The Day the Catholics Invaded IKEA in Merriam, Kansas

Yes, the time finally came May 31 for the Catholics to invade IKEA. Here's who went: myself, my 5 kids, Julia and our neighbor Matthew. Eight Catholic peeps walked into an IKEA ... ate some dinner ... and wandered the place for over an hour having a blast! This girl with Swedish roots was IMPRESSED and is ready to go back ASAP.

Tuesday is kids eat free night ... buy one adult meal and get two kid meals free. Still not cheap but not a horrible deal either! And AMAZING food. We got some Swedish meatballs to go for Aron, who was working late.

This is the little spot where your trays go.

This is my dream kitchen.

The kids wanted me to take pictures of things they liked. I don't think there is anything there I did NOT like, and I knew that would be the case. I am dying for a sectional couch in our new house!

The girls want this to be my office in our new home. Me and white don't traditionally mix so this room would be gray pretty quickly with dirt and grime. But it's nice to dream.

What a cool kid room with bunk and desk!

I figured this might be my husband's dream kitchen. We could have his and hers kitchens. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm so upset I didn't get Michael in this picture but he had gone up ahead in his excitement. He was like our leader.

More insanely awesome, space-saving bunk/couch combos.

Joel and Michael got some cheap pillows and blankies. They can't pass up a deal on cool snuggly things.

The warehouse. DANG.

I am initiated and now can get deals and save money.

Gotta get some Swedish fish and an umbrella when you are at IKEA.

Daddy's work! We took him dinner and he served the kids hot chocolate and gave them chair rides, which is putting them in an office chair with wheels and racing them down a long strip of office until they squeal.

I give this day 10 thumbs up and we want to go again as soon as we have some cash to spend on furniture and other fun things for our new place. Still hunting for a house so stay tuned.

Please sign up for an email subscription on the sidebar so you never miss the fun! We have a lot of cool junk planned this summer!

Healthy Granola Bar with Wheat Germ Recipe #KidFood #AdultFood

This is a recipe in my book The Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook. Enjoy!

What you'll need:
2 cups oats
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup wheat germ
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup wheat flour
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup honey
1 beaten egg
½ cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips
½ cup almonds

Mix it all together in any order you like because you know that’s how I roll. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Cut while still warm or they will be hard. Once they cool, store them in a Ziploc bag, but NOT IN THE FRIDGE unless you are trying to make hockey pucks.

Who knew wheat germ was so awesome? Only 2 tablespoons has 2 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein, as well as vitamin E, folate, iron, thiamine, phosphorus, zinc and magnesium. I’m going to start sneaking this into all sorts of foods my kids eat.

The downside of these is that now my kids won’t eat the store-bought granola bars because they taste like crap compared to these.

This wooden puzzle was on clearance at Michael's for like, a dime. He is guarding some granola bars I made (recipe a couple of days ago in blog post format). You can see my formica breakfast table in the background. If I could, I would decorate my house like the year it was built: 1966. That's also the year my husband was born, so it was an excellent year.

Originally published September 17, 2011

The Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook #Free #KindleUnlimited on #Amazon #Ebook

I compiled this cookbook a few years ago with the help of our babysitter (back when we needed a sitter!) who was always like a daughter to us, Jordan McGarrigle. UPDATE: she is in COLLEGE now! Can you even believe this stuff?

Anyway, the book includes 34 tater tot casserole recipes (including a gluten-free and a dairy-free and even a vegetarian) plus some dessert recipes! You will love it and it will make your meals easier than ever with a lot of variety to boot!

Here is the latest edition to the fully updated and improved cookbook: Fully Loaded Tater Tot Casserole ... and it's a little bit different but I think you'll love it! Perfect potluck take-along or comfort food after a long day and customizable!

You don't have to have a Kindle to download the book. You just need an Amazon account and you can load it to your cloud reader and read it on your laptop or iPad or PC or whatever floats your boat.

If you have Kindle Unlimited I offer it FREE!

Here's the download link. If you love it, please leave me a review! And please share the love by tweeting, Facebook sharing, pinning, etc.!

If you are just finding this post and it's not free anymore (I make it free every 3 months or so), please purchase here and THANK YOU for supporting me!



Thank you for supporting my love of writing, kids and fun!

5K Runs and Walks in #KansasCity: Wild Women Timber Challenge 5K in Bonner Springs, KS

I want to share my excitement over being addicted to walking with you, fellow Kansas Citians! I still don't have a running bra, folks (TMI), so I will not be found jogging the 'hood anytime soon. Maybe when I'm 50.

I'll be posting upcoming walk/runs as I find them. This does not mean I'll be participating in all of them, so don't show up expecting me to sign copies of my Tater Tot Casserole book or anything ... ha! 

I MIGHT or MIGHT NOT be there, depending on household funds at the time (it costs to enter a race but, oh, the free and healthy goodies at the end and would they please start giving V-neck T-shirts for races for the women so we don't all look like dudes?), Mr. Kerrie's travel situation, my sanity level, etc. Enjoy the race info, and go out and find some in your town!

What: Wild Women Timber Challenge

When: Sunday, July 24, 2016 at 8:00 a.m.

Where: Bonner Springs, Kansas

"The 3rd annual Wild Women Timber Challenge (WWTC) is the ONLY 5k mud run/obstacle course just for HER. This year we are pushing you even harder with a new course layout and the behemoth Schutte Lumber giant. The WWTC course is not just rugged or tough… it is WILD! Come push your team to the limit and have a great time doing it.

Be prepared for well over 30 course designed obstacles and literally countless more provided by Mother nature. We are talking about 100 ft bluff climbs, handheld zip lines, mud pits, the infamous wrecked vertigo bus and so much more. But don’t take our word for it. Check out our Facebook 5 STAR reviews and all the awesome pictures from last year.

We are taking the foam and color runs to a whole new level. Our foam pit is a legit obstacle and colored chalk is worn as a badge of defeating the beast of a course. Do you have what it takes?"

Check the link (above after WHAT) for more info! Are you planning on giving this one a shot? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

P.S. I get my info from the fabulous KC Running Company website.

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

When you're all done, you'll be hungry! Grab a copy of my Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook and whip up a batch of happiness for dinner!

How to Style Your Dorm Room Right

Practical interior DIY: how to style your dorm room right

Please enjoy this guest post while I take my girls for haircuts today and hang out at the pool doing meal planning and budgeting stuff!

Staying in dorms usually forms the best memories in life. College life is the craziest one. You learn and have so much fun in those years. It’s like the last phase of fun, enjoyment, and carelessness before you enter the practical world. Your ultimate goal should be to have fun and enjoy the time there. One way to do that is by making your dorm room pretty cool so that your friends would want to hang out there most of the time and you can have a blast while studying or just gossiping. We have a few tricks for you to make your dorm room chic and happening. Don’t worry, we will not suggest anything crazy; all these tips are pretty practical and handy. Here we go;

Storage Baskets

You don't get the most space in dorms and you will find yourself always short of space. Storage baskets can be a good solution for that. You can get three and put them under your bed to store different stuff. They will feel like magic as you will have more space and all the things that used to lie around here and there in the dorm will have a proper place.

Bookshelf

Dorms and books are a pretty understandable combination. So you should have a bookshelf to store all the books there. Even if you are not a fan of books generally, there will be plenty of course books. So keeping your books organized and in place is a good idea. Bookshelves always look a bit heavy due to the clash of different book covers. You can avoid this clash by arranging your books in accordance with their colors.

Study Lamps

Study lamp is a must in a dorm room but rather than going for a boring study lamp, find a unique and unusual lamp that can bring energy to your study table.

Quilts

We all know students don’t get to sleep much. They are always short on sleep. So whatever number of hours you get to sleep, buy quality quilts to enhance the experience. Also, you can buy some fun and peppy quilts to add oomph to your bed. It’s hard to find such quilts online in Australia but beddingSquare.com.au is a perfect place to get best collection online quilts. Another online store in Australia which sells quilts online in best price and quality is IZZZ.

Motivational Posters/Frames

Student life and motivation go hand in hand. It is the most clichéd way to decorate the dorm but you should get a poster or frame for your dorm as it will help during exams or bad days.

Cushions/Pillows for the floor

Since you want the dorm to be welcoming to your friends, setting up a sitting area on the floor with the help of cushions or pillows seem like a fun idea. You can get different ideas online depending on the available space in your room.

Fancy Alarm Clock

If you are a student, you should never underestimate the power of an alarm clock. You mobile phone can serve as an alarm clock too but the real thing is matchless. Also, a fancy alarm clock adds design personality to the area. You can get a vintage or digital clock for the side table in your room.