A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl - Book Review

2011-04-04T20:36:00.001-04:00

Lis Wiehl with April Henry

Heart of Ice is the third novel in the Triple Threat series, following Allison (federal prosecuter), Nicole (FBI agent), and Cassidy (TV journalist).

This latest novel starts out with Allison, Nicole, and Cassidy each chasing the "Want Ad Killer" in their own way, a story line that is loosely based on the real-life Craigs List Killer. This storyline was not as central to the book as I thought it would be (but does get the three ladies talking about sociopaths later on).

Elizabeth Avery is the real star of the book. Elizabeth is a sociopath who manipulates everyone. She lets nothing stand in her way, and will do anything, even murder, to get what she wants. Elizabeth has a new boyfriend who comes with some baggage--an ex-wife and child. Elizabeth hires an old friend from school to burn down the ex-wife's home, and sets a series of awful events into motion.

In addition to being involved in these events, the Triple Threat ladies are each dealing with issues in their personal lives as well. Allison is still mourning the loss of her unborn child and trying to repair her relationship with her sister, Nicole is diagnosed with breast cancer, and Cassidy is still clawing her way to the top of her career and dealing with self-esteem issues.

I didn't feel like there were many twists and turns, and the reader pretty much knows everything that's going on. But, Heart of Ice is a well-written, entertaining read. It's clean and, like the previous novels, interweaves nuggets of faith throughout the book (mostly through Allison's character). I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclosure: I received this advanced copy e-book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I Am Not a Blogger

2010-12-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

My last blog post was about 6 months ago. I keep feeling like I should post something that I've given up, so here it is.

I really wanted to be a blogger, even if it was just for me. But, after a while it just lost it's sparkle and shine. And, I was sick. And busy. And pregnant (yippee!). Then I quit my job to stay home full time (super yippee!). The last few months have been busy with home projects and new baby preperation. And time with my sweet 4 year old who is happy to have his mom home.

So, there it is. I'm not a blogger. At least not for now. Who knows, maybe I'll pick it up again in the future. Thanks to all who have stopped by in the past, and for all your comments. I've enjoyed getting to know so many people and I look forward to keeping in touch!

Read and Share Bible DVD, The Jesus Series: Life and Miracles

2010-06-02T15:35:00.000-04:00

Read and Share Bible DVD, The Jesus Series: Life and Miracles

from Tommy Nelson Publishers

This Read and Share Bible DVD is part of the Jesus series. "Life and Miracles" comes between "Christmas" and "Easter", and, just as the title suggests, shows Jesus's life from a young adult into adulthood and the miracles that he performed during that time. Almost all of the stories are included in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), but I will include a few references below.

The DVD begins with Joseph taking his family back to Isreal. The family starts life in Nazereth. (Matthew 2:19-23). Jesus is baptized by John, and tempted by Satan. I thought this was well done, Satan does not look too scary. (Matthew 3:13-16, 4: 1-4)

We see many more well-known stories of Jesus: turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2: 1-11), healing many people, talking with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), calling the disciples, feeding the the thousands with 5 loaves and 2 fish (Luke 9:10-17), walking on water, the disciples refusing the little children and Jesus rebuking them (Mark 10:13-16), the last supper with his disciples, the betrayal, and much more.
I watched this DVD with my 3 1/2 year old son and he loved it! He kept asking to watch the Jesus movie. I thought it was very biblically sound, and kept my son's attention. It is the perfect length for this age too, about 30 minutes. They pack a lot in that half hour, and I thought it was great.

The illustrations are done in a water color style, which I thought was a little odd at first. But, it turned out to be really beautiful. I also appreciated the music, mostly soft instrumentals. I get enough silly, bouncing-off-the-walls kind of music from other programs. While most of the time, that's fine, it was refreshing to have some nice, calming music.

This DVD is a great way to introduce young children to Jesus and his life. I am looking forward to adding some of the other DVDs to our collection!

Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Winner! Finny by Justin Kramon Giveaway

2010-05-27T11:02:00.000-04:00

The winner is Amy at MomAdvice.com. Congratulations! Amy is a fellow book lover, and you should check out her monthly book reviews here.

Thank you to all who entered, I sincerely appreciate you stopping by!

Finny by Justin Kramon - Book Review & Giveaway {Closed}

2010-05-19T10:30:00.001-04:00

Finny

by Justin Kramon

Finny is a wonderful novel about a young girl named Finny Short. We first meet her as a smart-alecky 14 year old. She has a pretty typical life with an overbearing mother who is obsessed with manners & what other people think, and a father who doesn't talk as much as he walks around spouting off not-so-famous quotes. Overall, she seems pretty bored with her life.

Then she meets some neighbors Earl Henckel and and his eccentric father, a piano teacher. She and Earl fall in love and she spends more and more time with Mr. Henckel as well. He becomes a father figure to Finny. Then, just as quickly as it began, her relationship with Earl is torn apart. Finny is sent to boarding school in Boston. Finny gets paired with a outgoing, popular girl named Judith. They become quick friends and get into all sorts of mischief together.

The novel follows Finny and her relationships with all of these people and more over the next 20 years. I found it to be very real, and I related to Finny in many ways. I actually found myself crying at some parts and laughing out loud at others.

A note to my local readers: Twenty-nine-year old (making me feel just a smidge old and unaccomplished!) Justin Kramon graduated from Swarthmore College and currently lives in Philadelphia.

I rated the book 4/5 stars. It's a great novel, I definitely recommend it! I received an advance copy, but Finny will be available online and in bookstores in July 2010.

Now, on to the giveaway! I am giving away my copy of Finny to one of my readers!

Rules: This giveaway is only open to residents of the continental US. Enter to win by Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Winner will be randomly chosen. Please include your email address in your comment!

You have three chances to win!

1. Leave a comment with the title of your favorite book or a good book you just read.

2. Friend me on Good Reads, so we can chat books! (I receive no compensation or perks from Good Reads, I just like their website. And books.) Leave a comment that you did so.

3. Tweet this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your tweet.

Disclosure: I won an advance copy of this book Good Reads as part of their First Reads program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Crescent Roll Goodness

2010-05-18T12:09:00.001-04:00

I was recently selected to host a "MyGetTogether" via the General Mills Psst program. This is a great program and I have gotten to try some great free products! Crescent rolls, of course, are not new to me, and I do love them.

My original plan was to host a New Moon movie night with some girlfriends. BUT, I accidentally overscheduled myself and had to cancel.

Teacher appreciation week at Dash's school was the next week, so I used my crescent roll loot (they provided me with several free product coupons) to make some snacks for his teachers instead! I made...

Ham & Swiss Double Pinwheels

Yum. Please go make these. Seriously. I probably could have eaten about half a batch myself! (I had to taste test everything, hello?) I could not find shredded swiss at Walmart, so I just got some slices and cut it up. Turned out fine. I wasn't paying attention to the directions, and mixed everything together. Still turned out fine. Clearly, it's hard to mess these up! I did follow one important tip that someone left in the review section of the recipe: After you roll them up, put in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to firm up. They are much easier to cut this way.

Crescent Layer Bars

I subbed peanut butter chips and pecans for the vanilla chips and cashews, and I left out the almonds. Ok, but not great. The crescent roll crust just didn't do it for me. I was worried about the crust getting too crispy, so I didn't pre-bake the crust. Even with that, it was a little overdone for my taste. I've made something like this before called Almost Candy Bars, and they are awesome. The cake mix makes a better crust, and it's not as terribly sweet as you may think.

I am planning to make this for them next week too: Cherry Cream Cheese Coffee Crescent Braid (try saying that three times fast, gracious!). It looks similar to my Alligator recipe. Can't wait to see how it stacks up!

A few of my all-time favorite Crescent Roll recipes:
Mini-Crescent Dogs
Easy Apple Dumplings
Pepperoni 'n Cheese Crescents

What is your favorite Crescent Roll recipe?

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Disclosure: Pillsbury provided me with free product coupons, a cash card for extra ingredients, as well as aprons, cookbooks, and coupons to give away (which I did). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Mother's Day Gift

2010-05-13T10:57:00.001-04:00

You may remember this post where I told you we got a fancy new camera. Well, here's where I admit that I'm afraid of that dang thing. It's big. And expensive. I'm clumsy. Put all those together... I'm pretty sure you get the picture.

I hinted to Mr. Incredible that I sure could use a new (little) point and shoot camera. Voila! Look at this beauty that Dash bought me! I took some pictures over the weekend, and I'll get them up soon. Much better than my Blackberry pics. Thanks to my guys I have a great new camera!

This post is linked to:
Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries
Friday Favorites at The Other Mama

Frugal Summer Living Tips {Guest Post}

2010-05-12T15:56:00.000-04:00

I am exited to be guest posting over at For the Mommas today. Please check out my Frugal Summer Living Tips!

Potty Training Dilemma, Need Help!

2010-05-12T15:06:00.000-04:00

Yes, he likes to sleep with his hockey gloves. And, sometimes his stick. Note the mismatched PJs that he changed after I put him to bed!

Ok, seasoned moms. I need help.

Every night when we put Dash to bed, he gets up a few minutes later. He mostly stays in his room. This is not the problem.

Sometimes he completely changes his PJs for no apparent reason. This is an annoying laundry problem, but I can deal with it.

Most of the time, he sneaks out of bed and into the bathroom for one last potty run (even though we just went potty 10 minutes ago). Problem is, he still wears diapers to bed. (I'm so over pull-ups, the kid just pees to much at night.) So, he takes the diaper off, goes potty, and then changes back into underwear. Underwear!

He can be very sneaky--sometimes we don't even hear him. So, I have to check his heiney every night before I go to bed to make sure he doesn't have underwear on.

I don't want to discourage him from wearing underwear, but I also don't want to be up at 2 a.m. every night changing PJs and sheets. Also, he has only ever woken himself up once in the middle of the night to go potty. So, I don't think he's quite at the underwear-though-the-night stage.

So, do we limit liquids before bed? Have you done this? How much is too much? Do I let him change into the underwear and wet the bed. Maybe he will learn after a few times?

HELP! I would love to hear your suggestions on how to handle this.

Never Let You Go by Erin Healy - Book Review & Giveaway {closed}

2010-05-03T13:26:00.001-04:00

Never Let You Go

Erin Healy

Lexi Solomon is a single mom trying to keep it all together and give her daughter a good life. Her drug-dealing husband, Grant, left them years ago. Her father checked out mentally when her sister was murdered. Her mother is off traveling and they don't see eye to eye. Her sister's murderer, Norman, is up for parole. And, now a creepy old aquaintance (Ward, who insists on being called Warden) is back demanding payment for Grant's debts that she can't even begin to imagine repaying.

It seems as if Lexi's world is starting to crumble. All at once, Ward, Grant, Norman, and her mother come back into her life. A chain of events has been set off, and Lexi feels her life spinning out of control. Her grip on reality seems to be slipping too.

This book was good, but not great. It's well written with some good plot lines, but it can be confusing at times, particularly for a non-Christian. The battle between good and evil was just a little off to me (This Present Darkness and The Screwtape Letters are great for this). I was never sure who or what was real. Maybe that was the point, but it was confusing all the same.

The novel has a wonderful message of love and forgiveness. Lexi has let bitterness consume her, and Angelo (a kind new friend who always seems to be in the right place at the right time) urges her to repair her broken relationships and forgive. He also tells her to "Choose love, it will save you even now." I guess my issue is that there is an underlying theme of salvation. Love does not equal Salvation. Yes, it's part of it, but JESUS equals Salvation.
Overall it was a good read, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

Now, on to the giveaway! I am giving away my copy of Never Let You Go to one of my readers!

Rules: This giveaway is only open to residents of the continental US. Enter to win by Monday, May 10, 2010. Winner will be randomly chosen. Please include your email address!

You have three chances to win!

1. Leave a comment with the title of your favorite book or a good book you just read.

2. Friend me on Good Reads, so we can chat books! (I receive no compensation or perks from Good Reads, I just like their website. And books.) Leave a comment that you did so.

3. Tweet this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your tweet.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Feed Me Books Friday: Momma Loves Her Little Son

2010-04-30T08:19:00.000-04:00

Momma Loves Her Little Son

by John Carter Cash

Yes, that's THE John Carter Cash, son of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. I recently visited Nashville and went to the Country Music Hall of Fame. I saw a large sign for this book, but there were none on the shelf. I'm so glad I asked if they had any! They pulled a bunch from the back. I paged through, and knew I had to have it. I didn't even realize it until I was home in PA, but I got a signed copy!

The inspiration and title for this book came from the phrase that June Carter used to say to John: "Momma loves her little son". "She often recalled to me how one day I turned to her and said, "Son loves his little momma." This is a book of a mother's unconditional love for her son, and of the common dreams they may share within that love. (From the back cover.)

A few lines from the book:
"Momma loves her little son, as we count rocks and fishes.
And tell the salamanders and the toads all our secret wishes."

Takeaway: This is just a lovely book to remind your child of your unconditional love and to have special mama/son time with your little guy. Enjoy!

This post is linked to Feed Me Books Friday at The Adventure of Motherhood

Back from Nash-vegas!

2010-04-28T16:19:00.000-04:00

I'm back from my fabulous girls-only weekend in Nashville! We had a great time, here's my recap. I'll just apologize in advance for a looooong post that not too many people are going to care about. I just wanted to capture the weekend for myself:)

Day #1

Colleen and I flew out of Philly Friday morning. (Our three friends running the race left a day ahead of us.) Everything went so smoothly and Colleen was great to travel with! We arrived in Nashville, checked into our hotel, and decided to take a walk down Broadway. Broadway is the main drag where all the honky tonks are, and it is so much fun! We stopped to eat lunch at Rippy's, and sat at the upstairs bar. The bar was just plywood slapped on top of the bar and everyone had written all over it! We had a great BBQ combo lunch for $6.95. My kind of place!

Then, we headed back to meet up with the other girls, and go on a tour of Nashville. We really wanted to take the Nash Trash Tour, but they were all booked. Boo. So, we did the Greyline one instead. We stopped at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium (the original Grand Old Opry), and The World Famous Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.

I was fascinated with the Country Music Hall of Fame, the "Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy". It is the history of the Williams family starting with Hank Williams and going down through Hank Williams Jr. and Hank Jr's kids. They had an incredible impact on country music, it was so interesting. I also picked up this treasure of a book in the gift shop (review to come on Friday)!

We stopped in to see the Ryman and Julie and Lori busted up on stage and took their own pictures behind the microphone. I need to see those pics! There wasn't much to it, but I did enjoy the Johnny Cash display, which included TVs running old episodes of the Johnny Cash Show. Did you know that Ray Charles did his own rendition of "Ring of Fire"?

We headed out to dinner at Amerigos, which is a fantastic Italian restaurant outside of the downtown area. Our server was SO nice, he actually talked us into sharing a salad instead of ordering a whole one. And, they gave us all separate checks. This happened at almost every restaurant we went to in Nashville, which floored us Yankees. Is this a southern thing?

One of my favorite parts of the trip was Colleen's Q&A with all of our cab drivers. She made it a point to ask them ~~their whole life story~~ a few questions about where they were from and about their families:) She also asked them their favorite part about America. One answered, "peace". Another answered, "freedom". Just about made me cry #1 with pride for our country and #2 imagining what they endured in their home countries.

Country Music Hall of Fame

Band at Tootsies. I'm not even going to mention Julie's smooooth conversation with the bass player. Nope. It may have had something to do with her taking a picture of the band. And, him asking for her email address to get the photo. And, her turning beet red and throwing up her left hand, waving it in the air, and mouthing "I'M MARRIED!!"

Tootsies. At 3:00 in the afternoon!

Colleen, me, Julie at Tootsies

The Capitol Building

Nashville has a full-size replica of the Parthenon!

Day #2

Race day! The whole reason we went to Nashville was because Julie, Lori, and Carolyn were running the Country Music Marathon. They were calling for bad weather and started the race a little early. Colleen and I watched some of the race, and walked to end of race to meet Carolyn. It started raining, so went back to hotel. They actually cut the race short because of thunder & lightening, and Julie and Lori were not allowed to finish. I feel so bad for them. They are amazing runners and trained so hard!

At this point it was just pouring down rain, so Colleen and I went to the Opry Mills mall to kill some time. We discovered Charlotte Russe (who knew they had such cute, cheap tops?) and ate lunch at Tony Roma's. Which should not be confused with that guy who play for the Cowboy's (which is what I thought up until this very minute when I looked up the website--oops!)

For those of you who live in Nashville, I am pretty jealous of this mall. And, that's something coming from the girl who lives right around the corner from one of the largest malls in the country. Opry Mills is the most kid-friendly mall I've ever seen! Here are some of its features: A sting-ray aquarium (where kids can "pet" the sting-rays), Aquarium Restaurant, Glow-in-the-Dark mini-golf, a little train that runs through the mall, Rainforest Cafe, Dave & Busters, and even Bass Pro Shops!

I wanted to go to dinner at the Wildhorse Saloon (and even convinced all the other girls to go), and they were closed for private party until 9:00 p.m. I am very mad at you Wildhorse Saloon--I really wanted to visit you. We ended up at the Big Bang. I'm not even linking to it. Terrible. Our first clue should have been all the workers had to wear t-shirts that said "Bang This". I think we scared our waitress, but she should have been--she almost lost my credit card! It was raining hard off and on and the honky tonk bars were too crowded. We ended up going back to the Union Station Hotel, and I had a drink with Lori in the bar. Gorgeous hotel!

Some were walking, some were running, but they were all swinging pink hula hoops!

Yes, they were RUNNING and HULA HOOPING at the SAME TIME!!

LP Field, home of the Titans--and the end of the race

Ah, this baby was SO cute. And, look at this Mama--she ran the half! I was really trying to catch the guy behind her. See those roses? He also had a ring. That's right. He was going to propose to his girlfriend at the finish line. We tried to follow him, but he got lost in the crowd. I hope she said yes!

Carolyn: ROCK STAR half marathon runner!

Caroly, Elvis, Colleen, me

Day #3
Our last day was kind of lazy. We went to breakfast at The Pancake Pantry. It was a looooooong wait. They do have incredible pancakes! I don't think I would wait that long again, but I'm glad we went. We got coffee from Provance, which is right across the street. Wow, that place was so cute! They had tons of pastries, sandwiches, salads, breads, and breakfast items. We were all marveling that Nashville seems to favor high ceilings, different than Philly.

This is what a 1 1/2 hour wait at The Pancake Pantry looks like

Carolyn, me, Julie, Lori, Colleen

I had such a great time! Everyone was easy to travel with and we all got along so well. I hope we can do it again!

Top Ten MAJOR Fail Gifts for Women

2010-04-27T12:32:00.000-04:00

As a follow up to last week's list of Top Ten No-Fail Gifts for Women, I thought I'd do an opposite list!

1. Gym membership/exercise equipment
Unless you know you know your woman VERY well in this area and have talked about it, stay away from this type of gift. Most women are self-concious about their weight and don't want to think that their significant other thinks they are fat. Because really, that's what you're saying. Isn't it? No, probably not. You may just think you are doing a nice thing, but it won't be seen that way.

2. A gift thinly veiled as a gift for yourself
Eagles tickets? A new fishing rod? A 72" plasma TV? Lingerie? "Surprise! I got you these awesome tickets! We're going to have SUCH a great time!" Don't even try it.

3. Cleaning items
Unless it's a Roomba or a maid, please do not get cleaning items for a gift. There is nothing about cleaning that makes me feel special.

4. Stuffed animals
Really, I think stuffed animals are only good for people 18 and under. I know Vermont Teddy Bear is always advertising around the holidays, but don't fall for it. It's just a big dust catcher! (Note: I actually love Vermont Teddy Bear and just visited their factory last summer with Dash. Cute for kids, not for grown women.)

5. Clothes
Again, unless you know your lady VERY well, please don't try to buy her clothes. Sizes vary greatly with clothing, and styles are hard to pinpoint. This will probably only make more work for her because she will have to return or exchange things.

6. Bath & Body Works
Maybe it's just me, but I'm not a fan of lotion, spray, and body wash. Anyone else? To me, it's one of those last-minute-I-have-no-idea-what-to-get-you-so-I-ran-to-the-mall-and-the-salesgirl-said-you'd-like-this gifts.

7. Candles
Lame. See above.

8. Appliances
Like I said in #3, a Roomba might be an appropriate gift. Might. But, a blender, new washing machine or dishwasher should be part of your household expenses, not a gift. Unless, of course, this is REALLY what she wants. (I actually asked for and received a fabulous toaster oven one year.) But, I would still get a little something else to go along with it.

9. Anything from Spencer's
You know, the store you went into when you were a teenager, sneaking glances over your shoulder and giggling the whole way through? While you may think that "fun game" you bought to spice things up in the bedroom is going to be great... chances are your lady will think it's in poor taste. And, it is.

10. Pets
Maybe this one is a little harsh. I know some people would probably love a cat/dog/fish as a gift. But, me? Right now, it's just more work. And, I'd want a say in choosing the pet too. Best to pass, in my opinion.

So, ladies, how did I do this time? Anything to add?

This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday at Oh Amanda

Nashville or Bust!

2010-04-22T15:56:00.000-04:00

I'm flying out tomorrow for a girl's weekend in Nashville. Woo hoo!

Lest I give you the wrong impression, a few of my friends are running the Country Music Marathon. Not me. I will be sampling lots of barbecue, biscuits, & sweet tea, and hoping to heck that I run to some of my favorite country stars. Like Brad, Toby, Josh, or any other hunky cowboys who may be in town.

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Wordless Wednesday - Fishing

2010-04-21T09:48:00.000-04:00

Top Ten No-Fail Gifts for Women

2010-04-20T08:30:00.002-04:00

As Mother's Day (and my birthday!), approaches I was thinking of how some men say it's hard to know what to buy for the woman in their life. Personally, I find women very easy to buy for, but that's probably because I AM a woman! Here is my list of no-fail gifts for women.

1. Flowers
I made the mistake of saying that I didn't want flowers for an anniversary/birthday/whatever important event one time. I am frugal you know, and I said something like, "Oh don't waste money on flowers. The cats will eat them, and they just die anyway." Dumb, dumb, dumb. Seriously, I do like flowers and it has taken a while to come back from that, but Mr. Incredible knows that flowers are a nice gift for me.

2. Jewelry
Listen up, guys. Women like jewelry. I would say this has a 99% get-out-of-the-doghouse success rate. And, it's just an all-around great gift. There are so many great personalized jewelry sites now too. I love everything on this site: http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/. And, seriously, I do not know of a mother out there who would not swoon over this silhouette necklace from Le Papier Studio.

3. Spa gift certificate
Ladies like massages. And facials. And mani/pedis. If you don't know what that is, you're in more trouble than I thought. Try this website to find a spa near you: http://www.spafinder.com/. I think I've even seen discounted gift cards at Costco.

4. A Free Day
A free day where she can do whatever she wants. Meaning, a GUILT-FREE day where she can go shopping/out to lunch/to the movies/to the beach/whatever and you make your own dinner/take care of the kids/and maybe even clean the toilets, and don't complain about it.

5. Tickets to a show or concert
I rarely get to go to (Off) Broadway shows, but I love them. It is expensive when you add up the tickets, parking, dining, etc. It is a treat that most women would enjoy. I have seen and loved Wicked and The Phantom of the Opera. I would love to see The Lion King and Les Mis some day!
6. Amazon or Starbucks gift card
Some say a gift card is too impersonal, especially for your significant other. I tend to disagree. I think a $25 gift card to Amazon would be fantastic. You can get almost anything on Amazon (books, books, and more books for me, please!) and most things ship free when you spend $25. Almost every woman I know loves fancy coffee (or tea) drinks, but feels guilty about spending the money. Your lady would love this treat!

7. Photos
I LOVE pictures of our family! Find a great photo and get it enlarged and framed. A friend's husband did this, made the photo black & white and colored in the flowers. It's gorgeous and different! Or, make a photo book--there are a zillion different options out there! If your lady is into photography, I'm sure she would love a new lens or some other equipment she feels guilty spending money on.

8. Personalized stuff
Nothing says I love you/I put lots of though into this/I didn't just buy this gift five minutes ago at the gas station like a personalized gift. My bloggy friend http://www.theothermama.com/ is starting a monagramming business, and she is going to have some very cute tote and overnight bags. Great gifts to go along with #9!

9. A mini-vacation
You could go big or small on this one and still be a hero. One night at a bed & breakfast or a week in the Caribbean would have the same affect on me. Take care of all the details and surprise her!

10. Dinner out on the town
This is one of my favorites! Mr. Incredible (admittedly, so I don't think I'm speaking out of turn here) is not a chef. So, a night off from cooking is a lovely gift for me. Add in a babysitter so you can have more than 2 minutes of uninterruped conversation and you have a winner!

Ok, ladies, what did I miss? What would you love/hate as a gift? And, guys, please make a list of no-fail gifts for men and send me the link, k?

This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday at Oh Amanda

Winner! Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl Giveaway

2010-04-13T12:29:00.000-04:00

The winner is The Former PK. Congratulations!

Thank you to all who entered, I sincerely appreciate you stopping by. I already have another book from BookSneeze on the way, so look for another giveaway soon!

24: Jack's Not Coming Back

2010-04-12T15:19:00.001-04:00

And, no one else for that matter. In case you missed it, 24 has been cancelled and this will be the final season. I'm a little sad 1) because it is the ONLY show Mr. Incredible will watch with me and 2) I really did like the show. But, I think it's run it's course. There are only so many plot lines they can recycle over and over again. If I have to watch one more scum bag get immunity from a phone call to the president, I may poke my eyes out!

We have watched the entire series from the beginning and I have some favorite characters: Jack Bauer (of course), Chloe O'Brian, Tony Almeida, David Palmer, Aaron Pierce, Bill Buchanan, Edgar Stiles, and Morris O'Brian.

And, then there are some that we just loved to hate: Nina Meyers and Sherry Palmer are my top picks!

Great Jack quote:
President Taylor: You resigned from government service, and the Senate regards you as having been a renegade agent. How am I supposed to know where your loyalties really lie?

Jack Bauer: With all due respect, Madam President, ask around. ("Day 7: 3:00pm-4:00pm")

Here are some of my favorite Chloe quotes:

Tony Almeida: There's a program for that?
Chloe O'Brian: No, so I wrote one for it.

Erin Driscoll: That's it Chloe, you're out of here.
Chloe O'Brian: I was going to quit anyway. ("Day 4: 10:00am-11:00am")

Chloe O'Brian: Edgar, I appreciate your concern. I really do. Just when I shot that guy, I thought I'd go all fetal position. But the truth is I didn't feel anything. At all. I hope I'm not some kind of a psychopath.
Edgar Stiles: Well he was trying to kill you.
Chloe O'Brian: Yeah but still.
Edgar Stiles: Maybe it's a delayed reaction kinda thing. Maybe you'll freak out about it in a couple days.
Chloe O'Brian: I hope so. ("Day 4: 2:00am-3:00am")

Chloe O'Brian: I was unfairly harsh to you a few minutes ago, I didn't mean anything.
Spenser Wolff: All right. Apology accepted.
Chloe O'Brian: It wasn't really an apology, it was more of an observation.

Chloe O'Brian: (to Former President Logan) I'm sorry, I'm feeling ambivalent. I'm going to go. ("Day 6: 6:00pm-7:00pm")

I'm sorry I gave up on my 24 recaps. We got so behind on watching and I didn't want to post the recaps weeks later. As it stands, we still haven't caught up on last week's two hour episode, so don't post any spoilers in the comments, k?

So, who's your favorite character? Any favorite quotes? What do you think will happen in the final episode?

Feed Me Books Friday: Shrinking Sam

2010-04-09T09:00:00.001-04:00

Shrinking Sam

by Miriam Latimer

This used to be one of Dash's favorite books, but we haven't read it in a while. You know, all those pirates and such.

Sam is a middle child who feels a little ignored sometimes. One day he feels that no one is paying any attention to him--and he starts shrinking! He falls down the sink drain and finds a pal, Izzy, who has shrunk too. They share their stories and as they talk, Sam feels himself begin to grow. He hops back home and has a reunion with his family.

There is a line that I always skip as Sam is falling down the drain. I think it says something like "he thought he was going to drown/die". I don't think it belongs in a book for young kids, but that's just me.

Takeaway: This would be a good book children with siblings to help them if they feel that they are not getting enough attention. Dash is too young to "get" that part and, plus, he's an only child! He just liked Sam--and his dog, Kimba!

This post is linked to Feed Me Books Friday at The Adventure of Motherhood

Reynold's No-Stick Foil

2010-04-08T08:30:00.002-04:00

I have very few brand loyalties. I use whatever shampoo is on sale (or, at this point, in my stockpile!), same for toothpaste, clothes, kitchen stuff, whatever. But, I really do love Reynolds Wrap non-stick foil. Like big puffy heart love it.

The reason I started using it was because I was sick and tired of covering my lasagnas with foil and then having all the cheese stick to it! I was also tired of scrubbing every pot and pan after baking simple dishes. Then, I had one of those lovely "A-HA!" moments when I found this foil.

I use it for everything. I line pretty much every pan that I use with it. It's the best for making brownies and bars. I use a Pampered Chef stone baker to make my baked goods and they tend to stay warmer longer than other pans. By using this foil, you just leave some foil "handles" on the ends and lift out the baked goods. No worries about over cooking. Transfer to a cooling rack and you are good to go.

I also find it much easier to cut bars this way. You can put the baked goods on a large cutting board and use your good, sharp knives to cut away. No damage to your good pans!

And, the very best part? Zero clean up.

This post is linked to:

Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries
Friday Favorites at The Other Mama

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-07T06:51:00.001-04:00

Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl - Book Review and Giveaway!

2010-04-05T08:30:00.001-04:00

I recently signed up with BookSneeze.com, and I am part of their book review bloggers program. I requested and was sent Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl.

Hand of Fate is the second novel in the Triple Threat series, following Allison (federal prosecuter), Nicole (FBI agent), and Cassidy (TV journalist).

The novel opens with popular radio personality, Jim Fate, being murdered in his studio by opening a package that fills his studio with poisonous gas. Chaos ensues not only in the radio studio and building, but in downtown Portland (Oregon) as well. Allison and Nicole are in court a few blocks away and forced to evacuate the building. Allison makes it out and rescues a child on the street. Nicole is trapped in the building. Cassidy hears the news and races to the scene to cover the story.

After the initial dangers pass, the three women team up to figure out who killed Fate and why. Hand of Fate is a great mystery novel. It is fast-paced (just the way I like it!) and the final twist was not obvious.

I also loved the way that Wiehl weaved faith into the novel, and not in a cram-it-down-your-throat kind of way. The three women are at different stages of faith: Allison is clearly a Christian, Nicole had a very religious upbringing but a terrible trauma crushed her faith, and Cassidy is new-agey.

Wiehl never reveals who she based Jim Fate's character on, but some of her friends in the business were sure it was them. I think it's a combination of several radio personalities, but she does call Fate "The Great One" at one point. And, we all know who that is...

Now, on to the giveaway! I am giving away my copy of Hand of Fate to one of my readers!

Rules: This giveaway is only open to residents of the continental US. Enter to win by Monday, April 12, 2010. Winner will be randomly chosen. Please include your email address!

You have three chances to win!

1. Leave a comment with the title of your favorite book or a good book you just read.

2. Friend me on Good Reads, so we can chat books! (I receive no compensation or perks from Good Reads, I just like their website. And books.) Leave a comment that you did so.

3. Tweet this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your tweet.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Feed Me Books Friday: Pirates and Ladybug Girl

2010-04-01T22:35:00.001-04:00

I took Dash to the library last week. I asked him what kind of books he wanted to get, and he said, "PIRATES!" His response may or may not have had anything to do with the fact that he had just been watching The Pirates That Don't Do Anything in the car.

We asked the children's librarian for some pirate books and she pulled a few for us.

Just look at my sweet boy

One of our favorites was Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies by Carolyn Crimi. It is a great book that incorporates all of the pirate jargon, but none of the scary stuff. One of the other books we got had pirates being chased by ghosts and a captain that "sold his soul" for gold. Ugh!

Black Ear is a big, bad pirate who is ashamed of his son, Henry, for not being a "real" pirate. All Henry wants to do is read books. The Buccaneer Bunnies do not listen to Henry's storm warnings, and they end up stranded on a deserted island. Henry comes to the rescue, building a shelter, cooking food, making clothes--all learned from the books he's read.

Takeaway: It's really a sweet and clever book! I love that it is about pirates (which Dash loves) AND reinforces the importance of reading.

We also picked up Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy. This is a fun, well-written book about Lulu/Ladybug Girl and her pal Sam/Bumblebee Boy. Lulu has great fun as Ladybug Girl, but when she runs into Sam at the park, he doesn't want to play anything she wants to play. They both get a little upset. Lulu suggests playing Ladybug Girl. Sam can be Bumblebee Boy, and they can have superpowers! There are a few other books in this series that I would love to pick up next time.

Takeaway: Kids can learn how fun pretending can be, and how to work out conflict and compromise with friends.

This post is linked to Feed Me Books Friday at The Adventure of Motherhood

Food You Didn't Cook Tastes So Much Better

2010-04-01T07:20:00.003-04:00

I'm not talking about the "raw food" movement, people. I'm talking homemade comfort food delivered to your doorstep!

I wrote about my surgery last week and how well we were being taken care of. You have no idea. First off, my BFF Stephanie came over at 8:00 a.m. to watch Dash until my mom could get there. Not only did she watch my kid, she cleaned my house. When I walked in the door later that day, I almost cried. Except that would have hurt too much.

Then, the food started coming in. We were treated to some of the most amazing meals. They were all really good. But, I find that food I didn't cook tastes even better! Anyone with me on this?
Not to totally make you jealous (you will be, sorry), but here's what we received:

Pot roast, angel food cake with strawberries
Swedish meatballs, macaroni & cheese, Caesar salad (with homemade Caesar dressing!), lingonberry sauce
Pasta with meat sauce, bread, brownies
Lasagna, salad, bread, chocolate cake
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
Stuffed chicken breasts, wild rice pilaf, peas
Ravioli casserole (had to freeze because we had too much food!)

Thanks to Stephanie (for organizing the meals), Dominique, Michelle, Heather, Colleen, and the amazing Francie. We were totally ~~spoiled rotten~~ blessed in abundance last week!

This post is linked to:
Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries
Friday Favorites at The Other Mama

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-31T08:30:00.002-04:00

Roasted Sticky Chicken

2010-03-30T08:05:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe year ago from the Frozen Assets Yahoo Group (all about OAMC). It was originally created by Mimi Hiller and has since been posted all over the internet. The chicken is slow-roasted to falling off the bone and gets a nice, crispy skin. It is the BEST roasted chicken. Ever.

Roasted Sticky Chicken

2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole roasting chicken, about 3 pounds
1 cup chopped onions

1. Combine all spices (first 8 ingredients) in small bowl.
2. Rinse chicken, inside and out. Drain well.
3. Rub spice mixture over skin and the inside of chicken.
4. Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.
5. When ready to roast, stuff cavity with onions.
6. Place chicken breast side down in roasting pan.
7. Roast uncovered at 250ºF (that's not a typo...it's really 250º! Anything over 225º is safe as long as the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 155º, which this does, and more) for about 5 hours. Baste occasionally with pan juices or until pan juices start to caramelize on bottom of pan and chicken is golden brown.

My notes: It's best, but not necessary to let it "marinate" overnight. I've skipped that step and it still comes out great. I've never used white pepper in my life, not necessary if you don't have it. I've also skipped basting a few times and it still turns out well. Basically, you can't mess this on up!

What's your favorite chicken recipe?

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Weekend Recap

2010-03-29T22:31:00.000-04:00

I'd been wanting to meet up with my dad for his birthday (beginning of March), and we were finally able to work it out this weekend. We didn't want to just go out to eat, we wanted to "do" something too. I remembered my friend Hillary's post on the Strasburg Railroad, so I knew they would be open.

We met up in Lancaster, and went to a diner-type place for breakfast. It was ok, but not great. Definitely better places around town, like my favorite, Shady Maple.

Then, we headed over to the Strasburg Railroad to take Dash on a train ride. The ride was great. He actually remembered when I brought him to see the Day Out with Thomas a few months ago. He asked if the engine had a face on it:) It's a fairly short ride, but the conductor makes it fun by giving the passengers some history of the railroad and the area. Cherry Crest Farm is not open yet. That place is SO much fun for kids. We'll probably go back this summer.

Then, we went traipsing around Lancaster looking for a new camera. By the way, the Ritz Camera in Boscov's at the Park City Mall is no longer there. Saving YOU the trip. We ended up driving home and going to the mall. And, we bought this.

Hopefully you will notice a big improvement in my blog photos. If Mr. Incredible lets me use it that is...

There is No Such Thing as Minor Surgery

2010-03-23T08:47:00.004-04:00

Last week I sent out a tweet asking for prayer for surgery. (Thanks for praying!!) I didn't really offer any explanation, so here it is.

I've had sinus and allergy problems my whole life. I've done allergy shots (still do), medications, nasel sprays, Breathe Right strips, and more. But, no matter what I tried, I still felt like I could never breathe though my nose. And, I still snored. Not only was I uncomfortable, my husband was ready to divorce me. For snoring, not breathing. Heh.

So, I recently went to see yet another ENT doctor. I felt like he was the first one to take me seriously. I had a severely deviated septum and turbinate issues. We decided to do surgery to correct my problems.

I convinced myself that it was "just minor surgery", so I didn't really think about it. Then, the day before, I started to get nervous (hence the tweet). I was nervous about going under, and I was nervous about the pain. I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

What I learned this week is that there is no such thing as minor surgery. Unless we're talking removing a splinter with tweezers. I'll give you that. Anytime you get a general anesthetic, it's a big deal. Anytime you go under the knife, it's a big deal. And, if you're a big wuss like me, it's a really big deal!

The nurses and doctors were as nice as could be. My nurses were so comforting and caring. They gave me warmed blankets (like fresh out of the dryer feeling!), which I know they probably give to everyone. But, that made me feel special:) Everything went smoothly, and I was back home later that day.

Mr. Incredible totally lived up to his name and stayed with me the entire time. He even picked up my prescriptions and went to the grocery store (for like the 5th time since we got married), so this was a big deal too! Thanks, hon!

Our friends and family are taking such good care of us. Even though I'm in pain, I'm feeling so incredibly blessed.

So, what's going on with you this week?

This post is linked to What I Learned This Week at Musings of a Housewife

Great Harvest Bread Co.

2010-03-18T09:00:00.006-04:00

I had some time to kill after my dentist* appointment last week, so I headed down the street to find some coffee.

If you know Wayne, then you know that there are at least five or six coffee shops within a half mile area. I wanted to sit down for a bit, so I headed to Cream & Sugar. It's a cute litte cafe with yummy lattes. I've only been there once or twice, so I forgot that they require a $10 credit card purchase. Is this even allowed anymore? I never carry cash, so I said "bye bye!"

I've been to places where they charge you a 3% fee or so if you don't meet the minimum requirement. I'm not sure if that's legal or not, but I really don't even mind. It's worth the convenience to me. I much rather would have paid a tiny fee, got my latte, and been able to sit down and enjoy my self for a few minutes than had to truck back out into the ~~monsoon~~ rain to find another shop. Ok, end rant. On to the "Things I Love" part of this post!

On to one of my favorite places--Great Harvest Bread Co. If you are local, please check out their shops in Wayne and Ardmore.

First off, they offer FREE slices of their amazing bread to everyone who walks in the door. My favorites are cinnamon swirl, apple crumb, s'more, savannah pecan swirl, and good old honey whole wheat. Yes, I have a lot of favorites. They also have amazing morning glory muffins and cinnamon chip scones. And, please try one of their pigs in a blanket. Yum all around!

The other wonderful thing about Great Harvest is that it's about 85 heavenly degrees in there, since they have all those ovens going. It was so nice to stand there for a few minutes, just soaking up the heat on a cold, rainy day. And, the smell. Oh my, who doesn't love the smell of freshly baked bread?

I got myself a cinnamon chip scone and a large Peet's coffee. It was a great start to my day!

Have you ever been to a Great Harvest Bread Co.? Do you have a favorite bakery or coffee shop?

*If you are looking for a dentist in the area, I highly recommend Dr. Spina in Wayne!

This post is linked to:
Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries
Friday Favorites at The Other Mama

I Am a Winn-ah!

2010-03-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

My good pal PK posted this about her recent winning streak, and it got me thinking about the things I've won since I became a blog-aholic. Then, I remembered this post by Amy at The Finer Things in Life (love this blog!). So, I thought I'd put my own little list together.

I love entering blog contests--and I love winning even more:) It just goes to show that someone IS winning all those blog contests out there, so why not enter?

$10 Tupperware gift card - Bargain Hunting Moms (Love me some Tupperware, but haven't had a chance to order anything yet.)

20 piece set of Rubbermaid containers - Rubbermaid blog (LOVE the Premier containers!)

$50 Safeway gift card - The ¢entsible Life (By far one of my favorites, I stretched this far at Genaurdi's.)

Yoplait gift pack - Domestic Debacle (Free yogurt [the chocolate raspberry whips are SO good] and a fun popsicle mold)

Night at the Museum 2 gift pack - Genesis Moments (Still haven't watched this yet, in the stack to watch.)

Sun & Earth gift pack - For the Mommas (Love the all-purpose cleaner and they are a local company)

TastyKake coupons (2 free boxes) - Twitter giveaway @TastyBakingCo (Kandy Kakes, 'nuf said)

Quaker Tortillaz (free bag) - Twitter giveaway @QuakerTalk (Not crazy about this product, weird texture. I like the mini rice cakes better.)

Success Rice coupon (1 free box) - Twitter giveaway @Success_Rice (Can't remember what I made with this, but, yay free rice!)

$25 Dress Barn gift card - Domestic Debacle (Used this to buy a new black bag, it is fabulous.)

How to Be the Family CFO by Kim Snider - The ¢entsible Life (Have not gotten a chance to read this yet, but it's on my to-read list.)

The Sickies: Daycare vs. Home

2010-03-16T09:00:00.002-04:00

We attended a parent meeting at Dash's daycare last week. Several issues were discussed, including some child health issues. The director said that there is a study (or several) out there disputing the myth that daycare kids get sick more often than kids that are home. I'm sure there are studies that favor both sides, but it got me thinking...

I used to think that Dash got sick more often than his friends since going into daycare. I'm not sure if I believe that anymore. Especially since joining Twitter last year and seeing the tweets of at-home moms. I really think that we're even. Actually, we have been enjoying a nice healthy run. Great, now that I say that, I'm sure we'll pick something up!

So, what do you think? Do you think your kids have gotten sick more often from daycare? Or, do you think it's even with kids at home?

This post is linked to What I Learned This Week at Musings of a Housewife

Reuben Appetizers

2010-03-15T12:04:00.001-04:00

These appetizers are a great St. Patty's Day (or anytime) treat. I made these for our Super Bowl party, and they were awesome! You can also try them with a small spoonful of sauerkraut between the corned beef and cheese (Mr. Incredible is not a big fan, so I skipped it).

Reuben Appetizers

1 loaf mini rye bread (I find it in front of the deli in the grocery store)

1 lb. deli corned beef

1 lb. deli swiss cheese

Sauerkraut (optional)

Thousand Island dressing for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange slices of mini rye on a large baking sheet. Top with half a slice of corned beef, then 1/4-1/2 slice of swiss cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with Thousand Island dressing. Enjoy!

Have any St. Patty's Day plans?

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Trader Joe's French Roast Coffee

2010-03-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

Since we've been very deliberate about making our coffee and eating breakfast at home every morning, I had decided to start buying "good" coffee (Starbucks). To avoid being tempted to stop for a latte, I need to have a good cup of coffee! I hit a few good sales and stocked up. Alice.com also has it at a very good price. I love it, but it is a little pricey for a frugalista like me.

I was at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago and picked up a bag of French Roast on a whim. It was $3.99, or maybe $4.99. Wow, we finally cracked it open this week and I am hooked! It really brews a great cup of coffee. I plan on stocking up the next time I'm there!

What's your favorite brand of coffee? What is your favorite Trader Joe's item?

This post is linked to:
Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries
Friday Favorites at The Other Mama

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

An oldie, but a goodie. I was going through my photos and
found this one of Dash from last summer. Tennis pro!
[I know this is supposed to be wordless, but I can't help myself.]

Rite Aid and Giant Shopping Trip

2010-03-09T22:11:00.001-05:00

Grand total for the above: $3.00

I really apologize for the crappy photos. I've been taking most photos with my phone and the quality is not the best.

I'm a CVS girl. I'm all about the instant gratification of ECBs. I've never liked my local Walgreens. I don't really have a convenient Rite Aid, so I've always kind of ignored their deals. BUT, Shannon had some really simple scenarios with low out of pocket costs, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Then, Mindi posted this incredible deal on cheap ravioli at Giant. And, some weird ice cream that I refuse to let my 3 year old eat--I know 98% of it would end up on the floor!

Rite Aid

3 John Frieda root awakening shampoo/conditioner 5.00 each

1 Cover Girl powder 8.19

1 Cover Girl concealer 8.19

- 8.19 Cover Girl BOGO sale

- 5/20 Rite Aid coupon

- 9.00 John Frieda mfr 3 x 3.00

- 1.00 John Frieda RA video values coupon

- 8.19 Cover Girl BOGO coupon

= $0.00, plus 5.00 rebate for JF products

Giant

18 bags ravioli 1.00 each

- 15.00 instant savings

= $3.00

Rite Aid was out of all the Biore stuff, so I got a raincheck. Also, I may go back to Giant tomorrow for more ravioli. That's right. More ravioli. Deals are my crack, so look out.

Edited to add my receipts! [Ignore the extra $40 on the Giant receipt, that was cash back.]

I.Made.Bread.

2010-03-09T11:18:00.000-05:00

I made my first two loaves of homemade bread this weekend. For those of you who missed it last week when I made homemade pizza crust, I admitted that I was afraid of yeast. I don't know why. It just seemed so easy to mess up. So, since I've been getting braver in the kitchen, I decided to give it a try.

I used the Honey Wheat Bread recipe from the back of the Gold Medal whole wheat flour bag. I used my KitchenAid mixer, but did the rest by hand. No bread maker here. (Although the funny thing is, I had one for years and never used it. I just sold it at a flea market a few months ago.) I also like Jo-Lynne's step-by-step instructions with photos here.

I'm pretty proud of my first effort. Not so proud that I remembered to take a picture, though. Dangit. The loaves came out more dense than a traditional sandwich bread you buy at the store. And, it tastes REALLY good! I will probably have to make it a few more times to get it perfect for us.

What did I learn this week? I learned that I need to stop saying "Oh, I can't do that." Because I most certainly can. And, because who really cares if I fail at making a loaf of bread?

I can see how this translates into other areas of my life. I've been a bit on the timid side my whole life. Playing it safe. Too scared to get hurt/fail/look stupid. It's funny, as I get older, I find that I don't care as much anymore. Not that you will ever find me sky diving or mountain climbing mind you. Really uncoordinated people know their limits. But, I want to try new things. I think this calls for a list. Hmm... I will have to start working on that.

What have you tried that has taken you out of your comfort zone?

This post is linked to What I Learned This Week at Inmates to Playdates (guest hosting for Musings Of a Housewife)

Featured Recipe on ForTheMommas.com

2010-03-08T16:25:00.000-05:00

Attention, attention. I am now famous! Hahahaha.

My Alligator Danish recipe is featured on Shannon's new recipe site. Please go check it out and look at her other recipes. Her alfredo recipe is SO GOOD!

Enjoy!

CVS Shopping Trip

2010-03-05T22:35:00.000-05:00

1 CVS pain relief 2.00

2 Excedrin 2.50 each

2 Revlon nail polish 4.99 each, buy one get one free sale

= 11.99

- 4.00 Excedrin IPs 2.00/1 x 2 (no longer available to print)

- 2.00/1 Revlon mfr

- 2.00/1 Revlon CVS coupon

= 3.99 + tax oop

Look what you can get for less than the price of ONE nail polish! I didn't have any coupons for the CVS brand acetaminophen, but it was a very good price. I'm having minor surgery in a few weeks and I can only take acetaminophen, so I wanted to grab one. I also couldn't pass up .50 a box for Excedrin. I like to buy nail polish on sale and include it in gift bags for my friends. These prices are good through tomorrow 3/6/10.

I Love a Good Book

2010-03-03T11:07:00.000-05:00

Ever since I found this handy dandy website, Good Reads, I've finally found a good way to keep track of my books. Books I've read, books I want to read, and books I'd rather forget. I'd never had a good method before. I tried to start a journal recently, but I had a hard time remembering things when I sat down to write in it. I remembered that I wanted to read a that book that a friend recommended, but not the title. Or the author. Just a general description. Does this happen to anyone else? Good Reads is just perfect for me. Plus, I get to "friend" people, like Facebook and Twitter. It's a modern day book ~~geek's~~ lover's dream! So, come join me and let's geek out together...

I highly recommend:
Going Rogue by Sarah Palin
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Not available in the US yet, but you can order it on ebay from the UK. Ask me how I know.) by Stieg Larsson

Not a fan:
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

I'm currently reading The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. I'm not loving it, but I'm giving it a chance. Our next book club pick is The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring. Looking forward to reading that next.

I was at B&N the other night and had a store credit to use up. I couldn't decide what to get, so I threw it out to my Twitter friends. Their suggestions: The Piano Teacher, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, Prodigal Summer (oddly enough, I have never read any Barbara Kingslover!), The Help, and anything by Lisa Scottoline. I ended up grabbing Olive Kitteridge and running out because apparently browsing at the bookstore was not on Dash's to do list!
Have any books I should add to my list?

You Get What You Pay For

2010-03-02T12:33:00.000-05:00

When am I ever going to learn? Quality has it's price. And, it is (almost) always worth it.

I have been on an obsessive search for new bedding for Dash's room. We moved everything around a few weeks ago and he is now in his real and final big boy bed. Except he will probably be too tall for it by the time he's 13. And, well, then he just better get a job.

This used to be our guest bed, so I did have a set for it. Sort of. I had been using an extra king-sized comforter, and it's just too big for the bed. It was annoying me. Especially with the toddler guardrail. And, it was all flowery and I felt bad for the kid. (Note: Dash did not care about it being flowery, nor does he really care about covers in general. He kicks them off. All. The. Time.)

So, what is my problem? I don't know. I wanted to have a nice "boy" bedroom for him. I think I need to write another post on why I obsess about things that don't matter. I can already hear Mr. Incredible shouting "AMEN!"

Anyway, back to the bedding search. I looked everywhere: Target (all twin stuff, no full), Walmart (poor quality), TJ Maxx (no kids bedding), Home Goods (an ENTIRE AISLE of GIRL bedding; one boy set, not my size), Pottery Barn Kids (gorgeous stuff, super pricey).

I love Pottery Barn kids, don't you? Dash's crib set and rug are from PBK (mostly gifted to us). I just feel so guilty spending the money on their stuff. But, it's what I really want. And, it's good quality.

Uggghhh. I hate this. I wish I could be more like my husband. When we go out to dinner, he orders what he wants. Forever the penny pincher, I try to order something inexpensive that I may not really be in the mood for. Am I the only one that does this? Please, just say no so I can feel better.

Anyway, I took Dash to Walmart the other day and decided to check their kid's bedding again. They had a big, ugly Batman comforter. Dash made a beeline for it and declared it his. The feel of it kind of made my skin tingle (not in a good way). I figured, what the heck? For $40 I will no longer be annoyed with an oversized comforter, AND my kid will be happy. (He thanked me profusely when we got home. He is a thankful little dude, thank God we're doing something right.)

Are you ready for the point of this post? Whew, I am. The quality of this comforter is not very good. I threw it in the washer, fine. Then, I put it in the dryer. One of those "old school" dryers with no moisture sensor. Yeah, I sort of fried the batting in a few parts of the comforter. I made it worse.

So, what did I learn this week? Go for quality, even if it costs a little more. And, don't put a crappy comforter in a small dryer. Now, to do something about those flowery curtains in the boy's room...

This post is linked to What I Learned This Week over at Musings of a Housewife

Weekend Cooking

2010-03-01T19:28:00.000-05:00

Here is my weekend of cooking in pictures. I would like to note that I've never made my own pizza crust before. I'm actually afraid of yeast, and try to avoid making anything that requires it. Except I did make The Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls one year. They are pretty darn good. I got myself PW's cookbook for Christmas and was ~~drooling~~ looking through it again this weekend. Acme was out of the frozen dough I usually get, so I thought, "Time to get over it. Make your own." So, I did. And, it was fabulous.

The boy loves a good spatula

Blueberry pancakes, nom nom nom. Love my griddle!

Popeyes a la The Pioneer Woman. When we used to make these at camp,
we put 2 slices of bacon over the eggs, but I didn't have any. Hear that PW? Add bacon!

PW's pizza crust (from the cookbook)

Tidy Mom's Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cake, made into a trifle. I've made this before with perfect results, but this time my filling came out runny. I blame the natural peanut butter. The family and I walked this over to our sweet neighbors, who used their snowblower to help us with the end of our driveway in the recent snow storms. They (and their teenagers) also dug out our elderly neighbors.
I love seeing neighbors helping neighbors.

24 Season 8: Episode 8

2010-02-22T18:21:00.001-05:00

Dana calls Kevin and we see that Kev and his pal have wasted not time putting their new, hard-earned money to work... at a strip club. Kevin tells Dana that they have a good thing going and he wants to do it again. Pal grabs the phone and threatens to tell Cole about her past if she doesn't help them. Didn't see that one coming, did you? Dana asks to speak to Cole privately, and tells him that she has some skeletons in the closet. He interrupts her and says that there is nothing that would make him stop loving her. Awwwww. Cole is called back to work and Dana gives him a resolved smile. Everything will be fine. She knows what she has to do. We last see Dana sitting outside the strip club. With a gun. Is that right or am I imagining things?

Jack is brought back to Big Russian Daddy's restaurant. He thinks Jack is a cop. DUH. Jack already messed with the Russians. Isn't his picture up on some Russian website by now? "Do not trust this man" Jack is tortured by one of the henchmen. Jack pretends he passed out, and then knocks the thug's lights out. Jack manages to get out of the handcuffs just in time to escape. He finds a cell and calls in CTU back up. Jack nails Big Daddy and delivers him on a platter to CTU. Oddly enough, Big Daddy rolls over immediately like fat dog. He says he'll tell CTU where the rods are in exchange for immunity for him and his son, Josef. Jack gets on his direct line to POTUS and makes the deal. That story element is getting a little old for 24, don't you think?

Cole and his team head to the location of the rods. When they get there, all that's left is an empty tractor trailer. AND, Young Russian Bro's cross necklace. Daddy immediately knows that Josef has the rods. Josef is on his way to meet Farhad. I'm just wondering if Josef thinks he is going to get out of that meeting alive?

Oh yeah, and Hassan is still on the paranoia train headed for disaster. His daughter finally gets into see him and tells him that she and Faroush are an item. This makes Hassan furious and he forbids her to see him again. He is sure that this means that Faroush is out to get him. Maybe yes, maybe no?

My First Tweet-Up

2010-02-19T23:28:00.000-05:00

I've gotten to know many bloggers through their blogs and chatting over twitter. I especially love following local blogs, I just feel a bit more of a connection. How well can you really know someone via the internet? Pretty well, actually (they were all normal, honey!).

A few Philly mom bloggers decided to get together tonight. I got to meet the lovely ladies behind these blogs:

The Centsible Life
Just Precious
But Wait It Gets Better
Chester County Moms
GirlyMama
Looking Good (for a mom)

I was really nervous, I'm actually kind of shy. But, everyone was really sweet, and we sat around talking over margaritas and chips & guacamole. It was nice to put names with faces and have a great girls night out. Thanks for welcoming me:)

Things I Love: Inchbug Name Labels

2010-02-18T08:00:00.005-05:00

I can't remember when I discovered these name labels from Inchbug.com, I think Dash was a few months old. These name labels are available in a variety of colors and with either one line or two lines of text. They are basically big rubber bands with your child's name on them. I love these things, and I have gotten them as gifts for family and friends.

There are many pre-printed first names available for $8.95/4 pack, or you can choose a custom-printed name for $4 more. These labels are not just for daycare either. They are great for keeping track of your child's cups at playgroups, parties, church, and other group activites.

The thing I really love about these labels is that they grow with your child. They fit bottles, sippy cups, and reusable water bottles.

I also highly recommend fanning Inchbug on Facebook. They often offer discount codes via Facebook.

This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

CVS Shopping Trip

2010-02-15T20:43:00.001-05:00

I was going to skip CVS entirely this week, but popped in on Saturday night. And Sunday. It's because CVS is sandwiched between Genuardi's and Blockbuster. I swear.

Saturday (CVS ads run Sunday through Saturday, so this deal are no longer available)

4 Nivea Lip Balms 2.99
= 11.96
- 5.98 Nivea mfr coupons (buy one get on free)
- 5.00 ecbs
= 1.04 oop, earned 5.00 ecbs for buying $10 worth of Nivea products, and earned 1.00 ecbs for using my own bag. You can buy a "green tag" for 1.00 and attach it to a reusable bag. You earn 1.00 every fourth time you use it.

Sunday
1 Glade reed diffuser 6.00
1 Glade soy candle 6.00
1 Newspaper 1.75
= 13.75
- 6.00 Glade coupons 2 x 3.00/1 Glade mfr coupons
- 6.00 ecbs
= 1.84 (there's always tax!), earned $4 ecbs for buying $12 worth of Glade products.

These deals were both done with just two of each coupon. Even if you start off by buying one newspaper per week and asking a neighbor for their coupons, you can score many things for free/cheap!

This will also go well with the SC Johnson $5 Rebate. Buy three products from the SC Johnson family of products, get a $5 rebate!

Did you get any good CVS deals this week?

24 Recap: Season 8, Episodes 5, 6, & 7

2010-02-15T19:13:00.002-05:00

I was told by a friend this weekend that my 24 recaps are a wee bit too long. Can you believe that? I have a reader--WOO HOO!! Ha ha. So, here goes my attempt to keep it short.

Episode 5
President Hassan's people are taking people into custody back in their homeland. This disturbs President Taylor and her people. Human rights, blah, blah, blah.

Renee and Jack get Ziya cleaned up and Renee convinces Jack to let her stay on the mission. Renee and Ziya go to see Vladimir. He is not incredibly thrilled to see them and tosses them in the back of a car. They zoom off somewhere (with Jack close behind). Vlad shoots Ziya and almost kills Renee too. She tells him to do it, she doesn't care about living anymore. Vlad said she passed the test. Jack heard the whole thing and is deeply concerned about Renee. As he should be.

Cold-hearted Russian dad tells the older son that he is not allowed to seek medical treatment for his brother. Josef defies his father and heads to a local clinic to get help.

Kevin keeps calling Dana and we find out her little secret that she's trying so hard to keep. She was an accessory to murder and did time in her former life. (Don't you think CTU would have found this on a background check?) She offers him money to leave, but he wants her to use her access at CTU to help him with a big score.

Episode 6
President Hassan's paranoia increases. He doesn't stop the arrests going on back home. He even suspects a member of his staff, Jamot, and has him detained. President Taylor becomes more concerned, and must address and reassure the other leaders at the peace summit.

Renee is in. She talks to Vlad about the nuke deal and convinces him to meet with her contact: Jack a.k.a. German arms dealer. Vlad says ok, but he wants $5 million up front. Vlad starts putting the moves on Renee, but she pushes him off. She's just there for the deal. She goes off to "clean up", which apparently means taking a shower 5 feet away from a guy who wants to do very bad things to you. She comes out and Vlad basically forces her to do bad things, or the deal is off. Barf, I hate Vlad.

Meanwhile, Vlad sends his cronies to meet Jack. As soon as the money clears the account, Vlad's guys pull out their guns to kill Jack. But, POW, POW! Cole snipered their butts. Good thing Cole didn't listen to you, huh Jack? I think I like Cole now. Just a little. Jack has Vlad's attention now.

The Russian brothers arrive at the clinic, and threaten the doc into treating the younger brother. The doctor is setting them up with meds and instructions when dear old dad's men burst in and shoot the doctor. They leave without the medicine, killing everyone at the clinic. Back at the restaurant, Dad berates Josef for disobeying him. He takes out his gun to shoot Josef, but turns and shoots little bro instead.

Meanwhile, back at CTU, Dana finds a large sum of money in a police evidence warehouse. She works out all the details so Kevin and his bud will be in and out in 20 minutes. She meets him outside of CTU to give him an access card. Arlo sees and assumes Dana is cheating on Cole.

Episode 7
President Taylor confides in the British delegate that there are nukes in play. President Hassan says he will get things back to normal in a few hours, but then tells his aide to have Jamot's family detained back home to put the pressure on him. Faroush thinks this is a bad idea. Hassan agrees to his face, but then asks another aide to go through with it. Is Hassan really just paranoid, or was he bad all along? Faroush goes to see Kayla (his girlfriend?), the president's daughter, and he is then arrested too.

Dana walks Kevin through the warehouse to get his money. Everything goes great until the idiot friend decides to get greedy and go through all the evidence boxes. They run out of time and get caught by a guard. The guard calls it in, but then gets bashed in the head by the friend. I'm not sure who is a dumber pile of rocks, Kevin for just being himself, or Dana for putting her career and life on the line. This is not going to end well for her.

Jack goes back to Vlad's place and asks to talk to Renee alone. He wants to pull her from the mission, but she refuses again. She is vital to the mission. Vlad starts making some calls to inquire about nukes on the market. No one bites. Not even Russian Big Daddy, who really does have the nukes. Renee keeps pushing Vlad to make more calls. He gets pissed and slaps her around a bit. She falls to the ground and grabs a knife. You can see in her eyes, something inside her has snapped. Renee jumps up and gives it to Vlad right in the eye. She then stabs him about a dozen times before Jack runs in to help. Renee is in such a frenzy that she swings around and stabs Jack too. OH. MY WORD. One of Vlad's guys comes in and pulls his gun. Jack pulls the knife from his stomach and wings it at his throat. Now, this is getting good!

Russian Big Daddy sends some of his guys over to check on Vlad. Jack manages to convince them that he wants to do business. They walk him through some sewer system and get him into a van. Cole and his team arrive shortly after, but didn't see any vehicles leaving the area. Jack is off the grid.

Random: Daycare Closed, Sushi, V-Day, and Visiting with Friends

2010-02-14T20:20:00.000-05:00

So, we had a little bit of snow last week. You may have heard. We had a lovely snow day at home on Wednesday. Thursday was spent digging out, I actually went out to check on something for work that afternoon. The roads were ok, but not great. The side streets in our neighborhood had yet to even be plowed at that point!

I thought by Friday everything would be back to normal. Who was that who didn't even bother to check to see if daycare was open? That would be me. (I won't even get into the fact that I made 20 heart-shaped ham and cheese sandwiches and cupcakes for Dash's Valentine's Day party. Nope.) Thank goodness my angel of a friend, Stephanie, agreed to watch him until lunchtime. Did I mention that she also agreed to watch our other friend's daughter (who uses the same daycare)? Plus, her own two kids. I kind of owe her.

Work was fairly uneventful. I left work at 5:45 and arrived home at 7:00 p.m. With no traffic, my commute can be a 20 minute drive. There was a crazy amount of volume on the Turnpike. Annoying. My mom had agreed to take Dash for the weekend, so Mr. Incredible and I could have a Valentine's date night.

By the time I dropped him off and got back it was 9:00. I wasn't sure if I would be able to de-stress enough to enjoy myself, but I did. We went to our local sushi place, Kabuki, for dinner and tried some new rolls. We also got my favorite--the Crazy Friday roll:) After that, we headed to to movie theater to see Sherlock Holmes. Great movie! I can't believe I made it through the whole movie and was actually awake at 1:00 a.m.

On Saturday morning, these beauties arrived at my doorstep. Yum. O. Thanks, hon--I love you!

A college friend flew in for the weekend and we met up with another college friend for lunch and a little relaxing. It was so nice to catch up with both of them, not to mention I got a little baby fix. Here we are with Sue's little one, isn't she adorable?

What's that? More snow tomorrow? I'm not listening...

Things I Love: Wilton Spoon Scraper

2010-02-11T10:22:00.001-05:00

There is a little magazine called All You that is only available at Walmart and via subscription. It's a pretty good magazine, and it has lots of coupons. I have a subscription (because I think I told you before that I like coupons), but you don't even need one to become an All You Reality Checker. I signed up sometime last year and they send me surveys via email from time to time. Probably about once a month. They ask you to share tips on everything from holidays to money-saving tips (and much more in between). I have received free product coupons for being a part of this program as well.

So, what does all this have to do with that handy dandy spoon scraper up there? Well, right before Christmas, I came home to find a gift bag full of goodies from All You!

A 1.5 oz container of germ-X Hand Sanitizer

A full size eye shadow quartet from New York Color
Two full size lipsticks from Neutrogena
A Wilton Spoon Scraper
Sample pack of Playtex
Sample size Nivea Touch of Sparkle Body Wash w/ $1 coupon
A Kendall Telfa Antimicrobial Adhesive Bandage and magnet
A Sample Pack from Kotex
A Sonic Wacky Pack Zoo Tot
Credit to ClipperGirl for the list, I forgot to write everything down!

As you can see, this lovely gem was included in my goody bag. It is the perfect kitchen tool! It works just as well as a wooden spoon at mixing up brownies, or you know, whatever healthy junk you're cooking. And, then it does double duty as a scraper. This is a serious little piece of brilliance right here.

I never got around to checking to see if they sell these at Walmart. They may have them at Michael's or Bed Bath & Beyond. I looked online and you can buy them direct from Wilton for $6.99 and from Amazon for $17.26.

Disclosure: I am not affiliated with any companies mentioned above. Except I am an All You Reality Checker, so I suppose I'm affiliated with them. I received a spoon scraper as a gift, but I am not being compensated in any way for this review. All opinions are my own. I just like the thing, dangit.

This post is linked up to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries

Why the Mister Married Me

2010-02-10T16:46:00.000-05:00

For my baking skillz, of course! Well, I guess I'm speaking a bit out of turn here. You'll have to ask him his own reasons for slipping the ring on my finger:)

This is an old family recipe that my mom used to make when we were young. It's so simple and the results are divine. We call them Alligators, but it's basically a homemade danish. I made this over the snowy weekend and it was gone within an hour.

Alligator

2 c. Bisquick
3 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. raspberry preserves

Topping
1 c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk
1/2 t. vanilla

Line a large cookie sheet completely with foil. (I'm addicted to Reynold's non-stick foil, but that just me.) Mix Bisquick, cream cheese, butter, and milk together to form a soft dough (I just used a fork to cut together). Roll out directly onto cookie sheet to form a large oval, about 1/4" thick or so. Make cuts in the dough at 1/2" intervals on both sides, leaving a 2 to 3" strip down the middle. Spoon the preserves down the middle strip. Fold strips of dough up and over the sides. Press together lightly in the middle. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees.

Let cool for 15 minutes. Mix toppings ingredients together and drizzle over alligator. Top with sprinkles if desired.

Notes: The dough gets sticky quickly. You may want to refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or so to make it easier to roll out. Some of the preserves will leak out onto the pan and burn, that's why I suggest lining so well with the foil. Also, the topping recipe makes a lot of icing, you can easily cut it in half.

Some Other Stuff I Do, or, an Ode to my Mother's Club

2010-02-09T20:23:00.001-05:00

So far, I've only blogged about TV, movies, food, and "stuff". I realized that this is not painting a picture of the real me. (Except the coupon part, I haven't even scratched the surface of crazy on that one yet.)

Shortly after Dash was born, I joined the local mother's club. I was a first-time mom (had no idea what I was doing), and I was dealing with some tough postpartum depression and nursing issues. I had left my job to become a stay-at-home mom, and didn't really have any mommy friends. We were a one-car family at the time and that was rough too. I was driving my husband crazy.

I thought the local mother's club was the answer. I joined and went to my first meeting. No one talked to me. I am a very shy person at heart, and it's very hard for me to just walk up to a group of people and start a conversation. I felt like everyone had their "cliques". I felt weird and out of place. I left and never went back. Maybe I got the wrong impression, but sadly it didn't work out and I felt even more lonely.

Fast forward a few short months, we bought our first home, moved 3 miles down the road to a new township--and they had a mother's club too. I was nervous about joining, but I forced myself (this is were Mr. Incredible is laughing his head off). I had to find some mommy friends.

I joined the new club and the first event was their huge May dinner. Yeah, the best way to meet new people is at a big, loud event. Brilliant. But, I went anyway and it was SO great. I had talked to Kendra on the phone beforehand, and she sort of took me under her wing at the dinner. She introduced me to lots of people and even sat with me. We ended up sitting with a group of ladies who all had kids around Dash's age (Stephanie, Jen, Lisa, Kris), and they invited me to their playgroup. I cannot even begin to tell you how much that meant to me. I'm pretty sure this group saved my sanity. And, Heather, who would call me just to say hi, and I would end up talking her ear off for an hour and a half!

Since then, I have gone to pretty much every single mom's club event (this would be why Mr. Incredible was laughing). I joined the book club and reorganized the supper club. I joined the board as "webmaster" and update our website. I have made incredible, lifelong friends. There are so many lovely women in this group, I can't possibly call them all out here. {Thanks, ladies. I love YOU.}

So, one of the club's purposes is to be involved in our community. One of our projects this year is to get more involved in providing casseroles to St. John's Hospice in Philadelphia. You can learn more about them and their programs here. The casseroles are frozen and picked up from our local Catholic church. They are then used for St. John's noon meal, which serves hundreds of homeless men in Philadelphia.

Many of our members have supported this cause over the years by donating individual casseroles. We got to thinking... what if we got a group together to make a large quantity of casseroles? So, we organized a Casserole Night where everyone picked an ingredient(s) to bring. Then, we all converged on our hostess's house last Tuesday for assembly. (Thanks, Steph! And, my goodness, don't you want that gorgeous kitchen?)St. John's provides the pans and lids. We decided to make a revised version of Tricia's Chicken Macaroni Bake (no onion, added broccoli) and Robin Sue's Cookie Dough Pie. My sister-in-law, Missy, made this delicious pie for a family get together a few weeks ago and it seemed like the perfect no-bake dessert!

I was a *little* anxious about how all this would come together. Because I must worry about everything. It's what I do.

We rocked it. That's all I have to say. These lovely ladies (and a few more not pictured who generously donate ingredients) banged out 10 pans of Chicken Macaroni Bake and 7 pans of Cookie Dough Pie in a half an hour! Our Community Outreach organizer has even made this a monthly event!

The group (I'm kneeling all the way on the right)

Heather O., Kris, and Amanda at their Chicken Mac station

Kendra and her invisible team (I'm taking the picture and Renee was getting our milk)

Renee (getting said milk), Sandi, Margo, Ramona, and Carol
assembling the Cookie Dough Pies

24 Recaps

2010-02-09T10:03:00.000-05:00

Not that anyone is waiting with bated breath for my reviews, BUT I wanted to let you know that we are two weeks behind on 24. Hopefully, we can catch up tomorrow and I'll post a review then!

The Crud [And Some Movie/Book Reviews]

2010-02-03T08:34:00.001-05:00

Things I learned this week:

If your child picks up a stomach virus at daycare, don't delude yourself into thinking you won't get it. You will. And, your husband will too. The cats will not. [Why is that anyway? I've never seen these cats get sick. Which is all well and good because Cheli pukes enough on her own. Must Google that.]
Don't be afraid to ask for help if you get aforementioned crud disease. I have the best mom ever. Truly. I called her from my sick ~~bed~~ couch, and she popped right over to pick up Dash. Thanks, Mom. I also had several offers of help from friends (thanks, everyone!), but didn't want to risk infecting anyone who wasn't related to me. And, would still love me if they got the crud.
After you recover from All the Evil, you will find you only have energy enough to lay on the couch and click the remote buttons. Which brings me to a recap of the movies we watched. So, here you go.

First up was No Country for Old Men. I'll just admit it. I don't get it. I don't get the hype (it won Best Picture 2007) and I don't get the movie. I guess there was a slight point. Maybe. But, it was loooong and basically everyone dies. (That really won't ruin it for you, even if you go against my advice and spend two hours of your precious time watching it.) Tommy Lee Jones had a great character, but other than that? Blah.

Mr. Incredible took a computer break as his crud started before mine, and he could sit up at this point. Instead of lying like a heap of wet noodles on the couch like me. So, on to Mamma Mia. Hmmm... how do I put this? No one in the movie can sing. And, it's a musical. I take that back. Amanda Seyfried can sing. That's it. Meryl Streep: steller actress, beautiful, amazing, lovely, great dancer, can't sing a note. Colin Firth, my main man. Pierce Brosnan, Bond hottie. Why? Just why? If you can get past all that, it's a cute story (do I really have to tell you that it's based on the Broadway show based on the songs of ABBA?) with beautiful cinematography.

At this point, I crawled back into bed for a few hours and Mr. Incredible watched Dragon Wars. He said it was bad. I can't even find it on imdb.

We were still making our way through the stack of $2 movies we picked up at Blockbuster. Can you tell? Next up was In the Name of the King. This movie is much like The Lord of the Rings, but not as good. Burt Reynolds plays the king, but doesn't seem to have an accent, while everyone else does. Ray Liotta (whose best role of course was Henry Hill) is, well, terrible as the evil Gallian. Matthew Lillard (Scream, Scooby freakin' Doo!) plays the king's nephew and is also terrible. Jason Statham is awesome and his sidekicks to a good job. But, unfortunately, the good does not balance out the bad. Stick with The Lord of the Rings series.

I also watched Passengers with Anne Hathaway (who is gorgeous as always and one of my favorites). I'd never heard of it--did it go straight to DVD? It was pretty good. Not very original, though. It reminded me of a few other movies, but I won't list them as not to spoil it for you. Oh, and David Morse was in it too. Why don't people play Six Degrees of David Morse because holy crap, he's been in a ton of movies and TV shows.

I finally finished Careless in Red by Elizabeth George. It's probably bad that I picked this book up first instead of starting at the beginning of the series. I knew that it was a series, but didn't realize that this book was the last. A friend told me that this book was not her favorite in the series, so I may start at #1 and see how I like them.

I was not a big fan of this book. First off, it's huge--over 600 pages. There were too many characters and it took way too long to get interesting. I would say I finally got into it around page 250. If you are going to write a 600 page book, it better be ~~good~~ amazing!

I don't think I would recommend this book. But, I will probably start at the beginning one day to give Elizabeth George and Inspector Lynley a chance.

I'm now about a third of the way through Bel Canto, which I'm reading for my book club. So far, so good. I'm eager to see what happens next.

This post is linked up to What I Learned This Week at Musings of a Housewife.

Another CVS trip

2010-02-01T20:16:00.002-05:00

The deals at CVS were slim over the last few months, so I'm happy to get a few good ones now!

My family had a terrible stomach virus over the weekend, but I had to run out to the store on Sunday morning. So, I stopped by CVS since I had a $4/20 CVS coupon that was emailed to me and expiring soon. I forgot to take a picture because, well, that one trip completely wore me out. I guess I was not as recovered as I thought.

Anyway, on to the deals!

Transaction #1

2 Dove for men body wash 5.49 each, earn 5.49 ECBS each, limit 2
1 newspaper 1.75
= 12.73
- 2.50 2 x 1.25 mfr coupons
- 10.00 ECBs earned here
= .23 oop, earned 10.98 in ECBs

Transaction #2

2 mega packs Pull-Ups 10.00 each
1 newspaper 1.75
= 21.75
- 4/20 CVS coupon
- 4.00 2 x 2.00 mfr coupons
- 10.98 ECBs from previous transaction
= 2.77 oop, earn 5.00 ECBs

So, all in all, I spent $3.00 of my own money for all of the above, plus I have 5.00 ECBs to roll next week!

Sometimes it pays to separate your transactions. There is nothing wrong with this at all. The key is to have your card and all of your coupons ready. I also make sure that there is not a long line. Otherwise, I will do my one transaction and get back at the end of the line to to the next.

CVS Shopping Trip

2010-01-29T12:18:00.000-05:00

Remember that $10 in ECBs I got last week? I was able to roll that with zero money out of my pocket this week. I had a raincheck from a few months ago when Electrosol tabs were on sale, plus extra bucks. They did not have any in stock at the time. The deal was buy at least $20 of Electrosol, get $10 ECBs. The tabs were also on sale for 4.50/box.

So, here's my deal: buy 5 boxes 22.50, used (5) 2.50/1 Electrosol mfr coupons and 10.00 ECBs = FREE! I also earned another 10.00 ECBs, which I will be rolling on Sunday to buy some Pull-ups. Here's the receipt for proof:)

You may be asking, how do I get so many coupons? Sometimes I buy multiple copies of the Sunday paper. For a while now, the coupons haven't been that great, so I've only been buying one or two. I also have two neighbors who don't use coupons and pass their inserts along to me. At my Acme, there is a free local paper that includes the Smart Source insert. If the coupons are good that week, I'll grab a few while I'm there. The Red Plum insert now comes in the mail, so there's another for free. With a minimal investment and a little time, I make couponing work for me!

Giant Shopping Trip

2010-01-29T09:54:00.000-05:00

I don't normally shop at Giant because there's not one close by. But, if there's a super great deal I will pop in. I ran in to get two free (with coupon) items, and ended up finding another great deal.

The Oikos and Chobani Greek yogurts are on sale for 1.00 each. I had 1.00/1 coupons = FREE! There is also a deal on several items--if you buy seven of the items in the group, you get a $3.00 instant discount. So I got four Polaner, one I Can't Believe It's Not Butter baking sticks, and two ICINB tubs.

My final cost for all of the above = $3.43!

Giant's ad runs from Sunday to Saturday, so you still have time to make some deals.

Things I Love: Contigo Travel Mugs

2010-01-28T12:09:00.001-05:00

I have been searching for a good travel coffee mug for about, oh, forever. There has always been something wrong with each one: too big for my cup holder, too small for my cup holder (falls over), doesn't keep coffee warm very long, drink opening too small/too big/too weird, and the deal breaker--it leaks.

So, I was walking through the aisles in Costco a few weeks before Christmas and saw the Contigo travel mugs. I looked at them and thought, hey, why not? To be honest, I didn't really believe the claim that that they are leak-proof and keep liquids hot for 4 hours. And, then I ate my hat.

It really works. It doesn't leak. I'm serious. Not even if you turn it upside down and shake it a bunch. I had to try it, ok? I wouldn't say that it keeps my coffee hot for four hours, more like two, and then very warm for another two hours.

It did take me a few days to get used to having to push the button to release the seal to take a drink. But, now it's second nature. Just like my coffee-filled mug is a third appendage.

I got a two-pack at Costco for about $20. If you do not have a Costco nearby, here is a list of U.S. retailers.

Unfortunately, Mr. Incredible does not like the mugs. He says they give his coffee a metallic taste. I don't agree, but just throwing it out there if you are sensitive to things like that.

Also, MamaJoss shares my love of Contigo--you should check out her review of the water bottles!

This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

Weekend Menu Update

2010-01-24T21:04:00.000-05:00

I made three of the four things I had on the menu this weekend--success!

I ended up using this recipe for the Broccoli Potato Soup. Very similar to Jo-Lynne's, but I needed the actual measurements:) This soup is delicous, I found a keeper! I skipped the celery because I didn't have it on hand. I also used whole milk instead of skim. The recipe calls for 4 cups of potatos, but really should be cut down to 2 1/2 cups. You could also increase the broccoli for a better balance. I thought it was the perfect consistency, which is always hard for me to achieve. And, FYI, I used some homemade chicken stock from the freezer from when I made this Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot a few weeks ago (patting self on back).

The Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Pot Roast was just ok. I wasn't totally in love with it, but I'm glad I tried it!

The donuts were interesting. I'm pretty proud of myself for trying them (patting self on back again) anyway. The dough did not produce the consistency I am used to. They were ok, but not great. I'm sure as Kate says, you need to try it a few times to get the perfect (to you) result. But, I think I'm better off buying one donut at a time every once in a while. Because, really, my favorite is Boston Cream and I don't see myself getting THAT motivated anytime soon!

I did not get a chance to make the ribs, so I put them in the freezer. I may save them for our Super Bowl party.

Are you hosting/going to a Super Bowl party? Whatcha making?

On the Menu

2010-01-22T18:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I'm hoping to try a few new recipes. I have some fresh broccoli that I really need to use up. I also have a few potatoes that need to go, so I may try this Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup. Jo-Lynne is participating in the Tastemaker Challenge at Blissdom this year and this is one of her entries. Jo-Lynne is sweet as pie and you should really go check out her video and give it five stars:)

Also on deck is this crockpot Sun-dried Tomato and Feta Roast as recommended by Gina. I also bought ribs for the very first time and plan to try them out in the crockpot as well. A friend insists that you just put them in the crockpot and dump BBQ sauce on them. I hope they fit!

I really shouldn't, but I would like to try my hand at Kate's Homemade Donuts. Because sometimes you just need a donut. Please don't tell me it's just me.

What's on the menu at your house?

CVS = FreeVS

2010-01-21T19:20:00.000-05:00

This week's CVS score:

6 12-pack Pepsi products 3.33 each
3 3-pack Ivory soap .99 each (raincheck price)
1 Tums 3.29
1 CVS brand travel face cloths 1.49
= $27.75

- 4.00/20.00 purchase CVS coupon emailed to me (sign up for a CVS card and then register the card online so you get these emails too!)
- 2.97 3 x 1.00/1 Ivory soap coupons (register adjusted down to actual cost)
- 4.00/1 Tums CVS coupon (check the bottom of your receipt AND scan your card at the price scanner/coupon printer to get CVS coupons) This did not adjust down, so I did get .71 overage.
- 1.50/1 CVS brand skin care product

Total out of pocket (oop) cost, including tax: $16.08 + 10.00 back in ECBs

The Pepsi was part of an ECBs promotion, buy $20 worth and get $10 ECBs. So, I earned 10.00 in ECBs to use on whatever I want at CVS! (Excludes gift cards, prescriptions and a few other things.) I will try to roll that into another purchase with ECBs again next week.

About a year and a half ago, I started couponing. Hard core. Many of you tuned out right there, right? It takes a little while to figure it all out, but I haven't paid for shampoo or toothpaste in over a year!

How? CVS + Coupons + CVS Extra Care Bucks (ECBs).

So many bloggers explain it better than me, so click below if you would like to learn more.

Tara has a great CVS 101 post. It covers the basics, plus a little more.

I always check for the weekly CVS posts from Mindi and Shannon.

When I was getting started, the CVS forums at Hot Coupon World were a huge help.

All of this is just to prove that I am not a nut job. And if I am, there are hundreds of others like me!

Movie Night(s)

2010-01-20T10:45:00.000-05:00

Mr. Incredible and I had a chance to sit down and watch a grown-up movie together. A rarity due to 1) We don't agree on movies that often 2) I tend to hit a wall at 9:00 p.m. and fall asleep about half-way through the movie, and 3) We always seem to get stuck watching kids movies.

Recently we hit a Blockbuster that is going out of business and bought a bunch of movies. I can't remember everything we picked up, but Live Free or Die Hard was one of them. I could have sworn that we'd see this in the theater, but I was wrong. It is an awesome action movie, and Bruce Willis and Justin Long are hilarious!

My mom came over and we had all intentions of also watching a grown up movie, but instead watched Mr. Magorium's Wonder Imporium with Dash. It was actually a very cute movie and appropriately rated G. Dash was not so much into it and lost interest every time there wasn't a kid on the screen. I thought it was good and reminded me a little bit of the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. One of my favorites. I was just happy to find a good family movie that's not a cartoon. I love animated films and all, but sometimes Mommy needs a break.

I also finally got a chance to watch Slumdog Millionaire. (This really was not a normal weekend--I don't usually get to watch so many movies.) I had put this on my wishlist at Swap A DVD some time ago and recently got it in the mail. Such a good movie, but many heart-breaking moments. I would definitely recommend it!

On deck are Mamma Mia!, Seven Pounds, and Disturbia. I'm also waiting for Adventureland to arrive!

Have any good movies I should add to my wishlist?

24 Recap: Season 8, Episodes 3 & 4

2010-01-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

Um, wow, Renee. I love you and all, but why did you have to have a mental breakdown and become a psycho? But, wait, I'm getting way ahead of myself.

The 6:00 p.m. hour begins with Jack finding the house where Davros was dropped off. He looks in the window and poor Jim and his wife are dead. He goes in to take a look around. While inside, the cops show up. Jack tells the one officer that he's working with CTU and the couple was dead when he got there. The other cop comes up from behind and tases Jack, yelling "cop killer." Here, we waste a big bunch of time watching the bad cop beat the crap out of Jack and the good cop hem and haw about what to do. Finally, the good cop calls it in and everything gets straightened out. Good cop drives Jack to the UN.

Meanwhile back at CTU, Hastings is told that Reed had a key card to Hassan's private residence. That girl can barely hold it together. She spills the beans of their affair almost immediately. So, Hastings decides that he HAS to get Hassan on the phone. In the middle of peace negotiations. Dumb. He gets through to Hassan and Hassan confirms the affair. Farhad has a hissy fit and Reed is cleared.

Dana's stinkin' sub-plot gets some airtime. The trashy, scary guy (Kevin) shows up at CTU and asks for Dana. She appeases him by agreeing to let him stay in her apartment overnight. Gives him the key and everything. She must be really stupid or he really has the goods on her. Hurry up and tell us what it is--I'm annoyed already!

Arlo finds files on Reed's computer showing floor plans of the UN. And, plans to plant a bomb. Hastings orders an immediate evacuation of the UN. This, of couse, was a false lead and causes Hassan to be delivered right into Davros' little trap. (A bomb planted under a manhole on the street.)

Jack figures out what's going on and gets through to Cole, who is leading the UN security detail. Cole races ahead of the motorcade to cut off Hassan's car. There is a big explosion and we're not sure who made it.

Next hour... Cole and Hassan are both alive. Cole gets Hassan in another car and back to CTU. Cole then spots Davros and pursues him back into the buildng. By himself. Duh. Davros finds Cole first and puts a gun to his head. He wants Cole to help him escape the building. Cole calls it in, but says that Davros is with him. Just as Davros is about to shoot Cole in the head, Jack shoots Davros, killing him. Jack rips off Davros' shirt (weird) and sends photos of Davros' tattoos back to CTU.

Farhad learns that his brother is still alive and he will likely be connected to the plot shortly. He jumps out of the car, stabs a guard in the neck, and escapes into the night. This was all in front of Hassan's wife and daughter. So, yeah, everyone knows you're guilty now, idiot.

Dana tells Hastings that Davros' tattoos indicate he is part of an elite Russian mob. There was an undercover FBI agent that got in with them several years ago. Guess who it was? Renee Walker. Boo-yah. Renee is back.

Despite everything, Farhad makes his way to meet with the Russian mobsters to buy his nukes. Farhad asks for proof of the weapons and mob guy takes him to see his son who "got too close to the nukes". The poor guy is probably dying of radiation poisoning and dear old dad has him locked in the kitchen pantry. That is one cold dude.

Hastings has Renee brought in to discuss what she knows about the Russian mobsters. He then asks her to go back undercover to find out their plans. Jack tries to gently stop her, reminding her of her little breakdown. Everything Jack says she just takes as an insult and insists on going undercover. So, instead of going to the airport (again!), Jack decides to go undercover with Renee. Can I get an AWWWW here?

So, Renee is slipping back into her old role and Jack is going to play the nuke buyer. They head to an auto parts store where one of Renee's old contacts works. Ziya is out on parole and has a parole bracelet, so he can't take her to Vladimir (the head of everything). She tells him she can take care of that and puts his arm in a vice. Grabs a saw. And cuts his thumb off. Holy crap.

24 Recap: Season 8, Episodes 1 & 2

2010-01-18T14:42:00.000-05:00

Jack is back! Let the ~~torturing~~ fun begin.

Where did we leave everyone at the end of Season 7? Well, Tony almost kills Wilson (the person responsible for Michelle's death and the mastermind behind the whole bio-weapon plot), but Jack and Renee get there in time to stop him. Tony is shot, but I don't think he dies. So, maybe he will make an appearance this season? Renee takes Wilson in to "make him talk". She even handcuffs poor Janis (not really, I can't STAND Janeane Garofalo) to a pipe so she can take the gloves off on this guy. President Taylor learns the truth about her dear Livvy and ships her off to the slammer. Henry is devastated. Jack is in the hospital ready to bite it, when Kim rushes in and says she wants to do the treatment regardless of the risk to herself.

Season 8 starts off with a blaze of gunfire--of course! The "good" guy manages to get away with just a shot in the shoulder. Then, cut to a cute scene where Jack is babysitting his granddaughter, Teri (named after her grandmother, awww). Jack has been living in New York City, and Kim and the fam are visiting. Kim wants Jack to move back to LA with them to settle down and have the life they've always wanted. Jack agrees and is set to fly out with them later that day.

But, trouble always follows Jack. An old pal, Victor, from his Salazar days shows up on his doorstep asking for his help in getting a deal with CTU (now, apparently based in NYC). Victor claims to have information on a hit on President Hassan. Hassan and President Taylor are in the middle of historic peace negotiations at the UN. Jack agrees to get him to CTU and then he's out. Yeah, right.

Then, we get to know the new CTU. I'm not a fan, but I'll give them a shot. I have a major problem with them giving my girl Chloe a hard time! Main characters are Brian Hastings (director), Cole Ortiz (Latino (??) New Yorker, lead agent) Dana Walsh (sordid past, engaged to Cole), and Arlo (techie guy). Jack convinces Hastings to send a CTU unit to bring Victor in. Cole and team are dispatched. Jack barely get Victor to the helicoptor when a rocket/bomb hits the helicoptor and there is a huge explosion. Victor is not going to make it and Jack begs him to give him the info on the assassin. Victor only says that "it's someone very close to Hassan."

Meanwhile, there is a little backstory with President Hassan and a blond bimbo-type reporter, Meridith Reed. Hassan's brother warns him to cut off all contact with her, but he refuses. She is doing a big article on him. And, oh yeah, they're also shagging. The real bad guy, Davros, frames Reed by using her computer and making it look like she hacked UN security files. Reed gets taken down on her way to meet Hassan.

Jack keeps trying to leave CTU (he really does make an effort this time), and get on that plane to LA. But, Chloe doesn't believe that Reed is the real killer, and askes Jack to stay and help her. He says no, but then Kim guilts (my opinion) him into staying. Hellooooo? This is what you've both always wanted. Hang it up and walk away! But, then, we wouldn't really have a season 8.

We find out that Hassan's brother, Farhad, is the traitor when he makes a call to Davros. Hastings interrogates Reed. She says that it was strictly professional and it registers on the lie detector as a lie.

Davros walks up to a house and asks the woman if her husband Jim is home. He comes in and waits a few moments. It seems Jim and Mike/Davros are cops assigned to UN detail. Mike asks Jim to switch shifts with him. Jim says no and Mike goes postal. He slips into his accent and whips out a gun. Jim hesitates on something Davros says and Davros shoots the wife in the leg.

Some predictions, without reading any spoilers... Hastings is not going to last. I don't know how he'll exit, but I just have a feeling. The Cole/Dana subplot will probably be annoying, as they are already kind of annoying themselves. Chloe is going to kick everyone's ass because they doubted her and made her feel like dung over not knowing the new computer systems.

Episode 3 is on tonight and the preview showed that Renee is involved somehow (YES! love her).

Do you have any 24 predictions? What do you think of the new season?

Things I Love: Alice.com

2010-01-17T10:40:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it takes me a little while to catch on to things. Everyone was talking about Swagbucks, I took my good old time signing up. And, Twitter? Let's not even talk about how long it took me to figure out Twitter. When the Alice.com chatter started, to be honest, I kind of ignored it for a while. Then, my ears started to perk up and I went to see what it was all about. I had earned enough Swagbucks for an Alice.com gift card, so I gave it a try.

I can get many products for free/cheap at CVS or the grocery store with my couponing skillz. But, there are some things that rarely go on sale or have coupons. And, Alice is just plain competitive with certain items (like my beloved Starbucks coffee).

I. Love. Alice. And, here are some reasons why.

1. Free shipping. You do have to order a minimum of six items to qualify for free shipping, but it's not hard to do.

2. Low prices and automatic coupons. The automatic coupons are more of a "sale price" to me, but a discount off the regular price nonetheless.

3. Bulky products shipped right to your door. This would have come in very handy when I was pregnant. Alice offers cat litter, toilet paper, diapers and paper towels. And, probably several other things I haven't discovered yet!

4. Stamps. Anywhere I can buy stamps and avoid going to the post office, is definitely on the top of my list!

5. Get $10.00 off $50.00! If you sign up through this link you get $10.00 off once you buy $50.00 worth at Alice. It doesn't have to be all in one order, it's cumulative.

Believe it or not, I'm not getting paid for this review--I just love this website. And, guess who else loves Alice? Dash has been playing with this box since I got my order a few days ago.

Welcome

2010-01-14T13:34:00.000-05:00

So, I was feeling a little left out. Why hello, 7th grade insecurities? I want to sit at the cool bloggers lunch table! I didn't have a blog like everyone else and their dog, so I here it is. Please welcome me with open arms, or I will be forced to eat my lunch in the phone booth. While pretending I'm on the phone. You know you remember that Full House episode.

I don't have a particular niche, and frankly I think they are all filled. The web is so saturated with deal blogs, mommy blogs, food blogs, etc. I don't feel the need to do any of that. This is just for me, just for fun. Like the title says, my posts here will be a little bit of everything.

Anyone who knows me, knows I love a good deal. So, I will probably post some of my particularly special hauls.

I also love to read and would love to share some book reviews here. If only to help me remember what I read. Although, I'm loving GoodReads for that.

I love my family, so you'll get to know them too. Although, my husband (aka Mr. Incredible) would probably prefer a hot poker to the eye than seeing anything about him on this blog. We'll see. We have one great kid (aka Dash) and two cats, Sammy and Cheli (named after this guy). I guess I can use their real names, since they do not have SSNs to hack.

I'm also slightly obsessed with the general blogosphere and Twitter. I have made some good friends via these outlets, and I'm sure I will be linking up to several.

So, welcome--I'm glad you're here!