Jerri at Simply Sweet Home

Caramel Apple Dumplins

February 11, 2015 11 Comments

Valentine’s Day is this weekend! Will you be eating something sweet with your honey? I used to love Valentine’s Day for the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates it would ultimately bring to me, but since I already have a supply of chocolate (including some left over truffles from Christmas), Valentine’s Day now puts me more in the mood for a baked delight. If you’re looking for something sweet to serve your honey this Valentine’s Day, but you don’t want to spend all day long in the kitchen, look no farther! I have the perfect recipe for you: Caramel Apple Dumplins!

This dessert is an old-time classic favorite, and it is so warm and comforting to eat during the fall and winter months. And beyond that, this version is oh-so-easy and made with ingredients that a lot of you likely already have on hand! (That’s my favorite kind of recipe!) Check it out! [Read more…]

Filed Under: desserts, fall, Recipe of the Week, recipes Tagged With: apple, apple dumplings, apple dumplins, caramel, caramel apple, caramel apple dumplings, caramel apple dumplins, crescent roll recipes, desserts, easy recipes, fall desserts, fruit desserts, quick desserts, warm desserts

Valentine’s Day with Oriental Trading

February 10, 2015 Leave a Comment

Are you ready for Valentine’s Day? I got everything I need for a fun and festive Valentine’s Day Party at Oriental Trading. And right now they have select Valentine’s Day Decor and party favors for 60% off.

I got these cute little Valentine tea lights. The batteries are included, and they are perfect for a little soft light for a big dinner party or more intimate gathering. Or you could even use them to light up your crafts and other Valentine decor.

For instance, the tea lights look great inside these laterns. I picked out these lanterns not just for Valentine’s Day but all year round. The Oriental Trading website had a great picture of the laterns with Easterbeggs inside them, so I’m planning to do that next. For now, I’ve placed these rose petals inside. It’s really great for Valentine’s Day and also adds a lot of warmth to your decor during the winter time.

And for party team, these paper lanterns are very colorful, fun, and festive.

And for a fun party table, I got this adorable red and white table runner, cupcake box, and plates.

Already got your Valentine’s Day covered? Then check out their awesome selection of spring items, including St. Patrick’s Day and Easter party supplies!

Disclosure: I received Oriental Trading products for facilitate this post. The opinions are my own.

Filed Under: decorating, party ideas, Valentine's Day Tagged With: lanterns, Valentine's Day table decor

Take the LISTERINE® 21-Day Challenge

February 9, 2015 1 Comment

Disclosure: I received LISTERINE® Brand products and a Walgreens gift card from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the LISTERINE® 21-Day Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

It’s February! Are you still going strong with your New Year’s resolutions, or have they sort of fallen by the wayside? Wherever you stand, it’s never to early or late to set new goals toward healthy living. I recently turned 32, so I’m starting to look more and more at health matters. It’s very hard to make lifestyle changes, so I always like to start with small and simple goals. This month I’m making a simple and small change by joining the Listerine® 21-Day Challenge! And I’m inviting all my readers to join too. So who’s coming with me?

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Filed Under: health, product review Tagged With: dental, health, Listerine, oral health, teeth

Gifting Sweet & Savory Popcorn this Valentine’s Day

February 6, 2015 1 Comment

Are you ready for Valentine’s Day? If you haven’t yet decided on a gift for your significant other, a gift basket is always a good way to go. GourmetGiftBaskets.com has a great selection of gift baskets for all occasions, and they includes all kinds of delicious treats like chocolate, cookies, candies, nuts, and all sorts of other treats.

But if you’re looking to go beyond the usual Valentine’s Day gift of chocolates and sweets this year, I suggest checking out their popcorn baskets! Available on GourmetGiftBaskets.com and KingofPop.com, you’ll find a great selection of popcorn tins, baskets, and boxes.

Friday Favorites – Week 254 – Featuring Valentine Crafts + Still Taking Apps for Linky Co-hosts and Contributors

February 5, 2015 1 Comment

Hey everyone! Welcome to another fun week of Friday Favorites! Unbelievably Valentine’s Day is just over a week away, so today I’m featuring a few craft ideas for the occasion. Hope you like them!

Also, I’m still taking applications for linky party co-hosts and blog contributors. If you’ve already applied, thank you! I’ll be in touch shortly! If not, please do apply. You can Apply Here. And just in case you are unsure about applying, let me just give you a quick run down on the requirements. First off, you don’t have to have a certain number of followers or subscribers to apply, and even if your blog has only been around for a short time, that’s okay too!

A few people asked about the work required to be a party co-host. So here’s a quick rundown: As linky party co-host, you would be required to host a shared linky party on your site. Apart from including the linky code I send you each week, you would need to include the party banner and co-host information supplied to you. And then each week you would just go through the posts, just like I do, and pick a few to feature on your site (photos and links included) and also pin your selections to my Friday Favorites pinterest board. Finally you would just need to promote your party post on your social media sites. And that’s it! It doesn’t really require a lot of your time each week; however, I am looking for people who will be committed to posting. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Valentine's Day, Wreaths Tagged With: craft, Printable, Valentine's Day, wreath

Gingerbread Cookie Milkshake

February 3, 2015 14 Comments

I’m an absolute FIEND when it comes to frozen treats. I especially love ICEES and milkshakes. Chocolate has always been a classic favorite of mine, but I never pass up the chance to try a new flavor. A few years ago around Christmas time, Burger King had a Gingerbread Cookie Milkshake. Oh my goodness! That thing was SO good! Every fall and holiday season I hope they will bring this yummy treat back, but so far I’ve been out of luck!

Finally I did some searching and found a few different recipes for gingerbread shakes and other treats. And I finally made my own Gingerbread Cookie Milkshake at home! The secret ingredient (besides these adorable little Pepperidge Farm Gingerbread Cookies) is a little molasses! I have to admit, when I first looked at all the different cookie and shake recipes calling for molasses, I was really thrown! Even as I was making the milkshake, I tasted a tiny bit of molasses and thought, “Ugh! How is THIS going to taste good?”

But amazingly it totally WORKS! The shake turned out absolutely perfect! It met my expectations and so much more! So if you like gingerbread cookies and you like milkshakes, you simply have to try this recipe! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, desserts, drinks, Recipe of the Week, recipes, Valentine's Day Tagged With: frozen treats, gingerbread, gingerbread cookie, gingerbread cookie milkshake, milkshake

Great New Product to Charge Your Mobile Devices – Echo Connect Plus

February 1, 2015 Leave a Comment

Our household has its share of mobile devices, including Droid phones, a Droid Tablet, an Ipad Mini, and Iphones. With all the devices that we use, someone is almost always using a charger. For me, a tablet and phone isn’t just for chatting with friends or playing games, it is a tool for social media with my blog, a way to check important emails, take photos, and do so many other required business tasks, so I was very excited to learn about the newly launched Echo Connect Plus. [Read more…]

Filed Under: product review Tagged With: mobile devices, technology

Waking Up with McCafé + Red Velvet Angel Food Cake Recipe

January 30, 2015 12 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #McCafeMyWay #CollectiveBias

I’m generally a very happy and cheerful person, but I HATE getting up in the mornings! I always have! On days when I don’t have to wake up at a certain time, I’m good, but when that clock radio jolts me awake in the morning, it’s like one of the worst feelings on earth! To paraphrase what my husband has said, “I definitely need a few minutes to get myself together when I first wake up.” So I take my “few minutes to get myself together” while Noah eats his breakfast and gets ready for school. Then we drive to school, and since I work from home, it is oh-so-tempting to just jump right back in bed after I come home from dropping him off! (And okay…sometimes when there’s nothing pressing to do or I have a migraine or haven’t slept well, I may do just that!) But most days I need to stay up and get things done, and then I need my morning caffeine fix! Enter McCafé!

Friday Favorites – Week 253 – With Breakfast Recipe Ideas + Call for Co-Hosts & Contributors

January 29, 2015 1 Comment

Welcome to Friday Favorites! I have just a couple of announcements before we get to this week’s party. First of all, if you’re coming in early tonight, there’s still time to enter my giveaway for a $200 gift certificate to Lush Decor!

Also, I’m hoping to collaborate with more bloggers in the future. One way I want to do this is by adding a co-host to this linky party OR combining this party with another ( if someone out there already hosts a party and is also wanting a co-host or a combined party).

And then I’d also like more guest post contributors to do food posts or provide content in other areas. I’m looking for folks I can contact when I need guest posts for a special events like (Mother’s Day, Summer Recipes, Back to School Ideas, etc.) or anyone who’d just like to contribute on a regular basis. It’s not a paid position but it’s a good opportunity to add to your portfolio and get extra traffic for your blog. Also, if you become an ongoing contributor, I’ll feature you on a special “contributor page.” If you’d like to be a guest blogger in the future or a linky part co-host, simply fill out the Sign Up Form.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: breakfast, breakfast casseroles, recipes, smoothies

30 Days of Giveaways from Zazzle

January 28, 2015 Leave a Comment

If you love all things handmade and personalized, then read on! Zazzle is a marketplace where you can custom design nearly anything-from phone cases to watches. Starting January 23, Zazzle is hosting 30 Days of Giveaways. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: handmade, personalized, zazzle