Two Monkeys & A Washtub: August 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Gift Book Review: You Changed My Life by Max Lucado

"You Changed My Life" by Max Lucado is a wonderful gift book. The message within each story provides you with real life examples of lives changed through love, kindness, commitment, compassion, hope, courage, wisdom, and friendship. The stories dramatically testify to the idea that one moment, one act, can truly change a life forever. The short stories also discuss the domino effect of that simple acts bestowed on others can have.

The photography included in the book is beautiful and the stories are carefully chosen to have dramatic impact in the readers' mind. Each page is a gentle reminder of God's work every day in true Max Lucado style. This book is definitely a great book to send as a thank you to someone who has touched you in a great way! You can purchase You Changed My Life: Stories of Real People With Remarkable Hearts at Amazon or your local bookseller or Christian bookseller.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Giveaway: Tina Steinberg Designs - Love Touch Pendant ($135 Value) - CLOSED

This giveaway has ended! Thanks for visiting!

I knew that someday I would be a mother, but I never realized how much it would change how I looked at everyday life! I never realized how precious every minute of everyday with my children would become and how quickly they would grow and change. There are many days when I wish I could turn back to the clock to when I first held them in my arms....to when I first became their "mom"!

My husband and I were really the first of our friends to have kids, so we weren't around babies. I was the youngest, so I never really cared for younger children and when it came to having my own children, I read the books, read the magazines, and read the online forums, but nothing prepared me for the emotions that engulfed me when my first-born cried in the delivery room. I was more prepared for my second son but the feeling of being a mom really captured me when I first held him and nursed him.

Sometimes we choose pieces of jewelry to mark a milestone in our lives, from class rings to wedding bands, but there is really nothing that helps you remember your children as they are, at this very moment as their own tiny fingerprints. Tina Steingberg Designs captures the tiny fingerprints (& adult prints too). I have already placed the Round Up My Love Double Print Pendant or the Square Roots Locket on my wish list to capture both my boys at 2 & 4!

Tina has graciously offered to give one Two Monkeys & a Washtub reader a Diamond Love Touch Pendant of their own - valued at $135 (child's print only)! (I'm so jealous!)

In addition, Tina Steinberg Designs is offering free shipping to readers who would like to make a purchase now using the code 'freeship' at checkout! I'm guessing that you'll be adding her work to your wishlist too! Tina Steinberg Designs offers many unique jewelry pieces in addition to her Love Touch Collection!

Giveaway Details:

One winner will win a Tina Steinberg Designs Diamond Love Touch Pendant valued at $135 (chain not included but can be purchased). This giveaway ends on September 15th at 10:00PM Central. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. All entries will be verified and you must complete both parts of the mandatory entry to qualify! Open to US & Canada!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Tina Steinberg Designs and let me know your favorite design and what moment in time you will be capturing in your Diamond Love Touch pendant if you win! Looking for more ideas...check out her online gallery of custom pieces with ideas for mom, dad, grandparents and Love Touch pendants for multiple children (you'll be amazed!)

(your entry will be disqualified if you state Diamond Love Touch Pendant,

the Round Up My Love Double Print Pendant, or the Love Touch Locket as discussed above)

Extra Entries:

(if it states 2 entries, leave 2 comments, etc.)

Like Tina Steinberg Designs on Facebook and leave a note on her wall that you are visiting from Two Monkeys & a Washtub (2 entries)

Follow Tina Steinberg Designs on Twitter and Two Monkeys & a Washtub on Twitter and Tweet up to 3x daily - must be at least 1 hour apart, come back and leave a link to your tweet & your twitter ID (up to 3 entries per day)

#win a Diamond Love Touch Pendant ($135 value) @monkeyswashtub @steingal http://goo.gl/fb/mwiF6 ! Ends 9/15! RT Pls

Follow Two Monkeys & a Washtub on GFC (2 entries)

Follow Two Monkeys & a Washtub on Facebook (2 entries)

Vote for me (2 extra entries each day just for clicking)!

Follow Two Monkeys & a Washtub on Networked Blogs (2 entries)

Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS feed (1 entry for each, you can do both)

Leave me a comment telling me when you first knew you were a mom! I love heartfelt stories (2 entries, pls just note in 2nd entry that you left a story or it will dump to spam comments)

Enter this giveaway in a linky, come back and let me know where you left it and the # (5 entries)

Blog about this giveaway. Your post must be specific to this giveaway and include a story about who will be receiving the pendant and what moment in time you will be capturing with this beautiful piece of jewelry. Come back and leave me a link to your post (10 entries)

Disclosure: I received no products for review! The product mentioned above is for giveaway only. No additional compensation was provided. I thought Tina's work was beautiful and wanted to share it with my readers. Hope you enjoy! I'll be putting one of Tina's double pendants on my wish list!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Tuesday Blog Hopping!

Thanks for stopping by!
Be sure to enter my giveaways while you're here and there are always bonus entries for following! Show my giveaways some love and enter today so I can continue to bring you some amazing products!

tag*a*along kids (8/31) - LOW Entries
The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean (2 winners)(8/31) - LOW Entries
Bandablings (cool bandanas for your dog) (5 winners) (9/2) - LOW Entries
$20 Amazon GC from Meet the Divas (9/2)
Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil (9/6) - LOW Entries
Fogless Shower Mirror (that really works) (9/15)
Alight.com Plus Sized Top (9/29)

Stop by on Tuesday after 8AM Central to enter to win a Diamond Love Touch Pendant valued at $135 by Tina Steinberg Designs! Post will be live at that time!

Leave me a comment if you follow me so I can return the favor! Plus I love checking out new blogs and meeting new people!

Finding Me Mondays: Ready to find my motivation again...and HeartWalk 2010

My oldest is back in preschool again this week, although that really doesn't impact my schedule much since I work full-time but maybe I can use that as an excuse to find my motivation again! I've been in kind of a lull, but I only have until September 11th to prep for a 5K walk for the American Heart Association so it's time I found some motivation!

I'd love it if you felt like donating to the American Heart Association as part of HeartWalk 2010 (minimum online donation is $25 but your tax-deductible donation goes directly to AHA)! You can find out more by visiting my page on the Tarrant County Heart Walk here! And if you live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and you would love to come and join me on Saturday the 11th, send me an email and let me know! I'd love to invite you to join my team! Hey it's in Sundance Square in the morning and it's only a 5K WALK!

Okay, so where do I stand this week? My hubbie was out of town, the kids were stressing me out because they missed daddy, and well I was exhausted most of the week because I just don't sleep as well when he's gone! My hubbie did mention that I talked a lot in my sleep the first night so I really must have been exhausted! I didn't eat very well mainly because food at lunchtime is not settling well. I am working up the courage to go and see my GI doctor again, but I am not looking forward to more tests so I continue to postpone since I assume it's new meds causing the food sensitivities. Unfortunately its sensitivites to anything fresh and not in the carbohydrate family!

Monday, June 21st: 203.5 lbs, Size 14
Monday, June 28th: 200.0 lbs, Size 14
Monday, July 5th: 196.5 lbs, Size 14
Monday, July 12th: 196.5 lbs, Size 14
Monday, July 19th: No scale available, Size 14
Monday, July 26th: 198.5 lbs, Size 14
Monday, August 2nd: 197 lbs, Size 14
Monday, August 9th: 196.5 lbs, Size 14
Monday, August 16th: 196 lbs, Size 14 (at least it's down 0.5 lbs)
Monday, August 23rd: 196 lbs, Size 14 (no change and bummed but not surprised)
Monday, August 30th: 196 lbs, Size 14 (no change - excited that it stayed the same)

The temperature is finally starting to drop below 100 degrees in the evenings, so we should be able to get out for some bike rides and family walks this week! I can't wait! I've also got healthy meals planned for dinner each night and the kids are excited too!

Regardless of my current weight, my heart, and how I feel right now, I am still hoping that by next June, I will still be able to reach my goal of being able to keep up with my kids and husband and wear the red dress that hangs prominently in my closest (it blocks all my pants) so I have to look at it every day....it will continue to be my motivation - even if this week, life, stress and too many snacks took over!

Join me in the journey of finding yourself, whether it's weight loss or something else by linking up below! We could all use some support!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Bloggy Awards...So much sweeter each time!

Emily at Family and Life in Las Vegas gave me the Cherry On Top Award and I can't thank her enough!

1. Thank the person who gave this award to you:

Emily - you are the sweetest! Love all your stories about your little man!

2. Copy the award and put it on your blog.

Done!

3. List three things which you love about yourself.
Hmmm...this is one I definitely struggle with these days...

I've always had long straight blond hair...no need for a hair dryer or straightening iron here!
Even on days when I feel like I am too rough on my kids, I know in the end that I am a good mom and they will respect me.
I've always been the one to find new ways to do things...when it comes to efficiency and getting the job done, I know that I am depended on!

4. Post a picture you love. (so many to choose from...so I'll share with you a wedding pic)

The day we were married in 2001! We've been together since 1998...wow - time flies!

5. Pass this award on to 5 of the sweetest (okay, I opted for some of my cool bloggy friends here too)bloggers:

3 Princes and a Princess - check out her newly redesigned site!

A Dafts Scots Lass - because I love her sense of humor!

Ten Talents - you just have to check out their site!

Mommy's Sippy Cup - she's reaching for wine!

Boobies, Babies & a Blog - well, she's just awesome! who else can write about ticks like her? (don't click if you're easily offended or you don't think people should write about sex, ever!)

Review & Giveaway: Alight.com Win a Gorgeous Top! - CLOSED

This giveaway has ended! Thanks for visiting!

I know it can be hard to find a great piece of plus size clothing that's not plain and boxy. Too often plus size clothing has no shape and doesn't fit in the trendy category! That's not the case at Alight.com. Alight.com carries a wide selection of clothing in size 14 to 28 and Juniors Plus too you really can find almost any style you might be looking for!

Summer Dress from Alight.com

Alight.com sent me a cute summer dress for review. It is a light purple with subtle stripes on the skirt and beautiful embroidery. With temperatures in Texas still well in the upper 90's and 100's recently, it has been great in this summer heat. The fabric is nice and lightweight and their is attention to detail on the stitch-work around the bodice.

Detailed stitch-work on the bodice!

I wish it had optional straps, but the fit is really nice and I can add straps or wear over a tank top too! I love wearing this dress as a classy swim cover-up too when I know I'm not really getting in the water much but am heading to a neighbors pool for the evening! I look forward to future purchases at Alight.com and have my eye on some of the great dresses (they have over 500 to choose from) and tops:

Brilliantly Burgundy Maxi Dress - love the embroidery work!

Shimmer Down Top ($32.00) - Perfect for our Holiday Party

Giveaway Details:

Alight is graciously sponsoring a giveaway here on Two Monkeys & a Washtub every 30 days for 3 Months, one lucky person will win a top from Alight (you'll specify your size and Alight.com will select your top - but they're all beautiful)! (Every 30 days, I'll make a new post about this giveaway, so if you don't win the first time, you can watch for the new post & enter the second time). Giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada! This giveaway will end on September 29, 2010 at 9:30PM Central. The winner will be e-mailed and will have 48-hours to respond!

Mandatory Entry:

(you must complete the mandatory for any extra entries to count)

You must sign up for the Alight.com email newsletter. Go over to the Alight.com web site and sign up there. If you are selected as the winner & not registered for their email newsletter, a new winner will be selected!

Extra Entries:

(if it states 2 extra entries, please leave 2 comments)

Go to the Alight.com site and take a look around. Come back here and let me know what you favorite piece of clothing from any category is (2 extra entries)

Follow Alight.com on Twitter (2 extra entries)

Follow @monkeyswashtub on Twitter and tweet (up to 3x daily at least one hour apart) using the following tweet or similar! (up to 3 entries per day) Come back and leave a comment with a link to your tweet!

#Win a fabulous +sized top from @alightcom @monkeyswashtub !Enter at http://goo.gl/fb/qgidM US & Canada! Ends 9-29 #giveaway

Follow Alight.com on FaceBook and leave a comment on their wall saying that you are stopping by from Two Monkeys & a Washtub blog (2 extra entries)

Follow Two Monkeys & a Washtub on Google Friend Connect (2 extra entries)

Like Two Monkeys & a Washtub on Facebook (3 extra entries)

Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS (2 entries for each, you can do both - must confirm subscription)

Vote for me (2 extra entries each day just for clicking)!

Follow this blog on Networked Blogs (3 extra entries)

Enter this giveaway into a linky and leave me the link where to find it! (5 entries for each linky entered)

Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to it. (5 Entries)

Enter any of my other giveaways (1 Entry for each giveaway)

WOW - that's a lot of ways to win! Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a dress from Alight.com in exchange for my honest review and opinion! No additional compensation was received.

Review & Giveaway: ToiletTree Fogless Shower Mirror - CLOSED

This giveaway has ended! Thanks for visiting!

I recently received a Fogless Shower Mirror from ToiletTree as a member of the Family Review Network and I can honestly say that I was truly skeptical at whether or not it would hold true to it's word on remaining "fogless" in the shower since past experience has shown that shower mirrors just don't work!

Well I can honestly say that after a few weeks of use, this shower mirror has remained fog-free and shatter-proof! Yes, in our house, the kids test everything whether we like it or not. The mirror was thrown across the bathroom the morning it was being installed and survived the impact without any damage! I don't recommend trying this at your house, but we were amazed it didn't break! As I was saying, the mirror has remained fog-free in the shower and I can't wait until the colder winter months to really check it out! Each day as the shower warms up, we fill the reservoir with water as indicated on the directions to neutralize the water and air temperature which eliminates fogging.

Although this mirror is indicated for use in the shower, I think it would be the perfect bathroom addition for those who get ready in the morning and end up wiping the fog from the mirror to put on their makeup, fix their hair, or men that shave while their wives shower. We have used the mirror not only in the shower, but outside the shower as well! The mirror's bracket is designed to not fall off once mounted, but the mirror itself can be removed from the mounting bracket easily.

This mirror will make a perfect gift if you don't use it yourself! You can purchase it directly from ToiletTree or at Amazon!

The wonderful people at ToiletTree have offered to send one reader a Fogless Shower Mirror of their own, so keep reading!

Giveaway Details:

This giveaway will end on September 15th at 9:30PM Central. I'll email the winner who will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen! (US & Canada)

Mandatory Entry:

Visit ToiletTree and tell me your thoughts on this product or why you really want to win it! You must complete the mandatory entry for any additional entries to count!

Extra Entries:

(if it states 2 entries, leave 2 comments, 1 entry, leave 1 comment, etc.)

Follow Two Monkeys & a Washtub on Google Friend Connect (1 entry)

Follow monkeyswashtub on Twitter (1 entry)

Follow ToiletTreeProducts on Twitter (1 entry)

Like Two Monkeys & a Washtub on Facebook (3 extra entries)

Like ToiletTreeProducts on Facebook and let them know I sent you!(2 entries)

Tweet about this giveaway leaving the link in a comment (you can tweet 2x a day (at least 1 hour apart) and grab an extra entry with each tweet!)
" Enter to win a Fogless Shower Mirror @monkeyswashtub @ToiletTreeProd http://goo.gl/fb/ITA7c ! Ends 9/15! "

Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS (2 entries for each, you can do both - must confirm subscription)

Follow this blog on Networked Blogs (3 extra entries)

Vote for me (2 extra entries each day just for clicking)!

Enter this giveaway into a linky and leave me the link where to find it! (5 entries for each linky entered)

Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to it. (5 Entries)

Enter any of my other giveaways (1 Entry for each giveaway)

Disclosure: This post was written for Family Review Network & ToiletTree who provided the complimentary product in exchange for my honest review. No additional compensation was received. The views expressed above are mine and may differ from others.

Music Review: Lang Lang: Live in Vienna

From the initial news release: "Sony Classical is proud to announce its debut release “LIVE IN VIENNA” from one of the most thrilling and inspiring musicians of our time, the world-renowned pianist LANG LANG. Recorded and filmed live in Vienna’s legendary Musikverein concert hall, the Sony Classical debuted on August 24th in multiple formats. This release represents Lang Lang’s second live recorded recital to date after the best-selling “Live at Carnegie Hall” in 2004, which marked his international breakthrough as a recording artist. He has performed the new album’s program at the world’s major concert venues and will continue to tour with it throughout 2011."

So that you can see Lang Lang perform in person, here are the upcoming 2010 U.S. Tour Dates:

September 18 – Dallas, TX – Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

September 20 – Santa Fe, NM – Santa Fe Opera House

September 22 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Hall

September 25 – Washington D.C. – John F. Kennedy Center Concert Hall

September 29 – NYC – Carnegie Hall

December 31 – NYC – Avery Fisher Hall

So what did I think: Unbeatable combination for an enjoyable musical listening experience. Lang Lang's recital in Vienna features Beethoven Sonatas, and works of Albeniz, Prokofiev and Chopin. I enjoy hearing his performance of old favorites, as well as, pieces that are less frequently performed. The music is varied though almost too soft at times but always keeps your attention. Enjoyable, entertaining and a good listen! This live recording is a good venue for his performance and definitely worth the listen, though I usually prefer studio recordings.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Lang Lang: Live in Vienna from Sony Music in exchange for my honest review and opinion. No additional compensation was received.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Review: EcoStoreUSA - Safe Plant Based Personal, Baby Care, Pet Care and Home Care Products

I was recently given the opportunity to try Ecostore USA's Coconut and Vanilla Bodywash and was pleased by my positive experience. It is similarly priced as other products advertised as “natural, eco-friendly” brands, but unlike some of those body washes, the makers have attempted to use less harsh, more environmentally friendly, and more skin friendly ingredients. I found the product provided mild and non-drying cleansing, and even softened some dry, itchy spots that the body wash I was using previously may have contributed to causing. The Coconut and Vanilla Bodywash is lightly scented and does not linger much after use, but it has a pleasant warm, toasted coconut fragrance. Also, the product is fairly concentrated, so only a small amount is needed to provide a pleasing amount of foam. This concentration should make Ecostore's Coconut and Vanilla Bodywash outlast some of its competitors making it a better value. Overall, I would recommend the product for anyone in search of a quality, environmentally responsible body wash.

In addition, we had the opportunity to try EcoStore USA's Hypoallergenic Pet Shampoo with Logan, our Great Dane! Logan doesn't really like baths, partially because he is always itchy after a bath in typical store bought pat shampoos so he normally only gets two baths per year. He took an exception to try out EcoStore USA's Hypoallergenic Pet Shampoo. Similar to the Coconut and Vanilla Bodywash, the pet shampoo is concentrated so a little goes a long way, even on our big dog so this bottle will last us a long time! With minimal shampoo, he was extremely sudsy! The shampoo rinsed away nicely leaving him shiny and clean. Logan didn't have the itches this time either so maybe next time he won't be as apprehensive about taking a bath!

You can find out more about EcoStore USA and their promise to eliminate the nasty chemicals from the products we use frequently. Follow EcoStoreUSA on twitter, like them on Facebook, and read their blog for more updates on products for baby, bath & body, home care, hair and pet care! In addition to ordering direct from EcoStoreUSA, Meier and Duanereade carry a selection of EcoStoreUSA products. Hopefully these products will be coming to store near me soon!

Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above from EcoStoreUSA in exchange for my review and honest opinion. No additional compensation was received.

Review: SodaStream Fountain Jet and Soda Mix Concentrates!

SodaStream sent me a Fountain Jet Starter Kit and a wonderful selection of Soda Mix flavors and MyWater to try out recently! We were so excited to finally be trying this product out for ourselves. We'd purchased SodaStream machines as gifts in the past but had never made the purchase for ourselves.

Wonderful selection of SodaStream Soda Mix Flavors and our Fountain Jet

The Fountain Jet Starter set package (Starting at $99.95) includes everything you need to make fresh sparkling water in your own home.
• Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker
• 1 60 liter Carbonator
• 2 Carbonating Bottles

SodaMix flavors are available in economy sized bottles. Each bottle of concentrated SodaMix contains enough syrup to make about 12 liters or 33 cans of fresh, delicious soda. No high-fructose corn syrup in regular flavors. No aspartame in diet flavors. Over 30 soda varieties starting at just $4.99 per concentrate and many varieties of MyWaterEssence. MyWater is an unsweetened, all-natural flavor essence for making lightly flavored seltzer or sparkling water. Each 40ml (1.35 fl oz) bottle will make around 20 liters of flavored sparkling water and comes in a set containing three bottles starting at $9.99.

We quickly put our Fountain Jet together when it arrived which is really following three easy steps of hand-tightening the carbonator bottle, filling the carbonating bottle with water and screwing it into the machine (key step here)! Yes, it's that easy! There is no power required to make your own soda at home either!

Once you have your carbonating bottle tightened, you press and hold the top button until it makes a buzz sound. We like our soda a little fizzier, so we opted for four buzzes over the recommended three. Once you have fizzed your water, you add your concentrate - one full cap! One caution, when it says add slowly, it really means add slowly! During our first attempt at lemonade, I think more went on use, the cabinets, and the floors than stayed in the bottle! We had mastered the art of adding the concentrate by the time we made the Coke!

Note the missing lemonade...nope, we hadn't tried it yet - that's how much we lost by
not following directions to pour slowly!

We were pleasantly surprised at the flavors of both the lemonade and the cola and the true fresh taste! We like the fact that they lack high frustose corn syrup and the lower calories don't hurt either! In comparison to an 8oz glass of Pepsi or Coca-Cola containing 100 calories, SodaStream only has 34 calories. You can read more about Taste & Nutrition on their website! All SodaStream regular sodamixes uses a mixture of Splenda® and sugar. Diet flavors are sugar-free, sweetened with Splenda® brand sweetener.

One other feature we liked is that you are turning tap water into soda so you have more control over the water that is in what you drink. We opted for filtered water in our soda but you can use plain tap water too! By using tap water, you are helping to conserve the environment in more ways than one. Read more about how SodaStream helps support the environment through its carbonator replacement services too on their website!

Overall, we really like our SodaStream Fountain Jet! It has been nice being able to make fresh soda as we are sitting down for dinner and not have to worry about high fructose corn syrup in our drinks because we like the taste of sugar better! It's quick and easy to use, we only wish we had room for more bottles in the fridge so we could try more flavors at once! SodaStream is now carried at many major retailers or you can order your direct!

Disclosure: I received a the products mentioned above from SodaStream in exchange for my honest opinion. No additional compensation was received.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Surfin' Saturdays - Facebook Hop (Week 8)!

Welcome to the 8th Surfin' Saturdays hosted by Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Two Monkeys & a Washtub, And Then There Were Four and The Coupon Challenge! Each week we will be surfin' a different social network. You will have to check back every Saturday to see where we will be! One week it may be a facebook hop and then the next an email hop! It will be lots of fun and you will get to meet new people and see old friends as well!

We kindly ask that you follow these simple requests:

"Like" the hostesses in the first four spots (We will "like" you back! Just please leave a comment letting us know that you are "liking" us on our walls!)
Please only link up the network that is being hopped that specific week.
No spam please. These will be removed.
It would be wonderful if you are linking up this week if you could add our button to your sidebar or in a post to help spread the word! The more people that join, the more fun it will be! (Plus if you add our button to your sidebar you can grab 5 extra entries into any ONE of my giveaways!)
If someone "likes" you please feel free to "like" them back! If you "like" me and leave a comment, I'll be stopping by to "like" you back!

This is a new list every Saturday, so please remember to come back and link up!

While you're here, please stop by and enter my giveaways!

tag*a*along kids (8/31)
The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean (2 winners)(8/31)
Bandablings (cool bandanas for your dog) (5 winners) (9/2)
$20 Amazon GC from Meet the Divas (9/2)
Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil (9/6)

This week is FACEBOOK!
Please link up only your FACEBOOK PAGE!

Friday's Kid Tested Recipe: When you're in a hurry - healthy mix-ins for store bought mac & cheese!

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 &2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!

This is definitely a great recipe for parents whose kids love mac and cheese but really won't venture into many other foods, especially veggies! Most kids love cheesy veggies!

What you'll need to make it!
Boxed mac&cheese (brand/style really doesn't matter)
Yummy mix-ins:
Meats to add protein: tuna, cooked and shredded chicken, or ham chunks
Veggies: (we use canned/frozen depending what we have in stock) peas, mixed veggies, broccoli, or corn

How to make it!
Cook the macaroni noodles as specified on the box and return noodles to hot pan. Mix in the cheese packet/or sauce combo, add in the veggies (if frozen, thaw/cook according to package directions, if canned, there is no need to preheat), mix in your meat selection!

This has been our pantry staple for the days when "there's nothing to eat" or we are running late! I don't always like serving just mac & cheese, but adding in the proteins and veggies makes me feel a little better about it! We also make the mac & cheese a little healthier by opting for the whole grain pastas or 2% milk/less margarine option when mixing.

Have a great recipe or a food/cooking blog? Feel free to link up now or send me an e-mail! I am going to start featuring recipes of others every friday...I just haven't gotten my act together yet! I'd love it if you'd grab the button, but it's not a requirement to join in!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

A bloggy award - love em, love em, love em!

If anything...now I have proof! At least one person thinks my blog has substance! YEAH!

Thanks so much to Terra at Heck of a Bunch for sending me this bloggy award!

The Rules:

•Thank the blogger who awarded it to you. - Done (see above, and I left her some comment love too!)

•Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience using five (5) words.

•Pass it on to 10 other blogs which you feel have real substance.

Hmm...blogging philosophy in only 5 words...
1) satisfying
2) time-consuming
3) exciting
4) sociable
5) fulfilling

I always have a hard time picking just 10 since I love reading so many of the blogs that I follow and subscribe to...so don't think I am intentionally leaving you out if I don't pick you!

The ten blogs I am passing this award onto in no particular order are (go and check them out, I'm sure you'll be happy you did - they are each unique and offer something special!):

Our Breezy Beach Life

Render Me Mama

A Little of this, A Little of that

Friday Blog Hopping! Love it!

Join in on the fun, find some great new blogs to read, and make some new friends in the Blogosphere!

Visiting? Let me know how you found Two Monkeys & a Washtub and where you hang out on the web so I can friend you back! Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to enter my giveaways while you're here!Be sure to enter my giveaways while you're here and there are always bonus entries for following!