So Very Honored...

to receive this award from the lovely Kiki. Wow, am I ever happy to hear that someone sees me in this light...because above all, I just want to be happy...and smile and laugh and love!!! So thank you Kiki, for making me smile extra big today! I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to meet you in real life. You are so full of joy and have such an open heart. I'm tellin' you, peeps...if you are anywhere in the vicinity of Myrtle Beach, you MUST meet Kik!

Now here are the rules for spreading the smiles to fellow bloggers:

Must display a cheerful attitude.

Must love one another.

Must make mistakes.

Must learn from others.

Must be a positive contributor to blog world.

Must love life.

Must love kids.

Rules when receiving the award:

The recipient must link back the the award’s creator

You must post these rules if you receive the award.

You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself.

You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted.

You must post the characteristics of a recipient.

You must create a post sharing your win with others.

You must thank your giver.

Ok, first of all, I must choose my very best friend, Sheri at Sentimentally Funny. Sheri is truly one of a kind. She is always trying to find ways to be a better version of herself...not that she needs to! She is beautful inside and out, has a positive attitude, is loved by all 17 of her nieces and nephews beyond belief, and is the person everyone wants to be friends with. Everyone should have a Sheri. But you can't have mine!

Next up is Jenelle at Easier Said than Done. You want a good-hearted, positive, uplifting comment? Jenelle is the one to give it to you. I always look forward to reading her posts about her life with Andy and the boys and their adventures. She always sees the positive in everything...how can you not love that? And guess what else...fantastic sense of humor! What else could you want, I ask you???

Terri at Terri Terri ...another of my daily reads, and NOT to be missed! Terri is the mother of 3 and is so very in tune with her kids. Shoot, it's gotten to the point that I cry when Brad goes back to school!!! She takes breathtaking photos and you just know she's a riot in person!! And best of all, she takes time every Friday to list the blessings in her life.

I know Logzie has already been tagged, but come on...aren't we ALL going to tag her for this one? I'm just sayin. Logzie is, well...she's LOGZIE!!! Open and honest, funny yet serious, spiritual and loving, she's the one you want to have a "girl's night out" with! She shares everything that goes on with her and her family, no matter how embarrassing or funny. And I can say that she is definitely as wonderful in person as she is on her blog!!

And of course, Kenady, who has already been tagged as well...but hey, they're MY picks, aren't they? Kenady is bubbly, warm, and funny! She has 2 cute kiddos and a sweet hubby who I am sure adore her! Another blogger I've been lucky to have met in person, Kenady smiles NON-STOP!

These are my Fab Five, folks...and I truly could have tagged every single person on my Daily Reads list. I think you are all great!!! Love ya, gals!!

When you get bored with housework...

Just find something to bake...
Today, my plan was to finish all my laundry from my office and then try to finish up the dusting of the beams in yet another room. Oh yeah, and make some potato soup. But after I got the laundry started and cleaned up the kitchen, I no longer felt like dusting. I didn't feel like hauling the big ladder around and going up and down, up and down, up and down. But I had to make myself useful! What could I do that would be more fun? I had just the thing...bake pumpkin cookies!!! My friend Anita had just sent me a recipe and I was anxious to try them, even though I already have a kick-ass pumpkin cookie recipe. You can never try enough versions of a recipe, you know...you just might be missin' somethin'! So anyway, Noah and I got to work. Don't they look delish???And yes, that is homemade cream cheese frosting...I'm off to grab a glass of milk!!

The Scent of ANewborn

Noah and I are watching Baby Will today, since it is crappy outside and Deetra wanted to go on Shea's field trip to the pumpkin patch. We are in baby heaven over here! I ask you...is there any scent on earth as wonderful as that of a new baby? I don't think so! And look at that red hair...BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Noah cannot quit lovin' on this sweet baby. He asked if he could hold him, and after careful consideration and a nice little conversation about how gentle we need to be with babies, I relented ( I was sitting right there, of course!). He did such a good job and was as careful as could be...I'm so proud of him!
I'd be lying if I said this didn't make the mother's heart in me leap just a little and yearn for a baby. But then again, I'm really liking this "sleeping through the night" and "no diapers phase", so I think we're good. Plus, Deetra will let me have my Baby Will fix any time I want...thank goodness!! I'm back to cuddling that sweet baby....see ya later, peeps!

GO BUCKS!!!!

Keep on 'em, Bucks!!! WooHOO!!!!!

O-H!!!

Halloween Fun

Last night, we had a little halloween party for the neighborhood kids. It really ended up being a lot of fun for them, I think! Do you like my "batty" headband? I know it's hard to see in the picture, but I thought it was festive! Here's the kitchen decorations...now you know I don't like spiders, but this big one hanging from the ceiling was a must for halloween spirit!

This recipe for caramel corn puffs is so easy...and really tasty! Better than caramel corn, because no hulls get stuck in your teeth!

Fun little spiders made of Ritz crackers, peanut butter, and pretzel sticks. Those are raisins for the eyes...

The kids headed to the basement to decorate their little pumpkins...what fun! We also played musical chairs, Pin the Mouth on the Mummy, and had a pumpkin hula-hoop toss.

Here's little Reagan with her finished pumpkin. She looks happy, wouldn't you say? What a cutie patootie!And here's Ms. Shea...modeling her newly won prize after a harrowing game of musical chairs...

Happy Halloween everyone!!

The Perils of Log Home Living, Volume 1

Oh I love my log home, I surely do.

But here's the deal, peeps...there are a certain number of things that come with living in this cozy cabin that maybe should be considered before rushing into cabin living. First and foremost, the biggest drawback...dusting. Oh yeah, I said it...and I'll say it again...DUSTING. Now, my mom will surely enthusiastically agree that I have never been one to "love" any sort of homemaking duties that involve cleaning...but I persevere because, well...no one else is going to do it now, are they?

Go ahead Mom...can I get an hearty "Amen" here? It's alright, you can say it. I won't hold it against you...well, maybe I won't. Jess, you can go ahead and say it. I WILL hold it against you, though...I'm just warnin' ya. Hey, at least I'm honest.

This task should probably be done every 3 months if you're a clean freak. Every 6 months if you are just your normal everyday individual with a life. And well, if you're like me, you need some kind of motivation...a deadline, if you will. You really just need to be scared to death that someone might actually SEE that you don't keep up with all that dusting. So anyway, PARTLY because of the halloween party we're having tomorrow night, and PARTLY because I'm hosting the Bunco group next month for our holiday party, and PARTLY because it's been *ahem* "way too long"...I got out the huge stepladder and my Dyson and started dusting all of the log walls, beams, and ceiling fans in the house. This is not a feat for the faint of heart, I assure you! There are heights involved...and dustbunnies of disporportionate sizes. And dead bugs, too. And it takes so long...DAYS!!! And you know why it sucks so badly? Because you can't just wipe the logs off, oh no...youhave to sweep them with the brush attachment. See, the logs aren't sanded smooth...they're rough, so they catch on dustcloths and the like, leaving little fuzzies and strings hanging on the logs! And that's almost worse than the dust! But alas, it was time to get 'er done! And O.M.G...it was worse than I even expected! Actually, the walls themselves weren't too bad...but the beams??? UGH!!!
Can I get a witness??----------->And right in the middle of working on the king and queen posts in my bedroom, I looked down from my perch and actually sat for a minute and considered what it would be like to just jump off the top of my ladder onto my cozy bed below...I wonder if it would be fun? But it might break my box springs. Yeah, it would DEFNITELY break my box springs. But it was a fun fantasy while it lasted. Anyone else want to try?

I can't believe I'm actually putting these pictures out here for you all to see! But you're my friends, right? No judgements?? It's ok, Jen, we've all been there?? Helll-oooo, anyone out there?
Anyone??
Bueller???

Blogger Love

If any of you out there read Terri Terri on a regular basis, you know I was one of the winners of her little contest. And by the way, if you DON'T read Terri Terri, well...you should have your ankles tied together, be hung upside-down and tickled until you pee your pants...I'm just sayin'. The girl ROCKS. You can trust me on this.

Anyway, I received my prize in the mail this week...and it is PERFECT! (I can post this now, right Terri? I'm not ruining the surprise, am I?? Too bad, I can't wait any longer...I've been so patient already!!!)And guess what else??? It was filled with CHOCOLATE!!!!! Oh my...let me tell you, I didn't share any of it either!!! Does that make me selfish? (Yeah, as if I care...no one stands between me and my chocolate!)

So Terri, thank you so so so SOOOOOOO much!!! I LOVE IT!!! And yes, I will think of you and your Friday Blessings every time I sip my tea. Love ya, girl!

She's walkin'!!

Kendall had her walk-a-thon yesterday. We are so proud of her...she raised $240.00 for her school! Her class walked at 1:30, and Barry, Noah and I all showed up to walk with her. Of course, we were too slow for her, and heaven forbid we weigh her down! So she and her friend Kayla lapped us a couple of times, and completed their 12 laps in 45 minutes. Not too shabby! Here are some pics of the fun...Me and Noah, taking a rest and watching the girls fly by!

Kendall's lap card...FULL!!

Circleville Pumpkin Show

This weekend, we headed down to Circleville for the annual Pumpkin Show. It is truly a sight to see! Home to the world's largest pumpkin pie (14 feet in diameter, 400 lbs of four, 800 lbs of pumpkin, 60 dozen eggs...are you kidding me???), famous pumpkin doughnuts, the biggest pumpkins you've ever seen, it is Ohio's oldest and largest festival. It attracts over 100,000 visitors per day to this small town of 12,000. Isn't that crazy???
Here's the king and queen of the giant pumpkins...and yes, the king weighed in at a hefty 1, 375.5 lbs. That's a monstrous pumpkin!
Shawn, Shea, Deetra & Will, Noah, Kendall and Barry in front of the the pumpkin display. It was a beautiful day!!
I couldn't resist this sign...pshychic consultant, original pumpkin BBQ chicken, AND ceramics...all in one spot! Isn't that hilarious????

This festival has more food than you can possibly imagine. I mean SERIOUSLY. You could spend the entire week there and eat all day and still not try everything. I had my favorite deep-fried pickles and a couple bites of Barry's bourbon chicken. The kids had corn dogs and shared a giant cream puff...YUM! I don't know why, but I just wasn't all that hungry...how disappointing, as the show only happens once per year. I really wanted to try the pumpkin doughnuts, but there was over an hour wait!!!! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait until next year!!!

Six Insignificant Details

A week or so ago, MommyK tagged me to list six insignificant details about myself and then tag 6 people to do the same. Let's see if I can come up with anything...

1.) I LOVE any book by Stephen King. He is my absolute favorite author. I own many of his books and read them over and over again. And over again. And again.

2.) I prefer staying at home and cooking with friends over going out to dinner. Sheri and I can cook up a meal that rivals anything we'd have at a restaurant...it's much cheaper and we can hang out and talk all evening long if we want, and we can make dessert whenever we feel like it (like after our stomachs have had plenty of time to settle). PLUS, the rhythm of the evening never gets out of sync when we don't have to get up and go someplace else.

3.) I watch at least one episode of The Office every SINGLE night. I believe in the importance of laughter, and even more in the importance of ending the day on a happy note. So, I have a DVD of The Office in my DVD player at all times, and Barry and I watch it every night. Holy crackamoly, do I ever I love that show!

4.) My daughter, Kendall, is my firstborn. I was my mom's firstborn. My mom was my grandma's firstborn. My grandma was my great grandma's firstborn. I'm not sure about my great grandma, but don't you think that's interesting? All the firstborns are GIRLS. Not a boy in the mix! Hmmmm...it will be interesting to see if Kendall's firstborn is a boy or a girl!

5.) Venison heart is one of my favorite meals. I know you all will judge me for this, but I promise you, if you haven't tried it...you should! It is so lean and flavorful!! And I only get it once per year...and that time is coming up here in January! Yippee!

6.) Sometimes when I'm watching Kendall at gymnastics practice I wish there was a gymnastics practice for adults. I sooooo love tumbling. I love the vault. I even love the bars. The beam? Not so much...had a nasty fall once. But man, if they offered an adults class, I would be the first to sign up. I've been caught more than once doing cartwheels, backbends, and round-offs with Kendall in the backyard...haven't tried out my backhandspring in about 15 years, but I bet I can still do it. (I'd probably see stars afterward, but I think I could do it!)

There you go...nothing too earth shattering here!!! What you see is what you get!

I tag:
Sheri at Sentimentally Funny
Teresa at You Are Here
Jenelle at Easier Said than Done
Kenady at Adventures in Womanhood
Jeni at Keepin' up With the Joneses
Deetra at Deetra's Simple Treasures

Have fun, gals...can't wait to read all about you!

Help! My body's in Ohio, but my mind is in Canmore!

This week, I tried hard to keep myself busy so that my mind wouldn't wander to something I didn't want to think too much about. My two best friends were together without me!! Sheri made the trip up to Canmore, Alberta to visit our Third Musketeer, Sarah...and I just couldn't make it work this time around. The airfare was WAY out of my budget, and I have too many responsibilities around here right now. It's just not easy to get away. And let me tell you, I was bummed. BEYOND bummed. But, I am happy that Sheri got to go, and I'm happy for Sarah that Sheri got to come for visit. I KNOW they are having a fabulous time... eating and hiking and eating and talking and eating and taking wonderful pictures, and of course, eating!! I know this because they called me Saturday morning to tell me so! And as jealous as I was, I also was glad to be here at home, because...

1.) Hel-loooo...it's fall!! And we had a gorgeous weekend...sunny, blue skies, 80 degree weather, changing leaves...it was to die for! And guess what? It's COLD in Canmore, peeps!! I heard a rumor that those crazy gals hiked through 2 feet of snow this week! NO THANK YOU. Not ready for that just yet!

2.) We had friends come for an overnight visit, and it was way overdue! It was so nice to sit back and catch up on things while the kids played. Also, the campfire and s'mores made the evening that much better!

3.) Quality time spent with the munchkins and the hubby! I'm always thankful for that!

4.) All the projects we got caught up on, and the couple of hours we spent doing NOTHING but napping on the couch and watching a movie. That was really nice...and very rare!

5.) Having the Saltsman gals over for fishing and dinner...always a good time with those chickies!

6.) Barry having the day off today, Kendall's half-day at school, and another day with the family was really nice!

7.) Knowing that my two bestest friends in the whole wide world were thinking of me and missing me as much as I was missing them...

P.S. Sheri gets back tomorrow night...make sure to check in on Sentimentally Funny this week for some of the AMAZING photos I'm sure she will be posting!!

Was it a good investment?

So I've been to 4 of my 6 photography classes already, and although my head is filled with lots of details and practical knowledge, I had yet to try out any of the things I had learned. Plus I had been feeling uninspired as of late. So this weekend, I promised myself that I would take some time to grab my camera and focus (Get it? FOCUS??? I crack myself up!!!) on using the techniques I've been learning. And thankfully, it was an absolutely GORGEOUS weekend, so I felt inspired as well!! Lucky me! So tell me...do you think the class was worth the investment? Have my photos improved at all? (P.S. - the above photo is my fave...it looks like the pond is on fire, doesn't it?)I certainly helps that our property is so stunning right now, with all the fiery colors of autumn. But I have to say, I've really taken some of my all-time favorite photos this weekend. I LOVE fall!!!

What did you do this weekend?

In Training

Here she comes!

There she goes!

Kendall's school has one big fundraiser every year, and it's coming up at the end of this month. They do a walk-a-thon, where they walk laps around the school and get their friends and family to sponsor them at a flat rate. It's really a great fund-raiser, as there is no chintzy stuff to buy, nothing to have to deliver, and it's promoting physical exercise!

Last year, Kendall raised the most money in her class, but missed raising the most in her grade level by $7.00. What a bummer. She also walked the most laps of any first grader that day, so she was totally psyched, and ready to do it again! Last Friday, when she came home from school with her fundraising packet, she had a plan and a goal. Her goal is to raise the most money of all the second graders. Her plan is to "train" everyday after school by running laps around our house...she shoots for 20 laps every night. I don't know why she feels the need to "train" for this, she only needs to walk...and believe me, that kid has more than enough energy to walk all darn day! But hey, who am I to stand in the way of exercise??? And besides that, I am just impressed that she wants to run. Because as many of you already know, I don't believe in running unless I am in IMMINENT DANGER. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from my very wise seven year old daughter!!

And then there's my sweet little boy...he has no desire to run either, unless you have chocolate! Here's what he was doing while Kendall was training and I was hanging laundry...

Have a good week, peeps! And GO BUCKS!!!

Sell, sell, SELL!!!!

Ok, so in addition to all my cooking as of late, I have also been a busy beaver selling things on Craig's List. Today I sold my changing table for $160!! The girl who ended up buying it is actually a teacher at Kendall's old school...small world!! The changing table will be perfect for her, as they are doing the nursery in Harry Potter! How cute will that be?

I've done so well on Craig's List! Here are a list of the other things I've sold to date:

Dog kennel
Exersaucer
Radio Flyer Spring Horse
Wireless card for Laptop
Bike trailer
Daybed

Next up is my Medela Pump In Style breast pump and my Carter's "Imagine" baby bedding. Maybe even the crib, if I can bear to part with it. I'm weeding out and making space, folks. (And using the money to start my NYC fund!!!! Woo hoo!!!)

What's Been Cookin'?

I have been a maniac in the kitchen!

I don't know why, but I have been cooking and baking up a storm! I guess that's what fall does to me...

Just in case you're interested, here are some things I've been cooking (and eating!):

1. Chili & Corn Bread - made with half ground beef and half ground venison. NO green peppers!
   
2. Beef and Noodles - YUM!
3. Chicken and Bowties - has cream and sun-dried tomatoes and is SO good!
4. Beef and Rice casserole - looks yucky, tastes YUMMY!
5. The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti - everyone in my family (and Deetra's!) was ga-ga over this!
6. The Pioneer Woman's Zucchini Cakes - OMG!!! Sooo good! Like a crab cake, but with Zucchini! Especially good with Robert Rothschild's Onion Blossom dip. Mmmmm...
7. Venison Tenderoin sauteed with Garlic & Onions - My very favorite way to eat venison!
   
8. The Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes - Super easy and so good I had them for breakfast the next morning!
9. Sugar Cookies
10. Zucchini Bread, 3 ways - Plain, with Ghiradelli chocolate chips, and with chocolate chips and pecans...yummy any way you slice it! Plus, I made this even healthier by using 1/2 oat flour, replacing 1/2 the oil with applesauce, and adding ground flax seed. Mmm Mmm good!
    
11. Chocolate "Cake Mix" cookies - Sheri's famous for these!
12. My Favorite Lasagna - Mmmmm, bring it on, baby!
13. Orange Zucchini Muffins - These contain golden raisins and are so delightful!
    
14. Roasted Veggies - My very favorite way to eat veggies!
15. Apple Crisp - Of course! It's fall, people!

My dishwasher has been super busy...it runs all day! But I'm tellin' you what...my family and I have been full and happy! You must try some of these dishes...they are tried and true. I wouldn't steer you wrong, peeps!

Anyone want to come for dinner?? Come on over...I'm on a roll here! What have you been cookin' up? What are your fall favorites??

Rojo

Remember all those baby chicks we got back in May? All 11 of them? Well, I think I may have mentioned before that they are no longer chicks...and of the 11, only 2 of them are hens. This is what we refer to as major suckage. Because we already had 2 roosters, we now have a total of 11 roosters and only 4 hens. Can you see the problem here?

Most people who have chickens will tell you that two roosters is one too many. And that's 2 roosters in a whole darn FLOCK of hens. We had 11 roosters fighting amongst themselves over 4 hens. Oh yeah, I mean serious FIGHTING. We had blood in the coop! So something had to be done. We decided to try to get some more hens, and I found 5 Barred Rock hens on Craig's List for $5 each. Barry went and picked them up last weekend and we were very excited, to say the least. Maybe some of the fighting would stop until we could get rid of the majority of them.

Well, you know what they say about best laid plans, right? The next morning, Kendall went out to check on her new hens, and came back in the house screaming for me. The roosters were ganging up on the new hens and she felt like they were trying to kill them. I went out to see if it was as bad as my little drama queen was making it out to be...and it was. These poor little hens were pushed up against the fence with their heads poking through so the roosters couldn't get at their eyes. One was even hiding under a piece of plastic. They were terrified. So Kendall and I rescued each and every one and put them in a different pen until we could figure out what to do. Our friends Paul and Kirsten wanted two...and our neighbor wanted one. Shoot, that still left 6 to get rid of! So Barry decided we needed some chicken to put in the freezer (if you're smellin' what I'm steppin' in here). Animal lovers, stop reading now. This is your one and only warning!

Paul told us not to pay someone to do it, he and Barry could do it in 3o minutes, he was sure of it! No big deal, he'd done it all his life. Well, that's all fine and good, but I was having no part of it. I will cook it and eat it, but I just can't bring myself to kill it. Barry talked to Kendall about it, and she had a lot of questions, but was actually ok with it. She could see that the situation called for action. She even helped us catch the chickens and get them crated up to head over to Paul's. Of course, she picked which chickens went to our friends and which ones stayed and which ones ended up in the freezer...that was the least we could do! The first chicken to receive his place in the crate was Rojo (she named him while on a Spanish kick), because according to her, he had the hardest bite and was definitely the "mean one". (***Note: Barry confirmed this fact later, by saying that "Rojo was definitely a mean little bastard. He didn't go down without a fight, let me tell you! But he was also the meatiest...")

ANYWAY, to make a long story short, we now have chicken in the freezer and no more rooster problems. All is well. But on Thursday night while I was working, Barry made dinner for the kids and Noah asked him where Rojo was. Barry wasn't sure he had head him correctly, so he asked him to repeat the question.
"Where's Rojo, Dad?"
"Rojo the rooster, Buddy?"
"Yes! Where's Rojo?"
"Ummm, well, Rojo's in the freezer..."
"The fweezer? Oh! Rojo's wiving in our fweezer?"
"Well, no...not exactly. You know how you like steak?"
"Yeah, I WUV steak!"
"And you know how we get steak from cows, right?"
"Yeah! I WUV steak, Dad!"
" I know, Buddy. Well, we get chicken from CHICKENS, like Rojo. Understand?"
"You mean Rojo's wiving in our fweezer?"
"You know what, let me show you."

So Barry takes Noah to the basement and pulls out a freezer bag of chicken pieces. Noah does not look surprised.

"Here's Rojo, buddy. Understand now?"
"Oh! Rojo is FOOD!!!!"
"Yep, that's right. You're exactly right. Rojo is food." (Barry is shocked that Noah "got it" that easily, of course.)
"I wike chicken, Dad. But I WUV steak!"

That kid has a one-track mind. And that was the end of it. He was absolutely fine. In fact, I think he was more disturbed by the thought of Rojo LIVING in our freezer!

R.I.P., Rojo!

No plans + no obligations = a really nice weekend!

This weekend, I am a single parent.

Barry and (almost) our entire group of friends left Friday morning on a huge tricked-out bus for a big ol' trip to Madison, Wisconsin for the Buckeyes game. Well actually, the GUYS went to Madison...the GIRLS all got dropped off in Chicago, where they are spending all day today at a big spa, then off to dinner, and then off to see Wicked. I'm sure there was shopping and dinner last night, and probably more shopping tomorrow as well. The guys got into Madison late last night, but I'm pretty sure that didn't stop them from going out for a while...and I'm sure the beer flowed all day today and football was the only thing any of them talked about. Sound like fun? Absolutely! So why am I at home?

Well, you see, I have these two adorable little munchkins to take care of. Childcare for an entire weekend does not come easily! Plus, I'm saving all my extra money and childcare "credits" for a loooong weekend in NYC with my two best buds in the whole entire world, Sheri and Sarah. See, in about 2 years, we will all turn 40...and none of us have ever seen THE BIG APPLE. (I know, Kik...it's a damn shame!) Anyway, we decided that we want to save until then and when the time comes, we want to do it and do it RIGHT! Shows, shopping, nice dinners...you name it. Although, apparently Sheri and Sarah are concerned (or hoping, actually...)that they may be getting married or pregnant at that time, so they have decided they would like to move it up to next year...if I can make it happen. Of course, I am all too happy to make it happen...so I am saving up for it, and crossing my fingers that I will have the money and the help to do it!

I know everyone is having a blast on the trip this weekend, but I'm actually ok with not being there. The kids and I had a blank slate...we could do (or not do) anything we wanted. Last night, we snuggled on the couch, watched a movie, and had popcorn. This morning, Kendall had gymnastics, and then we went to Timmy Ho's for Timbits. Three cheers for Timbits!!The lady there was so cool! She gave each of the kids their own little box to carry their portion of the Timbits in. They were so geeked out over it...it was too funny! We went to Target to make some returns and pick up a few things and then headed home for lunch. Kendall played on Webkinz for a while, and Noah played trains while I cleaned up the kitchen and did some laundry. We played outside. We played inside. And then I had a most excellent idea...we could go out for pizza! See, at Kendall's school, when you get straight A's on your report card, you get a card for a free personal size pizza and small drink from this cute little place in West Jeff called Flyers. Over the past year, she has amassed quite a nice little stack of them, so we put them to use tonight...and had an almost "free" evening out! Came home, snuggled in a pile on my bed and watched Rescue Heroes and now they monkeys are down for the count!

What will tomorrow bring? Maybe a matinee at the dollar theater. Kendall says "Space Chimps" or whatever it's called is supposed to be funny. We'll see. Maybe we'll just stay home. Or maybe we'll go to the Oktoberfest parade in Sheri's hometown. Who knows? We'll see how we feel tomorrow. Until then, I am headed to a hot bubble bath, a glass of wine, and then I am going to lay smack in the middle of my bed and watch Season 2 of The Office. Ahhhhhhh.....maybe I should send Barry to all the away games...

Nah, we'd miss him too much!

Shopping!

Well, as any of you who have spent any time reading on my blog know, I am not much of a shopper. It really isn't that I don't enjoy GETTING new things, I just hate the time it takes to find what you want. And then even more, I hate trying to find said things for a price I am willing to pay. It takes TIME, people...and that is what I hate. I don't have TIME for it. There's too much other fun stuff to do in life that doesn't cost an arm and a leg! And why on earth would I spend my hard-earned money on clothes, if it means I have to cut back on my food budget? NO WAY, JOSE!! I would much rather shop with reckless abandon at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. I have NEVER left either of those stores in tears, feeling like there was nothing there for me!!! Good food does not discriminate...I'm just sayin'...

Anyway, back to the shopping. It has come to the point, unfortunately, that I must shop. I think I may have mentioned before that I have been wearing the same khaki shorts to work for the last 8 summers. Last spring, I threw away my overly worn(and ill-fitting) khaki pants so that I would be forced to buy new ones when fall came again. My work shirts look worn, some have shrunk, and most of the light colored ones have oil stains. I didn't buy any shoes last year, except for a pair of Nikes for work...my shoe collection consists of multiple pairs of flip flops, a pair of 7 year-old stacked black half-boots, one pair of chunky black slip-on loafers, a pair chunky ultra-casual brown mules, a pair of Nikes, and a really nice pair of Ralph Lauren heels with an ankle strap that I got on major clearance at DSW. It is time for some shopping, don't ya think?

I actually gave in while at the beach in August. Kiki and Kenady very graciously spent their day with me, and volunteered to help me find a pair of jeans that wouldn't send me screaming from the mall like a raving lunatic. They did...and I bought them, relieved that someone was able to help me. Then, on another vacation day, the girls and I went to TJ Max and I found a cute pair of flats that I HAD to have. They aren't anything highly fashionable(or at least I don't think) but they are SO me, and I loved them the minute I saw them. Aren't they cute? I also got a warm brown hoodie for $10.00...super warm and snuggly!
Then two weekends ago, I started to feel the chill in the air and knew I had to get out and find some pants for work or I was going to be stuck wearing 8 year old shorts in the middle of winter. And trust me, that is NOTHING anyone wants to see! I'm pale in the summer...let's not even talk about winter! Sheri volunteered to go on this little excursion with me, for moral support and to keep me focused. (Moms, have you ever realized how easy it is to get sidetracked when shopping for yourself? It's way more fun to buy clothes for the kids, because they always fit, and they're all cute! Oh, am I losing focus again??) Anyway...our first stop was the Eddie Bauer Warehouse and Outlet store. VERY good deals there, and nice quality clothes. I found 3 shirts for work and 3 shirts for everyday ($6.99 ea). I also found a really nice sweater for $9.99. No dice on the pants though... they were all incredibly long on me...as usual.We were feeling victorious and lucky!! So we headed to JC Penney at the mall, because that's where I found my old khakis, and they fit well before I washed the shit out of them (not literally, of course!). While there, I tried on many different styles and brands of khakis...all way too long. In a moment of pure genius, Sheri asked if I'd ever tried petites. I explained that I had in the past, but I am somehow right in between petites and regular. The petite pants are always just short enough that they look too short with shoes, and the regular pants are always ridiculously long. Also, the petite pants are cut differently somehow, and they feel too short in the crotch area, if you know what I mean. Not very comfortable at all! But once we got our heads together, we reasoned that since the pants are being cut so much longer now, that maybe the petites would be longer too...and maybe I should at least try them. Well glory be...they fit. Like a dream. Now I won't be wearing them with anything other than flat shoes, because then they would be too short...but for my purposes, they are perfect. And they are so comfy, I bought 2 pair. I swear, it's like not even wearing pants at all!! (Is that good?) And the best part? Sale price = $19.99!! Rock ON!!!

Of course, while we were still there, I also found 2 more long sleeved knit shirts (my fall/winter faves) in charcoal grey and black so I can support my Buckeyes of course. AND, another pair of jeans that fit me like A DREAM. They are long, yes...but I can have them hemmed. They are ridiculously flattering and best of all? Sale price = $24.99!! Yeee-Haaaa! I guess I learned something about finding jeans that fit from Kik and Kenady, eh? Thanks, girls! (Excuse my little fashion show and the "no-make up face", but I wanted to show you my wares!!! Kendall took the pictures, didn't she do a great job?)Oh yeah, and I love wearing hats, most especially my Disney ball cap...it's the greatest! But I need a cute hat to wear when I'm not sporting my ponytail, so I picked up this cute little thing for $8.99...what do ya think?
Then last night, I had to run to the mall to return something and I had to run through Penney's to get there. Hanging right in front of me was a long, button-up sweater that Sheri bought when we were shopping for pants. It is so cute...and looks really good with my standby (yep, you guessed it...a long sleeved knit shirt!), that I grabbed one for myself in grey. Again, on sale..$34.99. I think I'm about set now...just need a pair of shoes or two for winter. Let's hope I can find something I like that's on sale!

I'm sorry, did I say I hated shopping? ;0)