Fabulous Favorite Friday

Happy Friday everyone. Wow, it is hard to believe it is the end of the month already. Where did July go? Even though we've been experiencing hot temps, summer is still my favorite time. I'm afraid it is going to fly by now and soon we will be pulling out the warmer clothes. Yuck.

I have to admit I've been having a hard time lately concentrating on what items to bring you for my Fabulous Favorite Friday picks. It has been hard to focus on this since I feel like my attention has been pulled in different directions. But, I'm hoping that over the next few days I'll be getting some r&r and that will do the trick.

I'm taking time off from the blog next week and won't post until Thursday. One of my good friends has invited my son and I to go to the beach and my doctor has cleared me to go. I am so excited!! I didn't think we would be able to go to the beach this year with being a high risk pregnancy, so to have this opportunity is a dream. I LOVE the beach and couldn't imagine not going. So, a nice chair under an umbrellas and some sandcastles are in my near future. I can't wait to see what pictures and scrapbooking opportunities this trip will provide.

Fabulous Favorite Friday Pick #1

And speaking of scrapbooking, that leads me to my first Fabulous Favorite Friday pick, the Xyron X. Even if you don't scrapbook, this is still a cool product for you to consider because it works great for kid's school projects. What it does is you put a cut out letter or whatever you want into the left side of the X and then it pulls through. Then when you take it out your item is "wedged" between a clear piece of what looks like tape on top and then a white backing. You can take a popsicle stick or a bone (which is something you use to fold paper, another awesome tool) and you rub on the top of the item where the clear is. Then you pull both the clear and white backing off and then you'll have your adhesive on the back of your item. This is what I use to adhere letter titles to my scrapbook pages. Like I said, this is a handy item for making school posters or any other projects your kids might have for school. They sell them at Michael's (use a 50% off coupon if you can) or Target or Walmart. It comes with an initial thing of adhesive and I think runs around $10. It is very inexpensive. If you are interested in seeing how this works and the directions above aren't making sense (I'm a visual person too), send me an email and I'll post a video showing you how to use the X.

Fabulous Favorite Friday Pick #2

Ok, so I decided that I needed to try and do two picks this week. The second item I don't have a picture for you. Frankly, I'm up at the crack of dawn today writing this post and I don't feel like lugging out the digital camera to take a picture. But if you need one, email me and I'll take one and post for you. My second pick for today is a carpet cleaner. I have the best luck with using this carpet cleaner for spot treating. It has taken up stains that have been set in for a while. The key is to spray it on and let it sit. Sometimes you may have to reapply, but overall we've had great results. And the best part is it is cheap. I've bought at Wal Mart their el cheapo Great Value brand of Foaming Upholstery and Carpet Cleaner. It comes in a red can and costs around a $1. My husband has been amazed at how well this stuff has worked. So, if you are looking for a carpet cleaner for spot treating, this may be something that would work for you.

And finally, I got sent an email this morning from Pillsbury with some interesting looking recipes and thought I'd share this one with you. I want to make this because I purchased the Pampered Chef tart pans a while ago and have yet to use them to make a tart. And, this looks so super easy. I've been on a fresh fruit kick this summer, so this is right up my alley. Also, I'm all about desserts.

So, I hope this is something you'll find tempting. I'd love for you to drop me a line if you end up making it.

Strawberry-Kiwi Tart

Crust

1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box
Filling
1 1/2
cups vanilla low-fat yogurt
1
container (8 oz) reduced-fat sour cream
1
box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
2
tablespoons orange marmalade
Topping
1
cup halved fresh strawberries
2
kiwifruit, peeled, thinly sliced
2
tablespoons orange marmalade
DIRECTIONS
1.
Heat oven to 450°F. Make pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell, using 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom or 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
2.
In medium bowl, mix filling ingredients with wire whisk until well blended. Pour into cooled baked shell. Arrange strawberries and kiwifruit on filling.
3.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave marmalade uncovered on High 5 to 10 seconds or until melted. Brush over fruit. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set before serving. Cover and refrigerate any remaining tart.

Well gentle blog readers, I'm going back to bed to try and catch a few winks before my little guy wakes up for the morning and I start packing for our trip. I'll try to get a post up next Thursday If I don't make Thursday then there will definitley be a Fabulous Favorite Friday post next week. I'll fill you in on all our beach trip adventures. Have a great weekend in your neck of the woods.