WWEW: Link Party & Cowboy Sushi with a Northwest Twist

Welcome back to another What We Eat Wednesday! Be sure to stay til the end of this post so you can link up your favorite recipes from the last week. Before that, I have a super tasty recipe to share. I don't know if you guys have ever heard of cowboy sushi, but it's basically ham, cream cheese, and pickles all rolled up together. They are a definite favorite around here. I decided to mix it up and use a special cream cheese spread I found last week.

So basically all I used was:
-some slices of ham (I had smoked bourbon)
-Philadelphia Cream Cheese Smoked Salmon Spread
-baby pickles

And I:
1. Cut each piece of ham in half and coated in cream cheese spread. Wrapped the mini pickle with the ham (cream cheese on the inside, it holds it all together). Cut each of these in half. Sometimes I poke them with a toothpick to make for easier eating.

These are such an easy appetizer to make for guests, or just for a little snack. I've definitely had pickle cravings since being pregnant, and have been caught making one or two of these just for myself.

Now, onto which recipe I decided to feature for this week's WWEW Link Party. 

Eat Drink & Be Mary's Orange Supremesicle Cookies!

Don't these look DELICIOUS! I can't wait to make these.

Time to link up your favorite recipe posts from the last week. I look forward to seeing what you all have to share this week! As always, make sure to check out our co-host Alexis at Laugh.Eat.Learn.

An InLinkz Link-up

What's in My Hospital Bag? | Kayla

Baby number two will soon be here! I am 37 weeks along (since Saturday 4/26). I was pretty excited to actually pack a hospital bag this time around. With Addie being 4 and 1/2 weeks early, I hadn't actually packed a hospital bag yet. I've been working on this one for a few weeks already now, to be sure it was ready. Here is what I came up with.

Blue hospital bag from Target only $10.00!

CLICK HERE to visit my hospital bag post to download and print the checklist!

Mommy's Bag:

1. Nursing Cover 

handy for when visitor's are in the room

2. Boppy Pillow (Comfort and Harmony Mombo from Target)

I didn't have this last time, but I think it may come in handy for when trying to nurse baby in the hospital bed.

3. Water Bottle

4. Camera and charger

Nikon D3200 - would be so sad to forget this!

5. Nursing bra and nursing tanktop

-Bravado 1013 Nursing Bra 

-I did a DIY Nursing tank top from my all time favorite stretch tank tops from Ross. (DIY post to come)

6. Heat bag 

this thing is so amazing, I use it now all the time, when my back is bothering me,

you can buy your own HERE!

7. Essential Toiletries 

This kit from Target includes everything you'll need and it was only 6 dollars. You can find it in the travel size toiletries section.

-toothbrush/toothpaste

-deodorant

-shampoo/conditioner

-razor/shaving gel

8. Basic Makeup, Hair Ties, Headband

-light weight BB cream

-mascara

-eye liner

9. Cell Phone and charger 

Obviously don't want to forget this! :)

10. **Not Pictured**

-Comfy P.J's

-Comfy going home outfit

-Hairbrush/hair dryer

-Socks/flip flops

Now onto baby's bag!

Green and Gray Bag from Walmart (Similar HERE) - Car seat Comfy Handle Cushion

Baby's Bag:

1. Infant Carseat

-Urbini (black/gray) carseat from Walmart (see my full review HERE)

2. Burp Cloths / Binky

-DIY Burp cloths tutorial HERE

3. Extra Diapers

4. Wet Bag (with wipes/diaper cream)

-I found this wet bag at Walmart for only $3.00! It is meant for a wet bikini, but will be great to have for soiled clothes/burp cloths ect. while out and about.

5. One Piece Sailboat Sleep&Play Outfit

Just One You Made by Carter's from Target - Sleep&Play One Piece

6. Baby Socks x2

7. Going home Outfit

Whale two piece outfit - Ross

8. White onesies (x4)

9. Comfy P.J's

Just One You Made by Carter's from Target- Sleep&Play Elephant Family

10. Aden & Anais Musslin Swaddle Blankets

style - Jungle Jam (got these when they were on sale for $31.00 from Amazon)

*Not Pictured*

-Soft Hat (x2)

-extra blanket

....and of course this little guy!

Elephant Security Blanket from Target

Thank you for stopping by! Anything i'm missing? Please let me know. This pregnancy brain of mine is ridiculous, and I wouldn't be surprised if I was forgetting something important :)

Linking up to these parties!

DIY Crib Skirt and Ikea Crib Bumper Hack

Happy Friday, friends! I hope you had a great week, and have a fun weekend ahead. I wanted to leave you this week, with a fun nursery DIY. This project was so easy, and I love how it turned out. Our baby boy will be here anytime now - well, he is due in just 3 short weeks. I am trying to wrap up any last minute projects before he arrives, and this one was on the list. Now, I know there is some controversy about crib bumpers and their safety. However, with Adeline, as well as this baby, they won't sleep in their actual crib until they could/can roll over easily on their own. We have a small baby rocker/bed that they sleep in, in our room, for the first few months.  Anyway, all that aside - let's get started! :)

Let start with the crib bumper, this was a gift to us - Ikea's all white thing crib bumper with ties. Now, I wanted to spruce it up a bit and add our coordinating fabric to the bumper, so I decided to just sew strips of the fabric onto the bumper itself. 

-Cut 8x2'' rectangles out of your fabric

-Hold fabric strips into place and just make a straight stitch around the border of the fabric

The trickiest part is maneuvering the bulky bumper through your sewing machine - but it can be done! :)

 Now I attached the fabric strips to every other panel. You could do the entire side/s or whatever you'd like. I only did it to the front panel, because that is actually the only part you can see, on our style of crib.
Okay, onto the crib skirt. I didn't actually follow any rules, or directions for this part. Basically, all you're going to want to do it measure the length and height of your crib (where you want the skirt to be placed) which will depend on the placing of your mattress (newborn or lowered for older ones). Ours was already lowered, and since he won't be going in until after a few months - we decided to just keep it lowered.

 -Measure your crib for the skirt
-Cut your fabric (making sure to leave an extra inch or two for folding over and sewing a straight edge.
-Use Velcro sticky dots to attach the skirt to your crib
You can see a tutorial for Kenzie's Adjustable Crib Skirt HERE!
And a no sew crib skirt tutorial HERE!
Pictured down below is how mine turned out --

The fabric I chose was the Nursery Fabric "Liney Leaves". It is a white with shades of gray, dark blue, and yellow arrow looking leaves. I loved the colors and the look of it! I have some leftover fabric, and am still trying to figure out what I should do with it. Any suggestions? Let me know what you think in the comments below. Have a fabulous weekend, and of course, thanks for stopping by!

Linking to THESE parties!

Top 5 Dollar Store Projects

Good Morning! I've been in the mood to get a little more organized, and have thought about hitting up the dollar store for some organizing bins, and also a bit of spring/summer decor items. You guys know we love the dollar store and have already done several posts including dollar store items. I decided to post my top 5 projects that we have done on our blog.

In no particular order:

Dollar Store Laundry Room Makeover + Free Printables

Dollar Store Fridge Makeover w/ Free Printables

4th of July Party & Treat Ideas

Dollar Store Bathroom Facelift

Cover Drawers with Dollar Store Shelf Liner

Hopefully this gave you guys some ideas on how to decorate and get organized using things found at your local dollar store! Also, if you want to see more, in our "Labels" section on the right side of our blog, you can click "dollar store" or "thrifty thursday." There are lots of projects to see!

Have a great day!

WWEW: Link Party and The BEST Green Bean Casserole Recipe!

Good Morning and welcome to our What We Eat Wednesday Link Party. A party to share your new and/or old recipes! Where we, Orchard Girls and Laugh Eat Learn, will each feature a recipe the following week. It could be YOU! So be sure to link up, and share the party with your friends/readers! :) 

Today I will also be sharing a delicious Green Bean Casserole recipe, that is an absolute favorite of mine!

Now, onto our featured recipe from last week's party! I am super excited about this recipe. First of all, I pinned it last week, while spending a shameless amount of time on pinterest. Thinking, this pin should be added to our party! Come to find out that she DID link up with us last week :) Bonnie from The Pin Junkie, linked up her recipe for a Starbuck's copycat Passion Tea Lemonade! I don't drink coffee so this is one of the few drinks I actually enjoy at Starbucks. Thanks for linking up, Bonnie!

Link up your new or old recipe down below, for a chances to be featured next week! Thank you for linking up, and be sure to check out our Co-Host's recipe this week, too! Alexis from Laugh Eat Learn.

An InLinkz Link-up

Watermelon Iced Tea

Hey all! Yesterday I was craving something refreshing to drink. I had just purchased a small watermelon and had an idea! Why not make some watermelon tea?! I think it turned out delicious, and makes me think of summer when I take a sip. I think it will be a regular at all of our summer bbqs to come.

This recipe makes just over 2 quarts, so it should all fit in a regular sized pitcher.

I used:
-2 quarts water
-2 family sized Luzianne tea bags (for iced tea)
-1/3 cup sugar
-about 2 cups worth of pureed watermelon, I used maybe 1/3 of my small watermelon

Here's what I did:
1. Added 1 quart water to a small pot and brought to a boil. Added in the 1/3 cup sugar and stirred until dissolved. Then took the pot off of the heat and stuck my tea bags in for about 3-5 minutes.
2. Added the other 1 quart water (cold) to the pitcher.
3. Put my cut up watermelon into a blender with a bit of water and pureed. I then sifted that to remove the seeds, and added it to the cold water in the pitcher.
4. Poured the hot tea from the pot into the pitcher of cold water and watermelon juice. Stirred.

And that's it! Really easy. I hope you guys give it a try!

Make sure to check back tomorrow so you can join our What We Eat Wednesday linky party. You'll find some great recipes there!
Have a great day,

Linking to these parties.

April Ipsy vs. Birchbox

Good morning and happy Friday! I received both my Ipsy and Birchbox this week and thought I would show you all what I got. I'm pretty pleased with both, so I'm a happy girl! If you don't know what either of these two things are, they are both monthly subscription services, sort of like a magazine. It's $10 a month for each, and you get a variety of beauty samples.

First, we will start with Ipsy!

This month it all came in a dark purple/navy bag with a picture of a record player. The inside is black. Kinda cute, and larger than the other bags I've gotten.
1. dr. brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant. This is a pretty healthy sample size. I like exfoliating my skin, especially when it's looking a bit dull. I will give this a go next time I do that.
2. Big Sexy Hair Root Pump. Gotta love root booster. I have a couple different ones that I use, and I will put this away to use when traveling. I already know I will like it!
3. Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Pencil in Black Velvet. I was so excited to get this! I love Urban Decay's eyeliner pencils, and I'm sure I will love this one. I don't tend to go through them very fast, so I know this will last me a while.
4. City Color Mousse Eyeshadow in White Gold. This is a really neat product. It's like a cream eyeshadow, but fluffier? I wore it the other day and really liked it. It stayed on without creasing, and the color is really pretty- true to it's name. It will be perfect to wear by itself during spring and summer.
5. Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Apple Pink. Another love. This product is so cool. I love the packaging, but it would be a little bulky in a small purse. It comes with a little lip brush on the top! I wouldn't really say it's a lip balm though. More like a lipstick in a pot, as it's really pigmented and not very moisturizing.

Now onto Birchbox!

Starting from the top left corner,
1. derma e Hydrating Night Creme. This is a large sample! I'm very pleased. I love night cremes, and I haven't had one for a bit since my skin has been nice during pregnancy, but it's usually very dry. I put this on last night and I have to say, my skin is super soft today.
2. Color Club Nail Polish in Breakfast At... Cute nailpolish. I put this on yesterday, too. I like the color. Great for spring!
3. Number 4 Reconstructing Mask. This is a hair mask. Not much product to try out. I used it last night during my shower, and I might be able to squeeze another use out of it. It did make my hair super soft, though!
4. Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo. Tried this last night, too. I had been feeling like I had some product build up in my hair, and figured it would be a good time to use a clarifying shampoo anyway. It worked really well!
5. Kind Healthy Grains in Maple Pumpkin Seed with Sea Salt. I gave this to hubby. He didn't eat it. Lol!
6. theBalm How 'Bout Them Apples cheek and lip cream in Pie. I love this! I love any of theBalm products I get in my Birchbox, and this is no exception. I think it will be great for spring and summer when I don't want to wear a bunch of products, but still want to look alive. I actually saw the whole palette of these cremes when I was at Kohl's the other day, maybe I will have to go pick that up.

All in all, I would say this month is a tie. There were larger/great products in my Ipsy, but I'm really happy with the Night Creme, Nail Polish, and theBalm product in my Birchbox.

Do any of you get either of these subscriptions? Did you get the same things as I did? Let me know down below.

Have a great weekend, guys!

Kayla: 35 Week Update + Maternity pictures!

Good Morning, today I'm sharing some pictures that Kenzie took of Adeline and I around the orchard, earlier this week! Daniel was at work, so he didn't get to join in on the fun. I am 35 weeks along (36 on Saturday!!) I am doing well, feeling pretty pregnant at this point, as it is harder to do normal everyday things, that were once a breeze. Like rolling over, for instance :) It takes about 30 seconds and a 5 point turn to roll over in bed. Oh my! Anyway, here are a few of my favorite shots! Enjoy.

How far along: 35 weeks (36 on Saturday)
Total weight gain/loss: 10+ lbs
Maternity clothes: Most definitely. However, even my maternity jeans aren't feeling very good. Loving Old Navy's Maternity Maxi Dresses.
Sleep: Going okay, could be better. Rolling over is such a chore, and i've found myself waking up around 5-6 and not being able to fall back asleep.
Best moment this week: Being one week closer to meeting our boy!
Movement: Yep, since he's gotten bigger, the movements are very strong and almost take my breath away!
Food cravings: plain M&M's and chocolate swiss rolls, you know...healthy things! ;)
Gender: BOY!
Labor signs: a few braxton hicks, and he is definitely heading downward..
Belly button- in or out?: Still in, and will probably stay that way, but I will say it has come out further than it did with Adeline.
What I miss: Rolling over with ease.
What I am looking forward to: Continuing to get the nursery put together, and put away all our adorable things from our baby shower. ( I have the most amazing family and friends)
Milestones: Baby shower loot was amazing and we are so grateful. I think we have everything we need :) Just yesterday I was able to finish moving all of Adeline's things to her new room. Rearrange the baby's room, wash all his clothes and put them away in his closet! Picture of the nursery, coming soon! :)

Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful Thursday and enjoy your weekend. I'll be back next Wednesday with our What We Eat Wednesday Link Party! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for Kenzie's fun post :)

Linking up with these LOVELY parties!

WWEW: Summer Pasta Salad + Spring Photo Challenge

Hello everyone! Thanks for joining us for another What We Eat Wednesday. Be sure to link your recipes below so we can all check them out!

Before the party, I thought I'd share a super easy pasta salad I whipped together one night. I pretty much raided my pantry and fridge to see what we had, and came up with this. First I pulled out the ingredients. The only thing I decided to add later that isn't in this picture are some mini pickles.

The whole inspiration came from those noodles. I picked them up on a whim at Target, waiting for a reason to use them. I think they would be awesome in a mac & cheese, too!

So, I used:
1 pkg Simply Balanced organic trottole
about 1/2 cup Italian Dressing
about 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1 small can of sliced olives
1 large tomato, diced
about 1/2 of a cucumber, diced
lemon juice from half of lemon
about 1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
and about 10 mini pickles, sliced

I basically cooked the noodled al dente, ran them under cold water to cool them down, and added all of the other ingredients. I gave myself time so it could sit in the fridge for a while before dinner. On a normal night, I would probably add ham or pepperoni & some shredded parmesan cheese.

We enjoyed eating this outside, looking at the beautiful blossoming trees all around us! The orchard is so gorgeous this time of the year. (I'm also entering this photo in the Spring Photo Challenge over at Bower Power blog!)

Now onto who I selected to feature this week from last week's linky party.

The delicious looking No Bake Butterscotch Haystacks from Eat Drink and Be Mary!

I really want to try to make these for this weekend. I LOVE butterscotch, so I'm sure I'd love these.

Okay, everyone, time to link up! Share a few of your favorite recipes down below. Also, our party hasn't gotten very big yet, so please help us share the news that we're hosting a party where there's a chance to be featured the next week. We love finding new blogs and new recipes to try. Make sure you check out our co-host Alexis at Laugh.Eat.Learn, as well.

An InLinkz Link-up