Thanksgiving Humor

More Conversations With My Husband: Toes

Hubs: I think Little Miss is going to get up soon.

Me: When did you put her down? 12pm? 12:30pm?

Hubs: I just know when she is going to get up. I can feel it in my gout toe!

Now, that's what I call finding humor in life.

Angel Tree Giving

I consider myself to be a very blessed. We have a safe and loving home. My hubs and I are able to work and provide for our family’s wants and needs. We have a beautiful, smart, healthy daughter who we love with all our hearts. There is not a lot we could ask for outside of continued good health.

At church this past Sunday in the lobby, it was hard not to miss the Christmas trees with cards attached. The purpose of this post is not to rant about how we haven’t celebrated Thanksgiving yet so why is there is big push/commercialization of Christmas. In my heart of hearts, I know why these trees are displayed so early. It’s because they are Angel Trees for kids from families in need.

It’s heartbreaking for me to think about the hundreds (maybe thousands) of kids who go without each and every day. Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot. My Dad would be between jobs here and there and my mom was a waitress. We were by no means wealthy, but Christmas was always a special time of gifts, family and food.

Personally, I haven’t lost the wonderment and awe of this holiday. It is my favorite by far!!! I want to buy gifts for everyone and decorate every nook and cranny. So when I saw those Angel trees this year, it gave me pause.

Little Miss was so in awe of the “pretty lights” that she tried to blow them out like candles. It was sweet. While we were circling this one tree in particular, I looked over the gift requests for boys and girls of all ages---boxing gloves, shoes, dolls and cars. Their likes and wants listed in varying lengths. I cry a little at the thought that one of these kids might not get what they want even if it is a small request.

I decided then and there that my family would adopt an Angel Tree request this year. My plan is for Little Miss to select a card off the tree and that’s who we will buy gifts for this Christmas. This simple, but significant decision affects my family and the family we reach out to. God has blessed us greatly. It is only right that we share his blessing with others and be his light.

What will you do this Christmas to help and support others? What example will you set?

Holiday Style Savings

Good Morning! Are you looking forward to the holidays? This girl always looks forward to the holidays. I love decorating and spending time with family. I know for many people the holidays are more stress, money, and frustration.

I wanted to take a moment to share with you how I saved on some of my holiday cooking supplies this year.

The pictured McCormick Gourmet Seasonings are regularly priced at $3.99 at my local Publix. However, I never would have bought them unless there was a deal because....you know....I am a little cheap. (In a good way).

I used a $2.00 manufacturer coupon and a $1.50 store coupon for each item. I paid .49 cents each!! Wowza! That's 88% savings by my calculations.

A lot of seasonings will go on sale around the holidays. So be on the look out for released manufacturer coupons and stock up!

Keep your holiday purchases food, drinks, gifts or otherwise simple, but significant.

Photography Class Mommy Style

I just wanted to do a quick little share that I signed up for a photography class in January!! What makes it unique is that it is designed for novice photographer mommies! It's called Mom-A-Razzi!

This class is held by a local photographer, Amanda Star.  She caters to moms who want to "stalk their kids in style" by learning how to use camera to capture awesome memories. She's an acquaintance of  mine and I have followed her Facebook page for a while.

You might recall I finally have my latest "want" a new DSLR camera! If you have been following my blog you know I had saved for a new camera. I am so excited to get the opportunity to learn more about how to use it in it's different functions and continue to take super cool photos!

If you could take any class for yourself for fun what would you take? What would you like to learn and do?

My First Linky Party

I'm excited to share with you that I did something new this week. I participated in my first blogger and instagrammer "linky party." For those of you unfamiliar with concept, "A link party is when a blog that usually has a good amount of traffic hosts an event in which other bloggers are invited to post a link to a blog post they would like featured" (For Dummies).

One of the bloggers that I follow, Chelsea @ Two Twenty One  was a co-host in this party which is how I got wind of it. I am number 86 to participate. I uploaded one of my nerdy pictures from Facebook. I wouldn't say my blog got more traffic because of my link up, but my Instagram account did which is the point....I mean look at the title. I went around and checked out some of the other participants Insta pages and liked some pictures and followed a few new peeps. In return, I got some likes and follows too! Sweet!

Well, that was my new adventure this week. Did you do anything new? If so, what? I would love to hear about it!

Another Simple Moment: Boo Boo

{my simple moment} – A new ritual. A single photo, maybe two – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, significant, blessed moment. A moment I want to treasure and remember.

inspired by SouleMama

_________________________
Our first good boo-boo

Flat Tire Reflections

So Saturday morning my Hubby goes out on his weekly dump run and notices that I have a completely flat tire! Okay, not a big deal right? Side note, how did that happen? Anyway, these things happen. What stuck with me was not the hassle of the flat tire, but my blessings.

1. We are blessed that we can afford to go to Wal-Mart and fix this problem without hesitation or worry of cost. There are a lot of people and families out there that might have missed work or been unable to afford fix because of being tight on money.
2. I have a wonderful husband who looks out for me and takes care of my vehicle. The hubs is very handy and knowledgeable in so many ways! He has saved  us a mountain of money when it comes of car repairs and maintenance.
3. Safety. I was not driving the car when the tire went out. I could have been by myself with our Little One on the side of the road. Not really a pleasant idea to contemplate.

Dear reader, do not let life's hassles or obstacles steal your joy, thankfulness or positivity. It's so easy to be sucked into the black hole of anger, frustration, and thanklessness and that is were the devil lies! The Bible tells us, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NAS) in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. This verse really stuck with me that day and I hope to keep it ever closer in my heart.

Weekly Wonderings and Musings 11/15/13

When this momma gets some time to herself to unwind sometime between 8:00 pm to 8:30 pm, I like  to read the latest blog posts from the bloggers I follow, waste time on Pinterest, read a little news or a book, and La-dee-da on Facebook. I thought it would be fun to share with you some of stuff I thought was interesting, neat, funny or weird. Here is part six of my series:

I loved reading "Divergent" by Veronica Roth and I totally loved the look of this teaser trailer.

My Aunt shared this story on Facebook this week of a Incredible Self Portraits by 14-Year-Old Photographer. The pictures posted in this article are simply amazing. I've got to admit that I was a little jealous of his incredible skill. He is truly an artist.

Who doesn't like some Senior texts? It would be funnier if it was actually true. I keep thinking about people in the Villages texting while driving their golf carts.

 Last but not least, I leave you with a deep thought to ponder over.....

My dog and my daughter

Here's a few things that I have said to my daughter and my dog. They can be used interchangeably which is what makes it hilarious!

1. Did she poop today?
2. Don't eat crayons!
3. Do you want to go outside?
4. What do you have in your mouth?
5. Drop it!
6. Get off the couch.
7. Sit down.
8. She woke me up last night.
9. Are you hungry? Ready to eat?
10. You stink.

Finding humor in life.....simple significance.

Price Matching for Christmas

Okay, you know me an enthusiastic couponer and lifelong bargain shopper. I wanted to share with you a recently deal I scored for Christmas this year.

Thanks to my favorite couponing Facebook group, Mycouponexpert, I got wind of is deal. Toys R Us was running an advertised special on games for $3! Well, I don't live remotely near a Toys R Us so I went to a Wal-Mart instead.

Lucky for me, I went to a Wal-Mart that had what I was looking for. It was clear that couponers had been there because they were out of  Scrabble and Yahtzee. However, I was perfectly content to pick up two Simon Flash games for my nieces.

I went to customer service because I knew a CSM would have to do a large over ride for the price match. Wal-Mart had these games priced at $14.98. So, getting them for $3 is a GREAT DEAL that I was happy to wait for while my cashier verified the ad.

All in all I was delighted that this all worked out. I might go back later this week to try and score some scrabble games because I have coupons that would make them free after the price match. I think I might donate them for the holidays! Simply significant, right?

Another Simple Moment: Precious

{my simple moment} – A new ritual. A single photo, maybe two – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, significant, blessed moment. A moment I want to treasure and remember.

inspired by SouleMama

_________________________

"You are so precious to me, sweet as can be, baby of mine"

More Conversations with My Husband #3

Here is another snippet from my simple, but significant day to day life with my husband. My hubs and I have been married almost six years and I love him to pieces and sometimes the conversations we have can be down right hysterical! Here is conversation we had on Sunday:

Hubs-"Dog get out of the kitchen!" he yells as he making his sandwich.

Me- "What is your deal with the dog being in the kitchen?"

Hubs- "She uses her doggie Jedi powers to will me to drop stuff so she can eat it!"

Me-SMH Men must be biologically predisposed to want to protect their food.

Taste of Childhood

Is there a food that takes you back to your childhood? I do. It's Wal-Mart brand Mac and cheese! Who would have "thunk" it! Haha.

We had this for dinner the other night and I couldn't get the thought of growing up on this stuff out of my head! It's such a simple thing to trigger a memory. What is it about that powdered, buttery cheese?

Leave a comment about what food distinctly reminds you of childhood!

Weekly Wonderings and Musings 11/8/13

When this momma gets some time to herself to unwind sometime between 8:00 pm to 8:30 pm, I like  to read the latest blog posts from the bloggers I follow, waste time on Pinterest, read a little news or a book, and La-dee-da on Facebook. I thought it would be fun to share with you some of stuff I thought was interesting, neat, funny or weird. Here is part five of my series:

Earlier this week, I came across this video that Jimmy Kimmel put together about parents telling their kids they ate all of their Halloween candy. Some of their pure, unadulterated reactions is priceless. While I was watching it though, I thought some of those kids needed a good old fashion spanking.

 Fossil captures insects in a "compromising position." These grasshoppers were unearthed in China and dated to approximately 165 million years ago.

My hubs and I recently started watching the CW show Arrow on Netflix. There's quite a bit of action to keep the hubs entertained and enough of a story line to keep me intrigued as well. Here is the series promo.

Okay, okay, enough of the geeky, serious stuff. Let's add a little humor to this post....

I think that's enough musings and wonderings for now. Until next time.....

I Met Millie Perez

At church Sunday, I met Millie Perez. According to her Google + Bio page, "She recently discovered a love of writing by starting a blog. www.fourgirlsandalady.blogspot.com.  I started writing about my background, life experiences and my opinion about certain things; and ended up writing two short novels.  I enjoy cooking, reading and traveling.  All the things that require creativity, mystery and a sense of wonder.  But the most important thing about me is being a servant of God.  I hope to make an impact in as many people as possible. That they would come to know who God is through me, my example and my experiences." Amen to that!

After the service, I had an opportunity to talk with her and I even bought a copy of her book!

It's her first published book. It's small like a novella only 81 pages.  So it was a quick read. I enjoyed it very much. Here 's the Amazon description of the book:

Do You Love Me tells the riveting tale of a mysterious baby found in the dumpster outside of a hospital late one snowy night. As an adult, Abigail spent years trying to uncover the mystery behind her birth. A successful doctor in her own right, Abigail has the house, personal chef & high-profile relationship to prove it. However, we quickly get a glimpse of a flawed Abigail, one that many can relate to; despite her much success, she struggles with issues of insecurity. We do not know the depth of her insecurities until we embark on this beautifully crafted story & allow the author to take us on Abigail’s emotional journey of self-discovery & acceptance

I read this book in a day. YES, the self proclaimed bibliophile read the book in a day. Little Miss was with Daddy at Nanny and Papa's so Mama had some free time!

I really liked it. As read it, I wished there was more to read. Don't you hate it when that happens....when you run out of stuff to read? It really is a compliment to the author that you wished there was more to read. The concept was interesting. I connected to the character's and their situations and wanted to know more....to see what would happened next!! 

During the introductions at the church service, it was mentioned that this book was being used in book clubs. I can totally see that! If the book continues to be a successful sell, I would recommend adding a book club guide.

Well dear reader, I will conclude my post here. I would recommend this book for Christian fiction fans, romance fans or anyone who enjoys a "growth and struggle" story.

Ode to Coffee Creamer

I thoroughly enjoy coffee. I drink at least one cup--sometimes two per day. I take it with cream and sugar. I am not a "straight up, industrial strength black coffee."

I can handle powdered creamer when it is the only option, but when I have the choice I prefer flavored creamer. The hubs and I agree on this issue specifically. I usually buy French Vanilla because it's something we both like.

However, it's the holiday season so there are lots of yummy flavored creamers out there and this blog post is in honor of them! It wouldn't be fall without a shout out to Pumpkin Spice!

I recently saw a commercial for Thin Mint creamer! Say what? I love those cookies. I am interested to see what this tastes like.

Did you know that you can freeze liquid creamer? Yes, you can. I scored a great deal on creamer one time at Publix with store and manufacturer coupons and they froze beautifully. You don't have to open them or anything. I've never had one bust or anything!

So thank you Coffemate, International Delight, and Bailey's for making delicious flavors to make my mornings and afternoons more tolerable LOL!

Until next time......keep your coffee strong, but a little sweet!

Another Simple Moment: Gazing

{my simple moment} – A new ritual. A single photo, maybe two – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, significant, blessed moment. A moment I want to treasure and remember.

inspired by SouleMama

_________________________
"Gazing"

Little Miss Turned 2

It's hard to believe, but I am not the mom of an official 2 year old? Um....where did time go? Didn't we just celebrate her last birthday just the other day? Wow. The whole milestone is a little breathtaking. It's a parenting moment that stops you in your tracks and puts you you in awh of God's miraculous accomplishment through you. She grows up more and more each day and while she is my "baby," she acts a little less like a baby and more like a big girl.

We had lots of yummy food for everyone!

Little Miss clung to mommy for a while until she warmed up to all her party guests. The funny thing is that she had played with all the kiddos before....just not at our house.

It wouldn't be a party without a read solo cup.



Little Miss got a lot of wonderful, wonderful gifts. Mommy and daddy and some cousins helped her to open them.

Of course, no party would be complete without cake and the birthday song! She really liked that part. Do you see that gigantic smile? Ah, warms my heart.

Lastly, check out this cool present she got my gal pal Jessica. This tent is awesome!! All the kiddos wanted to want to play in it. Let's be honest, some adults did too!

Overall, it was a great day. When the weather cleared a little we went outside to play which was fun because I made activity bags full of little goodies! This was another simple but very significant moment in our lives!