Cheesy Dilly Grean Beans with Bacon

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How could you possibly go wrong with cheese, dill weed, green beans and bacon? Is that even possible? I don't think so.

Per requests, I make this every year for Thanksgiving.

6 14.5 ounce cans green beans, drained
1 lb. Velveeta, cubed
1 tsp. dill weed
1 lb. (or less) bacon cooked and crumbled (I bake mine in the oven)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything in a casserole dish and bake at 350 until cheese is melted. I take it out and stir it after it's baked a little while. You could easily halve this recipe - in fact, the recipe above is doubled.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody!!

Burlap Wreath

I got the basic idea of how to do this off of guess what? Pinterest of course! I took a wire hanger, opened it up. Got two different colors of burlap that I've had for probably close to 15 years and started cutting that into strips. That stuff is messy and leaves little strands everywhere so be ready for that before you start cutting. I'd say that I had about a yard of each color of burlap - so about two yards of burlap total.

I cut strips that were about 3 inches wide (more or less) and about 12 inches long or maybe a little longer. It really doesn't matter.

Take a strip of the burlap and start kind of threading it by placing the wire hanger through it.

It's almost like you were skewering meat to put on the grill.

I poked the clothes hanger through about every inch and a half or so.

Alternate the colors of burlap if you like.

Squish it all together then twist the coat hanger closed.

Then tie a pretty bow. I think my mother bought the ribbon I used from a flea market in Mena, Arkansas - beautiful place that Mena, Arkansas - Mena will always have a special place in my heart.

Hang that gorgeous wreath on your front door and call it good!!

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Andre Extra Dry Champagne - $2.91 @ Sams Club

Was shopping at Sam's Club last night and noticed they have their Andre Extra Dry Champagne for $2.91 a bottle. Better go stock up - hiccup!

Make A Turkey With Your Turkeys

I've done this craft every year since my oldest was 3, so that's a whole three whopping years! First you pick out fall colors out of your construction paper - like reds, yellows, oranges, greens, browns - whatever you want. Or you could be really creative and pick pinks or purples or whatever the heck you want - after all, it is your turkey!

Get your little munchkin to stand on a piece of construction paper with their feet spread apart and using a pencil outline their little feet.


Next, cut out what you traced and then glue the two pieces together. This will make the turkey's body.


Next trace your kid's hands on the rest of the construction paper. I do a set of hands per color.


Cut them out. Or if you're really smart, get your child to cut them out, that way their hands cramp, not yours. I'm only joking! My oldest daughter wanted to cut hers out, promise.



Next glue the hands onto the back of the turkey. These will be the turkey's feathers.


Cut out a little orange triangle for the nose and a red piece for the little goobly gobbler (that's the technical term for the flappy skin on the turkey's neck) and then cut out two orange pieces for their feet and then glue those on - draw on some eyes and you've got a handmade turkey made by your very own turkeys.

Be sure to write on the back what year your child make the turkey. I pull out the turkeys from years past just to marvel at how much my children have grown. It's amazing.


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Gobble-Gobble

Two NCAA Fleece Hoodies or Pants for $40 @ Finish Line

I read about this over at My Dallas Mommy. You get two NCAA cozy fleece hoodies or pants for $40 - that's $20 a piece. Can't beat that with a stick.

I already placed my order for two of them. I'm not biased or anything, but you might want to check out these pretty purple ones:

Horchow Everything Sale - Get you some nice towels at a low price

I had never even heard of Horchow until last year. That's how hoity toity I am (snort, snort!!) Anyway, I read about this deal last year over on a Grocery Game forum. I ordered monogrammed Ralph Lauren bath sheets and monogrammed hand towels. Well, they're running the same deal right now. You can get you some awesome-looking, very high quality towels now for cheap. Here's a link to the towels I ordered this year. You can get a monogrammed Ralph Lauren bath sheet for $16.79! That's pretty awesome They would make great gifts too. Don't forget to enter code EVERYHC at checkout. Sale ends November 9 @ 6:00 a.m.

DIY Ghost Shirt - They're Boo-tiful

I thought I'd post this even though Halloween is over. These are super cute and so easy to make. I made one for my 6-year-old and one for my 2-year-old. I saw these on, of all places, Pinterest. Can you believe it? LOL.

The idea came from Sugar Bee Crafts. She made a pillowcase dress. I modified her idea a little by using a t-shirt that I bought at Hobby Lobby when they were on sale. I used the craft black felt that you buy in squares from Walmart, and I bought a half a yard of material from Joann's. I would have bought that super cute zebra print fabric but they were out! So I got this material that I think is just as cute.

I made a ruffle for my oldest daughter's ghost shirt, which she loved. I did the ruffle one first and it was a little difficult for me, so when it came time for me to make my youngest daughter's shirt, I made hers with just a plain band around the bottom. I actually think the plain band is a little cuter.

Whatcha think?

Halloween Wreath

All credit is due to Sassy Sanctuary and to Pinterest, which I have a small obsession with!! What did I ever do with my time before Pinterest??

What you'll need:
Wire wreath form
2 Yards of fabric in 4 different styles - so 1/2 yard a piece
Wooden letters that spell out BOO or EEK or SPOOKY or whatever you want
Paint to paint the letters
Ribbon to hang the wreath from

First you need four different styles of material - or you can do five or six - whatever you want. Cut them into about 1 inch strips about 6 inches long. Cutting the material is not the fun part if you're antiquated like me and don't own a rotary cutter. I now have rotary cutter on my "things I would like to buy when I have the money" list.









Those pictures up there are in no particular order - I was just trying to show what all you needed. The 5-year-old in that last picture up there is helpful too. She painted the letters for me and did a lot of the tying!

Take your pieces of material and begin tying them around the wire wreath and double knot them so they don't fall off some day. I started with the middle ring and worked my way out. This is what we came up with:


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Pretty dang cute, huh? I love you Pinterest!!

(For better pictures and clearer instructions, head over to Sassy Sanctuary.)

Shootin' For A Cure

Saturday, August 27th marks the 3rd Annual Shootin' For A Cure event that benefits the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

This great group of folks started this event back in 2009 to help one walker in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day For A Cure and to help with medical expenses for one of their dearest friends who found out earlier in the year that she had stage three breast cancer. They not only raised enough money to cover their friend's medical expenses, they also raised enough money to send two walkers to the 3-Day that year. Each year, they surpass their goals. Let's keep that momentum going this year.

Registration starts at 11:00 at the Gray Ranch in Cresson, Texas (Click this link for address). Shooting starts at 11:30.

They will have five gun stations and one bow/arrow station. The gun stations are set up with "Annie Oakley" style shooting. Six shooters line up and shoot against each other trying to knock one another out based upon the hits on the clay target.

There are shooting round gifts for the winners of each round. Six guys shoot against each other, six "qualifier" rounds. The winners of each of those six rounds come back to shoot against each other. The winner of that round will win a shooting round gift.

The $50 entry fee includes shooting, dinner/drinks, and one raffle ticket.

$15 fee for non-shooters gets you dinner and drinks.

Raffle tickets are $1 a piece. There's lots of nice auction/raffle items including a 12-gauge shotgun, Dallas Cowboys tickets, Dallas Stars tickets, Dallas Mavericks tickets, restaurant gift cards, jewelry, handmade custom furniture, quilts, gym memberships...lots and lots of great things.

I learned via Shootin' For A Cure's Facebook page if you show up to the event wearing pink, you get a free raffle ticket. So come on, Guys, sport your pink because we all know:


Y'all come out and show your support for this great cause. Stay and watch the bands play - Foggy Posse plays @ 1:00, Rocky Lott Band @ 3:00, and my personal favorite The Highway 80 West Band plays @ 6:30 (I have to say that because my brother is their mandolin player - ha - they really are great though!)

Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine, Texas

Did you know that 75% of the nation's bird species either live in or visit the Galveston Bay region sometime during the year, including the recovering endangered brown pelican? That's just one of the things I learned while visiting Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine, Texas.


We ventured out to this cool spot last Thursday, August 4 and, boy, was I ever thankful that I pre-purchased tickets online a few days prior! That's probably the most helpful information I can give you - BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE before you go! We were told by one of the Sea Life employees that people who had not pre-purchased their tickets had been waiting in line for an hour and a half - no joke - and this was a Thursday at 1:00 in the afternoon! When you pre-purchase your tickets, you not only pay 15% less than you would at the door, but you get to stand in a much shorter, fast-moving line.

From the Sea Life website: Prepare for astonishingly close views of everything from humble starfish and seahorses to graceful rays, to get any closer you would have to get wet!

• Amazing 360° Underwater Ocean Tunnel
• 30 Incredible Displays
• More than 5,000 Sea Creatures
• Take the Shark Walk if you're brave enough!

They have something called the Kid's Quiz Trail. At the beginning of the tour, one of the Sea Life workers hands you a card with, I think, nine questions on it and three possible answers you can scratch off. Throughout the building there are "Fin Facts" posted on the walls. There are also questions posted throughout the building as well. All you do is find the correct answer and scratch off the appropriate color on the card. At the end of the tour, whether you got all the answers right or not, you turn that card in at the gift shop and the kids get to either pick a sticker or a tattoo (and let me tell you that tattoo stays on a lot longer than any other fake tattoo I've seen).

The thing I was most impressed with was the ocean tunnel (pictured above). That was really neat. It felt neat because the floor is see-through.

I've heard that they'll be getting a sea turtle soon that was injured by a boat and can't use his back legs but uses his front legs to swim. Fun fact about sea turtles: Did you know that sea turtle mamas will travel thousands of miles across the oceans to lay their eggs on the same beach where they were born? That's amazing.

At the end of the tour there's something called the rockpool. That's where the kids can actually touch a starfish, sea urchin or crab.



So if you get a chance, head on over to Sea Life Aquarium at Grapevine Mills Mall but be sure and buy your tickets before you go! And take your time going through the exhibit - don't let someone bully you into moving along if you're not ready to. Remember to relax and enjoy this time with your kids!

"Adopt" a wild one at the Fort Worth Zoo

Did you know that you can "adopt" these Texas animals at the Fort Worth Zoo:

• Aplomado falcon
• Bobcat
• Burrowing owl
• Coati
• Horned lizard
• Indigo snake
• Jaguar

• Mountain lion
• Ocelot
• Otter
• Swift fox
• Texas longhorn
• Texas tortoise

The adoption fee is only $10 this August.

When you adopt an animal, the $10 fee contributes to its care and feeding. They'll also send an e-card on your behalf.

Click here to start "adopting" today.

Save big with your smartphone with this smart little app

I found this awesome app by searching for the word coupon in the app store on my Iphone. I have saved tons of money by using it. It's called GeoQpons.

From their website: "GeoQpons is a rapidly growing mobile coupon app that empowers consumers to save significant dollars at their favorite local and national retailers. Available for the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry devices, the free-to-download app contains more offers than any other mobile coupon application today with savings available from more than 280 brands - in more than 100,000 locations across the United States."

Let's say you're shopping at the mall and you walk into Bath & Body Works. You pull up your GeoQpons app on your phone, click on Bath & Body Works and you'll see all the deals you can get. Like right now you could get $10 off a $40 or more purchase or a free signature collection body care item with a $10 purchase. Just click on whichever one you want and show it to the cashier.

There's tons and tons of stores to choose from - stores like Babies R Us, Barnes and Noble, Carter's, Children's Place, Hobby Lobby, Macy's just to name a few.

You've got to check this app out! Let me know what you think about it.

Grapevine Mills Mall, where have you been all my life?

Yesterday my girls and my mother and I all went to Sea Life Aquarium at Grapevine Mills Mall (I'll post about that experience later). I had never in my life stepped foot inside that mall. What in the world was I thinking? I've lived in Fort Worth for 36 of my 38 years and I've never been inside that mall until yesterday. I had no idea it was an OUTLET mall - hello!! We only walked through a small, small portion of the mall and I was just in awe over how many stores this mall has.


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From their website: "We offer 1.6 million square feet of shopping, entertainment and restaurants. There are over 180 stores to choose from such as Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Rainforest Café, Loft, NIKEFactoryStore, Off 5th Saks 5th Avenue and Old Navy. At Grapevine Mills you can always find More Brands! More Stores! More Savings! More Fun!"

We went to The Children's Place Outlet and bought a pair of jeans, three shirts and a skort for less than $19!! You just can't beat that. And if you can, please tell me where so I can go shop there! They accept coupons there as well. (Be sure and tune in tomorrow and I'll let you in on a smartphone app that has saved me lots of money!)

So if you're wanting to save some money, head out to Grapevine Mills Mall. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Also Friday, August 19, 2011 marks the beginning of the 3-day tax-free weekend.

Oh, yeah, you might not want to park anywhere close to the aquarium or Legoland because it was like a madhouse in there!!

25% off $40 @ Carter's

Normally you get 20% off $40 @ Carter's which is a good deal, so this is a great deal! Just "like" Carter's on Facebook click on the album entitled "coupons" then click the 25% off $40 and print it out and take it to your local Carter's (sometimes the cashiers just want the little code that's on the side of the bar code - but to be safe, you probably ought to print out this coupon). The coupon expires next Wednesday, August 10, 2011.

While you're at Carter's, sign up to receive their emails. They send you quite a few emails but they usually have a coupon in them. Whenever I go shop there, I always try to buy things that my kids need and get the total up to over $40 just so I can use the coupon - that may sound weird, but I usually always score what winds up being a free onesie or something like that. And if you have a little one, you know you can never have too many onesies!

Delicious Brown Rice

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I stumbled upon this recipe over at Southern Plate in the Front Porch Forum. I made it last night and I just about ate half the bowl all by myself. It's that good (that might have something to do with the fact that there's a stick of butter in it!)


Brown Rice
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 can french onion soup
1 can beef broth
1 stick of melted butter

Dump everything into a 3 quart casserole dish (or use whatever size dish you can find - just remember the rice puffs up when it's cooked).
Cook uncovered on 350 for 1 hour.

Hurst's Central Aquatics Center - go cool off before the kids go back to school

Hurst's Central Aquatics Center is where my daughter took swim lessons. She took Level I there last year and then Level II and Level III this summer. I was so impressed with this place that I had to share it with you.



I realize that the name of my blog is Fort Worth Mama and this is my second post about Hurst, but I don't think that the City of Fort Worth offers any public pools for its citizens to enjoy. Per the City of Fort Worth's website: "The City's pools will be closed for the 2011 season due to on-going budget constraints and maintenance needs."

While the City of Fort Worth might be struggling with budget constraints, it's my opinion that the City of Hurst is doing just fine with their budget - at least as far as aquatics is concerned.



This beautiful pool is located at 715 Mary Drive which is off of Pipeline.

Their hours of operation are:
Sunday - 1:00 - 6:00
Monday through Friday - 12:00 - 8:00
Saturday - 10:00 - 6:00

This pool is open until August 21st, so go visit it while you still can.

The cost to get into this pool:
Hurst Residents (1 to 64 years of age) - $2
Non-Hurst Residents (1 to 64 years of age) - $7
Ages 12 months and under - Free
Ages 65 and over - Free
Hurst Resident Season Pass - $25/person
Non-Resident Season Pass - $75/person

They only accept cash or checks so be sure and bring some cash with you.

Their website says:
Central Aquatics Center is a state-of-the-art facility featuring many exciting water-based components such as:

• Activity Pool with zero depth entry
• Tumble buckets, raindrop, pipe falls
• 3 berm slides
• Large slide with receiving pool
• Children's pool with water play unit
• Bathhouse with concessions
• Picnic plaza
• 2 Pavilions
• Shade structures
• Sand Volleyball

You can also have a party there. To learn more about that, click here.



We all need a nice, clean place to get cool during these 100-plus degree days. Go check this place out! I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The Best Macaroni Salad I've Ever Had

My husband and I like to watch all the cooking shows on Food Network and the Cooking Channel. We were watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives when Guy Fieri visited The Shed in Ocean Springs, MD. They demonstrated how to make Mama Mia's Macaroni Salad. It looked delicious!

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After a short search on Google, I found this recipe. I've adapted it a little to suit our taste. If you're looking for something to take to your next get-together, try this. It's yummy.

This recipe makes enough to feed about 8 or so people. I always make it and keep it in the fridge and we snack on it during the week. You could easily halve this recipe if you wanted to.

Mama Mia's Macaroni Salad - Fort Worth Mama's version

4 cups uncooked shell pasta
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less)
2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 bell pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain pasta - set aside to cool to room temperature.
Mix together all of the ingredients except bell pepper, onion and cheese.
Mix sauce with the pasta.
Add in chopped bell pepper, onion and cheddar cheese.
Refrigerate.

What are some things you like to make to take to get-togethers?

Additional 40% Off @ Dillard's

I've decided that now is the time to stock up on my husband's Polos. They're originally about $80, but I bet I can score some today for around $25.

Go see what you can find.

$2.50 Off General Admission To Fort Worth Zoo

Valid through Monday, September 5th for up to four tickets. Not valid on Wednesdays (which are half-off days). Go here to print the coupon.

Hurst Recreation Center - Fun Things For Kids and Adults To Do

Did you know that Hurst Recreation Center offers tons of things for your little ones to do? And don't worry, you don't have to be a resident of Hurst - you just have to pay a couple extra dollars for each class if you live outside of Hurst.

Here's a link to a PDF file. It's the Where We Live magazine and it includes all the classes you can sign your kids up for fall classes. The classes for children start on page 29.

You can start them as young as 18 months with classes like Crafty Squiggly where your little ones can create masterpieces. There's lots of classes to choose from for the 3- to 5-year-old set. I just noticed a sewing club class for 7- to 12-year-olds. Wouldn't that be fun? Start 'em young!!

You can also take some classes for yourself. There's a class called Recycled Couture where you can turn plastic bottles or old t-shirts into new things. That sounds interesting, doesn't it? Or you can learn how to dance or paint or play an instrument. There's tons of things to choose from.

Registration for the Fall classes starts August 1 for residents of Hurst and August 8 for nonresidents. For further details see page 48 of the PDF file above.

My daughter has taken an art class, tumbling class, a dance class and she's on her second summer of swim lessons. I've had nothing but great experiences with Hurst Rec Center. Check it out and let me know what you think!!

(Here's a link to the Winter edition of the magazine just in case you like to plan way ahead like me.)

Diaper Deal

I hear Babies R Us and Toys R Us have their Huggies diapers on sale for $5.00. Sale ends today though so load the kids up in the SUV and head their way like quick, fast and in a hurry!

You can score a $5 gift card when you buy 2 Huggies Pure and Natural Jumbo Packs. I don't have any experience with the natural diapers - do you?

You can use coupons at these places so you could get you some diapers for next to nothing!

My child starts KINDERGARTEN this year!

Help!