Just Kidding Around Atlanta

Check out these fun Valentine's gag gifts for the kids!

2012-02-11T17:19:00.000-05:00

I love fun gifts that don't cost an arm and a leg, don't y'all? I've mentioned here before that I shop the day after holidays to stock up for the next year or the next holiday. So the day after Christmas, I grabbed a bag of super-cheap, Christmas (red and green) m&m's - perfect for my Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day celebrations! For Valentine's Day next week, one of my treats for the kids

Need something to do this weekend? Try SNOW MOUNTAIN!!

2012-02-10T10:46:00.000-05:00

We visited Snow Mountain at Snow Mountain back before the holidays, but I didn't want to post my review til now. The holidays keep us all so crazy busy, but around February, the kids will start that familiar refrain: "I'm bored, Mom"! So now is the absolute perfect time to head over to Stone Mountain and hit the "slopes" of Snow Mountain! (But hurry - it closes February 20th!) Stone

Chocolate Cherry Surprise Cookies ~ perfect for Valentines Day!

2012-02-08T09:39:00.000-05:00

Hello sweet bloggy friends! Are y'all ready for Valentine's Day? Gosh, I can't believe it is almost here! I love making these cookies all winter long. I made them for New Year's Eve, but they are perfect for Valentine's Day. How can you go wrong making rich chocolate cookies with a cherry hidden under a lucious chocolate frosting ~ delicious! : ) This recipe originally came from Ms. Jill,

How to save some money on your mortgage, and other home stuff!

2012-02-02T18:24:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll! It's been a busy week here, as usual! How did the month of January get away from me?! Did that happen for any of you? Crazy how that happens! Today's post has some info I heard on the radio about saving money on your mortgage, plus a few other links for homeowners that might save you more money! I'm in my car for about 2 hours a day driving kiddos to and from their schools, to work

Super Bowl Party foods!!

2012-01-29T17:09:00.001-05:00

I'm looking forward to making some yummy treats for my family next Sunday. Katie is the only one who really loves football, but the rest of us enjoy all the fun commercials! This year, I'm making a cheesy, corn-y Mexican flavored dip, and my most favorite Buffalo Chicken dip. I'll serve them with carrots, celery and Tostito Scoops. I'll probably add my Easy Peasy BBQ Chicken Pizza to the spread,

Purex/Jockey Giveaway/Review! Hurry ~ ends 1/27!

2012-01-24T17:13:00.002-05:00

(This post is being posted much later than I intended - January has proven to be a challenging month for me & my family so far! Apologies to Purex & Jockey for my tardiness.) Purex & Jockey have teamed up for a fantastic giveaway that is just perfect for the beginning of the New Year - how many of y'all are resolving to exercise/diet/get-in-shape? You'll love this giveaway, then! Jockey's

Using herbs & botanicals around the house

2012-01-08T12:34:00.000-05:00

We are getting a preview of a channel called Veria on Dish Network this month, and I'm truly enjoying it! This morning I watched a great show on there called "What a Relief" that talks about using herbs in your house. I'm going to post some of these uses not only for you to enjoy, but also as a way that I can easily refer back to them! : ) 1. To keep your closet or drawers moth-free, fill a

Get your free trial membership to BJ's Wholesale Club!!

2012-01-07T18:49:00.002-05:00

VocalPoint & BJ's have given me the opportunity share a link for FREE 60 day trial memberships to BJ's Wholesale Club! BJ's Wholesale Club stores are located in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. (I really hope you live in a state with a BJ's Wholesale Club

Have you talked with your kids about Prescription Drug Abuse?

2012-01-05T22:38:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about over-the-counter and prescription drug abuse lately because there is information about it everywhere, it seems! Just this week, purchasing cold medicine, cough medicine, and allergy medicine I received print outs on my receipts about teen prescription drug abuse, and there are often commercials/PSA ads on tv too. The government even limits how much allergy medicine I

New Year's Eve Fondue Party!

2011-12-30T23:10:00.000-05:00

First of all - a big announcement! My daughter Katie & I have a new blog we're working on together - it's called Everything Pinteresting. We both love Pinterest, and wanted to highlight our favorites. The blog has daily themes, so each day you'll find something different. For example, Friday is "Fitness Friday" so there are some great links to help get you ready to lose some weight & get

Cinnamon Sugar Cookie French Toast Recipe

2011-12-25T22:38:00.000-05:00

Merry CHRISTMAS!! I hope you've all had the most wonderful day!! We had a great day, both kids are feeling so much better, and that made this mama SO happy. : ) I wanted to pop on here to share the most incredible french toast recipe ever!! Last week, a Facebook friend had a status about making French Toast with Cinnabon flavored coffee creamer. I was very intrigued! Sadly, Publix was

Decadent Peanut Butter Truffles

2011-12-23T20:57:00.000-05:00

Time for another sweet recipe that makes a quick and perfect gift! I had one of those "hmmm, would that work?" moments at the store Monday. I planned to make chocolate covered Nutter Butters for my friend Renea who LOVES those. But Ingles (not my favorite store, but the closest that day), didn't have any. Not one package!! What to do? I looked around and found the bags of mini Oreos and

Daphne Oz's Coconut Pecan Poundcake Recipe

2011-12-21T23:08:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all!! It's been a little hectic with the last week of school for my kiddos, office parties, get-togethers with friends, and then both kiddos have been sick since the weekend. Trying to get all the last minute things done now! Today I made the most amazing pound cake. The plan was to bake this delicious cake for a get-together we had planned for Friday with my family, and bake another

Reminder: Cookies Across America this Saturday!

2011-12-08T09:12:00.000-05:00

I wanted to remind y'all that Cookies Across America is this Saturday, December 10. It's a day for families across our country to hold cookie exchanges, or just bake cookies on your own to share with others in your community! Wrap them up and drop them off with someone you know who may be having a tough time financially this year, or perhaps an elderly neighbor or relative. That plate of

Cookies Across America ~ Taste of Home & Allrecipes.com!

2011-11-30T21:03:00.001-05:00

Taste of Home magazine is one of my favorites because they have great recipes, a wonderful website and an online community of other cooks who love to share their recipes! Their cooking school is awesome too! I'm proud to be one of Taste of Home's Field Editors and a participant in Cookies Across America!! Have you heard about it? No? Well, here is the scoop! Cookie lovers unite! Whether it's

Giveaway ~ ReCharge® Dark Chocolate Snack Mixes!!!

2011-11-29T22:53:00.001-05:00

My family of four has very different tastes - we definitely don't all like the same things! It is hard to find a snack option that every one likes, and even harder to find one that fits that bill AND is healthy. That means I often buy several different snack items to pack in lunches or to offer after school, work, etc. I'm always on the lookout for new healthy but tasty snacks for my family.

FREE magazines from Plum District - Black Friday only!

2011-11-25T11:26:00.000-05:00

Y'all, I just found THE BEST deal on magazines today!! I love magazines, but I do not like using any money from my grocery budget to pay for them at the grocery store. So this deal caught my attention, and I grabbed it fast! Have you joined Plum District? I did a while back, and today I heard about this deal: go to Plum District, look for the Magazine deal - it's for $10 certificates on

Exclusive Black Friday Shaklee Sale!!

2011-11-24T23:50:00.000-05:00

Hope y'all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a great one - best I can ever remember, actually! I'll have a recipe or two to share soon! Do you shop those Black Friday sales? Well, here is a great one! Shaklee is having a super sale tomorrow only - and if you remember this post, you will remember how much I love their cleaning products!! Organic, non-toxic - what's not to love?!

~~Stone Mountain Christmas 2011 ~~

2011-11-22T19:18:00.001-05:00

Wonderful photographers will take your family's picture as you enter Crossroads! I love living in Atlanta since we are fortunate to live near some incredible attractions! My favorite place to visit during the Holiday season is always Stone Mountain Park. They do Christmas right! Last weekend we spent the afternoon and evening at Stone Mountain Park. We arrived early so that David would have

Torani Syrups Giveaway ~ 2 winners!!

2011-11-16T23:50:00.000-05:00

Time for another giveaway y'all!! This one is super-fun! Do you love coffee-house drinks, but not the amount of money you have to spend to get them? I know I do - I love Peppermint Mochas and Salted Caramel Hot Chocolates at Starbucks, but my budget does not always allow for such a splurge. Enter Torani Syrups!! SheSpeaks allowed me to participate in their Torani Authentic Coffeehouse

Christmas Rag Garland ~ Easy Holiday Craft!!

2011-11-09T16:36:00.001-05:00

Last night I felt the need to get crafty. My inspiration for these Rag Garlands came from a $29.99 garland in the Country Door catalog. I knew I had the supplies to make these for free! I have a huge bin of holiday fabrics, so I found three Christmas fabrics I liked, plus some twine my husband had, and got to work!! I tore strips from the fabrics, then cut them into appx 5" strips. I

Coupon Alert for Atlanta readers!!

2011-11-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

In today's (Sunday) AJC, check page B9 for a coupon good for a FREE bag of Community Coffee - it's up to a $7.99 value, and doesn't expire til January 31, 2012!

Giveaway ~ Renuzit Fresh Accents Holiday Air Freshener (3 winners!)

2011-11-04T10:39:00.005-04:00

Several weeks ago, there was a package dropped off at my door that I wasn't expecting. Imagine my surprise to open it and find some beautiful (and fabulously scented!) holiday air fresheners! The package was from Purex! I'm a Purex Insider, so I get wonderful packages from them throughout the year with products to review and give away. What I didn't know is that Renuzit is one of Purex's

Giveaway: Kate's Pastries Gluten-Free, Organic Baked Goods

2011-10-26T09:02:00.000-04:00

Time for another giveaway - and this one is soooo sweet! : ) My wonderful friend Deb sells her herbs and plants at local farmers markets. While working at the Suwanee Market, she met Kathleen, who is the owner of Kate's Pastries. Kathleen makes super-delicious treats that are heart healthy but still taste great. She sent us a loaf of her delicious Sweet Potato Bread to sample and it was...

~ Halloween Party 2010 ~

2011-10-20T21:09:00.000-04:00

So it's time to share last year's get together with our great friends The Adams. I've known Steph since December 1984, when we moved to my new high school in the middle of my junior year. We became fast friends, attended the same college for a year together, and remained friends throughout the years. Now she is married with a teenage daughter and we try to get together a couple times a year. (