$100 Target Gift Card Giveaway and Back to School Ideas!!

Update — giveaway closed.
Winner was #414 — Mary Grace. Winner chosen via Random.org

It’s that time of year. 

 **Back-to-School**

My kids started school last week –I’m not sure where the summer went! We have some traditions that we love to make going back to school special for our kids. The first is documenting the first day of school.

Last year my friend Kami introduced me to Chalkboard Bubbles and I had such a fun time documenting the first day of school with them!! I did the same thing this year- it’s so amazing how the kids change from year to year!! 

We also have a special Crepe Party right before school starts. 

It’s a great special occasion where we talk about goals and plans for the up-coming school year. 

Today I’m so excited to have a special Back to School giveaway today from my favorite store — Target!! 

Target is the place where we get the majority of our clothes, including back to school clothes. I LOVE that Target has great quality, fashionable clothes for such amazing prices. If you see my family or I on the street, the chances are about 100% that something we are wearing comes from Target.

Target’s Cherokee line is one of my favorite Target lines. We were just there last week looking at Fall coats and Hannah found this black wool Cherokee peacoat that she loved.

Want to win some $$$ for back to school clothes for YOUR family??

Target has given me a $100 gift card to give away to a TT&J reader!! 

Win a $100 Target Gift Card

Here’s how YOU can win:

• “Like” Cherokee USA on Facebook. one entry.

To get extra entries:

• Leave a comment here with YOUR family’s favorite Back to School Tradition. If you don’t have one, what is one you want to try? one entry.

• Tweet this:  “I want to win a $100 @Target gift card for new
  @Cherokee_usa clothes! #giveaway via @jenjentrixie http://bit.ly/nDvPKt”. one entry.

• “Like” Tatertots & Jello on Facebook — where I love to feature projects and great ideas. one entry. 

• “Like” Cozi on Facebook — Cozi is a FREE online calendar that helps you manage your family schedule. one entry.

Please leave a comment for each item you do above to get those extra entries!

**winner must be a Facebook fan of Cherokee USA.

{Giveaway ends Sept. 6th}

And… how would you like to win $1,000???

Share your best First Day of School photo on Cherokee USA’s Facebook Page for a chance to win!

Prize package includes a $1000 shopping spree from Cherokee and $300 smart phone from Cozi. 

Awesome!!! 

Thanks to Cherokee USA and Cozi for sponsoring this super giveaway!

*this is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

 PS — I am over at the amazing 30 Days Blog— sharing some fun Stenciled Pillows today. Come over and say hi!! 

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End of School Year Tradition: Glitter Toes!

It’s the last day of school at our house! 

And the day we have our end of the year tradition: Glitter Toes! 

My girls have been looking forward to this for weeks!

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One of my blogging idols — Kami  @ No Biggie  clued me into this fun glittery craft last year. If you haven’t checked out Kami’s blog — you need to. She is so clever, funny and stylish!

Here’s the 411:

Fun colors + Sparkles = a fun afternoon!

1. Pick out a nail color you like and a coordinating glitter. I found some awesome Martha Stewart glitter at Walmart that has pretty much every color of glitter there is.
2. Paint your toenails and while paint is still wet, sprinkle glitter all over each individual toe to cover well. You will need to lay a piece of paper under the toes to minimize the mess and to catch the leftover glitter so you can use it again.
3. You can brush off the excess glitter with a small paintbrush, but make sure not to brush directly on the toenail or you can mess up the paint job.
4. Paint a clear top coat over the glitter to help keep it contained and to add a shine to the sparkle.

And Voila! You have sparkly glitter toes — and fingers. So cute! And a great project to do with your girlfriends or little girls before you hit the pool!  

Do you have any End-of-the-Year Traditions that you do at your house?? 

My sister’s neighborhood has a big block party every year!

Please Share them with us!

Have a Glittery Day!

XOXO 

 

And, the CSI Project is having a great Martha Stewart giveaway — go over to enter!

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Nine Days Left:: a new tradition…

Had preschool playgroup…

Got a little shopping done…

Went to dinner as a family before Dad had to get on another plane…

Saw some Christmas lights…

And started —

A New Christmas Tradition…

(still haven’t wrapped one present…

Maybe tomorrow…)
Hope you all had a great day 🙂

XOXO

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Tasty Tidbits Thursday: Grandma’s Pierogies

We grew up far away from any family. Once a year we would pile in the station wagon for the annual summer 20-hour trip to see our relatives.

It was such an adventure and so much fun to see our cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents. We spent many summers running around in the desert heat catching grasshoppers and running through the sprinklers. Eating toasted bologna sandwiches on hot summer afternoons and KFC in the park with all of the extended family under huge shade trees. 

  My grandma S. was a very petite, beautiful redhead. She was always very stylish and loved to wear jewelry and high heels. Once, she came up to visit me at college and my roommate whispered to me “she has on the cutest belt! I want it!”. She also had a great sense of humor and was a wonderful baker.

One of my most vivid memories of my Grandma S. is going over to her brick house and sitting in her kitchen while she made pierogies. I loved the smell of the butter and onions — heavenly!

Each New Years Eve I make them in memory of her.

Here is the recipe if you want to make some this year: Grandma’s Potato Pierogies Ingredients:

• 12 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, divided
• 3 teaspoons milk, divided
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 1/2 (8 ounce) containers cottage cheese
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• oil for frying
• sliced green onions

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool.
2. Meanwhile, prepare dough by combining 1 egg, 1 tablespoon cream cheese, 1 teaspoon milk and 1/2 cup flour. Once all the flour has been worked in, add another 1/2 cup flour, 1 tablespoon cream cheese and 1 teaspoon milk. When the dough is well blended, add 1 egg, 1 tablespoon cream cheese and another 1/2 cup flour; mix well. Finally, add the remaining egg, 1 teaspoon milk and 1/2 cup flour. If dough is too dry, add a little more milk; if too wet, add more flour.
3. On a well floured surface, roll out 1/4 of the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a glass, muffin cutter, or any rounded surface, cut out circles of dough. Flour both sides of the circle and set aside in a single layer on wax paper. Repeat process with remaining dough.
4. Mash the potatoes with the cottage cheese, salt and butter. Place a spoonful of the filling slightly below the center of a circle of dough. Fold the dough over and seal edges with fingertips. Use enough filling so that you have to stretch the dough over it, but not so much that it squeezes out when sealed.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in pierogies, a few at a time. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they float to the top; drain.
6. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry boiled pierogies in butter and onions until crispy.

What family recipes do you like to make?

Have a tasty Thursday! –Jen

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