UPDATE + "SPRING" GIVE A WAY! + WHAT I BUY WEDNESDAY!

I HAVE 60 FOLLOWERS!  YEA! 
I will "Random.org" a winner of some of my favourite things on Monday.  (I will welcome new followers with my posts next week :)

This week end is the last chance to enter Next 2 Nothing Crafts's Blog Give A way.  I have a link to her "SPRING" tutorial, and Give A Way at the end of this post.  Be sure and leave a comment on BOTH blogs. 

No, I don't do my shopping on Wednesday :0)

I had a different post planned until I realized what week it was.
The last week of March  (and September) I do a battery inventory. 
First I check the batteries IN flashlights, then the ones WITH the flashlights and radios (preparedness). 
Next I check the upstairs battery container and downstairs battery wall mounted rack. 

I know I will need to use 3 nine volt for the unwired smoke alarms that get changed the first week end of April and October.  (And I usually always need AA for Wii remotes.)
I buy my batteries at Sam's Club because  I like buying them in quantity.
(Batteries do lose power over time , so I also have wind flashlights.) 

(We also have rechargables and a car battery jump starter.  I make sure the rechargables are still with the chargers, and that the car jumper has been returned to it's box-AND IS WHERE IT GOES.)

This week I am packing an emergency backpack for my husband to have in his office.  It will have new batteries.  (As well as older canvas shoes, flashlight, solar blanket, a roll of quarters, snacks, water pouches, rain poncho...)

I am over at THE THRIFTY HOME for a link party today.  I appreciate that she hosts these.  Thank you.

Next Wednesday I am posting a major (in my opinion) preparedness purchase. (Mine was under $10.00)

On Monday, Next 2 Nothing Crafts guest posted on my blog.  She is doing a GIVE A WAY of her cute "SPRING" project.  And SHE HAS ONE FOR MY BLOG FOLLOWERS!  Read this post to find out how you can win.

Next week I will be back to my regular weekly schedule of blog posts.  Recipes, crafts, deals, organization and odds & ends. 

GUEST BLOGGER TODAY + A GIVE A WAY

Allison, from "Next 2 Nothing Crafts ", is guest hosting at my blog today with one of her crafts.  Thank you, Allison. Visit her blog and see what she does with craft ideas, and to be part of her craft give away.

Hi everyone, I'm so excited to be guest blogging on Michelle's blog today! My name is Allison, I blog over at  http://next2nothingcrafts.blogspot.com/ and I LOVE  to craft. I am married to the man of my dreams and have one adorable almost three year old son, with a little girl due in July. I just wanted to share some crafts that I have done on my blog with you today.

First I want to start off by showing you my most recent craft.  SPRING letters!  I love spring and am so excited for it to come this year.  I made a short tutorial for you.

Here are the blocks, cut, sanded, painted, papered and modpodged.

Then I added the stem and leaf by cutting out the shapes in paper and modpodging them on.

I added a rosette made from pick polka dot fabric

Then I added some vinyl and she is done!  So super cute and so so easy.

Other spring crafts I've done are:

Painted Easter Eggs

Fabric Easter Eggs

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Giveaway!!!!

I want to give you the chance to win a set of SPRING blocks for yourself!

Giveaway Rules:

1.  You must be a follower of this blog, as well as my blog.  next2nothingcrafts.blogspot.com

Leave a comment and let us know you follow our blogs for one entry!  Also, please make sure we have a way to contact you in case you win!

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Thanks Michelle for having me today!

Thank you SO much, Allison. This is really cute.  The flower on spring really adds a lot.
This GIVE A WAY goes until Monday, April 4th. 
Remember to have a chance to win you need to be
#1.  A follower of THIS blog (michelles10things).
#2.  A follower of Allie's blog (Next 2 Nothing Crafts)
#3 and #4.  Leave a comment on THIS blog AND on Next 2 Nothing Crafts blog!
GOOD LUCK!

PLANNING OUR MENU + Guest Blogger with a GIVE A WAY on Monday

On Monday I will have a Guest Blogger posting on my blog.  She has a fun spring craft she is showing.  AND SHE HAS A GIVE A WAY!!!  Come see her cute craft touches, and check out her crafting blog.

SUNDAY - Final day of celebrating St. Patrick's Day.  Crock Pot Corned Beef.  (So easy and the meat was tender and full of flavour.)  Cabbage, asparagus, green beans, Doug's green jello salad, green salad, baked potatoes (done in crock pot) and rye bread (turns out no one likes rye bread).  For dessert Lindsay made lemon lime poke cake .
MONDAY - Pesto Chicken Bake,  (made in a covered pot in the oven with red potatoes and tomatoes-very easy), the easy pot bread, green beans and fresh strawberries with tangerines.

TUESDAY - Doug requested eggs and hash browns (used planned over baked potatoes from Sunday).  Strawberries and sliced tomatoes.   Doug asked me to put this on our 30 Day/30 Meal rotation.  Done!   I also made Blueberry Streusel Cake.  I am still working on that recipe.  The flavour is great, but it lacks in the appearance dept.  I will share that recipe when it works.
WEDNESDAY - A Chicken Fajita soup.  This has been on my to try list for awhile.   It was not as good as I had hoped it would be.  (And the planned overs were more boring.)  I also made a new biscuit recipe.  Loved the taste and texture (a real lot) but was disappointed that the self-rising flour did not rise much.
THURSDAY - "Pick-a-Can"   (Our basketball team plays + Pinewood Derby night + Special Needs Road Show)  This was my plan.  After I left to help set up the Pinewood Derby track, Emily brought home Papa Murphy's pizza for everyone watching the big game.  (We lost :0(
FRIDAY - Planned Overs
SATURDAY -  I made a Tortellini soup for dinner.  It did nothing for us.  All in all, a very disappointing week of new recipes.

TODAY I MADE...

...FAKE (MOCK) GUACAMOLE.

It is a "Hungry Girl" recipe that I got from her show.  I thought that using 1 can bay peas and 1 avocado sounded like it could work.  While it was not disgusting, it was not at all related to guacamole.  Even with an avocado in it, it was a very muddy green.  (And I wasted my avocado.)  And, I like canned peas (sometimes- what can I say.  We ate them in our childhood.)

I am very disappointed this did not work   (Darn it.  I should have tried this on Friday.  APRIL FOOL'S DAY!)

NO PICTURE NEEDED.

THROW BACK THURSDAY RECIPE

This is another (dessert) recipe that I have been making since the 80s.  It is from a Pillsbury mini monthly cookbooklet.  (I bought them almost every month for years.  Sometimes I still do. :)
I made these for Brooklyn's blessing dinner.  They are (very) fast.  Just 1 step and then you bake them. (If you are in a hurry, you can even take them right from the oven and cut them when you get there :)

GERMAN CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
from Pillsbury cookbooklet (#147 All New Part Cookbook)

Mix as for brownies
1 brownie mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 egg

Add and stir in just until mixed
1 can coconut pecan frosting (German Chocolate)
1 cup sour cream (I use light)

Sprinkle over the top
1 cup chopped pecans (I use walnuts or pecans)
1 cup chocolate chips

Put in sprayed 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 400* for 42-52 mins., until knife comes out clean.
Cool and cut into bars.

WHAT I BUY WEDNESDAY

I got this simple and inexpensive idea about 3 years ago (several months after my grandson, Logan, was born).

My daughter commented that some of Logan's outfits had gotten too small before he had a chance to wear them.  We headed off to Wal-Mart and I bought bundles of the baby hanger in different colours.  Both Wal-Mart and Target sell a pack of 10 hangers for $1.00.
My idea was to hang each size outfit on a different colour handle.  (0-3 mos. - white, 3-6 - mos. - green, 6-9 mos. - blue, You get the idea.)
Put the hangers in the closet by colour, and you won't miss something.
Easy, huh?  And cheap.  And organized.
Simple, I know, but it is an inexpensive add on to a baby gift, or closet organizer project.

This idea is linked to the party at The Thrifty Home.  I appreciate her hostessing.

Next week I will share a major (in my opinion) preparedness purchase.  Under $10.00.

SOME THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY THE PAST TWO WEEKS.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.  It's already tomorrow in Australia."  Charles Schultz

6 March - 20 March, 2011

2 WEEKS AGO

Last week was a busy one.  I intended to get my 10 things typed and posted, but did not.  So I am combining the last 2 weeks.

#1  I had intended to make cute cake pops for our Cub Scout cake auction with Ashley teaching me and Elana some fun ones.  As the week went by, that was something I crossed off my list.  Then Saturday morning I got a text from Ashley saying that she had made 20 cake pops for Saturday night and would bring them to me.  They were so cute.  Thank-you, Ashley.

#2  Emily took lots of us to "Pirate Island" in Orem for a fun family activity (since there was no school that Friday).  There were 13 of us.  The kids had lots of fun.  Thank-you for sharing your deals/coupons with us, Emily.  (Hilary paid the extra.  And I bought 10 paper pirate hats for the "X marks the "game :-)

 #3   Doug and I got to hear Mark and Ashley talk at church on Sunday.  This was the first talk Ashley has ever given.  They both did a great job.  We were glad we went.

#4  We went to Lindsay and David's church meeting on Sunday for Brooklyn's blessing.  The blessing was very nice.  Everyone came to our home for dinner after church.  We had lots of help, and the weather was wonderful.  I enjoyed Sunday a lot.

LAST WEEK

6.  O.K.  This is one of the FUNNEST things I have done in a long time.  My sister and niece were visiting my brother, sister (in law), and their 2 children.  On (or is it "in" ? ) Staten Island..  My brother is great about calling me and telling me what they are doing.  (I so love that city.)  So on Wednesday, they called when they were all heading to Times Square.  If you read my blog regularly, you know what happened.  I told them with camera was up, and they came and found me.  Me on my computer in Utah, and them in Times Square.  I gotta say this was a real highlight of my week (actually month).  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PLAYING WITH ME.  (I took this picture of my computer screen.)  You can go to Times Square (and watch fire trucks and strangers) by clicking on the earthcam link on the left side of my blog.

7.  One day I was  #1 on our bracket game the whole day.

8  .I have wanted some things printed since last July.  Leslie printed them, and some other things, for me.  Thank you, Leslie.

9.  My kidults, grandkids and friends came over to watch "Darby O' Gill and the Little People for Saint Patrick's Day.  I love when the family is around.

10.  On Thursday I got to go with our cub scouts to the land fill.  (I thought is was a dump, but they are different things.)  I thought it was fascinating.  And the boys were good, too.

11.  I am loving the BYU games on t.v.  It brings family home.  And...

12.  I am loving all the comments on our Family Bracket Facebook page.

13.  Do you know what these are?  They are french fry cone baskets.  I saw them many months ago in a World Market ad.  Mark went to get them up for me, but they were sold out.  (Two people had bought them all.)  They put me on a waiting list (I wanted 4) IN CASE they ever got them in again.  (He did buy the paper liners for me :) 
Four months later they called and had my 4.  And they sold them to me at the sale price they were at the time :)  Not totally sure how I will use them since I only make sweet potato fries, and even then, not often.
Vegetable sticks?  No, I have plenty of veggie trays.  Homemade ice cream cones?  I am sure I will think of something :o)

14.  My niece taught me to make this very fun happy face.   d[*o*]b    Thank you, Ayley.