Mrs. D. Lightful

Custom Photo Greeting Cards GIVEAWAY!

2009-11-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

Just click on the picture to go enter for this giveaway! It would really be nice to have someone do my Christmas cards for me...so no offense to all you out there that are going to enter...I hope I win.

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Shout out to Devyn Marie Designs!

2009-10-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

I just want to announce my cute friend Devyn's new etsy shop! She is awesome! What can this girl NOT do?

She does digital design, making greeting cards of all kinds! Holidays, birth announcements, wedding invitations, etc.

She also makes blog headers and slideshows for a DVD! Click here to see her etsy shop, and here to see her adorable blog!

You are welcome to take this button to share the love!

<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7852294" target="_blank"></a>

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Halloween...spider cookies and a pumpkin cake!

2009-10-21T04:10:00.000-07:00

Oh, the fun of having a birthday in October!
Up until now, my oldest daughter who is now 4, always had a princess party, or something very pink. This year, she's all about the Halloween stuff, which is more fun if you ask me!

I had so much fun with her making these for her preschool class!
We just made sugar cookies, frosted them, and used a toothpick to make it look web-like. The spider is a spider ring...minus the ring. (I cut them off with scissors.)

When I asked my little girl what she wanted for her birthday, she would always say, "A cake!" So we got online, and after looking at many cakes, she decided she wanted a pumpkin cake. So here it is. It even had spiders on it. She just loves 'googly' spiders this year!

And now, the girl with the inspiration! Happy birthday, cutie.

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Enter your Nativity Photo for Blenda McGary's upcoming Video Project!

2009-10-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Ok you guys, check out this fun contest! Do you have a tradition in your family to reenact the Nativity at Christmas time? And do you have a picture of it? Your picture could be chosen to be in Blenda McGary's upcoming Christmas Music video! AND get free stuff! (See the form below for details)

Just fill out the form below and send your picture to intunemusicinc@gmail.com by November 15th!!

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Halloween Phantom Ghost...what it says.

2009-10-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

By popular request, here is what the ghost says for the Halloween Phantom Ghost! (see post below).

You've been haunted by the Halloween Phantom Ghost! You have 3 days to haunt 3 families (that haven't been haunted.) Place this copy on your door or in a window. Make 5 copies of this ghost. Place it with a goodie, and Happy Haunting! Happy Halloween!

Remember the Phantom Halloween Ghost? I love that tradition!

2009-10-12T00:16:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when we got HAUNTED! The game is that when you are 'haunted' you must 'haunt' three other families with a treat within 3 days. For our family night, we went and doorbell ditched (with the ghost) 3 families. My 3 year old had huge eyeballs the whole time, and kept losing her shoes! Both of our hearts were pounding with excitement! And my hubby did a great job keeping the car looking inconspicuous. I only hope the neighbors we haunted won't read this post and find out it was us!!!

I decided to make these snicker doodle balls. It's just sugar cookies, only you roll them up in a ball and roll them in sugar/cinnamon before baking. They look like this when they're done.

I put them in an orange cup and wrapped it with plastic wrap (didn't have celephane on hand), then secured with a tie.

Then I added some black ribbon.

And attached the ghost!

Have a Happy Halloween season, and don't forget there's nothing better than sharing treats with friends.

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Princess Monday 10/5....Ice cream sandwiches

2009-10-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

For information on Princess Mondays and how YOU can participate, click here.

Ok, these were delicious!!!! And kids LOVED them!

First I let some vanilla ice cream soften and put it in a bowl. I crushed some fresh blackberries (any berry will do). Then I mixed them into the ice cream. Then, put the ice cream back in the freezer.

Here's what you need for the cookies. (Makes enough for about 14-16 sandwiches)

2 cup flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease baking sheets.

Cream together the brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamy mixture.

Roll balls of the cookie doe and smash flat with spatula on a cookie sheet. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let stand on baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing with a spatula.

Make sure the cookies cool completely. Use a wire rack.

Allow the ice cream to sit out a while so it's soft. Put a scoop in the center of one cookie.

Put the other cookie on top and gently press down. Put in the freezer immediately so they don't melt all over. (Trust me, they will.)

Once they are frozen, serve them!!!

They are best eaten the day they are made. Let them sit out a few minutes before eating them so the ice cream is soft. YUMMO!

Link up with your recipes, accomplishments, or craft ideas!

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Featured Recipe by UnTypically Jia!

2009-10-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Hmmm....what is this you ask? Only the most fantastic soup in the world!

Well, I guess it's not really soup....

It's Strawberry Soup Cake! I love this 'untypical' version of Strawberry Short Cake! Love it!
Thanks so much for sharing, Jia!

Go check out my new friend and get the recipe!!

Untypically Jia

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Aloha Summer....AWESOME LUAU!!!!

2009-09-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Don't you dare give me any credit for what you are about to see! I was part of the committee for this Relief Society activity for my ward, but all I really did was sing a couple of numbers and I brought the rice. I thought these ladies had some AWESOME ideas for any luau!!!

Tiki torches, a MUST.

A seashell chandelier!

A quaint little pond ads the perfect effect with the 'water trickling' sound.

Inflatable fish!

Look at the centerpiece! A goldfish with a bug repelling candle!

Every woman got their own flower to clip in their hair.

I LOVE these balloon flowers!
And the food. Hawaiian haystacks...

Citrus flavored water...

...and fresh fruit with an AMAZING fruit dip that had bits of Heath bar!
I forgot to take pictures of dessert. It was fresh cantaloupe with ice cream on top with some caramel. It was delicious!

Here is my beautiful sister (who I dragged into singing with me) and my sweet Grandma. No, we're not Hawaiian!

And here's me, wishing this wasn't really the last fling of summer!

I am excited for fall, though. You ladies have fall/halloween ideas you want to share? Submit them here!

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My Series of Unfortunate Events

2009-09-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

When it rains, it pours.

{WARNING} After you read this story, you might feel better about yourself.

It's a long story, but SO worth reading.

It started on a Wednesday night. My husband was on his way home from school, and our car died on him. He had to run 2 miles to get home.

The next day was Thursday. My husband drove our other car out to give it a jump start. It was enough to get it home so he could work on it.

I had to work that night, so I borrowed my mother-in-law's car. And that worked out fine.

When I got to work (I work the graveyard shift as an RN), I was hoping it would be a calm, relaxing night considering all that had transpired. However, when I got to work, I ended up getting floated to the intensive care unit, which is not usually calm and relaxing.

And it wasn't.

Oh well, I said to myself. I made it through a couple of rough days.

I had to go back to work again the next night. Unfortunately, the damage on our car was more than my husband could handle, so we had to take it in. When I woke up, I rushed to get myself ready so I could follow my husband to the car shop. Then I rushed over to my inlaws to borrow their other vehicle because they needed the one I borrowed the night before.

So I hopped in their truck and headed to work.

Traffic.

I made it to work however in the nick of time. I jumped out of the truck to rush inside, when I noticed that one of the tires on the truck was flat.

DRAT. What next?

I got myself inside the building. Walked in the break room. Power was out. Great. FYI, that plagued me all. night. long.

I was assigned a student. Not that students are bad, just require a little extra time to explain everything I'm doing.

Our patients were very busy. But usually after about 9 PM things slow down, and plus, that's when my student would be leaving.

Nope!

Apparently my CNA went home early, without finishing his work. So guess who had to do it? ME. Instead of things slowing down after 9 PM, they got BUSIER! The last time I remember my legs aching so bad from being on my feet so long was when I was pregnant. That was almost a year and a half ago!

Near the end of the shift, I remembered 2 things. One, that I had a family party that day, meaning I would get approximately 3 hours of sleep before I had to get up and get everyone ready. Two, that I now had a flat tire to deal with.

I mentioned to one of my co-workers that I had a leaky tire, and if he knew a place I could fill it up with some air. Cause that's all it needed, just a little air.

Well, he offered to come take a look at it. Guess what? FLAT to the rim it was.

LUCKILY FOR ME I had this guy! For about an hour, he worked at changing the tire. Half the battle was finding where the spare was and where the tools were. I stood there like an idiot the whole time because I've never changed a tire in my life.

So he gets the spare on and GUESS WHAT! It's flat too. But not as bad. So he offered to follow me to a gas station to fill it up with some air.

We get to the gas station, he puts in his quarters to fill up the tire, and GUESS WHAT! Doesn't work! Oh my word you've got to be kidding me!!!!

So we go to ANOTHER gas station, and thank goodness, we get air in the tire.

THANK YOU I say to him over and over. Poor guy, now he's behind in his sleep too!

I drive home slowly with my eyes bugging out because the truck feels un-even and I'm worried the tire will pop off. When I finally get home and crash into bed, I'm an hour-and-a-half behind in my sleep.

When my husband wakes me up (I was dead to the world), it was 11 AM. That's an hour later than I was supposed to sleep! Now we're going to be late for the party.

"Want to hear a funny story?" He says. "What?" I snap, irritated that I woke up late!

"Brenna drank a whole bunch of bubbles and I had to call poison control! But don't worry, they said she'd be fine. They said if she drank a lot, she will just throw up and have some diarrhea."

WHAT???? I could not have been more ANGRY!

Not that it was his fault, but oh my word what MORE could possibly happen!!

Then he went on, "She threw up a couple of times already. I don't know, should we even go to this party?"

But we had to go to the party. We just had to! My family from Nevada that we see like twice a year is coming up! We have to go and see them! It's out of the question not to go.

Brenna (our 1 year old) was asleep at the time. I woke her up, and she seemed to feel fine! GOOD, I thought. I'll just bathe her to make sure she doesn't smell like puke. Then we'll go! We'll be a little late, but it's fine. It's fine.

Get her bathed, get everyone dressed, we're headed out the door. Brenna starts fussing. I pick her up, she's warm to the touch.

Great. Well, I'll give her some Tylenol. It must be from the bubbles.

So we take the truck to my inlaws so we can pick up our other car. That's when it dawns on me, our other car has no air conditioning. And Brenna has a fever!

We get in the car and start driving to the party. By then, we're going to be over an hour late. And even though it's September, it feels like a sauna because it's so hot. And no AC.

I look back at Brenna. Apparently, the tylenol didn't bring down her fever. She's limp as a noodle.

So after all that, we didn't go.

Well back to life as usual. Sunday seemed normal, except Brenna was still sick and miserable, and I too felt a little crummy. Probably from all that crummy stuff that happened over the last few days.

Monday I still felt crummy. It had been so hot the last few days, I dressed myself and my kids in summer clothes, which seemed perfectly appropriate as the sun was out that day. The day began with me taking Brenna (who had by now recovered) to the doctor for her check up and dun dun dun....shots.

Next was the grocery store. I stopped at Albertsons, then we went to Smiths. By then, it started to rain.

I was determined though because Smiths was having their caselot sales. We were there for like an hour because the place was so crouded!

By the time we were to check out, Brenna was crying because she was tired and her leg hurt from the shots. Hurry hurry! I said to the checkout guy in my head.

Well, he rings up the total, and guess what, my wallet is gone. GONE. Nowhere. I search and search frantically. All the people in the line behind me look at me like I'm such an idiot. They cancel my bill. I beg the bagger boy to watch my groceries while I scoure the store for my wallet. I grab my kids and start running all over. They both start crying. I take Kaylee out to the car to wait and it's pouring rain by now. I ask the person at the service booth like 5 times if anyone has brought in my wallet. I call my husband, who is supposed to be heading off for school. I ask him to come pay for the groceries. He tells me to look for it first. I did I want to say but can't. I hang up and start crying.

Finally, I decide to call Albertsons and ask if they have it. They did. Oh my goodness, that' s good but I'm still crying. The bagger boy promises to watch my groceries while I go get my wallet. He thinks I'm the most pathetic woman in the world I'm sure.

My husband calls me and offers to come, and has missed his class. I tell him no, it's ok, but GREAT now he's missed his class.

So I drive to Albertsons, waited 30 min in line at the service desk, got the wallet, then went back to Smiths. All the while both kids are crying. Hopefully the meat in the cart isn't bad.

Now here's the happy ending!

We made it home in one piece. Brenna went down for a nap. We ate food.

We laughed about everything the next day.

The moral of this story is....well...I'll let you know when I figure it out.

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Halloween ideas from around the web!

2009-09-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

This garland is homemade! So cute! Check it out at Roots and Wings.

For your cupcakes! I love these wraps! Get them at Sassy Prints and Crafts.

This is a clever spooky treat by Better Homes and Gardens!

Twinkle pumpkins. I LOVE it. Of course it had to be by Martha Stewart!

This is such a cute Halloween wreath by Homemaking Honeys!

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I dare say I have been a princess...

2009-09-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Princess Mondays! If you would like to participate, click here for instructions!

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

I am a member of a most delightful (excuse the pun) book club. Last month's book was PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.

And it has been a Pride and Prejudice week for me! We met to discuss the book, and I made the most delicious ice cream sandwiches (the recipe is on it's way, look for it)! But more importantly, I had such a lovely evening with such dear girls.

I must say I that I adored this book entirely. I thought I must borrow it, but decided to purchase a copy for myself directly. I finally finished it last night. I was not well and laid up in my bed for most of the evening. What better time to read a book than when one is confined as such?

I was also obliged to watch the 5 hour, older film rendition (I favor it to the newer version). I could not have better spent my hours of illness! Oh! How I love the language of ladies and gentlemen.

I hold a very high opinion of this book! And I dare say, it is the most popular book in the English language! A classic, to be sure.

I must also conclude that our American society is not so different from the one described in this book! For do we not speculate on what will and will not be a good match for marriage? And do we not consider the character of a young man to whom our daughters are to be given away? And most importantly, do we not form illegitimate prejudices about those who often turn out to be of good nature because of the gossip that is so violently persistent? And aren't many proud because of wealth and important status?

I pray you, read this book! And allow your mind to be improved upon to a more proper way of thinking. And while you're at it, put on a very old dress, improve your posture, and curl your hair into ringlets. Then set out to become more accomplished by playing a piano forte and singing like an angel.

I'm kidding.

Enjoy, this is one of the best scenes form the movie!

And link up!

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Where were you on 9/11?

2009-09-11T06:11:00.001-07:00

I remember where I was. I was a sophomore in high school. It was during first period, and I was in the middle of drill team practice. Our coach answered her cell phone during one of our routines. She went down to her knees and started crying.

She hung up and told us that the trade center was down, most likely from terrorist attacks. Some of us with relatives living in the DC area were also in tears.

I went to other classes that day, and the television was on to the news in each one, playing the horrific scene over and over again.

But I don't think devastation hit me until I heard later of the numbers that were lost.

God bless America, and those families that mourn loved ones today.

Enjoy these inspiring songs! Listen with your hand over your heart. :)

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Ideas by YOU!!!

2009-09-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

How cute is this ribbon board? Check it out at Sister Stuff!

I loved this simple yet GENIUS idea by Pixeltrashmania!!!

An amazing makeover on these bar stools by Jen at Tatertots & Jello!

And I LOVED the makeover on this chair by Linds at That's So Cuegly!

Edible crayons! What an idea! Check it out at Gourmet Mom on the Go!

I always think it's fun to do your own cake for your kids! This dinosaur cake is a fun idea. Check out this idea by Helene!

These donuts are calorie free! I love homemade play food. Check it out at Happy Together!

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Blogging tip: Add an image to divide your posts

2009-09-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

I always love to learn new tricks in blogging. This one is one of my favorites! You know how you see those cute images that divide the blog posts? You can add one to yours!

First of all, get an image. One that's flat and wide. I made my own on photoshop. If you need more info on how to do this, email me {sarah@mrsdlightful.com}.

Here is my image.

Ok. First thing, go to photobucket.com and create an account if you don't have one already.
Upload your image.
Click 'edit' below the image.

Now, go to your blog. Click customize. Click the layout tab. Click 'edit html.'
Scroll down to where you see something SIMILAR to this, especially where I've highlighted in red.

/* Outer-Wrapper
----------------------------------------------- */
#outer-wrapper {
background-image:url(http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo326/sjbringhurst/BVSfleurspaper01.jpg);background-repeat:repeat-xy;
width: 955px;
margin:0 auto;
padding:10px;
text-align:left;
font: $bodyfont;
}

#main-wrapper {background-image:url(http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo326/sjbringhurst/BVSfleurspaper02.jpg);background-repeat:repeat-xy;

width: 700px;
margin-left: 10px;
padding:5px;
float: left;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
border: 2px solid #804000;
}

Now. Where it's highlighted above in purple, REMEMBER that number.
Now go back to your photo that you downloaded to photobucket. Remember you are in the editing screen. Where it says 'resize,' change the number to whatever it was in your html code of your blog. Then choose to replace original.

Go back to the 'edit html' area of your blog, same as before.
Scroll down to where you see this.

/* Posts
-----------------------------------------------
*/
h2.date-header {
margin:1.5em 0 .5em;
}

.post {
margin:.5em 0 1.5em;
border-bottom:1px dotted $bordercolor;
padding-bottom:1.5em;
}
.post h3 {
margin:.25em 0 0;
padding:0 0 4px;
font-size:140%;
font-weight:normal;
line-height:1.4em;
color:$titlecolor;
}

Replace the highlighted code with this:

.post {

background: url(direct link);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: bottom center;
margin:.5em 0 1.5em;
border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;
padding-bottom:5.5em;
}

Go back to your edited image in photobucket. Copy and paste the DIRECT LINK to the image.
Paste it in the code above where it says direct link.

And there you go! A cute little individualized divider! Now you've got the cutest blog around!

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Princess Monday 9/7.....How to can blackberry and peach jam....YUMMY!!!

2009-09-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

This week I'm a canning princess!

This is how you participate in this MEME!!!
ANYONE can participate!

1. Be a princess. It doesn't how. You could be a cooking princess. Or a sewing princess. Or find things you fancy. Or improve your royal self with exercise. Whatever it is, do it! (Or you can find a post of something lovely you have already done! Recipes, organizing, and tutorials are all welcome.)

2. Come here to Mrs. D. Lightful every Monday.

3. Link up. (Make sure you link the URL of the actual post, not just www.whatever.blotspot.com. You can do this by clicking on the TITLE of the post, then copy and paste the URL that comes up in the address bar at the top. Ex. http://www.mrsdlightful.com/2009/07/summer-time-cooking.html)

4. Go to the blogs of those that have linked up and swoon over their beautiful princess ideas, and be sure to leave them some love!

{Watch out, if you participate, you might find yourself on the pumpkin carriage of FEATUREhood! That means I will feature you if you are a frequent guest!}

If you want to, feel free to invite friends to participate! You can even show off your well deserved princess slipper by posting this button on your sidebar!

<a href="http://www.mrsdlightful.com" target="_blank"></a>

So here is how I was a princess:

I was really, really intimidated to try this. I have never canned before! But to my great surprise, it was easy, and FUN!

Here's what you need for the blackberry jam:

5 cups crushed blackberries (not pureed, but mashed with potato masher)
7 cups sugar
1 (1 3/4 oz) package regular powdered fruit pectin

{makes 5-6 12 oz jars, or 8-9 8 oz jars}

Here's what you need for peach jam:

4 cups finely chopped peaches (pitted and peeled)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 (1 3/4 oz) package of regular powdered fruit pectin
5 cups sugar

{makes 6 8oz jars}

Peaches first!

1)Prepare canning jars and lids (I run them through the wash so they are hot, steamy, and sterile. Some recommend boiling the lids in water, then drying.)

2) Prepare your peaches.

3) In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine peaches and lemon juice.

4) Add the pectin, wisk until dissolved.
5) Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
\

6) Add sugar and return to full boil. Boil hard for 1 minute stirring occasionally.

7) Remove from heat and skim off the foam.
8) Ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, filling to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the top of the rim.
9) Wipe the rim of the jars.
10) Place lids on jars and screw down the bands (finger tight).

11) Place jars in canner (large pot with boiling water with lid on) and make sure they are completely covered with water.
12)Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes.

13) Remove lid, let cool for 5 minutes.
14) Remove jars with tongs, cool, store!

Now for the blackberries. Remember, preparing jars are the same as above:

1) Rinse your berries, measure them, then put in an 8 qt pot.
2) Measure sugar into a large bowl.
3) Add pectin to berries a little at a time, stirring occasionally.

4) Heat on high, stirring until mixture comes to a full boil.
5) Add sugar all at once, stirring.
6) Bring mixture back to full hard boil, stirring constantly.
7) Boil for 1 minute.

8) Remove excess foam from top.

(Here's our collective foam cup! haha)

9) Remove from heat, ladle into clean, hot jars, once again leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch space at the top.
10) Wipe the rim of the jar and put lids and rings on firmly tight.
11) Process in boiling water as described above.
12) Remove and set them upright on a towel to set for 12 hours.

****After a couple of hours, you will know if your jars are sealed by pressing on top of the lid. If it clicks, it is not sealed. If it is firm on top with no give, you've done it!!!

Now the best part to making jam is when you get to TASTE it!!!

I made these heart and star shaped biscuits with bisquick (I know. CHEATER!) and cookie cutters! I double layer them so they are easy to separate in the middle.

Of course you can still put the jam on top!

Link up, friends! Share anything you are proud of!!!

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JUST a stay at home mom? I think not.

2009-09-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

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Blog winner update! Doesn't she look so cute in her new look?

2009-09-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

Chaleese, one of the 2 blog makeover winners, has a new blog look!
Congrats again, Chaleese!!!

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Princess Monday 8/31....I'm a cooking princess!

2009-08-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to PRINCESS MONDAY!

Here's how you can participate, everyone can!

1. Be a princess. It doesn't how. You could be a cooking princess. Or a sewing princess. Or find things you fancy. Or improve your royal self with exercise. Whatever it is, do it! (Or you can find a post of something lovely you have already done! Recipes, organizing, and tutorials are all welcome.)

2. Come here to Mrs. D. Lightful every Monday.

3. Link up. (Make sure you link the URL of the actual post, not just www.whatever.blotspot.com. You can do this by clicking on the TITLE of the post, then copy and paste the URL that comes up in the address bar at the top. Ex. http://www.mrsdlightful.com/2009/07/summer-time-cooking.html)

I made this salad for a fun barbecue with some friends! It was sad, because it was sort-of an end-of-summer thing. I hate to see summer go! So I had to make this salad one more time. It's delish. My friend Codee actually inspired me on this one!

Here's what you need:

1 head of green leaf lettuce
1 lb strawberries, quartered longways
1/2 small package of craisins
a handful of sunflower seeds

Mix together in large salad bowl.

For dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar (more or less to taste)

Pour dressing over salad, mix until all leaves are coated.

By the way, every time I bring this salad to a party, it's ALL GONE by the end. Everyone loves it! Thanks Codee for the recipe!

If you want to, feel free to invite friends to participate! You can even show off your well deserved princess slipper by posting this button on your sidebar!

<a href="http://www.mrsdlightful.com" target="_blank"></a>

Ok, link up!

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Topic of discussion...can you have an affair without getting physical?

2009-08-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

It's that subtle flirting with a 'friend' that will lead to a full blown affair. It's one of the biggest reasons that over 50% of all marriages in this country end in divorce! It all starts with selfishness. "My husband just doesn't meet my emotional needs," or "why doesn't my wife seem to care about what I do like she used to?" or "I do so much for my spouse, what does he/she ever do for me?"

I think we have all had these moments of selfishness in our marriage! Unfortunately, we can't afford to be selfish in a marriage the way we can during the dating phase. Marriage takes work and dedication; particularly to meeting the needs of the other person. I have been searching high and low on other people's opinions on this matter. What I have come up with is that YES, it is possible to have an 'emotional' affair without any 'physical' involvement. I think that this simply means your feelings and devotion have (even in the most subtle form) transferred to someone else.

I also found this awesome questionnaire (mixed with some of my own questions) from a family values magazine that I subscribe to. (Full article here.) You can ask yourself these questions and decide if perhaps you need to change your behavior and/or lifestyle:

*Are you turning to your 'friend' for comfort rather than turning to your spouse?
*Do you find yourself thinking about your friend even when you are at home?
*Are you looking for the negative rather than the positive in your spouse?
*Do you seek opportunities to be with your friend even when work doesn't require you to be together?
*Do you email and text your friend when you are not together?
*Have you told your spouse about these messages? Or do you try to hide them?
*Does the relationship with your friend take more of your time and energy than your relationship with your spouse?
*Do you compare your spouse to your friend?
*Would you be uncomfortable introducing your spouse to your friend?
*Is your spouse voice a concern about a change in your behavior?

If you answered 'yes' to most of these questions, you may be entering the beginning stages of an emotional affair, which ultimately can destroy your marriage. YIKES!

What can be done about this?

Some good tips I have been told are:

1) First of all, recognize your behavior as being inappropriate and wrong. It is easy to fall into this kind of trap, and losing your family over it is NOT worth it!

2) END the flirty relationship. Either tell your 'friend' that you cannot continue this way, or simply stop the excess communication. A wise relative told me that it is FAR better to offend someone at work than to offend your spouse.

3)Have an open conversation with your spouse. Focus on YOURSELF being the problem, not the other person. There may be some needs that yours spouse is not aware of and would be glad to work on once realized. Make a sincere apology if necessary.

4)REFOCUS your attention to your marriage and your spouse. Look for the positive rather than the negative. Try to forget yourself and think of your spouses feelings.

So tell me, what do YOU think?

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Your creative ideas!

2009-08-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Kara tells how she made these adorable curtains for her bathroom! Check out Creations by Kara!

This is one of those AMAZING thrift store makeovers! Who would have known? It turned out so well! Go check out Just a Girl!

Hagner San Jose always has some amazing ideas! Learn how to make your own custom gift bag!

I love these little ghost buddies made by JesseKate Designs! The matching shirt is my favorite!

This was a great idea for back-to-school...a count down! Check out Two Hearts Together!

You can hang any ol' plate on the wall. I love this idea found at The Shabby Chic Cottage.

Everyday Moments had the cutest idea for a Princess and Knight party! Check it out, get the details!

Kids would love to decorate their treats! Learn how to make these at Design Dazzle!

The Pretty Policy made this adorable towel cake! What a cute wedding gift! It's like a variation of the diaper cake. I love it.

This is SUCH a genius idea. Check out Sutton Grace for this transformation!

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Princess Monday 8/24....I'm a cooking princess!

2009-08-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is how you participate in this meme!

1. Be a princess. It doesn't how. You could be a cooking princess. Or a sewing princess. Or find things you fancy. Or improve your royal self with exercise. Whatever it is, do it! (Or you can find a post of something lovely you have already done! Recipes, organizing, and tutorials are all welcome.)

2. Come here to Mrs. D. Lightful every Monday.

4. Go to the blogs of those that have linked up and swoon over their beautiful princess ideas, and be sure to leave them some love!

{Watch out, if you participate, you might find yourself on the pumpkin carriage of FEATUREhood! That means I will feature you if you are a frequent guest!}

So here is why I was a princess last week!
I tried a new recipe for chicken enchiladas...YUMMY!

Makes 10 enchiladas

What you need:
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (fresh is better than canned)
1 cup sour cream
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 cup chopped onions
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 flour tortillas
1 (15-ounce) can mild enchilada sauce
Chopped green onions to garnish (optional)

Serve with Mexican fried rice(I will explain later)

First, get the rice cookin'. Oh my word, I would NEVER cook rice without a rice cooker. {That's just the Asian in me :)}

Combine chicken, sour cream, and green chilies, set aside. In another pan, saute onions in butter until golden. Add onion, salt, and 2 cups cheese to chicken mixture.

Dip the tortillas in enchilada sauce first to soften them. I like this idea, because it makes for a softened enchilada sauce flavor. The emphasis is more on the chili-chicken combination inside!
Plop some of the mixture in the tortilla, roll it up in a greased 9x13-inch pan (mine is lined with tinfoil, but sometimes that can get messy if you don't use enough cooking spray.)

Cover with remaining cheese, put the dish in the oven. Bake uncovered at 350* for 20-30 minutes.

Mmmmm...fresh out of the oven.

And now for the Mexican fried rice!
I actually change how I make this every time I do it.
I usually use about 3-4 cups of white rice.
You know the enchilada sauce I used in the above recipe? I poured the leftover sauce over the rice in a large pan.
I also add whatever veggies I have; corn, peppers, tomatoes, whatever I have.
Since the enchilada sauce doesn't have tons of flavor, I also usually add some salsa to taste.
Other alternatives include: tomato sauce with 1 packet of taco seasoning and 1 packet of fajita seasoning.

I mix all the ingredients together and fry the rice until it is hot; careful not to make it too crispy.

Enjoy!
For more of my recipes, click here.

And LINK UP!

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BLOG DESIGN GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!!

2009-08-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, it was SUCH a close competition! Thanks to all who participated! The winners are...

Chaleese!!! (private blog)

and

Michelle from Same Day Crafts!

Congrats ladies! You will get an email in a week or two to settle all the details! Everybody make sure you look for the before and after post!

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Wordless Wednesday...A trip to the park

2009-08-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

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Treasure box and vase...makeover!

2009-08-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

{Sigh} I do love makeovers. My sister-in-law's birthday was yesterday. What a wonderful excuse to get a little crafty!

Here is victim #1. A vase. A great thrift store find.

First step, spray paint with rustoleum.

Then add some color with scrapbook paper, plastered on with gloss-luster mod podge.

Here's the back. I love the flowers!

And here's the front. This turned out perfect for stem flowers!

Ok, victim #2! Another great find from a thrift store.

Here's what the inside looked like. Ewe.

Same thing as the frame. A layer of rustoleum inside and out, and some friendly scrapbook paper and mod podge. This is the front, again with the cute flowers!

The back!

The side. Don't worry, the mod podge disappears as it dries.

I embellished the top with fancy buttons. I love how you can put your own in your own pictures to decorate the top of this box!

This is the inside. The inside of a treasure box MUST have polka dots!

Aw, look how they match!

TA DA!!! Happy birthday Cam!

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