Food Taste Test: Mississippi Roast

I'm always on the hunt for a good/quick/easy meal to feast on and I found it with this Mississippi Roast recipe. It is literally the easiest thing I've ever made and it tastes FANTASTIC! Here's the instructions: Put chuck roast in crock pot, sprinkle with Hidden Valley ranch dressing dry mix packet, add Au Jus dry mix packet, a stick of butter, 5 pepperoncini peppers. Don't add water. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

It was tempting to change up the recipe just a little bit, but I went by the instructions and it was tasty. Next time I would add in some carrots and onions - adding some much needed veggies in my diet.

Photo of recipe from Candis' blog.

I initially found this Mississippi Roast recipe through Pinterest, but there are more pictures (like the one in this post) and instructions on Candis' blog post.

Week Seven: Final Pinterest Project Tub Cleaning

This week, I decided to clean my bathtub and even though the pictures aren't great, I think everyone can tell that this tub needed a good clean (see photo below). My inspiration was the tub cleaner solution from Pinterest (see photo to right) of equal parts white vinegar (microwaved for 90 seconds) and Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle swirled around. You're supposed to spray and let it set for one to two hours.

I didn't have Dawn dish soap so I took my chances with Palmolive. Although you can see from my before and after pictures that it actually does work, here are the lessons I learned from implementing this Pin this week.

• Be really careful when pulling the vinegar out of the microwave, it's extremely hot.
• Use a funnel when putting the vinegar and dish soap into the spray bottle, it's a heck of a lot easier.
• The fumes are noxious! Be prepared for strong smells from the beginning. Even when you spray the tub and leave the bathroom, the smell will waft down the hall as you're letting it sit. Use a fan to help with the stench.
• Let it sit for the recommended two hours. I only let it sit for one hour and did have to scrub a bunch. Either way, it was a lot less scrubbing that would have happened with regular cleaners I've used in the past.

PINTEREST success!!!

Week Six: Final Pinterest Project

One of my good friends announced her engagement last week and I wanted to give her a cute gift that would help her with the wedding planning debauchery that is in her future. I went directly to Pinterest to see what other people had done, but there wasn't one idea that I really liked, so I incorporated a few of them.

First off in my bride-to-be basket, I included a few magazines. Barnes and Nobles had the best selection, but you have to go into one of their stores - looking at the magazines online doesn't cut it. They have a plethora of bridal magazines including local, national and international ones. I made my decisions based on my bride-to-be and what I thought she might need at this stage of the game: overall wedding ideas and themes.

Next, I wanted to get her something coffee related (motivation) and some wine (relaxation). I opted for these neat coffee pods that you pour brewed coffee and then freeze to make your own iced drink. For the wine, I chose a four pack of red wine - they're the perfect size when you just need to relax a little bit, but don't need the whole bottle. :)

One thing brides-to-be overlook (myself included!) is a ring holder for your new shiny hardware. My father-in-law works for a national jeweler and told me that I needed to make sure to take my ring off at night so the ring wouldn't be damaged by snagging on the sheets. Once I learned that, I have been diligent in taking my ring off at night, but I didn't think to get a neat ring holder for it. I think it's a must-have for any bride-to-be.

Lastly, I wanted to make something personal for my friend, that was also wedding informative. I created a wedding planning timeline bookmark with things that should happen during the planning process leading up to the wedding day. Here are the things I included:

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9+ Months Prior
Select date for your happy day!
Create a wedding board on Pinterest - if you haven't already.
Set budget - the average cost for a wedding in 2012 is $26,951.
Begin your guest list.
Select your wedding party.
Decide type of ceremony and venue.
Find reception venue - the # of guests may determine the venue.
Hire planner or day-of coordinator, if you want one.

6-9 Months Prior
Find caterer for reception - yay for taste testing!
Find florist, photographer and DJ or band.
Take engagement pics.
Choose wedding colors/theme.
Choose bridesmaid's attire.
Register for gifts - {insert fiance's name here}'s favorite part since he'll get to use the scan gun.
Order THE dress.
Create a {insert bride's name} and {insert fiance's name} wedding website.

4-6 Months Prior
Finalize guest list.
Send save the dates.
Decide on wedding invites.
Decide on location, date and time for rehearsal dinner.
Arrange hotel room blocks, if necessary.
Meet with your officiant.
Begin planning your honeymoon.

2-4 Months Prior
Mail invites - the number of invites you send out is about the # of people to RSVP.
Shop for wedding rings.
Test and order wedding and Groom's cakes - more taste testing!
Decide on day-of makeup and hairstyle.
Decide on and order wedding favors.
Get your marriage license - {insert info on the marriage license rules in the state your friend is getting hitched}

6-8 Weeks Prior
Mail rehearsal dinner invites.
Reserve groomsmen's tuxedos or suits.
Finalize the reception menu and flowers.

2-6 Weeks Prior
Create seating plan and wedding weekend timeline.
Have your final dress fitting.
Write vows.
Confirm details with all vendors - your planner/bridesmaids can do this.

0-2 Weeks Prior
Print seating cards, table cards and programs.
Give Best Man checks and tips to give to vendors.
Confirm arrival times of vendors - your planner/bridesmaid can do this.
Delegate tasks to wedding party - that's what friends and family are for!
Set aside time for yourselves - go on date with {insert fiance's name}, your last as a "single woman."

Created Especially for the Future Mrs. {insert bride's first name} {insert fiance's last name}

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There are a lot of things that can be added to the basket, or the personalize wedding timeline, that can make your basket even more special for your bride-to-be!

Week Five: Final Project

With my baby shower approaching, I wanted to make some thank you cards that went with the theme of the nursery: Angry Birds. I happened to have a Groupon to Vistaprint, a website with a lot of cheap personalized items including note cards. Since there isn't a lot of baby Angry Birds items out there (as compared to other nursery themes), I decided to make my own thank you cards. With Vistaprint, since items are cheap, make sure you upgrade your envelopes, and get more of whatever item you order, since items tend to shift a lot during shipping.