Category: Blogging

You dear readers, are cordially invited to a rockin’ Twitter party hosted by Emily and me on Thursday night from 8-10 PM. “Why?” you ask, because you are intelligent and inquisitive readers. “I know you and Emily love to tweet all the live-long day, about what you’re doing, and where you’re going, or what you’re having for lunch, but why tweet in such an organized fashion?”

Well, I’ll tell you! We were inspired by these crazy little guys:

Littlest Pet Shop! Have you seen these bug-eyed, bobble-headed Hasbro toys? If you have a little girl, chances are your living room floor is currently covered with them! I have two nieces who have giant tackle boxes FULL of these l’il pets! (One of said nieces is getting a little OLD and I’m waiting for Sophie to inherit her Littlest Pet Shop collection *ahem hint cough*.) The fact is, little girls love to dress, play with and take care of these little pets. They love to put them down for naps, give them rides on their little skateboards, and swing them in their little pet swings! These little pets inspire lots of imaginative play – and most importantly, DO NOT SHED! 🙂

And now, they are going to star in their own awesome video game – Littlest Pet Shop Friends for Nintendo DS and Wii and Littlest Pet Shop Online from EA!

Now either online or on their favorite gaming console, your kiddos can REALLY expand their Littlest Pet Shop! (Without creating more mess on your living room floor! SCORE!)

To celebrate these new games, Emily and I are hosting a Littlest Pet Shop Twitter party. Come chat with us about your kids’ favorite Littlest Pet Shop toys, and you could win BIG! Here’s what we’ll be giving
away!

– TWO Nintendo DS Lite consoles (how COOL would your kids think you were if you won those!?)
– ELEVEN Littlest Pet Shop Friends games for Wii
– SIX Littlest Pet Shop games for DS
– 12 Littlest Pet Shop online 10-day premium trial codes

Here’s how to join in the fun!

Follow Emily and me on Twitter (@momminitup and @jennyitup) {although I am SURE you are already following us, because truly we are fascinating!} For winner announcements, follow our friend Liz, @LoveALizzard who will be helping us make sure all the lucky ducks gets their PRIZES! We also have two experts on the Littlest Pet Shop games to answer your questions – @EAPlay and @pwningbeauty so you will want to follow them as well!

To make following along easier, so you don’t miss a thing, I recommend partying with us on TweetGrid. Here’s a screen shot for you!

Just click on “Party” on the homepage and simply enter the hosts’ account info (for example @jennyitup, @momminitup) and the hashtag – which is #LPSGame.

The party starts at 8 PM EST THURSDAY 12/3 and will end at 10 PM EST! Hope to see you all there! It’s going to be a blast!

By now I hope you have all taken the time to visit my Uncle Paul’s FABULOUS blog, Redneck Latte Ravings. Today, Emily and I are proud to preset a guest post written by him with some of his famous & fabulous recipes. Since you will never see any fabulous recipes from either of us. *Ahem* and Uncle Paul is an awesome cook AND writer! Enjoy!

Some of the best memories I have involve food.
Me loves to eat.

But, me loves to cook as well.

Twas not always so.

I married into a family that can seriously cook.

My wife, Diane makes the best…well everything…but Peanut Butter Pie comes to mind, and Sloppy Joes, and Broccoli Ham Roll UPs, and Open faced egg sandwiches with Arugula, and on and on and on.

Some of the best times we’ve had are in the kitchen. We have fun cooking together.

But, we rarely agree, and we do things so differently.

She’s a very methodical cook, a builder, an engineer, a planner.

Me, I’m a combination of Paula Dean, Emeril and The Barefoot Contessa on Crack.

But it works.

I keep tellin’ her that we should try out for a cooking show…we could call it

“Bitchin’ in the Kitchen with Paul and Diane”.

She’s not too keen on the title, but really, it’s true!

So, why am I here? Jenny (my lovely niece) and Emily, (her lovely cousin, who’s not my niece) asked me to guest blog…something Moms would love and Dads and kids would wolf down.

So here goes.

My two favorite easy-peasy-just-so-pleasy recipes.

First.

UP’s Chili:

2 lbs ground beef (yes, you can use Turkey!)
1 medium onion, chopped (about a cup – but I no longer measure)
1 cup green pepper…chopped
1 cup celery…about two sticks…ok, the celery is muy importante…don’t leave it out.
2 15 and 1/2 oz. cans of RED kidney beans
2 16 oz cans tomatoes, cut up…you can food process them if you want…just not too long.
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic…use a press…mincing is messy and smelly
1 to1 and 1/2 tablespoons chili powder…for those of you in Texas, feel free to add more!
2 teaspoons salt…if you’re sodium free…leave it out

Cook beef, onion, green pepper, celery, unitl the meat is cooked and the veggies are tender.

Add beans…you can drain them, but I don’t…if you do, save the liquid…you might need it.

add everything else..cover and let simmer for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours.

Serve anyway you like it!

Cincinnati style
Over spaghetti
or Five way.

It’s your choice.

Believe me…they’ll love it.

and…you can make it for a cast of thousands. this recipe make about ten servings, just double it or triple it and keep on going. I once made it for 70 people.

Now, if you’re having an incredibly lazy morning and just don’t want to cook for the evening…try this one.

UP’s Zippy Beef Tips.

1 lb beef tips.
1 can Golden Mushroom or Cream of Celery Soup
1 Pkg of Lipton Onion Soup
1 SMALL can (you know the half size) of 7 UP, that’s right…I said it…7-UP…and yes, Jenny, Mountain Dew will work too.)

Dump it all in the crock pot, in the order listed above and cook on low all day.

Serve over noodles or rice…frankly, I like the fat egg noodles you get in Ohio better…you kids will love this…a friend of mine said her 10 and 12 year olds didn’t talk at dinner, they just ate!

Enjoy.

And remember, kitchen time doesn’t have to be Mom time…Do a Bon Jovi and Make A Memory!

_____________________
Thanks UP! You are a kitchen rock star!
Don’t forget to go visit Uncle Paul’s blog for more general awesomeness!

As I’m sure you’ve read, Emily and I like to hang out with a few awesome blogging moms who live here in our local area. We call ourselves the Big Deal Moms, because, we think we are as Ron Burgundy would say, “Kind of a Big Deal”. (Oh, and *maybe* because some of us are coupon/frugal bloggers.) Anyhoo, two of our group, the fabulous food bloggers Erin of $5 Dinners and Tricia of Once a Month Mom are both REAL pregnant right about now. And so, I decided that we needed to throw them a Big Deal Baby Shower!

I even COOKED, y’all. And used my FANCY CHINA and glassware and silverware. I don’t do that for just anybody!

(Thanks Tricia for the photos!)

After we stuffed ourselves with yummy food and cake (ok, fine, I bought the cake! Geez!) there were of course PRESENTS!!! When I told some great folks about the shower, they offered to send Erin and Tricia some items just to be NICE! Bethany from Little Peanut Originals sent Erin these amazing burp blankets:

They were so thick and sooo soft!

And she sent Tricia one of these great diaper totes:

Tricia received the one on the left (*cough*genderneutral*cough*), and I loved hers so much I went to Bethany’s Etsy shop and ordered the pink & orange polka dot one for a friend! These are the perfect little holder for your diapers and wipes. Throw it in your purse or diaper bag and go! Thanks, Bethany! She makes all kinds of great stuff including really cute Tooth Fairy Pillows for the older kiddos so check her out!

I wanted to get the girlies some great swaddling blankets, because I swaddling Sophie saved my sanity when she was little! Jill told me aden + anais had amazing swaddling blankets and they sent the girls each four for me to give them!

These are super-soft muslin blankets and the box even comes with swaddling instructions for the new parent. *Love* that!

We had a really great time at the shower. And both prego mamas looked GREAT! And I was quite disgusted by the fact that Erin, at 38 weeks pregnant, could wear these shoes, which my fat feet never would have fit in at that stage:

Thanks to all the Big Deal Moms who came to the shower and the great companies that sent gifts! Can’t wait to meet those Big Deal Babies!