Thursdays: Mini Popsicles

I just LOVE these mini popsicles!  They are the perfect size for little toddler hands and because they are small they get eaten quickly with very little mess.  I always stock up on these during the summer!

Things We Love Thursdays: Cherry Vanilla Protein Shake

Can I just say I LOVE this shake?!  It's perfectly sweet, has the perfect consistency, is good for you, and is just plain yummy! 

I saw this recipe on Fit, Crafty, Stylish and Happy and knew I needed to try it.  I recently started using weights and am learning the importance of protein as I do so.  I've never used protein powder before.  Or stevia.  Or frozen cherries.  I've also never used cottage cheese in a smoothie before (but now that I know about it I will use it more often! It gave the shake such a great consistency.) I can't wait to try some other protein shake recipes, but for now I am enjoying this one every day. :)



You can get the recipe HERE. 

Twinkie Strawberry Shortcake For MOM

So easy, the kids can make this surprise for Mom for Mothers Day!

Just stir a tablespoon of powdered sugar into fresh sliced strawberrys.....

Using these ingredients, Twinkies, strawberry's, and canned whipping cream

How easy could it be......    ENJOY!!!!!!                     -Buff-              

          

Fruit Bouquet For Mother's Day

Make a Fruit Bouquet for MOM, using your crafty side, make butterfly's out of pineapple, hearts out of cantelope, and dip some strawberry's in chocolate..... Put styrofoam in the bottom of a planter then slide the fruit on skewers, and sit back & enjoy the beautiful bouquet..she will love it....

                                                               

Things We Love Thursdays: Water Bottle Sippy Adapters

I think these Green Spout Water Bottle Adapters are one of the best inventions that no one has ever heard of!  It's a little adapter you can add to a regular old water bottle to turn it into a sippy cup. 

We first heard about these right before we went on a family trip to Disney World a few months ago.  We carried around on-the-go packets of Crystal Light, mixed it up it the bottles and the kids would drink all day long!  Perfect for keeping them hydrated.

I use these things ALL. THE. TIME!  They are perfect for trips to the park, car rides, around the house, etc.  They are small enough to stick in my purse just in case we're out and need to grab a drink.  Since they don't allow any air to escape it will sometimes cause the bottle to collapse on itself, but it's easy to just squeeze the tip and let the air back in.

Things We Love Thursdays- Blokus

Blokus

Chris and I have played this game with family and friends before and really enjoyed it. My sister in law gave us the game this last Christmas and we played it for hours. Its a fun strategic game that can be played by all. Our family really enjoys this one a lot! 

What games do you play with friends and family?

-chelz

Things We Love Thursdays: Goodreads

If you haven't heard of Goodreads, it's this place where readers can go to make virtual bookshelves of books to read, books read, and to be able to review books and see what books your friends are reading.  I LOVE it!  I have found so many amazing books to read through it.  I love seeing what my friends are reading and love adding those books to my to-be-read shelf (which currently has 243 books!).

I've never really liked browsing book stores or libraries because I get too overwhelmed with all those books.  And it's so hard to pick a book based on it's description.  Plus my library rarely has the "good" books on the shelves -- you have to put your name on a waiting list.  I would be missing out on so many books if I went just based off of what was on the shelves! 

Chelsea & I are both on Goodreads and are always looking for new friends.  You can find Chelsea's profile HERE and mine HERE.  Hope to see you over there!

Things We Love Thursday- Astringent

As I have talked about in a previous post, I have really picky skin. This is my favorite astringent to use. My favorite thing about it is that there isn't alcohol in it so, it doesn't sting or feel like it is drying your skin out.

What do you use?

-chelz

Things We Love Thursdays- Texas Roadhouse Grill

The girls had a day to ourselves when the boys were out at a sporting event, so we went shopping and then out to lunch! We chose Texas Roadhouse Grill! I LOVE LOVE LOVE their rolls and honey butter, so I was anxious to sink my teeth into them and I was not disappointed! I have a huge weakness when it comes to bread and these rolls are my favorite.

I had the Smokehouse Burger, they have a Sweet and Zesty sauce(AMAZING) that you can add to it for free. It was so big that I could not put my mouth around the burger and had to eat it with a knife and fork. It was a great burger!

Buff had the Prime Rib and it was so juicy and delicious! She had plenty to bring home in a box. The fries were great the service was even better!

I will definitely be going back sometime soon and would recommend it to those who have not tried it! The atmosphere is great and the food is amazing!

-chelz & Buff 

Things We Love Thursdays: Pillsbury Cookie Dough

 "I believe in big, warm, moist, gooey chocolate chip cookies that melt in your mouth and all over your face."

-Shawn Spencer, Psych

Okay, I could probably write a whole post of reasons why I love Psych - the above quote only one of MANY - but this post is about cookies.  Big, warm cookies.  I LOVE chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven, dipped in a mug of cold milk.  But I don't like to make my own.  When I get a hankering for them, I want them NOW. And I don't want dozens that will sit around the house tempting me to eat more --  just a few will suffice.  Which is why one of my favorite things is this giant tub of Pillsbury Cookie Dough from Sam's Club.  I've tried several brands, but this is by far my favorite.  I get soft, fluffy cookies -- not flat or crispy or greasy ones like some other brands I've tried.  When I'm in a mood for cookies, I scoop out a few spoonfuls onto a pan (and yes, usually a spoonful into my mouth!), bake 'em, and I am one happy girl.  :)

Do you have any food indulgences?