To Do Tuesday (OCT. 27)

wash/dry/fold/put away laundry (6 loads!)
wash dishes
Nehemiah 10 for mentoring
vaccum living room
vaccum sam's room
carve pumpkins
mentoring

Christmas came early for me!!

We were getting ready to eat dinner last night when we heard the unmistakable sound of the UPS truck outside. Our family loves when the "big brown truck" comes. 90% of the time they are delivering something I've won online and I always share :). This time was no different. It was a big white box that was pretty hefty for its size. I tore into it and found my amazing win from the fall festival courtesy of snafood: a dozen fairytale brownies and a jar of carmel sauce!!!!!!! Think that's too many exclamation points? Well, then you've never tried a fairytale brownie. I am in no way exaggerating. I wasn't asked, bribed or paid to write this. I won these from a random giveaway and loved them so much, I had to share them with all of my readers. What's so great about them? Let me count the ways....

1. Speed. This is the fastest company I've ever won anything from. The period from winning to eating was MAYBE a week. My prizes have never come that quickly before. I don't complain about the wait or anything because, hey, they're free. These people were on the ball though. And I like that in a company.

2. Presentation. It really did feel like Christmas when I opened the packing box. Inside was a lovely jar of carmel sauce wrapped in tissue paper and a box with a gorgeous fall scene on it. When I opened the box there was a nice note and more pretty paper. There was also a catalog in the box so I can order more brownies---which I will ABSOLUTELY be doing for Christmas gifts!!

3. Here's the best part---Taste! These are the freshest, moistest brownies I have ever tasted! I love to bake and I love brownies but I have never had anything that came close to these tasty treats.

There was one of each of the 12 flavors: original (nothing original about it--DELICIOUS!), pecan (with whole, fresh pecans on top), walnut (I love brownies with nuts but can't usually make them because Chris doesn't), espresso nib (HEAVEN!!!), mint (austin's favorite!), white chocolate (i don't even like white chocolate stuff and I enjoyed these!), caramel, raspberry swirl, chocolate chip, peanut butter, cream cheese and toffee crunch. i haven't tried the last 6 yet, that's why there aren't any comments by them.

On the label of the caramel sauce (which is so good, it's sinful) are the phrases "luscious beginnings, fairytale endings" and "a taste so enchanting, it could only be called...fairytale". I couldn't agree more!

20 random q's about me

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging? i'm not much of a snacker. i like to drink a homemade latte with whipped cream though :D
2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without? God. my faith is what keeps me sane most of the time!!
3. Beach, Mountains or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice? farm! i know it would be a lot of work, but so rewarding!
4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty? dishes! i do dishes 3 or 4 times a day and there is still always something in the sink.
5. Who do people say you remind them of? used to be winnie from the wonder years
6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying at home with the fam? i like a good balance of both. i love to be at home with my family but once a month or so a good get together is refreshing.
7. What's your all time favorite movie? the wizard of oz!
8. Do you sleep in your make up or remove it like a good girl every night? ummm....i don't really wear makeup. on the rare occasions i do wear it, i usually leave it on.
9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it? i'd love to fluently speak spanish and make great scrapbooks.
10. What's one strange thing you're really good at? memorizing the annoying songs on childrens videos?
11. What first attracted you to your spouse? his uniquness. he didn't care what anyone thought. he was his own person.
12. What is something you love to smell? there are so many things: coffee, homemade foods on the stove/in the oven/crockpot, clean pampers, a new magazine, a new babies head, my daughters washed hair.
13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people. i'm loud. there are many times when i am irritated and people have said "you don't need to yell at me!" and i'm like "i'm not yelling! i'm ALWAYS this loud!" they just seem to notice it when i'm mad i guess?
14. When you have extra money (HA!) what's the first thing you think to do with it? eat out. we very rarely eat out so it is a splurge when we do.
15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest? LOUD!! and obnoxious. LOL! my kids make me laugh the most.
16. Where is your favorite place to shop? anywhere there is a sale! i LOVE getting a good deal. especially if i can use coupons and a sale together. that's the best! if i have to pick a store though, i enjoy aldi for groceries and walmart for other stuff.
17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time? study my Bible scrapbook
18. Are you a big spender or frugal? frugal. isn't everyone with any sense?
19. Who is your favorite character of all time (from a movie or book)? (Can't be real) at this time probably bella from the twilight novels.
20. Would you want to be famous? no because then everything you do is looked at under a microscope. as a mom, that would be terrible! it's hard enough when you make parenting mistakes--who needs the world to judge them too???

Menu Plan Monday

Monday
breakfast: cheerios w/ milk; vanilla yogurt
lunch: cajun chicken ceasar salad on wheat tortillas; honeydew melon; 1 cup milk; 1 mini snickers
dinner: chicken and veggie stirfry; brown rice; 1 c milk; 2 rolls
2 snacks: grapes; chips
Tuesday
breakfast: 1 hard boiled egg; orange; wheat toast w/ butter; milk
lunch: grilled cheese; tomato soup; wheat crackers; apple; cup of milk
dinner: grilled chicken with peppers; lentil soup; chips; salsa
2 snacks: chocolate pudding; orange; pretzels
Wednesday
breakfast: cheerios w/ milk; yogurt
lunch: loaded baked potatoes; apple; granola bar
dinner: pork chops; brown rice; carrots; green beans; cottage cheese; applesauce; roll
2 snacks: strawberries; popcorn; cupcake
Thursday
breakfast: hard boiled eggs; orange; wheat toast w/ butter; cup of milk
lunch: turkey sandwiches; pretzels; pear; cup of milk
dinner: wheat spaghetti w/ meat sauce; broccoli; wheat bread; apple
2 snacks: fig newtons; apple; graham crackers
Friday
breakfast: cheerios w/ milk; yogurt
lunch: chicken chef salad; 2 rolls; orange; wheat crackers; cup of milk
dinner: pork tenderloin; brown rice; broccoli; roll w/ butter
2 snacks: fig newtons; grapes; pretzels
Saturday
breakfast: cheerios w/ milk
lunch: pbj; chips; bananas
dinner: eat out for sweetest day <3
2 snacks: animal crackers; pudding

10 on tuesday ~ 10 things I want, but can't afford

this was way too easy to do. am i getting greedy?

1. new livingroom furniture (the kids and cat would just tear it up again anyway.)
2. a new car (one that doesn't have a leaky sunroof)
3. a week long vacation to maine (with a hotel suite, a rental car and spending $$)
4. a new computer (with a fast internet connection and a great graphics card)
5. a camcorder (to capture at least one of my kids' first's)
6. a contractor to remodel our house (i don't want to move, but our house lacks a lot)
7. the best curriculum bought brand new for the rest of our school years (hey, a girl can dream...)
8. the new addition built onto the church (we are $150k short as of now)
9. a gym in my home (but i guess i couldn't buy the time to use it anyway...)
10. new beds for my family (a nice big king size for us, a new full for austin, a twin for sam, a princess canopy for sophie and a nice crib that turns into a toddler bed for maggie.)

To Do Tuesday ~ Oct. 6

this is my first to-do tuesday. i'm just going to do my list for today. then i'll check back tomorrow with what i accomplished.

1. wash all the laundry (about 5 loads)
2. fold all the laundry and put away.
3. make cheese enchiladas.
4. get olive garden for mentoring tonight.
5. scrub the bathtub.
6. start planning LIFE meeting.
7. write blog for bzz campaign on softsoap.
8. clean out my inbox.
9. go through the box of clothes in the livingroom and put away.
10. get out halloween decorations.

Simple Woman's Day Book ~ Oct 5

Outside my window... the sun is finally shining :)

I am thinking... i can't wait for the kids to go to bed. i want to watch a movie with my hubby :)

I am thankful for... my wonderful in-laws (most of them anyway...)

I am wearing...red t-shirt, blue sweater, black yoga pants and pebbles socks

I am remembering... everything i need to get done today

I am going... to eat a REALLY tasty apple later. it has carmel, chocolate, almonds and coconut on it!

I am reading... "keeping my childrens hearts" by the maxwells

I am hoping... we get to go to maine this year.

On my mind... i really need to set up a schedule so i don't waste so much time on here.

From the learning rooms... starting the last history lifepac! 3 more weeks and we will be starting mystery of history.

Noticing that... maggie is starting to sleep less and needs to be stimulated more.

Pondering these words... i can do all things through christ who strengthens me.

From the kitchen... chili, chicken noodle soup, biscuits, homemade goodies---it must be fall!

Around the house... i need to clean!!!

One of my favorite things~ carmel apples!

sunday stealing (on a monday)

The Starrlight Meme

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth? coffee

2. Where was your profile picture taken? my hallway

3. Can you play Guitar Hero? never tried--never want to

4. Name someone who made you laugh today. What was it about? samuel, because he is such a suck up when he wants something.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why? 11 pm because we were out of town then had to come home and get everyone settled in bed and feed maggie.

6. If you could move somewhere else where would you and why? i don't want to move anywhere else.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks? yup :)

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you? shelly

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends? With benefits? no

10. Do you like Dr. Pepper? yes

11. When was the last time you cried really hard? Really hard as opposed to just sniveling? when i thought about maggie being my last baby

12. Who took your profile picture? chris

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of? maggie

14. Was yesterday better than today? Why? everyday is good in its own way.

15. Can you live a day without TV? sure. i do it every sunday.

16. Are you upset about anything now? nope

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? always

18. Are you a bad influence? i hope not.

19. Night out or night in? night in

20. What items could you not go without during the day? computer

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? i can't remember

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say? i don't text

23. How do you feel about your life right now? a little stressed

24. Do you hate anyone? hate is a bad word

25. If we were to look in your Facebook inbox, what would we find? one message from my cousin.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass? yes

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before? yes

28. What song is stuck in your head?none

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2 a.m., whom do you want it to be? i don't know but it better be an emergency!

30. Do you (or did you) want to have grandkids before you’re 50? if my kids are married.

31. Tell us your Saturday night. homegroup. pizza, prayer and fellowship.

32. Do you think too much or too little? probably too much.

33. Do you smile a lot? usually

Menu Plan Monday~ October 5

Sunday: Quaker steak and lube with the in-laws.

Monday: chili and biscuits

Tuesday: my family will be eating cheese enchiladas, refried beans and rice. i will be having olive garden with my mentoring group.

Wednesday: pizza, salad and cake

Thursday: chicken noodle soup and saltines

Friday: spaghetti, salad and garlic bread

Saturday: tune helper, mashed potatoes and green beans

Obama is so terrible, even snl is making fun of him!!

Friday 5~story

1. Which of your stories have you probably told the greatest number of times to the most people? probably my birth stories. i like reliving my labor, deliveries and first days with my babies.
2. What’s a story someone else often tells about you, much to your chagrin? austin likes to tell embarrassing stories about me a lot. example: when i beat a video game and it was way lame. i stood up and said "that's a bunch of crap" but when i said crap, a huge burp came out.
3. What oft-told story from a chapter in your life seems to be remembered differently by different people who were there? pretty much my entire childhood is seem differently from my mother's p.o.v.
4. What are some of the details, without retelling the whole story, of a story you’ve told often but never to your parents? i don't really think there is one.
5. What song would be an appropriate soundtrack to the story of your most embarrassing moment? "sleepwalker"

Friday Fill-ins #144

1. I have a history of _repeating my mistakes____.

2. ___Why teenagers act the way they do__ is something I wish I knew.

3. I'm eating (or recently ate) ___tortilla chip pie. sam actually ate it only because it had the word pie in it___.

4. ___I don't like to talk when I am driving____ on the road.

5. So that's it, that's __the way it's gonna be__.

6. __Something is___ better than nothing!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to scouting out coupon matchups online to use tomorrow, tomorrow my plans include grocery shopping and home group and Sunday, I want to go to my father-in-laws church and then PA!

13 websites I love

1. yahoo.com (gotta check my email!)

2. facebook.com (gotta see what my friends and family are up to. oh, and check my farm of course :D )

3. bzzagent.com (click on the widget in my sidebar to check it out!)

4. momdot.com (i've just started visiting but it's a great place for blogger moms)

5. online-sweepstakes.com (this site started my love affair with giveaways)

6. becentsable.net (their grocery gathering is the best place to find blogs with lists of the current best deals in stores!)

7. thepioneerwoman.com (this woman is funny and makes the best food i've ever seen!)

8. caffeinatedthoughts.com (great place for conservatives to get the news!)

9. http://www.wepl.lib.oh.us/ (my local library website. i'm a library nut. i have my library card number memorized. i know. i'm special.)

10. neopets.com (i don't get to go on there much anymore but i am directly responsible for getting my sister and my son hooked : P )

11. 100daystochristmas.com (it's just around the corner!)

12. bfads.net (the greatest site for black friday ads!)

13. mommysavers.com (great site for freebies, coupons, recipes, talking to other moms...something for everyone!)

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