tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27234889135369081972024-03-18T21:43:07.577-07:00Saving Money One Day At A TimeAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-13979725849022977712010-07-21T12:07:00.000-07:002010-07-21T12:32:41.874-07:00Wednesday Night Burgers!Its hump day and man I am not in the mood to cook! So thankfully I am pulling out the burgers from the freezer cooking day and grilling. Burgers are easy but they get boring just throwing in the same old ingredients. So we are going to kick it up a notch and make these burgers YUMMO! <br /><br />Grab a lb of ground sirloin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, bacon crumbles, blue cheese crumbles, toss them all in a bowl and mix together. I like to use my hands so you can get everything mixed in well then shape my burgers from there.<br /><br />The best part about these burgers is that you have just made a gourmet burger in under 5 minutes!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-53016969733593684982010-07-21T07:42:00.000-07:002010-07-21T12:07:03.138-07:00Chicken Spaghetti - Tales of Cooking Whole ChickensFirst off! I am so sorry I didn't post this last night! Hubby stayed home to help me with the kids while my head continued to pound and I lost track of the day. <br /><br /> When it comes to saving money the easiest way to do that is to find the cheapest products. Right, duh! So when you think of chicken I'm sure most people think of buying boneless skinless chicken breasts but thats actually the most expensive way to purchase chicken. Although it is the easiest and no cleaning involved. I prefer to buy whole chickens, cook them, then freeze the meat. I have MULTIPLE recipes that call for pre-cooked chicken so it is really the easiest way to do this. Bi-lo or Publix regularly has whole fryer chickens on sale for .79 a lb or less! Thats a whole lot of savings!! Especially when you really have to wait once a month for BLSL chicken breasts to go on sale for $1.99 a lb.<br /><br />So back to the point...<br /><br />I purchased 4 whole fryer chickens and got to work cooking. 2 I did on the stove in a pot with onions, garlic and a little salt and pepper in a stock pot. The other two I did in the oven with lemon pepper. None of these methods really flavor your chicken but the stove top method was super moist!<br /><br />Now after cooking I have over 5lbs of meat ready to freeze and use later. Some of this I set aside for my chicken spaghetti. Now for the extra steps...<br /><br />To save even more money I decided to use the "entire" chicken. Yes, the whole thing! I saved the bones and made chicken stock then I used the insides and neck to make a brown chicken stock! Don't be scared!! These were both VERY simple and not much work.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chicken Stock</span><br /><br />Take out a stock pot and throw in all the bones. Add carrots, onions, garlic and celery. I didn't have carrots on hand but really you can throw anything in this pot. Its really to just flavor the stock. Fill the pot with water to completely cover the bones and set on medium high until it boils then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 3 to 4 hours. Once you've let it simmer away for hours strain the liquid and refrigerate! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Brown Chicken Stock</span><br /><br />This is something you need to start after you have made the stock because you will use 2 cups of the stock in this recipe.<br /><br />Take your gizzards, heart and liver pieces along with the next and brown in a little oil and butter. Once brown add 2 cups of chicken stock, a few bay leaves,thyme, salt and pepper then set on medium until it starts to boil then partially cover and turn down the heat to low and let it simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Once its done strain your liquid and refrigerate.<br /><br />Simple! <br /><br />Ok I know its time consuming but for the most part its just simmering away on its own with no work from you and your kitchen will smell YUMMY!<br /><br />Now for DINNER!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chicken Spaghetti</span><br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />Spaghetti noodles<br />2 cans cream of chicken<br />8 oz shredded cheese<br />1/2 cup chopped onion<br />2 cups precooked chicken<br />salt and pepper<br /><br />Cook your spaghetti noodles according to the package. In a bowl combine chicken, soup, cheese, chopped onion, salt and pepper then add spaghetti noodles and mix together. Place in a baking dish sprinkle more cheese on the top and cook for 45 minutes on 350. <br /><br />To add something extra chop up some green and red bell pepper! ENJOY!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-91224558795336981462010-07-20T08:17:00.000-07:002010-07-20T08:38:31.224-07:00Sudafed Makes For An Odd MommyWaking up at 4:30 this morning with a head ache wasn't a good start to the day. I came downstairs at 5:30 and refused to take anything hoping some water would wash it away.<br /><br />Mistake #1<br /><br />I climb back up the stairs to whine to D at 7 and crawl back into bed praying for death. Yes, it was that bad. It was one of those head aches that you feel at the back of your skull and in your temples that literally makes you feel like your head is literally going to explode. Finally D comes back in when I was crawling on my hands and knees to get to the bathroom and asks me if I want to take something. YES PLEASE!! ANYTHING!!!<br /><br />D brings me 2 Advil and a Sudafed Sinus. <br /><br />Mistake #2<br /><br />Im pretty sure at this point that I have a migraine from sinus issues however Sudafed makes me loopy and I feel high. This may or may not be a good thing. The boys think its hilarious! I am much more goofy with them albeit slightly sluggish. All in all I am just glad to have the headache gone. <br /><br />Stay tuned for Tuesday's dinner recipe!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-47377359029166397872010-07-19T10:54:00.000-07:002010-07-19T11:22:37.040-07:00Menu Plan MondayApparently Monday is the day for typing. <br /><br />In my attempt to save money I menu plan. Its the easiest way to save money on groceries and not run out at the last minute getting pizza because I haven't planned for anything and there isn't anything to eat! Since I haven't been updating my blog regularly then you have missed my freezer cookings which has really stocked my freezer. So menu planning should be pretty easy.<br /><br />Monday - Lemon and Herb Chicken<br />Tuesday - Chicken Spaghetti<br />Wednesday - Blue Cheese and Bacon Burgers<br />Thursday - Italian Meatball Soup<br />Friday - Pizza <br />Saturday - Monterrey Melts<br />Sunday - Appetizer's!<br /><br />The only recipe that is not something that is in my freezer are the Monterrey Melts and the Italian Meatball soup. All recipes will be posted the day of! <br /><br />Lemon Herb Chicken is one of my favorite recipes with chicken. From Onceamonthmom.com this is so easy! <br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />2 tbsp. lemon zest<br />1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice<br />2 cloves garlic, crushed<br />2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves<br />1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced<br />1 tsp. salt<br />1 tsp. black pepper<br />2-4 lbs. of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks<br />2-3 tbsp. melted butter<br />Thinly sliced lemons, for garnished<br /><br />Directions:<br />Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake well to blend. Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours. To use this for freezer cooking quadruple the recipe and place in 4 freezer bags then freeze. <br /><br />Once thawed out or marinated for 2 hours remove chicken and reserve liquid. I like to grill these and bast with the marinade but you can also bake these. To bake preheat your oven to 425 brush chicken with melted butter and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Halfway through the baking pour remaining marinade over chicken and continue to bake. Once done let rest for 10 minutes covered loosely with foil.<br /><br />ENJOY!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-24592631606568048052010-07-19T09:35:00.000-07:002010-07-19T10:26:39.472-07:00Chocolate Honey Fudge turned Peanut Butter FudgeThis fudge is from the oh so nice Chocolate book I told you about earlier. I couldn't wait for naps to get started to I put on a movie and got to work. 5 minutes into movie I am gathering ingredients and Conner walks in and announces "Mommy can we eat lunch now, I don't want to watch the movie". So of course I get sidetracked! Lunch made, kids sitting quietly eating and now all I see is JIF peanut butter...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOF7PANJvGU9qj2Et42zGYV9IF1iyaNq7QRUeRaycQwbembb-tV8mbICArAWoSZVLSe_rY4TvcVMDvv7MfMdTUHhjS_4sPeF7Bn69nU1ZOdXLoWh9FyjzD2AqNfsnHrX1aJxWBsfq3Y4k/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOF7PANJvGU9qj2Et42zGYV9IF1iyaNq7QRUeRaycQwbembb-tV8mbICArAWoSZVLSe_rY4TvcVMDvv7MfMdTUHhjS_4sPeF7Bn69nU1ZOdXLoWh9FyjzD2AqNfsnHrX1aJxWBsfq3Y4k/s200/005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495665151333495810" /></a><br /><br />Change of plans people!<br /><br />My fudge went from Chocolate Orange Honey Blossom to Peanut Butter Fudge!<br /><br />Where did the Orange Honey Blossom come from you say? Well 2 weeks ago we were in Athens, GA and I stopped at a road side stand and there it was! So Orange Blossom honey was what I had to have! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg315WxI-0wgpdlbEEwzmfk28O-B_JLGg2RoKmDjLF1YWpkR27NOibCl8xgPVmpE3Vt2PsAHCFR2Ff2w5HaHrEPNVaFX6VysfBajE298WUM-7Q0urcRG2hL1Am0MtyzASYDbaljzYtFqYvU/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg315WxI-0wgpdlbEEwzmfk28O-B_JLGg2RoKmDjLF1YWpkR27NOibCl8xgPVmpE3Vt2PsAHCFR2Ff2w5HaHrEPNVaFX6VysfBajE298WUM-7Q0urcRG2hL1Am0MtyzASYDbaljzYtFqYvU/s200/003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495663960111594322" /></a><br /><br />Meanwhile back in the kitchen I see the JIF along side all of my ingredients and decide to make a change because honestly vanilla and orange honey don't sound all that appealing with peanut butter.<br /><br />So I get to work starting with 5 table spoons of butter, 1 14 oz can of sweeten condensed milk, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of peanut butter, and 1 lb chopped chocolate.<br /><br />Stir like your mama taught you over a medium low heat.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP8oUFY-WI-EXAuRon1JRG7GP_ziqHFPhHxoaGkfCXrp7G2dZorveVWQ5q-E6AG3fMTCAS5wbl6RieeU9BwaCRTJOj9ddBbe_G1AcyA4sYsDXodAyuE-06JJ3ghhAIN8KnMjHOhHKQpNH/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP8oUFY-WI-EXAuRon1JRG7GP_ziqHFPhHxoaGkfCXrp7G2dZorveVWQ5q-E6AG3fMTCAS5wbl6RieeU9BwaCRTJOj9ddBbe_G1AcyA4sYsDXodAyuE-06JJ3ghhAIN8KnMjHOhHKQpNH/s200/009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495666312272209330" /></a><br /><br />Remember we don't want to boil this just get it all melted and yummy!<br /><br />Keep stirring because as soon as you think you are done a little piece of butter will pop up and scream! I'M NOT MELTED! Ok really it won't scream but you might laugh when you see it pop out of there.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDRMYPcYJLgaOeVd3EA9VbaQeAyG00rKYXiUQ3Lgb7YhzvfLtQEdSL3exNCgynajg6a6Pm5eXKdAMQfI57zNvfFYk78um3NcMooGxhRddWK0YGzyLT_FwXjPHk7PKvcE3T_TP8ahQM6X-/s1600/012.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDRMYPcYJLgaOeVd3EA9VbaQeAyG00rKYXiUQ3Lgb7YhzvfLtQEdSL3exNCgynajg6a6Pm5eXKdAMQfI57zNvfFYk78um3NcMooGxhRddWK0YGzyLT_FwXjPHk7PKvcE3T_TP8ahQM6X-/s200/012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495667708395923394" /></a><br /><br /><br />Butter a small glass dish then go back to your nice yummy melted fudge and pour it straight into the dish. <br /><br />Now for the finale! Take a butter knife and grab some peanut butter then start in a corner and run it in a zig zag through the fudge. I did this several times and although not perfect it works!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLegzs6fQNNd7EaLc53GORu9gilG-o-DWX-HUkf7tAjvDUvSiKNkY2_JKNyiUgBufVbGEPu9yeeVI-V7B6We0ODeCNcRYmszwTDzMPTL9nmIdU19h_urAf9KowVBF9NGrUv0lTFeX3wV9/s1600/014.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLegzs6fQNNd7EaLc53GORu9gilG-o-DWX-HUkf7tAjvDUvSiKNkY2_JKNyiUgBufVbGEPu9yeeVI-V7B6We0ODeCNcRYmszwTDzMPTL9nmIdU19h_urAf9KowVBF9NGrUv0lTFeX3wV9/s200/014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495668627979982594" /></a><br /><br />Pop that in the fridge for and whole or until solid and your done! Simple!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-36011700659482506282010-07-19T08:28:00.000-07:002010-07-19T08:41:11.872-07:00Cooking is my hobby, Eating is my Passion!There are days, like today, that all I want to do is find delicious recipes and make them all. I have already found several in my aimless wanderings of the blogger universe. All require a trip to the store which I don't really have the money to do at this point in time. We just got back from a weekend in Atlanta that was exhausting but fun and of course the boys need to catch up on sleep and that didn't happen this morning so now add grumpy kids with grumpy mom and not so clean house... Well you get a mommy that uses food and cooking to avoid the mess right in front of my face. So lets avoid all of that and get back to FOOD! Let me just start by listing all of these yummy recipes I have found so far!<br /><br />Japanese Cream Cheese Cake (looks heavenly!!)<br />Chocolate Honey Fudge (On my to do list for nap time!)<br />Chocolate Fudge Tart<br />Boston Creme Pie<br />Deviled Eggs (don't ask me why)<br />Italian Meatball Soup<br /><br />Ok I will spare you from the rest of my list because I know you are getting hungry just reading the names! Did I mention that I happened to have picked up this new book, its heaven in a small little hard bound book! I am literally drooling on the pages so you may not want to borrow it...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Wx6VveVmoANMB7LttBvuZL3H_5sPfIW6Yw4IdZux6hUpa_C0Xwp0ytU8gjSMiTTrI6HJldCUrCDZjrHn7KZAWxnvTME0BuGf_bdUwsFKmD2olGe2y7uIKr9TxEaL_nG6MPuF18tBuzUv/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Wx6VveVmoANMB7LttBvuZL3H_5sPfIW6Yw4IdZux6hUpa_C0Xwp0ytU8gjSMiTTrI6HJldCUrCDZjrHn7KZAWxnvTME0BuGf_bdUwsFKmD2olGe2y7uIKr9TxEaL_nG6MPuF18tBuzUv/s200/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495642194049935506" /></a><br /><br />Its times like these that I think, am I pregnant? <br /><br />Oh yea NO, so not pregnant. I just like to eat! <br /><br />Later today I will post my adventures in making this fudge!! STAY TUNED!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-74036820721141471582010-07-12T09:54:00.000-07:002010-07-12T10:06:37.482-07:00Real Or Not Real???<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jzGCL9i27-JzvgWTPzNw-MpAst4LJ_h_grBwVkh6MS9AGWiP5eqAPwdjJZQxRyze7XiETgUToCO-Li8Afxa7d2p1rYYah02Pj43E86gdwoWBnE2aUnE2zUpmd-yvuzdfYLZM1q1dDb_V/s1600/143.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jzGCL9i27-JzvgWTPzNw-MpAst4LJ_h_grBwVkh6MS9AGWiP5eqAPwdjJZQxRyze7XiETgUToCO-Li8Afxa7d2p1rYYah02Pj43E86gdwoWBnE2aUnE2zUpmd-yvuzdfYLZM1q1dDb_V/s320/143.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493066177290064066" /></a><br />Recently I have been looking at random things online. Yes, its dangerous, I know! I came across a store on Amazon that sells sterling silver jewelery with cubics zirconium that looks REAL! Ok, well it looks real online and so I bought one that looked similar to my wedding band I got for our anniversary last year. It cost me $20 so if it was too good to be true I wasn't out much money. I have worn it for a week now and I feel like there is too much bling on my left hand! Seriously! It LOOKS SO REAL!! <br /><br />Can you tell which of the wedding bands is real?? I bet you can't!! <br /><br />This got me to thinking... Why spend $3000 on a real ring? lol Yes, I am really saying that and no I would never know if D had gotten a fake ring although I know it isn't fake and of course I wouldn't request a fake ring over the real thing but when you are a mom of 2 and there is no way I will be able to buy the real thing to match my other wedding band for many many years to come this works perfectly fine!<br /><br />Check out all of their collections at...<br />http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/?brand=Gem%20Avenue&ref_=bl_sr_jewelry&node=3880591Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-39779044213711137342010-07-12T09:39:00.000-07:002010-07-12T09:52:26.781-07:00Ramblings On A Dreary MondayI'm going to start this with a simple, I miss pregnancy...<br /><br />I just sold Conner's first crib and crib furniture. Don't worry we still have Noah's crib and just never used the changing table so I sold it. Along with a lot of baby toys that are taking up too much space and in 2 years when we have a new baby I don't mind buying new ones. It made me so sad to see it go though! I keep seeing all of my friends updates of having their second baby and I get a little choked up missing the belly and the tiny baby. It also hit me a little harder how long it will be until we have another baby when my mom reminded me that Michael graduates this year and she is thinking about pushing her 50th birthday trip to Costa Rica to June. I know its only 2 months but It was 9 months and now its 11 until we start trying. <br /><br />My mind starts freaking out a little bit when I start worrying about if we will even get pregnant on the first try and then I am looking at 2 years or more before I see that cute little pink face....<br /><br />But to every down side there has to be an upside and mine is that they boys will be a little older. In 2 years both kids will be in school full time so baby number 3 gets a lot of mommy time. In 2 years we might be in more of a position to move to a bigger house. Ill be 29! Wow thats weird.... <br /><br />Alright Ill stop whining...Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-78665763483373483032010-05-01T14:10:00.000-07:002010-05-01T14:53:21.336-07:00Panama!!!I can't believe our vacation is over!! It felt like we planned it forever and its already over! I loved it and honestly I was really dreading every minute of it. From the 4 hour plane trip to my lack of Spanish. I also knew we were going to meet alot of Darien's family and I was a little nervous about that as well.<br /><br />Our first plane ride down to Panama was pretty uneventful and I am really glad! Although I love to fly I honestly almost had a panic attack when we were getting ready to take off. I know I have no control and that I am more likely to die in a car wreck than a plane crash but as soon as the car started to move I clutched to Noah thinking my babies are on this plane and we could all die. It was pretty irrational but still I was so scared until we got in the air and I relaxed a little. After 4 hours we finally landed and the boys were exhausted! Going through customs then immigration I really thought I was going to die from exhaustion and heat since there was obviously no AC in the airport. The boys were grumpy and running around like crazy chickens then came meeting the first round of family at 9pm. <br /><br />We finally got into the rental cars after Darien argued with the Budget car people who were trying to charge us WAY too much. Finally on the road and the boys were asleep within seconds. We drove to the bed and breakfast which was about 15 minutes from the airport and I got to see a little of this new city at night. Next morning the hotel had a yummy breakfast prepared for us and then we headed out to Gamboa. Gamboa is about 25 minutes from where we were staying and this is where Darien grew up along with his sister Caryn who was along with us. It was definatly hot! The boys were still pretty exhausted since they woke up at 730 after not going to bed till 1030 or 1130 our time. <br /><br />We did a little sightseeing after Gamboa then headed back to the hotel to put the kids to bed. Nap wasn't exactly what they wanted but oh well we tried! That night we drove to the causeway and at dinner at a little restaurant by the water with Marybell and her husband and 2 kids. The oldest of her kids was 6 and Conner flirted the entire dinner with her. It was very funny to see him flirting and he is only 3!! After this long day after traveling we were ready for bed and good thing because we had a 4 hour drive to Las Tablas the next day.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Las Tablas</strong><br />I thought I would need my book for this 4 hours trip to Las Tablas which is where Darien's grandfather Abuelo Chago lived along with his aunt Elsie. Of course I didn't open my book the entire drive because it was too interesting looking around at all of this new stuff that I had never seen before. The boys did very well all things considered and after getting pulled over by Panama police who then my FIL had to bribe so we didn't get a ticket we finally arrived around 4.<br /><br />Conner and Noah ran around while Darien flipped out that they were going to get into something that would kill them. His grandfather lives in a farm area where people don't really have internet, phones or TV. The house sits right across the street from a small bar that is typically just for men if we didn't know the owner. His grandfathers sister lives right behind his house and owns a little store that sold coke in a bottle for .25! The beer that the bar sold was well over 20 oz and they were only a dollar! My favorite part by far was sitting on the back porch just listening to everyone talk. Life out there was very simple. The rooster woke me up the first night at 3am bc apparently he was confused on the time. The boys chased chickens around the front yard who had excaped from the neighbors backyard, we relaxed most of the time and tried not to think about the heat then when Saturday night rolled around the rain came.<br /><br />Panama is known for its heat and for 6 months out of the year they have a rainy season that is then followed by the dry season and it was just our luck that we happened to be there the first night of the rainy season. Around 9pm the rain started and didn't stop. The first time it rains apparently the transformers aren't really ready for it and they tend to stop working which means no power at all. We had an air conditioning unit in our room so we could sleep at night and that went out. So with not much else to do we decided to go to bed at 10 and I was rudely awoken about 3 hours later drenched in sweat! The power still hadn't come back on and the room was definatly starting to get really hot. About that time Conner woke up having pooped... No lights, which means no water, no ac and a poopy child... Darien graciously took care of it because honestly I couldn't see a hand in front of my face without my glasses and there wasn't a flashlight in our room which made the situation worse.<br /><br />Darien finally got Conner cleaned up and back in bed so we could go back to sleep which we did and I awoke about 30 minutes later to power! The AC was back on! Praise the LORD!! oh wait 30 minutes later the power was back off... 90 degrees at 5am and humid as all get out does not make a happy mommy...<br /><br />Sunday was pretty and we hung out around Las Tablas enjoying the small town. There have only got to be a few thousand people who live around this town yet there are about 20 different restaurants that sell the same food. Please tell me why? There are also 4 lavaderia's or laundry mats that have 5 or 6 washers but only 1 dryer! WHY? I know most of these people hand wash their clothes then line dry them but during the rainy season its so humid that nothing dries! OH well, gave us an excuse to go back into town to find an internet cafe which there are about 4 or 5 of those as well.<br /><br />Monday we drove to Pedasi and visited the beach where the boys had a ton of fun getting soaked and very sandy. I really enjoyed this town because there were Americans living there, a beach, yummy food and you still got the Panama feel from the locals. I very much want to move here...<br /><br />We ate at an American owned restaurant and the only way you could tell was because A it was called something Gringo's and B they had ranch dressing as a dip with EVERYTHING! We headed back to the house and decided that Tuesday since it was our last day we would go find a pool and get some sun since we hadn't really gotten much on our trip even though it was really sunny most of the trip and awefully hot. Tuesday we headed out at 10 to get a Panama hat downtown, get a flat tire fixed, pick up our tried laundry and then head to the pool. Once we managed to get to the pool we found out it didn't open till 2 so we drove around trying to find things to do to pass the time. We took the kids back into Las Tablas and ate lunch then actually got the tire fixed which cost us $2 then ran back to the house to drop off the leftover pizza to Darien's dad and finally back to the pool! <br /><br />The pool was wonderful! Even though the boys hadn't had a nap they were so excited to play in the water that we stayed there till almost 6. It was wonderful and just a really great way to end our trip. The next day we packed and said our goodbye's then got back into the car for our 4 hours drive back into Panama City for our last night. I was more sad than I thought I would be. I really enjoyed our trip and honestly want to pick up and move there. To be able to emerse my kids into a different place, learn amazing things and live in a place thats laid back and beautiful! Plus I could see how easily I could open a restaurant, or open a small shop. Our trip was so amazing I am counting the days that we can go back. Im sure Darien is thinking the same thing since his grandfather is 89. <br /><br />The flight back was a little more tiring but only because we had gotten up at 4am then the kids at 4:30 and they didn't sleep at all in the plane or on the drive back to my inlaws. I am really glad to be home but I miss Panama and all the friends I made there. Don't worry Panama! We will be back!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-68788871511913235822010-02-04T09:02:00.000-08:002010-02-04T09:19:15.801-08:00Can I Just Play A Game Today..It's called "I Wish.." and yes it is just what you think it is! Ok I promised myself I wouldn't use as many exclamation points (by the way I just googled the correct spelling of that, sorry Mrs. Moore.). Ok back to the point! Sorry just had to do that...<br /><br />Seriously.<br /><br />So the I wish game... I am sitting here on my couch listening to my kids watch Veggie Tales and sing along or at least try to sing along and I am bored... Yes, bored. I thought about baking but D is on a diet so I probably shouldn't tempt him although he isn't really a fan of the sweets. I need to do a little laundry but I don't really want to. I played with the kids all morning and now they would rather play alone. HAHA tired of mommy time! <br /><br />So back to playing a game... <br /><br />I wish... This blog didn't look so sad!<br /><br />I wish... I could remember to make coffee in the morning<br /><br />I wish... I remembered to take pictures of everything I cook so I could share it with you guys! (my 5 readers that consist of family)<br /><br />I wish... I could supress this need for a baby for at least another year or 2.<br /><br />I wish... I didn't miss being pregnant<br /><br />I wish... my head would stop hurting right now!<br /><br />I wish... The Super Bowl was here already!! <br /><br />Ok I think I am done for the wishing game...<br /><br />What a sad post this turn out to be! Pathetic I know!<br /><br />OH well, onto cookies!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-60328455747430339882010-01-07T07:25:00.000-08:002010-01-07T08:21:00.257-08:00Dreaming...Do you ever dream of living somewhere else? Not so much being a different person but just picking up and moving to a different part of the country. This is how I have felt recently and I can't really put a finger on why. Darien and I have always wanted to leave near a big city but not necessarly in a big city. Columbia isn't what you would call a big city and it seems like recently we have become stuck here. Don't get me wrong I love being around my mom and my brothers (well the ones that are here!) and I have lived in Columbia pretty much my entire life but I feel restless here.<br /><br />Currently we are stuck though until we get our house paid down more. With the economy the way it is our property value went way down which means we would have to sell our house way above market value or pay to get out of the house which isn't an option. So what to do what to do.... :) Guess we put our dreams aside for now and concentrate on paying down our house and bills! <br /><br />We have put the 3rd baby picture on hold until later in 2011. Man that sounds like so far away but now that its 2010 it will come faster than I realize. Although I have been feeling the baby itch for some time now I realized that I just want to enjoy the boys for awhile and see what God gives us later when the boys are a little older. If we get preggers in late 2011 I will be 28 or possible 29 since I would be due in 2012! Conner will be 5 and Noah will be 4 which I cannot believe!! Time is going by so fast! My babies will be 3 and 2 this year! When we have a 3rd Conner will be in Kindergarten and Noah will be in preschool! <br /><br />I am honestly perfectly happy with how my life is going right now and even with the bumps in the road I am truely blessed! I have a wonderful husband who deals with all my emotional roll a coasters, 2 beautiful boys who continue to amaze me and wonderful family and friends. (NO i am not high) So I guess I need to stop dreaming and step back into reality and get back to the boys who have now started to watch a movie since I took a break from playing blocks to write a few blogs. :)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-78001529788789281572009-12-15T09:23:00.000-08:002009-12-15T09:35:02.611-08:00Charity : WaterThis year has been hard financially for many people in the US and Christmas makes it even harder. So although giving to charities may not be on your radar for a gift this season but it maybe the cheapest and easiest way to give gifts this season! I am involved in a website called Shespeaks.com who is supporting this charity. So I decided to get involved! I bought their little black box as a gift that includes a wrist band and a donation to charity! There are several different options as well and here is some more information on the charity itself along with the link to the site!<br /><br />Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean drinking water. That’s one in eight of us. charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects. Learn more or donate. <br /><br />http://www.charitywater.org/Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-9160260173191208672009-11-09T10:59:00.000-08:002009-11-09T11:13:21.935-08:00Its been too long!With everything going on lately I have neglected my blog! Football cheerleading is over and of course there isn't much of a break then basketball cheerleading starts up! Not much has been going on besides cheerleading, Clemson football, and family. Darien is applying for a new position at work and I am praying he gets it. He has done so well with his job that I cannot imagine that he won't but of course we want what God has planned for us. I have tried getting another job watching a little girl but no luck with that. We are also still trying to figure out when the best time to try for another baby is. I would love to try for a girl and as much as I have the baby itch I am not sure I really want another baby next year. We are just starting to get alot more things changed with the cheerleading program and it would be hard to add another baby to the picture along with competitions, practice, games... Maybe in a year or so.... <br /><br />Well I need to get off and try and get some things done around the house! :) I hope I will write more soon!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-68836228935312318842009-08-24T07:30:00.001-07:002009-08-24T08:34:55.250-07:00My life in a nutshell... Getting it all togetherOk so I need to vent and what better place to do that but on your own blog!! :) So my goal in highschool was to get married and have kids partly because I always wanted what I didn't have growing up and because I love kids. Case in point... Im married with 2 boys who are my life! I never really wanted anything until I had them and I honestly never thought I was really that good at anything until I had kids. Once I had them I wanted more for them and realized that I cut myself short before I had them and Im not the example that I want to show for them. As any mother I want them to grow up and fulfill their dreams and shoot for the stars, go to college, enjoy life! Growing up I dealt with too much enternally and was never able really be who I could have been. I found cheerleading to be that outlet and really thrived in the sport but it filled a whole that I didn't want to fill with anything else. I had to work really hard to get c's in highschool and that was enough for me because I didn't really want to go to college anyways. I always played it off like I only wanted babies and a dream marriage but in reality (don't get me wrong I truely wanted kids and marriage) I didn't really thing I was good at anything to go to college for plus I knew I wasn't good in school so why put myself through 4 years of just getting by. <br /><br />So of course I went to college, had no idea what I was in for, took too many hours, had cheerleading on top of it plus I was 5 hrs away from home with no car so needless to say I failed out... Lost my scholarship and cheerleading squad which was the biggest dissapointment for me. I came back home feeling like more of a failure than I had in my entire life and I had some seriously failure feelings before... I tried going to a tech school for a semester and although I did well I didn't have the funds to keep taking classes and so I got a full time job as a secretary. Here is where life just got worse... I tried making friends because all of mine were in school. I made a friend that I will never regret making but the choices I made with this friend weren't the greatest. As a 19 year old I was working a full time job like an adult but my friends were in college living life as a college student and as a girl who never really faced the depression and issues I had in the past my emotions spiraled out of control and I ended up drinking to get rid of those feelings. WRONG CHOICE! A year after I started this full time job I ended up having to quit due to getting kicked out of my house. I don't really blame my mom. Im not sure as a mother I would have been able to keep my child who was spiraling out of control under the roof with a 9 year old child but at the time I didn't understand and I just wanted to feel like I wasn't drowning anymore. <br /><br />I ran to my dad in Greenville and without him I probably would have landed at my friends house which would have just aided my drowning instead of someone helping me out of this ocean of depression. Now don't get me wrong my dad never said "ok Amanda we fully support your habit of self destruction" it was more that he accepted me and was supportive of me. He gave me a feeling of stability that I seemed to lack at the time. I ended up taking some more classes and did pretty well but started working full time and got another job along with that so I only did one semester got another job in which I met some more destructive friends although I didnt realize it yet again at the time. The only light in the dark spot was I met Darien. My destructive friends introduced me to this goofy guy who made dumb jokes and who he and I had a certain banter that was fun. He was a Clemson fan which was probably the biggest attraction for me when we met but other than that he was a good friend. <br /><br />Darien smoked which I hated and I think he wanted to impress me so much he cut way back while we were friends and at some point quit altogether. He was always there being the one friend who reminded me of who I truley was not this person or shell that I had become. After hitting rock bottom, moving in with my desctructive friends, and adding drugs to my drinking I thought I was never going to pick up the pieces. My mom who I had kinda put out of thought out of mind at the point got me to come home a few times to help them open their new icecream stores and I reconnected with old friends(good friends) and after I opened my eyes to my destructive friends crazy personalities I decided to get out. My mom let me move back home and I was determined to get my life straight. Darien and I still talked constantly and I encouraged him to get his life right with me. Columbia was a good move for me and after only falling off the wagon once I really thrived managing my moms store. I enjoyed actually doing well at something! In 2005 Darien and I got engaged and planned on getting married that next summer and in July 2006 and a month later we got pregnant with our first son. 3 years later we now have 2 wonderful boys that I love so much! I am coaching cheerleading, blogging, and this week I will start watching a littler girl named Karsyn. I have alot going on and I don't really want to add to it I just wish I had a skill or that I could finish college so that I can say LOOK boys! I raised you and I still did something with my life because I had a dream! But what am I good at?? I'm good with kids, I love photography, I like teaching(albiet cheerleading), I love medecine and helping people but what do I do? And why do I feel like I need to make something of myself? Really my question is why do I feel so lost? I wish I would have taken advantage of the opportunities when I had them but I didn't know what I know now back then and I didn't really know who I was on top of that. I can't afford to go back to school and if I even went back I don't have the time. I know I shouldn't be so hard on myself but I feel like I should be better! As a mom, as a wife, as a person! I guess I have high goals this time around and I don't know how to achieve them... Ok I got that out! Thanks for listening if you did!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-69020542231018818592009-07-31T07:48:00.000-07:002009-07-31T08:15:16.211-07:00Marshmallow Fondant and Icing DoughSo I don't like normal fondant because its just not very yummy so when I decorate cakes I tend to only use icing and pipe things which anyone will tell you isn't always the cleanest. You can work really hard for clean lines that don't always happen. So your next option is fondant which is pretty easy to work with and makes a very smooth surface on cakes but as I said before its not very tasty. So after some googling and a helpful nudge from a friend who tried it I decided to play with marshmallow fondant! It was super easy albiet messy!<br /><br />Grab a bag of marshmallows, crisco, powdered sugar, and a little water.<br /><br />Put the bag of marshmallows and 3tbl of water in a glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Do this at 30sec intervals until the marshmallows are melted. It should take about 3 minutes total. Let this cool for a few minutes because if you start mixing it while its still hot you will have a huge mess and its harder to mix. Now take your crisco and grease your surface VERY WELL!!! Also COVER your hands in crisco after you do this next step. <br />Add 3/4ths of the bag of powdered sugar(2lb bag)to the top of the marshmallows and mix with your greased hands. Once you have it mixed together pour out onto your surface and continue to knead like bread dough. If it seems to dry add water and if it seems too wet then add more powdered sugar. I had to regrease my hands several times as well as my surface just FYI. <br /><br />Knead until you have a smooth ball of marshmallow ball and cover with crisco then place in a ziplock bag. Before you close the bag try and get all of the air out. This should stay good for a week or two. <br /><br />You can do the same thing with a can of white icing and powdered sugar without adding the water.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-26006021251354725452009-07-31T07:46:00.000-07:002009-07-31T07:48:02.740-07:00Follow me on Twitter!I have been using Twitter for a few months now and I am a little addicted! For more up to date info including, freebies, blog updates, and good deals you will want to get text updates after you follow me! :) <br /><br />Search MonSavingMander!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-48595919497478325412009-07-31T07:45:00.000-07:002009-07-31T07:46:28.562-07:00Freebie Friday 7/31Catch Freebie Fridays on WTE! <br /><br />http://forums.whattoexpect.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=wtemoney&msg=615.1&ctx=128Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-38837563901464589272009-07-30T18:20:00.000-07:002009-07-30T18:21:01.599-07:00Catching Up!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNU2g1E-EBQV8j5CN8TatkjuuZ99-VioEgbnZFKaOQkVbYmnqdqeTKTgjbuAZSlxPO3z9IYKsLyAe0PQaSPJpQG3gn58euokIMfSFKf343EdKNvYUaaKdHSfFv7kvv4vKMZN9PAl07INN/s1600-h/247.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNU2g1E-EBQV8j5CN8TatkjuuZ99-VioEgbnZFKaOQkVbYmnqdqeTKTgjbuAZSlxPO3z9IYKsLyAe0PQaSPJpQG3gn58euokIMfSFKf343EdKNvYUaaKdHSfFv7kvv4vKMZN9PAl07INN/s320/247.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363522517859608130" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQ4KJ11fSSNAubXa3z4-mRN1XrRl_HV7dffTecLDZA1FkqFjh96z8kWnxoGrlO1I2lyWSSLxpeiUlLkzCrkoReTWiydcnl5yz5pyt4H6dMJZNx4dEgW4JKyQGY4o0790W5A2Rbwb8vo09/s1600-h/269.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQ4KJ11fSSNAubXa3z4-mRN1XrRl_HV7dffTecLDZA1FkqFjh96z8kWnxoGrlO1I2lyWSSLxpeiUlLkzCrkoReTWiydcnl5yz5pyt4H6dMJZNx4dEgW4JKyQGY4o0790W5A2Rbwb8vo09/s320/269.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363514918744357234" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQe9N35GfN8xi9PX0QfNpp2wqMOtugNRuHe8RHPO-Ty7FR0vNt0yuP2hh0qDKHk6wUMWZpjRgUeVmcOZUuC0w_xaAzmM-B1DpbZOBka-BxhBD7ao3WVnrwCaLpY19j-8AOAmytaobId6I/s1600-h/256.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQe9N35GfN8xi9PX0QfNpp2wqMOtugNRuHe8RHPO-Ty7FR0vNt0yuP2hh0qDKHk6wUMWZpjRgUeVmcOZUuC0w_xaAzmM-B1DpbZOBka-BxhBD7ao3WVnrwCaLpY19j-8AOAmytaobId6I/s320/256.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363514913543612626" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvE48W_W_DuFUwqQTQUABWMi7uJSPEpnINx6d2bIaSNT0_PzrK0o3uMH0PrdDES44-ImdieyCaUnGMOq4JBQqv8iTjrr2w95SmcPU-xISyDM-W0lwDuMEcW4usjariXrA_JWnPBwv1YyI/s1600-h/220.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvE48W_W_DuFUwqQTQUABWMi7uJSPEpnINx6d2bIaSNT0_PzrK0o3uMH0PrdDES44-ImdieyCaUnGMOq4JBQqv8iTjrr2w95SmcPU-xISyDM-W0lwDuMEcW4usjariXrA_JWnPBwv1YyI/s320/220.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363514903158884514" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxHdWQWL3wAHtznZC88JFS-OK79YSFc50PKERWUCkLJ4bVUS2cltdK48hjw_5bq3_oe6VxAjCKuf0_cCePpPM0kBr86vrbPwnhyphenhyphenjHlOSTVQtYrwL2uy9BMprBdbQwf7yumoHJpzyWPh75/s1600-h/218.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxHdWQWL3wAHtznZC88JFS-OK79YSFc50PKERWUCkLJ4bVUS2cltdK48hjw_5bq3_oe6VxAjCKuf0_cCePpPM0kBr86vrbPwnhyphenhyphenjHlOSTVQtYrwL2uy9BMprBdbQwf7yumoHJpzyWPh75/s320/218.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363514898839537650" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3yvPqCm9RoyJfA0T9NBzAL9h-fFAKL3rV7WPozCTfTZKheH4dMLb8ooPV-dfDi0jE0AZcLnMU3iKDovKOdlY4frUw0rLUhBGNauJ7Gzp67sBLuueHNOqw0Xrfx0Qq4TSPvo_1NbBmTAA/s1600-h/216.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3yvPqCm9RoyJfA0T9NBzAL9h-fFAKL3rV7WPozCTfTZKheH4dMLb8ooPV-dfDi0jE0AZcLnMU3iKDovKOdlY4frUw0rLUhBGNauJ7Gzp67sBLuueHNOqw0Xrfx0Qq4TSPvo_1NbBmTAA/s320/216.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363514896384446818" /></a><br />Here are pictures of Noah's bday party!! And a month in review!<br /><br />I realized I haven't posted in awhile which makes me kinda sad but so many things have been going on recently it doesn't surprise me. We rarely have a weekend without something going on and with cheerleading coming so much closer I have had alot to get done. This past weekend we went to pick blueberries which I have been excited about since April!! I picked 2 gallons worth while Conner mostly ate all the ones he picked and Darien walked around with Noah who couldn't be put down due to all of the old smashed blueberries on the ground that he surely would have picked up and ate!! So I froze some, the boys are still eating a ton! and I made blueberry jelly out of some!! I think next time I will invest in a strainer the get some of the seeds out but Conner loves his blueberry jelly sandwiches!<br /><br />I wish I remembered to take pictures of things!! Then you could have seen the mess I made making the stupid jelly! I was doing too many things at once AND neither boys had naps (Noah's story later) so it was a crazy thing to do while dealing with all of that but it still turned out pretty good!<br /><br />Ok so we went at 12 which was a bad idea in the first place but hubs HAD to eat lunch which was pizza which takes forever to heat up. So its hot and we stayed an hour and I promised Conner that we would stop and get icecream which we did so it was 2:30 by the time we got home. Darien got Noah's diaper changed and put him in his crib. Conner however I knew would sleep way too long so I let him skip his nap. About 45 minutes later I hear him laughing and then crying so I walk up to just lay him back down and as soon as I step in the door I am struck by the smell of poop! Oh and Noah is just grinning so big like HI MOM!!! He has no diaper on and there is poop everywhere!! All in his hands, around his face, ALL OVER the crib!! Seriously I have NO idea how one small child could get so much poop all over the place!! I quickly screamed for Darien and handed him off to him so he could get him in the bath ASAP. I stripped the bed and went to cleaning and quickly realized that he must have touched every inch of that crib with his poopy hands!! Now Conner had a poop accident in his crib before but it was at about 20 mths old and he pooped and peed in the corners of the crib but stayed away from playing in the poop. So this was a new experience and one that I would rather not relive!!<br /><br />I think thats it for now!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-41088698809935775262009-06-27T20:06:00.001-07:002009-06-27T20:23:45.321-07:00Noah's Birthday Party!!So my little monkey had his birthday party today and it went really well! I wish it hadn't been so hot outside but it was still fun! The food was great, the decorations were so cute, everyone had a blast and the most important of all is that Noah had a blast and entertained everyone! :) I hope to have pictures up soon but alas my son has hiddne my card reader and I cannot find it for the life of me! ugh! I think that was the most people we have ever had in our house before! Guess we need friends! <br /><br />I am still in awe of how amazing our family is and we don't deserve it in the least but I love them and am so blessed to have them! I really enjoyed having it at our house because I had everything in order and didn't forget anything and it was easy clean up! :) All right its off to bed!! :) I promise to get the pictures up soon!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-89447040320028024142009-06-25T05:55:00.001-07:002009-06-25T06:02:24.871-07:00A few simple recipesI have totally slacked off on giving you recipes but I just made a few that I thought I would share!! <br /><br /><strong>Grilled Scallops</strong><br /><br />10 Large Scallops <br />salt<br />pepper<br />lemon pepper<br />garlic <br />shallot<br />butter<br />1 tbl lemon juice<br />olive oil<br /><br />In a small saute pan add a tbl of butter, garlic and chopped shallot and cook until shallot is soft. Then a tbl of lemon juice and wisk together. Pour into a small bowl(you will use this to baste the scallops on the grill. Pat your scallops dry and cover them with olive oil then sprinkle them with the salt, pepper and the lemon pepper. Place them on the grill and baste with your garlic butter sauce. Flip after 3 minutes and baste again. Take them off the gril and serve!! These are really yummy and the slight garlic and lemon flavors are super yummy!!<br /><br /><br /><strong>BBQ Chicken Sandwiches</strong><br /><br />3 boneless skinless chicken breasts<br />1 container of your favorite BBQ sauce<br />hambuger buns<br /><br />Place your chicken in the bottom of your crock pot them add the whole jar of bbq sauce. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours then tear up with a fork and serve!!! Seriously thats all!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-42170954858988584812009-06-25T05:37:00.000-07:002009-06-25T05:55:01.618-07:00Noah's Monkey party!So this Saturday is Noah's 1st birthday party and his actually birthday was yesterday just FYI :) I decided to make his party decorations instead of buying them all and so far I have only spent $.68 on things that I didn't have but I know that will grow a little because I am running to the craft store today. :) Im hoping that I can show you pictures as soon as possible but my son has hidden the card reader for my camera's card! I got the inspiration from this blog<a href="http://creativepartiesandshowers.blogspot.com/2009/05/lil-monkey-party.html"></a>! Im really excited about how it will turn out and a little nervous about the cake but hopefully it will turn out better than I think it will!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-17786108357972882892009-06-24T17:06:00.001-07:002009-06-24T17:08:50.313-07:00Bilo Ad June 24thThank you Jenny at Southernsavers.com!!<br /><br />Buy One Get One Deals<br /><br />SH American Cheese Singles 12oz at $2<br />Pet Ice Cream 56oz at $4.99<br />Great Giant Co Tilapia Filets 16oz frozen Buy 1 Get 2<br />Steak-umm Burgers 32oz at $8.49<br /><br />Hoan Bamboo Skewers at $1.29<br />Moore’s Marinades 16oz at $2.63<br />Vlasic Pickles 10-24 oz at $1.69<br />Nabisco Snackwell Cookies 6.5-7.75oz at $3.29<br />SH Butter-Me-Not 10 ct at .89¢<br />Emerald Trail Mix 5-5.6oz at $2.39<br /><br />Lawry’s Seasoned Salt at $2.44<br />-.50/1 Lawry’s Spice Blends RP 5/17 (makes it .22¢ ea)<br /><br />Kraft Mayo or Miracle Whip 32oz at $4.29<br />-$1/2 Kraft Mayonnaise 24 oz or larger SS 6/21 (makes it $1.64 ea)<br /><br />Kraft Salad Dressing 14-16oz at $2.29<br />-$1 off Kraft Salad Dressing SS 6/21 (makes it .14¢ ea)<br /><br />Kraft BBQ Sauce at $1.39<br />-.55/1 Kraft Barbecue Sauce SS 6/14<br />-.75/1 Kraft Barbecue Sauce SS 6/14<br />(either coupon makes it FREE)<br /><br />Oscar Mayer Weiners or Beef Franks 14-16 oz at $3.29<br />-$1/2 Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs SS 6/21 (makes it $1.14 ea)<br /><br />Lloyd’s BBQ 18oz at $6.99<br />-$1 off Lloyd’s Ribs Or Lloyd’s Tub SS 5/17 (makes it $2.49 ea)<br />-.75/1 Lloyd’s Ribs Or Lloyd’s Tub SS 5/17<br /><br />Pop Secret Popcorn 6 pk at $3.49<br />-.50/2 Pop-Secret Microwave Popcorn SS 6/14<br />-$1/2 Pop-Secret Microwave Popcorn SS 6/14<br />(either coupon makes it $1.24 ea)<br /><br />Lawry’s 30 min Marinade 12oz at $2.44<br />-.50/1 Lawry’s Marinades RP 5/17 (makes it .22¢ ea)<br /><br />McCormick Grill Mates Blends or Seasoning Blends .7-3.4oz at $1.29<br />-.75/1 McCormick Spices RP 5/10<br />-.50/1 off McCormick Grill Mates RP 5/03<br />(either coupon makes it FREE)<br /><br />French’s Yellow mustard 20oz at $2.15<br />-.50/1 French’s Mustard SS 6/21 or printable (makes it .07¢ ea)<br />(get SH mustard free, scroll down for details)<br /><br />Dixie Ultra Plates 20ct at $2.65<br />-.50/1 Dixie or Dixie Ultra Paper Plates RP 5/10 (makes it .32¢ ea)<br /><br />Dixie Napkins 200 ct at $2.65<br />Free Dixie Napkins wyb (2) Dixie Ultra Plates May All You Mag.<br /><br />Hefty Plates 20-60 ct at $2.89<br />-.50/1 Hefty Plates or Bowls RP 6/21 (makes it .44¢ ea)<br />(Get SH Plates free, scroll down for details)<br /><br />Hefty Easy Grip Cups 20ct at $2.89<br />-.75/1 or $1.50/2 Hefty Cups RP 5/17 (makes it .44¢ ea)<br /><br /><br />Other Deals<br /><br />Red Ripe Strawberries 2lb $2.98<br />Walter’s white potatoes 5lb bag $2.99<br />Tropical Mangos .99each<br /><br />Fresh Split Chicken Breasts Bonus Pk .99 lb<br />Assorted Pork Loin Chops $1.69 lb<br />Boneless Sirloin Tip Roast $2.49 lb<br />Boneless NY Strip Steak bonus pk $6.99 lb<br />Pork Spare ribs $1.99 lb<br /><br />SH Pizza 20.5-32.7oz $2.98<br />Lip Lickin Fried Chicken Tenders $4.99 lb<br />Hormel Little Sizzlers Sausage links 12oz $1 ea<br />SH Yogurt Cups 6 oz .45 ea<br /><br />Borden Shredded Cheese 8oz $1.66 ea<br />Powerade 10pk 12oz bottles $3.50 ea<br />Coke 2 liter $1 ea<br /><br />Southern Home Original Bologna .89ea<br />Sunshine Cheez-its $2 ea<br /><br />Fresh Express Salad Blends 6-12oz $2 ea<br />-.55/2 Fresh Express Greens, Ruby Reds, or Gourmet Salads SS 6/14<br /><br />Johnsonville Smoked bratwurst or Italian sausage 13-16oz $2.99 ea<br />-.50/1 Johnsonville Smoked or Cooked Sausage SS 5/17 (makes it $1.99 ea)<br /><br />Hillshire Deli Select Sandwich meat 9-10oz $2.99 ea<br />-.35/1 Hillshire Deli Selects RP 6/07<br />-.55/2 Hillshire Lunch meat printable (IE) or printable (FF)<br /><br />Buitoni Fettuccine or Linguine $2 ea<br />-$1 off Buitoni Product printable (IE) or printable (FF)<br /><br />Crystal Light On the Go sticks 8-10ct or 6-8 quart canister $2.50 ea<br />-$1 off Crystal Light Drink Product printable (IE) or printable (FF)<br />-$2/2 Crystal Light Drink Mix printable<br /><br />General Mills Cereal Assorted Varieties $1.99 ea<br />-$1/2 General Mills Cereals, SS 6/14 or printable<br />-$1/3 General Mills Assorted Cereals SS 5/31<br />-.75/1 Fiber one printable<br /><br />General Mills Cereal Bars 5-6 ct, Milk N Cereal, Chex Mix, or Fiber One $2.50 ea<br />-$1 off General Mills Fiber One Cereal or Chewy Bars found on select packages<br />-.60/1 Chex Mix bars printable<br /><br />Edy’s Fruit Bars or Eskimo Pie Treats 6-12 ct $2.50 ea<br />-$1 off Eskimo Pie Item SS 5/31<br />-$1/2 Nestle Drumsticks or Eskimo Pie Frozen Snacks SS 6/14<br />-$1/2 Edy’s Dibs Frozen Snacks Or Edy’s Fruit Bars SS 6/14<br /><br />Land O lakes butter quarters 16oz or spreadable w/ Canola oil 15oz $3 ea<br />-.55/1 Land O Lakes Butter with Canola Oil product RP 5/31<br />-.55/1 Land O Lakes Butter with Canola Oil Product printable<br /><br />Daisy Sour cream 8oz reg or light $1 ea<br />-.60/1 Daisy Brand Sour Cream RP 5/31<br />-$1/2 Daisy Brand Sour Cream RP 5/31<br /><br />T. Marzetti strawberry or blueberry glaze 12.5-14oz $1.69 ea<br />-$1/2 T. Marzetti Dips, Dressings, or Croutons printable<br /><br />Shedd’s Country Crock spread $2 ea<br />-$1/2 Shedd’s Country Crock RP 5/17<br />-.25/1 Shedd’s Country Crock RP 5/17<br />-.35/1 Shedd’s Country Crock RP 5/17<br /><br />Hunt’s Ketchup 24oz .99 ea<br />-.20/1 Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup SS 6/21<br />-$1/2 Hunt’s Ketchup SS 5/10<br /><br />McCormick Grinders $1.88 ea<br />-$1 off McCormick Black Pepper or Garlic RP 5/10<br />-.75/1 off any McCormick Spice or Herb RP 4/05<br /><br />Luzianne Tea 24ct family size reg or green tea excludes decaf $1.50 ea<br />-.60/1 Luzianne Tea Bags SS 6/21<br /><br />Pam Cooking spray $2.50 ea<br />-$1/2 Pam Cooking Spray SS 6/21<br />-.35/1 Pam Cooking Spray SS 6/21<br /><br />Crisco Cooking Oil 48oz $2.50 ea<br />-.55/1 Crisco Oil RP 6/07<br /><br />Aquafresh premium toothpaste $2 ea<br />-$1/2 Aquafresh Premium Toothpastes SS 6/21<br />-$1 off Aquafresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste printable<br /><br />Purex 2X liquid laundry det. 50oz $3 ea<br />-$1 off Purex Detergent found in select stores<br />-.35/1 Purex Ultra Concentrate SS 6/14<br /><br />Reynold’s heavy duty aluminum foil 50 sq ft $3 ea<br />-.55/1 Reynold’s Aluminum Foil SS 6/07 or printable (IE) or printable (FF)<br /><br />Scott Bath Tissue 8 rolls or Natural 8 Mega rolls $5.50 ea<br />-$1 off Scott Extra Soft Tissue SS 5/17, 6/14 printable or printable<br /><br />Scott Paper Towels 8 reg or 6 Mega rolls naturals $5.50 ea<br />-$1 off Scott Naturals Paper Towels SS 5/17<br /><br />**New** Buy Theirs Get Ours Free<br /><br />Buy Carolina Pride Beef Franks, Get SH Beef Franks FREE, 16 oz<br /><br />Buy Shedd’s Country Crock Deluxe Recipe Sides 23-24 oz., Get SH Heat & Serve Sides FREE<br />-$1 off Shedd’s Side Dishes RP 4/05 (exp 6/28)<br /><br />Buy French’s Classic Yellow Mustard 14 oz, Try SH Classic Yellow Mustard 16 oz FREE<br />-.50/1 French’s Mustard SS 6/21 or printable (B1G1 this week!!)<br /><br />Buy Hefty Everyday Styrofoam Plates, Try SH Foam Plates FREE, 50 ct<br />-.50/1 Hefty Plates or Bowls RP 6/21 (B1G1 this week!!)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-86588124184954655972009-06-24T06:08:00.000-07:002009-06-24T06:11:14.624-07:00Publix ad 6/24Buy One Get One Deals<br /><br />Curly’s Chicken or Pork With BBQ Sauce, 18 oz at $5.69<br />-.50/1 off any Curly’s BBQ printable<br /><br />Oscar Mayer Beef Franks, 16 oz pkg, at $3.99<br />Free Oscar Mayer Franks home mailer<br />-$1/2 Oscar Mayer Franks printable<br />-$1 off OM Franks SS 4.19, 5/10, 6/21 or Kraft Food & Family June 09<br /><br />Mt Olive Pickles, 16 to 46 oz, at $2.79<br />-.50/1 or Mt Olive product in store dispenser (if doubled makes it ea)<br />(note: look at bar code to see if coupon will double - if it starts with a 5 it will double, if a 9 it will not double)<br /><br />Claussen Pickles or Spear or Sauerkraut, at $2.89<br />-$1/2 Claussen Pickles SS 5/10<br />-.75/1 Claussen Pickles SS 5/10<br /><br />Kraft Barbecue Sauce, at $1.49<br />-$1 off Kraft BBQ Sauce printable<br />-.75/1 Kraft BBQ Sauce SS 6/14<br /><br />Lawry’s 30 Minutes Marinade, at $2.85<br />-.50/1 Lawry’s Marinades RP 5/17<br /><br />French’s Classic Yellow Mustard Squeeze Bottle, 14-oz bot at $1.89<br />-.35/1 French’s Classic Yellow Mustard SS 5/10<br />-.50/1 French’s Classic Yellow Mustard SS 5/10, 6/21 or printable<br /><br />Lipton Family Size Tea bags, Ice Tea Brew, 24-ct box (Excluding Decaf) at $2.15<br />-$1 off any Lipton Tea Product “Family is it’s Own Reward” Booklet<br />-.60/1 Lipton Tea Bags RP 5/17 <br />-.75/2 Lipton Tea Bags RP 5/17<br /><br />Post Cereal, Selects, Grape Nuts, Grape Nuts Flakes, or Trail Mix Crunch, at $4.19<br />-$1/2 Post Shredded Wheat, Grape Nuts or Raisin Bran SS 6/21<br /><br />Kellogg’s Cereal: Frosted Flakes, Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, or Froot Loops at $4.39<br />-$1 off any Kellogg’s Cereal RP 6/07<br /><br />Land O Lakes Spread, Fresh Buttery Taste, or Soft Margarine, at $1.89<br />$.55/1 off Land O Lakes Spread printable<br /><br />Breyers Ice Cream, at $4.99<br />-.75/1 off Breyers RP 5/17<br />-$1.50/1 Breyer’s “Family is its own Reward” booklet<br /><br />McCormick Pure Ground Black Pepper, at $3.59<br />-$1 off McCormick Black Pepper RP 5/10, 4/05 <br />-$1 off McCormick Spice RP 4/05 or “Save Money, Save the Planet” Booklet (exp 6/30)<br /><br />Crystal Light Drink or On the Go Mix at $3.99<br />-$2/2 Crystal Lights mixes printable<br />-$1 off Crystal Light printable<br />-$2/1 Crystal Light July All You<br /><br />Ragu Pasta Sauce, at $2.19<br />-$1/2 Ragu Pasta Sauce printable (IE) or printable (FF) <br />-.75/1 Ragu Sauce “Family is it’s Own Reward” booklet<br /><br />Kraft Velveeta Cheese, at $5.39<br />-$1 off Velveeta printable<br /><br />Emerald Deluxe Mixed Nuts or Almonds or Cashews, at $5.79<br />-$1.50/2 Emerald Glazed Nuts SS 5/17<br /><br />Tostitos Tortilla Chips, at $4.99<br />-$1 off Tostitos Dip wyb (2) Tostitos Chips tearpad<br /><br />Nabisco Ritz Crackers, at $3.49<br />FREE Nabisco Wheat Thins Crackers Variety wyb (1) Ritz Crackers SS 5/17<br />-$1 off Ritz Crackers printable<br /><br />Arm & Hammer Toothpaste, at $2.99<br />-$1 off Arm & Hammer Toothpaste printable<br /><br />Kotex Pantyliners, 40 to 64-ct pkg or Tampons, 18-ct pkg at $3.19<br />-$1.50/2 Kotex Lightdays printable<br />-$1.50/2 Kotex Tampons printable<br />-.75/1 off Kotex Lightdays Pantiliners, 34ct+ SS 6/14<br />-$1 off Kotex Pads SS 6/14<br />-.75/1 off Kotex Security Tampons, 18ct+ SS 6/14r<br /><br />Lysol Disinfectant Spray Cleaner, All Purpose, at $2.69<br />-.50/1 Lysol All Purpose SS 6/07 or printable<br /><br />Mangos at $1<br />Betty Crocker Potatoes, at $1.59<br />Green Giant Canned Vegetables, 4 pk, at $4.99<br />Trident or Stride Gum, 4 pk, at $4.29<br /><br />Other Deals<br /><br />Milk 1 gallon, $2.25 to $2.99<br />Northwest Cherries $2.49lb<br />Baking Potatoes, 5 lb bag, $2.49 ea<br />-$2 off $5 in produce printable (Food Lion)<br /><br />Pork Spareribs $1.69 lb<br />Whole Boneless Pork Loin $1.99 lb<br />7-Bone Chuck Pot Roast $2.69 lb<br />Boston Butt Roast $1.79 lb<br />Medium White Shrimp, 41 to 50ct $4.99 lb<br /><br />Tennessee Pride Sausage Roll, $2.50 ea<br />-$1 off any Tennessee Pride product and ground beef RP 6/21<br /><br />Publix Hot Family Combo Meal: $8.99<br />Rotisserie or 8 -piece Mixed Fried Chicken, (2) 16 oz sides, & (1) Rolls 4 pk<br />-$3 off $10 Deli or Bakery printable (Food Lion)<br /><br />Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice, $3 ea<br />-$1/2 Tropicana Orange Juice RP 5/03 <br /><br />Maries Dressing, $2/50 ea<br />-$1 off Maries Dressing SS 5/31<br /><br />Nestle Coffee-mate Flavored Creamers, 32 oz $2.50 ea<br />-.50/1 Nestle Coffee-Mate June All You, Mag.<br />-$1.50/2 Nestle Coffee-Mate printable<br /><br />Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Bread, 24 oz $1.99<br />-.75/1 Pepperidge Farm Bread printable (Target)<br />-.55/1 any Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain SS 6/14<br /><br />King’s Hawaiian Rolls, $2.50 ea<br />-$1/2 Kings Hawaiian June or July All You <br />-.75/1 Kings Hawaiian printable<br /><br />Sara Lee Desserts, 50% off<br />-$1 off Sara Lee Simple Sweets RP 4/19<br />-$1 off Sara Lee Simple Sweets Pie or Bites RP 6/07<br />-$1 off Sara Lee Cheesecake Item RP 5/17<br /><br />Bird’s Eye Steamfresh Frozen Vegetables, or Corn on the Cobb, 4 ct, 50% off<br />-$1/2 Birds Eye Steamfresh Veges in store dispenser<br /><br />Contessa Frozen Cooked Shrimp, 8 to 24-oz bag (Excluding Boxed Raw Items) 50% OFF<br />-$1.50/2 Contessa Shrimp products printable<br /><br />Bertolli Skillet Dinner or Oven Bake Meals, $4.99 ea<br />-$1.25 off Bertolli Meals RP 6/07<br />-$1.50 off Bertolli Meals printable<br />-$2.50 off Bertolli Meals “Family is it’s Own Reward” booklet<br /><br />Capri Sun Drinks or Roarin’ Waters, 10 pack, $2 ea<br />-.75/1 Capri Sun product Kraft Food & Family June 09t<br />-$1 off any Capri Sun Sunrise Product SS 4/19<br /><br />Pepsi Products, 12 pk cans, Buy 4 Get 1 Free<br /><br />Maxwell House or Seattle’s Best Coffee, $5.49 ea<br />-$2/2 Maxwell House printable<br />-$1.50 off Seattle’s Best printable (limit reached)<br /><br />Nature Valley Granola Bars, Chex Mix Bars or Milk ‘n Cereal, $2 ea<br />-$1 off Yoplait wyb Nature Valley Granola Bars SS 6/14<br />-.75/2 Nature Valley Bars SS 5/31 or printable<br />-.60/1 Chex Mix Bars printable, printable or printable<br /><br />Pringles Potato Crisps,$1.33 ea<br />-$1/2 Pringles Chips PG 5/17<br />-.50/1 Pringles Chips PG 6/07 f<br /><br />Nabisco Chips Ahoy! Cookies, $2.50 ea<br />-.55/1 Nabisco Chips Ahoy! SS 5/17<br />-$1/2 any Nabisco product SS 4/19 (Target)<br /><br />Gerber Graduates or 2nd Foods $1 ea<br />-.55/2 or .75/1 Gerber Foods home mailers<br /><br />Slim Fast Optima Shake 12 pk $9.99 ea<br />-$1.25 off Slim Fast RP 5/17<br />-$1 off Sloim Fast RP 4/05<br />Various Slim Fast printables<br /><br />One A Day Muiltivitamins, $6.99 ea<br />-$2.50/1 One A Day Vitamins Publix Family Style, May ‘09<br />-$2 off any One A Day products SS 6/14<br />-$1 off One A Day printable<br /><br />Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner, $2 ea<br />-$.50/1 Lysol Toilet Cleaner SS 6/07 or printable<br />(this is not the lowest price but is good if you need it)<br /><br />Charmin Bathroom Tissue,6 to 12 roll $6.49 ea<br />-.50/1 Charmin Tissue SS 6/21 (Target)<br />-.25/1 Charmin Tissue PG 6/07<br /><br />Glad Tall Kitchen Bags or Trash Bags, 25 to 80 ct, $5.49 ea<br />-$1 off Glad, Force Flex Trash Bags, printable (IE) or printable (FF)<br /><br />In Ad Coupons<br /><br />$2.50 Off GE Energy Smart Compact Fluorescent Lighting Product, up to 6 ct<br />-$1 off GE Lights SS 4/19 or April All You Mag. or printable<br /><br />Purchase 1 lb or More of Boar’s Head Turkey Breast and get 1/4 lb of Boar’s Head American Cheese<br />-$3 off $10 Deli purchase FL printableAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-5503222875750770772009-06-23T20:17:00.000-07:002009-06-23T20:23:09.194-07:00Wanna Win 5 new Fridgidaire Appliances???Go here http://www.mymotherload.net/prizes.html and register then tell them 5 things that you would do with an extra hour!!! I have about 50 but I had to narrow is down to 5 :) If you send to 5 friends you will be entered again AND if you play the daily dare you will be entered one more time each day you take the dare! I cannot tell you how bad I want to win this!! I never really win anything so I am hoping my luck comes in with this one!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2723488913536908197.post-78887907862749857892009-06-20T06:11:00.000-07:002009-06-20T06:23:44.128-07:00Potty Training Success!!So when I decided to start potty training I honestly thought it was the scariest thing ever!! And after really going at it for a little over a month we have had success!!! Conner is not telling us when he needs to go and hasn't had an accident in a few weeks!! I am so proud of my growing littel boy! He is sleeping in his big boy bed and now slides off and knocks on the door in the morning which is sooo funny!! Now I need to just teach him how to open the door and go downstairs to watch cartoons!! He is still wearing a pull up at night and during naps just in case but he normally waits till he gets up to go potty. So we have been reusing a few pull ups which has really cut down on diaper costs! Since Noah will be one next week I officially have another year then we will get Noah potty trained and NO MORE DIAPERS!! <br /><br />Hubs and I have decided that we could possible start trying for another baby next Christmas which means a baby in September of 2011! Man that seems so wierd! But Conner will be 4 and Noah 3 so that makes a pretty good age difference. I have kinda been going through baby and pregnancy withdrawl but thankfully to the Mirena I can't skip a pill! :) Not that I would because honestly even though I maybe going through withdrawl I really DON'T want another baby at the moment. Noahs been walking and its so fun to watch him get so excited with himself!! His birthday party is next Saturday so looks for those pictures Sunday or Monday!!<br /><br />I hope everyone has a wonderful Father's day!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16337599288045110586noreply@blogger.com0