Marketing 101: Check your dates

What is wrong with this e-mail, sent from a very fancy, shmancy restaurant near our town?

 Don't forget the Chick-fil-A giveaway! Entries end tonight, midnight, EST.

What I Made Wednesday {Snazzy-Up the Front Door}

In my laundry/craft room.

The dollar store never ceases to amaze me. There's a lot of junk, admittedly, but there's some really cool stuff, too! During a recent escapade I found these wall stick-on's that I just could not pass up. I'm such a softie for quotes and words that I bought a couple of them. Two I used for the final Shares on Display (which I will share next week), one for my laundry room (isn't it so cute?), and one for my front door.

I didn't think the wall stickie would work on my front door, but it does. Periodically I have to rub it down because the sun tends to lift it up a bit. But, it's worth it because it makes for a much more inviting entrance, don't you think?

What You'll Need
Wall Stickie
All-Purpose Cleaner

What You'll Do
Clean the area you'll be sticking the wall decal on. It tends to stick better when the surface is clean and free of dirt and dust. Apply the decal, smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles. Voila! Done!

What You'll Need to Know to Finish
Occasionally, as time goes on, you're decal may tend to peel away from the surface in certain areas of the decal. Use a little Elmer's glue stick to adhere the stubborn decal to the surface. Using Elmer's will ensure no damage when you finally do remove the decal.

Don't forget to enter the Chick-fil-A giveway!

Chick-fil-A Giveaway

Who doesn't love Chick-fil-A? There are fresh flowers on every table and in the bathroom at their restaurants. They sell chicken that actually looks like chicken (and the taste is always fresh)! They are closed Sunday so their employees are encouraged to spend family time together. They give boat-loads of scholarships to kids. And, they were the first to offer the brand new Heinz ketchup packaging (squeeze or dip)!

With summer break lurking next week, Kiddo and I will be out and about during the day exploring sites in the city. A tweener (especially a male) can get very hungry, very quickly. That's when I'll be stopping by a Chick-fil-A to check out the new salads and wrap. With swimsuit season already here, it's time to change the diet a bit. Just because I choose fast food, doesn't mean I have to choose fried foods. Chick-fil-A has introduced 3 new salads and a wrap all under 430 calories. With Chick-fil-A's new menu, I don't have to compromise my healthy choices for taste! With Chick-fil-A's new menu options, I can have both.



I want you to try the new menu, too! Chick-fil-A has provided me with a 2-pack of salad coupons to give away to one of my readers. All you have to do is take the "Starter" quiz found below and tell me your results by leaving a Comment! How easy is that? You have until Thursday, May 23, midnight EST, to enter! A winner will be selected using Random.org and will be announced on Friday! Be sure to check back to see if you won.

The prize will be sent via FedEx or USPS. No P.O. Boxes please.
Please note I am working with Chick-fil-A, and Chick-fil-A supplied these materials to me.

Gratitude Journal Monday

Shhh! All is quiet. The party is done. Eight over-the-top excited boys have left the home (well, Kiddo stayed, of course). Clean-up is underway, S-L-O-W-L-Y, because Super Hubby and I are still in recovery mode. Ahhh! We pulled it off and, although we're a bit worse for the wear (if I'm lyin', I'm dyin'), it is done!

I'm treading slowly into this week. How about you, friend? Any recovering from the weekend going on at your end? Let's take it slow together.

466. I'm grateful the party is done and the all-consuming planning is over.
467. I'm grateful a good friend came all the way up from Cincinnati to be here, in Cleveland, to celebrate Kiddo's birthday.
468. I'm grateful for leftover birthday cake and ice cream - YUM!
469. I'm grateful for Advil.
470. I'm grateful Stride Rite had hiking boots in Kiddo's size for camp this week!

I find there is always something for which I should be grateful. Want to see my beginnings? Click here.

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 95.

Goodbye 5th grade rite of passage: Night of Public Speaking; the kids looked so spiffy and their speeches were so Pro!
Goodbye Kiddo formally presenting his NED winnings to the school at their all-grade assembly (if you don't know this not-to-be-missed story, click here to begin).
Goodbye best show finale I've seen in a loooong time; I already miss The Office.
Goodbye school Field Day and laughing about what a difference a year makes (I got sunburned this year, last year, it was 40 degrees and shiver-inducing).
Goodbye prayers and blessings to Texas as they work through their tornado and storm destruction.

Hello fun birthday party and snapping as many pics as I can so I can share with you!
Hello holding my breath until Sunday while hoping all goes well with this party on Saturday.
Hello taking rest and relaxation to the max come Sunday.
Hello shopping for supplies for Kiddo's class camping trip.
Hello, dear Super Hubby, as we celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary the day of the birthday party - love you!

My lesson learned this week is a big one! Kiddo sprung on me an impromptu Spanish class party and Band party on the way home from baseball practice Wednesday night. I still had a lot of party prep to do on Thursday so squeezing in home baked items to bring to 2 parties on Friday seemed to be out of the question. I rummaged through the pantry and found some leftover marshmallows and exactly the right amount of rice krispy cereal to make rice krispy treats. Score!

The marshmallows were a tiny bit hardened, let's just say. I melted my butter and threw in the marshmallows to melt. Folks, take it from me: stale marshmallows DO NOT melt! It was a hot mess, I tell you. My pan is still soaking 2 days later from the gooey, stuck-on mess it left.

I hopped in the car to go to the grocery store to pick-up some fresh marshmallows and more cereal (as I still thought it might work with burnt marshmallow, I poured my perfect amount of rice cereal into the gooey mess). In my rush through produce I stopped dead in my tracks in the bakery department as a mini-cupcake package caught my eye. $1.99 for a dozen of the cutest little cupcakes you've ever seen. I start doing the math and determine there is no way I could make rice krispy treats for that cheap so, I did it, friends. I bought bakery cupcakes, "re-packaged" them on my own plate, and sent them with Kiddo to the Band party at school. (I had to make this recipe for Spanish so, no store-bought option on that one). So, yes, I did it. I bought, I did not make, the treats for the party. AAAAHHHHHHH! I know, I'm as shocked as you are, but guess what? The kids loved them, it was cheap, and I could spend my time birthday party planning, not making rice krispy treats, take two! Wow, the world is still spinning! I may make a habit out of this:-)

Short Posts. Long Days.

I know, you don't have to say it. This week's posts suck rocks and, yeah, I'm being kind. The month of May is Kiddo's last month of school. This week we're finishing up the final touches to Kiddo's birthday party for this weekend. Did I mention I still have to bake the cake, marinate chicken, make coconut frosting? And, coming home from baseball practice this evening at 9:00 (in the dark), Kiddo tells me about the Spanish and Band parties this Friday! So, I need to make this drink for Spanish (the drink Kiddo made for his Panama project) and cupcakes for Band! Did I mention this is all in between all the party prep I still have to do?

So, to say my mind has NOT been on deep thinking and searching for the perfect words to convey those thoughts is far from an understatement. And, today is shot as I won't be home ALL.DAY.LONG. It's Field Day at my son's school so why drive home just to turn around and drive back for the start of Field Day just a few hours from the start of school? And, then we rush home after Field Day, Kiddo gets in a shower, gets all gussied up, and we head back for Night of Public Speaking where Kiddo will be giving his Leadership Speech.

I'm hoping next week allows me the gift of time to contemplate, discover, and share. You know, the posts you're used to me writing. Hang in there with me, the storm is about to pass soon. 

What I Made Wednesday {Birthday Party Re-Cap}

Friends, it's May, Kiddo's birthday month. This Saturday we're hosting Kiddo's "elevensies" birthday party and we are super busy getting ready for it. If you've been here for awhile, you know how overboard-nutso we get when it comes to planning these parties. Not sure what I'm talking about? Click here, link by link, and see our efforts from last year's Harry Potter-themed party. Then and only then will you understand why I have no new What I Made Wednesday for you today. Thanks for understanding:-)