Archive for January, 2014
Hello Friends & Welcome to the Weekend Wind-Down Party #4
This has definitely been a whirlwind week for me and tomorrow is my son’s 18th birthday, I still can’t believe it, where has the time gone? Before you gear up for Super Bowl Sunday we hope that you’ll share a few of your favorite posts at this Weekend’s Wind-Down Party.
Which team will you be rooting for?
Last weekend’s party was great where I found some awesome recipes, fashion tips and home/garden decorating ideas so thank you all for sharing. We have chosen the following posts to be featured this week and they are also posted on our Pinterest Board. Please feel free to copy and paste this “I Was Featured Button” to your blog.
A Pinch of Joy
Savings and Education – Kirsten Womack
From This Kitchen Table
Carrie This Home
Busy Mama 911
The Casual Craftlete
It’s Always Ruetten
Year-Round Giving
Now Meet Your Hosts Because We Love Meeting You!
Annette (This Simple Home) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest
Antionette (De Divah Deals) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/LinkedIn/Instagram
Danielle (My Snippets of Inspiration) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/LinkedIn
Kay (A Ranch Mom) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter
Nicole M. (Mendez Manor) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/LinkedIn/Instagram
Nicole R. (A Living Sacrifice) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/LinkedIn
Sarah (Mustard Seed Mommy…ME!) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/Instagram
Teresa (Moms Who Save) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/Instagram/Website
The Rules Are As Follows:
Now let’s get this party started!
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Hello Friends and Happy Thankful Thursday
I recently read an article by my favorite financial advisor Michelle Singletary who is an author and Award Winning Nationally Syndicated Columnist for The Washington Post. She wrote about the case of former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell and his wife, Maureen. Seems like they got themselves into trouble for taking gifts and loans in exchange for political favors. I know this isn’t anything new in politics but what I found to be interesting was the fact they, like so many others found themselves in dire financial straits, drowning in credit card debt trying to keep up appearances.
I am truly thankful for being thrifty and I always enjoy meeting others who are just as frugal if not more so. Being a thriftinista isn’t just in vogue it’s what keeps most of us out of the financial fire pit called credit card debt.
It’s not that I don’t understand the McDonnell’s predicament because I too have lived beyond my means and paid dearly for it. I’ll be the first to admit that my finances aren’t where they should be but I do know that if I want designer duds, I’ll find a consignment shop with a quickness. I paid less for this gown than I did for a full tank of gas (sorry this is a old cell phone pic).
Today in addition to being thankfully thrifty, I am thankful for my family, friends and of course my faith. I am also thankful to be participating in today’s Social Media Workshop sponsored by The Money School of Delaware, I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
Now it’s your turn, what are you most thankful for this week?
Stay Blessed – No Stress in 2014!
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Hello Friends and Happy Hump Day Wednesday
I have been sticking to my resolution of enjoying each day to it’s fullest and not just living for the weekend, however, to be honest, I am looking forward to Saturday! The days are getting longer so there’s more light during my evening commute, but it’s still a tiring commute so it’s only the weekends that I get to sleep in.
Today’s outfit with the exception of the animal print booties was totally thrifted from GW Boutique during their 20% off sale.
I picked up a few turtleneck sweaters even though I don’t particularly like how they emphasis my turkey neck, they do keep me warm. Mustard is one of my favorite colors and this Talbot’s sweater has just the right amount of stretch so I don’t feel like I’m being choked.
I fell in love with this belt but even more so with the price – $1.00 #winning
Just like black shoes, you can never have too many pairs of black pants and these are also Talbot’s. The booties were purchased at the Deb Shop last year at the Exton Square Mall.
So the grand total for today’s outfit minus the booties was $6.80!
Have you thrifted a good deal lately?
I’m linking up with some other thrifty fashionistas over at Thrifters Anonymous and Style Link Up
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014
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The New Year is an ideal opportunity to set and to create new money habits. Whether your goal is saving, buying a home, or starting a business, there is a Money School class which can assist you. Check out The Money School class schedule and register for their free classes. You can even bring a friend!
What’s your financial goal for 2014? Take a picture, and send it to info@dfli.org. They will post your goal on the Money School’s Facebook page.
There’s no better time than today,
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 Social Media 101 Training
Join us and learn how to create a savvy social media strategy. Social media experts will discuss creative e-mail marketing, maximizing video content, blogging tips, and media relations.
Guest Speakers:
- Antionette Blake, Blogger, DeDivahDeals
- Amy Cherry, WDEL
- Carl Immediato, Talk Fusion
- Randi Penfil, Constant Contact
- Stacey Schiller, Stacey Link
When: Thursday, Jan. 30 ~ Time: 10:00am to 2:00pm
Where: Goodwill Center, 300 E. Lea Blvd. Wilmington
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| Lynnette Khalfani-Cox |
CODE Conference 2014: Building a Brand
Starting your own business? Need to jump start your current enterprise? Attend Delaware’s premiere event for the small-business community, the CODE Conference. Speak with exhibitors, network, and learn branding techniques from award winning financial-journalist, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox.
When: Saturday, March 1
Time: 8:30am to 1:00pm
Where: Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington
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Hello Friends and Happy Sunday – Have You Been Sverved?
Sverve is a social media site designed to connect influential female bloggers with major corporate brands and new readers. It’s like “LinkedIn for bloggers.” Sverve is set up a la Pinterest style which gives you access to other bloggers AND companies that are looking to hire them.
If you’re like me, a mom blogger who is active in social media here are 3 easy breezy steps to take that will gain you more influence and upgrade your status in the blogosphere:
Sign up for Sverve and connect your Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest accounts; look around and follow other influential bloggers; then share Sverve with your friends. Easy as 1 – 2 – 3
How to make money with Sverve:
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Add up to 5 areas of influence on your profile
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Ask your followers to endorse you
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Share quality information on the Sverve platform i.e. blog posts and tips
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Share frequently
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Sign up for Campaigns
Your Influence Score is based on the real endorsements that you get as well as the type of content you create. The score increases the more people like, favorite and share your tips. As you get more endorsements your number starts to rise and the higher your score the more likely you are to be hired if you meet the job requirements.
The best thing about Sverve other than the possibility of being chosen as “Influencer of the Week” , is all the sharing of helpful hints and tips that you get from other wonderful bloggers.
Sverve recently celebrated it’s 1st year and has been rolling out exciting new programs including opportunities to be a published contributor to Parade magazine. Sign up today as to not miss out on this and other wonderful money making opportunities.
Stay Blessed – No Stress in 2014!
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Hello Friends and Happy Slow Cooker Saturday
I hope you all had a fantabulous Friday and are now enjoying a super Saturday. Slow Cooked Rosemary Lemon Chicken is perfect for a Sunday dinner so you can relax after church and not have to spend the afternoon in the kitchen.
With just a few ingredients this is the makings for an easy peasy, cheapie meal. You will need 1 lemon, sliced into rings, a few sprigs of Rosemary and a small to medium chicken rinsed and patted dry.
Remove and discard the neck and giblets or you can freeze them to be used in another recipe.
Using a sharp knife cut slits into breast and thighs of chicken then stuff in a few Rosemary leaves. Put lemon slices inside bird’s cavity and two under the skin covering the breast. You can add onion, garlic and a few more sprigs of Rosemary if you wish then place into the Crockpot.
Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, I didn’t have any broth so I used two bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water.
Cover and slow cook for 6 hours, after which you can remove and place in a baking dish. Place chicken in a preheated oven on 350~ for an additional 15-20 minutes if you want to brown the skin.
Browning the chicken is cosmetic only, you can simply remove the skin, slice and serve.
Chicken is falling-off-the bone tender and can be served with rice or pasta and vegetables.
Slow Cooked Rosemary Lemon Chicken
Stay Blessed – No Stress in 2014!
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Hello Friends and Welcome to the Weekend Wind-Down Party #3
I hope you all had a wonderful week and to all of my Northeast friends, ARE YOU SICK OF THE SNOW? I hate to admit it, but I am, and I want my pool to look like this:
Not like this!
Well at least it’s Fri-Yay and I know this weekend’s party is going to be FABU because last week there were over 100 bloggers and we had a blast!
I am over-the-top excited to be part of this fabulous group of bloggers in hosting these weekly parties. It’s wonderful sitting back and reading what you have shared because the posts are all so wonderful!
Let’s begin with this week’s featured bloggers:
Thank you for your submissions, they are now featured on our Pinterest Page as well. Please feel free to display this button on your blog.
This is only our 3rd week but we had to tweak the rules just a bit for clarification. We are glad that you are here and want to extend a warm Welcome Back to our returning friends and a warm Welcome Hello to all the newbies!
Stop by and say hello after you finished sharing your post.
Annette (This Simple Home) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest
Antionette (De Divah Deals) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/LinkedIn/Instagram
Danielle (My Snippets of Inspiration) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/LinkedIn
Kay (A Ranch Mom) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter
Nicole M. (Mendez Manor) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/LinkedIn/Instagram
Nicole R. (A Living Sacrifice) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/LinkedIn
Sarah (Mustard Seed Mommy…ME!) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/Instagram
Teresa (Moms Who Save) – Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/Instagram/Website
Now let’s get this party started!
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Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
It’s going to be another cold weekend so I’m staying indoors to do some early Spring cleaning…yes, I’m even doing the boring chores. I don’t know about you, but I am super anxious for the warmer weather to get here so I can shed the layers and put away the snow shovel. Even though we have several more months before we get to that point, I wanted to at least get a jump start on it now.
I refuse to let the wintery winds of January stop me from thinking about or even shopping for the Spring season because now is the best time to do so. I recently signed up as an affiliate for Hannah Jane, a new online boutique with some great clothing and accessories at affordable prices. I found a few cute pieces on sale/clearance that I will be adding to my Spring wardrobe, take a look and let me know what you think.
I recently saw a fellow blogger in a classic white T-shirt, so I want to incorporate them into my wardrobe. This Yellow Bubble necklace would be a perfect accessory to jazz it up.
Fuchsia is such a fun Spring color and in jeans it will be great for a casual Friday outfit.
You know that I love all things Polka Dot and this top paired with a Houndstooth infinity scarf would be great to wear on an early chilly Spring morning or evening.
Or would it look better with the red scarf?
You definitely can’t go wrong with a White or Ivory button down blouse and I wish they had this skirt in stock!
I immediately feel in love with this striped comfy, casual knit dress. I could wear it with boots as shown or with pumps to work or even with ballet flats to run errands on the weekend. What do you think?
We do have a few months of cold weather ahead, so I’ll wear a turtleneck underneath this sweater.
AND… I finally found a pair of riding boots in my price range!
The great thing about shopping at Hannah Jane, other than the prices is that they offer FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50, and a flat $4.99 rate for orders under $50.
If you get a chance, head over to their website and take advantage of the 20% off one item sale and if you sign up for the Newsletter you’ll get an additional discount off of your first order. #winning
Stay Blessed – No Stress in 2014!
I make money on some products and services that I talk about on this website through affiliate relationships with the merchants in question. I get a small commission on sales of those products. That in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.
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Hello Friends and Happy Thankful Thursday
If you read my post yesterday you know that we were once again hit with a major snowstorm on Tuesday. It took me over 5 1/2 hours to get home from work and I definitely didn’t want to be in the car anytime soon so I stayed home on Wednesday. At 10:00 a.m. Governor Markell lifted the Level One State of Emergency but it was highly recommended to stay off the roads so that the snowplow operators could do their jobs with minimal interruption from cars.
So on this day, I am thankful for my family, friends and faith…for getting home safely…for having a warm home to live in…and for scrounging around to find these ingredients to make this easy peasy Crock Pot Meal!
Ingredients
- 1 can of Kidney Beans
- 1 can of Black Beans
- 1 Package of Smoked Turkey Sausage
- 1 Package Frozen Peppers and Onions
- 1 Pack of McCormick Fajita Seasoning
- 1/2 Cup of Water
- Rice and Cornbread
Spray Crock Pot with Cooking Spray for easier cleanup. Cut Turkey Sausage into bite size pieces and add seasoning to a 1/2 cup of water.
Put sausage into Crock Pot and pour in Fajita Seasoning mix.
Add frozen veggies and both cans of beans, which can be drained and rinsed to remove some of the sodium.
Stir, cover and cooked on high for 4 hours.
This Snow Day Slow Cooker dish was served with Jasmine Rice and skillet Cornbread.
It was a perfect meal for my men after a few hours of shoveling and an all-day of television watching! I measured the snow on the back deck so I’ll say that we unofficially got 11″ of snow….can’t wait for Spring to arrive!
The Pool is not looking too inviting these days!
Snowy Street in Summit Farms (our neighborhood)
We are truly blessed, and I am thankful to have a warm home during this cold winter season. I pray for those with less to be safe and removed from harm’s way.
Okay, it’s your turn – what are you thankful for this week?
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!
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Hello Friends and Happy Hump Day Wednesday
Yesterday’s snowstorm was predicted to start around noon in our area but it actually began at 9:00 a.m. in West Chester, PA. However, before it’s arrival the sky was highlighted by a brilliant sunrise. #GodsLight
Knowing that I would be driving home in a snowstorm, I opted to wear pants to work as opposed to a dress or skirt.
I wore a denim shirt under this handmade vest which I had to take back from my son. Hubby had these matching vests made way before we had him so it was kinda funny when I had to retrieve it from his closet.
Brass and Bead necklace was a flea market find and ring was purchased at Burlington Coat Factory. My “work” shoes are from Kmart and although they are not very fashionable, they are extremely comfortable.
These faux suede pants are closet staples and are part of a two piece suit which I have had for years.
The snow continued with a vengeance so I left work at 11:30, but the roads were so bad that I didn’t get home until 5:00 p.m. Needless to say, I was upset and tired but I was also extremely thankful because there were so many cars stuck in snow and on the side of the road, I could only think “I’m blessed”.
This was 5:30 – what a difference a drop in temperature makes!
Sunrise to Snowstorm!
I am linking up with The Pleated Poppy who had joined with other bloggers in launching a new website “Blogger’s Closet so if you are a fashionista, go check it out!
Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Stay Blessed – No Stress in 2014!
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