My thoughts...

I was provided with the opportunity to review the Paint-A-Pillow kit. You guys know I love DIY products. Especially easy ones. Upon arrival, I was so excited at how fast my kit arrived. The Paint-A-Pillow Kit is such great quality and it includes everything that I needed to complete the project. From the Brushes to the actual pillow insert. I was so surprised at how easy and stress-free this project was. This is a craft that you can do with the kiddos or even with your girl friends. The Paint-A-Pillow kit did not take up a lot of space and cleanup was a breeze. Trust me, I did not have to wear gloves or scrub my hands afterward. It's the perfect holiday gift or birthday gift. I love how special this pillow is to me. It's something that I made and put my own little touch on. Thank you Paint-A-Pillow for this wonderful opportunity.

The Process...

My Kit 

What My Kit Included:

• Instructions
• Stirring stick
• Practice fabric swatch & stencil
• One fabric paint 
• Stenciling frame 
• Reusable pillow stencil
• Cotton pillow cover
• Pillow insert
• Mini roller and stencil brush
• Paint tray

GIVEAWAY 

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Luckie's Story  

I had so much fun yesterday making these yummy treats for my fur baby Luckie. Luckie is a Yorkie-Poodle (Yorkie-Poo) He's the cutest dog ever and is very protective over my Mini-King. Luckie is part of the family and we love him dearly. Everyone loves him in my family.When friends and family visit. Luckie is the center of attention. We adopted him a couple of years ago, and when we first adopted him I don't believe he was used to so much attention. He wasn't a lap dog at all. He didn't like to be held and pretty much would do his own thing. Years later and he loves to cuddle and loves to be held.
Not sure why I never thought to bake him his own cookies. I was actually inspired by a post that I saw online. Later that day, I did a quick Google search for a simple recipe and found these yummy cookies. Luckie is a really picky eater like pretty much everyone in our home. This recipe was super easy to make. I was cooking dinner so the oven was already on which make the process even better. I decided to make 1/2 of the recipe I found online and the amount I made were plenty.

 The Cooling Process 

Ginger Bread Dog Treats Adapted From

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use all-purpose)
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp canola oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves.)
3. In a small bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the wet ingredients (molasses water and canola oil.)
4. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture.
5. Using the same wooden spoon stir ingredients together until thoroughly combined.
6. Roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.
7. Use your favorite holiday cookie cutters to cut shapes.
8. If needed Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
9. Place your cut outs on the baking sheet.
10. Continue to roll and cut out shapes with the remaining dough.
11. Bake for 20 minutes.
12. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Do you make homemade dog treats? If you don't own a dog would you? 

Attire Breakdown:

What's your favorite fall essential? 

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Even though I am not hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my home this year (or at least I don't think I am). I thought I would share a few tips to ensure that you have a very pleasant holiday. 

1. Location

I know, this might sound a little strange to some people who know in advance who's hosting Thanksgiving dinner. However, many people host Thanksgiving dinners and brunches last minute. Confirm who's hosting. 

2. Travel

If you're visiting family/friends out state. Triple check your travel plans. Make sure your car maintenance is up to date. Make sure your plane tickets are all set and you have your rental card reservation taken care of. Pack everything in advance!

Road trip essentials (example)

• Snacks
• Puzzles
• Movies
• Books
• First Aid kit

3. What to Wear

Now is the perfect time to figure out what you and your family are going to wear. Budget if you're going to purchase new clothing for everyone or you're going to wear something you already have. Make sure that everyone try's on their clothing in advance. Don't wait until they day of to find out. The kiddos grew out of the pants that were too big last year or your favorite dress has a stain on it. Trust me. Have a try on the day to decide if you're going to be matchy and to ensure that everything fits properly, once you decide on what your family is wearing. Iron everything in advance to ensure that you're not running around last minute the day of.

4. Agenda/Schedule

Thanksgiving at times is one of those holidays that you can house hop as I would like to call it. Start creating a list of what your day will typically look like. It's super easy to lose track of time while you're having a great time. However, set the alarm on your phone when it's time to go. It's best to enter each event on your phone and add reminders.

Example

• Thanksgiving Day parade at...
• Brunch at Grandma's 
• Football 

5. Hosts Gift

If you're visiting friends/family you should bring something. For the adults, I like to bring a nice bottle of wine. You could even bring a bottle of sparkling cider. The suggestion is to bring something. The person that's cooking will most likely appreciate it. Ask them first, though. If you're unsure bring a nonalcoholic beverage, you do not want to offend anyone. When you're invited to someone's home for Thanksgiving the first thing you should ask is “what shall I bring” if they nothing “I would like to bring a bottle of wine if that's OK...” if they say no, no one drinks wine. Don't bring anything. You just want to make sure that you've offered. 

6. To-Do List

Create a To-Do list with a time frame of when everything that needs to be done. You can easily create a To-Do list on your phone or you can use the template on the number section on your iPhone or Mac products. 

Example:

• Confirm dinner time
• Iron Clothing
• Purchase hosts gift
• Car maintenance 

What's your favorite holiday tip? 

to make this meal happen. I love how this recipe did not have me in the chicken all day. I opted to not mince the garlic and have nice slices for the family. They loved it. Trust me, this recipe is drool worthy.
Related recipe posts: 

• The Best Baked Chicken Legs Ever 
• Crispy Lemon Pepper Wings 
• Garlic Ranch Chicken Wings 
• Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki 

Recipe: 

Recipe adapted from here

INGREDIENTS:

• 4-8 drumsticks with skin
• sea salt salt , to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side, set aside.
4. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in brown sugar, honey, oregano, thyme and basil until well combined. Return chicken to the skillet.
6. Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 30-45 minutes.
7. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

About
Canvas Factory provides high-quality canvas prints at an affordable price. We believe in providing the best canvas printing services to ensure that your photos are preserved on canvas exactly as you want them, easily and conveniently.




I was gorgeously provided with the opportunity to review a product from Canvasfactory. I am still excited about this opportunity. For those who don’t know, I just love all things photography. One of the hardest parts about having so many pictures is selecting one. I have so many great photos of my family. This year we went to the Bahamas for the first time. I thought it would be cool to create a collage of all our family photos on canvas. You know, each family vacation select one picture to have placed on a canvas, and add all of the photos to a family room or entry way. How cool would that be? I narrowed down the search and I decided to use a photo from my Youth Leadership and Development program. I love that Canvas photos are just not limited to homes. You can also put them in your office too.


I went with the 16x20. I love how Canvasfactory noticed me every step of the way. I knew exactly when my order was going to arrive. I was pleasantly surprised at how fast my canvas arrived, in addition to the quality of the canvas. I love how Canvasfactory offers 100% guarantee. How cool is that?
I am truly in love with our canvas. I feel as if we have a piece of art in our home. Plus, the dimensions are perfect for our space. With the holidays right around the corner, this would make the perfect Christmas gift for your friends/family. Thanks again Canvasfactory for this amazing opportunity!




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No purchase necessary to enter. All opinions expressed are solely those of the author. I was provided with a free sample of this product to review. I have not received any Monetary Compensation for this review but did receive free products to use & evaluate for the review. Your thoughts & opinions may differ from me.

Attire Breakdown: 

My Nephew Photo bombing