Three cheers for back-to-school! I love the school supplies, the ushering in of fall, and the extra time to get things done while my kids are gone. Am I a mean mom? I have friends who cry when their kids go back (love you Melynie!), but aside from a little blubbering as they walk into the school, it's a good day for me. So I think we should celebrate with a giveaway!

But back to the school supplies for a minute--did I mention I love chalk? I do. I love it. But I have you ever tried to find a box of white chalk at back-to-school time? It's nearly impossible. After trying Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Target, and JoAnn, my husband finally tracked down a box at Office Max. What a sweetie. He knew I needed it for these darling chalkboard photo props for my kids' first day of school.

I started with these blank MDF signs I got from my friend Holly of the Say Hello Shop. She is amazing! She's a talented illustrator  and her shop is full of fun finished pieces and unfinished projects for home decor and entertaining. Here's a quick tutorial for how to take these unfinished signs and turn them into fun photo props!
How to Make a Chalkboard Photo Prop

2. When your paint has cured, season your chalkboard before using it. To do this, rub chalk over the entire surface. If you don't, the first thing you write on it will stay there for-ev-er.

Now it's time to practice your cursive writing! There has been a lot of chalkboard art going around Pinterest lately--I wish I had the handwriting of some of these people! But alas. I used my best handwriting, then shaded a little on the downstrokes.

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Thanks for entering our rubbermaid bento box and topper giveaway! We are happy to hear you all being excited about these great new storage containers! The lucky winner of a bento box and topper set is....

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Last week I happened on this recipe in another congregation's newsletter left behind on a chair at church. I have no idea who to credit this recipe to--I just know it's a new family favorite! My dad has zucchini coming out of his ears these days and we had a few red onions from my grandpa's garden, so this end-of-summer pasta recipe was perfect for Sunday dinner. Even if you don't make this pasta dish, you NEED to try the marinade for chicken breasts on the grill before the weather turns. I am not kidding--it is the best chicken marinade I have ever tasted. Ever. Ever. We loved this dish warm, but my mom had cold leftovers the next day for lunch and said it was just as delish!

1 c. olive oil, divided
1/3 c. reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used regular and it was fine!)
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, rinsed
1 lb. zucchini
2 red bell peppers
2 portabella mushroom caps
1 red onion
1 lb. dried penne pasta
1 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, slivered

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together 2/3 c. olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Reserve 1/2 c. marinade for basting vegetables; pour remaining marinade into a 1-gallon Ziploc plastic bag. Cut chicken lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips and add to bag. Seal bag and turn to coat chicken. Chill about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut vegetables. Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick strips; stem and seed bell peppers, quarter lengthwise; peel onion and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Brush vegetables with reserved marinade.

Cooking in batches if necessary, lay vegetables and chicken (discard marinade) on a gas grill over medium-high heat; close grill lid. Cook, turning once, until vegetables are slightly charred and chicken is no longer pink in center, 6-10 minutes. Let cool a few minutes, then chop veggies and chicken into 1-inch pieces.

Cook pasta in boiling water until barely tender to bite, about 9-13 minutes. Drain.

In a large bowl, mix pasta with remaining 1/3 c. olive oil, parmesan cheese, half the chopped vegetables and chicken, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining vegetables and chicken. Garnish with sliced basil. Serve warm or cold.

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We are very excited to introduce Rubbermaid Bento Boxes and Toppers that help you divide and conquer your clutter. These are perfect for craft rooms and supplies because they organize items for easy access rather than simply containing them.

Bento’s Flex Dividers allow users to customize the inside of the box, creating organization solutions that are perfect for a variety of needs. Flex Dividers pop open when needed, and simply pop back when not. Each Flex Divider can be opened or closed separately of the others to create a home for supplies.

Bento Toppers™ can be used in two distinctive ways. One way it can be used is as a tray to contain items you frequently use, such as scissors or tape. The second way to use Bento Toppers is as a lid for the Bento Box by simply flipping over the Topper. This way you can hide things (such as ongoing projects) that you do not want everyone to see but are needed for easy access.



Bento Boxes and Toppers come in a variety of fabric designs and colors to compliment any home décor. The boxes were designed to hold common household items such as Crafting Supplies, Office Supplies, Magazines, File Folders, Mail, Toys, Hair Care Accessories, DVD & Video Games, Audio &Video Accessories and Board Games. Bento Boxes are stackable to make the most out of your space. Covered with polyester, the boxes are durable, yet easy to clean with a damp cloth.

Bento Boxes and Toppers are now available at Jo-Ann's Fabric and Craft stores! 

I received a set of Bento Boxes and Toppers and I absolutely love it! It is such a fabulous way to organize all of my craft supplies without losing track of anything. I received the set in the paprika color. Love it!
Today, one lucky reader will have the chance to win this same set! The value of the set is $215.93. This is the price it sells for at Jo-Ann’s! (Prices at retail will vary and are controlled by the retailer) So all you folks looking to organize a few things....here's what you need to to do enter. Leave a comment telling us what your favorite feature about Bento Boxes and Toppers. Simple as that! Do it by Saturday, September 1st at 11:59 pm PT when this giveaway will end.

My Sample was provided free of charge by Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. and Rubbermaid®

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I saw these cookies on Building Buttercream the other day and I knew I had to make some! They are so adorable! I love that they look just like little pies. How can you go wrong with blueberry pie in a cookie? Such a genius idea!

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Have you seen the new Kingdom Animalia collection at Cost Plus World Market? It's no secret that I love this store and when I went in the other day, I was thrilled to see animal prints! I love animal prints and of course Cost Plus World Market had such great items. They had the perfect items to create a "wild" dinner party with friends!

Here is one of the Kingdom Animalia displays. Look at those fun prints! I absolutely love the wooden serving dishes in different animal prints. You could really get a whole wild table going on with those.



I love the snake skin place mats! So fun and I especially loved the pattern on the mugs. These could be used for so many occasions. The set of napkins came in several different colors, but I chose yellow to tie it all together. Plus, this mustard color is one of my absolute favorites. Each pack of napkins came with a couple patterns. Love!!


I also bought pre-made pizza crusts and pizza sauce at Cost Plus World Market too. It was so delicious (and inexpensive!). I will be buying it again for sure. One of my favorite things about this store is that you really can buy everything you need for a get together in one store. It was a fun "wild" night in!

Cost Plus World Market is giving away an African Safari Adventure for two, inspired by the new Kingdom Animalia Collection. Grand Prize package includes: A trip for two to Africa (5 day Trip for 2 to Africa- includes airfare, accommodations and excursions) plus a $1,000 World Market gift card!


** There will also be 3 runner up prize winners that will each receive a $500 World Market gift card!
**If you share the sweepstakes with 5 of your friends (via FB share or email) you can receive 5 additional bonus entries. Be sure you enter daily through August 17th!

Make sure you follow Cost Plus World Market on Facebook, Twitter, and youtube to stay up to date on the latest promotions and sweepstakes!

This shop has been compensated by Cost Plus World Market and Pollinate Media Group, but all my opinions are my own.

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One of our favorite things to do as a family is having movie night! With Summer vacation in full swing, our boys have been enjoying some later than normal bedtimes. We love to watch movies together and my boys bring a bunch of blankets and pillows downstairs to watch and we often have some movie snacks on hand.

Recently, we rented the movie Space Dogs from Redbox. It was a hit! The boys loved it and we let them give their own movie review. Here is what they had to say...

They loved it and were glued to the screen which is great since sometimes they get distracted and don't finish movies. We had a great time and can't wait for the next movie night!

Rent movies like Space Dogs and many other family fun titles this summer for a chance to win a family trip to the Kennedy Space Center! Official Sweepstakes Rules

3 Easy ways to enter!
1. Rent a participating movie or game at a Redbox kiosk before 8/27 and enter your email at checkout. Click here for a complete list of participating titles
2. Reserve a Summer Family Fun movie or game online before 8/27
3. Go here to find out how to enter without renting

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Redbox. The opinions and text are all mine.

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After attending some family counseling with my children, I ended up with some great ideas to help my boys deal with anger and frustration appropriately. My favorite is the glitter bottle. The swirling and twinkling of the glitter is mesmerizing, almost as if you're looking deep into outer space. It's a little trippy. But it does wonders for the attitude of a cranky kid! Simply hand it to them when they start to get angry and instruct them to shake instead of sending them to timeout. Here's how to make these simple timeout glitter bottles to help a frustrated kid calm down quickly.

Timeout Glitter Bottle Tutorial
 Supplies:
*Empty 1-liter plastic bottle with lid
*Small bottle of glitter glue
*Matching glitter
*Super glue
*Water

1.  Wash your empty plastic bottle and remove the label. If you have a difficult time removing the sticky residue from the label, try a little Citrisolv on a paper towel--works like a charm!

2. Fill your bottle about 3/4 full with water. You don't want it too full or you won't be able to shake it up properly!

3. Squeeze the contents of the glitter glue into the bottle. The glitter glue might take some time to become diluted and really work well. Just be patient and those globs will soon melt away!

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We know you've heard of our friend, Melynie. We have featured many of her fabulous, creative ideas for you before and today she is sharing a great tutorial for how to make a sock monkey. Thanks, Melynie...

Sometimes I make myself crazy.  Okay, a lot.  I don't know how my husband puts up with me.  I try to load my plate much too full and it ends in minor disaster.  Well, that's why this year--this year of "homemade Christmas"--I am starting now.  I'm making rag dolls for my girls and sock monkeys for my boys.  Today's project? Sock monkeys.  I know I could buy them, but I don't think those kind come with love included.  I want my kids to have heirloom toys and quilts that I made for them.  Things I put my heart and soul into.  Maybe they won't appreciate them now, but hopefully when someday they pull out a much-loved monkey, doll, quilt, etc, they'll realize that their mother's hands created this just for them and realize how special they are to me.  Before I start crying over my grown kids, here's how I made the monkeys. 



I looked all over online and the cheapest place I found the 'original' socks were HERE.  The socks actually come with sock monkey directions printed on the back of the label.  But in case you are more of a visual person, like me, you'll appreciate a more step by step illustration.  Cue pictures.

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