A Fall Garden Promise

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, September 29, 2014

October is knocking on the door and I for one am thrilled to see summer fade away. Good bye hot and humid days, good bye endless mowing sessions, good bye weeding… oh wait; I still have to weed in the fall.

Goodbye ugly, over grown flowerbeds, goodbye stringy tomato vines. I bid you all farewell with an apology for not doing what a garden loving lady should have in summer.

 I neglected you and it shows. I was too busy in here, writing and growing my business to take care of you.  I would be appalled if company were to saunter up my walk today and see the state of my flowerbeds; so please don’t come over just yet.

I’m going to get things whipped into shape for fall. Then you can come over! I’ll scrub the front porch and rockers and I’ll plant Mums in my pots and allow my poor, worn out wave Petunia’s to finally rest.


colorful Mums #fall #gardening



I’ll weed and pull up that old Rose bush I keep saying I’m going too. I’ll turn over the mulch and add some new and I’ll put in my new solar landscape lights. The front yard is going to look great when I’m done.


rambling red Rose

I’ll clean off the back deck one more time and invite you to sit, have some tea and chat a while. And while you do, you can see my lovingly tended shade flower beds, full of neatly groomed Azalea bushes and Hosta. You may even catch the faint scent of my Rosemary, still doing well in her pretty blue pot.


Once our cups are empty, we’ll take a leisurely stroll towards my pumpkin patch, the one crop that seems to thrive without any love and care from me. Okay, sure, it is an accidental pumpkin patch. One we never dreamed would take root right on the fringe of our burn pile/bone-fire spot. 


pumpkin patch
small pumpkin


We chucked our old pumpkins there last year and voila! Here it is, producing small little pumpkins of happiness. We were able to cut one, tie a pretty bow on it and give it to our new neighbors in a true show of southern hospitality. Thank you accidental pumpkin patch for coming through!  


Hopefully, these pumpkins and my fall gardening efforts will be enough to make up for my summer of garden laziness.  Now that fall is here, I'm going to be ready for company.  

harvest pumpkins happy #Fall


Please share in comments: Did you have a productive and happy summer gardening season, or did you get too busy like me?
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Bloggers wanted for 2014 Holiday Gift Guide

in , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, September 26, 2014

Happy Friday dear readers. I know that's it's only September, but for many bloggers, it means time to work on their gift guides. Never having done a gift guide of my own, I'm happy to team up with a group of seasoned bloggers this year.



Holiday Gift Guide sign up


Bloggers 2014 Holiday Gift Guide Sign Up


Bloggers sign up Today to get listed on the "2014 Holiday Gift Guide" that will roll out full force Oct 25 thru Dec 25, 2014 . Many bloggers will be participating so its going to be huge! 

 Right now Sign up is Free and Limited !

** Why Should you Sign Your Blog Up?**
Most of the Business's that have listing on here are ones who hire bloggers for Reviews and PR Jobs through the year, so a great way to get noticed as a PR Blogger and get on the Reps Blogger Lists for when they have reviews and sponsor post jobs etc.

** Does My Blog have to be a Big Blog **
NO - this is the great part, any size blog , any niche is welcome. The only restriction we have is , your blog can not have pornographic material on it. If it does - Do not sign up - we are Family Friendly !

** Where will my Link to my Blog Be Seen **
We will have a page specific listing " PR Friendly Bloggers " on the 2014 Holiday Gift Guide Web Site - Visible to all on the landing page and other guide pages. Your Link will be linked to your blog or media kit page ( your choice). This Gift guide will be promoted by many bloggers, as well as the businesses on their sites and social media too during the 2 months. Also we may even feature YOUR Blog in our Special Mailings from time to time.

** Perks **
  • PR Marketers for Businesses See Your Page - These are the people who Hire Bloggers to promote Products for reviews, sponsor posts, ambassador programs, etc- all year long !
  • There will be special giveaway promotions during this time , Fun Secret Santa for Bloggers Only. ++

** HOW DO I SIGN MY BLOG UP**

 Click HERE to Sign UP Today !

I hope you'll join the fun and help grow your blog with us! 



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Wordless Wednesday- A girl and her Cat

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, September 24, 2014

My youngest daughter has a way with animals. She loves them, they love her. She and our outside cat have a very special bond which is clearly evident to anyone that gets to watch them together. Here are some photos from their recent "photo shoot". There were close to 40 photos in this session, it was hard for me to choose which ones to share. All photos were taken by my daughter with Catty-Cat's approval.


Our outside Cat
Catty-Cat comes when my daughter calls her. 


A girl and her Cat #love
Starting things off with a good chin scratch.

Our Cat showing some belly fur
Catty-Cat plops and asks for more love. Yes, my daughter can pet that belly!

Our green-eyed Cat
Catty- Cat insists on more petting. She's so pretty, who could refuse?


Happy Cat
Happy Cat, happy girl. 


Do you have a Wordless Wednesday post up this week too? Leave me a comment with your blogs name and I'll stop by to check it out. 
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Productivity increases in my home office thanks to Pilot

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, September 22, 2014

As any small business owner will attest, keeping track of all the moving parts of a business can be daunting. As a WAHM with two small businesses to manage, I’m here to tell you that the most valued tool in my home office is a working pen. Yes, the lowly, highly under-rated and often sought after pen. 

When Shoplet.com sent out an email to their review bloggers asking if we’d like to receive a complimentary set of Pilot pens and highlighters to review, I think I broke some sort of response speed record letting them know I’d be happy to share my thoughts on the new Pilot products. All opinions and doodles shared below are completely my own.

Pens and highlighters are essential tools in any office or home, but my stash seems to dwindle as family members pick them up and forget to return them. Now that I’ve handed each person living here a brand new Pilot B2P pen, I’m hopeful my pens will stay on my desk and kitchen message station. 

We received these Pilot products:

Pilot #pens #highlighter




I love all the Pilot products sent to me. I have fun writing my daughters notes using the various colored pens and erasable highlighter, but my favorite pen of all has got to be the Frixion clicker erasable gel pen !


Things to do list with #Pilot Pens

I love how smoothly this pen glides over the paper. I love the feel of it in my hand. I love that the ink dries quickly so I don’t make smudges as I write.  This is a very important feature for a leftie! And I love that if I do make a mistake, I can simply erase it without ripping the paper.

Well done Pilot!

If you need to re-stock your pen supply, I invite you to head on over to Shoplet.com and check out their office supplies and other promotional items they offer. You can learn more about each type of Pilot pen by clicking on their linked names above.

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Celebrate National Pirates and Pilots day with Mabel's Labels #sponsored

in , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, September 19, 2014
Thank you Mabel's Labels for sponsoring this post. All opinions are love of labels and pirates are 100% my own.
Did you know today is National Pirate's Day? It's true! Did you know that it's the second annual Talk like a Pilot day too? No? Me either on this one- but Mabel's Labels sure did!
Celebrate National Pirates day #Mabel's Labels

 Mabel's Labels is offering two great 50% off promotions! For today only, Mabel's Labels is offering 50% off Pirate Ship or Skull 'n' Crossbones Sticky Labels in honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day. 

 Plus, on 9/20, Mabel's Labels is offering 50% off Plane Sticky Labels for their second year of Talk Like a Pilot Day, created by Mabel's Labels. Don't miss your chance to shop these great offers! 
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Sunday Roast Chicken Recipe

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, September 19, 2014

In a recent post featuring my new Roaster pan, I said I would share this recipe and I’m happy I’ve found time to today. Maybe it will inspire your Sunday meal plans. Speaking of inspired, my take on this recipe came after I was flipping through an old Bon Appetit magazine. We didn’t have most of their ingredients, but that didn’t stop us! We used what we had on hand and loved the results. Feel free to add your own flair and substitute ingredients as needed.


Sunday Roast Chicken #recipe #homecooked meals


Sunday Roast Chicken – serves 4


Ingredients:

  • 8-10) small red potatoes- well scrubbed and pierced with knife to allow steaming during cooking.
  • 2-4) medium Parsnips- well scrubbed, quartered lengthwise.  
  • 5-6) medium carrots- well scrubbed, quartered lengthwise.  
  • 1-2) medium onions- peeled, quartered.
  • 5-6) Creamini Mushrooms, washed, dried.
  • 2) tablespoons cooking oil of choice to coat pan and rack.
  • 3) tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature.
  • 2) tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage or 1 tablespoon dried sage.
  • 7) sprigs fresh Rosemary, dried.
  • 1) 4-5 pound whole organic (if possible) chicken- patted dry.
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt or salt of choice (we used fresh ground pink Himalayan rock salt).
  • 1 tablespoon dried Sage.
  • ¼ teaspoon ground dried Thyme.
  • ¼ teaspoon ground dried Marjoram.
  • ¼ cup water or dry white wine.

fresh vegetables and Rosemary



Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400° F
  • Layer bottom of rack with sprigs of fresh Rosemary if desired. Layer cut vegetables on rack.
  • (insert veggie rack pic)
  • Pour ¼ cup water in bottom of roaster.
  • Place chicken in center of vegetables.
  • Mix butter and sage together in small bowl. (micro-wave butter to soften as needed.)
  • Using a basting brush or fingertips, rub sage butter over chicken. Pull skin off breast meat and spread sage butter there if desired. 
  • Use the rest of the sage butter on vegetables.
  • Sprinkle salt, pepper and other dried herbs over chicken.
  • Roast chicken and vegetables in 400 ° F oven for 15 minutes. 
  • Reduce oven temperature to 375 ° F, continue roasting until thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165 ° F and veggies are tender. 
  • Stir and baste once. 
  • Add Creamini mushrooms after 45 minutes cooking time. 
  • Cook for approximately an hour and 15 minutes. Check chicken for doneness right before the hour mark and plan cooking time accordingly.
  • Once chicken and vegetables are done, transfer vegetables to serving bowl, cover to keep warm. 
  • Tilt chicken allowing juices to flow from chicken, 
  • Put chicken on cutting surface. 
  • Cut chicken and serve with vegetables.


plated Sunday Roast Chicken meal



Enjoy your family meal! If you struggle with getting your kids to eat different vegetables, you should try these. My daughters love them!


Please share in comments- what is your favorite chicken dish?
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Vote Now to Help Kids Have More Fun – One Playspace at a Time #spon

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, September 16, 2014

As parents, we spend a lot of time discovering creative ways to nurture our children’s curiosity. Luckily, being outdoors provides the perfect landscape, fueling young imaginations and creating endless possibilities for exploration, discovery and creativity. Children’s Claritin hopes to inspire parents to create innovative play spaces in their backyards, and communities.


Children's Claritin #Playspace
Source


Children’s Claritin also believes in the benefits of outdoor activity for children, and wants to help children get the most out of every day! They’re teaming up with KaBOOM!, a national non-profit, to help bring innovative play spaces to communities in need and you can help! By voting, you can help them pick the four community organizations that will receive Imagination Playground™. 


What’s Imagination Playground™? See imagination at play – watch last year’s winner enjoying Imagination Playground™. 


I invite you to visit ClaritinVoteforPlayspaces.com where you can place your vote and gather play space inspirations for creating your own backyard play space.  While visiting the Children’s Claritin & KaBOOM! Facebook page, you can also:

  • Learn more about the twelve organizations you can vote for receiving Imagination Playground™
  • Download coupon offers
  • Locate a play space near you


 Please Vote now and help pick the four community organizations that will receive Imagination Playground™. You can vote one time per day through 9/26/14. Click here for voting rules.
Please share in comments: Does your neighborhood have enough play spaces?


Disclosure: As a member of the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew, I receive product samples and promotional items occasionally to share and use as I see fit. No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. 
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Book lovers visit Nashville during the Southern Festival of books

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Saturday, September 13, 2014

Fall is rapidly approaching folks and I for one am happy to see that one of my favorite times of year officially starts in 11 days.  Fall is a fun season, full of great outdoor events and festivals. 

You can find all sorts of festivals to attend- everything from sports and family fun to beer and wine festivals, just head to Google and type in your zip code and festivals.  We were looking for a family event,  when I discovered a unique festival coming to Nashville, TN. in October; a book festival. Yes! A book festival! 

We are a family of avid readers, so how I didn’t know about this festival, which has been held in Nashville since 1989 is beyond me.  Better late than never as the saying goes! I knew I had to extend a warm, southern style invitation to all of you to come visit us in Nashville and check out this festival!



About the Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the written word:


poster Southern Festival of books in #Nashville,TN.
Source

Humanities Tennessee's Southern Festival of Books was first held in Nashville on the second full weekend in October in 1989, and has been held annually on the same weekend since then. It is one of the first book festivals of its kind, a true celebration of the written word, and has inspired hundreds of similar book festivals throughout the nation and beyond. 
The festival is free and open to the public. No advance registration or tickets are required. All seating is on a first-come basis.
The dates and times for 2014 Southern Festival of Books are:
Friday, October 10, 2014: 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 11, 2014: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 12, 2014: 12:00  noon - 5:00 p.m.
To learn more about the Southern Festival of books go here.

This festival isn’t just for adults; there are lots of fun activities for the kids! They will have an opportunity to meet renowned children’s and young adult authors, see favorite book characters, and listen to musicians and storytellers too.
To learn more about the events for children and young adults, including a list of attending authors, go here. 

Fall is a wonderful time to visit Nashville. The heat and humidity of summer are a quickly fading memory and Nashville welcomes you with classic southern charm and hospitality. Plus, by this time of October, you’ll get to see all the pretty fall leaves.
Pretty Fall Leaves #Nashville,TN.

Ready to come to this Festival? You’ll want to check out their handy Plan Your Visit page, which gives you full directions, hotel accommodations suggestions and more. 

Whether you can make it to Nashville or not, I want to wish you and yours a happy, fun fall season. Head on over to Google and find out what is happening in your neighborhood and get out there and have fun!
Please share in comments: Is there a fall fair, festival or event you can’t wait to attend this year?
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