Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Soon-to-be Discontinued Jamberry Nails Spring 2014

Here's the funny and offensive product review I did of Jamberry Nails recently. And now I have received word that some of the nails are going to be ... GASP! ... discontinued. Dun dun dun. (that's suspenseful music)

These nails are only available for about another month and then forget it, sister.



Good thing I just ordered Dizzy Pink from my own online party recently!


If you want to order any of the soon-to-be discontinued nails, come to my website. And you will not believe all the other options for nails. It's crazy! Something to match every outfit! I don't care much about fashion usually, but I am in love with these nails and even if I go out in sweatpants and a ponytail (wait, that's every day), I can add a little style on my nails.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Our First Science City #Kansas City Visit January 2014

As promised to my dad and stepmom, who gave our family the Science City membership for one full year (plus we can take extra people for no extra charge plus get 10% off at the gift shop and all over Union Station and more!), here are some photos of our trip last week. We are going again tomorrow so I had to get these up. The kids were begging to go again ASAP so we are heading there after we do Joel's Meals on Wheels route. Callie learned some sign language at American Heritage Girls last night so that hearing impaired lady in the building won't know what hit her!



They're just sittin' there watchin' the wheels go 'round and 'rooooooouuuuuuuund per John Lennon






This is so the grandparents can show how great homeschooling is and how smart the kids are.





#Free #Kindle #Ebook: Black Collar by Daniel Sullivan (1/23-1/25/14)

So check out my latest find, which is free today through January 25, 2014. If you are reading this post after that date, rest assured this book is worth the money. You have nothing to lose, as Amazon has an amazing return policy that could not be easier. But that won't be an issue in this case.

This book is called Black Collar by Daniel Sullivan and it is Book One in the Uncommon Rebels Trilogy. I love that there are more to come! I love finding a good book and then waiting for more in the series (like Christine Shuck's War's End Book One).

Here is the description:
Five unlikely friends struggle to expose an American aristocracy hell-bent on oppressing the unruly working class.

MIT graduates Hart Galliston and Rockle Farnsworth are two weeks away from unveiling their revolutionary new display technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas when a deadly chance encounter pits them against Senator Martin Lancaster. Hart and Rockle seek vengeance by pursuing one of Martin's daughters, the infamous socialite Brielle Lancaster. However, all is not what it seems with Brielle. Soon she and her two siblings join Hart and Rockle on a quest to expose the American aristocracy's purposeful oppression. Hart and his friends are uncommon rebels: a computer engineer, a programmer, a debutante, a cable news anchor, and a street artist.

Daniel Sullivan's Black Collar thrills with unpredictable twists and meaningful details, captivating as both a modern social commentary and a dark suspenseful read.

This book is intended for mature audiences.

Grab this one while it's hot. It's about to break the Amazon Top 100 Free Ebooks, which is a very big deal! Daniel is doing something right, and you have to jump on this train!



Tuesday, January 21, 2014

$25 Honeybaked Ham Giveaway! (great SuperBowl party food!) #HoneyBakedGameDay

*I received a gift check to purchase Honeybaked Ham products for posting this.

So I get to write about and try out some amazing Honeybaked Ham stuff! This place has been around forever and I have eaten their food before and have never been disappointed. So when I got the chance to spend some money there and then give $25 to you to go there, I was very excited!

So here are some of the things they offer:
Tasty meats

A full menu of options including salads and desserts

The Super Sandwich!!!
This is going to make you hungry, but I have to post something the company sent me:

HoneyBaked offers the leanest, most flavorful, moist and tender Ham and Turkey you’ll find anywhere. HoneyBaked Hams and Turkey Breasts are fully cooked, ready to serve and hand-finished in store with HoneyBaked’s signature, one-of-a-kind, sweet, crunchy glaze.

I had a hard time trying to decide what to try, but ultimately placed my order just now for a Medium Ultimate Super Sandwich and a Large Regular Super Sandwich. I'm going to take the large one to Parkside tomorrow. It's where the kids and I hang out sometimes on Wednesdays with our homeschool friends and I figured I'd share some of the blogging love!

I'll post photos from our feast later but I wanted to make sure I got this giveaway started and to remind you that Honeybaked Ham options make the best SuperBowl party food! Instead of cooking all day, how about ordering up a lovely pre-made tray from Honeybaked? It would give you more time to enjoy the game and chat!

Here are some SuperBowl fun facts:
Super Bowl Facts:

  1. According to Harris Interactive polls, the Super Bowl still ranks as the second biggest eating holiday of the year. It is the biggest “party at home” day of the year, topping even New Year’s Eve.
  2. Other data shows consumers spend an average of $70 on snacks and refreshments for a Super Bowl party.

Here are some current offers they have going on:

  • $10 off Any Size Bone-In Half Ham
  • $5 off Medium Super Sandwich (Feeds 6-10) Starting at $21.99 with the offer pre-order/advance orders needed)
  • $8 Off Large Super Sandwich (Feeds 12-20) Starting at $36.99 with the offer (pre-order/advance orders needed)
  • $25 off $100 Catering Order
  • $5 off any size Bone-in Quarter Ham, Whole Turkey Breast or Half Boneless Ham

Here's the giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Saturday, January 18, 2014

Walking a 5K With My Son at Age 42 or Don't Put Your Timing Chip in Your Bra

Holy crap, I am a bit sore here this afternoon. At 9 a.m. my 12-year-old son Joel and I walked a 5K in Leawood, Kansas. It was called Battle of the Bean and we each wore a T-shirt supporting Team Coffee! It was hard to choose between coffee and chocolate, that's for sure!
No, he's not high. He's sleepy, okay?
No, I'm not high. Just excited!
We left everyone sleeping at home and headed out for some exercise in the cold weather. We did a brisk walk the entire time and chatted a bit, winding through beautiful neighborhoods.


I'm certainly not as young as I used to be and am about 20 pounds more than I was when I used to do 5Ks on my own pre-kids, but I did not stop and we made it! Joel's time was 56 minutes because he ran ahead of me at the end. My time was about 58 minutes but I put my timing chip in my bra so it never registered me when I started and finished. Now I know not to do that. It goes on your shoe, people.



Head here to read about when Mr. Kerrie and I walked a half marathon in 2000 when I was just a little bit pregnant with Joel (yes, it is possible to be just a little bit pregnant).

After the race they were giving out Christopher Elbow chocolates and I got a few for the fam, and then went into Foo's Fabulous Custard to buy an expensive box of their gorgeous chocolates. Head here to see a picture of them!

If you need me today I'll be at a birthday party next door and then sitting on my butt the entire rest of the night, putting my feet up.

And I'll be posting more awesome KC Running Company run/walks in the coming weeks. Here's their site in the meantime.

On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.

Vintage Couches Turned into Knife Blocks ... and Shepherd's Pie


This is the knife block my talented husband made out of my 1950s/60s couch. I wrote about the couch here and how it was my first purchase after starting a new life. We have had our knives on top of the fridge for as long as I can remember and recently one wasn't positioned right and almost fell on my friend Christine's head. HOLY LAWSUIT, BATMAN!

Actually, that's not why Aron made the knife block. I think it was because we got him two new knives for Christmas. He's such a little chef!

He also made shepherd's pie last night for dinner only in a pan and the potatoes had a design to them and there broiled on top. He is freaking talented! I'd be just fine if he did all the cooking around here because he is Mr. Gourmet. This shep. pie was AMAZING! He even managed the hide the mushrooms from me! Oh, and he made me hummus from scratch, too, with the help of Joel!


I love that dude and I love his offspring too much for words.

Headed to the 5K with Joel. Have a great weekend!

*Spaghetti sauce is featured because Mr. Kerrie canned it himself. Coconut oil is featured because we love it and because Angeliina makes fun of me for loving it sooo much.

And at the request of a bloggy fan, HappyElfMom (who has a rockin' blog herself), here is the spaghetti sauce recipe.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Cafe Mocha Vodka Valium Latte ... to go! Thank You, Aunt Cathy!


My Aunt Cathy sent this to me before Christmas because she saw it and thought of me. It's a thin dish towel and I LOVE thin dish towels and have run out. Of course the message is perfect for my chaos-filled life, only substitute B12 for Valium because I need to be UP, not out of it!

I love you, Cathy. I'm so glad we reconnected back in 1995 after not seeing each other for years after the divorce. Even though you are divorced from my uncle you will always be my aunt, and one of my very favorites at that!

Happy Hump Day, everybody!

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Boys in Pink Snowpants ... Who Cares?

So this is it. For now. Hope you enjoy my surly 4-year-old getting ready to go shovel snow in his pink snowpants. WHAT?! He has two older sisters and one time I bought pink snowpants and now they are what fit him. He is cool with his masculinity, though, so it works out. If you make fun of him he might bap you with his snow shovel so think twice about that one.


Friday, January 10, 2014

Science City CLOSED for Annual Cleaning But We Had Fun Anyway

Click here to head to our homeschooling blog to see pictures of our fun day, even though when we got to Science City they were closed for the entire week. Just for that, we'll get it EXTRA DIRTY next time we go. Wait, that's no good revenge. I'll figure something out. Here's a teaser pic:

Kansas Citians, can you guess where this is?

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili Recipe

This recipe has moved to Kerrie the Kitchen Queen and can be found specifically here :-)


Cilantro Lime Pesto Chicken Fajitas with Low-Carb Tortillas


When my friend Maureen made this for my family recently, we all attacked it and could not believe how yummy it was! I’m not much of a cook, though, and just knew it would be too difficult for me to make. Boy, was I wrong! Check out this terrific recipe, perfect for a day when you are busy, perfect for doubling and freezing, or perfect for doubling and giving some to a friend! Let me know what you think!

Cilantro Lime Pesto Chicken Fajitas
-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-Salt, pepper and garlic powder
-1/2 cup cilantro lime pesto (see below)
-1 medium onion
-1 pepper (whichever color you love best)
-Tortillas (I love Mission brand’s carb control version, which is whole wheat also, but you can choose corn tortillas for a gluten-free version)
-Taco sauce/picante sauce/salsa (whichever you prefer)
-1 ripe avocado
-Sour cream (omit for dairy free diets)
-Shredded cheese (omit for dairy free diets)
I like for things to be super easy, so I love to cook the chicken breasts in the slow cooker for a few hours on high. When they are cooked through, I take them out, chop them up and toss the pieces in a bowl. Then I sprinkle on some salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. 

Then I cook my chopped peppers and onions in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil. That’s when the cilantro lime pesto comes in (see recipe below). I take about 1/2 cup of that and stir it into the chicken mixture. Ready to serve! If you love the pesto, you can just add more to your fajita for a refreshing take on a fajita.

Cilantro Lime Pesto
-1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-3 tablespoons sliced, toasted almonds
-2 tablespoons minced garlic
-2 teaspoons lime juice
-1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese
-2 teaspoons salt
-The chicken broth from the slow cooker, about 1/4 cup
Using a food processor, blend ingredients together until smooth.

I like to get Mission Carb Balance tortillas to eat with my creation. 


**Last night I used Flatout bread and it made a more substantial wrap and it was amazing!

Want more recipes? Check this out!



Monday, January 6, 2014

Why You Need a Mommy Business Card

I love me some Mommy* Business Cards! Do I get them because they make me feel all corporate and like I’m back in the “real” working world? (don’t throw your coffee at me, please; I’m just kidding … if anybody knows stay-at-home moms work their butts off it’s me, friends).

Nope. That’s not why.

I’m on my third round of Mommy Business Cards because they make connecting with other parents a breeze. Below is a photo of the second card I ordered … so pretty and serene … a lake in the mountains. And no, I am not paranoid about one of you calling me up on my cell phone because I don’t often answer it anyway. Feel free to leave me a message telling me how much you love my blog, though. Or just email me. I do write back.



When I ran out of those, I went with these. I do love the beach seeing as how I live in KANSAS and all that.



Now, why do I put all that information on there? Well, I make sure all our names are on it so when we meet a mom we wanna hang out with or when one of my kids meets a kid he/she wants to hang out with, I can pass this card out and the parent can hopefully remember who we are.

A card is way better than a napkin or a random piece of paper because those get lost. A card screams, “I’m Serious! Here is my info. Let’s HANG OUT.”

And, okay, I will admit that I like to put on there that I’m a homeschooler because I like to be different. And the writer part is fun and warns people to watch what they say around me or I will write about it. And the editor part tells them to carefully type their Facebook responses and emails to me or I will make fun.

Have I convinced you to order up some Mommy Business Cards or Daddy Business Cards? Good. Don’t forget to take a picture of your card, post about it and send me the link.

*I know stay-at-home dads and homeschooling dads, so Lord knows I am not trying to be sexist and leave out any of my peeps with parts different from mine.

If you want to make your own, you can grab some blank biz cards at Amazon and do them at home :-)





Saturday, January 4, 2014

"A Mom's Guide to Home Organization" by Debbie Lillard

Are you, like me, frazzled by your family's hectic schedule and chaotic household? I get to try Debbie Lillard's "A Mom's Guide to Home Organization" and will be posting a review shortly. I'm told this book walks you through simple processes and tips for organizing your time, your stuff and your space. The second half of the book addresses how to teach your children the life skill of being organized. It's written by a busy mom for busy moms. I can't wait to read it!

Here's a sample before picture:


And a sample after photo:

If you simply can't wait for my review, you can buy the book here now!



The McLoughlin's Late Family Christmas Letter 2013

Yes, it is Saturday the 5th of January and I am still sending out Christmas cards. I have all these photo cards left and am determined to get them in the mail. Our PC died recently and my most recent addresses went with it so I've had to reconstruct a freaking address list from scratch almost. So when I go into Facebook to check my messages and write someone's address down in my spreadsheet I ... well, I get a little bit sucked in Facebook. So there goes another 5 minutes OF MY LIFE. Then back to cards. So it's taking me forever.

Here's the 2013 Christmas letter with photos popped in that I used on the photo card. There are 7 photos on the card and YES, they showed up TINY again. Next year I'm doing ONE freaking family photo if it kills us all posing for it. If you don't have a card from us yet, please comment or email me because I want to make sure you get one!

Merry Christmas once again from the McFamily! Let’s dive right in …

            Aron didn’t travel much this year so he went on lots of Scout campouts and started on a plant stand woodworking project during his 10 days off over Thanksgiving. Oh, and he put a new roof on our house, painted the living room and ripped up the carpets in there to reveal hardwood floors that he sanded and finished in record time. He hasn’t fished enough, though, and his boat needs more of a workout for sure!


            Same old story for Kerrie only add proofreading and The Kindle Pixie (an ebook author promotion service) to her list of daily stuff she does, which includes: homeschooling, writing articles, blogs and ebooks, reading, walking, taking the kids places, feeding the family, loving Aron, keeping the house up Martha Stewart-style (never!) and having fun with life as much as possible.


            Joel is 12 now and still loves animals so much that he teaches a twice-monthly Mammal Study class for homeschoolers. He’s in gymnastics, Boy Scouts (First Class), and wants me to let you know he owns and is responsible with lots of weapons. He likes to read, help and play and loves anything having to do with the Hunger Games saga.


            Michael is 10, is also in gymnastics and continues his Lego Love Affair. If you give him a tub of Legos and a small motor, he can make anything. He takes care of his tiny turtle Jiggy and Betta Henry and happily/grudgingly tags along with us wherever we go depending on how many Lego projects he has in his little imaginary work inbox.


            Callie is 8 and is my fashion mentor. She always puts together cute outfits and puts on little fashion and talent shows. She is also in gymnastics and is a huge help to Mommy (like by organizing the pantry after I grocery shop). She loves to hang out with her friends and ride horses when she gets a chance.


            Eva is 6 and loves to color, play My Little Ponies, play with her friends, ride her scooter and jump around at gymnastics. She is described as “persistent” and will ask me 23 times if she can break out the paints before I finally am worn down and say yes!


            Samuel is 4 and recently demonstrated that he is indeed great at any sport he attempts, including ice skating. You should have seen him with his tiny ice skates and walker, racing across the ice like he’d been doing it his whole life! Add gymnastics and being naughty to his resume and that sums him up.


            June found us on a mini Solsberg family vacation in Branson. The rest of the year we swam, went to LegoLand, Paradise Park, apple picking, to KC Pumpkin Patch, homeschooled and hung out with our amazing bunch of friends. In October, sadly, we lost my Poppy (my grandpa), and we like to talk about our good memories of him to keep us from being sad.

            As always, you can check out more of the family fun at TheKerrieShow.com. Have a fantastical 2014!
The McLoughlin Family
Aron, Kerrie, Joel, Michael, Callie, Eva and Samuel

HOPEYLOVEYDREAMYPRAYYLEARNYSINGYLAUGHYACCEPTYSLEEPJ