Author: cvegnad

The Food & Drink Boutique – Featuring Soup #DKCanada

A warm bowl of soup is one of the best meals to have especially during the cooler fall months that lead into the cold winter. Soups have this way of bringing comfort and satisfaction all within one bowl! The best part about preparing soups? The ability to turn leftovers and an abundance of vegetables into a hearty meal that your family will love. The problem I have is where do you start?

You can now find the book, Soup, in the Food and Drink Boutique over at DK Canada. The recipe book comes with 250 soup recipes!! I could not believe how many recipes you could find! They are organized by ingredients and fall into categories according to season. I almost did not know where to start.

Due to the abundance of tomatoes we had in our garden I started off by making a simple tomato soup which ended up turning out divine (if I do say so myself!). I loved the simpleness of the recipe and ingredients – you can’t get any more healthier than simple good for you ingredients!

The instructions were easy to follow and the majority of the ingredients you will easily find in your fridge and pantry. The simplicity of the recipes sold me. I love to be able to cook healthy meals quickly and efficiently. I was able to make a big pot of soup and then freeze it for later during the week making it the perfect weekend recipe book!

The best part of the book had to be the variety of recipes that it contained. It did not limit you at all with certain vegetables to help avoid the same food rut many of us fall into. Instead they tried out different combinations of vegetables and beans. Each vegetable was given several pages to itself but had a great variety of choices that you could make based on personal preference.

For a limited time you can take advantage of DK Canada’s 30% off discount at the Food & Drink Boutique!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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#TargetTrickorTweet in Toronto #WW w/linky

Everyone that knows me knows how much I LOVE Halloween. The last week of September I slowly start to bring out my Halloween decorations and by the end of the first week I am full blown decorating everywhere (as I write this I just finished decorating my work’s receptions area). Halloween is the my favourite holiday and this year I was able to attend Target’s #TargetTrickorTweet event in Toronto to view all the upcoming Halloween trends, sample treats, face painting and shopping all the awesome deals.

Here are some of my favourite shots from the weekend:

They made him out of complete LEGOs! How incredible is that? Just behind this was a table set up for kids to make their own Dracula LEGO figure.

The decorations and set up was incredible! If I could have picked it all up and taken it home with me I would have.

My boys chose these out as their faves: 

My little love and I taking a picture – he was so nervous with dog!

I can honestly say I now want to host my own children’s Halloween party this year (now to convince the hubby!) as I fell in love with Target’s spooky candy bar.

Make sure to link up below so I can come visit you! Have a lovely day.

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Update Outdoor Decor for Fall

Remember that super easy front decor I posted about a couple of months ago? If not no worries – check it out here. Now that Fall has arrived I had to change it up and wanted to share it with you because I loved how it turned out!

You will need:

  • fall themed branches, pumpkins on branches (I picked ours up from the dollar store for $1.25/each)
  • metal bucket 
  • foam that fits the bottom of the bucket
  • bag of potpourri 

Directions

  • Fill the bottom of the bucket with the foam and cover with the potpourri.
  • Take each branch and insert directly into the foam. I wanted a shorter arrangement so I bent some of the sticks at the bottom before inserting.

  • You may have to bend and move around some of the branches to ensure you have the right look you were going for. Keep adjusting until you love the look!

And voila!

We still have the same lantern that we bought previously so it looks great beside the bucket. Now to purchase some pumpkins to complete the look!

How do you update your outdoor decor for the seasons? Do you look for products that are easy to change up when the seasons change?

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Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times by Kelly Pulley #review

About Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times

This treasury of Bible stories has been designed for children aged 4-8. The book features favourite and loved Bible stories using rhymes and beautiful, bright illustrations.

The stories use lighthearted moments to help teach spiritual truths. The book is perfect to read out loud allowing families to use this book to read together every night to help make memories while learning about their faith.

My Thoughts

Many of my favourite Biblical stories were included in this lovely book for children! The illustrations were wonderful and complimented each story perfectly. I loved how the stories rhymed which made reading out loud that much simpler (nothing worse then trying to read out loud and you are stumbling on the flow of words!). Teaching children about Bible stories can be hard but this book makes it easy. The stories are written in a way to relate easily with children with the language used while still teaching valuable lessons. It is an incredibly helpful tool to get the conversation going with our children about faith and the Bible while still keeping the right maturity level necessary for this age group.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. If you are interested in purchasing your own copy you can do so here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author – Kelly Pulley

Kelly Pulley works from his Tennessee home writing and illustrating children’s picture books. Some of his more recent work includes Ten Unusual Features of Lulu McDunn and The Cycling Wangdoos. He is best known for illustrating dozens of books in the Beginner’s Bible series, including The Beginner’s Bible (over 1.25 million copies sold).

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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RSVP for the Walmart #FallMarketplace Twitter Party!

 This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc and its advertiser.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner – the perfect time to unwind with the family and enjoy each others company. But with the holiday also comes the stress of planning and the preparation that goes into hosting a family dinner.

Social Fabric and Walmart recognize that the holidays can be stressful and want to simplify this for you. Come join us as we chat on how to make Thanksgiving snacking and entertaining as easy as possible.

On Thursday, October 9th at 8pm ET, please join us for the #FallMarketplace Twitter Party where we’ll be discussing simple ways to make your Thanksgiving celebration easy as well as giving you a chance to win prizes! Talk about a win-win!

Are you ready to celebrate Thanksgiving next weekend? I can be 100% honest and say not at all – yikes!

Before your guests arrive and you begin your celebration, be sure to head to Walmart (my favourite place for one stop shopping!) to stock up on all the essentials. From chicken and pumpkin pie to help make your celebrations complete to Wheat Thins and carrots for snacking success, Walmart has all the items you need to make your get together memorable! And once it’s over? Why Walmart makes clean-up a breeze!

Be sure to join us for this fun party to learn all about how your celebration can be simplified with the right items! Plus we’ll be sharing information on in-store demos to help you find the perfect items for all your Thanksgiving needs!

Join me and RSVP for the #FallMarketplace Twitter Party on SoFabChats!

DATE: Thursday, October 9th  

TIME: 8:00 – 9:00pm EST

PRIZES: 5 – (1) CAN $110 Walmart Gift Cards  

EARLY BIRD PRIZE: 1 – CAN $55 Walmart Gift Card  

HOSTS: @fabfrugalmama, @cvegnad, @SnyMed, @raisingmemories, @JManMillerBug  

RULES: #FallMarketplace Twitter Party Official Rules  

RSVP & PARTY GRID: #FallMarketplace Twitter Party Page

RSVP for #FallMarketplace Twitter Party 10/9 8pm ET. Win prizes! #shop http://t.co/R2utfbaxlm
— Carla (@cvegnad) October 4, 2014

How To Participate In A Twitter Party on SoFabChats! 

TIP:  How to join a Twitter Party – sign in! Before party starts, click on the green “Sign In On Twitter” bar at the top of the page!

TIP: Who to follow at a Twitter Party? Follow the Party Team by clicking on the Twitter handle links on the RSVP page!

TIP: Want to win Twitter Party prizes? RSVP by clicking on RSVP button before you join the party, follow everyone on the Party Team, and tweet with the party hash tag during the party to be eligible!

TIP: How to win the Early Bird prize? Watch for chance to share a tweet when you RSVP for chance to win!

TIP: Special deals and brand coupons? Keep that option checked when you RSVP for the party!

TIP: New to Twitter parties? Watch your column and Party Team tweet columns – they are slower paced and easier to follow!

TIP: Where to find Twitter Parties? Check out the SoFabChatsTwitter Party Calendar to find more fun parties to attend! Find more helpful Twitter Party Tips on SoFabChats!

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