May Silhouette Portrait Winner!!

The winner of the Silhouette Portrait has been chosen!!

Was it you!?!?

The winner is...

Congrats Carol!! Please email me at SmashedPeasandCarrots@gmail.com with your mailing info so Sihouette America can send you your awesome prize immediately!!

**This month's promotional deal has ended!

And for those of you that didn't win...do not worry! You can still use my exclusive promo code: CARROTS to purchase one of these awesome bundles from Silhouette until May 31, 2013!!

XOXO,

** I have been compensated for this post. However, all opinions are truthful and my own.  
This post may contain paid links.

The Latest Happenings.

Just thought I'd share a bit of the latest happenings in our house over the last few weeks...or, ummm months? I guess it's been awhile since I've posted about my littles!

This little dude turned a whopping 11 months old earlier this month.  Oh, it kills me that he is going to be a whole year old in June.

He is such a happy little guy. He's been cruising on furniture for a while now and over the last few weeks has figured out how to stand up in the middle of a room all by himself. He has even got the hang of waving bye-bye and clapping those sweet little hands of his. I can't tell you how much I want him to stay like this forever...please, never learn how to walk, that just lead to all sorts of big kid things like climbing on the kitchen table and talking back, sigh.

He has become the epitome of a drooling baby, 4 teeth down with more on their way.

And his sweet brown hair is getting the ever-so-slightest curl to it. He's growing up and changing right before my eyes. TIME. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make. It. Stop.

In other news, last week Penelope had her last day of school. No more little preschooler, she will be off and running to Kindergarten next year, waaah!

The kids and I made her a "Hello Summer" banner to run through and welcome summer with a bang.

I took this picture that same day. Ummm, does she look so grown up here!?!  Child, you are 4 NOT 14!!! This being a mom stuff is hard.  They keep growing up and I just want time to freeze.

Noah...he lost 4 teeth last month, 4!!  Like boom, boom, boom, boom, all in a matter of a couple weeks!  And they all came with a pretty entertaining story too.  Not sure if the best one was when he  found it floating in the pool during swim lessons or under a pile of couch cushions and blankets at a birthday party...seriously, he has been so lucky.  Those things are tiny when they are out of their mouths.

This girlfriend. Well she just became potty-trained, holla!  I was planning on attempting that this summer since she needs to be to go to preschool (whaaat! yes, I said preschool, how is it that SHE is old enough for preschool now!) but wouldn't you know that all it took was one hot day and the understanding that if she wanted to play in the pool and slip-n-slide with the neighborhood kids that she better not have any accidents...she was going diaper-less since I didn't have any swim diapers. I told her she wouldn't be allowed to play if her suit was dirty and holy cow, it worked! I'm a huge proponent of "when they're ready, they're ready" more so because I'm too lazy to get timers and change clothes 267 times a day so it was pretty awesome that she was ready as I was thinking I'd have to change my ways in the potty-training realm later this summer ;-)

So there it is...a little of what's been happening with us!
How about you, anything new and exciting happening with you and your families???

XOXO,

May Silhouette Promotion and Silhouette Portrait Giveaway!!!!

Not too long ago I was asked if I'd like to work with Silhouette America, that uber cool company that sells all those fantabulous digital cutting tools you see around internet-land including the Silhouette CAMEO® and the Silhouette Portrait™. I just love all their products and how easy and user-friendly the Silhouette cutting machines are to use as I am definitely not a techie by any stretch of the word! 

The best part about partnering with them is that I get to review new products and host giveaways from Silhouette America and share them on my blog! And as a extra sweet bonus I get to pass on to all of you special discounted prices on those very products!  So if you were ever thinking about getting a Silhouette this just may be the best time to do it!! In the future I'll even be sharing some fun tutorials using the products so you can see some fun ways to create with them!

Here is this month's deal...you are going to LOVE it!!

**This month's promotional deal has ended!

And because I'm now an affiliate all of my readers can use my special promo code: CARROTS to purchase one of the deals above...a Silhouette machine bundled with the materials or just the materials themselves...at these special discounted prices, wooot! Just CLICK HERE to buy them but remember these fantastic prices are only good with my coupon code until May 31, 2013!

And now, for the giveaway...ONE Silhouette Portrait machine for ONE of you!!

To enter the giveaway to win your very own Silhouette Portrait machine click the link here or enter via the Rafflecopter widget below!

Giveaway ends May 27, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!!

XOXO,

** I have been compensated for this post. However, all opinions are truthful and my own.  
This post may contain paid links.

Folgers Coffee: My Morning Ritual

Recently, I was asked by Folgers to create a post about my morning coffee ritual to share with you.  Well, like many of you I love a nice hot cup of coffee in the morning to help me get my day started. Lately, I've been using my French Press and so far I'm loving the results, mmmm, that's one tasty cup of coffee!

Is it just me or do you love the smell of coffee beans too? Ahhh, there is just something about opening up my coffee beans, be it whole or ground, that just relaxes me.

On the mornings that I'm not working in the office and I don't have to rush out the door, I like to enjoy my coffee while I work on my computer.  Yup, that is pretty much my work-from-home morning ritual :-)

It totally sets the stage for my day...I feel much less frazzled if I can take a few moments in the morning and take even a small bite out of my ever-growing pile of emails and work on a few blog posts before the day gets started and I'm off to helping with homework, playing with the kids, running to a playdate, heading out to bible study, chauffeuring our kids to one of the extra-curricular activities they are signed up for during the day, or even working in my Etsy shop!

The first thing I do when I come down the stairs...well the second (my kids need to get breakfast first!)...is make a nice big cup of coffee, grab my laptop, and turn on one of my favorite Pandora stations so I can start answering emails and working on my blog with some good tunes in the background.  The right music totally helps my state of mind! And now that the weather is so nice, I love to do this out on our screened in porch so I can feel the fresh air while I work too!


Music is also a pretty important part of my morning routine...and day...my kids love to have dance parties with the music blasting so very loud. It helps burn away some of their endless energy and helps to change our state of mind when it seems like they are fighting a lot or a bad mood sets in among one of us.

Did you know that Folgers values music in young people's lives by supporting musical creativity?  They host an annual Folgers Jingle contest which supports aspiring musicians, you can read more about it here.

Pretty cool, huh? Vote for the best Top 10 Finalist in Folgers' Jingle Contest! Meet the Top 10! Take a look at Folgers® Jingle Contest Finalists, and listen to the tracks that earned them a spot in The Top 10. Cast your vote once every day through June 19th. You could win exciting prizes, like free Folgers Coffee, iTunes® gift cards, signed CDs from Gavin DeGraw, and even a $10,000 Grand Prize just for voting! Before you vote, follow the Road to the Jingle on Facebook to see how they traveled the U.S. to track down the Top 10 contestants! Remember, you can vote once a day through June 19th! Click here for official rules.

XOXO,

** I have been compensated for this post. However, all opinions are truthful and my own.  
This post may contain paid links.

RECIPE: Raspberry Lemonade Margaritas

With Memorial Day weekend coming up (this weekend folks!) I thought I would share with you my all-time favorite Margarita recipe in case you were entertaining a crowd...or maybe you would like a little something to enjoy after the kids are in bed, I totally get that!  

I love this recipe because it is soooo soooo easy and it's even easier to change up the flavor...lime, strawberry lemonade, you name it depending on your mood :-)  It is the perfect drink for a Girl's Night In with your favorite ladies or a BBQ with your neighbors, summer lovin' at it's best, ahhhh!

Raspberry Lemonade Margarita (serves 8)

1/2  cup Tequila

1/2 cup Triple Sec

1 bottle of light beer

1 can of Frozen Raspberry Lemonade 

1 cup of water

Empty the can of raspberry lemonade into a pitcher.  Add in 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup tequila, 1/2 cup triple sec, and 1 bottle of light beer.  Mix well.  Pour over ice or blend with ice and enjoy!

 

Are you ready!?  Get out your Triple Sec and Tequila....you'll need 1/2 cup of each.

You'll also need a bottle of light beer.  I love using one with Lime flavor but any kind you have on hand will do!

And this, my friends, is how you get the delicious flavor!  Frozen Raspberry Lemonade is by far our favorite one we've ever tried.  You can also try using Frozen Limeade, Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, Regular Frozen Lemonade, etc. too!

Mix all the ingredients above with a cup of water (you can just fill the empty can!) and mix well.  We love to serve this on crushed ice but it is mighty fine blended too, we are just too lazy most times to do it that way!

Is it summer yet?

Enjoy!

And thanks for stopping by today!

XOXO,

Smashed Peas and Carrots Featured in Homespun Magazine!

I just wanted to share that I was featured in the current May 2013 issue of Homespun Magazine! How neat is that!

They asked to use my Mason Jar Sewing Kit idea and even put it in their table of contents...wowie zowie, pinch me please!!

Here is a look at my feature...a full page spread!!! I can't believe it! I feel very blessed and oh-so-lucky to have been asked and then even more so that they gave my project a WHOLE page!  

If you want to check out a copy of the magazine you can do so here!

Thanks for stopping by today and letting me share!!

XOXO,

Flea Market Finds

Today I thought I would write up a Flea Market post sharing some of the neat things I see while shopping and some of what I buy as well!  I'm lucky to live in Chicago where there are quite a few great flea markets all less than an hour from where I live. And I count myself very lucky to have a husband who is willing to watch our kids so I can go visit at least one a weekend with my girlfriends.

One of my all-time favorite Flea Markets I seem to hit up every month is the Kane County Flea Market that occurs the first weekend of the month in  St. Charles, IL. I think the only times I've missed picking at this Flea Market was right after I've had a baby, otherwise if it's open, I'm there!

I always hit this one up with friends, it's nice to have a great group of ladies to shop with at the Flea. My momma friends and I get some good girl time in while we look out for each others "wish list" of things to find if we have one although I've gone many times without anything in mind as it's fun just to see what I find. And we help each other barter with the vendors...that is a total learned art and I have been getting better and better at it over the years!

The best part of Flea Market shopping is that there really is something for everyone!  Whenever we go, we spend the better part of the day there just picking through each vendor's goodies...you really never know what you'll find. And many times, it's the vendors that I would normally have just passed by from the first look of their booth that are the ones I tend to find the best deals!

If you are wondering where to find all that pretty vintage pyrex, a flea market is a great place to look.  Seriously...how pretty is this!

 I tend to find all my vintage trims and lace at Flea Markets...I mean really, how can you pass up picking through vintage trims in vintage suitcases!

And tables full of vintage pillowcases, tablecloths, and linens...oh my!

A couple months ago I found these two milk glass pieces, one is a smaller sized candy dish and the other is a large pitcher, all for $2 a piece...what a deal!

Last time I went I found these beautiful vintage fabrics for $1 a piece and they are all about a yard or more in length!  

And many of you saw on my Instagram feed how I bought the buttons and trim for $2 (!!!)  That set of vintage napkins?  Yup, $0.25 for all of them!

I thought I would use these water spigot handles in Oliver's room...if I can get this project done, I'll share it on the blog soon!

And this wee little mushroom?  Well, my friends' Ana and Katie found it for me at a very random seller's booth and I just had to have it.  How cute would it be with a coat of spray paint?

That's the cool thing about Flea Markets, garage sales, and thrift shopping.  You just never know what you'll find.  Keep your mind open too as a change of color or a coat of spray paint or chalk paint can really change a piece of furniture or other flea market find into the perfect decor piece for your home!

Thanks for stopping by today and letting me share!

 XOXO,

RECIPE: Orange Dreamsicle Poke Cake and Pillsbury Giveaway!

**This giveaway is now closed!  See below for the winner!**

I think it's safe to say that Spring is finally here in Chicago with soccer practice officially happening for our older two children.  Our weekends are being taken over by soccer games!  It's good stuff but unfortunately with the addition of soccer, it seems that our extracurricular activity schedule has become a sort of tetris puzzle that I am having the hardest time beating. Anyone else feel the heat?

Well, even though I'm stressing out a wee bit on getting my calendar organized, I figure why not get the kids (and the hubs and I) excited about the start of a new season (both soccer and Spring!) by making an Orange Dreamsicle Poke Cake.  Really, who doesn't love a celebration!? There is no reason you can't celebrate every day occasions in my opinion! 

Pillsbury even has a new seasonal mix and frosting called "Orangesicle" and I thought it would be the perfect base for this lovely cake. It's part of three new mixes they are bringing out to celebrate Spring! 

And hey! Here are a few of my "Spring-Themed" Tips to help you celebrate more every day occasions:

1. Add fresh fruit to your table. Whether it be an appetizer, side dish, part of your dessert, or even a garnish. Fresh fruit makes a great fresh Spring statement, especially when it is in season!
2. Add fresh flowers to your table. It's amazing what the addition of a few fresh cut flowers can do to spruce up a even the simplest celebration.  It can be as simple as a few flowers in small glasses or a larger bouquet that can put a smile on anyone's face.
3. Use bright colors in your decor.  One of the easiest ways to infuse a bit of happiness in any celebration is to add bright pops of color.  It can be in the decorations, tableware, or even the sprinkles on the cake that can instantly brighten up even the most every day occasion!

Orange Dreamsicle Poke Cake

1 box Pillsbury Orangesicle Premium Cake Mix and ingredients needed on back of box

1 can Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Orangesicle Frosting

1/2 cup orange juice

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

red food coloring (optional)

yellow food coloring (optional)

Mix together the cake mix and ingredients needed found on the back of the box.  Pour batter into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-34 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out with only a few crumbs.  

While cake is baking mix together the orange juice, sweetened condensed milk, and whipping cream.  You can add 6 drops of yellow food coloring and 4 drops of red food coloring if you would like it to have an orange hue. When the cake is done, let it cool for 5 minutes then poke cake almost to the bottom of the pan with the blunt end of a wooden spoon making small holes all over. Pour the orange juice mixture over the entire cake and let cool for an hour or overnight. 

Once cake is cooled, frost with the Orangesicle frosting.  Enjoy!

Here are two of Pillsbury's newest cake mix and frosting creations just perfect to celebrate Spring!
For this recipe you will need to make the cake mix according to package directions.

While the cake is cooling, you can mix together the orange juice, heavy whipping cream, and sweetened condensed milk.

It will look like this!

If you would like it to have an orange hue you can add in 6 drops of yellow food coloring and 4 drops of red food coloring.

Once the cake is finished, let it cool for 5 minutes.  Using the blunt end of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake stopping just short of the bottom of the pan.  Continue to make holes all over the cake.

Pour the orange juice mixture over top, using every last bit!
Let cool for about 1 hour, overnight is best!

Then frost with the new Orangesicle frosting from Pillsbury and garnish with some beautiful fresh orange slices before serving.

Mmm...delish!

Enjoy!!

And to get your seasonal celebration moving in the right direction Pillsbury is offering ONE of my readers a Summer Seasonal Celebration Starter Kit which includes:

•  One box each Summer Seasonal Cake and Cookie Mixes
• Frostings (1 each of Creamy Supreme Key Lime and Creamy Supreme Orangesicle)
• $50 dollar Visa or American Express gift card
• Total estimated giveaway value: $60

You can enter to win the giveaway by Clicking Here or via the Rafflecopter widget below!

Visit the Pillsbury Facebook page here to enter to win an additional giveaway too!

**The winner is...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

XOXO,

** I have been compensated for this post. However, all opinions are truthful and my own.  This post contains paid links.