My Baby Is Not Such A Baby Anymore!

Mason is just growing too fast. I swear I was just giving birth to him, and he is now nearing a year old! He is off the pacifer, been a few months. Callan did not get off the nook until he was almost two! Mason is this close to walking. Callan was barely crawling at this point. Mason is almost off the bottle. He mainly takes the sippy now. Sigh. I am happy, thrilled in fact. But....where did my baby baby go? Time sure goes awfully fast. Well, we are off for a long Labor Day trip. I'll still be around, since we all know I can not live without computer access, ha!

Don't forget about my GIVEAWAY!

Also, LIKE me on Facebook. You know you want to! ;) There is some stuff there that is not on here, and some stuff here that is not there, so follow me on both! ;)

Free Kashi

Yummy yummy Kashi. I love Kashi stuff. It's....yummy! Get your free sample HERE!

Day Eight

Day 8- What are your short term goals for this month and why?

Um....Well, for the month of September, since this is the last day of August....My goals are to switch out the kids clothes from Summer to Winter, get Callan a new Winter jacket before it gets too cold, start seriously potty-training Callan, get Mason off the bottle and on sippys only (almost there!), attend more Toddler Tuesdays at the Mall of America, get Mason's invites out for his first birthday, and actually use the eliptical we bought. Ha. Good goals, yes? Will they actually get accomplished is the question.

Facebook Page

I got a Facebook page for the blog!!! Yay!!! LIKE me on Facebook!!!!

Customized Girl Tees Special

Ever heard of Customized Girl? Love this site! Right now there is a promotion going on on select tees. One tee at $2.79! Customized with whatever graphic, colors, text you want! Check it out here: Customized Girl! Make sure to use code: CG831 at checkout! Ends 9/31/2010. I just ordered mine! Can't wait to get it. Plus they have some other great sales going on now. Check it out!

FREE Disney Maps

Customizable FREE Disney maps! Check it out here: Disney. Don't forget to get all 4!

Don't Forget! ***Giveaway***

Giveaway! Giveaway! Giveaway! HERE!

Day Seven

Day 7- Post a picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you.

My husband for sure. He is my hero. He completely changed both of our lives when he decided to enlist the Army. And it was a good thing in the long run. He served his country, got injured, and is now at home with us. He is the smartest man I know. His knowledge astounds me. He is hardworking and strong in body and in mind. And not only is he an awesome husband, he is the world's best dad. Without him, I would never know that life could be this good.

*Free* Digital Scrapbook Artist

You can get Digital Scrapbook Artist FREE from Amazon! It is worth $50!!! Hurry, before this ends! Go here: Amazon.

Library Trip Continued

More on the books Callan got from our recent library trip! Creepy Crawly Calypso by Tony Langham. This is a counting book, and while it is educational, Callan sat through it once and was done with it. I found this book a bit cheesy myself. It was...ehhhh....

Crazy Like A Fox by Loreen Leedy. This was another book that Callan read once and was done with. Though, he did sit and look at the pictures for a bit. But I am glad I got this book at the library and had not purchased it somewhere.

Note: I did not get asked to review these books by any company or author. I chose to do it on my own accord to share with you, my fellow bloggers. :)

Library Trip

The other day we had a trip the library. We'd been before, but this is the first time that Callan picked out his own books. He chose 5 books, but I think he would have gotten more if he could have carried more! This kid loves books! After we got home, I realized there was a theme to the books he picked out, and I don't know if he did it intentionally, or subconciously. But all the books were about animals.

The first of the books was Punk Farm On Tour by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Callan loved loved loved loved this book. Of course I had to do the silly voices, but he wanted me to read it over and over and over. And then he just wanted to sit and look at the picutres and talk about what he was seeing. And then I had to read it again. And again. And again. You get the idea. I liked this book as well. Great simple story, awesome illustrations. A great great book for a toddler!

The second book was The Happiest Hippo In The World by Danielle Steel. I did not know she wrote kids books. Pretty cool. And wow, did Callan like this book. I think it was the favorite out of all 5 that he got. It actually is probably better suited for an older kid, maybe like 5 to 7 or so, and not a 2 year old, because it did get kind of long for his attention span. But I was sure suprised when he sat through the whole book, listening to me tell the story, and then wanting to talk about it. And he actually got the point of the story. Really great book!

And the third book was Chief Rhino To The Rescue by Sam Lloyd. This book had a lot going on illustration wise, and I think that might have been part of the reason Callan enjoyed it. He liked the steps it took. Gearing up at the fire station, going in the fire truck with the sirens, putting out the fire, and then the unespected surprise at the end. This is the kind of book that Callan looked at on his own as well, without Mama reading it to him and talking about it with him. So A+ for that!

Note: I was not asked to review these books by any company or author. I just did it on my own accord to share with you, my fellow bloggers!

E.L.F. Cosmetics

I was turned on to E.L.F. Cosmetics by my friend, Monika. She told me about this site awhile ago, and I just never looked. Until the other day. And in one week I have already placed two orders. Love, love, love, love this stuff. E.L.F. stands for Eyes, Lips, Face. They have all your makeup needs on this site. A variety of colors and products. I am hooked. The mineral makeup is to die for. I had never tried mineral makeup before I bought E.L.F., and I am loving it. I don't wear makeup everyday, since I am a stay-at-home-mama....I have no one to look good for, ha! But since getting this makeup I have "played" with it and done my makeup every single day, even when I did not even leave the house! Hee hee. Callan sees me in the bathroom and he says, "Mama doing makeup. Mama pretty." Awwww. :) You gotta check this stuff out if you have never heard about it. It is really cheap (but only in price, not in quality!). There are always awesome deals going on, plus if you "like" them on Facebook, there are specials going on there all the time! I've replaced all my other makeup with E.L.F.!!!

Note: I was not asked by this company to review their products, but I posted about it because I love it and wanted to share with you!

Party Food Ideas?

Anyone got any good tips for me for cold party food ideas? We have booked the venue for Mason's 1st birthday party, and we are in charge of decorations and food. Well, ok that is easy. Or so I thought. We can not use hot plates or Crockpots. So, how am I going to feed people a meal? I was thinking of cold cut sandwiches, but I did that for Callan's 2nd birthday this last time. So....sigh. I also thought of the idea of make your own veggie pizza. Fresh fixings on a flatbread....but what sauce do I use? Just like dip, and then would that be gross on flatbread? Agh!!! Help!!!

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Day Six

Day 6- Who is your favorite super hero and why?

Storm from The X-Men, so technically she is a Super Heroine. But, how cool would it be to control the elements? I think that would be cool. And, well, Halle Barry played her in the movies, and made her look hot. So, yeah.

***Giveaway***

This is my first ever giveaway, so bear with me. I am giving away this book you see above, it is about General Patton. Read my review here: Patton Review. Just say in the comments you are interested and why, and in a week (on September 4th) I will randomly choose a winner! Please only say you want it if you are genuinely interested in this book, not just because it is a giveaway. Thanks!

Review For William F. Buckley

When I chose to review the book William F. Buckley by Jeremy Lott, I had heard the name William Buckley before but did not really know much about the man. And I find him fascinating. Well, at least the William Buckley according to Jeremy Lott. The book flows really well, and you actually feel like you can picture in your mind Buckley, and his thoughts and ideas. There is humor and seriousness. A fast easy read, but highly entertaining.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Day Five

Day 5- Post a picture of somewhere you've been to.

This is a place we went recently. It is a regional park called Big Rivers in Eagan/St.Paul, Minnesota. This is a view from the lookout, looking out over the Minnesota River. The buildings you see in the distant are part of Minneapolis. A very lovely place, and the kids had a blast running around and playing outdoors, and watching the airplanes land (the MSP Airport is less than 2 miles from here, and you can watch the planes land and take off.)

Day Four

Day 4- What is a habit that you wish you didn’t have?

For sure, biting my nails. I never have cute nails unless I go get them done, and even then I chomp on them. Ugh.

Day Three

Day 3 - Post a pic of you and your friends.

This was New Year's, 2010. We were all feeling pretty good. Ha!

Day Two

Day 2- What is the meaning behind you blog name?

Just that life gets crazy with two very active kiddos, and Mama is hanging on by a thread to her sanity! Hee hee. I'm hanging off the wire! Aggghhhhh.

Ugh, It is 1:18a.m.

It is 1:18a.m. I just got up with the baby, but he finished his bottle and went back to bed. But here I sit on the computer....I am tired, but this is what happens every night. I stay up to Midnight Munch! I eat things like PopTarts, breads, doughnuts, freezie pops, etc. No wonder I am not losing any weight. I can't stop doing this! I know it is my PCOS and the insulin resistant cravings for carbs and sweets that are uncontrolable. It is like a frenzied need. Like I will literally die if I do not eat these things, in the middle of the night. Sheesh. Jason is working on losing weight as well, and I said to him "What if you get skinny and I stay fat?" And he hugged me and said, "Well then I guess I will be a chubby chaser." Goodness, I love that man!

Day One

***Post a recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself. ***

1. I've been married almost 7 years but we've been a couple almost 16, and I am almost 31.

2. I'm a read-a-holic. I have over 100 books in my closet that I have yet to read.

3. I am addicted to FaceBook!

4. I sell on eBay and Listia.

5. I am the youngest of 5 kids.

6. My mama is my best friend.

7. I was named after Hayley Mills.

8. I am researching my ancestry.

9. I love to scrapbook and do crafts with the kids.

10. I miss Texas!

11. I watch too much TV.

12. I can't swim.

13. I think I am boring.

14. I have a habit of biting my cuticles, not my nails.

15. I a twi-hard fan. :P

30 Day Challenge

I've seen this on a few different blogs lately, and well, I am gonna jump on board. It is basically a challenge where you follow the prompts bellow and let your fellow bloggers know a little more about you. Each day you do one thing. Here are the prompts:

Day 1- Post a recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself.
Day 2- What is the meaning behind you blog name?
Day 3- Post a picture of you and your friends.
Day 4- What is a habit that you wish you didn’t have?
Day 5- Post a picture of somewhere you've been to.
Day 6- Who is your favorite super hero and why?
Day 7- Post a picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you.
Day 8- What are your short term goals for this month and why?
Day 9- What is something you're proud of in the past few days?
Day 10- What are the songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad?
Day 11- Post another picture of you and your friends.
Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you have one?
Day 13- Write and post a letter to someone who has hurt you recently.
Day 14- Post a picture of you and your family.
Day 15- Put your ipod on shuffle and list the first 10 songs that play.
Day 16- Post another picture of yourself.
Day 17- Who is someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why?
Day 18- What plans/dreams/goals do you have?
Day 19- What are the nicknames you have and why do you have them?
Day 20- Who is someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future?
Day 21- Post a picture of something that makes you happy.
Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else?
Day 23- What is something you crave for a lot?
Day 24- Write and post a letter to your parents.
Day 25- What I would find in your handbag.
Day 26- What do you think about your friends?
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge?
Day 28- Post a picture of you from last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned?
Day 30- What is your favorite song?

With this challenge, you are probably supposed to post every day for a month, but I don't know if I can realistically do that, but I will try! So Day 1, here I come!

I Heart Faces - Beach Fun

See more photos at: I Heart Faces

Discoveries

I am finding some great blogs through a swap on Swap-Bot! I am hoping to make some great bloggy friends! :) Thanks to those who have checked out my blog so far!

Wordless Wednesday - On The Hunt!

I Heart Faces - Gotta Wear Shades

Callan is too excited about his shades. For more pics of this weeks I Heart Faces challenge, go here: Gotta Wear Shades!

3 Day Potty Training?

Has anyone tried this 3 Day Potty Training phenomenon? Here is the link for more info: 3 Day Potty Training. I am wondering if it really really works and what it entails. I heard that you have to camp out in the bathroom for 3 days with your kiddo. If so, that is not gonna happen here. Not with a 10-month old to care for also. I am at the point where we are willing to give anything a try though. Let me know if you've heard about it, what you think about it, if you have tried it, and the results. Or any other tips on potty taining a boy! :)

Review for Patton: The Generals

Patton: The Generals, The Pursuit of Destiny by Agostino Von Hassell and Ed Breslin is not typically the type of book I would choose to read. I would consider it more of a "guys book", since militaria does not usually interest women. But I have personally been interested General George Smith Patton since being stationed at Fort Hood Army Base. Patton's son was in command at Fort Hood, in 1975. There is a museum featuring the former. So, I was interested in the book. I will say it was hard to get into at first, with the long and boring introduction. But if you can get past that, it flows really well, and tells the story of Patton the man, not just his World War II victories. The last chapter, Legacy, is a very nice close out to a pretty decent book! I finished it in two days!

I was able to review this book through BookSneeze!

Should I?

I've been thinking lately that I should write a book about my experiences as an Army Wife, though I would make it sort of fiction, because, well, when I talk about certain people, I would not want them to outright know I was talking about them. Hmmm. So should I do this? On top of the other book I am writing about my ancestry, and on top of the 10,001 other little projects I have going on? Hmmm. I think I just might do it. Yup.

Wordless Wednesday - Typical Family Pic

Peek-A-Boo

Hello people out there who once read me, and those who never did. LOL. I am still alive. I have attempted numerous times to keep up with my blog, but it just never happens, does it? Life gets in the way with a 2 year old and a 9 month old, I guess. But, I am gonna give it the old college try once more, and well, we shall see! So HI!!!