Wordless Wednesday: All Aboard the Choo Choo Train!

Another Wordless Wednesday

Another Wednesday full of words!

I know that I have posted about a million times about my toddler and his love of trains, but now the baby of the house is getting into the train scene too! My little men cannot seem to get enough of trains. They love to build tracks, destroy tracks, play with the trains on the tracks, rescue the trains from the dinosaurs threatening to destroy the track, and munch on the trains.

Family Movie Night "Game of Your Life" is a Hit!

One of my favorite activities to do as a family is sit back and relax with a bucket of popcorn, and warm blanket, and a good movie. There is nothing better than cuddling on the couch with my little peanuts to watch the latest family friendly film. And that is just what I did this afternoon.

My boys and I settled in for a fun afternoon of pajamas, popcorn, and the latest P&G Family Movie Night film Game of Your Life.

The premiere of Game of Your Life is on Friday, December 2 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

Working hard for their money: 2 Broke Girls Best New TV Comedy!

I previously discussed how much I love 2 Broke Girls because of its comedy genius. I love this show because every week after spending all day changing diapers, cleaning up spills, and playing with finger paints I know that I will be able to sit down, take a deep breath, relax, and spend my evening laughing along with Max and Caroline.

This is not the only reason why I love this show. Although it is an extremely funny show, there is a great message to the show. Your dreams can come true with a little bit of hard work. Max and Caroline work hard for their money. Max works two jobs in order to make it; nanny for Brangelina during the day and waitress at the diner by night. Caroline works at the diner and has taken on odd jobs that she has found on craigslist reorganizing a hoarder’s home.

Monday Meet & Greet Week 18: Someday I’ll Learn

Welcome to another edition of Monday Meet and Greet!

Each week on Monday I introduce you to a new bloggy friend of mine and the blogs that they write. Some questions are answered and an interview is born. I hope you enjoy and who knows… You may just make a new bloggy friend of your own too!

No Rules Social Media Monday Blog Hop #17

Join Mom Mart Monday for a Twitter, Facebook, & Blog Hop!

This week I am changing things up a bit. I am going to leave this hop open for two weeks.

This way if you have more time to participate over the Thanksgiving Holiday.

This social media hop is designed to create more traffic, more followers, and more unique page views for your blog, twitter, and Facebook pages.

It is a great way to meet other amazing bloggers as well.

While it is not required, it would be greatly appreciated if you could spread the word about the Social Media Monday Hop by grabbing the button for your blog. Feel free to send out a blog post, a tweet, or share the news on Facebook! After all, the more people that participate, the more blog traffic and potential followers there are.

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Giveaway Winner has been drawn, are you it?

The winner of the Mom Mart Something About Silver Giveaway is

Amy Pugmire!

Congratulations on winning!

The winner has been verified and emailed.

If the winner does not respond to the email within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

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Getting Creative with Cash: Making Money as an at Home Mom!

With holiday shopping right around the corner I tend to keep a close eye on the bottom line, my budget. This can be very difficult for me since I love to buy gifts for people!

I have been a stay at home mom for almost three years now and I love it. I love being a stay at home mom, from cooking and cleaning my home to wiping runny noses and playing with my children. Being a stay at home mom is incredibly rewarding and very entertaining. I love everything about being a stay at home mom except the budget.

Being a stay at home mom means that we are living off of one income. Living off of one income means that we live with a budget and make some compromises when it comes to purchases. This is very difficult for me. If I want something, I want it! So I have found creative ways to make some cash for my holiday budget.

#12DaysGalore : WIN a Diaper Bag!

Welcome to 12 Days of Gifts Galore Giveaway Hop

hosted by Tales From the Nursery, Formula Mom, and Mama on a Green Mission.

  There's over $5,000 in prizes offered to help you get the gifts you need this holiday season.  After you are done entering my giveaway you'll want to check out everyone else's AND enter for a chance to win one of three GRAND prizes sponsored by Kudzoom!  

Each blog you stop and enter at will be another entry!

Mom Mart’s 12 Days of Gifts Galore Giveaway:

A Bella Tunno Lil Sophisticate Parent Pod (ARV $49.00)

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping: Be Safe!

I love Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping! I love feeling like I got the best deal possible and I am getting more for my money. In this economy, I hardly think that I am alone. Everyone likes to get a deal and stretch their dollars.

This Black Friday I will be going out shopping with my sisters. We are going to spend part of Thanksgiving Day searching the Black Friday adds for the best deals in town. We are going to stay up super late drinking coffee and watching movies. And we will be going to several stores around town trying to knock out as much of our Christmas shopping as possible.

When I go shopping I rarely carry cash with me. I feel a lot more comfortable not carrying cash on me. I find that it is easier for me to swipe my credit card than it is to count out exact change. Nowadays most people use credit cards when doing major shopping. With the widespread use of credit cards comes the opportunity for criminal theft of identity.  

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Today is Thanksgiving! A day of food, family, and football! People travel from all over in order to be with their families for this holiday. My family is no exception.

To celebrate Thanksgiving I loaded up my husband and two sons into the minivan and high-tailed it down south to celebrate this holiday with my family. I will be getting together with extended family (I come from a very large family) to eat, play games, and catch up on family affairs. I will be eating turkey and green beans, as well as plenty of other traditional Thanksgiving trimings. I might even have a small slice of pecan pie, a ver small slice. It should be a very good day.

What are your plans for today? Staying at home? Visiting Family? Hanging out with Friends? I would love to hear all about your holiday weekend and traditions. Feel free to comment and share what you do for Thanksgiving or what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful to have been blessed with such an amazing family.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Wordless Wednesday: Serious About Art!

My little boy is serious about his artwork.

He loves to color, paint, and do just about anything that has to do with creating.

This is fantastic since he used to be all about being destructive!

What I adore about this new phase he has entered is that it is a lot more peaceful around my house.

William will sit down and really concentrate on what he is doing when he is being artistic. The only con to his new found infatuation with arts and crafts is that my walls are becoming a lot more colorful!

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Last Chance to W!N a HOOVER

The Mom Mart Hoover Max Extract 77 Giveaway is ending November 25^th 2011

If you have not yet entered for your chance to win this AMAZING prize, enter now!

MOM MART - HOOVER GIVEAWAY

The Hoover MaxExtract 77 retails for $299.99.

This prize would be the perfect present for the holidays!

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Food For Thought: Inspirational Quotes

With Thanksgiving right around the corner (2 DAYS!) I thought that instead of sharing food recipes with you I would share food for thought. This week I was able to spend a little time StumblingUpon and Pinterest-ing on the internet and I happened upon some great inspirational quotes and images that I thought I would share with you.

What do I mean when I say food for thought? Food for thought is anything that provides mental stimulus for thinking. It is essentially anything that makes you stop and think; anything that inspires. For the purposes of today my food for thought is found in the power of words.

Some of these are quotes that I absolutely adore by inspirational people such as Walt Disney and Dr. Seuss; while others are happenstance and found inspiration.

While these words are sometimes simple and other times complex, their meaning nonetheless rings true. I hope you will take a minute to stop, read, and think.

Dress Code for a Housewife

As a stay at home mom I have the luxury of spending the entire day in a baggy pair of sweatpants and an oversized tee shirt if I so choose. Unfortunately, when I do this nothing around the house seems to get done.

I have found that if I dress like a slob, I act like a slob.

When I spend my morning in men’s clothing (big and baggy comfortable clothes that scream NOT FEMININE) I tend to get lazy. The dishes sit in the sink. The laundry doesn’t get folded. I make leftovers for dinner. The kids and I stay indoors all day long just hanging out and playing with toys. This can be fun every once in a while, but not every day.

If my husband comes home for lunch and sees me in sweatpants he will jokingly ask me if I have given up on life. If I am not getting ready to exercise and sweat in my sweatpants, this is great motivation for me to get off my lazy bum and get dressed in real people clothes for the day.

Monday Meet & Greet #17 Real Mom Reviews

Are you ready for the Monday Meet & Greet ?

I am super excited to introduce you to my new featured bloggy friend and her incredible blog!

 Drum Roll……….

Week 17’s featured Meet & Greet blogger is:

Skye from Real Mom Reviews

The Gift of Time

I have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about what to get my husband for Christmas or for an anniversary gift. This December we will be celebrating our five year wedding anniversary. Traditionally, the five year wedding anniversary gift is something made of wood. Unfortunately for me, I am at a complete loss as to what my husband would like that is made out of wood. Then I started to think about gifts for men in general. What makes a good gift?

A good gift is both thoughtful and useful. When I am purchasing something for someone I try to make it personal, something that they have mentioned needing or wanting. If someone collects something, chances are getting them something to go with their collection is a no brainer. But what about buying something for someone who has it all?

2 Broke Girls for Favorite New TV Comedy!

Once I tuck my children into bed for the night, it is time to kick back and relax with my hubby. I try to get all of my housework done throughout the day so that when the kids are asleep I don’t have anything to do on my to-do list. I like to turn on my television and simply relax… and laugh.

My favorite type of television show to watch is a comedy. I love to laugh. I consider laughter the best form of exercise. It not only burns calories, it also burns up bad moods. No matter what my state of mind, once I start laughing I instantly feel better.  And nothing makes me laugh harder than a seriously funny show.

After spending all day talking to a toddler and a baby I need a little grown up humor in my life. Don’t get me wrong, the stuff my toddler is saying these days is quite funny. It is just, teeny tiny toddler humor. I need a little bit of sarcasm and some witty banter every once in a while.

There is a new show in town and I cannot get enough of it! I am totally addicted to the new WBTV show 2 Broke Girls. I spent the entire pilot episode in tears, I was laughing so hard.

Avoiding cabin fever one Pinterest at a time!

With the weather cooling off, outdoor play is now at an all time low at my house. Last week alone we had three days of rain and even a little snow! Crazy right?!? I am not ready for snow yet. I am definitely not ready to spend a winter cooped up in the house with the boys running circles around me.

 

I am in desperate need of more fun family friendly activities that I can do with the kids indoors. I have a short list of arts and crafts that I want to do with the kids, but it is a very short list. I think that my list is so incredibly short because my children are so young. It is either that or my brain has decided to take a vacation from being crafty. I am so not ready for winter!

To keep the level of insanity down to a minimum, I rotate out toys. Yes, I have enough toys that I can rotate them out. Although I think can is putting it nicely. I have to rotate out my children’s toys because there is not room for it all to be taken out and played with all at the same time. My basement resembles a daycare. I am okay with this because the whole point of us finishing our basement was to have a place for all of the kid’s toys. It is their space, I just live in it. I need to stop buying every single cool looking toy that I find.

Needless to say, rotating out the toys is only going to go so far. I am going to need something more to keep from catching cabin fever. My boys are going to need something more to keep from climbing the walls! We are going to need more arts and crafts in order to stay sane!

Where do you look for inspiration? My latest obsession has become Pinterest. I love to go on there and pin, re-pin, and like posts and pics.

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Premature Awareness Day: November 17 2011

I have been blessed with two beautiful baby boys and could not be happier. Both of my pregnancies were pretty standard. I had terrible morning sickness for the first trimester and then an uneventful pregnancy from there on out. I delivered both of my children just a day or two before their due date. This is not the norm for pregnancies in my family.

All of my sisters have given birth to preemies. My older sister gave birth to her son at 36 weeks. My little sister gave birth to her daughter at 35 weeks. My sister-in-law gave birth to her daughter at 32 weeks. And all of them came out breathing on their own, which was a miracle in and of itself. So when I found out that Mom Central was doing an RSV and Preemie Awareness blog tour with MedImmune I really wanted in!

As a mother of two I believe in being educated on what is out there. From vaccination issues to diseases that are making the rounds in my community, I like to stay abreast of information involving my children. Before I was offered a chance to be a part of this blog tour I had never heard of RSV.

#WW Word less Wednesday: I'm a Big Boy!

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Winner Announcement: Something About Silver $40 Gift Certificate!

The winner of the Mom Mart Something About Silver Giveaway is

Laura Lane!

 

Congratulations on winning!

 

The winner has been verified and emailed.

If the winner does not respond to the email within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

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Just in time for Thanksgiving: Quick & Easy Pecan Pie Recipe!

I know that when most people think of Thanksgiving they think of pumpkin pie. Not I! I think of pecan pie when I think about Thanksgiving. Pecan pie, if done correctly, is rich desert that just melts in your mouth. Pecan pie is one of my favorite deserts and it is also one of the easiest to make.

This particular pecan pie recipe was given to me by my mother who is a phenomenal cook/baker. It is a quick and easy desert recipe that is delicious! My two year old loves it too!

Monday Meet & Greet #16 Books R Us

It is Monday….

I am awake and moving, but at a very slow pace today. There is not enough coffee in the world!

Are you ready for the Monday Meet & Greet ?

I cannot think of a better way to start off my day than with the introduction of a possible new friend. So without further ado let me introduce you to this week’s featured blogger.

Week 16’s featured Meet & Greet blogger is:

Eileen from Books R Us

No Rules Social Media Monday Blog Hop #16

Join Mom Mart for a Twitter, Facebook, & Blog Hop!

This social media hop is designed to create more traffic, more followers, and more unique page views for your blog, twitter, and Facebook pages & to help you meet other amazing bloggers.

It is all about sharing and having fun!

While it is not required, it would be appreciated if you could spread the word about the Social Media Monday Hop by grabbing the button for your blog. Feel free to send out a blog post, a tweet, or share the news on Facebook! After all, the more people that participate, the more blog traffic and potential followers there are.

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Simplified Shopping for the Holidays with Prepaid Debit Cards

With holiday shopping fast approaching it is time to start thinking about the holiday budget. Every year I create a budget for the holidays. My budget includes Christmas gifts, holiday décor for the house, and any special trips or activities my family will be partaking in.

In order to create a budget I first create lists. I don’t know about you, but I love lists. I especially love crossing things off of my lists. Lists are an easy way to organize my thoughts, my time, and my money.

Yummy Vegetable Side Dish: Sweet Italian Green Beans Recipe

I like to find yummy recipes for vegetables. In my opinion, veggies can get a little bland and boring. I am by no means a meat and potato type of gal. I love my greens, but I love my greens to have a little kick to them. This does not mean that my veggies are spicy and too hot to handle. It simply means that I like my veggies to be flavorful. I like a little taste of the unexpected.  I have a favorite green bean recipe that is delicious that I would like to share with you.

I make this as a side dish for every special occasion. It is very easy to make and is usually what I bring to pot luck dinners. It is a staple whenever I bring a dish to pass at Thanksgiving or whenever I host Christmas Eve for the family.

Even when nothing else turns out the way it is supposed to, the green beans are always great. I don’t think you can mess up this recipe. It can be cooked on the stove or tossed in the crockpot. I thought that since my family enjoys this dish you might too. 

Friday Fun Pic: Week 25

It seems that almost every night after dinner my entire family heads downstairs to the basement to play with my son’s wooden railway train set. Mom, Dad, William, and Steven all gather around to build tracks, line up trains, and play together as a family before bedtime. This routine is one of my favorite times of the day. Everyone is relaxed and having a good time. Recently me baby Steven has started to crawl. In this picture Steven has crawled right on top of his big brother. William was so sweet, he laid there and giggled saying “Oh NO! Stevie got me! I’m stuck! Help!” We were all in stitches laughing at this! Life is sweet. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to watch my boys play together.

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A BIG Thank You: Happy Veterans Day!

I have a special place in my heart for members of the military. They deserve to be treated with honor and respect, they are heroes! They are the people who make it possible for us to live the life we chose to live. They are the reason why we are free.

If you see a veteran today or speak to a veteran today don’t forget to say THANK YOU!

Fakesgiving

I know that the title of this post might be throwing some of you off. Don’t worry; this is not a negative post about Thanksgiving. In fact, it is just the opposite.

I am a huge family oriented person. My family members are my best friends. I talk to my parents and/or one of my siblings daily. I try and get together with my family whenever time and proximity allow.

The problem arises that once you are married or in a serious relationship, it is no longer all about your family. You now have to take another person and their family into consideration. As a result, my husband and I have come to an agreement to split the holidays. If one family got us one year for Thanksgiving, then the other family would get us for Thanksgiving the next. We have agreed to use this system for pretty much all holidays; and so far it has worked out pretty nicely. And then someone got the bright idea to do an early Thanksgiving… a Fakesgiving.

Word less Wednesday: Rocking Out the Ball Pit!

Are you ready for another edition of Wordless Wednesday?



Wordless Wednesday: Rocking out the Ball Pit!

I have no idea where all of the balls have disappeared to, but this ball pit used to be filled with those little multicolored balls. Now it is a catch all for all of the random balls from around the house. Sadly there are not that many balls in the ball pit. This apparently does not deteriorate from the joy of playing in the ball pit. My boys LOVE IT!

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Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

I am an early bird when it comes to holiday shopping. I try and get ALL of my Christmas shopping complete before Thanksgiving. By doing all of my Christmas shopping in advance I am usually able to take advantage of some seriously great sales and I have time to wait for standard shipping.

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting! 

Want to Breastfeed: Explore the Medela Freestyle!

I love being able to breastfeed my children. I know that not every mother is able to breastfeed, but I thank my lucky stars that this is something that I am able to do. I not only save a huge amount of money from not having to purchase formula, but I have an amazing bond with my children.  

I have breastfed both of my children since the day I delivered them. For baby boy number one I lasted six months. Right now I am on baby number two and we are seven months in and going strong. I attribute this longevity to having a great breast pump. It is not always easy or comfortable to pump on the go, but Medela has made a simple solution with the Medela Freestyle. Pumping when out and about is easier than ever with a rechargeable battery and hands free set included in the purchase of this breast pump.

When I was given the opportunity to review the Medela Freestyle, I was ecstatic! I have secretly coveted the Medela breast pump from afar.  Oops, I guess the secret is out! This breast pump is top of the line with all the bells and whistles you could ask for. As a stay at home mother I decided that I did not need all the bells and whistles when I had my first child. So instead I drooled over this breast pump at a distance. Big Mistake!Even as a stay at home mom there are times when I am out running errands or visiting family and friends  or even going on a date night with my husband and I am unable to breastfeed my son. Having a portable breast pump that is easy to use and easy to transport is a must!

I am not a huge fan of manual breast pumps. The ones that I have tried are poorly constructed and uncomfortable. When I am pumping on the go I want something that is going to work just as well on the road as it does in the comfort of my home. Although I was initially skeptical of the PersonalFit breastshields, I was made into a believer. The Medela Freestyle is a phenomenal breast pump.  

Monday Meet & Greet #15 Tales From the Nursery

Good morning… or should I say afternoon. I am getting a late start today.

It is Monday. Welcome to another edition of Monday Meet & Greet!

Each Monday a blogger from my little bloggy group is chosen at random to answer a Q&A and be featured on participating blogs. We get to learn a little more about the featured blogger and the blogs that they write.

Week 15’s featured Meet & Greet blogger is:

Darcy from Tales From the Nursery

Favorite Family Photo: It’s time to start thinking about sending out Christmas Cards.

I didn’t get the importance of a great family photo until I had a family of my own. Growing up my mother and father made all five of us kids dress up in our Sunday best and stand in front of either the fireplace or a hideous yellow arm chair. Although my family moved around a lot, we always tried to recreate our perfect family photo. I have to say that I am simply impressed that my parents got all five of us kids to behave ourselves long enough to have a photo taken.

Now that I have children of my own and holiday cards and newsletters to send to friends and family, I get it. I need a great family photo to go on my Christmas cards. I would prefer it if everyone had a smile on their face and looked like they loved one another; but to be perfectly honest I would be content with everyone having their eyes open. Looking at the camera would be a bonus, but is not a deal breaker.

One of the hardest parts about created personalized Christmas cards is taking a good family photograph. This year for our family photo we decided to try to have a little fun. Since I have a seven-month-old baby and a toddler, the likelihood of have a nice neat family photo around the fireplace with smiley happy people all looking at the camera was wishful thinking. Instead my husband and I grabbed our kids, sat outside on the back steps, and roared at my SIL as she snapped away with her camera. One minute we are roaring the next we are smiling and laughing. As a result of our more laid back approach to taking a family photo we got our best ever family photo.

My Hilarious Ode to Moms: Mom Quotes, Mom Comics, and Vintage Mom Art!

In case you missed the memo, I like to find humor in everything. I can be very sarcastic… a fabulous trait that I have always had, but mastered once I married my extremely sarcastic husband who speaks sarcasm fluently.

 

This is my ode to motherhood; the good the bad, and the stinky.

I love being a mom. I love everything about it, even the dirty diapers and the spilled milk.

As much as I find humor in the spice of life; I can also appreciate the sugar.

 

I have put together for you some sugar and spice, but everything is nice (or at least funny).

Pacifier Weaning: When is it time to get rid of the pacifier?

I am a huge fan of pacifiers. Especially in those early days of parenting when I had no clue what was going on and my beautiful baby boy was crying constantly. 

Thanks to a very nice night nurse who cared for me after the birth of my first son, I gave pacifiers a try. Miracle of miracles, pacifiers soon became my best friend. William was instantly soothed once the pacifier was in his mouth. The problem is he is still instantly soothed once the pacifier is in his mouth. He is 2 ½ years old and it is officially time to get rid of the pacifier.

#WW Another Wordless Wednesday: Peter Pan!

Once again my wordless Wednesday will contain a few words.

I absolutely adore the whimsical feeling that Halloween evokes. I have so much fun dressing up as someone else and being completely silly. I love being creative with my families Halloween costumes and I love seeing how other people get creative with theirs.