This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Manwich for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. Family meal time is important. It's often the only time in a day that we all come together to reconnect after busy days at work and school. Coming together around the table lets us talk about not just our days but about family matters, events coming up and of course to share laughs. Making sure we have hearty, healthy and delicious meals encourages more time gathered around the table. One … [Read more...]
Valentine’s Day Thumbprint Heart Cookies
January 16, 2014 by
To wrap up our week of Valentine's Day themed crafts and activities we're showing off our Thumbprint Heart Strawberry Preserve Cookies. As you'll see Shae and Shaun didn't really use their thumbs but Fingerprint cookies don't have the same ring to it. We started with a simple soft cookie dough. Ingredients 1cup butter, softened 2/3 cup sugar 1tsp vanilla or almond extract 2 egg yolks, room temperature 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup strawberry/raspberry jam or … [Read more...]
Fruit Painted Rocks #craft #kidsinthekitchen
July 25, 2013 by
Don't we all have pretty bowls and vases on our kitchen table filled with fruit, flowers and other lovely centerpieces. On our tables I have a bowl of fresh produce and on the other table I have a tray filled with junk. I'm talking about coupons, sunglasses, notebooks, beads and business cards. It's the catchall for the room. I gave Sabreena and Shae a task to make something pretty for the table. They hunted under our deck for very specific shaped river rocks and made a this bowl of … [Read more...]
Pepperoni Soup Recipe
January 9, 2013 by
The recipe name sounds strange I know. Those outside my family look at me strange when I say we're having pepperoni soup for dinner. It was something that seemed like a special treat when I was growing up. It's something that my own family has grown to love and in fact Sabreena asked to have it for her birthday dinner last week. Traditionally my grandmother used a Spanish sausage NOT pepperoni but I particularly like the pepper and spice that comes from it. My grandmother also called it … [Read more...]
Homemade Squirrel Nut Zipper Candy Recipe
January 2, 2013 by
This is a both a Pinterest recipe FAIL and success. I found a 6 minute microwave caramel recipe that got great reviews so I attempted it as my first foray into candy making. It was simple, easy and hopeful. About 1 hour after it was "setting" I knew it wasn't going to be exactly what I wanted so i tried again. Thank goodness I did because I'm addicted to what I did create. Remember those old school penny candies, Squirrel Nut Zippers. Sticky, chewy, nutty, pull your molars out kinda yum. I … [Read more...]
Our Unexpected Surprise!!!!
May 31, 2012 by
About 6 months ago my husband and I got some news that we really weren’t expecting at this point in our lives. We are the happy and proud parents of two very independent and self-sufficient girls, ages 10 and 8. We had fallen into this less demanding world which no longer revolved around taking care of the every little need of a child. It was nice to be able to come and go as we please without having to pack a car full of items for the girls. At our ages, I’m 37 and my husband is 40, we … [Read more...]
Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Arlington Cemetery
May 25, 2012 by
In honor of Memorial Day I thought I'd share a few things about the Soldiers that guard The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. If you've never been to Arlington National Cemetery before it really is an extraordinary site to see. I realize it's not the most glamourous place to visit but it a beautiful and majestic site to experience for people of all ages. The soldiers that guard the tomb are called Sentinels The Tomb of the Unknowns is Arlington's most popular … [Read more...]
What I Learned from Bloggy Boot Camp Philadelphia
May 22, 2012 by
Something happened with this Bloggy Boot Camp. I walked away with ideas and inspiration and didn’t just talk about making changes but instantly put a couple in place. Blog conferences as a whole are supposed to educate the attendees on not just blog basics but how to run it like a business, increase traffic, put out quality content and engage your readers and fellow bloggers. Bloggy Boot Camp Baltimore was a different feeling for me. Two years ago the sentiment felt “Every man for themself”, … [Read more...]
Being Mr Mom Was Hard
May 21, 2012 by
This weekend was busy to say the least and I am not sure how single moms and dads do it. I was without Melinda for less than 24 hours and it feel like I was going to die (maybe a slight exaggeration). Melinda was at Bloggy Bootcamp in Philadelphia Friday night and Saturday which left me alone with the kids. I want everyone to understand that I am not complaining that she went I just want to explain how busy it was without her. Usually we will do a divide and conquer but I was solo on … [Read more...]
I’m Going to Bloggy Boot Camp
May 17, 2012 by
Bloggy Boot Camp is coming to Philadelphia. I missed it last year but there is was way I was going to let it pass me by again. Bloggy Boot Camp is a one day blog and social media conference for women hosted in major cities all around the U.S. Everyone, from brand new bloggers to experienced social media mavens, can benefit from this experience. That’s they formal definition. I think of it more like a get together of like-minded, social women to discuss business, blogs, networking and more. … [Read more...]
