winner of the lip balm...

and the winner of the lip balm giveaway is...

i am kinda hungry now after thinking about blueberry cheesecake and creme brulee.  i think i'll have a little lip balm myself!

congrats to sara...and don't forget to keep looking around...there's more giveaways and fun advice coming your way soon!!

danyele @ a thorn among roses

making the best blueberry cheesecake...

straight from sheknows.com...the very best tips for making the best blueberry cheesecake.  we just had to share them with you!!!
"Every cake deserves its own special day and May is the month for blueberry cheesecake to have its moment. May 26 is National Blueberry Cheesecake Day, giving you just one more reason to indulge in a creamy blueberry dessert. And since blueberries are considered one of the healthiest fruits, you can treat yourself to a luscious slice of blueberry cheesecake without feeling all that guilty. Here are some cheesecake tips and recipes to help you celebrate National Blueberry Cheesecake Day.

CHEESECAKE TIP #1: CHOOSE THE BEST CHEESE
The most common cheeses to use for most cheesecakes are cream cheese or ricotta cheese. Cream cheese will give you a denser cake as compared to ricotta. Other fresh creamy cheeses, such as mascarpone, cottage cheese and goat cheese can also be used. For the most luscious mouth-feel, use a full-fat cheese. And if you must reduce the calories, substitute only half of the full-fat cheese with a low-fat variety.

CHEESECAKE TIP #2: START WITH ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS
Before you begin making the cheesecake filling, make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature. This is especially important for cream cheese – it should be soft so it blends easily and you don’t end up with lumps in the filling.

CHEESECAKE TIP #3: DON’T OVER BEAT
Over-mixing the filling can lead to cracks in the finished cheesecake. Always start by beating the cheese by itself in the bowl before adding any other ingredients. Make sure the cheese is extra creamy and lump-free. Once you add the remaining ingredients, only mix until just blended.

CHEESECAKE TIP #4: USE FRESH BLUEBERRIES
If you are adding blueberries to your filling, fresh blueberries are your best choice. Fresh blueberries are preferred over frozen because frozen blueberries will have more liquid in them, which can water down the filling. If you do use frozen blueberries, make sure they are thawed, drained and dried very well.

CHEESECAKE TIP #5: BAKE BUT DON’T BREAK
Perfect cheesecakes are crack-free. You can achieve this by using a spring form pan, baking cheesecake in a water bath, and baking it slow. A spring form pan allows you to easily remove the sides of the pan, no unmolding necessary. A water bath helps ensure even baking and less chance of cracks. Baking a cheesecake slowly and at a consistent temperature will make a much creamier and uniform cheesecake.

CHEESECAKE TIP #6: DON’T OVER BAKE
Cheesecakes will continue to bake after they are removed from the oven, and baking too long will lead to cracks. Remove cheesecake from the oven when the middle is still just a bit jiggly. It will continue to set up as it cools.

CHEESECAKE TIP #7: COOL AND CHILL
Proper cooling is an essential part of baking a perfect cheesecake. When you take cheesecake out of the oven, remove it from the water bath and run a knife around the edge of the cake to release the filling from the sides. As the cheesecake cools, it will shrink and if it isn’t released from the pan, it will crack. Also, once cool enough, place cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours to completely set up. If possible, make your cheesecake the day before you plan to serve it."

sheknows.com has great tips...thanks to them for these!

danyele @ a thorn among roses

mmmm...cheesecake! and another giveaway!!!

one of the joys of being an american is that we know how to celebrate...and we eat our feelings!

may 25th is national blueberry cheesecake day!  i know, right?  we have a whole day honoring blueberry cheesecake!  so go ahead and make some up!!

love to bake...well, HERE's your tasty recipe to celebrate the day from she  knows!

you say you don't want the calories...well, have we got a surprise for you!!! take a look at these fab and calorie free ways to celebrate all year long!

jewelry that adds to the outfit, but not to the waist!
earrings that are delish...and super cute from sinner's sweets.

a sweet little mouse charm...from sweetie bird's for $4.

get the smell throughout the whole house...and some cuteness to boot from this candle! from pookaberry for $5...but we are offering it as a FREEBIE giveaway!!!  head over to pookaberry candles and tell me one thing you can't live without...winner chosen at random at midnight EST.

happy blueberry cheesecake day!!!
danyele @ a thorn among roses

lip balm giveaway!!!!

blueberry cheesecake day is tomorrow and you have to be ready...and we are here to help with a giveaway!
who can't fall in total love with lipbalm...i mean, you get the taste, no calories!

passion mood potions has some awesome blueberry cheesecake lip balm for $3!!
oh so you say you want some blueberry lip balm for free?? well, we can do that for you today!!!!
here's how...enter by simply going to  passion mood potions and tell me in a comment what your fav thing is and why...

easy peasy...so get going!

danyele @ a thorn among roses

free summer family fun

with summer just around the corner, it's time to start planning some fun times...and those times have to be budget friendly.  here are a few great finds for free summer fun...

many large theater chains have free movie times for families and kids throughout the summer.  and it's super easy to find...head to the theater closest to you {{here's regal's site} for your showing dates, times and all the fun, free details!!!

bowling anyone?  2 games free each day of the summer per kid when you sign up at kids bowl free.

how about some hand-on fun building stuff?  lowes offers free clinics for kiddos most saturday's at 10am...and it's building fun stuff like race cars and catapults!!!  you have to register prior HERE but it's super fun...and free!  it builds kids confidence and they build something fun too!

home depot offers the same deal...between 9 and noon on the first saturday of the month.  check out home depot for more info.

add some arts and culture...target stores offer target free days at many museums around the country...take a look HERE for places near you.

so get on out there and have some good, old fashioned FREE fun!!!

danyele @ a thorn among roses

{Flea Market Finds}

With a good Flea Market season finally here, I've started compiling a list of things to look for. Have you ever been to the Flea Market and found something you fell in love with but had NO IDEA what to do with it? It happens to me all of the time and I usually end up leaving my beloved piece behind since I can't find a purpose for it under pressure.

So, I thought I would share a few cool uses for flea market finds I found online that I thought were great and may help you start compiling a list of your own...

And old banister rail as a mail sorter...

Love this! Old jump ropes as seat cushion ties...

Beautiful molding as a display shelf....

an old rustic mantle as a headboard....

Hope you enjoyed! You can find more cool & creative ideas here!

{{HUGS}}

Kacey

picky eaters welcome here

it's hard when you have to feed picky eaters...when every meal is a battle and there seems to be tears when it's all suppose to just be fun.  here's a few really fun tips to make that picky eater a little happier...and hopefully, you too!

 start off with making meal times fun instead of dreaded.  super fun eating time for the kiddos...why not??!!

how about making the ordinary extraordinary...and using fun cutlery is a great way to do that!
trembibi has this awesome little set...and who doesn't want flatware that smiles back!!  $24

i love this idea from zak.com...a nibble tray with detachable lid!  it has 3 dipping compartments in the "leaves" that stay cool to hold all those different dips that picky eaters love.  it's even a great idea for those restaurant trips for the kiddos!

and since it's not all about the containers and about presentation, those eaters still need nutrition.  use what that eater will eat and put it in everything...for sofia, it was sweet baby ray's bbq sauce.  for some it's cereal.

golden fish sticks...with frosted flakes.

a hamburger with a face...

and my fav...mini shepherd pies with a smile

happy eating!!!
danyele @ a thorn among roses

tuesday's winners...

and the winners are...

meaghan at meg and the boys!!

ash at shades of blue and green!!!!

and it was all in honor of a sweet little girl named tuesday.  thanks for helping kick cancers butt!

winners picked by using random.org.

danyele @ a thorn among roses

another giveaway for tuesday???

it's a new day...and that means a little more fun to giveaway and offer to you...and to kick cancer's booty!
{{found this on zazzle...and i had to laugh}}

so back to my not so immature mind...
you say you loved that sarah jane print yesterday?  well, today is another fab find from sarah jane studios...a hand made 4x6 print...i call 3 bear chairs, girlie style.

 

so precious...and fab for any little girls room or in a play room!  it's just, well, girlie!!!

oh you are interested in winning?  fab...it's easy peasy!  just enter!!
simply leave a comment here and then be sure to donate $1 to the Tuesday Fiona Whitt Foundation, which benefits Whatchagonnado.org, started by tuesday's parents.

so go here and donate your dollar...


and then go here and look at all the other fab auctions that you can enter as well.


danyele @ a thorn among roses

tuesday's blog party

it's time to celebrate...time to remember...time to take some action.



tuesday fiona whitt was this precious little twin girlie who i loved in blogland...and she lost her battle with cancer two years ago.  blogland came alive with prayers, support and action for the whitt family.  and in that action, the tuesday fiona whitt foundation was born to fight that stinking pediatric cancer.

so now, every year...for the last 2 years...there's a tuesday blog party!  and here at PCAH we are jumping on the bandwagon to support pediatric cancer and little miss tuesday's fam.

here's how it works...
we are offering this fab, hand made pieces of art  from sarah jane studios...
a gorgeous 8x10, hand signed print, april
{and then look around sarah jane's stuff...it's pretty awesome}

oh you are interested in winning?  fab...it's easy peasy!  just enter!!
simply leave a comment land then be sure to donate $1 to the Tuesday Fiona Whitt Foundation, which benefits Whatchagonnado.org, started by tuesday's parents.

so go here and donate your dollar...


and then go here and look at all the other fab auctions that you can enter as well.


...and let's kick pediatric cancer's butt.  please.

danyele @ a thorn among roses