Wordless Wednesday...for Mema and Papa

"I'm coming to see you guys! I love you!"


(got the new lens! I have a feeling it's going to take me forever to get used to it, though.....)

Thankful

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I want to take a few minutes and think about how much I have to be thankful for.

* For my husband, my rock and who would do anything for Isabella and me.

* For Isabella, my beautiful, healthy, happy, adorable, cuddly little girl.

* For our new little baby....I still cannot believe it's true....

* For having a roof over our heads

* For having food to eat for each meal

* For clothing to keep me warm

* For my family--they are by my side through everything....they are the definition of a family

* For Leo's family--they are so kind hearted and loving

* For being able to be a stay at home momma to Isabella...I feel lucky to be able to do so

* For my friends--both irl and my bloggy friends. What would I do without you guys?

* For my health. Too many times we take things for granted.


I have much more that I am thankful for, but those are the main things that popped into my head this morning.

I wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Brenden Foster....An Amazing Child

Watch it until the end....I have tears streaming down my face....

Amazing Avon Giveaway....Right Here!

When it comes to my hair, I am somewhat of a fanatic about it.

I have to buy the best shampoos, the best conditioners and try to take really good care of it.

Taking care of my hair has let me see how much healthier, shinier, and softer it is. I love it! I feel like I finally have hair that I can deal with after so many years of not knowing what to do for my hair type.

When I got contacted to host an Avon giveaway I was ecstatic, I love their products!

It was a surprise until it arrived here today....any guesses?

I received three different Advance Techniques professional haircare packages to giveaway!

They gave me volumizing, intense repair and frizz control--all of which are perfect for living right here on the Gulf Coast. Each of the boxes contain 4 applications. And the greatest news? These are some of their newest products for hair!

I am going to give away all three boxes to ONE lucky winner. These would make awesome stocking stuffers--or you could keep them all for yourself.

Here are the rules:

1) To enter, leave a comment telling me what you LOVE about your hair. It can be anything! But remember to do this or your comment will be deleted.

2) Open to US residents, 18+. Remember to leave an e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

3) This giveaway will run until noon on December 3rd. From there I will use Random.org to pick a random winner.

4) For an additional entry, follow or subscribe to my blog. If you currently do so, remember to leave me a seperate comment letting me know.

Also, by entering the code JINGLE30 at checkout you will get free standard shipping with a $30 order when they shop with an eRepresentative. This offer expires on January 1, 2009 so be sure to use it by then!

Il Divo Giveaway!

Have you heard of the Euro pop-opera group, Il Divo?

They are amazing. I remember the first time I saw them on Oprah....I goosebumps the entire time. Their voices are out of this world....I cannot describe the gift that they each have with voices like that.

I recently got the chance to review their new cd, The Promise. I loved it. I received it on a cloudy, cool day and popped it into my laptop. It was perfect listening music while I browsed my favorite blogs and read Twilight.

Today I recieved TWO Il Divo cd's to giveaway!

I received not only The Promise, but their Christmas album as well! How would you like to win both?

All you need to do is:

1) Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite Christmas/holiday song is. It's that easy!
You must do this to be eligible to win the prize--if you fail to do so, your comment will be deleted.

2) This is open to all US residents, 18+. You don't have to have a blog to win, just leave me a valid e-mail address so I can contact you to let you know that you won.

3) This giveaway will end on December 2nd at noon. At that time I will use Random.org to select the winner.

Good luck to you all and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Don't forget to enter my other giveaways going on. I am currently giving away 3 Progresso gift baskets and an adorable handmade lightswitch cover!

Progresso Broth Gift Basket Giveaway

We all know that the holidays are approaching....and fast! I love all of the yummy recipes that come with the holidays--dressing/stuffing, turkey, green bean casserole, chicken--I could really go on and on....

Along with the holiday season, we also have cold and flu season--yuck! Isabella and I have had horrible colds for a week now, and let me tell you, we are miserable.

I decided that tomorrow I am making us a delicious pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. Imagine my surprise when I got this in the mail today:

Does Progresso have perfect timing or what? And not only did they send me a gift basket, but I have THREE baskets to giveaway to you, my faithful readers!

Isn't that great?!

But wait--there's more....

I also received a link for you to receive a discount on Progresso. Click here for your coupon.

Here are the rules for this giveaway:

1) For an entry, please leave a comment telling me what your favorite holiday recipe is. If you come back and leave the recipe? You get to comment twice for two entries! ***you must at least tell me what your favorite recipe is to be eligible. If you fail to do so your comment will be deleted***

2) Open to all US residents 18+

3) Deadline for this giveaway will be at noon on December the 1st. From there I will use Random.org to pick the three lucky winners.

4) Winners will be notified and have 48 hours to respond back to me. If in case any of the winners fail to contact me I will use Random.org for a new winner.

Good luck to all and I can't wait to read what your favorite recipe(s) is!

I Have Won Some Amazing Giveaways Lately!

*****Don't forget to enter my amazing giveaway sponsored by ablemabel!

We all know how much I love giveaways.

Giving them, entering them, winning them....I just love them!

Recently I have been winning some pretty sweet giveaways and I want to highlite some of those.

My latest and greatest win? A free blog make over from the one and only Traci at Sweet Cheeky Designs. When I saw her e-mail to me telling me that I won? I couldn't believe it! Her blog designs are. amazing. She never duplicates a layout and is willing to do what you want.

Another great giveaway I've won is a fourteen dollar gift certificate to Bears Baked Goods. I used it on some chocolate cheesecake brownies...to die for! They were delicious and arrived so fast! Yum!

I've also won a $30 Barnes and Noble giftcard, an adorable boutique (handmade!!) dress from Bugs -n- Bees Boutique, a handmade owl pillow from My New Thing, a candle reed diffuser, 2 Chex spa giftbags, an E-book of my choice to make tons of different hairbows, a 3 pack of winter candles, a handmade felt zippered pouch...and that's all I can think of right now!

I am grateful for all of these winnings. I've entered so many and look at how many I've won!

Please check out the links that I've highlighted--I know you will love their products just as much as I do.

Needless to Say...We're Shocked!

Yesterday at Wal-Mart I decided to pick up a pack of cheap-o pregnancy tests. Remember my slight obsession?

After Isabella and I unpacked all of our bags, I remembered I had bought a 3 pack.

All three of them turned positive.

Due to my obsession I immediately wanted Leo to go get more.

He firmly told me no, I am in fact PREGNANT!

We are so surprised, happy and shocked!

Isabella's going to be a big sister!

**This is not my test above. My new lens has yet to arrive so I had to find one on the web**

I Heart this Giveaway....

When I got approached by the truly talented and amazing Etsy shop ablemabel I was ecstatic!

Their shop?

Is. absolutely. stunning.

I think I have saved, oh, lets just say a lot of their items as "hints" to Leo for what I want for Christmas. Trust me on this--you will love everything she makes!

Here is a little bit more about her adorable shop:

1) How did your shop start? My sister and I started able mabel after working on our church's craft sale. We were having so much fun creating for it that when the sale was done, we started exploring other ways or excuses to keep creating.

2) What inspires you to create all of your beautiful items? Inspiration is literally everywhere! Not only do we get it from the usual places (fabric, papers, magazines, etc.) but we find it in our everyday lives. Thru our kids, nature, etc.

3) Out of all of the items in your shop, which one is your favorite? I would probably have to say any one of our baby blankets. They're so soft and snuggly, much like a baby waking up in the morning! (Click here to see it!)

*****

Here are just a few of my favorite things from ablemabel:

Now that I have shared all of this with you, I bet you are wondering what will be given away, right?

ablemabel has offered to giveaway one of their adorable light switch covers--of your choice!

As with all giveaways, there are a few rules that must be followed:

1) You must go to ablemabel and choose your favorite item from their store. Come back here and leave a comment on which is your favorite. (This MUST be done--if not, your comment will be deleted).

2) For an extra entry you can follow/subscribe to my blog. If you already are a follower/subscriber--that's good, too! Just make sure you leave a seperate comment to tell me for your extra entry.

3) This giveaway is open to anyone! If you live outside of the U.S and cannot use the light covers, that is okay--they have something else to give you that you can work out with them if you win.

4) Make sure you have an e-mail available for me to comment you! This is important--how else can I tell you that you won if there is no way to contact you :)

5) This giveaway will run until December 1st and the winner will be picked via Random.org.

Good luck!

I Would Like a Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte. Heavy on the Whip.

After a day full of whining from Isabella, our cat Boo, and myself.

After a day full of exhaustion from myself.

After a day full of being bundled inside from the cold.

After a day of dreading tomorrow's dreaded 2nd flu dose for Isabella.

I have made an executive decision--a decision that will ensure that this Momma stays sane while keeping her family sane.

Tomorrow is declared take your child to Barnes & Noble and treat yourself to your favorite Starbucks drink--you know the one.

Don't forget to buy something for your little one....it will make your bookstore experience much. more. enjoyable. For everyone.

PS--I am going to buy the second book of the Twilight series. Being halfway done with the first I am now hooked on this crazy phenomenon that has swept over our country. (Don't mind that I am probably the only one around who hasn't completed book one yet....)

Military Families:Do I Have an Offer for You!

Have you ever gotten an e-mail that made you so excited? So happy?

And feel so lucky?

I got one today....

Vicki from promom couture sent me an e-mail today!!

I love their t-shirts, LOVE them!

I have been eyeing them for quite some time.

Wanting one (or two...) for as long as I can remember.

So when I saw the e-mail she sent me? I got happy. So, so happy!

What is this e-mail?

For all "military families" I have an exclusive offer for you....

50% off your order!!!

So, if you are in the military, your husband in the military....e-mail me.

And I will give you the code needed at checkout!

It's promom couture's way of saying "thank you".

Isn't that nice? What a great way to thank the military wives for their support, their sacrifices, their dedication to our country.

It's not always easy being a military family.

But when a wonderful company does something like this to offer a thank you?

It always makes my day.

Happy shopping, ladies!

Another Award Presentation....

Oh. my. gosh. Recently I got another award!

Can you believe it?!

Some of you really do love me, don't you!

This gem of an award came from the ever so sweet Patrice from Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman. Have you ever been over to Patrice's blog? She is one of the sweetest bloggers out there, y'all. She just started her freshman year at college--in my home state--so I knew we were destined to be friends!

The rules of this award may sound easy....but it's a lot harder to only pick ten. I can pick ten, and only ten, of my favorite bloggers to give this to!

Lets get started, shall we?

1) Krystyn from Really, Are You Serious?

2) Mrs. Newlywed from Misadventures of a Newlywed

3) Laural from Laural Out Loud

4) Amanda from Lifelong Playdate

5) Heather from A Boy, a Girl, and a Precious Pug

6) Jen from Cheaper then Therapy

7) Beth from A Real Anti-Supermom

8) Mrs. de Miranda from The Road Less Traveled

9) Heather from Not Perfect....Just Forgiven

10) The Nice One from Even the Nice Ones...

I hope you guys love the award as much as I do! Muah!

Oh, Isabella....

Yesterday Isabella and I were cuddling on the couch watching the new Noggin show "Toot and Puddle". She got bored part way through it and walked off to her room.

With my phone. (that will be important here in a minute...)

So, I'm sitting out here in the living room. I can hear her in her room playing and just being Isabella.

Awhile later I thought I heard a woman's voice.

I perked up and listened. Nothing. Must have been one of her baby dolls.

Then I heard it again. And again. It kind of freaked me out that maybe someone was in her room!

I go into her room and there's Isabella squatting down with my phone open and someone talking to her--and she even managed to turn it on speaker--which explains why I heard someone talking.

You should have seen the look on Bella's face when she saw me come in her room--it was the look of "oh crap! I've been caught!"...hilarious!

I glanced down and saw it was my Mom's cell phone. I was still confused and said, "hello?!"

My Mom-Bella's Mema-was laughing hysterically.

Apparently they had been having a real conversation.

My mom said she saw me calling, answered and heard nothing but some rustling. That's when she knew it was Bella, ha!

She asked Bella if she had been good and Bella answered like of course she had been good today. And then she started jabbering away to her Mema.

At this point my Mom thought maybe something had happened to me and Bella was calling for help...which cracked me up for some reason!

So to everyone whose numbers are in my cell phone...if you get random phone calls, hangups or just weird calls from me?

Just remember--more than likely it's not me....it's Miss Bella....

I Blame the Double Stuffs...

Tonite Leo called me on his way home from work. He was running to the commissary for a few items. I asked him to bring home something sweet....a yummy surprise.



He brought me home a thing of Double. Stuff. Oreos.



Yum! These are my favorite....by far.



As I was scarfing casually eating my who knows what # cookie I told him it was his fault that I had eaten so many.



He sits there for a second and replies.....



"It's not my fault you have no self control!"



Hm. Come to think of it?



I really don't.

Monday Madness

*****Remember to enter my giveaway here!*****

* Our friends came down on Saturday...we had so. much. fun! I hated the day coming to an end--but the good news? They made an offer on a house 2 hours away! I'm so happy to have good friends close by again. I can't wait for them to move closer!

* Leo more than likely won't be getting deployed yet. Yay! But he may have to go this summer which will mean he won't be here for Bella's second birthday. It's still a long way away, so I'm just enjoying him being here with us.

* I got my hair done on Saturday (my friend got hers done, too!) and I love it! I got a few highlights and a new shorter do. Longer in front but shorter in back--I told her I do not want to be able to throw it up in a pony tail and she made it happen. I also have been wearing my bangs to the side now...I love it!

* Isabella is such a cutie...she now loves to do this fake laugh thing--out of nowhere! It cracks me up! She'll be walking and just start doing the fakest laugh which cracks me up so she keeps doing it...I love her so much!

* We went to Chili's this weekend and Isabella kept turning around to share her chips with some people sitting by our table. They were cracking up! I told ya--she just loves to share!

* I bought the warmest, cuddliest sweater from The Gap this weekend. I. Love. It! It's so warm--perfect for taking with me to Missouri and Indiana during Thanksgiving!

I Heard You Wanted Another Giveaway....

****Giveaway now closed****Winner will be announced shortly. Thank you to all who entered!

I love giveaways...entering, crossing my fingers that I may win, and of course winning!

I have a wonderful giveaway starting right now!

Want to meet the wonderful woman that is making this possible?

Let me tell you about her....

Her name is Sara and she is the proud owner of two Etsy stores: Buster and boo and Woolies.

****

What are some of your favorite pieces from your stores? I've just started to learn how to wire wrap, so I'm in love with my earrings from Buster and boo. In my Woolies shop, my current favorite piece is Latte.

What is one thing you would love my readers to know about your stores? I use all natural materials in everything I make. And I love to create custom orders!

****

Did you hear that? She loves creating custom orders! With all of the holidays coming up you could create things for so many people!

I bet you are wondering now what Sara is going to giveaway, right?

One lucky winner will receive this pair or earrings from her Buster and boo Etsy store! These would be a wonderful gift for someone on your Christmas list--or you can just keep them for yourself!

Here is what you need to do to be entered in her giveaway:

• For one entry, visit her Buster and boo shop. Come back here and tell me your favorite item(s) that she carries.



• For a second entry, visit her Woolies shop. Come back here again and tell me your favorite item from that shop in seperate comment. ***Important: leave a seperate comment for what you like at Woolies for your second chance!***



• This contest is open to anyone--you can live anywhere, she'll ship there!



• This contest will end at 12pm cst on Saturday November 22. From there one winner will be picked via random.org and notified.



• When leaving your comments you must leave me a way to get in touch with you in case you are the winner. If you have a blog, make sure you have your e-mail posted so I can e-mail you. If you don't have a blog, make you sure you leave your e-mail when you leave a comment.

Good luck to everyone who enters!

Early Bird Gets the Worm...or Something Like That.

Dear Isabella,

Since the time change you have decided to wake up at, oh, 5 o'clock in the morning. Every morning.

Due to my lack of sleep I feel unhumanly tired.

For example: Today when Mema called? She thought that I was sleeping.

Which would have been fine. If I was indeed sleeping.

So, honey, tonite? Please sleep. And sleep well into the morning. Momma doesn't mind if you sleep in.

Shoot, sleep until 7 and I will be ecstatic....alive....and normal feeling.

I love you, my little early bird.

And remember....sleep until you see the light outside. That is when Momma likes to wake up.

Love,
Momma

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

Amy from Thoughts from the Mrs. is hosting a 12 days of Christmas over at her blog!

All of the fun starts tomorrow--go check her out to see what she is hosting.

It's going to be fun!

Ramblings and...an Award!

* When Isabella is tired she will now give us a wave, pop in her paci and walk to her crib. No screaming, no fighting it....the girl just wants to sleep!

* She says "teddy" now. Her lovie is a pink teddy bear that her Great Grandma gave her when they picked us up at the airport in Tulsa awhile back. She must have teddy to sleep. Occassionally she will throw teddy over so she can cry and have me go in the room so she can give me a hug...and, of course, rescue teddy.

* Some of our friends that we met in Turkey got orders to Florida--which isn't too far away from our house! Yay! They flew in (they are currently living in Turkey) to Florida today and they are coming by our house on Saturday. I am so excited!

* Last nite I got out all of our Christmas movies...I have also hung up Christmas handtowels, filled up a snowman lotion dispenser and bought a snowman sponge. This weekend I am going to ask Leo to get down our Christmas decorations. I love Christmas and cannot wait for the marathon movies on Lifetime and ABC Family! Please tell me you watch these movies, too?

And now for the good stuff....

One of my favorite bloggers, Leslie from Got Kids, Need Valium gave me an award!

Leslie has two of the cutest kids ever, is currently living in Chile and she will soon be flying home to the US for a much needed vacay to her family and Target therapy (so I just made up the Target therapy...but I bet she will be stopping by there...a time or two).

If you've never stopped by her blog--do it--you will love her and her funny stories!

As with any award, there are rules. The rules of this award are:

1. You have to pass it on to 5 other fabulous blogs in a post.

2. You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions in the post.

3. You must copy and paste the rules and the instructions below in the post.

Instructions:On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them. When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well. To add the award to your post, simply right-click, save image, then "add image" it in your post as a picture so your winners can save it as well. To add it to your sidebar, add the "picture" gidget.Also, don't forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by emailing them or leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are 5 of my favorite addictions:

1. Target. I love Target more than any other store. They have great things, cute things and going there makes me feel good!

2. Diet Coke. Love it, must have it. Leo has learned that in order for me to function I must have my DC. We'll just leave it at that....

3. Okay, this one may be weird to some of you...but I love pregnancy tests. No joke. I have bought so many of those sticks when trying to conceive Isabella I should have been a VP of the company. And now that we are trying for #2? You may want to buy stock in those companies. But seriously, I love those things. When I *finally* got pregnant with Isabella I used at least 9 tests. You may say after those years of seeing negatives I was in a sort of denial....

4. Chocolate. Chocolate has never let me down. It comforts me, tides me over and makes me happy. The only downside? It has prohibited in not letting me lose anymore weight....

5. Reading. I love reading. Books, magazines, blogs, you name it. I am picky on what I read, though. I won't read something just to read...it has to capture my attention and make me want more.

So, there you have it. My list. Weird? Possibly? All me? Totally.

Here are the 5 fabulous bloggers that I am going to hand this out to:

1. The Nice One over at Even the Nice Ones.

2. Kelli at "Writing"the Waves of Motherhood.

3. Clare at Diapers to Designs.

4. Tyne at The White House.

5. KD at A Bit Squirrelly.

Go check out all their fabulous blogs....they are funny, creative and always make me smile. Those are just a few of the reasons that I stalk love their blogs.

More Giving at Tip Junkie...

The ever wonderful Tip Junkie is hosting some amazing giveaways!

Not only is she hosting giveaways (have I mentioned how amazing the prizes are?), but she is also the host of Mom-prenuer Shop-a-Thon which is showcasing some awesome Mom-prenuers!

Go over and check her out--I know you'll thank me later ;)

Tagged!

Sweet Heather from Our Life in a Blogshell tagged me for a quick meme--and we all know how much I love a meme!

Without further ado....here we go....

The rules of this one? One word answers...only!

1. Where is your cell phone? Somewhere...

2. Your significant other? Couch

3. Your hair? healthy

4. Your mother? Loving

5. Your father? Loving

6. Your favorite thing? Isabella

7. Your dream last night? Bizarre....

8. Your favorite drink? DietCoke

9. Your dream/goal? success

10. The room you're in? warm

11. Your fear? death

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? thinner

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. What you're not? Mean

15. Muffins/donuts? Muffins

16. One of your wish list items? books

17. Where you grew up? Missouri

18. The last thing you did? talk

19. What are you wearing? clothes

20. Your TV? On

21. Your pet? Cat

22. Your computer? necessity

23. Your life? wonderful

24. Your mood? sleepy

25. Missing someone? yes

26. Favorite pastime? playing

27. Something you're not wearing? bikini (hehe....like I would ever wear a bikini again!)

28. Favorite Store? Target

29. Your summer? okay

30. Your favorite color? pink

31. When is the last time you laughed? Today

32. Last time you cried? unsure

33. Who will/would re-post this? dunno

34. Four places I go over: Target, Barnes & Noble, Gap, Toys R Us

35. Four people who e-mail me? sister, mom, Leo, grandma

36. Four of my favorite foods? Mexican, sushi, Italian, dessert

37. Four places I would like to be right now: Missouri, vacation, Dallas, shopping ;)

38. Four people I tag? anyone who wants to play along and let me know if you do!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

Thank you for my check of money that the government somehow forgot to pay me while I was in the Air Force.

Nevermind that I have been out for over a year.

Nevermind that I now live in Mississippi and you sent it to my parents' house (that may be my fault, Santa. Don't worry, I'll be changing that soon so that mistake won't happen again....)

Because when I got the phone call from my Mom?

I was a little freaked out why she was calling me on Monday nite sounding worried...

Until she finally got to the point and told me that we had a check for almost two grand.

Waiting for me.

This check could not have come at a more perfect time.

Property taxes, Christmas, travelling, camera lens....

You definitely got my list right this year!

Thank you, Santa! I now know to be good each and every year....cross my heart...

Giveaway Season

I just love Christmas giveaways, don't you? If you haven't done it already, click on over to 5 Minutes for Mom to enter some amazing giveaways!

You will not be disappointed with what they are giving away--I promise!

Bella's Belly Laugh

Isabella and I were playing around with a Jell-O cup...her laugh is possibly the heartiest laugh that I have ever heard...I love it! Enjoy!

A Story of the Death of a Lens

I'm always a firm believer of good news first. So here I go.

The good news for my week? Isabella has been so happy lately!

For the past, oh, shall I say two weeks, she has been grumpy. Grouchy. Lots of tears. Lots of unhappiness.

That was hard for me. I just didn't know what to do. I tried everything that I could think of and nothing worked.

So this week was much, much better!

Now on to some bad news that we all could have done without.

A lot of you asked about my camera lens....oh-how-I-cringe just thinking about it....

Basically, it was put somewhere it should not have been *ahem cough Leo*.

Isabella saw the pretty strap and pulled it down where it met its fate by landing lens down.

It was still working, but wasn't turning to focus as smoothly. I figured, hey, I can hold out 'til Christmas....but Leo had other plans.

He tried to inspect it, mess with it, whatever. And he freaking broke it!

Ahhhh! I was so upset....am upset, whatever....

So, that's the story of the death of my lens.

Which for good measure? I am still grieving and mourning until I have a working lens...

Who Wants Another Giveaway?

****Edited to add this giveaway is now closed! Crafty Ladies made a fresh batch of peppermint candy and rocky road fudge that they are generously giving away a 1/2 lb of each to ONE lucky winner!****Winner will be contacted and announced shortly. Thank you and sorry for the short notice!****

I have the honor of hosting another giveaway!

Let me tell you--I am jealous that you will get a chance to win some goodies from Crafty Ladies.

Tell me about Crafty Ladies: We're a mother and daughter team who love to create all sorts of gifts. I, (being the daughter) run the site, make the edibles (fudge, sampler and dipping spoons) and the soaps. I started out making frames (that is why the website says: cuteframesbyk). My mom started getting interested and asked me to add her stuff--all of the scarves and hats, ornaments, pet toys and jewelry.

Do you have any other shops? We decided since she (mom) made all of my wedding favors, that we would also put together a wedding shop, A Sentimental Affair.

Is there anything else you would like to add? I am the one who also created a blog for our site. For the past month, I have been looking for donations for bereavement baskets. I am delivering 10 baskets next week and another 10 in Dec. With the help of the Etsy community I have been able to gather a lot of generous donations for the baskets. You can check out my blog and see what sort of generousity there is on this site. http://creativeladies.blogspot.com/. If anyone would like donate an item please convo me through my Etsy shop. We have also donated many of our items to the outside community and try to run as many giveaways as we can to.We love being able to express our creativity with the world as well as networking with others.

They have generously offered 4 Chocolate Dipping Spoons w/Peppermint Topping! Yum! Just perfect for the cold weather that has started arriving at our doorsteps, don't you agree?

Rules

• Go visit their Etsy shop, Crafty Ladies. This is a must to be considered for the prize
• Leave me a comment on one item (besides the prize) that you love from their store
• You have until Friday Nov 14 @ 10 pm (CST) to enter
• One entry per person
• This contest is open to US residents only due to shipping costs
• Please leave me a way to contact you whether by blog, e-mail address

Thank you for entering and good luck to all!

The winner will be announced on Saturday the 15th. I will e-mail you after Random.org generates the winner.

Thankful Thursday

KD over at A Bit Squirrelly is hosting Thankful Thursday over at her blog. How great is she! KD is hilarious, sweet, kind....and her blog?

It never disappoints!

This week's theme is six things that bring me joy.

1. My family. I know that no matter what they love me for being me. Leo is my rock, my best friend and a wonderful husband. Isabella is funny, sweet, beautiful and is the best dance partner ever.

2. Starbucks. I love their hot pumpkin spice lattes or their iced caramel macchiato. I usually get them each time I go to Barnes and Noble. There's something about wandering around, browsing books with said coffee in hand. Pure bliss.

3. Reading. Books are my little getaway. For just a little bit I get to escape into their world, their lives and it's just a nice time for me to be in my own little world for a little bit.

4. Crafting. Whether it's making bows for Isabella, scrapbooking, making cards or just daydreaming about all that I want to do, I love it! It's also another thing that I can do for just a little bit of quietness by myself...I love seeing all that I can create. Totally relaxing.

5. Getting mail. I love getting mail. With the exception of bills, just opening a piece of mail brightens my day. A card, a gift, a magazine, my Netflix movie...it doesn't matter, I love it all.

6. Hmm....their are so many things that bring joy into my life. I had to think for a little bit on what my final list maker would be. I have decided it's going to be when I get my hair done and they wash my hair. I am usually so relaxed and daydreaming...totally relaxing....

Make sure you go visit KD and write a list of your own....and while you're at it--go check out her blog! Funniest. girl. ever!

Our New Thing

Dear Isabella,

The past three days have been wonderful.

We have taken a walk every single day. The sun is shining, the wind is blowing and we even saw some trees changing colors.

You exclaim many times how everything is "pretty" or when you see a kitty you tell momma "kitty".

I love how when we come back you are so happy, so refreshed.

And so am I.

Our walks let us talk, let us listen and let us enjoy things that we would not get to enjoy if we were stuck indoors.

Yesterday when we saw two kittens? You. were. ecstatic.

You kept saying kitty over and over--and you saw them from so far away!

I love how when we return your cheeks are flushed, your hair is a little wind blown and you grin ear to ear.

I think this will be our new thing.

You, me, and a walk after your morning nap.


Love, Momma

PS--I am not mad about the camera lens. Sad? Yes. But not mad. I've been wanting something nicer for awhile now....maybe Santa will bring one for me this Christmas....

My Little Dictator

Don't forget to enter my fab giveaway here!

Dear Isabella,

The other nite after you had gone to sleep I began to read my Parents' magazine.

The one that I had received, oh, a month ago. And hadn't had the time or chance to read.

As I was reading the part on one year olds I started giggling.

There was a sentence talking about at this stage in our toddler's life they think that they are, in

fact, a dictator.

The world? Revolves around them.

Mommy and Daddy? Work for them.

They tell us when they are hungry.

They let us know they are ready for a nap.

As I read this out loud to Leo he was laughing so hard.

We had never thought about it as you are the dictator of our home.

But then we started thinking....

You are a little dictator. And we love it!

At times it makes us laugh, at times it pushes us to the edge.

But you're our little dictator. Who isn't afraid to let others know how she feels.

Who doesn't hold grudges.

Who forgives us if we do anything wrong.

I love this stage of your life.

The ups, the downs, the everything in between. You have taught me (and Daddy) a lot in the past 13 months.

So, my little dictator, we love you. I love you when you growl.

I love you when you whine and complain and wake up way too early for anyone's good.

I love you when we go on a walk and everything you see is "petty".

I love how when you go outside you still try to eat acorns, but you also come and give Momma some.

I love how you think my cell phone is in fact your own. And you call people. And I have to apologize to my entire phonebook for the random phonecalls.

You can continue this dictatorship because I know all too soon you will begin to put pieces of your life puzzle together.

You will realize that the world does not revolve around just one person (although in my eyes? My world will always revolve around you)>

We love you, honey.

Just the way you are.

My 1st Giveaway....

****Congrats to #339 (bridonjaja)!!! They are the winner! They have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to reply back to me. If they fail to do so a newer winner will be picked. All winners are picked via Random.org.****


Wow, are you all in for a treat!

I recently got the honor to host a giveaway for something amazing, something we ALL need and something we can all use. And with the holidays quickly approaching, this is a GREAT gift (or you can keep it for yourself, too).

I want you all to meet Rebecca from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen:

"I started making soaps because commercials soaps were drying out my skin and occasionally causing breakouts. All of my soaps are handmade by me from scratch using the cold process soapmaking method. My yummy scented soaps contain skin loving ingredients like shea butter, rice bran, coconut, and olive oils, and create a wonderfully, rich lather you can even shave with! You'll love the difference my soaps make on your skin. And they last longer than commercial bars, too!"

Sounds wonderful, right?

Well, it gets EVEN better!

She has been oh so kind to offer Holiday Soap Collection. One bar each of: Pumpkin Pie soap, Spiced Cranberry Soap, Orange and Cinnamon Soap, French Vanilla Pear Soap, and Lavender and Pine soap to ONE lucky reader!

You may be asking yourself, what do I have to do to win this wonderful prize?

To enter go take a look around her Etsy shop here and take a look around. Come back here and leave me a comment on something that you like (besides the holiday collection).

She also has a blog which is great! She has giveways, recipes and showcases other handmade goodies.

Make sure that I have a way to contact you. Whether you leave your e-mail in your comment or have a blog. You don't need to have a blog to enter! Just as long as there is some way to contact you left in your comment.

And if you want an extra entry? Sign up to follow me and come back here and comment again--then you will have two chances to win this fab prize!

This giveaway will end on Thursday November 6th @ 11pm CST. From there a winner will be picked and contacted on Friday. You must live in the US or Canada and be 18 or up.

Good luck to all of you!

Miscellaneous Monday

* This weekend we went to McDonalds. We consider this McD's to be the newer, nicer one around. Nice coffee bar, it's clean, practically brand new. What's not to like, right? Oh, wait. Maybe the used needle and syringe in the parking lot next to our car. Or could it have been the group of teenage boys yelling and cursing. Hm....don't think we'll be taking Isabella there. Ever again.



* I made us homemade banana bread last nite. Yum. Absolutely delish. Something so comforting about the smells drifting through our home and then eating eat fresh out of the oven. All while watching Amazing Race. Totally reminds me of being at home with my parents.



* I have absolutely no idea what to get Leo for Christmas. Is anyone else having that same problem? I am trying to get a majority of my lists together and I have no clue what to get the guy. Help!



* I am SO happy the election is Tuesday. I think if I see ONE more political ad or news story I will vomit. I have had it!! I understand it's the election but I really think the media is out.of.control with this one.



* We just found out that Leo may be getting deployed for six months. I am on pins and needles waiting to see if he will for sure be going. Once it is determined 100% I will go from there. At this moment I am not getting too worried. If it is going to happen I have to remain strong for Isabella. It was different before Isabella was here. I was so sad when Leo was gone the last time. I didn't know what to do. Now with Isabella here I a) won't be as lonely b) I have to remain strong for her. It will be a long, hard six months if he does go. Another day as a military wife....