Tasty Tuesday: Taco Salad

Let's face it, there is no recipe for taco salad. Basically, you make whatever you might make for tacos put lettuce on a plate, crush some tortilla chips and put on your favorite taco toppings.

That is exactly what I did last week because it was finally cool enough to be in the kitchen without breaking a sweat after 30 seconds. I made plenty so for those who wanted regular tacos could go to town, but it was salad for me and it was wonderful. SO, that's why I'm reminding your of this easy meal on tasty Tuesday.

Happy eating!

Favorite Blogs????

Let's face it a lot of us (or at least me) spend my time cruising the internet reading about other people's lives. Yes, I read about their kids, their recipes, their struggles, their successes, their fashion, heartach, ...the list goes on and on!

And i love it when I'm talking to someone and they mention a blog or a website I've never heard of. I LOVE IT. Sometimes if it peaks my interest I can't wait to sit down and start hammering out the web address so I can catch up on my "reading." SO, I would LOVE for you to share your favorite blogs with me. i admit I really just read about friends and whats going on in their lives, but I enjoy reading witty writers share their thought over their keyboard.

Please share. You don't have to tell me why or if you know them. Because lets face it...a lot of us are blog "stalkers" and we've never met or even seen the people we read about. Ok, lets have it.

You can even email you're favorites. knwablogger@knwa.com

Thanks in advance!

Friday Fashion: Football Fever

I know many of you have seen this shirt because I've seen it on blog and twitter, BUT I LOVE this shirt for hog games. Lets face it, I didn't grow up in the south, so I grew up wearing t-shirts and jeans to football games (and normally bundled up from head to toe). So it was a shock when I started at the U of A and girls were decked out in their best for the football games. Don't get me wrong I love that tradition, but now that I'm older I love finding cute shirts like this and wearing them with fun jeans, etc. You can click on the shirt for more information.

Sticking with the casual attire I saw this awesome shirt on twitter yesterday. What do you think?

What are you favorite traditions for hog games!?

Woo PIG!

Congratulations!!!!

Congratulations to Sarah Green, of Fayetteville. You won this week's giveaway. I hope you have a blast at the first Hog Game!!!!

Thank you to everyone else that registered. Hopefully, we'll have another giveaway soon for you to enter to win.

Reminder: You can WIN Tix to the 1st Hog Game

Woo Pig Sooooie!

I just wanted to remind you that today is your last day to register to win 2 tickets to the first hog game.

The details of the giveaway are here or you can go register here.

Good luck. We'll announce the winner on twitter and the blog either this evening or early tomorrow morning!

GO HOGS!

Tasty Tuesday: Sausage Cresent Wraps

Ok folks...this sounds like heaven to me! I can't wait to try out this recipe. I admit I stole this tasty treat from holyturf.com, but it sounds like the inside of these wraps is very similar to my favorite cheese dip, so I KNOW I'm going to like these.

I hope this adds to your football menu and impresses your friends!
PS...I'm going to write more about Holy Turf tomorrow.

Have a great Tuesday!

Who's Ready for Some FOOTBALL!!?!!

Who else is ready for some Razorback Football? I know I am! I can't believe the first game is less than a week away. So since next week I'll be super busy helping my sister in law prepare for her wedding I'm focusing most of this week's posts on football. I'm sorry if you're not a football fan, but if you are join in the fun!

This picture isn't the greatest, but I'm sure many of you are gearing up for the first home game September 4th.

If you don't have tickets I HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR YOU!!!

This week we're GIVING AWAY *2* tickets. The seats are good. They're on the 35 yard line, row 27.

All you have to go here and register.

If you only want to register there--you're good to go, BUT if you want to follow me on twitter

and send me a direct message with your information you'll get another chance at the tickets. If you already follow me just send me a direct message with your contact information.

Registration will close Wednesday evening and we'll announce the winner either that night or the next morning. Please share some of you favorite hog memories and maybe we'll mention them Wednesday live on TV.

Allergies...UGH

Is ANYONE else feeling my pain? Seriously, it's August and my allergies are out of control. This could be along allergy season if this keeps up. I know there are others out there feeling my pain because I seen a lot of tweets about little ones runny noses, tissues, SNOT, etc...you get my point.

So what is in the air that is stirring up this lovely feeling in my head? I took Stella to the doctor last week to make sure it was "just" allergies (which it was...her cough is horrible) and the doc said ragweed was up right now. Who knew ragweed could put my head in a fog and make me want to RIP OFF MY NOSE!

Ok, enough with my ranting, but when your pregnant you a limited to medicines and I just want this to pass. I'm now holding out for a little extra sleep this weekend (ha, jokes I probably on me) and a new look on life Monday.

Have a GREAT weekend!

A Little Brag Time

I normally don't like to brag and i don't like "braggers" but please look at all these pieces!

I didn't count them, but there were a lot. My parents sent Stella's b-day present early because they knew she'd LOVE having her own table. Unfortunately, it doesn't come assembled and since Tom was working tonight I was to anxious to wait, so I went to town. Guess What!? It only took an hour and Stella LOVES it.

Moving the chairs to her playroom.

I LOVE it too! I'm going to have Tom tighten all the screws just to be safe, but I'm pretty proud of myself.

So have you had any nightmares putting kid gifts together? Please share. I know we struggled with her car she got for Christmas.

I knwo this is a random post, but between little sleep, allergies and putting this together I don't have much more to talk about. :)

Does Being an Only Child Harm Their Social Skills?

People always have an opinion on "only" children. For example some say they're spoiled or maybe less social because they didn't get to interact with a sibling. Well, I happen to have several incredible friends that are ONLY children and they're AMAZING, so I'm happy that a new study.
UAMS published this on twitter Monday and according to the study out of HealthDay News being an only child wont effect their social skills.
So there you have only children are just as social as those surrounded by siblings.
Again, I know I've been writing about a lot of studies lately, but like I've said they simply interest me.
What do you think of the this study?

Tasty Tuesday: Yummy Hashbrowns

I tried this delish dish WAY back in college and I LOVED it and well, I still do. This is what the casserole looks like before you put the corn flakes on top.

And this is the finished product before you stick it in the oven. Of course, I forgot to take a picture after it was cooked because we dove right into it. I've only made this a couple of times, but I LOVE it so much. I usually make it as a side dish to go with pork tenderloin (I'll have to post my sauce recipe for that soon). Anyway, this is amazing so check it out in the recipe box.

Back to School Immunizations...YUCK

According to Newsroom Solutions, health experts are urging parents to not wait until the last minute to get their little ones back to school check ups and shots. Well, we're in the last hour here in Arkansas so if you haven't done so you probably fall into the last minute category.
A chief nurse practitioner at a Walgreens store says making sure kids get proper preventative care is key in keeping them healthy.
I know it might seem like common sense, but who doesn't like a friendly reminder here and there.
Along with routine sports physicals, many walk-in clinics are offering flu vaccines that against H1N1 and other strains that are predicted to be active this year.
Of course, as parents we can always remind our little ones the proper technique for washing hands and taking care of themselves.
I can't believe some kids have already started school and the rest begin later this week. To all you parents out there ready to get back on a schedule....yeah! And for those of you dreading it...winter break will be there before we know it!

Heartbreaking Story

I thought about writing about this story yesterday, but it was so upsetting I decided to wait until this morning.
If you haven't heard yet a 14 month old girl was left in a car for a few hours in yesterdays heat and did not survive. When I first heard the news I burst into tears...I just can't imagine and I simply feel horrible for the family.
For me, it was a quick reminder that accidents DO happen. Granted this incident is still under investigation, but the owner of the daycare where the girl was supposed to be that morning said it was obvious this was an accident.
I'm sorry this isn't a fun post, but I think everyone should watch this story. It is heartbreaking (for me anyway) and sometimes hearing a story like this can remind us to extra careful in our daily tasks.

Ban on Drop Side Cribs Getting Bigger

I know you've probably seen this story on the news the last few months, but the recall on drop size cribs keeps growing and a BAN could happen in the near future.
According to this article in USA Today the ban of drop side cribs is likely and possibly before the end of this year. As of right now they are not to be sold or used in hotels or daycare centers.

If you'd like to learn more about the possible safety guidelines coming soon click on the link above to read the entire article.

Free Fun...and Stay Cool

I tried to post this yesterday, but just realized it didn't happen, so sorry about my tardiness!
First of all CONGRATULATIONS to Annette Loyd, of Fayetteville, for winning the great prize from Therapon, the Eternox Anti-aging system.
Now onto the post...if you haven't heard of the Rogers Splash Pad you're missing out. Stella and I decided we had a few things to do in Benton County, so we wanted to check this hot spot out. And boy oh boy was it hot. Kids were everywhere, but you didn't feel crowded because the splash pad is very open and has plenty for kids (and adults :)) to do.

Look at all the fun! According to the website, the splash pad features 10 in ground sprinklers, 3 water buckets, and 2 move able water guns. There was fun for all. The park is located on Olive Street in Rogers right across the street from the Activity Center. It's open from 10-8 EVERYDAY! And it gets even better...it's FREE. That's right folks all you need is a swimsuit and sunscreen and you're good to go. I know it's miserably hot out there these days so this is a quick, easy, and CHEAP way to cool down.

If you make it to the splash pad tell me what you think. I think northwest Arkansas needs more of these!

I hope you're staying cool!

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolately Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok, so I made my way back to the kitchen last week. A friend of mine made these for us when we went to the lake and I HAD to try it myself. I was craving them since the lake and since a good friend of mine recently moved back to the area...I thought it was the perfect excuse to do a little baking.

Hello Chocolate! I will not confess how many cookies I ate, but thankfully there were still a couple dozen left to give to my friend and her family. This recipe is SUPER easy (not from scratch) and SOOOO good. Check it out here.

Back to School Bags

I don't know about you, but I used to LOVE back to school shopping. It wasn't the new clothes I was excited about it was always the school SUPPLIES. My brother and I would set them up at home and pretend to buy them again. Yes, that might be a little dorky and he might not appreciate me telling that, but we (or at least I) was excited about school each fall.

So as you hit your local stores to spend all your money on this years schools supplies I thought I'd share another study with you from UAMS.

BACKPACKS.

Do you have the right one for your little ones? I know when I was younger the single strap bag was popular, but I needed a double strap due to back issues (oh the stress back then). Check this study out and make sure you've got the right fit for your school bound kiddos! It's an easy way to prevent back injuries if you get the right fit while they're still young!

Friday Fashion: Tie Dye

This week I've been helping a friend gear up for VBS (vacation Bible school) at our church and I had the joy of going back to my kid days and breaking out the good ole tie dye.
Seriously, how long has it been since you got down and dirty with some tie dye. I thought it was back in my girl scout days, but then I remember I made a tie dye shirt when I was a senior in high school for a dance. (come on, we were seniors and thought we were super cool).

Anyway, I feel like I'm seeing tie dye around town a lot more. I made sheets to decorate with so no shirts, but are they making a come back? Why not? At least they're colorful and not the basic black :)

So if you're looking for something to do, bust out the good ole tie dye because it was a fun walk down memory lane for me!

Oh and I was so busy at VBS I didn't get to take a picture of my handy work...maybe tomorrow.

Common Cleaners that are Dangerous For Toddlers

I follow UAMS on twitter and at least once a week there is a study a that peaks my interest. This study is about common cleaning sprays that can be dangerous for toddlers. At first I didn't look at the study because Stella shows no interest in all our supplies under the sink, etc, but with another one on the way we might not be as lucky.

The good news is, the number of injuries of little ones from a cleaning product is down almost half since 1990, but there are thousands poisoned every year. So, I thought this might seem like common sense, but lets face it common sense can sometimes go out the window when we're sleep deprived, dealing with a screaming toddler, have house work to do, work to do, and simply deal with the rest of life. Check out the study.

I recently decided to do a lot of my cleaning with vinegar and beside the money saving plus of this decision the bottles are not fancy or colorful. It might be worth checking out so little ones aren't attracted to the bright stickers and colors on cleaning supplies.
Well, I should probably go clean since I keep putting it off to do EVERYTHING ELSE instead. :)

Tasty Tuesday: Frozen Tung

I know it may seem that I'm being lazy when it comes to Tasty Tuesday, but come on people it's H-O-T! I've heard a million great things about Frozen Tung so we decided to try it out on our way to the pool. It sure was yummy.

Here's the proof why being in a hot kitchen is not fun right now.

This is the Frozen Tung in Fayetteville and yes there's a line and the guy working told Tom it's steady all day until about 5 and picks back up big time after 6. Tom got us Watermelon...I think I'm going to go back and try something "beachy" like coconut.

There were so many flavors. I promise you'll find something that you'll like. There was even a pickle flavor. No thank you, but I'm sure someone likes it :)

Boy or Girl?

I think most of you know by now that I'm pregnant. I'm about 12 weeks and we had our first doctors appointment to hear the heart beat. It is amazing and I love hearing!
Before going to the appointment 90% of our friends have been predicting a boy. I don't know why. Maybe because we already have a precious little girl, but it made me start thinking about all the gender predictions/myths out there so I wanted to know your thoughts.

For example, the heartbeat today was 172 which is fast. Typically, a fast heart beat leans towards a girl, BUT my brother and my nephews all had really fast heart beats the first time, so I'm not convinced. Plus a few years back before babies Tom and I did this ring test with our friends (totally just for fun) and it "predicted" we'd have a girl then a boy. Well, so far it's right.

BUT what do you think? There are so many gender prediction tests out there. I know my best friend told me that if your hair (leg hair, hair on your head, eyebrows, etc) grows super fast then you're probably having a boy because it's triggered by testosterone. Well, guess what she's having a BOY.

I know there are a million more tests like that, so please share and let me know if they were right with you! :)

We don't care honestly either way. We just want a healthy baby!

Lake Livin

Today we made it out to the lake! If you haven't made it out there this summer--GO!

We were lucky enough to go with some friends that have some "toys" but there are GREAT swimming areas if you don't have that option. It was super HOT today, but the water felt so wonderful.

Here's my friend showing off :)

Sorry I haven't been around. Until today I haven't felt so hot, but I finally shook my dreadful headache.

I hope you've had a great weekend!