Something Like Life

FINALLY using the last of my leftovers from Christmas. I certainly love holidays that isn't even to question but I get really tired of eating ham for over a week straight. Which may be why I only make a ham once a year, kind of like turkey at Thanksgiving time I suppose. Tonight I was looking for something fast and easy that would fill up my family :O) Here is what you neeed! -4 Cups of mixed frozen veggies -1 Can chicken stock(I use reduced sodium) -1 Can of water(I use the stock can) -2 Cups of Chopped Ham -1 Package Biscuits -Pepper -Onion Powder -4 Heaping Teaspoons of Cornstarch Mix Cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water, make sure it is mixed well so you don't have lumpy gravy.  Put 1 can of water in with 1 can of stock and bring to a boil. Then slowly mix in your cornstarch mixture. After is is mixed well mix in your veggies, ham and seasoning. After everything is mixed well pour into a 13 X 9 baking dish. After you have it in the dish take your biscui

With New Years just two days away I thought I would share with you one of my favorite drinks! Simply called Four-Juice Holiday Punch. This is just a recipe I found online one time when I was trying to find something new and fun to try, but it has quickly become one of my favorites and I'm sure it will be one of yours as well. Here is what you will need: 1 12-ounce can frozen cranberry-juice cocktail concentrate 1 12-ounce can frozen raspberry-cranberry-juice cocktail concentrate 1 12-ounce can frozen apple-juice concentrate 1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate 1 liter bottle chilled ginger ale 2 liter bottles chilled club soda 2 cups cold water 3 cups chilled vodka Now this does make around 24 servings so if you aren't having a party you may want to scale it down just a bit.lol For a non-alcoholic version simply replace the alcohol with more juice and soda :O) REMEMBER NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE! THIS NEW YEARS EVE AAA IS OFFERING FREE RIDES IN MOST AREAS. BE A

With the New Year coming we are all making resolutions. I'm not sure how good of a response I will get to this new day I am adding but I hope everyone enjoys it and perhaps builds towards a healthier life. Often we do no drink enough water during the day. The human body requires 64 fluid ounces of pure water a day to keep properly hydrated....how many have you drank today?? I'll admit that today I am at half of that!!! Now let me ask you another question.......what was the last thing you ate that was not at breakfast, lunch or dinner?? You know what mine was...........FUDGE! Ummmm...........yeah that is a way to get healthy now isn't it.lol It has actually be proven that people who do not drink enough water consume to many calories. Here is a little chart to think about every time you think it is snack time!

Every child who celebrates Christmas seems to leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa but sometimes we forget about his reindeer. This year we made magic reindeer food with JUST the right amount of sparkle to help the reindeer make it through their night without a hungry belly! You can your little ones can do it to and here is how. While it isn't an exact science and, well reindeer will pretty much eat anything we decided to make their favorite treat :O) Christmas only come once a year right!?! Take 1/2 cup of oats, and 10,yes 10, Shakes of RED , GREEN , AND SILVER glitter. Mix well and sprinkle on the front lawn. Santa can see the sparkles and will park his sled right on your front lawn so his reindeer can have a little snack while he enjoys his cookies.

What a fun thing to do with your children or grandchildren! Twice a day you can watch Santa feed his reindeer LIVE! Just CLICK HERE ! Have fun watching you can go to the link any time and check out what Santa's Reindeer are up to.

Most hard candies call for corn syrup, but since I was out and I have 3 children home I decided to experiment and make something fun! Here is what you need: 2 Cups of Sugar 2 Cups of Water 1 Package Sugar Free Jello A candy Thermometer Making candy is a pretty tricky process and trust me I messed up a batch or two getting this to work right.lol Put the sugar and water into the pot and turn on medium whisking well till the sugar is dissolved. Stirring pretty regularly to help the sugar from burning. As the sugar begin to boil turn the heat up to high. Watch your thermometer when the candy reaches 230 pour in the jello continuing to mix. Pour this mixture immediately into a cake pan that is lined with parchment paper of you can rub a little veggie oil in it. The candy will continue to cook as it melts anything over 230 you will be left with a burnt candy that tastes like licorice.lol After you candy is cooled completely turn it out onto a cookie sheet and break apart :O) I li

Well okay that is what my husband calls it.lol If you chose to you could turn it into a log shape but since this Christmas we are having no one over I decided to keep it in a Tupperware container instead :O) My husband spent his life eating AMAZING food from his grandmother, so as you can imagine whenever we got married he begged and pleaded with me to learn some of his favorites. This cheese log is one of his top favorites and in fact when his grandmother gave me the ingredients I couldn't believe how simple it would be. Well that and laughed a little because my husband had never been able to "master" it. Here is what you will need: 1-Package Cream Cheese 1-8 Ounce Package Kraft Extra Sharp Cheddar 1/4-Cup Chopped Green Chile When making anything I always try to keep it as easy as possible so my food processor comes in real handy for this one. Where grandma use to hand grate, chop, and blend everything by hand, I simply throw on my grating attachment then swit

I can promise this video will leave every child in the house with a smile :O)

If you are like millions of other Americans you have yet to finish your Christmas shopping. With only 8 shopping days left it is just about time to get started. Well today might be the day! Over 1600 store are offering some kind of free shipping today....don't wait till super Saturday this year that is Christmas Eve! So check out the list HERE and get to shopping :O)

Stanley recently got to visit a friend of mine in Colorado and meet her family. He was so excited to get to spend some time with Katina, an American soldier. With president Obama officially calling the war in Iraq over and thousands of American troops coming home what could be more appropriate then for Stanley to learn about the wars of the past. He had so much fun seeing all the different uniforms that have been worn in all the different wars. Thank you to all the American troops who have served. Especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and given their life. Thanks Katina for having Stanley and showing him around :O)

This time of year brings about so many stresses on our families. With all the running, running, running staying organized is very important. Not to mention the thoughts as you shop for your children for Christmas of where am I going to put all these new toys! Ahhhhh!!!! Well there is no one more then me that needs a little extra help with my organizing I can promise. I was so excited with I received an email from Rubbermaid this morning with just that! A little bit of help, check out Rubbermaid's Blog and get that help you need. :O) They have a new Ask an Organizer section where you can not only ask for help but look at questions that have been asked by other. Don't stress this time of year get organized and enjoy your family.

As a child I was raised on Italian food. My mother made the best of the best :O) As a mother of three and a full time student I can never seem to find the time to make it just like mom use to so I have found ways to improvise! Same great taste with half the work......Here is what you'll need to make a great manicotti. 1 Box Manicotti noodles 1 Can/Jar of sauce 1 Small tub of ricotta cheese 1 Egg 1/2 pound Mozzarella Cheese 1 Teaspoon of garlic salt 2 Teaspoons of Italian seasoning 1/2 Teaspoon of pepper Set aside noodles and sauce, then mix everything else in a bowl. Take this mixture and place into uncooked shells.....oh yes I did just say that  ;o) Place filled shells into a baking dish and pour over the sauce. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. If you like meat in your meal feel free to include it! Or any other ingredients just make it your own. This is also a great recipe for the crockpot.

I was so thrilled today to log into my Smiley360 account and find that I was able to get into the Redbox Christmas Campaign. Thanks to Redbox I have received a code for a free rental of my choice. I can't wait to go pick out my movie :O) we will be renting The Smurf Movie that was just released and the kids can't wait. Make sure you take a couple minutes to head over to Smiley360 and Redbox to get a code for $1 off your next rental!

This site is such a fun one to play with. Last year I made videos for my children and they though they were amazing. I can't wait to get them all made up this year. You input pictures, names, activities and more and it inserts them in a video :O) If you have little children this is a  must do this Christmas season. Click Here to get started.

While I was browsing around Facebook this morning I passed a post from a  fellow blogger. They were for a product called Alphabeasts! Of course I click because I was interested. They looked a lot like a product I had been searching for for my middle child and we are in love! The kids have requested we get enough to spell their names.lol So I entered the giveaway hoping to at least get a start on that. Check them out and enter the giveaway to :O) Head over to Heavenly Savings now to enter! Good Luck.

With a strong winter system moving through it is freezing in my house today. So I have decided I am going to make good use of my oven and make a hearty dinner. Starting with my favorite Meatloaf and some Homemade Rolls . Usually today is Freebie Friday around here but so far I haven't seen any good ones :O( make sure to follow me on Facebook where I post fast freebies :O). Hope everyone has a fun and warm Friday!

As you know stanley has been traveling all over America meeting new people and seeing new places. He couldn't have picked a better place to spend Thanksgiving then with a friend and fellow blogger Melanie from My Side of Life . He got to do some many fun things with her and her family. He played in her garden and helped to pick some amazing vegetables fresh for their Thanksgiving meal. He had never seen such a beautiful garden filled with fresh greens, peas and tomatoes. There was even a section of wildflowers that he just couldn't pass up playing in.Then of course it was on to the fun part, BAKING! I don't think Stanley loves anything more then getting into the kitchen and making an amazing dish. Who better to do it with the Melanie :O) First they created an amazing pie crust, but Stanley got stuck in the flour. It was actually kind of fun he had never just played in flour before. He was so tired by the time they were done he thought for sure a nap was in order. Lu

Nothing is better on a cold day then a hearty warm casserole. I get tired of making the same old thing over and over again, so today I decided I was going to make something new. Of course as a mother of three I wanted it to be pretty fast, easy and of course something that will please the whole family. Here is what you will need to make my "Keep Me Warm Casserole." I hope you enjoy it. 1 Pound Ground meat-I use beef but you can use any meat or meat replacement. 1/2 package of taco seasoning 1 Can Cheese Soup-I use the plain but it also comes in a nacho if you want to add a little spark. 1 1/2  Cup of Water 1 Cup of Rice 1/4 Cup of Milk 1 Cup of Bisquick plus enough liquid to make a biscuit dough So as I said I like to keep things simple :O) First you will have to brown and drain the ground meat. It is best to season it while browning. I put a little pepper on mine and that is all. After it has browned then drain off any fat that is remaining. Add everything

This is such a great site for people who have children in their lives and want to fill their Holiday season with lots of Santa fun ! http://www.northpole.com/ Happy Holidays!

I really love Christmas, there is no better time of year for me. What makes it more fun is the neat programs companies put out to make it just a little more fun. Elf yourself is by far one of my favorite things :O) Have fun with your family :O) you can put up to 5 people in your dance!

Mondays are always so hard around here and I must say after a 5 day vacation hard is not even the word for this Monday! After fighting the kids to wake I had to then sit down to write a paper on ozone depletion which really was about as exciting as it sounds.lol My to do list just seems that is never ends! Certainly today it wasn't getting any smaller. While searching around the internet I found this quote that made the day seem so simple :O) "Slow down and remember this: Most things make no difference. Being busy is a form of mental laziness—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action." -Timothy Ferris That really got me thinking am I really Busy today?? Or am I really just being lazy today........

What an amazing trip Stanley has been on these last couple of weeks.  He just traveled to to meet some new friends in Ashland, Kentucky. He had great fun With Angie and her family doing all sorts of things. Boy was he glad to just get a chance to sit back and read the paper before he headed out on his next adventure. He can't wait to see where it leads him next! Next stop Fountain, Colorado.

This time of year life is crazy enough without throwing in a home cooked feast. Help save yourself some time and stress with some of these time saving tips. 1.Cut vegitables ahead of time! Vegitables can keep for days pre cut ahead of time. So cut those veggie trays, stuffing ingrediants and more the day before. It will save you from having to get up at 4 am to get that turkey in. 2.Set your dining table the night before! Instead of running incircles as your guests prepair to descend upon you simply spend a few minutes after dinner the night before to place your table cloth and set a beautiful table. 3.Make sure salt and pepper shakers are filled a day or two before hand so that does not come empty int he middle of the meal. 4.Make sure your turkey is defrosted by removing it in plenty of time. Nothing is worse then having a half cooked turley that can postpone your meal. 5.Place all canned goods that will be needed on the counter to save trips to the pantry. 6

Could there be a better way to start off your holiday week?? I think not!lol Remeber today if you are looking for great deals and don't want to brave the Black Friday crowds today is THE DAY to shop. Start by Checking out some of the sales going on. Mattel's 8 hr Sale! Amazon's Pre-black Friday sales Target Cyber Monday Sale! Walmart's Pre-Black Friday Sale

So if you are like me you love to save money where you can. Christmas can be such an expensive thing already and we all want to give our kids the best we can. If you have a Lalaloopsy lover in your family this is the perfect time to buy! I just got a full size doll for $14.57 SHIPPED! Go to Target now and look through what they have. The code TGTXT5XQ will give you $5 off plus free shipping on all purchases over $19.99 BUT it works for their $17.99 dolls to!

Did I mention I love Fridays! Not only is it the last day I have to wake up at 4:30 in the morning but it is the best day to find free samples on the internet. Here is what I have for you to grab up so far! Unfortunately so far they are pretty limited most likely due to the large amount of Black Friday sales being planned. Free samples at Walmart -There is a couple so I'll just link you to the sample page :O) Saline Soothers Kleenex Cool Touch If  you like earning free stuff check out Swagbucks   I've gotten over $200 in free Amazon gift cards plus other things like magazines. And don't forget to enter Mattel's toy a day giveaway Hopefully more great samples will come out today I'll let you know if they do :O)

It is so hard this time of year to not get into the Christmas spirit. The stores are starting to streaming Christmas music, putting up Trees, and having sales. There is no greater joy in life then seeing the face of a child Christmas morning. It is so hard to think that not everyone has the means to provide that simple joy to their children. This year I was so blessed to get the opportunity to make one child's Christmas a happy one thanks to Energizer Batteries and Cafemom. As an active participant on Cafemom I was selected to take part in the Influencer program. As part of this program I was sent 2 Coupons for Energizer batteries which I was to use on rechargeable batteries and a $20 gift card which I was asked to purchase a battery operated toy. The toy and one package of batteries was to be donated to a charity of my choosing. So off me and my children went to do something I think for them was maybe the hardest thing ever, pick a toy for someone else and not expect anything i

I have to say when I started this I was so nervous. I always find a recipe or buy it from the store, this was this first time I was going to make something myself. Now I must say I am so proud of myself :O) although they are more savory then I would have liked them to be I fixed that with a simple spread of Nuetella. Here is what you will need for these muffins: 2 Cups of whole wheat flour 1 Cup of All purpose flour 1 Teaspoon of baking powder 2 Teaspoons of baking soda 4 Tablespoons of cocoa 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon 1 Teaspoon of ginger 1 Cup of Pumpkin Puree 2 Cups of Apple Sauce This is such a simple recipe. First mix all the dry ingredients together in a big bowl. Then simply add all the wet ingredients. I used a cooking spray to make sure they did not stick. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. They are a dense muffin that taste good warm or cooled.

Nothing goes better on a cold day then a nice hot bowl of soup. I was talking to my mother this weekend and she was telling me about the wonderful soup she made this weekend. It brought back so many childhood memories from when she use to make it for me. It's been 10 years now since I have had it and decided it was time I made those memories with my own family. Here is what you need: 8 Medium-large potatoes 5 Cups of broccoli 2 1/2 cups of milk 1 can of chicken broth 1 Cup of Chesse 1/2 cup pieces of bacon bits 3 cups of water 3/4 stick butter Onion to taste pepper to taste Start by chopping up your potatoes, about the same way you would if you were making potato salad. Put them in a large pot and add water, chicken broth, and broccoli. Bring to a boil, cover and then lower the heat to medium low. You don't want it boiling a low simmer is okay. Then add your milk, butter, and spices. This will cook for a while until the potatoes and broccoli break dow

As some of my readers know we have really been trying to improve our families health all round. Well of course that means making more stuff by hand. I realized last night for some reason I had 27 apples in my fridge :OP and after talking with friends apple sauce seemed like a good plan. So this morning I set about peeling, coring and cutting 20 apples. Yep it is about as fun as it sounds.lol I put them in my crockpot and added about a cup of water, 2/3 cups of sugar(I'm going low sugar you may want more), and 2 good teaspoons of cinnamon. It is still cooking but my house smells AMAZING! He is a before picture can't wait to show you the results. So after hours of cooking and making me so hungry I finally got to taste this and Mmmm...I am so glad I didn't add all the extra sugar it usually calls for it was simply amazing the way it was.

Time to start Monday off right here are some words to think about as you get about your day! If you want to succeed in the world must make your own opportunities as you go on. The man who waits for some seventh wave to toss him on dry land will find that the seventh wave is a long time a coming. You can commit no greater folly than to sit by the roadside until some one comes along and invites you to ride with him to wealth or influence. John B. Gough  I hope everyone has an amazing day! There will be some new recipes coming up later on.

A Poinsettia in a can?!?! LMAO so everyone who knows me knows I have a thing for those weird little things in life. I went by the Dollar Tree earlier and found one of the strangest things I have seen. A poinsettia in a can. So of course I had no clue what it actually was but for a dollar how could I pass up finding out huh?!? So I bring it home and opened it. Thank goodness nothing just popped out of the can at me I would have FREAKED OUT! I was actually pretty impressed. It was a planter with dirt and seeds :O) super cute and easy to follow directions. I hope it grows! The kids are super excited to see but germination takes 10-14 days *Sits and waits*

Take some time to remember all those who have sacrificed for our freedoms. It is amazing privilege to be an American and it didn't come easy. So many gave the ultimate sacrifice so we can sleep at night.

What a great day...........there is nothing more fun then spending the day in a classroom full of 6 year olds. Ok so there are probably a lot of things that are more fun.lol but today we did a great craft and well it is cute and educational at the same time. With a paper plate, construction paper, glue, crayons and a couple marshmallows you to can have a hippo of your own :O)    We started by folding a paper plate in half. The outside should be grey and the inside should be pink. After cutting out the eyes, nose, and ears we glued them on and next were the teeth. I forgot we also use brown temper paint, although I'm not sure how I forgot that part.lol To make these an educational school craft we told about the hippo. The sentence says Because it is hot, hippos play in mud. The kids all had so much fun :O)

Now I am pretty sure that that is not what they are actually called but I found them at the dollar Tree and that is what they called them(my son just told me they are called Orbies) :O). Basically they are small beads that absorb water, but mostly they are great fun to watch! Then they can water your plants for sometimes weeks! My box came with 2 packages inside so we emptied one package into a small container. I guess it is an 8 ounce cup really. Then I filled it about half way with water. I really hope this cup is big enough as this expand :/ This is what it started out like. They were so much fun to watch. As they absorbed the water they released small bubbles. They kids found it so amazing! Best part is they are completely harmless and after they are grown...............kind of fun to play with ;o) but make sure container is about 2 cups.lol because I did end up having to move them to a bigger container.

Ok so I normally don't do a midweek freebies but there seems to be a lot of them :O) So I am here to share them. Free Downy Sample - LOTS of steps to get there.lol Free AstroGlide sample - ummm...yep.lol Free Billy Boy Condom Sample -lol why not ;o) Nature's Path Granola Bars from Ellen :O) Lacoste Perfume Sample Free Simply right Protective Underwear -SAMS Club members John Frieda Full Body Repair Sample Dove Hair Care - SAMS club members Free Burberry sample -on facebook White's Premium Dog Food Splenda Essentials - also great coupon Lung cancer Awareness Bracelett That is all I have for now but the morning is still young :O) make sure to head over the my friend Bargain Hound she is having a ton of Giveaways and Coupon Clippin' Daddy always has great deals and of course My Side of Life she has a ton of giveaways and great ideas to share. **ADDED** Free tresemme Sample

This weekend I found myself struggling with so  many things in my life. Things that seem to be so far out of reach it wasn't even funny. This morning I woke up still in the same mood, I turned on the news and the first things I heard was "Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything." ~Napoleon Hill~ Sometimes things in life happen that we may not understand but if you have a true desire for something in life you will achieve it. So off I go to start my journey to achievement I hope everyone has an amazing day :O)

After his trip to Hometown, Illinois Stanley was a bit tired so he decided it would be a great idea to take a nice long bus trip to his next location instead of taking a plane like he usually preferred. Finally he arrived in a small town called Bosque Farms, New Mexico where he met his new friend Desiree. He had such a great time with Desiree he didn't want to leave. So he decided to hide out in her car for a couple of days :OP good thing it was nice and cool. Like all good things though his trip to Bosque farms had to end and he is head now to Ashland, Kentucky. He can't wait to see all the awesome things that await him and all the new friends he will meet.

I love today I won't lie.lol Especially after a long week nothing seems to be better then a good freebie. Hopefully we can find a lot today! ZAPZYT -Acne clearing treatment :O) EIB Active Kit - Free inhaler pouch and information Poise Hourglass Pads - Free sample from walmart BabyTalk - Free subscription American Baby - Free Subscription P&G Coupon Book -$35 in savings Spot's Stew Dog Food - 2 free cans sign up is on right hand side Giorgio Armani Sample OB Sample - this one is cute :O) yeah only a woman would say that. Goodnights -Free sample from SAMS Not a bad start to the morning :O)  Free 25 prints at walgreens

Roasted pumpkin seeds around here are a big favorite. The only bad side is they don't last long!Earlier I made a bunch of pumpkin puree and was left with a ton of seeds to roast. If you have never done it it is super easy. Just take the seeds you collected earlier and wash them well. You don't want all that slimy pumpkin stuff on them :op. Then I like to toss mine with about a teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Put them in a 350 degree oven for 15 or so minutes. Keep an eye on the they will go from done to burnt really fast! My picture isn't loading :O( I'll try again later

Every year for Halloween we carve pumpkins that get looked at for one night and then disposed of. This year we had so many pumpkins we didn't even end up carving them all! So I decided it was time to try something new, making my own pumpkin puree. If you have checked out the prices yet this year for canned pumpkin you have probably choked a little. I know I sure did. A small can was $1.68 at my local Walmart yesterday :/ Today ended up being the perfect day to roast my pumpkins. It's cool and crisp outside with 50 MPH winds. So all our Jack-o-laterns and extra pumpkins alike met the same fate! I started with a fairly average size carving pumpkin I then cut him in half and scraped out all of them seeds :O) I kept these to roast later. This pumpkin didn't have to many seeds though :O(   After you get them all cleaned out turn them cut side down on a cookie sheet. and add about a cup of water to the bottom. Place them in a 350 degree oven for about 90 minutes. They

MMmmmm........okay okay so obviously it isn't really that but what a fun way to make your kids a special Halloween treat. Here is what you will need to make this fun version of spaghetti and meatballs! Fresh Eyeballs: 1 pound of ground meat 1 Egg 1/2 Cup of bread crumbs 1 Teaspoon garlic salt 1/2 Teaspoon of pepper 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning Blood Sauce: 1 Jar of your favorite pasta sauce 1 tablespoon of butter Brain: 1 Small box of pasta Start by making the eye balls. Mix all ingredients together very well. Take out small amounts about the size of your eye and roll into a ball. Place eye balls into a pan and cook thoroughly. When eye balls are cook drain any grease left in pan and add in the ingredients for the blood sauce ;o).  Let simmer for 30 minutes to saturate your eyeballs in the blood. Serve over fresh cooked brains Bwahahaha!!! lol Everyone have a safe evening of trick or Treating watch for small children crossing the road!

So today has been packed with creating so many tasty treats. I made a cake, nothing special just a funfetti Halloween version MMMmmm....My favorite. Then I moved on to the caramel popcorn and caramel apples. This was so fun and easy you can't even imagine. Here is what you will need: 1 Stick of butter(what no one said it was healthy) Apples(I like granny smith) Popsicle sticks(same number as your apples of course) 3 Bags of microwave popcorn 1 small sauce pan a spoon a plate  a large bowl 3 bags of caramels First unwrap all the caramels, yeah this really is the not so fun part.lol Put them all in your small sauce pan with the stick of butter. Turn the stove on as low as you can and let sit. It will take a while before everything will melt together just stir it every now and then to help it along. While this is melting pop the 3 bags of popcorn and put it in a large container. I picked out the unpopped kernels :O). Then pressed stick straight into the cent

It is so hard to believe that today is already Halloween. This year has just flown by and we are almost out of holidays :o(. So much left to do today before we head off for some trick or treating fun. I have some great treats ready to make. Caramel apples, caramel popcorn and a yummy Halloween cake just to start! Can't wait for the kiddos to get home so we can carve our pumpkins and enjoy a spooky meal. Maybe some spaghetti brains with eye balls Mmmmm.....Till then I better get busy on the not so much fun stuff, you know, laundry, dishes and Biology homework :OP Hope everyone has an amazing day check back soon for Halloween recipes. Don't forget now to set your DVRs for the Ghost Hunters Halloween special :O) starts live at 6:00PM Central time.

Stanley has been having so much fun traveling about the country meeting so many new friends. His first stop of his trip was Hometown, Illinois where he has so much fun with Michele and her family. He met Taffy and Licorice at Michele's house. Taffy was a little frightening and wanted to eat him for lunch! Luckily he was able to escape while Licorice stood guard.   Next it was time to do something the Stanley had always wanted to do! He got to take the bus around town. Michele and her husband welcomed them at one of their favorite restaurants Geja's Cafe and boy was it amazing :O) After dinner they enjoyed some wonderful desserts and a big glass of wine :O) What a great time he had in Illinois with his new friends! He was so sad to have to leave but excited for his next adventure. New Mexico here he comes :O)

I'm short on time this morning but I will do my best to post some more after lunch :O) until then enjoy these ones. Yves Saint Laurent Beauty Alpo  dog food sample Nedimed sinus rinse bottle Free Jesus is the 99% sticker Free sample of activate if free samples are gone great coupon is available. Click on take you vitamins for free sample. Aveeno shampoo and conditioner I'll be back on later with more great freebies!

So every year my husband's work does a pumpkin contest for the people who work there. So of course last moment my husband decides he wants to enter.lol So we stayed up till midnight the night before making what I thought were some pretty awesome pumpkins. Sadly he did not win this year but I thought I would share our fun pumpkins with you :O) Sorry for some poor pictures it was midnight and my good camera died on me.

As a mother of 3 children like most my waist line is not what it use to be. I say time and time again that I am going to do it, today is the day, I'm tired of being overweight, yet I never do anything to change. Well as I get older I also get heavier and well let's face it I'm not getting any younger or any skinner without some try. This weekend I was blessed with an amazing opportunity that most people will never get. I was able to arrange a work out session and diet help from Brandon carter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers :O) So as I journey towards losing the 20 pounds I have left over from baby number 3, who mind you is 4 years old by now, I think about the words of Thomas Edison who said "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." I hope everyone has an amazing day, time to grab my Mp3 player and get on the road to a healthier life.

Nothing seems to be more fun then spending my Sundays with my family. Today was no different, we woke up early ofter a very late night win for Texas Tech, made a great breakfast, went to the park, and did some fun crafts. I'm not sure if I am alone in this but when I was little I LOVED Popsicle sticks. I made EVERYTHING out of them! Well I was talking on the phone to my own mother and she was talking about a little box that I had made her nearly 20 years ago. Of course it was made with Popsicle sticks.lol So we went by the local Dollar Tree and they had a ton of packages of them. The little voice inside me screamed WOOHOO! I was so pleased to find out that my kids loved them just as much. Now I have my own handmade box to enjoy for the next 20 years. These are such a great keepsake box. The kids can spend time after they dry to decorate these and make them personal. :O)

So after a long nearly week long trip with the post office Stanley finally arrived in Hometown, IL to have his first adventure. I can't wait to see this week where he goes and share it with you. Tonight though I think Stanley is just going to need a break.lol So on this Saturday I am going to enjoy watching the Texas Rangers try for their first World Series title and watch some Red Raider football. Hope everyone has had a wonderful Saturday with their family.

So on Fridays I am going to make a list of freebie offers I find throughout the day :O) make sure to check back occasionally as I add new ones. Emergnc Free sample for kids If you have received this sample once before you can get it a second time :O) Free Fall Color Pages These are so great for the kids this time of year :O) $10 in Kelloggs Coupons It isn't a freebie but every penny helps right  Free sample of Aveeno Shampoo and Conditioner These are so great for camping Free Sample of Peppermint Mocha from nescafe   Free Sample of carefree Body Fit Free Sample of Jamba Allnatural drink This one is only available to residents of CT, DE, NH, NY, NJ, ME, MD, MA, PA, RI & VT. Free Joyce Meyers 2012 Calender   If you are looking for more great ways to save money or giveaways check out Bargain Hound , Coupon Clippin' Daddy and My Side of Life :O) Free sample of Prilosec   Free proactive refining mask sample

The other day I was browsing around on Cafemom, one of my all time favorite sites, and passed a really cute idea. MILK JUG GHOST! Well there was no directions so I thought I would just wing it and see what I came up/ So I saved up two milk jugs, found a permanent marker, 2 battery operated candles and a pair of scissors and this is what I got :O) I can't wait to try out more :O) the kids are having so much fun and the best part is it is reusing something that we normally just throw away! My kids say we are now going to hang them from the trees to scare everyone for Halloween, have fun!

Most of us have heard of Mexican Jumping Beans and if you are like me thought oh sure a bean that jumps. So much to my simple minded amazement I want into the local Dollar Tree only to find what?? Yep you guessed it Mexican Jumping Beans. So as I sit there with my daughter watching the beans twitch and think what in the world makes them do this?? "Magnets perhaps" I thought. Well sure enough as I look at them a sales associate walks up to me and starts to talk about them. It was then I learned what they truly were. SEEDS! Not only seeds but they were seeds with tiny caterpillars in them. The jumping in fact it cause by the movement of the small creatures inside as they mature into tiny moths. So naturally I bought one, I'm not sure how long this process is going to take but I plan on watching them the entire way. This is my little Beandito :O) To find out more about the Beanditos check out www.jbean.com