You're Gonna Love It~End of April Edition

Yeah, I said it!  The end of April is upon us!  We have had some cruddy weather the past week and I am looking forward to May flowers for sure! Cold, rain, dull and gray days do not make for a happy Kath! I do have some exciting stuff going on in my life and I can't wait until I am able to share it all with you when the time is right.  Let's just say, it's a change in career for me and involves a ton of studying but will be so worth it in the end!

I'm kind of in the partying mood now so, let's do this! 

It's Time For 

The Features of the Week

The most viewed that linked up last week came from Emily from My Love For Words.

Emily clued us into The Biggest Decluttering Mistake You Don't Know You're Making. Luckily, she gives great advice on how to work through it so effectively!  It's a good read so, if you missed it, head on over and read it!

My pick of the week is freakin' adorable! 

Gail at Purples Hues And Me created a one of a kind watering can from something you and I would normally toss into the garbage. Truly one of those moments of seeing something in a totally different way!  I love it!

If you have been featured here, or over at my fabulous co-hort Kim's blog, (she has a different Pick of the Week so go check it out...was it you?) make sure to grab an I've Been Featured button here.

Just a reminder: IF you follow me on Facebook you get first notice of this party going live each week.  Plus, I share some pretty funny and awesome stuff on my page over there too!

Now, who's  ready to party??

Feel free to link up anything you have created (recipes, decor, crafts, written or photographed). Anything you are so proud of you just gotta share it with others. We do ask that you please DO NOT link up giveaways, Etsy shops or anything for sale. Save those for the first Tuesday of each month when, Anything Goes!  We will reserve the option of deleting any post that we do not feel fits the theme of our blogs.

You can follow Kim and I on social media, but it is not required. (We want you to follow us because you want to, not because you have to.)

Kim: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

Kathe: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

We would love it if you would link back in some way so that others come and party with us. Either grab the party button or add my blog link to your post or on your blog party page. But again, it's not required.

As always, the links are in random order so that your submission(s) gets a great chance of getting seen!

This party starts now!

An InLinkz Link-up

You're Gonna Love It~It's Time To Party!

Hello & welcome to another fun & creative You're Gonna Love It Link Party! Wow the weeks are just flying by!  I kinda hope it keeps that trend agoin' as I am headed to Connecticut in just a few weeks!  My youngest son is graduating, with honors, from the University of Hartford!  Not only do I get to be there to cheer him on but, I get to visit with his beautiful fiancee and my sweet grandson, Peanut!  Cannot.Wait. I say that is the perfect reason for me to throw a big ole party so, let's get this one started!

It's Time For 

The Features of the Week

We had a tie again last week for the most viewed!  First up, 

Life Is Poppin' shared 20 Uses For Magic Erasers. What a great list! There were many I hadn't thought of before!

Next, Bonnie from The Pin Junkie (one of my top 10 fav blogs BTW), clued us in on the changes happening with Pinterest. 

Some very useful stuff in that post people! 

My pick of the week is from The Busy Cooking Mama.

I wanna know how Sissy knew I had just purchased a pork loin without any clue how to cook it!  Cinnamon?  Apples? This!  Yes this, will be made for dinner soon!

If you have been featured here, or over at my fabulous co-hort Kim's blog, (she has a different Pick of the Week so go check it out...was it you?) make sure to grab an I've Been Featured button here.

Just a reminder: IF you follow me on Facebook you get first notice of this party going live each week.  Plus, I share some pretty funny and awesome stuff on my page too!

Now, who's  ready to party??

Feel free to link up anything you have created (recipes, decor, crafts, written or photographed). Anything you are so proud of you just gotta share it with others. 

You can follow Kim and I on social media, but it is not required. (We want you to follow us because you want to, not because you have to.)

Kim: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

Kathe: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

We would love it if you would link back in some way so that others come and party with us. Either grab the party button or add my blog link to your post or on your blog party page. But again, it's not required.

As always, the links are in random order so that your submission(s) gets a great chance of getting seen!

This party starts now!

An InLinkz Link-up

Cleaning Under The Kitchen Sink With #PalmoliveMultiSurface

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and its advertiser. As always, all opinions are mine alone. #PalmoliveMultiSurface #CollectiveBias

Winter hasn't left Colorado yet!  We got some snow & rain & fog last week which kept me in the house for a few days. I figured since the weather was so yucky, it was the perfect time to do something I have been dreading forever!  Cleaning under the kitchen sink. 

It's also a great time to let you in on a new product, Palmolive® Multi Surface dish soap, that I found at my Walmart a few weeks ago.

It can be found at your Walmart in with the other dish soaps in the cleaning aisle.

What I really like about it is, not only does it clean the dishes but, Palmolive® Multi Surface eliminates 99.9% of bacteria (*staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica and E. coli ((157:H7)) from dishes and hard non porous kitchen surfaces. It also can be used to clean almost all of your kitchen surfaces.  You can use it on countertops, stovetops, floors, tables, anywhere dirt, grime and germs are hiding. It’s easy to use, rinses easily and is a huge time saver. I love having one product that multi-tasks! 

On to my least favorite task. Are you like me and tend to "collect" cleaning products? More than half of what you see in the before photo above are almost empty!  Why is it so hard to just use them up and move on? This "woman of a certain age" got down on her hands and knees and pulled everything out from under the sink and moved most them to the sink area in the laundry room and under the bathroom sinks where they really belong. 

Once it was emptied out I could see that the shelf liner the previous home owner had put down as coming up.  I pulled it all up and then I saw this:

Yuck!  I am not sure what it was but it wasn't staying! 

Following the directions on the back of the bottle, I poured some of the Palmolive® Multi Surface Dish Soap in the sink with hot water and attacked that grody stuff!

Much better!  And since the Palmolive® Multi Surface eliminates 99.9% of bacteria (*staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica and E. coli ((157:H7)) from dishes and hard non porous kitchen surfaces, I KNOW it's clean!

I figured this was a good time to pretty up this dark hole so, I put down some green foamy shelf liner I had picked up at the dollar store some time ago.

I had to cut it a bit around the pipes but it was not hard to do.

Lastly, I put back only what I really use in the kitchen. I am in love with how clean & uncluttered it is now! I can reach under the sink and grab just what I need, no having to get down on my hands and knees again! Woot! And the Palmolive® Multi Surface is right there, front & center! Easy to get to for those germy cleaning jobs!  I highly suggest that you go and get yourself a bottle to try out!  It cleans almost everything and kills that nasty bacteria too! 

Now tell me, what's on your nasty clean up list?

You're Gonna Love It!

Wow!  Did you guys ever bring it last week!  So many awesome Spring/Food/Decor/Parenting/Etc. posts my head is still full of inspiration!  I can't wait to see what you have in store for this week's party!  Let's get to it!

It's Time For 

The Features of the Week

Jill, from The Rozy Home had the most view last week with her kitchen remodeling process and reveal.

The after is simply stunning!! Go see it if you missed it!

My pick of the week was linked up by More Than A Mom Of Three. Jenn shared her recipe for DIY Cinnamon Coffee Scrub.

I'm not sure if I can refrain from eating this inside of using as a body scrub!  So going to make this for myself!!

If you have been featured here, or over at my fabulous co-hort Kim's blog, (she has a different Pick of the Week so go check it out...was it you?) make sure to grab an I've Been Featured button here.

Just a reminder: IF you follow me on Facebook you get first notice of this party going live each week.  Plus, I share some pretty funny and awesome stuff on my page too!

Now, who's  ready to party??

Feel free to link up anything you have created (recipes, decor, crafts, written or photographed). Anything you are so proud of you just gotta share it with others. 

You can follow Kim and I on social media, but it is not required. (We want you to follow us because you want to, not because you have to.)

Kim: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

Kathe: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google+

We would love it if you would link back in some way so that others come and party with us. Either grab the party button or add my blog link to your post or on your blog party page. But again, it's not required.

As always, the links are in random order so that your submission(s) gets a great chance of getting seen!

The party starts now!

An InLinkz Link-up

Cap'n Crunch Cheesecake Using An Electric Pressure Cooker

It's no secret that I love my electric pressure cooker. I can make a quick and hearty meal in less time than heating up the oven.  It will take the toughest cut of meat and make it fork tender in no time at all. I use it far more than my crockpot these days. So, while I have been making savory feasts such as beef & broccoli, pot roast and pulled pork, I decided it was time to make something dessert-ish with it. There are plenty of cheesecake recipes but I wanted to put my spin on one. That's where my recipe for Cap'n Crunch Cheesecake came to be.

While this cheesecake still takes some time before you can serve it, the cooking time is reduced by at least half and, no heating up the oven for a long period of time! The pressure cooker also eliminates the cracked surface you often get from oven baking by basically steaming it instead of a hot heat method. It creates a moist, dense dessert that is simply decadent! 

Most cheesecakes require a graham cracker or cookie crust.  I like those but, I wanted to try something different.  So, while digging through the pantry I came across a box of our favorite cereal, Cap'n Crunch, and decided, why not use this for the crust. Oh my goodness!  The cooking process imparted the flavor of the cereal into the whole cake and it was DIVINE! 

The only special tool you will need, besides the pressure cooker of course, is a 7" springform pan.  A regular 9" pan will not fit in a 6 qt. cooker.  I ordered mine from Amazon. 

You will also need to form a sling with tin foil to get the cake pan into and out of the cooker.

I used a food processor to mix the cheesecake ingredients but you can also use an hand or stand mixer.

Cap'n Crunch Cheesecake Using An Electric Pressure Cooker

6071918

Ingredients (6 Servings)

Adapted from Cookistry

For The Crust

• 1 cup crushed Cap'n Crunch Cereal (approx. 2 1/3 cup from the box)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For The Cheesecake

• 1 pound cream cheese (2 8-ounce bricks) (not lowfat or fat-free), softened at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Set the rack into your pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water. Fold a double thickness of foil (about 24" long) in half lengthwise. Use this to create a sling that will hold the pan and allow you to lower the pan into and remove it from the pressure cooker. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the springform pan.

Mix the cereal crumbs and the melted butter until all of the crumbs are evenly moist. Add the crumb mixture to the pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about halfway up the sides.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in your food processor, fitted with the metal blase and process until smooth. Scape down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed to make sure it is all well mixed.

With the processor running, add the eggs one at a time, processing until smooth with each addition. Next, add the sour cream and then the flour. Process for one minute.

Add the vanilla and process until creamy, again, scraping the bowl as needed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Do not cover the pan.

Using your foil sling, lower the the pan into the cooker and crimp the ends of the sling to fit it neatly into the pot.

Lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes. 

When the time is up, unplug the cooker and let it reduce pressure naturally, about 10-15 minutes.

Once the pressure has dropped, unlock the pot, remove the lid carefully as to not allow any water from the lid to get onto the cheesecake. Allow to sit for a few minutes and carefully remove the the pan to a rack. Allow to cool on the rack for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, unfasten and loosen the ring and remove the cake from the pan, placing it onto a dish. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

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Click here to see where I may be partying this week. 

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for the link party.

Top 10 Ways To #RecycleYourPeriodPads

Today we are going to talk about something many of us, of a certain age, don't want to talk about. LBL, Light Bladder Leakage. Ugh, right?  But 1 in 3 women experience some sort of LBL. Those not so fun little leaks that can happen during everyday occurrences such as laughing, coughing, sneezing, and exercise. Childbirth, weight gain and menopause can also contribute to LBL. 

If you are someone that has the occasional LBL, your go to use to be period pads.  Bulky icky period pads. Well now, we have another option specially designed for LBL! Poise Thin-Shape Pads are comfortable, non-bulky, leak protection and are thin and flexible. They are made specifically for light bladder leakage! There is even a free sample now so you can try them out, click here.

So, now that you know about the Poise Thin-Shape Pads, what do you do with your old period pads?  I suggest you recycle them!  How you ask?  You know me, I'm a helper and, I have compiled a list of The Top 10 Ways To #recycleyourperiodpads! 

1. Keep some under the sink for big spills. They work especially well with cooking oil messes.

2. Keep them by the door to wipe off your pet's paws during the wet seasons.

3. Stash some in the glove box in your car to soak up snow & muddy shoes. They are also good to take wet sand off of feet during beach season. Not to mention, those times you spill your coffee or other drink!

4. Line the veggie bin in your fridge to keep moisture out and keep veggies fresh longer.

5. Use to polish silver.

6. Use to protect glasses and dishware if you are moving or are storing them.

7. Use instead of towels if a toilet overflows. 

8. Use to clean your windows.  They are ultra absorbent and lint free!

9. Take some along with you when you go camping or hunting.  They can come in handy as emergency bandages or, to use as hot pads over your campfire grilling stick.

10. Donate them to a local women's shelter.

You can find out more about Poise Thin-Shape pads here  and don't forget to pick up a Poise Free Sample while you are there.

Like what you see? 

Well then, follow me by email and never miss a new post

Allergy Season Has Begun & A Swiffer/Febreze Giveaway

I recently participated in a campaign for Febreze and Swiffer and received product and compensation. However, as always, all opinions are my own.

As much as I love Spring, finding out several years ago that I suffer from severe seasonal allergies, makes it less than fun to be outside this time of year. Unless I am on top of things and start taking medicine BEFORE the grass starts turning green and the trees begin to bud, I experience some serious symptoms!  Runny nose, coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, yeah, I get them all! By April 1st, here in Colorado, allergy season has begun! Not only do I use allergy spray, I also need to reduce allergens in our home. Thankfully, two of my favorite products for cleaning, Febreze and Swiffer, have developed a line of products that the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has certified as Asthma and Allergy Friendly products, making my job of cleaning the house a lot easier.

All of these products can help you clean properly while reducing inanimate allergens around the home.  The new products include the Febreze® Fabric Refresher Allergen Reducer (Unscented), the Swiffer Dry Duster (Unscented), the Swiffer 360 Dry Duster (Unscented) and  the Swiffer Dry Sweeper (Unscented.) I tried them all out so I could show you how well they work.

First up, the Swiffer Duster.

I like to start from the top and move my way down so, I attacked the ceiling fan blades first, using the Swiffer Duster. Thousands of flexible, fluffy fibers trap and lock dust and up to 70% of inanimate allergens from pollen and pet dander and dust mite matter. This is two times more than a typical dusting cloth and three times more than a feather duster!  It made quick work of cleaning not only the blades but the top of the fan motor.

Our dog Max is in full Spring shedding mode and leaves a precious bit of himself on the furniture.  This is my nightstand before using the Swiffer Duster. It's pretty ugly right?

After! Using the duster is so easy I can keep up on this chore everyday!

Next, I tried out the 360 Duster.

Getting those in between spots and crevices is a snap using this duster! Between the TV and the stand it sits on has always been my nemesis but, this time, I won! 

And once I was done, all of the dust, dirt and allergens went into the trash!

Don't forget the pillows and furniture! Febreze Fabric Refresher Allergen Reducer, Unscented provides powerful results without any scent and, eliminates odors and reduces, up to 95%, of inanimate allergens from pollen, dust mite matter and cat and dog dander that become airborne, from soft surfaces.

The final step is the wood floors. The unscented dry cloths for the Swiffer Sweeper trap and lock dust and up to 70% of inanimate allergens from pet dander and dust mite matter. That is TWO TIMES the amount of a regular dust mop method! 

Disclaimer: Seriously friends, Don't judge me. I do dust mop the wood floors almost everyday. Well at least several times a week.  Ack!  Seeing this makes me realize I HAVE to do it everyday if I want to keep my allergies under control. 

Final thoughts. These four products from Swiffer and Febreze work wonders at attacking dust and other matter that affect my allergies this time of year.  I will be using them daily from now on, even during non-allergy season!

You can find Swiffer and Febreze products at grocery, retail, home improvement and mass merchandise stores nationwide. You can also connect with Swiffer on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Don't leave yet!! Keep reading!!

Do you want a chance to win Swiffer Products for yourself? One person will receive a box of Febreze and Swiffer Product Samples featuring: A Swiffer Unscented Dry Sweeper, Unscented Febreze Fabric Refresher Allergen Reducer and a Swiffer Duster and 360 Duster. Just enter below:

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