Happy Thanksgiving!

Today means good food, lots of family time, and relaxing on the couch after you have eaten too much. Granted, I am thankful for all of these wonderful indulgences, but if I really think about it, I have so more more to be thankful for...

...a husband who still loves me, despite all of my imperfections.
...our two lovely little ladies, who allow me to still act like a child.
...my family, who has really displayed the meaning of family these last few months.
...great friends, who I know I can call at 2 a.m. if I need them.
...a warm, cozy bed that is perfect for snuggling.
... a full belly, which can sometimes get too full.
...a job. These days people would love to have a job.
...a great God to worship.

Now, back to all those indulgences...

...Diet Coke, how I love thee. Zero calorie goodness.
...Outback caeser salad. 'Nuff said.
...the internet. Look what all I would be missing without the internet!
...my skinny jeans, who have stuck it out with me, all up there lonely in my closet. It is great to be seeing you again.
...Victoria Secret dress pants. Why? They come in a 36'" inseam - which is prefect for heels. (They should be delivered today.)
...quiet time in my car, which only means the girls are riding with Jeremy.
...pasta. My favorite food of all time.


That about wraps up this Thanksgiving post. I just have to try and remember these things the rest of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Happy Birthday Jeremy!

Jeremy,

Happy Birthday hubs! I love you more and more each day! You have been so great these last few months, considering, and for that I will be forever grateful. You are an excellent daddy and the girls are so lucky to have you.

I really do understand now when a person says they get closer and closer as marriage moves throughout the years. I feel we are as close as we have ever been and we definitely keep each other on our toes.

I love you!

Love,
A

Precious Girls Club: A Giveaway!

I know you have heard me talk about the Precious Girls' Club. I still believe it is a great series and an online virtual world for little girls. Macie loves it!

I received a package in the mail containing some of the items from the online store owned by Precious Memories, the creator of the Precious Girls' Club. I was shocked at what all I found in it:

A Package a Three Friendship Bracelets - Remember when you were a little girl and had friendship bracelets? It is a great feeling re-creating that with my daughter.

Charm Bracelet - This is so cute! It seems as though it would be very durable for kids. It comes with a rainbow for your beginner charm. You may add more charms as you please that are available in their online store.

Patches - If you are familiar with PCG, you know who Patches is! He is Katie's pet dog and this plush version of him has not left the girls' arms since we got him!

Faith Musical Waterbowl - Katie's dad gave this musical waterbowl to Katie to remind her to embrace the gifts God gave her. This is your classic waterbowl and plays You Are My Sunshine. (I'm winking at you Ashley!) If you look at the picture, you could use this is a little boy's room as well since it does have a blue base.

So, what's in it for you? I am giving away two of these items: The Charm Bracelet and The Faith Musical Waterbowl! There will be a total of two winners.

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment! If you would like to earn additional entries, you may do so by doing the following:
1. Subscribe to my blog.
2. Twitter about this giveaway (Let me know your Twitter ID)
3. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to this contest.

If you do the additional entries, please post a comment letting me know what you did. For each additional entry, post an extra comment. It is very important you add a comment for each entry.

Please make sure I have a way of contacting you, either by e-mail or blog.

Now, for the fine print:
This contest will close on December 12 at 12:00 p.m.CST. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to me. If you fail to reply, a new winner will be chosen. For shipping reasons, this contest is only open to US residents.

Good luck!

Menu Plan Monday

Review: The Shepard's Pie was great...it was a very easy and basic recipe. The Chili Topped Potatoes were good, but next time I will make sure I have everything I need to make the chili!

Here is week two of "Eating out of the Pantry":

Monday: Whatever I can manage to find??
Tuesday: Green Eggs and Ham with Toast
Wednesday: Stuffed Shells or out to eat - Happy Birthday Jeremy!!
Thursday: THANKSGIVING FOOD!!
Black Friday: Breakfast - Frozen Waffles I made a few weeks back
Lunch and Dinner - Leftovers
Saturday: Breakfast- Eggs and Toast
Lunch and Dinner - Ham and Beans in the Crock-Pot ( I completely forgot about these last week!) Happy Birthday Zoa!!!
Sunday: Breakfast - Cinnamon Toast
Lunch - Ham Sandwiches and Fruit
Dinner - Grilled Chicken, Mixed Veggies and Rice

Snacks: Cheerio Bars - I forgot to make these last week.

All we have to do is pick up a ham, which Jeremy has been wanting, and some eggs. This week is a lot harder than last week to plan!

The Secret Mountain Book Collection: A Review

Books are officially a hit in our house. Zoa loves to pretend to read, Macie just plain loves to read now and I...well, I only have time for magazines. However, when I received not one but three books from The Secret Mountain I was excited. Why? Because they have CD's to accompany them! If you have children, you know that kid songs are a huge help on car rides.

I reviewed three books:
Down at the Sea Hotel - A book with a good poetic story. The CD is a great for bedtime because it is very soothing and comforting. It will be played at bedtime from now on!

Dream Songs, Night Songs- This multi-language book explains to children that no matter where you are when you fall asleep, you can go anywhere in your dreams. It serves as a great explanation of the songs on the CD.

A Duck in New York City - Oh my goodness. I could sing every one of these songs to you right now if I had to. 'Laundry Bag' is Zoa's favorite and 'Seed in the Ground' is Macie's favorite. My sister and I was seriously laughing out loud to 'Belly Button'. (I guarantee she is laughing now reading this.) The title tells the story; it is about a duck who dreams of going to The Big Apple, aka New York City. He finally gets the chance to make his dream come true.

All in all, this was a fantastic set that won my girls over. The books are short and sweet and therefore you, as the reader, do not lose their attention. They are beautifully illustrated and have vibrant colors and bold lines. The CD's are great because they are a mix of fun and relaxing. This means they have a new CD for the car, bedtime and just anytime. The singers are very 'kid-friendly' as well.

To purchase any of these books and view the rest of The Secret Mountain's collection, just check out their website.

Jump on Over

Remember when I went to Build-a-Bear? Kim from Jumping With Faith was also there with her daughter.

Little did I know how much her life has changed this last year. (Watch the video here.)

Please keep Kim in your thought and prayers today. I could not begin to fathom how she must feel.

Fabulous?!

I just received my first award from Kara. She thinks my blog is fabulous!

I have to admit, I just come here and type what I am feeling, sometimes wondering if I should event hit the 'Publish Post' button. Ssometimes I wonder if people think, "Why is she posting that?".

So, thanks Kara...you giving me this award makes me feel like I am not as big of an idiot as I sometimes do! Ha! Ha!

Anyways.

I must pass this award out to six people. So here we go, in no particular order:

1. Whitney--You deserve a smile. (And you need to share your news with everyone. I am so excited for you guys!) Your blog is fabulous, but would be even more fabulous if you became a regular. Hint, hint.

2. Drea--I love your blog. And your photography is stunning! I only wish you lived closer to me so I could take advantage of your talent!

3. Girlymama-- Your blog always brings a laugh. I think we would get along great, and if I knew how to sew, it would be that much funner. And I would definitely help you with the kids so you could sleep.

4. $5 Dinner Mom---She post great recipes and budget friendly meals. I have several planned for my menus and the ones that I have tried are successes in our home!

5. THAT Mom-- Hilarious stories that real families can relate to! And a weekly Thursday post that is sure to make you laugh!

6. Amy-- This blog has anything you might need. It's a great tool for moms!

*Cough*

Macie has had a cough for about a month now. At first, I thought it was what was going around. Just a cough...a friend of ours is a kindergarten teacher and I usually ask her what is going around. She said it lasts for about two weeks. The cough was all, with no other symptoms. About two weeks into it, I called the doctor and asked them to prescribe a stronger cough medicine than just an over the counter one. I just wanted something to nip it in the bud. They did, and told me to call back if it does not go away.

After one week since being on the medicine and she still had a cough, I took her into the doctor today. Bronchitis. She is now on Zithromax (Which is the best antibiotic ever! Once a day for five days. Can it get any better than that?!).

I remember when I had bronchitis and I felt like someone used my ribcage as a punching bag. Literally, Jeremy could not hug me. My lungs were so bruised from coughing so much. The only relief I got was from an inhaler.

I don't think she has had bronchitis the whole time. I have asked her if her chest hurts or if anything else hurts. She said nothing hurt. No runny nose. No fever. No sore throat.

Moral of the story: Don't think a cough is just a cough!

(Photo via.)

Wordless Wednesday: Sisters

Myself, Whitney and Tara

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Secret Keeper Girl Series: A Review

I recently had the opportunity to review book series for Tweens - Secret Keeper Girl. The Christian author, Dannah Gresh, focuses on issues that girls may face in their late childhood - early teenage years. She puts a great deal of emphasis on relationships between mother and daughter. The are four books that I reviewed were:

Just Call Me Kate - This book deals with 'boy crushes'.
Yuzi's False Alarm - This books deals with moving with your family and false accusations
"T" is for Antonia - This book is about believing in yourself and being happy with who you are.
Danika's Totally Terrible Toss - This book deals with popularity among girls.

Her philosophy's on what a Secret Keeper Girl should be is one that...
"values modesty, she surrounds herself with wise friends and she embraces Godly beauty. But, the most important thing for you to know is that a Secret Keeper Girl is a masterpiece created by God.”

Sounds about right to me!

One thing I found different in these books is that the back of each book has a small section called Girl Gab that you can look over. It ask questions on how you can relate the story in the book to your personal life. It is a great way to build a relationship with your daughter and ultimately, strengthen your relationship with God.

After looking at the books, I found them to be a bit too old for Macie to read. After all, she is only (almost) 7. But I will definitely save them for her! I love how it is still fun for girls to read, not too boring for them and teaches the same thing I teach my daughter. Hopefully, hearing the resolutions found in the books will have an impact on Macie when she meets the challenges that are associated with that age.

There are many other books related to this series I discovered while researching this book. I am going to get a few of them for Macie for her birthday so I recommend you check out all of their work!

The recommended age for readers to be is between 8 and 12 years old. The Secret Keeper Girls books are available from Amazon for $7.99.

My Husband: The Dork

A little back story to the picture you are about to see:

Whitney just got married about a month ago. The photographer wanted everyone to look at Adam and Whitney while they kissed. The guy in the back next to the groom is the groom's brother, Aaron. Aaron and I could only see the back of their heads because of where we were standing. So before the picture, we were all laughing. I leaned in to be able to see them. But look at Jeremy's face...the guy - my lovely husband - at the far right. He is looking at them like he has never seen anyone kiss before. I love it! I laugh every time I see it.


Whitney, I will take a 16 x 24 of this picture, please.

Seven (more) Random Things

Sarah tagged me for Seven Random Things. Here you go again:

1. I am a very determined person. If I want something, I find a way to get it. (This can be good and bad.)

2. I finally got all my coupons organized. These last few months, I slacked on clipping. I finally did it all Sunday night and it is a huge load off my shoulders.

3. The busiest time of year is approaching our family. Besides the obvious holidays, we have birthdays. Between Thanksgiving and December 28, we have Jeremy's birthday, Zoa's birthday, Macie's birthday, and my sister Whitney's birthday. Can we say broke?!

4. You know how I say I never sit down anymore at home? How all I do is clean? Well, I have lost 10 pounds in the last month, which I chalk up to that. Nothing else has changed in my lifestyle but that. I'm not complaining though!

5. I have been in a baking mood. Maybe it's the cold weather, maybe it is because it gets my mind off everything..I'm not sure why. I have never been a baker because you have to use measuring cups and I don't cook with measuring cups. But I like baking now!

6. I am addicted to chapstick. (Just ask Whitney or Tara!) Blistex is my favorite but anything will do. I am seriously wondering what I am going to do all day because I forgot mine at home this morning. I guess I will have to try lip gloss instead, but I bet you I will end up buying some Blistex later.

7. I have finally started singing in front of Jeremy. I am not a good singer, but I get all into it with the hand motions. It started a long time ago with my friend, Jaime. It just sorta continued with me a Jeremy. We laugh until we cry when I sing.

So, who am I tagging? Shannon (Who is a new blogger...go see her!), Whitney, Julia and The Flip Flop Mamma (Even though her computer is temporarily dead. I'll be patient).

If you want to participate...let me know!

Britney Chic

Saturday, we went on a shoe shopping expedition. Macie and Zoa both needed new tennis shoes. Jeremy just so happened to find a pair of new gym shoes. "Should I get them?", he asked. Suuuuurrreee!

Needless to say, he got new shoes so I get new shoes.

(Photo via.)

However, I refuse to pay for real Ugg boots. I just can't bring myself to spend more than $50 on anything that is 'trendy'. If it is a classic piece, then, umm, yeah - sign me up.

But, back to the shoes, I love them! Jeremy told me he is just waiting for me to be spotted doing the 'Britney chic'. For those of you wondering what Britney Chic is...well, you know, the sweatpants and Uggs look.

For example:

(Photo via.)

or

(Photo via.)

I can promise you, that is one look this momma won't be sporting. I'll just stick to wearing them with jeans.

Menu Plan Monday

Jeremy challenged me last week to see if we could go without grocery shopping the rest of the month. I got to thinking about it and now I want to see if I could do it! Obviously, we will need to pick up a few staple items: milk, coffee (yes, that is a staple in our house!)...things like that. I have stockpiled on pasta, spaghetti sauce, chicken breast ($1.77/lb. at Sam's!) and ground beef. We also have a ton of frozen veggies and bread in the freezer. So, the next few menus may not be the most creative, but I know we have everything we need right now to make it.

As far as the reviews from last week's menu, the Crock-Pot Chiken Chili was great! I doubled it and we munched on it during the weekend. So, it will be added to our list of favorites. The Crock-Pot Fried Rice was a little mushy, but still tasted okay. And the Spiced Pumpkin Bread, well, just read my review here. I couldn't wait to tell you about it! We also used Amy's taco meat recipe, which is now the recipe I will use for all of our tacos. And the Bruschetta-Stuffed Chicken is Jeremy's second favorite meal. I guess it was a good week!

Without further ado, here is my menu:

Monday: Shepard's Pie and Green Beans
Tuesday: Chili Topped Potatoes and Corn
Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, Mixed Veggies and Oranges
Thursday: BBQ'd Grilled Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli
Friday: Spaghetti & Homemade Garlic Bread
Saturday: Ham & Beans in the Crock-Pot with cornbread. We will munch on this all day.
Sunday: Leftovers

Snacks: Peanut Butter Crackers, Leftover Oranges & Cheerio Bars

Need some recipe ideas? Go to Laura's for more Menu Plan Monday.
Want to start Menu-Planning? See the details here.

Sunday Night Snapshots

Jeremy is at his championship flag football game. I am so happy the season is over, although I know he gets bummed about it. Oh well!

Macie, Zoa and I are just doing whatever at home while he is gone. Macie has been on the computer, while all I hear from Zoa is, "You get the beeeeest of both worlds...". That should be enough to tell you what she is doing.

I checked on Macie a few minutes ago, and before I snatched the computer up from her, we put the 'ole camera to use...

Look at the camera and smile...


Put your head up!


What happened to your smile?


Funny faces!!


Not too sure what happened, but Macie moved!


A lot of laughs and fifteen minutes later, we have a keeper!

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

I need....

...to just for one whole day, have my house spotless. No random pile of papers, no pile of clothes in the girls room that won't fit in their dresser, no nothing. Just clean.

...to go to Target tonight to get items for Macie's shoe box for Operation Christmas Child.

...to do some more reviews.

...to start Christmas shopping. And birthday shopping. And shoe shopping for the girls.

...a vacation. Just Jeremy and the girls and I, go somewhere. Relaxing. I can't wait for another vacation.

...just one day that I don't think about everything going on. Just one day to ignore it all.

...a new phone. (Hey, he offered.) My Palm died.

...a manicure and my eyebrows waxed. And my hair trimmed and colored. I am going to do something new to it! Come to think of it, Macie and Zoa need their hair trimmed too.

...to set up a Flickr account.

...to be more thankful and in the moment. Not always think about what I have to do after I do what I am doing.


This idea was taken from a Growing up Mo'. Feel free to chime in but let me know if you do! What do you need?

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Oh my gosh...I just have to tell you how good Amy's recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Bread is. Monday night, I baked and pureed pumpkin. I made around eight cups and stuck it in the freezer. I'm warning you, it was a lot of work, but worth it to me because I know it is pure pumpkin.

Anyway...last night I baked the bread. I baked four loaves and put three in the freezer for snacks later. After it cooled off, Macie and I cut ourselves a piece. It was great! I felt so relieved because I spent so much time on the getting the pumpkin ready. It has a little pumpkin flavor, but not as much as I thought it would. It is now a hit in our house and will become a great snack for the girls! It would also be good for the holidays coming up.

Thanks Amy for the great recipe!


Here is a link to start getting Pillsbury's newsletter. I have been on the e-mail list since I started Menu-Planning and have found some good recipes from them. Just click on the banner for more information.

Shaklee Tea Sample

Get a free sample of Shaklee Energy Tea! You have to take a short survey, but I just finished it in under a minute. Enjoy!

This sample is now expired.

Do you want to participate? You know you do!

Hey locals! I plan on sending out my package for MomAdvice's Big Give project this week. My sister, Whitney is adding some things to to it as well. (Which is awesome considering everything that she is going through now.) If you think you might want to add anything, let me know! We could meet somewhere and I could pick it up and take care of sending it out. You can read more about what is needed here.

If you could afford to, the only thing in addition to what you are donating would be a few dollars for shipping costs. If that would prevent you from donating anything at all, I will take care of the shipping costs. Not a problem at all!

Thanks!

Menu Plan Monday

Last week's Baked Potato Soup was great...highly recommended! I did add a few tablespoons of Whole What Flour to thicken it up a bit, and plan on adding even more next time.

Monday: Slow Cooked White Chili with Chicken
Tuesday: Hamburgers and French Fries
Wednesday: Never got around to Crock Pot Fried Rice two weeks ago. It looks good here.
Thursday: Homemade Burritos using this taco meat recipe.
Friday: Bruschetta 'n Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts & Broccoli
Saturday: Lunch - Grilled Cheese and Apple Sticks Dinner - Out to eat
Sunday: Leftovers

Snacks: Spiced Pumpkin Bread & Fruit (Come back on Tuesday...tomorrow night I am making Pumpkin Puree, with pictures. I am using this puree for the bread.)

Need some recipe ideas? Go to Laura's for more Menu Plan Monday.
Want to start Menu-Planning? See the details here.

The other side of a giveaway...

Every Monday, Money Saving Mom puts up a Mr. Linky to share with her readers all of the giveaways floating around the blogosphere. (You can view the current one here.) Each week, I try to read through them and enter while at the same time, find new blogs to enjoy. I am posting this to tell you about the Mr. Linky at Money Saving Mom and to post a thank you to some things I have won recently:

A Buy One, Get One Free
coupon for Sensible Sippers from Sarah at SassyFrazz.

A Boca Beth Grande Bag from Christy at Shake the Salt.

A $25 Gift Card to Shutterfly from Candace at Mamanista.


A cute little Halloween Pumpkin Candle Set from Carey at Frugal Fulfillment.

Thank you to everyone for hosting the contests.
The prizes are wonderful and our family loves them all!

Target vs. Chuck-E-Cheese

Last night, Whitney and I went to Target with the girls. We spent ten minutes in the $1.00 section before making our way back to the food for what I needed. I needed one thing and Whitney needed a few things. While we were browsing for some cheese sticks for a snack, this is all I heard:

Mom, I'm hungry.

Macie is being mean.

Mom, go back!

Go baaaaaack!!!

Uuuughh!

Zoa won't let me have this!

No, I don't want it now. *Pouty face*

I DON'T WANT IT!

Finally, I just left. I made a mad dash to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for me. (I should have asked if they sneak me a couple of anti-insane pills in there!) Whitney and I check out and I walked out of there, with nothing but a prescription for me, a can of Pringles for the girls, and three $1.00 notebooks for the girls.

On the way back home, Whitney said, "I can see why you dread shopping."

To put it bluntly, I do.

I explained it this way to Macie when we got home:

"You know when we go to Chuck-E-Cheese? Now think about if we all went in there and I told you that I wanted you to come out to the car with me, or I made you go grocery shopping with me instead of playing, or if I told you you could not play in Chuck-E-Cheese because I needed you?" "Tell me how that would make you feel? TELL ME!!!" (Just kidding on that part!)

I asked her if she understood what I meant and she said she did. Now if she understood enough to be more patient when we shop, only time will tell. I plan on having the same conversation with Zoa.

Am I wrong for wanting them to be this way? I am all for buying them things, but if I want to make a quick run to Target, or just look around for that matter, is that too much?

I understand they are children. Their attention span is next to nothing. But also, they are getting to the age where they should be more patient, learn respect, take turns...etc. I just don't want to have that kid.

They are perfect angels when I have them one on one. Fun, patient and really a blast to hang out with. But it is when you get them together, it is as if their goal is to break down mom.

I am truly exhausted. Any suggestions?

Ideal Bite

If you have read my blog for a while, you know that I am all for being 'green'. I am trying to be more green and have looked online for little reminders. One that I like is Ideal Bite.

Ideal Bite sends you five e-mails per weeks (Monday-Friday) about little ways you can become more green. They give you small daily tips and fun little facts. I like it because it is not overwhelming information that I feel I will never be able to do. Just small steps...that's all we need to change.

If you want to join Ideal Bite, just click the graphic.

Gap Coupon Code

I have signed up for Gap e-mail news because I tend to go there for the girls' jeans. I mean, look at these. Are they not so stinkin' cute? Plus, Zoa can now wear the big girls' jeans as long as we get the slim fit. And they fit Macie so good. We have yet to find a brand that fits her better the The Gap's Long and Lean Style.

I wanted to share with you a code I received for being on their e-mail list. The code is EXTRA25 and is good through November 11, 2008. From my understanding it is only good on sale merchandise which is not a bad deal at all. You can use it at The Gap, Kid Gap or Baby Gap. (I read the fine print and it states nothing about sharing it. If you see otherwise, please tell me immediately.)

Plus, if you shop through MyPoints which I told you about here, you will earn points on your purchase.

You can sign up to receive Gap offers like this here. When I initially signed up, I also got a coupon code for $15 off a $75 purchase. If these can be combined, you might be able to score some quality jeans at a reasonable price!

Free 'Stranger Safety' DVD

When you join One to Grow On's Birthday Club, they send you a free gift. At this time, the free gift is a DVD titled, 'Stranger Safety'. When I receive free things like this, I like to pass it on to someone else that can use it when we are done with it. (Friends, teachers, etc.)

You can read more information on the DVD here.

Expired!

Days Without Daddy

Jeremy has been gone for a few days now and "I miss daddy' is a phrase that can be heard frequently in our house. I talked to him for a few minutes last night and he is having a good time. Having Whitney stay with me is making being a single parent much easier.

Jeremy should get back home late this evening so the girls Macie will be ecstatic in the morning when she wakes up. Zoa, on the other hand, is NOT a morning person. That girl will be the last one up at night and will sleep until 10:00 on the weekends. She was such a good sleeper when she was a baby and thankfully, she has not outgrown sleeping in!

Ironic. I thought I would have a hard time getting everyone dressed and out the door in time this week. But, your subconscious is a funny thing. Knowing I didn't have the option of sleeping in, I have been up at about 5:50 everyday so far. I am not a morning person either. I never hear my alarm. But for some reason, this week I have. I even did some laundry and dishes before leaving my house at 6:45! This is 10 minutes earlier that my normal schedule!

But tomorrow, knowing Jeremy will be home, I'm sure it will all change. But I hope not. I kind of like it not being so fast paced in the morning and I am sure I seem like a much happier mom whn I am not running around yelling, "Where are your shoes!?!?" at 6:54 in the morning.

Oh, and I have been locking the doors the same. Because once I lay down without them all locked up, I think, "Tonight will be the one night...". Dang hubby made me paranoid.

On a bit of a heavier note, today marks one month without Jessie. Please keep Whitney and Jessie's mom in your prayers. I know it will be a tough day for them. If you live around here, you know the weather today doesn't exactly scream a pretty day. And Whitney, if you read this, you must share the signs you have seen. I know you are supposed to blog today.

Until later...

One Month

We miss you Jessie.

Free Samples

These are still around if you are interested! I received the Betty Crocker Potatoes, which was a full size package! It served our family of four for dinner one night.

Have a great evening!

Prop 2 Passed

Did you see this Oprah show? I watched it and immediately made a vow to watch my food sources and where they came from. Well, it is on the road to change because Proposition 2 was passed last night in California!

How do you feel about Prop 2?

What's out there...

Here are some free or almost free items I have gotten recently using printable coupons. I plan on stocking up on the Goody ponytail holders as we lose these all the time! Does anyone else have that problem?

Green Giant Frozen Steamers are priced around $1.23 at Wal-mart. Use this $1/1 coupon or this $1/1 coupon to get them for $.23. I have also bought these coupons on Ebay and am currently stocked on vegetables for a few months. They are so good too!

Goody Ponytail holders are priced at $2.12. Use this $2/1 coupon to get them for $.12! This is a great way to buy cute little hair pieces if you have little girls! (Thanks Money Saving Mom!)

Wordless Wedesday: Halloween 2008

Halloween was so much fun! We bought the girls' costumes,
but then at the lastminute I changed my mind and decided to
make their costumes.It was a lot of fun for me and the girls loved them.
( Double click the pictures to enlarge them.)

Zoa was a Bubble Bather...

Macie was a Spa Girl...


And my nephew Ethan was Batman...


Click here to see more Wordless Wednesday!

Powerful

If anyone is random, you're looking at her!

I've been tagged by Kara. So...here are Seven Random Facts about me.

1. (Taken from April, but not really.) I only write with black ink. Not too sure why, but I do.

2. I cannot truly relax until I know that my house is in order. Please know that my house is never orderly so therefore I do not relax. Last time Jeremy and I watched television together? Hmmm, about three weeks ago. (Insert sarcastic comment here: I know...he is so lucky to have me. )

3. The girls usually end up in our room at night. Jeremy and I are both paranoid Jeremy was paranoid and got me all paranoid about someone breaking into our house. So, they sleep on a comfy pallet beside our bed.
...With our bedroom door locked.
...And the front door and back door locked.
...And a chair in front of the front door.
...And a chair in front of the back door.
...And the garage door locked. (Yes, you can lock a garage door.)
...And a lock for the sliding door to the deck.

4. You know that saying about sisters? Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. ~Amy Li
It is so true and I feel these last few months have verified that.

5. I hate being late. But, I am always late. But wait! It's not my fault. For example, Sunday mornings I wake up and take a shower for church. Everyone else is still sleeping. I wake Jeremy up while I am getting ready. He takes a shower. I am ready by this time and get the girls ready. He then finishes getting dressed and gels his hair. The girls and I are in the car before he is even finished. Did you understand that? I get myself and two girls ready before a grown man can get ready. TURN ESPN OFF!

6. I really want to take a photography class. I want to learn more about taking great shots, lighting and all that jazz. I just think it's all so fun.

7. I am currently obsessed with Abercrombie Kids. Their jeans are still way too big but their shirts fit Macie now! Do you know how exciting that it!? But, I refuse to pay full price for it. I would never pay $50 for a shirt for a 6 year old. That's just...well...you know. CrAzY!

Off to do some more of this!

Have a good night everyone and thanks Kara for tagging me.
It was fun!

We're back...

Just wanted to post a quick update. We got back into town and Zoa and I just got back from voting. She would not let me see her ballot. I hope she made the right choice. :)


Everything in St. Louis went fine. Her incisions look great and her doctors/surgeons are very pleased with them. Praise the Lord!

I got a text from Jeremy letting me know that they arrived in Atlanta safely. Don't tell him, but I was a wee bit nervous about him flying on Election Day. I am relieved that he is there safe and sound.

I will post later tonight with what Kara tagged me for. I have to get Zoa some lunch. She slept the whole way home!

As if you needed another reminder...

Get out there and vote today!

You can also take advantage of these freebies on Tuesday,
as long as you have your 'I Voted' sticker:

Get a free donut at Krispy Kreme. (Details here.)
Free Tall-Brewed coffee at Starbuck's. (Details here.)
Free scoop of ice cream at Ben & Jerry's
between 5:00p.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Details here.)

(Photo via.)

Free Right @ Home Gift Pack...

Register here to have a chance at receiving a free Right @ Home Gift Pack. The first 20,000 people to do so will each receive the following:

1 Ziploc® Brand Fresh Produce Bag with Moisture Vents
1 Ziploc® Brand Easy Zipper Storage Bag
1 Ziploc® Brand Snack Bag
1 Ziploc® Brand Zip 'n Steam™ Microwave Steam Cooking Bag
1 Ziploc® Brand Snap 'n Seal Container
$8.50 in coupons

Sounds good to me!

Walgreen's: Free Almay Make-Up

Walgreen's has all of their Almay make-up on sale this week for Buy 1, Get 1 Free. Almay mascara is free after rebate this month also. Purchase the mascara and another Almay make-up product and get both free or almost free! If they are out of the mascara, take advantage of their rain check program.

Some new freebies I have found:

Get a free subscription to Wondertime Magazine. (Arts, crafts, recipes and parenting tips can all be found in Wondertime magazine, a great resource for parents with young children.)

Join the Moms Meet Club and get a free subscription to Kiwi Magazine.

Menu-Plan Monday

This week will be a tough yet fun one. Jeremy will be out of town at training for work. But it will be fun at the same time because my sister, Whitney will be staying with me! Her husband, Adam, works with Jeremy and will be out of town with him also. Hmmm, is this trip really work related? I'm just saying...

Last week's Vanilla Scented Granola snack was a huge hit! It was so good in yogurt and the girls loved it. My next project is making homemade yogurt. We'll see how it goes!

Monday: Bacon and Baked Potato Soup, then off to St. Louis for a night away.

Tuesday: I have two post-op check ups for Zoa in St. Louis, which means a late start on dinner. It's going to be an easy. Pizza, I'm sure. What do you say Whitney?
Wednesday: Whitney's request...Vegetable Fried Rice

Thursday: Hamburger 'Steaks' and gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Mixed Veggies (Grill pre-made hamburgers seasoned with steak seasoning. Top with gravy.)
Friday: Jeremy is back home, which is good because I am sure I will have lost my mind by now! Out to eat...welcome home Daddy and Uncle Adam!
Saturday: Homeade Pizza
Sunday: Forty Clove Garlic Chicken, Rice and Green Beans
Snacks: Applesauce in the Crock-Pot and Banana Nut Bread

Need some recipe ideas? Go to Laura's for more Menu Plan Monday.
Want to start Menu-Planning? See the details here.

Didn't know you could buy that!

After spending the day with Jeremy's mom, Macie came home with a few toys for Zoa.

Zoa: "Look mom! Nacie bought me diarrhea!"

(Side note: Nacie translates to Macie. Diarrhea translates to a diary.)

She is still referring to her new diary as diarrhea.

Homeade Applesauce

This morning I was wide awake at 7:45. After at least one cup of coffee, I decided to get a start on next week's snack: Homemade Applesauce. By the time I was ready to start, the girls were awake but Jeremy was still sleeping. Does that mean this counts as a "Mommy & Me" project?

First, we gathered the ingredients...
8-10 Gala Apples, peeled and cut up
1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. water
Juice of 1 lemon
Dash of salt

Next, we put all the ingredients into the Crock-Pot. Then we stirred it all up to make sure it was covered evenly. Simple as that. The recipe said it needs to cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 3-4 hours. I turned it on low, but I found in 4 hours, they were ready to be mashed. I used a potato masher and may get out the food processor to make it smoother, depending on what the girls prefer.
Here is what the end result should look like. This is after I mashed them.
Next time, I will double or possibly triple this. I want to also cut back on the sugar. It will freeze well and the worst part of the directions is cutting and peeling the apples. But other than that, it is a simple recipe, kid friendly and taste great!

Build-A-Bear gift card winner...

Congratulations to Deane! Random.org chose #28 as the winner of the $25 gift card and $5/25 coupon to Build-A-Bear! You should have received and e-mail from me.

Thanks everyone for participating!

Sinupret for Kids

I was excited when I recently received Sinupret for Kids. This to me is an all natural alternative to Dimetapp or Robitussin. It has been approved by Dr. Sears (scroll down for his recommendation) and comes at perfect timing now that all over the counter cough medicine is not recommended for kids under four years old.

Sinupret claims to work on the average cold and cough. After I read more information, it would not work on ear or sinus infections, bronchitis or pneumonia.

Next to homemade remedies, this will be the first thing I reach for when the girls get the average cold.

You can buy Sinupret for Kids on Amazon or at Sinupret for Kids.