Fill In The Blank Fridays

Time for another Fill In The Blank Friday...hosted by Lauren! (better late than never!)

1. My absolute favorite movie of all time is: Grease.  I love it!  I love the music, I love the costumes....just love it!
2. My favorite movie as a child was: "Anne of Green Gables".  I remember watching it every winter when PBS would air it during the local telethon they held to raise funding.  I never get tired of watching it, and can't wait till my daughter enjoys watching it with me!

3. The best movie quote ever is: ...well heck I don't know.  I am terrible with movie quotes.  I am always impressed when somebody spits out a line from a movie...because I don't know any!

4. My favorite actress is: Julia Roberts.  I have always loved her since Steel Magnolias.  I would imagine she is kind, genuine and sweet.  Not to mention she is adorable!

5. The movie I could watch over and over is: "When A Man Loves A Woman".  I say that because I have!  Thats another favorite movie of mine.  When I was fresh out of basic training I remember spending a weekend with my new roomate, Raja, watching it over and over.  I don't remember why we did that, but we did.  Wouldn't you know, we cried every time we watched it too!  I still cry every time I watch it!

6. My favorite movie genre is: romantic comedy.  I am a sap!

7. A movie I'd like to watch this weekend is: "The Lovely Bones".  It just arrived from Netflix!

Clickin Moms

One of my newest hobbies passions is photography. I absolutely love it! I am always trying to learn more and push myself further with my camera. I have learned so much in the past year, its incredible! This will be my first summer with a DSLR camera and I am so excited to get out and take some shorts with fabulous lighting!

Last week I shared a website that offers free webinars about photography and photoshop. I hope some of you checked it out and enjoyed it!

This week I wanna tell you about Clickin' Moms. I am sure there are plenty of you out there that have never heard of it, I had not until November!  Let me just tell you, its a phenominal forum...the best I have found.  I have learned so much and improved my skills by leaps and bounds in just a few short months.  The cost of the forum is definetly worth it! 

Here is a description of the community (directly from the clickinmoms website) if you are interested!

"We are a community of women who have a passion for photography. Some of us are amateur photographers who just want to take better pictures of our family, some of us are hobbyists, and some of us are seasoned pros.

We learn from each other and help each other. We have all types of cameras, but most of us are working on our skills with our DSLR's. If you are in the market for a new camera, please ask our advice for body and lens recommendations!

Our site features great and easy to understand tutorials, lessons and challenges. All of the contributions are from fellow members who are more than happy to help and give advice to one another.

We have great bunch of women that enjoy hanging out with people that have a common passion - photography!


Come on in, learn something, inspire, be inspired, and join the fun! If you aren't hooked on photography now, you soon will be!"

Click on the link above or below to check it out!

Five Question Friday

1. If you could, would you go back to high school?

Actually I wouldn't mind it.  I think it would be fun.  I happened to enjoy high school quite a bit.  I look back on it as a very fun time.  Its also when I met my husband!

2. If a genie appeared and granted you two wishes, what would they be? (And, no saying "more wishes".)

My two wishes would be lots of money and the ability to be a SAHM!

3. What kids show do you secretly like?

There isn't one I am secretly dying to watch, but I don't mind "Handy Manny"!

4. What is your beverage of choice?

Non alcoholic = milk...I love it!!
Alcoholic = My favorite is a simple glass of white wine, not too dry (riesling or moscotto)

5. What is something that you would change about yourself (or are working to change in yourself)?

physically = my weight
no physical = I have been working on my patience alot over the years...I am getting there!

Wanna play too?  Hop on over to Mama M.'s blog!

Happy Friday!

Bedtimes

I am curious about bedtimes.  What time do you put your kids to bed and what are their ages?  Are you very consistent with it, or not so much?

Morgan has always had a set bedtime with a regular bedtime routine leading up to it.  She has always gone to bed sometime between 7:30-7:45pm.  Now that the weather is getting warmer and the sun is going down later I am thinking maybe I should push her bedtime back to 8pm.  She is almost 3.  Part of me feels like she might be old enough to handle an older bedtime.  What do you think?

Thursday Five

This week went fast!  I can't believe its already Thursday!  Time for another Thursday Five, Wanna play?

just post 5 things that have made you..

Happy

Giddy

Grateful

Joyful

Gleeful

or all of the above..

and then link up with the rest over at MannLand5

Mine are...

1.  May is just around the corner.  I am so excited for the summer.  I love warm weather, sandals and playing outside.  This will be my first summer with a DSLR so I am super excited to get outside and take some nice pictures with the new camera!

2.  I got to hear Brian Griese speak last night at our company wide kick-off party.  I have to admit, I was a tiny bit star-struck!  He is a fabulous speaker, very motivational - and good look to boot!

3.  I am potentially getting new carpet...I can hardly wait!

4.  I broke my front tooth last week, and was able to get it fixed on Monday.  The dental hygentist that did my temporary crown did such an awesome job...you can't even tell its fake.  She is my hero!

5.  I am in the process of spring cleaning and selling old baby things.  Its alot of work, but the extra $ and space makes me super happy!

Happy Thursday!

Couponing

While I was talking to my sister last night on the phone she asked me if I could send her links to some of the couponing sites/resources I use.  I have always been a couponer, she has not...but she wants to be. 

I figured I might as well share them all here as well!

http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.couponmom.com/
http://www.upromise.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.pgesaver.com/
http://www.cellfire.com/
http://www.safeway.com/
http://www.kingsoopers.com/

Resources for weekly grocery sales
http://www.springsbargains.com/ (in Colorado)
http://www.southernsavers.com/ (in the south)
http://www.becentsable.com/ (find a blogger in your area that posts about local sales)

Are there any that I missed?

You Know You're A Mom Whens-Daze

You Know You're A Mom When...

You are more concerned with the safety and well-being of your daughter at the playground than paying attention to where you are going and breaking your front tooth! 

Sorry, no pictures...its not my proudest moment...no need to document it with a picture! 

Free Parenting Webinar Reminder!

Don't forget...Positive Parenting Solutions is hosting a free parenting webinar tomorrow, April 29th at 9pm EST.  The topic will be Why Time Out Is A Waste Of Time.  What You’ll Learn:

- why children really misbehave what you may be doing to make it worse!
- the perils of popular parenting strategies such as Time Out, Counting 1-2-3, Rewards and Punishments
- the formula for successfully correcting misbehavior…permanently
- your new go-to parenting strategy to get kids to listen the first time!
- new resources to reduce parenting stress and feel more confident for any parenting challenge.

Sign up here!

Its A Social Parade - Wednesday

It's a Social Parade - Wednesday Link-up is a weekly link-up hosted by Smart and Trendy Moms. Its a great socializing tool for bloggers!  If you want to join in, hop on over to Smart and Trendy Moms!

This week the theme is following a fan page on Facebook.  My fan page is:  The Mommy Salami. please check it out! 

Thanks and Happy Wednesday!

Project Life Tuesday

Time for another Project Life Tuesday!  If you aren't sure what that is, please check out Jessica's blog for more info. 

My picture from the week was taken on Sunday afternoon at the Alice in Wonderland park here in town.  I didn't even take the picture, but I know it will always be a memorable day for me.  Just down the path from this particular spot is another park that is modeled after Charlotte's Web.  We met our friends there to play, and while we were there I broke my front tooth.  Not just a little chip, a nice big break...nearly half the tooth!  It was a stupid accident and as soon as it happened I wished I could reverse time by just a couple of seconds!  I ended up getting it fixed and unless you knew better you wouldn't be able to tell...but I will always remember the afternoon I lost my front tooth!

The Year of Crazy Stories

The past year will forever be known as The Year of Crazy Stories in our family.  Everybody has those oddball stories that happen to them from time to time, but they don't usually all happen within the same one year time span.  I am seriously hoping that since we have hit the one year mark, that means the goofy things will stop happening to us!

It started exactly one year ago today.  We had a totally freak accident happen on our property.  It was so freaky that explaining it doesn't even do it justice, if you were to actually walk around the area and see just how crazy it was...you would be stunned.  Without going into too much detail, a man driving a truck with three young children as passengers drove thru the fences and yards of three homes, taking down two trees in his path.  We are on a corner lot, so he went thru our backyard, did a U turn in the side yard and crossed over the front yard.  He then crossed the street, went between two cars without leaving a scratch, crossed back to our side of the street and ended up in the garage of a neighbor three doors down...the exact same house where his journey began in the back of the house!  We live on busy street, but the way our house sits, we are the furthest from the street...its hard to explain but we are the least likely to ever be hit if a car goes off the road behind us...so we never in a million years thought this would happen!  It turns out the driver had a seizure while he was driving.  We were all very lucky that day.  Not one single person was hurt in the accident. 

Fast forward to last July.  It was a crazy week, we had two different sets of house guests with exactly one day in between them.  That one day happened to be the day we had to put our 15yr old dog down.  It was a rough week to say the least.  The second set of guests was my sister and her husband.  The day after they arrived we decided to take them up Pikes Peak for some sight seeing.  We were exactly 2 miles up the mountain when the car in front of us stopped and the passenger ran towards us yelling that our car was on fire.  No I am not kidding...our car was literally on fire.  Flames were coming out of the wheel well even.  Thank goodness she told us when she did, the people passing by were helpful and we didn't cause a forest fire!  It turns out, the VW service tech did not install the heat shield properly when we had it replaced due to a recall a year previously!

Next up was November...after driving in the worst snow storm ever, the underbody of my car fell off.  Yes this was the same car that had caught on fire just a few months before...yet we decided to fix it and keep driving it.  Probably shouldn't have.  A month after that the heat quit working.  Thats a very bad thing to go without in Colorado in December!  Six weeks later I took it in for a typical oil change and walked out with an estimate for $4K.  So we sold it the very next day! 

On top of all that, it was a very sad year.  I suffered a miscarriage in September, a friend of mine had a stillborn baby a few days after the miscarriage and then my best friend lost her 19 month old baby girl just 7 weeks ago. 

Finally yesterday the year went out with a bang...literally.  While playing at the park with friends, I managed to break my front tooth.  Not just a chip...a complete fracture.  So I spent the majority of day today at the dentist getting a new temporary crown to cover my old front tooth.  It looks great, and the dental hygenist is my new favorite person.  I was hyperventilating worrying that it wasn't fixable and I would look like a hillbilly forever!

I seriously hope this is the end of the crazy, silly, unfortunate events.  I can't take any more!

Spokeo = Spooky

Have you heard about Spokeo yet?  If not, you might want to take a minute or two to check it out.  While you are there, make sure you do a search for your name.  If you don't find anything, search your email and phone numbers too.  More than likely you will find yourself and more personal info than you wish to see.  In most cases the info is wrong or partially wrong.  My dad is listed as a late 50's single woman!  While you are there, click on "privacy" to walk thru the steps of removing your information.  When I did it, it took a few hours to receive the follow-up email.  I have heard that gmail email accounts are getting responses that their email is invalid.  Hopefully that will be fixed soon. 

Getting to Know You

Happy Sunday!  The weather is supposed to clear up and warm up a little bit today...so we are hoping for some play time at the park!

Hop over to Keely's blog at MannLand5 to link up and play along!

On to the questions...

1. If you could star in any movie genre..what would it be..romance..horror..comedy..suspense or action?

Hmmm...I have no ambishions to be an actress, but I suppose I would pick a comedy or a romantic comedy.

2. Do you recycle?

When I have the opportunity, I do.  On a regular basis at our home, no.  Amazingly, where I live in Colorado, recycling is not a big thing yet.  It shocks me because where I grew up in Florida over 15 years ago it was already a required thing with the weekly trash.  Here its optional, but it costs quite a bit more to do it.  I have an issue with paying for the privledge to recycle.  I happen to think it should be manditory, and included in the weekly trash program with no extra charge.  My other issue with it, they give you a second huge trash bin that is a different color and tell you to throw all the recycleable stuff in it without sorting.  They claim it gets sorted at their facility.  I have a hard time believing that.  If they provided three colored bins, I would be much more inclined to pay for the program and do the sorting.  Geez...that was a mouthful!

3. Have you ever been to a strip club?

Nope

4. Do you have a nickname?

My daughter calls me "Mommy Salami" (hence the blog name!), my husband calls me "Luvbug"

5. What's a name you can't stand to be called?

I have always hated being called Val.  I'm not sure why, Its just something that bugs me.  I especially hate it when I introduce myself as Valerie and immedieatly the person calls me Val...assuming thats what I want to be called.  It irks me!  But, its clearly not going away, because EVERYBODY does it.  It doesn't help that my husband calls me Val too.  Last night we went to a BBQ with his co-workers and every one of them called me Val, because thats how he refers to me at work!  So I have decided over the past couple years to let it go and let people call me whatever they want...even Val!

6. What are your Summer staples?

Flip flops, Sandals, sunglasses, lime fruit juice bars, grilling

7. What was the last thing you bought for yourself?

Two new tops on clearance and a pair of sandals for work

8. Are you happy with your boob size?

Honestly, a little smaller would be better!

Babies Sweepstakes

The "Everybody Loves...Babies" movie is coming soon...and now's your chance to show off the moments in your baby’s life with the “Everybody loves...your BABIES sweepstakes!”. Become a BABIES Facebook fan and share a photo or video of your baby’s moments. Your baby could be featured on the BABIES DVD and you could win a Kodak Easyshare M350 Digital Camera plus an exclusive, limited-edition JOHNSONS® diaper bag, created by high-end designer Timi & Leslie, and filled with a year’s supply of JOHNSON’S® Baby products! Visit Facebook.com/BabiesMovie to enter.

Fill In The Blank Friday

Time for another fun little game...after all its Friday...fun day!

1. One song that always takes me back to my youth is:  Gosh...there are so many.  Music is very important in my life.  Lots and lots of songs instantly take me back to particular times in my life.  I guess 80s songs in general bring me back.  One that comes to mind is Madonna's True Blue

2. My first concert ever was: John Cougar Mellancamp...back when he still had Cougar in his name!  I was 8 years old and I absolutely loved it!  I am still a die hard Mellancamp fan!

3. If I could create my dream music festival I'd want these bands to be there: Wow, now that would be fun wouldn't it!  I am afraid that there would need to be multiple stages/tents because the music I like is very diverse!  Here are a few that come to mind:  (remember its a dream) Sarah Mclachlin, Dixie Chicks, Bob Marley, The Beatles, U2, Boyz II Men, Billy Joel, John Mellancamp, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica...I could go on and on!

4. The best make-out/"boot knocking" song ever is: I don't know, maybe Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye or what about To Be With You by Mr. Big!

5. The best concert I've ever been to was: I don't know if I can choose a favorite...I have been to alot of concerts!  A few that I really enjoyed...Dixie Chicks, Aerosmith/Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Norah Jones, Kenny Chesney, Paige & Plante, Andrea Bocelli (I told you I liked some pretty diverse music!)
6. A memorable musical moment for me was: The most memorable for me are moments that I performed in band class...either marching in parades, playing in the football stands or performing in concerts. 

7. The song on my iPod that's getting the most play these days is: I am ashamed to say I haven't listened to my mp3 player in months!  I have been listening to a Kenny Chesney Live CD lately in the car on my commute to/from work.  All his songs about the beach have me ready for warm weather, instead of this cool wet spring weather we have been having!  During the day I tend to listen to Pandora - I love it because its free, and I can create all kinds of different stations.  Its so easy to change what I am listening to based on my mood.  I even had an all Christmas channel playing in December!

If you want to play, go to Lauren's blog to link up!

I Heart Faces Photo Walk

If you enjoy photography as much as I do, you should check out the I Heart Faces Photo Walk coming up in June.  This is the first multi-city photo walk they have held, which will be in 20 cities across the country.  If your city is not listed, don't worry.  They are planning to do more events like this in the future in more cities!

If you are interested in signing up, click here.

Which school...already?!

Yep, thats right...I am already worried about which school to send my daughter and she is only 2.5 yrs old! 

When she was 6 weeks old I put her on a wait list for a local school in a different district than the one we live in because I have always heard its "THE" school to send your kids too.  Its a public/charter school, yet it has a waitlist a mile long!  We used to have a neighbor that taught there so I had some good insight on the school philosophy ahead of time.  I wasn't signing her up just because its the cool thing to do...I swear! 

I checked her position on the waitlist a few months ago....#690.  We only have two years to go till she starts kindergarden...although she would have to wait an extra year to start there because the cut off is June 1st and her birthday is July.  Not to mention we still don't live in that district, and probably won't be able to afford a home in the area within the next 2-3 years.  Its not looking like she will end up at that school!

So I have been researching schools in our district.  I want to be prepared so I know all our options.  For some reason the school thing is really stressing me out.  I suppose its because its the beginning of her future.  I want the best for her, as most parents do, so I want to make sure I make the right decisions to get her there.  I want her to have as many opportunities as possible.  I feel like if I goof up and send her to the "wrong" school she won't get the academic challenge she needs, she won't meet the friends that will inspire her, etc.

Thankfully, we have some great options in our district.  Now I just have to figure out which path to start her out on, and see where it takes her!

I'm not sure why I am allowing myself to stress out so much about schools.  Do other parents worry this much about school for their kids?

Five Question Friday

Hop on over to Mama M.'s if you want to participate!

1. What was the first car you owned?

Well I didn't own it, but my first car was a 1982 Volvo, I only drove for a few months because somebody hit me on the way to school one day.  The first car I technically owned was a 1992 Mitsibishi Eclipse

2. What song are you embarrassed to know the lyrics to?

There are quite a few songs that come to mind actually.  Probably the most embarrasing would be "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice, or maybe "Blame It On The Rain" by Milli Vanilli...or it could be "Weak" by SWV!

3. Have you ever had stitches?

Yes.  I had a few stitches in my forehead when I was two years old after a slight car accident.  I also ended up with quite a few stitches after I gave birth to my daughter.

4. What was your first job?

If you don't count babysitting, my first high school job was cashier at Winn-Dixie.  It was rather short lived.  The next one was at Wendy's, but it also did not last very long.  My first "real" job was joining the Air Force on my 18th birthday!

5. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?

I always liked Grover, and Snuffy!

Happy Friday!

Thursday Five

Hooray...its Thursday...which means Friday is right around the corner!

Wanna play?

just post 5 things that have made you..

Happy

Giddy

Grateful

Joyful

Gleeful

or all of the above..

and then link up with the rest over at MannLand5

Mine are...

1.  The trees are starting to bloom, the grass is starting to turn green...spring is finally making an appearance!

2.  This week we have been having the most wonderful springtime thunderstorms.  Its a welcome changed from the springtime snowshowers we have been getting the past few weeks!

3.  My daughter proudly said "Happy Eerf Day" to the daycare ladies this morning!

4. On Sunday our family is meeting another family at the park...and going out for cupcakes afterwards!

5.  Last weekend with my best bud was so much fun!

Happy Earth Day Deals!

The Discovery Store is having some great sales today, in honor of Earth Day!  You can get both Life and Planet Earth series in Blu-Ray for $50...thats 71% off the normal price!

WWYD: Lottery

The Colorado Powerball Lottery was pretty high yesterday before the drawing...high enough that we decided to buy a ticket.  We never play!  You know that saying, "You can't win it if you don't play it!"  Of course I have been daydreaming about what I would do if we won the lottery. 

- Pay off our debts
- Quit my job to become a SAHM...although I would still want to work part time while my daughter is in preschool doing something I am passionate about, or volunteering my time.
- Sell my car, replace it with something much newer and more comfy!
- Build a deck, redo our back yard, get new floor coverings...maybe sell the house depending on how big the jackpot winnings are!

What about you?  What would you do if you won the lottery?

Positive Parenting Solutions

Just over a month ago a friend of mine that has a child the same age as my daughter shared a link with me about a free one hour parenting webinar.  I thought, what the heck might as well try it.  You see, I don't really subscribe to any one style of parenting or any one parenting book.  I enjoy reading lots of different parenting books, blogs and articles and taking what I want out of each of the methods suggested.  So far, I have found that style to work very well for me.  I took a little from about five different books to shape the way I parented my daughter as an infant, through sleeping issues, scheduling issues, etc.  Around the time she hit 18 months I searched out for more ideas on parenting an (almost) toddler.  For some reason the 18 month mark was a tough one for us.  Not sure if it was because she was seeking out more freedom and independence or because I wasn't quite ready for her to transition from a baby!  Luckily it was short lived!  Again, I read multiple books seeking advice on discipline.  I never found one that was quite right, but took a little bit from a handful of different books and applied it.  It seemed to work very well, we are constantly getting compliments on what a delight our daughter is, even at the dreaded "terrible twos" age.  

This time around I wasn't really searching for advice or guidance on a specific parenting situation, but was open to hear what this particular group's views are on dicipline.  Unfortunetly, I had to miss the webinar due to a family emergency that took me out of state for almost a week.  Over the next couple of weeks I continued to think about the webinar and decided to check and see if there would be another one coming up.  I lucked out, there was one the very next evening.  It happened to be a particularily stressful day, ending with a crazy evening.  I had been under alot of stress due to the family emergency I mentioned earlier so my husband offered to take our daughter upstairs to entertain her and do her bedtime routine by himself so I could have some time to unwind and listen in on the webinar.  I am so glad I did!  

Amy McCready is the founder of Positive Parenting Solutions.  She also hosts the free parenting webinars.  She is so easy to listen to, I think it would be pure joy to have tea and chat with her.  Instantly I was sucked in to the discussion.  In a matter of minutes I was feeling re-energized about my job of parenting.  I learned a few simple tricks that I started applying right away.  They worked right away too!  

I ended up signing up for the parenting course that evening.  I have found Amy's style of parenting to be refreshing and empowering.  I identify with nearly all of the discussions in the course that I have listened to so far, and could see myself implementing the parenting strategies as I continue through this parenting journey I am on...something I have not found in a single parenting book yet.  

There are more free webinars coming soon.  In fact, the webinar titled "Why Time Out Is A Waste Of Time" is coming up next Thursday.  I highly suggest you give it a try if you are looking for more ideas on dicipline for your kids.  Don't worry there is no pressure to sign up for the course, unless you really want too!  Read more about them here.      

I also wanted to add, I have not been compensated in any way by sharing this information.  I mearly found a program that I like, and feel others might benefit from hearing about it as well.

Free Photography Webinar's

One of my hobbies passions is photography.  I have owned a camera/taken pictures since I was a kid.  I remember the first camera I ever bought, at a garage sale.  I was so excited!  Somewhere along the way, photography took a back seat to basically everything else, until I had my daughter.  She peeked my interest again and inspired me to stretch my photography skills as much as possible.  A few months ago I purchased my first DSLR camera, so I am constantly searing for books, tutorials and webinars to help me figure it out!  Recently I found out that CreativeLive offers free webinars on photography, photoshop and otherwise creative topics.  If you catch it when the class is going on live in Seattle then its free.  If you want watch it later, there is a fee to download.  Check it out! 

You Know You’re a Mom When-sDAZE

You know you are a mom when you hear "Good Job, Mommy" and a round of applause as you are in the bathroom stall (with an audience) at a restaurant!

You know you are a mom when you have cinderella lip gloss, glow in the dark braclets and a Veggie Tales DVD in your purse!

You know you are a mom when you have the song "Five Little Ducks" stuck in your head all day long, and you find yourself humming it in line at the post office!

It's a Social Parade - Wednesday Link-Up

Its Wednesday, which means its also time for a Social Parade at Smart & Trendy Moms!

The parade focuses on one social aspect each week.  This week the theme is "following".  I am all about finding new blogs and getting some new followers on mine!  Thanks to the parade I added an RSS feed too!

Welcome to The Mommy Salami!  If you're stopping over for the parade, let me know and I'll be sure to follow you back! 

Free Digital Download Parenting Book!

Hurry, this link will only work thru the end of the day today!

Get your FREE digital download copy of "Courageous Parents, Confident Kids: Letting Go So You Both Can Grow" right here

Courageous Parents, Confident Kids is a powerful resource and discussion starter for any parenting group, class, PTA, or parents' book club you may belong to. It is also a great book for teachers, doctors, and anyone else who works with parents and kids.

Thanks to MojoMom for this offer!

Tiny Prints Deal!

Tiny Prints just launched a custom greeting card line that is super cute!  They offer a really cool membership program that sounds perfect for busy moms too!  You can create all of your cards in advance and never miss an occasion.  Then they will either ship the cards to you, or mail them directly to the recipient.  I love that idea, since I am always struggling to get cards mailed in time!  For a limited time they are offering a free one year membership plus 3 free cards.  Talk about a fantastic deal.  Just make sure you mark your calendar so that you remember to cancel before the year is up...unless you want to stay a member of course!! 

Check it out!

DQ Deal

Here is a DQ Deal you might want to know about!  Its Customer Appreciation Week at Dairy Queen.  April 19-25th you can buy one Blizzard and get one for 25 cents!  Make sure you bring this coupon with you too!

Project Life Tuesday

I have been participating in Project Life Tuesdays since the beginning of the year on my other blog.  Now that I decided to keep my other one primarily about my daughter and nothing more...I thought I would switch this weekly series over here to my "Mommy & Everything Else Blog" instead!  Here we go!





As usual, I have all of my daily pictures posted on my 365 Photo Blog, but here is on picture from the week.  Feel free to check the other blog for more!

A little background behind this picture...Exactly six weeks before this picture was taken, I posted a picture of sweet little Ariel (that was also the day we lost little Ariel).  The woman pictured here is Ariel's Mommy, along with Ariel's brother and my daughter.  We were so happy to have them visiting this weekend.  It was so nice to spend quality time with them. 

Hug your babies extra tight tonight...for Ariel and for Ariel's Mommy.

Baby clothes update!

Looks like all the work preparing for the JBF sale paid off!  I sold 136 items (of the 200 I took) and after everything is figured out (the 65% I make, less the consigner fee) I should be getting a check for over $200!  Not too shabby!  Lets hope I sell as much (or alot more) at the garage sale in a few weeks.  I am ready to have more space in my house!!

Getting to Know You

Hop on over to Keely's blog for more!

The questions..


1. Mens chests..hairy or hairless?

I guess I don't really have a preference...just no hairy backs please!
2. How often do you run red lights?

I am not in the habit of it...but it happens occasionally.  When it does, its usually more by accident though!
3. If you could raid any celebrity's closet..whose would you raid?

I can't think of any actually.  I have a pretty laid back, casual style...jeans and a tshirt are fine with me!
4. Would you rather have more followers/friends on Facebook, Twitter, or your Blog?

My blog!  I try to keep Facebook to just friends and family.
5. What makes you feel sexy?

A new outfit, losing weight, my husband...

6. I get excited when...........?

My daughter is excited.  If we are going to Disney or the circus...that excites me!  Oh an an unexpected day off or afternoon off from work is pretty nice too!  = )

7. Are you the "outdoorsy" type or more "indoorsy"?

If by "outdoorsy" you mean hanging out outside in the sun, playing at the park and working in the yard...then yes I am "outdoorsy".  I am not the camping type though, but I enjoy a nice walk/hike.

8. Would you rather have your dream home or a million dollars?

Now thats an easy one!!  A million dollars for sure.  I could pay off our debt, become a SAHM and then work on buying a house much closer to our dream house all in one!
Thats all!  Enjoy your Sunday!

Six Senses Saturday

Julia is hosting Six Senses Saturday, and I thought I would join in on the fun!  Here we go!

Right now I'm...

Tasting:

Breakfast: A blueberry muffin (toasted with butter) and a glass of milk

(I'm not much of a breakfast person so thats alot for me!)

But I am looking forward to having some yummy mac n cheese from Noodles & Co. for lunch with my bestie, her son and my daughter before we head off to the aquarium!

Smelling:

A clean house and a small green (melon scented) candle burning in the kitchen

Seeing:

Morgan playing with her vintage Fisher Price Little People Barn and House...and The Little Mermaid playing on the TV in the background!  If I look out the window, its rainy, foggy, dreary and cold. 

Hearing:

The Little Mermaid!

Touching:

At the moment, the keyboard!  (In a few short moments, the clean clothes as I fold and put away the last load of laundry for the weekend!!)

Feeling:

Anxious...my best friend is on her way here from Nebraska.  We are meeting for lunch, spending the day together and possibly some time together too.  Six weeks ago she experienced the most horrific loss ever.  I was with her in the week afterwards but haven't seen her since.  I am anxious how the day is going to go, am I going to say the right things...etc.  All that sadness is going to come rushing back in, I am just trying to prepare myself for it.

What are your senses today?

Whats For Dinner?

Now that Spring has finally sprung...its time to dig out our favorite grilling recipes.  I think I might make this one tomorrow!  Its easy and so yummy!

21st COMM Squadron Chicken

The actual recipe calls for 2 bags of chicken thighs, but I have found that you can use just about any amount of thighs. I use the same mixture for the three of us, or for us plus 3 visitors. I just throw more thighs in the bag.

Ingredients

2 bags (2.5 lbs each) boneless/skinless chicken thighs
1 cup Kikoman soy sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp Aji-mirin (Japanese sweet cooking rice wine)
2 tsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 green onions, sliced 1″ lengths

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a large ziploc bag and marinade in the refrigerator. I have done anywhere from a couple hours to overnight. Cook over BBQ.

- It goes great with grilled pineapple, Dole Crunch Asian Supreme bagged salad and rice pilaf!

Whats for dinner at your house?

Five Question Friday

Its Five Question Friday!!  Hop on over to Mama M.'s blog for more!

1. What words do you use on your blog/online that you don't use in real life?

Gosh, I can't think of any!

2. Do you still write checks?

Yes...but very rare.  I think the last one I wrote was for Girl Scout Cookies!  I recently set up my HOA bill to be paid directly from my bank...I think that was the last bill I paid with a check.  Otherwise its debit card all the way, baby!  I get rewards for using it as a debit card too!

3. Who was your favorite President and why?

Wow, thats a hard one.  I have never really been in to history or politics.  That being said, I have always sorta liked Ronald Reagan mearly because he is the first president I really remember.  Pitiful I know! 

4. Are you a yeller?

Yes and No!  Typically I am, but with my daughter I am not at all.  I think I have yelled at her twice in her short 2 1/2 years.  For some reason I am very calm and patient with her.  Wish I could find that quality when I am in other situations!!! 

5. Have you ever dumpster dived?

Nope, can't say that I have!  I love a bargain...but not enough to find it in a dumpster!

Enjoy your weekend!!

10 Pairs of Sunglasses $9.99!

The deal of the day at Graveyard Mall today is 10 pairs of women's sunglasses for $9.99 + shipping! I took advantage of this deal the last time it was offered and was pleased with the selection I received. A few I wouldn't be caught dead wearing, but a co-worker of mine loved them! Considering I usually spend $10-15 on each pair of sunglasses and they never last an entire summer, I was pretty thrillled to get a nice selection to choose from that should last me the whole summer! Check it out!

Baby clothes are taking over!

Why is it that an infant/toddler girl accumulates so much clothing?  Its incredible!  We were Team Green when I was pregnant, so we didn't have alot of clothing when we started out.  The minute she was born, the packages started arriving.  I swear we had a box on our doorstep every single day for a month...and they were all full of little pink outfits.  From that moment on we had obscene amounts of clothes in her closet.  We have been busting at the seams.  Picture our house as a sock drawer that is overflowing!

Of course we held on to all those adorable tiny clothes, in case another baby arrived.  We kept shoving them into huge Rubbermaid containers in the basement...before long we had nine...yes nine.  That doesn't count the clothes we have piled on top of the old diaper changing table in her old room.  I tell ya, we have clothes everywhere!  Oh and blankets, and bibs, and socks, and shoes...

So we finally tackled the project of getting rid of all the baby stuff.  Last fall I started with the big items.  I sold them one by one on Craigslist.  Then I spent time over the past month labeling, sorting and hanging as many spring/summer items as I could.  I ended up taking 200 items to the big JBF Sale this weekend.  The sale opened yesterday afternoon with a presale for the consigners and volunteers.  The first official sales day was today.  A few minutes ago they uploaded the sales from both days into the taging system.  I am thrilled to report I have already sold 50 items for a total of $185.50!!  Of that, I get 65% of the sales, less an $11 consigner fee.  So far so good!  There are still 2 more sales days left.  Heres hoping there is very little left for me to pick up on Saturday night!!

Of course, the 200 items I brought to the sale are just a drop in the bucket with all the clothes we have.  It looks like I will be holding my first ever garage sale in a few weeks!

Thursday Five

The Thursday Five for this week is:

Post 5 things that have made you..

Happy

Giddy

Grateful

Joyful

Elated

Appreciative

or all of the above..

My five are:

1.  My beautiful daughter

2.  My amazing husband

3.  I get to see my best friend this weekend

4.  The weekend is almost here

5.  Spring has finally sprung here!!

Wanna play along?  Hop on over to mannland5

Typical Topics?

Now that we have the name thing straightened out...what is this blog going to be about? 

Good question!  I suppose its going to have a little bit of everything that interested me.  My blog, so I guess it will take on a personality similar to mine, right!  I would imagine I will talk about everything from photography to food.  There might be deep discussion, but also alot of light hearted posts.  I love a good bargain, so I'll probably share some of those too.  Anything that affects me as a mom is game for this blog!

Why the name?

I am sure you are wondering what is up with my blog name.  Its simple really.  I have wanted to have a true "mommy blog" for a while but couldn't come up with a catchy title.  I was kicking around a few different ideas but none were really sticking.  About two weeks ago my 2 1/2 yr old daughter randomly called me "Mommy Salami"...and has continued daily ever since!  Apparently its stuck with her.  So I checked the availability of that name in Blogger...and whala I have a mommy blog now! 

Welcome!

I have been a "blogger" since 2006.  In the beginning I was documenting my pregnancy fairly randomly on a babysite.  Once my daughter was a month old, I was inspired by some fellow new mommies that were blogging about the trials of new mommyhood.  I took the plunge and transferred all my babysite entried over to a "real" blog.  That was almost 3 years ago, and I have not looked back.  However, my blog was never really mommy oriented.  Sure its all about my daughter, but very little about me and what its like to be a mommy.  I still maintain that original blog, and plan to turn it into multiple books to pass down to my daughter when she is older.  In addition I have a blog that I keep track of all my favorite recipes, a project 365 photo blog and I have contributed on Our Bella Cucina here and there.

As you can see, I love to blog!!  So, once again I am taking the plunge and starting a new blog.  I wanna share more of me, more of what I am like, what I like to do, what I think its like to be a mommy. 

Thanks for joining me!