whose idea was this?

Yarn Along 1/18/2012

2012-01-18T14:01:00.001-06:00

Unfortunately my blanket hasn't been touched much since last week but I will be getting back to it soon.

Right now I'm working on baby gifts for 2 of my cousins, one who is being induced today.

Baby boy set

Hat for baby girl


Matching shoe for baby girl

I need to finish up the second shoe and then get back to my afghan.

Right now I'm also reading Organized Simplicity on kindle, plus I'm a few pages into One True Love .

Yarn Along 1/11/2012

2012-01-11T23:09:00.000-06:00

Remembered last minute to take a picture of the day and remembered it's yarn along day. Spring semester started for the hubs and I this week so my nose has been in school books and websites. I still try to fit in at least 30 mins to work on my afghan.

Tonight I also started a book series that I saw one of the coupon deal websites, Samantha Moon series for kindle, only $.99. It's a vampire for hire mystery series, I'm only on Chap 5 of the first book right now. So far it isn't a bad read.

Menu Plan Monday 1/9/2012

2012-01-09T13:42:00.002-06:00

Ranch Chicken Parmesan
Sushi out with my girls
Steak 'n Shake with my parents
Lighter Chicken & Dumplings (delicious, Matt wants it in the rotation)
Tosca's Keep-It-Tight Tilapia
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup (Saving Dinner Menu Mailer)
Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

It's whats for dinner at my house! Whats for dinner at your house or if you need some ideas check out Orgjunkie!

Yarn Along

2012-01-04T10:57:00.000-06:00

This is my first time joining Ginny's Yarn Along
Perfect since I love to read and crochet! Since the holidays I haven't stopped by the library to pick up any new books that aren't food or crochet/knit related but I have been crocheting here and there.

I showed my afhgan yesterday but here it is again. It's a simple feather and fan ripple from my The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet and is very similar to Attic 24's ripple that she is making but I am not sure if she is putting 3 dc or 4 dc inbetween, mine is 3. I did get the inspiration to to single single double and I'm loving it!

I also have been working on a this market bag on and off for the past few months. It's very repetitive and I get bored with it but I hope to have it finished by the end of the month.

I have a few projects I need to start for 2 of my cousins who are due in the next month. One boy and one girl. So I'll definitely be making a set of shoes and a hat, very similar to this.

So that is what I'm working on and hopefully will be much further along on all of them by next week!

Happy Holidays

2012-01-03T11:11:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays

Which include Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years! Wow I never realized that it's been 2 full months without a post!
I started several post over the past few months and got sidetracked each time.
It's a new year and time management is a major thing I'm working on this year. I have several things going on right now and I seriously need to budget my time better to accomplish my goals. It's a good thing I don't have a job outside the house!
Tally goes back to school tomorrow and spring semester starts on the 9th for the hubs and I. I am looking into opening an etsy shop for my crochet projects. I took a break after doing some hat/scarf orders right before Christmas for some local people who saw some hats my mom requested for gifts. It was nice to have a little extra income right before Christmas. I put the etsy shop as a goal by the end of February. I'm hoping to be finished with a very large afghan I'm working on by then, I measure it to be about 7 ft wide when I first started and I'm not totally sure how long I'm wanting it yet.


17 rows in Afghan

I am doing the digital version of Project Life, hoping it will kick me into gear with taking more pictures and getting back into scrapbooking on a regular basis.

So on Monday I will start posting my menu plan and posting a few more blog post in between of my crocheting, scrapbooking, or just life in general to be a little more blog active! As of right now I'm thinking that Sunday will be my project life update, I should have my double pagers done by then if life lets me!

That's my plan at least and we'll see if I need to change it!

Menu Plan Monday 10/24/2011

2011-10-24T10:38:00.000-05:00

Zuppa Toscana
Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Oktoberfest (Turkey legs and Potato Pancakes w/ applesauce)
Corn Chowder with Shrimp (AllYou Oct 2011)
Brown Bag Burritos (leftovers for hubbies lunch)
Slow Cooker Classic Minestrone (AllYou Oct 2011)
Stephanies Goulash

That's what is for dinner at our house this week! Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

Menu Plan Monday 10/10/2011 and a little crochet

2011-10-10T09:29:00.002-05:00

Free Dominos Artisan Pizza off facebook
Zuppa Toscana
Smoked Sausage and Mac n cheese
Breakfast for dinner Rolled Oven Omelet
Soft Tacos
Sweet Chicken Nuggets (Can't wait to try this copycat recipe for a certain chains chicken nuggets)
Healthy Mams's BBQ Chicken (freezer/crockpot recipe)

I also tried a new breakfast recipe and love it! Baked Banana Oatmeal , I did use walnuts in place of the chocolate chips and next time I'm going to cut the brown sugar down to 1/3 C.

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie!

Now for a little crochet...

This cute little butterfly beanie I found the free pattern for on Ravelry (love this site)

This little unicorn pattern is in Amigurumi Toy Box

Menu Plan Monday 10/3/2011

2011-10-03T09:26:00.001-05:00

Had a few time issues last week with my husbands job and a relative was in the hospital that we were helping with her teenage daughter so a few meals from last week are back on here to make.

Italian Beef Sandwiches (Crockpot recipe below)
Breakfast for dinner (Buttermilk Pancakes, Cinnamon Syrup, Scrambled Eggs & Bacon)
Stephanie's Goulash (Crockpot recipe)
Roasted Chicken Thighs with Root Vegetables
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Met a friend for dinner one night and then fair food another night

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

Italian beef sandwich

3-4 lb. beef roast (any cut - cheapest is best because it gets so tender anyway)

1 pk. dry Italian dressing mix

1 pk. au jus mix

1 can beef broth - reduced sodium/fat free is great in this recipe

1 jar of sliced pepperocini's

cheese - any kind

Crusty rolls

Put roast in crock pot (frozen is ok) pour in 2 mix packages and broth. Add 1/2 jar pepperocini's with juice. Cook on Low for 12-18 hours.

Put crusty rolls in 350 degree oven - uncovered for 8 minutes before serving. Put cheese on rolls and shred beef with 2 forks. If too much juice you can save some and freeze to use with next batch in place of beef broth. Put hot beef on top of cheese and eat

Menu Plan Monday 9/26/2011

2011-09-26T08:00:00.025-05:00

Subway (sickies in the house, I wasn't cooking)
Taco Soup
Papa Murphy's Pizza
Roasted Chicken and Homemade Mac n cheese
Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken (slow cooker)
Stephanie's Goulash (slow cooker)
Roasted Chicken Thighs with Root Veggies

Check out Orgjunkie for more meal plans!

I promise that I am still alive!

2011-09-25T19:27:00.000-05:00

I have no real reason for not posting for so long. I started to several times and got side tracked, very easy to do these days. So here is a quick recap of the past few months.

Devlin turned 4 and is potty trained.
Both kids started school. Tally 1st grade and Devlin Pre-k. Pre-k was a rough week and half before we decided to pull Devlin because he was regressing on his potty training. He wanted to stay home with me and we decided it was best considering he turned 4 the weekend before school started and if his birthday was just a week and half later he would have had to wait another year anyway.
Matt and I are both taking college courses. Matt's been doing it for a few years now and I'm just starting after a 10 yr break ;)
Tally has lost her 3rd tooth.(picture to the right)
I've taken up crocheting. (pictures below)
Our neighbors condo flooded recently, we are in the process of shopping and installing new floors due to the damage.

That's pretty much been our Aug/Sept. I'm ready for Oct and cooler temps and getting my house back in order, including menu planning and blogging regularly.
Two of my crochet projects I've completed in the past month.

Menu Plan Monday 7/25/2011

2011-07-25T09:10:00.000-05:00

Oven Fried Chicken Breast (Robin Millers Quick Fix Meals) and sauteed zucchini & tomatoes
PW's Perfect Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes
Grilled Boneless Country Pork Ribs with a spicy rub and roasted potatoes
Moroccan Chicken with Tomatoes & Zucchini (Robin Millers Quick Fix Meals) and Brown Rice
Chicken Taco Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing (Robin Millers Quick Fix Meals)
Chicken Tostadas (Robin Millers Quick Fix Meals)
Leftovers or I'll throw something together from the pantry

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

I have a lot of cookbooks around the house and this week I decided to focus on Quick Fix Meals trying to use some of the things I already had in the pantry.

Next week I am going to try a pantry menu plan to save a little money.

Menu Plan Monday 7/18/2011

2011-07-18T09:58:00.003-05:00

Sandwiches
Night out with the girls so Sushi for me and Spaghetti for the family

BBQ Pork Ribs (Hubby cooked in the oven with a spice rub and then smoked on the grill with Mesquite)
BBQ Chicken and Thighs (Spice Rubbed and smoked on the grill with Mesquite)
Mexican Pizza
Homemade Pizzas
Chipotle Chicken & Rice

Matt is trying things with his grill more, it's nice to have a few nights off this week!

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie!

Menu Plan Monday 7/11/11

2011-07-11T10:08:00.001-05:00

Barbeque Pork Chops (sauce was leftover from my IL’s visit last week wish I had the recipe but she changes it ) with Potato Salad
Hamburger Stew
Dinner out at the Fish Shack with my parents
Grilled Hamburgers & Hot Dogs with Potato Salad, Broccoli Bacon Salad and Taboulli (New theme night, excuse for hubby to use the grill regularly and me to have a semi night off during summer)
Breakfast for dinner Waffles or Pancakes, Eggs, Fruit and of course Bacon
Chicken Fingers with leftover sides (Tally’s pick for the week, going to let her help me since it was one of my favorite things to make as a girl)
Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwiches with Veggie Tray

Not a lot of specific recipes this week, most is stuff that I add this and that to and changes each time I make it. Also trying to use up potatoes and leftovers.

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie!

Have I really not posted in 3 months?!?

2011-06-27T11:37:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how I let it go 3 months of not posting. I'm sure I started a post a few times and got side tracked, then forgot. Summer definitely has me off of a schedule. We only have one car and with gas prices I've only been taking Matt to work once a week. So we've had lots of boring stuck in the house days.

Tally has been sick and missed her last week of school, she had strep and then found out she had fifths during the same time. Luckily none of us got it.

I have had chest pains on and off for almost a year. At first the doctor was thinking I needed muscle relaxers and after them continuing for months she decided we needed to do some heart testing. I had an EKG and Stress test earlier this month. Both came back normal. Now she wants me to get into a chiropractor for a curve in by back that she thinks could be causing the chest pains. The pains are something I can live through, I mostly just want to know whats causing them and make sure it's nothing serious.

We are potty training Devlin. We've tried here and there in the past and it was extremely frustrating because he had no desire to sit on the potty. His pediatrician told us to not rush it so we haven't pressed it but I think he is finally getting it. I want him day trained before school starts in the fall so he can go to pre-k. It's only been a week in and for the most part #1 is making it to the toilet but we're still working on #2, hopefully it can be mastered by the end of August. He really wants to go to school with sissy.

I stepped down from Peppermint Creative for a few months and decided to go back last month. So I'll show some recent pages with new kits!

So that's all I have for now, I'll be back with a separate Menu Plan soon. Blogging will be on my new schedule so that it doesn't go 3 months again ;)

Menu Plan Monday 3/28/2011

2011-03-28T09:09:00.000-05:00

This weeks Menu Plan

Brown Bag Burritos
Taco Pasta
PW's Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs
Tacos
Crescent Turkey Dogs (Walk night, something easy for Matt to make for him and the kids)
Takeout
Wedding reception food for me and Hockey Game food for Matt and the kids

Check out more Menu Plans at Orgjunkie

There are a lot of mexican type food recipes this week and I'm not exactly sure what I was thinking. lol

I was trying to eat more out of the pantry yet I still spent what I normally do so that didn't work so well.

I've started couponing. I've always used them here and there when they are over a dollar or free but now I'm actually trying to get into the walgreens and double up to $1 coupon days at a local grocery store to get some great deals. I may start doing post on that showing what I got and how much I spent.

Menu Plan Monday 3/14/2011

2011-03-14T10:33:00.000-05:00

Turkey Thyme Meatballs with Lemony Cream Sauce (We enjoyed this, recipe at end of post)
Spaghetti with Homemade San Marzano Tomato Sauce
Dinner at my Parents for family night
Crispy Parmesan Chicken (Joy Bauer's Slim and Scrumptious cookbook)
Hamburger Vegetable Soup (We've made this a few times now and really enjoy it)
Fiery Fish Tacos with Crunchy Corn Salsa and Cilantro-Lime Sauce
Turkey Crescent Dogs (Time for my Wed night walks with a friend so I need something Matt can throw together on his own)

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

Turkey Thyme Meatballs with Lemony Cream Sauce

(Joy Bauer's Slim & Scrumptious)

Serves 4 (1 3/4 cups, about 8 meatballs with sauce)

1 1/4lb ground turkey

1/4 cup unseasoned whole wheat bread crumbs

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3/4 c nonfat plain yogurt (I used greek)

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups lowfat unsalted or reduced sodium chicken broth

2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

2 cups shredded peeled carrots

1 1/2 T cornstarch

Grated zest of 1 large lemon

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, thyme, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper, taking care not to overwork the mixture.

Form heaping teaspoonfuls of meat mixture into small meatballs. The mixture should make 30-35 meatballs.

In a large pot (wide enough to fit all the meatballs in a single layer), bring 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth to a boil over med-high heat.

Add the meatballs in a single layer and return the broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 mins. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the meatballs to a clean bowl, and cover to keep warm.

Add green beans and carrots to broth and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Cover, and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 mins.

While the vegetables cook, in a med bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 c broth, remaining 1/2 cup yogurt, cornstarch, lemon zest, and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Stir the yogurt mixture into the vegetable-broth mixture int he pot, and bring to a boil. Continue stirring until the mixture has thickened, about 1 min.

Return meatballs to the pot and stir gently to coat them evenly with the sauce. Cook 2 mins or until the meatballs are warmed through.

Cal 319, Fat 7g, Carb 23g, Fiber 4g, Sodium 720mg

Menu Plan Monday 12/13/10

2010-12-13T10:10:00.000-06:00

Creamy Pasta With Lemon Pepper Chicken (this was super yummy, might cut back on the pepper next time for the kids)
Chef Salad
Parents (dad made Chicken & Dumplings)
Homemade Pizza - Dough & Sauce (dough is a thin crust and definitely cut back on red pepper in sauce next time, to spicy for the kids)
Lime Chicken Soft Tacos and Aztec veggies (favorite chicken tacos, veggies a new recipe for me)
Mini Cheese Meatloaves (husbands favorite)
Breakfast (omelets , fruit and maybe some homemade biscuits)

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

Menu Plan Monday 12/6/10

2010-12-06T10:44:00.000-06:00

Zesty Porcupine Meatballs
Chinese buffet (dinner out before hockey game)
Abuelos (Anniversary dinner, kid free!!)
Hamburger Stew (Parents house, picking up the kids)
Zuppa Toscana
Wendy's Chili
Zesty Italian Chicken (Dec2010/Jan2011 issue of Taste of Home, will post the recipe if we like it later this week)

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

Menu Plan 11/15/2010

2010-11-15T12:12:00.003-06:00

Chicken & Artichoke Casserole (Saving Dinner cookbook, definitely one of my fav recipes in this book)
Skillet Lemon Chicken with Rosemary (Saving Dinner cookbook, this was so so…not sure if I’ll make it again)
Dinner at friends house, family fended for themselves!
Lasagna Soup (this was yummy, even the kids ate it)
Baked Tilapia (Taste of Home Simple and Delicious cookbook, recipe below)
Garlic Lime Chicken (Saving Dinner cookbook)

Get more menu ideas at Orgjunkie

Baked Tilapia

4 tilapia fillets
3 tbsp butter, melted
3 tbsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp capers, drained
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp paprika

Place tilapia in an ungreased 13"x9" baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, garlic powder and salt; pour over the fillets. Sprinkle with the capers, oregano, and paprika.
Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 10-15 mins or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
4 servings

MPM 11/8/10

2010-11-08T08:27:00.001-06:00

This is our weekly menu plan, as usual for us it goes Thurs-Wed since Thurs is my grocery day!

Pinto Bean and Beef Soup (Pretty good, the lime and cilantro give it a nice flavor)
Take Out (We had chinese this week)
Family night at my parents (Mom made chili)
Italian Sausage Soup (Very tasty, having leftovers today)
Monterey Jack Stuff Chicken
Asian Orange Salmon (Saving Dinner cookbook, if we like I'll post this week)
Turkey Crescent Dogs (This is my go to dinner for my Wed night jog/dinner with friends, Matt can easily put it together and the kids love it)

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

Menu Plan 10/4/2010

2010-10-04T15:29:00.002-05:00

Ground Beef Stew
Zesty Porcupine Meatballs
Baked Tilapia (Taste of Home Simple & Delicious cookbook)
Chipotle Chicken & Rice
Steak w/ Twisted Chile Black Pepper Glaze (local company)
Tulsa State Fair food (Turkey Leg and roast corn for myself)
Picked up some El Super Pollo ,after reading that blog review. I had the chicken they talked about and the hubby had a steak burrito and it was HUGE. We were both very pleased and very full. Will definitely have it again in the near future.

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

I’m back!

2010-10-03T22:42:00.001-05:00

We’ve had various things going on here for the past few months and we’re finally getting back into the normal groove. I will have a menu plan post in the morning, a scrapbook post Tuesday, and a picture post of the kids on Wednesday!

Menu Plan 8-2-10

2010-08-02T11:45:00.001-05:00

Lots of simple things my husband can do this week. We have plans a few nights this week where I'm running around close to dinner time so he needs to be able to handle it if I'm running late. Can you believe that I still have PW's chicken legs on my plan, mostly because I keep forgetting to defrost the legs.

PW's Spicy Chicken Legs
Beef Goulash Noodle Casserole (Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook)
Shrimp Boil
Mini Cheese Meatloaves
Chili Cheese Dogs
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

Litte bit of stuff going on...

2010-07-29T12:35:00.000-05:00

My baby girl has tonsillitis, so we've been dealing with the sickies around here all week.

Meals have been moved from previous week so my menu plan only had one or two different things on it this week. That is part of why I didn't post. I will be back Monday with next weeks!

If you follow my facebook you've probably seen our little friend that we have visiting...

We are just waiting it to turn into a beautiful Black Swallowtail It's been in it's chrysalis since the 7/22/10 and everything I've read says it takes a few weeks to emerge. So we are patiently waiting. I will definitely be taking pictures of the rest of the process until we let it go!

Also have another goodie from Gina. Her July Idea Notebook is out for $3 until July 31st! Includes this cute kit that I made this page with.

New Digital Design Essentials Layout

2010-07-20T11:01:00.002-05:00

Everything is from Gina’s new kit Sweet Lemonade

15-Minute Pasta Salad

2010-07-19T17:53:00.002-05:00

15-Minute Pasta Salad

(Parents Magazine Aug 2010)

1 3/4 dried bow tie pasta
1 1/2 sliced strawberries
3 ozs small fresh mozzarella balls, halved
Handful fresh basil leaves (shred if large)
1/4 –1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse well with cold water and drain again.

In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, strawberries, cheese, and basil. Add the dressing; toss again. Makes 6-1 cup servings.

Menu Plan 7-19-10

2010-07-18T22:44:00.003-05:00

15 Minute Pasta Salad (Parents Magazine August 2010)
Creamy Mexican Soup (One of our fav soups)
Chicken Thighs w/ Green Beans (Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook)
Grilled Tilapia w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette (Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook)
Chipotle Beef and Bean Chili (Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook)

If I get a chance while cooking I’ll take pictures and post recipes this week.

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

We went to the Porter Peach Festival this weekend. It was crazy hot but we did get plenty of peaches to make some freezer jam! I made 2 batches which produced 12-8 oz jars. No special recipe, just what was on the Ball Instant Fruit Pectin for peach jam.

Little Bit of Scrap

2010-07-05T19:10:00.000-05:00

Lots of new goodies at Peppermint Creative and I haven't even had to the chance to use everything yet. We have a boyish car type kit, 4th of July, Canada Day, Doctor and Dentist kits. I'll definitely have more pages coming soon, as well as a few with Digital Design Essentials goodies!

Menu Plan Monday 7-5-10

2010-07-05T19:01:00.001-05:00

Taco Pasta *Delcious*
Black Bean & Summer Vegetable Enchiladas *So good, will be a go to meatless meal*
Tilapia Citrus Couscous Salad (Clean Eating Magazine Jul/Aug 2010)
PW's Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs *One of my favorite ways to make chicken legs!*
Roasted Spicy Mayo Chicken Breast (The Deen Bros. Take It Easy)

Check out more Menu Plans at Orgjunkie!!

Home Sweet Home!

2010-06-27T14:02:00.001-05:00

We've been on vacation for the past week... Will be back to posting regularly shortly!

Gardein Crispy Tenders review

2010-06-11T14:10:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. I've had a few computer issues that caused me to do a complete reinstall. Now onto my review...

I've taken on the Meatless Mondays for a few months now and for the most part have stuck to it. We are not becoming vegan or cutting out all of those yummy things we are used to but I am trying to cut it out at least one day a week. I found out about the Gardein brand while reading "The Conscious Cook" cookbook last week and when I went to Whole Foods on Wednesday I decided to test out a few of the products to see if I could sneak these past my kids.

Here are the pros for the Crispy tenders

Meat-free
Kids ate them and liked them
I even ate them and liked them
Crisped up nicely and surprisingly nice texture
Good ingredients, low in fat and calories

Cons

Price & Quantity ($4.99 for 10 tenders)
Processed food

Overall we liked them and I'm sure I will buy them again in the future. Will I make them regularly, no. First of all I can't afford them to be a weekly thing and second of all I don't buy real frozen chicken tenders regularly so I'm not buying the fake ones all the time either. I do recommend them for those also trying to cut back on meat consumption, they are a good alternative.

I also have the Chick'n Scallopini to try soon, I'll let you know how that taste also!

Tilapia with Strawberry-Thyme Sauce and Oven-Baked Polenta

2010-05-18T21:24:00.004-05:00

This was so good tonight. I definitely see us having this again in the future. Had to add my favorite baked polenta too!

Tilapia with Strawberry-Thyme Sauce (Fresh Home Magazine Spring 2010 issue)
1 cup quartered fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 fresh thyme sprig
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 tilapia fillets
1 Tbsp olive oil
crumbled blue cheese and cooked bacon (I omitted)

In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, wine, sugar, lemon juice, thyme spring and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 mins or until slightly thickened. Discard thyme sprig.
Combine the flour, pepper and remaining salt; sprinkle over tilapia. In a large skillet, cook fillets in oil over med-high heat for 3-4 mins on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with strawberry sauce and sprinkle with blue cheese and bacon.

Oven-Baked Polenta (Everyday Food Great Food Fast cookbook)
3/4 cup cornmeal
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp fresh marjoram (or 1/4 tsp dried)

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a lidded baking dish, whisk together 3 cups of water, the cornmeal, 1 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cover, and bake for 30 mins, stirring halfway through.
Remove from the oven, and add the milk, butter, and marjoram, and whisk briskly until smooth. Serve immediately.

Menu Plan 5/17/10

2010-05-17T09:14:00.001-05:00

A new week with a new menu plan

Mini Cheese Meatloaves , mashed red potatoes and steamed green beans
Simple Ricotta Gnocchi with marinara sauce and a salad
Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs and veggie kabobs
Tilapia with Strawberry Thyme Sauce ( Fresh Home magazine Spring 2010 issue) If good I will post later this week!
Breakfast for dinner

You can check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

I’ve started making 4x6 recipe cards of recipes I’ve found online that have become regulars so I don’t have to rush to the computer every 5 seconds during dinner to look at the recipe. This week will be the mini cheese meatloaves, if you would like this card in full print size please comment and I’ll email it to you!

The kit used for this card is Simple Pleasures found at Digital Design Essentials

This deserves another chance

2010-05-13T19:28:00.001-05:00

I made the Quick Cheese Ravioli with Parsley-Basil Butter Drizzle tonight and although it was a bit of a mess up on my end, they were still wonderful! First of all my ricotta which wasn’t past its expiration date had yucky shades of green/blue mixed into it’s lovely creamy white color. Ummm gross! So I didn’t get to prep it early in the day like I had originally planned since I had to wait for my husband to bring home some new ricotta.

So here I am rushing putting together the raviolis, although quick…wasn’t quick enough for me. I quickly start putting them in the boiling water and realize that I haven’t started the butter sauce and they need to be served when ready. Started that and had the raviolis finished when I realized that I hadn’t made a side dish. My raviolis were stuck together and sticky. Tasted great though!

We are definitely trying these again in the future, this time put together early with sauce and sides almost done before I cook them. No picture but hopefully a great one next time I make these!

Quick Cheese Ravioli with Two Different Fillings

24 square wonton wrappers

6 ozs goat cheese or italian blend cheese, grated (I used the italian blend cheese)

1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 large clove garlic, pressed

1/8 t ground nutmeg

1/8 t pepper

1/2 t salt

In a small bowl, mash together the goat cheese (or italian blend cheese), ricotta cheese, garlic, and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper.

To assemble ravioli, place a sheet of waxed paper on a baking sheet or other flat surface. Arrange 6 wonton wrappers on this work surface. (Keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel) Spoon 1 T of cheese filling into center of each wonton wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrappers with water. Fold around the corner of each wrapper over the filling to a form a triangle. Flatten the area around the cheese filling to eliminate any air pockets, pressing the edges to seal. Repeat with remaining fillings and wrappers.

You can freeze at this point on a flat tray for 1 hour. Wrap ravioli in bundles of 6-8 in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag.

Serving Day-

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1/4 t salt to water. Drop desired number of frozen ravioli into water, one at a time. Stir gently and cook for 5-7 mins, until al dente. Using a slotted spoon, remove the raviolis and drain them very quickly on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately with Parsley-Basil Butter Drizzle or your favorite marinara or meat sauce.

Parsley-Basil Butter Drizzle

1 T chopped fresh parsley

1 T chopped fresh basil ( I actually used 1 t dried)

2 T butter, melted

1 T parmesan cheese, grated

salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste

In a small bowl, stir together parsley and basil. Add butter, parmesean cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic salt (optional). Microwave for 30 seconds or until heated to liquid consistency. Drizzle over ravioli. ( I don’t have a microwave so I warmed this in a small pan on the stove)

Menu Plan 5/10/10

2010-05-10T08:16:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice Mother’s Day yesterday. Mine was very nice. Went to see Back Up Plan with my mom and then took her to lunch at Outback. When I got home the kids had made me homemade cards, very cute. Then to end the day my dad took us all out to Red Lobster for dinner. It was a nice day with only a few low moments.

Tally is still fighting a cold still and Devlin is running a fever but otherwise acting semi normal. Keeping an eye on the both of them for now.

Now onto my Menu Plan this week. I’ve planned 2 meatless nights this week and as usual recipes and possibly pictures will be posted during the week!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (Don’t Panic More Dinners in the Freezer) and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Spicy Peanut Chicken (Don’t Panic More Dinners in the Freezer) with baby bok choy and brown rice
Quick Cheese Ravioli with Parsley-Basil Butter Drizzle (Don’t Panic More Dinners in the Freezer)
Pepper Steak Stir Fry (All You Magazine May 21st 2010 issue)

More menu plans can be found at Orgjunkie

Chili Con Carne and White River Sour Cream Cornbread

2010-05-04T18:35:00.002-05:00

Both of these recipes were pretty tasty. The Chili is a good blend of mild flavors, not to spicy for kids even though mine wouldn’t touch it. They rarely eat anything I make though. I was a little nervous with the cornbread which was a little thicker than I’m used to so I thought I accidentally put in an extra 1/4 cup of cornmeal but it turned out moist and yummy so I think it’s just a lumpy batter.

Chili Con Carne (Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer)

1 lb ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-16oz can tomatoes, cut up
1-16oz can kidney beans
1-8oz can tomato sauce
2 t chili powder
1/2 t dried basil, crushed
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Cook ground beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is browned. Drain off fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 mins or longer. Top with grated cheese, sour cream, chopped onions or your favorite condiments.

White River Sour Cream Cornbread (Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer)

3/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1/4 cup sugar (I used sucanat)
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/3 cup oil

Preheat oven to 400° Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a med bowl. Stir in cornmeal. In a separate bowl, combine egg, sour cream and oil. Add to dry ingredients until moistened. Pour into greased 8” square pan. Bake for 15-18 mins. For muffins, bake for approximately 12 mins or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Chicken Cacciatore

2010-05-03T08:29:00.002-05:00

Chicken Cacciatore from Don’t Panic-Dinner’s in the Freezer

2 med onions, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-15oz can diced tomatoes
1-8oz can tomato sauce
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 t oregano
1/2 t basil
1/2 t celery seed
1 bay leaf
1/4 c white wine
6 boned chicken breast
2 bell peppers, I used orange and yellow (not included in original recipe)
1 lb mushrooms, quartered (not included in original recipe)

Mix onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, herbs and wine. Place this mixture together with chicken breast in Crock Pot and cook on low 6-8 hrs or on high 2 1/2-4 hrs.
You can also freeze this mixture in a freezer bag before cooking and then cook in the crock pot on the day you want to eat it. I used my frozen chicken breast with the mixture and it turned out super yummy at the end of the day!

Menu Plan Monday 5/3/10

2010-05-03T07:52:00.005-05:00

Mini Cheese Meatloaves, Crash Hot Potatoes and Corn
Chicken Legs, Parsley Potatoes, and Broccoli
Cheese & Mushroom Quesadillas (Meatless Monday)*new*
Homemade Pizza
Turkey Cutlets with garlic white wine (post recipe later this week)*new*
Chili Con Carne and Cornbread (from last weeks menu)

Check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie

May’s PMP Challenge at PC

2010-05-02T18:59:00.002-05:00

Go check out May’s Pimp My Page Challenge over at Peppermint Creative, it’s my month to make the template.
Here is my example!

Menu Plan Monday 4/26/10

2010-04-26T09:44:00.003-05:00

Chicken Cacciatore (Don’t Panic-Dinner’s in the Freezer cookbook) *new*
Chili Con Carne and White River Sour Cream Cornbread (Don’t Panic-Dinner’s in the Freezer cookbook) *new*
Beef Pita Tacos (Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer cookbook) *new* and Whole Wheat Pita Bread *new*
Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake (Jamie’s Food Revolution) This was ok but the kids didn’t like the cheese sauce with the Parmesan so next time I’ll make it full cheddar. *new*
Zuppa Toscana (not even sure where I got my original recipe for this Olive Garden clasic, recipe for how I make it at the bottom of the post)
Breakfast for dinner pancakes or muffins, eggs of choice (scrambled or omelet) and bacon (looking for a pancake or muffin recipe I want to try this week will post when I find one that I have the ingredients for)

I’m trying to post more so I plan on coming back and posting pictures and recipes as I make them. My husband always jokes when I ask if he liked what I made because he says I won’t make it again since I always have new meals we’re trying with few favorites in between. If you want to check out more menu plans check out Orgjunkie!

Zuppa Toscana

1 lb italian sausage ( I use turkey or chicken italian sausage)
4-6 bacon, cut into 1/2” slices (can use turkey bacon but I prefer the good stuff)
1 onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
10 cups chicken stock
2-3 potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and slice into 1/4”-1/2” pieces
1 cup cream (I use whatever I have on hand, cream, half n half or milk. I do prefer cream or half n half)
1 bunch of Kale, cut or tore into pieces

Brown crumbled italian sausage, drain and set aside. Cook bacon, be sure not to crisp, drain and set aside. Cook onion in a little olive oil until translucent, 5-10 mins, then add garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add chicken stock, sausage, bacon, and potatoes, cook until potatoes are tender. Then add cream, simmer for 5 mins. Add kale and simmer a few minutes longer. Salt and Pepper to taste.
I know these aren’t the best instructions but I’m a cook by taste type of person and it really just comes together.

Beef Pita Tacos and Annie’s Whole Wheat Pitas

2010-04-25T18:14:00.002-05:00

The main recipe from “Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer” started with the first 3 ingredients. I thought it was a little bland so I added a few more seasonings and cooked it longer to blend the flavors. Served with some of Annie’s Whole Wheat Pita’s
Beef Pita Tacos (4 servings, 3 cups of mixture, enough for 8 tacos)

1lb lean ground beef
1 cup salsa
1-8 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 T chili powder
1/2 t cumin
1/2-1 t garlic powder
1/2-1 t onion powder
1/4 t red pepper flakes
4 pita breads, cut in half

Brown ground beef, drain. Stir in salsa, stewed tomatoes, and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 mins, until thickened.

Yummy!

Time for a change…

2010-04-19T09:04:00.002-05:00

It’s been a while and I figured it was time to go back to blogger. I wanted to go to something that didn’t have issues where you can comment without getting an account. Hopefully this will be good for me and I’ll want to post more.

Recap of the past month since I’ve been slacking on updating lately.

We had a lovely Easter with my parents. The kids had so much fun with the goodies in there baskets as well as egg hunting.
I finally got a new computer. Dual core with 1T harddrive and 8 gigs of memory. I’m in heaven! Had a few compatibility issues with Windows 7 and my Photoshop but eventually we found a way around it without me having to spend more money on a newer version of Photoshop. I must say I’m loving the virtual drives. My husband prefers Linux so he uses a virtual drive for Windows when he has to use it for certain programs, mostly school related.
New goodies at both of my CT’s Peppermint Creative and Digital Design Essentials. I haven’t gotten a chance to make anything with some of the new products but that is on my todo list for today so hopefully I’ll have a few more pages up soon! Both of these are Peppermint Creative goodies. Ingrid is our new template maker and she has some super cute sets out.

Now for my Menu Plan this week

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos (My fav chicken taco recipe)
Mini Cheese Meatloaves (Has these last night and yummy) *new*
Chicken Thighs with Balsamic Garlic Sauce (ummm in the process of trying to find this recipe… not exactly sure if it was a bookmarked online, from one of my cookbooks or even one of my many magazines. Oops) *new*
Slow Cooker TexMex Chicken & Beans *new*
A Cracking Burger (Jamie Olivers Food Revolution cookbook) *new*

As always, you can check out many more menu plans at Orgjunkie
Think that’s all I have for now. The plan is to update at least weekly if not more, hopefully I can do just that. Loving this windows live writer so far!

This blog is closing...

2008-01-02T13:10:00.000-06:00

I'm moving to Vox ... I'll leave this blog up until the beginning of Feb to keep everyone that is left reading my blog in the loop. Hope to see you over there!

Is it really the middle of November

2007-11-18T14:09:00.000-06:00

Time goes by way to fast. Just realized that I haven't posted since Oct. That's just messed up. lol

Things have been good here. Matt is out at the church with a customer getting ideas for her wedding this upcoming Feb. So it's just me and the kids at home right now...Devlin is sleeping and Tally is watching a Dora video(actually just checked and she's asleep too...I'm in heaven). I'm making cookies (pre-made dough from a friends kids fundraiser), pouching/shredding chicken for dinner tonight and clipping coupons. Fun stuff!

Few pages since last post..

Be back later this week for my babies 3 month post!

This day started to early...

2007-10-30T08:44:00.000-05:00

Is it to much to ask to be able to sleep in until at least 8:30?? I don't mind getting up feeding Devlin and then going back to sleep but actually getting up for the day before the sun is even out....crazy! lol Tally has not been letting me go back to sleep in the mornings, she's been waking up during or right after I feed Devlin which is anywhere between 5-7am..this morning 6:30. I could so go back to sleep right now!

Well I've decided it's about that time to start working on my weight/body shape. I can only use the "I just had a baby" excuse for so long. My diabetes appt is a week from today. I haven't totally restricted my carb intake just yet but the past few days I've cut back a little. Finding the time to exercise is my main problem right now. It's almost impossible to get time away from the kids until after 9pm and by that time I'm exhausted from the days events. I may just have to buckle down and do it anyway..no matter how tired I am. This body isn't going to tone up on it's own.

We are trying to cut back on our spending too. So I decided to start coupon cutting. I love the ALL YOU magazine, it has tons of coupons on stuff I actually use and easily pays for itself in savings from the them. Need to get with my mom on her Sunday paper and get the coupons that she won't use that I could. My friend Suzanne gave me the idea of putting them in a photo album and that's what I'm using at the moment. I'm thinking about making an envelope album to hold them in though after the holidays are over. So many crafty gifts to do this time of year and most of my Christmas gifts to friends and family are going to be homemade...baked, crafted or digitally made. So if anyone has any ideas for homemade gifts for women, I am all ears (well eyes)!

And now it's time for a few digital pages for you...

My baby is 2 months old.

2007-10-21T22:15:00.000-05:00

Can't believe Devlin is already 2 months old. Seems like he was just born yesterday...ok not yesterday but definitely not 2 months ago! He's almost sleeping all night but unfortunately not sleeping in his crib at all. He's a mommas boy and loves sleeping next to me. He's sooo sweet, even right now when he's having a meltdown for no reason. lol He had his appt Friday and he's 11lbs 2ozs and 23" long now. Had 3 shots and the oral rotavirus vaccine, he took them like a champ with minimal crying.

My 10 yr high school reunion is this weekend, Friday will be our first kid free night since Devlin was born. Mom is pretty nervous about watching both and changing Devlin but I know she will do fine!

So here are a few pages I've done lately...

I've been busy...huh ;)

Sometimes I just want to strangle him....

2007-10-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

I often wonder where my husband left his brain. Do they purposely not pay attention and make mistakes or are they just that retarded. Matt usually doesn't listen... like me calling and asking him to pick up butter, not stick margarine, butter...even stressed the NOT margarine yet he still brings margarine. This week he topped all his other bloopers by returning a Dora video to blockbuster, you wouldn't think he could mess this up but not my Matt. So I go to get movies together on Friday night after he took back the Dora video on Thursday night and I notice the movie he took back sitting with the others. So I said "I thought you took back this movie" he responds with "I did" ....ummm that's a negative Matt it's in my hands. "I know I took back a Dora video" Which he did but it was OURS, not a rental. These things drive me nuts! Luckily for him they still had our video but labeled it to be returned to Hollywood Video.

So do you have a goober hubby story?? Do tell so I know that I'm not alone!

and a few more pages...

2007-10-03T21:04:00.000-05:00

Well the sniffles were gone but look like they may be back. Devlin had his 1 month appt 2 weeks ago and he was 10lbs 8ozs but I'm pretty sure he's over 11lbs now. He is starting to smile now but I have yet to get a picture of it but I've gotten tons of other cute ones. I also can't get Tally to hold him long enough to get a decent picture. She likes to hold him but when she is done....SHE'S DONE... time to start pushing him off her lap. lol Almost found that out while sitting in a chair but luckily I was paying close attention. Tally is good some days but most of them...not so much. I really could just fast forward over this 2 year old period of her life. Whining about everything! We are working on the potty training more now. She wore panties today and only had 1 accident, even did a #2 in the potty...I am so proud of her! Hopefully she will keep this up and be potty trained soon.

Things are going ok with me. I was given the ok on Monday to resume exercising and "other stuff" lol My diabetes doesn't look like it's leaving unfortunately. I won't know for sure if it's full diabetes or prediabetes until November 6th when I see the endocrinologist. So now starts the fun of getting my weight down. I lost all the weight I gained while pregnant but now is the time to get rid of those extra pounds I've had since Matt and I got married and maybe even more. Diabetes might help this since I have to cut those nice yummy carbs that I over indulge with.

So now a few pages.

Few pages

2007-09-09T17:39:00.000-05:00

We've had the sniffles lately, even poor little Devlin has been congested so we've had some long nights this past week.

Mainly wanted to share a few pages I've done lately.

We are home...

2007-08-28T12:12:00.000-05:00

Ok, we've been home for almost a week now but I am just now getting back into the daily groove of things. Devlin Matthew was born on August 20th @ 4:58pm weighing 9lbs 1oz and 19 1/2" long. I went in for my induction at 5am and almost 12 hours later pushed out the big boy who I didn't think was going to engage into my pelvis at first. lol Now if you remember at my last appt we were expecting a 8lb baby not a 9lb but with my GD I'm not totally surprised. Everything went smoothly though and he arrived without either of us having any problems. We are adjusting still since Matt went back to work yesterday, I am on my own most of the day. So far so good.

So I started scrapping again and have a few pages to share of the little guy and then one of Miss Tally swimming from a few weeks ago.

That's it for today, I'll be back soon with hopefully more pages.

First let me say....We are fine!

2007-08-15T09:41:00.000-05:00

Last night while carrying Tally downstairs after her nap, my foot slipped off one of the last steps and I landed on my rear pretty hard. (was carrying that extra 35lbs of toddler) It freaked us all out since I'm so close to the end here. I've already been tsk'd many times last night for carrying her in the first place so I don't need anymore of that. lol I called the on call doctor who had me sent over to Labor & Delivery to be monitored for a few hours. Got in there and hooked up, his heartbeat was fine. Even started moving around for us. I was having mild irregular contractions and was dilated to about a 1 1/2cm... so nothing that was going to keep me admitted. So I was ok'd to go home a little after 10pm. I have an appt tomorrow afternoon in which I'll probably be checked again to see if I've dilated more since. I realized something after what happened last night....I need to pack my freaking BAGS! So that is on my to-do list today. I have to get my bag together with his stuff and I have to get Tally a bag together for her night over at a friends house while I'm in labor. Might have one more post before Monday, otherwise I'll post as soon as I get settled in a room after his arrival!

Quickie

2007-08-09T21:41:00.000-05:00

Just a fast update from today's appointment. I'm dilated to a measly 1cm and he's up high, so far up I think I was assaulted during the exam! ;) It's really no biggie though since I was the same way with Tally just a few days before I went into labor. So we are still a week from Monday unless something happens beforehand!

Oops kind of late for an update ... huh ;)

2007-08-08T10:20:00.000-05:00

Devlin has moved into position as of last Thursday. I am scheduled for an induction on Monday August 20th @ 5am. Less than 2 weeks away. Eeek! Matt painted his room over the weekend, we still have to paint the chalkboard wall like Tally's room has. Matt starts his 2 week vacation next week so I hope to get a lot done before my induction. I have another appt tomorrow and hopefully I've started to dilate.

Here are some LO's from the past couple of weeks.

35week update...almost 36

2007-07-29T11:29:00.000-05:00

It's getting so close. I had an appointment this past Wed, the first of my weeklies. Not exactly sure on how many lbs I am up but I'm thinking 15lbs total. We did an u/s and Devlin is measuring around 6lbs and my doctor is guessing around 8lbs by delivery. We have a little problem at the moment, Devlin is breech/transverse still...We are all hoping that he has flipped back into position by my next appt Thurs. This appt will be the first in Dr Summers new office and it will also be the appt that we discuss the delivery day game plan. I am not sure at the moment if she does ECV's if he is still breech or if she'll just go ahead and suggest c-section. I'm hoping for a ECV even with only the 50% success rate. I can stand the pain for a little bit to get him into position so I can avoid surgery. If he has turned and is into position we'll discuss an induction date. This is the appt I've been waiting for. So if you can keep positive moved into position thoughts for me I would appreciate it ;) I may be back soon with a scrapbooking post! Hope everyone is doing well!!!

33 Week update...almost 34

2007-07-14T07:35:00.000-05:00

My appt on Monday got moved to Wednesday due to a emergency c-section my doctor had to do. So I went on Wednesday and I did gain a few pounds finally but didn't ask how much, she wasn't concerned and neither was I ;) She did a quick u/s of Devlin, said he was looking great and decided we would do one more 2 week appt before my weeklies start since I am already doing weekly NST's with her nurse. Those are not going so well though in the office. For some reason when they are done his heartbeat doesn't rise with his movements...or at least the machine isn't catching it peak. So after doing one of Thursday that was borderline ok, Dr Summers had me come back in yesterday and redo it. This one did not go well either soooo..... I was sent to the hospital for another NST and a BPP (BioPhysical Profile). After a few hours at the hospital and a stressed morning...he passed everything. It was all worth it since he was ok and I got to see a good u/s of him again. He has ... HAIR! This is big news since Tally is just now getting some length to hers after almost 2 1/2 yrs. LOL So after all that excitement yesterday I'm going to give the NST in my doctors office one more time before asking if I can have them done at the hospital.

And a few pages before I go....

Baby shower is today.... might have some pics of it next post. Have a nice weekend!

Quick 31 week update

2007-06-25T11:45:00.000-05:00

So I am 31 weeks now. Getting closer and closer. I was blessed when pregnant with Tally to not get any stretch marks but not so blessed with baby Devlin. I am starting to notice a few under my belly button, hopefully they won't get to bad. I am also starting to get an outtie belly button, not sure if it will pop all the way out eventually or not but it's a halfie right now. LOL Thinking Matt needs to set up the backdrops for my photo shoot really soon, not sure how much longer I'm going to want a picture of myself. Matt is taking his vacation the 13th-24th of August so he'll definitely be off for the birth since I will most likely be induced my 38-39th week. Dr is going to set that up when she moves to her new office Aug 1st. Had an excellent appt today. Devlin is weighing in around 3lbs 4 ozs and I did not gain any weight again this past 2 weeks, so I'm still at +8lbs. I have an NST (Non-Stress Test) next Thurs (July 5th) and then I see the doctor again on the Monday after that (July 9th) Here is a little pic of the cutie from today!

My blood sugars have been under control. Almost to a point that I'm worried because they are doing better....aren't they supposed to get worse. LOL I see my endocrinologist tomorrow afternoon for a check up. I might have a mini update after that. Nothing more to say right now so have a good evening!

Has it been forever....or what?

2007-06-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

Pregnancy update...

I am 29 weeks now. Looking at about 10 weeks left since I will most likely be induced the week before. I have gestational diabetes again and am controling it with insulin. Diet control was not helping since it's my fasting number that is out of whack...same issue I had with Tally. We officially decided on Devlin Matthew for baby boys name. I had an appt yesterday and he is about 2lbs 15 ozs at the moment and BREECH, Tally was to at this point so I'm not to concerned since she moved into position on time. So that's all on that for now. Maternity pics are in the works and hopefully will have some posted in the near future.

Tally is doing good. A little turkey at times but we are dealing with it. I want my baby back but am stuck with a whiny toddler ;) who likes the word NO. lol

Here are a few pages from the last month!

Yummy

2007-05-01T16:50:00.000-05:00

I changed my blog. I'm going to leave it like this for a bit while I decide what template I want to customize.

I've subscribed to tons of recipe blogs lately and ran across this yummy Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that I made today. Even threw together a recipe card for it to print out next time I order pictures. If you would like the full version to print just leave me a comment with your email address, I'll be happy to email it to you!

Not surprising lately but this is the first time I've opened photoshop since my last post...so sad!

It was a nice weekend and we got outside with a kite Matt got from one of his customers. Tally loved it!

That's all for today folks!

Has it been forever...or what ;)

2007-04-22T10:34:00.000-05:00

Well baby Burton is still definitely a boy! My dr told me that if I painted the room blue and delivered a girl that she would personally come out and repaint the room to pink. I went in last Monday for my 21 week appt and she couldn't see everything she needed to since he's a wiggly worm so she scheduled another u/s at the hospital for Friday. Here is a recent belly shot and a few of his u/s pics.

Tally had a nice Easter. My mom surprised me with my grandmother coming in for the weekend. Unfortunately I relied on Matt to bring his camera and the slacker...didn't...so I have no pictures of Tally and her GiGi. I figured she'll be down towards the end of the year to meet the baby though, so we'll definitely be taking pics at that time! We are beginning the potty training process and seriously I am not thrilled. Don't think I'M ready... she might be. ;)

I've been scrapbooking when I have a chance or some creativity which has been few and far between. Still tired most days dealing with the day to day things. So I think I'm going to be using templates for a while just to get some pages done. Lets see if I can scrounge up what I've worked on this past month....

Ok I think that's about enough this time. Hopefully I won't take a month to update again. Think I'm going to make a new banner real quick and start my day!

Time for my update!

2007-03-19T22:07:00.000-05:00

Over a month since I've had an actual post...that's pretty sad. lol

We had a great trip to Ohio which included a birthday party for Tally. She had a blast meeting all of Matt's dad's side of the family plus his new wife. I love her, she's a sweetheart!

She turned 2 on February 24th, we had a fun night at my parents house with cake and dinner of course.

Everything is going good right now. I am still extremely tired but other than that pretty decent. Had our gender ultrasound today and it's definitely a......

BOY!!

So I have a few pages to post that I've done in the past month. If you want to know what products ask, I don't feel like typing all that out tonight. ;)

I'll be back tomorrow!

2007-03-18T20:10:00.000-05:00

I have a doctors appt tomorrow afternoon that I'm hoping to be the big gender reveal for baby Burton so I'll be on with updates afterwards!

Been taking a break...

2007-03-09T22:19:00.000-06:00

I've been taking a computer break lately. All is well here and I hope all is well with those reading my blog. Hope to be back soon with updates. Until then...Take care!

Happy Valentines Day!

2007-02-14T15:05:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone has a lovely evening with their sweeties!

I'm heading to Ohio Friday so I won't be on much with getting ready for our trip. Everyone have a nice weekend and I'll be back next week with hopefully some new pictures!

Now it's my turn!

2007-02-03T11:20:00.000-06:00

Everyone loves contests...you can possibly win something for signing up on 5 Minutes For Mom

Wow...it's been forever...huh??

2007-02-02T22:53:00.000-06:00

It's been almost 2 weeks since I've posted anything. We've had a stomach virus in the household the past week...first Tally then myself. We are both feeling a lot better now.

Few LO's I've done lately. I'll start with most recent... Miss Mint's new stuff!

Playground Pop

Love Muffin

Frozen Slush

And Last but not least Mindy Terasawa's most recent kit.

My Valentine

That's it for now. I'm pretty sleepy... not that much longer until I'm out of the first trimester and I hope that my energy takes a turn for the better!

9 week Ultrasound update!

2007-01-22T16:22:00.000-06:00

Everything is looking great! Baby bean is right were he/she is supposed to be! I go back in 2 weeks :)

I scrapped again...twice!

2007-01-15T00:55:00.000-06:00

It's amazing that being stuck in a house for 3 days seems to get your mojo back! ;) We have had nasty icy weather since Friday and I'm really itching to get out of this house but it looks like I may have to wait until Tuesday, which I can do! Blah

So we got Tally outside today to take some pics in the ice/snow and I made a cute LO with Miss Mints new free kit Frozen Slush! Here is my little Snow Bunny...

and then Mindy came out with a cute little kit called Family Ties available at Designer Digitals :) So tonight I put together some pics of Tally and my dad playing a game they like to play.

I know I am addicted to using scallops and lately the 8.5x11 LO's on 12x12's...LOL oh well!

Night all!

I scrapped!

2007-01-11T23:34:00.000-06:00

First one of the year... that is just so sad. I haven't been in the mood to sit at the computer... much less photoshop. Tonight Sara put out a new kit HunkyDory

So I opened up photoshop and made this.

Alright, it's late so I'm heading to bed. Night!!

All is well!

2007-01-08T22:41:00.000-06:00

Little peek at baby Burton....

7 weeks today... Heartbeat of 158... Due date August 27, 2007! I have another appointment in 2 weeks to make sure everything is staying on schedule!

Ok, can't hold it in any longer...

2007-01-04T12:09:00.000-06:00

I tried to keep this to myself but I'm just going to go ahead and spill the beans... there will be a new baby Burton in the house later this year. I'm still early and I know that there is still a chance I could m/c but I figured since most of the people that read my blog know already...what the heck. I had an ultrasound last Thursday due to some spotting I was having and baby was measuring 5.3 weeks. Sounds about right, I have my first official appt on Monday when I will be 7 weeks on the dot. We should be able to see a heartbeat at that time. I'm praying that we will :) I have know since about 3 weeks or so... since we were trying. I seriously don't want to know that early again, it's been killing me! Morning sickness has started kicking in and I've felt so blah lately that I haven't wanted to sit at the computer and do any scrapping. So I will keep you updated after my appt Monday on if everything is ok or if it isn't. This is my 4th pregnancy and hopefully we can keep it at 2 m/c's and 2 healthy babies!

I'm going to try and finish a few scrapbook pages I've been messing with here and there when I'm feeling ok. My mom took Tally last night and I don't expect her home for at least 3 hours. So I figured I could get some housework done! Hope everyone has a fantastic Thursday!!

Merry Christmas!!

2006-12-24T23:06:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone is having a lovely Christmas Eve. We opened gifts tonight since my grandmother was in town and is leaving early in the morning. We will still have Tally's Santa gifts out for her before we go to breakfast to tell GiGi bye. She racked it up this year. She has tons of clothes, some boots, 4 new dolls, a new stroller/playpen set for the dolls, Little People Preschool, Aquadoodle, ScuttleBug tricycle, Fisher Price Laptop, a new tinkerbell chair and matching hamper and plenty of gifts cards. She has a few Santa gifts which will include a kitchen, a Disney Princess tent and a big tub of megablocks. She got to interested in a couple of things to open all her gifts tonight so I opened most of the clothes and a few of the toys that she didn't really notice with all of the other goodies. LOL I received a few things this Christmas, some of my things I got before Christmas... Matt and I usually just buy ourselves something small that we want since we get some many things for ourselves during the year. I got Matt one of those egg muffin toasters (He's loves it and so do I!!) I bought myself another expansion to my Sims 2 game. Tonight I got a new purse which I needed since one of my dogs chewed on the strap of my semi new one that I already had. Also got a new scrap bag and The Fray cd, plus many gift cards again. ;)

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas tomorrow and I hope to have some pages this next week since I've been slacking so much!!

Christmas countdown...

2006-12-16T21:43:00.000-06:00

I can not believe that Christmas is only a week away. I finally finished wrapping all of the gifts and have almost everything sent. Jeanne, your package is going out Monday! ;) My MIL ordered Tally's gifts online this year and they are being sent here unwrapped. So I get to wrap those towards the end of the week when they come in. Joy!

Miss Mint is having a 20% off sale until Dec 19th and a buy a gift card and get a gift card worth 50% of that for free. Details are at Peppermint Creative. She also added 2 new kits this past week.

So I have page featuring little Miss Ann Marie, using Miss Mints new Cherry Berry Christmas kit and Michelle Pearson's Frame it and Black Contrast actions on the pic!

I have some exciting things going on in my life non-scrapbook related that I'm not ready to share with everyone yet. Hopefully I will be able to share this with you after the new year. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Nothing to interesting to say...

2006-12-13T23:39:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to check in and say Hi! So Hi! lol

Angela, I put up a link to my DST Gallery on the left just for you ;) Last week I got Scrap Page of the Day at Creating Keepsakes for that LO. ;)

I'm pretty tired and have been running around on and off getting ready for Christmas. I've only finished one page since I last posted, isnt' that just sad. It's with DDE's new Christmas kit.

Not sure what my problem has been but I hope to get some of these half finished pages I've tried working on...finished soon. All my CT's are going to drop me if I don't get my booty in gear ;)

I held my friends 4 week old baby boy today and it's making me really really really want to be pregnant soon. We have been trying for the past couple of months and I hope that it pays off at the beginning of the year! Ok, I need to make my midnight curfew that I set for myself and get in bed. Night ladies!

A little of this and a little of that...

2006-12-06T10:38:00.000-06:00

So first I figured I would do a getting to know your friends that was on Suzanne's blog.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I used to like Egg Nog but not anymore, now it's hot chocolate all the way!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Right now he wraps them. I'm still in the process of thinking about new traditions for our family. ;)
3. Colored lights or white on tree/house ? White
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Not usually, every once in a while we get some.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Green Bean Casserole house here. lol
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Christmas at my nana's when she was still alive, the whole family would get together. Not so much anymore...
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Seriously I don't remember!
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes! Another thing I'm thinking about starting a new tradition with.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Usually Matt helps me with the lights and ornaments, I'm hoping to make it a family thing when Tally gets old enough to help.
11. Snow… love it or dread it? Love it, as long as I don't have to drive!
12. Do you know how to ice skate? Yes
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? No
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Spending time with my family
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? My nana's coconut balls, that my mom makes now!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Working on making new traditions
17. What tops your tree? A bow, would like a nice angel one day also!
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving
19. Favorite Christmas Song? Carol Of The Bells
20. Favorite Flavor of Candy Canes? Peppermint!

Ok, if you want to do that's fine if not... that's ok ;)

So, you know how I said I was going to wrap gifts last week... still haven't done it! I am so bad! Still waiting on my magnet calendars and on my Christmas photocards to come in from Winkflash, it's been a week. I'm hoping they don't have to much of a delay. I got my calendars in for my inlaws, they turned out pretty good. Only thing we didn't really like was how November came out to red on our picture. Excuse the bad pictures of them... it's my point & shoot. lol

We still have snow on the ground but it's slowly melting. Tally didn't really care for it so I didn't get many pictures like I wanted. The ones I did get were crappy. Should have used Matt's camera. ;)

Few pages using Atomic Cupcakes stuff... Not my best work but they turned out ok!

Then we have one here that I used with Mindy Terasawas Lil Trouble Maker kit...

I think that's all for today! Going to get started on cleaning up my office, we are about to move my craft desk in here and get rid of my P.O.S. desk!

Happy Anniversary to us...

2006-11-30T10:41:00.000-06:00

Today Matt and I have been married 5 years. Still can't believe it's been that long. We have nothing planned since we are going to get some good snow today. So far we've just had a wintry mix with sleet. The snow is on it's way though and it's forecast that we will be getting 8-12 inches. I'm so excited! Last years "snow" {if you can call it that} was pathetic! This will be the first time Tally has seen snow. So hopefully I'll have a few pics to share tomorrow!

I've been getting a lot of my Christmas projects done. I've ordered the christmas cards and calendars I made for the inlaws. I also ordered 10 of these... Calendar Magnets that of course I designed my way with our family pics we did last weekend, which I'll show further down! I've almost finished Miss Kendall's gift (Jeanne, you'll be happy when you see it!) I'll be sure to show pics after Christmas. Most of my ornaments are on the tree. I still have a few I want to finish and hang.

They look so much better on the tree...huh? ;) Just finished printing my Christmas address labels.

I laid Tally down and now I'm going to start wrapping gifts! Everyone have a nice day!

2006-11-19T12:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the pits... we were supposed to go watch my friends little boy's football game but times were all screwy so we didn't. Tally hit her mouth on one of the tv trays yesterday morning and a tooth cut into the inside of her mouth. So she has a good bruise on the outside and a good cut on the inside. Poor girl, just wasn't her day. So needless to say the plans to do our Christmas pictures got moved to a later date. The evening wasn't to bad, we went to my parents for family night and watched Cars again.

I came home and continued working on my Christmas projects. I love working on crafty stuff. I can't give details on everything because some are for friends that read this but they are going to look awesome! I also am doing some rolled paper in glass ornaments. They are looking pretty good. Not the greatest picture but here is the idea.

Few pages from this week...

I rarely scrap my dogs but here is little Chance. Miss Mints Eighth Night Papers/Elements

Our sneaky little pepsi thief... with Mindy's new Meadow Bliss Kit

Last but not least... my new hair! With Gina's new Falling For You kit that is on sale today only!

Matt went to take pictures of a family for Christmas and also a senior pic of the older kid. I just realized he left his 2GB CF card here and took my 512 mb card... nice! I'm sure he's spazzing right now. I think he has movies on his other 2GB card, hopefully he can clear/re-format that and use it if need be. So I'm alone with the kiddo this morning. Hoping for a better day today... so far so good!

Good Morning!

2006-11-14T10:34:00.000-06:00

Drinking my coffee, trying to wake myself up this morning. Debating on getting out of the house and doing some more Christmas shopping. I've already picked up a Newborn Cabbage Patch doll and a tub of Megablocks for Miss Tally. Now I'm looking for a table to put in the office for her to play on while I'm scrapbooking. I'm also going to pick up some art type stuff for her that can only be used while playing at the table. Hoping that will keep her occupied while I'm working. I can only hope ;)

It's been an interesting weekend. On Friday I found out that my nephew got hit by a car this past week. He is doing well considering. He has a broken pelvis, ruptured spleen and some head trauma. He didn't start speaking until Sunday afternoon. He is making progress every day! I hope the 16 year old girl that was going 50 mph in a 25, has learned her lesson and starts paying attention to where she is driving. My nephew was not on the road, he was in the grass waiting for a truck on the other side to pass. He was doing everything he was supposed to be doing! He's had a lot of people praying for him and I think it has helped a lot! Thank you to all my friends that have been praying for him this past weekend. Our family has truly appreciated it!

With what happened to my nephew it made me think of my real father. My nephew is actually not blood to me because his mom is my step-sister. My Step-dad has been around since I was 2 years old. He is my daddy! I met my real father when I was 17 yrs old after not seeing him since I was 5 yrs old. He has let me down time after time. I am alway the one that has to call and check on him. If I never called him, we would probably never talk again. I think it's sad but I don't totally blame him. There were a lot of things that stopped him while I was growing up, that prevented him from finding me after we moved to Oklahoma. He got his updates from my grandpa who he still went hunting with in TX. Until I searched for him when I was a teenager. We talked on the phone for years and at 17 I went to meet him with my parents. I've seen him a few times since then, even flew down and visited him for a few days one summer... 7 yrs ago. That was the last time I saw him. There have been times he could come see me when I was in TX and for some reason or another he couldn't make it. So after sending last years Christmas card with a note with my phone number and a message to call me... and he never did. I decided that I wasn't trying anymore! Until this weekend... I decided that I will call every month and I'm already planning on making a family trip at the beginning of the year to stay a couple of days with a friend and then make an hour and a half drive so he can meet Matt and Tally. Another reason is that my grandmother lives with him, she turns 80 next month. I want her to at least meet my family. Ok, enough about all that!

My mom bought a new car, a 2007 Honda CR-V. She loves it. Her house has only about a month left before it is completed! This is my mom's first house and she is extremely excited!!!

Last but not least.. a page! With Mindy's Allure kit available at Designer Digitals.

Now I'm off to take that shower and I guess go shopping! Have a great day :)

Sunburn in November... just crazy!

2006-11-10T09:31:00.000-06:00

Ok, it's just not normal to get a sunburn in November. Yet I got one. We had 2 days of 80 degree weather and now we are back at a high of 68. Looks like from the 10 day forecast we are staying in the 50's and 60's during the day. Yesterday we went to the park with some friends. Of course this is where I got the sunburn ;) Luckily because I had Tally in a long sleeve shirt and jeans... she doesn't have a sunburn, just slightly pink cheeks.

Nothing interesting is happening in the Burton household right now. Just basic day to day life. I'm not complaining either. I like basic day to day life...

Guess I'll share a few pages I worked on this past week. Then I need to get ready for the day which includes grocery shopping, a stop at the library and possibly a stop at Michaels for some canvas. Need to get started on my Christmas gifts!

First one here is for Mindy, who is now at Designer Digitals if you didn't know... This is with her new Floral Zest kit!

The next to go with the November Challenges at Digital Design Essentials

Have a great day!

Overdue post...

2006-11-03T22:55:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a great Halloween. We stayed home since Tally can't eat the candy and I definitely don't need it! She did get to wear her costume the day before for a playdate.

Time to share some pages from this past week. My mojo is coming back!

First Miss Mint! She added 2 new kits to the store and also an awesome free kit!

Casual Friday

Rustic Emerald

Candy Fairway

Then I did a page with my friend Rebecca Golds new kit. Can be purchased at Digital Freebies.

Last but not least... Being part of Sara Carlings CT, we have adopted a family for the Holidays. Little Asher was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year. Sara created a beautiful kit Share in the Season in which all of the proceeds will go to Asher's family. For more information or to donate without buying the kit go to Sara's blog. Here is a page I did today with Share in the Season!

Ok I think that's all for tonight but I might be back later this weekend for another post!

2006-11-03T09:42:00.000-06:00

It's been a while...again. I have some errands to run this morning but I'll be back later this afternoon with an actual post ;)

I am up way to late!

2006-10-22T01:39:00.000-05:00

I should be in bed right now and instead I am blogging...

So I took a break from scrapbooking this week. No new products from my CT's and really no mojo! I did make a few pages tonight though. First is for the Inspirational Challenge At DDE for October. I used a picture of Tally from last October and the Wallflower kit from DDE!

Ok I just have to show what the picture looked like before I altered it for that LO. I lighted it with levels and curves, then I warmed it up with Michelle's Warming Action to bring back the color from being washed out when I lightened it. I also used a noise reduction program. Love how it turned out in the LO!
(before)

So after that LO I was wanting to scrap some more. I downloaded one of Jasmines older kits to go with a picture I took of Tally going towards Matt last weekend. I also used some more of Michelle's actions. Love her B&W's and the vignette!

Last bit of scrapping stuff... Miss Mint is having a special until Halloween!

2006-10-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it's been a week since I posted last. Life has been pretty boring. Tally is teething, which has caused a lot of clingy whiny days. I've been learning how to use Matt's camera, which has been interesting. I'm getting the hang of it and have gotten a few awesome pics. Which I might post tomorrow after I resize them to put on Tallys site.

I guess it is time to reveal what Guest CT I am now on... Gina Cabrera's DDE! I am so excited since she is one of my favorite designers!!! So expect some pages to be popping up this week with her stuff. I even have one to share right now!

And one with Atomic Cupcakes new stuff!

Oh and some more good news... my EHD is on it's way back home and everything is in working order! WOOHOO!!!

2006-10-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

Forgot to give a Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends!!!

A little bit of this and that...

2006-10-08T13:48:00.000-05:00

I have been slacking on my LO's this week. Just haven't had the drive for it. Maybe I need some new pictures to work with, so that is one of my goals today. Get some new pictures ;) I did work on 1 page and it's not my norm but I like it. I used stuff from Atomic Cupcake. This picture is the only picture we got of Tally at the fair last weekend. She looks so cute in the cowgirl hat. LOL

Mindy has a new kit at Scrapbook Graphics called Autumn Time. Haven't had a chance to mess with it yet but I will in the next couple of days! Already have a few pics from last fall that I'm going to use. Hoping to get to the pumpkin patch in the next couple of weeks for new pics!

Yesterday I went to Pass Your Plate and got this months meals. Which are...
Lasagna Verdi With Bolognese Sauce
Taco Puffs
Spicy Southwestern Chicken Stew
Lemon Artichoke Chicken
Italian Meatball Subs
Grilled Rosemary Pork Chops
Baked Salmon Croquettes with Bow Tie Pasta
Beef Stroganoff
Cheesy Bacon-Wrapped Chicken
Tilapia with Lemon Dill Cream
Tonight we are having the Baked Salmon Croquettes with Bow Tie Pasta, Salad and some other veggie. I am in love with the frozen veggies that microwave in their package! LOL See so easy even my husband can make dinner! (and he does... a lot)

Well I really think that is all for today. I need to change my banner back to My Boring Life. LOL Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

So super excited!!!

2006-10-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to officially announce until I get all the information but I am possibly going to be a Guest CT member for one of my favorite designers this month. Out of the blue I got a PM at SBB today with her asking me. So super excited!!!! More on this breaking news hopefully within the next week or so!

Two new pages with Miss Mints new kits. I can not believe this was my baby girl just a year ago. She has grown so much. *sigh*

Ok I also re-worked my Naps LO. Not sure why but I like the simple version better.

Well with the new look pictures I have... I am definitely due for a some more about me pages. That may be what I do later today. Quick question for everyone... I need a new author to read. I LOVE mystery writers, usually female. For instance Linda Fairstein and Lisa Scottoline (read all of theirs) I would like a new author and would love some input. I like the ones that have the same characters, series I guess you would call it. So if you have any that you would recommend please do! Thanks!!!

Going to enjoy the rest of my alone time (Tally is with my mom and Matt is at work)

Some news and other stuff...

2006-09-30T22:41:00.000-05:00

I was trying to add a new blinkie but blogger is having issues in not showing it. So you can find my news here I know I said I wasn't joining anymore teams but this will not conflict with my scrapbooking. Michelle has some awesome photo actions. You need to check out her blog and she also has a shop at SBB that she is adding to almost daily right now.

So I worked on a few pages. One is with Tallys Halloween costume for this year. I used Atomic Cupcakes stuff.

This one is made with Mindy's new Dreamy Afternoon kit, available at The Sweet Shoppe.

One more thing... I got a haircut and a new color this past week. I love it! I tried to take a pic of Tally and I to show you but she kept closing her eyes so you get the messed up pic of us!

New header..

2006-09-27T14:47:00.000-05:00

Nothing special going on at the moment. No new pages but I did update my blog header again. Decided I wanted a GIF one with a few pics. ;)

I've been tagged!

2006-09-24T22:14:00.000-05:00

So I've been tagged by Kim

I too am not good at this sort of thing but here we go!

"List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether or not they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your LiveJournal/blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to."

1. Who Knew by Pink
2. Over My Head by The Fray
3. How to Save a Life by The Fray (in love with them at the moment)
4. Wanted by Holly Brook
5. Where'd You Go by Fort Minor
6. Not Ready To Make Nice by Dixie Chicks
7. Sexyback by Justin Timberlake (Never thought I would be saying that... so lets keep that to ourselves)

So now onto tagging some people... I don't know very many so I'm sorry if you get picked and didn't want to be! ;)

1. Misty
2. Lisa
3. Angela
4. Mindy
5. Jen

Ok, glad that is over with ;)

Last night my external harddrive wigged out on me so we are waiting for a response from the manufactorers tech support to see where we go from here. Matt is thinking that it's fixable, just not by us so we might have to send it in. So please keep your fingers crossed that it's fixable cause if not we will have lost tons of Matt's pictures and all of my recent scrapbook pages (since May or so)

Here are two of my pages from this week. First is another one with Mindys Whammy Origami Kit and the Second one is with Miss Mint's new denim items, charmed alpha and Oopsy Doodle.

Ok, I'm done for tonight! Sweet Dreams!

Quick LO, then it's bedtime!

2006-09-19T00:14:00.000-05:00

It's been a lazy day today. Was up with Tally a couple of times last night. Not sure if she is teething or coming down with something. So far, so good tonight *knock on wood*
Tomorrow we are going to the zoo. Should have some more pictures to work with tomorrow night. So wanted to post a new page I did tonight with Mindys new Whammy Oragami kit that is available at the Sweet Shoppe!

Another one...

2006-09-15T22:19:00.000-05:00

Sleepy! Everything is from Atomic Cupcake, I LOVE her rubon action (used for Sleepy)

Ok what kind of camera do I use.... Personally I have a Canon Powershot S60 or something like that. Now the good pictures, probably the recent ones in my LO's that you are asking about... those are taken with my husbands Canon 20D. Much better camera, I've been stealing it lately.

Everyone have a great weekend and watch out for a new kit from Mindy going up at the Sweet Shoppe!

Sleepy...

2006-09-14T22:05:00.000-05:00

Tonight will probably be another early night for me. Wasn't feeling to hot yesterday so I went to bed around 10:30-11pm(early for me). Tonight will most likely be the same. We were supposed to go to a zoo members event tonight but they were jam packed and we aren't ones for a crowd so we turned around and came home after grabbing something for dinner. Matt is on vacation next week so we will go to the zoo at least 2 times, so no biggie!

Jasmine has a beautiful kit coming out tomorrow. Kewl Beans #7 - Fizzy Fusion Mix is going to be available at Jasbeanies shop and ACOT

Here is a page I did with it. Yum

G'Night folks!

Sale...

2006-09-12T11:17:00.000-05:00

Sara is having a one day 20% off sale! If you were wanting any of Sara Carlings awesome kits, you might check out her blog (link to the left) for the code.

Oh and Jennifer, the answer to your question.... I get nothing else done. House is a mess ;)

and another one...

2006-09-11T23:38:00.000-05:00

Mindy's new Cosmopolitan kit available at Scrapbook Graphics!

Update on Tally's mosquito bites. The swelling on her ear has gone down but the one near her eye has swelled up. She can still see out of it and isn't squinting to much but it is puffy. G'night my friends!

Quickie...

2006-09-11T17:19:00.000-05:00

Just jumping on here really quick to show 2 new pages then I'm off to watch Elmo's World with Tally.

Sara's new Amelie kit, isn't it beautiful!
Another one with Miss Mint's Autumn Blend kit!

Layout Post

2006-09-10T11:39:00.000-05:00

Miss Mints Ooopsy Doodle Kit

Miss Mints-Cinnamon Tea

Miss Mints-Autumn Blend

Atomic Cupcake

This was for the 1st Digi-Dare Ya Challenge.

So those are all of the pages I had to show since earlier in the week. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

sooo sleepy!

2006-09-09T22:19:00.000-05:00

My insomnia is acting up. I haven't been able to fall asleep before 2 am all week. It's been horrible. Especially today when I had to be at a crop at 9 am. Had me getting up a little after 7 after not getting to bed until almost 3. Not sure how much more of this I can take before I'm going to have to go see a doctor.

Although I was tired, I had an awesome time at the crop. I finished the rest of Tally's album, other than the journaling which will take a few minutes once I type it up and slap it on the pages. Then I also did some pages for her 2 year album. Figured I'll stick to 1 album a year with my paper scrapping since I scrap everyday things inher digital pages. Speaking of those... I'll post the recent digital pages in a photobucket post tomorrow instead of messing with blogger.

Not sure if anyone remembers a post from a few months ago when we found out Tally is allergic to mosquitos... but she got bit yesterday on her ear and it swelled up. Looked awful! Thank goodness today looks a lot better but now she has a few more that she received tonight on her head and near her eye.. while wearing OFF but of course it can't be that close to her eyes, it's like the little buggers know. UGH

G'night!

Who needs a title?!?

2006-09-05T13:56:00.000-05:00

Haven't been feeling well the past couple of days. Not sure if it is because I've beem couped up in this house or what. Today is better though. We got out of the house for a few hours. Picked up some containers for my pantry. Not a fan of stuff in boxes and bags. My plan is to clean them and fill them with stuff this evening. I also need to clean out my freezer because I will be filling it with meals Thursday evening since I am doing one of those prep and freeze meal places. Oh I hope this works and we like the food and it cuts back on eating out. I am sooo excited!

While out today I also picked up some pictures to scrap on Saturday for the 12 hr crop I'm going to. Another thing I'm getting excited for! I am finally going to finish Tallys 1st year ABC Album. I've already started here and there on her 2 yr paper album, no theme this time though. I need to start looking for an album to hold the pages though.

I worked on a few pages this past week but I guess I'll have to use Photobucket or something, blogger isn't letting me upload. I'll do that tomorrow.

P.S. Those letters on Tally's wall are wood letters, with K&Company paper on them.

On a roll today...

2006-08-31T18:05:00.000-05:00

Look at me... 3 times in one day. LOL

Well Tally's appt didn't go as well as I would of liked. She screamed and clung to me the entire time. She does not like the doctors office, she knows exactly why she is there and she let us know that she was not happy about it. While talking to the doctor after he looked her over, she fell asleep in my arms. So sweet. She is my BIG baby girl 34"(97%) in height and 27lbs (95%). He asked me today how tall her father was, told him 6'4" and he said yeah that's definitely it. So we talked about her talking and he said she is fine and it's not unusual, by kindergarten she'll be right there with the other kids. We also talked about potty training since Matt is pushing us to start. The doctor asked me if she tells us after she has gone, does she get upset or anything with a dirty diaper... Nope. So he said to take it at her pace and we will know when she is ready. He said there are 4 yr olds not potty trained and thats fine, it has to be on there time. So we will be waiting and just setting her on there at bathtime and stuff like that. Matt's bummed but OH WELL! ;)

Not sure if I mentioned this but my parents are finally building a house. They should be breaking ground by next week and if all goes well they might be in before Christmas. I am so excited for them, this will be their first HOUSE.

Ok need to wake Miss Tally up from her nap (late because of her appt) and head out of here. Have a great evening!

LO post!

2006-08-31T11:11:00.000-05:00

Ok on this first one I'm not sure if I am done yet. This is what I have so far and I'm loving it. Those are the letters I made in the spring. I used Mindys Baby Breath kit again. (Love it)

Now we have one with Miss Mints new Oopsy Doodle Kit, I love this kit! It has so many cute embellishments!

I usually don't like contest but challenges I don't mind everyonce in a while. So this is what the next one is. Jen Wilsons Meaningful contest, haven't even posted this one in my gallery, only the Jen Wilson one.

The Mint Chicks have been doing scraplifts of eachother and this is my take on one of Colleens pages.

Another scraplift this time one of Joanns pages, I think I'm next weeks... eek

So then Jasabeanie had a birthday a few days ago and made some cute doodled brackets/arrows/fun shapes. So I used them in these last 2 LO's along with her Jellybeanie and Minty Passion kits.

That's all folks! Hope everyone has a great Thursday and I'll try to post again later this afternoon on how her appt went!

G'Morning my friends..

2006-08-31T09:39:00.000-05:00

Well we have good news on the homefront! Matt and I are going to start TTC baby #2 now. Mostly we were waiting until we could add me onto his insurance. After I stopped working when Tally was born, my insurance went bye bye with the job. LOL So we made it a point to fit insurance into the budget for me this year and now I am officially covered! WOOHOO!!! We both have baby fever right now, so I'm definitely ready :D

Today we have Tally's 18 month check up to go to. My sweet girl still doesn't say many words so I'm a tiny bit worried on what the Peditrician is going to say. She is babbling more and more each day but actual words are still not coming out. She understands perfectly though so that is what is keeping me from worrying to much. I was trying to think of what she has said and here is what I have come up with Mama, Daddy, Hi, Bye, Thank you, I Love You (more like I uv oo), What, No and the newest Uh Oh (which is used daily) So cute! She has been yelling something at the dogs when they bark which she most likely gets from me since I yell CHANCE CARAMEL QUIET! LOL not sure if that is what she is trying to say or what. I might update later after the appt on what the doctor said.

Ok I was going to show a few pages but blogger is being a @*$&! so I'm going to upload to photobucket and make a post from there. I have more than 5 LO's anyway and we know how blogger doesn't like more than 5 pictures. BBS