Thank Goodness for DVR...

Myspace Stuff

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year. My husband and I had plans for people to come over, but unfortunately AZ has a slight fever and one of their kids has a rash. My how kids are so unpredictable. I doubt I make it to see the ball drop this year since AZ was up most of the night last night. We may just watch a movie and record the New Year's Eve shows. Maybe we'll watch those shows Friday or Saturday night and celebrate the New Year with friends then. Thank goodness for DVR.

Have a safe, happy new year. Good-bye 2009. Hello 2010!

My Very 1st BLOG AWARD!!!

Oh my gosh, I'm as giddy as a school kid when summer break begins! I got a BLOG AWARD! Yay! Thank you so much, Once Upon A Mommy!

I guess there are rules when you get an award. A little like Pay It Forward I guess. So here are the rules:

~Put the Lemonade logo on your blog or within your post.
~Nominate at least 10 blogs with great attitude or gratitude.
~Link the nominees within your post.
~Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
~Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Now, drum roll please, here are my winners -
Goodness And Mercy Mom at Goodness And Mercy Shall Follow
Amanda at Imperfectly Beautiful
Samantha at Mama Notes
Heather at Freebies4Mom
A Thrifty Mom at A Thrifty Mom
Christie O. at Baby Tea Leaves
Ruby at Growing up BLACKXICAN
Tammi at My Organized Chaos
Shannon at The Mommy Files
Melinda at The Hippie Mommy with Kaleidoscope Eyes

Thanks again! And congrats to MY winners. Have a great New Year.

Thrifty Thursday #6

She Saved had a post on how to get a FREE Talla Sales Tiger Plush Toy, so I signed up for that. My kids will love that, as will I. We'll add that to our WHO DEY collection. Yay!

I won that FREE pair of LEE jeans by becoming their fan on facebook. I originally heard of this contest from Freebies4Mom. Thanks, Freebies4Mom!

Striving to be my Best

I absolutely LOVE Christmas and all that magic and excitement, but I do NOT like the mess that comes with it. The post-holiday-clean-up seems to last as long as the pre-holiday-rush for me. I took all the decorations down yesterday, and stripped the tree of the memorable ornaments that made it so special and beautiful. I've found places for new toys, though I feel I'll need to start putting some away for donation piles. That part gets tricky because of my daycare and the age range, though. I'm feeling the need to regroup, which for me equals dusting, vacuuming, laundry, etc. I feel the need for getting completely back into routine. My routine will be new, though, because I've started watching a 3 month old baby. Yes, I am a little nutty. So, now I have my 3 & 1/2 year old and almost 2 year old, two other almost 2 year olds, and a baby in my care full time. New routines are a must with the new baby here now.

Along with regrouping and regaining a routine, I'd like to start on my goals, and OK I'll say it, resolutions for this upcoming year. I'm going to be brave by putting it all out there, and I'm hoping some of you are as equally brave and help hold me accountable.

Goal/Resolution #1: Lose this baby weight. Do I really have the right to call it baby weight anymore? My youngest baby is almost 2 years old for crying out loud. I'll call it my, I'm-too-lazy-to-work-out-and-lose-the-weight-I-gained-while-I-was-pregnant weight. Now, I gained over 50 pounds with both AZ and WC. I lost everything after AZ was born and before getting pregnant with WC, but it hasn't been as easy losing the last 20 or so pounds after WC. I guess it's true that "your metabolism will slow down when you turn 30." BOO! Therefore, I am on the hunt for a fun way to shed some pounds. I have the treadmill in the playroom now, so hopefully that's at least a starting place. I'm also looking into some fun weight loss challenges that I've come across on some of the blogs I follow. I haven't decided which I like best, but here they are. The first one is The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans, and you can learn more about that one HERE. The other one I'm considering is called Body After Baby. I found out about that one HERE. I've also considered doing the tapes, yes that's VHS tapes, or DVD work outs I have. I highly doubt I'll try the P90X again, as that is at LEAST an hour everyday. Who has that kind of time?

Goal/Resolution #2: Continue to save money using coupons and sales, and get even better at it. One thing I LOVE about the blogosphere is that soooo many women out there are extremely generous in sharing when they find a deal. Some blogs will actually match up stores sales with coupons, making it extremely easy to find great deals. Thank you to all of those wonderful blogs. The Kroger I shop at actually shows me on the receipt the percentage of my savings. I'm hoping to save above 30% on EVERY shopping trip.

Goal/Resolution #3: Become better acquainted with our finances. So, I'm saving money shopping and finding deals, but where is that money going and what is it doing? I'm going to take over the bills and finances for a while to figure all of this out. Yes, I'm adding another thing to my plate.

Goal/Resolution #4: Send out greeting cards for birthdays and anniversaries to friends and family. What is better than getting a card from a friend or family member on your birthday or anniversary. It's always nice to know that someone out there has remembered a special occasion for you. I used to be pretty good at sending out cards. I made this resolution a couple of years ago, and was pretty good until about April/May. The next year I was even better, getting cards out until around Septemberish. This year I am determined to get cards out from January-December. Wish me luck.

Goal/Resolution #5: Spend more time doing FUN things with the kids. My husband and I were just discussing last night how we'd like to each have one-on-one time with each kid, as well as go out and do fun things as a family. This is going to be a fun goal for us, and I certainly hope we are successful with this one. I hope I'm successful with them all, but this one is really high on the priority list for us.

Goal/Resolution #6: Find some quality "me" time. Seriously, this will be way too much information, but I was just in the bathroom doing my business with both of my children in there. AZ was sitting across from the toilet while WC was on my lap. Yes, my lap! Come on. I need a few minutes to myself, kiddos. The mom's group I am in will definitely continue helping me on this journey.

Goal/Resolution #7: Decide if I want to become a member of our church. I feel that it's such a commitment to the church, and I just want to make sure that I am prepared to contribute and become a member of that community. I REALLY want to get the kids baptized. AZ is 3 & 1/2 and WC is almost 2, and I know that their faith will be in their hands when they get older, but I'd like to do this for me I guess, to participate in the ceremony of dedicating my children to God. I already know they are His, and they're on loan to me, but it's in my heart to do this.

Goal/Resolution #8: Stop sweating the small stuff. Start looking at the BIG picture. So what that WC has pulled out all the VHS tapes from the cabinet and is making a mess right now. So what if my dear husband leaves his dishes on the counter. Is it really that important? My OCD personality says, YES. CLEAN IT UP!! I need to relax.

The perfectionist in me could continue to make goals/resolutions until my fingers cramped up from all the typing, but I am going to stop here. Although I find faults in myself so easily, I know no one is perfect. It doesn't matter that I know this, I will continue to strive for perfection. I want to be my best, and how will I know what my best is unless I continue to push myself.

What are your goals/resolutions for 2010? I wish you, and myself, luck in accomplishing and achieving all our hearts desires for this upcoming year. Good luck!

Free sample of Enfamil Formula

This is for readers who happen to have new babies who may or may not want formula(it always has a far off expiration date) or readings who are currently expecting. So, JK and KK. Or maybe for readers who would like to get this for donations. That could be any of you.

I read at A Thrifty Mom that you can sign up by midnight on Dec. 31st to get a free sample of Enfamil Baby Formula. Go HERE to print your certificate.

I figure I will put some of my blogging to good use and tell you about some of the awesome giveaways I find. I'll always link you back to the original blog I've found the deal on, and you should check them out.

Wednesday's Weekly Wishes #5

Over at Coupon Clippin' Mommy, I've entered a giveaway for 100 Postcards from Uprinting. I wish to win these, but they wouldn't be for me. I'd use them as invitations to something special, like JK's baby shower. ;)

Another wish this week is for me to win another giveaway. This one is at Frugal Mom Knows Best. We all know how much WC LOVES him some Thomas the Train. Well this give away is for Thomas and Friends Splish Splash Splosh DVD! How perfect is that?

As always, I wish for more sleep. AZ was up a few times last night. And of course WC was up and ready to go at 6:30 this morning.

The Calm Before the Storm

Calm...that's what I think our Christmases are right now. Christmas 2008 wasn't a flurry of excitement for AZ or WC because she was just 2 & 1/2 and he was only 10 months old. I was certainly hoping for more excitement for Christmas 2009. Here's what we got:

Christmas morning AZ wakes up and comes into our room. There's definitely nothing unusual there. After she's done going potty, I say to her, "Who came to our house last night?" Her response was, "Uma and Papa." Me: "Who else came to our house?" Her: "Uncle C, Aunt K, DG, and AL." I'm guessing we need to talk Santa up a little bit more next year.

After WC woke up, we all headed downstairs. There were no squeals of excitement from the kids. I think I was more excited for them to see Santa's gifts than they were. And of course, after they saw the awesome tool bench and tools, they didn't want to open anything else. I felt like it was a chore to get them to open presents this year. Of course they LOVE everything they got, and they are so darn cute playing with one another, but the magical excitement and happy squeals didn't happen this year.

And if the last couple of Christmases are the calm, bring on the storm. I'm ready!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Free Graphics - MySpace/Xanga/Friendster

Friday's Funny Phrases #3

While at a holiday gathering, AZ ran into an early twenties guy who was wearing VERY ripped up jeans with long johns underneath, which is obviously a fashion statement that shows just how old I am because I don't get it. Anyway, she looks up at him and says, "Your pants are broken. You need to fix them."

On the drive home from said holiday gathering, AZ gets the sniffles. Snif. "Boogers, leave me alone." Snif, Snif. "Boogers, leave me alone." Snif, Snif. "Boogers, LEAVE ME ALONE." Snif. "Mommy, my boogers won't leave me alone."

At dinner, I was desperately trying to get AZ to actually eat something other than macaroni and cheese. She had mashed potatoes, that I know she likes, along with mashed potatoes, lima beans (yeah right), 1/8 of a cereal bar, and a slice of cheese. Begging her to try a bite of mashed potatoes because I KNOW SHE LIKES THEM, she looks at me and says, "Mommy there's a baby coming out of my belly. Look. The feet are touching." What? "I'm going to touch it in my belly button." Hee, hee, hee, hee. My silly girl.

Alright, so it's not a saying, but I thought it was funny - I heard WC rummaging in a kitchen drawer. The next thing I know, he's run out into the family room yielding a chop stick like he's Harry Potter. He must be my little wizard!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!

Thrifty Thursday #5

I LOVE guacamole! I could seriously put it on anything. So, I was thrilled when Frugal Racing Fan Mommy posted about a BOGO Wholly Guacamole. Yay! Combine that coupon, found HERE with the $1.00 off coupons from Sunday inserts, and I'm set! They're normally 2/$5 at my Kroger without coupons or sales, so at the very most, I'll pay $1.50 for two on my next trip. LOVE it! Thank you Frugal Racing Fan Mommy! Edit - They're on sale at Kroger for $1! I'm getting 4 for FREE!!

CVS has a great deal for me this week. I can score some Nivea Body wash for free, or make money on it! They will cost $5.99, but I'll get $5 cash back with register rewards, AND I have a $2.00 off coupon found HERE. I found this deal through Couponing For 4.

We all know how much I LOVE my coffee, and of course I need coffee creamer to go with it. I've heard from multiple bloggers, and signed up to get another FREE pint of International Delight Coffee creamer by registering on their facebook page. Thanks to Coupon Clippin' Mommy, Couponing for 4, Frugal Racing Fan Mommy, Freebies4Mom, A Thrifty Mom and MomsbyHeart.

Wednesday's Weekly Wishes #4

I wish kids were born sleeping through the night.

I wish to leave the world a better place for my children.

I wish for a mini-van, and a maid, and a good nights sleep, or two.

I wish for everyone to be kind, generous, and thoughtful of others this holiday season and ALWAYS.

I wish for hearts of those far from family to be comforted, mine included. I wish for all stomachs to be satisfied, all bodies to be warm with shelter, and all hearts to be filled with love.

I wish for a White Christmas.

I wish to find the beauty in everything.

I wish to stop and savor every second of every moment with my precious children and husband.

I wish to be the absolute best that I can be for my kids, husband, family, friends, and myself.

I wish for peace, in our hearts, in our lives, in our homes, in our world.

I wish for less tears of sorrow and pain, and more of joy.

I wish everyone felt the love and grace of God in their hearts.

I wish for everyone to have a WONDERFUL Christmas, enjoyed with family and friends, and with everyone happy and in good health.

My Husband is my Hero

How pleasantly surprised was I when JD took over some of my to do list?! He made dinner and 3 meals to be frozen. Wow! What a big help! Make Meals to Freeze: CHECK!

He FINISHED his Christmas shopping, though I'm the only one on his list. He wrapped his gifts for me and helped with my huge pile, too. So now all the gifts are wrapped. Yay! Wrap the Presents: CHECK!

All of us sat around the table last night icing the Christmas cookies. AZ's cookies are so funny. They have a glob of icing somewhere in the middle of the cookie, with a mound of sprinkles on top of that. WC didn't ice one cookie, as he kept eating them as soon as one hit his plate. Decorate Cookies: CHECK!

I just may have time to finish cross-stitching my Christmas stocking after all.

My hubby is the BEST! And to top it all off, he did it BEFORE he read about how stressed I was.

Mommy's Merry Madness and the Crazy that comes with Christmas

With only four days until Christmas, I feel my inner Grinch coming out. My to do list is ever-growing, and while I slowly mark one item off, two more items seem to appear. And I don't really feel like I could not do some of these things since I think they're all important.

I've got another baby to look after in my daycare, bringing my total to a 3 & 1/2 year old, three 1 year olds, and a 3 month old. I think I may be going mad. I had to bring out ALL of my old baby things, wash them, set them up, and try to train my kids to stay away from them. I may hurt WC in this process, as he is as stubborn as I am, and he REALLY wants to touch everything. At this very moment, he's swinging the baby swing, saying "Baby KT, Baby KT." OK. He wins.

My kitchen is going to be my permanent place of residence for the next day or so as well. It seems that we've depleted the stock of frozen meals I've prepared, so I have a TON of meat in my fridge waiting to magically be cooked into meals and frozen. At least I will have 4-5 more entrees to add to my freezer. I've also baked FROM SCRATCH 3-4 dozen cookies that are waiting to be decorated with the icing, also made FROM SCRATCH. I don't really have Christmas memories of cookies being made and decorated, but my husband does. I think those are times he treasures and holds dear. I hope our kids will have the same fond memories of cookies. I know AZ really liked getting her hands in the flour and using the cookie cutters to make the cookies. I hope I'm making good memories for her.

And I did finally get all of the Christmas packages together and mailed over the weekend. I also got the Christmas letter written and copied, Christmas cards done, envelopes stuffed, and all mailed out, all 75 of them. Whew! Now I have a mountain of gifts to wrap. I actually do enjoy wrapping and making packages pretty for the recipient, but the looming deadline is quickly approaching.

The Christmas stocking I am cross-stitching for myself just may NOT be done in time for this Christmas. I've made one for everyone else in my family throughout the years, so I'd like one to match, but it seems that I just may not have time to finish it.

I hate that I feel so much stress right now about Christmas because I LOVE giving gifts to friends and family. I LOVE seeing my kids excited about Santa and snow and toys and lights and the tree and everything that has to do with Christmas. I LOVE that they think Christmas cookies and candy canes are so yummy. I'm REALLY looking forward to them seeing the candle light service at church. I'm REALLY looking forward to their amazement that the magic of Santa brings. I'm REALLY looking forward to spending time with my in-laws and sharing a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner with everyone. And I'm REALLY looking forward to having our annual Surf and Turf dinner with my husband on Christmas night.

Christmas is a magical time, especially for kids. I WILL pull out some magic of my own and get all of these things done, and more! And, dag-gone-it, I'm going to do it and be Merry about it. Good-bye Grinch. And MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Friday's Funny Phrases #2

While in the car listening to Christmas tunes, AZ says, "Mommy I like this Tinkerbell music."

On my way to change WC's poopy diaper, I say to him, "WC, Did you poop? You're stinky." AZ replies, "I think he ate his boogers." She's so stuck on boogers making poop. It's funny.

Snuggling with AZ, I had to get up and make dinner. AZ says, "I need another mommy to snuggle with."

WC is in a new phase where he likes to look at me and say, "Bye-bye." I'll walk into his room when he wakes in the morning. Here's a typical morning conversation with him.
Me: "Hi Buddy. Ready to get up?"
He'll look at me and ask, "Daddy home?"
Me: "No. Daddy's at work."
Him: "Bye-bye."

When WC was done eating dinner:
Me: "Are you all done? Do you want to get down?"
Him: "Bye-bye."
Me: "Are you done, WC? Do you want to get down?"
Him: "Bye-bye."
Me: "Stop saying bye-bye."
Him: "Hi."
My almost 2 year old definitely has a sense of humor.

AZ told me last night that she touched JJ the Elf. Now, JJ will lose his magic if you touch him. I told her that if he loses his magic, he will not be able to go see Santa. She says, "But I will miss him." How sweet!

Thrifty Thursday #4

Freebies4Mom always comes through for me with GREAT coupons. I got a coupon for $.50 off Driscoll's berries. Kroger will double that to $1.00 off, so this is great! AZ and WC LOVE Driscoll's more than any other brand berry out there.

I haven't done a whole lot of shopping lately...

Wednesday's WEEKLY Wishes #3

I've updated the title, as I may add more wishes to this post as the week progresses.

I wish to get A LOT done this week to get ready for Christmas.
TO DO: wrap gifts, finish shopping, mail out of towners' gifts, write Christmas letter, stuff and mail out Christmas cards, buy stamps for Christmas cards, get groceries for Christmas dinner menu and for Christmas cookies, CLEAN MY FILTHY HOUSE, make Christmas cookies with AZ and WC, and I'm sure much much more.

I've entered a giveaway at The Bragging Mommy for a Harmony Juvenile LiteRider Youth Booster Car Seat. This could be perfect timing as AZ just hit the 30lb mark. You can read more about the booster seat HERE. So, I'm wishing to win this giveaway.

After looking at Nickels-n-Dimes, I've entered another giveaway, sponsored by Sage and Savvy It is for a DVD of The Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout. I'd love to win this giveaway so that I could either lose a few pounds, or give it to an unnamed relative who LOVES the show.

The ULTIMATE Parents

I came to the realization shortly after AZ was born (3 & 1/2 years ago) that God was the ultimate parent. I mean, I always knew God was wonderful and knew He gave his only son for us, but when I became a parent, I felt that I had a lot more understanding of what God sacrificed for us. He let his child DIE so that we could be washed of our sins. I have cried countless tears over this fact.

Listening to Sunday's sermon, I was reminded that Jesus also had a MOTHER. Why had I never thought of her loss? She watched her child be tortured and killed right before her eyes. What a strong and faithful mother Mary must have been!

I often wonder if I'll know when to let go of my children, as Mary had faith and knew when to let go of Jesus. When will I know it's OK for my kids to make their own decisions, even knowing that they'll get hurt from them? Mary was in an exceptional position. She birthed Christ!

My hopes are that I can be the type of parent that God wants me to be for my children. I want to do my job for Him, so that my children may grow up to do what they're supposed to do for Him.

Faith is tested on a regular basis, but I pray that I am able to be just half as faithful as Mary was. I know my flaws, and I cannot say for certain that I am even remotely faithful enough to watch my children be sacrificed. I pray my faith is never tested in that way.

From Sunday's service on, I will forever remember what God AND Mary did for Jesus. I'm so grateful that Mary was strong in her faith to God. And forever thankful to God for all He has done for us.

My Children, My Family, and God's Wonderful Work

I have two children. AZ is almost 3 & 1/2 and WC is almost 2. So why is it that there are some days when I look at them as if they are little aliens that have invaded my life and home? You'd think that I'd be completely used to the idea that I have two children, but I swear there are some days when I am still SHOCKED that I am a parent! I cannot believe that I am this lucky.

My kids are their own little people, with their own personalities and distinct traits. But you know what? I am blown away, sometimes, at how my children remind me of my childhood or some of my siblings.

For example, AZ likes to run on her tippy toes. And why can't I just say tip toes? It's always TIPPY toes. Anyway, it always reminds of my sister JK. As does AZ's laugh. Her laugh warms my heart, not only because the sound of laughter coming from a child is priceless, but because it makes me think of my aunt KK, sister JK, and I laughing with one another. I'm so happy she has our Woody Woodpecker laugh.

Sometimes WC will try to take off all of his clothes and run around naked because he sees his big sister do it. And I totally let them run around naked, laughing their heads off, because it brings back memories of my sister again. (She's going to kill me for publishing these memories, but they are precious to me.)

And whoa is me because WC definitely reminds me of my brother JAD. Some of his facial expressions are DEAD on. I remember when my brother would get into these giggle fits. His laughter filled the entire house, and it was so contagious. It makes me smile remembering him like that. He was a little on the dramatic side. Even if he was getting ready to lay over our Daddy's knee, he'd comically roll his eyes and entire head on his way. WC rolls his eyes and head like that.

I am truly in awe of God's work. He gave me the two most beautiful and wonderful children who fit perfectly into my puzzle called life. He has blessed me, and He continues to amaze me.

Friday's Funny Phrases #1

Kids say the darnedest things, right? Well mine does, or at least AZ does. So, I thought it'd be a fun thing to write about what my kids say sometimes.

This one's not so funny, but it definitely shows AZ's growing up. After me not letting her do something she shouldn't do: I need a new Mommy. You're not being nice. That one actually hurt some. Am I going to be in trouble when she's a teenager? I think so!

I was cooking dinner last night and AZ started dancing. I'm a booty shaker, Mommy. Really? Where is she hearing these things?

Water makes pee, and boogers make poop. Can you tell AZ eats her boogers still? It's so gross, but I guess she has the general idea.

These are only a few things I remember her saying this week that stuck with me. I'm hoping I'll get better about writing all these things down and putting them out there for family and friends to see and laugh about. If you have kids, what's the funniest thing they've said lately?

JJ the Elf Used All His Magic and Saved My Night

Who is JJ the Elf, you ask? Right now, seeing as I feel well rested, he's my HERO! JJ the Elf is our Elf On The Shelf. He's named JJ because my nephew has an elf named Jack. Well, AZ figured ALL elves were named Jack. I didn't want an elf named Jack, though, because of my babysitting, so he's Jack Junior, or JJ. We've adopted him from Santa, and every night he uses his magic to fly back to the North Pole to report to Santa how AZ and WC behaved for the day. Will they be on the naughty or nice list for the day? He waits for all of us to sleep to use his magic and then returns here, always hiding in a different spot. AZ is excited to find him every morning.

Well, twice now he's come back to hide in her room. However, he'll only hide in her room if she goes to sleep that night without any fussing or crying. And, if she wakes up in the middle of the night to go potty, she has to go back to her room, and not come into Mommy and Daddy's room. Afterall, she has to keep him company.

Ladies and gents, this has worked now BOTH times he's hidden in her room. HALE-FREAKIN-LUJAH! He can hide in her room every night from now until Christmas if I can get some sleep. Hopefully he'll continue using his magic especially for me. *sigh* I'm going to miss JJ when he leaves.

Thrifty Thursday #3

With the amount of soy sauce I use for marinades, I am very thankful to The Coupon Scoop and Freebies4Mom for posting a good deal on Kikkoman. I'll be saving $1 on two bottles of soy sauce, and getting 2 completely FREE bottles.

Also, thanks to Freebies4Mom,Coupon Scoop, and Coupon Geek for me winning $10 from Victoria's Secret. I was so happy I won, too, 'cuz Mama needs a new bra and some new undies. Sorry folks, but it's true. I had to join Pink Nation, and since I am a new member, I also got to print a coupon for a FREE solid tank with any pink purchase. Woo hoo!

I also got two completely FREE lunchables last week, as well as 2 completely FREE pints of coffee creamer. I got the International Delight coffee creamers free by becoming their fan on FB. Yay Facebook! So far I've tried caramel macchiato, and it's good. I'll try the white chocolate mocha flavor next. I found the $1 off lunchable coupons online and Kroger had them 10/$10. That equaled two free ones, friends!

That's how I've been thrifty this week.

Wednesday's Wishes #2: I keep adding wishes. The title should be THIS WEEKS Wishes!

This week's wish is for a couple of different things. First off, and probably the most important, I wish for uninterrupted SLEEP. For some reason, and I have never had this really happen to me before, I could not fall asleep on Monday night. Is that what insomnia is? I tossed and turned until after 2am. Then of course AZ was up for an hour between 4:30am-5:30am. I finally had JD get up and help her the last time around 6:15am. Why is it that my 3 & 1/2 year old is unable to sleep through the night, while WC, who's almost 2, seems to have no issues with sleep? I think he must have my sleeping genes, and AZ must have her daddy's. And last night AZ wandered into our room no less than 3 times, with me having to get up and take her back to her room every...single...time. So, my biggest desire at the moment, hands down, is sleep - like, bear hibernating for the winter, uninterrupted, deep, fulfilling, restful, sleep.

On to my next wish for the day - I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to have my body back. I know that I can't really complain too much since I haven't done a whole lot to get my pre-baby body back, but it'd be nice to wear all of those clothes that are just hanging in my closet, literally collecting dust. *sigh* After AZ was born, I was able to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight without trying too hard. Unfortunately, even though the weight (all 55lbs) was gone, my body was not MY body from before. Then I had WC, and I still have about 10 lbs(from the 50lbs) to lose. Did I mention he's almost 2 years old? I tried doing the P90X program for a while to get back into shape and build some muscle tone, but that lasted all of about 2 weeks. That work out was HARD, and loooooong. So, I'm really hoping to win this contest for the EA SPORTS Active More Workout game for Wii from the blog My Organized Chaos.

I also entered a give away for some books at Coupon Geek that I'd love to win for AZ and WC. They always love new books!

The Mommy-Files is also hosting a giveaway for a Curious George ChristmasCD. We have watched the Curious George Christmas movie that came on PBS already 2-3 times. I would love to add the CD to our collection!

And another giveaway I've entered is from Couponing For 4. I'd love to win a Norpro Nonstick Cake-Sicle Pan. How much fun would AZ and WC have eating cake on a stick?! And now I could have cake on a stick? EVERYTHING TASTES BETTER ON A STICK! Think about it.There's meat on a stick, hotdogs on a stick, lollipops, popsicles, cotton candy, and now cake! This is so much fun!

And saving the best for last - I wish and pray that my Aunt KK has a smooth labor with no complications either tonight or tomorrow. I am THRILLED to be getting a niece/cousin!!

And those are my Wednesday's wishes. Actually, this week's wishes!

Mommy's Madness...Loving the Holidays and all the Madness they Bring!

This time of year, from right around Thanksgiving through the New Year, is a whirlwind of chaos for just about every woman out there. It's definitely that way for me this year.

Thanksgiving was something special this year for me, as I cooked my first ever turkey with stuffing and a chocolate pecan pie. And that's pronounced pee'can. Now I don't know how all those other women out there handle making those turkeys every year. EW! I was so not a fan of giving that dead turkey carcass a bath! It's hard enough giving my kids a bath sometimes, and I birthed them. But seriously...I had to BATHE the turkey. Gross. After I got over the astonishing fact that I was going to have to then put my hand inside that turkey's body and remove things, everything was smooth sailing. I was very fortunate to have my sister-in-law and mother-in-law make all the side dishes, so no one was stuck in the kitchen all day. How fabulous was that! And all the food was delicious!

Another first for me this year was experiencing Black Friday. All I can say is, "HOLY MOLY!" That was insane, like Mardi Gras insane, but with a much better outcome full of great deals. Now that I have run full force into the money-saving world of coupons and blogs, I began my Christmas shopping quite a while ago. I've gotten some really great deals on gifts this year. So, in that aspect, things are great! I think I'm done shopping (mostly) for ALL the kids in my life, and that's quite an accomplishment all in itself. It's these darn adults I'm struggling finding gifts for. No matter, it's the thought that counts, right? And besides gifts, Christmas wouldn't be the same without all the music and decorations.

We put our Christmas tree up on Thanksgiving morning, as we started a new tradition this year for the kids. AZ and WC each got a Hallmark ornament that sort-of represents them this year. AZ got a Mickey Mouse ornament, and WC got a Thomas the Train ornament. I'm hoping that every year, they'll unwrap their new ornaments after Thanksgiving dinner, and those will be the first ones on the tree. As a mom to young kids, I'm excited about the family traditions I get to start with them to make their memories of holidays special. In fact, I know what AZ's memory this year is going to be...lights, or the lack thereof.

A few days ago AZ was playing at her cousins' house, and when I picked her up it was dark out. She was fascinated by all the Christmas lights and decorations everyone had, with "Beautiful!" and "Wow!" coming out of her mouth after every turn. Then we pulled into our house. Ladies and gentlemen, let the disappointments begin. "Mommy, our house is not pretty," she said. My girl wants lights and decorations outside. Who can blame her? I like them, too. So we go inside and the first words to Daddy were, "You did not put up lights outside, did you, Daddy?" She may be obsessed. So, I decided to try and help her out.

I made a special trip to the grocery store for 50% off Kellogg and Keebler items, as well as 50% off all Christmas decor. ($118.63 worth of items down to $49.07I might add). So anyway, I thought, Score one for Mommy because I'm getting my girl Christmas decorations. Well, as things turned out, I only got 2 red bows to tie on the outside lights and a light-up polar bear because by the time I got to that aisle I was tired and the kids were fussy.

Well we got home and I immediately decorated the outside with our new items, but AZ was NOT impressed. "Where are the lights, Mommy?" Aunt KR even tried to help me out and told AZ our house was so pretty. AZ's response: We don't have lights. Needless to say, I'm off to get outside lights to decorate our house. The holiday madness has begun!

Thrifty Thursday #2

It's amazing how many FREE or nearly free items you can get if you're looking - or if you're subscribed to the right blogs.

Thanks to Nickels-n-Dimes, I got yet another awesome Christmas gift for someone so I can't say exactly what I bought, but I ordered a personalized gift from Seventh Avenue, and would have spent $33.80. Instead, I spent $13.80 for the gift, counting tax and shipping. What a wonderful world of savings!

I ordered a FREE 2010 calendar from Oriental Trading thanks to She Saved. It's probably not going to be as cute as something I would have picked out and paid money for, but at least this will insure that I won't have to suffer through a World of Warcraft calendar for next year. I'm definitely thankful for that.

I also scored free bath products by becoming a fan of something on facebook. I've gotten a TON of coupons and free things for becoming a fan of things. Facebook is turning into a discount/coupon lovers dream land!

Moms by Heart showed me how to get a FREE Aveeno tote bag. I'm all about taking bags with me to the grocery store. Every little thing I can do to help Mother Earth is at least something. Using her site, I also signed up for a FREE SC Johnson gift basket. How nice is that!

The moms group I'm in had a coupon swap last night, too, and I got some awesome coupons from that. I'm looking forward to the deals I'm going to get from those.