[Recipe Database]: FOODILY!!

Presenting....Foodily!  It's like a Pinterest just for recipes!  My mom actually introduced this site to me, and I am quite excited about it!  I haven't tried it myself, but all of the recipes my mom has used have been delicious!  

On Friday night I ate dinner at my parents house, and my mom cooked this Chicken Piccata:

OMG...it was so good I could have licked the plate! :)  You can find the recipe here: Chicken Piccata. 

Foodily also has a free app that you can use on your iPad.  I don't know about you, but I'm heading to the app store to download this app!

Tonight we're linking up with 3 Little Greenwoods blog for the Show-Licious Craft & Recipe Party. Click on over for more great stuff! 

High Five for Friday: I love you!

Happy Friday!  I am so thankful the weekend is here.  I'm looking forward to seeing friends (including Dawn!!) this weekend, and soaking up the time off.  

Isn't he so handsome?? :)

1. Last Saturday, Marc and I ate dinner at our friend's place.  Marc cooked...have I mentioned that he's one amazing chef?  I'm lucky to have him!  He's been a dream come true in more ways than just being a great cook.  I can't even tell you have incredibly thankful I am to have found someone as wonderful as Marc.  (and PS....dinner was AMAZING!)

2. Mother's Day with Mom was special.  I brought my mom a Panera lunch and we relaxed before going to visit my dad in the hospital.  She injured her back during the time my dad was in the hospital, and she's still recovering, so I've been stopping in a lot lately.  It was so nice to catch up with my mom, and the back injury forced her to put her feet up on Sunday!  

3. I'm keeping up with my 5K Pro app!  Colleen, Dana and I have been trying to stay with our running routine.  I'm planning on going for a run tomorrow morning!  

4. Heading straight home on Wednesday afternoon. I had no errands to run, no stops to make and it was nice.  I always feel like I have something to do after work, and by the time i get home, it feels like it is just time to get ready for work the next day.  I love being productive, and I was able to get some things organized at home.  I've recently switched from a filing cabinet system for my bills to binders.  It works MUCH better, and I feel so much more organized.  I'll have to blog about this soon!

5. I'm in love.  This was something pretty private, but I'm sharing it with you.  It's so nice to be with someone I feel safe enough with to give my heart to.  Life is so much more incredible when you share it with someone who values your strengths and your weaknesses, and loves you entirely as you are.  This is how it should be!

Tonight we are linking up with Lauren Elizabeth and the ladies that host 5 on Friday. Click over to see more awesome stuff! 

[Spring Fashion]: Mint Green

I have all of a sudden fell in love with mint green.  I just bought a pair of mint green pants (thank you Target...they were a complete score!!) and have an adorable dress I bought from Francesca's.  Paired with nude heels, the dress was a complete hit for Easter.  I decided to scour Pinterest and inspire you to go shopping and add some mint green to your closet this spring!!

I love that sweater!

Tonight we are linking up with Creative-Geekery blog for the Pin-It Party and Fry Sauce and Grits blog for the Be.You.Tiful Party! Click on over for more awesome stuff!

Patriotic Mason Jars! [Memorial Day Fun]

Well, I've become a little obsessed with mason jars this year. I've blogged about various ideas quite a few times already. There are so many cute ways to display these around the house and here are a few adorable ideas for Memorial Day & 4th of July:

It All Started With Paint blog has the most amazing tutorial for making red, white, and blue mason jars! I embedded her photos below with some directions. Click here to see and read more! Aren't these just gorgeous? I can't wait to try this!

Paint two jars white and one blue with acrylic paint from the craft store! Then move onto the stripes...

The Happier Homemaker blog also made Patriotic Mason Jars by painting the inside of her jars with DecoArt Gloss Enamel paint. So pretty and shiny! Click here to see and read more!

For The Love of... blog created beautiful luminary jars with patriotic colors. They look gorgeous as they glow on a summer night at dusk. Such an awesome kid-friendly project, too! Check it out here and use the tutorial to help you through the DIY process!

Finally, I just love these burlap wrapped mason jars found on the My Frugal Adventures blog! Super cute and super easy to make. Such a cute addition to the holiday decor!

Tonight we are linking up with Creative-Geekery blog for the Pin-It Party and Fry Sauce and Grits blog for the Be.You.Tiful Party! Click on over for more awesome stuff!

[Walt Disney World Vacations]: Discounts for Teachers!!!!

If you know anything about me, you know I love being a teacher.  You'll also know that I absolutely love going to Disney World, so when I heard about Teacher Appreciation Discounts going on right now in Orlando, Florida, I had to share it with all of my teacher friends!!

Right now, through September 30, the hotels in Downtown Disney are offering insane deals for Teachers!  The resorts are close to the Walt Disney World Resort, which provide free shuttles daily to and from all of the parks, water parks and the Downtown Disney Shopping and attraction areas.  

Here are the great rates (per night) that you can take advantage of:

• B Hotels and Resorts: $99
• Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel: $89
• Buena Vista Hotel and Spa: $75
• DoubleTree Suites: $109
• Hilton: $89
• Holiday Inn: $94
• Wyndham: $79

The following is a list of events going on through September 30th:

• Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival, Presented by HGTV – March 5-May 18, 2014
• Flower Power Concert Series – March 5-May 18, 2014, at Epcot®
• Star WarsTM Weekends – Friday-Sunday each weekend from May 16-June 15, 2014, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – opening in spring 2014 at Magic Kingdom® Park
• Sounds Like Summer Concert Series – June 8-July 26, 2014, at Epcot®
• Night of Joy – September 5-6, 2014, at Magic Kingdom® Park
• Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival Presented by Chase® -- Sept. 19-November 10, 2014, at Epcot®.

Be sure to check out Downtown Disney Area Hotels for more information.  Teachers will have to show proof of employment upon check in.  I hope you're able to take advantage of these awesome deals!!!

Tonight we are linking up with Lil' Tori for the Do Tell Tuesday party! Click on over for more awesome stuff!

The Tastiest & Easiest White Sangria! [Girls Weekend Must Have!]

Tonight we're linking up with A Savory Feast blog for the Hump Day Happenings Party. Their theme for this week is friendship! I can't wait for Friday because I'm anticipating a super fun girls weekend with my favorites. I'll be hosting a gathering on Saturday and plan to have a delicious White Wine Sangria available for the girls. White Sangria is an immediate show stopper when entertaining...it's so pretty! ;-) This is one of our most favorite drinks to share together... a must-have at all of our gatherings! My brother's girlfriend, Lauren, makes the best Sangria recipe, but I'll be attempting this one and hopefully it'll be in the running for a new favorite.

I found this recipe on Sweet C's Designs blog: The Tastiest & Easiest White Sangria! The three gorgeous photos in this post are from her blog. Click on over for more awesome stuff - Courtney is amazing!

Ingredients:
-citrus of some kind (oranges, lemons, limes) sliced into rounds with peels ON and seeds popped out
-berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
-apples, peaches, grapes (peel on)
-ice
-1 bottle moscato, white zinfandel
-1 bottle sparkling wine
-3oz peach schnapps
-mint, basil, rosemary


Instructions:
1. Thoroughly wash all fruit and slice thin. Leave peels on for color and their delicious flavor!
2. Pour in wine and stir. Slowly pour in sparkling drink, peach schnapps, and any additional herbs.
3. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 3 hours.
4. Serve over ice and enjoy!

We love Sangria because it's incredibly crisp and refreshing! There are SO MANY amazing recipes out there and, of course, everyone has their favorite, but why not try another? Let me know if you give this one a try or share some of your secrets to your perfect Sangria!

We're also linking up with 733 Blog for the Inspire Me Wednesday Party! Click on over for more awesome stuff!

Memorial Day Celebration [Decor & Desserts!]

It's hard to believe that Memorial Day is next weekend already... this school year is just flying by!

Memorial Day is such an important and special holiday, as we show our appreciation for those who have lost their lives while protecting our country. The day is normally spent attending parades and then heading back to the neighborhood for a barbecue/picnic. 

Memorial Day weekend also means celebrating a long weekend through barbecues and picnics, as it's the official start of summer being just days away. Pools are open, college kids are home, and barbecues are in full force!

I love the red, white and blue decor for Memorial Day! I'll be sharing quite a few ideas with you over the next week to help you prepare for your celebration. Whether you're hosting or attending, I'm sure you'll find some cute ideas! 

Here are three of my favorite things to kick us off:

1. Flag Cookies! How adorable?! The recipe found on Mom's Shopping Engine Blog seems very doable... it might eat up some of your time, but why not give it a try? I think I'm going to! Click here for the sugar cookie recipe and directions. 

2. Red, White & Blue Trifle Dessert! I'm normally a huge fan of the Flag Cake, but this year I'll be switching it up! I LOVE the star cookie cutter in this dish. So cute, so fun, so festive! Who wouldn't want to dig into this?! Strawberries, blueberries, pound cake, whip cream, and a star cookie cutter... and you're done! Click here for this awesome idea and recipe!

3. Party decor! I love free printables and there are so many offered on this website. Click here to find these FREE PRINTABLES for your Memorial Day celebration!

Tonight we are linking up with Lil' Tori for the Do Tell Tuesday party! Click on over for more awesome stuff!

[FAVORITE FOOD BLOG]: Our Best Bites

Meet Sara and Kate...two best friends who are bloggers....Hmm...we have something in common with these two!!  These girls are phenomenal bloggers who have an amazing interest in cooking and baking.  A few years ago, I stumbled upon their blog, and have been addicted ever since.  Their recipes are incredibly delicious AND easy to make.  

They are also sure to bring their readers recipes that are seasonally appropriate and get us ready for the holidays!  They even have two cookbooks: Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites and Our Best Bites: Mormons in the Kitchen.  

Here are some of my most favorite Our Best Bites Recipes:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Pulled Pork Nachos with Bacon and Pepperoni

Strawberry Chocolate Nachos

(You wouldn't believe how good those things are!!!)

You seriously need to check out Our Best Bites and add it to your favorites!!! :)

Tonight we are linking up with Lil' Tori for the Do Tell Tuesday party! Click on over for more awesome stuff!

Honeymoon DIY Photo Project

Looking for a fun way to display your honeymoon photos? Consider making a photo block! Find directions for how to make them on my previous blog post here. 

I made this "honeymoon photo block" following the directions to the LOVE blocks in the link posted above. The new changes I made were: adding chevron Washi tape and a clothespin on top!

I love how you can see various photos from all angles, including having the ability to switch out photos on top! 

We are linking up with the Treasure Box Tuesday party! Click on over for more great stuff!