The Blog

Mummy’s Favorite Meatloaf Recipe

I am new to the whole make a cute holiday themed meal thing for my family but since Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year I decided to go for it. I was recently inspired by Becki’s Spookily Easily Mummy Cupcake Recipe that she posted earlier this month here at Outnumbered 3 to 1. I thought they were adorable but with so many October birthdays in my family and so many desserts I wanted to make something Halloween themed for dinner. My family loves meatloaf and mashed potatoes so I just went from there.

Mummy's Favorite Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Mummy’s Favorite Meatloaf Recipe

You can just use your favorite meatloaf and mashed potatoes recipe and blend them yourself.

I use Hunts for Meatloaf straight from the can for my sauce. I find it incredibly hard to find so when I do find it I pick up several cans. If you are in Florida I have no luck finding these at Publix and pick mine up at Winn-Dixie.

I can of Hunts Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Meatloaf
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup quick-cooking oats, dry bread crumbs or crushed crackers

Preheat oven to 400 degree
Mix together sauce, ground beef, eggs and oats
Place meat mixture onto a pan in the shape of a mummy
Bake uncovered for 1 hour

I personally like to use bread crumbs.

Mix.

Shape your mummy.

I used green peas for eyes and just cut a small slit into the corner of a ziploc bag and then pipped the mashed potatoes crossing over back and forth to make the mummy strips.

Two fangs up from everone in our house. I am sure next years will look even better since this was my first try.

Free Birds in Theaters November 1 Plus Oriental Trading Company

Blog

I will received the same prize pack for hosting this giveaway. All opinions are my own.

In this hilarious, adventurous buddy comedy for audiences of all ages, directed by Jimmy Hayward (Horton Hears a Who!), two turkeys from opposite sides of the tracks must put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time to change the course of history – and get turkey off the Thanksgiving menu for good. Starring the voices of Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler, Dan Fogler, Lesley Nicol, George Takei, Colm Meaney, Keith David, Carlos Alazraqui, Dwight Howard

With two of my favorite ultimately hilarious actors {Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson}, I just know that Free Birds will be one of the best family movies of the year. I am so excited for this release and will most definitely hit the theater with my family in tow to see this epic adventure!

Even better, one of my go to party supply companies, Oriental Trading Company is a proud partner of Free Birds. They’ve been helping to make the world more fun for over 80 years and are working with families to make Thanksgiving even more fun through their great crafts , arts, toys and novelties.

To share all the great fun with your friends, they’ve created super awesome Free Birds Stickers that you can share with your friends through messages on Facebook! In just 5 super simple steps that literally just take seconds, you’re ready to send these fun stickers to all of your friends. Yes, I totally did try it – don’t judge me being a big kid at heart!

The Giveaway: As if that wasn’t sweet enough, I have even more exciting news for you. I’ve got a super great prize pack to share with one lucky reader! One of you will get a $50 Oriental Trading Company gift card, a Free Birds Drawstring Bag and a Light up Chick!

To enter the giveaway please follow all of the directions below! If you don’t follow the rules, you can’t win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PomTree Crafts Spark Creativity in Kids

Blog· Review

Both my girls are huge fans of arts and crafts. I am too because I love to see them using their imaginations to create stuff. One thing I am not a huge fan of is the mess that crafting leaves behind, especially glue. PomTree is a company that sells easy to assemble craft kids and the best part is that the the kits don’t need glue to be fun! They have Creativity Kits, Sticker Tubs and Sticker Storybooks that kids can really get into!

I love that everything Big Sis needs to get down and craft is all in one box. A huge bonus is that you don’t even need scissors!

You just punch out everything out of the sheets.

Big Sis just turned 5 and she did need some help putting the tree house together. She still did a great job and I liked us working as a team to get it built.

They offer several kits in various price ranges.

Sparkle Fun Playhouse Kit ? $19.99
402 pieces ? Playhouse measures 15.5 inches high ? Doors open and close ? Kids delight in decorating house with enclosed pets, shrubs and accessories in just the right place!

Over The Moon Creamery Playset Kit ? $9.99
182 pieces ? Measures 9 inches tall when built ? Multimedia kit lets kids build a 3-D ice cream shop, then decorate with stickers and accessories. Back of shop is wide open and includes a table for serving sweets.

Sunnyside Up Market Playset Kit ? $9.99 This farmer’s market playscape offers two stories of imaginative play with a vegetable stand, grocery carts and adorable sidewalk table and chair. Be the storekeeper or the shopper. No more asking, “what’s for dinner, mom” as kids make the menu.

Feathered Friends Post Office Playset Kit ? $9.99 Shaped like a mailbox, this birdhouse offers special deliveries with slots and surprises up, down and all around. A flock of feathered postal workers are on staff to receive or retrieve notes and packages from their perch above the clouds!

Twinkle Top Treehouse Playset Kit ? $9.99
275 pieces ? Measures 11.25 inches tall ? This endearing 3-D toy tree house allows kids to daydream about fun in a tree. Sweet touches like a tire swing, ladder in the back, secret door and lift off roof will entice the grownups or older siblings to stop by and play.

Swing-A-Long Pet Playset Kit ? $9.99
Furry friends are attracted to this contained carnival of swings, climbing ropes and indoor snooze spots. A slide, real-working elevator and spinning merry-go-round make five enclosed fun hamsters quite busy and then eager for a (cat) nap.

Sweet Sundaes Treat Truck Playset Kit ? $9.99
Kids are in business with this delightful ice cream truck “manned” by the cows. Name the business, decorate the sturdy truck and then hit the road to dish out scoops of sweet treats. Kids can use their imaginations to whip up funky flavors that are really pom pom ice cream cones!

Sticker Tubs ? Ages 3+ ? $6.99 (small) and $9.99 (large)
Coordinating sticker tubs can be used to enhance the Playhouses or just open the lid and unleash the fun! With assorted mixed media stickers including felt, paper and foam stickers, kids can spend hours creating, decorating and old-fashioned daydreaming. Choose from large ? over 600 pieces –sticker tub kit themed in three topics: Transportation, Girl Prints and Pets. Small ? over 300 pieces — sticker tubs offer six kid-appealing topics: Backyard Bugs, Garden, Sweet Shop, Stationary, Home Decor and Market Food. Add them to sticker books, customize playscapes or trade with best friends.

Playscape Mega Creativity Kits ? Ages 5+ ? $12.99
When PomTree says mega, they mean more than 1,100 different high quality craft supplies are tucked inside this see-thru tote. Start with foam and felt stickers then add on pom poms, pony beads and chenille stems. Included are idea sheets to get those creative juices flowing like bookmarks, flowers, jewelry and pom critters. Choose from Girl or Neutral themed kits. Youngsters may also use this kit to embellish other PomTree creativity kits and books.

‘Our Day On The Town’ Sticker Storybook ? Ages 3+ ? $5.99 Tuck this interactive book in the backseat of the car or in mom’s bag when going out to a restaurant. Kids will be mesmerized as Lily and her best friends, Charlotte and Ella, spend a day on the town. Pages of stickers can be added to each scene as the girls go shopping, paint pictures, fly a kite and end the day with a pajama party. Play a matching and sorting activity by placing appropriate stickers on the correct story pages.

Of course my daughter especially likes the free for all sort of crafting that the mega kit offers. She is not the color inside the lines kind of girl. She is much more a free spirit.

I don’t question her art. She just loves to put stuff together!

When it was all done I just swept any leftover pieces back into the box it came in and saved it to play with another day. These kits would make the perfect gift for kids since it gives them a fun yet reduced mess crafting fun. I know I would appreciate a gift for my kids that don’t require glue or scissors and the prices are great since they range from $5.99 to $19.99. This mama says yes to PomTree crafts and the fun in a box with less mess!

Connect:

You can connect with PomTree on Facebook and/or @PomTreeKids on Twitter!

The Giveaway:

How would you like to win your choice of one craft kit from PomTree that was mentioned in my post? I have one to give away to one lucky contestant! To enter the giveaway please follow all of the directions below! If you don’t follow the rules, you can’t win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.

Create Simple Everyday Occasion Cards by Stampin Up!

Blog· Crafts· Review

I have been a Stampin’ UP! fan since 2002! I absolutely love their products and dedication to quality. They also keep up with the times. I used to spend hours making cards, scrapbook pages and miscellaneous paper crafts. It seems these days I barely have time to brush my teeth. I miss my paper crafting time so much. Imagine how excited I was to try out Stampin’ UP! Everyday Occasion Cardmaking Kit.

“Why go to the store when a birthday, graduation, wedding, or even a time for expressing gratitude comes up? The Everyday Occasions Cardmaking Kit puts cards for all of those events right at your fingertips. And best of all, they’ll be handmade!”

When I opened the cute (and organized) box look at what I found just waiting for me to start creating!

The Everyday Occasion Cardmaking Kit has everything you need to whip up a card in no time! Stampin’ UP! has given me card making in a flash! I created 20 cards in 1 hour and I had a blast.

Beautiful pre-cut and scored cards of different sizes and envelopes! The colors just “pop” out at you.

All the little extras needed to make your card stand out, plus Stampin’ Spots!

Pre cut stamps, accent paper, and embellishments!

The Everyday Occasion Cardmaking Kit includes:

Cardstock and envelopes for 20 cards (very high quality too)
Twine, buttons and clips
Mini ink pads
Seven-piece Occasions Stamp Set and clear stamp block
Full color Tips & Tricks brochure for making the cards
A cool, storable, giftable box

You know I can’t wait to show you the cards, right! Keep in mind, I whipped these up in 1 hour!

Four thank you cards that can be used for anyone!

Adorable Happy Birthday Cards!

Assortment of cards, Happy Birthday, Love, and For You. The Love and For You cards can be used for so many occasions!

Congratulation and For You cards!

Thinking of You and Congratulations

All of the 20 Everyday Occasion cards were made by using the Tips and Tricks pamphlet that was included in the kit. I am not joking, it really is extremely easy to make Everyday Occasion cards using this kit and the Tips and Tricks is icing on the cake (or embellishments on the card????).

Another bonus….I still have the stamp set, Stampin’ Spots and additional embellishments to make other cards! I am thrilled to be able create additional cards. You are going to have to wait for another post to see those! You know I will share them with you though! I am just itching to get back in to my craft room.

Again, I can’t say enough about Stampin’ UP! and their top notch products. They have NEVER disappointed me. It is Stampin’ UP!’s 25th Anniversary and they have all sorts of amazing specials going on right now you might what to check out. Their catalog offers so many great products and ideas. I LOVE IT!

Connect:

You can connect with Stampin’ UP! online, Blog (get inspired!), Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and/or @Stampinup! on Twitter!

Buy It!

You can buy the Stampin’ UP! Everyday Occasion Cardmaking Kit for $33.28 ($29.95 by selecting a Demonstrator).

The Giveaway: How would you like to win your own Stampin’ UP! Everyday Occasion Cardmaking Kit? I have one to give away to one lucky contestant!

To enter the giveaway please follow all of the directions below! If you don’t follow the rules, you can’t win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.

Change Your Clocks and Change Your Battery with Energizer

Blog· Review

For 26 years Energizer, in partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), has been helping to keep families safe through their Change Your Clock Change Your Battery? program. On November 3rd, remember to test and change your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when you change your clock back from Daylight Saving Time. Families are encouraged to use the extra hour gained from the end of daylight saving time to review their home fire safety plans and remind their friends, family and neighbors of the life-saving habit of changing and testing smoke alarm batteries.

Sometimes saving a life can be that simple ? Change Your Clock Change Your Battery?.

I’ll admit, over the years, since I moved out of my parents house and have been on my own, I’ve never been on top of the whole changing batteries in smoke alarms, having a carbon monoxide detector or ever be prepared for an emergency.

If anything, I was really good at removing the batteries from the smoke detector because it would go off while I was cooking.

I know, I know…..sooooo wrong.

Now that I am a mom with 5 kids in our own home I am beyond cautious and prepared! Since we moved into our home last August, I have made sure that we had new smoke detectors and a working carbon monoxide detector in addition to fire extinguishers and supplies for different emergency situations.

This past weekend, my husband installed a new carbon monoxide detector outside of our room and the little’s room thanks to our friends at Energizer. This carbon monoxide detector isn’t like our other one. Yes, it is a carbon monoxide/smoke alarm but it is a TALKING alarm! It addition to the new alarm being installed, we also changed the batteries in our other smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector.

Here is the new alarm all installed outside our bedroom.

I love this alarm because it talks. Instead of just being really loud and scaring the little kids, it will tell them what is going on as well!

Did you know, thirty-eight percent of fatal fire injuries occur in homes with no smoke alarms, while 24 percent occur in homes in which at least one smoke alarm is present but fails to operate, frequently due to dead or missing batteries.

I refuse to let my family become a statistic. There have been so many fires in our community in the last 6 months that we have definitely become more aware of what is happening in our own home and are doing our best to make it safer for our family.

How Can You Get Involved?

From now through November 3, visit the Energizer Bunny^? Facebook page and click on the Fire Safety Info Tab. Here you will have the chance to enter a sweepstakes to win an additional Family Safety Kit. Energizer will be giving away one Family Safety Kit per day. Contained in the kit, valued at more than $167 is:

? One reusable grocery tote

? Two Kidde Battery-Operated Combination Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarms

? One Kidde fire extinguisher

? One 4-pack of Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries

? One 2-pack of Energizer_? MAX_? 9 volt batteries

? One 4-pack of Energizer_? MAX_? AA batteries

? Two Energizer Weatheready^? LED Safety Light flashlights

? One Energizer Bunny^? Plush Bunny

In addition you can find fire safety tips, a home escape plan that you can download and draw your family’s home escape plan, as well as a coloring and activity sheet.

Connect:

You can connect with Energizer on Facebook, and/or @Energizer on Twitter!

The Giveaway:
Thanks to our friends at Energizer, you can enter for your chance to win this awsome prize pack!To enter the giveaway please follow all of the directions below! If you don’t follow the rules, you can’t win!

This prize pack includes:

? One 16-pack Energizer_? MAX_? AA Batteries years

? One 1-pack of Energizer_? MAX_? 9 volt batteries

? One Energizer_? Weatheready^? LED Safety Light flashlight ? Waterproof flashlight powered by AA, AAA or C cell batteries

? One Kidde Battery-Operated Combination Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.

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