Some Like it Hot!!

I love HOT BREAKFAST!!  But, I don’t necessarily LOVE to make it.  I am absolutely not a morning person, and in the AM, I am most comfortable GRUMBLING until after I have had my STRONG COFFEE.

Breakfast Ideas that Start the Night Before - Give Your Family a Hot Meal without having to Cook in the AM

That being said, I don’t have the luxury of doing that anymore now that I have little ones to get up and get dressed.  The other day a girlfriend of mine told me that she got guilt-ed into making breakfast for her kids when a coworker told her that she makes her kid’s hot breakfast EVERY DAY!!  She went on to ask if my kids eat Oatmeal.  Which they don’t and to tell me that she was preparing Oatmeal in her Crock Pot(that night), so that they could eat in the morning.

This got me to thinking about all the different meals that I could prepare for breakfast the night before.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not about to change into June Cleaver over night.  But, I wouldn’t mind finding something I could throw in the Slow Cooker on a Friday or Saturday night, since I normally try to make Hot Breakfast for the Whole Family on the Weekend!!

We are pretty traditional when it comes to our Breakfast Foods.  The usual, Turkey Bacon, Sausage, Eggs, Toast or Biscuits.  I sometimes get a little fancy, when afforded the luxury of sleeping in with omelettes and quiche, but not often, since I tend to be the only one eating it.

Soo… after doing some Pinterest Hunting, these are some recipes that I am putting in my arsenal.  I am adding them to my Fall Bucket List, and will updpate you all on how Easy they are, but more importantly how they go over with the Fam!!

Do you cook breakfast in the Crockpot?  What’s your go to Breakfast?

Crock Pot French Toast

Copy Cat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole

Breakfast Casserole –** I have already tried this one several times, but not in a while.  I should tell you that it always RETURNS BIG REVIEWS.  I have even taken it to work before for Department Breakfasts and everyone  loved it!!

October Madness – Free Downloadable October Wallpaper for your iPhone and iPad.

October is here!! Which officially means that even though we haven’t gotten past Halloween yet.  We are fast Approaching the Holiday Season.  Which normally makes me very generous.  In that spirit, we thought we would share with you a Free Downloadable Wallpaper for your iPhone and your iPad, designed by Stage Presents.

Follow the Link Below – Right Click – Save – Enjoy!!

October Calendar Mockups

 

Click here to download the Stage Presents iPhone wallpaper for October

Click here to download the Stage Presents iPad wallpaper for October

 

 

And …. We’re Live!! – Restricted Members Only Content

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Many of you have noticed that there were some Cosmetic Changes happening on the Site, yesterday.  That is because we were going through the process of creating a Members Only Section.  If you sign up to become a member of our Blog, you will have access to Exclusive Content.  I believe that everything is working as it should.  However,  please excuse the changes, as we work out all kinks.

We Appreciate your Understanding and Your Patience.

In the meantime and in between time,  Register for your FREE Membership and take Advantage of our Exclusive Fall Printables!!

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Jumping Head First into Fall – Our Fall Home Tour

Fall Tour 2014 Hero Image

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons.  After particularly hot summers here in Georgia, when the seasons start to change, I feel the need to bring as much warmth in doors as possible, enter my Fall Décor.

I feel that the Entry to Your Home Sets the Tone for the Entire House.  So, I normally start with my Front Door and Work My way All the Back to the Kitchen.  But, this year, I was literally chomping at the bit, to pull out the Fall Decorations.  So I started indoors, that way the neighbors wouldn’t  know how crazy I am , lol.  I had also promised my hubby, I would wait at least until September 1st, to start decorating for Fall, and that is literally how long I waited.

I started with the hardest part, the Fall Tablescape.  To me, that is the make or break it point.  All other décor  gets married to this room.  I was pretty sure that I could use most of the items that I purchased last year, but still create a different look than last years.

Here is a glimpse of last year’s décor.

2013 Fall Centerpiece

 

2013 Fall Tablescape

Fast Forward to this Year:

2014 Fall Tablescape found on www.stage-presents.com

 

2014 Fall Tablesetting found on www.stage-presents.com

 

Side Buffet - Decorating for Fall - www.stage-presents.com

 

The Burnt Orange Bird Cages were something that my hubby picked up last year, when we were trying to figure out how to style the Side Buffet and the Mantle.  Luckily, they were already the perfect color, the only thing I added to them, were some fall leaves to line the cage.  I had a rather large ceramic pumpkin, and I simply put inside my glass cake plate, and added a few fall leaves and floral accents.  Then I decorated the table with other ceramic pumpkins and gourds.  Next,  I set the table with Fall Leaf place mats I bought last year from Bed Bath & Beyond,  in brown and gold.    I used Pier 1  pear and pumpkin salt and pepper shakers from last year and large fall leaves I purchased from Joann’s Fabrics, to make the table settings pop.  And, the scripted napkins were also something that I bought last year.  So I recycled pretty much everything while creating a new and I think a better look than last year.

Next Up, was my Foyer.  It gets a facelift on a constant basis.  I change up the Art Work and Décor based on Season Changes, Birthdays, and Holidays..  After all it’s the first thing you see when you come through my front door.

Past Foyer Looks:

Fall 2013 Foyer Decor

 

Christmas 2013 - Foyer Decor

 

This Year’s Look:

Fall 2014 - Foyer Decor

My Formal Dining Room flows directly into My Formal Living Room.  I didn’t do much in this room, but change out the centerpiece, just to give the whole space a uniform look.

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Fall 2014 – Living Room Centerpiece found on www.stage-presents.com

Then, I carried the decorations over into the Kitchen by adding these Chalkboard Candles to the Window Sill in the Kitchen.

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Fall 2014 Kitchen Window Display

Last Up, was the Front Door Area.  Here are some pics from the last two years.

2013 Fall Door

2012 Fall Door

And, finally this year!!

2014 Fall Door

Thanks for joining us on Our Fall Home Tour.  As always it’s a joy to decorate my home for my family, and to share it, with you.

Black Friday Do’s, Don’ts, FYIs, and You Better Nots.

Black Friday, better known as “Black and Blue Friday” in some parts of the country, is fast approaching. Deals and steals galore, right? Not in all instances. There are some deals to be found but unless you are a die hard Black Friday shopper, your time would be better spent digesting the Thanksgiving dinner you just ingested.
Black Friday Dp's Don'ts, FYIS and You Better Nots
1.  Shop at stores that allow you to wait in line inside such as Walmart.
2.  Compare regular prices to Black Friday prices. I have seen instances where the Black Friday price is only $5 cheaper. Is driving around town, in the cold really worth it?
3.  Stock up on clothing. There are many more stores that have deals on clothing than toys and electronics. Believe it or not, this is a good time to buy Christmas PJ’s.
4.  Leave purses and other unnecessary objects at home. There are thieves that target Black Friday shoppers.  Be aware of your surroundings.
5.  Place purchases in the trunk, and out of view. Smash and Grabs are prevalent around this time of year.  Not something you want to come back to.
6.  Don’t go Black Friday shopping at all. You have a month until Christmas and there will be many more sales and similar deals.
7.  Go early. Some stores give out tickets for items such as TVs and computers before the sale actually starts. When the tickets go, the items are done.
8.  Don’t get your hopes up. Most stores don’t follow the rules set forth in their advertisements. Their job is to make money, not to accommodate you.Black Friday Do's and Don'ts
written by my darling husband (dh) – Anwar Thomas
**For more information on this year(2015 Black Friday Sales), follow this link.**(Updated Yearly)

Making the Scariest Day of the Year – Not Scary!!

Making the Scariest Day of the Year - Not Scary!!

I was blessed with the scariest kids ever,(in other words they are afraid if their own shadows).  Especially my oldest daughter, two years ago we took them both Trick or Treating.  She was just 7 at the time.  She absolutely hated the scary costumes and we had to eventually go home.

Last year she wanted nothing it do with Halloween so we skipped it and just handed out Candy.  My youngest was 2 at the time and literally still had no fear.

Fast forward to this year and the arrival of witches as Halloween decor in our local Kroger. There was a precocious little boy who thought it would be funny to hit said witch and send her flying into the air.  My little one was fit to be tied. I couldn’t get her out of that store fast enough and haven’t been able to get her to go back since.

I admit, last year I was glad to not have to deal with it.  But this year feeling particularly festive, I was bummed that the girls weren’t interested.  So I decided to get them excited about dressing up and thought they could at least hand out the Candy!!  I got them excited and all dolled up.  But, when the bell rang for the first time my oldest bolted up the stairs. She observed the rest if the night from her view on the Second Story Landing .  I was able to engage the little one and she helped hand out Candy unless she saw a scary costume.

We ordered pizza for dinner and tried to make the night fun.  But, I think the best part for them was the dressing up and the pictures.  I hope we still made some great memories, and look forward to them getting older and having a better grasp on all that is Halloween!!

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Trick or Treat — Working our Way Down the Fall Craft Bucket List!!

Fall Craft BucketAbove – Remember our Fall Bucket List!!

Below – Here are the Items we Actually Ended up Making — Of Course, Fall Is Not Over Yet!!

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The Spider Web Plate was very easy.  I found these festive colored ceramic plates at Publix.  We Used White Painters® Paint Markers to recreate the Spider Web on the Plate, and waited for it to dry then added 3D Spiders to complete the look.

I like most folks this year, got caught up in the Fun-Kin Hype, and bought a Fun-Kin Carvable Pumpkin (top right of the above picture).  It seemed like it would be so much easier to carve than a real pumpkin.  But, I wasn’t impressed.  I did notice that they have Fun-Kin Knives and maybe it would have been easier, if I had used one of those.  But, I didn’t buy one.  So instead, we used a Regular Carving Knife.  I intended to use it as a candy or candle holder.  But, didn’t love either look, so I decided to just use it as part of our Decorations.

Last, but not least, was our Halloween Welcome Chalkboard.  I truly had fun creating this, even if I am no Picasso.  I think it is the perfect finishing touch to our Fall/Halloween Decor.

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Happy Halloween from your Stage Presents Family!!

Fresh Herbs and Tomatoes…

Every Spring, I have these grand ideas about all the great things I will plant and harvest.  But, it seems like each year, I grow less and less.  This year, I grew tomatoes and Basil and unfortunately, that was it.

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But, as it starts to get cooler outside, I have been thinking about what I can do to preserve my basil.  I have gotten spoiled and there is just nothing like having fresh basil in your meals, even if I am the only one who really appreciates it.

Here are some different methods to preserve your herbs:

How to Dry and Store Herbs

9 Ways to Dry Herbs

And, if you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with.  Consider making your own Tomato Sauce or Canning?

How to Make Your Own Tomato Sauce?

How to Can Tomatoes

Happy Harvesting!!

 

 

Fall Into Comfort Food — All Over the Web…

It’s getting chilly out there!!  Here are some great recipes I found all over the web!!

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I have tried the Breakfast Casserole, as well as the Oven Fried Chicken.  Both yummy!!

Breakfast:

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

Entrees:

Oven Fried Chicken

Eggplant Parmesan

Finger Food:

Parmesan Spinach Bites

Dessert

Easy Apple Crisp

Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Gingersnap Crust – ** I plan to try my hand at this tomorrow.

It’s that time again…

The end of the year always brings out the “Susie Homemaker” in me.  With the crisp weather, out comes the Fall Wreaths, Cinnamon Brooms, and Pumpkins, and this year the owls. It’s as if the change in the temperature deepens my desire to make my house warm and inviting for my family.

I am always looking for new seasonal craft projects to do with the kids, and to do alone(even though my hubby swears that all my alone projects, somehow include him). And, as my own special requirement, I am always try to look for things that I don’t see everyone else doing.

So here’s my bucket list, over the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing the final results.  I should warn you that I almost always put my own spin on the original ideas.

Fall Craft Bucket

Craft ideas found here and here.

Do you have any special projects that you are working feel free to link to your blog in the comments section below?  Anything that you would like to see us try?