Table for Two

This poor blog...

2011-07-30T21:58:00.001-07:00

...is so neglected :( I feel bad that I really never have anything to say.

Anyway, I started a new teacher blog that I will hopefully keep up with since it serves and actual purpose. Check it out!

School Age is a HOOT!

Refashioned Dress/Shirt

2011-07-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

So I've been dying to recycle an old piece of clothing into something new for awhile now. I see all these amazing pics on Pinterest and of course think "I can do that!"

I had a dress that my Mommy gave me that is such a pretty color and so cute on the hanger but unfortunately it and my hips did not get along. So I decided to turn it into a shirt or two.

Original

The quality of this picture is awful and I'm new to Picnik so it's not a great adjustment either. Anyway my idea had been to move the ruffles from the bottom up and make it a ruffly shirt. So I cut the ruffles off the bottom VERY CAREFULLY which if you know my patience level then you know that was very hard for me to do! :)

Unfortunately once I got it cut apart and tested it the way I wanted to do it it didn't look as nice as I thought it would. So for now I ended up with this...

If anybody has any ideas what I can do with the ruffle part let me know!

Chili's Kids Eat Free

2011-07-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Try Again

2011-02-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

Well I fell off the Joy bandwagon a LONG time ago but I'm ready to jump back on! Things have been a little tense lately and I've spent many an evening moping around the house. So today I decided it's time for a little joy! Last time I dubbed it 100 days of joy but quite frankly counting UP to 100 can be quite daunting so this time I'm counting down to 1!

So here we go...#100

At work this week I've been waiting...and waiting...and waiting...on a possible change. And I'm still waiting. But in the meantime a different change came about today and I'm super excited! So today I'm finding joy in good change. (And never going hungry! ;))

Feel free to share your joy for the day! God Bless, Vesta

Out of the mouths of moms teachers

2010-06-02T17:42:00.001-07:00

So I'm not a mom but I am a teacher and have heard myself saying some funny things from time to time...here are a few from today :)

* Don't lick the baby's head please

* Please don't eat the baby's hand.

* Why are you slapping the baby's head? (baby doll btw)

There are so many weird things I say everyday that I don't really keep track anymore but my all time favorite thing that I will never forget saying is...

* Please don't rub the bread on your armpit!

Click the banner above to read more funny things :)

So...it's been awhile...

2010-02-26T05:09:00.000-08:00

Yeah so I fell of the joy wagon...well not completely...to be honest the reason I got behind on blogging about it and about proclaiming it is because things have pretty much been joyful for awhile now :) I kept feeling guilty that I was behind on blogging and I kept forgetting to ask J what his joy was or tell him about mine and then one day I realized it was because I wasn't conciously searching for joy each day I was just enJOYing it!

Now onto other things...

Tonight at small group we discussed (among LOTS of other things) characteristics and attributes of Christ. One thing that I thought about was that Jesus was relational and I suddenly started thinking about when Jesus was in the garden praying before his crucifixion and the disciples fell asleep. I almost started crying thinking about how Jesus just wanted a relationship with the disciples...he wanted them to be there WITH him and instead they fell asleep. And sadly that's exactly what I do...there's so much about Jesus and God and the Bible and Christianity that I don't know anything about or that I don't understand but I know that Jesus wants a relationship with me and 90% of the time I fall asleep (sometimes literally).

On a positive note my class schedule changed for this trimester and it's wonderful! Praise the Lord! :)

100 Days of Joy - Back that thing up!

2010-02-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

Wow, so I'm close to a week behind! Don't worry I've still been finding joy :) just haven't been posting it...hopefully I can remember some of them!

Day 24 (Saturday) - Today I found joy in getting things done! AND in hanging with hubs!
So I had class today...which is ok because I enjoy these classes AND I met with my advisor and finally put all my classes on paper! Sadly I discovered that I can't student teach in the spring of 2011 because there aren't 12 weeks of school left...SO I have to wait until Fall of 2012...BUT at least I have an actual date for it now! And that should make those of you who don't want us to move happy... ;)

Also when I got home from school J and I were going to go to Red Lobster but he was on call for work and he got called in right before I got home, so I went with him. Now going on a call with hubby doesn't sound like the most exciting thing because mostly I just sit in his van while he goes and fixes people's furnaces (don't worry, he leaves it running for me!) but I really like going with him. There's something sexy about a hard workin' husband...just sayin' :)

Day 25 (Sunday) - Today I found joy in sleeping in.
Alright...I skipped church...there I said it. I overslept in the first place and had a monster headache and I haven't slept in in weeks. So I slept until noon, ate lunch and by 1:30 I was ready for a nap! ;) Although I never actually did go back to sleep but I did laze around all day...

Day 26 (Monday) - Today I found joy in shopping with hubby!
I can't believe I just said that...But really I did. We have put off going to Aldi for over two weeks...our cupboard were BARE! So we just bit the bullet and went. What I like about shopping with hubby is that we always get done so quick...I seriously take forever when I'm by myself...even when I'm trying to hurry!

Day 27 (Tuesday) - Today I found joy in setting up my classroom observation FINALLY!
So my observation starts on Friday. I've had this all set up with my job for over a week and my first paper is due on Saturday BUT I didn't actually have a school to go to until today! PLUS I get to go to Meadowcreek Christian School! I observed a junior high class there last year and I just love the school and can't wait to go back!!!

Day 28 (TODAY) - Today I found joy in kiddos.
Just when I think they're going to drive me up the wall (it's been a long week again!) they go and say or do something absurdly cute or sweet or smart and it's all over for me. I'm in love with them all over again. I imagine this is how a parent feels except I get it x7 each day! Lucky me :) Plus I get to send them home with someone else! Although I get the frustration x7 too...so it's a toss up...But seriously I've had some major cases of the terrible two's in my room the last few weeks...testing and trying my patience at every turn but when one of them holds out their arms for a hug, or lays their head on your shoulder when you hold them, or sits next to you and watches you cut out paper hearts for ten minutes without moving, or gets excited over a box of paper, or picks up toys without being forced, or makes and adorable face while singing the Monkeys and the Alligator song during the "along comes Mr. Alligator" part, or falls asleep on their own at naptime, or sleeps ALL THE WAY THROUGH NAPTIME!, or tells you when they have to go potty, or gets excited to "go potty" everytime someone mentions it, or sings the "Who is here today" song all by themselves when no one is watching (or at least they THINK no one is watching), or carries around a baby doll holding it close and kissing it's head (then throws it across the room when daddy comes to pick them up...but whatever), or gets excited about "circle time", or carries their carpet square all the way across the room alone even though the "square" is almost bigger than they are, or helps a smaller child get a chair for lunchtime...I could seriously go on and on...but all these things and more are what make me love my job!

What's your joy today?

Oh and here's an updated picture of our box :)

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-29T19:17:00.001-08:00

Day 23 - Today I found joy in a GINORMOUS box!
So yesterday I call hubby from work and he say's "I got a present for you. You can use it at work." and I ask "What is it?" because I hate surprises and he says "It's a box." The normal persons response would be "A box? Gee thanks..." but my response was "YAY! Is it a big one?" "It's huge" says hubby "It's an oven box. I don't even know if you'll be able to get it in car." And now picture me jumping up and down gleefully at the thought of this box to which hubby responds "You're crazy."

Move forward to today when I pry open the back of hubby's work truck at 7:15am in the FREEZING cold and see THE BOX! He wasn't kidding, it's HUGE! GINORMOUS even. I pull it out, drag it across the driveway and manage to just barely get it in my car. I'm a rearview mirror driver so I got a good look at the top of the box all the way to work because I kept forgetting it was there. I drug it inside my classroom at work then told all my co-workers to come see the present hubby got for me! Everyone of course loved it (although probably not quite as much as me)and the kids loved it most of all! They grabbed books and climbed right in. How two years olds know without prompting that a HUGE box is a GREAT place to enjoy a book is beyond me but they're right! I wish I had a huge box to crawl into sometimes.

My kids LOVE boxes, of all shapes and sizes...we have a whole corner of our classroom dedicated to cardboard boxes. One is long and skinny and typically gets turned into a boat, several are average sized diaper boxes which get worn as hats, used as cars or even shoes. One is painted like Lightning McQueen from the movie Cars (courtesy of me thank you very much) although he is torn on the side so he has to remain stationary while the others get pushed and pulled around the room all day. We also have the "pumpkin house" which is an orange box with black stripes, a door and windows. The pumpkin house is used for reading books, hiding from Miss Vesta, spilling tears or playing peek-a-boo with friends. And NOW we have the GINORMOUS box! I can't wait to see all the things they'll use it for!

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-28T19:56:00.000-08:00

Day 22 - Today I found joy in HAPPY HAIR!
So one of my little girls at work who is two always has her hair in a ponytail and one day she started pointing to her hair and saying happy hair and my co-worker and I FINALLY figured out after several days I think that "Happy Hair" means pigtails! We confirmed this with her mother when she said that once the girl had not been happy with just one ponytail so she put two in and said "there, are you happy?" So now happy hair is the thing to have in Miss Vesta's class and nearly every morning all the girls (with hair...) stop at the "beauty shop" (a.k.a. the blue chair) to get happy hair! Some of the boys ask for happy hair too but I have to tell them sadly that they don't have enough hair... :(
I wish I could show you pics of my kiddos happy hair because their's is WAY cuter than mine! But here's my happy hair for you...

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-27T18:51:00.001-08:00

Day 21 - Someday's it's REALLY hard to find joy...

Today was one of those days. CRAZY kids at work who test and try my patience for 8 hours straight...homework homework homework to do on my lunch break...figuring out how to fit 20 hours of classroom observation into a 40 hour work week plus school and once again homework...ridiculously cold weather...a trip to the chiropractor for tension headaches...it just seemed like it would never end and even if it did all the things that made today bad will STILL be there tomorrow...

BUT in spite of all that I came home, had dinner with my hubby and some quiet time and all is right with my world. Joy at last ;)

100 Days of Joy - Behind Again!

2010-01-26T19:30:00.000-08:00

Day 18 (Sunday) - Today I found joy in portable Mike.
If you weren't there you probably won't find it funny ;)

Day 19 (Monday) - Today I found joy in hubby making me dinner!
I had to work late on Monday so I didn't get to the gym until after 7pm. Hubby finished working out then went home and made dinner for me :)

Day 20 (Today) - Today I found joy in hubby...
Ok I know it seems like hubby is my go-to joy but seriously when I have a bad/looong day at work (like I did today) coming home to my wonderful hubs is about the best thing a girl could ask for!

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

Day 17 - Today I found joy in a quiet space and finishing homework early
I went to the library after class today and worked on homework. I'm such a procrastinator generally but it's so nice to get stuff done early and the library forces me to do that. I love the library at school, it's so quiet!

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

I tried to post yesterday's joy last night but blogger wasn't working so here's yesterday's and today's...
Day 15-Today I found joy in music.
Whether you have the same taste in music as me or not doesn't bother me. Believe or not I actually have quite a broad range of musical tastes. I LOVE listening to classical (99.5 FM) and we listen to it everyday at naptime at work. I find it calming and sometimes intriguing! I like Third Day and Sara Groves, Ginny Owens, lots of different country musicians, Metro Station, Honor Society, Grits, Kris Kross (they'll make ya jump jump), I even enjoy a little Metallica now and again and yes we all know I LOVE the Jonas Brothers. Well I love their music, I don't actually know THEM. too bad...but my rambling point here is that I JUST love music. It feeds my soul, it makes me smile, sometimes cry, shout, dance. It moves me like nothing else can. I went to see Nick Jonas and the Administration in concert tonight and what struck me was the intensity with which he sings. That was a weird sentence but anyway he is obviously moved by music. Music brings people together, it tell stories, it lets people express themselves. I just love it and I always will!

Day 16 - Today I found joy in far away friends.
Well this kind of comes from yesterday but it spilled over into today so there. I have a group of friends who live far away from me. Most of them I've never met in person and we don't have a TON in common but we get each other in many ways. I'm sure we won't all keep in touch forever but I know they understand things about me that other people don't. Plus they make me smile and they give really good pep talks.

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-20T18:33:00.000-08:00

Day 14 - Today I found joy in the little things!
--Found my favorite earrings in the whole world which I thought I'd lost at the gym, lying in the snow outside my car this morning!!

--One of my kiddos wearing a toy construction helmet and pushing it down on his nose which wrinkled up his skin and made him look like a Star Trek creature which made me laugh...a lot!

--Getting to work on time AGAIN :)

--Getting permission to leave early tomorrow so I can make it to the Meet & Greet in time!

--Finding a 7th row ticket online tonight :)

--Hubby starting dinner before I got home.

--A visit to the chiropractor to hopefully get rid of my headaches!

--Getting my car washed FINALLY!!!

--A happy heart <3

100 Days of Joy - oops!

2010-01-19T18:33:00.000-08:00

I'm a few days behind! Don't worry though I claimed my joy for each of those days...I just didn't post it online :) Here you go...

Day 11 (Sunday) - Today I found joy in shopping with my hubby.
This is a rare occurrence and usually it isn't all that fun but this time I was trying to spend my Christmas money and he was helping me. I ended up buying a video camera that I returned on Tuesday because it was a piece of junk. Oh well...at least we had fun buying it!

Day 12 (Monday) - Today I found joy in working out!
It's true. We joined a gym by our house on Sunday and worked out for the first time today. It was exhausting yet energizing and I'm looking forward to more. Plus hubby's really cute when he's working out...just sayin ;)

Day 13 (TODAY) - Today I found joy in my husband (and no kids!).
Working out with hubby.
Dinner with hubby.
A Movie with hubby.
No offense to people with kids...but I'm glad I only have to worry about hubby and me :)

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-16T18:42:00.000-08:00

Day 10 - Today I found joy in dark chocolate peppermint icecream and a sausage calzone.
Today was long...fun but long...and I'm tired. I came home to a sweet hubby who "forced" me to drink tons of water and gave me lots of hugs. I ate a sausage calzone that I slaved over earlier and finished it off with cold stone creamery dark chocolate peppermint ice cream. Sigh...good day...

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-15T20:20:00.000-08:00

Day 9 - Today I found joy in my best friend/husband
I love my husband. He is my best friend and even though we don't always agree and we have barely anything in common and he thinks I'm crazy sometimes I ALWAYS feel comfortable with him and I love when we have conversations that aren't about finances or what to make for dinner, etc. I love when we talk about just stuff...important or not we're just enjoying each other :)
Also he's pretty cute so...there's that <3

100 Days of Joy -- It's CONTAGIOUS!

2010-01-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

Day 8 - Today I found joy in someone else's joy :)
So I have this coworker (you know who you are *wink wink*) and she's totally taken to this whole joy in your day thing which I LOVE :) And every time she tells me her joy(s) for the day it makes me smile and makes ME feel joyful! So thanks for your friendship and for sharing your joy with me! Joy is contagious I guess :)

Bonus Joy :)

2010-01-13T18:40:00.001-08:00

I was just looking at my records and registration page for school and realized that it finally says JUNIOR!!! Praise the Lord!

And it's only taken TEN years ;)

100 Days of Joy - DOUBLE DOSE

2010-01-13T17:32:00.001-08:00

So last night I got home to late to post my joy and let me tell you this morning was rough. I wasn't very patient with my kids at work :( So here's yesterdays joy AND today's :)

Day 7 - Today (Yesterday) I found joy in spending time with GREAT friends
We are part of a small group at our church or "young married couples" and they are all amazing people and wonderful friends! Us girls (is that gramatically correct?) go out for birthday dinners several times a year and just hang out other times. Last night was a birthday dinner and it was so nice to just relax and enjoy good fellowship!

Day 8 - Today I found joy in winning Meet & Greet tickets!
So most of you probably won't understand why this makes me happy and you definitely won't care but I'm going to see Nick Jonas next Thursday at the State Theatre and I entered the meet & greet contest assuming I wouldn't win but today I got an email saying that I had! Even though I mysteriously lose my ability to speak when I meet celebrities (I don't know why...my head knows they're just regular people but still...) it's still fun to meet them :)

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-11T19:45:00.001-08:00

Day 6-Today I found joy in today.
I can't really think of one specific thing but it was just a good day :) Praise the Lord!

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

Day 5-Today I found joy in a church that prays together!
Today at church our sermon was on prayer and at the end of the service there were 6 stations set up with different opportunities for prayer, ending with communion. We've done this once before and I love it. First I think it's great that my church see's the importance of practical application and also what a great way to come together as a body!

100 Days of Joy-Todays Joy brought to you by classes I actually like!

2010-01-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

Day 4 - Today my joy was sitting through 8 hours of classes I actually benefited from!
So yeah, this trimester I have Children's Literature/Language Arts and Reading Methods. Both classes are on Saturday so I only have to go to Minneapolis ONCE every other week. Both classes started today and both classes are interesting, relevant and meaningful to me! I'm excited to learn how to teach reading and how to use literature in my classroom :) I LOVE LOVE LOVE books and I love hearing about new books and other people's favorite books, etc. No more DNA or tiny cells or plasma membranes!!! PTL!!

In honor of today's joy I'm including a lengthy list of some of my favorite books :) Check them out!

The Last Sin Eater - my ALL TIME favorite book! Every time I read it I enjoy it and find something new to love about it.
The Great Gilly Hopkins
The Westing Game
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry/Let the Circle Be Unbroken/Road to Memphis
The Hobbit
Wild Roses
The Nature of Jade
Where the Wild Things Are
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
The Chosen/The Promise
Animal Farm
Ramona (ALL of them!)
The Berenstain Bears (especially the Messy Room and Afraid of the Dark and Mama Gets a Job)
Harry Potter (ALL)
Tales of the Kingdom/Tales of the Resistance
The Bicycle
The Babysitters Club
Redeeming Love
The Neverending Story
The Giving Tree
The Missing Mitten Mystery
Horton Hatches the Egg
Fox in Socks

Oh my goodness there are so many escaping me right now...what are you favorites? AND what's your joy today?

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

Day 3-Today I found in joy in going home early and a husband who shares!
So I got to skip my break today and leave an hour early and even though I love my job it's nice to get home while the sun is still up! Plus I finally got to go to the post office :)

THEN to add to an already joyful day hubby gave me his last moon pie for dessert...even though I already scarfed down two boxes of my own moon pies (not tonight). He always eats his slowly over weeks and takes his time...mine are usually gone in a few days! See we don't have moon pies in Minnesota so my mom buys them for us in Missouri and she gave us each two boxes at Christmas. Thanks for sharing J!

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

Day 2-Today I found joy in friendship with coworkers.
When I left work today I called Jarrod and the first thing he said to me was "What's your joy today?"...I hadn't decided yet because quite frankly it's much easier to think of all the not joyful moments of the day. But what I decided is that today I found joy in being friends with my coworkers! I've worked with plenty of people in my life who I didn't get along with, people who rubbed me the wrong way, people who just aren't my cup of tea...but I've also worked with plenty of people I do get along with and at my current job I've found even better than that...co-workers who make me laugh and make work a fun place to be :D

What did you find joy in today?

Oh and also 9 cent prints at Walgreens through Saturday

100 Days of Joy

2010-01-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

Last night I decided that I am far too negative. I challenged myself (and Jarrod decided to join me) to 100 Days of Joy. I already pray every morning for Jarrod to find Joy in his day because I know he hates his job and it's cold, etc. And I realized I should probably pray the same for myself. So I'm vowing to find Joy in even something little for the next 100 days (at least!).

Day #1 - Today I found Joy in the way toddlers think and the funny things they say.
While playing with playdoh with my kids today at work one little girl saw me rolling out a playdoh snake and she wanted one too, then she saw me roll a playdoh ball for someone else and decided she wanted that also, then after overhearing a conversation between me and the other teacher which basically involved me saying "you want an eyebrow wax" this little one brought her playdoh to me and said she wanted an eyebrow wax too :D It took me awhile to figure out what she was saying, and actually it was the other teacher who finally clued me in, but once I got it I couldn't stop laughing and then I gave her a playdoh eyebrow wax!

Photo Deals

2009-12-12T22:00:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile...just came across some good deals online so I thought I'd share!

FREE Spiral bound photobook from Snapfish. You can choose up to 10 pictures. You will have to pay $1.99 to have it shipped but it's still a great deal! Go here to get it! Enter code GMAFREE at checkout. EXPIRES SUNDAY!!

Walgreens Photo is offering 25% off the following:
Personalized Photo Card order of $25 or more. Enter code SENDCHEER at checkout.
Photo Books & Calendars. Enter code SAY25.
Single Image & Collage Style Prints Enter code PRINTS25.

The Longest Post EVER

2009-09-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

Alright beware...I'm about to post about everything I've been wanting to blog about for weeks all in this one post! Here goes :)

Christa Black
If you've never heard of Christa Black you are missing out! She's a singer/songwriter/violonist/guitar player/author/blogger...the list goes on...She toured with Michael W. Smith as a backup musician for several years and lived with his family. She is an amazingly talented woman of God with a lot to say and no fears about saying it! I found her through the Jonas Brothers :) She toured with them this summer in their string section (which consisted of Christa and Caroline Buckman).

She has been through a lot of struggles in her life and during the summer tour she started blogging about her eating disorder which began when she was a teenager. Her blogs are brilliant and inspiring and it amazes me that God gave her the opportunity to reach out to so many young girls by being a part of the Jonas "tour family."

She is currently spending time at home with her "stud hubs" as she calls him (their story is also on the blog), writing a book which I can't WAIT to read!!
Her music is incredible as well and the lyrics she has written are totally relatable! Does it sound like I'm trying to sell her? :D Well she's pretty cool!

Check her out!
Headspace-her blog (the link is the beginning of the blog so you have to go through the archives)

Myspace

Youtube-you HAVE to listen to Paper Plates and Plastic Cups!! (below)

Watermark Student Ministry
So this is basically a youth ministry group at a church in Texas. The Youth Pastors (Bode & David) along with another church member started "The Fake Jonas Brothers". They are hysterical! But they also have ministry based videos on you tube that are brilliant! Check them out at Youtube/watermarkstudents My favorite is the Realistry series!

My Must Read Book/Author list!
I LOVE to read! It is my escape from reality, especially during the school year...a great fiction book is my motivation to read one more chapter of the boring textbook...So here are a few of my favorites, Old and New!

The Last Sin Eater-by Francine Rivers
This is my absolute favorite book in the world! No matter how many times I read it I always find it fascinating and hard to put down!

Dairy Queen-by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
This is probably my second favorite book in the world which is funny because it is absolutely NOTHING like The Last Sin Eater...I mean it's about a teenage girl who plays football and lives on a Dairy Farm in Wisconsin...but it's a wonderfully written, poignant tale... ;) To make it even better you have to listen to the audio CD version. The girl who reads it (Natalie something)does a phenomenal job! She totally brings DJ Schwenk to life...the sequel The Off Season is also excellent. And I'm anxiously awaiting the third book that will finish the series which comes out this month!

Wild Roses-by Deb Caletti
Deb Caletti is my newest favorite author. I stumbled across another of her books (Honey, Baby, Sweetheart) at the library and randomly checked it out. It took a few chapters to get into it but once I did I was hooked and was so happy to find out she had five more books! Wild Roses is my favorite and The Nature of Jade comes in a close second. What I love about her books are that the plots are completely unique and I mean completely! And her writing style if phenomenal and unlike any author I've ever read. Below is a list of her books in order of my faves :)
1. Wild Roses
2. The Nature of Jade
3. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart
4. The Fortunes of Indigo Skye
5. The Queen of Everything
6. The Secret Life of Prince Charming
Now just so you know these books are in the Young Adult section (which honestly is where I get the majority of books I read...adult books are boring...usually), but they are not "teeny bopper" books...they're GOOD!

Moving on next we have A Northern Light-by Jennifer Donnelly
This book is another that I randomly picked up a the library (well the audio CD actually) and fell in love with. It's LOOSELY based on the true story of a murder that took place at a hotel in 1906.

Stargirl-by Jerry Spinelli
There isn't a good way to describe this book...you just have to read it!

And now for Meg Cabot...I'm not personally a fan of the Princess Diaries series...I like the movies but in the books she's a whiny brat (in my opinion). However Meg does have many other books that I thoroughly enjoyed! Here's a short list :)
1. Pants of Fire
2. Jinx
3. All American Girl (I did NOT like the sequel Ready or Not)
4. Airhead
5. Being Nikki (Airhead sequel)

There are seriously a million more books I love but don't have the time to put here...The Neverending Story, Holes, Harry Potter, Safely Home...the list goes on and on...Dangerous Heart, Defiant Heart, and Distant Heart by Tracey Bateman...ok I'm stopping now but seriously feel free to leave a comment telling me some of your favorite books! (as long as you don't tell me to read Karen Kingsbury...I know, I know...)

Sky Blue Morning
This is my sister-in-laws business venture! 100% natural, vegan and eco-friendly. Check it out Sky Blue Morning Etsy

Just some more goodies for you!

$3, $4 off Glade Fresheners coupons

Become a Fan of Sara Lee on Facebook and get a $3 off coupon for lunchmeat!

October 26 is official World Pasta Day and to mark the special occasion Buca di Beppo, the family-style Italian restaurant, is serving up a Pasta-rific promotion.

On October 26, all guests who purchase a Buca Small or Buca Large pasta or entree will receive a FREE serving of Spaghetti with your choice of Meat Sauce or Marinara, plus guests will also receive a 16-ounce package of Rummo-brand Italian Pasta to take home and prepare at their leisure.

County Markey DOLLAR DAYS!

2009-09-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

Well I totally dropped the ball on this since it's taking place TODAY but I'm a HUGE fan of County Market Dollar Days so I'm going to promote it anyway.

What is it? Every so often King's County Market in Andover and St. Francis has one day with incredible sales!!

When is it? Well this one is today (Wednesday) but they usually send an ad out about a week in advance. I get it in with my junk mail ads!

What's on sale? Here's the list for this time:
-Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Cherry Pepsi, Mt Dew, Dt Mt Dew, Dr. Pepper, Sierra Mist 24 oz/6 packs- 4/$9
-Little Debbie Snack Cakes $1
-Simek's Meatballs $4
-Original Jack's Pizza 5/$10
-Reser's Burritos 3/$1
-Schweigert Fun Dog Franks 3/$2
-Louis Rich Ground Turkey 16 oz. $1
-Millford Valley Farms Chicken Kiev or Cordon Bleu $1
-Bone-in Split Chicken Breast $1/lb.
-Reser Homestyle Tortillas 10 ct. $1
-New French "Bake & Take" Bread Sticks 6 ct. 2/$3
-Deli Sliced Hard Salami $4/lb.
-Sugar River Beef Sticks $4
-Westpac Frozen Veggie Blends $1
-Nestle Single Bars 3/$1
-Geisha Mandarin Oranges 2/$1
-Pillsbury Brownie Mix $1
-Elliot's Park Sausage Rolls $1
-Old Dutch Pretzels $1
-Crystal Farms English Muffins 2/$1
-Hunts Spaghetti Sauce $1
-Bone In Half Ham Portion $1/lb.
-Pork Back Ribs $2/lb.
-Premium Chiquita Bananas 2 lb/$1
-24 pack Aquafina (.5 liter) bottles $3
-Maruchan Ramen Noodles 6/$1
-Dole Head Lettuce $1
-Fresh Whole Mushrooms $1
-Kiwi Fruit 5/$1
-Crystal Farms Shredded Cheese 8 oz. 4/$5
-Fudge Shoppe Cookies $1
-Hunts Tomato Sauce 4/$1
-10 Packs Hi-C Fruit Drink 3/$4
-Mid America Top the Tater $1
-Hunts Manwich $1
-Chef Boyardee 15 oz. can #1
-Bar S Classic Corn Dogs 2/$5
-3 lb. Chub 80% Lean Ground Beef 2/$10
-Old Orchard Apple Juice 4/$5
-Kemps Icecream Sandwiches $1
-No-Name Steaks 24 oz. $11
-Elliot's Thick Sliced Bacon $2
-Sunbelt Granola or Fruit Bars 2/$3
-Elliot's Summer Sausage $2
-Old Dutch Potato Chips 10 oz. box Twin Pack $2
-Snapp's Frozen Snacks $1
-Nestle Baking Morsels 2/$3
-Old Home Sour Cream 16 oz. $1
-Fresh Assorted Pork Chops $2/lb.
-Mr. Dee's Hash Brown Potatoes $1
-Frozen Swordfish or Tuna Steaks $3
-Jennie-O Turkey Pan Roast 2/$5
-Banquet Brown and Serve Sausage 7 oz. $1
-County Market Split Top Wheat Bread $1
-John Morrell Bologna $1
-Whole Boneless Pork Loin $2/lb.
-Walleye Fillets 1 lb. $5
-USDA Steak-umm Beef Burgers $4
-Frito Lay Doritos $2

What time should I go? They are open until Midnight tonight. In the past I've gone after work but there are REALLY long lines at the checkout and you can almost never find a cart for the first 10 minutes you wander the parking lot. I'm planning to go around 9:30 tonight. Hopefully they'll still have the stuff I want left!

What else? County Market is also having a Crazy 8 Sale right now! Pasta Sauce, broccoli, has browns, french bread, white bread, flour for 88 cents! Gold n'plump boneless skinless chicken breast 3/$8.88 (Go here for $1 off Gold n' plump chicken!

Andover County Market is on Round Lake & Bunker!!

So, about that...

2009-09-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well I had all these things I wanted to blog about the last few days but I haven't found time to sit down and do it...and yet again I don't have time right now. So I'm just going to tell you the things I PLAN on blogging about...soon...ish...

County Market Dollar Days!!!- this is actually tomorrow (Wednesday), I'll try to post the sale stuff tomorrow afternoon!

Books I Love- I have a genuine love for reading and I'm always wanting to share great books with people so I'll be posting a list of the best of the best! :)

Christa Black- is amazing! Singer, songwriter, blogger, author, all-around amazing woman of God!! I'll tell you more about her later!

Hmm...I really feel like there was more...hopefully I'll remember them all.

For now, goodnight and God Bless!!

Freebies & More!

2009-09-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

So it's been awhile :) I've finally settled back into school and feel pretty good about my classes and schedule! So I'm back to share some more freebies and other cool stuff with you!

FREE Burger at TGIFridays - Sign up by September 30th

FREE Cold Stone Creation with Make-A-Wish Donation - September 24th

FREE Kashi Cereal Sample and Coupon - just got mine in the mail today :)

FREE Nature Valley Granola Sample

FREE Bear Naked Granola Sample

FREE Honey Nut Cheerios Sample and Coupon - got mine last week!

FREE Samples & Coupons from General Mills - Pssst…is all about some of the best known food and consumer brands in the country. If you would like to receive news about new products (and even samples and coupons from time to time), you can become a member.

Pssst… also offers a behind-the-scenes look at General Mills and occasionally an opportunity to give your opinion about products and initiatives. Pssst… is fun and it’s free to join!

I've already recieved several coupons and a full size sample of Nature Valley Nut Clusters!

Old Navy Weekly

2009-09-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

Check out Old Navy Weekly tomorrow (THURSDAY) to hunt for some great coupons!!

Freebies!

2009-09-02T19:23:00.001-07:00

Here are some free samples!

Clorox Clean Up the Classroom Kit

Bear Naked Granola Sample

Kashi Cereal Sample

Nature Valley Granola Sample

Betty Crocker Potatoes

Oh Baby!

2009-08-30T17:33:00.001-07:00

Target has TONS of great baby product coupons right now!

Including this one for a $1 a Johnson's toiletry product. Use it to buy Johnson's Buddies Soap for $.97=FREE!!

Click here for more great baby coupons!

Click here for more great Target coupons!

*prices may vary*

A Little Late but Hey...

2009-08-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

So if you haven't eaten dinner yet tonight and your name is Dave check this out...

$55 in coupons!! and more :)

2009-08-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

Nabisco is giving away a back to school calendar with $55 in coupons! Now don't get excited about the calendar itself because it's tiny!...but the coupons are great!

FREE Pink Body Lotion from Victoria's Secret. No purchase necessary!

FREE 8x10 photo collage from Walgreens tomorrow! Use coupon code FUNDAY at checkout. Also buy 25 4x6 prints and get 25 FREE! Use coupon code BUY25GET25 at checkout.

Target has $27 in printable baby coupons right now! Also if you use pull-ups or huggies products let me know! I have a few coupons I'm not planning to use ;)

Be sure to check the awesome blogs in my sidebar for more great deals!!

Deals for Today!

2009-08-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

1. Bath and Body Works
BUY ONE GET ONE lip item at ENDS TODAY! (up to $7.50 value)

2. Walgreens
25 FREE 4x6 photos when you buy 25! Enter coupon code BUY25GET25 at checkout. Offer ends August 29.
End of Summer Special-$3 off Photo Mugs! Enter coupon code MUG3 at checkout. Offer ends August 29.

3. Old Navy
Weekly coupons.
Check out Deal Seeking Mom to find out where to click on the weekly ad to get the different coupons. Check out all her other great deals while you're there!
Old Navy $5, $10, $15 deals.

4. Ulta FREE SHIPPING off an order of $25 or more.
PLUS $3 off a purchase of $10 or more.
PLUS a TON more deals AND FREE gifts with purchase

5. Tombstone Pizza Credit.
Buy Tombstone pizza and they'll give you a credit on the utility bill of your choice!
* Purchase 7 Pizzas and receive a $5 credit
* Purchase 12 pizzas and receive a $10 credit
* Purchase 17 pizzas and receive a $15 credit

Walgreens Deal Confirmed!

2009-08-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

If you remember me mentioning a few days that I'd heard a rumor that Walgreens would be giving away a FREE photo collage print next Wednesday, August 26th...it's been confirmed! When I picked up my FREE 4x6 prints yesterday there was a flyer on the counter for a FREE 8x10 photo collage print. Codeword: FUNDAY

Walgreens Friday Deal

2009-08-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Today's deal at Walgreens is a FREE 8x10 Scrapbook page! Enter code SCRAPIT at checkout!

Free Stuff!!

2009-08-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of items you can get for free by combining sales and coupons! Good luck :)

Walmart
Cottenelle Toilet Paper 4-pack $1
Use the coupon here for $1 off = FREE!
...You have to take the "pledge" on the website to get the coupon but it's easy :)

Bar-S Hot Dogs $.50
Use this coupon for $1 off=FREE!

Country Bob's Sauce
Click here to request a coupon for a FREE bottle!

Renu Fresh Lens Comfort (Trial Size) $1.47
Click here for a $2 off coupon=FREE!

DenTek Floss Picks $1
Grab the coupon here (you may need to scroll through a few pages) for $1 off=FREE!

Kotex Light Days Pads $1
Grab the coupon here (you may need to scroll through a few pages) for $1 off=FREE!

Reach Dental Floss $.97
Grab the coupon here (you may need to scroll through a few pages for $1 off=FREE!

Check out Deal Seeking Mom for more great Walmart deals!

Target
Apples app. $1/pound
Use this Target coupon for $1 off=FREE!

Check out Krazy Coupon Lady for more Target deals!

*prices may vary

Old Navy Weekly

2009-08-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

If you're planning to do any back to school shopping at Old Navy make sure you check Old Navy Weekly for hidden coupons!! You just have to click around until you find some :)

Plus if you sign up for ebates you can get 8% cash back on your Old Navy purchase!

Walgreens Thursday Deal!

2009-08-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Walgreens has another great deal today!

20 4x6 prints FREE! Enter coupon code 20FREE4ME.

Thanks to Walgreens I'm finally caught up on picture printing and ready to get back into scrapbooking!

Random Deals

2009-08-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few random deals for today:

Walgreens
CORRECTION!!!
Motts Applesauce 6 pack for 50 67 cents at Walgreens!

Check out the Walgreens Ad to see the applesauce (and Dole Fruit Packs) for $1.67/each

Put together with this coupon for $1 off Motts any size = 67 cents.

If you're interested in the Dole fruit cups click here for $1 off coupon.

Target
General Mills single serve cereals FREE!

Here's how it works right now the General Mills Single Serve bowls are $1 at Target, plus Target has a store coupon here for $1 off GM cereal.

Now some people have had luck with this but others haven't. Apparently some stores are saying that it's only for the box cereal however the coupon does NOT specify! So if you're brave enough to stand up for your rights as a coupon clipper then go get your free cereal! :)

COUPONS!

2009-08-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Ok so coupon clipping is not my favorite thing...but coupon printing isn't so bad! Here are two of my favorite coupon gathering websites, they do all the work for you!

A Full Cup
There is all kinds of stuff you can do on this site but the easiest and quickest is to click on the "coupons" tab at the top and then "coupon database". To make it even easier in the coupon "type" box click on printable and that will narrow it way down! But like I said there are a lot of other great things you can do on the site.

The Krazy Coupon Lady
I haven't done a lot with this site but mostly because I haven't had a chance to look around but it looks fairly organized and detailed which I like :)

Hope you find something you need!

Deals of the Day

2009-08-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

I've got three deals for you today!

Walgreens deal today is a FREE 11x14 POSTER PRINT!! That's an incredible deal!!

Arby's Wednesday Summer Deals! You can also sign up to recieve reminders texts about Arby's deals!

The Mailbox a Teacher's Magazine is having a two day FREE SHIPPING, NO MINIMUM PURCHASE deal! Offer ends 8/19 so check it out soon!

A Couple of "Money Makers"

2009-08-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to quickly tell you about two of my favorite online "money makers" Well actually only one of them makes you $$ but the other earns "bucks" which you can exchange for all kinds of prizes!!

The first one is SWAGBUCKS. It's basically just a search engine (like google or yahoo) except that everytime you use you have the chance to earn swagbucks which you can save up and get all kinds of stuff with. I've been using Swagbucks for a few months and I already have over 90 swagbucks! I'm saving up for the $20 Target gift card which costs 220 bucks.

Here are a few tips about swagbucks:

#1 You can make it your regular search engine and have a bar at the top of your screen just like your address bar. I made the swagbucks bar bigger than my regular address bar (where you would type in web addresses) and I search EVERYTHING I'm doing online! When I want to check my email instead of just typing in www.gmail.com or clicking a bookmark I "search" gmail, I "search" facebook, I "search" twitter, etc. This gives me more chances at getting swagbuck.

#2 You don't get a swagbuck everytime you search so you have to be persistent, sometimes you'll get none, sometimes one, sometimes more. The highest I've gotten so far is three!

#3 You can also earn swagbucks by recycling old cell phones and other electronics. I haven't tried this yet BUT August is go green month and you can get double the swagbucks for turning in old cell phones.

#4 The other way to earn swagbucks is by finding swagcodes, these are usually posted on the swagbuck facebook page, blog or twitter.

The second favorite "money maker" of mine is EBATES. There are probably several websites like this but I chose ebates and have had luck with it. Basically if you shop online this will be good for you. If you know what store you want to buy something at go to ebates first then click through their store link, this way when you order you'll get a percentage of your order total back. For instance Walmart is 1%. Right now a lot of stores Cash back % is up for back to school sales!! Old Navy is 8% cash back right now!!

Here are a few ebates tips:

#1 Some stores going through ebates only give coupons or discounts but most give a % back.

#2 When you sign up you'll automatically get $5 cash back free!

#3 I don't use ebates a lot during the year but it's great for Christmas shopping! Since a lot of stores offer free shipping during the holidays it's actually cheaper to shop online because you're not wasting gas :) plus if you go through ebates you'll actually be MAKING $$!!

And one more quick tip: If you're interested in credit card rewards programs I would suggest Discover. There are ads in every Sunday paper offering 0% interest rates for a few months plus up to 5% cash back on purchases! I've earned $40 FREE cash just for using my card!

That's all for now! I'll try to post some coupons tomorrow!

Night friends :)

Walgreens deal of the day!

2009-08-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Check out Walgreens website today and you can get 25 prints (4x6) for only 25 cents!! That's an amazing deal!!

Not Me Monday

2009-08-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

If you're new to my blog and don't know what Not Me Monday is click on the banner above and find out :)

Okay I was really excited to participate in Not Me Monday again since it's been awhile since I blogged but I'm sitting here now and I honestly can't thinking of anything to put down...everything I did this last week I'm happy about :) I guess that's a good thing!! Well...I guess I'm just going to buck tradition and give you some Yes, Me's!

I DID ride on the back of hubby's new motorcycle for the first time without falling off!

I DID have a wonderful time with all my wonderful friends at my birthday party!

I DID find tons of great deals and coupons online and in store ads!

I DID pay all of my August bills by the middle of the month! Now THAT is a great feeling :)

I DID get an iTunes gift from my boss for my birthday and spent it on Demi Lovato's new CD!

Have a great week!

7 Days 7 Deals

2009-08-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

Alright so I have been finding tons of great "deals" online lately...I'm following several different blogs and people keep asking me where I'm finding this stuff so I thought I'd put it all together on my blog which I rarely use! So here we go!

Walgreens is having a week long sale in their photo shop:

Check it out! I got a free 8x10 on Sunday and hubby took the picture on our camera so the "photo session" was free too! The only thing we paid for was the frame which I got at Michael's using a 40% off coupon! Wow, there's a lot of ! in this post :) Anyway here's what I got today...

I'll post more deals as I find them! Rumor has it that you can get a free collage print at Walgreens on August 26th...but I can't remember where I read that so I'll keep you posted! I've already got mine in my shopping cart just in case!

Hope you find this useful :)

Demi Concert

2009-08-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't blogged in awhile...I'm always thinking of things I want to blog about but then when I get on the computer I find other things to do...but this time I went to the concert alone so all the things I would have said to the person sitting next to me I'm now saying to you all :)

So I went to see Demi Lovato tonight. I decided to go at the last minute and got my ticket this morning from a ticket broker and was terrified until I walked through the doors that my ticket wasn't going to be real...but it was! Although the first time the guy scanned it it didn't work and I panicked (on the inside) but he scanned it again and all was good and I was in the 10th row!!

Here are ten few things I observed/realized while at the show...
1. Jordan Pruit is a wonderful singer...but her clothes are way to sparkly...
2. David Archuleta is just as adorable in real life.
3. David Archuleta has WAY to much energy...he reminded a little of Richard Simmons...he hopped around A LOT.
4. Also, someone should start a fund that donates money to an orphanage every time David says "anyways" and giggles...
5. Demi Lovato's hair is amazing in person...so shiny and black...I'm definitely re-dying my hair all black...I had it that way before so I swear I'm not copying Demi, but seeing hers like that reminded me that I don't really like my highlights...it makes my hair look too light...sorry that was really random...
6. Demi was losing her voice tonight...I felt bad because several times she would sing a note and nothing would come out...she did say eventually that she was losing her voice and that it was because she'd talked to a thousand people at the Mall of America that day...makes sense...she kind of has a raspy voice to begin with...
7. I feel weird screaming at a girl...so I mostly just smiled when she came to my side and down the catwalk which was 5 rows away from me.
8. I secretly really wanted her to pick me to sing This is Me...but she didn't...
9. Going to a concert alone is weird...especially when you only know 1/2 the words to 1/2 the songs...and especially especially when the 19 seats surrounding you (front, back and sides)are all empty, making it painfully obvious that you are ALONE...
10. While I love Demi and I totally enjoyed seeing her and David and Jordan live and up close...Jonas Brothers concert poned this one...BIG TIME!

Here's a link to my youtube account where you can see my montage video and pictures as well as a video of Demi forgetting the words to "Stop the World".

www.youtube.com/jarrodsgirl

Dear Taylor

2009-06-16T20:55:00.001-07:00

For all the horrible things you said about Joe...I forgive you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for Hubby, my family, my new job which is going really well so far, my wonderful girlfriends, health, happiness and all that great stuff!

Today I woke up at noon! It was SO nice! I had planned to make "Thanksgiving Lunch" but Hubby who had gotten up before me was hungry already so we decided to make a frozen pizza and save the Thanksgiving part for later.

Hubby played video games and I decided to treat myself to a movie out. I went to see Four Christmases...if you're thinking of going to see this let me save you some time...it's not good.

Oh well, I came home and started dinner. Hubby doesn't really care for Turkey so I made one of his favorite meals, Paprika Chicken. I hardly ever make it anymore because now that I'm a grown up and have to cook for myself I can't stand cooking raw chicken...but this time I asked Hubby to cook the chicken and I added the sauce later. I also made green bean casserole which is Hubby's favorite and mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese and bacon (my favorite) then we had Jello No-Bake Pumpkin Style dessert for dessert. It was ok, but not really as good as regular pumpkin pie or regular cheesecake...oh well, it was easy!

After dinner we put up the tree and decorations. It was nice except I was too lazy to clean up the boxes, etc. I'll deal with all that tomorrow...

Then we watched the movie This Christmas, again save your energy, it wasn't that good either...although better than the other movie.

Now Hubby is back to playing video games and I am posting to my blog. Hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving as well!

I Finally Figured out Football!

2008-11-17T15:22:00.001-08:00

This is a picture of Me and Hubby at the High School State Championship Semi-Final Game cheering on a local team! (They won by the way-by 1 point in overtime! And we will be going to the Final the day after Thanksgiving!)

I am not typically a fan of football. Although I did enjoy the occasional HS football game when I was younger but it was mostly about the warm blankets and the hot chocolate and hanging out with friends. We never really watched the game.

I hate watching football on TV, BUT I love football movies! My favorite is Friday Night Lights (not the TV show!) I like them because they just show all the good parts of the game and I don't have to try and figure out what's going on.

Many friends have tried to explain the rules of the game to me many times, but I just never got it...until last Friday! It must have been the atmosphere...the excitement and the fact that I was actually WATCHING the game but I've finally figured out football!

I made this for you

2008-11-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

One of the many, many reasons I love my job!

Happy Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T06:17:00.000-08:00

To My Veteran! Thanks for serving our country! I love you!

Book Worm

2008-11-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

I love to read! I also love to share good books with friends so here is a list of some good fiction books I've read in case you're looking for something to read!

The Last Sin Eater - Francine Rivers
Dairy Queen - Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers
A Northern Light - Jennifer Donnolly
Defiant Heart, Distant Heart & Dangerous Heart - by Tracey Bateman (3 different books)
Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli
Jinx - Meg Cabot
Pants on Fire - Meg Cabot
Harry Potter 1-7 - J.K. Rowling
All Baby Sitters club books! - Ann M. Martin