KidsGO Expo Cleveland Ticket Giveaway

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Enter to win 4 tickets to the KidsGO Expo Cleveland! This great event features everything you need to get you little ones going including:

  • Daycare
  • Pre-School
  • K-12 Schools
  • Enrichment Programs
  • Summer Camps
  • Sports
  • Youth Organizations
  • and more!
KidsGO Expo Features:
  • FREE Parking
  • FREE Admission for kids under 12
  • Just $5 for ages 12+
  • FREE goodie bag for the first 2000 parents!
  • Everyone who attends gets a coupon for free Chick-Fil-A* Kids Meal and a chance to win Chick-Fil-A for a year*!
To Enter:
Following Project Mommy on Google Friend Connect and “Like” KidsGO Expo on Facebook.
Be sure to reply to this post with your name and email so we can contact you!

Earn extra entries by:

Contest ends 2/28

For more information on KidsGO Expo click here
*redeemable at Chick-Fil-A of Willoughby, OH

Crock Pot Wednesday! Jambalaya

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Crock Pot Jambalaya:

Cook’s Note: Since younger kids may not be a fan of spicy, use sweet sausage and swap our Cajun Seasoning and Cayenne pepper for 1 t Garlic powder, 1 t Onion Powder and 1t Seasoning Salt…not quite Cajun, but it will get the job done without sending your children screaming into the streets 😉

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken breasts or tenders, boneless, cut in 1-inch cubes
  • 8 to 12 ounces smoked sausage, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 teaspoons dried leaf oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 pound shrimp, cooked
  • 2 cups raw rice, cooked

Preparation:

Combine chicken, sausage, chopped bell pepper, and chopped onion in slow cooker. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, wine, oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, and pepper; stir gently. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. About 30 to 45 minutes before eating, add cooked shrimp and hot cooked rice; heat thoroughly.
Serves 8.

Feline Pine Original Cat Litter $8.40 with FREE shipping

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Amazon.com offers the Feline Pine Original Cat Litter 20-lb. Bag for $9.89. Choose Subscribe & Save and it falls to $8.41 and yields free shipping.

Feline Pine Original Cat Litter, 20-Pound Bag

Huggies Diapers On Sale + FREE shipping at Amazon

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For Amazon Mom members, Amazon.com offers the Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers Size 5 120-Pack (pictured) for $26.05. (Amazon Mom membership is free; click here to sign up.)
Add them to your cart via Subscribe & Save and the price drops to $21.45. With free shipping, that’s $0.18/diaper and the lowest total price we could find by $19.
Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers, Size 4, 140-CountAlso for Amazon Mom members, Amazon.com has the Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers Size 4 140-Pack for $28.55. Add them to your cart via Subscribe & Save to drop them to $23.51. With free shipping, that’s $0.17/diaper and the lowest total price we could find by $17.
Of note, be sure to cancel Subscribe & Save after your order ships or you’ll be billed for subsequent shipments.
Other sizes also on sale:

Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers, Size 3, 156-CountHuggies Snug & Dry Diapers, Size 2, 100-CountHuggies Snug & Dry Diapers, Size 6 Giant Pack, 100-Count

Valentine’s Day Truffles to make with your Kids

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Here is a great recipe to make with your little ones for Valentines Day.

You will need:

1 can chocolate Frosting

2 C. Powdered Sugar

1 T Vanilla

Cocoa Powder

Blend Frosting, Powdered Sugar and Vanilla together with mixer until frosting is fairly thick. You may need to add additional powdered sugar depending on the type of frosting you use.

Refrigerate at least a couple hours.

This next part is a little message – but that’s what makes it fun!

Roll chilled frosting into 1″ balls. Put 1/4″ of cocoa powder in plastic bowl that has a lid then coat balls with cocoa (the lid really helps keep cocoa powder from going everywhere 😉
Makes about 35 Truffles.
Cooks Note: There are other more complex recipes for more authentic truffles so if you are looking for that, then you may want to try another recipe. However, the simplicity of this makes it a great treat to make with the kiddos – and really who doesn’t like to have a little chocolate frosting now and then?

Crock Pot Wednesday! Hearty Chicken & Dumplings

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Love comfort foods in the winter? This one is just phenomenal!

You will need:

  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Directions:
Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.
Source: AllRecipes.com

Crock Pot Bread Pudding

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I know…. desserts…from a Crock Pot…who’d a thunk it?


But what a great way to warm up on a cold day!

Ingredients
2¼ cups milk
4 eggs
½ cup super fine (castor) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch salt
½ cup sultanas (golden raisins)
4 slices bread


Method
1. Butter one side of the Bread. And cut each slice in 4.
2. Place all ingredients except bread in crock pot.
3. Wisk until combined.
4. Arrange bread on top, butter side up. Allow slices to overlap. Push slices under milk mixture, so they soak some up.
5. Cook on low for 8 hours.
Notes
Serves 4-6
Consider sprinkling nutmeg on top.
Serve warm or cold.
Enjoy!

Crockpot Wednesday! Fiesta Chicken

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Helping make dinner easier for busy moms…

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
14 1/2 ounces Mexican style diced tomatoes
1 packet of taco seasoning
Directions:
  1. Heat oil in skillet. Cook chicken pieces until browned. Remove and drain.
  2. Place onion, green pepper, garlic and jalapeno pepper in skillet and saute until slightly cooked.
  3. Add all ingredients to Crockpot and stir to combine.
  4. Cover; cook on Low 7 to 9 hours or on High 3 to 4 hours. Serve on flour tortillas.

(Cooking times may vary – be sure to check that chicken is cooked thoroughly before serving)

Understanding the Bed Bug Phenomenon

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Does the fear of finding yourself in a hotel with bed bugs keeping you and your family from taking a vacation, shopping consignment stores or letting your kids attend sleepovers?

Here is the low down on what this phenomenon is all about and what you can do to prevent a run in with the Big B’s..

What is a bed bug?

They are often found near sleeping areas in the seams of mattresses, box springs, racks and crevices in bed frames, and usually spread to gaps behind baseboards, pictures, wallpaper and electrical outlets. They may hitchhike into a home on used furniture, clothing or other items brought from infested areas.
Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease. Their bites are painless and typically happen at night while you sleep. Bed bugs feed for about three to 10 minutes before crawling off to a sheltered crevice. They will bite anywhere on the body, but especially on exposed areas such as the face, neck, arms and hands.

Some people are hardly aware they have been bitten, but others suffer an allergic reaction and may develop painful swellings similar to those associated with mosquito or flea bites. The bites may itch for up to two weeks before healing, so resist the urge to scratch to prevent a secondary, bacterial infection. Wash the bites with soap and water to reduce the risk of infection.,

What can you do to prevent them in your home?

Inspect new and used furniture before bringing it inside by examining tight spaces along the seams

AllerZip Waterproof Bed Bug Proof Zippered Bedding Encasement, Queen Size (Fits 7 - 12 in. H)One of the most important things you can do is to purchase a mattress and box spring encasements. This will help prevent bugs from nesting and laying eggs in the creases of the mattress.

What if you suspect there are bed bugs in your home?
Unless the breakout is severe you may not see bugs directly. Check mattresses, and edges of woodwork in the house for signs of infestation. If you suspect an infestation then call a bed bug professional who can verify and will be able to resolve the issue. You will not be able to get rid of bed bugs with typical bug sprays. The only way to get permanently rid of these pests will be via a bed bug professional.

What can you do to prevent them while traveling?

Choosing a hotel: Each state has a list of hotels that may be “on alert” for bed bugs. A site like Trip Advisor will also have links to this info and better yet customer reviews are also good for guiding hotel choices.

If possible, use hard sided luggage and store it on the luggage rack – not the bed or floor.

Ziploc Big Bag Double Zipper, Large, 5-CountBugZip Garment Bag Size Bed-Bug Resistant Suitcase and Clothing Encasement, BZ300Protect clothing by keeping them in air tight sealed plastic bags.
Keep your clothing in Ziploc XL bags
or purchase Bug Zip Garment Bags
While the idea of a bed bug infestation is scary, understanding what bed bugs are and how to prevent them will help you to avoid bringing them into your home and allow you to be more confident as you and your family travel during the upcoming year.

What is a bed bug? Source: www.odh.ohio.gov

Get Organized: Christmas Decorations- Part 3: Wreath Storage

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Wreath Storage Ideas


As beautiful as wreaths can be, they can also be equally difficult to store without becoming dishelveled one holiday to the next.

Here are some ideas to help them keep looking new while minimizing the space necessary to store.

Rubbermaid Wreath Keeper 27-Inch Storage Bag with Handles I have a bag like this and absolutely love it – it holds a very large wreath and I can usually get a small wreath to fit in with it. The price is great too! On the down side it is only made of a tarplike material, so while it keeps weather out it can cause your wreath to lose some of its shape.
Homz Snap Lock Holiday Wreath BoxIf this is a real concern to you then the best best will be to store them in a hard plastic container like this one. The price is significantly higher and you will only be able to store 1 wreath per container, but on the flip-side you will save time next Christmas when you won’t have to rearrage the branches on the wreath.
If you have a dry basement with extra space the most ecomonical way to store a wreath would be to hang it on a nail. The downside would be dust so covering it with a cloth or plastice sheet would be a good idea.
Of course if you use big totes to store Christmas decorations you may be able to fit your wreath in – but most likely it will have a good chance of getting bent out of shape if it is crammed with other decor.

Choose the method that is best for you, but one method I do not advise is usualy a cardboard box. Unless you are one of the rare people to keep Christmas decor somewhere other than the basement, attic or garage, the lack of moisture proofing that cardboard provides can be an open invitation for mold. (Hard lessen learned by my sister this year – who has a damp basement.)

I hope that this short series on Christmas decoration organization has helped you to get a jump start on getting organized in #2011! I would love to hear more ideas for innovative and afforable ways to organize so please email me or leave your comments below.
#1 in the series: Organizing Lights and Garland



#2 in the series: Deconstructing the Tree