Our Trip to Illinois!

This was the video that I took with my new camera right when we got out of the car, the first time the kids played in the snow. (Please excuse my annoying voice, why do we sound so different to ourselves than we do to other people?) They were having a mini snowball fight! I have another one to share next week, as this site will only allow one upload a week for free, and I'm all about the free stuff :-) I'll be back soon with pictures, as I have 708 to go through, edit and re-size!

In the Snow from kacey Matthews on Vimeo.

What's for Dinner Wednesday Giveaway!!

Sorry I didn't have anything planned for last week while we were gone, we were lucky to just get out the door on time for the airport!!

I would LOVE for more of you to just leave a comment or link up to this fun idea! The giveaway this month is a great one, a $40 value you're sure to love! Don't be shy, you don't have to include pictures!! Click HERE for the giveaway details!

Since we are going to the Florida State Fair tonight and eating delicious corn dogs, here is the recipe for what we had last night! It was dreary, rainy, windy weather last night, so I opted for White Chicken Chili. This is a cheater recipe, as some nights, I just want EASY, and this is EASY!!!

White Chicken Chili

1 lb chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pkg McCormick White Chicken Chili Seasoning Mix
1 tbsp oil
1 cup water
2 cans(15 to 16 oz) White Beans, undrained
1 can Diced Tomatoes
2 cups shredded cheese

Assorted toppings: sliced avocado, chopped cilantro or sour cream

There is one ingredient that I left out of the picture, Hunt's Diced Tomatoes!



My plan was to cook this all day in the crockpot, but I was gone all morning and forgot to put everything together before I left. If you do remember to do this, you don't have to cook the chicken first, just dump everything together and cook on low for 8 hours.

The other option is to cook the chicken in a skillet for 3 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink, then put it all in the crockpot for 1-2 hours on high. I add the cheese about 45 minutes before serving to really thicken it up, as I like my chili thick!!

Before Cheese:



After cheese:




Enjoy!

We're HOME!!

Just a quick stop in to say hello and that we are back! We had a great trip, the plane rides were uneventful, the kids were well behaved and there was snow!!!

I'm off to lunch with my girlfriends today, so I'll be back tomorrow with lots of pictures from our trip!


I went for another run this morning with my friend and did MUCH better! No stopping and we ran pretty fast (for us!) Maybe it's because it was in my neighborhood this time??

Jack's Big Birthday Celebration!

I was having lots of problems with my computer last week and finally figured out it was a faulty MOUSE! I was planning a big post about Jack turning F-O-U-R (Jan.24th) but my mouse had other plans!

We took a family outing to Toys R Us and let Jack pick out a special toy for his big day. He chose some remote control cars that played laser tag with each other. Then we headed over to my parents to have a family birthday dinner to celebrate with his cousin Kyle, whose birthday is January 23rd!





Here's Jack sitting on top of his favorite present from my aunt - a set of beginner drums! Our house hasn't been the same since, and I think I've grown a few more grey hairs!!



This past Saturday, we celebrated his birthday with his friends at Planet Jump! Every year, with the exception of his 2nd birthday, we have celebrated his birthday with his friend Anna (who is a week younger than Jack).

Here they are for their 1st birthday card picture.



Their 3rd birthday card picture.



And this year! Boy, they have grown up!!


Here are some shots from the party, there were so many people at Planet Jump because it was a rainy day.

The walls are just plain colors, so I made this banner to personalize it a little better. I love the way it turned out & it was so simple to make!



Jack, Anna & a friend coming down the big Superman slide!



Jack playing air hockey!



Best Buddies!



Our party room!! I think we needed a bigger room!



The cake! Instead of having a themed cake, we have always opted to put their picture on the cake to keep it neutral!



Jack having fun eating his face from the cake!



Back home getting ready to open presents!!



Happy Birthday to the sweetest 4 year old boy! Your mommy & daddy love you very much!

The kids and I are flying to Illinois tomorrow to see my best friend from college & her kiddos, crossing our fingers that there will be snow on the ground to play in too!! I have a few more posts to share from Nate's big birthday bash and an exciting new adventure for Mallory! I hope everyone has a great week!

What's For Dinner Wednesday Giveaway

I thought it would be fun to start a little dinner party here on my blog. Back in the fall, I had a little contest with my local friends where I would send out an email with what I was cooking that night and they would reply to all and do the same. This was a great way to get some really delicious recipes! At the end of the week, I would put everyone's names that participated in a hat, and Mallory or Jack would pick a winner. The winner would get a little appliqued t-shirt for their child. I was going to do a weekly one here as well, but I don't know that I can commit to getting over to my sewing machine once a week, so we'll do it monthly! Each week that you participate, your name will go in to the hat for a great prize! The more times you participate, the more entries you will get! Don't have any kids? No problem, I have lots of other fun things I can make!

You can either link up below, using McLinky, or just type your recipe in the comments section (please leave your email address if you do it this way!)

Here's the first What's For Dinner Wednesday Recipe!

Amy's Hot Chicken Salad



4 cups of cooked & chopped chicken
3/4 cup mayo
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded white American cheese (I didn't have any, so I used a Mexican Blend)
1 can of chopped water chestnuts
1 cup of sliced almonds
1 container of sliced mushrooms
1 cup of corn flakes





Mix all of the ingredients together and sprinkle the corn flakes on top.
Bake for 350* for 45 minutes to 1 hour

Enjoy!

Running

During some point at the party this weekend, probably after a few too many drinks, I told one of my dear friends that I would run a 5K with her in March. We did our first run together on Tuesday, my first time running in a L.O.N.G. time. She has this cool "app" on her phone that shows some cool information! I think I did pretty good, only stopping twice, but there is lots of room for improvement!!

Preparing for the Party

I have spent the entire week cleaning, organizing, shopping and painting for Nathan's big birthday bash tomorrow night. It's a repeat of last year's event HERE.


Aren't these invites adorable?

Dresser Reveal

I have to say, for my first time refinishing something, this was pretty easy. It still needs a little smoothing with some steal wool and a coat of protective sealer, but I love the way it looks in my dining room now!

Here's the before:



Here's the after:



I used a can of Krylon white primer spray paint first, then 3-4 coats of Krylon Black Semi Gloss spray paint. With the handles, I used the primer spray, then 2 coats of Krylon Brushed Metallic - Satin Nickel. I love the spray paint, because it dries in just a few minutes. I did the drawers on Tuesday morning, then the base dresser and handles yesterday. I think it took about 3 1/2 hours total. Now I'm debating whether to paint my dining room set black... I might do the table black and the chair white, maybe with some cute custom seat cushions?

New Year's Resolution from my 5 year old

I was trying to keep one of my New Year's Resolutions this weekend (keeping my desk area organized) and came across this among the piles of papers.



It reads: My resolution is to get lots of money to Mallory Matthews.

Really? I am aware of the gene in my family (from my dad's side) that is consumed with the thought of money (how much said person can get, what they are going to buy, etc.) and it's a dominant gene in my sister. I guess it's a dominant gene in Mallory too. Sigh...

I'm going to try to tackle one of this week's resolutions today, since it's going to be a balmy 56* this afternoon. Goodbye yucky cream with gold flecks of paint, hello glossy black!!

Brrr....

It's COLD outside. Hope you are keeping warm!