Friday, August 29, 2008
Free Money!
I'm always up for free money & I wanted to share with you what I've been doing to get it! I just got my free $25.00 GameStop gift card in the mail yesterday. All I had to do was complete a few simple surveys & over time I had earned enough rewards to choose how I wanted to spend those rewards, so I got the gift card to a store all of us enjoy. I use http://www.e-rewards.com/welcome.do?ln=en&cc=CA. There are more recommendations for taking surveys for money at http://www.vanillajoy.com. It's so easy, why not give it a try??
The Original Scrapbox - UPDATE!!!!
Word on the street is, Vanillajoy.com will be giving one of these away!! GO CHECK IT OUT! IMMEDIATELY!!!!!
RetailMeNot.com
If you know me really well, you know I DO NOT pay retail if I don't have to & I will search & search & search until I find what I'm looking for on sale, on clearance, used or with a coupon code.
This site is great & a constant source of great deals for me & my family.
RetailMeNot.com is the largest source of online coupon codes and is a really easy way to save whenever you buy anything online.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
I'm pretty sure...
I will die without one of these in my lifetime....OH MY GOSH! How in the world do you raise $1300.00 + shipping costs to buy something exclusively for yourself?!?!?!?!?!?!?! This is truly the coolest thing I have ever seen & in our lifestyle of moving about so much & having many little hands to get into things, this thing is PERFECT!!!!! Maybe I should sell ALL my craft stuff & start a fund to buy one of these & then work on refilling it, hahahahahahaha. That would take me years I'm sure! Oh well...a craftin' girl can dream.
Monday, August 25, 2008
VANILLA JOY BRINGING SOMEONE SOME JOY!!
Vanilla Joy at http://www.vanillajoy.com/ is having a giveaway - A CRICUT!!! Oh these little machines look like so much fun! Go check it out & leave a comment to gain an entry to win!!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
I didn't clean...
I decided if I was going to have a lazy day I might as well make it a full 24 hours, so it's nearly midnight & I just got done watching a really great movie & I watched it all by myself - no interruptions, no yelling, no asking questions, no wiggly kids climbing all over me. It was great, just the kind of movie I like with a little bit of magic & fantasy & a great cast. The story was very well written I thought & I loved the costume design, the set design, the angles shot, it was all just exactly what I like in a movie of this type. And to make it even sweeter, it's rated PG!!!! I will definitely let my kids watch this movie & I will definitely be adding it to my collection. I thoroughly enjoyed it & highly recommend it. Now I'm off to see what I can get done before I crash into bed, which I do believe has been invaded by one little red headed boy!!
Do you have these kind of days?
Mark is at work. It's Sunday & he has staff duty. This means he went to work at 7:00 this morning & will get home about 9:00 tomorrow morning. Sometimes I take advantage & work on personal projects or do deep house cleaning or just hang out & play with the kids all day, doing absolutely nothing. Today has been one of those days. A day where we just play & eat & sleep & do whatever we please like the Lost Boys in Neverland, not a care in the world, only days to live however we wish. But, the result of a day like this is what you see below & it only takes one day, one single day of carefree living. We skipped church because of Daphne's croup & the girls woke up with sore throats & coughing, my boys are the only ones that have shown no signs of sickness, so we have just been lazy all day long.
What will it take for me to recover from a day like this....well, I won't be able to sleep until I clean it, so it will take at least 2 hours to do it right, which isn't that bad. I'll eat that cheesecake sitting there on the computer desk calling my name & then burn off the sugar rush with housecleaning after I put the munchkins to bed with lots of hugs & kisses & smiles from a Neverland kind of day together. When is Wendy going to come & play mother & rescue us from this mess?????
That's toys on the piano & underneath it, Mavaney's stuff from the car that she just dumped on the floor on her way in. (At least she took it out of the car like her dad asked her to.) Diet Coke that just never made it's way into the kitchen & the bookshelf, it makes me want to cringe when it looks like that.
Noah had corn puffs for breakfast & Mavaney baked a cake, so there are some remnants of that left on the table. We haven't had a sit down meal all day long.
I have a love/hate relationship with this island in our kitchen. It's great cupboard & counter space, but when you don't keep it cleared off, it only adds to the monster of the mess.
My ironing pile which I usually try to work on on Saturdays or Sunday mornings. No such luck this weekend.
Grant knocked over the basket of toys, Mavaney got her backpack out & didn't hang it back up. I have littered the computer desk with all sorts of things off & on today playing seek & find games with the kids online or creating my newest blog.
The dishes should have been done a long time ago, like 6:00 this morning when I was awake. I believe the dishwasher is full of clean dishes & that's one chore I absolutely HATE to do, is unload the dishwasher. I usually leave it for the kids.
That's a dirty diaper on the floor. Mark doesn't understand how I can change it & then not take it right then & throw it away. I just get too busy sometimes I guess. In the chair is a package from a scrapbook store online that has yet to be opened after almost 2 weeks after it arrived on my doorstep. I have been saving it for a special moment, guess that moment just hasn't come along yet.
That trash bag in my room is from Isabelle's room (about 3 weeks ago) when she refused to clean it up, I went down there & put everything in a trash bag. We have lived this 3 weeks without a single thing in that bag, I couldn't even tell you what's in the bag, so this must mean we never needed any of it in the first place, right?? And how can you pick something out of your drawer & not take the 1 second it requires to close that drawer? It falls in the same category as disposing of dirty diapers I guess.
When the bedroom looks like this, Mark says it looks like my dresser threw up. Guess it kind of does. Grant knocked over the vacuum & since Mark had to work this morning & wouldn't be home until tomorrow, I rebelled & didn't make the bed. It's been hot at night too, so obviously it looks like neither of us used very many covers last night.
What will it take for me to recover from a day like this....well, I won't be able to sleep until I clean it, so it will take at least 2 hours to do it right, which isn't that bad. I'll eat that cheesecake sitting there on the computer desk calling my name & then burn off the sugar rush with housecleaning after I put the munchkins to bed with lots of hugs & kisses & smiles from a Neverland kind of day together. When is Wendy going to come & play mother & rescue us from this mess?????
That's toys on the piano & underneath it, Mavaney's stuff from the car that she just dumped on the floor on her way in. (At least she took it out of the car like her dad asked her to.) Diet Coke that just never made it's way into the kitchen & the bookshelf, it makes me want to cringe when it looks like that.
Noah had corn puffs for breakfast & Mavaney baked a cake, so there are some remnants of that left on the table. We haven't had a sit down meal all day long.
I have a love/hate relationship with this island in our kitchen. It's great cupboard & counter space, but when you don't keep it cleared off, it only adds to the monster of the mess.
My ironing pile which I usually try to work on on Saturdays or Sunday mornings. No such luck this weekend.
Grant knocked over the basket of toys, Mavaney got her backpack out & didn't hang it back up. I have littered the computer desk with all sorts of things off & on today playing seek & find games with the kids online or creating my newest blog.
The dishes should have been done a long time ago, like 6:00 this morning when I was awake. I believe the dishwasher is full of clean dishes & that's one chore I absolutely HATE to do, is unload the dishwasher. I usually leave it for the kids.
That's a dirty diaper on the floor. Mark doesn't understand how I can change it & then not take it right then & throw it away. I just get too busy sometimes I guess. In the chair is a package from a scrapbook store online that has yet to be opened after almost 2 weeks after it arrived on my doorstep. I have been saving it for a special moment, guess that moment just hasn't come along yet.
That trash bag in my room is from Isabelle's room (about 3 weeks ago) when she refused to clean it up, I went down there & put everything in a trash bag. We have lived this 3 weeks without a single thing in that bag, I couldn't even tell you what's in the bag, so this must mean we never needed any of it in the first place, right?? And how can you pick something out of your drawer & not take the 1 second it requires to close that drawer? It falls in the same category as disposing of dirty diapers I guess.
When the bedroom looks like this, Mark says it looks like my dresser threw up. Guess it kind of does. Grant knocked over the vacuum & since Mark had to work this morning & wouldn't be home until tomorrow, I rebelled & didn't make the bed. It's been hot at night too, so obviously it looks like neither of us used very many covers last night.
ANOTHER BLOG?!?!?!?!?!
I have far too much unused space in my brain or I have a serious addiction to creating blogs, but I have done it yet again. Check it out at http://crafts4theearth.blogspot.com/. Let me know what you think!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Top Ten Faves Tag from Creative Homemaker Blog
1. Fave Shoes- American Eagle flip flops - broken in & just right
2. Fave Room in my House- My Craft Room although I am hardly down there these days, boo hoo...
3. Fave Soda- Fresca, Pepsi One
4. Fave Treat- Cheesecake with cherry topping or a good juicy burger from a fast food joint
5. Fave Pastime- scrapbooking, e-mailing friends, card making, baking, playing with my kids, camping
6. Fave Household Chore- dusting, straightening up
7. Fave Car- I don't have one. Just need something that fits us all & drives well!
8. Fave TV Show- Lost, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Medium, Samantha Who, The Office
9. Fave Store- Thrift Stores!! Target, T.J. Maxx, Costco, Gap, American Eagle (online mostly - great clearance)
10. Fave Time of Day- When the kids are all asleep & I get to choose something to do just for me.
Go check out her blog at http://creativehomemakers.blogspot.com
2. Fave Room in my House- My Craft Room although I am hardly down there these days, boo hoo...
3. Fave Soda- Fresca, Pepsi One
4. Fave Treat- Cheesecake with cherry topping or a good juicy burger from a fast food joint
5. Fave Pastime- scrapbooking, e-mailing friends, card making, baking, playing with my kids, camping
6. Fave Household Chore- dusting, straightening up
7. Fave Car- I don't have one. Just need something that fits us all & drives well!
8. Fave TV Show- Lost, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Medium, Samantha Who, The Office
9. Fave Store- Thrift Stores!! Target, T.J. Maxx, Costco, Gap, American Eagle (online mostly - great clearance)
10. Fave Time of Day- When the kids are all asleep & I get to choose something to do just for me.
Go check out her blog at http://creativehomemakers.blogspot.com
Dark Angels: A Novel by Karleen KoenMy review
rating: 3 of 5 stars
I love books set in the 1600's or anytime where royal court is high & mighty & filled with stories of love, betrayal & all that other juicy stuff. This book was a bit hard to read quickly. The wording just didn't seem to flow very much. I would not consider Ms. Koen one of the better historical fiction writers, but I did finish the book. I wonder if I would enjoy her Through A Glass Darkly which follows the lead character, Alice Verney into later life?
View all my reviews.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Decoupage Day
I have never decoupaged before. I know, it sounds crazy, knowing how crafty I am & how I love to try new crafty things, but this is one thing I just have never ventured to do, but today I can check it off my "Done That" list. A little prologue of sorts....nothing in our house is new, okay, I take that back, the TV is, but the furniture is not new. We are so lucky to have been where we were in Germany & to have been able to acquire such great furniture, all used & amazingly affordable, so just imagining a brand new piece of furniture in our house seems silly to me, because it wouldn't fit along with everything else. So...to jazz up an old desk, one we have had since we got married, I long ago attempted to paint it, as you can see in the before picture.
And then the kids added permanent marker decorations & the handles didn't really fit so they kept falling off, so the desk has looked like this for years. Today I decided that HAD to change. I had bought the napkins & modge podge over a year ago, so it was about time I knocked this project off my list!!
TAH DAH! Okay, so my husband was right, the cream paint border would show through, but you know what, I still think it looks better than it did. It's done & it only took me all afternoon, but I did play around with some digital scrapbooking while I was waiting on the modge podge to dry & I played with babies here & there too. Now I just need to clean up the top part of the desk & vacuum & I can call it a pretty darn good day!
And while I'm sharing projects, I'll throw this out there too. Another long procrastinated project marked off the list. I purchased this silk print from my favorite antique shop in Butzbach, Germany called Kattja's. I paid 2 euro for it. I have had it sitting around, folded up, since I bought it almost 2 years ago. Just this past month I finally got it framed. The dilemma was that it didn't fit in a standard frame size & it was much too costly to have it professionally framed, so on one of my clear days I got the idea to purchase some vintage lace on Ebay & add it to the sides of the piece. I got the suede matte at the frame shop on post & I used a coupon on the frame at Michael's. I really do like the way it turned out.
And then the kids added permanent marker decorations & the handles didn't really fit so they kept falling off, so the desk has looked like this for years. Today I decided that HAD to change. I had bought the napkins & modge podge over a year ago, so it was about time I knocked this project off my list!!
TAH DAH! Okay, so my husband was right, the cream paint border would show through, but you know what, I still think it looks better than it did. It's done & it only took me all afternoon, but I did play around with some digital scrapbooking while I was waiting on the modge podge to dry & I played with babies here & there too. Now I just need to clean up the top part of the desk & vacuum & I can call it a pretty darn good day!
And while I'm sharing projects, I'll throw this out there too. Another long procrastinated project marked off the list. I purchased this silk print from my favorite antique shop in Butzbach, Germany called Kattja's. I paid 2 euro for it. I have had it sitting around, folded up, since I bought it almost 2 years ago. Just this past month I finally got it framed. The dilemma was that it didn't fit in a standard frame size & it was much too costly to have it professionally framed, so on one of my clear days I got the idea to purchase some vintage lace on Ebay & add it to the sides of the piece. I got the suede matte at the frame shop on post & I used a coupon on the frame at Michael's. I really do like the way it turned out.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
My New Haircut
I'm really surprised that after I posted about that e-mail I got from the lady at church complimenting me....ON MY NEW HAIRCUT....that no one asked to see it!!! Well, I'm sharing anyway! I have gone back to shorter hair. It is truly who I am & what I like so enough of that growing my hair out crap! And if my sister EVER reads my blog, I'll have her know my kids all think I look EXACTLY like her now although she has been growing her hair out although they don't know that.
Monday, August 4, 2008
I should know better.
Having married a man who loves the outdoors, I should know better when he says, "Let's go on a hike today." In my mind, I am thinking, maybe a 20 minute hike or so & it will be easy, no biggie. But, we get out there & he's got the map out, he's planned out a trek that might push us, but not kill us or at least not totally & then about halfway through he looks at me, I guess my face doesn't tell lies very well, and he asks, "So, how much further can we go?" He's asking permission on setting the challenge level & I realize what I've gotten myself into. I say, "No more than what we just did 3 times in a row." I'm horrible at mileage or directions, heaven forbid I ever get lost in the woods by myself. I've got a baby on my back, although she is the lighter load, but she's the louder one & she is grunting FOR me. At one point, I actually ask her to be quiet because the noises she is making are the ones I want to make, but I'm trying to keep my smile plastered on, although the sweat is dripping into my eyes & I can feel my shirt starting to stick to me & Daphne's grunting is making it even clearer how I really feel about this hike!!! I'm not mad at Mark, I'm mad at myself, for not being in better shape, for not being able to push away the crankiness, but I swear I am doing all I can to show I'm happy & show that I'm enjoying myself. So, we arrive back at the car, almost drained of our water supply because the kids are the furthest thing from camels & I cannot wait to get somewhere where I can just sit & relax & rest, so we take the kids to the creek to play & I put the babies in the playpen & enjoy some resting time & we get home & I am still totally pooped! So, we sneak in a nap with the babies & when I wake up, I am still exhausted. Originally, my idea for today was to go on a small hike, enjoy some time with the kids & then later that night go out by myself to eat somewhere, do a little shopping, just be by myself after almost a month with no hubby to help with the clan & I find that after the time well spent with family & my husband's idea of a hike, I am far too tired to even entertain myself. I should know better. But I still LOVE YOU HONEY & I'd go hiking across America if only to be with YOU!!!
She didn't have to, but it's the fact that she did.
The background: The woman who wrote this is someone I only know because we go to the same church or we used to be in the same ward & she was part of Music Makers which we frequented last year for quite a few months each Thursday. She has 3 super cute kids & she was always so helpful & happy & full of ideas. But outside of this, I really don't know her very well. She has since moved to another ward, but one that meets in the same church building as ours & this past Sunday I had to be at church early for a meeting, so the other ward was still in session when I got to the church. Today I received this e-mail....
Hi,
On Sunday I saw a lady walk past me talking to my dad and down the hall towards the Primary Room. I thought to myself, who is that? Must be new to Radcliff Ward, because I didn't recognize her from the E-town ward. Then she stopped by the clerks office and I could see her face - and it was YOU!!! (: Nice looking hair cut - you look great!!!
Just wanted to let you know.
Good luck with the first day of School!
Now, she didn't have to say anything at all. I haven't talked to her or seen her in months! I never went out of my way to be her friend or talk to her in great detail about much of anything & I have never said more than just "Hi, How are you?" to her in passing, so why am I sharing this? Because I am continually shown the genuine kindness & sincerity of heart in the people I share my spiritual beliefs with. They are truly an amazing group of people. She didn't have to write this to me. She could have thought it & never put those thoughts into words. So, how did she know that something like this would change my whole day? My whole week? How did she know that this was something I needed to hear? That it was so incredibly important to me as a person, as a woman to know that people care enough to share a nice thought with me? It wasn't the only special note I've gotten recently. There was a phone call, a shared hug with a new friend in passing at church, another e-mail from someone who shares in my personal struggles giving me support & encouragement, all in the matter of 24 hours. How, with all of this, just for me, could I not believe in a higher power? How is it possible to think it is simply all conicidence? It's not possible. It's divine intuition. It's the Spirit. It is the unity of women. Oh how blessed I am.
I'm sure this woman will not read my blog, but I feel the need to say thank you to her because she truly has no idea what good she has done for me at this time. It brought me to tears & though that may seem silly, the small things really can touch you so deeply when your spirit is so fragile. Thank you for taking the time to life my spirit.
Now, she didn't have to say anything at all. I haven't talked to her or seen her in months! I never went out of my way to be her friend or talk to her in great detail about much of anything & I have never said more than just "Hi, How are you?" to her in passing, so why am I sharing this? Because I am continually shown the genuine kindness & sincerity of heart in the people I share my spiritual beliefs with. They are truly an amazing group of people. She didn't have to write this to me. She could have thought it & never put those thoughts into words. So, how did she know that something like this would change my whole day? My whole week? How did she know that this was something I needed to hear? That it was so incredibly important to me as a person, as a woman to know that people care enough to share a nice thought with me? It wasn't the only special note I've gotten recently. There was a phone call, a shared hug with a new friend in passing at church, another e-mail from someone who shares in my personal struggles giving me support & encouragement, all in the matter of 24 hours. How, with all of this, just for me, could I not believe in a higher power? How is it possible to think it is simply all conicidence? It's not possible. It's divine intuition. It's the Spirit. It is the unity of women. Oh how blessed I am.
I'm sure this woman will not read my blog, but I feel the need to say thank you to her because she truly has no idea what good she has done for me at this time. It brought me to tears & though that may seem silly, the small things really can touch you so deeply when your spirit is so fragile. Thank you for taking the time to life my spirit.
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