Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Mexican Chicken Skillet

Who loves RO*TEL?? I am a huge fan and have been since the first time I ever cracked open a can. Tomato, chilies, yumminess, genius! Just add a can to virtually anything and it tastes amazing. I have yet to try anything with RO*TEL that I didn't like.

Today, I have a very quick and easy recipe for you to try whenever you are in a pinch for dinner. Seriously, this recipe is so easy and it takes just one pan! Dicing the chicken is probably what takes the longest. This dinner is a real winner in our house, I've made it countless times for just Tolar and I or when we have guests over. It is always a crowd pleaser.


Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 can RO*TEL
1 small can tomato sauce
2 packages Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (I use the Whole Grain Brown Rice)
1 cup water
Shredded cheese (however much you prefer)


Instructions:

1.) Dice the chicken breasts into small bite size pieces and cook in skillet until completely white.

2.) Pour RO*TEL and tomato sauce over the cooked chicken.

3.) Add the rice and water. Stir

4.) Bring to a boil.

5.) Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes (until the mixture has thickened and isn't so soupy).

6.) After 15 minutes, top off the mixture with shredded cheese. Allow cheese to melt.

7.) Serve and Enjoy!



See, easy peasy!
And be sure to check out yesterday's post if you haven't already because I shared a coupon for RO*TEL. The coupon makes this recipe not only quick to make, but easy on the budget too. Here is a link to yesterday's post to print out your own RO*TEL coupon.

If you have any questions, be sure to leave those in the comments below.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Rotel Coupon!!!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #JustAddRotel #CollectiveBias

Who's been watching the Big Tournament all weekend? We have had plenty of basketball on in my house and I sat down for a bit over the weekend to catch some sports action (yes, I will watch college basketball). But I wanted to let you in on something...

...Great Savings on RO*TEL at Walmart! Because we all know that you need some yummy game day food!

RO*TEL



Are you creating a big snacking spread for the Big Tournament? Looking for ways to spice up game day and save money at the same time? #JustAddRotel is the perfect way to spice up your favorite recipes. From guacamole to pot roast sliders, adding a can of RO*TEL makes a traditional game day recipe into something extraordinary. Click this link to print a Walmart coupon where you buy 3 cans of RO*TEL, you will get 1 can free!


Hurry, this coupon expires on April 6th and is only while supplies last! Get the coupon now!
JUST CLICK HERE.


Be sure to look for RO*TEL in either the Pasta or Hispanic aisle in Walmart!

RO*TEL at WalMart


AND be sure to come back tomorrow to see a super easy recipe where I use RO*TEL. Here is a hint...it's delicious!
Rotel_recipe




How do you use RO*TEL? If you already have a recipe that you love, share it in the comments below...I'd love to try it!

Friday, March 27, 2015

High Five For Friday

You did it friends! You made it to another weekend.

This has been a pretty great week in our house, full of a good mix of activity and relaxation. Here are some top moments from the week.

1.) Yesterday Tolar and I celebrated 4 whole years of marriage. Sometimes I feel like we've been married so much longer than that because of everything we have been through. But through all of life's ups and downs, there is NO ONE that I would rather have by my side.


2.) And just like that, my toddler is a big kid - no baby swing for her.


3.) I got the Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Mat in the mail this week - I am super excited to try it out. Hoping it makes cleaning my makeup brushes a breeze!


4.) Look who wasn't afraid of the Easter Bunny this year! After Baby K being scared of Santa at Christmas, I wasn't sure how she would do around the Easter Bunny. I guess meeting her pal Mickey took care of her fear.


5.) Oh no big deal, just cruising in the makeup aisle!




I'm linking up with September Farm, Bright on a Budget, Meet @ the Barre and Style Elixir.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

I Couldn't Live Without Usborne Books - Very Cool Books for Children of all ages


I should probably just turn my blog over to my family from now on because both Tolar and Baby K have helped me out with blog posts this week! (If you missed Tolar's What I Wore post from yesterday, click here)

One thing that I am absolutely thrilled about as a mother is Baby K's love for reading already. I am pretty sure I've mentioned on here multiple times that I will walk past her room where I think she is playing by herself and find her "reading" in front of her bookshelf. She brings us books so we can read to her all the time and often if she is upset about something I will distract her by suggesting we read some books. K loves to read, just like her mama. So I would say that Baby K can't live without books.

I was thrilled when my friend Katie introduced me to Usborne books. As soon as I saw the pretty colors and engaging content, I knew that Baby K would go nuts. Usborne books are exciting, engaging, lavishly illustrated and offer so many terrific titles (there are over 2000 titles to choose from). I have learned that K absolutely adores books without much white space - those are the books she brings to us over and over again. Usborne delivers there for sure with all of their colors!


Baby K really likes books with flaps, she has ever since she was able to hold a book. Usborne's Under the Sea book has plenty of color and quite a lot of flaps, making it one of K's favorites. We probably read this book every day and she loves "searching" for little fish under every single flap. The child leaves no flap unflipped.


Another Usborne favorite of ours is the Secrets of the Seashore Shine A Light book. This book read just by itself, as K often does, is great. There are so many new sea creatures for her to learn and discover plus again this book delivers on the full color pictures. K learns a new creature every time she cracks open the book. But another cool feature (sorry I couldn't capture it with the camera) is that when you shine a flashlight underneath some of the pages, you reveal other creatures that are lurking "under the water." K's mind was blown when I first showed this to her. I don't know if she fully understands what is happening, but she is fascinated by the Shine A Light book. Although sometimes I think she might be just as fascinated by the flashlight (or the "white" as she calls it).


There are so many options of books from Usborne. They carry books for babies all the way up to high school. When you check out the Usborne website, I recommend that you start by clicking the Age Level category. That way you won't be overwhelmed by all of the amazing titles that they offer. We are huge fans of Usborne and love that not only are the books beautiful and fun, but they are extremely educational and always keep Baby K's attention.

My friend Katie is a consultant with Usborne Books; go ahead and hop over and like her facebook page so you can find out some more info. Katie can answer your questions and point you in the right direction for whomever you are shopping for. You can shop the website whenever or if you want to host a facebook party for you and your friends, you can do that. Contact Katie through her facebook page and she will send you more info. And one cool thing that is happening for the upcoming month of April - anyone who becomes a hostess (facebook party included), you will earn double rewards! So you can earn tons of free books just by sharing these amazing books with your family and friends. Go check it out!

Quick little message to my family - these books would make great presents for Baby K. We are already so thankful to Aunt Ashley for the Under the Sea book!!!




Now's your chance to link up with me and For Lauren and Lauren for our weekly link up!
Link up with us and share something that you couldn't live without: a recipe, a piece of clothing, a person, an iphone app, baby product, song...whatever.
You can link up on either of our blogs. And feel free to grab the button below to help us spread the word!!!!




Wednesday, March 25, 2015

What Tolar Wore

I received complimentary items from State Traditions for review purposes. All opinions are completely my own.

I am so giddy and excited about this post, you have no idea. After being my photographer and taking countless photos of me to post here on Pursuit of Pink, Tolar finally stepped out from behind the camera and allowed me to capture him!!!



My Tolar, he is a jeans and t-shirt type of guy and I love it! One thing that instantly drew me to Tolar was that he didn't really care what people thought of him. He knows what he likes and feels comfortable in and he makes sure to wear that as often as possible. (Side note: thanks for putting on a suit for all of those fundraising galas Tolar, I know you hated it!) Please tell me that I'm not the only one who is insanely jealous of men and the fact that they can wear a t-shirt and jeans and look completely pulled together? A t-shirt and jeans on me does not say pulled together at all. But on Tolar, he's ready for anything and looks amazing in the process!

Ever since we moved to SW Virginia, one thing has become extremely apparent to us. There is some serious state pride down here. And more than that, there is some serious college pride since we are only a few minutes away from Virginia Tech! The people down here are just so proud of where they live and we love that. So Tolar and I were very happy to join in the fun and show our state (or college) pride. Check out his hat and t-shirt from State Traditions. Yes, we are aware that he is sporting both the Virginia Tech and UVa colors, hey we love all things Virginia in the Tol House!

I love that State Traditions offers up clothing showing state and college pride without shoving the specific college in anyone's face. All of their items are tasteful and of top-notch quality. Tolar absolutely loves his hat. It is so soft and fits him perfectly. He comments every time he puts it on how much he likes it and that it looks good on him. Why yes Tolar, yes it does! And the t-shirt and all of the other shirts from State Traditions are nice and thick and super comfy (I might have put his shirt on because I was jealous that he got one!), such great quality. We both love that there is a pocket on the t-shirt. The pocket gives the t-shirt some extra flair and let's be honest, it means that the chances of my having to put something of Tolar's in my purse decreases.

There is so much more to State Traditions than t-shirts and hats. They have shorts, belts, ties, polo shirts, visors, iphone cases, glassware and so much more. And of course, they have items for all states so everyone can show their state pride - not just us here in Virginia. If you are looking for a gift for the man in your life, check out State Traditions. I wish I had known about this shop before Christmas, because I would have had Tolar's present on lock. Now I don't have to worry, State Traditions will be a present shopping stop for sure! 







I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Bought Beautifully + Giveaway



If you have been around this blog for any length of time you know that I am a Christian and hold my relationship with Christ very close. I also am a HUGE accessory lover. So you better believe that I was thrilled to be able to combine my love of both.

Allow me to introduce you to an incredible company called Bought Beautifully. This is an online store where you can purchase products from vendors all over the world who are creating products that create opportunity for others. The site was started as a way for us all to use our finances as a way to further God's kingdom - by supporting quality products that are created in an atmosphere of love.

I have to tell you there are way too many items in my house that I purchased because I got a good deal on them or because I just liked them. I don't know the history behind them and I have no clue what kind of conditions the workers deal with as they make everything. But when I stop to think about the type of conditions that could exist, it really makes me sad. So I love that Bought Beautifully was designed to build and support a Christ Centered Economy, where people receive fair wages and work in conditions that enable them to develop their artistic spirit, individuality, and creativity. 

There is so much more available than just accessories; Bought Beautifully also offers art, home decor, clothing and beauty products. Here are just a few products that are available on Bought Beautifully that I wanted to share with you.

Peruvian Messenger Bag/Ipad Case from Threads of Hope
The bag is gorgeous! I love the bright colors and attention to detail that went into crafting this item. There is an inside pocket and a back zipper pocket, plus a long strap making this a great purse or ipad case. I catch myself just staring at the bag because the colors are so beautiful. And I love that Threads of Hope has a tagline that says "empowering impoverished women, transforming lives." They offer fair and consistent income to their artisans and use 100% of their profits to break the cycle of poverty through grants available to their artisans.


Single Wrap Majok Bracelet from Haiti's Jewels
Such a simple yet beautiful bracelet with turquoise accents and grey Majok seeds. The products from Haiti's Jewels are made with materials straight from Haiti reflecting the beauty and strength inherent to Haiti. Each purchase of a Haiti's Jewels product goes to further a culture of sustainable, social entrepreneurship.


Rose Embroidered Card from HAPI
What a unique and beautiful card to send to someone special! These cards are embroidered by Haitian women through an organization called HAPI, which seeks to encourage creativity, promote gender equality, create economic opportunity and grow healthy communities. The cards are gorgeous and so unique, unlike anything you could find in the card aisle at your local drug store.



The thing I love most about all of the products featured on Bought Beautifully is that with your purchase you are supporting impoverished artisans. Knowing that your money is going to a good and worthy cause is a beautiful thing. These organizations exist to teach responsibility and to offer opportunity, all while spreading the love of Jesus.
I encourage you to check out Bought Beautifully and all of the available items. There are so many to choose from!


And I have a surprise for you. The founders of Bought Beautifully are offering up all three items detailed above to one lucky Pursuit of Pink reader! All you have to do is enter using the rafflecopter below, which just involves following Bought Beautifully on instagram and facebook and tweeting a link. Each follow or tweet is an additional entry! Let me know if you have questions. These items are so beautiful, I'm already jealous of the winner!!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, March 20, 2015

High Five For Friday

Another week, another weekend.

1.) Baby K is a huge fan of bubbles. She asks to blow bubbles at least five times a day and most of the time we do. I love that its the little things that entertain toddlers: bubbles, an empty box and a styrofoam cup.


2.) While we were hanging out at our small group on Sunday, Baby K caught herself something pretty cute. :)


3.) Sunglasses, that is one accessory that my daughter loves. And we are missing two pairs from this picture!


4.) My mom and I went on a movie date to see Cinderella. It was so good!!! Cate Blanchett was incredible. Mom took me to the old Radford Theatre where she used to go see movies in college.


5.) Baby K says "No pictures please."



I'm linking up this post with Bright on a Budget, September Farm, Meet @ the Barre and Style Elixir.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

I Couldn't Live Without...Makeup Primer

I'm a makeup lover, I always have been. I love trying new products and finding items that I can't live without and I have found a real winner!



While on vacation in Florida I popped into Sephora (oh how I miss having a Sephora close by) and picked up a few items to try. One item that I am pretty sure will not be leaving my makeup bag anytime soon is a makeup primer from Smashbox. I am totally loving the Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light from Smashbox; hands down the best primer I have ever used.

Before I tell you why I love it, let me tell you a little bit about Smashbox. The people behind Smashbox are the great grandsons of Hollywood makeup legend Max Factor. During a photo shoot, they kept seeing makeup artists constantly stepping in to reapply makeup and wondered why isn't there a makeup that is created to last. And so Smashbox (named after Smashbox Studios) was born. Their products are designed to last!

Which is why I am in love with this primer. I have never had my makeup last as long, under stressful situations, as when I wear this primer. Yes, I've tried a lot of primers in my life, but nothing has helped my makeup hold even when I am sweating a bit and stressed out. The Photo Finish Primer helped to extend my makeup and kept me matte all day long.

This past Sunday was a pretty crazy Sunday at church - all for good reason. We had a record nine toddlers (ages 3-6) in our Sunday School class and I was the only adult with them. You have me, already a little warm and starting to get stressed out because I'm nervous Baby K will cry the whole morning that she is away from me. Then throw in nine toddlers, five of who are brand new to our church. Every single one of them wants to do something different and no one wants to listen to me. It definitely got stressful and I felt my face getting hot. (And here is where I have my important shout out to my friend Heather for stepping in and helping me with the children!!!!) But when church was over and I had a chance to look at myself in the mirror, I realized I wasn't shiny and my makeup was still very much intact. I had high hopes for this primer and all of my expectations were exceeded!

The primer is light and works on oily skin, which is my number one skin problem. I can honestly tell you that when I wear this primer, I don't have to worry about looking oily. This stuff rocks! Simple as that.

After trying out the primer and loving the results, I can't wait to try out more Smashbox products. I'm definitely hooked.

***********************************

And now...I'm am so excited to welcome you to the I Couldn't Live Without Link up hosted by me and For Lauren and Lauren. We are so excited to connect with other bloggers.

Link up with us and share something that you couldn't live without: a recipe, a piece of clothing, a person, an iphone app, baby product, song...whatever.

You can link up on either of our blogs. And feel free to grab the button below to help us spread the word!!!!





Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Spring Break at Disney

We are back home after a lovely week in sunny Florida visiting my two uncles. Since Tolar is in school and has a flexible schedule that includes time off for Spring Break, we decided to take advantage of the time and go visit family (once he's back to working we won't always have this luxury!). And lucky us, not only did we get to visit Florida, but we got to take Baby K on her first visit to Disney World. If I told you that we had a blast, that would be an understatement.

I have known and loved Disney my entire life thanks to my fabulous Uncle Walt having started his career there the month I was born. He has blessed me with visits to the magical place of Disney World more times than I can count. I know just how lucky I am to have such a great uncle who has given me a lifetime of fun memories. But I have to say, the most magical time was watching my daughter enjoy it!

Baby K loves Mickey and was in heaven as soon as we set foot on Disney property - there were Mickeys everywhere and she pointed them all out to us. We took her on rides, saw parades, ate yummy food, chased bubbles, saw characters walking around and got to meet Mickey! I must say, I was a bit nervous about how K would react around Mickey because she cried when we went to see Santa this past Christmas. But my girl totally wowed us all. While we waited our turn to meet him, she pointed and said his name a zillion times. Then when Mickey motioned for us to come over, K acted totally comfortable. She pointed out Mickey's nose, ears, mouth and shoes and even proclaimed "MICKEY" while he was talking to her. Mickey asked for a hug, but K was a bit reserved there. She did think he was cool enough for a high five though! And the shock of my life came when she let Tolar and I walk away and stood for a picture with him. At other times during our trip, if Tolar and I were not within arms reach she would start crying and run after us. But if you are Mickey Mouse then suddenly K is in good hands.

The entire Mickey meet and greet made our visit to Disney. To see my child interact with her favorite character and to see her not be shy was just thrilling. And then to see the pure joy on her face as she ran towards a table full of Mickeys and promptly picked one up for a hug...well you know how that ended. Yep, Baby K you just keep being as cute as you are and your Daddy and I will buy you whatever you want!

One thing I love about Disney is that there is so much to experience. I have been to Disney a lot (thanks again Uncle Walt) and my uncle always makes it magical for us. This time we got to go to Fort Wilderness to see the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. I've heard about this show a lot as I have several friends who were performers in it through the year, but never got to see it. Well Uncle Walt took care of that! It was a lot of fun for us all.

Thank you Uncle Walt and Winfield for an amazing visit! You made everything magical and we had so much fun.
And now for your viewing pleasure...you're welcome Mom!

(Sadly Baby K got a little stomach bug the last night of our trip, which made for quite the interesting ride home. But we still had a great time.)