This weekend is a very special weekend – Superbowl is finally here! Are you ready to hoot and holler, hang out with friends and snack all day? Little Caesars Pizza has got you covered for all of your Superbowl party needs.

If you’re like me, you probably aren’t too excited about being stuck in the kitchen while the big game is on, and now you don’t have to. You can simply place your order at Little Caesars – whether for delivery or carry-out and you can sit yourself in a big chair and hang out with your friends while cheering on your favorite team.

To make it even easier, you can take advantage of Little Caesars HOT-N-READY®? What is that, you might ask? It’s a large 14” pepperoni pizza, hot out of the oven and ready when you are! You can avoid calling ahead or waiting, and you can order as many as you want! Regional HOT-N-READY® pizzas include Ultimate Supreme, Hula Hawaiian®, and 3 Meat Treat®. For a limited time, HOT-N-READY pizzas are only $5 each! You can visit your local Little Caesars restaurant to check on availability in your area.

Of course you stil have the option of ordering a Little Caesars custom pizza too – where you can get exactly what you want, or order several different pizzas in different varieties, to please all of your guests. With toppings such as Canadian Bacon, Italian Sausage, Banana Pepper Rings and many more, you are sure to find something for even the pickiest eaters.

You can also find plenty of appetizers at Little Caesars – how about some Crazy Bread & Crazy Sauce?  Or maybe your  guests would enjoy Caesars Wings and dips (over 8 varieties!)?  Or Italian Cheese Bread.  Oh the possibilities!

To get you in the mood for Little Caesars for Superbowl, I have a giveaway for you!

THE GIVEAWAY:

One winner will receive a $25 Little Caesars Pizza gift card, 1 Little Caesars Duffle Bag and 1 Little Caesars Bean Doll

***NOTE: DO NOT STUMBLE GIVEAWAYS!***

REQUIRED ENTRY: Tell me in a comment what are your favorite pizza toppings?

*Little Caesar’s will be providing me with a gift card for sharing this information with you.

Our girls are young but we are still a house with 5 people. We eat a lot so when I shop I try to be frugal but I don’t want to compromise on food quality or taste. Being pregnant I am tired at the end of the day and would love for the supper fairy to come and make it for me but that just doesn’t happen around here. Is she at your house? So to sum it up I want healthy, cheap, fast, and tasty meals and I believe that this recipe fits into all those categories.

What kid doesn’t love Mexican food? If you have not fed your toddler black beans yet do it! Even our picky 6 year old will eat the heck out of them right out of the can! They are so cheap and very good for you. This meal can be made ahead of time or you can use leftovers. Mine changes every time I make it because I will add new ingredients when I have them in the house. You can make this with either chicken (leftovers work too) or beef. Both are really great! If it is summer or you have some tomatoes in the house cut them up instead of using the Rotel. I had bought some earlier in the week and cut up 2 for this dish and 1 for our guacamole. Fresh tomatoes are so good (another pregnancy craving).

Mexican Casserole
1 pound ground beef
Onion – diced
Corn – can or frozen
Black Beans (either whole or refried work)
Rotel mild diced tomatoes (I did not have any when I made this so it is optional)
Taco Seasoning
Tortilla Chips
Cheese

Quantities are based on your preference. I normally use 1/2 an onion, a can of corn and beans, and probably 3 cups of cheese. Shredding your own cheese is so much better than store bought but I had a coupon and got the bag for $1 so convenience won today. First up brown your ground beef with the onion. After cooking it through add taco seasoning with a bit of water. Our ground beef came from a cow we bought which is so good and I would recommend buying meat this way to anyone! After the taco seasoning has had time to cook with the hamburger add the can of Rotel (I only drain about 1/2 the water). Drain the can of corn and add. If frozen corn is on special I will use that too and just throw in pan frozen. If you are adding whole black beans rinse and add now but if you are using refried wait until the end to put on top of meat. That’s it! Are you a lucky duck and have a have a big skillet you can put in the oven? Well use that and this is a 1 pan meal (yay) otherwise transfer to a 13×9. Now is the time to spread refried beans if you were using them and then add 1/2 of the cheese and crumble chips over the top. Heat at 350 for about 20 minutes and then add the rest of your cheese and pop in for an additional 5-10 minutes to melt.

Here is the finished product. Add a dollop of sour cream if that is your thing and eat up!

My girls love this Mexican Casserole recipe. Like 2nd and 3rds love this. I make it pretty mild for them and then add a spicy salsa to mine instead of sour cream. This particular night I was craving guacamole so I made that to go with it. I love homemade guacamole! Yum! I cut up a cantaloupe and that was supper! How easy right? My neighbor told me a tip when cooking refried beans. She said to put them in a frying pan with some onion and it will bring all the flavor out of them. I have not tried it yet but I will the next time we use them. So what is on your menu for supper tonight?

Welcome to Link em Up Thursday NON-RAFFLECOPTER Giveaway Linky!

Now that Rafflecopter is a common way for bloggers to run their giveaways, I have started a Rafflecopter ONLY Giveaway linky, which posts on Saturdays (link is below).

Since there is a dedicated linky for Rafflecopter ONLY giveaways, I thought it would be nice to have a dedicated linky for NON-RAFFLECOPTER giveaways as well. If you prefer to enter blog giveaways using the old-fashioned (but tried and true) commenting system, this is the place to find those giveaways!

If you use Rafflecopter for your giveaways, this is NOT the linky to use. Instead you can use this linky, which posts on Saturdays.

PLEASE LIST YOUR **NON-RAFFLECOPTER** GIVEAWAYS BELOW, by listing the direct link to the giveaway, the prize, end date and if the giveaway is open to US, US and Canada or Worldwide

There was a time when fashion and maternity just didn’t go together. Today that is a thing of the past with so many designers hopping on board the maternity train and giving us preggos gorgeous clothing choices. But it comes with a price tag. I don’t want to wear sweats and baggy shirts every day and this is a time when your body is changing and you want it to look its best. Fashion Forward Maternity gives you a great way to outfit yourself in designer clothing for a fraction of the cost. How you ask? Renting them. Genius!

I was able to order 3 items for my review. You want to know what was the hardest part about ordering? Choosing! There are so many beautiful items to choose from! I have been on a search for a pair of skinny jeans so they were #1 on my wish list. I also chose a casual shirt and a dressier top. The easy part was ordering. Just a few steps and your items are on their way to your house! I was thrilled with how quickly they shipped to me and couldn’t wait to tear into the box! I notice the extra touches like how items are shipped to me and Fashion Forward Maternity did not disappoint.

After the picture was taken I ripped into the box because what girl wouldn’t want to see her new duds right? The jeans are by designer James Jeans and retail over $150 and still had the tags attached. The first shirt is by Everly Grey (also new) and is a pretty purple strip. I wanted some color which is why I chose it. It is super comfortable and will be an awesome addition to my day to day choices. I added my pearled ballet flats and felt very good about myself all day.

I am a casual mama so even my dressy clothes are probably more casual than most. The brand new Maternal America top that I received was beyond awesome. I love the feel of it and the way that it drapes. This is my 4th babe so I am showing quite a bit at 16 weeks and I felt skinny and confident wearing that top with the skinnies to date night with my husband. You walk a little taller when you feel good don’t you? Well my 2.5 inch heeled boots don’t hurt either.

Have I peaked your interest? Let me tell you how Fashion Forward Maternity works. You have 2 options. You can either subscribe or you can just rent monthly depending on which program works best for your lifestyle.

What if the items don’t fit? Just contact Fashion Forward Maternity within 3 days and return within 5 days with the tag attached. To return the items after your month (or 2) is up, simply put the clothing back into the box it was shipped in, attach the supplied mailing label, and drop off at a local UPS shipping location. Easy! I love this concept and wish that there was a company like this when I worked outside of the home with my first babe. I can’t tell you how much money I spent on maternity clothing only to not be able to wear it for the 2nd pregnancy because it was out of fashion or didn’t fit the same. Renting designer clothing rather than purchasing it is a practical and affordable option for a mama like myself who wants to be stylish but not pay that top dollar price tag to buy it.

Now for the good part, the giveaway!

THE GIVEAWAY:

One winner will receive a 1-month rental of 2 regular items or 1 special occasion item for 1 month at no charge from Fashion Forward Maternity! NOTE: You will need to return the maternity items, as this is a rental service.

***NOTE: DO NOT STUMBLE GIVEAWAYS!***

REQUIRED ENTRY: Tell me in a comment either when you are expecting, or what you might rent from Fashion Forward Maternity!

*Jessie was provided a gift code to rent the above items. All opinions are those of reviewer only.

There is quite a stir going on about the new JC Penney commercial (with people screaming), that is currently running on television.  It is promoting changes in JC Penney stores come February 1st.  I saw their commercial the other night and immediately reached for the remote to mute it as fast as I could.  Not only did it bother me, but my cats (who were all on my bed) freaked out. I mean really freaked out.  The commercial blindsided me and was just so noisy.  Why was it so bothersome?  Screaming.  Lots and lots of screaming. If you have been lucky enough not to see it yet, here it is:

Apparently I am not the only one who despises this commercial – there are plenty of complaints all over the internet. Some parents have even complained that it upsets their Autistic children, and it stresses out people with PTSD and other disorders.  Pet owners (like me) are saying that it scares their pets. Many people also claim that they will no longer shop at JC Penney if this commercial isn’t removed.  There are thousands of comments and complaints on the JC Penney Facebook page, with people begging for this annoying commercial to be removed.  Yet, so far there have been no replies from JC Penny in regard to these complaints.

I have always loved JC Penney, and still do.  I will always be a loyal customer, but they really must rethink this type of commercial (as do all companies). I am surprised this screaming commercial ever got the “okay” from a higher up at the company. Please JC Penney…I beg of you. Take that commercial down. Burn it, chuck the film into a lake, flush it, whatever you have to do – just get rid of it.

I sometimes wonder if I suffer from sensory overload, because these types of loud, annoying and maybe even scary commercials really are bothersome. Here is another example of a commercial that just about drove me up the wall over the holidays:

Do these companies honestly think that they are getting our attention by running such annoying commercials? Well they obviously have gotten our attention, but most likely not the kind they want.

Speaking of loud commercials, why do they play so loudly?? I am constantly grabbing the remote to turn the tv up when my show comes back on, and way down when a commercial comes on. Luckily I do have a DVR, and can fast forward through commercials, but if I am watching live television, or if I am listening to tv while I am cooking, the noise is really disturbing.

Just say “no” to obnoxious commercials.

What are your thoughts on the latest JC Penney commercial?

Gretta and David

The decision

Have you ever tried to do life your way and things just don’t ever seem to work out for you? My husband and I tried several different things over the past 10 years…teaching Pre-K, owning a grocery store, I worked in the ER and he worked in a psych hospital and while they were great experience we still felt empty and like we weren’t doing exactly what we were supposed to be doing. We began praying for God to really show us what He wanted for our lives and over the past 3 years, He has shown us very plainly that we are to go into ministry. We began doing some serious, intense prayer and times of fasting because we weren’t sure what aspect of ministry we were being called to…youth ministry, preaching for my husband, children’s ministry, overseas evangelism, etc. About a year ago, God really laid it on our hearts to be involved with overseas missions. We gathered a core group of friends and our Sunday school class and asked them to pray and fast with us as we made this life-changing decision. I had done previous mission work in Voronezh, Russia and Irkutsk, Siberia back in my college days and loved being on the mission field but David was feeling like he might be supposed to preach somehow.

The Mission

This past summer (July 2011) we were privileged to go on a mission trip to San Luis, Peru in the Ancash region working at altitudes of 13,000-15,000 feet up in the Andes Mountains (you can read the stories about this on my blog, including what we ate in Peru! and traveling on the second deadliest road in the world!). This trip ended up being a catalyst for us as we came home knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that we had been called into full-time mission work. We began diligently praying about what mission boards to contact and God led us to an amazing missions organization, To Every Tribe. This all happened about a month after we returned home and how we found out about them was totally a God-thing to so we knew this was where we were supposed to apply. We filled out an application and went through their different “steps” of the application process and found out 4 months later that we had been accepted as a full-time missionary family with To Every Tribe.

David having fun with the kids

The Organization – To Every Tribe

To Every Tribe works to take the gospel to unreached people groups in hostile regions. Unreached people groups are those among whom Christ has not been named; there are no self-reliant churches and no meaningful access to Christ and the gospel among them. Most people want to go where life and mission is easy, where they won’t have to risk much. David and I know we are to go to places where our work may be hard and challenging but we will be able to take the gospel to people who have never, ever heard it before no matter what the risk!

City of Huaraz

Our future missionary plans

In 5 months (July 2012), we will be moving to Los Fresnos, Texas to go through our 2 years of missions training. While 60% of our training will be done in a classroom setting, 40% of our training will be done through hands-on experience in the field. We will be taking short term mission trips into Oaxaca, Mexico and Papau New Guinea (above Australia) to learn how to live among the people and how to build friendships with them so we can share the gospel with them. An interesting fact about Papau New Guinea: It is roughly the size of California and the 2nd largest island in the world. Throughout the island, there are about 1,000 tribes (some cannibalistic) that speak more than 880 tribal languages!

Leaving friends and family

For us, this decision did not come without much prayer and consideration. We will be taking our 3 children (ages 10, 8 & 6) with us, we will be leaving our families, our friends and our church family. David and I both grew up in Alabama and most of our family lives in Alabama and Georgia and in a few months we will be 18 hours away from them and in 2 years we will be overseas in either Mexico or Papau New Guinea living far away from them. However, we know we are following the path God has clearly set before us and we are excited to meet these new challenges head-on as we become full-time missionaries.

Our new life…

Please pray for us as we transition to a new state, a new home (well, a 700 sq. ft. on-campus apartment!), new culture and new friendships. Over the next 5 months, we will have the opportunity to share our passion and what God has called us to do with many churches throughout the US. Pray for us as we raise our financial support ($12,500!) because starting in July we will be living on missionary support as a full-time missionary family. Most importantly, pray that when we are out in the field, that those we encounter will not see us but that they will see the love of God through us, see the need they have for Him in their lives and how lost they are without Him.

If you would like more information about what we are doing, or about becoming a missionary family, we would love to talk with you or if your church would be willing for us to come speak and share how we are planning to fulfill the call God has placed upon our lives, we would love to talk with you. My email address is: Bamagv@aol.com Thank you for your prayers on behalf of our family as we seek to follow Christ with everything.

Welcome to Monday Mingle!

Monday Mingle Questions for 2012
Monday Mingle Instructions
Previous Monday Mingles.

Current questions – January 30th

1. “I’d be rich if I had a dollar for every time I ____________”
2. Which holiday do you feel doesn’t get the respect it deserves?
3. What do you wish you were better at?

NOTE: If you link your Monday Mingle, make sure you comment on other mingles.  It’s just a nice thing to do  Also, don’t forget to check back later in the week, as some people post throughout the week.

If you have a home party business, make sure you check out Monday Mingle Business Edition at Party Plan Divas!

THIS IS NOT A GIVEAWAY LINKY, OR A LINKY TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS! PLEASE ONLY USE THIS LINKY IF YOU HAVE POSTED A MONDAY MINGLE ON YOUR BLOG, and remember to COMMENT ON OTHER MINGLES! Thank you.

I am always on the lookout for quick and simple meals for my family. An added bonus is when I find a hearty meal for these cold winter nights. I have found such a product and I couldn’t be happier about it. I had the pleasure of trying Bertolli Meal Soups last night, and I am happy to announce that my family is in love with them!

There are four flavors available currently: Chicken Minestrone, Roasted Chicken and Rotini Pasta, Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken, and Tuscan-Style Beef & Vegetables.

After careful consideration, I chose the Roasted Chicken and Rotini Pasta. We eat quite a bit of chicken, and this sounded like the one my family would enjoy the most. Since there are four of us to feed, I bought two bags while I was grocery shopping.

Bertolli Meal Soups are available in the frozen section (I found this out after looking in the soup aisle). I really like that they are frozen, as I know the ingredients are extra fresh.

I decided that I would make some garlic bread to go with out soup “meal”. I contemplated making a salad too, but there were so many vegetables in the soup that I just didn’t feel the need (although a salad would make an excellent addition to the meal).

My daughter and her friend helped me prepare our meal. Unfortunately, my husband had to work late the night I decided to make the Bertolli Meal Soup, but us girls and my son had a wonderful time creating our special dinner. First we got the soup going – we simply emptied both bags in a large pot, and added water per the instructions. After it came to a boil and we reduced the heat and simmered for about 7 minutes. Honestly – this couldn’t have been any easier. The Bertolli Meal Soup can also be prepared in the microwave, but the recommended cooking method is on the stove.

While the soup was cooking, I sliced the fresh sourdough french bread in half and my daughter and her friend spread butter and garlic on it. Cheese is a must on garlic bread too! We popped it in the oven for 8 minutes.

From start to finish, my entire dinner took less than 20 minutes to make (granted, I did have helpers). Now THIS is my kind of meal! In addition to the meal soup being incredibly easy to prepare, I feel good knowing that I am providing my family with a healthy meal. A hearty and filling meal with fresh ingredients.  I had to laugh today when my son asked me if there was any leftover soup.  Not a chance – we polished it off in record time last night!

I am going to be stocking up on Bertolli Meal Soups – they will be so handy to have on hand when I want something quick and delicious. It will also be convenient for those nights when I realize that I don’t have a thing to make for dinner! I cannot wait to try all of the flavors. I was also thinking these would be great to use in pot pies!  You could even buy frozen dough, and fill it with your favorite Bertolli Meal Soup.

I think Bertolli had a very smart idea when they created Meal Soups! Make sure you keep an eye out for Bertolli Meal Soups at your grocery store…your family will thank you.

Make sure you follow #BertolliMealSoup and @Bertolli on Twitter, to find out what the other bloggers who sampled Bertolli Meal Soups thought of them too! These same bloggers will be posting tips about making family meals special.  You can also connect with Bertolli on Facebook to keep up-to-date on the latest product news, coupons and more.

* I was compensated by Bertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge, although all opinions are my own.

I have to admit that I had no idea that Buy.com sells food gifts as well as electronics, jewelry, perfume, and so much more, but when I was asked to host a giveaway for a Valentine’s Day Gift Basket, I was so happy to discover that they pretty much have everything!

Valentine’s Day is creeping up on us, and Buy.com has you covered.  Whether  you are shopping for a male or female, child or adult, or anyone in between, I think you will be pleased with the variety and great prices at Buy.com.  They have a fabulous selection for everyone on your list.

Suggestions for Her:

-Jewelry
-Clothing
-Accessories
-Perfume
-Aprons
-Electronics (including tablets, cameras and more)
-Chocolate!

Ideas for Him:

-Watches
-Clothing
-Movies
-Electronics (how about a GPS, a tablet, or headphones?)
-Goodies!

For the kids:

-Video Games
-Board Games
-Video Games
-Stuffed Animals
-Gift baskets!

Of course, the Valentine’s Gift Basket shown below would be well received by anyone, I think.  If you still need ideas, make sure you check out Buy.com!  Don’t forget to enter below, to win this gift basket!

THE GIVEAWAY:

One winner will receive a Valentine’s Day Gift Basket from Buy.com ($32.95 value), which includes:

• A Valentine’s Day heart box
• Iced honey vanilla heart cookies
• A complete assortment of Godiva truffles

***NOTE: DO NOT STUMBLE GIVEAWAYS!***

REQUIRED ENTRY: Take a look around on the Buy.com Valentine’s Day gifts section and come back and tell me in a comment something else you would love to receive for Valentine’s Day (other than shown above).

*I will be receiving the same gift basket shown above, as a thank you for hosting this giveaway.

Valentine’s Day is almost here – have you decided what kind of Valentine’s Gift to get for your loved ones? I am here to share a tasty Valentine gift idea with you, and you also have a chance to win as well!

Cheryl’s has a really cute idea for an inexpensive Valentine’s Day gift idea – Cheryl’s Valentine’s Day Hug Bug cookies! Whether you are looking for just a little something for a child or an adult, these are a great idea. Not only are they adorable, but they are only $5 each! Just think how many people on your gift list you can cover by shopping Cheryl’s Valentine’s Day gifts this year!

Send a sweet Valentine Cookie Greeting with our NEW Buttercream Frosted Hug Bug cookie packaged in a Valentine gift box with a $5 reward card. Sweeter than a card and only $5 delivered!

Cheryl’s let me choose someone to have a Hug Bug cookie sent to, and I cannot wait until my recipient receives it. She is going to be so excited!

Of course, Cheryl’s also has several other goodie assortments available for Valentine’s Day too, including cookie “flower” arrangements, brownies, cakes, and so much more. Warning – looking at their site might make you hungry!

How would you like to win a Valentine’s Day Hug Bug from Cheryl’s? Enter below!

THE GIVEAWAY:

Three (3) winners will receive a Cheryl’s Hug Bug Valentine’s Cookie Gift!

***NOTE: DO NOT STUMBLE GIVEAWAYS!***

REQUIRED ENTRY: Tell me in a comment who you would love to give a Hug Bug to for Valentine’s Day!