Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Giveaway: Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain Prize Pack

Spring means a fresh start for everyone, including your pizza! Get your pizza fix right in your own kitchen. With Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain, you can create any fresh flavor combination you like while getting 16 grams of whole grain per serving.
Share your favorite recipes using fresh, local ingredients from your farmer's market or garden. Whether you like tomatoes or spinach, fresh peppers or onions, let Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust be your canvas. Look for it in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store.
I love all the delicious ways you can use Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain, doesn't this potato topped one look yummy!  And yet it's got really different flavors from the BBQ Chicken above that and the Greek pizza at the top.  You could make a different variety each night, doesn't pear and gorgonzola  also sound great?
There are so many gourmet ways to use Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain, but I know for a fact it's also really yummy made with more traditional pizza toppings for if your kids are too picky and not adventurous enough for fun flavors like chicken pesto!
Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain Prize Pack!

I'm excited to give one of my readers a chance to try out Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain for themselves!  One of you will win a cool prize pack that not only includes one coupon for a free Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain, but also a 15.5" Farberware Pizza Pan, Food Chopper with Storage Containers, and Silicon-grip Oven Mitt!  You will be all ready for pizza making!
Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.  Email subscribers will need to click over to enter.  Good luck! Giveaway open until May 7th at midnight EST.  Winner will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond.  Open to US residents, 18 and older.
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Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills and Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark

Monday, April 29, 2013

Baby Boy Scrapbook Pages: Holding Baby Brother

I just finished this page with three pictures of ER holding LB.  They're over a year old and both of my kiddos look so little to me!  My oldest's chubby cheeks have thinned out a bit, losing some of that oh so cute baby fat.  I love each new phase but it's sad how quickly time moves along!

I think it's really interesting to learn the reasoning behind why other scrappers make certain decisions when putting their pages together and decided it would be fun to discuss my thoughts for this one.  I had been really stumped as to how to go about scrapbooking these photos.  They're similar but I couldn't leave one out, I have reasons for loving each one.  I also was running out of ideas for creating a new page along the general baby boy theme.

My first design cue came from my son's outfit.  I looked through my paper stash for something similar.  The stripes and circle paper strips are actually from one double sided sheet.  I thought they went along with the stripes on LB's outfit, not a match but similar.  The little rocket sticker was one I had been wanting to use but never had anything to put it with.  The colors were close to the paper and seeing them together gave me an idea for creating a sort of picture on the page.

The round paper represents water, the stripes the land, and the journaling at the top the moon.  It's abstract, I know!  To remind me of what I was thinking at the time, I picked a title that follows along my theme to help reinforce it.  The phrase is taken from a favorite children's book but it's a sentiment I think everyone has for their children and one I hope our big sister will always feel for her little brother.
Here's a little detail view of the cool layered stickers.  Don't read the journaling too closely, there's a typo - as always - but it wouldn't be a page of mine if there wasn't one!  See you next week for more Baby Boy Scrapbook Pages!

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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Project Life 2013: March 3-9

The week of March 3rd-9th was a lot of fun to put together because it has some of my favorite pictures of the year so far.  This is the full spread as it appears in my album; there's two inserts.
Left Side
I love the top Instagram pic of LB blowing his nose, he just has a mischievous little look in his eye and you can tell he's got a big smile underneath that tissue.  This year in art class my oldest has been learning a lot about drawing and right now they're working on birds.  I had her draw a toucan specifically for our PL album.

I've had a Canon Rebel for over a year now, but I almost always use the automatic settings.  It's a goal of mine to use the manual more and learn more about the features.  The picture of ER was after some experimentation.  I should've included a "before" shot taken on auto, the difference is just startling - so much better when you make your own adjustments!

Along the bottom are two pictures of LB that show his eye as it improves from the infection he had last week that caused it to swell up.  The last picture is another Instagram, just a really cute one of ER heading into dance class.
Insert 1

We celebrated my birthday with my family by going to dinner at a BBQ place I really like, but that is so far away we can't go very often.  This was only the second time we've ever gone there.  It was absolutely delicious and when we told the manager why we were there, he said it really meant a lot to hear customers share that it's a place they pick for special events.

I took a lot of family pictures at my parents' house and at the restaurant and made collages along with some digital supplies.  In the middle pocket is the card from my parents.  It fit perfectly and has such a nice sentiment :)
Insert 2

Behind the bigger insert is a 5X7 with the card my brother gave me, it was too perfect not to include.  I cut it in half before putting it in, I find that makes cards fit better in the pockets.
Right Side

On the right side of the spread I have a picture of my little guy being so sweet outside by the snow.  I don't often type a lot on the photo but really like how it turned out.  I have to do that more often!  I also added a couple digital elements on the photo before getting it printed at Costco.  Next to the sweet little guy is one him not being so sweet as he pushes and head butts his sister.  The word art is from the Cobalt Extra Elements Add On Kit, color changed to match my photo better.

The middle row is mainly about bedtime routines with some Kraft journaling cards, I put together this spread soon after the digital version was released and was so excited to use it right away!  The last photo in the row is from that Friday and is another Kraft journaling card, I added the picture right on top, added my journaling, and then dragged it onto a 4X6 canvas along with the other journaling card.  Then I printed it like a regular photo, cut in half and added, love using the digital supplies for things like this!

On the bottom row is another Instagram, this time of ER practicing her sight word flash cards, such a boring task but one we do as a quick way to review.  The last set of pictures has yet another Instagram and some iPhone pictures from when we went to Ikea and picked up the raskog cart I had been waiting to get restocked.

Thanks for coming by!  I'm linked up to Jessica's The Mom Creative and excited to see how your Project Life is coming along

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Thursday, April 25, 2013

A Crafty Soiree #139

Hi Friends!  I hope you are having better weather than we are in MI.  As I write this, I see snowflakes mingling with the sleet coming down.  Hello?  Mother Nature,it's the end of April!  When will spring be here to stay?  On to happier thoughts, like all of you coming on over to party, crafty style!  Here's our features to kick things off.
DIY CD Rack Turned Herb Garden from Sew Lah Tea Dough - a great way to reuse!
Shrinky Dink Soccer Ball Backpack Pulls from Five Little Guys - a fun way to dress up the hardest worked school supply!
Pottery Barn Inspired Vase from Knock-It Off Crafts: I love the rustic, distressed feel of this piece.
Mod Podge and Food Coloring Painted Glass from Unoriginal Mom - a pretty way to add some color to your candlelight.
Toffee Brownie Bark from Your Homebased Mom - chocolate, toffee, AND brownies?!  Yes, please :)
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  • Link up to four of your creative projects (No Etsy stores or other linky parties pretty please).
  • Add your link to the specific posts not the main URL
  • Add a "Crafty Soiree" button to your blog or posts.
  • Please comment on the post linked up in front of you. All party goers love meeting new friends... don't just stop there...if you see something that catches your fancy-- stop by and say hi!
  • Your hostesses would love it if you'd follow us. You can find Malia here.
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Bon Jovi at Ford Field, July 18th


One of my favorite bands Bon Jovi is coming to the Metro Detroit area this summer on July 18th!  I am really looking forward to finally seeing them in concert as I've been a fan for a long time.  I used to tear out glossy pictures of the band from fan magazines back in junior high.  I can still remember how much time and thought I put into figuring out the perfect arrangement for them on my closet doors.  I played my New Jersey cassette tape so much that I wore parts out!  I can't wait for the July 18th!

I am really excited to share the news that The J.Geils Band will be the supporting act.  This will be one awesome show, not to be missed.  If you don't already have tickets, there's good news for you!  Tickets are still available for Bon Jovi featuring the J. Geils Band at Ford Field on July 18h, starting at just $19.50!  Click here or either image for purchasing information.


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Disclosure: Complimentary tickets to the show were provided for sharing this announcement and ticket information.  The experiences and opinions related within are both personal and unbiased by this. 

Monday, April 22, 2013

Baby Boy Scrapbook Pages: Siblings

I love all the cute baby themed paper, the designs are so fun and sweet.  Sometimes I have trouble deciding how to use all of the paper I buy and normally, I avoid sheets with big images on it like the lion paper above.  I find them to be especially hard to use as they limit the page design and placement of photos.  It would certainly look a little odd if I had a picture overlapping one of the lion's heads!

This time I was unable to pass up this baby animal paper and with some careful planning, managed to stretch my scrapbooking dollars by using both sides of the sheet.  The blue baby animal pattern is the backside of the lion paper.  I originally envisioned using it on a father & son page but in the end I went with these pictures of ER watching over and interacting with her two month old brother.  The pattern of LB's boppy pillow echoed the animal theme and it all just worked for me.

Happy Scrapping!  If you've been sharing your own pages on your site, please link me up!  I always love seeing what other scrappers are doing & being inspired by them!  Thanks for joining me for this week's installment of Baby Boy Scrapbook Pages!

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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Project Life 2013: Weeks 8 & 9

Hello fellow Project Lifers!  I had the pictures taken and edited for last week's Project Life post ready to go but somehow never got around to actually writing the post in time for linking up to The Mom Creative on Tuesday.  By the time I had time to actually do so, I made the executive decision to just wait and do two weeks at once.
The Week of February 17-23 is just one page and an insert with the furniture information sheet we got when we purchased my daughter's new dresser and mirror.  We also got her a new metal frame daybed but there wasn't a flier for that.
The previous week was Valentine week and there was a lot to include with the normal double sided page layout, two inserts for cards, and the left hand side of this spread dedicated to a family dinner.  I was on picture overload so it really worked out for me to just have to worry about one page.  Once upon a time I would've totally freaked out about not having a picture for every since day or enough to make two pages and probably just given up completely.  My fellow PL'ers have really shown me so many ways to adapt PL for real life and I'm so glad!

There were four main stories I wanted to tell this time.  First was more details about the furniture.  In the middle I recorded how LB is becoming more adventurous of an eater and trying to feed himself.  Along the bottom are two ER related memories: the joint Daisy Girl Scout meeting we had on a special day and time with two other troops and of her going to her kindergarten bestie's birthday party.
On to Week 9,  it began with the Oscars and I included what we ate and some thoughts about the awards show itself.  The Oscar statuette card was a freebie from Laura Kate is Crafty.  There was one 5X7 insert this week for the souvenir photo taken of at the Daddy Daughter Dance Brad took ER to on Friday night.  She had a blast and was so excited to finally get to go as we've been out of town or unable to go before now.
All three of the other journaling cards are from Melissa's Retro Journaling Card Freebie and are part of her huge Retro Project Life Kit.  You can find both in this post over at A Vegas Girl at Heart.  They look fantastic printed out. 
We found out that Brad's Grandmother in Missouri passed away this week and I included two pictures from our visit to see her last spring to mark her passing.  Since photographing this page, I've printed out her obituary for the blank spot. 

The top right picture is of LB after he climbed up to be at the table by his big sister.  He wanted to "work" just like her.  On the snow day card I noted that this week was shorter than expected with school being cancelled Wednesday and Thursday for snow and then a power outage.  Friday was already a scheduled day off for a teacher's records day. 

We still had some excitement Friday because LB woke up with a swollen eye and we were back at the doctor's for the second time in one week.  This time he had an eye infection, ear infection, and his croup from Monday had turned into bronchitis. 

The weekend came and ER had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese and I had two hours to myself after dropping her off.  I was able to pick up photos at Costco, go to Micheal's for some uninterrupted craft shopping and even grab something for lunch at Potbelly!  The journaling card has been embellished with some other digital supplies but I can't remember the sources anymore.  A card she got from one of the game machines is in one of the 3X4 pockets.

The Wednesday pennant is from this Pennant Photoshop Overlays and Brushes kit, one of Melissa's kits for purchase  The "here's the story" and snowflake journaling card are two more freebie cards I got at A Vegas Girl at Heart from the same Retro Project Life Kit I used on the left hand page.

Thanks for coming by!  I just picked up a large order of pictures and have been able to keep up and get through last week done and in the book.  Have you been able to keep up?  Linking up to Jessica's as usual.

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

A Crafty Soiree #138

Hi Friends!  I'm so glad you've joined us for this week's A Crafty Soiree!  There were so many awesome ideas and projects last week.  You really make it almost impossible to pick just five to feature.  Here is what I've chosen this time, but really...I love it all ♥
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  • Link up to four of your creative projects (No Etsy stores or other linky parties pretty please).
  • Add your link to the specific posts not the main URL
  • Add a "Crafty Soiree" button to your blog or posts.
  • Please comment on the post linked up in front of you. All party goers love meeting new friends... don't just stop there...if you see something that catches your fancy-- stop by and say hi!
  • Your hostesses would love it if you'd follow us. You can find Malia here.
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Weight Watchers Ice Cream Review: Chcolate, Red Velvet, Greek Yogurt, Cookies & Cream, and Latte.... So Many Yummy Varieties to Try!

I love to end the day with a little something sweet and the six new Weight Watchers Ice Cream Treats I was sent to try out and review are just perfect.  It's nice to feel a little indulgent by having ice cream every night but not blowing my healthy eating efforts.  The Chocolate Smoothie Frozen Yogurt Bar shown above is only 60 calories, with a 2 PointsPlus value, and is perfectly sized for a creamy snack!  They remind me of the ones I used to eat during the summer as a child.
My daughter's favorite out of the six are the Red Velvet Snack Size Ice Cream Sandwiches.  They have red velvet chocolate swirled in low fat cream cheese frosting flavored ice cream surrounded by two red velvet chocolate flavored waters.   Before the first bite I wasn't too sure about cream cheese flavored ice cream but these little sandwiches are really delish and have a rich flavor.  They have a more cake-like flavor than I expected and have a 3 PointsPlus Value. My daughter loves red velvet and having one of these is a much easier fix for a craving than baking an entire cake each time.  These are on their way to becoming a freezer staple!
We also tried out the Greek Frozen Yogurt varieties, in Blueberry Swirl (left) and Peach Swirl (right).  Both have a 2 PointsPlus value and contain live & active cultures.  They are so creamy that they don't taste low fat to me at all!
These two were my very favorites!  The Giant Latte is BIG and tastes just like the iced lattes I love to drink.  They are creamy and have just 90 calories.  I love enjoying a frozen version of my favorite coffeehouse drink.  I have been having one of these while my daughter eats her after school snack and they've been the perfect afternoon pick me up.

I had to fight my daughter for the Cookies & Cream bars.  We both thought the crunchy chocolaty cookie coating and the bits of cookie swirled in the luscious low fat vanilla was a fabulous combination!  These have a 3 PointsPlus value per bar and were the first box to be emptied.

Weight Watchers Ice Cream Treats are a yummy and delicious way to indulge!  They make perfect snacks and desserts.  We love having a a variety on hand to meet every craving.  It just gets hard at times to decide which one to eat! Look for them in your local grocery store's frozen section.

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Disclosure: Complimentary Weight Watchers Ice Cream samples were provided for this review. The opinions and experiences related within are both personal and unbiased.