Top 3 Reasons To See Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales #PiratesLife ⋆ My Sparkling Life

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Today, Jan 9, 2017 is National Apricot Day! We love to celebrate such yummy things around here, so we decided to create a recipe just for it! We made a delicious & juicy apricot chicken with a panko crusted asparagus and even the kiddos were diving in.
I love using jams and jellies in so called unconventional ways…like my PB & J Smoothie or this Apricot Chicken. I do cook for a large family so this one will feed a family of 7.
Ingredients:
2 jars (15oz) of Apricot Fruit Spread
5 lbs chicken thighs or cut up chicken breasts
2 lbs asparagus
3 tbs garlic
1 box garlic panko bread crumbs
1 tbs salt
1 tbs pepper
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tbs of parsley or cilanto
Instructions:
Apricot Chicken:
Mix together 1 jar apricot fruit spread 1 tbs garlic, salt & pepper into large bowl
Sear chicken in skillet then place into crockpot
Pour apricot mixture over chicken & let cook on low for about 3-4 hours
Mix together the rest of jar 2 of apricot fruit spread 1 tbs garlic & parsley or cilantro
Remove from crockpot and place onto sprayed sheet pan
Coat chicken with apricot mixture and bake at 450* for about 10 minutes
Panko Crusted Asparagus:
Scramble eggs in low dish & mix in about 1-2 tbs of apricot fruit spread
Wash asparagus dip into flour, then egg mixture then panko bread crumbs and place onto sprayed sheet pan leaving space in between each stock
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes
Serve with chicken & garlic rice (I use RiceARoni)…I know it sounds like a lot of garlic, but trust me, it’s not! It really brings each piece of the meal together with a hint of the garlic flavor but it’s not overwhelming…
What fruit spread do you love to use in your cooking?

If there is one thing that every homeowner needs…it’s power tools! Since we’ve been in apartments for years now we didn’t have need for anything other than a battery opperated screwdriver. Growing up my dad was into buying old cars and fixing them up, and he is also a great carpenter…he’s owned his own carpentry business for years. So I grew up around quite a bit of power tools and have seen them get better and better over the years.
The past several years his go-to has been Ryobi. It’s a quality brand that he can rely on at a great price that won’t leave him in the hole after a job. Every brand trys to better them selves and stay new and inovative…that’s just what Ryobi has done with there new ONE+ & DOCKit lines.
Ryobi ONE+ 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Compact Drill/Driver Kit
Ryobi introduces the new 18-Volt ONE+ Lithium-Ion Compact Drill/Driver Kit, featuring a more compact and powerful drill (compared to previous model P817). This 18-Volt Drill/Driver Kit includes a Compact Drill/Driver with Screwdriver Bit, Dual Chemistry Charger, (2) P102 18-Volt ONE+ Compact Lithium-Ion Batteries, Tool Bag and Operator’s Manuals. This kit is backed by a 3-Year Warranty.
Ryobi DOCKit Black Oxide Starter Kit with Free Wood Drilling Kit
The RYOBI DOCKit Black Oxide Starter Kit with Free Wood Drilling Kit offer a variety of tools for driving and drilling. The 55-piece Black Oxide Starter Kit includes black oxide drill bits for drilling wood, metal and plastic, as well as an assortment of driving bits for driving all sorts of fasteners.
The 11-piece Wood Drilling Kit contains brad and spade point drill bits. Both kits feature a convenient storage system to save you time and frustration from digging through all your loose bits.
Built to hold up to five RYOBI accessory kits, the DOCKit tray has a versatile design that allows you to hang it on your wall with the built-in hanging holes or rest it on a tabletop. The rubber grips on the top and bottom of the tray ensure your cases are stored securely. Both kits also have easy-to-read descriptions on the side of the cases for easy identification while docked on the DOCKit storage tray.
My husband was a very excited man and couldn’t wait to put it to use! So far we’ve only hung a few pictures and guitars…but we have much more on our to-do list! It charges quickly and all stores neatly on the wall and in the provided case. I personally LOVE the DOCKit storage system! Keeps everything nice and tidy and where I can find it for the next use. The drill comes with two batteries which is nice for when you have longer projects and need to switch out instead of waiting for the battery to recharge. If you’re looking to add a set of tools to your home, I highly recommend checking out Ryobi ONE+ & DOCKit at the Home Depot!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Cars are often subject to a lot of minor damage from the environment and day to day usage, such as scratches, dirt, chips and stains that can affect the look of your car. Sun damage is also going to exacerbate these issues and any underlying dirt or grime can become further engrained from the heat of the sun, and the rest of the weather is going to only make things worse as winter approaches! Trying to manually keep your car clean can damage it also over time, although it seems impossible, the chemicals we use on our car can wear away paint and make the overall look of the car feel dull and damaged. It will mean our car loses its value over time and it won’t feel as ‘good’ to drive. Whilst wax can be a good preventative measure, it is a short-term protection and will have to constantly be redone.
So what is the magical world of ceramic coating and is it going to be worth it for my car? Simply, the best way to understand it is to think of the coating as being another layer of skin to your car; a strong layer of protection that we can coat over the top of the paint that is already on. Technically it is a coat that uses tiny particles to form a thin layer, which is completely invisible to the eye but provides a strong durable protection to the elements. They seal in any moisture and allow the layer to be water-repellent and resistant to a lot of typical car damages seen day to day, such as graffiti, scratches, scrapes from other cars, chemicals and heat during the summer; naturally cars overheat from the engine and on top of the heat from the sun, damage can really affect the outside of the car. The nano ceramic coating provides an incredible layer of protection and provides instant results, even if it seems a little out of budget at first, the reasons for coating your car will be very strong.
It will ensure that your car looks and feels like it’s driven straight out of the showroom every single day, it will enhance the car’s value, look, appeal and takes minimal effort to keep on top of. It can also be used on your business cars or trucks which will show professionalism and style.

Sending time with my boys watching Halloween movies is one of my favorite things to do! We love to bring our foods and drinks that fit the mood. I found this great drink, Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer..the name just screams Halloween!
Some wizards claim that this brew places a ward of protection on those who drink it and that consuming this product has been known to accelerate wizarding abilities in borderline wizard cases.
This delicious beverage is the first wizarding drink to have widespread cross over consumption in the non wizarding world.
A magical refreshment for wizards and unrealized wizards alike.
I recently found some at my local World Market, and didn’t buy enough to begin with…but when I went back they were all sold out! These drinks were flying off the shelves (pun intended)! I had to order more for our weekend of Harry Potter! They were a perfect addition to our Harry Potter marathon…The kids loved drinking them out of the bottle, but I had to put mine into a mug and add some “froth” to it..lol..adding food and drink to your movies really ups the experience and makes memories that will last a lifetime!
If you find some in your local store buy at least 12! I’m telling you they are popular and go quickly! You can also purchase them online which might be the way to go at this point…
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Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

These cupcakes are not only adorable to look at, but they’re so much fun to eat! Under each peep is a “surprise” in the cupcake. You can customize them depending on dietary needs. Get the full recipe with tutorial pics over at donnahup.com.

It seems like there’s always something to worry about when having 4 kids…keeping my home safe shouldn’t be one of them. This past weekend my husband and I attended an event and let my oldest baby sit his younger brothers. While I trust him, having all 4 kids home alone was worrisome. Thank goodness a few days before I received the new Canary Home Security System so I was able to implement it while we were out.
The Canary is a small “canister” about the size of a coke can, that sits on a flat surface and captures a high-definition, wide-angle views. The Canary is a motion-sensor activated camera that’s connected to your home’s wifi and to your smart phone or tablet. Not only can you see what’s going on live in your home when you’re not there, but you can also receive smart phone alerts when activity is detected.
I received plenty of alerts while at the event, but every time I checked in on them they were on the couch or the floor watching a movie…or two…or three. So most of the alerts were from when they did a sudden movement or at night when a car drove by and shined the lights through the blinds. I did happen to accidently hit the alarm button at one point during the afternoon, which gave them quite the scare..but hey, at least I know it works well! Having the Canary Home Security System certainly gave me piece of mind!
The Canary Indoor Wireless High-Definition All-In-One Home Security device helps keep your home safe and sound with motion detection notifications, a 90+ dB siren and HomeHealth Technology. It learns the cadence of your home so it can send you accurate notifications with fewer false alarms triggered by pets or other regular activity in your house.
Easy to set up: just place the Canary in a central location, plug it in and connect to your Wi-Fi
Stream live video from your home anytime: Canary’s free mobile app let you see what’s happening from anywhere with your iPhone® or Android smartphone
Vivid HD 1080p resolution allows you to see small details on your screen, the 147° field of view which lets see more with minimal blind spots, and infrared night vision lets you see in the dark – you can keep an eye up to 20′ away when there’s little to no light
The device is a great way to check in on kids or caregivers. If the device is set to “Arm,” you’ll receive a notification when someone arrives in your home. Use the “Watch Live” feature to check on everything from homework being done to house rules are being followed
Gives you a complete picture of what’s going on at home, it puts you in control of how to react when something goes wrong.
Canary is the only solution with a 90+ decibel siren and a localized emergency call feature, which lets you contact authorities close to home from anywhere in the world
Notifications keep you informed: receive movement-detection notifications that contain recorded footage and give you the options to watch live or sound the 90+ dB siren
Since the March 2015 launch, nearly 75 known burglaries, home invasions, caretaker abuse and other emergency situations have been captured by Canary, resulting in multiple arrests
Canary’s HomeHealth feature lets you know if the temperature and air quality of the home is safe and comfortable – you can monitor the air quality, temperature and humidity in your home from almost anywhere
In addition to purchasing the Canary Home Security system, Best Buy has suggestions to make sure you get the most out of your system. Upgrade your router to boost your signal with the Netgear® Nighthawk™ DST Router and DST Adapter with Geek Squad included – exclusively developed between Netgear, an industry leader in the networking world, and Best Buy, to help provide consumers with an easy, all-in-one solution to support their home’s connected devices.
As the number of Wi-Fi dependent products increase in a home – the average US household has 7 “connected devices” – from smart phones (often several in a home), to tablets, to laptops, to computers, and Wi-Fi printers, this puts a strain on the home’s network, especially the router. With the interest in online gaming and 4k TVs, connected devices such as smart thermostats, plus the need to stream shows from Netflix or hulu, it places even more demands on the network. Many households may experience slow Wi-Fi, dropped calls, or experience “dead zones” – which could be improved upon with an “AC” router, Wi-Fi extenders and expert help.
Best Buy makes it easy to set up the new high performance wifi router and extender with Geek Squad Set Up and Support via phone & web, for one full year. You’ll get support via phone or web and get help 24/7 instead of scheduling an appointment.
Disclosure: This is a review for Best Buy. I was sent product, but was not compensated.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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