A gift for a party

I figured out why parents tend to take their kids shopping for a friend's birthday gift on the way to the birthday party.  I used to wonder about that one.  I could never image myself doing that because I am pretty much a Type A, Anal Retentive person.  There is no way I could run by the seat of my pants and get gifts at the last minute.

Well, it turns out that little kids can't keep secrets.  It doesn't matter how many times you explain it.  Nor does it matter how many times the little one swears he/she will keep it a secret.  The next time they see the friend in question, they will spill the beans on the gift in 3.2 seconds. 

It looks like we will join the masses and become last minute shoppers too.

Now if only I could figure out how to get her to pick out a gift that the friend likes, and not something that she wants for herself.  Her little friend loves Tinkerbell...is obsessed with Tinkerbell in fact.  Morgan feels pretty much the same about Princess Belle.  I bet you can't guess what gift we purchased....

A Princess Belle doll.

Christmas...already?

Wow, it feels like Christmas is early this year!

I guess I am just not all that ready for it yet.  Well I have almost all my shopping done, but it still seems like its sneaking up on us way too early! 

We haven't really had a fall yet, it seems like we skipped over.  Somehow we went straight from summer to Christmas!  If we lived in Florida that might not seem all that odd...but we are in Colorado!

It was in the 70s up until a week ago.  Now its in the 40s...

...and there is 24 hour Christmas music playing on the radio!  Seriously...on a local radio station!

Oh, and my daughter sat on Santa's lap today!

Basic Training

In honor of Veteran's Day...

I decided to pull out my basic training photo and post it on Facebook.

Wanna see it?

 

Thats me...16 years ago!

 

Apparently it looks exactly like my daughter too. 

 

Most people commented that it looks like an age progression of her!

 

Its hard to believe that was taken 16 years ago.  In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago, yet I remember the exact moments leading up to the picture being taken as if it was yesterday!  Its burned in my head!

 

The picture is deceiving.  It appears that I was calm and relaxed.  It appears that I had all kinds of time to get ready before the snapping started.  You can see a few wispy hairs along my collar but otherwise I look pretty decent. 

 

The truth is...I was always scared out of my mind in basic.  I was constantly wondering why I was there, and if life would ever be normal again!  Heck we were so busy constantly I don't even think I had time to think!

 

The reality is, I had my BDU pants on (fatigues)...I just had the blues uniform on my top.  I think I even had a brown t-shirt on under that top!  We didn't get makeup the entire six weeks we were there...yet our TI (Training Instructor) allowed us to break in to our locked up items just once so that our pictures looked halfway decent.  We put on that makeup so fast, with him yelling the whole time!!  It was the middle of September in Texas (HOT) and we didn't have the luxury of relaxing baths and prep time!  Trust me, it sucked!

 

Even still, I am so proud I did it!  I am so proud to have honorably served my country.

 

Happy Veteran's Day to all who have served and our serving!

Dubya's Book

A new book was released today.

You might not have heard about it.

Well maybe if you live under a rock!

For some reason I am intriqued by it.  Yes me, Ms. Liberal.  The same person that devoted countless hours to Obama's campaign.  The same person who served within the local caucus of the Democratic party. 

I may have voted for Obama...but I can be entertained by the Republicans too.  

My husband finds it odd that I would purchase this book.

Maybe it is...but so far I am really enjoying it. 

True, I don't consider him the greatest president in history.  His book is pretty good though!  

Whats For Dinner?

French Onion Soup
(I found a bland recipe and made it my own!)

Ingredients:
2 onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
32 oz beef broth
1/4 c. white wine
2 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp herbs de province
French bread, toasted
Swiss cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F(220 degrees C).  Separate sliced onion into single rings.  In a medium sauce pan saute onions in butter until soft, approximately 20 minutes.  Stir in flour and gradually add broth, wine, worchestershire sauce, parsley and herbs.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, toast French bread slices.  Place toasted bread into soup bowls.  Pour soup mixture over bread and top with swiss cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted.

Fun

And then the very next day we went to Morgan's favorite place on Earth!

Peaceful

I got to spend today at my favorite place on earth....

Where Have I Been?

Wow...almost three months without posts!  I knew it had been a while, but I did not realize it had been that long! 

Sorry 'bout that!

So, what have I been up too?

Its been kinda hectic around these parts, to say the least!

We refinanced our house!  Hooray!  The payments are quite a bit cheaper.  I never minded paying what we were paying, but I like the new payment quite a bit more!  :)

We got a new roof...thanks to a hail storm over 4th of July weekend!

I sold my old beater car and bought a new (to me) car!

But mostly we just played outside all summer long!

Now that its getting colder out...I bet I will be posting more!

Five Question Fridays

Wait...what's this?  A post!

Seriously...wow!

I know, I know.  I have dropped off the face of the blogging world!

Apparently summers are bad for blogging in my neck of the woods!

 

1. What do you listen to while driving?

I got a new(ish) car in August and was given a three month free trial of XM Radio.  When I got it I thought, well heck a free trial sounds good but I would never pay for radio!  Here I am two months later...dreading the day my trial ends! 

I love it!!  I love it so much more than I thought I would! 

On the way to work I rock out to the 90s on 9 station.  Thats funny too, because I would have guessed that the 80s on 8 would have been more my thing.  I love 80s music.  I always get excited when a local radio station does an "All 80s Weekend".  To my surprise, I love 90s even more!

2. What is your least favorite thing about Fall?

I like fall, except for the fact that winter isn't too far behind!

We tend to get thrown in to winter quickly here too.  Last year we had a foot of snow fall 3 days before Halloween!  But by Halloween it was warm and we were trick-or-treating without coats.  I guess you could say the fall and spring weather around here is odd.  This year we haven't really had much of a fall.  Yesterday it was in the 80s.  This morning there is snow on top of Pikes Peak...so the snow down here probably isn't too far behind.  Yuck!

3. What does your dream house look like, inside and out?

Well I know what it is not!  Its not the house we live in currently!  :)

I have two different pictures in my head...and they are completely different!  Maybe that means I will win the lottery and have two homes!

One is a big huge home with a large wrap around porch in the front.  A huge lot with tons of trees, near a lake somewhere.  It has a couple stories and a bunch of rooms.  Inside there is a huge beautiful kitchen.  The house would be decorated with warm colors.  Although big, it would feel warm and cozy!

The other is a home near the beach.  Traditional stucco, palm tree type feel.  Again, large and welcoming with a big kitchen.  It would be one level.  The back would look out to a pool and a lake or pond beyond it.   

Can you tell I am a Florida girl living in Colorado!  Even my dream houses reflect that!

4. Would you ever own a minivan?

Nope.

Well I suppose if I had twins or triplets I might have to consider it.  Otherwise, no thank you.  My husband wants one badly.  As soon as he found out we were pregnant he wanted to start test driving them!  I told him no way, unless we had twins!  Thankfully we only had one!

We have a cross over that seats 7.  Its basically the same as a minivan, its just arranged differently and looks much cooler and sportier!

5. Do you wash new clothes before wearing them?

 

This is funny!  I always wash Morgan's clothes before she wears them.  I never wash clothes for me or my husband before we wear them though!

 

Isn't that odd!  No real reason, thats just how I do it!

 

 

Join in here!

Whats For Dinner?

Grilled Steaks with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce


4 steaks of your choice, 1 1/4″ thick (strip, ribeye, sirloin, filet etc.)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Gorgonzola Cream Sauce (see below)

1. Let steaks sit on the counter for 15 minutes to take off the chill. Pat the steaks very dry, brush each side with the oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides (go easy on seasoning the steak with salt—the gorgonzola is a salty cheese).

2. Heat a grill pan or frying pan over high heat. When very hot, add the steaks and cook 3 minutes. Flip the steaks, turn the heat to medium-high and cook for an additional 6 minutes or until you reach desired level of doneness. Let steaks rest. Top with the Gorgonzola Cream Sauce.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Serves 4

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or chives
4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola
2 ounces grated parmesan
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir in heavy cream, parsley or chives, gorgonzola and parmesan cheese. Season with nutmeg. Whisk and let simmer for 30 seconds or until the much of the cheese has melted. Serve the cream sauce over steaks.

Five Question Friday

Hip Hip Hooray!  Its Friday!  I am so ready for this weekend!  This was the first full week I have worked in...oh I don't...three weeks!  I just about killed me!  = )

Without further ado...

 

1. What were your school colors?

Mine were officially red, blue & gold.  But, there was almost always white thrown in there too!  We were the Commodore's.  I'm not sure why we had so many colors though!

2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

I get compliments on my eyes all the time. 

Once somebody told me I am "full of grace".  That seems pretty darn nice!

3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

Up until last year, all I can ever remember buying is Quilted Northern.  I didn't care if it was on sale or not, I was a very loyal QN user.  Then the Costco opened near us.  Now I am a devout Kirkland user!

4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?

Nope & nope!  I guess I am boring when it comes to parties! 

I was kicking around the idea of holding a surprise party for my hubby's 40th birthday next year, but I don't think he would like it very much!

5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?

hmmm...I think might be my laptop.  I am not head over heels with my phone (yet) because I have a boring slider phone.  I am potentially upgrading to a smart phone this weekend or next, so that might change though!

Quiznos Meal Deal!

Here is a great deal from Quiznos!

Print a coupon for any small sub, chips and regular fountain drink for $2.99.

Little Luxuries

I was reading an article lately about life's little luxuries, so I got to thinking about my own personal luxuries.  I am a fairly frugal person.  I don't think I have a lot of luxuries, but there are a few!

Eating Out - Eating out is definetly a luxury that I partake in, probably more often than I should.  In some ways I see it more as a necessity though.  Working full time outside of the house can be stressful, not to mention exhausting.  Sometimes the absolute last thing I want to do when I get home is to cook.  Sure I could save a lot more if we didn't eat out, but sometimes my sanity is worth more!  Don't worry, we don't eat out every night!

TV - I wouldn't say TV in itself is a luxury, however we have DVR and the NFL Sunday Ticket program.  Both of those are definetly a luxury that we could don't necessarily need.  We justify it because we don't have a babysitter.  Nowdays our entertainment happens at home more often than not.  Instead of a regular movie out, we spend a little more on our TV bill!  The other thing, we like an NFL team that is rarely shown on our local channels.  In order to watch them play, we have to sign up for the special programming.  Its a lot cheaper than having season tickets to the local football team though!

Massages - For our 15th anniversary my husband gave me a membership to Massage Envy so that I could spend a little bit more time relaxing and pampering myself.  I love getting the massages, but I tend to forget about them way too often.  Its hard to find the time to schedule an appointment.  At least I know I have a few massages saved up in my account and can use them when I really need them!  I think I might schedule one for this weekend, in fact!  I don't know that I will renew my membership, but its a nice little luxury to have for now!

Dream Dinners - A couple times a year I treat myself to a session at Dream Dinners.  Its not exactly the most frugal thing to do, but its not so outrageously priced that I can't justify it occasionally.  I love spending an hour or two of uninterrupted time preparing the meals.  More than that, I love knowing I have meals in the freezer that are super easy to fix after work.  Most of them are delicious too!  I know I could duplicate the effort at home for a lot less money, but there isn't anybody to follow me around cleaning up after me!

What are your little luxuries? 

Our Finances: Tips for a better appraisal

I stressed about the appraisal almost constantly for the entire next week!

We scrubbed the house from top to bottom...twice!

Going into it, I knew the value that http://www.zillow.com/ estimated and felt that it was probably a fair amount considering the local and national real estate economy.  I was not sure if a profession appraiser would agree though!

Over the course of a week the estimate increased by $2,000.

The actual appraisal came in at exactly the same dollar amount as Zillow (before the increase).  So either the increase was wrong, or the appraiser was just slightly conservative with his figures.

Tips to follow for a better appraisal:

1) If Zillow is available in your area, check it out - Zillow does not have market data for every residential area in the country, but most of them.  It tracks recent purchases as well as homes currently for sale in the area and calculates an estimate of value for homes in the area.  You can also use it to value homes when you are in the market for a new house.

2) Clean - Make sure your house is clean and tidy.  Appraisers are looking for condition of the home and checking actual measurements.  They are not looking to inspect your cleaning ability.  However, an unkept house could signal that other maintenance issue are not being tended to as well. 

3) Landscape - If you have weeds that need to be pulled...pull them!  Its better to have them not notice them, than to draw their attention to the unsightly weeds growing along the edge of your house.

4) Pay Attention to the Details - After all the cleaning and tidying is done, walk around your house.  Get down low, look up high.  Notice those cobwebs and the dust on the baseboards and take care of it before the appraiser sees it!

5) Finish Projects - If you have any projects that you are doing around the house, finish them up.  Consider delaying the appraisal so that you can finish them.  If there are unfinished projects, the appraiser may assume there are other maintenance issues that have not been taken care of as well.

6) List Upgrades - Make a list of all upgrades you have made to the house, big and small.  Don't assume you will remember them during the inspection!  Trust me, you might not!

7) Don't Talk - Don't follow around the appraiser trying to talk to him/her.  Let them do their work quietly.  Answer questions when asked, but don't chit chat.  They may miss something important in your house if they are busy trying to keep up with a conversation!  Most importantly, don't tell them what you think the house is worth, or the amount you need it to be worth!

Our Finances: Real Estate Values

Since we weren't exactly planning to refinance, I was worried the appraisal might not go so well!

About a year ago I remember looking at http://www.zillow.com/ and finding out that our house was worth 15% more than we purchased it for back in 2004.  Over the past year I have not really paid much attention to the local real estate market or the estimated value of our home since we weren't looking to sell any time soon.  Nonetheless I used that amount on the refinance application, thinking it probably had not changed all that much.

The day after our refinance was approved, I was out walking with Morgan in the cul-de-sac.  I happened to strike up a conversation with a neighbor about the house directly beside our home.  The people renting it had moved out recently and the house was starting to look abandoned.  It seemed odd to me, since we knew the owners and knew they cared a lot for this house. 

I found out from the neighbor that the owner had lost his job and the house was in foreclosure.  As I walked back to our house, I noticed the flier on the for sale sign said "Just Reduced" and it was $50,000 less than it had been a few months ago! 

Holy crap!  How the heck were we going to get an appraisal for the amount I had listed on the application when the bank was asking for less than we paid for our house and that house is bigger and nicer!

I ended up having to amend the application!

Even still, I knew we had to get our house appraised as quickly as possible...before that house sold.  At that price, I could not believe it was still on the market even.  It ended up going under contract that very afternoon!

Tomorrow I will share some appraisal tips!

Our Finances: Time to refinance the mortgage

Its no secret that we are currently in the middle of a refinance on our mortgage.  Its not exactly something I was planning to do though.  I had heard that rates have been pretty awesome lately, but I did not think we were in a good spot to qualify for a refinance since we have way too much debt (althought we do pay it all on time!). 

A couple weeks ago I received a letter in the mail from our current mortgage company talking about lender paid mortgage insurance vs owner paid mortgage insurance, and how we should consider getting a new loan to save money.  It was extra confusing to me because we currently have an 80/20 loan.  The whole point of the 80/20 is to avoid mortgage insurance!

I promptly called the bank to see what the heck the letter was all about.  The representative that answered told me the mortgage department was closed and she could not help me at that time - but I was welcome to call back the following morning.

So I did what every frugal, internet savvy woman would do...I ran to google!

I never did figure out what they were talking about on that letter!  Instead I figured out that rates are at an all time low and it might be a good time to refinance.  What the heck, I can at least try.  The worst they are going to say is NO!

Too bad for the current bank - It looks like we will be closing on our new loan, with a new lender almost exactly a month from the date of that letter!!

It turns out, a refinance is much easier to qualify for than a new mortgage, especially if you aren't taking any extra money out.  They view it as debt you already have.  As long as you are paying on it as required, you are pretty much golden.  The rate you will qualify is based on your credit score.  I am not sure if they are loosening the requirements in that regard though, because our credit score is not all that high considering the amount of debt we have.  We managed to lock in at 4.75%!

A lot of lenders have turned their backs on the 100% Loan to Value loans of the past though.  If you don't have enough equity, you might have a rough time finding a lender to help.  Most lenders are looking for 20% equity.  Thats hard to achieve considering how much real estate has gone down in recent months and years.  Do your homework and search around - there are some lenders out there that can help if you don't have that much equity anymore.  

CSN Stores Giveaway!

I am super excited to be doing a giveaway for CSN Stores!

If you have not visited their sites yet I highly recommend checking them out!  With over 200 stores to choose from, they carry just about anything you can imagine.  Whether you're looking for dining room furniture, cookware or toys, you are sure to find it!

CSN Stores has generously offered a $40 gift certificate to use at any of their 200+ stores! 

Note: There may be shipping charges or international fees in the case of Canadian addresses.

To enter:

Visit CSN Stores and come back here to tell me what you might buy with your gift certificate if you win! (1 entry) 

Bonus Entries :

(leave a separate comment for each entry)

- Follow me on my blog (1 entry)

- "Like" me on Facebook (1 entry)

- Follow me on Twitter & leave your Twitter name (1 entry)

- Tweet this giveaway (1 entry) you can do this once per day:

"Enter to win a $40 gift certificate from CSN Stores! http://tiny.cc/i0py4 @themommysalami"

- Blog about this giveaway and leave a link (1 entry)

- Follow CSN Stores on Twitter & leave your Twitter name (1 entry)

This giveaway ends on 7/31/10 at 11:59pm EST

Winner will be chosen via Random.org and have 48hrs to reply

Five Question Friday

1. Do you collect anything?

If you went to my home, you might say I collect dust! 

Seriously though, I have gone in phases where I have collected things, but I don't really collect anything currently.  In my teen years, when I was newly married and a new homeowner I somehow started collecting sunflower stuff.  I made the mistake of decorating my kitchen in sunflowers (in the 90s), which led my mother and mother-in-law to buy me anything and everything they saw that had a sunflower on it!  I learned quickly to never have another theme in my home again!  Now I decorate with color, but no set theme!

I also collected those Christmas village/houses for a while in the 90s.  I liked them and bought one or two as I saw them on clearance.  Typically I only picked the ones I really loved.  My mom got wind of that...now I have more in my basement than I could ever find room for in my house!  I haven't even pulled them out at Christmas time in years!

2. Name 3 celebrities that you find good looking.

Hummm...there are quite a few that fit in this category.  Just off the top of my head, in no particular order:

- Andy Garcia

- Kenny Chesney (as long as his hat is on!!)

- Tom Cruise (just because he is odd, doesn't mean he isn't good looking!)

3. Do you have any scars? If so, what's the story behind it (them?)?

I do indeed! 

I have a burn mark on the inner side of my right ankle from getting off my dad's motorcycle on the wrong side when I was 10 or 11 - Ouch!

I have a scar on my forehead that required stitches from a car accident when I was two years old.

I have a scar on the inner/upper left arm from having Norplant back in the 90s.

Plus a few miscellaneous scars from the dog, cat and just plain clumsiness!

4. What is a food that you like to eat, but others might think it's gross or weird?

Ha ha!  My husband calls this my "white trash" food!  I have quite a few that fit into this category in his mind!  I don't find them all that strange though!  Lets see: Olive loaf & cheese sandwich (yum!), mac n cheese w/hot dogs cut up in it, tuna noodle casserole (tuna helper of course!), or and vienna sausages! 

For the record, I can't remember the last time I had any of those...they were staples when we were newlyweds though (again, back in the 90s)!  Well staples for me, not so much for him!!

5. Have you ever seen a tornado in real life?

 

Not that I remember, though my mom tells a different story!  I guess when I was young, we were inside the Kmart (on 3rd Street - thats for Megan!) and a tornado went right past the building.  Of course, that was many years ago...and I am not sure how well my mom remembers it!  Her stories seem to take on a life of their own after 30 years!

Photography Articles : 12 Weeks to Better Photos

Its no secret that I love photography.  Last year I upgraded to my first DSLR and have been passionately learning how to use it ever since! 

Although I don't think I will become a professional photographer...I have aspirations of learning to shoot like a pro!

I stumbled on this site recently and wanted to share it, in case there is anybody else hoping to learn a few things about photography!

Photography Articles: 12 Weeks to Better Photos 

Download them now, and work thru them as you have time!

Sam's Club Freebie

If you don't have a Sam's Club membership (neither do I) but want to shop there or check it out...you are in luck!

It looks like Sam's Club is going to offer a three free days to shop for non-members at the beginning of August!  The dates are tentatively August 6th, 7th & 8th!

Read about it here!

Hope

You know what today is? 

Today is the anniversary of a day I never thought I would look back on fondly!  I still wouldn't say I look back on it fondly, but I have a much better outlook about it now!

Five years ago today we were at an appointment with the second fertility specialist.  We were getting a second opinion because we did not like the opinion of the first guy.  It turns out, they both had the same opinion!  I remember it so clearly, as if time froze for a minute or two. 

We were told we had less than a 1% chance of ever concieving a child on our own.  We both had fertility issues so the odds were really stacked against us. 

Well guess what...

They were wrong!

We just celebrated our daughter's third birthday on Monday!!

Grocery University - Big Sale Day #2

Today is Day #2 of the BIG SALE on Grocery University !

Did you miss out on the fabulous deal yesterday?

Good news...you can still get it at a great price today!



Today only, you can get over 2 hours of audio instruction and a 40-page student workbook for $12!!  Get it for less than 50% of the regular price!


If you want to hear more about this awesome course, check out the website! Grocery University  

Grocery University

Have you heard about Grocery University yet?

Basically its an entire course on couponing that you can listen to in the comfort of your own home, on your own schedule.  I know, you are probably thinking..."I already know how coupons work!"

This course won't just teach you how to coupon, but how to maximize your savings with a tried and true strategy.  It also covers strategic meal planning, budgeting and stockpiling.

Carrie Isaac is the creator of the course.  I had the pleasure of taking her local course over a year ago.  Now, I have been a successful couponer for many years.  Even still, I learned quite a few tips in her course.  It was well worth the money I spent to attend.  I am certain I saved that money and then some the first time I went shopping!

One thing about me, I get motivated and excited so I start couponing full steam ahead.  I continue on that path for a few months and then slowly start to derail.  Before I know it, I am completely off track, spending way too much money eating out or making quick unplanned grocery trips that cost me way too much in the long run. 

The thing I love about this program, I have access to it forever.  If I start to lose steam, I can load it to my MP3 player and listen to it again.  I can use it as a reminder to keep me motivated and saving!

The great news is...Grocery University is on sale! 

Today only, you can get over 2 hours of audio instruction and a 40-page student workbook for $9!!

Plus, Carrie has thrown in a 10-page price list that details stock-up prices and her "won't pay more than" price...available FREE with the purchase of Grocery University!

Sign up here!

Getting to Know You

1. What is YOUR definition of sexy?

I have to agree with Keely on this one...confidence is definetly sexy!!

2. Would you rather clean up puke or change a poopy diaper?

A poopy diaper...hands down!

3. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

People that know me would say extrovert, people that are just meeting me or don't know me very well would say introvert.  I tend to be kinda shy if you don't know me!

4. If you had to give up one of your 5 senses for a year..which one would you give up?

Gosh thats a hard one.  I guess either smell or taste.  I know I would not want to give up hearing, seeing or touching because I wouldn't want to miss out on hearing, seeing or touching my daughter.  Missing out on stinky smells might not be so bad!  Though not tasting anything for a year might make my weight loss go a little easier!

5. Cake or Pie?

Pie please!

6. If you could play any character on TV (old or current) who would you play?

I would be a soap star!  I could have wild sex with every man in town, get cloned or get away with murder!!

7. My favorite website is.....?

I don't know that I have a favorite!  I don't know, maybe www.google.com/reader!  I love reading blogs!

8. The highlight of my day is....?

When Morgan opens her bedroom door in the morning!

Dave Ramsey - Town Hall for Hope

Just over a year ago, Dave Ramsey hosted the Town Hall for Hope which was an online townhall/seminar.

I wasn't really "in" to Dave Ramsey at the time, though I had certainly heard about him and this ways...I just wasn't ready for them yet!

I am wiser now!  I am currently reading his book, and working on the baby steps...so I was interested in listening to the Town Hall. 

If you are interested too, you can watch the recording here. 

Five Questions Friday

Its Friday!!  It looks like it might be a busy weekend, but its a long one!

My bestie is coming in to town and its Morgan's birthday!! 

Oh and I have to clean the house for the appraisal on Monday (boo! - well I am glad for the appraisal, not the cleaning!!

1. What is one food you could eat everyday?

 Chips and salsa!  I love them! 

2. Are you working in the career you thought you would be when you were 18?

 No!  I joined the Air Force on my 18th birthday.  Honestly at that point I had no idea what I wanted to do or what my career would end up being.  I think I assumed I would stay in the Air Force at that point though!

I ended up spending four years in the Air Force!

3. What is something that you wish you would have done when you were younger and you didn't?

I wish I would have saved more, and spent less!  I wish I would have realized how evil credit cards can be!

4. What color are your kitchen walls?

As strange as it sounds, I don't have too much wall space in my kitchen.  The little bit that I have is beige.  We have a very open floor plan, the kitchen has three walls but two of them are covered with cabinets, a fridge and a pantry.  The third has a bay window and a large window over the sink.  The fourth side is just a banister looking down into the family room.  

At our first house (the townhouse) I had a really cool shade of sage green.  I think it was called Opal Basil from Sherwin Williams.  I doubt they still have that shade, I painted it over 10 years ago!  I loved it though!

5. Do you remember what your very first favorite song was?

We Built This City by Starship

I don't know that it was my favorite, just the first song I really remember from the radio!

Upromise

Have you heard about Upromise yet?  Its been around for a few years - Since 2001 in fact!  If you have a young child, you should seriously consider signing up.  They offer savings for college thru a bunch of different ways.  You can add coupons to your grocery card, shop online or sign up for a credit card to earn more!  You can also register your credit/debit cards and earn money each time you use them at participating stores and restaurants, or purchase participating items at the grocery store. 

I signed up back in 2004, before I even had a child!  Since that time I have earned nearly $350, which was all transferred to a 529 plan that my daughter can use someday when she is ready for college!  Not bad for free money!

Thursday Five

I love short work weeks!  Can't we have a holiday every week?  I vote we extend weekends to three days, and shorten work weeks to four days...permanently!

Wanna play along... post 5 things that have made you..

Happy

Giddy

Joyful

Excited

Appreciative

of all of the above!

Then link up at Keely's blog!

Here we go!

My Five are:

1.  Another three day weekend!  I am so glad!  My baby girl is going to be 3 on Monday so we decided to take the day off work to celebrate!

2.  Miss Morgan is going to be 3!  Yeah I know I just said that...but I don't care!  I get to count it twice!  We hoped and prayed for Morgan for many years.  We were told we couldn't have kids on our own - and here we are getting ready to celebrate our daughter's 3rd birthday!  Definitely a good reason to be giddy!!

3.  Last weekend was so much fun!  We got together with three different couples, one each day.  We have hung out with them off and on over the years, but not all that regularily.  It was nice to get to see all of them.  Hopefully we can start doing it more often now that the kids are getting older!

4.  Morgan's transition to the preschool room at daycare has gone so smoothly this week!  They started it Tuesday morning, planning for it to take 2 weeks.  Today they said she has done so well the past two days so she could spend the entire day in the new room.  Daddy dropped her off there, and picked her up there!  It looks like starting tomorrow she is permanently in the new room!  What happened to my baby!  Such a big girl!

 

5. We had a date lunch today!  Wouldn't you know, we talked about Morgan nearly the entire time!

Happy Friday!!

Annual Liter Sale!

Beauty Brands is having their annual liter sale! 

Shampoo and Conditioner for $11.98 per liter...up to a $38 savings on each bottle!

If you aren't usually a "salon quality" girl, now is the time to stock up!  At this price you can actually afford to buy the top of the line shampoos and it won't cost you much more than you would spend at the grocery store or Target in the shampoo aisle.

Last year I bought two liters of shampoo and two liters of conditioner.  I spent about $50 (roughly $4 a month).  It lasted me the entire year.  I just ran out a couple weeks ago!  Had I paid full price, I would have spent over $120 for those same products.  Now that I am back to using my husband's Garnier Fructis, I can't wait to get more shampoo!  My hair is much drier with the cheaper stuff!  Though I really like the GF 3 Minute Undo Deep Conditioner to use once a week!

Shooting Fireworks

I found this great article about shooting fireworks and thought I would try it out on the 4th of July.  What I had not planned was the rain and hail that would accompany us during our firework viewing!  Lets just say a football field, four adults (1 that happens to be 8 months pregnant!) two 3 yr olds, hail, rain, mud & lightening...don't lead to the best photography environment!  The tripod did not even make it out of the car!  In fact, I barely pulled the camera out from under the blanket during the show....I didn't want it ruined from all the rain!

Anyway, I still had fun attempting to shoot fireworks.  A few shots turned out okay.  I think I might try again soon.  We happen to live a couple blocks from a minor leaque baseball team.  They shoot fireworks every Friday that they have a home game, during the summer!

LeapFrog Tag Reading System

If you are looking for a good deal on a LeapFrog Tag Reading System, Amazon has it!  You can get the purple one for $25.97 (48% off), which qualifies for free shipping too!  Click here.

If you need the green one, you can get it for $26.25 (47% off).  However I don't believe it qualifies for free shipping.  Still a good deal though!  Click here.

Getting to Know You

1. What do you look forward to the most on the 4th of July?

The fireworks!  I am a kid at heart...I love fireworks!  I am really hoping it doesn't get rained out tonight!

2. Are you a hugger?

Nope.  I am not a hugger.  I love to hug my daughter and my husband...but thats about it!  If somebody hugs me, I will hug back, but I don't start the hug!  Not sure why, I am just not the touchy feely type I guess!

3. What is your favorite BBQ'd food?

I love grilling out!  We grill out all the time, all year round!  I love salmon on the grill...a medium rare ribeye is delicious...oh and a grilled marinated chicken breast smoothered with melted montery jack cheese and topped with sauted peppers, onions and mushrooms...all on a bed of rice...oh yes, thats da bomb!

4. Do you like to watch parades?

I do!  Again, I am a kid at heart I guess!  Our town does not have one for the 4th, but they have a bunch thru the year.  In fact I think we are going to a rodeo parade in a week!  One of my favorite things about spending 4th in Indiana is the parade actually.  That and the fireworks!  When I was little there was a neighborhood parade that always started in front of our house.  It was all about the kids.  We decorated our bikes and either rode them or walked along the parade.  At the end there was usually a neighborhood get together and the mayor often came!  I think they still do it too!

5. Who has stinkier farts..boys or girls?

I don't know, but I can tell you my almost 3 year old can hold her own when it comes to stinky farts! 

6. Vampires or Werewolves?

I'm not really in to either.  I tried reading the first Twilight book but didn't really get in to it.  The first movie was okay, and I will probably watch the others eventually...but I am not diehard about it!

7. Do you read your horoscope?

Nope.

8. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Well I really like ice cream, so I like lots of flavors!  I would say I most often go for mint chocolate chip, butter pecan or world class chocolate...but lately I am loving Cherry Garcia...its awesome!!

Happy 4th of July!

Refinance your mortgage

I haven't talked about any deals in a while.  I guess thats because I haven't really seen any that I wanted to take part in lately! 

This isn't really a deal...but I still want to mention it!

If you haven't refinanced in a while, you might want to look into it now!  Rates are at record lows.  You could save quite a bit of money each month (depending on your current rate)

I highly recommend you at least look into it.  Check out your current mortgage to see what your rate is.  Check out rates in your area or online to see what you could potentially lock in. 

Experts say you should consider it if the rate is at least 3/4% lower.  Though I don't think I would bother unless it was a full percentage point lower. 

Ours is currently 6.125% on the 1st mortgage and slightly higher on the 2nd (we have an 80/20 loan).  We locked in this week at 4.75%!  We are going to save just over $350 a month!!! 

Totally worth it!

Five Questions Friday

1. What is one thing you miss the most about childhood?

Just one thing!!  I am going to cheat and share two things...

Chasing fireflys!  I loved spending evenings running around the street catching them!  I remember spending hours with the neighbor kids running around!  We used to put them in jars and set them on our nightstands.  Never could figure out why they were dead the next morning!  I am pretty bummed that Morgan doesn't get to have that memory.  There are no fireflys in Colorado.  I guess that means I need to start taking her to Indiana to visit grandma in the summertime so she can experience it too!

The other...not having to worry about money!  I loved not having a care in the world, other than what book I was reading or where I was going to ride my bike!  Sometimes being an adult isn't so much fun!

2. Are you still friends with your friends from high school?

Some of them, yes.  In December when I was in Florida I got to have lunch with a good friend from high school.  We haven't seen each other since we graduated.  She was actually the reason I met my husband!  It was so much fun.  It didn't feel like it had been so long, we picked up right where we left off and had the best time! 

I love facebook because I can keep up with some of my old friends.  Some more than others.  A few I am actually better friends with now than I was in school.  I guess because we have alot more in common now days, now that we are parents of pre-schoolers! 

3. Is there a catch phrase, cliche, or word that just drives you bonkers every time you hear it?

This might seem funny to some, but...it drives me nuts when people call me Val!  I have no idea why, but it always has!  I am talking even when I was a kid!  I hate that people automatically assume they can call me Val, specially when I introduce myself as Valerie!  Just today, I emailed an invitation out to a bunch of business owners for an event we are sponsoring at work in August.  I do not know the majority of the recipients...however one of them responded and called me Val!  Grrr! 

The hard thing is, my husband calls me Val.  Well so does most of my family!  He knows I don't like it, but it doesn't stop him!  I am fine with him calling me that, but he always refers to me as Val at work too.  Therefore, everybody he works with assumes thats my name...they all call me Val! 

Its pointless to correct them!  So I just go with it.  I am getting better at accepting it.  Though it still drives me bonkers when a perfect stranger calls me Val (like the invitiation response)!

4. What is one thing that you think symbolizes America...besides "Old Glory"?

uhm...I guess my answer is the Statue of Liberty. 

Though, Pikes Peak does too.  You know that little song, "America The Beautiful"...the line that talks about the "purple mountain majesty"...

Let me tell you, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing that.  I am lucky to see the mountain that Katherine Lee Bates was singing about every single day, and I swear it never looks the same.  There have been many mornings that I have seen the exact purple she is talking about and its amazing!

I have been to the top of that mountain quite a few times too.  The donuts up there are incredible!  Oh, my car caught on fire up there too...exactly a year ago today in fact! 

5. What are your 4th of July weekend plans?

We don't really have any.  Thats kinda strange, because I love the 4th.  Usually we always have big plans.  This year, not so much.  The main reason for that, we could not afford to fly to Indiana this year.  I love celebrating there.  Its so much fun to go home and relive my childhood 4th of July memories!  Hopefully next year we can though!

Also, our town is broke.  This is the second year in a row that they are not doing fireworks.  The baseball stadium by our house is going to have them tonight and tomorrow night, but they don't start till the game is over.  That is usually around 10:30 or 11pm.  There is no way we could keep Morgan up that long!

Otherwise, we are going to a baptism and BBQ tomorrow night - exciting stuff!

Thursday Five

Wow, July 1st already!  It seems like Summer just started, and here we are at the "unofficial" middle of it!  I am not ready for fall...I want time to slow down to a crawl, please!

Wanna play along... post 5 things that have made you..

Happy

Giddy

Joyful

Excited

Appreciative

of all of the above!

Then link up at Keely's blog!

Here we go!

My Five are:

1.  We are in the process of refinancing our house.  The part that makes me giddy is that we are going to shave a couple hundred dollars off our monthly payment!!!

2.  Its a three day weekend!!!  Gone are the days of sleeping in on days off, but at least we get to do nothing but play outside if we want!

3.  One of my favorite holidays is 4th of July.  I love fireworks and parades.  Unfortunetly neither happen around here though!  Well usually we have fireworks, but for the second year in a row our town is too broke to do them.  Some years we make it back home to Indiana to partake in the old fashioned 4th of July festivites.  The years we don't, I usually spend the weekend wishing we did...so thats what I will be doing this weekend!  That and we might try to go to a different town nearby to catch some fireworks!  Happy 4th of July!

4.  I have two 4 day work weeks coming up!  Next week thanks to the 4th of July holiday being observed on Monday.  Then the following week I took off Monday to celebrate Morgan's 3rd Birthday!

5.  I am kinda excited that Morgan is starting the transition to the preschool room on Tuesday when we get back from the holiday weekend!  She is so ready to go.  I think the challenge will be great for her!  She is excited to see some of her old friends that have already switched over too!

Happy 4th of July!!  Be Safe!

Getting to Know You

1.If you had 5000.00 to spend on plastic surgery what would you have done?

Honestly, I think I would go for a breast reduction.  I would much rather be a nice C cup than a DD!  A little firming and tightening...that would be great!

2. Do you watch Soap operas and if so what is your favorite and why?

I don't anymore.  I used to watch Guiding Light.  I started watching it when I was 13.  Back then I would watch it over the summer and then tape it during the school year!  I continued to watch it until February of 2008.  They changed up the format to make it look more like a reality show.  To me it just looked like shaky filming and they were way too close up on the characters.  I watched it for a week and then quit.  Having watched it for 18 years, that was a big deal for me!  Every once in a while I would catch it if I was home sick, but I didn't really care for it all that much.  Once they announced the show was ending I decided to start recording it again.  I had put so many years into it, I had to know how it ended!  So I started watching it again in March or April of last year and continued till the last day in September.  The filming actually seemed a little better, and the story line wasn't too bad.  I loved that show for many years, and still miss it when there is nothing on tv to watch!  I always had something waiting for me on DVR to watch in the summertime!

3. Favorite clothing brand?

Gosh, I don't know.  I am not really brand loyal.  I do like a nice pair of Levi's though!

4. An afternoon shopping spree at your favorite store or maid service for a year?

Maid service for a year...hands down!  Actually my goal is to have a cleaning lady in two years once our debt is paid off!  I can't wait!  We are planning to sign up for this fancy gym in the area too...but that has nothing to do with this question! 

5. would you ever vajazzle?

Nope, no thanks!

6. Favorite Disney Princess?

Oh man, thats a hard one!  I guess I am going to have to choose Belle from The Beauty and The Beast.  I have always loved that movie and now my mini-me loves it too!  Since she has brown hair she calls herself Belle.  She even announces herself as Belle at The Little Gym each week! 

7. Last movie that made you bawl your eyes out?

Well we are going to Toy Story 3 today.  I have heard I might cry at the end of that one!  I can't remember the last time I cried at a movie, but I do know that any time I watch When A Man Loves A Woman I end up crying!  Anytime I feel like a good cry, I watch it.  I have probably watched it a fifty times in the past 15 years and I still cry every time!!  Love that movie!

8. Have you ever broken any bones and if so what?

Yes, I broke my left arm when I was two years old.  The story goes that I was left handed, but had to relearn everything with my right arm, including cutting my food.  I am not so sure I agree with that story now that I have a child of my own.  She is almost three and I don't know that I would say she is a righty or a lefty yet.  She certainly doesn't cut her food though! 

Clickin Moms Deal!

I think I have mentioned Clickin' Moms in the past.  I love that site!  If you are "in to" photography in any way shape or form, or just interested in improving your photography...I highly recommend you check this site out!  The wealth of knowledge is incredible.  The website is made up of a forum full of women at all levels of photography.  Some are pros, other just newbies!  I have learned so much in such a short time.  I think I have learned more from the website than I did from the 6-week local course I took this past spring!

Right now they are offering a deal for signing up too!

Go to Clickin' Moms

Use coupon code FRIEND at checkout, and get 10% off any subscription,

or coupon code LOVECM for 20% off a lifetime subscription.

Give it a try, I think you will love it there!!

Five Questions Friday

1. Do you know how to play a musical instrument?

Well, I used to.  I played the flute in junior high and high school.  In fact I was 1st chair for most of those years!  However, if you have ever been to Colorado, you know the air is thin here.  I remember trying to play my flute shortly after we moved here and could barely do it!  I was fighting for air.  I have pretty much never picked it up again!  I might be able to do it now, since I have been here 15 years...but I can't remember much else about playing anymore!

2. What is your pet peeve while driving?

Oh geez...don't get me started!!  I can't stand stupid drivers!  I have tons of pet peeves when it comes to stupid drivers!

3. Would you rather have a housekeeper or unlimited spa services?

Without a doubt...a housekeeper!  I currently have a membership to Massage Envy that I never use!  Seriously, my husband bought me a one year membership for our 15th anniversary in December.  I have been a total of 2 times...once in December on our actual anniversary and once in March when I came back from Nebraska.  I am paying for one 60 minute massage each month and I am not using it.  Luckily it saves up in my account, so I have a bunch of massages waiting for me.  I like the hot stone type, and that is two months worth of massages, so I will use them quickly...I just need to get around to it!  Hum, maybe I should call and schedule one for this weekend! 

A housekeeper though...I would cherish that! 

4. Is there a song that you hear that will take you back to the moment, like a junior high or high school dance?

Oh gosh, there are tons of them!  I love music!  I suppose it has something to do with the fact that I was 1st chair flute for so many years!!  I can be brought back to moments in my life instantly with just one song.  Let see, Blame It On The Rain brings me back to junior high.  The year we moved to Florida.  I remember riding on the bus wishing I had friends!  Most of Mellancamp's songs bring me back to various times in my childhood when I was living in Indiana.  Some of the Journey songs take me back to senior year when I was dating my husband.  I could go on and on!

5. What song best represents your life right now?

 

I will have to think about that! 

Oh wait...I know..."It Won't Be Like This For Long" by Darius Rucker.  Gosh the lyrics to that song sure are true aren't they!  I cried the first time I heard it!

Thursday Five

Wanna play?

just post 5 things that have made you..

Happy

Delighted

Grateful

Totally Stoked

Thankful

or all of the above..

and then link up with the rest over at MannLand5

1.  I am reading a great book!  I have always been a book reader, but have not had much time to read in the past three years thanks to a beautiful little baby named Morgan!  I started reading again a few weeks ago and have finished three books already!  Right now I am reading The Castaways and love it!  I look forward to my lunch hours and the time just before bed so I can sit and read.  I am so glued to this book, I can't wait to find out what happens!  If you are looking for a great summer book, check this one out! 

2.  My purple petunias look so awesome this year!  I have two hanging baskets on my porch and they are abudant with beautiful blooms!  In the six years we have lived here, I don't think my flowers have ever looked this fabulous for this long!

3.  Gymnastics at The Little Gym on Saturday was so much fun!  I was worried that Morgan might not want to go in without me.  Boy was I wrong!  She loved it!  It was so cute to watch her sit and listen to the teacher and to follow the directions.  I loved watching them go thru the stations!  All the parents talked and giggled as a group as they watched...it was great fun!

4.  Fathers Day was fabulous!  We went to a local park and let Morgan play in the fountain.  We also had a little picnic under a shade tree.  It was the most enjoyable three hours every!

5.  I had the most yummy pita for lunch today!  I sat at a park enjoying my pita and reading.  Fabulous!

Happy Friday!!

Best post ever!

Jessica Turner of The Mom Creative had the most fabulous guest post today on Ali Edwards blog.  If you are a mom, you have got to read it!  Check it out here!

Getting to Know You

1. While at the beach, pool, etc..Do you cover up your assets or show them off?

Well there was a time that I didn't cover up very much...but with the current state of my body, I would totally cover up.  That may change in the next few months though, now that I am doing P90X!

2. Road trips or Plane trips?

I personally enjoy road trips, but my husband does not!  If it was up to me, I would drive every where...however he despises it.  That and most of our family lives so far away that its not worth it to drive, once we got there we wouldn't have any time to visit before we had to leave!  I'm not very fond of flying at all, but if I don't fly I can't go anywhere...so I suck it up and do it, but I don't like it!

3. I can't stand it when...?

neighbors that do something that is against the HOA rules!  Yes, I admit it, I am a freak like that!  I don't know why, it just drives me nuts!  I guess I figure I signed up and agreed to the rules, as did everybody living around me.  Therefore they need to abide by those rules.  I am kinda weird, I really want my neighborhood to maintain the same look and feel that it had when I moved in.  If I am paying money each month towards and HOA to help achieve that, then I expect it to happen.  I actually agree with all of the rules for our particular HOA too!  I used to live in a townhome community that had a crazy HOA, I didn't necessarily agree with all of the rules there, but I still followed them...and expect all the neighbors to as well!  If you don't like HOA's, don't move next to me!  I might turn you in if you don't follow the rules!!

4. Have you ever gone topless at the beach?

Nope, can't say that I have.

5. How many blog carnivals do you do a week?

Too many!  I don't know 3 or 4 I guess.  When I just had my blog about my daughter, I never did them.  I just felt they didn't belong there...specially if I ever get around to downloading all of it to Blurb and making a book out of it.  That was my plan for a gift for Fathers Day this year...but here we are on Fathers Day and I have not done it!  oh well, maybe next years!  Anyway, thats why I started this blog...so I would have somewhere to post all the silly and different things that aren't directly related to my daughter! 

6. My favorite thing about the weekend is...?

Well it used to be sleeping in...but my daughter did not inherit those genes for some reason!  Now I guess its just the fact that I don't have to work, that we can do whatever we want and not have to be anywhere unless we want to be there!

7. Pancakes or waffles?

Neither...I am a french toast girl!  Honestly, I am not much of a breakfast girl at all.  But on the extremely rare occasion that we go out to eat for breakfast, I order french toast!

8. Water Park or Amusement Park?

Hum...I guess water park.  Though I haven't been in years and wouldn't want to go now when I am so unhappy with my current size!  It wouldn't be much fun since I am not willing to get into a swim suit!  As a kid, I remember going to Wet N Wild for 12 hours...we would be there when they opened and stay there till they closed at least once a summer!  I loved it!  However, amusement parks just don't do it for me.  I hate rides!  I get motion sickness, and it pretty much ruins the entire day.  Though I love Magic Kingdom...I guess thats an amusement park.  It way better than Six Flags in my book!