Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls

Do you ever have the craving for something sweet and delicious but you don't have the energy to bake? That is exactly when I make these little beauties. Not only are they yummy but they are oh so easy to make.

So what do you say we whip some up?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls: 

4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut better

1/4 cup melted butter

3 tablespoons milk

3 cups of your favorite chocolate chips (I prefer semi-sweet but the husband likes milk the best)

1 tablespoon shortening

Mix together butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar. Your mixture should look a bit crumbly/clumpy like this:

Kate Osborne Photography - Wedding Giveaway!

I have to share this giveaway with y'all! Kate is an amazing photographer, and she happens to have been one of my wedding photographers. I was so pleased with all of her photos from our big day! If you are getting married this year, you would be so lucky to have her as a photographer. Everything she does is beautiful and she is fun to hang out with too. Check out her blog to enter the giveaway and see more of her work!

Kleenex Care Pack Giveaway

It’s a bad flu season this year, am I right? It seems like every week I know at least a couple people who have come down with it. So, Kleenex has created a special Kleenex Care Pack to help soothe symptoms. To send a Care Pack to someone in need, all you have to do is purchase a specially-marked Kleenex brand Bundle Pack with a redeemable code. Then simply visit Kleenex.com and follow the directions to send a Care Pack to someone who needs a little care.

Kleenex has offered to let us give one of these Care Packs away today! All you have to do to win is enter via Rafflecopter.

Care Packs contain:

• 1 Kleenex lip balm, 
• 1 oz. hand sanitizer
• Coupon booklet
• Card redeemable to download four songs
• Kleenex Wallet Pack
• Kleenex Pocket Pack

a Rafflecopter giveaway

+I received product in exchange for this giveaway. All writing and opinions are my own. Thank you for being supportive of Pretty Providence sponsors! 

Rice and Beans Recipe Roundup

Since Rice and Beans happen to be two of the cheapest foods in existence, and there are so many combinations to choose from I thought I should round up a few unique recipes for beans and rice! Your wallet and your stomach will both thank you if you make one of these! I'm fixing to try the Jamaican style first. Which one looks the best to you?

Jamaican Red Beans and Rice

Dominican Rice and Beans aka Moro de Habichuelas

Cheesy Rice and Beans

Cuban Black Beans and Rice Bowl

Sloppy Joe Seasoned Beans and Rice

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

Best Ever Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Lime Rice

Creamy Broccoli and White Bean Soup

Brazilian Rice and Beans

Middle Eastern Rice and Beans

xoxo, Sarah

P.S. If you like this roundup, you will totally like 10 Easy Weeknight Meals,
5-Day Meal Plan with Shopping List and 10 Easy + Cute Skirt Tutorials

+This post may be linked up to one of these link parties.

How to Make the Postpartum Period Easier

Women complain about pregnancy all the time. No one really needs to complain about labor to make you afraid to push a baby out, but they do, so you get prepped for that as well. The one thing no one ever seems to talk about is how hard the postpartum period can be. Why is that? I think that maybe everyone feels like the after part is supposed to be the happy joyous time when the trial is over and no one wants to be the one who doesn't fall into that blissful camp.

The fact is, the postpartum period is a happy joyous time. Finally, that sweet baby that you worked so hard to get to the earth is in your arms, and there has never been any sweeter feeling. The thing is, just because you have just experienced something miraculous doesn't mean everything is perfect. The days and weeks and even months after baby comes can be seriously hard.

My first baby was 6 weeks premature. We had no warning, nothing prepared and no idea what it took to be parents. Then, he had colic and acid reflux. We were zombies. No one slept for like four months. I love him with my whole being, he is one of the three biggest blessings that ever happened to me, and he was worth every sleepless night, but those were some of the hardest months of my life.

Going into my second baby I was worried about the postpartum period, so I did everything I possibly could to make the experience easier than the first go around...and it was! Though there are obviously some many things outside of your control as a parent, but there are a few things that you can do to make your postpartum experience infinitely easier.

1) Know what to expect. Do your research on what life is like after baby comes. Maybe this information is common knowledge to everyone else, but here are a few things that I learned.

The pain does not end when you leave the hospital. You really are in "recovery" for 4-6 weeks. If you take it too fast too soon chances are good that you will injure yourself and have to start the healing process over again.

One perk of pregnancy is that at least you don't have to have a period for nine months right? You will have all 9 periods that you missed right in a row after delivery. Disgusting? Yes. True? Unfortunately. (Don't forget to buy pads, you can't use tampons until recovery is over.)

You most likely will not leave the hospital in your pre pregnancy jeans. The baby websites describe it as a "doughy second trimester" body. Woo hoo!

MANY people experience postpartum depression. If you do, there is nothing wrong with you. Talk to your Dr. and do what you need to do to get help if you need it. At the very least, make sure you have someone you can talk to. You will get through it.

Happy Weekend: Links to Love!

Jessica's Links to Love:

I made this ranch chicken this week and it was a huge hit! Super easy too, which is a nice bonus.

Speaking of food, have any of you tried triple chocolate pound cake? I never have, but this looks delicious!

I loved this link for a DIY Pinata! I love when awesome things become affordable. Tutorial here. 

Baby girl is 2 months now! Man, it is crazy how time flies. We are still working on getting her to sleep longer than a 4 hour chunk at night, but honestly other than that she is a perfect angel. I figure it wouldn't really be fair if she slept through the night as well (not that I would complain though) ha ha.

My son Luke loves music and recently he has started "dancing" anytime he hears it. Even in the car he bobs his head and taps his foot along with the beat. Here's a video for your viewing pleasure :).

Sarah's Links to Love:

These Carmelitas look like they are going to be this week's Sunday treat. My mouth is watering!

Also I am loving this gold fringe birthday cake.

Anyone who wants to buy me this t-shirt please stand up!

This week I also wrote about my Valentine's Day date, a quick trip to Las Vegas, and another sweet tradition. I'm excited to be hosting a game night at my house this weekend, we will be playing Time's Up - my favorite game! I hope you all have a sweet weekend! xoxo

How to Travel to Europe on a Budget

Want to go to Europe, but it seems scary because it's expensive? Me too. Before I begin, I must admit that I have never been to Europe. Nope. I would love to go though, and am hoping that could be within the next few years. I was talking to a friend who is planning a trip for the near future, and I thought I should ask around to find out from people who have gone, how to do it for cheaper. I think everyone tries to save a penny here and there, especially on a vacation that seems like it will cost a ton. I thank the four of you who answered my question on Facebook, I got lots of great tips from you! I also talked to a few good friends who have been recently. Here is all the information I could gather on how to travel Europe on a budget:

Saving money on flights to and from Europe:
The season in which you go matters. Summer is the most expensive time to fly there, Spring and Fall are moderate, and Winter is the cheapest. You will also encounter smaller crowds in the winter, but then, it is cold. It all depends on what you are looking for on your adventure. There is a ton more information on how to find good flights to Europe on RickSteves.com. Also, if you have a credit card with points or Skymiles, this is the time to use those perks! (Here's how we feel about credit cards.)
 
Saving money on food in Europe: 
Picnic. Grab food from a street vendor, supermarket or farmer's market and eat it at a park, while you see the sights or take it back to your room. Also, if you are dining at a restaurant find out the restaurant's tipping policy - most of the time gratuity has already been included in the bill.

Saving money on transportation in Europe:
Buy day passes if you plan on taking buses or trams instead of paying for each individual ride. To get from country to country, or city to city, there are a few options. Rail passes - which give you unlimited train rides for a certain amount of days, individual day train tickets, and flights. It seems that you will want to compare all of these options before you buy because depending on the day, season, and how many rides you want to take. One can be much cheaper than another one day, and not the next.

Saving money on accommodations in Europe:
Opt to stay in a less-visited (and thus less expensive) city like Brussels, Milan or Prague and take day trips to the big, very popular cities like London, Paris and Rome. Hostels are the cheapest place to stay, and are usually very clean and comfortable. You can even find Hostels with private rooms and kitchens. If you prefer a hotel, last minute booking on Priceline or Hotels.com can be very cheap. House-swapping is another affordable and comfortable option I keep hearing about, you know, like on that movie The Holiday. [Has anyone ever done house-swapping for vacation, and would you like to guest post for us? I want to know more about that from a real person.]

Saving money on sight-seeing in Europe:
Get yourself a Rick Steves book, as well as download his free audio tours and put them on your ipod or phone before you go. This will save you time and money. Also, if you are going to the top of the Eiffel tower, walk to the top. It's cheaper than the elevator, the line is shorter, and you'll walk off some calories from the many crepes and croissants you'll be enjoying in Paris. It's a win-win-win.

So, now I'm determined to go. In the next few years. It's seeming a lot more do-able, right?! Did I miss anything? Please share in the comments if you have any good tips for making a trip to Europe more affordable! 

+If you like this post, you will totally like How to Vacation on a Budget and How to Experience NYC on a Budget! 

+This post may be linked up to one of these parties. 

Make Ahead Freezer Cinnamon Rolls

You may remember that Nora was born right before Christmas, and that it was our very first Christmas celebrating with just our own little family. Well, the week before Christmas my angel mother was in town helping out, and I mentioned that I was just going to buy some freezer cinnamon rolls to make for Christmas morning. Apparently she did not like that idea and insisted that we make our own "freezer cinnamon rolls" and than we could have easy and delicious all in one package on Christmas morning. Boy am I glad she was so adamant. Not only were the rolls delicious then, but we have enjoyed them several Sunday mornings since (this recipe makes a ton) and as soon as we run out I'll be making more! So today I am going to try to break down the instructions for you in several basic steps.

Cinnamon Rolls: *Yields approximately 64 rolls
2 Tablespoons fresh yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Cups warm water
1 Cup melted butter
6 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Cup sugar
9 Cups flour
2 Tablespoons butter
Cinnamon
Brown Sugar

Guest Poster: Linda from Food Storage Moms + A Giveaway!

Hey everybody! I am so excited to introduce a very special guest blogger, Linda from Food Storage Moms. Not only is she a fellow blogger, but I have the pleasure of being Linda's real life friend as well. She is sweet, smart, genuine and has so much knowledge to share. I hope you all love her as much as I do!

Hi! My name is Linda and I’m married with four daughters, three son-in-laws, and 17 grandchildren. My husband and I were pretty poor for the first few years after we were married, though we didn’t realize it at the time. We both grew up in homes where our parents kept a pantry full of food storage. I’m sure those pantries didn’t hold a year’s supply of food and probably held barely even three months’ worth of food. After we got married, I remember being the youngest family in the neighborhood with the biggest garden. I loved it! My girls and I canned everything, including apricots, peaches, pears, green beans, salsa, and spaghetti sauce. We dehydrated everything you can imagine and even made juice from grapes.

I have made homemade bread for over 40 years, but when my girls were little they wanted to have “Wonder Bread” like the other kids because the store-bought white bread could be rolled in their hands after they removed the crust. I have to laugh now because they all make their own bread instead of buying “Wonder Bread” for their families. My goal while raising my children was to have my food storage shelves full of food, not because I was thinking doom and gloom, but because I felt I needed to be able to feed my family if something unplanned happened. I think I felt more driven to be prepared because of something that happened when I was a teenager.

When I was about 16 years old I lived with an aunt and her family in Illinois for six months during the winter. While I was there they had a really bad ice storm and the roads were shut down for two weeks. The grocery stores would only allow one quart of milk and one pound of ground beef per week, per family. We had to walk several blocks in the cold just to get our allotted food. My aunt had a new baby and had run out of formula, plus she didn’t even have two cans of food in her cupboards. I was so scared that we’d all starve! I learned from that experience and swore I would never let that happen to me or my family. I didn’t believe in going into debt to buy food storage and tried to only buy it when it was on sale. I started small by buying one #10 can at a time and soon had a year’s supply of food.

Today I want to share my recipe for whole wheat  bread with you! It’s very soft and moist and if you didn’t see the light tan color you would almost think it was white bread.  Just so you know I am a “dumper”……I start with the following ingredients and “dump” each one slowly into my Bosch.  My Mother used to make bread by hand, but my hands are pretty arthritic so I use the Bosch.  

 Food Storage Moms 100% Whole Wheat Bread

• 6 cups warm water
• 2/3 cup oil (I like Olive oil)
• 1 cup or so of honey
• 2 Tbls. Dough Enhancer
• 2 Tbls. Wheat Gluten
• 2 Tbls. Salt
• 2 Tbls. dry instant or powdered milk
• 2 Tbls. SAF Instant Yeast
• 2 Tbls. Lemon juice (I learned this from Kendra-keeps the bread from being crumbly)
• 7 cups of flour

2 Tablespoons of everything is so nice and easy to remember!! I then Mix it all together and add the rest of the flour.  (about 14 cups or so total). I add the 7 cups of whole wheat flour…..mix gently…continue adding the rest of the flour until it leaves the sides of the bowl.  Do not ADD too much flour. Mix it altogether…..mix for TEN minutes in the Bosch and then put in greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap or towel.  Let rise.  Punch down and place in greased bread pans.  I make eight one pound loaves.  I let it rise one more time….Bake at 350 degrees for 27 minutes. That’s it! Enjoy!

Mmm! I cannot wait to try that bread recipe, there is nothing better than freshly baked bread. As if Linda wasn't amazing enough, she has also agreed to give away an emergency preparedness binder! This is a binder Linda designed to store all the important documents we have so that they would be ready to grab and go if we needed to leave our house asap. Everyone should have one of these binders.

All you have to do to enter is like our pages on Facebook and enter via Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway The contest will run until this Saturday, February 23rd at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Winner must respond within 48 hours of posted announcement or a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

Leisure Book

So if you have been following our weekend links to love posts, you know I have been dying to make a leisure book. I got the idea from Oh Happy Day. This is a book to have around on the days that you have free time, but don't know what to do with it. Especially when you are on a budget and want to have fun without doing the obvious fun pastimes: going to a movie, going to the mall to shop for things you don't need, etc.

I can't count how many times I have thought to go to the library and borrow a book or movie, but can't remember what the ones I have been wanting to check out are. I knew the day before, when I didn't have time... but when it comes time to actually go, my brain has lost any and all ideas. That's when this comes in handy!

60+ DIY Wreaths: A Wreath for Every Occassion

Everybody loves an adorable wreath am I right? The problem is that it can really add up to have an appropriate wreath for every season. Well I love wreaths and I love DIY projects, so today I thought I would share a round up of the cutest DIY wreaths organized into categories (we all know I love organizing...) I hope you love them too. Sheesh I am full of love today.

I tried hard to only pick wreaths that a) I would hang on my own door, and b) were creative and original. Trust me, you will be inspired.

WINTER WREATHS

Winter Wispy Wreath
Woodland Winter Wreath
Snowflake Wreath
Sweetgum Fruit Wreath
Pink and Sparkly Winter wreath

VALENTINES WREATHS

Love is All You Need Wreath
Felt Heart Wreath
Paper Heart Valentine's Wreath
Sweetheart Valentine's Wreath
Rosette Paper Wreath

Happy Weekend: Links to Love

Jessica's Links to Love:

Earlier this week I finished reading this book. There is no better/worse feeling in the world than finishing a great book. Especially the last one in an epic 14 book series...are you guys shocked that I'm a fantasy nerd?

Please will someone ooh and ahh with me over the adorableness of this folding chair makeover?

I am a bit OCD about everything being in its proper spot. One thing that drives me nuts is random cords (ex: from TV to outlet) and we have them everywhere. I liked this solution.

A good reminder.

A great song.

Sarah's links to love:

I have still been longing to make a leisure book and I think I want to do it with these moleskines. Such a great price too!

This t-shirt is funny and very true.

I want my next home to look like this. The natural light. The wood floors. The everything!

Also, we got to visit with each other shortly this week! For those who don't know, we live on opposite ends of Utah, it's a 4.5 hour driving distance. Since I (Sarah) decided to head on an impromptu trip to Las Vegas, I made a stop at Jess's on the way and on the way back. Short and sweet visits they were. I am hoping to go back again in April, for a longer stay this time. She lives in the warm part of Utah -- so much nicer than my freezing part! Also she has cute babies for me to goo and gah over.

I am excited for this weekend because I have absolutely no plans for it. Those are the kind I need once in a while! Do you have big plans or plans to do nothing?

Pros and Cons of Couponing: Is Using Coupons Worth Your Time?

I used to use coupons a lot. I was what some might call an "extreme couponer" but was definitely not like the people on the TLC show with that name, getting 3,000 boxes of cereal for free in one trip. About a year ago I wrote this post and went over the basics of couponing to save money on groceries and household needs. In the past year I have let go of couponing for the most part. I do still use coupons at craft stores, restaurants and take advantage of groupon-type deals. Even grocery-shopping sometimes, if the opportunity lends itself easily. I let it go because it became more of a frustration than a money saver for me and I decided it wasn't worth it. I am still conflicted about this choice. 

My mom is a very active couponer and basically pays half of what I pay or less for the same items. When she tells me about all of the things she has gotten for free or almost free I feel a twinge of jealousy, but I haven't gotten back into it (yet.) Couponing is a time-commitment but it truly does save you loads of money. It works. I'm still a full-on coupon believer! It just depends on whether or not it's worth it for you personally. So, I've decided to go over the pros and cons to help you decide if it's right for you. 

Valentine's Traditions

Happy Valentines Day everybody!!!!! I hope your day is filled with love and laughter. I love traditions. I am that person who has a hard time letting go of traditions even if they are silly or outdated! However, I happen to love my families' Valentine's Day traditions, so today I thought I would share them with you!

1) Fancy Shmancy Family Valentine's Dinner: In my house growing up Valentine's was always to celebrate those you loved, not just your sweetheart and I love that! Every year my mom would put on a fun and festive Family Valentine's Dinner. It usually took place day before or the day after Valentines so my parents could still go out on the 14th. We set the table using our best china, and had a "course" meal, meaning lots of courses, haha. I have continued this tradition with my little family.
2.) Along with our family V-day dinner, we always have a triple layer heart shaped cake and ice cream for dessert! Growing up, we always had chocolate or red velvet cake. However, Bryce's favorite cake is dot cake, so that's what we have now! 

3.) Also along with our dinner everyone has a little Valentine's gift to open. My gifts for my kids this year were both under $5.00, but it makes dinner fun to have a little gift to open.

4.) On actual Valentine's day my dad sent all his girls (I have two beautiful sisters) roses at school. I loved this. Tons of girls got gifts/roses/whatever from their boyfriends and some years I did too, but I loved knowing that I would always be getting roses from my very first Valentine. We plan to carry this tradition on with Nora and any other daughters. Also, Luke and other boys will get chocolates at school, because boys need love too!

5.) Super cheesy, but Bryce and I always either write a poem or draw a picture in the cards that we get one another. It is interesting that I can hardly remember a single gift he's given me on Valentine's, but I cherish those cards and save them in a special book.

That's basically it! They are all simple, sweet, and make every Valentine's memorable and fun. As my kids get older I look forward to making mailboxes, Valentine's and treats to deliver to neighbors. What are your favorite Valentine's traditions? I would love to hear them!

This post may be linked up to one of these link parties.

Cheap Date Ideas!

With Valentine's Day coming up I thought it would be appropriate to make a giant list of free or cheap date ideas. This way, if any of us are having trouble deciding what to do, maybe we'll be inspired!

1. Picnic - either in your living room, a place with a pretty view or in an interesting place (grassy knoll in the middle of a roundabout?) Laying out a picnic instantly makes any dinner a little more fun!

2. Teach each other skills. How to play an instrument or decorate a cake, bowhunting skills... computer hacking skills...

3. Go to a free community event. There are usually free activities going on, give one a try!

4. Have a movie night with a theme - challenge each other to bring the worst movie ever made, the best musical, etc. For worst movie ever made I recommend Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.

5. If you have snow, play in it! Go sledding, make a non-traditional snow man, have a snowball fight!

6. Make a special candle-lit dinner and play a two-person board game.

7. Have a culturally-themed date where you serve traditional food and learn about another culture and the way they celebrate or date! Add in a movie that takes place in that specific country, or a documentary about the culture.

8. Go to the bookstore! Read magazines together, find books about places you want to travel together, etc.

9. Go stargazing in the backyard or at a local conservatory.

10. Have a Wii tournament! Wii sports or Just Dance are super fun to play on a date. (Borrow a Wii from a friend or family member if you don't have one!)

60 more ideas below:

Salmon Pesto Alfredo Pasta

 I am not sure if I have mentioned this on the blog before but my husband is a dang good chef. It's sad actually. I wish I could be better than him at something. Once, early in our marriage Bryce surprised me by making a romantic dinner, and this is what he made for me. It was so SO good. It is adapted from our Better Homes and Garden's cookbook, but I couldn't find it anywhere on their website. Since the fateful first time we made this meal, we have had it on several special occasions (somehow it just became a special occasion meal) and we had it last night for our family Valentine's dinner!

Here's how to make this deliciousness:
1 .5 ounce envelope of pesto mix
3 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces dried fettuccine
1 16 ounce jar dried Alfredo sauce
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings, undrained
1 cup roasted red sweet peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 cup milk
1 lb. salmon

Stir together pesto mix and olive oil and set aside. In a large pot cook your fettuccine and drain well. Return noodles to your pot and stir in your pesto mixture, Alfredo sauce, undrained tomatoes, sweet peppers, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and the milk. Keep on low heat until its warmed through. Meanwhile, cook your salmon. Break salmon into bite sized pieces and add to your pasta. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

If you enjoyed this post you might like these other similar posts:
Shredded Chicken Tacos 
Spaghetti Pie
Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken
My Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
This post may be linked up to one of these link parties.

Happy Weekend: Links to Love!

Jessica's Links to Love:

I have been dying to find some vintage chairs and upholster them for my living room. I thought this link was SO helpful. Now I just have to find the perfect chairs!

Speaking of home decor... if I didn't have a crazy toddler boy I would do this around my office doors. Do you think it would still look as awesome if the bottom two or three levels were kiddie books??

Heck, if we are sticking with decor, how easy (and affordable) would these big wall letters be to duplicate??

As far as my week goes... it has been exhausting! It is seriously draining trying to keep up with these munchkins!

They are pretty cute though am I right? Hope you all have a happy weekend, xoxo.

Sarah's Links to Love:

This article was my fave read of the week.

I have been wanting this shower curtain for two years now and that's not an exaggeration. I know I don't need a new one though so I never buy it.

I also really want this donut pool float and for summer to come. It's snowing again in Utah and I'm ready for some warm weather. Brrrr!

This is a good reminder.

I drove my new car by myself this week and now I feel so accomplished! Read about the stuff that happens in my life here.

I hope you all have a very happy weekend!

Valentine's Cards for MEN! (Guys will like these.)

Rounding up Valentine's Day cards for MEN today! Let's be honest, most men do not want a pink, frilly heart-covered Valentine's Day card! I mean, we all know what our husbands really want, and it's probably not a new razor, a tie, or even a card... but as a vessel for us to write kind words in, cards are great. Don't we really want to show our men that we love them and give them a card they will love this Valentine's Day? Yes. Okay good. I know it can be hard though, to find a manly card to give your guy for this very lady-centered holiday, so I rounded up the best ones I could find, and I think there is one for everyone in there. Remember when I talked about my grand romantic gesture last V-day? It was actually inspired by that cool Death Star card below. The husband loved it, because it was personal - something he liked! It was  thoughtful of me! (Tooting my own horn, sorry...) So check out these cards and make sure you choose a good one this year!

Marisa Seguin made these amazing Arrested Development Valentine's Day cards - free to download and print! bonus.

These are cool and especially manly, for tough guys - Mr. T and Horror Valentine's Day cards - also free to download and print!

Death Star meets Death Cab for Cutie Valentine's Day card for the Star Wars lover or the indie music nerd.

It's no secret that I have a huge crush on Ron Swanson. Here is one awesome Ron Swanson Valentine's Day card and there is also this Ron Swanson Bacon and Eggs card. 

Then there are these sweet Robot, Pizza and Bacon Valentine's Day cards!

I actually never buy cards, the husband and I always make them for each other (that's what we did on our first date!) So instead of buying one I made one inspired by that Death Star one. It was definitely not as pretty though! Haha.

Let's help each other out with ideas this year. Do you have any fun Valentine's Day traditions or gift/card ideas for MEN?

Valentine Quote Printable

Get the free printable image here.

In honor of Valentine's month I thought I would share a free printable of a quote I love. When you think about it, "falling in love" is sort of a weird image. True love is elevating. Uplifting. I love the imagery of rising in love.

If you enjoyed this post you might like these other similar posts:
Dreams Don't Work Unless You Do
Gratitude
This post may be linked up to one of these link parties.

Shabby Apple Giveaway! Update: We have a WINNER!

....and the winner is.....

Amy B!!!! 

Congratulations Amy! Please contact us within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.   

Okay lovely ladies, today we are teaming up with Shabby Apple to give you a chance to 

win $100 to spend on their gorgeous and modest apparel! They are known for their dresses, believing that a dress should be a one-piece outfit.

...Pretty Purple Top...Sassy Navy Dress...Black Bow Skirt...Turquoise Ring...
Umm hello adorable! Lets get down to business...

Um, hello adorable!!! And these pictures are just scratching the surface of what they have to offer... trust us! 

The Details: 

The contest will run from now until next Monday, February 11th at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.

You must have a USA shipping address to be eligible for entry. 

Winner must contact us within 48 hours of posted announcement or a new winner will be chosen. 

Mandatory Entries: 

1) Follow this blog (see right side bar)

2) Like Shabby Apple on Facebook

3) Leave a comment stating which Shabby Apple dress or item is your favorite

Bonus Entries: 

4) Like Pretty Providence on Facebook

5) Follow Pretty Providence on Pinterest

6) Follow Pretty Providence on Twitter

7) Add Pretty Providence on Google +

Then, comment on this post, letting us know what you have done to enter the giveaway. 

{Please leave a separate comment for each entry because we will be using a random number generator to determine the winner, and you want to make sure all your entries count!}

Also, Shabby Apple has been kind enough to offer ALL our readers a coupon code for 10% off, so even if you don't win, you can still go shopping! The code is prettyprovidence10off.

What are you waiting for??? 

-Jessica & Sarah 

How to See Facebook Page Updates

Have you been wondering lately why you don't see as many updates from the Pages you've liked on Facebook? Maybe you haven't noticed, but those of us who run Pages definitely have. A friend of mine, who follows us through FB, asked me the other day "Why haven't you been posting on your blog lately?" and I told her that we still post six days a week, she just isn't getting the updates. Pretty Providence has almost 2,000 Likes on Facebook. However, the company has made some changes lately that have been discouraging. Only about 6% of each Page's fans will see their updates. They have implemented a new button where after a page posts something, they are shown that about 6% (so about 100 of 2,000 fans) have seen their update. Then they give the page admin an option to pay $5, $10, $15 and so-on to show more people your post. It would cost us $10 each time we post just for FB to show our post to all of the people who have liked our page.

Yes, they have the right to do this and to make a profit from their website, and since 800 million of us use Facebook, we go along with it. The thing is though, that if I like a page it's because I want to see their updates in my news feed, and that is not happening most of the time anymore. There is a way to get around this though, thankfully, so that you can control which Pages you get updates from. I made up visual instructions for you in case you want to do this.

How to see updates you want to see on FB: 

Since this Facebook stuff has been seeming less and less useful to us in getting info to our lovely readers, we have been spending more time on Twitter and just started using Google + too. Google + hasn't caught on yet with as many people, but I think it's going to! Especially since businesses, blogs, and other people who care about their updates being shown to people are using it more and more in place of Facebook. I spent some time exploring it yesterday and really liked it. Here are a few reasons I think it is going to blow up in the near future:

1 It is there with all of your other google stuff! Gmail, Drive, Google +, etc. You sign in once. Convenient.
2 You can edit your posts: make a mistake, or spelling error? Forget to add the link? No worries.. You can just edit the post and fix it real quick and it's back up, correctly.
3 Hangouts: Group video calls with up to 10 people - super neat! You can even share docs with everyone in the hangout. This seems like a great tool for business meetings, family calls, planning events, and so many other things.
4 You can make and label circles - control what you see from other people, and they don't see where you put them! Like, no crazy political updates every day if you don't want! Without offending anyone! Also you can follow people without them needing to add you back, and vice versa, which just makes things less awkward and more friendly.
5 Huddle: Start a conversation with up to 50 people on Google + mobile, think family trip planning?! Amazing. Then you can mute the conversation when you are no longer interested.
6 Privacy. You decide with each post or update exactly how private or public you want it to be. It's easy to find, and then you control what others' see from you, without having to go through a big maze to make sure your personal information isn't being shared with the entire world. 

There are a lot of other things that are cool too, learn more by reading this G+ Cheat Sheet!

So, we hope you will keep up with us on Facebook using the lists, but you can also expect a lot of good stuff from us over at G+, we are thinking we need to try the hangout thing soon, and we would love to hang out with YOU! Join us there! 

+ If you run a blog, FB page, or business and would like to share this graphic with your readers, you are totally welcome to! We all want our "likers" to see our updates! I ask that you please give credit and link back to this post. Thank you!

+ This post may be linked up to one of these parties.
 

10 Freezer Meals in 1 Hour + 15 Minutes Plus Recipes + Grocery List Printable

Last time I shared freezer meals with you guys I got such overwhelming positive feedback. You all totally motivate me to be better. I have a goal this year to have a freezer cooking session at least once a month where I make at least 10 meals. Each month I will share the recipes I made as well as a free printable grocery list! Today, along with January's recipes and grocery list, I thought I would share the method I use when doing my freezer sessions with a little photo tutorial for all you first timers. I have found this way of doing things to be super fast and effective, so I hope you find it to be that way too! By the way, my friend Pam from Over the Big Moon and I like to plan (and sometimes assemble) our freezer meals together, so she is also posting a freezer cooking post today with some of the same meals if you want to check it out!

Kids Valentine's Ebook Freebie!

Hey guys! Right now there are a few great Valentine's themed kids books that are FREE to download on Amazon. They can be played on practically any phone or device, so get yours now: Valentine's Day Jokes, Riddles and Quotes for Kids and A Lovely Day!

Thanks for the tip, Utah Deal Diva!

Happy Weekend: Links to Love

We've been thinking we might change up our weekend post a little bit, making it less about what we find on Pinterest and more about just sharing whatever we love each week, regardless of where it's from!

Sarah's Links to Love:

My feelings exactly on Tipping and Still Being Frugal.
Totally want to make this $3 Valentine Mailbox - so many sweet possibilities!
Is anyone else bummed about 30 Rock coming to an end? Five favorite Liz Lemon quotes to cheer you up.

Jessica's Week:

On Wednesday night I was able to go out to dinner with a bunch of other awesome bloggers in my area. We had so much fun and it was so therapeutic for me to have a night out of my house (they are so rare these days)!

If you haven't already checked out these blogs you definitely should! I am so inspired by these ladies.

Meet my new friends (not everyone could make it to the dinner). Brooke from All Things Thrifty. Jen from Craft-O-Maniac. Mandi from Vintage Revivals. Linda & Kendra from Food Storage Moms. Shannon from St. George Mom. Robin from Garage Sales R Us. Heidi from One Creative Mommy. Pam and Lisa from Over the Big Moon. Kelly from Dixie Dollar Deals and Desiree from The 36th Avenue. 

Also, last night we got to go out to celebrate my Grandma and Grandpa Bickmore's 60th wedding anniversary! They have taught me so much about love. I can remember watching them as a teenage girl and thinking, "I want that." I feel so blessed that now I have it.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Star Wars Date + Light Saber Pops Tutorial

If there was anything I thought I'd never like, it was Star Wars. I had never watched a Star Wars movie all the way through, until, gasp, last Valentine's day. I honestly have almost an aversion to sci-fi. So when I started dating my husband Jacob, and hanging out with his family a lot, I quickly realized I had no idea what they were referencing about half the time. It turned out that it was indeed Star Wars. They are enthusiasts, like most people in the world are because they were groundbreaking movies, but I still didn't want anything to do with it. That was until after maybe two years of marriage and I thought "I am really sick of not knowing what they mean when they talk about chewy, jabba, and talk like yoda, etc. so maybe I should just watch the movies." Plus, my man had gone to three midnight premiere's of Harry Potter movies with me, sooo... yeah. We made a party out of it, invited friends, and had a movie night. Then I fell asleep about twenty minutes into the first movie. Oops. He was not happy! So, as what I thought was a grand romantic gesture, last Valentine's day, our 3-year anniversary, I surprised Jacob with a home-made Star Wars themed card and I borrowed the three classic movies from the library. I promised him I would not fall asleep! He was thrilled and although it took us an entire week to watch all three, I finally get the references. Ewoks are my favorite.

Recently I saw this idea for making otter pops into light sabers and I thought, now that is something any Star Wars lover would want! I think I could get into that. I'm always up for making things a little more festive. So I made some, and I can't tell you how easy and inexpensive this was. I just used felt, a little bit of fabric glue, and scissors!  Scroll down for the tutorial...