This Is The Year

Yeah Baby! I've been looking forward to this all month! I had so much fun at last month's Mod Podge Mania . . . So many great ideas I want to try! If you're new to MPM , here's the deal: Share a mod podge project. It can be one of your own, or one you've seen somewhere else. If you use someone else's idea, please just make sure to give credit where credit is due. Post about the project and link up below with Mister Linky. You can link up as many projects as you'd like. Please make sure to do the following: a) Include a link to my blog in your post, so others will know where to go to see more great projects! b) Please take time to visit as many of the other participants as possible. The whole idea is to share and GET great new ideas for using Mod Podge! For my project this month, I forgot to take a before picture! But my last month's project was photographed sitting on top of this month's project! So I cropped that picture to give you a little ide...

Wednesday again already? If you haven't heard, each Wednesday Amber hosts Extreme Makeover Me Edition . It's for all us ladies trying to make healthy changes to link up with each other and help each other out! Everyone is invited so c'mon and join the party! I'm excited to say I have a good report for this week. Last week I committed to exercising for 1 hr, 6 times. I did it! I really did it! I did an hour every night except Sunday. And it's weird, but I kind of enjoy doing it late at night after everyone is asleep. Hubby is at work and everything is quiet and peaceful. I don't have to worry about if the kids are in trouble, or if they're REALLY watching their little sister like they're supposed to be...it's just less stressful! I pop in my earbuds, listen to some tunes, and the time really flies! BTW - thanks everyone for all your music suggestions last week! I spent the next day downloading some great new music for my workout playlist! I've ...

Okay, so I SERIOUSLY never win ANYTHING ! Really! And now I have won 3 giveaways in a row! I can't believe it. Just be excited for me and don't hate, okay? So first there was this awesome giveaway from JenJen at Tatertots and Jello . I LOVE reading Jen's blog . She is so full of creative ideas, she's an amazing homemaker who goes the extra mile for her children, and I am always motivated by all the wonderful things she does for her family. This would be perfect for me, right? Because you know I'm re-doing my bedroom in black and white! So Jen was sweet enough to put an entry in for every one of her followers, besides those who commented. The original winner happens to be downsizing, and doesn't have a place for these...so they got passed on to me! Yay! Thus began my string of wonderful luck! Next was this goodie from the BLAH, BLAH, BLAHger . She is anyting but blah! Her blog is filled with awesome DIY tips and projects, makeovers, photography, so much tale...

I almost forgot today's recipe swap with Anissa ! I love finding new recipes to try out! I like to think of myself as an aspiring chef. (This is only in my head of course, because I am very, very amateur!) Today I'm going to post a FAVORITE cold dessert for summertime! I found this years ago at Allrecipes - love that place! Freezer Caramel Drizzle Pie INGREDIENTS: 2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts 6 tablespoons butter 1 (7 ounce) package shredded coconut 1 cup chopped pecans 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed 1 (12 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping DIRECTIONS: Place butter in a medium skillet and melt over medium heat. Add coconut and pecans, stirring to coat. Saute until coconut and pecans are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whip together condensed milk and cream cheese until fluffy. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon 1/4 of cream...

I just love Mondays! If you've never heard of Friend Makin' Monday , go to Kasey's to read all the rules and join in! I have met some of my best bloggy friends through FMM ! This week's task is to complete the following tag: 5 Senses Tag We are to list 4 things we love, and one thing we dislike, for each sense. Smell Like: 1. Pot roast in the oven! 2. Sunkissed Citrus Scentsy, and Melon Medley from the Walmart knock-off scents! 3. rubbing alcohol (I know, I need help) 4. along those same lines...nail polish and nail polish remover. Dislike: coffee Touch Like: 1. The click, click of the keyboard beneath my fingers! 2. back massage from my husband - he has magic hands! 3. an ice cold soda can on the back of my neck on a hot summer day! 4.Hot showers Dislike: Hot glue on my fingertips! Occupational hazard for me! Sound 1. My baby (okay she's 2 now!) whispering "secrets" in my ear. 2. My kiddo's giggles. 3. My husband's singing. He has a very nice si...

Whenever I hear the song of a bird, or look at the blue, blue sky, Whenever I feel the rain on my face or the wind as it rushes by. Whenever I touch a velvet rose, or walk by our lilac tree, I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me. One of my favorite primary songs. The beauty of spring always reminds me how very much my Heavenly Father loves me. I'm so grateful for all the beauty he surrounds me with each and every day. Remember the flower bed I weeded last week? I was so anxious to see these babies bloom! Here's how they looked just a few days later! There's no sunshine today, so they're hiding their faces, but I still think they look lovely! These are what say "hello" to me each day when I walk out my front door. I still need to weed here! This flower bed also still needs weeding and de-leafing! But I love all the bright colors! I hope you are all having a beautiful Sabbath. Tonight I get to hear my husband and daugh...

I've only been blogging for a few short months, but in that time I have found it to be a wonderful outlet, a place where I have met some wonderful new friends. I have felt inspired and uplifted. I have laughed and even been brought to tears. I've been able to express my thoughts and feelings on things from the frivolous (Best 80's Rock Band, Top 5 Celebrity Crushes!?) to more meaningful topics such as my family and my faith. But there is a part of me that I have held back. I have briefly mentioned my gratitude for this great nation, and our founding fathers, as well as the wonderful freedoms I am able to enjoy with my family. But I've never written too much on my feelings about government or politics. This has been out of fear. Fear of offending, fear of losing readers, even fear of confrontation from someone I might inadvertantly offend. How silly to hold back a part of who I am from my friends! I'm not here today to talk political issues, or parties, or policies. ...

I've been kind of an awards slacker recently. I've had a few lovely awards bestowed upon me by some awesome fellow bloggers whom I just adore! And now I get to pass them on. But first I need to apologize. You see, I've been making sure to keep a list when people give me awards so that I know who to thank when I post about them. Well my computer went down a while back, and did not retrieve the most updated verson of the list...so some of them are missing! I know that I have been given the Mom of the Year award, and the Lemonade award back in March. I love you for thinking of me, and I apologize for not posting sooner, and losing your info! If it was you please let me know...I'm going to keep searching! I also received the lovely Lemonade award from Vivienne . She is a fairly new bloggy friend and I love, love, LOVE reading her blog. Y'all should go check her out because she's hilarious! The Rules of Accepting and Sharing this Award 1.Put the logo on your blog or ...

Each Wednesday Amber hosts EMME . It's a way for women who are trying to make a healthy change in their lives connect with each other and give each other inspiration and encouragement. I love connecting with other women who are reaching towards the same things I am. Go here if you'd like to join us! This week I feel awesome. I didn't start my goal of exercising 6x until Monday. I know it's no excuse but last Saturday Ribbon Blossoms had a boutique and every minute that wasn't spent taking care of my family's necessities was spent making product! I know I should have made exercise a priority,but you see I have this wonderful friend and business partner who I can't let down! But Monday I was determined! Even though I wasn't able to exercise when I planned because of an extremely clingy, whiny 2 year old. I STILL got on the treadmill at 11:00 pm after daddy got home and could take said 2 year old off my hands! I refused to let the start of a new week g...

So I actually decided to do something other than blog yesterday! Yup...I got me some motivation! I couldn't handle this movie/music mess any longer! This is the cabinet beneath my T.V. My Monkey is no longer deterred by the child safety locks. She can even turn the bathroom lock with a penny! So things get pulled out by her, and shoved back in by anyone who happens to be the one asked to put the stuff away. Isn't it lovely? Yes we still have a ton of VHS tapes that I refuse to get rid of until I can replace them all with blueray This is the rack that holds the c.d.'s and the Disney VHS tapes. Yes I have my movies in 2 different spots...I don't have the room I need y'all! It might not look THAT bad upon first glance. But if you'll look closer, you'll notice 2 things: 1 - to the right of the shelf on the floor, behind the end table is a pile of caseless tapes, and extra c.d.'s. and 2 -The reason all the tapes don't fit on the shelf is because most of ...

Remember the day? Ahhh, that big hair, those skinny pants, that colorful make up? I'm not talking about us girls...I'm talkin' about those guys. You know those guys? The ones that sang all those rockin' ballads? Oh yeah, and some cool fast songs too...but mostly it was the rockin' ballads that got me. Back when I did my Better Boy Band poll, I had the comment that implied there should be a Best 80's Rock Band poll. You spoke. I listened. I've picked 5 rockin' 80's bands and I want to know who YOU think was the best! Yes I'm well aware that some of these fellas are STILL makin' music...but seriously, who's the best there is/was? Bon Jovi Def Leppard Poison Guns N Roses Van Halen Take the poll in the upper right corner of my blog...The poll will be open until April 30 - leave me a comment telling me what you think! For those of you who: a) need a refresher course because they can't remember back that far, b) were a better person th...