Swanky Sweepin' Volume 63

Daily:

Pizza for a year  One winner a day, ends 2/3

Single:

2012 or 2013 Fiat  Ends 3/31/13

Trip to NYC to see Newsies the Musical  Ends 1/3

Kitchenaid stand mixer  3 winners, Pinterest contest, ends 1/3

$10,000 Ends 1/3

Chrysler 300  Ends 1/29

$100 RetailMeNot gift card  50 winners, I hope Anderson personally delivers all of them. Ends 1/7
Bali vacation  Ends 1/7


photo: Anderson Cooper enjoying pizza.

Gifts for Teachers

Hay gurl, long time no blog. I'm back and better than ever with a new baby, a few extra pounds, and tons to say! I've got to work my way back into my blogging mindset. This first post back is going to be short and to the point because frankly, the only interaction I've had for the last few months has been with a 2 yr old and a newborn...

So of all things to post, why a teacher post? Well, I've found that my circle of "Mommy Friends" is growing faster than my waistline during the holidays. It seems that recently, many of them have been asking "What should I get my kid's teacher for Christmas?" and the traditional response seems to be candy and a gift card...BOR-ING! If you have the time and the drive, I have found a few great ideas through other blogs and of course, good 'ol Pinterest.

1. Gift card.

If you're going to do a gift card, do it the right way. Get as many people as you can involved in it, perhaps a gift from the whole class, and make a "Gift Card Tree"! Everybody buys a different gift card in whatever denomination and attach it in a fun artsy fartsy way to a (real or fake) tree, wreath, or stand! Check out these pics below for some inspiration!

Tales of a Needle & Thread, The Crafty Hostess, & Tuxedo Cat Ball

2.  Gifts that Give back

What do you get for the teacher that has everything? Buying Bracelets=Educated Kids.
"Utilizing remnants of Zulugrass, Maasai artisans are designing one-of-a-kind bracelets to symbolize the bright futures of educated children. The Leakey Collection will donate 100% of their profits from the sales of these bracelets to pay for teachers' salaries in rural Kenya. Each 26" bracelet is wound 4 times and packaged on a specially designed color story card. Purchasing 5 bracelets pays for a teacher's salary for 1 day."

Available via Leakey Collection 

3.  Themed Gift Baskets:

For the teacher who loves movies:  Grab a couple fun DVDs, add some microwavable popcorn, and don' forget the candy! If they are an awesome teacher, add a gift certificate to the movies!

For the teacher who deserves to be pampered:  You can make your own "spa package" for a mani/pedi including nail polish, nail tools, pumice stone and lotion. You can also make a skin "spa package" and include a store bought or home made body scrub, lotion, face mask, bath bubbles and loofah!  To go the extra mile, add a gift certificates for a massage, manicure and/or pedicure!

For the teacher who loves to read: Pick up the latest best-seller, a magazine subscription and add a book light or even a homemade bookmark! Feeling extra generous, again, add a gift card to your local bookstore and voila!

Business Week, Lifes A Mom, & Amazon

If you have any other ides, please leave a comment here or share on our Facebook page! Happy Holidays!

Cheap Thrills: Last, Last Minute Christmas Gifts

You've waited too long, haven't you? You thought you'd have enough time, so you put off your Christmas shopping and spent all this time posting photos of your pets on Instagram and watching hours of Style Network.  Never fear, your last minute Whoreder Fairy is here in this ~Special Non-Friday Edition~ of Cheap Thrills! There are still plenty of options for holiday gifts, and most don't even require you to leave your house or the confines of your jammies.

Birchbox - The end-all be-all of beauty sample sites, Birchbox will deliver Christmas cheer to your boo's mailbox on your behalf! You can choose a 3, 6, or 12 month gift or if they're already subscribed, a gift card for them to spend shopping on the site. And it's not just for ladies anymore, folks, Birchbox Men gift subscriptions are also available. The gift can be sent immediately, and you look like a holiday hero without ever having to face a crowded parking lot or checkout line.

Netflix - Another guilty pleasure that can be gifted without any heavy lifting. There are 5 levels of gift subscriptions available, starting at $7.99 for one month all the way to $95 for one year. Just think how happy your loved ones will be, and they'll think of you every time they stream an episode of Gossip Girl. If Netflix isn't their thing, Hulu Plus also has the same packages available for gifting.

Restaurant [dot] com - There are two procrastinator gift ideas here: ecards, which can be sent via email immediately in denominations from $15 to $500. They also have the Dinner of the Month club, which delivers a monthly gift certificate for 3, 6, or 12 months (each at $10 per month). Stuff their stockings and faces at the same time!

Magazine Subscriptions - There are too many to list here, but pretty much any interest you can think of has a magazine associated with it. Buy your pals a subscription and they'll enjoy your gift all year long. Some mags, like Martha Stewart Living, have a feature that lets you print the gift subscription so you'll have something to hand over when exchanging gifts. There's a magazine out there for pretty much everyone: Mad Magazine, Cheese Lovers, Boozers, and Mini Horse Enthusiasts.

Photo Websites - Everyone is buzzing about Instagram's new terms of service, so for those ready to jump ship a gift to a different photo sharing/upload site might be a nice idea. Flickr still rules my world, you can buy a 1 or 2 year gift subscription for your favorite shutterbug.  Shutterfly has instant gift cards available from $10 to $100 and SmugMug offers 1, 2, or 3 year subscriptions starting at $35.


[Blank] of the Month - These gifts might be a little pricier, but if you're looking to make a bigger bang you can go with a monthly food/drink/luxury type of gift. There are hundreds of these monthly clubs to pick from, there's wine, meat, nuts, and fruit... and everything else. If you're feeling frisky, there's even a panty of the month club available.

Donations - If you want a gift that will do some good, you can donate to any of a vast number of charities. It's not for everyone, but if your gift recipient is into the idea it can be ridiculously easy to give. The hardest part might be deciding which charity or organization, there are SO MANY! ASPCA, The Red Cross, and  UNICEF are just the tippy-top of a long, long list. You can also look at local schools, shelters, churches to help out groups in your immediate area.

If you're reading this as you get ready to head out the door to a party and are thinking, "VANESSA, your ideas are amazing and your hair looks super pretty today, but I need something awesome I can grab on my way to this ugly sweater party!" My darlings, don't worry your pretty heads... I've got you covered. Stop by your local Mexican bakery and get a dozen tamales, or a big variety of Mexican bread. Not in a Latino state of mind? Not to worry, explore the goodies other cultures in your area have to offer. For some people these treats will be a taste from their childhood, and for others an exciting new foodie adventure. More original than a bottle of booze or a big box of candy, and the leftovers will be delicious. These treats will be a hit, and will make you look like the thoughtful and generous piece of work you are, even though you waited until the last possible second to make a decision, like always.

Merry Christmas, niños!

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 62

Daily:

See's candy  Over 1,000 prizes, ends 12/25

A tablet  Winner a day and 465 winners of $15 gift cards, ends 12/31

Tassimo brewer  Winner a day, ends 12/24

Meat sticks and cheese  144 winners and a grand prize of $2,500. Ends 12/24

Single:

$50 Walmart gift card  75 winners, ends 12/14

Beauty stuffs  All end 12/31


photo: "I Love Lucy" Episode 39

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 61

Daily:

Acer Ultrabook  One winner a day, ends 12/31

Tablet  One winner a day, ends 12/1

Single:

$500 Macy's gift card  Pinterest contest, 10 winners, ends 12/17

$250  20 winners, ends 12/15

Embroidery machine  so you can make yourself a Ryan Gosling "Drive" jacket. 50 winners, ends 12/30

$$$  50 winners of various dollar amounts, ends 12/16

$2,000 Saks Fifth Avenue gift card  Pinterest contest, 5 winners, ends 12/19

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 60

Unlimited:

$50 Gap gift card  Pinterest contest, 30 winners, ends 12/24

Daily:

$5,000 from Ice and Coco  because they love you. Ends 11/25

$25  25 winners a day, ends 11/21

Nail gel color system  Pinterest contest,  one winner a day, ends 12/21

Single:

$100  100 winners and other prizes as well, ends 12/31

$1,000 ThinkGeek credit  Ends 11/23

$1,500  Pinterest contest, ends 11/21

$5,000 Horchow shopping spree  Ends 1/25/13

$2,500 Overstock gift card  Pinterest contest, ends 11/30

$1,000 Urban Outfitters gift card  3 winners, ends 12/19

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 59

Daily:

A purse  3 winners a day, ends 12/6

$500  50 winners, ends 12/31

Mr.Beer kit  daily winner, ends 11/21

Eames furniture  YES PLEASE. 12 winners, ends 12/12


Single:

Lots of beauty stuff  All end 11/30

$5,000  Fashion/photo contest, ends 11/14

Pink Buddy scooter  Ends 12/31

Gold nail polish  500 winners, ends 12/31

1979 Pontiac Firebird  Vroom vroom. Ends 12/1

A ham  50 winners, ends 12/20


photo: Ice Cube - celebrating Eames design with Pacific Standard Time

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 58

Daily:

Trip to Russia  Ends 11/30

$200  54 winners, ends 12/21

Meet Judge Judy  Ends 11/16

Teen Vogue  sweepstake is still going on, too


Unlimited:

Trip to New Zealand.  I LOVE KIWIS. 6 winners, ends 11/11


Single:

Kitchenaid mixer  Pinterest contest, ends 11/30

Butter London nail polish and lip gloss  60 winners, ends 12/31

$5,000 Neiman Marcus shopping spree  Ends 11/16

 Maison Martin Margiela for H&M clothing pieces  6 winners, ends 11/11


photo:  Judith Sheindlin, "Judge Judy" on CBS

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 57

Daily:

Mario Lopez's wedding shower gift bag.  This somehow creeps me out, but I'm sure it's full of great goodies. Ends 11/30

Lots of electronics  A winner everyday. Ends 11/17


Single:

Trip to LA and tickets to see "An Evening with the Monkees"  Ends 10/31

Sony Vaio ultrabook  8 winners, ends 11/1

$25 gift card  Enter Nov 1-3, 40,000 winners

$1,000 Target gift card  2 winners, Pinterest contest, ends 11/5

$100 Etsy gift card  10 winners, ends 11/2

A basket full of beauty supplies  Pinterest contest, ends 11/2

Trip to Brazil so you can sparkle in the Amazon  Ends 11/18


photo: Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater on "Saved by the Bell"

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 56

Daily:

$20 Target gift card  100 WINNERS A DAY, ya'll. Grand prize is $250, ends 10/31

$100 AMEX gift card  5 winners a day, ends 10/31

$25 Target gift card and a tote  100 winners, Pinterest contest. Ends 10/31

Single:

50 pairs of shoes!  Ends 11/1

$5,000 Maje shopping spree  Ends 10/26

Trip to Egypt   to celebrate Bella and Edward's love. Ends 11/18

$1,000 H&M shopping spree  Ends 11/8

Bali shapewear  30 winners, ends 11/29

Beaaaaannnnnns  Oh, and a slow cooker. 40 winners, ends 11/11


photo: Theda Bara, silent movie actress, lookin' like a fierce gothic Egyptian.

Cheap Thrills - Faux No You Di'int!

It's the return of Cheap Thrills! I had to take a little break when I moved to a new job, but now that I'm all settled in, I can get back to sharing my retail therapy with the world. In this week's post, we're gonna fake it 'til we make it.

Normally, fakes are a bad thing, except for lashes and really good Photoshop. And, as our little friend Snooki is demonstrating, fake fur and leather. When you go with faux fur and leather, you save animals and money - everyone's a winner!  I rounded up a bunch of different leather and fur pieces... whether you want to go head to toe like Snooki, or just add small touches is totally up to you, darlings.

American Horror Story Premiere Party Time

We Whoreders love a party post, especially when it's about the return of one of our favorite shows! Tomorrow marks the day for the season two premiere of American Horror Story: Asylum. Important note: if you have your DVR set to record the show, update the subscription to the new show title (make sure it includes the word Asylum), otherwise the old setting won't record the new episodes. Because we love any excuse to get together with friends for food and drinks, we put together some ideas you might enjoy for your own premiere party. Hang on to your gimp masks!

American Horror Story Season Premiere: Dressing the Part

It's the happiest time of the year for a couple of us Whoreders... October means a few things: cold weather (perfect for busting out a dozen new pairs of tights), Halloween, pumpkin flavored everything, and THE NEW SEASON OF AMERICAN HORROR STORY! We've been counting the days to the new season, although we were thrown for a loop when we discovered that Harmon family storyline would end with season one, and we'd have to say goodbye to Tate, Violet, and Murder House.

Vanessa visiting Tate at Murder House

Because the new season will premiere just before Halloween, naturally we're going to dress up as our favorite characters when we tune in on October 17th. In case any of you are as obsessed inspired as we are, we thought it would be fun to put together some fashion inspiration based off our favorite living and dead characters. Because we haven't been properly introduced to the new characters, we're mainly sticking to our favorites from last season. Warning: to anyone who hasn't caught up with the first season, there will be spoilers in this post, so go catch up then come back and read this!

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 55

Daily:

Trip to LA to attend the premiere of Breaking Dawn Pt 2  OMG SPARKLES. Ends 10/21

Trip to LA to see No Doubt in concert  so you can feel young again.  Ends 10/25


Single:

Candles to mask your stink  45 winners, ends 10/22

Trip to NYC and a Victoria's Secret shopping spree  Pinterest contest, ends 10/18

Trip to Nashville to see the Patsy Cline exhibit  Ends 10/31

Coffee stuffs  Pinterest contest, 40 winners, ends 10/19 (pin at least 10 images)

Estee Lauder Perfectionist  50 winners, ends 11
  Trip to New Zealand  so you can finally show off your hairy feet. Ends 11/1


photo: Patsy Cline, "Sentimentally Yours," 1962

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 54

Daily:

A tablet  A winner a day, ends 10/31


Single:

$2,500 Urban Outfitters shopping spree  and 12 runners-up of $100, ends 12/23

Yves Rocher gift basket  7 winners, ends 11/6

$100 Beauty.com shopping spree  100 winners, ends 12/31

Extensions so you can toss your hurr around like you're hotter than RuPaul (is that even possible?)  Ends 10/10

Chevrolet vehicle of your choice  $26,000 or less, ends 12/31

Quilting cruise  Yes, you read that correctly. Craft, drink, explore, drink some more, sew a crooked quilt. I like this. Ends 12/31

Get out of the country if the election doesn't go as you hoped  1006 winners of round trip flights, ends 11/5


photo:  Painting by Henry Mosler, "Quilting Bee"

Gemma Teller Morrow - Not Yo Mama (But You'll Wish She Was)

When I grow up I want to be Katey Sagal.

First she was tough and crass as Peggy Bundy in "Married with Children," now she's even tougher as Gemma in "Sons of Anarchy." Bitch will cut you, but she will look faaaahbulous doing it. 

She may play a Grandma, but that doesn't stop her from wiggling into tight, tight jeans, off the shoulder tops, dark lace, chains, knee-high boots, and lots of leather. Woot woo.

Wanna bring a little bad-bitch Gemma style into your life? Let's shop, shall we?

Zany Zucchini

I had a love affair this summer...with a vegetable. No you perverts, not like that. I am not the gardener of the group, nor do I pretend to be. Every time I plant something, I have to call Heather and her gardening boyfriend to make sure I'm doing it right, how to prune it, is it edible etc. I think mostly to stop or at least slow the flow of my stupid questions, they finally suggested I plant an (almost) idiot-proof plant, zucchini.

 

Fast forward a few weeks when my first zucchini sprouted and I called anyone who cared, and even those who didn't care. I put it on Facebook and Instagram, I even considered paying to put up a billboard to proclaim my awesomeness.

 

But what no one told me is that approximately every 45 seconds, a new zucchini grows. I had zucchinis coming out the wazoo...seriously. I took them to work, forced them on unsuspecting family members, left them on strangers doorsteps, and even cooked with them every.single.night.(sorry husband Jon).

 

 

Zucchini really is the best and easiest Summer vegetable to grow. I made so many things I felt like a culinary artist. Here is a quick breakdown of some of my favorite recipes.

 

Zucchini Boats:

 

 1) Pre heat oven to 350
2)Cut medium size zucchinis in half lengthwise
3) Scoop out the seedy innards
4) Make a mixture of what you would like for the filling. I used 1 lb. ground beef, a dash of Italian seasoning as well as garlic salt and onion powder. Simmer together until brown then drain.
5)  Mix beef with 1 c. Parmesan cheese, 1 c. cheddar cheese (we like cheese), bread crumbs and home made tomato sauce then fill the boats with mixture.
4) Line baking dish with foil and cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
 

Zucchini Lasagna:

 

 I followed this recipe exactly, and this dish came out amazing! No one could believe that I didn't use any pasta in this "lasagna"!

 

Italian Zucchini Chicken:

 

 

This recipe is obviously the easiest of them all. I simply baked 6 chicken tenders in Italian dressing for 25 minutes at 350 then I threw in sliced Zucchinis with the chicken for 15 more minutes. Make sure the zucchinis are covered with dressing or they will dry out!

 

There are tons more dishes that you can make with zucchini, all you have to do is look or be the slightest bit inventive in your kitchen! My favorite recipe was "Zucchini fries". They were actually so good that the two times I made them, I didn't even have a chance to take a picture of them before they were all gone. If you can think of any yummy or unique zucchini recipes feel free to post them on here or our FB page!

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 53

Daily:

Cruise with Paula Deen  so you can gain 30lbs in a week. Mmm. Ends 11/10


Weekly:

Pair of Lee jeans  One winner a week, ends 9/17/13


Single:

Trip to NY and $1,000 Levi's shopping spree  Pinterest contest, ends 10/24

Japonesque brushes  10 winners, ends 10/6

Starbucks Verismo System coffee maker  Pinterest contest, 400 winners, ends 10/8

Trip to Tokyo and $1,000 to spend at Diesel  Ends 1/31/13

$1,000 Zappos gift card  Ends 10/9

2012 Volkswagen Passat  Ends 11/30

$500 Target gift card and Bella Dots appliances  Pinterest contest, ends 10/21

$5,000 shopping spree from Vanity Fair  Ends 10/9


image: Paula Deen at her Senior Prom, from Celebuzz

Pinterest Banana Boats

 

 

I originally saw these amazing looking things on Pinterest (of course), and tracked them down to the Lick My Spoon blog. In my excitement (and being in my ravenous pregnancy hunger mode), I didn't really pay attention to any of the instructions and made them how I wanted to.

 

Instructions:

1. Choose your bananas wisely. I sent my husband to the store and he bought barely ripe ones. You     will want to pick up the ugly old lady ones...you know, the one with brown spots (but not too many spots, and not mushy).

 

2. Slit the bananas lengthwise and stuff them with any combination of toppings that you (and the little fat kid inside of you) desire. I used chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chopped almonds, and sprinkles!

 

3. According to Lick My Spoon, you should wrap the bananas in foil and place on the grill.  Next, grill with the cover on until toppings get melty and delicious. I opted not to do this and it may have made a difference. I didn't wrap them, I just placed them on a sheet of foil on the grill so I could watch them. Per other websites, if you are not wrapping them in foil, they are most likely done when the center is gooey and the peels are black...The middle didn't get as gooey as I would have liked, but they were still pretty yummy!

 

 

4. Eat right out of the peel with a spoon or scoop out and eat it with ice cream! Mmmm!!!! I had a picture of me eating one, but I decided not to post it. I can assure you it looked something like this though, just add bananas....

 

The End.

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 52

Daily:

"Brawls"  (a.k.a. "bras")  1 winner a day, ends 10/7

Single:

$2,500 ASOS shopping spree  Ends 9/30

Trip to NY to see Blondie in concert  Ends 9/27 

Trip to Thailand  Ends 10/5

Krispy Kreme coffee for a year  75 winners, ends 9/29

$100 Macy's gift card  10 winners, ends 10/15

Keurig brewer  1 winner a week, ends 12/16

$1,500  6 winners, ends 10/5

$500 bareMinerals gift card  10 winners of $50, Pinterest contest, ends 10/7

Trip to LA and a chance to meet Katy Perry  Ends 10/31

Trip to Aruba  Ends 10/23


video: The Beach Boys, "Kokomo"

Trendy Mommy Tuesday's: vol. 13

It's been a long time since I've posted any trendy mommy posts, but I have been really busy! I am finally on maternity leave and catching up on all of the little things I need to do before my bebe Kenny gets here! Now that I am 39 weeks, I am finally sitting down to crank out some articles for you all. This post is going to be short and to the point.

My trendy  mommy this week is Pink (and her daughter Willow) as seen in People Mom & Babies online! I not only love Pink as an artist, but she is so fit, beautiful, headstrong, and unique in every sense of the word that I love writing about her! That's either my motherly hormones gushing out my borderline inappropriate love for her or a secret lesbian crush that I had no idea I was harboring...Either way, here is my fashion breakdown this week...

Recreating Pink's Outfit !

L to R:

Obey Jacket $40

Full Tilt Jacket $45

Staring at Stars Hat $24

Nordstrom Jr.'s Leggings $28

ASOS Curve Leggings $35

Free People Hat $35

 

 

And just for fun, here's a toddler girl's version of the same outfit because it's so darn cute !

 

 

 

L to R:

Disney Jacket $20

American Apparel Leggings $23

Knit Beanie $20



So that's today's lesson on how to dress like Pink, and when I figure out how to look and sing like her I'll let you know...actually I won't, I'd keep that secret to myself.

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 51

Daily:

Italian scooter  and a few other prizes, ends 12/10

One year Birchbox subscription and a $1,500 Madewell gift card  Ends 10/10

Hyundai Elantra  3 winners, ends 9/30


Monthly:

Laptop  5 winners a month, ends 1/31/13


Single:

$5,000 Pier 1 gift card  Pinterest contest, 5 runner-ups of $100, ends 9/21

Trip to Australia to see the Great Barrier Reef  Ends 9/20

$25,000 in Amazon gift cards  Ends 10/1

Trip to Thailand  Ends 10/15

Trip to London and a $5,000 shopping spree at Miss Selfridge  Ends 10/1


photo: Audrey Hepburn looking cute on a scooter

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 50

50 weeks of sweepstakes! What. I feel old. My baby is all grownsed up.

Daily:

Teen Vogue  giveaway is still going on

Spa trip  and 100 winners get $150 gift cards, ends 10/31

$1,500 Saks Fifth Avenue credit  Ends 10/8

$100,000 grand prize  125 winners of $1,000 and 2,500 winners of $15 Wendy's gift cards, ends 10/15


Single:

A bunch of Hello Kitty stuff  Gimmie. Ends 9/17

A bunch of beauty stuff  All end 9/30

Trip to London  Ends 9/30

Benefit makeup shopping spree and a digital camera  Pinterest contest, ends 9/14

Trip to Hawaii  Ends 10/31

Muffin Tin Mini Pizza

Pinterest will be the death of me...literally. I am quite sure while I am on Maternity Leave I will make something (not of the healthy variety, more of the delicious fatty variety) every night until I am morbidly obese a la Gilbert Grape's Mom. One of the things recipes which has struck my fancy not only because it looks yummy but because it seems easy, is "Pizza Muffins". Although it seems to have been a Pinterest mystery link, I finally found  a source on the "All My Great Ideas Are Really From Pinterest" blog.

 

 

 

I'm sort of about using what I have in the house to cook or bake so I didn't follow her directions 100% but my Mini Muffin Tin Pizzas were still yummy! Luckily the hubby is still on his Atkins diet so we had cheese, and pepperoni of all shapes and sizes on hand. And luckily I'm a fatty and love bread so we had Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits in the fridge as well.

 

Directions:Preheat oven to 325 degrees (as the package directed on biscuit dough vs pizza dough) and grease your cupcake pan.

Push the dough into the molds and try to make the dough cover the sides. I used one biscuit per tin and had two left over which I dispersed among all the tins. Next cover the dough with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.

 

 

 

Bake for 10-15 minutes but keep an eye on them especially if you are using the biscuit dough instead of the pizza dough because they will rise quickly!

 

I used mini and regular sized pepperoni (hey, I like pepperoni) and tons of cheese so the muffin tin came out of the oven a little...uh...ugly.

 

 

Once I separated them from each other, they were much cuter and super delicious!

 



 

These are fast and easy to make and usually everyone in the house is happy with it! I mean seriously, who doesn't like pizzas?? Has anyone else tried this or made any other variations they want to share? If so, leave a comment below or find us on FB, or Twitter. If you're a Pinterest fiend like I am, come and follow  Whoreders on Pinterest as well as myself!

Birthday Freebies!

An update on How to Spoil Yourself on Your Birthday !

Visit all of these links and sign up for the free stuff you deserve! Because we know that there are more people out there that want to pamper and dote on you, we recommend that you check out all of your local eateries and shops for possible birthday freebies and/or e-mail clubs. Like Heather said in her birthday post  that even though "a few of these are specific to my area, [I realized] that all of you should look up your fav local eateries and mom and pop stores to see if they have a sign up sheet for an account, rewards program, or mailing list. If they ask for your birthday on the sign up there's a good chance they'll send you something, even if it's just a shopping discount! Hey, I like discounts, too! "

Acalpulco E-Club - Free Entree

AMF Bowling Club - Free Bowling

*Anthro -$10 Coupon and a cute little carrying case!

*Applebee's - Free dessert

Arby's E- club - Free Birthday Surprise (Roast beef I'm guessing...)

Atlanta Breads - Free Cookie (none in CA)

*Auntie Anne's - BOGOF Pretzel

B

Barnes & Nobles Kid's Club - Free Cupcake for your child on their birthday!

*Baskin Robbins - Free scoop of Ice Cream

*Baja Fresh - Free Taco @ sign up and Free burrito on your birthday!

bd Mongolian Grill - Free birthday surprise (No West Coast locations)

*Ben & Jerry's - Free Ice Cream

Benihana - $30 Gift Certificate !

*BJ's Brewery - Free Pizookie

*Black Angus - Free appetizer w/ purchase of an entree & the same offer on your "sign up anniversary"

Bob Evans - Free kid's meal on your child's birthday (Midwest & East Coast only)

The Body Shop - Initially you PAY $10 for a yr BUT free birthday gift and one free item a month along with special sales and discounts for card holders only

Buca di Beppo - Free Brownie

Swanky Sweepin' Volume 49

Daily:

Trip to Hollywood for a private Marilyn Monroe tour and jewelry  Ends 10/7


Single:

Ford vehicle of your choice  up to $30,000, ends 12/31

Murad hydrator  405 winners, ends 10/1

Keurig brewer  4 winners, ends 9/14

$1,000 Sephora gift card  Ends 11/17

$100 H&M gift card  and 4 runners-up get $50, ends 9/6

$2500 Banana Republic gift card  Ends 9/4


photo: Marilyn Monroe being a crazy cat. Meow.

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!