Friendly Friday 6/24/11

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Charla

Welcome to Friendly Friday!

Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.

To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your family-friendly link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.

When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!
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Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers! We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):.

JR Frugal Mom @ The Aldi Spot is the go to site for the scoop on Aldi shopping tips, Aldi product reviews, the latest Aldi ad, and just about anything you would like to know about Aldi. There are almost weekly Price Comparison posts where she compare prices with Target, Walmart, and Winn Dixie. You see for yourself how much you can save. Frugal Mom also has simple recipes using Aldi products, and one recipe caught my eye instantly: Grilled Salmon with Raspberry Vinaigrette and Spinach Salad. Sounds yummy!
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Mommy of 1 and Counting is where Heather, who is a SAHM, writes about her four year old daughter, lots of frugal ideas, and giveaways. She dearly loves her fiance and has his picture on her site along with her daughter and herself. Heather makes her own laundry soap and bars of soap, her daughter’s clothing and hairbows, and calls herself a “Kinda Crunchy mom.” She’ll do just about anything so she can save pennies and uses coupons all the time.
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Shawnee State University is where Hannah is majoring in photography. She shares some of her photos at Living Life: Hannah Style! as well as at her Etsy Shop where she sells her photographs. She has some great photos with a mix of styles and effects, and it’s enjoyable looking through her work. Hannah has giveaways on her blog as well, loves to laugh and have a good time, believes in God with all her heart, and loves life. She loves to center her text, all of it. She’s a creative gal!
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Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can get the InLinkz code to share the link list on your blog, too.

Buying a New Home

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Charla

When people are looking at new homes, there are a lot of important factors to consider. They need to research and check out the schools in the area if they have school age children, the shopping facilities in the area, and the safety aspect of the neighborhood in which they are considering buying a home.

Another important aspect to consider is the company who is building the home. Are they a reputable company? How many years have they been building homes and what is the quality of the homes they build? Some companies have been in business for over thirty or forty years and have established long-term reputations as quality builders. Companies like Standard Pacific, for example, have built homes for over 110,000 families during the past forty-plus years which illustrates their commitment to building homes. Companies such as this demonstrate the quality of their homes by continued sales throughout the years. As you can see, people should do their research and make sure the company is reliable and one with a proven track record of quality and service.

When people make a decision to buy a new home, other aspects to consider are: will the home be ready for move-in, or will it be partially built which allows the buyer to choose colors, lighting, flooring, countertops, cabinetry, and other features. Or will they start with the floor plan and be involved in choosing the majority of the features in their new home, letting their own personal style be reflected in their home whether it’s traditional or contemporary?

With all these factors to consider, people should take time, do their research, and plan for their new home. With a quality builder, they can have a home that will bring them many years of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Note: I was compensated monetarily for this article. However, all opinions are mine.

Need a Shoe Fit Guide?

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Charla

Here’s a great shoe fit guide for those of you who aren’t sure which shoe size to get. Maybe you have it narrowed down to two sizes but don’t know which to buy. I found this site and thought it very helpful! Here’s some of the info:

5 parts of a shoe
How a shoe is built
How to determine your best shoe size using a Brannock Foot-Measuring Device® like you find in shoe stores (found out I’ve been using 2/3 of it correctly and leaving out an important part)
“Breaking in shoes” myth
Fit tips
Lace-up techniques

This would be good to review before buying any pair of shoes.

Menu Plan Monday & Strawberry Shortcake

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Charla

Hope all the dads out there had a nice Father’s Day yesterday. After church, we (my husband, our son, and I) went to Qdobas to eat lunch after church. I received a coupon by email from them on Friday saying, “Bring this coupon AND Dad in to Qdobas for a free entree for Dad with the purchase of another entree.” That is such a good deal, and since we really like Qdobas, that’s where we went. By the way, if you would like to sign up to get freebies and discounts ever so often by email then here’s where you can sign up for a Qdobas Reward Card.

Later after we got home, we had an easy-to-make dessert. The presentation is what makes something simple look fancy. (remember my Fancy S’mores?) Here’s our fancy strawberry shortcake that we put together in less than 10 minutes total:

INGREDIENTS:

Pre-made shortcake cups (or sliced pound cake or angel food cake)
Sliced strawberries (We try to use organic! Be sure and wash non-organic strawberries extra well because they are high in pesticide residue!)
Dreyer’s Slow Churned Rich & Creamy Vanilla Yogurt Blends or your favorite frozen yogurt or ice cream
Whipped Cream (we like the extra creamy)
Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Syrup to drizzle on the very top
(Paper doilies from Dollar Tree)

Place shortcake cup on a pretty plate. Cut strawberries in half and place around base of shortcake. Top with frozen yogurt and top with whipped cream. Drizzle chocolate syrup on top. Place plate on top of a paper doilie for a fancy looking dessert that’s so simple.

We have several good coupons for freebies this week, so I don’t plan to cook every day:

Monday: A new pizza place, Pie Five, has opened up and we have coupons for free personal size pizzas (update: Pie Five is so good!)

Tuesday: Fried Okra & yellow squash & onions, chicken

Wednesday: Chicken Alfredo Pasta with Broccoli

Thursday: Use coupons for free Panda Express

Friday: Homemade Pizza, salad

Winner of the Safe Grilling Accessories Set

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Charla

Congratulations to Elisabeth for winning the Grilling Accessories Set! Have fun grilling safely!

Tomorrow is the Last Day for Grilling Set Giveaway

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Charla

For those interested, Saturday night at 12:00 CST is the deadline for the NSF Certified Safe Grilling Set giveaway. I received a set this week as well, and the tongs from Crate & Barrel are great. The meat thermometer is a nicer one than the one we have, so our old one will be given away. The Chef’s Apron is cool looking and will make me feel like I’m on Food Network, and the Rubbermaid container will probably be used very often (it would also be good to take salads in for lunch at work).

These are great items to have in your kitchen! Come by and leave a comment if you would like to enter for a chance to win.

Friendly Friday 6/17/11

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Charla

Welcome to Friendly Friday!

Helicopter Mom is a thirty-something, stay-at-home-mom living in the South. She’s been married for almost 8 years and has 3 beautiful children with her husband. Herr oldest daughter just started Kindergarten, her younger daughter just started pre-school and her baby boy is learning to walk. When you visit her blog, you’ll find photos of her cute kids, recipes, and lots of great reviews and giveaways!
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Amanda at Life With Rats… And More is a fun-loving, vivacious person and you can tell it right away when you read her blog! In visiting her “Look at Life” page, you can learn a lot about her. For instance, she’s in love with a man named Aaron, she has rats as pets and wants you to know why they’re great to have as pets (who knew they could be trained? amazing!). She shares her day-to-day life and craft ideas along with product reviews and giveaways. You may never look at rats the same way again after visiting this blog!
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Kathryn at Crystal Jigsaw is an author, having recently launched a paranormal romance novel on the market. Between writing, she runs a sheep and arable farm in Northumberland. Her daughter, Amy, is eleven years old and autistic; Kathryn says Amy is her reason for living which is why she loves her life so very much. She loves to interact with her readers, and writes in-depth posts that really make you want to comment – and read more.
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Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can get the InLinkz code to share the link list on your blog, too.

Modest Clothing Can Be Stylish & Trendy

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Charla

One thing I like about today’s fashion styles is the fact that summer clothes can still be trendy and stylish, and they can still be considered modest clothing at the same time. There are so many different ways to do this:

Long dresses are very fashionable and so cool and comfortable during the hot summer months. You can wear them with a cute pair of sandals or dressy flip flops for a great combination that’s both stylish and summer-friendly.
Skirts are a big time favorite because of the mix and match option with whatever style of top you’re in the mood to wear. You can wear them with a feminine blouse, layered tanks and tees, or a button up shirt.
Cute tops can be layered with coordinating colors that accent colors in a trendy skirt, or they can be worn with jeans or dressier pants, whatever the occasion requires.
Camisoles are another way to add a color coordinating layer to a cute dress or top, at the same time offering a more modest aspect to a trendy outfit.

There are an endless number of combinations using layering, tops, dresses, and skirts to make a fashionable and stylish summer wardrobe that is stylish, cool, and modest!

* Note: I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated monetarily. However, the views and opinions are my own.

My New Grilling Accessories Set Arrived!

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Charla

Remember I told you I was having a giveaway for a NSF Approved Grilling Accessories Set? Well, I received one in the mail today for myself! I was thrilled! If you would like to enter the giveaway for the same set, all you have to do is click here and then leave a simple comment on my blog. That’s it! You have a good chance of winning because there are not many entries.

The tongs are really nice, from Crate & Barrel, and they lock when you want them to stay closed. The Rubbermaid Premier container is BPA Free, stain resistant, and is from the AVEC Easy Find Lids grouping. The meat thermometer is a nice one, nicer than the one we have. And the Chef’s Apron looks like something from Food Network. It’s so easy to enter the giveaway for a set for yourself!

Menu Plan Monday 6/13/11

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Charla

It is so nice to have our son home from college! We’ve been enjoying having him here with us for meals, and I’ve been getting some blogging advice from him, too. He stays busy working, but we manage to squeeze in some fun activities. His girlfriend made a one-day trip and drove over to see him yesterday. We enjoyed all eating lunch together here at the house. Later in the afternoon, we went to J.C. Penney’s for their super sale plus we all had $10 coupons. We saved a ton of money!

By the way, here are some great tips for keeping a clean kitchen plus safe grilling tips. I also have a giveaway for a 4-piece grilling set going on this week. Check it out!

Monday: Leftover Rotisserie Chicken from Central Market (Chefs Prepared Citrus Peppercorn) which are still on sale for $4.99, regularly $7.99; also leftover organic red potatoes with French-style green beans and salad

Tuesday: Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole that we never did have last week, fresh fruit for dessert

Wednesday: Italian Chicken Pasta, salad

Thursday: Salmon Patties, corn, broccoli

Friday: Homemade pizza using Pillsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough, pre-cooked bacon (our son’s request), onions, red bell peppers, green olives, pizza sauce, and Italian Style 6 Cheeses (Great Value brand)

The Story Behind the Song: I Can Only Imagine

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Charla

Bart Millard was born in Greenville, Texas, and many years later became the lead singer in the group Mercy Me. What prompted him to write this beautiful song, “I Can Only Imagine,” that is loved by so many people all around the world? Here is a little background.
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Bart’s father had been an SMU All-American football player, and his brother was a football player. Bart had a dream of playing football, too, until he suffered an injury in a high school football game, braking both ankles which forced him to take choir as an elective to replace football. He had a great choir teacher who encouraged him to sing solos, and a music minister encouraged him as well. This is when he discovered his singing voice.
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During Bart’s first year of college, his father passed away from cancer. After the death of his father, Bart wrote the lyrics to “I Can Only Imagine” in about ten minutes, although it wasn’t until several years later that the song was released in 2001 and became a hit. The rest is history!
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Mercy Me also performed I Can Only Imagine with the London Symphony which is a beautiful version of the song as well.
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*This is a cute side note: The group got its name indirectly from Bart’s grandmother. When he was a working as an intern with youth ministry, his grandmother would call to check on him often and would say, “Well, mercy me, why don’t you get a real job?”

Friendly Friday 6/10/11

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Charla

Welcome to Friendly Friday!

Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog, too! Just get the InLinkz code and copy it directly into your post. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way to get even more traffic to your blog and make Friendly Friday more beneficial for everyone.Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.

Do you feel like your life encompasses aspects of just about everything? Cher at Mom and More does… and she’s right! The SAHM of two adorable little boys, this family will soon be welcoming a baby girl into the mix next month. Blogging since 2008, you’ll find great reviews, giveaways, recipes, money-saving tips and coupons, and more from this Chicago mommy that does it all!
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With the great motto that, “Your experiences make you the person that you are so you should not regret one single event in your life,” Tough Cookie Mommy lives her life with her husband and two boys in NYC. Her blog features her stories, reflections, triumphs, tragedies, comedies, obstacles, epiphanies, thoughts, feelings, and experiences about motherhood, her career, reviews, giveaways, and more that you won’t want to miss.
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Have you ever wanted to find your fitness passion but didn’t know where to start? April at My Fitness World is the perfect person to help! Having helped countless people lose weight through the fitness classes that she instructs, you are now able to have her as your own free personal trainer through her tips, reviews, giveaways, recipes, events, and so much more to help get you on your way to being happy and healthy today!
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Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can get the InLinkz code to share the link list on your blog, too.