by Shelly on October 4, 2017 Leave a Comment

Need to Know About IKEA Fishers

I was invited to the sneak peek media event at IKEA Fishers that will be opening October 11th. I’ve been to the Schaumburg, IL, Bolingbrook, IL and West Chester, OH locations and am happy to report that the Fishers IKEA has it all! With the convenience of it being a one story building, I was worried they would not have all of the various departments the larger stores contain. Thankfully, the new Ikea (6 minutes from my home) has it all!

IKEA Fishers Opening

Fishers, IN, October 4, 2017 – IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced that when its Indianapolis-area store opens on October 11 in Fishers, Indiana, it will recognize loyal, enthusiastic customers by giving away thousands of dollars in gift cards and merchandise – including an iconic EKTORP sofa for each of the first 45 adults in line, and a POANG armchair for the next 100. Other highlights include a free mattress for the first 45 adults on Thursday, October 12 and a free 4-piece cookware set for the first 45 on Friday, October 13. Customers may begin lining up at 9 a.m. EDT on Monday, October 9 – 48 hours before the store’s opening at 9 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 11. Fishers, IN Mayor Scott Fadness, IKEA U.S. president Lars Petersson and store manager Holly Davidson will officially open the store.

IKEA Fishers is the Swedish company’s first store and restaurant destination in Indiana, 45^th in the United States, and 408^th worldwide. The 289,000-square-foot future IKEA Fishers, with its 1,000 parking spaces, was built on 35 acres along the eastern side of Interstate 69, just south of the E. 116^th Street exit. The store reflects the unique architectural design for which IKEA is known worldwide, and includes one of Indiana’s largest solar rooftops, consistent with the solar presence at 90% of IKEA U.S. locations – as well as three electric vehicle charging stations.

The October 11 ceremony also will include State Representative Todd Huston raising the U.S. flag, Honorary Swedish Vice Consul Anna Engstrom Patel raising the Swedish flag and State Senator Victoria Spartz raising the state flag of Indiana. Individual store coworkers will sing the respective American and Swedish national anthems, and “America the Beautiful” prior to the opening remarks. Entertainment for customers waiting in line will begin at 6 a.m. EDT on opening day. “Just as the IKEA store concept will introduce a new way of shopping for the home, we want customers waiting in line to visit our store to enjoy the unique experience too,” said Holly Davidson, IKEA Fishers store manager. Store visitors will have opportunities to enjoy benefits from the grand opening of IKEA Fishers, including:

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Rest Assured – The first 45 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Fishers on October 11, 2017 will receive a free EKTORP three-seat sofa, honoring our 45^th U.S. store.
Take a Seat (And We Mean Take It!) – The next 100 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Fishers on October 11, 2017 will receive a free POÄNG armchair.
For the (Truly) Young at Heart – The first 100 children (17 & younger) in IKEA Fishers on October 11, 2017 will receive a free FAMNIG heart-shaped soft toy.
Pick a Card, Any Card – The first 2,500 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Fishers on October 11, 2017 will receive a random prize envelope with IKEA Gift Cards ranging from $10 to $250, or a “Buy One, Get One Free” cinnamon bun, hotdog or soft-serve frozen yogurt voucher.
Happy Birthday to You and Us – The first 100 adults (18 & older) bringing proof to IKEA Fishers on October 11, 2017 that their birthday is the same as the store’s will receive a gift card in the amount of $45, a tie-in corresponding to IKEA Fishers as the 45^th U.S. IKEA store.
Enter our Home, Enter to Win – From October 11 through October 15, 2017, visitors to IKEA Fishers may enter for a chance to win one of twenty $250 IKEA Gift Cards through the IKEA FAMILY loyalty program. IKEA is matching twice the amount of the prizes (a total of $10,000) with a donation of home furnishings to Dayspring Center, a local organization that meets the basic needs of homeless families seeking assistance and helps them realize their potential.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Sleep Like Royalty – The first 45 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Fishers on Thursday, October 12, 2017 will receive a free queen-sized HAUGESUND mattress.
Cozy Comfort – The next 100 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Fishers on Thursday, October 12, 2017 will receive a free ALINA “sleep set” that includes bedspread and cushion covers.
Kids’ Best Friend – The first 100 children (17 & younger) in IKEA Fishers on October 12, 2017 will receive a free GOSIG golden dog soft toy.

Friday, October 13, 2017

Cook Like a Pro – The first 45 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Fishers on Friday, October 13, 2017 will receive a free 4-piece SENSUELL cookware set.
Meatballs for a Year – The next 100 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Fishers on Friday, October 13, 2017 will receive a voucher for 12 monthly meatball meals for two at IKEA Fishers’ Restaurant through next year, expiring on October 31, 2018.
A Cold Sweet-ish Treat – The first 100 children (17 & under) in IKEA Fishers on Friday, October 13, 2017 will receive a voucher for a soft-serve frozen yogurt available that day at IKEA Fishers’ Exit Bistro.

Wednesday, October 11 – Sunday, October 15, 2017

Play Big If You’re Little – Balloon artists, entertainment and face-painting will enhance the family-friendly fun at IKEA Fishers from October 11 through October 15, 2017.

ADDITIONAL OFFERS AT IKEA FISHERS

IKEA Fishers is a fun day out for the family with:

Småland, a supervised children’s play area (for children 37”-54” in height) that replicates the look of a typical Swedish farmhouse and forest;
Additional play areas throughout the store, offering activities for kids shopping with parents;
A “Children’s IKEA” area in the Showroom that also offers fun, interactive play; and
Attention-to-detail amenities such as family-friendly parking, strollers and baby care rooms.

No shopping on an empty stomach at IKEA Fishers because:

The IKEA Restaurant opens 30 minutes earlier than the store for a full hot breakfast, including scrambled eggs, potatoes, turkey sausage and Swedish pancakes for only $2.00.
The 325-seat restaurant also offers a diverse menu featuring lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert, including Swedish specialties such as the popular IKEA Swedish meatballs (as well as chicken or veggie versions), seafood plates, pasta, chicken, salads, sandwiches, and vegetarian dishes too.
Menu choices for kids include a child’s portion of Swedish meatballs, chicken fingers or macaroni and cheese, while baby food and bibs are available for even younger visitors.
The Swedish Food Market offers Swedish delicacies, snacks and treats, and frozen Swedish meatballs (the same ones available in the Restaurant) to purchase and then prepare at home.
The Exit Bistro serves hot dogs, pizza, cinnamon buns, frozen yogurt, sundaes and beverages.

IKEA Fishers shopping conveniences include:

Free design appointments with a furnishings consultant;
IKEA catalogs, measuring tape, pencils, store maps, yellow shopping bags and 3 types of carts;

Same-day shopping satisfaction with products in easy-to-transport flat-pack boxes that benefit the customer and the environment;

15 checkout lanes to ensure efficient customer purchasing;
Warehouse picking, home-delivery, assembly, and kitchen planning and installation services; and
2018 IKEA Catalogs, focused on how food-related activities help bring people together through everyday life in and around the kitchen.

When IKEA Fishers opens, there will be 408 IKEA stores in 49 countries, including 45 in the U.S. Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of good design and function at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. IKEA has been included in rankings of “Best Companies to Work For” and strives to be an employer of choice. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information see IKEA-USA.com,@IKEAUSA, @IKEAUSANews, or IKEAUSA on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.

by Shelly on October 3, 2017 9 Comments

Halloween Street Sign

Hello to all you people itching to decorate for Halloween! I started early this year, by a week, and my husband was NOT happy. I had to though because our October weekends are already full and I really wanted to make a Halloween street sign! I’d seen street signs like this for weddings and have always thought they were cool but didn’t know when I’d ever use one…until now!

I loved making this sign because I could put our personalities into it. We made a list of scary/Halloween places and narrowed it down to our top 7 favorites. Unfortunately, the Shrieking Shack did not make the cut but I’m pretty happy with the ones that made it on the sign. Obviously to represent #teamEdward, I had to have Forks, WA. I also had a few nods to Disney with Jeffrey’s favorite Disney movie, Nightmare Before Christmas (as well as Monstropolis and The Haunted Mansion.) I’ve been told Crystal Lake and Elm St. are from popular scary movies of which I will never watch. I’m pretty sure everybody, young or old, knows the tale of The Headless Horseman so we threw Sleepy Hallow on as well. For us, this project was 100% free because we had every item on hand, but it would still be a fairly cheap project if you were looking to buy the materials. Check out the scrap wood pile at your local hardware store for free wood.

Materials Needed:

7 ft 4×4
Several 1×3, 1×4, 1×5 or 1×6 boards cut at varied lengths
8ft 2×4
Miter or Hand Saw
Chisel (optional)
Wood Stain
Brush and Rag for Stain
Screws
2 Bolts & 2 Nuts
Acrylic Paint & Brushes
Letter Stencils
Polyurethane Spray

The first step is to wear the proper clothing. Flip flops are not the proper protection when working with large lumber and a saw but I can’t wear shoes because of my broken toe. Your husband’s jeans are the other piece of attire that you will want to wear, as you will get sawdust and stain on your clothes (don’t forget to ask first.)

Jeffrey had the great idea to have some of the boards angled, so he used the miter saw to cut the corners off the 4×4 and finished them off with a chisel to make the angles longer. This step is optional.

As you cut boards, lay them on the sign to see how you like them spaced. By laying them out we decided which ones we wanted to have points on the end and made sure we didn’t have too many that looked the same. (Please forgive the photo as it was dark when we were building.)

For the base, Jeffrey used nuts and bolts to attach two 2ft 2x4s and screwed two 2ft 2x4s perpendicular on the ends of those boards, making an H.

I stained the wood pieces according to the directions on the can. I stained them by the motion detective security light that constantly was turning off. Mistake number two (the first was wearing flip flops.) Thankfully, I didn’t mind if the stain was uneven and having some boards darker than others, because I wanted them to look different, as if they were added at different times. I also liked that we had several types of wood so the stain ended up being varying shades of brown.

I was not meticulous on my hand writing or the evenness of the paint. Not sure why, but in my mind, the people who would write the signs didn’t really care that they looked nice? Not sure where I got that, but I feel since it is for Halloween, it can be a bit sloppy. I used a round tip brush for the cursive signs.

For one sign, I did a sloppy job of painting an alphabet stencil. My husband suggested I use Sophie’s hand in red paint to smear on the sign. I thought using a baby’s hand print would be too creepy. Also, by adding another element on top of the words, I’d probably mess up the sign and make them too hard to read.

Once I wrote on all of the signs, we sprayed a clear polyurethane on the front of the boards. See the bottom right area where it’s sprayed white? I had the wrong can of spray paint and used white instead of clear! Mistake 3. I mimicked the white spray paint up in the top left to even it out and didn’t worry about it. Mistakes happen!

We attached the boards by pre-drilling a hole in each sign and then screwing it to the 4×4. We used only one screw in each board so we could adjust them once they were all added to the post.

Tada! Our sign up in the yard! I still want to do quite a bit more decorating on the porch for Halloween (the leaves are just fall decor.)

I’m going to add tomb stones around the base and light everything with can lights. I may add a few skulls or bone or spiderwebs as well. What do you do to decorate for Halloween? Do you decorate outside too? Are you the playful Halloween decor type person or a gruesome decor type person? Sorry, neighbors, for being ‘that neighbor’ who puts their Halloween stuff up in September!

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Fall Leaf Garland

by Shelly on September 28, 2017 11 Comments

Nutella Parfait Dessert

I’ve been a real slacker in the world of baking lately. One, because I’m supposed to be on a diet. Two, because it’s just so much effort when I’d rather be doing…anything else. I wanted to think of an quick and easy recipe with very little ingredients but still looks cute and tastes good. That’s a lot of wishful thinking but I was successful! My Mom always used to make Jello and pudding parfaits with fruit in the Jello for a quick, light dessert. I used this idea for my Nutella Parfait dessert but it turned into being more chocolate based and then more Nutella based in the end.

Nutella Parfait Dessert

The ingredients are easily found at any grocery store and can be switched up to customize to your tastes. The recipe I made up includes the following:

Ingredients:

3 c. 2% milk
1 box of Chocolate Fudge Pudding (you can substitute this flavor for any other flavor)
1 bag of chopped hazelnuts
16oz whipping cream (not creamy Cool Whip like I did)
A few heaping spoon fulls of Nutella

Just so you know, I’m not a real stickler for following directions when cooking. USUALLY when baking, I like to follow to a T, but since I was making this recipe up as I went, I don’t have exact measurements for everything. As any good chef will tell you, the best part about cooking is tasting it along the way. If you can’t taste the Nutella well enough, just add more!

The first thing I recommend doing (because I wish I had) is to chop the hazelnuts smaller before laying them out on a pan to roast in the oven. I put them in our toaster oven at 325F for 12 minutes, tossed them around a bit and put them back in for a few more minutes. This time will probably vary slightly if you chop the hazelnuts smaller so check on them before 12 minutes.

While your hazelnuts are roasting, make your fudge pudding according to the directions on the package. It should only take 5 minutes to set in the fridge. At this time, if you were me, you’d realize you didn’t ever drink milk, and contemplate if pudding could be made with water. Do not attempt this. Run to the neighbor’s to borrow some milk. (Thanks neighbor!)

While the pudding is setting, you can move on to the part that I demolished, the whipped Nutella! What you’re supposed to do: ‘In the bowl of a mixer (or using a hand-held), add the cold cream and begin whipping; once thickened slightly, sprinkle in the sugar and finish whipping just until stiff peaks form; set aside for a moment.’ I thought I was doing this but mine turned out a bit more like this:**

*womp womp* I didn’t let it stop me! I mixed in my Nutella and just pretended it wasn’t supposed to be light and fluffy. It still tasted amazing! Now that all the fixins’ are ready, it’s time to layer in your dish. This recipe makes 6 servings in 6 oz glasses or 4 servings in 10 oz glasses. To make clean layers, put your fillings in two separate icing bags (or Ziplock bags like I used) and cut the corner. Layer as you wish. For mine I layered hazelnuts, Nutella, Nutella ‘whip’, fudge pudding, Nutella ‘whip’, a dab of fudge pudding and sprinkled hazelnuts on the top. Let’s just say my husband wasn’t upset about this dessert.

In the end, I will definitely be trying this dessert again, but with more attention to the whip! I think it’d also be good with Oreos rather than hazelnuts. There are a ton of different flavor combos you could do for this dessert. Don’t be afraid to try things and mess up because you’ll always learn something! Even if I would have had to throw the whole thing out, there’s always Dairy Queen. What would your favorite combo be?

**While re-reading once finished, I’d realized I used Cool Whip rather than whipping cream! Major rookie move that I should not have made and will not make again!

Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing- This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ExperienceFrontera #CollectiveBias

We LOVE Mexican food. It’s one of the only types of food our picky 3 year old will definitely eat! It is so helpful to have freezer meals on the ready for nights when you just need a break. When I meal plan and order groceries on ClickList every Sunday I make sure to add in one frozen meal that will require no additional cooking (other than throwing together a salad.) This gives me more time to spend with my family and a break on dishes!

Having the chance to go to the park or play a board game is rare during a weeknight for our family. My husband gets home at 6 and bedtime is 7:30. Dinner, bath and story time takes up that entire hour and a half. I schedule a frozen meal once per week to make family fun time possible. If I’m able to throw in Frontera® Frozen Bowl to heat up while we do chalk outside waiting for Daddy, we’re able to eat as soon as he gets home and enjoy some fun before bed. Frontera Frozen meal night is our favorite week night! Our favorite is the Barbacoa Taco Bowl. It is a signature central Mexican dish where tender beef is roasted, then slow cooked with ancho, guajillo, and chipotle chiles. This kick is paired nicely with my mexican salad.

Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

romane lettuce
diced tomatoes
corn
avocado
black beans
shredded cheese

Honey Lime Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
cilantro garnish

Sophie’s favorite is the Chicken Fajita Bowl with fire-roasted poblano peppers and chipotle chiles. It has big chunks of chicken and is served over rice. There are four flavors to choose from:

Frontera® Chicken Fajita Bowl
Frontera® Tinga Taco Bowl
Frontera® Barbacoa Taco Bowl
Frontera®Veggie Taco Bowl

Next time you’re making your weekly meal plan, plan a Frontera Frozen Bowl night. I promise, streamlining meals by using ClickList, easy pick up at Kroger and a night of no dishes, you’ll have a much happier week. Click here to save $1.00 on any ONE (1) Frontera meal. Download this awesome deal before it’s gone!

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by Shelly on September 25, 2017 Leave a Comment

Kids Chore List for Young Kids

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Polinate Media Group® and The J.M. Smucker Company, but all opinions are my own. #pmedia #miloskitchen http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Do you use a kids chore list? At what age did they start doing chores? Our daughter is 3 and she has weekly chores that are her responsibility. We’ve still not decided on how or when to start allowance (or if we will) but for right now she has specific tasks that she needs to do before she can play. In our mind, this will help her as she has more difficult jobs around the house to be a normal routine. It may not help her to enjoy doing these chores in high school or even as an adult but it will help her understand that everyone plays a part. She understands that the sooner chores are done, the sooner Mommy and Daddy can play with her. Her favorite chore is to help take care of Lexi by giving her Milo’s Kitchen home-style dog treats.

Kids Chore List

I’ve seen many suggestions on Pinterest regarding the best chores for different ages. I think that all depends on the family situation and what the child is able to accomplish. We’ve had a Montessori approach to most things in our home since day one. She’s had access to her plates, cups, utensils to be able to get herself a snack or water at any time. We have step stools in all bathrooms which encouraged her to be able to go potty on the toilet and wash her hands at an early age. Everything in her bedroom and play areas are accessible for her to get out AND put away (emphasis on the ease of being able to put it away.)

As a three year old we expect her to take care of herself and the environment she is in (home, school, library etc.) Part of this stems from my anxiety around clutter but also to help her get in the habit of caring for her environment. We also expect her to be helpful to us around the house aside from her messes.

Our 3 Year Old’s Chores:

Sorting the clean silverware and her dishes when I clean the kitchen
Taking care of our dog Lexi (her favorite job)
Emptying all the small trashcans (weekly)
Dusting the TV area (weekly)

When I talk about her taking care of our dog Lexi, I don’t mean everything that is involved in taking care of a pet. We don’t make her scoop poop, give her a bath or brush her teeth but she does help or do everything else.

Feeds our dog
Lets her out of her room when we get home
Opens the door to let her outside
Helps take her on walks
Calms her down at vet visits
Plays ball with her outside
Gives her her favorite treats (Milo’s Kitchen Home-Style dog treats)

One major reason Sophia’s biggest chore is to take care of Lexi is to help her learn to care for others. Lexi is a member of our family and she deserves to be treated like our family. That’s why we buy her the best in dog food and treats. We wouldn’t want her eating anything we wouldn’t put in our mouths. We chose Milo’s Kitchen Home-Style Dog Treats because they use 100% real chicken, beef, duck or sweet potato as the #1 ingredient. Like with our family’s food, we want her to have treats that are made totally free of artificial flavors or colors. Another bonus is that it’s made here in the USA so we know what standards it has to go through before being placed on the shelves at Meijer.

Sophia has learned how to give commands for Lexi to do her tricks. Our pup will run through every trick she knows begging to get a Milo’s Kitchen Home-Style dog treat. Lexi’s favorite flavor is the sweet potato slices that are 100% real sweet potatoes basted with savory chicken broth. We get her treats when we pick up groceries at Meijer. Take advantage of this mPerks offer of 30% off Milo’s Kitchen Home-Style dog treats now through 10/7 (while supplies last) before you head to your local Meijer!

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7 Skills Every Toddler Should Have

Need to Know About IKEA Fishers

IKEA Fishers Opening

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Friday, October 13, 2017

Wednesday, October 11 – Sunday, October 15, 2017

ADDITIONAL OFFERS AT IKEA FISHERS

No shopping on an empty stomach at IKEA Fishers because:

IKEA Fishers shopping conveniences include:

Halloween Street Sign

Materials Needed:

Nutella Parfait Dessert

Nutella Parfait Dessert

Ingredients:

Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

Honey Lime Dressing:

Kids Chore List for Young Kids

Kids Chore List

Our 3 Year Old’s Chores:

Life Planner

Preschool Montessori Bedroom

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