Welcome!

Don't you just love this time of year? Fall is my absolute favorite time of year! I love the crispness in the air and the smell of the neighbors burning wood. The leaves turning colors and falling to the ground. (Although, I don't much like raking them!)

The girls have been outside playing all day. They enjoy the fall too and have been bringing all the colorful leaves in the house to press in a book and save.

A little while ago though, my 5 year old daughter, Mara comes running in the house. "Mommy, Mommy, I need your help I have slime all over me!" So I go over and get a wet rag thinking she had dirt or mud on her and I notice this stinky stuff up her arms. I couldn't figure out what in the world it was and I was worried. What if she got it in her mouth and it's dangerous???? So I said, "Mara, what is this stuff?" All she kept saying was, "it's slime from outside." Finally, I ask her "where exactly did the slime come from?" She looks at me and says, "from the slime tree mommy!"

You may not find this answer useful, but as soon as she said "slime tree" I realized it was sap from a tree in the yard and she wasn't in any danger from the sticky "slime" I just laughed, fall is in the air!

Making Jewelry

I thought  I was going to be creative today and make my own mother's bracelet. I've seen people wearing them and have wanted one for a long time, but they cost around $100!!!

The artist in me went to the craft store and purchased everything I need. Then a began to string the beads on the bracelet. I had purchased a 3 strand clasp and attached everything together. I was thinking this isn't so hard and I only spent half the money!

Two long hours later the bracelet was complete and of course one strand seems to be a bit longer than the others! Back to the drawing board, it may be easier just to purchase one from a professional!

Jewelry Update!

Well my 2nd try turned out MUCH better! I guess this just takes practice. I will be posting pictures here real soon for you all to see. I think I may have found a new hobby!

It takes a lot of time and patience, but it's certainly fun!!!

Finally It's Friday!

Words cannot express how glad I am it's Friday! For me this has been a long week! I really need to work on organizing time. With a full time job, 2 kids, and my writing it's a lot to juggle.

I went home last night and kept thinking I need to get on the computer and work. Instead I watched a movie on Disney (lol) about a boy who was a wizard. I just couldn't make myself move.

This weekend I will be making a plan to organize my time and we'll see how it goes. What about you though? How do you make the most of your time?

Cold Winter Mornings

I seriously would love to know.... who turned on the snow machine and forgot to turn the heat on?

It's freezing and snowing today and I'm over it already. It's only December 1st! I don't know how I'll make it through the whole winter, they are predicting a bad one.

I don't know how well your kids do with cold, but getting the girls up and out of bed for school on a cold day like today is terrible! It took me probably 30 minutes just to get them to sit up in bed. Getting dressed was a whole other issue. When I finally get them into the car they whined the whole way there because they were cold! Oh I miss summer already!

How's the weather where your at?

Christmas Spending

Tomorrow is the 1st of December. 24 more days until Christmas and I'm sure your kids can't wait! I know mine can't.

Luckily, for me I'm done Christmas shopping. I got everything done Black Friday and spent about half of what I normally spend so I was happy.

With the economy so bad this year though I want to know how you plan to watch your Christmas budget this year? Are you doing anything different than your normally would? Are there traditions that may be left in the past? I want to hear from you!

Losing Baby Fat

Ok so my girls are 5 and 7. It's way past time to lose that baby fat right? I'm not one of the lucky ones who went right back to a size 3 after I had 2 kids. (who am I kidding I've never been a size 3!) I started a new blog though that is going through my weight loss journey. You can find it in my sidebar. It's called Bye Bye Fat Girl..... Hello Hottie! Stop on by as it will have a lot of great tips and more. Right now there are only 2 posts, but there is one to get a free 2 year subscription to Shape magazine!

Were you one of the lucky ones? OR do you still have to work on that baby fat? Share your story!

Rain Rain Go Away!

Did you ever notice how rain always comes on the worst days possible? We have had a beautiful week. Indian Summer in full force. It's been warm and the trees look beautiful, BUT because of our busy schedules and it now getting dark so early, we can't really enjoy it.

It's finally Friday, the weekend is here! However, not only is it chilly and rainy today, it's supposed to snow tomorrow!!!! How's that fair?

How about you? What's the weather like in your area? 

Major sugar highs!

The girls had a great Halloween and I believe have been on a permenant sugar high since! They got a ton of candy of course and then we also went to my doctor's house. he turns his house into a haunted house every year. It was so much fun! How was your Halloween? Do you have any special traditions you'd like to share?

Halloween Past and Present

It keeps getting colder here. The crispness of fall is in the air. Trick or treat is in 2 days and the kids are excited.

I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday though, about how trick or treating is not how it was when we were kids. My girls get dressed up and walk around the neighborhood. Some of the neighbors don't really and out candy. We are done in about an hour.

When I was a kid though, we didn't carry bags. We carried pillow cases! The whol neighborhood was envolved and you knew which houses gave out the BEST candy! You got so much candy you had to stop at the house and dump your pillowcase in the living room before running out for more! Finally when it was all over we had to wait for mom and da to check the candy before we could eat it.

What's so different about kids today? Do you think they have as much fun as we did? Are they maybe too spoiled to care about a little candy?

New Blog Award!

This blog has earned it's first blog award! It came from Lori at Confessions of a Baltimore Housewife She has a great blog that I follow so check it out. Thanks Lori!

Now I also get to give this award to 7 blogs! The blogs I have chosen are:

Da Boss and Bryguy

Dave's Blue Planet

Drizzly Blog

Different World

Fat Girl Goes Fit

Feelings Just Are

Five O'clock Somewhere

Check them out they are all great blogs!

Funny Friday!

This email cracked me up I had to share it with you!

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Just Another Manic Monday!

Who doesn't remember that song? How true is it? I don't know if Mondays are the worst day of the week because we naturally dread them or just because they are.

We are always running late on Monday mornings. It never fails how early we get up, by the time we leave the house we are late! The morning goes by ok normal Monday, no big deal. Then it's finally lunchtime, but I have errands to run and they were made more difficult by me getting pulled over and getting a speeding ticket!

The funny thing is Monday's not only effect adults. It seems like the girls are always more irritable. They don't want to get up to go to school. By the time I pick them up they are wore out and whiney.

I decided to bring a little of my "lazy Sundays" into Monday evenings to give us a bit of a break after a long day. Instead of cooking dinner, we went to McDonald's. Instead of beginning this weeks homework, we played crazy 8's. Now that it's time for Gossip Girl and Prison Break I'm relaxed. Maybe it's not such a "manic" Monday after all.

Lazy Sundays

Sundays are lazy days around here. No 9-5 work, no school, no housework, just us being lazy. Lately however, with starting Emma Grace Creations and my freelance writing I have been playing a lot of catch up on Sundays.

Today I have had the laptop up and running all day, but I have been watching old I Love Lucy reruns on TV. It's one of my favorite things. No matter how many times I watch Lucy it always cracks me up! Her crazy schemes are great and it takes me back in time. A time I never lived in and can only imagine.

It's a great reminder of a time when moms were just moms. The housework and the kids were thier jobs. Now the world goes too fast. We work and take care of the house. It seems time flies by without us stopping to notice what's going on around us. So today on this lazy Sunday, take a moment for you. Play cards with the kids or spend quality time with your husband. Make your Sunday a lazy one that counts!

Halloween

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love to get creative in our costumes. Making your own costumes not only has the benefits of you having a unique costume, but it can also save money! That's always an added plus!

This year I got lucky the girls both decided to be Hannah Montana for Halloween. Of course they have plenty of clothes they can wear that is perfect for this look. I went to our local dollar store and found Hannah Montana wigs for $2 each! I was so excited that I only spent $4 on 2 kid's outfits!!!

Mine has been a little more expensive. I decided to do an 80's theme this year, but didn't want the normal "Like a Virgin" theme everyone wears. I did end up spending more money, but I tried to get things that I could wear again. It seems there are a lot of cute 80's styles coming back now! (Let's hope the hair doesn't!)

I found a jean jacket on Ebay and purchased a Guns N' Roses iron on transfer! I also purchased some buttons to put on it. Then I purchased black jelly bracelets and a couple of long necklaces. I also have a pair of black lace gloves and black capri leggings with the lace at the bottom. I purchsed a white bubble skirt to go over this. The only thing left is an old sweat shirt I can cut up and a tank top to go under it and I'm good to go! I can't wait for all the crazy makeup and hair. This is such a fun costume.

There is so much you can do for Halloween if you just use your imagination! Have fun with it! What are you going to be for Halloween this year?