Never in my life did I think I would have to utter the phrase:
“Stop putting your butt in your brothers face!”
Let alone more then once.
It must be a boy gene. They all get it.
Ian’s new thing is to stick his butt out and make farting noises. Laugh and then say ‘I jus farteded on [insert name here]! HA HA!’
This is my life…
Happy Laughing
Although we are approaching the end of summer Arianna from Arianna Knows Best would like to share with you some ideas on how to have a some celebrity style fun.
It’s amazing that summer is one of the most anticipated seasons of the year, yet it can be a pretty hectic time of year. Throw in a few family trips, and summer is almost as busy as the school year! My girlfriends and I were daydreaming about escaping to someplace luxurious and serene, where we could work on our tans while sipping on one of those fruity drinks with an umbrella in it. We thought that with a little creativity we could create lavish getaways right in our own backyards. We came up with some great celebrity-inspired party ideas that are sure to make us feel like real Hollywood A-listers!
If you were Kanye West or Britney Spears, you’d be spending the summer promoting your new album by traveling the world via chartered private jet to exotic locales and attending glamorous, star-studded events. If you’re actually invited to one of these shindigs, don’t forget your dancing shoes, because you’ll be dancing with the stars all night long!
Image ~ Priority1Jets
Get your talented kids and friends together and create your own dance crew using your backyard as a stage! Split up into teams, pick some music, design costumes and practice. After the performances, have attendees cast ballots to pick winners in different categories, and award music-themed prizes like iTunes gift cards or headphones!
iTunes gift card from Apple
This annual ceremony hails trend-setting, fashion-forward designers. Chic, modern fashion stars vie for awards in categories like “Next Future Icon” and “Contemporary Brand of the Year.” Bloggers, journalists and industry insiders agree that the stars must dress to impress on the red carpet for this event. Anyone who’s anyone in the fashion industry is sure to make a memorable appearance, donning a hip and stylish frock and dripping in stunning jewels!
Celebrities like Katy Perry and Vanessa Minnillo celebrate their last nights of single lady status in Sin City’s hippest clubs! But try not to feel too left out, because what happens in Vegas usually ends up in the tabloids, and you’ll get to read all about how these famous party goers celebrated their last nights of freedom!
If the nightlife in your hometown doesn’t have much to offer, you don’t have to travel all the way to Vegas for an exciting bachelorette party! Just going one or two town’s over gives you enough of a change of scenery to create a memorable event for the bride-to-be. Dine in an exclusive restaurant for dinner, see her favorite performer in concert, or hit the dance floor at a hot club! Give her a night that will make her smile every time she thinks about it – at least the parts she can remember!
Spruce up your wardrobe and party with your girlfriends. Have everyone bring gently used or clothing or unworn impulse buys, and have a swap party! Does your sister have gorgeous taste in shoes? Trade her a pair for that silk blouse she’s always complimenting. Sort items into categories like “dresses” and “handbags” for easy browsing!
Image ~ TLC
Arianna has written and submitted this article, the opinions expressed are all her own and may not be that of the owner of this blog.
Arianna is a full-time mom and a fashion-lover, world traveler, animal lover, and family woman extraordinaire. She loves to cook and bake, travel to new places, share great fashion finds, and spend time doing crafts and projects at home with her kids. She’s got a crazy busy life, but she wouldn’t have it any other way! Follow her blog at Arianna Knows Best!
Have you ever had one of those “Why the hell didn’t I know about this!” moments?
I just did this past weekend.
Do you have an Ikea store where you live? Have you ever been there?
I do and I have. But I have only been there a few time, and I will admit it is not the first place I think of when I need something.
But there was something I specifically wanted from there, so the boys and I went this weekend.
So here is how our Saturday went:
All week I had seen the marquee for our cheap theater, the one that plays movies before they are on video but after they are done playing the big movie theaters, ay “Monsters U 2pm” I thought perfect! The boys will eat lunch at one and then we will go to the movie.
So I get closer and see they changed the time to 4:45! Now what do we do?
Well I needed to go to Ikea and thought about going after the movie, so why not before?
Ikea has a children’s play place called Småland. It is a supervised play area where parents can drop their kids off to play while they shop!
Image from Ikea
The catch: You have to stay in the store, and you only have an hour.
OK, I understand the first rule, but if you have been to the store you know that you can’t shop there in under an hour. But if you are an Ikea Family Member you get an extra 30 min!
I have never used this service before, but Ian wanted to go in, so we stood in line.
Yes, there was a line, the store was super busy.
The place was huge! They had a ball pit, a movie theater, puppet shows, toy kitchen and so much more. Plus while in line you can see all the other kids having fun in there, through a window.
Ian got to play with a bunch of kids while Sid and I took a peaceful stroll through the showroom. I got my purchases then went to collect Ian.
He, of course, didn’t want to leave.
We then went to the little food court for a snack (fed us for $4!)
So I ask you, why the hell didn’t I know about this!!?!
If you didn’t know about it, you can thank me later. But seriously, free play time even if only for an hour, what a bargain!
They only let in a certain number of kids, kids have to be between specific heights and potty trained. They have multiple staff members and good security measures. Ours hosts a craft night every Wednesday night.
I might just be making more trips to Ikea in the future.
p.s. we did make it to the movie afterwards
Happy Shopping
While searching for new recipes I cam across this one for BBQ Bacon Sliders from one of my favorite recipe websites Our Best Bites. I have a lot of their recipes in my box.
I thought it sounded great but I needed to do some altering.
I don’t really like blue cheese, my hamburgers require more than just BBQ sauce, and I didn’t really want to make sliders.
I decided to share with you the recipe that I made.
Here is what you’ll need:
Cheesy Garlic Spread
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1-3 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
1/4 c. Asiago or Parmesan cheese or other strong cheese
Whisk together all the ingredients and store in fridge until ready to use.
Garlic-Cheesy-Goodness
Burgers
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 c. BBQ sauce (any kind you want)
1 egg
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Steak sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4-6 hamburger buns, sliced and toasted
8 slices of bacon, cooked crispy
Crispy lettuce
French’s French Fried Onions (you can find a recipe for making your own here)
Heat BBQ to medium-high heat, or use a grill pan on the stove top.
Beat the egg with the 2 Tbs. BBQ sauce, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. steak sauce. Mix in the hamburger meat and salt & pepper. (don’t worry if you think the burgers a little juicy, this will help to ensure they don’t dry out while cooking)
Divide hamburger mixture in to 4 or 6 patties, after flattening use a small cup to make a round depression in the center. Hamburgers tend to shrink and plump during cooking; while waiting for center to cook the edges can get too done. Making the center of the burgers thinner should allow for a more even cooking.
Grill burgers for about 10 minutes, brushing with remaining BBQ sauce, flipping once, until done. Internal temperature should be 160-165ºF.
To assemble burgers: spread the cheese sauce on each half of the bun then layer with lettuce, bacon, burger, more BBQ sauce (if desired) and fried onions.
These were TO DIE FOR!
And they WILL be made again.
Mon: Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles
Tue: Baked Panko Chicken Fingers with Mac & Cheese
Wed: Garlic & Rum Pork Chops with Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Rice
Thr: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Fri: Out of town!
Sat: Wedding
Sun: Take-out
Happy Cooking
Need something to help plan your meals? I use the Plan to Eat online meal planner. Try it free for 30 days
I Tri and Craft 