Our second daughter was an early Christmas present. Try getting into the Christmas spirit when your wife is 9 months pregnant, you have a 15-month old, and you are trying to finish up a master’s degree. That month, like so many since, pushed us to the brink, but also brought us closer together. Now we have a beautiful girl who just turned 9! Can you believe it?

With December birthdays, there’s always a concern that your child might actually resent the Christmas season overshadowing her special day. We are super blessed because (knock on wood) our girl LOVES Christmas. She wants Christmas cupcakes at her school, she loves when our elf, Kingston, decorates for her special day,  and, for a while, I think she thought that we put lights up because it was her birthday!

This year we not only celebrated Sophie’s birthday in December, but her cousin’s, as well. With a busy holiday season, a drive out to celebrate birthdays, and helping to trim the grandparent’s Christmas tree, we needed a little help on the cake side of things. We got online and decided to order a Ganache Poinsettia Cake and a Peppermint & Winter OREO^® Cookies Polar Pizza from Baskin-Robbins. They were so easy to order and sooo tasty!

The Ganache Poinsettia cake is a 9″ round ice cream cake (you choose the flavor) topped with Winter OREO^® Cookies and a simple, but elegant, poinsettia decoration. It was rich and decadent and I want another one!!

The Peppermint & Winter OREO^® Cookies Polar Pizza has peppermint ice cream spread onto a crust of double fudge brownie. You could stop right there and I’d be happy, but Baskin-Robbins piles on pieces of Winter OREO^® Cookies and drizzles with marshmallow and fudge toppings! It’s all of the sweet flavors that I love during the holiday season!

Both are available for pre-order both in-store and online. We went the on-line route and it was really easy! And with this $2 off coupon, you really have no excuse!

As a special bonus, I always think the best part about going to pick up orders like this is that you, as the picker-upper, get a special treat yourself. Beth and I got a waffle cone of Peppermint Bark in the Dark, the Baskin-Robbins December Flavor of the Month. It’s chocolatey and pepperminty and is just right for the holiday season!

Do you have any other special days during the holiday season? Make sure you check out Baskin-Robbins on-line ordering to make things a little easier on yourself. And follow Baskin-Robbins on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information on their special flavors and products!

Who is ready for Christmas?

Provided by Avant

Sometimes, you have to make time to sit down at the dinner table. That can be especially difficult during the holiday season. Cookie exchanges, Christmas parades, scout parties, and neighborhood get-togethers are just the start of filling up your December schedule. By the time you plan on visiting Santa, trimming the tree, and driving around to see Christmas lights, you may wonder whether you’ll ever have time to eat at home! What if I told you that, with less that 30 minutes of prep time, you could get real flavor real fast in the form of an Easy Weeknight Pork Roast complete with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and a Smithfield® Marinated Roasted Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper Fresh Pork Tenderloin?

Would you try it?

We tell people all the time that taking time to eat dinner with your family should be a priority. It’s great to get kids involved in all sorts of activities, but we, as parents, need to know when to push the pause button and focus on a nice home-cooked meal. It really is a choice that we have. Here’s how easy it can be:

During the weekend, make a meal plan and do your shopping. This ensures that you will have everything that you need for the meal at your fingertips and let’s you get home from work that much faster.  For our recipe, you need four potatoes, an onion, a carton of mushrooms, half a bag of carrots, and a Smithfield Marinated Roasted Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper Fresh Pork Tenderloin (see recipe below for complete list of ingredients). The Smithfield Marinated Pork is slow-marinated and perfectly seasoned straight from the bag. This saves you tons of time, making it a flavorful option that is perfect for any night.

When you get home from work, don’t change, don’t relax, get right to work on that meal. It might take me a few minutes to get it going, but once it’s in the oven, I can just kick up my feet and smell all of the goodness. I set the oven to 425 (or even have one of the kids set it for me on my way home!!), chop my produce, combine it all with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and some olive oil, pour into a casserole dish and set into the oven. This should take less than 10 minutes.

Then I get a skillet nice and hot, coat with some olive oil, and sear off my Smithfield Marinated Roasted Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper Fresh Pork Tenderloin on all sides. It’ll take 3-4 minutes per side, which gives those veggies about a 15 minute head start in the oven (that’s 25 minutes of prep, if you’re counting). I place the seared meat right on top of the veggies, close up the oven, and have a seat in my favorite chair.

After about 20 minutes or so, that Smithfield Marinated Roasted Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper Fresh Pork Tenderloin should be reading about 165 on a thermometer and those potatoes should be nice and tender. Pull the dish out of the oven, cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes while you get the kids together for dinner and have everyone set the table and grab drinks. Slice up the meat, dish up with veggies, and enjoy. Dinner is served with less than 30 minutes of active work on your part!

Easy cleanup is a must when we talk about weeknight meals. Since you are only using the one dish and one skillet, it should be a breeze. And make the kids do their own dishes…they can handle it! Now you can all go out to look at those lights!!

When you head out to Food Lion this weekend, please note that, while I used the Smithfield Marinated Roasted Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper Fresh Pork Tenderloin, there are so many other Smithfield Marinated Pork options in the meat case. Just pick one and you can’t really go wrong! And if you need help coming up with other easy weeknight dinner ideas with real flavor real fast, head over to the Smithfield website or follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

How do you get through these busy holidays weeknights and put a homemade meal on the table for your family? Leave a comment and share your story!

Easy Weeknight Pork Roast

Ingredients

1 Smithfield Marinated Roasted Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper Fresh Pork Tenderloin
4 yellow potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
8 oz. baby carrots, cut into thirds
8 oz. sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine potatoes, onion, carrots, mushrooms, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Pour into a 9 x 12 baking dish and place into the preheated oven.

Pour the remaining oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the Smithfield Marinated Roasted Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper Fresh Pork Tenderloin for 3-4 minutes on all sides. Place on top of the potato mixture in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 165 degrees.

Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

“And what a beautiful mess this is”?

You know those those people that tell you that you should enjoy the beautiful messes that your kids create because, soon, they won’t be there to create those messes?

My new routine is to eat breakfast after the kids get on the bus. This means they have eaten breakfast and the house is finally quiet. I enjoy the quiet. The quiet refreshes me and lets my mind think. I sat down to eat breakfast yesterday and found this …

See those donut sprinkles all over the table?

See the crumbs from dinner the night before? (We all actually ate dinner together at the table the night before!)

See the glass of water left on the table?

Yeah … me too. In one ear, I was hearing myself asking (yet again) for the kids to clean the table when they got home from school. In the other ear, I heard those people telling me that this was a beautiful mess and not to worry about it. As I sat there eating my eggs, I tried to convince myself that it was a beautiful mess.

Here is the thing … I couldn’t do it. The crumbs, the stuff not put away, the disarray…it all drives me nuts. To me, everything should have a place and should be neat and orderly. That is my happy place. The reality is that a husband, three kids, a dog, and two cats generally means that there are shorts on the stairs that have sat in the living room for three days after reminding Matthew it is too cold for shorts and we forgot to run the dishwasher for a full day so there are no clean spoons at our house.  Go ahead and laugh … I bet you are out of forks if I am out of spoons!

So as my eggs got cold while my mind pondered these donut crumbs on my dining room table, I decided that I didn’t have to accept that it was a beautiful mess. I can accept, however, that this is my life mess for now and know that this too shall pass. One day my dining room table will get dusty instead of dirty. That too won’t be beautiful, but that is part of it. If I was to skip the donut crumbles, I wouldn’t have the laughs, giggles, and siblings arguing at the table that create our morning craziness. It’s a mess, and it’s not always beautiful, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This is our life and we will continue to live it … crumbs and all.

A verse from yesterday’s sermon at church is one that I keep going back to so I will close with that …

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

Saving money can be a pain, but the outcome is well worth the effort. However, you don’t have to be an expert financial planner to slash your expenses and balance your budget. All you need to do is figure out where your money is going every month and find ways to cut back and make the most of your spending.

Look at your credit card statements from the past few months. Categorize and tally up reoccurring expenses such as groceries, dining, transportation, utilities, and student loans. Though some expenses such as rent payments and service fees aren’t easily negotiable, there’s plenty of wiggle room in your budget to move money around. Look at these five areas of your personal finances and consider the savings tips for each.

1. Groceries

Analyze your typical shopping cart. Do you shop sales, use coupons, and opt for generic brands? Though food is sacred and you certainly don’t want to skimp on your health, there are plenty of ways to save money without compromising nutritional quality. Consider substituting off-brand items when the ingredients and nutrition labels are the same. Cut coupons and take advantage of seasonal deals whenever you can.

2. Entertainment

Of course, you should live life to the fullest and share experiences with your family. However, there are ways to fulfill your entertainment needs without spending foolishly. Consider matinee movies over full-priced seats, visiting

s and exhibits on free days, and taking advantage of two-for-one deals or group discounts. Instead of going out to lunch, pack a picnic and take the family to a local park. Go on hikes and find free outdoor activities to keep you busy, even in the colder months.

3. Subscriptions

Do you have subscriptions to magazines, newspapers, on-demand movies, monthly clothing services, and personal care products? Think about everything you subscribe to and whether you can substitute them with as-needed purchasing. Also, consider using online services, especially for periodicals, entertainment, and books.

4. Health Insurance

Though your employer usually determines your health insurance policy, it doesn’t hurt to call your local insurance agent to make sure you’re getting the best plan for the cost. Evaluate your copays, deductible, and coverage. If your employer offers a flexible spending account, use it. Such accounts automatically deduct a set amount from your paycheck before taxes, and you can use the funds for copays and other expenses that your insurance policy doesn’t cover.

5. Debts

Debts usually have fixed payments, but you might be able to consolidate, refinance, or negotiate terms. Calculate the total amount you owe on all accounts and how much interest you pay monthly. Research ways to decrease your total interest payments, pay off debts faster, or increase your payoff date depending on your current financial status and long-term goals.

Ready to Save?

Once you figure out how to split pennies on your regular expenses, you then need to act and make it happen. Set short- and long-term goals with a firm monthly budget. Continue to track your expenses and evaluate ways to cut back and move money around. Don’t be afraid to modify your plan as time goes on, but stay true to your goals and work on balancing your current and future needs.

Having a home of your own is an incredible thing. Whether you’ve been a long-time renter or have owned several homes, you know there’s nothing quite like having a house that belongs strictly and solely to you. You’re free to change or redesign just about anything to suit your own personal taste and needs.

In most major cities and suburbs in the United States the buying trend has shifted toward newer homes as opposed to those homes that are older and may need more in the way of renovation. Having a home that’s your own but also having a home that no one else has ever lived in is an amazing feeling. However, these new construction homes do come with a few drawbacks and one of the big ones is the lack of privacy.

So whether you’ve just purchased a new home or you’d simply like to create more privacy around your existing home, these are a few easy and beautiful ways to create a cozy, private feeling around your home and yard that you and your family will love.

Hedges and Shrubs

Hedges and shrubs are among the most popular ways to create privacy around your home and you might be surprised at how little time you have to wait before the shrub or hedge creates a solid barrier that’s not only private but also helps to block street noise.

Many nurseries offer mature shrubs and hedge plants that can be planted and trimmed to almost immediately create the privacy you desire, but it may take a few months for the roots to settle and for your shrubs and hedges to take off. Also, unless you’re talented with the hedge trimmers it might be wise to leave the maintenance to a professional.

Fencing

One of the easiest and fastest ways to add privacy to your yard is with fencing. Of course, it’s easy in theory but it can be incredibly difficult when it comes time to decide on the type and style of fencing you want and whether you’ll install it yourself or hire a professional.

You will want to choose a fence that’s made from solid material; chain link fencing obviously won’t achieve the results you’re looking for. Consider a beautiful cedar fencing at a height that prevents passersby from seeing into your yard and consider a beautiful Japanese style gate called a torii to add some style. Also be sure that your fencing material is adequately weatherproofed to prevent problems later on.

Lattice

One might think of lattice as a fence full of holes which does absolutely nothing to create the feeling of privacy that you’re looking for but that’s not the case. Lattice framework combined with a vine or climbing flower is a beautiful way to create a wall on a portion of your yard or deck or even to surround the entire yard.

You can choose fast growing flowering plants like morning glory or clematis, or vines like English ivy and golden hops. Of course, this method doesn’t produce instant results but if you have the patience a vine or flower covered lattice not only creates privacy but also adds a beautiful and unique touch to your landscaping.

Raised Plant Beds

Perhaps you already have a fence and it’s just not suiting your privacy needs and you’d like to change that without replacing the entire fence. One of the easiest solutions to this problem is with raised plant beds on the inside of the fence and a careful choice of plant that will grow tall enough to provide you the extra privacy you need.

Bamboo is an excellent choice for a wide variety of climates and adds an exotic flair as well. You can also try different varieties of cacti or something simple like juniper. Tall, ornamental grasses also work well in this case and varieties like switchgrass, cordgrass, maiden grass, and ravenna grass all grow to heights of five feet or more.

As the saying goes, your home is your castle and ideally you want that castle to be as private as possible. Utilize one or more of these tips to create privacy around your home and yard in a beautiful and practical way.

All around our neighborhood, we can see work being done on the homes. Additions are being added, new floors are being laid, and landscaping is going on. Often, when we go on our morning walk, seeing these projects happening sparks conversation about what we’d like to do to improve our own home as our kids get older. While we haven’t taken on any major projects yet, when the time comes, we’ll definitely being taking a strong look at Capital One Home Equity when considering our need for a home equity loan.

Owning a home is amazing! It provides a solid grounding for a growing family and gives the kids a place to come back to as they grow up and have families of their own. The trouble with owning a home is the necessary upkeep. Since we have moved into the house, we have replaced the roof, HVAC system, water heater, and every appliance. We’ve been maintaining the house without being able to make the cosmetic changes that we’d both like to see happen to the place.

Much of the work can be done ourselves. Almost all of the landscaping work has been by our own hands, including laying these beautiful steps made from old railroad ties!

A lot of the work that we’d like done, though, needs the seasoned hand of a professional. We would love a massive deck that spans the entire length of the house!

We would also love to flip the layout of the kitchen and dining room and open up the ceiling to make a very dramatic space to entertain friends and family.

When it’s time for us to get serious about it, we know that all we have to do is visit CapitalOne.com/home-equity to get a customized rate offer and estimated loan amount with no impact to our credit score. We can even begin the application process right there. It’s simple and there are no burdensome fees!!

Whether you’re remodeling your home or consolidating debt, Capital One is here to help with simply smarter tools that help you choose the right option for your situation.

What projects would you use your home equity loan for? Leave a comment and share your ideas!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Details about Pottery Cool …

This is real pottery that your kids can actually do themselves. Your child can create items they can actually use! Plus it’s easy to use and easy to clean up. You can find Pottery Cool at Walmart!

Our Experience …

We are really excited to share our experience with the Pottery Cool set.  I love that the set is a complete set. I didn’t have to go dig through my drawers and cupboards to find a cutting tool, paint brushes, or even a punch for the holes. It was all there and had little storage areas. There is even a little squirt bottle so the girls weren’t claiming the one from the bathroom. The surface area cleans up fast with a wet towel and was ready to be used again. We will be buying more of the clay so the kids can keep creating!

Sophie has been working on her Brownie Girl Scout Pottery badge. The badge allows the girls to explore pottery through research and hands on activities. One of the activities was to make a pot. Sophie decided that the Cupcake Pencil Holder was a pot with a top and would satisfy that requirement. After reviewing the instructions that had pictures, I decided that she was right and it would meet that one requirement for the badge.

Sophie started with the pottery with the clay disc on the pottery wheel. Sophie really enjoyed molding the clay with her hands.

We used the tool to cut the clay to make the edge to her cupcake.

Another perfect tool helped make the edges in her cupcake liner.

She flattened the top of her cupcake and put the holes in it for her pencils. We left it out to dry overnight. We did have to put it on its side so the bottom could dry. Sophie started painting while Grace made a jewelry holder.

I love that the girls are making items that they can use in their rooms. Sophie is excited to have the pencil holder on her desk. Grace is asking to put the jewelry holder on her dresser for her necklaces and earrings.

Look at how easy it is to make fun, useful creations …

Who in your life would love to use Pottery Cool? Would it be just for fun or would it be for badge work like it was for our Sophie? Leave us a comment and let us know.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

In a small community, potlucks are a way of life. I love them so much because, you can have a little taste of so many different items and, of course, go back for seconds of the really good ones! It is always great fun to discover new dishes at a potluck and recreate them at home. Minute® Ready to Serve Rice provides a convenient and quick way to do this.

At a recent gathering, someone brought a rice salad made with brown rice and I’ve really wanted to make it at home. The problem with making a dish for a potluck is that you simply cannot make the dish small. It just doesn’t matter how hard you try! Even cooking a small pot of rice for a rice salad results in way more that we could comfortably eat in a week. That’s what makes these Minute® Ready to Serve Rice options so incredible. The rice is already fully cooked, so I just heat it for 60 seconds and then I add it to my recipe.

For my mini-potluck party, I decided to take a cue from the fresh produce at my local farmer’s market. I grabbed tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh corn, and onion, and some beautiful bell peppers. On the way home, I stopped at the store to buy the Minute® Ready to Serve Multi-Grain Medley. I love that it has barley, oats, brown rice, quinoa, and other grains. It just gives the dish so many different textures and makes it interesting to eat. While I’m there, I grab a can of black beans from a couple of aisles down to round out the meal.

Once home, I gather up all of my ingredients and get to work.

Everything gets chopped up and the corn get sliced right off of the cob. If it’s fresh, you don’t even really need to cook it! My simple tip: keep your counters clean by placing a small bowl upside down in a larger one. Press the cob onto the small bowl, slice along the side, and watch the kernels fall into the larger bowl. Make sure you save and freeze those cobs for corn stock when the weather starts to turn cold!

With all of your veggies chopped up and your rice warmed through, it’s really just a simple matter of mixing them together and adding a little seasoning. I mean, you could set out a plate with your protein, veggie, and rice on the side, but I’d much rather mix it all together for a quick, portable meal. And since you know that the cups are one serving each, you have built-in portion control. For our busy lifestyle, this is a major plus! If you are looking for an easy dish to take with you to your next potluck, just double, or even triple the recipe. Maybe you can even combine some of the different Minute® Ready to Serve Rice products!

There is no way that Beth is going to turn this away when I set it on her desk in the basement for a quick lunch between phone calls. Good protein, healthy veggies, and everything her body needs to power through the rest of the day! All of that with the comforting feel of that community potluck. It’s good for your body and your soul.

Want more recipes? Check out Minute Ready To Serve Rice on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

Would you take the Confetti Rice and Bean Salad to a potluck or enjoy it as a quick weekday side? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Confetti Rice and Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 package Minute® Ready to Serve Multi-Grain Medley
1 ear corn, shucked and kernels removed
1 tomato, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Prepare Minute® Ready to Serve Multi-Grain Medley according to package directions. Allow to cool 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add rice and mix well.

3. Serve and enjoy!

For me, one of the greatest things about being in the military was the sense of camaraderie and community that I established with the men and women who serve alongside me. One of the hardest parts of separating from the military was the loss of that. As a combat infantryman, I still find it difficult to relate to people who have never served and, at times, even to those who have served, but not in a combat arms capacity. It’s just too hard for others to relate.

It can leave one feeling isolated and alone.

Fortunately, I have found incredible support from my wife and, several years ago, she encouraged me to pick up a camera and start taking photos of the recipes that I created for this site. Years later, that simple act has turned into a therapeutic and creative outlet with me photographing not only food, but also local sports teams, our county’s annual fair, and so much more. It has translated a skill that I developed as an infantryman (seriously, shooting a camera and a gun are remarkably similar) and helped me to connect with the local community.

I may still not feel comfortable talking with everyone about my time in Iraq, but I can always talk about photography and I can always get someone’s attention to snap a few shots for the local paper. Through my photography, I have found a way to redevelop that sense of camaraderie and community that just doesn’t seem to follow you into the civilian world.

More information about DAV’s benefits and services can be found here.

DAV (Disabled American Veterans) is a non-profit organization that is on a mission to help America’s veterans achieve more victories. To learn more about DAV, visit dav.org.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of DAV. The opinions and text are all mine. While I am proud to support DAV and their mission, I have not been a beneficiary of DAV services.

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