1. Five Things link up is posted every Thursday at Midnight EST. Share any five things that are on your mind right now. Whether it's something you are obsessing with on Pinterest, a new and exciting event going on in your life, or even sharing five of your favorite books; it's totally up to you. 

2. Please put the Five Things button on the post you're sharing for the link up; sharing is caring, the more players involved the more fun we'll have.

3. Please follow both your hosts Diana from The World Around Her and Tairalyn from Little Miss Mama via Facebook {here and here} and/or Twitter {here and here}. As it’s not mandatory it is greatly appreciated. 

4. If you tweet about your post or Instagram it, feel free to tag me or Tairalyn and use the hashtag, #FiveThingsParty

5. Check out the other bloggers who have linked up, show them some love and comment on at least one other bloggers link-up post.

Shall we get the party started...

Sundays have become one of my favorite nights to watch TV and now that season finales are starting, I just don't know what I'm going to do with all this free time! PS, if you watch any of these shows, you may not want to continue reading if you aren't caught up to date on them. #SpoilerAlert 

1. ABC's Once Upon a Time is a show our entire family loves to watch, sometimes we tune in together but now that everyone has a different schedule we don't always get to do so. I'm actually going to miss the Wicked Witch, played by Rebecca Mader. She did an outstanding job as the witch and looked great in green! Mader has been seen in shows like Covert Affairs, Lost, and even had a roll in The Devil Wears Prada. Although the Wicked Witch is now gone, I'm excited to see how the writers will fit in Frozen's Elsa. I wasn't shocked to see her at the end of the season finale since I saw hints of it on Facebook, but my step-daughters sure were surprised! Once Upon a Time may be a little dark for younger kids, but if you have pre-teens who love Frozen, you may want to tune in this Fall when the show returns. 

2. I can't believe it's the final season of AMC's Mad Men, it feels like it's getting cut short. I love this era; the fashion, the music, the cars! I'm glad Don is getting his foot back in the door at the agency, but I'm not sure that I ever loved him and Megan together. What do you think, will the long distance take a hit on their relationship? I would love to see Peggy with someone, maybe she'll end up with Stan, then again she is a strong female character who is pushing her way into a man's world...so the heck with it, she doesn't need a boyfriend! I still can't get over how Michael reacted to the new computer in the office, I wonder if a real life incident inspired that scene...wouldn't that be crazy?! How do you think the show will end? 

3. Well, if you haven't heard about this awesome show called Knock It Off on the Live Well Network, and the two amazing DIY, room makeover genius hosts, then you are missing out on budget friendly home decor inspiration! Monica and Jess's show inspires viewers to start doing many of their home improvements themselves. If you want a new look but can't afford it, just give your items a little paint and a little love and you have yourself a whole new room! From dining rooms and kitchens, to bedrooms and home offices, they do it all. Whether your style is modern chic or country rustic, they have ideas for everyone. There is a new episode this Sunday at 7 pm EST, and if you want to catch up on episodes you've missed, you can watch them all online! 

4. OH EM GEE!!! Do you watch ABC's Revenge?! This season started out a bit slow for me, but wow did the writers make up for it in the last few episodes. Spoiler Alert...look away! I was heart broken for Emily when they killed off Aiden, they seemed to be connecting again and getting closer.  However, now that he is definitely out of the picture, it will give her and Jack a chance at love...because that's really what we all want, right?! 

5. If you don't have HBO, then you need to get it or buy the Game of Thrones DVDs to catch up, this show is pretty crazy! There are so many great characters, but Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke, is one of my favorites. She is so fierce; no one better stand in her way! Plus, she's pretty gorgeous too and that doesn't hurt! I'm pretty sure by the end of the season she will take over the throne, well I think she should any way! Either her or the Stark kids. It's been a bloody battle between realms and everyone wants to be king, I can't wait to see how the end of the season plays out. 

So there you have it, my round up of five TV shows I love to watch on Sunday nights, and that's not even half of the list of shows I watch in total...it's a bit of a bad habit I have! Do you watch any of these shows, what are some of your favorites? 

*Update: I some how forgot about my other Sunday favorite show on AMC... The Walking Dead! But, then it wouldn't be Five Things...it would have been six! Any Walker fans out there?! The season finale was in March, so that could be another reason it escaped my mind. 

OK, now it's your turn to tell us what Five Things are on your mind this week and join our link up party....

Mom's Baked Ziti

Last week I mentioned that I made Baked Ziti for my husband's birthday, and well today I'm going to share my mom's recipe with you! Okay, so technically it's not my mom's recipe, I was hoping she would tell me that it was my grandma's and that it had been passed down to her. However, she revealed to me that it came from Redbook magazine some 30 years ago! It may not have come from my grandma, but I still thought it was pretty cool that the recipe she uses is as old if not older than I am! Yes, the recipe has been in the family this long and I am only now making it for the very first time, but it won't be the last....

I need to start thinking more like a blogger and take photos during the recipe process and take photos with my camera and not my phone! 

Ingredients: 

1 lb Ziti Noodles (I used Ronzoni brand)

1 lb bag of Shredded Mozzarella, plus 8 oz bag for the top of your casserole 

1 tub of Ricotta Cheese (I used an entire 15 oz container)

2 eggs 

1 small onion

1 1/4 lbs of Ground Meat (or ground turkey)

2 Jars of Pasta Sauce ( I used two 24 oz jars of Classico brand Roasted Garlic flavor)

Butter for sauteing the onion

Directions: 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375°. 

2. Start your pot of water for your pasta. While you wait for the water to boil, saute your onion in a sauce pan with butter. Add your ground meat and cook until it browns. 

3. Add your ziti noodles to the boiling water and cook till just before they are al dente, you don't want them to cook all the way since you will be placing them into the oven later on. 

4. In a bowl, beat the two eggs with the ricotta cheese and 1 lb bag of shredded mozzarella. (I was a little uncertain about this but mom said, "Yes, Diana this is how you make it!")

5. Once your meat browns, drain the pan and add the pasta sauce. Put it back on the stove to simmer for a few minutes. 

6. Drain your noodles, if they are done before your ground meat add a little bit of olive oil to the pot to keep them from sticking together. 

7. Add the meat and sauce as well as the cheese mixture to your pot of drained Ziti noodles. Mix well then pour into a large casserole dish, we used a 13 x 9 Hefty EZ foil pan. Top off your casserole with the 8 oz bag of shredded mozzarella. 

8. Bake for 20 mins, cover the pan with foil, then bake for 20 more mins. 

9. Serve and Enjoy!

Is baked ziti a dish you love to make? Do you have a similar recipe or do you make one that is quite different? Growing up I loved mom's baked ziti and I couldn't be happier to make "her" recipe for my own family to enjoy. My husband said it was the best baked ziti he's ever had, and he wasn't just saying that because I'm his wife! 

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day! 

Memorial Day

Summer is almost here, can you believe it! Memorial Day is this weekend and it's kind of the unofficial start to Summer; families go to the beach, swimming pools open up for business, and the grills are fired up and ready for cooking. 

But we must not forget what Memorial Day is really about, those who protect and serve our country. So, this weekend while you're enjoying your corn on the cob and ice cream, take a moment to remember our troops, the fallen and those still fighting. 

If you are still looking for decor and recipe ideas for Memorial Day, I'm guest posting over on East Coast Creative today with a fun red, white, and blue round up post. Check it out here. 

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Ps, I just spotted this awesome Americana Star Wreath on Pinterest and had to share since I didn't see it when I put together my round up for EC2blog...

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Pretty cool, right! I am so making this and if I don't get it done for this weekend, definitely for 4th of July!

Thanks for stopping by today, have a great day!