Easy Family Dinner thanks to Fresh & Easy

Thank you to Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market for sponsoring this post. Visit Fresh & Easy's website or Facebook page for product information, and to find a store near you.

On the weekends I like to take it easy.

And I'm not just talking sit by the pool and read a book kind of easy,

I'm talking I don't even want to feed the family kind of easy.

I have to admit that making dinner is one of my least favorite things to do.

I love baking, but making well-balanced meals that the other people

in the house will eat and not complain about is exhausting.

It's fun to eat out, but it's not economical to do twice a week and

it's nice to sit around dinner table as a family and enjoy one another's

company since with JJ's work schedule it doesn't happen as often as I'd like.

Enter Fresh & Easy!

I lovey love this place! They have great food at great prices,

and the thing I love best of all are their To Go family meals!

So I grabbed Isabella and ran to my local Fresh & Easy about an hour

before dinner to pick out something yummy to eat after a fun

day of swimming with friends.

Isabella was excited to be greeted by the cookies when we entered the store.
I reminded here we were there to find something yummy for dinner,
so we headed to the refrigerator section of the store to check out the To Go family meals.

Isabella was quick to grab the Honey Walnut Shrimp.
I agreed with her that it looked super yummy, but I reminded her that
her brother and her dad wouldn't be thrilled if we brought that home for dinner
since neither of them like shrimp.

We continued our search and were happy to find something we knew the entire family would love.
We grabbed the breadsticks and cheese tortellini, a few other things, and headed home
to prepare dinner and enjoy a nice evening in with one another.

My husband turned the oven on before I got home, so I slipped the breadsticks

in as soon as I walked in the door and popped the pasta into the microwave

and they were both ready to serve 10-12 minutes later.

It was so awesome!

Both the kids love mini cucumbers, so we added those to add green veggies

to the plate and it was the perfect family meal.

There were also some pretty delicious looking pizzas,

so I think we will try those next time.

I picked up some tasty looking cupcakes from the sale section

and we shared them and enjoyed a tasty dessert.

I definitely recommend Fresh & Easy for easy family fare that

every will love.

Right now there is a coupon for $5 off  a $20 purchase that's good through 7/7/2013.

So run over and pick up dinner tonight!

You're welcome ;)

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Pretend City: A New Family & Restaurant are Moving In!

Disclosure: I was invited by Pretend City to attend the event free of charge in exchange for my coverage.

Some new and exciting things are moving in to Pretend City

next week and you'll want to be there!

A new family will be moving into the Our Home exhibit!

The Our Home exhibit will give a peek inside the Senizergues family’s home 

and tells the story of how Pierre-Andre Senizergues, owner of etnies uses his action sports background to encourage active living with his family.

In addition to a new family, the Pretend Cafe will be become Wahoo's!

We are a big fan of this Orange County based restaurant.

Wahoo's celebrates it's 25th anniversary this year and what better

way than by being featured at Pretend City!

The SUPER SUMMER at Pretend City kicks off July 2nd at 10:00 a.m.

There will be a special ribbon cutting by Wing Lam and Ed Lee - owners of Wahoo's -

as well as Pierre-Andre Senizergues and his family.

The event will include free Wahoo's tacos, a skateboard building workshop,

a youth rock band, and a child friendly introduction to skateboarding by the

etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest staff.

Event giveaways include Wahoo's temporary tattooes, etnies sunglasses,

sticker pack, and more

The new exhibits run from July 2nd until October 2013.
We'll be there for the kick-off event, will you?
Be sure to print off the coupon at the top for $1 off admission.
And with each purchase of a Pretend City ticket during the exhibit run,
you'll receive a special coupon for a free Wahoo's taco and a discount for etnies' shoes online.

 

Disclosure: I was invited by Pretend City to attend the event free of charge in exchange for my coverage.

Tutorial: DIY "Heirloom" Silhouette Pendant

Disclosure: This is a compensated post with Blueprint Social and Plaid. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've always wanted to try my hand at making a silhouette pendant of my kids' cute little

silhouettes, so when I received a box with the new Mod Melts from Plaid I knew it was time.

This cool new product let's you make your own cabochon-like items with your glue gun,

the Mod Melts and the Mod Melts molds.

SUPPLIES:

Mod Melts in Milk Glass White, Mod Melts Frames Mold, Glue Gun,

Metallic Paint, Jewelry Bails & Jump Rings, Jewelry Glue

The Mod Melts look like giant glue sticks and they work perfectly in a mini glue gun.

FIRST

Load the Mod Melt into your glue gun and let it heat up sufficiently.

Then, working quickly, evenly fill your molds.

I kept my glue gun close to the mold and was careful to fill every niche.

Once the molds are filled, let the Mod Melts cool for at least 10 minutes.

Once they have cooled, pop them out of the mold and admire how cool they are!

I was seriously impressed with the intricate designs and how well they turned out.

SECOND

Use a sponge tip applicator to paint the cute little Mod Melt shapes with 

metallic and/or pearl acrylic paints.
I did two coats of paint - allowing for at least 15 minutes of drying in between coats.

THIRD

Create you silhouette.
I took a picture of JT with my camera on a white wall.

Then in Photoshop I used the "Quick Selection Tool" to select JT.

I dragged the selected silhouette to a blank white canvas, applied a black color overlay,

and shrunk it down to about 1"x1.5".

FOURTH

Mod Podge the tiny little silhouette onto the back of the Mod Melt frame.

Then, using jewelry glue, attach the jewelry bail to the back of the pendant.

I used a cute little "made with love" charm as my bail.

I attached a jump ring to my cute pendant bail and added a chain.

My darling little silhouette pendant is done and I love it!

Isabella loved it too and wants to claim it as her own.

JT swears it looks nothing like him :)

 

I had so much fun making the silhouette pendant,

that I grabbed the jewelry findings I had leftover from other projects

and made some more "heirloom" jewelry.

So now I have two statement rings, a cute pair of earrings and a silhouette pendant.

The Mod Melts are so easy to work with and Isabella is excited

to make some fun things with me this summer. 

You can keep up with Plaid Crafts:

 {Facebook}

{Twitter}

 {Pinterest}

 {Blog}

Disclosure: This is a compensated post with Blueprint Social and Plaid. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Check out these other fun projects made with Mod Melts:

Printable: Fourth of July Subway Art

I just realized we are less than two weeks away from the Fourth of July

and I still haven't decorated!

So to get the decorations started I made a new Subway art printable.

There are three color background options:

{BROWN CRAFT PAPER}

{BLUE}

{WHITE}

As always - please adhere to the rules:
- Funky PolkaDot Giraffe printables are for PERSONAL use only.
-Please do not remove the watermark.
- Please link back to this site if you post anywhere on the internet.

Medieval Times: Giveaway and Review!

Disclosure: I received  tickets from Medieval Times for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

 We had such a fantastic time at Medieval Times a couple of weekends ago.

I had never been and it exceeded all of my expectations.

We had the honor of being seated in the section cheering for the Green Knight.

He was very noble and brave.

JT was really into the cheering for our knight and enjoyed waving his green banner.

 

 

 The Lord Chancellor was an excellent MC and kept the entire audience apprised

of the outcomes of the Tournament of the Knights.

Isabella was one lucky little lady when the Green Knight was victorious 

and chose her to be the Queen of the Tournament. 

I really loved the beautiful horses and their amazing stunts and tricks.

The kids were amazed at how they could march and jump.

The food was delicious!!!!

Isabella loved the pastry and JT was a fan of eating his chicken with his fingers.

Don't forget about the

June Family Blogger Special 

Adults are only $35.95

Children (12 & under) are $29.95

That's more than $24 off regular price and $4 less than the current advertised special! 

It's valid for all shows through June 30, 2013. 

Valid at the Buena Park castle only.  

Must call 1-888-935-6878 and ask for discount code 35BLOG.

And because Medieval Times is so amazing and

to celebrate the start of summer and the one-year anniversary of their brand new show and menu, Medieval Times, Buena Park is giving away

4 Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament Tickets

  to one lucky reader! 

Thank you, Medieval Times, for your generosity!

The winner will be selected at random and will be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #147

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
 

Happy Tuesday, friends!

We have finally reached the last week of school

and I am so excited!

I've been adding a couple of elements to our

new chore/allowance/job system and it's been

so fun to see the kids get started and be excited to work.

I'm sure it won't last long, but while it does . . .

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

• Must be made by you.
• Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
• No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
• Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
• Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

TOO Cute Tuesday will be open Tuesday-Saturday.
On Saturday or Monday I'll highlight some of my favorites
and then we'll start over on Tuesday!


<a border="0" href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/search/label/Too%20Cute%20Tuesday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/mormishgirl/Blog/TooCuteTuesdayNEW.jpg" /></a>


This post brought to you by:

 
I changed the linky party so that the most recently uploaded project will show up as number one. This way everyone gets a chance on top. So, look in the first spot for your project, not at the end. Thanks!!!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents BUILT TO AMAZE - On Sale Now!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a media preview of "Built to Amaze". All opinions are my own.

I am so excited that the Circus is coming to town!
My son has begged for years to go, but it never seems to work out with the show dates
for us to be able to take him, but this year - it's on!
When he was 3 years old "Dumbo" was on a continuous loop and he has
always been fascinated with the elephants and the clowns.
So I know he's going to love the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
show - Built to Amaze! 



Tickets went on sale June 9th for all Southern California shows!

LOS ANGELES
WHEN: Wednesday, July 10 – Tuesday, July 16
WHERE: STAPLES Center
TICKETS: Ticket prices range from $26, $30, $45-$50 (VIP), $70-$80 (Front Row) and $100-$120 (Circus Celebrity) 
 Opening Night tickets are only $12 each (not valid for VIP or premium seating).
 Tickets available for purchase online at AXS.com, charge by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX or in-person at the venue Box Office. 
*tickets may be subject to service charges, facility and handling fees

ONTARIO
WHEN: Friday, July 19 – Tuesday, July 23
WHERE: Citizens Business Bank Arena
TICKETS: Ticket prices range from $20, $26, $42 (VIP), $70 (Front Row) 
and $100 (Circus Celebrity).
 Opening Night tickets are only $12 each (not valid for VIP or premium seating).
 Tickets available for purchase online at AXS.com or CBBankArena.com, charge by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX or in-person at the venue Box Office. 
*tickets may be subject to service charges, facility and handling fees

ANAHEIM
WHEN: Friday, July 26 – Sunday, August 4
WHERE: Honda Center
TICKETS: Ticket prices range from $20, $26, $42 (VIP), $70 (Front Row) and 
$100 (Circus Celebrity). 
 Opening Night tickets are only $12 each (not valid for VIP or premium seating).
Tickets available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com or HondaCenter.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or in-person at the venue Box Office.  
*tickets may be subject to service charges, facility and handling fees

Recipe: Hot Corn Dip

My sister-in-law had her birthday dinner a few weeks ago,

and she requested that I make this Hot Corn Dip.

I had never heard of it, but after making it, it reminded me of the

artichoke dip I make. It was a huge hit and not much was left to take pictures of.

So I made it again this week to take to a church picnic thinking I'd use the leftovers

for a little photo shoot after the fact, except there weren't any leftovers!

So, it's been served at two different events with two different groups of people

and hasn't made it out alive - that's saying something.

The original recipe comes from a family friend's cookbook,

but I altered it a little bit to change it up.

The original recipe called for "Mexicorn" - which is a Green Giant

product and I wasn't able to find it. 

So, I used regular old cans of corn and just upped the amount of jalapenos.

You could add red and green peppers if you wanted to,

or cut down on the jalapenos if it's too spicy for you.

I like a little kick.

I also changed the Monterey Jack cheese for pepper jack.

Yum!

Hot Corn Dip

2 cans of corn, drained

2 (7 oz) cans of chopped green chiles, drained

3 T. pickled jalapenos, chopped

2 c. grated pepper jack cheese

1 c. Chobani Greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2. Mix together everything in a large bowl. Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake,

uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges.

3. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

You can also put in a crockpot and cook covered on high for about an hour,

or low until warmed through and bubbly.

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #146

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
 

We're getting closer and closer to our summer vacation

and I can't wait!!!!
This last week I worked on a little job chart to keep us all

honest during the leisurely months of Summer.

I'm hoping to write about it this week, so stay tuned!

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

• Must be made by you.
• Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
• No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
• Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
• Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

TOO Cute Tuesday will be open Tuesday-Saturday.
On Saturday or Monday I'll highlight some of my favorites
and then we'll start over on Tuesday!


<a border="0" href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/search/label/Too%20Cute%20Tuesday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/mormishgirl/Blog/TooCuteTuesdayNEW.jpg" /></a>


This post brought to you by:

 
I changed the linky party so that the most recently uploaded project will show up as number one. This way everyone gets a chance on top. So, look in the first spot for your project, not at the end. Thanks!!!