Dare to Share #148

It is Friday night, and you know what that means... 

It is time to Dare to Share! 

For the first time this month, I can say that overall it is has been a good week. There were a couple of tiny bumps, but that is okay.  Today I got a very good email from my son's Chemistry teacher telling me how great of week had had.  My youngest has been feeling better, and did not call home from school even once. With our new schedule, I was even able to get some posts done. 

Early in the week, Kara shared some Valentine's Day Treats she made.  I am hoping she will make some more, because they were really good.  

On Tuesday I shared about a great new laundry detergent I got to try for Purex Insiders.  It has a really cool new way of putting the detergent in your wash.  I am currently having a giveaway for coupons for a free bottle of your own to try.  If you would like to enter, you can do so here.

While I normally do not do more than one sponsored post in the same week, it was just the way the timing worked out this week.   My giant mess of a hall closet got a transformation in a Conquer Your Closet with Wayfair post.  While it took a bit of work, the after was definitely worth it.  My entire family noticed, and commented on how much nicer it is now. 

This week I must have been hungry. :)  Both features would be something I would love to eat at a Super Bowl Party, like these Double Chocolate Snickers Brownies by Just Us Four.

I would also love to try this Cheesy Spinach Dip with bacon by It's Yummi.  It definitely does look yummy. It has cheese and bacon, enough said.  

My co-host Kim from Kandy Kreations has a lot of fun posts this week.  I think my favorite one is this Candy Bingo Printable.  I would have a hard time not eating the Skittle markers, and the board would make me hungry because I LOVE CANDY! 

Now it is time for this week's party.  You can link up anything that you would like to share. If you are chosen as a Dare to Share Feature of the Day your post will be featured on the blog, and on social media.  

Link up and HAVE FUN! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Conquer Your Closet with Wayfair

Disclosure:  I was given a gift card for the Wayfair products in my post.  My opinions about these products are 100% mine. 

I was so excited when I was asked if I would like to participate in the Conquer Your Closet campaign.   With my crazy schedule, three teenagers, and lack of organization, most of my closets are in major need of help.  The closet that probably needed the most help, is one we walk by multiple times a day...   the hall closet 

It is kind of embarrassing that it got this bad.  The hall closet had become a big black hole of stuff. There used to be a bi-fold door on this closet that at least hid the stuff, but we removed it last year.  We got tired of it falling off it's track, and basically being a big old pain in the back side.  Once the door was removed, the stuff in the closet started spreading into the hallway.  I moved our makeshift coat rack in front of the closet, because it was easier to throw our coats on the rack instead of fighting the clutter to hang them up. (not that my kids like to use hangers, they seem to prefer hooks on the wall, chairs, and sometimes the floor)  

One the top shelf of the closet, I had our Aero-bed we use for guests, a random sleeping bag, and a cardboard box filled with miscellaneous items. 

The biggest problem in the closet was the growing mountain of various of  bags.  On the bottom was a big bag filled with plastic bags, the clear bag in the middle was overflowing with  all of our extra gloves, scarves, and hats.  The bag on top was  the extra snow clothes that my daughter took when camping with the girl scouts a couple of weeks ago. Instead of being put away, the bag just ended up in the closet.  

Something had to be done, and fast! 

My closet is not very big, so I had to chose the right size bins for this project.  I went with two bins from Houseshold Essentials that were 13 inches x 13 inches x 10 inches. As you can see they were a nice size.  You can see more about them here on Wayfair.com.   I decided to use them on the top shelf. 

Since my shelf is not wide enough for three bins, I put one on each side, and a sturdy shoebox in the middle.  The bin on the left holds miscellaneous items such as collapsible coolers, an extra mini throw, and our Detroit Tigers claw.  The bin on the right is holding our extra snow clothes that are not used very often, such as snow pants (teenagers do not wear snow pants often), heavy duty gloves, and some extra hats.. (same reason as before,  I can't remember the last time one of my kids wanted to wear an extra hat)   The box in the middle holds all of our extra extension cords that we can now find when we need them. Since the middle space is smaller, I would need a thinner bin like the one below. It would fit well with the two bigger bins

Rubbermaid Bento Box

I had another idea for storage, but due to the size of my closet, I had to get something that would not takeover the closet.  I decided on this 10 pocket organizer that is 8 inches wide by 12 inches deep by 50 inches long.  I thought it would be perfect to hold items that we are using frequently, that can easily be found when we need them.  

I hung the pocket organizer on the left side, which was the perfect size for scarves and gloves.  My girls and I are about the same size, and  we often buy stretchable gloves in various colors. Having several pairs, we then can pick whatever color we want depending on our mood.  That will be a lot easier to do now that we can see our choices.  

I rehung only the coats that we can actually wear, and removed all of the ones that were too small. I also removed several of the hangers that were not the right size, or were too bent to use.  I  love that I can now fit the vacuum cleaner back in the closet where it belongs. After this photo I decided to move the yoga mats to another location, since we are not really using them right now.   There is quite a difference between before and after, don't you think?!.  My family thinks so, every single one of them have said that it looks so much better. Maybe now they will help keep it looking this way!  

Handbag Hangers

Another item that I bought, but will use in my main clothing closet are these handbag hangers.  I have so many hangbags, and have never known that best way organize them.  I can't wait to see how they look when I finally have time to clean out closet.  

Do you have a closet that needs some organizing?   Hopefully I have given you some inspiration, now that you see how much better a cleaned out closet can look.  

Cheesy Spinach Dip with Bacon - Feature of the Day

The Super Bowl is now just two days away, and people are putting the final touches on  their Super Bowl Party menus.  One recipe that I would be very excited to see at a party is this Cheesy Spinach Dip with Bacon by It's Yummi.  It has a few of my favorite foods in it. I love cheese, and I love bacon.  I also like that you can substitute Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise, and get the health benefits of the spinach.  Be sure to stop over to It's Yummi, to get this delicious recipe to serve to your friends and family.  Thank you so much Becca for linking up to Dare to Share. I can't wait to try this recipe!

Double Chocolate Snickers Brownies - Feature of the Day

Are you having or going to a Super Bowl Party?  I have to admit, Sunday will probably be a quiet night around here.  I would though, love to have some of these Double Chocolate Snickers Brownies by Just Us Four while watching the commercials.  Don't they look delicious?!  Snickers are my favorite candy bars, and the only thing that would make them better is to put them in a brownie.  Thank you so much Shannah for linking up this yummy recipe to Dare to Share!

The New Purex Powershot Laundry Detergent Review and Giveaway

Disclosure:  The Purex brand provided me with a sample of the Purex Powershot detergent in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% mine. 

As a Purex Insider blogger, I get the chance to try new Purex products from time to time.  I was super excited to see that I was chosen to try to the New Purex PowerShot Detergent. Having three teenagers, we do A LOT of laundry.  In fact, our laundry is never ending. 

The bottle is not like anything I had ever seen before. The top of the bottle had a flip cap, and there was a section that was filled with detergent.   

I have to admit, even after reading the instructions I was still a little bit confused on what to do. I know it is obvious in the pictures, but flipping the entire bottle completely over did not feel natural.  The first time I used it, I tipped the bottle, but I was not sure if the right amount came out because I was not holding it upside down.  The second load felt a little easier, but I was still not 100% sure I did it right.  The third time, it felt more natural to flip completely over, and the detergent stopped at the exact amount.  Once I saw how easy it really was to use, I felt a little silly that it took me three tries to get it right.   

The PowerShot dose cup, is actually really cool. When you use a dose, it automatically refills to exact amount, and the detergent stays in the cup until you are ready to use it.  This detergent will definitely change the way you currently do laundry.  

If you are still confused on how the New Purex Powershot Laundry Detergent works, this video shows you how step by step. 

Purex is currently having a sweepstakes where three winners will will a Whirlpool washer and dryer set.  You can enter by using this link here.

I also have three free coupons so my readers can try Purex PowerShot as well.  Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win one.  Good Luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

Crafting with Kara - Valentine's Day Treats

This weekend Kara asked me if she could use some of my baking supplies to make some treats.  I told her yes, but there was one catch, she had to take pictures of anything she made.  She had a hard time deciding what she wanted to make.  She knew she wanted to use strawberries, because we had recently bought some.  She then came across a bag of Red Velvet Candy melts, so she decided to make Valentine's Day treats. 

She melted candy melts in the microwave using the 30 second method.  She had that tube of red icing in the picture, because she thought she was going to use it, but then decided not too.  Do you notice that sticker on the bag of candy melts?   I did that last summer when I found out  How to Figure Out if Your Wilton Candy Melts have Expired. 

Once she melted the Red Velvet candy melts, she dipped in strawberries, marshmallows, and chocolate cookies. 

She laid the treats on parchment paper, and decorated with sprinkles and candy hearts. She even made a few heart shaped treats from the extra candy melts.  

Her treats definitely won't make it until Valentine's Day.  Just a little while after this picture was taken, all of the treats were gone.  I guess she will just have to make some more!  

Dare to Share #147

We made it through another week, and you know what that means.. 

it is time to Dare to Share!   

This week was another crazy one, but thankfully not as bumpy as the last two weeks.  Not only was it the last week of the semester, and midterm week, we also celebrated a special birthday of this girl! We had a great family dinner at her favorite sushi restaurant.  In addition to all that, I was in the process all week of buying a new to me car.  If you don't have to make a big stressful purchase during the busiest school week of the year, I would not recommend it. Unfortunately for me it had to be done, as the lease to my old one is over at the ed of the month.    Starting next week our school schedule changes, and I will finally have time to make projects and blog again.  I will also be able to finally take down the Christmas trees. I am never this late, but I just did not have the time with everyone going on the last few weeks.  

The features this week, were in honor of my daughter's birthday! 

My daughter love Cherry Coke, so I knew she would approve of these Cherry Coke Cupcakes by Simply Stacie. 

I also featured The Best Party Punch by My Newest Addiction.  It would be the perfect drink to serve at so many types of parties. 

Over my at co-host Kim's blog Kandy Kreations she has many more Frozen Party Ideas like this post with Frozen Party Food. (you might even recognize one in particular.:)) 

Now it it time for this week's party.  You can link up anything that you would like to share.  If you are chosen as a Dare to Share Feature of the Day,  your post will be featured on the blog, and my social media. Kim also shares links to features, so you may end up on her social media as well.  

Link up and HAVE FUN! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

The Best Party Punch -Feature of the Day

Do you ever wonder what to serve to drink at your party? Laura from My Newest Addiction share a party punch recipe that she served at a baby shower. What I love about this punch is the added touch of the extra fruit that can be added by the guest to their drink if they desire. This punch looks elegant enough that I  could see serving this punch at brunches, baptisms and even a wedding. Be sure to stop over at My Newest Addiction for the reicpe.  Than k you so much Laura for linking up this awesome punch recipe to  Dare to Share! 

Cherry Coke Cupcakes - Feature of the Day

We are celebrating my daughter's 18th birthday this week. (How did 18 years go by already?!) I wanted to feature a treat on her birthday that I know she would love.  When I saw these Cherry Coke Cupcakes by Simply Stacie, I knew I had found it.  Cherry Coke just happens to be her favorite drink, and chocolate cupcakes her favorite treat..  A mix between the two, and she would be in sweets heaven.   These look so good, and I wish I had a dozen already made to give to her on her big day.   Be sure to go over to Simply Stacie to find out how to make them!   Thank you so much Stacie for linking up your yummy recipe to Dare to Share!

Dare to Share #146

It's Friday night, which means it is time  for another Dare to Share Party! 

It's been another bumpy week! 

Our cats love to hang out with our mice.  They do not hurt them, they just sit and watch them play.  Well on Monday morning, I noticed our cat Milo (not pictured)  looking strangely into Oreo's cage. (the smiling mouse on the right)   Oreo and Milo are good buddies, and I could tell something was wrong. When I looked in the cage, I saw Oreo laying still on the bottom.  I could tell right away he was gone.  I dreaded what I knew that I would have to do a few hours later.  I would have to tell Kara that Oreo had passed,  after the hard week she had last week.   She did not take it well, and kind of avoided looking at him and dealing with it  for a long while (2 1/2 days!)   On Tuesday she said she was sick again, I allowed her to stay home. By the afternoon though, she was feeling okay again.  I sent her back to school on Wednesday. She called from the office second hour (P.E time) , saying she did not feel good.  I told her that I was not picking her up.  She called again an hour later claiming she really was sick.  I knew she was having anxiety, because of what happened last week at school and losing Oreo. I did end up picking her up, because I could tell she would call me all day.  I talked to the school counselor and one of her teachers about what is going on. She went to school the entire day  yesterday, but called home several times again today asking to go home.  I did not go pick her up. but I found out later though that she spent the time in the office instead of class.  We have a three day weekend this weekend, so I am hoping it will give her a long enough break to regroup. 

Last night, we noticed that our hedgehog was having some issues walking.  He has been a little bit out of sorts the last few days, not really eating and drinking much.  I did some research online and saw he had some symptoms of a possible ear infection.  Around 11 p.m. I called the vet that stays open 24 hours to ask if they see hedgehogs, so I could make an appointment.  We had taken two of our hamsters there in the past, so we knew they saw small animals.  I did not know if it was an emergency where he would need to be seen right way, but I found out there were two of the vets in the office that  did see hedgehogs, and they were available right then.  Since Kara was wide awake anyway, and I knew she would worry all day if we waited until Saturday (the next day the Drs would be in the office) we bundled him up and went to vet at 11:30 pm. The good news is he will be okay.  He does not have an ear infection but actually a sore paw.  One of fingers seems out of place. We figured out that he was probably in pain, and the reason why he was having problems walking was his little foot hurt.  We were given some pain meds,and the instructions to check in with the vet this weekend.  If he is still having issues,  they may try to take tiny little x-rays to see if anything is broken.  

There have been a few positive things that have happened this week.  My oldest daughter went to school every single day this week, and made a lot of progress on her work.  She was accepted into a work skills program that she is excited about, and now wants to finish school. YEA!!   The weather was MUCH better this week than last.  While there were a couple of mornings in the single digits, we got up close to 30 degrees a few days which felt like a heat wave!!   Next week is the last week of the semester, and then we will have another 3 day weekend with NO homework.   

This week I multi-tasked.  Since I did have time to work on projects at home, I shared a fun Sock Snowman craft that I made with my women's group at church.  They are super easy to make, and can easily be customized.  

I promise I will be sharing a lot more features this upcoming week to make up for these last two weeks.   I thought these Sausage Stuffed Mushroom by  Summer Scraps would be great to serve for this week's play off games or for the upcoming Super Bowl.   

My co-host Kim from Kandy Kreations has a lot of fun snowman  themed ideas this week on her blog.  I love these Easy Olaf Wrapper Printables that would be perfect for a Frozen party.  If you are having one, you definitely need to check out her site.

Now it is time for this week's party.  You are welcome to link up anything that you would like to share.  If you are chosen a Dare to Share Feature of the Day your post will be featured on the blog and my social media.  Kim also shares features so you could be shared on her social media as well.  

 Link up and HAVE FUN!!  

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Sock Snowmen

This week is turning out to be another bumpy one.  Since I have not had a lot of time to make projects, I hope you will understand why I am doing some multitasking for today's posts. Every Thursday morning I meet with some women from church for a social meeting. One week a month we meet for a devotional lesson, another week we meet for coffee. Some weeks we do a special project like decorate the church for a foster child Christmas party, or help someone with a special chore.   I really look forward to my time each week with some wonderful ladies.  This week we met at the church for a devotional and craft. While these snowmen  are not an original idea, they were so fun and easy to make, I thought they would make a good craft post.   I took these photos with my cell phone as I was making my snowmen at the meeting.   

If you want to make your snowman a decent size, you will want to use men's white tube sock.  You can recycle a sock you already have, or buy one at the dollar store.  Cut the sock to the left of the heel. Using a piece of string, tie the end of the side with the heel.  I actually could have tied my sock closer to the end, but realized it after I had knotted the string.  The ribbed part of the sock will become the snowmen, so tying it down as far as I did  will make a smaller snowman.  

Here is a better view of the tied sock.  Turn the sock half inside out before tying it.  When you turn it right side out again, the tied end will become the bottom of the snowman.  

Once the sock is right side out, fill it almost to the top with rice.  The rice gives the snowman some weight and substance.  You might also be able to find cheap bags of rice at the dollar store.   Do you notice how this sock had a logo on it?  Well that is not a problem, because it will be covered up later by his hat. 

Tie the top of the sock tightly with a piece of string. Once you have the top secured, tie another piece around the sock to form the neck and head.  

Roll up the remaining part of the sock to form a knit cap.  Once you have your basic snowman shape, you can get creative with how you decorate him.   We used decorative straight pins for the eyes and nose.  If you have small children who will want to be playing with the snowman, you might want to use something else for the face.  The scarf can be made from ribbon, fabric, fleece or felt.  Some of my friends added buttons on their snowman bellies, I chose to leave them off.  

When all of our snowmen took their group photo, we noticed that while we all made the same basic snowman, each one looked a little bit different. They all seemed to have their own personality.  How will you decorate your snowman?  

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms - Feature of the Day

Are you a fan of football?  I have to admit, that I have not been keeping track of the NFL playoffs since my team is out... BUT I was very happy this past Monday when my Ohio State Buckeyes won the National Championship. That was such an exciting game, especially since I was on the winning side. :)  In a few weeks, everyone will be gathering for Super Bowl parties, and these Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms by Summer Scraps would be a great finger food for the big game.  Be sure to stop over to Summer Scraps to get the this crowd pleasing recipe!  Thank you so much Summer for linking up this yummy appetizer to Dare to Share!