Smoked sausage penne

Hello! My name is Danielle, and I am a big slacker! It has been over 3 months since my last blog post. I knew it had been awhile however, how did that time go by so fast?! We have had a lot going on. We put the house up for sale by owner at the end of February. We had a lot of interest. We didn't receive an offer so we were ready to call in my friend Jessy. I took one last showing before we signed the listing papers with her. Thankfully I did because they wrote an offer! Our home was in escrow for over two months. Then the deal fell through. The deal falling through after all that work and time was devastating. The day it fell through we called a couple who was interested a couple weeks prior. They were eager to write an offer. We are in escrow again. This time things look much more promising. If things go as planned, we will be closing in the next week or two. I always heard selling a home was stressful, but this process has been way worse than I ever dreamed!

Things haven't been all bad. Maddie finished up kindergarten. She learned so much and really blossomed over this year of school. Maddie also finished up cheer for the year and loved every moment of tball. 

My sweet Ella completed her first year of preschool. She will go one more year before attending all day kindergarten. Ella participated in instructional tball. She enjoyed it but I think she was in it for the participation ribbon. ;) Ella really did great in dance. She is excited to do it again next year. Our check book is already dreading it. 

Then there is the little Kenzie Kyle. Her personality has became bigger than she is! It's Kenzie's way or no way around here. She is talking, counting to 9, and is the funniest little girl I know. 

We had a good friend get married over the holiday weekend. Justin was best man and the girls were all flower girls. It was a beautiful day! The reception was amazing!

This week we get to enjoy a more relaxing week. We are finishing cleaning out the garage and setting up for a big moving sale this weekend. I am back cooking dinner! I feel like I haven't cooked a good dinner in weeks! Tonight I cooked one of our favorites so I thought I would share. It is a good make ahead meal. Throw it together the night before, then put it in the oven when you are home for dinner.

Smoked sausage penne:

Box of penne noodles

Package of smoked sausage 

2 cans cheddar cheese soup

1 can Italian diced tomatoes

1/4 cup milk

1 cup Colby jack cheese

Peas or broccoli (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350°

Cook penne according to box. 

Cut sausage in 1/4 pieces. 

Mix together all ingredients then put in 9x13 casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. 

Introducing Glitter Stock

Happy spring! Or so we thought! We had 4 inches of snow dumped on us yesterday! Hopefully it will melt away today and we won't see snow again until December. 

Justin just got home from a 2 week trip for work. He is exhausted from the long trip. I am exhausted from handling everything here with the girls and having the house for sale by owner. Justin is such a big help. When he walks through the door from work, he is ready to help. We really are a good team. It's hard when he is gone, but I have got pretty used to it. I can't imagine how spouses of military personal go without their loved ones for a year of more. It baffles me. It has to be so hard for everyone. I always appreciate the men and women who give up time with their families to protect mine. That sacrifice is never lost on me. 

My cousin Abbie (talesfromthefirstgrade.blogspot.com) and I have been searching for a joint venture for years. We have thought about catering, daycare, preschool, party planning, you name it we thought about it at least briefly. We always thought we would make a great partnership. However, we could not find the right fit. After Abbie starting blogging and working on tpt material, she encouraged me to start as well. We both have learned so much about creating paper products on the computer. We realized we found our joint venture.

We created an Etsy shop called Glitter Stock! Abbie and I both will be keeping our seperate blogs and tpt stores. Glitter stock will be the ideas we have that don't quite fit on tpt. The list of Glitter Stock items we want to create just keeps growing. As of now we have just rolled out phase one. We have 21 kid's 2 sided personalized placemats created and for sale on our store. There is so much more to come!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/glitterstock

Glitter Stock was orginally supposed to be a summer project for us. We were both so excited we ended up getting the placemats done and the Etsy shop opened on March 7th. We really weren't prepared but we thought since we have a day together let's get it all done. March 9th, I am doing laundry and I hear a sound come from my phone. I peaked at my phone and was shocked to see we had our first order!  All I could do was laugh when I saw that order. I knew Abbie was starting testing at school, was attending a blogger meet up out of town, and had lesson plans to finish up. I had Justin leaving for two weeks, showings for the house scheduled, and Kenzie had came down with the stomach bug. As many of you know, when one of your kids throws up the first time, it's a ticking time bomb. The odds that the stomach bug is going to end with just one child is slim. I knew when Kenzie got sick, the next couple days were going to be rough. 

Thankfully, Abbie and I were able to meet up that next day to finalize the printing and laminating of the placemats. We had the order shipped to our first customer on March 11th. I really don't know what we were thinking posting the items when we weren't ready. However, it made us get our ducks in a row! We have worked out all the kinks and are now running smoothly! March was just a crazy month for both Abbie and I. It seems things are slowing down. That means more Glitter Stock items on the way!

The odds were in our favor that week! Kenzie and I were the only two that got a touch of the stomach bug. Kenzie gave me a big kiss on the lips an hour before she got sick. So I knew I was probably going to catch it. Thankfully, I only had a day of not feeling very well. Justin was very worried about catching it. He was driving from Indiana to Texas the next day. That would have been a horrible drive with a stomach bug! Eek! I am still shocked and thanking our lucky stars. 

Our spring break is next week! The only thing we have planned is trying to potty train Mackenzie Kyle. She is physically ready but I'm not sure she is interested. Cross your fingers for me! 

Italian Pork Chops

Usually I am very excited for the month of March. To me, March is usually the light at the end of the tunnel for winter. The weather should be starting to warm up and the snow should be starting to melt. However, the first three days of this March have not been welcomed. We have had below average temperatures, ice, and snow! Thankfully the ten day forecast is predicting a little relief. Lets hope this is the end of old man winter for this year.

The month of March also means a birthday for my sweet little baby. I guess she is not a baby anymore since she is turning two! I just can't believe how fast these two years have flown by. I am a pretty good planner when it comes to events and parties. My girls' birthdays always involve a pretty good sized party. They are fortunate to have a lot of friends and family that love them and want to celebrate with them. I realized today, 3 weeks before Kenzie's birthday, that I have not even sent out an invite to her party! Instead of a pretty printed out invite, friends and family got an email or text with Kenzie Kyle's pretty picture.

We have the house up for sale which means being busier than ever. I feel like I have really slacked on creating a diverse menu for dinners lately. I have not had the patience to sit down and spend time making a list for new recipes. I have been using my go to meal weekly lately. I am sure everyone has that go to meal. My go to meal is Italian pork chops. I always have the ingredients to this meal on hand. I always buy the ingredients even if it isn't on my menu for the week. It is simple, fast, and only 5 ingredients!

Italian Pork Chops

1 box farfalle noodles

4 pork chops

1/2 tbsp oregano

2 cans (14.5 oz) Italian diced tomatoes

1/2 cup Italian dressing

Cook pasta according to box. Brown pork chops on one side. Flip pork chops bad sprinkle with oregano. Add Italian dressing and both cans of tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Serve over pasta. 

Frozen frenzy!

Disney released Frozen on November 27, 2013. Our lives have not been the same since! My girls love the movie, the characters, and the songs. I have heard Let it go more times than I can count. Thankfully, Frozen is a great movie and the girls are too busy to watch it often.

My husband's cousin, Abbie, is a 1st grade teacher. Abbie blogs and creates great teaching resources on teachers pay teachers. She created a Frozen inspired 1st grade reading activity pack for her classroom. I asked Abbie if she would throw one together for Maddie in kindergarten. Maddie loves it! Maddie wants to do the activies on a daily basis!

Maddie has always been very eager to learn. She is excited to do any kind of flash cards, worksheets, or learning activities. Ella, is a different story. Ella prefers to just have fun playing and pretending with her toys. I appreciate that and I have realized she wants more engaging activities. Ella is going to be a hands on learner. She wasn't interested in learning how to spell her name until I made up a song for it. She still sings that silly tune when writing her name! When Ella saw the Frozen activities Maddie was doing she was jealous. Abbie agreed to let me steal the idea and do a pre-k edition. It's amazing how much more exciting things are when you throw Anna and friends on a counting activity!

Abbie's blog and teachers pay teachers store is tales from the first grade.  You can find a ton of 1st grade and kindergarten resources through her.

http://talesfromthefirstgrade.blogspot.com/

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tales-From-The-First-Grade-By-Abbie-Jinnings

Just in case you have boys or even girls that aren't so Frozen crazy. I have also created a Toy Story themed pre-k activity pack. below are the links to both

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Frozen-in-Pre-K-1664925

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Toy-Story-in-Pre-k-games-and-centers-1704132

We are gearing up to put our home on the market. We are going to throw moving in the mix of 3 kids, 2 dogs, traveling, working, school, weddings, birthdays, and side projects we are both working on. 2015 is going to be a wild ride! I know all the hard work will pay off in the end. We just have to stay focused and be patient. Easier said then done I am sure!

Brownie Batter Dip

        Another snow day school cancellation in the Midwest! We are all under the weather at this house so the cancellation was actually welcomed this morning! Tuesdays and Thursdays are super busy around here! Ella's preschool starts at the same time as Maddie's school. The schools are about 7 miles apart which makes those mornings very busy. I was very happy to stay inside and nurse this cold. 

        We had a substantial snow storm over the weekend. The predictions were over a foot of snow and to start late Saturday night. Snow storm + regular weekend grocery shopping + Super Bowl Sunday = a packed grocery store!! I had to stop at Kroger and it was crazy! Only 3 carts were left in the cart corral when I walked in. I wish I could have avoided it but I was over due for some groceries. I am that person who panics for milk before a snowfall! Trust me, my life would be miserable if we ever ran out of milk! All 3 of my girls drink pretty much nothing but milk. 

        Justin had a request for nachos for Super Bowl food. I had a craving for Brownie batter dip. Snowed in with my family and comfort food sounded amazing after a busy week. Below is the recipe for brownie batter dip. It has become a family favorite. You can use graham crackers, pretzels, bananas, strawberry, or vanilla wafers to dip. 

Brownie Batter Dip:

8 ounces of cream cheese (room temp)

1/4 cup butter (room temp)

2 1/2 cups powered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

5 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Beat together cream cheese and butter until fluffy

Add 2 1/2 cups powered sugar and 3 tablespoons of milk. Beat together until smooth. Next, add cocoa powder, flour, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth, scraping the bottom and sides to fully mix together. 

Good news! Some friends and I have come up with some football freebies for you! I want to thank you for following my blog and also celebrate how many times I have blogged so far in 2015!

Thank you!

Whether or not you are watching the big game today, and no matter who  you are cheering for, your students will love these FOOTBALL THEMED FREEBIES!

Please just do me a huge favor.

I know that you follow my Teachers Pay Teachers store (at least I hope you do, so you don't miss any of my goodies!) I also have a feeling that you might follow Abbie Jinnings and Allison Stuckey's TPT page since I mention their work a lot! 

Please be sure to FOLLOW everyone who has left freebies for you on my post today. They are all my personal friends and have just started out posting their amazing work on TPT. Please help them out by following their TPT stores and watching for all of the future products! After you download their freebies, just click FOLLOW on TPT. :) Thank you so much!

From Stuckey in Second:

From Tales From the First Grade by Abbie Jinnings:

From Fables from the Kitchen Table:

From Michelle Meyer:

From Hostler's Third Grade Thinkers: 

Counting to 100 with Maddie

        Happy Sunday evening! I have a love/hate relationship with Sunday evenings. On one hand, I love the relaxation and family time in the evening. On the other hand, I hate the thought of the busy week ahead. I am already dreading the 6 a.m. alarm going off!

        A few days ago we received Maddie's progress report. She has really improved on her sight words and letter sounds! I am very happy with her progress. We have worked really hard on her reading. However, I apparently have slacked in the math department. The only place she needs improvement according to her progress report is counting to 100 and number recognition. I was so focused on reading and sight words I forgot about other subjects! 

        Friday night, Justin went to see "American Sniper" with the guys. I turned on "Sleeping Beauty" for the girls and I worked on a counting packet. Maddie LOVES anything I make for her to do, she is easily impressed. I knew counting games and worksheets would go over great with her. Tonight, we worked on her counting. She really had to concentrate and think it through. I love knowing she is challenged. I really think this new activities are going to help her with her counting. Check out the new activities and worksheets on my teachers pay teachers site. 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Counting-to-100-and-number-recognition-1654435

Have a great week! 

Danielle

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

        We are finally back in a good routine! It feels great to be back on schedule! Maddie and Ella are thrilled to be back at school. My husband, Justin, is a grill master. We grill out every weekend from the time spring breaks until the first snow fall. On Sundays, we cook a big meal to finish out the summer weekends. We miss the yummy grilled food when the weather is cold. So, tonight I thought we would have a little summer food in the winter. Baby back ribs in the crock pot was on the menu. The crock pot is a great way to cook ribs. The ribs turned out great tonight! I have done them a few times before but I think I finally perfected the recipe. 


Crock Pot BBQ Ribs
1 package of ribs
Worcestershire sauce
bbq sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup red cooking wine

dry rub:
season salt
pepper 
garlic powder
onion powder
chili powder (to your liking)
brown sugar

Rub the dry rub over the ribs then sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce. baste with bbq sauce. Next, put ribs in the crock pot standing up. Put water and cooking wine in the bottom of the crock pot. cook on low for 6 hours. Finally, baste the ribs again with bbq sauce and put them in the oven at 425 for 5-10 mins. 

Much love,
Danielle

Fun indoors!

        The bitter cold weather and snow is here in full force! School was canceled Thursday and Friday because of the cold and snow. Justin and I had a "date lunch" planned for Saturday. Other than that, we had no plans to leave the house! Our lunch was great... I really just needed to get out of the house. We both had Christmas gifts to return and gift cards to spend. Justin's mom came out to watch the girls and we ventured out. Saturday was cold here but sunny! No matter how cold is is outside, if the sun is shining I am a happy camper! 

        Since the girls hadn't been out of the house since Wednesday, they were antsy! They had a lot of energy that needed to be used up today. I decided today was a great day for an indoor obstacle course! I put one together last year and it was a hit! We had donated a couple things I used from last year so I had to get creative again with the obstacles, I just used whatever I could find. They started by climbing over the toy box. Then, under and through the play house. Next, they high-kneed over the ladder, zigged zagged around cups, jumped over pillows, limbo-ed under a stick, finally, they rode the car to the bathroom door. They had a blast! It kept them busy for quite a while... thank goodness!

       

                                                          Kenzie the spectator :)

 

        Hopefully, we can get back to school and a routine again this week. My sister in law and I are supposed to be going and working out daily too. It really has yet to happen. Maybe...just maybe we will start it this week. I have been busy working on new projects. I have a new color and shape packet available on my teacher pay teacher site. 

Much love,

Danielle

Winter blues

As we are all well aware, the winter solstice begins on December 21st. That was 12 days ago... Is it spring yet?! I get very jazzed up for Christmas! I LOVE Christmas!!! But once Christmas is over. I am ready for 70° weather, sunshine, and longer days. We are at the end of week 2 on winter break from school. The girls are ready to go back. I am ready for a routine again. I'm ready for 8:00 bedtimes! The first week of winter break was busy. We had 4 family Christmases and a boat load of preparing to do. I slacked off with sight words, flash cards, and anything else school related. 

Today, I finally broke out the workbooks and activities I made. Maddie has started to enjoy word search puzzles. She really loves any kind of puzzle. I put together a sight word word search for her. She was so excited!

Ella picked a letter and she worked on a letter focus work book I put together. She worked on the letter D. She pretty much has the letter D down. But, those pesky lower case b's and d's will get her every time. I will be posting the word search and workbooks on teacherspayteachers.com very soon. 

Tomorrow is a much needed girls shopping trip with my sister in law! Well, only if we don't get a bunch of freezing rain... Did I mention I hate winter?! These momma's need a break... So keep your fingers crossed!

Much love,

Danielle