Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to take this time to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas. If you do not celebrate Christmas, that's ok too, I still hope you have a great day!

A chance to win a $100 Land's End Gift Card

Land's End is interested in hearing from mom's regarding summer/warm weather clothing and summer safety. The Land's End Sun Life 2008 Survey is a quick 22-question, multiple choice survey and only takes a few minutes to complete. As a thank you, anyone who completes the survey before midnight (CST) on Friday 12/19, will be entered to win one of 5 $100 Land's End gift cards.

I love the ability to just start over

After taking the past several weeks "off" from blogging and only skimming my e-mails, I am so thankful that I have the ability to just start over. This morning I went into my e-mails and just mass deleted several thousands of e-mails, some of which where expired offers anyway, but many of which were digests of the various Yahoo groups I belong to and blogs that I read. I had been keeping them hoping to read them, afraid of missing something really good, but then I realized I was feeling overwhelmed by the number of e-mails in my in-box. By just deleting anything older than a few days, I cut the e-mails down to a manageable amount and felt a huge weight lifted immediately. I love fresh starts.

My deepest apologies

I offer my deepest apologies for going MIA over the past month+. I was frazzled by the move and settling in and kind of mentally shut down for a bit. I missed you all terribly and hope you are still here with me. I will be getting back on track with a regular posting tomorrow and also have a few product reviews and giveaways coming up this week as well. I appreciate your patience and understanding with me.

Giveaway Winner!

Thank you all for your feedback. Over the next few weeks I will be updating my blog. Now onto the winner...Congratulations fantacy so sweet-n-stuff!! I will be contacting you within 24 hours and you will have 48 hours from then to get back to me. Congratulations again!

Giveaway: Free magazine subscription

***THIS IS A STICKY POST. IT WILL APPEAR AT THE TOP UNTIL THE GIVEAWAY ENDS. NEW POSTS ARE BEING POSTED BELOW.***

As promised, I am hosting my first giveaway and I even have one prize for each of my 3 blogs (Homeschool Unit Studies, The Happy Wife, and Things I Love). The prize is the same for all 3 blogs: a one-year subscription to the magazine of your choice from Ladies Home Journal, Fitness, Siempre Mujer (written in Spanish) and Parents magazine. The contest will run from now until November 8th. I will use random.org to choose a winner and the winner will be posted here. If contact information is provided or I can reach you through your blog/profile, I will also e-mail the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their information or a new winner will be chosen at that time.
How to enter:
1)Leave me a comment with a piece of constructive criticism, positive or negative (I can take it, I promise) about this blog.
After doing #1, you may also enter by doing the following:
2)Blog about the giveaway and leave a new comment, separate from #1, that includes the URL to the blog posting. If you are not a blogger, tell your friends and when they enter, have them put your name down as the person who referred them here.
3)Subscribe to my feed and leave another separate comment telling me you did so.
4)TUESDAY BONUS ENTRY-go vote and come back and post that you did so. I will only accept entries on Tuesday for this bonus entry and it is being awarded on the honor code. If you say you voted, I will trust that you did. Please do not post who/how you voted, just that you did.

Good luck to all!!!

My anniversary and a GREAT mail box

Yesterday was my 9th wedding anniversary. I have written before about how wonderful my husband is and I just want to say again how thankful I am to have married such an amazing man. The past 9 years have not been perfect, but I am very happy and look forward to many more years married to this man.

For our anniversay, my husband took the kids and I to a favorite restaurant of mine in Erie, PA. That made for quite a drive (2.5 hours one way), but we made a day of it and it was rather enjoyable. Plus, I enjoy long drives with my husband because it gives us a chance to talk. When we returned home, it looked like Santa Claus had been to my house. I had 2 medium-sized boxes, a large cushioned envelope, 1 small box, several catalogs (I LOVE to look through catalogs), and a few other pieces of mail all sitting in front of my door. I gathered it all up and brought it inside. Since I am one who saves the best for last, I decided to go through the mail first. There were NO bills, that always makes for a nice mail day! A few pieces were junk mail and were immediately shredded/recycled and a few were things to do later, but one I got excited about was a survey from the Wegman's (a local grocery store) in Chili (pronounced Ch"eye"l"eye", not like the food, it is a nearby town). The pharmacy there wants to know how they are doing and since I have prescriptions there, I received this VERY easy and short survey to fill out. When I turn it in, I will receive a $5 Wegman's gift card, easy enough for me!

Now, onto the packages. The small box was a Huggies sample with a diaper and samples of their baby lotion and baby bath. I love samples! The envelope was a full-size package of chewable Pedia-Lax tablets and a Pedia-Lax pen that I had won a few weeks ago on another blog's giveaway. The next box I opened was from BzzzAgent and was my campaign packet for Aromaglow. It is a cute candle and shade set, valued between $15-$18. I will post more about it (with pictures) once I actually use it. I also received my host package for the pre-Holiday Party through House Party. It was full of CD's for me and several sampler CD's for my guests. It also had a great Philadelphia cream cheese recipe tin full of recipe cards. Again, I will post more about this stuff after the party.

All in all, I got a lot of fun things yesterday and got to celebrate one of the best decisions I ever made. It was a very nice day!

Mr Clean Magic Eraser and the USA

Ok, these two things do not go together, but last night while I was waiting to hear the election results, I decided to start cleaning up our walls since we are moving in a few weeks. I decided to try the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Strength that I had received as a sample a little while back. You can read my review of it on my other blog, The Happy Wife, but I will tell you that I love it!

Now on to the next part. As you know, yesterday was election day here in the USA. I grew up always believing that it is my civic duty to vote, but never really understood what a privilege it is. Not everyone I voted for won, but some did and for that I am thankful. As for the others, I can live with them in power and, since I voted, I have the "right" to complain about them too. Not that everyone does not have the right to complain, but personally, I respect the opinion of someone who actually participates in the process much more than someone who doesn't. It is kind of like the person who constantly complains about their weight as they are scarfing down a hot fudge sundae. I am sorry they feel bad about themself, but I feel worse for the person who is eating right and doing what they can for exercise and is still unable to lose weight and I can respect the feelings of woe from the one who is actually trying. Anyway, I am just thankful that we live in a country where we are not told who will rule us, that we can actually choose who will represent us in government. Theoretically, anyone can grow up to hold a public office. You do not have to be born a Kennedy or a Bush to do it and as we have now seen, you do not have to be a specific race or a specific gender. Most offices do not even have age limits, as long as you are a legal adult of 18 (35 for president of the US) or more. You can come from a wealthy family or a poor one, you just may have to work a bit harder than others if you have less money.

While this year proved to be a good one for the Democrats, at least on a national level, many of them acknowledged they are aware there are still many people out there who are more conservative and that they have a duty to represent the conservative side of things too. I am not sure what the next 4 years will bring, but I am glad to live here to find out.

A fun night

Tonight at our church we had our annual Halloween get together for the kids, called Trunk or Treat. Several church members decorate their trunks and the kids go from trunk to trunk, similar to trick-or-treating. After that we all headed inside for treats and games for the kids. There was eating doughnuts of strings, a fishing game, sack races, cookie decorating, bean bag toss, pumpkin bowling, and a spooky alley (like a haunted house but in a hallway). The kids had a great time and the fellowshipping was wonderful. Although this was held at church, it was definitely more of a social activity than a religious one, but that is one of the many things I love about our church, it truly is a family and we get together for both religious and social activities. I am so grateful to belong to such a wonderful church and for all the wonderful people who attend with us.

Trying to Catch Up

As promised, I am trying to post once a week or so. Unfortunately, right after I posted that promise, something happened (You can read more about what happened on my other blog) that caused me to not post on any of my blogs from last Saturday until this past Wednesday. Now, I am trying to catch up with the missed postings I had scheduled and trying to keep up.

Also, I discovered on Friday night that I did not actually ever set up a feed for any of my blogs. I had a "subscribe" button, but no feed for it. I have since corrected the problem, so if you tried to subscribe in the past and received nothing or had trouble, please try again.

I am planning a giveaway within the next week so keep an eye out for it.

You!!!

Today, it is all of you that I love. Even though it has been more than a month since I have posted here, many of you are still coming by and checking in. I appreciate that so much. I have been busy with my other two blogs, The Happy Wife and Homeschool Unit Studies, that I have not been on here as much as I would like. I do promise that I will get better though. I am setting a goal of at least once a week of coming and posting here, even if it is just to post my deals for the week or any contests I find or whatever fun things I got in the mail that week.

Thank you again for all your love and support. You are greatly appreciated and I love you.

Knitted/Crocheted dishcloths

A few years ago I taught myself how to knit from the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting and Crocheting. One of the first projects it had me make was a knitted dishcloth. This was my first experience using a knitted dishcloth and I have to tell you it was great. It is thick and durable and it scrubs so well. It is also safe to use on non-stick cookware without scratching it. Of course, as much as I love my knitted dishcloth, I have not had the time to make myself another one. Then, today, I came across a fellow blogger's blog, Home in the Mitten, and she makes crocheted dishcloths which she also sells. I am rather excited because now I know where I can buy some more great dishcloths. I love my knitted one, and I am pretty sure I will love crocheted ones as well.

Buying new clothes

I love being able to buy myself new clothes, especially when I get them for a great price. Sear's holds a special "Friends and Family" night several times a year. Tonight they had one and it happened to coincide with their summer clothing being deeply discounted. The clothes were already clearance priced 30-50% off their orignal price, but then the sale was for an additional 50% (ladies/womens were 50% off, other apparel departments was an additional 40% off) off the lowest marked price. That additional discount alone made the clothing a great deal, but there is more. On "Friends and Family" night, they take ana dditional 10% off just about anything in the store, including clearance and sale items, PLUS, my husband works for Sears so we got an additional 20% off as his employee discount. I walked out the door with brand new clothes, paying less than I would have for similar, used items at a yard sale. Tonight I found 2 skirts and 3 shirts, with each item costing me about $3. My daughter's also each got a new dress for about $3 each as well. Earlier this week I picked up two more skirts on clearance at another store for $5 each. I already said how much I love deals, so buying new clothes and getting a great deal in the process is a double bonus.

As you can see, I bought several new skirts. Wearing skirts has become another love of mine recently. There is something about wearing a skirt that just makes me feel better about myself and I personally find them extremely comfortable. When I buy new skirts, I get so excited just thinking about wearing them. I also find that when I wear skirts I am more likely to wear brighter, bolder colors and patterns that I normally would not wear. As for the new shirts, those are necessity as my shirts tend to get stained fairly quickly. I do have 4 young children, including one who is still nursing (spit up stains), so it is easy to understand where the stains come from.

The other thing I enjoy about new clothes is that with each outfit, I fell like a different person. When I want to go unnoticed or am having a more active day I will wear something more casual like my capris or a long, khaki skirt with a simple t-shirt. If I am feeling really good about myself I will wear a red shirt with a shorter (not mini, about knee length) skirt with a fun pattern on it. Adding to my wardrobe just helps me to have more ways to express how I am feeling that day. Being that I rarely buy myself anything, it is so nice to get something that is meant only for me and that no one else can "steal". I love buying new clothes.

Aprons, Cooking, and Contests

Ok, this is not my typical what I love post, but it does involve three things that I truly do love so here goes. I found a fellow blogger who is holding a contest to give away a vintage apron and a copy of Martha's Family Cookery Book. There are three ways to earn entries: 1)by posting a link to the contest (here it is) 2)include a wholesome recipe in your post with the contest link and/or 3) (for non bloggers) leave a comment on the contest blog. Well I love giveaways and the chance of winning useful items for free so of course I have to enter.

I also love aprons. They are something I recently began to truly appreciate and I especially like feminine aprons versus BBQ style aprons. Any which way, aprons are a great way to keep clothes clean when cooking and to protect them chemicals when cleaning. I really began to appreciate aprons after I got tired of finding favorite articles of clothing with either tomato sauce stains from cooking or bleach spots from cleaning. They are also just so cute!

So now onto the second part of my contest entry, a wholesome recipe, and another thing that I love, cooking. Cooking for me is such a release. I love taking raw ingredients and blending them together to create something my whole family enjoys. I also enjoy the challenge of using up certain ingredients that otherwise would go to waste. That is how I came to find the recipe I am sharing. Due to copyright concerns(I hope this still counts as an entry), I am linking to the recipe since it is not my own creation. I wanted to get my family eating Brussels Sprouts, but unlike most veggies, I knew they would never eat them plain. One day, I saw this recipe in the USA Weekend insert of our local Sunday paper and then stumbled across it on Allrecipes.com. Every member of my family, from my husband right down to my 20 month old, loves this recipe and now beg for me to buy Brussels Sprouts just so I can make it. So here is the recipe for Sweet & Sour Brussels Sprouts.

There you have it, three things I love rolled into one post and contest entry. I love giveaways and I really hope to win this one since I also truly love cooking and love wearing aprons.

Smiles

"A smile is the curve that sets all things straight" ~ Phyllis Diller

It is amazing how quickly smiles work. When someone is having a bad day, it can often be made a bit better if they receive a smile from a stranger. Finding something that will make them smile themselves works even better to brighten their mood. The bigger the smile, the better it is. So the next time you are feeling down, just smile and see if things don't turn around. You will probably feel better and a smile almost always improves how one looks. I love a happy smile.

I love a good deal

I have not been a "couponer" for several years. Sure, I used them occasionally, but I have not cut out coupons and prepared my shopping list using them for quite a while. The same goes for sales and rebates, but with the rising costs of everything, I have decided to go back to couponing, rebates, and sales. Well this week I am certainly glad I did. CVS, Walgreen's and Rite Aid all had phenomenal sales this week, many of which when combined with coupons, resulted in very little money, if any, out of my pocket, and much of the out of pocket money will be returned to me via rebates.

I will just share SOME of the deals I got this week at Rite Aid. I was very excited to find a 2-pack of newborn pacifiers on clearance for $1.99. In the past I have paid almost $4 for just 1, so this was a great deal that had not been on my shopping list. At one Rite Aid store there were store coupons good on school supplies. I got a 10 pack of PaperMate pens on sale for $0.99-$1 store coupon (free, plus overage) and a Mead composition book for $0.50-$1.50 store coupon (free, plus overage). I cannot complain about items that turn out to be better than free. Now for the planned purchases,

Renu Multiplus 2 pack (8oz bottles)
on sale for $9.99 with a $9.99 rebate and a $1 coupon=free plus overage

2pack GE Longlife light bulbs 100 watt
on sale for $2 with a $2 rebate=free

Gillette Fusion Phantom Plus Razor, plus bonus Fusion shaving gel
on sale for $9 with a $5 rebate and a $4 coupon=free

Clairol Nice N' Easy hair color
on sale for $7.49 with a $3.99 rebate, a $1.50 store coupon, and a $2 manufacturer's coupon=free

Charles Worthington shampoo, plus bonus leave-in conditioner
on sale for $4.99 with a $4.99 rebate (8/3-8/5 only)=free

Gilette Men's Shampoo
onsale for $4.49 with a $3.49 rebate and a $1 coupon=free

Infusium shampoo
on sale for $5.99 with a $1.99 rebate and a $3 coupon=$1

Revlon nail polish
on sale for $2.99 with a $2.99 rebate and a $1 coupon=free plus overage

Nature's Cure Acne Treatment, plus bonus 6 pens
on sale for $7.99 with $7.99 rebate=free

Old Spice disposable razors, plus bonus coupon for free can Old Spice shaving cream
on sale for $3.99 with $3.99 rebate=free

Olay face cleanser
on sale for $7.99 with $7.99 rebate and $1 coupon=free plus overage

In all, at Rite Aid alone, I spent $57.54 out of pocket, and will receive $54.41 back in rebates. That is $3.13 for $97.55 (plus the on package freebies of pens, conditioner and shaving gel) worth of products. To me this is something I have to do and when I get deals like this I wonder why I ever stopped doing it in the first place. My husband works very hard for our money and I love being able to stretch it out with good deals.

I DO love my Dyson

Well we did finally end up getting a Dyson vacuum (we bought it, I did not win it) and I love it as much as I thought I would. It swivels on a ball so turning it is so easy. I also love that there are no bags to change and the suction on it is awesome. The hose stores inside the vacuum so it is never in the way. Of course it does have its faults as well, what doesn't? The canister is small so it has to be emptied just about every time I vacuum, but at least that is pretty easy too. It can be done with one hand and I never have to touch the yucky stuff that comes out of it.

If you have ever looked into buying a vacuum, the price tag can be a little scary, but rest assured it is worth every penny. Dyson also has a great warranty on their vacuums so you do not need to worry about replacing or fixing it in the next 5 years. There are also no belts or bags to ever have to buy again so that also helps offset the price. Watch for a sale and then jump in. You will not regret it. I just love my Dyson.