Jerri at Simply Sweet Home

Spotlight on Spring Swimwear at Express

March 22, 2011 Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

The weather’s been perfect around our house for the last few weeks, and I’m so happy that spring time is finally here! With the warm weather here to stay (for a while), you can’t help but think about spring and summer fashions, the tank tops, shorts, flip flops, and of course, swimsuits! You can dive into the season’s sexiest women’s swimwear at Express.

Express carries bikinis in a number of styles including the string bikini, strapless bikini, and the halter bikini. They also have monokinis if your shopping for something sexy, yet modest. And they have many beautiful colors and patterns available. Apart from the cute styles and designs they offer, I love all the different embellishments they have, from the flirty ruffles and ties to the glam beads.

My favorite swim suit is this graphic bikini (pictured above). Usually when I shop for swimsuits, I end up with something in purple, blue, or pink, so the colors of this suit are right up my alley. I just love how they’ve splashed the bright pink graphics onto this deep purple, and I love how they used what I call the “fade effect” where the colors gradually fade in to one another. And looking at a larger, close-up photo of the suit, you can see that they also added tiny bead embellishments to the flowers, for a little extra-added style and glam! I would love to wear this to the beach this summer!

Express also carries a line of cute sunglasses, totes, accessories, and some fabulous clothing, so go check them out!

Sweepstakes! Sign up for Express e-mail, and you could win one of ten $200 Express Gift Cards! The contest is open through April 21. For more, details check out the sweepstakes rules.

Filed Under: fashion, shopping, Sponsors

Super Fast Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

March 21, 2011 4 Comments

I’m always looking for quick and easy things that I can make for lunch, and one of my husband’s favorite things to eat at any fast food place is chicken sandwiches, so we eat a lot of those. We used to go to Checkers for lunch a lot because they were only about two minutes from our house, and they have a lot of good sandwiches there. One of my favorites is their buffalo chicken sandwich. It’s one of the best buffalo chicken sandwiches I’ve had (even in comparison to sit down restaurants), and it’s only $1, so that’s a super value to me.

But you my have noticed that I said, we “used to” got to Checkers, and they “were” two minutes from our house. I use the past tense because for some reason they closed the location last year. I’m not sure why. It looked like they had a steady business; they were also in a good location, and the food was always good there. But alas, for whatever reason, they closed, so I can no longer order my precious buffalo sandwich, unless we want to drive out of town for about 30 minutes. And as a result, my poor husband has to endure my whining about Checkers (of all things) whenever we drive by the old location.

If you were wondering why I’m telling you about this strange obsession with Checkers, it’s because their buffalo chicken sandwich was the inspiration for the buffalo chicken sandwich that I’m sharing with you this week.

Recipe for Super Fast Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:
Frozen Chicken Patties
Ranch or Bleu Cheese Dressing
Buns
Lettuce (optional)

Directions:

Cook chicken patties as directed. (The ones I used can be cooked in the microwave for about a minute per patty). Pour buffalo sauce into a bowl. (I used Franks) Dip the patties into the sauce on top and bottom. Place on bun. Top the chicken patty with salad dressing and then top with lettuce if desired. Serve with chips or fries.

Tips: I bought the chicken patties pictured here at Aldi. They come in box of 4 for just $1.99. A great deal! Aldi also has some Southern Style Chicken patties. I can’t remember the cost of these, but they are really good too, and they actually remind me a lot of the Southern Style sandwich at McDonalds.

So since I seem to be in the mood to talk about fast food today, I feel that I should ask everyone a question: What is your favorite fast food place? And what do you like to order when you go there? I’d love for you to share your answers in the comments!

I’m linking up at these parties.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Recipe of the Week

Business Card Giveaway from Uprinting

March 18, 2011 10 Comments

As promised, this week I’ve got a second giveaway for you! The prize is 250 die cut business cards from our friends at Uprinting.

Previously I had the pleasure of ordering some business card for my blog from Uprinting, and I was so pleased with how they came out. So needless to say, I’m very excited about the opportunity to offer this prize to my readers.

If you have a business or a blog, and you don’t have a card, this is a great chance to get one. And even if you already have a card, perhaps you could use this prize in some other way, perhaps as a product tag or even for coupons that you send out with your products. And if you don’t have a business you could just create a calling card for general purposes.

Here are the prize details:

250 Die Cut Business Cards for One (1) Winner
1.75” x 3.5”, 2” x 3.5”, or 2” x 2”; 2.5” Diameter (Circle)
Die Cut Business Cards (Rounded Corners, Leaf, Rounded Single-Corner, Half-Circle Side, Circle);
14pt Cardstock Gloss / Matte / High Gloss (UV), or 13pt Cardstock Uncoated
on a 6 Business Days Turnaround; Front Only or Front and Back printing

Restrictions: Giveaway is for US residents only. Also, Uprinting only allows you to win once in a 6 month period, so if you’ve won a print giveaway in the last 6 months, you’ll be disqualified for this one.

Win it! To enter you must be a follower of my blog and be a follower of Uprinting on Facebook. Then just leave a comment letting me know that you are follower. Deadline: March 23

Giveaway Closed. Congrats to Heidi!

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting. No monetary compensation was given and I will receive business cards for hosting. For more information about business cards, please visit Uprinting.

Filed Under: Giveaways

Friday Favorites – Week 55

March 18, 2011 15 Comments

Welcome to another fun edition of Friday Favorites! Before getting to this week’s featured posts, I wanted to remind you about my featured giveaway for this week: it’s the Pillsbury Bake-off Giveaway. The prize is a cute apron, cookbook, and inkpen! This is perfect for anyone who loves to cook!

Also, just as a heads up, I ordinarily launch my giveaways at the beginning of the week, usually on Tuesday, but I have an extra one for this week, which I’ll be putting up sometime later today. It’s another print giveaway from our friends at Uprinting. And this time the prize is 250 business cards! So if you have a need for some business or blog cards, come check back later for your chance to win!

Enjoy the party!

Reclaimed Coffee Container from The Tattered Tag

Put the Lime in the Coconut Cupcakes from Coupon Cookin’

Dollar Store DIY Wreath from Eisy Morgan

Amish Cook’s Cherry Coffeecake from Who Is Laura

Lazy Daisy Flower Pot Tutorial from Cozy Home Scenes

Linky time! Please link up the URL for the specific post that you are sharing so that it will be easy for us to find your post. Also, I don’t mind if you share something that you made and are selling, but please link up a blog post about the item rather than a direct link to your shop. Thanks!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites

March’s Jewelry Showcase

March 16, 2011 10 Comments

At the beginning of the year I had planned to do a jewelry showcase on the first Wednesday of each month, but I had to do a little rearranging for March because I wanted to share my St. Patty’s wreath at the beginning of the month, and to be honest, I wanted to share new spring items this month, and I never got the chance to make them in February. So here we are!

For this month’s showcase, I’m sharing my 3 newest pieces. These are actually a set, but I’ve listed them separately in my shop. Each piece features glass cat’s eye beads and pewter charms which are shaped like little branches with leaves and resemble bamboo. And if you like earthy tones for spring, than you’ll love these!

Also, I just added a new coupon code for my readers. Just enter: LOVESPRING15 at checkout to get 15% off your purchases!

I’m going to start today with the last piece that I made in the set- the earrings. I actually had no intention of making earrings to match the necklace, but after I had the necklace and bracelet done, I thought I might as well use some of the charms I had left over to make some earrings. And I’m glad I did, because I actually kind of like the earrings the best!

I just started making earrings in this style, and I really love them. I usually wear smaller earrings myself, so these are little bigger than what I’m used too without being too big or heavy, if you know what I mean. And they dangle about an inch and half from the ear.

Next we have the bracelet. I just love making bracelets, and after making the necklace, I simply had to make the matching bracelet. It’s a little more simple than the necklace and earrings, but just as cute. And it measures 7 inches in length, but I can add an extender chain to it for anyone that wants a bigger size, and I’ll add it free of charge.

And finally we have the necklace. I was so thrilled with how this turned out. The necklace measures 20 inches around and will go up to 22 inches with the extender change, and then the cluster of beads and charms in 3 inches long.

My only regret is that the photos just don’t do the piece justice. I tried of variety of angles and positions, but I just wasn’t 100% happy with anything. But hopefully people will see the beauty. What do you think?

Please visit Simply Sweet Creations to see more of my spring items.

Filed Under: jewelry, Simply Sweet Creations

CSN Stores Giveaway

March 15, 2011 256 Comments

I know you’ll all be excited to hear about this week’s giveaway. It is from the ever popular CSNStores.com! In the past I’ve purchased cat stuff, bakeware and other kitchen items from CSN Stores, but in the future I’d love to get some new stuff for my living room. What we need most is a new couch, but I’d also love a replacement for our entertainment center. Even though we’re not purchasing any time soon, I enjoy “window shopping” online, and CSN Stores has some great entertainment centers, LCD TV stands, and other great living room items available. Don’t you agree?

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a one-time use promotional code for CSN Stores worth $65.

Mandatory Entry: Become a follower of my blog. Then visit CSNstores.com and leave a comment telling us what you would purchase if you are the winner. Deadline: March 29

Additional Enties: Leave a comment for each.

-1 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.

-1 if you subscribe to Simply Sweet Home via email.

-1 if you like Simply Sweet Home on facebook.

-1 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.

-1 for following @CSNStores on Twitter.
-1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook.

(Sample Tweet: I want to win a $65 credit to CSN Stores! http://bit.ly/fzIf2R @SimplySweetHome @CSNStores) (Limit one tweet entry per day.)

Filed Under: Giveaways

Lime Green Punch

March 14, 2011 24 Comments

I went to a baby shower for my niece a few weeks ago, and I thought this punch was just the cutest! It has to be the first time I’ve ever used the word cute to describe a drink!

And I really wish I had come up with this idea to throw the ducks in there, but alas! I did not! Oh well. But at least I can credit for taking the picture!

And to top off this cuteness, the punch was also quite tasty! I have to admit, when it comes to punch and other fruity drinks, I’m quite picky. I either like it, or I hate it. But this was really yummy, and it was so simple tasting that I think anyone would love it. And I learned that’s also quite simple to make with only two ingredients! Yay!

Recipe for Lime Punch:

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon lime sherbet
1 (2 liter) Sprite or 7-up

Directions: Spoon out sherbet into large punch bowl and pour sprite over it. Mix and serve immediately. Chill additional punch in the refrigerator or freezer.

Tips: While browsing different punch recipes, I saw different variations where they used a gallon of sherbet to one bottle of Sprite and even 2 bottles of Sprite to the half gallon of sherbet. So I’d suggest doing a trial run of this so you can play with and see how you like it best before serving it at a party.

Add Ins: Cooks.com has lots of versions of this where they add in everything from frozen limeade and pineapple juice to vodka. I also love the look of Paula Deen’s recipe, if you’re looking for something a little more “adult” yet non-alcholic.

I’m linking up at these parties.

Filed Under: Baby, drinks, party ideas, Recipe of the Week

Shopping at Spencers

March 14, 2011 1 Comment

Have you ever shopped at Spencers? If you’ve ever had one located in your area, I don’t see how you could not at least go in and have a look at all the flashing lights inside.

When I think of Spencer’s I immediately think of lava lamps and black lights. In my not too distant youth my friends and I loved going to Spencers to look at the lava lamps, disco balls, and other fun lights. There was also a lot of other fun room decor like celebrity posters, beaded curtains, and even inflatable furniture! And yes, Mrs. Simply Sweet Home actually had some of these items in her room as a teenager. I have to admit I was a bit of “nerd” back then (and I still am), but with the help of the great stuff at Spencer’s, at least I had a cool room!

The second thing I always associate it with Spencer’s is gag gifts. If you like to find fun and humorous gift exchange ideas for the holidays, you are bound to find something at Spencers. And it’s also a great place to find gifts for women under $50, from Twilight posters to jewelry, and also more risque gifts for bachelorette parties and so forth.

If you’ve never had a Spencers in your area, you can check out this video to see what they have to offer and shop with them online for your all your hip decor and fun novelty needs.

Disclosure: This is a paid post. The opinions expressed here are my own. Some of the content on the sponsor site may not be suitable for children. Discression is advised.

Filed Under: shopping

Bitty Bows Boutique Review

March 11, 2011 Leave a Comment

Today I’m sharing a review for Bitty Bows Boutique. They have an adorable seclection of baby hair bows, headbands, and barrettes. Since we have some little nieces in our family, I was very happy to choose something from their lovely shop.

One of the items I received was the Evie, baby headband, like the one pictured above, but in the color Azalea. This headbead is simply adorable! The size is perfect for a newborn, and I love the materials used. Pink and green ribbon make up the flower, and the center of the flower is made of a sequin and a bead, which really adds a lot of detail. This would look so sweet on a new baby!

I also received a Kylie Gingham bow (pictured above) in purple. This is a very light weight clip, and it’s also a no-slip clip so it’s perfect for very fine and thin hair. This bow has a very simple design, which makes it perfect for your baby to wear with any outfit. And I just love the ribbon that was used to make this bow. I always tend to like anything that’s in the “picnic table plaid” pattern, no matter what color it is. And this purple and white is so cute! And I’m happy to report that they have this bow in 18 different colors! What a great selection!

This shop also has a cute selection of fun clippies featuring cute fruits, ice cream, cakes, animals, and adorable crochet items.

If you have a new baby or little girl, you should really check out Bitty Bows Boutique!

Disclosure: I received 2 bows from Bitty Bows Boutique for this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Filed Under: product review

Friday Favorites – Week 54

March 10, 2011 11 Comments

Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by for this week’s party!

My featured giveaway this week is for a DaVinci Bracelet with 3 DaVinci beads of the winner’s choosing. These are a lot like the ever popular Pandora bracelets, and they are so cute! So please check it out!

Hope you’re all having a great week! Enjoy the party!

Swiss Roll with Pineapple Jam from Cooking is Easy

St. Patrick’s Day Door Decor from Thrifty 101

Eclair Cake from The Country Cook

Leprechaun Magic from A Sign of the Times

Millenium Falcon Cake from Musings of a Glamourpuss

Party time! Link up your posts below!