Sleepin' in Omelette

Who loves Ree Drummond?  Not only is her cooking show so cute on her little ranch but I love her kitchen items at Walmart.  I got this recipe from an episode we watched on a lazy weekend morning.  It looked so easy and so yummy [right up my ally].  It's perfect for when you have company or for those play dates because it's warm, fresh, filling, and full of cheese.  Doesn't it look delicious?!  You can get the recipe from her blog HERE [she's got better pictures so be sure to check it out].

Now I did alter it a little to our personal taste so I will share my version. 

INGREDIENTS 
1 loaf of garlic onion french bread
1 & 1/2 sticks of butter [plus a little extra to butter the pan]

1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz of cream cheese
2 cups of milk
1 tbsp of garlic
1 tsp fresh chopped chives
1/2 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
10 large eggs
                                         

HOW TO

1.  Butter the bottom and sides of your pan.

2. Tear the bread into pieces and place it in the pan.  

3. Sprinkle one cup shredded cheese to evenly.

4. Tear the cream cheese into small pieces and place them all around [my favorite part]

5. Place slices from one and a half sticks of butter all around.

6. Mix together egg, milk, and seasoning.  Pour over the top. 

7. Cover with foil and let it sit pretty overnight. 

8.  In the morning bake at 325 for 45 minutes covered.  Take the foil off and bake at 350 for an extra 10 to 15 minutes. 

Open and serve.  It is cheesy bread omelette-y goodness!

Until next time.  Toodles!

My Favorite Ipsy [hello Ciate]

Hands down this is the best and my favorite Ipsy bag so far [the July bag]!  

Not only is the bag adorable but mostly everything inside was awesome.

Nail polish, shadow, chap stick, lip color, travel make up remover 

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Ciate Nail Polish [LOVE]

I squealed at the color because it was one that I really wanted in my summer collection.  I've never tried Ciate [which can be purchased at Nordstrom] probably because it's out of my price range for polish BUT I FELL IN LOVE.  I'm usually an OPI girl but Ciate out preforms OPI in the brush department and longevity.  Not to mention the color is gorgeous.  If you've got the money to spend this is probably the best regular nail polish out there aside from Formula X.

Jelly Pong Pong Eye Shadow [LOVE]

A concept that def speaks to me for eye shadow, a Neapolitan palette.  The "strawberry" is so pretty!  It's multidimensional and a shade that makes the eyes pop.  The vanilla is a little shimmery for a highlight but it's pretty when it's blended with the strawberry color. 

Chapstick [EHH]

Smells good but nothing really special about it. 

Tarte Lip Creme [LIKE]

Okay, I'm weary of these lip pencil sticks but I love this!  The color is lush and it goes on nicely.  It smells like a hint of peppermint without having a taste which I'm finicky about.  It doesn't last as long as I wish it did but topped with a gloss it's perfect. 

Make Up Remover [?]

I haven't tried it yet but will do so when we travel. 

TRY IT?

If you're considering getting a fun makeup filled bag every month, you can check out this POST and find out why I chose Ipsy.  This months bag was $10 shipped but the contents inside  cost about $60 total!  

Until next time.  Toodles! 

Mama Meal Swap

I knew our schedule this year would be a little packed [I hate to say busy but yes busy].  What are things that go out the window when it gets busy?  Laundry, meals, housework.  You know what I mean?!  After a full day, the last thing my brain wants to think about is what can I cook?   A hearty meal was not something I wanted to compromise this year SO a few friends and I started a mama meal swap.  We made the meals freezer friendly so they would last longer. 

It is genius really and if you have friends that are awesome cooks [and these ladies CAN] it is a win!  It took minimal planning but has helped all of us these first two weeks of adjusting to our new schedules.  On those days we were coming home late from gymnastics or church it was one less thing to worry about. 

The three of us each came up with two meals.  I chose pot pie and meatballs for meatball subs.  I cooked enough for three families.  It was a lot of food and took a chunk of time BUT it was so WORTH IT! 

I packaged everything up [kept two for myself].  

Then the magic happened and we swapped.  A freezer full of six home made meals!  Enchiladas, chili, chicken and broccoli casserole, baked ziti, meatballs, and pot pie.  It also helps when you have friends with big families because some of the meals I got were enough for two different nights [score!].  

Starting September with  six yummy meals on hand was so handy!  I thaw a meal in the fridge the night before, pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes and BAM we have dinner [you can cook it frozen it just takes forever]. 

I know what some of you are thinking.... why not just buy frozen meals?  I thought about this too but I've had store bought frozen meals before.  Maybe it's just me but they just don't taste quite the same as mamas homemade recipe.  Maybe I have a picky palette.  If you are thinking about a swap feel free to pin.

Gather those ladies in your circle who are cooks I would highly suggest a Mama Meal Swap!  Maybe I can post some recipes and take out half the work for ya'll.  Guarantee you it will be one less thing to worry about at four o'clock. 

Until next time.  Toodles!

How to Make Elephant Toothpaste

Do you have a curious little munchkin who asks  one hundred questions a day?  I do too!  I knew that this experiment would spark her interest in science and be a fun way to learn.  Making elephant toothpaste is simple, just messy enough and uses most items you already have in your home.

NEEDS
Baking sheet [got it at the dollar store]
Instant Yeast
Warm Water
Plastic bottle
Hydrogen peroxide
Dish soap
Food coloring [optional]
Googles/sunglasses

STEPS
1. Pour about a  tablespoon of dish soap in the bottle followed by the hydrogen peroxide.  Add food coloring if you want and swirl it around.

2. Pour the yeast in the warm water and let it sit until it gets foamy.  

3. Put those googles on to protect your eyes.  In our case it's sun glasses.  These cuties crack me up!

4.  Slowly pour the yeast mixture into the bottle and watch as the foamy "toothpaste" comes bubbling out of the bottle.

WHY?
The reactions I got from the two little we're priceless!  Little man was unsure and she was in awe. 

I got the WOW followed by the why does it happen?  Well.... the dish soap becomes thick and foamy because each bubble is filled with oxygen from the hydrogen peroxide.  The yeast and water mixture extracts it.  

The reaction is quick and the bottle is warm from the exothermic reaction.  And there, I guess I learned a little something new today too. We call it elephant toothpaste because it looks like gigantic toothpaste coming out of a bottle, toothpaste meant for a large animal like an elephant. 

FUN ELEPHANT FACTS
Elephants go through six sets of teeth in their lifetime!!  I'm sure the tooth fairy is quite busy in the animal kingdom.  

Elephants of course don't need to brush their teeth.  Their diet is leafy diet without any processed sugars allows for their teeth to get cleaned as they chew chew chew.  

MORE SCIENCE 
There's nothing like a messy experiment to spark the interest of the littles scientists!   If you loved this idea or plan on trying this yourself, Little Passports will soon be coming out with a science box for kids ages nine and up. 

Not only would getting a package be fun for the kids but also the mysterious contents inside!  Just click on the image below for more details. 

Feel free to pin.

Until next time.  Toodles!

The Not Gel But It's Like Gel Polish I Love

Ya'll know I am kinda crazy about nail products and rarely go without my nails covered in some sort of polish or design.  I'm always on the lookout for new products, testing claims of long lasting polish and so I was giddy when I got the Formula X Vox Box from Influenster.  

I have to admit I was a little skeptical.  I've tried them all and most fall short of their claims.  These hands go through lots of wear and tear in a day.  I'm washing dishes, kids, dogs, clothes, floors.  Constantly cooking, moving and doing.  So did the polish hold up to my abuse?   

Before we go into that, I want show you the application process.  It is just like any gel system, except it's not gel.   I started by prepping my hands... you know, trimming those cuticles, shaping and buffing. 

CLEANSE XCEL  

It's basically alcohol based.  This is the secret to any great mani.  It cleans your nails of oils that may prevent the polish from fully sticking.  

PRIME XCEL 

Works just like any primer but the drying time was super speed.

COLOR

I was so surprised by the polish.  The color was thick but not sticky.  It came on smooth and most nails only needed one coat.  I call this color my See Ya Later Summer but it's really called TGIF. 

SHINE XCEL
Just like a top coat but drying was yet again lightning speed.

I know what you're thinking..... that a lot of nail painting time.  I hate polish because of the WAITING and now there are three different coats?!  Hold your horses ladies because the polish dries insanely fast.

I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to sit around for ten minutes a coat helpless.  It took about two to four minutes which is almost the same as the gel lamp.

The finished product?  LOVE IT.  It doesn't feel as thick as gel mani but looks just as nice without the gel damage.  But the true test is how long it lasted...  Here is Day 1 in comparison to Day 5.  There is some chipping but considering it went through mad cleaning Monday, nightly baths with kids, dishes, and two baths with the dog it held up well.  Most of the expensive polishes I use only last about 2 days before the first chip and this took five.  Bravo Formula X! 

The best part about this system is the removal process.  It's in this tub and there's a foam with finger holes that is soaked in the removal stuff.  GENIUS.   Hang out for a few minutes and done.  So much easier than any removal products like those foils that I've tried.  

So overall I would definitely recommend this to the ladies who don't want to destroy their fingers with constant gel but want to get a gel like mani.  After my skepticism I did fall in love.... 

The lush, deep, only one coat color that didn't fade over time.

The lightning speed dry time with each step.

It lives up to it's long lasting claim.

Does look as good as a gel mani.

The removal tub.... it amazing!

Two thumbs up Formula X!

Battle of the Trampolines

Ever consider getting your kiddos a little trampoline?!  I highly recommend it!  We love these mini trampolines [yes me included] especially in the winter time when they can jump out that energy.   We've now owned both versions, with the handle bar and without.  So which is better? 

Even though the kids LOVED the kid trampoline with the handle bar and jumped on it until it was so caved in we had to get rid of it, in hindsight this would not be my first choice.

This is the winner by a landslide.  So why is the adult mini trampoline the the winner over the kid trampoline?

PRICE 

Kid Trampoline: $36- $61 

Adult mini: $27

ASSEMBLY

Kid trampoline: took 1 hour and both my husband and I

Adult Mini: 10 minutes and just yours truly

FUN FACTOR

Kid trampoline:  Only kids can jump and one at a time

Adult mini:  Mommy can jump [woot woot] and it's big enough sometimes two little ones can

 supervised.

STORAGE

Kid Trampoline: A pain because you can't remove the handle bar or fold it or nuffin. 

Adult mini: Can fit under my bed no problem.  Legs come our and it folds easily.

SAFETY

Kid trampoline:  Has a handle bar.... BUT my kids liked to swing and flip on it causing the trampoline to topple over. 

Adult mini:  No handlebars but also haven't had any injuries.  Even baby brother who is two jumps cautiously.  

                    

Either trampoline will be loads of fun, but I would have never guessed the mini trampoline I bought for myself would actually be a better choice than the kid version.  The only downside to both that technically only one kid can jump at a time but at least they learn how to wait for their turn.  So, the adult mini gets two thumbs up. 

Until next time.  Toodles!