It's windy, windy, windy here......

It started last night at around 10 pm and at first I thought it was a thunderstorm, the tree branches were smacking up against the windows and you could hear the wind outside....there's something powerful and scary about strong wind isn't there???

I thought it would let up during the night, but it didn't, this morning it's still very windy, makes me want to crawl back into bed with the kids, wrap them up tight and just go to sleep for the rest of the day, but THAT is in my rose colored dreams, reality is a totally different thing.

So we had the pumpkin decorating night yesterday, I'm so glad the school does this every year, it's just so much fun. They go out to a pumpkin patch and buy dozens of pumpkins, and they also supply decorations and paints and even have a bake sale during the night. It's great seeing parents with their children, just relaxing and laughing and having a good time.

I have pictures to share of the pumpkins we decorated, except for Jasmine's because she entered it for the contest. So here they are, Curt and nicholas both made puppies, a daddy and a baby puppy, they're so cute, though we both agreed that they turned out looking more like little mice but I think that makes them even cuter, what do you think....puppy or mouse???

They even have little legs, I tried to take a photo from the side so you could see better.

And here is mine, I'm not very creative LOL I figured I would go with something simple and quick to make, so I present to you "MRS CLOWN" LOL

And here they are all together

This weekend we're doing the actual pumpkin carving with the pumpkins we get at the Pumpkin Patch. Wow that's a lot of pumpkins in one sentence.

I just can't believe Halloween is less than a week away, time just flies by. For the past two years Curt has missed Trick or Treating, he was either deployed or working 12 hour shifts, but this year he managed to get the day off so that he could be there with the kids. They miss him and he misses taking them, I am not sure who has more fun, daddy or the kids. :)

So with Christmas quickly approaching, I've decided that I need to start on the homemade gifts and decorations. It will be the first year that I'm making Stockings for us, and I also want to make all the tree decorations. Up until now we've been using the fake christmas trees and while that's all time saving etc, it's become too much of a hassle trying to get it back up, fluffing the branches to make them look normal and realizing that half the fake needles are missing. We've decided that it's ONLY real trees from now on....besides who can resist the pine scent????

I'm excited to get started, and I can't wait to get Barb's patterns and directions. Go and read her Homemade with Love post, this lady ROCKS!!! And if you're looking for some great ornaments she even offered to send them out to those that email her, so go on over and see what she's been up to.

I wish I could write more but my wrist is just not cooperating, I know I need to go back in to see the doctor and then have surgery, but I've honestly been putting it off. It's not that the surgery is anything major, it's the recovery time that is the worst. I will need a cast for two weeks and can't do anything with that wrist and then get a different bracer for another few weeks....having little ones makes it hard for me and of course with no family nearby to help, so yes, I'm putting it off as long as I can, but it's getting to the point where I need to get it done soon. *sigh* decisions, decisions.

Well I'm out of here....I have to run to the post office and the Airman's Attic. Have a great day!!!




 
For dinner we're having Chicken and Sausage Gumbo!!! If you like spicy food then this one is a MUST TRY, boy it's hot. I will have the recipe for it and for the Fettucine ala Carbonara posted later this afternoon :)






Rachael Ray - *New*- The CW- 12pm


General Hospital - *New* -ABC- 1:00 pm

Laundry
Post Office
Airman's Attic

Pumpkin Decorating Day!!!

Tonight the PTP is having the annual Art Night "Pumpkin Decorating" get together. It's always a lot of fun to go in with the kids, have some snacks and let our creativity run wild.

The school provides all the pumpkins and decorations, there's NO carving allowed though, so it always thrills me to see what the kids come up with.
They also have a contest afterwards for the best pumpkin!!!

Now me, I'm a pretty creative gal I think, I mean at least when it comes to graphic design and computers etc....but for some reason I have a hard time getting the creative juices flowing to create some great masterpiece.
Hubby on the other hand is a genius....last year he took a small pumpkin and using black pipe cleaners, he created a spider pumpkin. It was THE cutest thing, but he didn't enter it for the contest, he brought it home, it was too cute to leave there and he was mighty proud of his creation. ;)

This year the school encourages everyone to bring in their own decorations too, so this should be fun. I'll post the pictures tomorrow :)

So what do you think of my latest template??? I love PINK, it's my favorite color and I was thinking that being it Breast Cancer Awareness Month too, it was the perfect time to go girly on you all. I'm pleased with the results, and yes I know that October is almost over, but I'm enjoying this relaxing and calming layout....it does wonders for my stressed mind.

It's not that I'm stressed, per say, but you know with kids there never is a day of completely peace and quiet, especially when they start bickering over everything, from who's turn is it to watch TV down to who touched who's toy. It's an all consuming constant sibling rivalry that will end one day...I hope....

While running errands with hubby yesterday we stopped by Arby's for some roast beef sandwiches. I didn't know at the time that the Large really did mean LARGE, I mean this sandwich was huge, so by dinner time we weren't too hungry, but of course the kids were, so I made Chicken and Dumplings.....goodness gravy, they were SO good. Let me just say that the minute the wonderful aroma started permeating the air, I grew hungrier and hungrier by the minute....literally starving by the time I sat down at the dinner table. Nothing like a good big bowl of Chicken and Dumplings to warm the body AND soul.

The wonderful Dee over at "All the While" tagged me for this fun meme. It's the Refrigerator Tag, and we're supposed to take a picture of the front of the refrigerator, in all it's glory, boy am I glad I just cleaned it all out the other night, or you would see tons of unnecessary decorations. Did I mention that my kids love using the door as their personal Gallery???

So the top half holds:

Jasmine's School Lunch Menus
Jasmine's School Calendar
Important upcoming events or notes to be signed
Extra Magnets

The bottom half holds:

Family and friend pictures
Kids never ending art gallery (I have to go through it every few days and rotate with the new one they just made that day)

So there you have it, behind those brilliantly decorated doors, lay the ingredients for all my yummy meals, some secret ingredients too....not really, but it's nice to wonder isn't it? LOL

I want to tag Judi, Sharon Kay, Mrs Blythe, Brony and Morning Glory. Now please don't run away just cause you're tagged, I really really want to see those refrigerator doors LOL

I'm having one of those days where I just want to lay in bed and do nothing. Of course that's impossible when you're a mom of two little ones, but it's nice to dream right??? I tend to go through phases where I run at turbo speed, constantly on the go and do expect too much of myself. It's like I feel that if I'm not doing something productive, I'm being lazy and far be it from me to lay around and actually live up to it.

But I think today has to do with the fact that Nicholas is extremely whiny and clingy, he has been sniffling around and sneezing, so I know what's coming, and if I didn't, his chirpy sullen attitude sure lets it on. It's time to pull all the stops, it's funny that I do that with my kids but not myself. The minute I see them feeling sick I tend to nip the cold in the bud, but for me it seems to just go on and on, as I'm sure you've realized I'm not exactly the best nurse for myself....something I need to work on.

What's majorly contributing to my "not so happy" mood is my wrist. If you've been reading my blog for a while, I'm sure you remember the day that I shared a picture of my wrist....it's not for the weak of stomach (no really it's not that bad), but I do have two huge cysts that for the most part don't bother me, unless it's really cold or I move my hand a certain way, how dare I move my hand at all, they seem to say. But yeah, if you look at this post you will see what I mean.
So this morning it's really hurting, and it's bad enough that I don't have much strength left in that wrist, but when it starts acting up it's even worse....so I'm wearing my trusty wrist brace and I'm trying to "own it", you know, make it look all that and all....don't think it's working though.

Well anyway, now that I'm done whining about "poor ol' me", it's time to head out, I have some errands to run with hubby again, mostly we're going to go pick up some pumpkins to carve, seeing that he has the day off. :)

You all have a great day, you know one of these days we should pick a time and all meet on the computer, in some chat room or something, with a cup of coffee and some cookies, and just have a great time :)

See ya tomorrow, God Bless,

For dinner we're having Fettucine Ala Carbonara!!!

Rachael Ray - *New*- The CW- 12pm

General Hospital - *New* -ABC- 1:00 pm

Errands
Post Office
Commissary for Pumpkins
Bx for Pumpkin decorations

Monday Monday....

I'm so glad it's Monday, I know I know, the weekend could have been longer, but being that it's monday already, it just means my hubby is home. I even welcome his snoring, it makes me happy just to hear him, would you believe me if I told you I actually MISSED the nightly serenade???

He just laughs at me because usually I complain and wake him up, oh, a hundred times a night just to tell him to lay on his side. But it's those little things that you miss when they're gone.

Anyway, I got up this morning and as I put the dogs outside to go potty, I saw this lonesome pinecone sitting there on my bench. I had to snap a picture. I don't know what it is about it that I love, maybe the thought that pinecones mean christmas trees, hence the realization that's it a mere 8 weeks away??? I love the smell of pine trees and when the pinecones start falling, I start collecting them for numerous projects around the house.

I know we're supposed to be in Fall Season, but it's been more like Winter here, there is frost on the grass, ice on the windshields and that wonderful crisp chilly air in the morning. It's only 36 degrees right now, and to say that I was freezing this morning when I took Jasmine to school, would be an understatement. We've quickly moved from a light jacket to sweaters, coats, gloves and hats. It's THAT cold!!! Brrrrr indeed!!!

I have a couple of errands to run this morning with hubby. He has tomorrow off but it's stuff that needs to get done today. Usually when they come back from a Deployment or TDY they have a week off to be with the family, not only does he not get that this time, but he's been put on Swing Shift. You all know how much we ALL love it....it's the shift where he goes in at 3pm and doesn't get home until 11:30 pm. He doesn't see the kids, especially Jasmine, so they're bummed about that, but as my sweet daughter reminded us "It's ok, I would rather have daddy home and working these hours, than having him gone, it's nice knowing that he is here with me". How sweet is that???

Nothing a like a child to bring things into perspective, I tell you, if we would allow ourselves to see things as kids do, at times, things would be so much easier and pleasant to deal with.

Last night, hubby insisted on me going upstairs and having 2 hours to myself, to read or watch tv or do whatever I wanted to. He spent time with the kids, which he dearly missed while gone, and I got to watch my movie "The Lake House"....what a sweet movie, it had me smiling the whole time, though I did get a little confused in some parts, then again, doesn't take much to confuse me these days ;)

Let's see, what else is going on over here in cold and dreary Idaho.....Oh tomorrow Jasmine's school is having a PTP Art Night for the family. We get to go in and decorate a pumpkin, something we always have a lot of fun doing. :)
We're also going to get some pumpkins to carve this week, and then enter them in Theresa's Blog-O-Lantern contest. Don't forget to get your pumpkins carved and pictures taken, we all want to see what you come up with.

I updated my Weekly Menu on my sidebar there on the right, and the meals that have recipes posted already...there's a link to them to make it easier for you all to check them out.
My menu for this week is also posted at Full Bellies, and speaking of menus, don't forget it's monday so Laura is hosting her weekly "Menu Plan Monday".

I want to ask you all for a prayer for my MIL. She has been going through the chemotherapy and we've seeing how amazing the Lord has been in shrinking her tumor by 50%. Unfortunately she's now starting to have a hard time with the chemotherapy and I don't want to go into details, but if you could please say a little prayer that she is able to get through the treatments without too much discomfort....I would appreciate it. She is very thankful to all of you who have kept her in her prayers and she appreciates all the well wishes :)

I need to get going so I'm leaving you with my usual daily happenings. Have a wonderful Monday and I'll be here tomorrow bright and early.

God Bless,

Tonight we're having Beef and Onions with Rice. I made Apple Cider Chicken last night, and though it was quite tasty, I think next time I am going to cut back on the Apple Cider Vinegar, it had a bit too much for my taste, but it's really good otherwise :)

Rachael Ray - *New*- The CW- 12pm

General Hospital - *New* -ABC- 1:00 pm

The Bachelor Rome - *New* - ABC - 8pm

What About Brian - *New* - ABC - 9pm

Errands
Clean bathrooms
Dusting

There is absolutely nothing better

than having the love of your life back home with you. It doesn't matter if he's gone a year or months or weeks, just watching him walk toward you is sure to send you to cloud nine. That's how I felt last night as I saw him approaching us with a big smile on his face.....the kids screamed out "DADDY" and took off running towards him, they jumped him before he even put his bags down.

Me being the mommy, I had to wait my turn, which meant being last, and those are the times I wish I was the kid so I could run up and claim first hug LOL
But no matter because the minute he got to me and his arms went around me, all was well with the world, really, is there anything better than being in your husband's arms????

So I'm a happy woman this morning, for the first time in the past two weeks I slept peacefully knowing that he was right there keeping us all safe. I'm in Heaven!!!
My heart goes out though to all the other thousands of wives who are still awaiting the return of their husband from Iraq or wherever their deployments may have taken them, I just hope and pray that very soon they'll be able to wrap their arms around their hubbies :)

Last night we had The Ultimate Meatballs and Spaghetti Supper, it was soooo good, and the kids kept going on and on about how they loved the meatballs. You know I used a mixture of Ground Pork and Beef and it really does taste wonderful.

While we're on the subject of meatballs, you may want to give my Portuguese Meatballs a try, they're different than the usual ones, because they're not cooked in tomato sauce, but I'm sure you'll enjoy them anyway. I use the same recipe to make my homemade Sausage Biscuits...they're delicious.

It feels wonderful to be back in the kitchen, cooking a meal for the family. For dinner tonight I'm making Apple Cider Chicken, and I've posted the recipe as you can see, so go on over and take a look if that sounds yummy to you.

While talking to hubby this morning about what he did in Vegas for fun...he told me about the Las Vegas Renaissance Faire that he and a friend got to go to. I am so jealous, if there is ONE thing that I LOVE is anything medieval, and for the longest time hubby and I have wanted to go to one of these Faires, so I don't blame him for going given the chance. I'm SO thrilled that he got to go and see a Joust and sword fights, everyone dressed in medieval costumes, fairies and elves, Pirate Ships having canon ball fights, and he even got to eat chicken on a stick (which he says was really good) and a HUGE turkey leg. He LOVED it, I don't blame him, though I do feel disappointed and jealous that I wasn't able to join him. LOL
But you know there's always next year :)

Doesn't that look like fun??? Seriously, if you're ever near a Renaissance Faire in your area, be sure to go, it's a great way to spend a family day. My kids are dying to go, and when daddy was telling them about the horses in armor and the battles, they were just thrilled.

I got all my housework done yesterday, so today I'm able to relax and do whatever I want to. Hubby is playing a game on his computer, relaxing while the kids are rediscovering Video Tapes. Do you know that we have tons of them, and for the longest time they seemed to be set aside because, let's face it, with DVD's nowadays, who buys video tapes anymore, certainly not me.
But this morning while hubby was looking through his DVD Movie Collection, the kids all of a sudden realized that there's tapes. So they've been sitting on the couch, with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn, watching Rolie Polie Olie, Dumbo, Charlotte's Web and Fern Gully. It's pure bliss watching them sitting there having a nice relaxing day.

So I plan on spending this afternoon, reading or knitting, or maybe watching a movie. Just being happy and content with my life and my family, seems that the minute Curt came home, my sanity was returned. Nothing like him to ground me and make me feel normal again, I am ONE.LUCKY.LADY!!!

Before I leave, I want to remind you of some great things going on in blog land, beginning tomorrow.

Gibee at Kisses of Sunshine is hosting a Homemade with Love feature.
Write a post about homemade gifts for Christmas and then go on over and add your name to Mr Linky so you can share it with others, I'm sure you'll be getting tons of great ideas from the other participants too :)

Jennifer from Snapshots is hosting a Gift Idea Exchange, go on over and read the rules if you want to participate.

And finally also starting this week, Theresa at Bullfrogs and Butterflies is starting the Blog-O-Lantern contest. She encourages us to carve a pumpkin and then show it off for everyone to see, she's have a post up with Mr Linky so you can add your name and allow others to see your work of art.

I want to send a HUGE hug and kiss to my family in South Africa, I loved talking to them yesterday and I miss them terribly. Love you guys!!!

You all have a wonderful Sunday and I'll see you here tomorrow morning :)

The end in sight!!!

It's been two crazy and hectic weeks, but thank God they flew by at turbo speed. As we speak, hubby is on a bus back home, I'm excited and just can't wait.
So in just a few hours, I'll be able to wrap my arms around him and tell him just how much I love him and missed him.

I have so much to do today, but since it's still early, I get to enjoy my cup of coffee while chatting with you all.

I thought I would start my post a little differently today, by sharing with you what is around me, what my thoughts are after this past week, and what I'm busy with.

On my bedside table:
Simply Love by Mary Balogh
The Bible in 365 days
The Brethren by Beverly Lewis
From our house to yours by Habitat for Humanity

On board from Netflix:
United 93
The Lake House

Latest interests:
Knitting
Creating the perfect home baked bread
Vintage fabrics

On my mind:
Halloween costumes and trick or treating
Things I want to make for Christmas gifts

Learning:
How to crochet
Adobe Photoshop
Best way to use my Bread Maker

Making:
Small purses for gifts
Scarf and Glove set

Looking forward to:
Husband coming home
Trick or Treating with the family
Going to Red Lobster and the Bookstore next week

Enjoying:
Watching the leaves change colors
Seeing Jasmine do so well in school
Watching Nicholas grow up and become independent
Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy

With hubby arriving today (and because he already asked me to), I will actually be cooking....YAY!!! I don't understand how some people don't like cooking, I just love it so much that it's hard to wrap my mind around the concept that some really don't like it. For me it was almost like having withdrawals from an addiction, my fingers have been itching to get back in there, crank up that stove and cook a meal for my family. :)

For those of you that were interested in trying the Tooth Fairy Pillows, the instructions and pattern are really easy to follow, you don't have to be an expert seamstress. Let me know if you try them I would love to see the end results :)

I've been on a journey to make the perfect Cappucino. It's not easy making a good one, I thought that just having a Cappucino maker would be it, but apparently not because I seem to keep messing it up....never fear though I WILL achieve that perfect cup yet.

I'm a perfectionist and so it drives me nuts when I can't get something just right, but it also makes me go out of my way to try and try again until I'm happy with the results.

I remember back home when the whole family would go out to dinner, we always had either Cappucino or Irish Coffee OR Kahlua Don Pedro after the meal. Hayley and I loved the Kahlua Don Pedro, it was one of those girly things that we shared and just giggled over. If you've never tried one, you just have to, they're delicious and so easy to make too.

Here's the recipe:

1 oz whiskey
1 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
1 cup vanilla ice cream
cream

Combine all ingredients together in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane glass, and serve.

It's very refreshing and perfect for get togethers too. Boy do I miss sitting around the table with my family and just chatting while sipping on a delicious Kahlua Don Pedro.

I am keeping this one short, I don't have time for much more today, and I have so much on my mind that I can't concentrate long enough to give you a good post...I could try but it would probably come off as incoherent and confusing, and I like you all too much for that...think of it as me saving your sanity. LOL

Have a great Saturday everyone, I'm off to start my busy day.

As per hubby's request for a homecooked meal when he arrives around dinner time, I'm fixing The Ultimate Spaghetti and Meatballs Supper. It's a recipe that I got from Rachael Ray and it's really really good. Can't wait :)

Putting laundry away
Sweeping and Mopping
Cleaning Living Room
Cleaning Downstairs Bathroom
Dusting
Library to return movies and get books for kids
Baking a Carrot Cake

Alright come on in Ladies and sit with me

You might want to grab a cup of coffee and one of my freshly baked gingersnap cookies, which are fabulous by the way.

Remember how I was telling you yesterday wasn't too cold and there was no ice on my windshield??? Yeah well, that was yesterday, today is a toooootally different story.

So come on inside and sit with me a while, I have pictures to share, some will make you hungry and others will make you want to bring out the sewing machine, I mean, you just HAVE to make these cute tooth fairy pillows for your kids or grand kids, they're so easy and just adorable.

But before I start showing you pictures, I want to say "HI HONEY, I MISS YOU!!! See hubby reads the blog everyday and he's going to be home tomorrow, a day earlier....YIPPEE!!!

So first thing I want to do is point you in the direction of this great site called Thrifty Mommy and to the fact that I got a mention, I'm thrilled. It's always great when someone mentions me in their blog, makes me feel that at least someone out there is enjoying it :)
So go on over and say hi to Karen, she also talks about 5 Minutes for Mom and Holly's Corner.

Alright now that I got that out of the way, here's the first pictures, and I hope you're hungry, because if you're not, believe me, YOU.WILL.BE!!!!
Remember the Grandma's Gingersnap Cookies recipe that I shared with you on my food blog yesterday??? Well I made them yesterday afternoon and OH.GOOD.GRAVY....they are soooo good and they're chewy which I just love. So here they are in all their goodness and delicious glory!

Hot out of the oven, just want to jump in and rub my face on them LOL Not really, but I do want to just reach out and grab some.

And then just because I can, and because they weren't sweet enough (I'm bad) I slathered some Vanilla Frosting in between some. How GOOD does that look????

Now go on, head over to Full Bellies and grab the recipe, you can bake them this afternoon with the kids, that's what I did and they had a blast. Since Nicholas is only 3 years old, I let him stir the sugar and Cinnamon together, and he did a great job. Jasmine on the other hand got to mix and stir and shape and roll and all that other fun stuff :)

Yesterday morning I had told you all that I was going to make some Tooth Fairy Pillows, it only took me an hour to make both, and Jasmine's is finished, all that is left on Nicholas is to sew his name on it. But that will be done this morning and it won't take me but a few minutes. You want to see what they look like??

I just love these, they're super easy to make and it's such a cute idea, I'm thinking some pillows are on the way to some little ones in my family :)
If any of you are interested in making them, let me know and I'll point you to the pattern and instructions.

One thing I absolutely love is kids art, and I just have a blast looking at the pictures that Jasmine draws. She is one of those kids that given some paper and crayons, will sit on the kitchen table for hours, just drawing and making "books" and coming up with stories etc. She has a very vivid imagination. So I am going to share with you a picture she made for school, the minute I saw it I just started laughing.

The Teacher gave them a paper with words on, and then they had to come up with their own sentences and draw a picture to match, take a look:

I am just digging hubby's cowboy boots LOL When I started laughing she said to me "you know, those were SO hard to make" LOL

On another sheet of paper they were told to record acts of kindness. Now remember these are second graders so obviously they don't know how to spell that well yet, which I always enjoy reading because they spell as they say the word. Or so I think...take a look at this and see if you find the error: Jasmine had a good laugh with this one and she told me she can't believe she wrote that LOL (and yes I have her permission to post these, so I'm not embarrassing my child unnecessarily)

I also help him when he can not get his "shirt" on. LOL

Well anyway, we always have a good laugh, she's a great sport about it and she doesn't get upset or embarassed, she just laughs it off and asks me how to spell it right. What a sweet girl I have :)

I'm so thrilled that it's friday, you have NO idea. Here I was thinking hubby was going to be home on sunday but then he called yesterday and said it's tomorrow....the kids are thrilled, I'm thrilled, even the dogs are thrilled. Did you know that dogs can see photographs and understand what's on them??? I never knew they could, but yesterday I took this picture of Curt, it's a big one of his, and I put it on my face (yeah the things I do when I'm bored lol), and then walked up to Lola and she freaked out. LOL
She was so excited to see daddy's face, she sniffed at it and that tail was going super fast...guess I learn new things every day.

I've gotta get this house in shape today, got a bunch more laundry to do and mopping and sweeping and all that fun stuff. Well now it's fun, but when I first got married, I really disliked it, I felt like it was a chore, hard work, when I would rather be sitting around doing nothing. Yeah, the days of being spoiled ended when I decided to play "grown up" and get married and become a mom.

Then I slowly started thinking of it as something I like, a way to contribute to the family, to take care of them. The minute my view on it changed, I found that I no longer resented having to do things like dishes, laundry, cooking (well that was never hard for me, I love it)....so now I just think "what can I do to make this a better home for my family?" and that is when I start sewing or baking, adding more decorations to rooms, or special touches that will make my family WANT to come home at the end of a busy day. It's great!!!

Anyway, I have to get the kids up and ready for school. Thanks for sitting with me today and just listening to me babble on and on :) I did give you coffee and some yummy cookies though, that should count for something LOL

Have a wonderful friday!!!

It's friday which means Pizza Night. The kids and I will be making pizza for dinner, using my Quick and Easy Pizza dough, it's wonderful and so fluffy.

Rachael Ray - *New*- The CW- 12pm

General Hospital - *New* -ABC- 1:00 pm

Ghost Whisperer - *New* - CBS - 7pm

Most Haunted - *New* - Travel Channel - 8pm

Laundry
Sweeping and Mopping
Cleaning Living Room
Cleaning Downstairs Bathroom
Finishing Nicholas' Tooth Fairy Pillow
Posting Flan Recipe on Food Blog

Thursday is MUST SEE TV!!!!

If you're here just for the Slow Cooking Thursday, the post is just below this one :)

Thursday is my favorite day of the week, just because of all the great shows on, so when it rolls around I'm antsy with anticipation.

See I never used to like ABC, I thought NBC was all that and a bag of chips....then the last year ABC started getting really good, where else can you get General Hospital, Wife Swap, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters, What about Brian, The Nine, Lost and my favorite *dum dum dum duuuuummm* GREY'S ANATOMY???

Oh that's not to say I don't switch to NBC at 9pm, I mean I couldn't just let ER go, it's been a favorite of mine for a long time. I don't think Luka would be happy if I stopped watching LOL
Anyone else like Luka, or is it just me???

So yes I'm a happy girl today!!!
Honey, I miss you, I know you read the blog, so "HURRY UP AND GET HOME" LOL

While driving to school this morning Jasmine asked me, yet again, why is she going to school at night. It's cloudy and dark here, not as cold as it's been the past few days, so this morning I didn't have ice on my windshields, but it's still nippy outside. You know it's a dreary day when it's 9am and you have all the lights on in the house.

One thing I love though is watching the sun trying to peek through the clouds, it always makes the sky look beautiful. I was just thinking the other day that, when I was growing up and up until a few years ago, I never really paid attention to the sky or the clouds or how beautiful the trees look when the leaves start changing colors, I guess I just went about my day without ever giving it a second thought. But I've come to appreciate and really enjoy those little things, if you ever stop and just take a moment to look around you, you'll realize how amazing everything is. Try it, it will give you a totally different perspective on life!!!

It seems that Nicholas and I are coming down with a cold again. I've already started taking some cold medicine for it and I'm feeling a little better, but yesterday, oh boy, it took all out of me just to take Jasmine to school and then go back and get her. Both Nic and I were running a fever, he was crying and clingy because he didn't feel good, and I was exhausted from not sleeping the night before AND running a fever too....we looked pretty pathetic just laying on the couch all day.

But we're feeling a little better today, just don't want to be all sickly and miserable when hubby returns this weekend. Poor guy!!!

While I was at Airman's Attic yesterday I picked up a Bread Machine Cookbook from Fleischmann's Yeast. I've been going through it and my oh my, it's full of great recipes, can't wait to try it this weekend. The first one I'm making is Pumpkin-Nut Bread, mmmmm sounds wonderful. But you know what I'm baking this afternoon??? Grandma's Gingersnap Cookies, it's a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com a while ago, it was actually a link I picked up from one of my favorite Crafty Blogs, named "Turkey Feathers". Vicki mentioned the cookies and even posted a yummy picture.

It will be perfect for this rainy day, just me and kids in the kitchen, baking and having fun. I've posted the recipe on my food blog, so go HERE to see it, and I'll come back and post pictures once the cookies are done. :)

Since it's cold and I really don't feel like going anywhere, plus I don't want to get any sicker, I thought that I would spend the day making some Tooth Fairy Pillows for the kids. Jasmine has been wanting one for a long time, and they're so easy to make. I'll show you the pictures once they're finished :)

I've really got to get myself in gear soon, it's almost the end of October and it doesn't leave much time for all the Christmas gifts I want to make AND send off in time, especially to South Africa. I just hate leaving everything til' the last minute and then stressing over what should have been done or sent.

Well I better get started on my day, would love to have that pillow finished for Jasmine when she gets home from school :)

Don't forget to check the Slow Cooking Thursday post below, there's some really good recipes being shared today.

For dinner I'm making Sausage Rice with a Salad. It's quick and easy and the kids love it, heck throw sausage (especially hotdogs) in anything and they're thrilled :)
For dessert we'll be having the Gingersnap Cookies.

Rachael Ray - *New*- The CW- 12pm

General Hospital - *New* -ABC- 1:00 pm

Ugly Betty - *New* - ABC - 7pm

Grey's Anatomy - *New* - ABC - 8pm
ER - *New* - NBC - 9pm

Laundry
Tooth Fairy Pillows
Baking Cookies

SLOW COOKING THURSDAY!!!

With fall just around the corner and so many wonderful recipes being shared, constantly, amongst the blogging ladies....I thought that it would be neat to have a feature every thursday, just for crockpot recipes.

What do you think??? Do You have some great recipes to share, or perhaps you're looking for some delicious ones to give you a reason to pull out the ol' crockpot???

Well it's thursday ladies and you know what that means. Time to pull out those crockpots and put them to good use. If you want to join in, just grab the banner and add your name to Mr Linky :)

One thing I love is chicken and mushrooms, oh and stew, so what's better than everything in one pot huh???
I found this recipe on one of those small cookbooks that usually hang out (he he) at the grocery stores, right by the checkouts...I grabbed it a couple of months ago, and I've tried many of the recipes, haven't disliked one so far :)

Photo and recipe courtesy of: Prevention Guide Slow Cooker Recipes

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM STEW

1 can (10 3/4 oz) 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup + half a soup can water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2" chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb fresh medium-size white mushrooms, or a variety of mushrooms, including portobellow, cut-up
1 c. baby carrots
2 ribs celery, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp garlic powder

• Combine soup and water in slow cooker.
• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker.
• Add mushrooms, carrots, celery and garlic powder. Stir gently to mix.
• Cover. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

This stew is great over rice and since I LOVE mushrooms, I usually double the quantity.

Enjoy!!! OH and here's the best part, this stew is only 230 cal. per serving :)

I'm Cranky today.....

Boy I tell you, just when you think you've got this being a mom thing down, you're hit with a night of running between two rooms and stepping on dog poop. Yeah, if nothing else, THAT will wake you up!

Since hubby left, Lola has been acting up, she's used to hubby and being his girl, so I guess it's her way of missing him, but every once in a while she'll leave me a little present. Usually I get annoyed but it's during the day and I can see it and SMELL it a mile away.....at night is another thing, I'm not fully awake and I am not one to turn on all the lights in the house just to go to the bathroom or to one of the kids.

So anyway, Jasmine spent the night crying about having bad dreams.....Nicholas spent the night tossing and turning and whining because his nose was congested. Then I have Pugs....I love them to death but they have this thing (must have been in their Pug Memo), that every time someone lays on the bed, it means they are to come and lay ON TOP of you. Not next to you or at the feet....ON.TOP.OF.YOU...preferably as close to your head as possible. What the heck is up with that??? Last thing I need at 4 am is a Pug Butt on my face.

Well between running the two rooms, I stepped on it. The "dreaded poop" and at first I went into denial, but really what else could it have been??? So I hopped into the bathroom (what a wonderful visual) turned on the light which blinds me because I'm now in night vision mode, and there it is. Yep, in all it's smelly glory!! I had to wash my feet at 4am, I'm all for being clean all the time but this is ridiculous.

Anyway, I finally managed to fall asleep around 5 am, but the alarm goes off at 5:45 though I did switch it to 6:30 am which is pushing it already.......did I get to sleep until then??? Nope, because a few minutes after, the dogs needed to go out and Jasmine was up. HOW?!?!?!? That's all I ask, HOW do they do that?!?!?! How can they be up all night and then be ready to get up so early?!?!?! If I could just have a tenth of their daily energy I could get so much more done.

Needless to say, I have a HUGE cup of coffee in my hand and I'm savoring every sip, it's helping clear the cobwebs up there. OH and I did remember to set my car to defrost so I can actually see where I'm driving this morning LOL
Thank you Morning Glory for the tip too, I lived most of my life in South Africa and winters for us are like the spring here, it's not cold at all, in fact the first winter I spent here I thought I was going to die LOL

There's not much going on here in my corner of the world. I do have some new faces popping in, so I'm going to talk about them of course, that way you can all meet them and go say hi.

Doing My Best to Save a Buck - A SAHM, homeschooling mom who has recently started living frugally....go on over and say hi and see the ways in which they're saving money :)

In Season - Well it's always wonderful when I get to meet another book lover, this is her second blog, but you can also find her book blog here. Can't wait to read about her books :)

Sweetnicks - OK calling all FOOD LOVERS....if you love food and recipes and great food pictures, you have GOT to run over to Sweetnicks...what a great blog :)

So go on, don't mind me, just go say hi but be sure to come right back OK??? I really don't like being alone here, I get bored easily.

Last night I was thinking about blogging and my favorite blogs, what draws me to them and what it is about a certain blog that makes me go "Oh I really like it", compared to some that I will just take a glance and decide it's just not for me.

Have you ever gone back and read people's first blog entries??? The very first ones they right all seem to have come from a "Blogging Memo", they start pretty much the same way "OK so after months of lurking I decided to take a crack at this, ummm I don't know if this will work, but here we go".....within a few weeks you start seeing a change, the way they write, they way they interact with other blogs, and you watch this growth.

Really for me it's almost as if I'm watching a Caterpillar develop into a beautiful butterfly, not that we weren't beautiful before, you know what I mean, don't get snippy at me LOL

But I really enjoy some blogs, and you will usually find them on my sidebar, though some are in my Bloglines, but nonetheless, still my favorites. I like reading an entry and thinking "Wow, what an inspiration, wish I was like her" or "she's going through so much, wish I was there to give her a hug" or "OMG, she is hilarious". And I have to say that some of my favorites are those that just talk about the day to day, I do occasionally enjoy deep and profound posts, but I tend to loose concentration when I'm reading those.

I often read someone's blog where they say "Oh I don't know how to write, I wish I could be as funny or intelligent as some of the known bloggers". That annoys me, really, and if you're one of them, I'm telling you...ANNOYING!!! LOL
Know why???? Because blogging is not supposed to be a contest for the most popular of funnier, blogging is about YOU and that is what I love about my favorite blogs....down to earth, wonderful ladies and gent, who talk about themselves and their families, their days, their struggles and their thoughts and their successes and disappointments. I don't care if you have 50 or more comments or just in the teens like me....it's not what matters, really.

What matters is that you're writing for yourself, and if along the way it touches someones life or they can relate to you and find some comfort in knowing that others go through the same daily struggles, then great :)

So anyway, write as you would be talking to me, or anyone actually, I don't meant just ME, per say. Don't try to write as a WRITER, just write as you would have a conversation with a friend...believe it helps a lot!!!

And that's it for me this morning, I need an other cup of coffee or I may just end up falling asleep on the couch.

Have a great day everyone!!!

Boy I can't wait until hubby is home so I can start using my stove again, I miss it dearly. Tonight we're having Ham and Cheese Quesadillas, nothing fancy but the kids seem to be enjoying these kid friendly meals :)

Rachael Ray - *New*- The CW- 12pm

General Hospital - *New* -ABC- 1:00 pm

The Biggest Looser - *New* - NBC - 8pm

Ghost Hunters - *New* - Scifi - 9pm

Airman's Attic to donate clothes
Cleaning Living Room
Hopefully getting a little nap

Goodness it's cold outside......

Did I tell you that I've been turning the Heat on every night, and actually during most of the day??? It's THAT cold here.

The picture on the left is the view from my backyard this morning, I just thought the clouds looked so pretty, the whole sky is clear but for that one part....beautiful!!!

And speaking of photos, is anyone else having problems uploading them to Blogger, is it just me or does Blogger seem to be super slow the past two days??? It uploads photos but I have to let it sit there for 5 minutes or so, and I know that's not normal. Well, for Blogger actually it might be LOL

So this morning I had a MAJOR blonde moment. I was driving and complaining the whole time that I couldn't see out of my window...it kept getting fogged up and I had to keep reaching up and using my hand to clean it so I could see. Not very safe for driving....anyway, we get to the school and I pull up with my fogged up windows, it's embarassing, anyone seeing me drive up will think that there are a couple of teenagers doing unmentionable things in there....LOL

Anyway, we're sitting there in the car and I'm complaining saying that I can't see a single thing and these fogged up windows are bugging me and I don't know how to make it better...then Jasmine looks at me and says "Why don't you just turn the button to Defrost? Won't that help?". DUHHHHHHH!!!!
So my 7 year old had to remind this stressed out whiny mom, that there IS a Defrost button, you know?!?!?!?
VOILA, within two seconds I could see....how embarassing!!! Ditz Patrol to the Rescue!!!

Anyway, I was watching The Bachelor Rome last night, ummm excuse me but "Erica, what the heck is wrong with you?", that girl was starting to scare me, I don't think I've ever seen anyone act like that on the Bachelor before. See I'm not as big a Reality TV fan as I used to be a couple years ago but then it seems that the networks got inundated with ridiculous reality shows, each one progressively dumber than the last one, so I got turned off. I think The Bachelor, Wife Swap and The Nanny are the only ones I still catch from time to time.
The Bachelor because it's just funny to me, the Wife Swap because then I can tell my hubby that he really IS lucky to have me (LOL) and The Nanny just to show myself that my kids are really Angels comparatively. It's all part of my life lessons, or so I tell myself so that I have an excuse to keep watching them. LOL

I have laundry that has to be put away, but I'm in one of those "lazy days", the ones where all I want is to cuddle on the couch, watch tv and do absolutely nothing. I also want 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, a porsche and world peace....so you see where this is going right???
But really, you ever have those days where you have to bribe your body to do things...like "if you just walk into the kitchen, I promise there's a cupcake in it for you" or "if you just get up off the chair I will let you watch tv for an extra hour later, ok?". It's ridiculous when you start bartering with your own body.

But now you see where I'm at today...I just want to sit right here, on the computer chair, visit your blogs and do nothing. But alas, reality calls, I have errands to run, a house to clean and a 3 year old to keep entertained, though I've realized it doesn't take much to keep him happy, just give him a few chips, a cup of milk and an empty box and this child is thrilled for hours.

Don't forget that there's a lot of blogdom happenings coming up, our wonderful friend over at "Overwhelmed with Joy" put up a list, so go check it out if you're interested in participating in something fun.

I'm hosting my own Holiday Traditions on November 1st, so I hope you will all join in, I would love to hear about your family traditions.

Do you and your family have a special tradition every Christmas Morning, or maybe it's a special dinner for Thanksgiving??? Do you all go out on a certain day to get a Christmas Tree??? Is there a special ornament or fun way your family decorates for the holidays??? How about different Heritages, how are the holidays celebrated all over the world???

So please, if you want to share your Traditions, just remember to come back here on the 1st of November, and in the meantime if you wouldn't mind helping me spread the word, just grab the banner and maybe give a little shout out??? Also link to THIS POST, for the rules!!! You know I'm not one to ask and I actually feel bad doing it, but I would love to see as many people as possible participating :)

I'm sure by now you've noticed that I made a few small changes to the template, and at first I was going to change it completely, but I realized that if this is working for me, there's no need to go messing with it. Having this simple base to start from allows me to change it according to the holidays or seasons, which is great.

Well I better get moving on out of here....Have a Blessed Day!!!

Dinner tonight is just a simple Tuna Salad, something the kids and I really enjoy but it's not one of hubby's favorites, hence we have it for dinner when he's gone somewhere :)

Rachael Ray - *New*- The CW- 12pm

General Hospital - *New* -ABC- 1:00 pm

Dancing with the Stars - *New* - ABC - 7pm

Putting away laundry *still looking for the laundry fairy*
Errands
Mopping
Clean Computer Area