Check out these fun Valentine's gag gifts for the kids!

I love fun gifts that don't cost an arm and a leg, don't y'all?  I've mentioned here before that I shop the day after holidays to stock up for the next year or the next holiday.  So the day after Christmas, I grabbed a bag of super-cheap, Christmas (red and green) m&m's - perfect for my Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day celebrations!

For Valentine's Day next week, one of my treats for the kids will be Cupid's Poop.  I'll separate the red and green m&m's, (green will go in a bag til next month!) and the reds will go into 3 baggies - one for David, one for Katie, and one for David's friend Blake - his mom always sends David  the cutest goody-bags for each holiday!  I printed out bag toppers from this site - so cute - to put across the top of each closed bag.  Next month,  I'll do the same with the printable Leprechaun Poop bag toppers. 

I'm also heading to Bojangles on Monday to get some of their heart-shaped bo-berry biscuits, which I'll serve to my kiddos on Tuesday morning.  And Tuesday's after-school snack?  I'll pick up a few heart shaped donuts at Dunkin Donuts.  I hit up Target's Dollar Spot for some cute gifts to give each kiddo too.  But mostly, I'll hug and kiss them, and tell them how much I love them both!! 

Need something to do this weekend? Try SNOW MOUNTAIN!!

We visited Snow Mountain at Snow Mountain back before the holidays, but I didn't want to post my review til now.  The holidays keep us all so crazy busy, but around February,  the kids will start that familiar refrain: "I'm bored, Mom"!   So now is the absolute perfect time to head over to Stone Mountain and hit the "slopes" of Snow Mountain! (But hurry - it closes February 20th!)

Stone Mountain is the only place in Atlanta where you can enjoy tons of snow! Being in the South, we don't always get snow days, so this is a great place for fun winter-memory making with your family.  This attraction features more than 20 snow-tubing slides,  located on Stone Mountain's Laser Lawn.  There is a family tube ride, called Avalanche Alley, as well as individual snow tubing.   Guests must be 42 inches or taller to ride the single tube.  For Avalanche Alley, guests must be 36 inches or taller.   My oldest went with her boyfriend, and they had such a great time.  And my little one, who is 8, loved the tubing too.  This is some serious fun for all ages!

Bringing younger kids with you?  They will really enjoy the Snow Zone ~ acres of fun can be found here for everyone in the family.   Little Angels is designed for kids 3 and under - they can try tubing on Snoboggans to experience tubing at their level.  The Snowball Shootin' Gallery is a great place to pack snowballs, then use them to shoot at crazy spinning, flipping targets! Igloo City is the place to build a fort, a tower or even your own city - all out of snow!  There are friendly attendants nearby to help you, too.  Visit Snowman Valley  to create your own snow friend!! My kids loved the snow closet, where you will find scarves, hats and more to decorate your new pal.   Fort Snow is a cool place for kidswho are under 54 inches.  They can explore turrets, tunnels and slides!   And when you have finished exploring all of the fun to be had here in Snow Zone, visit the SnoDeck for a hot chocolate or popcorn!  Still too chilly?  Head to SnoFire Point and roast some delicious ooey-gooey S'mores over a warm bonfire!

We had such a wonderful afternoon at Snow Mountain, and it was nice to have some fluffy white stuff to play in for a change!  Don't forget to dress for snow - you will want a warm hat, coat, mittens and scarf, too! It really is cold out there in the snowy area! And make sure you take your camera - photo opportunities are everywhere, y'all!

Snow Mountain is open through February 20 on weekends and daily during school holidays.  Just two more weekends left to enjoy this family-fun Atlanta tradition!  Visit the website for ticket prices, reservations (strongly recommended!), and full operating schedule.  Check here for special promotions & packages.

For more information, special promotions and giveaways, like Stone Mountain Park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stonemountainpark.  (Don't forget to leave a comment telling them you read about Snow Mountain on JustKiddingAroundAtlanta.blogspot.com!) 



Disclaimer:  The kids & I received 4 passes to visit Stone Mountain/Snow Mountain in order to review it.  All opinions given are my own!  No other compensation was received.

The best cookies for Valentine's Day!

Hello sweet bloggy friends!  Are y'all ready for Valentine's Day? Gosh, I can't believe it is almost here!  I love making these cookies all winter long.  I made them for New Year's Eve, but they are perfect for Valentine's Day.  How can you go wrong making rich chocolate cookies with a cherry hidden under a luscious chocolate frosting ~ delicious! : )  This recipe originally came from Ms. Jill, who was the Children's Pastor at the church I worked at from 1998- 2003.  I always think of her when I make these yummy cookies!

Chocolate Cherry Surprise Cookies
•1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

•1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•1/4 teaspoon baking soda

•1/4 teaspoon baking powder

•1/2 cup butter, room temperature

•1 cup granulated sugar

•1 egg

•1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

•1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained, reserve juice

•1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

•1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk


In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and soda, blend well; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter or margarine and sugar on low speed until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; beat until smooth and well blended. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on ungreased baking sheet. (I used foil to line my stonewear, but I did spray it with Pam!) Press down the center of each ball with thumb. Drain Maraschino cherries well, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the indention of each cookie.

In small saucepan combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk; heat over low heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the reserved cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the topping over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry. If frosting seems too thick, thin with a little more cherry juice.

 Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, or until done. Cool on wire rack.   Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

How to save some money on your mortgage, and other home stuff!

Hey ya'll!  It's been a busy week here, as usual!  How did the month of January get away from me?! Did that happen for any of you? Crazy how that happens!  Today's post has some info I heard on the radio about saving money on your mortgage, plus a few other links for homeowners that might save you more money!

I'm in my car for about 2 hours a day driving kiddos to and from their schools, to work, etc., so I listen to the radio quite a bit! One show I like to listen to is Clark Howard's radio show.  He is based here in Atlanta, and loves to help his listeners save money.  Earlier this week I heard him discussing how you could save BIG on your mortgage, so I checked out the site he recommended.  He was, as usual, right on the money!

I don't have the exact figures in front of me, but I know we have 23 years left on our mortgage, and we owe about $144,000.  I know our rate is in the 6.5ish range  (Yes - we NEED to refi, I know!!)  Clark suggested this website, which offers a prepayment calculator to show you how much you can save! I plugged the above info in, guessing at the interest rate, and I was really impressed at the possible savings!  You know that when you pay the mortgage,  you are mostly paying the interest.  My husband pays the mortgage and handles our bills, so I didn't realize just how much of our mortgage payment is only paying on the interest! Eye-opening, to say the least.  So knocking a few (or more) years off the life of your mortgage means big money in your pocket! 

Here's what the calculator showed for paying about $60 a month extra....

For a loan of $144000 at an interest rate of 6.5% for 23 years
The standard payment (principal & interest) : $ 1006.65

You entered $ 1065.00, an extra $ 58.35 each month
You paid it off in 245 months (20.417 years) 
•Expected total interest : $ 133836.26
•Your total interest : $ 115887.85
•Total interest saved : $ 17948.42

See? Paying an extra $60 a month, applied to the principle of our loan, would knock 3 years off. We save almost $18,000!! That is HUGE y'all! And check out what happens if we pay an extra $100 a month....

 For a loan of $144000 at a interest rate of 6.5% for 23 years
The standard payment (principal & interest) : $ 1006.65

You entered $ 1107.00, an extra $ 100.35 each month
You paid it off in 226 months (18.833 years)
•Expected total interest : $ 133836.26
•Your total interest : $ 105892.74
•Total interest saved : $ 27943.52

Now we've knocked off close to 5 years, but saved almost $28,000! WOW!  Isn't that incredible?  Of course, you need to make sure that your loan allows early pay-offs, and you have to specify on your mortgage coupon that you want the extra amount to go directly to the principle.  Check with your bank or mortgage company for all the scoop!  And check out that website to enter your own mortgage details to see how much you can save!  Who couldn't use an extra $15k or $20K in their pocket?

A couple more links to share:

Are you a Veteran looking for a Military VA loan?  This site has so much information about VA benefits, loan information, plus current mortgage rates and more!!   Click here to visit this page.

I also want to tell you about my auto/homeowners insurance company.  They ROCK! This is not a USAA-sponsored post,  I just love them!!  The company is USAA and they insure military personnel, retired military, and their family members.  My PaPa (grandfather!) was a Vet, and I'm thankful to him for using USAA, and therefore passing that benefit onto my Dad, who passed it on to me!  They offer great rates, the best customer service around, and  a variety of other services, including banking, car buying service, etc!  I can't say enough great things about them.  I have had my auto insurance with them for years.  Randy insured our home with his insurance company when we bought the house, so a few years ago, we checked to see if they could save us money on our homeowner's insurance.  Boy, did we ever save! We got more coverage for much less than the company we previously were insured with.  To see if you qualify for membership,  check out their website.  I love knowing that my kids are already members because of my USAA membership, so they will always pay the best rates and get the best benefits around! (In my opinion, of course!)  Another person who loves USAA?  Clark Howard again - he can't say enough how much he loves them too!

Do you have any great homeowner money-saving tips? Have you saved big pre-paying your mortgage?  I would love for you to leave me a comment and share! : ) 

Delicious Savory Super Bowl Party Food!

I'm looking forward to making some yummy treats for my family next Sunday. Katie is the only one who really loves football, but the rest of us enjoy all the fun commercials! This year, I'm making a cheesy, corn-y Mexican flavored dip, and my most favorite Buffalo Chicken dip. I'll serve them with carrots, celery and Tostito Scoops. I'll probably add my Easy Peasy BBQ Chicken Pizza to the spread, too.

Cheesy-Mexicorn Dip (serve warm!)

1 8 oz pkg Cream Cheese, softened (you can mix this with a little taco seasoning for more spice)
1 15 or 16-oz Can Refried Beans (I use fat-free)
1/2  (or full) can Hormel No-bean Chili (I like the Turkey No-Bean Chili - if you use 1/2 can, freeze leftover chili in a ziploc bag flat in the freezer for next time!)
1 can Mexicorn or white corn, drained
**optional** chop a handful of black olives coarsely, throw them on top of the corn
1 8-oz pkg Mexican-blend Shredded Cheese

Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Spread beans, then the chili, then the corn, (and olives, if you use them) on top of cream cheese. Sprinkle shredded cheese over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes until cheese is melted. SOOOOOOOOOOOO good!  Drizzle ranch dressing over the top, serve with corn or tortilla chips!

Buffalo Chicken Dip (served warm)

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup Frank's® RedHot® Buffalo Wing Sauce
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (can use mozzarella, parm, blue, or any other cheese instead)
2 (9.75 ounce) cans Swanson® Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cream cheese in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with a fork or whisk until it's smooth. Stir in the dressing, hot sauce and shredded cheese, then stir in the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbly. Stir before serving.  Serve with carrots, celery, pita or other chips, crackers.

We're gonna be rooting for the Patriots next week ~ Katie really likes them!  How about you ~ which team has your vote? And what delicious foods do you serve on game day?  I'd love to see your favorite recipes, leave me a comment!

Purex/Jockey Giveaway/Review! Hurry ~ ends 1/27!

(This post is being posted much later than I intended - January has proven to be a challenging month for me & my family so far!  Apologies to Purex & Jockey for my tardiness.)

Purex & Jockey have teamed up for a fantastic giveaway that is just perfect for the beginning of the New Year - how many of y'all are resolving to exercise/diet/get-in-shape?  You'll love this giveaway, then!

Jockey's Tech Terry Performance Sports Bra  has some truly innovative features:

• Moisture wicking properties keep you cool & dry & cool while you work out
• Convenient key pocket
• Reflective logo at the back
• Breathable mesh panels
• Soft bottom band for comfortable support

The fabric content is 93% polyester, 7% spandex, and the lining is 94% polyester, 6% spandex.

I received one of these bras to wear & review; I was not disappointed by the quality & comfort.  It is very supportive, breathable, and easy to care for! It's also super-comfortable, which is important in work-out wear! 

Purex & Jockey are offering my readers the opportunity to get a 20% off coupon code that is redeemable either online, or at Jockey Outlet stores!  Click the link to get your coupon code for your sports bra or other Jockey product!

Purex also sent me a bottle of their new Tropical Splash Purex Crystals Fabric Softener.  These little crystals are 92% natural and go into your wash at the beginning - which allows lots of time to infuse your clothes with long-lasting, fresh fragrance.   I love that Purex Crystals don't contain oil.  That means they can safely be used on ALL laundry,  including: 

• Athletic wear - including Jockey's Tech Terry Performance Sports Bra
• Towels
• Children's Sleepwear
• Pretty much everything else!

Did you know that normally you shouldn't use fabric softeners on your performance sports/athletic wear?  Traditional fabric softeners contain oil, and oil content prevents the wicking process in your sportswear.

All that said, now on to the fun stuff - a giveaway!

Purex & Jockey are giving one of my readers the same two items I received:

• One Jockey Tech Terry Performance Sports Bra (winner chooses from XS (30"), S (32"), M(34" -36"), L (38"-40"), XL (42"-44")
• One bottle of Tropical Splash Purex Crystals Fabric Softener 

Disclosure: Jockey & Purex provided free samples of of their products so I could review them. No other compensation was received. All of the opinions expressed here are my own.

I'm using Rafflecopter for this contest so you can enter quickly and easily!  Click the "read more" link to enter now!

UPDATE: Congrats to CAROLE ~ she's the winner of my Purex/Jockey prize pack! This is the first time I've had to draw again, as the first winner didn't respond back in time - so sorry, but I have to turn this info in to my sponsors tomorrow, so I had to follow the rules and go to the next drawn winner.  : (

Using herbs & botanicals around the house

We are getting a preview of a channel called Veria on Dish Network this month, and I'm truly enjoying it!  This morning I watched a great show on there called "What a Relief" that talks about using herbs in your house.  I'm going to post some of these uses not only for you to enjoy, but also as a way that I can easily refer back to them! : )

1.  To keep your closet or drawers moth-free, fill a muslin sachet sized bag with equal parts of dried lavender and dried wormwood.  Store in drawer or closet.  After a few months, refresh by crusing bag gently between hands, replace in closet or drawer.  Wormwood is anti-microbial and a natural insect repellent! 

2.  To treat laundry stains:  resoak stains with hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar...a little goes a long way.   Drying your clothes in the sunshine helps as sunlight is a natural bleach. 

 3.  La Lavenderia Herbal Laundry Detergent:  Brew a handful of lavender & wormwood  stems/flowers/leaves in a large pot of water, then strain.  Add 1 1/2 - 2 cups of this strained herbal water to an empty glass jar or bottle, then add 1/2 cup castile-based liquid soap (like Dr. Bronners unscented, or lavender scented), or you can shave a solid castile soap bar into the bottle.  Add  2 Tbsp baking soda (which acts as a fabric softener, reduces static cling) & 1/8 cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, which is also fabric softener.  Use a bit of this mixture in your wash, and it will smell great and be disinfected naturally!  It's non-toxic, safe on skin, and lavender is not only a natural cleanser, it has a calming scent too!  Sweet!

4.  Safe & Natural Insecticide:  boric acid kills ants, or sprinkle it on your carpets to deter fleas.  Wipe ant trails in your home with the following mixture:   Dilute hot sauce in water, add a dash of cinnamon, and a few red pepper flakes.  Then spray across trail, wipe, and watch them leave: it will upset their ability to pick up the scent of their old trail!  Organic, inexpensive and doesn't burn skin!

5.  To clean your toilets, first scrub with brush, flush, then add 1 tsp each of lavender & thyme essential oil to 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide.  Add to the toilet, let sit for an hour or longer before flushing.

6.  For toilets stained with rust or hard water deposits, baking soda or citric acid can be used to scour those stains without ruining the enamel.

For more information on any of these natural recipes, check out veria.com!  : )

Get your free trial membership to BJ's Wholesale Club!!

VocalPoint & BJ's have given me the opportunity share a link for FREE 60 day trial memberships to BJ's Wholesale Club!  BJ's Wholesale Club stores are located in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.  (I really hope you live in a state with a BJ's Wholesale Club so you can get one of these trial memberships!)

Want to learn more about BJ's?

BJ's VALUE:
•BJ's Members can save over $500 on groceries a year!*
•BJ's is the only club to accept manufacturers' coupons!  Y'all KNOW I love that!

BJ's BABY:
•BJ's carries top brand names like Pampers®, Similac®, PediaSure®, Safety 1st®,
InSTEP®, Little Tikes®, Eddie Bauer®, Disney®, Gerber® and more!
•BJ's even carries products you can't find anywhere else, like
Pampers® Cruisers® +Ultra Absorbency—extra-absorbent zones help give up
to 12 hours of protection against leaks!

BJ's BEAUTY:
•BJ's has a great selection from the leading brands of hair care, skin care, oral
care, deodorant and vitamins, even some cosmetics.

SHOP ONLINE OR AT YOUR LOCAL STORE:
•Shop any time, anywhere at BJs.com
•BJ's Wholesale Club stores are only located in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia.

*Over $500 per-year savings are compared to supermarket prices in research conducted by Warehouse Club Focus, October 2010.  Savings are based on the per-unit price of a market basket of items. Savings may vary based upon market area and items purchased.

Sounds good, right?  Click here to get your free trial membership!  Feel free to share this link with your friends & family!

Thanks Vocalpoint & BJ's!!

Have you talked with your kids about Prescription Drug Abuse?

I've been thinking about over-the-counter and prescription drug abuse lately because there is information about it everywhere, it seems! Just this week, purchasing cold medicine, cough medicine, and allergy medicine I received print outs on my receipts about teen prescription drug abuse, and there are often commercials/PSA ads on tv too.   The government even limits how much allergy medicine I can buy per month because it can be used to get high and also to manufacture illegal drugs.  That makes me crazy come spring & fall when 3 out of 4 of my family are sick and need one pill person per day.  I have to send my husband and a friend who doesn't have allergies to buy Claritin-D so we can have enough medicine to not sniffle/sneeze and feel miserable all day - that is ridiculous!! But it's a necessity because of prescription & over-the-counter drug abuse.

I have talked with my 17 year old about the dangers of drug abuse, and she actually knows kids at her former high school that drink cough syrup to "get buzzed".   When she had pain medicine prescribed last year, she said several teens at her school offered big money for one pill. Seriously?!  Thankfully, she ignored them.  I just can't imagine kids doing that.  It's definitely a different world than the one I grew up in!

It won't be long until we'll need to talk to our 8 year old as well, since I think boys seem to be more reckless and less inclined to think about consequences.  I want him to be aware of the dangers of using medicines not prescribed for him, or using medicines inappropriately. 

I guess it shouldn't be surprising - the evening news regularly reports the latest Hollywood star's rehab admission, or pill mills being raided (that happened right across the street from my husband's office two  months ago - a "pain clinic" was raided after reports of many out of state patients coming & going.)   You can even buy prescription drugs online now, often without a prescription - how crazy is that?!  Here are some pretty disturbing numbers related to prescription drug abuse in America...

Zoom

Have you talked with your kids about prescription drug abuse?  If so, how old are your kids?  It seems like we have to warn them earlier than ever about the dangers of misusing medicines in order to educate them and help them prepare for the possibility of peer pressure.  That makes me so sad.

How we fondue on New Year's Eve

Tomorrow night, our little family will have our 4th annual NYE Fondue Feast!  My kids love fondue - we enjoy the Melting Pot when we are lucky enough to get Groupon gift certificates, but when we can't afford that kind of night out, we drag out our two fondue pots and enjoy dipping our dinner at home! : )

Here are a few pics from last year's feast, to give you an idea of how we do it.  It's SO easy, and you can find fondue pots at Goodwill, garage sales, or from friends or family who have them sitting in a cabinet unused!  We received one pot as a wedding gift almost 9 years ago, and a second from a friend who gifted us her mom's cool vintage 1970's pot! 

We try different recipes each year ~ last year was a cheddar/beer cheese fondue served with crusty french bread and apple slices.  YUM!   This year, I bought a tried & true - the fondue cheese pack from the Deli at Publix.  It costs $14 - steep, but we tried making our own swiss fondue one year and it cost much more than that for all of the ingredients!! (The beer & cheese fondue contained about $12 worth of ingredients)

We also have a dessert fondue.  Obviously, it's the favorite part of the meal for the kids, ha!

Last year. our dippers were: cherries, angel food cake,  marshmallows, strawberries, pineapple & mini-nutter butters.  So good! 

My chocolate fondue is easy peasy.  No real measurements, I just taste/eye it til it's right.  Chocolate chips,  a little butter, a little half & half.  Heat over a double boiler, then pour into fondue pot, serve with dippers.

This is one easy way to get my kids to eat their fruit!

See?  Check out that chocolate mustache!!  : ) 

When I was a kid, my mom made a big pot of spaghetti every NYE.  We always stayed home.   I've never gone to the Peach Drop down in Atlanta (NY drops a crystal ball, Atlanta drops a peach!), but one day I'd like to do that.  I confess to being very leery of being out on the roads on New Years -  the idea of many more people drinking and driving scares me to death! So for now, we stay home, safe & sound.

What are your family traditions regarding New Years Eve?  Leave me a comment & share, pretty please!  Hope you have a very safe & super-fun New Years Eve, and that 2012 is full of blessings and wonderful things for you and yours!! xoxo ~