My Christmas Wish is something that will take a lot of prayer....A LOT. Please help in this way.
My wish entails several things which all end with the outcome of a successful trip to CA. So here are the specific road hazards that make our trip stressful and interesting:

-I have a sick baby. Very sick. Super high fevers, very cranky, no appetite. After many doctor visits, it appears to be a virus going around. So you know the drill, wait it out. Wonderful.

-Possible icy weather conditions here in IN

-A 30 minute connection in Dallas (yep, you read it right) in which we are to get our whole family, to a different terminal (not quick) and on the plane before it takes off.

-Regarding the above, the chances that our luggage will make it to the other plane in that short amount of time are risky at best.

-The planes are full so our "lap" child has no chance of getting an open seat unless someone simply doesn't show up for their flight. Yep, the lap child is sick and fussy. 6 hours of lap time will be an enormous challenge for anyone. He doesn't ever fall asleep on us, but we're praying this is the one exception.

-If for some reason there are any delays and we miss our scheduled flight in Dallas, then the rest of the flights are either completely full or routed through Portland which would mean yet another stop as well as a very late arrival into CA. In my book, simply out of the question.

So I'm left feeling a bit overwhelmed this afternoon after returning from the Dr. Please join my in prayer as the only One big enough to smooth all of these sticky situations is my Father in heaven, who knows every need and every desire of mine. I need a well baby, good flights, and a lot of peace and patience.

Brian and I just finished wrapping all the boys' presents and stuffing stockings. Tomorrow Santa is coming to our house early since we will be elsewhere on Christmas morning. It all feels very official and magical since this is a year of firsts:

--First time we sent Santa a letter (and got a reply I might add!)
--First year to really talk about Santa at all
--First year to put out presents specifically from "Santa"
--First year that Noah has taken a real interest in Santa and asked many questions regarding the many Santas running around town :)

Brian decided a few years ago to give the kids 3 presents for Christmas to symbolize the three wise men and their gifts to our Savior. I really love this tradition but man is it hard to only buy 3 things! We are blessed people. Fortunately, grandparents, aunts and uncles made up for all the other goodies that are sitting under the tree right now. And then Santa of course left a snow sled for Noah and a large bear for Wesley. I can't wait to see their faces light up tomorrow morning. Merry Christmas to everyone out there! May you realize the true meaning of Christmas---JESUS-- and let Him usher you into the New Year. God bless!

I haven't posted this in awhile on the blog out of laziness, but if you saw the side of my fridge, you would see it posted up each week. Our Christmas travel plans are going to mean quite awhile off of kitchen duty. So I'm taking the next couple weeks to really cook a lot and try to use up every last crumb in this house (ok, not really). Brian did me the honor of cooking last night for us. He had an itch for this chicken cheesesteak sandwich he had during his post graduate work in Delaware and so he wanted to try to make a replica. It was sooooo nice to just play with the boys for a whole hour or so while he owned the kitchen. Thanks again, babe! So here's what our week looks like. Once again, I plan about 5 meals a week and then cook them as they suit our days. We always eat one meal out, and we always eat leftovers for another night. So really, planning 5 meals is no biggie. Getting the kids to eat them is my bigger challenge. :)

1. Smoked sausage with green beans and onions, side of brown rice, fruit
2. Homemade pizza, salad, fruit
3. Teriyaki chicken, stirfry veggies and brown rice
4. Taco soup
5. Chicken Pot-pie Empanadas , salad ( REALLY yummy and EASY. Even Noah (4) ate it!)
6. leftovers
7. dinner out

Psalm 39
v. 1-8

A very long-overdue list awaits you.

1. It's COLD. :) The much anticipated winter has arrived. Yes, not technically winter yet according to the calendar, but the weather could argue with that. Bloomington got it's first big snow last Saturday. I think we got 1-2 inches. It was so beautiful. It stayed around till Monday. We get snow flurries a lot, but then they just melt away. We had 7 or more straight days of 30s or below as the high. The other day it was 15 degrees at 11 o'clock in the morning! It's COLD.

2. Neighborhood streets become ghost towns in the winter. I truly hadn't prepared myself for the contrast of talking and socializing daily with my neighbors to not seeing any living body for a week straight! It's not because people are too busy, or sick, or gone. Once you run into them at the library or YMCA, everyone has the same response: it's just so dang cold. Everyone just stays locked up in their homes. Suddenly the mall becomes VERY crowded even on week nights because everyone is trying to feel a little more extroverted during this strange season.

3. Seasons mean so much more to me here then ever before. All the pictures that have ever been painted for me in art or books of winter now make sense! Everyone walking around in big coats, hats, gloves, with pink cheeks; snow and ice accumulating everywhere, Christmas lights shining off of the precipitation, chimney smoke floating above all the houses, the squeaking of wet boots in stores.... you get the idea. It is magical. The town square is painted in lights with a giant Christmas tree. There's a specific area there to drop your letters to Santa off and I've even heard that certain requests are answered by mysterious secret santas. Summer was energizing, Fall was refreshing and gorgeous, and so far, Winter hasn't disappointed. I realize there is a lot more winter coming that won't seem so endearing, but just let me be for now. :)

4. The friendliness factor of people here consistently outshines any other trait. There is such a mix of backgrounds and personas here. I love it. I've always thought I lived among a lot of diversity, but I'm not sure anything compares to here. In the end, everyone I meet is friendly... so curious about eachothers beliefs, upbringings, careers, families, etc. I'm constantly learning something from just about everyone I meet. In preparing to move here, I was told that midwesterners are more guarded and take time to open up. So far, that tale has not held up in this town.

5. Wealth takes a different form here. This is something I observed almost immediately but wanted to give myself time to know if it was true. In general, people don't flaunt their wealth with expensive cars, posh clothing, or giant mansions. In fact, I can honestly say that in 6 months of living here, I've seen less than 10 cars that bear the name Lexus, BMW or Mercedes. Seriously. And if you know North Texas at all, you can just imagine how shocking this is. In fact, the drive from the airport to my sister's house for Thanksgiving just 2 weeks ago became a shocking reintroduction to how much money is running around Dallas/ Fort Worth. Or atleast the illusion of it. :) So where does the money in Bloomington go, you ask? From what I can tell so far, a LOT of it gets given away. People are very charitable here. Volunteerism is a town principle and nothing reserved for only churches. People are also very hardworking and somewhat frugal. The president of my husband's company is a great example. He is #68 on Forbe's list of America's most wealthy people. Impressive, yes. However, the man just finally got his first garage built on his property last year and continues to live in a modest area of town---the same house he and his wife have lived in for a veeeeeeeeery long time. Even though it isn't true, I get the feeling here (as I did all through my childhood) that everyone is pretty much the same. Just living life together, working hard and having fun.

6. I'm running out of steam. :) No really, I have so much to say about this town, but I'm getting tired and the laundry is shouting my name. But I'll give you one more for now. Everyone here is very loyal to this town. You don't hear people talking about it's faults or disadvantages. No matter how long someone has been here, they seem to talk of Bloomington with those fresh eyes of someone like me. People. Love. This. Town. Here's an example. One of my babysitter's, Jasmine, had this story about her family. They are from Indianapolis (1 hour north--big city). Her brother came to school at IU and after some time, told his family that he loved it so much and he knows they would too. He begged them to think about moving here. After some exploration, they decided it would be a great idea. So they hauled the family down here and opened up Bloomington Running Company on the main town square 2 years ago. Now Jasmine is a sophmore at IU and they all love this city. Another example is a couple we met in Malibu last year who live there and work at Pepperdine. They happened to pass through Bloomington for only 4 years during the husband's PhD program. They said they would move back here in a heartbeat if they could. Really? They were dead serious. Coming from SoCal, I didn't imagine someone would ever say they preferred a small town in the midwest over Cali...especially the stunningly beautiful, Malibu.

It is fun to live in a place that people are passionate about.

Washing dishes in the kitchen. Noah is in the next room talking about his hot chocolate.

Noah: Ya, this hot chocolate might be too hot for me. This could, like, burn my noggle off!
(pronounced as spelled)

Me: Grin. Your what?

Noah: Um. My noggles.

Me: What are 'noggles'?

Noah: Well, you know. Sometimes you and daddy say that we can freeze our noggles off. So hot chocolate could maybe burn my noggle...s.

Me: Trying to sustain my laughter. So where are your 'noggles'?

Noah: Ummmm. I think it's like pieces of your BRAIN. Orrrrrrr..... no, it's like all your parts. Ya, that's where they are.

Priceless. Man, I love this kid. And my dad is going to LOVE this post because he taught me this word that in our family, is pronounced as the title of this post.

I think I might do a series on meals that are perfect to either my husband, me, my kids, friends, etc. We all know the perfect meal can't be perfect to everyone eating, but it's always nice to know you are cooking something that resembles perfection to somebody.

So the other night I made this meal that my husband boldly stated could be part of our regular weekly rotation. Just FYI, we have NO regular weekly rotation whatsoever. But point being, I can cook this meal weekly, and he would love it. I was so tickled to see everyone eating just about everything on their plates. Noah has always been a divine eater but lately (I think in response to seeing his picky younger brother) hasn't been so thrilled about hardly anything I make. Dinner has become that nagging, annoying, pick-up-your-fork-now and take-a-bite, kind of hour. Nobody likes that. But on this night, he ate. A little prodding here and there, but overall, the kids ate enough to make me feel content. Why is it we moms gain such satisfaction from seeing our kids eat? Or backwards-we get grumpy, annoyed and even depressed when we see our kids abstaining from what we put on their plates. I don't know, but I've come to realize that it deeply affects me. Probably because I love to cook so much and I want to see satisfaction on everyone's faces. It's hard to not take it personally, right?

The greatest part about this meal was it was one of the easiest meals I could possibly make. No recipe needed, hardly any prep-work, and one oven temp. Lovely. At the off-chance this meal could be for you, what it was for me, I'm going to provide the recipe. Click here if you would like to see what our meal consisted of, and general instructions.

Well, I'm off to continue packing for our Thanksgiving journey. I apologize for not getting my "Thoughts on Bloomington" post up yet. It's comin'......promise. I hope you all have truly the most wonderful Thanksgiving ever with family and friends. We all have so much to be thankful for--regardless of any storms that might be brewing in our lives right now. For one, you are reading my blog!! Now that's something to be thankful for. :) But seriously, whether you believe it or not, Jesus Christ died on a cross to secure a place in heaven for us. We can have peace and love in our lives instead of guilt and pain due to our sin. We can wake up each day knowing that we are a child of God and that He is working powerfully in this world and through us. He provides certainty in a world of no certainty at all. This gives me cause to feel thankful everyday of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Would it ever be ok to buy myself........






one dozen long stem red roses.........................






for no reason at all????








Yes. Yes it would. Because they were only $2.00. Yes, dos dolares. From Kroger. The best store in the world.

Note concerning the author:
She tried to think of someone to give these beautiful roses to being that it seemed a little silly to keep them just for herself. Her husband was away on business, and still being a newcomer to the town, she simply didn't have any friends close enough to warrant red roses. So you see, she simply had no other choice but to bring them home and enjoy them. Someone must enjoy $2 long stem roses, right?

So it's been awhile since I gave an update on the Spicer clan. I don't want my blog to become only menu plans because let's face it, how BORING. So with respect to that, I will not be posting a menu plan this week (add to that I am completely unexcited about any of the meals I am making but nevertheless, they'll feed us). Plus, you are much more interested in us as people rather than the food we eat right?? Right?? Yep, that's what I thought. So with out further adieu, the update.

-After quite a bit of traveling these last couple months, hubby will be with us the entire month of November and most of December. How cool is that? And for those wondering, he really does like his job, is excellent at it, earns great respect from his colleagues, and stays very, very busy. It's hard to believe that less than 4 years ago, he was teaching classrooms of 6th graders. Only God would have known that this is what his future held.

-Noah is becoming such a big boy. He wants to understand everything about the world and is not content with short limited answers. His class at church teaches the same lessons that we are learning in the main service so it is awesome to hear him come out of church and remember SO MANY details about these Bible stories. He adores every second he can spend with his Dad (golfing, raking leaves, watching movies, building Tinkertoys). He is very loving towards me and Wesley too. He loves school and learning in general. It is so fun to see him starting to reading certain words and trying to figure out others. As I got out some winter clothes for Wesley tonight, I couldn't believe that it had been 2.5 years since Noah had worn some of these sweaters. It seemed like yesterday!

-Wesley is...where do I begin? Brian and I are constantly shaking our heads at that little doodle. He has a mind of his own in every way and keeps us laughing as much as he frustrates us. He loves to dance #1. He is constantly saying "mama! Mama!" and then moves his hands up and down which means----turn on the music now!! He also loves books. Fortunately it is the one mild thing we can do with him that keeps him occupied for as much time as you are willing to give him. I love this about him. Noah took longer to get into books, but Wesley has been this way since before he could crawl. He is a very passionate person. He screams and hits things when he is angry and laughs and squeals when he is happy. Both of which, happen often. :) He is talking like crazy and loves saying thankyou. He says it so well and with this high pitch and it just warms my heart every time.

-Oh ya, me! I'm doing well. I have been appreciating many things about Bloomington lately. It has been such a gorgeous fall that I couldn't ask for anything more (okay, maybe more visitors!). I love our church and the people I'm building friendships with. I appreciate every day getting to be home with my boys. I truly couldn't imagine working right now. It would be so stressful. Sure, there are some days I wish Brian and I could switch places. Two boys are a lot of work (and fun) and 'expanding my homemaking skills' keeps me very busy. But overall, I relish it and once again, only my Father in heaven knew this was His plan for me. Because if you knew me only 1 year ago, I would have told you that I would always atleast work part time. Yet here I am! If there is anyone out there who doubts their ability/desire to stay at home full time (whether mental, emotional or financial), I can tell you it is absolutely possible. Check back with me on all this in the winter, though, because I am going to have a giant case of cabin fever. :) Other than the cold, sunless days, I'm looking forward to holidays spent with family, making memories, and creating and eating yummy food.

I'll be posting a "thoughts on Bloomington" soon since I'm definitely due for one of those. Stay tuned and be sure to post a comment or send me an email. I love hearing from people---whether I know ya or not!

1. Getting a good 30 minutes of quiet time EARLY this morning while Wesley watched an Elmo video (yes, he is really struggling with this time change).

2. Getting a 30 minute nap this afternoon while the boys slumbered peacefully.

3. Hearing Noah say "Mmmmmmmmmmm, Mommy this is SO good!!" as soon as he started eating his dinner. He said thank you several times after that too. Seriously, doesn't that just do wonders? Oh, it was a recipe out of Cooking Light that I ripped out a couple years ago. We had scrambled eggs w/ham and cheese along side of it.

4. Feeling Wesley's little body close to me as he wants to snuggle and have me hold him. He feels so petite sometimes and just the perfect squeezing size. Then he rests his head on my shoulder and that is the cherry on top.

5. I have my wedding ring set back on my finger. It looks BRAND NEW after 1.5 years of not wearing my engagement ring. I finally got it fixed and they made it look utterly breathtaking. I am so excited to be wearing it again and feel like showing it off to everyone!

Wow, can you believe it is NOVEMBER already??? What in the world happened to all the time? We were just moving our sweaty selves into this house in June but it seems like a month or two ago. Crazy. I vividly remember thinking in August that Christmas would be here so soon and here I am doing Christmas shopping today after my grocery shopping! I tend to be an early shopper every year but this year we are going to TX for Thanksgiving (YES!) and so I want to bring everyone's Christmas present with me so I don't have to pay for shipping. More than a hat rack, folks. :) I have a few people left to take care of but I have a great headstart.

So here's my menu plan for the week. Nothing too crazy. Just trying to eat lots of healthy stuff. My lunches are when I'm definitely going health nutty since we don't have to eat the same thing. Dinners are harder to do that with since I'm feeding 3 boys. I'm doing a "cleanse" this week for 7 days so I'll let you know how it goes. It requires me to eat a lot of fruits and veggies and drink lots of water, so looks like I'll be visiting the restroom frequently. :)

1. Autumn Sausage Casserole
2. Chili dogs, tater tots, corn
3. Chicken fajitas, brown rice, beans
4. Pasta with meat sauce, salad
5. Vegetable beef stew in the crockpot
6. Leftovers
7. Eat out

Remember to check out orgjunkie.com for a slew of other recipes and fun menus happening around the country.

Good afternoon! The kiddos are down for naps and I've gotta take a shower (post-workout-smell) but I thought I'd get our menu plan down for the week. Remember to check out orgjunkie.com for a slew of other recipes and fun menus happening around the country. I'm going to try to start making healthier meals till Thanksgiving even though I consider myself to be pretty health conscious. I buy all lean meats, 2% cheeses, turkey bacon, lots of veggies and fruits, and try to only serve bread with our meal once a week or so. However, I have made an oath with a close friend to lose 10 pounds by Thanksgiving. Oh me oh my. Hence, the post workout smell and attempt to cook healthier. Wish me luck!

1. Leftover lasagna, bread and salad from this weekend
2. Teriyaki chicken, stirfry veggies and brown rice
3. Mexican potato casserole
4. Grilled pork loin, veggies, mac&cheese (for the kiddos of course)
5. Make our own pizza
6. Leftovers
7. Eat out

Tonight I had the most enjoyable experience of spending a few hours out alone.....at Target. Brian got home from a business trip and at dinner surprised me with a couple of crisp hundies that he won at a casino that was on the premises of his hotel. When I went to bed last night, I spoke with him and he was calling it a night and heading to his room---winning nor losing a single dollar at the casino. Obviously some other things transpired after we talked because yes, these were beautiful hundred dollar bills in my hand. I asked him what he was going to do with them.........maybe buy that edger that he had been needing (oh joy!). But he said I could spend it on whatever and he didn't care. We struck a deal and split the motherload.

So off I went to Target after dinner had been cleaned up. I have to tell you, this was the most relaxing, peaceful 2.5 hours I have spent in a loooooooooong time. I know, I know, a Target in a college town? Really? Well, yes, really. It started with me meandering over to the in-store Starbucks. I ordered a decaf non-fat mocha and the young girl told me several times, "it'll be a few minutes". I told her "No worries, I'm in no rush." While she prepared my drink, I stood watching all the people checking out of the lanes and took the opportunity to catch up on fashion. I wished I had a little notebook with me because I would have jotted down some things I saw that might really look good on me. I came to the realization that I'm completely out of the loop and wondered if I even wanted to be in the loop. Some people made looking good so easy. I wanted to be like that. So anyway, the barista and I chatted about the economy and a rumored second economic stimulus check to come in February. By looking at the check out lines, we both agreed that no financial crisis was keeping anyone from shopping at Target, that's for sure. I thanked her and went on my merry, merry way.

I will not go into too much boring detail but I was able to walk around most of the store and score some fabulous deals with not the slightest feeling of being rushed. When I arrived at the cashier, the total that popped up was $100.58. Marvelous. In case you are wondering, I got a couple sweaters, some adorable black flats, a pair of jeans, some headbands, greeting cards, napkins, and a new book. I'm very excited about this new book. It's called The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein. It's a true story AND he wrote it when he was 96 AND it's a love story. I admit that even without the hundred bucks, I would have had a great evening perusing the aisles of Target. But getting to walk out of the store with something other than diapers and body wash felt very gratifying. Thanks, my gamblin' sweethaaat!

Is that a word anyway? I find myself adding the "ity" to words lately. Oh well, works for me. :)
I have been having these moments of being extra sentimental lately. You know, where you feel like you are viewing the world from behind glass while thinking all kinds of deep, complex, tangled thoughts. Add music playing in the background to the scenario above and you REALLY get syrupy (psssst. In my case it would be NeedtoBreathe at the moment. Fabulous).
My mom was just here for almost a week and now she's gone so maybe that has contributed to my current state. It's funny, nothing extraordinary happens when my mom is here. We don't have earthshattering conversations, we don't mix up the most spectacular new meals, we don't shop till we drop, and we don't laugh until we pee (okay, maybe sometimes). But having my mom here makes me feel that deep satisfying calm of being somewhere that I grew up being. Don't you just feel like if your mom is there, everything will be ok? She provides me unspoken reassurance, invisible security. I did absolutely nothing while my mom was here. I let the whole house go to pot and managed simply to provide meals when necessary. We had fun simply being. I was able to show her God's glorious creation that is different up here in Indiana than it is in Texas. Pictures to follow. But as she was packing up her stuff to go, I assumed my role as an independent mother and started spinning around the house like a tornado, doing all the this's and that's that young moms do. Curtains close.

I find it hard to reconcile at times the extra special moments in life with the mundane, task oriented, no frills moments. I feel like life is made up of the things you look forward to, and the things that happen leading up to them. So for example, out in the distance, I have Thanksgiving and Christmas to be spent with friends and family. Wonderful, super special moments that will feel like heaven, truly. But before that, I have today, and a bunch of todays after that. I wake up, and see all the things to be done, taught, experienced and learned and it can feel a little daunting. God throws in amazing little things that happen mostly every day and so by no means do I not take joy in each day. But you know what I mean, where you can start to realize that today, is life. Not tomorrow, not a month from now when you have that vacation, but today. The clean up messes, pour the milk, put your hair back, get dressed, take out the trash, get out the crayons, unload the dishwasher, get the mail, hold the kids' hands, cross the street, say hello moments of today. I suppose it means we should find some joy and contentment in all the moments----not just the ones we love the best. And realizing that to my kids, their "special" moments are not my own. To Wesley, it's reading him that book this morning at 6:03am. To Noah, it was helping him count to 100 last night while I shut my eyes because I was too tired to keep them open. And realizing that the invisible security and unspoken reassurance my mom provides is the sum of all the moments she spent with me growing up that were most certainly not her favorite or extra special ones.

So now I'm going to get my duff off this couch and poke my head outside to feel the crisp air for a second, and then clean up the kitchen and get to work on some laundry. Oh, you have to do the same? What a coincidence. Enjoy your day!

Hi folks! I hope your weekend was a very fallish one. Mine was. My mom was in town for almost a week and we enjoyed many beautiful days with bright delightful colors all around us. My hubby is now home and it's so good to be back together again. There has been a little illness here and there, but everyone seems to be on the mend. One night this weekend I had my first "girls night" here in Indy and it was a lot of fun complete with over 2 hours of hang time in a giant spa. There are signs of "settling in" all around. :) So I'll post more shortly with how we are all doing and some incredible pictures I got at Brown County State Park. But for now, the menu plan. I am using a lot of stuff I've had in my freezer for weeks so there won't be anything too over the top this week. Happy cooking!

1. Saucy Chicken Skillet
2. Bean and cheese burritos with rice
3. Teriaki chicken, stirfry veggies and rice
4. Smoked sausage, potato and green bean bake
5. Pork loin, salad, rolls
6. Leftovers
7. Eat out

5. Selling my first item on Ebay. Nice.
4. Snuggling in my bed with the boys reading them books. My favorite activity.
3. Hearing Noah say "God is even bigger than all these trees, Mama!" after looking around at the giant gorgeous trees on a walk in our neighborhood.
2. Knowing that my mom is coming to visit tomorrow.
1. Overhearing an American woman sharing Jesus with a Korean couple next to me at Sonic--Friendspeak style.

On a daily basis the boys engage in a dance party. They have a few CDs they pick from and they have an absolute blast. Here is a snapshot of one of them. Make sure to turn your volume up.

So if you have a Kmart near you, you might know they are having a double coupon sale right now through October 5th. They are doubling every manufacturer coupon up to even $2 coupons! So that would be $4 off whatever item (like my math?). That is fabulous! They aren't taking internet coupons but I had several to use up of regular clipping coupons. So here are the deals I scored below. I'll tell you how much I paid and how much they cost regularly. Many of these items were even on sale which surprised me because you always get a little suspicious when stores run these coupons sales. I wonder "Did they jack up the prices just because people will be using coupons?" But not in this case! I saved $31 in coupons. Whoa. Did anyone else shop this sale and get some extraordinary deals??

Gillette Body Wash $1.50 (sale $3.50)
Dove Body Wash $ .49 (regular $4.49)
Oil of Olay facial moisturizer $3.93 (sale $5.93 )
Adidas men's deodorant $1.00 (sale $3.00)
Colgate whitening toothpaste, large tube free (sale $2.00)
Gillette Shampoo free (sale $4.00)
Dove shampoo free (regular $3.99)
Fruit of the Loom men's 4-pack boxer briefs $8.00 (sale $9.00 but $13.99 on Amazon.com!)
Fruit of the Loom men's 4-pack boxer briefs $8.00 (sale $9.00 but $13.99 on Amazon.com!)
Fruit of the Loom boy's 3-pack cartoon underwear $4.79 (regular $5.79)
Fruit of the Loom boy's 3-pack cartoon underwear $4.79 (regular $5.79)
Tide 50oz liquid detergent 32 load $3.00 (sale $5.00)
Scott 12 pack paper towels $3.00 (sale $5.00)
Scott Ultra Soft 12 double roll pack of toilet paper $3.00 (sale $5.00)
2 pieces of candy for my patient little boys who put up with this shopping trip! :) $1.68

Well folks, another week down and it is almost October! Holy cow, isn't it amazing? I know we all feel like this time of the year flies with all the approaching holidays. I make a special effort to cram fun things into the fall, just so it won't go by so quickly. Anywho, my meals worked out really well last week. I left out a couple of them because my hubby was out of town and I did kid friendly meals instead (aka mac n' cheese, chicken nuggests, etc). Because of the public nature of this blog, I unfortunately can't talk about when Brian is out of town. Sometimes I wish I could so that you all could cheer me on in my single-parent ness. :) But it is what it is. So here is my plan for this week. Remember to email me anytime or comment if you need a recipe. I don't post them all each time because of the time it takes and many of them aren't online. So just give me a shout if you need one. As I stated last week, here is the bullet point fashion that works best for me.

1. Out to dinner at Chick Filet. The reason for this delight is they are doing a deal (only at this location) where anything you buy today, the 29th, can be redeemed for free at a later date if you keep your receipt. So you betcha I'll be taking advantage of that!

2. Flat iron steak, mashed potatoes, and cheese broccoli

3. Homemade pizza.

4. Bacon wrapped chicken, salad

5. Tostadas (with ground turkey), beans, usual toppings, and chips/salsa

6. Leftovers

7. Out to dinner (we have wonderful guests coming this weekend as well as a hopeful date night for Bri and I, so we're bound to eat out one of those times).

It was a close call today, you know. I almost lost you. The sheer panic I felt at first realizing I left you at the grocery store. No problem, I told myself, I have done that before. Sheesh! Kroger always has it waiting for me at their customer service desk. Silly April. Don't worry too much. I put many freshly clipped coupons inside of you this morning with much care. I cleaned you up and removed any expired or unnecessary coupons that were cluttering your space and dirtying your slots. You've been so good to me, I have to remember to be good to you too. So Noah and I hopped in the car and sped back to Kroger where I expected you to be waiting for me at the C.S. desk. But you weren't. What is this? Not there? How can this be? Who would want my coupon organizer? (Well, many would actually because you are chocked full of savings!) As I walked away from the desk, quite puzzled, I started to feel kind of weird. I hate to tell you this, Coupon Organizer, but it was actually a little bit freeing to lose you. Suddenly the burden of using all those coupons and remembering all the deals still out there to buy, well, it was too much. Realizing I would be responsible for NONE of the deals trapped inside of you, was sort of......wonderful. I could just feel myself getting lighter and the once-grim circumstances now looked bright and sunny. Someone else could have the responsibility you possess. You demand excellence and while it pays mighty dividends, at times it can really stress me out! I know, I know, this is completely shocking to you. And I'm sorry. But a girl can only take so much running around to score deals while worrying about all her other duties. At times it left me feeling a bit greedy, even. Forgive these harsh words---but truly, you do have some drawbacks to your shiny exterior.
But let's turn this conversation around shall we? Because of my devotion, I didn't give up on you. Noah and I drove around to the area of the parking lot I left my shopping cart today. Many carts were crammed into the space, but there, calling my name among them, was you. Sitting in the lonely cart, all by yourself, just hoping I would come. And I came. I squealed with joy at the sight of you. No one took you! You were still there. I hopped out and grabbed you and held you up in the air so Noah could see my treasure. As we drove back home with you clutched in my lap, I realized how much I love you. While the grass looked greener for a moment, nothing can replace the savings you give me. Nothing. I will share whatever burden necessary in order for this relationship to thrive. I know you wouldn't want it any other way. And neither would I.

Happy Sunday night yall! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and nice weather. We sure did. I went out and bought some fall-ish candles so the smell of our house is starting to mix with this wonderful weather and you know what that means........fall officially begins tomorrow! Yippee! I honestly don't know a soul that doesn't just love this season. I feel so alive in summer and fall. What a gift! Well, some yummy things to be cooked this week. I've decided that since I like to have flexibility during the week as to what meal I make on what day, I am going to start numbering meals instead of assigning them days. Does that make sense? I encourage you, if you are not a meal planner, to seriously consider coming up with 4 meals a week that you have the ingredients on hand. Then just pick and choose which one to make on what night depending on what is going on with your family. Maybe you like to plan what meal comes on what day and that is great. I like to keep it flexible for what my mood is or what I have defrosted already. So here it goes!

1. Chicken parmesan with sauteed zucchini and penne
2. Steak sandwiches and fresh fruit
3. BLTs and leftover chili
4. Chicken stirfry with brown rice and veggies
5. Flat iron steak, mashed potatoes and cheesy broccoli
6. leftovers
7. out to eat

After some yummy homemade pizza last night (crumbled sausage and pepperoni) Brian decided that he would be just fine with making our own pizza from now on once a week or however often we want it. I was telling him this article I read that was saying that if you order pizza once a week and decide to start making your own, you could save upwards of $700-800 a year!!! Since our pizza turned out so yummy, he conceded and told me we could do that. Wow. You remember that we live in the Midwest in a big college town. PIZZA places reign supreme around here. There is some awesome pizza to be bought so it's a big deal if Brian says he is happy with the kind I make. Woo hoo!! A big pat on the back for April. :) He wants to start making different kinds...buffalo chicken, bbq chicken, etc and that sounds yummy too. So anyway, if you need a crust recipe, click here. That is the kind I made last night. Super easy and quick. Then I just added lots of cheese, cooked sausage, pepperoni and some good pasta sauce. Waalaa.

P.S. I've stocked up on graham crackers, Hershey chocolate bars, and large marshmellows lately. You know what that means for dessert!!!!

It's September 18th and I'm wondering where in the world time has gone and where it is headed. I feel like every time I turn around a whole week or two has passed, or we're in a different month, or someone encountered a major milestone. So you can imagine what the title of this post means for me as I ponder why I'm always feeling in the blink. That weird place where there is no beginning or end, but just the moment. I think I said that before after just a few weeks of living here. Now we are at 3 months. I am happy to report, though, that after returning "home" from Orlando, B-town finally felt more like home. It was a respite to come home to with fall showing all of it's new colors. I will say that I'm really really starting to love it here. I love who our family is becoming, I love who I am becoming as a mother, and I love who my boys are becoming as brothers. The environment here only helps all of that. It's a beautiful place, Bloomington. And the next 60 days or so will only get more so that way. I thank God for all of it. Every little bit.

So my baby turned 4 and I'll be posting a slideshow with pictures of that on the boy's site.
We went to Orlando for Brian's sales meeting and had a lot of fun there. My camera battery just died so I was unable to upload the pictures. Drats. I'll give you the play by play now and then post the pictures next time.
-Wednesday we arrived at the Buenavista Resort which is on Disney property. We walked around Downtown Disney and then that night they had a big dinner for us in one of the ballrooms. Brian's company rented out the whole resort, so there were about 1200 of us. It's always a fun night because we are reconnecting with people we haven't seen in a year and a half. Most of these people last saw me when I was 8.5 months prego with Wesley!
-Thursday we went to Magic Kingdom for the day. Brian and all his coworkers stopped working at 1pm, so it was after that that we went. We rode all the rides and got drenched in rain but it was fun. For some reason I was thinking that it was different from Disneyland, but nope, pretty much exactly the same. :) We even went to Mickey's house to get some up close and personal pictures. Noah can't believe that we saw Mickey and Minnie "that move". :)
-Friday after Brian got out, he golfed and I did a spa day. Then that night Cook had a big dinner for us at the Animal Kingdom. There were tables and bars and buffet tables set up all throughout the streets of Animal Kingdom and then at the end we got to see this Lion King show. It was actually a very cool night.
-Saturday was a relaxing day. We have learned over the last 4 years that always do nothing on the last day. So instead of golfing or site seeing, we prefer to bask in the sun and treat ourselves to the spa. :) So that is what we did. We both experienced wonderful massages and just baked in the sun. Orlando is VERY humid and was in the 90's that day so it was insane. But I got a little color out of it, so that's good. :) Then that night they had a huge party/dinner for us at Hollywood Studios. **This was definitely the highlight of the trip**. Once again they set up tables, dinner, and bars all over the park and then we had exclusive use of 4 of the rides--the best ones. :) But get this, when we drove up to the park in our buses, they had prepared a long red carpet and had hired actors and actresses that acted like paparazzi. We all had to walk down the carpet with huge lights flashing at us. People even asked for autographs! It was hilarious. Then when we got through all the crowd, there was this awesome DJ just blasting music. We definitely felt like we were Hollywood stars! It was so fun not having to wait in lines and the Aerosmith rollercoaster is the best. We all felt like kids running like crazy people all over the park while dancing in between.
All in all, a great time was had by all and our boys had a blast with Nana and Papa. They are the best for letting us get away. We even came home to a mowed lawn (props to Lindy) and a very clean house. Wow. Well, if you made it to the end of this post, I'm impressed. I actually hate writing out details of trips, but many asked about our trip and so this was the most efficient way to go about answering them. So sorry if you found this post boring at best. :) Better luck next time.

Good afternoon everyone! It has been awhile since I posted because I was on vacation in Orlando with my hubby. We had a great time and I'll be posting pics soon as well as giving a complete rundown on all the fun we had. For now, after many weeks of not doing so, here is the menu plan. Nothing crazy, but I'm going to start cranking out some great fall recipes so stay tuned in weeks to come!
P.S. To get a ton of great menu ideas and recipes, go to orgjunkie.com every Monday!

Monday: Crockpot chicken tacos.

Tuesday: Chili, salad, veggie

Wednesday: Homemade pizza, salad, fruit

Thursday: Marinated porkloin, homemade applesauce, and sauteed zucchini

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Eat out

Sunday: Soup and sandwiches

Good things have happened over the course of the last 3 days. I'm going to do quick summaries because my inlaws are here and I need to get off the computer.

--Friday I went to the first Ladies Bible Study called Roof Crashers at church. There are probably 100 ladies that come from around the city and they are all ages and from all backgrounds. But childcare and breakfast are provided and I felt SUCH A SENSE OF CALM when I walked through the doors. It was what I had been missing. Fellowship with other ladies, small groups, and a good Bible study. And less face it, a couple hours with no kids and a good breakfast definitely doesn't hurt. We're doing "Can We Talk?" by Priscilla Shirer and it's going to be a good one! God is so creative. Do you know that in this city of 100,000 or so, there were 3 people that I had met at various places around the city (IU game, library, etc) that all were at my Bible study??? I mean, come on, what are the chances? I've been meaning to write a whole post about how weird it is to live in a city that you constantly bump into the same people over and over. If you have seen them once, you WILL see them again---most likely in less than a week, at some other random place around town. I love it!

--My inlaws are here and that is a blessing. They were able to be here for Noah's birthday which is special. Brian and I leave for Orlando soon (trip pending due to hurrican Ike. Pray we get to go!!) and I look forward--with no small measure---to a lot of relaxing. I don't need to list the reasons why I feel like I deserve a vacation because let's face it, my life is a whole lot better and less chaotic than some. However, let's just say that I am oh so willingly accepting the opportunity to be responsible for no one and actually get to spend some moments by myself, sleeping in, reading books, exploring Disneyworld, and having good meals with my husband that I didn't cook. :) So, I pray we are able to go, despite the weather, and that we have safe trips there and back and that Ken and Lindy have a wonderful time with our boys.

--My baby turned 4 yesterday. Can anyone believe that Noah is 4??? I mean, seriously, where has the time gone? Four years old is officially NOT a baby or toddler or any image in between anymore. He is a boy.....growing more boyish by the second. We had his birthday party today and 6 kids from the neighborhood came over. It was a mellow party filled with playing on the playground, water balloon toss, pinata thrashing, cake eating, and of course, plenty of presents. But you know you do not have a baby anymore when he is getting Nerf guns. I currently have 3 suction darts stuck to my ceiling fan from just an hour playing with these new wonders!

Noah is so smart. He soaks up learning and can even be a bit arrogant at times. He loves kids---big ones and little ones, even babies. He is an incredible eater and enjoys almost everything I cook. It looks like he picked up his dad's palate which is great for his future wife. He is very gifted at sports. He received a brand new set of golf clubs from his Nana and Papa and has been taking regular trips to the driving range with his daddy. He also loves baseball but would play any sport any time. He loves to sing and dance....something that has been true since he was 6 months old. I'm so glad that trait has stuck around. He loves his preschool and I feel like his teacher, Mrs. Kim, is going to uncover even more amazing things about him this year. He wants to understand God better and is always asking good questions. He thrives on order and structure and needs to understand EVERYTHING that is happening now, will happen tomorrow, or happened yesterday. He is very reasonable and seems to be content with most explanations of circumstances or rules. He weighed 36 pounds one week ago and I'm not sure about his height yet. We'll get that measurement this week hopefully. Most importantly, he's very very loving towards his brother---showing lots of physical affection to all of us which makes me so proud. God has given us such treasure in Noah. Oh how blind I was in those first months of his life to all the potential he held. Thank you Lord for choosing us to love and grow Noah. I feel so humbled and grateful. I pray we have many many more years of loving and growing with him.

So if you read my post a few days ago you know I talked about little things reminding me of home in TX. Well, another thing popped up tonight. I went out walking after dinner and went to grab my Ipod. Oh wait. I haven't listened to my Ipod since Texas (gasp!). Oh where oh where is it? I remembered it was in the van glovebox (really safe place) and as soon as I pulled it out, I turned it on and saw the last song I had been listening to....on the plane.....from Texas to Indiana. Ugh. Torture.


Okay, so the big thing is big to me. Probably not to you. But if you know us at all, throw up is an issue. I'm phobic, and my oldest son, Noah, is a gagger. So hence you have the problem. So get ready for the latest stumper. Noah. Throws up. Because he looked at his own poop. I don't think I should go on. But just think about that one for awhile while I go clean up the brightly blue stained bath rug that was doused with Capri Sun throw up today.

And it was a fun one!! Our neighbor is one of the coaches and so we were treated to our first IU football game. It was a blast. Wesley hung in there, even with the tail gating, and Noah ate up every last second. He even got to play football on the field after the game!! Oh and he got on television when the camera came by and focused in on him twice! (It was playing on the Big Ten channel up here in the midwest). Here's a slideshow of the days' activities.

that make me miss Texas and our house and our life there. These are going to seem so silly and I would have laughed 3 months ago if someone else was telling me this story. But I have to admit these scenarios all make me miss home. It's so strange how it's the little things.

--I distinctly remember a couple weeks before we moved, Noah and I were playing on the floor in his room. He took a minature Allied truck and stuffed 3 little bouncy balls inside of it. We both laughed at how perfectly they fit in the truck. Then he closed the doors on it and set it aside. Well, that truck was dug out of a bin of toys today as we were looking for some cars to play with. As soon as I recognized it I carefully opened the doors and showed Noah what was inside. The three bouncy balls. Something about knowing that truck was last played with in our old house and those balls hadn't moved---well, it made me extremely nostalgic and sad.

--The other day we ran out of hand soap and I was looking under the sink to see if we had any refills. I found a half used bottle of softsoap and put it on the counter. Just knowing that it came from our other house and the first half was used up there, made me sad. I know, I know, who knew?

--I was digging around in the kids' diaper bag in preparation for the beach and realized I hadn't gone through it in some time. At the bottom were many half eaten snack bags that came from many Wednesday nights at SBC (or SC as they are now called). I pulled them out and threw them away of course, but it made me feel like it was just the other day we were at church, or just last week that I went to ladies bible study and needed their bag.

So there you have it. I still refer to Texas as "home" a lot and Brian reminds me every now and again that this is home. But for now, that hasn't sunk in. It doesn't help that a friend I was getting to know here just found out she's moving back to TX (originally from San Antonio) to Flower Mound. Ouch. I was a little envious I will admit. But Indiana is beautiful and wonderful in so many ways and so dont' think for a minute that I'm not happy here. I'm just living a little in between for now.

Hopefully these little things will continue to get littler and littler and littler till they don't strike a sad bone in me anymore.

I hope everyone had a splendid weekend. We had a good one too. Not much chit chat---gotta head to the library, so here is the plan!

Monday: Chicken enchiladas with red sauce, black beans, salad

Tuesday: Hotdogs, fruit, corn

Wednesday: Bacon wrapped chicken, salad, peaches

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner (BFD)

Friday: BBQ'd chicken, broccoli, fruit

Saturday: Probably eat out (we'll be at an IU game all afternoon)

Sunday: Leftovers

1. Someone prayed for us.

2. I gave up on disposable razors.


Here's why both of those are important to me:

Today was the first time someone prayed for us since we moved here to Bloomington. She hadn't known us more than 2 minutes. Her name was Angie. We met her at church during the meet/question moment. We were asked to pray together (in groups of 4) and she took the opportunity to say a short simple prayer for Brian, me and our two little boys. The prayer itself was nothing earth shattering but it occurred to me that it was the first time we have heard someone pray for us in 2 months. It felt nice, and I was very thankful. We still haven't made a decision on a church. But with the Lord's direction we are getting closer. We have been visiting 2 churches and both of them are wonderful. Different from eachother in multiple ways, but both focused on Christ and bringing Him to the people in our city.

Now, the disposable razor thing. I have had a love hate relationship with them. They are cheaper by epic proportions (especially when used with fab coupons) --love. They do not shave me adequately enough---hate. I have bought every one on the market. 2 blades, 3 blades, 4 blades....what's next I don't know. Regardless, I constantly am amazed at how they fall short. Does anyone else have this problem???? My dad even works for P&G and gave me a sample of a Venus Embrace. STILL didn't hold up to my seemingly tough as nails hair. Yes, I know maybe too graphic for some of you. The even weirder part is that it has gotten ridiculously worse since we moved here. I was at coping level in Texas. Now I'm beyond that. It simply would be embarrassing to go any longer with this lack of success in the shaving department. So! I tell you, I will have to commit to a REAL razor. Shhhh......don't tell him but my husband's Fusion manly razor is the only one that seems to give me desired results. I dare not buy such a ridiculously priced razor myself (not to mention the refills! $2.50 a blade from SAM'S!!!!) however I will have to spy one out that is similar in mechanics. So here is where you come in. If you are happy with your real razor (not disposable) then please give a shout out to it by commenting about it. I've got a few more disposables to burn through so I'm not ready to go out today and get one. But maybe later this week. So help!

Does it mean that I'm lazy if...

--I ask my 15 month old to throw his own diapers in the trash?
--I ask my 15 month old to throw my empty drink bottles in the trash?
--I ask my 15 month old to turn the TV on?

Naaaaa. I would call it recognizing the sheer genius in the young lad and putting it to use!

***non-post***

I'm simply increasing my chances of winning a fabulous giveaway on the Simple Mom blog. I have to mention it here on my blog. For my own benefit please ignore this post. :) hee hee

I will preface this post by saying I love my life, I am quite content, and by no means does this post indicate some sort of flaw or secret longing in my life. I have the best husband in the world (the best!), two of the cutest boys to grace the planet, and a Savior who has done the best remodel of this poor soul of mine and continues to love me everyday regardless of my wrecklessness. So with that, let's just say that even with this good of a life, there are moments.......moments.........where I want certain things, feelings, behaviors, memories, to come again. And I think you'll agree with me on many of them. I have had a WONDERFUL life and have so many wonderful memories that I have moments where I want to be that, feel that, hear that, eat that, or do that again. So, sweet moments, won't you come again?

--Having my mom call out to me in the yard that dinner is ready. Then walking in the house and feeling the warmth of the oven and seeing my complete dinner sitting at the table waiting for me. Looking around and seeing my mom and dad, and two sisters sitting around me.

--Sitting down to do my homework. That wonderful busy work that so fulfilled me! Showing my mom how smart I was when I finished and seeing how truly proud she was.

--Listening to my walkman in the car on the way to Yosemite while viewing my sisters sleeping, laughing, and talking in our van.

--Experiencing the pure joy Madlibs brought to me on all our road trips.

--Participating in family vacations------ones I had no part in planning or paying for. I simply rode or flew along and had every last detail worked out for me.

--Walking along Lahaina with my family. Sitting around campfires in Yosemite.

--Hopping on my bike in the afternoon (and not having to tell anyone) and riding all around the neighborhood stopping by all my friends houses to see who is home. Maybe swinging by the convenience store to pick up some candy or chips. Feeling the wind on my face and the smell of my own sweat. The freedom I felt doing this every. single. day.

--Going to church youth group rallies and seeing boys you recognized from other churches and feeling so caught up in all of that.

--Working at Special Programs during the summer of 97 after the Lord had rocked my world and feeling the pure peace that came from reading the Bible on my bed for hours with brand new eyes.

--Knowing that going to school and learning was truly my only responsibility in life.

--That incredible feeling of having a crush on a boy. Wonderful while it's happening, miserable when it's over.

--Experiencing Christmas Eve every year. Being with my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, sisters, and parents till what seemed like midnight eating, laughing, and opening endless piles of presents.

--Going to work with my dad. Going to Lakers or Clippers games with my dad. Seeing my dad walk all over our town and everyone knew him. (He seriously walked miles and miles everyday for exercise).

--Feeling the joy of wearing the very outfit my sister wore the previous day and knowing how cute I was going to look in it at my school.

--Feeling the joy of wearing cute outfits period. :)

--Walking the 60 miles of the Avon 3 Day breast cancer walk from Ventura to Malibu and simply having the freedom to do that for 3 days. Amazing.

--Remembering how weightless I felt when I graduated Pepperdine and all I had to do was go to work from 8-5 and have fun with my husband.

Okay, my list could go on and on. I guess I should stop before I ignore my family completely. If this list stirred memories in you, please leave a comment and post a similar "come again" list on your blog. I would love that.

I used to blog a lot about Noah and the silly things he would say. These days he doesn't say much that's comical except for the occasional "I'm bringing sexy back.....yeah!" while dancing around the room. However, tonight he was in a mood and said some great things. Some are funny, some are just sweet.

Noah had just fallen off the swing twice in a row and was very upset about it..crying quite a bit but sort of faking it.

Me: "These things happen. It's ok, honey, you are only 3."
Noah: "Ya, I'm only 3. When I am 4, then I'll be much more tough."
Me: "Oh definitely."
Noah: "Ya, I'm not tough right now!" pause..... "Oh wait, yes I am!" (with a kind of "silly me!" tone)
-------------
Noah was playing with Wesley in Wes' room and I was downstairs getting Wes' milk.

Noah: "Mom! Get up here!" with a very serious tone.
I'm thinking at this point that Wesley is seriously hurt or something got broke, etc.
Me: "Noah what is wrong? Tell me!"
Noah: "Mom!! Come up here now!!!"
Me: I bolt up the stairs and enter the room to find Noah had pee'd his pants. By the way, we are far past potty training but every once in a blue moon he'll do this. It is usually followed by a spanking if dad is around.
"Noah.....go in the bathroom and finish. Then take off your wet clothes and put them in the washer." I then continued doing what I was doing before down in the kitchen.
About 10 minutes later, Noah walks in the kitchen and says:
"I'm so glad that you aren't mad at me so much" in a real sweet sheepish tone. I hugged him and just wanted to freeze the moment.
About 10 minutes after that we were in his room getting him ready for bed and I was wiping his legs down with wipes.
Me: "So why do you think that accident happened?"
Noah: "Well, sometimes the pee comes so fast that if I ran to the bathroom I would just slip on it."

Hmm. Really? You might remember a similar one of Noah's rational excuses here.

***updated: I had to add this one that just happened a few moments ago.

Noah and I were talking about how cooking is fun and how I would teach him to cook so that he could cook for his own family someday. I said that his wife could cook and he could cook too.
Noah: I think Quinn is going to be my mom.
Me: Your mom? I'm your mom.
Noah: No, I mean........(looking confused).
Me: I am your mommy. I am daddy's wife. And someday when you grow up, you'll have a wife when you get married.
Noah thinking long and hard about this. Then says the following very slowly and clearly.
Noah: I am going to marry Quinn. Quinn is going to marry me. She will be my wife.
Just hearing those words gave me a very uneasy feeling in my stomach.
Me: That is sweet, Noah. Well, that won't be for a long long time though.
Noah: What, like maybe 40?
Me: No, maybe when you are 21.
Noah: Sooo....when am I going to be 21?

I probably won't be posting as much the next 5 days or so because my parents are here! Yep, they arrived Friday and will be here awhile. I'm loving every minute of it. The weather is INSANELY gorgeous (think 60 at night, 78-80 during the day) and so it all seems idyllic. We just enjoyed a BBQ out back with an awesome breeze blowing and it is all so relaxing. I will leave you with a few deals I scored today at CVS. I am not the gung-ho CVS'er that some are so I'm sure some of you out there have done better. But for me----starting with no ECBs, this was pretty awesome.

2 jumbo packs of Huggies Supreme diapers
1 pack of 80 Playschool baby wipes
2 Johnson's Buddies easy-grip soaps
1 large Johnson & Johnson Moisture Care Baby Wash
1 pack of 80 Huggies baby wipes

Total cost: 11 dollars and some change. Sweet! One pack of Huggies at Kroger costs $10.99 retail, so I feel like I scored some pretty awesome deals. I hope you guys get some sweet deals too this week! I'd love to hear if you want to share.

Yesterday I completed a long awaited project of making new placemats for my kiddos. Now, don't get too envious.......I am not a craft person. In fact, I actually aspired to be one at one point in my life.....um pre-kids.... and spent a fortune on every scrapbooking tool imaginable. But you know what, if it ain't you, then it doesn't really matter what fancy gadgets you have. A project once in a blue moon is about all I can put on my scoreboard.

However, when Noah was 2, his preschool made these laminated placemats that had pictures of friends, family, favorite things, etc on it for each kid. We both loved them! And considering now I have another toddler in tow, I figured it was time to start fresh with new placemats. This is particularly handy since we just moved away from all friends and family and I need to be sure Wesley remembers everyone.

So, about 5 weeks ago, I started to put together the bottom of the placemats with all my handy dandy scrapbooking paper and even used the funny shaped scissors. It was actually kind of fun but after completing one I remembered why I do not do the scrapbooking thing. Woo! Way too much work. Anyhoo, the foundation sat on my table for weeks and finally yesterday Noah and I completed it. We stuck all the pictures on and then ran to Kinkos--FedEx Kinkos--oh wait FedEx Office (seriously!) to get it laminated. They are finally done and the kids have so much fun looking at all their buddies while eating their meals. Add to that they wipe clean with no fuss (unlike pretty frilly fabric ones) which is an essential around here. So click here to see the finished products.