The 2nd Annual Spring De-Junk Challenge & Giveaway

Ready to tackle that annual spring cleaning, but need a little motivation to get started? Join us in this year's Spring De-Junk Challenge & Giveaway, & you could win a $210 Amazon gift card...

Some of you all may remember when I participated in the Spring De-Junk Challenge with Heidi of One Creative Mommy last year. There had been several areas of my home then that I just didn't have the motivation to tackle, but the challenge gave me the little kick in the booty that I needed to finally get in there and get things done. :) Well, guess what? Most of those once tidied areas are sadly back to the state that they were in pre-challenge last year... and in some cases, they look even worse. One of the kitchen drawers and my coffee mugs are all that is still tidy and organized from all my hard work last year. Boo. The problem for me seems to be stuff. Stuff that we keep accumulating either by choice or because they are given to us. Stuff that keeps piling up. Stuff that we are not getting rid of even though we haven't touched it in a year or more. Stuff that we keep moving and shuffling around in an attempt to store or organize them more neatly. And the last that I checked, our house hasn't been growing to accommodate all of this new stuff and old stuff. Can anyone else relate here??

Well, I have a new weapon in my de-junking arsenal this year, and I cannot wait to share that all with you next week. ;) Stay tuned.  But in the meantime, check out all the 2015 Spring De-Junk Challenge and Giveaway info below! Will you join us next week in de-cluttering, de-junking, and organizing our homes and lives? 

Dr. Pepper Brownie Bowls {A Guest Recipe From Busy Mom's Helper + A $75 Amazon Giveaway!}

'Olo' all you funtastic people! (can you tell I watched Megamind with the kids today?) I'm Danielle from over at Busy Mom's Helper, and I'm just tickled pink to be here today! I've been following Carrie's amazing blog and yummy recipes for quite awhile (non-creepily stalking, you could say) and can't tell you what a privileged it is to actually be guest posting here. Thanks so much, Carrie!!! (goes *woot woot* with hands in the air)

My site is mostly recipes, with some crafts and parenting somethings thrown in. One thing you'll quickly notice about me is I LOOOOOOVE desserts! Seriously, it's extreme. Besides being oh-so-wonderfully delicious, there are some majorly fun baking accessories for things like desserts - one of which I discovered a few weeks ago and fell in love with: Brownie Bowls!!! 

Can we say 'AWESOME'?! I loved the idea of these, the endless possibilities you could do in here. I just had to get some, and have had so much fun creating new bowl concoctions, that I want to give YOU some, too! Pay attention after the below recipe for how you can win some of these clever bowls PLUS an Amazon Gift card!!!

Now for a recipe demo of these fantastic things: Dr. Pepper Brownie Bowls! I love Dr. Pepper.....too much. I know it's not the healthiest habit by any means, and every few months I go on an 'I'm giving this up' kick. It never lasts - I think the longest is about two weeks! I have gotten better, though, and only drink about a can a day. I'm happy with that figure! Anywho...I started experimenting with putting Dr. Pepper into recipes, and it's definitely been fun! These Dr. Pepper Brownie Bowls are so gooey, yet chewy, and oh-my-goodness drool-worthy!

Ingredients 1 box Fudge Brownie mix 1 Egg 6 oz. Dr. Pepper (1/2 can) 1/2 tbsp. Maraschino Cherry juice 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients EXCEPT the brownie whisk together in a large bowl. Add the brownie mix and mix until batter is mostly smooth. Pour batter into brownie bowls, making sure to fill ONLY to the fill line (otherwise the bottoms aren't as smooth and even). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or when a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool completely before removing from the bowls. Fill with frosting, cream, pudding, or whatever else you'd like! The frosting I chose this time was an in-the-works Dr. Pepper frosting that I'll share with you (just keep in mind it's 'in-the-works' still, so not perfect).

Frosting Ingredients 2 cups Powdered Sugar 1/4 cup Butter, softened 1/2 tsp. Lemon juice 1/2 tbsp. Maraschino Cherry juice 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg 1/4 tsp. Ginger 1/4 tsp. Apple juice 1/2 tbsp. Vanilla extract 8 oz. Dr. Pepper 1/2 cup Sugar
Frosting Directions In a medium saucepan, bring the Dr. Pepper and the sugar to a boil, stirring frequently so sugar dissolves. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Mix all of the remaining ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Just adding 1 tbsp. at a time, mix in some of the Dr. Pepper mixture until you reach your desired consistency. Go slowly; if you add too much your frosting will be too runny. I added only a few tablespoons of the mixture. If desired, drizzle some of the Dr. Pepper mixture over the top of your brownies. Enjoy!

Now for our amazing giveaway - TWO sets of Chicago Metallic Brownie Bowls (four bowls in total) PLUS a $75 Amazon Gift Card!!!

*This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  All entries for the winner will be checked and verified, so please make sure you are doing what you are claiming in the Rafflecopter or all your entries will be voided.  No funny business, folks. ;). By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. Number of entries received determines the odds of winning. One winner will be selected. Entries must come from your MAIN social media accounts, not accounts that have been set up separately just for entering giveaways.  Entries from these types of accounts will be disqualified.  Protected tweets do not count as an entry method for tweeting. Tweets must come from a public account. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Please see the Rafflecopter widget below for additional Terms & Conditions.  Good luck, all! 

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