Crockpot Chicken

If you don't own a crockpot you are missing out! I got one for Christmas last year from my sister in law Emily. I only knew how to make one thing in it, Pot Roast. It's one of my favorite meals because it takes just a few minutes in the morning to put it all together and by the time I get home from work I get to walk in to a kitchen that smells amazing and I just have to grab a plate (if my husband is lucky I'll wait on him to get home first).

I really wanted to find what else is out there that I'm missing out on! While I love to cook, I don't always feel up to it when I get home from work. I think cleaning up the mess is what I dread the most. My sister in law Laura got me a crockpot recipe book this past Christmas. I'm gonna try some of the recipes in there and I'll let you know how they turn out. 

Yesterday I made probably the easiest thing you can make in a crockpot. 

I took a whole chicken, put it in the crockpot, added salt and pepper, and that was it! I'm usually gone during the day for about 9 hours, but by the time Josh got home it had been cooking on low for 10 hours. All that juice you see in there came from the chicken. I didn't need to add broth or anything else. I've never been a fan of dark meat, but that was the best part! The chicken was so juicy and fell right off the bone! I will definitely be making this again soon!

Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday!

I LOVE Wednesdays now because I have 

Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday 

to look forward to each week! 

Yesterday I let some jerk ruin my whole day, so this week I want to share my favorite "Funny" Pins. Don't let someone get the best of your day or week! 

Everyday Guestbook

Wedding Guestbooks are a thing of the past. How often are you going to pull out a book with just a bunch of names and look at it. You should find something that you can look at daily and be reminded of your special day! Many are now doing this with an engagement photo book that your guests sign. I knew I wanted a bird theme in my kitchen and decided to do something that would go with this theme. 

I ordered this personalized picture off of Etsy. If you are good with graphics you can probably make your own. Or you could even paint your own! The original plan was to have everyone sign the mat and have our immediate families add their finger prints. As our family grows we would add our children's, niece's and nephew's finger prints. Somehow the stamp book was put out for all the guests to use. It turned out ok because the tree is fuller and much prettier with every one's finger prints!

                         

This is now hanging in my kitchen. I smile every time I look at it!

What you will need:
Picture of a Tree- There are plenty of sellers on Etsy- Fingerprint Tree
Frame and Mat- my best friend Lindsey was kind enough to cut our mat for us!
Stamp book in your favorite color
Pens in your favorite color

This is also a great idea for baby showers! Birds and Trees have become so popular in nurseries. This would be a perfect addition! 

Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday!

MY TOP 10 PINS THIS WEEK!

Smash Journal! It's like real life Pinterest!

Love this dress. Reminds me of a baseball shirt!

You could hang family pictures or Christmas cards too!

Very clever and extremely useful!

I am trying to remember to thank God everyday for all his many blessings

 before I ask him for even one thing!

Love this so much! For boy or girl!

Fun New Years Eve Countdown!

Handmade Kids Clothes. This is so adorable!

Very thankful for such a loving husband who truly is my best friend!

I actually did buy new curtains at Target yesterday!

Pinterest Boards are the New Letters to Santa!

There are just 307 days til Christmas (that's right, I looked it up)! It may be a ways away, but it always sneaks up on me. As I was browsing through Pinterest yesterday, like I do everyday, I was thinking it would be a good idea to start a wish list board. I know this isn't a new idea for most people, but I have something very specific in mind for it!

Every year I'm asked by my  family and friends:

"What do you want for Christmas?"

Surprisingly, it's always a very hard question to answer. 

What if I could just send them to my Pinterest Boards to get ideas! 

They could find specific items I like, such as this 
Michael Kors iphone Clutch! 

They can get general ideas of the things I like and my style.

Lindsey's Blog- Sensible Nonsense

Maybe they are crafty and can find DIY ideas! My friend Lindsey has made me many homemade gifts that I will cherish forever! Maybe a custom letter will be in my future! 

Or if you're like me and don't want to tell your husband specifically what you want because you want him to pick something thoughtful out on his own, this may be a good way for him to get some inspiration! Like... all my Disney pins may tell him I'd LOVE to go to Disney for Christmas (so start saving now)! 

The holidays may be many months away, but there are many occasions that may come up before then...

Birthdays, Mother's Day, Baby Showers, Bridal Showers...

It goes both ways. There are some people in your life that 

are always impossible to shop for! 

So invite your family and friends to Pinterest and start Pinning!

Parmesan Cheese Bites

If you're like me and you can't get enough CHEESE you will love these! 

Get a block of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and shred.

After

Before

Get a large spoonful or two and make small patties on parchment paper. 

Bake on 325 for about 5 minutes or 

until golden brown.

You can make these to enjoy with salad, pasta dishes, or even as a snack. 

They are so easy to make and so delicious. They are worth trying! 

Friday Findings

Happy Friday! I'd like to start Friday Findings and share products and other things that I've found and love! I want to share my amazing and talented cousin Sadonna's business with everyone. She makes handmade kids clothes. She makes the cutest outfits for boys and girls! I've bought many baby shower gifts from her, and I can't wait to get outfits for my own children for special occasions!

www.redelephantclothing.com

Eventful Thursday!

I've been in the event business for almost 7 years now! I loved being in the wedding business and getting ideas of what I liked and what I didn't like. Even though I'm married now, I still have a passion for weddings! You can still catch me watching Say Yes to the Dress and Four Weddings (my husband thinks I'm secretly planning my next wedding). 


I'm new to this blogging thing, but I've noticed a lot of bloggers have themes they talk about each week. I'd like to start EVENTFUL THURSDAY! This is something I'll look forward to each week. I am excited to share all of my wedding and event ideas with you!

One of my favorite things about my wedding was 

Wish Lanterns

These are becoming really popular. Most people do this as their final send off (instead of bubbles, sparklers, etc). We chose to do it right after our ceremony. This was a great way to get the party started! 

Now if you're expecting a scene like in the movie Tangled you better bring an entourage of about 1000 people! The lanterns are a lot bigger than you would expect. It takes at least 2 people to get just one up in the air. It takes some patience too, it takes a couple minutes before they are filled with enough air to fly. But once it goes up everyone is "ooh-ing" and "ahh-ing"

What you'll need:

1. There are several websites you can order these from. I ordered mine from Just Artifacts-    www.justartifacts.net  You can choose from a variety of colors and shapes. We did a mix of white and purple. They are about $1.50 per lantern. You don't have to order one for every person. I ordered 60 lanterns for about 100 people. 


2. Lighters


3. Helpers! Some assembly is required. Make sure to do this ahead of time. Each lantern comes individually wrapped. There is a small cardboard piece that has to be attached. It's very easy to do, there are instructions included. It just takes a little bit of time. I promise it's worth it!