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Friday, December 19, 2008

DVD Winner- Pingu

And the lucky winner for the Pingu South Pole Adventure DVD is.....


.........Pam! Congrats, please e-mail me your address. I will try to get this to you soon! I hope that you and Jack enjoy it.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Winner: Snow Days DVD

Congrats, Andria!! You are the winner of the Hit Favorites: Snow Days DVD. Please e-mail me your address, and I'll make sure that goes out to you soon! I hope that you and the kids enjoy it.

DVD Review & Giveaway: Pingu's South Pole Adventures

Have you met Pingu yet? He's an interesting fellow. He is a mischievous little penguin who is always looking for trouble....errr....adventure. There are so many things that a little penguin can do in the good ole South Pole. In Pingu's South Pole Adventures Pingu meets up with the Abominable Snowman. He does many other fun things too.

Zachariah enjoyed this DVD with the funny penguin. It puts me in mind of the Shaun the Sheep DVD that we viewed not long before. There is little to no talking going on, and it is really silly comedy. But I believe it is fun for the target audience of children ages 2-8.


Would you like to win this DVD for a child in your life? Lucky you, I have one to give away. To enter just leave a comment telling me your favorite winter sport (mine is probably figure skating- to watch and not participate in). Make sure that I have a valid e-mail address, so I can contact you when you win. If you'd like a second entry, just link to this contest on your blog and come leave another comment (that counts for the second entry). The contest will end Friday, December 19th at 11:00 PM EST.
Stick around for more giveaways. I have two more I will be posting soon. And I'm not leaving the contests open for too long, because I'm hoping that you'll get the videos sooner that way.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Help! I can't make this decision on my own!

If you didn't know yet, I won a pair of shoes (or anything from their website) from Keen. Jen at Absolutely Bananas is my new best friend. Go give her a hug for me. Keen has all sort of lovely things like shoes for the whole family, socks, and bags (above- Laurel: Port Royale-Beet Red).






I could get a cool pair of shoes that would look great on Matt (see above- Bandon Shoe WP: pinecone), or I could get Zachariah the most rockin' pair of toddler sneakers (below- Targhee: dark gull gray/old gold).





But let's be honest. I won this prize, so it's going to be all about me! I don't very often do nice things for myself, and this is my chance. (below- Wasatch Crest WP: cloud blue/lunar rock)


I could get myself some shoes or a bag (see the cute one above or check out the other neat ones on their site). But I truly need some new shoes. (below- Ventura Suede: pinecone)






Most of the time I wear tennis shoes. Nothing fancy, just some Sketchers I picked up on sale. I have worn my current pair day in and day out for two years now. They are due for replacement soon. (below- Targhee II: charcoal/warm olive)
But let's be real. I truly want a pair of cute shoes just because! I was looking to replace a pair of black, chunky, dressy/casual shoes anyway, so I think that's more of what I'm leaning towards.

And here's where you come in. I need your help to decide.

These (below- Calistoga: Orion Blue) are so adorable! I love the style, and I really like the blue. Problem is that for Christmas my mom ordered me a pair of shoes from Land's End that are blue.


So that makes me think about these black ones with the little flowery things. Cute cute cute! I think these are my second place choice right now (below- Calistoga: black).


Then these (below- Palermo MJ: black) are my first place choice. These are the ones the I told Jen that I would choose, but I thought I might change my mind. After looking at all of the options, I'm still strongly leaning towards these. They are really cute, and I think I could wear them with jeans and my black corduroy pants (which is what I wear everywhere about 85% of the time- jeans or corduroys). I'm hoping these look kinda-dressy and casual...that's what I'm going for.


Here is what I want from you. What would you choose? Keep in mind my opinions and options here. I'm definitely leaning towards my first or second choice. Pick one of those or talk me into something else.
1. Calistoga: black
2. Palemro MJ: black
3. One of the tennis shoe options (which ones?)
4. Something else that I haven't considered that I must have
Go forth and vote! Your opinion is needed and valued. I'm also going to run these by my mom and grandma when they are here tomorrow (they both have good taste). Plus I may run to the store here in town that carries these shoes to try a few on and see them in person. That may sway my decision too.

DVD Review & Giveaway: Snow Days

So, I've been winning (or at least getting nice things) left and right this week. First I got a $100 gift card (from a friend), then I won a book from CP at 3 Giraffes, and finally I got free shoes! (I totally need your input and advice about the shoes. I'm composing a blog post for later about that- complete with photos.)

Now it's your turn! I have several reviews/giveaways that I want to get done before Christmas. To be honest I wanted to get them done over the last two week but that didn't happen, so here we are now. I can't guarantee that the winners will get these before Christmas, but hopefully they will get them soon after at least.

*****

Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment have done it again. This time they've put together a collection of fun preschool oriented shows about SNOW. HIT Favorites: Snow Days is now available online and in stores.

This DVD includes episodes from Barney, Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina, Fireman Sam, Pingu, and a bonus episode from Fifi and the Flowertots. There are shows about Christmas, Santa, Christmas trees, winter, hockey, sledding, and more.

We enjoyed this DVD. I love the collections of videos with a theme like this. It gives Zachariah a chance to see all his favorite characters in one place and have fun celebrating the season.

I am going to give away one copy of this DVD. You can enter by leaving a comment here telling me what your favorite Christmas movie is. Mine is Christmas Vacation, we watch it every year and can't stop laughing. You can earn a second entry by linking to this giveaway on your blog, then come back here and leave another comment so I know you linked (that will be your second entry). Make sure that I have a valid e-mail for you (many of you who read regularly, I already have yours so now worries), so I can notify you when you win. Contest ends at 11:00PM EST Thursday, December 18th, so hurry and enter now! Good luck!

**And come back later to tell me which shoes I should get.**

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I love shoes!

I didn't get any new computers, but Mama just got a new pair of shoes! Ehhh! I'm practically squealing here. (I really would, but the kiddo is napping and I don't want to wake him.)

I just won Jen at Absolutely Bananas' Keen shoe giveaway!!!

I can't see it in the link for that post, but if you go to her main page and scroll down to the giveaway you can see the picture of the shoe I said I liked. I don't know yet if that's what I'll choose. There are so many options. I can tell you it will definitely be a shoe I get. And it will be just for me. I need a new pair of shoes anyway, and I was already thinking about using my gift card to get some. But now I can use that money for other things.

To be honest, I was just talking to my husband about winning this. The Keen's shoes are so nice. I don't think I've ever owned a pair of shoes so nice. Right now I'm wearing tennis shoes that are 2 years old and starting to come apart (but they still work), and I wear them every day. And the only other pair of shoes that I really have are black dressy ones I wear to church and other nicer events, and I just found out that they are falling apart and that's why they were hurting my feet.

So help me out here. What should I pick from Keen? I can pick anything from their website! Whew, I can see that I'm going to spend hours online tonight picking out the right shoe.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Tis the season, right?

Christmas presents bought - check
Staff Christmas luncheon & gift exchange - check
Ingredients for Christmas goodies - check
Child's Christmas presents hidden - check
Internet shopping done & delivered - check


Things yet to do:
*Bake cookies, candies, goodies
*Matt's staff Christmas luncheon (what to make)
*Small group Christmas potluck (not for another week)
*Wrap Christmas gifts
*Get yarn for baby blankets that need crocheted soon!
*Get new toddler bed from my sister's house
*Post new DVD reviews/giveaways (so far behind)
*Post 10 more times before the end of the year to reach 500th post goal


OK, so my to do list is longer than my finished list. Well, as much as I can think of. I have gotten a lot more done, but those are the big things.


Now a question for you. Say that you received an early Christmas gift. It's a prepaid Visa card for $100. You can do whatever you want with it. What would YOU spend it on?? (I rarely have spending money like this, especially this much at once.)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Christmas Toy DVD Winner

Wow, has it been busy around here. So sorry. I owe a winner a prize. I finally drew a winner for The Christmas Toy DVD.

The lucky winner for The Christmas Toy DVD is................ #4...

Sarah at No Whey, Mama! Congrats!

Sarah, I already have your address, so I will have that sent right out to you. Enjoy!

Please come back for more reviews and giveaways. I have some that I need to do soon. I had anticipated doing more last week, but some other things came up that kept me off of the computer (surprise house guest for 2 days, Christmas caroling in the freezing cold, church meetings, etc.). So I'm trying to catch up on everything this week. Bear with me please.

Monday, December 8, 2008

More free shoes?

Wow, I can't resist signing up for more shoe giveaways. Go visit Absolutely Bananas for your chance to win too.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

DVD Review & Giveaway: The Christmas Toy

This DVD was so much fun. The Christmas Toy is a Jim Henson movie from the 1980s. Talk about stepping back into my childhood. Wow! I'm pretty sure I saw this movie as a young child, it seemed really familiar.

All the puppets and toys are fun and lovable as all Jim Henson's characters are. They are anticipating Christmas. And the movie is about what new toys might join them. Of course this makes other toys feel left out and jealous. But it's a great life lesson in the end for kids of all ages.

Zachariah is in love with all things Christmas right now. The Christmas Toy has been a great holiday video around here. All the cute little toys and animals and dollies are fun to watch and enjoy.

If you love holiday movies, this is a must have for your collection. I can see that we will enjoy this one for years to come (if we don't wear it out first). It is recommended for ages 2-8 (which is pretty broad), but I think adults will like it as well (especially if you are a child of the 80s).

You can find this movie for purchase here, here, and here, and in stores everywhere.

OR you can win this DVD here! I'm so happy to have a copy available to give away. I know that your kids (and your inner kid) will love this movie.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me what your favorite Christmas decoration is/was now or as a child (be sure your e-mail address is available or at least I have it from before). If you'd like a second entry, you can link to this post on your blog. Then come back here and leave another comment with the link to your blog post.

I will be drawing a winner on Saturday, December 6th at 3:00 PM EST and announcing the winner here. Best of luck, and stay tuned for more DVD reviews and giveaway.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Fun fun fun

I was trying to figure out how to give away some more DVDs. I have 5 more sitting here to review. I wanted to see if I could get them all done in the next week or so. I want to make sure that you get prizes now...before Christmas, and maybe you'll find some Christmas ideas in the process too. So, this will be review/giveaway crazy in the next week or so (not sure how many I want to post at once). The giveaways will be shipping right from the company (to save me shipping). Hurray! I'm so happy about that. Now I'm ready to commence giving away!

Also, sometime soon I need to host another Pay it Forward contest. I won 2 other contests that I never posted. Oops. Well, I should be able to get to those soon too.

Monday, December 1, 2008

DVD Review - DVD Gift Sets


The Barney: I Love You Gift Set comes with 3 fun Barney DVDs and a Barney CD with 5 songs on it. When we first got this set of DVDs, it was Zachariah's new favorite. Any time that I let him choose a video, one of these came out. His favorite by far was the "Barney: Let's Go to the Zoo" DVD. He loves in the beginning when they ask what his favorite animal is, and he promptly answers "The zebwa". So cute! The other two DVDS in this set are "Barney: Now I Know My ABCs" and "Barney Songs". They are all so much fun and great for the Barney lover in your life.


Bob The Builder: Big Build Collection is a nice set of Bob DVDs. This set also includes one of Zachariah's new favorite toys - a collectible die-cast Scoop toy. "Bob the Builder: When Bob Became a Builder" tells all about Bob's first job with his dad. "Bob the Builder: Bob's Big Plan" is all about building a new town and the joys and troubles that came from it. And "Bob the Builder: Top Team" is all about teamwork and working together...YES WE CAN! These are all great DVDs with fun episodes and great story lines. Zachariah can never go wrong with Bob the Builder.
Last but not least is the Thomas & Friends: Whistle Express Collection. Any Thomas videos are great at any time. This set includes the DVDs "Thomas the Tank Engine: Carnival Capers", "Thomas the Tank Engine: Calling All Engines", and "Thomas the Tank Engine: Milkshake Muddle". Honestly, I think Zachariah doesn't enjoy Thomas as much as some other action-packed shows. But he really loved the collectible train whistle that came with this set. It is just the right size for him. He had a large train whistle, but he couldn't get his mouth around it enough to make a big sound. This one is perfect for him, plus it's not as loud. Win/win in my book.
These DVD sets are already out at stores. They can also be found online at these links: Hit Entertainment Shop, Amazon- here, here, and here.

Free shoes too?

Does anyone else have a contest I should enter? These Keen shoes that Three P's in a Pod is giving away look awesome! I hope I win. But you can sign up too by clicking here.

Free chocolate!

Who can resist free chocolate? Not me. I'm entering twice. I've heard Jana talk about her homemade chocolates for a while now. And now she's giving some away for Christmas.

Don't miss out, you can go enter her contest too!

Sunday, November 30, 2008

We did it, we did it, we did it, hurray!


Whew! It was a long month! It was fun though. Thanks for coming along on the ride with me. Come back later, I'm sure I'll still have more to say/post soon. (Funny that I still keep thinking about all the posts I can do.)

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Just some stuff

*We could get our first "big" snow accumulation in the next few days. YEAH!

*I'm hunting for Christmas gifts and not having much luck. I'm looking for some specific type of items I want for me (from my mom). For instance new flour/sugar canisters.

*Why can't I shake this little cough? It's annoying. I'm tired of peeing a little bit every time I have a big cough. And it makes my head and neck hurt. Go away already, I'm done with it.

*I am excited about spending a week at my parents' house from Christmas to New Year's.

*I have a few more movie reviews I need to do here. No giveaways for now. I'm working on that though.

*Zachariah needs to be potty trained. I think he's really ready now. We just need to push him a bit. Ugh, I'm not totally looking forward to it though.

*I've slipped a bit on my 15 minute a day workout...and my 10 minute a day devotions. Time to get back on track.

*I love my house all decked out in Christmas stuff. Love it!

*I woke up Friday morning from a dream about my fish/tartar sauce craving. And it sounded really good when I awoke. This is what I first craved with my pregnancy with Zachariah. I told Matt maybe I should take a pregnancy test. (He wanted me to take one when I was nauseous on Monday, but it went away and hasn't happened again. So I haven't tested yet.)

*Only 1 more day left of NaBloPoMo. It really hasn't been that bad. I've enjoyed it. And I only have about 20 more posts before my 500th! So, I'm hoping to hit that before the end of the year. That means more posting for me in December too.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Now it's Christmas-time?

That's the question Zachariah has been asking me for weeks. So finally, I tell him, "NOW it's Christmas-time." He's been running around saying "Thanksgiving is over, now it's Christmas-time."

And just to prove it IS Christmas-time at our house:


Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving

We are here at my parents' house until tomorrow evening...at least that's the plan for now. So many things happening today. My dad's family has a traditional family dinner at 1:00 at my grandparents' house. Then Matt's mom's family has their meal at 4:00 at his aunt's house. Ahh, 2 meals only 3 hours apart. I just pick and choose a few things to eat from each place, and sometimes I end up taking dessert home. (Matt's mom makes the best pies.) No kidding, I usually eat less on Thanksgiving than a normal day, because I try to pace myself and don't end up eating much at all. Oh well, I'm sure it's better that way.

I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day filled with love and family! Enjoy.
We will leave you with a copy of the cards that Zachariah and I made for everyone. He had so much fun, and each one he did for those people. So cute. I helped him write his name inside too (after I took the photo of this one). So, just pretend your name is Aunt Rachel or Uncle Jared, and enjoy this little gift from us to you.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Winners of the Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears DVDs

I have one set of each DVD of Strawberry Shortcake Holiday Dreams and Care Bears Flurries of Fun. So there will be two winners.

Now to announce the winners from this contest, I will use the random number generator again.

And the winner for the Strawberry Shortcake set of DVDs is....

...............Carla!!


And the winner for the Care Bears set of DVDs is...
...............Mommy Brain!!


Congrats both of you. Please send me your mailing addresses, and I will get these out to both of you next week. Enjoy!

The rest of you be sure to come back for more DVD reviews and prizes!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Apparently I can't catch a break

I spent most of today on the couch. Last night I could not fall asleep. And just as I dozed off around 12:30, Zachariah woke up coughing. So I got up to get him water, then couldn't go back to sleep. I got up for a while and headed back to bed about 2:30, but it was after 3:00 before I finally fell asleep. But I slept like a log until almost 8:00 after that.

I woke up with a killer headache, light-headed, and a queasy tummy. Yuck. I could not shake it. I made breakfast for Zachariah and tried to eat an egg and toast myself. I got a little down and then had to lay on the couch for a while. About lunchtime I felt like I was going to be better. I got a shower, but then got right back into my comfy clothes. And I called my friend to let her know I would not be tutoring this afternoon.

I still feel generally icky tonight, but mostly it's been the stomach thing. I did eat a little bit for supper, but it didn't help or hurt. I sure hope this goes away quickly. What a way to spend Thanksgiving, huh?

Oh, but I did want to stick to my 15 minutes of exercise, so I pulled out the Yoga DVD today. It was relaxing for a little bit, and I'm glad that I did something.

Come see me...

Did you know that I'm blogging over at Losing it All and More too? I posted before, but I didn't know if any of you had a chance to check us out (or at least bookmark it or add it to your RSS reader).

SaLy got it started, and I haven't posted anything yet. Well, I just put up a fitness challenge there. I'm hoping some of you will join me. We can encourage each other.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Now this is the life


What other way would you spend a lazy morning? This was Zachariah's idea of living it up on Friday morning. We built a "tent", threw in a pillow and blanket, crawled in and watched a movie. Fun!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Just what the doctor ordered

I think today was just what I needed. We were lazy most of the day, and everyone enjoyed each other's company. If only all days could be like today.

I'm still not feeling great, but I've been able to rest a lot today. I think it's just a cold right now, and it's not terrible. I am hopeful that this is the worst of it and I will begin feeling better soon.

Score #1 today was Matt getting up IN THE MORNING with Zachariah. I was just waking up, but Matt popped up out of bed. That NEVER happens. Wow. He got Zachariah up, then told him that he was going back to bed. He told Zachariah to play quietly in the living room then crawled back into bed. I was awake and heard it all. I thought it was hilarious. Matt came back to bed with a smile on his face, he knew chances were slim that Zac wouldn't come in our room and get us. He didn't. I got up after about 3 minutes because I had to pee so bad. When I came out of our room I peeked into the living room, and Zachariah was standing by the couch coloring nicely in his book. He came over and said "Mommy? You supposed to be sleeping." SO sweet. But he was happy to see me. Then we all got up and Matt made breakfast (Score #2).

Score #3 was Matt going to the grocery store and getting frozen snacks to bake for "meals" today. We knew we'd be staying home and watching football all day, so he wanted something fun to eat. He got taquitos, chips and dip, boneless wings, and chocolate for me (Score #4).

Score #5 was getting to watch the OSU vs. Michigan football game. (OSU won 42 - 7) We expected that to happen, so it was good. And it was nice not to worry about the possibility of seeing them lose. Plus, you know, we had fun snacks to eat too. And Zachariah took a nap at about halftime, and Matt put him down (Score #6).

Actually Matt was generally very helpful with Zachariah today which was nice (Score #7).

So I really got to rest and relax and not worry about much today. That was so nice. There should be more days like this...when I'm NOT sick too.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Because it's NaBloPoMo and I have to post

That's the only reason I'm posting this right now. I almost forgot that I have to post today. I have a cold and don't feel the greatest. Matt even let me "nap" in the chair after supper and entertained Zachariah. Then he completely got Zachariah ready for bed while I vegged out. That doesn't happen very often, but I'm glad for the little bit of rest. And I'm happy that we don't have a ton of things going on this week.

Of course tomorrow we'll be watching the Ohio State vs. Michigan game. Woot!

Sunday I will be at church early, because the choir is back on each week from now until Christmas. Then Sunday evening we have a community Thanksgiving service that our church is involved with. It's usually pretty neat, and we do a combined choir thing.

So, I need some ideas about what to post over at Losing It All and More. I was going to challenge myself to get moving at least 15 minutes a day each and every day for the rest of the year. Then I got sick. Ick. Well, I still want to do that challenge. What else would you like me to talk about in relation to exercise/health/eating better? Any ideas?

I hope the rest of you have a great weekend. Mine will be much better if I can kick this cold.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Shaun the Sheep Winners

This morning I'm not feeling well. I started crocheting a new scarf and relaxed in the big comfy chair for a while. Then I decided I better check my e-mails and other online addictions. I haven't read any blogs yet today, and I don't know how likely it is that I will right now (like I usually do). But I did remember that I have a contest to close. I also got 2 new videos to giveaway in the mail yesterday. Yeah!

So without further ado, the Shaun the Sheep DVD winners are numbers: 10, 3, and 11. Thank you random.org.

Congrats to
Tracy
Kelli at Big Fat Secret
and Carrie at The Q Collective!

Ladies, if I don't already have your e-mails, please e-mail me (mommydaisy at gmail dot com) and get me your mailing addresses. I'll get these out soon.

Thanks everyone for entering. Come back soon for another giveaway.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

I'm It

I got tagged by Pam at Life with Our Lads for a meme. I'm supposed to post 6 random things about me (and I'm including my family). Then tag 6 people to do the same. So, here goes nothing.


1. I taught myself to crochet about two weeks ago. I'm doing well, and have made different scarves for family for Christmas.

2. My husband is so awesome! Seriously, I feel like I don't deserve him. (And I don't think I say enough nice things about him here.)

3. Zachariah has started calling my "honey" or "hon". It cracks me up each time he says it. That's what Matt and I call each other ALL the time. And sometimes I call Zachariah that too, but not often. I'm sure he's picked it up from Matt and I calling each other "honey".

4. My son doesn't pick his nose (I know some kids are bad about that), but he'll use a tissue or if that doesn't work I pick it for him. I know, eww, right. I promise I put it into a tissue and then go straight to wash my hands.

5. I'm taking part in a 4 week challenge with my small group. We are committing to 10 minutes a day of Bible reading and devotions. So far, so good for me.

6. If I can think of what to say I'll be blogging with some other great ladies at Losing It All and More.



I'm going to try and give the ones who are doing NaBloPoMo something to do. I tag Ashley at Splendid Substance (since she's having a hard time posting...maybe you can make this food related), Jana at Dress-up and Diaper Changes, Alli at Adventures in Imperfection, CP at 3 Giraffes, Cherish at A Girl and Her Blog, and YOU!

Anyone else who'd like to do this, go ahead. I don't know who else to tag right now, and I usually end up tagging the same people. Also, I can't think of who else is doing NaBloPoMo at the moment.

Monday, November 17, 2008

A "no toy" Christmas

So, Matt and I have been truly frustrated with the overwhelming toys in this house already. We were really starting to dread Christmas. We know that Zachariah will receive lots of toys. And we usually find a few things that we can't help ourselves and buy for him too.

Not this year. The more we talked about it, the more we realized that buying more toys will not help. (I mean, duh, of course buying more toys isn't going to help a toy problem.) What I really mean is this: we know he will get toys from grandparents and aunts and uncles who adore him. So why add to that mix.

Here are a few ideas that we have.
1. A big boy bed - It's about time for one anyway, and my sister got one from a friend that we can have for free.
2. Sheets for the new bed - Something fun that he'll love
3. New pillow
4. CD player for his room - His is done. And we'll probably get a shelf to mount this on too.
5. Storage shelves for toys - Hoping to help the clutter a bit
6. Books
7. CDs
8. Puzzles
9. Bubble bath - He loves it and I rarely spend money on it.
10. Stocking stuffers - Not sure what all to include...maybe some craft supply things.

So, what do you think? Any more ideas for me? I'd love to hear them. I am officially declaring it our Christmas with no toys. (Besides his birthday will be coming in a few short months after Christmas.)

Sunday, November 16, 2008

DVD winners

For the 5 Preschoolers Learn Spanish DVD I used random.org to draw my 5 numbers. There were only 13 entries, so you have pretty good odds of winning.

Here are your random numbers:13, 8, 3, 12, 7
Timestamp: 2008-11-17 04:39:17 UTC

And the winners are

Alli at Adventures in Imperfection

Melissa at Complimentary Chocolate (it was the second entry that won :) )

Sarah at No Whey, Mama

Shelly at Scenic Overlook

and

Heidi at Mommy Doesn't Live Here Anymore!

Congrats everyone! I'm happy to be giving these away to my faithful readers. If I don't already have it (Shelly- I have yours), I will need you to e-mail me your address. I'll be sending you an e-mail about this too.

And if you didn't win this time, never fear, I have 3 DVDs here that I'll be giving away this week! Hurray! I love all these just in time for Christmas gifts!

Yes, it did!





This is what it looked like yesterday afternoon. Most of it melted today. But we got another small layer of snow this evening. We didn't even know it was snowing, and when our friends went to leave after small group Matt saw snow on all the cars. Strange.
Our forecast for the next 10 days shows a chance of snow for 7 out of 10 days. And the temperatures in the 30s most of the time during the day. Yikes. This seems more like Christmas. Now it will probably be 50 degrees for Christmas, and we'll be upset there is no snow.


Saturday, November 15, 2008

Say anything

*It snowed today. I mean really snowed. I took pictures to prove it to you all, but I haven't loaded them on this computer. That will have to wait. I can't believe we actually have snow on the ground in the middle on November, and it has stuck around all day. Crazy. I kind of love it.

*My sister, Rachel, called me yesterday to tell me that she and her husband found a house. They have been living in a studio apartment (of you want to call it that) adjoining the pizza shop they own for the last 2 1/2 years. Their kitchen is the pizza shop. Their bathroom is through the pizza kitchen. It's pretty crazy. They have been looking for a house for a while now. They've had a really hard time trying to get a loan from the bank. They have 20% already saved up, but they have no credit therefore no credit history. And the way our economy is right now, it's been even harder for them to get one. Well, they heard about a rental house that an old friend owned...totally coincidence that they ran into him. And they saw it and loved it and just moved in today. I'm so happy for her to finally have a home. She works strange hours and really needs somewhere to relax and sleep when she wants.

Rachel didn't call me until Friday afternoon, because they knew Matt and I would want to help move them. Fortunately Matt already had plans, so we won't be able to help anyway. But they didn't want us to have to drive up there just to help move. They were supposed to have plenty of help. I'm hoping that we can get up there soon to see it, and maybe I can help arrange furniture and decorate a bit. She doesn't have much to work with but that's OK.

*Zachariah has been crazy and silly lately. Well, he always is but it's hilarious now. He'll run around a room just to run around. Then he announces "Zac's a silly boy". He has developed some crazy new dance moves too. The funniest is the "one two cha cha cha". Hilarious, I tell you. I wish I could capture it on a good video to share. So far I haven't. Today at one point he ran around in circles in the middle of the living room with his arms behind him. Matt asked what he was being. Zachariah said "I being a 'mingo, Dad"...a flamingo. So he did it over and over again telling us about him being a "mingo". Cute little guy.

*All our Saturdays and Sundays are now occupied with football. On Saturdays it's college football, then pro football on Sundays. I'm starting to get tired of football. Although I'll take that back after Ohio State is done for the season (only one more game and a likely bowl game left). I don't mind watching football. I guess what's getting to me is that it all starts at noon Saturday and doesn't end until Sunday night. Ugh. It does get a little old. And the sad part is when Matt goes to bed, I sit up and watch the exciting conclusions of the games.

*I loved all the popcorn talk. Now I want to try all your suggestions. And yes, I do like that popcorn is a healthier snack than, say, chips. And it IS a whole grain, so that's a bonus too. It's also funny that Zachariah doesn't get to eat popcorn that much, because I only make it in the evenings after he's already in bed.

*I have thought more about Christmas. Actually, I've got a great head start on things. I don't think it will take long to finish up gifts. And those that I need to get, I have a good idea for most. It feels much better now.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Snacking

Oh I know I should not be snacking as much, because I really need to lose weight. I can't help myself in the evenings. While I'm watching television I will often snack.



Do you have a favorite snack? Healthy or unhealthy, doesn't matter. What do you like?



Popcorn is probably my favorite thing to have. The problem is I can eat half a bag of microwave popcorn in one evening (or sometimes the whole thing). But I do like a bit of buttery popcorn.



The popcorn makes me want chocolate. So the best way to eat it is with M&Ms or some other little piece of chocolate. I know this comes from my family. My mom would often make popcorn and fudge when my grandparents were over. And I believe that it started with my great-grandmother. She always served popcorn with fudge when my mom went there as a kid. So I always crave chocolate with popcorn.



I don't really have a big favorite brand of popcorn, but I do really like Orville Redenbacher's and Act II. Have you ever had the Corn on the Cob popcorn? That's pretty good for something different. I haven't had it in a while, but I found it on our grocery store shelves again recently. I need to try some soon.



A few years ago Matt and I found cinnamon roll popcorn. Now Matt does not normally like popcorn, but he wanted to try this. It was really good. It had cinnamon in it and a separate little bag of icing that you pour over the top. We can't find it anymore, but it was yummy. I did recently discover buttery cinnamon popcorn. This is pretty good too, but I feel like I need that extra icing with it. So I make my own little dipping icing and just dip a tiny bit of the popcorn in it. Wow! I know it probably sounds odd, but it is great.



So now I want to know, if you do like popcorn what brand/kind do you like best?

Thursday, November 13, 2008

In the last 10 years

In no particular order. Here are some random photos of myself over the last 10 years. Just thought you might like seeing another side of me.

Senior picture

About 5 months pregnant for Zachariah
Engagement photo
Just after Matt proposed to me on a hike
Thanksgiving, 6 months pregnant for Zachariah




Wednesday, November 12, 2008

42 days!

If you've started your Christmas shopping, you are better than me. I can't believe there are only 42 days left for shopping. I have a few small gifts bought/made for family members, but I haven't even really thought about what to get my husband or son.

Seriously though, what do you get a 2 1/2 year old who already has WAY TOO MANY toys? And you know that he will be spoiled by grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-grandparents, and great-aunts/uncles. He is the only grandchild still in both my family and Matt's family. And I don't even know what to tell them to get him for Christmas. Eeee.

For Matt I think I will just let him pick out something that he'd really like. I do like trying to find something for him, but I don't want to waste money on something he didn't really want. Or let him get something he really really wants instead of just something he likes. You know what I mean?

Our Christmas budget is small, but it's enough to get a few nice things. Luckily we don't have a lot of people to buy for. And I have been crocheting scarfs for my sisters/sister-in-law.

I guess I need to get my act together and start watching ads. I hate waiting until closer to Christmas to shop, but it looks like that's what will happen this year. I don't like all the crowds and traffic and pushy people. I'm sure I'll get it all to work out with Matt's help.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Taking it easy

Can I just say, you all are cracking me up with your baby's first words comments. And the fact that some of you simply don't remember, makes me feel better as a mother. Sound strange? Well, my son's baby book still isn't finished. I don't know for sure what is in there and what is not. I know I added some milestones, but at some point I gave up trying to document everything. I hope that my son doesn't feel left out some day because of that. But you know the next child will have it even worse, so maybe it's OK that I didn't set high expectations with this first child.

How are gas prices there? I am loving being able to fill up my car for only $15.00 again. That feels great, and it sure helps our budget too. We're seeing prices at $1.87 near us, and my parents saw one station on the other side of town at $1.79 last Friday. Nice!

We were so spoiled the last two days. Matt's dad had bought a big gift certificate for a nice restaurant a while ago. It was a complete dinner for 8 people. It ended up being Matt's parents, Matt & I, his sister, my sister and her husband, and my mom (my dad was out of town), and Zachariah of course. We had wonderful appetizers, salads, expensive steaks and seafood, then delicious slices of pie and cheesecake. Zachariah enjoyed tasting a little bit off of everyone's plate. And I brought have of my meal home, so it will be a really yummy lunch some day.

We stayed overnight at my parents' house after that dinner, so we didn't have to drive all the way home. Matt had today off for Veteran's Day anyway. Then we helped my mom with some Christmas decorations this morning. And she needed some furniture moved around. (Yes, she's starting early because she's participating in a Christmas walk open house thing.) Then we went to lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings with my sister and mom. Mmmm, and I brought half of that meal home and finished it for supper. Matt had eaten so much that he was never hungry for supper. Wow, I've had it easy.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Giveaway Alert!!

It's getting late, and I haven't posted yet. I haven't been on the computer much today, and now I'm at my mom's house. We will head home tomorrow after lunch, it was a quick trip. I can tell you about that later. And I have a cute video of Zachariah to share, but I can't get it off their camera right now. I'll have Matt try in the morning, then I can upload it from home.

Anyway, I have a new DVD giveaway. Saturday I posted a DVD review of Preschooler Learns Spanish. We truly love this DVD. It was fun and a great learning experience for Zachariah and I. We'll keep studying up on our Spanish with this one. Please go back and read the review if you haven't. I just found out that I will be getting 5 (five, yeah!) copies of this to give away. Hurray! So, I will go ahead and post the contest now.

*****There will be 5 winners, so please enter. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment (be sure your e-mail address is available or at least I have it from before). If you'd like a second entry, you can link to this post on your blog. Then come back here and leave another comment with the link to your blog post.

If you need something to comment about, tell me what your child(ren)'s first word(s) were. Zachariah's first word (other than mama and dada) was AMEN. He has a little Precious Moments baby doll that says a prayer, and it says "amen" at the end. He listened to that so much, it didn't take him long before he was saying it too. So cute! And to make it even better (since we're talking about learning Spanish), Zachariah would only count in Spanish before he even counted in English.

I will be drawing the 5 winners on Sunday, November 16th at 11:00 PM EST (or whenever I get around to randomizing a name) and announcing the winner here (probably the next morning). Best of luck, and stay tuned for more DVD reviews and giveaways.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Contentment

What a great weekend this has been. It's been a little busy and crazy at times, but this wouldn't be my life without a little crazy in the mix.

Just to clarify, crazy to me can be going from one function to another and not much time at home. I tend to be a bit of a homebody, and after having so many things to do I long to just sit in my chair and relax most times.

Friday was a good day to relax. Matt ended up coming home early from work to rest. We went to lunch with my parents (on their way home from vacation), then Matt pretty much slept the rest of the afternoon. He had just started his prescription for L1p1tor and thinking that had him worn out. But having some time to spend together as a family and just relax was a good thing.

Saturday morning there was a "debriefing" meeting for the missions team Matt went to Mali with. It was nice to hear more stories and thoughts that different team members shared with each other. They really clicked well with each other as a team, and I can see that lifelong friendships were formed. The rest of the day I got to stay home and loved it. I cooked a very big dinner and enjoyed doing that for my family. So often I try to simplify meals with my tutoring schedule in the evenings Monday - Thursday, it's tough to put a big meal on the table. I made Matt's mother's recipe of Beef Steaks with Mushrooms, mashed potatoes with gravy, and homemade biscuits. It was a good comfort food for a cold day.

Today we woke up to snow flurries. It has "spit" snow all day long. I don't think the temperature got any higher than 38. Brrr! But I am enjoying the cooler weather. I love wearing sweaters and dressing Zachariah in warm snugly things. We had leftover Swistle's Autumn Soup for lunch, and that was great on a day like today too. Tonight we attended another small group meeting that gathered several groups together. It was nice to see everyone from our group, but it was even better that two couples from our past small group were there. We see them briefly at church, but it's been a while since we've gotten together. We decided we need to do that more often. There were friendships forged there that we've neglected. All in all today was great.

I'd say after my bad mood the other day, this weekend felt great. And we have some fun things in store for the next two days as well.

What did you do this weekend? I hope you enjoyed yourselves.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

DVD Review: Preschooler Learns Spanish

The Preschool Learns Spanish DVD put out by Galloping Minds was a surprisingly good hit at our house. I didn't even watch this DVD right away when we got it. Honestly, I thought it would be rather dull.

It's not that this video is terribly exciting. But the way the movie is done, I think preschools really CAN learn to speak Spanish. In fact I'm afraid that Zachariah will be studying it when I'm not paying attention, then I'll have no idea what he's saying when he says things in Spanish.


The DVD is broken into 8 segments, such as "Family", "Action Words", "Numbers & Colors", and more. I think these groupings are an important part of the video's layout. It helps learning Spanish make more sense.

The idea is simple. There is soft classical music playing in the background, then pictures appear on the screen. After that a narrator says the word for the picture in English then twice in Spanish. The words in English and Spanish for the picture also appear on the screen. The general idea is that the child watching will see the picture, hear the word in English, relate to the word in Spanish, then repeat the word back in Spanish.

I thought the first time I showed it to Zachariah he would just watch a few minutes of it, then get bored. Boy did he surprise me. He sat right down and paid attention. With the first picture, he was repeating words back in Spanish. Pretty well, too. He didn't sit through the entire 30-some minute video, but I was impressed. He did like it too. He has watched it a few other times and seems to like it.

I think it's good to have some great educational videos around. Entertainment is fun, but when you can put learning and television together, you get my two thumbs up.

This video is meant for children ages 1-5, but I think even kids/teens who are older can learn something from it. It's less exciting for them, but it's still a great learning tool. This has been a good refresher course for my 3 years of high school Spanish that I hardly remember any of.

This DVD is already out for sale. The only place I can find it online is at Galloping Minds page. Here is the link. They have it on sale right now for $12.99 with free shipping. I think that's a great price. Maybe you know someone who would appreciate this for Christmas. Now is a great time to start thinking about that.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Leaves

The other day I raked a small pile of leaves for Zachariah to play with. He was thrilled.

Uh oh, I think this is his ornery look. Watch out!
Yep, here he comes! Yes, he did throw those leaves on me.

And then when he laid down, I threw these leaves on him! Ha!



And finally a cute pose for a photo. At least the only one that didn't turn out blurry. He just can't hold still. ;)

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Can I vent?

I can vent here, right? It's my blooooggg, and I'll vent if I want to.... Sorry, I'm done now.

1. Matt got a call from his doctor's office this morning. He had his cholesterol re-checked recently for a health program at work. He was borderline high before, and he's joined the YMCA and working out regularly as well as watching what he eats more now. His levels went up. The doctor has advised him to keep doing what he's doing, but to also try medication. So, he's going to try the meds for 2 months. Matt was pretty depressed about this, which made him a little crabby tonight. Ugh. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't fun to be around either.

2. I read something about cholesterol not changing after diet and exercise can be a sign of hypothyroidism. I read that to Matt. Bad idea, now he's worried about that. And he said that could be why he can't get me pregnant. His words, not mine. But it revealed to me that he blames himself when I can't get pregnant right away.

3. Matt and I were finishing up emptying a wading pool last night after Zachariah went to bed. We did a lot of yard work yesterday preparing for the cold weather coming this weekend. The gate was open to the front, and I was trying to keep an eye on the dog so he didn't sneak out. We got distracted and about 5 minutes later I looked over at the gate and realized the dog was gone. Oops. We looked around the back (it was pretty dark) and just knew he wasn't there. We checked the garage and the front yard. No dog. Greaaaat. We always keep him in the backyard, on a leash, or right with us on the rare occasions the he's out front with us. (He does roam free at my parents' house out in the country, but he never goes far from the house. He would rather be indoors anyway.) We looked around and kept calling for him but heard nothing. On impulse I went to the neighbor next door who has dogs. I didn't see Chip out front. I was about to turn back home, when I realized I couldn't see their front door from where I was. He would likely go to someone's door. I went about 2 feet forward and saw him sniffing around on their front porch. Silly dog. He came running when he saw me. Matt would have been really grouchy if we'd lost the dog. And I don't want to think about explaining that to Zachariah.

4. Zachariah went to bed early last night, because he refused to pick up toys after repeated chances. I think he needs to go to bed earlier anyway. He's been getting up a bit earlier since time changed anyway.

5. Stressful afternoon with kids at my tutoring center.

6. Matt was working on the budget/bills tonight. Made him a bit more cranky.

7. There might be more. I can't think anymore now.

So, here are the good things.
*My parents are stopping sometime tomorrow on the way home from their mini-vacation.
*Tomorrow is Friday.
*Cooler weather. (I know, I know, but I'm ready for it.)
*I've been able to take a few naps this week. Laying down for an hour some days is my saving grace.
*Matt is taking Monday off, and I'm not tutoring. We're having a nice dinner with his parents. Matt is also off on Tuesday for Veterans' Day.
*Yummy Swistle's Autumn Soup, garlic bread, and dessert (WOO! DESSERT!) for dinner tonight.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

DVD Review: Billy Blue Hair and Me


Billy Blue Hair and Me is a personalized DVD series. You can have your child's name inserted into the movie, and it is also printed on the outside of the DVD. It's a fun learning DVD.

We got to preview Billy Blue Hair and Me- "Why Do Giraffes Have Long Necks?". It was all about different kinds of animals- some quite exotic. But they are pretty informative about these animals.

Zachariah has always been a kid who just soaks things up like a sponge. He is very observant and has a great memory. All these fun facts in this video are right up his alley. He pays much more attention than I do, then he comes out with these amazing facts later. It's shocking sometimes.

I can't tell you whether or not the personalization is a big deal or not. We previewed a version that had the name "Joseph" on it. Zachariah didn't really seem to notice it. But I think if it had said his name, he would have loved it.

These Billy Blue Hair DVDs are available at their website. They cost $29.95 for this particular personalized DVD. You can also get them at Amazon.com for about half the price right now for the non-personalized version, but there aren't many left. And for the same price as Amazon, here at Film Baby.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

I did


I'm wearing my sticker proudly today. This is the first beautiful election day we've had in a long time. It always seems to be rainy and dreary here for elections (even this spring).
I was well prepared on all the issues and elections on our ballot today. It went quickly once I finally got to the voting booth. This is the busiest our polling place has ever been, but it still went well. And it would have gone much faster for me if there weren't problems with 3 out of about 5 people who were in front of me to sign their name before receiving their ballots.
All that aside, I'm happy with how it went. I will be anxiously and prayerfully awaiting the outcome tonight (or tomorrow or next week or whenever we actually find out). (Yes, I think it will be that close again.) I hope that you had a good voting experience too.

Monday, November 3, 2008

We DID go trick-or-treating

OK, I'm a little behind, but I did take Zachariah trick-or-treating. No one trick-or-treats here in our neighborhood. There are no sidewalks, the houses are more spread out, it can be a busy road, and there aren't many kids who live around. We have lived here for over 7 years now, and we've never once gotten a trick-or-treater at our door...even though I usually have some candy just in case and I leave the porch light on.

I still think Zachariah is too young for all out trick-or-treating, so going the the local "Mall-oween" trick-or-treating is an easy solution. He gets more than enough candy there, and I can use the stroller in case he gets tired.

He dressed up as a royal knight this year. I gave him several options for costumes I could make him, and this is the one he chose. I think he looked adorable in it. He told any one who asked that he was "an knight!" My mom helped me make the costume, and it was a lot of fun to put together. Who knows what he'll want to be next year.

Zachariah was so cute the whole time. He told everyone who was handing out candy "trick-or-treat" and "thank you". He loved all the fun and is still enjoying the candy (a piece or two at a time).






Sunday, November 2, 2008

Unexciting events

It hasn't been a really exciting weekend. Matt has been going to bed early, sleeping in, and taking 3 hours naps. And I even snuck in a nap on both Saturday and today. Yeah. And I'm pretty tired tonight. I think the daylight savings time change is catching up with me.

We had a meeting at church tonight and a bonfire in the woods afterwards. That was a lot of fun. There were a few too many people for my liking, but it was nice once it cleared out a bit. We had our small group go to that instead of our regular meeting, so it was fun chatting with them.

I need to do some meal planning and make up a grocery list. We are short on quite a few things around here. And now that Matt heads back to work tomorrow, he'll need some times for lunch.

I've been in the mood to bake lately, but I've held off so far. I love to bake, but we so don't need to eat all the sweets I'd like to make. So I really don't bake very often. It will be nice to make some things to take to holiday gatherings. Ohhh, speaking of holiday things, I just got my Kraft Food & Family magazine and it is full of yummy looking recipes.

Tomorrow I need to get my house back in order. It was spotless on Friday. Then Matt came back and brought all his luggage with him. What a difference that makes just having him home. The bad is I now have one more messy person to keep up with. The good news is he's home, and I love it.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

He's back & Here I go again

He's hooooommme! I'm so happy that my love is home! Matt arrived safely in Ohio last night and half an hour early too.

Yesterday morning a couple from our church asked if I would be interested in riding along with them to the airport. We had already arranged for Matt's mom to spend the night here in case I had to go get Matt from somewhere when he got back. And since his flight came in pretty late, I wanted to be able to leave Zachariah in bed.

Anyway, so I jumped at the chance to go meet Matt at the airport. And his mom did not mind spending the evening alone with her only grandchild. Matt did not know I was coming, so it was a fun surprise. He was happy to see me, and I was thrilled to see him again.

I'm glad to have him home, and it's been fun to hear his stories and experiences. I know I will hear many more in upcoming days. Right now he's just trying to get him body readjusted (thank goodness we have an extra hour of sleep tonight). He brought home an outfit for himself and a wrap-around skirt for me. And he got a bunch of hand-carved ebony toys for Zachariah. He also purchased two African drums that I'm sure we'll always treasure. And Zachariah and I got necklaces with miniature African drums on them. They are really neat. I'll see if I can get a picture sometime.

I know that my husband left part of his heart in Africa, but I'm glad the rest returned home to me.


*****
On a completely unrelated note, I gave in. Did you too? It probably means I'll do more posting than commenting this month, but that's OK. I need to get back to that anyway. So, let's go NaBloPoMo.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Bugs and things

My son does not really like bugs. I guess I'm not too surprised since he's around me most of the time, and I tend to say "ewww and bug/spider" when I see one. I try not to over-react, because I know he's paying attention.


This morning I was in the office on the computer (I miss my own laptop), and Zachariah came running into the room screaming. OK, here, let me tell the story with pictures since I took the time to take them.

First Zachariah comes running into the office and starts crying. "Dere's a bug on my prezzles." (There's a bug on my puzzles.) I told him don't worry we'll go get it.

So, here he is in the living room keeping a close eye on that bug...from a very safe distance. I looked at the bug and said no problem, we'll get it. Zachariah said "Sorry, Mom." Aww, you don't have to be sorry. No big deal.





This is what Zachariah was doing before the nasty bug decided to interfere. Umm, do you see a bug on the puzzles? Me either.




Oh there it is, about 2 feet away from the puzzles. Uhh, do you see that tiny speck there...yep, that's it. I almost didn't believe him.





Here's a closer view of it. Way zoomed in. My camera was almost touching his little bug head. This is what was threatening my son's love of puzzles.




How do you solve the bug extermination when your husband isn't around? Well, I pull out my trusty friend...the vacuum.



The vacuum kindly sucked the bug right up and out of our way. Now we can peacefully resume the puzzle putting together.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Patiently

Time is ticking away. I thought it might be a long two weeks without Matt being here, but the truth is time has flown. I can't believe it will only be 3 more days before he'll be home. It will be so great to see him again.

This morning I took Zachariah out for breakfast (or really brunch by the time we left). He had slept in and so had I, plus I had a coupon for a free kids meal at Bob Evans. He's been asking for pancakes and sausage, so when better time to go and just let someone else make them. We haven't been to Bob Evan's in a long time, so I was happy to get my favorite thing there too (Sunshine Skillet).

When I got Zachariah out of bed this morning, he was so excited to go that he told me not to get a shower but "just get dressed, Mom". Which is funny, because I ALWAYS take a shower in the morning. He watched Diego on TV while I got ready, then we headed out. He was great the whole time and loved most of his food. Actually what he liked the best was the banana bread that I got. I'll have to make some for us here sometime.

We got to do some fun things over this last weekend. Zachariah was spoiled by grandparents. My mom was trying to get us to stay there another night, so I didn't have to leave so late. But I knew it was time to start grandparent detox, and so we had to get back home. He was starting to get pretty touchy. And he's been much better for me here at home.

Honestly I'm shocked at how well Zachariah has behaved for me with Matt gone. I thought I might have a few more daily trials, but we haven't. He's a great kid anyway, and he's just proved it since Matt's been away. He will tell anyone who asks that his daddy is "in Africa" and that he got him "a lion...rawr!" (Matt bought a little carved wood lion for him and showed him on the web cam).

But as much as I worried about this, we haven't had problems. We have kept ourselves so busy, and we've done some great things too. I will try to upload pictures and post some soon.