Crockpot Tortilla Soup

So the other day my pregnant brain was on Pinterest, and it was hungry. The first thing to catch my eye was the picture below which links to a very simple, easy to follow, not to mention yummy recipe for CrockPot Tortilla Soup originally pinned from Miller Musings!

 

CROCKPOT CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

 

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
*Fresh is best but I used frozen and it came out great!
2 cans  Rotel
*Original chef prefers lime & cilantro, but I used Rotel w/ Green Chilies.
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn
1 onion, chopped
*I only used half of a large one and it was more than enough.
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
*I used regular for more flavor.
1-2 cups of water
*I only used 1 1/2 cups because I figured of the extra water in the frozen chicken breasts.
1 Tbsp garlic powder
*I used 2 Tbsp, I LOVE garlic!
1 Tbsp chili powder
*Again, I used closer to 2 Tbsp for extra flavor.
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
*I personally don't care for cilantro so I left this step out but I hear it's delicious...
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
*Optional for a topping after soup is finished.
Shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese.

*Note about the spices: Instead of the spices listed, you could include a packet of Taco seasoning if you prefer or if it easier or less inexpensive for you. I happened to have all of these spices on hand...*

Per Miller Musings; "Put chopped onion, cans of [rinsed] beans, rotel, corn, chicken broth, water, and spices into the CrockPot and stir to mix. Put chicken breasts on top of mixture and make sure they’re at least partly submerged in liquid. Cook on high 6-7 hours or low 8-9 hours. Before serving remove the chicken breasts from soup and shred, if needed, (sometimes they’ll just fall apart on their own, but sometimes they need some help). Return chicken to CrockPot, stir to combine."

To serve, you can put a few tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, ladle soup over tortilla chips, top with shredded cheese, and a sour cream if that's your thing. I like to serve it with chips or tortilla chip strips on top so they don't get soggy! And Voila, delicious but most importantly EASY Tortilla Soup!

Cheap Thrills: DIY Design Inspiration

This post is dedicated to Todd Oldham and Amy Sedaris, my two biggest DIY design and craft inspirations. No doubt many of you have noticed the "Back to School" specials are going up in stores everywhere. It's time to squeeze the last bit of fun out of summer as we gear up to get back into the scholastic groove. Personally, I loved going back to school, mostly because of the shopping it entailed. I still run out to the store and load up on notebooks, pens, pencil cases, and colorful paperclips. I still scoff at wide-ruled paper, because really... we're better than that,  people. Beyond the regular back to school supplies, the college crowd has to contend with their housing situation - door room, sorority/fraternity house, new apartment, etc. Setting up a whole new space for yourself somewhere other than your family home can get expensive, but you still want to make it as comfortable as possible - what's a Whoreder to do?! Don't worry, I've got your inspiration springboard right here...

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 48

Unlimited:

$2,000 Bloomingdale's gift card  3 winners, ends 10/1


Daily:

Laptop  30 winners, and a bunch of winners get Dollar General  gift cards, ends 9/23


Single:

2012 Honda Civic SI  Ends 10/31

Freeze 24-7 skincare set  150 winners, ends 10/1

Spa vacation in Antigua  Ends 9/12

$5,000 Neiman Marcus shopping spree  Ends 9/14

2012 Chevrolet Malibu  Ends 9/16

Kitchenaid mixer  Ends 8/31

Trip to Hollywood and a tour of the Sony Pictures lot  Ends 8/31

$10,000 travel voucher  Ends 9/4

Be a Trekkie in London  Ends 9/4

Meet Britney, Bitch  Trip to LA to meet Britney Spears. Ends 8/28


photo: Leonard Nimoy as Spock on "Star Trek"
Live long and have perfect Bettie Page bangs.

Firmoo

Dear ol' Rita has written about cheap glasses many moons ago, and Firmoo was on her list of must-try websites for their hot deals.

Firmoo offered to send me a free pair of glasses to review, and although I don't wear prescription, I wasn't going to pass up some cute new (free) sunglasses!

I decided to get fancy on them - instead of ordering their pre-made sunglasses I "made my own" by picking frames I liked and just adding tint. I used a model on their site with a similar shaped face to "try on" styles, but you can also upload your own photo. Don't know what style will look good on you? Here's a guide to help you pick the right look for your face shape.

I ended up choosing style DBSN5366 (which is now unavailable, sorry kids) and ordered 80% grey tint. While browsing their styles I noticed that not only are their prices great, they have a deal for all new customers - free glasses, just pay shipping! Woohoo! You can pick from prescription glasses, sunglasses, or if you just want to look smart - faux prescription glasses. Werk.

Once ordered, I figured they would take several weeks, but I had them within days. Good job, Firmoo! My new shades came in a hard case along with a cleaning cloth, a soft case, and a mini screwdriver.

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 47

Daily:

K-Cups for a year  1,000 winners, ends 9/30


Single:

Trip to LA to attend the premiere of Resident Evil: Retribution  Ends 8/27

Trip to Iceland  Ends 9/3

Obagi eye serum  500 winners, ends 10/1

Lenovo Ultrabook  4 winners, ends 9/28

Trip to Hawaii  Ends 9/6

$3,000 Bluefly shopping spree  Ends 8/27

Trip to the Galapagos Islands  Ends 10/8

Pink Papaya bodycare set  435 winners, ends 10/1

Trip to Comic-Con  Ends 4/30/13

Trip to Alaska to see the Northern Lights  Ends 9/29


photo: Elvis Presley and some other people I don't really care about in "Blue Hawaii"

Target Clearance Time!

So we don't often post about specific sales in blog form, but I seriously can't help it this time. I went to Target last night and had every intention of running in and out in ten minutes top (don't we all?) But it didn't go down like that. I left the house before 8 PM and got home a little after 10 PM, it was like I got sucked into an alternate universe and lost track of time. It's not like I have never lost track of time in a Target before, but this was like Twilight Zone episode of Target shopping; full of crazy prices, insane managers, and absurd customers (myself not included obv.)

I walked in to Target with my game face on and made a beeline for the wine section, no I am not a fan of fetal alcohol  syndrome, it was for a friend (that sounds believable right?) Directly after the wine, I went to the children's section to look for a present for party this weekend. That's where I made my fatal error. It is impossible to go to the toddler section without cutting through the baby section first and the Baby Clearance as well. There was SO MUCH CLEARANCE. It began with the Fisher Price Snugabunny Collection  which is on "Clearance" right now. The Rock N Play Sleeper and Bouncer are now $45.48 each instead of the normal in store price of $65 (30% off). They have a matching swing on clearance as well but for some reason I didn't get a picture but it is originally around $150 and on sale for $105 (also 30% off).

Since this stuff was on sale, and I was already basically IN kids clothing, off I went...that was my second mistake. There were at least 6 rounders, front and back full of clearance that was at least 30% off. There is a ton of Mini Harajuku on clearance. The ones below are regular price online but 50%-75% off in store! There is so much more marked down but I have to stop here, but seriously if you have kids GO RIGHT NOW.

My next stop logically was toys. I found a Momma & Zooblings Zoobles playset $22.49 (online price) only $7.49 in store, as well as Little People Batgirl & Wonder Woman Duo $6.99 clearance for $2.49, and Crayola 3D Chalk Set $9.99 clearance for $2.49.

After the toys, I stumbled haphazardly around the store in savings induced stupor raiding all the clearance endcaps. There was clearance in every.single.department. My most random find of the night was a toss up between the Jack LaLanne juicer $109.99 in store ($99 online) on clearance for $54.98 and the

Remington Shine Therapy Conditioning Straightener $49.99, clearance for $24.99 !

This is not where my story ends, but this is where I will stop writing. Seriously though,  Target has everything marked down right now: food, cosmetics, pet supplies,bags & bows, clothing, homed ecor, candles, gardening items, accessories, games, movies, etc. I shopped so hard that I broke a sweat. So go forth my Whore(der)s and break a sweat.  

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 46

Daily:

Harry Potter themed vacation in London  Ends 8/31

24 Southwest travel vouchers  and 185 runner-ups will get Southwest gift cards, ends 10/26


Single:

Trip to Holland  Ends 8/17

Pureology hair oil  500 winners, ends 10/1

A trip to a Betsey Johnson runway show  Contest: enter photos of vintage Betsey Johnson clothing, ends 8/20

BCBG Max Azria dress  8 winners, ends 9/28

Lumene cream  1,137 winners, ends 10/1

$1,000 ShoeDazzle shopping spree  Ends 8/14

Intelligent Nutrients skincare  10 winners, do not subscribe, ends 8/20

Scion iQ  Awwwww, it's a baby car! Ends 9/20

$6,000 worth of peels, microderm, and laser treatments!  Ends 8/31

Too Faced eyeliner  800 winners, ends 10/1

$500 Apple gift card  50 winners, ends 2/28/13

Carol Burnett show DVD set   Ends 8/23

photo: Carol Burnett on the left as Eunice Higgins in "Mama's Family"

Welcome to My New Obsession: Pinterest

Once upon a time there was an addictive website called Pinterest. The end. No seriously, it was the end of me. Remember when you were younger and you loved tearing articles, recipes, and pictures out of magazines? Some of us would make a collage or decorate our room, others would put them in photo albums and make books. Most of these were things we wanted to do, be, or make. Simply put, they were the things we lusted after.

Pinterest has brought this obsessiveness to a whole new level by adding technology up in the mix. "Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite. "

As soe of you may know, my world is currently full of pregnant women, including myself, my sister-in-law, and my sister. When I found out I would be throwing a baby shower for my Sister-In-Law, and then shortly after that one for my Sister, my first thought was Pinterest! Oh goody, a chance to be the super crafty woman in real life that I pretend to be online! My sister-in-laws baby shower was this passed weekend and flew by in a crazy whirl of Pinterest inspired pink and zebra decor and dessert. 

1) Mini Cupcakes: Here are my Mini-Cupcakes in condiment cups found on Pinterest, originally from Matthew Mead. They are super easy and super cute. I just grabbed a bunch of ketchup cups from a local fast food joint , some funfetti cake mix and Betty Crocker spray cupcake icing. Make sure you show your guests that they can peel the condiment wrapper off like a normal cupcake, otherwise, they will  inevitably try and squeeze it out like it's a jello shot!

2) "Zebra Cookies": Next I made my version of this Pinterest pink peanut butter kiss cookies. These did not  come out how I had hope for but they still tasted delicious. They are simple peanut butter blossoms, except I used a Hershey Hugs in the middle to tie it in with my zebra theme. I made my own colored sugar which was very pink in the container, but once baked it was hardly noticeable. Maybe next time I will put food coloring in the cookie dough itself to make more vibrant color!

3) Decorations: And what do-it-yourself-pretend-to-be-crafty baby shower would be complete without a diaper cake? However, my fabulous in-law Ray (Damn him!) made my sister-in-law a diaper cake before I could even buy the supplies I needed! And seriously, check this sucker out, it even shamed my unborn ideas for what a diaper cake should look like. There was no way I could outdo him. So instead, I admitted defeat and focused on small centerpieces. My husband helped me with the idea of  "basket" centerpieces. Each centerpiece has one blanket wrapped around the outside, two baby items inside (shampoo, lotion, powder etc.), three washcloths tied (taped) together for the handle and a hanging pacifier for a useful decoration.

I have so many ideas for my sisters shower now but that won't be until November/December time frame as she is due in January. We find out if it's a boy or girl this Friday and then I can go Pinterest crazy again with all of you! If you want instructions on how to make any of these decorations or desserts, please leave a comment below, e-mail us or head on over to our FB page! Thanks for looking!

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 45

Daily:

$50  20 winners a day, I think it's unlimited entries, and I'm too lazy to get the end date. Oh, and there's a grand prize of a million bucks. You're welcome.

HP ENVY 6 Sleekbook PC  A winner a day, ends 8/11

Samsung Galaxy tablet  A winner a day, ends 9/30

The Teen Vogue daily sweepstake is still going on.

Single:

Smashbox primer  600 winners, ends 10/1

$1,000  or 10 winners of a Sibu skincare set, ends 8/15

Trip to LA to go to the Sunset Strip Music Festival  Ends 8/10

A Beertender  Ends 8/10

25 piece Burt's Bees lipbalm set  200 winners, ends 10/1

Jeans for a year  Enter through text message, a winner a day, ends 8/19

Weleda facial oil  800 winners, ends 10/1

$500 Sephora gift card  Ends 8/27

$1,000 of denim  5 runner-ups get $500, ends 8/21

iPod dock  187 winners, ends 10/1

7 day cruise  Ends 8/31. Don't forget to sign up for a free $10 shopping credit.

Meet and greet with Pauly D  Get ready for fist pumping, ladies. Ends 8/31


photo: Early Fist Pumpers, probably taken somewhere on the Jersey Shore

Baby Duds for Baby Studs

So obviously I wasn't kidding when I told you that all of my posts would somehow be baby related but I can't help it, I'm just so excited for all of the cute stuff that's available for little boys these days. I'm not going to lie, initially when I found out that I was having a boy I was seriously disappointed. I couldn't imagine shopping in the boys department or finding anything remotely cute for him, but thank gawd I was wrong. There really are so many cute, fun and even trendy boy apparel out there these days I'm in heaven.

However, I have noticed that because the demand for fun and unique boy apparel is so high in and not too many companies offer it, it can be pricier than expected. That being said, I have rounded up a few very cute options that won't break the bank (unless you buy them all, haha)!

 Boys Hoodies & Sweaters
L to R, T to B
*Paul Frank Hoodie $9 (was $12)
*Harajuku Mini Star Hoodie $10 (was $20)
*Paint Splatter Hoodie $13 (was $20)
{this is a girl's jacket but my boy is wearing it!}
* Skull Sweater $9 (was $12)

 Onesies & Shirts

L to R, T to B

*AB/CD Onesie $10 (was $15)

*Full of It Onesie $10 (was $23)

*When Pigs Fly Onesie $8 (was $22)

*Glow in the Dark Misfits Tee $12 (was $22)

*Monster Parts Tee $12 (was $22)

*Rad Like Dad Tee $5 (was $8)

 Shoes

L to R, T to B

*Checkered Vans $15 (was $27)

*Dino Infant Vans $15 (was $22)

*Bat Shoes $10 (was $21)

*Dino Slip-Ons $13

*Blue Hi Tops $17 (was $27)

*Dino Toddler Vans $15 (was $27)

*Tattoo Print Shoes $15 (was $26)

Mystery Buy

Boy's 5 Pc Grab Bag ($30) Per the website,"You just select the size (newborn - 4t) and we'll send you 5 items at a ridiculously discounted price. Items can include onesies, t-shirts, rompers, pants, or hoodies. All sales final on this offer and no requests or exchanges permitted. These are all top quality and brand new and are the same items found on our site. HINT: since items in smaller sizes tend to sell out first, the best items are found in 12 & 18 month (or larger) sizes. " So you get five items for $6 each which is an awesome price!

If you are buying online, always remember to check the sale and clearance section first, and don't forget to look up coupon and/or discount codes to use on your purchase. Also check if there is a AAA discount online (For example, I know there is a %10 discount at Target Online, and an additional 5% if you use your Target Red Card), and check to see if you can shop through ebates or Fat Wallet and get additional money back!

If you are shopping in store, make sure to bring your coupons with you, and check the clearance and sale rounders. Discount stores like TJ Maxx, Ross, and Nordstrom Rack often have amazing deals, you just have to have the patience to look!