Frugal Fashionista shoes at their finest...Mod Podge Marvel

As I get ready for a jam packed weekend, I just had to share one of the best examples of a DIY Frugal Fashionista at her finest.
A new reader, Charlie, sent me this and my mouth dropped WIDE OPEN!
Talk about thinking outside the box.

"Hey, I am sending you 3 pictures of my very favorite shoe. I have to tell you that I found these babies for 99 cents at "Cato Fashions" on clearance, and the bottom of them was a plain brown wedge heel. BORING!!! So, I took some scrapbooking paper that I was saving for a special occasion, Mod Podge, and an hour to create the most fabulous shoe a girl could ever have!"
Can you believe that? Charlie used Mod Podge!! She ROCKS!! How fun are these? Now, I'm trying to figure out what shoes I can spray paint. :) Isn't this DIY amazing?
Now before you tell her how awesome this is, she wanted to make sure new visitors didn't come thinking they were getting a cutsie decorating blog. :) It's called Operation Shrink Charlie's Butt and she just tells it likes it is. She doesn't mix words and is one crazy, fun, loving woman on a mission to lose weight and bring others along with her for the ride.
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*Also, my brother just reminded me that there is an 80% off code for Restaurants.com good through the July 31. If you're not familiar with these wonderful frugal dining options, see my Restaurants.com post for details. Make sure you read any details on the coupon.



80% Off w/every $25 Gift Certificate Order when you use code NAPKIN. Pay $2 thru 7/31/09 only at Restaurant.com.

How to make whole wheat bread - Tasty Tuesday

In the midst of my two week travel excursion, I just realized that my one year blogging anniversary has come and gone.
I thought it would be fun to re-visit my very first "foodie" post, written when five of you visited my blog, I didn't really concern myself with any kind of word choices, and I still had a $79 digital camera. :)
This post cracks me up because I read this again for the first time in a year and I realized that I never even posted a recipe... and I'm still not going to. ;)
There are so many great whole wheat recipes but all that I use are specifically for mixers, not hand kneading. For those of you who are new to bread baking, I have a really easy to use french bread recipe for beginners that I was thinking of doing as a post, along with a video tutorial. Let me know if that would be a helpful addition.

There is something about the sense of smell that creates powerful emotions.
It's a beautiful thing really.
Close your eyes and think of a favorite smell.
Is there a special memory tied to it?
Can you recall a specific event?
Maybe a Thanksgiving meal?
How about coffee brewing, brownies baking, bread rising?
(Notice my associations all go to food).
To me, the rousing aroma of freshly baked bread soothes my soul in a simple way.
It reminds me of days gone by, a simpler life, a time when families connected over the breaking of bread.
For most people, the thought of baking bread terrifies them.
"It takes too much time, it's so much effort,
and I can't even cook dinner for my family."
Please don't go running for the hills, it's easier than you think. This isn't a full scale tutorial...just some pictures to inspire you. Maybe this will be the week where you will rekindle your family's senses and soothe them with the sumptuous smell.

For you city folk...this is whole wheat grain.
Remember "for amber waves of grain"...it's really amber,
and that's not just because of a bad camera.
When those "granola-y" types say they are grinding their own grain, don't be too impressed.
I do as well, and it's as easy as plugging in the curling iron. Just pour the amber waves of grain into the hopper and....
VOILA!!! Freshly milled, highly nutritious whole wheat flour.
Did you know that all flour loses the majority of its vitamins within hours of milling it?
Isn't that a bummer since we buy it off the grocery shelves...oh well.
But have no fear....
you don't really think I would go without the good old white flour.
No way...I am not always that healthy. Yes, I buy in bulk(those bags are 25 lbs).
When I bake, I bake for an army and freeze extras.
After you have easily mixed all the ingredients together, the dough will look like this.
Like I said, definitely not a complete tutorial. You are going to cover it and let it rise for about 30-40 minutes.
Yeast is a living thing, so it breathes (rises) all on its own...so puffy...I love that.
But then the part I love even more - punching it down.
A great aggression getter outter. See how it leaves my fist print - it feels great!
I take it out of the bowl and flatten it all out. The kids love this part because it feels so squishy. Then I divide it equally between loaves, rolls etc and shape them.
I will let it rise one more time. There are quick rise ways of making bread, but I didn't have anywhere to be, so I opted for a 2nd rise.
Before....
AFTER (about 30-60 minutes depending on how hot your kitchen is)
Bake and TA-DAAA!! Can't you smell it?
Pass the butter, please..now the cinnamon and sugar (my fav).
It's typically a little lighter in color but I yelled to my son to turn the oven off.
He did (but the bread stayed in...oops)
Carrying through on my daily theme of balancing the beauty and bedlam, I need to be real here. I took a long sabbatical from my weekly bread making tradition. For years, I would make 4-6 loaves of bread every week. It was easy. I could do it in my sleep (although the bread never turns out the same...go figure). My sister in love and I organized an order with other ladies from our food co-op. Montana Wheat brought a semi all the way to NC back in Y2K. Well, I have a closet full of various grains (yikes, even lentils)...so I better get grinding and baking.

My husband is highly encouraging it...in a sweet kind of "the dry ice is only good for 10 years, honey" kind of way. I would love to share some of my bounty if any one is in the area. Come use my grinder and we'll break bread over some freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon rolls.
Bedlam I tell you...SHEER BEDLAM!
Thanks for revisiting my first ever food post written when Tasty Tuesday didn't even exist. This definitely "works for me."
I can't wait to see what's cooking in your kitchen this week.

Meeting Blogging Friends in Real Life

Next weekend I have the wonderful opportunity to attend the Proverbs 31 - She Speaks Conference (for speakers, writers, and bloggers), right here in NC.
I was going to share my explanation, but Lysa's vision is straight from the heart.

She Speaks Conference Site

I know, I know...pretty amazing all that the Lord is going to reveal, isn't it? I am so thankful for the vision of these women and their hearts of servant leadership.

Most of you reading only know me as a blogger.
A year ago, I could barely define 'blog'. In a ministry sense, I would have considered myself a speaker and worship leader. Little did I know how much I would grow to love connecting with women through this on-line virtual coffeehouse known as blogland.
Hearing your heart through comments is wonderful, yet I would love nothing more than to have you right here, sitting in my trash to treasure family room, sipping some Starbucks while I listen to your story.
So when I attend a conference with 600 women, there are a lot of stories to hear.
Listening to them all is an impossibility, but breaking down the large group barrier and meeting new friends is a very real probability. That is my desire with this post - to connect a few of the women attending She Speaks '09, and hopefully ease a few nerves of people going alone.
I know that the Lord is using this time of preparation to reveal His glory through the weekend.

I have been visiting blogs of those attending the conference and there are a lot of tentative women getting ready for this weekend. Somehow it brings back all those Junior High "cool club" feelings of fitting in, first impressions, let alone the "what do I wear?" dilemma.
Guess what? I hadn't even thought one little bit about my clothing choices until I started reading every one's blogs. Now you ladies got me all nervous. ;)

Since I am frugal blogger, I have to put in my two cents...I am devoting a whole Frugal Fashionista post to this weekend's conference. Yes, I am committing to wearing all thrift clothing...all weekend. If I'm wearing someone else's cast offs, you have no worries. :) So let's feel free to shop our closets, ladies. It's just not worth it to charge up those credit cards. It's amazing what gems can be found under all those piles in our closest.
Can you describe to me the outfits of ten women from church this past Sunday? Neither can I. Doesn't that put it in perspective? No one is attending to critique fashion finazze...we are going to share our hearts. (Climbing down from my soap box now, thank you). So please come find me if you have any Frugal Fashionista attire on at the conference. My camera is going to be ready to click and feature you right here. :)

Since the conference time frame is jam packed, we wanted to make sure there was a scheduled time for all bloggers to connect and meet in one location. Friday evening there will be a Blogger Meet and Greet after the speaker evaluations are finished. On the schedule it says "free time" (9:30pm) and I invite you to join all the bloggers on the veranda. (Doesn't that sound so "Gone with the Windish'...join us on the veranda? ;). At the registration table, I will have a reminder sign about our evening, but make sure to check in case there have been any last minute location changes.

For those of you not attending, you have an introduction right here to some wonderful ladies down below. For those of you joining us at She Speaks 09, please link up below to a specific She Speaks post or to your blog home page. Then, visit the new friend above and below you on the link list. Peruse their blog, leave a comment, and during the Friday meet and greet we will spend a few minutes finding our new friends. Don't worry, I won't make you do any "forced bonding" games such as clucking like a chicken to find each other. I gave that up with my youth ministry days. :)
This will allow you to put an instant face and warm body with that blog header/avatar picture.
Want to go a step further? Share one thing in your comment or by email that we can be praying for in this final time of preparation. It takes a lot to get out the door for a weekend, so let's lift each other up as we anticipate all that the Lord will do through our time together.

For those of you on Twitter, we are using the hashtag #shespeaks throughout the week to keep updated. Many of us will be tweeting throughout the sessions/weekend, so come join in on the fun.

When we return, I invite you back here to share the stories and pictures of all that we have experienced. Are you getting excited?

Now come, link up and pass the word to other She Speaks 09 attendees. I can't wait to visit your blog this week, and then meet you on Friday evening. :)

Birthday Traditions

Since I mentioned that we just finished three birthdays in 31 days, I thought I would share a few birthday tradition ideas that have been meaningful at different times. We don't attempt to do these all or it would be overwhelming, but I will share a variety of ideas for all ages. I trust that it will begin to ignite some creative juices, and encourage you to think outside the box. (Today's are on the meaningful, character building side. I'll get to the just plain fun ones as well. ;)

The Birthday Charity Tradition – Start a birthday tradition for every member of the family whereby gifts of money are included (or in lieu of) the birthday presents. Donate to the birthday person’s charity of choice. I first heard of this idea when our friend's daughter, at age 10, decided to have all her guests bring only a present meant for a newborn. During the party, they went to the crisis pregnancy center and shared these gifts with new moms. Now, I know this would be a huge sacrifice for most children, but this family's heart of giving began cultivating when this child was very young. If this would be something new for your child, start small, maybe divide the number of gifts in half and donate the rest. This is a wonderful way to introduce children, at a young age, to the idea of giving. It means a lot to them if they are able to choose the charity themselves. Perhaps they love reading and they use the money to buy books for their school library. Or, they love sports and the money helps purchase soccer equipment for children in countries where all they have is an empty coke bottle to kick around. Older children could even get involved in collecting the thousands of jerseys and shorts at the end of each season (that everyone has outgrown) and send them off to a place where they will be considered treasures. Take a photo of the birthday child each year next to the huge pile of soccer jerseys, and put it in his/her Birthday Book to remember those good deeds for years to come.

Privileges and Responsibilities – A wonderful way to make your children feel grown up and help them understand what “growing up” really means is to give them two special envelopes on their birthday. One is labeled “New Privileges” and might include a later bedtime. The other is marked “New Responsibilities” and might include a new chores such as doing the dishes. The birthday child will be so proud of their new privileges that they will take on the responsibilities with greater commitment. What a great way to teach them that these two things come hand in hand. Tie these envelopes with a thin gold ribbon and prop them up against a set of candles on the dinner table.

How to organize kids' chores and routines?

Being out of town for 11 days (yes, 11..ugh) has definitely blown our family's routine out of the water. Trying to keep my head above the sea of laundry, cleaning, writing and life led me to my dear friend over at the Pretty Organized Palace. We chuckle at how much we have in common except that she is really, really organized and I...am not. I am just a wanna-be. :)

Since I have received many requests on how I divide up chores, teach responsibility etc. etc., but have had no time to write about our "organized" life, I'll let you hear from the master. You'll just LOVE her! And by the time I share how our family does it, you'll need some more encouragement in this area, I am sure. :) Don't we all?
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When Jen asked if I'd come over to add my two cents on how I Balance Beauty and Bedlam with my family of 8 I thought... really? Is that interesting ?!?! Then I remembered that families of 8 land big Cable Reality Shows and get to take fantastic vacations with their kidlets and drive cars that have built in movie theaters... and some even get a year supply of diapers... though I'd prefer chocolate instead.

For those of you who wonder, "How on earth does she manage with 6 kids?" I offer this: The chore chart to top all others. Okay, well admittedly this won't top all others because this one is ugly. Sometimes order is ugly... this chart looks more like a Wal-Mart Organizational Flow Chart than a family chore chart.

The fact is: I forget everything. I completely forget that my kids earned themselves a whoppin grounding for 2 weeks because my intense love for these little punk-a-noodles overshadows my memory of things they've done to deserve my wrath.

I forget that a family of 8 requires laundry to be done several times EVERY DAY. Aren't we all trying to forget about the laundry... it just won't go away! I'm even at fault to forget a couple of days in a row... until I've worn that stretched out bra that I should have thrown away months ago for the second straight day and I have to start acting surprised when friends see the stains on my shirt, "Kids! Darn. I guess I'll have to get this in the wash." That excuse works incredibly well when you have a ton of kiddos. You're always bound to have something stuck to your shoulder or belly. It's sad however, when the same friends hear that excuse several times over the same shirt... BUSTED!

So here's command central at my house.

Use this link to get the PDF of our job chart.
Cuz I'm a dork and can't make it appear right on this blog.

This baby has earned it's rightful place on the fridge next to the Scouting schedule and the realtor magnets.


It's divided into 3 sections; Routines that I need to remember.
Meal schedule: For Breakfast and Lunch (dinners are always different)

Laundry Schedule: This shows me who has laundry on what day. If you want to see my octo-laundry routine check out this post.

Family Job Rotations: This is the meat of the schedule. (Applies to 4 older kids)
It details my kids daily Personal jobs, Trash assignments, Dinner Prep and Clean-up assignments, Weekly Zone, Weekly Job, and Saturday job assignments. WHEW!

Use this link to get the PDF of our job chart.

There you have it. Functionality at it's finest... you can thank the hubby for that one. I'm always worried about whether or not the colors I choose in the chart coordinate with the eyes and personality of the child they represent... and match the hues of the current season.
We're a perfect match!

Any other questions on family efficiency or routines? What are you struggling with in your home?

Photo Credits: SouthernLiving.com

Where do I find more coupons?

I receive many questions inquiring as to where I find all of my coupons. I realize that needs to be an upcoming post because I don't just find them in the Sunday paper. I print them off of my blog side bar, look through magazines, order them from Ebay (yes...a great secret - I'll give tips) and I LOVE clipping them from All you magazine.

Some of you may have seen All you, sold exclusively at Walmart. I recently had a friend ask what the abbreviation AY meant when she saw it on various couponing sites, like a Full Cup.
It stands for the All You magazine and it's full off great, frugal, family friendly ideas. I referred her to their website which was selling one year's subscription for $20. Well, when blogger Southern Fried Gal @ SouthernFriedDreams.blogspot.com emailed me and offered me a two year deal, I knew I wanted to share it with you. She's saving me an entire year's subscription.

The problem is that this deal is only good through the end of the month, and you need to take advantage of it through my blog, not their home site.

Now through the end of the month (July 30), you can get a 2 year subscription to All You magazine for $16! For those that need someone to due the math that is only $0.67 per issue. Use one coupon, and you've paid for it. Try and get the order in early, in case you have any problems. Unfortunately, as of August 1, the subscription price is going way up...bummer!

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  Sneak a peek: Coupons in the August issue! (they vary every month)
  

Here are the details.

To order, please visit Carmella’s personal Southern Living at Home website - you must use this link to get the discounted price.

Click on Our Products then How To Purchase
Type in Balancing in the hostess first name field then click Continue
Select Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

In the search box type 40776 then click GO
Click on All You Personal Subscription then Select this Item
Then just follow the screens through checkout!

It takes 8-12 weeks to receive your first issue once you see your payment post to your account. Typically those that order in July should receive their first issue in mid-to-late September.

DISCOUNT NOTE: The total will show $19.95 at checkout and on your invoice. Your discount adjustment will be made after you checkout but before your card is charged, and the final amount charged will be $16.00. This is because Carmella is offering the discount as an independent consultant. It is not at the corporate level, so the automatic response will not reflect the discount.

Click here for the answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions.

Barbie Cake: A Birthday Delight

We have just finished three birthdays in 31 days.
Yes, somehow three of our five children gravitated their arrival to the same time of year.
I love sharing special birthday traditions, but I must confess, creating masterful birthday cakes has never been my forte. I dream of putting my designer touch on something, but so far that dream has not become a reality.
This year, I am finally going to take that cake decorating class I "think" will launch me to "Domestic Goddess" status.
I realize that all cakes do not require a master baker's touch. One of my finest birthday creations was done in five minutes. I took two dozen Krispy Kreme round donuts, created a circular tower stuffed with candy, and then frosted it. I then lined up an assortment of toppings for the boys' sprinkling delight.
They reminisce about it to this day. :)



I still dream about the Barbie cake that I "made" for my daughter's birthday. It doesn't matter that my niece made it for her sister this week or that I oogled it for days. Let's just pretend that I created it and call it a night. :)
My friend, Toni - the Happy Housewife, did a video tutorial that shows you exactly how to make it. She did a fabulous job, so why should I reinvent the wheel? She demonstrates perfectly how even a non baker can amaze friends and family. :) Make sure and check it out!
The beauty of this recipe is that you can use a box cake mix, a round glass batter bowl to bake the dress (to make it even easier), and any old Barbie lying around. They do sell 1/2 Barbie's at Michaels, but you can use a regular Barbie as well. This was my niece's and Toni's first attempt and both turned out beautifully.
Am I the only one who has issues with frosting cakes? I will conquer that, you just wait.

So what are you cooking up for Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods this week?

As always, please follow the simple guidelines or post will be deleted.
1. Include your post showing us your Tasty Tuesday recipe or ideas.
2. Link up below to the permalink of your post. To find out what yours is, simply click on the title of your post and grab the permalink from the address bar.
3. Link your post back to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam as a courtesy to me so everyone will know where to find more recipe inspiration

A Sunday Moment

A child-like gift of love...
We've all received them...
A precious fist full of 'nothing,' yet given with grandeur.

Unbelievably, His great love showered me in the midst of the unexpected.

Revealing Himself through a fist full of nothing,

this daughter of the King was embraced by His love.

Thank you, Lord,
for continually showing yourself to me in the mundane moments.
A child-like gift of love...weeds turned to wonder.


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Zep 3:17 (NIV) The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Beauty is God's handwriting.

-Charles Kingsley

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I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.

-Abraham Lincoln

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Shared at Tuesdays Unwrapped

Sensational Silk

New to the Frugal Fashionista series?
Begin with designer wardrobe on a frugal budget.

I made a mistake this week on vacation. I walked into some high end retail clothing stores that I haven't frequented in years. My reason? To literally start pricing some of the items that I am featuring every week, and make sure I am up to date with the latest trends.
You know where that browsing landed me? With a huge case of the "gimmes."
Give me one of those and oh, let me just try on one of these. Did I need a thing? Absolutely not!

The benefit of that shopping trip was that I have a lot to process about how consumers are so influenced by the ploys of these amazing marketing groups. Quite a few thoughtful posts are swimming around in my brain about personal finance and all from a little"harmless" browsing.
I didn't purchase a thing, but that didn't stop me from being "convinced" that I needed quite a few new items.
Bottom line: Remove yourself from temptation. :)

Now, on to my thrift designer outfit of the week. I apologize that it's only one. The Frugal Fashionista was not thinking ahead and I went out of town without my other pictures....oops.
In the past, wearing silk has scared me. It's the kind of fabric you wear once "you've arrived," and my bus has yet to get there on time.
On top of that, silk is truly special. Just think how amazing it is that God's remarkable creature, the silkworm, worked especially for us so that we can wear something really fancy.
I surely wouldn't want to hurt his feeling, so when I came upon this BRAND NEW (yes, tags still on) 100 Silk, Coldwater Creek dress at Good Will for $6, I hatched, I mean snatched it up without a protest. I did it in honor of the silkworm. :)
This is a style that is forgiving with any figure. If your arms aren't your favorite feature, don a cardigan or wrap. Since I have fallen of the wagon with both my exercising and my eating, the pounds are slowly creeping back on. I plan to remedy that soon, but in the mean time, this style hides a good ten extra pounds with it's straight lines, and my weight gain is barely noticeable.
Here is another example of how the right piece of jewelery makes an outfit. This $2 purple yard sale find necklace doesn't go with much, but I am thrilled that I didn't pass it up because it completes this outfit. Simple, yet elegant.
Again, imagine my excitement when I saw these like new shoes at a yard sale the weekend after I purchased this dress. I am disappointed I can't share the brand (since they're in my closet and I am not, :) but I do know they were made in Italy....yes, only the best of Italian Leather for my silk dress.
Shoes - $2 and I doubt they were worn more than once - no visible scuff marks or any signs of wear.
Total for this head to toe designer Frugal Fashionista outfit? $10

Are you a "Yes Mom?"

In a culture that screams "Yes" to every one and everything that the world has to offer, I am a mean mom that says "No" quite often.
"No" to ideology that says truth is relative.
"No" to many movies, music and moments that turn the brain to mush.
"No" to the laziness and disrespect that teens exhibit way too often.
"No" to...well, I guess you get the picture.

The hard reality is that I want to be a "Yes Mom. " I want to say "yes" to everything that they desire. I want them to shower me with instant praise and gratitude for always saying "yes."
I don't want to be the only mom who doesn't let them...
But, guess what? The Lord has graciously given these blessings to us for a minuscule period and I know that "instant yes" is not always in their best interest.

So I choose to be a "Yes Mom" in the little things. The moments that will impact them for eternity. Moments that shape who they are. I say "yes" to the little things that take their breath away, and then even moments that will be solidified in their mind as plain, silly, wholesome fun.

My desire is that they will always remember me as a "Yes Mom." A mom who cares enough to say "No" in the hard moments, but relish my "Yes" in the magical ones.

So instead of saying, "No, don't try on those crazy wigs, you'll get lice,"
I just said "YES."
Decades from now, I pray that my daughters and nieces will always remember this "Yes Moment."

Have you had a "Yes Moment" lately?

Free Target and Starbucks Gift Cards

Many of you took advantage of this Free Target gift card, but now Nicole's Savings Advantage hasn't even sweetened the deal by adding an additional Starbucks gift card. That is what I was waiting for! Please make sure you first read my personal experience with this deal for details.

Save up to 75% when you buy clothes, travel, medicine & more-sign up for just $2.95!
Complimentary $25 Target Gift Card + Sign up now and get a Bonus Free $25 Starbucks Gift card!

(My personal gift card)

(Edited to add) Melinda from frugalgrace.blogspot.com, "I signed up, but wanted to let you know that there is now a new twist in the fine print - you may want to let your readers know. It states: When you remain a member after the trial period, we will confirm your mailing address and send you your free gift cards.
It looks, to me, like you have to remain a member for more than 30 days in order to get the gift cards. Still not a bad deal - $11.95 for $50 worth of gift cards!

Thanks so much, Melinda, It's always wise to read the fine print.

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Don't forget Freebie Wed. at Arby's. Today (7/15), get a free Regular Roast Beef sandwich with drink purchase.

Delicious Dips for any Get Together

Our family loves to whip up appetizers - more specifically...yummy dips.
I understand that dips are supposed to be saved for those special occasions, but why wait for special occasions when they are so easy?

I have mastered healthier, low fat options by substituting low fat cheeses, sour cream, and always adding twice as many fresh vegetables (if the recipe calls for it).
While making dips, learning to experiment with flavors has been a fantastic way to encourage my children with their culinary creativity.

We have been spending lots of time with family this week and there is nothing that rekindles memories of yesteryears more than a family recipe. When I first met my husband, I remember being served this Southern caviar dip whenever we would visit. My mother in law has passed away, but the tradition continues as my sister in law always makes this for our family get-togethers. I just found out this week where the recipe originated from decades ago, and how their family began serving it. Do you know the origin of favorite family recipes? If not, find out, and pass the recipe down through the generations...with the story.

Southern Caviar (recipe passed from GA to MN to WI and then to NC)
No guilt with this recipe...just flavor and sheer garden goodness. This did NOT look like a dip I would enjoy when I first saw it, but one bite and I was in love. :)

• Tall can of black eyed peas (rinse and drain)
  
• One can of shoe peg corn (drained)
• 3-4 green onions (chopped)
• 1/4 onion (chopped..red onion is delicious as well)
• 1/3 of a green pepper (I love to add yellow and red as well)
  
• 2 tomatoes (chopped)
• 1/4 cup Italian dressing (or more til desired consistency)
• 2 Tbs chopped jalapenos (or more to taste)

Mix well and chill. Serve with Frito Scoops

Beer Dip
Considering I am in one of the Beer Capitals of the World right now (WI), I wouldn't be right not to share a true Wisconsin dip. The irony here is that I don't drink ANY beer - never had, never will and I don't like the taste one bit. Yet just a dash of beer mixed into this recipe adds an unbelievably unique flavor. It is so yummy, makes a ton for a get together, and whips up really fast!

• 3 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese (softened)
• 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
• 1/2 -3/4 can of beer
• 1 cup shredded cheese

Mix cream cheese, dressing, and beer til you reach your desired creamy consistency. Then mix in 1/2 cup of cheese, leaving the remaining cheese to sprinkle on top.
Serve with pretzels or scoops.

Need more ideas for cooking with large groups? How about taco dip and quick, easy homemade pizza?

Group cooking in a pinch...what do you have in your freezer? Check out my one hour experiment.

(posted at Boo Mama's)

I can't wait to see what everyone is sharing for Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods
As always, please follow the simple guidelines or post will be deleted.
1. Include your post showing us your Tasty Tuesday recipe or ideas.
2. Link up below to the permalink of your post. To find out what yours is, simply click on the title of your post and grab the permalink from the address bar.
3. Link your post back to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam as a courtesy to me so everyone will know where to find more recipe inspiration.
Tasty Tuesday Parade of Food Participants

1. Alisa-The Sweet Life (10 minute garden fresh meal) 2. Renata (Homemade lime cordial) 3. INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE ME SQUIRM - Kelly the Kitchen Kop 4. Many Little Blessings (Zucchini Raisin Walnut Muffins) 5. Mom2my9 @ 11th Heaven (Roasted Red Pepper Hummus) 6. Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolates (Blackberry Almond Bruschetta) 7. Heather @ Just Doing My Best (Chicken Pesto Pizza) 8. Homemaker Barbi (Cooking Chicken Outdoors - Smoked) 9. Amanda@CopingWithFrugality (Turkey & Bean Burrito Burger) 10. Faith, Food and Family (Oooey Gooey German Chocolate Brownies) 11. Frugal Girls! {E-Z Freezer Jam!} 12. Kate at Centsational Girl (summer berry preserves) 13. Christine @ becomingp31 (No-Roll Biscuits and Oatmeal Muffins) 14. Kitchen Stewardship (Turkey Chili-Topped Turkey Burgers) 15. Tamy ~ 3 Sides of Crazy (Black Bean Corn Cakes) 16. Inside The White Picket Fence (Berry Muffins) 17. TidyMom (BBQ Ribs) 18. Liz@HoosierHomemade(Harry Potter Cupcakes) 19. Susan (chicken broccoli divan) 20. Amy @ Finer Things (kid-friendly snacks) 21. Amanda @ Serenity Now {Choc. Chunk Oat Bars & a Madeover Housewarming "Gift"} 22. Melissa @ Frugal Creativity (cool cucumber salad) 23. Newlyweds (Jalapeno Jelly)

24. Astrid @ Lopsided (zucchini quiche and cherry pie) 25. Darnold23 @ Dining With Debbie (Kitchen Basics Basil) 26. Daily Essentials - Homemade Croutons! 27. Stacie @ Park Avenue (Lime Tortilla-Crusted Chicken Tenders) 28. Thrifty Teacher- Pepper Rice (not spicy unless you want it to be) 29. Lynn's Kit Adv (blueberry pound cake) 30. Amy @LivingLocurto (cajun caviar dip) 31. Phillips Phamily Mama (A Makeover) 32. Phillips Phamily Mama (Pesto Crusted Grilled Cheese)) 33. Kate @ Stolen Moments (apple jacks cereal cookies) 34. Pam (authentic greek salad) 35. Sara (marinated London Broil) 36. Tara @ Feels like home (garlic scapes) 37. Joy in My Kitchen (Gluten-Free Brownies) 38. Melissa @ Mom's Plans (BLT Pasta Salad) 39. Sonshine(aunt nellies best ever muffins) 40. DarcyLee (Sticky Chicken) 41. Lisa (sweet tea) 42. Christi @ A SOUTHERN LIFE (banana recipes) 43. Jane@Frugal Fine Living (Baked Blueberry French Toast) 44. Kristen (banana coffee cake) 45. Cents to Get Debt Free (Tri-Color Bread Braid) 46. Cate @ Budget Confessions (beans and cornbread)

47. mub (no roll pie crust) 48. dreamer (teriyaki chicken) 49. Katie (fajita & club salads) 50. Angela's hubby Derek 51. Comfy Cook (Western style cornbread) 52. Natalie with A Touch of Country FRUIT PIZZA 53. jacobi (peanut butter chocolate cookies) 54. Carol @ Joy in the Journey 55. Charlene @ Secrets of a Southern Kitchen (baked chicken and rice) 56. Kelli @ SustainingCreativity (Recipe for Beauty) 57. Kara (Fiery Chicken Salad) 58. It's Frugal Being Green (Grasshopper Pie) 59. Julie@Come Have a Peace (steak marinade) 60. Geri@heartnsoulcooking 61. Jessica (Homemade Banana Nut Bread) 62. Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet (Triple Chocolate Ice Cream) 63. Joy @FrugalMenuMamas 64. The Working Home Keeper (Soaked Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins) 65. Prairie Cottage Rose (Civil War Pancakes) 66. Easy Oven Baked Fiesta Chicken (Penny Pinching Diva) 67. Tracey @ Girls to Grow (Chicken Spaghetti) 68. Alea @ Premeditated Leftovers (peanut butter fudge) 69. Tami

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One dollar....one minute magic

I am a home maker that loves accountability. My heart's desire is to be in intentional in all aspects of my life, not just with my family. My intentional balancing act also consists of my home, finances, time with the Lord, and a myriad of other essentials I could list. But quite frankly, when the busyness of life gets in the way, those mundane domestic tasks are often the first to get pushed aside.
That's why I couldn't believe how happy it made me when I took two minutes to transfer my dish soap to this cruet. Yes, it's the little things that make my day.
During my planting last fall, I went with a wild card full of lily bulbs. There was no guarantee of the colors that would bloom, so I was a bit disappointed when they were primarily orange.
I decided to work with the colors, rather than against them, and picked orange dish soap (that I got free from my triple coupon week) to put in my $1 yard sale cruet.

Just this simple act changed the mundane to the magical. I love to pour my soap from here...it makes me feel all royalish. :)
Now if I could just pour, walk away, and have the servants wash them for me, then, I'd be true royalty. Oh wait, I do have servants that are trained to do this mundane task. I believe they are called my children. Do you have royalty in your house?

(Posted at: We are That Family, Tuesdays Unwrapped)
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I have a fun brainstorm coming up where we can hold each other accountable for one month in the little things of life.
30 days of intentionality can transform the way we think about SO MANY things. But trust me, I will only set the timer for ten minutes a day, experimenting with how many areas I can take "outside the box" in transforming the little things from mundane to magical. :)
Does anyone want to join in?

No more complaining...

Seriously ladies - we have no right to complain about nursing ever again. You think you're tired? These babies not only have really sharp teeth, but claws as well. Nope - no complaining here.
My years of nursing were just fine!

Our poor lab mommy can't even go to the bathroom with one moment of peace. She's so over this.
Do you know the feeling? I'll never complain about my sweeties knocking on the bathroom door and interrupting me ever again.
Oh, we are feeling for you, poor thing....we'd be panting like that as well. (Now, I just wish I had her skinniness problem. Why didn't I ever have my babies and then be exceptionally thin?)
For the first time ever she's getting canned dog food to fatten her back up, and she is loving dinner time.
The time has come to say goodbye to these bundles of sweetness, and we are all mourning the fact. My daughter is convinced that having six dogs would work out just fine, but she surely hasn't convinced me. I'm all about balancing beauty and bedlam, but I do still have one good brain. :)