Summer Giveaway HOP

Chicken Soup for the Soul has two new books out Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Teenagers and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Preteens.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Teenagers

101 Stories of Inspiration and Support for Teens

Teenage years are tough, but this book will help teens as they journey through the ups and downs of adolescence. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Teenagers provides support and inspiration for teenagers as they grow up, reminding them they are not alone, as they read stories from teens just like themselves about the problems and issues they face every day. The stories in this book serve as a guide on topics from the daily pressures of life and school to love, friendships, parents, and much more. This collection will encourage, inspire, and amuse teens, showing that, as tough as things can get, they are not alone!

The teenage years are some of the hardest and this is a great book of stories that teens can relate too.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Preteens

101 Stories of Inspiration and Support for Tweens

Being a preteen is harder than it looks! School is more challenging, bodies are changing, relationships with parents are different, and new issues arise with friends. But preteens can find encouragement and inspiration in this collection of stories by other preteens, just like them, about the problems and issues they face every day. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Preteens will help readers as they navigate those tough preteen years from ages 9 to 12 with its stories from others just like them, about the highs and lows of life as a preteen. It's a support group they carry in their backpack!


2 winners will win a copy of each book

SO EXCITED (I had To Share)

NOT to Jump the Gun but WE SOLD OUR HOUSE

It obviously not a done deal till closing at the end of August but we are super excited.

Looks like Arizona is in our near future :)

New Kitchen Table and Formal Dining Set

As we are getting closer to moving I am getting more worried about what furniture we will need for our new house. I know the move itself is going to be pretty big and a bit stressful, so if I can have some of my furniture picked out, that would be a huge help when we are trying to set up our new house.

Given that we will be purchasing a larger house (around 3,000 square feet). I am pretty sure we will have an eat in kitchen area that will need a kitchen table and chairs as well as a formal dining room.

I always liked the high top table and chairs for eat in kitchen and I am not to picky on those so I think I will let hubby pick out the one he likes best since I will have the final say it most everything else.

Since there will be 5-6 people living in our house we will be looking at 7 piece dining sets. That way everyone can sit together for dinner and there will still be room for a guest or two as well.

So far I really like this set

It is formal enough to go into a formal dining room yet very modern which is very much my style.

My husband has suggested we get an antique buffet table. He knows how much I like to entertain and says it would be a really nice place to store all of our nice tableware we received at our wedding shower.

He likes this one

He says it matches to the dining room table I picked out above but I'm not to sure.
I never really thought how much work it would be to furnish a house. I want to pick out things that will last a while that I won't get tired of and that are not overly expensive.

101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 minutes

I am a huge cupcake fan and have been very interested in learning how to make my own gourmet cupcakes because buying them from a bakery is pretty expensive. So I was pretty excited to review the book 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 minutes by Wendy Paul.

There are so many yummy cupcake recipes in this book. On my list to try is the

-banana split
-give me smore
-peach cobbler
-orange creamsicle
-key lime pie

Available on Amazon for $16.99 and well worth all the great Gourmet cupcake recipes


LIKE CAKEBITES?

If you like cake bites you'll be excited to learn Wendy has a new book "101 Gourmet Cake Bites" that will be out August 8th (available for pre order on amazon today at $12.94).

EdenFantasys Adult post 18 and older

I know I have told you before how much I love EdenFantasys. They carry a large selection of Adult toys but did you know they also carry sexy lingerie including Bra and Panty sets. I have been wanting to surprise hubby with a new bra and panty set and after looking through all the great options I found the perfect one.

I really love this Lace bra and panty set and I know hubby would love to see me in it also :)

It's only 25 dollars and looks so much more high end. The black and lace is very sexy and I love that EdenFantasys carries such high quality lingerie at such reasonable prices. They are my one stop shop for everything adult. They are always adding new products so I find myself checking their site a few times a week.


 Last week I found this Pink champagne dress. I have to have it. It is so popular that it is out of stock in almost every size including mine so I am waiting for it to come back in stock in my size so I can grab it.  EdenFantasys has a great feature on their website that will notify you when an item comes back in stock. So I will get an e-mail as soon as it is available.

                                                                    Just gorgeous!

ToiletTree Oral Irrigator Review and Giveaway

I am a huge fan of my ToiletTree Fogless shower mirror and so I was very excited to be contacted when their newest product was released the Oral Irrigator.

I have always hated flossing so I was excited to see a product by a company I loved so much that cleaned in between my teeth and reached even where my floss could not I had to try it.

The Oral Irrigator is awesome. Here are some of its features

- Waterproof and cordless (can be used in the shower)

- Tank can be filled water, mouthwash or anti-bacterial rinses

- 2 separate tips ( replacements available to purchase)

- 3 operation modes with LED indication: Normal, Soft & Pulse

- water pressure of 40 to 80 PSI with 1700 pulses per minute

Want to try it?

TolietTree has offered one of my readers an Oral Irrigator

Last night's amazing dinner including Recipe

As many of you know I cook 5 nights a week and am always looking for new recipes. Many of the new recipes are good but the one I tried last night (Chicken With Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce) was Amazing. Everybody here loved it.

Recipe courtesy of www.mygourmetconnection.com

Chicken With Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce

Ingredients ~
1 lb chicken tenderloins
1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 tablespoons spicy seasoning blend (see below)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon sugar (or agave nectar)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Spicy seasoning blend ~
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation ~
In a shallow dish, combine the flour with 1-1/2 tablespoons of the spicy seasoning blend. You should have about 1/2 teaspoon of the blend remaining - reserve this for finishing the sauce. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning frequently, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and cover to keep warm.

Add the chicken broth and sugar to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir until the sugar dissolves, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan as well. Add the lime juice, green onions and the 1/2 teaspoon reserved seasoning blend. Continue cooking for about 1 minute, just until the onions soften. Whisk in the heavy cream, add the cilantro, then pour over the chicken. If desired, garnish with a sprig of cilantro and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

I will be making this frequently. It's soooo good!