Snapshots from Christmas Entertaining

Christmas Morning 2016

Cozy for the Holidays

(sign from an amazing Etsy shop called Dwelling Space)

Cookie Decorating with Friends

Thankful for these Turkeys

 Bauer turned 8 months and his first tooth popped through!

 and JR, my growing photographer, took these last two... and told us how to pose!

A little Holiday Spirit in your Home

Bring the Holiday Spirit into Your Cleaning Routine with Mrs. Meyer’s + Grove Collaborative

How do you bring the holiday spirit into your cleaning routine? Patrick usually turns up Frank Sinatra Christmas music and we get the kids excited to join in the cleaning! Growing up, my mom always swapped out candles and soap in all the bathrooms for fall and christmas scents, so I love buying special soaps and cleaning supplies for the holidays. Knowing we have amazing scented cleaners and new tools actually makes us look forward to cleaning!

This year, Grove Collaborative treated us to a new Mrs. Meyer’s Holiday Set — and they want to send one to you for free, too! The set includes a Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap, Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap, Mrs. Meyer’s multi-surface spray and the Grove Collaborative Bubble Up.

My kids have been fighting over who gets to use this Bubble Up to help with the dishes! It’s fun to pump the dispenser and make lots of bubbles, and the brush is easy to hold when you’re really scrubbing those dishes after dinner.

I have been using the Mrs. Meyer's multi-surface spray for awhile now... with 3 kids and a golden retriever, let's just say we make plenty of messes! I love that it gets everything clean and smells amazing!

Patrick, JR & Vera agree that these Mrs. Meyer’s Peppermint soaps smell good enough to eat!  It's amazing how certain scents can bring up so many sweet memories from the past. The soaps also come in Orange Clove.  I can’t wait to grab a few bottles for our bathroom and laundry with my next Grove shipment.

If you’re not familiar with Grove Collaborative, it’s a subscription service that makes creating a healthy, beautiful home effortless and affordable. I can choose my favorite products from brands like Mrs. Meyer’s, Seventh Generation, and Method, and Grove delivers them (carbon offset) right to my doorstep, on my schedule. I even receive a text before my shipment!

Here’s what I’ve discovered after using Grove: When my kids get to help choose the products and scents we use, they’re much more willing to help clean! They get so excited when they see our mailman, Charlie, walking up the driveway with a box. It’s like Christmas for them (and me!).  JR usually wants to open the box and smell everything and Vera wants to line each item up.

When you sign up for Grove Collaborative using this link, you’ll get the Mrs. Meyer’s Holiday set for free + free shipping. If you’re already a customer Click Here, you’ll get 50% off of the brand new and amazing Grove Collaborative Bubble Up. Don’t forget to sign up for the free VIP trial, too. Not only is the free shipping amazing, you’ll get perks like free gifts, price matching, and personal customer service.

Grove only has a limited number of sets available and the offer ends November 21, so grab yours now! Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up for Grove Collaborative [Click Here for your Free Gift]. You’ll receive the Mrs. Meyer’s offer for free when you sign up! If you’re already a customer, you’ll receive the Grove Collaborative Bubble Up for 50% off.

2. Answer 4 quick questions about your home that Grove Collaborative will then use to customize your first basket -- this takes under 30 seconds!

3. Once you’ve answered the questions, you can finalize your basket of products to suit your household needs by adding or removing items. Check a few things off your shopping list and add them to your order!

4. To receive this offer, your order needs to be a minimum of $20. Choose the combination of products and scents you love and receive them in your first box.

5. You made it! Click Finish & Pay and place your order. 
 

A Chicken, Police Officer and a Cheeseburger

The kids sure enjoyed Halloween week!  Daddy was out of town & we were sad he couldn't join all of the fun. Thankfully Nana & Papa D. were in town over the weekend (watch my dad's sermon at Crossroads {here}) so the kids were able to dress up and "Trunk or Treat" at the Y!  Then the kids and I spent Halloween with friends and way too much candy. 

 Throughout the day, Vera had on several costumes and I told her whatever she was dressed in when we left the house was going to be her costume for the night :) So she went from a kitten to 3 different princesses with butterfly wings to a cheeseburger- haha! A cheeseburger who wanted sparkly blush on her cheeks.  The police officer added a Darth Vader mask later on, but Bauer was the cutest little chicken the whole night!

We have since hidden all of the candy and found all of Vera's secret stashes throughout the house... we think!

( and {here} is a photo of Bauer with his chicken buddies)

Pangea Kitchen- Evansville

dinner for date night = Pangea

 friends in from out of town = Pangea

quick dinner to-go = Pangea

pretty much anytime we eat out = Pangea

I love the style of the interior and the patio out front.  

The Neapolitan pizza is delicious, perfect blend of crisp and chewy crust, 

but don't think it's only about the pizza.  

There are seasonal specials, Thai appetizers and so many flavor combinations unique to Pangea!  

Pangea Kitchen consistently serves great food with friendly service. 

Oh, and please don't leave without trying the gelato...

then bring me a vanilla bean macaron ;)

My Top 2 Pizzas: Pancetta & Pistachio

Blue Apron- Meal Planning

I figured it was about time I tried one of these fresh meal deliveries!  I found a major coupon for my first order- pretty cheap for 3 meals.  The full price does not work for our family budget.  I stay at home and as nice as it sounds to have fresh food delivered to our door, that is one area where we can save money.  (and the reason for my love of Aldi!)  I thought I would at least give it a try with the coupon. 

 I was extremely impressed with how it came packaged and organized in the box.  There were 3 papers that listed the ingredients along with step-by-step instructions.  My favorite part was the photo series that went along with the recipes- so helpful! One of the reasons I love Pioneer Woman recipes :) The ingredients were packed in well and kept cold, but you do have to schedule your delivery for a day you will be home. 

So far, I have cooked 2 of the 3 recipes.  I didn't love the Crispy Chicken recipe, but the Salmon was delicious!  I have already learned several new cooking techniques that I would not have tried on my own.  Everything was explained very well and I think I only googled once ;) I would not have made collard greens (they actually were pretty good) or thought to saute saffron and orange juice with my carrots (so flavorful!)  I love that the meals are fresh and the kids enjoyed them with us.  While it is not something we will do on a weekly basis, it might be a fun family night or date night in- learning a new cooking technique and enjoying the process together.  And you get to keep the recipes for future use! 

Have you tried any meal deliveries? I feel like I'm constantly seeing ads on social media for so many brands- do you have a favorite?  If you want to try Blue Apron, I think I have 3 coupons for free meals so send me an email!