tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38455642472957859892024-03-19T07:01:33.631-04:00Polka-Dotty PlacePolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.comBlogger3699125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-13986497325522813922024-03-19T07:01:00.043-04:002024-03-19T07:01:00.141-04:00Stop Eating Out<div>Stop eating out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you find yourself shocked at the bill when you eat out these days? Or disappointed in the food? Or no one can agree on where to go? Or even bored with your restaurant options?</div><div><br /></div><div>I've got a good alternative for you. I promise!</div><div><br /></div><div>And rest assured you'll still find us Door Dashing dinners or grabbing take out because Kevin loves to pick up a yummy dinner from time to time, but this swap has been a good change for us.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Let's get started - I'm going to challenge you to find some new recipes to try or a favorite new cookbook and start cooking! It will be so much cheaper than eating out and you get to enjoy a delicious meal at home. I'll give you 3 examples of dinners that I have prepared recently. They were a little more work than usual or maybe a bit of a splurge, but still so much cheaper than going out to eat as a family of five.</div><div><br /></div><div>1. DIY Pasta Bar</div><div>Kevin was out of town for several days last month and I wanted to treat the kids to a dinner that they'd love. I knew they'd be excited for a pasta night so I quickly considered the logistics of going to Olive Garden. I figured it would be crowded and probably easily cost $100. I decided to order grocery pick up instead with things that I don't normally order - like the ingredients to make homemade alfredo or make two different kinds of pastas to choose from. I spent about $25 for this pasta bar that left us with tons of leftovers to enjoy for lunches all weekend. The kids were so pleased with my new homemade alfredo making skills and we had the yummiest dinner at home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAigatYA4TWHahmupp-rgDaDsTTGLE_KaqNxb5sxFU0U1RiR97z_MT5K0DWpXNcQEoNWsbh69z6LsAErQU7Xs8BmV_6ul2k0X2-h24h5AGf8mpv52XFEN6WkJ2lMMjxKll4wNjo7bqRUZWWcV-94PNz0aUXro01gody2MIJvCWo6DQ_RuGZ8_9kU_Ygs/s1512/dinner1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAigatYA4TWHahmupp-rgDaDsTTGLE_KaqNxb5sxFU0U1RiR97z_MT5K0DWpXNcQEoNWsbh69z6LsAErQU7Xs8BmV_6ul2k0X2-h24h5AGf8mpv52XFEN6WkJ2lMMjxKll4wNjo7bqRUZWWcV-94PNz0aUXro01gody2MIJvCWo6DQ_RuGZ8_9kU_Ygs/w640-h640/dinner1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-ZfNMH5TljkfOp0pVBmmtW_m5PFbQfj1Cs1NUCEsDWeS1trKlwkIfBNcPdI_WNGoj1YKDRMYkx__Q8qJEVoXIhJJ117zFLjkwYzJDq3sNavOo8aDTb06k8T5ib81w2eRUHbcqyE16uSdL6OjA90PIacO-OpMfSrPT0NtlE1Ocu6hdmMU8pYWqsiF-co/s1920/dinner2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-ZfNMH5TljkfOp0pVBmmtW_m5PFbQfj1Cs1NUCEsDWeS1trKlwkIfBNcPdI_WNGoj1YKDRMYkx__Q8qJEVoXIhJJ117zFLjkwYzJDq3sNavOo8aDTb06k8T5ib81w2eRUHbcqyE16uSdL6OjA90PIacO-OpMfSrPT0NtlE1Ocu6hdmMU8pYWqsiF-co/w480-h640/dinner2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPrqgWYxV-N7QI_0_Jx7QAJIGOOLpqAUoR2TE0QieUs0286i9_56L_Xwl-jpjbgs3MtlzMdkeWWnIgg84aWafI_WzX1VXnZ6g0OynEiljAnVxUCrQyxVTdvZV2psdk9z9EY8hTYJ1-g59gy9d6ifkA-sR0ILTl3-Lwqx5E5dUXI9wiq0LyTw66xI_6Eg/s1920/dinner3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPrqgWYxV-N7QI_0_Jx7QAJIGOOLpqAUoR2TE0QieUs0286i9_56L_Xwl-jpjbgs3MtlzMdkeWWnIgg84aWafI_WzX1VXnZ6g0OynEiljAnVxUCrQyxVTdvZV2psdk9z9EY8hTYJ1-g59gy9d6ifkA-sR0ILTl3-Lwqx5E5dUXI9wiq0LyTw66xI_6Eg/w480-h640/dinner3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>2. Grill Chicken Salad Bar<div>I got a new grill pan and have been making the yummiest grilled chicken. We were tempted to get take out for dinner one night last week, but I knew I had everything to make salads. I chopped all the ingredients into little bite size pieces and presented it all like a salad bar. Everyone loved building their own salads just how they wanted them. My kids love all the crunchy veggies, but don't care for the lettuce. They just skip it and eat the veggies. The whole meal cost me under $20 to make with lots of leftovers. Take out would have easily cost us three times that amount.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxEq4AbxJfnyOCHD4maVfqfMP0J4nodPz6qvGpbDt9d5HlOBIOa5FNFrmoGgZ_4Y2utpYgkXULTX3A-56mksT7MC15cNTHcxIpxU_epUrqCfn6p2zxmhxHCTyxpcH0qn13VNwLN2qiIV7IxbEYJo26u3lNS93eWO7FP7ynELO5oPLbCnuUNQkTd3p6pU/s1512/dinner4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxEq4AbxJfnyOCHD4maVfqfMP0J4nodPz6qvGpbDt9d5HlOBIOa5FNFrmoGgZ_4Y2utpYgkXULTX3A-56mksT7MC15cNTHcxIpxU_epUrqCfn6p2zxmhxHCTyxpcH0qn13VNwLN2qiIV7IxbEYJo26u3lNS93eWO7FP7ynELO5oPLbCnuUNQkTd3p6pU/w640-h640/dinner4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We all had delicious dinner salads and I got to have salads from the leftovers that week for lunch.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZBayNBO0Atr_FzRoMab03gAJw58WmUSFbDB7HZVbs3FS7whwez6EwPgzaP9_QcY-anmbRYCIiHelXhBCtGejaXpXVk6pcL-vE3ewgtuGu1O8vOdFJETWcnoDXXm88MBWrkS0cZ214S7_yjUHu0oWDkRXcwuZwXdkO3QSeU2Qvn7VWNfimsfV7TjmxsI/s1512/dinner5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZBayNBO0Atr_FzRoMab03gAJw58WmUSFbDB7HZVbs3FS7whwez6EwPgzaP9_QcY-anmbRYCIiHelXhBCtGejaXpXVk6pcL-vE3ewgtuGu1O8vOdFJETWcnoDXXm88MBWrkS0cZ214S7_yjUHu0oWDkRXcwuZwXdkO3QSeU2Qvn7VWNfimsfV7TjmxsI/w640-h640/dinner5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>3. Holiday Dinners</div><div>I told you yesterday that we had my parents over for dinner for St. Patrick's Day. Going out to eat with a big group on the holidays is expensive. I planned ahead and prepared dinner for everyone for around $40 including 2 desserts! We have some leftovers for lunches this week. I think it would have easily cost triple that amount to take everyone out to dinner. So start thinking about the Spring holidays like Easter and Mother's Day to see if there are eways to get around paying tons ot eat out.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUgBnd5Dnm13HozeBWn7KK4vTSDbX3jZxp1HW068IYVqXDaj4BXSO2gvrUALyGv1JDW1sqkdXXM9KXkA1t8E8bxM5Kv8mbc4lcF9Z3r3ku8aUV_6ID7WTyesuNkYYyRMg-ApgI9RxYTfDJEwhVs0tQERealvfazy50XJYF5V0D91zCJrCWmNGxWzZDv0/s1920/dinner6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUgBnd5Dnm13HozeBWn7KK4vTSDbX3jZxp1HW068IYVqXDaj4BXSO2gvrUALyGv1JDW1sqkdXXM9KXkA1t8E8bxM5Kv8mbc4lcF9Z3r3ku8aUV_6ID7WTyesuNkYYyRMg-ApgI9RxYTfDJEwhVs0tQERealvfazy50XJYF5V0D91zCJrCWmNGxWzZDv0/w480-h640/dinner6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>What do you think? Is there a splurge meal that you could learn to do at home to enjoy with your family in the comfort of your own home?</div><div><br /></div><div>These meals are on my radar to make at home this Spring:</div><div>A charcuterie board dinner</div><div>Nice steaks to grill at home</div><div>Crab cakes</div><div>& Shish Kebabs</div><div><br /></div><div>I know we're all in different seasons of life and enjoy spending our money in different ways. I just want to encourage you to try some new things at home and see what you think :)</div><div><br /></div></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-30286677992115675902024-03-18T07:01:00.053-04:002024-03-18T07:01:00.246-04:00Happy St Patrick's Day!<p>I hope you had a great weekend! We had fun celebrating St Patrick's Day all weekend long! One day we'll make it to a big city to see the river dyed green, but until then we'll be enjoying all the festivities from home.</p><p>Lucky to love them! They all wore their new St Patrick's Day t-shirts to church Sunday morning. Matching kids always and forever.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qPSbwgZMWtIXGJtbXSHaLnlj9Hbc9arEOqDc_L3spPzA-_t6qL4ULxiFK-gjUNZLD4iMbdQTnhvTn0a5TQVg5GkqCER8X0uI_4DOjMxfhqVMAiPNoMMS1dlOnTapaZBnh6OQ7F-Qqg5qmz6CkqsaRsWeYwfbS4QCY6VB5sO2mTetRch21SAbR7TPnqA/s1354/lucky1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1354" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qPSbwgZMWtIXGJtbXSHaLnlj9Hbc9arEOqDc_L3spPzA-_t6qL4ULxiFK-gjUNZLD4iMbdQTnhvTn0a5TQVg5GkqCER8X0uI_4DOjMxfhqVMAiPNoMMS1dlOnTapaZBnh6OQ7F-Qqg5qmz6CkqsaRsWeYwfbS4QCY6VB5sO2mTetRch21SAbR7TPnqA/w640-h640/lucky1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>These pot of gold glasses were such a fun Dollar Tree find!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGBpMGzhT-zUesZC0W8Z4UGKOLBs6skgVSf8U58rX4PzWioVnhezm4MBdqY2uQw3IrOeJAwhwaBMpAooNTMyNOOqEj_e-CN5K-ClTVk3ToCbP_7p-JjaW0iKXbEPC_yRR5lJ1AnjrMmd9HDNBEOalnYmowtlSBimkRVO5Lo1Q_1nXJEFi_svN-7kTt0k/s1920/lucky2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGBpMGzhT-zUesZC0W8Z4UGKOLBs6skgVSf8U58rX4PzWioVnhezm4MBdqY2uQw3IrOeJAwhwaBMpAooNTMyNOOqEj_e-CN5K-ClTVk3ToCbP_7p-JjaW0iKXbEPC_yRR5lJ1AnjrMmd9HDNBEOalnYmowtlSBimkRVO5Lo1Q_1nXJEFi_svN-7kTt0k/w480-h640/lucky2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I love festive fun, but I don't want to pay boutique prices for it. Walmart usually has the cutest holiday t-shirts for $6.98. I love that I can get them in toddler to tween sizes. I like to do one fun gift like these glasses and then something practical - light up basketballs!! The kids were so excited about them. Once they play with them for a few days, I'll come back with a real review of them.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbR1hkwcM6LhitLuvsmCXVLxMQW3wXJxcqoSch8dapgNpaN47pot-6-TsYWGHo23_vDlKqTPVsT-kpaVBAvpR9S5dNfNm1XYjOSzmzLDTMhu6V5TckGfGUfH0H_tmVBWuJLsoajIPPotU0DRS6oMOD8IyPHLKXGcUPhSlmSKXCmJtw3PDD3P7Oh9AEu_A/s1920/lucky3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbR1hkwcM6LhitLuvsmCXVLxMQW3wXJxcqoSch8dapgNpaN47pot-6-TsYWGHo23_vDlKqTPVsT-kpaVBAvpR9S5dNfNm1XYjOSzmzLDTMhu6V5TckGfGUfH0H_tmVBWuJLsoajIPPotU0DRS6oMOD8IyPHLKXGcUPhSlmSKXCmJtw3PDD3P7Oh9AEu_A/w480-h640/lucky3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A sink full of dirty Crocs was an unexpected rainbow. I know I'll be sad one day when I'm no longer washing dirty kid shoes so I'm thankful for the sink full of color. I noticed this time that the shoes are getting biggger and filling up my sink fast.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9EUhQpmqN_h8UJe4kOXchTl5-jakch_kI3GK5QIHP7QJ9dXAoD3vKir1Nzb0vrLe2b3hsJq0A8ahyXad7O0pfB29bfblr-tl9EmNM9Jn0-Z7ZpI0h3LrcwbRxG_VNCLSReSIx1lmQJiXzNr6cJJN1VZTYtYiqjWdrxRonwcgg25r0_YotkuA9UJvBCA/s1920/lucky4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9EUhQpmqN_h8UJe4kOXchTl5-jakch_kI3GK5QIHP7QJ9dXAoD3vKir1Nzb0vrLe2b3hsJq0A8ahyXad7O0pfB29bfblr-tl9EmNM9Jn0-Z7ZpI0h3LrcwbRxG_VNCLSReSIx1lmQJiXzNr6cJJN1VZTYtYiqjWdrxRonwcgg25r0_YotkuA9UJvBCA/w480-h640/lucky4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The easiest lucky breakfast. I don't buy these often so it was a treat.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqC0DgbkAJODYSP8x0JUAAUjM6ygSwVw-RwWK_q9J1i9jlg1AQYhtZS2cnh89OUIH1kzyGuCUcUgPKyz7ce173dQn5Sm7uf1ogXqzCck0lzDdBHWg0JojcY2k5pHqWrO2llZdi9GUCsqPx1epWvGjP75M7giPZDHaF_hQdqVThBmMzH_isYp0xPxzSVFU/s1920/lucky5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqC0DgbkAJODYSP8x0JUAAUjM6ygSwVw-RwWK_q9J1i9jlg1AQYhtZS2cnh89OUIH1kzyGuCUcUgPKyz7ce173dQn5Sm7uf1ogXqzCck0lzDdBHWg0JojcY2k5pHqWrO2llZdi9GUCsqPx1epWvGjP75M7giPZDHaF_hQdqVThBmMzH_isYp0xPxzSVFU/w480-h640/lucky5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The rainbow treat cups were a big hit at our house and with our friends. We enjoyed the leftover rainbow candy all weekend.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ws6brqySp1UhSzmGcxgI8AlLA-REePHEQEN8dMNxFH2x-122qgCJtjhtcbxh8QZX8h5EEsqW5vXm5GjJSg5z_gY8OjBVHjIJ0hCzeMTmKuitLgmsCmrTdUGNJZ9uyJ084lFsFdWzga1uHaeaFLozJYJgl55Lh1RxIVm-CNttQnU6Y9ZdSRD9UyGctCc/s1354/lucky6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1354" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ws6brqySp1UhSzmGcxgI8AlLA-REePHEQEN8dMNxFH2x-122qgCJtjhtcbxh8QZX8h5EEsqW5vXm5GjJSg5z_gY8OjBVHjIJ0hCzeMTmKuitLgmsCmrTdUGNJZ9uyJ084lFsFdWzga1uHaeaFLozJYJgl55Lh1RxIVm-CNttQnU6Y9ZdSRD9UyGctCc/w640-h640/lucky6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The kids were big enough to help me make some festive food. Rainbow jello was a team effort this year and the kids are old enough now that they are genuinely helpful.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVQPJdNdo1rgTj-OY9eehcAQ4Usjamk2iq-BjvbUO3ViOSYqjAbDvLkB1z-kizRD9ojK7GVHlkjKnQykxr_kVPEUZxbIsRkY5yFmvstkrfd-XiraWBLzQxu5hv47Al7Jz1XUV8SuHRLs5qaapLsce3vEKtGLEM_tDwWdi8cSUq0hfjG44cRMLPdpCdO0/s1920/lucky7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVQPJdNdo1rgTj-OY9eehcAQ4Usjamk2iq-BjvbUO3ViOSYqjAbDvLkB1z-kizRD9ojK7GVHlkjKnQykxr_kVPEUZxbIsRkY5yFmvstkrfd-XiraWBLzQxu5hv47Al7Jz1XUV8SuHRLs5qaapLsce3vEKtGLEM_tDwWdi8cSUq0hfjG44cRMLPdpCdO0/w480-h640/lucky7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A new neighbor friend baked me the most beautiful loaf of bread! I baked her welcome desserts when they moved in and she's returning the favor with homemade bread. I like this friendship already!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1euB_xPvIhlcO2x-e-YAX0OFtG5LhfrkvZzHU7ept5sHE5IEdaKMBJC-N4-mb-eUt-4I7GT6tt66-2UQplZ2rHhBXqwc3-9IiMuqsFoWD0cnstHI75hDWFF8MS9j_aIMSd3nc5_8LVk8iZBQlrMPfQTtHbmf3prAZ_64CPtOYrMYmSmTnxm7SgcUUsqo/s1920/lucky8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1euB_xPvIhlcO2x-e-YAX0OFtG5LhfrkvZzHU7ept5sHE5IEdaKMBJC-N4-mb-eUt-4I7GT6tt66-2UQplZ2rHhBXqwc3-9IiMuqsFoWD0cnstHI75hDWFF8MS9j_aIMSd3nc5_8LVk8iZBQlrMPfQTtHbmf3prAZ_64CPtOYrMYmSmTnxm7SgcUUsqo/w480-h640/lucky8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Our backyard was the prettiest colors of spring this weekend - green grass, purple fields, blue skies, clouds and sunshine.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkXj8TvQOQlZAfhMc3jiRETQ0CxV-YnhvzUIycClMPIUGDZgc0p4NPklTTufaPPlKwGZ7Wm2V4bB4iSw0ntLFEk_5ABpkCfh-p9WlrP147u6NNTt-K8LOPiD71a7K2UhXarLL1zHDewX66_-DEdvOhzZg4uu6-q7aT2tptp-R4fz7DAGAEXuv5LEshek/s1920/lucky9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkXj8TvQOQlZAfhMc3jiRETQ0CxV-YnhvzUIycClMPIUGDZgc0p4NPklTTufaPPlKwGZ7Wm2V4bB4iSw0ntLFEk_5ABpkCfh-p9WlrP147u6NNTt-K8LOPiD71a7K2UhXarLL1zHDewX66_-DEdvOhzZg4uu6-q7aT2tptp-R4fz7DAGAEXuv5LEshek/w480-h640/lucky9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My parents came over for a St Patrick's Day dinner and it's always one of my favorite meals. I made a berry salad, homemade bread, rainbow jello, Irish stew, Keilbasa and bacon wrapped smokies. Then lemon bundt cake and Rice Krispie treats for dessert. Yum!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgS7GPN5UOCJYF1fu_4lJTwt7XkMfMkBXGFvOF5U4q5eRdP_RejY6_bEgghmqICviSZAN215jKvzHAYuNgG1u8mfuj4XWvShdiFp3WnEOb-8x35fSmroIeRj2nPi44cBG4KKAU-Wv0XvXbaBjP-oUG6fkXk5jvaub1mTjDJfSQ7MV1GPSjQP591m6TdNQ/s1920/lucky10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgS7GPN5UOCJYF1fu_4lJTwt7XkMfMkBXGFvOF5U4q5eRdP_RejY6_bEgghmqICviSZAN215jKvzHAYuNgG1u8mfuj4XWvShdiFp3WnEOb-8x35fSmroIeRj2nPi44cBG4KKAU-Wv0XvXbaBjP-oUG6fkXk5jvaub1mTjDJfSQ7MV1GPSjQP591m6TdNQ/w480-h640/lucky10.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And my favorite tradition: Rainbow Jello!! It takes hours to make - 20 minutes per layer - but the kids helped and we were all proud of those 12 layers. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXSszTwmmHZKyb0ykDlEpUipHEg7tuxpLmUz8L_yjqbinob8ZzheeFlpvbIK3KJuX7vKDPrVb7y76YFkRmeoQNAD6t8vpAWcWWlUHJIg5rDyWnYz_TNdO22rpdbiDVzD3WeHAs6Mvw2LVATD92VnmkD4W-x3S3vn6gSm47kgX8xakmeQ_ACw9cKLeRMs8/s1920/lucky11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXSszTwmmHZKyb0ykDlEpUipHEg7tuxpLmUz8L_yjqbinob8ZzheeFlpvbIK3KJuX7vKDPrVb7y76YFkRmeoQNAD6t8vpAWcWWlUHJIg5rDyWnYz_TNdO22rpdbiDVzD3WeHAs6Mvw2LVATD92VnmkD4W-x3S3vn6gSm47kgX8xakmeQ_ACw9cKLeRMs8/w480-h640/lucky11.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I'm determined to look for the rainbows in my days this week and have a great week!</p></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-92022638998859000182024-03-15T07:01:00.075-04:002024-03-15T09:34:09.231-04:00Friday Favorites<p>Happy Friday, friends! I hope you've had a nice week. Our week was funky. Lots of weird or stressful things that just kind of added up to a week that we're ready to say goodbye to. Does that ever happen to you? Did you catch my blog posts this week?</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/03/high-end-items-on-budget.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">High End Items on a Budget </a>- my favorite places to shop!</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/03/creating-margin-in-your-life.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Creating Margin in My Life</a> - this feels SO GOOD!</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/03/preteen-parenting-practice-gives.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Preteen Parenting: Practice Gives Confidence</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Now onto my favorite moments of the week:</p><p>1. Happy St Patrick's Day weekend!! It's one of my favorite holidays thanks to our love of all things Irish and Notre Dame. I put together these rainbow candy cups for my kids and our friends. It was so much fun to add all the rainbow candy to my grocery pick up order and assemble them. They were a big hit! I found the gold coins at Dollar Tree and saw them at Hobby Lobby. It's not too late to grab the supplies to make them this weekend.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZs68H6Uml8P_UV_NOC6RN4-c4l84FD1Iz2IO09TC-ylVZjB3M4JpzyrFTh6FO0kAr98Tmmi-1_ytEf2h4ybrnKJWgSXfMCsiJQAkkptlhMPBRS3kj1eYDSe0RehZhU_lJSQLZ40WY6LtsdSaDf24IRuBE6j7YFFZrpH9fU99uh0fLdOb6mbrtszvmOw/s1512/fave1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZs68H6Uml8P_UV_NOC6RN4-c4l84FD1Iz2IO09TC-ylVZjB3M4JpzyrFTh6FO0kAr98Tmmi-1_ytEf2h4ybrnKJWgSXfMCsiJQAkkptlhMPBRS3kj1eYDSe0RehZhU_lJSQLZ40WY6LtsdSaDf24IRuBE6j7YFFZrpH9fU99uh0fLdOb6mbrtszvmOw/w640-h640/fave1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmxfzFpVvuWqWH_M-jCTfe7_YtJDpZVuIycz5tHVf-HTfE6JklldNeCYYJQ0bvJFnAe_uFbiP0UFNRRSKIPlCqvnJvpGTZUP_6bdAwyCcqkdvPLwlKYRyqPCG__CMMaLvIGaamL-Pq52Zq9Hw2Utm8bvFI_Q9VWxce-Xsx1qPHLxADC09K3bGFtnaWPE/s1512/fave2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmxfzFpVvuWqWH_M-jCTfe7_YtJDpZVuIycz5tHVf-HTfE6JklldNeCYYJQ0bvJFnAe_uFbiP0UFNRRSKIPlCqvnJvpGTZUP_6bdAwyCcqkdvPLwlKYRyqPCG__CMMaLvIGaamL-Pq52Zq9Hw2Utm8bvFI_Q9VWxce-Xsx1qPHLxADC09K3bGFtnaWPE/w640-h640/fave2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-OTFJjI4QS-tTb0UBGBxqg6kuY0Z4e7vPu5kO2npxwrLgMGaIB9zd_gm6jF5ON_g1SqfvKr8xpjGkiF6_C_5flkPit7wlqmLv8jw5-pRXG_14YXv434wnrqRh0f2Eh_9EjWgT_obaVt1Yn6wSe3_eTXXxx1xOuftpqpWdFMVEANRoRPhK1iU05ns0zo/s1512/fave3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-OTFJjI4QS-tTb0UBGBxqg6kuY0Z4e7vPu5kO2npxwrLgMGaIB9zd_gm6jF5ON_g1SqfvKr8xpjGkiF6_C_5flkPit7wlqmLv8jw5-pRXG_14YXv434wnrqRh0f2Eh_9EjWgT_obaVt1Yn6wSe3_eTXXxx1xOuftpqpWdFMVEANRoRPhK1iU05ns0zo/w640-h640/fave3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Or you could put together a rainbow treat board for your family!! My crew loved this!! I added Keebler Thin Mints, Lucky Charms and all the rainbow candy from the rainbow cups. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHa9Gv3we2rZx5Xrx6gM4cDUbER-KIdG56k9V9k5D-2sfUI03JqT797IilpPLJO0uWnIY8etHJICtE03kj0MTRXBo-ppwQeyxvzhtrGyhPFqVOXsT8DFrPFKHYXXs5fLkIHM3UCZBzhwpStNWHDEdZXvpdPzQIyY2aD-j6mtzPNogOB_vHrkhWoUVyvAQ/s1512/fave14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHa9Gv3we2rZx5Xrx6gM4cDUbER-KIdG56k9V9k5D-2sfUI03JqT797IilpPLJO0uWnIY8etHJICtE03kj0MTRXBo-ppwQeyxvzhtrGyhPFqVOXsT8DFrPFKHYXXs5fLkIHM3UCZBzhwpStNWHDEdZXvpdPzQIyY2aD-j6mtzPNogOB_vHrkhWoUVyvAQ/w640-h640/fave14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>2. Can I help? That's Leo's new favorite phrase in the kitchen. It melts my heart! He helped with smoothies, rice krispy treats and dinner.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAY00DGXxkWw8_rr9gtl3yFlMVA6VXEU647zcovKNXUDt66z1q-K1fvvvaYrGKzhpxo1yPb9HciJoTNCg4Ixnr7wbQUuuT51lf42kgZam6XKLQPsh1ctKwypeoi33xX_j4QkW44RqJDxKXpbmhoA0caVgIaIEEcW5v5T9AnUgYt5-jo-6AfGbvRTeelY/s1920/fave15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAY00DGXxkWw8_rr9gtl3yFlMVA6VXEU647zcovKNXUDt66z1q-K1fvvvaYrGKzhpxo1yPb9HciJoTNCg4Ixnr7wbQUuuT51lf42kgZam6XKLQPsh1ctKwypeoi33xX_j4QkW44RqJDxKXpbmhoA0caVgIaIEEcW5v5T9AnUgYt5-jo-6AfGbvRTeelY/w480-h640/fave15.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>3. Excused from jury duty!! I got called for jury duty for the second time this year. I was really hoping to get called off, but no such luck. I had to report early Monday morning only to find out that they were selecting the jury for a big murder trial. Yikes! It was so interesting and I knew it would be a major time commitment. Thankfully for me, I knew a police officer involved in the case and my Dad being a retired Sheriff, State Policeman and such for 40+ years meant the judge knew him and I couldn't be a fair and unbiased juror. I was dismissed and relieved. I've enjoyed following the news reports all week. I have a new appreciation for people who are serving on juries for a long period of time. One morning was stressful!!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtSlmy_x6AZtJXqLRUtiBwzvhMSEAG1w5pT0ZEmnlMfMKsGzEp6q_Y175hCxXCT1U0N5wv3SGRzuCzX1wR7Eh9hxVAK1pHnNGDtEQhbcf87TgaKUNuE48Ih6QGDmTYKNAcuCiOdEVWLMh-gV6_m9MW3YJaYUcGQEPFNfZwArEtslmKLCR4aEcilA9hnI/s1544/fave4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1158" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtSlmy_x6AZtJXqLRUtiBwzvhMSEAG1w5pT0ZEmnlMfMKsGzEp6q_Y175hCxXCT1U0N5wv3SGRzuCzX1wR7Eh9hxVAK1pHnNGDtEQhbcf87TgaKUNuE48Ih6QGDmTYKNAcuCiOdEVWLMh-gV6_m9MW3YJaYUcGQEPFNfZwArEtslmKLCR4aEcilA9hnI/w480-h640/fave4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>4. Rainy day fun. Leo is in charge of his own umbrella and loved it. Friends invited us to play and that always feels good!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrajI0g1zf6sZJ_PP50Yu_DmAZabMwc-HIBiSyizqk48nJ2bV4YCncDiCTB8zHcEbl6DFAHyka-tzRDCM0zGsr3h8xe1eUjaFMTs4tZQ0MHUH5oFjr4WQzh8vmuY489Ufc4TDXzhHsTS51dFLhzAV0nSXRWkc51LM72MKOSDsXOlbyLFr39RwO0V-u0k/s1280/fave5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrajI0g1zf6sZJ_PP50Yu_DmAZabMwc-HIBiSyizqk48nJ2bV4YCncDiCTB8zHcEbl6DFAHyka-tzRDCM0zGsr3h8xe1eUjaFMTs4tZQ0MHUH5oFjr4WQzh8vmuY489Ufc4TDXzhHsTS51dFLhzAV0nSXRWkc51LM72MKOSDsXOlbyLFr39RwO0V-u0k/w640-h640/fave5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>5. Spring flowers! I really thought it would get cold again, but it seems as though Spring is here to stay. We don't have any daffodils in our yard. I love the white ones with orange centers.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0kaYr0aqc2IXKNfh42UA8TYrmHrdCtmqS4ORvsD8RzF0qEAmC5CEqOO2VetQyAr7vo8K8RC0OSwH91U_hzrC7YicVBgvV5L0ps7sBjllfFgyQHLGa5jHZ4mSlCduHwNA9-IkXOe3zt8UdRi6GSUivqD1alueYxmkEkf8Bg4c6FYg1S-cdmEtmWtDZcc/s1920/fave6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0kaYr0aqc2IXKNfh42UA8TYrmHrdCtmqS4ORvsD8RzF0qEAmC5CEqOO2VetQyAr7vo8K8RC0OSwH91U_hzrC7YicVBgvV5L0ps7sBjllfFgyQHLGa5jHZ4mSlCduHwNA9-IkXOe3zt8UdRi6GSUivqD1alueYxmkEkf8Bg4c6FYg1S-cdmEtmWtDZcc/w480-h640/fave6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>6. Crumbl Cookies. I celebrated being kicked out of the jury selection process by getting Crumbl cookies for everyone. They were delicious.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CwXE1eLqjAi94vxDAcnE7GjYlJbcIrVs6kLZvJDFCaukM3AIkVvDsSadFLAAoal4Jzn95V-BORTgAZ9s0Fkrhwz1dcv0AVFraNn7PH5thEiBS-2zSFJFxBoTU5buHQwEvtFn4D-6OuFAXLB7GGbAyip4KLyDTu8XBRY8JWoPlSa_uyGHKsPKP8_pigM/s1920/fave7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CwXE1eLqjAi94vxDAcnE7GjYlJbcIrVs6kLZvJDFCaukM3AIkVvDsSadFLAAoal4Jzn95V-BORTgAZ9s0Fkrhwz1dcv0AVFraNn7PH5thEiBS-2zSFJFxBoTU5buHQwEvtFn4D-6OuFAXLB7GGbAyip4KLyDTu8XBRY8JWoPlSa_uyGHKsPKP8_pigM/w480-h640/fave7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>7. Freckles are popping! I always wished that I could have freckles and my dream came true with Fletcher. All this time outside means that his freckles are popping up everywhere. I gave the boys haircuts mideweek just in time for Spring pictures at school.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnriT3XeDiKORcyxovAjcwcfGEPHz0BV-p6Po7CPbj3ijp9mD8ZQ58MbFHhzy7XiCMuJ7ByoId3wMq33c8aMlXVOCL1LlXPsz04bVsORvIcx_d9c-aJkye0xxtwDN7AeHO58YrorT8zyIZe_sENXp3J14-_MQrg7KRahydU-kBCoqH_rkzDYlpjhdMzJY/s1920/fave8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnriT3XeDiKORcyxovAjcwcfGEPHz0BV-p6Po7CPbj3ijp9mD8ZQ58MbFHhzy7XiCMuJ7ByoId3wMq33c8aMlXVOCL1LlXPsz04bVsORvIcx_d9c-aJkye0xxtwDN7AeHO58YrorT8zyIZe_sENXp3J14-_MQrg7KRahydU-kBCoqH_rkzDYlpjhdMzJY/w480-h640/fave8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>8. Leo is always doing the silliest things. This is his latest trick which is actually a pretty impressive balancing act.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VV6cGfPpvcU2jT9_NzPAMXePLCtX8pUGCgiGt9vyOLIX8_RRNUI6oXIiRXbEMycppPAFb-msYyo5-NfUjnpFLlKDuuKvHMJ-8zst9gMggzTTQDYBcisZtnJDfKtrqOj_mZq1970yHGR-T4F9rzQ71nJqIaP85a_YFe20toUUIWu64LzpB-anljKS8no/s1920/fave9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VV6cGfPpvcU2jT9_NzPAMXePLCtX8pUGCgiGt9vyOLIX8_RRNUI6oXIiRXbEMycppPAFb-msYyo5-NfUjnpFLlKDuuKvHMJ-8zst9gMggzTTQDYBcisZtnJDfKtrqOj_mZq1970yHGR-T4F9rzQ71nJqIaP85a_YFe20toUUIWu64LzpB-anljKS8no/w480-h640/fave9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>9. My mom found some cool rocks for Fletcher and one was a geode!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcTAnd5eCFC6Hm5oxP9MoCVAfSb-7A77nQRMBreGbjsFnhErJZNp1fjzIjlXAE7hBgF5gYgjLCrDjdr1T1JYGalbS8zOjlbAuvqLILs4kZ0LlJpRaJBWklPo2OUPa8IbOhvBOWjXPrabFMKLolPtkVD168oq8UJ38cNwGcbBWzN7RM7-jWdbmPgIvb84/s1920/fave10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcTAnd5eCFC6Hm5oxP9MoCVAfSb-7A77nQRMBreGbjsFnhErJZNp1fjzIjlXAE7hBgF5gYgjLCrDjdr1T1JYGalbS8zOjlbAuvqLILs4kZ0LlJpRaJBWklPo2OUPa8IbOhvBOWjXPrabFMKLolPtkVD168oq8UJ38cNwGcbBWzN7RM7-jWdbmPgIvb84/w480-h640/fave10.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>10. Hands and feet out the windows as we enjoy the sunshine this week.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZMBAmTOnnwFiFUJi7wye-V1AoBMLDOt1oE_gtmOsCt4gWErROIUU0_9MJAjVj4YfCEa_osE7WeWnFhXZ6-oDvrEmV1OSwqVMkZshaqkUOWwUCaID_1OSpKB49jNtOjZu5ObkK8lRrBtolUN19E_TMlOktYnDx5_oPSRQl8fSvyTTtlgjSLyHY7R7aJU/s1920/fave11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZMBAmTOnnwFiFUJi7wye-V1AoBMLDOt1oE_gtmOsCt4gWErROIUU0_9MJAjVj4YfCEa_osE7WeWnFhXZ6-oDvrEmV1OSwqVMkZshaqkUOWwUCaID_1OSpKB49jNtOjZu5ObkK8lRrBtolUN19E_TMlOktYnDx5_oPSRQl8fSvyTTtlgjSLyHY7R7aJU/w480-h640/fave11.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>11. We got to have dinner with Grandma at her favorite spot. She chose the restaurant and the kids enjoyed their first Chinese buffet. They loved trying new foods and finding new favorites. Leo only liked the almond cookies. I think he ate 4 for dinner.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlNAY7ic0xNjY0UsJj1Vd7emwi2fqYATGFJiv3o1UAq2JmSaHUVFCQGEyHKjTdUdhsns21z1CDUiZAFU8fgjMNV7Vqg4mdz6Sb5UM5G6olWNMyH_O0YaLu2itvClYoyDOlbGwOFI9Gjc7GFNlpwXMZ56w0cBYTAtuWf2kv_PaUcRZjgBR9vE7Aa76Bnw/s1920/fave12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlNAY7ic0xNjY0UsJj1Vd7emwi2fqYATGFJiv3o1UAq2JmSaHUVFCQGEyHKjTdUdhsns21z1CDUiZAFU8fgjMNV7Vqg4mdz6Sb5UM5G6olWNMyH_O0YaLu2itvClYoyDOlbGwOFI9Gjc7GFNlpwXMZ56w0cBYTAtuWf2kv_PaUcRZjgBR9vE7Aa76Bnw/w480-h640/fave12.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>12. The 5th grade celebrated Pi Day this week with their Spring Party. I was glad my dad could watch Leo so that I could go celebrate with her. She was hoping for pie party, but they had Pi cookies instead.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGoY3aY2ItckMv10DoDOA-kXfw7-TDEnf0jbTuS_c9S3skwZ2muxcR4Ar-e70V21Zt00-JQp5M5dirTvvHxJQDGxrBuUkKJKrfrydC1NznZXF4rfbCl-oZ1V1x3ZsHqMWdCKemUPfROwwAobwvP4KwVi9dwIDzl-gLWTTB3MQGWrCfrj3hmW7Tde4RE4/s1544/fave13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1158" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGoY3aY2ItckMv10DoDOA-kXfw7-TDEnf0jbTuS_c9S3skwZ2muxcR4Ar-e70V21Zt00-JQp5M5dirTvvHxJQDGxrBuUkKJKrfrydC1NznZXF4rfbCl-oZ1V1x3ZsHqMWdCKemUPfROwwAobwvP4KwVi9dwIDzl-gLWTTB3MQGWrCfrj3hmW7Tde4RE4/w480-h640/fave13.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Have a great weekend! I'll see you back here on Monday.</p><p>Linking up with <a href="https://www.momfessionals.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Momfessionals</a></p><p><br /></p></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-36516986785496389942024-03-13T07:01:00.060-04:002024-03-13T07:01:00.138-04:00Preteen Parenting: Practice Gives Confidence<p>Has your preteen or teen every declared they just weren't good at something? Maybe they tried something new, weren't great at it and gave up? Or maybe they admired a skill someone else had and wished they could do the same thing?</p><p>I'd encourage you to give your older kids time and space to practice to build their confidence.</p><p>Find things they are interested in, but aren't yet good at, and give them opportunities to practice doing those things in a safe place like home. Sometimes that means pointing out things they are naturally good at and suggesting things that they could do with those skills. For us it's things like fishing, riding a bike, painting nails on their own, doing their own hair, studying for tests, writing, crocheting, learning a new craft or hobby or talking to their friends on FaceTime.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYgt8y7-_RYDQ36WHB1y9VqNE0T2Nl3WR46nbWdVoAPyQFQJG2o-SVtBZnvKbigKHqpzDm2Om57nzEvtLRZSLJLn9rK_nMyX0uJl7TObPNcULb-jRArxbHg-AvzcXWzEjVw_cM9nV0f9gu0u8FRRFVqVmK8GvfDXAgQnaZbauIaKy6rrDrmYH92Dc3Eo/s1920/preteens1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYgt8y7-_RYDQ36WHB1y9VqNE0T2Nl3WR46nbWdVoAPyQFQJG2o-SVtBZnvKbigKHqpzDm2Om57nzEvtLRZSLJLn9rK_nMyX0uJl7TObPNcULb-jRArxbHg-AvzcXWzEjVw_cM9nV0f9gu0u8FRRFVqVmK8GvfDXAgQnaZbauIaKy6rrDrmYH92Dc3Eo/w480-h640/preteens1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Olive mentioned that she loved cute nails, but just was not good at painting her nails herself. I told her we should practice. No pressure. Nowhere to go. Just working on the art of nail painting at home. We had fun together. She picked out the design and we painted. She was happy with the result and I know that she will be a little better at it the next time we paint nails. I gave her tips along the way and helped if she needed it, but she was the leading the way.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpkmzsxdAT6dLbv3ybKvfvhQQ7opRR6_FPoCzuE2IhNmuSB4q4UUzaOHkfejHnL2aIa8bEek31UYYnAM8HGX_0zL5E-HTOBghcJo0D9aIQYrIRdswXkyAUG6IyLOH96DxAKcOPu7HTzzJnyu78JsIFe7jY-9YAsIPa7yX5jmjVS76WzMugesXIyWmn2E/s1544/preteens2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1158" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpkmzsxdAT6dLbv3ybKvfvhQQ7opRR6_FPoCzuE2IhNmuSB4q4UUzaOHkfejHnL2aIa8bEek31UYYnAM8HGX_0zL5E-HTOBghcJo0D9aIQYrIRdswXkyAUG6IyLOH96DxAKcOPu7HTzzJnyu78JsIFe7jY-9YAsIPa7yX5jmjVS76WzMugesXIyWmn2E/w480-h640/preteens2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Here are some more examples:</p><p>1. Help create a dinner menu so that they'll know how to meal plan when they are living on their own. </p><p>2. Practice learning how to ride a bike in the grass so that you feel confident when it comes time to riding on the street. Or roller blade on your patio before you head out to the streets.</p><p>3. Communicate your hair style preferences with whoever does your hair. That goes for hair cuts and for daily styling. Figure out how you like to wear your hair and ask for help making that happen. Olive will skip cuts for a trim. The boys will ask for a scissor trim on top to keep it longer and clippers on the side. I cut everyone's hair so it's been fun to see them get better at this skill.</p><p>4. Your teens might be wanting a new swim suit and want to shop online. Have them practice browsing and searching favorite shopping sites, pick out their favorites and present them to their parents. Olive loved this task!! She found 3 great swim suit options. We ordered them all, tried them on and she ended up with two swim suits that she is SO excited about. I wasn't sure she could find them on her own, but she did it. And next year she'll be ready to do this on her own (with the help of our credit card :).</p><p>5. You have a kid that wants to learn how to fish. He asks for fishing supplies for holidays and then practices fishing a lot. He's learning new skills and building confidence to become a better fisherman.</p><p>6. Practice talking on the phone, Face Timing and texting with friends on your parent's phone so that when you have your own phone, you will feel confident in communicating with people. We have had a lot of conversations about phone etiquette, talking to parents vs friends and texting.</p><p>7. If your kids need something at school or are having an issue, let them practice communicating with their teachers. Talk things through with them and then send them off to email or talk to their teachers to resolve the issue. This is a super important life skill.</p><p>8. One of our kids loves pocket knives. He's been learning how to store the, handle them and collect them safely. His confidence has grown and he has been so responsible with them. It's fun to see his hobby build confidence.</p><p>9. Travel together! Give the kids a map, point out landmarks along the way, have them make count downs, pack their own suitcases, plan intineraries and watch their travel confidence grow. My older kids love to pack for trips. I give them a check list or talk through our trip and they pack. They present their suitcases to me and we double check that they ar ready to travel. It makes trip prep so much easier for me and then they are confident that they are ready for the trip.</p><p>10. Share opportunities that come up and see if your kids are interested - church choir, tennis lessons, chess club, school choir, rec leagues, softball try outs, roller skating, archery, etc. Talk through what the commitment would mean and see if it is something that they would like to try. I've emailed coaches to ask questions and gathered more information. All those new experiences can bring confidence.</p><p><br /></p><p>How do you help your older kids build confidence?</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-58214834586827578872024-03-12T07:01:00.025-04:002024-03-12T07:01:00.129-04:00 Creating Margin in Your Life<p>I have been working hard to create margin in our lives. </p><p>It's taken a lot of work on my part, but my whole family is starting to see proof around the house. Many areas around our house are no longer filled to the max. We have empty spaces on shelves, free space in closets and it feels like our house has breathing room. I still have a ways to go - I'm talking to my garage, holiday closet and cabinets. But I wanted to document my progress in the hopes of inspiring you to reorganize, declutter and claim back some free space in your home.</p><p><b>I will never fall into the catergory of a minimalist. That is not my goal. I just hope to have a house filled with things we love and use. Not a storage unit for clutter and chaos.</b></p><p>This cozy corner of our primary bedroom makes me smile. The two books that I have read this year are on my nightstand and no clutter. No toy baskets or junk. Just the prettiest essentials.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLMAdyK8vBXH02n0V1myOYaA_kKtMNzu19Yu98zr10DfByCPyUT_nA8m6ELGR1Df97mC5Ge-vNfh1vzVm-NQeB_MlCFTO8_abQn7q4maCcBu7QOayBdgEARS-EDgoMxZknVHG__k2UaVTzpy1U_8FRqfepgB-2V6m51hqZTA-gIEryftYKreKjahftSY/s1920/margin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLMAdyK8vBXH02n0V1myOYaA_kKtMNzu19Yu98zr10DfByCPyUT_nA8m6ELGR1Df97mC5Ge-vNfh1vzVm-NQeB_MlCFTO8_abQn7q4maCcBu7QOayBdgEARS-EDgoMxZknVHG__k2UaVTzpy1U_8FRqfepgB-2V6m51hqZTA-gIEryftYKreKjahftSY/w480-h640/margin1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Olive mentioned that it would be fun to have a cozy reading spot in her closet. I worked hard to clear out the clutter and give her a cozy spot to hang out if she wanted to. Kids and cats really do like cozy little spots to snuggle up in.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrwVFGfQMud3yZGx9IAt1UUUk7by0s3INutTQvUBwlFDA6johFgAGGNX2jqFFYDN-lQ3fwL_WxmrkbU374HQr4Fg95kypfgwU6pGAwOhd_e_uciAnJp-MVM881EgKW_WtQE-OPQeB-VCkCmgqX6ZmgDb-HdI1jMftdokoMcG9atn9FRysir5ddfywoH8/s1920/margin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrwVFGfQMud3yZGx9IAt1UUUk7by0s3INutTQvUBwlFDA6johFgAGGNX2jqFFYDN-lQ3fwL_WxmrkbU374HQr4Fg95kypfgwU6pGAwOhd_e_uciAnJp-MVM881EgKW_WtQE-OPQeB-VCkCmgqX6ZmgDb-HdI1jMftdokoMcG9atn9FRysir5ddfywoH8/w480-h640/margin2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When the boys saw that Olive's closet had been cleaned out, they requested the same for their closet. I spent the weekend reorganizing boy clothes that get passed down from Fletcher to Leo and now they have a cozy spot to enjoy in their closet. It really is a breath of fresh air to open the kid's closets and have plenty of room to grow.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlvlM4sR_MoV_g5Eescr7TYm7j2BDqp1aqy_lqPyTimwf1d7vB1fRfdD6Dmyx3bEJ_lgyrxM9lMLWNEpoeVUxCLimT5HqmKRs4tq3hciCQ-eDpHNx2aJqhiwb-K_XASvGPceRTJVU7f61gtvU2rTeZ_ZrxDXYzvkJ9eOjM2SJ-FbHw89VQVB6qRmJPt0/s1920/margin3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlvlM4sR_MoV_g5Eescr7TYm7j2BDqp1aqy_lqPyTimwf1d7vB1fRfdD6Dmyx3bEJ_lgyrxM9lMLWNEpoeVUxCLimT5HqmKRs4tq3hciCQ-eDpHNx2aJqhiwb-K_XASvGPceRTJVU7f61gtvU2rTeZ_ZrxDXYzvkJ9eOjM2SJ-FbHw89VQVB6qRmJPt0/w480-h640/margin3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After adding some shelves in all of our downstairs closets, we have been able to reorganize and get things up off of the floor. I love seeing the clean and clear pantry floor when I go into our walk in pantry. I bake a ton and love a good cake plate. That means my shelves are full of things that I love.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAclWsxIwjV9jlNj5Eo8XcKKuhWA1YontlXqSPGFXP2pIw8yijtYJ7A-Yg-t_imNLZBxUlxQGWhc7-4RZzumv4n5BDyR-SsOdp9NK5hOQvq0v4gE1XJ3wVPpGQFsIca8Qp-3JU6Bb_pgwBY1mXwneg26THRrrLANgnyUWtow_6j2KeXVtLmnG4SCsi5k/s1920/margin4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAclWsxIwjV9jlNj5Eo8XcKKuhWA1YontlXqSPGFXP2pIw8yijtYJ7A-Yg-t_imNLZBxUlxQGWhc7-4RZzumv4n5BDyR-SsOdp9NK5hOQvq0v4gE1XJ3wVPpGQFsIca8Qp-3JU6Bb_pgwBY1mXwneg26THRrrLANgnyUWtow_6j2KeXVtLmnG4SCsi5k/w480-h640/margin4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And lastly, this table tends to attract clutter of games and toys on the bottom shelf. We reorganized a bit and only kept a few games in the baskets. This space feels much friendly and easier to access for us. The shelf could hold a lot more, but we tend to avoid using any of the games if we have to dig through layers and layers of clutter.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTt-Er8yj4sJdjjS2ru5whYFugc18EtdkXYPsBEEPvMMJUEUc0Pp1HIPyVQsfEx6rDe3Z2c-TuQAMAqKTv9ltOD81eDsCQLwUePCpNaps3iEbpUCjRu09Gbimczc72-TOgTGPKeghPRasBmUiRJI48rEcIZwVTwDFE1sOz_K1ShOj7DJUOid7-C76oTJ0/s1920/margin5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTt-Er8yj4sJdjjS2ru5whYFugc18EtdkXYPsBEEPvMMJUEUc0Pp1HIPyVQsfEx6rDe3Z2c-TuQAMAqKTv9ltOD81eDsCQLwUePCpNaps3iEbpUCjRu09Gbimczc72-TOgTGPKeghPRasBmUiRJI48rEcIZwVTwDFE1sOz_K1ShOj7DJUOid7-C76oTJ0/w480-h640/margin5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Disclaimer: I do want to acknowledge that you might find yourself in a season of life where space is tight and every inch of your home is being used. That's okay. We lived that way for a lot of years. We loved our 900 sq ft one bedroom apartment when we lived in Utah, but it was packed to the brim. There wasn't a lot of breathing room. It was fine. We survived. If I could go back in time, I'd probably try to declutter as much as I could and enjoy my home. We were just doing our best!</p><p>So do what you need to do, and see if there is anything you could donate, sell, consign or gift to free up some space in your home!! </p><p>Let me know if you have any questions about making margin in your home. </p><p>I do have one warning. Once you start freeing up space, you'll probably be motivated to work on making margin in your whole home! It just feels so good!</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-8118032389038437642024-03-11T07:01:00.085-04:002024-03-11T07:01:00.132-04:00High End Items on a Budget<p>Do you have a favorite spot to shop for high end items on a budget?</p><p>I do! I have found some name brand treasures for a fraction of their original price at stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods. Here are a few examples of what to look for in case you are wanting some high end items without the high price tags.</p><p>1. Clothing</p><p>I talked about this Tommy Hilfiger Classic Band jacket a few weeks ago. It's so cute and comfy. The best part was that I got it for a super deal at Marshalls. The original tag said $109.50 and I grabbed it for $22!! What a deal! Each color is a different price in store and on Amazon so if you find a higher end item that you love, keep an eye on the prices. <a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/friday-favorites_01108292971.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I linked the jackets in this post.</a></p><p>I also love to pick up higher end shoes at stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx. These Cynthia Rowley flats were marked down to around $10 in the Fall. They're nice shoes at a great price.</p><p>I try to always glance at the clearance sections just in case I can spot a treasure like these!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKIXdQT1CpA4SXsFSf5rcBVFbCNDA9yScjupWxXaBf7V1TffQoT2W0YLxqoSZK3ej8jgLpUF7b5daSFDidXQfZcp1KYvVOCQ4CpxUDcVV5IoqshwnCrD0iQqrUgyQTPgrO6h6_geXeO1O1g0fgaHYQuanYgL2_hHHbGdhqrExyEafEneJ5RAm_4yG1Js/s1280/deal1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKIXdQT1CpA4SXsFSf5rcBVFbCNDA9yScjupWxXaBf7V1TffQoT2W0YLxqoSZK3ej8jgLpUF7b5daSFDidXQfZcp1KYvVOCQ4CpxUDcVV5IoqshwnCrD0iQqrUgyQTPgrO6h6_geXeO1O1g0fgaHYQuanYgL2_hHHbGdhqrExyEafEneJ5RAm_4yG1Js/w640-h640/deal1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>2. Lamps</div><div><br /></div>Did you see this lamp on my Friday post?<div><br /></div><div>I'm in love!</div><div><br /><div>I've been on the lookout for the perfect statement lamp for this corner of my kitchen since we moved in over two years ago. I just couldn't find the right one. I waited and shopped. Shopped and waited. Then finally found it last week!</div><div><br /></div><div>I have a knack for spotting and loving the most expensive lamps. It's my gift :) Same thing with rugs. But this time I just knew this blue and white Ralph Lauren lamp would be perfect. It's tall, beautiful, makes a statement and I love the mix of wood, floral base and a pretty shaped shade. And after looking for 2 years, I knew that pretty lamps don't last. You have to grab things that catch your eye because they go quick and aren't restocked. </div><div><br /></div><div>The original Ralph Lauren tag said $215 and the HomeGoods tag was $129.99. It was a splurge, but I knew it was perfect!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1bktqY3xgU1mBckU4ko-AXfYpIOzCU9Vr4H7NeXj6mqzAJxzh6dxJE3i7eWBidMuhvEMuWWB5GhWa_iEOLCjGb8aq79psqXlmZlqn_JpR6cHyL25CDOKFIAq7g03AClQ1l6QEukLYM0hllSqmPlhldn4t1FlW4lfidpWB4ZS5L3jvy7jZBK7QchHypI/s1512/deal2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1bktqY3xgU1mBckU4ko-AXfYpIOzCU9Vr4H7NeXj6mqzAJxzh6dxJE3i7eWBidMuhvEMuWWB5GhWa_iEOLCjGb8aq79psqXlmZlqn_JpR6cHyL25CDOKFIAq7g03AClQ1l6QEukLYM0hllSqmPlhldn4t1FlW4lfidpWB4ZS5L3jvy7jZBK7QchHypI/w640-h640/deal2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I love that you get to see the lamps plugged in at HomeGoods and most come with a light bulb. You get an idea for the type of light it will give in your space. And they are easy to return if you take it home and don't love it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7j7hX2d8-lhwhHUXM08VClq2xu6phiTwJzflECMF6tI5ZJTCPgGoqoxzreScBrCUdT3KYer9H8CmkMSWO1R8wx3OBUeRqSO7yyQfjgDQsP6hEK41pCOqt_PlLyFWJEICvp_6gau6L3kctLDO2Oowov5LaQB5HQmBsZ1MRx7n6yqKP_Iwo8nGd8_rt5A/s1920/deal3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7j7hX2d8-lhwhHUXM08VClq2xu6phiTwJzflECMF6tI5ZJTCPgGoqoxzreScBrCUdT3KYer9H8CmkMSWO1R8wx3OBUeRqSO7yyQfjgDQsP6hEK41pCOqt_PlLyFWJEICvp_6gau6L3kctLDO2Oowov5LaQB5HQmBsZ1MRx7n6yqKP_Iwo8nGd8_rt5A/w480-h640/deal3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>3. If you can find any character items at stores like these, grab them! Olive loves Stitch and the Stitch merchandise is so much cheaper here versus online. I have found a Stitch backpack, plates, stuffed animals and coffee cups for really affordable prices compared to online.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mom tip: If you are shopping with your kids at stores likes HomeGoods, grab a ruler for them to measure with while you shop. They're hanging all over the store. Just tear one off and have your kid measure and practice counting while you browse. Leo loved it! Also pack lots of snacks so they can snack in the cart while you shop. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74VKEf7Lzw9I5259shmemdmqk2Nc1a1smusjlb1K0KeIWWLTk6MoCibaM0gVC_RhD8zmnZYw5H26MHYbQm_rHS_G5qztSMoxCioUClTVzmY_T4Fkpxs8-usYn1PKoLyw1_HvFD1mbt2rWb387c2ncS97qs_5j037r8l_QH2MbmTvtCERHEfI53Su42Bs/s1920/deal4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74VKEf7Lzw9I5259shmemdmqk2Nc1a1smusjlb1K0KeIWWLTk6MoCibaM0gVC_RhD8zmnZYw5H26MHYbQm_rHS_G5qztSMoxCioUClTVzmY_T4Fkpxs8-usYn1PKoLyw1_HvFD1mbt2rWb387c2ncS97qs_5j037r8l_QH2MbmTvtCERHEfI53Su42Bs/w480-h640/deal4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>I love to find lamps, picture frames, wreaths, wrapping paper, holiday decor, kitchen items, pillows, rugs and gifts at these kind of stores. You can get a great deal! I do think their furniture is almost always over priced. They have cute furniture, but $500/chair doesn't feel like a HomeGoods deal to me.</p><p>Where do you have the best luck finding high end items on a budget?</p></div></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-91754969444558823632024-03-08T07:01:00.087-05:002024-03-08T07:01:00.133-05:00Friday Favorites<p>Happy Friday, Friends! I hope this week has been a good one for you! It feels like Spring in the Midwest and we are enjoying the sunshine and warm temps.</p><p>Did you catch my blog posts this week?</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/03/rainbow-charcuterie-dinner-board.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rainbow Charcuterie Dinner Board </a>- this would be so fun for St. Patrick's Day!</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/03/2-tips-to-make-your-salads-extra.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2 Tips to Make Your Salads Extra Delicious </a>- they are easy!</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/03/15-easter-amazon-favorites-for-toddler.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">15 Easter Amazon Favorites for Toddlers to Tweens</a> - art supplies, Squishmallows, egg crayons, moon shoes and more. Let me help you build your Easter baskets!</p><p><br /></p><p>Now onto my favorite moments of the week:</p><p>1. Look at these Easter cuties!! My kids love Squishmallows and I can't wait to give them their baskets. I think they're going to be excited about their color changing markers, new rolls of art paper, kites and books. <a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/03/15-easter-amazon-favorites-for-toddler.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I linked everything in my Amazon post this Wednesday.</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsn7W0Rg12U64ihmfQuHHeduMHVxCwwVNeXYWHIxJWJOCTvKKscfkIahPrRtLBBEuAeymABf8CDegOBHfH9_8ZpN64S4HL0hTeOzE4H0b7QOyxST9xYjQDgNOt-BBqcVfDzEGErCsD2ia9s4wELjXG1V2kLS0Dj-CGmM9aChyERrwrBhrhmk5iU-uQHyM/s1920/fri1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsn7W0Rg12U64ihmfQuHHeduMHVxCwwVNeXYWHIxJWJOCTvKKscfkIahPrRtLBBEuAeymABf8CDegOBHfH9_8ZpN64S4HL0hTeOzE4H0b7QOyxST9xYjQDgNOt-BBqcVfDzEGErCsD2ia9s4wELjXG1V2kLS0Dj-CGmM9aChyERrwrBhrhmk5iU-uQHyM/w480-h640/fri1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwZuzGSoEJ7AS8YgWBDomWudG7gDKmH7mW7rNWHrb56aaOxYMkhI1qCVU-UCGNEFC7qM22XfjMMlV26bW7n1gC8kXI-Qp2rJnrRA80g3HnU-iw6vLBxeNk9x8pdmDDYAfU2BV521BpF1nRzAjBfLY8tv3t4LbbU9ACQ6H-eZu1GFvwa6L7RxiO2CN9GY/s640/fri2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwZuzGSoEJ7AS8YgWBDomWudG7gDKmH7mW7rNWHrb56aaOxYMkhI1qCVU-UCGNEFC7qM22XfjMMlV26bW7n1gC8kXI-Qp2rJnrRA80g3HnU-iw6vLBxeNk9x8pdmDDYAfU2BV521BpF1nRzAjBfLY8tv3t4LbbU9ACQ6H-eZu1GFvwa6L7RxiO2CN9GY/w480-h640/fri2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>2. Dreamy lamp! I've been on the hunt for probably 2 years for a statement lamp for my kitchen. I finally found one. This dreamy Ralph Lauren lamp was splurge and I smile every time I walk into my kitchen and see it. It was totally worth the wait. More on this later!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieH-D2bIHtqbSM4ZkLUWHqLTla6-VLBTrQ0XoZ5mlAwK-hxSKKEy9uCM2eTm_Kolnaw0k32UoPFOSse1wCsq6-TzyUAF8QqQ3vDHv9sKhmC_iqXK7xcNtL9mGAaO1GA9K-em27PwWTI5Qb6NRFTQKGSSgzZu6SFT8Sw8Zy1-6AHtYcLaBS9gUwtEdHx9w/s1512/fri3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieH-D2bIHtqbSM4ZkLUWHqLTla6-VLBTrQ0XoZ5mlAwK-hxSKKEy9uCM2eTm_Kolnaw0k32UoPFOSse1wCsq6-TzyUAF8QqQ3vDHv9sKhmC_iqXK7xcNtL9mGAaO1GA9K-em27PwWTI5Qb6NRFTQKGSSgzZu6SFT8Sw8Zy1-6AHtYcLaBS9gUwtEdHx9w/w640-h640/fri3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>3. Happy Spring. I picked up these darling bunny towels for my kid's teachers this week at HomeGoods. It's a two pack. The front towel has a bunny head and the back towel has a bunny bottom. Wouldn't these be so cute in anyone's kitchen for Spring!? I can't wait to put a cute plaid bow on them and send them to school for our teachers. They were just $9.99 and seem like great quality.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsD1XvUGpsZ6XwXfyIgvcLtAl55aElt9ofCNA3A7YxVvvZRBjA5kKnKDcfLzIjewNmVZ5-J_CxbRsWODAMIGribEyq_jOMQYe5zcytlY4GiWxl3T7xwkVEb71QXxPvu1DH3qJJpyzSVyL36T4s_nx5vkE57QnczVPz5-FzLrZLqusKNm0YEhzCmoAcHM/s2016/fri4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsD1XvUGpsZ6XwXfyIgvcLtAl55aElt9ofCNA3A7YxVvvZRBjA5kKnKDcfLzIjewNmVZ5-J_CxbRsWODAMIGribEyq_jOMQYe5zcytlY4GiWxl3T7xwkVEb71QXxPvu1DH3qJJpyzSVyL36T4s_nx5vkE57QnczVPz5-FzLrZLqusKNm0YEhzCmoAcHM/w480-h640/fri4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>4. I bought myself some clovers. I love to grab these at the grocery stores in the Spring. They bloom the cutest little white flowers and will be perfect for my table for St. Patrick's Day next week.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcDTnq9ZwMt43xlVB00DlZub1uAF6nPPyplsiZys8qSBj9bOYv6KBpHiow544iJXvt_hElzRvf1MalCJR8MIRcI4hGU4ZKeCljSsbauWxOYaExyz00TmOXDL8BdwhadWdEvjn_owfOFGzHij5e61jb6i_JR3zo9F-tOQMJW1PJchQzCOQf5D1o8UDwtY/s1512/fri5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcDTnq9ZwMt43xlVB00DlZub1uAF6nPPyplsiZys8qSBj9bOYv6KBpHiow544iJXvt_hElzRvf1MalCJR8MIRcI4hGU4ZKeCljSsbauWxOYaExyz00TmOXDL8BdwhadWdEvjn_owfOFGzHij5e61jb6i_JR3zo9F-tOQMJW1PJchQzCOQf5D1o8UDwtY/w640-h640/fri5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not sure what I'm fixing for our St. Patrick's Day dinner, but I know that this rainbow charcuterie board would be perfect!! I linked my blog post at the top of this post if you want to know more about my boards.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnKz69Gxb66kcGoiyGcOCklq72_bxHzAF_YpvAGAsjLvtE-02nureOnjjeDG5LI_AdgKwRrUzw7Yp-FhTg1FHNwrUhxW39CbeNERiBgJp5O2L_R06M-rZhO3Dzubo7NjJ9NA8xlOtW2T87lUWaOWfAPnZf50RPnPPkXlpD7hErtIIIPen1VN2iubr9Mo/s1460/fri13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="1460" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnKz69Gxb66kcGoiyGcOCklq72_bxHzAF_YpvAGAsjLvtE-02nureOnjjeDG5LI_AdgKwRrUzw7Yp-FhTg1FHNwrUhxW39CbeNERiBgJp5O2L_R06M-rZhO3Dzubo7NjJ9NA8xlOtW2T87lUWaOWfAPnZf50RPnPPkXlpD7hErtIIIPen1VN2iubr9Mo/w640-h640/fri13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. This is my favorite jean jacket!! I love the little puff sleeve and I'm wearing it as often as possible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirrmg31Y5D_X0PCU_8gZxZee7lHrZ_4MT9OrCzs3SzG9viURJOZK8nkTTXXHtfFcAzH7slf0LvM_vsMQb6_DuJPfp7E1zKiRm1LzgA5E2HEUnFHJ4SbtBnZ9MTtsP0sPp6VYCUMlkdfgpS5StdjLrlp5bIqcW0Xnm_IlbJdpkBKxp8NNosulYwzXvykQ/s1280/fri7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirrmg31Y5D_X0PCU_8gZxZee7lHrZ_4MT9OrCzs3SzG9viURJOZK8nkTTXXHtfFcAzH7slf0LvM_vsMQb6_DuJPfp7E1zKiRm1LzgA5E2HEUnFHJ4SbtBnZ9MTtsP0sPp6VYCUMlkdfgpS5StdjLrlp5bIqcW0Xnm_IlbJdpkBKxp8NNosulYwzXvykQ/w640-h640/fri7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>6. Visiting Great Grandma. We popped by with a treat to see our favorite Grandma this week. The kids loved catching up with her and we all had a nice time.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1B-OHDedfFRmLpr67Oo90pkyFk35Ze2CWjdlS1Y1ST9sQT9zjcPiNtc8nS6SmyghrRZ3tjk-eJwcpzjBrN-3bXMokOLG5CSnqHy7RdxpanM7nBbQBV198UNxsBYHnrauAdWPoe_LYAhQdBmgFldGNEz3efyWYs6LE5cZ5eFuGmF4TnBWCOcyT99uDSM/s1920/fri8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1B-OHDedfFRmLpr67Oo90pkyFk35Ze2CWjdlS1Y1ST9sQT9zjcPiNtc8nS6SmyghrRZ3tjk-eJwcpzjBrN-3bXMokOLG5CSnqHy7RdxpanM7nBbQBV198UNxsBYHnrauAdWPoe_LYAhQdBmgFldGNEz3efyWYs6LE5cZ5eFuGmF4TnBWCOcyT99uDSM/w480-h640/fri8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>7. I made the yummiest lemon bundt cake! I tried out my favorite new bundt cake pan that I got for Christmas and it made the prettiest cake. I'm making another one ASAP because it was so good.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pX0iUJGXEuG0Gs51gMkZhsFXU9-3wZ4W5NXUD8fZ_R_K5mqQtIEfpmVWi9ki_98Xp5AQtbEb690FX8J6WCGILzteYPw8Icnxh4QacZeAUAlPxkILMMlBuAZnoBmCnz2FsEYwnhWrUh6tkr1BKQpnf2nyzqfp4-rOEn9QKW-KMw4MIIlTp2x1llUwXRk/s1512/fri9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pX0iUJGXEuG0Gs51gMkZhsFXU9-3wZ4W5NXUD8fZ_R_K5mqQtIEfpmVWi9ki_98Xp5AQtbEb690FX8J6WCGILzteYPw8Icnxh4QacZeAUAlPxkILMMlBuAZnoBmCnz2FsEYwnhWrUh6tkr1BKQpnf2nyzqfp4-rOEn9QKW-KMw4MIIlTp2x1llUwXRk/w640-h640/fri9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>8. The kids got invited to a skating party for a friend. We went, they skated and Fletcher can't wait to go back. He loved it. Olive loved the skating playlists and we all had a good time.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjNd6KxMEbQ3c2MAG7fG-oljRbeGU2Po4PiJnDD8tzC0T6hMifRdbJC-oG-w3GJmH6hcMnKz_gwjIKkaq-du8Reb63wBN2_Qm-J4Pf5B99qbbaaVSORvBBFQ3t8bdgfOzjK6xvn2e1_4haPOMM7lgy8teeHH5FP19gg4CGSK31ZJzjhcQFXkvQ_K7t3M/s1920/fri10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjNd6KxMEbQ3c2MAG7fG-oljRbeGU2Po4PiJnDD8tzC0T6hMifRdbJC-oG-w3GJmH6hcMnKz_gwjIKkaq-du8Reb63wBN2_Qm-J4Pf5B99qbbaaVSORvBBFQ3t8bdgfOzjK6xvn2e1_4haPOMM7lgy8teeHH5FP19gg4CGSK31ZJzjhcQFXkvQ_K7t3M/w480-h640/fri10.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnpOzyrAU9KotchW97R-RyVs3NDn2-tU4wGz17jOxsao9H4Qdjo0pwIMs5KMF8y978Ny__iU7As4AOfMz6Mr6nPGy1XXjMM_la6_aPXYBAQi9hE1vGJr_zlI-CwEtO7D9OXfMdqVVCyPKkhZ_bx1PAjTsBMITU-hAkemeKrczZV-8W62W-5KlAK8F0ww/s1890/fri11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnpOzyrAU9KotchW97R-RyVs3NDn2-tU4wGz17jOxsao9H4Qdjo0pwIMs5KMF8y978Ny__iU7As4AOfMz6Mr6nPGy1XXjMM_la6_aPXYBAQi9hE1vGJr_zlI-CwEtO7D9OXfMdqVVCyPKkhZ_bx1PAjTsBMITU-hAkemeKrczZV-8W62W-5KlAK8F0ww/w512-h640/fri11.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvDJHqx1crvtXudGvDCuH0O-PJ8oaFWtXbbiDV-2t9BTBqMvuuzOKN_i8wE7Lf-JsZR1FxTHZ2ZVoXECSCG0dlaiBM0JMK-9jGJWKdc0bESxBAMHeKwlvg9vepEBnxBJz2t5IPKj4TpF-clcAx2v6QTftMYn_g1JBnQdpDxvMzszR4azfDzgN1zTFe4M/s1920/fri12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvDJHqx1crvtXudGvDCuH0O-PJ8oaFWtXbbiDV-2t9BTBqMvuuzOKN_i8wE7Lf-JsZR1FxTHZ2ZVoXECSCG0dlaiBM0JMK-9jGJWKdc0bESxBAMHeKwlvg9vepEBnxBJz2t5IPKj4TpF-clcAx2v6QTftMYn_g1JBnQdpDxvMzszR4azfDzgN1zTFe4M/w480-h640/fri12.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />9. Backyard boys. These two would live outside if they could. They built a hut and are proud to say that it's still standing after a week.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFegEgNFfmyOQlCkXzyoQ_cLrZtmVI1Bd1nAwB4z-Ws_ppbpGVyKS6pfUsMHxCce3kDZDERjykwmGrdkMPQlQxI7Z7HB1_ksf9AyN9JGHS5-BShL2IgraqcsB-Xir3LhyQDh-yPKa7RW9NIjHfT5DfyQ0Qvqnx2migExfrGNxm7fhbdR76RksEuM6RA48/s1512/fri14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFegEgNFfmyOQlCkXzyoQ_cLrZtmVI1Bd1nAwB4z-Ws_ppbpGVyKS6pfUsMHxCce3kDZDERjykwmGrdkMPQlQxI7Z7HB1_ksf9AyN9JGHS5-BShL2IgraqcsB-Xir3LhyQDh-yPKa7RW9NIjHfT5DfyQ0Qvqnx2migExfrGNxm7fhbdR76RksEuM6RA48/w640-h640/fri14.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>10. Off to church. I got the church by myself last weekend which felt like a big accomlishment. The older two fight over who loves Leo the most. They always want to hold his hand and for him to call them their favorite person. I hope they're always best buds.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw-2rbkX8HCkGXVKm82fuJLVTTheLFxEAgUchhjjcdz_rFB2fLjavNysPdyvTEYfb-pqwHTSEhqcv5WLOEWq1WEBdRJKHRgeJXclaONktuiaNQfiXkhQBxJTmRFPheseKnq5vX6zr-nGF767ELf0IPvG6FO8NdmSmAnfhK3GCPuSD4rDsYk37yIthChI/s1920/fri15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw-2rbkX8HCkGXVKm82fuJLVTTheLFxEAgUchhjjcdz_rFB2fLjavNysPdyvTEYfb-pqwHTSEhqcv5WLOEWq1WEBdRJKHRgeJXclaONktuiaNQfiXkhQBxJTmRFPheseKnq5vX6zr-nGF767ELf0IPvG6FO8NdmSmAnfhK3GCPuSD4rDsYk37yIthChI/w480-h640/fri15.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>11. If you need a fun, Eastery meal to serve your kids, try this one. My kids love an egg carton lunch. I put lots of bites of lots of things and add in some Easter candy. They think it's the best and it's so easy to assemble.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIQ2OK-CXSFSACOcW1cUbUDAGXWILUNpMr4NZg-2Y2uIDGb3gFF12YUwWGckfqOoXRL_2wrCUAJbZ-9qzvn2PyNseg3xLfZvus0cWNLw1BhlsD3_ywEjdHo3XSLIEgrwMpjy7oyVdx0jeFtQF2b1gA2EzoFf-0cKk-J6_JsyYRPcnyUvGvvY1VhZB3MI/s1920/fri16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIQ2OK-CXSFSACOcW1cUbUDAGXWILUNpMr4NZg-2Y2uIDGb3gFF12YUwWGckfqOoXRL_2wrCUAJbZ-9qzvn2PyNseg3xLfZvus0cWNLw1BhlsD3_ywEjdHo3XSLIEgrwMpjy7oyVdx0jeFtQF2b1gA2EzoFf-0cKk-J6_JsyYRPcnyUvGvvY1VhZB3MI/w480-h640/fri16.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>12. My favorite salad of the week included thick cut bacon and grilled chicken. It made my regular lunch salad so much more delicious!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXnwq3x9PdpNs0behkGgDrwHwU9MopkUILbseqpHi0z1r8Hke7VkQ_li3402pQ7vYbyOPd4i34CKIIOGk2pDtilitLsoFynfZBHWieZH6_SWaNkU7NOcfgs5LSmnwm5mZS2tpeamfndSpsH_3z0i4MqhW4xum15zRwUH7iu8MIQJ8awf3Icz-5xYaZeM/s1512/fri17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXnwq3x9PdpNs0behkGgDrwHwU9MopkUILbseqpHi0z1r8Hke7VkQ_li3402pQ7vYbyOPd4i34CKIIOGk2pDtilitLsoFynfZBHWieZH6_SWaNkU7NOcfgs5LSmnwm5mZS2tpeamfndSpsH_3z0i4MqhW4xum15zRwUH7iu8MIQJ8awf3Icz-5xYaZeM/w640-h640/fri17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>13. Leo's favorite thing is having control of his window and opening it to enjoy the nice weather. I love seeing his little hand out in the sunshine.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWJhh5zoZXnfhW5bJnJFvwl-vbrmG42FrXA6Ns9GMmaDp4uYcEJrVSTIWb1Hlaap-bNMEZu2OFIgAZdwL-TaKPsf_-8vHiaApvtbiMmzltdmgaU-h0IQiuAkyWayTkz7669JAwM8nRUV5F60-YFabK5VxmWkhc3sxDc64ZxE0lPok58bXPRHh7qnPRHg/s1920/fri18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWJhh5zoZXnfhW5bJnJFvwl-vbrmG42FrXA6Ns9GMmaDp4uYcEJrVSTIWb1Hlaap-bNMEZu2OFIgAZdwL-TaKPsf_-8vHiaApvtbiMmzltdmgaU-h0IQiuAkyWayTkz7669JAwM8nRUV5F60-YFabK5VxmWkhc3sxDc64ZxE0lPok58bXPRHh7qnPRHg/w480-h640/fri18.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>14. Kevin had a fun trip to Las Vegas this week with some family. They golfed, gambled and made some good memories. He loved his first visit to Top Golf, saw a magic show, ate delicious food and he bumped into his all time favorite professor/mentor from his days at University of Utah. They were at the same hotel, the same time frame for totally different things and it was a wonderful surprise reunion in the elevator. I love those kind of surprises so much. It's a good reminder that God cares about every little detail of our lives and that great teachers are so important!! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQ1QW-xWOWvspIgshEE4UagONT6aL3EOJ6BgjZWhR5iKkBj5tIZbCp_KfV2TKwPFl7uOVDdKIVsyEkblWvHUPEiWVWkzYjFRy3_j_jgTk2WRaQo_Bm2RV1TaE8hFNuF6m9tu2UxNQKM_UJTswtCQa1lAn4U-yzzU773R9ZfA6EOns2HvbruLjK8gh5wM/s1920/fri19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQ1QW-xWOWvspIgshEE4UagONT6aL3EOJ6BgjZWhR5iKkBj5tIZbCp_KfV2TKwPFl7uOVDdKIVsyEkblWvHUPEiWVWkzYjFRy3_j_jgTk2WRaQo_Bm2RV1TaE8hFNuF6m9tu2UxNQKM_UJTswtCQa1lAn4U-yzzU773R9ZfA6EOns2HvbruLjK8gh5wM/w480-h640/fri19.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsqEYP3C6byEtOpDLZLQoQqd3kJw6ZiE37sCEWs7JN1uYySBCkGly_0Mh7C5B7bUTdxt4lJ0eKuIwFbtjBcIcH5X6z7eLwKTu9vhYhKMcBr6kdpiAdualxbUNIS_fWLO6IXQ__qImkWuq6Kv3N4CNTgtcQsdetkpAKVySWDlyK3_O_ZtPPQHp477_f8s/s1280/fri20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsqEYP3C6byEtOpDLZLQoQqd3kJw6ZiE37sCEWs7JN1uYySBCkGly_0Mh7C5B7bUTdxt4lJ0eKuIwFbtjBcIcH5X6z7eLwKTu9vhYhKMcBr6kdpiAdualxbUNIS_fWLO6IXQ__qImkWuq6Kv3N4CNTgtcQsdetkpAKVySWDlyK3_O_ZtPPQHp477_f8s/w640-h480/fri20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXIv7lQvarGY5obNZzWMF2PVpfklDqkgZlKfQFqyzitmJeeuQB7Q_A1rxDvM6Wc7JAb8rP7iLB0ICTCn9XCatAeW_PxM0epBvZpD6yLjiiwbsyJI7utvJjVXakWtPPmo1WvKG1WDI26rkx7Jm3LvGwS6K6_gnnGDHSkQdl-T8CRSByjCoU5oWYKZezeU/s1280/fri21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXIv7lQvarGY5obNZzWMF2PVpfklDqkgZlKfQFqyzitmJeeuQB7Q_A1rxDvM6Wc7JAb8rP7iLB0ICTCn9XCatAeW_PxM0epBvZpD6yLjiiwbsyJI7utvJjVXakWtPPmo1WvKG1WDI26rkx7Jm3LvGwS6K6_gnnGDHSkQdl-T8CRSByjCoU5oWYKZezeU/w480-h640/fri21.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>He brought back Las Vegas souvenirs for all of us!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vMwMXcb2KH-xfEQVssSE8Z_x2qS9j7Q1hPJSyn_4jAU3B2llntNIJllBMeCb8DZTZLPEP6JBLG3KgL4ZQmAl-_-RNuGP9B67iGnwak0mujefnn6Rb0cbEJPR4hoqhU3PRurfwWIo3RhSBzLmoUB_MjGN-RemVnSrH3FzxpX92rF06rMOQtOgJNXpSRQ/s1920/fri6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vMwMXcb2KH-xfEQVssSE8Z_x2qS9j7Q1hPJSyn_4jAU3B2llntNIJllBMeCb8DZTZLPEP6JBLG3KgL4ZQmAl-_-RNuGP9B67iGnwak0mujefnn6Rb0cbEJPR4hoqhU3PRurfwWIo3RhSBzLmoUB_MjGN-RemVnSrH3FzxpX92rF06rMOQtOgJNXpSRQ/w480-h640/fri6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>15. Hot Wheels cars are definitely Leo's favorite. Any grocery store trip is better when you get a new car or two. It's the best $2 I spend all week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNc7L-O_rM_EkW-8Zg4-pAtxBrpIbfGVCrCJ-mVNhSSa8HNYMFsPyuVYXwdrcW7jnrWvcXdQzoVmS8AfmTOtbVL7FArZPz4JRs6YcmcDChqNLoaw4deRG78SEEp3ebgSMLj7-El5tOEIz5lbF3GzpTqXP2xpfSzjAYRlj_zT7s8o46vgy_dXt-v0aR4Y0/s1920/fri22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNc7L-O_rM_EkW-8Zg4-pAtxBrpIbfGVCrCJ-mVNhSSa8HNYMFsPyuVYXwdrcW7jnrWvcXdQzoVmS8AfmTOtbVL7FArZPz4JRs6YcmcDChqNLoaw4deRG78SEEp3ebgSMLj7-El5tOEIz5lbF3GzpTqXP2xpfSzjAYRlj_zT7s8o46vgy_dXt-v0aR4Y0/w480-h640/fri22.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>16. Pretty Pearl. She doesn't get as much air time as the other cats, but she's so sweet. She loves me the most, is my shadow all day long and loves to sleep on my side at night. You'll likely never see her if you come to my house because she's shy, but she perfectly friendly and sweet when it's just us.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZ-rAkbWWhLVFULr8XR1NwRkYDO18QwzNLOYfg42C2vxBOYFJ6ji-9XZusi13WlZkUJY7_yXjz6zNwt8CKdN7bDMDqSqGyMIHEtlmHBlpXwQaJ8c7bkXGsgnsqrNuxOtxCY3NtzKfXo4dC7nV_9Rp0EKBo0BRIg3KvCOG54IAa4YBSwtkJ8zTAUUbuG8/s1920/fri23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZ-rAkbWWhLVFULr8XR1NwRkYDO18QwzNLOYfg42C2vxBOYFJ6ji-9XZusi13WlZkUJY7_yXjz6zNwt8CKdN7bDMDqSqGyMIHEtlmHBlpXwQaJ8c7bkXGsgnsqrNuxOtxCY3NtzKfXo4dC7nV_9Rp0EKBo0BRIg3KvCOG54IAa4YBSwtkJ8zTAUUbuG8/w480-h640/fri23.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Have a wonderful weekend!! I'll see you back here on Monday!</p><p>Linking up with <a href="https://www.momfessionals.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Momfessionals</a></p></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-51826752658547090732024-03-06T07:01:00.162-05:002024-03-06T07:01:00.158-05:0015 Easter Amazon Favorites for Toddler to Tweens<p>I have SO many good Amazon Easter finds to share with you today.</p><p>Easter is 25 days away! Are you ready? Amazon and I can help you get ready!</p><p>I can't wait to show you what I found to add to my kid's Easter baskets. I refreshed our baskets this year with these darling canvas bunny baskets from HomeGoods. They were each under $10 and such good quality. Olive's bunny basket is lined with floral like the ears. If you are looking for an Amazon version of my bunny baskets - this is a cute one <a href="https://amzn.to/4a0axCU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Evoio Easter Bunny Basket</a>!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJjbxcCtuN8UciyuFOo0Xba1H_dKueF9JXAgVy4vYBs0PpwiDJUnHiuwNsLqK3FGg3EEKM-PyNHOlAoTwsHRgfvdsIn16nzwynmP_4CPlAlRNP-K4QoPdmM2UYVcIhD12RPFX9Dz6GKbSIDtwdINvRh3cPfaYTD5DS6ttc5VgPen6GirVnyuC_ygq8aw/s1920/easter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJjbxcCtuN8UciyuFOo0Xba1H_dKueF9JXAgVy4vYBs0PpwiDJUnHiuwNsLqK3FGg3EEKM-PyNHOlAoTwsHRgfvdsIn16nzwynmP_4CPlAlRNP-K4QoPdmM2UYVcIhD12RPFX9Dz6GKbSIDtwdINvRh3cPfaYTD5DS6ttc5VgPen6GirVnyuC_ygq8aw/w480-h640/easter1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>My goal is to fill their baskets with a mix of practical things they need, a few fun things and Easter candy. Each kid got a new pair of pajamas for Spring, kites, art supplies, their favorite holiday candy and a few special surprises just for them.</p><p>I included my Amazon links to as much as I could below.</p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-pgsLal7zbqETkqEgf2duyQoZZcnSeZQd_Ge-e3KRW3x4DtaxL9Y2dHinULiuU4LWOR87N8NVWQETW9zndmnM9l5xm5tif8ei5EB0YHDV96Te2YV319r3MNMkyucisku0c2Jnm_Ha6nMEbAei50XFu6-O_Bm79Ks55vHmr-NkPuLP4RvVUvstvferNw/s1920/easter11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-pgsLal7zbqETkqEgf2duyQoZZcnSeZQd_Ge-e3KRW3x4DtaxL9Y2dHinULiuU4LWOR87N8NVWQETW9zndmnM9l5xm5tif8ei5EB0YHDV96Te2YV319r3MNMkyucisku0c2Jnm_Ha6nMEbAei50XFu6-O_Bm79Ks55vHmr-NkPuLP4RvVUvstvferNw/w480-h640/easter11.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/48Mp8ka" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Easter Bunny Squishmallow with a carrot hat</a></div><div><br /></div>Basket #1:<div>Easter Bunny Stitch came from 5 Below. That is the very best place to find really affordable character merchandise. He was $5.95 and would easily be triple that price online.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MmWV8Io_IZgYrNVC-3n2_uGGvT2_FHFbsis4nI31lc5lsK_HNdzywZseBzkTzDPopT8ufXQ4XflJXRrzAGxlb3E-UEtYnN5qQByXAApx-e-s4rE5dx73JHT6di93k-sTkuTBjvhtaGA6NncjEZH4oR0ekg7v7YU1GKuVdIlBAww0Fg90nFhtIPJR9yc/s1920/easter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MmWV8Io_IZgYrNVC-3n2_uGGvT2_FHFbsis4nI31lc5lsK_HNdzywZseBzkTzDPopT8ufXQ4XflJXRrzAGxlb3E-UEtYnN5qQByXAApx-e-s4rE5dx73JHT6di93k-sTkuTBjvhtaGA6NncjEZH4oR0ekg7v7YU1GKuVdIlBAww0Fg90nFhtIPJR9yc/w480-h640/easter2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>All the 5th grade girls are wearing Lululemon so we splurged and got Olive this fuzzy Lululemon belt bag. She can wear it to school or carry it when we're out and about. We don't have a Lululemon store nearby, so Amazon was our best option. She also has the <a href="https://amzn.to/48H0a5F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">$11 Amazon Belt Bag</a> in orange and enjoys using that one, too. It comes in tons of colors and would be a great option to try to see if your tween likes that style of bag or if they might like a new color belt bag for Spring.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/436rGse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lululemon Athletica Everywhere Fleece Belt Bag in Light Ivory</a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QDTijajEpY66_fqfcOfg_bkD8XVV8_XctZgHG9YX6Va7s7kRk54fffHrBmfHcqg9jQHK1b1PoeOwk70aeU9BrIoNKcbridDpO5s9GH3yBlZN5csnHLpZP0lBu0keXsZpa8zuauwBSj2eKN1Z3N191Fvo0YCtRPnLJM-wYuIy_Kd3lMkEzGbI1Q_Dqiw/s1920/easter3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QDTijajEpY66_fqfcOfg_bkD8XVV8_XctZgHG9YX6Va7s7kRk54fffHrBmfHcqg9jQHK1b1PoeOwk70aeU9BrIoNKcbridDpO5s9GH3yBlZN5csnHLpZP0lBu0keXsZpa8zuauwBSj2eKN1Z3N191Fvo0YCtRPnLJM-wYuIy_Kd3lMkEzGbI1Q_Dqiw/w480-h640/easter3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The kids each got a roll of new art paper and something to draw with. I think my tween will love these color changing markers.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3TloiXe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ooly 12 Pack Switcheroo Color Changing Markers</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3VnbFwn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Melissa and Doug Art Paper Roll 3 Pack</a> - 52% off right now!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNc4gwQ-lRPvBBawz9vI8eqWT0Zl9eHRx0yudb-gqd9j63n-pkGnLAbDTO3PEjfc5a5iaNnEuLSGR-0mo_rcTS50DAyRyE4uwo0Zr5Oo_-71JJrodSJz17fwwQeKuY7jmhIHTeWZjCSMzYyBdiFjhB95q55TQDtFPCCZfpULkCtVMNpzmmMDW93-LREso/s1920/easter4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNc4gwQ-lRPvBBawz9vI8eqWT0Zl9eHRx0yudb-gqd9j63n-pkGnLAbDTO3PEjfc5a5iaNnEuLSGR-0mo_rcTS50DAyRyE4uwo0Zr5Oo_-71JJrodSJz17fwwQeKuY7jmhIHTeWZjCSMzYyBdiFjhB95q55TQDtFPCCZfpULkCtVMNpzmmMDW93-LREso/w480-h640/easter4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Basket #2:</div><div>My kids love to fly kites so they each got a new kite in their basket. Tiny Nerf guns are always a hit with my boys.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/48JHGBD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tiny Nerf gun two pack</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/430vQSx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JOYIN 3 Pack Large Kites</a> - 21% off right now!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TfgWbzsV_qfj97tEMGc0lTHEZB69BfCvJwHj3vMI-_baZQn6sA8nCPA4eeP3If_3m_LvJD7VN_n4SD-BUG7NAQqXo0tbfuMqOmEhhvDmSjMTw64rf8Hc6_rcqyyFNYFlbu2_I46a3JYezNlJkY5RkHaQiMStla7bb2mLV8KYri1J7wF_R3DFPmIR7xA/s1920/easter5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TfgWbzsV_qfj97tEMGc0lTHEZB69BfCvJwHj3vMI-_baZQn6sA8nCPA4eeP3If_3m_LvJD7VN_n4SD-BUG7NAQqXo0tbfuMqOmEhhvDmSjMTw64rf8Hc6_rcqyyFNYFlbu2_I46a3JYezNlJkY5RkHaQiMStla7bb2mLV8KYri1J7wF_R3DFPmIR7xA/w480-h640/easter5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://amzn.to/3IqVENW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mr Sketch Scented Markers</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF_9N9Qzcqwe9_n8VeF0b-WVne-efio6iIapbiutjlr_nFSoYaQsPJtLi41fpNAuW5nufyFGpMmRbMq1QyBWff_EricRuR0n1l5sCUU4J5LMe0scHo5zL5CL16_mgFWgqrIYm2RkV5bo0E2Utfsp7T6UELhVQFzv1QTCxBLg8ABMMLJV7lrScbVfq78k/s1920/easter6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF_9N9Qzcqwe9_n8VeF0b-WVne-efio6iIapbiutjlr_nFSoYaQsPJtLi41fpNAuW5nufyFGpMmRbMq1QyBWff_EricRuR0n1l5sCUU4J5LMe0scHo5zL5CL16_mgFWgqrIYm2RkV5bo0E2Utfsp7T6UELhVQFzv1QTCxBLg8ABMMLJV7lrScbVfq78k/w480-h640/easter6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Exploding Bunny Poop was a fun find at my favorite local grocery store Schnucks. It's in the Easter section!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMasxzC7bKZqVynQeaUlu_nREgLG5etyNL0toQ8YVZfA3FtO10hviz3-yW1BE43qgnwG_IltAu0YFW1I30lZ-1jE2JFvVMINKUEnc7Q_qk638j2aCQoI9wsevz229d7HYHr_ZWquaInjzafvjKZBae4Rgbr9p3A9JR8LojZtXP5MmGgyYYB1UA1R29Yg/s1920/easter7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMasxzC7bKZqVynQeaUlu_nREgLG5etyNL0toQ8YVZfA3FtO10hviz3-yW1BE43qgnwG_IltAu0YFW1I30lZ-1jE2JFvVMINKUEnc7Q_qk638j2aCQoI9wsevz229d7HYHr_ZWquaInjzafvjKZBae4Rgbr9p3A9JR8LojZtXP5MmGgyYYB1UA1R29Yg/w480-h640/easter7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Basket #3:</div><div>This basket has some new hot wheels in Easter/Spring colors in his basket along with the following things...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnE_B7UlaUmzCZ284NCptPRXG2rWVvZicVM-spH3s-4Aok8Nd-WNuPuNnJCIcOAmBbZUNciMbZdyhEHJV6pHN2eJZ__Ha6IEVULHB0fZXPR55qw2_tH1AzoYIDOUIxxQ2flRATsMcNllYcTJYWxTRaU8aWWu_wi_E1MfSztqoeYjs6bn0ngzcjdn6B5Q0/s1920/easter8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnE_B7UlaUmzCZ284NCptPRXG2rWVvZicVM-spH3s-4Aok8Nd-WNuPuNnJCIcOAmBbZUNciMbZdyhEHJV6pHN2eJZ__Ha6IEVULHB0fZXPR55qw2_tH1AzoYIDOUIxxQ2flRATsMcNllYcTJYWxTRaU8aWWu_wi_E1MfSztqoeYjs6bn0ngzcjdn6B5Q0/w480-h640/easter8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Leo loves this series so I got him the Easter board book.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/437b4QU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Where Do Diggers Hunt for Easter Eggs?</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOiUHj0YohD_BIDtJqPwjJGdaxQDYrkU5xt2wLrT5Oj_OEyYqfIZPyrflPrRHm5b3mT5XWs6YpbdWSWRlnKO0Oiuuj2Y78i66kISOvTf9_oNbJhmBHP6xnqWSNdmlEYPfYeskhjx_oLq46Km1WzbeNb9XQe_nQA5TuViYogDTe6KHycTNKXwSQtB-X4E/s1920/easter9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOiUHj0YohD_BIDtJqPwjJGdaxQDYrkU5xt2wLrT5Oj_OEyYqfIZPyrflPrRHm5b3mT5XWs6YpbdWSWRlnKO0Oiuuj2Y78i66kISOvTf9_oNbJhmBHP6xnqWSNdmlEYPfYeskhjx_oLq46Km1WzbeNb9XQe_nQA5TuViYogDTe6KHycTNKXwSQtB-X4E/w480-h640/easter9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://amzn.to/3P9K2CK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Palm Grip Crayon Set of 9 Egg Crayons</a> - these have the best reviews and 9 different colors - 30% off right now!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZy9Jbtfjm3vbvDYSom_mC-1bFvkPEcSzGOQzAm2BQJpCObPh0HJcHJjCPvaa_oecQlTQtXTu4o-U1JliaiVDixJcLzsrjGnKjYWkHs9yE7YmO1_ZC4XDMcgfU_CALeEKHjozfGcDQw-LZPFl1WrcZW9fJ_dK3gPOQhw0QHSC-Jc47YoX71OYe7Tc8YI/s1920/easter10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZy9Jbtfjm3vbvDYSom_mC-1bFvkPEcSzGOQzAm2BQJpCObPh0HJcHJjCPvaa_oecQlTQtXTu4o-U1JliaiVDixJcLzsrjGnKjYWkHs9yE7YmO1_ZC4XDMcgfU_CALeEKHjozfGcDQw-LZPFl1WrcZW9fJ_dK3gPOQhw0QHSC-Jc47YoX71OYe7Tc8YI/w480-h640/easter10.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Here are a few more things the kids will be getting for Spring or already have and love for Spring. A mix of practical and fun!</p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/4a0gy2o" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Moon Shoes Bouncy Shoes</a> - 25% off - great for older kids! My 7 year old loves them and we just gifted them to a friend turning 9. They are really fun</p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/49CWS4V" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keary 2 Pack Kids Swim Googles</a> - Limited time deal! - My kids are getting these goggles for spring break</p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/3P4RsY0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aunnitery Kids Toys - Toss & Catch Velcro Ball Sets</a> - 30% off clippable coupon - I got the three pack for my crew to enjoy this spring so there were plenty of balls and paddles to share with friends.</p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/3VaARWN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wise Owl Outfitters Kids Hammocks</a> - I got new hammocks for the kids for Spring. We had two of these and used them daily for 2+ years. They finally needed replaced. They're so affordable and sturdy. They worked for my toddler to my preteen.</p><p><br /></p><p>I hope that helps give you some ideas for your kid's Easter baskets!! I'd love to hear about what you are putting in your Easter baskets. All of my kids all have Spring birthdays so I'll be shopping for that next!</p><p>Linking up with Tanya for <a href="https://txtanya.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prime Purchases</a></p></div></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-17045163331776675102024-03-05T07:01:00.028-05:002024-03-05T07:01:00.127-05:002 Tips to Make Your Salads Extra Delicious<p>I am trying to eat more salads. That requires regularly buying, chopping and actually eating salads at home. My goal is a salad a day and it happens more often than not. I've been doing side salads with dinner, big salads for lunch or dinner or getting a salad when I'm out to eat. </p><p>I've got two tips for you that will make salad eating so much more enjoyable for you. It obviously helps if you have dressings you really enjoy and know your favorite salad ingredients. If not, start small and buy a new dressing or a new veggie and discover what you love on your salads.</p><p><br /></p><p>#1 Chop your veggies in advance.</p><p>Grab a big container with a lid (this Tupperware cupcake container works great) and put little bowls or ramekins inside. Fill the little bowls with your favorite bite sized ingredients. Then when you want to eat a salad, you have everything ready to go! It will feel like your own little salad bar at home.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-qdv9YjrpKtLdzyl-ew7oNsUAe6LqZ6C-FCo2TGpDLaOGRpK9AH6qyHqKFCw5Z66sbnRASJdxHgXlLM9iPm8DVlHCBfP5Qtn4F_liL6Ejc1PXZGEtmCsP2cA4Y-sCNXVbXOHgwdg6jcala50Osj0zlA3TdbWS5vFcgliEwuYQs12b5VeJm0yzUPcIcw/s1512/salad1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-qdv9YjrpKtLdzyl-ew7oNsUAe6LqZ6C-FCo2TGpDLaOGRpK9AH6qyHqKFCw5Z66sbnRASJdxHgXlLM9iPm8DVlHCBfP5Qtn4F_liL6Ejc1PXZGEtmCsP2cA4Y-sCNXVbXOHgwdg6jcala50Osj0zlA3TdbWS5vFcgliEwuYQs12b5VeJm0yzUPcIcw/w640-h640/salad1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>#2 Make extra protein at dinner time and save it for your salads.</p><p>This past week I grilled an extra chicken breast and cooked some extra bacon. I chopped them into bite size pieces and refrigerated them. Then when I wanted a salad for lunch, I put a serving of protein in a skillet and heated it up while I was building my salad. It made my salad much more filling and much quicker since I just needed to reheat the fully cooked meats. Mixing the grilled chicken and thick cut bacon was an excellent idea.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuI6Kp5_EfrkFZbVbkk0v4H5xqF-ueyhkvHy-iJM1mi1WlRHcFqWxZ4SEQa0n9q0r_AWvvz3cmbGf_Qn6e-tUN7JwhRDsfg-YYIj3IIGKGnYfrqUWMaYRCmPiNP0rxyVUwJFnOwcX-deTWqg7CdeyLPERqJxcJwBEsEDMIBLjBmLciQGoUE13y5EC6UI/s1512/salad2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuI6Kp5_EfrkFZbVbkk0v4H5xqF-ueyhkvHy-iJM1mi1WlRHcFqWxZ4SEQa0n9q0r_AWvvz3cmbGf_Qn6e-tUN7JwhRDsfg-YYIj3IIGKGnYfrqUWMaYRCmPiNP0rxyVUwJFnOwcX-deTWqg7CdeyLPERqJxcJwBEsEDMIBLjBmLciQGoUE13y5EC6UI/w640-h640/salad2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Enjoy those yummy salads!</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-44159440755250105412024-03-04T07:01:00.041-05:002024-03-04T07:01:00.134-05:00Rainbow Charcuterie Dinner Board<p>My family loves when they see a charcuterie board on the menu! I don't make them as often as I used to, but they feel like the perfect warm weather dinner. </p><p>You can prep everything ahead of time. Chop the cheeses, fruits, veggies and prep the meats the night before or earlier in the day. Leave everything in containers in the fridge so that your board will come together so quickly at dinner time. That means I can play outside with the kids and help with homework up until dinner time and have very little work to do to assemble my board. This kind of meal also means very few dishes to mess with.</p><p>We had this for dinner last week and it was a hit!</p><p>Wouldn't this be such a fun rainbow dinner for St. Patrick's Day this month?</p><p>Prettiest, yummiest dinner ever!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmQLSM-_gDZzyC5BtT6N_6o_tiAAiNvVGtEbeW7hql-y2u0AUiX4g2jcfm8i5f9w6OwxZOFZO_IneRl57A4E3u_eJoLPNdLUDLfOaP-YrFeWeD8MHeHArNfIBA1FDpL_6Zz43couJzBZS1fUsPIkvj7GDCDg3skDDwzn7xY_HaokMM0UoFh6VokJLaDg/s1512/charcuterie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmQLSM-_gDZzyC5BtT6N_6o_tiAAiNvVGtEbeW7hql-y2u0AUiX4g2jcfm8i5f9w6OwxZOFZO_IneRl57A4E3u_eJoLPNdLUDLfOaP-YrFeWeD8MHeHArNfIBA1FDpL_6Zz43couJzBZS1fUsPIkvj7GDCDg3skDDwzn7xY_HaokMM0UoFh6VokJLaDg/w640-h640/charcuterie1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>A good board at our house includes 4-5 cheeses, meats, fruits, veggies, crackers and dips. I also plan to have this meal twice in one week to make sure that none of those meats and cheeses go to waste.</div><div><br /></div><div>I buy some things just for board dinners (salami, cheeses, rosemary crackers) and then use up lots of things that we already have on hand. We finish up bags of chips, crackers, the last few mandarin oranges, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have one kid who will try anything if I present it on a charcuterie board. It's such a fun way for him to try new foods and find new favorites - pepperjack cheese & rosemary crackers! I think it's because there are tons of foods he knows he loves on the board so he feels no pressure when he tries some new foods.</div><div><br /></div><div>I made a loaf of crusty bread to go this meal to make it a little more filling for dinner. Then I put all of the leftovers in the kid's school lunches for the next day.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5f3sjvqIBG7yeMgT6aIpIFJVJuZrHkwQuFZBw-TSeUKwBhHlVJcRg76sVY-bWhvPHwQIQtr1NsOJPz9CQrPyQsCdLn3IUnlU8jhBzeyBsMbnzM_jtjRRj9FPwO71SCWgHlKW6DXTgJGGJW8kHtuBOmNsjj05VmCfLNMsaAdpM9_1YZ4lGfR_9DCzNyk/s1512/charcuterie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5f3sjvqIBG7yeMgT6aIpIFJVJuZrHkwQuFZBw-TSeUKwBhHlVJcRg76sVY-bWhvPHwQIQtr1NsOJPz9CQrPyQsCdLn3IUnlU8jhBzeyBsMbnzM_jtjRRj9FPwO71SCWgHlKW6DXTgJGGJW8kHtuBOmNsjj05VmCfLNMsaAdpM9_1YZ4lGfR_9DCzNyk/w640-h640/charcuterie2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>You've got to add charcuterie boards to your menu now that the weather is getting warmer! Start small with just 1-2 meats and cheeses and a few other fruits, veggies and salty snacks. Then add more to your board as you feel comfortable.</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-78069472155955080592024-03-01T07:01:00.004-05:002024-03-01T07:01:00.132-05:00Friday Favorites<p>Happy Friday and Happy March, friends! I hope you've had a nice week.</p><p><br /></p><p>Did you catch my blog posts this week?</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/look-for-flowers.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Look for the Flowers</a> - a good goal for each day.</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/stove-top-smash-burgers.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stove Top Smash Burgers</a> - a delicious dinner!</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/february-coffee-chat.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">February Coffee Chat</a> - come read about my spring wardrobe wish list & favorite mascara!</p><p><br /></p><p>Now onto my favorite moments of the week:</p><p>1. I dropped Olive and her friends off at youth group and found the happiest rainbow on the sidewalk. Rainbows will always make me smile.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7ssEuCw1QuZeeIeq6lcoxAZXv4os7xENV6HwIOvOoS17gPS4KOWfuU7wFoX12-yaE-Frhwb05DUWoc-0cXSIUC55mkJs7xIJ6K5sSwlXytydvQTm4Xlscf7li-eBR5aSObFWAabgLJEzeWFqUc1sbDfzLI3vaab1kbwVg0G26oywIGun-JP5q7VelCE/s1280/friday1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7ssEuCw1QuZeeIeq6lcoxAZXv4os7xENV6HwIOvOoS17gPS4KOWfuU7wFoX12-yaE-Frhwb05DUWoc-0cXSIUC55mkJs7xIJ6K5sSwlXytydvQTm4Xlscf7li-eBR5aSObFWAabgLJEzeWFqUc1sbDfzLI3vaab1kbwVg0G26oywIGun-JP5q7VelCE/w640-h640/friday1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>2. Kevin and I got to go out on a date night for the first time in months. We tried a new restaurant and loved it. We can't wait to go back to Pangea for pizza. It was nice to catch up with friends while trying a new restaurant. Now that we know how the place works (order first, then be seated, food is slow to come out, ask for water at the counter, try to sit in the bar if you can get a table, save room for dessert), we're more prepared to go back next time.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtv5qBXa1O0InLLyCelH-hWd4h8dQSuUodIE35N-_pPulETZQo1PPcQ9M_nXnMBGxu2QuGeS8pVCXmCdIZpEFpcw8hmcMBtPk0OgjLEM0cyh0OmWOUeRhQUGRMIdRkicbV30zAcUc9AMKN4anMs2AA746z44mqOVZ-hTV_HyTW2B26jEqX6FvheOYxmQ/s1448/friday2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1158" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtv5qBXa1O0InLLyCelH-hWd4h8dQSuUodIE35N-_pPulETZQo1PPcQ9M_nXnMBGxu2QuGeS8pVCXmCdIZpEFpcw8hmcMBtPk0OgjLEM0cyh0OmWOUeRhQUGRMIdRkicbV30zAcUc9AMKN4anMs2AA746z44mqOVZ-hTV_HyTW2B26jEqX6FvheOYxmQ/w512-h640/friday2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div><br /></div>3. Matilda Jane dresses will always be my favorite. I've still not gotten over the fact that they closed. The details, quality and fabric just can't be beat. I wore this favorite dress to church on Sunday.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQk9AmXjlZ69IDR1FQuUgjJUTpdMQNG5m5pCKt7rMmB0RYoCi2aCXnhmQ10_Gg7XIdzd2yWLT0JYf7N9HwA2W_HkYWymOnc8jXWIPAY3_smCrm0b3TiyWth3JHB566f2-No3OVR9DlALH8Fi_YDSncN8kelTkhSvdkzA5PH5mJyjloX0yq4WobRWZrQcE/s1280/friday3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQk9AmXjlZ69IDR1FQuUgjJUTpdMQNG5m5pCKt7rMmB0RYoCi2aCXnhmQ10_Gg7XIdzd2yWLT0JYf7N9HwA2W_HkYWymOnc8jXWIPAY3_smCrm0b3TiyWth3JHB566f2-No3OVR9DlALH8Fi_YDSncN8kelTkhSvdkzA5PH5mJyjloX0yq4WobRWZrQcE/w640-h640/friday3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>4. Packing lunches (AKA Hugs from Home) is one of my favorite nightly routines. I love knowing that my kids will get to have all tehir favorite foods and a big hug from home in the middel of their school days.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjd7tCl0oCc88PTA4AtpWCoJgp1YuPgaOumojIGXi7w9PhZm7crx3oZP6KRa33tEZ3HWXIIjo1ufgeRYbayjfaCKO3ztxIpZ1Umfcx4ei1hR_pZqbH4jlqAj-DFEUijEtW3xtCfPIIXgjd3fcc3MmM5SnPKNj7CCOvR7E2JjlzwtffcvpjkUaeREHI8E/s1920/friday4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjd7tCl0oCc88PTA4AtpWCoJgp1YuPgaOumojIGXi7w9PhZm7crx3oZP6KRa33tEZ3HWXIIjo1ufgeRYbayjfaCKO3ztxIpZ1Umfcx4ei1hR_pZqbH4jlqAj-DFEUijEtW3xtCfPIIXgjd3fcc3MmM5SnPKNj7CCOvR7E2JjlzwtffcvpjkUaeREHI8E/w480-h640/friday4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>5. Penny makes us laugh every day at how much she loves Fletcher. She snoozes all day and then follows him around like his shadow the rest of the day.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglA6b9WuW1zKR7O_WLTWMatjFv4XDBQO-sifAMB4gIVMxrYWcmzIc0wnWXVYz-UcfRG9KUlhXfl6yQ3p6WaEHJpGwzxeHo9G5u3tKMr7UkdIQjfl-sUVT2odTbhjNFVnxkAEealDrCX_wbnxnUPRTQ_oWV7Rcht5J34A8UwyeMCkeeU3-MTooqiMRSLLk/s1920/friday5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglA6b9WuW1zKR7O_WLTWMatjFv4XDBQO-sifAMB4gIVMxrYWcmzIc0wnWXVYz-UcfRG9KUlhXfl6yQ3p6WaEHJpGwzxeHo9G5u3tKMr7UkdIQjfl-sUVT2odTbhjNFVnxkAEealDrCX_wbnxnUPRTQ_oWV7Rcht5J34A8UwyeMCkeeU3-MTooqiMRSLLk/w480-h640/friday5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>6. Kevin got a neat opportunity to meet with our Lt. Governor this week to show her the new mental health and wellness clinic at UE. She enjoyed the tour and he enjoyed promoting his program. Look at his snazzy plaid jacket!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E4HUSJCKOJ5nmyT5guHEpaBN2scSNpJBU_q-V-68Kkr3SO1QeVe2kSiQNbfEJgFWLXjl_XWMwK1L1hB1HiTewMiujuwVqlJhzbRDXznRknCjt2TRZT5AdSxxre0IpZ0RgRoXGxiR0Bw-4UrXsTcttz6Owy-8CjvEYt71SrQmM5sPWrt4CJHw7RwWxlI/s1920/friday6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E4HUSJCKOJ5nmyT5guHEpaBN2scSNpJBU_q-V-68Kkr3SO1QeVe2kSiQNbfEJgFWLXjl_XWMwK1L1hB1HiTewMiujuwVqlJhzbRDXznRknCjt2TRZT5AdSxxre0IpZ0RgRoXGxiR0Bw-4UrXsTcttz6Owy-8CjvEYt71SrQmM5sPWrt4CJHw7RwWxlI/w480-h640/friday6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>7. Storytime. Leo and I went with a friend to story time this week. He loved the penguin book and the bubble machine.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv4lHSOvVS4WwnRHUoQFcIudhm-zDbWOwnpUIBXno7NwZAXleoEGWven4vjwb1FSFcclRNGXdpzT8D9LNGq8TixFYGj7KziRQbSYc8t59Ur1khPnXdMRYUKltPndDI0AyhUVfDMwUnl1jZh9b3D3ZpfXVu5C-XpzlGqOR_vbyWZRAflNMDerwLBPEp8o/s1920/friday7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv4lHSOvVS4WwnRHUoQFcIudhm-zDbWOwnpUIBXno7NwZAXleoEGWven4vjwb1FSFcclRNGXdpzT8D9LNGq8TixFYGj7KziRQbSYc8t59Ur1khPnXdMRYUKltPndDI0AyhUVfDMwUnl1jZh9b3D3ZpfXVu5C-XpzlGqOR_vbyWZRAflNMDerwLBPEp8o/w480-h640/friday7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7H_-YN2RH8r2FUNrDXnSo9T6nBmKvF9R5TyGS5NLWsduRurGbwhrg8UryxrURia5DsOXBfbVqCmITovzYSIP1tvDfeFEiAKfpOf-4NhzdK-T_TRcq10BwEG7nQGF83drFIWXuU1Nn5gLOA4X_Wd0XZHgGLkR-QvPXHoPCi9VKUHFaGNe4t8hAP_2h8gs/s1920/friday8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7H_-YN2RH8r2FUNrDXnSo9T6nBmKvF9R5TyGS5NLWsduRurGbwhrg8UryxrURia5DsOXBfbVqCmITovzYSIP1tvDfeFEiAKfpOf-4NhzdK-T_TRcq10BwEG7nQGF83drFIWXuU1Nn5gLOA4X_Wd0XZHgGLkR-QvPXHoPCi9VKUHFaGNe4t8hAP_2h8gs/w480-h640/friday8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>8. Fletcher has been learning about gardening, plants, composting and bees. He came home iwht a newly sprouted lima bean plant that he's been taking really good care of.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4symdXvLfghMMbDQ-lA0SxPZMn1L6UhCwcH-QZRnrNRP-lioI7_z-hNMMfqaVZxMxdYt-JRUcuhj3E0fiMqbIiVVOzgzRfi2yDCAKwrl0h_38bvcdhNAPKqAlw2Eq3g0khyphenhyphenE3q8T9ed0OCE7n8037l4in4hjkmr7t1LMc8t66QnJxoDX5ngr1S_6cuM8/s1920/friday9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4symdXvLfghMMbDQ-lA0SxPZMn1L6UhCwcH-QZRnrNRP-lioI7_z-hNMMfqaVZxMxdYt-JRUcuhj3E0fiMqbIiVVOzgzRfi2yDCAKwrl0h_38bvcdhNAPKqAlw2Eq3g0khyphenhyphenE3q8T9ed0OCE7n8037l4in4hjkmr7t1LMc8t66QnJxoDX5ngr1S_6cuM8/w480-h640/friday9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>9. We met friends at The Polka Dot Play Cafe for the morning. Leo loves everything there- dress up station, climbing area, the market, the salon, the doctor's office and the train tracks. It's so sweet ot see him bounce from station to station with his buddies. The moms grab a drink, chat and supervise. Win-win for everyone.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLJy45BIzq1LzY8vGgJV49kEpVVDSf0vLFLYlE-mYhgrB16_aGNbhX_X4fCsDxaOGWFt55K-JrJZnxIFa9RqEu2a-W7OoXt48FxNhQ4W5c7ipsS4z_ul5BfMTkf0ZXE3M0EjZ6Ia3u8Wb8f7LXgFMk5O9QYIJPI2WcK0rm_gZVW1IdTDiR5c1ZCGdx6w/s1920/friday10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLJy45BIzq1LzY8vGgJV49kEpVVDSf0vLFLYlE-mYhgrB16_aGNbhX_X4fCsDxaOGWFt55K-JrJZnxIFa9RqEu2a-W7OoXt48FxNhQ4W5c7ipsS4z_ul5BfMTkf0ZXE3M0EjZ6Ia3u8Wb8f7LXgFMk5O9QYIJPI2WcK0rm_gZVW1IdTDiR5c1ZCGdx6w/w480-h640/friday10.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>10. Our Mommy & Me Bible study is working on John right now. I was trying to finish up my homework and Leo was wanting to read about book about farms. He read to me as I finished my homework.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBfxckBNlGJPVc3eDgo8gLJEZ2LzQQzQRQUnsFWSddnTtuXLVxBDdus2fE7zDHK4yyNX_ukPmlh3tbOeDGw_JVrQ7X2WKDARZFNlpm1cA_GsYhuQDZJsxYoFovlI8LW9huhIbNqNVwNAHCkM81fNtqRU6-015FymJ8Eo5eJYHBdoMoBaa2k8iKRIuSA4/s1920/friday11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBfxckBNlGJPVc3eDgo8gLJEZ2LzQQzQRQUnsFWSddnTtuXLVxBDdus2fE7zDHK4yyNX_ukPmlh3tbOeDGw_JVrQ7X2WKDARZFNlpm1cA_GsYhuQDZJsxYoFovlI8LW9huhIbNqNVwNAHCkM81fNtqRU6-015FymJ8Eo5eJYHBdoMoBaa2k8iKRIuSA4/w480-h640/friday11.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>11. Aces game! We all went to the last Aces basketball game of the season. Leo came for the snacks and getting to say hi to his grandparents. They enjoyed popcorn, dip n dots and drinks. We got coupons for Azzip Pizza and for free Chick-Fil-A sandwiches. It was fun to see neighbors, cheerfor the Aces when they were playing Kevin's former school ISU and even though we didn't win, it was fun.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_FXZgnMqyohbEWxJl76YC-6CwLX2OTt17Q6h4S0SYdseJApX4J1qnzARCx3d8Lrydel8rjukXpHwnyKDNYbdYonmZDoeUHF9DRhePCA676tacx_KTpqUnEqvul_qqsxWTsOeJeclO8W-Il9n8hNMmk-0p4X-7GWlfRSvoUVNxqKJtd6bzKiJKo-NR1E/s1920/friday12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_FXZgnMqyohbEWxJl76YC-6CwLX2OTt17Q6h4S0SYdseJApX4J1qnzARCx3d8Lrydel8rjukXpHwnyKDNYbdYonmZDoeUHF9DRhePCA676tacx_KTpqUnEqvul_qqsxWTsOeJeclO8W-Il9n8hNMmk-0p4X-7GWlfRSvoUVNxqKJtd6bzKiJKo-NR1E/w480-h640/friday12.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBjiHT8Z-HSWl64xgUbcEiR1gXw1MzF1fQWoUPw1weuxF2XmFkcJ_KTDSke1jWDDG9LlTjPvhHhTdCznu9CZ5cXc51AjSKv84g6ngpi8QbdvIK10ZQdY1rfJjkLg_-iX_2wdcJUckGzTzETzx4La8QiLB4Q7CSgyFr6c9Q9hfEFvjsPzdRK2w9QZNMu4/s1544/friday13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1158" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBjiHT8Z-HSWl64xgUbcEiR1gXw1MzF1fQWoUPw1weuxF2XmFkcJ_KTDSke1jWDDG9LlTjPvhHhTdCznu9CZ5cXc51AjSKv84g6ngpi8QbdvIK10ZQdY1rfJjkLg_-iX_2wdcJUckGzTzETzx4La8QiLB4Q7CSgyFr6c9Q9hfEFvjsPzdRK2w9QZNMu4/w480-h640/friday13.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhQocnt0vPMvv_77S4pCVz29e7jkA9_ZzTvs0_xbBDXL9rNNDbumnJKq-GfMlhdPQ5_8Azh84Io5fOzRKyj-ZYvdHDwkGBDkGFtPtq5uh5oqAd89bbOkiquS5Ea6c9Od9r8fo5dqcAqneDvrz2J4qKAMAicTJSWIlsCGo513aUqncdl_m8MGeSP8o34Q/s1920/friday14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhQocnt0vPMvv_77S4pCVz29e7jkA9_ZzTvs0_xbBDXL9rNNDbumnJKq-GfMlhdPQ5_8Azh84Io5fOzRKyj-ZYvdHDwkGBDkGFtPtq5uh5oqAd89bbOkiquS5Ea6c9Od9r8fo5dqcAqneDvrz2J4qKAMAicTJSWIlsCGo513aUqncdl_m8MGeSP8o34Q/w480-h640/friday14.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>He was so excited to keep a close eye on the mascot - Ace Purple - the whole game. And use his cup as a megaphone. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7Bj0adgjn9T2sQ4Zw-0d2hP7zMSak3dRHPLD90r38GlOxgeBoN8ZkFYCTIP7zusahcrt-hAZYJv_-Jpny5fViRlEAJ-RauutTTIjoVfqApy1Jbys7by05_Oj-zaCmel0prw-vSs-mbuJeoGFiGH4oSTF-Fw_ayjsLfwWtoN5fekck6g6SYR-jwjSabQ/s1920/friday15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7Bj0adgjn9T2sQ4Zw-0d2hP7zMSak3dRHPLD90r38GlOxgeBoN8ZkFYCTIP7zusahcrt-hAZYJv_-Jpny5fViRlEAJ-RauutTTIjoVfqApy1Jbys7by05_Oj-zaCmel0prw-vSs-mbuJeoGFiGH4oSTF-Fw_ayjsLfwWtoN5fekck6g6SYR-jwjSabQ/w480-h640/friday15.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>12. Dinner with friends. Isn't it so nice when someone offers to have your whole family over for a homemade dinner? Our friends fixed spaghetti and meatballs for us. I brought the salad and a dessert. The kids loved playing their sports video games and it was a fun evening. We watched the South Carolina primary results come in and cheered for our favorite candidate.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbu45aSQpjwVLPxL52ebpBwt0_qqeBtipgE-0oiqdSCwOqD7xgQ65BrOftyOchLCDmmzOqrxbMVuEzoiyglpFM7RpJjrBxSpyGMeEFaodlwo17T30gWE4btN8Fd8Fs7y5WGIHGFdFmCt_-mHXDs0lhTT3leGpSXJ80ujWBF-gi8Kas4DXfaAXNaS6TKE/s1920/friday16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbu45aSQpjwVLPxL52ebpBwt0_qqeBtipgE-0oiqdSCwOqD7xgQ65BrOftyOchLCDmmzOqrxbMVuEzoiyglpFM7RpJjrBxSpyGMeEFaodlwo17T30gWE4btN8Fd8Fs7y5WGIHGFdFmCt_-mHXDs0lhTT3leGpSXJ80ujWBF-gi8Kas4DXfaAXNaS6TKE/w480-h640/friday16.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>We're ready for the weekend! I'll see you back here on Monday :)</p><p>Linking up with <a href="https://www.momfessionals.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Momfessionals</a></p><p><br /></p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-57837884193951944562024-02-28T07:01:00.055-05:002024-02-28T07:01:00.129-05:00February Coffee Chat<p>Hey friends! We have lots to chat about today. They were calling for big storms to roll through the Midwest last night so I hope you're all safe and sound this morning. The last time we had big storms at night, my kids slept through everything while Kevin and I (and the cats!) kept on eye on everything.</p><p>I love that these coffee chat posts are my most read and most commented posts each month! I love chatting with you about all the random things that are on my mind!</p><p>Grab your coffee and let's get started!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhaB2aOGFQNn6OFkinp-PWFlwiw5TEFLZWMM5VzqV8wy4QUFvukMFS_zzCYs1iNAE8D_YvNcqkTcB63rMpStBQ6pu8OOl1kIaHPYzgI0GhfQU-b3c1mB_L_3Lnu3AL7E6SkKMhP9UofYNzRNvL4UIx9FaK0yYyeOD3BWdg25S5MTpW7Zk8I6qRQMfsto/s1800/datenight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhaB2aOGFQNn6OFkinp-PWFlwiw5TEFLZWMM5VzqV8wy4QUFvukMFS_zzCYs1iNAE8D_YvNcqkTcB63rMpStBQ6pu8OOl1kIaHPYzgI0GhfQU-b3c1mB_L_3Lnu3AL7E6SkKMhP9UofYNzRNvL4UIx9FaK0yYyeOD3BWdg25S5MTpW7Zk8I6qRQMfsto/w512-h640/datenight.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>1. What clothes or accessories are on your radar for Spring? I'm hoping to find some boyfriend type jeans for myself and for Olive. Thoughts and prayers for any tween jean shopping endeavors. New swim suits for the kids who grow like crazy from season to season. And then I have a hard time saying no to spring florals - cardigans, dresses and blouses. I'd love to find a quirky mixed pattern fabric blouse somehwere that's less than the $120 Anthro one that I have been swooning over. Oh and I need a fresh pair of Birkenstocks for warm weather.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. We are currently watching and loving - Chicago Fire, Only Murders in the Building and Abbott Elementary. We love them all. It's hard to get out for a date night so we really love watching shows together in the evenings with a fun treat. Have you watched the whole Chicago series?? We have only watched Chicago Fire. I'm worried to watch any others because could they really be as good as Chicago Fire? I'm skeptical.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. We're gearing up for birthday sesason at our house. We've got kids with March, April and May birthdays so it's lots of fun and work to make their birthdays magical. The kids are excited to start thinking about parties, decorations, menus and gift ideas.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. What are you putting in your kid's Easter baskets this year? We are going to be out of town for Easter. It's a busy week - Spring Break, Fletcher's birthday and Easter so I'm planning ahead to make Easter special when we're out of town. Stay tuned for an Easter basket round up. I always go for a mix of practical and fun + Easter candy.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Do you have an outdoor couch set that you love? Bonus points if it's very low maintenance, can handle full sun, maybe no cushions and isn't a million dollars. My patio thanks you!</p><p><br /></p><p>6. I've been painting my nails more lately and really enjoying having pretty nails. Olive and June polish + top coat are my favorite combo. It isn't perfect, but I find it to be more long lasting than anything else. It is amazing for pedicures and pretty fabulous for manicures. Do you have a polish combo that you swear by?</p><p><br /></p><p>7. I don't love decorating for the holidays like I used to. I have paired down my decorations and still have a couple of Spring bins missing from our move. Don't ask me how decor bins could be lost durnig a 2 hour move, but somehow I have about 3-4 holiday bins that are MIA. I'm hoping they're in our garage storage and not lost forever. Anyways, I love to decorate my mantel, my front porch, have holiday napkins and a holiday table, plan holiday food and share holiday treats. But gone are the days of decorating many rooms or many surfaces for holidays throughout the year.</p><p><br /></p><p>8. Kevin surprised me with a new computer! It's so fast and nice. I just need to spend some time transferring over important things and writing down all my logged in information. He surprised me with setting it up one evening while I was gone and wasn't able to mentally prepare for my computer to be gone. All you Type As and planners get it. Change isn't easy, even when it's a good thing! I'm sure I will be up and running with my new computer in no time. I will say - it is nice to have a fully functioning keyboard with the letter H key intact!</p><p><br /></p><p>9. We have two upcoming house projects that need to be taken care of and I'm kind of dreading it. It's two things that our builder was supposed to fix long ago and is now being forced to address. Both need to happen, but I hate conflict and hate awkward situations. Wish us luck!</p><p><br /></p><p>10. If you need a good, drug store waterproof mascara, I've got the perfect one for you. It does not budge. No fall out. No running. It wears really well and my Wal-Mart carries it for anywhere from $2.98-8.98. I love adding it to my grocery pick up order. When I see it listed for $2.98, I stock up!! It's only $3.28 on Amazon right now with almost 9k reviews! You've got to try it if you like to wear or need to wear waterproof mascara. </p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/3TdfAtT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wet N Wild Waterproof Mascara</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>What's new with you?? Let's chat in the comments!</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-54792097369503133162024-02-27T07:01:00.057-05:002024-02-27T07:01:00.140-05:00Stove Top Smash Burgers<p>I tried a new recipe last week and it was amazing! My whole family enjoyed my smash burgers. We've done them before on the Blackstone, but never tried smash burgers indoors. This recipe is great for wehn the weather isn't ideal for grilling or if it's too cold to be outside grilling.</p><p>I promise that there is a smash burger under all those toppings!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNwZ17hXzv9VqsiKJamwDTgLDvukFmU3EytN4GJeyAwg8HCz1CBvF3WohiIh_FSnFbNDVferfdk_fBbovmMIri8SsBEWOCG9AUE4LHsstn86DJzMhaPpVzXg0OpwYRcrqm2q3pUPkNnovSuMvkHWLbeYpiadMMtcUA3855jPvTiuhLjQrfwOP3cgYgQM/s1920/smash1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNwZ17hXzv9VqsiKJamwDTgLDvukFmU3EytN4GJeyAwg8HCz1CBvF3WohiIh_FSnFbNDVferfdk_fBbovmMIri8SsBEWOCG9AUE4LHsstn86DJzMhaPpVzXg0OpwYRcrqm2q3pUPkNnovSuMvkHWLbeYpiadMMtcUA3855jPvTiuhLjQrfwOP3cgYgQM/w480-h640/smash1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Burger ingredients:<div>1.5 lbs of your favorite ground beef (for 5 people + leftovers)</div><div>Salt</div><div>Pepper</div><div>Kinders The Blend Seasoning (or your favorite seasoning)</div><div>Worchestershire sauce</div><div>A1 sauce</div><div>soft taco shells</div><div><br /></div><div>I generously doused the ground beef with all of the ingredients above and mixed until well combined. Then I used a scoop to divide up the meat for smash bugers. I rolled the scoops into balls and got started grilling them on my stove top<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakD1_WbyCNDqcYyH_z3DTKIBGAiXneW-27enAqSnZ70AY_nPQJQM3y-gTsIMPesdy3cScHrfghbmdjLGhUQQd2Lz16bPszoBfp7S3pJFe6aEpK-2H9f2rYpdb5-H9u2LyyZkx8LDSVirxXCwIBjtwCi6GGlLht6naN7IlVGpyQMVKU9BVAk9BalD0ks0/s1920/smash2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakD1_WbyCNDqcYyH_z3DTKIBGAiXneW-27enAqSnZ70AY_nPQJQM3y-gTsIMPesdy3cScHrfghbmdjLGhUQQd2Lz16bPszoBfp7S3pJFe6aEpK-2H9f2rYpdb5-H9u2LyyZkx8LDSVirxXCwIBjtwCi6GGlLht6naN7IlVGpyQMVKU9BVAk9BalD0ks0/w480-h640/smash2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I love the Mission brand tortillas. Next time I'd go down to the smaller Street Taco sized tortillas so that the burger patty more closely matched the tortilla sized, but these worked just fine. Especially if you like to load up your burgers with lots of toppings.</div><div><br /></div><div>Toppings:</div><div>purple onion</div><div>grilled onion</div><div>lettuce</div><div>cheese</div><div>pickles</div><div>ketchup</div><div>mustard</div><div>fry sauce</div><div>bbq sauce<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJShs4rkkaCeL4jBn4TqgoWWOt43a6ceiy3LA4qeRyQq_-TLZ5WTOH7CnyPInSiFBlGXRXBXnzvnN8Ddtyba66DvyQZ4O99NyIeCFa0BJhxH_ASQugA4rzkmrxVrbSD8mCRYZy5IBqDcn2jQLKFvK0k6Fq6fXpo3Qo9l9pASn8PIcwCj814wGwhr9IfUA/s1920/smash3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJShs4rkkaCeL4jBn4TqgoWWOt43a6ceiy3LA4qeRyQq_-TLZ5WTOH7CnyPInSiFBlGXRXBXnzvnN8Ddtyba66DvyQZ4O99NyIeCFa0BJhxH_ASQugA4rzkmrxVrbSD8mCRYZy5IBqDcn2jQLKFvK0k6Fq6fXpo3Qo9l9pASn8PIcwCj814wGwhr9IfUA/w480-h640/smash3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Mom Tip: I picked up these Arby's fries to make our meal a little extra special. They were $5-6 a bag. Even going with a splurge like these for sides, we saved so much money eating at home vs going out for a meal of burgers for everyone. That's my favorite cooking tip! Splurge on fun ingredients to make your dinners at home feel special. You won't feel like you're missing out on anything. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cook the fries while your smash burgers are cooking.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DsK5b9ePe2OcOMyMgeQ5pkVmnxlCfE9rSy6-z18dHBmFFhqfoO5nJ9HGPghuYLaHpITsrd10r5yaCH9BudlJ4TYQevPdoVAIx9QcwtWTLE96KmHa_0186ugE_QhWphKuzoUN6A2cu1pnXa-__dC8Aqu3No8lkFF2CiS6mx2bIZYjKN0SvyaIHEnqpbc/s2016/smash4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DsK5b9ePe2OcOMyMgeQ5pkVmnxlCfE9rSy6-z18dHBmFFhqfoO5nJ9HGPghuYLaHpITsrd10r5yaCH9BudlJ4TYQevPdoVAIx9QcwtWTLE96KmHa_0186ugE_QhWphKuzoUN6A2cu1pnXa-__dC8Aqu3No8lkFF2CiS6mx2bIZYjKN0SvyaIHEnqpbc/w480-h640/smash4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Burgers are seasoned, rolled and ready to cook in hot skillets.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsOVQatvGL178zFgwCnIOz5J9e8R5Ekmo0orZNQC3OhKb5ItfF0qhmbKa0a_dT0g2uspODDrKxa0NDlg-6SMCNBmypFTy1t4G6tTY1XBKgEzJIBP8sCuTe2zxWoZ_OBR5XSg_Hn-7BDzftmM17Y4ozYKPYv-C00g1D7pOFIAEuqBSgiQ5DG08jjNx6-k/s1920/smash5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsOVQatvGL178zFgwCnIOz5J9e8R5Ekmo0orZNQC3OhKb5ItfF0qhmbKa0a_dT0g2uspODDrKxa0NDlg-6SMCNBmypFTy1t4G6tTY1XBKgEzJIBP8sCuTe2zxWoZ_OBR5XSg_Hn-7BDzftmM17Y4ozYKPYv-C00g1D7pOFIAEuqBSgiQ5DG08jjNx6-k/w480-h640/smash5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I used a couple of skillets at a time, my smash burger maker (you could use a glass instead) and got busy cooking. I cooked them for a few minutes on each side until they got to my desired well done.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLadVT2-sWDrLGjkHn2hYdaqGYkEyjozccWxpLiBKm1Woh3vmo38VKrlYFtnZn7mg8y0uVNyLdW9lh_Zn3xf4uGCQ6_gcbdCKYXyd6MGaWlILvAWvqi4PB8sEuv2nGJ9fG6AEQz1MkEA-RxP6VeeJqRvS-uM3dBKjcw9c0DQhKHIWo1-mxjpQJcPAGgQo/s1920/smash6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLadVT2-sWDrLGjkHn2hYdaqGYkEyjozccWxpLiBKm1Woh3vmo38VKrlYFtnZn7mg8y0uVNyLdW9lh_Zn3xf4uGCQ6_gcbdCKYXyd6MGaWlILvAWvqi4PB8sEuv2nGJ9fG6AEQz1MkEA-RxP6VeeJqRvS-uM3dBKjcw9c0DQhKHIWo1-mxjpQJcPAGgQo/w480-h640/smash6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I did hamburgers and cheeseburgers.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQ-rLT1p9GGwT2xjYYCv_GnlxNyP7VanudnIeCzwwA7iY6zfMxWleIGmhDPJu_eaOMjfgqtDmrGsfd53oyBnMYfLzzKz_GxU15if10osFUBXIx1-nSmoGfSyN8Gnsr3NCtonqFY26U0c1OkOiKiDmLJol_QlOY2KGSDiW7YNrmZ0EZNB0e7sHMUeEZ4Q/s1920/smash7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQ-rLT1p9GGwT2xjYYCv_GnlxNyP7VanudnIeCzwwA7iY6zfMxWleIGmhDPJu_eaOMjfgqtDmrGsfd53oyBnMYfLzzKz_GxU15if10osFUBXIx1-nSmoGfSyN8Gnsr3NCtonqFY26U0c1OkOiKiDmLJol_QlOY2KGSDiW7YNrmZ0EZNB0e7sHMUeEZ4Q/w480-h640/smash7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I put them out on plates to serve and then my family went through the line to add their toppings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphendG5BzLeR5fYXzHaTJyj0btURSZicEuY1tXQJznUiplGUfL8A3FMA5vKwD83dTEKqEAIY7TkYx_bSILIF7mJOw7b7myDzwh3cBSOfm84me4bRKpMww3RJyfV70VU1xUCczfoXz0qkJ2L6sdLPueBF9UooBjY-CxlvbTxl55gEjzmYVEncjsX37HXO6Q/s1920/smash8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphendG5BzLeR5fYXzHaTJyj0btURSZicEuY1tXQJznUiplGUfL8A3FMA5vKwD83dTEKqEAIY7TkYx_bSILIF7mJOw7b7myDzwh3cBSOfm84me4bRKpMww3RJyfV70VU1xUCczfoXz0qkJ2L6sdLPueBF9UooBjY-CxlvbTxl55gEjzmYVEncjsX37HXO6Q/w480-h640/smash8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This was a delicious dinner that I will definitely make again. And I'm thrilled to report tht the leftover smash burgers reheated so well for easy leftover lunches.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFvGWGBHbjDOfWBcH2EX1HYYgZCIKozH89LROzcTZZ5YgxleMaSyOl59cX6biPqMRiwHZ-v2wqMyVKz1fi9Udc1T8Zu8cjm4bvtAJ6fq3nUBWfz2wMT-eCiG0Fy3SHa7GfgcaxPam16ADnTUwpEKSnsnE4o7fanJgcbQzRzkv3g4FU3WX5wdFMCjSy6g/s1920/smash9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFvGWGBHbjDOfWBcH2EX1HYYgZCIKozH89LROzcTZZ5YgxleMaSyOl59cX6biPqMRiwHZ-v2wqMyVKz1fi9Udc1T8Zu8cjm4bvtAJ6fq3nUBWfz2wMT-eCiG0Fy3SHa7GfgcaxPam16ADnTUwpEKSnsnE4o7fanJgcbQzRzkv3g4FU3WX5wdFMCjSy6g/w480-h640/smash9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Would your family enjoy these Stove Top Smash Burgers?</p></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-2736015097631559332024-02-26T07:01:00.042-05:002024-02-26T07:01:00.129-05:00Look for the Flowers<p>I saw this quote on a friend's IG stories last week and it made me think.</p><p>Am I looking for the flowers in my days?</p><p>Or focusing on the things that go wrong?</p><p>I am a pretty optimistic, positive person. And even so, I have found a lot of joy in my days when I slow down to look for all the good things that come my way.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQH4A38qNORULlgp7todYzhO-q9vdYBYKa_dH1UhoABLtT1gFiPWWy3tL35HutgtX3cD_uV2QUIyUJSv_sYmgSZ2alYmhoMmmdDvwQys6ur5NM61suMkApuq7y3VT1WUF7LLqyv1Nzu5Zr8O0RldSwWn-m-k07HBBwCHojC2qiv3o9CuHk-i8qNrhIrq8/s2130/flowers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2130" data-original-width="1242" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQH4A38qNORULlgp7todYzhO-q9vdYBYKa_dH1UhoABLtT1gFiPWWy3tL35HutgtX3cD_uV2QUIyUJSv_sYmgSZ2alYmhoMmmdDvwQys6ur5NM61suMkApuq7y3VT1WUF7LLqyv1Nzu5Zr8O0RldSwWn-m-k07HBBwCHojC2qiv3o9CuHk-i8qNrhIrq8/w373-h640/flowers.jpg" width="373" /></a></div><br /><p>Here's an example of the flowers in my day last Friday:</p><p>1. I had an early morning cookie order that was picked up on time with a tip for me!</p><p>2. I was walking into Walmart with Leo's hand in one hand and a bag of returns in the other hand. We were headed to get a cart. The older man in front of us got a cart out for us to make my life easier and then got his own.</p><p>3. We saw carts with babies in them all throughout the store. Leo kept loudly announcing DAT'S A CUTE BABY! to every baby we passed making all the moms smile.</p><p>4. The Easter section was stocked with all the things I was hoping to find for my kid's Easter baskets.</p><p>5. I was waiting in a long check out line. A different cashier pulled me out of line and opened a new line just for us so we didn't have to wait.</p><p>6. My exercise time felt quick and easy.</p><p>7. It was perfect kite flying weather for the kids after school.</p><p>8. We got to have a date night with friends we hadn't seen in a while. The appetizer we ordered was awful, but the main course was amazing. Best pizza I can remember eating.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you don't already, start to think about the flowers/highlights/glimmers in your day! It will be such a blessing to you.</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-64894737994742033762024-02-23T05:01:00.091-05:002024-02-23T05:01:00.136-05:00Friday Favorites<p>Happy Friday, friends! I hope it's been a nice week at your house. We had snow, a 3 day weekend, temps in the 70s, dentist appointments, projects and meetings. It was a busy week. Did you catch my blog posts?</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/super-simple-puppy-chow.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Super Simple Puppy Chow </a>- so easy your kids could make it!</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/ask-for-help-with-dinner.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ask for Help with Dinner</a> - it's made dinner time so much better for us!</p><p><br /></p><p>Now onto my favorites of the week:</p><p>1. Acrylic Cutting Board - I got this for myself after Christmas and I love it so much. It sits on the counter so nicely with the counter lip, doesn't move when you are chopping and you barely even notice it since it is clear. Nothing has stained it or scratched it so far. It wipes clean so easily. My pretty counters show through, it's easy to leave out or to store in my pantry. It's my very favorite cutting board. It comes in three sizes. I ordered the largest XXL size (24 x 18in) and I have been so happy with it. And it is 40% off right now!</p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/4bJUElz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">XXL Acrylic Cutting Board</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/49JoDIr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">XL Acrylic Cutting Board</a></p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/3UR3tEi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">L Acrylic Cutting Board</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMgsYYWRxDlVBFa7RIzeAOuH_Ijf37Env2Hne5W1s4yEWzIU0Wdu_m_hMv-m958BW6boRn2ITbS9WgkKW3SZcsIdL62Mkl0dOZrUHJ2x1rAjkWmPtMnSlzcxjrhry7xO42jP4asrChEJfHl7sx1jb_KlkJJNy-KEIHRFt3MnvKLuEzWvo1Vf9ce1_u-E/s1920/best1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMgsYYWRxDlVBFa7RIzeAOuH_Ijf37Env2Hne5W1s4yEWzIU0Wdu_m_hMv-m958BW6boRn2ITbS9WgkKW3SZcsIdL62Mkl0dOZrUHJ2x1rAjkWmPtMnSlzcxjrhry7xO42jP4asrChEJfHl7sx1jb_KlkJJNy-KEIHRFt3MnvKLuEzWvo1Vf9ce1_u-E/w480-h640/best1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2APQY3JiQsxNbIxaEE4Amx8FYojHzrKx-zzIQt_eJldHo1yKizTL0vCbX7awp9jOumB_ByhMZa1obVAWCdIxvCHVU0GtWK3tGl5AFBVdTVHb_gGUz9BHY6gjkOpOl5XV_RaiVOco1rjUSf5VcmvqxX1p71nOZ_-trC7NVwKguH5IEZLhP6t-A9FiCUKE/s1920/best2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2APQY3JiQsxNbIxaEE4Amx8FYojHzrKx-zzIQt_eJldHo1yKizTL0vCbX7awp9jOumB_ByhMZa1obVAWCdIxvCHVU0GtWK3tGl5AFBVdTVHb_gGUz9BHY6gjkOpOl5XV_RaiVOco1rjUSf5VcmvqxX1p71nOZ_-trC7NVwKguH5IEZLhP6t-A9FiCUKE/w480-h640/best2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFePqSA-GcRT6P1Da3bQCkWm-0OGVfwwmveE9JINDf29KEXChn71xA7nIlaAeEZlNRVQQtTpcgHOt2RKkE6M6c0xJeoVdUQZeZfRwDFL8tLq1Fz8kgPEkQTJWU7DII0Jl1WFooM1Eif5WjV48X7yhCVrgGrWQ-Vlo9FKkiFJnSk2kBrHRfD_KX3j9Vn9A/s1920/best3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFePqSA-GcRT6P1Da3bQCkWm-0OGVfwwmveE9JINDf29KEXChn71xA7nIlaAeEZlNRVQQtTpcgHOt2RKkE6M6c0xJeoVdUQZeZfRwDFL8tLq1Fz8kgPEkQTJWU7DII0Jl1WFooM1Eif5WjV48X7yhCVrgGrWQ-Vlo9FKkiFJnSk2kBrHRfD_KX3j9Vn9A/w480-h640/best3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>2. Favorite OOTD. I love this new Tommy Hilfiger Casual Band Jacket. It's the prettiest shade of pink and it is so soft. It is hard to find comfy blazers but this one has pockets and is the softest material. I love it paired with Rockstar super skinnies from Old Navy, pointy toe flats, leopard belt and big gold hoops! This outfit will be on repeat. Amazon has this jacket in chili pepper red, sky capt/navy or a really pretty charcoal/black. I love it so much that I'd grab it in another color - either chili pepper red or the black!<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3ORv58i" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chili Pepper Red Band Jacket</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3wrrg3k" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Navy/Sky Capt Band Jacket</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3T5cN5Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charcoal/Black Band Jacket</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXV_RKVgdb8RxGU_kNpOZ00a6S5qNhBPk1NLVbVbHvCx8m9PUXrXp5S4zQIBWe8UoicG0sTOxJfUjH5aK4QL8-txSWg9x4NDcUpLcaJD0UUXkxa5rLBovBqGGntywN8IW7UCrWip3MF7fiiPd_-wDBEszyXFXFHUPqX_qTEuLPG2GpSdlWrivS23jo8E/s1280/best4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXV_RKVgdb8RxGU_kNpOZ00a6S5qNhBPk1NLVbVbHvCx8m9PUXrXp5S4zQIBWe8UoicG0sTOxJfUjH5aK4QL8-txSWg9x4NDcUpLcaJD0UUXkxa5rLBovBqGGntywN8IW7UCrWip3MF7fiiPd_-wDBEszyXFXFHUPqX_qTEuLPG2GpSdlWrivS23jo8E/w640-h640/best4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>3. Playscapes - We met some friends at The Hills church this week to play. Leo loves this place! It's so nice to have a spot where moms can visit and kids can play inside.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8OaCP3elw4b8wfuDoB9XjOtSIXiRi4-KKKDPMgMNreegQLg5B4F_CYQKc1mFcUGHtTDe-ZuRF3O8MsGW-ovQFvRMOS7ffpAdF6IJZXeNjOf0oIYxUosyR8t4YldjPeosQu8Rqb18hcGIp53w4ah7PWrA2n4wdj4gBjKphOh9VNH3sJeAHw5Pba3nXfc/s1920/best6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8OaCP3elw4b8wfuDoB9XjOtSIXiRi4-KKKDPMgMNreegQLg5B4F_CYQKc1mFcUGHtTDe-ZuRF3O8MsGW-ovQFvRMOS7ffpAdF6IJZXeNjOf0oIYxUosyR8t4YldjPeosQu8Rqb18hcGIp53w4ah7PWrA2n4wdj4gBjKphOh9VNH3sJeAHw5Pba3nXfc/w480-h640/best6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>4. Crusty bread grilled cheese. I tried making a grilled cheese this week with my own homemade crusty bread. It was delicious! I would cut the bread a little thinner next time, but otherwise it was perfection.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVklQjBfwmJ2U52yoVPjUeWmzGhPhTFT9yn0SXhrhglGzuxm8I1jMTjACESJERmsvADrJoWTDDenzlibxU4mpvb5VwCZad64HcfDEanMpMPySpzblEPbeX5RNx4PMYAmy5uCbgIQK3Gx4jjQDl6En-slxCM-AqNDFqHnSSskWtbh6ASo-yV7RWLFWFt8/s1512/best8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVklQjBfwmJ2U52yoVPjUeWmzGhPhTFT9yn0SXhrhglGzuxm8I1jMTjACESJERmsvADrJoWTDDenzlibxU4mpvb5VwCZad64HcfDEanMpMPySpzblEPbeX5RNx4PMYAmy5uCbgIQK3Gx4jjQDl6En-slxCM-AqNDFqHnSSskWtbh6ASo-yV7RWLFWFt8/w640-h640/best8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>5. 5th grade market day February edition. We made valentine cookie playdoh and hearts. Olive was thrilled to go to school and sell these to her friends.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMy1k-hiH_jYf8_wUGAMShKJo8ahfTSCoiHqeKZEOCHXfbeGU43ew15Uq3dTclWeVLvc559Sb6x9iJJaqIAcakrJ8LEPpIaMAWDrrEXosHm3zJvG2WL6kz_-d0HT5yyAi4qNDpbyO0qM_RITq_hie7F2I1QpinlajYeyU-zwdkVqKfjU7AT45tLwGEEEU/s1512/best9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMy1k-hiH_jYf8_wUGAMShKJo8ahfTSCoiHqeKZEOCHXfbeGU43ew15Uq3dTclWeVLvc559Sb6x9iJJaqIAcakrJ8LEPpIaMAWDrrEXosHm3zJvG2WL6kz_-d0HT5yyAi4qNDpbyO0qM_RITq_hie7F2I1QpinlajYeyU-zwdkVqKfjU7AT45tLwGEEEU/w640-h640/best9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>6. School lunches. My kids love snacky lunches and they really love when the lunches include a homemade treat. My mom's sugar cookies & my rice krispie treats.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE12N9iqr_1hHTeMCv4IotGQK-eEuOvCYaQ78l_CGTSkHkdpqHpO_V1H-8xSw6nLM1uN4nsaoeDhoKOXpEzxe8VqiGPIk5y9dCg6iEDTKCDnBX5Ziq1IsQJNCAiEdJOzevU-eGONWh2APbAlHmsz1RyISeyCIcBHkQdFW0u23qD3HsRZAUE98_MRoS74g/s1920/best10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE12N9iqr_1hHTeMCv4IotGQK-eEuOvCYaQ78l_CGTSkHkdpqHpO_V1H-8xSw6nLM1uN4nsaoeDhoKOXpEzxe8VqiGPIk5y9dCg6iEDTKCDnBX5Ziq1IsQJNCAiEdJOzevU-eGONWh2APbAlHmsz1RyISeyCIcBHkQdFW0u23qD3HsRZAUE98_MRoS74g/w480-h640/best10.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>7. 2nd Grade incentives. Fletcher's class started a new incentive program this week and he can earn ducks or frogs for great work and great behavior at school. He is so proud of his growing collection of cute critters. He's very motivated to do his best to earn these fun surprises throughout his day.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NPBR_LLmPsCf44RxfuYlm2rdg3wqQhzeIJZh97pe_so0Pl9qgzGaZ7Qnp6X6kNZj9NX7DbMts2K30MrkKLfokjccakGsu2xnn5TNH_oQgf6uID7JIvthgyhv3sbThi10TX6AVncbuMcvlwmPfgY20IC6bq-GV2kEX_Qr9nq5g_FzGECKpppz_jxxcOE/s1512/best11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NPBR_LLmPsCf44RxfuYlm2rdg3wqQhzeIJZh97pe_so0Pl9qgzGaZ7Qnp6X6kNZj9NX7DbMts2K30MrkKLfokjccakGsu2xnn5TNH_oQgf6uID7JIvthgyhv3sbThi10TX6AVncbuMcvlwmPfgY20IC6bq-GV2kEX_Qr9nq5g_FzGECKpppz_jxxcOE/w640-h640/best11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>8. Sleepovers. It makes my heart so happy to go and check on the kids before I go to bed and find this. Triple snuggles. I'm so glad they have each other. They actually sleep better and go to sleep faster doing couch slumber parties than they do in their own bedrooms!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJUCCqkLNFkNGNMwPlrdSa0u1cSopA82mnB2IZ17YEXQCXi9j1oMhiMoRothuXRfjBEBgKT-Pz7jPtByhjIJDCjm_BhaQJEp129jVWynDbQnn_HOWeeFgd0YTkHHBwqxyAEJwAw6eZ65rC5sBYOfLnZ-aNgrT5_XuwyTc46wGOZhHnpnctjD9LbT7SZw/s1920/best12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJUCCqkLNFkNGNMwPlrdSa0u1cSopA82mnB2IZ17YEXQCXi9j1oMhiMoRothuXRfjBEBgKT-Pz7jPtByhjIJDCjm_BhaQJEp129jVWynDbQnn_HOWeeFgd0YTkHHBwqxyAEJwAw6eZ65rC5sBYOfLnZ-aNgrT5_XuwyTc46wGOZhHnpnctjD9LbT7SZw/w480-h640/best12.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>9. Dig N Roll. A new indoor play place opened in our city and it's so cool! I took Leo and then had to bring the older kids with friends when they were out of school. They all loved it! Age 3, 7 and 10! That is not always the easiest thing to do to find something they all enjoy, but Dig N Roll fits the bill. They have everything - ball pits, slides, climbing structures, pretend play spots, water tables, sand pit, real car wash station, a stage and more. We have been 3 times and they all ask to go back regularly. It seems to be most crowded in the mornings and pretty empty in the afternoons/evenings.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAEMV7Ag2vJ4L2S4vjiyy9rUXQUyGm7tUjump1hYlwyhPYh88lyNitoeIHp4Xwn7Kovd66oOtzjuRuQPz73wJGSMk6RccRDLRePkXqSBmfxlFmHYF4S9g0I12FpPrgg2sjztZkyS36UbTUJRS_uf5-00brYFetyn5A1SarT5dxfndlzL67lOQ-iXjd9g/s1920/best15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAEMV7Ag2vJ4L2S4vjiyy9rUXQUyGm7tUjump1hYlwyhPYh88lyNitoeIHp4Xwn7Kovd66oOtzjuRuQPz73wJGSMk6RccRDLRePkXqSBmfxlFmHYF4S9g0I12FpPrgg2sjztZkyS36UbTUJRS_uf5-00brYFetyn5A1SarT5dxfndlzL67lOQ-iXjd9g/w480-h640/best15.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt_t8X5Vu7tsMv845UX7At9zvtq0dfb2xHumxSHkPVEHtWW2_g_XRG-dhfGvOsngpBMisdX4CuCsGS_3PUc4wQ5iFNmzksEhTYiT_tFt9iiAoYs_tiGjJGlZq5o2DJUqf7s4ddCbcZH1N0gjPbQ2VKn5UtBhtA1kn4UK37jN9NhjNK-UT4Wl0U_wUHos/s1920/best16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt_t8X5Vu7tsMv845UX7At9zvtq0dfb2xHumxSHkPVEHtWW2_g_XRG-dhfGvOsngpBMisdX4CuCsGS_3PUc4wQ5iFNmzksEhTYiT_tFt9iiAoYs_tiGjJGlZq5o2DJUqf7s4ddCbcZH1N0gjPbQ2VKn5UtBhtA1kn4UK37jN9NhjNK-UT4Wl0U_wUHos/w480-h640/best16.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeFIYABOLeMHAMCqiiN4vNbtTVuQfR6LQmdijlfMAzWeCBu5U3QvPLFxgl9QAlmi5UrxHlyleVVXiNWKHSlI5fM_6FfRsXSe0CxHoOocTcyjKWCypYNmm3EbWNhaL-xaPvHsataHvvED0ldJCxDN04XcKJWwRxEuK9wQes6oh-hX7B0c68acVY9uAbuI/s1920/best17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeFIYABOLeMHAMCqiiN4vNbtTVuQfR6LQmdijlfMAzWeCBu5U3QvPLFxgl9QAlmi5UrxHlyleVVXiNWKHSlI5fM_6FfRsXSe0CxHoOocTcyjKWCypYNmm3EbWNhaL-xaPvHsataHvvED0ldJCxDN04XcKJWwRxEuK9wQes6oh-hX7B0c68acVY9uAbuI/w480-h640/best17.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1JQzGjWGzDuzUu3IYP3svouWlM3fOkDqYeE48eIUkywb4e8wR8nS5derV5nWabLZS8c3_TWrpKg6ScMamZXVb1QABhOgDV4skqEVTFvNM20Lh_gK_2LCIN2UPyMh6HxOVXNiaBzpOBHefPuZVDP9Zo1p-T1_kT65rz1TRBCyu4j32LY_MoxMdwyvc4o/s1920/best18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1JQzGjWGzDuzUu3IYP3svouWlM3fOkDqYeE48eIUkywb4e8wR8nS5derV5nWabLZS8c3_TWrpKg6ScMamZXVb1QABhOgDV4skqEVTFvNM20Lh_gK_2LCIN2UPyMh6HxOVXNiaBzpOBHefPuZVDP9Zo1p-T1_kT65rz1TRBCyu4j32LY_MoxMdwyvc4o/w480-h640/best18.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxo_goo8AoiLXmMuSKhmpu1QmxPvy031zY9UwHOMkSZyPlsjwYNffDFT6fUqSymJpVZw4rJIGmQlmHBvabzKmY73GBB4PxRcPrWif17oSCZdKNUd24-0VIHkVJwqDXyKn2OC1V3DKarWONsPL61yNmIR-m0L8NXa8TLbn5boz25POS_FTRK7bclP4VOkw/s2016/best21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxo_goo8AoiLXmMuSKhmpu1QmxPvy031zY9UwHOMkSZyPlsjwYNffDFT6fUqSymJpVZw4rJIGmQlmHBvabzKmY73GBB4PxRcPrWif17oSCZdKNUd24-0VIHkVJwqDXyKn2OC1V3DKarWONsPL61yNmIR-m0L8NXa8TLbn5boz25POS_FTRK7bclP4VOkw/w480-h640/best21.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjdhjiUIKJvYcefuSbFxrKKAqwRv8iaMdvxWqNY-w6OE6Y95PL51tc5rHbm7wg1x7vg_5NJ_Dmh0_hFIknj5oZsZVEkjDBqgwcNv59bdPIWoRf4dnJEHy59k0BI1TaJx6EYUosfPY6iUAdcKtIjAb1boWNzYrLoBTGtFRpVRxk6v3K0B4ATK9Ot6aYgc/s1920/best24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjdhjiUIKJvYcefuSbFxrKKAqwRv8iaMdvxWqNY-w6OE6Y95PL51tc5rHbm7wg1x7vg_5NJ_Dmh0_hFIknj5oZsZVEkjDBqgwcNv59bdPIWoRf4dnJEHy59k0BI1TaJx6EYUosfPY6iUAdcKtIjAb1boWNzYrLoBTGtFRpVRxk6v3K0B4ATK9Ot6aYgc/w480-h640/best24.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyqt1aK8TckSs2Q1Bv9ht1e1oF-LFvYDutxXLz-Jmp_RCGwLElNhZtytsKL6CyKjS0LmFR3USQ2HOlkonS6qATT_uMytBHv1zjvGlpIlheKWw7m4rEdyMHwB6kxTi1rFlKe5x5QtDNOPvXiIijkkNu6witNj9IS0tysjjttYMFmdmjmONIXAdDrKIyxc/s1512/best25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyqt1aK8TckSs2Q1Bv9ht1e1oF-LFvYDutxXLz-Jmp_RCGwLElNhZtytsKL6CyKjS0LmFR3USQ2HOlkonS6qATT_uMytBHv1zjvGlpIlheKWw7m4rEdyMHwB6kxTi1rFlKe5x5QtDNOPvXiIijkkNu6witNj9IS0tysjjttYMFmdmjmONIXAdDrKIyxc/w640-h640/best25.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>10. SNOW! Last Friday we got some surprise snow and it was so pretty! We weren't sure we'd get anything but rain. Seeing it snow like a snow globe was the best way to end the week. The boys were thrilled to make tiny snowmen. I also grabbed some snow toys on clearance. I think this snow ball maker is going to come in handy for future snow days.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZWNG404tUz6MwNPxcAXeB_LrJ6pwRfuWJvoLJgNzpoSGnhGsxbf5smnvB7MdyRFUYfCi4qolLgemhyrHPDBq1xSDX2XXIsG-17Ns3J9hmPNnTJD9I_EYc1_KAKLRdkyyCnAj6fMjc9dzqTkpQyZFHJPsFGTlbF-WrnNrugM-jfveturOfC5jGsYMlkQ/s1920/best26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZWNG404tUz6MwNPxcAXeB_LrJ6pwRfuWJvoLJgNzpoSGnhGsxbf5smnvB7MdyRFUYfCi4qolLgemhyrHPDBq1xSDX2XXIsG-17Ns3J9hmPNnTJD9I_EYc1_KAKLRdkyyCnAj6fMjc9dzqTkpQyZFHJPsFGTlbF-WrnNrugM-jfveturOfC5jGsYMlkQ/w480-h640/best26.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYG-rdZ6j3eoDZsmbM43Qcib98LjFZmq9d67V0q2X4CAamhWp2XymC9mOkr9vSMTGOEke0aDr3NCutvWlC-mO_ngy2H-i0h_shjI_wb_3qnBMMw511qtt42L2Z2ufLtGIu8OPK7zRhwJ3HZSjjJZqi_rt_qoAmPl5kRlI6tfZHzcZU0211x0vTGmUOM5I/s1388/best27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="1388" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYG-rdZ6j3eoDZsmbM43Qcib98LjFZmq9d67V0q2X4CAamhWp2XymC9mOkr9vSMTGOEke0aDr3NCutvWlC-mO_ngy2H-i0h_shjI_wb_3qnBMMw511qtt42L2Z2ufLtGIu8OPK7zRhwJ3HZSjjJZqi_rt_qoAmPl5kRlI6tfZHzcZU0211x0vTGmUOM5I/w640-h640/best27.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1uFOcJwJw1nJ3kDcfYG7WhW8OIqULmsdDtvcGW9idqoEBofsu5A3HVIftlgSLJ_4Zm9301xxEswyW2NPNAPcr5DBK_L56xN8wIZpZSL-ZRn9VTQd2lqksHKcfkBO-47wbUL5Jh06q3UWK2D8zI93XvjR1SU9LJG1tBkJLcnnqT3ReXgUliJKuXHxdcI/s1920/best28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1uFOcJwJw1nJ3kDcfYG7WhW8OIqULmsdDtvcGW9idqoEBofsu5A3HVIftlgSLJ_4Zm9301xxEswyW2NPNAPcr5DBK_L56xN8wIZpZSL-ZRn9VTQd2lqksHKcfkBO-47wbUL5Jh06q3UWK2D8zI93XvjR1SU9LJG1tBkJLcnnqT3ReXgUliJKuXHxdcI/w480-h640/best28.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Have a wonderful weekend! I'll see you back here next week!</p><p>Linking up with <a href="https://www.momfessionals.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Momfessionals</a></p><p><br /></p></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-31551247511797268972024-02-21T07:01:00.005-05:002024-02-21T07:01:00.196-05:00Ask for Help with Dinner<p>I don't know about you, but it is daunting to come up with delicious dinners every night. It's a lot of extra decisions to cook dinner most nights that your family will enjoy. It requires grocery shopping, organizing, planning, prepping and preparing and some times that feels like too much work. We grab dinner out (Door Dash or take out on the weekends) and then I cook most nights.<br /><br /></p><p>We started something new in February with our dinner routine and I have loved it so much!</p><p>I started asking for help with dinner.</p><p>I assigned each person a week and when it is their week, they help me come up with the dinner menu. We look in the freezer, fridge and pantry to help come up with the menu and then I add new items needed to the grocery list for the week. So far each person has loved helping me with the menu. They haven't always loved being my kitchen helper for the week, but I kind of expected that. When it is their week, they are in charge of setting and helping clear the table, getting drinks, helping me with dishes and helping prepare dinner. I don't think anyone would call those fun jobs. They're just absolutely necessary life skills.</p><p>My formula is super simple. </p><p>Print out a free monthly calendar online. Assign each person a week. Pick a day to work on the menu for the week. Pencil in dinners & maybe even a special treat for the week. Penciling everything in allows for you to make changes as things come up during the week. Shop and prepare like you usually do and ask your kitchen helper for a little extra help on their week. I hung our menu on the week and the whole family is paying attention to dinner. They're noticing and getting excited to put their favorite meals on the menu. We have had good conversations about seasonally appropriate foods, not having ground beef every night and meals that would work best for busy nights.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRGdf9zR6sC9WDy7XX_yq5qZdJFINJor03qqOg5dquHTMZmQp2X14mWBkUm5mR2YReRSv9Rsj1yfPdn_hHEHhKQLLS_CoGu0g_dfFB0Q_bfshYSoG6CsVata7EN3x5MlyxgJFcsBdAkXUjjHZv01e_n6FiBYAv4-oH2ZmkNIpis6LNxU33a5ZIT8QyLE/s1920/menu1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRGdf9zR6sC9WDy7XX_yq5qZdJFINJor03qqOg5dquHTMZmQp2X14mWBkUm5mR2YReRSv9Rsj1yfPdn_hHEHhKQLLS_CoGu0g_dfFB0Q_bfshYSoG6CsVata7EN3x5MlyxgJFcsBdAkXUjjHZv01e_n6FiBYAv4-oH2ZmkNIpis6LNxU33a5ZIT8QyLE/w480-h640/menu1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Chicken Quesadillas<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yDXMX_IE8uqE-xO0xmIlYhDw6j7DJ16Skow90ujEF6QrIxebwqyrHYG0ypw6AKQafKpuP8AFL7NmRArS6EFm1eFlPr6iaqX_DoFjpnBvMK4kgEx263Vtdgy4ArahBjWc-R6uTBbl1tpHXmq4ZnR83MS5Ly3yIsLmAk-MIPVjV-gB7FL-nYYx7z4Xojs/s1920/menu2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yDXMX_IE8uqE-xO0xmIlYhDw6j7DJ16Skow90ujEF6QrIxebwqyrHYG0ypw6AKQafKpuP8AFL7NmRArS6EFm1eFlPr6iaqX_DoFjpnBvMK4kgEx263Vtdgy4ArahBjWc-R6uTBbl1tpHXmq4ZnR83MS5Ly3yIsLmAk-MIPVjV-gB7FL-nYYx7z4Xojs/w480-h640/menu2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Homemade Hibachi<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCPGFDrhj7Bb1RVzqydcCpRxJT2F2xHamsBaHRIZw4I9HL4zXTW2uh8ZFXnUPKF8KRdTBOgV8bW6ZrxYrFwcADTS1n6F6v5uVIopuuuE4LYWoU0TvexrUHLGfKoIw4lvTHQ3ThFHSA3s1BBCZunps8g7BAVvGzXg79Xhiw7gQ3Tx-gxjcepEkjHBs6UM/s1920/menu3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCPGFDrhj7Bb1RVzqydcCpRxJT2F2xHamsBaHRIZw4I9HL4zXTW2uh8ZFXnUPKF8KRdTBOgV8bW6ZrxYrFwcADTS1n6F6v5uVIopuuuE4LYWoU0TvexrUHLGfKoIw4lvTHQ3ThFHSA3s1BBCZunps8g7BAVvGzXg79Xhiw7gQ3Tx-gxjcepEkjHBs6UM/w480-h640/menu3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>White Chicken Chili<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnDhkkmjnLFLjyWkUFrpC2JOpBwcPj3J4bic1oBbwfeO156TDKe28mSz6nZCbahtkBPU3GgbrsATnXcMPxqxNWvWnh_T6kFsQUHTYdysvdY9c1bnoiPLqRCvwi9SpvdItZOzl0gH8VWlAYx8DJL5rZ15XIXlZjxae3KutZ5OQPBsmJVOQ8ifR03CwWWo/s1920/menu4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnDhkkmjnLFLjyWkUFrpC2JOpBwcPj3J4bic1oBbwfeO156TDKe28mSz6nZCbahtkBPU3GgbrsATnXcMPxqxNWvWnh_T6kFsQUHTYdysvdY9c1bnoiPLqRCvwi9SpvdItZOzl0gH8VWlAYx8DJL5rZ15XIXlZjxae3KutZ5OQPBsmJVOQ8ifR03CwWWo/w480-h640/menu4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It has been so nice to have extra help in the kitchen! I have enjoyed this routine and will continue it in the months to come.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPVXJf0J13gb5zNtjjHF4AaRHWNdw5o3U2DkjE4khkdSN7qxckuq6E5GFxX7GM-ULd89LTEC3Ggaqg1Sy1XFHs2sSXam2I267yn33eYBiA2n4hGyZcCD7-9vaCv1gv9PMJQEGeW_ADZ2oQImhvOP5WDiGLnZJIXwg0VMXC9t1onVB_fKZKPlaqo0SsgU/s1920/menu5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPVXJf0J13gb5zNtjjHF4AaRHWNdw5o3U2DkjE4khkdSN7qxckuq6E5GFxX7GM-ULd89LTEC3Ggaqg1Sy1XFHs2sSXam2I267yn33eYBiA2n4hGyZcCD7-9vaCv1gv9PMJQEGeW_ADZ2oQImhvOP5WDiGLnZJIXwg0VMXC9t1onVB_fKZKPlaqo0SsgU/w480-h640/menu5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>How do you do your weekly menu planning? Would my routine work for your family?</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-35720921428566589232024-02-20T07:01:00.041-05:002024-02-20T07:01:00.240-05:00Super Simple Puppy Chow<p>Happy Tuesday! I hope you had a great weekend! We loved having three days off together.</p><p>I have the easiest recipe for you today. You just need 6 ingredients, a big bowl and a gallon size ziploc bag to make this yummy Puppy Chow. It's the yummiest peanut butter + chocolate cereal snack mix. I've always enjoyed this treat, but I think this is the first time I've ever made it for my family. The kids loved it. We had it for Valentine's Day and I think it would be delicious at any gathering.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzX_BMnzKz2Fw_5Y-I5sdNB57C8CXYumxtYVVy43AkF1Tw-ym98TWQHdUBG2vPheoNmc_iFVJ7NDJiHFIhj2OnjYnDaSXe7kVxPY-Iw5DwdPHz7r21MpPoMXkHqZ1m5-zLo4aHHtSOy3YTZXNOqzzhX2v2d_1L-ibHDWGJyi8rJr-SFtnYCmhr2oqy6zk/s1920/puppy6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzX_BMnzKz2Fw_5Y-I5sdNB57C8CXYumxtYVVy43AkF1Tw-ym98TWQHdUBG2vPheoNmc_iFVJ7NDJiHFIhj2OnjYnDaSXe7kVxPY-Iw5DwdPHz7r21MpPoMXkHqZ1m5-zLo4aHHtSOy3YTZXNOqzzhX2v2d_1L-ibHDWGJyi8rJr-SFtnYCmhr2oqy6zk/w480-h640/puppy6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Ingredients:</p><p>1 cup Tollhouse Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips</p><p>1/2 cup JIF Creamy Peanut Butter</p><p>4T Butter</p><p>1 t vanilla</p><p>6 cups General Mills Rice Chex cereal</p><p>2 cups Powdered Sugar</p><p><br /></p><p>Directions:<br />Melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in the microwave and stir until well combined. Add in the vanilla and stir until it is mixed in. Pour the chocolate mixture over 6 cups of rice chex in a large bowl. Stir until the cereal is well coated. Dump the chocolate coated cereal into a gallon size ziploc bag carefully. It works best if one person can hold the bag open while another person scoops the cereal into the bag. Dump one cups of powdered sugar into the bag and mix until coated. Add in the second up of powdered sugar and mix around until all the cereal is coated. Store in an airtight container.</p><p><br /></p><p>My kids loved this and it would be an easy recipe to make with your kids.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YcW4vSsioV4wSE-hRJiTFFYvnh80X0QfRXvCgvfc9x7FpNB6CSC1ScXtfcpt2REDVVnJF-zi8bptKYDwKvE3gs2spvBCAAJxZIgIFNd0amNBbPOU3buPxdD7BVYykPktxfjgO90KAtiKZz7yee2Y_Lj55pLdlKrZHvNzgmEOWVwpMr6QhUpPLC65Nqg/s1920/puppy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YcW4vSsioV4wSE-hRJiTFFYvnh80X0QfRXvCgvfc9x7FpNB6CSC1ScXtfcpt2REDVVnJF-zi8bptKYDwKvE3gs2spvBCAAJxZIgIFNd0amNBbPOU3buPxdD7BVYykPktxfjgO90KAtiKZz7yee2Y_Lj55pLdlKrZHvNzgmEOWVwpMr6QhUpPLC65Nqg/w480-h640/puppy1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8IOrmx6k-87aTGFXN6hm2OllJMY2fok_HJImjD5ZpNAZW-Q6xRRDD9EknSoCssRANLikbFdOEbyLWdS_4fC2bcLDz3LA-ZPmKcR4okQbhy6fLKNQf4WLuJCZHkVr4jvgdoOL8OdvePxf3GDa1wCh6F2AtbCk_Pdbh3VrPPl2rvEr7LiK8_85Um99h8w/s1920/puppy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8IOrmx6k-87aTGFXN6hm2OllJMY2fok_HJImjD5ZpNAZW-Q6xRRDD9EknSoCssRANLikbFdOEbyLWdS_4fC2bcLDz3LA-ZPmKcR4okQbhy6fLKNQf4WLuJCZHkVr4jvgdoOL8OdvePxf3GDa1wCh6F2AtbCk_Pdbh3VrPPl2rvEr7LiK8_85Um99h8w/w480-h640/puppy2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5XNBNksyPdbQ0BoZMwlUgrc8FrqOS_ZDVeRFWPkivCemCu96K536mvYFvSrmaVZHHlqoo7xsadjywU0_g8Uw_VPviV2t8hcivmoJCZZ218U-bXr-H7G9VvPEulENC1IlbFDWvFqT5oiF-XAgtKppODEo6Tsw37fFdw7npF4eGRT6yTKMbwrbvJEKyjE/s1920/puppy3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5XNBNksyPdbQ0BoZMwlUgrc8FrqOS_ZDVeRFWPkivCemCu96K536mvYFvSrmaVZHHlqoo7xsadjywU0_g8Uw_VPviV2t8hcivmoJCZZ218U-bXr-H7G9VvPEulENC1IlbFDWvFqT5oiF-XAgtKppODEo6Tsw37fFdw7npF4eGRT6yTKMbwrbvJEKyjE/w480-h640/puppy3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQuXqv_XQ9-ksMWoPzP3XeF49ruxTTbURGb6KXe43T4RLVSJRuxPggq9-Iy6x0ZEV18_cIwLZEKbjjF0UelKZhzghlLiXE2CAnZotxka7R_1_beDAkMBYFqfX83dGt6BBmN_DcAmxOVGhZI2Lo-oIHOUBUZBU4s49RFHkaBBV4UmeS9XWjyirq_QUuPU/s1920/puppy4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQuXqv_XQ9-ksMWoPzP3XeF49ruxTTbURGb6KXe43T4RLVSJRuxPggq9-Iy6x0ZEV18_cIwLZEKbjjF0UelKZhzghlLiXE2CAnZotxka7R_1_beDAkMBYFqfX83dGt6BBmN_DcAmxOVGhZI2Lo-oIHOUBUZBU4s49RFHkaBBV4UmeS9XWjyirq_QUuPU/w480-h640/puppy4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The kids loved having Puppy Chow in their school lunches!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLnEOVa3LVH_0TQusyKaUE1fMXJeq6uHBdxMdD1KzNAZl3HE5CjRh6KU3oScqR1HYiVxy41BOgITuXPVH6tY7a0z6d3u8KJhrydOvxGHy2ycuPEtPUz69InnKm8MEkQjMmK_Ay1MoLcJLysJ6LEfFURW76amJ23Xx_CQ0tD-evPDDF-j-XJBlaiQthzU/s1920/puppy5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLnEOVa3LVH_0TQusyKaUE1fMXJeq6uHBdxMdD1KzNAZl3HE5CjRh6KU3oScqR1HYiVxy41BOgITuXPVH6tY7a0z6d3u8KJhrydOvxGHy2ycuPEtPUz69InnKm8MEkQjMmK_Ay1MoLcJLysJ6LEfFURW76amJ23Xx_CQ0tD-evPDDF-j-XJBlaiQthzU/w480-h640/puppy5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>You've got to try this super simple Puppy Chow!</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-67341250809133636722024-02-16T05:01:00.135-05:002024-02-16T05:01:00.152-05:00Friday Favorites<p>Happy Friday, friends! I hope you had a week filled with love. We had a nice week here. </p><p>Did you catch my blog posts? I talked about everything from homemade salad dressing to spending $9 on a Valentine's Day card for Kevin.</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/3-simple-homemade-salad-dressings.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3 Simple Homemade Salad Dressings</a></p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/say-yes-to-more.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Say Yes to More</a></p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/love-in-numbers.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love in Numbers</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Now onto my favorite moments of the week:</p><p>1. Valentine's Day festivities! We gathered up all their heart shirts and accessories and had a really fun holiday week!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Bx8v41NBEMne85Raq8qHWLZJ1Xbu7efOaPehlIou5RT9BDJV0uzj6I1QGvlmRmrlc-ZGrBPK8RaecKxndiVlWc_7BZeLzc7CEYqecjRQhpVHf_v3CtT-ASGHM9QTruzqvl0XvG0Bv9DAjJuzEOUx-na7Buym_jK5A4yzUY9SgeQn6f7cXMUde-cq5iE/s1280/fave1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Bx8v41NBEMne85Raq8qHWLZJ1Xbu7efOaPehlIou5RT9BDJV0uzj6I1QGvlmRmrlc-ZGrBPK8RaecKxndiVlWc_7BZeLzc7CEYqecjRQhpVHf_v3CtT-ASGHM9QTruzqvl0XvG0Bv9DAjJuzEOUx-na7Buym_jK5A4yzUY9SgeQn6f7cXMUde-cq5iE/w640-h640/fave1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>2. Stamp markers! I surprised the kids with these for Valentine's Day and they all love them. The come in a bucket of 44 markers for $14.99. The quality is great. They are perfect for toddlers to preteens and even adults. They work so well and we all loved them. They'd be so good for Easter baskets, party favors, craft projects or fun art supplies to take on vacation. Here's my amazon link: <div><a href="https://amzn.to/3T2FXmt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colorations STAMPBUCK Washable Markers</a><br /><div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kbqHxyS4YQVpY3zyCFDXR2WB-2bG7Si7VYCBhhNS0n5sXnu-k5xQS8NlWjovN_DSfqOlLBUdosDJrziNkoJpHXEGGAuTx2Hs7lN2uPsgDG2BA8mTN8kWuSCLIXqQTlT1SeYdZsj67K4vslpKtSxBmjMd4QBPSrkEzbeJmRAOSskDJvwsen3tRe0VBdo/s1920/fave2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kbqHxyS4YQVpY3zyCFDXR2WB-2bG7Si7VYCBhhNS0n5sXnu-k5xQS8NlWjovN_DSfqOlLBUdosDJrziNkoJpHXEGGAuTx2Hs7lN2uPsgDG2BA8mTN8kWuSCLIXqQTlT1SeYdZsj67K4vslpKtSxBmjMd4QBPSrkEzbeJmRAOSskDJvwsen3tRe0VBdo/w480-h640/fave2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>3. Valentine's Day called for I love you berry much lunches and a little dessert buffet. Anything dipped in Nutella is a good combo!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wFVJZrn7gYbHoEo8km_mIG5sytppi-9ybNr5DhB9rPPuRKkcq6ZSpY5Cga6wH2zptAIzCslK9XtRB_jFdEs_mQ4K037WfEH5h6_5GtJHLiENAc7vWJf1-pmDHylep8oVOL44e-D-Xf54XUWxfhg2Ets95FtEcmXQ_ka-CaOASAAe9iONoHhQk_mg1BI/s1356/fave4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="1356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wFVJZrn7gYbHoEo8km_mIG5sytppi-9ybNr5DhB9rPPuRKkcq6ZSpY5Cga6wH2zptAIzCslK9XtRB_jFdEs_mQ4K037WfEH5h6_5GtJHLiENAc7vWJf1-pmDHylep8oVOL44e-D-Xf54XUWxfhg2Ets95FtEcmXQ_ka-CaOASAAe9iONoHhQk_mg1BI/w640-h640/fave4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZByDtH4T2Kkp7gZfIGR1dlV4cANo2Lg_jQ6W9X8Mooh4r2MRGHU3Ribi-xvu6UTeK3wnBLwE3JIs1zy5zyXb5eIe869w7FaFJ97RCaBWWvcy3PoJ0M4DU5zwmWK_16gpHOiLclHzzMn_vjbwqd4yzxS7tBgIXm4PYqUNsD0tMlEN8OhVOS53NdTYwrE/s1512/fave25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZByDtH4T2Kkp7gZfIGR1dlV4cANo2Lg_jQ6W9X8Mooh4r2MRGHU3Ribi-xvu6UTeK3wnBLwE3JIs1zy5zyXb5eIe869w7FaFJ97RCaBWWvcy3PoJ0M4DU5zwmWK_16gpHOiLclHzzMn_vjbwqd4yzxS7tBgIXm4PYqUNsD0tMlEN8OhVOS53NdTYwrE/w640-h640/fave25.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>4. 2nd grade class party. I got to go to Fletcher's class party and we had so much fun. The kids were so excited to exchange valentines, play Valentine BINGO, eat snacks and celebrate together. He's got really nice friends and it's always a treat to see him in his classroom. I loved teaching 2nd grade so it made me feel really nostalgic to be in the classroom on a fun holiday.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQXIZjkFC1BT6pHFzb5f6cZNRmmU2aTN1A6MQcwZDf0Jn9UfWeGG-56nY60m9dxMzSk1MSnsCq1q1lHqk-2J3zW1SfAC1Y1jTReqnw2Zdlddo8HRFfPp6PYNuSoGnPyCWyBxTvcCWYfgvrMEN2dmuZf5LRICcV8Mh7XENN59wAmO13hES3t88fWZ8brA/s1920/fave6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQXIZjkFC1BT6pHFzb5f6cZNRmmU2aTN1A6MQcwZDf0Jn9UfWeGG-56nY60m9dxMzSk1MSnsCq1q1lHqk-2J3zW1SfAC1Y1jTReqnw2Zdlddo8HRFfPp6PYNuSoGnPyCWyBxTvcCWYfgvrMEN2dmuZf5LRICcV8Mh7XENN59wAmO13hES3t88fWZ8brA/w480-h640/fave6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jzEnGzLKMlEF2LePBGXfj089jZR98Wfm35HZ0vXSffPOs-ES1ky7TLZ9MKxT0CDiTUHXWeZ32cG91ugU-1Za7XB5UgyDuxEDdo1uYOgQqJvQhpiDrVLkwv_-NMhVJ1oyPCXXek5a25J1_smdsK9poNiK4loRQDwZ50QvudDl_hdmS_agp4WRm7iUb0o/s1448/fave7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1158" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jzEnGzLKMlEF2LePBGXfj089jZR98Wfm35HZ0vXSffPOs-ES1ky7TLZ9MKxT0CDiTUHXWeZ32cG91ugU-1Za7XB5UgyDuxEDdo1uYOgQqJvQhpiDrVLkwv_-NMhVJ1oyPCXXek5a25J1_smdsK9poNiK4loRQDwZ50QvudDl_hdmS_agp4WRm7iUb0o/w512-h640/fave7.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div><br /></div>5. Gifts. I grabbed a couple favorite things for each kid and their favorite candies. It was simple and sweet and they all loved their surprises. I got Kevin chocolates and he got me these fun jewelry cleaner pens on the go to keep my diamonds sparkly. They're from MINE Company. I love that they are mess free so it's perfect to keep in your car to use while you're waiting. They keep your diamonds so sparkly. Here's my Amazon link to them:
</div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3T3ZuD6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On The Go MINE Ring Cleaner Pen</a><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LyQOOThc_YN4B046_Ev3ASFNvWu1IiCPtjLv_uDWzbI3cCpT_bkSPKMK3Rz74j_WH8jKK3tbbgMCki6s7XBSX-kawAzubSwbajmrbWIf3qr1cv8a-KxtZIFzyDlr8jiuKWoR4GOc_WYvIiVdAGhPfkmJi4n8LHjJLsckBvKYTHdTuqS7ELMD191yHgs/s1512/fave8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LyQOOThc_YN4B046_Ev3ASFNvWu1IiCPtjLv_uDWzbI3cCpT_bkSPKMK3Rz74j_WH8jKK3tbbgMCki6s7XBSX-kawAzubSwbajmrbWIf3qr1cv8a-KxtZIFzyDlr8jiuKWoR4GOc_WYvIiVdAGhPfkmJi4n8LHjJLsckBvKYTHdTuqS7ELMD191yHgs/w640-h640/fave8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgOUIm6_4B8xo0VpAgFVcPl3vEAxlwAgGbxVM7SJDysLowix2StWuV6_V-_OFkp6XrMP7tD5Tf7-ZrY5SkPyu72wQvkLH-WIbLXMSmNiN4Jw3OgwnST7loBEw1tz_W_B-kJtiJiZb3-n9FL7Phd2XK0oNjLuQ0tdwCq0hVTgaHqWdHQ_VBb7h1j0Qwdk/s1920/fave9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgOUIm6_4B8xo0VpAgFVcPl3vEAxlwAgGbxVM7SJDysLowix2StWuV6_V-_OFkp6XrMP7tD5Tf7-ZrY5SkPyu72wQvkLH-WIbLXMSmNiN4Jw3OgwnST7loBEw1tz_W_B-kJtiJiZb3-n9FL7Phd2XK0oNjLuQ0tdwCq0hVTgaHqWdHQ_VBb7h1j0Qwdk/w480-h640/fave9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>6. Jordan Bakery Box. I baked a lot of cookies for Valentine's day and the Super Bowl this week.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2T9XPEzImanZjVUUKNVdWAZWNNZq9OtEIyhyphenhyphenAH5qjqECLf_3X09A4JXRVdf52qDm1D0cA_dSgK0BuuUCqqavE9JKi9OCNfP_BRA_mNUcH8ywPHBfoIEZsmovoU0HO-kuvLZLd60L0NAkBDIykyc_FhfLWUuYUFkgsREY8j0UewCyZUU2uZ5Q8glhrnNY/s1406/fave10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1406" data-original-width="1406" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2T9XPEzImanZjVUUKNVdWAZWNNZq9OtEIyhyphenhyphenAH5qjqECLf_3X09A4JXRVdf52qDm1D0cA_dSgK0BuuUCqqavE9JKi9OCNfP_BRA_mNUcH8ywPHBfoIEZsmovoU0HO-kuvLZLd60L0NAkBDIykyc_FhfLWUuYUFkgsREY8j0UewCyZUU2uZ5Q8glhrnNY/w640-h640/fave10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>7. Leo is very into giving kisses and it's my favorite. He's a good helper at the grocery store as long as it involves snacking while he rides in the cart plus picking out a new Hotwheels car or two.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsrvgtTSpPCRZUGInRcwRDyCGSoSXyKUu3KkJG_5a-7f8MUoRUZDjfigaKFA0Axp2VnUAgag5ID1MUm3VIawUsEPnPA9w39CM72F3_TjAaneZzMditdJlso7Rj9xKQfCn98Og8YmqKhJBcG1q70wD5saePRfsHbt43DmLwggXwU9Oae2mgpoGuZtGn_4/s1920/fave11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsrvgtTSpPCRZUGInRcwRDyCGSoSXyKUu3KkJG_5a-7f8MUoRUZDjfigaKFA0Axp2VnUAgag5ID1MUm3VIawUsEPnPA9w39CM72F3_TjAaneZzMditdJlso7Rj9xKQfCn98Og8YmqKhJBcG1q70wD5saePRfsHbt43DmLwggXwU9Oae2mgpoGuZtGn_4/w480-h640/fave11.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>8. Fletcher loves to go metal detecting in our yard and one day while he was digging he came across a giant heart rock for me. It lives on our patio and I love it so much.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRluiQFk9qULw5rRHVaOt0cNxF8T043LM35WbTygnnZDFmKPryNoQbmKRLwL8s9yEXy_wgRRL4fT6kQFBUG8QKMxqcarXC-CAXUvZDcaHVaj4xLQjIU3oZwif4gv89CHWtaHFOxjyMZoREdvEoqEx4uoSX-zigzwDN2qdXoswzJpheyk8jDrjaXu8Zy3w/s1424/fave12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="1424" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRluiQFk9qULw5rRHVaOt0cNxF8T043LM35WbTygnnZDFmKPryNoQbmKRLwL8s9yEXy_wgRRL4fT6kQFBUG8QKMxqcarXC-CAXUvZDcaHVaj4xLQjIU3oZwif4gv89CHWtaHFOxjyMZoREdvEoqEx4uoSX-zigzwDN2qdXoswzJpheyk8jDrjaXu8Zy3w/w640-h640/fave12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">9. Leo's at home Valentine's Day. He kept using his new truck to pick up things like markers and my flowers. Then he got to spend a good chunk of the day hanging out with his Papaw. I had a busy day so Papaw saved the day by hanging out with Leo. They played baseball, shot Nerf guns, went for a walk and played. You won't be surprised that he asked for Papaw to come back over the next day.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RMBZm2-RXZM5j0Qgie_qqdpHkRVC6mQuQNBDy6hYVC-xnenf_sb4rasAs7ytYjsX9A5l0sNqrerzkQfYtdcnkgmRHRSqSr80yEtGqRPoz9RwFW4XUhti3_VIlUaQboDzoDr6aOSd2SWk2xSs41Ym4S9f2iWko-xE7qIb60pt_iEHi6G-RDi_-dXmr2M/s1920/fave24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RMBZm2-RXZM5j0Qgie_qqdpHkRVC6mQuQNBDy6hYVC-xnenf_sb4rasAs7ytYjsX9A5l0sNqrerzkQfYtdcnkgmRHRSqSr80yEtGqRPoz9RwFW4XUhti3_VIlUaQboDzoDr6aOSd2SWk2xSs41Ym4S9f2iWko-xE7qIb60pt_iEHi6G-RDi_-dXmr2M/w480-h640/fave24.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckzPvD_7mqSO7OOvfCF6cRXA2JmVBdbPad8_bbJRWdMIPjMJqqDenc0mf99WIfMB_lpjzW9PHOy9J18Y2BW8woHktDDEzwIQ1spZQYwnHrFb6FskmPcVXQi7F_IDIY7SB1yJTvyZbJ_Gd78rerPZpzJWNzajr0-aCb7-Lk4e1ZsD377kj2zDlege3zX8/s1920/fave5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckzPvD_7mqSO7OOvfCF6cRXA2JmVBdbPad8_bbJRWdMIPjMJqqDenc0mf99WIfMB_lpjzW9PHOy9J18Y2BW8woHktDDEzwIQ1spZQYwnHrFb6FskmPcVXQi7F_IDIY7SB1yJTvyZbJ_Gd78rerPZpzJWNzajr0-aCb7-Lk4e1ZsD377kj2zDlege3zX8/w480-h640/fave5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>10. Superbowl Sunday. Our day did not goes as planned. Leo woke up sick so we stayed home from church and had to cancel our Superbowl party that we were hosting with friends. We were bummed, but tried to make the most of it. Kevin printed games for us to play, the kids got really into watching the game and I made a yummy spread of food for just us. Kevin loves Patrick Mahomes and has for years so he was thrilled with the outcome of the game. Most of my cookie orders were for Chiefs cookies so I know lots of people were excited to see them win.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi335lex_QxP3JTcjr7Bl2137kMTpJyoEoE2DJ5-rmHYuzRb_wZTLriumr4Tepot5mHnzAMTuUtWN0UmtM2pH2mBuowzQ-JFM6dM-J5xw6mbWAmyDPb3FYFlu1Wk2TrLmf56okeiPAYM3jpvhJlrjioZNmsu1eQQ3ZmO207Gbzyd9AQD-EaYCDuOQ0dhLc/s1512/fave13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi335lex_QxP3JTcjr7Bl2137kMTpJyoEoE2DJ5-rmHYuzRb_wZTLriumr4Tepot5mHnzAMTuUtWN0UmtM2pH2mBuowzQ-JFM6dM-J5xw6mbWAmyDPb3FYFlu1Wk2TrLmf56okeiPAYM3jpvhJlrjioZNmsu1eQQ3ZmO207Gbzyd9AQD-EaYCDuOQ0dhLc/w640-h640/fave13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMB1j4dl-CXG7Lcr2UiHC9rkAzodtd77cAA2qPh7daacSB9PL6vQEmcezfKfPVENwXaB7lCiqys9Ox0kAHYhrrtnTmcpPMrj_9alfmuifQOagaakKd8LtCKIPo4nKSXtszE2gnOOiMncZEGVd6MdufykfQK5Z7Mi3DDCy_pvxOyTFK4-ZnIIURqAqevo/s1459/fave14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1459" data-original-width="1459" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMB1j4dl-CXG7Lcr2UiHC9rkAzodtd77cAA2qPh7daacSB9PL6vQEmcezfKfPVENwXaB7lCiqys9Ox0kAHYhrrtnTmcpPMrj_9alfmuifQOagaakKd8LtCKIPo4nKSXtszE2gnOOiMncZEGVd6MdufykfQK5Z7Mi3DDCy_pvxOyTFK4-ZnIIURqAqevo/w640-h640/fave14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>11. Leo's cool new trick is to put his writing utensils behind his ear when he needs a break from his work. He loves this letter game and I love his cool new trick.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMFGYsItk5cwtef6BSgmDmYT0z7gKsABmk908vbfVCFnPLcdbmFHQJHDg2aLCvQWBu2DSU04dyJFrW5WzEW09cIxLpqFPNGehp_och-XsG8sqXTQYlgvYY5-THycyDaLz_tG-vH0gl2bUYpq1C2Krb5qHnCPrN6C_iLf1KI1zCoNbTQ-evIaU0_tS6HM/s1280/fave15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMFGYsItk5cwtef6BSgmDmYT0z7gKsABmk908vbfVCFnPLcdbmFHQJHDg2aLCvQWBu2DSU04dyJFrW5WzEW09cIxLpqFPNGehp_och-XsG8sqXTQYlgvYY5-THycyDaLz_tG-vH0gl2bUYpq1C2Krb5qHnCPrN6C_iLf1KI1zCoNbTQ-evIaU0_tS6HM/w480-h640/fave15.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>His other new favorite game is Dr. Leo. He checks all of our temperatures (we're usually 68 degrees) and need lots of care. He's been taking care of stuffed animals, our family and our cats (much to their dismay). He looks so cute as Dr. Leo ready for surgery.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCouupZvRHx8zq7TeZ3X7TI8TLZZT3D1fRxNMcQB1kc-qBsB7-BHSI9zg-Rd7OfPo3GZqXV7fvc-py0YNlQZX38t17GLhE_43f4lS4GNm1f2sxtfkks1qPlW3HBRJnh5PpSmBx5cbTiOZuu0yVZHD-BoNgUIS28wVTOnO-OfIlQ0b9OH4TJMKO1hVzAew/s2016/fave16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCouupZvRHx8zq7TeZ3X7TI8TLZZT3D1fRxNMcQB1kc-qBsB7-BHSI9zg-Rd7OfPo3GZqXV7fvc-py0YNlQZX38t17GLhE_43f4lS4GNm1f2sxtfkks1qPlW3HBRJnh5PpSmBx5cbTiOZuu0yVZHD-BoNgUIS28wVTOnO-OfIlQ0b9OH4TJMKO1hVzAew/w480-h640/fave16.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>12. Gardener. Fletcher's been learning about plants, gardening and composting in science this week. He taught us a few new things about our compost box. His teacher was so excited that he knew about composting so I snapped pictures and he got to teach his class about how composting works. It was a really cool opportunity for him to show off his gardening skills.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqpncjhx_4P504TjvzHWXeDbHZRm4_rp7JuthDTPKb-ymXCbhp__YdwMlqa92n6Opmi5QUCZ8d4QSl2CYBATezkJqegPtszlKdEEWaiZPOJoNuG5lh4algRytajny0bStYwzcUeHVM1UZrtyU41NT9HTvDU1-1Wy-k4mqCF_hPCn8KkP0nY-ULretJZ4/s1920/fave17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqpncjhx_4P504TjvzHWXeDbHZRm4_rp7JuthDTPKb-ymXCbhp__YdwMlqa92n6Opmi5QUCZ8d4QSl2CYBATezkJqegPtszlKdEEWaiZPOJoNuG5lh4algRytajny0bStYwzcUeHVM1UZrtyU41NT9HTvDU1-1Wy-k4mqCF_hPCn8KkP0nY-ULretJZ4/w480-h640/fave17.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>13. My Uncle Mike passed away last week. Leo and I headed out of town for his visitation early one morning and we had a nice time visiting with family members that we don't get to see very often. Leo loved seeing Mike's Corvette in the parking lot and he found a little baby cousin that loved him. It was bittersweet to be gathering for a funeral, but we were happy to be there to honor Mike.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOPOqMlFSH2f9L2D8Uz1ycvSrhHmOso2A5pNWHagMo_5Gd38XV23m2U_JYKeDNAd1Y8_H856u7Lkbc6QzHty54aQzrGLgo1rw_jcawgcVDevtHVx7KM1w5rPRRm8sr_CFRP57hkqDnn0g3_L6R_rhXmuLeYM2QhQbmNqrtwUKwqP_iDnw5EWKxia6zVc/s1920/fave20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOPOqMlFSH2f9L2D8Uz1ycvSrhHmOso2A5pNWHagMo_5Gd38XV23m2U_JYKeDNAd1Y8_H856u7Lkbc6QzHty54aQzrGLgo1rw_jcawgcVDevtHVx7KM1w5rPRRm8sr_CFRP57hkqDnn0g3_L6R_rhXmuLeYM2QhQbmNqrtwUKwqP_iDnw5EWKxia6zVc/w480-h640/fave20.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXZcIonTRd72_mDtgpmNUHdZ8V1ZY3mbLNrAE0v5sX7VkWXKwrBuDbQcbHc1LFRAbm6BoHTMnCRrc2HaIkzjwX5eDWcfqe6equf1nJLWDnqy-xFX0jTjk5T4efacWTAsXHyfY56ay_HG3PChm197kK-7pXg1O8x8exzZjMBH7eqXKouoaT2421k1c_7Q/s2016/fave21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXZcIonTRd72_mDtgpmNUHdZ8V1ZY3mbLNrAE0v5sX7VkWXKwrBuDbQcbHc1LFRAbm6BoHTMnCRrc2HaIkzjwX5eDWcfqe6equf1nJLWDnqy-xFX0jTjk5T4efacWTAsXHyfY56ay_HG3PChm197kK-7pXg1O8x8exzZjMBH7eqXKouoaT2421k1c_7Q/w480-h640/fave21.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>14. BINGO night. The kid's school hosted a BINGO night so I took them to play a few games. None of us won, but we ate popcorn, raised money for a good cause and all agreed that we would be happy to play BINGO more often.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQdSTxsYQYTXHJNnCRztmGEC-ulFazPqZL1md720nAWoEUD21bmRhlGpwTaBrJKR1ZJ-NogCQQrcSyv2gQcFSdgQwnI-QaSN6c9rVx5_vBFO3D6PH9XYV3DYg2YMef6IgmhK5kjh0y_4NKsueAXLwzepgENJNXLdJiv3BOLqMRuhMXxHJb3hS-OTlzBc/s1920/fave22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQdSTxsYQYTXHJNnCRztmGEC-ulFazPqZL1md720nAWoEUD21bmRhlGpwTaBrJKR1ZJ-NogCQQrcSyv2gQcFSdgQwnI-QaSN6c9rVx5_vBFO3D6PH9XYV3DYg2YMef6IgmhK5kjh0y_4NKsueAXLwzepgENJNXLdJiv3BOLqMRuhMXxHJb3hS-OTlzBc/w480-h640/fave22.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokEq1YGEzVbI6OaBTlJ3uRtBYGoZEQUt9reyfGWaC6wm9-Y1b3LPNDTLi5vVFnTk5yiUQujaGan214_FcoEK6WL1khlOlIPBhRtTOMVLPM8Z9U5678tMv_Oq-LXJCNCI8louse21qsZaoAXM9Wn3mNOn-zxZ8b38KjdUIuiAWDtBdnbYBKdm4AxAkwCc/s1920/fave23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokEq1YGEzVbI6OaBTlJ3uRtBYGoZEQUt9reyfGWaC6wm9-Y1b3LPNDTLi5vVFnTk5yiUQujaGan214_FcoEK6WL1khlOlIPBhRtTOMVLPM8Z9U5678tMv_Oq-LXJCNCI8louse21qsZaoAXM9Wn3mNOn-zxZ8b38KjdUIuiAWDtBdnbYBKdm4AxAkwCc/w480-h640/fave23.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>15. Rainbow toes! I love that my kids know how much I love rainbows. Leo called for me to see his rainbow toes one morning and it made my day.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7_pEZQX_lLZNAC6YjiW97J2cMlK5jJ6v6y0JG-u5YHfLJFS89SupJ4WtPYUbbm-kPp2yE0MxqJ5kZbNTTeUqUpeaZFQaFjYRbXC-aBXYrenrwr7_n-PTVdLmSb6lfgR8M7ikYqPBQpM5VNLvo_jrQhsPFLLGtS7me2wbPGy3m07N7l642gYSvCNtPCw/s1920/fave26.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7_pEZQX_lLZNAC6YjiW97J2cMlK5jJ6v6y0JG-u5YHfLJFS89SupJ4WtPYUbbm-kPp2yE0MxqJ5kZbNTTeUqUpeaZFQaFjYRbXC-aBXYrenrwr7_n-PTVdLmSb6lfgR8M7ikYqPBQpM5VNLvo_jrQhsPFLLGtS7me2wbPGy3m07N7l642gYSvCNtPCw/w480-h640/fave26.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm wishing you a wonderful weekend! I'll see you back here early next week. The kids have a long weekend so it may be Tuesday before I'm back to blogging.</p><p>Linking up with <a href="https://www.momfessionals.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Momfessionals</a></p></div></div></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-88722631799397663852024-02-14T07:01:00.035-05:002024-02-14T07:01:00.130-05:00Love in Numbers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApSA24mFohaodp2Z7jVvYK0_2XoWGd88aBhLjNPQFij4NN1WrgWy3DsHf-nHsQ_Or1ODZmk3E683UXydpyLRykc09Akzybu2TnS9uJe55nWQeO_HMA1DQ3yGIkA-Y1lsdf5Um5xS_UUtvrkz1IUQ4eGyd-PQ9JwjpbFXAPhAYZUGnQk7YhGMtM9RPZGs/s1920/loveis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApSA24mFohaodp2Z7jVvYK0_2XoWGd88aBhLjNPQFij4NN1WrgWy3DsHf-nHsQ_Or1ODZmk3E683UXydpyLRykc09Akzybu2TnS9uJe55nWQeO_HMA1DQ3yGIkA-Y1lsdf5Um5xS_UUtvrkz1IUQ4eGyd-PQ9JwjpbFXAPhAYZUGnQk7YhGMtM9RPZGs/w480-h640/loveis.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Love is...</p><p>Splurging to spend $9 on the perfect card for your valentine.</p><p>Intending to mail out valentines but running out of time.</p><p>Shopping for 5 teacher gifts and cards.</p><p>Assembling 24 class valentines.</p><p>Locating heart or valentine's day clothing for all 3 kids.</p><p>Juggling schedules and meetings so that one parent can be at the class Valentine's Day party.</p><p>Buying favorite candies and a small surprise for your 3 kids.</p><p>Baking 10 dozen Valentine's Day cookies.</p><p>Dipping hundreds of chocolate covered pretzels.</p><p>Baking heart shaped food.</p><p>Packing 3 heart shaped lunches for your kids.</p><p>Going to the dentist to get your cavities filled today to take good care of yourself and hoping it just takes the 1 hour that they scheduled you for.</p><p>Making a spaghetti dinner for your family of 5.</p><p>Trying homemade crepes for the first time and knowing that the Nutella and berries will be a hit no matter what.</p><p><br /></p><p>Happy Valentine's Day! I hope your day is filled with all the things you love plus all the regular stuff you have on your to do list. I love having friends like you!</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-27321352520879943452024-02-13T07:01:00.007-05:002024-02-13T07:01:00.135-05:00Say Yes to More<p>Say YES to more.</p><p>My kids are always coming up with the wildest things. And usually they're pretty easy to please. Unless they're asking for a cell phone, new kitten or a trip to Hawaii. </p><p>It's easy to just say NO to all of the requests that come your way. It's easier and not as messy.</p><p>But most of the time my kids are creative and crafty and come up with the funniest requests. I've tried harder as they're getting older to say yes as much as I can. Especially if it's something that is free, fun or doesn't involve screens.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>These are some things that my kids have asked me for and saying YES has totally made their day.</b></p><p><i>Will you come read on the patio while we play in the backyard?</i></p><p><i>Can we watch The Voice together after dinner?</i></p><p><i>Will you make me a chocolate milkshake for dessert tonight?</i></p><p><i>Can I FaceTime my friend?</i></p><p><i>Will you help me find a new pair of jeans? I pulled up some options on Old Navy to show you.</i></p><p><i>Can you iron together our Perler beads if we make some bead creations?</i></p><p><i>Will you back your van out of the garage so we can play out there?</i></p><p><i>Can we make s'mores with our friends at the fire pit?</i></p><p><i>Could I paint my nails today?</i></p><p><i>Can I go to Sams with you the next time you go?</i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Can we bundle up and go ice skate on the frozen puddles?</i></p><p>They did this for over an hour and laughed/smiled the whole time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJSQlHZcoPkajXpJRKwTkqSesLoeiTN4pIY62zvzo27M7zn9xZSW55HMfqdIEB2oqyaCQLibxzLZDKKGc_3d69vL1zw2GnNALtOV-7Vww-bt5oRCDnsf3OVGv9najPBQzknjzqYq-L-VPMQQ_61YHgHltTFjb5IB2ovQ8cEMf1o-z_mGLIbfalLeAiiM/s1920/yes1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJSQlHZcoPkajXpJRKwTkqSesLoeiTN4pIY62zvzo27M7zn9xZSW55HMfqdIEB2oqyaCQLibxzLZDKKGc_3d69vL1zw2GnNALtOV-7Vww-bt5oRCDnsf3OVGv9najPBQzknjzqYq-L-VPMQQ_61YHgHltTFjb5IB2ovQ8cEMf1o-z_mGLIbfalLeAiiM/w480-h640/yes1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><i>Can we have a slumber party in the family room if we promise to go to bed quickly?</i><div><i><br /></i><div>Yes. We have a giant couch in our upstairs family room and they can all easily sleep on it. They each made their own spot and have been sleeping out there pretty regularly. From time to time they move back to their own beds, but they love all being in the same room at bedtime. They don't know this, but this was our hope when we picked out this couch.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1o0SJyIM798CGjcSq2euidqR4TunS5GCPXvj0r2rSvU-xbWN4ot60_nI6m7qtXUFBXFvgl7F7oonW2-jAe1IyqPZSrcWgjrzjDHpt-cOyvxEp1HLuxQJUvgxoKT5LCLJI5kO65BzIXnf3T5UceNEdyTClf2aVgVgzmMz8C3y2JHefleDOgDsZrLyLVFI/s1920/yes2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1o0SJyIM798CGjcSq2euidqR4TunS5GCPXvj0r2rSvU-xbWN4ot60_nI6m7qtXUFBXFvgl7F7oonW2-jAe1IyqPZSrcWgjrzjDHpt-cOyvxEp1HLuxQJUvgxoKT5LCLJI5kO65BzIXnf3T5UceNEdyTClf2aVgVgzmMz8C3y2JHefleDOgDsZrLyLVFI/w480-h640/yes2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><i>Can we freeze PRIME drink and water in our pop its to see how long it takes for them to freeze? And then eat the ice?</i></div><div>This kept them occupied and engaged for the whole day. They frozen all kinds of things - water, lemonade, PRIME drink and loved eating their frozen drinks.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrr0OUhMfVdNgLyCDGjk3jqq-XYhkVwJUaovJs65dQnphsJxtr-OES2POXTAlRYY6_S1QP3iMJTzSHf8S2KLgZ1OHDEFebPdsSEn5FQlM36WePyqCmTLp2lcQcJzJCJJbQO0rTERf4nnSH1I6H2psxVSzoJzH-FKdGFIQob2XqcNN3Cn6Ba3ZCiixFqM/s1512/yes3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrr0OUhMfVdNgLyCDGjk3jqq-XYhkVwJUaovJs65dQnphsJxtr-OES2POXTAlRYY6_S1QP3iMJTzSHf8S2KLgZ1OHDEFebPdsSEn5FQlM36WePyqCmTLp2lcQcJzJCJJbQO0rTERf4nnSH1I6H2psxVSzoJzH-FKdGFIQob2XqcNN3Cn6Ba3ZCiixFqM/w640-h640/yes3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>This is my encouragement to you - say YES to your kids when you can especially if it's free, fun and/or doesn't involve screens. Your kids will love it!</p></div></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-70644253987121488642024-02-12T07:01:00.120-05:002024-02-12T07:01:00.129-05:003 Simple Homemade Salad Dressings<p>How was your Super Bowl weekend? Did your team win? We had to cancel plans because Leo wasn't feeling great so that was a bummer. But we made the most of it. Kevin printed out games for us to play, I made some delicious food and we had a good time. The kids got really into it. The older two stayed up to watch overtime and asked tons of questions. Even though we were cheering for the under dogs, we still had fun.</p><p>Now let's talk about salads! I told you earlier in the year that I was going to work hard to learn how to make my own salad dressings. And I'm doing it! I don't love the salad ingredients with tons of sugar or tons of ingredients so homemade dressings feel like the best option for this salad loving girl.</p><p>I'm trying to eat at least one salad a day - either a big salad for lunch or a side salad with dinner.</p><p>I pinned a bunch of salad dressing recipes and figured out a few of my own. These are three dressings that I made and have really enjoyed. I didn't buy any fancy containers for them. Just used jars and containers I already owned with masking tape labels. I save my Duke's mayo salad dressing lids for my mason jars and they work like a charm.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TYUwxfjgE6WY0uLa_FDcjDFdg4hFyG4VwA3Her-FnUxoPxl5w3nUubwxK3v-PH6cytxm5CzMMfox9wJsztEy-rFUYyGjxI0JzkjckHPfCdYPdT3KVEiTUTIbse9-fqszDMvVuWNufRsepWnIy2FwHh889MQzwjRkjS1g3GdIHZEUuNjb35MBdHRae3I/s1512/salad1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TYUwxfjgE6WY0uLa_FDcjDFdg4hFyG4VwA3Her-FnUxoPxl5w3nUubwxK3v-PH6cytxm5CzMMfox9wJsztEy-rFUYyGjxI0JzkjckHPfCdYPdT3KVEiTUTIbse9-fqszDMvVuWNufRsepWnIy2FwHh889MQzwjRkjS1g3GdIHZEUuNjb35MBdHRae3I/w640-h640/salad1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lemon Vinaigrette:</b></div><div>juice of one lemon</div><div>3T olive oil</div><div>a splash of apple cider vinegar</div><div>1 t sugar</div><div>1 t you favorite seasoning (Kinder The Blend - salt, pepper & garlic - is my favorite)</div><div><br /></div><div>Shake until well combined. Double or triple the recipe and taste it as you go. It's delicious on salads with fruits or veggies.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Honey Mustard Dressing:</b></div><div>2 T olive oil</div><div>2 T Dijon mustard</div><div>a splash of Worcestershire sauce</div><div>a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar</div><div>A sprinkle of your favorite seasoning (Kinder The Blend)</div><div>salt and pepper to taste</div><div><br /></div><div>Put all ingredients in a jar. Shake until well combined.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Pesto Dressing:</b></div><div>I shared this recipe with you last Summer <a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2023/07/blt-pasta-salad.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BLT Pasta Salad</a> and it's still a family favorite. Even the kids love it! I changed up the recipe since I didn't have fresh basil on hand.</div><div><br /></div><div>1/4 c sour cream</div><div>1/4 c Dukes mayo</div><div>3 T pesto</div><div>1 green onion</div><div>2 t Worcestershire</div><div>a sprinkle of garlic salt</div><div>salt and pepper to taste </div><div><br /></div><div>Blend all ingredients until smooth and refrigerate.</div><div>We eat this on the BLT pasta salad and I think it would be delicious on any salad with vegetables.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's an up close of my favorite seasoning. I use it on everything from salad dressing to baked chicken to burgers. It's delicious! And it is super affordable at Sams.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYksfy1rAXy0DRQuAd3NkY2kKvQwMFMsJoOYeFxhyphenhyphenhzuJREAKsJsLtG64UibUmSjUKfZQoAL0jvUYhuEHUH7WZGRxP2e5nUE19Rgvqa3nHOFcc6XyHRyltZwGJcQk3lVvs_UfiTO0uco5VeBkF7lLRYWILdxHJKd64Ne3Zx2NApYiv87Uzh0rZPQxwGM/s1920/salad6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYksfy1rAXy0DRQuAd3NkY2kKvQwMFMsJoOYeFxhyphenhyphenhzuJREAKsJsLtG64UibUmSjUKfZQoAL0jvUYhuEHUH7WZGRxP2e5nUE19Rgvqa3nHOFcc6XyHRyltZwGJcQk3lVvs_UfiTO0uco5VeBkF7lLRYWILdxHJKd64Ne3Zx2NApYiv87Uzh0rZPQxwGM/w480-h640/salad6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My very favorite veggie packed salad:</div><div>All of the dressings would be delicious on this! I chop the cucumbers, eggs and onions fresh. Everything else I can chop in bulk ahead of time.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5JRvoiE4HUpNro8Kn7Pnz0kbNjDEiYLXWUV9hw05ks3BIUX1zCV4UBp8FmHuBuXgNRAX40QxXMkVYRSqkytGmaa0MLAMl8qEwAXykI_zeHFPjUczZpaRYanmdkK0B4rQOnUQmRq0ET3NPara4WvSK31HqRBGHmrKFNFEEm34ElLca4iW6akqkVQWO-Q/s1426/salad2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1426" data-original-width="1426" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5JRvoiE4HUpNro8Kn7Pnz0kbNjDEiYLXWUV9hw05ks3BIUX1zCV4UBp8FmHuBuXgNRAX40QxXMkVYRSqkytGmaa0MLAMl8qEwAXykI_zeHFPjUczZpaRYanmdkK0B4rQOnUQmRq0ET3NPara4WvSK31HqRBGHmrKFNFEEm34ElLca4iW6akqkVQWO-Q/w640-h640/salad2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>The BLT pasta salad. It doesn't look amazing, but I promise you that my kids lick their salad bowls.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivk2SdzxVl_Jn9inEX40hNJiBDyObARDCuHWpFVLTv2CmmdDTxsv_pQOkSvFiiW_DiVGBCbtvan7iS2FJ0FOHtL7EqJb4V0rw13IaCHDWxxx1SYxdAWCz9DPWhLB0yFPbVpjjSvD9xEaoiibyuuMYhzE1c7sEHYOlOi8oi1DNZeukN5LYVjEGTkcT6IaY/s1920/salad3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivk2SdzxVl_Jn9inEX40hNJiBDyObARDCuHWpFVLTv2CmmdDTxsv_pQOkSvFiiW_DiVGBCbtvan7iS2FJ0FOHtL7EqJb4V0rw13IaCHDWxxx1SYxdAWCz9DPWhLB0yFPbVpjjSvD9xEaoiibyuuMYhzE1c7sEHYOlOi8oi1DNZeukN5LYVjEGTkcT6IaY/w480-h640/salad3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Our favorite berry side salad. I chop everything up after school, pop it in the fridge and add the dressing right before I serve it. Kevin and I love this salad with dinner. It's got baby spinach, strawberries, honey crisp apples, purple onion, craisins, pecans, parmesan cheese. Then I add a drizzle of poppyseed dressing or the lemon vinaigrette recipe above before I serve it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVie1V4jb27m-Vt4IxGCDq7GAc3gAGK2yOmbdaG67YoSTWWXtI1Ev12k6BEIyvGyhy7slVtHxpDhfxtSvtUGB7RtGgjOrYKP5oTKPv18QsIFcrESgDaNXwMonr2FyDuOi30BxKRlX7_kTtjSM4x6lGD5cgOhwEYzRfv2nn1hIe4jfYY_Mv0hvS11iRRU/s1512/salad4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVie1V4jb27m-Vt4IxGCDq7GAc3gAGK2yOmbdaG67YoSTWWXtI1Ev12k6BEIyvGyhy7slVtHxpDhfxtSvtUGB7RtGgjOrYKP5oTKPv18QsIFcrESgDaNXwMonr2FyDuOi30BxKRlX7_kTtjSM4x6lGD5cgOhwEYzRfv2nn1hIe4jfYY_Mv0hvS11iRRU/w640-h640/salad4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It's such a pretty, delicious salad.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGexyBhQDnknqboWaiHUxhKuagyIGXzgDvmHrYH2Do4zu_vz-bf0IOLufAdllAF8JPaleWfi98MjXU1-3Nwk2LzqWKh4-8O9WBxWmVc-lmWbJBbt4qUADOuVmd2FuELP1qIfnKtWlRAfCoEkQbDcDVB0JC_wDXxLWJojmZOsMcKkDlyBvJOHsfiWUWNDA/s1512/salad5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGexyBhQDnknqboWaiHUxhKuagyIGXzgDvmHrYH2Do4zu_vz-bf0IOLufAdllAF8JPaleWfi98MjXU1-3Nwk2LzqWKh4-8O9WBxWmVc-lmWbJBbt4qUADOuVmd2FuELP1qIfnKtWlRAfCoEkQbDcDVB0JC_wDXxLWJojmZOsMcKkDlyBvJOHsfiWUWNDA/w640-h640/salad5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I hope you found a salad dressing that sounds delicious to you! I'd love to hear what salad dressings you like to make at home. Share your favorite in the comments.</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-15923431176914370742024-02-09T07:01:00.139-05:002024-02-09T07:01:00.133-05:00Friday Favorites<p>Happy Friday, friends! I hope you have a had a nice week. We had some fun things happening and I wasn't needed for jury duty yesterday! Hooray! I am still a little in denial that I registered Leo for Pre-K this Fall. It came up fast (I thought I had a few more weeks to decide). I messaged a few friends to get recommendations, read preschool websites to check out program options and made the best decision for Leo. He's so excited to go to school. It was a good week!</p><p>Did you catch my blog posts this week?</p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/is-it-time-to-declutter-your-house.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Is It Time to Declutter Your Home?</a></p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/dutch-baby-pancakes.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dutch Baby Pancakes</a></p><p><a href="https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2024/02/kitchen-helper-and-other-jobs-toddlers.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kitchen Helper and Other Jobs Toddlers Would Love</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Now onto my favorite moments of the week:</p><p>1. I have the perfect dress for you for Spring! Or maybe an Easter dress?? This Amazon dress is my current favorite. It's so easy to wear from Fall through Spring. I add a jean jacket when it's cold and wear it by itself as the weather has been warming up. It comes in so many pretty colors. I own it in this pretty purple and would love to have it in pink/green and blue/white. I get a lot of compliments on it when I wear it and it doesn't wrinkle. It really is the easiest dress to wear.</p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/487iYKY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miduo purple dress link</a></p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/493ebLT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miduo pink and green dress link</a></p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/3SwwlP5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miduo blue and white dress link</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv9HsftgX25qXLxUB0F-Yq8d9KzNz20HPvxT7jrYHu1g4cVmRm0LVGsaBW6wzJNhbMoiXu4iWXpk-G32RkGR_WpJQvcG6-i9Z_rhlgkVS-m-kpLdvPBT188dfbskjcKw4T7pcGEZPELUpgOtfYm1mb5rkY9OqRZ6Jw1WI-Vxgf0uSnZyyTm66Wg79bjg/s1280/today1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv9HsftgX25qXLxUB0F-Yq8d9KzNz20HPvxT7jrYHu1g4cVmRm0LVGsaBW6wzJNhbMoiXu4iWXpk-G32RkGR_WpJQvcG6-i9Z_rhlgkVS-m-kpLdvPBT188dfbskjcKw4T7pcGEZPELUpgOtfYm1mb5rkY9OqRZ6Jw1WI-Vxgf0uSnZyyTm66Wg79bjg/w640-h640/today1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>2. Heart-y Food! I love making holiday themed food. I love to add some hearts into my baking and meals this time of year. I made heart shaped banana muffins in a heart pan my mom gave me. Berry salad where the strawberries looked like hearts and heart waffles. My crew loved all of it!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMy4w7rdKq7tIYt0JOYQuDjseUtyyNd7bS1myuGS86RGRrGmI7FFrwV-RzXn9B1swMJwXno2mXZXGihwH4yqFDSEv1v2NiwKq4jto0Ur4grqqwxuVWzvcANwv3ymUsaato6UBqFewR4D5g8RwaZR2Wo7qzGV_dC-JfLC7siTlV63Sz9BEQakawmgJzkA/s1442/today2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1442" data-original-width="1442" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMy4w7rdKq7tIYt0JOYQuDjseUtyyNd7bS1myuGS86RGRrGmI7FFrwV-RzXn9B1swMJwXno2mXZXGihwH4yqFDSEv1v2NiwKq4jto0Ur4grqqwxuVWzvcANwv3ymUsaato6UBqFewR4D5g8RwaZR2Wo7qzGV_dC-JfLC7siTlV63Sz9BEQakawmgJzkA/w640-h640/today2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ADGuFjeQ14ElDDXZlJBksJVo9hRdydMkIEAiLeWNRilyhug2uPCX1L8OIVtmZ9ysngIv5T1H6L0LxoWTheVdWfOZBasP1vPt21kQGAEh3VaTz6jlEw6N-niTMo3RBKCeq9Mw3kdC6Bc0jzy5fg0UDyWBt7dUwlY8XmzAfBVQoqoqez5RN4G4rrgXQSg/s1512/today9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ADGuFjeQ14ElDDXZlJBksJVo9hRdydMkIEAiLeWNRilyhug2uPCX1L8OIVtmZ9ysngIv5T1H6L0LxoWTheVdWfOZBasP1vPt21kQGAEh3VaTz6jlEw6N-niTMo3RBKCeq9Mw3kdC6Bc0jzy5fg0UDyWBt7dUwlY8XmzAfBVQoqoqez5RN4G4rrgXQSg/w640-h640/today9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6dnFo9pjCgyG-0KAe-QPNrv4nbYfYT5y7uuKtS3E7TtgVSsqRQUBY3c6PzBTu2cR2yfvR3OAIK-7PCczOOkkvCgKJAuIrZYZhKGoyh82T0ab76KQv9OHHwY5Y1IyOFW5q-QMmN8c8vYSkIuA5VCMkPsSvUE9-c0G8Rao1V9U8nJhp3TyQweJcTNVCwE/s1448/today14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6dnFo9pjCgyG-0KAe-QPNrv4nbYfYT5y7uuKtS3E7TtgVSsqRQUBY3c6PzBTu2cR2yfvR3OAIK-7PCczOOkkvCgKJAuIrZYZhKGoyh82T0ab76KQv9OHHwY5Y1IyOFW5q-QMmN8c8vYSkIuA5VCMkPsSvUE9-c0G8Rao1V9U8nJhp3TyQweJcTNVCwE/w640-h640/today14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>3. District Choir - Olive got to participate in a big district choir even this week and she loved it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVo3oOfY-gSOf7KgoTz9FQw8KzIN7kGKL-5f4oKi9W92KVDfCc2FzGGHq4Mdwyh9uGhyphenhyphenWud-n8LH_PEIuh0IahGrPX0RqmDKVkFkGZ6zQMFBFmzRvzMCzS7hV6MmflD0tFa46fNlX0AKkq8ERbrj0yVkUc4zOtfVH7TWK5a9n66-A4TNA1psCDfrUZWs/s1410/today22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="1410" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVo3oOfY-gSOf7KgoTz9FQw8KzIN7kGKL-5f4oKi9W92KVDfCc2FzGGHq4Mdwyh9uGhyphenhyphenWud-n8LH_PEIuh0IahGrPX0RqmDKVkFkGZ6zQMFBFmzRvzMCzS7hV6MmflD0tFa46fNlX0AKkq8ERbrj0yVkUc4zOtfVH7TWK5a9n66-A4TNA1psCDfrUZWs/w640-h640/today22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcphRHVsTDT6S0gvnTVZ3e4OTobeQWVF2c3zg5GHOLsSEjYY7oHN4Q1e4Q7Cg13OB7ZbUZ9EMb89ZEs2mZc1DgqvQqiQUblik58AQizs1rNZNQ6jdMqLMCLyXacAHywNTHozXlpj4b-IHVDW29BS8-62UJpwUdAWffxx6-MDfJtvaGOmBZ1waAhNjcdqQ/s1920/today23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcphRHVsTDT6S0gvnTVZ3e4OTobeQWVF2c3zg5GHOLsSEjYY7oHN4Q1e4Q7Cg13OB7ZbUZ9EMb89ZEs2mZc1DgqvQqiQUblik58AQizs1rNZNQ6jdMqLMCLyXacAHywNTHozXlpj4b-IHVDW29BS8-62UJpwUdAWffxx6-MDfJtvaGOmBZ1waAhNjcdqQ/w480-h640/today23.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>4. We love to sit around the fire pit. Kevin sent me this picture of him and the boys enjoying our backyard. The backyard is their favorite.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Wz0Aob5ERhioUs33T_8S2Tz2BU6eE96TMl72kO9Ojz8lAmB7fD7zvQNlT1-HEg6b1eok2g22GpS1x8u6GAide2eYwUqxfLPdd9SL1ppGavhzEDJ6JvjwWLfL1GcxCnflNs4uG10GtFYTfDh6y36N5sPQI70B50YqcZ_JCA6NZDh0vpdoQyCHpMdeP2U/s1280/today3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Wz0Aob5ERhioUs33T_8S2Tz2BU6eE96TMl72kO9Ojz8lAmB7fD7zvQNlT1-HEg6b1eok2g22GpS1x8u6GAide2eYwUqxfLPdd9SL1ppGavhzEDJ6JvjwWLfL1GcxCnflNs4uG10GtFYTfDh6y36N5sPQI70B50YqcZ_JCA6NZDh0vpdoQyCHpMdeP2U/w640-h480/today3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>5. Sams Reynolds Cake Tins - I grabbed a pack of 12 of these cake tins with lids at Sams and they have been so handy! They're just under $12, much sturdier than the Walmart or Dollar Tree versions and I have decided that this is something I'll always keep in my pantry. They worked perfectly when I delivered a friend dinner this week! Delivering meals to friends is my favorite.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR203WcWh8-pbje_VYn4DJdM_ae9ZxgrfvzgDYgJ_7r6V2Ez22T6C1hRpCWqyZNR0o76ydf6nzcWCNVMpiCBtP062Qt98NLmRKr3A1OuEdcgYqAG0ys0M1gljuff9i6d9KNJQP3NKcFyq-lT-W2lc3T6C1O-Jmm6NxFsDGEl42pGsoKwKs8hvaNtfJ_zE/s1920/today4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR203WcWh8-pbje_VYn4DJdM_ae9ZxgrfvzgDYgJ_7r6V2Ez22T6C1hRpCWqyZNR0o76ydf6nzcWCNVMpiCBtP062Qt98NLmRKr3A1OuEdcgYqAG0ys0M1gljuff9i6d9KNJQP3NKcFyq-lT-W2lc3T6C1O-Jmm6NxFsDGEl42pGsoKwKs8hvaNtfJ_zE/w480-h640/today4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqE7ERXz3HA7OrxdnRk9F6O_hralSESvir325-ZRVv5xanaEInaFXIxI3IT-qGVUJPsnj58hjn7BoTGbyhLviK9FFJwIbm_ZGMYiz9vo1HQX-f4EgtJNVylxwkQ5zoaXW5O26zQ-10EybO_6hvz_CAfxr28ggSQGVE3_Tz3U8jUrHep-fdydOjgEA7w4/s1920/today5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqE7ERXz3HA7OrxdnRk9F6O_hralSESvir325-ZRVv5xanaEInaFXIxI3IT-qGVUJPsnj58hjn7BoTGbyhLviK9FFJwIbm_ZGMYiz9vo1HQX-f4EgtJNVylxwkQ5zoaXW5O26zQ-10EybO_6hvz_CAfxr28ggSQGVE3_Tz3U8jUrHep-fdydOjgEA7w4/w480-h640/today5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>6. This kitty transporter always makes me smile. The cats may not appreciate the lift, but it's adorable.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7SUz4qfYA1rkXm3Rg6KgpB7q5mtzGjDKjhxcZ9q8zqW_dyOEk5p6tMScDtz3cleHi755T_rOjeH4J_SJhgTqYIa1IjBUwjzxTl_8xAQTJPMKBxmDHFm1algk-61QN5_fqFVgQoRm29OLMwobuCz29PYTGlNzmoxYN93S5wj9e0HFzkk50gS4wAWXmAs/s1920/today6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7SUz4qfYA1rkXm3Rg6KgpB7q5mtzGjDKjhxcZ9q8zqW_dyOEk5p6tMScDtz3cleHi755T_rOjeH4J_SJhgTqYIa1IjBUwjzxTl_8xAQTJPMKBxmDHFm1algk-61QN5_fqFVgQoRm29OLMwobuCz29PYTGlNzmoxYN93S5wj9e0HFzkk50gS4wAWXmAs/w480-h640/today6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>7. Favorite school lunches for the week. The kids enjoyed peanut butter and apples, Keebler Grasshopper cookies (AKA Keebler Thin Mints), Bold chex mix and Cheddar chex mix and their favorite half sandwiches. I try to make their school lunches as colorful and yummy as possible for a big HUG FROM HOME in the middle of their school days.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwtDGmwspwdvJfGpUpQwJnnHfyVzEwN24wD6J73j4B7j0XkBPkralc_Z6WHrRzcQDShnqSrK7lLiBbDAx5iXlYycVuEsZnGeCZTSyZXnv5Wb1tKDSPN3sAxQ1Vakcvb2XoOUANZGQANb4hcyUM6MbCV0dQRf5-Eh5D03i5jw1214fLQGDsEGH3r1Ko6A/s1920/today7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwtDGmwspwdvJfGpUpQwJnnHfyVzEwN24wD6J73j4B7j0XkBPkralc_Z6WHrRzcQDShnqSrK7lLiBbDAx5iXlYycVuEsZnGeCZTSyZXnv5Wb1tKDSPN3sAxQ1Vakcvb2XoOUANZGQANb4hcyUM6MbCV0dQRf5-Eh5D03i5jw1214fLQGDsEGH3r1Ko6A/w480-h640/today7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgpd1CYTja_nlUKFau4u3YDwKO2wOzn57vbyMpkVrBXnQSiOzX7XD34JEAgPSDLBUwvmo_1g6MXCJzVIIWoPYLpmsxyz3uF2L5Q8PtNUc1720DFasIxR6cmjxvYrHXH5q-VMI3bLyV4P0FHUYh9vdGy4rJO9iPl8Lqg7CgHq3PXkCkV1DydwoNZpBcSI/s1920/today8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgpd1CYTja_nlUKFau4u3YDwKO2wOzn57vbyMpkVrBXnQSiOzX7XD34JEAgPSDLBUwvmo_1g6MXCJzVIIWoPYLpmsxyz3uF2L5Q8PtNUc1720DFasIxR6cmjxvYrHXH5q-VMI3bLyV4P0FHUYh9vdGy4rJO9iPl8Lqg7CgHq3PXkCkV1DydwoNZpBcSI/w480-h640/today8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>8. Treadmill time. I got out of a good exercise routine in January. I blame sickness, freezing cold weather and blah. February is my month. I've been on an every day date routine with my treadmill and it feels great. Do you find yourself working out extra hard on hair washing days!? I always make sure that happens!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL3gIpYOugzeSf9_4voNFfQNeSipI6328fh3IKGt5jGfH8-xa8wgwdGAsmu8TwBDPLykISemPc2hIUzmFK26xJSengubnhbFh_ZJHcT0PEbk59R4xXgkSI02tn-U_-DD3QrCWhklzYBNVFrIfYlojZFKO_MmJvfUnbrlCysqavjSQlkVCqt5bJZd3hek/s1920/today10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL3gIpYOugzeSf9_4voNFfQNeSipI6328fh3IKGt5jGfH8-xa8wgwdGAsmu8TwBDPLykISemPc2hIUzmFK26xJSengubnhbFh_ZJHcT0PEbk59R4xXgkSI02tn-U_-DD3QrCWhklzYBNVFrIfYlojZFKO_MmJvfUnbrlCysqavjSQlkVCqt5bJZd3hek/w480-h640/today10.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>9. It's good to be Leo. We say that phrase a lot. I came downstairs from exercising and found him lounging in the recliner watching his favorite show. He's such a funny guy.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhje5S5xdGg1nCx-q3ImI_Kt_KYEsGwYlpWvcVbr4SThramYk07E5cDDWOLRcYAzbBbMpB8RbHhe1cn7W14VTB0mLi86r-J6k2WRv2ToOin3cO-X-Z_heC9cQbb3W_Fx54DAYriL1jvZ4N1vCb60HT-TGReTxkPqBWjxQQsB0MgN-2qIknZpOE3vO6pGR4/s1920/today11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhje5S5xdGg1nCx-q3ImI_Kt_KYEsGwYlpWvcVbr4SThramYk07E5cDDWOLRcYAzbBbMpB8RbHhe1cn7W14VTB0mLi86r-J6k2WRv2ToOin3cO-X-Z_heC9cQbb3W_Fx54DAYriL1jvZ4N1vCb60HT-TGReTxkPqBWjxQQsB0MgN-2qIknZpOE3vO6pGR4/w480-h640/today11.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>10. The weather was pretty perfect all week long in Indiana. We played outside a ton! The boys counted deer in the field. Penny loves some good patio time. And Fletcher's favorite thing in the world is going on bike rides. We snuck out for several rides around the neighborhood this week.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxESZeY5PyJuTyce3FBdtVaRSXKyV4Q44GLFpOTIa_bRTS9A_-on4VVQxx1gIQXRWxwCDS925qfjV5FceHNjtZHRTFhiZ5mOnfpfjbt0QcfIFw58bVM_wU0hRzDoExf5ITjDtCbcl_ArXcNL_Qr6AdCYWLfNk-yQq7j1eoE9Yrig5qzmt8znve_vKIKI/s1512/today12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxESZeY5PyJuTyce3FBdtVaRSXKyV4Q44GLFpOTIa_bRTS9A_-on4VVQxx1gIQXRWxwCDS925qfjV5FceHNjtZHRTFhiZ5mOnfpfjbt0QcfIFw58bVM_wU0hRzDoExf5ITjDtCbcl_ArXcNL_Qr6AdCYWLfNk-yQq7j1eoE9Yrig5qzmt8znve_vKIKI/w640-h640/today12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1CkMQIgw8yr_9Y9MuWNZVW485kTObOfvmaCp8KfSMLafP79tC8Mcl1WDM_rMuXp5jUGObZjUBDvK2FoUpscb_DD4kT7jAWiey0HMwpqBXcJxF8zcbu1vM1zhxlGkjH3aknWJLIICmoOULhj4ZGLNBiC1gtM6ZtMu7Q2bgAPzSR0Lgg8frJ6Ih_9k8-s/s1920/today13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1CkMQIgw8yr_9Y9MuWNZVW485kTObOfvmaCp8KfSMLafP79tC8Mcl1WDM_rMuXp5jUGObZjUBDvK2FoUpscb_DD4kT7jAWiey0HMwpqBXcJxF8zcbu1vM1zhxlGkjH3aknWJLIICmoOULhj4ZGLNBiC1gtM6ZtMu7Q2bgAPzSR0Lgg8frJ6Ih_9k8-s/w480-h640/today13.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7FIVnAIT3kH-FaWVxZjocfzUxR2Aj_nMtI5TfrKVANgJEKcgCjJ1ARkCtAvnQqC0EHD4CkIE4Q_W9JTHPqsVem15MY8aCWwsW7cYhnxQ-sbl80e23EWtNu7ggiybqfvZZoKTv3inc1ewtTViY9Rtv_f5Sa87-0TuD7gWHwOj_9IyQVHtM0qYK2XRt5c/s1544/today15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1158" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7FIVnAIT3kH-FaWVxZjocfzUxR2Aj_nMtI5TfrKVANgJEKcgCjJ1ARkCtAvnQqC0EHD4CkIE4Q_W9JTHPqsVem15MY8aCWwsW7cYhnxQ-sbl80e23EWtNu7ggiybqfvZZoKTv3inc1ewtTViY9Rtv_f5Sa87-0TuD7gWHwOj_9IyQVHtM0qYK2XRt5c/w480-h640/today15.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Olive is a kite flying master and was a good teacher to try to help the boys fly kites. They've all requested new kites for Spring.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5Sn_ph_lssRCTihQyXQZaB0Zu5nasJYKpJHPM5Cza_DTyCxSdL3D6-AhkJhV5OJl3xWG7s9F8JWNFhdNdXIralq90XDaz76zgP7SYeyKqU2iUQj9-6L5Egj9Ab3Bvju2yWPQx1LwqvgR2ohZ7B0grDpNfBXDhvyqjI9I_CtHB4tQhHWxuuuhKFJ_pXQ/s1512/today18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5Sn_ph_lssRCTihQyXQZaB0Zu5nasJYKpJHPM5Cza_DTyCxSdL3D6-AhkJhV5OJl3xWG7s9F8JWNFhdNdXIralq90XDaz76zgP7SYeyKqU2iUQj9-6L5Egj9Ab3Bvju2yWPQx1LwqvgR2ohZ7B0grDpNfBXDhvyqjI9I_CtHB4tQhHWxuuuhKFJ_pXQ/w640-h640/today18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>11. Bowling & Laser Tag - Olive got to celebrate one of her best friend's birthday doing some really fun stuff. They had a great time together and she had the best time shopping for the perfect gift for her best friend.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD5V3KJyPsEDa7dCgrCsjSsGPlpS8bQvup97i1_P0z3yD7zcVZDoiKDCiSX8qE5smIVKl_YE5ukuZRR5MnfNwAO6j5tO6HlCQx2yizXp4xivVLTkw2hlIyrU264FTlWdQ5NpzRrdUwXuQ9TfJpP3jJkwUCCHhNtIeyPDvK68vblTlcN0tdAKUjHe7q6s/s1920/today16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD5V3KJyPsEDa7dCgrCsjSsGPlpS8bQvup97i1_P0z3yD7zcVZDoiKDCiSX8qE5smIVKl_YE5ukuZRR5MnfNwAO6j5tO6HlCQx2yizXp4xivVLTkw2hlIyrU264FTlWdQ5NpzRrdUwXuQ9TfJpP3jJkwUCCHhNtIeyPDvK68vblTlcN0tdAKUjHe7q6s/w480-h640/today16.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAqxUwJTp4iUOnfdSEXyRNanIxgjAHhklz2O9SSKC_CSTlXHWbcMsxWlnbzIjxI01gBYUIeBMl68Peh4PpMOH5YJusciSTcWZ6C0-PDsUn6gOmg7uWqNjturpaYF68ngzmsaAmzp5UMA4aYtaYBx0Ma92Hk-2RawMVDXEoAXmGiCGudp0898oW6lTlYs/s1280/today17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAqxUwJTp4iUOnfdSEXyRNanIxgjAHhklz2O9SSKC_CSTlXHWbcMsxWlnbzIjxI01gBYUIeBMl68Peh4PpMOH5YJusciSTcWZ6C0-PDsUn6gOmg7uWqNjturpaYF68ngzmsaAmzp5UMA4aYtaYBx0Ma92Hk-2RawMVDXEoAXmGiCGudp0898oW6lTlYs/w480-h640/today17.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><br /></div>12. Busy baking cookies is my favorite job. I made birthday cookies, Bible study cookies and friend cookies. And I have some fun baking orders this weekend for the Super Bowl and for Valentine's Day!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2g2ThWMbNpioytJ3lGQLrcuSxlLyXS7ghlS_-EYa86dn1yjHPlvNJXprT7IfrbFkWnvwEBTBjSliSjafMMbZS7ppeOK7EgquMe_ZWL-kA5q6RZgS9PbtU3B-t1t6jR8zoCRCK8dyTS2SH3WC7_TqdJFtY58DVVrYwYIGuWt4s3ECt-cWXvxaCqfA82o/s1384/today19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="1384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2g2ThWMbNpioytJ3lGQLrcuSxlLyXS7ghlS_-EYa86dn1yjHPlvNJXprT7IfrbFkWnvwEBTBjSliSjafMMbZS7ppeOK7EgquMe_ZWL-kA5q6RZgS9PbtU3B-t1t6jR8zoCRCK8dyTS2SH3WC7_TqdJFtY58DVVrYwYIGuWt4s3ECt-cWXvxaCqfA82o/w640-h640/today19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I hope you have a wonderful weekend with your favorite people! See you back here on Monday.</p><p>Linking up with <a href="https://www.momfessionals.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Momfessionals</a> and <a href="https://txtanya.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prime Purchases with Tanya</a></p></div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-46885095064294883912024-02-07T07:01:00.010-05:002024-02-07T07:01:00.238-05:00Kitchen Helper and Other Jobs Toddlers Would Love<p>Does your toddler ask for jobs or chores?</p><p>Probably not. Unless they see older siblings doing jobs.</p><p>Leo rarely asks for a job, but he loves when I ask him to help me with something. And then after a little helping, he can often do the job on his own.</p><p>Let me tell you about my newest Kitchen Helper. </p><p>One day I asked Leo if he wanted to help me make his favorite sandwich - a PBJ. His eyes lit up and he was so excited to help me gather the ingredients. Wheat bread. Raspberry jelly and peanut butter. 2 knives and a plate. I helped him open the containers and talked him through each step. He was so gentle. And tried so hard. He asked for a little help spreading and a little help getting the peanut butter and jelly out of the jars. Then he seemed to enjoy the most delicious PBJ ever. He gave himself the title of my Kitchen Helper. And now he asks to make his own with a tiny bit of help from mom.</p><p>This got me wondering what other jobs I could teach him to do around the house. I tend to like things done a certain way - Kevin might call it The Whitney Way - which may not always be a compliment. But I'm trying hard to come up with things to delegate and teach the kids around the house to prepare them to run houses of their own one day. Right now Leo is eager to learn and eager to help mom. Both of those things are a winning combination for learning to help around the house.</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Toddler jobs around the house: </b></p><p>(For reference, Leo will be 4 in April)</p><p>Fill the cat food bowl.</p><p>Put wet clothes from the washer to the dryer.</p><p>Unload the silverware from the dishwasher.</p><p>Help tidy up his toys when he's done with them.</p><p>Fold small towels.</p><p>Get out the vacuum and plug it in for me to vacuum.</p><p>Dust bust up any small messes he makes.</p><p>Carry in bags of groceries from the van.</p><p>Get the mail and packages on our porch every day.</p><p>Go upstairs and get his pjs/underwear on shower nights.</p><p>Put his dirty clothes in the dirty basket before his shower.</p><p>Bring his dinner plate over to the sink when he's done.</p><p>Give him a butter knife and ask him to cut up his own cucumber, banana or strawberries.</p><p>Take the compost outside to the compost bin every evening</p><p>and now he can make his own PBJ!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwthaiP8bgV65BWxFPVNTI8qKrrMJd2Y1xT-7hN7E1Q_GQLsnV0oRhFBTvvPo3vD__6wFgzTZc3Tl60VmE1OEycl4eEi4exs2VPsvtOL9pgFt8RaEu5z_13KJx26tA3ONUY5Fnvj9t5cCVzLwgWgbDpjyk07S4_AeJWVzTubSlnwnTbOTzmiSqKxo_BE/s1920/pbj1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwthaiP8bgV65BWxFPVNTI8qKrrMJd2Y1xT-7hN7E1Q_GQLsnV0oRhFBTvvPo3vD__6wFgzTZc3Tl60VmE1OEycl4eEi4exs2VPsvtOL9pgFt8RaEu5z_13KJx26tA3ONUY5Fnvj9t5cCVzLwgWgbDpjyk07S4_AeJWVzTubSlnwnTbOTzmiSqKxo_BE/w480-h640/pbj1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZq6W2qQMR1kNrsVQbO3H9Fm7WA6-T-wfRcdbIUTZum0YuuG_9ScDVyEGcfpbgp7FuClY1ejEhAEUr8U2YpmVxOj3itrrJJI4WVdPYrI_zTjQGW27P6NIa3vaUlFl_WePMjsdkCORLqMcFPXhbqvlhhCngzXJwBksaJNKZFEbz8qq_ICE-aXqgaehSpsY/s1920/pbj2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZq6W2qQMR1kNrsVQbO3H9Fm7WA6-T-wfRcdbIUTZum0YuuG_9ScDVyEGcfpbgp7FuClY1ejEhAEUr8U2YpmVxOj3itrrJJI4WVdPYrI_zTjQGW27P6NIa3vaUlFl_WePMjsdkCORLqMcFPXhbqvlhhCngzXJwBksaJNKZFEbz8qq_ICE-aXqgaehSpsY/w480-h640/pbj2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4rwey9eXI58x7V2SVL6rA3A9YKjS6BhoFdRVie5rNNnLFrxWRc1DutD_m39zzycgTOmHqrtG0b2qPsnRNI3fk3unp-pWCsitTeGzU8WMI_gjeC3QAipO7gK3mmo6LMJJvw-hhkUR4gMcDu9FkcbFsM-LfgCdpkkxJb2HYs1OcmzKpFHcyo7s5ZwPxOs/s1920/pbj3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4rwey9eXI58x7V2SVL6rA3A9YKjS6BhoFdRVie5rNNnLFrxWRc1DutD_m39zzycgTOmHqrtG0b2qPsnRNI3fk3unp-pWCsitTeGzU8WMI_gjeC3QAipO7gK3mmo6LMJJvw-hhkUR4gMcDu9FkcbFsM-LfgCdpkkxJb2HYs1OcmzKpFHcyo7s5ZwPxOs/w480-h640/pbj3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNli-06aOqiRGmJDPb1SUVvLefzMmKW7WJIEURTkuI51xK9w81UBYsAuTKOe15aeAVBd9W_tLmI8zZkuxNPFwWs3bDhDrimF_iSZgTbMWaOROnLGUOU6QwY57RMSJvA_Q1r8_eNkf_tmHe9NNPpvvhCVEeBOFhov0ZEZEIH5XrRdTa8LWfdgw8UtS-Ls/s1920/pbj4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNli-06aOqiRGmJDPb1SUVvLefzMmKW7WJIEURTkuI51xK9w81UBYsAuTKOe15aeAVBd9W_tLmI8zZkuxNPFwWs3bDhDrimF_iSZgTbMWaOROnLGUOU6QwY57RMSJvA_Q1r8_eNkf_tmHe9NNPpvvhCVEeBOFhov0ZEZEIH5XrRdTa8LWfdgw8UtS-Ls/w480-h640/pbj4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNwelsKVTa0qe3r6p7rdbJyboI_oI3n9moNuux7n0AmulWcX6O4XdVDmMZNUJFv9r16okv8yEOxyfkeIdQsSvWW1yzng1klCFcSzRLR8rE26hyVsV5pvpsHvSzF7Hb0VnQaNRMjGkiEoGqQAVxmrN1v-piG89K8S14YK7gZ19XMBMpcVDfJLSWWpI1cY/s1920/pbj5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNwelsKVTa0qe3r6p7rdbJyboI_oI3n9moNuux7n0AmulWcX6O4XdVDmMZNUJFv9r16okv8yEOxyfkeIdQsSvWW1yzng1klCFcSzRLR8rE26hyVsV5pvpsHvSzF7Hb0VnQaNRMjGkiEoGqQAVxmrN1v-piG89K8S14YK7gZ19XMBMpcVDfJLSWWpI1cY/w480-h640/pbj5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5KD3Us_XvMIZMOz0MGItlttklbrTc7Zdo1AO8IX18t3HpXSPquwBhw7K-NXosX-Lf7DO45CNKPKxyOVmvK1v5FUuuLrXhrDV4ydX4XBkrSoMKJ1iyBHlHVppZ-nemBZ6zrUj6k_pS1tGIxIsKPrOC3v6ZvYG2r7dKDHqs7wo3SzUNfM8yYMLpp4hx1E/s1920/pbj6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5KD3Us_XvMIZMOz0MGItlttklbrTc7Zdo1AO8IX18t3HpXSPquwBhw7K-NXosX-Lf7DO45CNKPKxyOVmvK1v5FUuuLrXhrDV4ydX4XBkrSoMKJ1iyBHlHVppZ-nemBZ6zrUj6k_pS1tGIxIsKPrOC3v6ZvYG2r7dKDHqs7wo3SzUNfM8yYMLpp4hx1E/w480-h640/pbj6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Look at that perfect PBJ!! </p><p>What jobs do your kids help with around the house? Do you have any good toddler job recommendations for me?</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-35510194565333950382024-02-06T07:01:00.003-05:002024-02-06T07:01:00.150-05:00Dutch Baby Pancakes<p>I have always wanted to try making Dutch Baby Pancakes or German Pancakes so I made it happen one icy day in January. I had all of the ingredients on hand and my kids really enjoyed them. It reminded me of french toast + pancakes with all the eggs in it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSjlKRG_1RVm9LwvU6berxpRKLJ76MJCaBgV64Kv_SNxL5F6eQqvd5jgD2RY5jVherSHmnR0WW8hyphenhyphen9scfqMky9wNsyZGYI3_3a27Sb0fEhp6HJh-vjnJyVrIFPSjJR4Zfx7oFOvcmk8wzOIbP-S4obJdIDO1jZVDLdpqPUnR1DEW3scPXA9wRiNT6enQ/s1920/dutch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSjlKRG_1RVm9LwvU6berxpRKLJ76MJCaBgV64Kv_SNxL5F6eQqvd5jgD2RY5jVherSHmnR0WW8hyphenhyphen9scfqMky9wNsyZGYI3_3a27Sb0fEhp6HJh-vjnJyVrIFPSjJR4Zfx7oFOvcmk8wzOIbP-S4obJdIDO1jZVDLdpqPUnR1DEW3scPXA9wRiNT6enQ/w480-h640/dutch1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I loved that you just mix all the ingredients really well and then bake it. It's much faster than doing french toast or pancakes for breakfast.</p><p>Ingredients:</p><p>1 cup flour</p><p>8 eggs</p><p>1 cup milk</p><p>sprinkle of salt</p><p>6T butter</p><p>1 t vanilla</p><p>1/4 cup sugar</p><p>1 T cinnamon - I did not add this, but I wish that I would have. I will add cinnamon for extra flavor going forward for some extra flavor.</p><p>Toppings: Powdered sugar, syrup and berries</p><p><br /></p><p>Mix all the ingredients together except for the 6 T melted butter. Put the butter in your 9x13 baking dish and melt it in your oven as it preheats. Then pour the well combined mixture on top of the melted butter in the pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZkT1JXp-SakmudN332qbLcafdkmhFges5yXvjqVEmusAWlCcVS0cySU0Isb7IpMppS1J3zisCvlDtCU5Ua7fpAHYlw9AIvgo4sduF-sdIUSaCTg3sG1jawKVUGqB5vI666a5VSu380obASPnnzBiS-6iFHPLiFS66aUVdoCkMlp2fpEkhlFz5Du5QAg/s1920/dutch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZkT1JXp-SakmudN332qbLcafdkmhFges5yXvjqVEmusAWlCcVS0cySU0Isb7IpMppS1J3zisCvlDtCU5Ua7fpAHYlw9AIvgo4sduF-sdIUSaCTg3sG1jawKVUGqB5vI666a5VSu380obASPnnzBiS-6iFHPLiFS66aUVdoCkMlp2fpEkhlFz5Du5QAg/w480-h640/dutch2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJLdZt3Z0gi7R5ifrhUMQwc3QoRh2587hwUDq-xX1moFlvvGB2CYMbHr9IsJaYjY8zundjkvRZiFGTNkY7uqRzd7UEM-PXtjnizVKMxd8c5zK-B0ew4StiyRjmD47Y8WpJo6l1bzCeWiub2jbaRIMRPpbVgpy-rmG8W8b0cDe40Hf1ebG8a4cRUqnQQA/s1920/dutch3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJLdZt3Z0gi7R5ifrhUMQwc3QoRh2587hwUDq-xX1moFlvvGB2CYMbHr9IsJaYjY8zundjkvRZiFGTNkY7uqRzd7UEM-PXtjnizVKMxd8c5zK-B0ew4StiyRjmD47Y8WpJo6l1bzCeWiub2jbaRIMRPpbVgpy-rmG8W8b0cDe40Hf1ebG8a4cRUqnQQA/w480-h640/dutch3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xMgVSjLbEgs8rsg3FNINeNQ4-Tr4Pt500P3bx8hHYRIDwJtZDbW7ZW4SYYG0AkUa01Es2g3LLCvLNhnNW0n8eHS3xIq0n8lWuWMVLdd7e_1Q2l98Mk-pipSb5l_BzdZ0Eo8Lv6LlUmk924Xv4fjEZX6QXyB8gU8bWqh1BHxYXdh6PTXu6xDNsDL40BA/s1920/dutch4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xMgVSjLbEgs8rsg3FNINeNQ4-Tr4Pt500P3bx8hHYRIDwJtZDbW7ZW4SYYG0AkUa01Es2g3LLCvLNhnNW0n8eHS3xIq0n8lWuWMVLdd7e_1Q2l98Mk-pipSb5l_BzdZ0Eo8Lv6LlUmk924Xv4fjEZX6QXyB8gU8bWqh1BHxYXdh6PTXu6xDNsDL40BA/w480-h640/dutch4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I baked my Dutch Baby Pancakes in my smaller upper oven. Next time I'll bake it in the larger over below so that it has room to rise and won't get quite as brown on the edges.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFVVpI4FkOiJHFcfWLrG6vH0_MgkK_-3gcRXcgzwQPCzNElQKAGTCmI_TTTyLkGAYKk6CD0UWNiVLjuWIGh-POtqTDWEgOtUR526pHJ10brD1yZZB7IByLuqTVFcmpBTzyFLb7Ho5XXjbRNZc4U-Bbo0UUVgi9Ohoou3ufDBV4rz7RGerMl47jpCImeY/s1920/dutch5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFVVpI4FkOiJHFcfWLrG6vH0_MgkK_-3gcRXcgzwQPCzNElQKAGTCmI_TTTyLkGAYKk6CD0UWNiVLjuWIGh-POtqTDWEgOtUR526pHJ10brD1yZZB7IByLuqTVFcmpBTzyFLb7Ho5XXjbRNZc4U-Bbo0UUVgi9Ohoou3ufDBV4rz7RGerMl47jpCImeY/w480-h640/dutch5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5gF3s9k71YQ0LiFcCzmWtjdkqa0OC24ydSm0EM9Lf6r2vk24MaVd1dGazw0InwSWjZPH5MFDl-hn29uloyYYMsYd9Lpr5THI2C9Tvvw28UxMYhhpcsaUGLFuGuAX3OUppdcVz5xPsCxkn9GJEy-X2FUEfNab71kIi-j7gWI3vwGkAWf2gFab8LnXT0I/s1920/dutch6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5gF3s9k71YQ0LiFcCzmWtjdkqa0OC24ydSm0EM9Lf6r2vk24MaVd1dGazw0InwSWjZPH5MFDl-hn29uloyYYMsYd9Lpr5THI2C9Tvvw28UxMYhhpcsaUGLFuGuAX3OUppdcVz5xPsCxkn9GJEy-X2FUEfNab71kIi-j7gWI3vwGkAWf2gFab8LnXT0I/w480-h640/dutch6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A generous dusting of powdered sugar once it comes out of the oven. Serve right away.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8kWFZuSVpHyMSVqFYKqtzNZGEmnKCFrxqs1rpkL8s9E_1AikvGQj23xdOJH4Azd6BSF9bGz8S6C_C_TSQpMVE3vSzP24Zm5mZHUsX6Wm09ZadyLPZ4XlhyphenhyphenAY6mzTjT36CZOXfnqZ7ktx4v-aLKa9yGiwoSp1tikuuWlZcbHoKsj1z8LKQoi6OX_QQVQ/s1920/dutch8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8kWFZuSVpHyMSVqFYKqtzNZGEmnKCFrxqs1rpkL8s9E_1AikvGQj23xdOJH4Azd6BSF9bGz8S6C_C_TSQpMVE3vSzP24Zm5mZHUsX6Wm09ZadyLPZ4XlhyphenhyphenAY6mzTjT36CZOXfnqZ7ktx4v-aLKa9yGiwoSp1tikuuWlZcbHoKsj1z8LKQoi6OX_QQVQ/w480-h640/dutch8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Yum! We all agreed that it was delicious right out of the oven, but that it had a funny texture when we tried to eat it for leftovers the next day. Keep that in mind for your breakfast planning.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuygV4V2N9pzjYHoju7ubHVkD49z8PELTfxKX1LvjzliCanbdM_qsWy27fG08GUL8CUdncUBGsDncK7XCYG0rMhZrjnajbSWYLL8a3BuW_1GYm4nnQf-cj0-Z4s2WAQ4zmfcOT3hWhDM0ZBxEH_7IBsu8ockL8ankwtZ1iEVsgcEdxKP8IQYRPaZe97Q/s1920/dutch9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuygV4V2N9pzjYHoju7ubHVkD49z8PELTfxKX1LvjzliCanbdM_qsWy27fG08GUL8CUdncUBGsDncK7XCYG0rMhZrjnajbSWYLL8a3BuW_1GYm4nnQf-cj0-Z4s2WAQ4zmfcOT3hWhDM0ZBxEH_7IBsu8ockL8ankwtZ1iEVsgcEdxKP8IQYRPaZe97Q/w480-h640/dutch9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Have you ever made Dutch Baby Pancakes? They were yummy!</p>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3845564247295785989.post-38857412499407358412024-02-05T07:01:00.086-05:002024-02-05T07:01:00.253-05:00Is it Time to Declutter Your House?Do you have piles everywhere?<div>Closets that are filled to the max?<br /><div>Rooms that you can't really use?<br /><div>Do you feel stressed about organizing all your stuff?</div><div>Do your kids hate helping pick up toys because there are so many?</div><div>Do you keep buying storage containers for all of your things?</div><div><br /></div><div>If you said YES to any of those, </div><div><br /></div><div>I have an idea that I know will help you.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Start getting rid of things.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Throw things away</b> that are past their expiration, damaged or worn.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Donate</b> items that you know people could use.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Consign or Sell</b> valuable items that could make you a little money like kid's clothes, adult clothes in good condition, shoes, purses, toys, holiday decor and home goods.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Share</b> items that you think a friend or family member might like.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCNSZOfbIoaRF58TsgfG_RodIHQQtR2Mfom575XMU3m94n_VXuLC5oZbRcOt7kKZATvURCr8aDUD-vg10AtozUGYkQOFyin0lmwY9FLuWlsEME_b8IgSKWZMYQkUtevF-8AUNCLI810A7d9h-E0twBvXyG2gVKTuHZDRYtviX8mL7vDIR2wyfR_Q9JOc/s1890/declutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCNSZOfbIoaRF58TsgfG_RodIHQQtR2Mfom575XMU3m94n_VXuLC5oZbRcOt7kKZATvURCr8aDUD-vg10AtozUGYkQOFyin0lmwY9FLuWlsEME_b8IgSKWZMYQkUtevF-8AUNCLI810A7d9h-E0twBvXyG2gVKTuHZDRYtviX8mL7vDIR2wyfR_Q9JOc/w512-h640/declutter.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I snapped this picture at the beginning of the year and felt proud. There weren't baskets everywhere and it felt like our family room was light and airy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last year I started feeling like none of the spaces in our home had breathing room. So many cabinets and closets were filled to the max. Cleaning became frustrating for me and for the kids. Organizing felt never ending despite me often organizing our spaces. I had the urge to buy more containers and then I realized I really just needed to purge items from our home.</div><div><br /></div><div>I set up an account at a local consignment shop, and this is going to sound nerdy, but last year I made 34 drop consignment drop offs!! I kept track because the numbers were motivating to me. I'm setting the same goal for this year - drop off as much as possible to get rid of clutter from our house.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The kids gave gotten good at giving me clothes and toys that they outgrow. I consign Olive and Leo's clothes and then save Fletcher's clothes for Leo. Kevin and I are always purging our own belongings. He'd tell you that he doesn't love doing it, but he appreciates the efforts to tidy up our house and the consignment checks!</div><div><br /></div><div>I regularly declutter things from all areas of our house - kitchen, office, toys, books, garage, holiday and home decor. I am trying very hard to only have things we use and things we love in our house.</div><div><br /></div><div>I loving seeing clear corners, cabinets with free space in them and knowing that our house isn't so full. I keep a consignment corner in our garage. That way any time I come across something that needs to go I have a spot for it. Then I work on filling boxes to drop off during the week. My store has a strict drop off schedule so having a spot in my garage to hold things until it's time to drop them off helps me clear out the house and the clutter.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also started buying less and being more thoughtful about what I'm adding to our home. But that's a story for another day. Little changes to buy less and get rid of things you no longer love will make a big difference!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If any of this sounds familiar or sounds interesting, I think it's time to start decluttering your house!!</div><div><br /></div><div>You will love having less stuff to manage.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Do you have any decluttering questions for me? I'd love to help you!</div>PolkaDottyPlacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16251286113250727239noreply@blogger.com3