Saturday 9

1. Did you ever think that you'd be a star? If yes, doing what?

well never really wanted to be so did not try

2. Tell us about the last time you had a romantic dinner.

few years ago with my hubby romance is not important when you learn to love the little moments in life

3. Tell us about your worst job interview.

never had one always hired on the spot

4. Tell us about your stupidest date.

never had one only dated 2 men my hubby and someone who became my best friend

5. How much in common do you think you should have with a romantic partner?

you have to be able to talk as well or all the romance in the world will not matter

6. Tell us about a favorite meme that you loved but no longer posts.

super savings saturday

7. How did you get into blogging?

bored, lost my job and needed something to do and someone to talk to

8. Do you share all your fantasies with a significant other?

not at all

9. What change in your life would you like to happen this year?

want to see my son and daughter graduate and my grandbaby turn 2

Saturday 6 : Do you know your state

1. Without looking it up, how many of the following could you correctly name off the top of your head: your state slogan, your state tree, your state flower, your state bird, your state dog, your state song, your state dance, and your state beverage?


Land of Lincoln is the state slogan, Cardinal is our state bird, we have a state animal it is the white tail dear, can't tell you the rest

2. Suppose you started your own state: based on your personality, what would you want for your new state’s slogan?

Land to live as you please, each man carries his own weight, no work no eat

3. If you had to choose one kind of animal to represent your state — mammal, fish, reptile, insect…but just one — which would you choose and which specific breed would you select?

bullfrog

4. What would be the pick for your state’s official drink?

tea

5. Take the quiz: What State Are You?

massachusetts


6. Go to Wikipedia and look up that state: what is its slogan and how good of a fit would it be for your new state

"save the trust" yes that would be great

Comatose

I pray that I never become Comatose in my faith and spirit

First 5 Steps To Vegetable Gardening

Well, yesterday I shared about planning a garden and then I was able to find an even greater sie located at Green Generation that shares the 5 most important steps of veggie gardening. In short they are:

1. This one is adorable and right to the point. They want the gardener to remember the garden is thiers. There are no rules as to what they have to do, what they have to plant, etc... Simply do what you want to do


2. Decide what you and your family would want to plant in the garden. Are there certian veggies that you would use more than others? Simply decide what it is you want to plant


3. Make sure after you decide what you would want to plant that it is able to grow where you are. There are plants that desire certian qualities that where your garden is may or may not have. Researching the plants and deciding which is the right one for you to plant may be the perfect winter project for you to complete while waiting for spring


4. Plan your garden: when can you start to plant what will be planted first what will have to be planted towards the last, possibly make a sketch of your planned garden also including how much room each will take to plant


5. Begin to buy your plants and seeds. My dad used to always buy his at the same place each year because those were the places he trusted. I can remember going to the hardware stores and purchasing the seeds while the plants often came from greenhouses.

Show My Face:

The weather man predicted it, we were not sure how much if any, but yet we got our snow. So in honor of the snow my 6 word sentence is:

We Got Our Snow : 6 Inches

Great Potty Training Book Giveaway

I was very impressed with this wonderful book Even Firefighters Go To The Potty!! What a great book and I am sure princess will love it as well. My SIL is a fire fighter and since Princess has been in the womb we have been buying her all sorts of fire related items. So we have fire trucks, fire Elmo's, fire dogs, etc.... Now along comes a great potty training book with fire fighters Even better is the fact that this book is being given away on a great blog. The blog Susan Heim on Parenting is hosting a giveaway where a reader will win the great book Even Firefighters Go To The Potty! This giveaway ends 2/12

Super Cute Pictures

Have you seen the super cute and artistic pictures that were entered into the Strong and happy Yoplait Contest on 5 minutes for mom? If not you should drop by there and vote for your favorite. They are all great. Which one will you choose?

Sleepy Moon Designs giveaway

I have seen some lovely jewelry around, in fact I have shared reviews of some lovely jewelry here on my own blog. The Not So Blog has shared a wonderful review for Sleepy Moon Jewelry as well. Sleepy Moon Jewelry is very pretty and I would love to own a piece of it. As you all know that if I did one of my girls would be sure to find it and ask to borrow it for sure. If you want a chance to win this beautiful jewelry you will want to visit The Not So Blog before 2/10.

Great Date Tip

Do you ever feel that you never get enough time with your hubby? Well you are not alone I hear this all the time from friends, family and yes my mouth. Todays Marriage Tip from here is a great one and makes a lot of sense and may allow you to have more time with the one you love


Dates don't always have to be in the evening. Consider a lunch date. It's cheaper than dinner and if your kids are in school you don't need a babysitter

what do you think?

Don't Forget Your Pamper Sample

Today is the day. The day that you can get your 3 pack sample of Pampers. Simply head over to this link to claim yours. Not for sure when this will go live but if you follow Bargain Briana on facebook or twitter for updates or visit Pampers.com to see if it is up as of yet.

Dreams of Spring: Planning Spring Garden

With all the cold air still around my thoughts often turn to warmer days and gardening. I love to garden and I am all ready dreaming of what my garden this spring will be like. Do you like to garden? Would you like to try your hand at it? Well here are some great tips to get started before the weather turns to gardening weather.

First make sure you have the materials you will need to garden:

• does your powe equipment need tuned up? If so do it now and beat the spring rush.
• start shopping for or cleaning gardening tools as well. Hoes, shovels etc... all work better if in good shape
• start making a plan what fertilizers, mulches, etc... will you be needing?

Late winter is the perfect time to prune trees as well. Pruning will help to reduce size of overgrown trees and shrubs and allows them to come back even stronger

Dream: what will your garden be like? What are the plants you want in it? Visit the library or internet sites to get ideas. Seed companies will mail you catalogs as well in order to get ideas for your garden. When you have an idea in your mind what you want your garden like sketch it down on paper to get even a greater idea

Til the right weather comes along for gardening I will dream and prepare for that grand day. I shared this on the blog The Inspired Room where they are taking a look at what you are doing to pampe yourself this winter

Aloha Friday

Aloha Friday is hosted by the blog An Island Life. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. To participate ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response

Its Friday again I think the weeks have been just flying by. This is the last Friday of January and we are once again in limbo waiting to see what the weather will be like. They predict snow then say it may not be in our area but the temps are cold but not as bad as the last spell. So I just sit here wondering what the weather will be like today, tomorrow and the next day. So for my question today I would like to know:

What is the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Friday Fill Ins

1.Wouldn't it be easy _____________.
2. _________ better than ever!
3. I love the taste of __________.
4. _____________ in the living room.
5. The first thing we're going to do is ______________.
6. ________ drip, drip, drip; ________.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

Wouldn't it be easy to be friends

It may be late but it is better than ever!

I love the taste of delicious pasta

Hubby and the kids are in the living room

The first thing we're going to do is to get the kids ready for school

the water goes drip, drip, drip; in hopes the pipes do not freeze

and as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to ham casserole, tomorrow my plans include steak and potato and sunday, I want to enjoy the church potluck!

Friday 5: Hoops

1.When did you last feel you were required to jump through meaningless hoops to get something you wanted?
2.What kinds of hula hoop memories do you have?
3.How do you feel about basketball?
4.What do you think of hoop earrings?
5.What’s your favorite Whoopi Goldberg movie?

All the time my kids pull alot of punches of "IF"

I have wonderful memories I was a child of the 70s

I love to watch cant play this white girl can't jump

love them on my daughters hate them around little ones

The Color Purple

play here

Friday Fragments : Snow Coming

Winter Weather approaching our area once again. Just this weekend we were talking about how warm the weather was. Just jacket weather in the middle of January did not seem quite right we all knew that the cold weather would be coming back in soon. So we only wait to see what we will get ice, snow, sleet? Just what is on the way is still to be seen.

A term that I use it seems alot in every day language is "knock on wood" It seems I never want to say a definite when things are going so well. I looked up the term on Wikipedia to see just what the term means and this is what I foun:

Knocking on wood, The expression is usually used in the hope that a good thing will continue to occur after it has been acknowledged. So, for example, one might say: "The rain looks like it's holding, knock on wood", or "Knock on wood, I'm much better now." Another example would be "I have never had to use my gun before, knock on wood

The definition is exactly what I would use when using the term. Is there a phase that you use alot?

Well since it is early and my mind is not awake I can not really think of any other random thoughts. What are you thinking about today? Share them on friday fragments located at Half-Past Kissin' Time

Childrens Place Sale and extra 15% discount

Not only does the Childrens Place have a wonderful sale currently going on where several girl items are as low as $1.99 and boys items are as low as $4.99 but there is an extra discount you can use as well. When ordering your items use the discount code "E79AA" when checking out to save another 15%.

thanks to Surviving the Stores where I found out about the extra 15% off. Shipping only $5.

30 Minute Chicken Chili

Perfect recipe from those who are football pans to the busy mom wanting a quick healthy meal. Cooking Thursday is hosted at Diary of a Stay At Home mom

30 Minute Chicken Chili


3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 chipotle chile en adobo, coarsely chopped, with 1 tablespoon sauce
1 pound ground turkey
1 (12-ounce) Mexican lager-style beer
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Sliced scallions, cilantro sprigs, avocado, sour cream, grated Monterey jack cheese, and/or tortilla chips, for garnish, optional

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, chili powder, and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the chipotle chile and sauce; cook 1 minute more. Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meat loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Add the beer and simmer until reduced by about half, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes–crushing them through your fingers into the skillet–along with their juices and the beans; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes.

visit the Purple Trail for other great recipes

Vintage Recipes - Winter Salad Recipes

Because of the snow and winter weather predicted I went in search of a perfect vintage recipe to celebrate the weather



A salad made entirely of winter vegetables may be prepared when there are no fresh vegetables in supply. If any of the vegetables are left over, the others may be prepared to use with the left-over ones. A good plan to follow when carrots, turnips, or potatoes are being prepared for a meal is to cook more than is necessary for the one meal and then set aside part of them for a salad to be served at another meal.

Sufficient to serve six.

•1 cup turnips, diced
•1 cup carrots, diced
•1 cup potatoes, diced
•1 tablespoon chopped onion
•French dressing
•lettuce
•salad dressing
Cook turnips, carrots, and potatoes whole in boiling water until tender enough to be pierced with a fork. If they have not been peeled before cooking, peel and cut into small dice. Mix, add the onion, marinate with French dressing, and allow to stand for a short time. Garnish salad plates with lettuce leaves, pile the salad on the lettuce and serve with any dressing


Fruit Salad, Winter

Peel two oranges; with a sharp knife cut between the pulp and the skin and remove the section entire. Slice the meats of one-fourth a pound of English walnuts. Of one-fourth a pound of figs select a few for a garnish and cut the rest in thin slices. Slice three bananas. Toss half the ingredients with two or three tablespoonfuls of oil, and, if the oranges are sweet, toss again with one tablespoonful of lemon juice. Arrange in a mound on a salad-dish. Put the rest of the fruit, each kind separately, on the mound in sections; garnish the edge and top with heart leaves of lettuce, and add stars of mayonnaise and candied cheeries here and there

recipes located at http://www.vintagerecipes.ne/

Thankful Thursday

As I open my new book Chicken Soup for the Soul book Devotional Stories for Women that I recently won on a blog I realize that I am thankful for all the great individuals I have met on the Internet, for the wonderful blogs that I read each day and yes for the special little bonuses I received from the blogs. As I open this wonderful book the first devotion I turn to shares this verse:

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; before your Gods I will sing your praise. Psalms 138:1

While I praise God for all the blessings that he allows us (or at least try to) I do feel that I may sometimes question his ways as well. I am thankful that we have a Lord that all though we may wonder why things happen or why something does not happen I am thankful that he still loves and cares about us. Praise God!!! that the love he gave us is one that we can always count on.

When my son was told he had a tumor on his back I am very ashamed that I did not trust immediately that God had all things in his hands. We did not act out or go against God but worried, stressed and thought of the worst. Upon calming down I knew that what I felt was shock for my child and what was going on. I am so thankful that while I was not concentrating on my Lord or shared my problems with him at first he was there always waiting for me to go to him. He was aware of all that was going on and I am thankful that my son did not act like me but instead took on the attitude at once that God would take care of him and did not worry. How peaceful he was as he talked to me. Thank God that through the lessons of his early (21) years he had such a peace about him and instead of me standing up and being the example he was the example to me. I am very thankful that he demonstrated the strength of a young man that I always dreamed he could be.

That is what I am thankful for. What are you thankful for? In all things give thanks and there is so much to be thankful for in this world and life.

Ideas for football Party and a giveaway

If you are entertaining guest this football season and are not sure what to serve them here are a few great ideas:



Taco Bar:

simply mix up some ground beef or chicken, setting out some taco shells or tortilla chips, as well as taco toppings will allow you to prepare before the game and enjoy the company as well.



Hot Dog Bar:

Grill the franks or brats and keep warm in a crockpot. Set out the buns and set the toppings out so guest can serve themselves.



Potato Bar:

Bake a batch of potatoes and wrap them in foil to keep them warm. They can simply be unwrapped and warm up in microwave if they cool off. Set toppings such as chili, shredded cheese, green onions, butter, salsa, bacon bits, and sour cream out so guest can serve them selves.



Now for the giveaway and one item that you should remember for your superbowl party as well. PopChips of course. What would a party be without them? One lucky reader will win a pack of 24 bags to help celebrate the big game.

To enter: you must visit the PopChip website and tell me one part of the Snackers Credo

Extra Entries:

• follow my blog


• subscribe to my blog


• follow popchips on twitter


• follow me on twitter


• tweet about this giveaway (1 entry per tweet) place link in comment


• blog about the giveaway (5 entries) place link in comment

Giveaway starts now and ends February 7, (SuperBowl day). Email must be in comment or on blog or you can not win. Good Luck

Little Miss Matched extra 20% off all outlet items

Little Miss Matched has been having a wonderful sale for a while now. Great values are to be had. Now for the next 5 days they are offering an extra 20% off the all ready discounted prices. WOW!!!! This is wonderful and if you want to take advantage of this great sale go here and use the code SALE20 at checkout.

Thousand Word Thursday

These are pictures of my nephews and one of their best friend. Their mommy and her best friend had a grand time watching them have fun and taking great pictures

Snowman Trail Mix recipe

I realize that we are used t seeing this recipe around Christmas Time but if we can expect snow all winte long and can make a snowman from that snow then we should be able to make Snowman Trail Mix when we are expecting snow like today so here is the recipe

SnowMan Trail Mix

•1 large container of black raisins (16 ounces)
•1 jar of peanuts (16 ounces)
•1 bag of natural almonds (16 ounces)
•1 bag of roasted soy nuts (16 ounces)
•1 bag of natural sunflower seeds (16 ounces)
•1 bag mini marshmallows (8 ounces)
•1 bag of mini chocolate chips (dark chocolate) or dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) bar broken into pieces (4-6 ounces)
Yield: 11+ cups

•Mix all of ingredients in a very large bowl.
•Measure into individual bags, cups or other containers


I located this recipe at http://parentingtweens.suite101.com/article.cfm/healthy_trail_mix_recipies_for_tweens#ixzz0dv6giPoU

Paperplate SnowMan Craft

You will Need:

•1 large paper plate
•1 smaller sized paper plate
•craft cotton balls
•construction paper
•yawn
•scissors
•glue
extra craft materials to decorate snowman if interested

Start by decorating the smallest paper plate (head). Use construction paper or fabric to create a carrot nose, black cotton balls work great for eyes. You can use fabric, yarn or craft supplies to decorate the snowman's head just the way you want it. When you are down Punch a hole in the plate towards the bottom.

Now its time to decorate the larger plate (body) You may start by creating "buttons" down the center. When done create a hole with the hole puncher at the top.

Us the yarn or fabric to connect the two paper plate, creating bow for a "bow tie"

Now create the snowman's arms out of pipe cleaners or other fabric idea. Perhaps you want to create a hat for your snowman as well. This step deals alot with using what you have and your creativity.

Snowman craft

This is a great craft that in my opinion is suitable for school age children and teens.

White Buttons - Use buttons with only 2 holes

•Ribbon

•Craft Foam

•Magnets or Pin backing

•Paint Brush

•Acrylic Paint

•Craft Glue

•Scissors

Secure the two buttons together as if in a snowman shape. This may be easier done with a glue gun but tacky glue will work as well. Use the ribbon to create a scarf that covers where the buttons were glued together. Create a nose for the snowman out of orange construction paper so that it resembles a carrot nose. Create a hat for the snowman out of construction paper as well. This is where creativity comes in as all hats do not have to look alike. Using acrylic paint create a face for the snowman. Be creative and decorate the snowman the way you want it to look. Here in this house I am sure we would have a football snowman somehow as my son is a football fan

Book Review "Get Financially Naked How To Talk Money With Your Honey"

Author: Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedor

Get Financially Naked How To Talk Money With Your Honey sounds like the perfect valentine book. A love story of sorts it may be if you find your self like many of us who are struggling a bit with money. Perhaps you find yourself tiring of financial aid book? Tired of those that say they can help then as you read them you become very bored and lost in the words? Then you should read the book Get Financially Naked How To Talk Money With Your Honey.

This book discusses how women can themselves become financially independent. This is not something new but to many women it is something that they have never really had to do. My mother went through a financial depression when my father passed as he always took care of everything. Even today if something was to come up she would secretly wish my father was still here to help her. She has learned a lot since my father passed but the finances in the marriage was my fathers job. Is this the way it really should be? The scary thing is that women like even me who have been married for several year and raise children get lost in the world of family and may not pay as much attention to finances as they should. Thank goodness the book Get Financially Naked How To Talk Money With Your Honey realized this and took the opportunity to spotlight it.

The book Get Financially Naked How To Talk Money With Your Honey focuses on the couples finances in life. They focus on what is referred to as the "Five Power Steps to Financial Success" which deals with the five main lifetime expenses that many will face (1) home, (2) car, (3) retirement, (4) kids and (5) extended family. My personal family like many have dealt with all five of these topics and more. If the top five (5) can be cared for then perhaps all will fall into place. After all if couple can talk about the top five (5) then they have a foot up on battling what ever comes their way. This book in my opinion is perfect for men to read, for women to read and for them to read together as couples. There are many battles that marriages go through if they can agree financially then that is one less battle to face. Talking about finances can open the communication allowing them in my opinion to feel comfortable with each other. To me that is what the book Get Financially Naked How To Talk Money With Your Honey is all about.

Sweet Shapes Cookie Cutters review and giveaway

Sweet Shapes is becoming a regular fan favorite on Annie's Home blog. I could be no more delighted. I love the items that Debbie Chambers has for sale on her website Sweet Shapes and I also love making (eating) cookies and bakery goodies. With valentine coming up I know that we will be creating lots of delicious sugar cookies in shapes of hearts at our home. You can as well and the best part is Debbie is offering the chance for a few of Annie's Home readers to win a valentine cookie cutter. YEAH!!! Let me share with you just what Sweet Shapes is all about.

If you are a baker at heart then you will love baking with Sweet Shapes cookie cutters. Love is in the air and it is coming in the shape of wonderful cutters from Sweet Shapes. Sweet Shapes cookie cutters are available in a variety of shapes and forms with one being perfect for the holiday, celebration or everyday cutter you are looking for. Cookie cutters are not all that Sweet Shapes make though as you will also find rolling pins, cookie presses, and even the cookie sheets that you can bake your perfectly shaped cookies on. Sweet Shapes even offers delicious cookie recipes that you can create and use the wonderful Sweet Shape cookie cutters on.

Take a look at a couple of the wonderful cookie cutters that would be perfect for Valentines Day.

The heart Stencil Kit which includes one heart cookie cutter and two stencils and the cupid cookie cutter both are available at Sweet Shapes for purchase along with several other great cookie cutters including a mini set of cutters perfect for valentines day and sets of valentine cookie cutters. Another sweet fact about Sweet Shapes is that the prices of their super great cutters will not break the bank and as we all know cookie cutters are something that can be used over and over.

Now that I have your baking creativity worked up I would love to share the details of the giveaway with you. Debbie wants to offer not just the chance for one Annie's Home readers to win but six (6) yes six winners. There will be four (4) winners of the cupid cutter and two (2) winners of the stencil heart set. This will be decided by the winners as I select the winners.

In order to enter this giveaway you must visit the Sweet Shapes website and (1) tell me what cookie cutter you like the best and (2) share a recipe they have on their website that you think your family might enjoy. You can put each answer in a different comment but both questions must be answered in order to enter the giveaway.

Extra Entries:

• follow my blog
• grab my button and place it some where come back here and in comment tell me the url
• subscribe to my blog
• enter the giveaway for bummas located at my daughters website MonkeyMommy08
• follow my blog on twitter
• tweet about the giveaway (1 entry per tweet) leave link in comment
• blog about the giveaway (5 entries) leave link in comment

Giveaway starts today and will end on February 5, 2010. Good luck. Email must be on blog or in comment or you can not win. Sorry.

Outdoor Wednesday winter at the capitol

I dont know why but I like this cold frosty picture of winter at the capital in Springfield Illinois

Go Graham Go hosting Delicious giveaway

My friend over at the blog Go Graham Go is hosting a giveaway sponsored by Cracker Barrel. One of my favorite recipes is Cracker Barrel simply because they have delicious food and great service. There will be 2 winners in this super giveaway (1) a $25 gift card to Cracker Barrel and (2) gift basket full of goodies from the cracker barrel. If you want to enter this great giveaway head over to the Go Graham Go blog before February 10, 2009

Wordless Wednesday: Brothers

here is a picture of my nephews. Let me tell you these two little guys are best friends and hopefully will be throughout their lives.

shared at:

• Look What Mom Found
• J. Leigh Designz
• MomStart

B is the letter of the day at ABC wednesday as well so I am entering my post on brothers.

Whitney Houston Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition CD/DVD

I grew up listening to Whitney Houston. In fact it was in my hay day that she was in her best as well. There were so many great songs that came out during that time period. I can remember me an my girlfriends singing the songs to each other. Now there is a great Whitney Houston CD/DVD package out to celebrate this wonderful music. Better yet two great blogs are hosting giveaways where you can have a chance to win. She Scribes (ends 2/3) and Sage and Savvy (ends 2/4) are both hosting giveaways where the winner will win this super collection.

Cooperstown Cookie Company Ultimate Sweepstake Announced and giveaway

Cooperstown Cookie Company has been reviewed on my blog at a previous time and you can read the review here if you wish. If you are a baseball fan then I am sure that you know why Cooperstown is a remarkable place. With that in mind I want to tell you that Cooperstown Cookie Company has put into their cookies all the respect and love that baseball have for Cooperstown. That is why I am so happy to tell you about a wonderful contest they are having.

Cooperstown Cookie Company wants to give one baseball fan the Ultimate Cooperstown Weekend. The Ultimate Cooperstown Sweepstakes includes:

• 2 night stay at August Lodge




• Family Membership to the National Baseball Hall of Fame




• Dinner for two at Hoffman Lane Bistro




• Lunch for two at the Doubleday Cafe




• Lunch for two at Harmony House Cafe




• Family Membership to the New York State Historical Association (includes free admission to The Farmers' Museum and the Fenimore Art Museum)




• Daypass to the Clark Sports Center




• Classic Cooperstown Stadium Tin filled with Bunts, bite-sized baseball cookies from the Cooperstown Cookie Company




• Autographed copy of baseball writer, Dorothy Jane Mills' A Woman's Work




• Best of Cooperstown basket, featuring a sampling of merchandise and gift certificates to select Cooperstown retailers, including Alex & Ika Restaurant, Stagecoach Coffee, Changing Seasons, Little Bo'tique, Christmas Around the Corner, Dog Wild Canine Supply, Straws & Sweets, Diastole Furniture and Gifts, Bear Pond Winery, Gold Petals, Strawberry & Vine, Schoolhouse Kitchen, Mickey's Place, Fly Creek Cider Mill Store and Pioneer Wine & Spirits

Wow what a wonderful prize list. If you wan to enter the giveaway you will have to head over to the Cooperstown Cookie Company Website and take a short survey by April 16, 2010.

Cooperstown Cookie Company would also love to offer one of Annie's Home readers the chance to win a Short Stop Gift Tower

Buy: you can purchase the Short Stop gift Tower at Cooperstown Cookie Company website

To enter the contest you must head over and enter the ultimate sweepstakes then come back here and let me know you entered

Extra Entries:

• Tell me what flavor of cookie you would choose (shortbread, chocolate chip or lemon)


• follow my blog


• subscribe to my blog


• subscribe to Cooperstown Cookie Company newsletter


• Follow my blog on twitter and let me know your ID


• Follow Cooperstown Cookie on twitter and let me know your ID


• fan Cooperstown cookie on facebook


• tweet about this contest (1 entry per tweet limit of 3 per day)


• blog about this contest linking both to my blog and Cooperstown cookie Company


• enter my daughters first contest @monkeymommy08 for a set of Bummas wipes

Contest starts today and will close February 23, (same day all players may report for spring training) Email must be in comment or on blog. Good Luck

Sweet Deal on Valentines

Thanks to "Deal"ectible Mommies I can share this sweet deal on valentines with you. A whopping 144 wonka fun dip valentines can be purchased from Amazon for an amazing $10.84 simply use this link http://www.amazon.com/Wonka-Lik-M-Aid-Valentines-Candy-12-Ounce/dp/B001NXN42O?ie=UTF8&tag=34dea34ectmom-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969

Gratituesday

I am thankful today for the ER where my son goes to school. My son has been suffering with bad back pain for quite some time. We found out today that he has a tumor. That is not what we are thankful for of course what we are thankful for is that they found it. At this time they believe it is a non cancerous fat tumor we will know more on Tuesday when he goes to see a doctor who specializes in this But for right now I want to praise God for what he has done for my son in his 21 years of life, that there is a doctor who found the cause of his pain, and Thank Him in advance that he will protect and care for my son in an area that I know little about.

Ruby Red Tuesday Happy Birthday Mom

This is a picture of my mom in the red, my brother and his wife. My mom will have a birthday to celebrate Tommorow. I hope she has a great day. Happy Birthday Mom.

January Photo Contest

The voting at the January Photo Contest over at An Island Life is currently taking place. My dear friend Thom at the blog Thoms Place for Well Whatever has entered the contest. Please visit the An Island Life blog and vote for the picture of your choice. I have voted and so should you.

What I Learned This Week

Things I learned this week include facts on teen depression as I allready shared. I also learned a few new recipes that I have shared as well. I also learned that I was lucky enough to win a wonderful Select Comfort Matress Pad on the blog The Mom Buzz I also learned that my daughter has been working out in college fitness class and it is starting to pay off. Yeah!!!! She has always been a bit plump but when she was able to tell me her jeans were a bit big I gave her one of the biggest hugs of all time. My son has also started to date a great girl that he has known for many years now. Wonderful!!!!

What all did you all learn this week?

Tip for Clogged Drains

Has this ever happened to you: you are cooking a wonderful dinner for your family and suddenly the sink is clogged. What can you do? You can not run out to the store to get one of those great drain products. You need to come up with something quick. The next time this happens to you try this:

1) Remove all water from the sink. You may have to dip it out of the sink with a cup and place it in a bucket.

2) Pour one cup of baking soda down the drain.

3) Follow that with one cup of table salt.

4) Next, pour one half cup of white vinegar down the drain.

5) Allow the drain to set for ten minutes than flush it with two quarts of boiling water.

To Do Tuesday

Well this week is starting out fairly well there are a few things I need to do like (1) check the monthly budget (2) plan monthly menu. I also need to do a few loads of laundry and the kids bed linens. I have to say I feel alot better about this week than I have for a while.

what do you need to do?

Nowali Moccasins

My lil princess feet are precious to me so taking care of them is one of my first goals. They live in the part of Illinois where the temps stay cool and the feet on the floor do as well. Nowali Moccasins are great for her little feet and mine as well as far as that goes. There is a wonderful giveaway for these wonderful feet covers at The Not So Blog. You can head over there and enter this great giveaway which ends 2/6/2010

Random Thought Tuesday: Teens and Depression Part 2

I shared with you my random thoughts on Teens and Depression. Now I want to share with you the Signs and Symptoms of Depressions in Teens.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION IN TEENS

• Sadness or hopelessness
• Irritability, anger, or hostility
• Tearfulness or frequent crying
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• Loss of interest in activities
• Changes in eating and sleeping habits
• Restlessness and agitation
• Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
• Lack of enthusiasm and motivation
• Fatigue or lack of energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Thoughts of death or suicide

I do not think that I saw as much crying in my boys as I do or did my teenage girls. I feel as if they go through a stage where they cry at the drop of a hat. They either have hormones that rage at this age or the thoughts of growing up, the problems they face and the society we live become super hard and the tears flow easily. The one thing that I did notice in my boys is that they get angry easy and quite often. Sleeping habits changed a lot in some of my teens where they would stay up late and sleep late early in the morning. Some of this is simply the way their body works but I sometimes wonder if it is that they can't sleep because of physical or if they cant sleep because of stress. I hope that they would come to me if this is the problem. That is why the door to sharing is always open with mine. Is the door between yours and you open as well? My hopes is that it is and always will be.

Random Thought Tuesday: Teens and Depression Part 1

Coming home from watching the movie To Save A Life my mind is open and my thoughts are wondering about teen depression. Would I know how to spot if one of my teens was suffering and did not choose to talk to me?

HelpGuide.org states that there are many misconceptions about teen depression. They state that while teen age life is tough it can be balanced with good friends, success in school or outside activities and the development of a strong sense of self.

To me this is where parents can become aware. Where are your teens going? Do they have good friends or seem to struggle with friendships? I had a daughter who hated the fact that we moved from an area that she had great friends to one that she knew no one. She took this quite hard and became quite angry and cheated herself out of a lot of great years. I was aware of this and stayed on top of this matter but what if I had not been aware of it? What would of could of happened? This in my personal opinion is why it is so important for parents to know where their children stand. A lot of my daughters anger was depression which is very sad to think about the best part is we worked this out as a family and know she is at the top of the world in college. We do need to keep in mind that she does have tendencies to get overwhelmed and as a parent that is where I can play a vital role in her life simply being a cheerleader.

Here is another thought though why do our teens seem to becoming more depressed. Is the number growing or are people starting to recognize the signs more? Help.Org says that 20% of depressed teens ever receive help while those stricken with depression is far more popular. The reason that this number is so low is because teens must rely on the assistance of parents, teachers, or another adult in their life to see that something is going on and help them get the treatment they need. That is why we must learn what the warning signs are and stay active in the young peoples lives.

next week I will share with you what the warning signs are.

In "other" Words Tuesdays

It's "In Other Words Tuesday" and Esthermay of The Heart of a Pastor's Wife is our host. She has chosen the following quote straight from the Bible for us to write about today.

With my heart on not only my teens but the teens that I know and the many that I do not know I thought I would share my thoughts of life related to this verse. Life is full of many struggles for all of us. Teens are by no way the exception. They go from being coddled in early life to having to stand alone in the teen years. In no way is this a peaceful transition as they deal with many factors both on the inside of them as well as what they face on the outside as well. The sword is tool used in battle and the battle of life is no different. For if we equip our children with the knowledge that they need they will have a tool to use in the face of battle. God knew that when he sent his son to the Earth that the battle would be fought hard and he knew the outcome before it ever came to pass.

I have seen my teens battle through their teen years. They were not only years of tears and fears but also having the strength to stand up. My son has told me of the various parties that he has been invited to and not went. I often worried as their mother about their social life and why they did not go hang out with friends.Yes they had friends but they did not go to the Friday night parties. I pray that they will continue along this path of strenght. They have stood up for theirselves and stated that they choose not to do certian things while sorrounding their selves around friends that did the same. In all of this they have not became a popular kid but they have became leaders in thier own cirles and invited all those that wanted to join in. I do not mean to brag but a mothers heart with this is very proud. I see other teens in my childrens circle doing the same sort of thing. These young people all have been equipped with the tools of battle and can walk strong keeping the word of their Lord in their hearts. This becomes a very peaceful world for them.

Stamping Craft Idea for Little Hands

I visit a blog that goes by the name Mom Tried It quite often. I love all the great craft ideas that she has for kids and you should check out the one she has shared for making stamps easy for kids by using Laundry Detergent Lids. So head over to Mom Tried It and check out just how Kim did this and while there read a few of her other post. If you have young children you will love her blog.

Tackle It Tuesday : To Save A Life and Talking To Teens

Being a Mom does not only mean all the laundry, the cooking the discipline but it also means knowing where your kids really are. Now I am a mom of teens and this task was not as important when my children were in their toddler years but starting at the school age and especially now as they are trying to find their ways it is important to talk to my (your) children and find out where they stand. I took my teens to watch the movie To Save A Life. It was a wonderful movie filled with all sorts of characters from those like the main character Jake Taylor who had it all: friends, fame, a basketball scholarship and the hottest girl in school but also characters like Roger Dawson who has nothing no friends or goal in life. Life takes these two characters in life in two different directions because of life, popularity in school and just the hardness of teen years. I think my teens are lucky because they have each other to depend on they are not very often by their selves because they always have a friend near by. It is still important to check with my teens and find out where they stand and if they are 0.k. or not. After the movie we had a great talk and I found out that they were o.k but there were a couple of them that had to deal with being bullied in their highschool years (not now but in the past) If you have a teen and the movie is in your area ytou should go check it out. It is a great movie for teens and parents alike to watch.