Biker shorts.... At Target

Went shopping the other day and ran into the best thing! 

Bike shorts.

Why you ask? My daughters current career goal is to be a princess at Disney  World, for practice she is wanting to wear dresses everyday. 

I have a feeling this will continue through a good good part of the summer. Now she can throw on a pair of bike shorts under her dress and play to her hearts content and it won't break my budget.

Looks at he color selection too! 

Teacher Christmas Gifts

Yes, it is that time of year again. Here I am scrambling to come up with a creative idea for my daughters teacher that is practical and also in budget. 

I did my Pinterest search and it lead me to some great links. I thought I would pass them on to you to save you the time of having to search. Instead pick and idea off the list and you'll have a gift ready to go to give to your child's teacher and a bonus it will be super cute and look like you are very creative and prepared.

Eveyone loves getting a Starbucks coffee with their own name written on it. This Starbucks Sleeve Printable gives you the chance to write you teachers name and a cute little check list on the side too!

I don't know many teachers that will pass up a free cup of coffee. So why not give them a Dunkin Donuts gift card on this little Thanks a Latte Printable card holder!

We all know teachers spend lots of their own money on classroom supplies. Why not help them out by giving them a few dollars towards that fund? This Target Gift Card Holder is the perfect way to thank a teacher.

Who doesn't need some extra lip balm? This  Reindeer Lip Balm Gift Holder is Adorable.

All classrooms are full of tiny hands with germs. Buy a bottle of hand sanitizer and add this cute hand sanitizer label.

Hope this helps! If you have more great teacher gift ideas pop over to my Facebook page and share you ideas and links!

30 minute meal

I just got home.

It's 5pm.

"What's for dinner?" The family says.....

Ahhhh. I didn't plan ahead. 

Quickly I raid the pantry, fridge, and freezer. 

Here is what I grab….

Frozen chicken breast, rice, and Birds Eye Recipe Ready Fajita Starter.

I can make this work. For fun I are the timer for 30 minutes and see if I can pull a Rachel Ray...

Step 1

Thaw chicken quickly in the microwave. 

(Yes, I know this is not the best way to do it. I always get a semi cooked end and a frozen center but let's be a real, I didn't plan ahead,  I have a hungry family waiting, and I'll do what ever I need to do.)

Step 2.  

Two cups water and one cup of rice set to simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 3. 

Pull the (semi) thawed chicken out and chop it up into cubes.

Step 4. 

Throw some olive oil in the pan and brown the chicken. 

At this point I threw in some salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, garlic… and maybe some other random stuff to make it taste good. I prefer the wing it, add it if it sounds good, and taste as you go method. 

Step 5.

Add the frozen pepper and onion mix.

Looking at the cost of green and red peppers lately I'd say for a $1.98 this is a great bargin and not to mention super convent to have on hand.

Stir and admire the pretty colors….

…. and think of all the veggies and great nutrients that your family will be eating. 

Step 6.

 Rice should be done buy now. Toss in with the chicken mixture and stir.

Step 7.

Top it off with some shredded cheese because we know that everything tastes better with cheese!

YUMMY. 

Take that Rachel Ray. I did it myself with 15 SECONDS to spare!!!!!

A nice low fat balanced meal with protein, starches, and veggies. Serve with a bowl of pear sauce. 

(for a refresher on how to make pear sauce click here.)

Do you have a 30 minute meal? 

I'd love to feature some guests with recipes and pictures. 

Let me know if you are interested. 

Great Website For Printable Crafts

I love to craft but sometimes I need a little help. This is one of my favorite places to go.

Today I'm a little under the weather so I printed out a My Little Pony painting activity for my daughter. 

I poured a little but of Crayola washable paint into some Dixie cups, (contains the mess much better than dipping straight into the container, not to mention prevents mixing colors in the jar).

I cut the eye and decals off so she didn't paint over those and then let her have at it.
Now I have a little girl who is happy as can be!

The hardest part is making her wait till the paint is dry to cut it out. 😄

learncreatelove.com has many crafts. Not only girly crafts, they have lot so of "boy" themed crafts, as well as a good number of educational crafts too. I highly encourage you to check it out!

Second hand treasures

The town next door now has a new gently used kids store called Bullfrogs and Butterflies. If you are in Sycamore IL area come check it out!

I love this store because it is well organized, has a great selection and can't beat pricing! 

I decided to take in some baby items that had been collecting dust in the garage (a changing table and jogging stroller.$

I was surprised to get the option of a good cash offer or a large in-store credit! After a split second of thought, I took the store credit and promptly started shopping.

Here is the stash I purchased.

I went a tad over my credit, but it was worth it. My daughter was in need of a few shirts for the summer. 

Where is your favorite place to get gently used kids items?