Bloggy Business and A GIVEAWAY!!

The weekend off was great! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is recovering from the weekend eat-a-thon. We had a wonderful visit with Big Daddy's family, I love those people! I am trying to catch up with my blog reading. So I am sure i will be by to see you soon.

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So on to Monday's Bloggy Business...

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I think it is time for another Giveaway!!

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I know I am so cool like that. You. Are. Welcome. As with all of my giveaways you are going to LOVE this one. Just in time for the holidays a Cook Book, but not just ANY cook book it is a "Lose Weight Feel Great" cook book on a CD filled with wonderfully delicious recipes that, according to its creator Jeannie from Jeannie's Happy World, even people who "burn water" can make. Jeannie Says " I have sold over 400 copies so far and everyone has been so happy with it!! Whether you want to lose 10 lbs, 100 lbs, or you just want eat healthier....I can help! Broken down with helpful information and sections for Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Dinner and Desserts with hundreds of recipes! You will never feel hungry....or deprived! Even if you "burn water" in the kitchen, you can easily make anything in my cookbook!! This cookbook is on CD, which you can use as a desktop reference or print out and put into a binder (which is what I did!). Compatible with either Mac or PC!!"

Jeannie's Lose Weight Feel Great Cook Book retails for $25 you can enter to WIN one by:

1. leaving a comment here.
2. visiting Jeannie @ Jeannie's Happy World to say hello
and BONUS
2 extra entries for linking this contest on your blog!
3 extra entries for following me (don't forget to grab my button)

yep...that's a total of 6 possible entries to totally up your chances to win this fun prize!!

AND Those AWESOME SITS girls are up to it again...they are hosting a Merry SITSmas marathon....find out how you can join the SITStahood by reading this first. THEN get ready for a whole lot of fun...they are giving away a prize EVERY hour!! Fun right?!



AND...

One of my blogging buddies in Germany Blogging Mama sent me some Good Mail. She sent a beautiful German Christmas card and a darling star ornament for my tree.

she wrote a really sweet note (clickety to biggify)
Thank you Blogging Mama I just LOVE Good Mail, it was VERY sweet of you to think of me and send me some love all the way from Germany!!

Are you on MY Good Mail list? Am I on YOURS?!? Exchanging Good Mail makes me HAPPY...it just feels so good to send a little love out and make someone smile!

And Finally this weeks Dandelion Wishes Bloggy Goodness Award recipients. Some new followers of Dandelion Wishes : Kinzerella, The Purple Door, Lis Loves, A Tale of Magical Memories, thatssogod, All Rolled Into One and Seriously TinaMarie. Grab the code, spread the love!

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Happy Thanksgiving

So much to be thankful for starting with these two!!

WordFUL Wednesday: IT'S HERE!!!!!

Remember when I sent THIS little bit of goodness off a few weeks ago? Well THAT was a lot of fun to gather and send off to my Swap Partner NikkiCrumpet. Really, it was. But OH Heavenly Day when the box of HER favorite things arrived things got even MORE fun! Look at all of this AWESOME stuff....
isn't this box darling?!
This S-O-F-T comfy cozy ZEBRA print throw was inside!!
another adorable box is filled with YUMMY chocolate!
a few little bits of Clinique...I remember the days when I could afford this, the days before I became a mom and started spending all of my money on my kid. Nikki's kids are all grown now, this little bit of goodness reminds me MY day will come again...but I am not in a hurry!
a new book....funny story, Big Daddy picked it up and read the cover "We have your wife. you can get her back for 2 million cash" and then he looked at me and said, "Beautiful, I hate to tell you this but, you would be screwed!!" So promise me something; IF I am ever kidnapped and my darling hubz puts up a link for donations, PLEASE spare a few bucks for your girl, OK!?

Thank you sooooo much Nikki I looooooooooooove everything you sent me. You have some fabulous favorite things!! I really enjoyed sending you some of my faves and truly loved getting yours. You. Are. A. Doll.

So a lot of people are emailing me asking when I am going to host the next Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap. I am planning on doing another in Feb. or Mar. or maybe even both. This was a major undertaking to organize and I learned a few things along the way. But the bottom line is I loved all of it...even the stressful few minutes here and there. It has been so fun popping over to each of the participants blogs and seeing what then sent and received. The excitement and JOY that came from this and was spread through out the blogsphere was incredible. If you are a new reader of Dandelion Wishes you can catch up on all of the Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap posts by clicking the Bloggy Business button under my header!

I have something equally FABULOUS coming up in January. You will NOT want to miss it! If you are not already following my blog, get on up there and clickety to follow. Trust me, fun stuff on the horizon!

I am moving Mr. Linky here so swappers don't have to dig for it anymore and so that y'all can bask in the awesomeness that is Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap. Mr. Linky has been on the blinky..so if you signed in before and don't see your name now, please add it again. It wasn't me, I promise. Poor Mr. Linky!

Mr. Linky is for Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap ONLY...you can link up to WordFUL Wednesday HERE

Swappers...if you could just take a minute to share a little bit about your Swap Experience in the comments I would really appreciate it. Would you do another swap? Would you suggest your friends do it? What was the best/worst part of doing it? Is there anything you would have changed or done differently? Anything else you would like to add?!

more wordful wednesday click the button

Cooking with Jordan! #15 Chicken Pot Pie on the Fly

Time for another episode of Cooking with Jordan. You can view earlier episodes by clicking on these links Preview, One Dish Mexican, Grilled Chicken, Cooking(?) with Daddy, Tortellini Soup , Teriyaki Chicken, Buffalo Chicken Bites, Parmesan Chicken Pasta With Broccoli, Garbage Casserole, Cheeseburger Pie, Golden Crusted Chicken Asparagus Lasagna, Baked Rigatoni, Tuna Noodle Casserole, BBQ Beef Crumble, Feel Better Chicken Noodle Soup and Faux Sushi. The whole point of the cooking lessons for J is to show her some basic easy meals, teach her how to plan a menu, learn how to follow a recipe and help her become more comfortable in the kitchen...this is not anything totally gourmet or culinary school worthy. We hope you enjoy Cooking With Jordan and try these recipes with your kids. They are totally J approved!

Today's recipe is Chicken Pot Pie on the Fly. This is 100% a pantry, fridge and freezer recipe. It is seriously nothing fancy and something the kids will love.

Chicken Pot Pie on the Fly

press refrigerated pie crust in bottom of dish
drain and add canned chicken (season with salt and pepper)

1 can of cream of celery soup (J thought this was yucky looking)

add one can chicken broth to celery soup mix well

add 5 heaping spoon fulls of flour to soup mix blend well

blend mix blend mix and be sure to smile!

cover seasoned chicken with frozen stew veggies

season up the soup mixture with garlic salt

and lots of pepper...the more the better...mmm

pour seasoned soup mixture over veggies and chicken

cover pie with crust, pinch those edges

cut vents (Jordan added a J and some hearts)

bake at 350 for an hour

serve it up and enjoy

Chicken Pot Pie on the Fly
1 can cream of celery (or mushroom or chicken whatever you have is fine)

1 can chicken broth

1 bag frozen stew veggies

1 refrigerated pie crust

3 cans of chicken

5 heaping spoon fulls of flour

garlic salt

black pepper

Bloggy Business

Happy Monday Y'all! How was your weekend? I am not a Twilight junkie like a lot of you out there but I was hoping that the movie would live up to your expectations (cuz i am sweet like that). I am sorry to read that most of you were disappointed. Bummer! Well, at least you have your imaginations and maybe the money they made off of this movie will be put to good use making something that will exceed your expectations...if y'all decide to give it another chance, and if they make a second movie.

I am going to just jump right into bloggy business because my reader is in the triple digits. I am going to spend a little time reading this morning and trying to catch up on all of your bloggy goodness.

I have a few awards to give out....

Queenie Jeannie from Jeannie's Happy World awarded me with this preeeeeetty award (not exactly grammatically correct, but hey who am i to talk?). It is one i haven't seen before, so I am super excited. I am passing it on to SuperCoolHotMama, Kelly, The Adams Family, and All That and a Waffle.
Y'all know i love comments and i have been basking in the L-O-V-E as of late...so the Dandelion Wishes Super commenter Award goes out to just a few of my ever so faithful commenter's: One Crafty Mama!,Wandering DC,common mom, jori-o,mommy's take on things, and That's What Shar Said. Thanks for all of the great comments ladies...pass this super cute award on to all of the people who make your day leaving you love on your blog!
The Dandelion Wishes I BIG Red Puffy Heart your blog award goes to a few of the blogs i just recently started following: Trish Wish, StampinMom, Our Lives - in a Nutshell, our piece of quiet, Mommatudes, Hey Bezy..., Escape Into My Thoughts,JohnDeereMom and Blah, Blah, Blah, blog. It's been so much fun reading your blogs...pass this award on to some of the blogs YOU big red puffy heart!
And finally the Bloggy Goodness Award winners this week are: All That and a Waffle, Forgetfulone, Eat at Home, L I F E S O N G and MISS PICKLE. Spread the love girls, pass this one on to a few of your favorite blogs!

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If you aren't following Dandelion Wishes you might want to start. I am having an awesome GIVEAWAY next Monday and you don't want to miss it!
Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap swappers, please scroll down to sign in to Mr. Linky once you receive your packages and have blogged about it.

Open Letters

pssst scroll down for Photo Story Friday toooooo!!

Those super cute SITS Girls have decided to have a little Friday Link Up Fun. Today's prompt was "Open Letters". Mamarazzi has gone through her archives and has dug up a couple open letters from the past to share with you. You. Are. Welcome. Go read more Open Letters HERE.

Dear Girl who should NOT be cutting hair,

I want to thank you for taking a half hearted look at the picture i gave you for the style i wanted and then giving me a TOTALLY different, and not at all cute, hair cut. I realize that you use scissors to do your job and not a magic wand. This is why the picture i gave you was of ME with a haircut that i liked, not a picture of some Victoria Secret Super Model...the hair that i truly covet.

Even though Rachel's haircut on Friends was like super cute in 1995, and i truly wanted it i knew it was not a good look for me, so i never asked for it. So i am wondering, since i did not ask for The Rachel Cut and it is no longer 1995 why on earth did you cut my hair like this?
I am not happy, it WILL take more than a week to get use to it....and this is not helping my self esteem in the slightest!

Sincerely,
a little less cute

(PS my hair has finally grown back, See The Mess Here, things are much better now)


Dear Pampered Chef Apple Slicer,

I love your sharpness and the way you cut through apples with ease. I love the way you have perfectly sliced and cored apples in our home since I purchased you last July (thanks for talking me into it Meg). I love being able to send perfectly sliced and cored apples in Jordan's lunch every day. I really love that most of the time it is Paul who uses you with such precision and grace. But yesterday, when it was me making J's lunch for the day and the very last bit of the apple got stuck i did not like that you decided to slice a huge chunk out of my thumb, and i mean a chunk...as in all the way off, with no chance of stitching to repair. I did not like how i just bled and bled and how much pain i have been in ever since. I don't like how every time i go to change the band aide on my thumb that it removes the scab and starts bleeding all over again. I do realize my darling Pampered Chef Apple Slicer that there is such thing as user error...however, this REALLY sucks. A lot. My thumb seriously hurts. A lot.



Sincerely,

Girl typing with a serious "limp"

PS i will not be using you anymore. I realize you and i are not a good match...it's not you, it's me.

EDITED to ADD...

Dear Auto Start Player,

Why? Why must you auto start? Why can't you respect my bloggy audio space? You startle me. You annoy me. You often make me search all over the place to turn you off. If you must Auto Start, can't you hang out at the top where I can find you? I should have a choice to listen to you, right? I love reading my friends blogs, love it, but you are making it a far less enjoyable thing for me. Yes YOU! You, Auto Start, are annoying. Especially when one of my bloggy friends has posted a video and the two of you are playing at the SAME TIME. Please for the love of all bloggy goodness stay on pause. Give a girl the freedom of choice. It's the polite thing to do.

let's be Friends,

Easily Overstimulated


Dear Word Verification,

Are you REALLY necessary? Really? Sometimes after i take the time and care to leave a brilliant, inspired and most often funny comment you decide to make me type crazy words several times. I just want to leave some love for my friends. Why must you make it so difficult?!

Not loving YOU,

Mamarazzi

Photo Story Friday #18

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

The girl loves to read. Hallelujah!! It took a while. Mandatory 30 minutes a night for homework helped. Seeing her daddy and I read "for fun" helped. FINALLY, she found a series of books she loved. THEN she found the Traveling Pants books and zipped right through them. When the electricity went out not too long ago, she read by candlelight, for fun. Reading for FUN!! She decided she wanted to start the Harry Potter series. She started the first book tonight. It was time for bed, "Thirty more minutes? I just got into it." YES...for reading 30 more minutes is fine with us!! Don't tell her but we would have let her have an hour. Who needs sleep? She is reading for FUN!! Can I get an Amen? The fun thing for ME has been reading all of the books she is interested in BEFORE she reads them (checking for content, preparing myself for questions, making sure I am able to help with a book report...etc.). I LOVE being able to talk about the books with her. To see her excitement. To answer her questions and to tease her when she asks what is coming up next. No spoiler alerts here darlin'.










Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap swappers, please scroll down to sign in to Mr. Linky once you receive your packages and have blogged about it.