Spicy Link Up #16

Ahhh! Sorry Everyone this is a week and a day late! I've been nesting, running errands, dealing with this hurricane nonsense earlier this week, and planning awesome future giveaways/reviews for you! There just hasn't been enough time in the day to get everything done... but none the less. I'm back! &.

It's Party Time! 

Here's the favorites from 2 weeks ago:

Home goods window shopping from Lori at Family Love Home

Hubs always makes fun of me because I love baskets!

Awesome Family Frame... I want to make one! 

From Kaminski's Creations

Catholic Newlywed shares about her sweet 8 month old as well as activities to keep her entertained!

And my mouth is watering thanks to Leslie at Dishing with Leslie.

She shared her Slow cooker Burritos!

Alright Party time!

<< ♥ >>

Few Rules:

1. Follow my blog.

2. Link Up your favorite post of the week

3. Link Back to my page somewhere on your post! 

 4. Share the party (via FB, Twitter, etc)

5. Visit at least 2 other blogs that linked up.

<< ♥ >>

Campus Book Rentals & A Great Cause

There has been a change of events in my current life. Last year, I was attending grad school full time and planned on switching to the part-time program which hasn't worked out this semester... but hopefully, I'll be starting an online part-time program next Spring! 

Anyways, even though I'm not in graduate school at this time, I found a great deal for those of you who are...

CampusBookRentals.com

As a recent college student, I totally know the expense of purchasing books! Campus book rentals allows you to rent the books that you need for a WAY cheaper price! 

Here are a few perks of renting with Campus Book Rentals:

You save 40-90% off of bookstore prices.

Free shipping both ways.

30 day risk-free returns

Live customer support

Largest selection of text books in the nation

 You can highlight in the textbooks.

Renting periods are flexible.

They donate to Operation Smile with each textbook rented!

A great example of Campus Book Rentals low prices can be found here. The science book listed was originally $70.00 but can be found on Campus Book Rentals for $39.64 for the whole semester! It's pretty awesome!

One of my favorite things about Campus Book Rentals is that they donate to Operation Smile with each textbook rented. Operation Smile is  a worldwide children's charity organization that helps treat facial deformities such as cleft lips & cleft palates. You can read some amazing stories about Operation Smile's work here. Here are a few that have been helped with donations from Operation Smile!

I love this charity and think it is a great cause to get our children back to smiling!

You can donate to Operation Smile here or purchase your affordable textbooks and automatically donate to Operation Smile here! Hope this helps out all you college-goers out there! 

That's all for today.

I was compensated for this post but all opinions stated here are truly my own.

Thanks for stoppin' by

xoxo. Jen.

Isaac & Crock Pot Meatballs

Well this weekend/beginning of the week, we were dealing with the possibility of being hit by Isaac. Luckily, we received some outer bands and the hubs got a day off work but no harm done. And I was a little worried about going into labor too but that didn't happen either! Tuesday is back to normal with a nice wind and a sunny day!

I also made some Crock Pot Meatballs and thought I'd share my little recipe with you. Thanks to my  special Mom-in-Law & Sister-in-Law who shared the recipe with me!

First, I made my own meatballs... you can also buy frozen meatballs...

but I made them because I had some free time. Here's an easy recipe for meatballs.

Meatball ingredients: 

Ground beef

Bread crumbs

1 egg

Salt & Pepper

Meatball Directions: 

Mix together all the ingredients well.

Form your meatballs about 1 inch in diameter and place on a non-stick baking pan about 2 inches apart. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes on each side until cooked all the way through.

Voila! You made some meatballs. You can let them cool and then put in the fridge for use the next day for your Crock Pot Meatballs!

Now for the Crock Pot part! This sauce is so delicious and adds so much flavor. Pregnancy has been making me crave it a little bit! 

Sauce ingredients: 

2 jars of Chili sauce (I added a little water to get it all out)

2 cans of Jellied Cranberries

2 large spoonfuls of Grape Jelly

2/3 cups of Brown Sugar

Sauce Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in the Crock Pot.

Place on High and let Simmer for about 3 hours. Make sure most of the clumps are out.

Then add your already cooked meatballs! Let those simmer in the sauce for 3-4 hours. At this time, you can turn down the Crock Pot to a Medium. 

I served this on top of rice & it's delicious!

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stoppin' by!

xoxo. Jen

August Feature: The Secret Life of Samara

Hey Everyone! I have a great bloggy friend to share with you today! Check out her awesome blog, The Secret Life of Samara,  and what she has to share with you today!

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Hi everyone, it's Samara from The Secret Life of Samara. I was sooo excited when Jenna asked me if I wanted to guest post that I jumped at the opportunity. In light of the impending birth of Jenna and Noland's son, I thought I would share with you another birthday- my little brother's.

We recently celebrated my little brother Aidan's 21st birthday. As with all good birthday parties, my mum pulled out the baby photos (Jenna, this will be you before you know it!). This is seriously my favorite part about birthday parties.

As I was flicking through the photos of my little brother, I was amazed by how quickly time passes. I still remember 21 years ago when I was 3 years old and Aidan was born. I was convinced that he was a girl (I already had an older brother so had decided that it was time for a sister).

I still remember all the funny things he used to do like blow raspberries all the time and pinch people's bottoms.

I remember him crying because I wouldn't play dolls with him.

I remember being infatuated with him. The photos prove that I was a doting big sister, rarely leaving his side (my Dad claims that this is actually just because there was a camera around and I wanted to be in the picture, which I would believe!).

And here we are, all grown up, with just memories and photos to remember these times by.

When I was younger I was desperate for a sister and really only gave up that dream when my parents divorced in year 7. Looking back however I am so thankful that I had 2 brothers. Sisters are great I'm sure, but nothing beats joking around with your brothers, the constant fights that generally revolved around them reminding me that "I'm not their mother" every time I told them they should or shouldn't be doing something and the assurance that came with having brothers that would stick up for me no matter what (we could tease each other but watch out if you teased one of our siblings!). I

We're grown up now- Aidan is 21 and really starting to find his feet in the big wide world as he completes his uni degree and works part time. My older brother Josh is 26, living over the other side of the country working as a petroleum engineer and engaged to be married next year. And I am here, married, working and tending to my bunny. Despite the different paths that life takes us on though, I think I will always have that motherly instinct over my brothers. No matter how old we get, we will always tease one another. And no matter how much time passes, we will always stick up for one another.

So if I could say anything to 3 year old me I'd say sisters are great but I'm quite happy with my two brothers thank you very much.

And Jenna, enjoy the time you have with your son- before you know it you will be celebrating his 21st and looking back on all the baby photos wondering where all that time went.

Thanks for having me Jenna!

Samara

xo

The Hospital Delivery Bag

Forgive the dusty mirror. I Windex-ed it right after this picture but I thought it kinda looked cool.

35 weeks. That means only 5 weeks left until we get to meet the little one! Whew! Almost there.

Got the sporty crib all set up and ready to go. 

And today, I've started packing the Hospital Delivery Bag... 

Well at least the things baby will need can be found in this bag: 

I've been researching this here and there... have checked out many different websites to figure out exactly what all we will need or even things that are nice to have.

Keep in mind, whatever you pack, make sure it's something you wouldn't mind getting ruined because, you never know what's going to happen!

Here's my whole list of what to pack in the Hospital Delivery Bag:

For the Baby Momma:

• Night Gown or a Big Old T-shirt
• Slippers 
• Socks
• Robe or Cardigan 
• Comfortable Underwear
• Pony-tail Holders, Clips, Headbands 
• Gum/ Sugar Free Candy 
• Nursing Bra
• Nursing Tank-tops
• Comfy going home outfit

For the Baby Daddy:

• 2 pairs- change of clothes
• Snacks (so he doesn't have to go to the snack machine)
• Video camera
• Digital camera

For Baby:

• 4 Baby Outfits (you never know what size he'll be)
• Baby hat
• Baby socks
• Diapers
• Wipes
• Car seat
• 2 or 3 Receiving Blankets

Toiletries to Shower, etc:

• Shampoo & Conditioner
• Body Wash
• Face wash
• Some old Towel (I hear the hospital ones are hard)
• Lotion
• Chap stick
• Hair Brush
• Make Up
• Deodorant
• Tooth brushes
• Tooth paste
• Large Pads 
• Nursing Pads

Other important things to bring:

• Insurance info
• Identification stuff (basically Mom's purse & Dad's wallet)
• Cell phone chargers
• List of people to call/text to make Baby's arrival known.
• Boppy Pillow for nursing at the Hospital.

This is my first child so it's not like I'm an expert at what to pack. I have researched a lot though!

 Let me know if I missed anything or if there is anything you can think of that would be helpful to have!

This is so cute. It's a TIME OUT chair that one of my best friends, Tiffany made! On this side it says, "3 Strikes, You're Out!" and on the other side it says, "There is NO crying in baseball!"

I don't look forward to putting our little guy in Time Out but sometimes it has to happen. So now he has a cute little chair! Haha. 

That's all for today! Thanks for stoppin by! 

Don't forget to enter the My Memories Suite Giveaway if you haven't already!

xoxo. Jen

My Memories Suite Giveaway

I am honored to share another awesome review & giveaway for you this week!
Winner of this giveaway will win a My Memories Suite Version 3 valued at $39.97

My Memories Suite v3 is digital scrapbooking software which allows you to scrapbook like no other. Beginners and pro-scrapbookers can easily use this program to build their own scrapbook album masterpiece!

Here are some samples of what you can do:

This sample can be found here.

This sample can be found here.

This sample can be found here.

I've been playing around with My Memories Suite and absolutely love it! My favorite part is that you can scrapbook with no mess to clean up afterwards! It's simple. Also, they have pre-made layouts or you can completely design your own! Here is one that I put together of me and me nephews from a few years ago. 

Turns out so cute! I can't wait to put a baby book together 

or a Christmas book together in the near future!

Here's a little promotional video that explains how to download and install
The My Memories Suite!

Alrighty! Now enter to win such an awesome prize!
And if you don't win you can save $10 on a
My Memories Suite software package by using this code: STMMMS41642
And if you use the code, they will also give you a free $10 gift card! That way you can purchase extra backgrounds and stickers etc.
Good luck! Giveaway will be open until Friday at Midnight!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Baby Clothing Dividers

Still getting ready for baby's arrival! 

This week, I made my own dividers for all of baby boy's clothes from a Cereal Box!

Noland finished the last of our Cinnamon Toast Crunch! 

So, I cut the box on sides to lay it flat and open. 

I cut 10 circles that I made by tracing a cup!

Then I painted them blue... waited for one side to dry, then painted the other side.

Once the blue paint dried, I used the bottom of a shot glass to cut a smaller hole in the middle.

Then I added the age to them. For example: newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, etc.

Here's how they turned out: 

They are not the most perfect closet separators but I think they turned out pretty cute & will definitely work!

Now, I can see which clothes we have in what sizes! 

Yay for Organization!

Let me know what you think! I'd love some feedback! 

Here are some other awesome closet divider ideas.. Thanks to Pinterest

1. These are pinned from Posh Little's site here!

2. Farmhouse Five has these available for purchase here. You can also buy those plastic pieces from the Container Store and make your own labels!

3. These are available for purchase from Way Fair.

4. These are some you can make yourself! Here's the tutorial from Blissfully Domestic!

These are so cute! If you are looking for closet dividers, it all depends on how much you want to spend. 

I didn't want to spend anything and also had a little time to get crafty! Hope you like them! 

That's all for today! Thanks for stoppin' by!

xoxo. Jen

Linking Up: Show & Tell Saturday, Craft Envy, Bacon Time with Hungry Hypo, Funky Junk Interiors, A Vision to Remember, Polkadot Pretties

August Feature: High Heels & Grills

Hey guys! I am so excited to be here today! Isn't Jenna just the greatest? What a cute girl she is. My name is Sarah and I write over at High Heels and Grills. What is High Heels and Grills? It's a little corner of blog land where we (my husband, Zachary, and I) try to bring you some good eats and recipes. Or at the very least, provide you with some source of entertainment as we try our hand in the kitchen. :) We were married a little over a year and a half ago and since then, I can probably count on only two hands the number of times I've cooked dinner by myself. That's the basis of our blog - the fact that we cook together! I'm the main contributor, but Zachary likes to pop in every week for some Man Mondays. Trust me, you won't want to miss it!

Speaking of Man Mondays, I'm actually here to share a recipe that Zachary made last week. He's really good at whipping things up out of nowhere and they end up being insanely delicious. That was exactly the case with these lil' guys. I present to you, the Mini Philly Cheese steaks.

I can't even tell you how many Philly Cheesesteaks I've had in my lifetime. I love them! I've had some really great ones and some really not so great ones. *shudder* And I know that it may seem like I'm a little biased in saying this, but just know that I am giving you my complete, 100% honest opinion - these are the best Philly Cheesesteaks I've ever had in my life. I'm really not exaggerating one bit! After I took my first bite, I literally sat there, with my eyes closed, and my mouth hanging wide open, completely overwhelmed with how good these things were. (Wow, that is not a pretty picture.) You get my drift though! They are amazing. You will love them, I just know it! So here's everything you need to do to get these little pieces of heaven in your mouth:

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 white onion, cut into thin slices
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 lb. thinly sliced roast beef
• salt and pepper, to taste
• mushroom slices (however many and whatever variety you like)
• 1/2 Tbsp. oil
• 6 small french hard rolls, cut in half
• 6 provolone cheese slices

Directions (According to Zachary):

1. Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper - let the veggies simmer in the butter while you work on the meat, stirring occasionally.
2. If you went to the deli and got super thin slices of beef, then cut this step out. If you are like me and buy the cheapest stuff out there, you will probably need to pound the meat into oblivion. (Super thin beef = awesome Phillies.) Pound until meat is about 1/8 inch thick.
3. Season your beef with salt and pepper. (Trust me, it's all it needs.) If you insist on seasoning it with something more, try a little Allspice. It will do the trick.
4. Add the 'shrooms (mushrooms) to the veggie skillet when the onions and peppers are getting soft - season also, with salt and pepper.
5. Cover the bottom of another skillet with your oil and get it nice and hot.
6. Put a couple of the meat slices in the pan. (Since it's so thin, you only need to cook it for literally 30 seconds on each side. I promise that's all it takes. Don't overcook it or you will have one unhappy sandwich.)
7. Put it all together by adding your hot meat to your rolls, putting the provolone slices right on the meat, and topping it off with the veggies.
8. Enjoy your nice, juicy, perfect sandwich.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do! Be sure to stop by our blog and let us know what you think! Thanks again to Jenna for letting me guest post over here. It was sure fun to be able to hang out with ya'll! Until next time...peace.

-Sarah 

Spicy Link Up #15

It's Party Time! 

Some faves from last week: 

Make your own little Artist by The Little Giggler

This turned out so cute!

Parade of Homes & Blogger's DIY House by Le Chateau Des Fleurs

I need to take some of your amazing decorating techniques on my home. I love DIY.

Family Room Gallery Wall from Craftionary

I've always wanted to make one of these! This turned out great!

A Journey from Underground Vintage Studio

She shares thoughts on achieving her goals! Great post.

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Thank you so much to my 2 of my wonderful sponsors 

that are helping host this party today!

Check them out! Please show some Comment Love!

Also, the Link Up Party has been getting smaller the past few weeks, so be sure to SPREAD the word.

PS. Have you entered the Shabby Apple Giveaway? 
Check it out here if you are interested!

<< ♥ >>

Few Rules:

1. Follow my blog & the sponsors!

2. Link Up your favorite post of the week

3. Link Back to my page somewhere on your post! 

 4. Share the party (via FB, Twitter, etc)

5. Visit at least 2 other blogs that linked up.

<< ♥ >>

34 weeks...Almost

I'm 34 weeks tomorrow. 

So crazy.

Here I am being goofy.

How big is the babe? : Well I'm not sure but last time they measured my stomach, it was 32 inches. I'm big and uncomfortable.

Weight gain : About 20 lbs. I feel like I see many women who are this far along and they look like they are about to pop. I don't look like that.. just got a belly. I guess I'll give it a few more weeks then maybe I'll be there.

Stretch marks : None. I must have good genes

Cravings : Oatmeal creme pies. You know, the Little Debbie ones. The other day I almost bought some more but then I saw pie crust and decided to bake an apple pie. It turned out well. I've definitely been craving plenty of sweets.

To do before baby arrives : Well, I still have to pack the hospital bag, get organized and ahead in grad school work, take a birthing class or research more about labor and delivery...

Discomfort : Yes. Yes & Yes. Having a hard time sleeping when I want to. I'm constantly thirsty and then 5 minutes later I have to go to the bathroom. I might go buy some gum today, I hear that helps with dry mouth. Although, I'm not sure if I have dry mouth or just extreme thirst. I am definitely getting the right amount of daily water intake.
Also, my legs are constantly sore, must be the extra weight gain. And my hands and feet are swollen especially upon waking up. I'm wearing my wedding ring on a necklace. Hopefully the sore-ness & swelling goes away after birth.

How's the hubs? : He is such a gem. He has been so patient with me and my mood swings. And most of all he is so excited to meet our little guy. I can't wait to see him in action as a proud pops.

Well, almost there and can't wait!

In other news... Did you watch the Olympics? I'm not going to lie, some of it was boring. But I enjoyed gymnastics, swimming and track. Diving was on way too much but that is a whole other story. They played this song when showing some gymnastics re-plays on Sunday... I love it.

Home by Phillip Phillips.

That's it for today.

Thanks for stoppin' by!

xoxo. Jen

PS. Have you entered the SHABBY APPLE GIVEAWAY yet? you should, it's pretty awesome.

Shabby Apple Giveaway

Hey Everyone! Today, I have a special treat for you! 2 giveaways in one week!? 

Yes!

Have you heard of Shabby Apple? It is a little shop with some of the cutest dresses, blouses, swimwear, jewelry and even maternity & kids clothing! I love it and definitely planning on purchasing a swim suit for next summer when I don't have a pregnant belly!

Today, Shabby Apple is offering my blog readers (yes, you!) a $50 dollar gift card! This is sweet because now you can pick out your favorite item to purchase... and let me tell you, I have several favorites!

Here are some sample fashion shots of what Shabby Apple has to offer:

On top of this awesome giveaway, Shabby Apple is offering 10% off your next purchase. So even if you don't win, you can still go buy something for your next date night out! The code for 10% off is: spicy10off

And here are three of my personal favorite items:

1. Andes Pattern High Waist Skirt

2. Dorm Room Sailor Blouse

3. Quiet Stars Black Ruffle Swimsuit

Alright! Now time for the Giveaway! Good luck!
Ends a week from today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

August Feature: Warm & Fuzzy

Hey Y'all! I have a special guest post today! Lauren from Warm & Fuzzy! Her blog is so cute and today, she's gonna tell you a little bit about it and a little bit about herself! Make sure to stop by and show her some love! Take it away Lauren!

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Salutations Spicy Readers! 

My name is Lauren and I'm the bloggin momma over at Warm & Fuzzy! 

Jenna & I are swapping for the day! She is sharing a yummy recipe over at my spot and I am sharing a little about myself with you. My blog is about crafting, a bunch about party planning, a bit more about my crazy life and a whole lot about my family. 

  Crafting: A few of my past craft projects, I don't consider myself one of those amazing crafters, 

but I do love to craft...

Large picture is my favorite project by far! My LSU picnic table redo! Love the purple & gold!

 Top Right was Eli's vinyl art in his room

.Bottom Right was one of my favorite wreaths- made completely from wait for it- NAPKINS!!

Party Planning: I love to plan a great party! I feel like I am not doing enough if I am not planning SOMETHING, a birthday party, a wedding, a bridal shower, a wedding shower, any sort of party! I really just need an excuse to use Pinterest for ideas! Some of my past Parties-

Top Left: Eli's 5th party- Superhero cityscape- tutorial here
Top Right: was a banner I made for Ben's 1st birthday,

 Middle Right: Car's birthday cake
Bottom Right: Party hats from Ben's Farm party,

Bottom Middle: DIY Mickey wreath tutorial here
Bottom Left: DIY stick horse & cows from Ben's Farm party.

Life & Family: Well Brian and I have been married for almost 8 years.

We have two boys 

Eli who is 5 and Ben Henry who is 2.

My boys are our lives! If you are reading Warm & Fuzzy you will be reading about them!

I hope you all have a great weekend and have a great time with your families!

Please stop by Warm & Fuzzy and check us out!!

You won't be disappointed, there is always something going on!

blog/facebook/ twitter

The Protein Bakery Flash Giveaway

I've got a special treat for you tonight! It's a Flash Giveaway! What's a flash giveaway? Well it starts tonight at 7pm CST and ends at 11pm CST! You can find out if you win TONIGHT.

Welcome to The Protein Bakery 
Flash Giveaway!! 

Missi Rose's Coupon Spot has teamed up with Living Frugal with Erika, Save More Spend Less with Heidi, Frugal Washington Mommy, The Mom Show, Fun Easy Recipes for Kids, Miss Jackie's Views, Ditta's Gifts and Savings, Its Just Called Spicy, Sister's Saving Cents, and The Kids Did It to bring our fans this wonderful giveaway! 

If you have not read Missi Rose's Coupon Spot's review 
of The Protein Bakery, you can read it here! 
She shares about the awesome assortment of snacks that you would think were unhealthy. These snacks allow you to indulge your sweet tooth without overeating of feeling guilty! So come enter this amazing giveaway tonight!

I invite you to visit all of the blogs involved and see what they can offer your family! 

Tonight's giveaway is for some seriously amazing products! 

I'm sure you want your chance at these delicious products, so just use the Raffle Copter for below! 

RULES :

 All entries are verified

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email or another winner will be selected!

Open to US Only! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spicy Link Up #14

It's Party Time!

TEASER: Want to let you know that I'm having a Shabby Apple Giveaway 

on Sunday, so make sure to swing by and check it out.
OTHER NEWS:  Interested in Sponsoring It's Just Called Spicy?! Check out the Sponsor Tab at the top for MORE details! I'd love to have you!

Here's some favorites from last week:

Lamps on a String from Adventures of a Middle Sister

Yellow Squash Casserole from Fort Mill SC Living

DIY Gauze Swaddle Blankets from Kadydid Designs

Love elephants! Love this.

Baked French Toast & Breakfast Buffet from Learning to be a Mom!

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Party Rules are Simple:

1. Follow through GFC or Linky Followers

2. Link up whatever you want! 

--As many different posts as you want! 

It can even be something on your heart.

3. Please link back to my page at the bottom of your post! 

4. Share the party (via FB, Twitter, etc)

--Visit other bloggers who have linked up!

<< ♥ >>