New Year

Happy New Year

Who knows what movie this baby new year is from? Hint...it was on TV last night!!

I hope that you all have a SAFE New Year's Eve and a Blessed New Year!

Christmas

I pray you all had a BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

I did.

The reason we celebrate?

Jesus...His birth and the choice God made to let His precious Son come to Earth as a defenseless baby and then die for our sins.

Thank you God for such an AMAZING Gift!

New SITS giveaway

Still don't know what SITS is? It is fantastic site dedicated to bloggy love...know what I mean? I'm sure all of you love to have people leave you comments (aka...bloggy love)...but sometimes it is hard to get traffic to your blog. Enter SITS...these wonderful ladies created a website dedicated to featuring blogs every weekday, weekly saucy blogs and great giveaways!

This month (well, ok for the month of January) the lovely SITS girls are giving away a KEURIG PLATINUM BREWER!! This would be fantastic for anyone of you, and especially for me! :) Every day you leave on a comment on the daily blog roll gains you one entry into the contest. You have the whole month of January to enter and try to win! Good luck!

Look What Betty Made

Oh, yummy...I've been craving Meatloaf and so I finally broke down and made some! And it was my first time making it!!!!

I totally stole this recipe from someone online...and don't know who...so sorry I can't give you credit...but here it is!

Meatloaf:
1 lb. Hamburger
1 tsp. Salt1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup instant oats
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded cheese

Topping:
1 1/2 Tbsp mustard
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar


Mix together all main ingredients and make into small loaves should make about 6 then pour topping mixture over loaves and bake for 1 hour at 350.

It was so good that my sister Shannon who professes she HATES meatloaf ate some and claimed it good! High praise indeed.

I have...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung Karaoke (only with the kids!)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a Soup Kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Seen the Lincoln Memorial in person
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (made a strip quilt, not a pieced one, but I'm counting it!)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (school paper count?)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (just the outside)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own (this one...stolen from Jenny over at Jenny and the Princess Peonies...Thanks...I love these.)

If you didn't figure it out..the blue ones are things I HAVE DONE!

Sorry

Sorry for the lack of lengthy posts....

My small town finally got hit with all this snow crap that the rest of WA State saw last week. Starting Saturday night it snowed non-stop till yesterday night sometime dumping at least 6 inches...if you don't know me then let me tell you how much I LOVE snow (um, I know you can't hear sarcasm in writing, but it is there!).

With this snow stuff the internet that "I borrow" isn't coming in too well, so no internet at my house. And we are only working till Noon this week so not much time on the net at work either.

Work Christmas party on Friday night pretty much was a drag....I'm going to be a bigger person and not tell you all the reasons why it sucked!

I got stuck in said snow this morning on my way to work...in the parking lot of the drive thru coffee place...I made a little turn around and it cost me! LOL...it really wasn't that much snow either...my brother-in-law came and said, "You got stuck in this?" Really, I did! The trooper that he is, he dug me out and on my merry way I went!

Christmas is coming for those of you who haven't figured it out yet!

For those of you who I haven't returned bloggy love to yet, my apologies see the note above about internet!

Ta Ta friends and family...I'll check in later this week

Goofing Around....

Mason was at work this morning before going to school and found some styrofoam inserts to play with! They quickly became hats for us to wear.

Here we are...acting all goofy!!!

I have to say that you can be in the biggest funk (and let me tell you people I know around me are making my funk even deeper...UGH!!!!) and kids will always bring you out of it!

Secret Santa Revealed

Kori over at Between a Whisper and a Roar (My Life as a CFer's Wife) hosted a lovely Secret Santa Shindig this holiday season!

This is the button you've been seeing on my side bar for the last month or so! I love getting and giving presents and so I thought I'd jump right on in and participate!

I checked the mail box first and found a box with my goodies that I won...a new book and the Barlow Girls Christmas CD...that was enough to start my fun evening.

Then I pulled into my spot and saw a package nesting against the front door...I was excited to see what came.

Here it is...all the way from Carson City NV...ok I actually just deleted the picture because I wasn't sure my Secret Santa Katrina wanted her address on my blog!
Here is what I found when I opened my box...a fun Christmas sign....a few wrapped presents and a stocking full of goodies!This was one of the wrapped gifts...a great book for a Scrapbooker like me...a book full of quotes for scrapbooking!This was the other wrapped gifts...YUM...Junior Mints are one of my favorite candies!Here are the goodies from my stocking...new socks, a cute hand towel, a PEACE star ornament, a candle, a Gingerbread recipe ornament and LICORICE (really yummy black licorice...oh yum!).

Secret Santa...thank you so much for all the goodies!Here is the PEACE star on my tree...and that is what I wish all of you this holiday season...the PEACE of Jesus Christ!

Normal and Not So Normal Gingerbread Houses....

This weekend I drove to Tri Cities for a Christmas party of friends from Northwest University. We've been having this Christmas party since we graduated almost 9 years ago...some people come and go, but there is a core of people that are at almost every Christmas party; however, this year we did lose a few because of the conditions on Snoqualmie Pass.

One of our traditions is a gingerbread house making contest. And every year it get crazier and crazier. Our main rule is that all parts of the house have to be edible...and some of our friends take that rule to the extreme...as you will see further on!

I have to tell you now that some of these award titles changed throughout the evening as more thought was given to the story behind it and more discussion ensued.

This house was made by the team of Ismo, Christina (our hosts each year) and myself.

Can you guess what it is?

Does this picture help at all?

Could it be Starbucks? Yep!!! Yet, not just any Starbucks but a Starbucks in Narnia as those are talking bears going through the Drive Thru...and those bears in the corner? They are skipping school and making out behind Starbucks!

We won the title: "Best Corporate Gingerbread House!"

Does the green roof of this house give it away? This house was built by husband and wife team...Justin and Kristy.

Well, this picture should give it away! Justin decided that he doesnt' spend enough time Monday thru Friday at work (yes, he works for John Deere) so he needed to make a matching gingerbread house.

This team won the title: "Best Retail Gingerbread House!"

Here is the front view of the next house made by husband and wife team Ty and LeeAnn...any guesses? Who might that be looking out the window...maybe the next picture will help you!

Does the front/side view of this house help?

If I told you it was built in a swamp, would that help?

Yep, you got it...this is Shrek and Fiona's house....all those small green marshmellows (they look white here) are baby ogres (they've had a few more since the last movie)...Shrek is taking a bath...Fiona was peeking out the window and those lights you see actually lit up!

This team won the title: "Best Disney Adaption to a Gingerbread House!"

This picture is just a tiny bit of the overall gingerbread house...got any ideas?

It is Bob's Texaco gas station made by the team of Cecelia and Levi. Cecelia handcrafted the car and the Texaco sign out of rice krispy treats and fruit roll ups. There are spare tires, gas pumps, a garage (with moveable doors) and a truck. They spent a LOT of time on this masterpiece and didn't feel as if they were complete even when they said they were finished! I guess perfection is never finished!

Cecelia and Levi won the titles: "Best Detail Orientated Gingerbread House and Best Overall Gingerbread House."

These next two house are when we get to the "Not so Normal" gingerbread houses....you'll understand once you see the pictures....

Exhibit A is a gingerbread house (and I use that term loosely) rendition from Lord of the Rings. You have a tower, and someone up there on top of the tower...then you have a forest and some type of creature that works in or around the forest and tower (they told us, but not being a LOTR fanatic it was all jibberish to me!)

The little red dude started out as one characted and then I believe changed to Gandalf, but then I could be wrong.

This team of Steve and Dan D. won the title of: "Best Lord of the Rings Gingerbread House" (or something similar.

Which brings us to our last "house"...house is a term I wouldn't really use since Dan O., Jaime and Clayton had three kits between them and barely used the pieces of one kit. We are negotiations about the rules and the possible requirement that your house be a more integral part of the piece.

Again, we have a LOTR theme (strange that two teams decided to base their house off LOTR!!!)

This is another rendition of the tower with a huge eye that shoots lasers out on unsuspecting Santas that enter the Lilliputian land of Lord of the Rings.

The concept was actually quite neat...their mountain is made of popcorn, caramel and marshmalllows....until Dan O. got ahold of a can of Ragu spaghetti sauce to use as lava! Last year he used chilli...ugh!

I honestly don't remember what this teams official award was. Something like: "Best Structural Tower in a Gingerbread House."

I think they would have won more accolades if the smell of the acidic ragu wasn't so bad and if it wasn't melting the marshmellow/caramel mountain!

Question for you: Do you and your family make gingerbread houses? Do you participat in a Gingerbread house making contest? If so, tell me about it!

Maddy's Christmas Concert

Today we had my niece Maddy's Christmas Concert...this time it lasted about 25 minutes. They sounded pretty good and most had the little choreogrpha down....everyone except Maddy...what is it with her and Mason? It's a good thing they're cute!!!

Here she is....Madalyne Ember...she wants to be rock star when she grows up!

Today's Concert was A Song of Peace. They sang four songs and did a good job!

Here is my and Maddy...not the greatest picture of myself, but oh well!

There she is...pink jack near the front....Shannon and Ernie's kids are always going to be in the front rows seeing as how they are both short!

Here are the fourth graders!

And here is a little video of Maddy and her fellow fourth graders!

Hmmmm.....

Is this really a flattering picture of Natalie Maines (Center) lead singer of the Dixie Chicks? I think not, yet it is the published picture that is going along with the news that Rock Band will now be offering country songs on its game.

I think she looks like she's been beaten or something...just my thought. I'm not terribly fond of her after the whole Toby Keith and President Bush fiasco!

Mason's Christmas Concert

Yesterday my nephew Mason had his school Christmas Concert. Gone are the days of all students coming together for one concert usually at night...now we have each grade doing there own thing and it only lasting 15 minutes (really trying to be nice; however, it was quite a let down to go to the school for only 15 minutes!). I understand why they can't with some of these smaller districts...they have way too many kids and not enough room! Ok....I'm off my soap box!

Here's the little charmer himself...Kindergartener Mason...I swear no one beats the kid (although he might deserve it sometimes)...but I'm not sure why the dark circles under his eyes....probably because he doesn't get enough sleep!

The Kindergarten Concert was Decorate the Tree...four songs...short and to the point!

Here's my buddy entering the Gym...sorry the pic is so dark! Yes, he has a dorky grin on his face...he always does.

This is where they were all sitting down before the concert started....I think he spotted me that is why he is pointing. One of these children decided they didn't want to participate and the teacher had to take him out...he came back in at the last song but started quietly yelling at kids around him...then his baby sister just walked onto the risers (please pay attention to your children)!

Here they are! Mason is in the front row (where he probably will be his entire life since he is a shorty)...second from the left. Dad dressed him this morning so no Christmas colors and he has holes in the knees of his jeans..nice!

Here is a little video for y'all.

Mason is the one who is practicing to be the next Milli Vinilli and he isn't doing such a great job. He doesn't even have his choreography down! I think he is distracted by the girls surrounding him and all the people in the audience....

but hey...some of our top paid celebrities can't sing, can't dance, are distracted girls and guys and are only there for the adoration of the fans who keep buying their crap and putting money in their pockets (seriously Brittany, another come back???)

Decorating

I've been decorating my house, and not just for Christmas!!! Here are pictures of some of my new stuff (and some of my Christmas stuff!)

I bought this cute chalk board weekly calendar with shelf and hooks at the CK Convention a few weeks ago. I'm a little bummed because the marker they had to go with it (which cost me $3) doesn't come off very well so I'm not using it...gotta find something else.

The picture above was my birthday present from my BFF a few years ago after our Disney Cruise with her whole family...good times!

This is my new favorite wreath...all bells for only $8. Found it at the Portland Christmas Expo Thanksgiving weekend! Quite a steal considering the craft stores were selling boxes of just bells for over $15...thieves!

Here is my Christmas Village (I might have posted this already...but oh well) and there is some strange guy on my TV!!

I have a Church, a Victorian House, Hotel, Kris Kringle's Coffee House, Downtown Businesses, a sleigh full of people, a Christmas Tree and Carolers and a gazebo with Santa Pictures on the top.

The one just below is a CASINO...with flashing lights and everything...

Below that, on the bottom, is a ski chalet, trees and water tower.

Not a bad town to live in if you are an inch high and made out of ceramic!


This is my 14 year old niece Brittany who thinks that picture taking is a crime. She won't let me take her picture so she hides her face...YET I think it worse that I post her picture on the internet hiding..when will this girl learn?

This is my new favorite sign! Bought it at the same Portland Expo....I had bought these fantastic wrought iron hooks to put on it instead of the small white hooks they gave me, but they were way too big for the sign covering the letters and such...so I'm going to use my hooks and make a coat rack.

I know, I know I need better stockings...but the one in the middle is my stocking from when I was a baby!

This is my fav!!

I found this 4 foot rustic star on sale for half price at Craft Warehouse. The wall still looks a little bare; however, I really bought it for the day that I live in a 'real' house (because obviously my house now is fake!) and have either high ceilings or a cool staircase.

I found this plate holder at Craft Warehouse as well....wrought iron with fleur de something (I don't pronounce it very well....how do you expect me to write it???)

I bought these decorative plates in Spain when I was there four years ago, and have never really had a place to display them. Now I do!

The top plate is from Segovia...it is one of the castles Disney uses for the princesses!

The second plate is of Madrid.

The third plate is from a little town named Covarrubias...it is a very small town, and is the birthplace/hometown of my BFF Susana's Grandmother. While we were there we think we found the house that she lived in...very cool to see personal history like that!

Here are my plates settled between the two new collage frames that I bought on Black Friday. I honestly bought one of the frames to be a Christmas present for my sister, then when I got home I decided I needed both of them for balance.

The pictures on the left are all from Spain and the pictures on the right are all from SE Asia. My plan is to either do vinyl lettering or wood letters above the whole thing saying..."EXPLORE"!

There you have it! Thanks for taking a little walk around my living room.

Happy Decorating to you all!

I Won Again...

Debilyn over at Luv That Post had a blog open house this past weekend and was giving away these cute Luv Button Scrapbook Embellisments...and guess who won?

Oh yeah...I sure did! Thank you Debilyn....now all of you good bloggers head over to her blog and show her some bloggy love!

Tagged

I've been tagged by Melissa over at My Little World: Choo-Choos, Cars and lip gloss...and of course I am going to play along!

Seven Random Facts:

1. I am only 8 months and 7 days older than my middle sister Shannon. No, we aren't delayed twins (and yes, I have been asked that before). No, my mom did not have me, get pregnant a week after my birth and then have my sister prematurely (and yes, again, I have been asked that!). I am adopted! I was adopted at three days old and my mom was pregnant at the time and did not realize it!

2. I have at least 75 cousins...that's right, at least 75! Well over 50 of those are cousins on my paternal side and they are mostly first cousins! My dad is the oldest of 10!

3. I'm not handy...meaning I don't do well hanging stuff and such so my brother-in-law comes to my rescue quite a bit (in fact he is supposed to come over tonight and hang a bunch of stuff for me and help me put up my Christmas Tree!). He is excited for the day that I get married so that he doesn't feel as if he has two wives!

4. My favorite bike growing up was this fantastic Black and White boy's BMX racing bike! Ahhh...memories. I used to zip down the hill that we lived on with no hands until one day I biffed it at the bottom of the hill and skinned my arm from the shoulder to my wrist...had to go get x-rays to make sure nothing was broken and I think everyone in my neighborhood (and the surrounding neighborhoods) heard me screaming bloody murder...it hurt like HELL!!!

5. I am a Halloween fanatic. I am a born-again Christian. I believe in Jesus. But I LOVE Halloween. I'm sure it comes from all the years of trick-or-treating as a kid!

6. I have been to a water amusement park in Malaysia. Yes, it is strange to go to amusement parks in other countries. They look at you funny and no one speaks English. The day we went there was about 20 of us taking a fun day in the middle of a mission's trip. We have a good friend who is Malaysian take us, and they actually PAID HIM because they were so excited to have American tourists at their park. Our group had a difficult time playing by the rules....meaning the boys would jump off the river ride about half way down and then jump into the next raft coming down...and on one of the slides they decided to do a logjamb with everyone...I bowed out of that one due to the stupidity of the idea...I remained safe....some made it out with injuries!

7. I was the only graduate the year I graduated from college! I attended a very, very small private Christian college in Columbus, GA and at that time they didn't have many people graduate each year. Needless to say, we had no graduation ceremony that year, but I did go back down the following year and participate in their graduation...even then I think there was only 6 or 7 of us!

Who am I going to tag?

I am actually not going to tag anyone, because I don't have the best of luck having people respond. So if you are a visitor (HEY SITSa's!) then feel free to grap the tag picture and blog away! If you do, will you please link back to me or tell my that you did it so I can read your responses?

Nice Surprise

This is the email I received this morning
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Rachel,

Congratulations! You are the winner of my give-a-way. (I was the one giving away the Glenn Beck book and the Barlow Girl CD).

If you will give me your shipping information, I will order it from Amazon and have them ship it to you.

Thanks.

Spring Fricks
Freelance Writer
www.princessandtheking.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so much! I love books and music, and I'm sure I will enjoy both of these!

Rachel Ann's Weekend Update...

And now the news! LOL

I love SNL and the weekend updates...I really loved it with Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon...they were the best!

I had a busy weekend...so I thought I'd just give you Rachel Ann's Weekend Update:

Thursday night I drove over Snoqualmie Pass as I made my way from Moses Lake, WA to Puyallup...yeah me, I got to go home for the weekend!!! Got in about 7:30 pm and spent a bit on the computer waiting for Holly and Rodney to get home!

Friday morning I went to the dentist for my six-month cleaning! All nice, clean and sparkly...and Dr. McNally said no cavities for now!

Friday afternoon I went to the Dr. for a follow up appointment. So here's the deal...I haven't had a period for seven months and I'm not old enough for menopause! UGH!!! And no, I'm not pregnant (you kind of need to have sex for that to happen...and well, since I am a VIRGIN...**GASP** Did she say that out loud!??....I don't think pregnancy is the answer). After much discussion she decided birth control pills were needed to jump start my system again! oh yeah...can you hear the enthusiasm for this in my voice?! Good news though...I've lost 15 pounds in the last three months and my blood pressure has dropped drastically...so halleluljah for Jazzercise and eating better!

I stopped and visited my friends Josh and Jennifer at their Christmas Tree Stand...CANDY CANE NOBLES for all you who live in the PUYALLUP area and need a TREE!!! Go....get one from them...you'll be glad you did! (No, this isn't one of their trees...I admit...I stole the picture off the net)

Friday night I went out to dinner with Barb and Charlie to TGIF...it was nice visiting with them.

Saturday I got up and had coffee with my friend Breanna and her precious baby boy Bradyn! I lived with Bree and her family when she was a small tot...now she is married and has a baby..my how times flies!

Went and did a little shopping and then went to see "Fear Not" at Puyallup Foursquare Church. It was fantastic! Their special guest was Trevor Davis who sang You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch, he was AWESOME!!!

Saturday night Holly, Rodney and I went out to Applebee's for a drink and Apple Chimi Cheesecake...however, I was saddened to learn that it hadn't been on the menu for over a year! Why do restaurants get rid of their best selling items? I just don't get it....

Sunday we watched TV and I left my presents for Holly and the family...she bugged and bugged asking what it was...touching it and feeling it with her feet. Do you think she'll figure out what it is?I then drove to my Dad's house, visited with him for a little while and then headed back home. And ICK the pass had snow falling down, down, down...have I told you I don't like snow too much?!! Nope, no way, no how...NO SNOW!

Then today was Monday which means back to work! The plumber came today and unclogged my bathroom tub...and I stopped procrastinating and actually cleaned my bathroom. I really, really dislike cleaning my house and since it is just me I tend to put it off for as long as possible! Then I cooked dinner and talked on the phone with some friends...

All in all....a busy weekend! I hope you had a great weekend!

And I promise I am making my way through all those who visit!

Dinner Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Dinner Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Recital Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Recital Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Blogger

Why does blogger keep giving me the finger? When I come in here and compose my cutesy little posts, I take care as to how I want the words spaced and centered and all that jazz...but then when I go hit that orange button marked "Publish Post" it all comes out funky looking.

Really it is the fact that there is no spacing between my paragraphs. Some days it does fine, but most? It fails miserably....why oh why do they do this to me? I'm sure it is all a conspiracy to keep me frustrated and overwhelmed! They are out to get me.

quote

The door to SUCCESS is marked "PUSH"

Hmmm...

So I'm not quite sure why this dilapatated coffee house? cart? thing-a-ma-jig was sitting in the Chevron parking lot (located on SE Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA...the one near Craft Warehouse!)...but it struck me as funny.

My Mom thought it was even funnier that I took out my cute little orange phone and took a picture!

But there you have it!

Me and My Man...

Maddy was at work yesterday morning with me before going to school...and she decided to draw me some pictures.

She, even at 10 years old, knows how much I would like to be married and have kids of my own so she decided that I needed a man! :)

This is me! I am obviously some "Man's Girl"!

In case you are wondering...that is a hat on my head and I am dancing!

This is Rachel's Man!

Maddy wanted me to know he isn't bald, but rather is just wearing his dancing hat as well.

These are the roses he gave me when we went out dancing!


This is me and my MAN together...dancing and hanging out on my computer!

I guess if I can't have a real man, this one will do for now! Thank you Maddy for thinking of me and wanting me to be happy....but I'm happy being your Auntie!

Merry SITSmas!

Good morning...is it still morning?

The ladies over The Secret is in The Sauce (SITS) are doing a Merry SITSmas give away day...TODAY! They are giving away all sorts of fantastic prizes. I've already seen prizes for a cute necklace, totally fabulous aprons and a painting made from your personal photo (don't be sad...but you can't enter those contests...but you can go join up and enter the rest from here on out!!!).

We have been asked to make a Christmas Card; however, I'm just not going to make it today.

But I will leave you with Christmas Greetings:

Merry Christmas

May the Love of Jesus Christ fill your hearts this holiday season

Blessings from my house to yours!

If you are blog hopping via SITS...the next in line after me is Denise from Laughing with Spoons!

$200 Target Gift Card

How would you like to win that?

I know I would!!!

Here's how...go to my favorite site that is all about bloggy love The Secret is in The Sauce (or SITS)! They are doing a Merry Sitsmas day tomorrow and there are prizes ALL DAY long...and the GRAND PRIZE is a $200 Target Gift Card...way awesome! I'm all signed up and ready to go...come on join me...hey you know it works..you've seen me win prizes from all these contests I enter online!

Remember...Merry SITSmas...TOMORROW!

Friday, November 28, 2008

Daily Agenda:

1. 11:30 pm: (Thursday): Go to bed

2. 4:00 am: Get up (yes, that is only 4 hours of sleep because I was in a new bed and didn't fall asleep right away).

3. 4:05 am: Brush hair, brush teeth, put contacts in, change to clean undies (too tired and no time for a full relaxing shower!).

4. 4:15 am: Get in car and drive off.

5. 4:20 ish am: Get to Starbucks...order a Venti, Peppermint Mocha, Extra with No Whip and have the cutesy wide-awake Barista ask me, "You mean no peppermint whip cream on that peppermint twist?" Well, I guess if I had wanted whip I would have asked for it.

6. 4:30--4:40 am: Drive to Walmart, park, look at the lines and think, "Am I crazy?" and then go join to line of other crazies waiting to get in.

7. 5:00 am: Do the shuffle walk/run with carts like the other Walmart lemmings in hopes of snagging that great big buy that no one else really wants, right? WRONG!!! I'm glad I go there for the deals, but I keep my expectations low and realistic...no grbbing an $88 dollar Barbie Jeep, or a $200 TV or laptop. Nope, I go for the $2 movies, the picture frames, the $9 flash drive...ya know the small stuff that ends up totaling over $100...how did that happen.

8. 5:40 am: Get in line to check out.

9. 5:50 am: Still standing in line wondering how I always pick the slow cashier and wondering if anyone in Vancouver, WA was raised with any manners? Yes, you there..the 30 something year old in the gray sweatshirt...yes you! If you find it necessary to push past me and my cart do you think you could at least say excuse me and not show my cart into the person behind me? I respond well to excuse me's, please and thank yous. I don't respond well to A$$ holes like you...CHEER UP...it's almost Christmas. I hope you got want to you were so anxiously rushing off towards...but let me tell you, if you are just coming in the store at 5:50 am, you have missed out on the doorbusters!

**Side Note** If you decide to get your butt out of bed at 3 am to drive to stores, stand in line and then fight the crowds to get the best deals...please do not drag your young innocent children into this mess with you. There is no reason why you can't leave them with Dad (he donated the sperm, I think he is capable of watching his own offspring), or Nana/GMA/Grandma (whatever you call that cutesy lady who kisses you on the lips and bakes yummy stuff!); and if they aren't available pay the 12 year old Betsy down the street to come sleep on your couch for a few hours...you know your kids would rather be sleeping than shopping! **End of Rant**

10. 6:15 am: Finally get through the check out line...load up my car and off to the next store...TARGET!

11. 6:25--6:30 am: Show up at Target and thank the parking gods for the parking spot two spots in on the row right in front of the door.

12. 6:30--?? am: Wander the store analyzing what I do and don't need...buy a few movies (including Annie and a Lady Antebellum CD for myself of course). Move through the organized and fairly fast paced check out line and out the door.

13. 7:15 am (I think...I've kind of lost track of time at this point as I am so tired!): Drive over to Craft Warehouse...now I'm not usually allowed in these stores because I am there only to buy for myself and I really don't need anymore scrap/craft stuff; HOWEVER, I had to! That's right...I was forced into Craft Warehouse by the angry mob trying to get in behind me...ok, so maybe I was the mob forcing myself through the front door....ok, ok, ok no FORCE...I deliberately chose to walk through the front door of my own free will!

14: 7:30--8:00 am: First of all, find a bathroom..have to pee, have to pee!!! Then I wander the store...no agenda...no pressing needs. Turn around the corner and BAM!! There in front of me is a gorgeous wrought iron plate hanger for the wall that holds three plates...and with my 40% off coupon it only cost $11...YEAH ME!! Buy just a few more things.

15. 8:15 am: Drag myself back to my Mom's house...check my email and facebook.

16. 8:45 am: Go back to bed!!!!

17. 1:00 pm: Wake up and shower!

WOW! I kept telling myself (and I subconsciously have Marcie's voice in my ear....even though I know you don't begrudge me my shopping...but I still hear your sense and sensibility on shopping) that I am crazy for even thinking about getting up early and going shopping on Black Friday, but yet I still did it. I have to say though that I didn't jump on the Black Friday bandwagon until last year...so this isn't something I do ALL the time.

This year I even did it all by myself! My Mom was going to come with but her back was hurting and she had to work this afternoon...if I was her I probably would have slept too!

Now I'm off to spend the next few hours reading magazines and books at Borders. Bliss!

Happy Black Friday to all the other crazy shoppers out there!

Thanksgiving Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Remember to count your blessings today!

Driving home today:

Me: "Mason, what are you thankful for?"

Mason: "God. And Food. And God."

Me: "Are you thankful for anything else?"

Mason: "Yes, God and food" (I kind of got the impression that Mason thinks God provides our food...which he does!)

Me: "Yes, God is a good thing to be thankful for. Do you know what thankful means?"

Mason: "It means that we thank them and they love us."

Me: "So are you thankful for anything else....like..Mom or Dad?"

Mason: "Yes, because they protect me. And God...and food!"

There you have it...God and food...the top two things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!

12th Day of Christmas Giveaways

Today she is giving away a totally cute bag and a bloggie makeover...I really, really, really want to get a bloggie makeover...I have ideas but don't know how to "write" the bloggy formatting language...maybe this is my chance!

I love me some CONTESTS!!

And I know you do too! This fun site-Tip Junkie-is doing a fantastic Mom-preneur Shop-a-thon Giveaway. So whatcha waiting for? Go Enter! Now! Go!