Pizza

So today is my birthday and I'm waiting on some pizza and red wine.  That's all I want, well actually I would like a couple say 2 or maybe 6 cupcakes devils food with white buttercream frosting and some sprinkles.  But the cupcakes aren't happenning because I didn't feel like going to the store today and getting any.  Plus it's only Tuesday and Jewel's Crazy Cupcakes is on Friday.  On Friday the cupcakes are $2.22.  On a Tuesday I think they are $3.99 or more. They are $2.22 good not $3.99 good.

For several hours today the boys got along famously and were talking and talking about the E-rated video game they are going to create that involves, Patrick Starfish becoming a werewolf, Zombie Sea Bears, Plankton having radioactive powers and minions and much much more. That was a nice bday surprise a few hours w/o kids fighting.

Okay don't tell anyone--but frankly I'm more excited about Wed 8/18 than I am about my birthday.  You know why? 
Nod.  You guessed it, First.Day.of.School!!!!!!!!!! Wooo Hooooo!!!!!

Coinciding with Anna's first year of full-time school is that Tom and I decided it would be a good idea for me to find a full-time job and then maybe in a few years --if he didn't get laid off like so many others out there--we would be able to save enough $$ to move down South, where it is beautiful and the winters aren't so dismal.

For the last month I've been submitting resumes and doing phone interviews and personal interviews and getting "Thanks but we've decided to go in another direction" emails from said interviews.  Looking for a job for lack of a better term, blows.  I've gotten many phone calls from companies looking for 'employees' to work 100% commission--who can do that? Thank goodness for the internet and sites like jobvent.com, turns out several of the companies I interviewed with are shady and their treatment of employees makes Wal-Mart look like employee of the year.  All of you out there looking for a job, I totally feel your pain!  It's brutal out there!

Right now I'm backing away from this whole "work full-time do Tastefully Simple on the weekends".  It makes much more sense for me to take the extra time the school year will afford me and rededicate myself to my Tastefully Simple business.  No cubical, no boss, no madatory overtime and I don't have to ask for time off to chaparone a field trip. I've learned I really really have it good, I can work on my own terms. I don't think I appreciated what a life sucking entity a job in 'corporate america' can be these days. I tell you, if I could hug my business I would.  Maybe I'll hug a beer bread?  Or my team members...Look out Team hugs coming your way! I'm very excited approach my business this fall with this new point of view

And I'm excited to share our new Cinnamon Syrup and Flavors of India Seasoned Salt with my friends, why?  Because they are all natural.  And different and fun to play with in the kitchen! I had the Cinnamon Syrup on a Fit N Active multigrain waffle from Aldi this AM.  I gourmet'd up frozen waffles!

Im working on reading a fun book for my next review on thesookieverse.com  Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom.  AND I'm looking to have an epic fall!  Lots of TS parties, the Chicago Marathon and I signed up for National Novel Writing Month :-D

Exciting News!

Now when you see that, does it make you think Im gonna have another 1/2 demon child? 
Nooooo. Tho, I do love babies and dont mind newborns.

The exciting news is that I was asked to write book reviews for a blog!  I'm a contributing writer.

  I review Urban Fantasy, Paranormal stuff.  The fun books I love to read. My Book Review

Kewl, huh?  And I have 96 followers on twitter, which I am actually managing to use more frequently, not as much as Ashton Kutcher, of course. 

Today I made my favorite under $5 bucks dinner. Cheese and Bean Enchiladas.
1 can Enchilada sauce, red.
1 can fat free refried beans
1 package of tortillas
1 can of mexi blend corn
1/2 cup of the new Tastefully Simple  Peppy Papaya Salsa
1 tbsp TS Fiesta Party Dip
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheese

I mix the beans, corn, salsa, and fiesta party dip together put it in the tortillas, drizzle on some enchilada sauce, sprinkle some cheese  then roll up the tortillas put them in a a stoneware baker then pour the rest of the sauce over all the enchiladas.  Lastly I sprinkle cheese on the top and bake it in the over for about 40 minutes at 375.

My future home.

August begins.

Right now I am biding my time waiting for the golf lover AKA my hubby and Patrick to return from a trip to best buy and the golf store.  It is probably more like they will be going to a few golf stores until Patrick gets whiny and Tom decides to come home.  Once they do I'm hitting the road and going for a run.  A long run.  Time will pass quickly today on my run as I'll be listening to Midnight's Daughter by Karen Chance.  Midnight's Daughter is about a Dhampir which is a 1/2 human and 1/2 vampire individual.  I know very odd.  How would a dead person procreate?  Maybe that will be covered in the book.

Today I realized that if I had $1.00 for everytime I thought, I should go blog, I should really try and blog everyday if I am going to have a blog, then I could hire a maid.  Ahh how nice that would be for me!

I have a little confession, I accidently bought a Calvin Klien dress off ebay.  See it was my size, looked cute, and was NWT (new with tags).  You could have knocked me over with a feather this AM when I won the dress for $15.51.

On the food front, Friday I made the new Tastefully Simple Homestyle Beef Noodle Soup, or at least I think that is what it is called, I'm not looking at the box.  Anywho , the directions call for 1 lb of sirloin cut into bite sized pieces and water.  For me, I thought that was too much sirloin.  So I went to Jewel and they had 2 6oz Filet Mignon (sp?) for $7.00.  So I got that and used one of the filets and I added about 1.5 cups of frozen peas.  I also added 1 extra cup of water and 1 beef bullion cubes to stretch the meal out more.  IMO, the soup worked out very well.  The 6 oz of filet was the perfect amount and the noodles didn't overcook and get mushy.  Today (Sunday) I had a bowl of the soup and by gosh, it tastes even better as a leftover!  Yum.  I think I'll be making this when the weather cools off this fall.

Now Tom has arrived home and I am off for a run!

Much going on

Went to a baby shower today, it seems like all of a sudden a plethora of people I know are having babies or getting married.  Such fun times, tho in this weather it's a tough time to be in the last trimester of pregnancy for sure. It's been now 6 years since Anna was born and I am amazed at all the new stuff they have for babies, all kinds of gadgets and gizmos.  And along with that I rec'd an email today from an author who wrote a set of books called The No Cry Solution as in The No Cry Sleep Solution and the No Cry Potty Training Solution.  Her name is Elizabeth Pantley and you can go to her website to find out if the books are for you, and find out how to enter her book give away as well as a chance to win a $500 gift certificate to Babies R Us, you can get a lot of gizmos (or one fancy stroller) with that!

We were able to go down to visit my brother and his wife and children including the cutest baby ever, my nephew B.  We also made our first visit to my parents new home. had german food in Helen, GA, climbed Brasstown Bald, swam in Lake Chatuge (sp?) and visited the lovely Ridges Resort . At the Ridges they have a wonderful chef AKA my bro. :-D
See some pics below!

 

Free Ice Cream!

Saw this in an email, wanted to share w/anyone who might be in downtown Chicago:

Stop by the Tribune Tower next to WGN Radio's Showcase Studio (435 N. Michigan Avenue) for free Carvel Ice Cream Cake cups at 12:00 Noon on the following Friday's throughout the summer. Quantities are limited, so be sure to get there before they run out!




July 2, 2010

July 23, 2010

August 6, 2010

August 20, 2010

I have been working on writing fiction, so I have sorely neglected my blog.  I shall endeavor to post more tout suite. :-D

What I am reading now: The Cassie Palmer Series by Karen Chance.  It's great fun!  I am super glad that I downloaded the 3rd books as an audio otherwise I'd never know the correct pronunciation for one of the main characters.  Mircea.  It's supposed to be pronouncec:  Meer-cha.  I was thinking it was: M-er-so. 

One of those priceless things, 190 mycokereward points= one free game rental from Blockbuster=kids playing Toy Story 3 on the Wii and getting along! 

Summer, how I love you!

"Then followed that beautiful season...Summer....


Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


One of the best things about Summer is a nice breeze and a book at the beach.  While I haven't made it to the beach yet, since it is Memorial Day weekend and you know with it being hot yesterday 90s and humid today, the beaches are packed.  We are going to wait for a weekday.  The beaches are pretty empty during the week.  Wahoo!

I have found time to read, and am currently just starting book 6 of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  Now it is not my fault I am in the midst of reading an action packed series of books w/Vampires and what not.  It is the fault of the girl I have been emailing with in Austrailia.  She said I would love the series, so it's all her fault. LOL   Most of the books I have been able to p/u at the library, which is great b/cause it is free and books 3 and 4 I *had* to download onto my phone. 

The bummer part of the kindle app for iphone is 1. having to pay for books that I can't trade w/anyone.  the big plus is when I read on the phone I can read in the dark.  No book light needed.

When I picked up the black dagger brotherhood book from the library, I also grabbed a bunch of movies, cause again, FREE to borrow!  So far with it being a much nicer than typical Memorial Day weekend, we haven't watched much TV.  Tonight Tom will be all about the Blackhawks.  He needs to wear a heart monitor when he watches the games.  He is a high-strung mess!

I'm looking to make another run to Jewel today as they have this crazy good deal on Coke Products. 4 12 packs for 8 bucks plus then they have a coupon for a free pack of Hillshire Farms brats and polish sausage (value $.350)  So I am stocking up on the diet pop that I love, as well as Minute Maid Light Lemonade.  Plus I collect mycokerewards points, so every 12 pack is 10 points for free stuff like movies tix.

The other crazy good deal is I have a coupon for by 2 pkgs of Lays Potato chips and get $3 off produce.  And now thru Wed the Lays chips are BOGO for $3.99, so I grab 2 bags of chips 1 plain and one bbq and get some produce (like yesterday I got potatoes and today I am going to get a watermelon --watermelon is on sale for 3.48.  So that means:
4 12 packs of pop $8.00
1 pkage of cheddar wurst sausages free
2 bags of chips $3.99
1 watermelon $.48
So all that for $12.47 and I have a $5.00 off your next order coupon so my out of pocket for this stuff is:
$7.47 plus tx.
:-D  Love the Memorial Day sales at grocery stores!!!

Well I am just waiting for the storm that is coming our way to hurry up and rain on us and move on so I can go for a long run since Tom is home! 

House in Ogden Dunes, Indiana

House in Ogden Dunes, Indiana

how awesome is this vacation home. Anyone want to start a collection for me? I'd love to stay there!!! I will need a vacation soon, school is just about out for the summer. Yikes! On the plus side the weather around here has taken a turn for the summer, which I am all about. Love summer. I also love the Indiana Dunes. wink wink. LOL

Today Anna informed me that yesterday her teacher Mrs. Z was scratched in the eye by her dog and had to go to the ER where they took out her eyeball and gave her a new eyeball. Hmmm, are you sure Anna?

Wide-eyed she nods her head, "ah, yah."

Man I feel like Crap on Toast

I feel like crap on toast.  I woke up this morning with a pounding headache and a stuffy nose.  Either I have what Anna had, which I don't think I do b/cause she had a sore throat and a fever OR it's the cursed cottonwood trees that are spewing all over around here. 

A nap is about all I want to do at this point, and if I am going to take one I really need to get on that, as I am taking the children to Bryce's Cub Scout Crossover picnic thingy.  This AM even though I don't feel good, I made Bryce's little sailboat for the Rain Gutter Regatta.  Are you thinking, why did you make it, why not Bryce? My answer is, you are right he should have made it, but I wasn't in the mood to work with him, and Tom was going golfing, so I slapped it together and told him to decorate it with a permanent marker, by all appearances it looks like an 8 year-old made it.

The house is feeling very quite since Patrick's 3 overnight guests have left.  Now if it was clean in addition to being quiet that would be a little slice of heaven.  I should not complain. Life is short and one day I'll be whining about how my house is always too quiet and how I miss when the kids were little and liked being around me.

Ooo, I thought of something very positive.  There is food at the Crossover thingy, so I don't have to cook dinner.  I will have to force the children to sit down and actually eat instead of run around playing the whole time (it's like a picnic=y kind of event); because if I have to hear children asking me what we are having for dinner when we leave the Crossover, my head just might explode. 

Because of some really good cereal deals we have 8 boxes of Kellogs cereals in our pantry, so if they do start asking for food,  I have my answer ready: Cereal.  Cereal. Cereal.

There is a change in the background an a few words highlighted in this post, but I am too lazy to fix it.  Off to nap!

Anna is quiet today

Hotel for Dogs (Full Screen Edition)She has a sore throat, otherwise she'd be her usual loud and rambunctious self. Right now we are watching Hotel for Dogs, she says it is the Best Movie Ever!   I'm not paying attention so I don't know what is going on only that Emma Roberts is in it.

This morning when I walked into our pantry, I got a most wonderful surprise, Tom had clean and organized it.  Circle today on the calendar, that doesn't happen every day, every week, every month or even every year!

It's so clean I can share a picture:

And I am almost caught up on the Laundry, and basically that is an oxymoron.  Is anyone ever really caught up on laundry. I got a new/old washer on Mothers Day that I bought with part of my pay from my Tastefully Simple party the night before.  I love it.  It is about 8x as old as the one we had, It has about 1/3 the capacity and no electronic panel.  What it does have is all your basic washing machine parts that work and have worked for a long time.  While our 'old' washing machine:The Kenmore Oasis with Canyon something and a whisper package and no agitator, that is only 3 years old is broke again. 
Sears would like $75 to come out and more to fix it again, or we can buy a repair package that is good for a year for $225.  Ya sounds great, We did that when it stopped working about 16 months ago.  So I went on Craigslist last week, looked up garage sales and called around until this nice lady in Alsip said  she had a washer that worked but was nothing to look at and she'd take $75 for it.

On Sunday we picked it up.  It was my Mother's Day gift to me from me.  Then Tom and I tried to move it into the basement by ourselves and I had visions of the washer sliding down the stairs and landing on Tom.  The washer is just too heavy for me, I called Tom's brother and let them move it down the steps. 

Other exciting news around here is that our strawberry patch is bursting with strawberries.  They are not red as of yet, but when they are, fresh organic strawberries are the best!
+

So tired!

It's been one super busy day.  First off, I didn't sleep well last night, and then Patrick woke up with a fever and a sore throat.  Again.  This seems to be happening every few weeks.  I've got to call the doctor, maybe he had some kind of strep thingy, ugh.  Or it's the power of mind over matter, and his desire to stay home from school.  As he tells me all the time and usually in tears on Monday mornings, he hates school. 

Why does he hate school? He can't do what he wants.  What does he want to do?  Oh you know watch TV, play video games, write stories, eat a lunch at home. 
Only 17 more days of school and he'll be one step closer to being done with school.  I'm going to have to try that one on him.  He's already logged just about 5 years of school, might as well finish it up ( in 7 more years plus college-but who's counting!)

Tomorrow morning is the Teacher Appreciation Breakfast at Patrick's school.  I have been coordinating it with help of the PTA Pres, and this will be my first assignment as the new Hospitality PTA person.  I hope it goes well, of course my biggest worry is:
1. not enough food
2. not enough coffee.

I was cooking all day to complement the items that are being donated by parents and a few businesses.  I used a couple recipes from pillsbury.com because I needed breakfast-y caserole type options  and then I found a recipe in the coupon section of the paper from sunday for a Cheesy Bacon Egg Bake.  So I've got that along w/ Bacon and Cheese Tartlets (made with bacon bacon, so the muslim staff can eat it) and Bacon and Cheese Biscuit Quiche Type things.  (made with turkey bacon)  I also washed and cut up fruit, and made 3 different bagel spreads w/Tastefully Simple Products: 1. Bacon Bacon Spread 2. Sweet Strawberry Spread and for a veggie spread, Sweet Bell Pepper Spread.   And I went to the local Jewel a few time today to get additonal supplies. 

The exciting thing is that 1. all the stuff I made fit in the fridge and on one shelf, so everyone knew not to eat it tonight.  The neverwracking thing is getting 10 packages of turkey brown and serve sausages all heated up and in the crockpot w/o the middles being cold.

Wish me luck that is goes well and we have happy full teachers!  Don't tell anyone but I am hoping to get in a nap after the breakfast is over  :-D