Tuesday, October 25, 2016

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS FOR YOUR HOME

I tend to forget that Walmart carries a really nice line of home goods from Better Homes and Gardens. This is the mailer that came a few weeks ago. Did you get one?



Just in case you're not on their mailing list, I thought I would point out some of the things that looked to me like they would work well in our homes as we welcome fall and cooler weather.

First up:  Throws and blankets...


ONE //  TWO  //  THREE

Window decor...



Table lamps...



And, remember that headboard idea I mentioned a few months ago? Here it is again. I still love it and think it's a great value.



Thanks for the inspiration Walmart and Better Homes and Gardens... Have you bought any home items from the BHG line at Walmart? If so, what did you think? Were you pleased?

Tuesday it is. Have a good one!

Kathryn

Thursday, October 20, 2016

A HALLOWEEN RERUN

I'm sure this breaks every law of blogging ever written, but this was one of my very favorite posts from last year, and I wanted to share it again. After all, it's ghost season! I found this Halloween recipe in Family Circle magazine. I had never tried to make such a fun dessert, and it really turned out cute. Please forgive me if you've been following along for a while and you've seen this one. And, if you're a new reader/follower welcome aboard!!

The blue link will get you to the original post!






Monday, October 17, 2016

I'M LISTENING TO MORE MUSIC

I'VE JOINED THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY:

I now have a Spotify music account. I love it! I've created my very own play list and everything. True to my age, it has oodles of songs from the eighties and lots of today's feel-good music. Spotify also has premade play lists you can follow. One of my favorites (I'm listening to it as I type) is called "Have a Great Day!" It's a fun, happy mix. You can also share lists if you have friends on Spotify.

HOW I'M LISTENING TO MY LISTS:

A few weekends ago, I had the opportunity to hang out in Atlanta with my besties from high school for a relaxing, much needed girls' weekend (a post on that later). We listened to some fabulous music on a Bluetooth speaker. Of course I had to have my own speaker when I got home. One nice thing about being married to a tech guy is he loves to buy electronics. So, I assigned him the task of picking one out for me. True to (his) form, he spent an afternoon researching the best one, for the best price, with the best reviews, etc. This is what he picked out for me...

Bluetooth Speaker

It's perfect. Not too fancy, not too big, travels well room to room, easy to use, and not too pricey.




He found the Anker Soundcore Bluetooth speaker with 24-hour play time for $35.99 at Amazon.


You music people will love it if you don't already have something to play your tunes on. A big thanks to my husband for my little treat.

Turn off the television and listen to some music today. It will change your outlook...

Are you a music person?
Have a great week!

Kathryn

Friday, October 14, 2016

5 DIY IDEAS YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO

This is a super cute idea from Polka-Dotty Place. If you were hosting a baby or wedding shower, or any event that required table signs, this would be perfect.

Polka-Dotty Place

I loved the dressed up look of these pots from Garden Therapy. The things you can do with paint! And for nine other great ideas for terracotta pots head over to Better Homes and Gardens' page. Some super cute ideas there.

Garden Therapy via BHG

Here's a great idea for using mason jars as planters. Use wire or fabric mesh to keep your flowers in place and spaced like you want them. I pinned this from Driven by Decor. Kris is creative and has such a pretty, classic style. 

Driven by Decor

This might be my favorite from an ease stand point. These would make great teachers' gifts or a sweet hostess gift. I pinned this idea from Crafty Texas Girls.

Crafty Texas Girls

The ideas for coffee cans are endless. Here's one idea from my own back yard: painted planters.



And perfect for the time of year from A Diamond in the Stuff, pumpkins.

A Diamond in the Stuff via Pinterest
I plan on making the monogrammed candle holder first. Which one are you most likely to try? Leave a note. I love hearing from you guys. :-)

Kathryn

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

TURKEY TACO SOUP

In case you were wondering, aliens have not abducted me. :-)

My day job (You know, the one that pays the bills) has been hectic and much more time consuming this year than in previous years, so my apologies for the sporadic postings. I love blogging and interacting with you guys and all my new virtual friends.  Unfortunately though, the blog is the first thing to go to the back burner when time gets tight. I'll just be taking it one day and one blog post at a time! I hope you'll bear with me.

Oh, and by the way, if you're interested in having new posts from Woodbank Lane come to your inbox, you can sign up here.

Now, on to Turkey Taco Soup.

I've told you before how I use and really like the My Fitness Pal app. A little more about it here. That's where I found today's recipe. I was excited to come across it because I'd had all I could take of sandwiches for lunch during the work week and wanted something hot but healthy and low calorie. This was perfect. I've changed a few of the ingredients to tailor it to my taste.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium bell pepper, diced (I left this out.)
1 pound of lean ground turkey
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can (28 ounces) of petite diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) of reduced-sodium black beans (I used the Publix brand.)
1 can (15 ounces) of corn kernels (I used the white shoe-peg corn)
1 can (4.5 ounces) of green chilies (I only used 1/2 the can.)



Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and minced garlic. Cook these until softened, then add and cook the bell pepper.  Next, add the ground turkey and cook until browned. Stir in the taco seasoning, and add the tomatoes, beans, corn and chilies. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and let the soup simmer until ready to eat. I added a plop of sour cream to mine, and I ate it with a small VerolĂ© tortilla shell (81 calories). The soup, according to the My Fitness Pal blog "Hello Healthy," has 297 calories in a two-cup serving. Not too bad for a meal.



If your people are soup eaters, I bet they will love this one. Enjoy!

Kathryn