In One Ear

Zoobies pet review and giveaway

2012-02-12T15:16:00.001-06:00

Have you heard of Zoobies? At first glance, you wonder if it's a stuffed animal or a pillow. It's both, but more.

We were given our choice of a Zoobie to review. Bean picked Caliel. I was secretly excited because I love camels.
First thing you notice is the quality. It's excellent!

The head is microbeaded for ultimate squishability.
2 velcro loops at the bottom pull the animal together for a stuffed animal (or release them for a pillow).
Bean has been carrying the blanket around with her lately. She loves Caliel!

Inside is a very soft fleece blanket 44" x 34". Perfect size for little kids, and even adults

some more stats....

L: 21" x W: 7.5" x H: 14"

100% polyester (additional materials)

Washing-Blanket: Machine wash, tumble dry. Blanket zips off for easy washing.

Washing-Outer pouch: Spot wash (if machine washed, using a laundry bag designed for delicates is recommended).

Recommended for ages 3 and up, but safely tested for all ages.

Zoobies was created by 2 young brothers that came from a big family, looking for a way to consolidate what they could bring on long trips and make it easier on their mom...I can really appreciate this because it is hard cramming blankets, pillows and toys in a small area when you have a big family. This is perfect for those trips.

Zoobies has generously offered one of my readers their choice of one of the regular pet Zoobies. And if you can't wait and you decide you have to have one of them now, they are also offering 20% offany Zoobie product on Zoobies.com with the coupon code “Parenthood”.

I was given a Zoobie of my choice for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bean

2012-02-09T14:23:00.001-06:00

Bean is our youngest.
She's our blue-eyed terror.
She's got Phil wrapped around her little finger.
She's full of spunk.
She's our oddball child.
She's 32 pounds of sweetness (when she's asleep).

She also loves to help. She is helping me review something really neat. That review (and a giveaway) will be up and running Saturday so make sure you come back and enter.

Courage

2012-02-06T10:11:00.001-06:00

the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

I lack courage.

I'm a photographer, I like what I do. It's not just a job. But I have a fear that I knew would catch up with me sooner or later and I would have to face it head-on.

It isn't even a rational fear.

It doesn't even make sense.

I grew up overseas, so it was a fact of life for me. In the past, I've avoided going with Phil to a wedding in California, conferences in Vegas. All because of my fear. I have a very real fear of flying. And this May, I have no choice but to do so. One of our clients is flying both Phil and I to this beautiful little island, putting us up in a luxurious hotel for 4 days/3 nights while we photograph their wedding. Where? Jamaica. Sandals beach resort. When asked if I wanted an aisle or window seat on the plane, I said window. Might as well beat my fear once and for all right?

Handicap Parking

2012-01-26T12:33:00.002-06:00

I'm ranting, so bear with me. It makes me so mad when I see a car pull into a handicap space and when the person gets out, they obviously aren't handicapped.
Today I pulled into Walgreens. I sat there and watched a silver car pull into the only available handicap spot. A lady got out. Talking on her phone of course. In 4 inch heels. Seriously. There were even spots available that weren't handicap to the left of this spot.
We have a handicapped thing you hang on the mirror. It's for my uncle. We've used it once. I had driven him to walmart and the place was packed. My uncle has had a couple strokes and walks with a limp and stumbles. He's also blind in one eye. He doesn't drive. Usually I drop him off at the front and then I go park. I can't do this anymore when I take him shopping because the short distance to the van wears him out. At his apartment he uses a scooter to get the the laundry and back.
And the sad thing about these people...they are getting away with it. And the people who need the spots dont' get them. Next time I'm going to take a picture. Next time I'll say something (she was very intimidating)

Rosie

2012-01-23T19:14:00.001-06:00

So this is Rosie. She's the kids' new puppy. She's a good pup. She has made herself at home completely. She does like toes and socks (on or off the foot doesn't matter).

SodaStream Review

2012-01-22T11:30:00.001-06:00

I was fortunate enough to review a SodaStream machine. We don't buy a lot of soda because the kids really don't need it, and it's so expensive. They do like it as treats though so I was excited when it came in the mail. It was packaged great and before I even had all the flavors out, the kids had the reusable soda bottle out, rinsed and filled to the line with cold water, and the root beer syrup waiting near the machine. We got a very nice variety, and I was happy that there were many diet syrups included and a cola free (which tastes just like coke zero...hubby's choice of drink). There is even an energy drink syrup for those who are always on the go. Each bottle of concentrated syrup equals 33 cans of soda. You really can't beat that. On the right are sparkling natural soda syrup, they are new and made with cane sugar. One bottle of those equals 25 cans. There are new flavors like orange pineapple, blackcurrant and pear, even green tea.

Also included was a 3 pack of sparkling water flavors. Great for when you get bored with plain water. The taste awesome. I got an extra water bottle just so I can keep sparkling water ready at all times.

Fill the cap to the line with syrup. To make the fizz, screw the water on.

Pump the button 3 times for average fizz.

Unscrew the water bottle after you are done.

Slowly add the syrup. Watch out that you don't add it too fast because it will fizz up and spill out the bottle if you do.

Cap the bottle, and slowly mix the soda together. We tip it side to side a couple times.

And then watch your savings add up. The bottles of syrup are less expensive than a 6 pack of your favorite soda, and you get more for the price. And want to know the best part? They contain NO HIGH FRUCTOSE SYRUP. You can find them at places like Best Buy, Sears, Costco, Staples, and those are just a few places. When your CO2 cartridge is empty, you can exchange it for a new one at minimum cost at many of those same places. While the initial investment of a SodaStream may seem high, you will soon see that it is worth it.

Disclosure... I was given a SodaStream and a variety of syrups for the purpose of my personal review. This blog post is not a paid post and the honest opinions stated are my own.

Subtle hints

2012-01-18T18:14:00.000-06:00

I'm out of coffee.

I hate fog

2012-01-06T09:47:00.000-06:00

This is what it's like outside. Just finished my last drop off of the morning...I swear you can't see the cars in front of you until they are RIGHT there.

Team Giulia

2012-01-04T20:33:00.000-06:00

May 12, it's going to be here before you know it. We are officially registered to walk in Pensacola's first ever Walk to cure Diabetes. I hope whoever can make it comes out to help find a cure. If you can't, that's ok too...if you want to support another way, there is a chip in on the left or you can go to JDRF. It will pull up only Phillip's name, but so far the team is Phil, me, Emily, Jack, Allison, Lizzie, Morris and Becca...possibly some more people that want to walk with us. We are walking in honor of my friend's little girl Giulia, who was diagnosed last year. I'll add her picture here when I find it on my cluttered desktop.

Pictures!!

2012-01-02T20:02:00.002-06:00

One day I will get the photography blog back up, until then...

Have you noticed the chip-in on the left? Lizzie reached her goal for Cranes4aCure. She didn't want to stop, so as a family, we are walking the the JDRF Walk for a Cure May 12. That's going to be a long day since the walk is in the morning and in the afternoon we have a wedding. This Sunday is the Bridal Expo at the Civic Center. We'll be there, stop by and say hi if you are in the area.

My Memories (closed)

2011-12-26T17:14:00.020-06:00

Awesome software. Very user friendly. I was lucky enough to be able to do a review for My Memories. I wasn't sure how digital scrapbooking would turn out, but I gave it a go. And was pleasantly surprised. The software was very easy to use. The papers and embellishments seem endless, but not too endless that you get overwelhmed. You can go all out, or you can keep it simple, the choices are really up to you and what you prefer. I experimented with some wedding photos

I think it turned out nice. It doesn't take away from the actual pictures at all. Then I took some of Lizzie's Cranes pictures...I was thinking of turning it into a album anyways, so I used a template this time. These are the first 5 pages. I just added some text, and picked what picture went where. Very simple. But I love how it still makes a statement.

There are a lot of ways to share your memories as well

The possibilities are endless. You will have so much fun making memories with My Memories. So now the fun part. One of my readers is going to win their own copy of My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Suite. You will love it! If you just can't wait to see if you are the winner or not or you just want to purchase your own copy right away, just add it to your cart, and use the coupon code STMMMS20509 for a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store.

rafflecopter doesn't like me right now, so we're going to do this the old fashioned way...

mandatory entry...leave a comment telling me one of your best memories.

for extra entries

like MyMemories on facebook
visit MyMemories and tell me what you like best
follow mymemoriesSuite on twitter
follow my blog
follow my other blog

Giveaway will end on January 8, 2012 CLOSED, have emailed the winner, thanks to everyone who entered.

All opinions are mine alone, I was given a copy of My Memories digital software for my honest opinion.

Popcorn

2011-12-22T18:39:00.005-06:00

So, who likes popcorn? If you have kids then you probably answered yes. My kids love popcorn, but I was getting sick of buying bags of it. So much money on 6 bags. It was eating my budget for snacks. Phillip to the rescue. His great idea...buy a popcorn maker. Duh, why didn't I think of that? So we did. He spent a good 20 minutes in the appliance aisle looking at different ones, and finally decided on the Orville Redenbacher's Stirring Popper. You would think our popcorn woes would have ended there right? Wrong. Then he had to go to the popcorn section, get popcorn kernels, and because we had a couple of the kids with us, they had to get a variety of seasonings to go on the popcorn as well. So far, we are loving it. It's saved us money already, instead of having to pop 2-3 bags of popcorn to have enough for all the kids, we just make one batch. Oh, did I mention the lid doubles as a bowl as well? Clean up is simple. It comes with a little black plastic lid that you pop on the top as soon as it's done popping, flip the container (don't worry, it's not hot) and eat. No steam from bags to worry about. If you are type that likes buttered popcorn, that little round part on top is also a butter melter. Fancy.

<-don't ask lol...

Morris turns 8

2011-12-20T08:45:00.004-06:00

Time flys. Morris turned 8 on the 14th. We held off having his cake until this past Friday.

"A gum ball? Really?" then he turned to Bean and thanked her and popped it in his mouth. She was so excited because she got it for him on her own.

Future Heart-throb

2011-12-17T17:43:00.004-06:00

That would be my Morris. Jack is already a lady's man. He actually has girls fighting over him, but he's not one for drama. Morris is his clone. He looks just like Jack did at this age.

Second grade had their Christmas performance. They were awesome.

Bean is 6

2011-12-07T11:52:00.004-06:00

How that happened, I don't know. She actually turned 6 on November 30th, but it's been crazy around here.

She is still a little terror, but I say that with nothing but love.

So now I have to give you some great news on the Cranes4aCure project Lizzie has been doing. She has officially reached her initial goal of $1,000.00. But don't be discouraged, should you still have an extra dollar or two, her chip-in is still active. May 12 of next year is the JDRF Walk for a Cure and we are happy to say we are part of it. Phil is the official photographer and we are walking as a family. We still need a cure. 100% of donations go straight to JDRF.

My baby is growing up.

2011-11-23T15:38:00.002-06:00

Bean had a Turkey Day program. A speaking part no less. It was so cute. She was a pilgrim.

And then they all sang "G-d Bless America" at the very end. I know there is a lot of issues with people saying G-d doesn't belong in school, but think about it, He's with you every day when you pull out a dollar to spend. He belongs front and center.

Because I am an awesome mom...remember Emily's stolen ipod? Guess who hunted it down (without a serial number even) it changed hands 4 different times, came back to us with a little crack in the screen, but it came back. Never doubt a mom on a mission.

Saying Goodbye to Sally

2011-11-19T16:59:00.005-06:00

When we got Sally, it wasn't planned. She was a gift. She was a pain. She chewed everything she could get her teeth on, she peed on everything, she pooped on everything. Nothing was safe with her around. We joked and told the kids we were going to give her to someone who had the space for her that she could run. We talked about taking her to the dog park. The kids loved her. Sally was my companion during the day. I could carry on conversations with her and she never argued back. Well, sometimes she did. She rode with me everyday to get the kids. She loved car rides. She liked to run. We live off a main street and I cringed every time she got loose, she would run. Last night she got out by accident. Last night Sally died. Phil took her to the ER vet, but they couldn't help her, so she died in the arms of Emily, Jack and Phillip. Phillip and Jack buried her in the backyard in a space near the back fence that Jack had recently cleared. It's a nice spot, I can see flowers growing near it in the spring. This house is so quiet. All of us are torn up over the loss of Sally. She was part of us. She will be missed.

Sally November 17, 2010 -November 18, 2011

World Diabetes Day

2011-11-14T17:03:00.009-06:00

Diabetes is much like a stroke, it doesn't care how rich you are or what you do for a living. Type 1 diabetes strikes people at any age. It comes on suddenly, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications The symptoms of type 1 diabetes (T1D) can even be mistaken for common illnesses like the flu. It's Diabetes awareness month this month, but today is national diabetes day. There is not enough awareness out there, and there needs to be. Get involved in your local chapter, the next person who needs help may be someone you love.

Have an extra dollar? Help Lizzie reach her goal. She is $74.00 shy of raising $1,000.00 for JDRF. The money she collects goes towards finding a cure for kids and adults with T1 diabetes.

Not convinced that diabetes is serious? Think again. Imagine this is your child...fine one day, the next day she's in the PICU seriously ill. This is the face of diabetes

This is Giulia. She was diagnosed earlier this year. She was getting ready for dance class when she basically couldn't function anymore so her mom took her to the E.R. It strikes that fast. One minute you are fine, the next minute you could literally be fighting for your life.

This is Giulia now. With her insulin pump that keeps her alive.

Please help find a cure.

Did you really just do that?

2011-11-09T10:54:00.004-06:00

I spend hours upon hours editing photos. It's my job. I do it well if I do say so myself. So imagine my surprise when I log into facebook and someone took it upon themselves to re-edit photos. I have never been so upset about anything related to photography as much as I was then. I worked hard. They looked great. Re-edited, they look horrible. I wanted to tell them as much, but I'm a nice person. So, people, if you pay good money to have your photos done, do us photographers a favor, edit your own photos, not ours. We've been doing this a lot longer then you have, we work hard to give you the best photos possible. Read the contract you signed...limited copyright applies to personal reproduction not modifying.

Morris gets a hair cut

2011-11-07T19:35:00.002-06:00

Morris needed a haircut. He asked me to do it so I took him to the bathroom started trimming...too late I realized I had the wrong guard on the razor, so he got a really short cut. But he likes it and I don't think it looks bad at all. As the hair is falling off, he catches it and holds it to his chest. Then he tells me " I am going to show the girls I am a man! I have hair on my chest"

In other news, kids got their report cards last Friday. They all did great. Lizzie is down to only needing $74.00 left to raise for Diabetes research. She wanted to raise the remainder this month since it's diabetes awareness month, so feel free to share her site www.cranes4acure.com and spread the word.

Halloween for freaks (warning...not for little kids)

2011-10-29T19:17:00.006-05:00

So, I know I've told you I have a warped sense of humor...I don't deny it. My hubby is warped as well. He is off to a Halloween people with some people from work. I am not attending because, well, I'm not really a people person and would rather have some coffee and listen to the stories later.

Tonight I helped him get ready, and took pictures to document his transformation. Warning to anyone with little kids...it's a bit bloody looking.

hope he doesn't freak anyone out too bad while he's driving.

still behind

2011-10-25T19:53:00.006-05:00

getting frustrated with blogger and it not doing what I want it to, so excuse how the pictures are laid out. More later, I've got to get back to editing. I do have to say a big thank you to whoever sent me a gift certificate to the Coffee Fool. I am really loving you whoever you are. Thanks!

Has it been a month?

2011-10-19T11:18:00.009-05:00

Yep. having a computer that doesn't work will get you every time. I never realized how much I depended on ours till it decided it didn't want to turn on. I'm behind on everything. I can't even post some photos I want because I can't find where the logo is.
Let's see...
The elementary school was chosen to host the New Orleans Saints junior training camp. Very cool.

this photo needs no explanation!this photo probably does. snagged it from Phil's facebook cause it had the logo) Wedding. Phil and the dj put their wigs and sunglasses on and did the Party Rock Anthem...total surprise to everyone...it was epic.

more later, just thought I'd let you know I'm back. With a working computer.

Kids

2011-09-20T10:37:00.002-05:00

I truly believe that the way kids act are a direct result of the way they are raised. That doesn't mean that there are a few out there that have great parents and are rotten, that just means those kids are followers and follow the bad seed kids who's parents don't question anything.
Last week was open house at the high school. We went. In a couple classrooms, we were the only people. How sad is that? I'm not a perfect parent, my kids drive me insane and sometimes I have to walk away before I lose it.
But, this brings me to thinking a lot of kids have no morals. My kids would never think of stealing. Lizzie found a $20.00 bill once and gave it to the adult she was with because it wasn't hers. Morris, if he sneaks a treat too many, he'll feel guilty and come tell me.
Emily brought her ipod to school. I've told her not to many times before, but her teacher had told them they could bring them to listen to during something. So she did. And it was stolen. Out of her backpack in a classroom that usually is locked. She didn't bring it out during this class, and she said only 2 people in that class knew about it. So logical thinking brings me to think that it is one of her so called "friends". She'll probably never see it again. It's password protected and we do have tracking on it. We tracked it yesterday and sent it a remote message for whoever took it to please return with no questions asked, and even said there was a reward, but most likely I will have to start saving for a new one for her. Maybe for the holidays.
How can a parent who knows their kid didn't have an ipod the day before and suddenly comes home from school with one, not question where they got it from?

I'm afraid for the future. Very afraid.

Popcorn anyone?

2011-09-13T09:25:00.002-05:00

Jack is in Boy Scouts. He's working towards his Eagle Rank. He's also starting to save for his big camping trip next year. Philmont Scout Ranch. Selling popcorn helps. Part of every popcorn sale he makes goes to an account to help pay for Philmont. The popcorn...oh my gosh...it's really good. All of it is. I can't even pick a favorite because it's impossible. There is a new thing this year, and instead of selling locally only, you can now support Jack and buy popcorn online and it will be delivered to your door. Jack appreciates it...we appreciate it. Clicking on the picture above will bring you to a page where it says "customers buy here" it will ask for a 10 digit code. That's how they know you are buying from Jack. The code is 8836615102 . Thanks for supporting Jack and the Boy Scouts of America.

Did you know?

2011-09-12T09:29:00.005-05:00

Northwest Florida and South Alabama has a JDRF chapter now. Get involved, you never know...someone you are close to may be diagnosed. Type 1 diabetes strikes people at any age. It comes on suddenly, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications.
Lizzie has raised $901.00 towards finding a cure for T1 Diabetes. She's so excited. She says she wants to keep raising money and awareness even after she has reached her initial goal.
Still trying to find a way to get Nick Jonas' letter to him that she wrote.

It's not too late to help. Just head on over to Lizzie's blog and use the chip in. 100% of the monies collected go to JDRF to help find a cure for Diabetes.

clicking on the above picture will bring you to Lizzie's Angel's In Our Midst news clip.

Photos for Friday

2011-09-09T21:13:00.006-05:00

I

It's been a long week and I just don't have much to say. Wedding in the morning. Sunday school Sunday...and repeat next week. Trying to get caught up on photos. Whatcha think?

Hubby has boarded the plane.

2011-09-06T09:29:00.004-05:00

And he's on his way back home. He flew out last week to California to shoot a wedding. I guess he stayed pretty busy because I sure didn't get to talk to him much. He also had to bring his homework to turn it too. I snagged these off his facebook to share how hard he must have been working.

Yep, looks like he had it rough doesn't it. Kids are excited for him to be home. I think I am even more. My turn for a vacation now.

Butt Dialing

2011-08-30T22:17:00.005-05:00

We all have done it. Don't deny it. Butt Dialing.
Tonight Phil was at a bridal shoot. He usually doesn't call
me until he is on his way home.
He called me today. It's a good thing I knew he was a bridal shoot
because here's how the conversation went

Phil- "Bri, tilt your head like this, a little more, perfect!
Ok, now let's try this....(rustle rustle) PERFECCCT"
Bride- OMG! Brit, you have to see this, you are amazing Phil"

of course that is just a sample of it, I listened for 8 minutes before I hung up.
I even tried to get his attention by putting the phone up to the speaker and
blaring "who let the dogs out" he said he heard the dogs and asked the bride
if she heard them as well.

Men, they keep life interesting.

Today

2011-08-29T11:44:00.002-05:00

It's my birthday!
If I'm only as old as I feel, I have a lot of growing up to do still.
(oh, and I would love that soup for dinner tonight hint hint)
I had to laugh when I read a post from my husband

Happy Birthday to my lovely wife!! It was my intention to wake up early, get my own clothes ironed, my own breakfast, and get the kids ready too....BUT...you beat me to it, again. Love you...I know something you don't know! (he only thinks I don't know, trust me, it's hard to surprise me)

then there was this one from a fellow photog friend

hey, hey , hey, it's your BIRTHDAY! I hope your handsome husband is taking you out somewhere super nice?

of course my hubby had to reply

" I'm taking her to a personalized tour of the inside of the crowne, then we are going to candidly walk around downtown and bayfront. of course, there will be a bride with us, but it's all good!!"

he's not kidding. We have a bridal shoot downtown this afternoon. Followed by a yahrzeit. I did have my coffee in peace though, and that's all that counts.

I would like to ask for some prayers for friends of mine up north. They were in the path of Irene, and while they are fine, they are without power and they cannot find open stores with ice available. A highway collapsed and they can't get to the places they know are open. They need ice. Their daughter is diabetic and her medicine needs to be refrigerated.

First Day of School

2011-08-22T19:17:00.005-05:00

This is the first year all 6 of the kids went off to school. Of course you know the older kids won't have anything to do with photos, but luckily the little kids love them.

Morris 2nd grade, Lizzie 4th grade and Bean kindergarten. I love that their school is a uniform school, but they can wear red, white or navy blue collared shirts and khaki, navy blue or dk blue jeans on bottom. Saves so much on the budget.

I tried to convince Bean that she didn't have to go, but she wasn't having any of it and went in the room and told Phil "lets stop this chit chatting and go please" And she had a blast. Phil walked her to her class this morning and had to search for a taller chair since the ones they were using were too big for her.

In the chair that fit her.

Her class mascot is a Bee, so I stayed up late and made her cookies to take. I think they came out pretty cute, but the picture is blurry because it was taken with a cell phone.

So now I'm here trying to get them to bed again. Last night Bean was singing to herself till 10:30 p.m. Cute, but annoying when you have other kids trying to sleep.

30 Meals in One Day Review and Giveaway

2011-08-18T11:51:00.009-05:00

Most everyone who knows me, knows I'm non-stop. Not by choice though. My day usually starts at 6 and doesn't stop till sometimes close to midnight. I have 6 kids that go to 3 different schools that start and end at 3 different times. I'm a photographer and I'm always baking for the different venues around town. No time. We do all try to sit down to dinner together every night, sometimes, it happens, sometimes its a grab a run deal (scouts, choir, school functions etc.) But when we do sit down together I want it to be a nice dinner, not some takeout. But, the time thing comes in again. How do I make a nice dinner for the family when I don't have time? 30 Meals in One Day.

I was given the chance to review 30 Meals in One Day book and software. I had a free Saturday so I made a list of the meals I wanted, the ingredients I needed (although, a lot of what I needed was already in the cupboards), sent the hubby to get the list and started cooking. With over 150 recipes to choose from, there is something for everyone. All the recipes in the cook book are already loaded into the software and you can even print your grocery list at your convenience. You can make menus, you can even add your own recipes and it will add those items needed to your grocery list as well. It's one seriously neat book and software. I love it! We keep kosher and I was even able to alter the recipes (mainly leaving out the cheese on meat dishes) and they were still awesome.

Another great thing about the recipes in this book? You can easily double the recipes and you got double the meals. While I didn't get 30 meals made (my freezer is too small) I did get a lot made. I know, I know, you're wondering about the taste of the recipes right? They are awesome! My niece stayed the week and I pulled out a container out of the freezer (and put in the fridge) the night before to bake the next day. She was a little unsure about eating a frozen meal that wasn't a t.v. dinner, and said "aunt Jenny, I don't know about this" but that child had 3rds so you know it was good.

30 Meals in One Day has everything you need to get started on saving time. Cookbooks, software, labels...they even have disposable freezer pans.
Now for the giveaway...
One of my readers is going to win a copy of On the Side

On the Side is, well a side book for Dinner is Ready. It has over 350 recipes for vegetables, rice, pasta, salads, dressings & sauces, bread, and a category called “Everything Else” for the recipes that dont' fall in any of the other categories. The menu guide inside even gives you suggestions for sides that go well with the meals from Dinner is Ready. A lot of them can even be frozen.

All you have to do is...

visit 30 Meals in One Day and tell me something you like (mandatory)

follow my blog on the right hand side

follow my other blog

follow me on twitter and tweet about this (1x a day)

please leave an email in your comment if not available in your profile. I will draw a winner September 1st . The winner will have 48 hours to get back with me with required info or I will pick another winner. Thanks!

*I was given a copy of Dinner is Ready and the software for my honest review. All opinions remain my own.

Just the way it is

2011-08-08T15:29:00.004-05:00

I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to sugar coat it. I'm sure your kids are the most well behaved angels out there...mine aren't.
My kids drive me crazy. They give me grey hairs. Wait, I take that back, white hairs.
Picture this........

The four girls are in a back to school runway fashion show at the mall. They will be sporting the latest fashions from The Flight Deck, Charlotte Russe, Old Navy and The Childrens Place. Awesome huh? yeah, ok, you keep thinking that. Who had to take them to get fitted at those stores? Me. Oh, and just to make it more interesting, I brought Jack, Morris and Heather (my niece). Now you see where I'm going right? Teenagers, who don't necessarily want to be seen with their mom...I'm a cool mom, but even they have their limits, I do like to embarrass. So Jack and Heather walk the mall while I'm dragging the girls from store to store. Morris is whining he wants something. I told him ask for something again and see what he gets. He was quiet real fast. I'm the worst person to go shopping with. I hate it. It was only made worse by having little kids in tow. Then they found a huge gumball machine-filled with rubber balls. I told them if I had to chase another ball...

at least my kids are cute.

Too bad the girls wear uniforms to school, Lizzie's outfit was really cute.

Then there is sassy Bean. Oh my holy does this child have the mother of all attitudes when something doesn't go her way. We'll take better pictures at the runway show, which I don't even know when is.
***both outfits are available at Old Navy***

I am a snitch*

2011-07-28T08:30:00.004-05:00

and other random stuff.
My good friend Kristin, posted random bullets...so here I am sharing mine.

yesterday I took the kids to the last free movie of the summer, Gulliver's Travels. Cute movie, but it does have Jack Black in it, so there is a butt scene, and there is one cuss word @ss, no biggie. It was a cute movie and the kids loved it

*while waiting for the movie to start, I watched a boy right in front of me (maybe 9 yrs old?) push a younger girl out of her chair so he could sit by his buddy. The little girl looked like she was going to cry. The daycare worker who was there with them started to get upset with the little girl because she wasn't sitting down, so I leaned over and told her it was the boy who pushed her out of her seat to begin with. The boy gave me a dirty look and then called me a liar. The daycare worker heard it. He had to sit by her during the movie.

same boy wasn't given any money for popcorn (along with 2 others) I carry baggies with me to the movies to divide a large popcorn between the kids. We had extra bags so I filled some and gave them to the lady. She thanked me. Boy who called me a liar thanked me.

I'm baking all day, but I really want to go back to bed. It's drizzling out.

I can't find my heating core for the bigger cake I need to bake. I really need it.

that song will now be stuck in your head (Thanks D!) Bean goes around now says "oh! you touch my tra la la....mmmm my ding ding dong" those are the only words she remembers. Jack and Emily sing the song in its entirety.**

Jack has been at Camp Woodruff all week. I miss him.

My mom had neck surgery yesterday. She'll be in the hospital for 5 days. My uncle who was in the motorcycle accident has to have his leg amputated.

Phil is going to California for a wedding Labor day weekend. The couple is flying him out there and putting him up in a hotel for a week. I'm staying here.

Lizzie has raised $823.00 for Juvenile Diabetes research.

there is two giveaways going on right now HERE and HERE. Both of them have ridiculously low entries.

**warning, do not watch original song in the company of children

Box Tops and Winn Dixie (closed)

2011-07-26T21:04:00.004-05:00

Every Fall, the elementary school has a carnival as a fund raiser. Usually they have a booth where if you bring a sheet filled with a certain amount of box tops for education, the kids get extra tickets or a goody bag. During the school year, there is also extra incentives to bring them in. Throughout the summer months and into the Fall and Winter my kids argue about who gets the box tops off the boxes. Starting tomorrow the arguing will start full force. July 27 - August 2 when you purchase any two General Mills Box top items you will get 5 extra box tops for your school. Pair that with coupons and stocking up on back to school items, you can really help your school out. We stock up on cereal. With 6 kids, it seems like it's always running low. Favorites around here are Cheerios (any kind) and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Our school has raised enough money with box tops that there is ipads in every room and brand new playground equipment. It's not a rich school by any means, but we do have 100% parent PTA involvement.
Tomorrow I will be going shopping at Winn Dixie, and I'll make sure my mom goes there as well. It's for the kids. It's for a good cause.
Be sure to check your Winn-Dixie ad for details about additional bonus Box Top offers that start as early as August 3. To learn more about the Box Tops for Education Program and how you can help your local schools, visit Box Tops.

I'm going to help out of you. I have a $25.00 gift card to Winn Dixie up for grabs.
all you have to do is

share which of your favorite participating General Mill product you are looking forward to purchasing during the Box Tops offer. (mandatory)
follow Box Tops for Education on twitter
follow me on twitter
tweet this giveaway (don't forget to use #MyBlogSpark)
follow my other blog
visit Cranes4aCure this is our future trying to make a difference.

please leave an email if not available in your profile. I will draw a winner August 3rd.

Disclosure: The Winn-Dixie gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark

Hibachi the Davies' way

2011-07-21T21:39:00.003-05:00

Today was Emily's 16th birthday. She went from that chubby cheeked little kid to, well, that young lady on the right. I've blocked every male acquaintance she has. Trust me, I kid you not. She does not know it, but we've not had any phones calls all summer.

We decided to take her (and everyone else) to dinner for her birthday. Hibachi. There is this Japanese restaurant that we've been to only a couple times, but the chef is awesome. He is hilarious and we knew the kids would all have fun. We also brought our niece Heather. Nobusei made the kids laugh. At one time he left to get some veggies. He came back and Morris was whispering to Phil. Nobusei said to Morris "I heard that...good ears I have" and Morris, well, was Morris. He asked "then what was she saying when you were gone?" and he pointed to Emily. Nobusei looked at Emily, smiled and says "Beautiful girl, talking about all her boyfriends, yes" Morris sat up straight looked him in the eye and said "NO, she was not talking at all, she was farting"
I think I almost choked on my water.

Has it been almost a month?

2011-07-18T10:57:00.003-05:00

Funny how summer is supposed to give you more time, but yet you get less.
I've been busy keeping the kids occupied, getting caught up on weddings, celebrating mine and Phil's 17th anniversary, and going on a vacation.
I'm not caught up on weddings yet, didn't do anything for our anniversary, but vacation was great. I wish we didn't have to leave. We went to the Smokey Mountains. For 5 days this was our home away from home.

It was high in the mountains...the roads were so steep that when it rained one day we couldn't go anywhere. We took the kids to Ober Gatlinburg where believe it or not we went even higher. On another day we set off to go see the Smokey Mountain National Park, but we didn't get too far before we had to turn around, the van just couldn't take the roads. We have pictures, not uploaded yet because I need to get caught up on weddings first.
But, I am back. Hopefully back to regular posting too.

I leave you with comments by Morris and Bean...
After it rained in the mountains, the fog was very thick, in places it look like smoke.
Morris ran to the window and said "is this why it's called the Smokey Mountains? There is a lot of smoke out there"
Bean got mad at Morris for something and said "Morris makes me so mad! I want to crush him like a chip"

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-06-27T10:39:00.003-05:00

Today was more of a brunch. The kids got up late, so rather than try to make everyone happy with breakfast and then 2 hours later lunch, we combined them.
They had mini quiches, strawberries and grapes, cheese chunks, a mini cinnamon roll,
more fruit with mandarin oranges and vanilla yogurt with cinnamon.
I could not even get a decent picture before they started eating. Someday I will be
more creative. someday.

Monday

2011-06-20T19:47:00.005-05:00

I'm so behind on everything, forgive me. Today was supposed to be muffin tin Monday, Bean reminds me every Sunday that "tomorrow is Monday". I was at the hospital all day, so we had to do dinner. (x5 since we have a guest)

They had grapes, green beans and fresh corn-off-the cob, a mini croissant, chicken, tators and more chicken. Not one of the greatest, but at least they ate it.

We've been having some wicked storms pass through this past week, tons of thunder and lightning, but would you believe no rain? Drought like conditions. It's hot, and very dry.

And last of all, Lizzie and her Cranes so far. My girl has raised $726.00 for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She's so close to her goal (although this is only the 250 she has folded so far).

So why was I gone most of the week and at the hospital all day? My uncle was in a motorcycle accident last Monday. He had his 4th surgery today and I went up to sit with him until my aunt was done with her appt. an hour away. And I've been trying my hardest to get caught up on wedding photos.

My Confession

2011-06-16T08:16:00.002-05:00

I love my kids...but I have to admit, I can't wait till school starts.
I'm loving spending time with them, but I can't wait because they can't wait.
Bean is so excited about starting kindergarten that she asks most days if summer is over yet. I'm sure one or two of them are not as excited but I guess when you go to great schools, it's to be expected. So I can't wait.
I have all these plans to be caught up for once instead of racing to a deadline. All this extra time to do a little of what I would like (ok, I don't really expect that, but it does sound good when you say it out loud) Also, once school starts, it's only a couple months till the weather is bearable. This heat is the pits.
Yesterday we all walked to the store and back. It was tough. So we got a box of popsicles and the kids ate them on the way home. It was also Waffle Cone Wednesday at TCBY. Tonight is Music in the park again. Allison's best friend is visiting her grandma for the summer so she's been over here since Tuesday.
Monday my uncle was in a motorcycle accident. He had G-d riding with him and is very blessed to be alive. It's going to be a very long recovery, but he will recover.
And that is about it. I leave you with more cupcakes...Pink Lemonade. Kids loved them, Phil even ate a couple...you can't eat just one...Bean says to make sure everyone knows she put the flamingo's in the icing.

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-06-13T22:47:00.005-05:00

A bit late, but with good reason.

Phil's been taking the van so we are stuck at home during the day. It's hot, so I have been letting the kids sleep in. Today they got up at 10 lol, just in time for lunch.
They (4 younger kids) had carrots and cucumbers, ranch dressing, bow tie pasta with tomato sauce and parmesan, cheese slices, grapes and strawberries and a milano cookie. Oh my gosh, have you tried the mint ones? seriously...they are soooo good.

It's Friday.

2011-06-10T14:06:00.005-05:00

Yesterday Phil took us to Music in the Park downtown. They have it every Thursday night during the summer. Believe it or not, there was a breeze so we actually had a good time without sweating. Phil got the kids nachos and they participated in a flag parade...I video taped it, but can't figure out how to work the video thingy. One thing different we'll do next time is not sit by the big tree that we did, kids (not ours) kept running around us flinging dirt in the kids food.
Today I was going to run to the store. Phil's jeep has no a/c so he's been taking the van to work. After driving it to the store, I wasn't even able to get out before I had to go back home. A/C is not the only problem. Right now his jeep is sitting in the driveway with the key still in the ignition because I can't get it out....yeah, I think he needs a new vehicle.
Emily made cupcakes, and the little kids had a blast decorating them (and then eating). My kids are strange, after loading them up with chocolate icing and sprinkles, when it came to eating them, they scraped off the icing and ate just the cake.

Sally, the border collie, ran across a major road today. I was so surprised she didn't get hit. I don't know what to do to get her to stop running. She gets plenty of play time inside and outside. Emily and Allison finally cornered her under a car and crawled under and got her.

The younger kids just finished building a fort in the living room and girls room. Bunk beds are good for stuff other than sleeping.

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-06-06T08:33:00.002-05:00

Today we had a breakfast tin (x4)...schools out for the summer. I'm not really a morning person, but for some reason I'm up before everyone. Today will find me at the computer trying to get caught up on editing, so I thought I'd surprise them with breakfast since lunch will be sandwiches made by Emily.
So the four younger kids had a mini cinnamon roll, vanilla yogurt with cinnamon, scrambled eggs, puzzle toast, cantaloupe, and cheese chunks.

It. Is. HOT

2011-06-04T20:54:00.002-05:00

It got up to 109 today. It was hot. So what did we do? Sit in a/c all day?
Nope. We went blueberry picking. 8 pounds of blueberries to freeze and share. The kids have already asked for me to make muffins and a cobbler. We would have gotten more, but after a half hour the kids were complaining about the heat and "glistening" pretty good.

And if that weren't enough being in the heat for blueberry picking, we then drove to a u-pick it cornfield. Phil, Jack and my niece were the only ones who got out of the van to actually pick them, the little kids and I (Em was at a friends house) stayed in the van eating boiled peanuts.

There was quite a bit more corn, but we had already given some to friends by the time I got to take a picture of it. In that pile, we have white corn, yellow corn and yellow and white mix. We'll grill some tomorrow and then cut some off the cob and freeze some.

What's your profession?

2011-06-02T11:40:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if people chose their profession by their last name.
These are the names of some local doctors.
Dr. Peters - Urologist
Dr. Bush - OB/GYN
Dr. Skinner - Dermatologist
Dr. Finger - Chiropractic

So I got to wondering if there were some more...and well there were. With nothing to do in the heat, I googled. Nationwide here are some more Dr.'s
I kid you not, these are actual doctors. I laughed so hard at some of the ones I found

Dr. Cox - Urologist
Dr. Head - Psychologist
Dr. Butt - Gastroenterology
Dr. Hand - Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Payne - Dentist
Dr. Butts - Proctologist

Fail

2011-06-01T20:54:00.002-05:00

Sometimes you just know when you need more sleep or more coffee.
Join me in a laugh.
Last night I went to flip the air on, it was reading 85 in the house, and I was turning into a witch. I turned it up by mistake, luckily I noticed it pretty quick.
I went to the store this morning, Jack says "can we please do self checkout" so we did, coupons, hey no problem I can do this (I seriously hate self checkout, but I guess the boy was in a hurry to get to school). He scans everything, I put my coupons in where it said "INSERT COUPONS HERE" do you see my mistake? I forgot to scan them. Jack got a good laugh. Me not so much.
End of school year is Friday. Yay. A whole summer with the kids. In a house that we're lucky if it goes below 80. I'm thinking we'll just walk the mall all summer.

Muffin Tin (x 4)

2011-05-30T14:43:00.003-05:00

Today there were 4 muffin tins for me to make, my creative juices were not really flowing, but somehow they liked it anyways.
They had fishsticks and ketchup, mac and cheese, strawberries and blueberries, a hug to drink and vanilla yogurt with mini chocolate chips.

I'm on Strike

2011-05-27T18:36:00.003-05:00

I love my hubby, but he's gone too far and I'm going to teach him a lesson.

Jack was cleaning his room. Phil walked in and said "why are you doing this (this being cleaning his room). I walked in and said "maybe he's sick of the mess like I am" and my lovely husband had the nerve to say "you never do anything about it"

So I'm on strike. He can iron his own clothes, if he can find them, because I'm not going to do any of the laundry. I'm going to let the dirt Morris dumps on the floor from his shoes build up on the floor. I'm going to let the counters go unwashed when someone spills something on them. I'm going to leave the tub as it is when someone gets out. I'm not going to wash the sink, clean the buffet, the fridge, the table. I'm not going to bother attempting to clean the computer desk. The trash I take out, I'm thinking I'll leave by the front door. There are 6 kids in this house, they are more than capable of helping out, but most times choose not too. He thinks I don't do anything, let him, but we'll see how long it takes for him to realize just how much I do around this house.

I embarrass my kids

2011-05-24T18:38:00.002-05:00

I really do. But someday, they will look back at it and laugh and then thank me.
I drop the kids off at school in the morning, pick them up in the afternoon...have you seen how those bus drivers drive? Seriously, stay clear from them, or at least the ones here should you come visit me (you know you want to visit me). Pulling out of the high school I counted 3 on cell phones. They are speed demons, we have even had to report one because they left their lane and scraped the side of the van. Scary.
But that's beside the point...
Back to embarrassing the kids. When I drop Emily off in the morning, I see kids making out, groping, you name it. So to get the point through to Emily, I wait till she's about 5 feet away from the van and roll down the window and yell "WHAT DO WE SAY TO SEX?" I do. I can see her turn red, but I will keep yelling it till she tells me no. Now when we pull up to her school, I don't say it anymore because her friends run to meet her and yell it for me. It's not said as a joke, I mean it.
Jack has his first "girlfriend". She seems like a sweet girl. Her mom got Jack on the phone and grilled him, I thought it was hilarious, but, I'd do the same. They are off to different high schools in the fall, so we'll see how long it lasts. He gets straight A's and is very mature for his age, so when he came to us and asked if he could please date this girl, we caved. So far their "dating" consists of talking on the phone lol. They are in 6 classes together and have been friends for about 2 years. So we ask question after question and keep telling him respect her above everything.
Emily doesn't date. I told her she could if she brought her grades up. She said she doesn't want to date because there are too many guys that want to date her...yeah, I know what that means. I'm not an idiot.
So I continue to embarrass them. That's my job. I do it well. They will thank me one day.

How many plums?

2011-05-23T11:20:00.005-05:00

How many jars do you think I was able to can with these?
Not a lot lol. Two jars. But that's ok, I know where to get more. Those plums are really small.

Mini spinach and cheese quiches. The kids really like these.

Shepards Pie made with veggie burger. This was dinner last night, the kids devoured it.

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-05-23T11:05:00.003-05:00

Todays Muffin Tin. Ally stayed home with an upset stomach so she got one as well.
The girls had 2 mini chocolate chip muffins, cucumber and mini cheddar flowers (with blueberries) a baby banana, a clementine orange with a flower cut so they can easy peel it, shepherds pie made with veggie burgers (cause we keep kosher and I loaded it with cheese) with a tomato tulip and strawberry roses. My kids eat fruits and veggie's like they are going out of style, but anything else I attempt to make is met with eww's, that's gross, or I'm not hungry. Have a look at everyone else's muffin tins here.

Dearest Internet

2011-05-22T09:19:00.007-05:00

I'm still here, I haven't left. I know it's been almost a week since we were last together here, but I just couldn't help it.
You see, I have these things called kids, dogs and hubby. They just don't want to cut me any slack lately. One of our dogs got fixed last week and we (meaning I) had to keep her in her kennel and calm until she was healed enough. For some reason, I'm the only one who hears her whine at 3-4 in the morning to be let out. Trust me, it gets old. The kids have been busy wrapping up end of school stuff. Morris and Lizzie are going to be tested for the gifted program...who knew when a kid said he was bored and got straight A's that that was a sign for teachers to have tested? I didn't, but then again I'm not a teacher, well, I am, but I don't get paid...you know what I mean. Jack and his science partner placed 3rd in the science fair. They did something about the growth of tomatoes with different sunlight, dirt and water. I told Jack he had better keep watering my plants, but I guess once the project was over he "forgot" you know how that goes. The hubby has been keeping me busy editing. Yesterday we had a wedding. Today I'm sore in places I didn't know you could be sore in. We were gone from 8 in the morning till 10:30 at night. I kid you not.

The rest of the family is at Sunday school right now, the last class until school starts again in the fall. I stayed here to apologize to you for the lack of attention. Forgive me?
Today I am going to can Japanese plums. Jack and Emily picked them Friday night from my grandpa's house. They are really sweet, like tiny peaches actually.

Sometime today I might even get dressed, still debating that. I don't want to smother you, so I'll go for now...until next time.
I
Still

You,
Jen

p.s. be warned the above photos are copyrighted by Phillip Davies Photography, any copying and claiming otherwise will result in pain...just saying.

Today's muffin tin

2011-05-16T10:47:00.003-05:00

brought to you by Bean. Bean helped with lunch today (can't see it, but when she was putting her egg in, she bit off an ear lol)
She had a hardboiled egg (the bunny) carrots, strawberries and blueberries, cheese stick, veggie links and ranch dressing for the carrots and egg.

My sanity is being tested

2011-05-13T20:17:00.003-05:00

what is
6
+
2
+
1
+
2
+
1
?

I'll give you a hint...my 6 kids+6 more
all staying the night. It's not even anyone's birthday. I just haven't learned how to say NO yet. I'm getting there. I said NO to candy. For dessert, they had yogurt.

So how did I wind up with this many extra kids? I'm still trying to figure that one out. Good thing bedtime is still when I say so. It's soon. Really soon.

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-05-09T11:06:00.004-05:00

Todays muffin tin. Crackers, chicken salad (with a tomato tulip) strawberries, grapes, egg and cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Bean has a bit of a fever so I tried to go for things that won't make her feel worse.

Another Win, but this is all Lizzie!

2011-05-07T12:13:00.000-05:00

Today was the Sunshine Math Competition at the University. Lizzie took home 1st place over all 3rd graders county wide. So proud of my girl!

I am loved, and a big win for Phil and I.

2011-05-06T09:43:00.005-05:00

I got not one, but two cakes for mother's day. Lizzie and Morris decorated them at school and brought them home for me. Of course, it wouldn't be my house if there was not arguing about who got the candy roses lol.

I have to share what Phil and I won. This is our third year participating in the Fiesta Of Five Flags Deluna Treasure Hunt. I was really surprised we won. I called in the answers Wednesday night since Phil was at a photo shoot. Thursday morning I got a call asking to tell them my answers again and then was asked to come down to the office to verify and collect the grand prize. And there it is.
I am upset about some of the comments though, and don't know why some people have to be so negative. We do not know anyone affiliated with Fiesta Of Five Flags. We worked hard for fun.

On the road

2011-05-04T10:10:00.003-05:00

Most times when I'm on the road, I see nothing but idiot drivers. Talking on the phone, texting, reading the newspaper on the steering wheel, putting on makeup...you name it, I've seen it. So when I see things that make me smile, I take a picture (at a red light, not driving).
this makes me happy

Coffee!

This made me smile. Bean is in the backseat yelling "take a pic mommy! they stopped"

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-05-02T12:12:00.004-05:00

Today Bean wanted a muffin tin. I forgot she had a dentist appt., so had to put this together at the last minute with stuff she was able to eat.

so she had mashed potatoes, mandarin oranges and strawberries, string cheese, pita wedges and hummus, and grapes and blueberries. She says it's "delicious".
See what everyone else has here.

Z

2011-04-30T11:25:00.000-05:00

Y

2011-04-29T19:21:00.003-05:00

Yo-yo's

It's true, I have nothing better to post about.
My hubby is pretty good at yo-yo-ing. Morris would like to think he is too, but he just makes a mess with the string.
My hubby is a yo-yo. He's the biggest goofball. But I love him lol.

X

2011-04-28T10:07:00.002-05:00

X...see told ya, nothing. what an x-citing post huh

W

2011-04-27T22:02:00.001-05:00

Wednesday.
The middle of the week. Wednesday lets me know Friday is coming.

wow, these letters are getting harder and harder. I'm absolutely lost for words. Sorry. Tomorrow will be worse, because I don't have any x words lol.

V

2011-04-26T18:36:00.003-05:00

Vacation!
It's what we are actually doing this year. Didn't come by it easy though. We've been saving and saving and it's finally paid off. Literally. It's booked and paid for already.

This little chalet in the woods of Tennessee is going to be our home away from home for 5 nights this summer. I'm am beyond excited. We are even going to get to visit the Smokey Mountain National Park.

WEAR ABC 3 :: Angels in Our Midst - Angels in our Midst (Making Cranes for a Cure)

2011-04-25T22:16:00.001-05:00

WEAR ABC 3 :: Angels in Our Midst - Angels in our Midst (Making Cranes for a Cure)

This is the link to Lizzie's news clip and interview! We're so proud of you Lizzie!!

R S T U

2011-04-25T17:32:00.000-05:00

uh....there ya go.

I went on a much needed trip with no internet access (oh my). Thursday night we went to a cabin in the woods, today we packed up and came back home.
I wish we were still there.

R - RELAXATION
S - SAILING
T and U - TOTALLY UNFAIR that it went by so fast.

Q

2011-04-20T20:11:00.002-05:00

Quiet - a disposition free from stress or emotion
the absence of sound

The quiet, is one thing you will never find at my house. Never.
Between 6 kids, a hubby who is as loud as the kids and 2 dogs. You'll be lucky if you can talk on the phone without a distraction. I know, you're thinking...at night it must be quiet...right? Nope. It's never quiet. At night, Sally (the younger dog of the two) barks at the stray cats who have decided our backyard is a nice comfy home. They sit on the step and taunt her, so she barks. Schnookie, the old lady dog, whines in her sleep. Emily carries on a conversation with herself when she sleeps. Jack makes sure if he gets up during the night that everyone knows he is up. The floors creak for no reason other than they are old hardwood. Phil snores. There is a woodpecker who has made a nest outside of bedroom window. You can hear thump thump thump of the idiots with their music pounding away (sometimes at 2 in the morning...seriously?)
Nope, it is NEVER quiet here. And to think, most weekends we add a couple more kids to that mix.

P

2011-04-19T20:24:00.002-05:00

Passover

O

2011-04-18T16:21:00.005-05:00

Oseh Shalom - Prayer for Peace

Oseh shalom bim'romav
Hu ya'aseh shalom aleynu
v'al kol Yisrael
v'Imru Amen

translation

'May the one who makes peace in the heavens above
help us to make peace with one another. Amen'

we need peace in all nations, it's not going to happen just by wanting, we need to work at it and now, not later because it's going to be our kids who suffer the most.

N

2011-04-16T10:16:00.002-05:00

Not happening.
Not without a nap.
Not without my coffee.
Not today.
Not tomorrow.
N is nonexistent.
Sorry

M

2011-04-15T11:28:00.002-05:00

Minerva Mcgonnagal – Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts; animagus in the form of a cat; Head of Gryffindor House; Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts; member of Order of the Phoenix
Alastor Moody – an auror who was killed trying to protect Harry; otherwise known as Mad- Eye Moody
Draco Malfoy – a Slytherin boy in Harry’s year who was supposedly a Death Eater; Harry's foremost rival ever since his arrival at Hogwarts; owner of the Elder Wand for a brief time after disarming Dumbledore; son of Lucius and Narcissa
Madam Malkin – the owner of a shop which sells robes for all occasions in Diagon Alley
Olympe Maxime – Headmistress of Beauxbatons; half- giant

Marauders Map – created by the 4 marauders: Moony (Remus Lupin), Wormtail (Peter Petigrew), Padfoot (Sirius Black), an Prongs (James Potter); shows an entire map of Hogwarts and where anyone inside its boundaries are; eventually given to Harry Potter in his 3rd year by Fred and George Weasley who stole it from Filch’s office in their first year
Marvolo Gaunt’s Ring – belonged to Marvolo Gaunt; stolen by Tom Riddle; bears the Deathly Hallows mark; destroyed by Albus Dumbledore with the Gryffindor Sword
Magical Me – a book which was supposed to be the autobiography of Gilderoy Lockhart
Mandrake – a plant which has a cry that is fatal, but its roots are useful in producing a potion to un- petrify people who are petrified
Mermish – the language merpeople speak
Mirror of Erised – a mirror which shows in the reflection whatever a person’s true desire is
Monster Book of Monsters – a book required in Harry’s 3rd year which attacks anything it can possibly get – can be tamed by stroking the spine
Mudblood – a blood status in which you have only muggle parents
Muggle – a non- magical person

Don't deny it, you are just as excited as I am that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt1 comes out today.

L

2011-04-14T20:14:00.002-05:00

LACK of sleep.
It's catching up.
The dog barks.
The strays mate.
Kids puke.
The hubby snores.
My eyes are red.
I'm quite a witch.
8 hours of sleep
I sorely miss.
The hours pass.
I'm still awake.
The alarm goes off.
The day starts.
And still I drag.
I need some sleep.
I need it bad.

yeah yeah, it doesn't rhyme. I'm in desperate need of sleep. My posts are starting not to make much sense. I watch the clock change hours. Every hour. I struggle to keep my eyes open while editing photos. 3 hours sleep straight would even be an improvement...I swear I'm going to start wearing earplugs at night.

K

2011-04-13T18:54:00.003-05:00

Kosher...it's how we keep.
Kosher isn't just a word, it's a way of life. We have 2 sets of dishes and silverware, one for milk, one for meat. We have 2 dish tubs that match the color of dishes. White for dairy, green for meat. Even different scrubbies. We don't mix meat and dairy. I make a killer pareve apple cake, veggie tacos even.

You may eat any animal that has cloven hooves And chews it's cud. We don't eat pork, rabbit etc...
Of the things that are in the waters, you may eat anything that has fins AND scales. We don't eat shellfish.

I won't go into detail about it, but if you want to read more, just go here.

Now, I know you've seen these before right?

Did you ever wonder what they stood for? Products that have been certified as kosher are labeled with kosher symbols that are printed on the food's package. These symbols are how we know what we are eating is kosher. "Meat", "M" or "Glatt" printed near the kosher symbol on the food package indicates the product is kosher and contains some meat or meat derivative
"Dairy" or "D" printed near the kosher symbol on the food package indicates the product is kosher and contains some milk or milk derivative. "F" printed near the kosher symbol on the food package indicates the product is kosher and contains fish ingredients. "Pareve", "Parev", or "Parve" printed near the kosher symbol on the food package indicates the item is neither meat or dairy. "P" printed near the kosher symbol on the food package does not stand for pareve, but instead it means the product is kosher for Passover and all year round. That's what we are getting ready to stock our shelves with as Passover approaches.

J

2011-04-12T19:30:00.004-05:00

Jennifer aka Jenny, Jen, Penny, me.

I've been married almost 17 years to Phil.

We have six kids.
Emily is almost 16.

Jack is 14

Allison is 12, Lizzie 9, Morris 7 and Bean is 5.

I'm a stay-at-home mom until the fall, then I'll probably volunteer at the school, either that, or I will actually be able to get caught up on editing. I'm a wedding photographer but I'm seriously behind on update that site as well. I'm a coffee addict. I'm not the biggest people person, but I'm working on that (since I've got to be around people a lot). I hate driving. I would love to speak my mind, but I'm too chicken most times. I'm living the life in sunny Florida, which is too sunny and too hot lately.

I

2011-04-11T16:25:00.003-05:00

Idiotic, Incompetent, Irritating drivers.

I know I shouldn't have to elaborate on this, but oh my gosh. I hate driving as it is, and add all those idiots on the road and it's no wonder I have panic attacks about driving. Doesn't everyone know ambulances with their sirens on mean pull over and let pass? Guess not cause that idiot just pulled out in front of them and went on his merry way. And seriously? Do you really have to weave in and out of traffic, you aren't going to get there any faster, heck, keep that up, you might not get there at all. And texting on the phone? Don't get me started on that. Talking on the phone is just as bad, especially when you have a coffee in one hand, a cigarette in the the same hand as your coffee and holding your phone to your ear...um, how are you steering? Oh that's right, you aren't. And please, don't make me ask about that book you are reading...Are you applying that eyeliner for the benefit of the coroner? If you can't drive people, don't!

H

2011-04-09T17:15:00.003-05:00

Heat.
The kind the sun puts out. I hate it. It's only spring and we are roasting here. I think what is worse is the humidity. The hardwood floors get all wet and we have to turn the a/c on. The kids turn all whiny because they are all sweaty or they can't feel the fan at night. Then there is the no energy or "it's too hot" excuses, which I really can't argue with much because it is. Give me the cold any day. I won't complain.

G

2011-04-08T17:33:00.003-05:00

Great blogs
MonkeySchool this is written by a friend of mine up north. It will make you laugh, cry, sometimes both in the same post. She has 3 kids, she homeschools the older 2. Check her out, leave a comment, you won't regret it.
DragonDreamersLair another one of my friends (well gee aren't I miss popular lol) I've never met her either. This blog is a bit of everything as well...3 boys and never a dull moment.
CoffeeLovinMom I don't have to elaborate on her's...Coffee...in the title, nuff said. She has great posts...check out Disco Mickey!
ThrowingOurArmsWideOpen I found this blog months ago. This family is awesome...their faith is amazing.
If you aren't up above, that doesn't mean you don't have a great blog, it just means I can't link all the great ones out there. sorry

G is also for Government Shutdown, GRRRR. not even worthy of writing about

Gandalf-the wisest wizard the world shall ever know (besides Dumbledore of course)

and

GOODBYE...I'm off to make dinner.

F

2011-04-07T18:08:00.002-05:00

Fail.
Today I was fixing Phil's pants that he ripped at last weekends wedding. I was sewing away after looking all day for a needle (found thumb tacs and my fingers still hurt). Get done sewing only to realize that duh, I sewed his pocket instead of where he tore his pants. Epic Fail.
Friends.
Most of my friends are online. Most I have never met, but that doesn't mean they aren't great friends, they are the best.
Funky.
The smell of Jack's feet when he takes off his shoes and socks.
Friday.
Comes after Thursday (which is today). It's not coming fast enough.

E

2011-04-06T17:00:00.003-05:00

Eggs. Weird topic right. But when you're mind draws a blank like mine has today, that's the best I can come up with.
The kids love eggs. Hard boiled, scrambled, with cheese, in grits, it potatoes.

The hubby loves it when I stick one of these in his salad and he opens it in front of his co-workers..."um Phil, you grab the wrong lunch?"

The Ultimate Blog Party

2011-04-05T18:17:00.007-05:00

So, this is the second year I've participated, I meant to have this post up sooner, but life got in the way. Sorry.
Who I am. I am Jen *jennifer, jenny, penny-pick a name, I'll answer* I've been married to this goofball (Phillip) 17 years in July.

We have 6 kids. Bean is 5, Morris 7, Lizzie 9, Allison 12, Jack 14 and Emily almost 16.

(Phil with the 4 younger kids at my grandpa's farm)
I'm a stay-at-home mom, but that will change in the fall when Bean starts school, then I'll be volunteering in the art dept. at the elementary school.
When I'm not home, you can usually find me crashing a wedding...no just kidding, the hubs and I are wedding photographers. You never know what a wedding will bring. If I could, I would post some of the stories, but I'd scare you.
I'm one of 6 kids, Phil's one of 7.
I'm a total coffee addict.
I love Moe's nachos.
I love to read, I secretly like long lines in school pick up lines so I can read.
My blog is a bit of everything. Seriously. You want whining, I got it. You want coffee, got that too. Reviews/giveaways, yep and yep. Cuteness in the form of kids and hubby, you've come to the right place.
Um, that's about it. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.
Check out the rest of the blogs participating, make sure you have awhile, there is a lot!

D

2011-04-05T12:07:00.005-05:00

Diabetes Awareness.
I can't get this out there enough.

Type 1 diabetes strikes people at any age. It comes on suddenly, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications.

To stay alive, people with type 1 diabetes must take multiple insulin injections daily or continually infuse insulin through a pump. They must also test their blood sugar by pricking their fingers for blood six or more times a day. While trying to balance insulin doses with their food intake and daily activities, people with this form of diabetes still must always be prepared for serious hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) reactions, both of which can be life-limiting and life threatening.

While insulin injections or infusions allow a person with type 1 to stay alive, they do not cure diabetes, nor do they necessarily prevent the possibility of the disease's devastating effects, which may include: kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, amputations, heart attack, stroke, and pregnancy complications.

Despite paying rigorous attention to maintaining a meal plan and exercise regimen and always injecting the proper amount of insulin, people with type 1 diabetes face many other factors that can adversely affect efforts to tightly control blood sugar levels. These factors include stress, hormonal changes, periods of growth, physical activity, medications, illness/infection, and fatigue.

As many as three million Americans may have type 1 diabetes.
Each year, more than 15,000 children and 15,000 adults - approximately 80 people per day - are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the U.S.

We need a cure. We had a scare with diabetes and Bean last year. We've been monitoring her blood sugar since. A lot people close to me have diabetes. My aunt relies on insulin to get her through her day, my dad takes a pill. Many of my friends have children with Diabetes. Tomorrow the local news is going to my daughter's school to interview her. Why? For diabetes awareness. Lizzie is 9 years old and doesn't think anyone should have to deal with needles every day, especially kids, so she took on a project called Cranes4aCure and is raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

C

2011-04-04T09:07:00.006-05:00

Coffee...ha ha, anyone who knows me knew that one was coming.
I am a coffee addict. Woe to who ever bugs me while I'm drinking my coffee.
It wasn't always like that though. I had never had coffee until I married the hubs and we went to a boy scout banquet. It was cold, the building was drafty, so Phil made me a cup of coffee. I bet if he knew the addiction it would cause then, he would have never given it to me.
We have a starbucks down the road from us, if I wasn't such a clutz, I could walk there. They know that if anyone goes in and asks for "Jenny's usual" they will get a peppermint mocha, nonfat, no whip. Usually it's made before I'm up to the counter.
Now a days though, I stick to coffee at home. It's a lot cheaper and I can drink it in my pajamas. I've got a tassimo that I absolutely love! My kids even know how to stick the tdisc in the machine and make me a perfect cup of coffee. I also have a 4 cup coffee maker. Gevalia and Community coffee are my top choices for that one.

My kids even like coffee. Bean even has her own little travel mug (don't worry the kids drink decaf)
Go visit the other A-Z bloggers here.

B

2011-04-02T10:14:00.004-05:00

Brides. See told ya today would be easier. Hubby and I are photographers. We photograph many, many brides.

Every bride is different. Want to see more. Click on over to PhillipDaviesPhotography.com there is a whole album dedicated to beautiful Brides. And bookmark the site while you're at it since it's going to be my job to update it next week, I did not realize I'm that far behind. I'm off to a wedding...to see another Bride. you can also go here to see the other A-Z bloggers.

A

2011-04-01T21:41:00.003-05:00

Something different, I joined A-Z bloggers this month. Today is A.
I am absolutely lost for ideas. I've thought about Animals, my kids antics, the airplanes that are driving me nuts. I just don't know. We have two animals. Schnookie and Sally. Schnookie is coming up on 11 1/2 years old, she is a mix of lab and spitz. She used to not do anything but lay down all day. We felt really bad for her so we got Sally. Sally is a 3 1/2 month old border collie. She is wild. She keeps Schnookie young, and I think that getting her was the wisest thing we've done (dog wise).
Kids antics. They keep us on our toes. Morris got a straight A honor roll. I was actually surprised so I asked him "Morris, this is an excellent report card, how did you get straight A's?" his reply "I don't know mommy, I guess I paid attention sometimes" Morris is a little devil, I can say that cause he's my boy...you'd say it too if you knew him.
Airplanes. Oh my holy are they loud! I don't know what is different, but the noises seem amplified lately. So do the ambulances. We live about a block from the hospital. 3 blocks from the airport.
And that's all I have for A today. Tomorrow will be easier. check out the rest of the A - Z bloggers. There is a lot of them.

Bullying

2011-03-30T09:45:00.005-05:00

Looking back, I realize I was bullied a lot in school, but I usually just shrugged it off. There was only one incident I recall that hurt me physically (that was being hit in the face with a metal baseball bat...I wound up with 2 black eyes and a bloody nose that stained my pink skirt) I still remember the girl's name who did it. I hope she changed. The scars aren't always visible though. I have low self esteem. I laugh at myself a lot.
I don't want that for my kids. So far they are stronger than I ever was. Emily doesn't take lip from anyone, she speaks her mind even if she's not asked to. Jack doesn't back down and I imagine won't take anything from anyone either. Lizzie is quiet, we've had a couple issues with her being made to feel like an outsider from kids not wanting to "share" her with other kids, but a visit from the guidance counselor on bullying and it's many meanings, has left her friends seeing what they were doing, and now when she says she wants to play with everyone, not just one person, they find a game that everyone can play. She hates to hurt anyone's feelings. Morris is a lot like Emily in that he doesn't take anything from anyone. If you are bugging him, he lets everyone know. Allison never had any issues either...until this week.
Allison got in the van after school Monday in tears. She told me what happened on the way to the locker room to get ready to go home. She couldn't find a teacher to tell, so we went to the office. Allison was walking with a friend to the locker room when another girl came up behind them. She started calling Allison a bitch and punched her in the face, arm and kicked her in the leg. The nurse gave her ice for her face when we walked in and she repeated the story and why she wasn't able to tell anyone when it happened. The principal and coach came in, story repeated and the coach had the nerve to tell Allison "I see, you were walking with **** when ***(the girl who hit her) usually does." seriously lady, did you just try to make that an excuse? So I told her I didn't care who she was walking with, it should not have happened and something was going to be done about it. Allison had to ice her cheek most of the night, Phil took some pics of where she was hit. Yesterday morning Allison asked if she had to go. She said she had a stomach ache and didn't feel like going. I sent her with the understanding that she report anything at all. Phil and I waited for a call from the school all day to let us know it was taken care of...it never came. I went back up to the school before it let out and talked to the dean. He assured me it was taken care of although he claimed he could not tell me the kid's punishment. He said he told the teachers when Allison and her are back in class together to keep them separated, then I got a little upset. I made sure he knew that Allison better not be ostracized because of something the other girl did. He smiled and said,"I don't have a daughter Allison's age, but if I did, I would be the same way." Then he told me he was giving our numbers to the resource officer so we could talk to him about still possibly pressing charges outside of school. Evidently, they take bullying very seriously and the punishment needs to fit the crime. I met Ally and Jack out front and then we hunted down the dean again so Ally could tell him more of what happened yesterday. The other girl got a referral, and when she got back to class, she told Ally she hated her. Ally shrugged that off, but then her friend (the one who witnessed the punching) told her that she heard the other girl saying she wanted to kill Ally for telling on her. That is a threat. The dean was upset. Ally was upset. I'm still upset. And I'm thinking we will press charges now.
Have you ever had to deal with bullying? Were you a bully?

Random

2011-03-14T07:29:00.008-05:00

Japan. It's on everyone's mind lately. We have a friend over there, thankfully he's fine. Lizzie was watching some of the video clips with me because I had to explain to her that her Cranes may slow down as everyone wants to help out Japan. She looked at me and said "It's sad about what happened in Japan, but we still need a cure" then she said she will just have to work harder at raising the money. So I'm asking you people, dig a little deeper in your pockets, spare change adds up. Because Lizzie is right, we still need a cure. Did you know there is actually a Dia betes belt which includes portions of the states Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as the entire state of Mississippi. Did you know that when kids get diabetes it often strikes with no warning, and sometimes those kids don't make it. It is truly an awful disease. So gather up your spare change, head on over to Cranes4aCure (or email cranes4acure@gmail.com ) and help a little girl reach her goal. She's raised $80.00 in the past two weeks. Maybe I'll even help it along....with every $100.00 she raises I will host a giveaway.

In other randomness, we went to my grandpa's farm to help gather pinecones so my uncle wouldn't have to do it alone. The kids all worked hard and for every pinecone gathered, they got a penny. The kids did good. They gave all the money to Lizzie for her project (so you'll be seeing Cranes with their names soon) Even Sally the dog got into it and ran circles around us. And speaking of Sally, she is huge! She sleeps the oddest way.

Waiting on the repair man again, Oh wait, you didn't hear about that did you? When Phil went to Vegas, the fridge quit working. And yes, this was the Less-then-two-month old fridge. So I called the repair man, he came out, said it would work once he fixed the balance problem and left. It didn't fix it, called the repair people again, came out 2 days later said they fixed it again, left and I had to call again the next morning. They said they could come in 2 days. By this time I was getting frustrated and told them they better just bring me a new fridge. They came, the guy was here 5 minutes and told us it was beyond repair. Ya think? So this was on a Friday. They said within 72 hours during the business week, we would have the fridge. That meant we had to live out of a cooler for another week...so not fun. But we got a new fridge. Paid the difference and got a different model.
Wait, why the repair man this time? The washer isn't working...considering I do at least 3 loads a day with my family, this is not good. And they just called and said it will be tomorrow now. ughh.

Zip Bins

2011-03-10T09:42:00.006-06:00

Surely you have heard of these by now. They are these cool little storage boxes that un-zip and become a playmat. When you are done playing, zip up the sides and it's a storage box again. We actually have 2 of them. They hold the kids many legos so I don't step on them and say a few words little kids shouldn't hear. They also have princess zipbins, hotwheels, unicorns...many different kinds. I love that they don't take up much space and they are very affordable. CSN stores wants you to try one out too...so go check them out for yourself. This is going to be a quick giveaway, so make sure you enter.

Comment which one you like (leave an email)
Follow me on gfc
Go check out my 9 year old's blog (leave her a word of encouragement if you like, and follow her to keep updated on her project.) comments fixed, anyone can comment now
Tweet this giveaway

and then come back Tuesday March 15 to see who gets the $35.00 CSN giftcard.

Congrats Nanbon. Winner has been emailed, thanks to everyone who entered.

(all opinions are my own, I was not compensated in any way for this giveaway...I purchased my own lego zipbin and chose to pass on the gift card so someone else could have the opportunity to do so as well)

Is it Spring? Or not?

2011-03-07T07:40:00.007-06:00

Last week it got really warm here, we are talking low 80's for a couple days (now it's 39 out)...we even turned the a/c on. We got the grill out, made some burgers and the little kids were begging me to get 3 different backyard swing sets for the backyard. I think we may eventually, but only one. They all wanted something different, so I'm looking for one that combines everything. Right now our backyard is a mess. A lot better looking then it was last year, but still a mess. We've got a huge concrete slab that they love to draw on with chalk, a beat up shed that is in the process of being torn down, and lots and lots of bush and tree. We need a swing-set.
What are your ideas for Spring/Summer fun outdoors? I imagine I will be pretty busy editing, so I won't have time to run to the park with them all the time like we did before. We definitely want some sort of "tree house" as well since Florida summer's get really hot.

So, tell me your ideas please.

Cranes4aCure

2011-03-04T09:54:00.003-06:00

This is Lizzie. She's my 9 year old. She has decided she wants to help kids with Juvenile Diabetes. So we came up with Cranes4aCure. I could tell you all about her project, but instead I'm just going to let you read about it over on her site. Leave a comment if you wish, show your support. It's for a good cause.

ugh

2011-03-02T11:25:00.004-06:00

You aren't going to get much more than that right now. We are on week 3 of someone in this house being sick...most recently, Phil and Bean. We are talking puking, fever, whining (both of them). Sleep is not for me evidently.
So since I have nothing to say that makes sense, I'm just going to post a couple pictures. Lizzie and Mo had gallery night at school. Phil in Vegas. And the rest are just for fun.

Please make up your mind

2011-02-16T08:12:00.002-06:00

This weather is driving me nuts. If it would only pick one thing to do and stick with it, I'd be happy...snow? great, I'd love it, rain, that's cool too...as long as I don't have to drive in it. In the past week and a half, I've had 3 kids have a 3 day flu-fever, puking, coughing, you name it. It goes from hot to cold (kinda like my mood lately)
This morning, it's already up to 52, but we have this to deal with...

You can't see the traffic light until it's right there. Some morons think they don't need their headlights on, so you can't see them until they are right there. It's nasty out.

what we get...

2011-02-14T12:16:00.004-06:00

Working in the photography business, you see and hear some things that make you think "seriously?" let me tell you...yes...so I made you a list of some things that have really happened to us.

bride had too many mimosa's, was late for her own wedding (an hour and a half late)
bride threw bouquet and popped out up top
groom dipped his bride and popped out up top (different bride from above)
our logo has been removed from pictures (big no no)
taking pics on dance floor only for people to bend down and have nothing on underneath dress
bride threw up right outside church
mom and bride got into it.
I have gotten hit on a couple times (sometimes the guy is drunk, sometimes he's old enough to be my grandfather
Phil gets hit on A LOT
groom peed outside reception area and his best man told us to get photo of it. At last sec, groom turned around, saw everything
was asked to take "lots of candid" and was pointed out specific people that were a must to get such a shot...we got the shots lol, and this was an email because of one such shots...

The ***** wedding photos are beautiful. I'm sure you have to take a lot of photos to get the perfect shot. However, I was suprised that first - you took photo #*** and then second that you thought it was worth including in their wedding album. That is possibly the worst photo of me I've ever seen. Did you really like that one?
sincerely,
***** *****

we did our job good, you think?

we've also gotten a flat tire and had to hitch a ride to ceremony with maid of honor, and hung out with the bride and groom in their hotel afterwards.
been invited to spend the night and "put down the camera and hang out with them" overnight
had some of the best food at receptions
met some of the nicest people
met some of the strangest people.
signed contracts with people we've never met over the phone just based on us being recommended.

we've made a couple lasting friendships with a lot of the couples we have shot. It's a blast. So if you are in the area (or not...have passport, will travel) we can even recommend an awesome DJ. The website is in dire need of updating, but that's only because I haven't done it yet. This week it's my only goal.

CSN Stores...a review

2011-02-10T09:18:00.004-06:00

Sleep? Not me. I'm up every hour some nights...of course it could be because I've got kids that sleepwalk and I hear every creak? Or maybe because my bed is the most uncomfortable bed. Either way, I don't get much sleep, so when I do, I would like for it to be - sleep that I don't wake up with a backache - sleep. Our mattress is not that old, so I can't justify a new one just yet. I was so excited when I was able to review the Executive Suite Feather bed from CSN stores. It even came with two pillows stuffed with the same feather/fiber blend. The first night I put it on the bed and it looked really fluffy, but I wasn't won over the next morning. My back hurt, Phil's back hurt and I was almost regretting my decision on getting it. But the next night, it was great! No back ache in the morning, it was still fluffy and because it got cold that night, the feathers helped insulate, and we stayed warm. So what was different from the first night? I was wondering the same thing and figured it must have been me shaking the topper the 2nd night before putting it on the bed. It made all the difference.

It's available in twin, full, queen and king sizes...totally giving it two thumbs up. The kids even said it wasn't fair that their beds aren't as comfortable as mine.

Highlights of the weekend

2011-02-07T08:03:00.003-06:00

Pretty boring for the most part.
We shot a wedding Sat. It was long. Like 10am to 11pm long. But it was a good one.
At one time Phil dropped me off at the reception area to get the close ups before anyone showed up. One of the guys that worked there came up to me when I was just standing around "you the photographer" (me...Um, yep, part of it) "can you take a whole bunch of pictures of just you, for me, because girl! you are looking mighty fine today" (me-Um, thanks...that's a first) seriously, how do you respond to that lol. I did get my drinks free the rest of the night courtesy of him though. I don't know how I almost forgot this, dj was playing Drop It Low and wow! were they dropping it low. Dj hid behind his table because some of the women dancing forgot to put some undies on and, well, we got a free show.
Bean scraped up both knees in a parking lot, Morris shut his finger in the door and took a bit of skin off. Went to a superbowl/baby show last night, left before half time. Em gets her braces on today so last night Phil took her and Jack to see Sanctum for one last popcorn splurge, and as a payment for watching the younger kids while we were shooting the wedding.* And that's it. Pretty boring. How'd yours go?

*Phil's brother came by and checked on the kids a few times and made them lunch and dinner since I don't let them use the oven or stove when we are gone.

How safe is your drinking water?

2011-01-31T18:14:00.003-06:00

Ours is pretty unsafe. want proof?

Located on the Florida Panhandle along the Gulf of Mexico, Pensacola is Florida's westernmost major city. Analysts say it has the worst water quality in the country. Of the 101 chemicals tested for over five years, 45 were discovered. Of them, 21 were discovered in unhealthy amounts. The worst of these were radium-228 and -228, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, alpha particles, benzine and lead. Pensacola's water was also found to contain cyanide and chloroform. The combination of these chemicals makes Pensacola's water supply America's most unhealthy.

and this is straight from here. Um hello! I make my coffee with tap water...no more I say. We do have a filter, it's just not hooked up, guess what Phil's going to be doing this weekend?

On a sad note, my sister's house burnt down late last night. They lost everything, including one of their kitty's, they are unharmed.

getting caught up (picture heavy)

2011-01-24T10:33:00.005-06:00

isn't likely to happen today (or tomorrow either) but I'm trying.
Bridal show went great, girls were a hit and got the oohs and ahhs that go along with cute kids.

Em gets her braces next month. New fridge works like a charm.
sickness keeps going around the house, but I suppose that's what happens when you have so many people in such a small house. Jack helps me pump gas now so I don't have to get out of the warm van.
not much else, so I'll share with you some recent pictures of some shoots....don't worry kids pics coming soon.

Do you go by the Golden Rule?

2011-01-13T09:29:00.002-06:00

I do, and I try to nudge my kids that way as well. To have a friend...be a friend, do unto others how you would want them to do to you.
So this morning, we grabbed a quick egg and cheese burrito for Jack and Ally on the way to school. Semester exams, they need something warm in them. The lady gave us our food and change and we were off. Half way to the school, I asked Jack to check the receipt and the change that was given. She gave us the wrong amount back. $2.15 too much. First words out of Jack's mouth "you're taking it back right" yay! It's working. So I dropped off the kids, and went back to Sonic. I must have really shocked the lady, she says usually people don't hesitate to come back if they were accidentally shorted 50 cents, but she's never had anyone come back because they were given too much money. It's really a shame don't you think. In this day, $2.00 isn't a lot, but it's still money that wasn't mine.
So what would you do? Would you return the overage? Would you keep it?

Oops

2011-01-08T14:46:00.006-06:00

I'm still here. Talk about nonstop...
So far this year, we've had sick kids, sick hubby, Em's MRI on her finger, 2 vet appts. (one for Sally one for Schnookie) Morris failed his second hearing test of the school year, a new fridge delivered yesterday. Yay!
Today I spent my day trying to figure out how to do Bean's and Lizzie's hair for tomorrow. They are in the runway show at the Beautiful Beginnings Bridal Expo at the Civic center. I hope Bean doesn't freeze at the last minute...I still have to run and get Lizzie's shoes, uh, yeah, I procrastinate. Don't mind the mess behind the kids (I made the picture dark on purpose ha ha) and Bean's bangs are not really that crooked, she was just jumping around with the puppy (notice Lizzie's look of disapproval)

It's cold and I can't feel my feet.

2010-12-30T07:55:00.001-06:00

Seriously, mother nature has been playing jokes on us. It has been getting in the teens at night. We have hardwood floors, so that means every single wind that blows, we feel it. I'm seriously thinking we need some Modern Rugs...at least I would not have to pile on socks just to walk to the living room (or the bathroom). So I went looking. I think I re-arranged every room in the house to include a rug

Emily says this one would be perfect for the girls room. I love it and told her it would look better in my room.

this would be great for the hallway. Right now we have this tacky blue carpet without even a pad, so it's kind of hard on your feet...a modern rugs would definitely improve it.

I found this for the boys' room. Jack is into neutral colors, so this fits perfectly. They have a small room so it would really make it look roomier I think. So go check it out, what rug did you find that you like?

Meet Sally

2010-12-27T14:21:00.005-06:00

Sally is a Border Collie (supposedly) what do you think? I've been bugging Phil for a lap dog for I don't know how long. He always says no because we have Schnookie (who doesn't like the camera)
So when Em's friend wanted to give Em and the kids a pup, I figured he would say no...he said yes so Sally joined our family this weekend. (Sally is from Nightmare Before Christmas) there was no hesitation in naming her lol.

kids are really doing good, so far, I've not had to pick up any doggy doo or wee wee. Emily even got up early to let her out.