Dayton, OH Hotel

TownePlace Suites Dayton North 3642 Maxton Rd

We didn't stay here very long. It was basically just a stop on our way to our next location. We checked-in around 8:30pm. The room itself was great with it's kitchenette when you first walk in and the large open living space by the couch! I wish we could have taken this room around with us to every hotel we stayed at. There is tons of storage in the desk area and in the closet that connects the entry and the bathroom.
The breakfast selection was okay, but there was no meat or any hot items other than the gravy to go with the biscuits (which were cold). In fact, we took the biscuits back to our room to microwave them first before adding the gravy. There was also 1 waffle station which caused quite the backup. There was a long line for that one. Plus, all the tables were taken because there was a large group of college kids talking (not eating).
We checked out and left around 8:30am. Our 12 hours in this hotel were decent. If we ever stay in Dayton, OH again, we'll definitely stay here.

Packing the Car for a 40+ Hour Roadtrip

I've been a little MIA for a couple weeks because I've been preparing for our long roadtrip! And now that we're back, I'm ready to give you all of our tips! We've taken a couple different roadtrips lately. They're becoming one of our go-to vacations! You get to visit multiple different locations and spend lots of quality time with your family. They're definitely not for everyone, but they're for us!

There are so many things to plan when getting ready for a roadtrip like packing lists, locations, roadside attractions, budgets, etc. But something I've put a lot of thought into, researched, and even changed my mind about mid-trip before, is how to pack the car. The first thing I do is divide everything into catergories. And there are quite a few. Here are mine:
1. Travel Gifts
2. Non-refridgerated food
3. Cooler food
4. Entertainment for the car
5. Toiletries that we need every day
6. Outfits and accessories for each day
7. Accessories and supplies to be used at specific locations
You can organize all of these things in many different ways, but this is how we did it on our most recent trip:

We packed up one of those plastic drawer carts (like this one) with non-refridgerated snacks in the bottom drawer, entertainment for the car in the middle drawer, and travel gifts in the top drawer. We packed our large cooler with all of the food that needed to stay cold. These were the things that needed to stay within reach while we were driving.

The items in the trunk were put in larger, easier to stack, containers. We had a bin to keep our clothes that we had labeled for each day so that every time we unpacked for a hotel, we just grabbed whatever clothes we would be wearing while we were there and throw them in our overnight bags. Then, the dirty clothes would go in one of those collapsible clothes hampers. In our overnight bags, we kept all the toiletries that we would need every day (like hair brushes, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.). The only things we had left to pack were those few things we would need at specific locations like our beach umbrella, sand toys, sunscreen, bags for Universal, etc. These things were put into bags or bins of their own with a label indicating which day(s) they were to be used.

I also suggest getting one of those backseat organizers. My son loved it! He could put drinks, a tablet, pens, pencils, and notebooks in all kinds of little compartments.

Ninja Party: What I bought from Oriental Trading

Last night, we had a little family get-together for my son's 8th birthday. It was nothing fancy. It was basically just dinner, dessert, and presents. But I wanted to buy a couple things to make it a little more fun for my son and nephews that would be there. Here are the awesome things I found:

Ninja Warriors Plastic Tablecloth for $3.49

Ninja Warrior Paper Dinner Plates for $3.49/8 plates

Ninja Warrior Beverage Napkins for $1.99/16 napkins

Ninja Plastic Chopsticks for $5.99/dozen

Ninja Cups with Straws for $15.99/dozen

Ninja Gummy Candy for $6.99/38 pieces

Ninja Character Lollipops for $5.99/dozen

Ninja Stickers for $2.99/100 stickers

Ninja Stress Toys for $14.99/dozen

I really think these awesome things added a lot to our little party. Plus, Oriental Trading has pretty decent prices with coupons for free shipping if you spend over a certain amount and in the end, I spent only $60.

Crochet: Ragdolls (plus 8 free patterns!)

I have absolutely loved all these ragdoll patterns popping up everywhere. They're so cute! Heck, I even have a sloth one hanging on the wall in my living room. So I've compiled my 8 favorites to help get you started on your own ragdoll collection. Plus, they're all free. It doesn't get much better than that.

First up, the one I have in my living room!
Ragdoll Sloth by Spin a Yarn Crochet

Harry Potter Ragdoll also by Spin a Yarn Crochet

Santa Claus! by Sewrella

And for another holiday themed one,Christmas Tree by Repeat Crafter Me

Adorable Whales by Spin a Yarn Crochet

Moose by Amilovesgurumi

Beautiful Mermaid by Spin a Yarn Crochet

And finally, one more pattern by Spin a Yarn Crochet. I may be a little obsessed, in case you couldn't tell already.
Ragdoll Fox by Spin a Yarn Crochet

So if you haven't become completely obsessed with crocheted ragdolls by now, then I'm at a loss. I can't wait to make all of these! So far, I've made 1. Yikes! I have a lot of work to do.

Recipe: Biscuits and Gravy

Shoot! I got behind and wasn't able to post last weekend so I'm going to make an attempt to do double posts this weekend to make up for it! So first up is a recipe!

My husband's favorite breakfast of all time is biscuits and gravy. And not just any gravy. It has to be my homemade sausage gravy. He tried. He really did. He's ordered many biscuits and gravy from different restaurants and none compare to the deliciousness that is my recipe. And in my opinion, there is no excuse for that because this is SUPER EASY to make! So here I am, sharing my great (and incredibly simple) recipe for my awesome gravy.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground sausage (I prefer mild, but some people like spicy)
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
8 count can of biscuits (or homemade if you're that awesome)

Steps:
1. Bake your biscuits according to the instructions on the can (or make your own).
2. Brown the sausage.
3. Mix in the flour until it's dissolved.
4. Add the milk, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir often.
5. Keep cooking until your gravy is the consistency that you desire (5-10 minutes).
6. EAT! I cut open my biscuit and cover both halves with gravy.

Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last year, my husband asked me to make chicken tortilla soup because it's one of his favorites! So I searched far and wide, started with a couple different recipes, and settled on this one after many different attempts. Now, we eat this all the time! It has become our family's go-to slow cooker soup! I absolutely love it! And so does everyone else in my house. It's pretty easy, but does take a little extra work besides throwing everything in a slow cooker and calling it a day.

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breasts (frozen is fine)
16 oz jar salsa (we use mild)
6 c chicken broth
15.25 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
3 T lemon juice
1 T cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t paprika
1 t salt
½ t pepper
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t cayenne pepper

Topping:
tortilla strips (you can find these near salad toppings)

Recipe:
1. Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Pour the rest of the ingredients on top.
3. Stir to mix all the spices.
4. Cook 6-8 hours on low (or 4 on high)
5. About 30 minutes before it's done, take the chicken out and shred it. Then, put the chicken back in, stir, and let it continue cooking for the last 30 minutes.
6. Serve with tortilla strips on top. Enjoy!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Just so you all know, I LOVE my "soups" very thick. I don't like it all runny so if you aren't a fan of the really thick soups, you can always half the amount of noodles. Also, if you're wanting a recipe that is going to take you no time at all in the morning, you should cut up your vegetables the night before. I really like this recipe. It's pretty easy and it's absolutely delicious. Just imagine coming home on a cold winter's evening to a home that smells DELICIOUS and a nice warm dinner. It's fantastic.

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
16 oz can whole kennel corn, drained
1 bag (or 1/2 bag if you want your soup thin) egg noodles
3 medium pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Steps:
1. Mix everything together in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Take chicken out and shred with forks. Return to slow cooker. Stir. Serve.