Create and Share | Features too!

| Create and Share |

Don't forget to grab one of our {BUTTONS} 

I always look forward to this day of the week. It's fun to go through all the fabulous link ups.

| Linky Party Rules |

• Follow Trendy Treehouse via Google friend connect


• Link Up only to the Post. Not your home page


• Please DO NOT link up shops or giveaways


• Share the Create and Share Button somewhere on your blog


• Visit at least 3 other link ups and leave meaningful comments


• Come back next week to see if your link up has been featured

So if you see that you have been featured, go by and grab a...

 "Trendy Blog Award Button"

{Here are a few of my favorites that linked up last week}
Click on photos below to read more!

  

  

  

  

Sesame Chicken

My family has been eating this recipe of Sesame Chicken since I can remember. It was a great meal and an even better snack when we were on the road during my volleyball tournaments. I recently asked my mom for the recipe and made some up. We took ours with us on our camping trip. I knew they would be good to grill up or just eat cold when we were headed out quickly.

What you will need...

Boneless chicken thighs

50/50 soy sauce/water

minced garlic

lemon juice

Ad you can see from above I made a double batch. You will only need one baking pan for one package of chicken.

First you want to rinse all your chicken, remove large fat portions, add to your pan. Add in your soy sauce and water. Make sure they are equal parts. 50/50 Then, squeeze in some lemon juice. I used about 1 1/2 tablespoons per batch. Lastly, mix in your minced garlic and sprinkle on some sesame seeds. (you can leave the seeds out for those who don't care for or are allergic to them)

Below is what it should now look like. Cover and let marinade in fridge for 24 hours or at least 8 hours. I like to marinade a full day for best flavor.

Once you pull out your marinaded chicken, place your chicken on a baking sheet and spoon over some of the marinade.  Place in oven at 350° for about an hour or until done. Check chicken halfway and turn over.

And this is what you get when your done. Delicious Sesame Chicken to enjoy! Eat is now or let cool and place in large zip lock bags for later.

Other ways to cook this chicken...

You can BBQ this and add your favorite sauces.

If camping, and want to bake, place in baking pan and cover with foil. Slow cook (with some marinade) over campfire or propane flame. We did this and it was perfect.

This is a favorite of mine lately also because I can snack on it all day with my low carb diet. If I am in a rush in the morning, I just grab a couple pieces and go. Or at night, I heat them up and add my favorite sauce, some veggies and I have my meal. I love that it is so easy to prepare. I just ran out too! I need to run to the store for more. ;-)

S'mores and other random tidbits

Our neighbors are amazing. We are so blessed to live right smack next door to a great family who has children of similar ages to ours (in fact their daughter is only a month younger than Naomi) and who have the same beliefs as us and the same parenting style. We have worked out a great system for dinners together and just enjoy hanging out. We swap babysitting once a month so that we can have date nights with our spouses. They watch our kids one night and we watch theirs on a different night. We usually just do dinner and something else short so that we don't have to put the other kids to bed and it works out great for us all. We get some one on one time with our spouse and we get to have a longer play date for our kids another night.



Last night was our turn to watch the neighbors kids. We decided to have breakfast for dinner and then let the kids make their own dessert. They made little s'mores roll-ups. Super easy and delicious! Just a croissant, some chocolate chips and marshmallows. The kids loved that they were able to make their own dessert! They were pretty delicious too!



In other news, my daughter started 4K on Thursday. We were originally going to homeschool this year but we've decided to send her to the local Catholic school. She was a little late in starting because we weren't planning on sending her but she didn't miss much...besides she couldn't have gone the first week because she was super sick. You can see more pictures from our mini "first day of school" photo shoot and hear about our decision to send her here.

Are you having your family photos taken this fall? I've written up a "what to wear" mini guide

and would love for you to take a look at it and let me know what you think. Hope you have a great

weekend and if you've already started school hope the kiddos are enjoying it! And if you haven't

started school I hope you have a great beginning to a new year!

Timeless Treasures for You | Review & Giveaway

Timeless Treasure is a one stop shop with a high selection of quality products! They offer clothing, jewelry, candles, home decor, books and more! The perfect shopping place for yourself and a gift for friends and family!

I was able to review their Chocolate Chip Cookie candles. When the package arrived, I was getting ready to head out, so I asked my daughter to open it up. She was so excited and screamed "Oooohhh, cookies mommy!" Then, "Candles?" I said yep, they are candles. She then proudly marched in to the kitchen to place them in the middle of our bar. They looked cute. When you get these cookie candles, they come with 3 cookies and on a black metal tray. I liked that they had their own tray. Later in the evening, we lit the candles while making dinner. My girls loved staring at the cookies melting. I loved the cookie scent they had too. Although, I wished it was a little bit stronger. These cookies are too cute. I wouldn't mind getting some more and piling them up on a cake plate to just stare at all the time. Which reminds me, they would make great photo props too! Hhmmmm! Lots of uses for these cookies!

I also have to mention that I was amazed at all the adorable products that Timeless Treasures offers. I wish I could have reviewed more! Their jewelry is beautiful and I love the cute designs on the t-shirts. The best part is this shop is very affordable. So they are the perfect shop for gifts!

Get 25% discount when using code: trendy at checkout

discount expires 10.21.11

Want a Chocolate Chip Cookie Candle for yourself?

You can get one by entering in our giveaway!

Timeless Treasures is generously offering a Chocolate Chip Cookie Candle

to one lucky reader!

... How to enter ...

Mandatory 1st Entry - Like Timeless Treasures on Facebook!

YOU Must enter Mandatory entry or all others will be deleted. Thanks! 

Additional Entries... Eligible after completing mandatory entry above.

You may enter all or some of the additional entries. 

Please complete one comment per entry!

Additional Entries

• Follow Timeless Treasures on Twitter
• Follow Timeless Treasures on their Blog
• Subscribe to Trendy Treehouse - enter email in sidebar
• Follow Trendy Treehouse via Google Friend Connect

You will have until Sept 19 @ 9:00 p.m. Pacific Standard time to enter this giveaway. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here. If the winner has provided an email address I will contact you. If you don't provide your email, you will want to check back here and see if you are the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to those living in the US. You must be 18 years or older to enter. Thanks for entering at Trendy Treehouse. Good Luck and Have Fun!

The featured product {s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. By entering this giveaway you agree to Trendy Treehouse Disclaimer/Terms of use.

First Day of School for my Kiddos!

Happy Thursday everyone! It feels like a Friday to me. ;-) My hubby started working 4 10's and is taking 3 day weekends with us! Yeah! Tomorrow is the first Friday. And while the kids are in school, we get a day together. I'm excited about that! We don't get too much alone time with 4 kiddos. So it will be nice to spend Fridays together.

Anyway, I wanted to share some photos with you today. Last week my kids started school!! They couldn't wait! I wasn't ready. :( We had such a fun summer of camping and boating, I didn't want it to end. And now all I hear is silence. It's kinda strange without kid noise. HUH? When your used to it 24/7.

So the first day of school, I started it off right. With CINNAMON ROLLS! Mmmm! Who doesn't love them. I got giggles and smiles all around!

After the kids were ready to go, we stepped outside for some photos. I took a lot, so don't freak out! Ok, I'll only share my favorites. Here is one of all the kids with their backpacks and teacher gifts.

And here is one of them with their grades written on Chalkboards. These were fun! We found the speech bubble chalkboards at our local craft store.

Here are some crazy faced kiddos!

My son, CJ is going in to the 6th grade this year. REALLY? I can't believe it! He is really excited about this year because he can try out for the sports teams now! He plays Little League, but really wants to be a part of the school team. He is also starting his second year of playing the saxophone. I know I am his mom, but he is REALLY good at playing it! We are so proud of him. He's going to have a great year!

 Our oldest daughter, Cha Cha is beginning 5th grade. I can't hardly describe how excited she is. She is now on the big kid side of the school and gets a new lunch hour and recess. And YES! She is excited because now she can say hi to her big brother during the day. He's not too excited. BROTHERS!!! LOL Music it the other thing she can't wait for. She has chosen to play the flute. YEAH! The first day of school she came running out saying "I LOVE 5TH GRADE!" That is a good sign. Woo! Hoo!

Our little Cass is entering third grade this year. She is my one and only that wants to dress herself every morning for school. Any other day, she doesn't care. But on non PE days, she wants to wear a dress and be a girly girl. So cute! We do see a few tears if she doesn't get to wear what she wants. :( But she's always happy and stylin! She is going to have a great year and loves her class. Her favorite thing to do is the monkey bars at recess and yes, like me, she has to wear lil shorts under her dresses so she can do the monkey bars with a dress on. LOL

Our youngest, Caidee Rae is starting 1st grade. She is super excited that she is now a big girl and can't wait to go every morning. She loves her music class. It started yesterday and she came home singing. CUTE! She also loves PE and recess. I get to work in her class on Monday afternoons and already this week, I loved seeing that she is quick to raise her hand. She is not afraid to give answers! YEAH!

We are very excited for the kids and another year of school and fun memories! I still can't believe that all my kids are in school already. It's so sad but at the same time exciting for them. They get to have all the great experiences school brings. Friends, field trips, recess, music and more!

How was your kids first day of school? 

Share some photos below in our comments. Would love to see them!

Create and Share | Features too!

| Create and Share |

Don't forget to grab one of our {BUTTONS} 

I always look forward to this day of the week. It's fun to go through all the fabulous link ups.

| Linky Party Rules |

• Follow Trendy Treehouse via Google friend connect


• Link Up only to the Post. Not your home page


• Please DO NOT link up shops or giveaways


• Share the Create and Share Button somewhere on your blog


• Visit at least 3 other link ups and leave meaningful comments


• Come back next week to see if your link up has been featured

So if you see that you have been featured, go by and grab a...

 "Trendy Blog Award Button"

{Here are a few of my favorites that linked up last week}
Click on photos below to read more!