Full of Extreme Awesomeness and Nonstop Coolness

A new obsession

2009-09-11T08:43:00.001-07:00

I don't know how or when but this baby needs to come live with me. I haven't bought an "expensive" purse in nearly four years, so maybe I've got an itch to buy a new one. This one is definitely my new obsession.

I'm attempting my first Halloween costume this year. I had found this costume in a catalog and was seriously thinking about ordering it....

it was going to be around $120 by the time I ordered the costume, petticoat and headpiece. My cheap side said this was too much for a costume even though I knew she'd wear this everyday and even try to sleep in it if I let her.
So we headed to Hobby Lobby and got a pattern and fabric. It's turning out okay so far and is a lot less than the one pictured above.
I'm actually pleased with the way the bodice has turned out. I'm worried about my zipper skills. I may have to take it to the tailor for some help.

Peace

2009-08-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

We have spent the last month in a crazy, chaotic, dog filled house. There has been lots of barking, fighting, and screaming (from Abby). We made the decision to find another home for the last dog we "saved". She just was not working well with others, mostly Corgan. Abby was kind of afraid of her.

This morning I realized we made the right decision when Abby went outside to play with Winni this morning. She hasn't been able to do that since we had Lolli. There is definitely peace in the house....no barking. While I wasn't sure about the family who now has Lolli, I hope they will love her a lot. For now, we will be enjoying our crazy dogs.

Friday window shopping

2009-08-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a little window shopping this morning while listening to Diego...

I am really liking these shoes:

They remind me of the Holly Hobby bedding I had in my room when I was a little girl.

This would be my dress up tee for work :-)

My goal this fall is to not look as though I've been in my pajamas all day long. I will get up and get dressed...........most days.

Abby starts fall ballet classes next week. These classes begin at 10:45 in the morning, so that will get me up & ready in the morning.

chaos

2009-08-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't the best picture of my Winni girl, but it cracks me up. This shows her personality. For the past month we have had a third dog. She's a crazy lab mix, however her type of crazy is of the psychotic type. I've made two trips to the vet for stitches in the last month and have paid around $600 in vet bills. I knew I'd become the crazy dog lady at this point. We've also decided the third dog has got to go. For the longest time we thought Winni was crazy and there were MANY times I wanted to pull my hair out b/c I thought Winni was the worst dog in the world. I've now realized I was totally wrong and she's turned out to be pretty close to perfect, that is if you count eating dog crap as a characteristic of a perfect dog. I will be glad when there is peace again in the house once the third lab has another home.

What we've been up to lately.....

2009-07-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Building lots of towers

Trying to cool off

...hard to tell from the photo, but this is the new addition to the Lab trio! She and Winni are best buds. Corgan watches them from the air conditioned house.

It's too hot to do anything around here. We stay inside most of the day and go to the pool as much as possible.

And another for good laughs!!!!

2009-07-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

This movie cracked me up!!!! I swear I still get tears in my eyes from laughing at this one!

I love Will Ferrell

2009-07-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

FREE Chocolate Friday

2009-05-22T07:06:00.001-07:00

Mars chocolate is giving away candy again to the first 250,000 who sign up today. So hurry and go HERE to get yours.

Put on a little makeup

2009-05-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I signed up for BzzAgent. I filled out a few surveys and they've sent me some products to try. It does take some time before you will start to get stuff to try, but be patient....it will come.

Recently, they sent make up to try. I got some mascara and lipstick. I'm not a fan of lipstick so I didn't use that, but I've used the mascara and looooooooooooove it! I've tried tons and tons of different mascaras, but this one is pretty good! I can put it on and it doesn't clump or look like I have tons of goop on my eyes. This is so easy to wash off too. You don't special makeup remover just for eye makeup. I love this stuff and will definitely buy again.

Terrible 2's

2009-05-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

The person who coined the term "Terrible Twos" was obviously not an expert on child development. This person had obviously NEVER been around a 3 year old. The 2's were a breeze compared to the tantrum filled days we sometimes have. Don't get me wrong, I love my munchkin, but sometimes I wish she didn't know the words, " I don't want to!"
Don't be deceived by the angelic looking kid pictured above, she sometimes seems as though her body has been taken over by an alien. Lucky me, she saves that kind of behavior for home.

The picture above shows Abby arranged the "guys" on top of N8 so they could watch TV.

Deal of the Day

2009-05-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

This is an eco bag you can have shipped with an additional free item for $.45!!!!!!
Go HERE
and add it to your cart. Select your free item and enter this code NEWEB10OFF
to get all for $.45. I figure its good for shopping at CVS or Walgreens. We'll see how it is when it arrives.

Free and Cheap stuff for next week

2009-05-01T17:56:00.001-07:00

CVS:

Dawn, $.99 - $.50 manuf q = $.49 ea

Kellogg's cereal 3/$10 - (3) $1.50 manuf q = $5.50 get $5 extra bucks

Sally Hansen nail pen - buy one get one 1/2 off - buy one get one FREE manuf q = $3.?? for 2 nail pens

Werther's Candy - B1G1 $2.19 - (2) $.55 manuf q = $1.09 for 2 bags

Not too much that I can't live without this week. We'll definitely be buying more cereal. We go through tons of the stuff.

Guess what's coming to my house?

2009-04-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

I know the pic is hard to see, but this is another fabulous movie to add to the collection. We love chick flicks and other really dorky movies. I couldn't rent this or find it in the stores, so I had to order it on Ebay!!! I swear you can buy ANYTHING on ebay. I cannot wait to see this.

Conversations

2009-04-14T08:55:00.001-07:00

Each night before bedtime, Abby has to try to go potty. Last night while in the bathroom she says," I can't go potty. I"m falling in the big potty.....I don't have a big booty!"

It's like your own personal magazine stand.

2009-04-13T10:11:00.001-07:00

Imagine getting the magazines you want, when you want them, for one, low monthly fee. MAGHOUND delivers the magazines you love straight to your door. Swap your selections whenever you choose and cancel anytime. Try it for free!

View >>

This is such a great idea! You can change your magazine selections monthly if you want.

She's 3!

2009-04-13T06:58:00.001-07:00

I can't believe she's 3 today. She suddenly seems so big and has become very opinionated and independent. Yesterday she demonstrated the beginnings of great negotiating skills. Today, we're just hanging out and enjoying lots of new toys.
They both did a great job finding Easter eggs. There was some pushing and a little yelling, but all eggs were recovered.

Save Your Coupons!

2009-04-08T18:17:00.001-07:00

If you happen to be a coffee snob or have one living with you, Dunkin Donuts coffee is on sale this week at a lot of stores. The best deal I've seen is at Target. It's on sale for $6 - $1.50 manuf Q from this past week - $.75 Target printable Q = $3.75! We happen to drink lots of coffee and this is one brand we like @ our house so we stock up when the price is right.

There are some good freebie deals at CVS next week( April 12-18)!

The Nabisco/Keebler cookies and crackers are 5/$5. If you still have the manuf Q's for $2 off of any 2, you'd get these FREE!

Pepsi 12pks are 5/$10. If you got the coupons from the SuperBowl promotion for $2 off any Pepsi, these are also FREE!

These aren't free, but pretty cheap...Kelloggs cereal is 2/$4. Use your $1 off any Kelloggs manuf Q from this past weekend and each box will be $1.00.

Walgreens has Scunci hair elastics for $2 and then get a $2 register reward on your next purchase.

*****I must have looked at a really early CVS ad or one from a different region b/c the Pepsi isn't on sale for $2 ea. ******

Price is Right

2009-04-06T14:43:00.001-07:00

Guess how much I spent on this?

$1.08!!!!
I had Staples rewards cash to use. If you recycle your ink cartridges at Staples, you'll get $3 a cartridge with a max of 10 a month. You can use it on ANYTHING in the store (except the gift cards). They have lots of kids art supplies and cleaning supplies too. I got the art stuff for church and the swedish fish for the house. FYI, they also have natural cleaners and recycled paper towels.

CVS:

This was $8.?? We love our coffee and had to get a couple of bags while it was on sale. The bags were $5.99 ea and used (2) $1.50 manf Q. Abby wanted the egg dyeing kit. The razor refills were buy one get one free at $10.89. I used (2) manf q for $4 ea = $2.89 for two pkgs. I also got two of the Nivea lip care which was $2.99 and buy one get one free, then used (2) manuf q for $1 ea = $.99 for two. I had a couple of extra bucks that were expiring this week that I needed to use too. I think the receipt said I saved about $40 that I ended up spending later at Petco on dogfood! I guess you save where you can, right?

Fabulous Fridaysort of

2009-04-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

Freebies to grab this week at Walgreens:
Mentos gum: on sale for 2/$2 and use 2 manuf q for $1 ea = FREE
Skintimate Shave Cream: $2.99 and get a $3 register reward for next purchase
Chapstick 100% Natural: $1.99 and get a $1.99 register reward for next purchase

Today was actually a beautiful day outside, unlike some we've had lately. We were out running errands today and went to Target for a return. You can't just go to Target for a return and not look at clothes! So we looked for a bit and of course they had cute stuff. Abby requested we look for dresses for her b/c she's obsessed with them lately. Seriously she's sleep in the dress if we let her. They had some cute ones and she liked a navy one with huge polka dots on it.
We also stopped at Walgreens for some freebies. We also ended the trip at WalMart.

I've been battling the sprinklers lately and trying to replace some heads. There's one that's just pissing me off since I can't seem to get the new head screwed into it. Today I had water everywhere and tons of mud. What I really love is seeing the landscaping guys drive by and stare at me doing this. Abby told me I was really dirty and needed a shower.

While I was battling the sprinkler and mud, the dogs were in the back muddin'. What a treat for me to see my blonde dog now a nice shade of chocolate brown. Lucky me, I got to bathe both dogs and enjoy the smell of wet dog for a few hours!

Deal of the Day

2009-03-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

I got a great deal on some typically expensive office supplies that I use for scrapbooking. I've been looking for white sharpies for some time now and they're usually around $4 each. I got two of them, refills for my label makers, metal rimmed key tags and some other labels all for $8 with shipping.
I got all this from shoplet.com I put a little button on my blog and they gave me $25 to spend in their store.
Albertson's had a couple of great deals this week too. I got 2 four pound bags of sugar for $.90, six jars of spaghetti sauce and two bottles of handsoap for a total of $4. I think my receipt was two feet long b/c of all the coupons!

What's wrong with this picture?

2009-03-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

Last fall I was very ambitious to be planting tulips in the backyard. I planted LOTS of them in the backyard and my favorite dog, Winni, decided they weren't planted in the right spot so she ate some! I was so mad! I wasn't quite sure how many were still planted and I even went out and bought more to replace the bulbs she ate. I had a color scheme planned...dark purple tulips and white tulips with white alyssum.

Well, the tulips have grown and are just starting to bloom. I was so excited to see this....

It is beautiful! After this started blooming, I noticed more were about to bloom too. Look closely at the next picture. Look closely to see what's wrong with it.
Do you see the YELLOW flower? It wasn't suppose to be yellow. I was ripped off by Target! Oh well, it may not go with my color scheme, but atleast it grew! Next year I guess I better get bulbs from an actual nursery or reputable source.

Questions heard around our house.....

2009-03-25T20:27:00.000-07:00

As the days pass, the vocab of the toddler grows a LOT! She asks the most random questions throughout the day too.

While I was getting clothes from the dryer....."Mama, do your armpits stink?" to which I reply, "ummmm, no. Do yours?" And she'll smell them and say, "nope" Since we use natural deoderant in this house I guess its an occasional concern?!?

Another great thing she does is clean her eyes and offer me the eye crusty. Let me tell you the gifts you receive as a mother are fabulous!

She also frequently looks out the back door to report on Winni. Abby will tell me, "She's not eating poop, she's being good."

Obviously we have strange conversations in our house. Especially over breakfast!

We've also introduced the whoopee cushion to her courtesy of Peter Piper Pizza. She's definitely my daughter as she enjoys it as much as I do! It cracks me up to watch her try to sit on it b/c she doesn't weigh enough to get the full effect of the noises.

Freebies and Cheapies next week!

2009-03-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

Walgreens:

Hunt's tomato sauce: Ad coupon for .39 cents each. There's an Easy Saver rebate for $5 when you buy $10 worth of Hunts.(11 cans which don't all have to be purchased in the same transaction)

Gillette Fusion Razor: $8.99 - $4 manuf Q = $4.99 and get a $4 register reward

Kellogg's cereal is 4/$10 - (2) $1 of two pkgs manuf Q from coupons.com = $8 and get a $2 register reward

Target:
Buy 2 Women's Schick razors(Intuition plus, Quattro Plus or Quattro for Women) at $6.99 ea and get a $5 Target gift card. Use (2) $4 manufQ from this coming Sunday paper and you will pay $5.98 total and get the $5 gift card in return.

Which one?

2009-03-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

Which one of these beauties is going to come live with me? The time has nearly come to order one and I can't yet decide which color I really, really want. I can't wait till its here!!!! Which color do you think I should pick?

Freebies and Cheapies next week!

2009-03-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

WALGREENS:

Trident Xtra Care gum 2/$2 - (2)$.75 manufQ = $.25 ea pack
Duncan Hines Brownie Mix $1 - $.35 manufQ = $.65 ea
Reach or Listerine 3/$9 - (3) $1 manufQ = $6 >get $6 register rewards = FREE

CVS:
Colgate MaxWhite toothbrush $2.99- $.75manufQ = $2.24 > get $2.99 ECB
Keebler or Nabisco Wheat Thins 5/$5 - $1/2 manufQ = $.50 ea
Band Aid & Neosporin spend $7 get $3 in ECB's

I've got some ECB's that expire this week so I have to use those. Not really sure what I'm gonna get with them just yet.

More window shopping

2009-03-12T22:49:00.001-07:00

All the dreary rain has me window shopping for spring clothing.

I really want all the shoes pictured above, but I'm narrowing down the choices to the silver and black ones. It's too bad I can't figure out how to get these nearly free!
I don't know when clothes/shoes got so expensive or when I got so cheap. Maybe Target or TJMaxx will have some nice stuff in my price range. I love to wear dresses in the summer, but it seems like every dress I find is about $100. I'm not paying that much for something to run to the grocery store in. Where can I find cheap dresses?

Playhouse

2009-03-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

This playhouse is the cutest thing I've seen. I would love to build one for Abby! It reminds me of a playhouse my dad built for my brother and I when we were kids. It was HUGE! It was yellow and had a little porch with railings. I can't remember too much about the inside. I'm sure my mom has a pic somewhere in her box of pictures, but I'm not about to volunteer looking for that one. Maybe we can build one of these to go in the backyard at the new house someday.

Eye Candy

2009-03-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

I am LOVING these necklaces. I would love to have these for this spring/summer. I came across these on etsy. The shop is Candysart

I love this time of year when the spring clothes are out and everything is bright and cheery. I love buying clothes for the spring rather than fall/winter. I missed out on the coat I posted about last week. It seems as though they ran out of stock so I'm suppose to be refunded. Maybe if I save up a bit more I might grab one of these necklaces.

The pack and play I ordered for Abby came in and I can't wait to have a look at it before I wrap it. It looks pretty cute!

Her latest favorite is Olivia, probably because I like it a lot more than Dora! We've read an Olivia book we got at the library every night so far! I love hearing her sing the song to Olivia. It sounds like, "Go 'Livia! Go 'Livia!" over and over again.

Get Ready for Spring

2009-03-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

Spring is right around the corner which has me thinking about the plants in my garden. The tulips will be blooming any day now. I can't wait to see the flowers and have the plants start growing like crazy again.

I found a great deal on plants to get started on your spring garden. Springhill Nursery is giving $20 in free plants and all you pay is shipping. I ordered a couple of plants (some of the columbine pictured above) and paid $7.95 for shipping. Go HERE for the deal. The web site says the offer is ending soon, so hurry up and get your plants before they run out of what you want.

Freebies and Cheapies at Walgreens next week!

2009-03-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner $2.99 - $2Q Easy Saver Catalog- $1 manuf Q = FREE
Glade Lasting Impressions Fan Powered Fragr $7.99-$4Q Easy Saver-$4 manufQ = FREE
Glade Motion Sensor Sense & Spray $7.99-$4Q Easy Saver-$4 manufQ = FREE
Colgate Total Toothpaste $3.49 -$2.50Q Easy Saver-$1 manufQ = FREE

I'm also going to buy the M&M's I posted about earlier and some starbucks truffles. Walgreens usually has them priced at 2 for $10 and there is a $6Q off two Easy Saver and also $1 manuf Q that are hanging in the aisles with the candy making them $1 a box!

I better stop in early Sunday before church to make sure some of the stuff isn't gone already.

Something worth Trying

2009-03-05T08:55:00.000-08:00

Last week I signed up for a site called YouData. Its a marketing site and all you have to do is click through a few adds....it takes about 3-5 minutes max a week and you get money for each ad you have viewed. The money ( not a lot) is deposited each week in your paypal acct on Friday. Last week I think I got $5. I know its not a lot, but hey its money I didn't have before. What do I get for telling you this?.....basically a penny, but who couldn't use $15-20 a month? So go here and start earning your pennies!!!

Walgreens Deals 3/1-3/7

2009-03-04T16:00:00.001-08:00

I went to Walgreens today since they had a couple of good deals. I got this for free.....

It's a homeopathic treatment for cold & flu. It's priced at 11.99, but there is a $10 coupon in the Walgreens Easy Saver book and you can go here to get another coupon for $4 off. Use both coupons together to have $14 off. They may give you the overage, but today they just adjusted it down making it free.
Another deal I plan to take advantage of before the end of the week is the Easter M&Ms. They're on sale for 2/$5. There are coupons in this last Sunday's paper for $1 off 2 bags and there is also a coupon in the Easy Saver book for $1 off 2 bags. My plan is to buy 4 bags use 2 coupons from the Easy Saver and 2 coupons from the paper making the total $6 after coupons. Then I'll submit it for an offer in the back of the Easy Saver for the M&Ms plush as well!

I figure the plush can be an Easter gift if it gets here in time and the candy will be put to good use, I'm sure!

Shopping for birthday gifts

2009-03-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

We don't really think its necessary to buy lots of gifts for birthdays, but we wanted to buy a couple of small things. I was really excited to find this on sale!

I got it for $10!! I can just see Foxy and the gang all snuggled up in this pack and play. I'd also been eyeing this cute little dress for a long time. It's something she can wear for a long time....now as a dress and as she grows, it can be worn as a shirt with jeans.
I think we may have a couple of other things planned too, but I was so proud of the pack and play....I can't wait for her to use it.

for my new coat

2009-03-03T09:57:00.001-08:00

Banana Republic has some beautiful jewelry out now for spring. I'm thinking the pinkish brooch in the center photo would look great with my new coat....just a thought. Maybe I'll have to wait for a good sale.

Deal of the Day

2009-03-03T09:39:00.001-08:00

This is one of the best deals I've ever taken advantage of! I know its hard to see the picture, but this is a wool pea coat. TODAY only it is $5.99 plus $4.95 shipping!!!!!! I ordered one in cream b/c I had the money available in my paypal acct. This is seriously a great deal and they have lots of colors here: Tulle 4 Us pea coat

Seriously, if you can take advantage of this, I suggest you do so b/c a deal like this won't be around again.

Santa

2008-12-19T20:53:00.001-08:00

Today we saw the all important bringer of gifts, Santa. We went to the mall hoping there would not be a huge line and thankfully we were third in line. Abby was so excited to see him and was anxious to tell him what she wanted for Christmas. This morning she told me she was going to ask him for presents.....then it was a big bike. Whew! Thank goodness we got the bike ordered.

I'm anxious to see her riding it and ringing the little bell! Seriously, I got a really, really good deal on the bike.

And, speaking of ride-on toys, here's another appreciated Christmas gift for my oldest:

Yep, they are lookin' good and the bug is almost finished!

You need to see this if you're an online shopper!!!

2008-12-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

If you know me, you know how cheap/frugal I am. I like to get a good deal on what I'm buying. I found this site, ebates.
http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=zqbfC0eIHH2ADDR%2FialDmA%3D%3D

This site gives you CASH BACK for shopping through them. For example, I went to this site where you then shop from tons of retailers like Old Navy, Wal Mart, etc. and you get a % back of your purchase. Pair this with a good coupon promotion and you have some GREAT DEALS!!!!

So click on the link and sign up. They give you $5 to start just for signing up. What's it going to hurt you to check it out. We all love a little cash back!

All for less than $11

2008-12-17T15:40:00.001-08:00

Yep, you read that right....all for less than $11. I went to CVS and Walgreens and got this stuff....mostly for stocking stuffers.

Here's how:
Walgreens:
2 Turtles @ .99 ea = $1.98 - (2) $1.50 Q = $1.02 profit
1 Lindt chocolate bar @ $1.50 -.75Q =.75 final cost

= walgreens doesn't give money back so they adjusted it and I pd .25 for tax

CVS:
Robe $14.99 - $2 Q = 12.99
Candle $2.99 - $2Q = .99
Colgate $2.99 - $1.50Q = 1.49 get a $2 ECB back
Mascara Buy 1 Get 1 = 4.79 -(2) $1Q = 2.79
Nailclippers $2.99 - $1 manuf coupon - $1 Cvs Q = .99
2 lint rollers @ .99 ea = $1.98 - (2) $1 Q = .02 profit
Eyeliner (marked at 75% off) $1.75 - $1Q = .75

=$20
-$3 Q for CVS purchase
-$3.79 ECB
-$4.00 ECB

=======$9.21 +tax

Its kinda confusing at first, but once you get the idea.......everything can be cheap!

Christmas Gifting

2008-12-11T22:56:00.000-08:00

Yes, 'tis the season for gifting. Who doesn't love to receive a gift, right? I think many of us have forgotten what Christmas is about. For me Christmas is celebrating family. I can remember tons of Christmases spent with my family, not just my parents, but the huge family gatherings. I do remember opening gifts and seeing what Santa brought, but honestly, I couldn't tell you about half of the things I got! I just remember time with the family...the food, getting picked on by older cousins, picking on the younger cousins, etc. Anyways, what I want Abby to remember is the family time.....not the gifts. Its hard as a parent to get just a few things, of course I want to give her the world. I know she will not remember or even keep most of these things that are gifted to her.
I do have some things that were given to me as a kid, but you know, they were handmade gifts like dolls! I love that I have these things to share with Abby.
I know I've said this many times before to family, but if you're going to give a gift to Abby especially, set a budget and only spend half. The other half can be given to her to put in savings. Really, I'd rather her have a big savings account than a huge pile of toys.

Dear Santa,

2008-12-10T21:37:00.000-08:00

If you happen to read this Santa, there are only a couple of things that I have been thinking about.....
A pair of Lucky jeans. ( Or a cheaper pair of Converse jeans from Target)
This cute sweater dress from Bluefly.

These baskets have a perfect spot in my craft room. I've been watching this in the clearance section of Smith and Hawken. I'd also like to have a few rolls of ATG tape since I'm nearly out.

There really isn't anything that I'm dying to have this year. I'm more focused on what to get the munchkin for Christmas. She really wants a bike, so Santa will deliver one Christmas morning.

So Wrong and yet so Right!!!

2008-12-05T19:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, I absolutely love these nachos. Especially if it's with Rico cheese. I don't know what it is about this processed cheese from a can, but I love it. I know for me, one who likes to buy organic and natural foods for my family, its hypocritical to eat these, but I can't help it.
Today, Abby got to experience the joy of the nacho for the first time. She LOVED it.
I guess its okay to indulge once in a while. I don't eat it every week/month. I'd have to say it was a good day!

Time flies!

2008-11-04T20:51:00.001-08:00

Am I a bad blogger or what? Things have been nonstop busy around here. We've been busy trying to get a business going, saving money, visiting family, taking care of animals......and more. I'm getting a lot better at saving money these days. I'm pretty proud of the recent purchase for less than $7 and it was for the shipping:

You can't even get a pair of shoes that cheap from Payless!!! I amaze myself sometimes with my bargains!!!!
So Thanksgiving is around the corner and I'm not ready. I'm just now thinking about taking down the little bit of Halloween decorations that I put up. Manny will be here in a few weeks and hopefully he'll turn off SpongeBob long enough to help get things ready.

update

2008-10-01T20:42:00.001-07:00

It's been forever since I've posted! Believe it or not, a stay at home mom gets pretty busy. Especially when you have had a puppy with a broken leg, a toddler potty training and trying to startup a small business.
Since the last post, we've taken the dog to have leg surgery and she's recovered very quickly. She's had to stay in her cage the entire time and that's been very difficult to deal with. Now she's at a point where we can let her out, but she's so crazy I'm afraid she's going to bust her leg again.
Abby is still potty training. Some days are good and others... not so good. She figured out the child proof doors. I had to buy a new door knob for her room, one that can be locked. I know its kinda mean, but the kid was getting out and going downstairs! One morning she got to the end of the stairs and yelled, "Mama!, Good Morning!" like at 7 a.m. I am not a morning person and this was not so cute at the time.
Abby is talking a lot more now. Sometimes I understand what she's saying and sometimes I'm as clueless as everyone else.
The weather here is finally getting more tolerable. I'm sure we'll start experiencing fall sometime in December!
I'm ready for some time to catch up on sleep. One day, I'd like to sleep again until 9 without interruptions. I don't want to get up at 6 to let the dog out or to feed the dog at 7. When is this dog gonna realize I'm not a morning person? I stay up way too late, I know. However, this is my opportunity to unwind a bit and catch up on tv shows or be crafty or finally clean up the kitchen.

Priceless

2008-09-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

registered Labrador puppy $300
first set of vaccinations $100
trip to emergency vet for broken leg $483

A lifetime of affection and friendship: Priceless

So we've now had the Winni girl for a month or so and she's quite the expensive little pup. Today, we had our first emergency vet trip with her. She is a daredevil and not so coordinated and somehow she broke her leg playing in the backyard. We figure she was jumping off the chair and got her leg stuck and it broke. She's now in a splint and one of the cool collars aka satellite dish. She hasn't stopped whimpering since we got home from the doctor's office. We've got to keep her calm and basically immobile for 6 weeks to keep her from having surgery on the leg. I feel so bad for her, but can't do much for her. I'm not expecting to sleep too well tonight as I'm taking post on the couch near the whimpering dog. Occasionally she'll roll over or try to stand up and the crying begins. Wish me luck sleeping tonight.

CVS Friday

2008-09-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today Lizzie and I went to CVS for the weekly trip. I really needed to get the hair gel for N8 b/c this is the only kind he likes. He has a lot of hair that can get really unmanageable :-) I don't know what the deal is, but anyway this is his brand of choice so I had to get some. I just wanted to show that I really do get stuff for free! This is my receipt for proof! The little bottle of gillette was a freebie in the mail today so I threw it in the pic too.
Mom, now do you believe me?

Hi! I'm corrie and I'm a paper addict

2008-08-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

So, I admit that I have some issues when it comes to buying paper. I love to shop for new paper and I'm always looking at different stuff online. Each time a new line comes out......I want it very badly and it takes a lot of restraint not to press the "add to cart button." Ok, so maybe I do press the "add to cart button" but I don't checkout and pay! Here's what I'm wanting lately:

I'll have to save some pennies to order these. For now, I will look at it daily...."eye candy" ha ha ha!

Not much is going on around here....still cleaning pee and washing lots of rags and undies.

This is why I don't shop for kid's clothes............

2008-08-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

How cute is this outfit? I could definitely see Abby wearing this. But here is my favorite.....

I love this little dress. If it were in my size, I'd buy it! GapKids has some cute stuff right now, its just a lot over my budget and too cute to look at.

My life in a urinal

2008-08-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, I feel as though I live in a giant urinal. No one really tells you when you have a toddler how many times you will be cleaning pee off of the floor. No one tells you your toddler will try to dump out their own training potty everyday. No one warns you of all the little drops of pee that will fall on the bathroom floor. THEN, add a puppy to the mix and double the original amount of pee from your toddler. The puppy has peed on rugs, in her cage, basically she's peed in most of the rooms downstairs. I feel like I'm living in a urinal. I am always cleaning up pee and I always smell pee. I am super sensitive to smells and I sure don't want people coming over and smell pee. I am sure my pee cleaning days will come to an end soon, but I'm hoping for sooner than later.

Not much else is going on here, except my great luck with the air conditioner. Since we've moved in we have repair guys out once a year for some reason or another. This week it was the zone board. The old one was going out, but the house still cooled down. Once the new one went in, the upstairs stopped cooling down and it became a balmy 84 degrees plus upstairs. So the repair guy came out for a second time in one day. Today........the board, which was brand new, went out! So......another one has to be ordered and a tech will have to come back for a third day this week.

No interesting pictures to post today. Things have been a bit crazy around here.

8-8-08

2008-08-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

Look at this priceless piece of artwork! My budding artist painted this yesterday. She got to use the "special paints." Basically they weren't the usual watercolors. She had a blast and could possibly paint every surface of the house if I let her. Here she is in action:

She's also been reading her favorite book. During breakfast a couple of days ago, she read this book to me:
She makes lots of facial expressions while saying, "Mama, mama, ooooh, stinky face." Its pretty darned cute if you ask me. Thanks to Betsy for this great book, she LOVES it!

Since we've had the new puppy, I am definitely up a LOT earlier than normal, cleaning up LOTS of pee, and cleaning up her messes. She seems to think the water bowl is a swimming pool. Nathan and I have come to the conclusion that we have this ability to pick out the "special" animals. Go figure! Here is a pic of Winni after she got in trouble:

Having Winni is like having a little bro/sis for Abby b/c they are always aggravating eachother. I think now she's learned to appreciate Corgan a lot more.

Muddin'

2008-07-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

So today started out being productive at 7am. This new puppy has my sleeping schedule all messed up! So I went to the store while Abby was still sleeping and Lizzie was home. I got home and Abby got up and ate bkfst and then I mopped the floor while the pups were out. While I was mopping, my baby yellow lab was muddin' and soon became my baby chocolate lab! It was kinda funny....until Abby opened the back door and let her in! I was so mad. So I hauled her little puppy butt outside and gave her a bath.
Nothing too exciting going on around these parts. Just trying to stay cool in this 100 degree weather. I've been trying to scrapbook some pics when I can. This is one I finished today:

This should make Manny pretty happy as he's been buggin me about putting pics of him on the blog. So here you go u-uh boogie.
\
Blogger is not cooperating with me on my picture placement, sorry.

That's all for now.

Welcome Home

2008-07-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here is the newest member of the family:
She is 8 weeks old and has green eyes!
We've had the hardest time picking out a name for her. We've decided to go with Winnie, ( not from Winnie the Pooh). She's pretty spunky and really bugs Corgan. Apparently Corgan doesn't like to play before 6pm!
I'm sure I'll have more pics of her to post later.

This was the cutest picture I've seen of Abby in a while. She's getting to the point where she puts on a show for the camera!

My Grill

2008-07-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

Check out this new beauty!!!!! N8 brought it home and surprised me with it today. I'd been eyeing it for a long time.

This past weekend we spent some time with some friends at their ranch and had a great time relaxing swimming and playing pool and pingpong. Abby had a great time too......eating treats that Mom would never give her......starting with this............

And then this topped it all off...........chicharron........fried pig skin........WTH!!
Anyways, it was fun and we don't eat like that all the time, so it really was a treat.
Today the little one (during naptime) decided to climb up on her bed to reach the Desitin that was on the shelf. I guess she thought it was lotion so she rubbed it all over her body. Let me just say that her room wreaked of Desitin! If you've ever used the stuff before, it is quite thick and does not rub in. It was all over her body and she had this white tint to her....she was antiqued! So we cleaned her up the best we could, but she still smells of Desitin! She's good for a few laughs...that's for sure

I am the warrior!!!!!

2008-07-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, well I'm not sure I'm a great warrior, but check out the size of this wasp/hornet that I killed. Imagine this flying at you! You should've seen me trying to kill this thing. It was pretty comical. I hit it with the fly swatter and knocked it to the ground. It fell in the door mat and I kept stomping on it over and over again while screaming. Even Abby was screaming. I had to "save" it to show people I wasn't exaggerating.

My garden has been growing and has become quite full. Here are some pics I took of it today. Check out the tomato plant. Its huge! There are quite a few tomatoes that have started to grow on it. In a week or so, we'll have a ton of tomatoes to eat.

4th of July

2008-07-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

This is one of the few pics that was taken while we were shooting off fireworks. The camera wasn't cooperating too much. N8, in his true fashion, bought tons of fireworks! This holiday is really like Christmas morning for him!
Abby really didn't like the fireworks this year so she watched from the truck.
After watching all of the fireworks, we went back to the house to play RockBand......this time, we had teams and our team kicked serious ass!!!! You better practice Lizzie!!! Can you believe n8 put this lovely outfit on in the spirit of rockin?

And Abby wore her best headgear as well. This is the only 2 year old who recognizes the music to Missippi Queen.....

Old pics

2008-06-23T19:32:00.001-07:00

Officially 30!

2008-06-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

So I am now officially 30. No longer a twenty something but now thirty something. Wasn't there a show on tv a LONG time ago called thirtysomething? So yesterday was my birthday and I didn't do much of anything really. We did go to dinner at Geisha which is a sushi/hibachi restaurant. It was just us and Lizzie met us too. N8 wasn't feeling too great and Abby was acting weird so dinner ended around 8ish. By the time we got home and I got Abby out of her carseat she was burning up with fever. So this explains why she wouldn't eat and was so cranky. The birthday celebration quickly came to end at this point. So we gave her some meds, but she didn't really sleep much through the night.....nor did I. She woke up at 5 this morning and maybe napped a total of 3 hours today. As I sit here typing this at nearly 11 tonight, I can still hear her up in her room. What's the deal kiddo? Aren't you tired?

Turning 30 certainly did bring in some fantastic loot!!!! Mom & Dad got me tons of scrapbooking stuff, the French sink from this past weekend and a bracelet with a little charm of Abby. I also got some $$$$$ which I used to buy the necklace that I'm wearing in the pic below and this bathing suit.
Here's a pic from dinner.......

Its hard to see the necklace here but its so gorgeous!! Its a smoky brown quartz. I love it.

N8 got these gorgeous goodies for me:

Thank you N8! I love them.

We also went to an estate sale this weekend where we all found some cool stuff. I think this was my coolest, cheapest find as I saw the exact same thing in Gatesville for $12 and got it for 50 cents on Sunday!
Alrighty, I think this has been a long enough post and I'm gonna try and get some sleep before Abby wakes up.

I'm now a real gardener

2008-06-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

This is an actual picture from my garden! I've somehow managed to keep the plants alive and check out what has grown. Honestly, I didn't think I could grow the tomatoes.....thought for sure they'd die before the tomato ever ripened.
So tonight, Abby and I picked the tomato and ate it! Now the thing was only about the size of a golf ball, but its still a tomato. This is proof that I'm now officially a gardener :-)

23 days

2008-05-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Since my birthday is just around the corner, mom and dad gave me my bday money early so that I could order these goodies as part of my scrapbook addiction:

They should be arriving at my front door right around Juneteenth! I also got a few more goodies, but didn't copy the pics for them. THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!!
Who knew paper would make me so darned happy?

that's hot!

2008-05-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went out to dinner with friends and then back to their house to watch the UFC fight (N8 was dying to see it). So we get to his house and the a/c is broken! Crap! Its like 90 something degrees outside with tons of humidity! So, he opened the doors/windows and let the little bit of breeze blow through. Meanwhile, my angelic two year old held out pretty well considering the heat and it was late. We made it through most of the fight, but I feel bad for N8 since we had to leave before the end of it. I guess this is what parenting is all about huh? But......to make up for leaving early Abby is learning to say I love you, which is the cutest thing ever. I want to record her voice and the little things she says to remember how cute they sound. I probably could record some of it if I ever charged the video recorder!

2008-05-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yup, I know I haven't updated, but I really haven't had anything to blog about. I've been finishing up planting the garden. Its looking great if I do say so myself. Abby helps water the plants. We use the rainwater from her pool to water the plants by filling up our buckets. Its so cute to see her help. The spot on my head that was frozen off is looking quite good. Abby no longer sees it and says "fire". She would say fire b/c it looked like smoke coming out of the can the Dr. used to freeze off my spot. Anyway.....I'm no longer worried people are looking at my spot.
I've been scrapbooking (big surprise there). I'm making a book about being "Almost 30" mostly because I want to look back at it when I'm almost 50 and realize how great turning 30 was :-)
Here's a page of it~-~

And here's a pic of Abby. In case you're wondering, that is her napkin on her head. I don't know where she learned this trick.

OMG...I'm really getting old!

2008-05-05T22:11:00.001-07:00

Well, now I KNOW that I am getting older. I went to the dermatologist today to have them look at this spot on my forehead. I've always been paranoid about things so I thought I'd have them see if it was skin cancer. And it was pre-cancerous (some technical term for it that I can't remember). So they froze it! This is what it looked like this morning..... Notice the small red spot above my eyebrow......(and yes I know this is a really crappy picture of me, but you get the point)

The freezing part didn't hurt and Abby got a kick out of watching it.

Now its redder than before, but it will heal without leaving a scar.
Lesson learned from this: ALWAYS wear sunscreen.

Jellies

2008-05-01T17:52:00.001-07:00

Its so good to know jellies are still being made for little girls to wear. We bought this cute pair at the Dollar Store. I figured they're good "knock-abouts" and they were only $3.

Today, I really thought I was going to go crazy. I think the dog and Abby were in on it together. The dog would not stop barking today! Seriously, if he saw a reflection in the window, he'd bark. Abby screamed and threw major fits all afternoon and evening. She even picked up her little stool at one point and threw it (landing on my foot, not intentionally). So she had an early bedtime which turned out perfect so that I could watch Grey's Anatomy and then go take a hot relaxing shower before an early bedtime.
And in case you were wondering how my skills at RockBand were coming along.......
It's hard to see but it says 98% accuracy on level Medium and......439 note streak!!!!

Feeling Nostalgic

2008-04-29T12:48:00.001-07:00

I've had this box of pictures that I've carried around with me for a few years now, maybe even since I went to UNT. Mom never put them into albums b/c she's not really into that kinda thing. She even has this huge drawer full of pictures. I've started putting my box of pics into a scrapbook and trying to write down things that I remember about that picture/event. So...here's one that I love b/c my brother and I used to have so much fun playing with this set Dad made for us.
So Mom, if you see this, will you let me know what year this may have been? Not too much going on around here. Just enjoying the spring weather when there aren't any Tornado Warnings!

Fredericksburg

2008-04-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Fredericksburg was GREAT!!!! The cabin we stayed in was really cool.....better than expected. We ate as much german food that we possibly could. I'm finally posting pics....I know you're thinking its about time.

Challenge

2008-04-25T14:01:00.001-07:00

Here is a page that I've been working on for a Colorstory Challenge. The picture was taken in Fredericksburg near the cabin we stayed in.

BLAAAHHH...G

2008-04-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

What ever happened to adventure or excitement on a Friday night? Does staying up all night to watch the Project Runway marathon count as excitement? In my world....IT DOES!
So tomorrow we're headed to Fredericksburg. I cannot tell you how excited I am. This will be the first trip we've ever taken together that is NOT TO EL PASO! Seriously in the past ten years, this is the first trip not to El Paso. We are going to stay in a cabin and I hope its as cute as the pictures. Tomorrow is "shopping" day and Sunday will be car day.

I plan on eating some great german food. I can taste it now....sauerkraut, german potatoes, mmmm.
Oh. Don Julio is slowly moving into his new home which will be a more comfortable environment for him :-)

Birthday Weekend

2008-04-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

So, now I have a 2 year old! Where did the time go? It seems like she's suddenly climbing EVERYTHING! She's climbed on the barstools, scaling the kitchen cabinets, climbing up the front of the stove. Nothing is Abby-proof anymore. Now that she's not afraid to try and do things, she's got so many bruises and scratches. Is the doctor going to think I beat my child?

Sunday was birthday day and we did absolutely nothing. Abby opened presents and played with them all day. Nathan napped, ate and napped again. How exciting huh?
And....I am so excited to have begun my backyard project. I went to WalMart yesterday and bought the concrete stones for the border. I think I got a great deal and ended up spending less than I budgeted for......I've moved them to the backyard and hopefully by the end of the month I will have soil and plants in the flowerbed. I'm sooooooo excited (yes, I know this makes me old now).

Fabulous Friday

2008-04-11T23:16:00.001-07:00

What's so fabulous about Friday? Well, we cleaned and that's really about it. I made a cute new tee for Abby to wear to Daddy's class tomorrow. I'll post pics of that later. I'm sad to say that I have been playing Rockband when Abby naps and after she's gone to bed at night. Tomorrow we're having a few people over for a Rockband party of sorts. Who wouldn't want to come, right?
Abby is cracking me up lately with her affection to Fox. He ate dinner with us tonight :-) She hugs him and kisses him and cleaned him before dinner. Where does she get this stuff from?

Yesterday was an interesting day. After a long afternoon of running errands, we get home and my garage door won't open. My first thought is....did I pay the electric bill? b/c this has happened before (long story). I peek through the back door and my microwave light is on so I know its not the electricity. Ofcourse I don't have a house key b/c I gave mine to Lizzie so what am I to do? I had to run down to Walgreens and get a new battery for the opener and pray that this worked. Sure enough, $4 later, I have a battery and it works! I am now prepared for future incidents like this and have an extra battery in my truck, or maybe I should just get a house key.

RockBand

2008-04-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

Today we got the best video game ever......RockBand. Its great b/c you can have up to 4 players (2 guitars, drums, and a microphone). I LOVE this. So we had to rock out the first night we got it. I prefer the mic! Ofcourse we took some pics....

Abby laughed and danced around too. She really wanted to play the drums! But she's resting up for tomorrow......

...Lovin Martha Stewart!

2008-04-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Michael's and bought a paper punch I've been eyeing for a long time. It's a Martha Stewart one and I LOVE it! I played with it a lot tonight. Yes, I know what you're thinking...I'm a dork, but whatev! So I am working on a project and I used my new punch. Take a look.
And here's another project I did tonight with my cool new punch.

6 days until Abby's 2nd birthday! Man, where did the time go?

Rough Day

2008-04-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

The dog and I had to take a break after such a rough day...I mowed the yard and Abby was chasing him around the house.

THAT mom

2008-04-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today, I officially became THAT mom. That mom who gives their child Starbucks. I said I'd never get my kid this kind of stuff and I only did it b/c Abby was in serious screaming mode and I still had grocery shopping to do. I seriously needed the caffeine/frappuccino and when I started to drink mine (with all its wonderful whip cream goodness) she wanted it, so I had to go back to the Starbucks counter and managed to get her a free child size, caffeine free frosty beverage. AND this still didn't get her to calm down. Let's hope I don't cave so easily on the manicure/pedicure issue.(she can't get hers done until she can pay for it herself).

Tired?

2008-03-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

So today was quite productive. Abby and I went to Tuesday Morning hoping to get a great deal on scrapbook punches but ended up buying some puzzles for her bday. Then we went to JoAnns which was the best idea I've had in a while. I was just looking and ended up buying some great stuff for scrapbooking and to make the most AweSome shirt for Abby....all for less than $10. So we came home, waited through a tornado watch/warning and then played with our cool new stuff.It's pretty damned awesome isn't it? So then I start thinking...man, someone would pay maybe $15-$20 for one of these. I could make these and sell them. The more I thought about it, I decided I probably won't make enough anyway. Oh, there's also a small paisley on the back of the shirt too. I'll think about it a bit before I finally decide whether or not I could sell these.
I'll have to get a pic of Abby wearing this. She even modeled it for Daddy....so cute.

I love Sundays

2008-03-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Sundays. Its the day when we have tons of family time. Abby gets lots of Daddy time. Nothing too exciting happening around here today. N8 started working on a new leather bag. Its going to look so awesome. I get first dibs on this one. I bought Abby new bathtub crayons and I think I love them more than she does. N8 and I can leave little notes in the shower.
We went to church and then to Luby's for some classic cafeteria style food. I know...its definitely not the best food, but it was food in the stomach.

I had submitted some LO's earlier this week for a DT call. I have never done it before and I never would have imagined myself actually submitting my work for other people to see. It was a shot in the dark, and it turned out that this just wasn't my time. I'll try again some other time.

Full of Extreme Awesomeness and Nonstop Coolness

A new obsession

Peace

Friday window shopping

chaos

What we've been up to lately.....

And another for good laughs!!!!

I love Will Ferrell

FREE Chocolate Friday

Put on a little makeup

Terrible 2's

Deal of the Day

Free and Cheap stuff for next week

Guess what's coming to my house?

Conversations

It's like your own personal magazine stand.

She's 3!

Save Your Coupons!

Price is Right

Fabulous Friday*sort of*

Deal of the Day

What's wrong with this picture?

Questions heard around our house.....

Freebies and Cheapies next week!

Which one?

Freebies and Cheapies next week!

More window shopping

Playhouse

Eye Candy

Get Ready for Spring

Freebies and Cheapies at Walgreens next week!

Something worth Trying

Walgreens Deals 3/1-3/7

Shopping for birthday gifts

for my new coat

Deal of the Day

Santa

You need to see this if you're an online shopper!!!

All for less than $11

Christmas Gifting

Dear Santa,

So Wrong and yet so Right!!!

Time flies!

update

Priceless

CVS Friday

Hi! I'm corrie and I'm a paper addict

This is why I don't shop for kid's clothes............

My life in a urinal

8-8-08

Muddin'

Welcome Home

My Grill

I am the warrior!!!!!

4th of July

Old pics

Officially 30!

I'm now a real gardener

23 days

that's hot!

leave a comment

OMG...I'm really getting old!

Jellies

Feeling Nostalgic

Fredericksburg

Challenge

BLAAAHHH...G

Birthday Weekend

Fabulous Friday

RockBand

...Lovin Martha Stewart!

Rough Day

THAT mom

Tired?

I love Sundays

Fabulous Fridaysort of