St.Patrick's Day DIY Pot O' Gold Party Favors

I don't know if it's the Irish in me, but I have always enjoyed Saint Patrick's Day!  This year my kids are putting together these cute little Pots O' Gold to hand out to their friends at school!  These are super easy to make and very affordable!  Not to mention lots of fun!!

Things You Will Need:

• Package of small black cauldrons ( I got a package of 12 at Party City for $2.49)
• Green Easter grass
• sparkle ribbon
• white school glue
• green glitter
• sparkle pipe cleaners
• Happy St. Patricks Day tooth picks (also at Party City)
• gold colored candy ( we opted for the gold chocolate coins and Werthers Original)

Directions:

• cut a pipe cleaner in half and wrap around handle of cauldron
• paint white school glue on the cauldron with a small paint brush
• sprinkle green glitter onto glue (allow to dry)
• wrap neck of cauldron with ribbon
• put small clump of Easter grass, gold candy and tooth pick into cauldron
• I had some puffy stickers so I added one on the front for fun :)
• Enjoy!!  

These little sparkly beauties were less than a dollar per Pot O' Gold and were a fun little project for the kiddos!  They are excited to bring them to their besties come March 17th!!

Creamy Chicken, Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Pasta!!

Warning!  This is NOT diet food!  My poor husband is in a weight loss challenge with his co-workers and I have not been very nice with my choice of dinners.  Although this meal is not diet friendly, it can be your taste buds best friend!  I have to give myself a pat on the back with this one, I truly outdid myself!  Haha!  I love spinach artichoke dip, but don't get it often enough, usually only around super bowl party time.  I decided to do a spin off of my original spinach artichoke dip and make a delightful dinner.  I promise you will not be disappointed in this one!

Things you need:

• 2 C shredded roasted chicken ( I shredded a rotisserie chicken I purchased at the deli)
• 14 oz can artichoke hearts Chopped in food processor
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 8 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 3/4 C Parmesan/Romano grated cheese
• 1 C frozen spinach 
• 1/2 C diced bell pepper
• 1 jar pesto Alfredo sauce
• 15 lasagna noodles

Instructions:

• combine shredded chicken, chopped artichoke, garlic, spinach, bell pepper, mozzarella, Parmesan, softened cream cheese, salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl.  mix together well!
• cook lasagna noodles until al dente and drain
• coat bottom of 9x13 cake pan with 1/2 the pesto Alfredo sauce
• add about 2 tbsp. chicken mixture to middle of cooked lasagna noodle and roll up.
• place stuffed pasta roll seam side down into pan
• continue steps until all fifteen pasta noodles are stuffed and rolled
• cover rolled pasta with remaining half of the pesto Alfredo
• sprinkle top with desired amount of mozzarella and Parmesan
• bake @ 350 F for 25 minutes
• let set about five minutes and serve

Enjoy!!

Keep Your Family Protected With A First Aid Kit by Protect Life

Having grown up in a family with seven brothers I learned early on that accidents happen.  The only way to make accidents a little less stressful is if you are prepared to handle them.  This is why I believe every family should have a first aid kit readily available for life's little mishaps!  Although I have everything in my home I would need in case of an emergency or first aid situation I wanted a small first aid kit I could throw in my vehicle, for when we are away from home.

My family loves to go camping, off-roading, and do all types of fun outdoor activities.  You never know when you may find yourself in a situation where first aid needs to be administered.  I got a cute little first aid kit by Protect life for precautionary measures.  Now don't let this cute little size fool you, this first aid kits comes well equipped with everything you may need!  The kit is  the perfect size to keep under my car seat in case of the un-expected, but it would also be great for back packing, mountain biking, or any activity you may find your self needing first aid!

Here is a list of the 115 pieces included in your kit!!

For more information on this first aid Kit by Protect Life you may click HERE!  

As always have a beautiful day, stay safe!!  Sincerely, Ronda


**Disclosure**  I received an item for free or a discounted price in exchange for an honest review all  opinions expressed here are my own

What is a Mom? A mom interviews her nine year old son, and finds out this...

What is a mom and a dad?  I did an interview with my nine year old son to see what he thought, and these are his answers!  What did I get out of this mini interview?  Your kids are always watching, so be the kind of parent you hope them to be to your grandchildren!

What is a Mom?   "I think it's like a person who made you."
What is a Dad?  "It's a little bit of a rude person who takes care of you."

What is a mom's most important job? "Taking care of kids!  I think everyone already knew that!"
What is a Dad's most important job?  "Going to work to take care of their kids."

If a mom could have one wish, what would she wish for?  "A husband and kids."
If a Dad could have one wish, what would he wish for?  "A million dollars."

Do you think moms should work or stay home?  "Stay home, because then when their kids are sick they will not get fired for not going to work."
Do you think Dad's should work or stay home?  "work...they should just work"

What is a mom's least favorite chore?  "I would probably say laundry!"
What is a Dad's least favorite chore?  "cleaning up messes"

What is the best thing about moms?  "They take care of you"
What is the best thing about dads?  "They are funny!"

If you could tell your mom one thing, what would you tell her?  "I love you"
If you could tell your Dad one thing, what would you tell him?  "I love you"

What is one word that best describes your mom?  "best"
What is one word that best describes your dad?  "Rice!  because he is kind of nice and kind of rude"

What would the world be like if all the moms disappeared?  "like a million years after they are all gone it wouldn't matter because everyone would be dead!"
What would the world be like if all the dads disappeared? "people would be dead if there was an apocolypse with no dads to protect them!"

How do moms learn to be a mom?  "They learn from their moms"
How do Dads learn to be a dad? "watching how their dads do it"

How do moms decide they want to be a mom?  "they look at their mom's faces to see how they feel about it"
How do Dads decide they want to be a dad? "They listen to their wife!"

I encourage you to interview your own children and see what answers they come up with.  A great one on one activity and you just might learn something about yourself ;)  Much love, Sincerely Ronda

Fiction Friday with Macy Ogilvie

How The Zebra Got His Name...

Long long ago a explorer was going around exploring.   One day guess what he found?  A striped horse! He was amazed. He went over to pet it, but It kicked him in the stomach. Then he wanted to capture it, but how? He gathered materials to trap it in a cage of sticks. When he put it over the zebra, the zebra broke it. Then he lassoed it, but his rope was too short. He then hired helicopters to helps catch the zebra.  He tied longer ropes to the helicopters and on the zebra's feet. The zebra held on to a tree. "Let me go!", the zebra cried.
The helicopters stopped. "It talked!",the pilot said in amazement. The zebra pulled the ropes off its feet.
"What is wrong with this horse!?", the explorer said.
"Horse?...Horse! How dare you call me a horse! I am more than just a horse with these zigzag stripes!",the zebra said. "Hmmm, what do I call you?", the man asked. "A zebra, duuhh!" The man knew the zebra made that odd name up but decided not to make it mad. He told people about what he discovered, but they thought he was crazy. " What kind of name is zebra?",one said. "That's a horse.",others said. But later scientists discovered it was much more hostile than a horse. They decided to name it the Zemberoni, unhappy about the name the zebra ate that scientist. Then they decided to just call it a zebra.

By, Macy Ogilvie

F.A.T melter - All Natural Energy and Mood Enhancer.

 Weight Loss Blend - Garcinia Cambogia - Caralluma - Forskolin - Raspberry Ketones - Pure Natural Carb Blocking Appetite Suppressant -Recommended Energy Booster Fat Burning Supplements Made In The USA! 

I was recently sent this weight loss blend to review and give my honest feedback.  Here at SincerelyRonda I bring you products I have tested and tried myself and as always all opinions are my own.

After the miscarriage of our son coming up to two years ago, my body has had a heck of a time bouncing back.  Whether it be my hormones, being a little depressed, or just eating too much pasta, I have put on some weight.  Not a whole lot of weight, but enough to make me a little self conscience in a swim suit.  I applied to try this blend, mostly to try and get my energy levels up because I have been so sluggish lately.  I received my bottle of F.A.T melter in the mail and was excited to give it a try!

When ever you decide to try any supplement you should consult your doctor to make sure it is right for you!  This particular supplement recommends consulting your doc if you are pregnant or nursing, under the age of 18, or have a known medical condition.  I did not fall into any of these categories to I started right away upon receiving them!

The first thing I noticed was the suggested use.  They suggest you take two capsules daily.  For best results skip breakfast, drink at least 8-12 cups of water, and eat only meat and vegetables until dinner time.  At dinner after exercise eat a full wholesome meal with carbs.  Maybe I'm crazy but I kinda like breakfast and feel it is important to fuel your body for the day ahead, so I wasn't too keen on the idea of skipping breakfast.  To be fair and give the product an honest review, I followed the instruction and took the F.A.T melter as directed.

The first day I had no cravings.  I didn't feel too much of a mood change or energy change, I just had no desire to eat.  I continued taking this supplement for three consecutive days until I had to quit taking them.  My tummy was having a sensitivity to one of the ingredients and I just did not feel well at all.  Furthermore I can not honestly recommend this product or recommend against it because I could not continue the full month review.  I can say that if you have a sensitivity to any of the ingredients listed, Maybe this product is not right for you!

Here is the list of ingredients:

• Garcinia Cambogia(HCA) - Improve Your Ability To Work Out Longer! Thus, More Weight Loss!
• Forskolin - Improves Cardiac and Cardio-Respiratory Function Which Is The Basis Of An Effective Workout. 
• Raspberry Ketone - Dr. Oz Say's "It's A Miracle For Weightloss". It Does So By Increasing Lean Muscle Mass Much Quicker Than Normal. 
• Green Coffee - Natural Fat Burning Booster, Even Without Exercise! 
• Green Tea - Contains 2-4% Natural Caffeine, Boosts Metabolism. Also Is Extremely Effective In Joint And Tendon Protection And Relief 
• White Kidney Bean - Excellent Source Of Dietary Fiber. Fiber might Helps Prevent Cholesterol Absorption And Increase Elimination Of Dietary Fat. 
• Caralluma - Used For Centuries By Eastern Hunters As An Appetite Suppressant. 
• African Mango - Has An Abundantly High Fiber Content That Will Reduce Fat Cell Growth And Increase The Breakdown Of Fats. 

Spill Your Heart Out Caramel Vanilla Butter Cookies :)

In my house Love is in the air and so is the delicious scent of our Spill your heart out Valentine Butter Cookies!  I often make these around the winter holidays, but thought it would be fun to put a Valentine spin on things!  Since it is Valentines weekend these little cuties will be my gift to the loves in my home.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. add 2/3 cup butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla into a mixing bowl.  mix until light and fluffy.  Add flour and mix until well combined.  Shape dough into 1.5 inch balls and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour until firm.  (cooling the dough is a crucial step to the success of your cookies!)
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  take your pointer finger and dip into flour, now press twice on each cookie to form a heart shape.  sprinkle edges with cookie sprinkles.  Bake directly from refrigerator for 8-10 minutes.  You may need to do some addition pressing on the top to make a nice caramel boat after removing them from the oven.  cool completely.
3. Making the caramel sauce is easy!  Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar in small saucepan over medium heat.  cook, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble.  continue cooking an additional minute.  remove from heat and slowly add whipping cream until smooth.  allow to cool for 15 minutes.
4. spoon approximately 1 tsp. caramel sauce into your heart shaped boats on top of your cookie.  let caramel set about 5 minutes, sprinkle pink salt on top and share the love!!
   
   
   

Enjoy :)

Fiction Fridays with Macy Ogilvie

Gurlugs Story

Once upon a time there was a dragon roaming around a unknown place when she found a small crying child.His name was Carl.The dragon thought he would taste good but decided to speak with him first.

"Hello small child",said the dragon licking her lips.

The child gasped and noticed the dragon. "Aaah", Carl said. The dragon made her hands in a circle shape around Carl. He was trapped. "Heeelllpp!!!", Carl yelled as loud as he could. "Hush, little boy. Tell me why you were crying." Carl, still shaking, started telling the dragon the story."My father told me to sell some of his bread, but nobody wanted it. I didn't know what he'd do if I didn't sell the bread.I decided I would run away."The dragon was interested and wanted to know more."How about your mother?",the dragon asked. "She is an adventurer and...",Carl paused."What?",the dragon asked."That's all!",Carl said.The dragon became attached to the boy." I will take care of you."she said.She brought Carl to the lake and cooked fish with her fire. Carl complimented the delicious fish. The dragon loved the boy so much.  The dragon finally knew what it was like to have a friend. Carl thought the dragon was scary at first, but now really nice and peaceful. What the boy didn't know was that before he came the dragon fought and killed all his relatives at his village. The dragon would burn down the libraries,schools,and buildings.But the dragon changed. Meanwhile in the village the people figured out Carl was gone. His father told the whole town and they began a search party. He sent a message to Carl's mother so she can know. She searched and searched. She started to see if he was in the undiscovered land. The more she went the darker it got. The sky got smokier and smokier. The temperatures got really cold. She was walking through this for Carl. Later, she noticed it got hot all of a sudden.The ground was glowing red. She noticed she was walking on something. The heat felt good after the long journey but it would feel better to find her son. She walked up scale-like stairs.They led to giant bat-like wings. That's when she discovered she was on a dragon. She slid off its back. She saw it's big face. Luckily it's sleeping, she thought.  Then she saw someone resting on it's big toe. She ran over and discovered it was her son Carl. Then, she got mad at the dragon and pulled out a big shiny sword. She then stabbed it's toe making it mad. The dragon roared in pain as she pulled it out. The dragon swung it's tail next to the mother and she stabbed the tail. The dragon roared as she swung with the tail. She later got off the tail and needed to hit the dragon one more time. Carl sat on the side crying as he watched. The mother wasn't a doctor but she knew where the heart was. It was in the dragons chest. It was the mother's right and the dragon's left. When the dragon bent down to spray her with fire she stabbed the dragon. The dragon roared the loudest of roars and fell over and died. She turned around to see lots of people clapping. Carl was still crying because the dragon was his friend. The whole village was happy and had a huge feast and party. Except for Carl. His mom noticed he was sad and told him about all the bad things the dragon did. He was still sad but lived well without the dragon. He got new friends and read many books about reptiles. The new town in the once unknown area was named Gurlugs. Why? That was Carl and his family's last name. The town lived happily and owned many heaters and had many fires to keep them warm. The sky was still smoky like before, but the people knew they were safe. What the people didn't know is that the dragon layed eggs in its sleep before the battle.

By:Macy Ogilvie

Celebrate LOVE.

Love is in the air, folks are all twitterpated, school kids are building their mailboxes in hopes of receiving that special Valentine from their secret crush.  Chocolates and flowers are flying off the store shelves, and so are greeting cards!  There will be engagements, and weddings, and babies conceived. It's the season of Love, it's Valentine's Day!

I have always loved Valentine's Day!  I loved signing every little card and depositing them in my friends mailboxes at school.  I loved opening mine as I tried to decipher the hidden meaning behind each one.  Once in  third grade, a boy brought me a big chocolate heart on Valentines Day!  I was the only girl in class to receive such a prize, and I swore I would keep it forever!  About a month later I had a HUGE line of marching ants proving my theory false.

My mama always surprised us with a Valentines gift, and sometimes she would have it special delivered to our classroom at school!  I always looked forward to this, so now I do the same for my children.  It is a nice family tradition I hold dear to my heart!  No Santa Claus or Easter bunny, just a mama giving a gift, because I love them.  Because of my mama, I never once worried about having a special valentine.  I knew I was loved!  I didn't need someone else to validate that.

As much as I love Valentines Day, it breaks my heart to know it brings much turmoil to others!  Valentine's Day can be a horrible reminder that we're single.  Valentine's Day can be a horrible reminder that someone we loved is gone.  Valentine's Day can bring much sadness to those who already feel alone.  Valentine's Day doesn't need to be about couples and romance, but about LOVE!  Come February 14th love yourself!  If you are single, do something nice for yourself.  Everyone has someone who loves them!  Everyone has someone who would miss them if they were gone!  Celebrate love!  Celebrate love of your neighbor, or friend. Celebrate love of your coffee barista, celebrate love of your children.  Celebrate love of your pets.  Celebrate love of your God. Celebrate love of your parents.  Celebrate love of life!

Celebrate LOVE!  Have a beautiful day!  I love ya, and if I could I would send the world flowers!

Why I'm Afraid to Die and Why You Should Be Too!

Sometimes I wonder how I've made it this far.  I lived through a couple of  very reckless years while a teen, now looking back am happy I survived!  I did these reckless things because I wasn't scared... to die that is.  Today I am scared of everything!  I am scared of heights, flying, riding in automobiles,  storms, you name it I'm scared of it!  Why?  Because I'm afraid to die!

Now when I say, "I'm afraid to die", It has nothing to do with my religion.  I'm not afraid to die because I don't know Jesus, or I don't think I'm going to Heaven.  I'm not afraid it is going to hurt, I'm not afraid of being stuck in a coffin or cremated in a fire.  I'm just simply afraid to be gone!

As a young teen I lost someone very close to me.  He was my cousin, my best friend, and my confidant.  I lost him too soon!  I grieved and I mourned for years, and wasn't sure I would ever get over it.  Sure life kept on moving along without him in it and over 20 years later it still moves but I miss him.  I never knew I could ever be that sad again until I lost my Dad six years later.  Losing friends and family is hard, losing your parents is the WORST!  After Dad I lost my mom, not having anywhere to call home is lonely.  You call your parents to share life's joy, life's pain. and life's milestones.  Having no parents to call is pure torture!

I have a family of my own now.  My latest son has joined my parents in Heaven. He is in good hands there.  I have three beautiful kids here on earth and a wonderful marriage that needs me!  So next time you see me afraid on the airplane, or driving in the car, not wanting to get too close to the edge at the grand canyon, it's because I'm afraid...I'm afraid to die.  I'm afraid to leave my kids without their mom.  I'm afraid to leave my husband without his wife.  I am afraid to leave my brothers without their sister. I'm afraid to leave my friends without my friendship.   I'm afraid to have them feel the pain in their hearts that I have had to endure.  I'm afraid to make my loved ones sad because of me.

Here on earth, Dying is not about you!  You will be gone!  Dying is however about those you leave behind, who have to pick up the broken pieces and try and move on.  The family and friends who have to mourn their loss, this is what dying is, and I'm afraid of it!

Reviews Bringing You Magic Today with Exfolimate Magic Body Cloth!

This time of year is ridiculous on our skin!  I don't know about you, but with the furnace constantly running to keep the home warm, and the freezing air outside my skin gets incredibly dry and dull.  Come spring and summer all I want is for my skin to have it's healthy glow back.  Well the Ground Hog didn't come out of his hole for nothing!  He says spring is coming early this year, so it's time to start working on my skin!

Green Heart Labs recently sent me their Magic Body Cloth, which is an all over exfoliating reusable cloth!  The magic body cloth is gentle and effective exfoliation which is good for,

~Polishing the skin

~Clearing Follicles

~Reaching tough to reach spots

~Prepping for spray tans

All you have to do is dampen the cloth, add your favorite body wash, and watch the magic happen!

Follow up with moisturizer and your skin is polished and ready for spring and summer!

This cloth is machine washable, comes in a cool hip design, and is big enough to get those hard to reach spots like the middle of your back!  I love my new Magic Body Cloth and think you will too!  Check out my Video below for more information and to see how truly nice this cloth is!

Disclosure: I received the magic body towel for free in exchange for my honest opinion.  All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.  Sincerely, Ronda

 

Bronchial wellness and kids :)

In our household several member of the family have issues with bronchial wellness.  My daughter in particular visits urgent care several times a year with some sort of bronchial illness.  We get prescribed a few hundred dollars worth of medicine and then spend weeks doing breathing treatments and antibiotics until she can breath again.  I have always been interested in herbal support and taking a more natural way to health, so I was super excited to be offered an opportunity to try Bronchial Wellness a gaiakids product made by GaiaHerbs.

Bronchial Wellness for kids is an organic, great tasting, natural product using only the purest herbs!  The key ingredients in this product are

• Plantain ~ an important herb supporting a healthy inflammatory response in the respiratory track.

• Helichrysum's ~ essential oil  one of the most potent sources of antioxidants

• Grindelia ~ long been used to support the respiratory system and assist in the normal production and elimination of mucous.

A little about Gaia Herbs...

Gaia Herbs cultivates health and well being by stewarding sustainable relationships between plants and people.  One thing I love about Gaia Herbs, is they over full transparency from seed to finished product through the industry's ONLY traceability platform- MeetYourHerbs.  Because our children deserve the best you can trace your products journey by typing in the ID number found on your product's labeling.  from seed, through quality testing, to finished product, the journey is available by visiting MeetYourHerbs.com.  How awesome is that?

After receiving the product in the mail, I was eager to try it.  My daughter was beginning to have some bronchial issues as she typically does this time of year, so we gave Gaia herbs a try.  Upon opening the bottle the liquid was a natural amber color, I will admit I was a little scared it was going to taste horrible.  I sampled a drop on my finger before administering it to my daughter and was pleasantly surprised!  The Bronchial Wellness has a very pleasant high quality sweet honey taste!  My daughter approved!!  I love that this product supports the body, and helps maintain a state of well-being.

Samples and coupon alert!!!!

Friends visiting Sincerely, Ronda can receive a free sample and coupon for a GaiaKids product by visiting GaiaHerbs.com/consumergiveaways.

Gaia Herbs has a line of herbal formulas especially for children.  Gaia Herb's 10 alcohol-free GaiaKids products were formulated by pediatric naturopath, Dr. Mary Bove, and they deliver herbal support with a kid friendly taste.

I hope your family enjoys these products and company as much as we do!  Stay healthy my friends, Love ya :)

***and of course I have to disclose to you that I received bronchial Wellness for kids for free in exchange for my honest opinion.  I share with you only products I have personally used, loved, and think will be beneficial to my readers.  All opinions expressed here are my own!  Sincerely, Ronda