Huge Blog Design GIVEAWAY!!!

April Showers Blog Design is having a HUGE giveaway and celebrating her OPEN waiting list that starts January 1st! April not only does blogs - but also invitations, announcements, calendars, cards, business cards, custom illustrations, and so much more! Just by pasting this paragraph on my blog I'm a winner! www.aprilshowersblogdesign.com

Perfect shadows align behind us...

The two winners for the Yoplait Give-a-way, picked by Emma out of a hat are...

Pineapple Princess @ The Love Shack 

& 

SaraLou @ The Harriger Family WEB Blog.

Congrats Ladies! I just need you to email me your addresses so I can forward them on to the sponsor.  Thank you to everyone who participated.

Thankful Tidbits

#7 - For Hubs OT pay, which is now enabling us to get caught up and pay things off.  The layoff over the summer really hurt us.  And it feels good to not have that money burden so heavy on our shoulders. 

#8 - For Emma making me laugh throughout the day. As challenging as these 3's are turning out to be, she can definitely have me cracking up at the drop of a hat.  Just like her Daddy, there's not staying mad around those two.

#9 -   The beautiful weather we've had the past 4 days.  It's been in the high 60's and we've actually been able to go outside and play and burn off some energy without our fingers freezing within the first 15 minutes or play time.

Another weekend past and starting the new week. It was a pretty low-key weekend for Emma and me with Hubby working.

Although, last week when watching one of her channels for the life of me I can't remember which one & haven't seen it on again they did some turkey hand cookies. We rolled out the sugar dough. Cut around her hand imprint, but the worse part was getting them from the table to the cookie sheet. After they cooled off Hubby and her decorated them. For the 1st time they didn't turn out too bad.

Yoplait Review - Giveaway

Thanks to MyBlogSpark I was offered the opportunity to try out Yoplait Kids Yogurt and we got a More Fun prize pack with it.  Little one and me headed to the store and I let her pick out which one she wanted.  They have a variety of flavors between their yogurt drinks & yogurt such as, strawberry-banana, vanilla, peach, mixed berry etc.  She picked the strawberry-banana/peach combo pack.  We came home and she had that for her snack.  We both tried it and both thought they were really yummy!  

Here's some info from the company.  Yoplait Kids yogurt is the perfect solution with 25% less sugar than the leading kids' yogurt.  With its thick and creamy texture that will hug your little one's spoon, you won't have to worry about a sticky mess to clean up afterwards.  It also contains no artificial sweeteners or flavors, so you can feel good about serving it to your kids. 

In addition, Yoplait Kids is a good source of vitamin D and, according to two new studies that provide the first national assessment of the crucial nutrient in young Americans, millions of U.S. children have disturbingly low vitamin D levels, possibly increasing their risk for a variety of health concerns, including bone problems. About 7.6 million children, adolescents, and young adults have vitamin D levels so low they could be considered deficient. It can be challenging for growing kids to get enough vitamin D because this nutrient is only found naturally in very few foods; however Yoplait Kids makes it a little easier to incorporate a delicious source of vitamin D and calcium in your child’s diet. 

I get to giveaway 2 prize packs to my readers.  You'll recieve a coupon for a Yoplait Kids yogurt, a travel cooler (to take your yogurt on-the-go), a fun spoon that changes colors in warm water, a reusable place mat with games to keep the kids happy while snacking, and a fuzzy tangle  puzzle for some after-snack fun.

To ENTER for your chance to win - leave a comment about how you make snack time fun for your kids or some of your favorite snacks when you were a kid.  If you don't have a blog, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you are a winner.   


The winner will be chosen Sunday, November 8th, @ 7pm eastern time.

Halloween Festivites

Last Thursday little one and me went to the grocery store to pick up a couple pumpkins.  Call me crazy - but I just couldn't believe they were completely out of bigger sized pumpkins.  Alls they had were about 5 small/medium sized ones and then a bunch of the small sized ones for pie making (at least that's what the sticker on them said).  A while ago I picked up these Mr. Pumpkin Head pieces, that's what I call them.  We grouped them all together and then she'd pick out what set of eyes, nose, mouth, ears etc she wanted.  It was fun and something we can re-use!  Here's the combo that she came up with.  They are just too cute!

Later that night was our TorT night.  Feels like the rest of the country had it on actual Halloween, but anyways.  Hubby came home and quickly changed and we took our beautiful Snow White princess around a block or two.  I think my favorite costume was some little boys dressed in elephant costumes.  What were some of your favorites that you saw?

She got quite the haul of candy and goodies and suprisingly I think she's forgotten about it because she hasn't asked for any the past couple days.

Just a REMINDER - Yoplait Giveaway is set for tomorrow.  Make sure to check back and enter for your chance to win!

Thankful Tidbit

#4 - I'm thankful for my sisters boyfriend coming over this morning to mow our yard and do the trimming, especially since our yard is such a pain with 3 tiers and you have to use ramps to move the mower from one to the next.  It's been needed done, but b/c the Hubs doesn't get home until dark there was no way it was going to be getting done by him.  

*New* house gone bad...but not SAD!

Whew - what a very draining week this has turned out to be!  Between house drama, sister drama, and gramma drama - I'm beyond ready for next week to start!

So, Monday night after the Hubs called his Uncle to clarify something & his Uncle flipped out on us, we decided to back out of the deal.  We don't need things to keep changing and really do not want to do business with someone who reacts the way he did.  Especially Tuesday, very nasty messages on our machine and the in-laws, plus stopping at the family members houses and just going off screaming and hollering.  Really it was NUTS!!!

I was more than happy to call our crappy realtor and tell her we were taking our house off the market. Felt so good to pull that For Sale sign out of our yard!  I really do love our home, we were just moving as it was a great opportunity with a bigger house for a great price. 

So, needless to say, I dug right into unpacking our stuff, I can say finally that the 1st floor is completely cleaned, unpacked, re-organized, and decorated.  And it feels GOOD not to be living with boxes all over my house.  Although it's definitely taken me 3 x's as long as I need to take several breaks throughout, especially when moving the extra boxes to the basement or 2nd floor.  But I can say it's all done as of about 2 hours ago. 

Next weeks agenda entails tackling the 2nd floor.  Switching little one's baby furniture for her big girl furniture, emptying out the spare room for the baby's furniture, and packing away spring/summer clothes for the Hubs and me, as we've been using the spare room as our extra clothing space. 

Later next week I'll be having a review & giveaway so make sure to check back.  And will also be posting some pictures of the fall decor we have going on here.  I enjoy decorating for fall almost as much as for Christmas!

And I'm so glad to announce that my Gramma had her last cancer treatment this past Friday.  It's been a very long & tough 4 months of treatments, but she's been amazing through it all.  She will not be going for the tests to see how the treatments helped her until after the holidays as she wants to enjoy them.  So, we still have a long 3 months ahead of waiting for that tidbit, but I'm so glad she is done with treatments.

Now to end with a pregnacy update and little survey thing I've been seeing pop-up on a couple other mom's who are expecting blogs.

Friday I had my 6 month check-up.  Which I must say went remarkably better than last months.  Actually down 2 lbs, woo-hoo!  They dropped my glucose testings from 4 times a day, to only 2 times a day, and will not have to be put on insulin since my #'s are great. Avalynn's HB was about 150, although it took the Dr a few times to get it, as she is very active and wouldn't stay still long enough for him to cont.  He didn't have to tell me she's active, I definitely feel her all the time.  And I'm measuring approx. 2 weeks ahead, but I measured bigger with E's pregnancy too, so I guess it just means am meant to have bigger babies.

How far along: 1 day away from being 24 weeks - woohoo!

Total weight gain/loss: 3 lbs

Maternity clothes?:Yes please!  I only have a few pieces, as the Hubs just went back to work a month ago, they are/were not in the budget.  Once he starts OT the end of this month, I'll def. be picking up a few more, a girl can only live off of 2 pairs of pants for so long, can we say laundry every day!

Strech marks?: No new ones.

Sleep: This week, I'm just exhausted and sleep straight through the night without ever moving.  I will say though that I've found I need pillows all around, sleep with one behind my back, inbetween my legs, and my regular pillow, plus even though we're in the 50's poor Hubby has to suffer through me wanting the fan on, b/c I'm so warm.

Best moment this week: Hearing her HB at the Dr's appt.

 

Movement: Yes, several times throughout the day and she must think my bladder is a soccer ball or something, b/c she loves kicking on it constantly.

 

Food cravings: Thanksgiving dinner - the next month can't come fast enough! Otherwise, homemade mac 'n' cheese and hush puppies.

Gender: 110% GIRL

 

What I miss: sleeping on my stomach completely

 

Milestones: Hmmm...can't really think of anything right now. 

Some Scrappy Blog Candy

Another giveaway that I read about on Deann's Blog, Andrea @ Blueprint Sketches is giving away some blog candy b/c her son is turning 18 and she's in the giving mood. Go on over and enter for your chance to win!

Any other Wednesday

Well, SITSmas is over. It was tons of fun. I was able to participate much more than I expect, I visited 50-60 blogs and spread the holiday and comment love. I'm hoping to squeeze in some more the next few days. Congrats to all of the winners from yesterday's prizes!!! Enjoy them! And I just want to say thank you to everyone who visited yesterday/today!

One of fellow SITS-tah's, Sandy @ God Speaks Today, that I visited yesterday is having a giveaway. The prize is a $25 gift card for CooperSong. They have beautiful stuff. Go visit Sandy and leave a comment for your chance to enter. Also, please say you heard it from me so I can have some extra entries. If you want some extra entries, send your friends!

Anyone need some great ideas for making ornaments. Go check out Jamie @ StampinMom, how adorable are these glitter ones! I love me some glitter! Good thing I'm going to WalMart tomorrow and perhaps a quick stop into Michael's also. Looks like I have my weekend project.

And in other news, our microwave is officially broken. Which saddens me to no end. I don't think I realized how much I used it until this morning when making us some toast for breakfast. I always zap my butter a couple seconds to soften it, so instead I had to think of some way to soften it without melting it. Trickier than you think. But alas, I came up with something, holding the stick over the toaster, bu watch your fingers if you get get too close to directly over the toaster, those things get hot! And must rotate the butter or else just one side will melt.

Now I must do the normal cleaning stuff around the house and play with the little one before lunch & nap time comes.

12 Days Of Christmas Giveaway

Cinnamon Sticks Boutique is having a 12 days of christmas giveaway. Click on the button in this post or in my side bar or her link I have provided and go enter for your chance to win. Tell her you found out about it from me for an extra entry for yourself! Possible 18 entries - so go visit and enter away! Awesome Awesome goodies!

Holiday Crafting Goodness & a Give-a-WAY!

So, on election day my sister and me swung into SalVal and I picked up a couple goodies to alter for the holidays. The beautiful candlestick holders for $1.49 and this glass bowl for $1.49 to name two. And here's my finished product, with my new crafting addictions, my hot glud gun, and spray paint.

Before:



After:





And a new great blog that I've started following Jamie at StampinMom, my swap partner in the Mamarazzi Favorite Things Swap I was just in, is having a great giveaway for the issue "Christmas Ideas" from Better, Home & Gardens. I know I would love it to help my creativity grow, go on over to her blog here and enter for your chance.

Ultimate Twilight Fan Giveaway

Ok, so anyone who has read one page of the Twilight Saga knows how awesome it is and if you haven't yet, stop delaying and pick up these fantastic books!!! Kat from Sunshine & Lemonade is having weekend giveaways and this weekends' is the Ultimate Twilight Fan Giveaway. Head over there now and enter your chance to win! Good luck everyone!

Monogram Chick Give-A-Way

Yet another fabulous give-a-way I stumbled across today. She has some awesome gift ideas with the holidays coming up. Need something monogrammed go check out Monogram Chick then. And leave a comment for your chance to enter and win!

Halloween Apron Give-a-way

Funky Vintage Kitchen is giving away an awesome halloween apron. Just have to post a blog entry about her site and the give away. Click the above button to go to her etsy shop, she has some pretty awesome cake plates also. So, go click on either link I've provided above and check her out!