Dabbling Divas Divine Goodies Giveaway Contest!

It's easy to win! Simply join the message board, post and/or reply to ten posts per week and you will automatically be entered into a drawing to win that week's prize.

Contest starts on Wednesday, ends on Tuesday midnight and Winners are notify and posted on the board no later than Thursday!
The prize of the week will be posted at the top of the message board.

Good Luck & Happy Posting!

If you are interested in sponsoring a contest please send an email to dabblingdivasATyahoo.com

Oh NO! Part Two

Here are some more handy kitchen substitutions:

• Although Allspice is it's own berry/spice, you can mix 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and it will taste pretty darn close.
• You can also make a pretty fine chili sauce with 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, dash of ground cloves and dash of allspice.
• Need white wine in a dish? (Did your MIL drink it all?) Just substitute the same amount of white grape juice, or even apple juice!
• If you used all the tomato juice for Bloody Marys, or, need to make more, Just mix equal parts of water and tomato sauce.
• If you're in the middle of making a mayo-based salad, and realized your hubby just used the last drop- just use the same amount of yogurt or sour cream.
  

Happy cooking!

Posh Sun Tea

Mmmmmm....summer's coming, time to break out the giant pickle jars- and brew some sun tea!
Make it fancy-fied for company by adding some herbs while brewing, for a sophisticated, subtle, and delicious surprise.

1. Fill your jar or other glass container with cold water.
2. Add 7 tea bags.
3. Throw in a handful of mint and sage leaves.
4. Let it brew until it's to your liking. I like mine to go all day.
5. Take the bags and herbs out, squeeze the herbs a bit to get more of their flavor.
6. Pour over ice, and enjoy!
   

Oh NO!

Have you ever been in the middle of a recipe, get to a step, and realize- "Oh POO! I'm out of that!"?

Have no fear, many pantry staples can make a nice substitute in a pinch. :)

• Out of eggs? One egg can be substituted for 1 heaping Tbsp. soy flour plus 1 Tbsp. water.
• Low on brown sugar? 1 cup white sugar plus 2 Tbsp. molasses will make 1 cup of it.
• PMS made you eat all your chocolate? Just mix 3 Tbsp. cocoa and 1 Tbsp. shortening.
• Need buttermilk, but forgot to pick it up? Put 1-2 Tbsp. of lemon juice or vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup, and fill it with milk.
• You can also enjoy the creamy-ness of whole milk in a recipe, even if you don't keep it on hand. Just mix 1/2 cup evaporated milk with 1/2 cup of water.

More great substitutions tomorrow! :)

Gift Wrap On the Move

Do you find yourself needing to wrap a gift, but the wrapping paper is in the closet, the scissors are in the kitchen and the tape is upstairs in the kids' rooms?

Keep your giftwrap station portable. Get a 5-gallon bucket and a garden tool cover for the bucket. Use the pockets to store ribbons, tape, scissors, and markers. Use the inside of the bucket to store rolls of gift wrap.

You will be able to just pick it up, take it wherever you need it and wrap away without having to search all over the house or make several trips to get your supplies together.

Did you know??

That an apple,

not caffeine,

is more efficient in

waking you up in the mornings?

Birthday Party Tips

* Write each child's name on a cup to serve as a place card. This will stop confusion when you go to give them refills.

* Several hours before the party line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and place one scoop of ice cream in each. Store in the freezer until serving time. For an extra special treat sprinkle with sprinkles.

* Place birthday candles on toothpicks before inserting into the cake. They will stay in place better.

* Pay a couple of teenagers to help out at your next party. They can serve refreshments, help with games, and with clean up.

* Not sure how many kids to invite? A good rule of thumb is one guest per age of the birthday child.

* Pass on making a whole cake and bake cupcakes. Have the kids decorate their own.

Protect your blonde color this summer!

If you are like me and pay to be blonde...be sure to get your money's worth by protecting it and keeping your color this summer!

When doing Extreme Makeover on ABC, my hair dresser told me:

1) Only wash your hair every 2-3 days. It's not a hard change to make. I've been doing every other hair washing days 4 years now. It just becomes automatic.

2) Don't straighten your hair everyday. Typically, I will straighten it the first day and pull it up on the 2nd day.

3) Before you jump in that pool or lake, put a layer of conditioner in your hair!
By doing so, the chlorine has a harder time getting to your hair, turning it that awful green color. >:(

If you're anything like me, I get in and out of the water several times. I recommend putting more conditioner in your hair each time you get out to lay in the sun. I never hit the pool or ocean without my Garnier Fructis Fortifying Deep Conditioner. It's easy to travel with and use anywhere!

Ten Dieting Tips For REAL Women

We don't live in Hollyweird, with our private chefs, Pilate's gurus, and personal trainers. We are real women, in the real world. We have 15 minute dinners before scouts, laundry for a million children, and the soft bellies that carried said children.

BUT, we can still be fit, healthy mommas if we diet smart.

Here are a few things you can do to help:

• 1. Use a child's or salad plate.
• 2. Limit your juice to one 8oz serving a day. Juice has just as many calories as soda.
• 3. Since you cut down on your juice, grab more fruit. Whole fruit is filled with healthy, tummy filling fiber.
• 4. Eat at home. Most restaurant entrees have 1000-2000 calories. Do you want to use up your whole day's worth at one spot?
• 5. DON'T SKIP MEALS! It causes nothing more than binge eating later, an a slow metabolism all day.
• 6. Keep bags of frozen veggies and pre-cooked chicken on hand for quick, easy low-cal meals.
• 7. Brush your teeth after dinner. Who wants to re-brush them after a nighttime snack?
• 8. Yoga isn't just for hippies. An hour-long class burns ad many calories as an hour of walking, and relaxes, as well as builds muscle tone.
• 9. Do bars grow on trees? Nope...ditch the chemical-filled fad bars for healthy, natural snacks such as fruit, veggies, nuts, or even a glass of low fat milk.
• 10. Start small. Little changes over time can make a big impact. Don't let yourself get too overwhelmed by too many changes at once.

Denise Austin: Get your free fitness success plan!

Blissful Banana Bread Pudding

The desert I'm asked to bring to every family gathering!

4 cups cubed day-old French or sourdough bread (1-inch pieces)
1/4 cup margarine, melted
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced firm bananas (1/4-inch pieces)

Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the bread cubes in a greased 2-qt. casserole; pour butter over and toss to coat. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs; add milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in bananas.

Poor over bread cubes and stir to coat.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, for sauce, melt better in a small saucepan.

Combine sugar and cornstarch; add to butter.

Stir in milk and corn syrup.

Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a full boil.

Boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat; stir in the vanilla.

Serve warm sauce over warm pudding.

Yield: 6 servings

Got Style?

Defying Rules and Defining Personal Style:

Having style is not about being dressed in latest trends from the runway. It is not fashion because fashion is a manufactured product. Style is self awareness, confidence and the way you live and what you do. Personal style is constant unlike fashion which constantly changes.
One can be completely naked and have style; it is in the way you carry yourself, the way you look someone confidently in the eye and how you shake hands. It is the way your spirit shines through your eyes.

To begin to develop your own style one has to start with a good foundation (no, not make-up or bra's! we'll get to those foundations later). I am referring to our personal foundation, our inner self. The ancient Romans (a stylish society indeed) had a saying, "Style reveals the inner self".
So now you are saying to yourself "that is all great and good but how do I begin to create my own personal style?" My answer is to Know Thy Self. Begin with asking yourself Who am I? What am I most comfortable wearing? and How do I want others to see me?

Below are a few tips to begin creating your personal style foundation:

Get your beauty sleep: is more than an old wives quote. We should think of our skin as a gift wrap for the soul. Does your gift-wrap invite others to peek inside? Sleep is the time when our body and soul renew. Many studies done by doctors and the medical world have proven sleep deprivation causes our immune systems to decrease, impaired thinking and ability to make good decisions, stress levels to surge and leaving our physical bodies energy depleted which manifest on our face as dark circles, dull skin and hair and an overall worn out look.
We need a min. of 7 hours sleep per night. It can vary more but not less than 6 hours. Even a consistent 6 hours of sleep a night isn't enough unless you take a nap in the afternoon.

Beauty is not only Skin Deep: Skin is the largest organ of the body. It is often overlooked and overstressed and it shows. Take care of your skin. Get a good skin care regiment and do it morning and night, all over your body. Clean, Exfoliate, Moisturize, sun-protection and drink water to help flush out impurities.
Decrease wrinkles by worrying less and smiling more. Meditate and visualize peace and happiness even if it is just 5 minutes a day.

Care for your hair: This is one part of us that we can change daily to fit our mood! We can put it up in pony tail, comb it back, color it, curl it, straighten it. Beneath that hair is our scalp that is the foundation to its bounce and shine. Know your hair type (dry, oily,thin, limp, normal) and take care of it accordingly. For dry hair moisturize and deep condition once a week, Oily hair needs to be washed frequently with effective shampoo. Keep your split ends trimmed and have a good cut and shape every 6-8 weeks. If you color your hair be sure it is the right tone and color for your skin type and no roots or bi-colored head... dark on top light on the bottom ... ;o(

Stay tuned for more style development tips.


.

What’s Hot for Spring Fashion 2007

The Next Big Thing According to Neiman Marcus:

Metallics – Handbags, shoes and even clothing!

Dresses – Hemlines above the knee, wraps and the shirt dress especially.

Delicate Blouses – Light silk blouses are cool as things warm up this spring.

Patent – Oh so shiny, sport a patent bag or shoes!

Jewelry - Big, chunky, silver jewelry is the thing to have this spring.

Find more spring fashions at Neiman Marcus' Next Big Things.

Need help pulling it all together? Neiman’s also offers “Instant Style” where you can view entire outfits in the latest fashion trends!

Make someone smile today.

Take a minute to do something nice for someone else. The smallest gesture can make a person's day.

* Offer to carry an older person's bags of groceries to their car.

* Invite someone who lives alone to dinner.

* Send someone flowers just because.

* Rake your neighbor's yard or shovel their snow.

* Fill the slots of your washing machine ta the laundromat for the next person.

* Leave unused coupons on the supermarket shelves for other shoppers.

* Let someone with less items in from of you at the grocery store.

Please leave a comment if you have more to add.

Easy Asparagus Chicken ~ A family HIT!

Last night my husband decided to try a new recipe and it was a HUGE hit in our house!!

1 1/4 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch strips
2 tbs. vegetable oil
2 (10 oz) pkg. frozen asparagus spears (we used 2 lbs. of fresh instead)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook chicken in heated oil over medium heat. Remove and set aside.

Brush 12X8-inch baking dish with reserved juices from chicken. Arrange asparagus spears on top. Top with chicken strips.

Add soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry powder to remaining juices in pan; stir over low heat for 1 minute or until well blended. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Fun, Funky Kitchen Message Holders

Do you have mismatched or antique forks just lying in your silverware drawer? Why not put them to good use? Drill a hole at the top of the handle and hang them on the wall. The tines are great for holding messages or photos. Hang one near your stove to hold recipes. You can make them stand out by painting a diamond shape in a darker color than your wall and hanging the fork (or forks) in the middle. What a great way to display and use old forks.

Growing Your Business

In this day and age we seem to want everything to happen overnight and when it doesn’t we tend to get a bit disappointed. When starting or growing your business it’s best to remember that patience is required. Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind on your journey so that you can avoid being let down.

The best business advice I can give is to plant a seed, both figuratively and literally. When seeds are planted they don’t become full blooming flowers overnight. This is an important idea to keep in mind about your business. Yes, it’s true that some businesses seem to bloom overnight but for the majority it’s a slow and steady growing process. A plant needs to be taken care of everyday it needs water and sunshine, as your business needs you to take steps each and everyday to help it grow. A dried up pot of dirt with a seed in it isn’t going to do much and the same works for your business. In other words you can’t just put up a website and think that all on it’s own it will become successful. If you are the type that needs something tangible, go ahead and plant a seed in a pot. Over the course of time tend to it and to your business everyday; and by the time you have flowers your business will have made great strides.

http://www.mybusinessfairy.com

3.17.07 Daily Freebies

Free Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner

3 $10 Gift Certificates to Ted Montana's Grill

Noxzema® Triple Clean Blackhead Cleanser

Hot Mom Car Magnet

Find It Fast by Organizing Your Refrigerator.

Has your refrigerator become a cluttered mess? With a few tried-and-true affordable products you will be able to find what you need in record time.

* Wire Drawer Organizers- Prevent items from falling out of the door by stashing them in assorted size wire bins. ($9)

* Lazy Susan- Place small items on a double decker lazy susan. This would be ideal for yogurt, cream cheese, or any other small items. ($6)

* Shelf Expander- Make the most of what space you have with some shelf expanders. They will add an extra level of storage space. ($8)

* Can Dispensers- These hold 12 cans and allow you to see how many you have left. ($14)

Color Therapy

Color is a form of energy. This energy affects us both physically and emotionally. From packaging in the products we buy to the color of suit and tie a lawyer wears, color is used all over in our world to influence us. Below is a list of colors, their meanings, and suggestions on using them.

Red It's known for being a "power color". In small amounts it can promote positive thinking. On the other hand, too much of a good thing can create irritability, nervousness, stress and even anger. Use a red appointment book to emphasize your importance in the world.

Orange Lifts your spirit. Creates vitality. Can be a great antidepressant. Try a glass of fresh orange juice in the morning to get a peppy start on the day.

Yellow The color of happiness. This color creates an optimistic attitude. Good for helping make decisions. Can't make up your mind? Use a yellow legal pad to list pros and cons.

Green Lowers stress and gives a feeling of comfort. Add some more plants to your home or office. If you are a serial plant murderer like myself, fake ones will work! ;o)

Blue Relaxes the body and opens the mind. Be a kid again sometime and lie in the grass and watch the sky.

Purple The color of royalty. Promotes self confidence. Also the color of passion. Buy yourself or the love in your life a bouquet of Freesia.

Don't go overboard. Sometimes too much of a good thing can have ill effects.
http://www.abeautifulsoul.com

Petroleum Jelly- Not Just for Babies Bottoms!

Here's some easy-peasy beauty tricks with petroleum jelly:

• Have pink, wind-burned cheeks? Dab on a bit of jelly to soften and heal the damaged skin.
• Next time you are running out the door and find your lip balm, or gloss, has been eaten by a dog, child, or just plain lost, don't fret- a bit of petroleum jelly will do the trick!
  
• That dab of jelly on your lips felt nice, huh? Now you want to use it all the time? Ok, make your own fruity lip gloss: Take a glob of jelly, a bit of sugar-free(the pre-sweetened) "Kool-Aid" type mix, and plop it into a small paper cup. Microwave for a few seconds at a time, until all is melted and can be mixed together. Put into an old lipgloss pot, or another similar sized container, (Gatorade lids work awesome for this if you're a cheapy-recycler like me!) And let cool. Use. Yummy.
• Petroleum jelly also is great for removing stubborn waterproof makeups, like mascara. And it's way cheaper that the bottled stuff!
• Help your perfume last allllllllll night- rub a tiny bit of jelly onto your pulse points before you spray your scent- and it will stick with you all night!
• A dab of it can also help tame wild brow hairs. Dab it on, and use your brow comb to neatly smooth hairs into place.
  

3.14.07 Daily Freebies

Z Sweet Zero Calorie Sweetner

Fancy Feast Cat Food

Tide With Bleach

Red Dress Pin

Choose To Know Braclet

3.13.07 Daily Freebies

Neutrogena Age Shield Sunblock

Free GNC Multivitamin

3 Soy Joy Bars

Free Crockpot Liner

Monkey Child Safety Harness

Cute, cute, cute! The monkey child safety harness is one of the most adorable ways to keep your child close to you and safe. It also doubles as a small backpack and the "leash" or monkey's tail can be removed so your wee one can wear their little monkey friend as just a backpack.

Goldbug 2-in-1 Monkey Child Safety Harness

Smart ways to use Address Labels

* Put one in the inside of books before you loan them out.

* If you are going to a pot luck put one on the bottom of your casserole dish. The hostess will know will know which one belongs to you.

* Carry them in your purse and use in stores to add yourself to mailing list.

* Use them on your child's school supplies.

* Use to mark person items like umbrellas, cameras, and any other item you may carry places with you.


I get mine at Vista Print. they are FREE and all I have to pay is shipping.

FREE Return Address Labels from VistaPrint.com! Click here.

Do Your Children Light Up Your Life?

In this case I'm not talking about their beautiful shiny smiling faces! I'm talking about the lights, TVs and video game consoles that are left on with no one around; the electric meter on the outside of the house spinning so fast it's starting to smoke. All I can imagine is some big CEO at the electric company flipping through a yacht catalog smiling as my children and ones like them contribute to the companies billion dollar profit margin.

To solve this problem at our house we came up with Project OFF. OFF stands for Our Fun Fund! We had a talk with our children about how much our electric bill was. We set an amount for what we thought it should be at the high end. We told the kids that we would much rather spend money on fun things rather than lights to light a room no one was in.

We told the kids that every month when the electric bill came in we would show them what it was. If the amount was less than the set amount, the difference would be put in the Our Fun Fund. The fund can be saved or used at the time for whatever it is they all agree to whether it's an outing to get Happy Meal's, a new video game or to be saved for something even bigger.

To our surprise it really has made a difference! Our electric bills on average have been $20.00 to $38.00 less a month than the amount we set the high end to be. Of course, an added perk to this, they're doing their part for the environment and that too makes the kids feel good.

Find out more about saving energy with your kids here: http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/saving_energy/index.html

Daily Freebies 3.10.07

Free Old Spice Razor

Calgon Body Mist

Monistat Soothing Care

Free Sample of Advil and $2 off Coupon

You've Just Got to Try Buttermilk Pie!

I know what you are thinking... ahh what, that ahh, doesn't sound so good. Trust me this is really yummy stuff. It's often referred to as poor man's cheesecake. If you do try it leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place beaten eggs in a medium bowl. Gradually beat in sugar. Stir in melted butter, salt, flour, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Pour mixture into an unbaked pie crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour until filling is set. After pie cools refrigerate!

Can be served with a fruit topping and whipped cream much like cheesecake but it's just as great plain.

Daily freebies 3.9.07

Free Spiderman Comic Book

Honey Bunches of Oats

Say Something Tool Kit

Free Magnetic Picture Frame

Free 6pk Boost

Will She Stay or Will She Go? Antonella Barba

Ever wonder sometimes why the "bad" ones stay so long and some of the ones you thought should be there are sent home? Maybe, this website, www.votefortheworst.com has something to do with it.

Vote for The Worst has had Antonella Barba on their site since the voting began. Miss Barba was really hammered on last nights show (03/17/07) by the judges and to top it off, a not so suprising dig from Simon about the media "problem". This of course refering to her "Kodak Moments" that showed up here and there on the internet when she became a constestant. Wonder if that best friend of hers had anything to do with that?

Vote for The Worst has a very large audience according to Alexa.com's website ranking system. I'm sure though that some of Vote for The Worst's audience is like myself; who wouldn't vote for the person they have on there but rather just visit the site as I feel it's entertaining. Tonight should be a pretty sure test as to whether or not this site has any real pull if Antonella Barba is choosen to stay.

Make your own baby wipes

Baby Wipes

1 ½ cups water
2 Tbsp. baby bath or shampoo
1 Tbsp. baby oil
1 roll paper towels

Mix the water, baby bath and baby oil in an empty round baby wipe container. Cut the paper towels in ½ using an electric knife. Remove core from the center. Place paper towels in wipe container. Let the paper towels soak up the water solution. Turn every few minutes to allow the solution to reach the middle of the paper towels. If there is still a dry spot in the middle, add a little more water and turn until soaked through. Pull the wipes from the middle of the roll through the top of the wipe container.

*An even cheaper baby wipe is to use wash cloths and wash with your cloth diapers

3.8.07 Daily Freebies

Free sample of Sunsilk Thermashine

Free Goodlife Pet Food

Sensodyne Sample

Free Coffee

Free Tums Sample

Garnier AntiWrinkle Cream

Take a Dacation - Local Tourism

Want to do something fun and don't have the time and/or money for a real vacation? Pack a lunch and go on a dacation!

Most places have lots of things to do within a hundred miles or so of where you live. There are musuems, historic sites, state parks and more. To get some ideas of places you can go here is a website with all the tourism websites for each state. Most states also have festival guides as well. Another way to find great places is to ask friends and neighbors.

You never know what kind of fun you might be missing right around your own home town.

Did You Get a Facelift?

Did you know that the shape of your eyebrows makes a difference in the way your face looks? With the right shape eyebrows you can look younger, like you had a facelift (but without the expense and pain).

Here are the face shapes and the shape your eyebrows should be:

Round: High arched eyebrows where the peak is toward the end of the brow and the tail is short
Oval: Looks great with any eyebrow shape
Square: The peak should be close to being directly above the square of the jaw.
Heart: The eyebrows should be rounded.
Long: Looks best with a flat brow to avoid further elongation
Diamond: More rounded or peaked eyebrow to narrow the width

What shape face do you have? Try a new eyebrow shape and see what a difference it makes.

Daily Freebies - March 6, 2007

Check in daily for a new list of freebies.

Almay Hydracolor Lipstick Sample


Free Samples of Medifast Weight Loss Shakes and Bars


FREE Ducks Unlimited decal


Free paperback novel by Luanne Rice


Pledge of Allegiance bumper sticker

Triple Chocolate Cake

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 devils food cake mix
1/4 c. oil
1 1/4 c. water
2 eggs
1 sm. pkg. chocolate instant pudding
1 c. chocolate chips

Grease and flour 13 x 9 inch pan.
Preheat oven to 350.
Pour cake mix in a bowl and add oil, water, eggs, and pudding mix.
Beat on medium speed with mixer for 2 minutes.
Stir in chocolate chips and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until cake test done.

Focus Groups a Fun Way to Earn Extra Money

Focus groups are held when a company wants to know the opinions of the public pertaining to new products, ad campaigns and more. The groups on average have about 10 people in them and are lead by a moderator. The moderator leads the discussion and asked questions relevant to what the company they are representing wants to know.

Most meetings last about 1 to 2 hours and you are compensated monetarily for your time. There are also times when lawyers will hold a focus group to do what they call a mock jury trial to give them an idea of the outcome of a case they are working on. A mock trial could take anywhere from 1 to 2 days, these usually pay $100 to $200.

So how much can you make? Most focus groups pay $40 to $200 depending on the study. Sounds like great money! There is a catch though; most marketing research companies ask that you only do a study every 3 to 6 months. You can sign up other household members though and even your children.

To find out more about focus groups in your area look in the local yellow pages under marketing research. Call and ask how you sign up to be part of a focus group. Most of them will send out a questionnaire that asks things about household income, age, occupation, etc.

While these are not going to make you rich, it is a little extra money in your pocket. You get to be involved in shaping the way companies do business and for the most part they are fun to attend.

The Real View

Welcome to Dabbling Divas. We are a group of everyday women. We aren't celebrities... Yet! Our mission is to bring you "Things you want to know and then some!" for real everyday living. Thank you for coming by and sharing in a part of our lives.

The Dabbling Divas