Thursday, September 23, 2010

Welcome Friday and a Sweet Pea Totes Giveaway!

TGIF!!!  I can't tell you how happy I am that this week is over.  Some weeks just feel longer than others.  This was one of those weeks.  I want to welcome all my new visitors from New Friend Friday and Featuring You Friday, and I hope you like what you see!

So back to the weekend.  I hope you all have fun plans for this first weekend of fall!  We are going to have Jack's 1 year pictures taken.  I can't wait!!!  We also are going out for our anniversary Saturday....dinner and a movie.  We have seen one movie since Jack was born!  Any good movies out there?

Speaking of going out, I found the cutest boutique on Etsy; Sweet Pea Totes.
It was love at first sight.  I girl can never have to many handbags or purses can she?  So I now have them on my list for holiday gifts. 
I especially love these. 




Aren't they both perfect for Fall?  Mary creates one-of-a-kind handbags and accessories that are inspired by today's hottest designer fabrics. Her creations are all original designs from patterns she drafts myself so her handbags, clutches and wristlets are one of a kind.

The best part?  Mary is offering one of my readers any wristlet priced $26.00 and under, like this one....

To enter to win this AMAZING contest, visit Sweet Pea Tote's shop and comment on which wristlet you would choose!

Additional Entries:
Follow Sweet Pea Tote's Blog at http://sweetpeatotes.blogspot.com/
Follow my blog (if you do just let me know!)

Contest ends Sunday October 3, at 11:59pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and contacted via email! 
Good Luck, and have a great weekend!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wordish Wednesday...Anniversary Edition.

3 years ago, I had a very important date. 
I want to thank my husband for being a great husband, father and best friend.  I can't believe it's been 3 years. 
So on this "Wordish Wednesday" I thought I would include some of my favs from my wedding. 
You can view other Wordless Wednesdays at the paper mama.  Have a great day!


Have a great day!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

and the countdown begins.....

30 days.  That's the number of days until Jack become a toddler and will no longer be a baby.  This is also the period where I get that ever growing feeling of dred and sadness deep down inside.  Sometimes I think to myself "He can't be almost one already, he was just born!"  I still see that tiny, new little baby.  The one that needed me and counted on me.   Then I stop and realize that he still needs me and counts on me now, but just in different ways.

I can't believe what a wonderful, smart person he is turning into.  He is discovering something new everyday, and I can just see how hard he is thinking and taking it all in.  And his melt-my-heart smile I get when I pick him up from daycare is something I will never erase from my mind. 

Time flies.  The most important thing I have learned since becoming a mom is: slow down, enjoy life.  Things aren't as bad as they seem.  We can never get time back.  Make the most of it.

Happy 11 months Jack.  I love you.



Dinner, and a Show! (Benihana Giveaway!)

We don't go out nearly as much now that we have Jack, but when we do, one of our favorite places is Benihana.  I love the soup, I love the salad, and I love the meals!  My favorite meal is the Hibachi Steak and Chicken combo.  I am especially crazy about the ginger dipping sauce for the meal, I could eat it by the spoonful!

And who dosn't love a show while you eat, I never get tired of the chef's performance!  I also love seeing them cook my meal in front of me.  Of course, I was more than excited when I was contacted to host a giveaway for Behihana.


What's even better, is Benihana has a great special going on in September. 
Benihana’s September Chef’s Special:
Hibachi Ribeye for Two- $38
*Two hibachi ribeye steak entrees served with Benihana onion soup, Benihana salad, hibachi shrimp appetizer, mushrooms, hibachi vegetables, homemade dipping sauces, steamed rice and Japanese hot green tea.
Featured Drinks*Fuji Appletini- Ketel One vodka, apple liqueur and Benihana Plum Wine are shaken together for a refreshing twist on the classic apple martini.


*Green Tea Colada- A delicious Japanese twist on the pina colada.  A frozen blend of Mailbu Rum, ZEN Green Tea Liqueur, pineapple and coconut.


*Sake Sangria- Everyone’s favorite wine punch is made better with a splash of sake.  Choose from Red Plum or White Peach.
To find your local Benihana click here. 

To enter this great contest, all you  have to do is comment below on what you would order off the menu if you win! YOu can view the menu here!


Extra Entries:
Follow me (comment if you already do!)
Follow Benihana on Twitter




Contest ends Tuesday September 28th at 11:59 pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and contacted via email!
Good Luck!

Monday, September 20, 2010

a little help from my friends......

When I look at my number of followers, I get happy.  412.  That is a lot.  That's 412 more than I thought I would ever have.

On the otherhand, when I look at my comments, I get sad.  Sometimes I get 10 or 11 but usually it's 2 or 3.  This makes me think that the whole followers is just "a number" and maybe doesn't matter as much as everything thinks it does.

How do you other experienced bloggers get more comments?  I comment as much as I can on other people's blogs but I want more.

I would love your advice.........or your comments.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Meetup Monday!

I wish weekends were never-ending.  I wish Sunday mornings were every morning, and I wish lazy Saturdays were every Saturday.  We did nothing this weekend, and those are my favorite weekends.

It seems everyday Jack is doing something new or looks just a little bit older.  It is so fun, and exciting, but also sad.  I also find myself crying a lot more.  Not all bad cries.  A lot of good cries...like when Jack walked, or when he experiences something for first time or sometimes just because I can't believe he is mine.   But I am also crying knowing my tiny little baby, is no longer that.  He is growing up...fast.







So another Monday is here, which means 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.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Pumpkin Pumpkin Everywhere...

I love pumpkin.

I love pumpkin everything.  Pumpkin room spray, pumpkin candles, pumpkin soap...

and pumpkin beer


So when Fall arrives, get it all out and soak it all in.
Today, however, I decided to use this type of pumpkin:



I have been trying to buy pumpkin for weeks. I went to every single grocery store I passed by, and all of them were out of it.  My dreams came true today, as there was a HUGE supply of pumpkin at the store.  Of course I bought cans and cans of it.  My frist recipe to make?  Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies of course!  

These cookies might be the best cookie I have ever had.  They are like heaven, soft, and almost cake like.  My friends, family and co-workers beg me to make these every year.  So here they are.  I hope you enjoy them.  I think you will. 
And don't worry, there are more pumpkin recipes to come!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) semisweet chocolate chips
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

"Gain" new friends...but keep the old (and a giveaway!)

It's Friday!!!

I just love the Friday feeling.  The feeling of knowing I have two glorious days off with my family, two days to relax and unwind.  I want to welcome back all of my loyal readers, and I also want to welcome my new friends visiting from Featuring You Friday , and New Friend Friday! And as the saying goes..."Gain new friends but keep the old..." (well maybe that's not the saying exactly) I have a small giveaway!


I spend much of my days in the kitchen washing dishes, especially now that our dishwasher is broken.  I have to have a good scent when washing dishes, and Gain has done just that. I am so excited that I have been given the opportunity to try the new Gain Dish Liquid in the Original Scent.  P&G and My Blog Spark sent me a free bottle of Gain to try and I love it!  Origonal Gain has a fresh, clean smell, and also gets the job done with my dishes!

To learn more and keep up with Gain, you can “Like” Gain on Facebook and Follow Gain on Twitter!

Two (2) of my readers will receive:

  • $5 Walmart Gift Card
  • I Heart Gain T-Shirt (size large)
All you have to do is comment below! Conest will end, Friday September 24th, at 11:59pm. via random.org.  Winner will be contacted via email!
Good Luck and have a great, relaxing weekend.  Enjoy every second of it!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

O.C. Styles Giveaway!


As I was doing my daily browse through Etsy, I came across a fantastic shop called O.C. Styles.  Michelle, is so creative, and makes the cutest things!  She sells everything from handmande clutches and diaper bags, to trick or treat goodie bags!  She loves custom orders, and her items make the perfects gifts for any occasion.  These are just a few of my favorites items in Michelle's shop:
football clutch/diaper bag

autumn apron                                       trick or treat bag


fobkey wristlet

I thought it would be fun to do a little Q&A to get to know this Etsy seller.

How long have you been doing this, and how did you begin?
I have been sewing since I was a young girl & inspired by my family members who are all very creative. I have had an Etsy shop for a little over 2 years & before that I was doing private "trunk shows" --so OC Styles has been around for 3 years.  The way it began was when I made purse & a coffee cuff "Java Bling" for myself & my friends saw them & had to have them. So I started making them for my friends and it took off from there.


What is your favorite item you sell, and what is your most popular?
One of my favorite items is the Java Bling--coffee sleeve & the crayon keepers. They are so much fun to make & so very different from each other. My purses are the most popular item, but during the holidays, Java Blingz are super popular. The card holders & the checkbook cozies are also very popular.
What do you like to do in your free time?
When I do have free time...I spend it with friends & my family. My 5 year old daughter is a lot of fun & my husband & I love hanging out with her at movies or outdoors, at Disneyland or just playing in the pool or the backyard. We also love to host pool parties & BBQ's in our backyard with all of our friends.
Tell me a little about yourself!
I am a mom & a wife. I have been married for 9 years & I have a 5 year old daughter and a sweet doggie who is 7 years old. We have lived in California for 16 years, & before that, both my husband and I grew up in a very small town in southern Indiana. My favorite part of it all is a few things...I get to create items for someone special everyday. I love when I get an order from some place far away like Finland, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia. It's great meeting so many people in my shop from all over the world. I love knowing that someone, some where is carrying one of my items in their purse, or even using one of my purses in their wedding. It's really fun to see what people request for custom items.


Michelle is generously giving one of my readers a $20 gift certificate to her Etsy shop!

Required Entry:(please leave email address with one of  your entries)
Visit O.C. Styles and comment on what you will buy if you win!

Extra Entries:
Follow Michelle on Twitter
Follow my blog (if you do, let me know!)

Contest ends Friday September 24, at 11:59 pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org, and contacted via email.
Good Luck!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

We have a (soon to be) walker! And meetup Monday....


  1. So I hope you all had a good weekend. I did. We did NOTHING, which is my favorite type of weekend. We played, relaxed, went to the park and went for many walks. Summer hung around another weekend, and it went by way too fast.

And....Jack is almost walking! I am thinking he will take off any day now.


This is his favorite thing to do now.  We sat for an hour today while he walked back and forth between my husband and I.  The look on his face while he walks is the cutest thing ever, like "I can't believe I am doing this!!!"

Be sure to join Meetup Monday, and I hope you have a great start to your week.  Have an extra cup of coffee for me.
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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.




Saturday, September 11, 2010

then I had a taste......now I'm a believer!

I am not a soda drinker.  I will have MAYBE one can a week.  I do, however, love sparkling water. So when the great people at SodaStream sent me one of their machines to try out, I was skeptical.  How could a machine make soda or sparkling water/juice like I buy at the store?


I received a SodaStream machine, the CO2 Carbonator, two reusable bottles, and a huge variety of soda flavors!! I was so excited when it came in the mail! We opened it up right away and gave it a try.  We decided to try cola first since my husband and I both love Coke. We could not believe how simple it was to make and use!  First open the back part of the SodaStream machine, screw in the CO2 Carbonator, then close back up the back. Then, rinse your soda bottle, fill it with cold tap water, and screw it onto the machine. Press the button on the top of the machine (about 3 or 4 times) until you hear it make a funny noise.  Choose your flavor, mix it in, shake, and enjoy!!!!  Regular old tap water is instantly turned into sparkling water or soda!  Genius! It was amazing, and tasted exactly like the name brand soda.


SodaStream soda is healther than regular soda or juices and is better for our planet!
Now for some info from the Sodastream website:
How Does SodaStream Help the Environment?

SodaStream is an "Active Green" product, meaning that consumers are actively reducing their CO2 footprint every time they make soda or sparkling water at home instead of buying it from the store. The more the system is used on a daily basis, the more CO2 footprint the user actively saves. (This differs from "Passive Green" products, which use green-friendly production processes, but their products are not inherently helping the consumers save on their daily footprint.)

Globally, 206 billion liters of bottled water were consumed in 2008 (Zenith International Global Bottled Water Report, 2008). The energy required to make water bottles in the US only, is equivalent to 17 million barrels of oil (Container Recycling Institute, 2002).

According to the US Recycling Institute, more than 80% of bottles in the US do not get recycled and end up in landfills. Also, an estimated 4.7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions were produced in the process of replacing the 134 billion bottles and cans not recycled in 2005.

Using your own home carbonation system means:
•Less packaging waste from cans and bottles.
•Less pollution caused by transport of bottled beverages.
One SodaStream carbonator makes 60 or 110 liters, equivalent to 170 or 310 aluminum cans! When empty, the carbonator is refilled and reused, ready to make more fizzy and tasty soda whenever you want it.

Be sure to check this out if you love soda or other sparkling drinks! You can click here to find out where to get your own SodaStream!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Happy Friday

Welcome new friends and old! I hope you all have a great weekend! I will be catching up on things this weekend and will post more then, this week has been hectic!!!

In the meantime, please check out the Centsationsl Girl's blog with her amazing decorating ideas.
This is just one of them;



Enjoy your weekend!