First Anniversary Special

It’s my FIRST Tastefully Simple anniversary, so let’s CELEBRATE!

On September 27, I will have been a Tastefully Simple Independent Consultant for one full year!  It’s been great fun, and I’ve met some wonderful people.  To celebrate that, I’m going to offer the following special to all of you – 10% off of your product total if you order by 8pm on Tuesday, September 27^th!

Here’s what to do…

Check out my website at http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/ksatterfield, browse the online Fall-Winter catalog, make a list of the products you need or want, then…

Email your order in to me before 8 pm on Tuesday, September 27 at k.satterfield@gmail.com to receive a 10% discount on your product total (not shipping).  I will then email you back with a secure link to process your debit or credit card, or we can make arrangements if you would prefer to pay by cash or check.

The same time frame applies if you’d like to call me with your order at (402)217-5617.  Leave a message that includes your name, call back number, items you’d like to order, and your email address. ^R

PLUS, the first person to book a party (taste-testing, catalog, or online) will receive FREE shipping on their host order! ^R

^ROnline website orders DO NOT qualify because I cannot alter the total on your cart with your discount.

^ROrders related to Taste-testing Parties, Catalog/Online Parties, and/or Fundraisers DO NOT qualify. 

^RParties already scheduled are not eligible for this offer.

I must have your order no later than 8:00pm to qualify for this special.  Your order can be shipped directly to your house in about 7-10 days, so even if you’re out of town/state, you can benefit from this sale.  If you pay by credit card, I can process your order immediately!

Please feel free to pass this offer on to your friends and family who do not already have a Tastefully Simple Consultant!  Thank you!

P.S.  We are currently running an incredible incentive for signing up to become a consultant - it runs through the end of September.  Tastefully Simple has also added a bonus host incentive – different each month – in addition to the free products you have always been able to earn as a host!

After some time off...

It's true - I took a large chunk of the summer off from TS and blogging.  At the end of June, I cut my hours WAY back at my job, so spent the rest of the summer enjoying the new free time with the kids and friends.  I actually went to Las Vegas for the first time with three of the most AMAZING women best friends a girl could have.  We had a fantastic time.  It was also my first plane flight, but that wasn't bad at all.

Anyway, this morning I just created a recipe I'm going to call "Kolette's Fancy Restaurant French Toast".  For the first time, spur of the moment recipe, it was fantastic!  I hope you agree...

You'll need:

3 large eggs

About 1/8 cup of milk 

           (like most cooks, I don't really measure this stuff when I'm making it... Use your judgement!)

About 1 tsp TS Warm Up Mulling Spice

About 1/2 tsp vanilla

10 slices of French bread

TS Creamy Caramel Sauce

Optional: butter, powdered sugar

In a small flat bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, Mulling Spice, and vanilla.  Coat each side of bread and cook in a skillet on medium high heat.  You know, like you do with French toast!  Once all slices are cooked, put two or three slices on your plate, and the plates of whomever you are sharing with.  I topped mine with a small amount of real butter first, then drizzled Creamy Caramel Sauce over them, then sprinkled with powdered sugar.  It really did look like the French toast I recently had at a wonderful restaurant here in Lincoln.  All it was lacking was the strawberries!  And the taste is GREAT!

That's my recipe.  Enjoy!

After I finish this blog, I'm going to head over to the recipe section of tastefullysimple.com and submit my recipe!

July is almost over...

And I've managed to skip almost two months on my blog. *sigh* Such is life, though.

Today's blog is going to have a recipe, both the original and my tweaks. The original came from a recipe booklet my mom gave me - "Fast & Fresh Pasta."

Mexican Manicotti

Ingredients:

12 uncooked manicotti shells

1 lb lean ground beef

1 (6oz) can tomato paste (the original recipe calls for
     specific brands, but since I didn't pay attention to
     that, I'm omitting the brands here)

1 package (1 oz) taco seasoning mix

1 package (3 oz) softened cream cheese

1 egg

1 1/2 cups sour cream

2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can (8 oz) diced green chiles

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I left this out)

1.) Heat oven to 350.  Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.  Rinse WELL with cold water and drain WELL.  In a 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked; drain.  Stir in tomato paste, taco seasoning mix, and 1 1/2 cups water.  Cook over medium heat until hot and bubbly.
2.) Mix together cream cheese, egg, sour cream, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, chiles, and 2 TBSP of cilantro. Spoon about 1 cup beef mixture into bottom of baking dish. Spoon about 3 1/2  TBSP mixture into each pasta shell, and place in baking dish.  Top with remaining beef mixture.
3.) Cover and bake 40-45 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake 5 minutes longer. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro before serving.

We tried this recipe pretty much as written.  I left out the egg as it always makes me uneasy mixing raw egg with soft cheeses (I always wonder if the egg got cooked enough - ick!), and I didn't use the cilantro.  It was pretty bland, and the filling left something to be desired, both in flavor and consistency. So...  the changes I've made...

14 uncooked manicotti shells (because that's the size off all the packages of manicotti
           shells I've found, plus it gives you a few extras if you get broken ones)
1 lb fajita chicken pieces (I get this in the quick meals area of the cold case)
1 8oz container cream cheese (I like the garden vegetable flavor, or to make it TS, I'm
           going to try using a Tempting Taco Cheese Ball)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 8oz can diced green chiles
1 package Taco Blend shredded cheese (about 2 cups in a package)
1 15-16oz can enchilada sauce (I use mild, but use the heat you like.  I'm feeding
           four picky children!)


1.) Heat oven to 350.  Spray a 13x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Cook the manicotti shells as directed, rinse and drain well.
2.) In a large bowl, chop chicken pieces.  Smaller pieces are easier to fit into the shells.  Once chopped, add cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, green chiles, and about 1 cup (half the package) of shredded cheese.
3.) Pour in enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of baking dish.  Spoon chicken mixture into shells and place in baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce.
4.) Cover and bake for about 40 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining cheese, and bake 5 minutes more.


Let me know how your manicotti turns out, should you decide to make it!

So, last week went well.  I did my audition, didn't get cast, but that's ok.  My first audition in about 15 years, so just doing it was a bit of a WIN for me.  There are a few shows on the next season schedule that I plan to audition for, so having this one under my belt is good, too.

I tried a new recipe from a cookbook my mom gave me - Fast & Fresh Pasta.  I made the Mexican Manicotti.  It was alright, but nothing that blew my mind or anything...  So, I bought the stuff to make it again with a few changes in the recipe, hoping I can improve it.  Of course, there will also be the addition of some TS products, because why wouldn't there be?

Got the kids signed up for summer reading at the public library, and signed myself up, too.  They're off to a great start with their reading minutes or pages, depending which age group they are in.  I've already finished one book, too, so that's great.

And in other exciting news, Sarah and Cris are coming to see me!  If I have any readers, I'm sure most of them don't really care whether Sarah and Cris come to see me or not, but I'm excited.  We haven't seen each other in way too long!

Needless to say, I'll be busy this week and next weekend.  I have to do some baking, finish a gift, work on some stuff for the craft show, read a book, take the kids to the library, work at the theatre 2 nights this week, watch my nephews three days this week...  Then I get to hang out with my friends, probably drink too much, and have a great relaxing time.  I am SO looking forward to that!

Wish Me Luck

So, today is a day of note for me.  Although it has nothing to do with Tastefully Simple, or even the kids or my other job...

Tonight, I audition for the Lincoln Community Playhouse.

I know, not really that exciting for most of you.  However, as someone with a BA in Vocal Music with emphasis in performance, I'm rather excited to finally be using my degree for something!  Plus, it would just be AWESOME to get cast.  I would complete freak out!

So, as the title says...  Wish me luck!

The end of school approaches...

And I'm torn between being excited because all this stuff we've had to do to finish up the school year will be done...  And being very unexcited, as that means I'll have 4-6 kids running around my house every day.

Not that I don't want my kids (or my nephews) here.  They just get so used to the school year routine, and by the time we have a summer routine that doesn't drive everyone nuts, it's time to go back to school!  It's kind of a vicious cycle.

Anyway...  Aside from the end of school, things are going well.  I consulted for two Tastefully Simple parties last week.  Both were a lot of fun, and were friends of mine, so that always makes it even more enjoyable.  Lots of great ideas thrown out, lots of new things to try in my own kitchen, and some new people I got to meet that were a lot of fun.  One of the ladies I met is from my hometown area of Nebraska, and worked with my uncle for 19 years.  So, she knew all kinds of things about me and my family.  Kind of fun to talk about Haigler and Benkelman.

That's about all I have to report.  No great new recipes, although I have one brewing in my head right now.  I'll let you know if I make it, and how it turns out.  It starts with TS Nana's Apple Cake Mix.  That's all you get for now.  :)

Yet again, why I don't make resolutions...

As you can see, there is a reason I don't make resolutions.  I really don't keep them.  I kind of forget to try.  It's crazy.

Anyway, life, life, life, more life going on here.  January was a good TS month for me, February was an awful TS month me, March was my best month to date, April I took off from TS (without really intending to, but hey...), and May is going pretty well.  I had an open house for Cinco de Mayo with 8 of my own recipes made with TS products, an assortment of TS frozen drinks, and just a good time.  I had my second party of the month tonight, and it went VERY well.  Shaina and her family are wonderful hosts, and I always have a great time.

I have one more party this week, and I think it will be GREAT!

My next question - have you had a Tastefully Simple Party?  Would you like to try some great food that's easy to make and spend a few hours hanging out with friends?  June is a FANTASTIC month for hosts! Comment or email me to find out the details.  You can earn some AMAZING extras, plus there is a random drawing that could get you $116 in FREE Tastefully Simple Spring-Summer products.  All you have to do is host a party in June, and answer your phone during your party!  Really, it could be that easy!

Ok...  In other news, I've been working on some various crochet projects, including two sweaters for my 2 year old, two new purses for myself, several smaller purses for my daughters and their friends, a lacy looking vest for my mom, and I don't remember what else...  The vest for Mom is a pattern we found online.  One of the sweaters is an adaptation of the vest pattern, sort of...  The rest are all my own patterns.  Yeah, I'm crafty.

I also created three different versions of catalog envelopes/folders that I use to hold a Tastefully Simple catalog, order form, my business card, and any flyers with specials.  This keeps each packet together in my purse while keeping any "extras" out (like McDonald's receipts).  Then, after showing these creations to the rest of my TS Sponsor's team, I was asked to help host a "Craft Night" to teach them how to make them.  Awesome!

Another new happening - my husband is starting grad school on June 1.  Good for him.  He's been looking into it for a while, and has found a program he likes, a school that has a schedule that works with our life, and he qualifies for a variety of assistance programs since he is a disabled veteran.  Should be fun!  He and the kids can do homework together.

Well, I think that will do it for now.  I really am going to try to post more on here.  My goal is once a week to start with...  Keep your fingers crossed!

Happy New Year

Ok, so it's official.  I'm REALLY bad at this blog thing.  My last post was nearly two months ago.  Sadness.  But, new year means new resolutions and all that.  I'm not big on resolutions any more, as I've found that I don't keep them...  But, I will try to post on my blog more often!

Things that have happened in the last two months - Christmas, New Year's Eve, my son's birthday, Girl Scout Cookie sales, work, and a whole lot of other stuff!

Christmas was good.  We got an XBox360, the Halo Reach version, and lots of games and stuff for it.  Again, another huge THANKS to my friends Jarrod N and Ryan C for all their help with that.  Jarrod basically was Santa this year, in that he gave me a bunch of the games he had that he doesn't play anymore, and Ryan loaned us his Kinect for an extended amount of time while his xbox is being fixed.  Both just made my kids' holiday break, I must say!

New Year's Eve was a fantastically fun time!  We had a few people over, had some TASTY food (yes, a large amount of it was TS related! I'll get to that later.), and played on the Kinect.  Yep, the grown-ups played on it.  It was great fun, especially watching Amy & Rob box!  I really need to find the pictures from that!
Also, NYE is my son's birthday, so that was nice to have a few people over that he knows.  All the kids stayed up until midnight except the littlest one, which they love doing.  We forgot to get confetti this year, though, so they missed doing that, but I certainly didn't miss the clean up!

We had a sleepover for my son's birthday about a week after NYE.  He invited 4 boys from his class over for it.  Man!  Apparently, if 10 & 11 year-old boys are not sleeping, they are STARVING!  I swear, every couple hours from 5 until about 3am, they kept coming into the kitchen, asking for snacks, drinks, food of any kind...  Insanity!
While all those boys were playing video games, I took my daughters and one of their friends to see Tangled.  That is a cute movie!  We'll probably have to buy it when it comes out.  A nice twist on the traditional Rapunzel story, but nothing unexpected.  The girls all loved it!

And lastly, Girl Scout Cookies!  Both my older daughters are in Scouts this year, one a Daisy, and one a Brownie, and they just finished up cookie sales.  Both set goals of 50 boxes this year, since this is the first year we've done Scouts, and they are in the younger age range so GS discourages them from going door-to-door around the neighborhood since they are young.  So, mostly asking friends and family and Mom & Dad's coworkers.  But, on a completely awesome note, they both not only made their goals, but passed them by quite a bit!  77 & 78 boxes!  Next year, we'll have to shoot for 100!  But huge THANK YOUs to everyone that bought from us!  If we missed you this year, you can expect to hear from us next year, I'm sure.

Ok, now back to the NYE food...  There were a variety of usual snacks - chips, crackers, cookies, etc.  Our main course was homemade chili with some TS Onion Onion and Garlic Garlic in it and TS Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup.  We had a variety of "mix-ins" available for the soups, including ham chunks, bacon, cheese, crackers, and sour cream.  I also made some pizza bites, I guess we'll call them.  I took a can of croissants and separated them into rectangles, which I patted/rolled to make sure they were stuck together.  I cut each rectangle in half lengthwise and in thirds the other direction to get 6 smaller squares.  Pat those squares even flatter and larger, the place each into a greased cup on a mini muffin pan.  Press one pepperoni (or small Canadian bacon round) into each, top witht a small spoonful of the TS Italian-like cheeseball of your choice (I had a Bruschetta one still on hand, but I think the Cheesy Chive Warm Dip would also be a tasty choice!), a little shredded cheese, and another pepperoni on top.  Then pull the four corners up to meet on top, bake for about double the time on the croissant package, and serve warm.  They were a big hit!

I also made a really tasty dessert for Christmas Eve that I will be making again with a different filling.  Mix about 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 2 TBSP TS Warm Up! Mulling Spice into about 4 oz of softened cream cheese until well blended.  Separate one can of croissants and place them wide ends overlapping around a pie plate.  Do not roll them yet!  You should now have a kind of star shape.  Spread the cream cheese mixture around the wide ends of the croissants, but not into the center of the pie plate.  Top with sliced strawberries and kiwi (I chose these for the red and green, since I made it as a Christmas dessert), then roll the end points under the wide edge.  You should now have a wreath-looking shape, open in the middle.  Sprinkle the top with about 1 TBSP each sugar and TS Warm Up! Mulling Spice and bake as directed on croissant package, although you will need to bake a bit longer to get the croissants nice and golden brown.  Serve warm or cooled.  Tasty & pretty!

Ok, I think this one is long enough.  Enjoy!

Recap of Thanksgiving and what's for supper at my house...

Thanksgiving was fun.  We went to visit the extended family, saw my aunt's new house (very nice!), got to see lots of cousins I hadn't seen in a while, ate too much, watched football, did an early Christmas gift exchange, and hung out with my brother and his wife.  Oh, and all that was in three days!

My two contributions to Thanksgiving this year: with the help of the kiddos and Grandma, we made the place markers for the table, and I created my own recipe for a Tastefully Simple dessert!

The place markers were absolutely adorable - Oreo Turkeys!  In an after school craft class, one of my daughters made one, and we opted to make 30 for Thanksgiving.  I've found a pattern/recipe online here http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamakimi/2056437398/ that also has a great picture.  We added a toothpick with a paper name tag taped to it stuck in with the "feathers", and viola!  Place cards!

My Tastefully Simple dessert turned out AMAZING!  I'm calling it Nana's Apple Cake Extraordinare.
          Ingredients: (I doubled this, as I made mine for a large family gathering)
            TS Nana's Apple Cake Mix
            2 Eggs
            1 cup chopped apples
            1 cup halved fresh cranberries
            1/2 cup cinnamon chips
            1-2 Tbsp TS Warm Up Mulling Spice
            1/4 cup powdered sugar
            1 Tbsp milk

Combine first 5 ingredients.  Place in WELL greased 8x8 pan, sprinkle with Warm Up Mulling Spice.  Bake as directed Cake Mix package.
In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and milk to make icing.  When cake is done and cooled some, drizzle icing over top.  Serve warm or cold, as a dessert or a wonderful brunch coffee cake!

That brings us to supper at my house tonight.  I think I'm going to make chicken with TS Asian Honey Mustard Dressing in my crock pot this afternoon, make some rice later, add a few frozen veggies, and have a tasty Asian inspired dish that the kids will (hopefully!) eat.  I think it sounds great, but then, I am one of the adults in the house.  :)

Another few more happenings in the last couple weeks. My baby turned 2 the day before Thanksgiving.  She's getting so big!  I've consulted for a few more Tastefully Simple parties (I'm up to 7 now, with 2 more in Jan!), so that is going well.  Harry Potter 7 came out, so work at my real job has been crazy, and it's only going to get worse...

Did you know that Christmas Day is the busiest day of the year for movie theatres?  It's true, and I'll be working that day!  Maybe I'll see you there.

Working on supper already!

Happy Wednesday, all!
I'm feeling very accomplished at this point in the day.  I have placed the orders for the Tastefully Simple party I consulted for on Monday.  Hopefully, those orders will be shipped and delivered in time for Thanksgiving!
I just finished starting some pork chops for supper.  Stuck them in the crock pot with a small amount of water, salt, pepper, and some Backyard Barbeque Dip Mix from (you guessed it!) Tastefully Simple.  (My kids loved this dip mix at my last party as a hostess, so when I became a consultant and saw it on the clearance list, I stocked up!)  I'm going to let them cook all afternoon, maybe add a dash of Smoky Bacon Grill sauce later, and serve them with french fries and a veggie yet to be determined.

Now, to figure out what to have for lunch...

As for other things in my life, the kids are doing well, staying busy.  They start their next set of after school programs this week, so that will be fun for them.  Plus, we've had one Brownie Scout meeting this week, have a Daisy Scout meeting yet to come.  The Daisy Scout meeting is a field trip to my other place of employment, the movie theatre.  I get to take them on a tour, serve them popcorn, all kinds of fun stuff...  And, we'll get to laugh at all the people already in line for HP7 Part 1 - first screenings are a midnight.

Well, that's about it for now.  I think it's time to make some growled cheese sandwiches.

Absolutely Almond Joy Pound Cake

Happy November, everyone!
I've been a little busy with the kiddos, work, TS, and more work!  Plus, I've completely a few projects recently. I've made a few Halloween costume hats, a few other hats, wrote my own pattern for some AWESOME fingerless gloves, and did some cooking.  Oh, also in there, I had an Envy Purse Party (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lincoln-NE/ENVY-PURSE-PARTY/203797320615?ref=sgm) for which I made a few snacks and got a free purse just for hosting!

So, on the cooking front - tonight I made what I am going to call Absolutely Almond Joy Pound Cake.  It starts with (yes, you guessed it) Tastefully Simple Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix.  Prepare as directed. Pour into greased loaf pan.  Then I topped it with a generous drizzle of chocolate syrup (I think next time I will swirl it into the batter and then add chocolate chips on top), covered that with sliced almonds, and covered those with coconut.  Bake in a 325 degree oven for 55 minutes.  Cool, cut, enjoy!

Yes, this is very similar to the cupcakes I made last month.  However, I think this is easier to eat, and a MUCH faster prep time!  Today's was made in honor of my husband's birthday, which was yesterday.  We ran out of time to make a cake yesterday, what with life and all happening around us.  So, tonight I baked him this cake, which we are enjoying at 11pm while the kids are asleep.  They can have some tomorrow.

That's about it from here.  I will post my crochet pattern and pictures in the near future.  Some minor tweaking is still needed.

A great month so far!

Well, so far October has been a wonderful month for me!  I had my first Tastefully Simple tasting party with a wonderful host, Shaina.  It went really well, and Shaina earned $50 in free products as well as Fudgy Popcorn and White Fudgy Popcorn as part of the October Host Incentive!  Yeah for Shaina, and yeah for me!  Nothing like a great success to get you motivated to do more, right?

Also, we had pork chops on Wednesday night, baked with some Garlic Pepper and Smoky Bacon Grill Sauce on top.  Kids ate them pretty well, and Husband and I really enjoyed them.  That's the first time I've used the Smoky Bacon Grill Sauce, and it is tasty!  If Mary happens to read this, it would be wonderful on meatballs!  :)

In my other job, last night was insane.  Today is the release of Paranormal Activity 2, and we had advance showings last night.  One at 10pm, and THREE at midnight!  All of them sold out, as well as having several other movies do really well.  It was just insane and tiring for a Thursday night.  Buzz on the movie is that it's better/scarier than the first, so it will probably have some legs, and do really well for a while.  Especially this weekend and next.  My recommendation - if you plan to see it, get tickets early, get to the theaters early, and plan to stand in lines!

In other news, the last day of this month will be my husband and my 12th anniversary and our 14th anniversary.  Our 12th wedding anniversary, and the 14th anniversary of our first date...  Isn't that fun?  I think I'll take him out to a nice dinner, and maybe a movie.  Then we'll probably take the kids trick-or-treating.  Fun, fun!

It's been a while...

Sorry - it's been a while since my last post, but you know how life gets in the way of everything else!
We've been busy with Girls Scouts (Daisies and Brownies), trips to the Pumpkin Patches, work, more work, babysitting, and all the other stuff!
I made my super tasty chicken the other night - chicken breast topped with TS Backyard Barbeque Dip mixed with shredded Co-Jack cheese, and wrapped with ham.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.  The kids actually gobbled it all up!  You can do this with almost any of the TS dip mixes and get a tasty result!  The ham is even optional - I was just going for a twist on Cordon Bleu.  I've made it using Sundried Tomato Veggie Dip, and next on the list is Spinach & Herb Dip.  Serve with rice or whatever your choice of side dish is...  I'm thinking pasta alfredo.
My last TS Host Pack went out the door this morning - counting my husband's catalog party, that is 4 parties in October!  Yay me!  Off to a good start!  Lori is very excited for me!

I think that's it for now from me.  I have one home sick for a while this morning, so I'd better go deal with that.

IDEA WORKS!

So, I actually baked my Absolutely Almond Pound Cake idea...  Ready for this?

Mix up the cake mix according to the regular directions.  Now, I tried this two different ways, and the second one stays together better...

Spoon batter into mini muffin pan (with papers).  Top each mini with sliced or slivered almonds and coconut.  Bake in 325 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Once they come out, top with mini chocolate chips.  Let cool and enjoy!

OR -
Mix about 1 cup almonds, 1 cup coconut, and 1 cup mini chocolate chips into batter, and spoon into lined mini muffin pan.  Bake for 20 minutes in 325 degree oven.  Let cool.

Enjoy your Absolutely Almond Joy bites!

I have an idea...

I have an idea for a recipe involving Tastefully Simple Absolutely Almond Pound Cake.  Granted, I'm only thinking about this because I have some pound cake mix in my cupboard, but still...  However, it would require a trip to the store to get a couple of ingredients for the idea, and my baby is still sleeping.

And I have 47 billion other things to do, too!  Ok, maybe not 47 billion, but some days it feels like that.

Oh, so I almost forgot about my work story.  This is not from last night, but a while ago.

It was a day when I was managing by myself.  A guest knocked on the office door, which is unusual.  The staff has been told not to send people to the office without warning, and I received no warning.  However, I was on my way out of the office anyway, so just stepped out to meet him.  He was older than me, maybe in his 40s, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt with a faded blue design near the right shoulder.  To me, it looked faded from many washings, not the intentionally faded looking design on a new shirt.  There was a red spot on his stomach about the size of a 50 cent piece, obviously from him drinking either our fruit punch soda or fruit punch ICEE.
Anyway, I walk out of the office to meet him, and he says, "I got an ICEE from (employee name here) over there, and it was too full and got on my shirt.  What are you going to do about it?"
Huh?
"I'm sorry, sir.  I'm not sure I understand.  My concession person spilled the ICEE on you?"
"NO, she filled it too full and it dripped on my shirt.  It's ruined.  What are YOU going to do about it?"
I would like to take a second here to simplify a scientific fact - water (along with most liquids we drink) expands when it freezes.  I'm very sure that most of you know this already.  So, the water in an ICEE expands as it freezes.  Sometimes, it doesn't have room to expand while still in the enclosed machine, so it expands in the cup while or after it is dispensed.  So, we fill the cup to what we think is the normal level, and then the ICEE expands, and your cup in now somewhat overfull.  Meaning, we don't overfill it on purpose, but it's not always a predictable thing as to when it's going to expand.  Most people notice when they start to grab the cup that it's full and they should take a drink or two before trying to walk off with it.
"Sir, your shirt should not be ruined.  I've gotten ICEE on my clothes, the vending staff wears white tuxedo shirts, and it washes out well.  Your shirt should be fine."
*snicker* "Well, I hope so, but I still want to know what you're going to do about it."
"I'm sorry for your inconvenience, sir.  What would you like me to do?"  I nearly offered him the chance to strip off his shirt now - we do have a washing machine in the back room - so it could be washed right away.
"Well, you should do something since she ruined my shirt."
So, I offered him a movie pass, which of course, he took.

This was one of the days when I was just amazed by what people are willing to blame on other people, and what they are willing to complain about, or what they think is a valid reason to get something free from a business.

Another day...

Yes, I know that phrase usually ends with another dollar, but not so much today!  Although I am working on that, you know.  I've spent a good portion of the morning designing business cards that are super cute.  Now, if only I had a printer and some business cards to print!  Ha!

Really not a lot to blog about today.  Just trying to get some things sorted out, putting together a package for my mom (who incidentally is nearly as excited as I am for my TS business), debating about what to mix up for tomorrow, and thinking that there is more I should probably be doing.

Also, I have to work my second job tonight.  In case you haven't been counting, I have three, or maybe four.  Number one is primary caregiver to my children, number one A (or number two, depending on how you think of it) is childcare provider for my nephews, Number two is Assistant Manager at a multiplex downtown, and Number three is Tastefully Simple.

So, that being all spelled out, I have to work at the movies tonight, and tomorrow night, and Friday night, and Saturday, and all day Sunday.  But, you know, money...

Well, I think that's it for now.  Maybe I'll come home from work with good stories, and that will be fun to blog about.  Ooo, I just thought of a good one for another blog!

And the plans fall to the wayside...

Well, my fantastic baked chicken didn't happen tonight, due in part to Parent/Teacher Conferences.  On a good note, we did learn that all three of the kids are very well-behaved in school, and are doing very well.  No real complaints from any of their teachers or anyone.  Yay, kids!

So, since it is now almost 7 and supper is not yet on the table, and there is still instrument practice and homework to be done tonight, pizza rolls it is.  Faster than my trying to assemble and bake chicken, and it's what the kids wanted, or at least said they did.

*shrug* Baked chicken will happen at another time, though I don't really know when.  The rest of this week's evenings are booked with work.

Day 2 of Blog (or Day 8 of being a consultant)

Happy Tuesday!  Last night was my first team meeting with Tastefully Simple.  It was fun, but a bit overwhelming.  A lot of the people there have been doing this for quite a long time, so their ideas, while fantastic and very helpful, seem a little beyond my reach at this point.  But, it could happen!

So, plans for today include making more lapboards.  I made one yesterday, the prototype, and it turned out pretty good.  You can see it at the left.  The top is a zipper file folder with a smooth surface for writing.  Order forms and catalogs fit inside, and since it has a covered cardboard back, guests can keep it on their laps during a party, make notes on their order form, or complete their order form.  There's a pen loop and corner catch on the right side for note cards or a business card, maybe.  The covered back is just simple cotton.  It's a little more in depth than that, but I don't want to give away all my secrets!

I want to make a tweak or two on the remaining ones, but I'm hoping to get at least 4 more done today.  They will be a rainbow assortment of colors, which is why I chose the bright stripey ribbon for the pen loop and corner catch thing.  It will match the 5 colors I have!

Other plans for today - play with H.  I really love the days when it's just her and me!  Then, we pick up the other three from school, and things get chaotic again.  But, what did I expect with four kids, right?  It's alright, we generally enjoy the chaos, and the kids seem to be thriving.  The oldest, and my only boy, has his band instrument lesson during school today, and his first band practice this afternoon after school.  He is enjoying it a lot, which is fantastic.  Both my older girls can't wait for the next couple days when they start some fun classes in the CLC program, which is new to their elementary school.  I'm not sure what CLC stands for, but it's something about community learning - Community Learning Classes, maybe?  Anyway, one of them will be cooking, and the other is painting ceramics or some type of pottery.  They are both looking forward to it.

Also, concocting a new baked chicken recipe for supper tonight.  I'll have to blog later about how it turns out.  Hopefully, I finally end up with one the kids will eat, rather than just us grown-ups!

I think that's it for this morning.  Again, Happy Tuesday!

Well, here we go...

I've started a blog.  I know, I know, I'm YEARS behind the times.  Oh, well.  And this one will probably end up like others I've tried over the years in that I get busy with all the other stuff going on in our lives here, and it goes to the wayside until it disappears forever into the ether of "THE INTERNET."

Part of the reason for this new blog attempt is related to my new business venture.  I have recently become a Tastefully Simple Independent Consultant.  So, to keep people aware of what's going on with my business and my ideas and recipes, my husband decided I should have a blog.

So, this is my blog.  Life with kids, work, and Tastefully Simple.

On tomorrow's menu at my house - chicken breast pieces with TS Backyard Barbeque dip mix and mozarella cheese wrapped in ham and baked, probably rice, and green beans.  We'll see if the kids eat it!  I'll keep you posted.  :)