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Turn it Up Tuesday 118

cindy — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 01:00:21 +0000

Merry Christmas! I hope you are all ready for your Christmas celebrations. I’m almost done shopping, just a few last minute things to pick up now that hubby got paid. Wednesday is baking and wrapping day. Thursday I’m singing at our church’s 3:30pm Sensory Friendly Christmas Ever Service and then again at our 5:30pm Candlelight Christmas Eve Service. Then we all had to my in-laws for our Christmas celebration. We will eat dinner, open gifts and play games. I’ll crawl into bed and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” before drifting off to sleep and dreaming of sugar plums.

Christmas Day we head to my mom’s house. This will be our first Christmas without my daddy so things will be different. All 10 of us will be together and since it will be the last Christmas, our 35th in mom’s house, it will be bittersweet. Our temps are supposed to be in the mid 80s so there is a good chance some of us will end up in the pool before the holiday is over. I hope your Christmas is filled with love and family!

With Christmas only a few days away, we’d like to wish you all an amazingly happy holidays!
Hope you have a great time with loved ones!

Be sure to share your Holiday-themed posts with us! We can’t wait to check them out!

Welcome to the 118th week of Turn It Up Tuesday! Thank you for stopping by and linking up with us this week, and every week, as we have some fun linking up and getting to know each other! We had quite an amazing week last week, and it’s because of all of you! We are so happy to have you all join us for another amazing week!

Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up all of your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time! Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for December is Laina Turner, as she promotes her new book —
PLAN FOR SUCCESS: A Business Planning Toolkit for Bloggers and Authors.

Do you want to turn your blogging or writing hobby into a business? Do you wish you had a step-by-step guide to making your blog profitable? It starts with a business plan to outline the goals of your blog and the actions to achieve those goals.

Planning for Success: A Business Planning Toolkit for Bloggers and Authors will walk you through each step needed to build a business plan that works. The eBook and companion workbook will give you exercises on each of the important elements in a business plan so when you finish you will have a completed plan for success.

We’re looking for sponsors for 2016! Be sure to sign up, and sponsor us for a month!
Click here to sign up for a month, or two!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for December!

(from the top – left to right)

Maria from Pastels & Macarons | Chris from Sweet Mornings

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Ginger chose Pesto Provolone Stackers from A Sprinkle of This and That. “I love anything that includes pest! These look simple and delicious.”

Ginger chose Six easy-to-make Scrubs from Alba Rose Artisan Soap & More. “This is a great resource for anyone looking to make some scrubs either for a gift or for themselves. I will definitely be using some of these recipes.”

Chris chose Raspberry Peppermint Fizz from Hairspray & Highheels. “Champagne and peppermint, yum!!! Perfect seasonal drink!!”

Chris chose DIY Candy Cane Peppermint Candle from Living La Vida Holoka. “Simple DIY candle that is easy to make for the craft challenged, seasonal and pretty.”

Bev chose Why I Buy My Kids Teachers AND Bus Drivers Gifts from Giveaways 4 Mom. “I think that it is great that you buy gifts for teachers and the bus drivers. They take care of our children and grand children all day and nurture their minds. You have to respect them for that.”

Bev chose Re purposed Christmas Decorations! from Lou Lou Girls. “What great ways to re-purpose Christmas items and make beautiful new decorations. You have to check out the wreath.”

Mari chose Eggnog Fudge from Annie’s Noms. “I love Annie’s treat because I love Eggnog!!!! I totally want to try this as soon as I visit my dentist lol.”

Mari chose Sweet Cranberry Cupcakes from Lou Lou Girls. “All things cupcakes are nice portion size treats so this goodie from my girls was nice come across.”

Stacey chose Ode to the Sears Catalog : Losses of the Digital Age from Our Peaceful Planet. “Oh the hours spent pouring through the pages of the Sears catalog! It didn’t even have to be Christmas time and I would continue to leaf through the pages full of dreams! Thank you so much for the kick of nostalgia!”

Stacey chose The Best Homemade Food Gifts for the Holidays from Healthy Helper. “I love giving homemade baked treats for holiday presents. I love some of these amazing ideas. Thank you so much for sharing!”

Tina chose DIY Rustic Wood Christmas Wreath from Pastels & Macarons. “I absolutely love this project. Looks so elegant and pretty, rustic simplicity at its best. Thanks for sharing your creativity with us.”

Tina chose DIY Christmas Card Display from Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body. “What a simple but beautiful way to display your Christmas cards. Love it. Thanks for sharing your creativity with us.”

Natasha chose 5 Things That Stopped Annoying Me When I Became a Parent from Fun Money Mom. “I agree, we are so different until we become parents. But motherhood makes you into a completely different. Great share!”

Natasha chose Practical Tips for Busy Moms Around the Holidays from Gym, Craft, Laundry. “These are definitely some great tips! As I continuously stay busy, it is always great to have tips to manage the holidays. Thanks for sharing, Herchel!”

The post with the most views is 6 Handmade Gifts to Start Making Today and $1500 Paypal Cash Giveaway from Pastels & Macarons.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

And the Best of the Best goes to…

Sweet Cranberry Cupcakes from Lou Lou Girls

Raspberry Peppermint Fizz from Hairspray & Highheels

Show some love to our Best of the Best blogger this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.

– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!

– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!

– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week! **Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**

An InLinkz Link-up

Interested in reading all of our favorite posts on Turn It Up Tuesdays – past or present? Or do want to know if your post was featured before we go live next week? Follow Natasha Peter’s board Featured on Turn It Up Tuesdays! on Pinterest.

The post Turn it Up Tuesday 118 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Turn it Up Tuesday 117

cindy — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 01:00:33 +0000

Can you believe Christmas is less than 2 weeks away? Is your shopping done? Mine is about 1/3 done. Are your decorations up? Hubby put the lights up on the house yesterday and we have decided not to decorate inside the house at this late date. I still need to decide what treats I am baking this year but I do know I am cutting waaay back. This year I’m not making treat plates for all of my friends, I just don’t have the time or the funds. My Christmas cards arrived on Saturday so I need to get those addressed and in the mail too.

Phew! There is so much to do this time of year. I hope that the real reason of the season doesn’t get lost in the busyness. I’ve be reading some wonderful Advent devotionals on YouVersion.com. So far my favorite has been Louie Giglio’s, “Waiting Here for You, An Advent Journey of Hope.” It is a 7 day devotional so you have plenty of time before Christmas to complete it! I promise it will really help you focus on keeping Christ in CHRISTmas.

Welcome to the 117th week of Turn It Up Tuesday! Thank you for stopping by and linking up with us this week, and every week, as we have some fun linking up and getting to know each other! We had quite an amazing week last week, and it’s because of all of you! We are so happy to have you all join us for another amazing week!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for December is Laina Turner, as she promotes her new book —
PLAN FOR SUCCESS: A Business Planning Toolkit for Bloggers and Authors.

We’re looking for sponsors for 2016! Be sure to sign up, and sponsor us for a month!
Click here to sign up for a month, or two!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for December!

(from the top – left to right)

Maria from Pastels & Macarons | Chris from Sweet Mornings

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Elaine chose Salted Caramel Pecan Log Recipe from Growing Up Gabel. “This is my favorite special candy treat. It reminds me of family trips and stopping at Stuckey’s.”

Stacey also chose this post. “I have always loved pecan logs and these look amazing and so easy! I hope to make them this holiday season. Thanks so much for sharing!”

Elaine chose No Bake Eggnog Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust from The Gold Lining Girl. “I love all things eggnog and combining it with cheesecake and gingersnaps is a win-win-win.”

Chris chose Melted Wax Heart Ornaments from Raising Fairies and Knights. “I love heart ornaments and am always looking for different and unique ones. Being able to personalize it with color combinations is wonderful.”

Chris chose DIY Cork Christmas Tree! from Arrows & Awe. “Simple repurposing craft that is adorable and easy! I have LOTS of wine corks and scrapbook paper so its something I could do without having to invest a lot of money and its cute.”

Mari chose Moms: Do You Encourage Your Son To Put His Wife First? from Practicing Motherhood. “I loved this share it rang so true, unfortunately I had a terrible mom in law with my daughter’s grandmother. Everything was a competition and it caused my X to feel trapped in the middle. A recipe for failure indeed.”

Mari chose Cranberry Bliss Fudge from Delightful E Made. “I loved Erin’s combo and hopefully once the trauma of my cold a food poisoning are history I can try it at home lol”

Stacey chose Penguin Cookies – The Perfect Holiday Recipe! from Delightful E Made. “These are absolutely adorable! I may have to make them this holiday season, because my lil man loves penguins…and peanut butter…and chocolate! Thank you so much for sharing!”

Maria chose Mocha Mint Coffee Cocktail from Krystal’s Kitsch. “This sounds delicious and like the perfect Christmas Cocktail! Thank you for sharing with us!”

Maria chose Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies from Always Made with Love. “Oh these cookies are adorable. The perfect treat for kids and the whole family. Thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe!”

Tiffany chose Ornament Exchange Party from Julie is Coco and Cocoa. “I absolutely love this idea! I have hosted a cookie exchange and of course the standard Secret Santa themed parties but this definitely sounds like a great new way to gather friends for the Holidays.”

Tina chose Snowman Gift Jars from The Scrap Shoppe Blog. “A fun, easy to make craft, adorable!Great as decorations or as gift jars.Thanks for sharing.”

Tina chose DIY Christmas Sock Snowman from Busy Being Jennifer. “Wonderful Christmas project. So cute and simple.Love it, thanks for sharing.”

Bev chose Dipped Chocolate Chip Pizzelle Cookies from Summer Scraps. “Love this great new take on pizzelle cookies. Adding the chocolate chips and then dipping them in chocolate and nuts, just doesn’t get any better.”

Bev chose Retro Christmas Craft : Soda Can Angels from Our Peaceful Planet. “What a clever use of soda cans. Who would have thought they could become angels.”

Natasha chose To Blog or Not To Blog? ~ Confessions of a Blogaholic from The Nitty Gritty Mom. “Sometimes you have to take a step back from blogging when you realize that you’re not focusing on your initial goals. Lindsey helped me to remember that I need to find my true love for blogging again. Thanks for the great share!”

Natasha chose Pre-Christmas Purge (For Kids!) + A Giveaway from Grounded and Surrounded. “My son and I usually do a purge of his toys and clothes at least twice a year. It is especially important to do so now before the holidays. There is so much junk that accumulates in a couple of months! Thanks so much for this great share – it reminded me why it should be done!”

The post with the most views is Peppermint Bark Popcorn from The Mom Maven.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

And the Best of the Best goes to…

Retro Christmas Craft : Soda Can Angels from Our Peaceful Planet

No Bake Eggnog Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust from The Gold Lining Girl

Show some love to our Best of the Best blogger this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.

– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!

– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!

– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

The post Turn it Up Tuesday 117 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Turn it Up Tuesday Linky 115

cindy — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 01:00:04 +0000

It is officially the Christmas season! My favorite radio station is playing Christmas music 24/7 I’ve loaded all of my personal Christmas music onto my iPhone so I can listen to it where ever I go. It looks like the inside of my house may not be getting decorated again this year The boys will get the outside done next week since they are busy building a float for the Christmas parade the beginning of this week and we go on our annual Christmas Disney vacation at the end of this week. However you are celebrating, I pray that the joy of the season dwells in your heart!

Welcome to the 115th week of Turn It Up Tuesday! We thank you for joining us last week for our Thanksgiving edition, and every week, as we have some fun linking up and getting to know each other! We had quite an amazing week last week, and it’s because of all of you! We are so happy to have you all join us for another amazing week!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for November is Two Chicks and a Mom.

Two Chicks and a Mom is a fun blog by a mom and her two “chicks”– a newlywed college student and a high school student. Crafts, travel, recipes, and family life are what she write about–with a dash of humor, too. Be sure to check out her fun blog all month!

Are you looking to get your blog or website in front of numerous people per week? Do you enjoy Turn It Up Tuesdays? Interested in having your blog or website featured for an entire month? Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month by clicking here!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for November!

(from the top – left to right)

Donna from Two Chicks and a Mom | Angie from God’s Growing Garden | Lyn from Mid Michigan Mom | Glenda from Mommies Point of View | Jenessa from Mothering {In Real Life} | Maria from Pastels & Macarons | Hilary from Raising Fairies and Knights

(not pictured)

Ritu from Rocket Looks

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Elaine chose Pesto and Goat Cheese Pizza from I Say Nomato. “Since I am still in a turkey coma this sound so good.”

Elaine chose Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge from Sweet C’s Designs. ” 5 words Chocolate chip cookie dough fudge. What’s not to love?”

Lyn chose Apple Caramel Cheesecake Recipe – Mason Jar Desserts from All She Cooks. “Apple + Caramel + Cheesecake =I can’t resist!”

Mari also chose this post. “I love Jessica’s combo!!! I want to try that for Christmas.”

Angie chose Rustic Wood Candle Holders from Marty’s Musings. “I love anything rustic & in my opinion these would be perfect as a center piece at any Christmas gathering!”

Angie chose Sugared Cranberries from Morsels of Life. “I have heard about this but have never tried them before – I plan on making them soon! Delicious & festive looking!”

Mari chose Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe for Christmas from Marty’s Musings. “This looks so moist and yummy I love cinnamon rolls!”

Hilary chose Cinnamon Star Ornaments from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs. “I love the simplicity of this ornament. Great to provide a nice cinnamon smell on your tree, and a fun way to incorporate a pentacle on your Yule tree!”

Stacey also chose this post. “These are great! What a wonderful smell they would leave off, too. Thank you so much for sharing!”

Hilary chose My Christmas Five Senses Book: Free Printable from Life Over C’s. “This is such a cute fun craft to make for baby. Every Yule my family exchanges home-made gifts and this would be perfect to make for my son.”

Dawn chose Caramel-Chocolate Chip Cookies: A delicious treat for the holidays! from Reviews, Chews, and How-Tos. “Wow, awesome recipe. I would love to make these cookies and give them away as presents, although i think i would problem eat them all before giving them. Thanks for sharing!”

Dawn chose Peppermint Sugar Scrub Hand Wash Recipe from H20 Bungalow. “I love home made scrubs and creams, and there is nothing more refreshing than a peppermint scrub. Thanks for sharing!”

Maria chose Christmas Crafting Cocoa Party from Lemon Thistle. “I LOVE this beautiful Christmas Party! What a fabulous idea for a Christmas party AND I love that Colleen has included a free party plaining printable and give lots of handy tips to planning a stress free party. Thank you so much for sharing this!”

Maria chose Winter Wonderland Vignette from AttaGirlSays. “I’m so in the Christmas spirit so anything and everything Christmas is it for me but this gorgeous vignette tops it for me. How STUNNING! I love the colours and the beautiful details! Thank you for sharing such gorgeousness with us. I feel so inspired.”

Bev chose Eggnog Bundt Cake with Eggnog Sugar Glaze from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs. “Love the idea of making an eggnog cake. So great to serve for the holidays.”

Bev chose 24 Gift Wrapping Ideas from C.R.A.F.T. “This is a great idea for wrapping paper to do with the kids. Cheap and adorable. They can customize each package.”

Stacey chose 35+ holiday cookie swap recipe ideas from Dreaming of Leaving. “Baking cookies at Christmas time is one of my favorite things, Maybe I will be able to add a few of these to the treats menu, this year. Thanks for sharing!”

Natasha chose 10 Easy Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies from Fun Money Mom. “With a picky preschooler in my household who refuses to eat any veggies, this is a great list that I will refer to when needed! Thanks for sharing!”

Natasha chose Life Anchored 2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Toddlers from Life Anchored. “Thanks for this great share! These gifts ar right on target with what I would give to my child when he was that age.”
The post with the most views is 3 Shortcuts for Writing Your Blog Post in Less Time from Giftie Etcetera.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

And the Best of the Best goes to…

Eggnog Bundt Cake with Eggnog Sugar Glaze from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

Cinnamon Star Ornaments from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

Show some love to our Best of the Best blogger this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.

– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!

– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!

– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

The post Turn it Up Tuesday Linky 115 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Turn it Up Tuesday 113

cindy — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 01:00:18 +0000

“The Good Dinosaur” asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? Pixar Animation Studios takes you on an epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo (voice of Raymond Ochoa) makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of. Directed by Peter Sohn and produced by Denise Ream (“Cars 2”), Disney•Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur” opens in theaters on Nov. 25, 2015. Download a FREE “The Good Dinosaur” Activity Kit by clicking the link.

Welcome to the 113th week of Turn It Up Tuesday! We thank you for joining us this week, and every week, as we have some fun linking up and getting to know each other! We had quite an amazing week last week, and it’s because of all of you! We are so happy to have you all join us for another amazing week!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for November is Two Chicks and a Mom.

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for November!

(from the top – left to right)

(not pictured)

Ritu from Rocket Looks

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Angie chose Little Village Houses Big Holiday Messes from Fynes Designs. “I absolutely love this little cardboard village- Place those cardboard buildings under the Christmas tree & I could stare at that little town for hours!”

Angie chose Decorazioni natalizie from Hobby e Creativita’. “These beautiful yet simple ornaments remind me of my childhood – my Oma & Opa (Grandma & Grandpa in German) used to have ornaments similar on their tree.”

Tina chose Ikea Frosta Stool Makeover from Pastels & Macarons. “I love this makeover, What a transformation!!Makes me want to experiment with this technique.Beautiful stool. Thanks for sharing.”

Tina chose A Simple Butter Cake from Always Made with Love. “A Simple yummy classic butter cake recipe. I love the decoration, I wish I could do it! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us.”

Hilary chose Maternal Mortality: A Fatal Error…one too many from The Ramblings of a Momaholic. “I nominated this post because it hits close to home for me. Complications with child birth are terrifying, any pregnant mother experiences the fears of them at some point. For us in North America we at least know that we will be receiving the best medical care we can. But for those in other places, this is not the case. I lived in Malawi for a month and reading this brought back a lot of memories on things I learned while there.”

Hilary chose Hummus Roasted Potatoes Recipe from Lemons for Lulu. “My family is vegetarian so we eat a lot of potatoes, chick peas and hummus, I was thrilled to find this recipe that combines them. Seriously I am making this tonight!”

Dawn chose How to Handle the Terrible Twos from Medium Sized Family. “I loved this article, i shared it with my daughter, as her son is turning two in December. I am a big believer in re-directing their attention, its such an easy way to deal with the child – works much better than just saying no, or shouting at them. Thank you for sharing.”

Dawn chose Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars from Sweet Mornings. “Chris I have one word to say to you “YUMMY”… I defy anyone to say they would not love to have a try of these. Thank you for sharing.”

Mari chose Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Shells from Sweet Mornings. “This came just in time my daughter loves stuffed shells and I am always looking for new things to stuff in them so this treat will be in our menu very soon, thanks Chris”

Mari chose Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookie Dough Ice Cream from Frugal Foodie Mama. “I loved Carrie’s ice cream combo another treat I will be trying soon.”

Donna chose 3 Things You Should Be Tracking in a Day Planner from Giftie Etcetera. “This is a helpful post for those of us who would like to be more organized!”

Donna chose Thanksgiving Turkey Apron from A Mother’s Shadow. “This is such a cute, easy project and a great keepsake!”

Bev chose Holiday Gnomes from MadeInADay. “Love these little gnomes. Great tutorial on how to make them. We could have a gnome village.”

Bev chose Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies from Annie’s Noms. “These salted apple hand pies make me drool. They look so good and not hard to make. What a great dessert.”

Stacey chose Halloween Stash Devil’s Food Cookies from Frugal Foodie Mama. “Oh these look wonderful! I would probably have to fight the kids for a few! Thank you so much for sharing!”

Stacey chose 25 Delicious Homemade Bread Recipes from Crystal & Co. “I keep telling myself that I am going to get over my fear of baking bread, and just do it one of these days. I will have to try one of these. Thanks for sharing!”

Lyn chose DIY: Christmas Advent Calendar from Inspiration for Moms. “This is much more attractive than the cheesy looking versions that can be bought at the store.”

Maria also chose this post. “Love this advent calendar and the fact it comes with a printable just makes this project so easy to make!”

Lyn chose How to Make a Christmas Reindeer From Logs from Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body. “This log Reindeer is so cute! I can see it covered in snow and adding to the Christmas feel.”

April chose Easiest DIY Gift Ideas Ever! from Pragmatic Mom. “With the holidays coming up, I’m looking for ways to slash the budget and up the number of gifts. This post from Mia Pragmatic Mom really fits the bill.”

April chose No clutter in 2015 – How the Holidays can help you declutter! from Keeping It Real. “I’m on a mission to declutter my house, and I’m glad that I came across these tips by Teresa at Keeping it Real”

Maria chose DIY Vantage-Inspired Toolbox | Tutorial from Ella Claire. “This tutorial is fabulous and the gorgeous photos of a beautiful vintage tool box just made my day. Simply stunning!”

Tiffany chose 5 Blogger Styles – Where do you fit? from Building Blocks Blog. “I love this way to look at Bloggers from Kathleen. I think I may be a combination of a 3 and a 4…which are you?”

Natasha also chose this post. “In any given week, I am probably a combination of all of these styles. Thanks for this great share!”

Tiffany chose Five Tips for Managing Your Blog(s) from SaganMorrow.com. “Sagan gives some really great way to help a Blogger stay organized and I think the last one is so important. If you want people enjoy what you do then you must enjoy what you do.”

Natasha also chose this post. “These are some great tips for managing your blog. Thanks for sharing!”

The post with the most views is How to Clean a Dishwasher from Pastels & Macarons.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

And the Best of the Best goes to…

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars from Sweet Mornings

Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies from Annie’s Noms

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.

– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!

– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!

– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

The post Turn it Up Tuesday 113 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Turn it Up Tuesday 112

cindy — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 01:00:53 +0000

Can you believe there are only two and a half weeks til Thanksgiving? My schedule is kind of busy between now and then. Currently my dad is in the hospital having some breathing problems so please say a prayer that they will get things sorted out. We also have 3 Disney days coming up! This Friday evening we will be covering Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom. Then next week we pop over to Epcot on Tuesday to spend time with our friend from Philadelphia who will be visiting with his family. On Saturday we go back to the Magic Kingdom to hang with our Canadian friends! Yes, it was much easier when we all coordinated our vacation times but I am happy just to get to spend time with my friends. In the middle of all of that Jordan comes home from the mission field…and he is staying home. He has accepted a tech internship at a local church and he will be going back to college, so my nest won’t be empty any more

Welcome to the 112nd week of Turn It Up Tuesday! We had quite an amazing week last week, and it’s because of all of you! We are so happy to have you all join us for another amazing week!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for November is Two Chicks and a Mom.

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for November!

(from the top – left to right)

(not pictured)

Ritu from Rocket Looks

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Bev chose Cheese Steak Appetizers from A Party of Four. “I am always looking for wonderful appetizers for parties and these will be served at my next party. How can you go wrong with cheese steak appetizers?”

Bev chose Hedgehog Cookies from All That’s Jas. “We have seen a large variety of special cookies for Halloween recently, but these little hedgehogs are just too adorable. Not sure if I could eat one of the cute little guys.”

Angie also chose this post. “These are the cutest little cookies that I’ve ever seen & they look very simple and fun to make!”

April chose 8 Tips for Kindergarten at Home from The End in Mind with Lori Lane. “As a mother who’s homeschooling her preschoolers, these tips are great to make sure that my children are ready to start kindergarten.”

April chose 7 Business Blogging Tips You Can’t Afford To Ignore from Creative Rebel Designs. “I’ve been blogging for a while, but I always love to keep my mind set on making sure that I’m successful as a blogger. I love this post because it refocuses me on the write things.”

Hilary chose 20 Star Wars Stocking Stuffers and Christmas Gifts from Earning & Saving with Sarah Fuller.

Hilary chose 10 Things You Can Do to Help A Mum with a Newborn from Pastels & Macarons.

This post also received the most views this week.

Elaine chose Cranberry Apple Coffee Cake from A Sprinkle of This and That. “My current addiction to cranberries just found a great new way to enjoy them.”

Kori chose How I Reached 10,000+ Pageviews Last Month on the Blog from The Resourceful Mama. “I chose this one because I love seeing what works for other bloggers.”

Kori chose How to Talk to Family About Being Self Employed from My Urban Family. “I chose this one because this is a conversation that I need to have with my family. I was on the college path and had intended to pursue graduate work in Psychology, but then I discovered blogging and wanted to do something that would allow me to stay at home full time.”

Dawn chose How to Make a Pine Cone Owl from About Family Crafts. “OMG, this is just too cute… I think the kids will love making these this christmas…. Score 1 for coolest mum around.”

Lyn also chose this post. “This looks like such a fun craft to do with the kids!”

Tina also chose this post. “Wonderful creation, I love this idea because it looks so natural, great tutorial. Thanks for sharing.”

Dawn chose All the Tips to Transforming an Old Meat Safe! from Sparkles in the Everyday. “What a lovely piece of furniture, looks like it should have been like that from the beginning. You have done amazingly well transforming it. I love refurbished furniture, I have a (potential to be) beautitul bureaux which i found at a car boot sale. May have just found the inspiration i needed to tackle it…. Thank you xx”

Mari chose Caramel Macchiato French Toast Cups from Delightful E Made. “I found Erin’s treat to look super gooey and yummy.”

Mari chose I Only Shop Second Hand {And Why You Should, Too} from Cow Country Housewife. “I loved Caroline’s share because I find we are a wasteful nation and I too have found a new love in thrifting etc… You find awesome stuff some with price tags still on them. I also enjoy online spots like Thredup. Another reason I had to stop here was because of her blog name hilarious. Thanks for share doll :)”

Stacey also chose this post. “I absolutely love to shop at thrift stores, and with two rapidly growing children and a one income family, this is the best option for our family. I have found adorable furniture pieces and cute clothes and I don’t stress out so much when the kids outgrow them before they are used up. Thanks so much for sharing!”

Lyn chose DIY Play Food: Felt Cupcakes from Keeping It Real. “I’m intimidated with any crafts dealing with sewing, but these are too cute to pass up. Any little girl would adore this for tea time. These would also make a fun gift for Christmas or a Birthday.”

Donna chose Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars from A Mother’s Shadow.

Donna chose Baked Pumpkin French Toast from Lou Lou Girls.

Angie chose Naturally Fight Fall Allergies in Your Home from The Jenny Evolution. “Autumn always seems to be a terrible allergy season for me and I found this post very interesting and helpful.”

Stacey chose Earn Extra Money For Christmas NOW from Cow Country Housewife. “I am always looking for ways to make a few extra bucks to add to the family coffers, especially with Christmas right around the corner. Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful tips.”

Tina chose DIY Air Dry Clay Jewellry Bowls from Pastels & Macarons. “Love these bowls.They look gorgeous,this project is great. Thanks for sharing.”

Tiffany chose 7 Smart Ways to Attract Readers to Old Blog Posts from Giftie Etcetera. “I’ve always loved finding a way to repurpose evergreen content and these are definitely 7 ways to help make that easier and more effective!”

Tiffany chose 48 Awesome Fall Crafts for Kids from One Little Project at a Time… “I don’t know about your Kiddies but waiting for the food to be ready on Thanksgiving seems to be the most difficult thing for them in life! LOL…so I know that these amazing crafts will help me keep my sanity throughout the day and keep them occupied.”

Natasha chose How I Branded My Own Blog from Classy Yet Trendy. “Sometimes we get caught up in the ornate and complicated as a blogger, but it is important to understand that there are simple and easy ways to do things on your blog. This post proves this…thanks for sharing!”

Natasha chose 18 Areas to Simplify in Life from Just Only Home. “Recently, I have been on the path to simplify my life, and these are some great tips to do just that. Great post…thanks for sharing!”

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

And the Best of the Best goes to…

Hedgehog Cookies from All That’s Jas

How to Make a Pine Cone Owl from About Family Crafts

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.

– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!

– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!

– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

The post Turn it Up Tuesday 112 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Turn it Up Tuesday 106

cindy — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 00:00:45 +0000

This is just a reminder that I am on vacation this week!

Please hop on over to EpicMommyAdventures and link up with the Turn it Up Tuesday linky this week! See you next Monday!

The post Turn it Up Tuesday 106 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Turn It Up Tuesday 105

cindy — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 00:00:44 +0000

It’s finally here! The 2 weeks we have been planning for. This week is Sharathon at The Joy FM, the Christian radio station that is in Florida, Georgia and around the world on our apps and online streaming. Sharathon is the 4 days in the fall when we raise our funding for the next 6 months. It is crazy because in 4 days we will raise almost $2 million. We are a non-commercial station so we aren’t funded by commercials, we are funded by the listeners, and only 4% of our listening audience financially support the radio station, most at a mere $30/month! I say “we” because I have been listening to the station since it went on the air 30 years ago. I was on staff for 4 years and I have been a volunteer since 1988. My son, Aaron is now on staff at the station so we truly take pride in “our” radio station. I’ll be volunteering Tuesday-Friday answering phones from 6:00am-8:00pm so, please pray for me!

My reward for this week of hard work is…a cruise! Our family reunion cruise departs on Saturday. Thankfully, I am a very organized person and our vacation clothes are already organized and some of them are even already packed. Sunday night hubby and I did the last of our cruise shopping and we are almost ready to float away with our family.

Since I will be on a cruise next week, I will not be co-hosting Turn it Up Tuesday next week. I will have a post up with a link to where you can link up your posts!

It’s time to start the party with us at Turn It Up Tuesday! We had a great week last week, and we’d like to thank each and every one of you for stopping by and enjoying the party! Please keep coming back to share your amazing posts with us here on Turn It Up Tuesday!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for September is ZYRO MATH CITY COUNT.

From the makers of the award-winning OctoPlus comes another fun, interactive, math game for young children and children with special needs. ZyroMath City Count is an integrated switch-accessible runner-game for children that keeps kids math motivated. Test your reflexes as your robot Zyro races through the city, collecting stars and power-ups that give you special powers. Touch to jump and avoid obstacles, and use your math points to buy super-power characters and prizes in the ZyroStore. See how far you can run!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for September!

(from the top – left to right)

Joanne from Seasonal Family Fun | Ritu from Rocket Looks | Sacha from Visualize Authenticity | Glenda from Mommies Point of View | Laura from Lauras Little House Tips

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Tina (Kidz Activities) chose Easy Star Wars Stormtrooper Snacks from The Scrap Shoppe Blog. “We have Star Wars fans in the house. The kids saw the photo and said I just had to choose this. They thought it was really clever!”

Tina (Kidz Activities) chose Scrapbook Paper Pumpkins Two Ways from AttaGirl Says. “I love how she turned simple scrapbook paper into a beautiful pumpkin craft!”

Ritu also chose this post. “I just loved this craft because it reminded me my days when I made this for my teachers as a Teacher’s Day Gift.”

Bev chose Rustic Night Stand from Redo It Yourself Inspirations. “This was an awesome transformation.Just goes to show, even tired , ugly looking pieces can become masterpieces.”

Bev chose Rustic Pumpkin Stand for Guest Supplies from Lou Lou Girls. “Love this pumpkin idea. How lovely for guests to be welcomed with this pumpkin decor and all those goodies inside.”

Joanne chose Ikea Frosta Stool Makeover from Lou Lou Girls. “I love how she transformed this autumn-inspired stool.”

Joanne chose DIY Baby Carrot Costume from C.R.A.F.T. “I’m in love! The carrot costume is fabulous and Maxwell is adorable!”

Anuja chose Peanut Butter and Chocolate Acorn Cookies from Marty’s Musings. “Liked the creativity and how easy it is.”

Anuja chose Homemade Yogurt Cheese and Cream Cheese Alternatives from Little House Living. “I use strained yogurt for a Indian desert called ‘ShriKhand’, I will be experimenting with this cheese for sure.”

Ritu chose Raspberry Coconut Bars from Annie’s Noms. “I just love cookies and coconut and this combination with raspberry looking divine.”

Mari also chose this post. “I’m a huge fan of Annie’s blog and her treats always look so tasty, moist and yummy this one didn’t disappoint.”

Kori chose Spooky S’mores Favors (Only $1.01 Each!) from A Bride on a Budget. “I chose this one because, while I’m not getting married anytime soon, I thought that this would also be a super cute idea for a children’s Halloween party.”

Kori chose DIY Wool Dryer Balls from Little Miss Dexterous. “I chose this one because I’ve wanted to try out those dryer balls but the cost was always getting in the way. Now I might actually give it a try.”

Mari chose Colorful Modern Nursery from Bombshell Bling. “I loved Sarah’s nursery share. I am a huge fan of color and fun accessories in all rooms and this room looked awesome!”

Elaine chose Simple Pumpkin Pie Galette Recipe from Domestic Bliss Squared. “I am a big fan of pumpkin and simple desserts and I get both with this recipe.”

Elaine chose Why Is It Important To Overcome Fear? from Debbie In Shape. “Excellent article. Fear can keep you from doing so many things. It is unfortunate that fear is used as a driving force in our society and 9 times out of 10 that fear is unfounded.”

Dawn chose Easy Amish Style Cinnamon Bread from The (mis)Adventures of a “Born Again” Farm Girl. “I love cinnamon bread and this recipe looks easy to make… Will definately take your advice and bake two :)”

Dawn chose DIY Shoe Deodorizers from Little Miss Dexterous. “This will definitely come in handy in our house as my son has started to play for our local under 7s football (Soccer) team.”

Tiffany chose How To Be A Blogger Everybody Respects from Debbie In Shape. “I think Debbie made some really important points about making sure you are a Blogger who people can respect. We always have to remember it’s not just about us and being kind to those around us is so important in words, actions and deeds.”

Tiffany chose 10 Outdoor Fall Activities from Pancake Warriors. “Fall is one of my favorite seasons because there are so many ways to enjoy your family and make memories without outdoors and they often don’t take a lot of effort. Thanks to Sam I have the perfect list to check off this Fall!”

Stacey chose Chocolate Peanut Butter Mallow Bars from our very own Bev from Eclectic Red Barn. “These look absolutely amazing! Anything with chocolate, peanut butter, and marshmallows are always a hit with my kiddos, and I know that they would gobble these up quickly. Thanks for sharing.”

Stacey chose Cinnamon Apple Scones from A Sprinkle of This and That. “I have never been brave enough to make Scones, but these look wonderful! Since they have apple and cinnamon in them…the kiddos would definitely be fans. Thanks for sharing!”

The post with the most views is Deep Conditioning Avocado Hair Mask from The Organized Dream.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

And the Best of the Best goes to…

Cinnamon Apple Scones from A Sprinkle of This and That

There is a tie for second place…

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Acorn Cookies from Marty’s Musings

Raspberry Coconut Bars from Annie’s Noms

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

There is one more week remaining to sign up for the Turn It Up Tuesday 2-Year Anniversary Giveaway! Be sure to sign up before the end of the week!

We are celebrating Turn It Up Tuesday’s 2-Year Anniversary later this month!!!!

Join us in celebrating this momentous occasion by participating in the giveaway! It only costs $20 to be a co-host for the giveaway, which means that you can include 4 of your social media links in the entries for the giveaway and have your picture in the giveaway collage. There are other options available as well, if you want to be included but you don’t want to be a co-host.

SIGN UP FOR THE GIVEAWAY HERE!

*Make sure to sign up soon! The giveaway begins on September 28th!*

So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back. – Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier! – Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends! – Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" rel="nofollow" title="Epic Mommy Adventures"></a></div>

Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week!

**Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**

An InLinkz Link-up

The post Turn It Up Tuesday 105 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Turn it Up Tuesday 99

cindy — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 00:00:38 +0000

I’d love your input on something. I have landed on what, for me, is a comfortable groove here on The Mom Maven. My schedule is flowing and I feel like things are running smoothly, except my pageviews are way down, which means fewer people are reading my blog. This decrease has been significant enough that it is really having a negative effect on the small income I make here. I’ve been doing a lot of reading on how to grow your readership and how to have a successful blog and honestly, I am doing most of the things I have seen recommended. My usual posting schedule looks like this:

Monday-Travel

Tuesday-Turn it Up Tuesday linky

Wednesday-Win it Wednesday linky

Thursday-Review/Giveaway/Sponsored post

Friday-Recipe

Sometimes there are additional posts sprinkled in but that is how things go weekly, for the most part. Please leave me a comment and let me know if there are things you would like to see more or less of. If you would like more personal posts, parenting posts, how-to blogging and social media posts or anything else, please leave me a comment on this post and let me know.

Time to start the party with us at Turn It Up Tuesday! It’s our 99th week, which means we’re only one week away from the 100th week here at Turn It Up Tuesday and a great 100th post surprise! We’d love to thank each and every one of you for partying with us week after week! Keep stopping by, linking up, and sharing your amazing posts with us here on Turn It Up Tuesday!

Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time!

Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for August is The Avarca Store.

We are family run business , where husband and wife are founders at The Avarca Store, brings you handmade eco-friendly artisanal leather sandals made in Menorca (Spain).

The Avarca Store is a curated selection of the best artisan avarcas sandals from Menorca. We are proud to bring to the United States and the rest of the world our legendary avarcas, artisanal leather sandals made in Menorca (Spain).

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for August!

(from the top – left to right)

– not pictured –

Miranda from A July Dreamer | Sarah from Living Intentionally Simple | Tayrina from TGA Writes | Vicki from Five Spot Green Living |

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Free chose How To Streamline Your Blog from Krystal’s Kitsch. “Creating a way for me to run my blog is essential. Knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it is key to having success in blogging.”

Natasha also chose this post. “The past few weeks have been pretty hectic for me, so finding a way for me to streamline my blog is essential to the success of my blog. Thanks for the great post!”

Free chose Christmas in July: How To Save Money For Christmas from My Stay at Home Adventures. “Having a debt free Christmas is very important to me. Enjoying the holidays means enjoying every party of it.”

Jennifer chose Create a To Do List Based On Your Goals from Organizing Moms. “This is a really awesome way of working toward your goals in small steps, so you feel like you’re accomplishing something while you work toward something big.”

Jennifer chose Chicken Potato Bake from Dizzy Busy and Hungry. “This dish looks absolutely amazing!”

Dina chose Cream Cheese Wonton Recipe and $20 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway from Lisa Renee Jones. “I have always wanted to know how to make Cream Cheese Wontons, and this recipe looks delicious!”

Dina chose Blueberries and Bavarian Cream Cake Recipe from Cooking LSL. “I liked this cake recipe a lot! And I think it is the perfect end of summer dessert!”

Tayrina chose Being Connected Where It Matters from All of Life’s Little Adventures. “I love this post because reminded me the importance to disconnect myself from social media sometimes and pay attention to the things that really matter.”

Tayrina chose 7 Lessons I Learned in My First Year of Blogging from Bella Brita. “I love reading about experiences. As a blogger myself, I enjoyed a lot reading about the experience of another blogger and what learn about it! Great things you can learn from here.”

Jennice chose What Exactly Is Copywriting? An Explanation & The Importance of It from our very own Tenns from Bliss & Faith. “The first favorite of mine was from the Blog Bliss and Faith and it was a post entitled What Exactly Is Copywriting? I enjoyed because while it was informative, I felt like I was being spoken to by a friend who really wanted to help me.”

Jennice chose Small Victories in Motherhood from our very own Amy from Confessions of A Ninja Mom. “My second favorite post was from the blog, Confessions of a Ninja Mom and it was called Small Victories in Motherhood. I enjoyed because it was 100% relatable to every mom whether they are new to the game or if they are veterans.”

Stacey chose 30+ Make Ahead Back to School Breakfast Recipes from My Pinterventures. “Even as a homeschool mom, it is great to have some quick breakfasts at the ready for the kids to be able to grab. Thanks for sharing!”

Stacey chose PB&J Oat Bars from Mom’s Messy Miracles. “These look wonderful, and since PB & J is a favorite for both of my kids, they would absolutely love them. Thanks for sharing!”

Silvie chose I Wish I Knew! from our very own Stacey from This Momma’s Ramblings. “I think there are always things we wish we knew beforehand and she covers a few of mine in this post.”

Silvie chose Salsa Verde from Living on Grace. “I have always been on the lookout for an easy salsa verde recipe. This is definitely one that I am going to have to try.”

Mari chose Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers from Everyday Made Fresh. “I loved Joann’s share this year was my intro to Philly Cheese Steaks and I love them so this is surely a must try!”

Mari chose S’Mores Campfire Cones from Frugal Coupon Living. “Wow s’mores in cone form? That looks like a great treat!!!”

Tina chose The ABCs of Healthy After School Snacks from Cutting Tiny Bites. “Offering healthy after school snacks is such a challenge, so this is a great list of healthy alternatives for kids. I loved how she was able to name healthy snacks from A to Z too.”

Amy also chose this post. “I’m always looking for fun, delicious and healthy snacks for my kids. This collection has some great recipes that I know my kids would love to come home to!”

Tina chose Brownie Bowl Sundaes from Fitness Food Diva. “This is such a clever idea, to create brownies shaped as a bowl to put the ice cream on.”

Amy chose 10 Lego Math Activities for Preschoolers from our guest host this month, Tina from Kidz Activities. “My son is super in to legos right now. I love that I can turn a toy that he loves in to somethings educational for him!”

Tiffany chose 10 Essentials for Your Carry-On Bag from Frugal Foodie Mama. “Carrie from Frugal Food Mama gave a really great list of essentials for your carry on when you are limited to 1 suitcase a a purse. I have always tried to travel as light as possible but Carrie gave me a few things to add that I never considered – I love the almonds as a quick and healthy snack!”

Tiffany chose Delicious Mexican Street Corn Recipe from Family Fun Journal. “I absolutely love corn but I think grilled may be the only way I haven’t tried it and this will definitely be added to our end of season grill list.”

Tina chose Snow Puffy Paint & Sensory Play from our guest host this month, Tina from Kidz Activities. “What a wonderful kids activity,I’m sure my daughter is going to love it. Great sensory play!Thanks so much for sharing.”

Tina chose Watermelon Cake Balls from The Gold Lining Girl. “What a wonderful and yummy treat recipe.I adore this,simple and beautiful.Thanks for sharing.”

Natasha chose 5 Things To Know About An All-Inclusive Resort: Our Cancun Recap from Seven Graces. “It’s great to read someone’s experience with an all-inclusive resort in Cancun. I have never been to Cancun, but I’d love to go one day. Thanks for the share – I look forward to going there one day!”

The post with the most views is Simple Time Saving Kitchen Hacks from Amanda Unfolded.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

And the Best of the Best goes to…

Brownie Bowl Sundaes from Fitness Food Diva

30+ Make Ahead Back to School Breakfast Recipes from My Pinterventures

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

So now that you’ve met our Sponsor for the month, our hosts and guest hosts, our Featured, and the Best of the Best,

let’s get started!

An InLinkz Link-up

The post Turn it Up Tuesday 99 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Turn it Up Tuesday 91

cindy — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 00:00:17 +0000

It’s another new week. Last week was crazy for me, my schedule was full to almost overflowing. Thankfully this week is a bit less hectic. On Wednesday, my dad had prostate cancer surgery. He came home from the hospital on Friday and I spent Friday-Sunday at their house helping out however I could. One of my jobs was taking dad for walks. His doctor wants him walking a mile a day before he goes back for a check-up on Friday! I am please to say that Sunday morning he did 3/4 of a mile He is moving right along!

Welcome to another week here at Turn It Up Tuesday – our 91st week to be exact! We’re celebrating Father’s Day this week, and we’re happy to celebrate the fathers (and father-figures) out there this week! And with Father’s Day falling on the 1st official Day of Summer, we hope all of you amazing fathers out there get to enjoy a day full of sun and fun!

Last week, we had an awesome time on Turn It Up Tuesday with 231 links – another amazing week! We’d like to thank each and every one of you for making every week so amazing! Keep stopping by, linking up, and sharing your amazing posts with us here on Turn It Up Tuesday!

Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this blog hop the best that it could be!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for June is Five Star Coffee.

At FIVE STAR COFFEE, it’s not about us … It is about YOU. Offering you exclusive, healthy products that are sure to provide WORLD CLASS TASTE EXPERIENCES is the first step toward fulfilling OUR MISSION. IT IS ALSO GRATIFYING to know that our environmentally sensitive, coffee farmers, small batch roasters and dedicated producers of artisan grade oats, pancake mixes, maple syrups and chocolates benefit as well.

Are you looking to get your blog or website in front of numerous people per week? Do you enjoy Turn It Up Tuesdays? Interested in having your blog or website featured for an entire month?
Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month by clicking here!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for June!

(from the top – left to right)

Beverly from Eclectic Red Barn | Sofia from Fun with a Message | Dawn from Pretty Shabby UK | Heidi from Heidi’s Wanderings

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Kori chose 10 Helpful Tools for Better Blogging from A Chicago Mom. ” I always love seeing what other bloggers think in regards to must-have tools. And when they give reasons, great. It gives me something to think about and consider for myself.”

Jillian also chose this post. “I chose this post because the tips that CeCe includes are different from other blogging tool posts. You don’t normally think of things like a portable hard drive or a quiet place to work.”

Kori chose Family Meeting Planner from Wondermom Wannabe. “Family time is incredibly important and as my youngest daughter gets older, I want to make sure that we’re still coming together as a family regularly. This seems like something that we could use for years to come.”

Ginger chose How Bloggers Can Use StumbleUpon from our very own Kori from Just Another Mom. “Stumbleupon is one site I really don’t understand or use. Once I read this article and then set up a an account I was amazed at how well it worked. It drove traffic to my site right away. This was so helpful.”

Zografia also chose this post. “I’ll be needing this! I have using Stumbleupon in the past, maybe it’s time i use it again!”

Natasha also chose this post. “I feel like I’m been using StumbleUpon wrong all this time. Thanks for the great tips!”

Ginger chose Speaking Up from Our Charmed Life. “This post really connected with me. I wish more people saw things that way she does, and that they would speak up too! “

Mari chose Black Magic Chocolate Cake with Cherries from All She Cooks. “I loved Jessica’s share. This cake screams moist and yummy. I love cherries and you can’t go wrong with chocolate so I am looking forward to giving it a try.”

Tina also chose this post. “A yummy and beautiful cake.looks so tasty!! I’m making some soon.Thanks for sharing”

Mari chose Coastal Seashell Wall Art from H2O Bungalow. “Wendi’s wall art is lovely. I love seashells so this is right up my ally and a great way to display the shells!”

Bev chose Skinny Strawberry Shortcake Donut Holes from Divas Run for Bling. “I love this lightened version of doughnut holes.The yummy doughnut holes make you want to buy a doughnut maker and make a batch. It’s OK since they are “skinny” doughnut holes!”

Bev chose Beach Bags free sewing patterns from Wesens-Art. “Recently I had to buy a beach bag for the camper. I wish I had seen this post before doing that. I love all the designs and they even have the patterns to go with them. I will be making one of them soon.”

Amy chose 6 Tips on Hosting a Promotional Giveaway on Your Blog from our very own Kelly from Mum-Bo-Jumbo. “As a fairly new blogger, I’ve always been a little intimidated by the idea of hosting a giveaway. This blog post laid out some great tips for a newbie like me to help guide me to hosting my first giveaway.”

Amy chose Antipasto Skewers from Honey & Birch. “I love making antipasto trays for parties but I love this idea of serving it in skewers. This way, it’s easy for your guest to enjoy and you don’t have too many left overs of a certain ingredient.”

Elaine chose Bacon and Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Lou Lou Girls. “Another great use for all those homegrown tomatoes.”

Elaine chose One Pot Mediterranean Chicken Feta Pasta from Honey & Birch. “I love one pot dinners and this is a great addition to my collection.”

Stacey chose 15 Ways To Embrace Being a Full-Time Stay-at-Home Mom from Britney Dearest. “Such wonderful ideas, that are definitely important to keep ones sanity. I find it so hard to find “me time” as a SAHM, most of my adult interaction comes from online friends online, and often sleep is barely there, because I try to fit way to much into a minimal 24 hour day. I need to work harder at a few of these! Thank you so much for sharing!”

Stacey chose Double Chocolate Glazed Donuts from The Seaman Mom. “And oh donuts! I have always loved donuts, ever since I was a little girl and my mom worked right next door to a bakery! I am going to have to get a donut pan to make these! Thank you so much for sharing!”

Dawn chose 20+ Toddler Hairstyles for Girls from our very own Kori from Just Another Mom. “My little girl loves having new hairstyles for school each day, and there are some brilliant ideas on this blog.”

Dawn chose How to make your own citrus vinegar cleaner from The Seaman Mom. “I love homemade cleaning products, i have just started to make my own, so will be definitely trying this recipe.”

Tina also chose this post. “What a brilliant idea!!I love homemade natural cleaners. I love the idea of using citrus peelers with vinegar.Thanks so much for sharing this amazing recipe.”

Jillian chose 4 Ways To Control An Out-of-Control 3 Year Old from Fun Money Mom. “I chose this post because my son has recently hit this angry, everything must be my way, or I’m going to flip out, phase, and it is very tough. This post has great tips on how to tame that toddler anger!”

Zografia chose How Losing My Stomach Made Me Hungry for Life from Sammiches and Psych Meds. “It’s definitely worth the read! A lesson for all of us!”

Natasha also chose this post. “This is such an amazing story…I was captured into the story from the title til the very end. A must read!”

April chose I’m Losing Memories from Beautiful Ashes. “Growing up, growing wiser and growing apart are things that happen in your marriage, but it doesn’t mean that it’s over. I love Misty’s take on how her marriage has changed and how she’s changing herself.”

Heidi also chose this post. “I like this because it encourages us to live life for today, and not in anticipation of what will happen.”

Heidi chose Monster Cookie Dough Cupcakes from Dinner, Then Dessert. “I mean come on it’s a combination of cookie dough and cupcakes, what’s not to like about this?”

Kelly chose How to Easily Redirect Permalinks in WordPress from Budget Girl. “This simple solution from Chelsey has saved me a bucket load of time and I love her suggestion of revamping and republishing old posts.”

Kelly chose Scrap Buster – Sooth a Teething Baby – Sew a Wooden Teething Ring from Sew Travel Inspired. “I love the the story behind how Maria was inspired to come up with this scrap buster idea. Such a simple and cheap project!”

The post with the most clicks is 5 Ways to Drink More Water from Divas Run for Bling.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

And the Best of the Best is…

Double Chocolate Glazed Donuts from The Seaman Mom

10 Helpful Tools for Better Blogging from A Chicago Mom

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

So now that you’ve met our Sponsor for the month, our hosts and guest hosts, our Featured, and the Best of the Best, ,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.

– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!

– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!

– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

An InLinkz Link-up

The post Turn it Up Tuesday 91 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Turn it Up Tuesday 90

cindy — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 00:00:07 +0000

Did you have a great weekend? I did! I went to a Polynesian Luau. My friend is Samoan and her oldest daughter graduated high school. Her graduation party was a luau on the beach. Her dad cooked a whole pig in a raised pit in their driveway! Relatives flew in from all over the country. After feasting on Polynesian delicacies we were treated to an hour of all sorts of Polynesian dances from family members little kids, boys, girls, teens, men and women. It was beautiful and meaningful and honestly made me a bit jealous that we don’t have that kind of strong cultural history. It was a wonderful evening of food, fun and fellowship with about 150 people in attendance. if you follow me on Instagram you saw some of the pictures, if you aren’t following me…why not?

Welcome to the 90th week here at Turn It Up Tuesday! Last week, we had an awesome time on Turn It Up Tuesday with 258 links – another amazing week! We’d like to thank each and every one of you for making every week so amazing! Keep sharing your amazing posts with us here on Turn It Up Tuesday!

Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this blog hop the best that it could be!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for June is Five Star Coffee.

Are you looking to get your blog or website in front of numerous people per week? Do you enjoy Turn It Up Tuesdays? Interested in having your blog or website featured for an entire month?
Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month by clicking here!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for June!

(from the top – left to right)

Beverly from Eclectic Red Barn | Sofia from Fun with a Message | Dawn from Pretty Shabby UK | Heidi from Heidi’s Wanderings

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Ginger chose Homemade Cookies & Cream Ice Cream – No Machine Required! from Study at Home Mama. “This looks delicious and so great that you don’t have to have a machine to do it.”

Tina also chose this post. “What a yummy recipe. So easy to make, looks amazing. Perfect for a hot summer. Thanks for sharing.”

This post also received the most clicks.

Ginger chose Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars from The (mis)adventures of a “Born Again” Farm Girl. “This recipe reminds me of being a kid. We would get something like this at lunch in elementary school and I loved them! I am excited to recreate that treat with this recipe!”

Kori also chose this post. “I chose this one because I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate and this recipe sounds delicious.”

Kori chose Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars from Typically Simple. “I chose this one because I have a sweet tooth for anything snickerdoodle. I love this flavor combination and usually only make Snickerdoodles at the holiday time.”

Kelly chose Painted Vintage Books from H2O Bungalow. “This project is such a pretty way to jazz up old books for the coffee table – I love them! I think this would also work well to personalize hardcover notebooks to use as gifts.”

Amy also chose this post. “I love this idea of taking old tattered books and turning them in to painted vintage books to decorate the house. Not only do the books look so cute but it also turns something junkie into something useful!”

Kelly chose Your Feelings Are Showing from our very own Tiffany from MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter. “This is something that although I know I do – show my feelings even when in situations I would rather not. I had never seriously stopped to consider how and why. Sometimes I don’t know how to express myself by remaining composed. This post has given me some serious insight on how I show my feelings.”

Natasha also chose this post. “I have always had trouble expressing and managing my emotions. I can completely relate to this post about addressing my emotions. Great post!”

Jillian chose What It’s Really Like to Be A Stay At Home Mom from Fun Money Mom. “I chose this post because I became a WAHM about 3 months ago, and had similar notions as Lisa. I thought I’d have all this extra time to do all these extra projects – and I’m realizing now, how far from the truth that is. Still, I wouldn’t change it for the world!”

Stacey also chose this post. “What an amazing post! So often, I think, my dear hubby thinks that all I do all day is sit and watch soap operas and eat bon bons! Of course it could not be farther from the truth, because my days are filled with home schooling, mowing the lawn, cooking, cleaning, laundry, and all of the other things that it takes to keep the household going. Thanks so much for sharing!”

Jillian chose Olive Garden Copycat Peach Tea Recipe from Best of Long Island and Central Florida. “I chose this post because I absolutely adore peach iced tea, but haven’t found a recipe…UNTIL NOW! Can’t wait to make this one, this summer!”

Amy chose Eggless Choc Chip Cookie Dough from Treat Yourself Sweeter. “Living with an egg intolerance makes it very difficult to eat desserts even though I have a sweet tooth. This eggless cookie dough recipe is perfect for me. I can’t wait to enjoy this!”

Amy chose S’Mores Campfire Cones from Frugal Coupon Living. “I love this idea of taking old tattered books and turning them in to painted vintage books to decorate the house. Not only do the books look so cute but it also turns something junkie into something useful!”

Cindy also chose this post. “I may be making these for Father’s Day instead of the regular old fashioned S’mores I had planned. I adore S’mores and this is a great twist on a classic treat.”

Stacey also chose this post. “Oh my! Yummy! S’mores are one of the kids’ and I’s favorite summertime treats and these look so amazing and easy that they may become a year round treat! Thank you so much for sharing!”

Cindy chose Summer Water Bottle Holder Tutorial from Keeping It Real. “I need several of these, preferably insulated. Unfortunately I don’t have access to a sewing machine. These would come in very handy since I carry my water bottles with me everywhere I go!”

Bev chose 10 Unusual Uses for Salt from Simply Shellie. “I loved all the uses for salt that I didn’t know about and it is all natural.”

Bev chose Colored Spaghetti Sensory Activity from Tulips & Orchids. “Loved this activity for kids. So many learning uses for this activity.”

Tina chose DIY Built In Bench Tutorial from View from the Fridge. “What a beautiful transformation. I love this DIY. I would love to make something similar. Thanks for sharing.”

Mari chose Grilled Vegetable Kabobs from Divas Run for Bling. “I loved Heather’s healthy treat. Great way to incorporate veggies in your life. Great grilling try’s for sure.”

Mari chose Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Whip Cream from A Sprinkle of This and That. “I am all up for grilling as much as possible in the summer, even in an apt. I use my Gorge Foreman grill, Christine’s sweat treat is a must try.”

Natasha chose Best Practices for Posting to Instagram from our very own Tenns from Bliss & Faith. “Instagram is one of those social media platforms that I use regularly; however, I haven’t really taken the time to learn how to use more effectively. Thanks for the great post, Tenns!”

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

And the Best of the Best is…

Homemade Cookies & Cream Ice Cream – No Machine Required! from Study at Home Mama

What It’s Really Like to Be A Stay At Home Mom from Fun Money Mom

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

So now that you’ve met our Sponsor for the month, our hosts and guest hosts, our Featured, and the Best of the Best, ,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back.

– Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier!

– Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends!

– Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

An InLinkz Link-up

The post Turn it Up Tuesday 90 appeared first on The Mom Maven.