I....AM...COLD....

I cannot remember any time in the past when we had temperatures like this. Yes, I guess it could actually be colder than this, but I feel like we have been hovering 29 degrees for weeks now. The windchill is unbelievable!!! I opened the trunk to my Yukon the other day and I swear that my hand almost froze to it! Jack Frost has skipped the nipping and went to full blown biting!!! How about when we pack up the Christmas tree, we pack up the cold with it....is that possible?!!! I think I may go sit in my hot tub for the next few months....

Grown-Ups Movie Review

Anyone seen this movie yet? I had heard that it was kind of a flop at the box office and have no idea how this is even remotely possible. This movie was hysterical!!! Definite true Adam Sandler form :) A wonderful gift from my sister to my hubby on Blu-Ray.

This talented comedy team is something else (love me some Kevin James) and you will also see familiar faces from past Adam Sandler films including Norm McDonald in a small part (had to get him in there!) and Steve Buscemi always makes for a guaranteed hilarious film! An added bonus of the movie! Pay attention and you will see Mrs. Adam Sandler (Jackie) and his 2 daughters; Sadie and Sunny :)

See this one, you will definitely laugh!

Valentine's Day Movie Review

I finally had a chance to watch the movie: Valentine's Day and thought it was really good. Such a wonderful huge cast of talented actors. I love the way that each person is somehow connected at one point or another in the movie.

For those of you Taylor Swift haters out there, I thought her part was absolutely hysterical especially when she was on the air for the news... :D A big thumbs up for her...job well done!!

The cast included: Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, Taylor Swift. Awesome movie :)

A Scrooge about Christmas Songs

I was just wondering if I am tending to sound scrooge-like when it comes to Christmas music this year? I absolutely love Christmas carols with the passion and refuse to pop in a Christmas cd until Christmas actually rolls around. I have Sirius XM in my Yukon XL and can honestly tell you that.........the Christmas music stinks this year!

At least on the Holly channel anyway. I have heard The 12 Days of Christmas by John Denver and the Muppets like 30 times....bu-dum-dum-dum!!!! What happened to the 12 Days of Christmas with the in-laws, Christmas lights and hangovers? Didn't hear it even once this year! I have heard every single rendition of Feliz Navidad that has ever been made (I am half hispanic, but come on...it is getting a little ridiculous!!)

On a brighter note, I still love O Holy Night (no matter who is singing it, I still tear up) and Carol of the Bells :) Give me some Manheim Steamroller or Trans-Siberian Orchestra on any song and I am in absolute heaven! Call me a geek if you will, but I also love any Christmas song by Hanson (takes me back even hearing Taylor Hanson all grown up)

I own all of the Now Christmas cds, but do like some random music on the radio, not the same loop of songs they seem to repeat every so many hours. I wait all year long for the few hundred different Christmas songs there are and then hear no more than maybe 30 of them. Boo on Sirium XM!!!

Project Cleanup! Check-in

For those of you following my "Project Cleanup", I am still working dilligently on it. I haven't quit. With the holidays and being in between cameras (my hubby bought me a new one for Christmas, yay!!!) I haven't had a chance to post anything. Rest assured, I have kept my promise and am still going through my huge house for anything that makes me feel cluttered :)

Mailbox Monday!! Weeks of 12/5/10-12/19/10

It is "Mailbox Monday!!" Check out the fun things I got in the mail and other places :)

In the Mail

2 issues of Family Circle magazine (free subscription)

1 Allure magazine issue (not sure where this free subscription came from)

1 Taste of Home magazine issue (thanks for another year subscription from my Dad)

2 Soap Opera Digest magazine issues (free subscription)

Purina One Salmon & Tuna Full Size Cat Food

Member Mark Gentle Baby Formula

Gerber Generation Coupon Packet

Earth's Best Organic Infant Formula (Matlyn is getting all kinds of freebies!)

Full pack of Extra Dessert Delights Gum (Reiner has been dying for this one to come!)

Go Red for Women 47 Recipe Cookbook

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Prayer (and asked) Book

Head and Shoulders Smooth and Silky Shampoo and Conditioner samples

Aveda Travel Sized Hand Relief Cream (value $7.50)

Mastercuts $25 Gift Card (had to put in a complaint about my last visit, tried to send me out in the cold and snow with wet hair!! Got a free gift card out of it :)



Somewhere Else

Enfagrow Premium Toddler Formula 4 packet with checks (thank you MOPS friend Melody :)

$6.50 in Chuck E Cheese tokens from my in-laws :)

More Giving....Less Receiving

I have always tried to be a giving person...materialistic wise and physically. I decided to keep track this year of some of the ways that my family and I "give" per say, whether it be items or ourselves. Here is some of the list we came up with:

Greg and I decided last year to give more of ourselves than material to our children. We have held "Family Game Night" almost every Friday at 8:00pm. Whether board games or hanging on the Wii, we have had a lot of fun with each other.

We have also continued with our "Family Fun Box". Every Sunday, we pick an idea from the box to do the next weekend on either Saturday or Sunday. We have all contributed ideas big and small to the box. Once a month, we chose from a 2nd box which holds ideas that may have to take place closer to pay day. The kids absolutely LOVE the Family Fun Box. We added "Crazy Noun Day" to the box and have already done that one twice this year. Each child chooses a noun (5 nouns total since Matlyn can't talk yet) and I create an entire day around their nouns that we all participate with. The possibilities are endless and it can be very cheap too! Here are a few scenes from our "Crazy Noun Days":




Genin picked "soccer ball" as his noun (naturally). Boy was he surprised when I didn't take them all out to just kick around the ball. We played soccer golf!! Like I said, endless possibilities!






Reiner picked "restaurant" and we had to eat. Still had free birthday meal coupons at Bob Evans!





Greg and I have also done some "Boys Day Out" and "Girl's Day Out" every so many months. Here are some scenes from are "Days Out"





Kaplyn does some pottery painting with Mommy at "Fired Up"







Cameron and Genin show off their memorabilia from the Golf Tour they went on with Daddy.







Kaplyn shows off her freshly painted nails after getting her very first manicure with Mommy :)


We have also been getting in good with "Mother Earth". Greg and I are still chairing the pop tab program at BC Elementary. The kids collect and bring in pop tabs. Whichever class weighs in at the most gets a Happy Meal Party! The tabs go to the local recycling center where they are recycled and a check goes to The Ronald McDonald House :) We have been collecting our own cans at home which we donate at the same time as the pop tabs and just add it to the check for the RMDH. We have also been recycling paper. We have a large recycling bin in our garage where we collect everything from school papers to magazines to expired coupons. There is a collection bin at a church in Eighty-Four where we deposit these once our bin is full. The church receives money from all the paper in the dumpster.

For 3 years now, the kids and I have taken "Earth Day" and did some major good. We walk up and down Spring Rd and pick up all the garbage, a bag for metals to recycle and a bag for everything else. This past year it was a nice day out which made it much easier than the past years where it was cold and rainy. I was also almost due to deliver Matlyn this year and I think walking that 2 miles really pushed her loose...I ended up dilated that week! You definitely need a whole box of plastic gloves for this job! The photos below are scenes from Earth Day :)



Kaplyn and Genin pick up garbage along Spring Rd.








Cameron gets down deep to pick up litter.






I feel I have also done a lot of good in my MOPS group this year. We took on service projects here and there from October through December. My discussion group donated suitcases to foster children, donated stuffed animals to the local ambulances and took bags of groceries to the food pantry. We also did "Operation Christmas Child" where we stuffed shoe boxes with toys and supplies for certain age children. We wrote encouragement cards to moms overseas who are either married to soldiers or who are soldiers themselves. We have a compassion child (Veronica) who we donate to all year long. I also got a chance to provide a meal to one of my MOPS mom friends who had a baby in November...yay Devon :)

I have been cleaning out quite a bit this year and so far have donated 2 children's picture bibles and a yearly planner to my MOPS group. I have also taken quite a bit of clothing and various items to the City Mission and Goodwill.

I baked many goods to donate during the Great American Bake Sale.

At school, I have tried to do what I can, but with an infant, it gets slightly tough. I am PTA Secretary this year and still chair The Pop Tab Program, Boxtops for Education and Campbell's Labels. I have also added Tyson A+ and the PTA Press, a newspaper type letter sent out monthly to the parents. I am homeroom mom for Genin's class and a helper in Kaplyn's class. I also like to donate baskets filled with seasonal items to the PTA to give away at meetings. Market Day seems like an easy thing to do with the kids in tow...they can hang out in a large cafeteria while I am separating. Same goes for the Halloween parade goodie bags which Genin, Kaplyn and I filled in October.

For the holidays, I donated $1 every time I went through the line at The Dollar Tree. This provided items for women at the local shelter and for the troops. I also got a 9 year old "Angel" off of the Salvation Army tree to buy for. Stephanie had a nice Christmas this year :)

As done since he passed, our family chose a charity in honor of my brother Chad. All money we would have spent on him for Christmas and his birthday this year, went to St. Judes.

The kids have been very involved at school by taking in pet items during the Humane Society Weekly Drive and also the weekly food bank collection. The kids have also made cards to send to the troops overseas and made cards to give to hospitals and nursing homes for Christmas.

We all participated in the DQ Miracle Treat Day by buying blizzards which contributed proceeds to the Children's Miracle Network.

I have also donated my own time towards the kids sports. I volunteered to coach Kaplyn's cheer squad and also served as a practice goalie for my boys during their at home soccer practices.

I am so excited at how involved our family has been with others this year and how we have been able to give so much more than receive. I hope to top this in 2011!!!!

Book Review: Back In Black; An A-List Novel by Zoey Dean

If you have to ask, you'll never be on...The A-List

Back In Black; An A-List Novel is part of the New York Times Bestselling Series. This book, by Zoey Dean, is the first I have read in the series. I purchased this book at Goodwill thinking since it was a fictional story mixed with real celebrity names, it would be right up my alley. I was right in every way!

The story is about Anna and her friends who decide to blow off the senior class trip to Washington DC, and head to Vegas for a glamorous three-day vacation. They check into the ultra-luxe Palms Hotel and the wildness begins before they ahve a chance to unpack their Tuff Betty carpetbags. The girls have a tacky Vegas fashion contest and visit a hypnotist-to-the-stars. While they are spellbound, the gang reveals their deepest, darkest secrets and learns firsthand why Vegas is called Sin City!

Main Characters:

Anna Percy: New to LA from Upper East Side Manhattan. Father is an investment banker divorced from her mother who came from the oldest of "old money" families.

Sam Sharpe: Comes from a Hollywood family. Daughter of Jackson Sharpe, one of the most beloved movie stars in the world.

They also have a group of friends like them, same, but different. I felt like I was walking right alongside the characters in this book. They were very realistic and I could picture every image like I was in the story as I read. If you are a Gossip Girl fan, you will love this book! There is some language,but not unlike everyday life in today's world. One of the quotes on the back of the book states, "The A-List has plenty of intrigue, dysfunctional families,'beautiful people.'" Though I don't want to add more to the dysfunctional families in the real world, reading about it can be quite humorous :)

I can't wait to grab up the next book in line! I belive this book is actually #5 so I will be needing to go back to number 1: The A-List and see if the series needs to be read in order. If not, I will just read them as I find them :)

Vintage Christmas

Though most know that I am totally contemporary when it comes to my home design, most would be really surprised to know that at Christmas time, I am a contemporary mixed with primitive fool! My absolute favorite finds are items from antique shops that can be repurposed into holiday decor. I found a number of random red wooden letters at the Route 40 Antique Mall and fell head over heels!







I tossed them into 2 clear champagne glasses and put them at different levels along with a smaller one filled with red berries.











So gorgeous when the white lights are on :)

Project Cleanup! Week 4

Another great week for "Project Cleanup". This week, I hit my den for books and cds. I also had my 12 year old and 10 year old sons go through their video games. Here is what we ended up purging from our house:



1 & 2. The Wonder Devotional Book-Early Reader paperbacks
3. Decorating with Silk & Dried Flowers hardback
4. Landscape Plans paperback
5. Ideas for Great Kids' Rooms paperback
6. Better Homes & Gardens Decorating Ideas Under $50 paperback
7. Thorndike Barahart Beginning Dictionary hardback
8. The Martha Rules-10 Essentials for Achieving Success as you Start, Build or Manage a Business hardback
9. The Grieving Child, a Parent's Guide paperback.
10. Oui, je parle francais hardback
11. Thank You Book for Kids hardback





12. Wii Barefoot Collision Course game
13. Wii Sixs Flags Fun Pack game
14. Wii Rapala Tournament Fishing game
15. Wii Fifa 08 Soccer game
16. PS2 Conflict Vietnam game
17. GameCube Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 game
18. SuperNintendo NBA Jam game
19. SuperNintendo PGA Tour Golf game
20. SuperNintendo NBA Showdown game
21. GameBoy Advance Beach Bandits: Rocket Power
22. GameBoy Advance Video: Nick, The Fairly Oddparents Volume 2
23. GameBoy Advance Brand New Game: Kerplunk!/Toss Across/Top it
24. Santana Smooth CD Single
25. 1988 Summer Olympiics CD
26. Ka-Boom CD
27. The New Relics-The Hard Road
28. 10,000 Manicas-Our Time in Eden
29. Say my Name CD Single-Destiny's Child
30. Get Over It Motion Picture CD
31. Les Miserable CD
32. Money Talks Movie-The Album CD
33. New Sealed Mozard Musical Masterpieces CD
34. Elton John Greatest HIts 1970-2002 Bonus Disc
35. Jann Arden-Insensitive CD Single
36. ACDC Ballbreaker CD
37. Demo CD
38. Hits of the 80's-3 CD Set (not original artists)

This was my mom's French Book in high school.



Back then, you didn't turn your book back in. I held onto this book for awhile, just loving looking at the doodles from my mom when she was so young. "I love Rusty" (my dad) adorns the front of the book along with his initials on the bottom :)

The inside cover has some markings as well!



Margaret + Rusty all over it!! At one time, I would just smile uncontrollably at the love my mom expressed for my dad as a teenager. They were married for 32 years! The love must have faded around that time for they did end up getting a divorce. The two are good friends now and that is just precious :)


#1 & 2: I took these to my MOPS group and they were grabbed up pretty quickly :)

#3,4,5,6,8,9,11,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38: all of these items will be going into the yard sale.

#10: This item doesn't do anyone any good so it will be trashed.

#11. Most people won't buy a dictionary of this age so it will be donated to the Mission.

#12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23: All of these items will be listed on eBay.

Total items gotten rid of to date: 96

See any items you like? How about on my 3 older "Project Cleanup posts? Let me know and we can strike a deal. I may have something you want....

A Clean Freezer Room = Play Room

When we moved into our house almost 6 years ago, the basement was so cold and drafty with nothing, but paneling (with no insulation behind it) and linoleum floors over concrete. When we finished our basement, we decided to do the whole space except for one room at the very bottom of our stairs. This room still has the block walls and concrete floors. Since that is where our deep freezer is housed, it became known as "The Freezer Room". Now, I am not one to ever misuse a space and believe everything can be used for something. For years, this area has served as a junk room to throw stuff when you didn't want to carry it to the garage. Well, enough was enough...this room should be used for something!

6 kids + large toys = Play Room!!

Let's take the tour:




This is walking in the room from the stairs. Notice we just pieced together a few leftover mismatched carpet pieces (hey, this room is not for display, just to play in) We also added a McDonalds road rug along with a discovery toys road mat.





Straight ahead to the left is our board game shelf...notice I put the pop-up toddler playhouse right in front of it blocking access, otherwise the board games would be down constantly mixing pieces which drives me insane!!! Straight ahead is the big dress up clothes bin (my kids love playing dress up and they have just about everything they need to dress as anybody they want!!) To the right of that is the play food bin just behind the table and chairs set and swivel chair that were mine as a child (boy, they just don't make things like they used to, nowadays it would have fallen apart after just a few years!)





Turning to the right now, we have the white shelf full of Little People playsets along with the kid's real cash register (just so it is up out of the way) Straight ahead, we have the old wooden entertainment center from our game room. We were excited that this fit because it has so much shelf space to put toys (more Little People playsets and books) and we can keep a constant stream of kiddie dvds going while they are playing. In between the wall and shelf we have placed one of our many "pop-up" houses and we stored the bulkier ones between the shelf and the entertainment center.





To the left of the doorway, a better look at the entertainment center storage and a look at our deep freezer, hence the original name "freezer room". Don't you just adore that little chair in front of the entertainment center? It was a $1.99 find at Goodwill :) We were also able to perfectly fit the bargain $5 Sesame Street Tool Bench I got from a yard sale this summer :)




To the right of the doorway, we have another toy box, Lego cube, and train table (another awesome $10 Goodwill find) Our treadmill is standing up behind the train table and blocks the kids from the other half of the room which will serve as my scrapbooking area. I wanted an area where I could leave things lay without wrecking the house and keep an eye on the kids at the same time. Perfecto!!

I am very pleased with this space!!

Project Cleanup! Week 3

I have just finished up week 3 of my project cleanup :) I hit my daughter Kaplyn's play clothing dresser and the playroom toy box this week. The following items were pulled out:




1-9: 9 Girl's T-shirts
10-13: 4 Girl's Shorts
14. 1 pair of pants
15. 1 pair of brief shorts
16. 1 pair of shoes

All will be taken to the mission.




17. Remote control jeep w/out remote (taped)
18. Star Wars Gun
19. Bob the Builder battery operated jackhammer plush toy
20. Fantastic 4 Action figure
21. Superman Action figure
22. Rubik's cube (missing stickers)
23. Playskool munching hippo toy
24-26: 3 AR Books

Always a cheater in the group!



I found this Rubik's Cube with missing stickers...guess someone couldn't figure out the puzzle the correct way ;)


17,18,20,21,22 will all go to the mission.

19,23,24,25,26 will all go into the yard sale box for this summer.

That is 58 total items cleaned out to date :)

Mailbox Monday!! Weeks of 11/21/10-12/4/10

Boy, was it a busy few weeks in the mailbox!! Check out my finds :)




Interview magazine-free subscription

Juno Baby DVD (the little ones loved this one :)

Baby Talk magazine-free subscription

American Baby-free subscription

Soap Opera Digest-2 issues-free subscription

Huggies 8 ct wipes (yay, for Matlyn...soft on the tushy)

Cowboys Fathead (Genin, my sports nut, wanted this one)

PG coupons

Huggies coupons

2011 Oriental Trading Calendar (Kaplyn, my 7 year old, was tickled to get this colorful calendar)

Crest Prohealth (Reiner, my 4 year, wanted his own size toothpaste)

Head & Shoulders 2 in 1 Hair endurance for men (this was supposed to be for Greg, but Genin snagged it saying his hair was too thin....he is 10!!

Support our Troops ribbon blinking magnet (Brandis, my 2 year old, absolutely loved this magnet...just sat and stared at it blinking :)

2 Stickers: No Nukes Y'all (Genin and Cameron both thought these stickers were hilarious!!)

Miracle 7 color protect shampoo

Miracle 7 color protect conditioner

Correctionist Tone Correcting Cream

Project Cleanup! Week 2

I am a little behind on posting, but definitely did do some decluttering during week 2. Since I was putting up Christmas decorations, it was a great time to do some cleaning out. Here is what I got rid of:




1. Snowman w/decorated tree
2. House of Lloyd Santa w/lion & lamb porcelain music sculpture
3. Signature Homestyles Ornament design card holder
4. Cutout Holly Wood Primitive handled box
5. Cutout Angel Wood Primitive handled box
6. Stuffed Snowman (no nose)
7. Patchwork Christmas Bear
8. Red/White striped basket
9. I've been good mini pillow hanging
10. Santa painted twig
11. Silver interlocking garland strand
12. Snowflake garland
13. Snowman silver square basket
14. Primitive rust ornament design tealight holder
15. Primitive rust ornament design tealight holder
16. Springy Santa Hat

All items will be packed into a box for the yard sale except items 4,5,8 which will be reused as holders for basketed items. I will also be sending item 6 to the mission since the nose is missing. It is an adorable snowman and maybe someone will have the time to attach something that can be used as a nose. 16 items total during week 2 brings the grand total to 32 items decluttered. Woot!!!