Crock Pot Mishap & Free Photo Valentine's

Sometimes the best laid plans go awry, as we learned today. I had hoped to have a chicken tortilla soup recipe to share. My husband came home at lunch time, got everything ready, put all the ingredients in the crock pot...and...forgot to turn it on. We were in and out today, and I guess we didn't notice it wasn't working away. Cause when we went to eat dinner...well on the bright side we learned that Melissa's taco bake really is just as good the next day as leftovers:) My mom pointed out too that it lookes like something that can be put together ahead of time and then heated up later.

It's just annoying that we were actually took the time to plan this week out. Monday: Taco Bake, Tuesday: Tortilla Soup, Wednesday: Dinner out at the local Big Boy Restaurant for a fund raiser for the school, Thursday: Taco Bake Planned Leftovers, and Friday: Tortilla Soup Planned Leftovers. As you can see the cook once, eat twice method was being put to good use. No looking at each other at 5:30 with blank stares about what to eat.

Did manage to get somethings done, have finally decided on a theme for the Valentine's playdate. I've found a cute post for a Love Bug theme here, with some neat ideas for themed food too, and on the same blog some simple examples of how to decorate the dollar spot mailboxes I picked up at Target.

But the most exciting part of the day by far was going to My Urban Toddler with ER to meet in real life my fellow Michigan blogging friend Joy, who I found through Blog Around the World! She was very nice to meet us at a kid's play area, that gave ER something to do, and let us talk. We had a great time, and hope to meet again for some shopping fun!

UPDATE: Just checked in on Frugal Family Fun Blog, and found this post. It's for real and through a service connected to one of the scrapbook magazines I subscribe through which is published by Better Homes and Gardens. You can six free photo valentines and even the shipping is free, so it really is free! Just enter the code valentine at checkout. I love this kind of stuff, I've gotten some of free stuff over the years from Shutterfly but you almost always have to still pay shipping and handling. But it's only untl Feb. 1 so get crackin' on taking a cute picture! I'm going to try and get one tomorrow:) I love free!