Velveeta Cheesy Skillets House Party

I hosted a Velveeta Cheesy Skillets House Party on June 20th! House Party sent me everything I needed to host the party. I invited friends, made dinner and we had fun! I was sent 4 flavors, Chicken & Broccoli, Nacho Supreme, Zesty BBQ Chicken and Cheeseburget. The party favorite was Nacho Supreme, mine was the Zesty BBQ Chicken. Everyone went home with a $1 off coupon, dry erase board and pen, and Velveeta tote bag. This was my first experience with House Party. I can't wait to host another one!

You can host your own House Party!

A Few Quick Updates

Connor moved into his own house. He's thinking of putting a pool in.

Tupperware's having an awesome sale! I need $75 in sales to stay a consultant by Friday, June 24th. Check out my page!

Not Meant To Garden This Year

I don't think I am meant to garden this year. I had this big plan. All of the tomatoes and peppers I started (except for one), have not survived. The day after I planted them, we had 4-5 straight days of rain. The one that did survive was planted before the others and hasn't grown much. But it's still alive!

I checked the four Walmart Marglobe tomatoes this morning and they are still there. However "something" dug up the Walmart Black Beauty zucchini. "Something" had been digging in my green onion pot again too. "Something" needs to find another place to hunt for food!

It looks like I'll be checking out the local farmers markets more than I planned this year...

10 Reasons I Want Chickens

Yes, chickens. I have wanted chickens for a looooong time. I've been trying to convince my husband to say yes for the last month. So far, he has said no. Or NO, depending on the day...

Here are my 10 reasons I want chickens.

1. Fresh Eggs. Farm eggs generally have less cholesterol, less saturated fat, more vitamins A & E, more Omega 3s, and of course taste better. If you've never had a fresh egg, you're missing out! (And who wouldn't want a blue egg?)

2. Material Use. We have the space, materials for a coop and a dog run. We have almost 7 acres, more than enough room for a small flock. We have materials from a 12x12 shed that was never put up. We have a 12x7 dog run that came with the house. It's never been used by us, and just keeps getting moved. Why not find a real use for it?!

3. Bug Control. Chickens eat all sorts of things, including bugs.

4. Mini Garbage Disposals. Like I said, all sorts of things. They will gladly eat your leftover kitchen scraps. This also helps keep food out of the landfills. Kitchen scraps = tasty eggs. It's a win-win!

5. Organic Fertilizer. Chicken manure makes excellent compost. I already have a small bin set up for my rabbit manure. Since the pasture is so compacted from the horses being on it for 4 years, it needs some ammending. Composted chicken manure would be amazing for my garden next year.

6. Teaching My Son. Even at 2 years old, Connor is old enough to help me feed and water chickens. He can even help me gather eggs, which helps enforce numbers and counting. It's good for kids to be around animals.

7. Cost. Unlike our other pets, chickens don't cost much to feed. Partially due to reasons #3 and #4 above. From my research, it shouldn't cost more than $5-$9/month to keep a flock of 6 chickens. They also don't need electricity in the coop.

8. Animal Welfare. Factory layers are not treated very nicely. A factory hen will most likely never touch grass, never allowed outside, fed an un-natural diet, etc. With backyard chickens, you know how they are taken care of, what they eat and how they are treated.

9. Easy Care. Chickens don't need tons of care. Of course, every animal needs a certain level of care. What I mean is they don't need to be walked every day, no expensive vaccines, etc. It only takes a few minutes every day to feed, water and sweep out the coop.

10. They Are Fun! Yes, fun! Chickens have such cute personalities. They follow you around, they are friendly, they will sit on your lap ;)

Thinking of keeping chickens? Start here!