Crockpot Love

Welcome Fall!

(I know, I am about a week late.)

With the onset of Fall, the crockpot will become one of my kitchen best friends, and I am using it for tonight's dinner!

Spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, courtesy of my mother-in-law's recipe.

My house smells so delish!

Meat Sauce Recipe:

*2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz each)-You can use Italian flavor if you have it.

*1 can tomato paste (12 oz total)

*1 can water (15 oz)

*1 can mushrooms (4 oz)

*1 pkg Lawry's Dry Spaghetti Sauce Mix

*1 Tbsp sugar

*1 1/2-2lbs of hamburger (I like to use ground round)

*1/4 cup chopped onions

*garlic powder or you can use fresh to use when browning meat

Brown hamburger, onion and garlic-drain grease.  Add all other ingredients with the meat in a crockpot or sauce pan.  Simmer for 1-2 hours on stovetop, or on cook on low in crockpot for at least 2 hours.  The longer the sauce cooks/simmers, the better the flavor.  Serve over pasta of choice or whatever you desire! 



Upcoming Fall Crop-Don't miss it!!

Inspired to Scrap is hosting it's first online crop, and you are invited!

Join us at www.inspiredtoscrap.net/forum to join in on the free class, some great challenges, prizes and most of all, inspiration to get some scrapping done!

The Fall Crop runs September 30th-October 5th!

Hope to see you there!

Gabe Turns 7

I am a little late in posting about the boys' birthday celebrations, but I am here to remedy that with photos!

Gabe obviously had a Toy Story themed party here at our home.

We had a great turnout, and I am just humbled at how many friends and family showed up to help celebrate Gabe!

Hope you enjoy some of the photos from the party!

We had one of those blow up water slides for the kiddos to enjoy since his birthday falls during the dog days of summer heat!  That will explain the shirtlessness.  :-)

I made the banner, and I had so much fun doing it.  I think Graedon was more impressed with it than Gabe.

Also, it was my first time making cake pops, and they were a huge hit!

I'm back...(home and to blogging)

I am sure you noticed that I have not been blogging much, eventhough I promised to do so.  Well, there are a few reasons for that. 
1.  Birthday coma-Yes, it does exist, and I suffered from it.  4 birthdays in less than 3 weeks, and it was crazy!  I am happy to say that birthday season is officially over for the Killion family this year.
2.  Prep-Because of all of the birthdays, there was a lot of running around in a crazy state for a few days, with lists in hand and tons to do.  There was a lot of prep work for the birthdays as well as for the surprise present we had in store for our boys!
3.  The Present-So, it was up in the air for most of the weeks leading up to the boys' birthdays as to if their present was going to become reality.  The reason for that was because of a lot of weather watching.  You may be wondering what the weather had to do with their present.  Well, up until the week of Sept. 6th, we had not made a definite decision, and then after watching the hurricanes finally slow down, we booked our flights to head to the Happiest Place on Earth for 9 days and surprise the boys the day we were to leave, Sept. 10th!  We picked Gabe up from school at 1:30pm, all packed and ready to go, and told the boys in the car on the way to the airport!

It was an AMAZING trip, one that I will never forget!  There is nothing like Disney magic, and we were surrounded by it for 9 days!  I cannot express how blessed I feel to have a husband the loves me and his family so much to work so hard to allow us to take family vacations like we do!!  We had a blast, and Chad and I have decided that we work pretty well together as a family of 4 on vacation.  It was a great bonding time for us and the boys, and we are already trying to plan our next trip! 

Please be patient with me while I work throught the 1000+ photos that I have taken, and I will get posts about the birthday parties and the trip up as soon as I can! 

"Monster"ously Fun Fall Kit

Inspired to Scrap has just launched an amazing kit club, and this little beauty is the first of many!

Head on over and check it out! 

You cannot go wrong with Jillibean Soup, Bella Boulevard and some Jenni Bowlin.  Seriously, this kit is jammed pack with some great product for a great price!  Check it out here!

New Sketch at Inspired to Scrap

I just posted a new layout and sketch based on that layout over at Inspired to Scrap!  Check it out!  I would love see your layouts if you choose to create one using my sketch!

Another busy week ahead...

I think I am officially in a birthday coma!  Is there anyone else out there that has their kiddo's birthdays along with a niece's and 2 great family friends all within 4 weeks of one another???  Oh my goodness.  It's been a whirlwind, and I am getting ready to plan another one.  Graedon's Super Mario Brothers birthday bash is this coming Saturday, and I am still recouperating from my niece's party from over the weekend.  I feel so horrible that I haven't even shared about Gabe's big Toy Story party either.  (Note to self-Post about Gabe's birthday, stat!)

To top all of that off, we are planning another Disney World vacation, and there is so much to do before we leave!  To say I am a bit overwhelmed is an understatement! 

Inspired to Scrap

The class schedule for Inspired to Scrap has been posted, and you will want to head over as quickly as possible to check it out!  Stacey has some amazing classes lined up, and you don't want to miss out!  You can check out the whole line-up at http://www.inspiredtoscrap.net/apps/webstore/.

August 27th-29th Weekend Warriors-Inspired by Borders

The first Weekend Warriors class will be starting in one week, and it will be focusing on using borders in new and inspiring ways on your layouts!

*Picture and ontent below is credited to Stacey Lokovic, creator of Inspired to Scrap.

Our first class is a member inspired class based on a couple of requests. It is a weekend class - August 27-29 and it's called "Weekend Warriors- Inspired by Borders." We are focusing on border strips and punches. Anyone have those sitting around?? Yeah, I thought so...most of us probably have some. :) We'll be focusing on new ways to use those punches and pre-cut strips. As a BONUS, we are including a really cool technique called "patterned paper transfers" using products you probably already have. You will receive daily instructions, ideas, tips and samples within the setting of a private message board.

* For those of you unavailable that weekend, you can still purchase the class (and any of the classes!) and you will receive the class content in a document after the class is over. You'll miss out on the fun of chatting and sharing during the class, but you can still learn some techniques and gain some inspiration.

I hope you decide to join us at Inspired to Scrap for a class, and stick around to share some of your own inspiration with the rest of us!

Want a chance to win some scrap goodies? Check this out!

Check out this blog for an amazing giveaway!  Sign up to follow Patty as well, she's got a fun and creative blog for you to check out!  scrapbookpatty.blogspot.com

7 Years and 3 Hours Ago...

Gabriel Eric came into my world and made me a mommy for the first time!  He created my role for me; my current employment-to be the best mommy that I can be.  Yes, there are days that I should be fired, but my boys keep me around.  :-)

Ah, I am having such a bittersweet day.  I have loved every minute of celebrating my now 7-year old son, but he starts school again tomorrow, and he will be a 1st grader!!  Where does the time go?  I feel that my job as his full-time mommy has just gotten pushed to part-time status and there is nothing that I can do to stop it.  He will officially be at school for more hours during the day than he will be at home with me, and I don't think it is bothering him one bit.  I am glad that it is not.  If it were bothering him, I would be an even more sniffling, blubbering fool.  I've been good, and have only broken down twice in the last 24 hours, but I can tear up just thinking about how much I am going to miss that boy of mine!  7 years flew by too fast.  I blinked, and he is walking the hallways by himself, not holding my hand anymore, and just being so independent. 

I love you Gabriel Eric, and I have such high hopes and dreams for you, but the most important things that I want for you is to be happy and to know how much you have changed my life for the better.  There are no words to describe the love I feel for you!  You will always be the one who made me a mommy!