Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Merry Christmas

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We have a new house

And so I'll be a touch MIA while getting it ready to move in to and moving in. I'll post further details later -- Got a phone call to make right now.




Wordless Wednesday -- I love you BABY!


Thursday, December 11, 2008

Label Daddy saves the day (and my sanity)

As most busy moms, I have a hard time keeping track of all of my girl's thing. I'm very particular about the girls and their exposure to germs due to their health problems. So of course, we keep our sippy cups and binkies to ourselves. Imagine my horror when picking them up at the church nursery one day to find they'd been drinking out of some one else's sippy cup all morning. *GASP* Seriously, this bothered me. So I went home, steralized their cups and pulled out my magic Sharpie.

Unfortunately sharpie only lasts so long, usually just long enough for you to stick the cup in the dishwasher. So I was on the lookout for something better. And I found it.
I had the chance to reveiw some awesome new labels from Label Daddy, a new business owned by two dads! The labels are awesome! Seriously they stick like glue -- I have washed every cup/plate, etc I attached htem too and they are still stuck there, like they were the first time I put them there.

The labels are available in several pretty colors and of course are personalizable!

Label Daddy's Labels take care of my problem for me. I put Caity's name on her cups, her extra clothes, everything that would get mixed with other children's things. And the label's stick and they stay!

These labels have saved me so much sanity. I find that I can use them for anything. My newest use was sticking them on the bins for Caity's laundry. Now she'll know which is her bin to put away. I'm definitely ordering some for Miss Izzie too.

And one of my readers will be lucky too. Label Daddy is sponsoring a giveaway for my readers. So Follow the simple rules and try to win.

1st and foremost you must go to the Label Daddy site and tell me what labels you would love to have.

For extra entries:
* Blog about this giveaway and link to both Label Daddy and my blog
* Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this contest
* Add me to your blogroll


Label Daddy has also given us a coupon code to share. If you enter Daddy4 in the coupon code section, you will receive 10% off any order placed.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

YAY JC!!

I can't believe your little one will arrive in the world today!

I'm so excited. Can't wait to meet him or her!

I still say girl. And I say you deserve that!

Much love to you! I can't think of anyone more blessed!








Sunday, December 07, 2008

Macy's Friends and Family Savings Event!




From Wednesday December 10th through Monday December 15th, Macy's is offering everyone use of their employee discount.

That's right, an extra 20% off for everyone!

Download the Macy's Friends and Family Coupon!









Friday, December 05, 2008

There's a nwe bambino

in the family.

Ok. So not really family. But we are such close friends, we might as well be family. And alas that is where I disappeared to yesterday.


Welcome to the world Baby Bry.





Thursday, December 04, 2008

Cartstopper -- WINNER

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

2 

Timestamp: 2008-12-04 14:08:51 UTC



Kama @ Today's Housewife

Kama, please email me with your information, so I can pass it on to the sponsor.










Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Wordless Wednesday -- I'm Feeling Christmassy








Homemade Chirstmas Blog Party

I wanted to do something different than other blogs with my Christmas party. I wanted to focus on things you can make or buy that are homemade for your family for chirstmas. As such, not only will there be prizes(there are some, yes) there will be recipes for goodies, tutorials for things and other ideas on stuff you can make for those you are closest too.

I hope you enjoy everything about this party. My button will go up later today and you can grab it and put it on your blog. It gives you an extra entry to all giveaways (including those not in the party)












Sorry I was MIA this week

Both my girls and myself were/are sick. And I've been doing very little online in general.

Today kicks off day 1 of my Homemade christmas blog party, so look for those posts to start today.

I will post the winner of the Cart Stopper Tonight, so get your entries in while its still open.





Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Onfe Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

One Perfect Day

FaithWords (October 22, 2008)

by

Lauraine Snelling



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Today, Lauraine Snelling is a member of the more than Two Million Books In Print club, but when she first began, she was a mother of three teenagers with a simple dream to write “horse books for kids.”

All told, she has over 50 books published. She thinks. She’s not sure. She’d rather write them than count them. Lauraine’s work has been translated into Norwegian, Danish and German as well as produced as books on tape.

Awards have followed her dedication to “telling a good story”: the Silver Angel Award for An Untamed Land and a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart for Song of Laughter.

Helping others reach their writing dream is the reason Lauraine teaches at writer’s conferences across the country. She mentors others through book doctoring and with her humorous and playful Writing Great Fiction tape set. Lauraine also produces material on query letters and other aspects of the writing process.

Her readers clamor for more books more often and Lauraine would like to comply, if only her ever-growing flower gardens didn’t call quite so loudly over the soothing rush of the water fountains in her back yard and if the hummingbirds weren’t quite so entertaining. Lauraine and husband Wayne have two grown sons and a cockatiel named Bidley, who loves to tease their Basset Hound named Chewy.


ABOUT THE BOOK


Two mothers end up more closely connected that they could dream...and yet they are strangers to one another.

The first has two children--twins, a boy and girl, who are seniors in high school. She wants their last Christmas as a family living in the same home to be perfect, but her husband is delayed returning from a business trip abroad. And then there's an accident--a fatal one involving a drunk driver.

Meanwhile, the other mother has a daughter who needs a new heart, and so the loss of one woman becomes the miracle the other has desperately prayed for. While one mother grieves, and pulls away from her family, the other finds that even miracles aren't always easy to receive.

If you would like to read the first chapter of One Perfect Day, go HERE



Sunday, November 30, 2008

It's SNOWING

ZOMG

Wow.

It won't stick, but its so pretty to watch fall






You say its your birthday

Well its my birthday too!

Got a big list of things I'm doing this morning. but I have a few things to post about when I get home this afternoon.



Saturday, November 29, 2008

We are now the proud owners of a

Lizard.


Caity went to take her shower tonight and she hollers out "Mom, there's a lizard in here"

yes, a lizard. A little one somehow got into our bathtub. Of course she wouldn't let us put it outside once DH said it would die (cold), so now its in a mason jar (with air holes at the top) until we can find more appropriate lodging for it.

Anyone know how to take care of lizards?




Friday, November 28, 2008

The final day of the Awesome Blog Party

You can find my post on Momdot



Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving -- THE FOOD Baby

Onward to Day Eleven of Momdot's Rocking Christmas Party Are you excited yet? 2 days away from the grand prize!

Today's Question is all about the food, of course. So
If you could only eat ONE food on Thanksgiving Day, what would it be? Do you have a home cooked meal for Thanksgiving or do you go out to eat? Does your family dress up?




Thanksgiving is all about the food baby. One thing. Only one thing. Oh gosh. I'd have to say the Pecan Praline Pie. It's divine. DIVINE. And I only get it on holidays. You know, cause I'm too lazy to make my own.


We have a home cooked meal. We get together with all the family at one location (alternated) and everyone pitches in with the cooking.

We don't really dress up special. The kids play outside, inside, all over. The adults cook, and talk, its really a relaxed setting.






Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Boys. Little boys.

I spent the afternoon with little boys. And all I can say is thank goodness I have two daughters and not three sons.


C, H, and I were a great fun for the girls and they were all pretty good, but man, boys are so gross and disturbing and they have like 3 times the energy of my girls.





Momdot wants to know -- Christmas Decorations

Day 10 is all about the decor! What do you do to decorate?

Check out the Momdot Christmas Party

Do you decorate for the Holidays? Do you have a themed Christmas tree? Share pics! Do you think there is such a thing as OVER decorating?


We decorate the inside of the house, not so much the outside -- We plan to this year, but we'll have to see.

Our Christmas tree is Disney themed. We have all kinds of Disney ornaments, some from Hallmark, some from Disney, and some from other stores too. We have not foudn the perfect Disney lights for it yet, but we're looking. And We hope to get the Tinker Bell topper soon too.

I don't think there is such a thing as overdecorating. I love looking at Christmas lights and scenes.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Cartstopper -- A review and giveaway.

I got the opportunity to try out a new safety product last week. The Cartstopper.

Have you ever gone to the grocery store alone with the kids and the buggy tries to roll away as you are loading groceries into the car. You know what I mean, you have to keep one hand on the buggy, and use the other to load the bags into the car.

Not any more.

The Cartstopper is designed to attach the buggy to your car, so you can load the groceries without fear that your child(ren) will be rolling off in the buggy.

The Cartstopper sticks to your vehicle with a large suction cup while a plastic "handle" holds the cart in place. The Carstopper is easy to affix to the car, and easy to remove.

I took the girls with me to Kroger, it was a drizzly day, and it was just me and the girls. A great day to try out this new device. The car, was mostly clean, and the suction stuck to it just fine. The rain, though light, did not affect it at all. I loved that the cart stayed where I had put it and I didn't have to worry about the girls or my groceries. Unloading the cart was a snap and when I was through, it took seconds to release the cartstopper so I could return the cart to the corral. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who ever goes shopping alone with kids. It is a very novel concept! I only wish it was around 4 years ago when Caity was a baby!

You can click to order your own CartStopper Or you can try to win one on my blog.

That's right, Cartstopper is offering my readers a chance to win. You will receive one cartstopper if you win.

Rules of the contest.

First and foremost, you must go to CartStopper's website and tell me something you learned about the product or its creator.


After you do that, you can have extra entries.

1. Blog about this contest including links to my blog post and Cartstopper.
2. Follow me on Twitter amd Tweet about this contest.
3. Follow me on blogger or add me to your blogroll.
4. Fave me on technorati. Click button on my sidebar.
5. Subscribe to my blog.

The contest starts today and will end December 3rd.




It's all about the Gifts -- Momdot Christmas Party

Just in time, Day Number 9, of the Momdot Christmas Party

Most unusual gift you have received? Best gift? Do you re-gift?


I can't think of anything unusual I have ever received for Christmas.

Best gift -- Hands down, my locket ball necklace. It holds 4 pictures and folds up into this awesome ball shape.

I have re-gifted a time or two, must usually I just return the item I don't want and get what I do.






Friday, November 21, 2008

Think Thin Thursdays -- #2 (a tad late)

WElcome back to Think Thin Thursday!

Lets see. My goals for last week were

#1 I will walk 3 days a week. A half mile, a mile, whatever, just designated walking at the Park on the trail.
#2 I need to lose about 10 lbs, so I want to lose some weight this week
#3 I will do crunches or sit ups 2 nights a week.

I did walk 2 days, the third it was raining.
I lost a pound.
I did do crunches 2 nights.

New goals for this week:

#1 -- Walk 3 days. A mile each day.
#2 -- Crunches two nights.
#3 -- Lose more weight.





Check out the Official rules for Think Thin Thursdays Here at Bridgette's Not so blog Blog



PSF In a Blur

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek













You see that Magenta-ish colored blur in this picture. That is Caity. Yep. Life in the fast lane, in a blur.








Black Friday

Now for day 8 of the Momdot Christmas Party.

Momdot asked:
Do you shop on Black Friday? What time do you start? Do you complete your shopping this day? What's the best deal you have ever found? What's your shopping strategy?

Do you shop on Black Friday? EVERY YEAR. Even when I was hugely pregnant.

What time do you start? This depends on what stores I am going too. Usually 3 am.


Do you complete your shopping this day? Yes, for the most part. The only thing left after Black Friday is stocking stuffers.

What's the best deal you have ever found?
My Toshiba Laptop for $250, Before we minused the best buy bucks from McDonald's.

What's your shopping strategy?
My MIL, DH, Aunt, Mom, and several friends all shop Black friday. We view the ads online before Black friday and start making our lists. Then On Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we split up the stores and decide who's going where. We give everyone a copy of our preliminary wants for each store. Then on Thanksgiving we call and make any changes. The person going to each store, gets the item(s) for everyone from that store. We keep cell phones at the ready in case we do not get something, someone can try somewhere else. Then we meet up Friday night to exchange all items and collect any money owed.







Thursday, November 20, 2008

Naughty or Nice -- I decide!

Fabulous Day Seven of the Momdot Christmas Party. Are you linked up?

Today's Question:

Who's on your naughty list? Whose on your nice list? Why?


So lets see, I'll start with the naughty list, its much shorter!

Naughty -- Jordy -- my baby brother. He's always on the naughty list, that's just who he is.

Jar Jar -- My older brother. He's on the naught list because of his noise maker presents from the past 4 years. Don't worry big bro, Emmy is going to enjoy all kinds of them herself.


Nice List:

Caity -- Mostly nice! She's getting better about listening.
Izzie -- She's a great kiddo.
Emmy -- She's too young to be naughty.
Lexi -- She's not walking yet, so still not naughty.

And of course lots of other friends and family.


Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Memories

Favorite holiday memory from YOUR childhood

Oh gosh. This is a tough one.

I think my favorite memory is the year I was very sick. I was so sick; I didn’t even feel like opening presents which made it all the more depressing. But the one thing I remember most about that year, wasn’t the chicken pox, it wasn’t the fever, or the itching or anything else about being sick. It was my brothers who opened my gifts for me, before diving into their own, because they wanted me to be able to enjoy my presents.

It’s amazing, how sometimes, even the people you don’t get along with, are able to do the nicest things.

For more holiday memories, check over on Momdot Post your own and be eligible to win some great prizes.




Off to Children's again

Hoping that the new meds are working.

If we see a change for the good, we'll add the second new drug to the regimen, if not, we'll go to plan B!

Keep us in your thoughts.

When I get home, I'll be posting a review and contest! Keep on the look out.








Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Wordless Wednesday (Mostly)

So I'm thinking these are going to make an awesome Christmas card. *whistles*

You better not cry. You better not pout.


She just adores having her pictures made, can't you tell?


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Because I'm a sucker for new books

Sin a little…And Win! www.cynthiaeden.comEnter Today!Share Image


And contests.







Busy Week

So sorry for the lack of posts yesterday.


I have a few reviews coming your way, here and over on Busymom.

Caity has a checkup tomorrow to see how well her new drugs are working. And we have a little surprise coming up tomorrow, if everything works out!

Girls are sick.

We'll be going away again friday night through Sunday. But I'll be back sunday afternoon to go see Twilight for my birthday! Thanks G!


Volunteering

Another day, another topic. Have you been to the Christmas of Dreams party yet?


Do you volunteer during the Holidays? What organizations do you donate your time to? How do you teach your children the true meaning of the holidays?



I don't volunteer. I would like too, but most years it is not an option. We do get an angel off the tree at the mall and purchase gifts for them. The girls get to help pick out the gifts and we explain to them that not everyone is fortunate enough to have toys of their own. We also always try to donate to the bell ringers when we can.

I do hope that some time in the future I am able to donate more time to some of the great causes.






Monday, November 17, 2008

Holiday Food Food Food.

The party is going strong at Momdot, won't you come join us?

What is your favorite Holiday recipe, describe your Holiday table, biggest holiday cooking disaster

My favorite Holiday recipe is plain ol pecan pie. It's not Thanksgiving/Christmas time without pecan pie.

We have an interesting twist on our holiday table. The table cloth is signed by all who attend with their name and date, and then each name is cross-stitched over in various colors. My mom has done this since I was about 5 years old, and its amazing to see how much signatures have changed over the years and how much our family has grown and changed.

As for the menu, it’s sort of a free for all thing. My mom or grandma handles the Turkey and/or Ham and stuffing, while everyone else is designated to bring side items. Most years include, mashed taters, gravy, rolls, green bean casserole, candied sweet taters, mac&cheese, cheesy broccoli rice casserole, corn on the cob, and tons of desserts.






Friday, November 14, 2008

PSF -- Eww, that's disturbing.

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek




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What A sweet little family picture, eh?

Yeah. Lets do please note that that IS MY BROTHER, and me. It's a picture for our mom, 2(of 3)sibs and our littles.