Stationery card

Vine Monogram Christmas Card

Visit Shutterfly.com for classic photo Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Review: Downy Unstoppables

In my recent quest to save money and (gasp) go green I have joined many websites and acquired a few freebies. Although I do not keep up with this blog like I should one of my freebies came with a request that I give a review on my blog so here goes! About a month ago (I'm such a procrastinator) I received an unsolicited freebie via Vocal Point let me be real honest here I haven't quite figured out what Vocal point is all about but I'm learning as I go. Anyway, they sent me a bottle of Downy's in wash sent booster, Unstoppables.

Since I started doing my own laundry in college I have tried multiple ways to get my laundry smelling wonderful with fabric softener, even using liquid and dryer sheets for one load (what a money waster). I loved to smell my clothes after they were freshly laundered and to me that sweet smell meant they were clean. I really wish this product would have come out a long time ago because I would have been my favorite laundry product!
So here are a few questions and answers I created that I thought would help me in the buying process:
Q: How does it work?
A: Take off the cap and fill it to your desired strength and toss it into the wash....
Q: Will it stain your clothes?
A: I haven't found any evidence of it.
Q: Does it smell good?
A: Yes, it has a nice scent.
Q: Does the scent linger?
A: Yes, I found a towel I washed with it 2wks later still had the scent.
Q: Would you recommend it to others?
A: Yes.

Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I decided against using the product anymore. I did use it for several loads so I could give a good review. Why? Well, a few months ago I stopped using fabric softener. (altogether) Instead I use vinegar to keep my clothes static free and soft. I have gotten so used to my clothes having no scent at all that adding sent back to them was a bit of a turn off. While they smell wonderful I just feel my clothes don't need to have a smell. I hope those of you who still like your clothes to have a smell can enjoy this product though! :) 

Back in action

I haven't been very good at this blogging thing but it's about time I get back in action. If for no other reason because I have been requesting all kinds of freebies online and some of them request that you blog about the things they send you so I guess I better fowllow through.

I have spent the last several months trying to find ways of saving money including "going green" (a little bit), couponing (yeah I got one of those crazy binders, but I've never seen that extreamem couponig show--we don't have cable), requesting free stuff, and cutting corners where I never thought I'd cut before. More on all of that to come.

I always get so excited when more free stuff comes in the mail. I guess I'm gonna hafta start taking pics of it and posting it on here. ;) 

Peanut, peanut butter... and Jelly!

Friday Ryan was home from school because of snow... again. I joked with him that morning that since he was home he was gonna have to earn his way by fixing lunch. I was teasing. Really. I was. I figured he's say "awe moooooommmm!" and we'd be done with it. Nope. He apparently thought about this ALL morning. So when my mom was ready to take us to lunch he freaked! He tried to convince her he was "cooking", she tried to convince him I was joking. I finally had to agree to allow him to make himself a PB&J before we left. So Saturday, Daddy and I told him this time he could really make lunch. He's such a sweetie. He put a lotta love in to those PB&J's. I do believe they are the best I've ever eaten. :)

I just love his face in this one. ;)

"As you make your bed, so you must lie in it."-- English Proverb

If you know me you know I'm a little (ahem) unorganized, absent-minded and I procrastinate a little a lot. My bed is rarely never (lets be honest) made, like EVER. Oh sure when I first moved in here, with a new start I vowed to make the bed every morning and I did a pretty good job.... for a week or two. Even the encouragement of my Mom and grandma wasn't enough to keep me on it. Let's be real here... the bed sleeps the same either way. But last week with the influence of pseudoephedrine due to this nasty sinus gunk I hit new levels of organizing and cleaning, even sonic the hedge hog would've wondered what that blur was. During my rampage of medically induced OCD I also started making my bed every morning before I went downstairs for the day. Today I realized I have been doing it for a week (sans the meds)! WOOOO HOOOO! A WHOLE FREAKIN' WEEK! GO ME!!! :)

You'll have to excuse the quality I took it with my phone.
Yes, it's silly but this is an accomplishment for me! :) Here's to another week, or at least... tomorrow. ;)

I've got nuttin!

I have totally lost my blogger go go juice. I've. got. nuttin. I can't think of anything to write about. Maybe I should start that 30 day challenge but I know I won't have a chance to get on EVERYDAY and blog. It just doesn't happen 'round here. I thought about doing a bulleted list of things about me but I can't seem to think of very many interesting facts to disclose. So since I've got writers block I'm sharing a cutsie pic of Ryan and his Daddy reading last night before bed.

Respect.... back on my soapbox!

You may have heard or read in the news that a particular church group has been protesting Military funerals. This has disturbed me for some time but I've kinda put it into the back of my mind. I try to go about life with a "live and let live" kind of attitude, but today I was appalled when I read an article about this group of church goers who are now planning on protesting a CHILD'S funeral! You can read the article here from Fox news.

This really makes me sad. No, not sad, it makes me sick to my stomach! To think that it is appropriate to interrupt the laying to rest of anyone is a travesty but to believe it is ok to picket at the funeral of a 9 year old little girl is an outrage in my opinion! Regardless of how you feel about the deceased or the reasons for their death it is just wrong to put their family through more pain in order to excel your political/religious agendas. I am heart broken for this family due to their loss. I am enraged for this family because rather than mourning their loss they must be concerned with heartless individuals trampling the ground where she will be layed to rest.

Lawmakers in Arizona are trying to push a law through that will prohibit picketers from being within 300 ft of the ceremony.... Bless them! Groups of bikers are planning on being there in order to keep peace and a distance between the mourners and picketers... Bless them! There are petitions going around asking for others to come and make a human chain around those who are mourning the loss of their loved one at this funeral... Bess them!

Some may say that the law that has been proposed is the first step in taking away our freedom of speech. Well, I think it is a monumental step in promoting RESPECT to those who have passed and those who are mourning. Where I come from you show respect to the departed. When I drive down the road and see a funeral procession I make a point to pull over and turn off the radio out of respect.

I just cannot understand how picketing at a 9 year old girls funeral is appropriate in any way. They hide behind their God (who I'm pretty sure is not the same God the majority of American's acknowledge) and justify their actions as bringing awareness or whatever to the American people. Who are they kidding? No God I've ever heard of would appreciate picketing at such a delicate moment to so many. Although I would not condone it, I might be able to understand the rational if the picketing were say... at the funeral of a serial killer or rapist, but it still would not accomplish anything. I just cannot seem to wrap my head around this way of thinking. Bless those helping out and pray for those who are hurting so many.

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now, what do you think about this? Maybe someone can help me understand.

To read or not to read....

My little bugger is reading. Well this isn't really a new revelation... he's been reading since about the second week of school and he's pretty good at it... when he wants to be. We have a few... shall we say bumps in the road in this journey. Apparently the days of hooked on phonics are gone. It may have been a joke growing up but seriously, a version of the program "worked for me". I understand it doesn't work for EVERYONE. I also know that not every word can be decoded by using phonics but I do tend to miss those days.
Ryan is learning how to sound words out and he's got the hang of it (when he wants to). I've determined he is a lot smarter than he wants us to know. How can he be smart enough to play dumb when he's this young? It baffles me. Anyway I'm getting off track here. The "big" learning tool this year for him seems to be looking at the picture. First we are told to look at the picture, then he's supposed to tell us what he thinks the picture is talking about, then he is to attempt to read it. Here the problem that arises... instead of reading "Susie is sees a cat" he "reads" "that girl is looking out the window at the cat." Sooo (shame shame) Mommy and Daddy have skipped the "what do you think the picture is telling us" part of the lesson and going strait to "read it". Which works out fine until he sees a word he's not confident about then a picture with a the lines "I can make a picture out of sand" becomes: "I can make a picture out of glitter? glue? shiny stuff?" Get the idea? He looks for the picture to give him the answer instead of READING the word. It makes me wonder how many times he's just guessed the word instead of seriously trying to figure it out.
I know he's a smart kid. I'm pretty sure the teachers and staff at his school are completely qualified to teach him how to read and that the methods they are using are appropriate for his age. (After all, the only ones trying to teach me to read in Kindergarten were my parents so I'm sure methods have changed) I'm confident he will learn to read as long as we work with him. I'll hop off my soapbox now. :) Happy reading.

I guess I lost my mojo

I've been away too long. Part of it was because of Christmas. I was spending so much time with the kiddos and family that I didn't take the time to blog. Then the something awful happened.... on new year's eve I was robbed of some very sentimental pieces of jewelry. :( I have literally thrown myself into the detective work it is going to take to help the police find the guy who did it all the while knowing I probably won't see the precious pieces of jewelry my Daddy gave me. I'm dealing with it a lot better today. I have decided that just because something bad happened (before the ball dropped mind you) on New Years doesn't mean I will have a bad year. In fact this is going to be a good year, a great year even! I will not let the actions of another bring me down.