Leftover Candy Corns...

It's not a problem I normally have, to have a slew of leftover candy corns.  But if your stash isn't dwindling, as quickly as mine did, I thought some of these ideas were adorable ways to use them up, that aren't all "Halloween-y".

These candy corn penguin cup cakes are from Naomi's instagram (of the fun blog, Love Taza).  From what I can tell, they are oreos, candy corn, and mini chocolate chips.  They look easy and fun, for any time of year!

These are adorable little pretzel turkeys, that look simple and easy!  They would be a fun place setting for the kid's table at Thanksgiving!  For some more "turkey" inspiration using candy corns, I can't get over how cute these nutter butter turkeys are, or try out variations of the Reese's peanut butter cup turkey, here or here!

And if your candy corns are stale, or you are all sugared-out, you and your kids can make a sweet little card, inspired by this handprint turkey, or this Thanksgiving card.

Have fun using up that leftover candy corn!  Now I wish I had some left...I will have to plan better for next year!

Family Fun: Firepit

Last year, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law gifted us a firepit for our Christmas gift exchange.  Now that the weather is cooling down, we have been loving putting it to use!

If you don't already have one, it would be a fun Christmas gift for your family to enjoy, whether you buy one or build one (it might seem early to already be thinking of Christmas gifts...but trust me, it'll sneak up on you!).

Here is a simple tutorial on how to build one for a family on a budget that wants a permanent place for their firepit.

One Friday night, we decided to do an old-school hot dog roast for dinner, topped off with s'mores.  We had our friends, the Whitings, over and enjoyed good conversation, nostalgic food, and great weather.  Not to mention, this is a really inexpensive family get-together or date night.  I love slow-paced and laid-back evenings like this, I really need to try to plan for more of them.  They are so good for the soul!

I keep a package of hot dogs and buns in my freezer, so we can do this last minute without a trip to the grocery store!  Unfortunately, when I keep a "stash" of chocolate bars to make s'mores, it disappears rather quickly...!  It would also be fun to cook some tin foil dinners for a different type of meal, if you wanted to change things up.

The babes got to take a bubble bath after crawling around and getting smoky, while exploring the "great outdoors".

What do you and your family love doing together?  Do share, I love new ideas!

P.S.
Our favorite way to do s'mores, is using a Reese's peanut butter cup instead of a regular chocolate bar--it is amazing!  Thomas said he probably won't ever make a s'more another way again.

Stuffed Pumpkin: Bacon Jalapeno Dip

On Monday night for family home evening, we had our good friends, the Mertz's over.  James and Jenessa  recently moved here from Tucson.  Brett and James have been very good friends for years, they grew up in Willcox together.  We like that they live close now!

Jenessa offered to bring tomato soup and bread bowls (you can buy the bread bowls here, they are so worth it!).  I gave my first attempt at baking something in a pumpkin, and whipped up some apple crisp.  It was a fun and relaxing evening.  The stuffed pumpkin was a hit!  I'll probably make it again...this week!    

And can I tell you how much I love eating on the back patio!  We eat out there nearly every single night, and I can't get enough of it!  I'll be disappointed when the evenings are too biting to enjoy the patio, but then we can make s'mores around the firepit and Christmas will be here--so I won't be that disappointed :)

Landon was in a goofy and happy mood, so we had fun interacting and engaging with him a lot.  He was so smiley and corny the whole night long.

So, in case you want to test the waters, and try baking "something" in a pumpkin--give this easy appetizer a try!

Bacon Jalapeno Dip baked in a Pumpkin

original recipe found here

2-3 pound pumpkin, cleaned out

16 oz. cream cheese

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 T. finely chopped jalapeno

2 T. finely chopped onion

1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

3/4 cup salsa verde

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place cream cheese in large, microwave-safe bowl and soften

Stir in the remaining ingredients

Place the dip in cleaned pumpkin and place it in a baking dish with 1 inch of water.  Lightly cover the pumpkin with foil.  Place the pumpkin and baking dish in oven and bake for about one hour, or until the dip is hot and bubbling around the edges.  Put the top of the pumpkin in the last 20 minutes, so it looks "baked". 

We served it with the "insides" of our bread bowls and tortilla chips--both were delicious!

Enjoy!

Dining out on a Dime: Joe's BBQ and a Quick Update

So sorry that I have been MIA for the last while.  If you didn't catch it, here is why.  It is probably why I was craving this, and wearing these all summer long.  It's all starting to make sense now!

Today I am actually feeling quite great (meaning I didn't spend the whole morning wrapped up in a ball on the couch while Landon caused mischief, and I threw in a load of laundry!).  Our house is in a current state of sadness, as all of the decor and most other things are packed up in boxes, ready for our move.  We close on our house this Thursday, and then the madness will begin!  We need to take down wallpaper, paint, and refinish the kitchen cabinets--just to name a few things on our "to-do" list.  But don't worry, I will try to take before and after pictures, because they are the greatest.  And I will definitely post on what we learned about refinishing cabinets, it's a big experiment for us. 

If you are needing a yummy place to eat out this weekend (I'm sure we won't have a very functional kitchen for a bit), then Joe's Real BBQ is a good place to try!  Now, it isn't the cheapest place, but Brett and I got out of there for less than $25, which included lots of good meat, sides, and the biggest rootbeer float I ever did see (with homemade rootbeer, no less).  It is a fun, family-friendly place that has a great atmosphere and seriously good food.  It is a "seat yourself" cafeteria-style set-up that is laid back and fun.

Brett and I each ordered a sandwich this time.  Mine was a bit smaller and had one meat on it.  Brett's was a larger one with two choices of meat on it.  Both of them came with 2 sides.  We love the macaroni and cheese, and the baked beans!  I also really like their main course baked potatoes, cause they come with a heaping bit of meat on it, and it is oh-so-good.  When Brett wants to splurge, he goes with the sampler plate, which has a lot of meat on it!  Writing this post has my mouth watering...I might need to plan this for a date night soon.  

Another great thing about Joe's BBQ, is it is the best place to go for your birthday.  They give you $10 towards a free meal, just show your ID.  You can easily get a full meal on less than $10, or splurge and pay a couple dollars difference.  Now that is frugal!

Landon sporting his Joe's hat

This is the size of the rootbeer float!  Plus, you get unlimited free refills on rootbeer--if you can manage it!

Trust me, this kid eats like a king when he goes out to dinner with us.  He grunts for the pulled pork smothered in BBQ sauce, the mac-n-cheese, and the baked beans!

He just happened to be wearing his John Deere onesie, so we couldn't pass up the photo-op with their fun decor!

This place is in the heart of downtown Gilbert, so if you go when there is nice weather, then walk around and enjoy the fun area too!  BBQ is one of my favorite kinds of foods to order out at a restaurant!

Summer Movie Fun

I just got back in town from Utah (I hitched along with my family while Brett was at scout camp for the week)!  And despite the fact that they were hitting record-breaking highs there, it was still a nice break from the Arizona summer heat!  Now that is saying something.

So pardon my more sparse posting since I was vacationing.  And please continue to pardon my sparse posting as I try to recover from post-vacation blues (loads of laundry, sweltering heat, etc.) while I catch up on my regular daily-duties and posts!

But, in case you need an idea for something to escape the heat here in AZ, here is one!

I know this isn't a secret, but it was something I decided to do this year.  All of my cousins my age that live around here, do this together, and since I have Landon now I decided to join in on the fun!

It is called, Summer Movie Fun and is put on by Harkin's Theaters.  At the beginning of the summer, I bought a season pass for $7, which meant I could go to 10 movies over the summer for that price, total!  All my tickets came with the $7 purchase, so that is less than $1/movie, for 10 movies!  Now, the movies they show are not in theaters, they are already released movies.  But it is a fun outing and since I coordinate with my cousins, we get to see each other once a week in the summer. 

Since it is mid-summer and you might not be able to get your money's worth for a whole season pass, or if you travel a lot and would miss a lot of days--you can just show up to the theater during one of the movies designated times, and if space allows, purchase a ticket for $2 just for that one day and movie.  It still is a really inexpensive option to escape the heat and get out of the house!

I also "splurged" on a $5 loyalty cup, so I can get cheap refills every week or any other time I go to the movies this whole year.  Those who know me well, know I love a good fountain soda!

Brett and I also love to frequent the Picture Show Theater at Superstition Springs (it is $2 for admission, except for $1 on Tuesdays).  It is a discount theater that shows movies that have already hit regular theaters but not been released on DVD yet.  It is a great alternative for date night, than going to a traditional theater, since tickets can be $10 or more in the regular theaters!  We can afford dinner and a movie on the nights we choose to go there!

What do you do during the summer to escape the heat?  I could always use more ideas!

Family Fun + Decor: Ikea

Ikea is great for so many things.

If you are looking for reasonably priced decor, depending on your taste and style...Ikea!

If you are looking for a fun place to walk around and escape the heat...Ikea!

If you are in the mood for some Swedish meatballs...Ikea!

If you need some inspiration on decorating a room...Ikea!

As you can see, Ikea can be a great place to check out.  But be careful you don't spend too much money when you go, unless there is something you need to purchase and that is your plan!

We went the other weekend as a family fun night, to grab a couple things we needed, and to pick up something to gift my parents for Mother's and Father's Day.  Unfortunately we got to the restaurant a little too late, and it was closed for the evening, but we still had a blast!

We love our Moby wrap, especially in Ikea!  Be sure to go when you have plenty of time to browse.  If it is your first time, there is a lot to take in, and you are most likely to get lost at least once.  But the employees are nice and wear bright yellow shirts, so ask questions if you have them!

Family Fun: A Donut Outing

Whew!  Sorry I wasn't super active in the blogging world last week.  I got a bad case of the stomach flu that really wiped me out.  But now I am doing much better, so the blogging can continue!  This week I will add a couple more ideas for some budget-friendly family fun. 

Have you ever been to Bosa Donuts?  We have one nearby, and they have some seriously delicious donuts! A couple Saturdays ago, we decided to take a morning bike ride over there and get a donut, and some donut holes (for Landon...ahem) for breakfast.

I loved it so much it might become a tradition every so often on Saturday mornings...not such a great idea for the waistline though!

And if you want to see how adorable Landon looks in his little bike helmet, you can check the picture in this post!