Court Yard Hounds Album Amelita Review

Album Cover for Amelita

I participated in this campaign for One2One Network.  I received a free copy for the purpose of this review. After a few years away from the limelight and the Dixie Chicks, the two sisters were ready to get back into the studio.  Amelita,  out now, marks the Court Yard Hounds second album.

Let's back track for a second.  Who are the Court Yard Hounds?  Some of you may know who they are already, but I did not.  The Court Yard Hounds is made up of sisters, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. They are the sisters from the Dixie Chicks.  According to Emily Robison, they are not a side project but a band.  Amelita contains 11 new songs which are personal and more hopeful.

Court Yard Hounds

I'm going to come out and say that I normally do not listen to country genre music.  My teenage self would have been shocked to see me listening to this album.  To my surprise, I enjoyed this album.  I really love that acoustic guitar sound.  The vocals remind me a little of Sheryl Crow.  The songs are soothing, soul embracing, full of emotion and human experiences.  

The first track, Sunshine, is the first song in Amelita.  Fun, upbeat, and catchy. My favorite line in this song would be, "Hey don't rain on my parade and kill a perfect day, wasting my time."  I've come across a few people that I'd like to say that too.  There is an awesome video of this song on YouTube, featuring a nice acoustic version.  

My final thoughts,  go ahead and grab your morning coffee and put your headphones on.  Sit back or dance around your living room while you listen to Amelita.  Or if you are a YouTube addict like me, watch their videos.  There is a great one of them with Jakob Dylan performing a song from their debut album.

Check out Court Yard Hounds on Twitter and Facebook.  You can buy the Album on iTunes.  

*Disclosure- I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.*

The Ultimate Green Store $20 Giveaway

Welcome to The Ultimate Green Store $20 Gift Card Giveaway!

Hosted by: Savory Savings

Sponsored by: The Ultimate Green Store

Wouldn't it be great if you had a one-stop shop for all your green product needs?  From school supplies, to pet products, clothing and even to bath products?  Krista at Savory Savings was hopping from store to store looking for her everyday products in their most green, eco-friendly form.  Then she got the chance to review The Ultimate Green Store's Stainless Steel 3 in 1 Bento Lunch Box and fell in love with the green store that has it all!  Be sure to check out her review and check out The Ultimate Green Store to learn more about the eco-friendly and safe products they offer!

How would you like to win a $20 gift code to The Ultimate Green Store?  Enter now for a chance to win!  This giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 and older.  This giveaway will run from July 25, 2013 through August 7, 2013 at 11 PM CST.  Good luck!

 

Entry-Form

Savory Savings did not receive any compensation for this post.  Disclosure: Savory Savings did receive the products for free and is sharing her opinion with you.  Her opinion may differ from yours.  Savory Savings and Barefoot and Loving It are not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.  This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.  We hereby release Facebook of any liability.  The post may contain affiliate links. Winner(s) will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours after the giveaway ends to respond before another winner is selected.  All entries will be verified. 

Melissa & Doug Sale

Buy One Get One Half Price On All Classic Toys Now At MelissaAndDoug.com! Click Here! Use Code: CLASSICBOGO At Checkout!

Melissa & Doug have some really cute toys.  We have had a few of their puzzles for my son.  I think I will get him a few items that will help him with his fine motor skills.  He gets OT Therapy right now and we need to build his fine motor skills and his upper arm strength.  

Lacing is definitely something we need to practice.  These look cute and fun to do.  I'm going to head over to their website to see what toys are on sale now.  

*Disclosure-This post contains affiliate links*

DIY Ribbon Garland

Pink Satin & Sheer Ribbons

We never had a nursery for either of my children.  So I kind of missed out on the fun of making a cute room full of pink or blue.  I'm not sure how much longer we will be in this apartment but I felt the need to add some color to our bedroom.  Ribbon garland is really easy to make.  You can make garland with ribbons and fabric.  

I chose two types of ribbon, 3/8 inches in size.  These spools held 10 yards each.  In total, 40 yards of ribbon were used for this project.  

1.  You need to tie the ribbons onto one long piece of ribbon, jute, or twine.  

2.  Cut the little pieces of ribbon to whatever length you want.  

3.  I took the piece of ribbon and knotted them onto the main piece of ribbon.

4.  Alternate colors or fabric pieces until you have the amount you desire.

Ribbon Garland

My finished project came out shorter than I wanted but I can always go back to Michael's and get some more spools of ribbon.  The pictures in the frame are of my son, I need to print some physical photos of my daughter.  I would like to try to make a garland out of fabric or tulle.  

Do you like making your own decorations or party supplies?  What kind of garland would you make?

Stay Connected!

Snack of the Day

My favorite snack of the moment is Stacy's Pita Chips dipped in Sabra's Roasted Red Pepper hummus.  Yum!  It is a lot healthier than those Reece's pieces I was just munching on. 

Making my own hummus will be in the near future.  I hear it is pretty easy to do.

What is your favorite mid-day snack? 

Red Rose Tea Review

Red Rose Tea

I recently was provided with complimentary boxes of Red Rose Tea for the purpose of this review. I grew up around Red Rose Tea because that was the only brand of tea my Grandma would drink.  She was serious about her tea and would have a cup every day, usually in the afternoon.  I remember she drank the original tea and a little figurine came inside.  I think if my grandma was around today, she would be very surprised about all the different flavors Red Rose Tea now offers.  

Red Rose Tea Simply Indulgent K-Cups

I was excited to try the Simply Indulgent flavors of Spiced Chai and Cinnamon Bun.  They smell very nice when brewed.  Plus, I love the ease of using a k-cup.  These are sweet flavors.  I didn't even have to add sugar.  My favorite flavor was the Spiced Chai.  If you don't see these in your local grocery store you can purchase them online here.  

Simply Indulgent Tea

The Simply Indulgent Tea also comes in tea bags.  I tried the Creme Caramel and Lemon Chiffon.  You can read more about them here.  Both flavors were good.  The Lemon Chiffon is decaffeinated, so I would rather have this one at night, maybe before bed.  The Creme Caramel is great with a little milk and a little sugar.  Some say I am a little heavy handed with my sugar but with these teas I only used one teaspoon.  They have nice flavor on their own.  The directions say to steep for 3-5 minutes.  I went for the 5 minutes because I like a stronger flavor.  

Organic Green Tea

I love all the flavors that I tried from Red Rose Tea.  My favorite is their Organic Single Estate Blend Green Tea.  It is USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified.  My husband brought the tea to work to share with his fellow colleagues.  They all agreed that it brewed faster and stronger then Bigelow.  My husband also said he liked the India Single Estate black tea blend better than the Tanzania black tea blend.  If you would like to purchase these Organic teas you can go here.

Overall, my Red Rose Tea tasting was a pleasant experience.  My husband and I will definitely be buying more in the future.  Red Rose Tea is connected to Facebook and Twitter.  

Are you a tea drinker?  When do you enjoy a cup of tea?  Which one of these teas do you think you would try?

*Disclosure- I was provided complimentary boxes of Red Rose Tea for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.*

Pork Ribs With A Root Beer Float

Pork Ribs

Pork ribs are great on the grill or in the oven.  We sadly, do not have a grill.  The oven works well on a low temperature.  Low and slow is key.  Before you put it in the oven, give it some flavor.  You can use a spice rub or your favorite bbq sauce.  My hubby chose to do a spice rub.  It turned out tasting really good.  I ate it for leftovers at lunch the next day.  What I really like about pork, besides the taste, is the price tag.  We got these at Target for around $6.00.  I'm sure if we went to the local Meat Farms it would have been even cheaper.  I recently purchased boneless pork ribs and the price was great.  If I can get leftovers from a meal, it is always a good frugal moment.  

Root Beer Float

To quench my thirst after a spicy bite of the pork, was a cold root beer float.  I forgot how much I love these.  Vanilla ice cream and root beer is one of my favorite soda floats.  What other floats should I try?  

-Vanilla Ice Cream & Orange Fanta 
-Chocolate Ice Cream & Cream Soda

Those are just some soda floats that I might try. 

Growing Up Fast