Wednesday, November 27, 2013

The Pact Cosmic Blast

TPCB



Grow Your Blog Link Up


Welcome to the Grow Your Blog Link Up!

It's a link up specifically for new bloggers (those with less than 500
followers per social medium are welcome too). It's also a chance
 to meet other new bloggers, and hopefully build networks and friendships.

There are no fees for co-hosting. Just email me at 
onechocolatebox@gmail.com if you're interested.

Link ups start every Wednesday at 3pm NZDT
(that's Tuesday 6pm PST and Wednesday 1pm AEDT if that helps).

Each week, one participant will be randomly selected,
and gets featured on the following week's blog hop. More free exposure!

There'll also be a giveaway from time to time, so make sure to
check back each week.
1. You don't have to, but I'd appreciate it if you could
 follow One Chocolate Box.

2. Follow the co-hosts! Let them know you're following
from the Link Up, so they can follow you back.

3. Link up in the appropriate section using your blog URL or
profile URL. Remember you can only link up in the section
if you have less than 500 followers in it.

4. Visit and follow at least 1 other blogger. Let them know what
you like about their blog.

5. Return the love, follow your new followers!

6. It would be super if you shared the Link Up via Facebook or Twitter.
The more people join up, the more potential followers you can get.


7. I'd love you forever if you grabbed the button below and
place it on your sidebar!

 

A big welcome to my lovely co-hosts this week:

Erica at The Visser Clan
Jenn at Hello Gutentag

Thanks so much for co-hosting ladies!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This week's feature is Kristen over at
 Happiness Is A Mood, Not A Destination.
Make sure to go say hi to this lovely lady.
Also check out her sweet letter to a graduate.
Such a beautiful, touching letter!

And without further ado... link up, link up!








Monday, November 25, 2013

Svan Baby to Booster Highchair Giveaway!!

Svan Baby to Booster Highchair Giveaway!!

 
 
 
I am helping promote this amazing give away! Good luck! 
 
 
 

Welcome to The Nurse Mommy's Svan Baby to Booster Highchair Giveaway!! 





Hosted by:The Nurse Mommy 
We believe in the magic of Christmas at The Nurse Mommy, and thought that winning the Svan Baby to Booster Highchair would bring a little magic to your holiday season.   This giveaway is offered by Svan. Please visit the site and social media pages, because they so generously offered this contest. Be sure to read my review of the Svan Signet and leave a comment. 

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Like Nailing Jell-O to a Tree

Like Nailing Jell-O to a Tree



Ever heard of the term "It's like nailing Jell-O to a tree."? Or how about " Like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos." ?
 
If your a mom there is a good chance that you have .... and had the same problem I seem to be having today....

Which is....

Trying to clean the house with a Very involved toddler. He is just in to everything! This is how my day ( well morning anyways) pretty much went..

5:30 am: wake up, get dressed, start coffee pot

6 am: Get older kids up and get them started on getting ready for school

6:45 am: Out the door to school

7:30 am: Home from dropping off older ones at their school(s)

7:34 am: Mop up Oatmeal mess from above mentioned toddler... from coffee table, floor, and high chair

7:35 am: Start mopping up what was left of my coffee from the table, kitchen floor, and sofa

8 am: Hear "ha ha down!" coming from the downstairs guest bathroom, RUUUN to go see, catch the AAA size batteries just before they head down the toilet

8:30 am: Come out of the office/libary and hear a crunching sound under foot, look down to see a white rice trail going through the 1st floor like a small path leading to my demise

 9 am: NAP TIME!!! 

10am: Nap time over WAY to soon for Mommy

10:05 am: Get caught up in the toilet paper that seems to of made it's way out of the bathroom and rolled down the stair case all the while leaving a nice trail for me to follow, you know, just in case I get lost going down the staircase.

10:07 am: Hear some sort of evil laughter coming from the kitchen

10:08 am: Get to kitchen just in time to watch the spoons and forks go flying across the kitchen all the while he is laughing and signing the word 'eat' to me.

 ...............................

 This was just part of my morning, and by the time I got to about 10:30 in the morning all I thought was " Hmmm wonder if I could get him to go down for another nap!?" Man! I try making sure the house is at least picked up and a little clean when Hubby gets home from duty, after spending 2 or more days at the fire station I know he just wants to come home and relax and he isn't able to do that if the house looks like it got his by an F5 size tornado!  So it looks like tonight after the kids all go to bed I will be spending some much needed kid free time cleaning the house.... or well at least the parts of the house that Max aka Monster was involved in today!....

Maybe I should start taking 'before' pictures just so my husband can see that I really have done something! HA HA

Well I guess it's on to cleaning for me!!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Saturday Mornings....



Saturday Mornings




 Relax.....

 Now think of the perfect Saturday morning in  your  home....

 Here is what mine looks like....

 Getting to sleep in a little maybe get up about 8 am, the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls, biscuits and gravy, eggs, toast, and of course fresh coffee! All warm and ready to be eaten  just sitting waiting for me..

I'm blessed, that my husband does this for me often, he takes the kids and hassles them down stairs, makes breakfast and lets me sleep in.

 One of the best smells to wake up to is the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls { and coffee!}...
 I. Just. Love. It. 
Something about the warm of the kitchen, the smell of cinnamon and icing. It just makes me all warm and gooey inside.


 So in honor of amazing Saturday mornings try out some of these AMAZING cinnamon roll recipes...



 

http://www.pillsbury.com/Home/everyday-eats/breakfast-brunch/easiest-ever-cinnamon-rolls



How Cute is this?! I don't know a single table that wouldn't love these. It would be super cute to take to a dinner with family and/or friends... 


Here is a link to how to make this super cute bun tree...

 http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/cinnamon-roll-christmas-tree/a2075782-274c-4a43-90ad-ab0f74de0065


I hope your Saturday mornings are filled with sleeping in, good food, fun, laughter, and love....

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

House Update 2 of 2

 

House Update

2 of 2

 
 As promised here is an update on the house, since I already posted  pictures of the house before here. So here are some pictures of the bathroom that my husband built for our daughter, he is amazing if I may brag a little. He moved walls, took out 4 closets, move the door over several feet, reframed everything, repainted, the pluming, ceiling, floor, walls, electrical, lighting, and every single thing done to build the bathroom he did On. His. Own. I am so proud of him and now our daughter had her own private bathroom. He even redid the bath tub on his own.
 
 
 Here are some of the pictures I took of the work in progress:


 








 
 
 
 
 
 
And here is the work completed:
 







 
 
 Like I said I can't sing enough amazing praises of how amazing I think my husband is. He did such a wonderful job. You can't tell by just pictures but the LED lights behind the crown molding turn on when you walk into the bathroom and turn off in 5 mins. He did this so if or when she got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom she wouldn't have to look for the light or if she was sick. They are a soft blue/white so it puts the prettiest glow in the bathroom and then there are 4 recessed lights. 
The bath tub was bought from a family that was remodeling their home and it is about 100 years old. It had all the original parts to it and although we bought the prettiest facet for it, it didn't fit by about 1/2 an inch {Opps!} so for now we are using what came with it.
The wall paper is flocked { Which I LOVE} and was ordered through our local Sherman-Williams store.
The paint is from our local Wal-Mart.
The sink and toilet is from our local Lowes store.
The mirror, shelf, and candle sconces are all from a resale shop that is local here called Stateline Resale Treasures.
All in all the bathroom cost us a little under $2000.00 to build from start to finish. 
 
I would love to hear what you think about it?!
 
And Yes, that really is my daughter's bed it was her birthday gift from her Father and I this past year when she turned 12 ( I get asked a lot about it).
 
 
 
 



Monday, November 11, 2013

Hitchhiker Cosmic Blast





HHCBBan


 

HitchhikerHitchhiker
Supernatural abilities haunt her. Brainiac students taunt her. The FBI “Freak Squad” wants her. Will she abandon her extra sensory talents in favor of freedom, or will she hone them to help catch crooks?

Former army brat, Ainsley Benton, may have finally found her place in this world, and it’s among the freaks. This small town art teacher has the ability to see, hear, and feel what other people are experiencing, and now the FBI’s freak squad wants to use her “human bug” abilities to catch bad guys. Despite her fear of commitment, failure, and responsibility, Ainsley temporarily agrees to join this team of misfits, and ends up risking her life to investigate a conspiracy that may only be one of her schizophrenic coworker’s paranoid delusions.


Buy it now from Amazon | Burst Books




Author Bio: 


lowQpicAudra's love of writing began in the third grade, when she was chosen to go to a young author’s conference based on her story, "The Dragon Cookie,” which is about a giant cookie that comes to life. She continued writing, and was sometimes asked to write stories for friends as birthday gifts.

Audra went to college thinking she would go into journalism, but opted to go into publishing instead, and even took an internship at Yale University Press. She married right after college and was unable to find a publishing job where they were living in Seattle. Audra took an office job. After helping put her husband through law school, she went back to school and got her teaching degree. Audra enjoyed teaching, but once her oldest was born, she chose to stay home. At the encouragement of friends she started writing again, the result being her first novel, Watcher, which was released in January of 2013.

Audra and her husband now live in a small town in Eastern Washington with their three boys. They also have a black Lab named Benji who eats shoes, gophers and packages left on her front porch (thanks Fed-Ex). She recently went back to work as a Kindergarten teacher, but she still writes, dabbles in on-line shopping and plays Texas Hold ‘Em with her friends as often she can.


Giveaway:

One winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card

Open internationally.
Ends 9th December 2013



Saturday, November 9, 2013

Are YOU ready for kids? Find out here...

  Are You Ready for Kids??





I saw this and just had to share! It made me laugh and at times I think it described my children perfectly!

Think you are ready to have children? Hilarious new parent test taking mummy blogs by storm MIGHT just put you off...

By Bianca London
|
Most broody mothers see having a child as a wonderful gift from God but one blogger has set about putting paid to that ideal.
A candid parent test highlighting the high and lows of motherhood is taking the internet by storm after being reposted on countless mothering blogs.
The Test For Future Parents by author Colin Falconer comprises 14 steps to follow before you have children and was originally printed in his book 'A beginners guide to fatherhood' in 1992 before finding its was on to parenting blogs in the UK, most recently Mamami by Chet, who was sent the parenting test by a friend.
Think you're ready for motherhood? Read this hilarious blog and reconsider that
Think you're ready for motherhood? Read this hilarious blog and reconsider that
Chet said: 'Most people will tell you that "it" is the hardest, most rewarding, rollercoaster job you will ever have - there's no pay, you are on duty 24/7 and, at times, it seems like there are few rewards.
'Being a parent has its ups and downs. I wouldn't change my title as "mummy" for anything in the world, however when this came through my inbox from a great friend it made me laugh (a lot!)'
If you think you are ready to embrace the joys of motherhood, we have printed the 14 tests here to see if you are really up to the challenge...

Test 1: Preparation

Women: To prepare for pregnancy
1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.
2. Leave it there.
3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.
Men: To prepare for children
1. Go to a local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself
2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.
Prepare for pregnancy by attaching a beanbag to your front says the blog
Prepare for pregnancy by attaching a beanbag to your front says the blog

Test 2: Knowledge
Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild.
Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behaviour.
Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.

Test 3: Nights
To discover how the nights will feel:
You can kiss goodbye to precious beauty sleep as soon as you have a child
You can kiss goodbye to precious beauty sleep as soon as you have a child
1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4 - 6kg, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2.  At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.
4. Set the alarm for 3am.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.
6. Go to bed at 2.45am.
7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.
9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.
10. Make breakfast.
Keep this up for 5 years. LOOK CHEERFUL.

Test 4: Dressing Small Children
1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hangout.
Time Allowed: 5 minutes.


Test 5: Cars
1. Forget the BMW. Buy a practical 5-door wagon.
2. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
3. Get a coin. Insert it into the CD player.
4. Take a box of chocolate biscuits; mash them into the back seat.
5. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.


Test 6: Going for a walk
The hilarious blog post details a new parent test for broody mothers
The hilarious blog post details a new parent test for broody mothers
a. Wait.
b. Go out the front door.
c. Come back in again.
d. Go out.
e. Come back in again.
f. Go out again.
g. Walk down the front path.
h. Walk back up it.
i. Walk down it again.
j. Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes.
k. Stop, inspect minutely and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.
l. Retrace your steps.
m. Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out and stare at you.
n. Give up and go back into the house.
You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Test 7: Conversations with children
Repeat everything you say at least 5 times.

Test 8: Grocery Shopping
1. Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat.
2. Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight.
3. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.
Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.
Feeding your child isn't as easy as it looks according to the test
Feeding your child isn't as easy as it looks according to the test

Test 9: Feeding a 1 year-old
1. Hollow out a melon
2. Make a small hole in the side
3. Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side
4. Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane.
5. Continue until half the cornflakes are gone.
6. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor.

Test 10:TV
1. Learn the names of every character from the Wiggles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney.
2. Watch nothing else on television for at least 5 years.

Test 11:  Mess
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out:
Are you up to the challenge of parenthood asks this hilarious blog post
Are you up to the challenge of parenthood asks this hilarious blog post
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains
2. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon. How does that look?
4. Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor and proceed with step 5.
5. Drag randomly items from one room to another room and leave them there.


Test 12: Long Trips with Toddlers
1. Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly. Important Notes: No more than a 4 second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet.
2. Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next 4 years.
You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Test 13:Conversations
1. Start talking to an adult of your choice.
2. Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above.
You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Test 14: Getting ready for work
1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting.
2. Put on your finest work attire.
3. Take a cup of cream and put 1 cup of lemon juice in it
4. Stir
5. Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt
6. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture
7. Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel
8. Do not change (you have no time).
9. Go directly to work
You are now ready to have children. ENJOY!!


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2218515/Think-ready-children-Hilarious-new-parent-test-taking-mummy-blogs-storm-MIGHT-just-off.html#ixzz2kDVbSYUE
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Hemp Hearts a Review


Hemp Hearts

A Product Review




My Thoughts....

I was surprised by these! I have never heard of any food being made with hemp so I was a little 'worried' about how they would taste ha ha. I liked them! They had a some what sunflower seed taste to them. I added them to a simple salad that I had made ( a simple garden salad) and the flavors were an added bonus. They didn't over power in taste, they complemented the salad well. They had a great crunch to them and if I had more I would to of love to try them in yogurt or in a parfait in place of granola! I would definitely buy these and eat them again! - See more HERE


About
 Hemp Hearts taste great, are easy to use, and so good for you! These soft seeds have a gourmet nutty taste that is simply delicious. Sprinkle Hemp Hearts on salad, cereal or yogurt; or enjoy on its own right out of the bag. Hemp Hearts pack a powerful punch of protein and omegas. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts are made in a hemp-dedicated facility by dehulling non-GMO seeds. Once shelled, Hemp Hearts are immediately packaged to seal in the freshness. Hemp Hearts are raw and vegan-friendly too. Are you eating clean? Only cooking with minimal ingredients? Or looking for a way to add EFAs, protein & omega-3 & omega-6 into your diet? Then try a bag today, you won’t be disappointed!

Features
All-natural and contain NO additives, fillers or preservatives. 10g of protein and 10g of omegas in every 30g serving!


*This was a product given to me for free through www.swaggable.com in return for an honest review, all options are my own.*

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Using Dental Floss to Cut Cake, Cheese and...{Flash Post}

Using Dental Floss to Cut Cake, Cheese and





So for when you don't have any clean knifes around??


Using Dental Floss to Cut Cake, Cheese and...

Even with a common kitchen knife, cutting particular foods with a blade can be tedious and rather cumbersome. If you're anything like me, you can rarely get a good cut of anything, let alone a clean piece of cake or a sexy sliver of cheese. Who should you call upon for help next time you're having a wine and cheese night with the ladies? Your hygiene homie  Dental Floss . Make sure to grab an unscented pack, roll out a length of it that'll comfortably sink into whatever you're...



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Grands! Chicken-Bacon Quesadillas from Pillsbury {Flash post}


Grands! Chicken-Bacon Quesadillas from Pillsbury





This seems so simple! I think I am going to try this out super soon!


Grands! Chicken-Bacon Quesadillas from Pillsbury

Grands! Chicken-Bacon Quesadillas from Pillsbury -- Pillsbury Grands! refrigerated biscuits are used as a flaky, tasty replacement for tortillas in these chicken quesadilla appetizers that are cooked on a contact grill. INGREDIENTS: 1 container (8 oz) sour cream 4 green onions, thinly sliced (4 tablespoons) 1 package (1 oz) ranch dip mix 1 cup chunky-style salsa 1/4 cup Smucker's® Peach Preserves 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 lb sliced roasted chicken (from deli), chopped 3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or crumbled queso blanco cheese (3 oz) 8 slices precooked bacon, chopped 1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits) ...Read More



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