And The Winners Are....

I wrote everyone's name on a piece of paper. Vicki had 6 entries, Tammy, Pricilla, and Jenera each had three entries, and Lin, 1stopmom, Stacey, and Tracey each had one entry. Then I put all the entries in a hat, and let each of the kids pick a winner.

Brandi picked 1stopmom!

Kasi picked Tammy!

Ryan picked Jenera!

Congrats to all three of you!!!!
I need your addresses to mail these books to you, so I will be contacting you shortly.

I Gave It A Go

Recently I told you all about a Fantasy Football site called WaiverWire. I told you how my sisters husbands both participate in Fantasy Football, and I admitted that I really knew nothing about the whole process. Well, I decided to check things out for myself, just to see what all the hoopla is about. I signed up for their free service, called The Stimulus Package. With this package I can nose around the site a little, and see exactly what they have to offer. I used my husband's name, and here is a shot of his profile page:As you can tell, it's pretty empty right now. I was able to check out a few of their pages, and to be honest, I had no idea what the heck I was looking at. This is their player rankings page, and from what I understand, I can pick a position and see the players ranked from best to worst. The shot below is of quarterbacks. I need to be a girly girl right now and admit that I have no idea what the different position are, but using these charts, I am pretty sure I can put together a decent team.
You can upgrade your package, and each level offers more and more access on the site. The pages I was able to view were set up so that even someone like me could follow the information. I could also have easily went into the forums and asked some questions.

I wish I could tell you that I now have the perfect Fantasy Football team, but I don't. In fact, I think I will leave all this football stuff to the guys. My brothers-in-law will be getting an email from me all about this site so that they can take advantage of all that it has to offer.

Look...They're Yummy!

Look what I just made...yummy peanut butter cookies topped with chocolate.

Okay, stop drooling. I shared the recipe here.
Trust me, they are the best peanut butter cookies I have ever made.
Or eaten!

Designing My Own Business Card

Remember that business card I made a few months ago? I never got around to ordering it, because I wasn't sure it was exactly what I wanted. This morning, since I had nothing else to do, I searched again for business cards online and made another "prototype". I like that it has the people along the bottom, and that they look like they are playing and having fun. I like to think that that is what my blog is all about. There are a couple of other designs that I liked too, and it's fun to play with the different fonts and things until you have exactly what you want. I think I am going to head back and try out a few more. Let me know what you think of this one, okay?

Click That, Over there ===>>> At The Top

See that box over there?

The one about my Nancy Drew Book Giveaway?

Click it and enter, because there are only a few hours left to do so!

I will picking the winners later on tonight.

Good Luck!

Loft Beds For The Girls

Last week, the girls and I were walking through our local BigLots, and we ended up in their furniture section. It had been a while since I had been inside this store, and was surprised at the amount of furniture they had on display. I don't think I would ever buy furniture from there, because even though the prices were great, the quality of the furniture left something to be desired.

The girls fell in love with bunk beds, of all things. This led to an argument over who would sleep on the top if I ever bought them a set. I decided to go online when we got home, and see what kind of bedroom furniture I could find. I searched for bunk beds, and found this adorable "loft bed". It's like bunk beds, but instead of a bed on the bottom, it has a desk. If I bought two of these, they could both sleep "on top" and there would be no more arguments. Well, no more arguments about bed, anyway.

I also found some Contemporary Bedroom Furniture that I would love to get for Junior and I. Of course, that is assuming we even have our own bedroom again. I prefer beds that Just have a headboard, as opposed to those with a headboard and a foot board. Junior would prefer I find Discount Bedroom Furniture and pick whatever is cheapest.

He has no sense of style whatsoever.

My New Favorite Cooking Show

I was feeling a little yucky today, so I spent some time being lazy, and just watching television. Let me tell you, there was nothing on. At all.

Finally I flipped on Food Network, and fell in love with Brian Boitano. I was lucky enough to see him skate years ago, but I was a little iffy about his cooking ability when I heard he was getting his own show.

After two minutes, I was hooked. The show was informative, and at the same time, extremely funny. I love, love, LOVE his personality! His food was simple, yet kind of sophisticated. On the episode I watched today, he made these skewers that just had sun dried tomatoes with basil and goats cheese, and my mouth was watering. He also made fried polenta (spell check says that's spelled wrong...huh) with sausage and red pepper relish, and man, I wanted to reach in the television and grab it all.

I am looking forward to watching more What Would Brian Boitano Make? (click the link and go check out his food network page...trust me, he's awesome!)

I Missed It

I am one of the few people left in the world who doesn't have a DVR. That means if I miss my favorite show, I am out of luck. Today I found Spreety TV Online : Watch TV Shows Online Free where I can catch full episodes of my favorite shows that I have missed on television. I was thrilled to see that they have episodes of House. I love this show, but missed most of last season when they changed it's time slot.

Now I don't have to schedule my life around must see television.

The Power Of Prayer

Kat commented on my post about Kasi, and asked how her burn is doing. It's been a little over three weeks, and this is what it looks like.

I honestly believe that all the people who have been praying for her made a difference. As you can see, it is completely healed over, and just a little pink, which is getting lighter and lighter every day.

She's one lucky girl.

Self-Help Books

I love to read, but find myself in a rut lately. I have a hard time reading books that are outside my comfort zone, and that includes self-help type books. Remember the book, A Purpose Driven Life? I read the first couple of chapters, and had to stop reading it. I don't remember exactly what it said, but I couldn't agree with what I was reading. That happens a lot when I read those types of books.

Today I discovered a new book. It's a self help kind of thing. I read the What Husbands Can't Resist review and I have to say, it sounds pretty interesting. It claims to teach you how you can get your husband to do the things you ask of him, how you can get him to listen to you with attention and respect, and how to handle conflicts the right way. I'm interested to hear what the right way is, because I think we have been doing pretty good so far.

Do you read Self-help books? If so, do you find them helpful?

My Beautiful Daughter

I posted some new pictures on my picture blog. They are from our trip to the park this afternoon. We stopped this afternoon and got our free milkshakes, then headed to the park. The kids played for about 30 minutes before the thunder started, and we headed back home. I know they had a good time letting go of some of their stored energy from being in school all week.

Oh, and I think Kasi looks especially beautiful in this picture.

Work From Home

I know many of you are looking for ways to make money from home. I know it would be nice if I could contribute a little more to our household expenses. MoneyMakerClub can show you how to do just that. This "club" provides all the information you need to successfully start your own business, from your own home. You can work as little or as much as you want, and they guarantee that you will make money with this program, or you get your money back.

What have you got to lose by trying it out? Nothing.

A "Real" Babydoll

I got my baby fix yesterday when Missy came for a visit. I had thirty minutes of snuggle time with this beautiful baby girl. Brandi got to hold her for a few minutes, and was so excited. She loves babies as much as I do. I wish I had gotten a picture of this little cutie's brothers, because they were adorable, too. I can not wait until my sisters and sister-in-law have their babies!

Plus Size Costumes And Lingerie

Remember a few posts ago I was talking about how hard it is to find Halloween Costumes for us bigger girls? Well, I found another site that carries plus size fashions and I found this hippie costume. It looks a little short on this girl, but I am short, so it will be a little longer on me, if I get up the nerve to wear it. They had a bunch of other costumes, too, but they were a little too "sexy" for me.

This site also had plus size lingerie, which I also know first hand can be hard to find in stores. If you are a big girl like me, check it out. You might find something you just have to have.

Free Tote Bag

Last week, I came across this link for a free tote bag from vista print. In the past, I have played around on their site, but I have never actually ordered anything.

I decided that free was great, so I designed this tote bag. I picked the heart design out of the 35 or so designs they offer, and I also added the "I love my kids". I thought it was cute. I then had the option of adding some paid things, like putting the design on both sides, or removing the "www.vistaprint.com" from the bottom, which, in my opinion, you can barely see. I didn't choose any of these, so my bag was still free.

I did, however, have to pay shipping and handling, and there were a few options to choose from here. I could get 3 day delivery, for about $25. Or I could get 7 day delivery for around $7. Then there was 14 day delivery, which was around $6. I, being as cheap as I am, chose the three week delivery, which only costs $4.41.

I ordered my bag on the 22nd of August, and paid for 21 day delivery.

My bag came today.

It's only been six days, and I even ordered the bag close to midnight on the 22nd. I don't know if business has been slow or what, but if you go order one of these bags, do the three week shipping.

And just so you know, this is not a paid post, and I really love the tote bag. I need to see what else they have for 'free".

Fantasy Football

I am going to share something with you that shocks some people.

We do not watch football in our house.

I know there are a lot of people who don't watch sports, but living in the South, football is huge. I mean huge! Local people can't understand why we are not at the high school football games on Friday nights, or glued to our televisions on the weekends watching whatever games happen to be on. Growing up, my dad watched all kinds of sports, but they just never interested me. My husband grew up at the dirt track, so racing is his thing.

I do, however, have three brothers-in-law who love football. In fact, two of them love it so much they play Fantasy Football. My sister's husband runs a league for his friends, so I asked him what resources he uses to keep track of everything. He said he uses a site like WaiverWire, where everything he needs is in one place. He said it is important to keep up with each players stats and injuries, so having access to over one hundred local NFL team news feeds is great. Good software for drafting is also important, as well as knowing exactly who you want to have on your team.

I was also told that having somewhere to "hang out and brag" and share secrets is also fun, and the forums on WaiverWire provide that place. I wanted to see what guys were saying there, so I checked it out, and to be honest, I had no idea what they were talking about. It was pretty technical stuff, and I think you need to know just a little about football to follow. My brothers-in-law, however, would be able to gobble up all the information.

I think I need to start by reading a copy of Football for Dummies, or something along those lines.

Still Time To Enter

Don't forget to enter my Nancy Drew book giveaway! There is still time to get your name in the hat. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, or Monday night, we'll see. Not many people entered, so your chances of winning are great!

On a side note, I have no idea why not too many people entered. The last time I did a book giveaway, I had tons of entries. Is it because it's a kids book? Well, whatever the reason, you should enter. Even if you don't have a daughter, you probably know someone who does that would enjoy this book.

Build A Bridge, Please

It has always been my dream to take a trip to Hawaii. I would swim in the beautiful, clear waters, enjoy the sun on the gorgeous beaches, and eat all kinds of yummy food, all the while taking pictures with a rented Honolulu Camera. Because let's face it, my little camera could not possibly capture the beauty of Hawaii.

The only problem is my fear of flying. Do you think they'll be building a bridge anytime soon?

Noshing

I did something tonight that I haven't done in a while...I sat and watched television. I enjoyed a catfish battle on Iron Chef America, and then the season finale of Royal Pains. I'm going to miss Hank. :( But, that's not what I want to share with you. While I was watching television, I got the munchies, so I was noshing on some potato chips...and look what I found:

Who says you can't find love in a bag of chips????

Healthy Vending

I remember when I was in high school, there were vending machines outside of the cafeteria. They held sodas (diet and regular) and candy. That was almost twenty years ago. I am still wondering how I got so old, but that's another post! Anyway, when I registered my kids for Junior High a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to find 1800Vending machines in their school, outside their cafeteria. There was a big difference, though, because these machines only held juices and healthy snacks. I think this is awesome, especially for kids like my Ryan. He has ADHD, and takes medication twice a day for it. He would be buying candy every day if he had that option, and that would not help his hyperactivity. I am glad he has healthy options.

We were talking about this the other day, because Kasi has been buying juices. She said she couldn't wait to get to the high school, because their 1800Vending Org machines had soda. I asked her why the older kids had soda in theirs, and they only had juice, and she said the older kids only have diet soda in the machines. I don't know how I feel about the kids being offered soda that is loaded with chemicals (before you leave comments about the chemical remark, remember that I drink diet soda from morning til night...I just don't think developing kids should drink it). I do, however, think whoever owns these machines is making a fortune. I wish it was me.

If you are interested in owning vending machines, check out this 1800Vending Blog. I think if you can get a great location, like a school cafeteria, you can make tons of money.

Spelling Tests

Tomorrow Brandi has her first spelling test. Monday, we were studying her words. I would say the word, and she would spell it. After we were don, she got them all right, she told me they were "first grade words", and she knew them already. I know she will do great on her test, but am a little worried she might get bored if the words don't get more challenging for her. I mean, the words were hid and kid, and she has known how to spell them for years. I hope next weeks word are a little more tricky.

Ryan Needs A New Watch

Last week my kids went back to school. The first day, Ryan had on his watch, which he needs to wear every day so he knows when to go take his Ritalin during school. He has had this watch for about a year. The second morning at the bus stop, I noticed he wasn't wearing his watch. When I asked him why he didn't have it on, he said it died the day before.

Now I need to buy him a new watch. I can go back to Walmart and buy another one that won't last long at all, or I can invest in a really nice watch for him to have for many years to come. With his birthday coming up soon, I decided to go ahead and try and find a nice watch he would like. I found this casio g shock on bluedial.com, and I think he will really like it. It has a simple dial, and is solar powered and water resistant. All of those are great things for a 14 year old boy. What's great for me is that I can get free 2nd day shipping, and you all know how much I enjoy saving money.

I am thinking about getting watches for the girls, too. Maybe as a Christmas gift. I wonder if they have anything pink or purple?

Lunch

The other day, I received an email inviting me to join a site called Lunch. Here are the first two paragraphs of the email:

I really enjoyed reading your posts about fishing (so much fun to do with the family), the Halloween birthday parties you've thrown (they sound like a blast!) and most importantly, your meatball recipe (I've been looking for one for a little while and will have to try yours out!) I love the style of your blog- it's informative, well written, stylish, and fun. After reading your blog, I wanted to write to you about a site I work for www.lunch.com and its parenting community!

Lunch is a place where you can rate/review topics on anything, interact with people that have similar interests, and discover unique perspectives on things you may not have known existed. The parenting community is an ideal place for sharing your thoughts and swapping information on everything related to parenting! Here’s the link: http://lunch.com/t/h2o!

I was intrigued, so I decided to check it out. After looking around a bit, I discovered that this is a very cool site, where you can read reviews on just about everything, written by real people, who are not being paid to share their opinions. You can even write reviews yourself.

I signed up.

I will admit, I have not found too much time to really discover all this site has to offer, but I have played some of their "games" where you rate things, from fast food to Stephen King books. After each "game", I am shown a list of people who have similar interests, who I can then choose to follow. So far I am following seven people, and two people are following me. Not bad for a couple of days, I guess. I think the more reviews I write, the more followers I will gain. Or at least that is what I am assuming.

Why am I telling you about all this? Because I think you should go check it out. If you decide to join, let me know. I'll follow you.

Black Gold

I think my favorite reality show of all time is Deadliest Catch. It's been on for a few years now, and I have gotten to know the captains and crew of each boat, and I pull for them every episode. My husbands favorite show right now is Ice Road Truckers. I was watching one episode with him a few weeks ago that showed a female driver wipe out trying to secure down her load.

It makes for good televisions.

The creator of those two shows has done it again with Black Gold. For those of you who have not met the truTV BLACK GOLD characters, check out this video:

These men risk their lives every second they are on the job. Accidents don't just mean bruises and broken bones, they could mean death. That is why truTV BLACK GOLD Healthcare is important. (click that link...it shows a video that is pretty funny!) My husband says he would love to go try and work with these men, and I think he would fit right in. He is an adrenaline junkie, so he would love the fact that you never know exactly what is going to happen.

I think truTV BLACK GOLD is going to be another reality television hit. It's on tonight, at 10pm, so if you haven't seen it before, check it out. My local cable company is showing last weeks second season premiere episode at 9pm, so if you missed that one, watch them both.

I know I will be watching, on the edge of my seat.

When Did My Baby Grow Up?

For the past three years, Brandi and I have had a routine. When she got onto the bus in the morning, she would look out the window, and blow me kisses and wave goodbye, until the bus was out of sight.

Last Tuesday, on the first day of school, she got on the bus, turned to the window, waved, and then started talking to the bus driver.

Huh.

Then Monday, she got on the bus, and never even looked out the window! No wave. No kisses. Nothing.

It used to be that if I even started walking back to the house while she could still see me, I would hear about it that afternoon. Now I don't even get a wave.

This makes me sad, because she is my baby, and she's growing up.

Excuse me while I wipe away a tear.

I Want To Be A Witch

I was shopping the other day in the dollar store, and couldn't believe that they already have their Christmas decorations out. It's only August! They totally skipped Halloween and Thanksgiving. I'm hoping they will put some Halloween stuff out, because it is almost time for Ryan's Halloween birthday bash.

His birthday is November 6, and two years ago I did his party a little early, and had all the kids dress up. It was awesome! So many kids showed up, and I had tons of games planned. I think their favorite was the "in the dark scavenger hunt". This was when we lived in the house and had an acre yard. Last year we also had a Halloween themed party for him, but we were in the apartment, so there wasn't a lot of room. IT also rained that night, so the kids were stuck inside. I had so many new games planned, and was pretty disappointed that we couldn't play them. I do make some cute Halloween themed food, like monster toes (little sausages wrapped in flour tortillas, with BBQ sauce on the end, looking like bloody toenails) and deviled eggs that look like eyeballs. I really need to start looking for new recipes for this year's party.

The past two years, I have wanted to dress up like the kids, but have ended up just slapping on a pair of ears, and wearing black. This year, I want to get a real costume, but it is so hard to find one in the stores that fits right. I decided to look for Halloween costumes online, and found this AWESOME witch costume. And you know what the best part it? It comes in plus sizes! I am so excited! I really hope I can save the money to get this before the party, because come on, what costume better suits my personality than this?

You should check them out, too. If you find something you love, you can get free shipping on orders over $50 by using the code "pppfree". I think I need to talk to the kids and see what they want to be this year, and order all the costumes at the same time, so I can get the free shipping. I just love saving money!

So tell me, have you thought about what YOU want to be for Halloween this year?

Fishing With Mom

Yesterday morning, we went fishing with my mom. Junior came, too, but ended up napping in the van most of the time. That didn't matter to us, though. We had a great time. The weather was perfect...not too hot with a nice breeze. AS you can see, the girls were happy to be fishing, and the fish were biting.

Ryan likes to fish on the bottom of the lake, and it wasn't long before he caught a pretty good sized fish. I wish this picture came out better, but you can see the size of the fish.

A little while later, Kasi caught a big one, too.

Here is where my heart melted just a little. Ryan hooked another fish, and when he was sure it was on the line good, he handed his fishing poll to Brandi and let her reel it in. She was excited to catch a big fish, too. I was proud that Ryan loves his sister enough to do that for her.

My mom and I were catching the little ones, but we didn't care. It's fun to catch fish after fish. I think I ended up with 12, and mom had 6, or maybe it was five. I don't remember numbers, but I do know that I caught way more than she did!

All in all it was a great few hours.

Changes

I got rid of the three columns. It was giving me a headache! I also felt like the "blog" part was lost among all the other stuff. Maybe if I could have figured out how to get both columns on one side it wouldn't have been so bad.

I am happier with it this way, so it will stay like this for now, but you all know how often I change things around here! lol!

Black

I love wearing black. Most of my clothes are either black, or dark blue. I think it goes back to when I read an article saying that dark clothes make you appear thinner. I don't know that I agree with that, but I do think dark clothes hide fat rolls better than light colored clothes.

Now, just because I prefer dark clothes doesn't mean I am "goth" in any way, or that I spend time in free gothic chat rooms. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying there is anything wrong with chat rooms. They are a great place to meet people who share your interests. In fact, I know of quite a few people who have met their significant others this way.

My Meatballs

I want to thank Rebecca and Wanda for offering me their meatball recipes on my last post. They both looked so yummy! I really want to try both recipes, but this time I used Wanda's recipe. Rebecca's recipe called for a dutch oven, and I had no idea what that is! Thankfully, she explained it to me, so next time I am trying her recipe.

Here is Wanda's recipe:

1- pound ground beef (1/2 pork and 1/2 beef)
1- cup of Italian Bread Crumbs
3/4 Cup of Grated Italian Cheese
1- Clove garlic cut up small
2- eggs beaten
salt and pepper to your taste

Mix all together, add about three tablespoons of water to mixture to make it soft. Mix well. Form into small balls and fry in olive oil until nice and brown. About ten or fifteen minutes on each side.

I did change just a few minor things. I only had beef, so that's all I used. I added parsley and oregano, because I had regular, not Italian, breadcrumbs. I had thee pounds of meat, so I tripled the recipe, and ended up adding a cup of milk, instead of the water. I also baked the meatballs, instead of frying them. Here is what it looked like before we mixed it all together:
Here's my helper, who was not at all happy that she had to get her hands dirty.

Here's the finished product! They look yummy, don't they?

I can honestly say they tasted as yummy as they look! Thanks again Wanda for this delicious recipe!

Entertain Me, Please

It's been a rough weekend, and it's only Saturday. Money seems to be an issue around here lately, with no solution in sight. We have been denied by so many lenders in the past week, and now have no where else to turn. I have no idea what we are going to do. I am contemplating taking the little money we do have and buying Tickets to Shows in Las Vegas. At least then we will be entertained. I have heard that the Blue Man Show is really great, and family friendly, which is important around here. We always think about whether or not the kids would enjoy the things we do. Junior and I will have plenty of time to do things as a couple when the kids are out of the house.

Maybe then our money problems will be gone, too.

Meatballs

I am going to make meatballs tomorrow, and I am looking for a new recipe. I usually just throw the ingredients into the bowl without measuring, and they come out pretty good.

Now I want to find a recipe for AWESOME meatballs. Do you have one to share with me? Do you have a favorite website you go to for your recipes?

How Did You Two Meet?

Do you have a special story about how you a met your significant other? Junior and I were set up on a blind date, and that was almost fifteen years ago. He took me to a bar, and that was the one and only time we went out drinking. I know these days it is getting harder and harder to find the person you were meant to be with. People are turning to christian singles chat rooms to find their soul mates. Chat rooms are great, especially if you use the free video chat option. You can see and talk to someone who shares your interests.

Are you still looking for that someone special, or do you already have your special story?

Can You Read This?

I got this in an email and thought it was pretty interesting how the brain works. I could read the whole thing...how about you?

"fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs frorwrad it"

New Landlords?

Some of you may not know that Junior was married once before me. It didn't last long, and it didn't end on good terms. A few years ago, we ran into his ex-in-laws, and discovered that his ex-wife, their only child, had died. I think they were looking for someone to love, and my kids filled a void in their lives. I know some people will think it's weird that I let them have a relationship with us, but I am a firm believe in the fact that my kids can never have too many people loving them.

For the past year, this duplex we live in has been for sale. The other night, Junior's ex-mother-in-law called and asked for the number, because she is interested in buying it. She was asking us all kinds of questions about the condition of the apartments, and we told her that they would need Home Improvement Help. The roof desperately needs to be repaired or replaced, and the ceilings fixed where there is water damage. She was talking about removing the wall between the apartments, and making it one huge living area. She said we need four bedrooms, which is true enough. Of course, to make a hallway between apartments, we would need to remove the bathrooms. That means we would need a new Bathroom Design for the other side. It would be pretty cool deciding the new layout. Of course, she wants Junior to do as much of the work as possible himself. He is even looking into a Do It Yourself Home Inspection . I just hope she is able to get on touch with the people who own it, and they accept her offer. It would be awesome to make this place more of a home.

Don't Worry...

I don't like it either....I am working on something else.

This is what happens when I am bored! lol!

I am not happy with the bright purple...I want to go back to the pastel one.

We'll see what happens...

UPDATE:

I love it now!

Thursday Thirteen ~ Twenty

Thirteen Facts About Nancy Drew
I found all of these facts online...

Make sure you enter my Nacny Drew book giveaway here.

1.

The very first Nancy Drews were The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, and The Bungalow Mystery, published on April 28, 1930.

2.
The original proposal for nancy Drew suggested that her name be Stella Strong, Nell Cody, Helen Hale, or Diana Dare.

3.
When Nancy Drew was introduced she wore cloche hats and gloves whenever she was out in public, as was proper in the 1930s. Later, in the ‘50s, she changed to sport dresses and rompers, and even—gasp—pants.

4.
Nancy’s father gave her her trusty blue roadster as a birthday gift. After a brief stint as a maroon roadster, it went back to snappy Nancy Drew blue, eventually morphing into a blue convertible to keep up with the latest styles. In the new series launched in 2004, Nancy Drew: Girl Detective, Nancy drives a blue hybrid car.

5.
Nancy’s mother died when she was ten, leaving her the ever-capable mistress of her household (with a little help from reliable Hannah Gruen). Later books changed this and made her three years old at the time of her mother’s death.

6.
Carolyn Keene was a pen name, a cover for the series’ ghostwriters that worked so well the Authors Guild asked her to join their organization and she was listed in Who’s Who in America. Ms. Keene also regularly responded to fan mail.

7.
Nancy began her adventures as a precocious sixteen-year-old who had apparently already graduated from high school. When the books were revised in the 1960s, she became an eighteen-year-old; the driving age had gone up and the sleuth without her trusty car would be no sleuth at all.

8.
River Heights started out as a town located somewhere in the Midwest. As the books were revised the town migrated to the East Coast, close enough to New York for Nancy to travel into Chinatown to solve The Mystery of the Fire Dragon (1961).

9.
Nancy’s tomboy friend George declared in The Secret of Shadow Ranch that her name was not short for Georgia—she was just plain George, named after her grandfather. But as times changed, so did her story: In 1960’s The Clue in the Old Stagecoach she confessed that it really was short for Georgia after all.

10.
Nancy and boyfriend Ned Nickerson never once kissed, but in The Secret the Old Attic she does "faint into his strong arms."

11.
Until the late 1950s Nancy often carried a gun on her adventures, and in The Secret of Shadow Ranch she had to shoot a wild lynx to save Bess and George.

12.
Over the years, among other mishaps, Nancy has been bound and gagged repeatedly, knocked unconscious with a gun and left to die in a basement ( The Bungalow Mystery), locked in a closet ( The Secret of the Old Clock), poisoned with deadly gas ( The Secret in the Old Attic), threatened by a cult ( The Secret of Red Gate Farm), been the recipient of menacing notes ( The Clue in the Old Album), and gotten chased by a vicious dog ( The Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion).

13.
Nancy has an astonishing range of skills in the books: She’s an expert swimmer, horsewoman, linguist, actress, circus performer, driver, amateur historian, and crack shot—not to mention a fashion plate.

To participate, go here.

Nancy Drew Giveaway

I have always loved to read. I remember as a kid, spending the summers in my room, reading book after book. My favorite series back then was Nancy Drew. I had every single book, and wish I had saved them, but my mom can't remember what happened to them.

In celebration of school starting back, I am going to give three lucky readers a brand new, never read, hardcover Nancy Drew Book. You're excited, right?

These are the three books:

The Clue in the Diary: Nancy and her friends, George and Bess, are returning from a country carnival when they witness the explosion and burning of a beautiful country mansion. Fearing its occupants may be trapped in the blazing building, they rush to the rescue-and unexpectedly find themselves confronted with a mystery that seems to be insoluble.

Nancy's Mysterious Letter: By mistake, Nancy Drew receives a letter from England intended for an heiress, also named Nancy Drew. When Nancy undertakes a search for the missing young woman, it becomes obvious that a ruthless, dangerous man is determined to prevent her from finding the heiress or himself. Clues that Nancy unearths lead her to believe that the villianous Edgar Nixon plans to marry the heiress and then steal her inheritance.

The Sign of the Twisted Candles: Another exciting mystery begins for the attractive young detective when her friends Bess and George ask her to investigate a rumor that their wealthy greatgranduncle, Asa Sidney, is virtually a prisoner in his own mansion. But solvng the mystery and befriending Carol Wipple, the sixteen year old foster daughter of the caretakers of the old mansion, nearly costs Nancy the friendship of Bess and George. It takes all of Nancy's sleuthing ability as well as diplomacy to save it.

They sound good, right? Okay, so maybe you have to be a young girl to enjoy these books, so if you know a young girl who would enjoy one, make sure and enter to win.

I am going to make this pretty easy, because I want lots of people to enter.

1. Tell me what your favorite childhood book was for 1 entry.

2. Follow this blog for 2 entries.

3. Tweet about this contest for 3 entries.

4. Blog about this contest, linking back to this post, for 4 entries.

5. If someone mentions that they heard of this contest from your blog, you and that person will get an extra 5 entries each.

I will have one of the kids pull the winning names out of a hat (or container or something) on Monday, August 31st, around dinner time. Make sure you leave a different comment for each thing you do, and leave links, please.

This contest is only open to those in the US and Canada...sorry everyone else!
Good luck!!!!

Not Reality. Actuality.

I love this commercial! It's too funny, and yet so true. I yell at the television. If I am watching something, and I am really into the program, I don't even realize I do it. It's funny when Junior is sleeping, and I yell loud enough to wake him up. I usually cover by saying he must have been hearing things, and he'll just roll over and go back to sleep. The yelling is the truTV effect, and most time it can not be stopped.

I like watching Black Gold, which comes on truTV. It's about the oil drillers and the way they risk there lives to make the big bucks. My son loves Operation Repo. My mom, she can watch COPS twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, so that is her show of choice.

Of course, there are also the shows that feature stories like this truTV video. Let me say right now, I could not watch the whole thing. I have issues with seeing people get hurt. When this dudes hand came down on that knife, I was done. Things like that literally make me sick. Now, I can watch up until the gross stuff happens, and I am okay with the "after" part, but when it comes to the actual accident, I have to cover my face. This goes for everything from broken bones to blood. Junior makes fun of me all the time about it, because he loves this kind of thing. It must be because he is a guy.

If you don't have truTV in your cable or satellite package, look into getting it. There is something awesome about watching real things happen to real people. It's not reality. It's actuality.

Brandi's Current Favorite Movie

Brandi is like me, in that when she finds a movie she likes, she will watch it over and over and over. Right now, she is all about Bring It On. You know this movie...it's about all the cheerleaders who use a stolen routine, and they must defend themselves at Nationals with original cheers. Now, I know most of you will say this is not a kid friendly movie, and I know there are some things said that Boo doesn't quite understand, but she likes all the cheer leading scenes, and to be honest, they say worse stuff on regular television.

Anyway, there are a few lines in the movie that she finds downright hysterical, an laughs like crazy every time she watches. The line that she thinks is the funniest is this:

when Sparky is teaching the girls the new routine, he tells them that "cheerleaders are dancers who have gone retarded".

Now, when I say Brandi laughs, I mean she cracks up hysterically.

I think she needs some help.

Show Me Your Muscles

Do you like guys who have muscles, or a you a guy who likes to show off his muscles? If so, check out bodybuilding chat. You can meet up with people who share your interest in bodybuilding, even video chatting for free. I like a man with a little meat on his bones, but am not too attracted to guys who have huge muscles. I prefer the natural look of muscles.

These days you can find chat rooms for every interest. It's nice that there are places you can connect with people who like the same things as you do. Who knows. You might find the person you are meant to be with.

Smells Like Thanksgiving

Tonight for supper, I made a turkey. My house smelled so good all day long. It was a fresh turkey that Juniors cousin killed and did whatever they do to it to make it ready to cook.

It was YUMMY!

I am looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow ...

Winter Vacation

Now that the kids are back in school, vacations are over for the year. This doesn't mean that I can't start planning for next year, though. In fact, that is probably a good idea, since it will take me a while to save up the money to take advantage of Family Vacation Packages . I want to do something a little different next summer. Camping was fun, and we will probably go again, but I want to make a trip up north. I want to visit my sisters, and there are a few new friends I would love to hang out with. Junior would love for me to check into Romantic Getaways, but I am not sure I want to spend money on that. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband. I just think that we can have a romantic time right here at home, and with the kids the age they are, I want to spend vacations doing things as a family. I could plan a Wedding Vermont since we never have walked down the aisle, but I want to do that on our 20th anniversary, which is in 6 years.

I think a ski vacation at the Green Mountain Inn is just perfect. We could get away during the kids winter break from school. Although we have never skied before, I think it would be fun to learn. Plus, my kids have never really experienced real snow. Sure, we have winter storms here in the South, but it can snow all night and melt by noon. I want my kids to have fun in snow that is deep enough to fall into.

Where The Heart Is

I love this movie! It has been on HBO, and I watch it whenever I can catch it.

It's about a pregnant girl, Novalee Nation, (Natalie Portman) whose boyfriend leaves her stranded at a strange Walmart. She lives there until the birth of her baby, who is delivered in the middle of a storm by Forney (James Frain) the town librarian. Novalee then discovers the generosity of those around her as she raises her daughter with the help of her friends, including Lexie (Ashley Judd) and Sister (Stockard Channing).

I love all the actors in this movie, although it is hard to see James Frain as the good guy after watching him in The Tudors. Ashley Judd is great in every movie she does...I don't see why she doesn't get more leads. I would recommend this movie to anyone looking for a good chick flick.

Botox Parties?

I have heard of brides doing all they can to look their best for their big day. I know many women starve themselves so they can lose weight and fit into their skin tight wedding gown. Many brides get manicures and pedicures, and have their hair done by a professional. Never having had a wedding myself, I missed all the pampering that goes with being a bride.

There is a new trend that I find a little over the top, but then again, I have never been a vain person. It seems brides are having Botox Parties Chicago where they have their entire wedding party botoxed. How crazy is that? All the women go to the Tiffani Kim Institute in Chicago, and are pampered as they receive botox treatments. I understand wanting to look your best on your wedding day, because these are memories, and pictures, that you will treasure forever. I am just not sure that I would want to go through botox, or any kind of treatment, just to get rid of a few wrinkles.

I know there are women out there who would love to have botox treatments before their big day. If you are one of those women, check out the Tiffani Kim Institute. They also offer other treatments, so if you are like me and botox isn't your thing, I am sure you will find some other treatment that will help you look your best, not just on your wedding day, but every day.

What Is That Sound????

Oh yeah, it's quiet. It has been so long since it has been quiet around here.

As you can see in the picture, the kids were so excited to go back to school. Brandi had a hard time falling asleep last night...I think she was until almost 11...so she is going to be tired when she gets home. I hope they are all having a great day.

In typical Ryan fashion, since registration, he has lost all his locker information. The first thing he needed to do this morning was find the teacher who has that information. I hope he was able to, and I hope he likes all his classes. I know Kasi will...she is such an easy kid.

Health Insurance Quotes

I am wading through a nightmare right now. When we moved, I went online and changed our address on the medicaid website (our kids are covered by them because we are poor). Apparently, it didn't save, because I never got the paperwork saying they needed to re-certify. Now they are uninsured. That means I have to reapply them for medicaid. I spent today filling out the paperwork, and have it all ready to be submitted as soon as I get Junior's pay stubs together. This still leaves Junior and I uninsured, but I am hoping by the first of the year we can change that. I have to check out some health insurance quotes and find us the best deal possible. I love these sites that give you local quotes in one place, so you save time by not having to call insurance agents independently. I don't think insuring just Junior and i will be too bad.

Or at least that is what I am hoping.

Movie Night

Saturday night, we met up with Missy, Alex, my mom, my sister Colleen, and my nephew Carson for another movie in the park. They were playing Journey To The Center Of The Earth, which most of us had already seen. Before the movie started, the older kids were playing frisbee, and the littler ones were blowing bubbles. When the movie started, the kids lasted 15 minutes, and then were throwing the frisbee again. I think it was more fun to run around than to sit still, when all that beautiful grass was waiting to be trampled.

Ryan Wants A Cell Phone

It's back to school time, which means parents all over America are shopping for their kids. I know I am. Luckily, I found all the supplies my kids need. They could use some new clothes, but I am going to wait until it gets a little cooler outside before I shop for that. They have enough shorts to last the rest of this summer.

When I went to register them for school, I was impressed with the school's cell phone policy. It used to be that the students couldn't even carry them, but now they can, as long as they are not taken out during school hours, and they are not turned on while in the school. At the moment, we don't have cell phones, so it's not something we have to worry about. Ryan has been begging for one, though, so I may have to find some CellphoneShop coupons to get him all the accessories that go with cell phones these days. He has a birthday coming up in a couple of months, so maybe we'll see about getting him one of those prepaid kinds. At least then I wouldn't have to worry about him going over his monthly minutes.

Funny

The other night, on the way to the movie in the park, we were in the car with my mom. She was flipping through the radio stations, and landed on one playing music I really didn't care for.

"Great," I said, "I just love bluegrass".

In the backseat, I see Kasi craning her head to look out the window, asking, "Where?".

Oh, my poor child!

Goodbye Cable, Hello Satellite

I received a letter in the mail a couple of weeks ago, saying our local cable company is filing for bankruptcy. Since this is the only cable company in this area, I am thinking about switching to a satellite. We used to have one years ago, and I can't remember why we switched to cable. I think it was because we moved.

I have been looking online at what the satellite companies offer, and think we have decided to go with Direct TV. They have different levels of packages you can choose from, depending on the programming you want. I have to have HBO and Showtime, because I can not live without my vampires and serial killers. I can also honestly say that their pricing is very competitive. Right now they have special packages available, and I am itching to take advantage. I believe my dad uses Direct TV service, and he has been really happy with it.

When Junior gets home from work, I will talk to him about having our Direct TV system installed. I know they sometimes do promotions where you can get free installation, and I am hoping they offer that to us when we sign up. I just love saving money.

I Stole It

I stole this from Stace because it looked like fun, and let's face it, you guys just don't know enough about me! lol!

Rules:

1. You can ONLY answer Yes or No.
2. You are NOT ALLOWED to explain ANYTHING unless someone comments and asks!

Questions:

Kissed any one of your Facebook friends? yes

Been arrested? no

Been in a fight? no

Fallen fast for someone? yes

Regretted a relationship? no

Been in a tornado? no

Fallen asleep at work/school? yes

Ran a red light? no

Experienced love at first sight? no

Totaled your car/motorbike in an accident? no

Been fired from a job? yes

Fired somebody? no

Sang karaoke? no

Pointed a gun at someone? no

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? yes

Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? yes

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? yes

Kissed in the rain? yes

Swam in the ocean? yes

Been to a concert? yes

Laughed till you cried? yes

Sang in the shower? yes

Smoked a cigar? no

Sat on a rooftop? no

Smuggled something into another country? no

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? yes

Broken a bone? no

Skipped school? yes

Got a speeding ticket? no

Eaten a bug? no

Sleepwalked? no

Walked a moonlit beach? yes

Rode a motorcycle / dirt bike? no

Dumped someone? no

Seen a baby born? no :(

Lied to avoid a ticket? no

Ridden in a helicopter? no

Shaved your head? no

Played a prank on someone? yes

Hit a home run? no

Felt like killing someone? yes

Cross dressed? no

Been falling down drunk? yes

Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? yes

Marched/Protested? no

Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? no

Puked on an amusement ride? no

Seriously & intentionally boycotted something? no

Been in a band? no

Knitted or crocheted? yes

Been on TV? no

Shot a gun? no

Skinny dipped? yes

Gave someone stitches? yes

Eaten whole jalapeno pepper? no

Ridden a surfboard? no

Drank straight from a liquor bottle? no

Had surgery? yes

Streaked? no

Taken by ambulance to hospital? yes

Tripped on mushrooms? no

Passed out when not drinking? yes

Peed outside? yes

Donated blood? no

Grabbed electric fence? no

Eaten alligator meat? no

Eaten cheesecake? yes

Eaten a kids' Halloween candy? yes

Killed an animal when not hunting? no

Peed your pants in public? no

Snuck into a movie without paying? no

Written graffiti? no

Still love someone you shouldn't? no

Think about the future? yes

Been in handcuffs? no

Believe in love? yes

Sleep on a certain side of the bed? yes

Love Tattoos?

Do you have tattoos? I don't. I would love to get a little elephant on my ankle, or something, but the fear of the pain keeps me tattoo free. I do, however, love seeing tattoos on other people. Most times you can get a sense of their life by the pictures drawn on their bodies. If you love tattoos, too, check out tattoo chat rooms. This is a place where you can get online and brag about your body art, or admire other peoples. It's free to use their video chat, which is a great way to see what other people have. It's a great place for tattoo fanatics to get together.

More Vacation Pictures

I have posted more vacation pictures here and on facebook, so make sure you check them out. I didn't realize that I took so many pictures of the sky and water, but they all came out gorgeous. At least in my opinion. This is one of my favorites. It has the sun setting, reflecting on the water, and the kids.

Beautiful.

Great Patio Furniture Deals

Today, August 15, 2009, is a great day to shop at Kmart. Why? Because of the Kmart Bluelight specials going on. They will have over 40 different sales in store, and you can find even more savings online at kmart.com. I was reading through some of the sales, and have got to share two specific deals with you.

First is patio furniture. If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I have been wanting to find a nice table and chair set to go out by our pool, that way the kids can eat out there and not come inside dripping wet just to have lunch. Today only, Kmart has their furniture marked down 90%! That's right, you didn't read that wrong. Their Patio Furniture is already 70% off, and you can get an extra 20% off during bluelight! I am going to drag Junior down there when he gets home, and hopefully there will be some left, although I am pretty sure it will all be gone. At 90% savings, it's like you're stealing it.

They will also have some great prices on their diamond jewelry. It is also already marked down 70%, and you can get an extra 10% today during the bluelight special sale. I have been debating getting Kasi some "real" jewelry, and this might be the perfect time to invest in something. You can't beat 80% off. Heck, I might just have to buy something for myself. I don't do that often, and sometimes a girl just has to give in and buy herself something pretty.

I follow Kmart on Twitter, and suggest you do, too. It's a great way to find out about all their specials.

Loyal Friend And Reader Award

Stace and Kat both passed this loyal friend and visitor award on to me. I love both of their blogs, and think they are both amazing women! Thanks guys for thinking of me! You rock!

Ok, the rules of this award are:
1. Copy the loyal picture above
2. Pass it to you think who is/are deserving.
3. Leave a message to them
4. Pass as many as you want.
5. Message back or leave a comment to the owner

I know this award comes with rules, but I am just going to pass this along to those who read my blog everyday. You know who you are...I know who you are!
You all rock!

Awesome Bluelight Specials

This post was sponsored by Kmart. All the opinions are mine.

Have you heard that the Kmart Bluelight specials are back? I remember back in the day when they had the actual blue strobe lights that we located by the sale items. I'm not sure if they do that anymore, but I do know that this is a great way to save money. They have over 40 great bluelight specials throughout the store, and you can find even more online at kmart.com.

I am after one sale in particular, and that is their Mens Athletec basketball shorts that will be on sale for $3. Junior has a habit of wearing his clothes until they have more holes than fabric, and right now, all his shorts appear that way. He needs a couple of pairs for hanging around the house, and maybe a couple to wear when we go in public. He usually prefers pants, but it has been so hot lately, and all he does is complain about how hot he is. I think not wearing jeans would help him with this.

They also have Womens Joe Boxer Flip Flops for $4, and I could use a new pair myself. The ones I wear everyday have started to peel up. They aren't exactly comfortable anymore. Hopefully I will be able to find a comfortable new pair.

Of course, these are just a couple of the great deals you will find. Check out your local Kmart, or kmart.com to take advantage of all their bluelight specials. And as are most things these days, you can follow Kmart on Twitter.

Random Questions

1. Where is your cell phone? we don't have cell phones
2. Your hair? long, blondish, and mostly straight
3. Your mother? one of my best friends
4. Your father? wish we were closer
5. Your favorite food? right now, Chinese, but that could change at any moment
6. Your dream last night? I hardly ever remember my dreams
7. Your favorite drink? diet sierra mist
8. Your dream/goal? to be financially stable
9. What room you are in? the living room
10. Your hobby? I do all kinds of crafty things, I love to read and bake...I have so many!
11. Your fear? something happening to one of my kids

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? living in a house we own
13. Where were you last night? right here :)
14. Something that you aren’t? jealous of what others have
15. Muffins? banana nut or lemon poppy seed
16. Wish list item? Keith Urban ;)
17. Where you grew up? New York
18. Last thing you did? um...I can't remember...I think edamame
19. What are you wearing? tank top and pajama pants
20. Your TV? Sanyo
21. Your pets? two cats...jack and spice
22. Friends? mine are the best!
23. Your life? blessed
24. Your mood? tired
25. Missing someone? sure
26. Car? I don't drive, but Junior drives a full sized van
27. Something you’re not wearing? bra
28. Your favorite store? probably Walmart, because I hate shopping, and can get everything i need there
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When was the last time you laughed? I'm laughing now!
31. Last time you cried? last night
32. Who will do this? don't know
33. One place that I go to over and over? bathroom :)
34. One person who emails me regularly? my sisters
35. My favorite place to eat? anywhere I didn't cook!