CrAzY Working Mom

Slow Cookin' - Creamy Italian Chicken

2012-01-27T08:30:00.000-06:00

My family loves Italian Chicken. I love the fact that it's made in the slow cooker!! Prep time is a breeze and the outcome is amazing! It's a recipe we've used for a while now and it's a perfect meal for those nights where you're on the go, or a Sunday after church meal. Prep is easy, and you can serve it over just about ANYTHING. Rice, Bow-tie Pasta, Angel Hair Pasta...you get my drift here I'm sure. My family prefers the angel hair pasta version. But, you can use whatever you have in your cabinet. There are variations on the cooking method of this recipe, this is the way I make it.

Creamy Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

4 Large Chicken Breasts

1/2 Stick Butter - Melted

1 pkg dry Zezty Italian Dressing Mix

1 pkg Cream Cheese (softened)

1 can *cream of chicken soup

(*You can add more if you like a creamier consistency
or you can add a bit of chicken broth)

1. Add Chicken Breasts to slow cooker.

2. Cover with melted butter.

3. Sprinkle with Italian Dressing.

4. Cook on Low for 4 hours.

(cook time may vary depending on chicken size and whether or not you're using thawed or frozen breasts)

You can do these steps before you go to work, school, church, etc. When you return home in the afternoon, you can do the remaining:

5. Fold in cream of chicken with cream cheese in bowl, set aside.

6. Remove chicken from crock pot and shred/cut, to your liking.

7. Add liquid from crock pot to cream cheese mixture. Mix well.

8. Add liquid and chicken back to slow cooker.

9. Cook on High for 1 hour.

Serve over rice or your choice of pasta!
It is pictured here with angel hair pasta served with carrots and green beans.
ENJOY!!!

Etiquette in the school pick up/drop off line

2012-01-26T08:30:00.001-06:00

Before we even turn into the school driveway, I tell my kids to get jackets and backpacks on and have any lunches, snacks, extra things that they are carrying in hand. We drive a mini-van so loading and un-loading usually goes rather quickly. Occasionally someone will drop something, or forget something or stop to ask a question, but most of the time things go off without a hitch. I try to be prepared for a quick and easy drop off. I don't have to punch a time clock, so I don't necessarily have to be in a hurry to get in and get out, but I am considerate of the fact that most parents do. It's those hand full of people in society that think it's okay to inconvenience the rest of the world that drive me insane!! I know it's not only something we experience at the school pick up and drop off line, but right now I want to give a few pointers for those of you who may not realize that you are a big inconvenience, or for those of you who have small children and may not be dropping them off yet. BOOKMARK THIS PAGE, PLEASE!!!!

School Loading and Unloading Etiquette 101:

1. When you need to go inside to talk to a teacher, pay lunch bill, or otherwise take care of business inside the building, use a parking space. That is what they are designed for...TO PARK!! PLEASE, for the sake of courtesy to others, and COMMON SENSE do not use the loading and unloading zone to do this. There have been mornings when I get stuck behind a car because they have parked to go inside right in the middle of the curb where you drop off students. I can't back up because there are other cars behind me. Basically you leave us no choice but to sit and wait on you (holding up traffic!!!!) until you come out or we can otherwise put our back up lights on and slowly back up praying to God that we don't bump into anyone else coming into the line that doesn't realize that you are being a HUGE inconsideration to everyone else who is trying to do things the proper way!!!!

2. Use the time you are driving to school to have conversation with your children. Let's not play twenty questions while they stand at the curb with the car door open. C'mon!! Get out of the way for the love of Christ...or you could park and finish your conversation and then walk them over to the building!

3. Pull ALL THE WAY up so that as many people behind you (here we go with being considerate again!) can pull into the driveway as possible. Some people will stop in the middle of the curb leaving room for only one or two cars to unload behind them. This is very annoying and a big time waster. It's too dangerous for cars to pull around you to the curb!

4. I realize that some parents may see folks they know while waiting in the school parking lot. That's great. Why don't you guys meet for coffee and play catch up. Let's not do it in the driveway, K?!

5. In the afternoons things are hectic. It's a traffic nightmare at the school my children attend. We are all trying to get out of there as quickly as possible. Be sure to let your kids know that after school is not social hour. We can meet up with friends after school at the park for social time. They need to get to their car as quickly as possible so the line can start moving.

6. If you park in a parking spot and walk across to get your child, pay attention to the flow of traffic when taking your sweet, slow time to walk back across. If you're stopping the flow of traffic, you're grid locking the entire system!! I actually changed drop off locations for my kids because this became a MAJOR problem at our school. Many parents don't wait in the line of traffic, they just park and go across to get their kids. That's a fine solution until you have 30 parents and students stopping the flow of traffic in turn grid locking the entire system!

7. This one should be a no brainer, but I see it ALL OF THE TIME, put the cell phone DOWN while you are in the school zone. It's very dangerous to be trying to talk or text while there are children loading/unloading in the school zone. Make the call after the drop off.

I realize that many of these problems could be solved with someone who can help traffic. I am not sure why our school doesn't have this option, but we never have and I am assuming we never will. There are usually two duty teachers on each driveway and they have their hands full just keeping up with the students. There is not time for them to baby sit the parents who have no consideration for what is going on around them. Traffic is a nightmare at either drive way and I get a headache just thinking about it. Maybe if you're reading this you can stop and think about ways in which you can help flow traffic just a bit easier.

I am going to put away my little soap box for today. If you shook your head yes the entire time you read this post, why don't you share it on your FB page or pin it on Pintrest (you can use that little button right under the post). Spread the word...stop the insanity at the school pick up/drop off line! ;)

Now, in saying this please don't think I am one of those parents who get in a fit or rage when someone stops traffic! I do get angry sometimes when I feel like people are being inconsiderate of others. I want to get out and tell them such, but instead I just blog about it. :D

Prayer Board

2012-01-25T08:30:00.000-06:00

I saw this idea on Pintrest and thought it was a perfect fit for our family. Our Prayer Board is a visual reminder of those who have asked for prayer or we know could use prayer. This is a wonderful aid in teaching our children the importance of praying for those in need.

I went to our local super center where I purchased a 16x20 photo frame. Along with the frame, I purchased a poster board. You could use a colored poster board, or even fabric backing to go in your prayer board. I chose to keep it clean and simple. I also bought a post-it dispenser that can be hung on the wall, along with a sharpie so that the post-it notes are handy to write down prayer requests when we get that phone call so that we can hang our requests while they are fresh on our minds. You'll notice the dry erase marker. You can also use that idea, but since we have young kids, I like the idea better of them writing them on the post it and then putting them on the board. You can add a family photo, favorite memory verse, or whatever you choose as a backdrop to your prayer board. We used Philippians 4:6 as our verse: "Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your request to God".

These are a few of the requests that we've accumulated from two youngest:

3 year old Emily added "Nannie" (my Mom)

6 year old Tyler added "Grandpa". (He spelled it phonetically)

Another one from Tyler - "Everyone" LOL So sweet.

We're Finally Out of The Closet!!

2012-01-24T08:30:00.000-06:00

Shelby's closet has been made over! I do not have any before photos and even if I did, I don't think I would have the guts to post them. It was horrible. Our house was built in the 1970s and her closet showed it! It was a couple of long bars with a piece of plywood on the top for a bit of storage. It was not practical, and impossible for her to reach her clothes!

Darling hubby went to the local home improvement store and got one of those quick kits, only AFTER he let Shelby pick out the color she wanted her closet. She chose this green color with a pink color for the trim. Eventually we her entire room will be this color and she's very excited about it. Shelby got to design her closet, how she wanted the bars, shelves, etc. She loved that idea. The shelf was in her closet prior but it held the baskets with her socks, and undergarments. This way, she has these things in the baskets on the shelves in the closet itself and this other shelf is for her purses, bags, art things, etc. She loves it and enjoys the fact that she can get her own clothes with ease. The things on the top bar she can reach with a step stool, so we chose to put the items that were out of season there. When summer comes, we'll just switch it around so she can reach those clothes and put the long sleeved ones on the bottom!

It's a win-win situation for me because now she can put her own clothes away!

Here's another shot of her room, another one of those inexpensive white shelves with baskets beside her bed. You can clearly see the need for paint in this shot!

Leftover Makeovers - From Pork Roast to Pork BBQ

2012-01-23T08:30:00.000-06:00

With three kids growing faster than weeds in a garden, the hubman and I, (well, mostly I) are constantly trying to come up with ways to be frugal, cut costs, and have a penny left at the end of the week.

Last Sunday we had Pork Roast for our lunch after church. I LOVE to cook roasts, because they are so easy. I throw them in the slow cooker and then it cooks and all I have to do is prepare a few sides when we get home from church. Sundays are hectic for us and by the time we all get in from church, we're starved, so there's not a lot of time for preparation.

There was left overs from the roast. This of course was planned. I bought a rather large one. So, I decided to make bbq pork sandwiches for Monday night's dinner. It's easy and delish and of course a hit with the entire family!

I started out with the left over pork roast.

Shredded it up into bite sized pieces.

Added some Barbecue Sauce and a Can of Diet Soda.

Simmer on Low Heat until the hungry family arrives home for dinner.

I served this Barbeque Pork on Hamburger Buns. Some members of the family like cole slaw on theirs while others don't. It's always optional around our house. You can serve it with a side of fries, veggies, or chips and voila, you've got a quick, easy way to re-use your Pork Roast. Note, you can use a Beef Roast, but we like the flavor of a pork roast better, and I don't think that it tastes as good when used for barbeque.

Arkansas Sunset

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

Photos like this TOTALLY make me miss hosting the Looking at the Sky on Friday meme. I captured this last Wednesday night as we were headed out the door for church. When we opened the door, it was such a captivating sight!!! Capturing God's magnificence is often difficult. I was in a hurry, so it's not a great shot but I couldn't let the opportunity pass and not photograph such an exceptional sight!! The sky was a beautiful bright pink and purple. It was an amazing experience...and to watch it quickly fade as we drove away was exciting knowing that we were lucky enough to watch it.

Beautiful Arkansas Sunset!

Tator Cakes

2012-01-19T08:30:00.000-06:00

I remember when I was a kid my grandma used to always make what she called tator cakes. I have never made them as an adult, and in a friendly conversation, a friend sparked my curiosity as well as my taste buds! I longed for that deliciousness I remember from my child hood!!

For our Sunday lunch, we had a roast with mashed potatoes, carrots, purple hull peas, and of course mac and cheese. There were lots of mashed potatoes left over, so I thought since I was going to make barbecue out of the pork roast for left overs I could also recycle the mashed potatoes! So, that's just what I did.

It turned out pretty well. The kiddos loved them and I have a feeling that when they get home from school the remainder of the tator cakes will be gobbled up for their afternoon snack. Want the recipe? Well, here ya go. It's simple and I am pretty sure it'll be a hit with the entire family as a side dish, snack food, or as in our case, a great breakfast!

Tator Cakes

2 Cups Mashed Potatoes

1/4 Cup Flour

1 Egg

*finely diced onion (optional)

*shredded cheese (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients together. It will not have the consistency of pancakes. It will be thick and sticky which can be tricky when putting them in the pan to fry. Put some oil in the bottom of the pan and heat on medium heat until nice and hot. You don't want a lot of oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Dip a tablespoon full of the mixture out into the hot grease and then take a clean spoon and dip the back of it into the grease and smooth out and smash your potato cake down. Cook 'em up golden brown, flip them babies over and do the same thing. There you have it, some yummy potato cakes. You can eat them plain, or with your choice of condiments. My kids prefer Ketchup. *The optional items can be added to your family's likings!

Enjoy!!

Temple Run Leads to Text Neck

2012-01-18T08:30:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness, I think I have figured out what has caused my neck to hurt all weekend, "Text Neck". Only, I don't think that I got "text neck" from actually texting. What is text neck, you ask? Well, text neck is caused from frequent texting or looking down at your mobile device for extended periods of time. Apparently this is something that is happening to a lot of people and becoming some what of a global epidemic. The repetitive stress injury caused by flexing of the neck for prolonged periods can result in tightness across the shoulder. Headaches and neck soreness may occur and this could even result in permanent arthritic damage if left untreated. WOW!!! I do a lot of texting, but I do not think that texting itself is what is causing my sore/stiff neck.

THIS is the culprit...

Temple Run

Hi, my name is Tisha and I am addicted to Temple Run! There, I said it. It is very easy to distract me from anything from my favorite television show, to screaming children when I have my cell phone in hand and a fully charged battery. This is a free App available at the Itunes Store (and I am NOT being paid for this post!!)

I woke up Saturday morning to a terrible pain in between my shoulder blades and in my lower neck and I could not shake it all day. I thought maybe I had just slept on it wrong, but upon further research, I really do think it could be caused from trying to beat my high score in Temple Run. (Which by the way, I did!!)

If you have suffered from this crazy epidemic, my advice to you would be the same advice I gave myself...STEP AWAY FROM THE GADGET!!!

In all seriousness, my 9 year old has an Ipod, my 3 year old has a leap pad touch, so I think this is something that we need to educate ourselves about. There's lots of info. on the web about text neck, so maybe it's time to do a little surfing yourself, especially if you or anyone in your family suffer from headaches, neck, or shoulder pain. If you see a chiropractor, this might be something to bring up during your next visit.

A Child's Ten Commandments to Parents

2012-01-17T08:30:00.001-06:00

My three babies, my joy, my world!

1. My hands are small; please don’t expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture, or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you.

2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely: don’t restrict me unnecessarily.

3. Housework will always be there. I’m only little such a short time—please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.

4. My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs; don’t nag me all day long. (You wouldn’t want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness.) Treat me as you would like to be treated.

5. I am a special gift from God; please treasure me as God intended you to do, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by, and disciplining me in a loving manner.

6. I need your encouragement, but not your praise, to grow. Please go easy on the criticism; remember you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.

7. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I’ll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires of me.

8. Please don’t do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn’t quite measure up to your expectations. I know it’s hard, but please don’t try to compare me with my brother or my sister.

9. Please don’t be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it’s a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special.

10. Please take me to Sunday school and church regularly, setting a good example for me to follow.

by Dr. Kevin Leman

I think sometimes as parents we can get so caught up in the day to day "routines" of parenting that we lose focus of the big picture...our job as parents. It is the greatest, most awesome job we will ever have. It is the most rewarding, but also the toughest and most draining both physically and mentally. We need daily renewal, prayer, and motivation! I hope this in some small way might motivate you as it did me.

Kindergarten Home Work - Rated PG 13

2012-01-16T08:30:00.000-06:00

The objective in my Kindergarten son's homework for Thursday night was to "Draw a picture of 2 things that start with the letter B. Write the words."

In the first picture he drew Big Foot (which looks eerily like a spider with only 4 legs). He wrote BIG so big that foot would not fit on the line. But instead of erasing, he drew a nifty little arrow so that his teacher would know that foot was to go with the word BIG he drew on the line.

In the second picture, he drew a butt!!!! He wrote the word "But" on the line. Although he misspelled it, he intended on the picture to be of a back side and the word to coincide!!! I try to let him do his work independently and check it afterward helping him make any corrections needed. Obviously I couldn't let him turn in this work. So, the final product he turned in to his teacher was a similar picture, only he drew another line across the middle and made the picture a button and added a "ton" to the end of the word.

Boys!!! Who would have thought that a Kindergartners home work could be PG 13?!

Tyler's homework - draw a picture of something that starts with a "B". He did just that!!!

Peanut Butter Cheerios

2012-01-13T08:30:00.000-06:00

I am a very fortunate Mom. The only allergies my kids have suffered from thus far are just from antibiotics. Thankfully we have no peanut, seafood, dairy allergies. I do not have to check labels in order to protect my children. I don't have to worry if I drop my child off at a play date whether or not I remembered to tell the parent that they have a food allergy. I am one of the lucky 92% of the population whose children do NOT suffer from a food allergy. There are, however that *8% (5.9 MILLION kids) of the population whose children have to sit at a special table at lunch because they have a food allergy, they are not allowed to eat the same things that other children may be eating at most play dates, birthday parties, or school functions.

I read an article today that sparked my curiosity about food allergies and made me realize just how lucky our family is that we don't have to deal with this. There are parents in the 8% who have children with peanut allergies that are not happy that Cheerios is catering to the 92% of the population who do not have allergies. Making peanut butter Cheerios puts their children at a higher risk for accidental ingestion of peanut butter or cross contact.

I do see their point. As a Mom I know it's hard to keep your kids from sharing with other kids when they have a bag full of their favorite snack. If I send my 3 year old kid out on the playground with a peanut butter flavored snack and she chooses to share with another child her age who doesn't know any better, this kid could be at risk for a serious allergic reaction from the snack. So, the solution to this would be to make my child eat her snack by my side so that I can ensure that she doesn't share, right? Well, what if she happens to drop said peanut butter flavored snack on the ground and we don't spot it? Later on, another mother sits in our spot and her child grabs the snack and gobbles it up before she even knows. This child is now at risk all because of us!

As a Mom I do sympathize with the 8% of the population who have to live their lives on pins and needles because of food allergies. But, in the same token, I ask should the 92% of the population have to suffer as well? I think that General Mills is marketing to the majority of the population as most companies do. There is no way that every single person will like their product, but if the majority of the population do, then they will be successful.

General Mills had this response for concerned parents:

Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter contains PEANUTS. Cheerios has a commitment to allergen management. We can say with complete confidence that MultiGrain Peanut Butter Cheerios will not cross-contaminate other Cheerios varieties. Currently, Honey Nut Cheerios, Banana Nut Cheerios, and Oat Cluster Cheerios Crunch contain ALMOND. Only Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter contains PEANUTS. All other varieties, including original Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Chocolate Cheerios, Cinnamon Burst Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios, and Yogurt Burst Cheerios, do not contain nuts. As always, If you’re concerned about allergies, we highly recommend that you always consult the allergen listing and the ingredient label on any product you may consume.

What's your take on this subject? Do you have a child who suffers from food allergies? Will you boycott the product? My inquiring mind wants to know.

*Source

A Long Overdue Update

2012-01-12T10:12:00.000-06:00

Hello there! It's Two Thousand Twelve?! Really...where in the world did the time go? It seems like only yesterday I was posting about our Elves Simon Peter & Noel bringing snow to little Emily since she'd been asking for it since her birthday. But, the date on that post was December 8. It's been OVER a month since I have posted here. I have become neglectful of this blog and for that I apologize! It just seems as though the older my kids get the more involved they become in extra curricular activities and the more I become a chauffeur.

We had a very blessed Christmas. Santa Clause was very good to our children. They all three got the gift they asked him for.

Emily got a Leap Pad (although she really wanted an Ipad?!?!)

Shelby got an Ipod with a stylish case.

Tyler got an XBox 360 with Kinect!

Christmas morning was a joy as always for us. I received a new Keurig from my darling husband so we enjoyed coffee from it as the kiddos opened their gifts. We started a new tradition singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blowing out candles. The kiddos chose to make brownies instead of cake. We ate it after our breakfast casserole. Since Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, we were fortunate enough to attend church after all of the gifts were opened. It was a wonderful service and we were so excited to be celebrating the birth of our King with our church family! Shelby received an American Girl Doll for Christmas and they were proudly sporting matching dresses for the service. The picture was taken from her new Ipod, so the quality isn't that great, but it was the only picture of the two of them dressed alike.

Since Christmas, my mom was in the hospital, Emily has been to the doctor to be X-Rayed because we thought she had broken her arm, and we've all had some sort of illness at one point or another. It's been a rough few weeks, but we've managed. Mom is at home now and doing much better. Emily's arm was not broken, only bruised very badly and majorly sore. The stomach bug is still lingering around here. This morning as I was blow drying Shelby's hair for school, Emily came into the bathroom. She leaned over the toilet for a while and then I caught her stretched out on the floor. The poor thing had been vomiting since 3 AM. She told me that she was just very tired. So, I picked her up and brought her back to her resting place in the recliner with her sprite and puke bucket. Please say a prayer for her that she is on the fast track to healing. Watching your three year old dry heave is tough, knowing there is not much you can do for her.

I hope that you had a blessed Christmas and your new year has started off right. If you've resolved to change something in your life, my prayer is that you are able to do so with God's help. My goal is very similar to most of you who are reading this I am sure. I have resolved to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle, eating out less and making healthier food choices when I do eat out.

The Elves Brought Snow!!!

2011-12-08T08:30:00.000-06:00

What were those elves taking a peek at out the window, you ask??

...SNOW!!!

My 3 year old daughter has asked for snow since the end of the summer. Her birthday was on September 2 and she actually had snow on her birthday list! Unfortunately we couldn't deliver then. But, she is convinced that our elves, Simon-Peter and Noelle brought that snow as a gift from Santa straight from the North Pole! Needless to say, she was very excited when she woke up to snow on the ground yesterday morning. Unfortunately for them, it was the kind of snow that hardly covered the ground and it was too warm to hang around very long. The roads were just wet, so they had to go to school. But, it was still pretty to look at and a memory she won't soon forget since those elves brought her that snow!

All He Wants For Christmas

2011-12-07T12:18:00.001-06:00

...is his front tooth! :)

My 6 year old son lost his front tooth night before last. It didn't just fall out, though. Although it looked like it could, it took lots of motivation (from Dad, 'cause Mom gets grossed out by teeth!!!) and some working it back and forth that baby finally came out. He was nauseated afterward (wonder where he gets that from). I'm not sure if it was from all of the crying, the blood, or the big gaping hole in his mouth...or possibly the combination of all three. BUT, thankfully he got that thing out, and the tooth fairy compensated him accordingly. He wanted a Band-aid afterward. Those things are the fix all for boo-boos. Unfortunately it wouldn't stick in his mouth. ;)

Ipad - Now My Life Is In Order!!

2011-12-03T09:00:00.000-06:00

I posted about Shelby's birthday a few posts down, but I neglected to mention my own. I know when you get to a certain age, birthdays aren't about numbers anymore. Well, they aren't for me, anyhow. Don't get me wrong I don't get hung up on numbers. We all get older each year. It's God's design and we can't change it, so why stress over it. My philosophy is that each day is a gift from God and if one day he decides to stop giving it, then I get to be with him. What could be more perfect?

This year, I had a fabulous birthday. My family went above and beyond to make the day very special for me. I enjoyed lunch at my favorite Japanese steakhouse. I LOVE me some fried rice!! I got tickets to see my very favorite country music band, Rascal Flatts. I also got tickets to go see Breaking Dawn, the latest Twilight movie with my friend. While I was gone to see the movie, the kids and hubby straightened the house so that when I came home, the house was tidy and they also made me home made cards. It was truly a special day with my family. It is one that I will not soon forget.

I also received from hubby and kiddos, an Ipad! I was very excited as I have wanted one for a while. I have been keeping a Mom agenda for a while now and I really love being able to keep up with all of our daily activities on paper. With modern day technologies there is always a risk of not backing up your data properly and losing everything, but then again I suppose we have this same risk with paper. It could easily be lost or destroyed. I was excited to download the Mom Agenda App for Ipad until I read the reviews and decided that it might not be worth the trouble. Instead I have put all of my info in the calendar of my Ipad and so far have found that it works well. I love being able to put info into the Ipad and it automatically syncs with my Iphone. Most of the time I carry my Ipad with me, but if there are instances where I might not have it readily available I usually have my phone on me and I can quickly search my calendar there!

So far some of my favorite Apps are The Loaded Bible, Words With Friends, Tap Tap Revenge, and of course Facebook. Pintrest is a good one as well, although I prefer to do my pinning from the desktop where I can see multiple pins at one time. I did buy a Kensington leather case with a keyboard for it also. I went in to get an Otter Box, but found the leather case to be more appealing and the keyboard to be a plus!

The kids have also taken a fancy to the Interactive books I have downloaded. (see photo) It is so fascinating to them that they can sit down in front of the Ipad and "watch" a book being read to them!

If you have an Ipad, I'd love for you to share some of your favorite Apps and accessories with me. I have downloaded a Grocery List App but have yet to use it at this point. That is something I need to sit down and do...but I sure do hate making out grocery lists! What do you love about your Ipad?

BellisiMo Nouveau Review - Etsy

2011-12-02T08:05:00.000-06:00

Cyber Monday has come and gone. I did not participate in Black Friday or Small Business Saturday. I did not boycott either of them, just chose not to leave the house! On Cyber Monday, there were a few things that I knew I wanted to get as gifts, and when I checked that the sites were doing cyber Monday deals, of course I took advantage of that fact. I love to give unique gifts that the gift giver will appreciate and cherish for many years to come. When I came across BellisiMo Nouveau on Etsy, I knew that I could do JUST that!!! Morgen, the shop owner is a dear "virtual" friend of mine and I have bought things from him before. Emily has a beautiful handmade pink wind chime hanging in her bedroom window that came from BelissiMo! (See the photo to the left)

When I was on Facebook Monday, I saw a post from Mo that by using the code "FBFRIENDS" you could get free shipping on all standard shipping in the US!! There was a beautiful hand crafted Mixed Media Collage for sale that caught my eye.

Described on Etsy as "8x10 mixed media collage using photo prints of vintage Christmas postcards.
Reproductions of two vintage Christmas postcards are collaged with rhinestones, scrapbook paper, and a bejeweled ornament. This collage would make a great gift, or a delightful decoration for you own home this holiday season.
The vintage postcard says:
"Every happiness be with you at Christmas time,
and may the New Year bring Good Health,
Good Luck and Good Times
to you."

The lip of the back of the 8x10 canvas allows for it to be hung on picture hanging hardware or a nail - hanging hardware is not included on the back, to keep costs down, but you can easily add it. You can also stand it on a mantle, shelf, or bookcase"

When I saw the collage I loved it. Hand crafted items are the best! I have to admit that I really admired it in the picture before I ordered, but when I opened the package up, it was way more than I could have ever imagined. I immediately fell in love with this piece. This is not just some post cards and ornaments hot glued to a canvas. There is time and effort put into this piece. It is crafted to perfection. Morgen takes pride in his work and I am so glad that I get to benefit from it! I started out ordering this as a gift, but unfortunately I just don't think I can give it away! It is so beautiful and looks SO good in my living room, I think I'll hang on to it at least for now.

If you are looking for one of a kind, hand crafted Christmas gifts, I advise you to head on over to BellissiMoNouveau today. There are others, each one different and unique in it's own way. If you are looking for a gift for that difficult person on your list from your Mother-in-Law to your child's school teacher, these are the perfect solution. BelissiMoNouveau also has fabulous greeting cards and note cards created from many different unique and breath taking photos. The best news is that Morgen has extended the Free Shipping "FBFRIENDS" code throughout the holidays! To get the free shipping simply put in this code at the time of checkout! Speaking of shipping, it is FAST. I ordered the items on Monday and received them, carefully wrapped and packaged neatly, on Wednesday. Even though shipping is fast, keep in mind that these items are one of a kind and if you want one, you'd better get it while they are available. Don't wait until it's too late. Click the link above and head on over now, tell Morgen I sent ya.

Disclosure: I did not receive monetary compensation for writing this post. I did, however receive a second mixed media collage in exchange for an honest review of the product I received. The post reflects my opinion of the product and was not influenced in any way. To read my full disclosure, please click here.

Faces in Places - Potato Version

2011-12-01T08:08:00.000-06:00

Sunday while peeling potatoes for lunch, I came across this potato. I immediately thought of the Flickr group "Faces in Places". I grabbed my cell since it was closer than my camera and snapped this shot of it:

The potato was like this all the way though, rendering it useless. I threw it away after I snapped a quick photo of it. I thought it was an interesting find. What interesting things have you found while peeling potatoes? Do tell!

Elf on a Shelf Adventures

2011-11-30T09:06:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Shelby's 9th Birthday. The elves perched themselves on her new lamp beside the basket of candy (pictured in the post below) with one of her birthday cards. Apparently they wanted to wish her a Happy Birthday. Funny thing is that Simon Peter snatched one of Shelby's Twix bars from her basket! He's always the sneaky one!

Apparently Simon-Peter and Noel like to go Horse Back Riding! We found them riding Tyler's plastic horses on the end table. I wonder if they rode them into the living room overnight. I never heard any hooves in the night. Maybe they sprinkled some magic flying dust on them and flew them in there from Tyler's room?

We are always finding Simon-Peter in strange places, usually hanging upside down or really high. He's very acrobatic. He's hanging upside down from a candy cane on the Christmas tree while Noel enjoys some tunes on Shelby's Ipod ornament!

Yesterday morning we found the elves under the Christmas Tree playing cards. It seems that they were enjoying a game of Go Fish perhaps. So, little Emily decided that she was going to join them. Priceless!!!

If you've never heard of the Elf on a Shelf, you can read about how we acquired Simon-Peter HERE and Noel came along three days later after Simon Peter returned to us with many bandages covering his poor little body. Read all about it in THIS POST. Stay tuned for more adventures with Simon-Peter and Noel, our Elves on a Shelf!!

Happy Birthday Shelby!!

2011-11-29T09:36:00.001-06:00

Today is Shelby's 9th birthday! Since her birthday party was held Friday night, she has already been showered with gifts, but this morning in order to make her day special, I gave her a candy basket and will be joining her for lunch today. She chose to eat McDonald's (?!?!) for lunch.

Since her brother has gotten new bicycles for the last few birthdays, Shelby finally decided she wanted to learn how to ride. Her brother (who is 3 years younger) taught her! She had been tipped off that her "big gift" was not going to be given to her at the birthday party, rather on her birthday! (Note to self: don't take the 3 year old shopping for birthday gifts!!!) So, she was excited to wake up to her brand new bicycle this morning! She loves it. Hopefully the weather will permit she and Tyler to ride this afternoon after school.

Shelby and Katie shared their 9th birthday parties, as they have in the past, because their birthdays are only 11 days apart. They had a fun filled Friday evening with friends and family (try saying that 3 times real fast!!) The girls chose strawberry cakes for their party. Shelby's strawberry was not chocolate dipped and her cake was strawberry flavored with cream cheese frosting. Katie's chocolate dipped strawberry cake was chocolate cake with chocolate icing in between the layers! They were both scrumdiddlyumptious! Thanks, as always to Martha, my fabulous Mother In Law for making the cakes.

Happy Birthday to my sweet Shelby and I pray that you have many more blessed days ahead! I love you.

Changing Lives, One Shoebox at a Time

2011-11-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Emily was ready to fill her box!!

This is collection week for Operation Christmas Child. For the first time, our family is joining efforts with Samaritan's Purse to help change the life of a child. Brien and I are involved with local charities and do fund raising events each year, including the 65 Roses Bike Tour, Susan G Komen Race For the Cure, and we are involved in other charities benefiting overseas children including World Vision and Holt International. Our kids are always a part of these charitable events and they are aware that we have "adopted" children through Holt and World Vision. We often talk about their "brother and sisters" that live in another country. I feel that it is very important for us as a family to give back God's blessings. I love to work with local missions because you can see the results here at home. But, there are many needs to be met beyond our borders as well. For this reason, our family decided to participate in the Operation Christmas Child this year.

We chose to fill 5 shoe boxes this year, one for each member of our family. The great thing about this project is that we can choose if we want to pack a box for a boy or a girl. Once we choose the gender, we can choose a specific age group; 2-4 years old, 5-9 years old, or 10-14 years old. The kids of course all chose to fill a box in their gender and age. Brien and I chose to do our gender in the 10-14 age category.

As a family last night, with our boxes in hand, we ventured out to fill them with goodies! The girls headed in one direction and the boys headed in another. Emily added a doll, stickers, an elephant stuffed animal, and much much more! We had a hard time fitting all of her things in the box. She was very excited about packing up her box. She also included a letter and picture of herself so that the little girl that gets her box will know exactly where it came from and who packed it with lots of love straight from her little heart.

Shelby had a more difficult time than Emily did packing her box. She is 8 (almost 9) years old and she is at the age where she isn't a "little" girl anymore. She wanted to pack perfume, fingernail polish, and the likes in the box but upon reading the instructions we discovered that we couldn't pack those sort of things. She did find some very cute sunglasses, a feather headband, and other accessories that she thought would be a great idea. She packed a notebook, pencils, flashlight, and some crayons in hopes that the child that receives her box will be able to write back to her.


Shelby finding the right shade of lip gloss!!

Tyler of course filled his with your typical boy things. He found a football that changes color with body heat, some tennis balls (since baseballs were out of season and we couldn't find any), toy cars, crayons, pencils, notebooks, and a cool pair of sunglasses.

All of our boxes also included a pocket bible, pictures of the kiddos and a personalized letter with our address. We will pray over the boxes before we take them to the drop off point so that the children who receive these boxes will also receive a blessing with the items inside.

I am posting about this project because I feel very strongly about giving back. It is something that we urge our children to do. I believe that Jesus taught us to love one another so it is out of love that we pack these shoe boxes, we walk 3 miles, serve cookies and Gatorade to cyclists, and send monthly contributions to orphans overseas. My prayer is that if you are reading this post, then you have most likely been blessed this year because you either have internet, or access to internet, lights, phone, water, heat, etc. I would urge you to give back these blessings you have received.

Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured to you."

Back in Red - The Elves Strike Again

2011-11-16T08:30:00.000-06:00

The kiddos woke up yesterday morning to quite a surprise! The elves once again had the dry erase markers in their possession...and they had post it notes this time instead of writing on the mirrors.


Simon Peter and Noel w/post it notes and dry erase markers?!?!

Apparently Simon Peter and Noel are both fans of Rudolph the Red nosed reindeer because they tried to replicate the look on the kiddos...take a look!

Shelby the red-nosed sleeper.

As you can imagine, the kids were super shocked to find themselves marked up when they got out of bed this morning. It looks like I am going to have to hide the dry erase markers from those Pixie Elves...I was just glad to know that I didn't want up with a red nose!!!

Shelby found the culprits of her red nose!

I can only imagine what we will wake up to tomorrow...I am off to hide the dry erase markers!!

The Elves are Back in Town

2011-11-15T09:43:00.001-06:00

Last year we began a new family tradition with the Elf on a Shelf. I posted about it here back on the first of December in 2010. We named our elf Simon Peter. Shortly into his visit at our home, he decided that he needed help, so Santa sent Noel to help out with the duties of keeping up with all three of our children. Her story is posted here. Since their first appearance in our home, the kiddos have found the elves in all sorts of crazy places, from cereal boxes to ceiling fans. The great thing about having Santa's helper elves coming to our home is that the children LOVE to get out of bed in the mornings to find out exactly where they are going to be. They have made a few appearances in the last couple of months to remind the children that Christmas is not too far away and that Santa is always watching them. Yesterday, Simon Peter and Noel found the dry erase markers that we use to keep up with our busy schedules:

Simon Peter was found hanging upside down from the bathroom clock with a blue dry erase marker in his hand. He had written on the mirror "Naughty or Nice?" Perhaps this was a reminder to the kids that he was reporting back to Santa with the good AND the bad?

Noel was perched atop the Bath and Body plug in in the other bathroom. She had a red dry erase marker and had written "Ho Ho Ho" on the mirror. They were found this way when the kiddos came home from school yesterday afternoon.

This morning when the kids woke up they had quite a surprise...tune in tomorrow to find out exactly what those Pixie Elves were up to in the middle of the night last night. The kids were very shocked to find that they were in the center of a bit of fun the elves had with dry erase markers in the middle of the night while we all slept!

2011 Susan G Komen Race For The Cure

2011-10-31T11:16:00.001-05:00

The 2011 Susan G Komen Race For The Cure is in the history books and it was an awesome time for Team CrAzY For A Cure!!! We had a fabulous time and I am so proud of our team who raised over $2,000 to aid in breast care and early detection for women right here in Arkansas!! We had 30 team members walking this year. Thank you so much to each and every one of you who just by signing up on our team helped to save lives!!! You girls rock.
Now, here are some of my favorite photos from the day's events!! To see more I have made this album public on my Facebook profile page, so you can click this link and it will take you there and you can scroll through to see. *Note, clicking the photos will open them up in a larger windown.

The "daughters" of Team CrAzY For A Cure

My sister and I with our daughters...posing!

(Some of) Team CrAzY For A Cure

So sweet...walking for a cure

The crowd in front of us.

They were great cheer leaders!!!

Shelby and I learning to belly dance!

...I dunno!!!

The 3 mile mark!!! We made it. :D

Google Gravity - Fun

2011-10-28T10:05:00.005-05:00

It is really fun. Give it a try.

Halloween Snack

2011-10-24T16:03:00.002-05:00

Do you like Paydays? I am not talking about the Friday afternoon kind that sends you squealing (or complaining) all the way to the bank. I'm talking about the ooey-gooey, peanuty deliciousness of a candy bar. If you do, this combination pictured above will be a touch of heaven to your taste buds!! This little dish of candy corn combined with peanuts sits on my bar and has to be refilled on a daily basis! The magic combination is two peanuts per candy corn. It tastes just like a bite of a Payday candy bar. It is scrumdiddlyumptious! :) It's a great addition to any fall party or festival!