Wordless Wednesday

While out shopping the other day I was that Mom.

You know the one with the unruly kids who climb on all of the furniture and who have to touch everything!

Ugh.
 

Martha Stewart Double-Chocolate Brownies

I LOVE BROWNIES! So over the weekend I made Martha Stewart Double-Chocolate Brownies and they were amazing!! Here is the recipe, try it out, you won't be disappointed.

 

 

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 6 ounces coarsely chopped good-quality semisweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing 2 inches to hang over sides. Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside.
   
2. Put butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until butter and chocolate are melted. Let cool slightly.
   
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; set aside.
   
4. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until pale, about 4 minutes. Add chocolate mixture; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat, scraping down sides of bowl, until well incorporated.
   
5. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out brownies; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.
   

Frugal Shopping Bath Body Works, 6pm and Disney

This time of the year there are a ton of great deals to take advantage of. With the holidays behind us there is no reason per say to shop other than a great sale. I have looked online to find a few to share with everyone.

Bath and Body Works Semi Annual Sale! Some lotions are shower gels are only $2.25 to $4. Perfect for Valentines day coming up. Here is a link to a coupon for $10 off of $40 to use in store only. Good until 1/13/2012 so hurry!

$4 for Butterfly Flower Lotion

$2.25 Cool Citrus Basil Lotion

Western Chief Boots on sale right now at 6pm.com Love these!

$29.99

Pink Crocs at 6pm.com only $19.99

Extra 25% off at Disney Store for the Twice Upon a Year Sale with code BONUS25

King Triton doll only $6.99

Toy Story Tumbler only $3.99

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Holiday Review

Did you get a chance to check out the Holiday Event at Six Flags? We had a few of our friends check out the one in Vallejo CA at Discovery Kingdom. 

The park was filled with holiday decorations. Trees, presents, photo opp places and holiday cheer everywhere! There was hot cocoa to enjoy along with the regular treats like funnel cakes. 

One of the great parts is the lines for all the rides were super fast! The summer time the lines can be really long so it was great to be able to ride many rides in one day. Some rides were shut down along with a few animal attractions but there was many Holiday themed animal shows like the Dolphin show.

They also had a snow-globe you could have your picture taken with you inside the thing and the toboggan sledding run, the lines were a little long but it was worth the wait for the fun. We enjoyed treats while we stood in line.

The animals are always a big draw to Discovery Kingdom and even the smallest of animals like this baby spider monkey were fun to watch. The baby monkey was interacting with the Santa hat our friends little girl was wearing for over 5 minutes through the reflections in the glass. Its those little moments at the park with the animals that make it a joy to return to Discovery Kingdom.

 After wandering the park for hours taking in all the magic of the Holiday Season they rode a few more rides, had dinner and waited for the tree to be lit for the night. Over all they had a great time. Our friends definitely recommend the Holiday Park event at Six Flags. If you did not have a chance to check it out this year there is always next year where I am sure it will be filled with snow and magic!

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is closed for now and will reopen in March 16th 2013. They have many great new attractions coming to the park including:

Cirque Dreams SPLASHTASTIC: The Most Amazing Show Above H₂0

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is pleased to present the premiere of Cirque DreamsSplashtastic, featuring a dazzling dramatic mix of mesmerizing dolphin performances along with spectacular Cirque Dreams feats that will create and entertainment experience beyond your wildest imagination.

This dynamic visual spectacle combines the Cirque Dreams acrobats’ amazing feats of strength with the graceful leaps and bows of the popular marine mammals at the park. The teaming of the internationally renowned company of acrobats, aerialists and astounding Cirque Dreams acts alongside the dolphins will amaze in the air, over water and throughout the Dolphin Harbor Theater.

  * I was not paid for this post. We were guest of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for the Holiday Events.

Coupons, Coupons and more Coupons!

Tasty Bites

• Save $1.10 HERSHEY'S KISSES, REESE'S, HERSHEY'S Nuggets, HERSHEY'S Miniatures, ROLO, YORK or HERSHEY'S BLISS bags (7.8oz or larger)
• SAVE $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of KRAFT FRESH TAKE Cheese & Breadcrumb Mix
• SAVE 75¢ on any ONE (1) PLANTERS NUT-rition Peanut Butter
• SAVE $1.00 off any ONE Kashi® Berry Fruitful or Blackberry Hills™ cereal
• SAVE $0.55 On Any ONE (1) Bob Evans® Refrigerated Side Dish
• Save $1.00 On Any Two (2) DOLE® Fruit Smoothie Shakers
• SAVE $1.00 ON FIVE when you buy FIVE any flavor/variety Totino's® Crisp Crust Party Pizza® Products
• SAVE $1.00 ON TWO when you buy TWO PACKAGES any variety Pillsbury® Refrigerated Cookie Dough
• SAVE 50¢ when you buy any flavor Yoplait® Fruplait™ Yogurt Multipacks (Void in LA, NJ, ND, NV & TN)
• SAVE $1.00 on ONE (1) package of any Oscar Mayer Carving Board Pulled Pork (or any Carving Board Meats)

Health & Wellness

• SAVE $2.00 off any one (1) EAS Recovery™ Protein (1.8 lb) or any EAS® Lean 15™ Protein Powder (1.7 lb) (Redeemable at Walmart)
• SAVE $3.00 on Florastor® probiotic (Available at Walmart)
• $1.50 OFF any Gas-X® item 18ct or larger (Redeem at Walmart)
• $1.50 off any ex-lax® item 24ct or larger (Redeem at Walmart)
• Save $1.00 on Advil® Congestion Relief OR Advil® Allergy and Congestion Relief
• Save $1.00 on any one (1) Advil® Migraine product 20ct or higher
• $1.00 OFF any one (1) Atkins Frozen Meal (Walmart)
• Save $1.00 on Any Sundown Naturals® Vitamins or Supplements
• $1.00 off Any Robitussin® Product
• $1.00 OFF Any Caltrate® Product

Personal Care

• SAVE $1.50 on any ONE (1) Dial® Lotion product (12 oz or larger)
• SAVE $2.00 on any (4) FOUR Right Guard® Bar Products
• SAVE $1.00 on any (1) LISTERINE® Antiseptic Mouthwash, or (1) LISTERINE® ULTRACLEAN™ Mouthwash, or (1) LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE Anticavity Mou
• SAVE $1.00 on any two (2) REACH® Floss Products
• Save $1.00 on any 1 (one) Curél® Moisturizer (7.5 fl oz or larger)
• Save $3.00 Good on any shade of L'Oréal Féria® Hair Color
• SAVE $1.00 WHEN YOU BUY ANY ONE (1) GARNIER FRUCTIS STYLING PRODUCT
• SAVE $2.00 on any (2) TWO Dry Idea® Roll-On or Gel Products
• SAVE $1.00 on any two (2) REACH® Toothbrushes (1 ct) (Not applicable on REACH® CRYSTAL CLEAN® TOOTHBRUSHES)
• SAVE $3.00 on any (3) THREE Dial® 8-Bar Packs

Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza Night with the Mini Murph and $30 Giveaway

I don't know about you but after all of the holidays and cooking I have been doing, a pizza and a movie night sounds like a good idea. Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake is our "go to" place when it comes to good pizza. I love that you walk in, pick your pizzas and they are made right in front of you, wrapped up, instructions attached and you are on your way. So easy and so convenient.

The only struggle with having a pizza night at our house is that the kids want it plain, pepperoni or just plain cheese. That seems to be how it is with most kids. Not us adults, we want the works! The more toppings the better if you ask me.

So when I heard about the Mini Murph Make 'N' Bake Pizza I was thrilled! The Mini Murph is a pizza making kit for kids that includes Mini Dough, Pizza Sauce, Whole-Milk Mozzarella and your choice of peperoni or cheese toppings. Each comes in it's own little pizza box (so fun) and the boys thought this was great. They loved building their own "special" pizza that they could enjoy and no having to share with your brother here! This is a great idea for a birthday party, sleepover or like our family fun night. And with the Superbowl just around the corner this would be a hit for sure!

Here is the Mini Murph, so cute!

The boys all ready to make their own pizza's.

So busy...

Just a little taste test...

Cheese me!!

Our 2 year old really got into it :)

Pizza for the adults was also consumed...Yum Pepperoni and our favorite, The Cowboy Pizza.

 

Our boys reaping the benefits of their hard work!

While the boys were busy making their Mini Murph's I put our pizza's in the oven to cook. Did you see The Cowboy, looks good right? Well it is!! Just take a look at the menu, I know you will find your favorites. 


Enter to win a $30 Gift Card to Papa Murphy's Pizza in the Rafflecopter form below. 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway



*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Jan 10,2013 and ends on Jan 25, 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Wordless Wednesday - 2 pm at our house

JJ doing his homework.

Liam doing his "homework" aka stickers.

Ashley discovering her world.

2013 Resolutions

Finally my 2013 resolutions (for accountability to myself and others)...

I am a fan of creating New Years resolutions. I always have been. They can be big, small, one thing or ten things. I make them because what better time to start fresh then with a New Year. My resolutions are not huge by any means, but they are important to me. So here they are in no particular order:

To exercise more. I know we all say it but I actually started this one in October, two month early!! Go me! It is more than merely exercising, I took up running. My husband was actually the motivating factor on this one, last spring he decided he would start running (for fun, what?) and it has only taken me forever to jump on board. And darn it if I don't like it! There is such a "runner's high" when you are done. I feel so good, on top of sometimes feeling like I want to throw up! Well I did just only start two months ago and conditioning yourself is hard work :) Needless to say I am enjoying it and hope to continue to do so this year.

This is the boys room (and Chewie the dog) right now...Ugh they throw everything under the loft bed.

To be more organized. When we moved into this house we had one child. We now have three and we seem to be outgrowing our house. Since there are no plans to move anytime soon, we need to make do and make room by getting organized. I am working on organizing everything from the kitchen, to the panty, to the boys shared room. I want a nice neat home, oh wait I have three small children, good luck with that!

My money savings starting with this jar!

To spend less. I really do try to be a frugal shopper, but it still seems like I can do better. I know that I can buy less and save more if I really put my mind to it. I also tend to buy things because they are on sale and that is so not a good idea.

Ashley and I just because :)

To be in the now and to appreciate life. Life is short, my children won't be small forever. I need to slow down, take things in and enjoy the moment more. I tend to hurry through things with my kids and in life. I feel like I am always onto the next thing so I won't miss it, when the really great thing is right in front of me.

JJ saying we are going to ROCK 2013!

So there you have it my 2013 resolutions. They are not really life changing (they are to me) but they are mine. Here's to a great 2013!!




















                                                                             ~ Sam

Stuck at Home? Online Shopping!

I have been sick with the flu for almost the whole week of this new year. Not a fun way to start out a new year but I tell myself well heck it should only get better from here then right lol. Well I have been on the computer  a lot to have some retail therapy while all these medicines work their wonders. Over the last week I have found some great companies and cool stuff I wanted to share. I love online window shopping while its too cold outside and I am too sick to go in person.

Have you found any new products or new brands you have not heard of? All the great after Holiday sales I have been seeing all sorts of deals.

UGGS Bailey Bow Toddler Boots

Patricia Green Lola Slippers

Victoria Secret Vanilla Lace (my new scent and I  LOVE it!)

Neff Cat Hat ( My son would adore me if I had this!)

Oilily Tea Pot Bag for Kids

The Heart of Strangers: Saving Our Dog

This last year has been filled with rough times and other times filled with joy. One of the rough parts was finding out the home we had been renting for over 3 years was going into foreclosure and we had 30 days to move. After the shock, tears and anger of why someone we knew as a friend would let this happen that our rent was not going to where it should have been, the bank! (That is another story in it self lol)

We went into survival mode of where are we going to move to and can we find a spot in such short notice that would fit our needs, including our loving dog Dakota. She is a big black lab and many places we found had weight limit restrictions. As the time grew closer to the day we had to leave we started to panic. We found no rentals that would allow us to have a pet of her size. We started to post ads about our dog needing a home and why with no responses. It was about 5 days until we had to move and we cringed to think that our sweet loyal would not hurt a fly dog would have to go to the shelter. All the thoughts of her being in a cage, wondering where her family went, wondering why she was not home. The tears and sadness of wondering what would happen to our dog that was our first baby (she is 7 and our son is 3) was overwhelming on top of where on earth were myself, my husband and son going to live.

Our ads online got even more desperate in our plea for a good home to adopt our sweet dog. I did not want to look back at her many years of photos with sadness and have to explain one day to my son that the sweet pup in all the photos since the day he was born was a dog that was sent to the pound. I wanted to look at those pictures with joy of the fun times we spent with the dog and how much my son loves her and calls her his Kosha and says he loves her.

A few days before Thanksgiving we had a few people interested in meeting her. Many texts, phone calls and pictures passed but nothing ever seemed the right fit for her. When we only had 3 days until moving day we finally had a family that contacted us that seemed perfect for her. I prayed our dog would find a good home, we had found a place to move to but we could not take the dog, it seemed so sadly unfair that we would go to a new home and enjoy the joys of Christmas and she would go to a shelter. Older dogs get over looked in those places, I was so scared for her.

I messaged back and forth to a woman about Dakota how sweet she is, how happy go lucky about life she is, she adores kids, wouldnt hurt a fly, she is papered, she is crate trained, bell trained and they started to fall in love with the idea of helping her too. This family was so generous to take Dakota, they did not really have room for her they have kids and many dogs already but did not see a lab like her go to the shelter. After meeting the woman's husband when he came to meet Dakota I knew this family would treat her right and help her find a loving home. I found out the husband grew up on a farm and hunted with his own Dad with labs. He adores them and his wife knew if he heard Dakota's story and met her that he would have to save her. His wife was right! He made arrangements to come pick Dakota up the next day, only 1 day before we had to pack the moving truck and go.

When he arrived to pick up Dakota we did not let our son see her and all her stuff get packed into his truck for her to leave. I knew my son at 3 years old would be devastated and would never understand why his best friend was leaving. A good friend stayed inside with him while my husband and I walked her out to the truck with all her cute collars, dog toys, favorite bones and her crate to say good bye. When we were telling her bye, we loved her and everything would be ok my voice choked up and tears ran down my cheeks. Dakota whimpered a bit, I am sure she was wondering what on earth was going on, we are all she has know for 7 years, we were her only family she had ever had. When she was ready to go the man put his hand out to shake mine and I pulled him in to hug him and thank him with all my heart. My husband hugged him and thanked him too. He was just a stranger who came into our lives when we needed someone to care enough to help.

This family wasn't rich, they had no room to spare but they had a loving heart and sometimes thats all it takes.

They have even kept us updated over the last month about her condition. She did have a skin irritation that they paid for her to have fixed, found out she has a begin tumor that might need an operation and found her a permanent home with a loving family they selected. They sent us a picture of Dakota in her new home, she looks happy, her tail is a blurr in the picture since she is wagging it so fast. I am over joyed that this family took her in and then found her a permanent home. There are so many sad stories about animals getting left on the side of the road and abused that a good story like this with a happy ending is worth sharing. :)

Now we can look back on all the pics of her in our lives and be happy knowing she found another family that loves her in her journey of her life as a dog.