Halloween SAFETY TIPS and REMINDERS!!

It’s almost Halloween. I love Halloween it is such a fun holiday. I am so excited to take my son out Trick or Treating on Saturday. I love candy so I am hoping he will share his goodies with me. I just want to take some time to remind everyone of some important safety tips.

1. Please go with your children when they go Trick or Treating.

2. Go in groups especially if your child is old enough to go alone.

3. Bring a flash light with you for when it gets dark.

4. Be aware of your surroundings and the people around you, stay away from people that are acting strange or look like they want to cause trouble.

5. Bring a whistle with you. It sounds weird but it will get peoples attention in an emergency

6. Wear reflectors on your costumes and on your treat bag

7. Encourage your children to wait till you get home before they dig in to their goodies so you have a chance to look over the goodies in a well lit area. Pack a snack so if they get hungry they will have something.

8. Bring hand sanitizer with all the door bells your children will be touching to help cut down on germs.

9. Only go to those houses with a porch light on.

10. NEVER go in to a strangers home

11. Stay away from homemade treats and loose candy or loose candy in a Ziploc bag.

12. Make sure your children can see clearly and speak clearly through their costumes.

13. Watch out for cars and use sidewalks

14. If you are driving remember that kid’s dart and watch out for kids and don’t assume they see you.

15. Never get in a strangers car even if they seem nice.

16. Parents check out your state's sex offender registry and stay clear of those homes in your area. It is a great idea to know exactly where they live and work anyway.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!

Name Your Tune Review and Giveaway!

Noah loves music. He has loved it from the time I was pregnant with him. I would listen to certain songs and I swear he was dancing. Well, at least he was kicking during it. It was really cool. He always listens to music and he loves to dance along. He also loves his name. He can spell it for you and everything. So when I had the opportunity to review Name your Tune CD I was really interested in his reaction. My son is adorable when he dances.

Name Your Tune is a Canada based company that makes personalized CD’s. Name Your Tune was created and founded by Candace Alper. That doesn’t mean your child’s name is just written on the CD. It is so much MORE. The songs have your child’s name in it. Over 80 times you child’s name is said. There are 14 well known songs on the CD. I think it is really cool that it doesn’t sound like they just inserted the name. They will do any name your child has no matter how unique. They will ask how their named is pronounced as well. Your child's name will be sung just as you say it. It is really cute. You can also get a personalized message written on the CD too.

Noah and I really enjoy listening to his Name Your Tune CD. The music is upbeat and the singers’ voices are really pleasant to listen to. Towards the end of the CD the music winds down into a few lullaby type songs. It helps wind down Noah after dancing around and singing along.

The one thing that I didn’t like was that they messed up the personalized message on the CD. Normally it wouldn’t have been a huge deal to anyone else but it irked me. A little Sharpie did the trick. I am sure it was just a mistake. The actual CD was great and we will continue to enjoy listening to the cd for many years to come.Our favorite song was Little Noah has a farm. This CD would be a great present for Christmas or a birthday.



I have a coupon code for you all. You can save $5 off a Name your Tune CD by using the coupon code: Sheilacakes

A BIG Thank you to Name your Tune for sending me a complimentary CD for my review and providing one for a giveaway too!

I have one Name Your Tune CD to give to a lucky reader.

Mandatory Entry: Check out the Name Your Tune website and tell me something else you would love to own.

You must do the mandatory entry for the bonus entries to count

Subscribe to my blog via email. Please verify it in order to count

Follow my blog

Add @Sheilacakes7 and Add @nameyourtunecds and tweet about this giveaway and include the link to this post this can be done daily.

This Giveaway is open to US and Canada Residents only!

Please remember to put your email address in your comments or make it accessible on your blog.

This giveaway ends November 7th at 11:59 PM EST

Delicae Gourmet Review and Giveaway!

Sometimes you want a gourmet meal but you don’t really want to go to a restaurant to eat it. Sure you could pick it up and take it home but sometimes things don’t reheat the same as when they are fresh. Not to mention the cost of the food. Restaurants have gotten expensive. There is a website called Delicae Gourmet that sells gourmet foods. They sell slow cooker meals and slow cooker soups at great prices. They also sell all kinds of sauces, bruschetta toppings, even Sea salt rubs. They have different rubs for different types of meat. So, no more second guessing what you should season your meats with. Delicae Gourmet makes it easy.

I had the opportunity to try out the Caribbean Black Bean Soup, Steak & Roast Sea Salt Rub, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Bruschetta Topping and Asian Finishing Sauce. Just to give you an idea on how great the price is those 4 things would be 25 dollars. It all came straight to my door. It was packaged securely in bubble wrap. My son loved the bubble wrap. He jumped up and down and danced on it while it popped and he laughed. It was really cute. Those simple things kids get a kick out of.

The Caribbean Black Bean Soup was really easy to make straight in the slow cooker. I decided to add the coconut milk that they suggested on the package. The soup was very delicious. It is the sa7e quality that you get at a nice restaurant. When I was eating it, I was transported to a tropical paradise. I froze some of the soup because it makes a generous amount. It reheats wonderfully from the freezer. It tastes just like it was made in the slow cooker.

The Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Bruschetta Topping is delicious. I was going to go out and get some fancy bread for it before I tried it, I decided that I wanted a snack so I put it on some Ritz Crackers and it was so good. That would be a great appetizer for your next dinner party or just as a sophisticated little snack. There are big chunks of tomato. There is also flavorful basil and garlic.

Steak & Roast Sea Salt Rub is made with Black Pepper, Sea Salt, Minced Garlic, White Pepper, Coriander, Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes, Thyme and Paprika. It is the perfect combination of spices. I used it to season a pork roast and oh my gosh it was so good. It is extremely flavorful. It smells really good too. A little goes a long way.

Thank you to Delicae Gourmet for providing me with $25 dollars worth of product to try for my review and sponsoring the giveaway.

I have a $25 credit to the Delicae Gourmet website for one lucky winner.

The mandatory entry: Go to Delicae Gourmet’s website and tell me what you would get with the $25.

You must do the mandatory entry for the bonus entries to count.

Subscribe to my blog via email- You must validate

Follow my blog

Add @sheilacakes7 on twitter and tweet about this giveaway including the link to this post.

This giveaway is open to US Residents only

This giveaway will end November 7th 2009 at 11:59 pm EST

Good Luck everyone!

Beauty Tip A day Giveaway!

It’s time for some of my favorite beauty tips.One of them is from the widget and the other ones are my personal favorite beauty tips.

If you happened to miss my previous post, I have a really cool Beauty Tip of the Day widget on the bottom of my blog. You should check it out! A new tip is posted on it every single day!

Tip #1- Treat your eyelashes with a dab of Vaseline every day for darker, conditioned eyelashes.

Tip #2-When you use thick foundation add a little bit of moisturizer on your palm and mix it with the foundation to thin it out. I know some companies make thick foundation and that was how I would thin it out. You could really do that with any foundation for extra moisturizing.

Tip #3- Toothpaste works wonders on pimples. Make sure you only use the paste kind and not the gel. Rub a dab on your pimple and let it dry and in the morning the pimple will shrink. Make sure you wash it off though.

Tip #4- This next tip comes from my grandma Rose. She used to have really dry eye lids. She would put Vaseline on them and they would be moisturized.

Tip #5- You can cut facial cloths (both wet and dry) to maximize use and cut down on the cost some.

There are 5 of my favorite beauty tips. Please make sure you check out my beauty widget on the bottom of my blog for many more beauty tips and tricks. Make sure you check it everyday for a new tip!

I have a giveaway for you all! One lucky beauty will win a box of Unilever beauty supplies! Unilever is the maker of Dove, Ponds, Vaseline and Q-tips.

Thank you to Unilever for providing the beauty box for this giveaway

Mandatory Entry: Tell me one of your favorite beauty tips

You must do the mandatory entry for the bonus entries to count

Subscribe to my blog via email

Follow my blog

Add @Sheilacakes7 on twitter and tweet about the giveaway and please include a link to this post. This may be done daily

Tell me another beauty tip for another entry

Please make sure you put your email address in the entry or have it accessible on your blog

This giveaway is open to US Residents ONLY

This Beauty Giveaway will end on November 5th, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST

Aloha Friday!

My friend Kailani has a wonderful Friday meme called Aloha Fridays.
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

Today's Question is: What is your favorite food that you can no longer get because they stopped making it or stopped selling it anywhere you could find it?

It seems like most of the time I start liking something new, They stop making it or somehow it becomes unavailable. It frustrates me to no end.

My favorite food that I can't get is Freybe Salami. I love the Gipsy Salami, the Black Pepper Salami and the Parmesan Salami. They used to sell it at a local grocery store back in 1999. I fell in love. It is so delicious. They stopped selling it here. I was heart broken. I know it is kinda silly to be heart broken over food but it was so good. For Christmas 2005 I got some Pepper Salami as a gift from my mom. Its made in Canada. I keep hoping one of my Canadian friends will send me some but it hasn't happened yet.

A glimmer of hope came the other day when Gourmet Deli's website was finally working after two years of being under construction, I was so excited. I tweeted and tweeted and when I found some of my Gipsy Salami I was so happy. So I tried to order some. The credit card was denied. I tried for 3 hours to get it to go through and it wouldn't. I called the cc company, the card is fine. So I keep trying and nothing. I started to suspect it was a scam. It said that it did paypal payments but I couldn't click anything. I thought since it is the website Freybe said to use to order with the link and everything I thought ok. It sounds legit. So I finally decided to email Gourmet Deli and see about the Paypal options. I wrote them and bam it came back undeliverable. So I decided to email the president of the bigger company to see if he could help. No Response. I started following Freybe on twitter. They haven't responded. I thought maybe there was a glitch so I tried again today. Nope didn't work.
I went from really excited to pretty bummed out. I hope Fryebe can help me. All I want is my Salami! Freybe can you hear me?

So What is your tragic food story?

Balloon Boy- My thoughts

When I first heard about balloon boy, I decided not to look. It really upsets me when I hear or read about children hurt or in danger. So, I thought to myself that I hope he is ok. I was on twitter reading my friends tweets and I kept seeing things about balloon boy.

I noticed that one of the trending topics was Wife Swap. I really like watching Wife Swap because it is funny and interesting. We like to see how long it takes for the other mother to say it makes me so sad or start crying over silly things. So I decided to click on the trending topic. I thought they were talking about the next season instead I saw that balloon boy was none other than Falcon Heene. It was weird because earlier I was watching Wife Swap before I even knew much about balloon boy and I thought of the Heene’s because the episode with the family that they ended up swapping with on the viewer’s choice swap was on.

As soon as I saw that it was the Heene’s, I thought this is a hoax or a cheap publicity stunt. I started questioning on twitter if someone saw him then why didn’t they stop him. I also said, A six year old weighs like 50 pounds how can a Mylar balloon hold that much weight. It reminded me of the episode of the Simpsons where “Timmy” fell down the well but it was really Bart with a radio pretending.

The reasons I didn’t believe that balloon boy was really in the balloon are:

1. The Heene’s are crazy. They chase tornadoes and they don’t seem to really care about their kids because they put them in danger and take them out of school.

2. Richard Heene is someone who seems like he would do ANYTHING for 15 minutes of fame. I mean they did go on Wife Swap twice. PS. They weren’t that entertaining. I would take any other family over them any day.

3. The whole weight thing. I am not a rocket scientist by any means but I just thought it didn’t sound right to me

4. In the words of Judge Judy, If it doesn’t make sense then it’s probably not true.

Later Falcon was found hiding in the attic. Ok I am glad he wasn’t hurt but I don’t believe for a minute that it wasn’t orchestrated by the parents. They said that they called his name for 5 to 7 minutes. If it were my child I would of ran around the house and garage and attic like a maniac to find my child. I wouldn’t just call his name and just be like oh no he flew away!

Why didn’t anyone search the house? Like the police or anyone? I am commending those who were involved in the search for balloon boy but I just don’t understand how he could of hidden that long. The Heene adults didn’t seem too shook up about it at all. I think it was a terrible waste of resources and media time. I am sure Mr. Richard Heene was just trying to get his new stupid invention on the air. Maybe Wife Swap didn’t want them on again so he had to come up with a new plan.

So, those are my thoughts on Balloon Boy.

Campus Quilt Company Review and Giveaway!!

I am one of those mothers who keep all of her child’s clothes. I have only thrown away two pairs of pajama pants that were a complete mess. So I have boxes and boxes of my son’s clothes. I know some people like to donate clothes or give them to a family member which is wonderful but someday I hope to have more children.

I have always wanted to make a quilt. I remember when I was younger; I started cutting out fabric squares with my grandma. I am pretty sure somewhere in the garage in a tote are those fabric squares. I really wanted to make a quilt. The problem is I can’t sew. I tried to make a purse out of a t-shirt and it is the weirdest looking thing. So, when I had the opportunity to have a quilt made for me by Campus Quilt Company. I was so excited.

Campus Quilt Company is this wonderful online business that does all the work for you. They have two different types of quilts T-shirt quilts and wee quilts. My sister is the queen of t-shirts. When she was in high school she had a whole armoire full. My mom called it the t-shirt store. I never really had that many t-shirts so I decided to make a wee quilt.

Hey, wives? Does your husband have a bunch of goofy t-shirts that have extreme sentimental value? You could make a t-shirt quilt and free up those dresser drawers or closet space!

Campus Quilt Company sends you a quilt kit when you order. When I heard quilt kit I thought do it yourself, thankfully I was wrong. Basically you send them the clothes you want on the quilt and you pick what fabric you want for the backing and if you want extras like sashing or embroidery. It’s a really easy process to ship it to them. They send you the label and everything. You even get email updates through each step of the process.

I had fun going through Noah’s baby clothes. I would see something and I would remember how cute he was in it. Most of the clothes have been put away for a long time so it was nice to see them again. I carefully selected the clothes I wanted on my quilt. I was a little nervous about sending them because they were my baby’s clothes after all. I was put at ease the next day when I got the email that they received them.I was really excited to see what they had done. I wasn’t too picky about the layout or the sashing color, I gave them creative freedom. They are the experts. So, then I just had to wait to receive it back.

I was extremely excited that it took only a week to get it done and back to me from when I dropped it off at UPS. Normally it takes 2 to 3 weeks. It just depends on your order and how busy they are etc. You have the option to rush it as well. Incase you need it for a certain occasion like graduation or Christmas.

The day my quilt arrived I was really anxious to see it. I was nervous as well. When I opened the box and laid it out on the table, I was speechless. I started crying. It was absolutely beautiful. I had to show my family how beautiful it was. Everyone was amazed. I thought that the clothes were going to be just kind of hanging there. Not at all, they are completely sewn in. I am going to hang it on my bedroom wall. I had them attach one of Noah’s old pacifiers on there and I learned really quickly that he wanted it. He tried to take it off the quilt. Thankfully he didn’t succeed.

I was so impressed by my quilt. Now I have a constant reminder of the days when my son was a baby. Every time I look at it I smile. I put some clothes that were gifts from family and friends too. I am sure they will be extremely touched that their gift made it on my gorgeous quilt. I am sure the pictures speak for themselves. There are hundreds of pictures on the website as inspiration too. I can’t say enough good things about my quilt and how much I truly love it.


These quilts would be the perfect gift for anyone. You could make a wee quilt for Grandparents or your spouse. The t-shirt quilts would be a great graduation gift or even a wedding present. You could use your quilt as a family heirloom and use clothes of different family members. It would be a very touching way to remember a loved one that has passed away. The possibilities are endless! As long as they can stick a needle in you can get it on your quilt. There is the option to get photos on your quilt too. I really love my quilt. It went well over my expectations and I will be recommending anyone who is in the market for a quilt to check out Campus Quilt Company.

It is about the same price as a quality quilt from a department store but it is special because it is personalized to the owner. It is definitely worth the price. It is high quality and I will cherish my quilt for many years to come. I know someday when Noah is all grown up, I can look back and just smile.

Thank you to Campus Quilt Company for sending me a wonderful quilt to review and sponsoring this giveaway.

I have a giveaway for you all!

I have a $150 gift card for Campus Quilt Company for one lucky person.

Mandatory Entry: Go to the Campus Quilt Company website and look around and tell me what kind of quilt or gift you want to make. Please tell me the type and size.

You must do the main entry for the bonus entries to count.

Subscribe to my blog via email you must verify it.

Follow my blog

Follow @sheilacakes7 on twitter and tweet about this giveaway and put the link in the tweet. This can be done once a day. Please link me to the tweet in the comment.

Tell me who this quilt is for

This giveaway will end on October 30th 2009 at 11:59 pm ET.
Good Luck all!

My delicious meatloaf recipe

Here is my meatloaf recipe! It is really good. I know some people use ketchup in their meatloaf but I use Tomato soup. In my opinion it makes it taste better.

Here is what you will need:

1 lb. Hamburger (whatever kind you prefer)

1 can condensed Tomato Soup

1 packet of Onion soup mix

1 egg

2 cups oatmeal (that is just an estimate because I haven’t measured the oatmeal in years so whatever you think looks good)

Salt and Pepper (just a couple dashes of each)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the hamburger, Tomato soup, the onion soup mix, the egg and the oatmeal

Then mix together thoroughly.

Add the salt and pepper and stir through again.

Shape in to a loaf and put it in a loaf pan

Bake for 50 minutes or until cook through.

You can then top with Ketchup or BBQ sauce. I like a mixture of Ketchup and Sugar.
It makes it kind of sweet.

Return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Let it cool a little before serving.

You could serve it with Mashed potatoes or corn
Enjoy!

Monster Clips!!

I made these a while back and I thought I would do a how to for those who would like to make their own. They are really easy to make and are a lot of fun. They are embellished paper clips for all to enjoy. Just in time for Halloween or for your favorite little monster. You could use then for book marks too!
I decided to vlog while making these



Here are the supplies you will need:

Thin colored foam sheets (I got mine at a dollar store)

Scalloped circle punch – I have one from Stampin Up!

Jumbo Paper clips- not the standard size

Double sided tape

Glue dots

Googly eyes- two for each Monster you want to make.

1.punch out some scalloped circles. Punch out two for each monster you want to make.

2. Using double sided tape carefully tape the paper clip to one of the foam pieces half way down. Make sure the part that you insert paper in is down.

3. Using little pieces of double sided tape on the side where the paperclip is to secure the top of the monster.

4. Press the top foam piece on top

5. Using glue dots put on the googly eyes

And Ta-Dahh! you have Monster clips! I hope you enjoy this craft as much as I do!

Wubbzy Goes Boo Review and Giveaway

Wow Wow Everyone! We love Wow Wow Wubbzy at my house. My son loves that little yellow creature. When I told my son we were were going to watch a Wow Wow Wubbzy Dvd, he became very excited. As soon as it started playing, Noah was in a frenzy of running around the house, singing and even rolling on the floor in excitement. He normally doesn’t get that excited about TV. It was really cute he kept saying Wow Wow Wubbzy.


We had the opportunity to view a screener of Wubbzy Goes Boo. It’s our pal Wubbzy in a Halloween dvd. Noah and I love Wubbzy’s adventures and like to see what he gets in to this time.

Noah and I enjoyed watching the dvd. In the first episode, Wubbzy is a magician and is making all kinds of crazy things happen. We really liked the elephant and all the monkeys that were in the barrel. Noah kept looking for them after they disappeared finally. There was a short little episode in between about a kickball tree. Noah liked that one too.

Noah is so smart. There is an episode about Fall where the leaves change colors and the leaves fall off the trees. Noah said “It’s Fall”. We liked the Halloween epsoides too. I won’t give away all the surprises though. The one about the ghost made Noah a little nervous but nothing major. He doesn’t really know much about ghosts so I think it was more surprised than actually scared. Noah learned all kinds of information about Halloween too.

All in all we really like Wubbzy Goes Boo and I hope you will too. In fact as I write this he is chanting Wow Wow Wubbzy, Wow Wow Wubbzy but it is bedtime so it will have to wait until tomorrow.


Thank you to Anchor Bay Entertaiment for sending me the Wubbzy Goes Boo screener.
I have two Wubbzy Goes Boo dvds to giveaway to two lucky winners.
DVD’s are valued at $16.98 each.

Mandatory Entry:

Tell me what your child or children are going to be for Halloween.

You must do the Mandatory Entry for the bonus ones to count

Bonus Entries
Subscribe to my blog via email. Please remember to verify it.
Follow my blog
Tell me what your favorite Halloween Candy is

This giveaway is open to US Residents ONLY

This giveaway will end Friday October 16th 2009 at 11:59 pm ET I will pick the winner s and Email them. They will have 24 hours to get back to me.

Please note this is a short giveaway because it would be great to have this out by Halloween so you can watch it before or after Trick-or-Treating.

Coffee Bean Direct Review

I love a great cup of coffee. I really enjoy hazelnut or French vanilla. It seems like there are a million brands to choose from and some are great and others well are not so great. I am somewhat of a Coffee Snob. So when I had the chance to try a sample of coffee from Coffee Bean Direct I was excited. Coffee Bean Direct is an online business that sells many different brands and flavors of coffee and tea. The prices are really good too. They even have really nice coffee and tea gift baskets that would make an excellent gift for someone you love filled with coffee or tea and little treats as well. Most people like to enjoy a little treat a long with a nice cup of coffee or tea.

Not sure what kind of flavor you would like to try you could always order one of the Sampler packs which come in both coffee and tea varieties. You have many choices when it comes to flavors. You can either order your coffee in whole beans or already ground. It comes in Regular or Decaf as well. The tea categories include Black teas, green teas, herbal teas and Wulong teas. They also offer other teas.

I got to sample the Hazelnut coffee. As soon as I opened the box, I could smell the coffee. It smelled so good. My son decided he wanted to smell it too. He thought it smelled pretty good. I couldn’t wait to try it. The coffee was so flavorful and tasted great. I savored the coffee in my mouth as I drank it. It was full bodied and very aromatic. It filled my house with the warm scent of coffee. It was delicious.

So, if you want great, fresh coffee please order from Coffee Bean Direct. They bring it straight to your door. It would be great on a cool day.
You can get a 5 pound bag of delicious Coffee for about 5 dollars per pound! What a great deal! They also have monthly specials with great bargains. You can sign up for their newsletter and get all the information and deals right in your inbox.

Thank You to Coffee Bean Direct for providing me a sample of coffee to try.

My favorite cookbook as a kid

I am a big advocate for cooking with your children or grandchildren. I grew up in the kitchen. I really loved helping my mom and grandma cook in the kitchen. I was an expert cook by the time I was in 3rd grade. I could cook better than most adults. I would make bread from scratch and all sorts of delicious treats and meals. I find cooking very therapeutic. I am going to teach my son to cook. He has already shown interest in cooking. He likes to stir. He helped me make his birthday cake this year. Cooking with your kids is a fun way to bond with them in the kitchen and through food.

When I was 8 years old, I begged my mom for a cookbook called Kid’s Cooking by Klutz that came with my own set of measuring spoons. I love that cookbook so much. It has always been one of my favorites. Yes I still have it to this day. I still use it too. The measuring spoons are long gone though. I lost them somewhere during a move. Well, I think..I still have the Tablespoon somewhere maybe. This book has the best brownie recipe. In my eight year old handwriting it says “World’s best brownie recipe” complete with little hearts. You know if there is hearts it has to be awesome.

There are all sorts of recipes that are broken up by meal types and desserts. It even has recipes for play dough and face paint in the non-edible section. My mom and I used to joke about some of the recipes that have pictures with a “grown up with a knife”. We always thought that the pictures were silly looking. I still chuckle when I see one of the grown ups with a knife.

This book is a perfect cookbook for kids. I think it is something that all kid chefs should have. The recipes are easy to follow and are worded so kids will understand. I have had this cookbook for 20 years and it is still in pretty good condition minus the food stains from using it so much. I was looking at it online and now they have easy to wipe off pages. I would never trade this cookbook in for a newer model. Out of all the cookbooks I had a child this one will always remain as my favorite.

My son will use this cookbook too. I am not sure if I will get him a new copy or pass on mine when he turns 5. That will have to be decided at a later date. I have so many treasured memories with Kid’s Cooking. Every time I look at this book, I remember them. So as the holidays are approaching please remember Kid’s Cooking by Klutz for your young chef. It is a great learning guide. It is only $14.99 so it is an economical present that hopefully provide many many years of memories like it has for me.

This not a review. This is just something fun I decided to write.

Macy's gift card giveaway!

I really like shopping at Macy’s, especially when they have great sales. I got a Panini Grill for $20 there and I love it. It is great for making Cuban sandwiches. I really am impressed with all of the charitable things that Macy’s does as well.

Right now they are taking part in Coming Together, Cooking for a Cause. The project is aimed to feed 10 million people that are plagued with hunger. Macy's is working with Feed America on this campaign. I think this is a wonderful cause. I think that everyone should help.

Here is how YOU can help:

1. Host a Dinner Party. Get a group of your friends and family together and enjoy a special meal. Instead of the normal hostess gift of wine why not suggest everyone to donate. Macy’s will match you dollar for dollar. You can find delicious recipes and party planning tools here.You can even send the invitations from the site. It is really simple and such a great cause.

2. You can give. Just go to your local Macy's and donate some money right at the cash register. You would be surprised to find out that one dollar will feed SEVEN people. A dollar really isn’t much. A dollar gets you a candy bar at the gas station. That one dollar would fill seven people’s stomachs with food.

3. Shop! On October 17th 2009, When Macy's hosts a national Shop For A Cause day you can go to your local Macy’s and spend $5 on a ticket for special savings that day. A portion of the ticket sales will go to Feed America. Not only is it a great cause but, you could really save some money and help those in need. It is a win win situation. It would be great if there was something big you had your eye on.

I am going to donate a few dollars the next time I go to Macy’s to help.

To help spread the word about Coming Together, Cooking For A Cause, I have a $25 Macy’s Gift card to giveaway to one lucky reader.

Mandatory Entry: Please tell me how you are going to help this cause.

You must do the mandatory entry for the bonus entries to count.

Subscribe to my blog via email and you must validate it. (I have had to disqualify winners for not verifying.)

Follow my blog

Add @sheilacakes7 and tweet about this giveaway on twitter (this can be done ONCE a day)

Please remember to put your email address in your comments or make it accessible to me on your blog.

This giveaway is sponsored by Macy’s and Macy’s is providing the gift card. I myself received nothing for this post.

This giveaway is open to US residents ONLY.

This giveaway will end on October 20th 2009 at 11:59 pm ET.
Good Luck everyone.

Happy Birthday Chris!

Happy Birthday Chris. Today is Chris’s 27th birthday. A day that is supposed to be a happy one full of joy and cake and presents is one full of tears and empty arms. His mother is probably crying and his kids are probably wondering why right now. Tears are falling for him 5 years later tears for a fallen Solider. See my friend Chris was killed in Iraq in 2004. He was fighting for my freedom and all of us. He just wanted to make his kids proud of him.

I will always remember Chris as a smart man who was very funny. I miss him a lot. I think about him often. He was special. He could make me laugh. He “saved” my life once. Well, I twisted my ankle and he came and got me. We didn’t always get along but he was a good man. We butted heads a lot but we had fun playing Perfect Dark and talking. I learned so much from Chris. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge.

We always did crazy things, Chris, Her and I one year we decided we were gonna go and buy each other a ton of presents and open one each night and then we would end up opening more so we would have to get more presents. They had a birthday party of me and I ended up knocking everything out of the fridge with the gallon of orange juice and I got kicked out of the kitchen. Long Story :)

I remember when She told me he was enlisting. I thought oh he’ll be ok he will be fine. I remember when she told me he was going to Iraq. I reassured her it will be ok he will come home. I remember that March afternoon when I checked my voicemail and it was her calling and saying Call me right away Something bad has happened. I remember when I called her back her sister wouldn’t tell me what was going on. I remember when she called me back and told me. She said Chris has passed away. I couldn’t believe it I couldn’t speak and opened the gates of the Hoover Dam of tears.

I remember the viewing, I remember the funeral. It was really hard for me to approach my best friend of 17 years. I remember all of it. It seems like a dream. I used to dream that Chris was on a secret mission and that he was faking like in the movies and he would just randomly show up. Of course that isn’t the truth. My heart hurts for his family and his kids. His youngest will never remember him and that is a sad sad thing. Chris was a great person , great father and an American Hero.

So, Happy Birthday Chris, some day we will be able to see each other again and We can talk about all those things we talked about back in the day. Until then, Happy New Year.
Love,Sherla

Please remember to Thank A Solider give them a hug after all they sacrifice things: their time and their lives for our freedom. Support the Troops until they all come home. Remember to hold them tightly and tell them how proud of them you are.

Aloha Friday!!

My friend Kailani has a wonderful Friday meme called Aloha Fridays.
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

Today's Question is Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If you have what was it and does it have a name?

I had a imaginary friend named Shamika. It was weird because she was based off of someone I went to Daycare with when I was really really little. I can't remember anything really about the Shamika Person. I don't remember what she looked like. How sad is it that I remember the imaginary Shamika better than the real one?
Shamika and I liked to go to my grandparents house. My grandma liked her. She thought Shamika was nice. Yes I know my granny was just going along with my silliness but it was fun. I was a weird kid but my family thought I was cute.
How about you?

Sweet Dreams Spray Review

Kids are funny little people. They have this faith in things. When they fall down, all they need is a kiss on the spot that hurts and the pain magically disappears. So, when I had the opportunity to try out one of the products from Fairytale Wishes I was extremely curious about it. I think the idea is really cute. A long the lines of the whole kiss a boo boo and its all better thinking. The people at Fairytale Wishes came up with magic “potion” sprays that do different things. Fairytale Wishes created a line of aromatherapy based sprays to help children cope with common childhood anxieties. There are 4 different varieties.

Monster Repellent Bubble Gum Spray is a bubble gum scented because Monsters are terrified of bubble gum. It gets stuck in their fur and if you ever had bubble gum in your hair you can totally understand why monsters are afraid of bubble gum.

Super Hero Spray that will give your child courage. Just a spray on their shirt and they will have courage all day. It would be great for the first day of school or going to the doctor or any other moments where you need to be brave. Like in the Wizard of Oz when the Lion needed courage even though he had it the whole time and didn’t realize it.

Happy Camper Spray is a spray that is great for when you are away from home. It is grape jelly scented so when you are home sick you can spray a little on your pillow and you have a little dose of home. The smell of grape jelly makes me think of when I was little and all the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches my mom used to make me.

Sweet Dreams Spray is to chase the bad dreams away. It is a lavender scented spray that will give you sweet and pleasant dreams. I really wish I had some Sweet Dreams spray when I was little. I used to have a reoccurring nightmare about an alien named Kevin. When Kevin was mad he turned in to a queen. I had that nightmare over and over. I would get scared and go in my parent’s room and my mom would say did you dream about Kevin again? My family still teases me about Kevin. True Story.

We received the Sweet Dreams Spray to try out. I really like the scent of the spray. It is not over powering and it smells good. You can tell there is magic dust in it because you can see the glitter. The packaging is adorable and each one has a different story behind it. The sprays even come with a personalized letter to your child. It is a really cute and fun product. We haven’t had any bad dreams since we have been using it. Noah has been sleeping soundly too.

All of the sprays are definitely something all parents should have in there bag of tools. Just like when we kiss a boo boo these sprays will help with the common childhood anxieties that children face.

You can order All of the Fairytale Wishes Sprays on online at their website. They are $10.00 each for a 4 ounce bottle. Don't forget you can submit your child's name for a personalized letter too!

Thank you so much to Fairytale Wishes for sending me the Sweet Dreams Spray to try out.

Arnold Sandwich Thins Review

My son loves bread. He loves any kind of bread from bagels to sliced bread. He loves bread so much that he will take loaves off the counter and sit down on the couch and eat it. I had the opportunity to sample some New Arnold Sandwich Thins. It is artisan bread. It is like a bun but it is thin. That way you don’t have to fill up on bread and you can use less filling in your sandwich. It is about the size of a top of a bun. It is flat and as big as a bun in size. It is great for those who are trying to eat less bread and carbs because the flavor is there but the excess bread is not. Arnold Sandwich Thins are made with whole grains which is important for preventing obesity and diabetes along with other health issues. They are only 100 calories.

Arnold Sandwich Thins contain No High Fructose Corn Syrup. They are cholesterol free. They are full of fiber and are low fat. So you are really putting something healthy and great tasting in your body. You can have all the flavor of Artisan bread with out the calories. They come in 4 varieties; Multi-grain, Seedless Rye, Whole Wheat White and 100% Whole Wheat.

If you like tuna in your lunch it is wonderful. You know how when you make a tuna sandwich in the morning or the night before and by lunch time its mush and the bread is all soggy? Not the case with Arnold’s Sandwich Thins. The bread stays intact. Do your kids hate crusts? Since Arnold’s Sandwich Thins are round there are no crusts to cut off! Arnold’s Sandwich Thins are delicious and very nutritious. My son loves them. His favorite way to eat it is with some melted cheese on a half then cut in little pieces. He also likes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I like to make ham sandwiches with Arnold Sandwich thins too. As I said my son loves bread but I don’t really want him to fill up on bread. So, I really like giving him Arnold Sandwich Thins. I know when I give him Arnold Sandwich Thins I will be giving him something that is good for his growing body and that he will enjoy eating.

Arnold Sandwich Thins are available in stores across the US. To locate a store near you go HERE and click store locator at the top and it will tell you if Arnold Sandwich Thins have been delivered in the last 3 days to a local store. For more information and sandwich recipes and ideas please visit Arnold Sandwich Thins website.

Thank You to Arnold for the opportunity to sample some of your delicious Sandwich Thins.

The F word!

I hate the F word. It makes my skin crawl every time I hear it or read it. I hate it so much. I don’t want to be associated with that word in any way shape or form. Not that the ones who are, are bad people by any means. It’s just not what I want to be. When I think of the F word it is almost like an insult to me. Maybe I am just weird, but my skin is crawling just typing this.

What is the F word? It’s probably not what you are thinking of. In fact I know it isn’t. I don’t like that F word either but the one I am referring to is FRUGAL. Before I sound like a complete snob let me explain. I have no problem with coupons. I love coupons. I used to get so excited when they did triple coupons and dollar doubles. I love a great sale as much as anyone else. I love to shop clearance and see what I can find for really cheap. I am not excessively wasteful either. It is just one of those words that get under my skin and gives me the creeps. Kind of like the way people don’t like the word moist. That seems to be a creepy word too.

I am not sure where the word frugal came from. I am sure its Latin or Greek for something. When I think of that word I think about a recent episode of Wife Swap and how the family shared bath water. I think of people reusing everything. I see them picking up used toilets at the end of people’s driveways. I think of people with bomb shelters full of food. You know the ones that are ready for some really long natural disaster.

I know some people have to be like that to survive. I am not trying to insult anyone I promise. I just hate that word. They should change it to something new. The word frugal gives me the heebie jeebies. I am sure you all have words that just drive you crazy. It is odd how certain words are just like nails on the chalkboard but are perfectly fine for others. What are some of your creep out words?

No profanity please. I am aware most people don’t like foul language so you don’t need to point that out to me.

When I hear that song....I think of you

So I am sitting here listening to 90’s music, trying to reclaim my champion title on MahJong and I can’t focus. I am thinking about the songs that are playing and I am singing along. I keep thinking about the memories each song has given me. I know it’s probably dorky that I like 90’s music. Honestly, I have so many memories that has to do with music. I am sure everyone does. When I hear those certain songs I start thinking about the people I was with or what was going on. It made me really want to blog.

The first song that came on was Blues Traveler. Now when I hear certain Blues Traveler songs I think of my old friend Michelle. I think about how we used to do karaoke late night after daiquiris. It was dorky but it was fun. Her and I have so many songs since we were best friends for a very long time. Which would totally make sense. Another song I heard was Runaway Train by Soul Asylum. I thought of someone I hadn’t talked to in quite a while. His name was Reggie. We were online friends. We used to talk on the phone some. He lived in Utah. That was a song that we both listened to. After some years, we lost contact. It had been years since we talked. I decided to finally look him up on myspace. I found him and I saw that he is married now and has adorable kids. I sent him a message just to say hi, but I never heard back. He probably forgot who I was. I don’t blame him. LOL.

It’s crazy to think how just one song can bring back memories. You can go years without thinking about someone or something and you happen to hear a song and bam, like lightening. There it is again. Other songs can bring on a flood of emotions too. They don’t have to be sad either. If I told you songs that I have cried while listening to you would seriously think I was nuts. Music has such an underlying influence if we realize it or not. It’s just kind of something that we hear and either file in our brains for a rainy day or it gets stuck in your head for days. Yes Toilet Paper, Light bulbs, socks for Rosie, crayons is still stuck in my head incase you were wondering. Music is something that can help you remember or forget and even make you feel better.

I remember when I was in elementary school I really liked this boy and he didn’t like me back so I would listen to After the Rain by Nelson to feel better. It always worked. I’m not sure why, probably because it was encouraging to a little broken hearted me. I saw that guy a year ago. I wasn’t impressed. I wondered why I liked him. He was and is a jerk! Lol. I totally acted like I had no clue who he was. I’m bad. A bad experience can totally ruin a song too. I will never be able to listen to some songs again because if the bad memories they hold.

Whenever I hear a song I sang in choir it makes me think of being in school and the good times we had in that class. If it was a Christmas song, it makes me thing of the hoopla known as Holiday Spectacular. Holiday Spectacular was our holiday program in high school. It was unlike any other concert. It was unique. It was very nerve wracking but it was so much fun. It was a huge bonding experience. It was full of laughter and tears and the occasional blood shed. It was definitely the experience that I will never forget and I am happy to have the chance to be a part of it. Even if you had to work really hard and stand at the top of the bleachers and pray you don’t fall off the back from fainting. I have lots of funny and strange stories about that whole thing for another day.

I really like all kinds of music. I am not huge on rap and R&B but there are a handful of songs I like because of the memories. I recently had a conversation with a guy on facebook who shall remain anonymous about music. He is a singer. His voice is ah-mazing. He’s really hot too. Tee-hee. I hope he doesn’t come read my blog cause I would be embarrassed. He told me about how passionate he is about his music and I thought it was a really cool thing to talk about because I could totally get what he was saying and in his words he was expressing his passion. I really hope he achieves his dream. He is really talented.

I think it is crazy how much I can relate to certain songs. Some times I think that a singer is singing about me or about my life. The song Photograph by Nickelback is one of those songs. I have altered the name in the song to Chris though. Chris was my old best friend’s husband who was killed in Iraq and some how on New Years eve one year we convinced him to put a tiara that said Happy New Year on his head and took pictures of him. I suspect alcohol was the culprit in that one. At Chris’s viewing I was watching the dvd she made and that picture was in there and I started laughing so hard. I felt really stupid. After all it was a sad event. It was my favorite memory with him. I told her she should of warned me. Thankfully I didn’t laugh at the funeral when they showed the video again. The other lyrics of Photograph were pretty much verbatim of high school for me.

I know that most people can relate to different songs. That is what gives them the magic and I am sure that is what the singer or the band is really going for besides the sound. It’s all about the connection and the feelings between the musicians and the listener.

I would love to hear about some songs that give you reminders of things and why they do. I look forward to reading more about you.

It's Football time with Frito-Lay Giveaway!

Lots of things start in the fall. School starts back, the weather gets crisper and of course Football season starts. I enjoy watching football. It is really exciting to see who is going to win. I am naturally a Colts fan. So when they play it is always an exciting game. Some people tailgate incase you don’t know what tailgating is. It is where you hang out with other fans in the parking lot before the game. I remember tailgating in high school before my schools team played. It was a lot of fun. Of course not everyone can make it out to the game so, we watch from home or get together with friends and family to watch. What fun is a football game without food? I love to eat. Eating during a football game is like eating popcorn while you are watching a movie.


I received an awesome better for you tailgating kit from Frito-Lay. It had Lays potato chips, Fritos, and Tostitos chips. I also received a really nice ceramic football that has two bowls for chips and dip. The last thing was a $25 dollar American Express Gift card to purchase the ingredients with. I really like the football dish. It has goal post stands. It really looks like a football. My son saw it and started saying football and he wanted to play with it.

There are much healthier options than the normal pizza and hot wings to eat during the game. Frito-Lay is really concerned with the health of their customers. Remember with some moderation and substituting items for low fat or fat free can make a big difference by cutting hundreds of calories. A little creativity and thought and you can come up with healthier options for your party guests without sacrificing flavor and quality. So Frito-Lay is promoting a healthier tailgate party.

One Frito-Lay Product I love is the canned Jalapeño cheddar cheese. It is great on chips or as a special ingredient in a recipe. I have two recipes that I use it in. If I don’t have the Jalapeño cheddar cheese I don’t make the recipe. One of my favorite recipes is for taco bake. It can be served as a meal during the games. It would be a great half time meal. I would love to share my taco bake recipe with you.

Sheilacakes Spicy Taco Bake

1 pound ground beef (or turkey would work too)
1 package taco seasoning
1 can Fritos Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese
4 to 5 tortillas (I use the medium size)
A handful of cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees

Brown the meat and drain. Return to skillet and add taco seasoning and water per the packages directions. Heat through. Add three big spoonfuls of the Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese to the meat and stir.

Using a glass pie pan put one tortilla on the bottom and add one spoon of Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese and coat the tortilla. Add some of the meat and repeat until you only have enough meat to do it one more time. Don’t forget to coat each tortilla each time. When you get to the last layer put more Jalapeño Cheddar on the top. Sprinkle a little shredded cheese on the top and bake for 15 minutes.

Not only is it good but it is easy and inexpensive! If you wanted you could double the quantities and make it in a bigger pan.

Another Football favorite at my house is Fritos with ground beef and Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese. Of course if you don’t like your cheese spicy they also sell a Mild Cheddar which is also really good. It is delish on Cool Ranch Doritos. I thought I would share how I first learned about the Fritos canned cheese. My cousin Susie had me try it. I remember when I went and visited her when she was in college and we decided to have a picnic at the park. We also went canoeing and we got stuck. We had pitas and chips and the cheese. I am hooked. It’s something that not a lot of people know about but man it is good!

Thank you to Frito-Lay for the wonderful tailgating kit

I want to help you have a great football season. So I have a Frito-Lay Better for You tailgate pack for one of my readers. You will get the same things as I did. The three bags of assorted chips, the football dish and the $25 gift card.

GO COLTS!!! GO COLTS!!! GO COLTS!!!

This giveaway is going to be a little different. I would like for you to give me a recipe.
Here are the rules:
1. Your recipe must use at least one Frito-Lay Product

2. Please Be Creative and Original.

3. Please make your recipe with better for you items as this is to promote healthier options.

4. Please remember to put your email address in your comment or make it accessible on your blog.

I will be picking the winner of the tailgating pack from the recipes that are submitted based on taste and better for you ingredients.

Some better for you ingredients include Low fat, fat free items, vegetables, and other items that give you positive nutrition.

This Giveaway will end on October 11th at 11:59 pm ET.
Open to US residents ONLY.

Check it out...Free Beauty Tips!!

If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of my blog you will see my beauty widget. I have the opportunity to participate in the Beauty tip a day program. It is full of great tips that change daily. Be sure to come back and check out the new tip daily. It is sponsored by Unilever which make Pond’s, Q-tips, Vaseline and Dove.

It is really cool. I look forward to reading the tip each day. If you miss one you can go back and look at the previous days tip to see what you missed. I also received a little beauty care package to help me try out the tips. I received Pond’s products, Q-tips, Dove and Vaseline. So check it out! What a great way to help share wonderful daily beauty tips!

Holey Moley plaid moon

I love to wear Pajama pants. They are the most comfortable thing ever. Although every pair of flannel pajama pants ends up ripping. Not a little rip but a huge rip. Last night, I was wearing my only pair of flannel pants I have left that don’t have a huge hole in them. I went in to my son’s room to retrieve a basketball and football. I bent over to pick them up and I heard a loud ripping noise. I walk out of his room and there is a giant hole in my flannel pants. It was almost cartoonish it was so big. Why oh Why does flannel rip? I wish my pajama pants wouldn’t get giant holes in them. It doesn’t matter what brand it is or how much it costs… It all rips…

I love Victoria’s Secret. I love their little flannel pajamas sets but, besides being expensive unless you get during a great sale the flannel still rips. Cheaper flannels rip too. I think the more expensive ones rip faster. Maybe I just wear them more. It really sucks. I keep having to buy new flannel Pajamas. I wish they came like some of my son’s pajamas. Where you get two bottoms and one top. The tops never rip. Never have I had a top rip it is always the bottoms. I don’t understand why the tops manage to stay intact and I end up mooning people when my flannel pants rip down the back.

I wonder if guys flannel pants rip too. Maybe its just women’s flannel pants. I would like some input. If the men’s flannel pants don’t rip, I am going to start wearing them. I am all about being comfortable and flannel is so soft and nice. I am just sick of them ripping. So please make flannel pants that don’t rip.

Toilet paper, light bulbs, Socks for Rosie, Crayons

Toilet Paper, Light Bulbs, Socks for Rosie, Crayons has been stuck in my head all day. We went to the store today and Noah saw light bulbs and said Light bulbs and then he started singing Toilet Paper, Light Bulbs, Socks for Rosie, Crayons. I was walking around the store singing it. I don’t know what is worse the time I was singing Mr. Rogers Neighborhood in Wal-mart which I complete blame my friend Brittany for.

The song I have stuck in my head is from Caillou. Those of you that are familiar with Caillou probably figured it out by Rosie. It’s the episode where Caillou and his mom go shopping and she tells him to make up a song to remember what they have to buy. It’s a very cute show. My family loves Caillou regardless of what other moms say about him.

At the store I sampled a chocolate covered pretzel crisp. I am not sure who makes them but they are delish. Noah even tried to take and eat mine after his was gone. I gave him half of mine. Noah ate two little strawberry muffins too. I love free samples. They were having a special one day sale so it seemed like they had more samples than normal. Noah was a crumbly mess twice each time he ate a muffin. He loved them though. I probably should of bought some. Maybe next time we go there.

I don’t really like that store. We don’t go there very often because it is weird. Everything is little cubbyholes with smaller aisles in the middle. It seemed like we were in there for hours. It is great if you are running in for a few things but not for normal grocery shopping. It is way too confusing. You don’t know where you are going or where you have been. Oh and if you are with another person besides your child who is with you in the cart don’t walk away from them cause it will take you a long time to find them again. It’s not like you can walk down one “hall” and look down all the aisles. Of course when that happened I tried to call and my cell phone died.

In other news, I finally went and got a new cable box. My bedroom cable box messed up the day I went to my friend Rene’s for a visit on July 28th. Now I can watch all the local channels again. I went two months without watching like 5 channels. I didn’t get CBS, FOX and NBC and a couple local local channels. Now I can watch SVU on Wednesdays and Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy again. I have a cable box downstairs too that has never had problems. I am now on my fourth bedroom cable box. I don’t know. I must get defective ones. I have had many issues with Comcast. Everything from defective cable boxes from going down stairs during nap time and glancing at my tv which was on Noggin (which is a preschool channel) and there was a naked woman on it. I totally called and complained I was really upset. Somehow Comcast messed up or something. I never did find out what was going on.

Noah loves Comcast. About a year ago we were driving down the road, out of the blue Noah said I see Comcast. I look out the window and sure enough there was the Comcast office. He always talks about Comcast. I think it has to do with commercials and the on demand. Today he said go on demand when I got out of the car and he waiting with my mom while I ran in. I was carrying the cable box. He is so silly.

Today has been a good and relaxing day.