a good day

So I'm relaxing (as much as I can with a jacked up tailbone) in my parent's recliner with my warm laptop and the scent of homemade cookies and coffee filling the air. Who makes cookies before 9am, you ask. My mom, I answer. She is da bomb.

Today is going to be a good day. My to-do list is significantly shortened due to the fact that I am far from my home where the piles of dirty laundry loom, the tub begs to be scrubbed and the clutter prevents me from relaxing sans guilt. Instead, I am at my childhood home..... where the kids are not bored with the toys, where there are no stinky washcloths rotting in the sink, where the shower is not sprouting, where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day. Don't get me wrong. I adore my grown up home where I get to pretend that I'm a grown-up with grown-up responsibilities, but I DO appreciate a day when my list of things to accomplish is limited to
1. catch up on blog-reading
2. play the piano
3. make fudge
4. take a long hot shower with great water pressure

Did I mention today is going to be a good day?

Help me feel like a winner......

......by voting for my submission to Michaels handmade Christmas contest. Vote now. Vote later. Vote before you go to bed. Vote when you get up tomorrow. Vote from your blackberry when you're sitting quietly in your deer stand waiting for that buck. Vote while you're waiting for the chocolate chip cookies to come out of the oven. Vote during the Office commercial breaks tonight. Vote! Vote!! VOTE!!!! Thank you:)

Michaels Photo Entry - Personalized Name Pendants

Michaels Photo Entry - Personalized Name Pendants

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Priceless Gift

As you know, Steve was laid off almost 2 months ago. Well, several weeks after his lay-off, I got an email from a friend from church who happens to be a phenomenal photographer. I had been trying to convince Steve that hiring her for a photo session with our family would be something well worth the money.......something we would treasure forever and never regret. And I wanted to do it soon......before Gwen lost her chubby baby face (and while my P90X butt was still on the smallish side.....totally relative, I know). Anyway, I was still working on him until we got the news of the lay-off, at which point I realized it was totally out of the question. Then, this email........not only was Staci offering me a bunch of clothes that her eldest had outgrown, but she wanted to photograph our family.......FOR FREE!!!!! Including a disc with all the pictures! WOW! I was dumbfounded and really struggled with how to accept such a generous gift. Staci was so incredibly gracious, insisting that she wanted to do this for our family and wanting nothing in return. And so, she did. Unfortunately, I have totally fallen off the healthy eating/exercising bandwagon. It started with our vacation and continued with Steve's unemployment as I apparently decided to eat all my stress. Not pretty, but also not the point. Regardless of my growing butt and thighs, Staci took amazing photos and I couldn't be more grateful! This is a gal with a huge heart who definitely practices what she preaches. She is AMAZING! Check out her blog and some of the pics she took of our family here. What a priceless gift.

What to do when money IS an object and "Thank You" just isn't enough?

Uncertainty and Underwear Hats

So.....yup. It's been awhile.

Here is a quick synopsis of the past month and a half....in as few words as possible.

Steve and I celebrated 11 years of wedded bliss

with our first real honeymoon.

Without kids. Obviously.

Good times.

The day after we got home Steve was laid off.

Unexpected to say the least.

A few days later the girls and I did everything we could

to make Steve's birthday a happy one.

A sign, lots of homemade cards, fettuccine rose and bruschetta.

Gwen dressed for the occasion.

The past few weeks have been filled with uncertainty.

But even in the midst of the uncertainty,

there is peace.

And laughter.

garage sale high

I know......it's been awhile since a real post. And this one is really only to show off all my new stuff. I know, I know........there are more important things in life than stuff. But stuff is fun. And garage sale stuff is cheap and even more fun:) These past couple months I've really made a big effort to be extra smart about our money.......we cut out cable (and have been without TV), called to cancel our home phone (and promptly got a 50% discount on phone AND internet for the next 3 months), I sold a bunch of stuff on ebay (including a $10 garage sale quilt that I sold for $75!!!) and I started packing Steve's lunch more regularly (and am lovingly reminding him not to forget by putting his keys in the fridge). Anyways, where was I? Oh yes. Garage sales. What was my point? Oh yeah......smart with $ and fun cheap stuff. Without any further ado, I present.......my fun cheap stuff!

A vintage card game in an adorable shape......

combined with my old stamp set these will be perfect place cards for a party.

25 cents

An old book

50 cents

....filled with all kinds of adorable pictures and sayings just waiting to be framed!!

A very old tiny tea set with plates.

Did I mention I'm hosting a teeny tiny tea-party next week?

I just found these today! What timing!

3 dollars

Oh, and that tray? TJ Maxx, 8 bucks. I couldn't help it.

There was only one and it was screaming my name.

Vintage ribbon etc.

Addie found 2 plastic bins chock full of brand new (but quite old) seam tape and ribbon for $2.

Unfortunately, they reeked of smoke, so we all spent a whole afternoon unwrapping them, sorting them, and washing them. After finding them totally tangled up in the wash, we spent the rest of the evening trying to untangle our treasure. Lots of hard work, but I think the kids thought it was fun. These are just some of my faves I was able to salvage. Perfect to tie around napkins or for the finishing touch on a cellophane bag of party favors.

This adorable little afghan was 50 cents!

Looks like it was made for the back of my big chair.

I got LOTS of homeschool books and brand new scrapbooking supplies for 50 cents a piece or less!

Aaaaah, Cath Kidston!

As you can probably tell, this stationary and notecard set was far from cheap,

but my incredibly generous and thoughtful sister-in-law, Tonya, sent me these after spending the weekend with us. (Note to self: post pictures of our fabulous weekend)

What a gem.

Pure happiness:)

Thanks Tonya!

And lastly, I think I'll post this picture Josie took of me in my new $10 apron (TJ Maxx).

I've been wanting an apron for quite some time, and I must say it came in very handy as we made tiny sugar cookies for the teeny tiny tea party......while I was on the induction phase of Atkins! I didn't cheat a bit......thanks to my apron I was able to wipe the frosting off my fingers instead of licking it.

Willpower. That's my middle name.

An update......unedited and uncut

Joolee.........

• is on day 2 of her Atkins induction. Gotta lose 10 pounds by the 21st in order to win a cash prize from a friendly competition.
• is officially the proud owner of a monarch chrysalis. And lots of caterpillar poo. Who knew?
• is too hot to handle. Uugh. This weather!
• is scrambling to find a box big enough to mail the Land of Nod quilt she bought for $10 (at a garage sale) and sold for $75 (on eBay)!
• is looking forward to some delish streaks on the grill tonight. Mmmmmm.
• wonders where all her clothespins went?
• just killed a HUGE bug in the bottom of a laundry basket downstairs:( And is wondering where they could squeeze in a main floor laundry.
• is gonna wash that stinky vinyl shower curtain.
• has been getting lots of great deals at Cub and Walgreens:)
• is sending out invites to a teeny tiny tea party.
• is wondering about Josie's wardrobe choice for the day. Jeans and no shirt!?!
• is surprised how little the family misses their TV. Going on 3 weeks now.
• saw Julie & Julia Sunday night and was inspired to blog and cook, though not necessarily inspired to blog about cooking.
• is gathering her fall curriculum.
• is limping around after getting back on the P90X legs wagon yesterday.
• is thrilled to be welcoming a new niece and nephew into the family soon......Jason and Becca are now able to adopt their 2 lil cuties!:)
• is dreading the start of fantasy football season.
• had a wonderful time with her family who came up to visit last weekend.
• fears she will be disappointed by every future agate hunt after finding the agate of a lifetime.
• is loving the blog 100 layer cake.......and wanting to plan a wedding or formal party of some kind.
• is savoring a cup of sugar free jello with whip cream as she types this with 2 fingers.
• feeling like a selfish jerk as she eats said jello while Gwen stares at it longingly. Aspartame is not for kids, people!
• is gonna end here.

Our Favorite Beach

Last night we met up with some good friends at our favorite beach to grill out and enjoy a perfect summer evening.

Josie and Michael feeding the gulls

Josie.......what a ham!

Steve and his girls

Josie fell in the water trying to wade out to this rock.......brrrrrr!

Ella with her feather mustache

Dirty girl

And of course........the most relaxing of all past times.......rock throwing.

I love summer in the Northland:)

Giveaways

Here's me......making time for my blog again solely to increase my chances of winning these fabulous giveaways.......

The Farm Chicks

(whose book I just got from the library:)

AND

A Bushel and a Peck

I'm too busy getting ready for company to post pretty pics from their blogs, but rest assured that these two top my list of faves! Can't wait to announce that I've been randomly chosen:)

The day Joolee picked the olives off her frozen pizza.....

........and nothing more.

OK. I suppose I DID empty out our vintage pop-up camper that lost it's pop-up (cable broke).

Here the kids are using the old cushions for their "bunk beds."

And I suppose I DID read and attempt to decipher the instruction manual of my not so new camera.

But I did NOT get my 3 year old dressed.

Or fix her hair.

I suppose I DID put on my running shoes.......

but only to baby my feet after wearing heels for 7 plus hours yesterday.

I did NOT wash the pizza off the girls' faces before taking their pictures.

So that's about it folks.

A perfectly beautiful summer day.......

and me enjoying my perfectly lazy life:)