Karen

Pucker Up For Lemonhead Candy!

Did you know that Lemonhead Candy is over 50 years old? The Ferrara Company started making them in 1962! I don’t think I ever had this candy when I was a kid, but I sure do love it now, especially the chewy ones.

Ferrara has been in business since 1908. The same creativity and innovation that they started out with is the reason why they are still the #1 non-chocolate candy manufacturer in the United States. This year, the brand (packaging and logo) not only received a fresher, updated look, Lemonhead also welcomes a new product into the family with the debut of Lemonhead Gummies.

Lemonhead Candies are totally gluten free, (see ingredients here) so they will make a great treat to give away to your little gluten free goblins this Halloween.

BUY IT!: You can use this Candy Locator to find your favorite Ferrara Candy in a store near you.

Win It!: One lucky reader of Fabgrandma.com will win a $50 Taste It Sampler Pack of Lemonhead Candies!

The prize pack consists of everything you see in the picture above:

lemon head drawstring gift bag, lemonhead tshirt, lemonhead stand up bag, chewy lemonhead stand up bag, lemonhead gumies, lemonhead theater boxes, small 25cent boxes in different flavors. That’s a lot of Lemonheads!

To enter, use the Giveaway Tools Entry Form below:

Entry -Form

0 Shares

6 Tips for Decorating Your Yard for the Holidays

Karen · Leave a Comment

The holidays are fast approaching, but what if you still need inspiration for your outdoor decor? Here are just six ways to spice up your yard this Christmas.

1. Buy Fairy Lights
Fairy lights are the great classic of Christmastime decorating, so don’t be afraid to go a little crazy. Frame your windows with red and green; decorate your rooftop with white and gold; use flashing multicolored lights to make all the neighborhood children “ooh” and “ahh.”

2. Use All Available Space
Your front lawn isn’t the only place that you can decorate. What about putting a star on top of your tallest tree? How about wrapping your patio chairs with laurels and wreaths? Have you considered dying the gravel on your driveway in holiday colors?

3. Go Green
Mistletoe may be one of the most popular Christmastime plants, but there are others that you can spread around your garden, too. Frankincense is easy to grow and will make your entire yard smell like the holidays; poinsettia will be bright and festive along your fence; holly berries can be cultivated around your mailbox.

4. Illuminate Dark Corners
Make your entire yard seem bigger by sticking lights and lanterns in its darker corners. You can also use this trick with the exterior of your home. Wind a few strands around your stairways and railings; decorate the trim of doorways and windows; draw attention to your chimney Santa with outdoor lighting around his sleigh.

5. Let It Snow
You don’t have to live in a snowy climate to transform your lawn into a winter wonderland. Fake frost can be scattered on top of your bushes and gutters, and large, decorative flakes can be hung from branches and pasted onto windows. You can also use light bars to create a shining glow like the snow is really glistening.

6. Get Creative with Ornaments
You’ve put a wreath on the door and a procession of reindeer on the lawn. Now what? Think about things like bows, bells, ornaments, icicles and candy canes. Think about stockings and snowmen. You can even “wrap” your bushes like Christmas presents if you have enough paper!

These are just six ways to embrace the holiday spirit with your exterior design. Whether you’re decorating your first home or just looking for new ideas for an old lawn, use these tips and tricks to make your landscape one of the most festive on the block.

0 Shares

Do You Have Mortgage Insurance?

Karen · Leave a Comment

A home is one of the most important investments in a person’s life. Therefore, it may be a good idea to take steps to protect that asset in the event that a mortgage holder is disabled or passes away. Buying a mortgage life insurance policy could be the best way to make sure that the family home stays in the family even if there is an outstanding mortgage balance.

What Is Mortgage Life Insurance?

Mortgage life insurance provides money to pay off the balance of a mortgage in the event that the person paying the mortgage becomes disabled or passes away. In many cases, this money is provided tax-free and may be passed on to future generations depending on how the policy is written. As opposed to private mortgage insurance, this type of policy protects the borrower, not the lender, in the event that mortgage payments are not made.

How Much Does Such a Policy Cost?

The good news is that a mortgage life insurance policy doesn’t cost a lot of money. In many cases, a $100,000 policy can be had for as little as $250 a year and provide protection for either 15 or 30 years if purchased as a term-life policy. For the convenience of the person holding the policy, it may be possible to pay the premium in a lump sum or prepay it in a manner suitable for the policyholder.

A Bundling Discount May Apply

For those who are buying mortgage life insurance from an insurance company that they already get their car, home or other insurance policies from, it may be possible to obtain a bundling discount. This means that you can save on your mortgage insurance policy as well as the other policies that you have.

It is always a good idea to buy insurance to protect your interests. With a mortgage life insurance policy, you can rest assured that your family will not be put on the street because you die or are otherwise unable to pay the mortgage due to a permanent disability.

Do you have a mortgage insurance policy? If not, how will you pay for your home if your spouse passes away or becomes disabled?

0 Shares

Sarongs For Beach Wear Coverup

Karen · Leave a Comment

Accessories For Swimwear

Sarong ties are used by ladies who are in their swimwear and summer wear. Most people will find that they need a little coverup when they are going from the water to other parts of town or the house. Sarongs vary in size and scope, and women must decide what kind of sarong they prefer when they are getting ready for the day.

The Light Sarong

A small sarong can be used by most ladies who want to wear something around their waist without feeling like they have a full skirt on. These small sarongs do not cover up much, but they do provide the semblance that the lady is covered up when she leaves the beach or the pool.

The Full Sarong

A full sarong is something that a woman can wear when she prefers to have a full skirt on. Most women will not have to bring along a change of clothes because they can wear a sarong and hit the town after they get out of the water. The women can carry their sarong in their beach bag, and the sarong does not not have to be treated like a traditional skirt. The best way for a woman to pack for their time at the beach is to stuff their sarong in the bag and forgo a separate top.

The Colors

Most women can find a colorful sarong that will match their swimwear. A woman will feel her best when she is in a sarong and suit that match wonderfully. Also, a lady can purchase several sarongs that she can stuff in her beach bag before she heads out. Each of these sarongs will match one of her suits, and she is given many style options that she can use when she is about town after her time in the water.

The most lovely sarongs for women are the ones they feel most comfortable in. A sarongs that is small will give the lady the semblance of being very covered up without weighing her down. A traditional sarong can be worn out to lunch, shopping or at the bar with the ladies.

0 Shares

Let The Home Improvements Begin!

Karen · 20 Comments

I was not compensated for this post, nor did I received any products. I am just a happy Home Depot customer.

When we bought our house in December of 2011, we knew we would be making some improvements and doing a bit of remodeling. The house is in a liveable condition, it just needs some “New”. Our original plan was to work for two more years, save money, then come home from Arizona and start doing some of the little projects that would make our home prettier, more up to date, and more energy efficient. But, as you know, life happened.

Now that I have been approved for disability, and have a little money to spend on the house, we are finally getting started with home improvements. This may not sound exciting to many of you, but for me, it is wonderful!

Our existing front door looks like this:

I don’t know about you, but even though it works like a door should work, it is just UGLY. We also have an existing storm door. The closer thing at the top of the door has pulled out of the door frame so many times that the screw holes are stripped out, and it won’t stay there. We even used wood glue, and epoxy glue, and it came out again and again.

In addition to that, the door catch broke off, so the door will not stay shut at all. When Parker, my grandson comes over, I have to keep the entry door closed so he will not fall out of the house onto the porch.

The windows, while functional, are old. They are not a good quality window to start with, and they seem to have not been caulked when they were installed about 20 years ago. They have also been screwed shut, so that they can not be opened, and do not have locks on them so that if we took the screws out, we would not be able to lock them.

The windows are screwed shut. You can see the screws in the corners of the windows.

And, someone used duct tape on the window sill in the bedroom for some reason, and when it was removed, it left this ugly stuff that will not come off.

We decided to make the first two projects on our home improvement list to replace the windows and the front door and storm door. Because we had such a hard time finding a local person who would actually come out and give us an estimate and then show up to do the job, we decided to go to Home Depot for our needs. It has been such a pleasure so far working with them.

First, we went to the Home Depot in Cedartown to look at doors and windows. We talked to JT the first time we were there. He showed us several varieties of entry doors and storm doors, and told us the first thing we would need to do would be to schedule an appointment for someone to come out and measure for the doors. We went ahead and made the appointment. To make the appointment for measuring for the door, we had to pay a $30 deposit, but if we decided to buy our door from them, that will apply to the balance due.

We also decided to start the process of getting windows installed. We did not have to pay anything up front before they came to measure, and show us samples of different windows.

Don from Home Depot making his sales pitch in our living room.

In a couple of days, Don arrived to give us the window presentation. We were surprised at how good they looked, and how much heat they can filter out in the summer. The windows we picked out will help tremendously in holding down our power bill in both summer and winter. Home Depot not only sells them, they also come out and install them. At the time the sales person is at your house, you pay a 25% deposit towards the purchase. You don’t pay the balance due until you are completely happy with the install. We placed our order with Don after he measured our existing windows. He said someone would come out in a day or two to verify the measurements.

Sure enough, someone showed up to re-measure the windows and verify the number of windows ordered, and the color and style. This guy, whose name I did not get, said as soon as he got home and input the measurements in the system, the windows would be ordered, and that would trigger a call to set up an installation appointment.

A few days later, someone from Home Depot showed up to take some measurements for the door. He was only there for a few minutes, but he wrote down several notes about our door and took a picture of it to include in the online account, where we can go at any time to see the progress of our order. After this guy left, John called and told us that the next step was to go back to Home Depot and order the doors.

The process for buying a door and installation is a little bit different from the window process. After discussing the differences between a fiberglass door and a steel door, we decided to order the fiberglass one. It is more energy efficient than steel, and won’t dent,or expand in heat. We picked out which door we wanted, then we picked the storm door, and finally we decided on which hardware we wanted for the entry door. We had to pay in full for the price of the doors and installation at the time we placed our order.

This is what my new storm door will look like.

When we got back home today, we had a phone call from Home Depot, scheduling the installation of our windows. So, I’ll be able to show you the new windows on October 7. Can’t wait!

Something else I liked about working with Home Depot, is that all of the people who come out to your home have to be bonded and they will have a Home Depot ID tag. I like that as a safety factor.

Pin8

8 Shares

Thrifty Thursday: Apple Barrel Antiques, Bremen, GA

Karen · 8 Comments

Fabgrandpa and I decided that we needed a corner cabinet to put by the sofa in the living room. So, we did what we usually do when we are looking for a particular piece of furniture. We went thrifting!

We stopped by our favorite place, The Pea Patch in Tallapoosa, Georgia, but they did not have anything that would work for us the day we were there. The next stop was Apple Barrel Antiques in Bremen, Georgia. We have been to this place numerous times, and have bought things in there before.

This day, we found the corner cabinet we were looking for. It is a little black cabinet, with built in bookends. It is rather small, but fits the space we had. It will give us a place to put some photos out, something we haven’t done yet. I think it was a steal at $32.

I also picked up a jar of bobbins, all filled with black thread. That is something you rarely see in a thrift shop. Maybe spent too much, but I am a sewing freak. $20

The last thing I bought there was a McCall’s Needlework & Crafts Magazine from 1962. The cover is so classic 1960’s, with the model wearing a sleek red knit pant suit, red flats, with a huge bow in her pouffy hairdo. I could not walk out of the store without it. A real treasure at $1.49

What did you thrift this week?

0 Shares

Red Gold Tomatoes Are A Great Start To A Slow Cooker Recipe

Karen · 3 Comments

I received product from Red Gold in order to write this post.

With Fall beginning, and cooler weather here in Georgia, it’s time for us to get out more and go do things away from home. I like to start dinner in a slow cooker before I leave, so that all I have to do is make a salad or some toast and it’s ready to eat.

Basil, Parsley and Oregano from my porch garden

On Saturday, my grandson Owen had a birthday party. Because they just moved back to Georgia from Maryland, I was able to actually go to his party for the first time. Before I left, I started some Italian Mushroom Stew in my slow cooker.

It isn’t hard to make this hearty stew. A few Italian sausages, a can of Red Gold Tomatoes with Garlic and Olive Oil, some mushrooms, a bell pepper, and garlic, and you are done!

Italian Mushroom Stew Recipe (Gluten Free)

3 garlic cloves

1 green bell pepper

1 lb button or portobello mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 lb frozen green beans

fresh basil leaves

fresh parsley leaves

fresh oregano leaves

1 (16 oz) can Red Gold Tomatoes with Garlic and Olive Oil

1 package of Italian Sweet Sausages

2 carrots

1 (16 oz) can chicken broth (gluten free)

1 cup rice, uncooked

Dice the garlic cloves, bell pepper and mushrooms. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add vegetables, and cook until garlic is browned. Pour into slow cooker. Add frozen green beans to slow cooker. Remove casings from sausages. Slice into 1/2 inch slices, and cut each slice in fourths. Add to skillet, and cook until sausage is browned. Drain off grease, and add cooked sausage to the slow cooker. Add the Red Gold Tomatoes, two cans of water, and the can of chicken broth. Chop up the fresh herbs and add to the slow cooker. Stir to mix ingredients together well. Cover and cook on low at least four hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, cook rice in two cups of boiling water. Serve hot stew over rice.

Red Gold Is Giving Away Two Slow Cookers A Day!

To win one, you have to go to the Red Gold Facebook Page. They are hosting the giveaway from Sept. 17 until Oct. 8, during which time they will give away two slow cookers a day for— that’s 44 Crock-Pots. Just go to Red Gold on Facebook to enter.

In addition to the giveaway that Red Gold is hosting on their Facebook page, they are giving away a Red Gold Prize Package right here on Fabgrandma.com. The prize pack includes a 6 pack of Red Gold Tomato Products, a Red Gold Apron, a wooden spoon, and some tasty recipes. To enter the giveaway use the Giveaway Tools form below. Good Luck! There is only one winner.

Entry -Form

Pin4

4 Shares

This Is Where I Leave You In Theaters September 19

Karen · 35 Comments

Fabgrandpa and I have not been to many movies in the last few years. As a matter of fact, I can not remember the last one we went out to see. However, for some reason, I am really looking forward to This Is Where I Leave You coming out in theaters, and hope that we can get to a theater to see it. The story line just speaks to me:

When their father passes away, four grown siblings, bruised and banged up by their respective adult lives, are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes and might-have-beens. Confronting their history and the frayed states of their relationships among the people who know and love them best, they ultimately reconnect in hysterical and emotionally affecting ways amid the chaos, humor, heartache and redemption that only families can provide—driving us insane even as they remind us of our truest, and often best, selves.

This Is Where I Leave You stars Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard and Jane Fonda

It could be because of the plot, or because of the many actors in the movie, both new and old, that I like to see on the screen. Jason Bateman and Adam Driver are two of my favorites!

One lucky reader of Fabgrandma.com is going to win a prize pack for This Is Where I Leave You. The prize includes a $25 gift card, and a copy of the novel “This Is Where I Leave You” by Jonathan Tropper, that the movie is based on.

Entry -Form

0 Shares