Menu Plan Monday - A Day Late

I hope that everyone had a great holiday.  I am enjoying the last week of our 3 week break.

I have really slacked in posting my menu plans for the last few weeks, rest assured that I have been feeding the family and am not depriving them of food : )

Here is my plan for the week:

Monday - Chicken Legs in the Crocky Pot with a Chicken Grilling Seasoning and Newman's Garlic Parmesan Dressing, Potatoes, in another crock pot, with a bit of chicken broth, butter and lots of parsley (these were to die for!!) and Green Beans.

Tuesday - Breakfast Night, we haven't done this in a while because I kinda got tired off it because the kids have been bugging me about it.  So, we are going to have Eggs, Waffles, Turkey Bacon and Orange Slices.

Wednesday - Chicken Pot Pie, probably in the crock pot).

Thursday - Tacos (with ground turkey) with Brown Rice, Black Beans, Corn.

Friday - Pizza Out!

Saturday -Rosie's Hot Chicken Chowder.

Sunday - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup with Broccoli.


Did you all try any fabulous new recipes over the holiday?  Or get any great cookbooks??  If so please do tell!

Handmade Holidays Winners!

I planned on posting these yesterday but got caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday!  Sorry : )

Here are the final winners:

The Winner for the Portable Car Track is...


Peggy said... 4
My son would love the car track or the dinosaur tail(what fun!!)
________________________________________________________________________

The Handmade Applique Shirt Winner is

Karyn said... 2
I think the horse shirt is cute. My daughter loves horses.
_____________________________________________________________________________

The Winner of the Marshmallow Shooter is

Kayla said... 7
I love this from Little Expressions http://www.etsy.com/listing/33666524/crocheted-snowman


Thanks to everyone that entered!  I hope that I was able to share some great holiday gift ideas with you all.
 
Have a Happy Holiday!

Handmade Holidays #7 - Tailor Made Games WINNER!

Congrats to comment #17


Joyce said... 17

Email subscriber:)

Thanks to everyone that entered!

Handmade Holidays #6 - Super Hero Cape Winner!

Congrats to Comment #2

Jennifer said... 2 These are cute! I'd like to win one for my son. I follow your blog with GFC.


Thanks to everyone that entered!

Handmade Holidays #5 - I Spy Bag WINNER

Congrats to Comment #15!!

Sweetpeas said... 15 I added KidzBiz to my Esty favorites.




Thanks to everyone that entered!

Handmade Holidays #12 - Tic Tac Toe Game Review

The last Handmade Holidays Gift Idea that I have for you is a Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game from A Twist of Art. 

This is cute little Tic Tac Toe game that would be nice for little ones.  A Twist of Art has 2 styles that are available, Hearts or Stars.  We were sent the heart board and games piece's to review.

The game board and pieces are all made of wood and hand painted.  The Wooden Tic Tac Toe Game sells for $9.00 plus shipping and handling. 

A Twist of Art also has a wide variety of items for sale in her Etsy Shop.  She has things from jewerly to wired art creations to other painted items.  Here were some of my favorites:

17 Inch Sterling Silver and Bright Pink and Purple Cut Glass Necklace and Earring Set

                                

The Cell Phone Angel Charm

Rustic Wire Art Angel

These would look really cool in a garden

Handmade Holidays #11 - Marshmallow Shooters! Review & Giveaway

I am really excited to tell you all about the Handmade Holiday Gift Idea #11!  Little Expressions sent us 2 Marshmallow Shooters to review and boy were we excited! 

In case you have never seen a Marshmallow Shooter, allow me to explain what they are.  They are made from a simple contruction of PVC piping and LOADS of FUN!!  I have seen Marshmallow Shooters before at craft fairs but had never bought one.  One of the things that I really liked about the ones from Little Expressions is that they are painted camouflage. 

Aren't they cool!!

The way that they work is you place a marshmallow in the top mouth piece and then blow!   We were amazed at how far the marshmallows flew across the room, they can shoot up to 75 feet!  I think my husband wants one of his very own, and truthfully so do I!!  I think I am going to have to order some extra ones so we can all join in the fun! 

They come in several different colors.

The marshmallow shooters are very well made and pretty indestructible in my opinion.  One of these and a extra large bag of marshmallows would make anyone happy!  They are made for ages 3-93, so even grandma or grandpa might like one : )

Little Expressions sells them for $5.00 each and they are sold in sets of 2, 4, 5 and 10.  Just a word of advice, when you order make sure you order enough for everyone, trust me you'll me glad  you did.

Little Expressions has offered to GIVEAWAY 2 Marshmallow Shooters to ONE of YOU (USA or Canadian Residents only).  The GIVEAWAY will run until December 23.  Here is how you can enter to win:

•  You must be a Follower of LSG on GFC.
• If you subscribe thru email let me know.
• Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and tell me about it.
• Spread the word, if you blog about this giveaway and then let me know that will get you another entry.
• Add Little Expressions to your Favorites on Etsy.com and let me know.
• Visit Little Expressions and tell me what else she makes that you like. 

  

This item was given to us for review purposes only. We were not paid in any way and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Handmade Holidays # 10 - Wooden Car Track Review

The next gift idea that we have on the Handmade Holidays list is a Wooden Car Track handmade by Justin Shepard. 

Here is the Wooden Car Track that Justin sent us to review...

 

It is simple and yet very unique!  Kids love to watch the cars zig zag down the track! 

I love simple wooden toys, I love how they do not require batteries, just a kid and their imagination! Justin Shepherd sells his Wooden Car Tracks for $35.00, which is an excellent price considering the quaility and craftmanship.  And that he makes these wondeful car tracks out of these...

Talk about talent!!  The only thing I could possibly build from those stick is a fire!

Justin makes lots of cool wooden toys, check them out....

Any toddler would L O V E this little Toddler Rocker!

Here we have a Practice Shoe, a great way for kids to learn and practice tying shoes.

A great game for the kids!  Kiddie Kornhole can be played inside or out.

He also makes Classic Wooden Trucks and Cars.

Any of these high quailty wooden toys would make great gifts! 

You can visit Justin's Website to see more great things taht he is making!

Please note that we received this product free of charge for review purposes.  We were not paid in anyway and the opions expressed here are my own.

Handmade Holidays #9 - Handmade Applique Shirt Review & Giveaway

Handmade Gift Idea #8 is a very lovely Handmade Applique T Shirt by La La's.  The shirt that we received has a horse applique in a pink pattern, but La La's offers many different designs and patterns to choose from. 

Too Cute!!

The Horse T Shirt for Girls is available for $20.00, for a long or short sleeve.

Some of La La's other designs include:

How wonderful it would be to give a child a shirt with their new age on it for their birthday!

The Number Applique Shirts are available for $20.

I love these shirts for little ones! 

Any mama would be happy to have one of these with their little ones initial one it.

A Crown T Shirt, Fit for a King or Queen, depending on the pattern you choose. 

This shirt is also available for $20.00

La La's also has some shirts and onesies that are premade and on sale.

Not only do I appreciate the awesome handmade quality and that all the appliques are sewn on, I also love the flexibility too!  It's like a Build a Shirt Workshop! Here is how it works:

• Pick out your applique
• Choose your pattern from the many options available.
• Select your size from the available sizes, which are 3-6 mo. onesie, 6-12 mo. onesie, 12-18 mo., 18-24 mo., 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12. 
• Decide if you would prefer long or short sleeve.

These would make a great gift for the holidays or any time!   Kids would even love getting to design their own shirt! 

La La's has offered to GIVEAWAY one of her adorable shirts to one of YOU!! You get to choose the size, style, pattern and applique!  The GIVEAWAY will run until December 21st. Here is how you can enter to WIN:

• You must be a Follower of LSG on GFC.
• If you subscribe thru email let me know.
• Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and tell me about it.
• Spread the word, if you blog about this giveaway and then let me know that will get you another entry.
• Add LaLas to your Favorites on Etsy.com and let me know.
• Visit LaLas and tell me what shirt you like best.

 This item was given to us for review purposes only.  We were not paid in any way and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Handmade Hoildays #8 - Portable Car Race Track Caddy Review & Giveaway

Handmade Holidays #9 is the one of the cutest and most creative things I have ever seen!! Have you ever seen a Portable Car Race Track Caddy?  I had not, until low and behold there it was right on Etsy! 

What is a Portable Car Track Caddy, you ask?  Well, it is a handmade, cloth car track that mom can fold up and put right in her purse to help keep your little ones entertained while your out and about.  Not only is this car track portable and compact but it holds 6 Hot wheels Cars too!! It is really AWESOME!! 

The one that Boats and Bananas sent us to review is sooo- adorable.....

Told you it was the CUTEST!  I

 just love the denim mixed with the patterned cotton fabric.

This is it all folded up.

You can purchase The Portable Car Race Track Caddy from right from Boats and Bananas for only $21.00, and that includes 6 hot wheels cars.

Boats and Bananas also offers several other creative toys to keep your child's imagination going:

Check out the Old McDonalds Song Gloves, they are only $10.00.

I love the girl's Holiday TuTu, it has little plastic bulbs inside.  This one is available for $17.00.

My boys would LOVE this!  What little boy wouldn't love to stomp and roar around the house with this Dinosaur Tail.  She also has them for girls too!

They have Play Capes, for girls and boys, which are available for only

$15.00.

Last but not least she offers Crayon Pad Rolls.  What a great idea for the kids on the go, think doctors office, restaurants and church.  At only $10.00 these would be great as a gift or as a stocking stuffer.

PLEASE BE SURE TO PLACE YOUR ORDERS SOON TO ENSURE THAT YOUR GOODIES ARRIVE BEFORE THE HOLIDAY!!

Boats and Bananas has kindly offered to GIVEAWAY one of her Portable Car Track Caddy's to ONE of YOU!  The giveaway will run until December 23st.  Here is how you can enter to WIN!

You must be a Follower of LSG on GFC.

• If you subscribe thru email let me know.
• Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and tell me about it.
• Spread the word, if you blog about this giveaway and then let me know that will get you another entry.
• Visit Boats and Bananas and Follow on GFC.
• Add Boats and Bananas to your Favorites on Etsy.com and let me know.
• Visit Boats and Bananas and tell me what your child would have the most fun with!

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU ARE THE WINNER.

This product was given to us for review purposes. We were not paid in any way and the opinions expressed here are my own.

TOS Crew: Tiny Planets

We were asked the Tiny Planets website for the TOS Crew.  Tiny Planets is an interactive, online site that offers educational entertainment featuring 2 adorable little critters, Bing and Bong.  I remember when The Lil' Chef was little seeing them on TV, they are just too cute!  We used to love watching them blast off from their sofa.

Thru games, books, puzzles and  tv episodes, children will explore our solar system and learn about our Tiny Planet, Earth, and how we can better care for it.  There are six different planets designed for children ages 4-12, that the kids can explore:

:

Tiny Planets TV - Here you can watch any of the Bing and Bong episodes.  The shows here focus on science education and early learning.  These shows were co-created by Sesame Workshop and are a favorite around the world. 

Tiny Planets Books - The interactive books that you will find here are great to read aloud to the kids or independent reading. 

My Tiny Planet - This is an virtual world that focuses on science and space exploration.  Here, children get to be "space cadets" and solve galactic missions with Bing and Bong.  Kids can also adopt a planet of their own, name it, and take care of it. They get to choose landscapes, skies, buildings and scenery, making their planet their own.

Tiny Planets Learning - This part of the site is designed for parents, homeschoolers, and educators. Here they have lesson plans that include educational activities and science experiments.

Tiny Planets Fun - Children will enjoy brainy puzzle games that include fractions, sound and seek, and symmetry, as well as coloring books and comics.

Tiny Planets Labs - Before adding new games to the site, they are tested out here 1st.

As you can see there is TONS to do and learn on Tiny Planets.  Most of the content on Tiny Planets is totally free, but they also offer an more exciting learning experience.  You can purchase KEYS that unlock special goodies on each of the Tiny Planet sites.  KEYS are sold in packages of :

• 10 keys $1.95
• 25 keys $3.95
• 85 keys $9.95
• 250 keys $25.95
• 600 keys $49.95

 After setting up a Parent Account you may purchase the KEYS when you need them, or you can decide to sign up for a monthly allotment. 

 
This is a great website for exploring and learning, it would be a great addition to any child's study of the solar system!   Please visit the TOS Crew's Blog to see what my other crew mates have say about it.

Please know that we were not compensated in anyway for this review and the opinions in this review are my own.

Handmade Holidays #7 - Tailor Made Games Review & Giveaway

Handmade Holiday Gift idea #7 are games by Tailor Made Games.  They offer several really neat games that they, a mother and daughter duo, have created.

The game that we were sent to review was Grady and the Gang Hide and Go Seek.  This game includes 20 forest friends wooden tokens, 12 forest friends playing cards, and instructions which all fit nicely into a velvet bag and box for easy storage.   During the game each person gets to "be" 3 forest friends, my favorites are Melvin the Moose, Fletcher the Fox and Scarlet the Skunk, just in case you were wondering.  The goal is to stay hidden and not get found, just like the Hide and Seek game that we all know and love.  The last forest friend hiding at the end of the game is the winner.  This game is for 2 to 4 players and the suggested age for play is 5 and up.  This game retails for $22.

Grady and Gang Hide and Go Seek

I love the creativity that they put into their games, the spin that they put on classic games is great!  I also like how CUTE, COLORFUL and WELL MADE all the game pieces are.  The cuteness of these games alone are enough to get any child's attention! 

Tailor Made Games currently offers 7 other games that range in price from $20-$23:

What Goes Up -  Learning Colors with Balloons game

Yummy Scoops Bingo - The Bingo Game That's Oh So Sweet!

Counting Sheep - The Math Game That Adds Up To Big Fun

All Washed Up - The Search by the Seashore Memory Game

Can It - The Howling Memory Game of Cats

Land of Letters - The Brick by Brick Word Game

Circle of Friends Bingo- The Bingo Game That's All Smiles

All of these games look like TONS of FUN and would MAKE GREAT GIFTS!!  If you would like to to purchase any of  the Tailor Made Games you may do so right from their Etsy site.

These busy and creative ladies also are the creators of a game called Befudiom, which you can check out here.

Tailor Made Games has offered to GIVEAWAY one of their games to one of YOU!  The winner gets to choose the game!  The GIVEAWAY will run until December 21st.  Here is how you can enter to WIN:

• You must be a Follower of LSG on GFC.
• If you subscribe thru email let me know.
• Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and tell me about it.
• Spread the word, if you blog about this giveaway and then let me know that will get you another entry.
• Add TailorMadeGames to your Favorites on Etsy.com and let me know.
• Visit TailorMadeGames and tell me what game you would pick if you win.

Please note that we received this product free of charge from TailorMadeGames for review purposes.  We were not paid in any way and the opinions expressed here are my own. 

Handmade Holidays #6 - Super Hero Cape Review & Giveaway

The 6th gift idea that I have in store would delight any little boy or girl!!  Kidtastic Creations has sent us an AWESOME SUPER HERO CAPE to review and is GIVING ONE AWAY to ONE OF YOU! 

My children love capes, especailly Alpha Boy and Little Bits.   They love to pretend they is are super heroes or Kings and Princes.  My girls like to pretned that they are royal Queens and Princess's.  Capes are wonderful for kids imaginations! 

The Super Hero Cape that we recieved from Kidtastic Creations is VERY well made!!  The cape has velro to hold it one, but is made with releasable velcro for safety purposes. 

I love that the capes are REVERSABLE!  With all of the color choices available, the cape would be a great gift for a boy or girl.  The Super Hero Cape costs $12.50 and you can order yours in any of the following colors:

• Red/Blue
• Green/Orange
• Yellow/Bright Blue
• Pink/Purple
• Custom Orders are available upon request

Jillian over at Kidtastic Creations is very CREATIVE and TALENTED!  Not only does she make the capes but she makes:

Cozy little Girls Fleece Coat and Hat sets. 

A Crown for a King and...

for a Queen! To go with their royal robes (the cape), of course!

Tutu's that would make any little girl smile!

Kidtastic Creations has several other items that you can check out on their Etsy site KidtasticCreations.

For the GIVEAWAY, Kidtastic Creations is offering a SUPER HERO CAPE to ONE of YOU!  The GIVEAWAY will end on Dec 21st.  Here is how you can enter to WIN:

• You must be a Follower of LSG on GFC.
• If you subscribe thru email let me know.
• Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and tell me about it.
• Spread the word, if you blog about this giveaway and then let me know that will get you another entry.
• Add KidtasticCreations to your Favorites on Etsy.com and let me know.
• Like KidtasticCreations on Facebook.
• Visit KidtasticCreations and tell me what you like best.  

PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENTS SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN!  THANKS! : )

We received the Super Hero Cape at no charge from Kidtasticcreations for review purposes only.  We were not paid in any way to write this review and the opinions here are my own.

Handmade Holidays #5 - I Spy Bag Review & Giveaway

The next Handmade Holiday Gift idea that I have is SO CUTE and SUPER FUN!  Have you ever heard of an I Spy Bag?  When I saw these on Etsy.com I knew they would be tons of fun!  Kid Biz was kind enough to send us one to review and one to GIVEAWAY! 

 This is the one we received to review.  It's called Beep Beep, Honk Honk!  Cute isn't it!!

(the viewing window is on the other side)

The I Spy Bags are 5 inches square and have a 2 1/2 inch window.  Inside there are 20 teeny little objects to find, along with little bitty beads that make looking for the objects more FUN.  The objects inside are pictured on a laminated card that is attached to the bag.  Kids will be searching for things like a paper clip, a small bear, ladybug, frog, fish and a button.  Do you know how many doctors appointments that we've been to that I would have loved to have had this?!  LOTS!!

These bags are made by kids and they do a great job.  The bags are very well made, they super sewed around the edges, to ensure years on enjoyment.  They are available in OODLES of patterns, some for boys, some for girls and some neutral. 

This is perfect for a little girl.

I just love that the I Spy Bags are made for kids by kids!  These kids are from a large family and they started this business to help save up to attend summer camp in 2011.  Kudos to you kids for planning and saving!   At only $8.00 per bag, these I Spy Bags make great gifts or stocking stuffers and you would be helping the kids reach their summer goal!   So be sure to check them out!

This one would be great for a toddler.

Remember I had mentioned a GIVEAWAY!  Kid Biz has offered to GIVEAWAY an I Spy Bag, OF YOUR CHOICE, to one of you.  The giveaway will run until December 21st.  Here is how you can enter:

• You must be a Follower of LSG on GFC.
• If you subscribe thru email let me know
• Facebook or Twitter about this giveaway and tell me about it.
• Spread the word, if you blog about this giveaway and then let me know that will get you another entry.
• Add Kid Biz to your Favorites on Etsy.com and let me know.
• Visit Kid Biz and tell me what your favorite I Spy Bag is.

  PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU ARE THE WINNER.

 This product was given to us for review purposes.  We were not paid in any way and the opinions expressed here are my own.