Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone had a great Halloween!  I also hope you ate tons of candy..I know I did!
We had a great weekend...and  I'm exhausted.
I thought I would first share a little blast from the past.  This was Jack exactly one year ago today:

And this is Jack today.

We did the rounds today...went to both Grandma's homes and walked around the neighborhood.  He had a blast and I was surprised he didn't mind wearing a dragon head!

Next year we will attempt real Trick or Treating, but for now I had a blast just watching how much fun he had.

Enjoy the rest of your Halloween!

Help a girl out!

So my husband and I carved pumpkins last night.  We always try to outdo each other with our carvings.  That's where I need your help.  Which do you think is the better pumpkin? 

The left or the right?  Have a great night and a great Friday! 

I love shopping!

So I am in desperate need of a new area rug for my dining room. I was contacted by CSN stores to do another review and I am so excited to check our their area rugs! CSN  has a collection of over 200 online stores where you can find nearly anything whether it be a dining sets, cookware, tools, cribs, lighting, bedding, kitchen aprons, briefcases, and tons more!   Whatever your needs I'm sure you can find what your looking for at CSN Stores. 

A Sweet Treat for the Weekend!

With today´s hectic schedules, easy, relaxing breakfasts can be difficult to come by. So why not stop this weekend and take some time from the busy week and spend quality time with your family?
New Pillsbury's Flaky Cinnamon Rolls with Butter Cream Icing are the perfect weekend breakfast item to help make your family´s time together even more sweet.

These cinnamon rolls are amazing.  They are made wiht Cinnabon Cinnamon and are so flacky and delicious my husband and I ate the whole package!   The best part about them is you just place them in the oven and bake! The aroma that is impossible to resist.....Flaky Cinnamon Rolls with Butter Cream Icing will quickly become your family´s favorite Sunday morning tradition.

Print a .70 coupon to save on Pillsbury Flaky Cinnamon Rolls & enjoy a delicious breakfast this weekend!

Giveaway Details:

One lucky reader will win a Pillsbury Flaky Cinnamon Rolls prize pack that includes a scrapbooking kit, scrapbooking supplies like scrapbook scissors and glue as well as a coupon for the new Pillsbury's Flaky Cinnamon Rolls.

How to enter (Mandatory)

1. Comment about your favorite weekend breakfast item. (Mandatory entry.)

For an addition entry follow me! (if you do just let me know!)

(Please be sure to leave a comment for EACH separate entry and include your email.)

This giveaway ends at 11:59 on Friday November 5th, with the winner chosen by using random.org. Winner will be notified by email.  Good luck!.

*Pillsbury provided me with the product, information, and prize packs through MyBlogSpark .

Wordless Wednesday

Check out other Wordless Wednesday blogs at The Paper Mama!

First Birthday Fun!

So I have been so stressed and tired from all the birthday madness, but it is finally over. And I have some pictures.  Again I am not too pleased with them as it is sooooo hard to get Jack to sit still to take pictures!
Here are some of his birthday and his party.  We all had a great time.  Again, he had absolutely no interest in the cake. 

I think he shared in our exhaustion.  He slept 14 hours after the party.  Being 1 is very rough!

30 Days of Truth Days 5 and 6...

I have been doing two days a week becuase honestly I have been forgetting to do this everyday.  Here it goes!
Day 5: Something you hope to do in your life.

This may be a strange thing, but I would love to do two things.  Go on an African Safari, and learn to play the violin.  The second, of course, is much more feasible, but who knows, maybe I will get to Africa someday.
I used to play the piano, and was very good at it, but the violin is something I have always loved.  It sounds beautiful.  I am hoping when I have some extra money I can buy one and take some lessons.

Day 6: Something you hope you never have to do.

I hope I never have a family member that has to go through a serious illness like cancer.  I hope I never have to see anyone in my family suffer. 

Bye Bye Meetup Monday...

So I first off am sorry I have been gone all weekend! This weekend was full of birthdays, and I did not have one minute to spend on the computer. I will be back tonight with a full recap and some giveaways this week!

Also I have decided to end Meetup Monday.  I have had a less than stellar turn out every week and I feel like people are not that into link-up parties anymore.  Thank you to those who did link up every week.  I appreciate it!

I hope you have a great start to the week, and I'll see you later today!

Friedasophie Friday Giveaway!

Have I ever mentioned that I love jewelry?  I love love love it. I could go broke buying jewelry.  So I when I came across Friedasophie on Etsy,  I was in heaven.  Sandra has beautiful origonal pieces in her shop; everyone will find something that fits their personality.

These are just a few of my favs:

Beautiful right?  And right now she is offering 20% off on everything in her shop until the end of the week! What a perfect time to start your holiday shopping.

The best part? Sandra is graciously giving one of my readers this gorgeous Sweet Baby Bird 14K Gold Necklace.

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Friedasophie on Etsy and comment on your favorite item.

Additional Entries:

1. "Like"  Friedasophie on Facebook

2. Follow my blog (if you do let me know!)

Please leave your email address with your comment.  Contest ends Tuesday November 2 at 11:59pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and contacted via email. 

Good Luck! 

One.

As this day approched, the lump in my throat grew bigger and bigger.  It may seem silly to some.  "He is still little!", they say, or "You should be happy, not sad!"  And I am happy, SO happy.  But along with the happiness comes all of the other new emotions I have experienced since becoming a mom....one of those being the bittersweetness of seeing this tiny, perfect little person grow. 

I sit an think about how I can express a lifetime worth of waiting, and a years worth of love into words; and it doesn't seem possible.

One year.  A 1st birthday.  The day exactly one year ago that I sat nervous-excited-overwhelmed-scared out of my mind, listening to the melody of the a tiny thump, thump, thump on the monitor.  That day waiting for the greatest gift life has to give.  The moment "we" became "three".

I could try to list all of the things I love about him or all that he does that makes me smile, but that list would be endless.  I could list all of the things you have learned this year or how you've grown so much, but it would take up pages and pages on here. 

What I can say is Jack has made me realize what being a Mom truly means.  He has made me feel emotions I never thought I could feel, and feel so deeply.  He has a smile that melts our heart and I am amazed at all the magic he has brought into our lives.  I wish, at times, I could stop time, just for a while and take in every single second of him.  At the same timeI look forward to all the amazement, learning and love he will experience. 

I will end it with some of my favorite pictures from Jack's 1st year.

\

"Happy Birthday Jack, we made it....I love you always.....Mommy"

xoxo

30 Days of Truth...Days 3 and 4 (the less exciting post)

DAY 3: Something you have to forgive yourself for.

Since this is "30 days of truth", I have to be honest and say there is nothing I have to be truthful about.  I lead a pretty boring, normal life.    If I do think of something, I will edit this post and post back with it. 

DAY 4: Something you have to forgive someone else for.
Again, really nothing.  I don't hold grudges and I have never been hurt that badly. 
So I will really dig deep and say that I forgive all of those back in high school who were "too cool" to be friends with me, or talk to me.  The truth is, most of them are getting a taste of their own medicine now.

I firmly believe in "What goes around, comes around...."

Wordless (ish) Wednesday....A Halloween Preview

Over the weekend we went to a Fall Fest in our town.  All of the kids wore their costumes, so of course I had to dress Jack up in his.  He was adorable.....I think you will agree. Only two days until my little dragon's birthday!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun check out The Paper Mama.  Have a great day!

30 days of Truth, 2 days late.

So at school this month, we are working on Trustworthiness with the students.  How fitting then, tha Courtney Kirkland is doing the 30 days of Truth Project.  Why not join, right?
I am a few days late, so I am going to fill you in on days 1 and 2.  Who knows, Maybe I will learn a lot about myself. 

Here is a list of the questions for those of you who are interested:
Day 1: Something you hate about yourself.
Day 2: Something you love about yourself.
Day 3: Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 4: Something you have to forgive someone for.
Day 5: Something you hope to do in your life.
Day 6: Something you hope you never have to do.
Day 7: Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Day 8: Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.
Day 9: Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.
Day 10: Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.
Day 11: Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Day 12: Something you never get compliments on.
Day 13: A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)
Day 14: A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Day 15: Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16: Someone or something you definitely could live without.
Day 17: A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Day 18: Your views on gay marriage.
Day 19: What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Day 20: Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21: (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Day 22: Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.
Day 23: Something you wish you had done in your life.
Day 24: Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)
Day 25: The reason you believe you’re still alive today.
Day 26: Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
Day 27: What’s the best thing going for you right now?
Day 28: What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Day 29: Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.
Day 30: A letter to yourself: tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself.

Day 1: Something you hate about yourself.

Hate is such a strong word.  I do however, really dislike the fact that I am always in a hurry, and therefore very disorganized.  I lose things A LOT.  Since I am always in a hurry, I tend to not put things away where they belong.   I have lost jewelry, keys, money, important papers, you name it.

Day 2: Something you love about yourself. 

I love the that I can cook.  I never got into cooking or baking until a few years ago, and I love it.  Everyone tells me I should have gotten into cooking, and sometimes I wish I did.  I am good at it, and it makes me happy to make food people enjoy!

Stay tuned for the rest of this project and let me know if you decide to take this on as well!

Pear Tree Greetings Givewaway and Meetup Monday!

Pear Tree Greetings offers creative, classic paper products for all occasions.  They recently sent me a sample pack of their Thank You cards, and I love them.  They have such great quality and designs.  Now with email, text, and the internet, most communitcation is done electronically, but nothing is better than a handwritten note or card.  I feel like it is so much more personal and shows that you really care.  I think I may use Pear Tree for Jack's birthday "Thank you" notes!

These are just some of what they offer:

 These thank you cards can all be personalized, and there are Thank you's for every occasion!

 This month Pear Tree is giving away a set of 16 Thank You Cards or Note Cards to one of my readers.  The winner can choose a themed Thank You card, like a Christmas Thank You Card or a Baby Shower Thank You Card, or a Personalized Note Card.  Pear Tree Greetings also has some great coupon codes and discounts, if you are ready to order Christmas cards or other products.

To Win (mandatory):

Comment and tell me what your would use your cards for!

Additional Entries:

1. Check out the Thank You cards at Pear Tree Greetings and tell me which one you like best.

2. Follow my blog (if you just let me know!)

3. Link up to Meetup Monday.  Just let me know you linked up!

***Please leave me your email address with your comment so that I can contact the winner. Giveaway ends Oct 29th at 11:59 EST. Open to US residents only.  Will will be choosen via random.org and will be contacted by email.
Good Luck!
Disclaimer: I received a product samples to review.  All opinions are my own.

And now for Meetup Monday!

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If this is your first time linking up to Meetup Monday, here's the info:

Add a link below to a specific blog post or your main blog address

If you could grab my button and pop it up on your blog someplace visible, that would make my day!

Most importantly: Make someone's day by commenting on the blog post of the two blogs (or more) before you.

Have a GREAT Monday, thank you for reading!

Working Mom Meals...Apple Pie!

I like to call these portraits....Apple Crumble Pie.  And it tastes delicious. 

I still had some apples left over from apple picking last weekend, so I decided to make one of my husband's favorite desserts.  I found this recipe on  My Madison Bistro, and it is super easy and tastes sooo good.  It is the perfect fall dessert.   Enjoy!

Apple Pie

Ingredients for the crust1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced and refrigerated
¼ – ½ cup ice water
½ teaspoon cider vinegar

Ingredients for the filling6-7 medium apples, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

Ingredients for crumb topping1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
Instructions
Combine dry ingredients in a small container and place in the freezer for fifteen minutes. Place dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse to combine ingredients. Add the chilled butter and pulse five times. With the processor running on low speed, add the ice water and vinegar to the mixture through the feed tube. The dough will be tacky and you will see bits of butter. Dump the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour or up to one day.
Remove dough from the fridge and flour both sides, as well as the rolling pin and board. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch and fit into a 9 inch pie plate. Pinch the overhang under the sides, then crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Place pie plate in the refrigerator while you cut the apples.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Combine the apples, flour, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes, or until the apples are juicy.
Meanwhile, add the ingredients for the crumb topping in a medium bowl. Mix with your fingers until combined.

Add apples to pie crust, then top with crumble topping. Bake for 50 minutes, checking after about 30 minutes for browning; cover with foil if needed. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.