Missing: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

In a last-ditch effort at recovering this delicious precious Halloween treat, I'm putting out an APB:

I can't imagine what might have happened to poor Reese's. All I know is that I saw T lurking about in the kitchen on Thursday night.

I hoped to have a little craft project to share today, but I have two excited little girls in cat costumes, waiting to get to preschool and kindergarten for a costume parade and Harvest parties.

Stay safe tonight, and have fun...if you see Reese's send him back home to me. {wink}

More Highlighted Links--Share Your Best Post!

Good morning, friends! If you're here to link up to Weekend Bloggy Reading, it's open for new links until 10 pm (ET) tonight. Please share your best post of the week with us...crafts, recipes, home decor, book reviews--all kinds of posts are welcome.

I also like to Feature bloggers who not only have great projects, but who also take the time to  link back to me within their post(s). I add many of these Features to Pinterest, so there's some extra incentive to be a gracious blogger and add a link back to this party.

Here are a few links from Weekend Bloggy Reading that caught my eye!

~Pink and Black Nursery

~Chair Makeover

~Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

~Fall Pottery Barn-style Vignette

~Pretty Fall Tablescape/Bridal Shower

~Upcycle Sweater to Infinity Scarf

~Pumpkin Phyllo Tartletts

~Savoring Your Marriage

*For even more fabulous inspiration, don't miss out on today's edition of The Best of the Blogosphere at Centsational Girl! Kate and I teamed up this weekend to share some of the blogosphere's finest links of the week. Did we feature you?

*Please, if you haven't already, take a few moments to visit a few of the other links from the party if you linked up this weekend. I love hosting, and I love commenting on posts...but it's no fun for anyone if we just have stale links sitting around. Get out there and find some fun reads! {wink}

Did I feature you today? If the answer is "yes," feel free to grab this button for your sidebar!

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Enjoy your Sunday!

Highlighted Weekend Links-- Share Your Best Post!

Happy Saturday! Are you enjoying your weekend? Please pop in to link up YOUR best post of the week at my Weekend Bloggy Reading party. Open for new links until Sunday at 10 pm (ET).

All kinds of posts are welcome: We have recipes, home remedies, room makeovers, crafts, fashion advice, book reviews, and more! The code for the button is near the end of this post.

There are a lot of fabulous posts this weekend! If you haven't yet, please be sure to visit some of the other links from the party and say a quick howdy to those who have taken the time to visit you. That's how a good blog party works--lots of participation. Otherwise we just have a bunch of stagnant links, and that's no fun for anyone!

I'd also really appreciate it if you'd take the time to link back to me within your post(s)...I like to return the favor by Featuring the bloggers who follow through with good old fashioned blogging etiquette!

Keep reading to see just a few of the posts that caught my eye so far:

~Yellow Iron Bed

~Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup with Sweet Potato Biscuits

~Playroom Gallery Wall

~DIY Tabbed Back Curtains

~Wile-e-Coyote Dog Costume

~Making Time for Your Kids

So, what did you have up your sleeve this week? Come by and share it with us here! Be sure to check out some of the other bloggers' work too. Here's the button in case you'd rather use that than a link back.

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I'm working at commenting as well as balancing my family and fun time this weekend...thanks for your patience!

If I've featured you, feel free to snag this button for your blog:

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I'll be back tomorrow with more Highlights...there are so many great ones to choose from!

::Weekend Bloggy Reading:: Link Up!

Welcome to Weekend Bloggy Reading. I hope you'll link up your best post of the week today, and maybe leave me some comment love!

All kinds of posts are welcome--recipes, crafts, funny stories, home decor, etc.; but please do not link to Etsy shops, businesses, items for sale, etc. (I have a Sponsors section, if you'd like to Advertise with me.)

Here are a few of my faves from this week:

sources listed below

~Visit Kate for tips on Holiday Housekeeping

~Love this Chalkboard Play Table!

~ Sarah's Halloween Mice Silhouettes are baaaaack...and they have some bling this time.

~Swooning over Kim's Entry Built-Ins.

~And Me? This week featured:

• Paper Towel Roll Party Favor
• My Fancy Nancy-style Makeover
• Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
• Testing my willpower with Halloween treats

Time to link up your best post of the week. Please remember that this party is dedicated to showcasing your best post of the week--we've had some issues with people linking up 10 or more posts each week, and some of them for multiple weeks in a row. Maybe you posted 10 times this week and they are all fantastic, but if you could pick just one or two to share, that would be great!

Rules:

• Please link back to me within your post. I will not feature your link if you don't link back to me.
• No items for sale, shops, etc. and please don't link up the same post week after week. 
• Please visit some of the other links--that's how a good blog party works--participation!

Here's the button code if you'd prefer to use that rather than a text link-back:

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Party is open until 10 pm (ET) on Sunday night.

What are you up to this weekend?

I hope to be back tomorrow with some highlights from Weekend Bloggy Reading!

(This Code is for blogs featured today!):

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Paper Towel Roll Party Favor

Today is filled with kindergarten drop-off, Bible study, kindergarten pick-up, and a trip to the Richmond airport to meet my sister and niece. I was hunting for a post to share with you today, and realized that I never posted this Paper Towel Roll Party Favor that I shared last Fall at Infarrantly Creative. Great for birthday party goodies, you could easily customize it to fit any holiday theme! I love thrifty party favors.

Today's craft starts with a paper towel roll.

(Crickets chirping) Did I lose you yet? I promise it gets better!

I laid the roll on some 12 x 12 scrapbook paper and cut it to fit the length and enough to go around and just barely overlap on the seams. Some good old Elmer's glue held the paper down just fine, but I placed a strip of Scotch tape on the bottom seam for extra hold.

I inked the edges of the tube with blue ink to coordinate with the paper and then hot glued one end shut.

After filling the favor with treats, I hot glued the other end shut and got to work on some embellishments. I lost my acrylic crown stamp, so I had to draw that on. If you are organized, you could just not lose your stamp and use it, unlike some people.

I closed the other end a different way to see which look I liked better. You can decide for yourself.

I love embellishing stuff.

I had some solid colored papers, clear acrylic stamps, and gift ribbon in my craft stash, so I used those to layer and make a little extra "fluff" for the favor.

I used some scrap paper to make a "ring" to go around the roll:

Viola!

Again, these would be great for just about any holiday party. Preschoolers everywhere would love you, and you can't beat the price! These didn't cost me a dime.


Linking to Tatertots and Jello

Trick? Or Maybe Just Treat?

Will I or won't I bust open one of those bags before the 31st rolls around?

I can say with 99% certainty that T will be unable to resist the glorious lure of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I will feign righteous indignation when I catch him with an open bag, and when he is not looking, I will swipe a mini Hershey bar.

I must know...What kind of Halloween candy do you love to treat yourself to?

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I guess that pretty much all of the recipes I share here could have "easy" or "simple" in the title, but I'm just in that stage of life where easy and simple makes it easier to get done. I've had fun updating some of the older blog recipes with new photos and updated notes...so I thought I'd share one for Easy Chicken Enchiladas today.

My friend Kim submitted it to our MOPS cookbook, and it is one I love to share when we have family over! I like that I can limit the cheese on one side for picky picky T, and load it up on the other side for us regular folks. {wink}

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Here's what you'll need to get started:

Ingredients:

• 1 can cream of chicken soup (Use 2 cans for thicker enchiladas)
• 1/2 c. sour cream (I used Fat Free)
• 1 T. butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped (I always forget the onions, so I used minced onions from the pantry)
• 1 t. chili powder
• 2 c. chicken, cooked and chopped
• 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes, Mexican style (this is my addition)
• 8 flour tortillas
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. In a small bowl, mix the soup and sour cream; set aside.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add onion and chili powder sauce and sauté until tender.
3. Stir in chicken, chili peppers, half of the tomatoes, and 2 T. of soup mixture and stir until heated through (I added more soup mixture to thicken it up a bit)
4. Spread 1/2 c. of the soup mixture on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

5. Spoon 1/4 cup of chicken mixture on each tortilla.
6. Roll tortillas and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
7. Cover with remaining soup mixture and tomatoes, and sprinkle with cheese.
8. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Even T, who has the refined palate of a two year old, asked for seconds. We served them with Mexican rice and took order for refried beans, since not everyone was a fan.

The verdict on our meal? Excellente!

Linking to Beauty and Bedlam, Home Stories A to Z

I Got a Makeover, Fancy Nancy Style

I wasn't planning on getting a makeover. But the girls were so excited about making me beautiful, that I had to relent. They love the Fancy Nancy series, and Ooh La La! It's Beauty Day! happens to be a current favorite. I sat in the kitchen and Pinned stuff on Pinterest while the girls prepared their day spa with some of my old make-up, and finally they were ready to receive clients.

It took a lot longer for the girls to complete my make-up application than I thought it would. I guess I needed a lot of work done. They used 3 headbands, a bunch of blush, and pulverized my eye shadows into dust. Then they pronounced me "fabulous." I'll let you be the judge...

I realize that to some people, I might look like a junkie who got loose on the Cover Girl aisle at Wal-Mart, or Jem, or a zombie; or maybe the blue streaks look like someone beat the h-e-double-hockey-sticks out of my face with a baseball bat.

But they thought I looked fantastic.

They followed up my beauty treatments with "spa food" (ice water and chocolate covered graham cracker bites). Frankly, I was just happy I didn't have to get the snacks myself.

And then we had magazine time with 2 year old magazines that Natalie found in my donate stash. It was very relaxing, as you can see.

And when spa time was over, they took me into the other room and presented me to T, who had the good sense to feign delighted shock. He later whispered that I looked like a really drunk hooker. I would usually take offense to that kind of talk, but he did have a point.

And I wore my new look for the rest of the day.

Only I didn't go outside.

If you see me sporting this hot new look next summer at the Haven Conference, I'll be sure to pass along my new beauty tips. In fact, I may just see if the Haven girls will let me run my own DIY Beauty workshop.

I bet you'd all sign up for it. Right?