Have a Happy Halloween - from the Muppets!

Have a great evening with your family!

Giveaways on Other Blogs (10/30)

I know I haven't posted any great giveaways lately, but there are several I found this past week. It is always good to share, right?

There are a few great giveaways going on Our Ordinary Life. She is a fellow Oregonian with some great reviews and giveaways up just in time to help with those holiday gift decisions.

First off, check out the Leapfrog LeapPad Giveaway. Our family loves Leapfrog products and when I heard about this new product earlier this year, I knew it would be on my wishlist for the kids.

A kids answer to an iPad, handheld gaming system, and digital camera and video recorder all rolled into one.

The games my son has for his Leapfrog Explorer will also work for the LeapPad, but also has a tilt sensor for special games.

Yeah, I am drooling a little... Where was this when I was a kid?

Go enter the giveaway now. It is ending 10/31.




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Then check out her Playskool Poppin’ Park Elefun Busy Ball Popper Giveaway.

I know my kids just love their Busy Ball Popper, yes even 4 year olds fire it up every now and again. So I know they would love this cute little toy.

I love that this takes the same concept as the Busy Ball Popper, but makes it even more adorable and cleverly utilizes the ears and hands  in the design.

This giveaway ends 11/1, so go ahead and enter for your chance to win.


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Then head over to the 100 Acre Woods with this Winnie the Pooh Blu-Ray Giveaway. I know that Pooh bear was a big part of my childhood and I would love to share him and his friends with my children.

Who is your favorite character? I think it is hard for me to decide. I used to adore Eeyore and had a cute, but tail-less, stuffed toy of him growing up. I have no idea where his tail went. I don't every remember him having it! But, I have grown to love Tigger since my son is just like him.

Kristin has a copy to win over on her blog. This one is ending 10/31.

Creepy Crawly is Good at our #HEXBUGHalloween Party

I don't like bugs..

I do not want them in the house...

But, I will make an exception for the Hexbug Nanos!

Now, I have to tell you that I had heard about Hexbugs, but we didn't have any. I really wasn't sure what we were in for, but the party kit arrived and we were on our way to having a creepy Hexbug-Halloween!

An assortment of Nano Galileo Hexbugs, Nano Halloween Zombie bugs, 2 habitat sets and an elevation habitat set... as well as batteries and a few larvae bugs.

I was surprised at the Hexbugs. Surprised and intrigued. Watching them move around the track they looked very bug-like. The random, jolting movements were fun to watch and my kids were mesmerized. Once the lights went off both the sets and bugs glowed for even more fun. Oh, yeah. We are hooked.

 So, we invited our friends over with their children for a night of Halloween cookie decorating and bugs.

I loved that both the girls and boys were interested in the Hexbugs. There is so much energy in these little mechanical bugs and it mirrored the energy of our party guests.

The Limited Edition Hexbug Zombies were fun. Packaged in little coffins with exoskeletons on top of a normal Nano, they glow in the dark along with the track. Just perfect for some Halloween fun. Be sure to grab a few before they are all gone.

...and what about the cookies? Well, it was frightfully fun also. Yes, my son just went straight for the black

So what was our overall impression? Very favorable for these little guys. The Nanos were so cool, we have ordered a few of the original Hexbugs to play with. The Inch Worm should arrive any day and we are all excited to see how it moves.

For more information on Hexbug products, visit http://www.hexbug.com

Connect with Hexbugss on Twitter and Facebook.

*Disclaimer - I receive a products in order to throw my party and conduct an honest review from Hexbugs -Innovation First Labs, through my membership in MomSelect and  MommyParties. All opinions are my own.

"F" is for Food & Friday (10/28)

Welcome back to another Pinterest installment. This may be a regular thing here.

 Pinterest is a great way to find new ideas, inspiration and aspirations. I have a little boy's birthday to plan for, holidays coming up and in season produce to enjoy. This past week I have been drooling over Fall and Halloween recipes.  Are you pinning? I would love to check out your boards and see what caught your eye. Be sure to leave your info so I can swing by. Check out my boards HERE.

In honor of my pinning my life away this past week, I linked up with Finding Joy in My Kitchen's Friday Favorite Finds. Mmm... as always I found many new great ideas to try making.

 This week I am having a bread thing. I am on the hunt for a go-to roll recipe. Here are a few I want to give a go.

Source: bonappetithon.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Or how about these?

Source: mywoodenspoon.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Or these knots with Parmesan...

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Andrea on Pinterest

and for the kids this week I would love to make these baked tater tots.

Source: penniesonaplatter.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Then for the sweet tooth, how about these fruit gummy candies?

Source: alldayidreamaboutfood.com via Andrea on Pinterest

I might not get to all of these this week, but this is why I pin. I was able to make a few items from last week's post and will be sharing those with you soon. They were really good!

Check out Finding Joy in My Kitchen's Friday Favorite Finds for more great "pin"-spiration.  

Auntie Anne's For More Than Great Pretzels

If you live near an Auntie Anne's then consider yourself lucky. The closest store to me is over 120 miles! That sort of puts a damper on a pretzel craving.

Luckily I was sent an At-Home Baking Kit to make my own warm pretzels. Yum! The kit contains enough to make 10 original or cinnamon sugar pretzels. Of course the blogging twist is that I was asked to make anything but the standard pretzels. AuntieAnnesRecipes.com has a wide variety of recipes that came be made from this same standard kit. From appetizers, entrees, breakfasts to desserts there is something to fit any situation.


I was excited the kit wasn't your standard "add water and stir" mix. It contained a bag of dough mix, yeast, baking soda, pretzel salt and cinnamon and sugar mixture.

With all the choices it was hard to decide. I went with a family favorite, pizza!

We usually make our own crust at home, just a simple dough, and I thought a pretzel like crust would be a great change.

So, first I got out the yeast, some room temperature water and game it a few minutes for the little yeasties to work their magic in my Kitchenaid mixing bowl. It takes about 5 minutes.

After it blooms, add the dough mix

Then with the dough hook work the dough till a ball forms. Give it a few minutes and it will come together.

My dough was a little dry, so I added a few tablespoons of water till I had a smooth and slightly sticky dough. Form it into a ball.

I like to drizzle my pizza dough with a little olive oil so it doesn't dry out while it rests.

After the dough has rested, top a baking sheet or your pizza peel with corn meal. I usually form my dough to fit whatever pan it is going to cook on. Don't feel like it has to be a circle. Mine was more like an oval.

I roasted an assortment of veggies in the oven to top my pizza with. On a baking sheet uniformly cut your veggies of choices, I used zucchini, eggplant, onions, sundried tomatoes and bell peppers, and toss with olive oil on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees till they start to caramelize. Turn and flip the veggies as needed so they don't burn.

Turn down the oven to 400 degrees to be ready for your pizza. I like to precook my pizza dough for 10 minutes before I put any topping on. I detest soggy dough.

I made a simple tomato and basil sauce to brush my dough with. Then I added a layer of finely shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, topped with veggies some freshly sliced tomatoes and olives and dusted with a touch more cheese.

Simple, delicious and fresh is how we do pizza.

Pop the pizza in for about 13 minutes, make sure it is warmed through and the cheese is melted.

Yum! It was really good. The crust was slightly sweet and went well with the veggies. It was easy to make and a great change from our usual dough.

Want to see more recipes and creative ways to use Auntie Anne's At-Home Baking Kit? Check out their Youtube channel for more baking inspiration.

You can also connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter to learn about upcoming products, get coupons and use their store locator.

So many options for one little kit, what would you make?

*Disclaimer - I wrote this review while participating in a Blog Friendly PR campaign on behalf of Auntie Annes. I received a sample for my participation, all opinions are my own.

Freschetta & a New Way to Donate

Don't miss out on entering my current Freschetta Proud to Support Pink Giveaway. It ends 10/29.

This is just a reminder that you can find codes on specially marked Freschetta boxes to donate $1 towards Breast Cancer Research.

Freschetta really wants to reach their goal of $50,000 for Breast Cancer Research and to get there this month, they have released a code to use... no purchase necessary. Just go to www.ProudToSupportPink.com and enter the code: FRESCH11. So pass it on and show your support for the rest of October!

A Simple Cookie Decorating Trick! -Simple & Cute

Are you ready to put your best cookie sheet forward this Halloween?

I love decorated cookies, but need more practice to get that steady hand royal icing look down perfectly. This year I was inspired to find a shortcut and wanted to share. This is super simple and just takes your favorite icing recipe, a cookie, sprinkles of your choice and a small cookie cutter or handmade stencil.

I put a Tbsp. of meringue powder into my basic butter cream icing so it will set up hard. But, that is personal preference...

Grab your cookies, I used a soft sugar cookie recipe that makes about a dozen. I should be posting that recipe shortly since it is one of my favorites. It reminds me of those horribly addicting supermarket cookies frosted to fit whatever holiday is even remotely close. Homemade are definitely way better.

I mixed a bit of leaf green and moss green into my butter cream for a rather ghoulish green. While the frosting is still fresh grab a small fondant cookie cutter (I used Wilton's Fall set), or you can even create your own stencil. Place it on the cookie.

Grab your favorite sprinkles or nonpareils and put them inside your cookie cutter. Just be sure not to get them outside the lines. Tap your cookie to get all those little colored sprinkles into the corners for a clearer shape.

Grab those stray sprinkles with a toothpick if you want. I wasn't too worried. As the frosting hardens a little the sprinkles will be set.

I love how easy and fast these are to make. So, don't be intimidated by decorating the perfect cookies. Enjoy!

Party with the Adorable Xia-Xia!

If you are starting to look at hot toy trends for Christmas you might have seen the Xia-Xia Pets. Brought to stores by the same Cepia Toys who created Zhu Zhu Pets, and you all know how much I love those little busy critters... these cute little crabs come with shells and friends to trade and collect.

So, of course I was excited to get 2 sets of crabs, assorted shells & friends, 3 playsets and fun ideas to throw our own little Xia-Xia party at home with guests. I love sharing new toys with friends and seeing their reactions.

I was impressed that everything comes ready to play with. The sets take minimal assembly and the pets are ready to turn on and play. These are both big perks when you have a house full of children eager to get right down to trying them out. Or two impatient kiddos when the box first arrives!

So how are Xia-Xia different from the world of Zhu? These 4 crabs, Bimini, Turks, Trinidad and Tobago, move when their claws are tapped. They move forward and backwards, and unlike the Zhu Zhu pets they don't make any noises other than the scurrying of their wheels



Each one has a shell that come off and opens. A friend can be placed inside or ride on the front of the shell. This would be why they are rated for 3+. The friends are very small and we have been trying to keep them together so they don't get lost.

I do love how cute the friends are. My favorite include a smiling piece of macaroni, a piggy bank and a carton of milk with horns. Adorable!

At our party we had both girls and boys, though my son loves to play with them, they were definitely a bigger hit with the girls.

My only issue with the Xia-Xias is that they don't move as freely as the Zhu Zhu Pets. Ours get caught in the doorways of the play structures. They move forward and backwards, but don't turn as much. Ours kept going back and forth till we helped them. For this reason, we enjoyed playing with them more on the open kitchen floor. This gave them plenty of room to move around. I hope future playsets will have wider openings and more areas for our crabs to move.

Also, we had 2 out of 8 of our pets not work properly out of the packaging. This was a disappointment when sending pets and shells home with our guests. I would suggest buying these for Christmas, but keep a hold of your receipt for exchanges if you have any problems.

Check out this Youtube clip to see more:



Find your own Xia-Xia Pets at Walmart, Target and Amazon.com. Connect with Xia-Xia on Facebook to see the latest news and updates.

So will you be adding any cute little crabs under your tree this year?

*Disclaimer -   I was provided  free products as part of a promotional program with Xia-Xia and BSM Media's Mommy Parties from Mom Select.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Hanes is Pink with Virtual Care Packages

 Hanes is a name brand I am familiar with, and comfortable is one way I would describe their products. It seems only natural to me that they would have virtual Comfort Packages you can send to a friend or loved which support the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

On the Hanes Facebook page, under the "Pink" tab you will find a fully customizable virtual Comfort Package. The package includes a place for photos, videos, recipes, T-shirt designs, music and personal messages. All things to help brighten someone's day and let them know you care.

When you send your Comfort Package it triggers a $1 donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (up to $25,000) to promote early cancer detection and provide mammograms to those in need.

So, who will you create a Comfort Package for? Let someone know you care even if you are far away, or surprise someone you see everyday! Just head over to Hanes on Facebook and get started on the Hanes Pink tab and see even more ways to share the comfort.

*Disclaimer - I participated in this campaign as a member of One2One Network and am eligible for a prize drawing. All opinions stated in the post are my own.

Wordless Wednesday - One Big Squash!

Butternut squash is being harvested this week and we got a real kick out of the size of this one. I think this will freeze several bags of cubed squash for this winter.

Yes, my husband is the proud farmer.

Thanks for stopping by for my not so wordless Wednesday!

Do You Have a 'Bucket List'? #justask

I think we all have things we secretly want to accomplish in our lifetime. Maybe it is a goal you are actively working towards, or something you daydream about but whatever it is we all have hopes and dreams. Yes, even this simple Stay-at-home-Mom has some pretty lofty ambitions...

1. See Europe! I spent my 20's traveling around Asia and really got bitten by the travel bug, bad!
2. Take a PKU cruise with my kids. There is a group that gets together and all the familys take a Disney Cruise together. Disney does a great job with the low-pro food for people with PKU.
3. Go to Mall of America. It really looks wild!
4. Publish a book. I used to write daily and always wanted to have my work in print.
5. Build a pizza oven. I just adore brick/rustic pizza ovens.
6. Try a triathlon.
7. Try Skydiving.
8. Go Scuba Diving in Hawaii. I went diving in Thailand and fell in love with it.
9. Be able to do a handstand push up.
10. Go on a biking wine tour with my husband.
11. Make a perfect croissant.
12. Learn to sew a dress for my daughter.
13. Make our family's Halloween Costumes by hand.
14. Visit Germany during Christmas time.
15. Attend a live studio taping of a TV show.

Well, that is a mixed bag of things! Are any of those items on your 'bucket list'?

This is my entry in the Just Ask Bucket List Getaway Giveaway. Just Ask offers a breast and ovarian cancer screening and is encouraging people to share 15 things that I want to enjoy in my lifetime as a reminder to be aware of my health. Want to enter? Head over to TodaysMama.com to get the details.

Mamavation Monday - You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet!

Good morning Mamavation!

How was your past week? Did you eat whole foods, get your sleep, move and stay hydrated?

I am happy to say that I have been involved with Mamavation for over a year now. Wow! I have lost over 47 lbs since joining the sistahood, I was a Mamavation Mom and found some yummy (and healthy!) recipes from Alyssa. So, I am really excited to chat about food this week. Note, I didn't say diet. I love that Alyssa teaches us how to eat and make good choices, but isn't putting us on a diet.


This week starts the whirlwind I like to call our holiday season in the Kruse Family. Birthdays have started popping up everywhere, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before I know it... it is non-stop action around here. Don't laugh, but my cleaning routine starts to add steps and cardio to my day. I mop like nobody's business!

Meals this week will be simple, seasonal yet fun. Here is our menu:


Mon. - Homemade Pretzel Dough Pizza, loaded with grilled veggies and Yam cupcakes for dessert

Tues. - Butternut Squash, Black Bean, Spinach & Feta burritos & roasted brussel sprouts

Wed. - Spaghetti Squash Carbonara (yes, tonight will be a little decadent!), salad & fresh fruit salad

Thur. - Leftovers

Fri. - Corn Chowder, homemade potato rolls & salad

Sat. - Fish Tacos, salsa & chips

Sun. Leftovers 


Snacks: This week I will be making homemade wheat thins, hummus, kale chips and baked pumpkin seeds.



MAMAVATION TV: Join us Monday night at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Mingle Media TV

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by New Balance.  One blogging carnival participant will each receive one pair of shoes. To be eligible answer the following blogging carnival question in your weekly Mamavation blog post and mention New Balance with a link back to their site. Link up your post here.

How would you brand your health and wellness lifestyle?  How do you want others to know you in this area?

 I would describe our lifestyle as outdoor, simple and seasonal! We enjoy being outside since it is a big part of life here... my husband is a vegetable farmer, we have our little backyard farm and my toddlers thrive on sunshine and mud! Our family activities depend on the season, hiking, biking in warmer months, and skiing and snowshoeing during the winter. I pride myself of cooking local, seasonal food and fully embracing the season and all it's bounty.

*Disclaimer - This post is sponsored by New Balance and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women

FRESCHETTA "Proud to Support Pink" #Giveaway

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Freschetta supports cancer research with The Freschetta Proud to Support Pink Program. 

This month, through October 31, when you purchase specially marked packages of Freschetta pizzas and Artisan Pizza Crusts, you can help them reach their goal of a $50,000 donation to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Specially marked packages include codes you can enter at www.ProudToSupportPink.com. For each code entered, Freschetta will donate $1.00 to this great cause (up to $50,000 total).

The Proud to Support Pink site has a place for survivor stories, breast cancer resources, and for people to share their journey, or the journey of their loved ones with breast cancer. These stories are displayed on the site, as well as their Facebook page to inspire others. Additionally, they're giving away 50 pink iPod Shuffle players each week in October, and another 50 will be donated each week to four cancer centers around America.

I'm a  fan of Freschetta pizza because they use real cheeses, real ingredients and I enjoy their crust.

Enjoy some great pizza and help a great cause at the same time. One of my favorites is the Chicken, mushroom and spinach... also sold by the slice!

Grab this Coupon! Visit Freschetta to get a $1 coupon toward your pizza!

I was sent a Freshetta kit in honor of October and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it included:

• A coupon to try a Freschetta pizza, 12 oz. or larger
• Two (2) pairs of Freschetta Proud to Support Pink earphones - one to keep, and one to share with a friend. 

Would you like to win this kit for yourself?

Just fill our your entries in the Rafflecopter widget. I do love comments, but they will not count towards the giveaway. The giveaway will end 10/29 at midnight.

Winnie The Pooh DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack #Giveaway!

As I promised earlier, here is the Winnie The Pooh DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack DVD Giveaway. One lucky reader will get their own copy, available in stores October 25th.
I am excited to see this new movie. I was a fan as a child and can't wait to share it with my own small children.

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget posted below. I always enjoy blog post comments, but they will not count towards entries.

"F" is for Food & Friday (10/21)

Welcome back to another Pinterest installment. 

Pinterest is a fun way to find new ideas, inspiration and aspirations. I have a little boy's birthday to plan for, holidays coming up and in season produce to enjoy. This past week the sewing projects have really caught my eye, but I will save those for another post. Are you pinning? I would love to check out your boards and see what caught your eye. Be sure to leave your info so I can swing by. Check out my boards HERE. In honor of my pinning my life away this week, I linked up with Finding Joy in My Kitchen's Friday Favorite Finds. Mmm... as always I found many great recipes to serve this week.

These Eggplant Parmesan stacks looks yummy!

Source: simplygluten-free.com via Andrea on Pinterest

This Honey & Apple Challah bread recipe is calling to me. I think I will try it out this week.

Source: smittenkitchen.com via Andrea on Pinterest

This Chickpea & Lemongrass Curry would make a nice "take-in" dinner.

Source: citrusandcandy.com via Andrea on Pinterest

...and if anyone likes Monte Cristo's as much as my DH & I do, then you might enjoy this one...

Source: puffpastry.com via Andrea on Pintere�E

And for the sweet tooth, Try out these Pumpkin Croissants.

Source: shakentogether.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

And then how about a homemade Pumpkin Pop Tart?

Source: pink-parsley.com via Andrea on Pinterest

I might not get to all of these this week, but this is why I pin. Check out Finding Joy in My Kitchen's Friday Favorite Finds for more great "pin"-spiration.